PS Mommy Thread-Newborn to 12 months!

[Allison D.]

Date: 2/4/2010 11:08:38 PM
Author: Blenheim

I didn''t have people asking me why he was crying - don''t they know that babies just sometimes cry? You could just respond, ''He''s a baby. They do that.''

SEE? This is why you gals are imminently more qualified to be a parent than I am; you have way more tolerance than I would.

My reply would be "GEEEEEEEEEE, I don''t know. He wasn''t crying until YOU came.....maybe it''s that he just doesn''t like you."

 

[snlee]

Date: 2/5/2010 3:20:36 PM
Author: Mara
just had to pop in and say YAY i pumped 4.5 oz of milk this morning! i am so excited.

i know i asked this in another thread, but i need to get some nursing tanks, i totally have put it off since i did not feel like shopping for anything the last few weeks of pregnancy. but i don't have any nursing items at all and while at home i can just pull my shirt up, if we are out that's obviously not going to work haha. if i wear a tank, can i still fit a leak pad in there? i guess if it has a shelf bra kinda thing right? i really HATE HATE bras in general but one of my friends said she thought i'd HAVE to get a bra, even if it's like a stretchy kind of workout bra thing. i really don't want to wear anything like a bra, so if i can get away with a comfy tank that can hold the leak pad, that is ideal. i was going to go to target today to see what they had so if anyone has ones from target let me know so i can check them out, TIA!!

Yay for your milk coming in!

I highly recommend wearing nursing tanks. I hate wearing bras and the tanks work well. A lot of us have the Gilligan & O'Malley Nursing Tanks from Target. I loved them. I have 4 pairs and lived in them. It looks like they have two types now, full sling and side sling - not sure what the difference is! I think some women with larger breasts didn't get enough support from them so you may want to try one out first to see if you like it. And yes, you can put a leak pad in there.

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 2/5/2010 4:59:43 PM
Author: Allison D.

Date: 2/4/2010 11:08:38 PM
Author: Blenheim

I didn''t have people asking me why he was crying - don''t they know that babies just sometimes cry? You could just respond, ''He''s a baby. They do that.''

SEE? This is why you gals are imminently more qualified to be a parent than I am; you have way more tolerance than I would.

My reply would be ''GEEEEEEEEEE, I don''t know. He wasn''t crying until YOU came.....maybe it''s that he just doesn''t like you.''

Oh too funny!!!!!

 

[AmberWaves]

Fiery: sorry for Sophia having to take meds every day! Piper kicks up a fuss for her vitamin drops as it is, I don''t envy you. I see some resemblance between you guys, for sure. Good try trying to relactate. Since I''m EBF now, I can''t imagine not having to nurse her, and I''m kind of looking forward to the one time she needs to take a bottle, but I bet I''ll miss the closeness when it comes time to wean.

Blen: Look at that little love with his patch.

don''t feel guilty! You took him to the doctor, but could easily have just brushed it off thinking it was just a baby thing. That was very responsible! I love the pics!

CDT: OMG, he looks just like you!! He has beautiful eyes, by the way. It''s the first thing I noticed about him!

Ebree: You guys totally look alike! Super cute.

Sabine: Good luck with your Baptism! We need to start planning that, after 2 years of age we need to take a year of classes! I hope you guys get out safe and sound.

China: I love O.

Those swing shots kill me.

Mandy: I''m glad the babies are liking the new food! I''m sorry they don''t like the meds all that much. How cute are those shirts??

Anchor: Jacob (did I spell that right? Is it with a K? If so, sorry!) is a cutie! I''m so sorry about your uncle.

Viz: So sorry to hear about the ear infection. Piper is constantly grabbing at her ear and scratching herself, and I always wonder if she''s got an infection.

November: Eeeeee! Your dog is so good around her. Woofie seems very wary of Piper and prefers to not even be around her. Unless she''s sleeping in her swing, then he walks beneath her and barks.

PG: I hope all is well with you guys. I have a bumbo, but will wait to use it. So it''s working out well for Claire?

Pandora: Love that picture of D!

Welcome to Mara and Steph!

Mara: I didn''t get a letdown feeling until a month or so ago. Like Pandora it''s in the non-used boob and feels a mixture of tingling, and aching? I use the Gillian O''Malley tanks from Target and I love them (I have one on now). I use the Evenflo nursing pads and love them, and they just stick in. My boobs are big enough (F cup) that the pads stay in without needing to be adjusted (I only adjust at night when I''m sleeping and one creeps under the boob). Those pads are great, they have lanolin in them and don''t soak through when too full (I leaked A LOT in the beginning, and with lack of the let down feeling I soaked through my shirt at Target). The Evenflo ones have an inner core that wicks away the moisture and turns it to a gel. I LOVE THEM. The nursing tanks are very supportive and super comfy.

I have no mommy/daddy/baby comparison pics. I have no idea where all our pictures are!

 

[mela lu]

Blen - sucks about the eye, and the glasses especially. My cousin's kid needed glasses at a really early age and the biggest challenge was getting her to look THROUGH the lenses; as she wanted to look above them. It was pretty cute. Anyways, it sounds as though you've been pretty proactive (like Jessica Simpson, Judith Light, and now Julianne Hough) so I feel like he'll be right as rain in no time. He's so gorgeous, he'll look awesome in glasses!

Pregnancy test - I haven't done one yet...as I don't feel preggo AT ALL. I think I had a bug, and I'm too cheap to waste a expensive test when I don't even really think I am.

mara - when I let down it often hurts!!! like the milk is rushing down so fast. sometimes it just tingles. you'll know when it happens as its such a strange sensation. welcome to mommyhood, btw!

Here is my contribution to BPF:

I think Romeo really looked like DH when he was born, but is starting to look more like me.

DH on the far left vs Romeo____________________________________Me at 1 yr old vs Romeo recently

 

[Mara]

thanks for the tips on the tanks, ladies. i will check out the GOM ones and what else they have. my boobs are about a DD now from my estimate...maybe a tad larger, who knows, i havent worn a bra in months!! i will def try them on first, too. it is kind of funny because my boob is the size of the baby's head so i feel like i am trying to smother him with a boob.

re: the let down, one of my friends said it was like pins and needles in the boob. i def don't think i have felt it but then again this is all new to me. i just pumped again and got another 5 oz...haha. greg is simply amazed by the whole process and he lurves the boobs, men!

has anyone used a nipple shield to try to help the baby latch better? since Julian has been supplementing with formula in bottles he is a little lazy now. we are going to the newborn club tomorrow to see LC's and get their help but we noticed when we put the shield on he was more apt to like the boob. i am just wondering if we start using the shield, how to wean him from THAT to the regular boob at some point. hmmm. have to research. but for now i am just happy to have MILK!

 

[sbde]

Date: 2/5/2010 5:05:31 PM
Author: mela lu
Blen - sucks about the eye, and the glasses especially. My cousin''s kid needed glasses at a really early age and the biggest challenge was getting her to look THROUGH the lenses; as she wanted to look above them. It was pretty cute. Anyways, it sounds as though you''ve been pretty proactive (like Jessica Simpson, Judith Light, and now Julianne Hough) so I feel like he''ll be right as rain in no time. He''s so gorgeous, he''ll look awesome in glasses!


Pregnancy test - I haven''t done one yet...as I don''t feel preggo AT ALL. I think I had a bug, and I''m too cheap to waste a expensive test when I don''t even really think I am.

mara - when I let down it often hurts!!! like the milk is rushing down so fast. sometimes it just tingles. you''ll know when it happens as its such a strange sensation. welcome to mommyhood, btw!


Here is my contribution to BPF:


I think Romeo really looked like DH when he was born, but is starting to look more like me.


DH on the far left vs Romeo____________________________________Me at 1 yr old vs Romeo recently

DOLLARAMA LADY!! they have preggo tests there that are great - i used to use them during my 2 week wait when i would be going crazy and then *confirmed* my pregnancy with the expensive ones once i got a +ve on the one from Dollarama

 

[mela lu]

Date: 2/5/2010 6:11:02 PM
Author: sbde

Date: 2/5/2010 5:05:31 PM

Author: mela lu
Pregnancy test - I haven''t done one yet...as I don''t feel preggo AT ALL. I think I had a bug, and I''m too cheap to waste a expensive test when I don''t even really think I am.

DOLLARAMA LADY!! they have preggo tests there that are great - i used to use them during my 2 week wait when i would be going crazy and then *confirmed* my pregnancy with the expensive ones once i got a +ve on the one from Dollarama

Totally. I need to GIT DER!

 

[cdt1101]

Thanks everyone who said Lex looks like me...even if you''re just humoring me, I''ll take it

Blen - aw!! George looks so cute w/ his patch. Our niece was born w/ cataracts, so she''s been patched, glasses, surgery, you name it! But she looks soooooooo stinkin cute in her glasses. I just love it. I always tell her we match because she wears the thick frames like me. I think the key to getting them to wear the glasses is just to be as positive as possible. I know our niece doesn''t like being "different" sometimes (she''s 5 now), but we all just keep telling her it''s just one of the many things that makes her unique and special.

Mela - I''ve always thought Romy looked like you! In pictures anyway, I see a lot of you in him!

Ebree - Henry looks soooooooo much like you, lucky boy

Love the pics of all the babies

So the announcement was made today. I''m guaranteed a job until July 31st, likely longer than that as I''m a supervisor so my reports would likely go before me and I''d be asked to stay to train their replacements. The good thing, is I''ll get a nice retention bonus if I stay to the end. I have mixed feeling about all of this though, but am thankful my DH and I have time to prepare for my loss of income.

 

[phoenixgirl]

cdt, sorry that things are official now, but it sounds like it''s a good deal for you.


Re pregnancy test: I took one, and it was negative. We were both a little disappointed as at this point in our lives (wanting a second child in a couple of years) it would have just made for a very tiring year, but would have been a blessing. I know not everyone conceives quickly the second time and wouldn''t have taken that for granted. So now my guess is that it''s the Fenugreek, and I am off that. I hope I feel better soon! I feel nauseated and dizzy and have the aches. And I''m super tired. Everything except the aches is very similar to how I felt the first trimester. I guess the pregnancy and lactation hormones are the same, or at least related?

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Mara, I used a shield b/c she has trouble latching. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[lovelylulu]

popping in to say, i love fridays on this thread

utter gorgeousness.

also mara - where can you find the freestyle for that bargain under $300 price??

 

[taovandel]

Loving the pictures.

CDT: I don''t think anyone is humoring you...I was telling my husband that I needed a baby pic of him and I showed him why by using your collage. He said, "The baby looks like her."


Evan has slept through the night the past two nights! I hope he keeps it up even though I know he won''t.

Working: I''ll say it again---I thought going back to work was going to suck. I actually love it so much. I do get a little itch to get out of there every once in a while but I love my job and I''m okay with leaving Evan with a nanny three days a week. It might help that I have a really understanding boss who will work around my schedule pretty well (He was the one who suggested an 8-4 schedule Monday-Friday--I used to work 12-8 whatever days he wanted me to). He also let me leave two hours early the other day because I had finished up all my work for the day. Now, saying all of this doesn''t mean that if I were to win the lottery I wouldn''t quit in a heart beat to be with Evan....

Fiery and blen: so sorry to hear about the health issues...hope everything works out okay with the patches and the medicine.

Mela: Your posts always crack me up! You have a great sense of humor and I love that your personality comes through your posts. Also pee on a stick!

off to go find some pictures of DH and me as a baby so I can post today.

Confession:
I pretended I was asleep when the baby woke up this morning at 6:00 so that I could get another 45 minutes of sleep.

 

[Mara]

lulu....i thought that RPS got it for right under $300 off some internet site, i know that there are deals under 300 to be had but you have to email for the pricing as they do not publish it through some agreement with medela. maybe RPS can chime in with her experience or maybe i am on crack and it was more exp!

also target had it on sale for $349 maybe a week ago, i don''t know if it''s still on sale. it''s normally $380 i think.

tacori... did you use a shield just til she was securely latched then wean her off and if so how did you wean her off? and how long did it take? just trying to get some idea on how to use the shield once it hopefully works to help him latch.

 

[natalina]

Been away for a week, so I have missed so much! Skimmed and will try to remember everything I wanted to say, but I''m sure I will forget lots!

Fiery- Oh no about Sophia! Poor little thing! I hope the antibiotic therapy will fix things. It broke my heart to read that they had to press on her bladder and poor cold water on her to try to get her to pee

. Hugs to your beautiful little sweetie.

Blen- my niece''s eyes were just like that when she was a baby. At times it looked like she almost had a lazy eye. The issue corrected itself and is not detectable at all now. I know what you mean about feeling bad about passing on your bad eyes. I had horrible vision until I had Lasik a few years ago, and I worry that Ellie will take after me. I hope George is okay!

All the pics- TOO CUTE! Funny how the babies can look so much like BOTH parents, when the two parents look nothing alike, isn''t it?

Mara- WELCOME! I was actually checking the preggo thread from my phone while I was gone just to see when all of you would have your babies! It''s a BUSY thread over there right now! Julian is a DOLL and I love his name. I definitely think he looks like you! I hope all goes well with the breast feeding. Lots of us have had issues, some made it through to EBF and some switched to formula- and all of us have very happy/healthy little ones

. Just know that any questions you have, you will be able to get lots of help here. That''s really nice that you have a newborn club with LC''s on hand. Will come in very handy. Enjoy these first few whirlwind weeks. I can''t believe how big Ellie is already- 4 months this Sunday and she''s grown so much. On one hand it seems like yesterday that she was born, and on the other hand our life without her seems like a million years ago. Oh- and as for the tanks, the GOM ones kinda gave me "uni-boob", if you know wha I mean. I hate not having a clear separation, and I just felt all squished together and it bothered me. Now I just sleep in them. Motherhood Maternity has some that have a cross-over v-neck that you just pull to the side, and I really like those because they don''t cause the uni-boob. You might want to check them out too.

RPS- WELCOME too! Ben is a little cutie! I know you have other children so you probably won''t need all the advice that most of us needed at first, but it''s great to have you here! I''m sure you will be able to help a lot with BTDT advice. And by the way, I am seriously in AWE of your birth story. Seriously, woman, you are a rockstar!

PG- Hmmm...we got a Bumbo at our shower and it''s shoved in the back of Ellie''s closet. I didn''t think she was old enough for it yet, but isn''t she older that Claire? Or right about the same age? She has great head control, so maybe I should try it out with her.

Mandarine- Sorry to hear about the boys'' tummy troubles. I don''t have any advice, but hope you can get it straightened out soon. So upsetting when your little one(s) don''t feel good.

Going to continue in another post...

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Mara, I ended up using the shield for the whole time I nursed. NOT ideal but BFing was extremely difficult for me and I just didn''t have it in me to try to ween her. I only successfully BFed her a few times w/o the shield. It was a combo of my body and her latch that did not make a good match. I was hoping (and told) once her mouth was bigger it would be easier for her to latch. Using a shield for 6+ months was not ideal but I did it. She ate. The end goal was the same even if the journey was a little off. I also saw you were supplementing and I commend you. Sometimes it is hard to stay flexible. Sounds like you are making decisions for J, not you (or your ego). I started supplementing at 4 months when her weight almost fell off the charts and I felt guilty. People made me feel guilty. But now when I look back I know I did what I had to do for HER health KWIM?

 

[Blenheim]

Date: 2/5/2010 4:59:43 PM
Author: Allison D.

Date: 2/4/2010 11:08:38 PM
Author: Blenheim

I didn''t have people asking me why he was crying - don''t they know that babies just sometimes cry? You could just respond, ''He''s a baby. They do that.''

SEE? This is why you gals are imminently more qualified to be a parent than I am; you have way more tolerance than I would.

My reply would be ''GEEEEEEEEEE, I don''t know. He wasn''t crying until YOU came.....maybe it''s that he just doesn''t like you.''

LOL. Love it. Oh, I forgot another thing the woman in the waiting room was going on about: George''s sweater vest. She was convinced that it was hand-knit, despite me telling her that we bought it in a store, and was arguing with me about it. Ummmmmm.... ok lady.

Pandora - that''s really good to know. Mine just got progressively worse. And I hated glasses (still do), so I really need to hide that from him and focus on the positives.

DD- thanks. You do have a point there.

Mela - Dollar Tree has cheapies as well. If you''re not preventing but still haven''t gotten your period back, it really wouldn''t hurt to have some around the house and to test every now and then. I can definitely see a resemblance b/n you and Romeo!

PG - In some ways I feel silly reacting the way I am, b/c it''s just bad vision and not like he''s blind or something a bit more major. But thanks for the kind words.

 

[taovandel]

Ugh...I couldn''t get any pics of the husband...and all I have here is this one blurry photo....I might have to redo this tomorrow by going over to my mom''s house and getting some better pictures....

 

[taovandel]

And his new habit when he gets sleepy....he won''t take a pacifier.

 

[phoenixgirl]

Natalina, yeah, Claire was born 10/23 so Ellie''s got a couple of weeks on her. The Bumbo is pretty small, so I don''t think babies much bigger would fit in it; I think it''s supposed to be used for babies too small to sit on their own yet.

 

[natalina]

Mela- good grief, girl! Go POAS already! You''re killing me here!

Tao- do not call out the STTN "Powers-that-Be"! You will jinx it! Let''s all just pretend you never wrote that so that Evan continues on his merry snoozing way! Glad you are adjusting well to being back at work.

And on that note:
Viz- I can totally identify with what you are going through. I don''t want to stir the pot or anything, as obviously everyone has to do what''s right for them, so I will just tell my story. I really liked the job I had before I had Ellie, and made pretty good money. However, I worked long hours, nights, weekends, holidays, you name it. I also put myself out there for extra projects in one certain area that I loved in the hopes of someday getting a position that specialized in that area. Wouldn''t you know that they created a position just for me in exactly the area I was hoping and offered it to me to be effective at the start of the new fiscal year. I even negotiated to stay on leave until that date, so I got an extra month with Ellie. This was all happening right before I went out on leave. I was so excited- if I could have written the job description myself it would not have been any better, and it was literally something I had been working towards for 10 years. I never dreamed of not coming back to take on this new role. THEN I HAD ELLIE. And I felt exactly like you described, right down to reevaluating everything in my life. I was always big on nice "things"- bags, shoes, etc. Now I really could not care less. I just want to be there with/for her. I spent so much time talking it over with DH. It was such a strange feeling for me, as I have always been ultra-independent and very career-minded. The really tough part was that this new position was the PERFECT job for me, but it required long days and a considerable amount of travel. And unfortunately, the travel was integral to success in the position. DH supported whatever decision I made. While we can manage on his income, it would certainly be an adjustment. So I spent my entire leave fretting and waffling about what to do. And I finally realized that this new position was the perfect job for me- IF I HAD TO HAVE A JOB. I realized that no job was worth not being with Ellie. That I was not willing to sacrifice this time with her to keep my place on the corporate ladder. It will be there when I want/need to go back. And no, I will most likely not be able to go back in that role, but that''s okay. Who knows what time will bring? And the reality is, we would like to have baby#2 fairly quickly (at which time I would definitely want to take a couple+ years off), so why give up this time with her to just turn around and leave in a year or so? I feel so extremely fortunate to be able to stay home, even if it does mean some changes in the way we live. So that was that. I had the conversation with my boss on Tuesday. It''s official. After I hung up the phone, a tiny part of me felt like, "oh man, what did I just do?" Then I looked down at Ellie''s grinning little face with these big pink cheeks, picked her up and gave her the biggest squeeze, and I don''t think I will ever look back. No regrets.

So that is just my story. I know that everyone is different and has to do what is right for them. I know a lot of the women here have been very happy once they got back into the swing of things at work, and that''s fantastic. Maybe I really wasn''t strong enough to go back? I don''t know. But this feels right for me. I really hope you can find a situation that works for you and makes you happy. ***Hugs***

 

[taovandel]

Evan was born on 10/31 and he looks so uncomfortable in the bumbo...but I put him in it again yesterday and he broke out in the biggest grin ever....that lasted for about 5 minutes and then we was over it.

When did everyone''s baby''s start laughing? I think Evan might start soon...

 

[Mandarine]

I put mine in the bumbo everyday for a little bit...I wouldn''t say they love it, but they tolerate it!

Here is a funny pic of them sitting on it yesterday...hehe. As you can tell, they just don''t love it!

Tao, my guys have been laughing out loud for quite a few weeks now. The new thing I realized is that now they are ticklish! It''s so funny, they CRACK UP if I tickle them!. I really think it was literally from one day to the nest that they started laughing so hard...so it''s a matter of time before E does too!

Blen, I am so sorry for little G!!!!! Don''t feel bad at all though!!! That''s silly!

Mela, GO POAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fiery, Sorry about the meds...but I''m happy to hear she''ll outgrow it!

Natalina, welcome back!

Mara, I used a nipple shield...but the thing is my milk never really came (I would pump like 0.5oz after 15 mins of pumping every 3 hours!!!). My boys weren''t good suckers and they didn''t latch either...so we had tons of problems!. The LC said the nipple shield wasn''t helping either since they get 75% less of milk they would get without it...so it causes problems with "production". However I know SEVERAL friends that exclusevely BF''ed using a nipple shield!...so just do with your gut!

PG....so you wnat to be pregnant or want to wait?

***

STTN...Natalina is right. I totally jinxed it!. Lucas STTN 2 or 3 days...I said it here and out loud and well, he isn''t STTN. When they do start I think I''ll keep quiet a few days!!!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I think we started using the Bumbo when T was around 4-5 months. She really liked it and it made the perfect first highchair. My FB friends have seen my videos of T, naked in the bumbo, in the bathtub during the introductions of solid food b/c it was meeeeessssssssssyyyy! I remember my neighbor was still putting her twin boys in Bumbo when they were 11 months old.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Mandarine, your boys are such little chubbos! Its awesome. And they look hilarious in all the photos... both staring with the same look on their same little faces. I mean hilariously cute, like puppies and such of course. Don''t you just laugh at them every day??

 

[ljmorgan]

Lulu I bought the Medela Freestyle last year from the Add A Little Love website for $285 with $5 shipping. Great deal! The big pump manufacturers will typically not allow stores to advertise any prices below their MSRP, which is why many internet websites tell you to contact them for pricing. I e-mail the AALL folks and had a seamless transaction.

 

[Blenheim]

Tao - awww!

Ok, mommy confession from me. I''ve been reading up on baby eyeglasses and it looks like it''s best to go with something like this or this. They''re made out of one flexible piece, which makes them a lot more durable plus safer when you have a baby who''s crawling into things and learning how to walk and generally at a stage in life where they''re tumbling around a lot. BUT - this is where I start being ridiculous- I don''t think they''re cute. If G needs to wear glasses, I want him to look like a littler version of the kid in Jerry Maguire and not like the kids on those websites. WAAH.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Blen I think G will look totally cute in those! Get him a black pair so it is like geek chic fashion, not cutsy silly blue or pink. Then he will look like the singer of Ween or something. Cooooooool

 

[kanne]

Hi ladies,

It''s been a long time since I''ve posted anything on PS, but just popped over and found this thread!! So exciting to see all the new babies. It will take time to catch up, so bear with me.

My son is 6.5 months old. He''s our first baby and a total charmer.

Blenheim, your baby is beautiful. I wore an eye patch when I was very young and remember that the eye drops made my vision blurry (all fixed now..no glasses). Good for you for getting such an early diagnosis!! I can remember doing eye exercises and being annoyed because they took too long (my mom tells me that they probably only lasted 10-15 min/day) and like any kid I wanted to be out playing in the backyard.

Here''s a picture of my little one when we were leaving the hospital in July..he''s not so little anymore at 28" and 21 pounds!!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Lovey YOu look amazing for having just had a baby in that photo!