2-Month Check Up

Today was an eventful day for Lilly bean, as we went to the pediatrician for her 2-month check up.  I have been dreading this appointment because I knew she would get shots - frankly, I was more worried about myself than her, she is such a trooper! 

Hopefully I am not jinxing myself by putting it on the internet for all of the world to see, but Lilly has been sleeping through the night for 4 or 5 nights in a row now!  I am one proud (and well-rested) Mommy.  I have been hesitant to write about it in case it was a fluke, but I am hoping that this is the beginning of a beautiful pattern.  :-)  She's been sleeping for around 8 consecutive hours after her dream feed, which is fabulous.  She woke up at 7:00 this morning, ate, and when right back to sleep - her appointment was at 9:55, so I had to wake her up to get her ready to go.  She pretty much slept through the entire appointment except when she was being measured, weighed, checked out by the doctor and given shots. 

Naked Lilly wrapped in blankets to keep warm while we were waiting on the pediatrician to come in.

The nurse came in and measured and weighed our little one and checked her vitals.  Here are our chunky girl's 2-month stats:
Height: 22 1/4 inches, 75th percentile (up from 20 1/4 inches at her 1-month appointment)
Weight: 12 lbs, 97th (lol) percentile (up from 9 lbs 1oz)
Head: 15 1/4 inches, 75th percentile (up from 14 inches)
When the pediatrician came in, the first words out of her mouth were, "Well hello, chunky baby, I find it hard to believe that we were ever worried about your weight!"

The doctor told us that Lilly is fantastic.  She said that she is a great eater (clearly) and a great sleeper.  I asked her about scheduling for sleeping and eating, and she said, "Why is it that the mothers of wonderful eaters and sleepers are never satisfied?!"  I was really asking more if I should be trying to get her in a routine, like sleeping at night and then 2 naps/day (morning and afternoon).  Currently, she goes down between 10-11 (some nights she snoozes for a few hours beforehand and we wake her up for a dream feed, other nights she is just awake after her bath until it's time to eat again and then goes to sleep after) and sleeps until 7 or 8 am.  She wakes up and eats and then goes back to sleep until around 11 but doesn't really take another "nap" - more like 30-minute snoozes here and there until after bath time (normally between 7 - 8 pm).  To that question, the doctor told me that she saw a mother yesterday of two 9-month old twins who are still waking up every 2.5 hours at night to eat.  AT 9 MONTHS OLD.  I am 100% sure we would not ever consider more children, EVER if that happened to us, because I'm not sure how we'd be surviving!  Anyway her point was, Lilly is doing wonderfully, don't change a thing.  She assured me that I am not over-feeding her and told me to continue to feed her when she's hungry.  She also said that Lilly's bed time will gradually start to get earlier on its own over the next few weeks, and predicted that by 4 months old at the latest Lilly will be sleeping from 7pm - 7am.  I also asked when we should cut out the dream feed, and she said whenever we're brave enough to try it and see what happens.  I took this to mean we should probably try before I go back to work in case it goes badly so that we can work it out while I can still nap during the day if I get a chance.  :-)

Fun fact: we discussed my milk production, and apparently I am actually above average in terms of the amount that I produce.  I was DEFINITELY in major over-production mode when Lilly was born, but I noticed a pretty big decrease when I started exclusively pumping.  Since I started using the pump correctly and using the Fenugreek (see my pumping tips), I have indeed noticed a big difference and an increase in my supply (although not back to what it was before, but I think I'm okay with it because stuffing a sports bra with 2 super plus maxi pads and still leaking every night was not pleasant).  She said that based on what I am producing, I should be consuming an extra 1,000 calories/day because you burn 20 calories per each ounce of milk.  NUTS, yes?  Who knew?!  Lilly's peak milk intake will be around 4 months, per the pediatrician, and she predicted that Lilly will be at the top of the range (the range for a 2-4 month old is 20-40 oz/day, so that would mean Lilly will take around 40 oz/day at her peak).  Wonder whatever gave her that impression.  :-)  I also asked her about when to stop swaddling, and she told us most people stop by around 5 months, but really whenever we are ready.  She said that when Lilly gets to the point where she can roll over while swaddled, we for sure need to stop.

I also asked about our diaper/poop leaking out of the legs issue to see if she had any suggestions other than "try a different brand or cloth diapers."  She said that she thinks we will not have that problem for much longer (see shots picture below).  :-)

I think that was about it in terms of the check up.  She reiterated that we're doing a great job, told us that Lilly is a great baby and we are very lucky, and told us not to start her on solids until after her 4-month check-up.  Lilly then had to get some shots - she got Pentacel (combination of DTaP, IPV, HIB), Prevnar and Rotateq today.  :-( 

This was more terrible than anything we have experienced yet.  She was SO good during the whole appointment, and was so happy and giggly when I laid her on the table, which  made me feel terribly guilty about what was about to happen.  When she got that shot, she let out the most pitiful, heart-wrenching cry I have ever heard in my life!  I cried, too, because I couldn't stand it.  I guess the shots made her sleepy (which I've been told is normal), because I fed her after the shots - around 11 - and she slept until 3:30, woke up to eat and has been asleep ever since.

When she's been awake, she's been a little fussy, but I think it's probably because she doesn't feel great due to the shots.  Also, I think they may have constipated her, because she seems to be working really hard and not getting a lot.  Does anyone know if that's normal?

Since Lilly is so sleepy, I have used the opportunity try to catch up on my thank you notes, because I will not let myself mail out Lilly's birth announcements (which have been here for approximately 3 weeks) until all thank you notes have ALL been mailed.  I got through all of the shower thank you notes today, and am horribly embarrassed that it's taken me so long to write them!  I just have not had a lot of free time, and when I have had free time I've either been napping with Lilly or trying to get my house in order.  So far, I've written about 100 total.  I have 50 more to go.  SIGH.

I guess that's all I have to report about our 2-month check-up.  It was again nice to hear that we're doing a great job, and even more wonderful to have confirmation that Lilly is indeed every bit as perfect as we think she is!  :-)

Sarah