March 2009 New Moms Thread

[helios7]

I thought I'd start us this month...

Me- 30
DH - 31
DS - Quinn, 13 weeks today!

Well, napping continues to go well in our house. This week turned out to be pretty busy which kinda freaked me out as I anticipated chaos with Quinn not napping well. But I used the carseat attachment to the stroller (instead of the bassinett it comes with) and was able to rock him to sleep in various locations keeping us on track. it was good for me to learn how to be flexible with his napping as one cannot live at home purely for the nap schedule. It will drive mommy nuts!

Quinn had his 3 month appointment this week. Get ready - 15 lbs 14 oz! Hoo boy! He measured at 25 and a quarter inches, so he is a taller baby but definitely a big boy. No wonder my back gets sore! :o But the doctor wasn't concerned about his weight, and reassured me several times. He's measuring in the 90th percentile, so definitely big but not off the charts. She also reassured me that while his neck is a little tight on the not favored side, it isn't a concern. We're just to keep encouraging him to look that way (which we are) but things are fine overall.

We had few BF issues this week. I had a really giant clog that was really painful (to the point I didn't recognize it as such and went in to see my dr as I was concerned about the large mass) but it managed to work through while at the pediatrician's office soaking my shirt. So that was fun. :rolleyes: Also had some soreness pop up, so I'm really working the lanolin cream trying to get that feeling better.

Besides that, not much else going on. I'm happy we're now into March, and looking forward to some warmer weather. :D

[gertdog]

I finally feel ready to join- and I have two free hands at the moment, so here goes! :)

Me: Stephanie, 37
DH: Jason, 36
DS1: Ryan, 3 1/2
DS2: Aiden, 3 weeks (born 2/5)

So- for the most part, things are going well. Aiden is a generally mellow baby so far... likes to be held, has several long stretches of sleep each day/night, gaining weight well. Overall I feel like an old hand at caring for a newborn- it's managing him and my 3-year-old at the same time that presents some challenges!

The one thing that is brand new to me is breastfeeding. Ryan wasn't able to, but Aiden has had no problems. He is a greedy little eater and would probably nurse around the clock if I let him. Those Soothies gel pads are miraculous and have helped minimize soreness and pain. We introduced him to a paci this week and that helps with his need to suck even when he isn't hungry.

Aaaaand he's awake and ready to eat- more later!

[Beth G.]

Argh! I just typed a response and then apparently it took too long and timed me out. Grrr.

Me: 39
DH: 40
DS: Michael, 8 weeks tomorrow.

Heather! I had a ginormous plug last week. Took me over 24 hours to clear it - pump, heat, massage, baby. Go Michael! He finally got it in the longest nursing session he's ever had. I guess with the flow being so slow he could stand to hang on. My skin is still irritated almost a week later. I need to not sleep on that side anymore (pregnancy habits live) and see if that helps. I'm glad Quinn's neck isn't serious. I'm reading the sleep book too. We have been pretty lucky so far but I don't want to keep flying by the seat of my pants.

Did an experiment and let Michael sleep unswaddled Saturday night. He had a 5 1/2 hour stretch!! And 5 hours last night!! Needless to say I'm retiring the swaddles for now. So Beth H., thanks for your offer but I don't think we'll need any larger ones. Did Will get any shots at his 2 month visit? How did that go? My parents were supposed to come the same day as ours (Thursday) and I asked them to delay until Monday since I'm not sure he'll be up to it.

Meanwhile, DH has been mainly bedridden with gout foot. Fun, fun. With my new diet I can't eat any of the stuff in the freezer we made before I gave birth or takeout.

Had two visitors Thursday which is nice for my winter in NY stir crazy-ness. A friend came by with her six month old (note to self, Michael not quite breastfeeding champ and not yet ready to eat with another kid crying in the background). Then my neighbor two doors down came by. She had a boy the same day as me which is great, so we exchanged numbers and plan to get together. She is stir crazy too. I am still only in possession of a Snap and Go and I hate smooshing him in the car seat to walk around the development, so the minute DH can walk I am dragging him stroller shopping. I have delusions of some warm March days.

Michelle - good idea on the goat cheese! I will try that. I have had to further restrict "the entire cow" as the lactation consultant called it. Bad reaction to my treat of a pastrami sandwich. Unless it's all foremilk/hindmilk imbalance. Who knows? We are super lucky and Michael sleeps well in his crib in our room. Our pillowtop mattress (DHs from before we met) is way too soft - I'd be too scared to let him sleep in our bed. I don't even like it how soft it is. If you are really nervous about the tummy sleep, you might want to get one of the motion sensor alarms. I know there are no guarantees, but I will admit to being neurotic and having one. He sleeps on his back, but it still helps us sleep better (even DH checked it during the 5 1/2 hour sleep stretch).

Welcome, Gertdog, and congratulations! Glad breastfeeding is going well.

I am off to try to bake some brownie mix I found with no dairy (I don't have any non-dairy homemade recipes). I have 12 weeks marked on my calendar with the hope I can loosen up the diet rules a bit then. Luckily there is a lot of kosher food around here (and I know the rules) so I can figure out pretty easily what has no dairy in it. I was in heaven when my friend showed up two weekends ago with a parve (non-dairy) chocolate babka!

No wait, Michael's waking up. I'll be feeding him instead of my sweet tooth!

Hope everyone is well!

[Beth H]

Me: 38
DH: 39
DS: Will (almost 8 weeks)

Welcome Stephanie! Congratulations on your new addition.

Beth G That's great about the sleeping in the longer stretches - yay!

Will had his 2 month appointment a week ago (about a week and a half early). He did have shots - 3 different ones (he had not had the first hepatitis B in the hospital), plus an oral vaccine (for Rotovirus, I think). His reaction to them was a day of sleepiness, not fussiness, but I know some kids are the absolute opposite.

Heather - Quinn is big! Will is going to be big too - he was almost 12 pounds and 24 inches last week. I can't imagine that car seat getting heavier and heavier!

[Pony]

Thanks for starting us off, Heather.

Me: 33
DH: 32
Evelyn: 7 weeks, 3 days

Great to see you hear, Stephanie!!!

Evelyn has been sleeping for almost 2 hours now!!!!! She is in our bed on her belly though :o. I'm trying not to stress about the belly sleeping since it works for us. She slept really well last night with a 5 hour stretch. Unfortunately, I was up waiting for her to wake up to relieve my enormous rock hard boob! I am impressed she is still down right now. I was able to get some cooking done in the kitchen. I'm trying to decide if I want to go off w/ her somewhere when she wakes up. Such a tough call, b/c sometimes she flips out being in her carseat or the BabyHawk and sometimes she is perfect. Somehow it got to be 2:30 already, so not sure I will venture off since she is still sleeping.

We went through 4 outfits yesterday :rolleyes:. She was spitting up soooo bad. Both my husband and I were drenched as well as E. We have her 2 month appt. next week, so I will address it again to the ped. She isn't fussy when she spits up and obviously is growing.

We are officially using all cloth diapers except at night. It has gone really well and I finally got the hang of the prefolds. We are using both prefolds and pocket diapers. I love it! Heather-what are you using to wash your diapers? Amanda, sweetpea, gave me a homemade laundry detergent recipe that I've been using. I just made a new batch up yesterday. I was wondering what other mom's are using.

About those 2 month shots, should I give Evelyn some baby Tylenol beforehand?

Heather-I'm so happy things are falling in to place with you!!! Quinn is getting so big, holy cow. I'm thinking Evelyn and Quinn are growing at the same rate, ha! Sorry about the clogged ducts. I'm glad you are doing better.

Stephanie-It seems like you are doing well with the new addition! How is Ryan doing? I'm glad you are able to BF Aiden. It is one of my favorite things about being a mom. I felt like it took a few weeks for the pain to disappear and it seemed like the latching on was the most painful part. I heard the gel pads work great.

Beth G.-I can't believe Michael slept that long w/o being swaddled. WOW! The only way that will happen here is if she is on her belly unswaddled. Congrats. I hope your husband gets better. What type of reaction does Michael have to "the entire cow"?

[Beth H]

bout those 2 month shots, should I give Evelyn some baby Tylenol beforehand?

I didn't give Will Tylenol beforehand (although several friends suggested it), but our doctor gave him some right after the shots, and I did two additional doses that day at the appropriate intervals. Don't know if it made a difference, but he was not particularly fussy so maybe it did?

I will say it is not fun to watch the shots being administered.

[helios7]

Hi Stephanie - glad to see you here and that breastfeeding continues to go well. :)

BethG - I'm glad I'm not the only plagued by clogged ducts. But I hadn't made the connection to sleeping on that side...that is interesting. I was terrified I'd have to go dairy free while BF for some reason - as a vegetarian I need my dairy! But luckily I've been spared this time. Kudos to you for handling it with such determination and creativity. Hope you are enjoying the snow!

BethH - Glad Quinn isn't the only big boy around here! :)

Michelle - negotiating the trips and the naps is a challenge. I've gotten better at it but it is hard. I haven't given Quinn any tylenol before or after shots (he hasn't seemed to need it). But I know some friends' peds recommend giving it before (some even give it in the office). Since it'll be Evelyn's first round maybe see how it goes? Unless your dr provides in the office of course. And then based on her reaction you'll know whether to administer before next time? Just my thoughts - do whatever feels right to you.

Regarding the diapers - I've just been using baby laundry detergent (we currently have Method but before that were using 7th generation). We've been using a powerwash cycle with a 1/2 hour soak on our machine that has worked well instead of the multiple rinses the website recommends. Don't know if that'll change with the introduction of solid foods or not, but it's working for now.


And my update since my last post is some experimentation with phasing out swaddling. Quinn has only slept in his crib tightly swaddled, which is fine but he is 3 months old. And honestly it's a big pain swaddling him 5 + times a day, particularly as he's beginning to recognize it as part of bed and screams. So I just put him down with one arm out of the swaddle. It seems to have worked (I risked a peek). Any other swaddle phase out tips?

[tholbrook]

Well, I guess I will post to the March thread - I started a reply on the February thread about a dozen times, only to either lose everything I typed or get called away for other things...

And I'm happy to say that Maya is asleep right now, after fighting naptime all morning, so I'm typing with 2 hands! Woohoo! I even have a carrot cake in the oven and am getting ready to start dinner... we might eat before 9 p.m. tonight! :D

Here goes:

Me, Tami: 34
DH: 37
DD, Maya: 6 months

I am thoroughly enjoying my time with Maya these days - because I realize that she's going to be up and crawling/walking very soon, and it will never be the same. She's still quite the handful (the not-napping thing has come up again, after a couple of really good weeks) and it's nearly impossible to take her to work anymore. But I really love our quiet time when I'm feeding her, and she looks up at me - if I'm doing something else, she'll wait for me to look at her and then give me the biggest sweetest smile you ever saw. It's like she wants me to know she's right where she wants to be. :)

We started solids about a week before she turned 6 months. Brown rice cereal mixed with breastmilk - it was messy but she did great. Since then, she's had butternut squash and banana - each time she seems to get the hang of eating a little better, and less ends up smeared all over the place.


Heather: wow, Quinn IS a big boy! I'm glad the BF issue got resolved... and great work on the naps! Totally agree on napping flexibility (now if only I could convince Maya that it's okay to sleep when Mommy's at work! :rolleyes:)

Stephanie: welcome to the "other side"! Sounds like everything is going as smoothly as you could hope for. So what you're saying is that mellow babies really do exist? :D

Beth G: oooooh, so sorry to hear about your DH. I hope he gets better soon. Sounds like your little one has the sleep thing down pat - hope that will continue!

Beth H: glad you were able to get through the first round of shots without incident. Sleepiness sounds way better than fussiness.

Michelle: personally, I wouldn't worry too much about Evelyn sleeping on her belly, as long as she's strong enough to lift her head up. From what I've read, you're past the "danger zone" now, and she should be able to turn enough to breathe if needed. I can sympathize on the "do I or don't I" on taking her places... it seems there is a small window that I can take Maya somewhere. If I miss that window, all heck breaks loose because it's either feeding time or nap time.
Also FWIW, Maya spit up all the time too (also a "happy spitter") until just recently. Now she still does it occasionally but we go for several days without incident. Which is SO nice!

C'mon new moms - where are those pictures??? ;)

Here's the latest of Maya:
http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee70/turtlehouse/Maya%20Yvonne%20Holbrook/090220bMommysomethingswrongwiththem.jpghttp://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee70/turtlehouse/Maya%20Yvonne%20Holbrook/090223bItsallgood.jpg

[helios7]

Since you asked Tami....:D
http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1976/161/80/430337/n430337_38415780_7870307.jpg
http://photos-f.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v2426/213/18/1516817069/n1516817069_200677_1935118.jpg

[mabvt]

What cuties!

Neal will be 5 months later this week. We are still having some teething issues--red cheeks, chewing on hands, tender gums, etc. Overall though, he is a little ray of sunshine. He's also a good sleeper--soooooo nice. Esp nice this week, as I have a bad head cold and am NOT on top of things.

We started solids last night with a bit of oatmeal cereal. He didn't act much like he cared about it one way or the other, but didn't spit it out. Tonight we had some pear puree that I made. That went over well. I think we'll continue trying those two things just at night for a week or so.

We're looking ahead to flying with the little one in a month or so. Argh! Just the thought of the logistics makes me break into a cold sweat...bottles, stroller, food, ack.

Heather-Quinn looks like a baby not a newborn! When did that happen? I just want to pinch those cheeks.

Michelle- I've done tylenol both times for N beforehand, so I say go for it. Watching the shots is the worst! Those chunky little thighs...

Stephanie--Hi, welcome! Yikes, how is the two kiddo thing going? I hope you have help.

Beth G- I feel you with the stir-crazies. Here (in MI) it's been sunny but it was 6 degrees when I left the house this morning. I am SO sick of it.

Beth H- What's new?

[mabvt]

Here he is!

[Sarah45]

Hi ladies, I get to join now! :D

Me: Sarah, 32
DH: 32
Jackson: 1 week!

We survived week one with huge amounts of help from Grandma :) and aren't really experiencing that many issues yet. I had a c-section so am still having a bit of pain and can't lift anything heavier than baby so having my Mom around to do laundry and some cooking/cleaning has been a lifesaver.

BFing is going well although the last couple of days have started to have increased pain when he latches on but as soon as he's on and feeding there's no pain - and my nipples are showing no bruising or bleeding - so things must be OK.

One thing that we are struggling with is that Jackson will not go to sleep on is own. If you are holding him, he goes out like a light but as soon as you put him in his bassinet or any other flat surface, he wakes right up and wants his pacifier (ME) again. We've managed to make ourselves a little nest on the couch the last few nights just so I can get some sleep but we have to lick this one soon.

Now I am going to go over the last few months of these threads because I am sure there is a lot of great info. :D

[Pony]

BFing is going well although the last couple of days have started to have increased pain when he latches on but as soon as he's on and feeding there's no pain - and my nipples are showing no bruising or bleeding - so things must be OK.

One thing that we are struggling with is that Jackson will not go to sleep on is own. If you are holding him, he goes out like a light but as soon as you put him in his bassinet or any other flat surface, he wakes right up and wants his pacifier (ME) again. We've managed to make ourselves a little nest on the couch the last few nights just so I can get some sleep but we have to lick this one soon.

Congratulations Sarah. I had the same thing with pain during latch on. It went away after a couple of weeks, so hang in there. Evelyn slept on us, in our arms, and in a sling for a good while and still does sometimes. I'm starting to finally put her down by herself during nap time. I'm shocked right now, b/c she has taking 2 naps so far today and they have both been on her own!!! 10:00-11:45 and then just went down around 12:30!!!! I held her for about 15-20 min. until I knew she was really sleeping well and then put her down on our bed. She will have nothing to do with the crib or bassinet at this time. We enjoy holding her during nap time, but obviously we have to get things done :)

Thanks for the input on the Tylenol.

So, we woke up today with a knock on our door from our neighbor. Some j@$k@$$ busted our car window. Nothing was stolen, but I'm so pissed! It only cost us $150 to get it fixed thankfully, but I'm going w/o one paycheck so I can stay home longer. :mad:

Heather-Quinn is just cruising along...now he is a one-armed swaddler. He will be crawling before we know it :p. I love the pictures.

tholbrook-Maya is adorable. We are getting some smiles here, but nothing regular. Can't wait for that!

mabvt-I'm glad Neal is a good sleeper! I love the pictures. I think I'm going to be taken a trip with Evelyn to visit my family in NC. My husband will not be going and I'm wondering how this will go over. Luckily, my family will be around to help out w/ her. I shouldn't have to bring much, b/c my mom has some stuff already. Freaks me out a bit though :)


http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2468/163/51/769200479/n769200479_1412835_4064858.jpg

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2468/163/51/769200479/n769200479_1412812_2893211.jpg

[Luv to Cook]

Hi All! Happy March!

Me: Anita, 33
DH: 35
Asha: 5 (almost 6 :eek:)
Sahana: 3
Ayaan: 4 months

We are doing well...still tired, but I guess that is life with kids. It snowed about 4 inches this past weekend...was nice to have the kids play in the snow and go sledding, but I am seriously ready for Spring. Being homebound with a newbie is no fun!

Wow, helios, Quinn is a big boy! That is so awesome. We are still trailing in the weight department :(. Ped says not to worry...he is right on his curve, but it is hard not to. Ayaan was 11 lbs 5oz at his 4 month appt. I swear I have vitamin water for breastmilk.

Wow, Beth, awesome to get rid of the swaddle...we still are swaddling one arm in...I should probably get rid of it!

Tami, Maya is so cute! How fun in starting solids...I love that phase. I hear ya on life not being the same. One thing I have learned is that each phase truly does have its wondrous moments. Parenthood is amazing like that.

mbvt, ugggh it is cold there! I thought it was bad here...I cannot wait for the weather to warm up either.

Congrats Sarah and welcome baby Jackson! Hang in there on the sleep thing. I know it is tough. Not one of my kids slept alone as newborns. It's crazy how you think they are deeply asleep and you set them down and their eyes pop open! I used a sling for the first few months during the day and let them sleep on me at night. Some babies tolerate being put down as they get a little bigger...some babies (like mine!) need some encouragement. I know it is hard, but enjoy it while it lasts. Some babies will sleep alone if they are tightly swaddled. Try different things and vent away here :)!

Everything is pretty well here. Ayaan is doing a little better in the sleep department, which is nice. DH will be traveling for work over the next few months, so I am not looking forward to that! I have been slowly getting back into my wedding cake business. It is nice to have something else to think about and to keep me busy besides the kids.

Asha's spring break is coming up soon, and I think we will just visit grandparents for the week. I would love to do a vacation, but I think we will wait for the summer. I am so looking forward to summer break for Asha. Though trying to figure out how to keep them all busy will be crazy.

Not too much else is going on. Here is a pic of my little guy :).

[gertdog]

I love all the photos! Our pics are on the computer in our basement office- next time I get down there, I'll post a few.

We are going to try giving Aiden a bottle of breastmilk this week- would be nice for DH to be able to feed him once in a while. I think DH actually misses that- since Ryan couldn't breastfeed, DH got to play a much more active role in feeding Ryan when he was a baby and so they got to spend more time cuddling and being close than DH has been able to spend with Aiden so far.

Any tips on how much milk to offer in the bottle? I have no idea how much he gets per feeding, but when I've pumped using my manual pump I get 4 oz. in 8-10 minutes. He usually nurses for 15, so should I offer 4 oz. and see how it goes, or less?

For all the first-time moms who are reading Healthy Sleep Habits- I thought the book had great information but was so poorly organized I wanted to smack the editors. Who has time to wade through all those vignettes??? The most useful/reassuring thing we did with Ryan was to keep a sleep log as the author suggested- it was rather amazing to see the patterns emerge and to realize that he was getting a remarkably consistent number of hours of sleep per day even though it didn't seem that way to us! The soothing to sleep after 1-2 hours of wakefulness also worked well for us with Ryan, and we're trying the same with Aiden now.

Michelle- Ryan was a huge spitter-upper; sometimes it seemed like entire bottles came back up. Poor kid spent his first 8-10 months wearing dribble bibs every waking minute so we wouldn't have to change his clothes constantly. It never bothered him and he gained weight just fine. Hope your ped can reassure you!

[bekki]

Me-Bekki, 28
DH-30
Adny and Will- 4 months, 1 week


One thing that we are struggling with is that Jackson will not go to sleep on is own. If you are holding him, he goes out like a light but as soon as you put him in his bassinet or any other flat surface, he wakes right up and wants his pacifier (ME) again. We've managed to make ourselves a little nest on the couch the last few nights just so I can get some sleep but we have to lick this one soon.


Huge congrats on Jackson! And welcome to the club. One technique we have found is working for us is the shush/pat offered by the Baby Whisperer. Basically, you hold the baby upright, head sort of nestled in your neck/shoulder. Thump them on the bottom or back rhythmically (Strong, not just a tap), while making long shushing sounds. When you hear yawns, or feel him relax, transfer to the crib. Roll him onto his side, and continue to pat him on the butt and shush. You keep doing it until he's asleep. You'll notice he falls asleep, but within 2-4 minutes, sort of jerks himself awake. Keep patting unitl after that. One of my boys does that twice at 3 and 5 minutes, so I end up patting for a while. If he ever starts to really cry, pick up and start again. He might fuss at first, but try to notice when it's a sad cry vs. a frustrated I'm not being held cry.

That being said, we held them to sleep for the first few weeks A LOT. It goes fast.


Any tips on how much milk to offer in the bottle? I have no idea how much he gets per feeding, but when I've pumped using my manual pump I get 4 oz. in 8-10 minutes. He usually nurses for 15, so should I offer 4 oz. and see how it goes, or less?


One thing to remember is that babies are far more effective than a pump, so he may be getting a lot more. But 4 oz is probably a good starting point!

__________________________________________________ ___________________

Well, the insane nighttime wakings have stopped, thank god. For a couple nights I was up every 45-60 minutes and that was beyond lame. Naps are still 45 minutes, mostly, but every so often they surprise me with a 2 hour one. I've resorted to letting them sleep the 45 minutes in their crib, then moving them to my bed. I sit between them, and kind of pat them, and usually they'll sleep for another hour or more. I hate the idea of starting bad habits, but they really do need the sleep.

We did have to finally seperate them into two cribs last night. Andy is a crazy mover and he just scooches around the crib like nobody's business. We were afraid he'd land on top of Will or something. They slept fine, so either they didn't notice, or didn't care.

Four month checkup is on Friday, so yeah! more shots. But the tylenol worked really well last time.

Question: When do you know it's ok to stop a nighttime feeding? The boys eat at 6:45, and are asleep by 7:30. They eat again at 12:30, although half the time, DH has to wake them up for it. Then they sleep from 1:30~7:30. So that's a 5 hour stretch and a 6 hour one, but I sort of feel like they probably need like a 9-10 hour stretch. But I can't quite figure out how to do it. Ideas?

[Sarah45]

Any tips on how much milk to offer in the bottle? I have no idea how much he gets per feeding, but when I've pumped using my manual pump I get 4 oz. in 8-10 minutes. He usually nurses for 15, so should I offer 4 oz. and see how it goes, or less?

When the nurse cam the other day for our post-hospital follow-up I asked her this. She said that 15 minutes of pumping is equal to 5-10 minutes of baby's feeding.

I have a quick poop question :D Jax's stools are very wet, is this normal for a BF baby? He shows no signs of dehydration and has tons of plain wet diapers too so it doesn't look like typical diaherrea - and he's not fussy or showing signs of distress. My Mom can't help cause I was a formula baby so I thought I would check with you guys before calling the doctor or nurses hotline.

[gertdog]

Bekki and Sarah, thanks for the bottle amt. tips!

Sarah, Aiden's poops have been mostly sticky liquid, mustard yellow, with some of the "seediness" described in my breastfeeding books. Totally different from DS1's bottle-fed poops. The hospital nurse gave us a lovely sheet with color photos of "normal" baby poops :p and Aiden's seem to look just like the breastfed baby poops in the pictures, so we haven't been worried.

[gertdog]

And here are a few pics of Aiden... I don't think we have any good ones with his eyes open yet!

Coming home from the hospital:

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_rvQnSoUwSy4/SZBW3-dUrQI/AAAAAAAAAsE/tv_21kZvpTs/s640/IMG_3290.JPG

Sleeping with DH:

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_rvQnSoUwSy4/Sa61IZ0AliI/AAAAAAAAAwc/PSGCHZ9_4mc/s640/IMG_3295.JPG

With my mom:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_rvQnSoUwSy4/Sa61L3P9DzI/AAAAAAAAAw8/mMBRJeTsBRk/s512/IMG_3299.JPG

[Sarah45]

The hospital nurse gave us a lovely sheet with color photos of "normal" baby poops

Huh, never thought that I would be thinking that having such a thing would be useful but...:D

Jax's poops sound like Aidan's so I'll not sound the alarms ;)

[fancyn]

Hey all! Thought I'd finally join!:o:D:o

Me: 30
DH: 36
DS: Nick, 4yo
DD: Natalie, 3 weeks tomorrow

Wow, what a long strange trip it has been. This seems to be the first time I've had both hands free and not exhausted since Natalie was born. I'd like to start off by saying I am absolutely in love with her! She is such an easy going baby and so laid back. Night and day to her big brother. I didn't know that most babies didn't cry or fuss most of the time. :o She sleeps so well - 5hr stretches at night and tolerates her brother's loudness during the day. BFing turned into an emotional roller coaster this past week. The first two weeks went fine - she was gaining weight and back to her birth weight. Then some strange phenomenon happened and my supply depleted. She quit having BMs and was nursing 24 hrs a day. I have been going to a BF support group so the LC recommended nursing, supplementing an ounce of formula after feedings and then pumping. The three of those combined left me with no spare time, no free arms and no sleep. I was such a train wreck emotionally. Nick had no problems Bfing and I decided to quit b/c of selfish reasons. My whole goal with her and my mind set was this was going to work. After a trip to the ped. on Thursday, we all decided it was best to bottle feed and give her formula. Since then I've been pumping and giving her the BM too, which is helping me monitor how much she's consuming each day. I'm finally back up to pumping a whopping 12 ounces a day :rolleyes: (with the help of fenugreek) and am hopeful my supply will continue to recover. But she is now (and was) a happy baby so I'll continue this labor intensive task at least until I go back to work, if not longer. On the flip side as Stephanie mentioned, DH can now give bottles which has helped DH and her bond more. While I was nursing, he didn't know how to interact with her, much less had the time to figure it out. So I'm staying positive and seeing this as a win-win situation.

Congrats Sarah and welcome Jackson!

OK, I need to catch up with the rest of the thread - more personals later!

[gertdog]

Nancy- I'm so sorry to hear about the bf issues. We went through something similar with Ryan- he couldn't latch on. The LC had me pumping and DH finger-feeding Ryan the milk in hopes that Ryan would eventually catch on and breastfeed, but we had to supplement with formula from the get-go and I was totally overwhelmed it all. We eventually switched to all-formula for my sanity. Glad to hear that you're seeing some increase in your supply with the pumping! However things turn out, don't be too hard on yourself. I'm a believer that "breast is best" but w/ Ryan I had to accept that a sane and reasonably well-rested Mommy is pretty important to baby's well-being too. :)

I have a bf question re: supply and nighttime sleep. Aiden does not nurse the recommended 8-12 times per day- I'd say it's more like 7 or 8, and the past week he's been sleeping long stretches at night- 6 to 7 hours. At 5 weeks of age, is it okay to let him go that long, or is that going to cause my supply to decrease? He's gaining weight like a champ and right now he's clearly getting enough to eat. Obviously at some point my body would recognize that it needs to produce less milk at night, right? I'm just not sure we're well-established enough with bf to do that. Thoughts? Thanks!

[LaraW]

delurking...Stephanie, I think it is fine to let Aiden sleep 6-7 hours. I recall both my kids started sleeping like that around 4-6 weeks old. It will probably take a while for your body to catch up though and not be expecting that feeding part way through the night.

[MinEaston]

delurking for stephanie too...

I think I had the exact same experience with Anna. I'm all in favor of "let sleeping babies lie...". I think there was only one or two times when I woke up really uncomfortable, and I just pumped for 5 or 10 minutes, half-asleep, to feel a bit better. If you have a hand pump, even better - at the time I only had my Medela pump-in-style which was a PITA to deal with in the middle of the night.

It didn't seem to affect my supply.

[Pony]

Evelyn turned 2 months old on Monday! She had her 2 month appt. yesterday. She is 12 pounds 7 oz. I brought a diaper in for them to check for blood. She has been having mucousy diapers and I thought I would see blood until a friend told me it was occult blood. They took the diaper to the lab and within minutes I found out she does have blood in her stool. :( Poor thing. So, no dairy for me. Well, that is what I'm cutting out first. So, I'm right there w/ you Beth G.!! I'm sitting here eating my oatmeal made w/ vanilla rice milk instead of milk....not too bad.

Holy cow, the shots are sooo sad. She did well and slept a lot during the day and was quite upset when she was awake. Poor thing.

After talking to Heather about naps, we've been getting her down 1 1/2 - 2 hours after she wakes up and she has been doing great with that schedule as long as we hold her, ha! Still not going down by herself. Maybe for about 10 min. then she realizes she is not in our arms. I held her all day yesterday, seriously! She sleeps fine at night with me, but during the day she really hates to be put down. She will sleep for up to 2 hours if she is being held. I just read things online or catch up on Grey's Anatomy/Ugly Betty episodes. Or I get her in the BabyHawk. We will keep trying :)

I go back to work in less then a month. :( I'm wondering how I need to prepare for this return regarding feedings, and just emotionally. My husband will be staying at home, so he will be feeding her bottled breastmilk. He's been giving her a bottle every few days, but should we have him do it more often that last week or should we actually mimic how things will be when I return to work??? I understand she might need that, but I really am sad to pass that on to him any sooner then I have to.

I've been trying to post this for the past 2 days, but hard to type w/ one hand, ha!

Michelle

[Beth H]

I go back to work in less then a month.

Me too. I think it will be harder than I first thought. But I have Will in our good university day care which I am so glad about. Sorry about the blood in the stool - I didn't realize mom's diet could cause that kind of reaction.

Nancy, sorry about breastfeeding - but don't beat yourself up about it. I think ultimately whatever works best for mom and baby is best, even if that means switching to formula.

Hope all other moms and babies are doing well.

Things here are good. Tomorrow we are leaving Will with a sitter for the first time - we're going to see Ryan Adams and the Cardinals in concert. The girl is a college student and the daughter of our neighbors. I'm looking forward to the evening out!

How are other moms doing with tummy time? Will hates it so much - I end up only doing it a few minutes a day, but I'm worried he's "behind" in how well he can hold his head, etc.

[tholbrook]

Yay, two hands to type with! Maya is napping at last - gee, it only took 4 attempts over 2 hours!

We're having two major issues in our house. The first one is napping. I took her to work with me on Monday and as usual, she went to sleep easily, and I slipped her into her swing. 30 minute later she was WIDE awake and ready to play. Acted great, not tired or grumpy at all. But 2 30-minute naps and 1 15-minute nap was all she had over almost 12 hours :(. I'm sure that's not a good thing. We stayed home on Tuesday: same thing. She just didn't want to nap. I tried everything, including taking a nap with her. She would pop up, babbling and ready to go, after about half an hour. Today we're fighting with it yet again... I start trying to put her down after she's been up for about 2 hours, and she falls right asleep. FOR 30 MINUTES. And she's great until evening rolls around and then she is so tired, she just can't sleep and by then she is super-fussy. :mad::mad:

This other issue is a new one to me. I'm still breastfeeding, and I think I've mentioned that I definitely don't have an over-supply issue. I think I have an adequate supply but that's about it. I've also struggled with a slow let-down / impatient baby since the beginning. But for some weird reason, for the past couple weeks, I've had a big boost in supply (although pumping has only slightly improved) and an overactive let-down - and lots of them. Poor Maya can't keep up (although I swear she loves it!) - she's gulping and half-choking and milk is coming out her nose... but she gets mad if I take her off. The milk-out-the-nose is freaking me out, but it seems to bother her only a little (mostly because she hates me wiping her face), if at all. I guess I'm not really looking to "fix" this, just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience...

Ah, Pony - so sorry about the dairy issues. I hope that the change in diet helps - and that Evelyn outgrows this.

fancyn - welcome to the new mom's thread! Sorry that the BF isn't going as well as you had hoped. Hang in there - sounds like you're really persevering. Glad Natalie is such an easy baby - the last thing you need on top of all the other challenges is a constantly fussy little one!

gertdog - from what I understand, your body will adjust to feeding less at night (although it might cause some discomfort at first), and if you're feeding on demand, will compensate with a bigger supply during the day if that's what Aiden needs. Love the picture of him with your DH!

Sarah45 - I went through the same thing with the sleep. It does get better (although you'll be more encouraged by reading about the other babies on this thread than mine!:rolleyes:). I hope your recovery is going well!

Bekki - WOW! on the nighttime sleeping - and at 4 months! I would think that if your boys are able to sleep through the night at this point, go for it! As long as they continue a steady weight gain, I can't imagine why not.

Luv to Cook - Aayan is a cutie! Hope the sleeping continues to improve. I hear you on the worrying about the low weight. Maya is also in the bottom 10%, although her ped says she is perfectly healthy. It's just hard when it seems like you have the only "petite" baby. I think Maya was about the same - 11 1/2 pounds - when she was 4 months.

mabvt - have any teeth popped through yet? I keep thinking that we're going through the same thing, only to have all the symptoms disappear.

Beth H - have a great time at the concert! I didn't fret too much about tummy time at that age. I did put Maya on her tummy regularly, and let her stay as long as she was happy there - usually just a few minutes. I didn't want her to associate tummy time = crying time. I did get down on the floor with her to play, and that helped when she was a little older. Once she started rolling over onto her belly by herself (5 months?), she doesn't mind it anymore.

What a bunch of cute little ones! Hope everyone is having a good week!

(Gosh, I sure can type a lot with both hands free! :D)

[tholbrook]

Naps are still 45 minutes, mostly, but every so often they surprise me with a 2 hour one. I've resorted to letting them sleep the 45 minutes in their crib, then moving them to my bed. I sit between them, and kind of pat them, and usually they'll sleep for another hour or more. I hate the idea of starting bad habits, but they really do need the sleep. Just had to come back and give an "endorsement" to Bekki's technique - although I can't fathom how she is doing this with TWO babies! Maya actually took a 2-hour nap (after being up for 5 hours this morning)... she's a short napper too, so this is a wonderful thing.

I got her to sleep in our bed, which is actually a major first - I always have to be laying down next to her, or she sleeps in her swing. Anyway, I heard her starting to fuss a little, so I ran upstairs and patted her back until she was asleep again. So now she's just 15 minutes away from a 3 (!!!!!!) hour nap. Ah, small miracles ... THANKS BEKKI!

I really hope this works again next time I try it ... I'd love to eventually have Maya napping in her crib.

[bekki]

Tami--I'm so glad it worked for you! The shush/pat has worked really well for us putting the boys to sleep in the crib. And luckily their naps are getting so much better. I'll admit to letting them fuss it out a bit now, I'll go in a shush/pat if they're actually crying, but I'm discovering they sort of like to fuss. I think it's a tension reliever or something becuase 1/2 the time they fuss, they're like half asleep!

I hope that Maya gets to liking her crib soon :D

_________________________________________________

We had to leave our mom's group early today. I usually count on the boys falling alseep in the car, since we leave right about their naptime. In the past, they fall asleep, and stay asleep throughout the meeting. Not so much today. I even left a little early since we were ahead of schedule so I could drive around for 20 extra minutes and they could sleep. When we got there, both were WIDE awake, and Will started to completly meltdown within minutes-crazy screaming. (They had been awake for about 2.5 hours at that point). Luckily the group leader is childless at the meeting, so she kept ahold of Andy. I finally got him calm but not asleep (After like 25 minutes!) and we were able to hang out for a while longer, but then they both got started, and I just gave up! It's too bad, because I LOVE my mom's group.

Other than that, things are going pretty well. 4 month shots were kind of brutal last Friday, they had a rough time for the 24 hours following. Napping is better, and we've been getting 2 2 hour naps a day since Sunday. Keeping my fingers crossed that keeps up.

Pictures:

Andy is in blue
http://www.adamlyon.com/gallery/d/6183-2/wIMG_1407.jpg

Will
http://www.adamlyon.com/gallery/d/6186-2/wIMG_1408.jpg http://www.adamlyon.com/gallery/d/6214-2/wIMG_1450.jpg

Andy
http://www.adamlyon.com/gallery/d/6212-2/wIMG_1448.jpg http://www.adamlyon.com/gallery/d/6190-2/wIMG_1410.jpg

[helios7]

Okay... I need some advice. Old moms, new moms, lurking moms - advise away!

Last night I went to a pickling class (which was big fun) and DH put Quinn to bed. Actually, he brought him home on the train solo, prepared him for bed and put him to bed. All in all a big adventure for them both. It went well until DH chose a back snapping pj outfit (which is new and unfamiliar). When he turned Quinn over onto his stomach, Quinn began to cry. And didn't stop. The crying ranged from simply crying, to screaming his head off scratching at himself. DH valiantly tried to feed Quinn a bottle (an ongoing issue - he will NOT take a bottle from us at home) several times, but each time made him madder and madder. Finally DH just held and rocked Quinn until he collapsed from exhaustion. When I got home i "dream fed" Quinn by waking him slightly, but he nodded off easily after about a 20 minute feed.

The bottle issue is key. Quinn has taken bottles out of the home unwillingly, but will take them. When we took a CPR class a few weeks back, he took a bottle "lazily" in our friend's house. He gave DH a similarly tough time around eating and the bottle last Tues when I was out for a medical appt for 4-5 hours. That time DH did find feeding him the bottle on the boppy in the chair I usually feed him worked (however he didn't try that last night :rolleyes: so I don't know if that would have worked).

We obviously want to work on this but is it worth it? One thought I had was repeating the DH putting Quinn to bed solo experience with bottle but I would go down the road to a coffee house. That way if it went badly I could be home in five minutes saving mental anguish on all sides. But if we keep doing it perhaps Quinn will get used to the idea? Or should we just hang in until solids come into the picture in a few months and the bottle will be less important (although nursing is a part of the bedtime routine)? DH works (and I'm at home) but he does spend time with Quinn as best he can around his schedule. And I hate the beating that his esteem as a parent took last night. It sounded really horrible - Quinn was literally tearing at himself in anger and frustration. Does DH have the wealth of experience with him that I do? No, but this bottle hangup/anger that I'm not there to feed in person is really causing us issues.

Any advice? Anyone? :)

ETA - Quinn took bottles up to about a month, and then refused. He is exposed to them several times a week (usually out of the house) so it isn't unfamiliar to him, but nor is it a daily experience (mostly because it has been so traumatic). We've tried several types (Playtex Drop in, etc) but the one he had first (Born Free) is the preferred.

[helios7]

I thought I'd do personally separately as that thread was getting long.

Bekki - the boys are so cute. How do you do it with two! I used to think twins were cool, but now I'd be terrified. I'm already terrified at the prospect of #2 with Quinn in the picture (and that's way off in the future)! :D

Tami - I'm sorry to hear naps have been tough. We've really found the Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child book helpful in structuring Quinn's naps. But it sounds like you're trying that with the spacing of the naps. We've also learned he will only sleep in his crib swaddled. I know Maya's older so swaddling won't help but just in case... I know short naps are disappointing. Quinn's have been longer today (knock wood) and it is so nice! Good luck.

Beth H - Good luck getting ready to go back to work. It's been a big topic of discussion at my mom's group as some of my fellow moms are getting ready. I don't envy them - I know it would get easier but it seems like it would be so tough initially!

Stephanie - I've always followed Quinn's lead on night nursing. And given his size it has worked out for us. I've never had to wake him to eat... and I definitely have not lost my supply as a result. :eek:

Hi Nancy - Sorry BF has been so tough, but I agree with the general consensus that you have to be happy too. Happy mommy leads to a happy baby - hopefully you'll find a balance that will make you both happy. :)

Sarah45 - it sounds like the poop situation is under control, but yes what you described sounds normal. :) Welcome!

Michelle - so sorry about the loss of dairy. That is my worst nightmare as a vegetarian. I would like to know more about the occult blood... Quinn often has mucousy stools so I want to be sure I'm not missing something. Was she otherwise distressed?

Anita - glad all's well. Quinn is a bit of a monster baby, but it sounds like Ayaan's doing fine too.

Melissa - Ack! I dread teething. How is it going?

I think I got everyone.. hope so! :)

[helios7]

Double post... I'll post a picture instead. :)

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs015.snc1/2636_1080569703926_1516817069_209254_8021619_n.jpg

[Couperine]

What a difficult evening you all had, helios7! Quinn is adorable though!

I have a few ideas, but we've not had the exact same situation. Since you have a bottle type that he likes better, I'd check the milk temp - David used to be insanely picky about wanting a very warm bottle and would fuss until someone heated it up. If Quinn is like my kids, he won't take a bottle from you versus BF'ing, but he'll eventually give in for other people who are more stubborn than he.

As for your poor DH and feeding Quinn, I would recommend that you come up with regular scenarios for DH to put him to bed where you are not home, nor are you 5 minutes away. Your DH needs to figure out his own methods of comforting Quinn, and if you are close enough that he can give into the frustration and you're practically there, it may just prolong his discomfort in solo child care. Quinn is trying to train both of you that you and only you are allowed to put him to bed; both of my children have tried that, and my DH knew this was normal so it helped him stay calmer. When DH is ready to try again, go with the bath before bed thing to get that sleepy side effect.

I really feel for dads in situations like your DH, and I hope he sticks with it to develop confidence in taking care of Quinn in a way he feels comfortable with. It's great when a dad feels competent in taking care of kids, and I wish that blessing for all parents.

[2HUNGRY!]

Heather -- I had similar situations, and I will say, yes it is worth it! It took my DH about 5 times before him and DS came to an understanding about the bed time and taking the bottle from him. Its so traumatic, but I think it will be much better for you and your DH's relationship and the relationship between your DH and DS if you get this done now. I had a friend who, if she wanted to go out at night, she would have to hire a baby-sitter to stay with her husband and her baby. I did not want to be that mom. Just keep trying.

[Couperine]

I had a friend who, if she wanted to go out at night, she would have to hire a baby-sitter to stay with her husband and her baby. I did not want to be that mom.

I'd hate to be that Dad - how emasculating. :eek:

[2HUNGRY!]

Nancy -- I know, poor guy. But, it was a powerful message to me!

[Pony]

I can finally do personals as Evelyn finally went down, but in the BabyHawk. She has fought her morning naps and I put her in the BabyHawk and she is asleep! yay! I was talking to my mom on the phone and I was telling her how I'm having a hard time getting her down on her own. She was saying, "well, how are you going to get anything done?" Then I told her well, "I can't get anything done if she is needing to be soothed in another room to get her back to sleep..." mom, "well, can't you pat her to sleep." me, "no, plus, I only have a couple more weeks till I go back to work and I am going to miss holding her" mom, "well, then Carl will have to deal with it and he won't get anything done either." Ok, mom...do you have helpful advice for me or are you just wanting to let me know that nothing will get done in our house. :rolleyes::mad: When she was visiting she pointed out how dirty our ceiling fans and floors were. :rolleyes:

Luv to Cook-Did it warm up in VA at all? I'm glad Ayaan is doing well. The weight thing is sooooo individualized and I know you know that. :) I was at a playgroup on Saturday and there was a 22 pound 4 month old exclusively BF and a 22 pound 1 year old! Both were very healthy. Ayaan is adorable.

Stephanie-did Ryan's spitting up lighten up a bit?? It seems she is spitting up so much more these days :o. You would never know it though, b/c she smiles while doing it! The doc isn't worried, so I'm trying not to. I would love to be able to comfort nurse her at times, like after her shots, but she can't tolerate more milk. Aiden is so cute. I'm not sure how much milk to offer as we are trying to figure that out as well! I agree with Bekki, 4 oz sounds like a good start and if he seems hungry then add more. My husband has been doing around 2 oz when I go out so that I can feed her sooner. About Aiden not waking at night and your supply, the LC at the BF support group says it takes ~3 days for your milk supply to adjust to your baby's change in eating. If he is growing, then I wouldn't worry so much about the night feeding.

bekki-we will have to try your shushing/patting technique too! The boys are adorable. Sorry about leaving the mom's group and the shots!!

Nancy-yay for an easy going baby!! Sorry about the BF struggles. I agree, you have to do what is right for not only the baby but you too!

Beth H.-I agree, it is going to be a lot harder then I thought :o We aren't doing much tummy time, she isn't a fan :)

tholbrook-hmmm, I see Evelyn following in Maya's nap footsteps! I have not had a change in my milk supply, but I do have a lot of milk. Evelyn has had milk come out of her nose before. Very scary, but that was only a couple of times. She does gag herself often and also hates to be wiped off. That is very interesting that your supply changed. ohh, just read about the 3 hour nap!!!

Heather-oh boy. Sounds rough and am sorry you are dealing with this. I agree with the others, it seems worth it to me. Ok, a back snapping pj.....I've never seen such a thing and why oh why did someone invent that for a 3+ month old! ha! I wouldn't say Evelyn was in distress and I wouldn't have thought much about it, except I know a handful of people who had to stop eating dairy or nuts. So, of course, I was hunting around for a problem and found one, ha! I think it would have gone unnoticed since she is growing. Basically, her colon is irritated according to the doc. I would not say she is that fussy. I really don't have anyone to compare her to, however, our neighbor mentioned her being colicky!!! And another man down the street told me she has a pair of lungs :D. We take her outside on the front porch to rock her before naps, bedtime, or if she is just upset. I would say she is fussy at times, but can be soothed somewhat easily. She seems upset sometimes when she is gassy. So, honestly, I wouldn't have thought anything of it, except my friends have dealt with it. My friend's baby is the same age as Quinn and her ped wants her to reintroduce some dairy/nuts at 4 months, so hopefully it is just a short term thing. She said her first child was a different baby after she cut out dairy and nuts!

[Beth H]

DH chose a back snapping pj outfit (which is new and unfamiliar).

I think these were designed by the devil. Why on earth would you put a whole row of back snaps on a baby's outfit? I had a few of these which were hand-me-downs, and I've put them in a bag for Goodwill. I dislike snaps in general enough. Sorry though that it is tough for your DH and giving Quinn bottles - I'm afraid I don't have much advice there - but hope it gets better.

We're waiting on the babysitter. Will is sleeping - his pattern lately has been to sleep from 7:30ish - 2:30ish, hopefully it will hold out tonight while she's here.

[Pony]

We're waiting on the babysitter. Will is sleeping - his pattern lately has been to sleep from 7:30ish - 2:30ish, hopefully it will hold out tonight while she's here.


are you kidding?? ahhh, so nice!!! e goes down around the 7 o'clock hour, but then is up w/in 45 min. and then down around 10 and she may sleep until 3:30 or may get up around midnight. when i say down, i mean in our arms like right now ;). she did take a nap on her own today!!!! have fun!

[Beth H]

are you kidding?? ahhh, so nice!!!

It is nice - not sure how we got so lucky that he's settled into this pattern, and in his crib. I think it is just dumb luck, really. He slept the whole time the sitter was here - we had a great time.

[Luv to Cook]

Hi Everyone...don't have too much time for very many personals...have to make a cake for DD's teacher...tomorrow is her bday.

But, I did want to say how adorable all those baby pics are! helios, LOVE the little baseball cap...so cute!

helios, take it from me...I was the ONLY one who could put down the girls for the first year of their lives. Nursing was a part of our nighttime routine. Now, it really wasn't THAT bad, since they went to bed early and we could always go out after that. But I never left them for the first year...not even for a night away with DH. This time around I have separated nursing from bedtime (I do it before his bath) and while I miss the lazy days of sitting in the rocking chair and nursing in the dark, it is more out of neccesity, since the girls need me and I often have events at DD1s school in the early evenings. So, I agree with the other moms.

Pony, it got so nice here and now it is snowing today! I am sooo cold! Sorry to hear about the blood in Evelyn's stool...I hope it clears up quickly.

Beth...that is sooo awesome. Please send some of that here :)!

Thanks for the reassurance on my little guy...this is going to sound bad, but I never worried about my girls being little, but with a boy, I just have images of this little guy getting teased on the playground. Ughh...I gotta stop! Anyhow, I am hoping once we start solids, he fattens up a bit.

Have a great friday everyone!
Anita

[helios7]

Thanks for all the input. It was really appreciated.

Last night I nursed Quinn downstairs before DH went up and put him to bed. So we separated nursing and bedtime. He gave DH a hard time, but DH persevered and he went down. :) He then popped up about 20 minutes later because he broke free of his swaddle. I gave DH the option of going back, but he passed (he was exhausted) so I went up , reswaddled and put him down. I gave him a few minutes with the pacifier, and he nodded right off. It took about 4 minutes in total, so DH had effectively put him down - of all the nights for Houdini to escape his swaddle! We will keep doing things like this as much as possible so that Quinn gets used to Dad's way as well as my way. It is a challenge with DH's work schedule, but he makes it home in time at least a couple nights a week. And I will encourage him to keep Quinn for a chunk of time every weekend. Either sending them out together, or I'll go out. Maybe I'll go sit at the coffee house for an hour tomorrow and read - that sounds blissful.

The whole thing is funny to me, as I was aware going in that I am more of a kid person (by nature and career as I'm an early childhood teacher) and am a type A do it all personality. I knew I had the tendency to do it all because it would be easier, but didn't expect the issue to pop up so soon. My mom told me that when I was about 4 or so she had to quit a job because my (relatively uninvolved up to that point) dad was unable to put me to bed. I wasn't having it. And I don't want history to repeat itself. I do think DH will find it easier as Quinn gets older, but we're making strides now. I will consciously back off more, and push DH to get more involved.

Thanks again for the advice!

[fancyn]

Hey all! A one handed post while I pump... Thanks for the encouragement. I still haven't given up yet. Natalie is nursing still 2-3 x/day. I ended up seeing a midwife on Monday as I ran a fever all weekend & ended up with what I thought was mastisis. The duct worked out w/warm compress but she gave me a prescription just in case. While I was there she also prescribed me Reglan to boost my supply. I started to see a difference in production a little yesterday but Wed. noticed a whole different side to Nat. She had diarhhea and fussed ALL afternoon and evening. I spoke w/ the ped's office yesterday & we believe it to be the side effects of the Reglan. So now I'm at a loss what to do. I cannot deal with a fussy baby for the remaining 7 days I'm on this but hate to dump all of my breastmilk. I guess I'm going to try and mix it with formula to see if the effects are less on her. Any suggestions? Other than that, yesterday was back to normal, YAY! Tuesday I got her weighed and she was 6#9oz. A pound in one week!

Stephanie - at least the BF is working out for you this time. :) The LC seems to think Natalie just isn't an efficient eater which shot everything to hell. Right now she's taking 4 oz bottles every 4-5 hrs. :eek: Nick never took that much until he was over 3 months old! But I think that sounds like a good amount to start with. Speaking of wrangling 2 kiddos, on Nat's fussy night DH had to work until almost 10 and I about died. Baby screamed, Nick wouldn't quit talking and was having trouble following directions. Ugh, and every other night we're all home seems like a breeze.

Michelle - Oh no about the blood! I am glad to hear she seems fine otherwise. Hopefully eliminating dairy does the trick. In lieu of your post about the baby hawk, I whipped out our old bijorn yesterday. She seemed to like it, mommy was breifly hands free and she even tried to doze. Yay!

Tami - hi there! Interesting about the faster let-down. But I obviously don't have any advice! :D I can relate to the milk out the nose. Tthe several times Natalie has actually vomitted from the first formula we tried, it came out both nose and mouth. It's very disturbing to watch. Maybe your body will regulate soon enough YAY for a 3 hr nap!! Hopefully she can keep it up. Good to c-ya!

Heather - Oh no! What an awful experience for DH. I would keep trying the bottle, for sake of convenience and your freedom. Lucky enough here, DD will go back and forth b/w both...so far. Our issue is her taking a pacifier. It's still hit or miss. Yay for last night's success! Sounds like you're doing a great job. Cute pic of your little man!

Beth H - a sitter sound wonderful! I'm glad it worked out so well and you guys had a good evening.

OK, my other arm is dying. :D Hopefully its nap time...

[Beth G.]

Interesting week in our household. Had the two month visit last week; Michael weighs 11 1/2 pounds which is ok but he is lagging behind his peers Will and Evelyn! No progress on his neck problem so between that and what the pediatrician termed his "feeding disorder" (5 minute feeds) he wants us back for a three month visit. No major issues from the shots, just one bad hour of crying later that day.

Over the weekend, Michael did really well with three bottles but was very fussy at the boob. He kicks and screams and cries. The stress of that and the restrictive diet finally got me to call the lactation consultant that makes home visits. She came yesteday. He of course was very competent at the boob while she was here. The last time she was here, when he was just over two weeks old, he drank 56 grams of milk in five minutes, when the average is 25-30. This time he drank 76. So I said "he's older and better at it?" and she said "No, it's too much milk, you have an oversupply problem and he has a love/hate relationship with your breasts". We have always done one breast per feed. Now we are moving to same breast two feeds in a row. I hope it works. Not as fussy the rest of the day, but wouldn't nap at all. I think he knows she’s trying to tame his fountain! It kind of scares me as I wonder would he grow into the fast flow and will he dislike the slower flow/longer feeds? I guess the important thing is if he will be more relaxed. In a way, I’m really proud of him for keeping his weight in check despite the substantial milk supply. DH has struggled with his weight most of his adult life, so I’m hoping Michael will be off to a good start at staying slim.

What this also means is... I probably can eat again! I am still holding off on the dairy until a few days have passed to make sure this works, but I will be so happy if I can return to a normal diet.

Seems like everyone around here has too much milk or not enough. Does anyone not have a supply problem?

We had a few textbook days of going to nap (ok, not for more than 45 minutes) after 1 ½ - 2 hours. I started to think Dr. Weissbluth was a genius and ordered the book since I have it out of the library. Of course, yesterday, Michael did not nap after the 9 am one. Hmmm.

I am torn. Michael seems to really enjoy his mobile, but now when I’m trying to get him to sleep he’s constantly staring at it and wondering when it is going to start moving. Anyone else have this issue?

Beth H. - I am pretty fanatic about tummy time, especially with Michael's neck issue. We do 30 minutes every day, usually in three sessions. He doesn't hate it, but some days are better than others. On his best day, he held his head up for 7 minutes. Usually it is 3-4, sometimes just 1 and then he prefers to suck his arm. Good luck with the transition back to work. I'm not going back until July but we started applying for day care this week. There aren't any great infant programs around here.

Heather - I was a vegetarian for many years and usually only have chicken with dinner. This no dairy thing is really, really hard. I am hoping it is almost over. Not much to say about the bottle. We use the Playtex drop ins and Michael loves it – probably because it is more relaxing. He takes 30-40 minutes to do 4 ounces that would probably take less than 10 minutes of productive time at the boob if he’s handling the flow ok. I was sure your back snapping pj problem would be due to him being uncomfortable with them pressing into his back while he was sleeping, not getting into them! Very weird that they even make those with back to sleep being preferred.

mabvt – here’s how stir crazy we are. DH had to be tested for chickenpox immunity since he wasn’t sure he had it and would need to be vaccinated so he doesn’t catch it if Michael does and get really sick. When they did his bloodwork, then also found him severely Vitamin D deficient! We really need to get out more. I hope it warms up in Michigan soon.

Luv to Cook – he’s gotten rid of the swaddle for us. I brought it out one night he’d been really fussy and crying. Finally got him to sleep. Checked on him no more than two hours later and both arms were very neatly removed from the swaddle and up over his head. The swaddle was so tight otherwise I was sure DH had unwrapped him and freed his arms, but no. He did it himself. So no point anymore. I totally agree being home with a newbie all the time is no fun. Bring on the sunshine and warm weather!

Michelle – sorry to hear you had to join the no dairy club. I wouldn’t have found it that bad if I thought it was helping, but it wasn’t, so I was starting to remove other stuff from my diet to the point where I was snacking on plain bread. Blech. I hope this is the solution and you won't have to struggle with eliminating anything else. Now that you've mentioned it, I can't help noticing Michael's poop can sometimes be mucousy too :( It can't be dairy since I've been free for 2 1/2 weeks, so I'll have to ask the pediatrician - I was planning to call next week. Maybe soy? I hope Evelyn's been sleeping better on her own today. That is one thing we normally don't have with Michael. Sometimes I think he wants to get as far away from my scary boobs as he can. He hated the sling I tried and batted away the nursing cover.

Tholbrook – we’ve always had to deal with the fast letdown and plenty of milk (squirting all over his face occasionally). I never thought I had oversupply though – I didn’t leak or have too much engorgement. I just thought he didn’t always eat well and sometimes left me more full than I’d like. If you get to the kicking and screaming, it’s probably a reaction to the flow vs. anything else. DH is better, thanks! I rely on him for so much and when he was bedridden it was pretty crazy around here.

Here’s Michael at tummy time:

http://images.photo2.walgreens.com/232323232%7Ffp53249%3Enu%3D3265%3E995%3E365%3EWSNR CG%3D323448%3A572623nu0mrj

[bekki]

Beth G] We have that same sleeper! I loved it so much that we had it in NB, 3, 6 and now 9 month sizes :o I'm a sucker for those easy Carters PJs. Michael looks so cute on tummy time. I hope you're able to work out your nursing issues, sometimes it seems like a couple things contribute to a problem, so it's so frustrating trying to seperate out which ones are!

__________________________________________

We had a benchmark day today. The last two mornings, the boys have wiggled out of their Miracle Blankets (they're way too long for the foot pockets, so we haven't used it in months), and it's been wrapped up around their necks. Not tight, but enough to freak me out a little. So we went cold turkey with no swaddle today :eek: and switched over to the sleep sacks.

Nap 1: Both were a little tough to put down, because they didn't want to relax. I suppose the swaddle helps that. Anyway, they both fell asleep within 5-7 minutes. Andy woke up at thr 40 minute mark and proceed to freak out for about 30 minutes. (and I'll sheepishly admit this...) He finally calmed down and fell right asleep when I rolled him on to his tummy. He slept another hour like that, with me checking on him like every 10 minutes! Will, bless his heart, slept right on through.

Nap 2: Oh my goodness, somebody replaced my kids with angels. After another somewhat tough putdown, they slept for TWO + HOURS without waking up once. It was amazing.

Bedtime: Sucked with a capital S. Andy is just fighting sleep (and is continuing too as I type). I think we were shushing and patting for like 12-15 minutes. And how 40 minutes later, I can hear him starting up again. Oh DH...It's your turn :p

It's so funny because 3 days ago, I would have said Will would have a harder time with the change, Andy has napped sans Mircale Blanket and Will couldn't settle down without it. I was SO wrong. Andy's little hands keep waking him up!

[Beth G.]

Bekki - so I'm not the only one buying the same ones over and over through the 9 month size? I love them and he pretty much lives in them - easy to get on and off (I hate wriggling onesies over his head and have used them a total of twice) and the feet are covered - no worries about socks wiggling off. They are super cute and we have a Carter's store 5 minutes away, which is great since I don't get very far from the house these days. I also got a couple at Macy's for only $2.98 each. Had I known, I'd have bought more.

ETA: Have I mentioned I also love the Carters "Easy Exit Creepers" snap front onesies and I'm sure he'll wear them a lot this summer? He had a diaper blowout in a onesie - that was so fun to extract over him with it covered in poop. And what's not to love about a baseball (whale/frog etc) on the butt?

[bekki]

I'll have to look for those onesies, I don't think I've seen them before, but they sound perfect!

Update on the sleeping sans-swaddle. It's ok. I suppose it's really not that much worse than before. I'm having a much easier time getting them to go back to sleep mid-nap than before, but they're waking up a bit more in the night time. Hopefully things will continue to improve!

[tholbrook]

Speaking of swaddling...

We're still hit or miss on naps - it's either an entire good day, or an entire really bad day. But I've noticed that when she's tired, Maya rubs her eyes and ears. So that's nothing new, but I was trying to get her to sleep the other day and she would almost be asleep, but then she'd start waving her arms around and rubbing her eyes. I thought maybe she was doing it to fight sleep (as opposed to just a symptom of tiredness). So I swaddled her - arms only - and patted/rocked her to sleep. Then I put her in the swing for her nap and loosened up the blanket so she could get her arms free easily when she woke up. It's worked like a charm a couple of times now, so I'm adding it to my arsenal.

Seems like we're regressing but I'll do about anything to get her to take a nap! :o

Everything else is going well. She had us laughing hysterically the other day playing in her jumper. When she was jumping, she would leap off the ground and throw her hands up in the air ... wish I could post a video. It was just so funny! :D
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31r-gbboqsL._AA280_.jpg= best $35 I ever spent!

[gertdog]

Can it be? I have two free hands AND I can get on to the BB at the same time! :rolleyes: What's the deal with the BB lately, anyway?

Sooooo excited- we tried having Aiden sleep in the co-sleeper for the first time last night. He was an angel! Went down at 9:30, woke at 1:30, then slept again from 2:30 to 6:00 and 6:30 to 9. And DH and I got to sleep in the same bed! (Til now one of us has been downstairs with him while the other goes up to bed; Aiden has slept in the Pack-n-Play or papasan seat). First time we've used a sleep sack too, and he seemed to like it okay. I placed him in the middle of the co-sleeper each time I put him down, but when I woke up each time, he'd managed to creep and wiggle his way right over to the edge closest to me. :)

Michelle- what a bummer about the dairy. Hope there's no trace of blood next time they check Evelyn's diaper!

Beth- wish I'd known about those easy-exit onesies when I had DS1! They look great... but since I have a gazillion of the over-the-head kind from DS1, I can't justify buying more for Aiden! I'm another Carter's fan- reasonably priced, soft, and very cute. Ryan pretty much lived in the sleep-n-play outfits for the first few months, and I think Aiden will too.

Heather- sorry to hear about Mike and Quinn's misadventures. Sounds like you've gotten lots of good advice- hope the two of them are able to come to an understanding soon. ;) I definitely agree with the others that it's good and important for dads to be able to take care of their babies on their own, even though sometimes their way may not be the same as our own way!

Nancy- how are you and Natalie doing? What did you decide to do about the Reglan?

I'm with the moms who are feeling the cabin fever! Bring on the warm weather and long walks! I did take both boys to Borders last week- had a gift certificate and let Ryan pick out a few things for himself and a few board books for Aiden. Was very cute watching him select things he thought Aiden would like, and then he "read" them to Aiden when we got home. My favorite part about car outings is that Aiden falls asleep in the car and stays asleep in the car seat for a long time after we get home... :o

[Pony]

Hey everyone. We are doing well over here. Evelyn had a fussy few days after her shots. We've been doing well on timing naps, but not so good w/ putting her down by herself. I'm finally able to type, b/c my husband is sleeping w/ her right now! I was able to cook two quick meals!! Since we cut out dairy, she has only had mustardy yellow poops! No more greens. The mucous seems to be less as well.



Beth H- I'm glad you all had a nice time out!



Luv to Cook- I understand what you mean about the size of your girls vs boys. Makes complete sense to me. Load him up on avocados when he can start solids, ha!



Heather- How is the bottle situation? We almost had a scare the other day. I ran some errands while Evelyn was asleep. When she woke up, Carl went to feed her and she was having a fit. FINALLY, he got her to take it. We were worried with us running out of time before I return to work. He tried the next day and all was fine. She must have just had a fussy moment or something. We are now doing a bottle a day, since I have 2 1/2 weeks left.



Nancy- Good for you for not giving up yet. How is it going now? She is growing!!!



Gotta run...evelyn is nibbling at my husbands chest! :eek:

[Pony]

Let's see if I can finish here...she is hanging out in her swing and the batteries are on the verge of going out.

I was hoping the spitting up would subside some after cutting out milk, but no luck. :o I need to be covered in blankets after her feedings. Today, it went all down my back and I was drenched. Luckily, I was able to shower today ;)

Evelyn has been waking up twice at night now. She was only waking up around 4am, now 1 am and 5 am. She is eating in the 8-9pm hour now and staying asleep instead of eating earlier and waking up around 10:30. I prefer her to wake up at 10:30 and then only at 4am then these twice a night feedings. She slept in until 10am two mornings ago!

Beth G.-what do you mean "feeding disorder"? The doctor says he has a feeding disorder only b/c he eats for 5 minutes? Maybe I'm reading that wrong, but that is crazy. Why not call him an efficient eater???? About the mucousy diapers, the ped. and lactation consultant told me it takes 3 weeks for all of the dairy to be out of their system. So, maybe there is still some lingering around in him, but not as much?? Michael is adorable.

bekki- I hope the swaddle free home is doing well!

Tami-please post the video on FB. I can only imagine how funny that would be. :) We might need to get one of those jumpers just for our amusement.

Stephanie-so sweet that Aiden found his way to you in the co-sleeper!! Evelyn tends to wake up within 15 minutes after arriving home in the car seat. You are lucky!!

Michelle

[helios7]

Hi ladies...

I should be going to bed so this should be short. Mr Q has been waking A LOT at night lately - sometimes inconsolably. I think we're teething - he's been needing a pacifier the past few mornings at 4:30 am to gnaw on but sleep is definitely in short supply.

Michelle - glad to hear the dairy cut out went well and has had an effect. Bottles - not so good. It is just so hard. I need to pump again, but I got in the habit of trying not to because I was SWIMMING in milk, and didn't want to lull my body into making extra. I seem to have reached somewhat of a stasis - only leaked through my shirt once today! So maybe I can start working in a pump here or there. I do prefer to take bottles when we go out running errands - so his last bottle was last Saturday in line for his passport application. But it didn't go well, so I ended up sitting in the corner feeding him. :o:o Thank goodness for bebe au lait shields!

Tami - talk to me about these jumpers. Do I need one? One of Quinn's little friends loves hers. But his head control is still weak - he can sit in the bumbo barely - I can't leave him without keeping a hand close by as he tips back and loses control of his giant head. Poor little guy.

Stephanie - love the cosleeper wiggle. The cosleeper was completely not used by Quinn. Maybe the next one will like it! :) I think he probably would go in it swaddled, but who knew?

Bekki - please tell me more about losing the swaddle. Did you just go for it? Quinn is addicted. When he breaks free, he wakes up. I"m terrified and don't know how to even begin going without. His naps have been so poor lately with the breaking free (apparently he's gotten stronger then my swaddling skills), I can't even imagine what they'll be like without.

Hi to everyone else... I MUST get some sleep!

[bekki]

Bekki - please tell me more about losing the swaddle. Did you just go for it? Quinn is addicted. When he breaks free, he wakes up. I"m terrified and don't know how to even begin going without. His naps have been so poor lately with the breaking free (apparently he's gotten stronger then my swaddling skills), I can't even imagine what they'll be like without.


It was hard. We started it on a Friday so that DH would be able to help throughout the weekend. We went totally cold turkey, and started using the sleep sacks.

Things I'd do differently if I did it again:
1) Still swaddle around the chest, but leave the arms out. Then there's still the comfort thing going on, but they're not struggling to get their hands free
2) Figure out a way to put their arms inside the sleep sack. I tried it with the ones we bought, but there was too much room, and I was nervous they'd get their hands up through the neck hole. Maybe a smaller size would have been better. Anyway, that might have stopped them from wacking themselves in the face.

I think that those would have helped the transition. However, I will say that after the inital 2-3 days, they're sleeping about the same as before. It's slightly harder to transition from awake to sleep (there's a bit more crying), and it's also slightly harder to soothe them mid nap. But nighttime wakeups are better, and I feel comfortable letting them sleep on their tummies (Andy seems to like it) because they can push themselves up and roll over.

[Pony]

I just want to say that Evelyn is sleeping on her own right now :D

[Megan James]

TholbrookOn the overactive letdown here are a few things to try:
- Nursing lying down,sounds crazy but it really helps. I nursed DD that way for well over a year. If the milk starts really spraying it pools on your breast instead of shooting down her throat.
- When you let down pop her off the breast for 15-20 seconds and use a cloth to catch the milk then latch back on. You really won't lose that much milk in that short period of time

HeliosThe bottle is a tough one. Will definately prefers me to the bottle but when he is really hungry he will take a bottle. Some days at daycare he eats nothing (I only work PT so it's not ALL day) for 7hours. Of course he can't seem to manage to go that long at night but that's another saga. My DH and DS have major battles on the bottle too. Basically if he won't take it DH doesn't push it. DS sometimes will cry and scream half the time I am out which makes me very upset and feel guilty about going out. I'd say don't push the bottle but still go out if you want to.

We had a wild fever scare yesterday. Daycare got a crazy high temp on Will and said he was fire hot. It was after a nap and he was crying, OK screaming, at the time. She couldn't get ahold of me so DH had to go pick him up. By the time I got home he was asleep and warm but not hot. He was either normal temp or a little warm the rest of the day. Then in the middle of the night he seemed really hot again, I didn't take his temp b/c of all the screaming that would bring on. I just gave him some Tylenol and that brought it right down. He's definitely teething but I'm wondering how much I should worry about a 103+ temp? He seemed much better today and so far nothing that I would even say is more than a tiny warm.

[tholbrook]

Tami - talk to me about these jumpers. Do I need one? One of Quinn's little friends loves hers. But his head control is still weak - he can sit in the bimbo barely - I can't leave him without keeping a hand close by as he tips back and loses control of his giant head. Poor little guy. Give him a couple more months, I think - it's amazing how quickly they change at this age. Once he's holding his head up well, you should definitely look into it! Maya has loved to bounce up and down as soon as she could support her weight with her legs, so we knew she would like the jumper. It still took her a few times to figure out what to do... so don't worry if he doesn't take to it right away.

So: passport application for Quinn? How fun! Do you have a destination planned yet? (I have a bebe Au lait cover too - love it! Although Maya lifts it up so she can see out if I'm not watching her like a hawk!)

How is your DH doing with Quinn? Have you been able to get out of the house minus baby? My DH really struggled with Maya until she was about 4-5 months and could interact with him more... he does okay now but there are still times when only Mommy will do. It's frustrating sometimes - especially when he hands her to me with "she must be hungry" - but the two of them will have to work it out. I still tend to swoop in to rescue her (or more like, rescue DH) if it's really bad, but sometimes I'm not home... and then I'm calling home every 10 minutes! :rolleyes: Yeah, I know, I know...

Pony, I'll have to figure out the FB video thing. Our camera records in a format that is incompatible with everything. :mad: It was given to us, but I should look into getting a different one - I'd love to be able to share all this fun baby stuff! Oh, and by the way, they do make dairy-free chocolate chips - Ghirardelli semisweet but also Sunspire brand, if you're worried about traces of dairy. Now go bake those cookies! :D

Megan, good to see you! Thanks for the BF advice. Here's a question: if this has been happening while lying down, perhaps overactive letdown is not my problem? I've been thinking about it, and maybe it's just that Maya is getting better at removing the milk quickly. She's always been somewhat of a lazy eater, spending 45-60 minutes just grazing. Now she's frequently finished - and ready to play - after 10-15 minutes. Hmmmmm...
Scary about Will's temperature - how did he do this weekend?

gertdog - how is the cosleeper business going? Very sweet about the trip to the bookstore!
Have you started transitioning to feeding less at night?

bekki - are you seeing any improvement on the night time sleeping? Don't you just cringe when they wake up just 30 or 40 minutes after you FINALLY get them to sleep?!? Especially when you know they really need at least a couple hours!

fancyn - how are you doing? How's BF going? And what great news about Natalie's weight gain!

Beth G - our problem isn't the crib mobile, but the one over Maya's swing. If she happens to open her eyes while I'm putting her down for a nap, she sees that darn thing and starts reaching for it. Nap over. It swings out of the way, thank goodness, because she can touch the hanging toys with her fingers. A little while longer, and she'll be able to grab onto them.
So are you back to eating normally now?

Beth H - so glad Will's evening with the babysitter went well!

Luv to Cook – hope the cake turned out okay! Are you and your kids enjoying the warmer weather?

mabvt and Sarah45 – hope all is well!

Since there has been so much discussion on bottles: we've been giving Maya a bottle as needed (when I'm not home) since she was about 6 weeks, or maybe a little earlier. Since that age, she's always switched back and forth between a bottle (with breast milk) and BF with no problem. But lately (3 weeks?), she refuses to take a bottle from MIL - and when DH gets home, she'll take that same bottle from him, even if it's only 15 minutes later. Weird.

Not much new happening here – we had a super-busy weekend and Maya was just wonderful. We had Easter pictures taken last Friday – with live bunnies! That poor little rabbit – Maya grabbed a handful of fur and lifted it right off the chair… :( I felt so bad. But it seemed to recover quickly, thank goodness!

[tholbrook]

I don't understand what's going on with these boards... I came to this thread because my previous post supposedly didn't go through ... but there it is. Yet the thread didn't get bumped up. Ugh. This has been going on for at least a week. Hope they fix it soon.
Okay, minor vent over!

[Sarah45]

Wow, March is almost over and I haven't posted an update in forever! Like most of you here I am just excited to have two hands to type. Unfortunately, it's not because Jax is in his crib sleeping and I am free for a few moments. Through the service of UPS I received my new sling a day early and an happily trying it out. I bought a Balboa Baby sling and although he doesn't look the most comfortable to me, he seems happy and pretty much went right to sleep (while I did laundry - hooray!!)

Things are pretty good overall, we're not having BF issues besides a bit of lingering soreness. But we are having sleep issues. Jax WILL NOT sleep in his crib for more than a half an hour and most times won't even sleep for that. Of course this means that throughout the day he gets progressively crankier because he is over tired. I am hoping the sling helps him get more sleep while I still manage to get some things done.

Maybe around this magic six-week mark we will start to see longer crib naps... *fingers crossed*

OK, he's waking up and restless so I better finish up lunch while I still can ;)

[Pony]

These boards are insane. I hope they aren't like this when I go back to work, b/c I will finally have time to play on them, ha!!! ;) I'm getting ready to pick up two of my girlfriends from the airport. Looking forward to spending time with some old friends.

My husband found me a really great chocolate soy ice cream. Holy cow, it was great. I've got about 2 more weeks until we bring another diaper in. My friend who is dairy and nut free had her little boy's 4 month check up and he is still having issues. We have the same doctor and he is telling her to keep going dairy and nut free until 6 months and then recheck. ahhhh! He did say we could have aged cheese, b/c the proteins are broken down.

Yesterday, I noticed Evelyn's armpit was really red. :o I must have done a poor job cleaning it or something. It is only one armpit. We wiped it clean when we noticed it and she flipped out, so it must have burned her. I don't know what to do about it? Maybe we will put some Vaseline on it today.

Evelyn's sleeping is all over the place. She slept through the night twice. 2 mornings in a row, she slept in till 10am after waking up at 4am to eat. I was able to get dinners ready. The past 2 nights she has been getting up at 2 am to eat and then at 7am. Yesterday, she didn't go back to sleep, but today she did.

Heather-how is Quinn sleeping? Is he still waking up very upset? Congrats on only leaking through your shirt once. That is impressive :D. I only leak when I have the non-disposables in or if I forget to rehook my bra :rolleyes:. Well, I guess that is during the day, b/c at night it can be a different story.

Megan James-sorry about the fever scare. Did it pass or has he still been having fevers?

Tami-too funny about Maya lifting up the bebe au lait. I was using mine at the park last weekend and it was soooo windy. It was pointless to even use, b/c it kept flipping up and I'm sure bringing more attention to me! I want to see the Easter pictures. That is strange about her not taking the bottle from your MIL. Is she still doing that?

Sarah45-I'm glad he is slept in the sling. Evelyn does well with sleeping in a carrier, but she is not a fan going in when she is very alert. I'm glad BF is going well. I'm right there with you about babies not sleeping in cribs. I must say we have not tried to enforce the crib in a LONG time. She sleeps so well in our bed and I feel like I am getting good sleep that we don't want to deal with being up all night trying to get her to go down. Now, I'm sure I will be coming back here in a few months asking how do I get her out of the bed, ha!

[Pony]

Here is a picture of Evelyn at her 2 month appt. She looks so sweet and doesn't even know she is about to get some shots.

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2680/163/51/769200479/n769200479_1488886_5119604.jpg

This is how she naps!

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2680/163/51/769200479/n769200479_1488897_4339379.jpg

[Beth G.]

Wow! I can get on the boards. That happens like, once a week? Michael is currently napping. I have decided that, despite my best efforts to work on naps, he's not getting enough sleep and that's why he's so cranky in the evening. It is supposed to be over 60 this afternoon so we're going out in the stroller and that should mean a good nap.

My parents came to visit on Monday and he was so overtired that the minute he got here he promptly went down for his longest ever nap, 2 hours and 45 minutes. They live almost an hour and a half away so I felt really bad. At least when he woke up he was really happy and playful for them.

We went to the pediatrician on Tuesday for a weight check and he gained one pound in about three weeks, so that's fine. We got a little "surprise" and the doctor came to check him as well, and gave him the pneumoccocal vaccine. Wasn't expecting that! Boo. Since that vaccine has some reactions, he told us to do tylenol when we got home and again four hours later. He was fussy that evening, but that was it. No problem with administering it and the vitamins are going much better now too. No talk of feeding disorders this time, just his "**** neck". I asked whether he thought it would need physical therapy (a coworker's daughter did and the torticollis did not resolve until she started walking) and he said if it's not better in a month or two. I'd really like to start that before I go back to work in July since I have more time now.

BF is going better. I'm still puzzled by why he will arch away after say, 8 minutes in cross cradle like he's done, but then last night I shifted him over to football and he did about 6 minutes more. I know I have a forceful letdown and a lot of milk, but after 8 minutes? Should not be that bad, especially since he manages well at the beginning. The real difference though, is that I'm only striving for 7 "feedings" a day now (plus snacks) vs. 8. He just doesn't have the appetite for 8 and if I tried to force it there would be screaming. Wondering how many feedings others do? We broke down and got a scale since the ones at the doctor can be inconsistent (the first one was over half a pound off from the "accurate" one) so I'll see how his gain is on 7 a day. I know 8 is the standard number in everything I read, but it just doesn't work for him.

I have resumed completely normal eating, other than I'm easing the dairy in. Tomorrow I may try drinking a cup of milk with my breakfast. And I haven't dared any curry powder yet - the one time I had that the reaction wasn't pretty.

Hey Carters fans, I was in Target one night and they have a new brand "from the makers of Carters". It's not as soft, and I think Carters store is better priced (more sales and coupons) but if you are bored with the sleep and play patterns they have some cute new ones. I resisted though and I'm waiting to see what he needs when the weather warms up.

Michelle - Evelyn is beautiful. Do you think her eyes will stay blue? I want a girl next ;) Glad to hear you found a yummy soy ice cream. I'm still enjoying my Sharon's blueberry sorbet which is dairy free. I find Michael will go better from my lap to the crib nap if I put him down in the crib and let him suck my finger for a couple of minutes. Or um, that's been working today :) Have fun with your girlfriends.

Tami - now in addition to the mobile, ceiling fans are an obsession, even if they aren't on. We have them in every room in the house but the basement and he knows where each one is! Sometimes I can't even burp him on my lap because his head is wrenched so far to look at it. Even when it's just the nightlight on during a middle of the night feeding. I hope I don't have to start feeding him in the basement!

I already posted a similar photo, but here's another tummy time shot - I'm so lucky he doesn't hate it. Not every day is good, but it's also the only time you can really snap a photo of just him.

http://images.kodakgallery.com/photos5184/7/70/25/83/3/2/203832570703_0_ALB.jpg

[Beth G.]

Wow! I can get on the boards. That happens like, once a week? Michael is currently napping. I have decided that, despite my best efforts to work on naps, he's not getting enough sleep and that's why he's so cranky in the evening. It is supposed to be over 60 this afternoon so we're going out in the stroller and that should mean a good nap.

My parents came to visit on Monday and he was so overtired that the minute he got here he promptly went down for his longest ever nap, 2 hours and 45 minutes. They live almost an hour and a half away so I felt really bad. At least when he woke up he was really happy and playful for them.

We went to the pediatrician on Tuesday for a weight check and he gained one pound in about three weeks, so that's fine. We got a little "surprise" and the doctor came to check him as well, and gave him the pneumoccocal vaccine. Wasn't expecting that! Boo. Since that vaccine has some reactions, he told us to do tylenol when we got home and again four hours later. He was fussy that evening, but that was it. No problem with administering it and the vitamins are going much better now too. No talk of feeding disorders this time, just his "**** neck". I asked whether he thought it would need physical therapy (a coworker's daughter did and the torticollis did not resolve until she started walking) and he said if it's not better in a month or two. I'd really like to start that before I go back to work in July since I have more time now.

BF is going better. I'm still puzzled by why he will arch away after say, 8 minutes in cross cradle like he's done, but then last night I shifted him over to football and he did about 6 minutes more. I know I have a forceful letdown and a lot of milk, but after 8 minutes? Should not be that bad, especially since he manages well at the beginning. The real difference though, is that I'm only striving for 7 "feedings" a day now (plus snacks) vs. 8. He just doesn't have the appetite for 8 and if I tried to force it there would be screaming. Wondering how many feedings others do? We broke down and got a scale since the ones at the doctor can be inconsistent (the first one was over half a pound off from the "accurate" one) so I'll see how his gain is on 7 a day. I know 8 is the standard number in everything I read, but it just doesn't work for him.

I have resumed completely normal eating, other than I'm easing the dairy in. Tomorrow I may try drinking a cup of milk with my breakfast. And I haven't dared any curry powder yet - the one time I had that the reaction wasn't pretty.

Hey Carters fans, I was in Target one night and they have a new brand "from the makers of Carters". It's not as soft, and I think Carters store is better priced (more sales and coupons) but if you are bored with the sleep and play patterns they have some cute new ones. I resisted though and I'm waiting to see what he needs when the weather warms up.

Michelle - Evelyn is beautiful. Do you think her eyes will stay blue? I want a girl next ;) Glad to hear you found a yummy soy ice cream. I'm still enjoying my Sharon's blueberry sorbet which is dairy free. I find Michael will go better from my lap to the crib nap if I put him down in the crib and let him suck my finger for a couple of minutes. Or um, that's been working today :) Have fun with your girlfriends.

Tami - now in addition to the mobile, ceiling fans are an obsession, even if they aren't on. We have them in every room in the house but the basement and he knows where each one is! Sometimes I can't even burp him on my lap because his head is wrenched so far to look at it. Even when it's just the nightlight on during a middle of the night feeding. I hope I don't have to start feeding him in the basement!

I already posted a similar photo, but here's another tummy time shot - I'm so lucky he doesn't hate it. Not every day is good, but it's also the only time you can really snap a photo of just him.

http://images.kodakgallery.com/photos5184/7/70/25/83/3/2/203832570703_0_ALB.jpg

[Beth G.]

What is with the board? I saw my post submitted, it said for over a day I'm the last poster, but no post there! Anyone else see it? I'm smart enough now to paste it into notepad so I don't lose it, but this is weird. Anyway, reposting from yesterday.

Wow! I can get on the boards. That happens like, once a week? Michael is currently napping. I have decided that, despite my best efforts to work on naps, he's not getting enough sleep and that's why he's so cranky in the evening. It is supposed to be over 60 this afternoon so we're going out in the stroller and that should mean a good nap.

My parents came to visit on Monday and he was so overtired that the minute he got here he promptly went down for his longest ever nap, 2 hours and 45 minutes. They live almost an hour and a half away so I felt really bad. At least when he woke up he was really happy and playful for them.

We went to the pediatrician on Tuesday for a weight check and he gained one pound in about three weeks, so that's fine. We got a little "surprise" and the doctor came to check him as well, and gave him the pneumoccocal vaccine. Wasn't expecting that! Boo. Since that vaccine has some reactions, he told us to do tylenol when we got home and again four hours later. He was fussy that evening, but that was it. No problem with administering it and the vitamins are going much better now too. No talk of feeding disorders this time, just his "**** neck". I asked whether he thought it would need physical therapy (a coworker's daughter did and the torticollis did not resolve until she started walking) and he said if it's not better in a month or two. I'd really like to start that before I go back to work in July since I have more time now.

BF is going better. I'm still puzzled by why he will arch away after say, 8 minutes in cross cradle like he's done, but then last night I shifted him over to football and he did about 6 minutes more. I know I have a forceful letdown and a lot of milk, but after 8 minutes? Should not be that bad, especially since he manages well at the beginning. The real difference though, is that I'm only striving for 7 "feedings" a day now (plus snacks) vs. 8. He just doesn't have the appetite for 8 and if I tried to force it there would be screaming. Wondering how many feedings others do? We broke down and got a scale since the ones at the doctor can be inconsistent (the first one was over half a pound off from the "accurate" one) so I'll see how his gain is on 7 a day. I know 8 is the standard number in everything I read, but it just doesn't work for him.

I have resumed completely normal eating, other than I'm easing the dairy in. Tomorrow I may try drinking a cup of milk with my breakfast. And I haven't dared any curry powder yet - the one time I had that the reaction wasn't pretty.

Hey Carters fans, I was in Target one night and they have a new brand "from the makers of Carters". It's not as soft, and I think Carters store is better priced (more sales and coupons) but if you are bored with the sleep and play patterns they have some cute new ones. I resisted though and I'm waiting to see what he needs when the weather warms up.

Michelle - Evelyn is beautiful. Do you think her eyes will stay blue? I want a girl next ;) Glad to hear you found a yummy soy ice cream. I'm still enjoying my Sharon's blueberry sorbet which is dairy free. I find Michael will go better from my lap to the crib nap if I put him down in the crib and let him suck my finger for a couple of minutes. Or um, that's been working today :) Have fun with your girlfriends.

Tami - now in addition to the mobile, ceiling fans are an obsession, even if they aren't on. We have them in every room in the house but the basement and he knows where each one is! Sometimes I can't even burp him on my lap because his head is wrenched so far to look at it. Even when it's just the nightlight on during a middle of the night feeding. I hope I don't have to start feeding him in the basement!

I already posted a similar photo, but here's another tummy time shot - I'm so lucky he doesn't hate it. Not every day is good, but it's also the only time you can really snap a photo of just him.

http://images.kodakgallery.com/photos5184/7/70/25/83/3/2/203832570703_0_ALB.jpg

[tholbrook]

Bumping up to see if I can get the last posts to show ... this thread has been saying Beth G posted something for the past day, but apparently it is getting lost out in CLBB limbo.

[Beth G.]

And now it's here in triplicate?? Board is acting very weird.

[Pony]

Michelle - Evelyn is beautiful. Do you think her eyes will stay blue? I want a girl next ;) Glad to hear you found a yummy soy ice cream. I'm still enjoying my Sharon's blueberry sorbet which is dairy free. I find Michael will go better from my lap to the crib nap if I put him down in the crib and let him suck my finger for a couple of minutes. Or um, that's been working today :) Have fun with your girlfriends.[/IMG]

I assume she will keep her blue eyes. Carl and I both have them. The only other person on my side who had blue eyes was my grandmother, Evelyn :). I'm hoping she keeps them. Not sure if we will have another one (I'm crossing my fingers ;)) but I would love a little boy now.

Evelyn is the same way with ceiling fans. She even spots them in the mirror, so it is like she sees two of them instead of one. Very exciting, ha!

I have no idea how many times I feed her. It tends to be every 2-3 hours during the day and usually once at night, but I haven't actually counted it out in a while. I should do that!

Evelyn seems so much happier when she gets her naps in, so hopefully Michael does better with his naps. Good idea about the finger sucking. He is so cute!!!! I am glad BF is going better. Does he always do that arching around 8 minutes when you cross cradle? I'm wondering if he is used to it coming out fast and then is a bit mad that it slows down???? I could be way off base there??? I think it is fun to weigh them pre and post feedings. I love to see how much she actually takes in. We don't have a scale, but I do it at the BF support group.

No fair that you get to start dairy ;)

[Pony]

Michelle - Evelyn is beautiful. Do you think her eyes will stay blue? I want a girl next ;) Glad to hear you found a yummy soy ice cream. I'm still enjoying my Sharon's blueberry sorbet which is dairy free. I find Michael will go better from my lap to the crib nap if I put him down in the crib and let him suck my finger for a couple of minutes. Or um, that's been working today :) Have fun with your girlfriends.[/IMG]

I assume she will keep her blue eyes. Carl and I both have them. The only other person on my side who had blue eyes was my grandmother, Evelyn :). I'm hoping she keeps them. Not sure if we will have another one (I'm crossing my fingers ;)) but I would love a little boy now.

Evelyn is the same way with ceiling fans. She even spots them in the mirror, so it is like she sees two of them instead of one. Very exciting, ha!

I have no idea how many times I feed her. It tends to be every 2-3 hours during the day and usually once at night, but I haven't actually counted it out in a while. I should do that!

Evelyn seems so much happier when she gets her naps in, so hopefully Michael does better with his naps. Good idea about the finger sucking. He is so cute!!!! I am glad BF is going better. Does he always do that arching around 8 minutes when you cross cradle? I'm wondering if he is used to it coming out fast and then is a bit mad that it slows down???? I could be way off base there??? I think it is fun to weigh them pre and post feedings. I love to see how much she actually takes in. We don't have a scale, but I do it at the BF support group.

No fair that you get to start dairy ;)

[Megan James]

[QUOTE=Beth G.;1476585]Wondering how many feedings others do? We broke down and got a scale since the ones at the doctor can be inconsistent (the first one was over half a pound off from the "accurate" one) so I'll see how his gain is on 7 a day. I know 8 is the standard number in everything I read, but it just doesn't work for him.

After the first week with my first daughter I never kept track of the feedings. When they say 8 is the standard number I think it really means average. I would not sweat dropping down to 7 feedings at all.

Maybe the back arching is meaning that he is still hungry?
I wasn't sure if when you switched positions it was still on the same side or the other. Maybe at that point the milk is only trickling out but he still wants to comfort nurse.

I've noticed lately with Will that he pops off like he is done but then latches back on, sucks a little pops off and does that a couple times. I finally realized he was still hungry and that I needed to put him over onto the other side. Up until this point he's usually only nursed on one side a feeding, but he's going through a major growth spurt and eating 24/7!

Will is 7 months and we aren't doing much solids at all. One part of me isn't too concerned, he's much more interested in biting the spoon than eating the cereal. He will suck on a cold banana in one of those mesh feeder things. The worrying part of me worry's that he isn't getting enough iron and that he'll be iron deficient.

Megan

[Pony]

trying to see if i can bump this thread up!:rolleyes:

[BakerJane]

I've been lurking on this thread for the last few weeks (I have a 3 month old baby girl, Eileen) but have a question I haven't seen discussed yet - nursing bras? I'm looking for any recommendations. I was thinking about trying one or two from the Gap and/or Medela . I've been using a few from Target and Motherhood Maternity but am less than thrilled with these. I'm okay with investing in one or two good bras as I hope to continue nursing for the next 9 months (and hopefully with future babies too!). I don't know if it makes a difference but I'm about a C right now and would like an underwire for support. Any suggestions? Thanks!

[gertdog]

I've been lurking on this thread for the last few weeks (I have a 3 month old baby girl, Eileen) but have a question I haven't seen discussed yet - nursing bras? I'm looking for any recommendations. I was thinking about trying one or two from the Gap and/or Medela . I've been using a few from Target and Motherhood Maternity but am less than thrilled with these. I'm okay with investing in one or two good bras as I hope to continue nursing for the next 9 months (and hopefully with future babies too!). I don't know if it makes a difference but I'm about a C right now and would like an underwire for support. Any suggestions? Thanks!

Quick post re: bras- I was just thinking of asking the same question! I'm wearing a 38C. I have two Gap bras that I do not care for at all. Not comfortable, fabric is stiff despite being cotton, and I can't work the nursing flaps w/ one hand. I also as a rule hate bras with three hooks in the back, which these have. Here are the the ones I have: http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=35427&pid=327206&scid=327206032

I just bought a Medela soft cup bra today, and I have a Bravado bra and a Medela crossover sleep bra that I quite like. I'll be watching for other recommendations!

[Sarah45]

Hi ladies! I'm able to post for a bit while the little man does a little crying in his crib :rolleyes: This is getting really frustrating - he will lie in his crib for almost an hour, perfectly happy and looking at his mobile but as soon as I place him in there asleep or very drowsy he pops awake and starts to cry within 5-10 minutes. He is sooo cranky when I can't get him to nap during the day and it makes me feel awful for him and for DH who only sees a cranky baby when he gets home.

Re: the popping off that Beth is experiencing - my first thoughts were similar to Megan's. Jax pops off for two different reasons
1. The milk is dwindling and he is impatient with the pace - he wants it faster. This usually only happens when he has gone more than 4 hours between feedings and I just switch him over to the other side for a few minutes
2. He's messing with me and wants to comfort nurse/fall asleep. It seems that as he falls asleep he will pop off, that will wake him and he wants back on. Sometimes he does the oh so wonderful shaking of his head while still latched on - now that's painful.

Michelle - Love the pics of Evelyn! I'm hoping that Jax keeps his blue eyes since everyone says that he's "all Dad" and I'd like him to have something of me :D

Sorry, I can't help with the nursing bra question. I'm a 34H and have reached the conclusion that ALL nursing bras were made by the devil :mad:

OK, off to rescue, calm and try putting him down again!

[Sarah45]

Asleep! (for now) :D

Quick question - Anyone dealt/dealing with baby acne? Poor little guy looks like a teenager! From my reading there's not much to be done and luckily it doesn't bother him. Just wondered if there's other experiences I should know.

[tholbrook]

First, I'm SO glad that the boards are up and running again (hope I didn't jinx us)!

Re: Nursing bras: I had no idea that Gap made nursing bras, so I might look into trying a couple. My recent discovery is that Victoria's Secret now makes nursing bras (http://www2.victoriassecret.com/collection/?cgname=OSBRPNURZZZ&cgnbr=OSBRPNURZZZ&rfnbr=5812). They are also running a 1-day sale of 20% off a $50+ purchase: code is 20VS. I've worn VS bras for years, up until recently, so I have high hopes for the underwire one ... just ordered it today.

I HATE my Motherhood Maternity bras, and am getting ready to just throw them away.

Welcome to the new moms thread, BakerJane!

Sarah, I've had both of the breastfeeding issues you listed ... don't you just love it? :o Maya does better now, but when she's tired/cranky and wants to nurse, she tends to bite down pretty hard (thank goodness she doesn't have teeth yet) because she's not really hungry.

Going to put Maya down for a nap now, and then heading to the gym, so I'll be back for the April thread to post my very exciting news about Maya and her crib! :D:D:D

Hope you mamas and your little ones are enjoying the warmer weather!

[Couperine]

Re: nursing bras - I wore the Bravado original nursing bra pretty much the entire year I BF my first baby. I tried both the Plus and Double Plus styles since I'm on the cusp, and I greatly preferred the Plus of those two. When I was almost done nursing and I had shrunk even more, I wore the basic. With David, I tried another Bravado style - the Body Silk Seamless bra, and I preferred it even more since it hooks in the back unlike the Bravado original which you pull over your head. The Body Silk style also seemed to give more lift and oomph for me without using an underwire style. I've bought more of the Body Silk style in prep for the upcoming baby. I tried the Medela styles and found one that was ok for me, but the BF hook was annoying.

Good luck - it's really hard, but some online vendors have excellent return policies. I remember with my first ordering twelve styles and sending every one back. :)

[Beth G.]

Thanks to Michelle, Megan, and Sarah for your thoughts on Michael's (latest) nursing issues. When I told the lactation consultant, she also asked me if he thought it was too slow by then, but I don't think that?s the problem. I have offered him the other breast and he won't even latch on - arches away from that one too (of course, he's been a one sided guy his whole life so he may not know the other one could be faster). So I switched positions on the same side and it works a decent amount on the left side, but not the right. I've also tested it, and I don't think the milk is trickling. Sometimes I can squirt it several feet away when he's refusing to get back on. I will sheepishly admit that at times I've even tried squirting it in his open (crying) mouth to see if I can regain his interest :o. He's not a comfort nurser - too much milk. The only time he's ever nursed for a really long time was when I had a huge plug. Any other ideas? According to the scale he's not gained any weight this week, even though he seems to be eating ok.

I've been using the Medela seamless nursing bras. The hospital where I gave birth has a breastfeeding shop, and they are cheaper than retail and no tax since it's a non profit. I am a DD - hate the four hooks in back, but these bras work great with the hands free attachments for my Medela pump. I also have two of the Medela bamboo camis. The Glamourmom ones didn't fit me. I'm excited to try the Victoria's Secret bra. Those were my favorite prepregnancy. BakerJane, I'm shocked to say I'm ok even as a DD with the non-underwire. The lactation consultants that do the fittings at my hospital are very anti-underwire, and now that I've had a rather painful plug, I'm not going to take any chances.

I am not a fan of the hands free attachments though. It's great that I don't have to hold the bottles on like I did when I was pumping in the hospital, but all I can really do with those things sticking out is watch tv. They show people on the computer. No way.

Sleep has been funny here. Michael slept a 7 hour stretch Sunday night. Then napped 2 hours this morning! Last night he woke up for a midnight feeding, and then didn?t go back to sleep for over an hour after the 4:45 am one. He's been a pretty "active" sleeper. He always ends up laying across the short way in the crib. One night he managed to do a complete 180 and his head was at the opposite side that I had placed him down on. His feet are always thisclose to going through the slats, well, except that they are in the sleep sack.

Unfortunately, his new thing is to turn onto his side. No amount of my efforts to roll him back onto his back are successful, in fact, it doesn't even wake him up. Which is ironic, as he's a fairly light sleeper and is awakened by the phone, garage door opening, hair dryer in the bathroom down the hall, etc. Hopefully it won't lead to stomach sleeping.

Michelle - if it's of any consolation on the dairy, I've been nut free for almost a year now. I have this alleged allergy, even though I've eaten them my entire life, with one attributable case of hives. Not something I wanted to mess with while pregnant or nursing. I really miss having them as a healthy snack. Not sure when I'll be comfortable reintroducing. I'm glad Evelyn is the same way with ceiling fans. It is nice to know Michael's behavior is "normal". My neighbor stopped by on Friday with her son who was born the same day. It was cool to see how he made the same noises and did the same things. Of course, I was jealous that he has head control and weighs considerably more (they started about the same) but he is getting a lot of bottles of expressed milk, so that may factor in. Does Evelyn still grunt? Michael stopped around the time we stopped swaddling (I think it was him trying to break out) but a friend with an 8 week old was asking about whether in meant her son was in pain. I thought they just all did it.

Went for a stroll today to enjoy the warm weather. Hurrah! I was hoping he'd sleep more soundly, but that took almost the entire walk. At least I got some exercise. I wanted to sit in the playground and crochet, but he kept waking up.

My mom was telling me I shouldn't be letting him suck his thumb, but I'm thrilled he's found a way to self soothe. I've put him in the crib awake three nights in a row and he's gone to sleep on his own. And my pinky needs a break!

[gertdog]

Wow! A fairly quiet start to the day at our house. DH just left on a 4-day business trip. Ryan is at preschool. Aiden is snoozing in his papasan. My mom is arriving tonight to help me hold down the fort- fingers crossed her flight doesn't run into any weather delays.

We are doing pretty well. Biggest issue is still helping Ryan adjust to life as a big brother. I'm getting better at multi-tasking and can pay more attention to him, which helps.

Nursing is going well, though I'll admit I sometimes feel frustrated that I can't always soothe Aiden when he's fussy as easily as DH can- if I pick him up , he just wants to nurse and won't snuggle or settle for being held and patted. He continues to take a bottle from DH occasionally w/o problems. I do have some occasional soreness on my right side- that nipple seems to be harder for Aiden to latch on to, and sometimes I get lazy and settle for a less-than-great latch rather than popping him off and trying again.

Sleep is good- his nighttime sleep seems to be getting longer. Last night he was down from about 9:30 to 4:45 A.M.- he woke himself up with a big poop. :o His m.o. for BMs seems to be once every other day or so, and when it happens, watch out! We never had blowouts like this with Ryan (who was formula-fed).

He's much more alert and active- we're seeing lots of smiles now (yay!), and he likes kicking and cooing in his bouncer seat and his floor activity gym. Now we need to start some tummy time! Ryan hated it- we'll see what Aiden thinks.

Beth G.- I got a giggle thinking of you testing your supply by shooting milk across the room. Aiden can be very fussy at the breast sometimes (pops on and off, twists and tugs)- this always seems to be in the hours just before a big BM, so I chalk it up to that.

Nancy- I'll have to check out Bravado's Body Silk bra- sounds great. What I really like about the original one is the wide band- very comfy.

Sarah- Aiden is just emerging from his bout of acne. We just made sure to gently wipe his face with a warm washcloth once a day. Took about two weeks to clear up on its own. Now he has baby soft skin again. :) From what I read, it sounds like it's just the last surge of Mom's hormones exiting baby's body that brings it on. It does look awful, doesn't it!?

Michelle- thinking of you this week- I know you go back to work next week. How are you feeling?

[LHBryan]

Delurking....Congrats to all the new Moms!

Sarah--regarding baby acne, Gertdog is right. I think it's just the last surge of hormones. My DD (now 22 mos.) had absolutely beautiful skin, then suddenly broke out with tons of acne at about 2 weeks. The nurse told me to gently wash her face with a damp washcloth (water only) after all or most feedings. (She was BF.) It definitely helped clear it up faster.

BethG--So sorry about the nursing and arching issues. Since you're a big producer, have you looked into foremilk/hindmilk imbalance? I didn't realize I was a big producer (no classic signs), but around 5-6 weeks, DD started screaming and arching midway through many feedings. Apparently I had so much foremilk, which is high in protein and hard on the tummy, it was hurting her stomach and she didn't want to nurse long enough to get to the creamy, soothing stuff. With the advice of a lactation consultant, I started block feeding (feeding on the same side 2-3 feedings in a row) to regulate my supply. There's quite a bit of info about this issue on-line. Also, have you checked out the www.kellymom.com site and boards? They're a good BFing resource and may have some advice for you. I just though I'd chime in and offer this as a possibility. I know how terribly frustrating is it to not know what's wrong!

-Laura

[Sarah45]

Thanks Laura and Stephanie on the acne thoughts. We are doing the once a day washcloth wipe but I think I will try doing it after every feeding, sometimes he does get a bit messy and I did read one place that breastmilk can irritate it.

Beth, Good luck with figuring out Michael's nursing issue - it's so hard that they cant tell us what's wrong! I did laugh at the thought of you shooting milk in his mouth :D

[acginkc]

Unfortunately, his new thing is to turn onto his side. No amount of my efforts to roll him back onto his back are successful, in fact, it doesn't even wake him up. Which is ironic, as he's a fairly light sleeper and is awakened by the phone, garage door opening, hair dryer in the bathroom down the hall, etc. Hopefully it won't lead to stomach sleeping.

Hi just delurking about the side sleeping. My DS has been a side sleeper basically since birth, he'd turn from his back to his side from very early. I asked our ped and he was not concerned since he can get himself in that position. We now will put him down asleep on his sise (he's almost 6 weeks) and if he rolls forward or backwards he wakes up. Just wanted to assure you that if he's getting himself there, he's probably fine since i had the same concern.

[Luv to Cook]

hey everyone...so glad the boards are finally back!

pony, beautiful pics of Evelyn... I miss Ayaan sleeping on my chest...just can't fall asleep that way anymore...occasionally he will fall asleep in the sling when I have the girls at the playground...sigh...time goes fast :(.

sarah, I hope you start getting some better sleep soon...hang in there!

wow, Gertdog, that is some serious sleep you are getting! I hope it continues :).

re: nursing stuff...I LOVE glamourmom nursing tanks...they are thick and don't get all loose after washing. I can wear them under things and not have to worry about bearing my whole belly when lifting a shirt to nurse. I wear them ALL the time and they come in lots of colors and patterns. I also bought two long sleeve nursing tops...they are so pretty and you really cannot tell that they are nursing shirts!

beth, if he is happy on his side, I would leave him. It is great he can find a comfortable position. Oh and I think 7 feedings is perfectly normal. How old is he again? We are having 7 feedings in 24 hours at 5 months old and it seems to be working well. I have a scale as well since I have a slow gainer...be sure to not weigh everyday like I did in the beginning :o!

All is well with us. We are heading to DC this weekend for Asha's spring break to visit family. I am excited to get out of town, but kinda dreading the ride up. Ayaan HATES the car and he will jsut scream the whole way up :(. Nothing like a screaming baby to turn my foot into lead...speeding ticket here I come! I hope our sleep does not go thru the window as well. The girls are excited to see both sets of grandparents and we will also do some museums and hopefully cherry blossoms. Then we get back and have guests in town for Easter weekend. It will be fun...but tiring as well.

Anyhow, I hope everyone else is well :)!
Anita

[BakerJane]

Thanks for all of the suggestions, I'm going to hunt down some Medela and Bravado bras this weekend and whatever else I can find.

Beth G. - I almost exclusively pump (Eileen was 4 weeks early and spent some time in the NICU and despite all of my efforts when we got home, she only comfort nurses) and find that I can get quite a bit done if I hold the bottles on with one forearm and then have the other hand free to type, hold a book, eat, talk on the phone.... I've spent way too much time with my pump so have had to get creative in what I can do.

Eileen is not consistent with her naps at all, I'm trying to work on that but it's hard because I'm back at work and relying on the sitter. She is great about bedtime, goes down every night between 8 and 8:30 (but is waking up every 3-4 hours).

[Sarah45]

Beth G. - I almost exclusively pump (Eileen was 4 weeks early and spent some time in the NICU and despite all of my efforts when we got home, she only comfort nurses) and find that I can get quite a bit done if I hold the bottles on with one forearm and then have the other hand free to type, hold a book, eat, talk on the phone.... I've spent way too much time with my pump so have had to get creative in what I can do.


I wanted to be able to nurse Jackson on one side and pump the other so I got creative too. I took one of my older bras, cut an "X" where my nipple was and made sure that the narrow end of the funnel part of the pump could fit through - tightly. Now I put that end through and reattach the rest of the apparatus and it stays put while I pump. Pretty much the same concept as the ones they sell but cheaper :)

Oh, and since I was totally unhelpful in the nursing bra discussion I will throw out there that the only two I wear (besides a Bravado for sleeping) are Anita brand, and one is underwire. I got them at herroom.com

Good news everyone! Jackson slept for 5 hours in his crib last night! From 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. :D It was a tough road getting to 1 a.m. but this is progress...

[Kerri]

Beth - I didn't read all the other posts, but sometimes back arching is a sign of reflux. That would make sense that he would eat some and then start experience some discomfort.