Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[chrono]

SNS = supplemental nursing system? Not too sure about the actual name for it; I'm so used to the shortform.

 

[lili]

Date: 4/20/2008 5:51:34 PM
Author: TravelingGal

Date: 4/20/2008 5:45:34 PM
lili, I''m surprised that your doc won''t check her for one month. I thought that was standard? But hopefully the other mommies will put in their two cents.

Yeah...thanks for that info on the diapers. It''s probably not cost effective to give that version out to the general public. It really saved us when we were trying to get her to pee, and sometimes we could only tell by the stripe since it was mixed in with the meconium. I''d pay extra for that feature though...although now there is no doubt that she is wetting since her diaper is so heavy when she does, so I guess I really don''t need it.

ETA, a SNS is a supplemental nutrition system (I think). It''s a bottle with a thin tube that the baby sucks to get milk. You can tape the tube to your finger or your nipple, and with the suckling, milk comes through the tube. They control the flow, unlike a bottle nipple. I dig it.

Yeah, I am too. I''d thought that the 1-month checkup is standard.
That''s okay, I''m going to make another consultation with the lactation nurse in 2 weeks just to see if she''s getting enough to eat.

SNS-- Is that offered to BFing mothers who are waiting for their milk to come in?
Wished I had known about that before giving Jadie the bottle.
I had to supplement with formula initially because my milk wasn''t coming in and she didn''t have a good latch.
The nurses didn''t know that she wasn''t latching. All they went by was her poop and how long she stayed on my boobs.
I didn''t know that she wasn''t latching until the lactation nurse came to visit me on the day I was scheduled to be discharged.
So we bottle fed her when we got home. Couldn''t stand to see her go hungry and her mouth go parched.
When my milk finally came in, I had to fight with her for a day before she takes to the breast again.
Now, she doesn''t like the bottle. Go figures.

 

[lili]

Date: 4/17/2008 9:21:13 AM
Author: ephemery1

Date: 4/17/2008 8:44:33 AM
Author: LitigatorChick
Congrats on your natural birth, Lili. That was super fast - wowsers!!!!

Seriously... now I''m praying for the same experience!! Congrats, Lili!!

Hehe, the hospital staff were surprised to learn that this was my first.
They told me that with my second, I best not dillydally when I sensed I''m in labor.
I am very grateful that this pregnancy and labor have been easy for me.
I was so afraid that I would be one of those with 24 hours labor just because my pregnancy is almost textbook perfect.

 

[lili]

Date: 4/16/2008 10:59:51 PM
Author: snlee
lili, wow, great job! What an amazing birth story. Congrats on the natural birth! I think I recall you saying you''re around 5''? Gives me hope that I''ll be able to push out my baby and not get a c-section.

Yup, I''m a shortie. That was one of my concern when I was preggo. But hey, if MrsS (she''s a tiny little thing) can push out a 9lber w/o any tear, an average 7lber is very doable

 

[lili]

Burk
Love your PP.
I like how it looks with your wedding bands -- makes for a very substantial look.

msb
Little K looks so happy tearing into those presents.
Lucky little guy -- getting 3 parties!

Tacori
Wow, T is getting so big.
Love her eyes as always!

QT
Love the name you picked for your little girl.
I like how you were able to have her named after your "adopted" grandma too.
Can't wait to see your nursey!
Oh, don't worry about the weight gain. You are doing great so far.
I was up 16 lbs at 20 wks I think.
It does slow down toward the end of the third trimester.
You are so slim to begin with anyway, you can afford to gain a little more.

MrsS
Wow, you are a tiny little thing.
Only 104 at 5'3"? You truly didn't look like you gained 40 lbs with this pregnancy.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Thank you for all your sweet comments about Tessa. Made my day!

TGal, I am so sorry that BFing is not working out for you.

Sounds like you have decided to stop 100%. Maybe you could just supplement after each feeding? Whatever decision you make remember it is yours alone. You need to do what is best for you and Amelia. I remember pumping and barely getting 2-3 oz the first few months. Chrono is right you do make more but honestly if you don''t want to BF, don''t. Everyone will judge. People judge women who DO just as much as those who DON''T. You gave it your best. Tessa gets much more formula now b/c she is kind of on a nursing strike. I still nurse her 5-6 times a day and give her 3-4 bottles. Also she had her first bottle of expressed milk when she was a week old. No confusion (though I do use that stupid shield) She actually sometimes takes it off and I try w/o and she just gets frustrated. Ah well.

Burk, oh I can wait for #2....awhile. Haha!

Lili, she is getting big! Her eyes haven''t changed yet but sometimes they look bluer. Sometimes greener. Oh the suspense!

Msb, he is darling! Happy 1 year to him!

Snlee, I am 5''1" and had a VB.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 4/20/2008 9:11:53 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
Thank you for all your sweet comments about Tessa. Made my day!

TGal, I am so sorry that BFing is not working out for you.

Sounds like you have decided to stop 100%. Maybe you could just supplement after each feeding? Whatever decision you make remember it is yours alone. You need to do what is best for you and Amelia. I remember pumping and barely getting 2-3 oz the first few months. Chrono is right you do make more but honestly if you don''t want to BF, don''t. Everyone will judge. People judge women who DO just as much as those who DON''T. You gave it your best. Tessa gets much more formula now b/c she is kind of on a nursing strike. I still nurse her 5-6 times a day and give her 3-4 bottles. Also she had her first bottle of expressed milk when she was a week old. No confusion (though I do use that stupid shield) She actually sometimes takes it off and I try w/o and she just gets frustrated. Ah well.

Burk, oh I can wait for #2....awhile. Haha!

Lili, she is getting big! Her eyes haven''t changed yet but sometimes they look bluer. Sometimes greener. Oh the suspense!

Msb, he is darling! Happy 1 year to him!

Snlee, I am 5''1'' and had a VB.

I don''t want to stop, but I am not having much of a choice. If I could pump 2-3 oz, that would be great! I am only getting 1-3 cc''s out of my right breast. That is not even a TENTH of an ounce. On my left, on a good pump I am getting a half ounce. Mostly I get a third of an ounce. Today''s weighins confirm that what she draws out is the same as what I am pumping...so there is no "secret stash". But speaking of pumping, I''m doing it right now...just because...well, I think it''s habit!

I''m still going to use the SNS, which means she''ll get the half ounce my left puts out each time. That''s better than nuthin!

 

[lili]

TGal--

I didn''t get that much when I pumped even when I was engorged.
But when the lactation nurse weigh her, she found that she''s getting 1 oz per breast on a 15 minute feeding.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 4/20/2008 9:32:57 PM
Author: lili
TGal--

I didn''t get that much when I pumped even when I was engorged.
But when the lactation nurse weigh her, she found that she''s getting 1 oz per breast on a 15 minute feeding.

That''s what I was hoping for. But the lactation consultant weight after each breast. I was right on target...1/2 ounce for my left and nothing on my right.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

TGal, I so wish I had some helpful advice for you. BFing is one of the hardest things I have ever done. We have different problems but I know how discouraged you feel! (((hugs)))

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 4/20/2008 9:42:08 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
TGal, I so wish I had some helpful advice for you. BFing is one of the hardest things I have ever done. We have different problems but I know how discouraged you feel! (((hugs)))

Thanks sweetie. If there''s one thing you probably know about me by now, it''s that I manage to take everything in stride. Even something that''s such a bummer like this. Amelia/TTot/the Beast will survive.

So in other news, the lactation consultant (who is also a NICU nurse) said today not to cover the baby''s hands. Keep the nails trimmed, but she said they need to explore with their hands. Anyone heard of this? We had been covering, but I clipped her nails again today (and drew a bit of blood

) and now they are free as a bird!

 

[lili]

Date: 4/20/2008 9:52:48 PM
Author: TravelingGal
So in other news, the lactation consultant (who is also a NICU nurse) said today not to cover the baby's hands. Keep the nails trimmed, but she said they need to explore with their hands. Anyone heard of this? We had been covering, but I clipped her nails again today (and drew a bit of blood

) and now they are free as a bird!

Oh? Didn't know that.
I guess I'll have to trim those nails then, or else
I may just have to keep them cover for each feeding.
She gets really frustrated during feeding sometimes when the milk is not coming out fast enough and would just claw her face.

Ouch!! Good thing is that she won't remember it

 

[lili]

Date: 4/20/2008 9:35:55 PM
Author: TravelingGal
That's what I was hoping for. But the lactation consultant weight after each breast. I was right on target...1/2 ounce for my left and nothing on my right.

That's not much...
So how much is Ttot eating at each feeding?

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 4/20/2008 10:01:48 PM
Author: lili

Date: 4/20/2008 9:35:55 PM
Author: TravelingGal
That''s what I was hoping for. But the lactation consultant weight after each breast. I was right on target...1/2 ounce for my left and nothing on my right.

That''s not much...
So how much is Ttot eating at each feeding?

I feed her two ounces of formula at each feeding. A week or so ago, she could barely figure out how to have an ounce. Now she''s just chowing, which is great. She''s up to 7lb 8oz in weight, so 6 oz over her birth weight, which is great. She''s still a little thing. Must be those 7.02 oz babies when they are born! Still, with this formula stuff, I figure she''ll pork up just fine.

Aw...poor jadelyn clawing her face...yeah, keep them on during feedings. Fortunately TTot hasn''t done that yet. Hopefully she''ll just stop at putting her fists to her cheeks as she has been doing.

 

[mrssalvo]

tgal- i think most of us thirty somethings were formula fed and turned out fine. you''ve tried a lot harder than most women. our hospital had the line on the pampers too. I really liked them b/c jake hates to be exposed and it was an easy way to tell if he was wet or not. Like you though, his diapers are heavy now so it''s pretty obvious.

lili- my doc does a 3-5 day post birth check up to make sure the baby is eating and regaining weight. then they do a 2 week check-up, 2 month, 4 month, 6 month. 9 month and then 1 year.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Covering Hands: We hardly ever did this (maybe only twice). Now EVERYTHING goes into her mouth but she does love staring at her hands, lacing her fingers together, etc....also after a few months you should swaddle when with their arms out (for the same developmental reasons). The PERFECT time to trim those little nails are during feedings. She is so focused on eating she doesn''t seem to find it.

 

[flutterby]

Tgal- I knew you would like Hillary, she is very much so tell it like it is. Your attitude toward all this is so good. i went to BBB three times a week for like 10 weeks. with my SNS in hand...finally hillary told me to bring a bottle as all the nutrients were coming from formula anyway. I just didnt want to "give up" (even though there was no milk)...but finally when I quit pretending that i was BFing...the guilt went away and i could really enjoy my little man. BBB is still great though. I take him in and weigh him on the months i dont have a dr appt.

we had a 3 day, 2 week, and then 2 month appt. we didnt have a one month. we have gone in almost every month since then though...because we get all our shots split up!

msb- your little guy is too cute!! looks like he had a splendid bday...i cant believe 5 months from today will be Ian''s 1st birthday! How time flies!!

finger nails. i also was told not to cover his hands...so he had so many scratches. my dh was in charge of nail cutting but we couldnt get them short enough!!! We do much better now, but he is a thumb sucker so there are still scratches.

today is Ian''s 7 month bday...and also the day he came down with his first cold. it actually came last night. but it has not been fun at all!!!

 

[flutterby]

Tgal- how do you like the miracle blanket? is amelia a swaddler? ian just never got it...actually he hated it!

 

[AGSHF]

Hello and congratulations to all the new mommies. I just love seeing all beautiful babies; they bring back such warm memories of my early days with my daughter (I think the difficult stuff fades from memory or it may be signs of aging : ) ).

Just some thoughts here in hopes of providing some suggestions:

(1) trimming nails of a newborn: my daughter scratched her face also but (as I''m sure you''ve noticed with your babies), the scratches healed up very quickly and leave no scars. Baby skin is amazing and it was stunning to observe the quick healing. We put her hands in mittens also; I wouldn''t be too terribly concerned about the free-exploration, development issue. They''ll have plenty to time in a short couple of months to start exploring. In the early, early weeks, infants are more visual (up close) and hearing stimulated, I believe. We were told to file her nails with baby emery board (can get these from Babies ''R Us) because newborn baby nails are so paper thin that they sometimes just bend and don''t trim easily. I did the filing when she slept and it worked pretty well. Pretty soon, it won''t be an issue.

(2) baby getting enough/more milk: Everyone has given great advice. I was also greatly concerned about how much she was getting, her weight gains, etc. I do think that pediatricians tend to overly focus on weight gain in the first couple of months and breastfed babies clearly gain more slowly at first than bottle-fed babies. I had several chats with the ped. about the charts being based historically on stats that include more bottle-fed babies, etc. Bottom line--if your baby is growing, having enough wet and poopy diapers each day (I marked them down each day -- I couldn''t remember well through the early fog), then chances are baby''s getting fed adequately--perhaps even very well! I was also assured by the lactation nurse that as long as the line on the growth chart shows a nice upward trend, she was doing just fine. My daughter definitely plumped up nicely starting the 2nd month.

I do remember (once she started to latch on better during Week 2) making a concerted effort during one week to b-f her every 2 hours to stimulate more milk production and it seemed to work. I drank water/milk like a fiend, rested as much as I could. I also never got much through pumping and everyone knows/agrees that the baby''s sucking is much more efficient in emptying the breast than the pump so I trusted that she was getting what she needed. You do want to make sure that the baby is nursing for at least 10 minutes on each breast so that she is getting the higher fat "hindmilk" as well.

Once she started having those periodic growth spurts, she fed like crazy -- I was available on demand -- and the milk production kept up. But, the breasts never got as large as the initial engorgement when my milk first came in; they "regulated" I guess. I did definitely notice them getting fuller around the "regular" times when she was fed.

Remember also that the "letting down" down of the milk by the mother''s breast is really important. The baby''s sucking stimulates that and the "letting down" is what really gets things flowing. I most definitely remember seeing DD having to gulp and swallow as soon as my milk let down, which gets better and eaiser with more b-f experience. (And--TMI warning--in my case, when one breast was letting down while she was nursing on it, the other would squirt/spray milk -- most definitely an interesting phenomenon during the first occurrences. I took to making sure that the other breast was nicely shielded because it was something to behold!) Being relaxed while b-f also really helped.

(3) persevere: If you really want to b-f, it really helps to keep working on it; practice does make better. I know that''s much easier said than done. The first 2 weeks were very hard--sore or painful nipples, inexperienced baby, inexperienced mommy, what seemed like around-the-clock latching-on sessions, exhaustion, sleep deprivation. But the baby does really learn (and most lactation consultants say give it 2 good weeks) and will start helping by being more alert and opening her mouth when she gets near or sees the breast. By Week 3, it was beginning to seem like b-f might really be a natural thing after all. : ) There will be challenges--some possibilities: clogged ducts, ravenous growth spurts when it seems like baby is just attached to you, comfort nursing when baby decides she loves to be with you alllll day, nursing strikes, playing while nursing, teeth!, etc., but by then at least the baby will be nursing like a pro and you know she''s not starving.

I hope this helps. I send along my best wishes to all the mommies and babies here.

 

[TravelingGal]

Thanks ladies. Yes, I tried. I didn''t conquer. Now I move on to the next big thing.

Thanks for the advice AGSHF...was nice of you to take the time to type all that up!

MsF, I haven''t used the blanket, because, get this: TGuy was FIXATED on trying to learn how to swaddle with the hospital blankets and didn''t want to use the miracle blanket. The one time I tried using it days after the fact, she freaked out. I am going to hold off until she is slightly bigger. I bought two and only opened one, so I can always give the other away to someone who wants it if it doesn''t work out. She loves being swaddled (although she busts out of it often) but I think my window for the miracle blanket was closed by my stubborn hubby!

Happy 7 month to Ian! And I hope he feels better soon. Man, I hear colds are NOT fun for the little ones.

Tacori, yes, I found that feedings are a good time to trim nails or do whatever. My friend picks her sons nose with tweezers (she has admitted that you shouldn''t use them, but she does) during feedings because he is so still and doesn''t mind. He raises holy hell otherwise.

In the hospital, I saw the pedi every day...although it wasn''t my pedi as I had not made an appointment and called him before I went into labor. I guess the schedule that you talked about lili seems more common. Maybe the one month is something that my doc just does.

Jas12, I hope you are doing OK...you haven''t checked in a few days but I imagine you are as bushed as the rest of us...

Speaking of which, Amelia (I''m getting used to her real name, although we rarely call her that in real life) is down for a nap, so I''d better take one myself or it will be a long night...

 

[LitigatorChick]

I think we did appointments at 3 days, 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and then 2 years.

 

[ellaila]

Hi everyone! It''s been a while since I''ve written, but I''ve been trying to keep up with reading every day ...

TGal, this cracked me up and gave me the ooks at the same time: "My friend picks her sons nose with tweezers"

That just sounds so wrong!!! I mean, yeah, the little boogs up there drive me crazy too, but tweezers?! I''d never even think of sticking a sharp object up my child''s nose! Kids are way too squirmy.

Sorry the BFIng didn''t work for you. I feel your pain, believe me. There''s only so much you can do if your body isn''t cooperating though, and you did all you can so you can feel good about trying. I laughed when you said you were pumping out of habit because I was the same way. I hated it but yet felt like I couldn''t give it up because that made it so official that I was quitting! Amelia will be a smart cookie no matter what. And even if she''s not then she''s at least got her cuteness to fall back on

Lili, you sound like you''re doing great! Where''s that frazzled "I''m a new mom!" vibe?? You don''t seem to have it

Little Jadie looks so sweet -- more pics!!

msb, happy bday to K!

tacori, glad you had such a nice trip! I''m so jealous. Tessa is adorable as always. She looks like she''s going to keep those baby blues I think.

burk, poor tayva! happy that she''s on the mend now. what a relief for you all, i''m sure!

G and K are in a super cute phase right now, i gotta say! lots and lots of belly laughs and biiiig smiles. g flips over and sleeps on his belly every night now, which is just the cutest - with that little tush up in the air. we''ve got an appt with a gastroenterologist this weekb/c of his reflux, which is just horrible, but other than that, everything is peachy. been taking them out in the Bob, which ROCKS MY WORLD.

hope all the preggies are feeling good!!

 

[ellaila]

Tacori, here''s the onesie I mentioned a while ago -- my little peanut girly!

And though I love having two babies, I do not love that my house constantly smells like a poopy diaper. Two babies = stankity stank.

 

[jas]

ella -- I love that picture! I think I may have to just hang car air fresheners around the babies to avoid the "stankity stank" (LOL, by the way)

I am now feeling baby movements pretty regularly, and was shaken from my almost-asleep stage last night by a kick (or an elbow...can''t tell at this point.)

Happy Monday to all

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

Ella, she is one adorable little peanut! Soooo cute.

Jas, great that you''re feeling the movements, not so great they wake you up! My baby can now kick so hard that it wakes me and DH. Bless. It makes us giggle - as he points out, I was probably just about to wake up because I need to pee anyway! LOL

We visited the midwife unit yesterday, to see the waterbirth facilities (they were in use when I went last time so we didn''t get a chance to see everything). Looks great, I''m all excited and impatient. Plus, the midwife team there just won a national award for clinical excellence, so we''re going to be in great hands when the time comes. I really like the staff there- so different to the hospital where I was treated after an ectopic pregnancy. They were horrible and it made me so apprehensive about trying again. I wish I''d visited this place years ago - we''d have ttc again a lot quicker knowing it was there. Ah well.

TGal, sorry you''re having such a hard time with BFing. Sounds so frustrating, and sounds like you tried so hard to make it work.

Well, just another month to go for me (hopefully). It''s gone by so quickly up till now.

Jen

 

[TravelingGal]

Wow Ella, I can''t believe how much the twins have grown. K is so beautiful...her face has filled out a lot! Your peanut is a cutie!

Bummer about the reflux. My friend''s daughter had it and it made her first year so awful. I can''t imagine going through all that effort to feed, only to have it come back up. You have my sympathies.

Yeah, funny about the tweezers eh? I can see the temptation to do it, but I was freaked out watching it. One false move and BAM! I''m paranoid from simply using nail cutters on Amelia (and you''re supposed to use those), so I don''t think I could shove anything up her nose or near it.

Speaking of which, WHEN do the boogers come in? She''s 3 weeks and no boogers!

As for pumping...I''m winding down on it. It''s one thing that I won''t mind giving up when it comes to this whole BFing process. Totally unsexy and I feel like such a cow (even with no milk). I have it rented for a month, so I''ll bother for one more week or so.

Another question for you ladies (and probably specifically MsF, since she took the class at BBB)...any tips for bottle feeding? I tried one last night and I was a bit freaked at how fast it came down...and this is a slow flo nipple! Amelia takes 25 minutes to take 2 oz from the SNS, but the bottle was downed in like...3 minutes! How do they even get a chance to relax and get drowsy using the bottle? Or for that matter, register that they are full? I tried putting her on her side (I remember Hilary from BBB saying something like that), but it still was so darn fast. She didn''t choke or anything...Amelia is a pig and has no nipple confusion and seems to take anything. For now, I think I prefer the SNS...eek!

Jackie, enjoy the kicking. It is the one thing I still miss about pregnancy. Just last night Amelia was hiccuping and I smiled remembering what it used to feel like when she did that in the womb...

Mrs Mitchell the midwife unit sounds great! Wow...a month to go...you will have to tell us if you think it dragged. I know March just draaaaaaaged for me...and April is going by so fast my head is spinning!

 

[divergrrl]

Hi ladies!! Sorry I''m such a sucky cyber friend, I''ve been crazy busy getting ready for my friend''s shower & itz beeeen fun.

My ped did the same checkup schedule as Mrs. S.

Mrs S: Jake is a sweetie! Soooo cute.

MSB: Love your little guy, he is gonna be a heartbreaker.

Ella: Awww.....she''s so cute...

Tgal: Sorry for your bfing struggles, I was right there with ya with Jakey....but I got to nurse through a wicked mastitis infection on top of it all & then we got thrush. Oy....

Chrono: You are just mean! LOL.

I had a bfing dream the other night...I dreamt Delaney found my breast, started nursing & I had milk! At 7 months! I started sobbing, so happy I could nurse my girl. I woke up so bummed out. Sometimes I worry she won''t love me because I didn''t nurse her. Ah, mom guilt.....It''s probably why I wear her/hold her/sleep with her whenever I can, so she get some mommy closeness.

So I went to a skin care open house at a medical spa here (a good fried of mine works there) to get a consult on my melasma on my face. Well....its $2500 to have IPL & Laser genesis & then its not guaranteed that it will remain gone, esp. if I get sun exposure. I''m good at SPF, but still....I''m on a boat in the summer, waterskiing, etc.

I''d rather finish off the den in the basement.

However.....I did pop into the NP''s exam room just to *ask* about Botox. I''ve hated the creases on my forehead since I was 16 (I''m very expressive when I speak) and have always cut bangs/grown them out to hide them all my life. (I prefer no bangs...bangs are a pain.) Now that I''m almost 38, I feel like my creases age me.

I figured Botox would run me $400-$500 a treatment (cuz that''s what I read) and I was at a very reputable clinic, so I figured premium prices and that I wouldn''t be able to justify that cost either. But I wanted an idea of what i''d need, maybe for my 40th birthday or something. Well, as it turns out, I only needed 12 units and it would only cost me $120 every 4 months.

So I figured, what the heck!!! I''ll forgo my monthly salon pedicures and its a wash! (I got a toe fungus there anyway, and I do just as of a good a job at home)

So I had it done! It kicked in y''day and I have to say, my forehead looks amazing. DH says he can''t tell a difference, which is perfect. The NP said she''s a less is more kind of gal, and tends to go light on the units so you look good, not frozen.

So, that was my totally shallow gift to myself & I''m stoked. DH thinks I''m weird...lol....he says I look like a baby...

 

[Burk]

Lili~Thanks!

Tacori~We''re a waitin'' for a while for number two as well....DH told me the other day (after we got home from the ER) that we are done!!!

I also used a shield and it was a PITA to try and get her to go without!

msflutter~Happy birthday to Ian!! Sick babies are no fun. Hope he feels better soon!

Ella~I didn''t know Gabe had such bad reflux!! Does he projectile vomit, spit up, do all the "typical" relux things? Does he eat well? Sorry so many questions....it''s just that''s now what we''re treating Tayva for and she has what they call "Silent reflux" because she doesn''t spit up or vomit. She really struggles to eat most of the time and will cry for what seems like no reason some times. We go in this afternoon to talk about the meds she''s on and maybe see if we need to adjust the dosage. What med is Gabe on? Oh, and adorable pic of K!!

mrs Mitchel~ You must be so excited!! You''ll have your little one in your arms soon!!

Tgal~Tayva went from breast to bottle and she still drank pretty darn slow with the bottle. She would rest and then start back up and she''d fall asleep and so forth. I do remember our LC tell us that it should take around 20 minutes for Tayva to eat 3 oz of formula...if she took less time than the nipple was too fast...different bottles/nipples are faster/slower...she recommended Playtex Ventair. What kind of bottles do you have? We use Playtex Drop-ins and Tayva did just fine as far as speed. Hope that helps....

Diver~so exciting about Botox!!

Here''s a pic of Miss Tayva taking her medicine last night. Sometimes she takes it like a champ-no mess....last night she decided she didn''t like it and pretty much none of it stayed in her mouth!!!

 

[janinegirly]

Loving all the baby photos!!

And all the updates on newborns is fascinating..and a bit scary

, I hope I can handle it all!

TGAL: you are a bigtime trouper...I''d have given up by now, I have to admit. Part of me has this fear that I won''t be able to BF b/c boobies are too small (even though I know that''s not a pre-requisite). Booby fairy has not visited me yet unfortunately!

Curly: how''re things, long time no hear!

To all: We''re still struggling with our living situation, but for now are preparing for the possibility we may stay in our tiny apt in the City until we find a suitable house. I''ve been told by many it''ll be fine since newborns don''t move much or require much space. Obviously we wouldn''t be there more than 3 months, when I''m guessing the baby would need a proper nursery. In the meantime, what is the best thing to buy for a little one to sleep in those first couple of months? A crib will not fit unfortunately. Is a bassinet approrpriate? Any other suggestions? I would buy nursery items, but would store them at my parents'' place (for visits and easy transfer to new house when it''s time)..

 

[ellaila]

Burk, Gabe doesn''t spit up or vomit at all thankfully. Rather, he arches back violently - like sometimes it''s hard for me to contain him and i feel like he''s going to fly out of my arms - and screams bloody murder. It can take ages to feed him, and it sucks for absolutely everyone involved: for him obviously b/c he''s in pain, for K because she''s not getting us much attention, and for me and hubby b/c a)it''s horrible to feel helpless when your child is in pain, and b) because the screaming can make you totally and completely insane.

He''s taking both prilosec and zantac twice a day, we just switched him to a new formula (neocate - i''d never heard of it before. it smells like a locker room so i hate feeding it to him but he seems ok with it), and we''re giving him rice cereal for every meal with a "chaser" of formula b/c the ped thought the cereal would stay down easier. but he''s still got it, so we''re going to a specialist on Thursday. When I write that he arches and screams, it doesn''t sound that bad, but trust me, it''s a *nightmare*. I hate giving such a little guy so much med, so hopefully the gastro can take him off those and find something that works better!

And on top of that, he gets constipated and pooped out a rock this morning. My poor boy.

K on the other hand eats and poops like a pro and is the happiest little girl! Ifeel so sad for Gabe because when he''s happy, he''s such a love but when it''s feeding time, all hell breaks loose and it just sucks.

what is tayva on for meds? thankfully gabe loves his and takes it with no problem! i think it''s butterscotch-flavored or something b/c he smells so yummy after he takes it