Beer and Great Food- Our first week home

So...I was extremely excited about bringing our little Cora home, but nervous.  When I left the hospital I really thought I was feeling pretty good (still on 'hospital' drugs...and walking on air), but what I didn't realize is over the next couple of days I would start feeling worse.  I don't know what I would have done the first week without my mother.  Everything hurt!  I really have the best mother in the world.  She had offered months before to stay with us the first couple of days to help out with our newborn, especially if Steve returned to work right away.  Mom stayed with us Wednesday through Friday.   She was a God send!

Grandma Mary with Cora

   

That first week the visitors kept coming, and it was wonderful!  The distraction was great and the food that was brought was yummy!  I didn’t realize that having a baby meant so much free food.  I bet if my husband knew that he would have gotten a break from my cooking he would have insisted on having a baby much earlier.   I have so many people to thank I don’t know where to begin. 

That first week we actually stayed pretty busy.  Cora Rose had a touch of jaundice (like 11) so that next day we had to return to the clinic to get her levels checked to make sure they were going down and her weight was ok.  I will say that Wednesday night was pretty rough.   Cora slept pretty well until 3:00 A.M., but after that feeding (I was trying to breastfeed) she just cried and fought sleep until she finally fell into an exhausted slumber on the way to the clinic at 9:30 A.M.  She had seemed so unsettled!  I again am so thankful that mom was there, because I am not sure how I would have gotten through that first night without her. 

When we got the clinic, we realized why she was so unsettled.  Her jaundice level was up to a 14.  That wasn’t a huge deal…but would require another trip to the clinic to make sure it stayed below 18.  When they weighed her Cora was down a good 7 oz from just the day before, down to 8lbs 4 oz from 9lbs 3 oz (four days before).  She was not getting enough nourishment…I wasn’t making enough milk.  No wonder she was so mad the entire night, she was so hungry!  I agreed to supplement with formula and they brought in a premade bottle and she gobbled it down.  I felt such relief and such guilt.  I knew there was no way I could know, and it wasn't my fault…but my milking machine was broken!  It was only 5 days from giving birth, so I still had a chance for the rest of my milk to come in.  So, we hoped it was just temporary.   I was also greatly relieved that there was a reason for the rough evening that Cora had…and hopefully it wouldn’t be repeated.  

So, we took her home and Cora was much more content, and exhausted…she pretty much slept the rest of that day…and the next, and the next.   The only time she would be awake is during her feedings and it was a struggle to get her awake enough to eat for those (felt like torture getting her undressed, messing with her feet and hands, and using warm and cool cloths).  She would have slept right through all of her feedings if we hadn’t done so though.   It paid off, because the next day (Friday) her jaundice level was down to 11 and her weight was up 10 oz!  Yeah!  Success!

First nap in her crib

Awake, just barely holding daddy's hand

Also, you may be wondering when beer came in to this week.   On Thursday when we got home from the hospital and I was settled in the living room, my mother brought me a beer with a straw.  I about fell out of my chair, and you would too if you knew my mother; not something you would picture her doing.  It still makes me giggle.  One of the many things she had heard (and I have heard it now too) that beer is suppose to help milk production, which sounds great to me!  

Also on Friday we meet with the lactation consultant and she gave us some great ideas to get my milk supply up.   I started an exhausting routine of breastfeeding Cora for 10 minutes per side, giving formula, and then pumping.  The whole routine if done by myself took a good hour and a half (because the 10 minutes actually took at least 30 to 45 minutes trying to keep Cora awake every couple of minutes…and the same went for the formula), but thankfully I had my mom and my husband (when he got home from work) to help.

Snuggling with mom after a feeding

So…from weighing Cora pre and post feeding at the hospital, it was determined I was producing a little under 1 oz of milk per feeding…a newborn at her weight should be getting 2.5 to 3 oz.   I was usually able to pump maybe an additional ¼ of an ounce, but every bit helped.

By the way, my milk never did fully come in.  Over two weeks later, we are still working on it.   Now, I am up to producing 2 to 3 oz and the goal is for Cora to eat 3 to 4 oz, so closer, but still using some formula. 

On Friday afternoon we had to say goodbye to Grandma as she went home.  We were sad to see her go, because her help was amazing!   It was wonderful that she gave up those days completely to come help us though.  I remember that evening after supper my husband and I put down our dishes and looked around…”Where’s Mary to take our dishes?”  LOL, no she really was wonderful.  She was upstairs helping me with Cora all day and night when needed, but when my husband got home from work she would help start supper and then disappear downstairs to give us some family time.  It was really was perfect, and again there is nothing I could do or say to thank her enough.  I am sure when mom got home she crashed!

That weekend was pretty quiet…we had more visitors, but didn’t have to leave the house Saturday or Sunday...it was very nice!  

We were a little nervous about introducing our little newborn to our dog, JoJo, but our fears were unfounded.  She has been wonderful with Cora...maybe a little nervous, but very gentle and curious.  

Cora in her cute American Cutie outfit...and eyes open!  

Daddy got Cora to hold her own bottle...next week he says it will be potty training