Adjusting Expectations

I have to be honest, when Little M was first born, Skip and I wondered why people with newborns were always complaining about not sleeping.  Right from the day she was born, Little M ate every three hours, except for the five hour stretch of sleep she would have at night.  She rarely napped during the day for her first few months of life, but sleeping at night was always spectacular, still is in fact.  Little M goes down to bed at 8 pm and sleeps until 8:30 or so.  And she'll sleep through anything as well, thunderstorms, dogs barking, babies crying, people coming over, even a 20+ person Christmas party we threw one year!  My first born sure loves her sleep.

But my second girl, my brand new Baby C?  Hates sleeping at night apparently.  She sleeps all day long, well as long as someone is holding her or she's in the baby sling, but nighttime is her time to party.  We cannot get her to go to sleep in her crib before 1:00 or 2:00 am.  She then proceeds to wake up every two hours to eat.  We have gotten one or two four hour stretches out of her, but that's it.  Then both girls are up for the day by around 8:00 am {or 6:30 the other day...ouch}  So needless to say there is not a lot of sleeping going on around here.  Thankfully Skip is on family leave and he gives me the opportunity to nap at least once during the day.  I have no idea what I'm going to do once he goes back to work if this keeps up! 

Most of this isn't poor Baby C's fault though.  Since day one my little girl has been suffering from reflux and a great deal of gas.  We've also had some trouble with her lack of pooping the past few days, {is that all us moms talk about by the way?  haha} and when she hasn't gone for two days she spends most of the time screaming.  Because of these issues we've had to change around my original plans for feeding her.  I'm the first to admit that I don't like breast feeding.  I did it exclusively with Little M for four months until I stopped producing, but I never really enjoyed it.  I was not comfortable doing it in public or in front of people ever, and I really missed feeling like my body was my own.  But I was happy to do it to give Little M all the benefits I believe it provides.  So of course my original plan was also to nurse Baby C for at least the first few months of her life. 

The first few feedings went pretty well, though I was also supplementing with formula at night in the hospital {I had C stay in the nursery for the two nights we were there}  However, once we got home things did not go as well.  Every time I tried to nurse Baby C, she would be screaming.  She was spitting up a lot and choking a little on some acid/milk coming back up her throat.  I had a feeling she was suffering from some reflux, which was then confirmed by her doctor at her one week appointment. 

It is a more mild case, but still requires a few adjustments.  First off, Baby C has been sleeping in her bouncy seat in her crib.  We tried lying her flat in the crib, but she sleeps much better with the angle of the bouncy.  The other major thing we are doing has to do with her feeding.  Baby C is no longer nursing at all.  I am pumping and feeding her breast milk during the day, and then we supplement with formula.  Strangely enough, I'm actually a little sad about not nursing anymore.  As I said, I never really enjoyed it too much, but I was so prepared to do it again, that it's a little sad to not be doing it.  But Baby C just screams whenever she is laying down to nurse, so I have to do what's best for her.  We prop her upright while she eats, and it has made a huge difference.  I plan on pumping for at least six weeks, but am not sure what will happen after that.  I honestly don't know how I will be able to feed her, pump, and take care of Little M once Skip goes back to work, especially since Baby C eats every two hours, only going three or four hours at night.  I have been able to freeze a lot of what I'm pumping, so even if I stop once Skip is back at work, I'll have plenty more to give her for a while longer.  Because of these stomach problems, we are also not really on a schedule yet with Baby C, but I'm not going to stress that at all until after she's a month old. 

So that's what's been going on with us and Baby C recently.  Many people say that you are much more relaxed as a parent with your second baby, but I'm not sure that's always true.  As I've learned, every baby is different and requires you to readjust what you already know.  Have any other moms out there dealt with a reflux baby?  Any tips?