The nursing necklace

I didn't really blog about it much here, but AJ spent two months on a nursing strike (I hate this term, because it's not like they're NEGOTIATING, but that's what they call it), from three months to five months.  She would take the breast when she woke up from a deep sleep, so in the middle of the night (if she woke up at all during the night--she sometimes doesn't), and first thing in the morning, but other than that, she'd basically scream and try to hurl herself bodily away from me.  It was awful, and pretty much none of the general literature accounts for the fact that a baby that young would even GO on a nursing strike (although apparently I did at TWO months), so a lot of the advice on how to deal with it was impossible (for example: she wasn't even capable of taking a spoon or a sippy cup; bottles were pretty much our only alternative feeding option), and the rest of it was useless anyway because none of it made any damn difference.  I got pretty sick of the Lactation Clinic consultants telling me to "cuddle her more."

Then we went to a specialist recommended by our awesome GP, who talked to me for like five minutes, diagnosed the problem as boredom, and told me to make sure AJ faced in for bottles (thus not getting a good view with them) and to wear a necklace of toys when breastfeeding to keep her attention.

This pretty much ended the "strike" immediately.

She's still very easily distracted, but that's very different from the shrieking and trying to launch herself off my chest.  She needs the necklace to focus on a full feeding about half the time, but sometimes can even get a full feeding in a pretty distracting environment without it--I had forgotten to put it in the diaper bag when I took her downtown to run an errand on Friday, but still managed to get her to nurse at a coffee shop.

Saturday at the park we had it, though, and we got some pictures, which I mainly wanted to share because let's face it, it's pretty hilarious looking:

It's made from some cheap links we got at Target, along with a set of three cheap toys meant to be attached to the bar over a stroller or car seat (also from Target).  One of them has a chime in it (the specialist specifically recommended something that made noise), and that was AJ's favorite for some time, but lately she seems really into the ladybug.  That leaf she's grabbing here crinkles, and she does love crinkly things.  (She got a crinkly toy purse from her great aunt recently and she goes WILD over it.)

Here you can see the chime (black and white stripes); the bug under it is a butterfly, I think.  The third toy is a bee with a rattle.  I include this photo mainly so you can see how big she's getting!  Look at her!  Giant baby!

Mothers Day (a day late)

A belated happy Mothers Day to all the other mothers out there!

The semester ended last week, but AJ also went on a nursing strike (that's seriously what they call it when they start refusing the boob--in my opinion, it's a terrible analogy, since it's not like she's NEGOTIATING for anything), so I've been very busy trying to get her back ON the boob.  Also I still have 30 final papers to grade.

Fortunately, Don's mother came to help out while he was out of town on business last week (it was an eventful week), and Don was back in time for Mothers Day, so we've been having some nice family time even though I have to pump, like, every two hours.

 

Me & AJ on Mothers Day morning.  AJ was quite fetching in a dress that Mama Lu bought for her on her last visit.  I am still wearing all my maternity loungewear.

 

Me & AJ next to the hospital-grade breast pump that we rented to try to boost my supply while she's "striking."

Daddy & AJ--still no photos of AJ's emerging dimples, but you can see where she gets them, at least.  Notice the first diaper change here.

AJ & Gramma B, and evidence of the second diaper change.  AJ grins and smirks a lot now, but the hand clasping is new.  Sometimes she just sits in the stroller WRINGING them now, or lifts them up while still interlocked like she's beseeching me for something.

Patty cake with Daddy & Gramma B. 

It took three or four tries before Gramma B could make it through the rhyme and remember to say "A" for "Andromeda"--all four of her kids have "D" names, so she kept being tripped up by maternal autopilot.

I'll have to do an Instagram post soon, as I got some very cute pictures of Daddy & AJ with my phone today.  I don't care what people say, I LIKE putting faddish filters on my mobile phone pics.