PS Mommy Thread-Newborn to 12 months!

[Mara]

We swaddled til 4mo which I think is kind of a 'norm' nowadays from what I had read... as many parents also combo the 4mo wakeful with deswaddling since the kid's sleep is all outta routine anyway. And he was starting to show inclinations of rolling and I was too freaked out. I had a friend who swaddled til like 10mo or something though.

Skippy, J had a clogged eye duct on and off until around 2mo. We called it goopy eye. They said it was common because their tear ducts were so tiny at birth things could easily get stuck. We just massaged it with our finger and would keep it clean with a warm wet cloth.

 

[Mara]

We swaddled til around 4mo...when he was rolling and it felt too uncomfortable. I think that is more a 'norm' nowadays from what I read..and people seemed to commonly deswaddle at the 4mo mark because of the 4mo wakeful so the kid's sleep was all outta routine anyway.

Skippy, J had a clogged tear duct until around 2mo. We called it Goopy Eye. They said it was common because their ducts are so small that things routinely get stuck. We just massaged it with out fingers and would clean it with a warm, wet cloth.

 

[tiffanytwisted]

I'm scared to ask, what's the 4 month wakeful??

 

[Lanie]

Skippy -- that sounds exactly like what Kunzite went through. So scary if you are there when their heart drops. It's probably one of those things where you and your DH are freaking out, and the nurse comes strolling in smiling as if nothing is a big deal. ARGH! Get that bebe home!!!! Awhile back I posted that Anderson was refluxing. One time he stopped breathing for a bit and it scared the daylights out of me. That's when the doc said he had reflux. So sad. But he outgrew it, thankfully.

Mara -- that's actually good to hear you think it's more the norm to swaddle later. Most of my mom friends are the types that read a lot, and know all about the trends with babies, and they swaddled later. It's the older moms that would look at me funny (MIL) when I told them I was still swaddling at 4 months!

tiffany -- I used a blanket for a couple of weeks, then went to Swaddleme. Some people used Miracle Blanket, which I would have gotten but just never did bc we were fine with the 8,000 Swaddlemes we received as shower gifts. 4 month wakeful is the time when babies are learning a lot, discovering more about movement and socialization, etc and they wake up more at night. When babies reach milestones like crawling, rolling, etc they like to "practice" sometimes at night, and thus wake up. 4 month olds are also VERY aware of their surroundings when they are sleeping, so they would notice if they were in a different spot or if someone they are not accustomed to is putting them to bed, etc. Pretty cool if you think about it. I think they realize so much more than we know!

 

[somethingshiny]

4 month wakeful-- Is usually the 5 month wakeful. Baby learns so many new skills around that time, they find it very hard to wind down to sleep.

Skippy~ Your precious babies!!! You look so happy with them against your skin. I bet they love being all warm and cozy on Mama.

Noel~ Glad that the Cradle cap stuff is working. I used a soft baby brush and kind of lightly scrubbed it around and then used a comb to get out the pieces. It brought back memories doing it with Baby T the other day! lol I'm happy with the way Lily's appt went. I'm confident in caring for her so I don't want her on the meds if we can help it. If she was at daycare all day, I think we would go on meds just to be safe. Luckily, the mom's intuition has helped me to catch every episode that she's had. It's kinda scary thinking that this could be something she'll always deal with. But, I know that our family is strong enough to handle it so it doesn't get to me too much.

JT had a heart murmur when he was born and for the first couple years. Looking back on it, it may have been a small hole that repaired on it's own. He never had any problems so we never did any testing. But, I do wonder about it.



We had pizza a couple nights ago while watching a movie in the living room. Lily was in her high chair eating cheerios while we were eating. After we were all done, we put her on the floor and DH and I were engrossed in conversation. I looked over at Lily and saw that she had managed to get JT's pizza crust off the plate that was left on the table and was chewing on it. It was so funny, she was loving it.


Well, that's all for now. Trying to get my house organized for Baby T this week. I'm going to have him so much I figured I should have a shelf or drawer for his stuff so my friend doesn't have to pack a diaper bag every day. Just having it here will be easier.

 

[Skippy123]

We swaddled til around 4mo...when he was rolling and it felt too uncomfortable. I think that is more a 'norm' nowadays from what I read..and people seemed to commonly deswaddle at the 4mo mark because of the 4mo wakeful so the kid's sleep was all outta routine anyway.

Skippy, J had a clogged tear duct until around 2mo. We called it Goopy Eye. They said it was common because their ducts are so small that things routinely get stuck. We just massaged it with out fingers and would clean it with a warm, wet cloth.

MARA, I must be so sleep deprived because I thought, wow, how did Mara know my son has a clogged tear duct. LOL I hit control f and found where I said that. Oh boy, I need a nap! Oh that is good to hear about J! Thanks for letting me know.

LAINE, I think you are right Kunzite and I have a lot in common w/our lo's. I love seeing pics of her son doing so well! Oh gosh, that must have been scary when your son had reflux. Oh good about him outgrowing it. that is encouraging, thanks!

SS, aww Lily is such a cutie and mmm to pizza; I don't blame her!!! hehe

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

speaking of clogged ducts, we're off to the opthamologist today to have A's clogged duct checked out. He's almost 9 months and it's still blocked. We do the massage and warm cloths, etc and nothing works for long. It'll clear for a day or two but then come back. I'm not sure what the next step is but I'll post an update when I know more about the process.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

and some new super cute pictures. Aidan taking his first spin in the MG.

 

[dragonfly411]

Skippy - if you get the chance, email me... I'm afraid I missed your birthing story? Unless you haven't posted it. The boys are absolutely adorable and I'm so glad one is at home now! You'll get both of them together in no time and you'll all be happy. I keep checking for updates

 

[taovandel]

Yeah we also swaddled Evan until around 3 1/2-4 months...we just cold turkey'd it. He was fine with that..I think never swaddling him at naps helped break the habit.

And yes to Mara---we definitely had the 4 month wake up with Evan (and I know Mandy did also with her twin boys). Pretty much so much is going on with development they kind of forget how to sleep for a bit. Evan went from sleeping through the night to getting up once a night (for about 2 weeks), then he went right back to normal.


ETA: Violet has slept through the night for the past 3 nights!! She's done it about 5 times in the past week and a half! Hope she keeps this up

 

[Kunzite]

It's official, we have the first illness in the Kunzite house. DH and O have both had the stomach flu for the past two days My poor boys! They've both been pretty miserable, which means I've been pretty miserable! O starts daycare tomorrow so they went in last Friday for an hour to help O adjust. DH is convinced they picked up the bug in the hour they were there. Boy, I am not looking forward to all of these daycare bugs!!

Speaking of sick... Allie, how's C been doing lately?

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

speaking of clogged ducts, we're off to the opthamologist today to have A's clogged duct checked out. He's almost 9 months and it's still blocked. We do the massage and warm cloths, etc and nothing works for long. It'll clear for a day or two but then come back. I'm not sure what the next step is but I'll post an update when I know more about the process.

Returning with my follow up. Our doctor's visit was a waste of time. The doc said he still had time to grow out of it and to come back at a year (3 months away) if it hadn't resolved. He looked at me like I was a moron for being there...

 

[somethingshiny]

HH~ I'm sorry your visit didn't go well. But, try to find comfort in the fact that with massage, most of the time, they will eventually open. You don't want A to have his duct probed at this stage, so keep doing what you've been doing and I'm sure it'll work open on its own. I despise doctors that make people feel stupid. I would seriously consider getting a new dr based on this event.

So, babysitting Baby T went fairly well, I guess. Lily figured out that he was staying a lot longer than he usually did and wasn't pleased. The last hour was rough. It's like the baby looked at me and screamed, "you're not my mama!" He calmed down when DH took him for a while. Then when his mama came in, Baby T's eyes just lit up like, "Hey! You came back!!" It was so sweet. Lily was happy as a clam after he left too. Hopefully they'll both ease into this and everyone will be happy. I get the Baby at 6:30 tomorrow morning so I'm trying to get myself to bed early tonight!

 

[Skippy123]

DRAGONFLY, I never posted my birth story, sorry. Good to see you!!! Hope you are doing well.

SS, aww that is sweet Lily was saying, this is my momma not yours. I bet that made you feel good. hehe I hope you get to sleep early.

HH, my ped gave M erthromycin ointment since his duct was clogged for 8 weeks. It seems to be helping. Gosh I hate when docs act like that. I had my OB do that to me recently, super frustrating. sorry. I love the pics, super cute lo!!!

KUNZITE, aww, I am so sorry; I hope you all feel better soon. Hugs to your lo. sending healing thoughts your way.

TAOV, YAY that is awesome. I am jealous!!!


Well last night M didn't want to sleep too well. I am not sure if we need to try and keep him more awake during the day? Or maybe it is just a freak thing that happened; I guess we will find out tonight. Newborns sleep a ton which is nice because I got a nap in since I felt so tired.

Oh question. So we feed Miles ever 3 hours approx unless he wakes hungry then we feed him then too. Well, my question is how can you tell he is full? He slows down so that is when we think he is full, sound right?? Also, it is hard to burp him; we pat and kind of do this little body circular motion and sometimes that gets a burp out, but he spits up a bit in his crib while sleeping. I feel bad but not sure what I should do? sometimes he just won't burp either. Any advice? thanks so much!!

 

[Lanie]

Skippy--sometimes they won't burp and then burp way later. I would sit A up on my lap, kind of leaned forward and burp him that way. He didn't burp well on my shoulder. Also my pedi told me to walk around with him for 5 min after he ate. 9/10 he would burp.

 

[CatLuver]

Skippy, I agree w/Lanie that sometimes they just don't burp or will burp later, and my baby burps less now than he used to, but try:
- thumping on his back, opposite his stomach (not higher up opposite his chest which is what I used to do and didn't work)
- holding him upright, facing you, and bounce up and down (hold his head snug so it doesn't wobble) - this worked better for me than the back patting.
- try both of the above in combination.

ETA: also try sitting him on your lap leaning/bending forward (support his chin) and thump his back, sometimes the pressure from bending over his stomach will help.

 

[CatLuver]

Thanks noel. Have you tried putting mitts on S or will she just get them off?

Thanks for all the sleep info Lanie! So 10-12 is optimistic for a 3.5 month old but I’m trying it out anyway. He’s done 8.5 on his own, more often 7 but I’m trying to stretch it out, and he goes back to sleep on his own when he wakes up and cries. C is not a good napper, though. What is Anderson’s napping schedule at day care? C can only stay awake for 1.5 hours still before he gets fussy, which means that if we go out, it messes up his nap schedule because his wakeful time is still so short. He only naps for 45 min max, too, and won't go back to sleep after he wakes up which is sometimes only after 20 min, which means ideally he has to nap like 5 times a day which is tough.

Those of you that pump at work - if you use a hands-free bra, how does it work? Do you take everything off, put the bra on, pump and vice versa? Seems like a lot of hassle. Put it on over your clothes? Seems like that would crumple and ruin, and possibly wet them. I just put it on over my clothes at home but it's fine if those get rumpled or wet

 

[Lanie]

Cat--I would take everything off except for my nursing bra. I'd put the hands free over that. But yes, it's a hassle taking off your top, possibly your tank top, your super cool chunky necklace that help to hide your nipple pads, etc.

His nap schedule is that he wakes up about 6:30, then down again anywhere from 8:30 to 9. Then down at 12:30 until sometimes 3 or 3:30. Then he goes down one more time around 4ish and then bed around 7 or 7:30. Naps 1 and 3 are short, no more than an hour.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

HH~ I'm sorry your visit didn't go well. But, try to find comfort in the fact that with massage, most of the time, they will eventually open. You don't want A to have his duct probed at this stage, so keep doing what you've been doing and I'm sure it'll work open on its own. I despise doctors that make people feel stupid. I would seriously consider getting a new dr based on this event.

So, babysitting Baby T went fairly well, I guess. Lily figured out that he was staying a lot longer than he usually did and wasn't pleased. The last hour was rough. It's like the baby looked at me and screamed, "you're not my mama!" He calmed down when DH took him for a while. Then when his mama came in, Baby T's eyes just lit up like, "Hey! You came back!!" It was so sweet. Lily was happy as a clam after he left too. Hopefully they'll both ease into this and everyone will be happy. I get the Baby at 6:30 tomorrow morning so I'm trying to get myself to bed early tonight!

Luckily this was the pedi opthamologist so we don't really have to see him. My pedi is great. I think she gave us the referral thinking we wouldn't be able to get in to see the specialist for awhile so we'd be closer to a year.

I in no way want A to have the probing procedure, but we've been massaging since the blockage appeared at what, five weeks? And it's not like I don't know that they can open on their own, etc....I don't know what I expected from the appointment I guess.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Skippy, I agree w/Lanie that sometimes they just don't burp or will burp later, and my baby burps less now than he used to, but try:
- thumping on his back, opposite his stomach (not higher up opposite his chest which is what I used to do and didn't work)
- holding him upright, facing you, and bounce up and down (hold his head snug so it doesn't wobble) - this worked better for me than the back patting.
- try both of the above in combination.

ETA: also try sitting him on your lap leaning/bending forward (support his chin) and thump his back, sometimes the pressure from bending over his stomach will help.

Skippy-all of this. Also, consider putting him to sleep with his mattress inclined or in his car seat. Being elevated will help the burps come up and keep the contents of his tummy down. And Mylicon is ok at his age I believe, so maybe try a bit of that?

 

[somethingshiny]

Skippy~ Yes to all of the aforementioned advice. Also, try alternating low back/high back pats. We still swear by Mylicon. I gave it to my kids with every single meal. Gas pain is just awful but as long as he's not writhing in pain, he'll probably burp it out eventually.

Day 2 with Baby T. He's asleep in the swing and Lily is playing on the floor. All the toys that she didn't care for anymore are suddenly extremely interesting to her and she wants to keep them all to herself. lol

She's trying to pull up on furniture, but since she hasn't figured out how to crawl, she pulls while she's on her butt and just slides herself under things. Also, she hates grass. She throws her legs up and rocks on her butt so it doesn't touch her skin. So funny!

One thing is for sure, kids less than a year apart is a lot to handle!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Skippy, Beautiful photo you posted of you and your babies! Re: spit-up, my doctor advised no medications. Just told me to try to keep her upright for about 30 mins. I would often hold her up on my shoulder, and a burp would eventually come, or sometimes not. If I had to pump, I would put her in her bouncy chair in front of me. I used to get pretty upset when I would see her spit-up, but the doctor assured me that it was normal, and that it seems like a lot more than it is. It's mixed with saliva, so it's not all milk! She spits up a lot less now. Oh, and notice how easy it is on the baby. I am sure it is much worse on us than it is on the baby. Seems totally natural to them! Of course, I am sure there is a time when it IS too much. I'd really encourage talking to your doctor about it. He or she can help you assess what is normal vs. not.

Kunzite, Sorry to hear about the illnesses! I am sure your husband is right! When I went on a tour of a daycare, both S and I wound up sick, and then there were a few illnesses after that when I spent some time at her daycare before she officially started, and then right after she started. We've both been in the clear for a few weeks now. They say summer is a very good time to start daycare because the illnesses are much less this time of year.

Catluver - Will we see pics soon? My friend told me that her daughter never took a bottle at daycare, and just didn't take anything at all during the day! I was so surprised to hear this. I wouldn't give up, but just saying this to let you know you're not the only ones. Maybe your daycare will have some tips for you? I'm sure they 've dealt with this before.

Icekid - Your son is SOOOOOOO handsome. He's got a definite 50's vibe in one of the photos you posted. So, so handsome! Love him!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Oh, and, Lanie, to answer your question from a few days ago re: things to do -- check out your local library as they may have programs for momma and baby to attend.

 

[AllieLuv83]

Shiny, I am sorry if I missed it but who is baby T?

 

[somethingshiny]

Allie~ Baby T is my friend's baby that I've started babysitting. She just went back to work yesterday, he's almost 3 months old. I had him for a few hours a couple days last week, but these 10 hr days are a little rough.

So, at lunch, I put Baby T on the floor while I was feeding Lily in her high chair. I had to get up so I gave her some cheerios while I went about my business. I looked in and she was pitching cheerios down to Baby T. It was hilarious. Like she was saying, "here ya go. I got your back, T."

 

[AllieLuv83]

Oh okay I thought I was totally dense and missed you having ANOTHER baby.

 

[Puppmom]

SS, Lily sounds like a piece of work! Oh, and if watching a 3 month old with your 11 month old ain't birth control then I don't know what is! I hope Lily's heart continues to grow strong!

HH, thanks for sharing those pics! A is just a cutie pie. I love the picture where he's peeking over the seat. I'm glad you're trip went well - N's not nearly that adaptable but I know where he gets it!

Allie, C is handsome as always! I'm so sorry he's been sick all of this time. I hope your summer brings lots of happy and healthy days!

Lanie, N's first birthday will be bittersweet for sure. I get all teary-eyed just thinking about it! I just love this kid and I want him to stay squishy forever! re: things to do - MIL takes N to a music group and swim lessons. N also loves the mall. He still sleeps a lot during the day (3-5 hours total) so I'm able to get a lot of housework, etc. done when I'm home with him.

Noel, for a while I had to file N's nails in addition to cutting them. Even when I cut them, the edges were sharp. He also slept with a hat on which helped the head scratching. I think the cradle cap itches.

Tao, Violet is a doll. I love her hair! Keep those pics coming!

Skippy, N wasn't always a good burper either. You've gotten some good pointers. You could also try laying him flat across your lap. N also often spit up in his sleep. We used sheet savers and I had to change them pretty often. I think the sleep spitting is common. Oh, and how could I forget, those kiddies are adorable!

Ice, you are a trooper for making it this far! Jumper is so cute - and changing so much! I can't believe he's standing and crawling.

Kunzite - O is just so handsome. It's so wonderful that he's doing so much especially after such an early start! You must be so pleased!

Catluver - we were sure N was teething at about 3 months. Same thing - drool and *spots* (although I'm pretty sure that was in my head!) - but no teeth came through until about 9 months.

AFM, N's pretty much refusing the bottle these days. He'll take a total of 3-6oz from 7am-6pm. The good news is he makes up for it by nursing in the middle of the night! I thought it was the solids but he's been getting those for a while and only takes 3 oz of solids at about 8am so I doubt that's carrying him until I get home from work. My schedule was super hectic last week so DH had to put N to bed twice and both times he refused the bottle (threw it on the floor to be exact) then woke around 11pm to nurse. I'm not sure what to do. I'm afraid to have MIL give him solids at *lunch* because then he may not take any BM all day. I guess it's just one of those things...

I don't know if I mentioned it in my last post but he can now pull to stand and stand unassisted for 10 seconds or so. He has to be on his bum with his legs out in front of him to pull up though. He can't figure out what to do with his legs otherwise. I'm pretty sure he's not going to crawl or that crawling and walking will be very close together. We'll see!

ETA - I forgot pics! Oh, and the wagon is THE best purchase we've made for N.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Puppmom - Wheeeeeeee!! I love the wagon photos! So much fun! Do you take your dog with you on walks? How does N interact with your dog? I don't think S is fully aware of our dogs yet, or the cats for that matter. Seems she's just starting to notice them. I wore her in my ergo on a walk the other day, with the two dogs. That was fun, slightly challenging, but they are very good on-leash so that helps a lot! It does take some effort to get everyone buckled in for the walk though, haha.

 

[noelwr]

Skye is 6 months old today! we had a clinic appointment on Mon and she is 66 cm long (26 in) and weighs 7 kg (15 lbs, 6 oz). I think she is small compared to her Dutch counterparts, but the doctor is happy with her growth and is surprised she isn't chunkier considering I give her rice cereal twice a day (I didn't know you were supposed to give it only once). the clinic doctor said for her eczema she needs to be put on hydro cortisone treatment that is longer than a week, so my mom went with her to our family doctor yesterday (because I had chemo yesterday) and got more medicine. I'm a bit afraid of these drops I'm supposed to give orally because they can make a baby sleepy and even stop breathing while asleep! so I think I'll mix it into her fruit in the morning and only give once a day instead of twice. I really hope that in a few weeks this will make all the itchiness go away so that we can finally start deswaddling!

HH - indeed super cute photos of A behind the wheel of the MG. you better watch out when he's a teen and wants to take the car out for a secret ride when Mom and Dad aren't home!

puppmom - I see N enjoys his cheerios. I guess we could try a hat but it seems too warm now and Skye hates them so much I think it would just keep her awake. yes, we are also always cutting and filing her nails. it doesn't matter. how old is N now? here they say a baby can go down to two BM/formula feedings a day after 8 anywhere from 8-12 months. we have to get S down to 3 bottles now, but I don't foresee that being a problem because she seems to love food.

Catluver - S gets mittens on during the day when she naps, but it doesn't prevent her from still rubbing the sensitive sore spot on her cheek and making it worse. which is why the swaddling at night...

shiny - I'm enjoying your Baby T vs Lily updates. keep them coming!

 

[Puppmom]

LV, we almost always take the dog with us when we walk. He's great on the leash so it's no trouble to have him there. It is hard with the wagon though because of the pulling instead of pushing with the stroller. N is really just noticing Hollis recently. Hollis is definitely a little nervous around him. I think his movements are still kind of herky-jerky so that makes the dog a little unsure. We haven't had any issues - other than the dog bolting when he sees N put his hands too close!

Noel, it never gets old watching N grab his little cereal puffs with his two little fingers. It is just the cutest thing!