Monday, I got home from work and thought "I survived going back to work!" and felt very self-satisfied. Then I remembered I would have to go back to work *every* day from now on. And that left me feeling very sad.
Harry seemed to enjoy daycare. He had no issues at drop off (and didn't seem any happier to see me at pickup than he did the other kids' mommies). For him, one lady taking care of him seems to be as good as the next. As for me, I cried a lot the first day, some the second day, a little the third day, and remained tear-free on the fourth. So, progress, I suppose.
I still have two main concerns.
One, I'm a little worried about his activities during the day. From looking over his log, I'm worried he spends most of the day in one of three places: the highchair (having his lunch and being kept safe while Miss M prepares lunch for the big kids), in the pack n play (for naps) and being held (while having a bottle or going to the park). I'm not sure he's getting much floor-play time, but I could be totally wrong (and very well may be, since he rolled back to front for the first time on Tuesday evening and has done it consistently and easily since). I'll speak to her about it Monday when we drop him off.
Two, I don't know how long I'll be able to keep up with him by pumping. He drinks 18 ounces of breastmilk in the 9 hours he's there (3 6-ounce bottles). That seems like a ton of milk to pump. I was able to pump close to that this week, but I don't know that that will last as my body adjusts to pumping rather than nursing that often. I have a decent freezer stash to supplement but I'll burn through it fast if my supply takes a nosedive. And whatever I pump at night before bed is what I use for his cereal meals the next day (and that's barely enough, now that he has 1/4 cup of cereal twice a day). That may be the first sacrifice -- I may switch that to water or formula and use that milk for bottles. On a related note, I'm surprised to find that I don't loathe pumping (not that I enjoy it, but...). That said, I really miss breastfeeding. I miss the closeness, the time that is just for me and Harry, gazing at my sweet boy and stroking his hair while I meet his most basic need. It's hard not to cry even just thinking about it now, even though he's only a foot away from me, playing in his exersaucer.
So, one week down. A lifetime to go.
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9 comments:
In case it makes it an easier decision - what I've learned from our local LC and the BFing solids class is that as long as you're not dealing with a weight gain issue, you definitely do NOT need to keep adding milk to baby's cereal. The reason to introduce rice cereal + breastmilk is just to make the transition easier: since rice cereal is pretty bland on it's own, you're essentially feeding baby thickened EBM, so a familiar taste with a new texture.
So go ahead and mix the cereal with water guilt free!
I'm glad you made it! I hope the concerns are easily cleared up.
Make sure you drink as much water as you can. Another supply trick is to pump MORE often - every 2 hours rather than every 3-4 hours. I found that I got sick of pumping so it was too easy to drop one pumping and then my supply took a nosedive. Water is definitely fine for oatmeal. In fact, I'm going to put my little chunk a monkey on it going forward (good idea). When he starts eating more solids he'll decrease the amount of breastmilk he eats - I think Ned is down to 20-22 ounces or so and still growing very well. Good luck!
Oh, K. I am glad that it's getting a bit easier and hope that it continues. . .
I don't have any advice, only that my ped also said that if weight was not an issue, purified water was fine as a mixing agent. If weight was an issue, she actually recommends formula rather than bm, so there's also an idea.
Hugs.
I hope it gets easier and that your concerns are calmed. (((hugs)))
The whole daycare thing really does get easier with time. (Sadly, I have nothing reassuring to say about the pumping and BFing issue. Sigh.)
LL's first week or two at daycare, LL was held a lot, too, but I think it was a safety thing, to get the older kids used to him. Now that our daycare lady has taught the older kids the right way to interact with a baby, she puts him on the floor more. The older kids know now which toys they're allowed to hand to him, and that they're only allowed to touch his feet, and that they can smile at him and talk to him and sing to him, but no roughhousing around him. So now he plays on the floor a lot, and whenever he rolls over, ALL the kids clap and cheer. And several of the other parents have told me that their kid talks about LL all the time. He's like the daycare pet. And he loves it. So... I'd give the daycare a little time to acclimate Harry to the place, and to acclimate the other kids to Harry.
Yes, as they start eating more solids, the amount of breastmilk required will decrease. You can also start giving him sips of water, which will also help.
Baby S is 9 months and is nursing/taking a pumped-milk bottle 4 times a day. He is now eating 3 meals a day, too, so they get there quickly.
Thanks for your comment on my blog! For me, the working thing has been a smooth transition but I do remember feeling pretty sad that first day back when I wondered what Jillian was up too. Hang in there...if you've got a good daycare situation I bet it will get a lot better.
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