PS Mommy Thread-Newborn to 12 months!

[fieryred33143]

Thanks MG and Peony. It sounds like it may be smarter to wait to see what the bf''ing situation will be like. I''m really, really crossing my fingers that I can bf.

 

[brgirl]

Date: 5/21/2009 10:11:16 AM
Author: fieryred33143
Thanks NF. That''s what I figured...I just really love coupons

I love me some coupons, too...but from what I have seen, BRU does have plenty of them out periodically..so I think you''ll see another one come along. BUT, I also found a hospital website that offers a price lower than BRU. They can''t publish the price, but they''ll email it to you instantly if you request it. My email is at home, but I think it was $235 or $225 for the Medela in-style. That''s 2-$10 cheaper than BRU with the coupon.
If you search for Hackely Healtcare Equipment in google, the site will come up. (and they''re an authorized dealer) Or, you can do a search for addalittlelove as another source. They''ll also email you the price.

I''m waiting to buy mine until I make sure I can BF (Thanks to all of the wonderful ladies on here who have given that advice)..and I might just be getting a single because I plan to SAH.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 5/21/2009 10:11:16 AM
Author: fieryred33143
Thanks NF. That''s what I figured...I just really love coupons

Remember that BRU is often overpriced to begin with and their coupons just bring it down to everyone else''s normal price! Also check to see if your health insurance or hospital sells them-ours did and it was waaaaay cheaper than BRU.

 

[janinegirly]

I personally think getting a pump beforehand is good b/c if you need some help, you don''t want to be trudging about trying to buy one 1 week post partum. I thought I''d rent a hospital one, but I didn''t b/c it was almost as expensive as buying one. So I did something unusual, I found one on craigslist. It was brand new (she was given 2) and an old model. I still bought all new parts (so everything was purchased new but the motor). I lived in NYC so I could do it all in one day..but looking back I can''t believe I did all of that (walked all over the city) only 1 week post partum. I remember waiting for a bus and kind of aching, crazy! In the end, pumping didn''t help my supply so I had to give up

. I could probably could easily sell it again since I could again buy all new parts for the buyer, but will hold on to it since you never know...

as for BRU coupons, that store is bogus, but I''m still a slave to them. The coupons only bring the price down to other store''s prices...but then if you don''t have the coupons you''re getting royally ripped off. Annoying.

Now for a questions for you ladies, especially those with babies over 6 mo''s--what are you planning to put on your cuties'' feet this summer? With the warmer weather they''ll have their feet exposed, but not walking, so don''t really need shoes. I think socks seem uncomfy and hot. Is there something in between socks and shoes that is good for the summer that anyone''s found? My little girl will be 9 mo''s in the summer, so not walking but feet will probably be on floors in between exersaucer and, hopefully, some crawling!

 

[snlee]

I liked having a pump beforehand too. You can always return it IF you don''t use it. Just make sure to check the return policy. Much rather have it handy in case you do need it.

Date: 5/21/2009 2:05:08 PM
Author: janinegirly
Now for a questions for you ladies, especially those with babies over 6 mo''s--what are you planning to put on your cuties'' feet this summer? With the warmer weather they''ll have their feet exposed, but not walking, so don''t really need shoes. I think socks seem uncomfy and hot. Is there something in between socks and shoes that is good for the summer that anyone''s found? My little girl will be 9 mo''s in the summer, so not walking but feet will probably be on floors in between exersaucer and, hopefully, some crawling!

janine, good question. Sorry, I''m not help. Didn''t even think about this. I''m interested the see what other''s say.

 

[sbde]

i bought my pump at the hospital the day after baby was born. definitely check your insurance because 80% of the cost of my pump was covered. i didn''t use it for a few wks but i do think it was nice to have it around for when i needed it rather than have to go looking/shopping with a newborn.

 

[Blenheim]

Well, I survived my first day back. It went better than I thought it would, partially because hubs and George came by for lunch. DH brought G photos with him and decorated my cube for me.

I had a bit of a time getting access to the pumping room because it''s key card access and all of the supervisors disappeared this morning, but I finally was able to get in and it''s nicer than I expected - there was a chair next to a counter that had an outlet, so it was a good place to set everything up, and there was a sink to clean off pump parts, and the other pumping moms had left a stack of magazines to read. My brain felt kind of foggy at work and I had a hard time remembering how to do things, but I''m sure it will come back quickly enough.

George was a pain last night though. He was continually latched on from 4-7:30pm and would get hysterical if I tried to get him to latch off. He usually goes to bed around 9 pm, but wouldn''t fall asleep until 12. Then he was up again at 5:15. I think we may have been up at least once in that time period as well, but I can''t really remember. I think he sensed that something was up. Fingers crossed that tonight goes better...

Mela - thanks for the diet help!

PUMPS - BRU will take them back within 90 days as long as you haven''t opened it and you have a receipt. I know this from experience - I wanted the handbag Medela PIS and my in-laws generously got me the backpack one, and I didn''t realize until G was a couple of weeks old. It was a fairly easy exchange. The coupons come along every month or so. What we did for the big ticket item that we used our gift cards on (stroller) was to add it to our registry, then stack the monthly coupon plus the registry completion coupon. But definitely check with your insurance first - I have friends who had theirs covered almost completely. Mine wouldn''t.

I''m mad at BRU right now though. We were given two identical packs of onesies, no receipts but I know that at least one of the people bought it from BRU, and just wanted to exchange one of the packs for the same onesies in a different color. We went by yesterday and they wouldn''t let us. So when we got home I added it to our registry and marked it complete, so now they''ll let us next time we''re in the store.

I know that they''re within their rights to deny us the exchange, but really it''s just good customer service to allow that.

 

[mela lu]

BLENERONOMO!!!!!!!! Glad to see you

Nice that your first day back went well...sorry to hear about the tough night.

That''s all.

 

[snlee]

Blen, glad your first day back to work went well. Glad you have a nice room to pump in. That''s makes a big difference! Did I read correctly that G was latched on you from 4-7:30pm?? I know it''s comforting for baby, but please don''t let yourself be a human paci! That is not good for you. Will he take a paci? I think you said you tired it before and he wouldn''t take. Have you tried again? Have you tried a soothie?

 

[Blenheim]

mela!!! g says himer needs to come out NOW so that they can play together.

how are you holding up?

snlee - he''ll sometimes take the paci (but enthusiastically latched onto my nose earlier tonight, haha). i just don''t want to use it right now if i''m around, because paci use can lead to a decreased supply, and pumping''s less efficient than bfing and so i want to make sure that i''ll continue to make enough milk for him before doing anything that has the potential to compromise that. i''m just a little paranoid at the moment.

 

[DivaDiamond007]

Janine - last summer we just put socks on James. He was still pretty teeny then (born July 2) and I don''t think he seemed uncomfortable then. He''s not walking yet so we''ll probably do the same for now - or just let him go barefoot in the house. His little toes are soooo cute

Blen - Congrats on going back to work. I know it''s tough but it does get better. Do you work full-time? I''m lucky enough to be able to work part-time for now so that gives me some more time with my little one in the morning and evening.

I hope all of our other mommies are doing good!

Nothing much new around here. I''m still waiting on my upgrade - I posted an update in my "Enablers" thread in RT.

James STTN last night but I think it was a fluke. He gets such a workout from crawling everywhere so he''s only been waking once a night! YES! It feels sooo good finally getting some sleep. I threw my back out on Monday and it still hurts tonight. I even took one of my leftover Percocets two nights ago because it hurt so back. It''s getting better though.

 

[pavelover]

Hi you guys!! I am beat tonight but I thought I would post a couple of pics. We got pictures done today and T cooperated. It was really great. I cried when I saw them. I feel so lucky cause he ''s been through so much. ok. hopefully these post!

 

[pavelover]

 

[pavelover]

.

 

[lili]

Awee Pave, what a handsome little cutie!

Wow, his hair is so long and love those curls!
Love the one w/ the ducky -- so precious and sweet.

 

[mrssalvo]

pave, those pics are adorable!!!

 

[puffy]

pave great pictures!!! his is so handsome!! and i love that hair with curls and all!!! what a cutie!

 

[Mrs]

hi ladies! Hope you''re all well tonight!

fiery, I purchased my pump before S was born but didn''t break it out until I had been home for a week or two. If I were you I would get it before the birth just in case you need it early on - for example, if there''s trouble with the latch but you want to use the pump to increase your supply. Or if you''re not sure how much the baby is getting / there''s any concern about supply - you can use the pump to see how much you are producing. whatever you decide to do will be fine though!

janine, our LO is wearing socks these days. She''s only 2 mos, so not crawling yet, but we''re in So Cal where it''s pretty warm already so I just figured I''d let you know what we''re doing. I don''t think she gets too hot in them.

Blen, I''m glad your first day back went okay and that you have a good place to pump! I''m so sorry you have to be back at work already though - I wish you could have more time at home. That''s great that you were able to have lunch with DH and G though! I hope you are able to get more sleep tonight!

Mela, I hope you''re feeling well! You''re almost there!!

Diva, Yay for James SSTN!!! I hope it keeps happening! bummer about your back - I hope it feels better soon. I can''t wait to see your upgrade!

Pave, those are great pics!! He looks so cute! I''m so glad he cooperated for those shots!

All''s well with me today. yesterday was really bad (lots of tears) since DH had a terrible time communicating about child care but we''re much better today. He was entirely focused on the financial aspect and I was only thinking of the quality of the care itself, and we just could NOT get on the same page. I''d really like to hire a nanny (even though we can''t really afford it) and he feels that day care is the best option. Anyway, I think we''ve agreed that day care is what we''re gonna do since it wouldn''t be smart to dip into our savings and we can''t afford a nanny without doing that. So Sage and I visited the center that''s most convenient to us in terms of hours and location today. I had been there once before with DH when I was pregnant and was glad to see that the same care providers were there. The kids all seemed happy so I think it''ll be okay... makes me sad to have her in such an institutionalized setting though. I''m checking out an in home provider tomorrow but she had a few dings on her license when I called to check in on her center so I''m not confidant and I think her care is more expensive anyway. We''ll see.

In other news, Sage slept 6 hours last night! 9 to 3! Unfortunately I was up talking to DH until 11 so I didn''t get the 6 hours of sleep but at least she did! She''s asleep now too so we''ll see if she does it again.

question re: BFing. Do any of you find that one breast produces more than the other? Last night my right breast got really engorged and when I pumped it this morning, I was sure I''d get 5 or 6 oz out of it but in the end, I think it was only about 4 and it wasn''t nearly as rich as what I usually get from my left breast. Even when she has nursed last on my left side, I''m able to get much more from that breast. It seems like my left side just has more breast tissue and perhaps more milk ducts even though I have not really favored it in terms of nursing. Do any of you have that goin on too?

Do any of you have fun long weekend plans?

gnight ladies!

 

[Mrs]

Date: 5/19/2009 1:24:21 PM
Author: nycbkgirl

AFM- im soooo upset right now I can hardly even type w.o. Tearing....my niece (who is a 2nd daughter to me) is having surgery tom. I was supposed to come along (its a 5 hr drive away) to be a support since im one of her fave ppl...she is 4 and now understands things and my sis doesn''t wanna be alone there...so I would be there to help talk to her and explain things before and afterwards...the plan was my mom would spend the night tues to wed then wed to thurs (when we would be back)...and his mom as always come in the a.m. and my mom go and sleep...so my mom is now scared to be alone with the 2 babies at night by herself and now I can''t go! Im just soooo upset I can''t even stand it. We explained to her that she can have someone else stay with her to at least hold 1 baby if they both act up (I.e. Aunt or granny) and dh comes home at 230a.m...she agreed at first but now again is starting..I got so mad i said I won''t go and don''t even want her to stay...my babies I will deal with the both of them.

Sorry vent over

nyc, how did the surgery go??!! I hope your niece is feeling okay and it went well!!!

 

[Blenheim]

sleep last night went a lot better. phew.

diva - full time, unfortunately. minus the issue of us needing a full time salary right now, i''d love to work part time! lucky.

pave - love the photos. he''s just adorable.

mrs - good luck figuring out the day care situation. fwiw, i know people who have tried both & prefer centers for their kids. it''s so hard to leave them w someone else, but i''m sure she''ll be fine.

 

[Mrs]

Date: 5/22/2009 6:32:40 AM
Author: Blenheim
sleep last night went a lot better. phew.

mrs - good luck figuring out the day care situation. fwiw, i know people who have tried both & prefer centers for their kids. it''s so hard to leave them w someone else, but i''m sure she''ll be fine.

blen,

for better sleep last night! Thanks for letting me know that ppl you know prefer day care. I know there are serious pros and cons to both and DH feels the risk associated with day care (perhaps less one on one attention, more sickness, etc) may be a little less frightening than those with an individual care taker (abuse, neglect, etc) which I understand. Having grown up with live in nannies until I was 8 yrs old, that''s the model I know and trust myself but I know full well that his concerns about it are valid and in all honesty, my memory of my childhood is very limited so I can''t say I remember what it was like really. Anyway, thanks again.

Sage slept from 8:30PM to 3:15AM! That''s 6 hrs and 45 min! woohoo! Is that considered SSTN? I just fed her and out her down and pumped. I think she''s still awake now but I''m hoping she goes back to bed and sleeps until at least 7... She has been tending to wake up around 3 or 3:30 most nights but then again at 5:30 or 6 since that''s when her little system seems to decide it''s time to pass gas and poop and the strain wakes her up

. I try to get her to keep sleeping by giving her her paci but it doesn''t usually work... boo. oh well! I''m glad she slept as well as she did in her first stretch!

Anyway, I''m off to try to sleep some more...

Mrs

 

[janinegirly]

blen: glad your first day back went well--it''s not easy! You are v. lucky they have a lactation room--to me that shows you are at a progressive and family friendly company. I work at a European bank, so no such thing here! And I could write a book on BRU woes. I''m kind of at peace with them now (lol), but I had so many issues with them. The staff there is pretty bad too--I mean do they at least make sure some of these people have some awareness of baby products? Their return policy is ridiculous especially for registry-moms who spend thosands there! And don''t get me started on the jacked up prices, random coupon distribution and constant asking of our phone numbers, name, address..(god knows who they''re selling our information to)! My suggestion is to go to the manager of the store if you ever have issues since they are able to overule some policy. That''s if you''re in the mood for all that of course. The times I escalated and made a fuss, they accomodated me and then some.

snlee: we haven''t heard an update on D in awhile, how is he?? I bought an itzy ritzy by the way..I couldn''t resist! I found one on sale plus a 20% off code since I couldn''t wait for mamabargains. Does D use it in a shopping cart yet?

mrs & Diva: thanks for the socks info,...guess those will work fine. I do sometimes see really soft shoes on-line which I think might be great too...(pedoodles,etc). Curly mentioned another brand...I''d have to search back through her old posts.

 

[mela lu]

OMG Pave! Those pics are unbelievable!!! He is beautiful.

Mrs. What a decision.

I hear you...I know I have to prepare myself for the same thing (albeit a bit later on) and I''m fully procrastinating. Everyone is chastising me for not getting on daycare lists already. I just can''t bring myself to do it! Anyways, I feel for you. Just curious...will Sage be all vaccinated up by the time she goes into Daycare? I feel like ''yes'' but I can''t remember how old she is (sorry!). Do the daycare''s require them all to be vaccinated to come?

Hi to all! Today is my due date...but nothing yet. We even had REALLY REALLY spicy food last night, but no baby. All I got was ring of fire this morning. lol!

Labour dust puhhhlease!

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 5/22/2009 9:53:38 AM
Author: janinegirly

mrs & Diva: thanks for the socks info,...guess those will work fine. I do sometimes see really soft shoes on-line which I think might be great too...(pedoodles,etc). Curly mentioned another brand...I''d have to search back through her old posts.

Janine-the brand of soft shoes that Target sells (I think they are Ministar?) are exactly the same as the Robeez and more expensive ones but for 1/4 of the price. They are really cute too and make a few "sandal" type ones with cutouts. The boys have some and we really like them!

Link:


http://www.target.com/Ministar-Baby-Shoes-Lilac-Flowers/dp/B000WNN8KY/sr=1-20/qid=1243001891/ref=sr_1_20/177-8967483-9019203?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=0&index=target&rh=k%3Ababy%20shoes&page=1

 

[janinegirly]

MRS: just want to offer some support on the childcare decision, it''s tough. Are you able to participate in a flex spending account at work? Some companies match contributions--it''s maxed out at $5000, but is something. I do sympathise though, I delayed looking at daycares and now she is 7months. I''ve decided daycare is our most likely option (at 1 year I think) for the same reasons as you Financially it makes more sense, and I also like that it is more regulated and there is the social aspect too! If I ever am able to work from home a day or 2, I''d consider a nanny just b/c it''s easier to get someone on a flex schedule compared to daycare options. None of it is ideal though, but it is better than we are imagining I bet. I have alot of friends (and ladies here) who were not excited about day care, but then once their little one was in there, things got easier and now they think it''s great! Hang in there and keep us posted..when do you return to work?

NF: thanks, those are cuttttte! I think soft shoes are great b/c it''s something for their little feet, but not as uncomfy as socks or hot as socks in my opionin. Maybe it''s just C, but the socks get bunched up and tight around the top, or she pulls them off.

 

[MustangGal]

Mrs Sorry about day care decisions, I procrastinated too. Can you ask your co-workers/friends who they use? Sometimes its nice to use a place that other people you know have been to. Congrats on sage sleeping for 6 hours! It''s sooo nice when you can get a decent amount of sleep at one time.

When I was BFing my left one produced twice as much as the right. It was also twice the size, which looked really odd!

Pave those pics are soo cute! that''s a ton of hair your baby has!

Mela lu I''ll dust you! I was 2 days late, and had tried everything! Spicey food, sex, long walks, fresh pineapple, and nothing worked. I ended up being induced, not something I would recommend

Blen That''s so cute that they came and decorated your desk!

I can''t believe Kyle is 14 weeks already, it''s gone by so fast! He sleeps all night everynight now, which is so much easier. He goes down around 8:30 or 9, and doesn''t wake up until 6am. We''re taking him camping next weekend, I hope it goes smoothly. We have a tent trailer, but we''ll be dry camping up in the forest, so no running water or any facilities. Has any one else gone camping with an infant? any suggestions on what to take?

 

[sbde]

hiya mommies!

hope everyone is doing well. little J had his 4 mth appointment yesterday and poor guy got more shots so he''s been a bit out of sorts since then. he''s growing like a champ though, which is great to see. some stats:

height: 27.5" (95th %ile)
weight: 16 lb 5 oz (75th %ile)

mrs: the childcare decision is just so hard isn''t it?! i will have to start thinking about it soon and it just seems so difficult.

pave: omg those pictures are just TOO TOO cute. little T is looking adorable and healthy and i can see why the pics just make you tear up

diva: i''m following your enablers thread my own "mommy" present was delivered by whiteflash earlier this week so i will try to get around to taking pics and posting some here.

janine: i had the same question as you re: socks, so thanks for posting it. and thanks to the other mommies for their replies!

mustang gal: thanks for answering my eyebrow question. so great to hear that kyle is sleeping through the night so regularly now! i still have a ways to go with that

 

[MustangGal]

sbde Sorry about shots, they''re no fun. I hope he''s feeling better today. Wow, you''re little one is tall! What was his length at birth? Kyle was only 20" (but almost 9 pounds!) when he was born, and 22" at his 2 month, which was 25th percentile. Seems odd to me that we have a short one, DH and I are on the taller side.

 

[janinegirly]

sbde: you have a big boy! My little girl is about the same size (maybe a bit smaller) but she''s 7.5 mo''s! Shots are not fun, C screams as soon as she as her clothes start coming off. She even tried to gurgle the oral vaccination out last time! Quite the fighter!

mustang: don''t worry about percentiles--consistency is the most important thing, and alot of babies catch up later. Hope mine does! (she was 19.75" at birth).

so this is totally random, but was realizing haven''t heard from sk8rjen in months..does anyone know what happened to her? Just curious..I tend to notice things later

 

[snlee]

BLEN, I understand being worried about your milk supply. I think that''s very common. As long as your nursing/pumping every 3 hours or so during the day and not feeling engorged/hurting overnight, your supply should be fine. I just hope you don''t let G latch on for hours at a time very often. That can be very draining and isn''t something you want to make a habit. Glad you had a better nights sleep!

DIVA, hope James continue to STTN.

PAVE, the pictures of Tyler are so adorable! Love them!

MRS, childcare is a major decision. I feel for you. I hope you find something that works for your family. I find that one breast produces more, but what''s weird is it switches sides from time to time. Also one breast is larger than the other but it doesn''t always produce more milk.

JANINE, yay for itzy ritzy covers! Which design did you get and where did you end up buying it from? I haven''t used mine much but hope to soon. We haven''t used it on a shopping cart yet. Maybe next time we go to Costco with him. Have you used it yet? How is C doing? Socks do not stay on D very long either. He pulls them off to and puts them in him mouth! Haha.

MELA, sending more L&D dust your way! Ring of fire - LMAO! Be prepared for the other ring of fire, push right through the pain, and know you''re almost DONE!

MUSTANG, glad I''m not the only one with lopsided breasts. Did it go back to around the same size after you stopped BFing? Have fun camping this weekend! Hope it goes well with Kyle.

SBDE, wow he''s a big and tall boy! Do we get to see any pictures? Can''t wait to see your mommy gift! What did you get???

D is doing well. He''s been sleeping well, about 9 or 10 hours a night, which has been awesome! I posted a little while ago that D doesn''t roll much. I knew he could do it but seemed like he wasn''t interested. Well, since last weekend, he has started rolling A LOT! He enjoys tummy time more too and seems to be building up lots of muscles in his arms. He can hold up his hand for longer periods of time now. He loves to stand. His legs are strong!

He also smiles and laughs all the time time. Baby laughs are the best sound ever! I love it! He''s getting so big and cuter everyday. His facial expressions crack me up. It''s so interesting to watch him look around and observe his surroundings. You can tell they understand and pick up a lot more now. He "talks" a lot now and is very coordinated with his hands. Everything goes into his mouth or tossed onto the floor. His two bottom teeth are not completely in but you can see a good part of it.

I am having some minor BFing issues with him. He doesn''t seem to want to latch on for very long. He keeps coming off and on and it drives me nuts! Very frustrating! I think he''s WAY more interested in eating baby food than breast milk.

He gets so animated and loud when he wants food and is so impatient! I hope it''s just a phase. I will keep on BFing him. I am not ready to stop. My goal is a year. If any of the older mommies have any BFing advice, I''ll take it. Thanks.

I can''t believe he''s almost 8 months old! Time flies!