Upside down

Another trial to feed Pallino with a bottle. This time a different type, to try a new teat and see if he likes it better. I went out and left L with him and the bottle. It didn’t go much better than last time I’m afraid… Pallino tries to use the bottle like a breast, using his tongue, but it doesn’t work and he gets frustrated and starts screaming… also L hasn’t found a position where the baby is happy and he can see what he’s doing properly yet. He tried to hold him sideways, on the baby carrier, to put him in his swing… he did drink about 5 ml when sitting on his swing, but then started screaming again, and that was all. So after three failed attempts, L played a bit with Pallino, I came back home and after a while I fed him (we read that I should not feed him straight away, otherwise he will associate his refusal of the bottle with the reward of being breastfed).

On a slightly different note, his schedule seems to have gone astray… today we had a four hour interval between feeds from 10am to 2pm, during which Pallino slept most of the time. And then at night he wakes up every 2-2.5 hours. Until a couple of weeks ago, he’s always distinguished night and day correctly, with slightly longer feed intervals at night, but now everything seems turned upside down. Should I let him sleep so long during the day? I didn’t want to disturb him today, cause I thought he would make him overtired if I woke him up, but I don’t know if that’s the best choice in terms of what he’s going to do during the night afterwards – although I’m not sure I can do anything about it!

PS. After feeling so low in the last few days, I decided to do something about it: I booked an haircut for next week and I went swimming with a friend this morning! it was only about 20 minutes and I’m not a good swimmer, I lose my breath very easily and I struggle to catch up… but it was a bit of Me-time and it helped my backache!

Long week

It’s been a tough week. Pallino has been feeding every 2-2.5 hours at night and that leaves me knackered throughout the day, even I have a nap… and during the day I’m so tired I’m afraid of going out because I know that he doesn’t like to stay in his pram and I end up having to put him in the baby carrier, which after a while hurts my back. I have gone out anyway, today for example he fell asleep and I was able to have a nice coffee and walk back home without a problem, but I can’t relax. 

Also we are trying to get him to take my breastmilk with a bottle but it’s not working yet, he screams and refuses to get near the bottle! I just would like to have a few hours of freedom occasionally, leaving him with L, for an hair cut or a swim, or a nap… 

I’m sure it’s just a moment, maybe a growth spurt, and he will take the bottle eventually, but we’re about to go on holiday and I thought it would be great to have a little time with L, leaving Pallino with his granparents from time to time, but it doesn’t seem to be happening any time soon. 

My friends lent me two bottles with different teats, maybe he likes one of those more… I think L will try again on Saturday morning. 

I’m tired, I’m starting to get bored at home, I’d like to sleep/go to the gym/travel/spend a day sightseeing in London/work! That’s until I look Pallino in his eyes and he smiles at me and giggles and I know I have to treasure this time we have, it will end soon enough anyway. 

PS. Update on the bath issue: keeping skin contact when he leaves the bath seems to make the trick, he’s been happier lately – thanks Squa for the suggestion!