We had a visit from a city employed midwife today. They visit all newborns’ households on their 50th day since birth to see how they are doing and to answer questions and give advice to the new parents.
As a first impression, the midwife was very surprised by my size. I think she subtly double checked to make sure that she was here to check on a 50-day-old baby, not a 100-day-old baby. The first thing she did was check my measurements.
| June 29th 50 Days Old | June 11th 1 Month Old | May 10th Birth | Increase since 1-month check up | |
| Weight | 6220 g (13.71 lbs) | 5210 g (11.49 lbs) | 3926 (8.65 lbs) | 1010 g (2.23 lbs) |
| Length | 58.5 cm (23.03 in) | 51.5 cm (20.27 in) | N/A | |
| Abdominal Circumference | 42.8 cm (16.85 in) | 41 cm (16.14 in) | 36.5 cm (14.37 in) | 1.8 cm (0.70 in) |
| Head Circumference | 40 cm (15.75 in) | 39 cm (15.35 in) | 38 cm (13.96 in) | 1 cm (0.39 in) |
Once again, it is official: I am a big baby. I gained more than a kilogram in 18 days. That is a 51.6 g per day weight increase since my 1-month checkup. I’m not overeating, or anything. I eat the recommended 8 to 10 times a day and my nursing sessions are usually 20 minutes long. That’s pretty standard. And yet I’m growing very quickly. Like I said before, Mommy must have some pretty nutritious breast milk or I must be a very good eater. (I suspect both are true).
Once the midwife got over the size of me she asked some routine questions about how we are doing and based on our answers she confirmed that we are doing really well. My feeding habits are good. Our daily routine is good. Her one concern was about Mommy’s nutrition. Considering how much I eat, she wanted to make sure that Mommy was getting enough nutrients herself, since I’m sucking the bulk of it out of her. Food-wise, she does well. She has a good appetite and Daddy cooks up a some pretty impressive spreads. The one thing that she has to work on is her hydration. The midwife suggested she drink a lot more water, especially when nursing. I’m on it. When I nurse, I make such succulent sucking sounds it should make anyone want to have a sip of a drink.
The midwife gave me a looking over and said that I looked to be very healthy, (which might have been code for “big”). I responded properly to physical stimulation: followed things with my eyes, gripped when something was placed in my hand, etc..
When asked about any concerns, Mommy and Daddy mentioned that I had a few crying fits here and there. The midwife reassured us that crying fits are very common. I’m a baby after all. As for advice about what to do, the things she mentioned are things we are doing now: changing the environment, taking me outside, just relaxing, etc..
Mommy mentioned how I tend to calm down and sleep easier in Daddy’s arms. The midwife noted that considering my size, she was not surprised. She also mentioned that Daddy had a perfect carrying form. She said that the way he tucked my legs in while holding me close replicated what I felt in Mommy’s tummy, which is why I can relax so well. She said bearing the weight is difficult for someone of Mommy’s stature, but if Daddy can do it, why not just let him do it. She is a wise woman.
So, all in all it was a very nice visit and we found out that we are doing great. We had some questions answered and received some good advice. But the main thing is that we are trusting our instincts and doing well. Yay, us!
50 days old and doing fine! 50 days? Does this mean I’m middle aged? Wow! That came quickly.
