6 weeks

Six Weeks

September 15, 2009

Lydia is now six weeks old. Where is the time going? My maternity leave is half over! This past week, Lydia and I have been working on getting into a routine of nursing. Previously, I had done a lot of pumping because of issues early on with her latching after leaving the NICU. I am too proud (or cowardly) to call the lactation consultants, so I figured it was working for us so we would just go with it. So, after talking with some encouraging family members, I decided Lydia and I would try the whole nursing thing again. To my surprise, it only took a few difficult attempts at latching on and now she is a pro and I am getting there! I will say, I like the time I get to spend with her during nursing. I also like that I am not sterilizing all the bottles and pump accessories like I had to previously. I don't like not knowing how much milk she is getting, but I know she will stop when she is full. She typically spends 10-12 minutes on each side. I thought this may change her sleeping patterns at night, but it hasn't effected it much at all.

One thing the whole family has gotten good at is snuggling and cuddling. It is by far one of our favorite things to do. I often spend an hour or so early in the morning after Brett gets ready for work cuddling with Lydia. Brett spends time snuggling after work with her. It is so relaxing to have her warm little body curled up next to us. Lydia doesn't often sleep without one or both of her hands or arms by her face. It is a habit I am sure she picked up while I was pregnant.

Getting an infant massage from Daddy

We took a class during our pregnancy called infant massage. We are trying to give Lydia a massage on her bath nights (every 2 or so days). Brett was practicing the "Indian Milking" technique here. Lydia seems to like it and is soothed by it. We haven't gotten all the way through one session, but typically focus on her arms and legs right now. We are hoping to add her back and tummy once she gets used to the routine.