Not tongue-tied any more!

We had Anna's first doctor's appointment today to check on her progress and make sure everything is looking good. We were very relieved to get a clean bill of health, especially since the reason for our prolonged hospital stay was due to the fact that we could not get Anna to nurse after she was born. It took 3 days and many many many hours of trying/frustration/confusion, as well as hours of time with KMC's amazing lactation staff, to finally figure out that Anna was "tongue-tied". Basically, this means that the little flap of skin that holds her tongue to the bottom of her mouth (called a frenulum) was too large and keeping her from extending her tongue past her gums...which means she couldn't suck, and therefore couldn't nurse. A major problem for a newborn and extremely nerve racking for Mom and Dad!

Thankfully, we finally identified the problem and had the frenulum clipped (very simple and almost painless to do) and she immediately showed improvement in nursing. That, combined with a nipple shield and a few other tricks the
lactation consultant gave us to make nursing easier means that she was finally able to start eating and stop losing weight. Our appointment today confirmed this--as of today she is holding at pretty much the same weight she was when we checked out (7 lbs, 13 oz) which is a huge relief for us.

Eating well (extremely well, my milk has come in in what feels like epic proportions...the milk bar is officially open) has also meant that our little angel's mood has improved considerably. She can now rest peacefully after eating and we also get the treat of her being more alert and awake and, in our opinion, more charming than ever. After a very trying 3 days we are now reaping the rewards of all our efforts (and hers!) and loving every minute.

This is also a bonus for you readers because it means I'm sleeping more and have time/energy to post a few more pictures. ;o) Enjoy!

*Anna and Pooh in her crib*

*Proud Gramma and Grandpa Wells*