So I believe Miss Tessa is going to be my little bean and I'm completely fine with that. The first few weeks, though, turned out to be somewhat stressful trying to get her to gain weight!
I breastfed Riley for 4 months but had also started supplementing her with formula VERY early and was never able to make up for it so I was determined to try and do things differently this time. Breastfeeding is super tough and it's easy to give up on if you don't totally understand how it works. So Tessa was born weighing 7 lbs 8 oz and she started eating right away. Our first checkup with the pediatrician was Jan 4th and she weighed 7lbs 1 oz...still a normal amount of drop in weight so no big deal but the doc did need to see her get back to her birth weight so we had to go in a few days later, Jan 9th to have a weight check. At that appt she only weighed 7 lbs 1/2 oz so she had actually lost 1/2 an ounce. We have been taking her to a pediatrician office off base and I absolutely love the doctor. He was still not stressing me out and said he was not at all worried about her because everything about her was fine. She was not jaundiced, she was alert, and she was having all the normal amount of diapers. He did recommend I see a lactation consultant and I did and she was extremely helpful. She showed me that I wasn't feeding her long enough. I thought she was just a more efficient eater than Riley but turns out she was missing out on some good stuff. I also started taking Fenugreek and pumping a lot to try and increase my supply. A friend of mine had a baby scale so I borrowed that too and was able to weigh her before and after feedings and on a regular basis so I had the peace of mind that she was in fact gaining weight.
When we went back for another weight check on Jan 13th she had gained a little weighing in at 7lbs 3 oz so we were moving in the right direction. Our final weight check on Jan 26...almost one month old...she had finally gotten past her birth weight and weighed in at 7lbs 13 oz. Phew! It doesn't matter that my doctor wasn't stressed...knowing your baby is not gaining enough weight is super stressful He never pushed me to give her formula and give up on breastfeeding and I'm so glad because it all worked out and as of now I haven't had to supplement at all! She'll forever be my long and lean girl and there's nothing wrong with that. Once I knew she was moving in the right direction I was ok with her being tiny because after all they grow up way too fast! Genes may have something to do with it because although you would never guess Jason was always 10th percentile weight until he was 7 or 8! I was born weighing 9 lbs 8 oz so she surely didn't get this tiny baby thing from her mama!
I absolutely love all that the iPhone has to offer that I didn't get to experience with Riley! I have been using the Total Baby app and it's AWESOME! It tracks everything...doc visits, growth, immunizations, feeding, sleeping, diapers, baths, pumped milk storage, etc. You name it this app probably has it! No more spreadsheets, writing things down, or simply trying to remember when they last had a bath!
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