We headed back to the lactation consultant this week for a visit to discuss "smacking." We have finally weaned Noah off of the nipple shield. Noah took to nursing without the shield well and seemed to have a good latch; however, Noah began to make smacking noises while nursing which was causing Mom quite a bit of discomfort. We learned that Mom's milk comes very fast and Noah was lifting his tongue to the roof of his mouth to protect his airway so that he would not choke. Noah's a smart little guy! But unfortunately, this causes Mom pain so we had to learn a new way to nurse. Now when Noah nurses, we sit in a reclined position so that gravity won't force more milk down Noah's throat than he's able to handle. This new position seems to have helped with the smacking, for the most part. The lactation consultant also mentioned that nursing while lying down on the bed may be helpful. We'll just keep trying till we get it down.
During our appointment Noah was weighed before and after eating. He was 10lbs 1oz before eating and 10lbs 5oz after eating. He's a champion eater. He ate 4 ounces in about 8 minutes. We don't have to worry that he isn't getting enough to eat. In fact, the lactation consultant mentioned he might be getting overfed which is causing him to spit up more frequently and also hurts his reflux. Now we're paying more attention to when he stops eating for hunger and stopping him before he continues to eat to pacify himself. Hopefully all of these things, along with the Zantac, will help ease his reflux issue.
Noah's 2 month appointment is scheduled for the first week of February. We look forward to marking his progress at 2 months.
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