Feeding FAIL

We are still navigating figuring out how to best feed Louis. I am continuing to pump and he's getting breast milk for about 50% of his feedings. I think those days are numbered, however, as the amount I am able to produce goes down every time and Bubby leaves on Tuesday (oh, the horror), and the amount of time I am able to devote to pumping is going to be severely restricted, if not completely eliminated.

Now, I know people make it work with one, two, or more kids, but I am not equipped to raise a newborn and a toddler and get up at all hours of the night (when there is not a screaming kid to tend to), in order to pump. My OB told me that she used to pump whenever she had to drive anywhere over 15 minutes in the car. She would plug the pump into the cigarette lighter and strap on a hands free pumping bra. That's mother of the year material. Mother of the year material, I am not.

Anyway, Lou is doing much better with the formula and seems to be digesting it easier than just a week ago. Which comes to the FAIL part of my story. Last night I was skimming my Dr. Sears Baby Book for information on reflux, when I came across an entire chapter on bottle/formula feeding. I read through his advice and he says that you are supposed to BOIL and then cool the water you mix the powder into. Um, excuse me? You are supposed to BOIL the water?? I figured that had to be for people using well water or living in developing nations, right? See, since Louis has been born we have been using warm water straight out of the tap to make his bottles. So, I turned to my BFF the internet and googled, "can you use tap water to make infant formula?"

Which apparently is exactly what you are NOT supposed to do. There are 3 big problems according to the American Pediatric Association, and oh, the Environmental Protection Agency: 1) Hot water straight out of the tap has a higher concentration of lead than does cold water (I don't get the science of this at all and BVZ calls bullshit, but it isn't just random internet wackos saying this, it's the flipping EPA). 2) Tap water can be full of contaminants (this is actually totally unpersuasive since bottled water is just tap water in bottles, but may be a legitimate reason for the boiling). 3) Tap water that contains flouride (which ours does) is good for developed teeth, but not so good for developing teeth.

I guess using bottled drinking water takes care of problems 1 and 3. Which kills me because I HATE buying bottled water because it is tap water put into bottles and then resold with a crazy price tag. I hope 4 weeks worth of lead and flouride hasn't done too much harm. However, the general consensus I have found online is that it is over kill to boil the water. I hope they are right.

Maybe all that lead is why he looks so mad when he's asleep?

Otherwise, we are struggling with the logistics of formula. I am not yet able to effectively gauge how hungry he his or how much he is going to want. I think he's starving and will make 4 ounces and he'll eat a half ounce and pass out. Which isn't a huge deal, I guess, but you have to throw anything uneaten out after an hour. And this stuff is really expensive. Or I think he just wants a snack and will make 2 ounces and he'll scream like a Teradactyl and punch me in the face until I make more.

He goes from asleep to starving.like.he's.never.been.fed in like 4 seconds, especially in the middle of the night, so by the time I haul my ass out of bed and make it to the kitchen to put a bottle together he is furious. He almost always gets breast milk in the middle of the night since he digests it so much better, but even the 2 minutes it takes to warm the milk in the bottle warmer infuriates him. I am not sure there is a good solution to this problem, but if anyone has one, let me have it. We are using Dr. Brown's bottles at the direction of his pediatrician (supposed to reduce gas), and all the little parts definitely slow me down.

In awesome news, Louis has been sleeping 4 to 4.5 hour stretches at night. Considering his sister didn't do this until, oh 18 months, we are beyond thrilled. He sleeps with us in our new, incredibly awesome, king sized bed. He starts out right in the middle between me and BVZ, and by the time he wakes up to be fed he has somehow managed to scoot over and snuggle against me. Which I really don't mind because it makes me feel that even though there is no nursing, he still likes me best.