July New Moms

[ellery]

Okay, I'll stop obsessing about staying at home/maternity leave drama for a few minutes and start off this month's thread. ;)

Me: 36
DH: 38 (going on 12)
Danny: 3 months (minus 5 weeks prematurity)

Just hanging in there over here. Have recently discovered (despite it being recommended many times - it takes me a while sometimes!) "The Happiest Baby on the Block" DVD which pretty much saved my life last week. While gorgeous, brilliant, etc., Danny has some good lungs on him, and likes to exercise them some days, all afternoon. Per the DVD, I've been swaddling and rocking him and have seen much improvement in his sleeping (and my quality of life). Afternoons are still tough, and he seems to be wanting to give up his late afternoon nap. Then there's nighttime and the elusive dream of him sleeping through the night...

Although curiously enough, his spitting up seems to be better since he's been sleeping better, and since he hasn't been on his stomach... hmmm...

Per the pediatrician (after my complaining that Danny continues to spit up so much with his acid reflux), I started him on the AR formula in addition to breastmilk at his dinnertime feeding, but it doesn't seem to be helping him sleep any longer during the night, as I'd hoped (as formula takes longer to digest than breastmilk). He's still eating about every 3 hours at night, which only makes me worry more about returning to work and how much of a zombie I'm going to be if I don't get any more sleep than I'm getting now...

How's everyone else doing?

:)

Leah

[PoppyJ]

Leah, sorry that Danny is not happy in the afternoons. I know what you mean. Avery never seems happy anymore.

Me: Poppy (32)
DH: Shawn (37)
DD: Avery- 10 weeks

I think I have reached my breaking point. Avery is still having blood in her stool and we do not seem any closer to the answer than we were six weeks ago when this started. Our ped keeps having me take out and reintroduce foods and we still cannot figure out what it is. I have scheduled an appointment to see an allergist, but with her being so young, it is unlikely they will do any test.

How do you know when your ped is being proactive enough? My DH and I are starting to think our ped is not being aggressive enough to solve this problem. Our poor little darling is just so unhappy and we don't know what to do. We are going in tomorrow to have another talk with our doctor so hopefully that will push him to solve this issue.

Also poor Avery has developed a rash on top of her clogged tear duct and blood in her stool. It is on her chest, back, and partly on her arms. What does a heat rash look like?

[ellery]

Hi Poppy. :)

Your post makes me so sad - poor Avery! I have no advice other than to offer hugs and hope that someone who knows more (ahem, experienced mom lurkers...) than I do will pop in with a suggestion.

I heard my hundredth suggestion for Gripe Water today when we went by to visit Danny's daycare (not that I'm counting down, but only 13 more days of maternity leave, sigh) and I mentioned his afternoon fussiness. We go in to get his 4 month shots on Friday, so I'll ask the dr if this is okay to take in addition to his Prevacid. The doctor made some sort of herbal suggestion last week when I called, but Danny was practicing his operatic debut in my ear, so I couldn't hear what the doctor said.

((((Poppy and Avery))))

[LA98]

((Poppy and Avery)) I'm sorry you two are having so much trouble... I've got some experience with what you're talking about and I think my ped is good at it. Here's our story: Brian (DS1) saw 4 different pediatric specialists on a regular basis during his first year. One of them was a gastroenterologist because of severe reflux and a suspected milk and soy allergy. The ped had us switch to soy formula first, then Nutramigen (we had to wait 2 weeks each time to see if there was an improvement). Brian didn't get any better (and in fact seemed even worse), and he then referred us to the gastro. Brian also had RSV/bronchiolitis twice and pneumonia once before he was 6 months old. When the "normal" treatment failed to improve Brian's symptoms (albuterol and a steroid), he referred us to the pulmonologist. Same thing with ear infections, once we passed a certain number of infections, we were turned over to an ENT. So basically, the ped should try the standard treatment for a problem; if it doesn't work, he should turn you over to someone with more expertise. The question is, has your ped already tried the standard treatment? I think I remember you're bf'ing. How many foods have you removed from your diet? Personally, with blood in the stool, I'd be requesting a referral to a gastroenterologist. Plus, I think I recall that Avery has reflux too? I'd definitely want to see a gastro to address it all.... Brian and Jason both had blocked ducts too. Does your ped have you doing massage on it? It's supposed to help.

Ellery, yay to Danny sleeping better! Swaddling is the greatest thing in the world. I don't think Jason would sleep at all if he wasn't swaddled. Glad he's spitting up a little less too. And the picture you posted on the other thread is just adorable. What a blondie!

We're doing okay here at 13 weeks. Jason seems to be having an off week where he's not sleeping as well as he has been. I'm hoping it's just a little phase. I can't resist posting this picture of the little guy. :)

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/pc3663eceb01eba42006990db9cc4de4b/e8a80508.jpg

[ellery]

Oh my gosh LA... what a cutie!!!!

Okay, I'll bite. We just got a package in the mail today from Danny's great aunt, and couldn't resist trying on some of the clothes right away. He's been living in onesies, so it was a nice reminder that they actually sell clothes for babies as well, and that other babies may wear more than mine does. :o

Here's the big stud modeling his new overalls. We went and visited the daycare today and he was flirting with a cute girl baby, so he decided to skip all his naps for the rest of the afternoon in hopes of showing me that he's a big boy and ready for a girlfriend. ;) Unfortunately it seems that he'll be in daycare for a while, as my husband's insurance, which I would go on if I opted to stay at home, doesn't cover infertility treatments, which is what we needed to achieve Danny. So since we want another little miracle, it looks like I'll be working for a while longer. Oh well. Danny won't mind now that he's met baby Bella... :rolleyes:

Here's the little stud muffin...

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/pb8f0ecbf35f5be484d2ded08f6e8b7b1/e8a8365a.jpg

[PoppyJ]

Thank you for the hugs...virtual or not, I need tons of them right now.

My ped is back in my good graces again. He actually called me at home last night to talk about every thing. We decided that it was time to take her up to Standford and see a specialst. Hopefully we can get in this week. I am so happy that we are finally taking this step and at least this specialst can help with both the reflux and the blood in the stool.

I am breastfeeding and have not had dairy in 6 weeks (who knew I could live that long without ice cream:p). I also cut out soy, wheat, eggs, and nuts. And we still cannot pin point the culprit. I really do not want to stop breastfeeding, but if it comes down to it, I will.

Danny and Jason are some handsome fellas. I think I saw Avery winking at the computer. :D

Here is a picture of my little angel:

http://images.kodakgallery.com/photos3657/5/40/2/85/42/2/242850240503_0_ALB.jpg

[ggs830]

Hi guys, happy July!

Me: Gouri, 31
DH: 31
DD: Shaelyn, 18 months
DS: Jahan, 3.5 months

We've had a busy few weeks over here, traveling for a couple of out-of-town weddings. Jahan did very well on both trips-- the first involved a four hour car ride (each way) and 2 nights away, and the second involved a 4 hour airplane ride (each way) and 4 nights away. I was very nervous about the airplane trip, but other than a couple of bouts of brief crying, Jahan was an angel. In fact, some of the other passengers complimented us on our well-behaved baby. Proud mama moment!!:D

We're still having some sleep issues, but things are getting somewhat better. In the interest of getting a decent night's sleep, I've succumbed to letting Jahan sleep in the swing for at least part of the night. It drives me absolutely crazy that he will sleep for hours at a time in the swing (five last night!), but his absolute max when sleeping either in his crib or our bed is 3, but usually closer to 2.5. Gah! Eventually I'll have to break that habit, i.e. once he outgrows the swing, but right now, the temptation to use it and get some sleep is too much for me.

On the bright side, our little boy is such fun! He loves to smile and coo at everyone, and occasionally, he's moved to giggle, which I just adore. He's especially fascinated by his big sister-- his eyes just light up whenever he sees her and he gets a big grin on his face. I LOVE that! Shaelyn seems to love the attention, and is constantly kissing the baby's feet or hands.

In other news, our poor dog got into a bit of an altercation at the kennel while we were away. Another dog bit her ear, and she ended up w/11 stitches. Poor thing :( .

Poppy-- I'm glad to hear that you were able to get in to see a specialist. Hopefully they can figure things out for you guys.

All the babies look so cute! I have really got to download some new pics of Jahan to post. One of these days, I'll get around to it!

[ellery]

It drives me absolutely crazy that he will sleep for hours at a time in the swing (five last night!)

Oh my gosh, I would let Danny sleep on my head if it meant he slept 5 hours at a time. :eek:

I've been letting him sleep in the swing too (per Happiest Baby guru) and when he wakes up for feedings and is too zonked to notice, putting him in his crib. His max sleeping time is 2.5 to 3 hours no matter where he sleeps, how much he eats, phase of the moon, etc. I've tried it all and am now just accepting that when he's ready to go longer, he'll let me know. I'm just happy that somehow, by getting him used to sleeping in the swing, he's been able to transition to sleeping on his back versus his stomach, which used to be the only way he could do it. Hallelujah!

Poppy, glad to hear that you have a plan. And she's gorgeous! Our camera is too slow to ever catch Danny smiling, but not too slow to catch him in really weird expressions...

[ellery]

Okay, I feel like a dork posting back to back here. Are we the only new moms?

I'm just still mentally preparing for going back to work here and had a few questions. :)

* I'm planning on pumping while I'm at work, but while I'm still home I've been pumping in between feedings. Do I still do that at work or do I just cut down to whenever he would allegedly be eating? (Yes, I know I have to work while I'm at work too :rolleyes: ).
* Is my supply going to drop off once I go back and I'm pumping more than I'm bf'ing?
* Will the amount I pump be the amount he would eat or will it hold true that I never get as much pumping as he does eating? I only have about 12 bottles (of 4oz stash) stored in the freezer and I just feel like that is pitifully small... if I need to dip into it so soon...
* Will his daycare moms want a note from me of his (sorta) schedule and tips on him (e.g. that he needs his pacifier to fall asleep, etc.)?
* Is it dorky to want to write them a thank-you note in advance? I've met them a few times and they've been very nice, plus, I want them to like me so that they're nice to my kid...
* How many bottles do I bring for the first day?

Not that I'm obsessing about this. Nope, not me.

And one last non-daycare question. We've having Danny christened next month and MIL says that they don't have a family christening gown. DH feels that Danny should wear his t-shirt that says "if you think I'm handsome, you should see my dad" to his christening. I'm not so sure (insert large eye roll). Any suggestions?

Okay, I'll shut up now. Thanks!

:)

Leah

[MinEaston]

Hi Leah...

I'm not a new mom, per se, but let me see if I can answer your questions, based on MY experience. IE, your experience may be different! Sorry for the novel.

Pumping at work:
I pumped 2x day when I first came back, sometimes I squeezed in a third session. I was fortunate to have my own office with a lock on the door, and I quickly figured out how to position myself so that I had one hand free to type or surf the 'Net. I never tried one of those bras that allows you to do hands-free pumping. I've heard of other ladies who just bought a sports bra and cut x's in the appropriate places and used that for hands-free pumping with success.

As for supply, everyone's experience varies. I found that I was able to keep up w/Anna's consumption, which at first was 4 bottles of 3-4 ounces each time. I would be able to fill 2-3 of the Medela bottles in the course of a day.

Daycare:
I think I sent 5 bottles in the first day but she only ate 3 full ones plus some of a 4th. Our daycare wanted everything in "ready to eat" mode, so I couldn't give them a frozen bag of milk for "just in case" situations. Yours may be different.

Absolutely give the daycare folks a note about Danny's preferences. In fact, I'm surprised they haven't met with you to specifically go over his daily "routine" (as much of a routine he can have at this age).

I will warn you now: the first day drop-off will be the hardest day. Take tissues. I'll never forget my first day drop-off: the director took me in w/Anna to introduce us to everyone, then said to one of the staff, "this is a first drop-off." That staffer promptly got the box of tissues out.

My SIL gave me a great piece of advice, which has worked for us, but only because DH's schedule allows it. Have DH do the drop off if you can.

Christening:
We used a family gown but we have 4 to pick from :eek: . To be honest, I would go with a white shorts/shirt outfit. Then again, my 3-month-old nephew was just baptized a couple of weeks ago. They actually dipped his entire body in the water. He wore a family gown until the actual baptism, at which point we took off the gown, revealing an adorable blue full-body swimsuit with a duck on the front :D

HTH!

[LA98]

Leah, I never mind talking! :D

Sorry I can't help with the pumping at work... As for daycare, I don't think it's dorky at all to give a note, and definitely let them know Danny's preferences. However, you might find that Danny starts doing things a little differently at daycare than at home. I remember warning them that Brian wouldn't nap for them, and having them tell me later that he napped just fine. (I couldn't believe it so I even went over at lunchtime to witness it for myself!) I've heard from a lot of moms that their kids do things at daycare they won't do at home...

Jason's baptism is next weekend. He'll wear the same outfit Brian did: An all-white jacket, onesie, and pants from Baby Gap (no family outfits for us either). I had bought that after looking at and falling in love with a "real" christening outfit that was $139. :eek: We've got a very upscale baby boutique in our town, I was in there a couple of weeks ago returning my rented pump and was browsing their christening outfits for the heck of it. The prices were unbelievable, and then the saleswoman told me that most people are buying two outfits, one for the church and one for the party. :rolleyes: Yeah, okay!

Jason is cracking me up lately. He's recognizing the baby in the mirror all of a sudden, smiling at his reflection instead of just staring and looking away. And he let out a huge belly laugh the other day. Priceless!!

Lori

[sugarbaby]

(((((PoppyJ and Avery))))) I have no advice, but lots of prayers and hugs!ellery, you're not the only new moms! I wish I could post and surf more often, darn it, but it will be quite some time before we have internet at home again! :( I really miss having the CL community on a regular basis. Sometimes being at home with little people who don't talk back gets a little lonely. ellery, PoppyJ, and LA98, your kids are gorgeous! I do not say this in a cannibalistic sense at all, but I want to eat them they are so cute!(it's more of in the sense of wanting to put toes in my mouth and nuzzle fuzzy little heads, like I do my own boys!)

So...
Me: 30 (darn it!)
DH: 30
DSs: David and Jonathan, 6 months!

Accomplishments:
Holding own bottles, eating rice cereal 2-3 times per day, gurgling and squealing.

Challenges:
Teething, teething, teething! It's really not very fun for all involved. The amount of drool produced could fill a swimming pool, and on top of it all they have either colds or allergies (they go to the ped. tomorrow), and so they end up sleeping in their drool and/or snot (they sleep on their tummies, won't really sleep on their backs). Poor little guys.

ellery, best of luck going back to work, and let us know what Danny wears to his christening! :p

[Bawstinn]

Let's see ...

I probably started off bringing in 3 6 oz bags a day. I had a stash in the freezer, so they were frozen - if they weren't used that day they could be saved for the next. Essentially, I always brought in frozen milk and put what I pumped that day in the freezer.

Madeleine is enrolled at the daycare at work and part of the paperwork I filled out was her schedule, which amounted to 'she eats all the time and won't nap'. :p

My intent was to pump every 3 hours and at night before I went to bed and in the morning after she ate. Knowing what I know now, should there be a #2, I would be more diligent with pumping. There were times I skipped a session or got to busy and I'm sure that didn't help. My supply did start to dip after a while - a pump isn't a match for a baby. I also got my period when she turned 3 months and noticed that it seemed to dip after that.

[PoppyJ]

I am nursing while typing so forgive any misspelled words.;)

We were able to see a specialist last week up at Stanford. After talking to me about her history and a very brief, brief exam, they think it is colitis due to a milk/soy, and possible nut, allergy. There are no test to prove this diagnosis, but everything points to that. If she does not improve after two weeks, then it is something else.

So I have to avoid all diary, nuts, and soy in my diet until I stop breastfeeding. I guess now the decision is to decided what is best for her and me. I want to continue to breastfeed, but it is a very restrictive diet and I am always worrying that what I am putting in my mouth is making her sick. And if I do switch to formula, I have to get hypoallergenic formula, which isn't cheap. I guess I will wait the two weeks and see if she gets better and make my decision then.

Any advice? Time to burp her and I do not think I am talented enough to burp her and type at the same time. :D

[jphilg]

Hey all....I've been reading but haven't had the time to post.

We just had Zach's 4 month appointment. He's still a big, big boy (18.5 lbs and 27 inches!) and is now nice and healthy, but we've had a rough week or two. Cold, croupy cough (so scary even though it is not a big deal most of the time), nights spent in the guest bathroom with the shower super-hot to steam it up.

Now, we're moving on to sleep training. Saskia was pretty low-maintenence in the sleep area; we did a little crying with her, but for the most part, she's been uninterrupted 8-8 since 5 months. Zach is still getting up for 1-2 feedings a night (there was a 10 day stretch of sleeping through, but it didn't last), so yesterday the pediatrician loaned me his copy of Ferber, and last night was the first night of full-on Ferberizing at our house. It went ok; I went running for the first 40 mins or so, and it was over by the time I got out of the shower (thank you, DH!). He was up at 11, but went down with another 25 mins of graduated crying.

For people on the fence about CIO, I really recommend reading Ferber. Weisbluth (which we used with Saski) is great for some things, but Ferber's discussions of developmental stages and sleep really made me feel ok about letting him cry for more than a few minutes here and there. We'll see how long it takes, but so far, so good. I know that some people have no interest in CIO at all, and I'm not trying to sway them....

In other areas, Zach is just great. Lots of laughing and "talking"....definitley trying to find his voice. He's so strong....he can do a great tri-pod sit if I put him in position, and is always "standing" in my lap, or up against the back of the couch. When we go to the park, I can put him in a toddler swing and he's plenty happy/not floppy, which frees me up a bit to play with Saski. I see some light amidst the exhaustion.

Also, the ped said that I can start solids any time. I think I started at 5 mo with Saski. I think I'm going to hold off another month or two....are there any advantages to starting early? I'm not at all worried about allergies, just about good food habits.

Poppy, so sorry to hear about the restrictive diet. You are doing the best thing you can for your baby! But also remember that if it gets to be too much, there is *SO* much more to being a good mother than breastfeeding. Think about the happiness of the whole family unit, yourself included.

[ellery]

Ugh. I was rethinking my aversion to CIO last night at 2 am. :eek:

I have officially entered a weird purgatory punishment for something I must have done in a past life, characterized by Danny wanting food (or something) every 2 or 2 1/2 hours every night. My judgment isn't the clearest when I'm incredibly sleep deprived and unable to hold more than one eye open, so I just assume he's hungry, when he isn't placated by the pacifier, jiggling or other soothing techniques, his diaper is clean, he doesn't need to be burped, and he sounds surprisingly similar to what it would sound like if a lawnmower was crossed with a cat. It's been going on a little over a week, maybe two, and I'm about to lose it...

The pediatrician suggested that maybe he's not getting enough to eat during the day and that's why he's up so often at night, but he sure seems fat and happy enough during the day, and certainly eats between longer intervals of time (more like 3 hours). I've tried giving him formula to supplement bf'ing at night thinking maybe I'm not producing enough, but that doesn't make a difference.

Someone please tell me that this will end soon?

ps Wow Jen - 18 pounds? Poor Danny, we were so proud that he just reached the 12 lb mark and he's about the same age... well, minus the 5 week early thing...

[Kerri]

Ellery - I'm not sure, but I think there is some miracle weight that babies all of a sudden start sleeping better when they reach it. I want to say that it is around 12-13 pounds, so maybe you are almost there! Also, since Danny is around 3 months, maybe he is hitting his 3 month growth spurt. James usually was a good sleeper, but I remember at 3 months, he went through a phase where he was up every 3 hours again.

I say I am in favor of CIO, but I have a hard time in practice. It is not that I am worried that James will think I don't love him, but I am always second guessing myself that there is something else wrong. Is he hot? Did he eat enough at dinner? Does he teeth hurt? Did he toss his pacifier out of the crib? So, I usually go to him a couple of times to check these things completely messing up the CIO. Does anyone else have this problem?!?!?

[jphilg]

Kerri, there is noting wrong with that! Most "cry-it-out" books have you go in several times to check; Ferber has this big table telling you on Day one, you go in after 3 min, then 5 min, then 7 min, then 10 min, etc, ....Day 2 you start with 5 min, then 7, etc.... just reassure them. You don't pick them up, but you go in, put your hand on your baby's chest, and soothe them verbally for a minute or two.

FWIW, after crying for an hour the first night, Zach only cried for about 5 minutes last night, and we didn't hear from him all night long. And yesterday he napped really well, without being nursed to sleep. So I think we are making quick progress on the sleep training front.

Ellery, I agree that there is a magic weight at which babies start sleeping better, and that you are right about there. I think Danny is too young, given his prematurity, to start sleep training, anyway. But yeah, it stinks. I know your husband travels, but when he's home, can he take the night shift a couple times? He can do a bottle if you think Danny's hungry, but sometimes, Dads have better luck at non-nursing soothing than Moms because of the omnipresent boobs. It sounds like you need a break.

[ggs830]

Leah, sounds like you could really use a break. (((Hugs))).

Have you tried swaddling him? We had a breakthrough in the sleep department this week, and it's all because we started swaddling him again. We had swaddled Jahan for the first month or so, and then he started protesting the swaddle, and we stopped. Well, we noticed that Jahan's main sleep issue is that he flails his arms around his face, usually knocking the paci out of his mouth, as soon as we set him down (either in the crib or our bed). Even if he's totally asleep, the minute his back hits the mattress, it's all over. So, Sunday night, in a moment of desparation at 1 a.m., DH (who had already been up w/Jahan for an hour, trying to get him to go back down), swaddled him. He slept 4 hours straight after that!! We've been swaddling for naps and night now, and other than some initial protesting, his sleep has improved so much. Last night, he slept from 7:30 -1 a.m., 1:30-5 am, and 5:30 -7 a.m. In his crib. Yay!!! (now, if DD would quit teething, and stop waking up for a couple of hours a night, I might finally get some rest!).

As for CIO, I agree that Danny is far too young to try that method. FWIW, if you are not ready to CIO (we don't), you might want to look at The No-Cry Sleep Solution, or the Sleep Lady. However, I will note that most sleep training books aren't really effective until the baby is about 4-5 months-- babies just aren't developmentally ready before 4 months to benefit from any kind of sleep training (CIO or not). But, there are things you can do now to prevent future sleep problems, and the No-Cry Sleep Solution in particular talks about establishing good sleep habits w/babies under 4 months.

I don't know about the weight/food and sleep correlation. Jahan is about 14 pounds, and his sleep is so much worse than when DD was this age, and she weight about 10-11 pounds. By 4 months, DD was sleeping for about 11-12 hours a night, w/only one night feeding that lasted less than 30 minutes. Jahan, despite our recent sleep victories, still has a long way to go. I do think that 4-5 months is the turning point. Have you read Happiest Baby on the Block? The author talks about the first 3-4 months as being the "fourth" trimester. In other words, that babies, when they are born, really need another 3 months of development in the mother's womb, and that's why the first three months are so hard. After the "fourth" trimester, things are supposed to get easier. Hopefully. ;)

ETA: After re-reading my post, I realized how many sleep books I've read. Good lord, I've got pretty much every sleep book out there! And my kid still isn't STTN!!

[ellery]

Oh, thank you all so much for the hugs. :)

That post followed another really rough night around here. Yeah, I actually bought the "Happiest Baby" CD and watched it quite a few times, and made DH watch it twice. We've been swaddling Danny and plopping him in the swing and I must say, his sleep and our mental health has improved as a result. ;) I have never gotten DH involved in nighttime stuff because he's usually never here (Mon-Thurs) and I was being militant on not wanting to ever offer formula, so DH obviously couldn't feed him. That may change this weekend though because I am FRIED. (Although DH needs a refresher course on swaddling - his version is more like a loose arranging of the blanket).

I'm just particularly stressed after our recent 4 month pediatrician visit with the guy who used to be one of my favorite doctors (he's a cutie and he's warm & fuzzy with Danny). He got me all anxious about my milk supply, what with the comment that Danny's obviously not getting enough to eat (both during the day and at night) as why he's up so often, and then he was less than enthusiastic about how much milk I have stored in the freezer (about 13-14 bottles of 4 oz each) for when I go back to work next week saying that oh, that's not much, because you know your supply will decrease once you're primarily pumping, but you know, any amount that you can bf is better than none. :( Then he was unhappy with Danny's weight gain, and pointed out that if he were heavier he'd be hitting his milestones more on track and sleeping better. What I heard from all of that was that I'm obviously not producing enough milk and am starving my child in favor of not supplementing with formula. :o So I've been supplementing, and even got my OB to prescribe Reglan to help with milk production (although apparently it has side effects of depression and/or anxiety - oh yay, just what I need). When my milk production is probably fine. I'm just a nervous mess because of the dr's comments and the eating every 2 hours thing at night (which as you know, means about 1 hour of sleep for me at a time). I've had friends point out that Danny is doing exactly what preemies do as far as weight gain, and that bf babies gain weight slower anyway. [Why my pediatrician, who must know this, still insists on holding Danny up to the standards of term babies is beyond me, but we're going to be seeing a new doctor for his 6 month checkup and other appointments from now on, so hopefully he won't induce bf'ing anxiety in me like the other one...]

Good to know the CIO stuff is not developmentally appropriate for Danny yet. I didn't think so either - I figure if he cries now, it's because he needs something, not just to make me hop into action (that'll come later ;) ).

Just when we get over colic, now we enter this zone. ;) I just need an occasional reminder of perspective from time to time. Here in the trenches it's easy to forget after one bad night that a lot of good things are going on (he giggled for the first time yesterday! how cool!) and that this hasn't been going on forever, and won't go on forever...

Okay, I'll shut up now. :)

Leah

[ggs830]

Wow, Leah, I think your ped.'s "advice" really sucks. It is totally normal for an exclusively BF baby to want to eat every 2-3 hours, and it has nothing, NOTHING, to do with your supply. I'm sure you know that BM is digested very quickly, which is why babies who nurse eat so often. At least this is what 2 of the pedes in my office told me when I asked. ;) Also, supplementing w/formula WILL affect your supply negatively (as I learned the hard way w/DD). Your ped is right that you will not produce as much when you pump, b/c babies are more effecient at getting the milk out than a pump. I also learned this w/DD, and had to stop BF after 6 months b/c my supply could not keep up w/her demand (which is how I got into the supplementing w/formula fiasco, that further lessened my supply).

BTW, how much does Danny weigh? Is off the weight and growth charts?

[Bawstinn]

I'm just particularly stressed after our recent 4 month pediatrician visit with the guy who used to be one of my favorite doctors (he's a cutie and he's warm & fuzzy with Danny). He got me all anxious about my milk supply, what with the comment that Danny's obviously not getting enough to eat (both during the day and at night) as why he's up so often ...


I'm sorry you're so stressed. For what it is worth, I don't hold much stock in the 'not eating enough during the day' and 'they'll sleep better when they hit X pounds'. Madeleine has always been a VERY healthy eater - 95th percentille for weight until she hit a year old, drinking 8oz+ bottles at daycare, etc. She was NEVER good about sleeping through the night. She'd wake up and it seemed like she didn't know how to fall back asleep on her own. She was breast fed - we made a couple of attempts to give her formula in the middle of the night (well, David did to see if it would discourage waking) but she wanted absolutely nothing to do with it.

As she got older, a 5 hour stretch made me very happy, and I gave up the idea of cleaning or doing laundry when she went to bed and went to bed early myself for a while. When she hit 11 months it was as if someone flipped a switch and she started sleeping 7:30 - 5:30. Since she started walking, she has stretched it to 6:30 which has made me very happy on the weekends.

[ellery]

I swear, I don't know what I'd do without you all. I don't really have anyone to ask these things of (besides DH ;) ) besides the pediatrician, so when he gives me advice, based on his own son (who was bf'd) and you know, medical expertise and all that, I think it's accurate. I always thought that 3 months was the magical age where they were supposed to start sleeping through the night? Which is why, with Danny at 3 1/2 months, I figured he should be starting it within the next 2-3 weeks (adjusting for prematurity).

Honestly, he's been packing it on since I started supplementing twice a day, at two evening feedings (I give him 2-3 oz of formula after he nurses, hoping that my body wouldn't notice if I gave it afterwards) and according to my scale, is at 12 lbs and some change now. He was 11 lbs last week at the dr's office. :eek: Last week he'd finally made it onto the charts and was at the 5th percentile for body weight and 80th percentile for head circumference (yay! my boy has a big brain!). Which, according to an on-line friend (not the dr, grr) is completely normal - it's supposed to go to their brains first). Plus, whenever I offer him a bottle or a breast, he's quite happy to take it. I thought that if they weren't hungry, they wouldn't eat, but this one always seems ready for a meal...

I talked to my darling OB about it this week when I called about my milk supply. Her advice was to stop pumping so that Danny could get all of my supply and to give myself permission to supplement if I needed to. She said that she didn't have any bm stored in the freezer when she went back to work after her children - she just gave them formula that first day, pumped, and then gave them the pumped milk the next day. She said that she bf a lot on the weekends, which built up her supply that dwindled as the week went on, and was able to bf until her babies were about 10 months old. She also gave me a lecture on being too hard on myself :o , not sleeping enough/ no longer taking naps during the day, and on not taking care of myself in general.

I just don't understand why a pediatrician wouldn't tell me the things that you all are. He seems perfectly nice, takes plenty of time to talk to me and answer questions and was great when Danny was hospitalized for jaundice, connecting me with the lactation consultant, speaking to DH and the in-laws about the benefits of breastfeeding (they all thought I was weird to want to do something besides formula), etc. But now it seems like he has these unrealistic expectations of my poor baby (who's so darned happy all the time for a "starved" baby)...

You guys are the mom and sisters that I don't have in real life. :o

[ggs830]

Can I say that I hate the &^%$% swing so *&^%$% much!!??!!

I don't know why I have this completely irrational hatred of the swing, since I should be happy that there is some device that will allow my son (and me) to sleep for long periods of time, but for whatever reason, I cannot stand that the swing is the only thing that really gets Jahan to sleep. Grrr. I feel like I'm in some strange one-sided competition w/that ^&*% thing, to see which one of us can get Jahan to sleep longer. The swing is winning.

Ok, I feel better now that I've got that off my chest.



I just don't understand why a pediatrician wouldn't tell me the things that you all are. He seems perfectly nice, takes plenty of time to talk to me and answer questions and was great when Danny was hospitalized for jaundice, connecting me with the lactation consultant, speaking to DH and the in-laws about the benefits of breastfeeding (they all thought I was weird to want to do something besides formula), etc. But now it seems like he has these unrealistic expectations of my poor baby (who's so darned happy all the time for a "starved" baby)...

You guys are the mom and sisters that I don't have in real life. :o

Aww, Leah, that's so sweet. (((Hugs))).

My .02 on your ped: maybe he's looking at Danny's weight gain from a strictly medical perspective, rather than a real-life perspective. Medically speaking, I'm sure there's some percentage of weight gain the doctor would expect to see in a premie (I don't know for sure, I'm not a doctor ;) ). Maybe he's concerned because Danny hasn't met that expectation. But you know that he's happy, he's putting on weight, he eats well, and that you are doing everything you can to take good care of him. So, I wouldn't worry about whether or not Danny is meeting the doctor's predetermined figure for weight gain. You see your baby on a daily basis, and you know he's thriving, so, IMHO, you guys are doing just fine. :)

[ellery]

Thanks Gouri. :)

Sorry you're in hate with the swing. Have you tried gradually decreasing his use of it? As in, reducing how fast it goes, then cutting the swinging down to nothing, then using it for a few minutes then putting him in his crib? That's what I was planning on doing if Danny ever decided to sleep at night more than 90 minutes at a time (ugh, still!). It's the only way he sleeps during the day but we'll see how that pans out for him once he's in daycare next week.

Mine informed me, in no uncertain terms, this morning that he's ready to be less swaddled when he goes into the swing for his daytime naps. I'll take his extreme kicking and Houdini-like ability to pull his arms free as his proclaiming his need to be free from the swaddling. Seeing as he's swinging away merrily in the next room, staring at his hands, I'm not sure that he's correct in his assertion, but we'll see. Seeing as I took him for a walk last night and midway through it decided to start raining (waaah!) I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Thank goodness I had a plastic stroller cover thingy to use, although at the critical time it doesn't seem like it's meant for a jogging stroller... Danny was relatively dry throughout, me, less so... :rolleyes:

How's everyone else?

Parenting magazine has an article this month about getting your child to sleep through the night. Aimed towards babies who are about 4 months old... it felt like they are just trying to rub it in...

[sugarbaby]

Ditto to Gouri's .02. My boys are 6 months old, but were born at 34 weeks gestation. Jonathan weighs just over 14 pounds and David weighs just over 13 lbs. While Jonathan is in the 5th percentile for weight, David has apparently fallen off the charts. The ped. told me to try to fatten them up (and mine are on formula/rice cereal!). However, the ped. that I saw (not my regular ped.) did not take into account their prematurity. According to their adjusted age (4 1/2 months) they are both around the 25th perc. I see them every day, they eat very well, and you can't force a baby to eat when they're not hungry! I really wouldn't worry - as long as Danny is gaining weight consistently, and he's happy and thriving, then he's fine (I need to tell myself this as well - I still worry sometimes :o ) You're his mom, and you know what he needs!

[tbb113]

Delurking for Leah-
My son was 5 1/2 weeks early as well. At 4 months he was just under 13 lbs (12lbs 14 1/2 oz). He is now 18 years old, 6'3", 270 lbs and a football player :D . Don't worry...as long as Danny is growing and putting on weight, he will be fine.

[ellery]

Oh, thank you thank you for the delurkers! It does make me feel better to hear that he won't be underweight forever. :)

And might I add that I'm now officially 2 1/2 hours into my first day back at work and I haven't cried for 2 hours. :)

[LA98]

Ellery, so glad you're doing well at your first day back at work. Funny you mentioned Houdini, we've been calling Jason that! I think when he escapes from his swaddling it's only because I didn't wrap him tight enough. But I've been wondering lately when I should stop wrapping him? I'm terrified to do it because he sleeps fairly well with it, and I'm pretty sure he won't if his arms are out...

We had his baptism yesterday. We were about 15 minutes late for the church, which was embarrassing beyond belief. I was mortified walking up to the altar where two other sets of parents, godparents, and babies were all waiting for us! :o We did luck out with the weather: all last week was brutally hot and humid, today it's been raining nonstop, but yesterday was just beautiful! We had everyone outside, which we were very grateful for since the inside of our house is a wreck with all the work still going on...

I have to gripe: My brother and SIL had their second baby just after Jason was born (and it's a boy too). The comparisons have been nonstop, which I've been totally dreading since I found out we were due at the same time. Examples just from yesterday: Is Jason sleeping through the night? Well, he's still getting up once a night to eat. Of course, his little cousin is sleeping straight through and he's 3 weeks younger. Had to hear about how an almost-4-month-old doesn't need to eat in the middle of the night. How many ounces is Jason taking? Well, he still nurses a bit and then takes a 5-ounce bottle. Little cousin is a bit smaller than he is and he's drinking 7 ounces at a feeding. And so on... I fear this will go on forever, who's going to roll over first, walk first, etc. I feel like even their outfits are being compared. :rolleyes: I really, really hate it. Anyone else dealing with something like this? I know the answer is to just ignore, but it's hard to. :(

Lori

[ellery]

The comparisons have been nonstop, which I've been totally dreading since I found out we were due at the same time. Examples just from yesterday: Is Jason sleeping through the night? Well, he's still getting up once a night to eat. Of course, his little cousin is sleeping straight through and he's 3 weeks younger. Had to hear about how an almost-4-month-old doesn't need to eat in the middle of the night. How many ounces is Jason taking? Well, he still nurses a bit and then takes a 5-ounce bottle. Little cousin is a bit smaller than he is and he's drinking 7 ounces at a feeding. And so on... I fear this will go on forever, who's going to roll over first, walk first, etc. I feel like even their outfits are being compared. :rolleyes: I really, really hate it. Anyone else dealing with something like this? I know the answer is to just ignore, but it's hard to. :(

Lori

Oh, I"m dealing with this too. DH asks everyone who he knows who has a baby if their baby is eating cereal yet, is their baby sleeping through the night, etc. Naturally everyone else's baby is doing stuff that ours isn't so it freaks DH out. We actually had a knock down drag out last night over baby food. DH feels that Danny is ready for food from a jar, that this will help him sleep through the night...

Um, mom is not so sure. I finally made him call MIL and ask her and she talked him out of it, but yeesh. Good to know that my opinion matters nothing compared to that of someone who last had a baby 27 years ago... (the same woman who wanted me to give Danny sugar water at 2 days old...).

So your baby would fare well in a comparison with mine. While Danny is no longer eating every 2 hours at night, he still eats at 12 and 4 am. My poor little guy... trying so hard and no one but his mom gives him any credit... :(

ETA: 7 oz? Should I be feeding Danny more? I usually just give him 4 oz of formula at night (as opposed to bf'ing - it helps him sleep longer)...

[PoppyJ]

ggs830- I know how you feel about the swing. I feel the same way about the car seat. I cannot get Avery to sleep anywhere but the swing, car seat, or bouncer. She hates her crib. The longest she will sleep in it is 10 minutes. Will she ever be able to sleep in it? And why did I spend so much money on the darn thing if I am just using it to hold the car seat?:rolleyes:

Ellery- I am glad to see that you are handling your first day back to work fairly well. And don't you just love when you can tell your DH something over and over again, but until he hears it from someone else, he will not believe it.:rolleyes:

Lori- The comparision thing would drive me nuts. Every child grows at his/her own pace. I have no other advice than just to ignore it.

I thought I was in the clear with Avery and the blood in her stool. Things were gong so well....no blood in 10 days and then there it was again this morning. I have been off soy, diary, and nuts for 20 days and still it is there. I have decided to switch her to formula because I have done everything I can with my diet and it does not seem to be helping.

Any advice on how to switch to formula? Cold turkey or gradual? I would like to go cold turkey because then we can figure out if the blood will go away sooner.

What bottles and nipples do you use? And how many? How much formula should I give her at each feeding?

One more thing...anyone have any experience with blocked milk ducts? I think I have one because I found a lump in my left breast. I swear if it is not one thing then it is another.

[ggs830]

Lori: That's too bad about the comparisons. We get that (kind of) w/our DD. DH's cousin also had a daughter 4 months after DD was born, so her grandma (DH's aunt) and MIL often "compare notes", i.e. out-brag each other about their respective granddaughters. Kind of annoying, but I've learned to ignore it. Funny enough, this same cousin is having a boy this November, so I'm sure there will be some more competition b/t the grandmas over the two boys as well.

Leah: I hope things went well on you first day back, for you and Danny. I'm dreading my return (I'm still looking for a job), and trying to savor each day I get w/my kids.

On the solids front...:eek: to your husband's suggestion re: starting Danny on jarred baby food. IMHO, Danny is way way WAY to young for that. At the most, he might be ready for rice cereal, but veggies and fruits are a couple of months (at least) away. If you need some more ammo to convince him that waiting on solids is a GOOD thing, consider the fact that, until Danny is about a year old, the vast majority of his nutrition is going to come from BM or formula. Babies just don't eat enough solids for it to make a difference, in the overall scheme of things. Especially in the first few months, the majority of the food will end up either on you or on the baby. Also, we aren't talking a lot of food here-- maybe a couple of tablespoons a feeding. Most of the research I've done (and my ped agrees) says that BM/formula should be a baby's main source of nutrition until about 1 year, and solids should be in addition to that.

Also, my admittedly limited experience is that solids don't help get your baby to STTN-- Shaelyn started rice cereal at about 6 months, and was still waking for a night feeding. :rolleyes:

Oh, and don't get me started on MILs who know all about childrearing. :rolleyes:

Poppy: (((hugs))). Sorry things didn't work out on the BF front. As for bottles, we use the Playtex naturals, w/the stage 1 nipple (we will be switching to stage 2 soon). Has Avery every taken a bottle? If not, be warned that you might have some difficulty getting her to go from breast to bottle. Friends of ours had this problem, and it took them awhile to find a nipple that their son would take. So, I guess I would say, don't go out and buy a bunch of nipples/bottles at once, until you are sure Avery is okay w/it. HTH!!

[SooCookie]

(delurking)...

Leah - I hope your 1st day back at work went well.

Poppy - So sorry to read that Avery is still having blood in her stool. When I stopped BFing (my body just stopped altogether, so I can't give you any help on the plugged ducts), my DD was about 5 months old. We had success with the Nuk bottles/nipples but like Gouri said, every baby has different preferences. Does Avery take a pacifier? If she does, you might have the best luck with those bottles. If not, it really will be just trial and error. And you might have to try the same kind several times. This is great practice for when she is older and you have to buy a million different kinds of sippy cups to find out which one will work! Another thing that might help is that my DD hated the powder formula when she first switched over, but for whatever reason, the premixed (and slightly more expensive) stuff was better to her. I don't know if that will be an option with whatever formula you will be using. As far as going cold turkey or gradual, I think that is really your preference. I think I read somewhere that you are not supposed to mix BM and formula (or maybe that was just my OCD tendencies making it a fact in my head! :) ), but if you do have some expressed BM, she might take that better at first just to get used to the bottle and once she is taking the bottle well, switch to formula. But since she has the blood in her stool, it might be better to go cold turkey. Has her Dr. given you any advice about what to do. ((((PoppyJ))))

[LA98]

ETA: 7 oz? Should I be feeding Danny more? I usually just give him 4 oz of formula at night (as opposed to bf'ing - it helps him sleep longer)...

Ellery, ya see why I hate the comparisons?!?! I wondered the *exact same thing* for a moment when I heard this. Then I thought, Jason doesn't always even finish the 5-ounce bottles, sometimes he leaves a full ounce in it and pulls away. And he certainly doesn't seem to be looking for more when he finishes a full one. So, I think he's fine. To be honest, 7 ounces is astounding to me at this age... And LOL about the sugar water! We had an "old timer" tell us once how they used to use that, she then went on to say we could probably just dip a pacifier in SODA for him! :D :rolleyes:

So how was your first day back at work and Danny's first day at daycare?

Poppy, so sorry Avery's still having some trouble. Just curious, what formula will you be using if you're not sure what she's sensitive to? I'm assuming Nutramigen or Alimentum? (Alimentum was the only thing DS1 could tolerate and keep down. I'm forever grateful for it, I just wish it hadn't been like the 5th one we tried!) Oh, and I'm going to echo something SooCookie said: DS1 did *much* better with the ready-to-pour Alimentum because it was a bit thicker than the powdered kind mixed with water, and of course the thicker the better when it comes to reflux...

I think the rule of thumb is 2.5 ounces per pound of body weight (over the course of a day). I use Dr. Brown's bottles with level 1 nipples, but only because I had them already. They've got a lot of parts to clean... And I think I had a clogged duct too. I had a small lump, which of course is so ironic considering how little milk is in there. :rolleyes: I just kept nursing and it went away after a couple of days. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to do anything else for it and then it resolved before I could really worry about it.

Lori

[ellery]

Thank you for all the nice thoughts on my first day back at work. :) It actually went quite well - I cried when I dropped him off and on the way to work and then I was okay. It helps that I feel really comfortable with this daycare center (I keep trying to recruit their staff to come home and help me ;) ). Danny was so zonked when I picked him up (he hadn't really slept the entire day :eek: ) that he pretty much slept from then on besides waking up to eat. I tried bf'ing him plus giving him more formula than I usually do (when I do supplement after bf'ing) and whether it was the extra formula (3-4 oz) on top of the bf'ing or the rough day, but he slept for 5 hours in a row, twice. Yay!!!! Which means that DH and I each got about 5 hours of sleep. :D

DH goes back on the road tonight though so I'm on my own for nights again - hopefully Danny will repeat yesterday's performance. Fingers crossed...

DH looked very tired last night when he got home from work. I asked if he was tired and he said "yep." I bit my tongue from pointing out that he's done night feedings two nights in a row now, as compared to me doing them ALL for the past 4 months... if he's wondering why I'm a bit on edge these days... :rolleyes:

Poppy - I end up with a clogged duct from time to time. I use a hot wet washcloth on the breast in question, or stand in a hot shower letting the hot water beat down on it, plus massaging it, as well as pumping or bf'ing in order to get it to go away. They hurt. :( And I'm so sorry to hear about the blood returning. (((Poppy & Avery)))

Gouri,thanks for the info on when to feed solids. I'll just hide the jarred baby food and hope that Danny continues sleeping these long periods and then I think DH will worry less... I think the jars were his attempt to solve the problem - you know men, problem-solvers... :rolleyes:

Lori, you can moan to me about comparisons and always have a ready ear. ;)

Fingers crossed that Danny has another full day and is ready to sleep by the time I pick him up. I need to wash my hair. ;) (It's amazing the hygiene allowances I've made since having him - washing my hair every day has moved to every other day... flatironing has moved to a quick pass with the flatiron... vanity is just a dim memory... )



Have a good day everyone. :)

Leah

[ggs830]

Jahan turned 4 months old yesterday, and I took the opportunity to finally download some pictures of him and Shaelyn.

Here's my baby boy!

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k143/gsashital/jahan3-1.jpg

And here are both my beautiful kids. This was the best picture I could get of the two of them-- neither one was cooperating w/me!

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k143/gsashital/sandj3.jpg

[PoppyJ]

Jahan and his sister are so beautiful. What great pictures!!

Leah....5 hours of sleep. You must feel so refreshed and ready to concour the world. I know what you mean by vanity. I do not think I have pulled out the blow dryer since I had Avery.

I feel like I am the drama queen of the group...but every group needs one right!?!:cool:

Yesterday basically sucked. I do not know who cried more...me or Avery. She did not like the formula. She has taken a bottle before with breastmilk and did not seem to have a problem. Maybe I will see if they have Alimentum in the premade mix. She only ate about 20 ounces yesterday. I guess in retrospect that was not too bad since she fought most of it.

That is a good idea about the Nuk. She really likes her Nuke pacifier so I will have to look into their bottles. Can you mix different bottles with different nipples?

[ellery]

Poppy - so sorry to hear about Avery not liking the formula, when you already have mixed feelings about stopping bf'ing. Talk about heaping guilt on top of guilt... (((Poppy & Avery))) I don't know about mixing nipples with different bottles - it seems like all the bottles are shaped differently (probably so that you don't mix and match - grrr ).

Gouri - what gorgeous babies you have! I love Shaelyn's ponytails! ;)


Checking in here after my first night of what almost could be called "good" sleep in about 4 months. Danny's been so worn out from daycare each day (he doesn't nap well there) that he essentially wants to sleep from the time he gets home at night until the next day. Maybe I'm a horrible mom, but yay! He ate at 8 pm, bf'ing plus a whopping 5 oz of formula, and then slept until 2:30 when he ate 6 oz of formula (a feeding that DH took - woo hoo!). So I slept from about 10 until 3 when I woke up dying (needing to pump, ow!), and then got another 2 hours on top of that. He didn't eat again until 7. Woo hoo! Woo hoo woo hoo!!!

So weird. I'd tried supplementing our middle of the night sessions with formula before and it never made a bit of a difference. If only he can keep this up. I'm afraid it's just the exhaustion from staying up all day at daycare - which means, what on earth am I going to do on the weekends? There's no way I'm as entertaining as daycare - they're like Toys R Us on steroids. :eek:

So I found this thing called a Tucker sling online today. It's basically a steep wedge of a pillow with straps that you strap your baby to - for babies with acid reflux. It's a bit steep but looks good since that semi-upright position seems to be the only one that Danny can sleep in, and we can't afford the batteries required to have him sleep in his swing forever (darned thing needs new batteries every 5 days - that's how much we use it!). Anyone have any experience with this?

[jphilg]

Poppy, you aren't a drama queen....it's this first year. Drama, drama. There are so many days that I don't know who cries more, me or the kids. You are doing great! Sorry about the formula wars. Just keep trying; it will work. Babies aren't going to starve themselves.

Ellery, hurray for "good" sleep!

Gouri, gorgeous, gorgeous! I need to upload some pictures too, but, you know how it is.

Things are ok here. We're getting through it. The kids are both in great phases; 4.5 months is turning out to be a charming time for my smiley little boy, and Saskia is in a tantrum lull right now (as long as no one mentions Fruity Cheerios...but that's for another post). It's exhausting, but at least I am enjoying my kids, and I certainly wasn't a few weeks ago.

We are going on a road trip tomorrow, and I am really scared. 7 or 8 hours to Boston. I've always flown before; the longest car trip I've ever taken with Saski is maybe 2 or 3 hours, and we are doing it with both kids. We moved Zach to a convertible seat last week, and he's been a little happier in the car since that switch. Mostly we are just counting on sleep....we are leaving at 7 pm and driving all night rather than deal with the drama. On the way home, we may try day driving; we'll see how it goes. If we drive home during the day, I'm going to run to Target and buy one of those car DVD players. Diego to the rescue!

I'm starting to think seriously about the baby weight. I never really got my figure back between kids, so I'm looking at about 35 pounds that I'd like to lose. I've been running a couple times a week, making it to the gym when I can, but have been really undisciplined in my eating. Rats. I've really enjoyed the baked goods and cheese, but it is time to reign it back in.

[SooCookie]

That is a good idea about the Nuk. She really likes her Nuke pacifier so I will have to look into their bottles. Can you mix different bottles with different nipples?

Nuk is what did it for DD as well. She only took a pacifier about a month of her life, but when she did, it was the Nuk's. I never saw any bottles that Nuk made, so I just bought the nipples and used them on bottles I already had. They should fit on any of the smaller neck bottles. I know they work on the Medela and Gerber bottles since that is what we used. Believe me, I know how frustrating it can be. Like Jen said, Avery won't starve herself, so just keep trying. And I have been there too with the crying. You should see all of my posts from last year around this time... :(

[PoppyJ]

Ellery- that is wonderful to hear about your wonderful night sleep. Hopefully there is a repeat performance. I cannot believe that Danny ate 6 oz of formula plus breastfed. I can only get Avery to take about 3 oz at a time. I have seen the Tucker sling and was wondering if it worked. Let me know if you order it.

jphilg- good luck on your road trip. We are driving down to Huntington Beach next weekend. It is about a 6 hour drive without traffic. I am looking forward to getting away, but am nervous about the drive.

I tried the Nuk this morning and liked it. Avery is not fighting as much as before so it seems like we are making progress. And there has been no more blood in her stool so it will be worth it in the end. I am still pumping with the hopes that we can go back, although it probably will not happen. If I cannot go back to breastfeeding, then I will donate all the milk in my freezer to a milk bank.

On the non-drama front, Avery rolled over yesterday!!! She went from her back to her tummy. I think she surprised herself as much as she surprised me.

I think the little one is stirring. Have a great weekend everyone.

[ellery]

Checking in after surviving the weekend. Yay! Danny pretty much kept to the same schedule as he's on for daycare days - two quickie naps in the morning, one in the afternoon, then down for the count by 6, 6:30 pm. He eats around 8'ish, then not again until 2:30 or 3, then he's up for the day again by 6. God love him. :) I still get up needing to pump, interestingly enough around the same time he wakes up in the middle of the night, but I've been letting DH do that formula feeding (when he's in town), pumping and saving the milk. I don't produce as much as he needs when I pump at work, so any bit I can save I do.

So I was laying in bed last night trying to get back to sleep (at 3:30 am :rolleyes: ) and formulating some questions for moms who know. Mainly concerning the future, as in what comes next?

Month 0 - 1 for Danny involved cluster feeding on his part, and my survival on Pop Tarts and bagels and not a lot of sleep or showering.
Month 1-2 involved discovery of the pacifier, colic, acid reflux, and me expanding my food repertoire to include Hot Pockets (along with Pop Tarts and bagels). Still not a huge amount of sleep but slightly more showering.
Month 3-4 involved getting over colic (after many many many days of crying), discovering the depths of sleep deprivation (when he did his up every 2 hours at night thing, OMG), and actually moving on to eat actual sandwiches.

I still feel like we're in survival mode, though, with me (much like a junkie) taking naps at every possible occasion (at lunch at work, when Danny takes his brief naps during the week, when he goes to bed at 6), not having time to exercise, and wondering what and when the Light at the end of the Tunnel will look like and when it will appear. I kind of have a feeling that by the time he's 4 or 5 I may feel rested, but I'm hoping someone will give me a little more hope than that. As in, when will I stop feeling like a junkie in need of a fix (when it comes to sleep)? Will I ever watch a network TV show again (as in, I don't go to bed at 8)? Will I ever have the urge or time to cook something besides instant meals again? Will I ever have time to exercise at home again?

And what's next? Danny's already a great kid with a great personality, but is just now learning to use his hands and still not too self-entertaining. Anyone want to share what I have to look forward to?

Not that I'm complaining, I'm just wondering.

Poppy - I talked it over with DH yesterday and we're just going to hold off on the Tucker sling. For one thing it seems pretty expensive (although the website won't tell you how much it costs - which is scary in itself), and another is that Danny does quite well with the swaddling and swing combination he's on now, so we're hoping to just use that until he outgrows it. The swing eats batteries but we looked up plug-in swings on the Babies R Us and Target websites and they're really expensive, more than it would be to just keep buying batteries. Hopefully he'll outgrow the reflux soon - they say by about 6 months, when they start eating more solid foods. Yay for no more blood in her diaper and for rolling over. Yay Avery!

Jen, good luck on the road trip!

Hi Lori and Gouri!

Hope everyone had a peaceful weekend. :)

Leah

[LA98]

Oh, Leah! :) I just had to laugh about your Hot Pockets -- I *lived* on them those first four months when Brian had colic. I really never ate anything that I couldn't make or hold with one hand. I was just thinking the other day that it was a good thing the "difficult" baby was first, I'm not quite sure how I would've managed taking care of another with that kind of madness... So, as a colic survivor ;) I'm here to tell you that YES, you absolutely will cook nice dinners again, and watch TV shows, exercise, etc. I can't tell you when, but I can promise you that you will!

As for what there is to look forward to: This is when things start to get fun, IMO. They start getting interested in the world around them. Jason is starting to notice what his big brother's doing. He was watching him play with trucks the other day so intently, like he was taking notes for the future. :D I'll never forget the day Brian took notice of the cat, that was really cool. And one day you're going to reach out to pick Danny up and he's going to reach his arms out for YOU. They start getting fascinated with toys. And so on. The infant stage is not my favorite (I always feel guilty admitting that!) I much prefer when they're a little more interactive. :) 12-24 months was my absolute favorite with Brian.

Danny's schedule sounds great, by the way. Jason is going to sleep somewhere around 7-8 pm, then getting up between 2-3 am to eat, then he's pretty much up for good around 6 am. Most days he takes an hour nap in the morning and then 2-3 hours in the afternoon. Brian's been going to "camp" at his new preschool a couple of mornings a week, so I have to wake Jason up to go get him and that's been messing him up a bit. I never would've thought in a million years that I'd wake up a sleeping baby, but that's what happens the second time around!

Hey, would rechargeable batteries for the swing be cheaper in the long run?

Poppy, so glad things sound better for you and Avery! And yay to her rolling over! I was going to post the other day that Jason was getting very close, just getting stuck on that darn elbow. On Sunday he figured it out and got all the way over. And once there, he cried. :)

Gouri, your kids are just beautiful!

Jen, here's hoping your trip went well?

Lori

[ggs830]

I still feel like we're in survival mode, though, with me (much like a junkie) taking naps at every possible occasion (at lunch at work, when Danny takes his brief naps during the week, when he goes to bed at 6), not having time to exercise, and wondering what and when the Light at the end of the Tunnel will look like and when it will appear. I kind of have a feeling that by the time he's 4 or 5 I may feel rested, but I'm hoping someone will give me a little more hope than that. As in, when will I stop feeling like a junkie in need of a fix (when it comes to sleep)? Will I ever watch a network TV show again (as in, I don't go to bed at 8)? Will I ever have the urge or time to cook something besides instant meals again? Will I ever have time to exercise at home again?

And what's next? Danny's already a great kid with a great personality, but is just now learning to use his hands and still not too self-entertaining. Anyone want to share what I have to look forward to?



I've got to agree with Lori-- 12-24 months is, so far, the most fun age. Shaelyn is 19 months (today!!), and she is such a hoot. I think it's a combination of the fact that they are somewhat independent (mobile, able to eat and drink by themselves, for the most part), communicative, and feeding/sleeping aren't such huge issues anymore. If Shaelyn doesn't sleep or eat well today, I know what to except, and we know what to do to get her to eat/sleep well tomorrow. Plus, they are sooooo fun and funny at this age-- Shaelyn started signing feelings over the weekend (i.e. grumpy, scared, sick) and doing faces to go along w/them. SO cute!

W/infants, things are so much more unpredictable. Well, at least my kids are. ;) Everything seems like a big deal, so the stress is way higher. Not as much fun, I agree, although, I have to admit that the cuddling factor is much higher now (Shaelyn never seems to have the time to sit down for a good cuddle with mama-- too many things to explore!).

What we have to look forward to? Hmmm....rolling over is just around the corner, followed fairly closely by sitting up unassisted (around 6 or 7 months??). That's also around the time when they can start grabbing at objects, so you can actually play with them. I think we'll be starting solids in about a month or two, which means lots of baths for everyone (Shaelyn used to spit food at me if she didn't like it). ;) Also, I think they should start babbling pretty regularly (around 6 months??) and teething (YUCK!). Get those bibs out, ladies-- you are going to need them!!

Leah, sounds like Danny is settling into a nice sleeping pattern. Yay! Jahan is kind of there, but he's still pretty inconsistent day to day. Last night, he slept 1 hour, then 4.5 hours, and then a whopping 6 hours! But, I have no expectations that he will do it again tonight.

We have our 4 months appointment tomorrow. I'm really curious to see where Jahan is at. My mom weighed him a couple of weeks ago and he was just over 14lbs, but I don't think her method was all that reliable. So, we'll see.

[Kerri]

Leah - you crack me up. I was thinking about your post when I was cleaning my kitchen. When James was 10 weeks old, we moved from Dallas to SC. We left most everything in our house until it sold and only brought the things we thought we would need in the meantime. After the move I would ask myself, why didn't I pack my running shirts? Why didn't I bring my knife? I should have brought those cute pants!! It is just when I was packing, I couldn't imagine needing that stuff. At 4 months, James was definately a better baby, but then he started teething, so somethings never change. We started following Health Sleep Habits, Happy Child at 4 months, and that really helped. You should start becoming more settled in your eating/napping/playing schedule and it will become easier to get other things done. I think it is pretty fun now. At this stage you get to watch them how to learn to do everything. It is pretty neat. I hope things get better for you soon!

Lori - LOL about only eating things that you could with one hand...so true!!

[LA98]

Kerri, I was just remembering also how I used to want a cup of tea so badly during those crazy days: I would boil the same water in the kettle over and over and over until it finally evaporated. Never once did I get the tea made!! :D

Funny how I can laugh about something now that made me cry then! ;)