Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Too good for plastic

I'm afraid. Grace is refusing the bottle. We used to give her the occasional bottle in the evenings to settle her if I didn't have much milk to give her. She seemed to like it, but over time, she's less and less impressed with this practice. Now she flat out refuses to take a bottle, whether filled with formula or expressed milk. She won't suck, and she spits out the milk. She still won't take a pacifier, either. She prefers to use me as a giant pacifier, or else her thumb.

Really, I don't mind that much, but I'm afraid to go out and leave her! Tomorrow morning I'm going to do a short trip just down the street to Dongdaemun Shopping Town to get a tapestry needle (mine broke!). I want to see if she'll take a bottle from Sejin when I'm not in the house. Perhaps she just won't take the bottle because she knows I'm around and I'm better. Anyway, I won't be far away, so if she still won't take a bottle and starts freaking, Sejin can call me to rush home.

In other news, we spent a fun-filled day at the hospital yesterday morning. Grace had an ultrasound on her neck to check her muscles. They say her neck muscles are fine. They are the same size. This is good. But then why is she always leaning left? We are going to make an appointment with another doctor to make sure it isn't a bone problem instead. Either way, it's going to take physiotherapy to correct and avoid future problems.

Grace is pretty amazing. We were at the hospital all morning doing a lot of waiting. She missed her nap and still, she did not cry during the ultrasound or the vaccination. The technician remarked at what a good baby she is. I thought for sure she'd scream after the vaccination since we'd been there hours and she was tired and hungry. Nope. What's with this kid? I know I'm pretty lucky. I'd better stop complaining about the little challenges I have with her. Things could be much much worse. She's healthy and very happy.

Oh, check out this disaster. I made this sweater for her, thinking it would be cute in her 100 day photos... Ooops! Way to small. She's over 7 kgs now. I will always make things a size or two bigger!!

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

It seems like she is starting to teeth. My son rejected the bottle when he started teething. He started at 3 1/2 months. Very early.

not-so-quiet mom said...

Rowan refuses to take either bottle or pacifier. I've heard of babies taking a sippy cup starting around 4 months, so I'm hoping he'll go for that.

I made an adorable sweater, hat & booties set for Rowan, 0-3 months. He wore it once at 2 weeks. The booties were too small already. He's also over 7kg already.

Thanks for the advice about the free shots, btw. I'll look into that.

Anonymous said...

how do i buy some of your projects? do you sell them?

Sarah said...

Catherine.... so you just can't leave him? Or will he accept one while you're away? Thanks for the tip on the sippy cup. It's worth a try anyway....

Yeah, ask your pediatrician friend about the public health centres...called "Bogeonso." Most vaccinations are free. Some, like the one Grace got yesterday, HIB, are not and you have to go to your ped.

Sarah said...

Anonymous: I've never sold a project, although people have told me I should. Perhaps I should get an etsy shop? :)

If you're looking to buy handmade goods, definitely try etsy.com.

Anonymous said...

Have you tried a faster nipple or a new style of nipple with Grace? Maybe she's just grown out of the speed/style or what you were using before and will take the bottle again if you find the right nipple?

Not suggesting this from experience as my baby is a little younger ... was just a thought that came to mind so figured would throw it out there in case it helped.

My baby is going fine on the bottle, but I haven't found a pacifier he likes yet. Maybe I never will?

Whoever would've thought they were so fussy about these things!!!! I thought babies just drank out of bottles and all bottles were the same and that all babies sucked on pacifiers and that the only difference between pacifiers was the fashion statement they made. It's a whole new world being a mum.....

not-so-quiet mom said...

Yes, I take Rowan with me everywhere at this point. We haven't pushed it too hard, since the idea of watching both boys by himself is still overwhelming to DH and we don't have a babysitter.

Next week when we're home, I think I'll try leaving Rowan with my mom for a few hours, between feedings, with a sippy cup of expressed milk just in case. I'll let you know how that works ; )

HLee said...

Beautiful baby! It's funny your daughter and I share the same birthday and a friend of mine just had a son this year on the same day. Glad to hear she's going to be ok. :)

amy cohen-huffine said...

Hey there,

Lorelai is a thumbsucker/boob girl, too. From experience, she will be ok while you are gone. If she gets hungry enough she will take a bottle, just very slowly. But babies can miss a nursing once in a while without harm to them, as long as they are old enough and your nursing relationship is well established, which it sounds like it is at this point.

Sippy cups can sub as a bottle, or syringe feeding or cup feeding can work, too, but for a shopping trip, she should be ok with her thumb for a while. It's hard not to worry, I know, but they are resilient little folks.

Mama Seoul said...

She will eat if she is hungry enough. Just tell Sejin to be prepared for some crying and be patient with the bottle. Just keep offering it every few minutes.

Don't switch to a faster-flow nipple because then she might start to refuse the breast. Breatfed babies can stay on Stage 1 nipples for their entire bottle-feeding time.

Ian took the bottle fine. I haven't introduced it to Eva, yet, because my pump is in Korea. Curt will give her a bottle next week.

Teething could be the reason why she is rejecting it. Just keep offering.

Love the sweater! I guess you'll just have to save it for the next baby or give it as a gift.

I think that it is better to make sweaters bigger anyway because it is so much work that you want them to e able to wear them for longer than newborn. The little newborn dresses I made can be used as tops when she gets bigger. They are getting closer to tops by the day.

I have a sweater started that I need help with b/cI have to pick up stitches and can't figure out which ones to pick up. I think I made it in the biggest size, but can't remember. Maybe you can help me count the stitches to figure that out as well.

Enjoy your shopping trip and don't worry.

I know someone whose son had torticolus and they just did the physical therapy and he was fine. He did have a more severe case than Grace. If she doesn't have it yet, but may develop it b/c of her left preference, just keep turning her turn to the right and do the exercises as prevention.

4 days til departure!

San said...

Ur baby is a cutie!
I came across ur blog when I was browsing about pregnancy.
I am new to Seoul! Can you advise me as to which home pregnancy kit in korea can be used to test early before missing period?? Thanks a lot for the help!

Sarah said...

Thanks for all the comments everyone...makes me realize that her refusing the bottle isn't that abnormal. We'll get through it! I went for my shopping trip yesterday and she was fine without me. She didn't eat, but she didn't cry or anything. Just waited for my return. haha~

Mama Seoul: Looking forward to your return...and your blogging about your trip!

San: Most tests here are the more sensitive ones. Just go into any pharmacy and ask for a pregnancy test (imsheen test-uh). They're only 3-4 thousand won, so go nuts! :) Good luck!

San said...

Thanks a lot.. i will get one