For sabine's 9 month check up max was out of town so i took her on her own. this was about a week after seeing the DR at UVA so she was not thrilled to be back at the dr's office. she burst into tears as soon as the nurse took us back to the exam room and once again cried through measurements. she's gained 4 ounces and 1/4 inch in the week and weighed 16.4, length 26 in. those measurements put her in the 25th percentile according to the nurse, but when the dr. looked at them she said sabine was 10th percentile. (it's all so subjective isn't it?)
so first we ended up seeing a student nurse practitioner. she was GREAT. i wish i could have her all the time. she was very respectful of me and of sabine and she listened great to everything i had to say. sabine liked her and calmed down for the exam until she tried to look in sabine's ears. but when she loaned her the stethascope sabine was very happy.
then the dr came in and sabine LOST IT! it was like night of the living dead in there even when the dr and i were just talking. and FORGET it when the dr examined her. i could NOT get sabine to calm down, she was just over having drs mess with her.
the dr didn't seem super concerned but i could tell she didn't like that sabine was 10th percentile. didn't like that sabine hadn't been eating solid food very consistently, didn't like that sabine didn't sleep through the night in her own bed... etc. luckily, she was surprised that sabine uses a sippy cup. and she liked that sabine does use Mama and Dada pretty consistently and she seems to be a lefty.
i was instructed to put her on 3 meals a day, no more than 5 nursings a day, and do the three night fuss -- cry it out cold turkey-- so she'll sleep in her own bed. add to that all talking we'd done recently with friends and relatives.... and with those instructions i pretty much left there feeling like the crummiest parent in the world because my 9 month old has some serious stranger/doctor anxiety and doesn't sleep, eat, play by herself, or crawl (or do anything like it) yet.
and then she had to get caught up on vaccines since she missed some while she had the cast on. so after i finally got her calmed down by letting her look at the light switch, the nurse came back and gave the shot. luckily that nurse is quick and good and sabine was so upset just at having to be on the table it didn't seem to matter that she got a shot.
needless to say it was a tough morning.
2 comments:
puh-lease!! my baby is also in the bottom percentiles for weight... he also does not eat solids well, at all. He went through a phase for a couple of weeks where I could get him to eat 1/2 cup of purees a day, but now he is refusing all purees and most table food. The best I can get him to eat is 1/2 cup of cheerios or puffs, and the rest is nursing. It irks me that your doctor gave you strict ultimatums of only X nurses a day... you canot force your child to eat, no matter how hard you try. Should you then let her not nurse to try and force her to eat what you put in front of her?? I break down and let him nurse, because I feel like he needs at least the milk.
I do not, nor will I ever, let my baby cry it out; Cillian still sleeps with us, and Ciaran will as well until they both feel like being by themselves. Most people read to their children at night and have their rituals, how is it different if you do those things in your own bed? Cillian was fine, and I know Ciaran will be as well. I think doctors who make you feel bad like that are just BAD doctors... take their advice, aka the status quo, with a grain of salt. No child ever suffered from feeling the affection and safety of being in a family bed. It is just easier on the parents if the child sleeps alone in their room, that I will agree with.
Cillian did not crawl until 10 months, and the only reason Ciaran is crawling is to get away from Cillian... or so I believe. Just parent the way that feels right to you, and forget what everyone else says. From what I understand, some babies just eat solids much later than usual... yes, we are unusual, but not rare.
If it makes you feel better, Ciaran still does not do much with a sippy cup other than chew on it, and he crawled off of the bed the other day because my reflexes were too slow and I failed to catch him in time.... we all judge ourselves harshly for what our kids cannot do, but we need to be proud of what we accomplish daily. Sabine is a gorgeous little girl who will do everything she "should" be doing, but at her own time...
I will try and relax if you promise to! : )
sorry for the novel... and/or the sermon....
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