Nursing difficulties and reflux: I nursed for 4 months, and pumped until Preston was 6 months old. Part of me feels like a big ol' failure for not making it longer. I was lucky--I never got mastitis or cracked.bleeding nipples. Preston was never diagnosed as Failure To Thrive. He gained weight appropriately, but I was supplementing with formula also. Nursing was difficult from the get-go. Preston had a very weak latch, which who can blame him? My chest is probably a bit intimidating to a itty bitty mouth! Because I am large in the chest area, I had to hold one breast the entire time Preston nursed, while supporting his head and body with the other arm. Now that I have been a mother for a year, I think I know how to do most things with one hand, so I am hoping I have better luck with the next one. Preston also spit-up all the time. I thought for sure it was me. Looking back, that's just what babies do. Preston spit up regularly until around 5-6months, when he was sitting up unsupported and had started solids. As a first-time nursing mother, I was so concerned about Preston not getting enough, that he cried a lot because he was starving. He may have been hungry, or maybe it was his temperament to be a little whiny. I tried putting him on a strict schedule early on, and he may not have been ready for that yet. Who knows? Regardless, I always provided him with proper nutrition, whether I it came from me or not. I did NOT fail just because I did not nurse.
Ear infection: Basically, he ran a fever and woke up frequently at night was a dead giveaway. I always took him to the doctor just in case because I would have for him to have a hearing problem because of an undiagnosed ear infection. He got them as he was teething (which means I will probably deal with several more..boo!). The doctor's office said his eustachian tube is already angled, so he shouldn't be getting them. I tell ya, my child is a born rebel ;)
Co-sleeping: Preston always slept in his own bed, I would nap with him in our bed from time to time just to enjoy some snuggles. I got a job working as a Pre-K para and he went with me to work since they had a nursery. Well....he got sick A LOT. Plus he was a bad napper at home and was definitely one at daycare...I mean he didn't take a nap there for weeks. So, that meant he began to wake up at night from being overtired, and
Daycare: Preston started daycare just after turning 8 months. He did well with it. He loved Gigi, his caretaker. She always commented on how good he was and that he was so smart. His struggle there was the napping, which I touched on in the co-sleeping paragraph. Other than his constant colds, daycare was good for him. I mean, I hated the colds, but at least he is building an immune system, right? Plus, he interacts well with others and isn't super attached to me. Sometimes it makes me sad, but I am sure I'd feel worse if he screamed and clung to me when I dropped him off. My M-I-L says that it will change by the time he turns 2, and that he will be glued to me. So, I guess I will enjoy my little but of freedom while I can!
Naps: Preston finally started taking two solids naps a day at around 6 months. Now that all changed at daycare, but during weekends and vacations he was fine at home. He needed a wind down time, and still does. We are transitioning him to one nap a day now since daycare only does one nap for the toddlers. I hate it for him, but he'll be okay.
Bottle-weaning: Now, I am really surprised at how easy it was to wean him from the bottle...I mean, I have heard stories of how difficult it can be--sleepless nights, hunger strikes...not Preston!Thank the Lord! At around 10.5 months, after he finally had both of his bottom teeth, he began to eat more table food. They actually stopped offering baby food to him at daycare at that time because he was so much more interested in the table food. At the same time he began to drink less of his bottles. He typically never drank more than 24 oz a day anyway. He had four 6 oz bottles a day, and he was drinking around 4 oz towards the end. I had been giving him water in a sippy cup since 6 months, but he never really wanted formula in one. I decided to start adding an ounce of whole milk to his formula in the bottle, until it progressed to half and half. Once I saw that he had no reaction to it, I just did all whole milk in his bottles. Once he got used to the taste of whole milk, I took away his 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. bottle and sent sippy cups with milk for his lunch and snack. I kept the morning bottle and nighttime bottle until a week before his birthday because I was still working and it was convenient to let him sip on a bottle while I got ready since it would keep him content while cuddling with Ronnie. My last day of work was Friday, May 18. His last bottle was the morning bottle. And we have never had to look back! I *think* that a big factor was that he didn't really associate the bottle with comfort. I never let him drink one to fall asleep, so his only association with it was nourishment. I second guessed myself a lot in the beginning because he drank so little milk, like 8 oz the entire day. I was so scared he wasn't getting the nutrients he needed, but I have to remind myself to trust him. It's a big adjustment to learn to drink something with your meal, not as your meal. I probably took a month for him to really drink more milk. Oh, I really LOVE having my counter space back! No more bottle drying rack! Yay! Now i have the chance to show off our new countertops and backsplash we got a while back!
Well, I thought I had more counterspace, but I guess I just keep clutter regardless...
What are some difficulties you have faced while parenting?
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