PS Mommy Thread-Newborn to 12 months!

[TravelingGal]

Date: 6/9/2009 6:45:43 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie

Date: 6/9/2009 12:57:05 PM
Author: TravelingGal
...
However, like Hunter, Amelia had a few times of wake up at 5 am. For that wake up, as long as she wasn''t screaming for me, I just simply didn''t go in until later (I''d do a quick check though), and usually she''d knock out again....

He doesn''t wake up screaming, but he has never really done that. He starts our by grunting and then sort of moaning... I could act it out for you but that doesn''t really help over the internet.

I''ve gotten good at recognizing when his noises mean he will go down and when they mean he will just amp it up. I usually listen for about 5 minutes before I go in. I think in time I may try just ignoring the second wake up, but I''m not there yet. Right now I think its more important for him to know I am responsive to him than it is for me to get sleep! If he was sounding content I would ignore, but he usually sounds distressed enough for me to go in. The paci doesn''t seem to cut it though.

So my plan right now is to move his bedtime up to 6:30 and see what happens over the course of a week. We also triend somethng new where I fed him before bath, then topped him up after before he went to sleep. I am hoping this means he got a good tummy full and maybe will sleep longer. Before he was fallig asleep eating after bath and I wonder if that contributed.

You''re doing fine and know what your child needs more than anyone else (as if this is news to anyone!). Amelia didn''t scream or really cry. Just normal noise so I let her just settle down on her own. I don''t think 5 minutes will traumatize the LOs though, and if Amelia cried (this is much later on), she''d usually settle within 5 minutes. I can only think of 2 times when she didn''t, and I needed to go in and comfort (and ROCK) her!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 6/9/2009 12:59:25 PM
Author: pavelover

I remember you asking about the baby''s naps last week or so and also now his nighttime bedtime. Tyler still sometimes takes 3 or more naps a day and he is close to 6 months. He maybe getting on a 2 hr morn nap and 2 hr pm nap but it is still sketchy. In addition, often between 4 and 5 oclock I put him down again and he sleeps for maybe an hour or close to it. I''m pretty sure the baby whisperer recommneds this for babies who need it- she calls it a cat nap I think??? then maybe you could still keep your original bedtime. In addition, and to contradict what I just said, either the bby whis or hshc(healthy sleep habits happy child or something like thta) I think he recommends if your baby is nighttime waking/getting up too early you actually put them to sleep a little earlier. I think tgal can chime in on this if she is around.

Well some days H takes three one hour naps... today was one of those days!... and the final one is always around 4pm. I am going to see what happens with the earlier bedtime. Wish me luck!

I''m sorry about T''s reaction to the shots! H gets his 4 months ones in a week or so, I hope it goes ok!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 6/9/2009 6:50:16 PM
Author: TravelingGal

You''re doing fine and know what your child needs more than anyone else (as if this is news to anyone!). Amelia didn''t scream or really cry. Just normal noise so I let her just settle down on her own. I don''t think 5 minutes will traumatize the LOs though, and if Amelia cried (this is much later on), she''d usually settle within 5 minutes. I can only think of 2 times when she didn''t, and I needed to go in and comfort (and ROCK) her!

When I do go in at the nighttimes lately sometimes he has his back arched and his head thrown back and he is sucking/chewing on his fist so much it looks like he wants to gnaw his arm off! I *think* that is a sign he is hungry but who knows... Other times he is more just stirring. I think with the latter I might try just giving him a binky. When he is writhing around, though, he''s having none of anything and just wants to be fed!

Anyone else''d kid do this writhing thing?

 

[MustangGal]

Blen - on pump parts, I did the same thing to them as bottles, soap and water and once a week in the dish washer. As for shots, that''s odd that your doc didn''t have the shot, but I guess don''t worry abotu it. When Kyle was 2 months he has 3 sticks and an oral. I don''t remember what they all were, but it was the recommended ones.

DD - Kyle gets his 4 month shots this Friday

I''ll let you guys know how it goes. When I put him down at night I do turn the mobile on, but its so dark he can''t see it. I do it for the music (mine won''t let me turn the movement off), and it kicks off after 10 minutes or so. He does eat his hands and arms often, even when I know he can''t be hungry, and now he loves grasping things like the burp rag, clothes, and anything else in reach. And shove them in his mouth too. The feeding before bath and a top off after might work, then you know he''s going down with a full belly. The last few nights Kyle''s been eating around 6-6:30, then I give him a little extra at 8 right before bed.

NYC - they say not to let them sleep on their tummies anymore, although I know we were all raised that way. I was bad and used to let Kyle nap on his tummy (he would fall asleep during tummy time), but he would be next to me on the couch so I was right there if anything happened. I never put him down at night on his tummy though, and since he started daycare he only sleeps on his back now (or side if he rolls), and gets squirmy if I put him on his tummy. With your twinkies being preemies, I think there''s a greater risk of SIDS, so I wouldn''t try it until they''re much older.

 

[Burk]

Date: 6/9/2009 2:01:19 PM
Author: janinegirly
another questions for you mommies (esp those over 4-5 months, i.e. STTN): does anyone still cradle/rock their baby to sleep? Is this a habit that has to be broken or will they grow out of it? I still do this for my LO..I KNOW all the books say don''t, but it''s only for 20mins or so and then she''s down easily. I can''t handle CIO..tried (admittedly not very hard) and she just cries louder. I know I''m the one to blame for this habit--so more curious if anyone can relate or share their experience.

My BFF from high school still rocks her 20 month-old and she''s so over it but he won''t go to sleep without her. She''s tiny and he''s huge and it''s become a big hassle. We bounced T to sleep at night until she was about 6 months old. She had reflux and there was no way I was going to CIO with her even though I was so tired of bouncing. Anyway, just after 6 months she was getting pretty fidgety while I was trying to put her down so I put her in the crib one night and she wiggled around a bit but put herself to sleep. She has put herself to sleep every night since. Every once and a while (when she gets over tired) she''ll fuss for a few minutes before she falls asleep. So, there''s hope!

Chloe might just decide one day that she''d rather have her own space to fall asleep in her crib like T did. Good luck!!

 

[Blenheim]

I keep meaning to say something about formula vs. breast. I had a hellish first two weeks, with George first not wanting to latch at all and then with milk blisters and painful latch and mastitis. I was in pain and I thought I must be doing something wrong to be in so much pain, and I seriously considered giving up multiple times. Between people encouraging me here, lots of middie/ped support, and me not wanting to pay for formula, I was able to stick with it and now I''m really glad that I did. But the issues that I had are different than the issues that other people have. I know that the decision to introduce formula is the right decision for some women - including the decision to use formula from the get go! So when someone''s struggling at BFing, I have a hard time telling when she wants "stick with it, you can do it" help or if she wants "don''t beat yourself up trying to BF, formula is a perfectly acceptable food" help, if that makes sense. And so it''s just really hard for me to find the right thing to say, that won''t be taken the wrong way.

MustangGal - rotavirus is the liquid one. We were planning on DTaP and rotavirus now, and Pc and HIB at 3 months. And now I''m just confused. Hubby doesn''t see why this is confusing.

 

[Mrs]

DD, I''m in the same boat as you in terms of sleep though I think S is several weeks younger than H. She used to sleep regularly until 3:30 and the other day I was able to get her to sleep til 4:30 (swaddled) but for the most part these days she wakes up around 1 or 2 and will NOT be soothed with a pacifier. She always wakes up a second time at 5:30 which is fine since I''ll need to get up then to start getting ready for work next week but it makes such a difference to me if I can get one long stretch of sleep in early in the night... S does the writhing body thing usually at the second wake up, not the first. I''ve always thought it has to do with her digesting and/or pooping. I don''t know why she doesn''t do it at the first wake up but when I change her then, she rarely has any poop - just pee. Anyway, I hope the 6:30PM sleep time works for you! I tried to get S to go down a little earlier than normal last night but she woke again at 9 for more food. Like you, I''ve tried feeding before and after bath time. I''m not sure if topping her off has helped at all and when I do that, she tends to get annoyed at me when I try to take her off the breast before she''s asleep whereas when I put her down to sleep after bath with out topping her off, she doesn''t fuss so much. I''m rambling now - sorry! Anyway, good luck!! Also, wanted to let you know how fortunate you are that H is so loving when / after he eats. S is all business when she eats and just kinda stares into space / at my breast. I wish she would look into my eyes... enjoy it!

Pandora, your frozen rat story cracked me up! You and Daisy are looking great! Like you, I''m very happy to not be pregnant any more and marvel at the fact that my body, which seemed enormous to me 3 months ago, has bounced back relatively well. I still can''t wear most of my pre-pregnancy clothes since every thing''s a bit redistributed but I hope to get back there someday!

MGal, glad you found back-up child care and yay for K STTN unswaddled! You are one lucky mama! Good luck with K''s shots on friday!

jas, MY tummy skin looks like elephant skin as well! We should start a side show at the circus or something! Your adorable poop throwing, kibble eating LOs can come too and mine will stand (sit / lie) there screaming as background music. We would be a hit! I too love Steve Martin - have you read his autobiography Born Standing up? It''s great!

Pave, good to "see" you here. I this most of us can hardly keep up so no worries about lurking if that''s all you can manage! Sorry to hear T was so unhappy last night due to his 6 mo shots! I hope tonight is better!

Janine, like many of the other moms here, I wash bottles and pump parts with a bottle brush and dish detergent for the most part. And sometimes I put them in the dish washer. I think what you''re doing is fine. Re: rocking to sleep - I don''t rock S to sleep any more. At night she usually goes down awake but sometimes, when she''s really fussy, I can only get her to fall asleep at the breast. If I were you I would try to decrease the rocking time and try to wean her of it if you can. I know it''s hard though!!

lili, sorry to hear you have trouble getting J down for naps! I have the same issue - S can''t seem to relax enough to nap when it''s light out unless she is in her swing or stroller... I was able to get her to go down in her crib for 40 minutes today which was only the second time she''s napped in her crib... Let''s hope our LOs get better at napping during the day!

Blen, S got the rotovirus vaccine at her 2 month and like you, I assumed that was the normal course. You might want to call your pedi yourself to ask.

NYC, like others have said, it''s best to put the LOs to sleep on their backs since the risk for SIDS is lower that way. I hope you get more sleep tonight!

All''s well with us though yesterday was kinda rough for me since I took S in to the day care for an hour and she cried the whole time... I tried to time it so she would be awake and hungry when we got there so that I could give her a bottle while there and she could get a feel for the place but she wouldn''t take the bottle and then fussed like crazy at the breast... One of the other LOs there was having a fit most of the time as well and it was just awful. S passed out in her car seat as soon as we left and I just cried... felt like a bad mom for not realizing she was still tired and convinced myself for a good portion of the day that she will be miserable at day care and will feel like I have abandoned her...

When I took her back for a couple of hours today, it went much better. I did a sort of trial run of getting her (and me) ready in the morning today which went okay. It was weird but good to put make up on since it''s been so long - amazing how different I look! Under eye concealer is an amazing thing.

other good news: I was able to get Sage to sleep in her crib for 40 minutes today which was great! (She usually naps in her stroller / car seat or swing) And I spoke to my boss yesterday and he said it''s fine for me to plan to take fridays as a vacation day for the first 6 weeks back since I have so much vacation time left over from last year.

not so great news: My boobs and belly pooch are at odds with most of my work clothes.... only half of my suits fit me and even fewer of my button down shirts fit. So I figure I''ll just go in naked on Monday since then I wont have to worry about fitting into my old clothes or gettin spit up on in the morning since it will wash off no problem!

hope you''re all having a good night!
Mrs

 

[Blenheim]

Mrs - I''ll call my pedi tomorrow and ask. Thanks for the suggestion.

I''m sorry to hear that S didn''t do well with daycare yesterday. You are NOT a bad mom for putting her in there and you are not abandoning her. You are leaving her with other caregivers who will take good care of her during the day, and you will go back to pick her up every night. I know that it''s just hard though.

Love the idea of going to work naked, but I think my boss might have some issues. I didn''t want to pay a lot of money for clothes that hopefully won''t fit too long and that I may not even wear much (if I end up staying at home in a bit), so we spent a good deal of time at a thrift store and got me a work wardrobe for about $30.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Mrs I totally think it is a pooping thing because like Sage, Hunter only writhes around at the second wake up. I have contemplated just waking up at 5:30 but that is against every fibre in my body

As for the adoring google eyes that Hunter gives me, it is only after he finishes feeding and it only really started about 2-3 weeks ago, when he was about 13 weeks or so? So Sage may start it up! He pops off the boob when he''s done and just stares and smiles and stares! It is very cute and makes me feel wonderful. I think this is what they talk about when they say babies get more rewarding when they get older. AND you are not a bad mom for taking Sage to daycare! You are doing what you need to do to care for and provide for your daughter. She will bond with her caregivers and it will be fine! And you can enjoy wearing makeup every day

I started doing my hair and wearing makeup again about a month ago and it felt GREAT! Now I just need to go get a thrift store wardrobe like Blen so I can actually have something nice to wear! I refuse to buy any more clothing until I lose the rest of this baby weight. DH and I started a new eating plan this week so hopefully it will come off easier from now on!

 

[Courtneylub]

Whoa this thread is really moving. So much information! The sleeping/napping schedule is overwhelming me right now. Alila is 6 weeks tomorrow...when do I need to start getting her on some sort of schedule? Up until the last week, she was sleeping 4, 5, even 6 hours at a time. Now she''s waking up every 3 hours like clock work. She''s also been feeding a lot during the day, like every hour. It''s exhausting.

As far the bottles, I''m probably the worst mom on here. I rinse mine in super hot water right after use. DH has the water heater turned up very high. I wash them in the dishwasher once a week. If I were to steralize them after every use, I think I''d kill myself.

Pandora, you look great and Daisy is just gorgeous. How long is this nonsense going to continue with your employer? I just can''t wait until it''s resolved! Not as much as you, I''m sure.

I''m sorry for the short post, but I''ve got to go to bed!!

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 6/9/2009 11:11:39 PM
Author: Courtneylub
Whoa this thread is really moving. So much information! The sleeping/napping schedule is overwhelming me right now. Alila is 6 weeks tomorrow...when do I need to start getting her on some sort of schedule? Up until the last week, she was sleeping 4, 5, even 6 hours at a time. Now she''s waking up every 3 hours like clock work. She''s also been feeding a lot during the day, like every hour. It''s exhausting.

As far the bottles, I''m probably the worst mom on here. I rinse mine in super hot water right after use. DH has the water heater turned up very high. I wash them in the dishwasher once a week. If I were to steralize them after every use, I think I''d kill myself.

Pandora, you look great and Daisy is just gorgeous. How long is this nonsense going to continue with your employer? I just can''t wait until it''s resolved! Not as much as you, I''m sure.

I''m sorry for the short post, but I''ve got to go to bed!!

Courtney, do you mean that she feeds every hours during the day and does sleep more at night (even though now it''s only 3 hour stretches?)

And you''re not the worst mom.

I just rinse sometimes if it''s right after as well...and our water isn''t even super hot!

 

[janinegirly]

courtney: I don''t sterilize either, not even sure how (other than boiling water, which I only did 1-2 times since the bottles look so beat up after!)

on that topic, I''m assuming dishwashers are 100% safe for (BPA free) bottles then? What about nipples, just boil once in awhile? Silly that I''m asking this so late in the game, but might as well see what others are doing.

And I know the babes are all fine either way really--my MIL asked me if I wanted the pacifier rinced after it was dropped on the floor .so I''m assuming she was pretty lax with her kids! Little does she know I usually wash them with antibacterials soap and dry them so there''s no water on them after they''re dropped! Drying is almost more annoying than washing..I know it''s anal, but that''s what I do!

 

[janinegirly]

Date: 6/9/2009 7:31:07 PM
Author: Burk

Date: 6/9/2009 2:01:19 PM
Author: janinegirly
another questions for you mommies (esp those over 4-5 months, i.e. STTN): does anyone still cradle/rock their baby to sleep? Is this a habit that has to be broken or will they grow out of it? I still do this for my LO..I KNOW all the books say don''t, but it''s only for 20mins or so and then she''s down easily. I can''t handle CIO..tried (admittedly not very hard) and she just cries louder. I know I''m the one to blame for this habit--so more curious if anyone can relate or share their experience.

My BFF from high school still rocks her 20 month-old and she''s so over it but he won''t go to sleep without her. She''s tiny and he''s huge and it''s become a big hassle. We bounced T to sleep at night until she was about 6 months old. She had reflux and there was no way I was going to CIO with her even though I was so tired of bouncing. Anyway, just after 6 months she was getting pretty fidgety while I was trying to put her down so I put her in the crib one night and she wiggled around a bit but put herself to sleep. She has put herself to sleep every night since. Every once and a while (when she gets over tired) she''ll fuss for a few minutes before she falls asleep. So, there''s hope!

Chloe might just decide one day that she''d rather have her own space to fall asleep in her crib like T did. Good luck!!

Thanks burk...I hope I''m not still "rocking" at 20 mo''s! I''ve kept doing it mostly b/c it''s been pretty easy...maybe 10 mins rocking after the bottle and she''s out, and doesn''t usually wake up again till 7am! Plus she''s only 16lbs. But the habit is not a good one.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Well I would like to report moderate success on the nighttime sleep routine!

Last night Hunter went to bed at 6:30 and woke at 11:30, when I fed him, and then he woke again at 4:30. I decided I was *not* going to feed him at that time, so I changed his diaper (poopy, mrs I think you are right about digestion waking him at the early morning) and then di dthe old binky-stroketummy-shhhhh-dozey-walk away routine. For an hour

I must have gone in and out of that room 10 times. But he wasn''t srying loudly, just sort of moaning and complaining. And he kept pulling the binky out of his mouth and waking up! Anyways, he eventually went to sleep and woke again at 6:30 when I got him up for the day. I of course didn''t sleep again so after I fed him at 6:30 DH got up with him and then put him down for another nap before going to work and I got 2 more hours of sleep.

So moderate success. I will do it again tonight if he wakes early and hopefully that wakeup will go away.

Actually, I think that he has been getting too much foremilk lately. He seems to finish one breast quickly -- he sort of sucks for 15 seconds then pops off and looks at me, then goes on again, then pops off again

-- so I have been giving him the second breast. But in the past that gave him too much foremilk and today he had a greenish poop which is always a sure sign of tummy troubles and too much foremilk. So I think I may have been inadvertently creating these early morning wakeups! So I am going to feed him on only one side today and see if it helps.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Courtney We started Hunter on the EASY routine at 4 weeks and it was wonderful. Its pretty simple... just feed when she wakes, try to keep her awake for a while, then put her down for a nap. Repeat. At 6 weeks the cycle took about 2 hours? It may help with her constant feeding because it is possible she is just tired or something and doesn''t know what to do about it. If you are interested and have time, the Baby Whisperer is a great book and an easy read. I read it while BFing when hunter was about 3 weeks. Tonnes of great information.

Janine I am pretty lazy about cleaning binkys, basically only clean them if they get near the changing table or the dogs get them, and then only with soap. LOL! I actually figure that a little bit of dirt and germs is good for Hunter''s immune system. I have heard that the use of antibacterial soap predicts increased rates of allergies in kids -- this may not be due to the soap itself though, but rather due to very dilligent cleaning (since someone who uses antibacterial soap probably also cleans things a lot). Anyways, not suggesting you shouldn''t use that soap but just passing on what I had heard.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Just wanted to suggest the microwave sterilize steamer bags that medela makes are AWSOME for BP parts. I also used the dishwasher since we have a sterilize setting. The dishwasher baskets they make are awesome to keep everything together. I did NOT sterilize every bottle, every time and she survived.

 

[MustangGal]

I''m bad about not washing the pacifiers very often... I do through them in the dishwasher when I do the other bottle parts. I have one of those basket things to put the bottle pieces in (I use Dr. Brown bottles which have tons of parts!). DD, sounds like Hunter might be better on that routine.

We tried putting Kyle down a little earlier last night, he was looking really droopy around 7pm, so I gave him a little extra formula, and put him down. It was nice to get to read a few chapters of a book without getting distracted! But then he woke up at 2:30am, he wasn''t crying but he was talking away sounding angry, it was actually kinda cute. I went in and rocked him for a few minutes, since he was wide awake, and turned the mobile on and put him back down. He woke again at 3:45am, I made DH go get him and bring him into bed with me, and he only slet a few more minutes, and I had to feed him at 4am. He went back to sleep, so I tried to lay back down, until the cats decided to go bonkers and run around the house at 5. I gave up and got out of bed at 5:30 and got ready for work. I had to wake Kyle up to plop him in the car seat and get him to the sitters.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 6/10/2009 10:56:09 AM
Author: MustangGal
I''m bad about not washing the pacifiers very often... I do through them in the dishwasher when I do the other bottle parts. I have one of those basket things to put the bottle pieces in (I use Dr. Brown bottles which have tons of parts!). DD, sounds like Hunter might be better on that routine.

We tried putting Kyle down a little earlier last night, he was looking really droopy around 7pm, so I gave him a little extra formula, and put him down. It was nice to get to read a few chapters of a book without getting distracted! But then he woke up at 2:30am, he wasn''t crying but he was talking away sounding angry, it was actually kinda cute. I went in and rocked him for a few minutes, since he was wide awake, and turned the mobile on and put him back down. He woke again at 3:45am, I made DH go get him and bring him into bed with me, and he only slet a few more minutes, and I had to feed him at 4am. He went back to sleep, so I tried to lay back down, until the cats decided to go bonkers and run around the house at 5. I gave up and got out of bed at 5:30 and got ready for work. I had to wake Kyle up to plop him in the car seat and get him to the sitters.

LOL! Sorry to laugh, but we really can''t win can we? Somehow they always mess with us

 

[MustangGal]

I think they''re out to ruin our sleep habits!

But I do have good news!!! A few weeks ago I interviewed for an internal transfer with my company. I didn''t think they would take me, since I''ve only been here 9 months, but I was chosen! It''s litterally the cube across from me, but I''ll be much busier (I''ve been bored to death), and I got an 8% raise. I''ll be doing disability, life insurance, and FMLA. Right now I''m just doing the boring parts of the 401(k). So, I might not have as much time to hang out here in a few weeks...

 

[Mrs]

morning mamas - I hope everyone slept okay last night.

Blen, thanks for the support! Let us know what the pedi says. That''s great that you were able to find good work clothes at the thrift store! What''s goin on with that opportunity for your DH? any news?

Courtney, I have been trying to follow the EASY method of scheduling with S too but she isn''t really on a schedule of any type to speak of outside of eating (and sleeping) every 2-3 hours. At 6 weeks we definitely were still just doing what we could to get through every day, much less trying to get her on a schedule. She would eat every hour at times when she was that small as well and it IS exhausting. At least you know she wont be eating like that forever but I know that doesn''t help. Don''t worry about the bottles - Washing is super hot water is fine!

janine, I put my bottles and nipples in the dishwasher now and then and think it''s fine. And I do the same thing with S''s paci if it drops on he ground - wash with soap and dry.

DD, Thanks for your support as well! I''m glad to hear Hunter didn''t start the gazing lovingly thing until 13 weeks since S will be 13 weeks next week - I hope she does that too! That''s great that you had some success last night. It sounds like a lot of work going in and out of his room every 10 minutes but I''m sure your persistence will pay off! Sorry to hear you think he''s getting too much foremilk - it''s so hard to know! I hope giving him only one breast at a time today helps.

Mgal, congrats on the job transfer! That''s exciting. Bummer about Kyle''s sleep last night.

Sage slept pretty well last night - she went down with some fussing at 8 and then woke up around 2 when I fed her and she seemed super hungry - she nursed from both breasts which she never does. She was pretty fussy too which was unusual since she usually just eats and goes back to bed without any fuss. She then slept until 6:15 at which point she seemed relatively happy and content in her crib so I gave her the paci and started to go back to sleep when I realized that doing so wouldn''t be wise since we both need to get on the new schedule so that next week when I go back to work wont be too painful. So I got up and nursed her, changed her, and got her dressed. After she ate I held her in my arms in front of me and looked in her eyes and she gave me the most wonderful smiles. It made me cry. She''s just the most beautiful person and I feel so fortunate to have her here... motherhood is hard but it''s such a blessing!

Question about pacis: How reliant are you all on pacis during the day? I had planned to take the paci away at 4 months or so since I read in The Happiest Baby on the Block that that is a wise time to do so since weaning them of the paci later can be really hard. BUT, I''m finding that we both rely on the paci more than I had thought we would. She really likes to suck and sometimes it''s the only thing that will sooth her. And other times, I''m not able (or don''t want) to sooth her any other way. Ex: this morning after I dressed her, I put her in her swing while I showered and when I got out she was fussing and crying but I was still undressed and all wet so I just gave her her paci which soothed her and by the time I was dressed and had my make up on, she was asleep... another ex: as I''m typing this, she''s awake but sucking on her paci and if it falls out she sometimes starts to fuss so I give it back to her. I also find that she needs it to fall asleep during the day but not in the middle of the night. Part of me thinks it''s fine to let her keep in for longer than 4 months since breaking her of the paci habit later would probably be easier than breaking her of a thumb sucking habit... but if I take it away and she does start sucking her thumb, that would make my life easier since I wont have to keep giving her paci back when it falls out. your thoughts?

question about TV: do any of you find that your LO is fascinated by the TV? Sometimes if she''s fussing like crazy and I know she''s not hungry or sleepy, I''ll turn on the TV and it''s just enough distraction to get her to stop crying. She was fussing a bunch a few minutes ago so I sat her in her vibrating chair which is in view of the TV and turned on a cartoon for her so that I could finish this post... is that terrible??

another question: do any of your LOs seem to cry while they are sleeping. Sometimes S seems to cry in her sleep - it''s like she must be gassy or having tummy pains which sometimes don''t bother her enough to wake her up but she will cry. It breaks my heart... YEsterday she was napping in her swing and she started wailing and just when I was about to get her up, she stopped and continued to sleep.

questions for pet owners: how are your pets doing? Are you able to give them as much attention as you''d like? I ask since one of my cats died suddenly last week and it was so sad but I realized that I hadn''t been paying nearly as much attention to him as I used to... I wonder if I had been, if I might have seen the signs of his illness soon enough to get him help such that he would still be here with us... In any case, y other cat is being super loving and needy now and I ''m not sure if it''s because he misses his brother or if I''m just more attuned to him since I feel so guilt about not having been as attuned to his brother. Just wondering how you all make pet ownership and parenthood work.

hope you all have a great day and sorry for all the questions!
Mrs

 

[janinegirly]

Mrs: i wouldn''t overly worry about the paci--it is soothing to them, and is actually a life saver for me alot of the times. Especially during the teething moments or when she can''t quite sleep. I''m not following any books though...the only thing I make sure is that she doesn''t have it in her mouth for long periods whens he is happy (so she can talk!) or at nights (ie fall asleep with it for long periods). My DD is also fascinated with the TV. And the remote. She gets mad when I take it away and pushes one particular button on a regular basis that messes up the cable and DH has to come and reset...

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Mrs, T still uses a paci. She gets it at night, bedtime and only if I am desperate running errands. She LOVES her paci and since she does not have it in 24/7 (she would if we let her) I think it is fine. She is still a baby and if she needs that extra comfort it is fine by me. I kind of take a relaxed approach to parenting. I didn''t freak out with the bottles either (which she decided SHE was done with at 15 months). Amazingly (so far) everything really has fallen into place.

TV, T does watch some TV. I know some parents don''t let their kids which is awesome. But being a SAHM...it is just too tough not to give in sometimes. The funny thing is she really interacts with her shows (sings along, dances, etc...)

 

[MustangGal]

Mrs.- I also used the paci more than I thought I would, but the last several weeks Kyle has gotten much better about needing it. Now he''ll pretty much only take it when he''s ready to sleep. Other times he''ll suck on his hands/arms, and he''s really liking to hols things like a bib, burb rag, etc and pull those things up to his mouth. Maybe try giving her other things to hold? I wouldn''t worry too much about it yet.

Kyle is also facinated by the TV. I try not to let him look at it too much, but the moving colors make him happy, and if he''s anywhere near it he''ll turn his head so he can see. My mom keeps telling me not to let him watch TV, but the only way to do that would be for me not to watch anythign either. As long as you''re not using it as a baby sitter, it probably can''t hurt

Kyle has also cried in his sleep. It weird, he''s snoozing away, lets out a few cries, never opens his eyes, and will go right back to snoozing. He also makes happy noises, and I wonder what he dreaming about. Good to know he''s not the only one!

I meant to ask about pets today also. We have 3 cats and a large dog. Don''t beat yourself up about the cat passing, you would have noticed if there were clear signs of an illness. It just must have been his time. We don''t spend as much time with ours either. Last night the long haired cat was on DH''s lap, and I was petting him and found several mats in his fur. Made me feel like we''re neglecting him a little, but he never used to get mats, and we never brushed him before, so I think he''s just getting older and not cleaning his fur as good as he used to. The dog licks the baby once in a while, 2 of the cats completely ignore him, and the youngest will curl up next to him and let him pet her while she purrs. Any other pet owners having issues with their pets not liking the baby?

 

[TravelingGal]

Re: Paci, yes it''s easier to wean early, and I remember thinking I would do it at 4 or 5 months. Then Curlygirl said her daughter used at a year old to sleep and I realized, really I don''t see the huge harm in it. I pick my battles. You do want to get them off it at some point because it can be bad for their teeth. After 3 months, I never gave it to Amelia except to sleep so she associates it with settling down for sleep. Now she''s 14 months and pretty much off it but if she''s really unsettled in the middle of the night, I will give it to her to soothe her back to sleep from time to time. I also really needed it for the trip to Australia when she was 8 months old because I was hoping the sucking would help with take off and landing, which it did.

Re: TV. I don''t think I have seen a baby who won''t stop to stare and be fascinated by it. Amelia loves TV, and has from when she was a wee thing. Fortunately, I don''t watch TV and neither does she (her father does watch sports and that''s how she got to see it from time to time.)

The recommendation is no TV before 2 years of age. I''m not sure there is any mom on PS or that I know personally who made it that long. At 14 months, it is the ONLY thing that will make Amelia stop dead in her tracks and sit still, so I use it during nail and hair cutting time. I''m also starting to do an experiment where I put on a few minutes of baby einstein to see if it is at all possible for her to interact with me (meaning even LOOK at me) when the TV is on. I narrate what she sees and talk talk talk. She''s a zombie and I have to say, I am not a fan of the zombie look.

So yeah, Amelia has had extremely little TV exposure. And it''s not like she''s a chatter box and talking and interacting with us differently than other babies I know who have had a lot of TV watching. She does, however, seem to have better "focus" skills (meaning she''s not all over the place and can concentrate on playing with one thing at a time while.) But I think that is in her personality.

My verdict is do what you need to do. It doesn''t seem to be making any difference, but we''ll see as speech develops. Puffy''s son has been watching TV for awhile, and she''s reporting that he''s speaking in long sentence at 18 months already.

Speaking of which: an article last week that I forwarded to my friends on TV and speech delays. Take it with a grain of salt - I haven''t looked up the actual study yet. But what I found interesting was that issue of background TV isn''t an issue for the babies, per se, but because the ADULTS are distracted and speak to the babies less than an adult not watching TV (is that really such a shock of a discovery though?)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31051013/

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 6/10/2009 12:19:04 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
Mrs, T still uses a paci. She gets it at night, bedtime and only if I am desperate running errands. She LOVES her paci and since she does not have it in 24/7 (she would if we let her) I think it is fine. She is still a baby and if she needs that extra comfort it is fine by me. I kind of take a relaxed approach to parenting. I didn''t freak out with the bottles either (which she decided SHE was done with at 15 months). Amazingly (so far) everything really has fallen into place.

TV, T does watch some TV. I know some parents don''t let their kids which is awesome. But being a SAHM...it is just too tough not to give in sometimes. The funny thing is she really interacts with her shows (sings along, dances, etc...)

I think that''s what I''ve seen too. My friend, who swore she would never let her son watch TV caved. She''s a SAHM and said she just needs a break.

I am not a SAHM, but am a WAHM. So I have a nanny here two days and my mom the other three. Since we''re all on shorter shifts because we work together, it is much easier not to rely on TV. She also is only up for 4 hours, then 2 to 2.5 hour nap, then another 5 hours, so I feel we should be able to fill those short chunks of time with no TV. If I were a SAHM, I would have a much tougher time since I just think I''d need more than a break during her naptime.

 

[Mrs]

Thanks for your replies ladies!

janine, I'm glad to know your DD is as attached to her paci and you don't think it's a prob. I think you're right that I shouldn't worry about it. Too funny about her pressing that one button regularly so that DH has to fix it!

tacori, that's good to know that T as been fine with having her paci for so long. You're absolutely right that they are babies and if it brings them comfort, then why not give it to them! Thanks for your perspective. I bet T is super cute interacting with the TV like that. If I were going to stay home, there's no way I could not have S watch some TV. Any anyway, it can't be all bad, right?

Mgal, Thanks for sharing your thoughts on pacis and TV - like you suggested, I'll see if S likes to suck on other things as she continues to grab at stuff. I'm glad to know K cries (and smiles) in his sleep too. I guess it's normal. re: our cat and S, he pretty much ignores her though when I'm giving S attention, many times he will come up to me as if to say, "I want some attention too!" I think he's still getting used to her being around.

Ladies, what are you all doing for your DHs for their first Fathers Day?? I got mine a new coffee maker since he needs one but I might also get him a money clip that has S's name on it or something since I know he wants a new one.

ETA: Tgal, thanks for reply. Good points on both the paci and TV fronts. I think I'll try not to let her watch too much TV since I worry about it being a crutch but I'm not going to stress about the paci. I hadn't thought about air travel and how the sucking could help - very smart! She'll be flying to the east coast for my bros wedding when she's 6 mos old so having the paci then would probably not be such a bad thing. Thanks again!

 

[sbde]

hiya mommies!

this is going to be a drive-by because i''m in vacation mode. am visiting my parents for about 3 wks and haven''t been checking in much because i''ve been spending time with family (and catching up on sleep

)

just wanted to reiterate what tacori said about medela sterilizing bags. even though i exclusively breastfeed i do pump regularly so that someone can give J a bottle and now for mixing milk with rice cereal which we started him on 2 wks ago (he L

VES rice cereal btw, took to it straight away)...the medela sterilizing bags are so quick and efficient that i sterilize everything each time it is used, just because it''s so darn easy. the bags can be used 20 times each and i literally just wash the bottles and pump parts in hot water & dish soap and pop em in the microwavable bags for 1.5 minutes.

hope this helps! will be back on the boards as a regular poster in a few wks.

pandora, i love the new pics and laser eyes

 

[janinegirly]

Mrs: we're supposed to get DH's something for Father's Days?..oops. Haha. I'll probably just do a nice card and breakfast. We're not that big on presents. My b'day is that week anyway, so he better be focused on that!

As for TV, I think no looking at TV in first 2 years is too extreme and unrealistic for most. I don't place C in front of the TV to watch by any means (she's too little to really watch, she just looks since the screen is large so the faces are lifesized sometimes!). But it's on in the background now and then (particularly the family room which doubles as playroom) and in our bedroom in the A.M when we are getting ready or I'm feeding her before bed.

Once in awhile I put her on my lap while I check email..I wonder if there is similar advice about PC's! That also doesn't last long since she pushes buttons which delete my emails!

 

[curlygirl]

Mrs, my daughter Lily used the pacifier until 2 weeks before her 2nd birthday! She really only used it at night, at times when she was in an unfamiliar location or doing something out of the ordinary and of course, to soothe herself when she had breakdowns!! She slowly became less and less dependent on it--I know she wasn't using it at all during the day at daycare and at night, she would almost always take it out of her mouth after she went to sleep. Sometimes she would just suck on it for a few minutes and then say, "all done" and give it to us. So right before she turned 2, I decided it was time to get rid of all the pacifiers in the house. She woke up one morning and they were all gone. She asked for it a few times during the day and then at night before bed but she already knew the response and told ME, "wawa gone, mommy" (we called it a wawa, that's what I called mine as a baby). Anyway, after about 2 days, it was not even an issue! And now it's been almost 2 months and she never mentions it. I insisted that she not have one at her 2nd birthday party--that was my goal and I achieved it! We probably would have stopped it earlier but since we gave her a baby sister when she was 17 months old, we didn't want to disrupt her life with any other big changes for a while after that! I have to say that she was always social and talkative but as soon as we got rid of the pacis, she's become even more of a chatterbox if that's possible and seems much more relaxed in general, like it was a crutch for her. I don't think you have to rush it right now because I think they can be lifesavers but give yourself a goal and stick to it. I thought it would be much harder than it was.

The funny thing is that Lucy, my little one, NEVER took a pacifier. I tried as hard as I could but she just doesn't want to have anything to do with it. Go figure! At least it's one less thing to worry about getting rid of!

Regarding tv, we used to have it on most of the time as background noise but Lily now tells us, "TV OFF" so we listen to her! It's hardly ever on anymore but not by choice!! She used to watch Sesame Street and Jack's Big Music Show but by watch I mean that she would tune in for a few minutes and then move on to the next thing. Believe me, there are times when I would love for her to just plop down in front of the tv and give me a break but she doesn't dig it! Lucy doesn't seem that interested yet either but probably because it's not really on that much! I don't see a lot of harm in it as long as they aren't glued to it 24/7. And I actually believe that they can learn a great deal from watching educational shows like Sesame Street. I love it!

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 6/10/2009 12:59:11 PM
Author: Mrs
ETA: Tgal, thanks for reply. Good points on both the paci and TV fronts. I think I''ll try not to let her watch too much TV since I worry about it being a crutch but I''m not going to stress about the paci. I hadn''t thought about air travel and how the sucking could help - very smart! She''ll be flying to the east coast for my bros wedding when she''s 6 mos old so having the paci then would probably not be such a bad thing. Thanks again!

And on that note, do you have any clothing with a long "string?" I had a maternity top I used which had a long drawstring around the empire waist. I used it to tie to the paci holder because I did not want that thing to go flying/spat out when we were buckled in the seats on a descent and unable to go and wash the paci. And bring a bottle of water (or ask for one on the plane since you can''t really bring water from home through security) in case you DO have to wash the thing because there was no way I was going to use airplane sink water (and I''m not a germophobe!)

If you''re breast feeding, that would work better, btw, but I didn''t have that option.