PS Mommy Thread-Newborn to 12 months!

[Courtneylub]

Sorry I''ve been MIA. It''s been a rough couple of weeks. I injured my neck and my MRI results showed bulging discs, a tear, and a pinched nerve all in my neck. I''m in a lot of pain and taking medications and I guess I have to quit breast feeding. I don''t want to at all, which is why I''m still pumping. I dump when I double up on the pain meds or take muscle relaxers. Pandora, any advice on this? I know you''re in the same boat.

I go back to work tomorrow. I''m going to give it a try for 2 weeks and make a decision at that time.

I hope everyone is well and I will catch up on posts tomorrow while at work. Ha

 

[lili]

Oh my, how did I miss these adorable pictures.

Pandora--
That shot of Daisy is awesome.
Love her little tongue sticking out and the twinkles in her eyes

Mela--
Wow, can''t believe the uncanny resemblance.
Romy''s a spitting image of his daddy.

Blen--
Haha, George does look alot like his great uncle.
And you were a cute baby!

 

[Dreamer_D]

cdt I think that sounds like a very successful day! I also find that I am happier when I don't try to apply some sort of standard or expectation about what life is like with a baby. At 6 weeks I think Hunter was on a similar schedule or waking. Babies that age need to eat every 3 hours or so, so it makes sense that he needs a couple feeds at night!

Date: 7/20/2009 1:23:16 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
DD, Yay!!!

Sounds like you made great progress. You know I found with T she really DOES need alone time. I guess we don't think of babies being that independent but some are. That's why for us the 15 min. rule always worked well.

Thanks Tacori. It breaks my heart to listen to him cry, but I know that the alternative is to hold him while be cries, which just prolongs things, or to nurse him, which I don't think does any of us any favours in the long run. I know how frustrated I felt before trying to get him to go down, constantly picking him up and him crying and me frustrated and then finally giving in to nurse him and seeing him conk out within about 10 seconds -- obviously not hungry. I just put him down for a nap and it took him about 18 minutes to settle

-- the first 10 minutes were spent talking to himself and playing with his toes, and then the last 8 minutes he cried. I did pick him up once when he was crying and I *almost* nursed him, but then I forced myself to put him down again and he settled and went to sleep after 5 minutes.

Still I can't help but worry that he is actually hungry or needs something and I am ignoring it

How long does it take for them to no longer cry when they go to bed?

ETA

pandora - Sucha cute picture! She looks like a baby from the turn of the century in that outfit and the black and white, I love it!
mela Thanks for the support! I know 5-7 minutes isn't long, but it feels so long and it still doesn't feel right to me, KWIM? Sigh... I know it isn't harming him and it is a good skill to learn, but I wish there was another way.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 7/20/2009 2:37:47 PM
Author: Courtneylub
Sorry I''ve been MIA. It''s been a rough couple of weeks. I injured my neck and my MRI results showed bulging discs, a tear, and a pinched nerve all in my neck. I''m in a lot of pain and taking medications and I guess I have to quit breast feeding. I don''t want to at all, which is why I''m still pumping. I dump when I double up on the pain meds or take muscle relaxers. Pandora, any advice on this? I know you''re in the same boat.

I go back to work tomorrow. I''m going to give it a try for 2 weeks and make a decision at that time.

I hope everyone is well and I will catch up on posts tomorrow while at work. Ha

I am so sorry about your neck! That is terrible! Will you need surgery?

If it turns out that you need to stop nursing, that is too bad but I''m sure Alila will be totally fine and will thrive. I suspect though that it is safe to nurse when taking some pain meds, if it is something you want to continue. Hopefully Pandora can comment.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

DD, it breaks every mom''s heart to hear their kid cry. So far that hasn''t gotten any easier. Personally I do not count talking, singing, moaning, grunting, laughing (yes, sometimes she laughs alone in her crib. Who knows what that is about ), or even whining. I count *crying* for the 15 mins. Like TGal said (and I guess I should have mentioned) I KNOW her different cries. I still remember hearing her "I am in pain!" cry and ran upstairs and her poor leg was stuck in the slats of her crib. This was right after we moved her in there. Obviously situations like that are totally different than her just crying b/c she is frustrating or something. I was lucky b/c she *rarely* cries when we put her to bed and really grew out of that quickly. It only took us a week or so to "train" her. Now she does do the other things I mentioned but not many actual cries. We had a relapse recently when we went on vacation but I guess that is to be expected. Just stick with it. You are doing awesome and it does get easier. Once you see how happier he is (b/c he is getting good sleep) it makes it much easier!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Here is the best I can do with a comparison shot of me and Hunter. We are both around 10 weeks in these pics I think. The similarity is more apparent in person, most people call him "Little Dreamer" haha! I think he will look more like his daddy as he gets older.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Courtney, sorry about your neck! Have you checked safefetus.com? It was my bible during my pregnancy and BFing days and says which drugs are safe to what degree. Good luck!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 7/20/2009 3:04:17 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
DD, it breaks every mom''s heart to hear their kid cry. So far that hasn''t gotten any easier. Personally I do not count talking, singing, moaning, grunting, laughing (yes, sometimes she laughs alone in her crib. Who knows what that is about ), or even whining. I count *crying* for the 15 mins. Like TGal said (and I guess I should have mentioned) I KNOW her different cries. I still remember hearing her ''I am in pain!'' cry and ran upstairs and her poor leg was stuck in the slats of her crib. This was right after we moved her in there. Obviously situations like that are totally different than her just crying b/c she is frustrating or something. I was lucky b/c she *rarely* cries when we put her to bed and really grew out of that quickly. It only took us a week or so to ''train'' her. Now she does do the other things I mentioned but not many actual cries. We had a relapse recently when we went on vacation but I guess that is to be expected. Just stick with it. You are doing awesome and it does get easier. Once you see how happier he is (b/c he is getting good sleep) it makes it much easier!

OK, we won''t count those either... mostly he grunts and moans when he wakes, I think the actual crying doesn''t last too long.

We are very lucky to be blessed with an incredibly happy baby. He never ever cries at any time except when we put him to bed these days

All the rest of the time he is a laughing smiling easygoing little monkey, like his Dad. But I have heard his pain cry when he got his shots and when I let him roll off the couch onto the floor and he hit his head on the metal strut of the swing

But he does get *pretty& worked up going to bed and cries pretty hysterically. Hopefully he will do it less and less. We are also going on vacation next week and I am hoping the worst of this is over by then. I don''t relish any judgement from my family for letting him cry some times.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

DD, yeah don''t count anything but real tears. I really do think he will settle down once he knows that you and your DH aren''t messing around. Going to sleep isn''t playtime or snack time. Tessa knows when she goes in her crib I mean business. He is too young but pretty soon he will be old enough to "test" you. Stay strong girl! Sounds like he is already making improvement. He sounds like a lovely baby. You are so lucky!

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 7/20/2009 2:37:47 PM
Author: Courtneylub
Sorry I''ve been MIA. It''s been a rough couple of weeks. I injured my neck and my MRI results showed bulging discs, a tear, and a pinched nerve all in my neck. I''m in a lot of pain and taking medications and I guess I have to quit breast feeding. I don''t want to at all, which is why I''m still pumping. I dump when I double up on the pain meds or take muscle relaxers. Pandora, any advice on this? I know you''re in the same boat.

I go back to work tomorrow. I''m going to give it a try for 2 weeks and make a decision at that time.

I hope everyone is well and I will catch up on posts tomorrow while at work. Ha

I was wondering where you had vanished to!

I''m so sorry about your neck - are they going to operate?

On the pain meds, are you taking the usual ones that you take? If so, then you can definitely continue to breast-feed. A miniscule amount icrosses over into breast-milk. I had arguments about the anti-epileptic I take as around 70% crosses, but with the tramadol it''s only 0.1% so there was no worry at all. I think Vicodin is about 3% of the maternal dose.

The advice I was given was that the benefits of breast feeding far outweighed any possible effect - and the neonatologists had never seen any adverse effects at the doses I was taking (and they are one of the biggest units in the UK).

Obviously it is your decision to make, but hope that helps...

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 7/20/2009 2:54:15 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie

pandora - Sucha cute picture! She looks like a baby from the turn of the century in that outfit and the black and white, I love it!

Aw, thank you!

Actually, my mother brought me up a whole load of victorian baby-gowns that were made by my great-great-aunts and grandmother. They are all in white lawn with embroidered fronts and sashes with such teeny stitches. I'm hoping to do a load of black & white old style photos of Daisy in them.

Sadly she'll never get to wear the family christening gown which my paternal grandmother keeps under lock & key as she won't be baptised. It's been worn by 5 generations so far and is incredibly beautiful - I'll have to find the photo of me in it...

ETA: I'm in need of dust... I might have reached an agreement on a settlement with my employer. They will confirm that the sum we talked about today is definite and the way forward to tie everything up legally.

I'm pretty happy although no amount of $$ will really compensate for ruining our honeymoon and taking most of the fun and happiness out of my pregnancy. However, I decided that I had had enough and although I will go to the bitter end if I have to, I really don't want to take the huge amount of time it will require away from Daisy as these days are irreplaceable.

Anyway, I'd really appreciate dust and crossed fingers that I have reached the end of this horrible mess (and that I can now get my new (and much needed) kitchen

)

 

[Blenheim]

Pandora, dust to you! I''m so glad for you that it seems like this all may finally be coming to a close.

Sbde, ah that makes sense! I wasn''t thinking about smaller portion sizes maybe needing a smaller blender. We have an immersion blender, so maybe I''ll just try that out when the time comes. It''s pretty easy to clean off.

D

 

[Blenheim]

Accidentally hit post, oops!

DD, I''m really glad that you''re sorting out what works well for Hunter.

Courtney - youch! That sounds really incredibly painful. And having to take care of a newborn, and think about going back to work, on top of it all! Have they suggested treatment for it?

Kennedy, thanks so much for weighing in. It makes me feel a bit less alone in this.

 

[Blenheim]

Date: 7/20/2009 11:12:48 AM
Author: TravelingGal
...
All you have as a mom are your instincts. You should trust them no matter what anyone says because it is YOUR child. We all have our opinions on parenting styles, and I think that''s OK, as long as we are civil about it (and that''s not always easy because I think most moms are pretty passionate about parenting!) I even think that all moms are judgmental to a degree because we spend so much effort trying our best and therefore *my* way must be the best way because if it is not, then it must mean I am not a good mom, right? ...

Very, very true. And I would never tell another mom that I know what''s best for her child better than she does. Unless the mom has a meth lab in the house or something, but I don''t think we have to worry about that here.

I''ve had a hard time responding to all of the IRL CIO pressure and, today, rice cereal pressure as it is just so hard to do it without other people taking it personally. We all get so invested in trying to do our best.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Blen I know you and I share many opinions about choices for our kids, and when people give me opinions I usually just smile and say "That''s interesting." Rarely do they try to push it any further I find.

 

[Blenheim]

DD, I've also found that not sharing and giving vague answers to things helps to prevent opinions from even being shared. If someone asks if he's STTN, I generally just say something like "He's sleeping well enough" which, while not answering the question, often lets them know that I don't need all of the advice that they have to give on the subject.

But today someone asked how he's doing and I said that I think he's going through another growth spurt, which started the whole rice cereal thing. And then when it starts I have trouble responding. I'll keep your response in mind next time!

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 7/20/2009 9:12:31 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie
Blen I know you and I share many opinions about choices for our kids, and when people give me opinions I usually just smile and say 'That's interesting.' Rarely do they try to push it any further I find.

This is similar to what I do. I just say "thanks for the info" or like DD "Interesting-I'll have to look that up" and change the subject. Most people don't press on.

 

[gailrmv]

Date: 7/20/2009 11:47:09 AM
Author: dreamer_dachsie
Tandogmom I wonder with A whether he is like Hunter, and you need to just persist in waiting past his peak? It seems that from the moment Hunter starts grumbling to falling to sleep is only about 5-7 minutes, which is not very long, but he sure gets worked up in the moment before sleep comes! How long have you been waiting with A before you give in and nurse him? I was always giving in when Hunter got hysterical, then he would fall asleep the instant the boob touched his lips -- I now know he would have fallen asleep on his own if I hadn't intervened

hi DD! Thanks for sharing (in your prev post) about what you are trying - it sounds like it is working, and I am really happy for you! To answer your question, thankfully, I think at night we are doing OK. I think when he wakes up at night he is genuinely hungry because he nurses a lot, and for that I am happy to get out of bed (I just wish it were one time instead of 2, but so it goes).

It's the naps that are killing me. I have tried letting him fuss for as long as 15 min (I put him down for a nap, then take my shower, hoping he would settle in the meantime). I've tried it several times and so far he has not settled himself down, and I'm just not comfortable letting him go longer (at this age - who knows in the future). I'm actually having success getting him to nap in the crib now but often for just 15 min or so. But, this is progress, and progress is good! And he did have one good nap yesterday and several catnaps today. The sleep log is helping me too, because I'm seeing some patterns emerge already. He seems to get tired right around 9:15 and we've also moved bedtime to 7:30 instead of 8, and he seems to go down with less resistance at that time. Yay sleep log!

Such a learning curve these little guys have us on!

MRS I hope that everything works itself out with your career decision. I've been through a lot of career decisions lately too and it is not easy. I hope that you enjoy the next 2 months at home and that the right job comes along if and when you want it to!

Courtney so sorry to hear you are having back troubles

Feel better soon!

Pandora I hope everything gets resolved soon with your employer!!!!!! Dust outgoing!!! Is Daisy still napping well for you? Also, is she still wanting to stay in motion, like before? A is still a motion junkie - we ran some errands today, and every time we stopped moving he was in hysterics, but when we moved again he was content!

TGal I totally agree about trusting your instincts. Well said, as usual.


Blen I don't get much unsolicited advice, but I am sure it must be annoying. I like the approach of saying "that's interesting, I'll look that up" and changing the subject. Another idea is to say "I'm so tired of talking about [sleeping, BF'ing, whatever it is]. What's new with you?" And, my personal favorite, which I read somewhere and can take no credit for, and I'm not gutsy enough to use it, but: "Did I sleep with you last night? No? Then, you have no business talking with me about my child."

SAHMs and Work at home Moms - do you feel a little stir crazy sometimes? I have been just the past couple weeks. I enjoy getting out of the house and getting together with friends, especially other moms, but lately I've been trying to be home more to try for naps, and so I'm feeling isolated sometimes. What do you all do?

I talked with the nurse at my pediatrician's office re; the whole nap thing, and she said not to worry. She said that every kid is different and if I'm offering him the opportunity to nap, and he just won't, then he may just need less sleep than average and it will not hurt him. I'll discuss it more with the dr next week at his well child check. It made me feel better to have someone tell me not to worry, that I'm doing things right, as opposed to the books which just stress me out! I think I'm putting aside the parenting books for a while and reading a novel while nursing - I need a break from the parenting books!

 

[gailrmv]

Does anyone else use the Ergo baby carrier? If so, can you get the baby on your back by yourself? A loves being carried this way, but I cannot get him on and off my back without DH helping. Just wondering if anyone else can manage it solo. Would be so convenient for errands, now that he is to big to be carried on my front for that long!

 

[Blenheim]

NF, thanks for your input too! I'll definitely try that next time.

TDM, I had to put down all parenting books for a while too. A novel sounds great.
Thanks for your suggestions as well, but like you I could never use that last one!
I've asked DH if he'd like to keep a sleep log and of course he doesn't. But I think it might be helpful. Are you keeping track of anything other than nap times, like how you were able to get them to sleep?
ETA re Ergo - Yes (but he hates it plus it turns out that he's not developmentally ready for it - I went to a babywearing class this weekend). Do you have the instructional DVD? They show how to get it on.
ETA#2 - Or you could go to youtube and do a search for "how to ergo back carry" or something of those sorts. They have a lot of different videos of how to do it. Practice over a bed.

General question - is there a hormone swing of some sort around 3.5 months post partum? I've felt unusually weepy for the past week. I know it's not PPD, as I've been clinically depressed before and it's nothing like that. It's just that I keep crying. I suppose that it could just be life-in-limbo type stuff going on.

 

[gailrmv]

Date: 7/20/2009 10:47:47 PM
Author: Blenheim
NF, thanks for your input too! I'll definitely try that next time.


TDM, I had to put down all parenting books for a while too. A novel sounds great.

Thanks for your suggestions as well, but like you I could never use that last one!

I've asked DH if he'd like to keep a sleep log and of course he doesn't. But I think it might be helpful. Are you keeping track of anything other than nap times, like how you were able to get them to sleep?

ETA re Ergo - Yes (but he hates it plus it turns out that he's not developmentally ready for it - I went to a babywearing class this weekend). Do you have the instructional DVD? They show how to get it on.



General question - is there a hormone swing of some sort around 3.5 months post partum? I've felt unusually weepy for the past week. I know it's not PPD, as I've been clinically depressed before and it's nothing like that. It's just that I keep crying. I suppose that it could just be life-in-limbo type stuff going on.

I made an excel spreadsheet with blocks for each half hour, and laid out the whole week across the page with days as columns and times as rows. I started writing everything (using E, A, S and DS for Drowsy Signs) but that got cumbersome, so then I just started highlighting times that he slept and I also am noting the drowsy signs.

I will watch the DVD - thanks for the heads up! I watched the instruction video on their website and it seemed like even the instruction person had trouble doing it alone (with a much older baby). I've been using the front carry position since 2 months, but A had really good head and neck control for his age from early on. We tried the infant insert and he was having none of it, but he did just fine with his feet inside of the carrier. Only recently will he wrap his feet/legs around my waist. I hope you enjoy the carrier when you start using it. We love ours!

 

[TravelingGal]

TDM, I use the ergo and can get it her on my back and off without a problem. It''s fairly easy with a bit of practice, and not much at that.

Also wanted to say, I love all the new pics. These babies are growing fast. And some are seriously the spitting image of their folks!

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 7/20/2009 10:32:12 PM
Author: TanDogMom

Pandora I hope everything gets resolved soon with your employer!!!!!! Dust outgoing!!! Is Daisy still napping well for you? Also, is she still wanting to stay in motion, like before? A is still a motion junkie - we ran some errands today, and every time we stopped moving he was in hysterics, but when we moved again he was content!


SAHMs and Work at home Moms - do you feel a little stir crazy sometimes? I have been just the past couple weeks. I enjoy getting out of the house and getting together with friends, especially other moms, but lately I''ve been trying to be home more to try for naps, and so I''m feeling isolated sometimes. What do you all do?

Thank TDM - I should hear this morning. Then it''s just a case of having the Compromise Agreement drawn up by their lawyer and checked by my lawyer. They then provide me with a glowing reference in writing and a large cheque, I promise not to sell the story to the papers and we all go our merry ways.

I felt sick all yesterday evening about it. I was worried both my DH and my brother would feel that I sold out - we ended up with a figure that was a bit less than I wanted but a fair whack more than they did. However they both seemed really pleased and DH in particular is just so relieved that it might finally be over. If we do have to go to court, we won''t have a verdict until October which means that this will have gone on for an entire year.

I''m just waiting for the confirmation call now - I so hope that they don''t try and pull any stunts like wanting to change bits of what we agreed.

On the SAHM bit, I''m fairly introverted to start with, so I don''t find it that difficult. I have loads of hobbies and if I want to interact with people than there is PS

and I have more than enough medical appointments! Sorry, not much help...

 

[mela lu]

I only skimmed - so I can't repsond right now, but I need your experiences on these two things:

Fingernails - How (what method) do you use? ...and when?

Nighttime explosions. We've talked about pee'ing through, but Romy POOs through 3-4 nights a week. ITs not that there is a lot of poo, its that the ANGLE at which the poop is going is wrong! It goes up his back, not down into the gusset of the diaper. FWIW, we're using Pampers brand.

I'm so tired of it. Any suggestions?

___

Courtney - poor you! I didnt realize your neck was that bad!!!! Wow. More later missy!

Pandora - DUST!!!!!!!!!

DD - Um, Doppelgangers!?

OMG

More later! Off to a "LLL" meeting (thought it was yesterday but it's today) and then to our Pedi.

"see" yas later!

 

[Blenheim]

Thanks TDM!

Mela, that''s the earliest LLL meeting I''ve ever heard of. The one that I go to is in the evening, but most are like 10-12 around here. Nighttime poosplosions - Are the diaps the right size, for sure? We had 2 daytime explosions on Fri/Sat which we never had happen before, and then realized he was on the upper weight limit of both the diapers and the covers, sized up, and have had no problems this week. So far. If they''re the right size, I''d probably get a Thirsties diaper cover, and cover the diaper with it (even disposables), personally. I have never had a leak of any sort with one. But maybe someone else has a better suggestion. (Come to think of it, I may try some variant of this idea tonight for ourselves - we usually use pocket diapers at night.) We have baby finger nail clippers that we use on a need basis - I think that G was around Romy''s age when we finally stopped just biting them off.

Off to work!

 

[mela lu]

hahaahaaha. My LLL meeting is at 9:45am, I wrote my first post when I was up feeding Romy and figure I''d strike PS while I had the chance.

re: Poosplosions. He''s roughly 11 lbs now, and the diapers go until 14 lbs

re: fingernails. I cant bite them (my bite doesn''t line up properly), and he''s too squirmy for me to clip alone. Looking for tips that dont rely on a second person. TIA!

Now, really off to my meeting!

 

[MustangGal]

Mela - we use a nail file while he''s eating or half asleep. It does normally take both of us to do it though. The clippers don''t seem to work for us yet. And on the diaper explosions, Kyle''s only done this a few times, he mostly poops during the day so night poops aren''t an issue. Maybe try the size 2 diaper just at night? Or try a few different brands? I like Huggies at night, and amazingly the Walmart brand diapers are pretty good, and seem to be a bit oversized compared to the name brands.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Mela We switched hunter to the bigger size both times well before he hit the weight limit. I think it was around Romy''s size we went to size 2s! And the main reason was pee and poo explosions. Apparently the diaper isn''t big enough if they burst out of it! We also went up to size 3 when he was around 15lbs, although they say it is for 16lbs.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 7/21/2009 10:59:18 AM
Author: dreamer_dachsie
Mela We switched hunter to the bigger size both times well before he hit the weight limit. I think it was around Romy''s size we went to size 2s! And the main reason was pee and poo explosions. Apparently the diaper isn''t big enough if they burst out of it! We also went up to size 3 when he was around 15lbs, although they say it is for 16lbs.

Ditto, Mela. If he''s close to the weight limit, he needs a bigger diaper.

 

[sbde]

mela - i cut J's nails when he is asleep, and use the baby nailcutter to make one small snip on the corner and then peel the rest off along that first snip. hope that makes sense, it's worked well for us so far.