December 2005 Mommies: 3rd Trimester! [Archive] - Page 8

JRPAGV

12-12-2005, 03:54 PM

Introducing Nathan Andrew....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/jrpagv/IMG_0121s.jpg

Date of Birth: December 7, 2005

Time of Birth: 5:38pm

Weight: 7 pounds 12 ounces

Length: 20 inches (even)

Features: Blue eyes & lots of dark brown hair.He has my lips, chin, ears, and pinky toes. He has Andrew's hairline and big toe. The rest we're unsure about. ;-)

Sorry I haven't updated yet! We got out of the hospital Friday afternoon, and things have been hectic ever since. Between learning how to be a mom, getting no sleep, and recovering, I have barely had the time or energy to get on the Internet or talk on the phone. We're managing, though, and having little Nathan around is so rewarding! It's crazy how much you can love someone you only "met" a few days ago.

I may be biased, but Nathan is just adorable. He has the greatest personality. He's a wonderful baby so far. He really only cries when he's getting his diaper or clothes changed... or if he needs something and it's taking too long for Andrew and I to figure out what that is. His pediatrician says he's a very healthy baby boy. He has developed jaundice, but the doctors say to keep feeding him and wait it out. He's eating better now, so maybe the jaundice will improve. We started having to supplement with formula Saturday because Nathan is really lazy about breastfeeding. He doesn't always latch on properly, and when he does, he falls asleep. I refuse to give up on breastfeeding, though. We just resorted to supplementing because he was going too long without eating and we were afraid his jaundice would get worse. His health is more important than my pride. Did any of you supplement with formula and a bottle early on, yet still find success in breastfeeding? My milk actually came in Friday evening. OUCH. I'm afraid that my supply will diminish, though, now that Nathan isn't breastfeeding as much or as often. I just feel so guilty about having to supplement.

I think that the one thing that I wasn't mentally prepared for was the recovery from having a baby. I have a 2nd degree tear in my labia and some kind of 3rd degree tear in my perineum. I'm sore and "stiff". It's hard to walk and move around sometimes, and it's a pain to go to the bathroom. There's so many steps I have to go through just to go to the bathroom (spray bottle, Dermaplast, foam stuff, etc.). My iron is low, so my OB prescribed iron for me to take daily. I wonder how long it will take for the iron to kick in. I'm really pale and lightheaded, etc.

More pictures...

Right after delivery:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/jrpagv/IMG_0104s.jpg

During hospital stay (Thursday, I think):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/jrpagv/IMG_0129s.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/jrpagv/IMG_0131s.jpg

With Daddy:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/jrpagv/IMG_0146s.jpg

At home in the swing that he loves:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/jrpagv/IMG_0119s.jpg

(Cross-posted in my LJ)

Mrsbuw

12-12-2005, 04:37 PM

JRPAGV He is adorable!!!!!!!!!!!!! Look at those lips, what a little heartbreaker he will be.

Here are few updated pics of Jack

hanging out with dad
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5cc33b3127cce95b072f787ff00000005108AcNGbdk5cOb

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5cc33b3127cce95b189b8e71900000006108AcNGbdk5cOb

The rosebud face
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5cc33b3127cce95b0558d463e00000016108AcNGbdk5cOb

kinaida

12-12-2005, 05:25 PM

Oh wow -- so many new babies in here!!!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS JAREDSGIRL !!! WELCOME OWEN!!!!
CONGRATULATIONS AMC !!! WELCOME CHRISTIAN!!!
CONGRATULATIONS APRILBRIDE!!! WELCOME HAYDEN!!!

All of the babies are just gorgeous! I love the pictures -- keep sending them everyone! It seems like all of the surprises have been boys so far...

mrsbuw -- Benjamin started with his pacifier from the 2nd day he was born and we've had no bf'ing issues (on the contrary, he gained 1+ lbs in less than a week!!). If Jack has a good sucking reflex, I think you'll be fine. Jack is totally adorable, by the way!

Isn't it amazing how much our little ones change in such a short amount of time?

torch76

12-12-2005, 05:38 PM

mrsbuw and JRPAGVBoth your boys are adorable. So glad to hear they are doing well.

jengenHappy due date. Hope he comes on his own SOON!

CookieYou and I are both at the bottom of the due date list. Didn't you have some contractions a few weeks ago? Do you know if you've made any progress.

I had an appointment today and am 3 and a half almost 4 cm. She actually said that she was surprised we made it to this appointment. She said she could feel his head but his head is really high up. I don'y know exactly what that means or how it effects me going into labor. Then we had to go over to the hospital to have a NST because his heartbeat was going up and down a lot in the office.

So it could be anytime now. My DH graduates on Friday and I am supposed to work through Thursday but I would welcome him tonight if he wanted to. I would miss graduation though.

December2005Mommies

12-12-2005, 06:20 PM

Updated to here!

Please let me know if I've missed anyone or anything. I'm operating on a couple of hours of sleep. ;)

Cookie777

12-12-2005, 10:28 PM

Adorable baby pictures ladies! :D It's so amazing to see your little babies. It's so hard for me to imagine sometimes that I will be there soon too.

Torch ~

:eek: Oh my gosh..anytime now for you! Well I was right.. I think I just might be the last one pregnant here.

Yeah I had the contractions @ 34 weeks, 1 month ago..but didn't know I was having them. So I'm sure that I've had more like that..but actually had a few of the painful BH contractions lately. Nothing too major though.

I have another ultrasound tomorrow (yes I am the ultrasound QUEEN!) to check for growth & then an appt right after & will be checked for the first time. So I'll have a better idea what's going on after that..but again, I won't put much stock into it unless I'm like 4 cm's or something. (Which I doubt!)

I'll probably update sometime tomorrow after my appt...

jengen

12-13-2005, 05:16 AM

I am so thrilled to see some activity in here!! :D

MrsBUW Can't believe Jack is already a month old!! He is adorable. Glad BFing is going a little better.

JRPAGV Nathan is so cute...thank you for sharing the pictures and story! :) Don't beat yourself up for supplementing, sounds like it is the best thing to do for him. All of your stories are getting me so excited about actually going through all of this myself!

torch sounds like you will be another going early! :) Good luck!

cookie Knowing my luck, I will be right here til the end of the month with you!! :p

I had some (TMI) bloody show this morning and am trying not to overanalyze it because I had an exam yesterday and it may just be stuff happening as a result of that. I had some contractions that were mild on and off all yesterday afternoon and into the evening, but they stopped overnight. Just real crampy now. I told DH to just go to work, but it makes me nervous sending him off, knowing he has an hour and 20 min ride home without traffic. At least my IL's are close by.

Jaycee

12-13-2005, 05:57 AM

Oooh Jengen..sounds like you are going VERY soon!!! I'm guessing by tonight!! :)

ktdelsur

12-13-2005, 06:38 AM

Well, we went to the pediatrician yesterday and Andrew was back up to 8lbs 8oz from his previous loss down to 8 lbs. They want him back up past his birth weight of 8lbs, 11oz by Monday. They want us to keep supplementing with the formula in order to accomplish this. I'm okay with that, seeing as though he takes to the bottle, the breast, the paci and anything he can get his little mouth on...with no confusion or refusal to any of them.

My milk took 5 days to come in - and now that its here, there's really not much of it. (I was told to prepare for leakage, even had one friend tell me, "Oh, the first time you nurse after your milk comes in and you take him off the breast, it'll shoot across the room..." Uhm...definitely none of that is happening.) When it's time to feed him, I can hand express a drop or two...but...that's all. BUT...afterwards his mouth is wet and he seems satisfied (?), granted, when we give him the supplementary 2 oz of formula the doc called for, he slurps it down like a madman.

The first night the milk was in, I did ooze a little before he latched on, but that anticipatory oozing has not happened anymore. I don't even need all the damned breast pads I bought. I've gotten the Medela nipple shield thingies because I'm so sore/cracked - they rock...and I use Lansinoh after every feeding. I don't think it is a latching problem - it hurts the first few seconds he's on and then it's fine.

I have the Avent Isis hand pump, and I tried pumping one night around 4 a.m. (don't ask why I don't remember why it seemed the time to do it, I have had no pain of "engorgement" or anything.) I got not even a 1/2 ounce in 15 mins of pumping. What is normal?! I also rented the hospital grade Medela electric pump thinking it would work like a charm. I don't even know what time of day I should pump! He eats every 2.5 - 3 hours, and I am afraid if I pump at a random time I won't have enough for him at the next feeding.

I tried the Medela pump but I have no idea how long I need to go on the pump before I give up! I tried to try out the electric pump for the first time yesterday and was only able to do it for 4-5 mins before the baby woke up hungry and I had to quit. The damned thing wouldn't even stay on my left breast correctly to get the right suction and by the time the suction got up to snuff on the right one, Andrew was awake and wanted food RIGHT THEN so I quit. I want to at least give him BF for the first three months if thats all I can do...(nurse at peds office said he would still get the benefits of the BF if I could make it that far) but I'm really on the verge of giving up BFing and staying with the formula ... its bad b/c it would be SO easy to do. I don't know how I feel about it. I was hoping to go six months on BF'ing at least. Any help?

Another issue is that we're about to run out of the formula the doc gave us -which happens to be the Soy version of Similac Isomil. Andrew's taken to it fine, and I have another canister of Similac but it is the regular milk version, not soy. I'm worried I'm going to open a whole other can of worms by switching to the non-soy version but the pede is convinced that won't be an issue.

Granted, he is wetting and dirtying a perfectly normal amount of diapers and he did gain his weight back this week after jaundice...so, I don't know where I'm going wrong in the BF dept. I hear him swallowing, etc, during feedings too...so....I don't know. He was awake from 12:30-5 a.m. last night and I'm exhausted. Ben had an exam this morning so I took it all on myself so he could get some rest before his test. I'm a little delirious.

Any help would be appreciated. :-/

Jaycee

12-13-2005, 07:10 AM

Katie First, relax, take a deep breath, it seems like you are doing things just fine. For what it's worth, my milk hasn't gone shooting across the room yet either and I've been BFing now for 4 weeks :) . My advice is to try to get your milk production up by pumping after each nursing session. Let him BF, and then once he's had enough, hook yourself up to the hospital grade pump and try to go for about 15-20 minutes. Also, are you using warm compresses or taking hot showers before nursing? The heat will get things going and also stimulate your let down. Does your hospital have a lactation consultant, or is there one in your area that you could call? I had all sorts of issues when I started and being able to call the lactation consultant is what got me through it. It's only now starting to get easier after 4 weeks. Hang in there, and feel free to ask me anything you want, I'm happy to share everything I've learned.

ktdelsur

12-13-2005, 08:46 AM

Thanks Jaycee. No...haven't done the compress or shower thing. Seems like I barely have time for a shower. :-( I planned on doing the hot compress thing before trying to pump but I really didn't know when I was supposed to try and pump (thinking that if I did it at the wrong time there might not be enough for him at the feeding).

Just got done feeding him and supplementing again - gave him 1 oz instead of 2 oz of formula to see what he did (he always goes with gusto at the formula, no matter what). He pitched a fit after we burped him after the formula (after I'd BF'd for nearly 20 mins on both sides) and DH/my mom fixed the other ounce and gave it to him saying, "He went at it like he was starving...that was it, he was hungry!!" How could he be hungry if I'd just fed him like that too?! His mouth was wet and he came off the breast himself...but since we had to supplement because of the jaundice, he is accustomed to getting that formula after BF'ing. (!?) The fact that my mom and DH said that though, made me feel like I'd given him NOTHING.

Ped wants us to keep supplementing until Monday when he's two weeks old, to see if he's gained back his birth weight (he's 8/8 now and was 8/11 at birth...was 8-even last Thursday when diagnosed w/ jaundice).

I don't know.

Jaycee

12-13-2005, 08:52 AM

How about trying to pump now, after you've BF'd him. This way your boobs will think they need to produce more milk, and you are not depriving him of anything since he already got first dibs.

e&d

12-13-2005, 09:05 AM

Katie, hang in there, the BFing will get better! You sound like you're doing great so far. (Even though I'm sure you don't believe that right now. ;))

I agree with Jaycee -- pump after your feedings and see what you'll get. And I've never experienced milk shooting across the room either!

How could he be hungry if I'd just fed him like that too?! His mouth was wet and he came off the breast himself...but since we had to supplement because of the jaundice, he is accustomed to getting that formula after BF'ing. (!?) The fact that my mom and DH said that though, made me feel like I'd given him NOTHING.
Don't beat yourself up! It sounds like he's shifting into a hungrier phase. Leo does that too sometimes. He feeds...and feeds...and I am going there is NO WAY you can still be hungry little boy, but he is! And it's not because you're not producing milk...especially since you said his mouth was wet and he came off the breast himself. He might have just wanted to take a little break but then realized he was still hungry. You probably still had more milk if his mouth was wet.

The next week or 2 will be tough but you can get through it! It took my milk a while to ramp up too. Just keep feeding him from the breast as much as you can, and then pump afterwards to see if you can get anything. I also have found that I get more pumping if I pump the other breast while Leo is nursing. My first pump was so pathetic -- I pumped for over 1/2 an hour and barely got an ounce. Now I can get 3 oz if I pump while he's feeding.

The vicious cycle is that the more you supplement w/formula, the less you will produce yourself, unless you pump after every feeding to be sure you're building up your supply.

Another thing you could do for a while to ease your mind: try pumping BEFORE you feed him, and pump everything you can into a bottle, then give it to him. This way you'll know how much your body is producing. And keep in mind that the pump won't get as much from your body as he will -- has something to do w/the natural sucking, relaxation, or something.

Hang in there -- you are doing great! :)

around the world

12-13-2005, 09:47 AM

Katie, I agree with Jaycee and e&d, you're doing great and everything sounds normal, at least as far as my experience is concerned. ;) It might help to know that I am going through almost exactly the same things, and that my mom says that they are the exact same things *she* went through with me. Not all women get immediate engorgement, and it's not for bad latch or being unable to (eventually) produce enough milk. It's just your body slowly responding here in the early days, and as long as Andrew is steadily gaining, is having the right amount of dipes, and is pretty content then you shouldn't worry yourself too much.

My milk took about 5 days also, and then that coincided directly with Iris having to be admitted. So in my first days of milk, I was pumping in the hospital. In my early pumps with the hand pump I was only getting between a half an ounce and an ounce on either side, but that was after pumping for an hour at least. The electric got me about an ounce each side in twenty minutes each side, so it sounds like you are doing way better than I was (I've not pumped again since, but mostly because I've just been being lazy :o -- I need to start up again to see how much I can get now that I have more supply). Pumping, I am told, takes some women a LONG time to warm up to. It just isn't the same as having the baby sucking, plain and simple, and that difference is enough for some women to have a hard time getting much, especially in the early days.

It has taken me until the past day or so (Iris is 2.5 weeks) to really feel more comfort that I am producing enough milk. And I am still really gun-shy, especially since Iris lost so much weight early with the jaundice. But I completely concur with the advice Jaycee and Elisabeth have given here. Especially what Elisabeth said about the baby getting tired and taking a break and then wanting to eat some more. Iris totally does this, and it doesn't help that our supplementing comes at the end of her nursing. I swear that she remembers that there is a lot more if she holds out long enough. ;) Stinker. We are only giving an additional ounce of formula, but I do sometimes then 'top her off' with *more* breastmilk after the formula, if she is willing to suck some more. I want my breasts to get as much stimulation as possible, so if she is in the mood to suck I give her a breast, once I know she's gotten 'enough' with a good 10-15min on each side and an ounce of formula. FWIW.

Oh, and we have switched back and forth between a couple of formulas only because we couldn't get the pre-mixed kind that the hospital had given us which we started out with. Iris hasn't batted an eye about it. I know some babies do, but mine didn't. Does your ped have a plan of how/when to start to wean Andrew off the formula? I would really push for that, if for no other reason than to give you peace of mind. I know how frustrating it is to be doing both formula and BFing, and knowing that there is a decision point in sight or a goal that you need to reach with the supplementing, or similar, helps a lot. Keep up the good work, you really are doing great even if it doesn't seem like it.

Also, don't underestimate the toll that the jaundice took on your little guy, and hence, your milk production. It's not irreversible, it just means that you both are probably having to work harder now that he is doing better -- now that he feels better to be able to work harder at the breast, and now that your breasts are getting the stronger stimulation that tells them to produce more. I have to keep reminding myself of the same thing, when I get down and quesiton why my body isn't doing this natural thing as I want it to be... I'm thinking of you guys, and crossing my fingers that things start to look up for y'all.

torch76

12-13-2005, 10:02 AM

Katie I am sorry you are having such a hard time. I don't have any advice to give but I am definitely learning a thing or two from the discussion. Good luck!

jengenContractions are good! I hope they keep up for you.

I am not having any contractions and the baby has not dropped so even though I am already almost 4cm I don't really know what is going on. I feel some very minor cramping but that's it. Yesterday at the hospital when I was on the monitor they said I was not contracting either. Maybe it will be longer than I think!

Cookie777

12-13-2005, 10:42 AM

KTDelsur ~

I'm sorry you're having some breastfeeding issues. From everything I've heard, it's completely normal & just takes a little while to get the hang out. Looks like you're getting some great advice here. People have told me that you just have to be determined & it will work out. Obviously I haven't been there yet, so this coming from me probably doesn't mean much, but I just wanted to let you know what others have told me. It does sound like you're doing a great job though. :)

Torch ~

It can't be too long if you're almost 4 cm! Who knows though...stranger things have happened. My husband's friends wife was apparently 5 cm for 3 weeks before she finally delivered. Yikes! That's really abnormal though from what I hear. Envision yourself going into labor. I've heard that works too. (Sounds kind of corny huh? :o sorry ;) ).

***
Ok well..just had the ultrasound & appt. He's about 7.3-7.7 pounds right now. Everything looks great. The appt was with the other midwife since the one I normally see wasn't there & she didn't think it was necessary to check me, so no idea about dilation or effacement.

I'm still thinking that I'm going atleast until my due date.. We'll see I guess.

mamax2

12-13-2005, 11:28 AM

Katie ~ I think you're doing a great job w/BFing - so hang in there. Here's my other advice:
* Start working w/a good LC - either through your hospital, the ped's office or get a recommendation from your local LLL. The 'in person' support is vital.
* Is Andrew supplementing w/formula from a bottle or a supplemental nursing system? If it's the former, you might want to consider using the SNS instead. This way, he gets the formula, but he is still at your breast and encouraging your body to produce more.
* Are you letting him go for as long as he wants on each side? No time limits, so switching sides, etc.? This is important to make sure he gets the hind milk, which is fattier, and will help him gain more weight. Remember the first milk (foremilk) is thinner and more 'thirst quenching' and the hind milk is like the cream - you want to make sure he's on there as long as he wants to get the fatty stuff. Keep in mind that many newborns nurse for an hour or more - they are NOT efficient feeders at first (many aren't, at least). This doesn't mean there's anything wrong w/your supply either - it's just how your body and the baby's work together to get the supply/demand relationship synched up.
* Try picking up some Mother's Milk Tea and dark beer (if you don't want the alcohol, O'Doul's Amber works too, it just needs to be dark beer). Both helped me a lot when I had a low pumping supply.
* Finally, you probably know this, but it's worth saying again - what you pump does not equal what Andrew gets. Some women never really jive w/the pump and some just need lots of practice, etc. It's an entirely different 'art' that has to be learned and practiced in it's own right. For now, if you're interested in stimulating your breasts to build supply, I'd pump one side while he nurses the other (if he typically only feeds on one side) or I'd pump right after nursing him. Once he starts sleeping a slightly longer stretch, you could pump while he's sleeping too. Basically, make sure you're nursing or pumping every 2-3 hours at this point until you're confident that your supply has ramped up.

ktdelsur

12-13-2005, 12:45 PM

THanks guys. Your support means a lot.

mamax2: We're not using a supplemental nursing system...not even sure where I'd get one of those or how it would work?

The way we were instructed to supplement was for me to breastfeed as usual (the pediatrician told us that after 20 mins on each side he'd have gotten what he needs from me - he's a suckler and we can tell when he's not swallowing anymore and is just hanging out there...but I keep him longer if I can tell he's actually eating) and then give him 2 oz of formula. So, he's getting an extra 2 oz of formula on top of BFing, every 2.5 - 3 hours. His jaundice was bad, and we didn't realize it at first b/c of his complexion. The first night we were home, we thought it was great that he slept so long - and I think my supply has been affected in other ways similar to that due to things that happened at the hospital. TUrns out it was only lethargy from the jaundice - between birth on Monday and doc appt on Thursday he lost 11 ozs, and after treatment he's back to 8lbs 8 ozs...they want him over 8/11 by MOnday.

I tried the electric pump today after BF'ing, got discouraged after less than 10mins and gave up. Got nothing. Got tired of holding the stupid things to my chest...I don't have the bra that holds them in place. I got more with the manual pump - is that weird?!

Glad to know I am not the only one dealing w/ these issues.

On top of that, my parents left today - they've been with us all week and have been lifesavers. We're officially on our own today, so I'm a little on edge over that too. :o :)

Mrsbuw

12-13-2005, 01:33 PM

ktdelsur I agree with the others, hang in there. BFing is not easy.I think it is really great that you are sticking with it. With all our problems there were times I thought it might just be easier to switch to formula but we are getting better everyday. It will get easier. For the record, my milk never shot across the room either :rolleyes:
Don't worry about your folks leaving, you guys can do it !

jaredsgirl

12-13-2005, 03:18 PM

Birth Story – going to be very long

Wednesday, Dec. 7th Well I was going in for the initial part of my inductions. I was going to be an outpatient, have the gel inserted, stay for an hour for monitoring and then leave and come back to the hospital for the Cervadil on Friday night. Well I go in, get hooked up the monitors and they aren’t sure they like the look of the baby’s heart rate so I get monitored for an hour before I get the gel and at that point they told me I was 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced (better than at the dr. the day before). They said everything looked good for the most part so they did the gel but wanted to monitor me for 2 hours afterwards. Well then the heart rate started to do some dips they didn’t like so they come in and tell me that I am going to be admitted and they were inducing in the morning. Ok, we were totally not ready, we had nothing with us, hadn’t had dinner, the house was sort of a mess, etc. So we kinda freaked out. DH went home and got our bags and brought what he thought he could to make it through the birth and the time afterwards. With the anticipation, I got no sleep…but was also experiencing contractions from the gel.

Thursday, Dec. 8th So that morning they checked me and I was between 1 and 2 cm and was 60% effaced, so the gel was helping and there was hope that the Cervadil would work well. So they inserted that…it looked like a tampon, kinda crazy. They then called the doula that was on call to help me (who was fantastic to have and would highly recommend). I loved that the hospital had the volunteer doulas. So anyway, my contractions got a lot stronger while on the Cervadil, but still not too bad, as thinking that I could maybe do this with out the epidural. So we were doing things all day to get things moving and all of a sudden, at 3:10pm my water burst. It was funny, we had just told DH to go get a snack because nothing was going to happen while he was gone. He seriously shut the door and all of a sudden I seriously felt the head hit the cervix (at least the best way I can explain it) said “OUCH” and my water was EVERYWHERE. Now I was 18 for fluid which is definitely on the high side and so it was pouring all over the place…I am not kidding…the nurse said she had never seen anything like that. Thank god it happened there. Well they checked me after that and I hadn’t really progressed much. So my water was bursting still, then the rest of my mucous plug was all over, then bloody show…I went through so many gowns they had to restock my room several times. Well once the water broke though, I was progressing fast. Like 2 cm an hour and my cervix was effacing like crazy…but I was in front and back labor and my contractions would be three contractions with a minute between and then three contractions piggy backing on each other. It was horrible. I personally have never experienced any pain like that. They were confused with my labor because it really wasn’t that regular and at some points was 2 min apart for contractions, but they weren’t concerned because I progressed so much. Well I did get the epidural at 4 cm and they couldn’t give it to me fast enough. My contractions were so bad they would be off the chart…so I welcomed it. It was hard to have to stay in bed but I actually still had a lot of movement in my body so it helped a lot to not feel completely numb and I could actually have a conversation again. Then at 9 cm and like 99% effaced (I am not kidding) my contractions started to stall. So I had to have a small amount of Pitocin. That did the trick to finish me off.

Friday, Dec. 9th The only thing was that Owen was at +2 station when I was fully dilated and 100% effaced and they wanted him at +3 station so they had me labor down for 2 hours. This was just fine. I would have to do little pushes with each contraction to get him to move down. It really worked. I lost no energy from the little pushes. Then I got to do delivery. I had the mirror and watched it all. I started pushing at 3am exactly and had Owen at 4am exactly. As I delivered, since I had a surprise, while I delivered with the last push everyone in there was saying, “It’s a, It’s a, It’s a, It’s a BOY!!!” That was so much fun to hear that!!!! They were super impressed with how quick and easy I delivered. That was the easy part I thought. I had a very small 2nd degree tear that they barely noticed. It was great, I delivered the placenta quickly afterwards and Owen had been placed on my chest so I got to check him out then he was off to get cleaned up. I have never been so happy in my life to see my perfect little man!

Overall I am really happy with how my birth turned out. My after effects are barely anything. I don’t hurt much at all. Definitely a little healing needed still but the small tear doesn’t bother me much. I feel great, which can be bad because I completely overdue it sometimes. I’m just so fortunate.

Owen had a little jaundice but it looks like it is clearing up on its own. The home care nurse was here to see him today and he had dropped from 7lbs 6oz to 6lbs 14oz in the hospital and when she weighed him he is up to 7lbs 1oz since Sunday. Also, for me, he is a pro at breastfeeding. I’m so fortunate and if my uncomfortable pregnancy gave me a good L&D and a good baby at breastfeeding, I would go through all of that again. He is a great latch. I got my milk in Monday and am leaking like crazy but he is loving the milk. I do have a few issues with him latching on while engorged but he will get it, just takes a few attempts. The late nights can be hard, but I really don’t care, looking at his little face makes everything worth it.

mamax2

12-13-2005, 04:23 PM

mamax2: We're not using a supplemental nursing system...not even sure where I'd get one of those or how it would work?
A lactation consultant (the hospital should have someone you can call) should be able to set you up w/this. Basically, instead of having a bottle w/a nipple for Andrew to use, you would have a tiny little tube that you would use along side your own nipple, so as he's nursing from you, he's also getting formula. The benefit to this is that you get maximum breast stimulation WHILE he gets the formula, rather than making it two separate events, kwim? I'm not doubting what your ped. is saying about Andrew needing formula or to regain his birth weight BUT, ped's don't generally take classes in BFing - that's just not their area of expertise. I think a qualified LC may be really beneficial to you - in helping Andrew gain weight and in helping you really establish your BFing relationship. Oh, and don't get discouraged w/the pumping - it may take you many attempts before it 'works' - just keep trying, but again, the main thing is to make sure Andrew is nursing b/c he'll be way more effective than any pump can be.

jaredsgirl ~ Thanks for sharing your birth story. My MWs won't 'let' me go past 41 weeks, so I'm gearing up for the induction discussion next week. It's nice to see that you didn't need much pitocin and were given a pretty long time to let your body do it's own thing. Gives me some inspiration if my situation comes to that!

around the world

12-13-2005, 04:46 PM

Katie, FWIW your situation sounds almost *exactly* like how mine played (and is playing) out. Only I'm about a half a week ahead of you. Hang in there, it slowly gets better. If it makes you feel better, my ped is *super* pro-BFing, and she is giving me just about the same direction you are getting right along with the LC at my ped's office. Except we are adding less formula, but that isn't really necessarily such a big deal. I think that using an SNS might help you, tho. That's what we are doing, only ours is just a make-shift one. It is basically just a catheter and a syringe, and I tape the catheter onto my breast so the end sits near my nipple. I usually let Iris go about 15 minutes each side and then tape on the catheter to dose her up with an ounce of formula at the end of the nursing session. I'm hoping that I get the OK to drop the formula at our appointment on Thursday, because the system is a pain, but I like feeling like it is doing the least to cause nipple confusion...

Can you feel yourself starting to make more milk at all? That really helped my confidence, starting to feel like I was making just a bit more. I agree with mamax2, try dark beer or oatmeal or Mother's Milk Tea or fenugreek tablets (the last two you should be able to get at GNC or similar). Or try all of them! And be sure you are getting enough liquids too -- that helps me tremendously as well. If you want to email me, please do so at girlclassical @ hotmail dot com, I know how rough this difficult BFing stuff is.

ktdelsur

12-13-2005, 07:45 PM

Thanks guys...

I may ask the LC about that supplemental system tomorrow. Honestly I think that he will feed more often once we drop the formula (we won't know til next Monday) and right now he is just used to getting the formula directly after BF'ing so we just might have to endure some fussing to break him of the habit.

Re: nipple confusion - he really doesn't have that at all. He takes the formula from the bottle but gets me first, and always latches/feeds just fine. (?) Maybe I'm just getting lucky there.

Last night was hard - I think he just had some gas/poop moving through his system but it was hard being up with him nonstop for so many hours with his painful cries. I tried to calm down b/c I know it doesn't help to calm the baby when the person holding them is crying too. :(

He is sleeping now...and DH is "on duty" so I should go take a nap to gear up for tonight. :-) Til tomorrow, ladies.

(I will catch up on replies then!)

kinaida

12-13-2005, 08:24 PM

katie -- hang in there girl! I think you're doing a great job :) I know what you mean about the gas -- I hate it when Ben has gas and there's little I can do to console him. We got simethicone drops and he LOVES them and it quiets him down very quickly (even if it's just temporary, depending on how bad his gas is). I hope that the LC can give you some guidance & help you with the SNS. That sounds like it might do the trick.

jaredsgirl -- great birth story! Thanks for sharing it. And I couldn't agree more with this:
I’m so fortunate and if my uncomfortable pregnancy gave me a good L&D and a good baby at breastfeeding, I would go through all of that again.

C'mon out the rest of the December babies!!

postkalidurga

12-14-2005, 03:07 AM

Well I have hit my due date and no baby yet (charting due date anyway). The reflux is killing me, I can't sleep and I am getting VERY irritable.

Sigh.

Thanks to all you who have had your babies already and are sharing your stories, it is good to have a preview of what to look for and what to prepare for. Though I have a feeling I will never really be prepared for motherhood until I actually have my baby in my arms.

jengen

12-14-2005, 04:55 AM

Well, I never thought I'd make it this far past my due date. I know that sounds so silly because first babies are usually late, but I was just so confident, with knowing exactly when I ovulated/conceived, etc. and with my charting date being 12/9 that I wouldn't go this far. Oh well.
Still mildly contracting and had bloody show all day yesterday. Why won't this kid come out?! :( I told DH it would be one thing if I wasn't having strong menstrual-like cramps all week, but to go through this pain and not have gone into labor yet is killing me. It doesn't help that DH is frustrated and impatient also! :)

ktdelsur hang in there, I am sure it will get better! It is so helpful reading about all of your experiences in preparation for when I might be going through the same thing!

jaredsgirl Thank you for sharing your birth story! Your induction sounds like it went pretty smoothly and I need to hear stories like that because I'm going to be begging for one if I make it to my next appt! :)

jaredsgirl

12-14-2005, 07:03 AM

jengen Once again, totaly understand everything you say. If you do get induced I really hope that you have a good experience like I did.

postkalidurga I felt the same when I hit the due date. My reflux was horrible. Hours after I delivered, it went away, so hope that gives you hope!

mamax2 I was really happy with how the dr handled my induction. I've heard of people progressing but not having contractions the way they wanted so they got pitocin just to regulate everything...in my case they wanted to avoid giving me pitocin completely. My dr was so happy to hear my water broke and how fast I progressed. I'm totally going to miss seeing my dr. every week!

Your DHs Ok, for those of you with babies, does your DH complain about sleep constantly? Seriously, mine gets 8 hours of sleep (not continuous) and still complains about it, as I am feeding the baby and can't even keep my eyes open and had maybe 4-6 hours of sleep. Now my DH is so completely wonderful with Owen and is a great father, but this just has been something that has been wearing on my nerves and kinda hit a head last night.

ktdelsur

12-14-2005, 07:45 AM

Ok, for those of you with babies, does your DH complain about sleep constantly? Seriously, mine gets 8 hours of sleep (not continuous) and still complains about it, as I am feeding the baby and can't even keep my eyes open and had maybe 4-6 hours of sleep. Now my DH is so completely wonderful with Owen and is a great father, but this just has been something that has been wearing on my nerves and kinda hit a head last night.

LOL!

Yes. My DH just had his last grad school exam for the semester on TUesday morning, so I took on the nightly supplemental formula feedings that he usually does, so he could have sleep for his exam. Then he comes home from the exam and complains about being tired and needing a nap when I was the one up all night (Andrew was up with gassy issues for nearly 5 straight hours til 5 a.m.)....GRR. DH works differently than I do, though. I do okay on short power naps throughout the day. He has to have a big block of sleep or he's useless. Little naps just make him grumpy.:p

krbb

12-14-2005, 01:53 PM

Announcing OliverRobert!!
Bornon on Monday 12/12 (my bday :))
9lbs. 11oz. :eek:
22 in long

After an early appointment on Monday I went to the hospital to be incduced. My Dr assured me that it would be ok and my Bishop score was high enough. So we went in and he was born at 503 pm. I can't believe how big he was and glad we went ahead with the induction. BF is going great he loves to eat!! I will hopefully have his birth story soon. I hope everyone else is doing well and jengen and posta I hope you go soon!!!

Here is a picture the hospital took, not the best but he definitely takes after me!

http://www.kmcnetwork.org/BabyGallerySVH/pictures/MVC-007S5.JPG

jaredsgirl

12-14-2005, 02:03 PM

Congrats krbb and Oliver!!!

ktdelsur

12-14-2005, 03:41 PM

Congrats krbb! How cool he came on your birthday!

JRPAGV

12-14-2005, 03:49 PM

Congrats, krbb! He's so cute! What a great birthday present! :)

Cookie777

12-14-2005, 06:33 PM

Congratulations KRBB & Welcome Oliver! :D

Wow...big baby! :) And how cool you get to share a birthday!

fwgirl

12-15-2005, 05:46 AM

Congratulations krbb!! :) And welcome Oliver!

I am so far behind in our thread that it's not even funny! But I'm hoping to get caught up from here on out. (At least I hope so!)

Congratulations to all the new mamas & welcome to all the new babies that I missed over the last few weeks!!

Katie I know this goes back a few pages, but we're having some bf'ing issues too. They're getting better, but they still exist. We have good days and not-so-good days. Just wanted to chime in and say you're not alone and you're doing a wonderful job!

jaredsgirl my DH only said he was tired one time and I think I gave him a really dirty look since he hasn't brought it up since. At night when Lo gets fussy and needs to eat and be changed I scoop her up and bring her into another room so he can sleep. I know he needs his sleep since his job demands that he be 100% everyday and I know that I can nap when she does, but that doesn't make me any less tired. I figure I can catch up on my sleep in about 18 years or so. ;)

torch76

12-15-2005, 05:53 AM

Congratulations KRBB & Welcome Oliver!

jaredsgirl

12-15-2005, 03:38 PM

Just bumping us up from page 2.

I am having a hard time with Owen's schedule. Any tips on changing his nighttime schedule would be great. He is up until 2am everynight and it is making us crazy. He will want to eat every hour in that time frame and it is hard. Then he takes a little cat nap for 15-30 min and wakes us. But my mom did mention that maybe I had caffine and at first I didn't think I did but I did have chocolate and then some tiramisu (that of course has espresso soaked cake) last night so I am going to try and not have any of that and see if that helps. I'm just hoping to get him to sleep by midnight...that would make such a huge difference. Once he sleeps he will sleep for 3-4 hours at night but it is just a matter of getting him to sleep.

Also, the other question, what a is a good way to wake a sleeping baby. I do alot of things, like change his diaper and undress him when he needs to eat to get him to wake up. I like to wait to use the change his diaper trick for when he falls asleep in the middle of his feeding so that he can finish up. But I try to feed him every 2-3 hours and sometimes I need to wake him up. So if you have found any good tricks, I would appreciate them!

Always looking for some new babies when I come in here!!!!!

Mrsbuw

12-15-2005, 07:25 PM

jaredsgirl I wish I had some advice for you but I don't. Our sleeping issue is the opposite of yours. Usually Jack will sleep during the early evenings and then wake up- wide awake around 3:30 and stay awake for hours. I have tried to keep him up later but he always falls asleep
I don't think we can really change their sleeping patterns this young. I am told they will change the pattern on their own when THEY are ready. Hopefully it wil be sooner rather then later

As for waking up a sleep baby, I think you are doing the right thing. Change his diapers, change his outfit , they both work for Jack.

Jack now weighs 9lbs from his birth weight of 7lbs, 13 oz and he will be 4 weeks tomorrow- how friggen insane is that. Time is flying.

I hope everyone and their babies are doing great.

kamileer

12-15-2005, 07:36 PM

I'm not sure if Janna posted this already (waaaay too crazy to look back), but I wanted to announce that...

Maya Lee has arrived. She was born at 8:48am on Friday the 9th weighing in a 6lb 6oz, 18 1/2 inches long. I know we are biased but she is simply the most precious and beautiful baby. Mommy and Daddy are madly in love. We came home from the hospital Monday afternoon. The days and NIGHTS have been rough (to say the least) but we are starting to get the hang of things (breastfeeding is TOUGH WORK....way harder than I ever imagined!!!!).

We had a weight check at the ped. a couple days ago and her weight has stabilized (she was down to 5lb 9oz...it is very normal to lose weight but since she is so tiny they are keeping a special eye on her). She is otherwise as healthy as can be and scored excellent APGARS. Not a sign of jaundice or hip problems (a fear from the breech presentation). My milk has come in FULL FORCE (which has made my breasts very tough to feed off of until she gets the hang of things). There are no supply issues here...you wouldn't even believe how FULL they are. Still, though, we are having latch on issues (we have to WAKE her for feedings every 3 hours no matter what... not an easy feat for a baby who sleeps constantly). Not knowing if our child is receiving proper nutrition is heartbreaking. Trying to remain positive and dedicated!

This is the first chance I've had to get on-line and I don't expect to be back too much until we get a hang of this parenting thing. Maya is my #1 priority and I have never been so happy to dedicate my life to something this important. She has changed our world forever for the better.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/kamileer/47b5cc31b3127cce98548a7a67d00000001.jpg

happygolucky

12-16-2005, 06:20 AM

Like Kami, I'm not sure if Janna got a chance to post, but I just wanted to say that

ANNA LEE MARGARET

has joined my family. She was born December 7 at 3:13 in the afternoon. The nurses think she was around 7 lbs when she was born, but she pooped three times between the operating table and the scale in the nursery, so her official birth weight is 6 lbs 13 oz. She left the hospital on Saturday, December 10, weighing 6 lbs 6 oz. Mommy and Daddy left the hospital with her.

Sadly for me, I caught the stomach flu and was totally unable to take care of baby Anna for the first day and a half that she was home. It was terrible. The fever and the sick stomach combined to make Anna's first night home a delusional nightmare for me. I kept thinking she was dead in the cradle. I kept thinking I couldn't care for her. I was stuck on the toilet and she was crying her head off in her cradle and DH had to feed her formula even though I wanted to nurse her and, oh, man, it was just awful. Sunday morning, I called my mom, SOBBING, begging for help. Mom strapped on her SuperMom cape and flew to my side. She's been here since then and is leaving today. I'm terrified of her going home, but I know she needs to go.

Anna appears to be doing well. She went to he pediatrician on Tuesday and her weight was up to 6 lbs 11 oz. She is mostly BF, with the occasional formula supplement. I'm pumping as much as possible, but my milk supply was pretty seriously compromised by the stomach bug. I couldn't eat, so I couldn't make milk. My supply is still pretty erratic, but I'm hoping that will change.

Otherwise, things are good. Anna is a dream and I'm totally in love with her. Totally terrified of her also, but in love nonetheless.

Let me see if I can post a picture of my munchkin...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v306/coberle/IMGP2065.jpg

Sorry it's so big!

She's waking up, so I have to go. It's time to play Bessie the Cow... again!

Hope everyone else is doing fabulous and that I get time to catch up on back posts soon!

Mrsbuw

12-16-2005, 07:57 AM

Congrats to both happygolucky & Kami Both your girls are beautiful!!

Cookie777

12-16-2005, 10:19 AM

Congratulations Kamileer & Welcome Maya! :D

Congratulations HappygoLucky & Welcome Anna! :D

Your girls are adorable! I'm getting more & more anxious seeing all these beautiful babies! :)

oceanblue

12-16-2005, 06:52 PM

Congrats to all the new mommies I've missed and might I say what adorable babies we all have!!!

I have a few moments to share a bit about Hayden's birthday. We checked in at U of M at 8:00 am on Thursday the 8th. We only had to wait a few minutes when the nurse came to get us and got things going. We went directly to the recovery room first, since I was a scheduled c-section. I changed and then did a quicky sonogram to see if he was still breech and indeed he was. They hooked us both up to monitor heart rates and started my i.v. Which took 3 tries. The first time the nurse hit a valve and my left hand on top swelled immediately. It is still yellowish with bruise from that. Then they successfully put it in my left wrist which lasted through surgery. After surgery, I noticed severe swelling where the i.v. was and the nurse said it had come dislodged or whatever. She finally had to put it in my right wrist and that one lasted for the rest of my hospital stay. The only problem was that my right arm/hand is where I have the carpal tunnel so they were avoiding using it. So my arm is still recovering weirdly enough.

Anyhoo, i.v successfully in, funky cap on my head and one husband in his sexy OR garb and we were ready to go. It was 9:00 by this time. However an emergency arose and they thought a girl was going to need a emergency c-section so we had to wait. She thankfully did not have to have one, but they delivered her in the OR to be safe. So I was wheeled in at 9:30 and things went quickly from there. They gave me my spinal block, and to be brutally honest, my i.v. hurt worse than this did. They brought the hubby in and started surgery. He of course was butt first and the first thing I asked even before he was completely born was if he was indeed a boy. They assured me he most certainly was! He was officially born at 10:16. He didn't cry right away. It took a little bit of oxygen and some rubbing apparently but that was it. Within I'd say 45 seconds he was screaming like a banshee! I was crying like a baby, from the happiness that he was finally here, that he was crying, and that they said he looked great. I sent Michael over to take pictures and check him out. He got to "cut" the cord and they cleaned him up a bit. He came back over to show me some pictures and then they called him back over to take pictures of him being weighed. I knew he was going to be big, but holy moly :eek: when they said 9 lbs. 13 oz. I was shocked! They wrapped him up nice and tight and sent him over to me with Michael. When they finished stitching me up and transferred me back over to the recovery bed, they had Michael hand me my son for the first time. I don't even remember being wheeled back to the recovery room. We spent about 2 hours there, where they monitored us both for temperature and whatnot, and for me to gain some of the feeling back in my lower half. We were allowed to have 2 visitors at a time there, which was nice. My two older sisters had come, and Michael's mom of course and his step-mom and her husband. Then we were transferred to my room, where we all got settled in.

Recovery has been OK. A little more difficult than I thought, I'm still taking my Vicodin and Motrin. If I don't the soreness really takes its toll and I start to shake a bit. But it's slowly getting better.

Our son is the most precious thing in our lives at the moment. Nothing I've read about could have ever prepared me for the all-consuming feeling I have for him. It's hard, sleepless, rewarding and completely worth it! Although I now feel I suffer from paranoid mothers syndrome. Is he too cold, is he too warm, should I take his temp, why is he sneezing, why is his nose stuffy-ish, is he getting enough breast milk, am I doing this right, am I doing that right? I know it's normal, it's just a bit overwhelming sometimes. I'm still not ready to be "on my own" with him, I was on Wednesday (hubby had to go in to work on just Wednesday), and by dinner time, I had my first post-partum breakdown. But it's par for the course I guess.

Well, I should get going, the little man is stirring and it's almost feeding time (just call me Bessie the cow!). I'm not sure how often I'll be able to check in for a while, but I do try to get a few minutes to at least come in and read what's going on real quick.

For all you mommies still waiting, I can't wait for you to deliver and experience all these new feelings and emotions and to hold your little ones!!!

fwgirl

12-16-2005, 09:47 PM

Congratulations kamileer and happygolucky!!

I couldn't agree with this more aprilbride!!

It's hard, sleepless, rewarding and completely worth it!

Thanks for sharing your story! :)

scarlett

12-18-2005, 08:26 AM

I haven't had time to read or post in the last couple of weeks, but I wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS to all the new mommies!

Our little one came on Thursday evening (December 15). It's a boy - Mattison David and he's just too precious. Now if only we could get our digital card reader to work so we can send out pictures. I'll be back later to get caught up with everyone.

Cookie777

12-18-2005, 09:27 AM

Congratulations Scarlett & welcome Mattison! :D

ktdelsur

12-18-2005, 09:43 AM

Congrats Kami, happygolucky and scarlett!!!

We had a massive ice storm on Wednesday night last week, and we were without power from Thursday morning around 6 a.m. until today - the power actually came back on last night and we canceled our hotel reservation....then an hour later the power went OFF again. The power company says everyone won't have power completely again until at least Tuesday, so even though our power is back for the moment, out of paranoia of what happened last night, we're going to stay at a hotel anyway.

We have a gas log fireplace so we camped out in front of the fireplace w/ the baby for two nights, and I spent my 27th birthday on Thursday camped out with no power, and a constantly hungry baby...like someone said - hard,sleepless, but really rewarding!

No changes on BF'ing. Still supplementing until we find out his weight tomorrow. No matter what, he is a piggy, and I think we will have quite a fight on our hands if we try to take away that formula he is so used to getting after feeding from me. We even were talking about BFing during the day, and only formula at night, so DH could help me more. But..my supply would dwindle unless I really really pumped a lot.

(I haven't had luck w/ the electric pump and I only got about 1/2 oz w/ the hand pump in a 25 min session.)

Tried out the Baby Bjorn today - Andrew fell right to sleep. Must keep that in mind! :-)

jengen

12-18-2005, 06:25 PM

just popping in quickly to say congrats to all the new moms and to announce the arrival of Cole John! He was born on Dec 15th at 2:35 a.m.; weighed 8lbs, 2ozs and is 22 inches long. He had some jaundice issues, so we just got released today...I am so glad to be home! I promise to provide a better update soon...in the meantime here is a picture of our little man...we are so in love! :D

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5cc39b3127cce95a82593b2d700000015108AbM2Llu4aNQ

Cookie777

12-18-2005, 07:13 PM

Congratulations Jengen & Welcome Cole John! :D

Mrsbuw

12-19-2005, 06:36 AM

Congratulations Jengen & Welcome Cole John What a cutie!!!!!

Jaycee

12-19-2005, 07:07 AM

Congrats Kami, happygolucky, scarlett, and Jengen!!!

fwgirl

12-19-2005, 07:55 AM

Congratulations scarlett and jengen!! :D

torch76

12-19-2005, 08:03 AM

Congrats Scarlett and Jengen!!!!!

I have an appointment in an hour. My ob is on vacation so we are seeing someone else in the practice. I am kinda glad about it. Maybe he will tell us more or something different. I made it to the end on school and DH's graduation so now I am ready for baby! DH is really anxious and wants to ask the dr to strip my membranes. I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet. We'll see.

jengen

12-19-2005, 08:07 AM

Thank you!!! :D

Questions to the Moms last night was our first night home and our baby, who'd been an absolute angel in the hospital became a little devil. :p He wanted to nurse non-stop, kicked out of his swaddling in like 2 mins (no matter how tight) and would not sleep unless we held him. All.Night.Long. Did your baby want to nurse non-stop when your milk came in? Mine just did yesterday. Aside from our arms, the only place he's slept is the bouncy seat...do you think it's bad if we have him sleep in that tonight if he won't go in the bassinet again? We can't hold him all night long!

jaredsgirl

12-19-2005, 08:43 AM

Congrats scarlett and jengen!!!!!

jengen Owen did the same thing to me one of the first nights. What we found out is that he just likes the sucking motion and it is really consoling to him. So after wanting to pull my hair out because he was constantly attached to me, I caved and got out the pacifier (which I DID NOT want to do). He then took that in two seconds (we did have to hold onton it in his mouth until he got a latch on it) and was immediately asleep and would sleep in his bassinet. So he could be doing it just for comfort so if you want to try a pacifier, it might help. Owen only takes it when he is going down for the night, he doesn't need it during the day (unless we are trying to distract him while I'm getting ready for a feeding and he is going crazy).

Cookie777

12-19-2005, 09:22 AM

Torch ~

I was convinced that you must have had the baby! I almost came & posted yesterday that I thought we would have another new baby here because you sounded so close. I still think you'll have the baby before I do..don't know why. I haven't been checked at all..so not sure what my status is. I have an appt tomorrow.

I hope your appt goes great! :) Can't wait to hear about it.

Jaycee

12-19-2005, 09:59 AM

Pacifier I was hesitant to use it too, but it really is a lifesaver. Now I just heard that pacifiers are recommended and help cut down on SIDS. :) Yay!

oceanblue

12-19-2005, 10:34 AM

Congrats jengen and welcome Cole!!!

DS is a sucker as well and we've been using a pacifier (my hubby calls it his "pipe") since the hospital. I was hesitant as well, but he's uses it to self soothe so if sucking on it helps him instead of me or DH having to constantly hold him I'm all for it!! But he doesn't constantly need it, which is good too!

kinaida

12-19-2005, 12:35 PM

Hooray for all of the new babies! Congratulations all of you new mamas :)

jengen -- Ben did that too, he just wanted to eat all of the time the entire first week! We actually had him sleeping in his carseat for the first 2 weeks -- he didn't like the bassinet b/c it was too big. The carseat was very nice & coze for him and he slept great in it, so I don't see anything wrong with letting DS sleep in the bouncy seat, if he will indeed sleep there! I'm a big proponent of whatever allows your family to get the maximum amount sleep in these first few weeks, go for it!

ETA: Ben used the pacifier from Day 1 and we've never had any latch issues. And now he isn't interested in it anymore!

malala

12-19-2005, 12:53 PM

Hello everybody and Congratulations to all the new mommies!!!!, I love seeing the pictures of those beautiful babies.
I'm sorry I haven't been able to be around much lately. I'm still here, still very pg. I had a false alarm last Monday, and ever since I've been having some contractions here and there, and I think that I've lost my mucus plug.
I'm kinda disappointed because after the "close call" on Monday, I thought she'd be here by now.
OK, I gotta go, the IL's are here, so I shouldn't be online much longer.

Mrsbuw

12-19-2005, 01:21 PM

jengen Like the others, I am all for the pacifier if it helps. We only give it to Jack when he is really fussy and we have tried everything else. I always make sure we have had some snuggles first. I never just give him the pacifier and stick in his crib.
As for the bouncy, I don't see a problem at all. If he is comfy and can sleep in it who cares. For day naps, Jack sleeps in his stroller. We have a baby sleeping bag and he loves it.
Hope tonight is better

krbb

12-19-2005, 01:24 PM

Congrats to all the new mommies!!!

Pacifier- some babies just need to suck more than others. Like others have said if there is no problem with his latch go ahead and let him try it.

Sleep locations- I think it is fine to let him sleep in his bouncy seat. If it allows you to get some sleep it can't be too bad.

Things are going well here. We had a check-up at the Dr and Oliver went from his discharge weight of 9lbs4oz to being 9lbs15oz today. They said it may take two weeks to get back up to his birth weight, not him. He loves to eat! BF has been going well, though I have sore nipples. I have tried everything, it was suggested to me today to try tea bags on them. I will let you know how it works.

Oliver's birthstory:

Monday December 12th I had an appointment first thing in the morning. They had talked about inducing me after it if things looked favorable. I was debating before that whether or not to do it, and decided to trust what my Dr said because I was so emotionally and physically drained. I was a good 4cm dilated at my appointment and explained how my Bishop score was high enough that the induction should be succesful. So we went directly to the hospital. I was hooked up to the pitocin and my water was broke at about 930. Everything was going good the contractions weren't that bad. They came in and checked me at about 11 and I was still 4cm dilated but Oliver was a little lower. So they kicked up the pitocin. At about 12 I was having really strong contractions but was able to get through them. Close to one they were just one on top of the other (one of the things I was worried about with being induced) and I had no rest in between. I was also getting extremely nauseated. I asked for the epidural, though the lady was busy giving another one, but I need something now. So they gave me something I don't even remember and could care less at that point. It allowed me to get through the contractions and sit through the epidural, which was a godsend. I was checked right before the epidural and was still 4cm. An hour later I was 10 cm and ready to go. She had me push a few times and DH could see his dark hair. They had me sit straight up in bed indian style to help move the baby down and hopefully prevent me from having to push that long. So I sat like that for about an hour and they came back saying it was time to push. I was able to feel when I was having a contraction so I knew when to push. It was somewhat weird pushing but not really feeling what is going on down there, but they said I was doing it correctly. I pushed for about 20 minutes total. I did have to get an episiotomy because his head was so big. They were almost ready to use the vacuum but ended up not needing. I couldn't believe how big he was, 9lbs 11oz. I thought he would be on the bigger side because DH and I were bigger babies but not that big! I was so glad I went along with the induction. I was just so happy that he was finally here!! Recovery is going good. Each day things are feeling better and I can't believe how much I am in love with him!

Here is one of my favorite pictures of Oliver!
http://www.buten.com/oliver/day3/orb3d07.jpg

mamax2

12-19-2005, 03:38 PM

Caitlin Nicole... born 12/17 (on her Mommy's birthday!) at 9:11 am ~ 6lbs 13oz, 19"

I'll be back to share a 'real' birth story at another time, but suffice it to say this l&d was pretty different than the first. We almost had a roadside delivery :eek: It was fairly short (6 hours), but very intense and we literally made it to the hospital with just minutes to spare before my little peanut came flying out. She's in perfect health and although she's down to 6lbs 4oz, I think she'll recover soon since milk is coming in today. I can't believe I have a baby this tiny! She looks like a miniature version of her big sister (who was 8lbs 2oz at birth). We just got home this afternoon, so I'm off to spend some time w/the family. :D

torch76

12-19-2005, 05:23 PM

Congratulations Mamax2!!

Well my appointment was kind of disappointing. It looks like I will make it to my due date after all. The dr said there is a 50 to 60% chance I will make in to my next appointment next Tuesday. I am still 3-4 cm dialated and went form 40 to 60% effaced. The problem is that the baby has not dropped at all! I am trying to walk a lot but I don't know what else to do other than wait. Any suggestions? I still have a week to my due date.

Cookie Thanks for thinking of me. I wish I had had the baby! How are you doing?

jaredsgirl

12-19-2005, 07:32 PM

Congrats mamax2 and Caitlin!!!

Cookie777

12-20-2005, 07:24 AM

Congratulations Mamax2 & Welcome Caitlin! :D

Krbb ~

Thank you for posting your birth story. :) What a cute picture! I'm glad he's doing so great. What a healthy boy!

Torch ~

Hmmm...now I'm really wondering which one of us will be first! It's very possible that I may get checked today since I haven't been yet. The midwife I'm seeing today had planned to check me at 38 weeks..but she wasn't there last time. So we'll see. I'm just doubting that I'm very dilated..but I really have no idea. I've only had a total of 3 real contractions & a little pelvic cramping spaced out over a long period of time. So I'm feeling like he's pretty comfortable in there. Who knows..

I have developed some really attractive Shrek feet & cankles over the past 2 days though! ;) CUTE! My socks are making rings around my ankles. So since I didn't really have regular swelling like that or anything close to this in the past..I'm wondering if this is my body's way of getting ready. I hope my BP isn't up. :confused:

Malala ~

Sorry about the false alarm! Hopefully your little one is here soon. :)

***

So are Malala, Torch & I the last 3 pregnant ones?

Jaycee

12-20-2005, 08:37 AM

Congrats mamax2!!!! Welcome Caitlin!!

kinaida

12-20-2005, 09:00 AM

Congratulations mamax!!!! Hooray for baby Caitlin!

jengen

12-20-2005, 11:40 AM

thanks everyone! We used the pacifier to console him a little, when nothing else would and I knew he'd gotten enough to eat. He did ok with it and had a pretty good night last night...of course, in his bouncy seat. :D But, he only woke to feed every 3.5 hours, so it was fantastic. BF'ing is going great...he eats like a champ and we found out today that he's already up to his birth weight!!! What a little piggy, but makes me feel so good about the obvious BF'ing success. I hope it continues!

One day, I hope to catch up in here. [B]congrats, mamax2!!!]

postkalidurga

12-20-2005, 06:03 PM

So are Malala, Torch & I the last 3 pregnant ones?

I'm still here too.

I went to visit the midwives today and had my first internal. She stripped my membranes while she was in there and holy crap that hurt. I am 80-90% effaced though and was three centimeters dilated when she finished so she thinks I'll go pretty quick from here. I hope so! My dh is getting pretty impatient and I think that is stressing me out even more than actually still being pregnant.

JRPAGV

12-20-2005, 07:31 PM

Congrats to all the new mommas!!!

Sorry I've been MIA lately. I haven't been able to keep up (as a poster or as the threadmistress) because our Internet has been down since Sunday. I've also been very busy for obvious reasons. ;)

I'll try to update the thread tomorrow. Hope you all understand!

torch76

12-20-2005, 09:14 PM

postkalidurga Wow, you are almost a week late. I would be anxious if I were you too! I hope stripping the membranes works and your labor starts SOON!

Cookie777

12-20-2005, 09:49 PM

Postkalidurga ~

I hope the stripping of your membranes gets things going for you. Sounds like your body is ready so that should push you along. :)

***

Well I had my appt this morning. I've gained 5!!! pounds since last week! :eek: I know a lot is swelling because I'm looking pretty puffy..but whoa..scary! It's weird though..most of the swelling is in my legs & feet. I guess there's a little in my face too.. Anyway, my fault for not drinking enough water :o & too much sugar probably too. My BP was up from normal..but not enough to worry & she doesn't think there's any toxemia risk.

I was checked for the first time today. I'm only 1 cm & she didn't give me a % for effacement..but said that my cervix is still thick. So I think I was right & he's hanging out for a while. Who knows though..maybe I'm one of those that just goes into labor with a bang.

My Mom was dilated to 3 & then 4 cm's for weeks before I was born. Not sure how it went when she was PG w/ my little sis. And I can't really compare with my sister's pregnancies..because she had each of hers 3 weeks early, mostly due to size & how much weight she was gaining.

I'm due Sunday.. If I make it to my next appt (Tuesday) then they're going to do ANOTHER ultrasound!... to see how big he is. My Dr.'s office is NOT afraid to do some ultrasounds. DANG I bet my insurance company hates me. :p

tinkerbell

12-20-2005, 10:04 PM

Hello New Mommies and Mommies-to-Be

I just wanted to write that our daughter Julia Emma was born on December 14 at 11:33 pm. She weighed 8 pounds 9 ounces and is 20 inches long. We are so excited to have her here with us. :)

I will write back soon my birth story. What a great journey motherhood is!

I hope all is well with everyone and their new babies.

For the mom's who are awaiting their babies arrivals, I wish each of you a safe and easy delivery.

Take Care

Amy :)

Cookie777

12-20-2005, 10:09 PM

Congratulations Amy & Welcome Julia! :D

Sounds like you're doing great! Can't wait to read your birth story & see some pictures of her. :)

December2005Mommies

12-21-2005, 10:11 AM

Updated to here!

There's now a section for baby pictures, so please post your favorite if you want me to add it to the first page.

postkalidurga

12-21-2005, 01:55 PM

Just popping in to say stripping the membranes worked - a little too well!

I woke up at midnight, went to the bathroom, stood up and my water broke all over the bathroom floor. Due to meconium staining we went to the hospital (had planned a home birth) and arrived just before 1 am. Labour was super fast and really hard though we did have the natural birth we had planned.

Isaac Elliott was born at 6:56, healthy as can be.

I back off to bed now to try and catch some zzzzs.

jaredsgirl

12-21-2005, 02:37 PM

Congrats Amy and Julia!!!

Congrats postkalidurga and Issac

Now that the last "surprise" baby is here, did anyone one notice that out of the 6 of us that were surprises, 5 of us had boys! Strange!!!

Things are going well for the most part over here, Owen has been a little weird about sleeping during the day for that last two days but has gone down at 9:30pm and only wakes up once during the night so I guess I will take the sleeping through the night. He also has lost his belly button and this little plastic ring from his circumcision, so tonight he is getting his first real bath!

Cookie777

12-21-2005, 03:58 PM

Congratulations Postkalidurga & Welcome Isaac! :D

I guess stripping those membranes can really get things going! I'm glad it worked for you so quickly. :)

ktdelsur

12-22-2005, 05:38 AM

CONGRATS NEW MOMMIES! I can't believe that December is almost out for us and all of us are almost mommies. Hehe...

Andrew update:

Jaundice is gone and he is past his birth weight now (now 9lbs 2oz) and we were told we could quit supplementing w/ formula. Well, we were also told that if within a day or two of trying to exclusively BF, if he still wanted to feed more than every two hours, he wasn't getting enough from me and we'd need to supplement again. We tried to "wean" him off the formula but to no avail. It has been a very hard two days - although we were given permission to quit waking him up to feed him. (For the record...the jaundice was pretty bad/bad enough for the bili blanket and for us to be worried...we don't want it returning.)

So, I am trying to pump more now - I am only able to get maybe 1 ounce (1/2 ounce from each breast) in a sitting with the electric pump. (That is actually progress...) I can't pump enough to give him EBM every feeding, so he IS getting formula, but he'll still also be getting EBM too. I will probably BF when I can during the day and keep mostly formula at night - although my nipples were SO sore, cracked and awful that pumping has been a Godsend.

I really loved BF'ing...the bonding, etc. Will still do it when I can, but our household is a much less stressful place to be now that we've resigned ourselves to the fact that I just didn't produce enough milk to satisfy my little piggy. Hehehehe...it happens.

According to the ped though, my boy is nice, healthy and strong. His cord fell off a few days ago and we were able to give him a "real" bath, which he actually loved. (Not as much as Liliana, Jaycee! Hehehe)

jengen

12-22-2005, 08:21 AM

congrats, Amy and postkalidurga!!! :D

jaredsgirl I am so jealous that Owen is sleeping so good, my little guy fights it all night!

ktdelsur glad to hear things are going better...we had jaundice issues, so I know first hand how stressful it can be. One of these days I'll get my story typed up to share.

Just wanted to share with you our final birth announcement...it was challenging getting him to pose this way...little man does NOT like being naked! :D

torch76

12-22-2005, 05:19 PM

Congratulations to Tinkerbell andpostkalidurga !!!

ktdelsur I'm glad to hear that the jaundice has cleared up. It sounds like you are doing the best for your baby in regards to feeding him.

jengen Your announcement turned out great! So adorable!

Still nothing happening here. I am barely even having any BH. I really thought he would be here before Christmas. Obviously, that is impossible to predict. Now I kinda hope he waits till after. We are just so bored over here waiting. I guess the good news is that I'm still feeling good. Not terribly uncomfortable or anything. I am enjoying my afternoon naps. This morning I woke up close to 4 and coundn't go back to sleep. I finally got up and went to the living room to read for an hour before falling back asleep.

I hope everyone is doing well with their new babies!I know they are keeping you busy.

mamax2

12-22-2005, 07:14 PM

December 17th, 2005: I woke up at 3:00 am with a contraction thinking it was kind of ironic since I’d had contractions the previous night that also began at the exact same time. Of course, the night before, they only lasted two hours and were relatively mild, although I did feel the baby’s head move down into position, nothing else happened. This time was different though. The contractions were harder right from the start; by 3:30 and the third contraction, I had to wake Chris and grab his hand through the pain. On a trip to the bathroom, I had the tiniest bit of blood on the toilet paper and I started to get hopeful that maybe this was really it. Once the stomach cramps and ‘system cleansing’ began, I felt pretty sure. This labor was already different than the first – there was no lying down or resting between contractions – almost every one was hard and I had to breath through them. Fortunately, they were spaced every 6-9 minutes and lasted 20-45 seconds long, so there was plenty of recovery time.

Chris and I laid in bed a while and talked and cuddled, but then we got serious and got up and started getting things together around 5:30. I alternated between my birthing ball or just leaning over the bed. I was having back labor already and feeling kind of bummed that this was going to be another posterior baby.

By 6:30, Chris suggested I take a shower which was a great idea. We aimed the hottest water possible on my lower back and it felt amazing. I even managed to shave my legs in between contractions. I stayed in the shower until the hot water basically ran out. At that point, it was just after 7:00 and Claire was awake for the day. Chris gave her a run down of the situation and by the time she saw me, she already knew that Mommy was having contractions – big squeezes – to help baby Cate be born. It amazed me that her little two year old mind could comprehend what was going on, but she did great. Of course, I was still handling things pretty well at that point too. Claire stood by my side and took deep breaths with me during contractions – it was so cute and I was so proud to be able to share a little bit of this experience with her.

We hadn’t called anybody yet since we were still waiting for a pattern to develop – the contractions were still all over the place in terms of length and duration. We agreed that it was time to call our doula and my parents and let them know what was up. I heard Chris on the phone saying “No rush, just whenever you can” and I asked him what he was thinking! Apparently, I was handling contractions a little too well since he didn’t feel the need to rush my parents over to the house.

Within minutes, my labor turned on a dime. It suddenly became very intense, to the point that it took a lot of concentration and was quite painful. I guess this was about 7:30.

My Mom got to our house and it was pretty intense. The contractions were every 2-3 minutes at this point, I had tears in my eyes and I was starting to have to moan; I felt like transition was beginning and we still had an hour’s drive to the hospital. My Mom wanted us to call an ambulance, but I refused, so we got in the car and off we went. It was about 8:00 am.

I spent the next hour gripping the top of the seat belt in one hand and that little handle thing on the ceiling in the other. The ride was really difficult. Chris tried coaching me to breath deeply, which I did when I wasn’t moaning. I talked to our doula Greer for a minute, but that was all I could handle. By the time we were about 5 miles from the hospital, I could feel my body needing to push. I told Chris I needed to push and he tried to convince me I didn’t. I panted my way through contractions for the next few minutes, when I wasn’t yelling obscenities at the cars in front of us who were driving too slowly or stopping for pedestrians in crosswalks.

Just before 9:00 am, we pulled into a handicapped parking space in front of the ER and went inside where they got me a wheelchair and told Chris to come back down and register me after taking me to L&D. We got upstairs and two nurses, Cynthia and Lisa, were helping me. I asked if I could use the bathroom first and then they got me on the bed to check me. I heard them mention that they’d paged the doctor and I was briefly disappointed that none of the midwives were on-call. That was short lived because then I heard one of the nurse’s say “She’s complete with a bulging bag. As soon as her water breaks, we’re going to have a baby”. I immediately got on my hands and knees and Lisa listened for Caitlin’s heartbeat and confirmed that she was doing great during contractions.

At some point, Greer had come in and Chris had sent her down to our car to get our bags, camera, etc. I heard the nurses saying they had paged Dr. Washburn twice and they didn’t know where he was. They also said they saw a note that I had a birth plan but they didn’t have a copy so they were asking what was on it. I managed to get out a sentence and said “Greer, tell them our plan”. It didn’t matter too much at that point since labor was almost over, but she told them we didn’t want a lot of interventions.

The next thing I knew, I was on my right side and I was pushing. No one told me to push, I didn’t think about pushing, my body just did it. This was really different for me; with Claire, I really required direction in my pushing efforts, this time, my body was on autopilot.

With one push I felt an explosion and warm water every where; I heard the nurse say there was meconium in the fluid and that as soon as the baby’s head was out, I had to stop pushing so they could suction her. Then she told me I had to get on my back. I said I couldn’t move and she insisted I be on my back saying “If I’m going to deliver this baby, I have to see what I’m doing”. Greer and Chris helped me move to my back. I felt another push happening and heard someone say her head was out and then what seemed like a second later I looked down and there she was! It was 9:11 am – we’d been at the hospital less than 15 minutes and I had a baby!

They brought Caitlin up to my chest and covered her in towels and I just stared at her in awe. I think it was about this time that Dr. Washburn showed up – in time to collect the cord blood and deliver the placenta. He ended up being great though and even kept the nurse from giving me a shot of Pitocin. The nurses weighed Caitlin (6lbs 13oz) and wrapped her up and brought her right back to me. I nursed her while we waited for the placenta. Fortunately, I had no tearing and I was up out of bed showering soon.

The labor was so intense, but still relatively short (6 hours) so my energy was still high. Everyone left us alone to get to know our baby girl. I think it must have been an hour or more before they came in to get my blood samples and measure and bathe Caitlin and give her Vitamin K and eye drops.

Chris and I didn’t know what to do with ourselves – we couldn’t believe the whole experience was over just like that. We were fortunate to spend almost the whole day together before any visitors showed up which was perfect since we were (and are) so absolutely in love with our new daughter we didn’t want to do anything else except hold her and look at her. Having already had one daughter, we knew the kind of bliss we were in for and it made this time around even sweeter in some respects.

krbb

12-23-2005, 11:45 AM

Congrats to the new mommies!!

jengen- I love the announcement!!

katie- Glad the jaundace is better! I understand about the sore nipples! I think my problem was the latch which we got going good now, though now Oliver has thrush, which has made them sore again!

So we were at the ped again for the thrush. I noticed his tongue was a little white the other day, but just thought it was milk. Today we noticed a curd like thing on his tongue so made an appointment. Hopefully it won't take too long to clear up. He did get weighed again and is up to 10lbs5oz. Goodness he is going to be in 3-6 month clothes in a couple weeks.

Tomorrow my in-laws are coming to visit and watch the Bengals game. Christmas day we will just be spent the three of us!

To those who celebrate have a Merry Christmas!!

Cookie777

12-23-2005, 12:04 PM

Jengen ~

That announcement is very cute!

Mamax2 ~

Thank you for posting your birth story! Her big sister must be so excited. :)

***
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays Everyone!!! :D

I'll try to jump on to post if anything happens but so far it's not looking that way...

ktdelsur

12-26-2005, 03:38 PM

Just checking back to see if we had any Christmas babies!

torch76

12-26-2005, 05:28 PM

No Christmas baby here. Today is my official due date. We have an appointment tomorrow morning so hopefully we will know more of what is going on. A week ago I was 4cm and 60% effaced. I'm hoping for more progress. Baby still has not dropped so I am a little worried about that.

I hope everyone that already had babies enjoyed their first Christmas!

malala

12-26-2005, 05:53 PM

She's here!!! Sophia Carmen was born on 12/21 (her due date) at 4:15 PM. She weighed 7lb. 7 oz. and was 20 1/2 inches long.
We are totally in love with this little girl. She's a lot more than I expected. I'm very emotional and a little bit overwhelmed with this experience.
Labor was really good, I got to 10 cm. pretty fast, BUT I pushed for 2 hs. and that was HARD, it was the HARDEST thing I've ever done in my life.
I'll be back later with more details, I just wanted to pop in here to let you know my little princess is with us already. Also, a big CONGRATULATIONS!!! to all the new mommies, and good luck to cookie777 and torch76 with your deliveries.

Here's Sophia today, she's 5 days old
http://images.snapfish.com/3458883%3B7%7Ffp337%3Enu%3D3266%3E382%3E639%3EWSNR CG%3D32333%3B3%3B%3B29%3B3nu0mrj

fwgirl

12-27-2005, 02:49 AM

Congratulations malala!! I love the picture! And we have the same outfit. It's so cute! :)

torch76

12-27-2005, 09:04 AM

Congratulations Malala!!! She looks adorable!

Cookie777

12-27-2005, 09:20 AM

Congratulations Malala! Sophia is so cute! :D And what a good girl..she came right when she was supposed to.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! :D

Well no Christmas baby for me either. It's weird because he dropped down a lot overnight. I woke up Christmas morning & his butt was so much lower.. I didn't know that was possible because he was already so low. I joked saying that he had heard everyone say for so long that it was ok if he came on Christmas..so when he heard all the "Merry Christmas" 's he thought "OH I better get going!" ;)

Here's my 40 week picture in front of my IL's Christmas tree. (look how puffy my hands are! :eek: And you should see my feet..:o )

40 Weeks

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y151/Cookie777/40Weeks.jpg

I have an ultrasound to check his size today @ 12:30 & then an appt right after. I would assume that she'll check me again.. Not sure. I will keep everyone updated!

Jaycee

12-27-2005, 09:43 AM

Congratulations Malala!!! She's adorable!! Liliana has a similar chair but it's a bunny instead of a lamb.

helen22

12-27-2005, 01:05 PM

Sorry to take so long to post! We have had no/iffy internet access, but seem to be back up and in business now. Details to share:

Melanie Helen born 12/12 at 6.10 pm!
7 lbs 10 oz, 20.5 inches

Quick birth story summary: I was induced the morning of 12/12 with my OB practice's midwife, who was absolutely wonderful all day. The only really bad time was waiting for the epidural - I didn't realize that there could be a delay between my saying "OK, I'm ready for it" and them giving it to me - so there was a bad hour and a half while I had to wait to take in a whole bag of saline and for the anestheologist to be available (who, by the way, looked like he was about 22 - frightening!). By about 5.30, though, they brought in the OB on call because I wasn't progressing - I didn't get beyond 5 cm. They said we couldn't wait any longer because the baby was in the birth canal and had already been there too long, so I was rushed in (or it felt that way, anyway) for a c-section.

And some quick comments on a few things I've seen postings on, although I need time (hah) to go back and really catch up on how everyone is doing...

- we supplemented with formula because Melanie lost more weight than our ped liked - she was down to 6-14 three days after she was born. We haven't ended up doing much formula, though, because I rented a hospital-grade pump (gave up v quickly on the manual pump - so painful!) and so have had a good EBM supply
- general comment on breastfeeding - man oh man it is REALLY hard
- Melanie had a touch of jaundice but it cleared up by a week after she was born
- have not used pacifiers yet

And of course, she is an absolute miracle, and we are amazed by her every day :)

torch76

12-27-2005, 07:14 PM

Congratulations Helen!!

At my appointment today I was still 4cm and 60% effaced. She said his head was at a -2 station. We have an induction scheduled for 9:30am Thursday. I will start on a low dose of pitocin and then the doctor will come over and break my water during lunch. Hopefully everything will go smoothly since my cervix is very favorable.

Cookie It's just you and me now! You still look great. I can't wait to hear what happened at your appointment.

kinaida

12-27-2005, 07:36 PM

Congratulations helen and malala!! More baby girls :)

Cookie and torch -- I hope your babies come really soon!

For all of you already mommies -- did you ever think you'd be able to survive on so little sleep? ;)

JRPAGV

12-27-2005, 07:51 PM

CONGRATS, helen22 and malala!!!!!

Sorry I haven't been around much. Needless to say, I've been very busy! And the holidays just made things even more hectic! It's hard to type and play on the Internet because Nathan wants to be held [i]constantly[/b]. He screams and cries if someone's not holding him. This just recently started. Not sure why.

I can't believe it's been three weeks since Nathan was born! :eek:

I'll update on how things have been going tomorrow (hopefully). Things are going well. Well, everything is going well except for breastfeeding. I love this little boy more than I could have ever imagined.

Here's a couple of pictures of Nathan from Christmas. :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/jrpagv/IMG_0217s.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/jrpagv/IMG_0219s.jpg

JRPAGV

12-27-2005, 07:55 PM

For all of you already mommies -- did you ever think you'd be able to survive on so little sleep? ;) NOPE!!!!! And when I do sleep now, I pretty much just pass out.

torch76: Good luck with your induction! You probably won't need much pitocin to get you going. Are you planning on getting an epidural? If you are, then please don't try to wait it out like I did. Go ahead and ask for it ASAP! ;) They have to pump a bunch of fluids in you, and it could take an hour to an hour and a half after you ask for the epidural to get it. Stupid me tried to be brave and wait a few hours before asking for it.

Cookie777: Great belly shot! You look wonderful!

jaredsgirl

12-28-2005, 07:21 AM

sleep Nope...never thought I could. I'm constantly exhusted but I'm fine at the same time. So strange.

JRPAGV So funny, Owen is exactly the opposite of Nathan...he wants to be on the floor, squirming, constantly. He'll be held when he is sleepy, but that is all.

Christmas Owen traveled like a little champ. We had a 5 1/2 hour drive (which was 7 hours with him) and he slept and I woke hiim for 2 feedings, it worked great. But I was ready to kill MIL. She was mean about washing the hands and totally snapped at DH because he asked her to. She wouldn't let me hold Owen, she took him from me (and DH) every time, so in the morning we wouldn't come out of our room right away and spend time with our little man. Then she was constantly telling us what we were doing right or wrong. Now we are wrong because we are going to see my family this weekend and we shoudl have sleep. DH is very irritated, because now she is calling and lecturing us. Ugh. It is kinda a nightmare. We are quite annoyed.

krbb

12-28-2005, 08:11 AM

Congrats to the new mommies and babies that I have missed!

torch - I was 4cm and about 80% effaced when I was induced. It went really well, they started the pitocin about 9 and I had him at 5. The contractions really came one on top of the other about noon. I agree with JRPAGV and get the epidural soon if you want to get one. I had to get Nubian (I think that is what it was at the time I could care less) while waiting. After the epidural I went from 4cm to 10cm in less than an hour. Good luck!!

sleep- I think I am getting like 7 hours a night, but it isn't a deep sleep so I still feel kind of tired, but can make it through the day fine. Oliver sleeps from about 930 to 1. I feed them then he is usually good until about 4 or so, feed him again then sometimes another feeding about 7.

gas - does anyone else have a super gassy baby? Oliver is farting all the time. I think this may be because of the thrush also.

MIL - Mine is annoying also. They were up for Christmas Eve and DHs grandmother came too (she is step and a long story but she doesn't really get a long with them). Anyways great-grandma (first time seeing him) was holding Oliver and MIL was complaining to DH how she has been holding him for too long. Then she finally gets up and goes over and goes ok it is mine turn I waited enough. Then later opening gifts I had to tell her no you aren't going to hold him DH and I are while he is opening his gifts. Is it mean to say I am glad she is in Hawaii the next two weeks?

jaredsgirl

12-28-2005, 08:53 AM

Congrats Helen!

torch and Cookie Here's to hoping for you! I know how frustrating it is to go past your due date!!!!

gas I have another gassy one. Not colicky...but he definately lets them rip!!!!!

Cookie777

12-28-2005, 10:29 AM

Congratulations Helen & Welcome Melanie! :D

JRPAGV ~

Thank you. :) Adorable pictures of Nathan. Wow time flies!

Torch ~

So it looks like I will be the last one after all! Sounds like we both have some stubborn cervix's!

I'm glad that you finally know when your baby is coming. :eek: Tomorrow!!!
***

Ok here's my update. At the ultrasound yesterday, the poor kid was SO squashed in there we could barely get a picture of his face. He has NO room! I feel sorry for him.

So the machine estimated him at 8 lb 15 oz BUT it's over estimating most likely since it tends to do that. I estimated he would be between 8 lb 1 0z - 8 lb 5 oz by yesterday based on how he's been gaining & his previous weights. The midwife agreed with me when I went to see her after the ultrasound. The ultrasound also showed that I was not dilating at all & that my placenta is baked. It's getting calcifications..so it's tired of this whole deal!

So I went straight to see my midwife. She was getting concerned about his size & even though she doesn't want to do an induction (neither do I) she's concerned that I would have to have a c-section..so she scheduled one for me.

I was still only 1 cm. She wanted to strip my membranes. I was kind of hesitant.. Not because I thought it would hurt. I guess I just really was hoping for everything to happen naturally..even though that's just a little push & still is pretty natural. I guess I just mean I wanted to see when he would decide to come..you know?

Anyway, she wanted to do it & so did my husband. So I agreed. She got me from 1 cm to 2 cm's. She scheduled me to have it done again Friday if it didn't make me go into labor..which it's looking like it hasn't.

I thought maybe I was leaking water last night..but I guess it just was my bladder after all. I thought some mucous plug was coming out too but I think it was just a little bit of that mixed with dried blood from the stripping.

Anyway, I think I'll probably skip the Friday stripping. Midwife called this morning to see what was up. I didn't tell her that I'll probably cancel Friday..but we'll see how I feel then.

She said my induction date was pushed back a day..so now I check in on the 2nd & will be induced the morning of the 3rd.

Sorry didn't mean to write a book!

mamax2

12-28-2005, 10:44 AM

Welcome Melanie! That's such a sweet name and I haven't heard it in a really long time.

Cookie ~ Would you be open to trying evening primrose oil? That might be really useful for helping your cervix to ripen and it's still pretty natural, IMO. It's hard to say for certain if any one thing 'works', but I think there might be something to it. Good luck, no matter what you decide!

Sleep... What's that? :rolleyes: Having two kids is incredibly draining. My recovery time has been very minimal, so that's a blessing for sure, but OMG - I feel like I'm constantly in motion for one or the other. And, I feel terrible saying this, but I actually think I enjoyed the newborn phase more w/the first one - being able to sleep in with her, nap when she naps, etc. Now, if the baby is asleep, I feel obligated to be doing something w/my toddler and I'm tired and my patience is about nill so it's rough. My DH is back at work this week and my Mom is helping me some (DD1 is at her house for a couple hours this afternoon), but I really don't know how I'm going to handle both kids by myself for an entire day. I feel like I'm spread really thin right now - like I don't give 'enough' to either kid. I guess I knew it was going to be hard, but I thought I'd handle it a little better than this. :(

Time to get some stuff done around the house while the baby sleeps...

kinaida

12-28-2005, 12:00 PM

mamax -- I can't even imagine having 2 kids at this point. Wow. You poor thing! And last night Ben may have sealed his fate as an only child! He was up from 2 am - 5 am and screamed for the last hour and a half of that time. Oy.

Does anyone else's baby only sleep well when being held? Benjamin will sleep in his swing (not a very deep sleep) but will not sleep in the PnP or crib! He needs to be held to get sleep. So we've taken to co-sleeping, something I didn't really want to do. But it's the only way we can get any sleep!

jaredsgirl

12-28-2005, 12:23 PM

kinaida Owen definately likes to sleep better when being held. Last night we would have had more sleep if we would have just held him all night. Lots of times he will wake up as soon as we set him down, no matter how deep of sleep he is in. But he is starting to be able to fall back to slelep. It definately is frustrating.

ktdelsur

12-28-2005, 02:08 PM

Congrats malala and helen!

Cookie: You look great! It won't be long for you!

jaredsgirl: Ugh, sorry to hear about your MIL. I wouldn't have been able to be nice to her about any of that. ;)

SLEEP: Yes, I wonder how I make it. I'm usually a light sleeper, but now it seems that the times that DH relieves me once in awhile in the early evening (by early evening I mean between 11 p.m. - 1 a.m.), I will entirely sleep through the feeding and have to ask DH "Did he eat? Oh...wow, missed it.." I completely conk out.

Gassy: Yup...no colic here but ours lets 'em rip. It's been better since he got used to formula...can't tell the difference in his gassiness though between breast milk and formula.

CHECKUP: Well, I had my postpartum checkup today - only one stitch left, and I'm down from my birth-date weight of 175 to 148. 18 lbs to go til my pre-PG weight. I almost miss seeing my OB every week...he rocks. I guess we put those folks on a pedestal that helped bring our little ones into the world. I honestly would travel back here if we move someday, in order to have him deliver baby #2 someday. :D

jaredsgirl

12-28-2005, 02:35 PM

ktdelsur My OB says he misses his patients too. We talked in the hospital andhe was saying that as an OB they become attached and then when we leave the hospital they say, see you in 6 weeks, then they tell you at that appointment, see you in a year which really seems like a long time. I miss seeing my OB every day too. Such a weird thing to say!

helen22

12-28-2005, 05:43 PM

Thank you all for the congrats and welcomes!

The sleep deprivation is KILLING me.

JRPAGV, what a cute little Christmas outfit! Nathan looks darling.

Torch76, I second JPARGV’s advice on the epidural, I did the same thing – at least ask your dr how long it would take to get one (where is the anesthesiologist, how much fluid do you need, etc.) if you start thinking it might be a good idea :)

Jaredsgirl, I hear you on the in-laws – mine are driving me totally batty. Just to give one example, they have NO idea when they should leave – they came over to our place on Xmas day to cook for us (theoretically nice) – and they didn’t leave until 11 pm!!! My MIL was falling asleep on the couch by that time, and I wanted to say to her – if you’re tired, how do you think we feel???

Gas – I am not sure what is normal, but Mel has a lot. DH does a great job getting rid of it, he massages her belly a lot which she loves.

Mamax2, I really don’t know how you’re doing it – every time I look at Melanie and assess my sleep deprivation, I think to myself, hmm you might be an only child my dear….!

Sleep (baby’s) – she definitely sleeps better when being held, but because she hasn’t been a champ with weight gain we try to put her down, even if she wakes up sooner/is more upset. Otherwise I’m paranoid she’ll just sleep right through her feeding because she’s too cosy.

Ktdelsur, I’m amazed at your weight loss! Wow. I have my appt on Friday, not excited about getting on the dr’s scale…

Two questions for you guys:
1. Do any of you have the Avent microwave sterilizer and do you like it? We got one as a gift but haven’t used so far, wanted opinions…

2. Any idea how to get baby’s SS#? We want to open a 529 account for her but need the number – think there is a way to find it before it arrives in the mail? Some number to call…??

Cookie777

12-29-2005, 07:44 AM

1. Do any of you have the Avent microwave sterilizer and do you like it? We got one as a gift but haven’t used so far, wanted opinions…

2. Any idea how to get baby’s SS#? We want to open a 529 account for her but need the number – think there is a way to find it before it arrives in the mail? Some number to call…??

1. I bought the Avent microwave sterilizer. Of course I've only used it a few times to do the initial sterilization on my bottles & breast pump stuff...but I like it. It seems to work good. You probably wanted info from someone who's already put used bottles etc in there. haha.. It is easy to use though & they show you plenty of examples of ways to place everything in there.

2. I think for the SS# you just take the baby down to the SS office. When I went there to change my card to my married name..I saw tons of babies down there getting theirs. They also had info there as to how to do it, which I kept..although it's been a while so I have no idea where I put that info. Again, probably something you were wanting to know from those who have already done it. :D sorry..

What is a 529 account?

Torch ~

Best of luck with your induction today! Although you're probably already there getting started & won't see this. We're thinking about you!

torch76

12-29-2005, 07:53 AM

I'm on my way right now. I think one of the first sentences out of my mouth will be "I want an epidural!"

Thanks for the well wishes!

torch76

12-29-2005, 07:55 AM

I'm on my way right now. I think one of the first sentences out of my mouth will be "I want an epidural!"

Thanks for the well wishes!

jaredsgirl

12-29-2005, 08:25 AM

torch I will be anxiously awaiting your news!!!

SS# We got our when we did the birth certificate. They called us that day at the hospital and asked if we wanted the SS# and we recieved the card this week. You do not have to go to the SS office (which was a nightmare when I went to change my name on my card) and if you didn't do it with the birth certificate, I think there is a way to register for it online.

Cookie777

12-29-2005, 08:43 AM

Yay! Can't wait to see that baby! Best of luck! :D

SS# ~

Ok great..thank God. I really hope it works that way here. The SS office is a complete NIGHTMARE here! :( If I can just get it through the mail that would be wonderful!!!

ktdelsur

12-29-2005, 09:11 AM

Our hospital applied for the baby's SS# for us - we didn't do a thing. It came in the mail for us about a week and a half after he was born. Strangest thing, though, seeing mail coming to the house addressed to him already. :D

JRPAGV

12-29-2005, 10:04 AM

torch76: Good luck! I can't wait to "meet" your baby!

SS#: The hospital applied for us, but we won't receive it for 5-6 weeks.

Avent Sterilizer: Don't have this, but I highly recommend those Medela sterilizing bags. My hospital's lactation consultant recommended these, so we bought some from her (you can get them at BRU too). I think 5 bags come in a pack, and each bag is good for 20 uses. You just put the bottles/pump pieces into the bag, seal it, and microwave it.

QOTD: For those of you who are pumping and/or giving formula, which bottles do you like best? We've been using Avent mostly and Nathan screams and cries in pain from all of the gas.

JRPAGV

12-29-2005, 05:29 PM

QUESTION FOR ALL THREAD MEMBERS: The threadmistress of the November Mommies thread PM me to ask what we thought about combining the November and December mommies threads after all of our babies have been born. I told her I'd post about it in here to see what you ladies think. I know a couple of you have mentioned before that our thread tends to move fast. If we combine, it will probably move a lot faster. But, we'll have more women to discuss and compare things with. Let me know what you think. Yay or nay to combining threads soon??

jaredsgirl

12-29-2005, 05:56 PM

I could go either way on it. I think combining would be nice for more help on questions. The one negative would be the large age difference (at this point in their little lives). So whatever the consensus is, I will go with!

JRPAGV

12-29-2005, 06:15 PM

The one negative would be the large age difference (at this point in their little lives). So whatever the consensus is, I will go with! That's my only concern. Well, that and they have already been through a lot of things we haven't, so we would be flooding the thread with questions/concerns they've already discussed. For example, I saw that many of them have already been to their 6 week pp appointment and through the 6 week growth spurt, etc. My little guy is only three weeks old, so we still have a little while before it's time to start talking about those things. Does that make sense?

Cookie777

12-29-2005, 07:20 PM

I basically feel the same way that both of you do. Especially since I'll be waaaay behind them. I'm going to be a little behind all of you as it is with this kid not even being born yet.

I'm sure there could be some good points too..I just wonder if it might get going too quickly. Coming here & having lots of pages to read & tons of replies to make is difficult. I know it's slowed down here but I think that's just because everyone has tiny little babies & no sleep right now. I would assume it will pick back up once everyone gets back on a schedule. There were times it was moving pretty quickly before there were any babies.

I will be fine though with whatever everyone else decides. I've considered posting a little in the January thread just so I don't bug some of you with old questions..but I haven't yet & obviously don't know any of them. I like it here & want to continue to see pictures of all of your babies! :D As well as keep up on all of you & how you're doing.

kinaida

12-29-2005, 08:08 PM

I would be fine with combining threads. I think that we'd be the beneficiaries of their knowledge/experience, so if they're willing, then I think that would be great.

torch76 -- good luck!!

QOTD -- we use the Medela bottles and nipples and we haven't had any problems outside of the normal gassiness. I will second the recommendation for the Medela steam cleaning bags -- love them! They're super easy.

ktdelsur

12-30-2005, 07:10 AM

Combining threads: I'm game for whatever, but I do have the same concern of the baby age difference/us discussing things they've already hashed out, etc.

Bottles: We don't have any sort of sterilizers (oops). No problems so far in our regular cleaning methods. We started out with Medela bottles w/ the slow-flow/orthotic nipples but he sucked stuff down so fast with them he was ALWAYS gassier. We tried the Avent bottle from my manual pump and loved it. Much less gas. Honestly it depends on the baby and you just have to find what is right for them. I'd try Dr. Brown's bottles, but only Babies R Us sells them around here, and the closest BRU to me is 35-40 mins away. I use whatever I can get from Target! LOL

QOTD#2: Those of you pumping/giving EBM by bottle/formula feeding:
How many ounces of formula/EBM is your baby taking in a sitting?! I have a feeling I have a little piggy of a baby. :D

krbb

12-30-2005, 07:15 AM

I will go with whatever the consensus is about combining threads. I see advantages and disadvantages. As long as though don't mind us bombarding them with questions that they have already gone through.

We had Oliver's 2 week check up this morning. He is still doing good and growing, though still has thrush. So they painted his mouth with the genetian violet stuff, it looks like he is wearing purple lipstick now (I will have to get a picture of it) and got him a prescription for diflucan since the nystatin stuff wasn't working. I called my OB to get a prescription for something, probably diflucan. I might have to try pumping for some meals because it hurts so bad, mostly when he latches on. It also creates a shooting pain in the breast when I am not feeding. I hope none of you have to go through thrush!

I will have to get some of the sterilization bags. I had never heard of them!

fwgirl

12-30-2005, 09:27 AM

First thing... I'm thinking lots of good thoughts for you torch and cookie! I hope to read about your good news soon. :)

sleep--mine. I am constantly amazed at how I can function on such little sleep. It's unbelievable what an hour nap can do!

sterilizer. Um, I'm like Katie. We don't have one. We've just been washing our bottles in really hot and soapy water. Seems to be working just fine.

bottles. We've been using Avent with a size 1 nipple. And speaking of nipples, no one ever told me and I never read that we need to check them for cracks and that they wear out. We had no idea and were really surprised when she sucked down her bottle like crazy. And we were also surprised when she emptied her entire stomach on us. Not fun! Now we know and check it every single time. I'm sure our dr's office had a good laugh when I called to find out what was wrong. That was the first thing they had me check. Duh.

ozs in a sitting. I was thinking of asking the same question today. Lo gets 1-2 bottles of EBM a day from DH. She usually takes between 2-3 ozs at a time, but in the evenings we've noticed she likes more. Last night she had 5 ozs over a period of an hour. I was sure she would spit a little up, but nope she took the whole thing. I guess she's really growing.

combining threads. I like the idea. Since my sweet girl was born in Nov. I've been lurking in their thread anyway. If they are willing to have us I say go for it! But of course I'll go along with whatever y'all want to do. :)

jengen

12-30-2005, 10:02 AM

Hey Ladies! I've been so busy with my little one, I haven't even written up my birth story yet. I'm going to try to do it this afternoon.

sleep/breastfeeding Cole is exclusively BF and I haven't started pumping yet, so I am on my own for all of the feedings. He eats for 40 mins and then it takes me like 20 to get him to sleep and then he is up in another 2 hours max to eat again. It is exhausting. Every day (usually at 4 am :) ) I ask myself why I am breastfeeding and have to remind myself of all the benefits. I am very lucky that he took to it so quickly, but it is the most demanding thing I've ever done in my life. I am lucky if I get 5 hours of total sleep a night, but still feel pretty good.

Baby only sleeping in arms At night, he will only sleep in our arms or his bouncy seat. And he will only go into the bouncy seat after falling into a deep sleep in our arms. I keep worring that we've created a monster, but this is how he's been since day one.

combining threads I agree with others - there are pros and cons, but whatever everyone wants is fine with me.

jengen

12-30-2005, 11:10 AM

Cole’s Birth Story

12/13/05 – one day after my due date; show and mild contractions all day long. They feel no different than the B&H contractions I’ve had for weeks, so I brush them off, but Jay stays home from work.

12/14/05- contractions disappeared overnight, whereas they are usually the strongest then. I tell Jay to just go to work, because nothing will ever happen with him home. He does. At 10:56 a.m., I have my first “hmm…this might be a real contraction”. I start timing them and they are very sporatic – 5 mins apart, then 8 mins apart, then 5, then 10 and so on. I decide to just try to relax and ignore them for a while. Around 1:00 p.m., they are still coming and going and I tell Jay he’d better try to come home from work, because this might be it, but I was really worried that once he did they would stop altogether. He works over an hour away though, so I figured we’d better be safe than sorry. He got home around 3 and left a little while later to run out to get me some Gatorade and bread. While he was gone, at 4:15 p.m., I had my first major, I-can’t-breathe-or-talk-through-this contraction. I finally knew for sure that I was definitely in labor. I called my Aunt and told her to head down (I did end up having her in the delivery room). I started timing the contractions and they were exactly three minutes apart. And they hurt. BAD. Jay got back home and started timing them with me and I took a shower, which felt good, but I felt pummeled by the contractions. They were coming so fast and furious, I felt like I had no break in between. We gathered all of our stuff together and called my practice to let them know I’d been in active labor for an hour. They said I was 3 cms dilated at my last appointment, but given that this was a first time baby, I might want to try sticking it out at home a little longer. So, that is what I did. By 6:30 p.m., I had about had it. My aunt had arrived and was trying to convince me to stay at home a little longer, but something told me we better get going. By the time we got to the hospital at 7:00, I couldn’t even talk between the contractions. I was dying for the epidural. It was probably only 15 mins before my Doctor came to check me, but it seemed like an eternity, but I was already 7 centimeters dilated!! :eek: I couldn’t believe it. They got me up to my room and gave me my epidural pretty quickly, which was wonderful. I did have some feeling on my left side, so they had to fix it, but other than that it was a piece of cake and I was a whole new person. The only thing I was really disappointed with was that they didn’t allow ANY family into my room at all. I guess they have a very strict policy where only the coaches can stay and they don’t let people trade off with people in the waiting room.
Anyway, things were moving very quickly. They broke my water around 9 p.m. and discovered there was meconium. Guess it is pretty common, but I was disappointed that he wouldn’t be placed right on me after birth and would have to be whisked away to be suctioned. By 11 p.m., I was fully dilated and started to push. Everything had moved so quickly…it was so surreal!

12/15/05 -Pushing was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. It was very frustrating not being able to feel and not knowing if I was making any progress. They said I was doing great pushing, but he just was not making it past the pubic bone. Well, I pushed with all of my might for 3 ½ hours before he finally arrived!! I guess he had his arm up by his head and that is why he wasn’t coming down. I was minutes away from a c-section, but with an episiotomy and the vacuum, they were able to finally get him out. They had also turned my epidural off an hour and a half ago, so I felt most of the end of it. When he finally came out, I was exhausted to the point where I was almost delirious and that combined with them taking him right away didn’t make for the emotional moment I’d hoped for when watching all of these baby story episodes. :p Plus, I didn’t get to hold him until 45 mins after he was born because they were working on both him and me. We did get some bonding time in eventually and our first nursing session, where he latched on like a champ. They had to get him off to the nursery soon, because the poor little guy had a big bump and cuts on his head from the vacuum. :( I was a mess as well – my face was 3x its size, one of my eyes was swollen shut and I’d broken a ton of blood vessels from pushing so hard for so long. It was a really rough delivery for both of us, but we both recovered very quickly. Our other challenge was that Cole developed jaundice and he ended up needing to stay another day in the hospital..I got to stay also, but we were so eager to finally get home!
All of it was totally worth it, because I have this perfect little baby that we are so in love with! No one could have prepared me for the overwhelming love you have for this little person...he was the best Christmas gift we ever could have wished for! :D

edited to add: the reason he wasn't coming down was b/c he had his arm up and hand by his face!

mamax2

12-30-2005, 11:25 AM

steriling ~ O.k., where do I find these Medela bags and how expensive are they? I haven't sterilized anything yet (last time I did that by boiling), which means I haven't even bothered to use my pump or a pacifier (besides the already sterilized one they gave me in the hospital). How lazy am I? :o

Gas/Sleep, etc. ~ Cate is becoming increasingly gassy/irritable every day. I think I'm going to have to start keeping a food log to see if it's something I'm eating. I really hope it's not dairy (although it probaby is) b/c I LOVE my cheese. I gave her Mylicon drops for the first time last night but she spit them out - twice. We usually end up sleeping 1/2 the night sitting up w/her laying on my chest/stomach to sleep. She sleeps well during the day - in arms, bassinet or sometimes swing or carseat, but at night, she's pretty feisty and wants to be held. For some reason the gas and spitting up are worse then. DD1 hardly ever spit up and I don't remember gas like this either. I swear, Cate would make some fraternity boys blush w/the farts that come out of her :p

thread combining ~ makes no difference to me. I suspect that our thread won't really move all that fast now that we have babies filling our time. It's nice that we all know each other already though.

Krbb ~ Have you thought about taking Probiotics for the thrush? I started taking Probiotics a few weeks ago, in anticipation of the antibiotics I was going to have during labor (but didn't end up taking). Anyway, Priobiotics help restore the natural balance in your gut and keep candida (aka - yeast, aka - thrush) under control. Might be good 'maintenance' program for you and Oliver to keep the thrush at bay since come people are just more susceptible to yeast infections (often because of diet, etc.).

I better go catch a quick nap - both of my girls are asleep and I'm sure this moment of peace won't last long! :D

ktdelsur

12-30-2005, 12:32 PM

jengen:
Thanks for posting your birth story. Wow...there were a lot of elements to yours that were similar to mine (vacuum, etc...even though the vacuum didn't work on Andrew because he had too much hair - we had to use forceps...and I'm glad I had the epi when those arrived. Yowza...) Glad you had a decent experience all in all - why did you swell so much? All the fluids they'd given you intravenously? I was worried about that but it never did happen, thank goodness. How are you doing w/ your episiotomy? I didn't have an episiotomy, just a 2nd degree tear, but luckily I only have about one stitch left according to my doctor.

Glad Cole is doing better after the jaundice!

jengen

12-30-2005, 01:02 PM

mamax2 I forgot to write this earlier, but wanted to say I give you credit with two kids!! I now often ask myself, "my God, how am I going to handle it?" :D

ktdelsur I think I swelled some because of the IV fluids, but definitely as a result of pushing SO hard for so long. I don't think I was taking in a good starting breath before pushing and then was pushing with all of my might - sometimes four pushes to one contraction. My aunt said I never should have been doing more than three pushes per contraction, but my midwife was telling me to, so what did I know? I truly looked like hell - my DH said I looked like Igor. :rolleyes: It was a good 48 hours before it returned to somewhat normal, so there are like no pictures of me with him before he is two days old! :D
As for the episiotomy, I am not sure what degree she did it to, but I think it was 3rd or 4th. I only took Motrin in the days after the birth and am still a little sore down there now, but never felt the need to use the ice packs and they said I was healing really nicely. I saw you bumped the DTD thread and must admit that is what I am most afraid of! :)

ktdelsur

12-30-2005, 01:35 PM

I saw you bumped the DTD thread and must admit that is what I am most afraid of!

Hehe yeah...it should be interesting. It's nice to be able to even just hug DH completely now without a huge belly in the way. LOL

Also, I admit I am terrified of getting pregnant again too soon! We'll be doing everything in our power to prevent another surprise. We're just worried because luckily we were blessed with an "oops" without trying for one...we don't want another surprise for a few more years!

krbb

12-30-2005, 03:21 PM

jengen- thanks for posting Cole's birth story. I found the episiotomy not to be that bad either. TMI...the hemrhoids were worse!

mamax2- Yes I got some probiotics and also some grapefruit seed extract which I have read will help. I don't know how we got this. I have never had a yeast infection before. I picked up some of those bags today at BRU. I think it was $5 for 5 bags which can each be used 20 times.

DTD - I am scared also, though am definitely going to wait until after my 6 week check up. I told DH maybe for Valentine's day!

pumping- I pumped some today, but Oliver did not want anything to do with the bottle. He just screamed like get this thing out of my mouth. He also hates pacifiers. Anyone else have this problem? Perhaps he is just too young!

kinaida

12-30-2005, 03:33 PM

mamax -- here's a link (http://store.babycenter.com/product/feeding_nursing/breastfeeding/breast_feeding_accessories/3854?intcmp=&stage=all) to the sterilization bags. I really like them! They're not very expensive.

jengen -- thanks for posting your birth story. Wow -- what an ordeal! but like you said, it's totally worth it!

helen22

12-30-2005, 03:59 PM

Torch, can’t wait to hear how things go!

Jengen, your birth story is amazing – I don’t know how you made it through 3.5 hours of pushing!!!

Thanks for the feedback on the sterilizer – given the positive reviews of the Medela bags, which sound easier and definitely less bulky, we might return it and get those instead. For now we’re sterilizing things in the dishwasher or by boiling them, but would like something faster/more official…

As for my SS#/529 question – we did request the SS# in the hospital when we filled out the paperwork, so assume it will arrive in the mail sometime soon, but was trying to get it sooner for the 529 thing. If any of you want to open a 529 account for your baby (college saving account, can give you 2005 tax reduction), we found out you can open one in the parent’s name and then transfer it. So my husband opened one that names me as the beneficiary, and then we will transfer it to Melanie. We used the NY one, which you can apply for all online.

QOTD on bottles – we’ve used the Avents, and they seem OK. We tried the Munchkin angled one once, but she didn’t like it so much. DH is really the bottle expert. I’d like to try one of the bottles with liners (like the Playtex Nurser) because it looks good for anti-gas, but we tend to put little bits in the bottle at a time – maybe half an ounce – because we have a hard time predicting how much she’ll take. That method seems like it would be sort of a nightmare with the bottle-liner bottles.

Fwgirl – how do you check the nipples for cracks? Is it obvious when they’re cracked?

QOTD on ozs per sitting – Melanie is totally unpredictable – I missed it last night since DH does the middle-of-the-night feeding, but she was up from 1.30 to 3.30 am and sucked down 6 ounces! Before then she probably topped out at 2.5 or 3. We put no more than 1-1.5 oz in at a time because her appetite is so hard to predict.

Question on combining – I don’t feel strongly, but I think I might be more excited about this in six months or so when the small age difference won’t matter as much. For now it seems like we might be discussing quite different topics. But I’m OK with it either way!

Today was a big dr's appt day - Melanie had a weight check and we were v happy that she is up to 8 lbs 7 oz (goal was 8 lbs 3 oz)! I told her it is probably the only time in her life that people will compliment her on her back fat :D Then I had my c-section incision check - all fine. The dr said they recommend that women with c-sections space their kids out at least 18 months apart - no worries there, I plan to be super vigilent about birth control, the thought of another baby any sooner than that is absolutely terrifying!!

helen22

12-30-2005, 04:19 PM

and here are a couple of pictures - right after she was born:

http://images.kodakgallery.com/photos1691/3/81/86/44/87/6/687448681303_0_ALB.jpg

and bundled up for a walk a couple of days ago:

http://images.kodakgallery.com/photos1573/3/2/26/85/0/8/800852602303_0_ALB.jpg

fwgirl

12-30-2005, 07:01 PM

helen22 all you need to do is gently squeeze the top of the nipple and look for the hole. If there are cracks or tears you'll see them. On the nipple that was cracked it was so obvious. I felt like such a dork.

Thanks for the info on the 529. We were told to look at the Utah plan, but now I think we'll research the New York one too. We probably won't get it opened by the new year, but we want to do it soon. We started saving and put some away in a CD while I was pregnant, but now we've got a bit more from us and from gifts. I would like to have a more formal higher education plan. I think we'll probably go talk to a financial planner after the first of the year.

I can't see the pictures. :(

jengen thanks for sharing your story! We had a similar experience. I pushed for 3 hours & 40 mins, I swelled like crazy and Lo developed jaundice. I relived a lot of mine by reading yours. I agree with you though...it was totally worth it! :)

DTD am I the only one looking forward to it? I miss my husband.

kinaida

12-30-2005, 08:33 PM

DTD am I the only one looking forward to it? I miss my husband.
I'm right there with you -- maybe it's because I had a c-section, but I'm looking forward to getting cozy with DH again. That also may be compounded by the fact that we're currently co-sleeping (which wasn't the plan, but it's the only way the 3 of us can get any sleep at the moment). I'm excited to get my bed & husband back! As it is, when Benjamin falls asleep in the swing, DH & I take every opportunity to cuddle until he wakes up!

jengen

12-31-2005, 08:33 AM

my birth storyedited to add: the reason he wasn't coming down was b/c he had his arm up and hand by his face! :) If he hadn't, I might've had him within 5 hours of going to the hospital! oh well, little guy had another plan! :)

pacifiers I've tried to use them, only when he's really fussy and seems to be using me as a pacifier, but he doesn't like them, and can't hold it in his mouth on his own.

DtD I am afraid, but really miss my DH, too. TMI, but we haven't since I was like 5 mos pregnant!! :o

cosleeping My baby seems to really want to do this. we had another rough night last night trying to force him not to sleep on us and at least go in the bouncy seat. For those of you who cosleep, how do you do it? Do you use one of those protective thongs you can buy at BRU? DH is totally against it, for fear one of us will crush him. I never wanted to either, but the sleep deprivation is making me desperate.

ktdelsur

12-31-2005, 08:34 AM

DTD am I the only one looking forward to it? I miss my husband.

As much as I'm scared of how it will feel...I can't wait at the same time. :D It's nice to cuddle without the big ol belly in the way, and I won't tell you how long its been since we DTD. :rolleyes:

Mrsbuw

12-31-2005, 09:44 AM

Hey everyone,

I have been MIA lately but have just finished reading the last 6 pages. Just Cookie and Torch left- WOW

Jack turned 6 weeks yesterday, how time flies. He is now smiling at us and cooing. It just melts our hearts. He is a pretty happy content baby and only cries when wet, hungry tired etc. He is a good sleeper, he will have a couple of cat naps during the day and then sleeps at night. He usually sleeps for 3-5 hours at a time and then wakes for a feeding and goes back down again.

QOTD Merging threads LIke the others I will go either way, our thread is slowing down a bit so it might not be a bad idea. Since we were early we probably have more in common with some of the Nov mommies then some of you. Either way is fine by me.

DTD Since I had the C-section it isn't as much of a worry with me. My stomach/stiches still ache sometimes though. I have my 6 week apt next week so I should get the okay- DH CAN"T WAIT

I hope everyone has a great New Year. I am going to pump and have a beer tonight !!!

Happy New Year

kinaida

12-31-2005, 10:53 AM

cosleeping My baby seems to really want to do this. we had another rough night last night trying to force him not to sleep on us and at least go in the bouncy seat. For those of you who cosleep, how do you do it? Do you use one of those protective thongs you can buy at BRU? DH is totally against it, for fear one of us will crush him. I never wanted to either, but the sleep deprivation is making me desperate.
We don't use a protective thing -- I just put my arm around him and cuddle him (think how you may have used to cuddle with a teddy bear when you were little). I don't worry about crushing Benjamin b/c he has a very intense startle reflex (which is part of the reason he can't sleep alone on his back -- he startles himself awake). If I were to start to roll onto him, he would startle & probably wake up and cry and push me back. I'm also not a "roller" in my sleep, so I don't worry about it too much.

If Cole is kind of a sleepy baby (i.e., doesn't startle easily or cry very much) or if you or DH are really really heavy sleepers, I would be wary about co-sleeping. If just DH is a heavy sleeper, you can put him on the side of you that is not facing DH.

We plan on gradually transitioning Benjamin to his crib starting at 6 weeks and hopefully having him there full time by 3 months.

FWIW, Benjamin sleeps MUCH MUCH better on his side than on his back. He actually sleeps best on his stomach, but I'd never get any sleep if I put him down on his tummy.

ETA -- feel free to PM me too, I would love to commiserate! :)

torch76

12-31-2005, 11:23 AM

Brenden Calvin
Born December 29, 2005
6:05 pm
6lbs. 6oz.
19 3/4 inches

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/torch76/DSCN0968.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/torch76/DSCN0953.jpg

Everything went really well. They started my pitocin an noon. Broke my water at 12:45. Got the epidural at 3. Started pushing at 5:50pm and he was born at 6:05. It was really great! We got home last night and survived our first night at home. I love being a mommy!

kinaida

12-31-2005, 11:45 AM

Congratulations torch! He's adorable :)

e&d

12-31-2005, 02:01 PM

Hi everyone! I've been reading along but haven't had time to post. This will be a quickie too -- sorry!

I am heartily in favor of combining threads! Love the idea.

co-sleeping: didn't plan to do this but it's how Leo sleeps best. We use a contoured changing pad and put him on it in the middle of the bed. The snuggle nest seemed really big and like overkill; the pad works very well for us and eases my paranoia about rolling over on him.

We plan to transition him to the crib around 3 months or so, but we'll see how it goes. I'd love to get him to nap in the bassinett before then but he only wants to sleep on us. I figure if you buy into the whole "fourth trimester" theory of Happiest Baby on the Block, it all makes sense and I'm not sweating it.

DTD: I am excited to get back to it, but nervous after I read the thread in parenting that ktdelsur bumped up! :eek:

Torch, he is GORGEOUS! Congratulations, and welcome Brenden! You look fantastic too.

I wonder if Cookie is in the hospital.

Re: 529 plans -- I was told we could open one for 2005 as long as we do it before April 15. Just wanted to let you know in case you wanted to get some $$ in there for the 2005 tax year.

Leo is doing fantastically and is SUCH a joy. I am so in love! More later. :)

mamax2

01-01-2006, 10:51 AM

Welcome Brendan!!!

For those of you who cosleep, how do you do it? Do you use one of those protective thongs you can buy at BRU? DH is totally against it, for fear one of us will crush him. I never wanted to either, but the sleep deprivation is making me desperate.
We're part-time co-sleepers and have been for about 2.5 years. I also didn't plan on it, but ended up w/a baby who refused to be put down (that must be a 'first born' thing :p ) Anyway, this time around, it came much more naturally to me and I don't stress about rolling on the baby or smothering her w/blankets, etc. That stuff used to worry me to pieces w/DD1, but now that I've BTDT, I just know it won't happen.

Unless you're using alcohol or drugs, there's very little chance that a mother will roll on top of her baby. Our instincts just don't let that happen. A father's instincts might not be as good though, so if your DH is a *really* heavy sleeper I'd also recommend keeping the baby on the other side of your body.

We don't use a snuggle nest or anything like that, Cate usually ends up sleeping on her side facing me - in the position used for side-lying nursing OR w/me propped up on pillows and her on my chest (she has some spit-up/reflux-ish issues and often needs to be upright after a feeding or she gags & chokes.

With both kids, I've always tried to start them out for the night in a crib and put them down for at least 1 nap/day in the crib, then we move to co-sleeping if/when it becomes needed. This method has worked really well for us and helped us maintain some balance and also made trasitioning to more crib sleeping pretty easy.

DTD ~ I'm looking forward to it, but that's probably mostly because I had such a great delivery w/no trauma. I distinctly remember DREADING it after my first birth - which involved stitches and a little more healing time. Words of advice: don't attempt w/out alcohol and lots of lube. ;)

Thanks for the info. on those Medela bags! I'm going to order some from Babycenter (we don't have BRU here). Looks super easy, which I'm all about these days!

ktdelsur

01-01-2006, 12:28 PM

Congrats torch! He's such a cutie!

4 weeks old... Andrew will be 4 weeks old tomorrow,and it seems like yesterday and today he's taken a turn for the not-so-great in terms of the good sleeping he was doing for the past week and a half! He's got a bit of what we think is diarrhea, and a bit of diaper rash (for which we already have some of the 1-2-3/triple paste), and he spit up big time in Target while I was checking out yesterday. He never spits up - but we were thinking that maybe his 3-week growth spurt was over, and the 4 (:eek:) ounces of formula he slugged down all week last week was a bit much. We backed down to 3, and he's been okay for the most part, except now he's hungry every 2 hours instead of the 3-sometimes 4 he was last week. One day last week he slept from 8am-11:30 a.m. and from 1:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in addition to waking every 3 hours during the night. He was awake every 2 hours last night, and today he seems to want to fall asleep after each feeding for about 5-10 mins, then wake up screaming as soon as I try to put him down. He hasn't napped for more than 30 mins today (and he's only napped twice and its 3:30 p.m.)

He doesn't have a temperature...but I have a momma's intuition that things aren't 100% right. Part of it probably has to do with his sore little rear...but still. I may call the ped tomorrow unless this is just some normal 4-week-old behavior switcharoo thing that will even out around 6-weeks. I can't wait for this magical sixth week I keep reading about.

I'm also confused about sleep training. I'm reading Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, and also reading Babywise (I have two friends who used it with great results - albeit they didn't take it word for word, etc....you can't do that with any method really anyway)...I don't know. I just want to be doing the right thing and not making it hard for all of us when he starts daycare at 9 weeks.

Anyone want to commiserate?

Jaycee

01-01-2006, 02:01 PM

Congrats Helen!! Congrats Torch!!! Happy New Years Everyone!!

I've been super busy with guests and the baby..I'll be able to catch up in the next day or so, but just wanted to stop by and say hi!

I'm fine with combining threads, since I was so early I'm probably right there with a lot of the Nov mommies anyway, however I'm OK with staying seperate if thats what the majority wants..afterall, we have all been through this together and it's more tight knit this way.

Oh yeah.. gas you ask? Liliana can put most frat boys to shame :eek:

kinaida

01-01-2006, 05:19 PM

katie -- your poor little guy :( That is awesome that he had been sleeping so much though!!! I would definitely call the ped, but maybe he's going through a growth spurt? Have you tried letting him sleep on you instead of putting him in the bassinet to see if he would sleep then? If so, he's probably not in pain, just wanting a warm body to sleep on/near.

Okay, I have to give a major shout out to The Happiest Baby on the Block DVD (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006J021C/qid=1136164616/sr=8-2/ref=pd_bbs_2/104-9628899-3027926?n=507846&s=dvd&v=glance)!!! That was the best $26 we have spent yet. Benjamin had some major sleep issues 2 nights ago (up from 1 am - 5 am, screaming in 1-1.5 hour long intervals) and we bought this yesterday and watched it and it actually worked!! He quieted down very quickly (within 5-10 minutes) and, although we didn't get longer stretches of sleep last night (still waking up about every 2 hours), we didn't have the horrible screaming & wailing we have been having at least once per night for the last week or two.

JRPAGV

01-01-2006, 06:10 PM

Happiest Baby On The Block DVD: I watched this yesterday. We had already been doing a lot of what was suggested without knowing it. But, we'll probably start following it a little more. We rented ours from Blockbuster (by mail... like Netflix). kinaida: Did you watch the questions/answers part?

ktdelsur: Hope things get better with Andrew's sleeping.

torch76: Congratulations!!!

ktdelsur

01-01-2006, 06:16 PM

kindra: I'm so glad the DVD helped you...janna:Good to know I can get it at Blockbuster. We haven't had any persistent crying problems, and I hope I haven't jinxed myself now by saying that...but at least I know I can get it there if I want to rent it and take it back! I need to start Netflix again too...we're just trying to see where we are budget-wise first, once Ben starts school again next week. One more semester, then it's thesis-defending time. Phew...

I've been a reading fiend today (in intermittent spurts of time)...finished BabyWise and ... I really need to read something for FUN for a change. LOL

Postpartum bleeding and AF: I can pretty much go without pads now, and it's SO NICE. I am assuming we still aren't allowed to use tampons for quite awhile though - I'm always pretty regular so I'm expecting to be "cursed" with AF relatively soon, despite pumping, etc.

I AM a bit disappointed that exclusive BF'ing didn't work out as well as I had hoped, but I'm trying not to beat myself up about it, since he DOES get some EBM at least once a day. (He takes 4 oz of formula, and it takes me forever and a day to pump 4 ounces when I barely get an ounce, total from both sides, at each sitting.)

Question...Is it okay to mix formula and EBM? Like if I've pumped 2 oz of BM and mix it with 2 oz of formula for a feeding?

e&d

01-02-2006, 06:53 AM

Happiest Baby is the best! :)

Question...Is it okay to mix formula and EBM? Like if I've pumped 2 oz of BM and mix it with 2 oz of formula for a feeding? katie, over in the breastfeeding thread (or maybe it was pumping?) this was discussed and several people said they did it frequently and it was fine.

Poor Leo had a gassy night last night. I hate seeing him so uncomfortable! I think I need to do a better job burping him. Often he doesn't burp though, so I'm not in the habit! Maybe I'm not doing it right or something...any tips, anybody?

around the world

01-02-2006, 07:29 AM

I feel like such a heel, haven't been here in forever! My apologies to all the new mommies for not properly congratulating you all! All of the babies are gorgeous, but of course, I would have expected nothing less. Congrats to you all!

A few quick things. First of all, Iris has passed through the marker of having her first cold. Ugh, that was not fun. But she is nearly over it, just four days later (ha -- just!) with us only suffering only one night of complete hell. So glad that is behind us. Phew.

Second of all, e&d, I cut out drinking straight milk (I haven't cut out dairy entirely, just the 12oz glass of milk I'd drink about twice a day!) at the advice of BFing friends, and it has done wonders for Iris' bad/painful gas. She still toots up a storm, but it doesn't seem to bother her now. I think I saw mamax2 say something about this earlier in the thread, but anyway, that's my advice!

I don't care one way or another about joining threads -- the older the babes get, the less it matters, I'd say. But then again, I'm technically a November mama so take my thoughts with a grain of salt anyway. Whatever the consensus is is fine with me.

Katie, I'm jealous that your bleeding has stopped. I'm just spotting mostly, but still. Gah. Will be so glad to be over this part of portpartum recovery. Everything else went so easily for me, but this is taking for-evah.

Gotta run, baby is crying, but I wanted to post a picture from Christmas of Iris. Here she is in her Christmas finery before we headed out to my mom's for dinner:
http://girlclassical.smugmug.com/photos/50627599-M-1.jpg

And oh, what the heck, the most recent pic of her, at 5 weeks:
http://girlclassical.smugmug.com/photos/50627216-M.jpg

Hope everyone is well! I'll try to check back in here more regularly, now that the holidays are behind us. Kiss those babies, won't y'all!

jengen

01-02-2006, 03:13 PM

congrats, torch!!

gassorry to those having issues...Cole is a pretty good burper, though he 's been spitting up a lot lately, so I don't have any advice.

aroundtheworld glad Iris' cold is gone...I am so not looking forward to that! She is adorable, BTW!

thank you everyone for the advice on cosleeping. Right now, he sleeps best on my chest, but it freaks DH out.

These aren't the most flattering pics of my son; he's developed baby acne :( and Mommy was trying so hard to rush to capture it that I didn't use the close-up mode on my camera, but here is proof that babies can truly smile at 2.5 weeks old! :D

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6df20b3127cce96120b694de800000016108AbM2Llu4aNQ
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6df20b3127cce96120a810d9800000015108AbM2Llu4aNQ

kinaida

01-02-2006, 03:47 PM

jengen -- those are adorable! I can't wait until Benjamin really starts smiling at us. He has smiled while he's awake, but it's more of a grin and not a huge all-face smile like Cole's :)

aroundtheworld -- Iris is beautiful! So much hair!

janna -- I did watch the Q & A section of Happiest Baby on the Block. Some of it was repeat of what he had said in the DVD, but there were some good questions that I had that got answered in that too. I wish I would have thought of Blockbuster carrying it! But I'm kind of glad that I have it and can loan it out to other tired parents.

QOTD -- For the first 5 weeks, I think I was running on adrenaline or something because, even though I was sleep-deprived, I was still functioning okay. I think I've hit the wall though. I've been sooooooooooo tired lately and it's been really hard to get out of bed or wake up in the middle of the night to tend to Benjamin. Has anyone else felt this way or has it just hit me really late?

JRPAGV

01-02-2006, 03:49 PM

OMG, jengen! He has the cutest smile! What made him smile like that? Was it just random?

around the world: Sorry Iris had a cold! Glad she's better now. She's adorable, by the way!

ktdelsur

01-02-2006, 04:37 PM

jengen:Andrew's got some baby acne too...its going away and getting better though on its own. The doc said there was really nothing we could do in terms of medication or anything. Your boy is SO adorable - I can't quite seem to catch a smile on camera yet but I've been trying!!

aroundtheworld: Iris is gorgeous! Love that hair!

I didn't want to post baby pics here because it's so public...but here's one of Andrew snoozing on New Years Eve...I'll keep it here for a little bit.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5cc10b3127cce962202f04fdc00000036108Cbtm7Zm2aS

JRPAGV

01-02-2006, 04:41 PM

ktdelsur: Cute pic of Andrew!

jengen

01-02-2006, 04:54 PM

thank you, ladies!! :D my brother was tickling his stomach a little and I was standing above him, sticking my tongue out at him (I read you should do that to encourage responses from newborns on one of my babycenter updates). Anyway, not sure which one got him smiling, but I just grabbed my camera and started snapping. :D He has smiled here and there, but nothing like that.

e&d I only had that energy the first week. I am tired all the time now, even on the nights where I get more sleep than others.

ktdelsur Cute picture of Andrew! :D

fwgirl

01-03-2006, 04:30 AM

Adorable pictures ladies! :)

Jaycee

01-03-2006, 06:48 AM

Awwww Jengen and Katie, your boys are so cute!!! I can't believe you are getting smiles at 2.5 weeks!! All Liliana was doing at 2.5 weeks was sleeping.

Speaking of sleeping...Liliana will have none of it!! At least not in the bassinet or in her crib. She'll pretty much only sleep in our arms or during the day in her swing. HELPPPPPPP!!! I'm so paranoid that one of us is going to roll over and suffocate her that we are getting very poor sleep, and so is she. She hates being swaddled, so how do you girls who are having some luck recommend I put her to sleep? Can someone please explain the Shusshing method from "Happiest Baby?" Maybe I will go out and get it today.

Today is DH's first day back to work, and pretty much my first day alone with my girl. I have my 6 week follow up with my OB (technically 7) in an hour and a half. I'm looking foward to getting the green light to start working out and having sex again. :eek:

krbb

01-03-2006, 08:15 AM

baby acne- if you are breastfeeding just put a little breastmilk on it and it will clear it up in less than a day.

DH Working- DH went back to work last week. Since he had Monday off the past two weeks I have two days alone then he works from home on Thursdays and Fridays. The first day he went back was rough, but I think part of that was because I was up for four hours straight the night before. Today will be the first time I take him out alone!

sleep- I think we are doing pretty well, I feel rested enough. We start Oliver's bedtime routine about 8:30. He gets his pajamas on and a story and fed. DH will put him down, he is still sleeping in the pnp next to us. If he starts crying we will settle him. He will then sleep until about 1 or 2. I will feed and he usually goes straight down after feeding. I then feed him again at about 6. We then get up about 9. I won't let him sleep more than three hours during the day, as suggested by the No-Cry Sleep Solution. I was going to see if the library had the Happiest Baby.

Jaycee- The only thing I can think of that you could try and hold her until she is out cold. Lift her arm and if it falls then put her down then. If she wakes up we just repeat it.

All the pictures are so cute!! :D

Jaycee

01-03-2006, 08:35 AM

I just got back from the OB's office. I feel like such a schmuck..I thought my appt was for 11, but it's not until 2:15 :eek: Oh well, I guess it was a practice run in getting myself and the baby ready and loaded into the car..I get to try it again in a few hours :o

mamax2

01-03-2006, 10:03 AM

Jengen ~ I can't believe those smiles on Cole! Too cute :D

Around the world ~ looks like you better take stock in some hair accessories; it'll be not time at all before you're entering the world of barettes and pony tails w/Iris!

krbb ~ I am soooooo jealous over Oliver's sleep pattern - that sounds awesome. Right now, Cate goes down around 10:00, wakes to eat at roughly 12:00, 3:00, 6:00, 7:00 and is up for the day anywhere between 7:30-9:30. I also try to wake her every 3 hours during the day, but if I didn't she'd seriously sleep all day :rolleyes:

Going it alone w/baby ~ Good luck to everyone navigating their first days alone w/baby. My DH started back to work a couple of hours/day the day after we got home from the hospital :eek: I was not happy about that, but when you own your own businesses, it's just how it is. Luckily w/the holidays, he had a couple of days off and a bunch of my family was in town (not staying at my house, but close by) so I've had a little help every day. I haven't had to go a whole day w/both kids yet nor have I tried to take them anywhere solo. We're still using the divide and conquer method ;) I'm hoping for a nice day w/out rain tomorrow and I'm going to try to go to a store or something and see how I manage on my own.

kinaida

01-03-2006, 10:12 AM

krbb -- I'm soooooo jealous of that sleep! Right now Benjamin wants nothing to do with sleeping at night. The Happiest Baby stuff is GREAT at soothing him and even getting him to fall asleep, but he doesn't STAY asleep for more than an hour or an hour and a half when we soothe him that way. It's driving me crazy. The alternative is to allow him to CIO on/near us -- but he doesn't always stay asleep that way either. Either way, he's up every 2 hours lately. Ugh. I think maybe he's going through a growth spurt? I'm hopeful. And I need him to sort through his days/nights SOON or I'm going to go crazy. I know that these weeks are supposed to be the hardest (just as DH goes back to work). But crap. At least Benjamin is starting to smile at us nowadays -- more like a grin, not a full-fledged smile quite yet. But it's going to come soon! I can't wait.

katie -- he's BEAUTIFUL!!!

ktdelsur

01-03-2006, 12:27 PM

Thanks for the compliments on Andrew - I'm still bound and determined to get a smiley picture! I never have my camera at the right moments.

I'm trying out a bit of the BabyWise method, and so far, so good. We'll see how it goes tonight. Basically I'm making sure he eats every three hours during the day (the book says to wake them if they're not already waking on their own, but he definitely will not miss a feeding, he's always woken up on time) and then let them sleep as they will during the night, just feeding them when they wake (if its been 2.5 - 3.5 hours since the last one, etc).

I also am going to establish a nighttime routine, starting tonight in terms of a bath, jammies, a story, then bed. I guess we were just winging it, seeing as though he's so little and its not as if he's going to be into the story or anything...just enjoying our voices. I definitely see the importance of the routine beginning soon though.

This morning his first feeding was around 6:45, and I should have just woken up myself then and gone about my business. 6:30 is ideally when we'll both be waking in order to get ready for work/daycare in a few weeks.

Venturing out alone w/ baby: I've been to the grocery store w/ him once (he slept the whole time), to Ross (very brief...crowded and I didn't find what I needed), and to Target (where he had his biggest spitup ever in the checkout line). None of the experiences were bad...but I have his first restaurant outing coming on Thursday. A few friends from work asked me to lunch (us to lunch!) and I'll be meeting them at a restaurant downtown with Andrew at 12:45...hopefully he will have just eaten and will sleep through the majority of it. The restaurant is not large and it will definitely be a "scene" if he starts to scream. They don't have a good diaper-changing place, either (a one-room tiny bathroom), so I guess I'll just do it in the chair next to me or on my own lap w/ the changing pad? He doesn't just SCREAM...so lets hope he doesn't start then. It is definitely a challenge to get him ready AND myself ready and showered, when I'm home alone!

Sleep noises: Is anyone else dealing with a noisy sleeper? Last night I thought something was wrong with him because, for lack of better words, it sounded like he was trying to hock up something...! A real full-voiced volume, gutteral, throat-clearing sound along with squirming. (Different from grunting w/ a bowel movement or something.) But I look over and his eyes are still closed, and after a few seconds, he's still and asleep again. It seems that in the period right before he's really awake, this comes in 20 minute intervals, where I think he's waking up, so I wake up, then as I'm getting up to get him, he's back asleep again. Really annoying when I want to get as much sleep as I can but he keeps making those loud noises...when he's getting himself back to sleep though, he sighs with every breath. "Hmmm...ahhh....ehhh, hmmm..." cute, but annoying when you're sleepy! LOL

Kindra: I wish I knew what to tell you about Benjamin's sleeping. I'm sorry you're having to deal with that...that's so tiring, I can imagine. We're only going barely every three hours at night, so we're not far ahead of you. So does he always co-sleep with you or has he slept anywhere else? Wondering if he'd transition okay to a bassinet or something if that would help? I really dont' know what else to tell you but I hope things get better for you...that doesn't make the already-present sleep deprivation we're all dealing with any better.

e&d/burping: I meant to post about this awhile back and kept forgetting. (Is anyone else forgetful nowadays? I almost left here for the grocery store in my slippers the other day.) Andrew is a great burper - we burp him every ounce or so (formula-wise) or between each breast if I'm BF'ing. Really all we do is sit him up on our lap for a second to get things moving, then put him over our shoulder and firmly (don't be afraid, you won't hurt him) pat him on the back. Once he burps once, I rub his back from the hips to the shoulders and it pushes a few more right out after it...

jaredsgirl

01-03-2006, 02:54 PM

Well I'm so far behind. I don't even know where to start.

venturing out with baby Well I finally did this today for the first time. It was to the Mommy's class (which was great) at the hosptial. It was so easy so I'm goinig to be going out more often

Noises Owen is the king of noises. He grunts, he wimpers, and any other noise. I just attempt to tune them out.

Baby Classes Are you guys doing/going to do classes for the baby? I started the New Parent class at the hospital today. I think I am going to do some ECFE classes as well. Just waiting on the brochure for that.

Rolling over Owen rolled over on Saturday. The funny thing, I'm not sure if it is a fluke since he has almost done it again several times. It is when we are doing tummy time on the floor and he is moving his head. We were with my family and saw him do it once and then almost do it again! We have a prodigy! Just kidding. It could definately be a fluke though.

doubleR

01-04-2006, 09:56 AM

hi girls!! it's been over a month since I've logged on / checked in... life has certainly been consumed by Brady. he is so amazing and it's unreal how much you can love someone, isn't it?

a huge congratulations to all of you, I've enjoyed looking at pictures of your beautiful babies. so precious they are...

I don't have much time as I have a 1:15 doctors appointment - going in a few days early for the 6 week post-baby appointment b/c I think I may have a breast infection. so not sure, even at almost 6 weeks, it could also just be a latching on problem. breastfeeding is probably the most difficult thing I've ever done. And I say this after giving birth with absolutely NO pain meds whatsoever. ha! my labor progressed very quickly. but I've had so many ups and downs with the whole BFing thing, I've been ready to give up, I've been supplementing which I think has created nipple confusion for the baby, and guilt for me... people say it gets better, I'm just wondering when.

but I just wanted to check in and see how everyone was doing as new moms. as much as I'm enjoying it, I am finding it incredibly difficult to get anything else done... I seriously have no idea how people do it. and I'm so emotional... not depressed, but just generally overwhelmed and really emotional.

I have not ventured out with the baby by myself yet ~ DH has been home this entire time with me, but starts traveling again next week. I'm not looking forward to that at all, but maybe it will give me the push I need to resume to somewhat of a more *normal* life - at least get me out of the house once in a while ;) it's been so cold and snowy here, it's actually been quite nice to be *stuck* inside.

and yes, noises. oh my god, I feel like I'm jumping up every few minutes to check on him... most of the time it is nothing, but I fear that it's the one time I don't check, he'll be choking or something and I won't know :rolleyes: I've got a very gassy little guy here. cute as anything though and I just love him so freaking much I can't stand it :)

will be back soon to check in again and hopefully a bit more regular. happy new year everyone and I hope all is well with each of you :)

jengen

01-04-2006, 12:47 PM

venturing out alone first time today! :D We went to Old Navy and the grocery store. DH went back to work this week and I can't handle being cooped up alone 24/7. It felt good to put on normal clothes and makeup and ventur out. ;) I'm in maternity clothes still, but have lost 27 lbs. 20 more to go! None of my non-maternity shirts fit b/c my BB's are so much bigger, hence the trip to Old Navy.

noises he grunts and groans a lot

rolling over not yet, but he's getting there

parenting classes I think it's a great idea, but we're not doing them.

the fighting-sleep-at-night club
kinaida, are things going any better for you? Cole is an angel during the day and I can put him in his bouncy seat, the swing, even prop him in the boppy and he won't fuss a bit. At night, forget it...and it's getting worse. Now, he only falls asleep on me and not deeply like during the day. I actually have to wake him up every 3 hours during the day. And then this morning he woke up at 4 am, wide awake, smiling and cooing and didn't fall back asleep for 2.5 more hours!!:eek: When will this kid stop mixing up his days and nights?

Cookie777

01-04-2006, 01:06 PM

Hello ladies!

I just wanted to stop in & let you all know that...

Brandon Michael JR was born on
December 30th
@ 3:17 pm. He weighed
8 lbs 1 oz & was
21.5 inches long.

I'll have to come back later with my whole birth story.. Here are his hospital pictures. His head was still a little messed up when they took the pictures. He had a VERY bad conehead & had to be vacuumed out. :(

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y151/Cookie777/BMKJR1.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y151/Cookie777/BMKJR2.jpg

So far things are going pretty good. We've had some issues with latching on but it looks like we're pretty much there now.. Part of the issue was when he would latch on he would just fall asleep, so I knew he wasn't eating enough.

I have a ridiculous amount of breast milk & it's extremely painful. So I'm having to pump just for relief & so that it relieves some tightness otherwise he isn't even able to latch on.

I took him out for the first time yesterday because the pediatrician wanted him to come in for a weight check...since we had some latching issues. The first day or so home he was having less wet diapers..urine starting getting darker & he hadn't pooped. Because of that I started pumping & giving him a bottle..just to keep him hydrated, get some bowel movements & get his energy up to really try at breast feeding. That seemed to work great.

I take him back to the pediatrician tomorrow to make sure his weight is going back up. Other than that I'm not taking him anywhere. I had to take him by myself yesterday because my husband had a lot of things he needed to do. He cried at first in the car but passed out pretty quick.

He was really hungry by the time we were leaving the appt & didn't want to nurse at the Dr.'s office. They told me to try in a private room...but he loves to be swaddled & on the boppy when nursing..so that wasn't happening. I gave him a pacifier on the ride home, but that's basically the only time he's had one other than for a few minutes in the hospital.

So that's my somewhat quick update. Hope everyone had a great New Years Eve & Day. Happy New Year! :D

jengen

01-04-2006, 01:35 PM

Congrats, Cookie and welcome Brandon!! He is adorable and almost the same size as Cole! (he was 8 lbs, 2 oz 22" long) Glad to hear BF is going better!

kinaida

01-04-2006, 03:01 PM

cookie -- he's beautiful! Congratulations :)

jengen -- you can be president and I'll be vice president of the fighting-sleep-at-night club! Ugh. It was a little better last night in that he was only up from 2 am - 4 am (as opposed to 12 am - 3 am) -- but it's still not good. DH stayed home from work today b/c he was so exhausted. I'm just hoping that we just have to endure this time until 6-8 weeks and it will magically get better? I have no ideas. Benjamin seems to be getting worse, not better. His longest time of sleeping (which means sleep - wake up to eat - fall back to sleep easily) is from 4 am - 11 am. Which is a nice stretch, but it woudl be great to shift that from 12 am - 7 am!

Ah well....

Mrsbuw

01-04-2006, 03:34 PM

cookie
he is just beautiful, can't wait to hear his birth story

kinaida & jengen I hope your babies start to sleep better soon. Jack is almost 7 weeks and he almost has a sleeping pattern. He also goes back to sleep right away. For us the magic seems to be swaddling, that and the fact the kid won't sleep during the day....makes for a long day sometimes....

Jaycee

01-04-2006, 03:38 PM

Congrats Cookie!!!!! Welcome baby Brandon!!! He's so CUTE!!!

kinaida & jengen Can I join the club too? :( She sleeps great during the day, but once night time rolls around forgeddaboudit!!

mamax2

01-04-2006, 03:52 PM

Welcome Brandon!!!

His longest time of sleeping (which means sleep - wake up to eat - fall back to sleep easily) is from 4 am - 11 am. Which is a nice stretch, but it woudl be great to shift that from 12 am - 7 am!
If it helps, I can loan you a very noisy toddler that will pretty much FORCE everyone in the house to be up by 7:00 am - that ought to help re-set Ben's sleep rhythm ;) :p

Actually, Cate's sleep is deteriorating too. And, it's not just that she's awake, but she's fussy. My first DD wasn't like this at all - she never just cried. Basically, she cried when she wanted to be fed or held so I could always 'fix' it, kwim? But, w/this baby, I spend so much time pacing, boucing, swaddling, un-swaddling, changing, feeding, etc. I just can't seem to figure out the right combination. To make matters worse, I think she has an intolerance to something I'm eating - probably dairy - so I need to change my diet which I'm soooo not looking forward to. I have no idea how to live a life w/out dairy! What do you put on your cereal? What do you eat for dessert if you can't have ice cream? No more cheese?? :confused:

O.k., my boss is up and screeching again...

kinaida

01-04-2006, 04:05 PM

jaycee -- that's Ben exactly. He's dream baby during the day and then turns into monster baby at night.

mrsbuw -- that's what I'm hoping for, that Ben will "figure it out" at some point and start to have some kind of sleeping pattern. Well, actually, he does, it's just not the one I want him to have! :)

mamax -- that's how Ben is too, that he's fussy when he's awake (at night -- not during the day). Ugh. I really really really don't want to cut dairy out of my diet and I don't think it's that b/c he's not rashy or anything. Just fussy and only during the night. Is Cate fussy all the time or just at certain times of day?

fwgirl

01-04-2006, 04:11 PM

Hi everyone!

Congratulations cookie!

venturing out alone. We haven't really gone out alone yet. We went to the drs office once for a weight check a few weeks ago, but that's it. If I need to run errands I leave Lo with DH or my mama. We go out, but I'm still nervous about going on my own. And I really am not ready yet to feed her in public.

noises. My little girl is a noisy sleeper! I am so convinced she's awake or about to wake up, but in reality she's completely out. It's cute during the day, but makes it difficult to sleep at night. We actually just transitioned her to her crib for nighttime sleeping on Jan. 1.

sleep. I feel a little guilty even posting this after reading about what some of you are going through. Last night Lo slept from 11:30pm to 7am. It was unbelievable! I'm pretty positive it was a fluke. I woke up at 3:30am to check on her and she was great so I let her sleep. I slept so well too. I haven't had a good night sleep like that since a few months before she was born. If she goes back to waking multiple times in the night I'm just going to remember last night and appreciate it. Maybe she knew I was needing a break.

happiest baby on the block. I love this book! For you ladies that recommend the dvd... Did you read the book too? Would you still recommend the dvd? I think I'll add it to my blockbuster.com list.

rolling over. Not even close, but she is following noises and objects with her eyes and neck. It's very cool. I think she's recognizing our voices over other sounds too!

reading. I have a silly question about reading. When you read to your little one do you show them the pictures? I sometimes do and I sometimes don't. I don't think she can see them yet and I'm having a hard time balancing her when I do try and show her. What do you do?

Overall things are going well at our house. Lo was six weeks yesterday and her next dr appt is tomorrow. I'm anxious to see how much she weighs and how long she is. I feel like she's grown so much! Feeding is going about a million times better. I'm bf'ing almost exclusively. She gets an oz or two of formula every few days if I haven't pumped enough for a full bottle in the evening. We make sure she gets one bottle a day. DH really, really values that time with her.

She's started to smile real smiles and they make me melt. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. She even has a little dimple in her right cheek. Too cute! I haven't been able to catch it with the camera yet, but I'm trying. Also, she makes the most adorable noises. DH and I have so much fun playing with her and listening to her develop her voice. I often wonder what it will sound like when she starts talking. Right now though I am enjoying this infant stage and taking it all in. I just love to look at her and take in her baby smell. Ah, I'm smitten.

Last weekend DH & I left her with my parents for a few hours and we went to the ocean to dig razor clams. It was a beautiful night and the stars were very bright. It was fun to be "us" and have some time together. Also, she'd been really fussy earlier that day and the break was something we needed. Anyway, we considered it a date and think we'll make it a regular thing to make time for just us. (Besides my parents felt like they were in heaven since we trusted her with them and they had her all to themselves!)

Okay, gotta go. Hope everyone is doing well and I'll think "sleepy thoughts" for everyone.

Go USC!

around the world

01-04-2006, 04:19 PM

Cookie, congrats on Brandon! He is just gorgeous, and what great pics you got of him!

Quickie question for mamax2: I *think* I remember you saying something about your SIL having a Volvo and only one of the Britax convertible carseats fitting in it - am I making that up? Anyway, I have the smallest Volvo and am looking to get our next carseat, with all the post-Christmas sales going on, but am not sure which will fit and also don't live anywhere near a BRU to try one out. Then something sparked in my memory about you saying something along these lines a while back. If it wasn't you, it's just my crazy mommy-brain at work I guess! ;)

jengen

01-04-2006, 04:34 PM

mamax2, kinaida and jaycee Hope we all have better luck in the sleeping dept soon, but glad I have some people to commiserate with! :)

fwgirl Cole will be 3 weeks old on Thurs. I want to start pumping so DH can give him a bottle at night (and give me a break). When do you pump so that you have EBM for the evening bottle? And what do you do when you are skipping a nursing session when your DH gives the baby a bottle? Do you pump at the same time? If not, do you get engorged from going more than 3 hours between feeds? Sorry for all the questions but I'm so clueless about pumping and I don't want to screw up what has been a great BFing relationship thus far.

krbb

01-04-2006, 04:40 PM

Congrats Cookie!!

All the babies are here now aren't they?

sleep - I feel really lucky now how Oliver is sleeping. I'm sorry some of you are struggling. One thing we do at night is that when he wakes up I just use this small night light (it is a small stuffed animal that has a light in its belly and it is more of a glow). I also don't talk to him when nursing him like I do during the day.

breastfeeding - this is getting better, I think his thrush is finally getting better also. I was in tears a couple times because I was getting frustrated with the pain and seeing the thrush on his tongue. I met with a lactation consultant yesterday and it has been 100 times better. I am starting to enjoy it and am more confident. She gave me pointers on the latch and it has really helped. I still plan our outings when I think he will not be hungry!

sleep noises - He definitely makes them. He also farts in his sleep.

rolling over - not there yet. He did almost once but I think it was the angle of the couch coushin.

smiles - none while he is fully awake, he usually smiles after he is done eating and half asleep.

reading - I will show him the picures. Not sure if he can make them out yet though.

around the world - I am thinking of getting a Volvo, the V70, and was just wondering does it take regular gas or do you have to get premium? Are you happy with yours?

postkalidurga

01-04-2006, 05:29 PM

I'm amazed at how so many of you seem able to keep up with the thread still! I keep reading along but then I'm too tired to post or have to go be a mommy.

Combining threads: I agree with the poster who suggested doing this later once the ages between our babies won't matter so much.

mamax2: I'm a huge dairy lover too and had to cut it out about half way through the pregnancy. Rice milk has been a godsend and soy is all right too. Eventually you don't even really notice anymore when it comes to cereal or baking. Unfortunately, there really isn't any good cheese substitute and I could do with a good pizza right now!

Venturing out alone: I haven't had to yet. My Dh took a lot of vacation time and won't be going back to work until next Monday so Isaac will be 2 1/2 weeks by then. We did go out just the two of us (dh and I) and left Isaac with my parents for an hour or so. I haven't been keeping EBM so we made sure we were within running home distance but he was a complete angel and slept the whole time after being a terror for us all day.

Lack of sleep: I am losing track of how often he is up at night. Sometimes he is doing fine and others he is up every 3 hours which means an hour of feeding, burping, changing and getting him back to sleep, another half hour for me to wind back down and then only 1 1/2 hours of sleep for me before he is up again which is, of course, interrupted by waking to check him (which isn't too bad, we are co-sleeping). It is wearing on my relationship with dh though. He has started just sleeping in the other room or on the couch. We ordered a co-sleeper which arrived broken before he was born and we are awaiting the replacement. They said it would be here this Monday or Tuesday but we haven't seen anything yet :( .

Rolling: Isaac started rolling onto his side at four days old. It is a bit weird really. At least I don't have to worry about flat head because he turns his head from side to side all the time while he is sleeping and rolls onto his side quite a bit. At least he is not rolling over yet.

Weight gain: Isaac is such a little trooper here! In the first two weeks, he gained one pound, one ounce and grew an inch. His head grew 2 centimeters! He has also developed a double chin and is working on a third chin... However, the midwives are worried I have lost too much to be able to maintain breastfeeding if it continues (6 lbs above my pre-pregnancy weight at 13 days postpartum) so I am back to forcing myself to eat. Sigh. Apparently, she thought I looked 'gaunt'.

Breastfeeding: This started out easy as pie. He latched right on in the hospital and we just sailed through. The midwives told us he would have 2 or 3 messy diapers and probably only feed a few times but he had something like seven messy diapers and was feeding every couple of hours in the first 24. Once my milk came in though, things changed. It was still fine at first but then my boobs seem to over-produce and he ends up choking and sputtering while trying to feed, basically I'm drowning him in breastmilk. He pulls off and starts wailing and then wails if I don't put him right back on. He also tries to pull back and only have a bit of my nipple in his mouth where he then tries to grind it back and forth between his jaws. He also has trouble making it to the hind milk so wants to feed way too often because he digests the foremilk much too quickly. To top it off, we've developed thrush. Sigh. So, breastfeeding isn't exactly the beautiful relationship I was looking forward to but I'm sure once he develops enough to control the flow properly and we get rid of the thrush it will be fine. The midwives have been a great help and have shown me some new ways of dealing with this excess flow. I'm trying not to express or pump so that I won't keep over-producing but every once in a while I simply have to let off some pressure. One time when I did express for about thirty seconds I had about 2 ozs of EBM - of course it also pours down my chest when he pulls off. What a mess. With the thrush though we have to throw it all out anyway so as not to reinfect unfortunately. The flow finally does seem to be slowing down, thankfully.

Bonding: I'm a little envious of those of you who are so in love with your little ones. It took me two days to fall in love with Isaac and then that carried me through for about a week where he was just adorable and I was an island of calm and patience. Now with the sleep deprivation and breastfeeding issues I'm pretty irritable and grumpy and though I'm not annoyed or angry with him (usually anyway), I'm not feeling the warm fuzzies much right now either. Isn't it the first six weeks that are the hardest?

On the flip side, I talk to my friends who are going on with their interesting childless lives, developing businesses, travelling to other countries, attending parties, dating and breaking up, and living in general and I wouldn't want to be in their shoes, so it certainly isn't all bad. I do love the times when Isaac falls asleep on my chest and we just sort of hang out for a few hours. I think once I heal down below and can take the stairs more easily and more regularly to get myself more food I will feel better! I think feeling so dependent on dh is taking its toll as well.

Anyway, I was planning on posting Isaac's birth story but this post is already too long, and it is time to go feed him!

around the world

01-04-2006, 05:34 PM

krbb, I love mine, the S40. Love everything about it, in fact. DH has a Saab 9-3, very similar car but the quality in the Volvo is a lot higher IMO. And the safety can't be beat. I get decent gas mileage, certainly better than DH's car, but not as good as my friend's Accord FWIW -- and we use mid-grade gas. Not the highest, not the lowest, although I think we could get away with the lowest since I don't have the Turbo. I have been told by people who know these kinds of things that you only *really* need the higher octane gases if you have something other than a standard engine... A friend of mine has a V70 and LOVES it!

I'm interested to hear about the gals who are pumping -- when and how it's going -- I want to start pumping to up my supply and have a stash in the freezer for babysitters, etc. but have been hesitant to get started...

ktdelsur

01-04-2006, 05:53 PM

Hey ladies!

Congrats Cookie! He's adorable!

sleep: As we speak he's in there grunting away. I think I need to talk to the pediatrician though - we've had a few diarrhea issues and it seems like a lot of his mid-sleep grunts are followed by loud gas/poop sounds. Ack! He only gets a little breastmilk each day - mostly formula, so I dont know if something I'm eating is affecting him that much, or whether we need to switch formulas? I don't know. We thought it might be a lactose thing, but he didn't have a problem w/ the formula initially.

Still sleeping in 3-hour increments, and it doesn't seem to be changing anytime soon. :(

bonding: I loved my boy instantly - but it does get really hard when they are having a screaming jag, or just won't go to sleep. I got so frustrated one night I just poked DH and told him it was his turn...I was going nuts.

Andrew is a month old tomorrow (thursday)!

kinaida

01-04-2006, 06:33 PM

Ugh! I had this whole long thing typed out and I just lost it all!

pumping -- for me, pumping has begat more pumping. You just have to get that FIRST bottle pumped and then it's not too bad. Allow DH to feed DC that first bottle and then you can pump some more and normally get more out than the first time. Your baby is still getting stuff out, even if your bbs don't feel "full". Benjamin takes about 2.5 oz per feeding and I can normally get that out of one bb. Funny story -- we went to see King Kong on Christmas Day (IL's watched Ben & gave him a bottle I had pumped) and when I got home my bbs were like ROCKS. So uncomfortable! But I pumped 5 oz from one breast!!! I call them my King Kong Bbs :) Pumping has not affected our bfing relationship negatively at all -- and DH enjoys the time that he has feeding him as well.

breastfeeding -- this is going pretty well for us still. He's about 11.5 lbs right now, according to the bathroom scale! He's 5 1/2 weeks old and his birthweight was 7 lbs 14 oz, so that's about 1 lb/week. He's a chunker! He's got the cute little chubby thighs :) He's almost out of 0-3 month clothes!

I love the drunken milk face look that he gets when he pulls off and looks so satisfied :) That makes me laugh. I also have a pretty good supply, as can be seen by Ben's prolific weight gain!

bonding -- I feel like we bonded in the first week or two. The last 2 weeks have been really trying & tiring for me and it's hard for me to feel very maternal or loving at 4 am when I've been up for 2 hours and have a screaming baby in my arms. I find myself often wishing that this phase would just be OVER and we can get to the more fun time (like 6 months). But I know that I will miss this time when they're so cuddly.

katie -- I would be in HEAVEN with 3 hour stretches of sleep! :) I used to get that much...

fwgirl -- enjoy every minute of your sleep! That's wonderful that she's sleeping so much.

helen22

01-04-2006, 07:03 PM

Torch, congratulations and welcome Brenden! And Cookie, congratulations and welcome Brandon! Your babies are gorgeous :)

DTD – excited but nervous, and at this moment in time we would probably both rather sleep. My dr said she gives c-section patients the OK at four weeks, only one more week to go…

Happiest Baby DVD – is the DVD much better than the book? I have the book, although I haven’t really made my way through the whole thing…

Burping – our ped told us that if we can’t get a burp, at least hold her upright for 20-25 minutes after feeding, which seems to help a lot with gassiness and spit-up.

Jengen, those smiling pictures are darling!! As for being tired – I’m amazed you went so long without hitting the wall, I am so worn out all the time.

Sleeping (baby)– Jaycee have you tried putting Liliana down with music in the crib/bassinet, or maybe with the “womb” sounds from the Happiest Baby CD? I’m not a big believer in the womb CD, but Melanie seems much more content with music playing.

Alone with baby – this is the first week with DH back at work and it is tough! I am definitely relieved when he comes home each day, just to have another person around who can hold her. I also remain irritated that we had our in-laws around for so long, because it made the time that DH was home from work more stressful. Oh well. I took her out alone for the first time today – it is not easy to maneuver with a stroller…

Do you guys only use strollers so far? Has anyone tried a sling or baby bjorn to take the baby out?

Mamax2 – I’m glad I’m not the only one with a sleepy baby! I hate having to wake Melanie to eat, it is so frustrating.

DoubleR – I so hear you on both the breastfeeding and the emotions! I watched an old episode of ER today and of course had to cry (although come on that show can be really sad, right???) And I cannot believe how hard BFing is.

Question on Glamourmom tanks – did anyone buy the nursing bra “top” instead of the tank? I think I am now a 36E (was 36DD during pregnancy) and thought the “top” would be more supportive than the tank. Any advice?
And does anyone have a promotion code they want me to use?

ktdelsur

01-04-2006, 07:50 PM

Do you guys only use strollers so far? Has anyone tried a sling or baby bjorn to take the baby out?

I use the snap n' go carseat carrier when I need a stroller - its GREAT, I LOVE mine. Easy to manuever, quick to set up, etc. I have a Combi stroller for when he's bigger though - it doesn't fit my car seat. Haven't used it yet.

I have the Baby Bjorn, which I love, and I've gone outside in the yard with him in it, and if I need to do some housework or something and can't put him down for some reason, I'll use it then too. He usually just falls asleep. Normally he hates being confined but I guess since he's so close to me, he gets warm and just wants to snooze!

TOTALLY TMI QUESTION:
Are any of you dealing w/ hemorrhoids at all? I never in my life had one before but after childbirth...had a few. How are you dealing with/treating them if you DO have them?

Jaycee

01-04-2006, 11:48 PM

Do you guys only use strollers so far? Has anyone tried a sling or baby bjorn to take the baby out? We have taken her out in the Bjorn. DH wore it in fact and it was really cute!! I happen to love the stroller though, it's great for holding everything when you go shopping :D I also have a peanut shell sling which I wear her in at home and it's great for doing stuff around the house!!

Katie I got a little one at the end and I had never had any either. I basically used tucks pads and I tried prep H on it went away pretty quickly.

krbb

01-05-2006, 07:00 AM

sling- I have the adjustable kangaroo fleece pouch. I have used it out and love it. It is easier to use than carrying his car seat in. Also I like how people won't come up close to him in it. We have used his stroller once for a walk. Also the sling is great to calm him during the day. It puts him to sleep instantly.

ktdelsur- Yes I have been dealing with hemorrhoids! Ugh this is the most difficult part of recovery. I haven't really been doing anything except the tucks pads, though think I may need to get some preperation H. I dread bathroom time!

pumping- For those that pump have any of your babies not taken the bottle? I tried once but Oliver wanted nothing to do with it, he just screamed!

Here is a picture of Oliver with his purple lips after a treatment for his thrush.

http://www.buten.com/oliver/day18_24/orb19d05.jpg

fwgirl

01-05-2006, 08:07 AM

jengen I am definitely no expert on pumping, but I'll tell you what I do. I pump in the mornings after Loren's first feeding and empty each side. Then I usually pump one time in the afternoon after a feeding as well. And in the evenings when DH is giving her a bottle of EBM I pump and that's my biggest session of the day. I usually get about 2 oz in my after feeding pumping sessions and between 4 & 5 oz while DH is giving the bottle. I pump for ten minutes. Also, I completely agree with kinaida that getting the first bottle is the toughest. And that if you are away awhile without feeding and then pump you get a lot! After our date on Sunday I came home and pumped and got 7 oz. That's a record for me!

I haven't started my freezer stash yet since we use what's in the fridge, but I plan to start one soon. It just seems that the more I pump the more supply I have. Oh, and it's true that even if you've just pumped and then your little one gets hungry there is still milk there for them. There have been times when I've just pumped, but then Lo gets fussy. I'll nurse her and I know she's getting milk because I'll see some dribbling down her chin.

But like I said I'm no expert that is just how it works for me. :)

kinaida we call this... the drunken milk face a milk coma in our house. ;)

bonding. I love my little girl like crazy, but she can really test my nerves.

glamour mom tanks. I have two of the regular tanks and really like them! My code is KAJO90 if you want to use it.

***

We have a dr appt today and I'm a little nervous. I just hope she's gaining like she should and that she doesn't cry too much with her shots.

Oops. Someone is waking up. Gotta go.

ETA: krbb that picture is so cute!

ktdelsur

01-05-2006, 08:39 AM

fwgirl - your girl is already getting her shots?! I was told not to come for shots until 8 weeks?

jaredsgirl

01-05-2006, 09:43 AM

Congrats Cookie!!!

Hey girls! My little guy is doing great! He is a little champ and has gained 2 lbs since leaving, he is 9lb 1oz. I'm so excited!

Blocked tear duct Did I read in hear that someone's little one had this. My guy just got it yesterday and they said it could last a year and if it doesn't go away by then we would have to have surgery. GREAT! He has a little cold and they think that is what caused it. Poor guy, now I have to do saline drops in his nose, tear duct massage and clean his eye.

Pumping Just starting to build a supply. We want to be able to go out for a longer period of time together and have a sitter for Owen. So I did my first bag of milk this morning. You guys get so much when you pump, I get about 1.5 oz when I pump but I know he gets more when he feeds. Strange, my bbs must not like pumping.

bonding I think it took a couple of days for it to set in...but now, especially when I feed him, I feel this incredible connection to him. It is so wonderful. So now we are feeding him a bottle and my heart breaks to not feed him, but I know it is to his and our benefit to take a bottle once a day from DH.

Sling I have the Bjorn, but haven't used it yet. I'm interested to see how it goes. I'm going to try it out this weekend I think.

Hemrroids Got one. I use Tucks for it if it is bothering me. Now this is TMI, but it only bothers me when I have a particularly rough BM. Otherwise I don't notice it.

DTD I am dying to get this started again. Jan. 23 is the day that I get to be cleared for that. Can't wait!!! Well I should say I am nervous about it hurting for the first time too, but I know DH is counting down the days.

kinaida

01-05-2006, 09:56 AM

jaredsgirl -- what kind of pump do you have? What has helped me get more out is if I squeeze my breast while pumping. I have an electric pump though, so if you have a manual pump, that might be a little more complicated, but I find that I get way more out in a shorter period of time if I massage my breast downward while pumping.

helen -- I don't have the Happiest Baby book, just the DVD. We really liked the DVD because you got to see him swaddle and get the technique down. Plus, I feel like I'm drowning in reading lately, so it was nice to just be able to watch something and pop it in whenever we need it.

sling vs. stroller -- I haven't used the sling out yet. We put him in the bjorn around the house (which he loves and has loved since birth just about), but it's been too cold here to walk anywhere and it seems easier to pop the infant seat in the stroller vs. taking him out of the seat, putting him in the bjorn, etc. I'm hoping that once it gets warmer out, I will be using the sling more. I also have a mei tai that I haven't used yet, but I want to use it soon. We've only used the stroller on one outing and I loved pushing him around :) There was something that was very "I'm a mom" about it to me!

kamileer

01-05-2006, 10:45 AM

I've been TOTALLY MIA (must be the sleep deprivation!), but I wanted to chime in that Maya fights sleeping at night too. It is driving me C-R-A-Z-Y!!! She sleeps like a charm during the day. In fact, I have to WAKE her up from her nap in a couple minutes. Nightime is a whole other story. She isn't a crier but she is awake (and will scream bloody murder if we try to put her down without being asleep at night). I am praying that it gets easier soon!

kamileer

01-05-2006, 10:47 AM

Forgot to add - Maya has a blocked teat duct too!

Question about music... I don't have any "baby" CDs yet. Any recommendations for nighttime?

Sebski

01-05-2006, 10:53 AM

I hope you guys don't mind my poking my head in...I'm a Nov 05 mom that lurks in your thread and wanted to respond to postkalidurga about bonding... it's soooooooo normal not to feel over the moon connected with your little one all the time or immediately. I had a very difficult labor/delivery that left DS in the NICU and left me feeling robbed of the bonding that you read so much about in the beginning. Anyhoo - the first few weeks were rough. Between the BF and adjusting to this little being dictating my life now, well... I was less than enthused to be a mom all the time and (don't tell anyone ;) ), I wanted to send him back. It got much better for me around the 4w mark. And, by 5w or 6w I was utterly bowled over by my son. I just wanted you to know that you aren't alone in feeling what you're feeling... I felt totally alone and embarrassed to admit it to anyone. It's completely normal - especially on extremely hard days. Trust me though - it will get better. I wouldn't send him back now for anything! ;)

Sorry for butting in!

mamax2

01-05-2006, 11:17 AM

Is Cate fussy all the time or just at certain times of day?
Just the times that she's awake :p No, really though, she more or less has fussy bouts and it's not necessarily in the middle of the night but just that late evening time when you're dead on your butt and dying to get some shut eye. During the day, it's random and there's quite a bit of puking, burping, tooting, etc., which leads me to the dairy intolerance thing. I've given up milk already and I'm trying to avoid cheese - next step... ice cream :( I'm just really hoping this doesn't turn into colic, which typically develops at the 3 week mark (this Saturday for us).

Bonding ~ It was instant w/Cate, which kind of surprised me since I didn't feel as 'bonded' during the pregnancy. However, w/my first DD, I distinctly remember looking at her and thinking 'she's not that cute' or having moments when I just cried from feeling so overwhelmed, etc. So, it took me a few days the first time around as well.

Stroller/Sling ~ I use the the fleece pouch around the house pretty often, but haven't used it out yet since, like someone else mentioned, it's too cold here to take her out of the carseat, put her in the pouch, etc. in a parking lot; it's easier to just take the infant carseat in. That said, the only places I've gone have had shopping carts or restaurants where we just carry the seat in and put it on the floor. I DREAD having to use that double stroller.

Outings ~ I haven't offically done a solo outing w/both kids yet, although yesterday, I did take them both to Marshall's shopping and told my Mom just to 'spot' me, but not to help me into the store or anything. So, getting in the store was o.k., but leaving was impossible. I was carrying the infant seat in one hand, my shopping bag in the other which left me w/no hands for my 2 y.o. - good thing my Mom was there after all! So, I've offically decided that I can only shop w/one kid :p

around the world ~ Good memory on you! Yes, my SIL has a Volvo sedan and couldn't comfortably fit the Britax Marathon. She ended up w/a Eddie Bauer seat or some sort - not sure if she tried the Roundabout or not.

Sleep glorious sleep ~ We had our best night in ages last night! It started by sending my 2 y.o. for a sleepover at Nana's :D DH brought home take-out, so after dinner, it was just us and Cate - no dishes, no bathtime, no bedtime struggle - it was beautiful. I forgot how carefree life could be! Then, I went to bed at 10, leaving Cate and Daddy to finish watching the Rose Bowl. I heard her fussing, but amazingly blocked it out. I fed her at 12:30, 4:45 and 8:00 --- she actually went 4 hours between feddings at night!!! Woo-hoo!!!

jaredsgirl

01-05-2006, 11:26 AM

kinaida I will have to try the massaging. I did get 2 oz out of one side this morning. I have the Medela PIS. I'm just getting the hang of this pumping thing so I appreciate the help!

drunken baby We constantly joke that Owen is "drunk off milk". He is joining MA (milkers anonomous) because he is addicted..."Hi, my name is Owen and I'm a milker." Also, we call him our little frat boy (neither DH or I have any affiliation with fraternities/soroities), especially when he wears his polo sleeper (shown in the picture below). We say he parties, gets drunk off milk and passes out. Then he lets out the large burps and farts just like a frat boy. It is definately our little joke. My parents gave us the polo sleeper and they were in the greek system so we think it is appropriate!

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5cc34b3127cce95b91fc5ac2100000016108QatWzlm3ay

krbb

01-05-2006, 12:50 PM

kinaida - I will try massaging next time I pump. I got about 1.5 ounced the first time I tried. I did again this morning and got about 3.5 ounces. Now lets just see if he will take it.As someone else mentioned I feel a little bad for giving him a bottle.

jaredsgirl - That is too funny about your little "frat boy". I never thought of it that way, but it does fit!

bonding- It took me awhile too to feel bonded. Now that feeding has gone better it has definitely helped.

jengen

01-05-2006, 02:12 PM

Bonding I didn't bond with Cole immediately at birth, like I posted in my birth story. The whole labor went so quickly and then the pushing was a nightmare so when he finally came out, it just didn't seem real yet. They kept him in the nursery that first night and took forever bringing him in to me the next morning for his feeding and that is when it hit me. I missed him and couldn't wait for them to bring him in and when they did he just looked at me so alert with those big eyes and I finally felt the bonding begin.

stroller/sling We have the Bjorn, but I haven't used it yet because it is too cold here to get him all unbundled out of the car seat and into the bjorn once we arrive at the store. I haven't used the stroller, either, but need to start. He is so heavy in the snugride now and he is only going to get heavier!

blocked tear duct Cole's right eye has been blocked on and off since Christmas Eve. Since it is not that bad, I haven't called the pediatrician. I was going to wait until our one month appt unless it gets worse.

pumping I really need to get on the ball. I haven't even tried yet. I was waiting for his 3-week mark, so now that we are here, I guess I should try by the weekend. He had no problem taking a bottle in the hospital when we had to supplement with formula b/c of his jaundice, but haven't given him a bottle since then. I don't anticipate having any problems, because he just seems like one of those kids who will take food from wherever it comes. We'll see!

question about your finger size changing I had to stop wearing my rings in my 8th month of pregnancy b/c of the swelling of my fingers. Well, I am 3 weeks post partum now and have lost 28 lbs and my rings will not even go over my knuckle. Before I stopped wearing them, I could still get them on and over my knuckle, they were just too tight. Now, it won't even come close to going over my knuckle, even though I've lost more weight than I was in my 8th month and have no more swelling. Do you think my fingers changed sizes or should I wait til I lose more weight before having them resized? Did anyone else have this happen?

Cookie777

01-05-2006, 03:10 PM

Cute pictures Jaredsgirl & Krbb! :)

Thank you for all the congratulations ladies!

Wow there's a lot to catch up with in just a day or so.

Pumping ~

I'm glad to know that you ladies are pumping as much out as I am. I thought I had psycho boobs! I get so engorged that he can barely latch on. I agree that pumping makes more milk & more need for pumping..etc etc.. Vicious cycle. But I'm glad there's a lot rather than not enough. I'm just still paranoid about him getting too used to the bottle & not wanting the nurse..but he seems to be fine with it so far.

I started the pumping because I noticed less diapers when he first brought him home..so I got paranoid. I had to pump around noon today because he was barely able to latch from how tight they were & was too tired to try. So I gave him some EBM I had in the fridge & pumped 7 oz. I could have pumped more but I'm really not wanting to have rock hard chi chi's ALLLL the time from over production! Plus I don't want to have to pump some just so he can nurse. It's been less than a week though so I'm thinking/hoping that all of this will flow together better soon.

Question?:

How many hours will you let your babies sleep or go between feedings if they don't seem hungry before you wake them or try to nurse/bottle feed them? Sometimes I feel bad about waking him up to eat because he just looks tired but I'm working on getting back to his birth weight at this point & building his strength up. He's seen the pediatrician twice now for weight checks & everything is great..but I guess I just want to get him over that first milestone before I relax a little. Am I just paranoid? The pediatrician wasn't in today but her nurse said to keep doing whatever I'm doing as far as feeding..but I wanted some opinions.

Bonding ~

I feel pretty bonded to him. More each day. I was bummed to have to give him a little bit of formula at the hospital, even though he was nursing it with the SNS & it was necessary since he hadn't eaten in a long time. I like the freedom of bottle feeding the EBM, so that it goes quicker & I can have some wine with my husband...but I feel guilty each time & paranoid that he'll get too used to the bottle.

I prefer him breast feeding because I feel like everything is going how it's supposed to..although during the night it can be rough if I'm too engorged & he has to struggle..or goes to sleep because of that comfort factor of me being so close. I'm looking forward to him & I making more eye contact with nursing than we are now. He seems to want to either go to sleep..or he's looking more directly at my chest since we're tummy to tummy with the boppy. Oh..& he does not like to nurse w/o the boppy!

Cookie777

01-05-2006, 03:13 PM

Finger Size ~

Pleeeease nooooo! Don't tell me that's possible! My husband is on me every day to try my rings to see if they fit. I'm going to cry if my fingers stay this size. I wore them until 34 weeks & then they were just too tight. I can barely get them on but they're like cutting off my circulation. I was hoping that as soon as some swelling left they would fit again...since they fit through a lot of the weight gain. I'm going to go try them on............

fwgirl

01-05-2006, 03:17 PM

We're back from the doctor's office. It went really well. :) My little girl is a peanut of a thing. She was 8 lbs 4 oz and 22 1/2 inches long. She's in the 25th percentile for weight and 75th percentile for height. And her head is in the 25th percentile. The ped said she was perfectly healthy and everything looked great.

Yup, ktdelsur she had some shots today. She was six weeks on Tuesday and since this was smack dab in the middle of her one month & two month appt they just combined them. (She was a holiday baby so her one month appt would have been at Christmas and the ped was gone.) She had her 2nd Hep B shot and all the 2 month shots. Five in total today. It was really hard to watch, but she only cried for a moment and calmed right down. The nurse told me that since it was a little early for the shots that she might be more prone to a slight fever or fussiness in a week, but that was normal. So far so good. Now we don't need to go back until her 4 month appt. We can go for a weight check (or any other reason) if we want to before that.

Anyway, that was our day. Whew am I happy it's behind us. :)

helen22

01-05-2006, 04:58 PM

I’ll have to try out our baby bjorn and sling – that’s a good point that it keeps people from getting too close. Also a stroller can be sort of a nightmare to maneuver around NY – horrible sidewalks, tiny crowded stores, etc.

Krbb, have you tried different kinds of bottles? Melanie likes the Avent, but was fussy with the Munchkin. Also has DH tried giving the bottle? I haven’t given her one yet because our lactation consultant said they’re less fussy getting a bottle from dad for the first few weeks.

Pumping – I try to do most of my pumping in the morning, I get much more earlier in the day (usually between 4 and 7 oz). Then I also pump during any feeding that is supplemented – these are in the evening and so I get more like 2-3 oz. I tried using the Avent manual pump and it was a nightmare for me, so I rented the Medela Lactina which is fantastic (this is the one they have at my office). I pump both sides at the same time for 5-15 min each time. I am not freezing anything so far because we are in the process of weaning her off of supplemental EBM bottles. Oh I also pump after taking a shower if I’m not nursing right away – another rec from the lactation consultant, she said the warm water usually causes a bit of engorgement that should be relieved.

Another pumping question: what are you guys using to store the EBM in the fridge/freezer? So far I’m just using spare bottles. If you’re freezing, how many oz do you put in each container?

Kamileer – we have some classical CDs (one is “baby Mozart” but to me it sounds just like any other classical CD) and also just play all kinds of random music for Melanie. She seems to have a strange affection for bluegrass….

Finger size changing – my hands are still so swollen, although I could wear my rings up until the last week of my pregnancy, I definitely can’t now. I am actually starting to think that my hands are swollen now from carpal tunnel or some kind of wrist strain – I’ve realized I am really using my wrists a lot to support the baby’s head, etc., and they get sore by the end of the day. Not sure how to fix this….

Cookie – our ped had us wake Melanie every two hours when she first came home because she was v close to the 10% mark in her post-birth weight loss. All her weight checks have been great since then, so now we let her do pretty much what she wants at night, and try not to let her go more than 2.5 hours during the day. Both ped and lactation consultant now agree that as long as she feeds at least 8 times a day, that is fine – however they are spread out.

ktdelsur

01-05-2006, 06:07 PM

Pumping: I am jealous of those of you with good breastmilk supply. When I pump I get maybe a 1/2 ounce per side. One ounce per side on a good day. I only BF him maybe 2-3 times a day and pump the rest of the time, feeding him formula the remainder of the time. (He still gets formula after each BF'ing session because after many sleepless trials - what he gets from me is not enough to fill his tummy, but is a nice healthy appetizer. LOL)
I don't know if I am just cursed w/ hardly any milk or what, but I think w/ his jaundice and the supplementation in the beginning might have had something to do with it. Plus I didn't nurse as often as I should have during the first three days or so due to a few different factors (mainly his lethargy/jaundice...we let him sleep too long not knowing he was sick). I enjoy being able to have other people feed him too much to kill myself to bring my supply back up. If it stays like it is now, I'll be happy. It takes me at least 3-4 pumping sessions (if not more) to get a 4-ounce bottle for Andrew. :( I tried the Medela Lactina/Symphony, but for some reason the manual pump works better. I don't know if it is a control thing or what. I was going to buy the pump in style, but I get what I need in 10-15 mins or less w/ the hand pump though. I'd like to be able to at least keep this supply going until he starts rice cereal - I should be able to pump enough to mix w/ servings of that later.

Waking to feed: Because he was jaundiced in the beginning, we were instructed to wake him every two hours (even using a damp washcloth if need be) to make sure he ate because that would help the jaundice. After he was up over his birth weight, she said we didn't have to wake him to eat anymore. We're experimenting a teensy bit with a sleep-training method loosely based in BabyWise, so we wake him every three hours to eat during the day, but let him go as long as he wants sleeping at night. Honestly we've never had to wake him to eat...he lets us know when he's hungry!

Quick dumb question: How long does it take for food to go through your system? Meaning, if I eat something spicy that I don't particularly want to pass on to him...how long do I have to wait before BF'ing/pumping?

Weight/swelling: Luckily I haven't had any swelling issues this entire pregnancy minus a few swollen ankle sessions after long days at work. My rings have always fit...but if it were me, I'd probably wait to lose more weight before I got them fitted to prevent having to do it twice.

Exercise:At my postpartum appointment I forgot to ask my doc about exercise (mainly crunches, etc, not necessarily anything more aerobic than brisk walking around the neighborhood) - is 6 weeks the norm before you are usually cleared for strenuous exercise or is it pretty dependent on the person? I guess I should ask him, I just didnt know what the norm was.

Jaycee

01-06-2006, 06:40 AM

Hey fellow mommas, I figure it's about time to post a couple of recent pics of Liliana:
Here she is all bundled up in her stroller for our daily walk to Starbucks:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6df27b3127cce96255028a7f900000016108BbNmzNq1aA

Here she is pursing her lips..makes me just want to eat her alive!!!
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6df27b3127cce9625502ca7fd00000016108BbNmzNq1aA

kinaida

01-06-2006, 07:13 AM

jaycee!!! She's beautiful! I love that last picture :)

katie -- I'm not sure how long it takes for food to go through our systems. I've heard 24 hours? Also, I think that exercise is okayed at the 6 week appt for most people.

waking to feed -- never have to do this! The longest he's ever slept is 4 hours (once). My boy doesn't miss a meal...

sebski -- thanks for stopping in and sharing your experience with bonding. It makes me feel guilty sometimes that I'm not over-the-moon yet. I have my moments, but sometimes I am just way too tired to really feel much of anything.

finger swelling -- I wore my rings up until about 37 weeks. I put them on 4 days pp. I'm sure that the swelling will go down soon! Drink lots of water.

helen22

01-06-2006, 08:34 AM

weaning off supplemental feeding...anyone else trying to do this? Since Mel's weight checks have been good, we got the OK to scale back on EBM bottles - but are having a really hard time with it! Last night she was up with DH for her middle-of-night feeding - my break - and went through 8 oz! (over a 2.5 hour period) - which makes me think she isn't getting enough during the day and still needs those bottles. She just isn't a very efficient nurser, I guess, and falls asleep when she's not really full. It is so frustrating. I just called the ped to go in for another weight check and see the lactation consultant again on Monday...

Of all the things I've been surprsied by and wish someone had warned me about, "breastfeeding is a total nightmare" is the biggest. "Don't let your in-laws visit right away" would probably be number two....

Jaycee, adorable pictures!!

Mrsbuw

01-06-2006, 09:04 AM

Jaycee Liliana is so beautiful!!!! Do you call her Lili for short or Lilana?

finger swelling I stopped wearing my rings pretty early. I am now wearing my wedding bnd but not my engagment ring.

waking to feed My guy is pretty regular, just about every three hours. He did sleep for almost 5 hours yesterday, from 8:30 to 1am and was pretty hungry for that feeding.

katie I heard 24 hours as well.

QOTD has anyone had any wine/beer yet? I decided to celebrate New Years with a beer right after a feeding. I had half a beer felt very tipsy and then VERY guilty...times have changed :)

have a great day!

ktdelsur

01-06-2006, 09:25 AM

ANyone have any advice on transitioning to the crib? DH starts grad school classes again in a week, and needs more sleep (as do I). Andrew is still only sleeping in 3 hour stretches at night, but is SO NOISY we both keep waking up when it turns out he is still sleeping.

I'd love for him to be in his crib - I put him in it for a little bit today - he laid there and looked around for about 15-20 minutes, then cried to be picked up (he wasn't really sleepy at all when I put him in there...just wanted to see his initial reaction).

I know we'll still have the monitor in there, etc...but it's going to be hard for me not to be scared he's going to quit breathing or something and I'm not just a foot away. Paranoid, I know.

(I'll let you in on a secret...even though I'd be glad to have him in his crib, is it weird that I'm a little sad he's "Growing Up" already? LOL)

e&d

01-06-2006, 12:00 PM

Hi everyone! I've been reading along but busy as I know everyone is...

bonding: It took me a day or two for things to sink in. Like, "Wow, we really have a baby." (I still sometimes think that. ;)) I felt almost indifferent in the beginning. I was happy and all, but kind of distracted. I don't know. For me, the bonding built every day and I'm the happiest I've ever been. I dreaded the newborn stage bc I have always found tiny babies intimidating and scary, but I am very surprised to be loving it!

wedding rings: I am just this week, 6 weeks pp, getting my rings back on! They are on now and slightly snug but workable. Hang in there a few more weeks before resizing!

more later, off to nap.

e&d

01-06-2006, 12:03 PM

ps: Leo is the homepage baby on www.americanbaby.com today. :) Unfortunately you have to be logged in to see him but if you have an account there (or want to create one which is no big deal), you can see him. I used to work there so I think they felt obligated. ;) I just wish they had used a better picture!

ktdelsur

01-07-2006, 11:54 AM

Quickie cross post from my LJ:

Any ideas on the eating weirdly part of this?
-------------------------------------
Well, that was easier than I thought. Now if we could get him to sleep through the night we'd be set!

I started yesterday by putting him in there for naps (with the help of a friend's advice!) - he protested at first. Not by screaming or crying, but with just by laying in there for more than half an hour, just being wide awake and checking things out. He didn't nap all morning and finally fell asleep in there after I left him for at least 40 minutes just grunting to himself. He slept from 2:30-5:45 p.m. and didn't go back to sleep again until 9 p.m. I discovered that I needed to make what he was laying on a little cushier (like the bassinet - we lined it with a fleece blanket that made it softer to the touch), so I took that same blanket and put it in the crib, and he was fine...

Granted, he started eating weirdly.

Starting Thursday night, we switched back to the soy-based formula to see if that is what was giving him diaper rash (lactose, etc). Usually he'd take up to 4 oz in a feeding, and starting yesterday morning, he'd barely take 2 ounces, then want to fall asleep. I did everything in my power to keep him awake because I knew he'd wake up soon for the other 2 ounces. I don't want him to get into a "snacking" habit. So after he slept til 5:45, he ate a full 4 oz. Then by 8:30 when he wanted to eat again...he barely took an ounce and a half and was totally uninterested after that. He slept til 11:45 or midnight, and took all 4 oz. Took 2 oz around 3, then more around 6:45 this morning. I don't know what's up...he's always DOWNED the formula (especially during his 3-week growth spurt)...maybe he's just backing off since the growth spurt is over? Any ideas?

Either way - we slept a TEENY bit better with him not in the room, but I still would wake up every few hours and turn up the monitor to hear his breathing, then turn it down a bit and go back to sleep. LOL

My folks are coming in today...so he'll be nice and spoiled. I hope we can keep him on his crib-napping even though Nanna and Granddad would be more than happy to let him nap all day on their laps. Hehe...

kinaida

01-07-2006, 12:12 PM

katie -- good job on the crib sleeping!! That is fantastic. I have no advice on the weird eating, sorry :(

gift from DH -- he took night duty last night and let me sleep 5 whole hours! It was fabulous. I had 2 bottles pumped downstairs (he only used one) and, even though I woke up a few times, it was great to not have to worry about soothing Benjamin back to sleep or anything. I feel good today -- not great (I think that there's something about sleep where if you are deprived and then get some, you just want more!)... But I was exhausted and had a mini-breakdown of sorts :( So it was nice to be "free" for a night.

last bit of pumping advice -- drink, drink, and drink some more! Staying hydrated is the best thing you can do for your supply, in my experience.

krbb

01-07-2006, 01:06 PM

katie- glad to hear the crib sleeping went well. We are going to start Oliver out there at night next week. He will sleep in there for some naps. I was going to suggest you put some rolled up blankets up against him to make him feel more secure, but it sounds like he did fine. What formula do you use? I got a whole bunch of Similac $5 coupons and one Nestle Good Start (I need to check when that one expires). They have my name on them, but I doubt they are going to check your id at the store. Let me know if you want them if not I will offer them on the parenting thread.

pumping - Oliver took some out of the bottle yesterday from DH. At least now I know we could leave him and he won't starve. If I go back to work it won't be until September so I really don't have to worry about that for awhile.

Jaycee - Liliana is so cute!!

ktdelsur

01-07-2006, 01:48 PM

krbb: We're using Similac right now - and I got a huge thing of $5 Similac coupons from Publix grocery store's Baby Club, so I think we're covered, but thanks for the offer!!! If we end up switching I might change my mind! I think we're okay for now though.

jaredsgirl

01-07-2006, 03:40 PM

pumping Still having issues with this. But I think it is getting better. I definately drink enough water (TMI, but I have clear pee) and getting enought calories (plus Owen has been gaining so much on the breastfeeding I guess I shouldn't worry about my supply). I massage and squeeze and readjust the pump and still only get at most 3.5 oz (normally 2 -2.5 oz)for a missed feeding (pump at the time of the feeding for DH to feed him) and to get the 3.5 oz took alot of work on my part. I don't know what else to do to make it easier on me.

rings Still can't wear mine either, getting close though, it may be only 1/8 of an in away from the base of my finger.

crib sleeping We just put Owen in for the first time last night and I was worried, woke up more with him out of the room than in our room. But he did fantastic. We have been doing naps in there for a week and since he didn't seem to mind it we tried it. He was way too big for his bassinett so it is good, just I need to get used to it.

postkalidurga

01-08-2006, 09:14 AM

Sebski - Thanks for the encouragement. I know in my head it is normal to not feel all gooey right away but it is hard not to feel guilty and worry that it will never come. That being said, I am feeling more 'aww, ain't he adorable' moments but I think basically I find newborns boring :o . I can't wait until he is more responsive to us as actual people, not just feeders, changers, burpers, and soothers.

Rings - I hadn't even thought of the possibility that my fingers might have changed permanently. I took my rings off half way through pregnancy and still can't get them back on. I am only two and half weeks post partum but I have lost all but six pounds of the baby weight (to the consternation of my midwives) and don't seem to be swollen anymore. Hopefully I won't have to resize my rings at all!

Breastmilk supply - One of the things that seems to affect supply is amount of sleep. The more I get, the greater my supply. A friend of mine found this correlation too. My over-abundant supply seemed to have toned down for a day or so there (I can't tell how many days are passing anymore) but is back up again. I'm not finding it as overwhelming anymore so it isn't so torturous - maybe because I got more sleep ;)

mamax2

01-08-2006, 10:27 AM

I was wondering if we could put our baby's age in the title of our posts - like we did when we were pg? That way when people ask questions and such, there's a point of reference and we know if we're talking about a 6 week old or a 2 week old, kwim?

QOTD has anyone had any wine/beer yet? I decided to celebrate New Years with a beer right after a feeding. I had half a beer felt very tipsy and then VERY guilty...times have changed
Yes, I've had wine a couple of times - just a glass here and there and always w/food and after a feeding. As DD gets older and goes longer between feedings, I have no problem upping that to 2 glasses. I read on one of the BFing info. websites a good rule of thumb is 'if you can drive, you can breastfeed', so that's what I try to follow.

rings ~ Sorry, can't help on this one. I wore my rings right up through l&d, so I don't know about the size changing. I've never heard of someone's hands permanently changing size (feet yes, but not hands/fingers), but that's not to say it doesn't happen.

jaredsgirl ~ Have you tried beer, oatmeal or Mother's Milk tea? All three significantly improved my pumping supply w/DD1 (haven't started pumping yet for DD2).

ktdelsur ~ No advice on the eating since I BF so don't track ounces, etc., but I wouldn't worry about what happens if it's just a day here or there. I know that's easier said than done, but even as adults, we have days where we're hungrier than others, days when we feel like snacking, days when we'd rather just rest, etc. It might be just a fluke or just what Andrew happens to be needing that particular day. Congrats on the successful crib transition!

cookie ~ You mentioned something about wanting to make more eye contact w/Brandon while nursing - have you tried the football hold yet? He'd be looking right at you in that position.

crib sleeping ~ Well, DD1 is still in the crib so there will be no transitioning anytime soon - lol! I didn't move DD1 to her own room until she was nearly 3 months and I wouldn't move DD2 any sooner either - it's just easier having her close, especially since I often have to sleep sitting up w/her on my chest to prevent/minimize the reflux and spitting up that happens if she lays flat after a feeding and doesn't burp well. That brings me to my next point...

a life w/out dairy ~ I'm pretty certain DD has an intolerance to dairy b/c her rash is gone and her spit up hasn't been as projectile or curdled in the past couple of days. I'm bummed that I can't have milk or cheese for a while, but glad that I was able to 'fix' much of the problem.

eta: All members of the FBC (FUSSY BABY CLUB)... I have found salvation in the form of the exercise ball! Seriously - walking doesn't do it, holding her a million different ways doesn't do it, swaddling is futile and shushing is only mildly comforting, but look out when I start bouncing on that ball - works like a charm. Anyway, thought that little tidbit maybe that might help someone else.

JRPAGV

01-08-2006, 10:31 AM

I was wondering if we could put our baby's age in the title of our posts - like we did when we were pg? That way when people ask questions and such, there's a point of reference and we know if we're talking about a 6 week old or a 2 week old, kwim? I was planning on requesting the same thing! I think it would be so helpful!

I've got to run, but I'll be back in a little while to do more replies.

jrbnj

01-08-2006, 10:41 AM

Rings -I'm 5 weeks PP and can't get my rings on. I try every few days and am always dissappointed when I can't get them over my knuckles. I stopped wearing then at about 7 months pregnant and I really want to wear them again.

Crib sleeping - Connor is still in his bassinet in our bedroom and will probably stay there until he's too heavy for it (15 pounds). I'll be very sad to have him sleep in another room. I love hearing his little noises (even though they keep me awake). They're reassuring that he's okay. He currently naps in a pack-n-play in our family room.

Sleeping - We're not on any schedule right now. I make sure that Connor's down for a nap after 1 1/2 - 2 hours of wakefulness but the past few days have been difficult. It seems like he doesn't want to go to sleep during the day. I know how important it is for him to sleep after being awake for 2 hours but it's been really hard to get him to fall and stay asleep. The past two nights have been good sleeping nights though. We feed him btwn 9:30 and 10:30pm and he finally goes to sleep around 11/11:30pm and wakes up to be fed at around 4/4:30am. I would be happy if we could keep this up but every time I think we have a schedule, it changes. It also seems like the most difficult time we have getting him to sleep is at night, when we want to go to sleep too. It's like Connor knows that the day is over and doesn't want it to end.

Alcoholic drinks - I had a glass of champagne at Christmas and swear I felt a tiny buzz. I would love to have a glass of wine or two one of these days.

Connor has been eating a lot more recently but the ped. said that he could eat up to 28 oz. a day (we're formula feeding.) He could easily eat more than that if we gave it to him. It seems like he's never fully satisfied. He's a hungry little boy.

I have been taking him out on my own when DH is at work. We've been to Target many, many times, two different malls and the ped a bunch of times. He's been sound asleep every time I've taken him out so I don't know how I'll do if/when he wakes up. I've looked into some mom and baby activities in my area but I think he's too little and since he's not on any schedule it's hard to know if the activity will be during the two hours that he's awake before his next nap. I did find a reel moms that I can drive to. (http://www.loewstheatres.com/reelmoms/) There's one in NYC but I don't think I'm ready to transport him into the city so I'll drive 30 minutes to see a movie with him. I think I'll try it out in a couple of weeks.

Cookie777

01-08-2006, 11:33 AM

Mamax2 ~

I think that's a great idea to put the baby's age in the post title! As far as the football hold.. I should try that more. I tried it a little in the hospital but he didn't seem to like it very much. He is very set on his Boppy! It's only been recently that I've gotten the side lying position to work with him sometimes...which is really nice because I don't like sitting up & bending over the Boppy in the middle of the night.

Alcohol ~

I've heard the same thing Mamax2 has. Our childbirth instructor/nurse told us that basically it's like driving. If you have 1 drink..have it after a feeding & you should be fine to breastfeed the next time. No need to pump & dump. And if you drink more..bottle feed until you feel totally fine..just like with driving..but definitely don't if you feel it at all. So normally it takes 1 hour for 1 drink to leave your system...depending on body weight.

I have had a drink after a feeding & then breastfed at the next feeding time. I've also had a few drinks & then bottle fed EBM until it had been plenty of hours..basically waited until morning to breast feed again. This was one time.. the other night it was our 2 year anniversary. My husband made a really nice dinner & we had some Dom Perignon & Cain 5. Couldn't pass that up! I had plenty of EBM already pumped so we bottle fed all night.

Rings ~

I can only fit 1 on at a time. I can only either fit my wedding band or engagement ring..so today for the first time I'm wearing my wedding band. 1 week 2 days PP. I'm hoping pretty soon I can wear both. My right hand ring that I had been wearing on my left side as a wedding ring after I had to take my wedding rings off..is now fitting back on the right side but is still a little snug.

Crib Sleeping ~

It will be a while before we try this. I'm still working on getting him to sleep in the Pack & Play. He only wants to sleep in mommy's arm in bed with us & it scares my husband & kind of makes me nervous too..but atleast I can hear him breathing all night. I did get him to take a couple naps during the day in the Pack & Play & a couple in the swing too. Before anything else I'm trying to break the sucking to sleep association. Trying to take the boob away before he's totally crashed out so that he learns to sleep without falling asleep while eating.

Combining Threads ~

Did we make a decision yet? Or are we still waiting on some more opinions? Just curious.. I definitely think there would be positives either way..so whatever everyone else thinks.....

krbb

01-08-2006, 11:49 AM

Similac and Good Start Coupons - I will offer them up here before I post in parenting. I have 2 Nestle Good Start Supremee with DHA and ARA Coupons one is for $11 off and the other for $1. Then I have 10 $5 off SImilac coupons. The Similac coupons expire in May I could split them up. They have my name on them but I assume they won't ID you when you use them. PM me if you want them.

I can't believe Oliver will be 4 weeks tomorrow.Where has the time gone? The past week he hasn't been screaming during diaper changes or baths. Makes things a little easier. Friday we have a check up I am curious to see how big he has gotten!

jrbnj

01-08-2006, 11:55 AM

I love all of the pictures you guys have posted. Everyones babies are totally adorable.

Here's a couple of my guy...

http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/users/e992fd42/3693/__sr_/a364re2.jpg?phAWXwDBgge4sOjV

http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/users/e992fd42/3693/__sr_/76c2re2.jpg?phAWXwDB0AzAWlTN

December2005Mommies

01-08-2006, 12:46 PM

Updated to here!

Postkalidurga: What date was Isaac born on? 12/21/05?

Did we ever hear from jdevaz? I've gotten so far behind and sleep deprivation is screwing with my memory.

Still not sure what to do about combining threads. Most of you said that you'll do whatever everyone else wants. Only a couple of people said they are totally in favor of combining and a couple of others said they'd prefer to wait. So we're stuck. Re-vote? If we don't end up combining threads in the near future, maybe we should still start a new one since all of our babies are here.

kinaida

01-08-2006, 12:47 PM

Hey all --

mamax -- we just discovered the exercise ball this week! How it took us so long, I don't know. But Benjamin loves it!! It's been a sanity saver.

sleeping -- Ben was a champion sleeper last night! Went down around 12:45 am, woke up around 1:15 am b/c he was in his carseat and didn't want to be in there anymore, came into bed with us, fell asleep at 1:30, woke up at 4:00 am to eat (hooray for side laying nursing! I fell asleep while he was nursing) and then woke back up at 6:45 am to eat, and then fell back asleep until 8:00 am. Now, this might sound horrible to some of you, but it was huge for us as he didn't wake up and want to stay up during the night. It was great :)

Benjamin is 6 weeks old today! I've been waiting for this mark -- I've heard that things start getting a lot better at this time :) He's definitely been smiling more, just not those huge grins yet. And DH said that he legitimately rolled from tummy to back this morning while I was in the shower!!

ktdelsur

01-09-2006, 08:42 AM

Hey all...

One more week until the magical six-week mark. LOL

sleeping: Well, we're still working on this. He still wakes every 3 hours to feed...I'd love to wean him off that 3 a.m. feeding though. If he slept from midnight to 6 a.m. I would throw a party. He is doing great in his crib - I still don't sleep that much better because he makes so much noise before he legitimately wakes up, I keep "prematurely" waking up thinking he's ready to eat!

Ack. Crying baby. More later!

postkalidurga

01-09-2006, 08:48 AM

Postkalidurga: What date was Isaac born on? 12/21/05?

Yes. Sorry that wasn't clear.

Alcohol - None yet, I'm waiting for our co-sleeper to arrive. I'm not too worried about the breastfeeding, but I don't want to take any chances on rolling over on him since he's sleeping between us right now and don't want to have to start drinking in the morning ;) . I am looking forward to it however!

So today is the first day dh is back at work. I got up, put Isaac in his sling and have been puttering around the house. I am so out of shape!!!! Holy cow, my legs are aching just from going up and down the stairs. Guess I'm not going to have to join a gym any time soon, just being out of bed seems exercise enough. :rolleyes:

Mamax2 - have you tried the Happiest Baby on the Block stuff to calm Cate? I just finished reading it and though I wouldn't really describe Isaac as colicky, he can get pretty fussy sometimes and it does seem to work like a charm. Basically, keep bouncing with her on the ball but also swaddle her and shush her at the same time. Maybe give it a try and see if it works?

jengen

01-09-2006, 09:10 AM

jaycee Liliana is adorable!! :)

jrbnj I can't see your pics :(

alcohol I had like a 1/2 glass on Christmas Eve and not even a half glass on New Years Eve, but agree with mamax2 and cookie

sleeping my DH and I were paranoid about co-sleeping so we bought the Snuggle Nest from BRU this weekend. Best $50 I ever spent! We are no longer worried and I put him down in it before he falls into a deep sleep at the breast and he fusses a little, but still goes out on his own without me doing the rocking/nursing routine I was doing before. He went 4 hours between feedings last night and we both woke up smiling this morning! :D I'm also putting it in his crib during the day and putting him down for his naps in there to get him used to it. Ideally, I would like him out of our bed by the time he's 3 mos old. kinaida glad to hear you had a good night with Ben also!

pumping I had my first try at this morning. I have the Medela PIS and pumped both sides after he had a full feeding and was only able to get about a 1/2 ounce out in 15 mins. I thought that was terrible, but I guess it is normal? Seems like a lot of time to get so little out.

Things are going better here by the day. Cole is a really good baby for the most part and we are both getting into routines with everything. I can't believe he will be a month old this week! It seems like it took forever for him to get here and now time is just flying!

ktdelsur

01-09-2006, 10:38 AM

pumping I had my first try at this morning. I have the Medela PIS and pumped both sides after he had a full feeding and was only able to get about a 1/2 ounce out in 15 mins. I thought that was terrible, but I guess it is normal? Seems like a lot of time to get so little out.

Well, I posted something similar to this in Moms with Pumps as well as the BFing thread - I am not exclusively BFing, but when I pump I get about a 1/2 ounce or 1 ounce per breast on a good day. (Usually closer to 1/2 ounce). I hear from the MWP thread that some women's bodies take longer to acclimate to the pumping since the sucking is a bit different than the baby. Apparently some women's bodies don't respond to pumping and aren't able to get a lot...I already know my supply is not up to par, so I don't know if its the pump or the supply. But keep going! Your body will get more used to it!

mamax2

01-09-2006, 11:30 AM

Mamax2 - have you tried the Happiest Baby on the Block stuff to calm Cate? I just finished reading it and though I wouldn't really describe Isaac as colicky, he can get pretty fussy sometimes and it does seem to work like a charm. Basically, keep bouncing with her on the ball but also swaddle her and shush her at the same time. Maybe give it a try and see if it works?
Well, it's been about 2 years since I watched the video, but I have tried what I remember. Cate despises a full swaddle - she flips out if she can't access her hands, so I have started to swaddle her w/her arms pinned in the bent position so her hands are on either side of her face. I do shush her and I've tried holding her on her side and also face down along w/swaying, walking and finally bouncing. Maybe I should ask my SIL to loan me that video again in case I'm missing anything.

Jengen ~ That pumping output sounds about right for your first go at it, esp. since you pumped after a full feeding. In addition to the stuff other people have posted about diet, sleep, hydration, etc. I found it really helpful to pump at the same time every day - that will help 'trick' your body into thinking it's a feeding and producing more. Remember, it always takes our bodies a couple of days to catch up (just like during a growth spurt). It's all supply and demand, so if you're consistent about pumping you will probably begin to 1) produce more milk and 2) your body will get used to the pump and become more efficient at releasing the milk.

sleep ~ Apparently, Cate has been talking to Ben and thinks it's cool to hang out for a couple of hours after a feeding in the middle of the night. We were up for-EVAH last night :( My DH went into work late (9:30) so that I could catch a little extra sleep, but I'm going to lose it if I have to go through another night of bouncing on that d@mn ball for 2 hours! :eek: She won't nap in the bassinett today either (granted, she did spit up twice after I laid her down in there) so she's in the swing. I think I'm going to hit the couch for a couple of zzzzz's myself :)

Jaycee

01-09-2006, 11:48 AM

I am so bad at keeping up with this thread, so apologize ahead of time for the lack of shout outs, but I do want to say that I have been trying to follow along everyone is doing great conquering all of the hurdles that we are facing with our newborns, and coming from someone who has the first born of the group, I want to let you know that the best is yet to come! In this last week alone, Liliana has really starting developing into this little person with a smiley giggly personality, and it makes all the sleepless nights so worth it!! We are finally able to take her out and about, and now that DH has gone back to work, it's just her and I all day long and we've been going out and doing things and I'm just loving every minute of being a mom!!

Speaking of DH going back to work, I have a QOTD

For those of you who's DH's travel for work...Has anyone spent a night alone with the baby yet while your DH was travelling? DH left this morning for Kansas City for 2 nights and I'm definitly a little nervous how tonights going to go. I don't know if I want to deal with trying to train her to sleep alone in the crib while it's only me here and I'm thinking I'll just take her into bed with me from the get go. I'm interested to hear how others have or or are planning to handle this.

ktdelsur

01-09-2006, 11:53 AM

Has anyone spent a night alone with the baby yet while your DH was travelling? DH left this morning for Kansas City for 2 nights and I'm definitly a little nervous how tonights going to go. I don't know if I want to deal with trying to train her to sleep alone in the crib while it's only me here and I'm thinking I'll just take her into bed with me from the get go. I'm interested to hear how others have or or are planning to handle this.

Jaycee:
When Andrew was 2-3 weeks old, DH went away for one night and I handled the nighttime alone just fine. Luckily my in-laws were coming the next day (coincidentally) and were able to watch him while I caught up on sleep! He stayed in the bassinet (PnP) by my bed like usual for the evening. Don't worry - you'll get through it just fine.

JRPAGV

01-09-2006, 12:05 PM

4 weeks 5 days

Jaycee: My DH went on a hunting trip with his bosses and co-workers this past Friday/Saturday. I was terrified of taking care of the baby by myself Friday night, but it all worked out fine. It was exhausting changing so many diapers and not having anyone to relieve me when Nathan cried nonstop, but other than that it worked out much better than I anticipated. I just let Nathan sleep on my chest in the bed like he often does anyway.

QOTD #2 ~ Baby Acne: Does anyone else's baby have this (or did your baby have it)? Jengen, was it your baby who had it? I'm wondering if the rash that DH has on his face, on his scalp, and at the base of his neck is baby acne. Where was your baby's acne? Did it clear up fast?

QOTD #3 ~ Baby Announcements: When did you send your baby announcements out? I just ordered the announcements today (Nathan is 1 month and 2 days old). Will I look like a complete idiot sending them out this late? Amber (inababycarriage.com) was on vacation, then I had trouble making up my mind, so I am just now getting around to ordering them.

Alcohol: I've had my share of margaritas lately. I think my lactation consultant said to not breastfeed while you're still under the influence, and then to pump and dump too. I may be getting the details wrong, though.

jengen

01-09-2006, 12:12 PM

jaycee My DH has never been away from us overnight, so I don't have advice for you but just wanted to say good luck and I'm sure you will do fine! ;)

baby acne Yes, Cole got baby acne at 2 weeks old and it was bad on his cheeks and chin, however it went away about 3-4 days later. I didn't put anything on it, just made sure to rinse his face with warm water a few times a day (no soap).

baby announcements I got mine out when Cole was a week old, but only b/c I was rushing to get it done before the holidays. I don't think yours will be considered late at all. We just received one from our friend whose baby was born 11/17.

jaredsgirl

01-09-2006, 12:45 PM

baby acne Owen has this too and have been wondering about it. He literally woke up with it yesterday. It is all over his scalp down the back of his neck (where it is HORRIBLE) and a little over his sholders (just noticed this when he woke up from his nap). There are a few on his face but those are almost all cleared up. I'm so sad, he has such gorgeous skin normally. :(

pumping I'm glad to hear what I get is normal. I struggle to get 2 oz after my morning feeding and 3-3.5 oz on the feeding DH does. But that is sounding normal. I have to do alot of massaging and squeezing to get that and can only use one of the two of the pumps on the PIS. Maybe I should go into those threads.

alcohol I haven't had alot but I have had a few glasses of wine here and there, not enough to pump and dump, but that was because I didn't have any milk stored up, and now I do so maybe I could have a bit more

dates I had a date with DH last night. His brother and SIL are staying with us until tomorrow and they offered for us to go out on a date while they watched Owen. They have 2 kids and know how important it is. It was my first time away from Owen. It was good. Then tomorrow they are going to watch him while I set up a savings account for him and get something notorized as well. It will be nice to not have to worry about him getting fussy while I'm out doing that.

weigh loss I'm so bummed about this. I gained a grand total of 61 lbs while pg and I have loss 23lbs, but I just wish it would come off faster like everyone said it would if I bf. (I know, it doesn't for everyone but that is supposed to be one of the advantages of bf) I have been following Weight Watchers for bf moms and am still losing the same pound and a half a week as I was before that. So I'm eating enough and of course drinking enough too. I guess I will be really frustrated when I start to work out and it doesn't come off. Ok, just had to vent, I know there is nothing more I can do and a pound and a half is good, just frustrated.

kinaida

01-09-2006, 03:25 PM

sleep ~ Apparently, Cate has been talking to Ben and thinks it's cool to hang out for a couple of hours after a feeding in the middle of the night. We were up for-EVAH last night :( My DH went into work late (9:30) so that I could catch a little extra sleep, but I'm going to lose it if I have to go through another night of bouncing on that d@mn ball for 2 hours! :eek: She won't nap in the bassinett today either (granted, she did spit up twice after I laid her down in there) so she's in the swing. I think I'm going to hit the couch for a couple of zzzzz's myself :)
Do we have the same child? Ben did the SAME thing last night! Ugh. I was hoping we were over that hump -- apparently not. He woke up once and started screaming almost immediately (normally takes a bit to get to that point) and then woke up again and did the same thing :( But then he slept from about 3:30 - 10:00 am. So I got decent sleep. Poor DH had to go to work today though :(

baby announcements -- just got ours yesterday, am planning on sending them out over the weekend maybe? I'm giving myself a 3 month window for them :)

dates -- my mom & stepdad are coming for a visit this weekend and DH & I are going to celebrate our anniversary (Feb 1st) while they're here! I'm excited -- all of our energies have been focused on Benjamin so it will be nice to have a night just to ourselves to focus on us.

ktdelsur

01-09-2006, 06:27 PM

baby acne: Andrew got baby acne at 2 weeks old and still has a bit of it now on his cheeks and a little on his chin. He has some dry skin issues too at his scalp line and right between his eyes, but other than that he's perfect. Hehehe...I asked the nurse at the pediatrician's office if there was anything we could do for it, etc, and she said just to wipe his face with a warm cloth every day (no soap, like jengen said) and it would go away on its own. 3 weeks later it is still here, but a bit better. She said sometimes it can last for a month or two.

announcements: I sent ours out right before New Years...but I've gotten ones from friends at least 3 months after the baby was born so you are fine!:D

BCP: Anyone else going back on the Pill or anything? I've got a prescription for Micronor (progesterone only pill that won't interfere w/ BFing) and I haven't started taking it yet. I'm wondering what kind of reaction I will have to it - I'm afraid I will gain weight on top of what I've already got to lose! LOL

fwgirl

01-10-2006, 06:02 AM

Good morning everyone. :)

baby acne. I don't think she has this, but sometimes if someone (other than us) has held her for awhile against their chest she gets a little rash. It goes away pretty quickly, but it looks like her skin is pretty sensitive to different detergents and perfumes.

announcements. I did a combo Cmas card/announcement for our little girl. They were very simple photo cards that I ordered online from Costco and picked up the next day. They went in the mail on Dec. 23. Lo was a little over 4 weeks old at the time.

bcp. My doctor's appt is tomorrow. (I was really lazy about scheduling it.) I'm going to ask about getting a prescription. I hadn't really thought about the side effects so I'll be sure to ask about that. I'm definitely using them though! I really don't think we could handle another bundle of joy any time soon.

alcohol. Gosh, I feel like the terrible mother among you all. I've had a beer nearly every evening. My doctor and the lc told me to drink a dark beer each night to help with my supply. Also, I've had wine and the occasional cosmo. Eeek!

alone at night. DH and FIL went crabbing when Lo was about 2 weeks old. I was nervous about how the night would be, but it was fine. I think he was more nervous about being gone then I was. I could tell he really missed her. I even jokingly asked how it felt to get a full night sleep and he said it was hard to sleep since it was so quiet. He said he kept listening for little noises and cries in the night.

***

Everything is going okay at our house. She's still sleeping well at night and only waking once around 4 am for a quick feeding. It's been really nice. I can really tell a difference in how I've been feeling with the little bit of extra sleep I've been getting.

It's amazing to watch how much she's grown and developed. She changes every day and she's so much more interactive now. She loves to sit up on our laps or in her bouncy when she's awake. She hates to lie down because then she can't see what's going on around her. My mom ordered her a Bumbo seat that will arrive later this week and we think she'll love it. Her little neck is so strong that we think she'll be able to use it in another week or so. Also, she's started copying facial expressions that we make at her. It's so cute! DH will stick his tongue out at her and she will mimic him. It's adorable.

kamileer

01-10-2006, 06:55 AM

Hi Girls!

I have been sooooo MIA, I don't even know where to begin. I have to run to mom's group in a couple minutes (a total lifesaver! If you don't go to one I recommend that you check one out at your local hospital). Maya has been doing much better in the sleeping department. She wakes up twice a night, usually around 1am and 4 am. We used to have an IMPOSSIBLE time getting her back to sleep after a night feeding, but she has been much better. I now nurse her on one side, swaddle just her arms with a swaddle me blanket and then nurse her on the other side. She usually passes out shortly thereafter and I sneak her in the pack n play (she is out of our bed...thank god!!!).

Last night (from 6-10pm) was a doozy. She cried for hours. It all started when she vomited...and vomited...and vomited. The poor kid went through 3 outfit changes. I felt completely helpless as I have no idea what was bothering her. I don't think I ate anything weird. She had green poops which leads me to believe that something didn't agree with her??? I wanted to cry right there with her. She seems fine today. I think I am going to dump the milk I pumped yesterday. Better safe than sorry. Can a milk allergy develop this late in the game?

birth announements - My DH is designing them and we just started working on them yesterday. They won't be sent out for a couple of weeks... at least.

mamax2

01-10-2006, 07:55 AM

QOTD #3 ~ Baby Announcements ~ I took the photo for ours (the one in my avatar) when Cate was 5 days old and ordered them the next day. I got them in the mail last Saturday, so when she was 3 weeks old. With my first DD, I was a little slower - maybe when she was 4-5 weeks old.

Baby Acne ~ Don't have that here (yet), but C does have pretty dry skin, esp. around/between her eyebrows. I wipe it w/a washcloth and sometimes put a little EBM or Aveeno cream on it.

Alone at night ~ Um, no. I would die. It's not that my DH does anything to help me at night, but he's on toddler duty, so if our older DD were to wake up (and she often does), he handles her. If it were just me w/one kid, I'd be o.k. though.

BCP ~ Good question! I need to start thinking about my options. Don't really want to take the pill, but REALLY don't want another baby right now either. I'm a little nervous about the mini-pill and having an 'oops'. Does anyone know the effectiveness and the side-effects?

Gotta run - feeding time!

jengen

01-10-2006, 08:02 AM

Well, I think DS is definitely going through the 3-week growth spurt. The last couple of days he has been cluster feeding like crazy (ever 1 - 1.5 hours) in the late afternoon into the evening. Last night and two nights before that he kept eating..and eating...and eating til 11:30. The good news is the last two nights he's gone 4 hours between feedings so, at least we have that going for us. He is up at like 1:30 and 5:30 and then around 8 am. Well, last night he wouldn't go in the Snuggle Nest, either. I really need to make sure he's in a deep sleep before I stick him in there or he'll have no part of it.

pumping question I am jealous of those of you that've started venturing out alone for some QT with your DH's. I just started pumping yesterday - I did it once in the morning and once in the early afternoon and got a whopping total of about an ounce. I don't even have enough yet for one feeding. So, how often do you ladies pump to build up your EBM supply? HOw long did it take you before you actually even had enough for your first bottle? I know I'd get more if I pumped while DH is feeding him a bottle, but I don't even have enough to do that yet. He is also going to start daycare in a few months, so I really need to build up my stash.

kinaida

01-10-2006, 08:19 AM

jengen -- I got enough out for my first bottle on the first time I pumped -- I got about 2 oz out, total. I had only let Benjamin eat on one side for about 2-3 feedings and built enough up in one bb and pumped it out. Can you try pumping while Cole is eating? It's very tricky & needs some coordination, but it's possible. You get more out when you do it that way b/c your let down reflex kicks in while the baby is eating. Also, eating oatmeal seems to boost my supply.

birth control -- I'm not going to go on the bcp. I really enjoy charting but I know it's unreliable since I'm bf'ing so we're just going to use barrier methods. I have my 6-week appointment this Friday (even though it's closer to 7 weeks postpartum).

In other news -- I can't believe that I know this girl (http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/01/09/iraq.main/index.html). We went to middle & high school together! We graduated the same year. Scary.

postkalidurga

01-10-2006, 08:47 AM

mamax2 - I know Isaac freaks when we swaddle him too but once we use the other calming techniques he seems better swaddled. However, you're the experienced Mom, not me! :p I hope you find something soon that makes Cate's fussiness easier.

Kinaida - Isaac had really green poops for a few days there - looked like I'd put shredded and stewed spinach in his diaper. The midwives told me that meant he wasn't getting enough hind milk and I needed to make sure I fed him longer at each feeding or if he wouldn't take any more but was hungry again before an hour was up to put him back on the same side (fore milk digests much faster). When he gets lots of hind milk, his poops are like curdy mustard so basically I can tell now if he's feeding long enough by whether it's more like mustard or spinach.

Baby Acne - Yup. He's got some beautiful big zits on his cheeks. However, before he got the acne, he got a rash that looked a bit like acne. His skin went pretty red everywhere and he had little white bumps. Ends up he was sensitive to detergent so now we have to double rinse everything he wears or lies on with vinegar. Cleared the rash right up and he moved on to the acne. I haven't been able to get that to clear up, but I'll try the gentle washing and cross my fingers - at least it just an aesthetic issue.

ktdelsur

01-10-2006, 02:41 PM

bcp: I was a little sleep deprived at my postpartum appointment and forgot to ask about the effectiveness of the mini-pill (we will be using barrier methods too..just in case, this time around! LOL), but here's what I found on the internet: 99.5% effective if taken correctly.

Sleeping through the night: A co-worker called today to ask me something...and we got to talking. She asked me how he was sleeping and said he was still waking up about every three hours. She seemed appalled and said, "How much does he weigh? When did the doc say he'd start sleeping through the night?" I felt like I'd somehow done something wrong that he's not STTN yet - he's only 5 weeks old! I am not sure how to wean him off his 3 a.m. feeding though but I almost feel like its too soon to do that.??? My mom keeps saying to plan his last feeding for 11-12 or so and he should eventually sleep through til 6 or so. He's pretty much on a 3, 6, 9, 12 schedule right now.

kindra: How weird that you know that girl. That always scares me - I was a journalism major but never was ambitious enough to want to go be a foreign correspondent or anything like that. Have you ever read the book by Daniel Pearl's wife? (The journalist who was kidnapped and murdered in the beginning of the war - the one whose murder tape was, horribly, all over the internet.) Wow..I hope everything turns out okay. (I haven't kept up...all I know is she is kidnapped, right?)

dates: Forgot to mention this! The ILs came when he was 3 weeks old and watched him while we went out to dinner - and my parents are here as we speak and DH and I went out to dinner together Sunday night. It was really nice - I don't currently have anyone around here that I trust to leave the baby with so its nice the parents visit often. hehehe...

helen22

01-10-2006, 06:37 PM

So, my sweet sleepy little baby has suddenly been replaced in the last few days by a very grumpy baby!! I am wondering if maybe she isn't sleeping enough? Not sure. DH and I were spending all our time worrying about her eating, but she seems to be doing much better and has now gained almost two pounds over her birth weight. Now we can transfer all of our anxiety about her eating into anxiety about her sleeping :p

************

Alcohol – I guess I should be more careful about the timing, but I haven’t had much more than a small glass of wine here or there. And even though it seems to be somewhat controversial, my lactation consultant suggested having a beer before pumping…

Jengen - pumping– I feel like I have to work more on relaxing for my let-down when pumping than I do when Melanie is nursing – I’m sure it’s an obvious thing to say, but maybe try pumping when you’re able to be really quiet and focused and relaxed? Other suggestions my lactation consultant had were to pump right after taking a shower (the warm water can kick start your let-down) and have a beer or glass of wine right before. Oh also, instead of pumping after Cole eats, you could try pumping before – you might get more that way, and pumping before feeding does not seem to impact the supply for the baby at all in my experience.

Ktdelsur – Mel has at least one bottle a day, but even with BF I am sure that the amount she takes varies a lot from day to day – there are days when she is just a really good eater and others when she’s not. I would guess Andrew is fine as long as his behavior doesn’t change and his wet/dirty diapers don't decrease from normal – and wow he sounds like a calm baby! I don’t think Mel would tolerate being in her crib awake for as long as Andrew did without crying. You're so lucky!

Jrbnj/sleeping – I hear you on the difficulty getting baby to sleep during the day! Melanie was an awesome sleeper from day one, now it seems like she is a whole different baby – she fights sleeping and gets fussy. It is a shock for DH and I, we are definitely not used to having to spend time soothing her and getting her to sleep.

More on sleeping – Mel also has gone back to serious day/night confusion – she will sleep for as much as 2.5 hours during the day, but last night was up at 1 am, 2 am, 3 am, 4 am – siiiiiiiiiiiiiigh it was a long hard night!!

DH going out of town – I’m v nervous for this, DH has to be in London all next week and then San Diego for a few days the following week. My parents are going to be in town while he’s gone, and I might have them stay with me, even though before I thought that was a bad idea in our tiny apt. We’ll have to see, but the thought of a night alone with Mel freaks me out… I might let her sleep in bed with me, every books seems to say it doesn’t really matter what you do with them before they’re 2-3 months old as far as habits are concerned, so hopefully it would not be too hard to have her back in the crib when DH comes back…

helen22

01-10-2006, 06:39 PM

2 questions......

Gas advice – I can’t decide if Melanie is more gassy than normal babies are (isn’t it hard to figure out what “normal” is???), but my ped recommended that I start drinking chamomile tea – wasn’t sure if anyone else had heard this or tried it?

And a question on baby logs – how do you guys keep track of what your baby does all day? Write everything in a notebook? Are you keeping a sleep log and an eating log separately? Right now we have a notebook where we write pretty much everything she does, a chart to record her feeding and wet/dirty diaper info, and a sleep log (like the one described in “healthy sleep habits, happy child”). What do you guys do?

Cookie777

01-10-2006, 07:18 PM

Jaycee ~

I forgot to say how cute those pictures of Liliana are! She looks so cute all bundled up! That sounds like a fun walk every day. I can't wait to be able to go on little trips with Brandon.

E&D ~

The day you posted about Leo being on American Baby I went & looked & saw him on there. I forgot to tell you that. I guess my brain cells haven't returned from before being pregnant yet..because it seems like I'm still forgetting a lot of things. Anyway, that picture of him was really cute!

Jrbnj ~

For some reason I can't see the pictures that you posted..? :(

Baby Announcements ~

Thank you for the reminder! I need to get going on this. I still haven't really even called family members..except for immediate family of course..since he was born. :o I feel bad but hey! I've been busy. I'm hoping/assuming that people will understand being that he was just born..

Weight Loss ~

I had an appt yesterday. My first PP check up. I've lost 25 pounds since the baby was born..but still have 28! :eek: left to lose. I gained a total of 53 with this pregnancy. I mean I can definitely see some extra weight on but 28?! extra pounds sounds like a lot..especially for someone with my frame. I'm 5'4". I always thought I would be HUGE if I had that much extra weight on me..but really there's just some extra upper body weight. Weird. Anyway, I can't WAIT to get it all off.

BCP ~

I was asked this yesterday @ my appt. No thank you! The pill does not agree with my body. I had been off the pill for 6 months before I got pregnant & we were just careful about when I was ovulating. I have really regular cycles so as long as they are regular again..I'm hoping that will work again. My Midwife mentioned a Diaphragm though..so I'll give that a try. I just can't stand the pill!

FWGirl ~

Don't feel bad. I'm also having a drink or two every night & bottle feeding EBM for hours afterwards. My pediatrician basically confirmed what my childbirth instructor said about alcohol & breastfeeding. She didn't even think that 1 drink while breastfeeding was bad but said that it would probably be better to feed then have a drink...so that's what I do...or wait.

Kamileer ~

I'm glad you like your mommy's group! Sounds pretty cool. I'm sorry the baby was so fussy last night. I can't wait to see more pictures of her!

Kinaida ~

Wow that's pretty crazy about the girl being kidnapped! Hopefully she's ok...:(

Helen ~

Up until yesterday I still had the hospital log going. It was basically just the feeding & diaper change log. Although I did put some pain reliever on there that I gave him after his Plastibell was put on. I wasn't tracking any other things. Are you keeping track of things other than feedings/diapers etc?

I stopped the log yesterday because I was feeling like an anal freak. I can be pretty anal & sometimes give my husband anxiety because of it..so I felt like I should maybe stop in an effort to curb some of that. I'm interested to know though what else you track. It might be beneficial for me to track other thing as well..

*********

Well everything seems to be going great so far with the baby. I think my breasts have calmed down some in milk production..following along more with his needs. I'm not pumping as much either..but he is definitely eating more during the day. Like every hour! Up until evening..then it's a little less. Then he sleeps a lot at night & typically wakes up once during the night to eat. I'm not constantly getting engorged like I was..

I think part of this is because he's sleeping in my arm, basically tummy to tummy & he gets so warm & cozy that it helps him to sleep longer.

So far we know that this kid cannot stand to have his diaper changed or have a bath! Hopefully that changes soon. I feel so bad for him when he's crying. :(

fwgirl

01-10-2006, 10:27 PM

helen I still keep a baby log. I write down when we changed her diaper and what it was. I also keep track of her eating. If she bf I write down how long the feeding lasted. If she took a bottle I write down how many oz. I found a really cool log at Land of Nod while I was still pregnant and that's what I use. I figure that once it's full I'll stop keeping track. It's been really helpful for me since I'm a 'list maker.'

cookie thanks!

kinaida wow I can’t believe you know her. I hate hearing those stories. They make me so sad and angry at the same time. I truly hope they find her alive and safe soon.

ktdelsur

01-11-2006, 05:44 AM

helen: I kept a log for the first week of his life, (just on a regular sheet of paper) logging when he ate, when he finished, what kind of diaper he had, etc. I took it to the first doc appt with me and they pretty much disregarded it with a "you don't need to be that anal" kind of vibe, so I quit doing it. I will, however, write things down if he's acting differently or has something unusual going on (luckily I haven't had to write down a lot).

Sleep... Slowly but surely! He kept his 3, 6, 9, 12 schedule yesterday, except we mistakenly woke him for his midnight feeding (the Babywise thing...I know you don't wake them at night but I didn't know if I should have 9 or 12 be his last waking). Trial and error, anyway, we will not wake him at midnight again! He was deep asleep and probably would have slept for several more hours, and only ate 2 ounces. He made it from 12:30 to 4:45, and from 4:45 to 7:45. So our 3, 6, 9 schedule is thrown off a bit, but thats ok. Gotta be flexible.

We've got his vaccinations scheduled for 1/30. The nurse said we can give him an 0.4 ml dropper of infant tylenol about 30 mins before the appointment to help w/ any pain or discomfort. DH can't come with me and I don't look forward to this - every Mom I've talked to says it's the most torture on the Mom. I was almost tearing up yesterday evening when he had some gas moving through - he'd be happy as a clam, then when it would move, the next second he would be squirming and whining with this awful pitiful look on his face.:(

I'm such a dork. I just was thinking that in less than two months it will be a year since he was conceived (since I was charting and keeping track of DTDs, I know the exact date it happened...3/14. LOL - granted since I was being slack I obviously ovulated a little earlier than I thought I would. hehe.)

Micronor: I read that this mini-pill is 99.4% effective when used correctly. I was able to "use correctly" the regular pill for 7 years successfully before I went off of it (obviously our parts work okay) so I'm not too worried about it. I think I missed maybe 2 pills in the span of 7 years. We will be using barrier methods as well - we can't swing a second surprise anytime soon!

I think Andrew is over 10 lbs now - I got on and off the scale w/ him yesterday but I'm not sure how accurate it was.

kamileer

01-11-2006, 06:09 AM

HELP!!!

I am scared to even type to "C" word but here it goes. I am fearful that Maya is starting to get colicky. Last night she cried for the same EXACT 3 hours as she did the night before. Nothing would console her and it was torture. It happens RIGHT when my poor husband gets home from work and continues until we go to bed. Basically, he gets to enjoy NO fun time with her (I feel terrible b/c he thinks it is because of him). If this becomes a nightly thing I don't know what I am going to do. I feel AWFUL for Maya b/c it is obvious that she is very uncomfortable, but think I feel the worst for my husband. People keep commenting at work how wonderful being a dad is and he just can't relate b/c he only sees her during these fits. She is much better during the day.

So I've got a couple questions...

She spits up a lot and sometimes gags when I feed her. I though that acid reflux could be the culprit but this only seems to bother her from 7-10pm (although she does spit up and sometimes vomit at other times). Can acid reflux only occur once a day??? I am desperate for a solution and it has only been 2 nights of this!!!

It's a good thing she is so damn cute!
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6df28b3127cce96d4fcb788dd00000046102AcNGTVizbMY

krbb

01-11-2006, 07:57 AM

kamileer - Well Maya certainly is cute! I hope it isn't colic maybe she won't do it tonight. I did read that carrying them in a sling or carrier may help. She might be gagging while feeding her if your letdown is fast. Oliver does this especially when he is really hungry and it seems to be more in the evenings and night. I sometimes get milk all over him. I asked about this in the BF thread and they suggested pumping some before to start your letdown and also feed her while you are leaning back so the milk has to go up instead of down.

Cookie777 - Oliver was the same way with baths and diaper changes he would just scream. He rarely does this anymore and I even got a smile from him yesterday when I was changing his diaper!

ktdelsur - I don't expect them to be STTN now. The definition I read for STTN is 5 straight hours. Oliver still gets up about every three hours, he will go four sometimes to eat. I am lucky that he will go right back down after he eats. They are still small and their tummies aren't that big, also every baby is different.

pumping - About how many ounces is one feeding?

bcp - I think I am just going to stick with barrier methods then go back to charting. I am scared of the mini pill because my sister got pregnant when she was taking it. You have to take it at the same time each day right? I would be horrible at that!

dates - none yet, I have to get him to take a bottle better. Also I am not pumping because we still have thrush and I can't save the milk I pump when we have it anyways.

announcements - we got them out last week before the stamp increase.

weight loss - I gained 35 poinds and have 8 pounds left. I don't know how this happened because I have been eating nonstop! I am able to wear most of my clothes, it is nice because it feels like I got a whole new wardrob.

baby logs - I did in the hospital, but didn't once we got home. I would be the type to be all anal about it and over analyze things. I just try to keep track in my head that he had enough diapers.

I took Oliver out to a restaurant for the first time yesterday. I met up with my friend whose son is one day older than Ollie. He was good for the most part and only fussed a little. My friends son was 6lbs6oz when born and I couldn't believe how small he was. Oliver looked so huge next to him, he was 10lbs5oz at his last check up. We go back Friday, I did the scale thing and it said 13lbs, I don't think that is correct though! He will get his vaccinations at his two month appt in February. I need to ask which ones and if we need to do anything before.