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PS Mommy Thread-Newborn to 12 months!

Date: 11/16/2009 8:34:58 PM
Author: neatfreak
Re: Domperidone I believe this is still banned in the US though (but I can''t figure out why). So you''d have to order from an overseas pharmacy...which can be sketchy. So please be careful if this is what you want to use!

I had no idea it was banned! I hear about it so much on primarily-American message boards/communities. It looks like it was banned due to problems from large amounts given intravenously. That''s a bummer.
 
Date: 11/16/2009 10:31:20 PM
Author: neatfreak
Date: 11/16/2009 10:19:20 PM

Author: TanDogMom

I read that you are not supposed to make carrots at home for some reason, so he has jarred carrots.


It's not that you aren't supposed to-it's just that frozen cooked carrots taste awful. So if you make them at home just use it all right away.

Good to know. I'm pretty sure one of my books also said that carrots are more prone to growing bacteria than the other baby foods when stored. I'm too tired to find the book right now. Between that and tasting awful, we'll definitely stick with the store bought carrots!

Fiery Forgot to say, I also noticed an improvement when I took More Milk Plus capsules which I bought at whole foods.
 
Date: 11/16/2009 11:18:07 PM
Author: TanDogMom
Date: 11/16/2009 10:31:20 PM

Author: neatfreak

Date: 11/16/2009 10:19:20 PM


Author: TanDogMom


I read that you are not supposed to make carrots at home for some reason, so he has jarred carrots.



It''s not that you aren''t supposed to-it''s just that frozen cooked carrots taste awful. So if you make them at home just use it all right away.


Good to know. I''m pretty sure one of my books also said that carrots are more prone to growing bacteria than the other baby foods when stored. I''m too tired to find the book right now. Between that and tasting awful, we''ll definitely stick with the store bought carrots!


Fiery Forgot to say, I also noticed an improvement when I took More Milk Plus capsules which I bought at whole foods.

Interesting about the bacteria but bacteria can''t grow in the freezer...so that confuses me!

Maybe was it referring to nitrates? Carrots have a lot of nitrates in them which are not good for small babies. But canned babyfood has nitrates too. They just suggest not giving it to super young kids until their systems can digest it. Usually by the time the kid is getting solid food they are fine to have it though.
 
Date: 11/17/2009 12:43:50 AM
Author: neatfreak
Date: 11/16/2009 11:18:07 PM

Author: TanDogMom

Date: 11/16/2009 10:31:20 PM


Author: neatfreak


Date: 11/16/2009 10:19:20 PM



Author: TanDogMom



I read that you are not supposed to make carrots at home for some reason, so he has jarred carrots.




It''s not that you aren''t supposed to-it''s just that frozen cooked carrots taste awful. So if you make them at home just use it all right away.



Good to know. I''m pretty sure one of my books also said that carrots are more prone to growing bacteria than the other baby foods when stored. I''m too tired to find the book right now. Between that and tasting awful, we''ll definitely stick with the store bought carrots!



Fiery Forgot to say, I also noticed an improvement when I took More Milk Plus capsules which I bought at whole foods.


Interesting about the bacteria but bacteria can''t grow in the freezer...so that confuses me!


Maybe was it referring to nitrates? Carrots have a lot of nitrates in them which are not good for small babies. But canned babyfood has nitrates too. They just suggest not giving it to super young kids until their systems can digest it. Usually by the time the kid is getting solid food they are fine to have it though.

You know, you are right about bacteria not growing in the freezer. It doesn''t make sense to me either, so I tried to find what book said it. Still haven''t found it. Quite possibly, I am remembering wrong. I thought it said carrots and some other item were the two things you should not prepare at home (to store). I can''t remember what the other thing was, but it was something that sounded unappealing to me and figured I wouldn''t be making it anyway, so I just filed away the mental note on carrots. If I find the book, I''ll report back :)

Do you (or anyone else) know about a baby''s iron needs? I''m trying to give A some oatmeal every day but sometimes he takes very little (maybe about a tbsp or two). The package says that a quarter cup has only 45% of baby''s needs for iron. I don''t think he ever eats a quarter cup! He is still nursing quite a bit so I hope that breastmilk is giving him enough iron - but I do remember needing that after 6 months they need it from sources other than breastmilk. I tend towards being anemic so I wonder if I need to be extra careful about my iron as well, since I assume I need extra to pass along to him in milk.

Off to take a multivitamin right now!
 
NF and TDM The steamed carrots I make taste awesome defrosted? Not sure why they might taste bad... IRON -- I have not been supplementing because I read that it is unlikely a baby would need it unless they are known to be anemic.
 
Date: 11/17/2009 12:43:50 AM
Author: neatfreak

Date: 11/16/2009 11:18:07 PM
Author: TanDogMom

Date: 11/16/2009 10:31:20 PM

Author: neatfreak


Date: 11/16/2009 10:19:20 PM


Author: TanDogMom


I read that you are not supposed to make carrots at home for some reason, so he has jarred carrots.



It''s not that you aren''t supposed to-it''s just that frozen cooked carrots taste awful. So if you make them at home just use it all right away.


Good to know. I''m pretty sure one of my books also said that carrots are more prone to growing bacteria than the other baby foods when stored. I''m too tired to find the book right now. Between that and tasting awful, we''ll definitely stick with the store bought carrots!


Fiery Forgot to say, I also noticed an improvement when I took More Milk Plus capsules which I bought at whole foods.

Interesting about the bacteria but bacteria can''t grow in the freezer...so that confuses me!

Maybe was it referring to nitrates? Carrots have a lot of nitrates in them which are not good for small babies. But canned babyfood has nitrates too. They just suggest not giving it to super young kids until their systems can digest it. Usually by the time the kid is getting solid food they are fine to have it though.
Yeah I am pretty sure you are thinking about nitrates. When I used to make homemade baby food I did carrots all the time and they held up well in the freezer. Babies should be given carrots in moderation not only because of nitrates, but also because their skin can turn a little orangish from eating a lot of them (this is obviously temporary and I am pretty sure causes no health problems). I think most babies can handle nitrates in carrots and I think there are other foods that contain them when they are old enough to eat solids anyway.

There is something you can do to decrease nitrates in carrots. Use organic carrots which will have a little less but are not nitrate free. When I used to make baby food I used to use the "broth" that was leftover in the pan from steaming the fruit/veggies, as a thinner to get the right consistency when pureeing. You do this because some of the flavor and nutrients seep out into the water so you put some of it back in with the fruit/veggies. With carrots you DO NOT use this water because nitrates actually seep out of the carrots and into the water. Instead blend the carrots with fresh water to thin to desired consistency. There were also other foods besides carrots, that are high in nitrates, but I can''t think of what off the top of my head.

Nitrates cause blue baby disease or something like that if you want to research the "risks," I''m pretty sure they are very small though....
 
Mela, I basically started solids last week - or rather I stopped confiscating things! At the moment she just has what she wants off DH and my plates - our kitchen is full of builders at the moment so we are living off salads, take away and the local thai or japanese place.

Likes so far are yoghurts, pumpkin soup, bread, rice, sushi with wasabi (
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), broccolli, watermelon and physallis. Oh, and gherkins. Dislikes are asparagus, avocado and anything like prawns. Not liking asparagus is a pain as it''s quick and a great finger food.

The thing I''ve been suprised about so far is the relative lack of mess - her aim is pretty spot on and most goes straight into her mouth. However she does like to ''feel'' the textures with her fingers...

We''re having to chose more healthy food than usual - and I''ve had to go without additional salt which I''m finding hard!

I do give her a half feed beforehand so she''s not hungry.
 
PG, I hope today goes well for you and Claire! It sounds to me like you''re on the right track. I would be willing to bet that with you and your DH being lean, that''s going to be Claire''s body type, too -- and lucky girl because she won''t have to worry about her weight as she gets older.

Fiery, I hope you don''t mind me jumping in here and I''m going to apologize in advance for the length because I know this is going to get long. I had a couple of dips in my supply when I was pumping so I had to learn just about all of the tricks for bringing it back up.

Can I ask a bunch of questions? (Hah, there''s one!)

How old is Sophia? How has her weight gain been since birth? What is her behavior like at the breast -- specifically pulling off and screaming -- can you describe that more? How are her wet and poopy diapers? Green stools? Any blood in them?

The biggest red flag for me is that after a minute or two, she''s pulling off and screaming. This could be a couple of things. It could be that it''s pure frustration because nursing takes works and if she''s been getting bottles, she might be showing a preference to how easy they are. It also could be that she has some reflux -- if she arches her back and screams as if in pain, this would be something to consider.

It''s impossible for her to be completely draining a breast in 1-2 minutes because you''re making milk continuously. This is why I would lean toward frustration rather than low supply. She''s getting the foremilk in the beginning and then when she has to work for the higher calorie hindmilk, well, she doesn''t want to!
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If she''s not getting that hindmilk, that would be a reason she would act hungry and seem to need the formula.

One thing to keep in mind when offering a bottle is that a baby will often accept whatever''s in the bottle, regardless of whether she''s truly hungry or not, just because of the way the bottle works. Nursing takes a lot of work, but sucking from a bottle really doesn''t. Even if the baby doesn''t suck, the contents of the bottle drip into her mouth. When the baby does suck, the flow is so much faster than what she gets when nursing that there''s a disconnect between what she''s taking in and feeling full.

I just wanted to point that out because Sophia''s taking 4 oz. at once after nursing does not necessarily indicate that she actually needed that 4 oz.

Are you taking enough Fenugreek so that your sweat and urine smell like maple syrup? I had to take 9 caps a day, split into 3 doses.

You could try using a supplemental nursing systems (SNS) to give her the formula. This would allow you to supplement while continuing the nipple stimulation that''s important for increasing your supply. This may seem like an exercise in frustration at first because she will probably act like she does at the breast now, with pulling off and crying, but it''s a good way to keep her working at the breast.

One thing I tried was taking domperidone. This is not a choice that I recommend lightly -- I will tell you about it, but you will have to decide if you want to go this route.

There are 2 drugs that have the side effect of increasing milk supply -- Reglan (metoclopramide) and Motilium (domperidone). Both are prescribed to help with gastric emptying. Reglan is used in the US, but depression can be a horrible side effect of it. Motilium is NOT available in the US(*) and it has NOT been approved by the FDA. However, it has been used in Canada for many years. Depression is not a side effect of domperidone, and it is generally well-tolerated.

Because domperidone is not available in the US, you have to be somewhat creative to obtain it. I ordered mine from an overseas pharmacy that did not require a prescription. Yes, this is pretty shady, but I did a LOT of research before doing so and I felt that it was worth at least trying because I knew I needed some big guns to get my supply back up.

The other choice -- which is the (*) -- is to have it made at a compounding pharmacy. You will need a prescription for this and most insurance companies will not cover it. You may also have to check several compounding pharmacies to find one that is willing to make it for you because some just don''t do it and others are not aware that the FDA ruled that compounding pharmacies may now make it.

Most nursing women that choose to use domperidone order it from an overseas pharmacy due to the cost (it''s MUCH cheaper than a compounding pharmacy). The drawback to this is that your order *could* be seized by the FDA when it''s shipped.

To use domperidone, you have to take quantities that are well above the prescribed amount. Generally, women start at 30 mg 3 times a day. Some women need to increase the dose to 120 mg. per day. You usually see an increase in supply in just a couple of days, although it can take up to 2 weeks.

Those are the basics of it.

If you want to read more, you can check out Dr. Jack Newman''s articles -- they''re here:

http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/newman.shtml

Dr. Newman has extensive experience working with breastfeeding moms in Canada, and he''s considered one of the foremost authorities. I can''t recommend his advice highly enough!

Good luck and hang in there. I hope you find something that works for you!

And please don''t feel like you don''t know what to do to take care of Sophia. Breastfeeding can be HARD until you guys get it figured out together. You''re doing a great job just by asking questions!
 
And for a PS -- I apologize for only skimming through the other posts where a bunch of you suggested domperidone!! I feel so much better now about suggesting it since I''m not the only rebel that''s taken it.
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Oh, and Pandora...that''s so amazing that your little one tried sushi and wasabi! You''re getting her started on an expensive habit! LOL!
 
Rock I''m in training I will answer when we take a break but thanks for the note!
 
fiery and PG - I hope you both get over the hurdles with BFing!

Pandora - wow, Daisy has been really adventurous with her eating!

And Hi to all the other mommies
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Kyle had his 9 month appointment yesterday. He was 19 pounds 2 ounces (25th percentile) and 29 inches (75th percentile), so he''s gotten taller and skinnier. The doctor said he looks great, and they did a hemogloben (sp?) test which came back normal. He didn''t even flinch when they poked his toe to get the blood, he just look at the nurse and watched.

We''re having a little issue with him not wanting to eat anything with texture though (he spits it out), and he won''t self feed at all
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Date: 11/17/2009 9:27:58 AM
Author: rockpaperscissors67
How old is Sophia? How has her weight gain been since birth? What is her behavior like at the breast -- specifically pulling off and screaming -- can you describe that more? How are her wet and poopy diapers? Green stools? Any blood in them?
Rock

Sophia is 4.5 months as of today. She has steadily gained about 2-3lbs per month with the exception of this month when she got sick and lost 1.5lbs. Typically she eats very well except for getting distracted and pulling off. Since the dip in supply though she hits and pulls a lot. Yesterday, for example, she was eating then tugged at the breast before pulling off and crying because she was hungry. I kept switching her from breast to breast but she still kept crying so I offered formula. She is having regular wet and poopy diapers (poops about 1-2 times per day). No green stools although I imagine its coming with the formula and no blood in the stools either.


The biggest red flag for me is that after a minute or two, she''s pulling off and screaming. This could be a couple of things. It could be that it''s pure frustration because nursing takes works and if she''s been getting bottles, she might be showing a preference to how easy they are. It also could be that she has some reflux -- if she arches her back and screams as if in pain, this would be something to consider.
Yes! I think that plays a big part of it. When my supply was better, she wouldn''t have to work for the let down. As soon as she latched on, the milk would letdown. Now she has to work and I notice she gets really frustrated. She doesn''t necessarily have nipple confusion since I work and she has been getting bottles for 1.5 months now but I think the letdown has a lot to do with how frustrated she gets. We checked for reflux before-doesn''t seem to be an issue with her.

I have to go back now but thank you on the notes on the drugs to take (and to everyone else for the suggestions as well). I am not taking fenugreek to a point where I smell like maple syrup because the scent makes me nauseous (lol) but I may have to take more. I''m going to try more milk plus as Neat suggested (and I think TDM did as well before). My LC suggested this as well so we''ll see how it goes.

Be back later to catch up with everyone.
 
Date: 11/17/2009 1:15:15 AM
Author: dreamer_dachsie
NF and TDM The steamed carrots I make taste awesome defrosted? Not sure why they might taste bad... IRON -- I have not been supplementing because I read that it is unlikely a baby would need it unless they are known to be anemic.

Lol-I made them once and I thought the texture was pretty awful compared to the other foods I froze. I didn''t taste them though-but my babies didn''t like them from the freezer! I had heard another mom say the same thing-so I just started steaming them fresh. And my babies will eat them that way. I say do what works for you! Mia is right about the nitrates though! Spinach and broccoli also have a lot-so the same rule about using fresh water instead of cooking water applies to those too.
 
Hey ladies.

I''m currently trapped in inlaw hell. DH''s parents are visiting from Holland and I''m seriously considering running away! His mom is the most difficult human being on the face of the earth - passive aggressive, know-it-all who talks all the time. And also, shops at Hollister and Abercrombie and Fitch. She used to be a model and she looks great, but she''s 63 and dresses like a slightly slutty 16 year old. Today she is wearing leather pants, high heel boots and a tight top. They are here until Thursday...and the only thing I can say is that I''m really really REALLY R.E.A.L.L.Y. glad there is an ocean between us. And she is going to other side of that ocean on Thursday. UGH UGH UGH.

On to happier news, Mr. Calvin is doing great.

ANYWAY...

Thanks for the info and opinions on the naps. It is so weird. Calvin is a GREAT sleeper at night, but he just does not like his afternoon naps. He''ll sleep for 20 to 30 minutes max - Doesn''t matter where he''s sleeping. In his crib, in the pack ''n play, in my arms...makes no difference. I figure since he''s sleeping well at night (usually going 8 or 9 hours, waking up and eating and sleeping another 3 hours), I guess I won''t worry about it too much. Of course, I''m still trying to get him to take that afternoon nap, and he falls asleep easily, he just wakes up very quickly. Feh.

PG - Sorry it took me so long to get back to you! You''ve since gotten really good advice - but just wanted to throw my .02 in...I only got 1/2 an ounce when I''d pump after feeding Calvin. It sounds like your L.C. is a bit off her rocker...I''d be interested to see what your Pediatrician said. My ped was happy when Calvin got back to his birth weight. We continued supplementing him with an oz of breast milk after he''d nurse, even after our ped told us we didn''t have to...it just made me feel better to feed him a bit more. Now he exclusively nurses except for his bedtime bottle - DH gives him 5 ozs of expressed milk. He''s still a skinny dude. He''s in the 22% for weight and the 62% for height...just the way he''s built. How did things go with the pediatrician? One last thing, at least for us, the number of wet diapers was the real test for whether he was getting enough. Calvin was just not a pooper and would often go forever without pooping. I think his record was 8 days. But he always had tons of pee diapers and never acted uncomfortable.

Sabine - In terms of sleep training, we are using Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. Everyone I know who used it has kids that sleep really well...so that is what we are going to use. We haven''t done much with it so far, but I''m sure the time will come. Oh, and totally belatedly, we too suffered the horror of a bathtub poo. It is horrid and we are scarred. Calvin was entirely nonplussed. DH and I, however, still talk about it. Also, those pics of Jacks are so freaking adorable!!!!

DD - Yay for CIO working! If memory serves, Hunter was a good sleeper when he was younger wasn''t he? When did that start to change?

Blen - I''m so sorry to hear about your pup. That is a tough decision and I''m sorry you had to make it.

Ebree - How goes the deswaddlefication? I''m dreading when we have to do it. Good luck flying!

Mustang - I''ve got a tall skinny guy too! I wish I''d get some baby chunk on him, but I don''t think he''ll ever be a little butterball!

Fiery - Supply issues stink. I''m glad that Sophia is feeling better and I hope that things return to normal. Either way, I can tell from your posts that you are a great mom to her, regardless of any issues with BFing!!!

Robbie - Sorry about your family issues. That stinks. How are things?

Tao - Evan is adorable! CONGRATS!

CC - Hey friend! So odd how similar Calvin and O are. His morning nap is his "swing nap" and he''ll sleep for a couple hours in there. I just don''t get why he won''t nap in his crib. He''ll sleep for 8 or 9 hours in his crib at night, but won''t sleep for more than 30 minutes during the day. Darn monkey. Oh, and I''m totally addicted to babylegs. I totally blame Mela for that! Calvin has 24984 pairs. As for staying home, yeah, I''m going to stay home for a bit. Not sure when I''ll go back and what it is I''ll be doing, but hopefully I''ll spend a year with the bebe. We definitely have to live frugally in order to do it, which has been tough since it is so easy to buy adorable things for Calvin. Are you putting O in the bumbo yet? We got one for Calvin yesterday, and he sits pretty well in it. He can hold his head up on his own, but I''m worried that maybe it is still too early. I don''t know.

Neat - Your boys are adorable! I can''t believe how fast they grow up!

Everyone else - HELLO!

And although my MIL is a total pain in the butt, she''s pretty good with the camera. Here is a pic she took of Calvin, and it is my favorite pic ever. It actually captures his face really well. Sigh. I love that little doodle bug!

mymostcutestbaby.jpg
 
Fiery, I''m absolutely convinced that you are on the right track here. My guess would be that when Sophia was sick, she wasn''t nursing as much, which lead to the supply dip and now that she''s feeling better, well, she''s hungrier! She very well could be going through a growth spurt on top of it and this is a REALLY common time for moms to have a supply dip.

Thank you for answering my other questions. I''m glad that reflux and the possibility of sensitivity to something in your diet aren''t factors. She sounds like an absolutely normal little girl who''s just bounced back from being sick! This is also a really interesting age because they start wanting to be so much more interactive with their world that some babies just have less patience for the time that it takes to nurse.

I can''t blame you for not wanting to take more Fenugreek. I got to the point where trying to choke down those capsules was too much. I forgot that I also tried the More Milk Plus (the liquid not the capsules) and it helped some -- once I got used to the taste. When I first started it, I thought it tasted awful, but then after a few days, I actually started to like the taste.

If she starts popping off out of frustration, you might try doing breast compression. That should get some more milk in her so maybe she''d stay latched on until the next let down.

I think you have a really solid plan in place with adding the other supplements and considering the other meds. You''re doing GREAT!!


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Lysser LOL at your MIL! Good thing they will be gone soon
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Hunter was a great sleeper until 4 months and then all heck broke loose
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From then until last week at 8.5 months he woke between 2 and 5 times a night! Now he sleeps 12 hours
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Hi all! Thanks for your replies re: CIO

Ebree, sorry to hear you're so sleep deprived as well! I don't think she's going through a growth spurt now - I think she's just developed some bad habits... Looking forward to seeing those 6 mos photos!

Mgal, nice to "see" you too! congrats on 9 months! WHat a long lean guy you have!

TDM, Sage has no teeth yet and no sign of any around the corner. She drools a lot some days but I can't feel anything coming through yet and she doesn't seem to be in any pain. I'm sorry to hear A has had some rough nights due to that. I'm not looking forward to it! Thanks for the info about your schedule. Here's hoping we both get some sleep soon!

neat, thanks for your reply re: CIO!

DD, I have felt the same way about Ferber's method and find that when I go in there to "soothe" her, I often feel like I'm just making it worse. She sees me and wants me to hold her but if I do and then put her down or even if I just rub her back, it's like I've pressed the reset button and she starts her crying fit all over again. I think you are spot on about knowing your baby's cries. I realized yesterday that her screaming bloody murder cry often turns into her angry babbling, "Bah Bah Bah!!" and that is very different from her distress cry which she can't really "talk" through, if that makes any sense. Thanks so much for letting us know what you're schedule is - that's helpful. Question about solids - did Hunter gag a bunch when he started to move on from pureed foods? Sage is still eating baby food for the most part and when I give her anything with more substance, she seems to gag a bunch and it freaks me out a bit.

Pandora, congrats on 6 months! It sounds like Daisy is doing great!

fiery, I'm sorry you're having supply issues! Wish I could help!

mela, thanks for your thoughts on CIO! And yay for FL!

hi everyone else

So yesterday I let Sage CIO for her nap in the morning and she fell asleep on her own after a while. When I put her down for bed at 7 she cried as well but passed out in 4 minutes. She woke again at 9 and cried for 30 seconds but then fell back asleep. She was up again at 11:15 and she cried for a while so I thought she might be hungry but she didn't really eat when I gave her the breast so I put her down again and she cried some more but I didn't give in and she was back asleep by 12:15. Again at 2:15 I thought she might be hungry but she didn't really eat so again I put her down and she cried for a bit but was back asleep fairly quickly. At 5:45 she ate a bunch and fell asleep at the breast and she woke in a happy mood at 7. So, I'm planning to proceed with letting her CIO tonight since I'm pretty confidant this will work if I commit to it. Fingers crossed!! I'll let you all know.

Thanks for your support and guidance, ladies!
Mrs


ETA: Lysser, sorry your MIL is so difficult! That's a great pic though!
 
Date: 11/17/2009 12:41:01 PM
Author: Mrs
DD, I have felt the same way about Ferber''s method and find that when I go in there to ''soothe'' her, I often feel like I''m just making it worse. She sees me and wants me to hold her but if I do and then put her down or even if I just rub her back, it''s like I''ve pressed the reset button and she starts her crying fit all over again. I think you are spot on about knowing your baby''s cries. I realized yesterday that her screaming bloody murder cry often turns into her angry babbling, ''Bah Bah Bah!!'' and that is very different from her distress cry which she can''t really ''talk'' through, if that makes any sense. Thanks so much for letting us know what you''re schedule is - that''s helpful. Question about solids - did Hunter gag a bunch when he started to move on from pureed foods? Sage is still eating baby food for the most part and when I give her anything with more substance, she seems to gag a bunch and it freaks me out a bit.
I totally know what you mean about the cries. Sometimes he does scream like abanshee but somehow it is different than when he is really upset, say when he bonks his head or something.

I don''t remember him gagging much but every baby is different. I noticed he did make funny faces and gaggy sounds when we gave him something too hard form him to chew and he tried to swallow it before it was soft enough. Still, it is normal for them to gag a little, it is their way of avoiding swallowing things that are too hard/big, it doesn''t always signal danger I think. But since sage has no teeth you may want to stick with soft things like avocado pieces to see if she can mush those up? Or teensy pieces of banana? With practice she won''t gag, but go with her signals and your gut.


Date: 11/17/2009 12:41:01 PM
Author: Mrs
So yesterday I let Sage CIO for her nap in the morning and she fell asleep on her own after a while. When I put her down for bed at 7 she cried as well but passed out in 4 minutes. She woke again at 9 and cried for 30 seconds but then fell back asleep. She was up again at 11:15 and she cried for a while so I thought she might be hungry but she didn''t really eat when I gave her the breast so I put her down again and she cried some more but I didn''t give in and she was back asleep by 12:15. Again at 2:15 I thought she might be hungry but she didn''t really eat so again I put her down and she cried for a bit but was back asleep fairly quickly. At 5:45 she ate a bunch and fell asleep at the breast and she woke in a happy mood at 7. So, I''m planning to proceed with letting her CIO tonight since I''m pretty confidant this will work if I commit to it. Fingers crossed!! I''ll let you all know.
Sounds JUST like Hunter, and that is how I knew it was time. Especially when he put himself to sleep a few times after only a minute or so. It told me he *could* self-sooth and that was really important for me to know before I tried CIO. Did sage drink much at 7am when she woke up? That was also how I knew it was time for Hunter, because he was so full from the nightime that he didn''t eat when he woke up.

I was just so tired of waking so much I couldn''t take any more, and I knew it was jus ta habit. Although I can understand him wanting comfort in the night, I also see now that he is happily sleeping 12 hours without a peep and is in a better mood in the daytime and eats better in the day. It is all a good thing! I still worry a little about him getting enough to eat in the day, but as my friend said last night, if he *can* go 12 hours without waking then he is obviusly not hungry
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Good luck! It is really really hard the first couple of nights, but in the long run it is worth it.
 
Teething Who asked this? I''m sorry I can''t recall and don''t want to look back pages
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Hunter cut his first tooth at 6mo and his second bottom one came in a few weeks later. This week he is getting both top ones! They just broke through.

Fiery I think you will get back on track, just keep it up!

Pandora Daisy sounds like such a little character! Me thinks you will have your hands full when she is a teenager
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I am curious, if you use BLW how does the baby get things like oatmeal that you can''t really eat with your hands, or slippery things they cannot pick up? Do you just not really give those foods?

TDM Hunter is a skinny tall dude too! Best we can tell he is around 20lbs now, but we don''t see the doc again until 12 mo so who knows. You know, if he is waking earlier in the morning it is possible he is hungry, or you could just CIO so he doesn''t get into the habit of waking early. We have done that a few times when Hunter wakes at 6am... we prefer 7am
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Date: 11/17/2009 1:20:26 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie
Teething Who asked this? I''m sorry I can''t recall and don''t want to look back pages
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Hunter cut his first tooth at 6mo and his second bottom one came in a few weeks later. This week he is getting both top ones! They just broke through.

Fiery I think you will get back on track, just keep it up!

Pandora Daisy sounds like such a little character! Me thinks you will have your hands full when she is a teenager
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I am curious, if you use BLW how does the baby get things like oatmeal that you can''t really eat with your hands, or slippery things they cannot pick up? Do you just not really give those foods?

TDM Hunter is a skinny tall dude too! Best we can tell he is around 20lbs now, but we don''t see the doc again until 12 mo so who knows. You know, if he is waking earlier in the morning it is possible he is hungry, or you could just CIO so he doesn''t get into the habit of waking early. We have done that a few times when Hunter wakes at 6am... we prefer 7am
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Don''t, I''m dreading it. Luckily she is a very smiley happy child (who flirts with everyone
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- especially the builders...) so she''s fairly nice to spend time with her, because she is very demanding attention-wise. She likes me to be playing with her, reading stories or be out shopping with her in the pram - she doesn''t self-entertain for more than 10 minutes before she starts shouting - not crying, but a constant annoyed noise till you play with her or pick her up - or she sets off across the room which isn''t too healthy right now since our sitting room is full of dust, builders things and the contents of our kitchen...

On the oatmeal etc, you don''t really give them specific foods aimed at babies unless you want to, just whatever you are eating. So, if I''m having rice or something like that then she gets a spoonful to play with - some will go straight into her mouth and some will be squished between the fingers to see what it feels like. She''s suprisingly good at getting even small things in, not that it all stays there - if she''s not sure it just gets spat back again. Yoghurt she drinks out of the container - she''s been drinking bits of water from glasses and adult type bottles for a long time so she doesn''t spill much - or just sticks her fingers in and licks them...
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I have invested in some heavy duty bibs that cover most of her!

Teething... I think Mrs was asking about this. Daisy started cutting the first tooth last week and it''s now about halfway through. She was miserable at about 4 months, constantly drooling and chomping on her hands. Since two weeks ago I don''t need to put a bib on her anymore and other than wanting to bite more she has no ''teething'' signs or even red gums. I think that sometimes they hurt more when they''re deeper in the gums.

On the gagging, as long as she is upright then she shouldn''t choke, gagging is a normal reflex that gradually lessens but exists to protect a baby from swallowing potential toxins, and while they are learning to manipulate food from the front of the mouth to the back and then swallow. With lumpier foods have you given her the possibility of being in charge of what goes in her mouth rather than feeding it to her? Daisy only really gags if I put something in her mouth for her - if she''s in control it''s a lot less.
 
Pandora Hunter doesn''t eat any baby food either. But his breakfast every morning is a bowl of slow cook oatmeal, same as we have. He loves feeding himself, but also seems to enjoy having a nice big old bowl of cereal too, fed to him.

Feeding Tip

I just tried this the other day. If you don''t want to get your fingers dirty and you are feeding your baby something bite sized but hard for them to grasp -- like tofu cubes, banana, and avocado -- you can use chop sticks to pop it into their mouth!
 
I was asking about teething and when everyone 'cut teeth'! Thanks. I suspect Romeo has the deep tooth pain, since there is no sign of anything on the gums, but he is cranky, waking during the night (we ignore for the most part) and wanting his paci a lot more. He's just generally sucky so I'm guessing its teething.

Mrs. So glad to hear from you. I meant to say that last night in my post but go side-tracked. Sorry that you're dealing with the sleep issues. I guess we all do at some point. Good luck with the CIO. Trust your gut and stay strong ;)

DD. I have to give you a lot of cred. You toughed out the night feeds LONG past my tolerance level. I lost it at 16 weeks and cut him off!!!! You should feel very proud of your stamina! I'm impressed. I'm also impressed with your Mommy instinct knowing that he was ready. Good for you. Everyone will be more rested and better for it.

RockPaperScissors - thanks for your repsonses about supply. It was very thought-full and helpful.

Little L- Awwww. Great pic of Calvin!

___

Check this out. We managed to catch "spit up" on film, not once, but twice! HAHAHA. One of them looks like FANGS!
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Spit up.jpg
 
close up. HAHAHHAH

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Mela- LOL about the pictures.

LL- yikes about the MIL! Glad she''ll be out of your hair soon. Calvin is such a cutie.

Mrs- good luck with the sleep tonight!

RockPaperScissors- wow, you''re such a great resource!

DD - glad to hear things are going so well for you!

Pandora- mmm, sushi sounds so good. And Daisy sounds like a much neater eater than George is.

Food - we''re just letting George feed himself some of whatever we''re eating (within reason: no nuts, no choking hazards, no chocolate cake, no wine
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). He''s not ingesting all that much, but sometimes he''ll surprise us by getting a whole piece of broccoli down. If we''re eating something that doesn''t lend itself to self-feeding (oatmeal, for ex) I''ll put some on a spoon and let him play with the spoon. He gets MAD if we try to feed him and glares at us and refuses to open his mouth and tries to reach for the spoon so he can feed himself. He wants to do it all by himself but doesn''t have the mechanics down too great right now.

Teeth - George hasn''t cut any yet, but I can feel his two front ones growing under his gums. He''s been acting like he''s teething (drooling, sticking everything in his mouth) for something like 3.5 months now.
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George has broncitis.
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I had a time trying to get a sick visit with a new pediatrician, but I''m glad that I was finally able to get him in.
 
Date: 11/17/2009 9:15:32 PM
Author: mela lu
DD. I have to give you a lot of cred. You toughed out the night feeds LONG past my tolerance level. I lost it at 16 weeks and cut him off!!!! You should feel very proud of your stamina! I''m impressed. I''m also impressed with your Mommy instinct knowing that he was ready. Good for you. Everyone will be more rested and better for it.
Thanks Mela, but I don''t feel like we did anything special. In some ways we lamed out on both parenting options -- we didn''t CIO sooner and enjoy long nights of sleep for months and months already, and we didn''t cosleep like I originally planned
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But alls well that ends well I guess.

You know, as much as I am glad to get a full nights sleep I really miss nursing Hunter at night
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It just reminds me that he is growing up and he doesn''t need me anymore the same way he used to
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Silly, I know, but I imagine the feeling will only get worse when I start work. I only plan to work about 5 hours per day 3 days per week until the end of summer (give or take some weekends and evenings when DH can parent), but still it is hard to think of him being with someone else.

Hunter growing up so fast makes me think about number 2. I know we talked about this before, but when is everyone planning another? We plan to TTC next August when HUnter is 18 months. I am knocking wood that we get pg within a few months so that I can have number two at the end of the winter semester and then return from mat leave in the summer and not need to teach
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Blen I''m sorry George is so sick! That is terrible!
 
Aw Blen, sorry about George, hope he gets better soon!

I should add on the feeding thing that some things are off the menu: nuts, kiwi (I''m very allergic to it), alcohol... I did sin and give her a bit of chocolate cake the other day but she was more interested in feeling it than eating any.

With spoons, Daisy has some of the soft tip ones and we practice eating without any food on them - she''s not great at getting them in her mouth yet so I dread to thing how messy a spoon with food is going to be! She also goes crazy if I try to show her how, it all has to be done by her - and geez are these babies strong when they want their own way!

DD - I think it''s unlikely that we will have another, if we change our minds then we will TTC when Daisy starts school in 2014
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. I think the gap you are thinking of is a pretty common one. I don''t worry about siblings being friends too much - there''s 20 months between me and my sister and we have never got one, then there are 5 years between my brother and me and we are very close and played together a lot as small kids. I think it''s more about personalities than closeness of age.

It''s odd that I kind of like the idea of TTC, but the idea of being pregnant again fills me with horror as does the thought of going through these early months again (especially knowing what I now know!), and I look at newborns wistfully. But then it''s a bit like puppies - so adorable when they are a week or so old, but then you have the whole big puppy stage to go through...

I''m going to be terribly sad when Daisy gives up feeding and even when she moves into her own bed - I love snuggling with her at night, even if she did wake me up at 7am by trying to pull the Tigger embroidery off the front of my pj''s...
 
Hi everyone!

Blen - Sorry that George is sick! I hope he gets better soon!

Mela - I love the spit up fangs!!! hehehe....too funny
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Dreamer - our TTC timeline is similar to yours, although I'd kind of like to have our second using the same timeline as Lex (started TTC in June, got preggo in Sept). So if we decide that, then we may wait until Lex turns 2 to TTC. I just don't think we'll be ready when he turns 1. Not that there are any guarantees we'd get KU as quickly the second time around, so who knows.

Sounds like everyone is doing great! All the kiddos are growing up so fast. I can't believe Lex will be 6 months in 2 weeks. He started daycare this week part-time to begin the transition (I go back to work Nov 30th). So I dropped him off on Monday and he was soooooooooooo happy to be w/ other babies! He didn't even cry when I left or seem happy when I came back
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Hehehee...independent one I have. I was glad though since it made it so much easier for me to leave him and I really do feel comfortable w/ the daycare we chose. It's still going to be SUPER hard not seeing him as much though
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In other news, Lex officially started crawling over the weekend! It's crazy! He's all over the place. It's more of any army crawl, but man he can move
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As for solids, Lex gets oatmeal mixed w/ fruit or veggies in the morning. I've been making the baby food, so that I can add spice. He seems to like everything. And he's really good w/ the spoon, grabs it from me and feeds himself...such a porker
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Speaking of porker, I have to laugh at how many of you have said your little guys weigh 20 lbs (or less)..Lex is 20lbs and is only 5 1/2 months!!! But he's also 27 inches..so while he's not lean really, he's not chubby either, he's just BIG!!
 
Hey everyone! Sorry for being absent for a while. It seems like I just don''t have any free time anymore.

Mela, the spit up fangs are hilarious! Sorry if I missed this, but how did pumping go while you were on your girls trip? How many times a day did you do it and how did your supply hold up? Some friends are talking about going to Barbados for a week somewhere between January and April and I''m contemplating if it''s doable. Des will be somewhere between 6 and 10 months old at that point.

Fiery, sorry about the supply probs.
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I just skimmed, but do you think AF returning could have something to do with it or do you think less nursing is what caused AF to return in the first place?

As for when we''ll have #2, I''m really not sure. I originally wanted to be done having babies by 30. We said we wanted 2, but if 1 and 2 were the same sex we might try for #3, so ideally, I was thinking since Des was born when I was 26, #2 would come at 28 and #3 (if there is one) would come at 30. that means I''d need to be pregnant next year though and I just don''t know if we''ll be ready. As far as babies go, Des is super easy, but I still don''t know that I could handle 2. I also really want to be able to stay home when we have 2 because I don''t think it''s fair to our mothers to ask them to watch 2 kids at once while I''m at work and I really don''t want them in daycare. I''m also already very jealous of all the time they get to spend with Des and everything I''m missing out on. He''s not awake with us for long on the weekdays and we have so much to get done on the weekends (grocery shopping, laundry, etc). Plus if there''s any type of family event, everyone is always trying to take him from me. They don''t seem to understand that I never get to see my baby and that I want to hold him and spend time with him.
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I just don''t think we can add a 2nd into our current situation. Then I''d get even less time with Des. DH is still looking for a better paying job, but no luck so far. He''s been looking for so long (it''ll be 2 years in March) that I''m starting to give up hope that it''s ever going to happen.
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We had Des''s 4 month appointment yesterday. Slightly late considering he''ll be 5 months old in 10 days, but it was the earliest we could get an evening appointment. His stats are:

Weight: 14#3oz (20%)
Length: 24.5in (17.6%)
HC: 42cm (28.4%)

He screamed bloody murder for a few seconds when he got his shots and then was happy and smiling again.

They did the ppd assessment and I scored 10. 12 or higher is supposed to mean you might have ppd. I don''t think I have ppd, but I''m definitely unhappy due to the above reasons. I just feel so angry a lot of the time. I knew this was how it was going to be (in regards to me having to go back to work) when we decided to TTC, but I just didn''t think I would feel like this. I don''t know how to stop being so angry. Any other working moms feeling like this?
 
Interesting you bring up TTC for #2 Dreamer, cause we've kinda been "not not trying" if you know what I mean. I would NOT want to get pregnant right now, but if I did, I seriously wouldn't be upset. I think that makes me CRAZY, but I feel like you never get more than you can handle - so I'm just kinda playing my cards right now. whoa.

In related news, my BFF has an 11 month old daughter, and she just found out shes KTFU after trying for 2 months. Her HCG levels dont seem to be too great though....so she's going for her second beta draw today. FIngers crossed that her little bean is ok
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. She was a week late, then got 4 NEG FRERs, a + digi, and a NEG at the DR's office. Strange. Dust please!

ETA: Robbie - I def dont think being angry is a "normal" thing...so good thing you're looking into it and asking questions. I think its due to your situation too. Working Moms have it really tough. I cannot believe the short Mat leave in the US. To me, its criminal. I would be angry too.

I'm still on mat leave (1 yr) and dont plan on going back to work until I'm done having all 3 of my babies. My DH has been looking for a better job for years too - which puts a lot of pressure on him, poor guy. We feel the same as you, that we dont want them in Day care and that I should be home to raise them. It was our agreement before we got married.

I would persist in your search at getting less angry. This should be a wonderful time, and it seems like "life" is getting in the way of that for you. Is there any way you can drop to part time at your job?
 
mela - I love the fangs!

Mrs - good luck with CIO, I hope it helps...

DD - I''m prefectly happy with the 1 baby, but DH wants another. We had planned to start on #2 (if there was going to be a #2) by the time #1 turned 2, so they wouldn''t be more that 3 years apart. But I just don''t feel it would be fair to the kids, since we will both have to continue to work, and at this point I don''t think we could afford daycare for 2 (well, we could, but it would be very close and leave no play money). Your situation sounds good though, so good luck next year!

blen - I''m sorry Geaorge is sick! I hope he feels betetr soon.

cdt - Good to hear Lex likes day care. At that age, Kyle loved to just sit and watch all the other kids. It really kept him entertained.

robbie - DH and I work FT also, and I feel the same about not wanting to add a second child when we don''t get to spend much time with the first. Are your hours flexible at all? I''ve been working 7:15am to 4pm, and that gives me almost 3 hours with Kyle when I get home, plus 45 minutes to an hour in the morning before I drop him off. I also won''t ever be able to stay home
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, I make more than DH, and work in a much more stable industry, so if ever one parent could not work, it wouldn''t be me. Does your DH help much with the chores? I try to do laundry when Kyle''s napping on the weekends, and we go grocery shopping together. Maybe take a few weekends "off" and just bond with Des, and don''t be afraid to seek help if you need it.

***

Kyle slep until 6am finally! I don''t know why he started waking up an hour earlier for 2 weeks, but looks like we''re back on track. He hasn''t been very interested in solids for dinner that last few days though, and is even spitting out the puffs that he normally likes. Not sure if maybe his teeth are bothering him, the top 2 just came through last weekend, and he''s biting everything in sight (except food
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