So here's another of those awkward outfit photo shoots in an effort to build my self-confidence with this squishy new body. Are you excited yet?!?
Having my mom in town for the last 2 weeks of my maternity leave was really incredible. It gave Chief the opportunity to get used to somebody else caring for her while we were out of the house and- most importantly- she was able to get used to eating from a bottle.
There are plenty of resources out there that warn of the many ways you can ruin your nursing relationship- namely by introducing artificial nipples too early- but nobody ever mentions that your baby may not take a bottle! The lactation consultant in the hospital said to wait until 4 weeks, then start pumping after feedings and introducing the bottle. So at 4 weeks I started pumping and putting a few measly ounces in the freezer, and weekend that she turned 5 weeks we tried some bottles- one fresh, one thawed from frozen. The first bottle was a struggle- I had to leave the room and Mr. Geek engaged in a little bit of infant combat to convince her that this bottle had something yummy inside, but after nearly an hour, she'd finished the 3 ounces. The next day, we tried a slightly bigger bottle, and she was less reluctant. Boom. Bottle feeding. Done. I spent the next several weeks pumping as much as I could but not feeding her any of it- I needed to build up my supply!
And then I stumbled across an article about alternative ways to feed babies who refuse bottles. Refuse bottles? Chief would never refuse a bottle...I mean, it took her a while to get used to it, but she could do it...right?
Just before my mom got in town, I decided what the heck- let's do another bottle, just to prove that we can, so Mammaw can babysit for a couple of date nights while she's here. So we sat down with the bottle and...
Nope. Not happening. She cried because she didn't want this thing that was decidedly not Mommy in her mouth. She gagged on it every time we put it in her mouth. She shook her head to pull it out of the way. Then she cried because she was hungry- and cried and cried and cried... So I gave up and nursed her. And then I cried and cried and cried. How was I going to be able to go back to work now?
"It's okay," said Mr. Geek in an effort to console me. "She'll have to take it if she wants to eat- she'll learn."
Oh, great. We were going to have to starve our daughter until she learned to accept the bottle.
I took to the internet and researched until my eyes hurt- and apparently Mr. Geek did, too, because the next day, when we tried again, he was suggesting things I'd read about. We started before she actually got hungry, I sat in the other room, and Mr. Geek just suggested the tip of the nipple until she decided that yeah, okay, that's something I want to suck on. It took about an hour, once again, but she finished a 5oz bottle and was full.
Oh. Cool. I had nothing to worry about.
We went on three date nights while Mammaw was here. I felt a little guilty at first, making my house guest work for me as a free babysitter, but then she pointed out that this was kind of the whole point of her visit- to get some one-on-one time with her grandbaby!
This was my outfit for date night #2, when we went to see American Hustle- which was fantastic, by the way. Oh, and I definitely didn't notice that I'd skipped the second button on this vest until I was taking it off that night. Mommy brain!
earrings: gift
necklace: Francesca's
shirt & vest: thrifted
jeggings: Cato
watch: Kohls (same style, different color)
boots: Target
Tell me about your most recent date night!
Much love,
The Geeks
*all photos personal*
Having my mom in town for the last 2 weeks of my maternity leave was really incredible. It gave Chief the opportunity to get used to somebody else caring for her while we were out of the house and- most importantly- she was able to get used to eating from a bottle.
There are plenty of resources out there that warn of the many ways you can ruin your nursing relationship- namely by introducing artificial nipples too early- but nobody ever mentions that your baby may not take a bottle! The lactation consultant in the hospital said to wait until 4 weeks, then start pumping after feedings and introducing the bottle. So at 4 weeks I started pumping and putting a few measly ounces in the freezer, and weekend that she turned 5 weeks we tried some bottles- one fresh, one thawed from frozen. The first bottle was a struggle- I had to leave the room and Mr. Geek engaged in a little bit of infant combat to convince her that this bottle had something yummy inside, but after nearly an hour, she'd finished the 3 ounces. The next day, we tried a slightly bigger bottle, and she was less reluctant. Boom. Bottle feeding. Done. I spent the next several weeks pumping as much as I could but not feeding her any of it- I needed to build up my supply!
And then I stumbled across an article about alternative ways to feed babies who refuse bottles. Refuse bottles? Chief would never refuse a bottle...I mean, it took her a while to get used to it, but she could do it...right?
Just before my mom got in town, I decided what the heck- let's do another bottle, just to prove that we can, so Mammaw can babysit for a couple of date nights while she's here. So we sat down with the bottle and...
Nope. Not happening. She cried because she didn't want this thing that was decidedly not Mommy in her mouth. She gagged on it every time we put it in her mouth. She shook her head to pull it out of the way. Then she cried because she was hungry- and cried and cried and cried... So I gave up and nursed her. And then I cried and cried and cried. How was I going to be able to go back to work now?
"It's okay," said Mr. Geek in an effort to console me. "She'll have to take it if she wants to eat- she'll learn."
Oh, great. We were going to have to starve our daughter until she learned to accept the bottle.
I took to the internet and researched until my eyes hurt- and apparently Mr. Geek did, too, because the next day, when we tried again, he was suggesting things I'd read about. We started before she actually got hungry, I sat in the other room, and Mr. Geek just suggested the tip of the nipple until she decided that yeah, okay, that's something I want to suck on. It took about an hour, once again, but she finished a 5oz bottle and was full.
Oh. Cool. I had nothing to worry about.
We went on three date nights while Mammaw was here. I felt a little guilty at first, making my house guest work for me as a free babysitter, but then she pointed out that this was kind of the whole point of her visit- to get some one-on-one time with her grandbaby!
This was my outfit for date night #2, when we went to see American Hustle- which was fantastic, by the way. Oh, and I definitely didn't notice that I'd skipped the second button on this vest until I was taking it off that night. Mommy brain!
earrings: gift
necklace: Francesca's
shirt & vest: thrifted
jeggings: Cato
watch: Kohls (same style, different color)
boots: Target
Tell me about your most recent date night!
Much love,
The Geeks
*all photos personal*
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