Try not to give too many bottles, it can cause baby confusion because sucking on a bottle is sooo different than sucking on a breast- and it's easier, so baby learns the easy way to nurse. Since you don't have a pump yet, have Yuko take a hot shower to let some milk come out so her breasts won't be so rock hard. Julia may have trouble latching on if she's too engorged. And then once the milk starts coming, may be too much and "drown" her. It will get better. Just try to nurse as often as you can.

And it's NORMAL for her to lose weight! Don't panic. Only get worried if she's not peeing and pooping.

And I know what you mean about things being different- one of mine was born in England, and it was opposite of everything I knew from my other kids.  Go with what works for you =)

It sounds like your wife is doing exactly what she should. In the beginning, the baby is like a permanent attachment and may wish to nurse every hour sometimes. Hand expression is not easy! I give her credit for keeping it up.
Nipple confusion is very possible and that may be going on. Tirani is exactly right, a bottle requires next to no work and the baby will start to prefer it to nursing. You may be able to inquire about using a Lactation Consultant- I'm sure there are Japanese ones as well. They can help address those problems and questions.

The hot water thing goes like this, back to the shower head and let the warm water come down over the shoulder and down.

Oh, if the NEX or LIVIN carries Lansinoh cream, it's a life saver for sore nipples. It's in a purple box. I've also heard cabbage leaves work wonders- never tried it- but know people who say it's great. First link I found explaining: http://www.downthelane.com/articles...easts.html

I agree, hand expression is hard and takes a long time, but it is worth it to ease the engorgement. Definitely try to reduce the amount of time Julia spends on the bottle, as that will just make things more difficult.

A lactation consultant is an excellent idea - they can be your best friend as Yuko and Julia struggle through this. It can be the most difficult time in breastfeeding, but it is so worth it in the end.

One of the nurse/lactation consultants at the hospital on base told me this trick for a warm compress: take 2 newborn size diapers (I assume she is using disposable, the cloth ones won't work quite as well), and put as hot of water in them as Yuko can stand, until both diapers are FULL. They will be really swollen lol. Then put the wet (inside) side against Yuko's bare breast. They will fit in about a half circle around the nipple area. This will help the milk come down. Massaging the nipples at the same time (kind of like the baby would) will also help.

I would highly, highly recommend La Leche League (http://www.llli.org/Japan.html) to help Yuko with breastfeeding support and information. They can be a bit gung-ho at times, but I don't know what I would have done without my LLL group to answer questions and offer suggestions for different ways to do things when I had a newborn.

Babies tend to latch on better if they are not super-hungry when you feed them. If she's sleeping for really long stretches, you may have to break the rule about not waking a sleeping baby, and wake her about every 2 to 3 hours to feed. Sleepy babies can be hard to keep latched on, so I'd suggest stripping the baby down to her diaper, so she's not so warm she drifts off right away. Also, tickling the baby's feet can help keep her away. Switching breasts when she starts to slow down and drift off can help wake her a bit to nurse more actively for a while.

For more information on breastfeeding, I really like http://www.kellymom.com/

Well, the baby lost 1 pound already. They weighed her yesterday, and she is now 5.5 lbs. She was 6.5 lbs. when she was born 5 days ago.

I guess on the 5th day, they increase her ML, to 60. So she is now on the 5th day receiving 2 oz per feeding.

Okay, so she had to go to the doctor today for her checkup. The baby is now 7 days old. She is now down to 5.2 lbs.. I am really getting upset with how they gave her such little milk for the first 5 days. I am no longer allowing anyone to make the decisions. I am giving the baby 80 ML now per feeding, which is a little over 2 oz. Absolutely NOTHING less. I read that they are suppose to lose about 1/2 lb the first couple days, but she was born at 6.5 lbs. That is way more than a lb she lost in 1 week. Thats not normal. The doctors said the same thing today when they saw her. They want her to be brought back on Thursday for another check-up.... I will continue to monitor her feedings, and give her 2+ ounces per feeding. I think she needs her fluids, and to gather her strength again. Her legs look so skinny its scary! I am really upset with the Japanese system for allowing my wife to believe them. Dont get me wrong, they did a great job caring for her after the baby, but there were several things I did not agree with.

No offense to Japanese doctors out there, but sometimes I question their "expertise." Not all of them, just some of them......just as I would question any American doctor if I felt I was given poor advise.

One of my students told me how his dentist told him that using a Sonicare (or any electric tooth brush) was bad for his teeth because it "strips away the enamel." WHAT?! That's crazy talk!!! I can't think of one American dentist that would tell me to stop using an electric toothbrush. Sometimes, the advise given here is not always the advise given in the states. I say, go with your gut, Adam. If you think your baby needs more milk, then by God, give her more milk! And, I'll go on using my Sonicare, even though according to this dentist, it'll make my teeth fall out.

Adam,
I breast fed both my children (daughter until she was 18 months) and my 20 month old still- and am pregnant. I would recommend you give baby a bottle after every feeding until the swelling goes down in your wifes breast, and don't let mama give her the bottle! it can confuse her and then she won't want to nurse. Doctors and la leche will both proably say don't give the bottle until after so many weeks old, but if she's hungry feed her by all means, my son didnt want to really nurse very much the first week he was born so we gave him bottles after every feeding and he was eating about every 1 to 1 1/2 hours- anywhere from 5 minutes on the breast to 10 then he would have a bottle of 1 to 2 oz formula (I wasnt producing milk yet) But by the words of my nurses you would have thought i was a horrible mom for giving him the bottle- blah! my son is just fine, milk came in and nursing became easy after engorgement was over and he never took a bottle again lol. And breast milk is broken down quicker than formula as well, so breastfed babies need to eat more often then formula feed babies, my son and my daugther nursed every 1 to 2 hours for the first 3 months of their lives. But in all honesty trust your gut, she's your daughter.

Congratulations!!!Be Thankful it wasn't TWINS!!! First babies can be a challenge.   We don't know if they are eating enough or if they are okay. Everyone's child is different.  I've read everyones responses and I think there is some great advice there. So now just going to give some advice. If you feel something is not right then it probably isn't. Sometimes we just need to be reassured that we are doing the right thing. There is a great book called "Baby Wise" you may be able to get it at the library. But in general if a baby has 8-10 wet diapers a day....you are doing a great job. In most cases a baby can lose a few pounds after coming home but they WILL gain it back. Have to remember this little being is trying to adjust to you two just as you are adjusting to her. Love and patients will help everyone get through this. Baby wise gives information about how to get your baby to sleep through the night and listening for different tones when they cry so you know what they will want. Each cry MEANS something. Usually only a parent knows what that is because they are so used to hearing the cry. If you really focus in on the tone and the sound of the cries, you will hear a difference. Pain sounds different than hunger. Tired sounds different than hunger. If a baby is WELL rested they will eat. However, new born babies do need to be woke and feed about every 2-3 hours and eat. (that will change as they grwo)If she has been WELL rested believe me she will eat. Signs that babies are hungry include:

• moving their heads from side to side
• opening their mouths
• sticking out their tongues
• placing their hands and fists to their mouths
• puckering their lips as if to suck
• nuzzling again their mothers' breasts
• showing the rooting reflex (when a baby moves its mouth in the direction of something that's stroking or touching its cheek

If you are really concerned make a chart. Babies are almost like clockwork. They will almost eat at the same time everyday and wake....even bowel movements will become clockwork.On the chart, record the time of the feeding and how much she ate. At the last feeding before bedtime add it up and see how much she ate.I think this is the number one concern for most parents. So be careful because this can also become "somewhat addicting" In the end, when your ready to have another one it will be less worrisome but just as difficult. I hate to say easier because it NEVER gets easier...just different.
Also, remember Japanese have differnt beliefs. I know a Jpanese spouse who went into labor early and the Japanese doctor would not stop the contractions. It was his belief that the Universe holds life in its hands and basically the universe determones the faith of the child. Needless to say the baby died at 26 weeks gestation. My children go to Japanese schools and they don't vaccinate so I have seen young babies with measles, mumps etc.... To the Japanese, it is similar to us having chicken pox.
But once again, it is just a different culture. It is not wrong just different.
As a whole, I think they do have some great ideas and some great doctors. According to the moms who live in my area...doctor Fujiwara(tomioka area) is an excellent doctor...but very strict. If you take your child there you should know, what they ate, how much they ate, when they ate last and anything that has to do with elimination. But apparently graduated from Osaka University and holds high credintials!! Very hard to get an appointment some times too.
***Also remember....this is from a womans point of view....."you can never do it the way the mom does so many times you are going to be wrong.  Not because it is truly wrong, only because you aren't doing it her way!!! I have heard so many "new mom's and veteran moms complain about this." But in reality its not the worng way it's just not her way.
Good Luck!!

Just be careful when buying a pump. If you have access to the base facilities, you can rent a high end pump I believe. You want a pump like the medula which is about $200-$300. Why? If you buy a low end brand you can end up damaging breast tissue. The pump used is fine because the cup that goes around the breats are new and sanitary. The bottles for storing the m ilk are also new. It is normal to be engorged the first week but to relieve the pain and engorgement, do not use a wet warm wash cloth or take a warm shower.

Don't apply direct heat, such as warm washcloths, heating pads, or hot water bottles, to your engorged breasts unless it's to soften the areola and help your milk letdown. Instead of alleviating the pain, this may make the condition worse.

First, keep in mind that engorgement is a positive sign: You're producing milk to feed your baby, and soon, with his help, you'll produce the right amount. Until then:

• Wear a supportive nursing bra, even at night. Be sure it isn't too tight.
• Nurse frequently — every two to three hours — even if it means waking your baby. (This is especially important because unrelieved engorgement can cause a permanent drop in your milk production.) Try to get the first side as soft as possible. If your baby is satisfied with just one breast, you can offer the other breast at the next feeding.
• Avoid having your baby latch on and suckle when the areola — the dark area around your nipple — is very firm. To reduce the possibility of nipple damage and to help your baby latch on, manually express or pump milk until your areola softens. It may be easier to manually express milk in the shower; the warm water by itself may cause enough leakage to soften the areola.

Here is a great site !!!http://www.babycenter.com/0_engorge...sts_231.bc

AJ, you did good choicing to have the baby out in town.  Expensive but treated & fed very well.  Im' so happy for you and Yuko. Congrats!!!!

Adam,  as other have said, weight loss in babies is normal, and breast fed babies tend to loose a little more weight than formula fed babies at first because of both the learning curve of bf'ing and the lack of milk available during the first few days. 

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I've been busy taking care of the baby for the past few weeks. I havent been on JB, but I will give you guys an update how things are going.

Julia is doing very good.  She is going through about 10 diapers a day.  We already went through a bag of 80 and are half way through the 2nd bag we bought.

Pampers were the first bag we tried, which did well, but some of the poop leaked a few times, so she is trying another Japanese brand called, "Moony.."

The baby is now 13 days old.

In Japan you have to register the baby in Japan before 10 days.  We did that with the city hall here in Japan, but I havent done anything with the American side yet.

Not sure about the birth certificate for American side.  Someone told me to just make one (translated) and that should be enough.  I said, huhhh?  Doenst it have to be official..  He said no, your wife can do it..  Not sure about that.. 

We are getting more familar with the babies habits and time for eating/changing diapers.  Its not that bad actually.  Just an ongoing process every 2-3 hours.

The baby still has trouble breastfeeding, the baby doesnt want to suck all that long, and gives up and falls asleep.  We have the Medela (dual) pump, so she pumps prior to breastfeeding for a few minutes, and makes about 2 oz bottle..  After she tries breastfeeding, we give her the 2 oz - 2 1/2 oz bottle.  She takes the bottle easily, and we atleast know she is getting enough at every feeding.

I was a little nervous putting her to sleep, but its gotten easier..  I would keep waking up, and shining my cell phone light on her to make sure she was still breathing at night.    But she has been fine..  I think every parent fears this at the beginning.

We are still staying with her parents, but will leave next week.  I think staying with her parents, has helped Yuko tremendously.  Just the extra help when I am not around, has allowed her to settle in as a new mother..  I dont know how things would of been if we would of went straight home to our house, right from the hospital.

I am ready to go back home though...  I want my freedom again..  But I will stick it out for a few more days, until she is ready to go..  I do understand, since she will be back home, she will have to clean, cook, and take care of the baby also..  She just doesnt want to get back into the role of Housewife right away..

I officially have been PEE & POOPED on!  I went to change her, and she shot out this rocket poop string at my clothes.  It went all over the place..  I've now learned not to take off the previous diaper until I am ready and she has all been cleaned up.  I also put the new diaper underneath the old one, to get it somewhat ready, and quicker to change her.. 

Her poop is getting more and more stinky also.    It started out stringy, but now is small yellow chunks. 

She has been smiling a lot!  I think its random, not something we are causing her to do, but her face muscles reacting to her growing..  Her smiles are really cute though! 

Anyway, here are a few new pictures..


We got her a "0" birthday cake.  It was really really yummmyy....


We sang her Happy Birthday, with her little pink bunny on top...


This is something you hang on the wall in her room.  Some type of Japanese tradition.


Looking around all the time.. 


Yawning all the time..


Sleeping all the time.

Aww that yawning picture is precious!!

btw, the smiles are gas =)

Glad to hear she's doing so well. Have you mastered changing diapers in the dark?

I don't remember the details on getting the American birth certificate. It should all be online on the Embassy site. I do remember the Birth Abroad Certificate is outrageously expensive- like $80 or something. So don't lose it!

Here's the Birth Abroad Application- just in case you didn't have it.

http://www.state.gov/documents/orga.../83127.pdf

And the Checklist of things to take to the Embassy

http://tokyo.usembassy.gov/e/acs/tacs-crba.html

The yawning pic awwwww! Hang in there, Jones Family!

She is so cute. Congratulations!!!!

Here's the Birth Abroad Application- just in case you didn't have it.

Thanks, appreciate that link. I was asking people also on another thread what I had to do, but no one provided the info, except for going to the USNH.

Have you mastered changing diapers in the dark?

No, havent mastered that. We keep a small night light on, so I can see in the middle of the night.

btw, the smiles are gas =)

Didnt know that! Yes she is always tooting some gas out.. After every milking..

BTW, her hair is really growing fast.. As you can see above, its almost time for a haircut..

Also, its strange but she doesnt have any hair for her eye brows. Will that come in later?

Also, she has been peeling on her belly, hands, and legs. I was told its normal, and have been putting baby lotion on after every bath.. Is that just normal for new babies?

The peeling is perfectly normal. Especially in the creases on her arms and legs.

Don't give her a haircut! hahaha! There's a chance a lot of that hair will fall out in the next 6 mos and regrow. One of my boys lost pretty much all his hair except for 2 patches on the top and back of his noggin. He looked like that creepy guy in the Goonies. Most will lose some of the superfine baby stuff too.

Does anyone remember when the typical growth spurts are? I want to say 2-3 weeks and then again around 2 mos? She'll get a little grumpy and eat a lot.

Yea Tirani, the first growth spurt is around 2 weeks of age, and seems like they cycle through them every few weeks for the first few months.

I actually had ALL my hair fall out withing the first 3 weeks when I was a baby. I had JET BLACK hair when I was born, stayed bald for like 8 months, then when it finally started growing back I was blonde! But my kids never really lost any hair, except for the parts that always rub off at the back of the head.

BTW Adam, the poop is suppose to be like that- runny yellow and chunky! It doesn't mean she's got diarrhea or anything. I know some parents freak out when they see it and have never been exposed to breast fed baby poo! =)

We had both of our sons', now 3 and 5, Japanese birth certificates translated by a professional with their official stamp. I'm not sure if it's required, but I've been able to use a copy for the documents to file for official papers-housing, VA etc. You will need to apply for a Social Security number when you take her to the embassy. It make take a while to arrive and you'll need it to claim her as a deduction on your income tax.

I won't bore you with poop stories, but you'll have years to get used to it.

Ain't it great being a father? What a miracle!!!

Me and Julia...  Julia Unko'd... (Pooped)....

Well, its been a while since I last gave you all an update on the baby situation.

Julia is doing great.  She is growing so FAST!

To recall, she was born on 11/8/2010, so she just had her 2 month birthday.

She is now 5.72 kg which is 12.6 lbs!  Shes a monster! 
When you look at her, and her chubby legs her nickname is "BONELESS HAM" It really looks like one.

Yuko is only breastfeeding. She has been for over a month now.  She got off the formula when she met with a mid-wife and she explained and helped her with the process.

Other than that, all I can say is we get a lot of SLEEPLESS nights.  She cries every night usually between 10pm - 1am before she finally goes to sleep.

Last night was the worst we have ever faced with her.  We were out all day yesterday shopping, so we arent sure if she was just mad that we were out and about, but it was terrible.  She was cranky from 9pm - 3am.  We finally got to sleep around 3:30am.  OUCH!

Good thing I had off today, or I would of been hurting this morning going to work.

Shes been to the Japanese doctor for her 1 mo check up. She has another check up around the 27th of this month, so we will see if they notice anything wrong.

The only thing that is a little strange with her, is she has a red spot on her forehead.  Its been there since she was born.  They arent sure if it will go away, or not.  Sometimes its not noticeable, but when she gets really angry and cries, you can really see it get brighter.

Here are some pictures of us..  I will try to start posting more pics..


Her first time in the stroller, and into a department store.
This was at Yokosuka Daiei shopping center.


This was right before Christmas in 2010.


She is starring out in space...


Her home in the living room that she is usually at 99% of the day..
Usually always sleeping too.  But the nights are horrible... I think its because she sleeps all day, and then she wants to play and be awake at night.. 


This was about a month ago. you can see the red spot a little on her forehead..
Its comes and goes..  ?  Doctors said it would go away eventually..  They assume..

I will post some more pictures later on...

Thank you for the update! So cute. :3

That red spot is normal, usually called a "stork bite". They are supposed to fade by 2 years old I believe (someone please correct this if I remembered wrong!). She is adorable! And so glad that Yuko was able to get down to breastfeeding, I'm sure it has made her happier and less stressed. It will also help with losing the baby weight (though from the pictures I would say that isn't much of an issue LMAO Lucky woman....).

To help with the sleeping thing - try to wake her up to play in the late afternoon/early evening, and keep her awake as long as she will tolerate. And make sure to burp her well at her last feeding for the night, it may be that she also has bubbles from being rushed to bed (not saying you do, just that we all tend to go faster at night when we are tired and want to go to bed ourselves!).

Congratulations on making it through the first couple months!!!!

Yes, it's referred to ask a "Stork's Bite" It's just a type of birthmark. My daughter had/has one. The doctor's always told me to would take about 3 years to fade and then would probably show back up around puberty possibly.

I attached some photos (hopefully it works and they aren't huge) One from the day she was born when it was really red and one from Christmas this past year. She turns 3 on January 30th. So her's isn't completely gone yet but it's definitely faded a lot. It's gets really red though when she's hot or angry and crying. If you stretch the skin on her forehead though it disappears so I think as she gets a little bigger it will still fade more.




Sounds like Julia is doing great! She's beautiful! Congrats!!

Thanks everyone on the info with the Stork Bite.  I didnt know that.
Hopefully we will just have to see overtime if it decides to go away.

Today, was a ceremony we celebrated for Julia.

Japanese tradition usually has the baby go to the shrine after 32 days old.  Unfortunately it was right around Christmas time, and she was so tiny, that we decided to wait until she was a little older.

So today was the day, we took her to Kamakura.

This was my first time experiencing this, but basically they have a system that you right some info down on a paper, and bring it to the counter.  Minimum you can pay is 5000 yen, and on up.  There is no limit to how much you give.  I asked my wife, "Is it just a donation", she said, "No, its more like a religious, belief that you should give as much as you can afford.."  So anyhow, we gave 5000 yen.  I didnt think to give more, but I did see one guy giving more than 30,000 yen.  So I guess people do give what they want to.

So they give us this Blue marker, and it has a map on the back side, directing you to go to the correct location.

You first go into a pretty large room, take your shoes, off and sit there on the bench until they call your name on the speaker. 

You then enter into the shrine, and sit on the floor.

The monk will ask you to bow a few times, close your eyes, pray, and then listen to his long speech, where I believe they were saying prayers to each person that paid money and wrote their information on the paper.

They said Julia Jones, that was as much as I could understand from the whole 30 min ceremony. 

After that, we just had her put the Kimono on, and took some pictures.  It was fairly cold, so we didnt have her wearing it all that much, so she had her jacket and blanket to wrap her up.

Here were some pictures from today:


Right before we left the house.  She had her white outfit on.


She is looking down on the world....


Julia, he will bite you.  So stay away...


She didnt like standing there..  She fought me a little.. 
But I finally got her to sit still.


She liked sitting on the dog. 


Standing on the stairs.  She started falling asleep.


This is the Kimono that my wife used when she was a little girl.  Cant believe its 28 years old, and now Julia is using it.


Right after we came out of the ceremony.  We were the last ones out.


Nice picture with the Torii gate..  We had her put the Kimono back on for this picture.


As we were walking out, I bought one of these Candy Apples.  300 yen.


Boy let me tell you..  IT WAS HARD AS A ROCK!  It was so difficult to bite!


I finally got a good mouth full, and clamped down!

It was fun..  Woke up earlier than I usually do on a Sunday, but it was for a good purpose.  Next Ceremony is when she reaches 3 years old.

They have a tradition 3-5-7.
3 Girls, 5 Boys, 7 Girls..

Very cool --and cute, of course. Thanks for explaining the tradition!

Look how chubby she is getting on her chinnnnnnnny chin chin...
Shes a little pudge ball...

Behind her you will see a collection of Dolls in the case.  This display and case, was used for Yuko when she was a baby.  Its used for GIRLS DAY in Japan.  So this case is actually over 28 years old in perfect condition.  Her parents took really good care of it.  Anyhow, its Julia's turn to use it now.  Girls Day is coming up on March 3rd, but we already have it prepared.

The Japanese Doll Festival (雛祭り, Hina-matsuri?), or Girls' Day, is held on March 3.[1] Platforms covered with a red carpet are used to display a set of ornamental dolls (雛人形, hina-ningyō?) representing the Emperor, Empress, attendants, and musicians in traditional court dress of the Heian period.

Read more about it here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinamatsuri


Hey, who are you? 


I love seeing her smile! She smiles a lot more now!



We measured her yesterday and she was 24 inches long.

She weighs about 14 pounds now!  Her fat self...

Today she is 3 months old.  2/8/2011.  She was born 11/8/2010.

So its very exciting to see the changes with her, and I know we will continue to see changes throughout the next few months.

I cant wait until she can talk, and move around on her own..  Thats when the fun starts..

I love Girls Day in Japan! She keeps getting bigger~!

Enjoy the lack of movement while you can - once she is mobile, NOTHING is safe!!! And yes, that includes your sanity LOL. She is beautiful!!!

Someone needs to invent a passafire that doesnt make it fall out...

I wish it had a strap, that made it stay there. I know its mean, but I hate having to get up every 2 minutes to put it back into her mouth...

Oh definitely

Julia is already 8 months old..

How time flies.  Shes an awesome daughter though, and love spending time with her..

Aww, how cute. And she doesn't look scared at all. =P