1 You aren't doing anything "wrong," it's trial and error with almost all babies.  Might take a look at what you are eating...sometimes that can cause gas...at least from what I remember, my boys are 27 & 25.  Big hugs!  Things will get better as they get different

2 My first son had awful gas depending on what I ate.  My second son, I could eat whatever I wanted and it didn't effect him at all. So, food may or may not be her problem, but it's worth a shot!

What bothered my first son was anything that can cause mild gas in adults~it really bothered him. I had to avoid broccoli, onions, beans and cucumbers with him.

When she seems to be in a lot of pain, think about what you ate before she ate. Like Connie said, it's trial and error. 

My son also got  better after he hit the 6 week mark.

3

Our big problem with our littlest guy was that I eat a lot of dairy and was breastfeeding. He just couldn't handle the dairy. At one point he was on 3 different prescriptions and was still having problems. The pediatrician agreed with me that we needed to start from scratch instead of adding more meds. He suggested I cut dairy out of my diet. Within 12 hours of me stopping dairy he started feeling better. It made ALL the difference. He didn't even need the prescriptions after that.

He's 19 months old now, and handles dairy just fine. He eats pretty much everything. Just back then his delicate little tummy couldn't handle it.

I thought I'd mention this because dairy can be a common culprit among babies who are breastfed and having tummy problems. Good luck finding something that works for you. It's terrible to see our babies uncomfortable.

4 I would ask the doc about possible reflux.  I think the vomiting and gas can be symptoms of that.  If it is reflux, propping her at night (towel or something under the top of her mattress, or a sleeping wedge) can sometimes help.

I remember now, after reading your last post, how tough that first month was.  I think I had a little bit of mommy amnesia... now that he's 6 months, I'd almost forgotten how hard it was in the beginning.  I think I called my mom every day or so asking for advice, and if this or that was normal, and if I was doing this right.  I second-guessed myself so much, and yes...I was definitely still hurting from labor (I too had a nasty episiotomy), plus I was under the impression that breastfeeding wasn't supposed to hurt if you were doing it right, and yet here I was with cracked and bleeding nipples - I ended up doing a lot of pumping and bottle feeding the first couple of weeks until we both got the hang of it.

Yeah, it's hard, but like I said...it's one of those things that you just kind of forget as your baby gets older and you move on to new & different challenges, until someone reminds you.  If we didn't have mommy amnesia, I think fewer people would have multiple children

Best of luck to you.

5 NONE of those worked for us.  There were these gas drops we had to buy at our pharmacy that finally helped.  I will try to remember what they were called...you might be able to get them.  Not sure since we are in Canada.  They were the ONLY thing that finally worked.  They had to be kept refrigerated.  One dose a day...it was heaven to finally have SOMETHING that worked.  

6 We had scads of other stuff going on, so not sure if any of this is relevant--but keeping him upright, even to sleep (like in a bouncer chair?) and cutting out dairy *completely* (even reading labels and avoiding things like natural flavorings, which can be dairy-based) were important for us. And waiting for growth. I know hearing you have to wait can be horrible--I'm sorry. I hope things smooth out quickly for you. 

7 The drops didn't work for us either...just made him spit-up more...

8 If Mycolon and Gripe water aren't working then it might be time to see the pedi.  Our daughter could not handle a single drop of milk and it wasn't until I stopped breastfeeding and went to an amino based formula combined with Prevacid that she stopped projectile vomiting and slept through the night.  She was almost a year at the time.  No one told me that what I was eating was affecting her and it took a GI specialist to recognize she was having food issues.  There are a few products designed to help them sleep in the upright position, one is the Tucker Sling; it is to be used in their crib to keep them from sliding down the mattress when you elevate one end.  The other is the Nap Nanny, which is a "chair" for newborns and you can even put them on their tummies to help press the stomach sphincter closed.  The first 2 months are the hardest!!  It does get better or at least you get better at meeting their needs before they realize what is needed so the fussyness is shortened in duration. Ditto to everything posted above!

9 Mutant babies likely need mutant baby milk.
Our son got gassy if The Mrs. ate broccoli, the daughter just liked to vomit until we started giving her zantac.  We didn't have to give her the zantac very long, eventually she grew out of the projectile vomiting.

10 Also, now is the time to throw out all of you dijon or other brown mustards.  Eventually, you'll change a runny diaper, and then be making lunch, and notice the small spot of mustard on your wrist, and lick it off, only to realize THAT. WAS. NOT. MUSTARD.

It's been French's yellow for me ever since.

11 Just a thought....if you continue to have cracked and bleeding nipples have baby grok looked at for thrush.  It would show up as a white fuss or film in her mouth.  I nursed two and had no problems untill number three.  I sympathize.

12 Sarah, ditto to what the other said - I really had to watch what I was eating when nursing - anything spicy, broccoli or any alcohol (not that I was boozing it up, but even a glass of wine would set them off) If she keeps projectile vomiting, I'd ask the ped if she has reflux. keep us posted!

13 Caffeine  irritated my older daughter's reflux. Even just a cup of coffee or a glass of Diet Dr. Pepper would cause hours of crying and  projectile vomiting.  Of course, it took about two months before I realized what was causing her "colic", but once I eliminated caffeine from my diet, it was like having a new infant. I hope you figure out what works for you. Motherhood is an exhausting, but ultimately rewarding enterprise :-)

1 I'm glad you're getting the chance to just be with your little girl. But I know having waited long for these moments doesn't make the hard ones any easier now. Hang in there!

2

Take a break Sarah!  You have more important things to do.  The world will still be turning even if you're not paying attention all the time.  ;o)

 

I just started back to school this week for the first time in 20+ years and my attention span to the web is very constricted.  I miss it, and squeeze it in when I can (this is the first place I went today--and every day), it's an adjustment in my time I have to make right now.

 

Baby Time is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much more important than school, so believe me, no one here begrudges you at all!  [Cheers from the crowd!]  Infancy goes so incredibly fast, soak up every Blessed second of it you can get.

 

I've been holding off 'til the right time, and since I'm posting, this must be it.  The BEST advice I got being a 1st time mom was this:

 

Night time feedings are just that.  Just feeding.  Don't turn on the lights, don't play and talk with your angel.  Just feed.  Full tummy, back to sleep.  (I always did it in the recliner, just so I wouldn't be tempted to fall back asleep with baby.)  The very first day I started my boy on cereal he slept through the night.  (3 mos.?)  My sister had her kid sleeping in Mom & Dad's bed until he was five.  Didn't want to go there at all.  Bed time was never an issue from the get go for me and mine.

Thanks for taking the time to share what you have.  I wouldn't have been disappointed if you didn't post for weeks at a time.

Bless all of you!  Enjoy this wonderful beginning of your family!

3 When I first saw the title, I thought, "Who's Mia?"

Then I realized you're Mia.

You haven't missed out of much. I'm sure that if the USA became the USSA, your husband would have told you.

4 Ditto what everyone else said.  Good advise about feeding and back to sleep for nighttime.  Really, you'll look back on this time and realize just how fast it went by...you are doing the most important thing for now!  Continued best wishes for your family.

5

MIA stands for "Mom in action," right?

6 Above all, DO NOT WATCH THE NEWS, it might spoil your milk.

7 Trust me, it will all be there when you finally do have time to get back to it.  Not to worry. If anything hugely major happens you'll find out without having to watch anything - someone will call or email you. 

I think I missed most of the 1980's because of the kids.  Heh.

8

Wow this is what I get for finishing grad school and not touching a blog for almost a year?  Maybe I should stay away from blogging a little more often.

Congrats to you and dad!  What a beautiful little chub chub.  I'm so very happy for you all.

Household6

1

And penguins!  That kid's on the road to geekdom!  Woot!

She really is adorable.  I can't tell you how happy I am for the entire Grok family.  

2 She's so pretty, Sarah.

3

Next ... her cute hands! She's trying to hide them, but I can see them!

Her cheeks are so rosy. Are they always like that?

She seems to be sleeping. I hope you can find such peace.

I'm glad your husband's back to father her.

I wrote this comment in Google Chrome which isn't compatible with the paragraphing function of your blog. So I switched to MSIE (argh) to post it ... only to discover I had closed the Chrome tab with this text in it. ARGH.

I hope you're composing your new post outside a browser. One reason why I usually type comments within a browser is that it's annoying to paste plain text comments and add formatting (bold, italic) and links by hand later - it's easier to format as I type.

4 Oh, she's beautiful! Congratulations again!

5 What a beautiful child! Glad you got some sleep so you can enjoy your family more. I'm so glad your husband got to get home for her birth and is able to share in the baby duties and joys. In the military, that's not always possible, but I'm glad he got there. It means a lot.

6 Aww... sweet little baby feet.  Thanks.

7 absolutely adorable!

8 I can't look at that picture for too long, or I'll end up with massive baby fever! She's so adorable.  Ditto what everyone has been saying about slowing down, focusing on yourself and the baby, and letting go of all but the most essential jobs (eating, sleeping, feeding). The two of you will eventually settle into a rhythm, and life will take on some semblance of normalcy. For now, try to rest and kiss those little toes frequently! :-)

9 She is sooo cute! Congrats!

10 She 'almost' makes me want to have another baby.  Till I see my kids current college tuition bills...  Sigh.  Still, I adore them when they are still so little.  Glad to see your husband is treating you so nicely.  They are both definitely keepers and I can see why you didn't throw either of them back. 

11 She is SO beautiful!  You and Russ make pretty babies!

12 Sarah and Russ,  Oh, she is so beautiful.  I know you must be totally exhausted but that will change so save lots of pictures so you can go back and appreciate those first few days.  I know your mom, Sarah, will be crying all the way home.  Jane

13 She has a delicious nose too! Not just feet ... thought I'd point out the obvious for you ...

1 Yes, it can be overwhelming, but just focus on feeding yourself and the baby.  Kiss and snuggle your girl, tomorrow is another day!

2

Absolutely nothing has been going on - let alone anything more important than taking care of your littlest sweetie.  

I totally sympathize on the constantly beginning-continuing-ending-cleaning-up a feeding thing!!!  That was why I didn't eat or drink much of anything, let alone get more than a wink of sleep, for DAYS... and it was a bad idea.  All sorts of unpleasantness. 

You might try setting a timer for your meds; inspired by the hospital's charts, keeping a chart that someone more mobile can review helped me, too... seriously, have someone else keep your "brain" documented outside of your body for a while.     Once I was through with *some* of the very early, made-me-want-to-just-die, rigamarole, I'd feed Kiddo; then just sit there holding him until we both fell asleep.  Wake up & feed him again. Then fall back asleep.  (Not sure how much of that was painkillers, and how much was sheer exhaustion...)  Every few minutes helps, and I promise it'll get better... these first few days really are rough.

Timing-wise for a bath, the best time would be right after a feeding so she's happy & you can hand her off to whoever's helping; OR... you could probably even nurse her *during* the bath, once you got settled...  not sure how slick that would work, but it occurred to me just now, so I figured I'd mention it.  But yeah, you'll probably have to really, intentionally, schedule the most mundane things for a little while.

Anyway, we're totally pulling for you & hoping it gets just that much easier, that much sooner... *hugs*

3 I agree on  focusing on feeding the baby. It will get better. The more she feeds now the more milk you will make and it will eventually get on a schedule. Not a perfect one but a do-able one. Having a baby the first time is HARD. No one tells you because its something you just have to experience. But she will only be 1 week old once and 2 weeks old once, and so on. Enjoy it even though it sucks. If that makes sense. I've followed your blog for fourish years now and realized at some point that I had met you. The hubs and I were stationed in Germany the same time ya'll were. What I am trying to say is that after all you have been through I am so happy for you to be a mom. I'll be emailing to find out her name. I HAVE to know what you named the baby you waited so long for! Cheers -gina

4 Oh, Sarah - I well remember days when at 5 in the afternoon, I still hadn't managed to shower or get dressed, or eat anything. It bothered me until I realized that my only responsibility was to snuggle with my kids, feed them, change them, and snuggle some more. The first couple of weeks, everything seems overwhelming, then you two will develop a routine, and everything will fall into place. Really, it will. I don't blame you for not posting her name publicly - although it really is BabyGrok, right? Sending much love & many prayers for you and your family.

5 Congrats!

6 Sarah,
Mine are late teenagers now.  I well remember and cherish the newborn days. We bottle fed from the beginning, so as a dad I was able to feed them too.  One big thing to know and remember.  There is NOTHING going on in the world that is even close to important as snuggling with your baby girl.  Cherish every single moment. And take lots of pictures.  Those pictures will be cherished keepsakes.
Congratulations again! She is a cutie!
Jim

7 LOL, it gets much better soon. I call the first weeks home with the baby the "survival" period. Don't worry about anything that's not directly related to your or her survival. Everything else is secondary and optional. :-D

Except, sitz baths and pain pills. You need those, girl. Believe me, I speak from experience. The sitz baths will help you heal much, much faster.