Okay, don't mess with the frenulum.

Actually, the frenulum was snipped yesterday afternoon. The doctor held it between two q-tips of topical anesthetic, then pinched the part with a hemostat and snipped it loose. Reid cried over the strain and confusion of having two or three non-nipple-related items in his mouth, but didn't seem to mind or notice the actual cutting of a very small part of him. He is an amazing boy, of course, and we didn't expect him to do anything but finesse it perfectly. And that's exactly what he did.

So we're not exactly overwhelmed with the results of this particular procedure yet.

I know it's early, but as of right now, K is reporting that the boy, who fed strongly last night, is still taking about 1:25 to get through both breasts. Now we've discovered that this whole tight frenulum thing could be part of a bigger problem. K may just be overachieving in the milk production department. This abundance of milk could be causing Reid to match this disturbing but not alarming set of symptoms:

Babies whose moms have too much milk will often exhibit symptoms such as fussing, pulling off the breast, colicky crying, gassiness, spitting up, and hiccupping. They may want to nurse frequently, and they may gain weight more rapidly than the average baby (who usually gains 4-8 ounces each week during the first 3 or 4 months), or they may gain weight more slowly than the average baby. Their stools may be green and watery, and their bottoms may be red and sore. The mother’s letdown reflex may be so forceful that the baby chokes, gags and sputters as he struggles with the jet of milk that sprays too quickly into his mouth.

It was disturbing because it describes Reid's feeding experience to a T. He eats often, punctuated with pulling off, passing gas, spitting up and getting the hiccups. He cries (we call it cranks) during the feeding, usually when you move him after he's pulled away from the breast and closed his eyes. Literally, he matches this set of symptoms perfectly.

So we're taking appropriate action. But this is the whole parenting thing in a nutshell. You try something, it isn't what you needed to do at all. But you couldn't have known, couldn't possibly have anticipated that each course of action -- with it circumstances and unexpected benefits -- would lead to this next step. You just keep trying stuff. Don't stop.