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March 17, 2006
The puzzle
One would think that after getting past the initial difficulty of establishing the nursing relationship that it would (or *should*) be smooth sailing. He nurses very well, but the discomfort that often comes after nursing is so confusing.
You know the puzzle... the one where baby cries and cries because he obviously has a stomach ache, but the only way to calm him is to nurse him, which seems to make the problem worse. And then you throw in the swaddle. The swaddle should do it, right? The side hold? The swaying? The sush-ing? How about sleeping on my chest? Some gripe water to ease the pain? How about Mama crying because it's 2 am and you've been miserable for the past four and she feels helpless because she can't figure it out and you seem just beside yourself?
John finally made me sleep while he tended to Eli for another hour. Poor guy, here's his wife totally losing it, his new son is inconsolable unless nursing, Gus is waking up and crying, saying he wants to read a new book...and John keeps it together. I love him.
Here are my theories. Eli has colic (whatever the heck colic is, no one seems to know). OR. Eli is sensitive to something I'm eating (tomatoes? dairy? please God, not chocolate...). OR. Eli and his colon are arguing and the colon is winning.
I don't know.
I do know that I love him so much. I also know that he's sleeping like a champ right now. Confusing.
On that note...we're off to shop for minivans. I'm not even kidding you.
Posted by janna at March 17, 2006 08:19 AM
Comments
I love my minivan! We bought our first one in 1985. Lucas wants me to get something else, but I tell him when I can stop moving his extra long twin bed from Iowa City address to Iowa City address, I'll think about it.
Posted by: Pat at March 17, 2006 01:12 PM
okay, Mama, here we go. Flashback to 1988 and walking countless hours with a crying infant that we are passing between the two of us. How many hours Ken walked Alex up and down the hall of this house I cannot tell you. Did it help? Maybe, no. After reading countless articles and books on colic, we did find that the commonality in those articles were as follows: If you are upset, your baby will become upset. They know. Swear to God, that is what the articles said. Like that isn't an oxymoron. The books said, "try to stay calm at all cost because your baby really does feed off of your anxiety." I can remember coming up to Ken in the hallway after he had been walking Alex for hours and very calmly saying, "Here let me take him for a while." I would always wait until he was a little calmer and Ken would say, "no, its okay, I have him right now.." To this I would very calmly in a sing-songy voice say, "Give me the baby damn it..." and he would say in the same calm voice, "I said I have him and you need to move away before you freaking wake him up.." I am laughing as I write this. It was so insane. The more tired we became, the dumber it was. The second thing common in all articles was this: If your baby has colic, really has a diagnosis of colic, there isn't really anything you can do about it that will make it go away. You may find some things that temporarily sooth, but the ugly beast will return off an on for a few weeks. Lucky for you that you are breast feeding and you do not have to go through changing all of the formulas. Breast feeding is the best thing you can do for your little one. I am assuming that you are kidding about the chocolate because I know that you know it is one of the worst things you can eat when you are breastfeeding. that is what the books say anyway. Kidding, right?
As for the minivan, welcome to parenthood. Your life is about to become much easier even if gas prices are on the rise. Small sacrifice. Love you both.
Say the word and I will come and walk Eli around your house so that you both can rest and focus on Gus when he wakes up. I am sure that both Grandmas and one special Aunt are waiting in line for this request and priveledge, just know that I sincerely offered.
Posted by: aunt deb at March 18, 2006 07:52 AM