Sept05Moms: Welcome Fiona, Baby B, Aimee, Lauren, Jed, Lily, Crow's baby & Kaito!!!

[10.4.03]

I'm 5 days past due now and really trying to keep my mind off of it, but it's getting a little nuts! I spent the day with my friend and her 2 week old. I'm hoping that might kick start something....;)

[wildcat]

I finally had time to type up Lauren's birth story (as written to her with a few additions for CC purposes)!

Lauren’s Birth Story

I anticipated your arrival for so long and always wondered how I would go into labor. As it turns out, I never did go into labor on my own! At my dr. appt at 38w5d, the Dr. wanted to induce the following Monday (39w4d) with Cervidil that night and Pitocin the following morning as I wasn’t making any progress (still 1cm and 50% effaced as the week before). However, I really wanted you to arrive on your own and didn’t want you to come before you were ready. So, we scheduled the induction anyway and a sonogram for the same day and decided to make the decision that Monday. I was so nervous all weekend, hoping I’d go into labor on my own, but no such luck. Daddy was really ready for you to be here and wanted to induce. Even though I felt the same way, I wanted to give you a bit more time as I knew we had a better chance for the vaginal delivery I wanted if we waited. Well, at the dr. appt, you were still doing great on the sono and measuring 7lb 12oz and I had made progress (1.5cm and 70% effaced), so the Dr. agreed to give you another week. However, another week and you still weren’t here! So, at my dr. appt at 40w4d, the Dr. said there wasn’t any progress from the previous week and it was time to induce! Grammy and Grandpa were so excited and were already on their way here to be here for your birth. Daddy and I went home and finished packing our bags and when Grammy and Grandpa got here, we went to dinner, then went home, got our bags, and went to the hospital at 9pm.

When we got there, our room wasn’t ready yet, so we had to stand in the hallway for about 20 minutes. Once we got into our room, lots of things happened. I changed into a gown, the nurse attached the contraction monitor and the fetal heartrate monitor (I was actually having contractions every 8 minutes and didn’t even know it!). Then they asked a bunch of questions, started an IV (which took 3 tries!), and then about 10:45, they inserted the Cervidil. Grammy and Grandpa went home to stay with Brody (our dog). Within a few hours, I was having pretty bad cramps and terrible lower back pain and couldn’t sleep. About 4am, the Cervidil fell out and I was able to sleep from 4:30am – 7am when the nurse started the Pitocin. Grammy and Grandpa got back to the hospital just before 8am. The Pitocin never could get my contractions going, so my Dr. came in at 10am and broke my water. At that time I was dilated to a 2. That started contractions almost immediately. Unfortunately, they couldn’t get the Pitocin regulated correctly and I had almost a constant contraction for 1.5 hours (only a 5 minute break in all that time). I was in so much pain and finally asked for the epidural at 11:30. I should have asked for it at 10, it was wonderful!! I didn’t feel anything from that point on! At that time, I was dilated to a 5-6. At about 12pm, Daddy and Grandpa had left to go get lunch and the L&D nurse (Sharon) came in and told me to roll to my side because your heartrate had dipped. When I did that, my blood pressure dropped, so she had me turn back to my back, put me on oxygen, and stopped the Pitocin. I was then contracting on my own and didn’t need the Pitocin, yeah! Sharon checked me about every hour and I went from 5-6 cm, to 8cm to 9cm at 2pm. It took until 4pm to get fully dilated and at that time I started pushing. Once I was getting ready to crown, she called my Dr. in and I delivered you at 4:45!! Daddy and Grammy both watched you being born and said it was amazing! I thought you were a boy and Daddy and Grammy both thought you were a girl. When Dr. Younglove announced you were a girl, I was so excited, I couldn’t believe I had a daughter!! We also couldn’t believe how much hair you had!! Your cord was really short, so Daddy had to cut it before you could be put on my tummy. I couldn’t believe how incredibly perfect you were and that you were ours!! Grammy then went into the hall and told Grandpa and Grandad that you were a girl!! Daddy and Grammy took a million pictures of you while they checked your Apgar scores (which were 9, 9, and 9), gave you your shots (hepatitis B and vitamin K), weighed and measured you (7lb 13oz, 18.75”, 14.5” head), etc. Daddy told Grammy your name and she said how beautiful it is!! After my Dr. was done with me (2nd degree episiotomy), your Grandpa and Grandad came in and met you and were instantly in love! All of us then spent the rest of the evening making a million phone calls while taking turns holding you!! We were the perfect baby from the very beginning, a natural at nursing, a wonderful sleeper, and so gorgeous!! We love you very much and will forever remember the day you were born!!!

[SD601]

Wildcat, great birth story! Lauren is gorgeous!

Carrie, where is the mom's movie thing? I'm in San Diego, too, and would love to do that. Thanks!

[wife&wannabemom]

Drive by post....congrats on all the new babies!!! And boy do we have some cutie pies in this thread!

waking baby to eat - when you ladies are saying that you don't wake the baby to eat, are you talking day, night or both? I never wake Patrick to eat during the night but seem to still have to wake him up for 1 or 2 feedings during the day...should I stop? He's 5 weeks old and weighs just about 10 lbs even.

cold - I just came down with a nasty cold and it seems Patrick has it too...his temp was only 99.2 and he is very congested with a stuffy nose, but doesn't seem overly bothered by the cold...I think I feel worse than he does...any advice from the second time moms?

[PrincessCrappy]

Wildcat - great birth story, thanks for sharing!

Laura - Here is the info for mom's movie morning: http://www.ultrastarmovies.com/PMM.htm#PMM I went to the one in La Costa. Let me know if you'd ever like to get together - it would be fun to meet and get the kids together.

wife&wannabemom - I never wake Griffin to eat. At our 2 week appt our doctor was satisfied with his weight gain and said to feed him when he wanted to eat and woke himself. At 10 lbs, I'd say Patrick doesn't need you to wake him anymore. Griffin is 5 weeks and weighs 10 lbs 6 oz, so I guess not waking him is working! :D

Here are is one of his 1st month pictures we took at BRU:
http://mystudio.kiddiekandids.com/scratch/V27BTKL3T8AUI7DS-54M7K.jpg

[jo&sean]

Carrie - OMG that is the CUTEST picture of Patrick!!! He looks like such a big boy - his hair, eyes, little mouth. He is absolutely adorable!!

Wildcat - Great birth story!

Brink - It took me almost two weeks for the swelling to go away - I was so happy to wake up one morning and actually make out an ankle!

Line - I am 4w PP and still have the line. The funny thing is that my line wasn't even noticable or visible until after I had Addy.

Nothing new in our world...Addy has an ever increasing appetite and it is paying off. I jumped on the scale today by myself then weighed myself holding Addy and according to the scale, she weighs over 8 lbs :) I am excited to see what the dr's scale says. She is still wearing preemie sized pants though ... guess she has the "no-butt-to-hold-em up" problem that her mom has...

[randysmandy]

Hunter went to the dr's and had his shot yesterday. He weighs 10lbs 8oz at 5 weeks. He cried bloody murder when the shot when in and I cried as well. He held his breath and let out this high pitched cry. Poor baby. In 3 weeks he has to have 4 shots!!! Why in the world do they have to do 4 at once?? That's terrible. I plan on giving Hunter Tylenol before we leave the house. Of course we need to see how much he weighs because if he's over 12# we can give him more medicine. I think we are going to give him .4ml and then if he is over 12# we will give him the rest at the dr's.

Carrie I LOVE the pic of Patrick-they did a GREAT job! I don't think the BRU has a photo center. :(
MoviesOur theatre near us (Which is a Showcase Cinemas) also runs the mommy movies on Tuesdays at 10am. It's worth looking into since DH hates the movies anyways!!!

[solongtogo]

randys: Courtney has to go in for her vaccinations on the 21st, 4 shots. I'm not looking forward to it. I wish they could combine them into one shot, like the MMR is.

Crappy: Griff is so cute...is he still rolling over?

wife&wannabe: we don't wake Courtney up to eat...she lets me know when she's hungry. Patrick will do the same I'm sure...

[AlisonCO]

cnm and 10.4.03 - hoping that you have your babies soon! easy labor and delivery vibes to you both.

Welcome to Lauren, Jed, Lily, Kaito and crow's kiddo!

Beautiful babies ladies!

waking babies to eat - I never did, but neither of my kiddos had any weight gaining issues. Caitlin was up past her birth weight at 4 days old. She is also eating about every 2 hours during the day so that helps her get her 10-12 feedings in.

swelling - with my son it was a good 2 weeks before it really got better -all of those IV fluids made me blow up like a water balloon.

colds - maybe a humidifier would help -I think that the only thing that you can do is use the saline drops and then suck out the snot.

slings - I use mine all the time - most of the day actually. Princesscrappy - it did take me a couple of weeks to be able to do it by myself - maybe you could practice when DH is home. I think a sling is better now than the Bjorn - it just seems more comfy for the baby. My son didn't really like the Bjorn until he could look out the front. I am sure that NancyDrew would help you figure it out - you should email her.

We are doing well. C is growing lengthwise out of her 0-3 month footed sleepers! She is still pretty skinny, but has long limbs and fingers. She is an eating machine so I hoping that this spurt ends soon because I am pooped. She has a fussy period like clockwork every evening and then nurses from 8-10pm straight. She then sleeps until 1 - wishing she slept until 2 but it will happen - I just hope it is sooner than Aidan who didn't sleep 5 hours straight for months.

http://www.allsam.com/SEP2005/images/092805_10.jpg

[northern]

coming out of lurkdom... Fiona is 2 weeks old today and we are doing well! i was able to sit down and write out my birth story and i wanted to share it- it has been great to read everyone else's! bear with me, it is a little long...

Fiona’s Birth Story….

Fiona was due September 17. I waited and waited for the day to come. It came, and then it went, and I hoped for any sign of labor and for the birthday to arrive. On Tuesday the 20th I had a check up with my midwife Dana. (The other midwives were leaving town for a conference.) I had made a little progress, still 1 cm dilated but much more effaced. She stripped my membranes to hopefully get things going a little. We didn’t talk about it specifically, but I think we both figured it might still be several days until delivery. More waiting. I was pretty relaxed about it, just tired of being uncomfortable. I knew the baby would come out when she was ready!

On Wednesday the 21st I woke up about 2:30 am with cramps and thought it might be a sign of something. I fell back to sleep but kept waking up at least every hour. Finally I decided maybe they were actually contractions and I tried timing them. Sure enough they were every 10 minutes like clockwork. They continued for a couple hours and I woke Peter up and we talked about what the day might bring. I fell back to sleep and when I woke up they had stopped… a false alarm, but I knew real labor was coming soon. I sent peter off to work since I just wasn’t sure what would happen next. I had a restless day trying to keep myself occupied. I had a strange appetite and felt the need to load up with carbs and ate a lot. It was a blustery fall day…I went out for a walk and even felt good enough to rake leaves for a while. I had a couple more random contractions after that exercise but they didn’t follow any pattern. Peter came home and we made an easy dinner and wondered what would happen next. We went for a nice walk together and enjoyed the evening.

At 9:00pm the contractions came. Now they were 7 minutes apart and these ones hurt! I knew they were stronger than the mild cramping ones I had earlier in the day. They started getting closer together and lasting longer. At 10:30 I called Dana to check in with her and ask when we needed to leave for the birth center. We were to wait until contractions were 3-4 minutes apart and lasting for a minute. She thought it would be quite a while. I was dreading the 40 minute ride to town because I knew it was going to be so uncomfortable riding along and dealing with the contractions. I got more and more uncomfortable and was pacing around the house trying different positions to get relief during contractions. I couldn’t concentrate enough to time them any more so Peter started taking detailed notes. I had to go to the bathroom in between almost every one. My system was really cleansing and getting ready now. We called Dana back at 12:30 am and arrived at the birth center by 1:30 am. The ride in was not as bad as I thought it would be- my contractions did stall a little in the car.

Dana had the room ready for us and we got settled in. The lights were dim and it smelled wonderful. She checked my vitals and listened to the baby and everything was great. She checked my cervix and we were both pleased that I was 4cm. I was worried that we would go all the way to town only to find that I wasn’t even making any progress yet! Dana went into the room next door to get some rest and suggested we just relax, rest, get through the contractions and she would come in occasionally to check on us. The bed was comfortable and I told Peter to get some sleep while he could. He slept like a log! My contractions were too distracting to rest by then. I actually enjoyed the solitude in the room, dealing on my own for a while. I listened to my Yo Yo Ma cd’s and sat on the edge of the rocking chair for many contractions. I moved around a lot too and for some I leaned over the counter, some I knelt next to the bed, some I sat on the toilet. They were getting more and more painful but not much closer together yet. We didn’t have a clock but I kept on like this for a few hours. I could tell because I went through several cd’s. Peter was still sleeping! Dana checked in a couple times. At 6:30am she came in again and checked all of my signs again. She did another internal and that was a big disappointment… I was STILL around 4 cm even though 5 hours had gone by. I felt pretty discouraged about that and wondered if I was going to be in labor for three days! I knew I could handle the pain, but I wasn’t sure how LONG I could handle it. So she left us again and encouraged me to keep moving around and make sure I drank water and had something to eat if I felt like it. The plan was to wait until I made it to 6 or 7 cm to use the real comforts like the hot tub. I really was uncomfortable by then and I told Peter he needed to stay awake and help me. I was just trying to get through one contraction at a time. It got harder and harder and I was a little scared of how bad it might be when I was actually in “transition.” I did manage to fall asleep in between a couple of them because I was starting to get exhausted at that point. I even had a dream about Peter Rabbit- I woke up asking where the rabbit went… I was waiting for the contractions to really get close together and maybe that would be a sign that I was getting there. Dana came to do a complete check again at 10:30 am. Everything was great. When she got ready for the internal, it was almost unbearable to lie on my back on the bed. She tried to soothe me and Peter was right there next to me. She got a really surprised look on her face when she realized… I had made it to 10 cm already! She said, “have you had the urge to push- you’re completely dilated!!” I couldn’t believe it and neither could she. I didn’t have any of the normal signs of going through transition. What a RELIEF! I started to cry I was so happy. Now I knew I could make it. What a great surprise!

Now we had work to do. She called her assistants in and got the room ready for pushing. She filled the tub for me since I decided I still wanted to try using it for some comfort during the pushing, but I thought I would like to get out of the tub for the actual delivery. The warm water felt wonderful. Dana had me bear down with each contraction. My water burst with the first push and it was totally clear, a good sign. I made progress little by little and she told me to feel for the baby’s head. I couldn’t believe we were that close. Peter sat next to me at the edge of the tub. The warm water made me so relaxed and a bit more sleepy. After I had stopped making as much progress Dana suggested I get out and try the birth stool and that sounded good. Peter sat behind me and I squatted and used his legs as support. Now I could really feel the top of the baby’s head and I knew it wouldn’t be long. During all of the pushing I kept yelling out with the pain and making a ton of noise. I actually felt a little embarrassed about that but I was doing what I needed to do. Everyone was fully supportive of whatever it would take. With what felt like a huge “pop,” the head was out! Then another big pop and the shoulders came. I looked down to see my baby breathe in and let out one big cry- hello world! Dana gently turned her over and I asked if she was indeed a girl…she was of course and Dana said “are you ready?” and lifted her up to me. I held her to my skin and I was awestruck. I kept looking into her eyes and looking up at Peter and I just couldn’t believe it. Here was Fiona!

I felt great! The hormones and adrenaline must have really kicked in. Peter held Fiona while they got me onto the bed with an ice pack. Then we snuggled and stared at each other. Once we knew that Fiona was doing well, everyone left us for some privacy and we just sat and enjoyed each other. I felt like we existed in some kind of time warp. I was just so happy and satisfied and SO pleased with how well everything had gone. I latched her on and she did a great job sucking immediately. Fiona had her complete check a little while later and we made a bunch of phone calls. I felt good enough to get up and walk a little so Dana had me go into the exam room next door to do my stitches. (I had nine, all for what she called “road rash,” not one big tear.) She did a great job with the stitches… I couldn’t feel a thing. Soon enough I was back with my little family. We rested for a while until everything was finished and we felt ready to pack up and go home. We loaded up and headed on our way, picked up Thai food and got home by 8:00, to get started on the new chapter in our lives!!

[10.4.03]

wow, northern what a great birth story. Thank you for sharing it!

I had a NST today and everything was fine and I even had one contraction during it (without my knowing it). That was kind of exciting because I least I know I'm having them, even if I can't feel them ;).

[Kay2003]

northern - great birth story, I'm envious that you remember so much, esp. the part about how you saw Fiona coming out....

burping - I'm breastfeeding and am finding it hard to get kaito to burp. How long do you try g\for and if you get one burp is that enough???

[randysmandy]

Kay2003
Hunter took a long time to burp as well. Try to sit her on your leg and hold her chin. Hunter goves me at least 3 burps that way. I usually alternate with over the shoulder and leg, which has more of an effect.

[pixiecat]

Hi everyone! Sorry long time no post, things have been busy around here!!

wildcat - great birth story! I so LOVE the fact that our daughters were born within hours of each other! Amazing! And Lauren is such a cutie :D

carrie - that is the cutest pic of Griffen! He looks like such a big boy in a tiny body!

northern - thanks for posting your birth story... hopefully I will get around to mine someday!

10.4.03 - sending labor vibes your way! Hope it happens for you soon!!!

burping - Lily is a champion eater, but not a good burper... not sure if I am not giving it enough time though.

Otherwise things are going well! I love bfing & cding! And she is such a cuddle-bug! Sleeping at night for at least 2-3 hours at a time, so mom is hanging in there! I do wake her to eat... I'm pretty sure she is getting enough food (definitely gaining weight!), but I get v. uncomfortable if we go for too long.

Here is a pic from after her first bath!
http://images.snapfish.com/344%3B93%3A323232%7Ffp45%3Dot%3E2326%3D339%3D94%3C %3DXROQDF%3E2323%3B57876488ot1lsi

quick question on hiccups - Lily gets them all the time... and I feel so bad for her! Is there anything I can do? Thanks!!

[wildcat]

burping - I'm also terrible at burping, I can't get her to most of the time. However, DH is good at it, so I usually have him do it. I'm not sure if I'm not patting hard enough or for long enough?

hiccups - YES, Lauren gets them after about every other feeding (she had them in the womb a lot too). It looks so painful, but she's not bothered by them. The only thing I've found that makes them go away is to let her nurse for a bit, that seems to stop them. I've done a bit of reading in my books and online and everything says they're fine, and will diminish as the baby gets older.

I'm in total love with my little girl and can't believe she's all mine:). I'm still getting about 8+ hours of sleep a night, broken into 2 chunks of 4-5 hours each, gotta love it! We're headed to my parents this weekend to let her meet her great grandparents, uncle, great aunts/uncles, second cousins, etc. Be back on Sunday! Have a great weekend!!

Here's a pic that DH took that we just love:).

http://www.billyandashlee.com/gallery/albums/wpw-20051006/normal_IMG_0903.jpg

[BeachBum]

Line - I am 4w PP and still have the line. The funny thing is that my line wasn't even noticable or visible until after I had Addy.


I'm nearly 5 weeks PP and I had the same experience. I did notice that when I exfoliated most of the line went away.



Poor baby. In 3 weeks he has to have 4 shots!!! Why in the world do they have to do 4 at once?? That's terrible. I plan on giving Hunter Tylenol before we leave the house. Of course we need to see how much he weighs because if he's over 12# we can give him more medicine. I think we are going to give him .4ml and then if he is over 12# we will give him the rest at the dr's.

I just wanted to mention that you can choose to do the shots on different days and spread them out. Generally it is safer to only do one shot at a time so if baby has a bad reaction you know what caused it. Also there is some controversy on doing combo shots and several shots on the same day. There is a good book by Stephanie Cave, MD that talks about this and other strategies to make sure baby is handling the shots the best way possible.


Things are going well here with Henry, but I'm still nervous leaving the house alone with him. I feel so much better when DH is with me. I hate not being able to see him in the car seat, and his head seems to bonk around.

I really miss my friends and being able to go to lunch and such. I just am so afraid of being in a restaurant and having him flip out. None of my friends have kids so this is really all new to them too.

[philnikki]

Hey guys!! Keep those baby pics comin!!!

wildcat - I also loved your birth story!! How sweet!! And she is SO adorable! LOVE that pic!!!

northern - Your birth story was great too!!

randysmandy - Sorry about the shots :( Ava has to have hers in two weeks. I am so not looking forward to it. When she was jaundiced she had to have her heel pricked about 6 times for blood tests. It was awful and all I wanted to do was cry with her!

Burping - You would think with as much gas as this girl has it would be easy, but she just doesn't burp most of the time. I do find that it does come out better when she is on my lap and i am holding her underneath her chin.

hiccups - I agree with wildcat, in that if I give Ava just a few sips off of a bottle she stops pretty quickly.


Oh! And we just got her 1 mo. pics back and I wanted to share a few ;)

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5ce26b3127cce9422b5cdfd6700000016108CbMmzRq1bQ

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5ce26b3127cce9422b5b47c2e00000015108CbMmzRq1bQ

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5ce26b3127cce9422b5aa7c3000000015108CbMmzRq1bQ

Yeah!

ETA: Julie - Such a great pic of Lily!!! Awwwwwww

[AndreaMMS]

Ohhhhhmygod, look at all these adorable babies!!! We September Mama's did a great job!;)

Wildcat and Northern- I loved reading Laurne and Fiona's birrthstories- thanks for sharing them!

I've been oh-so-MIA...I am completely in love with this little girl. And she is keeping me BUSY! I can't believe we've been so blessed. Rich is great with her- singing her little songs, changing diapers (although he takes off in a cloud of dust when she spits up... Apparently there is a hierarchy of bodily functions in his mind [rolling my eyes]!).

Really my only complaint is the breastfeeding. It's not going well at all, and I'm REALLY disapointed and frustrated. I still have practically no supply. I've seen a Lactation Consultant twice and tried all kinds of tricks and contraptions and pumps, but my body just isn't cooperating. We did a "weigh and feed" yesterday (where they weigh Naomi, I feed her on one side, weigh her again, feed her on the other side, weigh her again to see exactly how much she's getting. Poor baby only got 1/2 ounce from one side and 2/10ths of an ounce from the other. :( She's mostly eating formula. I had no choice - she would suck and suck and then SCREAM with hunger.

The LC wants me to go to a specialist and get my hormone levels and thyroid function checked. Sigh. I'm really debating about what to do. I spent the last nine months being medicated and worrying about how it would effect her- I just don't know if I can do that again. And beyond that, it's pretty much a given that any hormone suppliments would make me sick...

Enough of that. In the long run I don't know how much it matters. I was formula fed (My Mom couldn't breastfeed either) and I'm fine. My main job is to love her. :)

Here she is...two weeks old today!

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5ce26b3127cce94f6668dbde300000016108AZOHLFo4ZuK

[solongtogo]

Andrea-what a pretty little one. Have you tried taking fenugreek to up your supply? It's made a world of difference for me...I was pumping 2 or 3 oz from both breasts pre fenugreek, after taking it for two days, I'm getting over 6 oz during one pumping.

[AndreaMMS]

Solongtogo- Wow, that's amazing!:eek: I will be going to the healthfood store tomorrow to get some. How many/how often are you supposed to take it?

[solongtogo]

Solongtogo- Wow, that's amazing!:eek: I will be going to the healthfood store tomorrow to get some. How many/how often are you supposed to take it?



Kellysmom.com says 3 capsules 3 times a day, but you can take up to 12. I'm taking 9 a day.

[Kay2003]

burping - thanks for yout tips. I read somewhere to try for ten minuters before giving up so that's what I'm trying to do.

beachbum - how interesting that exfoliating seemed to make the line go away!

My DH goes back to work on monday and i'm a bit anxious about being on my own. My friend jenny and i have made plans to go on a walk. I just hope I won't get too frustrated when the baby gets fussy and I am alone.

cute babies - the pics are great!

I have to type w/1 hand whihle breastfeeding, sol sorry there aren't more s/o!

[charmcitygirl]

andrea re: increasing milk supply
you could try some of the these things in addition to fenugreek: malt (beer or ovaltine), oatmeal, mother's milk tea, more milk plus tincture (contains fenugreek and other herbs), protein. also a good night's sleep.

i struggled with this and tried most of them which seemed to work some, and would probably have worked better if i stuck to some sort of regimen in taking them. in the end, i decided to ff but bf for a little "snack" or for comfort. they def. get something out of bfing even if it isn't for nutrition.

[philnikki]

Just got back from entering Ava into a costume contest at our local Pumpkin Festival! I couldn't resist posting a pic! he he

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5ce29b3127cce942db7f7132600000015108CbMmzRq1bQ

[LeslieR]

wildcat and Julie, your girls are absolutely gorgeous! Congrats again!:D

[cr8zyforaf]

So sorry I've been MIA...Ashley keeps me so busy - I try to read along as much as possible.

She just had her month checkup - she is 10 pounds 2 ounces - she is getting so big and I just can't believe it. I can usually get her to sleep about 5 hours at night which is great. She is very gassy and we've had to switch formula a few times.

Been a bit frustrated lately - DH runs his own business so I am taking care of the baby on my own most of the time. I am so worried about going back to work - because it is just so much - I take care of Ashley and try to keep things in order at the house (laundry, bills, grocery shopping, cooking, etc). I am feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. Thank god I have a good baby - we go out together constantly and I am able to lunch with friends still. That is keeping me sane.

All of the babies are so adorable.

AndreaMMS - so sorry about the breastfeeding - I went through the same thing - I tried the fenugreek and the mother's milk - I even went out and bought a $300 pump to try to up my supply and nothing worked. I will keep my fingers crossed that you come to a solution that satisfies both you and the little one.

Here is the photo I used for her annoucements (she is a chubby one - look at all of her chins!):

http://images.snapfish.com/344%3B%3A%3B6723232%7Ffp45%3Dot%3E2329%3D668%3D499 %3DXROQDF%3E2323%3A%3C6627%3A58ot1lsi

[BeachBum]

In all the excitement I didn't realize that our babies were born the same day, cr8zyforaf. What a great picture--I'm sure the announcements are adorable! Ashley is over 10 lbs? I thought Henry was big at 9lb 11oz at his one month....but you know really it was only 3 weeks...hummmm... I can't believe you've been lunching with friends! I'm so jealous! I just haven't had the confidence yet. I haven't even taken him in the car without DH! I'm a wimp!
Fortunately DH's work schedule has allowed him to be home with us almost every day so far. He has worked a few days, but mostly has been home. I feel so lucky and so does he.

Nikki Ava looks so cute in her costume!

My sister is hosting a Halloween party and I can't decide what Henry and I will be. My mom bought him a "pea" costume, and a dear friend bought him a "peanut". I didn't have the heart to tell them that the other person has given him a costume. I also have 2 halloween onsie type outfits. He will definitely wear them though. We love Halloween (not in a weird way). It is just so fun to dress up, decorate and be silly.


wildcatThat picture is so, so cute! I have seen that same face on Henry so many times but haven't been lucky enough to capture it on film.

You guys with the one month photos are making me feel so guilty. I hadn't even considered having them done! AAAAKKKK. They are so cute, thanks for sharing.

QOTD So, how long are your babes typically sleeping at night?
Henry usually sleeps for 4 .5 hours at first, then 3.5. He is BF and co-sleeps (in an attached co-sleeper at first, then in our bed). So far he is napping pretty well, but not in any regularly scheduled way.

[solongtogo]

QOTD Courtney usually sleeps 4-5 hours, eats, sleeps 2.5-3 more hours, eats, then sleeps for usually another hour if I'm lucky, then we get up for the day and she goes back to sleep within another couple of hours.

[elly]

hi everyone :)

i haven't been here in a while...hopefully i can catch up sometime and post more often soon. taking care of 2 little girls keeps me busy! we just returned from a mini vacation and i received this email from Carson's (CNM) husband:

cnm had a baby boy today at 7:28 am after 36-1/2 hours of labor and a csxn. Daniel is 8 lbs 4 ozs, 21", and is breastfeeding well. He was born at exactly 42 weeks gestation (Oct. 9th). Mom and baby are doing well.

Congratulations & Welcome Daniel!

[hisdaffodil]

Congrats cnm and welcome Daniel!!

I go back to work today. Leaving now. I don't wanna!

[Kay2003]

Congrats cnm! Wow... 36 hours of labor... you must be exhausted, Hope your recovery is swift...

[Tiger]

Hi ladies! Congratulations to all of you! I was actually supposed to be an October mommy but DD made her appearance on Sept. 26th.

I hope you don't mind me posting a question for you all on here. When did you DD/DS start sleeping longer stretches at night? DD seems to sleep 3-4 hour stretches during the day but then be up every 1.5-2 hours at night. She eats formula and typically eats 2-3 oz at each feeding. What, if anything, did you do to help your baby start to sleep the longer stretches at night instead of during the day?

Thanks for your help and congrats to you all again! All of your babies are beautiful!

[AndreaMMS]

CONGRATULATIONS CNM and WELCOME DANIEL!!!!!!!!:D Holy cow - 36 hours of labor....:eek:

Ah, Cr8zyforAF - I knew that someone on here had supply issues too - couldn't remember who it was. SO sorry you went through it too. I know what you mean about the pump - we have spent SO MUCH MONEY on lactation consultants and pumps and other contraptions...

I just started on Fenugreek yesterday, so we'll see what happens. Were you able to find out why you had a low supply? Did you see an LC? How much time did you give it before just doing formula (I'm pretty close to giving up...)?

[wildcat]

Congratulations CNM and welcome Daniel!!

QOTD - Lauren generally sleeps 4-5 hours, eats, then sleeps another 4-5 hours. She's had that schedule since the first night in the hospital, we feel VERY fortunate!! I know something you can do to encourage the longer stretches at night (per our LC) is to space their feedings close together during the day (she eats about every 2.5 hours) to get the 8-12 in during the day and then they'll go longer at night.

QOTD #2 - Does anyone's DC vomit? Lauren has done it about 3 times in the last week and I HATE it. There is definitely a difference between the times she spits up and this actual vomitting...there's a difference in the volume. At her ped appt last week it had only happened once and the ped said to call if it happens again, but I haven't (it happened again that night and then again this morning) bc she isn't bothered by it and is gaining weight and isn't fussy, so I just think it could be bc I didn't get a good burp out of her or she ate too much or took in too much air or something?? Any thoughts or advice??

[AndreaMMS]

Wildcat, QOTD #2- I find that Naomi vomits if she eats too fast. Can you make Lauren take little breaks? Maybe by burping her more often (even if you don't think she needs it)? My LC said that spitting up/vomiting has very little to do with swallowing air - it's more about eating either too fast or too much.

[pixiecat]

Congratulations CNM! Welcome Baby Daniel!

Lily's umbilical cord fell off today, yippee! For some reason I really didn't like it! And her little belly button is going to be so cute :)

QOTD #1 - Lily is still on a crazy sleep schedule... actually once she gets to sleep she is out for about 3-4 hours, but we sometimes have a hard time getting her to settle down. We try to make sure that she is warm enough, which helps.

QOTD #2 - Lily hasn't thrown up yet... I hope she doesn't!!

Wednesday is her well baby check up, can't wait to see how much she has grown - she seems like a little chunker!!!

[cr8zyforaf]

Real quick because Ashley is a little fuss box today.

CONGRATULATIONS CNM and WELCOME DANIEL.

AndreaMMS - I gave it four weeks- and by that point, I was done. It was too stressful for both of us. She was starved and I was frustrated. I did see lactation consultants - they were the ones who recommended I buy the pump to increase my supply (I pumped for a week after each feeding and never got more than an ounce a day total). I will say, we got off to a bad start - the lactation consultants at my hospital s*cked. I got yelled at for supplementing with formula (for the first almost 36 hours I was in the hospital there were NO lactation consultants on staff - can you believe that). I gave up after two doctors appointments that she had not gained her birth weight back and my doctor seemed concerned.

I have no idea why my supply never came in but I do plan on talking to my OB about it at my six week appointment. Many of my friends have had the same problem - I found that I was breast feeding twenty minutes on each side, then supplementing with about 2-3 ounces of formula at each feeded - by the time we finished, it was time to start the dance again. I felt it was cutting into me bonding with her because I was so exhausted and frustrated. I did have a reaction the epidural and had hives for weeks which may have contributed.

Sorry this is jumbled - Ashley is screaming but I wanted to reply because I know how awful the whole thing is. I feel much better now that I made a decision to switch and she is thriving. However, I am made to feel bad at every turn for not breastfeeding, which I really don't understand. If it is something really important to you, hang in there - if you are on the fence - I would suggest moving to formula - once I did that - I felt so much better and felt Ashley was happier also. My thoughts are with you!

[AlisonCO]

Congrats cnm and Welcome Daniel!!!- hoping your recovery is smooth!

sleep - Caitlin eats from 8pm to 9:30pm and then sleeps by herself until about 1am. Then she eats again for about 20 minutes and then sleeps from about 1:30 until about 4am by herself. Then she eats and sleeps with me until between 6 and 8. It did take her a good 2-2.5 weeks to straighten her days and nights out. I try to make sure that she gets a nap in around dinner time and then we try and keep her up until 8ish.

vomit vs. spit up - I was told that if they are not upset before or after that it is spit up even if it is a huge amount. Caitlin does this once per day and it was concerning to me (DS never spit up.) Yesterday she was in her crib looking at her mobile and spit up so much she sent it out of the crib and about 18 inches past on the floor. She does not seem upset at all and often is quite happy after. My guess is that she eats and then eats more (comfort sucking, using me as a pacifier?) and her brain does not tell her her to stop before her little tummy is over-full.

[dbers]

Congratulations CNM! :D

Sleep - Alex is going into a *deep* sleep in the evening, so if would be great if we could move that a bit later. Since we don't wake her now to eat, she has been sleeping about 4-5 hours, and then about 2-3. Can't complain!

And here's a new picture of my little one:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5ce28b3127cce94d322d98af900000016108AbMWjNs3cM1

[Brink]

Hi everyone - boy can't believe how busy a baby can keep you. We are having a new roof put on the house today and everytime I get her to sleep, they pound some more! She is really good about sleeping through noise, but this is a little much.

Here is the picture we decided to use on Aimee's announcement cards. Hope they look good when they arrive.

http://images.snapfish.com/344%3B%3B%3A6723232%7Ffp46%3Dot%3E2334%3D873%3D965 %3DXROQDF%3E2323%3B62773%3B5%3Aot1lsi

Sleeping - Aimee is sleeping between 4-5 hours during her first night shift (usually 10 - 3) and then 3-4 hours until morning. She is staying awake for acouple of hours each evening which I think is helping.

Oh - more pounding and she is awake again - I'll post more later.......

[AndreaMMS]

Cr8zyforAF- Thanks so much for the support and fro sharing your story. It sounds like we have exactly the same problems. I can't get more than an ounce to an ounce and a half total per day either. And it broke my heart to have Naomi suck and suck and then SHRIEK with hunger and gulp down 3 ounces of formula - obviouly if she's eating that much formula she's getting practially NOTHING from me!

My LC wants me to see a specialist to get my hormone levels and thyroid checked, but I've decided that I'm not willing to take medications (and thereby expose her to them through the breastmilk - she's been exposed to far too many meds during my pregnancy, as far as I'm concerned.), so I'm not going to have the tests done. At this point she is almost completely on formula, and I pump my little ounce and give it to her once a day so that she can get at least a little of the BF benefits. I just started fenugreek (herbal suppliment that LC recommended), but I'm not all that hopeful that it will work.

It really is heartbreaking not to be able to breastfeed, but in the end as long as she's fed and healthy that's all that really matters. Sounds like Sweet Ashley is thriving!

QOTD- are you dressing your baby up for Halloween? If so, what is he/she wearing? And WHERE do you get costumes for tiny newborns?!?!? I can't find anything small enough to fit!

[philnikki]

[[/B]Congrats to CNM!!![/B] - I totally understand how tired you are! I labored for 39 hours. Its basically a work week!! :eek: Congrats!!!

Andrea - I can only second what everyone else has said, but I was in the same boat with Ava, and I can tell you that FF is going great!! Ava is becomng quite the little piglet, and I am thrilled that she is so satisfied. I do put her to the breast after she has eaten and is still acting like she is hungry, because I know all she wants to do is suck and the little bit that she gets from me has to help a little, and that is working for us! Please don't let anyone make you feel badly for making this decision. BF is not for everyone, and no one has to live in your shoes but you. You are always supported on here!! Good luck!!

dbers and brink - Great pics!! Such cute little babies we have in this thread!!

AlisonCO - I could have written that same sleep schedule for Ava!!

Halloween Costumes - I posted this one awhile back, but I will post it again, just bc I think my kid looks great as a hot pepper! :) lol
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5ce29b3127cce942db7f7132600000015108CbMmzRq1bQ

As far as where to get them, try Old Navy. I got mine online. It is a little big still though. You would think that they would make costumes that actually fit newborns. Hmmm -- maybe thats the way I will make my millions! he he

Question - Does anyone else have a baby that *hates* to be put down??? I have the worst time trying to get anything done during the day. Ava flips out if someone isn't holding her. And she knows when she is put in the Boppy or in her crib. She wakes right up from even the deepest sleep. We are currently using a co-sleeper that sits between DH and I at night and even in that with us right there, she still takes awhile to get calmed down. I don't know what to do. The swing doesn't work, the bouncy seat doesn't work....And thoughts????

[randysmandy]

Hunter is going to be a LION!

He also doesn't like being put down-I use my sling ALOT. You can't spoil them right now anyways.....so I jus give him what he needs. He's only 6 weeks old and probably doesn't know what HE wants,

[Brink]

Quick post -

Halloween Costumes - I got ours on-line at www.onestepahead.com - they have some really cute ones there.

Off to watch a movie with DH before Aimee wakes up......

[Sandie78]

Question - Does anyone else have a baby that *hates* to be put down??? I have the worst time trying to get anything done during the day. Ava flips out if someone isn't holding her. And she knows when she is put in the Boppy or in her crib. She wakes right up from even the deepest sleep. We are currently using a co-sleeper that sits between DH and I at night and even in that with us right there, she still takes awhile to get calmed down. I don't know what to do. The swing doesn't work, the bouncy seat doesn't work....And thoughts????

Zach loves to go for walks around the neighborhood in his stroller. Sometimes that will put him to sleep which allows me to get some stuff done after we get back from the walk.

[jo&sean]

Question - Does anyone else have a baby that *hates* to be put down??? I have the worst time trying to get anything done during the day. Ava flips out if someone isn't holding her. And she knows when she is put in the Boppy or in her crib. She wakes right up from even the deepest sleep. We are currently using a co-sleeper that sits between DH and I at night and even in that with us right there, she still takes awhile to get calmed down. I don't know what to do. The swing doesn't work, the bouncy seat doesn't work....And thoughts????

I have been having this problem with Addy for the past couple of weeks. I chalked it up to being a baby and needing the bonding time. However, after talking to our dr about it at our appt yesterday, he believes she has silent reflux. He had me start giving her extra strength Mylanta yesterday and had me start switching her formula over to Enfamil LIPIL Gentleease. We started both things yesterday and I noticed a difference with the Mylanta very quickly. I am doing the formula switch over a couple of days by mixing her old formula with the new so it will take a bit to see if that actually helps. Anywho, you may want to talk to your dr. about it and make sure it isn't something physical.

[cr8zyforaf]

Andrea - I will keep my fingers crossed for you. Once you make a decision you will feel much better (I thought I was post partum because during the whole BF situation I felt like I wanted to die, that I wasn't cut out for this...ect..I was crying all the time). Once I made the decision that was right for me (which took longer than it should since I think I was so scared to give up for fear of what others would think of me), I felt 110% better - and so did Ashley.

Ashley also doesn't like to be put down - and I agree - she is too young to be spoiled so I give her what she needs. I just fear the day I put her in daycare - no one will love her like her mommy :(

She is going to be a flower for Halloween - I got it at the childrens place for 14.99 - it is adorable - they also had pumpkin ones. I will post a picture when I put her in it.

[AlisonCO]

I do put her to the breast after she has eaten and is still acting like she is hungry, because I know all she wants to do is suck and the little bit that she gets from me has to help a little,

philnikki - I just wanted to let you know that I think that it is absolutely awesome that you still put her to your breast. Even if she only gets a few drops, she is also getting that closeness. Cute little hot pepper you have there:)

Andrea - Keeping my fingers crossed that the fenegreek helps your supply - you are doing a great job!

brink and dbers - Aimee and Alex are gorgeous - look at that hair! Celebrities would pay big bucks for such thick hair:)

Halloween costume - Caitlin is going to be a clown - my cousin gave us the costume that her kids all wore. She also has a halloween onesie that Aidan passed down. AIdan is going to be a giraffe - we were at Kmart yesterday buying some decorations and he saw it and had to have it. He got so mad at the cashier when he had to give it to her to ring it up:) It was 30% off so I couldn't say no!

? - Caitlin loves to be held - but don't all babies? I will reiterate how great my slings have been and urge all of you to get one. Seriously it is the best of both worlds - your babies can sleep right next to you and you can have your hands free to type, eat etc. Before I bought my first sling when my son was young I felt so "touched out" because I could never put him down. It does get better though - around 3-4 months if I remember. Seeing as I can hardly get my 2 year old to sit in my lap or give me a hug, I cherish the fact that Caitlin needs me to hold her right now.

A couple of new pictures:

http://www.allsam.com/OCT2005/images/100905_14.jpg
http://www.allsam.com/OCT2005/images/100905_01.jpg

[solongtogo]

Just echoing, my babe will sometimes automatically know when she's put down and wake up. I'm gonna have to invest in a sling..

7 weeks old tomorrow!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/solongtogo/cu.jpg

[PrincessCrappy]

Oh my gosh, the pictures of the kiddos are just killing me. Really, we have a beautiful bunch of babies here!

We're at a week now of Griffin being on zantac and I'm not sure if things are better or not. We hit a low, low point with his naps and fussiness but the last 2 days have been better. I finally broke down and gave him a pacifier. I don't know why this was such a big issue for me, but I was in tears over it. I've read a ton that says they hit their peak sucking need around 6 weeks and I just couldn't handle him sucking on me 24/7 anymore. Now I just hope he won't walk into kindergarten with a pacifier in his mouth :D . His sleeping is still not that great, and I'm not sure what to do about it. His longest sleep segment at night is about 3.5 hours, then it's up every 2 hours after that. Even with that, it's not a solid, deep sleep. I still have to get up and pat him or rub his head to keep him asleep. It's crazy to think how happy getting 4 straight hours of sleep would make me :rolleyes: . He's 6 weeks tomorrow, so I know we're going through a growth spurt. He is nursing like crazy!! I'm hoping we'll see some major improvements soon!

I have my 6 week pp check up tomorrow. I feel great and am having little to no side effects from my c-section. If I get the clear tomorrow, I think I'll start weight watchers and working out again next week.

Thanks to everyone still posting despite how swamped we all are. It's so nice to come here and read that we're all dealing with the same issues and get support from one another. Allison, you in particular help me to see a light at the end of this tunnel!

[pixiecat]

Carrie - we went to "baby class" today & learned that 6 weeks is supposed to be the height of fussiness... so things should start getting better soon!

My awesome DH has taken the babe for the past couple of hours, so I got a quality nap & now some uniterrupted CC time :) She had her two week appt today & is doing really great! She has already gained a pound since birth & the dr. said that she is very strong.

We have had visitors over every day (I'm pretty sure I'm not exagerrating here!) since she was born. I think I am more exhausted from that than the baby...

Nikki - Lily is still satisfied being in her bouncer when I really need a break... then again, she is a lot younger than Ava & I can kind of sense that she is headed down to fussytown (woncha take me to!). I do put her in the sling when I can & sometimes she likes it, sometimes she doesn't... anyway, that wasn't a lot of help, sorry!

Halloween - Lily is going to be a pea-in-a-pod & will make her debut at my work's office party.

I love the pictures, everyone's babies are just the cutest!!

[hisdaffodil]

Princess - don't feel bad about paci's. Actually a new study suggests that babies using paci's while asleep have 50% less risk of SIDS. At least I read that in a news article a few days ago. Haven't seen the actual study. Sometimes babies really just need to suck, but aren't hungry.

Halloween - I wasn't going to do anything. i found a cute outfit that is just orange and says My First Halloween on it. But DH is going to be a pirate, and so is DS, so we decided to dress the baby up as a parrot, to go with the pirates. I just took one of his hand-me-down sleepers and glued feather boas all over it. He looks like a very ruffled parrot, but it works. I also didn't see costumes that would fit my mini-child. DS was a bumblebee for his first halloween but he was 5 months old for his!

Fussy - he doesn't like being down for long. He loves being cuddled on my chest, but it's hard to get much done that way, definitely. I have to figure out where I stashed our snugli!

I started back to work in the field this week. I think it'll take a bit to get used to walking those couple of miles a day, but I'm hoping it'll help me lose those last 10 stubborn pounds. I REFUSE to buy a whole new wardrobe in the bigger size.

[wife&wannabemom]

Thanks to everyone still posting despite how swamped we all are. It's so nice to come here and read that we're all dealing with the same issues and get support from one another. Allison, you in particular help me to see a light at the end of this tunnel!

I read this and realized how true it is...I need to post here more often because I realized how much I love reading along but i'm not posting so it's quite selfish.

I hadn't posted a picture yet of my little Patrick so yet...how do you post a picture?

I love all hte pictures so far and all the great Halloween costumes...I'm not sure what Patrick is going to be yet...he's getting his shots that day so I'm not sure what type of mood he'll be in.

He's been a great eater and sleeper and really doesn't cry but I'm wondering when his sleep patterns will get more regular? He usually gives us a 4-5 hour stretch at night but sometimes doesn't want to go back to sleep after his feedings in the middle of hte night. I'm really only getting up once each night so I shouldn't complain but I think I read somewhere that 8 weeks is around where their patterns will start to form.

I'm exclusively BF right now but hoping to start introducing formula soon. I don't go back to work until Jan. but I want to start adding one or two bottles a day to give myself a break. I pump everydya for DH to be able to give him his nightly bottle but I'd like to start giving him more bottles and HATE pumping. Any suggestions on how to start the formula? I'd like to start around 8 weeks.

I have my 6 week appointment on Friday and can't wait to get the okay to work out again...I lost 25 lbs so far but I still have another 20 to go and I too don't want ot buy a whole new wardrobe...hopefully working out will help the lbs come off. I haven't watched what I'm eating at all but really need to start.

[AlisonCO]

Princess Crappy - You are too sweet and give us 2nd-timers too much credit:) Every baby is so different that I feel like I am still learning. The only advantage I have is the fact that I have already survived this once:D

pacifiers - Don't feel bad - babies need to suck and I know how exhausting it can be. My son is a total addict and now only gets it at night. You can always use it now and start to wean around 6 months when he doesn't need it as much. That is my plan so that Caitlin doesn't become as dependent on it as Aidan is.

Caitlin had her 1 month WBV today - has it really been a month? Sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday that she was born BUT then other times I can't believe that it has ONLY been 1 month:) Aidan also had his 2 year WBV - you can imagine the circus we had going on in the exam room!

Here are her stats:

weight - 8# 15oz - 40% - she has gained over 2 pounds in one month!
length - 21'' - 45%
head - 14.75'' - 50%

[wildcat]

I'm still reading, just haven't been posting...one-handed typing now!! Lauren had her 2 week WBV yesterday and she is doing great...6oz over her birth weight!!

weight - 8lb 3oz - 50%
length - 20" - 40% (estimated 5'4" as an adult)
head - 75%

I'm absolutely LOVING being a mommy and could have never imagined how much I would love it and her!!! post more later, need to grab a shower before a few of my coworkers drop by!

[Brink]

We also had our WBV yesterday (2 1/2 weeks). Dr. said Aimee is incredibly healthy and she can't believe how well she is doing. She said she couldn't even detect the heart murmer anymore. Hopefully it is gone.

Her stats:

Weight - 8lb 15oz (85%)
Length - 21.5 inch (75%)
HC - 14.5 (75%)

We have been running around doing errands and stuff. My leg is still numb, so it is still really akward to walk around. Can't wait until it is better and I can start going for walks with Aimee and the dogs. My DH is still home (and will be the entire time), so he is still driving me places since my it is my right leg that is numb and probably not safe to drive.

We are having company over for dinner tonight - that should be fun.

All of the babies are so beautiful. I really enjoy seeing everyone's little ones. Can't believe how lucky we all are to have healthy babies that are just soooo cute!

[BeachBum]

Yesterday was our 4 year wedding anniversary. My mom came over to watch Henry so we could go out to dinner. Although I was so happy to go out, after about an hour I started to worry, and couldn't enjoy myself like I had hoped to. We haven't introduced the bottle yet, so if he woke up hungry there was nothing she could do. Of course he didn't wake up. (Lucky for my Mom :))

The night before I was nearly in tears. We tried to go out to dinner with him, and he pitched a major fit right before we went into the restaurant. It was one of those times that I really, really needed a change in scenery and I was so disappointed that we had to go home.

I really love being a mom (more than I thought I could), but I also struggle with not getting out. I mean how the heck am I supposted to "respect" nap time and let him sleep in his quiet, peaceful space, BF and leave the house?? Also our town doesn't have a mall, so going somewhere other than wal-mart is a major ordeal. That part is much harder than I thought.

So many of you obviously have it together so much more than we do!

Anyway, I agree that I enjoy this thread. It is nice to see that so many of you are going through the same issues we are.
Happy Friday!

[BeachBum]

PS.
How long are they supposed to be napping for in the daytime? I mean, how many naps, and for how long? What would be ideal?

[cr8zyforaf]

OK - bad mommy day. A few questions:

Is anyone else feeding the baby to sleep - our routine is bottle and then if she is tired, she eats herself to sleep..it this bad? I made the mistake of picking up the book The Sleep solution - which says babies should be on a strict schedule from day 1, and we shouldn't be using a bottle/breast to put a baby to sleep. This contradicts the Happiest Baby on the Block which I have been following - am I setting myself up for failure? I am also demand feeding which the book says is bad. I know I can't buy into everything I read - but I just want to start setting myself up for when I go back to work.

Napping - well, this has been a bad mommy day - she didn't nap AT ALL today -she was up at nine (I should preface this by saying she went down at 11 last night and slept until 6:15 and then went back down from 7-9:30...and she has been up since 9:30 (I finally got her down for a nap at 5:30)...I think it is a trade off - if the baby is sleeping a lot during the night - don't expect a lot of naps and vice versa. By 5 PM I was ready to scream....she was really fussy (I think overly tired)..but, she is sleeping through the night which I can't complain about - I guess I can't have everything.

So -what do you guys do to get your baby to sleep and how do you deal with feeding - demand feeding, waking the baby up to eat and following a strict schedule? I am having a day where I feel like everything I do is wrong...we all have those days, don't we?

Another question - she had some mucus in her poop last night - is that normal? And she has a rash on her face - my mom said it is baby acne - it is only on her face and she isn't running a fever or anything..I called the doctor and they didn't seem concerned. Ugggg...when does this get easier?

[cr8zyforaf]

BeachBum - I just read your post - I am so sorry. I've had those days (I am formula feeding so it is a bit easier for me to get out). I commend you for breastfeeding - it is extremely hard - but I am sure it is very rewarding...just remember - it won't always be like this and things will get easier...that is what I tell myself when I am on the verge of tears or having a meltdown - there is a light at the end, even if it seems far off.

Hugs..

[Sabre]

Anthony will be 5 weeks tomorrow. He is starting to get on a schedule, here's an approximate of what he's doing.

wake at 6am
falls asleep between 8-9am, sleeps for about 3 hours
up for a couple of hours
sleeps for between 1.5-2 hours (starting at around 1 or 2pm)
up for a couple of hours
final nap for about 2 hours (starting between 4-5pm)
cluster feeds and alert for a couple of hours
goes to bed around 10pm

Does that make sense? He used to wake about every 2-3 hours to eat in the middle of the night. But I've started to give him his paci and pat him to see if he'll go back to sleep. This way, he's learning that he can go longer at night. If he doesn't go back to sleep within 10 minutes or gets really upset, I feed him. It worked really well last night, he slept for about 5.5 hours straight. During the day, I feed on demand.

I wouldn't let my first child fall asleep while eating, but I didn't start that until she was about 8 weeks. I plan to do the same for Anthony. So, she would wake from a nap, eat, play, then sleep.

[AlisonCO]

Beachbum - First off - Happy Anniversary! It will get better - I ABSOLUTELY felt the same way when my son was young. I had moments of being really mad at him when we couldn't get out or go out to dinner etc. I actually remember blaming him and then feeling awful afterwards. Aidan was very high needs and there were many a day where I had to leave a full cart of groceries etc because he was having a meltdown.

"I mean how the heck am I supposted to "respect" nap time and let him sleep in his quiet, peaceful space, BF and leave the house??"

I totally understand where you are coming from. Do you have a sling? That way you could feed him and then leave the house and he could nap in the sling? Will he sleep inthe carseat if you are out? When they are so young (less than 4 months) I wouldn't worry as much about naptime being at home. If getting you both out of the house will make you feel better, it is worth not worrying about naptime as much IMO. When they develop a nap schedule is when it becomes more important to be home but by that point it is more predictable so you can plan around it. Also it helps to go out more often if you can so that when it doesn't work (meltdown etc) it won't be as hard on you. Even a trip thru Starbucks drivethru and then a drive while he naps is a nice outing and one that I did often when Aidan was young. Listen to the music you like now while you can - I can only listen to Sesame Street when I am in the car now:) Hang in there and make sure that you are getting some alone time OK.


cr8zyforaf - I always feed my babies to sleep while they are so young and then when they got older I feed until they are drowsy. I even still rock my 2 year old to sleep. IMO things are only a "bad habit" if YOU think that they are. A strict schedule or any schedule at this age is ridiculous - not all babies are the same and I think that books often set us up for failure. I remember reading the Baby Whisperer when Aidan was 2 weeks old and almost putting myself into a depression because it didn't work for him and I couldn't understand why he didn't follw the rules. Also feeding on demand is feeding your baby when SHE NEEDS to eat NOT when the schedule says that she should eat right? You probably don't eat every 3 hours exactly right? Why should your newborn. As you can tell I am not a big fan of schedules unless your baby sets it and she will eventually. You just make sure that you do what you feels right for your baby and it will be fine, I promise:)

napping and sleep - Babies under 3 months need about 18 or so hours in a 24 period so however they get that is fine. Cr8zy - it sounds like she was so overtired that she just couldn't nap. I try to make sure that Caitlin isn't awake for more than 2 hours and that seems to help keep her from getting overtired - easier said than done I know. Beachbum- Caitlin naps about 5 times a day for a total of probably 7-8 hours.

These first few weeks and even months are hell - make sure that you get yourselves some alone time everyday - cry when you need to and know that these issues get better but are just replaced with new issues. I know, not very encouraging. Just know that you will not always be dealing a fussy/overtired baby - you will eventually have a 9 month old drinking like a dog out of the dogs water bowl or a strong willed 28 pound 2 year old that refuses to have his diaper changed and when you do get to change it wants to play with his penis (which he calls "Pe-nice) for 10 minutes yelling "Pe-nice is nice" while running thru the house;)

[cnm]

It was a very interesting few days... I had some high blood pressure readings starting around 38-1/2 weeks and so they started watching me closely, recommending dietary changes along with some herbs that help lower bp. On my due date, we made a belly cast. One week past my due date, we took some pregnancy pictures (dog included in a few.) That night, we purchased a frequent flier miles ticket for my mom to come the next night. I got to take her to a few appointments (a regular appointment, a nonstress test, and an ultrasound) as well as walk her around Pike Place Market. Tom's mom came on Wednesday and so made it to the last 2 appointments. After the ultrasound on Friday, I stopped at the local fire station to have my blood pressure checked (I'd been doing that off and on as requested by my midwives since the first high readings), and got a high reading. I called my midwife and found that basically she thought I needed to be transferred to a hospital and that she thought I should go in Friday night (I had originally had until Sunday midnight to go into labor on my own) and be induced. So we ended up going home and having dinner then driving to the University of Washington hospital and checking in with the hospital based midwifery practice there. They started the induction on Friday night, largely letting us sleep, though they came in every few hours to check my blood pressure. In the morning, they decided that my blood test results warranted the administration of magnesium sulfate to avoid the potential side effect of maternal seizures. So they started that and let me take a bath. (Fortunately, they had wireless monitoring, so they could keep monitoring contractions and the baby's heartbeat while I was in the tub.) Then they started the pitocin while I was there. I eventually got out and got dry (changing into a new gown as I wore the gown in the tub.) At about 2:30, the contractions started picking up, so I called our doula (a labor support person) to come in. (We'd just been calling her to give her updates until then.) I got to about 4 cm. They checked my platelet level to make sure I would be allowed to have an epidural if I wanted (I'd assumed that I would since I was having pitocin.) The test had to be done 6 hours before I could have an epidural. After a while, my blood pressure started going up and our doula talked to the midwife (who fortunately already knew each other) about me going back into the tub to help moderate my blood pressure without using drugs. They found a portable blood pressure machine and allowed me in the tub as long as my blood pressure got better, which it did. Then I started having really long contractions which were like 3 in a row, lasting abou 6 minutes. So, again they tried changing the level of pitocin. Around this time, I got to 5 cm, with the baby at zero station and my cervix was completely thinned. After that, I started to have bad back pain. At some point, I felt like the baby punched me hard, and then I felt a huge pop. Then I felt water squeeze out. I told them that I thought my water broke. At the next exam, they said it hadn't, but that I was 7 cm. We decided that I should get out of the tub (I'd been in for a long time, and the water was really cold to everyone else, but the magnesium made me hot, so I just felt a little cool.) At this point, I decided to get the epidural. I was afraid of how much worse transition would be, especially if my water had not broken, and also how much more it might hurt outside the water. They told me that it would take an hour for a doctor to be free for the epidural, so they suggested fentanyl, a mild narcotic with a short duration, as I was concerned about any iv drugs affecting the baby as well as being overly sensitive to it. They gave me a half dose. I think it took the edge off of the contractions until the anesthesiologist arrived 15 minutes later. They kicked everyone out of the room except one person (my husband was elected.) I told the doctor that I needed to lay on my side (I'd had a really bad experience with a contraction in my stomach earlier when I was sitting on the toilet and didn't think I could hold still enough otherwise.) After the epi took effect, the midwife came back to break the forewaters (by that point they'd decided that my water had broken, but that I still had a forebag as it had broken farther back. But when she looked, it was gone. At this point, they also had trouble monitoring the baby's heartbeat and the contractions, so they put in internal monitors, then put in a catheter. They allowed me to sleep and kept working at the pitocin trying to get a good labor pattern. About 6 hours later, I hadn't progressed from 7 cm (my cervical swelling had gon down some), and I wasn't getting good contractions anymore, so they called it and started to set up for a c-section. I shook terribly in that cold room (though probably not entirely from the cold.) Daniel was born at 7:28 am as the sun was rising (just as my husband and I had envisioned.) Fortunately, the midwife was allowed in with Tom (no one else was) and she held my hand and talked to me while I waited for Tom to come in and again when Tom went over to see the baby in the warmer. I heard that Daniel's Apgar scores were 5 and 7 but my midwives told me that that may have been due to our having had magnesium sulfate for almost 24 hours. After a while, they decided that he had wet lungs and needed to suction him a bit more, so he went back to the warmer for a while longer then came back with Tom. I was exhausted, so I spent most of the time during the c-section, and after when Tom came back with Daniel. I got to hold him as we were wheeled back to the delivery room. The nurse took him for a check up and bath and such in my room while I recovered from the anesthesia. (By the end of the bath, I felt refreshed, like I'd had a power nap.) Then she (the nurse) taught me how to feed in a side-lying position (my choice since it had looked the most confusing in my breastfeeding class.) Daniel unlatched himself a few times during the process, but latched on correctly all 5 times. (I figure he took a breastfeeding course during the extra two weeks in utero.) I got 2 ice chips, and because I had stomach sounds, I was advanced to clear fluids (jello, water, juice, broth, popsicles.) At about 11:30, we moved to a private room on the post-partum ward. They gave me lasix to help my kidneys (weaked by the pre-eclampsia) process all of the extra fluid. (Fortunately, I still had the catheter, since the bag, which holds 2000 mL, filled up about 3 times that first day.) I also continued on magnesium sulfate until about 7:30 the next morning. (Before surgery I got sodium citrate to neutralize stomach acid. After, I had antibiotics, zofran ? - something for heartburn, and a duramorph injection in my epidural catheter before the took it out.) For dinner, I got a popsicle, jello, apple juice, beef broth, and tea. That night, they had me sit at the edge of the bed and dangle my legs. Later, I passed gas in front of the nurse (just happened when she was there), so I got to go back to regular food. Tom woke up and did diapers and I did food. :) The next day, they got me up out of bed and standing. When I felt okay, they had me walk around the ward loop twice and then said I could have a shower, which felt great. A lactaction consultant came by that day and helped me figure out how to position Daniel to feed sitting up. (I couldn't get it right the day before.) The next day, they asked me if I wanted to go home. Yea!

Home has been great. My nipples are very sore, but Daniel is nursing well. Today, he's spent a great deal of time sleeping and so 2 hours ago, I resorted to expressing a bit using an Avent Isis pump. I tried not to pump too much, and ended up with about 50 mL. (The downside of all of this is that Daniel and I are always making a leaky mess when he nurses. (We're going though bibs and burp cloths like crazy.) I can't believe that I was just arriving at the hospital for an induction this time last week.

Hope all is going well for others...

[Kay2003]

Alison - your description of what we can expect later cracked me up. Thank you so much!!

Beachbum - I could've written your post. yesterday my mom and dad watched Kaito so my DH and I could go out to dinner. We had to wait 20 minutes for a table and then it seemed to take forever to get the food. meanwhile I'm getting super ansy about the fact that if Kaito starts crying my parents don't have anything as far as food for him, since I am only BF and I haven't introduced a pacifier yet. During the middle of dinner I"m in tears as I am just so exhausted. I get home super worried and find out he has been asleep the entire time we have been out!! But of course that meant that... after dinner Kaito let us sleep for only about three hours total. He was extremely fussy yesterday night!!

slings - I second the rec for slings. I got the Nojo sling. My DH seems to wear it better than me. Is it because I'm petite? Kaito seems to fall deep into the sling and I find myself holding the sling up with one of my arms...

cr8zyforaf - wow, I could've written your post too about all your questions. I went to see a lac consultant on Monday because my left breast is killing me. She suggested I wake Kaito up every two hours to feed him for shorter periods of time during the day to help my left breast heal and to see if he will have a longer stretch at night. I've felt conflicted about this because it's so hard to wake up a peaceful looking baby!! My mom was in town for the past few days and she was in the "don't wake a sleeping baby" camp so I found myself not doing what the lactation consultant suggested. I've called a ton of friends about this and most of my friends do the "feed on demand" thing. I may try what the lactation consultant suggested but do it less strictly, like wake him after every 2.5 hours or something. The uncertainty of what to do makes all of this so hard.

napping - I think I am finding that the more Kaito naps during the day the less he wants to sleep at night... I'll try to pay attention to his schedule tomorrow to see if I can find a pattern...

Let's hope for more sleep for all of us!!

[Kay2003]

cnm - thank you for sharing your birth story. I loved reading the details and it's a good reminder for me to finally get mine in writing to post as well. Congrats on the birth of your son!

[cartersmommy]

hey ladies!
i'm member of the oct. mommies thread, as my EDD was 10-4, but ended up being induced on 9-9. i was just reading CNM's birth story, and can totally relate! i didn't have a c-sect. but i did have pre-eclampsia and high BP and the magnesium so i had to come and post that i'm with you on how glad you were to deliver! not so fun!

hope you are all doing well! i hope to be around this thread a little more if that's ok with you girls! :)

[Brink]

Hi everyone. Aimee is just at the end of a 3-hour nap so I probably don't have much time.

Crazyforaf - I agree with the feed on demand camp. I also feed Aimee until she falls asleep. Question - when the book says you shouldn't, are you supposed to keep them awake or are you supposed to stop feeding them? I have been feeding Aimee on demand since she was born, even if that meant she went 5 hours without. It seems to have worked fine for her (I know, all babies are different) and she is thriving and gaining tons of weight. I would trust your mommy instince and do what you feel is best.

Up until last night Aimee has been doing great with sleeping and sortof has a schedule going. Yesterday was a very different story. She didn't fall asleep most of the day and was screaming last night for several hours. It is so very unlike her that I felt really bad that I must have eaten something that did this to her. We finally got to sleep around 1 am and then she has been back to normal since then, but that was hard. I really feel for those mommies that have to experience that as routine, I can see where you start to lose it.

Well, I think she is calling - off to BF.

[10.4.03]

I think I may be the last sept (well, october now!) mama ;)

elsa margaret was born october 10th at 8:29 am. She is amazing and the most beautiful thing that I have ever experienced. Every day more and more.

I echo some of cnm's story with the hope for a natural birth but instead having an induction (due to low amniotic fluid), back labor, epi, pushing for three hours and finally a c-section due to her head not rotating fully and getting stuck. I wouldn't change a thing though :)

we are home now and doing well. bf-ing is going well, but ouch!
wishing everyone the best.

[Kay2003]

congrats 10.4.03 Here's to a speedy recovery for you!

[solongtogo]

Congratulations 10 4 03 and welcome to your baby!


I've noticed that a lot of mommies in this thread had to have c-sections. I think the csection mommies outnumbered the vaginal birth...wierd.

[randysmandy]

Has anyone had to start their baby on cereal yet?

Hunter was so unhappy and would eat 5 ounces every 2-3 hours!!!!! We decided to give him formula 2 nights ago. We gave him 1tsp w/ 2.5 tbs of formula. He ate like a champ-knew exactly what to do with a spoon! He is much happier, eats only 3 ounces every 4-5 hours, sleeps more during the day, and sleeps about 5.5 hours at night before wanting to feed again. I am no longer supplying breastmilk and think that I am going to dry up any day.

Looks like we all have very different babies-it's amazing how they can actually write books on what we should be doing as far as feeding and naps go. I think we have to listen to our babes!

Congrats 10.4.03

We went out on a "date" last night. Hunter was perfect for my mom and we had a lovely time. We gave up on trying to go out with him since he wants to eat when we do! Maybe with the formula he will be different.

Beachbum Happy anniversary and I am sorry about your dinner incident!

[cr8zyforaf]

another quick question - does anyone elses baby need to be held all the time?? Even when they are sleeping? I will get Ashley to sleep and think she is in a deep sleep, but as soon as I slip her into her swing or bed, she wakes up...I've given in and just hold her while she sleeps because I am at my wits end at this point.

[Brink]

Congratulations 10.4.03 - sounds like we had similar experience with the pushing for 2-3 hours followed by a c-section. Not fair to have to go through both parts, but like you, I wouldn't change a thing! The soreness on the BB's does get better, just hang in there.

Cr8zyforaf - It seems like most of the time I can put Aimee down, but the last two nights I have had to hold her from about midnight until 4am. She is fidgeting all the time and it keeps me awake, but at least she is getting some sleep.

Randysmandy - congrats on the successful date with DH. I look forward to being able to do that too.

Colic? I'm wondering if Aimee is showing the first signs of this. She has been crying for no reason and seems to be in pain between about 10pm and midnight. Then I get her to sleep and have to hold her until her next feeding. It's been two nights this way, I'm hoping it doesn't happen again tonight. If so, I'm guessing she is a "colic" baby. Anyone else experiencing this?

[philnikki]

I have to go back to work tomorrow :( :( Its also Ava's first day at day care. I am pretty bummed out about it.

randysmandy - I am thinking about doing this with Ava. She is eating 5-6 ounces every 3-4 hours :eek: She is such a little piggy right now! I am not sure why. Do you give him the cereal as a separate meal, or before a bottle???

cr8zyforaf - I think I posted this same question a few days ago! :) lol Ava has the same issue. It gets really unnerving at times! She starts day care tomorrow, so hopefully that will break her of this issue. I don't really have any advice since I am dealing with the same thing. I will let you know if her being at daycare works.

[Kay2003]

philnikki - good luck at your first day of work!'

Q: My son, 3 weeks + old, slept in his swing for seven hours straight! I woke up in a panic, thinking something must be wrong. Hewas OK. My DH got him to go to sleep in the swing last night and decided not to transfer him out og the swing. Is it bad for babies to sleep in a rocking swing?

[10.4.03]

thanks for the congrats everyone! I feel so behind everyone but I can go back and look and learn from what you all have been going through!

cr8zy - we had this same issue last night and now I'm exhausted. She just went down but I'm not convinced she's really asleep yet. What do people do with this...uh oh, Elsa's crying now!

[pixiecat]

10 4 03 - congrats on the birth of baby Elsa! I LOVE that name, it is so beautiful!! I hope you recover quickly from the section. :)

Kim - Lily also needs to be "held" to sleep right now... she likes to fall asleep tummy-down on our chests & then we can usually transfer her to her crib or baby papasan... although lately we have been letting her stay in our bed. She sure sleeps longer with us!

mandy - our babe is still on breast milk, but the other night DH put a drop of Apple Pucker on her lips! I could have killed him, but she kind of liked it :rolleyes: I don't really know much about adding cereal at this age, but if your ped is okay with it, I say go with what works!!

Brink - it may be too soon to tell, but I think that Lily may be a "colic" baby too... she has an inconsolable time period between 6:30 - 9:30 where she needs to be held upright against our chests, or else she is sobbing. It breaks my heart :( Still holding out hope that it is just newborn fussiness and not true colic.

nikki - omg, can't believe that time has gone by so quickly and that you are back at work today! I am off until Feb 1, but I know that it will be here in an instant. Please let us know how you are doing & how the first day back went.

Kay - I'm no expert, but I've defintely heard of people who have their babies sleep in the swing, car seat, whatever! Lily has slept in her papasan, but it doesn't swing, so I'm not sure of the safety rules on that one...

Things are going pretty well here! Except for the colic worries, we are holidng our own. My sister is in town today & told me that she will be holding the baby ALL DAY :D I can get some much needed housework done, so we all win!

Hugs to all the moms & babies!

[philnikki]

I have survived the first half of my first full day back at work! I am so not happy about being here though away from Ava. I miss her like crazy. It was so hard this morning to just leave her. I cried for the first 30 miles of my 40 mile trek to work. Phil has been calling all morning to see how I am doing. I guess I scared him when I was calling sobbing like a maniac. Anyway -- I am calm now, but I still can't wait to get home to her. I know what people mean when they say this will make me appreciate my time with her more...

[charmcitygirl]

cereal i am going to start putting a tiny bit cereal in jake's bottle soon since he spits up at every meal... hoping it will slow him down. zoe has started to spit up more but i'm going to hold off with her.

colicky (or cranky babies) i just read something about this. apparently there's something called "the witching hour" where in the evening babies seem to get cranky. it's just a phase.

jake & zoe turned 2 months last friday. they had their ped. appt and got 4 shots each (yikes!). both did well. they got tylenol prior to the appt and then every 4 hours for the remainder of the day. jake weighed in at 10lbs 5 oz and zoe was 9lbs 5oz. the doc had applied for them to get rsv shots but they were denied because they "weren't preemie enough." whatever. so she strongly urged us and all grandparents to get the flu shot.

so note to everybody: get your flu shots!

[solongtogo]

I'm not so sure about starting baby on cereal yet....you might want to ask your pedi first. Their digestive system might not be mature enough to handle it...

[charmcitygirl]

i agree! i think it's probably too early to start your baby on cereal... most docs agree that 4-6 months is appropriate unless otherwise prescribed. jake's doc suggested cereal in his bottle only as a thickener... a teensy amount should suffice.

[PrincessCrappy]

Only have a second, will be back later with more updates.

Just wanted to add that I think it is WAY too early to start cereal. You run a severe risk of food allergies if "solids" are started too far in advance of their sixth month. We talked extensively about this with our ped because DH and I are both asthmatic and have tons of allergies. I've also read that it's a myth that babies sleep longer when they've eaten cereal (I believe you can check out Weissbluth and Karp as resources). Hope that helps!

Nikki - thinking about you today...hugs!

[AlisonCO]

10.4.03 - CONGRATS and Welcome Elsa - what a beautiful and feminine name!

I'm not so sure about starting baby on cereal yet....you might want to ask your pedi first. Their digestive system might not be mature enough to handle it...


ITA!!! The AAP recently came out with a very strong statement that recommends waiting until 6 months (not between 4-6) to start solids. Rice cereal basically has NO nutritional value (only added iron which babies do not need until after 6 months) and early introduction of solids has been linked to increased obesity, allergies. Also cereal in a bottle can be a choking hazzard. Finally any cereal that they are eating now takes away from the amount of formula or BM that they are getting which should be where all of their calories are coming from. Remember that the big growth spurts are 3 weeks, 6 weeks and 3 months so randysmandy and philnikki, they might be going thru the 6 week one right? With my son we introduced cereal at about 5 months and it certainly did not make him sleep longer, it made him more fussy and gassy, its messy and it makes their poop smell:D As you might guess we will be waiting until at least 6 months if not longer and going right to real foods and skipping cereal altogether.

My big girl had her first bottle yesterday...sigh... I was concerned that I had waited a bit too long to try it but she did great. Also she has a strong gag reflex and gags on a paci and often gags on my nipple! Luckily the bottle nipple was fine. I walked downstairs yesterday and DH was watching football and Caitlin was happily snoozing after the bottle.

sleeping in the swing - My son slept in the swing for many nights when he was 3-7 months. It was great until I had to wean him to the crib - he was so used to the movement while he slept that it took many weeks for him to be able to sleep laying still. I will definetely use it for naps with Caitlin but not at night - I learned my lesson!

colic - Here is some info on what colic is and what you can do to help a colicy baby - from my favorite Dr. Sears:) http://www.askdrsears.com/html/5/t051300.asp

[wife&wannabemom]

Hi everyone....I finally caught up and wanted to check in...

Congrats 10.4.03 and Welcome Elsa!

cereal - I think this is another one of those widely contradicted issues....some pediatricians say it is okay and some don't....I say listen to your ped and do whatever you are comfortable with.

cr8zy & cranky babies - We went through a week phase with Patrick where he didn't want to sleep AT ALL during the night except in our arms....that week we found out that our baby sleeps MUCH better when he's on his belly. I had an extensive discussion about this with our ped and the whole SIDS issue and did alot of research myself. There is no direct link to SIDS with babies who sleep on their stomachs, only an "association" so our ped said do whatever we are comfortable with but he was fine with it.

Ever since Patrick sleeps much, much better....lastn ight from 11pm-5:30am and then again from 7:30-10:30am. He's napping now and has been since 3:30...should be up any minute. I'm trying to figure out his routine...I'm sorta following the Baby Whisperer and cluster fed him last night...7pm, 9pm and 11pm and it worked 2 nights so far....we also started baths more often and Patrick seems to really like that too and it calms him. Anyone else whose baby sleeps on their bellys?

I had my 6 week checkup last week and all is great...my baby is 7 weeks old today! I started TaeBo today too...felt great but I'm sure I won't be able to walk tomorrow.

Nikki- Just wanted to say that i'm thinking about you and Ava today! Hopefully you're on your way home to see your baby girl.

[BeachBum]

ITA!!! The AAP recently came out with a very strong statement that recommends waiting until 6 months (not between 4-6) to start solids etc... they might be going thru the 6 week one right?

This is right in line with what I've read as well.

Hunter was so unhappy and would eat 5 ounces every 2-3 hours!!!!!
Henry is exclusively BF, but on the occasions I've given him EBM he ate about 5oz. My BF books say that this is the appropriate amount to offer at this time, and yes that is eating every 2 to 3 hours. So it sounds perfectly normal to me.


Also, my reading indicated that babies are often the fussiest between say 6 -10pm. This seems to be the case with Henry too. I think its pretty normal. He also eats (cluster feeding) about every hour during this time.

Re: Feeding on Demand vs. schedule
We do a combo I guess. I never deny Henry if I think he is actually hungry, but watching the clock has helped me figure this out. For a while I was feeding him on demand, but I think I wasn't reading his cues correctly. He would spit up so, so much. I think I was offering the boob when he really just wanted snuggle time and to suckle. Now, if its only been an hour or so and he is seeming hungry I first offer the paci and some snuggles. If that doesn't "solve" the problem then I feed him. Now, he does go a bit more by what the book says eating about every 2.5-3 hours and is spitting up less.

[Sabre]

Wife - Anthony is sleeping on his tummy during the day. I am too scared to put him on his belly at night since he sleeps in our bed with us and the sheet isn't tight enough on our matteress. We also cluster feed in the evening 8,9, & 10. He sleeps from 10-3:30. That's the longest stretch we've gotten so far.

My first child went through the phase where she wanted to be held all the time. It's just a phase and it will pass, at least it did for her. Poor Anthony, he doesn't have a choice I'm too busy to hold him all the time. I think he knows better than to ask. ;)

cereal We started my first child on cereal and babyfood at 4 months but that was because she wasn't gaining weight. She was 8lb7oz at birth and by four months, she was only 11 or so pounds. I don't plan to start as early this time.

crying baby.....

[cr8zyforaf]

uggg..when does this get easier??? I am so glad to know that most of you are going through the same thing (not glad that we all have to deal with this, but gald I am not the only one). My MIL keeps trying to get me to let her 'cry herself to sleep'...I let her cry today for 10 minutes - that does not work. She is alseep on my chest now in her Baby Bjorn and my MIL is on her way over - I am sure I will get lectured when she gets here about how I am spoiling her.

wife&wannabemom - I let Ashley sleep on her stomach during the day - I am too nervous to do it at night - although I don't know why - my mom said back when I was young, all babies slept on their stomachs. Do what
you feel comfortable with - especially if your pedi is on board - my mom said back when I was young, everyone was told to let the babies sleep on their stomachs.

Cereal - another thing my MIL is pushing on me. I agree - it is way too early for cereal (my sister did it at 6 weeks and swears her baby slept longer). This is addressed in the Happiest Baby on the Block book - it is a myth that it helps babies sleep longer.

Nikki- gosh how time flies - I can't imagine how hard it was to leave your little Amy today...my thoughts are with you and her - I am sure everyone will be fine - and just think of all the friends she gets to hang out with :)

Sleeping in the swing - is fine. I am of the mindset that for the first three months - you do whatever you can to get by...after that, I think you need to start really thinking about things. My baby sleeps in the swing during the day when I can get her off of my chest and into the swing and in her carseat at night (how awful is that??).

My 6 week appointment was this morning - all is well. I was a bit annoyed because I asked for 2 more weeks of paid disability and my doctor said no. I am dealing with some bladder issues from the catheder but that wasn't enough reason for her...I wish she would have just cut me some slack but I guess she could get in trouble. So, I was counting on 8 weeks of paid STD but I guess I will have to settle for 6...may have to go back to work earlier than I had planned.

I joined weight watchers 3 weeks ago and have already lost 11 pounds - yah me...only about 20 more to go.

Hope all is well with everyone.

[randysmandy]

Nikki and on the topic of cereal
I give Hunter a teaspoon of cereal to 2.5 tablespoons of formula/BM with a spoon (recommended). He is sleeping 8 hours at a time now and does not cry throughout the day as he did before because he was hungry. My ped said that it was ok to start him now (called the other day). Every baby and ped are different and so is every mom. Nikki-I would suggest to give Ava cereal when you are ready and when you do they say to give it with a spoon so they get used to eating. But again---other books and peds may say different.

Happy feeding!!!!!!!!!

[wildcat]

feeding - Lauren eats pretty much every 2.5 - 3 hours during the day (breastfeeding) so I have no clue how much she's getting...sometimes she feeds on both sides, sometimes it's just one. In the evenings, DH is giving her 1 bottle for her 6ish or 7ish feeding while I pump. However, when I pump, I'm only getting somewhere around 2-3 oz. Is that ok with Lauren at 3 weeks old? I would assume that means that's how much she's getting normally? So, DH gives her a bottle of 2oz at night, sometimes she wants more though so I'll either let her nurse a bit more, or we'll warm up more EBM. Is there anywhere you girls know of that could tell me how much she should be eating at every feeding at this time? I would like to build more of a freezer stash (have about 32oz now) but am afraid of pumping too much and not having enough to feed her, even though I know that will stimulate my body to make more. Also, what can I do to make more? I've heard of Fenugreek and oatmeal, anything else?

sleeping - I feel very fortunate in this, Lauren would totally sleep through the night if I'd let her. Instead I get her up after 4-5 hours (there's been a few times she's gone about 7 hours on accident!) and feed her and then she sleeps for another 4-5 hours. However, she doesn't nap much during the day unless I'm out bc she always sleeps in her infant seat, car, and stroller. She'll usually sleep for maybe 2 hours a day on average. I don't really mind though, as long as I can keep sleeping almost all night!

Nikki - I'm glad you got through your first day back at work, hard to believe it's that time already! Now you can help the rest of us through it!

Lauren had her first fussy day every last Friday, I was so frustrated by the time DH got home from work, I just didn't know what she wanted!! We ended up giving her a pacifier (first time ever, our LC had suggested waiting until she's 2 weeks and she was 2.5 weeks). She LOVES the pacifier. I really was having a hard time with it but read about it in Happiest Baby and realize that she's probably just a baby that needs to suck. I'm trying to only give it to her when nothing else works. She also seems to be a bit cranky in the evenings, so that's when she seems to get it the most.

Off to pick up dinner...still haven't mastered cooking dinner while caring for her all day!

[Sabre]

Wildcat- I exclusively pump, at 3 weeks, Anthony was taking 3oz every 2-3 hours, I was pumping 4-5oz every 3 hours. At almost 6 weeks, I think he's about ready to move up to 4oz, I'm waiting for his growth spurt to pass so I figure it out. From what I've read, the baby's sucking is more efficient than the pump and they are able to get more. Also, make sure you're pumping for about 20 minutes so that you get the hindmilk where all the fat is.

[philnikki]

Thank you PrincessCrappy, Wife, cr8zyforaf, Randysmandy and Wildcat - for your thoughts on my first day back at work. It was the toughest thing I think I have ever had to do. I just left her at that place with those strangers :( :( But, I guess she ended up having a good day and was hugged and loved the entire time (The other baby is apparently jealous he he) So I guess it worked out ok. Arg, 10 more hours before she has to go back :( :(

cereal - wow! didn't think that this would have become such an issue. I agree that I think that is one of those things that is different for everyone. No two people are the same and neither are our babies. What is good at one point for one baby is not good for another. Trust your decisions and your ped. advice. As with anything, you are not gonna be judged by us one way or another :)

Must go mix some bottles up and go to sleep!

[wildcat]

sabre - Thanks for the info!! When you say pump for 20 mins, do you mean with a manual or an electric pump? I have the Medela PIS advanced and only pump for maybe 3-5 mins (at the MOST) before it seems like I've gotten all I'm going to get. I'm also nervous that I'm going to pump off EVERYTHING and then she'll have nothing left to eat the rest of the evening. How long does it take to replenish? TIA!!

[Kay2003]

Thanks for your thoughts on sleeping in the swing!

pumping for 20 minutes - wildcat, I could've written your post. I pumped for the first time yesterday and pumped one breast just for a few minutes to get 2 ounces. I think there was definitely more, but I didn't want to pump too much, just enough to relieve some of the pressure, since I'm alternating breasts per feeding. I pumped the breast I didn't feed Kaito on after he slept for six hours straight in the swing. Also, how often are you pumping? I think I'm just going to pump once in the morning when my breasts feel the fullest, after a feeding...

philnikki - It is just so hard to believe how quickly time flies and that there are some september mommas who are already back at work. I'm thinking of you.

[philnikki]

So only things like this happen to me. This morning I am up at 5:30am to get both Ava and I ready for the day, when Phil calls me to tell me that her daycare is closed. Now, her daycare is in the freakin MALL of all places. So I am watching the news, only to see that apparently a tractor trailer who was making a delivery last night backed into a transformer and knocked out power to the whole mall. Now, how random is that for Ava's second day EVER at daycare? sheesh.

Phil left work early to take care of her. Today is her 8 wk WBV. She has to have shots But the good thing is that Phil is bringing her to see me at lunchtime and take me to out! Yeah!! So that makes this day ok.

Kay - Thanks for thinking of me!! Time sure does fly!

[Sabre]

Wildcat- from what I've read, the supply is constant but that the baby sometimes gets frustrated from having to work harder to get milk. So you may want to pump after bfing.

I use the Ameda Purely Yours, double pump. When I pump, I have my first initial letdown, then I have another letdown after about 10 minutes. Also, you can stimulate letdown with your pump, turn it to low suction, high speed then low speed higher suction. It's the same sucking pattern that your baby uses.

It is my understanding that you only get foremilk in the first few minutes then the hindmilk which contains the fat. Look at your milk in the fridge, the fat rises to the top and you should be able to see if you're getting hindmilk.

[Brink]

Wildcat - we are on the same schedule. I pumped for the first time today and got about 2 oz from one side about an hour after feeding her. I didn't want to use the other side so I could make sure I had enough to feed her the next time she woke up. Then, when she did, I fed her the 2oz from the bottle and she was still hungry. I put her on the full breast and she ate for another 6 minutes (which we figure is worth about 1oz based on my pumping earlier). Then I finished pumping that breast and got almost three more oz out of it. So, I'm guessing that she is getting somewhere between 3-4oz. She feeds on demand, so sometimes she cluster feeds every hour and during the night I let her sleep until she wakes - usually the longest stretch is about 5 hours (but we got 6 last night). Interested to hear what others have to say.....

Philnikki - sorry to hear the second day of daycare didn't work out. I guess it's true that a lot of our vacation time in the next year will go to childcare type issues. Bummer.......

[philnikki]

So her appointment yesterday went well. My baby girl is thriving!!! Her doctor said that she is VERY healthy and has the best control over her head he's seen in an 8 wk old. He cracks me up. He had her doing a little jig in front of the mirror while he was checking her head control! he he

She now weighs 10 pounds 11 ounces, and is 23" long. She is in the 75th percentile for her weight and the 90th percentile for her length.

She is doing ok with her shots. I cried, of course, but not too terribly. I think I cried worse than she did!! She was running a low grade fever last night and was unusually fussy. She went to sleep at 9:30, and woke up again at 1:30, and then after she ate she fussed (not a full out cry, but not a comfortable baby either) until we had to start getting ready at 5:30am. So I gave her another does of tylenol, and she finally fell asleep on our way down to my MIL's. Poor thing. She just isn't herself.

[BeachBum]

That is crazy about your daycare being closed, Nikki.I hope that it gets easier for you. I hope that Ava gets to feeling better as well.

Anybody elses kiddo starting to outgrow the 0-3mo clothes yet? Some things are starting to get too short on Henry. I use cloth diapers, which are not as trim as 'sposies so I'm sure that is part of it. But still! He has some things he only wore once or 2x. It's hard being here in Florida because the weather is still in the 80's so I don't want to buy warm weather stuff as we transition into fall and he changes sizes.


So how is everyone doing on the weight loss and general recovery? I'm still up 15lbs, 6 weeks PP. I gained almost 50! None, I mean none of my pre-pregnancy shirts fit. My boobs are gigantic! I've bought a couple of pairs of pants for the fall in a larger size. I hope to loose more weight, but I couldn't go around wearing yoga pants forever! My other problem is that my feet must have grown because my shoes feel too small. I'm always happy for an excuse to get new shoes, but I really can't afford to replace most everything! I'm hoping to find someone to stretch my boots at least.

Other than the weight I'm recovering well. I had a 3rd degree tear and episiotomy so it's slow going though. I'm not supposed to exercise other than walking and will be on pelvic rest until 12 weeks PP. (I'm nervous about that anyway.) My rings still don't fit though anyone else have this problem?

[wife&wannabemom]

Good morning...Patrick slept GREAT again last night...two nights in a row he's gong 6 1/2 hours! Mommy is one happy camper!

Nikki- that's crazy about the daycare...sorry about the shots, Patrick has his next week and I'm scared.

pumping- From what I've read, your breast is never empty even after pumping for 1/2 hour. You ladies sound like you're getting a lot of milk. I normally pump in place of one feeding and I get 4-5oz from the double pump. I have the Medela PIS. Patrick will take anywhere from 4-5oz at the EBM bottle feed. Don't use your pumping results to figure out what they are getting from the breast because the pump does not get teh same results...the baby can suck a lot more efficiently and could be getting double the amount you are pumping.

We are pretty sure that Patrick has reflux. He spits up ALOT after almost every feeding...sometimes right away and other times about an hour after he eats and it's smelly and definitely digested. Our ped. said that as long as he's not bothered by teh spit up and continues to thrive, nothing we can do about it. He eats/poops/pees/sleeps really well and is definitely getting bigger so I guess we'll just keep an eye on it.

[wife&wannabemom]

So how is everyone doing on the weight loss and general recovery? I'm still up 15lbs, 6 weeks PP. I gained almost 50! None, I mean none of my pre-pregnancy shirts fit. My boobs are gigantic! I've bought a couple of pairs of pants for the fall in a larger size. I hope to loose more weight, but I couldn't go around wearing yoga pants forever! My other problem is that my feet must have grown because my shoes feel too small. I'm always happy for an excuse to get new shoes, but I really can't afford to replace most everything! I'm hoping to find someone to stretch my boots at least.


I could have written this post myself...I am up about 18 lbs 7 weeks PP (I gained about 45 lbs). I went for my 6 week checkup on Friday and was given the okay to start working out again so I started TaeBo on MOnday and plan to continue it daily. I haven't tried AT ALL to watch what I'm eating so that is something I'll start now too...ice cream every night has got to go sooner or later :) I went out and bought a few pairs of pants in a larger size to get me through and most of my sweaters fit, but are snug around the boobs.

[wildcat]

weight - I was going to ask this question myself!! 3 weeks pp, I'm down 20 pounds, with 25 to go (45 total gained). I've been sitting at this same number for about 2 weeks though, so I'm not sure if I'm going to lose anymore on my own or not? I haven't been watching what I eat at all, I wanted to wait until my 6 week pp appt and make sure my breastmilk is established, and then I think I will go back to WW. I was on it a few years ago and lost 30 pounds (from 150 to 122). I'm at 161 right now, so it feels like doing WW all over again:(. I'm hoping in the next 3 weeks I lose another 10 at least, as 15 sounds a lot more manageable than 25!

Thanks for all the info about pumping!! It dawned on me last night that I get pretty full at night, so I pumped before I went to bed and got another few ounces, so I feel better about being able to get a freezer stash going. When DH gave Lauren a bottle last night, she ate the 2oz really fast and wanted more, so we gave her another 2oz before she was happy. So as long as I can get 4oz a day, I'm happy!

One of my best friends is being induced today (a week early due to a really severe case of PUPPS she's been enduring for the last 2 weeks!), I'm so excited for her!! I LOVED my birth experience with Lauren and am hoping she'll have as good of an experience. And I love that our kids will only be 3 weeks apart!

clothes - Oh my goodness, I'm afraid Lauren is a bit behind everyone here, she's just now fitting into her 0-3 month clothes!! She's about outgrown the "newborn, up to 7 pounds" size. I put a Gymboree outfit on her today that is 0-3 month that has always been huge and it fits better today, but still not great, still big. She's only 40th percentile for height and 50th for weight, so I imagine that's why she's a bit behind!

sleeping question - When we saw Lauren's pediatrician at 1 week, she told us to continue to wake her every 4-5 hours to eat but I didn't ask when we could stop this. I usually wake-up around that time frame (due to the little noises she makes, she never wakes up), but there have been a few times I haven't woken up for 7 hours or so and she seems fine. She cluster feeds in the evenings (every hour pretty much from 6-10) so I feel like she's getting enough to eat, and she's gaining weight. Have any of you heard anything from ped's or others of when it's ok to let them sleep through the night? The only concern I have is my boobs after going that long!!

[pixiecat]

Morning! Lily is going through her 3 week growth spurt (I think!) and wants to eat ALL THE TIME! What a little piggy she is!

Clothes - Lily can still fit into her newborn things & is just starting to wear her 0-3 month clothes well. Not sure where she falls in the "percentiles" but I think she is probably pretty average.

Weight gain - well I just had the courage to get back on the scale last week! I gained 50 lbs :eek: and have lost 30. I seem to be stalling here, so not sure if I will have to really "try" to lose the last 20... I haven't done ANY excercise yet, so when I get back on that bandwagon, I hope to see some results!! Also, I can't fit into *any* of my clothes & it's starting to depress me.

post-partum stuff - I feel pretty normal "down there" but just recently started bleeding again... did anyone else stop and then have it start up again?

Hope everyone has a great day!

[dbers]

Wildcat - I had one ped tell me 4 weeks and another 6 weeks. At 6 weeks we stopped waking her, and she seems to be sleeping well now at night!

Weight - I gained 52 lbs total :eek: and lost 30 within a week PP. Now I'm hovering in that 20 pounds to go range - and I'm sure I will have to start exercising to do it - I'm eating pretty well and BF, but apparently that's not enough! I got the clear from my OB to exercise - but my hip has been killing me the last couple of days.

Bleeding - Mine definitely stoped and started again - actually it had stopped, and then I passed a huge clot (called the OB) - and then bled again for several weeks. I'll be 8 weeks PP on Thursday, and I'm still spotting sometimes. My doctor said it should stop soon - wish it would stop NOW!

Alex is doing well but still screams before making a BM. I've already cut out dairy from my diet, and now I may cut out soy. Hopefully this will resolve soon - I feel so badly for her when she's so uncomfortable!

[solongtogo]

Weight I never stabilized at a weight, because I was really sick the entire pregnancy. I also got pancreatitis during the pregnancy, and lost about 10-15 lbs from that.. At my 6 week pp checkup, she told me I had lost 21 lbs alltogether from my pre pregnancy weight, which rocks!

Recovery I feel fine, 8 weeks after my c section. The only time I struggle a little is when I go to stand up or sit down. Abdomen muscles must be weak still because I have a bit of a difficult time when doing this..

Bleeding Finally stopped this week...the OB had to clear out a big ol blood clot, and then I bled for a few more days, but looks like it's done. Thank God!

[philnikki]

clothes - Ava is just now getting to the point where some of her 0-3 mo stuff is starting to be too small. Her onesies are getting a little snug. I accidentally put a 3-6 mo outfit on her the other day and it was big, but not enormous. I think we will be moving to that size in a few weeks! It took her to 8 weeks to get this way though, so those of you with newborns and 1 mo olds, there is hope that they will fit into their clothes! I know I thought that she would never be big enough to fill out some of these clothes and here she is growing out of them!

Weight - I was 160 before I got pregnant, ended up at 200 even at my highest, dropped to 180 within 2 weeks pp and now at 8 weeks pp I am down to 174. I wanted to get down to my "college" weight of 130 though even before I got preggo, so I am technically 40 pounds over where I want to be :( I went on WW pretty soon after I had her, but have cheated the past few weeks...I plan to start back on it during the work week next week and then eat normally (not indulge) on the weekends.

Bleeding - Yeah, I had my bleeding start up again after it had been away for almost 3 weeks, only to have it stop again after a few days of spotting. It's so weird. I still have not had my first period yet. If it is not here by 12 weeks I am supposed to call my OB to have her help get it going down there!

Here is a crazy QOTD- Now that your baby is here -- how long are you waiting for your next child or are you done?? - I thought for sure right after Ava was born that I would never have enough energy for two, but now that I am a few mos. out, I would like to try for another one when Ava is 3.

[10.4.03]

Wow, getting used to motherhood and loving it. I cannot imagine life without her now and I'm having a hard time remembering what it was like to have a giant pg belly even. It is quite nice to be able to sleep on my back again! As for the QOTD we definitely want to have more and feel like I could start trying again next summer, before my baby is even 1. My brother and I are only 16 months apart and we've always been super close. That is a little tight, but I don't want to wait too long for sure.

I'm so happy, the visiting nurse came yesterday and weighed Elsa, she is now 7lbs 13oz! She was 7lbs 2oz when we left the hospital last friday! The nurse said I should be confident that she is getting nurishment from my milk and BFing is successful. We have her two week appt. next Tuesday. The ped called on Monday and we had to go to the hospital to redo her PKU. The girl at the hospital did not get enough blood. My DH was so pissed and I cried the whole time. Elsa did fine though.

dbers - Elsa screams before a BM too. I wonder if it's dairy, but maybe it's too soon to tell. She's only 9 days old. I do eat a lot of dairy, but have been trying to cut down a little on the milk. Mostly eating yogurt and cheese instead. How do you get calcium then if you are cutting out the dairy?

to all...with cluster feeding, I'm not sure I know what this is, but I can guess. Do your babies want to feed that much in the evenings or do you offer it to them more so they'll sleep longer?

do shutterfly pictures work in here?

[Sandie78]

Clothes Some of the smaller 0-3 months seem to be getting snug on Zach, but the larger ones seem to be fitting just right.
Recovery Just over 5 weeks out I feel almost completely normal, but sometimes I get sore if I sit down for too long.
Weight The weight literally just fell off of me during the first week. I was concerned I was losing it too fast. I had gained a total of 25 lbs, and lost 20 of it by the time I got home from the hospital. I'm not really trying to lose the last five pounds because I was a bit underweight to begin with so I'm now actually closer to a reasonable weight for my height. I would however like to tighten up my tummy a little bit.
How long before more kids Even as sleep deprived as I am right now, I'd love to have another soon. I dunno maybe try to have another sometime when Zach is two. We'll see.

[Brink]

Well, little Aimee is sleeping - let's hope she stays that way for a while.

Wildcat - my ped never told us to wake Aimee. We have always let her sleep as long as she wants and feed her when she wakes. Even in the hospital they didn't have us wake her. She has gained lots of weight and the ped says she is doing great. I think it's like most things, everyone has a different opinion. I do notice that if she goes more than 5 hours, we have several cluster feed throughout the day. But, in order to get the additional hours, it's worth it.

Weight - I gained about 50lbs total and have lost about 26 so far. After my 6wk pp (in another 2.5 wks) I'll start WW. I lost 20 lbs on it prior to my wedding and will do it again. My shoes definitely don't fit. My sister had the same problem after her son and they never went back to the same size. I have so many shoes and it would cost me a fortune to replace them!

QOTD - yes, we are planning to have 1 or 2 more. I'll be 36 in January, so time is a factor for us. We will plan to start trying between 9-12 months. Sounds crazy, but I don't want to be pg after 40.

Well, the typing noise is bothering Aimee, got to go.....

[jo&sean]

Hi everyone. I have been super busy lately so haven't had time to post but have been reading along when I can.

Nikki - I can't believe you are back at work already! Are you the first one of us to go back?

Weight - I am back to my goal weight - now I am just waiting for the dr to give me the ok to start working out and riding my horses again so I can get toned back up. My goal weight is actually 10 lbs heavier then when I got pg - a little different but I was under weight to begin with. So even though I am where I want to be weight wise, I don't have a lot of clothes that fit so I have been doing a little shopping lately but I don't want to go too crazy until I start working out again.

Bleeding - Mine stopped about 2 weeks ago (at 4 wks pp) but then I started my period yesterday. I stated bc pills after my 2 week appt but I was still surprised that my period actually came when it was supposed to - I really thought it would take a couple of months.

Recovery - I feel pretty much normal except for my scar. I really dislike the fact that it is still so numb in a few areas - just feels weird. From what I understand it can feel like this for a LONG time.

Baby Clothes - Addy is just now starting to wear her 0 -3 Mo clothes - they are still big on her but her NB and preemie sizes are too small.

QOTD - More babies .... the jury is still out on this for us. I am a little resentful at the moment because I really feel like a single parent because DH has been out of town working sooooo much. I am sure I will change my mind but it is too soon for me to even think about it.

Question for other c-section mom's - Are you using any scar care products? I have been putting vit. e oil on mine every morning and night but I don't really know if it is helping or not.

Addy is doing much better with the silent reflux issue. It seems the malox and change in formula have really helped. She has slept great the last few nights so I am hoping that continues :)

Speaking of Addy, she is requesting her lunch ;)

[solongtogo]

Question for other c-section mom's - Are you using any scar care products? I have been putting vit. e oil on mine every morning and night but I don't really know if it is helping or not.


Not doing anything for mine. No one is going to see it except for DH. It's a badge of honor :D

QOTD We'll probably wait a couple of years before trying to have another baby.

[dbers]

How do you get calcium then if you are cutting out the dairy?


I drink OJ which has added calcium, as do some of the soy products I eat. Also - check your prenatal vitamin, or you can always take a supplement. I drank rice milk (yuck) for the first time today with my coffee, and it also states on the bottle that it has the same amount of calcium as milk.

That said - I will ask Alex's pediatrician on Monday if I'm getting enough calcium, as I'm not taking any supplements.

[jo&sean]

No one is going to see it except for DH. It's a badge of honor

LOL! Very true!

[AlisonCO]

CLOTHES - C is still in some 0-3 outfits and all of her onesies but she did outgrow a few hand me downs which were smaller. She is all length right now (not filing anything out width wise) so anything with feet is out. I am so excited to get into her 3-6 month stuff b/c we have quite a collection of cute clothes in that size.

WEIGHT - I gained 34 pounds and I have no idea how much I have lost. I am wearing my old jeans (not my fav skinny jeans though). My pants fit in the waist but are snug in the hips - I am afraid that my hips will never go back now. I have a feeling that I have maybe 10 left, but 3 or 4 pounds are in my boobs. Last time I lost the weight in about 3 months, but it definetely took the full 9 months for my body to go back.

BLEEDING/RECOVERY - I haven't bled in a week or so and feel fine down there. My abs are weak and my lower back is sore so I need to exercise those soon.

CLUSTER FEEDING - C does this and I encourage it to help her sleep longer. SHe feeds from 6:30-7 and again from 8-10. This is totally normal so don't think it has anything to do with your supply. My son would also start this again when he was teething or just about to hit a big milestone - more for comfort than nutrition.

MORE KIDDOS - We are done - DH is getting snipped in January. My body is done being pregnant and I am done having newborns. I love my baby, but I can't wait until she is about 6 months.

BIRTH CONTROL - I can't decide what to do. The mini pill is what got us here to begin with so I am not sure that I trust that until the big snip is a success. I guess we could do condoms too as back up. I would like to get an IUD, but the cost doesn't seem practical for such a short amount of time.

[wife&wannabemom]

Bleeding- I too stopped bleeding at about 4 weeks PP and it came back...I think it's FINALLY done for good and I'm 7 weeks PP.

QOTD- DH asked me in the hospital if I was ready for # 2 :eek: It took us a VERY long time to get PG with Patrick and we needed alot of medical intervention and drugs...so I'm going to just see what happens after Patrick is about 6 months old. I have PCOS and don't ovulate on my own so I am not getting my hopes up...if nothing happens I'll go back to the RE when Patrick turns 1.

[dbers]

The mini pill is what got us here to begin with - EEEKKK!

Allison - were you BFing and you still got pregnant on the mini pill? That makes me nervous - don't think I could handle being pregnant again so soon..

[AlisonCO]

Allison - were you BFing and you still got pregnant on the mini pill? That makes me nervous - don't think I could handle being pregnant again so soon..


I was BFing but only 2 times a day (Aidan was 14 months when I got pg.) I took the pill very regularily so I am not sure what happened. It is very effective (not AS much as the regular pill) as long as you take it within the same HOUR everyday. I would look into an IUD if I were you - very effective and no hormones!

[dbers]

Alison - (sorry for spelling your name wrong :( ) 14 months isn't THAT bad...We have friends who got pregnant 2 months PP - can you imagine? My doctor also told me the mini pill isn't as effective, but should be okay with BF - which I am now doing exclusively. She didn't mention other options - thanks for the advice!

[AlisonCO]

14 months isn't THAT bad...We have friends who got pregnant 2 months PP - can you imagine? My doctor also told me the mini pill isn't as effective, but should be okay with BF - which I am now doing exclusively. She didn't mention other options - thanks for the advice!


Geez - last time I wasn't even having sex at 2 months PP:) I am sure that you will be fine. After you start solids and are no longer feeding on demand and exclusively BFing, you can keep an eye on your cervical mucus so that you know when you are super fertile.

[charmcitygirl]

c/s scar using vit. e but not sure i see a difference

c/s recovery i actually felt really good by the time i got home from the hospital. i didn't think i would since my body was so trashed from the weight and the bedrest. i got tired more than usual but my stomach muscles weren't too bad. walking around the hospital made a huge difference, methinks.

more kids yup. believe it or not, i still want another. hard to believe considering i have 2 month old twins. hee! will probably wait until they are 3 though.

pre-pg weight grrr... not even close

cluster feeding did this with zoe last night (on her request ;) ) and she slept for 5 hours. jake, on the other hand, woke every 2 hours to feed. he's NEVER done that before. so he's cluster feeding tonight as well.

[Kay2003]

another baby - yikes. I feel like I will need to get counseling before trying again! I didn't enjoy pregnancy, and labor/delivery were traumatic for me, even though I don't have too much to complain about compared to some of you who had to go through labor AND emergency c-sections. Another child is so far away in my mind.

weight gain gained about 27 pounds and I still have about 15 to lose , 4 wks pp. I started going on hour long walks this week and lifted a few light weights at the gym yesterday. Do you have to get your dr's ok to start exercising again?

pumping - so are those of you who are b/f and pumping pumping once a day?

[hisdaffodil]

Just a quick post...

Work - I'm starting my 3rd week back at work, but the 1st one full-time. I miss him, but it's nice to get out.

Weight - I gained about 32lbs, lost about 22. I'll be happy to lose another 5 more. I'd like to get back down 10 just because I had just bought so many clothes before getting prego! And same here on not fitting in the hips.

More babies - I want one more. I really really really want a girl. So we'll try one more time, probably when Em's 4 and Jamie's 2. If the 3rd one's not a girl, I don't know where we'll go from there. We've talked about adopting at that point, or just committing to spoiling the heck out of any grand-daughters.

Birth Control - I have 2 kids, that's my bc now! I was on the pill, ortho-novum, when i got pg with DS1, and on Seasonale when I got pg with DS2! I don't know what to do this time. I'll worry about it when we start having sex again.

Clothes - Jamie started his 0-3's about 2 weeks ago. I have no clue what his percentiles are right now though. He'll be 2 months old tomorrow!

Pumping - Right now, I'm only pumping once a day. Last time I pumped 3x a day until my supply was estabilshed, then 2x a day. Right now, I get to go home at lunch and nurse him, so I only pump 1 other time.

Speakin of which, he's hungry!

[Cr8nme]

Noelle had her very first shots today :( I cried when I heard her cry (DH stayed in the room with her) She weighs 9 pounds 9 ounces now and 22 inches long! I got her 1 month pictures back and they are the cutest!!! I may post one tomorrow.

clothing ~ Noelle is still wearing her newborn clothing and some 0-3 month clothing but it is still big on her.

More Kids ~ I would like another when Noelle is closer to 3

Weight and Recovery~ I am 8 pounds below what I gained so I guess I am doing well! I feel good now...no pain from the stitches.

Michelle

[randysmandy]

Weight GainI have 13 more pounds to shed after 7 weeks..I can't wait to start CURVES!
ClothesHunter is out of some newborn, but not 0-3. He has such short legs, so his shirts are actually more snug then his pants!
QOTD We are going to try and have the next baby when Hunter is 4! Hard to believe we are all thinking about another baby so soon. :o

Hunter has made a schedule for himself finally....eats at 8pm, goes to bed by 9 and then wakes up at 2:30 for a bottle and is up at 6am for the day. It works out great for me because when I go back to workon November 2 he will be up when I leave. I am starting back 2 days/week and then up to 3 eventually. The rest of the time I will be working from home.
Does anyone else or has anyone else worked from home with a baby?I would love to know how you balanced both.

[Sabre]

weight~ I have 6lbs left to lose, but I still can't fit into any of my pants or shirts. I'm so tired of wearing maternity clothes, but I refuse to spend more money on clothes!

clothes~ Anthony is starting to outgrow his 0-3 footy pj's by length. And some of his onesies that snap up the front are starting to gap. But 3-6 months stuff is still too big. So I guess he's a bit inbetween right now.

more kids~ Anthony is our 2nd and I think we're probably done. We would like to have four kids, but we just don't have the financial means to do it. DH will probably get snipped next year.

BC I'm going to use NFP, just as I have for the past 5 years.

[philnikki]

Hard to believe we are all thinking about another baby so soon. - I was just curious as to how everyone's perspective on more kids had changed since they had this one. For me, I was planning on three, but now that I have Ava and have gotten an idea of the attention she requires, I think two will be it :)

New Thread - Well ladies, I think we have all had our little ones by now. Are you guys ready for a new thread?? If you are, I will get it started and ready to go by Monday. wildcat - are you still wanting to be a moderator???

[BeachBum]

I was just curious as to how everyone's perspective on more kids had changed since they had this one. For me, I was planning on three, but now that I have Ava and have gotten an idea of the attention she requires, I think two will be it
We were so nervous about having one, we had agreed we would see how it went before deciding on more. I think we are still unsure about having more, but definitely leaning more towards wanting them. My husband just turned 40 (although a very young 40) and he worries about being too old. Also we both have very good relationships with our siblings and really want Henry to have that.

Does anyone else or has anyone else worked from home with a baby?I would love to know how you balanced both. I haven't done it, but I think it depends on the type of work you do, eg does it all have to be done during business hours, how much are you on the phone etc. My SIL tried to work from home, but ended up needing a nanny to get anything done. She still enjoyed it though because she could visit for 10-15 min here and there during the day.

I was BFing but only 2 times a day (Aidan was 14 months when I got pg.) I took the pill very regularly so I am not sure what happened. It is very effective (not AS much as the regular pill) as long as you take it within the same HOUR everyday. I would look into an IUD if I were you - very effective and no hormones! That is pretty scary! My Dr. is encouraging me to go on the pill, but I just don't want the hormones or the weight gain. I would like to do NFP, but who knows when I will get my period back. My Dr. also suggested the IUD, but only if we were going to wait more than 3 years before trying for another baby.

Alex is doing well but still screams before making a BM. I've already cut out dairy from my diet, and now I may cut out soy. Hopefully this will resolve soon - I feel so badly for her when she's so uncomfortable!
Interesting. Henry screams too before BM, but I didn't realize this was a real problem. I started cutting out dairy earlier this week because he had a slight rash/pimples on his face and chest. It seems to have cleared up too, but he is still fussing before pooping. thoughts?
Also I had no idea how hard it would be to cut out dairy. I eat way, way more than I thought. Apparently, I put cheese on everything!

Are you guys ready for a new thread?? Sounds good!

[cr8zyforaf]

Ashley has stopped sleeping in the last few days - I've heard fussiness peaks at 6 weeks so I hope we are on a down swing. She is a very difficult baby - she fights her sleep (I know she is exhausted) by grabbing her face, rubbing her eyes, arching her back and just screaming. She only naps for very short periods of time during the day (like 20-30 minutes if that) and then is fussy all the other times. At night - she was sleeping 5-6 hours and now we are back to getting up every 2-3 hours. Most of the time she isn't even hungry. Anyone else experiencing this? Maybe she is going through a growth spurt???

Another baby - I wanted 4 (HA HA HA HA) and now I am happy with one. I am sure we will have another - just no time soon. I am older (I will be 33 in a few days) so I can't wait much longer, I just can't imagine having another one and going through all of this again. I really want a boy though...

Weight - I gained about 45 and I've lost 30 of it...but I was about 15 pounds too heavy when I got pregnant. I've gained WW which seems to be working very well. I am still unable to find any time for exercise (although lugging a 12 pound baby around all day is exercise, isn't it?) but I am loosing about 2-3 pounds per week which I am happy with. My stomach still looks like a bowl of jello though :eek:

Clothes - 0-3 month is getting tight - she won't be in it for much longer. She is very long and very chubby.

Bowel movements - Ashley always gets fussy when pooping - but she doesn't scream...is the movement loose or hard little pellets? I can always tell when she is pooping because she gets red in the face, grunts really loud and clenches her hands..I find it hysterical.

[10.4.03]

I feel so badly for Elsa when she gets so upset before a BM too. I think I may start just cutting regular milk from my diet and then see about the cheese and other dairy stuff. I'm like you BeachBum, I put cheese on everything!

for those who are pumping- when did you introduce the bottle? I've read between 3-4 weeks is good. Did anyone have trouble with nipple confusion.

I feel for all of you moms going back to work. I know I have to go, but just this morning I was thinking, how in the world am I going to go back?

[philnikki]

Poop - Boy,You Know You are a Mom when your Child's Poop Consumes Your Thoughts :) lol As far as consistency, Ava started out constipated from day one, and had pellets. She would fuss and cry right before a BM. We tried Karo, Brown Sugar, Cooled Boiled Water, nothing worked. We switched her to Soy Formula -- it got worse! THe only thing that has helped is that she is now taking Lactulose (5mls once a day). That has helped alot. She is VERY regular (to the point that I can tell you she will have a bm tonight by between 5-7:30pm) and her consistency is much softer, like oatmeal. She STILL grunts and fusses a little bit before a BM, but as my ped. put it: try pooping on your back and see how you feel!!! ;) lol Plus, I think part of it is she is startled by it. Its a pretty new thing and they don't understand why they are going and that it is not going to hurt them.

Anyway -- just thought I would chime in :)

As long as I get a few more oks to a new thread, I will get it ready!!!

[pixiecat]

nikki - I think a new thread would be great! This one is LONG!!

10 4 03 - Lily was such a good nurser that I started the bottle during week one. No problems at all! She usually has a bottle once every day or two. I try to pump once a day & either she eats it or we freeze it for later :)

baby poo - this was Lily's specialty until recently :confused: Now she doesn't poo during the night & I can tell that she is really uncomfortable. Lots of night screaming. Not sure what I should do for her (if anything??)...

[dbers]

I vote YES for a new thread :D

[AndreaMMS]

Whew! It's hard to find the time to post, but I have been reading along.

Naomi is doing really well- we are smitten with her! The breastfeeding thing never did work out well for us (thank you SO MUCH for the support,
crazyforAF) She is now on formula, and I pump a few times a day to give her what I can (2-3 ounces per day) "for dessert", as my husband says. She and I are both a lot happier now that we're not struggling, frustrated, and exhaused by every feeding.

Weight- Ok, well maybe there was ONE benefit to being sick for 9 months... I was back at my pre-pregnancy weight 5 days after delivery! I had gained 17 pounds total.

Baby Clothes- she's grown out of the few premmie outfits I bought her, and the "newborn" clothes fit well. The "0-3 months" are still pretty huge on her.

More Children-Oh, man, I don't know. I've always wanted two children, but I don't know that I could go through another pregnancy like the one I just had. Not just because I don't want to be sick, but because if I did get that sick again, how on Earth would I be able to care for Naomi? I had months this time where I couldn't even care for myself. I've always thought I would want to adopt - maybe someday Rich would be willing to consider that too... if not, we will have one adored and adorable only child.:)

Nikki- a new thread sounds fine to me!

[wildcat]

Nikki - A new thread sounds great and I'd love to continue being a co-moderator with you:). Now that Lauren and I are getting into a routine, I'll start helping again!! Thanks so much for volunteering to start it! One thing we might do this time that we didn't the last few times we've started threads is create/save quite a few blank posts at the beginning of the thread for things we think of we want to add later! TIA!!!

bottle - My LC suggested introducing the bottle anytime after 2 weeks, but soon after that. So Lauren got a bottle for the first time just after 2 weeks and we give her 1 bottle a day to make sure she'll always take one (she's not picky though, she'll suck on anything!).

Next Baby - DH and I both want 2 children. We decided long before getting pregnant with Lauren that we'd like to space our kids 3-4 years apart. I imagine we'll start TTC again when Lauren is 2.5 or so. We really want one of each (boy and girl), so if we have another girl next time, we both agree there will be discussion if we go for #3 to try again for a boy, but DH is really terrified of having 3 girls in the house (and 4 with mommy!).

BC - We decided to just use condoms as I have migraine problems with BCP's (changed so many different brands in the past trying to find one that didn't cause migraines, just not worth it). However, once I have AF back, I'll probably start charting again (if I'm not up in the middle of the night messing up my temps).

[Kay2003]

Yes for a new thread!

I am introducing a bottle on Kaito's one-month b-day, tomorrow!

sorry can't type much bc I am b/f kaito and typing w/1 hand...

[hmbay]

ugh I even forgot this thread existed so I am SOOO far behind. :) A new thread sounds great--I can start fresh.

My maternity leave is up next week and I go back Monday. :( I get six weeks fully paid and can't afford to take unpaid time off so I go back pt next week (had enough vacation to take half days for my first week back) then back ft after that. It's going to be very hard. I never did get reasonably caught back up on sleep since I couldn't sleep every time Alex slept because of having a toddler in the house. Plus Alex is very attached to mommy so DH is going to have a rough time next week (he's a SAHD).

Hmm QOTD's I can see on this page:

weight gain--no idea. I didn't pay attention to how much I gained and haven't weighed myself since I delivered. I can not get my pre-pregnancy jeans past my hips so I know I haven't lost it all yet. ;)

bottle--introduced it around 3 weeks and gave it to him myself contrary to everything I read. He sucked it down no problem. Little piglet just wants food irregardless of where it comes from.

clothes--still in 0-3 month but some of them are a bit short on length. I took Alex in to the ped for reflux (now on zantac). Weighed him at 5 weeks with his clothes and a wet diaper and he weighed in at 10 pounds 8 oz. So probably weighs just over 10 naked. Not bad for a kid who started out under six pounds.

more children--I always said 2 maybe 3. I didn't really enjoy pg 2. I didn't enjoy my maternity leave since DH was busy fixing up our rental house and I had full charge of two kids the entire 6 weeks PLUS tried to help him out. So this was not a fun experience. Right now I say I don't ever want to do it again however in the back of my mind I really really do see us with three kids and I really want a girl since we have two boys. I have a feeling when Alex turns 1 we will try for a third and just pray the pregnancy goes better this time (no placenta issues or pregnancy rash) and hopefully we get a girl.

[BeachBum]

Poop
and her consistency is much softer, like oatmeal.
Ok, seriously I haven't given much thought to his poo but it is not at all like oatmeal. It seems to be mostly liquid with a few chunks like cottage cheese. Is this in the range of normal?

[AlisonCO]

try pooping on your back and see how you feel!!!
Never thougth of it that way but it makes sense:) My ped explained that because they have no ab muscles yet, they have to strain more to get things moving (plus they don't have gravity to help either.) Also their little intestines etc are still "learning" how to move things thru. That being said, Caitlin's poop is basically yellow water - it has no consistency to it and she still has to strain and grunt to get it out. This is another one of those things that works itself out in a few more weeks. FF and BF poops are very different too. Beachbum - totaly normal!

new thread - Yes, thanks!!!

bottle - I think that the most recommended time is 3-4 weeks - we waited until 5 and C was fine. Just start slowly and there should be no confusion.

[dbers]

We've been trying to *help* her poop! If she seems really uncomfortable we'll put her on the changing table, take her diaper off, and hold her legs up... it usually works! Her poop is also mostly yellow and watery.. occasionally it's more brown. Lovely topic, huh? :rolleyes:

[Kay2003]

QOTD - I've heard you should be consistent about when you introduce a bottle so your breasts get used to being fuller. For those of you b/f, and who have introduced a bottle, what time of day did your baby first learn to take a bottle, and have you been consistent about these bottle feedings?

[hisdaffodil]

Bottles - He started a bottle in the NICU at about 11 days old. I got to try BF at 13 days old and he did great switching from one to the other. He had bottles intermittently in the time between then and my return to work. My first son never had the "nipple confusion" either. He started bottles at 10 days old, when i returned to work the first time.

I wasn't consistent about bottling time though. He got a bottle whenever he seemd starving and I really didn't feel like I had much milk at all or one of the relatives begged to feed him. Now he gets one whenever he's hungry during the day from my mom, and occasionally at night. He seems to cluster feed in the evening from like 8pm-midnight, and my boobs just can't keep up with him, so I run flat dry and he gets a bottle. That's happened 3 or4 times so far.

New thread - sounds good to me!

Poop - Not to be gross, but his seems exactly the consistency of grey poupon or yellow mustard or something. He doesn't scream when he goes, though he usually turns red and grunts. He's not real regular either. Seems to poop every other day in one HUGE explosive mess. Yesterday at Mom's, she heard it from another room, it was so loud, and when she went in to check on him, he'd blown out of his diaper, onesie, 2 blankets, and the swing!

[knzbound]

Hello! Gosh, I'm not sure if I've posted in here since announcing Sylvie's birth! Sorry to be so MIA. Things are nuts with a toddler and infant in the house and I spend most of my time trying to keep my older daughter entertained and/or from bopping Sylvie on the head!

bottles--We gave Sylvie a bottle last week because I had to go to the dentist. She took it no problem but I have to start pumping more regularly to keep up the habit. DD1 only had about 5 bottles in her life and it was so hard to never have a break until she weaned. Ped said to give a bottle every day or every other day to make sure they will continue to take it.

poop--Yellow, mustardy, very watery here, which is pretty normal for a BF'd baby.

weight gain--I think I gained 36 or 37 lbs. I'm down about 20 at almost 6 weeks, so I've got another 15 or so to go, and another 5 to get down to where I was before my first pregnancy. It doesn't seem to be going anywhere fast. :(

clothes--Sylvie is in 0-3 month sizes for the most part although I just tried her in a 3-6 month sleeper and it fit. It's a Circo brand from Target and those always run small. Drives me kinda nuts that all the brands fit differently. I wasted a lot of clothes w/DD1 because the tag would say 6 months and by the time I tried it on her at 5 mos. it was too small.

more children--I dunno. This is our second and we might be done although we do sometimes talk about a third. However, I'm 36 and feel lucky to have two healthy girls, so I'm not sure I want to push my luck. We also live in a 2BR apt. in the city. Right now Sylvie is sleeping in the dining room, so I'm not sure where #3 would go. Kitchen cabinet? ;)

And yes on the new thread!

[wife&wannabemom]

You can tell our babies are getting older and we're getting into a "groove" because our thread has become alot more active this last week or so!

New thread - Absolutely! Thanks so much for your hard work.

Clothes- Patrick fits perfectly in his 0-3 sleeepers and onsies but some of the pants are still big...I think he'll be in the 3-6 sleepers and onsies pretty soon.

Bottles- We introduced the bottle on his 1 week birthday and he's done great going back and forth...he almost always gets the bottle at his night feeding around 9pm but has occasionally gotten a bottle during the day. He has no trouble at all and except for a week when I was away with him, DH has given him a bottle every day.

Weight- I'm happy to report that since my doctor's appointment last Friday I've lost another 4 or 5 lbs!!! I had lost my initial 25 and then stalled at that...added in working out every day for 30 minutes and it's starting to come off again...yippee!!! I gained about 45 lbs total so with the 30 gone so far I have about 15 to go and I'm 7 1/2 weeks PP. But I want to lose and additional 5 lbs to get back to my wedding weight.

Poop- DS's is generally a very watery yellow with grey poupon type seeds in it as well...sometimes super watery. He's had teh occasionally green poop and some that are a bit more brown. He also gets uncomfortable when pooping but I've seen that when he is in the bouncy seat or swing sitting more upright he is much happier when pooping...but then it usually leaks out the diaper. I too help him out when he is uncomfortable by puttin his legs up to his chest adn that works too.

More Kids- DH and I have always agreed on 3 but I have a very high chance of twins and each time I get PG it increases more....so if baby # 2 is a singleton, we may stop there as 4 kids sounds crazy to me. We'll see I guess.

Have a great Friday everyone!

[Sandie78]

Bottles- Zach has been taking bottles from day 1. After he was born I was way to exhausted to even attempt breastfeeding so he got a bottle. I am breastfeeding now, and he seems to switch easily between breast and bottle without nipple confusion. I guess I got lucky.

[dbers]

Shots - Alexandra is getting her first set of shots on Monday :( I know some people give the baby tylenol or something BEFORE the shots - but our pediatrician didn't say anything about this. Anyone else want to chime in?

[charmcitygirl]

i called my ped the morning of their shots and was told that i could give them .4ml half an hour before their appt. once we got there, they were offered some but i had already given it to them so i declined. i was also told that they could get a dose every 4 hours for the rest of the day. good luck! they do better than you think... it'll probably upset you more than her.

ETA: yes to a new thread!

[philnikki]

Tylenol - That was weird, bc my ped. told me .6ml's every four hours starting 1 hour before her shot and continuing through 24 hours after. Ava's 10 pounds (almost 11). And I am sure that she will be fine! Ava took hers like a champ. Her ped. was really funny during the whole thing talking about what a big bad dr. he was having to give her shots and that he felt so bad about it. He even picked her up afterward and hugged her tight and said he was sorry! I *heart* my ped. The only thing that we noticed was that she had a hard time sleeping the night of her shot and ran just a little fever, but other than that we are all back to normal :)

[randysmandy]

Poop
Hunter screams sometimes cause his poop is ahrd at first, then he just grunts and turns beat red as the rest comes out. We too (Dbers)hold his legs up and take his diaper off while he goes. You can also put a little vaseline around his bum hole to help it "slide" out. My gram taught me that one. TMI??
Crazy
Hunter has the same schedule.....he cries alot and does not sleep much AT ALL during the day. Little cat naps-I get nothng done! Last week (About 6 weeks) he did the same thing, plus he would wake up in the middle of the night and stay awake for 1 1/2-2 hrs. Looks like it is common! Jut hang in there. :)
Working at home I will also be having my MIL and mom watch Hunte r while I work from home-It will be so nice being able to see him during the day.

[PrincessCrappy]

Hi girls. It's great to see so much activity here these last few days. I agree, it's time for new thread!

Griffin is still giving us a really hard time with his sleep. Although, last night he finally gave us 3.75 hours in a row, which is a long stretch for him. His screaming is pretty much constant and there's nothing we can do to calm him. I consider running away from home at least 10 times a day! ;) Everyone promised me that once we got passed 6 weeks things would be SO much easier. Well, we're at 7 weeks and I think things are getting more difficult...ugh!

My DH has mastered using the ring sling, but I still couldn't do it on my own. So, I used that as an excuse to do some shopping and bought myself a Hotsling. This thing is a gift from the baby gods! Seriously, it is SO easy to use, it's comfy to wear and G has fallen asleep in it every time I've used it (although, he has to be pretty calm and ready for sleep in order to agree to stay in it!). If you're not using a sling yet, I highly recommend it! He's in it right now as I type using BOTH hands! The only thing I'm worried about is that he'll become dependent on sleeping like this...any advice from 2nd timers?

Bottles- We gave him his first at 3 weeks. We've been using them sporadically since then, definitely not on a regular schedule. We've used Avent but I think I like Dr. Brown's better, he had less gas after using that one.

Poop- We're in the runny, yellow mustard camp here. His explosions are often quite loud, too. We can hear it through the monitor!

Weight- I'm 15 lbs below my prepreg weight, but no one would ever believe it by looking at me. I seriously look the same or bigger than I did before pg. NONE of my clothes fit, other than a few A-line skirts or yoga pants. I don't understand. I MUST get to WW and start working out...but when???

Clothes- G is starting to outgrow some of his 0-3 in length but not width. I know I've seen "bodysuit extenders", little snaps that you add to the crotch of b/s to make them longer, but I can't remember where I saw them. Does anyone know what I'm talking about or where I can find them?

More kids- I really, really don't know where we stand on this right now. This has been so much harder than I ever imagined it would be, I don't know that I could do it again. However, when he flashes one of his adorable smiles, or as I look down at him sleeping on me right now, I can't imagine NOT doing again. I guess the jury is still out...

[BeachBum]

AndreaMMS-
Here are some pictures of the halloween onsie. It is a a premie size. I will be happy to send it to you if you just pay shipping. If you don't want it, don't feel badly saying so I 'll give it to my neighbor.

http://images.snapfish.com/344%3C%3B56%3B23232%7Ffp45%3Dot%3E2339%3D5%3A6%3D3 %3A%3B%3DXROQDF%3E2323%3B858%3A96%3B5ot1lsi

http://images.snapfish.com/344%3C%3B56%3B23232%7Ffp64%3Dot%3E2339%3D5%3A6%3D3 %3A%3B%3DXROQDF%3E2323%3B858%3A96%3B8ot1lsi

do some shopping and bought myself a Hotsling. This thing is a gift from the baby gods! Seriously, it is SO easy to use, it's comfy to wear and G has fallen asleep in it every time I've used it (although, he has to be pretty calm and ready for sleep in order to agree to stay in it!). If you're not using a sling yet, I highly recommend it!
I have one, and Henry just doesn't seem to like it. I think I can't get his head comfy. I would love to see some pictures of you guys because I must be doing it wrong. Everybody seems to love theirs. :confused:

[cr8zyforaf]

PrincessCrappy - I am so with you on running away from home. DH brought home dinner and all I asked for was a freaking iced tea...do you think he brought it ...nope, he forgot...and that set me on a crying jag because today has been one of those days where Ashley has just been so difficult. She seems so miserable and I don't know how to fix it.

The only place I've seen the extenders is www.onestepahead.com - they are called false bottoms:

http://www.onestepahead.com/product/85197/17/117.html

[Kay2003]

cr8zyforaf boy I have had those days. That could've been me you described. We are all so exhausted. When my DH got home I handed my son over to him and then proceeded to have a meltdown. I wanted to get away even for a half hour to myself, to do some work, or do housework in our crazy looking apt but on the other hand I really needed to sleep...
In the end a 30 minute break away did wonders for me even though i was so tired...

[Kay2003]

bottles & b/f Kaito took a bottle fine! I didn't get out of bed for that bottle feeding that my dh took care of. At the next feedubg my right breast was rock hard! I alternate breasts per feeding - 1 breast per feeding, so it had been ~6.5 hours since that breast had been used. Question - Did your body eventually adjust milk production if you were consistent about bottle feeding tomes? Would you recommend pumping before the feeding that precedes the bottle feeding, or after?

[10.4.03]

Kay, I believe I read in "the nursing mother's companion" that you should pump after a feeding, but I'm not sure if that is supposed the be the one that preceeds or follows the feeding. I think I read that it should be one where your supply is good, like pumping after the first morning feeding. Of course I have no experience with this yet.....!

[PrincessCrappy]

Kay- I'm also doing one breast per feeding and I'm ready to explode if we throw a bottle in there, too. I haven't figured out the best time to pump yet either. Sorry, I just wanted to let you know you're not alone!

I'm a nervous wreck right now. Before Griffin came along, my DH took a Daddy Boot Camp class. The instructor called this week to ask if he would like to return as a "veteran dad" and he was thrilled to participate. However, he had to take the baby with him!! This is the first time they have ever gone anywhere together. He's watched him for about an hour before, but always here at home and usually while G is sleeping. They should be back in about an hour...I hope everything went really well for them! I was so torn about how to use my free time this morning: clean house? run errands? Instead I chose to take the longest shower I've taken in 7 weeks! I shaved my legs, used a face scrub, just took my sweet time. I'm sure later I'll wish that I was "productive" but right now I'm feeling pretty good!

I've decided that I'm going to come here to bitch about Griffin's sleeping more often. Last night he slept for FOUR hours. In. A. Row. I couldn't believe it! Of course, the rest of the night he proceeded to wake every 1-2 hours but I didn't even care. I got FOUR consecutive hours of sleep! Woohoo!

When was the last time you had a really good glass of wine? You should treat yourself. Seriously. I talked to my LC about this a couple of weeks ago and you can safely have a glass of wine and not have to pump'n'dump. Since then, I've had a glass every couple of days. The stress just melts away with each sip. I'm sure I sound like a complete lush, but it's a treat that has helped get me through some really tough days. I look forward to it at the end of day. Just thought I'd throw that out there as a suggestion :D since so many of us are being challenged by our kiddos!

cr8zyforaf- Thanks for the link! That's exactly what I was looking for! Off to order them now...

[philnikki]

I am working on the new thread, so please post here until you hear that it is ready from me :)

Thanks!!!

[philnikki]

Ok! The New Thread is ready!!!!

You can find it here: (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=9192)

In the new thread, please provide the following information:

CC Name
Me: Name, age
DH: Name, age
Married: Date
Baby's Name
EDD:
ADD:
Time of birth:
Weight and Length
Other children

Also, if you would like for a picture of your little one to be included on the first page, please post a picture!

:) Hope you guys like our new home :)