Finding Normal

Baby E's system seems to be regulating itself, finally. She's having much better diaper output. I blended some pears with enough water to make a thin mush and she liked that, and with that and the soup she had more fluid intake today.

Then, after lunch, she amazed me by drinking all the milk I pumped throughout the day yesterday in one sitting.

I had a chiropractor appointment this evening, so DH came home to stay with the kids and the cooking supper while I went. When I got home, Baby E was very glad to see me.

Then she asked to nurse.

I was suprised, and expected her to turn away once she got close. But she didn't. She didn't shake her head and clamp her mouth shut. She nursed, and nursed, and nursed.

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so I did both.

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I had been starting to doubt my instincts. I'd been so sure that she really wanted to nurse, but she wouldn't. It's been a week now since she started refusing, and by today I was thinking she would probably never nurse again.

It's interesting, because she was still mostly refusing the milk even from a bottle until we'd both been on the elimination diet for a couple of days. It was the third day's milk that she finally drank eagerly, for the first time.

I can tell signs in both of us that yesterday and today was when the other things we'd been eating were finally really starting to clear our systems.

Interestingly enough, the first two days on the elimination diet I felt terrible and excessively fatigued. Yesterday and today I've had so much more energy. I'm no longer hungry all the time. I'm seeing signs that my own body is doing better on this diet.

I'm not sure what it is, but I suspect that it may not even have been the sweet potatoes. At least not exclusively. I suspect something more pervasive, like gluten.

Since it seems that things are just now starting to stabilize, I don't think I'll add any new foods yet. For some reason I just didn't want to try that today, and now I'm glad I didn't. I want to let Baby E and the content of my milk stabilize before I try adding anything else.

Then I think I'll introduce new foods to Baby E a day or two before I eat them myself, just so if she does have a problem with something I won't prolong her agony by contaminating my milk.

I'm so glad I followed my instincts and was persistent with this. I'm just thankful for Baby E's sake that she has a mother who is willing and able to do the things we've been doing.

I put a prayer request on the prayer chain at church this week. I know many at my church, readers here, and other family and friends were praying.

So, I just have to say this:

Praise the Lord! Thank You!!!!