5 Months Growth Update (22.5 Weeks)

We took Jaxon in for his HIB vaccination yesterday and to discuss some issues we are having with breastfeeding (pumping enough for him to eat while I am at work), his eczema (which is now on his chest and butt), and some sleep issues we are having (namely putting him to sleep without crying and screaming). We spent an hour and a half discussing all of these issues with our wonderful doctor last night and we now have some new strategies to try out.

1. Jaxon will use hypo-allergenic diapers and a cortisone cream to try to calm the eczema on his butt and belly. I am also going to eliminate dairy from my diet to see if it helps. He will not start solids until at at least 6 months as that is the minimum age and because he is already showing signs of a sensitive gut and we don't want him to get food allergies. This is also why formula would not be a good option for us at this time (this isn't really one I wanted to do yet anyway as I like breastfeeding him when it is his only food source).

2. We are going to try putting Jaxon to sleep unswaddled. This is scary for us, as he moves so much in his sleep, but we think it is time. He wants to suck his fingers and that can help him sleep longer. Plus he screams whenever we do it now and it makes it hard to get him calm enough to go to sleep. On a positive note...Jaxon slept from 9:00 last night to 5:30 this morning without eating or waking. Yes...that is Awesome!

3. I will continue breastfeeding and pumping (even though it is hectic at work I feel it is worth it). She feels that he is getting enough food judging by his constant weight gain (he weighed 16 pounds!) and the amount we tell her he eats out of a bottle a day. I will take an herbal supplement that increases milk supply for a couple of weeks to build my freezer stash back up. She thinks he was going through a growth spurt probably and/or I was having supply issues from being sick and tired. More rest and better health is the key to breastfeeding successfully. :) And after 8 hours of straight sleep last night I got up this morning and fed him then pumped 10 more ounces (I had been only getting 5 or so this past 2 weeks while I was sick and not sleeping well). SO YAY!

She again pointed out that he was very active and super curious for his age and that he might be sensitive to stimulation due to this. We need to be very aware of how much sensory information he is getting so we can help him manage his energy expenditure and his mood. She said babies like him are high needs up until they can finally do things on their own and then they are a lot easier because they occupy themselves for long periods of time. That is a relief for us to hear because he is so demanding right now--constantly wanting to be held in the standing position or held sitting up so he can explore the world. It is good to hear there is a light at the end of the tunnel in terms of the amount of energy we are spending as his parents to keep him entertained and moving since he can't do it on his own yet. I am happy to have such an active and curious baby but it can be exhausting at times. I know that once he masters sitting, crawling, and communicating things will get easier.

Now is the time to begin baby signing training so that he can express his wants and desires easily and calmly without frustration. Hopefully he will catch on and begin signing back within the next month or two. Fingers crossed.