Misaki and Amanda;
You have just started the best time of your lives, (in my opinion) enjoy every second!!!
Bob

Masaki,

Marika will be 15 months old - whioc his a great age. With almost 100 people on board, I venture to guess, you and Amanda can leave her safely with a number of us. We'll all be fighting over her and you might not see her at all for the full 7 days!

WOW whats with the cup feeding? Very interesting, guess she's quite advanced!!! haha :D Next thing we know, she'll be posting her own replies on this board.
Cutie pie for sure - Amanda you look radiant!

I don't presume to speak for Masaki and Amanda of course, but until one of them can speak to the reason for Marika's cup feeding, I can say that it can be helpful in the short term to help a baby who is intent on taking her own sweet time to figure out the whole breastfeeding thing.

The technique of taking formula from a bottle is completely different than that of breastfeeding, so if a mother wants to breastfeed it's generally best not to use a bottle, especially in the early weeks. If a baby is having trouble figuring out how to nurse (Amanda mentioned that latching on has been a challenge), cup feeding can keep the baby sufficiently nourished until she figures out what she needs to do without confusing her with an artificial nipple.

Hmmm, all these offers for babysitting sound tempting. Maybe she will make it on MUSH! :)

We have a little piggy on our hands. She already takes it more than 2 ounces every feeding and she's only 4 days old!

JoAnn, thanks for the compliment. I'm not sure I look radiant, but I AM really happy, albeit very tired too!

Welcome Home Amanda!!! I agree, you look great. As for being tired, this certainly goes with the territory! It will get better...really!

Now tell us more about this drinking from a cup thing??? I thought you were nursing, but this cup thing has me perplexed. She sounds way more advanced than any newborn I've known!!

Kathy - with this many offers for babysitting, we might have to bring her along after all! I wonder what the fare for a 15 month old is? :)

MarnaLou hit the reasons for the cup feedings right on the nose. Couldn't have said it any better myself (actually, I would have probably confused people more). MarnaLou - you must have posted at the same time as Amanda -- she didn't see your post until I pointed it out to her!

Thanks Bob! It IS a very exciting time for us (albeit the lack of sleep does kind of suck) :)

Masaki

Amazing photos! How very exciting and congratulations to you both! Welcome to the world, little M!!!

Of course, why didn't I figure that out MarnaLou, what a great idea, that sure wasn't the case in my day, but things do change! Personally I just thought she was very advanced!! I've never heard of cup feeding them, but it sounds logical when you think about it.

I'm sure both of you are exhausted, but I know you are elated at the same time. It does get better.

Masaki,
Thanks for the new photos, Looks like Marika is liking that cup. Sooooooo sweet!!!

Betty

Amanda and Masaki, thanks for posting the latest pictures. Marika is just so beautiful. Nancy

Masaki, I may have missed this but what was Marika's weight and length? Can you enlighten us "older Moms" what this new drinking from a cup is all about. I had never heard of this before. No more baby bottles??

I love the new photos of her!

Marika's weight was 6 lbs 9 ounces. Length was 20-1/4 inches. It was written in the comments on one of the pictures of the blog so I'm not surprised you missed it, Marcie. :)

The reasons for the cup feeding are exactly what MarnaLou said. The technique itself is simple - you fill the plastic cup with formula, hold the baby's head near vertical, and place the cup with the edge touching the lower lip and bring the fluid up to contact the upper lip. Once the baby feels the liquid there, they'll start sipping (or in our kid's case, slurping) the formula right out of the cup.

Now a new twist on the situation. We went back and saw lactation yesterday and we demonstrated the cup feedings to our consultant and she was pleased at her success. Marika's weight has rebounded to her birth weight plus some (normal newborn will lose up to 10% of their birth weights after delivery and will usually regain it by 2 wks after with feedings) so it's a little unusual to have regained by the 3-4th day of life! She is slightly jaundiced in the pictures you have seen so far but that has been improving as well.

We were still having problems with the latch so our consultant brought out another trick to play with. It's called a SNS (supplemental nursing system) and it's essentially a bottle that's been inverted and clipped to the collar of your clothes with a small flexible tube coming out of it. The end of the tube is taped into place at the level of the breast nipple. The idea here is that you fill the bottle with formula and as the baby sucks on the nipple, the tube feeds formula to the kid and encourages the kid to continue sucking (latching). Well, we tried it yesterday with the consultant and we were amazed. Before, Marika would latch at best about 30 seconds before pushing back and crying. Now, with the SNS, she latched on for 30 MINUTES and continued to suck and we managed to empty the entire bottle.

So, now we don't have to pump any more to stimulate milk production because Marika will act as the human pump for us. We're still waiting for milk letdown to take place (should be another day or two). Then we should be able to stop using the SNS as well and be strictly on breast feeds.

The bad news now? Now that Marika's gotten a feel for latching and how comforting it is for her to be sucking, she won't do the cup feeds any more. :) She wants that nipple! As long as she continues to feed with the SNS, that's OK.

Masaki

Oh, Masaki! You may have another Tsunami Sarah on your hands. I wondered when you mentioned "The Perfect Storm". Welcome to parenthood, and the constant state of "Where's Marika?" that will be your way of life very soon now.

I have read about the SNS, I'm glad it's working for you.

You certainly learn something new every day on LCT!!!

So interesting to read all this Masaki! It sounds like things are progressing well for all 3 of you.

In the "olden days" we didn't have things like consultants or terms like latching! Oldest daughter Gina hopes to get pregnant by next summer so as a hope-to-be Grandma I need to become enlightened. Thanks for all updates!

Congratulations Amanda and Masaki. I've been out of town for a few days. Look what happened! I'm so happy for you. What a beautiful daughter you have. Now the fun really starts.

Masaki, the fact that Marika is latching on for much longer periods of time sounds like really good news. I hope that this hasn't been too frustrating for you all.

I'll say!

Frustrating but kind of also what we expected so not that bad. The sleep deprivation is getting to us though ... :(

Masaki

Masaki, Sonja said to tell you that she's patting her computer monitor compassionately. She can SO remember being where you are! Remember, tears of frustration when you have gotten no sleep do NOT mean that you are bad parents!

wow all these new techniques - I feel like I had babies in the dark ages - no disposable diapers and made formula the old fashioned way - evaporated milk, water, karo syrup and boiled the bottles in big old pot - and we could not afford wine, nor did we like it, so drank beer on Friday nights, while pregnant, living in married housing on university campus while playing bridge - at 6 weeks, if baby was hungry, we added some rice cereal to formula - I was shocked my grandbabies just lived on formula for many months - the paperback version of Dr. Spock was my bible - and we let the babies cry till they fell to sleep -

LOL....brings back many a memory for me too! Obviously things have sure changed! I'd never heard of hiring a consultant....that's what my Mom was, for free! Thank goodness Marika is here to bring us up to date!

BTW, how do you pronounce Marika? (I want to make sure I'm pronouncing it right!)

Joanna: Everything you said is just the way it was for me, too! My kids were born a lot earlier than yours but I have to say, Dr. Spock was my Bible. And I tried "natural childbith" according to Grantly Dick somebody ( I can't remember his last name) Oh, I know, Reed - and I got as far as the head crowning when I begged for "something" Please! and they gave me an anesthesia of some kind. But I tried! And this was 1948, guys! I recently asked my middle child if I could have the baby books back ( I had given her the three I did for my three kids) so I could look at them again Maybe having the greatgrandbaby made me want to relive those olden days!! I kept three of them faithfully. Hair samples and all!

Memories Jean??? I have not a clue what I was given but think it was ether - baby born at 6 am I had no idea about about sex, weight, etc of baby since I was "Out of it" till 6 pm that night - but I must say they are all healthy, happy and NORMAL so guess the old days worked - Joanna

Amanda and Masaki, I'm sorry you are missing so much sleep! Really, it gets better with a little time.

Amanda & Masaki....one of the enduring memories of my daughter's birth, how I longed for more than 3 or 4 hours of sleep. It seemed forever before that happened.

My husband was in the army in Germany when she was born and he left us for manuvers about a week after her birth. It was the loooooongest month of my life - just me and baby Jen.

Sometimes the other military wives would come over to our apartment. We all had infants. (You know, we couldn't afford anything but childbirth (compliment of Uncle Sam.)

We pulled the drawers out of the "schrank" , lined them with blankets so each baby had a bed and then we'd play bridge. The dummy did the bottles and changing.

Oh, what memories. It's great to be young, you just roll with the punches! Enjoy your bundle of joy!

Marcie - Marika's name is pronounced with the accent on the "Ma". The "r" is pronounced almost like a "l" - so, "MA - ri - ka". (sorry, that's the Japanese in the name) :)

Joanna - love the beer and the bridge. If they all come out normal, then it must have been fine!

Marsha - thanks - we know it'll get better. "This too shall pass"

Margo - what in the world is a "schrank"?

Pam - tell Sonja thanks for the sympathy!

Jean - the screaming and the yelling part in childbirth has not changed, that's for sure. ;)

Masaki

Masaki....a schrank is a wall cabinet, usually large, almost like a room divider. In our apartment it covered one wall and had many drawers...enough for lots of "baby beds". BTW,we took the drawers out of the cabinet and placed them on the floor.

Margo - how neat!! That is so cute!

Masaki

Masaki, I'm reading about all these new techniques and am amazed at how things have progressed since I had my daughters (who are now 32 and 28).

It takes a while until your bodies adjust to the sleep deprivation. At least you have a computer and all night TV to keep you company in the wee hours. I would sit and nurse while watching a test pattern! It was hypnotic! :D

Glad to hear Marika is doing so tremendously well!

Hugs to you all!

Thanks Denise - and even though we have all night cable TV and the Internet, a lot of time we just stare off into space while doing the things we need to do now. Probably because of sleep deprivation. :)

The newest wrinkle? Met up with our lactation consultant again today. The latch is coming along very nicely. She's drinking too much liquid at this point for the SNS to keep up - she's taking up to 90 cc with each feeding at this time. And Amanda's milk is finally coming in! Yay! Though it's not nearly enough for what she needs at this time. So we're going to pump, use the pumped breastmilk in a bottle with a small nipple, and have Marika continue to feed on the breast 10 minutes on each side to continue to practice latching and to encourage milk expression. Hopefully this will do the trick. Our lactation consultant thinks that this will turn the trick and by her next follow up next week, she'll be latching and breastfeeding like a pro.

Masaki

Masaki,

Hang in there. Braeden was a bit slow with feeding as well. As for the sleep deprivation, it really makes you realize your residency was not as bad as you thought doesn't it?

Anthony

Masaki, did the consultant suggest putting the pumped breastmilk in the SNS?

Anthony, residency seems like a breeze compare to the constant sleep deprivation we've been experiencing now. OK, maybe not a breeze, but easier in some ways. :)

Marsha, the SNS was great but it didn't encourage a proper latch. All she had to do was put the nipple and tube in her mouth and suck away. This way, she HAS to latch on properly to get whatever milk I can supply. She also takes in too much volume for the SNS to keep up. We have a little piggy on our hands!

Anthony - yes. :)

MarnaLou - we're putting the pumped breastmilk into the bottle now. We weren't pumping while she was doing the SNS (since she was on the breast anyway and stimulating it).

Masaki

Amanda and Masaki, I am so cheering you on from the sidelines. Breastfeeding is such a convenience for as long as it works, schedule-wise, and so good for both mom and babe. I nursed both my boys for extended periods of time and probably kept Alden out of the hospital once during a serious bout of gastroenteritis because he was able to tolerate breastmilk when nothing else would stay. I am such a proponent for mothers who choose to nurse. I hope that we hear very soon that Marika is all settled in and Amanda is comfortable too.

Not much progress to report - still doing the pump/formula routine that we've been doing. Still waiting for more milk to show up ... :)

Masaki

I'm bumping this up so the birth blog will be easier to find!
Thanks Masaki, for posting photos. She is beautiful!!!
Marcie, I too missed some of the photos 'til now.

Betty

Betty, have you bookmarked the blog site?