My Divas

I went to another La Leche League meeting, and it was just lovely. It's the best place to be with Tiny Guy when he is fussy because I can actually get help or at least sympathy, and no one gives me dirty looks, and he is not disturbing my husband or The Boy. It's also the best place to go to get help on many things mommy that may or may not relate directly to nursing the baby.

The first time I went, I learned that I could nurse in the sling but that I had to tighten it to keep baby secure and maintain the latch.

The next time, one of the leaders showed me that I could carry Tiny Guy in an upright position on my hip, which is much more comfortable. I didn't know that such a young baby could be carried that way but she carries her son that way all the time.

This evening, this same lovely person watched with empathy as Tiny Guy spent much of the meeting in fussy-nursing mode. This is where he is hungry but he fusses too much and swallows air, necessitating burping every 3-5 minutes. I thought that perhaps the diet change and ditching the vitamins for now would alleviate that problem, and it's much better, but he still does it, especially in the evening. She recommended that I turn him all the way to his side, facing me, when he is about to eat. Belly to belly. Also, interestingly, she said that her son gets fussy like that in the evening and what works for them is for her to nurse standing up and walking around, usually using the sling.

I love the fact that I can go to these meetings and talk about nursing and mothering and everyone has similar ideas. That said, I'm probably not as AP (attachment parenting, also sometimes known as crunchy) as some of the moms. I really go back and forth about how AP I want to be.

For example, The Boy is transitioning out of our bed and into his at night and even sometimes for naps. Of course, as I write this he is watching Elmo with my mother in the guest room and will probably not spend a moment in his own bed. It is just too crowded, and he will eventually get a much better night's sleep in his own bed, once he is used to it. As I mentioned, I had to put him in there when Musical Daddy had such a sore back that he could barely move. He had taken pain medication, which means he can't sleep next to his little one. I had to keep bouncing The Boy back to his room and there were definitely tears and struggle. I could have cut down on the tears and struggle by bringing both boys into the guest bedroom, or staying in there the whole time with him, but I didn't. I've been so determined that letting him cry for long periods of time is unacceptable. Which is still true. However, if he gets upset for a short period of time while going to bed, I don't worry too much about his hypertension like I used to, only because he throws enough fits in a given week when he doesn't get what he wants, and this is just another one.

I began this post at 9:30 PM but forgot to send; now it is 3:30 and I'm here with Mr. Up-All-Night. Speaking of attachment parenting, I long for the child who sleeps in the bed, wakes up to nurse, latches on before either mom or baby really wakes up and goes BACK TO SLEEP! He's not too difficult in that regard, but my own discomfort, coupled with his tendency to eat too fast and harbor air bubbles, needing to burp all the time, kinda puts a damper on the whole peaceful family bed concept. With or without The Boy in there, sometimes I just have to leave the room because he is fussy and wakes Musical Daddy unnecessarily. Fortunately, since he really has settled down quite a bit, he doesn't spend too much time screaming at me. Right now, he is in my lap kicking around and smiling. Clearly, 3:30 AM is playtime. Little pain.

Meanwhile, The Boy is in his bed, although Grandma went in at some point to quiet him down and ended up falling asleep in there. That's progress--certainly better than him getting up and wandering down the hall.

Sleep is for the weak...