This past Tuesday, March 15, was Chutney’s due date. He ended up making his surprise appearance on 2/12, so we’ve had him for over a month now but I had been wondering how big he’d be on his due date. Now I know – 9 lb, 12 oz/4.400 kg. That’s a weight gain of 2 lb, 7 oz/1.250 kg in his first five weeks of life!
While I am extremely happy that he is growing well, I couldn’t help but think that he would probably have been a 10 pounder, had he come on his due date or later (if you account for the fact that newborns lose some weight right after birth and then have to make up for it). If you’ve been following this blog, you know that I was hoping he’d come a little early because he was measuring big, though I was hoping for maybe a couple of weeks early, not five, so I sure am relieved that I didn’t have to push a 10 pounder out – WHEW!
Otherwise, Max is visibly growing and we are all in love with him. He is still a little jaundiced, which at five weeks after birth is a little bit of a concern. His doctor suspects breast milk jaundice and per her instructions I took him off the breast for 48 hours in the hope that it will lower his bilirubin count. I don’t heart the idea of giving him formula and pumping exclusively for two days but hopefully this will help him kick the jaundice’s butt.
Max has also been having gastrointestinal issues. He has extreme difficulty pooping. He gets all red and strains a lot, while arching his back, pushing with his feet, flailing his arms violently and crying his little heart out after almost every feeding. A friend of mine, who is a doctor, thinks he is colicky. I’ve been talking to his doctor and trying different things per their instructions (drinking prune juice/eating prunes, eliminating gassy, constipating, spicy and dairy products from my diet, massaging his belly, pumping his legs, doing bicycles with his legs, applying warmth to his belly, giving him gas drops, etc.) with little to no effect. He is not constipated, just seems to be having a real hard time going #2 (#1 is no problem).
I read in an online discussion group that many newborns, especially premature ones, don’t yet know how to use their digestive system properly. Pooping seems to bother them quite a bit because in order to do it right, they have to flex some muscles, while at the same time relaxing others. Apparently, it takes some newborns a while to figure out how to do that. I had never heard that. We did not have that problem with our daughter. It seems plausible but then again, I don’t know. Max’s doctor recommended giving him a probiotic called Lactobacillus Reuteri, which I bought at Whole Foods the other day and will try after our 48-hour formula escapade is over. Have any of you used Lactobacillus Reuteri? What did you think?
I know some will think this is too much information and it probably is. The only reason I am oversharing is that some of you mommies out there may have encountered these problems and may have a solution. If you do, please let me know in the comments. I will greatly appreciate it. Thanks!
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