Separation Anxiety

Every time I leave Patty for a few hours, I have separation anxiety. I know that when I leave her with a friend or family member (including daddy) that she is in capable hands, but I constantly worry. What if she forgets me? Is she wondering where I have gone? Is her milk sitting on a table becoming spoiled? It doesn't help that a new nanny horror story was just featured on the local news. I need small breaks from her, but it's hard to be at peace when she is out of my sight. My husband is convinced that we will not have an opportunity to take a vacation this year if I continue to be a "worry wart." Hmmm. He could be right.............

2 Month Baby Checkup (Vaccines)

Today Patty went to her 2 month appointment. Since she was born small she is still small for her age but a very healthy little girl. Her weight and height are increasing at the appropriate rate. She is cooing, making good eye contact, and turning her head from side to side quite well. I was very worried that I would be nervous when she received her vaccines but it went smoothly. The nurse lined up the needles and boom, bam, bang it was over in less than a minute. Poor Patty didn't know what hit her. I know that there are many people who choose not to get vaccines because of various reasons, but for those of you that want to protect your children from life threatening illnesses, here is a list of what your baby may receive at their 2 month appointment:

• DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis) vaccine. This vaccine prevents diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough.



• Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) vaccine. This vaccine prevents Hib infections such as brain infections (meningitis), bloodstream infections (bacteremia and sepsis), lung infections (pneumonia), and an infection of the throat that can completely block a child's ability to breathe (epiglottitis).



• IPV (inactivated polio vaccine). This vaccine prevents polio.



• Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. This vaccine prevents infections caused by the pneumococcus including bloodstream infections, meningitis, and pneumonia.

At either the two- or four-month visit, your child will receive:

• Hepatitis B vaccine. This vaccine prevents a serious liver infection caused by hepatitis B.

(Source:http://www.drspock.com/article/0,1510,5413,00.html)

Mother's Milk Tea & More Breast Milk

I've been so busy taking care of Patty that I haven't been able to blog much. However I wanted to tell all you breastfeeding moms about Mother's Milk Tea. I was producing milk but I kept reading about women who could pump 8 ounces per session and I wanted to be one of them. After reading a few message boards I noticed that a lot of people recommended fenugreek along with other herbs. I'm not very good at taking pills so when I found out that a tea existed that contained a combination of different galactogues, I decided to try it. It was only $5 and I thought if it doesn't work at least I'll have some healthy tea to drink. I drank one cup and by the evening I was bursting with milk. It's been a couple of days and I can feed my daughter on one breast while pumping the other. Before I could only get 3 to 4 ounces per session from both breasts but since drinking the tea I can pump a new bottle ever 1.5 hrs. I can only speak on behalf of myself when I say this tea works wonders. I purchased mine from GNC but a link is below if you want to order it online.

The Happiest Baby on the Block

Patty had a doctor's appointment today. While one of the female assistants was checking her she began talking about her own child and asked if I had read the book "The Happiest Baby on the Block." She raved about how it saved her life. I was very intrigued because although I have a fairly calm child, I always look for ways to improve my parenting and new techniques that are more efficient. When I get home, I googled the book and what do I find....a bunch of basic concepts that you should have learned from your mother or received from the hospital staff. I sarcastically told my husband what the book recommends. He laughed and said "maybe she didn't go to those prenatal classes." So for those of you who missed the basics and are pulling your hair out, here are a few tips that should have you feeling better in no time:

Swaddle
Wrap your baby in her favorite blankie as if she was a caterpillar in a cocoon. My daughter is swaddled every night and placed on her back. This helps her calm down and get into a deep sleep.

Stomach
If your baby can roll over or turn his head from side to side without getting caught in the covers, let him sleep on his tummy. In the day time, I let my daughter sleep on her belly since she has excellent head control.

Swing
Rock your little one back and forth when it's time for a nap or consider using a mechanical swing when you are tired.

Suck
Babies have a natural reflex that makes them want to suck. Give them a bottle or a pacifier. If they take either then the problem has been addressed.

Shush
Now I do not do this because it does not work for me. However some people find that making the "shush" sound calms their baby.

One thing that I must add to the list is that my daughter needs a night light. From day one if we turned off the light at night time she woke up and screamed like a banshee. I soon learned that the tv must stay on with the volume turned down. I could buy a real night light but I like to wake up to the home shopping network's latest doo hickey. Other things that you can also do to help is changing the baby's diaper, walking the baby, letting the baby cry for a few minutes and massaging the baby's stomach. There are many techniques to help your baby relax, but ultimately you have to interpret your child's cries, coos, facial expressions, and body language to determine the best choice.

Support System with Newborn Child

I have always known that having a healthy support system of friends and family is a basic requirement of a successful life. However this did not hit me over the head so forcefully until this week. I grew up in a large family where having 5 or 6 children is the norm. There were always people available to help take care of the kids whether it was preparing a bottle, watching them while mom went to the store or just playing with child so dad could get a moment of peace. Now that I have my little girl I realize how important the concept of "it takes a village" truly is. I am with my baby 100% of the time with a few short breaks when her dad comes home. Every single friend and family member is over an hour away. Gone are the days when I could just hop in my car to go the store or take my time with eating. Using the bathroom when it is an emergency has taken a back seat the grunts and cries of the baby. My husband came home last night and said "Does she cry like this in the day time?" I smiled and replied "Yes." He is now saying that being home alone with her all day is a bit too much for anyone and that maybe I should put her in day care part time. Although that sounds like a good idea it exposes her to unnecessary illnesses and influences that can easily be avoided. I love my little girl with all my heart but I would be doing every mother a disservice by saying that I am never exhausted by caring for her. Oh well I guess I will have to pay $3/gal and start taking some long one hour drives every week.