4/5/13
Marco's Nursing Strike & The End of Breastfeeding
Have you ever heard of a *nursing strike*? As in, a breastfeeding nursing strike?
I have breastfed 5 babies, and had never heard of a nursing strike until recently, when my fifth child, Marco, decided to go on a nursing strike, six weeks shy of his first birthday.
Had this not been my fifth child, and had he not been so close to one year of age… this could have been very traumatizing. And, I’m sure there are so many women who have had a completely traumatizing experience when their infant starts a nursing strike, and my heart goes out to all of you.
Marco recently had R.oseola. In the first 24 hours of coming down with the fever, he went from nursing 10-12 times a day to not nursing at all. Not once! It was such a frustrating (and painful!) experience.
Prior to this illness, breastfeeding had not only been his main food source, but it was also his preferred method of being soothed, since birth. As any breastfeeding mom knows… breastfeeding wasn’t just a bonding experience, but it was my secret weapon to make him happy and calm him no matter what the situation.
Well… twenty-four hours into Marco having R.oseola and starting this nursing strike, I had to dig the breast pump equipment out of the garage because my breasts had become so engorged. I was also getting a little stressed because my motherly instinct wanted to help and soothe him while he was sick by nursing him, but he would get angry and cry harder and push away. It just wasn’t making sense to me and was so frustrating. I was also SO busy with a sick baby and three other kids (Dan was away on biz travel), that I didn’t have ten minutes to stop and try pumping that day to take care of my own body’s needs. So, I sent quick note to the Le L.eche League:
“
“This is a nursing strike and one of the most stressful things a mama and baby can go through. They do sometimes happen with an illness. I'll give you some broad suggestions, but if you want specific support, I'd encourage you to call a leader for (free!) help. First, keep your milk moving. Human milk isn't very fatty. That's by design and totally normal. If you have access to a pump, pump as often as your nursling would typically nurse. You can offer milk in a sippy or straw cup. One thing to remember is baby's that don't nurse typically can't. This is just as frustrating for baby as it is for you. Try and offer the breast as Often as you can. Keep it low stress.”
In addition, they suggested taking a bath with the baby, and provided me with two local contacts to reach out to.
I unfortunately didn’t have the option to take a bath with Marco because I didn’t have another adult here to manage the rest of the crew. I don’t know if he would have even done that anyway, he just wanted to be held and snuggled because he was so ill. And, by the time I tried to pump (24 hours later), I was so engorged it was basically unsuccessful. My boobs hurt so bad at this point that it hurt to even hold Marco against my chest.
I continued to offer Marco the boob through a second sleepless night, only to frustrate him and myself more. Dan finally arrived home almost 40 hours after Marco last nursed. I told him not to come home unless he walked in the door with cabbage. He arrived home around 2pm and once we were able to get Marco’s fever down again, I tried almost every trick in the book to get the milk moving out of me… a hot shower and massage, hand expression, and finally the pump. I STILL was not having much luck and was basically now in more pain (because of the massaging), and felt like there were bruises all over my chest. The pump did help a tiny bit though, so I didn’t go as far as trying the old *cabbage leaves on the boobs* trick to release the milk. But, I have to admit I was so desperate at one point that I almost wanted to volunteer to nurse another mother's child. I just needed a baby to suck on the boobs! AGH!!
Looking back, it’s almost comical that THIS is the way my last breastfeeding experience had to end. I guess I’ve been lucky to not have any problems breastfeeding until now… why not end with a bang, right?! Jeesh!
Eventually, I was able to pump/massage the milk out and get to a point of comfort. It was a painful, time-consuming experience that I wouldn’t wish upon anyone.
I shared my story/drama with a few mommy friends, and a couple told me that they too had experienced this *nursing strike* business. One little boy didn’t nurse for two days at 7 months old, and then he took to it again and has continued. Another friend’s little girl went on a nursing strike for two weeks at 9 months of age… the mom continued to pump, and then one morning while the baby was half-sleeping, she offered the breast and the baby started nursing regularly again until her mommy weaned her close to 14 months of age.
Hearing those stories made me think Marco *might* start nursing again, and to maybe not give up so easily. But, when he continued to not want anything to do with the boob after his fever was gone (five days later), it was clear to me he had decided he was finished. And, mentally, I was done.
Marco wasn’t nursing. He wasn’t even drinking any of the pumped milk – and I couldn’t blame him! It looked awful to me. It wasn’t the nice yellow color that *good* breast milk normally has. It almost had a blue tint to it, and there was barely a layer of fat on top.
I wasn’t about to try pushing the breastfeeding agenda on an almost 11 month old. Nor was I about to begin pumping consistently, on a regular basis at this stage of the game if he wasn’t interested in the milk.
Here we are 2.5 weeks later. I am down to pumping once every other day, and my last EVER pump will probably be tomorrow. I have tried offering Marco breast milk numerous times – he doesn’t want it. I have tried offering him formula numerous times, to which he still gauges and does not want a drop. The pediatrician tells me he shouldn’t have cow’s milk until he is 1 year old.
Now, you are probably asking “How is he getting the calcium he needs?”
Well, he eats at least 4 adult sized vanilla yogurts every single day. And, he has been eating massive amounts of anything and everything I offer him lately. It’s insane! While he was breastfeeding – he was still not super-interested in table foods. He was eating baby foods more frequently, but still loved to nurse whenever he wanted. Now, he is like a little wolf, and willing to try eating whatever is presented to him! He eats cous cous, rice, peas, green beans, avocado, strawberries, raspberries, chicken, turkey, ham, potatoes, French fries, mac & cheese, raviolis, tortellinis, waffles, pancakes, buttered toast, yogurt…and those are just his favorites. I’m so proud of him… it’s like he just took a leap of faith into the world of food!
And here’s the kicker – he is now either sleeping through the night or only waking up once during the night since quitting breast feeding! When he was breastfeeding, he was still nursing throughout the night… probably 2-5 times a night, which resulted in me never getting a good night’s sleep. It’s as if his little tummy is finally so happy to have lots of filling, fatty foods in it… and he can sleep for longer periods of time because of it! YAY!!
I guess I had envisioned a grand ending to my breastfeeding experience with Marco… especially since he is our last child. When he went on the nursing strike, I have to admit that the “Oh my gosh… I’m not going to have that last moment with him… with any baby again… EVER!” But, that seemed to pass quickly. Or, perhaps I just didn’t dwell on it because I was so glad when he finally finished the Ro.seola virus and was healthy again.
I think it was a WIN-WIN for both of us. He seems happier. He is sleeping better. He’s eating everything and truly loving food. And, I am sleeping better. I am enjoying my new-found freedom of not having to be constantly attached to a baby who needed to breastfeed every 3 hours. And, I am having so much fun introducing him to so many new foods.
It is truly the end of an era for me... no more breastfeeding babies! The boobies are done! (and now they look like they need to GET done! ha!)
Marco had R.oseola
Well... we just finished up another really fun experience with Ro.seola.
R.oseola is one of those great viruses that can’t really be diagnosed until the end of the illness, when the rash appears on the fifth day (day 5 of fever). Out of our five children, only Giuliana and Marco have had Ro.seola. It might be one of my least favorite viruses, because the child has a consistent fever for 5 days. And, for two of those days the fever likes to spike above 104, even though you have the baby on what seems like a steady dose of either ace.taminophen or ibupro.fren. The most frustrating part is that you can't figure out what is causing the fever until the child finally gets the rash on day 5.
Rose.ola decided to hit Marco last Tuesday night. Dan was traveling Monday - Thursday so it was already chaos central around here. Marco woke up crying around 11:15pm on Tuesday, and he felt warm to my lips so I took his temperature and it was just under 100. I gave him some ibupro.fren and brought him into bed with me and he nursed a bit around midnight. But, he did not sleep well at all. He woke up frequently throughout the night crying and he wouldn’t nurse anymore which was VERY unusual for him since nursing was his main source of soothing.
Wednesday delivered a full day of fever activity, and a continued nursing strike. Wednesday also happens to be my craziest day with the kids between school drop-offs, pick-ups and evening activities. Marco’s fever had me on edge a bit because it was already 101.3 at 10am…so I knew it was going to be a long day of switching between ibu.profren and acet.aminophen. It was also very strange to me that he was continuing to not nurse (well… strange AND painful).
We visited the pediatrician on Monday for Marco. I thought he might have an ear infection because he was waking up, crying, frequently through the night on Sunday night. However, he received a clean bill of health – no ear infection or strep, and his lungs were clear. I know ear infections can develop in a matter of hours.
Marco was so uncomfortable all day on Wednesday. He was fussy. He didn’t want to play. He just wanted to be in my arms, and even then he was whiny. He also wouldn’t walk around at all, instead, he would choose to crawl if he had any desire to move around at all. Poor baby! This made the day extra challenging for me because I was the only adult in the house, prepping meals, cleaning up after meals, helping the 3 yr old w/the potty chair, etc., all with a sick baby in my arms. I also couldn’t get him to take one decent nap, even though he was so tired. Not to mention… he still wasn’t nursing! So, my breasts were getting engorged (and hurting!) and I couldn’t get him to even entertain the idea of nursing. I knew it was time to dig the breast pump out of the garage… the last thing I needed was to get sick myself with m.astitis.
Finally, I was able to put Marco down to sleep at 8:30pm. I quickly got the other kids situated in bed, cleaned up after the kids, checked homework, ate dinner and then tried to pump. The pumping was not very successful since I was so engorged. I was now at the point where I couldn’t touch my chest without it being painful. Good times. I also knew that it was only going to get worse unless I could release some of that milk.
The pumping was interrupted by Marco, who woke up crying and so hot again by 10:15pm. His fever was 103.5. I think I may have had a mini-panic-attack at some point here… mapping mapping out my plan of action for what to do if I had to run him to the ER w/all 4 kids in tow, all the while holding him close to me, and that being extremely painful because of my engorged breasts. So, I sent Dan a text and asked him if he could possibly come home any earlier from his business trip.
I assumed that Marco and I would soon both fall asleep, so I set my phone alarm for every hour during the night so I could check on him. Well, funny thing is that I didn't even need to set the alarm because we NEVER WENT TO SLEEP. My poor little baby was SO uncomfortable and sick that he could not sleep. I spent hours walking with him in my arms, while he was screaming and kicking. Just as he would calm down and I would think he had dozed off, I would try to sit in the rocking chair and he would start wailing again. I tried singing, humming, rhythmic bouncing him in my arms, and I tried nursing him numerous times. I could not do anything to make him happy. I wanted to cry myself!
To add to the fun, just as Marco started dozing off, Gabby came running into my room at 5am crying about how her throat hurt. I was so spent at this point I think I told her to “stop crying, drink some water and go back to bed!” Ugh!
Finally, at 5:15am he fell asleep. OY! Somehow, I was able to hold him in my arms while propping up some pillows in my bed, and strategically maneuvered a position for me to hold him while hopefully also allowing me to get a little sleep. I was exhausted. And, in 1.5 hours the other kids would be waking up for the day with *bouncing-off-the-walls* energy. JOY!!
Thursday brought another full day of high fevers, even though we remained on a pretty constant regimen of the fever reducing meds. He hit 103.5 at 4:50am and 104.5 at 2pm. Dan was a total gem and able to take an earlier flight home to help me out. He got home around 2pm and once we were able to get Marco’s fever down again, I was off to try every trick in the book to express milk from my hurting breasts! (for more on that – read the next blog post, NURSING STRIKE)
By Thursday night, I think I finally started getting more control of Marco’s fever. His temperature would finally go down to 98.6 after being on meds, and it would sit there or be close to normal for a few hours at a time. His eyelids seemed to be a little swollen, and he was still fussy and needed to be constantly held. But, at least we had the fever under control.
Friday brought another day of a needy/fussy baby. He still had what seemed like swollen eyelids. He was showing more interest in *wanting* to play for short spurts at a time, but still didn’t necessarily have the energy to truly play. He just wanted momma to hold him most of the day. It was SO great to have Dan home to help out with the other kids too, so I could focus solely on Marco for the majority of the day. Dan also let me sleep in Friday morning since I was borderline insane at this point.
Saturday, Marco seemed a bit more like his normal, happy, content and playful self. But, he still had a little fever, and then I noticed Marco had developed a little rash on his tummy. Aha!! So, I looked at his back and sure enough, the rash was present there also. I immediately knew it had to be Ros.eola… because Giuliana had this! I looked up the symptoms and sure enough, he presented numerous classic symptoms... high spiking fever for 5 days, swollen eyelids, diarrhea, and a rash on the trunk on day 5.
Sunday morning, Dan and I were both relieved to see our little guy walking around, screeching with excitement, wanting to play and being curious. No fever, and no new symptoms. What a relief! The rash was a little more visible on his trunk and it looked uncomfortable and itchy, but I read he would most likely not be bothered by it (and he didn’t seem to notice).
To say I am NOT a fan of having a sick infant is an understatement. We've been so lucky with Marco so far being extremely healthy. I mean - he's really only had one ear infection, and now this. That's pretty amazing considering he has 3 older siblings constantly bringing germs home with them.
Angel Matteo is doing a great job watching over his little brother.
R.oseola is one of those great viruses that can’t really be diagnosed until the end of the illness, when the rash appears on the fifth day (day 5 of fever). Out of our five children, only Giuliana and Marco have had Ro.seola. It might be one of my least favorite viruses, because the child has a consistent fever for 5 days. And, for two of those days the fever likes to spike above 104, even though you have the baby on what seems like a steady dose of either ace.taminophen or ibupro.fren. The most frustrating part is that you can't figure out what is causing the fever until the child finally gets the rash on day 5.
Rose.ola decided to hit Marco last Tuesday night. Dan was traveling Monday - Thursday so it was already chaos central around here. Marco woke up crying around 11:15pm on Tuesday, and he felt warm to my lips so I took his temperature and it was just under 100. I gave him some ibupro.fren and brought him into bed with me and he nursed a bit around midnight. But, he did not sleep well at all. He woke up frequently throughout the night crying and he wouldn’t nurse anymore which was VERY unusual for him since nursing was his main source of soothing.
Wednesday delivered a full day of fever activity, and a continued nursing strike. Wednesday also happens to be my craziest day with the kids between school drop-offs, pick-ups and evening activities. Marco’s fever had me on edge a bit because it was already 101.3 at 10am…so I knew it was going to be a long day of switching between ibu.profren and acet.aminophen. It was also very strange to me that he was continuing to not nurse (well… strange AND painful).
We visited the pediatrician on Monday for Marco. I thought he might have an ear infection because he was waking up, crying, frequently through the night on Sunday night. However, he received a clean bill of health – no ear infection or strep, and his lungs were clear. I know ear infections can develop in a matter of hours.
Marco was so uncomfortable all day on Wednesday. He was fussy. He didn’t want to play. He just wanted to be in my arms, and even then he was whiny. He also wouldn’t walk around at all, instead, he would choose to crawl if he had any desire to move around at all. Poor baby! This made the day extra challenging for me because I was the only adult in the house, prepping meals, cleaning up after meals, helping the 3 yr old w/the potty chair, etc., all with a sick baby in my arms. I also couldn’t get him to take one decent nap, even though he was so tired. Not to mention… he still wasn’t nursing! So, my breasts were getting engorged (and hurting!) and I couldn’t get him to even entertain the idea of nursing. I knew it was time to dig the breast pump out of the garage… the last thing I needed was to get sick myself with m.astitis.
Finally, I was able to put Marco down to sleep at 8:30pm. I quickly got the other kids situated in bed, cleaned up after the kids, checked homework, ate dinner and then tried to pump. The pumping was not very successful since I was so engorged. I was now at the point where I couldn’t touch my chest without it being painful. Good times. I also knew that it was only going to get worse unless I could release some of that milk.
The pumping was interrupted by Marco, who woke up crying and so hot again by 10:15pm. His fever was 103.5. I think I may have had a mini-panic-attack at some point here… mapping mapping out my plan of action for what to do if I had to run him to the ER w/all 4 kids in tow, all the while holding him close to me, and that being extremely painful because of my engorged breasts. So, I sent Dan a text and asked him if he could possibly come home any earlier from his business trip.
I assumed that Marco and I would soon both fall asleep, so I set my phone alarm for every hour during the night so I could check on him. Well, funny thing is that I didn't even need to set the alarm because we NEVER WENT TO SLEEP. My poor little baby was SO uncomfortable and sick that he could not sleep. I spent hours walking with him in my arms, while he was screaming and kicking. Just as he would calm down and I would think he had dozed off, I would try to sit in the rocking chair and he would start wailing again. I tried singing, humming, rhythmic bouncing him in my arms, and I tried nursing him numerous times. I could not do anything to make him happy. I wanted to cry myself!
To add to the fun, just as Marco started dozing off, Gabby came running into my room at 5am crying about how her throat hurt. I was so spent at this point I think I told her to “stop crying, drink some water and go back to bed!” Ugh!
Finally, at 5:15am he fell asleep. OY! Somehow, I was able to hold him in my arms while propping up some pillows in my bed, and strategically maneuvered a position for me to hold him while hopefully also allowing me to get a little sleep. I was exhausted. And, in 1.5 hours the other kids would be waking up for the day with *bouncing-off-the-walls* energy. JOY!!
Thursday brought another full day of high fevers, even though we remained on a pretty constant regimen of the fever reducing meds. He hit 103.5 at 4:50am and 104.5 at 2pm. Dan was a total gem and able to take an earlier flight home to help me out. He got home around 2pm and once we were able to get Marco’s fever down again, I was off to try every trick in the book to express milk from my hurting breasts! (for more on that – read the next blog post, NURSING STRIKE)
By Thursday night, I think I finally started getting more control of Marco’s fever. His temperature would finally go down to 98.6 after being on meds, and it would sit there or be close to normal for a few hours at a time. His eyelids seemed to be a little swollen, and he was still fussy and needed to be constantly held. But, at least we had the fever under control.
Friday brought another day of a needy/fussy baby. He still had what seemed like swollen eyelids. He was showing more interest in *wanting* to play for short spurts at a time, but still didn’t necessarily have the energy to truly play. He just wanted momma to hold him most of the day. It was SO great to have Dan home to help out with the other kids too, so I could focus solely on Marco for the majority of the day. Dan also let me sleep in Friday morning since I was borderline insane at this point.
Saturday, Marco seemed a bit more like his normal, happy, content and playful self. But, he still had a little fever, and then I noticed Marco had developed a little rash on his tummy. Aha!! So, I looked at his back and sure enough, the rash was present there also. I immediately knew it had to be Ros.eola… because Giuliana had this! I looked up the symptoms and sure enough, he presented numerous classic symptoms... high spiking fever for 5 days, swollen eyelids, diarrhea, and a rash on the trunk on day 5.
Sunday morning, Dan and I were both relieved to see our little guy walking around, screeching with excitement, wanting to play and being curious. No fever, and no new symptoms. What a relief! The rash was a little more visible on his trunk and it looked uncomfortable and itchy, but I read he would most likely not be bothered by it (and he didn’t seem to notice).
To say I am NOT a fan of having a sick infant is an understatement. We've been so lucky with Marco so far being extremely healthy. I mean - he's really only had one ear infection, and now this. That's pretty amazing considering he has 3 older siblings constantly bringing germs home with them.
Angel Matteo is doing a great job watching over his little brother.
4/2/13
Don't Hate the Treadmill
Running friends: don't hate the treadmill! Mentally, I am not a treadmill runner. But I have to sing it's praises! It does have benefits if you use it right. It can also improve your endurance and your speed.
I am an outdoor runner at heart. Never been a huge fan of the treadmill, but I use it when I can’t deal with the elements outside, or if my opportunity to run comes when it’s dark outside, as I never feel safe running in the dark.
Since early January, 90% of my running has been on a treadmill (mainly because I end up running at 9pm). Weather also factors in on occasion, as does the fact we no longer have an au pair and Dan travels frequently. I don’t love it - but at least the treadmill allows me to get my runs in, get my happy on, and catch up on guilty pleasure TV shows.
There’s never an ideal time when you’ve got 4 kids and no childcare help. I’m finding I try to sneak it in when Marco naps or after I get the kids tucked in bed and the kitchen cleaned up. Of course, this also happens to be when I am completely exhausted from the day. When I run on the treadmill during Marco’s naps, I’ll feel bad that I’m not spending quality time with Giuls. But, I’ll give her some books and play dough and a comfy chair next to me, and that usually occupies her while I get the endorphins flowing. After all, I know I’ll do a much better job being their mommy if I feel healthy and good about myself.
To keep the treadmill exciting, I've focused on speedwork with small inclines. I’ve been playing with increasing my speed for one minute intervals. And, then the last mile, I'll increase speed in .1mpm pace increments, every tenth of a mile.
Now that it’s warming up a bit, and daylight is extending, I’ve been getting out on the trails again and I’ve been surprised at my mile splits. I’m hitting 8mpm and sometimes under, while on my 6 mile trail. I think the last time I was doing that, it was the summer of 2011, before I was pregnant with Marco.
It was such a fun, pleasant surprise to be able to do this… because I’ve felt really slow since trying to get back into shape after having Marco. I think the treadmill actually helped me get over a speed bump.
So, why am I sharing this? I just want to encourage anyone and everyone to do what you need to do to stay healthy and fit. It’s so important to strive for at least 30 minutes of exercise daily. I wish I was taught the importance of exercise and eating right while growing up. It just wasn’t something that was emphasized at the time. Nor was there as much research showing the importance and the benefits, as there is now.
I don’t exercise daily, but I try to get out there as often as I can. Whether it’s a run, a brisk walk or just playing around actively with my kids inside or out. Trust me when I say I understand how hard it is to find the time or make the time, especially when you’ve got small children depending on you for every request. But, just try! You can do it too!
4/1/13
Giuliana & her Imaginary Friends
Giuliana is our first child to have imaginary friends. Their names are Lola, Giga and Maya.
I think she developed these new friendships in February. We first heard a lot about Maya, and in the past month or so, Lola and Giga seem to be her friends of choice.
I'm not exactly sure how she came up with the names. And, she does not actively play with these friends throughout the day. For instance... she would never tell me she *is currently playing* with Lola, Giga or Maya... or that she is even setting a place at the dinner table for one of them. Rather, she will ask if her friends are coming over today. Or, as we are driving by the grocery store, she will tell me that she went to the grocery store last night with Giga. So, I will then ask "well, how did you and Giga get to the grocery store?". She will then tell me something like "Giga's dad drove us to the grocery store."
My theory as to why Giuliana created these friends is that she frequently observes Gabby and Rocco with their friends, or participating in friend-related activities (birthday parties, play dates, etc.), and she wants her own friends too.
Since she is my first child to have an imaginary friend, I've asked a few people if they have ever experienced this with their own child/ren. One mother told me her daughter would go as far as setting extra places at the table for her friends (she was older than Giuliana at the time). This friend also told me that the pediatrician had told her it was a sign of high intelligence, and to just go along with it and and never make fun of it. My friend and I couldn't help but completely agree that OF COURSE our children were brilliant and this must be a sure sign! :))
I must admit, these imaginary friends and the tales that develop can be kind of fun to play along with. Although, it does also present challenges. For instance, Giuliana will ask when Lola or Giga are coming over today. I usually respond that I haven't talked to their parents and I didn't know they were coming over. She will get frustrated, and insist they are coming over and demand I tell her a time. So, I tell her a time and then we try to distract her with other things. And, sometimes, she will say things like "Lola pushed me off the balance beam yesterday." Or, "Giga bit me at school two days ago." Then, I have to explain to her how those behaviors are things that friends and good kids do not do to each other. And, I try to tell her that when those things happen, an adult needs to be told right away so they can help sort out the situation and make sure that Lola and Giga know that they can hurt people by doing stuff like that.
I'm waiting for the day/moment when she tells a stranger (pediatrician, coach, teacher or whoever) a story that involves one of her imaginary friends and how that plays out! So far, she seems to just share her imaginary friends with her family.
Kids are so funny! It will be interesting to see how long she keeps these current imaginary friends.
I think she developed these new friendships in February. We first heard a lot about Maya, and in the past month or so, Lola and Giga seem to be her friends of choice.
I'm not exactly sure how she came up with the names. And, she does not actively play with these friends throughout the day. For instance... she would never tell me she *is currently playing* with Lola, Giga or Maya... or that she is even setting a place at the dinner table for one of them. Rather, she will ask if her friends are coming over today. Or, as we are driving by the grocery store, she will tell me that she went to the grocery store last night with Giga. So, I will then ask "well, how did you and Giga get to the grocery store?". She will then tell me something like "Giga's dad drove us to the grocery store."
My theory as to why Giuliana created these friends is that she frequently observes Gabby and Rocco with their friends, or participating in friend-related activities (birthday parties, play dates, etc.), and she wants her own friends too.
Since she is my first child to have an imaginary friend, I've asked a few people if they have ever experienced this with their own child/ren. One mother told me her daughter would go as far as setting extra places at the table for her friends (she was older than Giuliana at the time). This friend also told me that the pediatrician had told her it was a sign of high intelligence, and to just go along with it and and never make fun of it. My friend and I couldn't help but completely agree that OF COURSE our children were brilliant and this must be a sure sign! :))
I must admit, these imaginary friends and the tales that develop can be kind of fun to play along with. Although, it does also present challenges. For instance, Giuliana will ask when Lola or Giga are coming over today. I usually respond that I haven't talked to their parents and I didn't know they were coming over. She will get frustrated, and insist they are coming over and demand I tell her a time. So, I tell her a time and then we try to distract her with other things. And, sometimes, she will say things like "Lola pushed me off the balance beam yesterday." Or, "Giga bit me at school two days ago." Then, I have to explain to her how those behaviors are things that friends and good kids do not do to each other. And, I try to tell her that when those things happen, an adult needs to be told right away so they can help sort out the situation and make sure that Lola and Giga know that they can hurt people by doing stuff like that.
I'm waiting for the day/moment when she tells a stranger (pediatrician, coach, teacher or whoever) a story that involves one of her imaginary friends and how that plays out! So far, she seems to just share her imaginary friends with her family.
Kids are so funny! It will be interesting to see how long she keeps these current imaginary friends.
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