PS Mommy Thread-Newborn to 12 months!

[S&I]

Wow, it's been a really long time since my last post in here!

Welcome to all the new mamas! For those of you struggling through sleep schedules and feeding, I just want to say that it really does get better with time. I have had a super low milk supply since the beginning (as in, the highest I've ever been able to pump at one time is 30ml and that was yesterday!), so we've been supplementing with formula since A was about 1 week old. I still haven't given myself permission to completely stop BF yet, since A still seems to enjoy it. He also has a hard time napping during the day unless he was being held by someone. We're still working on that, but his RnP has helped a lot. Anyway, I just wanted to ensure you ladies that it may take some time, but babies will eventually sort out their own sleeping schedules, so try not to stress about it too much (like I did).

I am loving all the new baby pics - I can't get enough!

NEL, I'm sure you are doing a great job balancing out being a mommy and working. It's great that you'll be able to cut back on your hours once #2 comes along though. It sounds like K is doing really well with swimming and solids. That's great that you've been able to make so many batches. I can't wait to try experimenting, but am not looking forward to the constipation. I love K's ladybug outfit!

LC, thanks for asking about us. I think A is sorting out his own schedule and slowly moving his bedtime earlier (around 8-9pm instead of 10-11pm), so he ends up skipping his last bottle of the day (only takes 5 bottles instead of 6 when he does this). I love the pic of E sucking his thumb! Have you been able to wean him off his swaddle using the one-arm technique? I haven't tried yet, because it seems like A wakes himself up when he manages to get his arms out of the Miracle blanket and starts crying until I pick him up. I'm so glad E's temp has come back down to normal. So glad he finally pooped! How long did he go without pooping? Oh, and I feel you on the haircut thing. A's hair is getting long, but I can't bring myself to have it cut yet. I figure it's not bothering him, so why not wait until later?

pancake, I'm glad S's sleep routine is getting back to normal now. Hope her constipation eases up soon. Love all the pics - she is such a cutie!

Freke, I can't believe A is already 8 months old! Can't wait to see her pro pics. Hope your move goes as smoothly as can be. So sorry that A's sleep schedule has gone awry due to her teething.

bobbin, I can't believe C is already standing so well! I'm jealous that she can hold up her head so well when she's on her tummy. A still hates tummy time, and I haven't been strict enough on him, but he also loves to stand with our help. He's got some chunky thighs now, and he seems to think they're all muscle. His upper body isn't strong enough yet and his head is still a little wobbly. It sounds like C and A are on the same non-schedule during the day. A will sleep 3-4 hours in someone's arms, but only 20-30 minutes or sometimes an hour in his RnP. He still doesn't STTN yet, so you're lucky C does that at least! That's so great that you're able to postpone your return to work until December!

AFU, I came back to work yesterday and was able to spend some time in the pumping room at work. I ended up getting home an hour later than I wanted to, and A was in a terrible mood. He was fussy after his bath (my parents bathed him while DH and I were eating dinner), which has never happened before. As soon as my mom handed him over to me, he started his boob-search, even though he just had a 6oz bottle shortly before his bath! I finally gave in and let him have my pumped 30ml around 9pm and let him suck on me until he fell asleep. Poor baby was probably out of sorts because I wasn't around to let him BF all day.

I've gotten a few 6-hour stretches randomly and one 7-hour stretch (we took him to a wedding and he slept from 11pm to almost 6am - my boobs were exploding since I hadn't BF him since 1pm that afternoon due to the wedding). For the past week or so, he's been going down for the night by sucking on me anywhere from 8-10pm and then waking for a quick BF session and 5oz bottle between 2-3pm. He goes back to sleep for another 3-4 hours and then refuses to go back into his crib. I'm pretty happy with that since I get some time in the evening to catch up on things I need to do around the house, and I seem to be getting enough sleep, but I still can't wait until he starts STTN, whenever that will happen!

 

[parrot tulips]

LC - Yay for Ethan! Ava only poops once every couple of days now (sometimes more, but not often), but since she seems comfortable (no straining, grunting, soft belly, etc.) and the ped isn't worried, I'm just enjoying fewer messy diapers.

 

[Missy0483]

Well I'm surving the going back to work thing! Blake slept from 9:30pm til 6:15am Sunday night and Monday night! That's almost 9 hours!!! I had to wake him up both mornings so we could get ready to leave and drop him off at the babysitter Our sitter loves him! Both mornings I walked in, she offered to help because my hands were full and she reached for the car seat both times and took him out right away to hold him. She gives us a report everyday on his feedings, naps (she records whichever naptime is the longest. He took one 2 1/2 hour nap), and diaper changes. She also writes a sentence or two on how he did that day. Yesterday she wrote "He took short naps here and there. I love having him!". DH hung the report on the fridge. I said it was like Blake's first "report card" and he passed!

So glad that's going well. Now if only my job was much better. I almost forgot how much this place annoyed me, but I got a lovely reminder not too long after I set foot in here yesterday morning. Oh well, at least I have something great to come home to!! If not I don't think I'd be able to tolerate work!

Blake fights sleep in the evenings between 5:00 and about 8:30...I guess we have to take the good with the bad! At least he sleeps good through the night I guess! The poor guy is so tired and can't keep his eyes open but still cries even after eating, diaper change, holding him, burping, etc. He calms down for a while, is almost asleep for about 5 - 10 mins and wakes himself up! Silly boy. We usually end up giving him a bath around 8:30pm(which he loves!!), get him in pj's, feed him about 4 oz, and he falls right to sleep around 9:15/9:30pm. So I guess he likes this little routine and it seems to be working for us. He'll be 7 weeks tomorrow. I did a quick weight check (weighed myself, then held him and weighed us together) and he was just under 11 pounds!

 

[S&I]

Missy, yay for surviving the back-to-work thing! I also started back at work yesterday. Sorry your work is just as bad as it was before you left though. I'm still going through my 1000+ emails, ugh. That's awesome that B is sleeping so well at night for you! And your babysitter sounds like a very organized person - I would love if my parents would write down the times they feed/change A.

 

[lliang_chi]

And now for responses:

PT: When did Ava's pooping schedule change? She doesn't take purees right? Did anything in her diet change? Ethan's belly was still soft, but he kept arching his back and would fuss so it seemed like he was uncomfortable. Maybe I'm just a big wimp.... WOW! Back to belly rolls! Ethan will do belly to back but I haven't seen him do it the other way.

S&I, Look at Alex!!! He looks like a little firecracker in that picture! Love the hair, DH is threatening to take Ethan to get a hair cut the next time he's home alone watching him. I'm glad to hear A's sorting out his schedule. It's sounds like you're feeling a lot more confident about things too, go you mama! So sweet that he wants extra snuggle time with mama. When Ethan was sick this weekend he was all about the extra snuggles. It came with some whimpering and fussiness, but I like snuggles. We kind of did one arm swaddles then just went with sleep sacks. He still takes a while to settle, I usually hover over him, hold his arms down until he stays still.

CDinNYC, I'll have to look up what these Camila drops are. Thanks for the tipI don't thikn Ethan's teething quite yet, but I keep hearing "horror" stories of whimpering fussy babies and bad sleep patterns. I dunno, guess I'm just a wimp and want to hold onto the long STTNs and no fussiness.

Pancake, Hooray! Glad S is having such a good day. Seems like it might have been a wonder week(s) as the reason why she had such a crap sleep schedule. Hoping she stays on with the good day time sleeps. Do you put prunes in her fruit only? What about veggies?

Oh so I did a uber veggie cook-off on Sunday. I made 10oz of carrots, 10oz of parsnips and 10oz of green beans. Was going to do a fruit cook off, but not feeling so hot so that might wait for tomorrow/when I feel better.

 

[CDNinNYC]

Missy, yay for surviving the back-to-work thing! I also started back at work yesterday. Sorry your work is just as bad as it was before you left though. I'm still going through my 1000+ emails, ugh. That's awesome that B is sleeping so well at night for you! And your babysitter sounds like a very organized person - I would love if my parents would write down the times they feed/change A.

If your parents have access to an iPhone, iPad, or iPod, BabyConnect is a great app to keep track of feedings, naps, diaper changes... It's great because when my mom or DH watch DD, I can see the updates on my phone. . There's also no need to remember times since you can quickly reference the last time the baby ate, slept, etc....

 

[mayerling]

S&I, your post made me feel better. It's good to be reminded that babies will sort out their own sleep schedules.

LC, it's great you managed to prepare so much food for Ethan. I want to make my own baby food when the time comes so I hope I'm as efficient as you.

Pancake, how nice that S had a good day. Also, thanks again for the deeper bath suggestion. N hasn't cried the last two times we've given him a bath.

Missy, it's good to see you around. I miss your posts from the pregnant thread. And I'm so jealous of how much sleep B is getting!

PT, yay for weaning A off one bottle. Even 5 hours straight of sleep seems heavenly right now.

AFU, N had two fussy periods yesterday. Once in the afternoon when he woke up at 2:30, fed, and refused to sleep until 5:30 (after he'd been fed again), and one in the evening after his bath and feeding where he refused to sleep until 11pm (after he'd been fed again). This second time he cried and cried inconsolably. DH, mom, and I were beside ourselves not knowing what was wrong and why he couldn't be soothed. In the end DH managed to calm him down and put him to sleep at 11. He only slept until 1am. I really don't know what was wrong and it scares me that I can't find what he needs to comfort him...

 

[CDNinNYC]

Mayerling, for some reason, running water really helped calm DD down during those fussy moments. We'd let the bath faucet run and she'd calm right up. Just a suggestion in case you want to try it.

Eta: I wonder if he had gas pains? They are quite painful on the poor babies. Bicycle legs might help with that.

 

[lliang_chi]

CDN, I use the Baby-connect application! It's great. They have an Android app too. Nothing for Windows phone though

Mayer, sorry to hear that N was so fussy. Don't be too hard on yourself that you can't quiet N down right away. You guys are still getting to know each other. And no one has all the answers. When Ethan was a newborn, I used to go through a checklist of things that could be bothering him. And I had no shame to do anything to calm him down. I drew a bath for him one afternoon when he was just melting down. Plopped him in and after a while he calmed down.

NEL/Pancake: When you prep your purees, do you freeze any of them or just use it for the week? I froze my veggie cook off in little ice cube trays. Making prunes now and will likely freeze those too.

 

[pancake]

LC - I usually cook a couple of batches of vegies (I usually do one of "green stuff" and one of "orange stuff") and a batch of fruit at a time, and then I freeze it in these ice cube tray things I was given. Then once they're frozen I pop them out and store them in zip-lock bags as it's more space efficient that way.

Hope Ethan is feeling better!! And poor you - isn't it always the way, the mother in the family props everyone up and looks after everyone, and then just as they're convalescing...boom! You get sick! Hope you can get some rest. Give J a good dig in the ribs tonight when E fusses.

Yay for poop!!! Never thought I'd say that!!!

Mayer - glad the baths are working out well! The fussy period in the evenings is super super super super common, and basically all you can do is make sure you meet his needs - feed, burp, make sure his nappy is changed, he's not too cold, he's not too hot, etc - and then beyond that, just cuddle and rock and do whatever you think helps. The general belief is that it's an issue of self-regulation and babies trying to work out how to handle all the outside stimuli they're suddenly inputting. It doesn't last forever, so as long as you're ticking off the list of things that you might be able to "fix", don't let yourself get too anxious about it. Obviously if you think he's unwell, that's different. But it is normal for babies to fuss and cry, especially in the evenings. Some will do it for a few hours a day - then they call it "colic"!

CDN, that app is such a good idea. Unfortunately both my mother (especially my mother!) and my MIL are luddites when it comes to such things. I don't think I would ever be able to enforce it, blah.

Missy - well done on the return to work! I remember how infuriating you found your workplace when you were pregnant and I'm sorry things haven't improved since. You now have something (someone) amazing to come home to, though, and he will be so happy to see/smell/feel you each evening!

S&I, I saw your FB post about returning to work, and I was thinking of you! I think that if A really loves his nursing sessions then continuing to pump is a great idea! How much does he take from the bottle at a time? Reason I ask is that if your boobs are bursting when you go out and don't feed him, maybe you are one of those women who has a much better supply than the pump suggests?

That enormous smile is gorgeous! Those are my favourites - the wide-open mouth and scrunchy nose

AFU, after the perfect day yesterday today has been a little bit bumpier, but nothing awful. S woke a little earlier this morning (around 7:15) and instead of the nice, deep sleep, calm nap of the last few days, had a bit of a fitful time with her morning nap. My mother then came over so I could go and visit my dad, and she managed an entire 20 minutes for her lunchtime nap Anyway, she's gone down now for an afternoon nap and hopefully it'll be a good one!

Like LC's Ethan, S FINALLY pooped properly today! Twice!

I love how my most exciting event of the last couple of days is my baby pooping. How life has changed

 

[mayerling]

Pancake, thanks for saying that it's normal for him to go through such fussiness and thanks to everyone else for offering suggestions on how to combat it.

Pancake and LC, it's amazing how chats about baby's poops monopolise my and DH's conversation these days!

AFU, we took him to the paediatrician today and he has gained 435 grams in one week! I know they say you can't overfeed a breastfed baby but I'm not sure I understand why...

 

[S&I]

LC, that's good to know that E took pretty well to the sleep sacks. I need to get some of those. What brand/type did you get? I'll probably try to wean A off the swaddle once I start getting more consistent 6-hour stretches (he slept from 9pm-4am last night!), or if he seems to easily break free from the Miracle blanket more often. What you said about me sounding more confident with things is probably true. I don't stress out as much around bedtime anymore because he's been going down so much easier with my help than in the early weeks. I'm sure E will still look great after his first haircut - he's such a cutie pie! Yay for your super veggie cook-off, but sorry you're now feeling sick. Hope you get better soon!

CDNinNYC, thanks! I'll have to take a look at that app. I'm using the one from the What to Expect company that tracks diapers, feedings, sleep, and vaccinations. I'm only tracking diapers and feedings though.

mayerling, do you feel like N only calms down after the second feedings because he's all cried out? We went through a lot of that where he would cry almost non-stop in the evenings before bedtime, basically until he passed out. It was so hard to hear, and I usually made DH hold him when he got into that state. But I did find that A slept longer after that. I wonder if CDinNYC's suggestion about N being gassy might be right. My friend's DS had terrible gas problems after every feeding, so he'd basically scream until his face was red for an hour after he ate. Once he calmed down, it was almost time to eat again, so it was pretty hard on his parents. They also held him with his legs up to try to help him through the gas pains. It sounds like this might just be a phase that N needs to go through (like A did). I also used to be so scared that I couldn't figure out how to comfort A, but now I have an easier time of it. Hang in there! N is going to gain more weight in the first month and then it'll start level out. Don't worry about overfeeding him because he would be throwing back up the extra if you were overfeeding. Whatever doesn't fit in their tiny stomachs has to come back up.

pancake, yay for S pooping! Hope her afternoon nap lasted longer than the other two. Yeah, I can't make myself give up pumping just yet. When we were going to the lactation consultant and doing the suck-then-weigh thing, it seemed like A was able to suck out more than the pump, but not a whole lot more so I just assumed he was a little better at getting the milk than the pump. But he still takes a full 5oz bottle of formula after he has his go at my boobs. I've been bringing him into the bed in the mornings to let him suck and it seems like he'll sleepily stay on even when he's not actively sucking and swallowing, but then he'll randomly start swallowing again like he found an untapped milk duct or something. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and seeing if my supply increases with the pump (I got 35ml yesterday, so it's still up from Monday).

AFU, we got our 2nd 7-hour stretch last night! He had one arm and one leg out of the swaddle when I picked him up. When that happens, he starts flopping his arm up and down and can't get back to sleep. He always gets one leg out pretty easily, but that doesn't seem to bother him as much as his arm being out. What a silly boy!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Holy moly, I'm behind!

S&I, hooray for the second 7-hour stretch. Sounds like the beginning of a new routine! You know what's frustrating? That the startle reflex is usually still around when a baby starts rolling. The whole transition-out-of-the-swaddle while the startle reflex still exists just makes a tough transition even tougher.

Also, don't worry too much about bad habits right now--you returning to work is a transition for you and A and you'll develop a routine in time.

Mayerling, you've already gotten good advice, so I'm just echoing that evening fussiness is TOTALLY normal. I remember when K's started I freaked out worrying that it was colic, haha. The good news is that your non-fussy baby will return! And yes, K's poop is a daily conversation in our house as well. And it's a daily coversation with the babysitter.

Oh, and CDinNYC made a good point about gas. K's gas would get worse at the end of the day and I would do that thing where you put the baby's knees to their chest to force out air (similar to bicycle legs). Eventually I gave her a couple of ounces of chamomile at the end of the day which helped a ton. Does N seem overly gassy at night?

Don't sweat the hiccups. K used to get hiccups after every feeding. She got hiccups multiple times per day while in utero as well.

Pancake, how are you doing on the other side of the world? So sorry to hear about the short nap--two steps forward, one step back, right? And yay for S pooping!! K didn't poop at all yesterday, then this morning she had her regular morning poop. D and I actually high-fived over it. So yes, things change, haha. I now live in a house where we high-five about poop.

LC, I would prefer to freeze all food for 2 reasons: 1.) I know exactly how much she's getting since the frozen portions are 1 oz. each and 2.) I can more easily mix different combinations to keep food exciting for K. Right now I have 2 baby food trays that hold about 20 oz. each. But K is eating 70 oz. of purees each week. So yeah, I've already ordered more trays. Anyway, I end up having to either refrigerate some food OR make 2 batches of food per week.

Also, I'm making 2 types of veggies per week and 3 types of fruit. If they ALL have to be steamed, it takes me several hours. This week I implemented a rule that only two things I bought would be steamed. So far it's much easier to manage. I bought blueberries and bananas, which require no prep at all, I can just puree. Then I bought sweet potatoes, which I can roast in the oven while I steam and puree other foods. I only had to steam mango and summer squash. All in all, having a combination of prep methods (and most importantly, having some foods that required no prep) made for the most efficient baby food making session to date.

How is E doing?? I'm SO GLAD he pooped!!

Missy, you are so right about having something to look forward to when you get home. I find that even the crappy parts of work almost seem more bearable now because I don't focus on them once I'm home. My time with K in the evenings is much-anticipated, so when I walk through the door I forget all about work. Honestly, it's tougher when their bedtime starts getting earlier as the weeks go on! It's great that right now you can spend so much time with him at night!

PT, A is getting so strong! Have you tried the mesh feeder yet? K likes hers, but I hate cleaning it. Little bits of fruit always seem to get stuck in it. Hopefully A likes hers and it can pacifier her for a bit instead of the boob. K barely gets any water from her sippy cup, too, but I mostly use it as a tool so that she can figure out how it works. Even if A is only gnawing on the tip, at least she has some positive association with it!

PP, so sorry about the nurse. You will be just fine BFing and taking a plane. Does she think that moms have no ability to plan ahead? That's what pumps are for! So glad you're enjoying the Ergo! At the end of my first mom class we had to go around the room and say one tool/product that helped us through the first month or two. Mine was the Ergo. I hope the good nighttime sleep continues!

AFU, I'm having some in-law issues. I just typed them out, but it was two long paragraphs with too much detail. Bottom line is that 1.) I don't feel I get enough time with K as it is, so I'm not keen on sharing her and 2.) I'm admittedly crazy about sleep and she gets NO SLEEP with them. I caved and let them watch her for 2 hours yesterday. I told them to put her down for a nap. I had D call and tell them, too. When I picked her up, she was zoned out and her eyes were red from rubbing them.

Right now they see her once a week, but I know they want to see her more. Just curious if this is an issue for anybody else?

D's parents are coming over tonight for dinner. I'm trying to figure out a polite way to say "if you think I'm going to let go of my daughter for one minute when I only get to see her for an hour on days I work, you're smoking crack".

Only other thing going on is how crazy diaper changes have become. Katie loves to roll from back to tummy while I change her. So diaper changes are now an exercise in distracting her while I quickly change her!

 

[Kunzite]

NEL - 1. Once a week is far too often. 2. Anyone who can't follow my rules can't watch my babies. End of story. What else are they not listening to, KWIM?


Did somebody say colic? OMG, E is so colicky and hard to settle. This kid is starting to rival O with his banshee screams. They're so piercing! This too will pass, this too will pass Last night E's shrill screams woke up both of his brothers while DH was out getting some dinner. Three crying babies!! Oy.

And there it goes again....

 

[S&I]

NEL, so funny that you and D high-fived each other when K pooped this morning! We talk about poop a lot in our house now too, including asking how much and what color, ha. Do you still change K on the changing table now that she's taken to rolling over? Sorry your having problems with the in-laws, but I agree that once a week is plenty already. Do they pick up hints pretty well? If so, can you maybe just pretend to talk to D about how you never get any time with K at nights now, and how much you miss her, etc.? Or do you have to be blunt about it? My in-laws still haven't made their way to even meet A, so I doubt I'll have a problem with them being around too much. My parents come over everyday though, but that's because they're my cheap daycare.

Kunzite, sorry to hear that E's been so fussy lately! You've definitely got your hands full. Hang in there, and hope this phase passes quickly!

 

[lliang_chi]

Kunzite, so good to see you 'round these parts. I love seeing your updates. I'm sorry to hear about the "C" word. No advice just hugs! Have you guys moved yet?

NEL, Wow, I can't believe K's rolling back to tummy. Ethan can get to his side, but can't make the final push over. I have a kitchen scale so i can still figure out how much solids Ethan's getting. Maybe I'm just too detailed like that??? I know I've told you this a million times but wow, K is such a healthy eater! She's doing 10oz of solids a day? Ethan maybe does a quarter of that. I'm not sure if he'd eat more or not. How often do you feed solids to K? Breakfast lunch and dinner? Right now he just gets fruit for breakfast. Did you try using your rice cooker to steam also? Also try baking stuff like apples, pears, carrots, beets etc. I actually baked Ethan's first go at peaches and it turned out quite well. Sorry to hear about the in-law issues. I agree with Kunzite, if they can't follow your rules then you've got every right to bench them. You're the parent, so in the end, what you say goes. And for them wanting to take up your Katie bonding time, maybe you can schedule their visits on days you don't work or on the weekend?? Otherwise I'd have D tell them flat out not to bother trying to hold her on days you're working because you don't get to see her much on those days.

S&I, I got the Halo brank sleep sacks, they were on sale with BabySteals not too long ago. But any of those brands work. My suggestion is to get the ones with ZIPPERS not buttons though. I'm glad you're getting a hang of things with A. I can't believe A is breaking free from the Miracle Blanket. For the most part Ethan was contained with it. He would break free when we started leaving appendages (legs/arms) out because it was getting too hot for him. Hooray for the 7 hr stretch. I'm hoping A will continue with the long stretches. It's like heaven sent when they FINALLY break through 6 hrs.

Mayer, I do "yoga stretches" for Ethan's tummy. It's called "wind removing pose" I put him on his back and draw his knees up to his chest/belly and hold for a few seconds. I normally start with just one leg , kinda like bicycle, keeping one leg straight and drawing his other knee to his chest. Hold for 10 secs, stretch both legs straight, then switch sides. Then I draw both knees up and hold for 10 secs. A few times he's let out some pretty loud poots, so I think it works. I only do it when he's in a good mood, that is not fussing or crying and also avoid doing it right after he eats (thinking it'd cause him to puke). So it's either right after he wakes up, or after he's been up after eating for 45 mins or so.

Pancake, How much is S eating of solids? I think, like NEL's K, S is a healthy eater. I haven't been giving daycare more than a few oz of solids for them to feed him for breakfast. I'm not sure how much more than 2+ oz he can finish in one shot. I'm glad S is pooping now too Hee hee, we're all living the "glamorous life" now. LOL!

Pancake/NEL, do you guys only introduce new solids in the morning? I read that you should do new stuff in the mornng in case it causes an upset tummy that way it won't keep him up at night when he's trying ot go to sleep.

AFM, still feeling kinda lousy. I still did a few Ethan stuff yesterday/this morning (picking him up from daycare, washing diapers, feeding him and a late night/early morning suckie recovery). But I think Ethan is going easy on me because he slept through most of the evening and woke up at 5:30. Went to the doctor since I've got a super killer sore throat that make swallowing uncomfortable. The doc said I don't have hand, foot, mouth (whew!) and my rapid strep culture came back negative. She still took another sample to culture, but won't know the results until Friday. Till then she said to take ibuprofen. I double checked with the midwives and they said ibuprofen is totally safe to take during breastfeeding, so I'm going back to that. Acetaminophen wasn't quite cutting it for this sore throat.

 

[Kunzite]

LC - We move at the end of August. I'm just ready to get it over with already (although I'm dreading the flight)!! Sorry to hear you're not feeing well Get your DH on the ball taking care of you and E!! I meant to tell you how cool it is that you and your sis are frat. Do you look alike? Did you do testing to make sure you're frat? I lurk at a twin board and there are quite a few DNA tests that come back ID even though the babies look quite different. It's one reason we decided to do the test regardless, just to be sure (I'm a Virgo...)!!

 

[lliang_chi]

Kunzite, we never did a DNA test to tell for sure but we've been told we're fratneral. We look very similar but not exactly alike. I'd be anxious about the flight too. Can you schedule it for a time that E is the least fussy?

Pity party time: I think I *do* have hand, foot, mouth! I'm terrified of infecting Ethan, I don't know what to do! I'm a grown adult and I barely feel like eating. I dunno what to do if my 6 month old catches it. I'm afraid he'll stop eating full stop. I messaged my doctor. Please send lots of dust that Ethan doesn't catch this.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Oh no, LC! I'm so sorry. Have you now developed a rash or have more sores? You poor thing, I feel awful. Now J HAS to pick up the slack since you're going to have to stay away from E. The good news is that you're probably half way through the incubation period, right? So a few days of not kissing E and hopefully it will be gone, you'll feel better and E will not get it. Fingers crossed for you!

As for the solids, she gets 5 oz. 2x per day. I think she would eat more if offered--and the pediatrician said I could offer her as much as she wants so long as she's getting a few bottles of forumula per day (24oz.)--I'm just afraid of giving her too much. I was giving solids for breakfast and dinner, but the babysitter told me this morning she likes giving K solids before her mid-day nap. So not sure if I'll start doing that at home, too. I want to talk with K's pediatrician about it at her 6 month appointment. Good idea about baking the peaches, how long did you bake them? I haven't used my rice cooker to steam because it's only 3 cups, so a saucepan holds more food. Oh, and I used to introduce solids in the morning, but she's never had any bad reaction, so now I just introduce them whenever. So far I've avoided anything gassy like broccoli because I know she's sensitive to that.

Oh, and the rolling. Our physical therapist was having us do a lot of torso-strengthening exercizes because she felt K was trying to roll, but didn't have the upper torso strength to actually do it. I admit I didn't really believe her since K didn't seem to try when she was with me. This was two weeks ago and literally the next day I did notice that she was trying to roll. And then the very next day, she rolled. And now she is rolling like crazy, so I guess the PT was right.

S&I, I was hoping the hint-dropping might help. I've dropped a few hints about how I need to start baby-proofing in hopes they might pick up on it (their house is like knick-knack central). They completely blew it off, haha. I'll figure something out--so far I've been pretty up-front when I'm really frustrated and that works best. I just don't want any tension. Blah, it's tough! Maybe part of it is frustration that my parents can't see her anytime (they live far away). It's so nice that your parents can see A at any time. Are your in-laws just disconnected from your family?

I only use the changing table at night (it's in her nursery). Downstairs I use put a towel in the pack and play and use that. I don't know if that's bad. I know A is still young, but do you use your changing table often? I only started using it when we moved into the nursery.

Kunzite, oh boy, banshee screaming! Fun! Maybe E would be most comfy sleeping in his car seat. In the car. In the garage. Far from everybody else. Kidding, but I bet that thought has crossed your mind

Sorry, but I have another question for you moms!

When did you transition out of your infant tub or when are you planning to transition? K is super long, so I feel like she's outgrown her whale tub. But she's not sitting up unassisted yet, so I don't know if I should move her into her blowup ducky tub. I'm thinking I might try the ducky tub and just see how it goes.

 

[Missy0483]

Kunzite - B's crying in the evenings sometimes sounds like an angry cat meowing! My poor cats don't know what the heck the noise is!He's fine during the day, but in the evening when he's fighting sleep, it's no good! I swear he knows how to tell time because it always starts around 5:30pm when we're trying to eat! lol.

 

[S&I]

LC, so sorry about the hand, foot, mouth diagnosis! Hope J can handle E while you get over it, and soon too. My OB has also confirmed that ibuprofen is safe for breastfeeding. Thanks for the sleep sack suggestion. I forgot that we had a couple of the Halo sleep sacks that we stopped using, but A is too long for the newborn size now, so I need to go get some bigger ones. A is pretty good about breaking out of any swaddle - just takes a little longer to do it from the Miracle Blanket, but he's getting better. He likes sticking one leg out at all times so he doesn't get too hot, I guess.

NEL, hope your in-laws back off a bit without too much drama. My in-laws only live about 4 hours away, but my FIL is really weird about leaving their house. He keeps telling DH that they're going to come visit and meet A, but then they just never do. I've given up on hoping that they'll come. But I've decided that they'll have to come visit us first before we make the first trip with A to see them, ha! That's awesome that K just started rolling over so soon after you first noticed her trying. A looks like he's starting to try to roll back to front, but I know his upper body is nowhere near strong enough to completely roll over. He still hasn't rolled front to back yet, because he gets too frustrated on his tummy and just plops his face down and screams until we pick him up. What a lazy boy! A seems like he's starting to get a little big for his whale tub too. I was just talking with DH about what we should transition to last night.

AFM, yet another 7-hour stretch. This time I did hear him start to grunt and try to wake up around the 5-hour mark, but he didn't actually wake up and let out his little pick-me-up cry until 7 hours. We'll see what happens tonight. Today was "take our children to work day", so he got to come up and meet some of my co-workers. He did really well, but started getting sleepy around lunch time, and fell asleep in my arms while I was taking him back to the car. It's crazy to think that he'll be walking by the time the next TOCTWD comes around.

 

[mayerling]

Hi ladies,

I'll come back with a detailed post, but in the meantime I have 3 BF questions if anybody has any thoughts:
1. Why is it impossible to overfeed a breastfed baby?
2. When do nippples stop hurting/
3. How do you know baby has drained one breast before offering the other?

Thanks!

 

[FrekeChild]

Don't get me started on in-laws and them creating sleeping issues, NEL. My SIL thinks that A can sleep in a room thats bright, has a TV on, and is full of people who are talking. Guess what, she can't. And if she doesn't get that nap, she's a beast for a week until we can get her sleep regulated again. Not to mention at the slightest inkling of stirring, SIL props her up and decides its time to play.

So she doesn't babysit for her anymore. My husband hasn't figured out why yet.

We have a tooth. OMG yay!

 

[bobbin]

Mayerling:
1. I have read things like it takes effort for babies to get the milk from the breast so when they are full they won't put in any more effort. But I think it would be useful to know WHY you think you may be overfeeding. Is it that you think he is feeding too frequently? Is he spitting up? Is he putting on weight quickly? Because all of these things are completely normal and healthy for a newborn breastfed baby! Have a look at http://kellymom.com/bf/normal/frequent-nursing/ and http://kellymom.com/bf/normal/weight-toomuch/ and http://kellymom.com/bf/normal/weight-gain/. If you are really convinced he is feeding too much maybe just make sure you are not mistaking hunger cues for tired signals or other discomfort? I know with Charlotte that if she is hungry, being fed is the only thing that will calm her down. So maybe go through a checklist of everything it could be before determining it is hunger? But conversely, don't try to stretch out feeds or feed on a schedule. Demand feeding is best for breastfed babes!

2. What kind of nipple pain is it? I had two kinds of pain - a low, general kind of pulling pain and a rubbing/burning pain. From what I gather, and in my experience, the first type is normal and is to do with nipples adjusting to feeding. It went away by about 5 weeks for me. The second kind of pain was not normal - it was to do with bad attachment. It went away when we got the attachment right. At about 3.5 weeks I think?

3. It is hard to tell isn't it? If only boobs had some kind of measuring device so we could tell! I just let DD feed from one boob until she is done (either pulls off or starts non-nutritive sucking) and then will offer the other side if she is still hungry.

HTH!

 

[bobbin]

LC: So sorry to hear your family is having a bad run health-wise! Sending dust that Ethan doesn't catch HFM from you! Is he better from being sick earlier in the week? Put your DH on baby duties! I've had a cold the past few days and have been feeling a bit lousy the past few days and I made DH take two days off work to look after C!

The giraffe suit is from Mothercare over here, and yes, it definitely comes in blue!

Pancake: I TOTALLY get the not wanting to move your baby from your room thing! C has about 5cm left to grow before she is too long for her bassinet. We don't want to move her into her room yet but she can't stay in her bassinet for too much longer. I have been seriously thinking about sidecar-ing the cot, but then I know I will want her back in her room at some point so doing that will make the transition harder!

C also does the post-bath meal thing. We wanted her bedtime routine to be bath-book-breastfeed-bed, but as soon as she is dressed after her bath, she will cry until she is fed! I started feeding her right before her bath in the hope we would get a bit more time out of her after the bath, but nope, as soon as she was dressed she wanted to be fed again. I decided to change the routine to book-bath-breastfeed-bed, but we keep forgetting to do the book before the bath.

I forgot to say that I started going to the community health run mums group and of course you were right! We all get along really well, despite all being very different. The same age babies are enough of a bonding factor. In fact we meet each week for lunch. We arrive at the local pub at 11am and leave at 3:30pm ish!

Congrats on your grant!

Also, I only just discovered your message on FB the other day! I never check my others folder . Is there a PS group that you are all a member of - I noticed that you said you saw S&I's update on FB the other day? Or are you all just FB friends?

Freke: I also want to see the pro-photos of A. She is such a beautiful baby! Yay for the tooth! Is she still teething, or is that it for now? Hope you get a break from the teething for a little while.

PP: Yay for the Ergobaby! I have a Manduca, which is almost identical to the Ergo, and we love it! In the early days, C could not stay awake in it and would sleep until we woke her up by taking her out. She would even skip feeds if we let her she was so comfy. It makes doing the supermarket shopping a breeze too. Hooray for a 6 hour stretch! And I totally agree that you should ignore that nurse's advice!

Also, both PP and Mayerling, we found that we were not making the baths warm enough at first for C and she would fuss. I guess we were just scared of burning her. Once we warmed the baths up, she enjoyed the baths but would scream when we took her out as it was cold. So we then started putting the towel in the dryer just before her bath and getting it out as she was ready to get out of the bath so she would have a nice warm towel. She was then perfectly happy from the start of the bath to when she was dressed.

NEL : I hear you on the in-laws! When my in-laws were staying up here they kept offering to look after C. We did not trust them to look after her in a way that we wanted or were comfortable with so we would just make excuses like oh, she needs to be with me as she is breastfed (to which they replied that they would buy a tin of formula and in one sentence exemplified why we wouldn't leave her with them!). I know you are now ff K but I am sure there are plenty of other excuses you can use

We used a PUJ tub for C when she was teeny, but she hated that so we quickly moved to bathing her in the bathroom sink. When she outgrew that we bought a terry towelling bath seat and bathed her in the big bath. One of these: http://www.bigsofties.com.au/accessories/bath-cradle/yagendoo_vamazing_2.tpl.html

S&I! Good to 'see' you! Truth be told, C hates traditional tummy time too. I usually hold her with her hands on me chest or DH does aeroplanes with her for her to get her tummy time, and of course we try to do a little bit of traditional tummy time every day (but don't always achieve this). Naw, look at A's happy little face! I am so not looking forward to going through my emails when I get back to work! Particularly as at my work the secretaries send out group emails to everyone when they are diverting the phones for their lunch, so there will be thousands and thousands of emails! So glad that A is starting to give you 7 hour stretches! To me that is STTN!

Missy: Are you back at work full time? So sorry you are still having a frustrating time at work. It must make it so much harder to leave your little cutie if you don't like your job! Are you looking for other work?

AFU: As I mentioned to LC, I've had a cold for the last few days and have been feeling pretty lousy. I made DH stay home from work to look after C while I rested yesterday and today, but of course I still have to feed her every few hours, and he has been in a bad mood a lot. I can't work out if C is sick or not. She has been having grizzly periods for about an hour on and off during the day, but then she will be perfectly happy again, She feels a lot warmer than usual, but doesn't have a temp. She has started coughing a little bit today. Tonight I tried to put her down at 7:40 and she has been waking up every 20 mins or so since. It is now 9:50pm and she is still awake. I have her in her bassinet in the lounge room at the moment and am rocking her with one hand while I type. This isn't normal for her and I am very close to giving her some panadol soon. Her normal night time sleep is about 8:30-9pmish until 8amish. She will occasionally wake up once or twice and be rocked back to sleep in her bassinet (falling asleep within 10mins of waking) between 8pm and 12am though.

I started C at swimming lessons on Wed! I think of it more as a watery playgroup though as she is obviously not going to be able to actually learn to swim yet. I think I will keep going until the weather warms up here and then I will just start taking her to the outdoor pool at my gym once a week or so.

And lastly, some photos of C because I can't resist showing off my cutie!

 

[S&I]

mayerling, I'm pretty sure that babies pop off nipples when they're full because they're just not interested in working to get the milk out. Has N's pedi said anything about him gaining too much weight too fast? My nipples were super sore early on due to lack of supply, so A was sucking really hard and giving me blisters. Lanisoh nipple cream helped a lot. I think it got better after a few weeks and once I started pumping less. Now I just let A suck for as long as he wants on each side. He usually starts grunting or fussing once it gets harder to get the milk out, so that's pretty much how I know he's ready to switch. I can also feel that my boob is pretty much flat.

Freke, yay for A's first tooth - you have to post a pic of that! Hope you all get some relief from the teething sleeplessness.

bobbin, C is adorable! That's awesome that you're connecting so well with your mothers group! I can't believe C is already swimming too. She seems to be hitting so many milestones on the early side. We want to take A swimming, but it's so hot over here, and I'm afraid he'll get sun-burned! Some of us here are FB friends. We get to see way more pics of the little ones that way! You should add Pancake, and then I'll try to find you.

AFU, A woke up this morning completely out of his Miracle Blanket, and he had scooted his way down towards the bottom part of his crib, laying diagonally. When I came back into the room with his bottle, his eyes were open and he was smiling. He was flopping his arms and legs up and down, but not fussing. I think that's a first! He usually wakes up fussing to be picked up in a hurry. Today, he was all smiles! He did 2 5-hour stretches last night instead of a 7-hour stretch followed by a 3-hour stretch. Either way works for me!

 

[mayerling]

Bobbin, thanks for your reply.

1. Yes, to all those things. He eats all.the.time. He's put on 700 grams in two weeks! He spits up.

2. The nipple pain is a stinging sensation. Apart from the burn I feel the first few seconds of his latch, my nipples feel fine while he's actually feeding. But they're quite painful at other points, like when I'm trying to wipe myself with a towel after a shower, or when they get cold and erect.


I'm sorry for turning this into another me-centric post but I really need to share my pain. Today has been the day from hell. N woke up for the day at 8:30 am and didn't sleep again until 12. He slept for one hour, and then didn't sleep again until 3:30, at which point he only slept for half an hour. From then on, the troubles began because we would put him down, he'd stay down for 5 mins and then wake up screaming. The only thing that calmed him down was the boob (which is one reason why I think I might be overfeeding him). His screams were piercing and nothing I did seemed to calm him down. Needless to say I had a meltdown. I've cried so many times today. DH is better at calming him down but even so he didn't manage to get him to sleep until 9:30pm. It's now 10 and he's still asleep so let's hope it lasts. Meanwhile, we were alarmed by the screaming so we took him to the paediatrician who said that he's got gas. This seems to be true as he seems to be passing gas all the time this afternoon. I don't know what's caused it. The paediatrician said that it's because I had peas for dinner last night and lunch today and they cause gas. I don't know if that's the case. He also said to avoid feeding him if less than 2.5 hours have passed and if he roots before that I should give tea. He seemed to suggest that I'd been overfeeding him and that might have caused the gas. I basically fed him at 1:30, 4, 6, and a tiny bit at 8. Anyway, sorry to have only talked about myself but I really needed to get it off my chest.

 

[Kunzite]

mayerling - All three of my boys have gas problems, it's super common. Here's my list of suggestions, I hope something works for you!

* Do you do enough tummy time? My boys are on their tummies right now and farting up a storm. I think it's easier to get out that way.

* Try LC's suggestion of bicycling. A few days ago I was doing this with E while changing him (I could tell he was working on something) and it helped a little too much... he pooped so hard it splattered all over the wall

* Make sure you're burping him really well. Multiple times during a feed and don't give up getting one out at the end of the feed. Most gas starts from not being burped well. Our GI w/ O told us to try for at least 10 minutes before giving up after a feed.

* You can try gas drops like Gripe Water or Mylicon.

* If you're desperate enough try cutting dairy out of your diet for a few weeks, a dairy sensitivity is pretty common. (it takes a little while for the dairy to get out of your system so you won't know right away if it works)

* Could he being crying out right before he falls asleep? One thing we've learned about E is that he cries out right before he falls asleep, so if we hear this and try to do something to help (like give him a pacifier) he has to start the entire process of falling asleep over again. I don't mean CIO obviously, but just trying to learn his pattern. I think this is why we have the most trouble with E at night because we practically sprint to him when he starts crying because we don't want him to wake up O! During the day I'm usually in the middle of doing something so can't get to him right away and he falls asleep about 10 seconds after a crazy loud cry.

I hope you find what works for you! I've BTDT and I've still had a few crying sessions with these boys!! It's just so hard when you're sleep deprived and being screamed at with no end in sight!

ETA - I've never heard of giving a baby tea. What was his logic for that?

 

[NewEnglandLady]

I'm assuming the tea is chamomile? My pediatrician recommended it (so did a friend of mine's pediatrician). It works WONDERS for gas (so much better than the drops)! I would steep about 8 ounces at a time and that lasted for 4 days. I gave 2 ounces in the afternoon. My friend did 2 ounces in the morning and afternoon. It works quickly--she would drink it, then I would do the knees to the chest or bicycle legs and work the gas out.

A relieved baby = relieved family. Listening to them cry and wriggle around trying to get the gas out is awful.

 

[Kunzite]

I'm assuming the tea is chamomile? My pediatrician recommended it (so did a friend of mine's pediatrician). It works WONDERS for gas (so much better than the drops)! I would steep about 8 ounces at a time and that lasted for 4 days. I gave 2 ounces in the afternoon. My friend did 2 ounces in the morning and afternoon. It works quickly--she would drink it, then I would do the knees to the chest or bicycle legs and work the gas out.

A relieved baby = relieved family. Listening to them cry and wriggle around trying to get the gas out is awful.

Amazing!! How did I not know that?!

mayerling - I also meant to ask if you have a carrier/sling. He might just want to be close to you. I have to carry E around a good portion of the day. Poor M doesn't get much cuddle time because he's such a chill guy!!