One week check up

Hannah turned one week last night. What an amazing week. Ed and I are adjusting to a whole new way of life. Number one change, as all parents know, is a completely different sleep cycle. Hannah doesn't cry a whole lot at night, but she does wake up hungry every couple hours. And as the nurses at the hospital reminded us: what goes in must come out. Despite all his fears, Ed has become the prime diaper changer. He confided that changing diapers is not as scary as he thought it would be. We'll see if things change when we dive into cloth diapering.

Nursing has been a challenge unto itself. I never realized that babies need to be taught to nurse. The nurses at the hospital and the lactation consultants were ever ready to help with advice and hands on demonstration. I'm thankful for their help, though at the time I felt a tad overwhelmed by all the focus on getting it right. The visiting nurse on Friday expressed concern that my milk had not come in. Hannah lost 7 oz. of her birth weight putting her at 7 lbs 4oz. More than what the nurse wanted to see. This visit was followed by Hannah's first "fussy" night. She wanted to be up every hour to nurse. She exercised her lungs in a cry that Ed has affectionately nicknamed her "HA-NA-AH-AH-AH" cry. By the next day I was sure my milk had in fact come in (not that I didn't still worry and consult several friends and relatives about the weight loss).

Yesterday was the one week check up. Hannah's weight is back up to 7 lbs. 7 oz. She otherwise met with the doctor's approval. I also got affirmation from both the doctor and the lactation specialist that I was getting the hang of the nursing thing. Good news.