PS Mommy Thread-Newborn to 12 months!

[amc80]

Also maybe you can try formula with probiotics if you subscribe to that thinking. I *really* hope B doesn't catch rotovirus.

~LC

We all got norovirus in November and it wasn't fun. Can't imagine rotovirus is much better! Regarding the probiotics- I think it's a good idea, since by the end of this he will have been on antibiotics for nearly 20 days straight. I'm also wondering if I could give him yogurt instead. Dr. Google says that at 6m they can have yogurt, so that might work...I have a call in to the doctor.

 

[lliang_chi]

AMC, you can definitely give him yogurt. I started Ethan on yogurt at 5 months. Because it's cultured it's easier to digest. Plus the additional protein might help him sleep better. I really hope this round of antibiotics will knock whatever's ailing B. He's too cute to be buggin' with a cold

Dani, yes, Ethan drank MUCH less than FF babies. I actually remember NEL talking about her K drinking 5 oz bottles at 4 months, and I was jealous/worried/flabbergasted. Ethan is 2 days older than K and was bigger than her when they were born. So, this is a long convoluted way of saying, don't worry about the # of oz L is drinking per bottle. Ethan was doing the 5 oz when he was MUCH older, around 9-10 months. I think around 4 months he was doing 3.5 oz.

~LC

 

[dani13]

Thanks, LC!! You really are the best! Just a boatload of knowledge!! You cant leave this thread!!!!

 

[Buttons]

Dani when T will take a bottle he rarely takes more than 3oz. Maybe twice or three times he's managed 4oz but it's usually only about 3oz. Sometimes only 2oz! Have you heard of reverse cycling? Some babies only take the bare minimum from the bottle to satiate their hunger, and they wait until they can get to the boob. I've heard of babies who refuse bottles all day long at daycare and then 'tank up' at night with no harm to them. They're kind of doing the STTN milk fast in the daytime instead.

Lliang I'm hanging in there. Gotta believe he'll STTN one of these days. Never yet heard of an 18 year old waking up every 90 minutes for food... He actually has done a long stretch twice before - 6 hours on 13 December, and 5 hours on 14 December. Other than that it's always two or three hour stretches at most. He naps great during the day so I don't think I'm doing anything wrong, it's just his pattern and I need to wait it out till he's ready to sleep longer. So glad you'll still be checking on us

monkey I really hope the 6 hour stretch was the start of a new pattern for you guys!!! I was also going to say maybe Ev is gearing up for rolling? T is getting really close now, he can twist his hips and fling his legs all the way over to the side. He hasn't followed with his shoulders yet but he uses the 'arms' on his playmat to haul himself over. It's the funniest thing to watch

amc don't apologise for ranting, that is what this place is for. You are really going through the wars and of course you are tired and fed up and you just want it all to be better for poor B! I hope it is better soon.

I feel so sorry for everyone with the sick babies! T has only had the one fever and a dose of snuffles, and I think he gave it to me then. He got it from DH I'm pretty sure, and DH got it from my parents. Hugs and feel-better vibes to all

===

AFU same old same old last night. My head is so sore with this sinus business and my throat is raw in the mornings. Hoping maybe tomorrow I will start to feel some relief. Really glam stuff going on in this house eh? DH has a work dinner tonight so I'm all alone all day and most of the night but at least I have my wee monkey to cuddle me on Valentine's

 

[amc80]

Well, more sicky drama. Daycare called at 3pm saying they had given him a bottle and his meds and he threw it all up 5 minutes later. And had a 100 temp. I took him home and gave him his antibiotic, which he also threw up all over me. Called the doc who said they wanted him to get both drugs in shot form to get it in him. Got those and had a long night. This morning he sounds and looks much better. I have to call when the doc opens for a follow up appointment. Hopefully he is on the mend!

 

[monkeyprincess]

Happy Vday ladies! So, Ev had his 4 month appt. yesterday, and the little string bean is 26.5 inches long but only weighs 13.5 pounds, so he is in the 95% for height and 15% for weight. The doctor wants us to wait until 6 months to try solids because of his suspected MSPI and eczema. Apparently, it is better to wait a little longer when kids have allergies. Oh, and he slept from 9:30 last night until 5 this morning! I'm guessing the shots might have contributed, but I'll take it!

LC, thanks for the bottle suggestion. I'll have to try that this weekend and see if that helps. I don't think he quite gets that concept yet. Oh and yes, Ev just started sprouting hair like crazy in the past couple of weeks. It is definitely lighter and super fine. I thought he would have dark hair like his daddy, but I think he is taking after me in that department instead. The doctor gave us some prescription ointment for the cradle cap. It had been looking better lately, but it was really bad yesterday when we took him in.

Buttons, hope you feel better! I kept thinking I was coming down with whatever Ev has, but so far, I've only had a sore throat. That's so cute that T is almost rolling. Ev is kind of doing the same thing. He flips onto his side really easily, and then he lifts his head and tilts it as far as he can, but he can't quite figure out what he need to do next or what to do with his hands. All of a sudden he is so determined when he sees something that he wants to grab (like the toys hanging from his play yard). It is so funny to see how much concentration it takes to grab the toy and then move it around in his hands. I bet you are noticing T do the same kind of things.

Amc, I hope B feels better soon!

Happy almost birthday to Ethan and Katie!

And hi to everyone else!

 

[lliang_chi]

Hey ladies,

So I've got today off because they're repairing the dry wall in my unit from some very bad water damage over the years. I'm happy it's getting done, but I'm sad I can't spend my day off with my baby bear. Drywall + power tools + a very inquisitive almost 1 yr old do not mix.

Monkey, sounds like Ev is SO CLOSE to rolling how fun! What is MSPI? Wow, Ev's SUPER tall. Seems like PS has some tall babies. NEL's Katie is a bean pole, and I believe Bobbin's Charlotte too. Ethan is the shortie of the bunch, he's between 60-70% for height. Hooray for another night of good sleeps

AMC, Oh no! I'm sorry to hear B is having a rough go with this bug. Hoping he'll start doing better with the shots. Poor little guy and poor mama! Sending lots of dust that he's on the mend.

Buttons, LOL I'm finding it hilarious how you know his STTN occurrences by date. Hey so do I. Ethan would NOT STTN until just recently. He still doesn't STTN but we let him CIO so we don't get up anymore. I agree when he's ready to start doing longer stretches he will. Hang in there mama. And hope you have the snuggliest, sweetest Valentine's Day with T.

Dani, I don't find myself that knowledgeable, but I just like sharing my experience. I don't really feel I have any wisdom, perse, to impart. And I'll be hanging around here. Mostly just to look at pictures of wee babies

~LC

 

[monkeyprincess]

Monkey, sounds like Ev is SO CLOSE to rolling how fun! What is MSPI? Wow, Ev's SUPER tall. Seems like PS has some tall babies. NEL's Katie is a bean pole, and I believe Bobbin's Charlotte too. Ethan is the shortie of the bunch, he's between 60-70% for height. Hooray for another night of good sleeps

Oops sorry. MSPI = milk/soy protein intolerance. Glad to hear you will keep checking in with us over here!

 

[monarch64]

What's up ladies?! Happy Valentine's Day to you all. I hope everyone's partner is doing something sweet for them today. Last night I dipped a whole bag of pretzel rods in chocolate for my husband, and today he stopped by my work with roses and the cutest little Valentine girl. That's probably the extent of our Valentine adventures, uh, until the baby goes to bed for the night. Oh, I sent out about 25 Valentine photo cards "from" Alexandra with several pics of her on them, it was fun!

I'm so sorry to hear about everyone's little sickies! Stop being sick, babies!!! They are all soooo stinkin' cute, though, love all the pics.

I ordered and received A's pink Baby Bjorn potty this week! We have been cloth diapering pretty consistently since September and less consistently practicing elimination communication which for us is just planting the seed, not really about training. I have a friend whose daughter is one month younger than A, and she's been putting hers on the potty for poops and is having a lot of success. It's another one of those things we will approach in a really laid-back way, and if it helps, great, if not, then we won't press it. Again, it's not about training at this point, it's more about making the potty familiar.

I finally started A's quilt--I bought the material back in December and have just begun marking seam allowances and next I will pin. I don't have a sewing machine and will be doing it all by hand which I am strangely excited about. My goal is to have it finished by her 1st birthday. I've also started planning her party (ok, I started planning when she was 3 months old because I'm nuts) and it's so much fun! It will just be a small get-together at our house but I love planning.

Bathtime: I need to buy more bath toys, apparently. She is now trying to stand up in the tub, smacks the walls really hard, and knocks down any bottles/bars of soap within reach. I guess she's bored with just her one little octopus toy. Any recommendations?

 

[lliang_chi]

Monnie, Ethan likes pouring the bath water so maybe try giving her a cup to play with?

 

[amc80]

Update- we had a follow up appt. B's O2 levels were at 84%. After two breathing treatments they only got to 86%. The doctor admitted him to the hospital to figure out what's going on.

 

[Puppmom]

AMC, sending little B lots of get well vibes. Poor thing!

 

[pavelover]

oh my gosh AMC. Big hugs I know this is so scary for you. I'm glad you are in the right place now. I'll be praying for you!

 

[lulu66]

Update- we had a follow up appt. B's O2 levels were at 84%. After two breathing treatments they only got to 86%. The doctor admitted him to the hospital to figure out what's going on.

Thinking about you & B. hope the docs figure our what's going on quickly & he's on the mend before you know it!

 

[JGator]

AMC, I hope B is feeling better and that he is released quickly. Hugs to you and B.

Monnie, we have this bath toy, http://www.amazon.com/International-Playthings-EC117453-Stacking-Faces/dp/B005LRTTY0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360898591&sr=8-1&keywords=bath+toys+cups+faces but K isn't old enough to use them yet - they look like fun though.

 

[lliang_chi]

AMC, hugs! Thinking about you and your handsome prince. Hope the docs can determine what's going on.

 

[monarch64]

double post!

 

[monarch64]

AMC, lots of positive thoughts headed your way!

Thanks for the bath toy recommendations. I use a plastic cup to rinse her with, and she does indeed love to play with it for a few seconds here and there, when she can catch hold of it. Tonight she decided to stand up in the tub, beat the wall, then crawled towards the faucet trying to use that and the circle thing below it (affixed to the wall) to climb. I'm obviously sitting right there with her with my arms and hands around her watching and waiting, but tonight really freaked me out! I had one hand covering the faucet's sharp edges and my other hand under her body at one point. She's fearless because she's never gotten hurt in the tub. I'm off work tomorrow and am thinking of raiding our stash of kitchen sponges--if I cut them up into shapes and there are a lot of them maybe that will distract her. I haven't checked out the link yet, but thank you JGator! I will look at it tomorrow and will probably order some toys this weekend.

 

[dani13]

Oh my gosh, Im so sorry, AMC!!! Thinking of you and B this morning. I hope you guys are ok.

 

[monkeyprincess]

AMC, more prayers headed your way for Baby B. I hope he is feeling better this morning, and his mommy too!

 

[JGator]

AMC, let us know how B is doing. Sending positive healthy vibes to B.

 

[sunnyd]

Poor B! Hope they figure out what's going on soon, AMC, so they can fix him ASAP!

Buttons, hope you feel better too! It's funny, having a roller is lot more stressful! H will roll over, be happy for a minute or two, then inevitably throw up on herself and start crying. So I roll her back to her back but she goes right back over screaming! Silly girl...

MP, I was thinking about you on Wed when we were at H's appointment. She's long and skinny too - 12lbs14oz and 24.75", which is 30% and 76%. Ev is such a good looking guy, yay on hair regrowth! H is starting to get a reverse horseshoe on her head, since she sleeps on the sides of it. Haha. Our doc also wants us to wait on solids until 6 months because I have super slight asthma.

Monnie, you'll have to post pics of A's quilt! H now has 4 of them from Grandmas and G-Grandmas and my friend's mom.

Happy first birthdays to Dot, and Ethan, and K! Wowsa!

Re milk amounts, H is all over the place! I think we started giving her 4oz instead of 2 around 2.5 months, and now that she's 4 months she gets 4 or 6. Sometimes we'll make her a 4oz bottle and she'll only eat 2. Dani, don't worry about starving your kid, as long as they're making dirty diapers they're good!

AFU, DH is now out of his cast and into a brace, but he still can't do much. I wish he could feed her so I didn't have to do it every night! Thank god H is a good sleeper, she goes down around 7:30-8 and sleeps until 4:30 or so. I only have to get up once, which helps a lot.

She's SOOO close to laughing now. She figured out that tickling is fun and not weird. Haha!

My supply is pretty much down to nothing now. It takes me 2-3 days to make 3oz. Sigh. Stupid gallbladder! I know I could do more to get it up a smidge, but I don't have the time! I pump twice at work, but that's it. With me being on full time care at home, I try to do another pump before bed, but I get maybe 1/2oz total so if I miss it it's not devastating. I don't bother nursing anymore because she would have to have a full bottle after anyway. I don't know if I should continue my piddly pumping sessions or not, what would you do? The ped, of course, told me to keep giving her as much BM as I could. I just wish I could get it up to a bottle a day!

 

[monarch64]

Sunny, I totally remember the days of pumping a bit here and there and ending up with a 4 oz bottle 2-3 days later. I think I stopped pumping altogether when she was around 3.5 months old. I stopped nursing her around 2.75 months since she wasn't getting much at all and her latch issues really never resolved. It took me a couple weeks after I stopped pumping to realize that it was ok, and although I still feel like I could've done better or done more and kind of resent not being awesome at breastfeeding because I was SO INTO IT, I'm at least in the process of coming to terms with it at this point and she's 8.5 months old now. I placed SO much importance on breastfeeding, and maybe that has been my downfall. I wish I'd had a more laid-back attitude like I have about so many other things. I think "breast is best" is great but it kind of screwed me up mentally and emotionally. Well, that was long...my point is that it's ok to move forward with other means of feeding when you're ready, and you might have a tough time letting go, or you might rejoice in the fact that you can finally have more than a half glass of wine and you aren't tethered to a pump or boob schedule.

AMC, how's the boy?

ETA: meant to ask last night--Haven, what, are you busy or something? We need a Brienz fix.

 

[amc80]

Hey ladies! Thank you for all of the well wishes. We are home. B's oxygen levels were pretty bad last night (not going over 90) but then regulated without supplemental O2. They were expecting a drop over night but it stayed over 92, mostly closer to 95. They don't know exactly what's going on, but he did test negative for rsv. The official diagnosis is bronchiolitis. It's one of those annoying diagnoses where they don't really know the cause and there isn't a real cure. He is to stay on antibiotics in case it's bacterial, and have albuterol treatments in case it's asthma (which they don't think it is because the treatments don't do much). Oh and an oral steroid to help with his lungs. He's still wheezy and crappy sounding but as long as he doesn't need supplemental oxygen he can stay home. It's frustrating to not know any more than we did yesterday, but hopefully it will get better with time.

 

[blondebunny]

AMC- I hope B is okay! I hope they figure out whats going on with him and he gets better quickly!

Sunnyd- There are a lot of things you can do to up your supply.. Fenugreek, Dom, Reglan, oatmeal, drink a TON of water and more. THere are mommas in my exclusive pumping group on facebook that have re-lactated! So its definitely possible! You can always try Eats on Feets and Human Milk for Human Babies on facebook and see if you can get some donor milk for H as well

MP- OMG E is so long and skinny! Chase was 23" and 13lb 8.5ozs at his 3 months haha.. he is a chunky little thing! How did you dr suspect a MSPI?? For the craddle cap.. We always use the Mustela newborn foam shampoo that is supposed to help with craddle cap and Chase never got it.. we would just the fine toothbrush thing that came with his healthcare/grooming kit with it.. maybe try that too if the ointment doesnt help?

Buttons- Hope you feel better soon!



Sorry Ive been MIA its been crazy.. Flew to Florida for 3 weeks.. flight was pretty easy there.. more of a PITA breaking down the stroller than anything else TBH.. but other than that it was easy.. Chase slept the entire flight there.. and on the way back the flight was crowded so it was a little more difficult but he slept for majority of it as well.. Florida was good.. but i was ready to go home after being there for a week lol Just hard not having all of your things and having to make a new routine and what not..

Chase has his hernia surgery on March 11th.. He has acid reflux now and is on medicine and we are waiting for our appt with the pediatric GI to figure out whats going on.. He also has to see a pediatric ortho because the creases in his legs arent even.. Has anyone ever heard of this??? He was also diagnosed with left torticollis... so now we are going to have PT every week.. starting with 1 day a week and increasing it if need be.. lovely.. lol its his right side thats flat.. his neck is just so tight he only ever wants to lay on that side or really turn that way we think because of how he was inside of me...

Chase rolled from back to belly last night! He did it a few times..his arm would get stuck.. but we were just so surprised! We are doing okay on the sleep front.. every night is different.. some nights he is good.. some nights he isnt.. the kid is a night owl and doesnt want to go to bed early even though he is clearly tired...Like take tonight for example.. was tired.. took his last bottle which was like 6oz of BM at like 815 and was tired and fell asleep.. then when i went to move him stumbled a little and woke him up and he wouldnt go back to sleep.. until 10pm.. lol I mean 10pm isnt horrible.. just hard because we are so busy when hubby gets home which is usually late so we dont get much time together.. I dont know why im still up.. well i do.. im pumping lol.. i need to re-do my pumping schedule so I can pump right after he falls asleep so i can get more sleep...

Im still pumping away! I donated over 400oz of BM i pumped extra while in florida and have another 200oz that i need to donate down there still.. Ive donated about 1100ozs up here so far as well! I was upset thought I got caught up in the drama of this mom who was hoarding BM and passing it off as her own, trying to sell it..and using her disabled daughter to get it..I was sad that I had given her 400ozs and now have no idea where its going or what! But I didnt find 2 other mommies to donate to whose babies need it.. So i am going to try to be a long term donor for them as long as my supply keeps up! I still have over 900ozs in my freezer too I plan to pump for as long as i mentally can.. hopefully atleast a year! Im almost 1/3 of the way there!

Alright well I am almost done pumping and need to get to bed! I do check ou the thread all the time and see everyones cute babies I just never have a hand free sometimes to type! I need to be better!!

Hope everyone had a good Valentines Day

Im attaching some pictures we took in Florida

 

[Buttons]

Just a fly by post to say to Amc that I'm thinking of ye and really hope B starts to improve soon!

 

[monkeyprincess]

amc, I'm glad you updated. I hope you find some answers and that B keeps getting better and better. That must have been really scary.

BB, Chase is such a cute little chunky monkey Love his rolls. To answer your question, the doctor suspects Ev has MSPI because he was super colicky, had mucusy diapers, had patches of eczema, and wasn't gain weight as fast as suspected. Since I switched him exclusively to a hypoallergenic formula, he has moved from the 5th percentile in weight to the 20th percentile, so the doctor thinks he just wasn't absorbing breastmilk and cow's milk based formula like he should due to inflammation from MSPI. Sounds like you have a lot of on your plate with the acid reflux, torticollis and the uneven leg crease thing. I've never heard of the leg thing. Did the doctor tell you what it might indicate? Ev has acid reflux too, but it has really improved over the last few weeks, so I think he might be growing out of it finally. He still takes zantac twice a day for it.

AFU, Ev rolled a few times from his tummy to his back this weekend, and he found his toes. He has also been doing awesome at tummy time. It's so funny how proud of himself he seems and how much he loves to be praised Have a great rest of the weekend.

 

[sunnyd]

AMC, glad to hear B's doing better. At least you can be home from the hospital. Poor guy, I hope he gets unsnotty soon!

Monnie, that's pretty much where I'm at right now...I could do more, but time is precious around here with DH down for the count! I think I'll keep going with it while at work, since it's a nice break during the day - haha. We'll see how long that lasts.

BB, no wonder he's such a chunker, your supply is outrageous! That's awesome!! I'm jealous, LOL. Love his bright blue eyes in that first pic. Sorry to hear about his health issues though, boo.

Unrelated vent - my SIL is getting married next Saturday, and I'm a BM. The dresses were ordered when I was 8 months pregnant, so I was measured based on my gigantor preggo boobs. The size was 4 larger than my normal size, which I am back down to (thanks, surgery!). OMG the dress looks terrible on me! It's taken in as much as they could, but it's still big and I look 6 months pregnant and my poor flat, floppy, post-BFing boobs can't hold the thing up. Sooooo wish me luck that I don't end up bawling that day.

 

[S&I]

AMC, hope B is doing better at home. Poor little guy! Such a trooper!

We're in the middle of our own little crisis here. I got a call from A's day care on Friday saying he had a temp of 100.8 so I picked him up and we went to get checked out. An NP and a student nurse both said he had some fluid in his right ear that could be the start of an ear infection. So she prescribed an antibiotic and we went home. I ended up putting a call in to talk to his regular ped to see if she thought the antibiotic was necessary, since it wasn't actually an ear infection yet. She agreed to let us postpone it and just use Tylenol to control his fever. Anyway, after his third dose of Tylenol, his fever was 105.3 at 5am, so we went to the ER. Flu test was negative and the ER doc said his ears were clear. He even checked again after I told him what the NP said earlier that day. They gave him Motrin and his fever went back down to 98.9, but then it was back to 101 by the time we were discharged. They sent us home with directions to alternate between Tylenol and Motrin every 3-4 hours for at least 24 hours. His temp spiked again to 106.8 at 5am this morning. The after-hours nurse said not to go back to the ER since A's body just needed to burn the virus out. A has still been his normal self the entire time, except when I wake him up at night to take his temp and give him medicine. He's quite annoyed at that. We have an appt with his ped tomorrow afternoon, but I'm so worried that his high temps are burning his brain!

Sorry about not catching up with everyone else, but I do read along!

 

[monkeyprincess]

Yikes, S&I. Sending healing prayers your way. Poor baby. I hope that his fever has finally broken or breaks really soon. Hugs