# In our 30s with our first babe - it's a new year!



## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

Welcome to the January 2008 thread!









This thread is for anyone who waited until they were 30+ to have their first baby.

*CURRENT MEMBERS*
momofsage (Jen) 40







: Sage born May 10, 2005
angelcat (Beckie)







: Rachel, born June 27, 2005
~PurityLake~ (Katreena) 33 mama of two babes borns in her 30s!
Her youngest







: Sophia was born Aug 22, 2006
jaxensmommy (Jeri) 36







: Jaxen born September 29, 2006
MommyMichele (Michele) 35 mama to one babe born just shy of 30 and two other babes born in her 30s. Her youngest is







: Ian born November 06, 2006
Mama2Bean 36







: born November 30, 2006
granolalight (Becky) mama to 2 babes born in her 30s!
Her youngest is







: Eli born December 02, 2006
nylecoj (Jocelyn) 32







: born December 12, 2006
pacificbliss (Dawn) 33







: born December 30, 2006
elsa1975 (Isil) 32







: Defne born January 03, 2007
BeagleMommy (Susan) 34







: Ruth Evelyn born January 11, 2007
AnamCara (Kerensa) 34







: born March 01, 2007
Frannyo 39







: Maggie born March 09, 2007
didkisa (Colleen) 34







: Miranda Ann born March 27, 2007
serenitii (Melissa) 34







: Logan born March 29, 2007
Pumpkin Pie (Kim) 33







: born April 2007
mummytastic (Julie) 35 mama to 2 babes born whiles in her 30s!
Her youngest was born April 2007
merliss (Gena) 32







: Grayce born April 02, 2007
peacelovingmama (Kate) 37 mama to 3 babes born while in her 30s!
Her youngest is







: Grahame Charlotte born April 09, 2007
jocelyndale (Jocelyn) 31







: Ronan born April 21, 2007
kdtmom2be (Kristen) 31







: Kayleigh born May 05, 2007
jessma (Jessma) 36







: Lennox Matthew born May 22, 2007
rock dr (CJ)







: Gabriella born June 05, 2007
AnnD (Ann) 36 mama to 4 babes born in her 30s!
Her youngest is







: Sean born June 13, 2007
acp (Amanda) 32







: Willa born June 15, 2007
preeniemamarach (Rachel) 35







: born July 07,2007
farmama







: Natalina born July 17, 2007
Clarissa1973 (Clarissa) 34







: Elias Nathaniel born July 23, 2007
mom to B 31







: Bryson born July 25, 2007
edenluna (Eden) 36








: Ruby born August 02, 2007
nikkihoi 37







: Marshall born Aug. 4, 2007
eri_flores (Erianna)







: 31 Ariel Efrain born Aug. 10, 2007
cornpicker 33







: Jonah Harrison Aug. 15, 2007
PiePie 36







: Lorelei Siobhan born Aug. 16, 2007
kelluna 32







: born Aug. 16, 2007
pokeymama 35







: John born August 22, 2007
greengrey (Alex) 30







: Layla born Aug. 25, 2007
dctexan (Emily) 34







: Benjamin born Sept. 1, 2007
veganone (Elizabeth) 34







: Isabella Lourdes Sofia born Sept. 3, 2007
plummum 36







: Sinead Summer born Sept. 3, 2007
beckyphry (Becky) 32







: Maya Rose born Sept. 7, 2007
stickywicket67 (Rachel) 39







: Tobias Jude born on September 13, 2007
hazieluna (Natalia) 36







: Aidan Sebastian born Sept. 15, 2007
ATD Mom 32







: Alasdair William born Sept. 16, 2007
Down to Earth (Laura) 30







: Elizabeth Grace born Sept. 18, 2007
~minnow~ (Lane) 31







: Adelaide Beatrix born Sept. 20, 2007
K9sarchik (Laura) 38







: Gavin Rutgar born Sept 20, 2007
Amberella







: Nathaniel John born September 30, 2007
jpiper0430 (Jenn) 31







: Eleanor Diane born October 10, 2007
Maxzen 33







: born November 2007
MajorGroover (Dee) 32







: Mathilde born November 10, 2007
Grace24 (Julia) 36







: Oliver Roland born November 24, 2007
cmu204 (Cher) 34







: Baby Z born December 10, 2007
dionnakay(Dionna)







: Kieran born December 11, 2007
SarahJen (Sarah)







: Aveline Paige born January 3rd, 2008
Xenon







: Ticho born January 8, 2008

Although many of us have followed each other from the TTC and pregnancy forums, newcomers are welcome and encouraged to join in any time! If you are new, please introduce yourself by stating as much info as you feel comfortable sharing such as your name & age as well as your baby's info (name, sex, DOB, etc.).

Here's the TTC#1 in our 30s January thread

And the Pregnant with #1 in our 30s January thread


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Thanks CJ!!! So sorry you're sick! I'm glad it's not mastitis though... Mine is localized (but I have sort of constant, low grade breast pain and have since the beginning) and has red blotches when I have it...

New Year's - We went to a friend's house for a very low key get together. Isabella was awesome until about 10:30 so we headed home. We all got to bed around midnight and at least weren't woken up by the neighbor's firecrackers until around 12:30. Isabella was nursing in bed by then, so she nursed/napped through it. I'm so proud of her for being such a trooper!

Conception anneversary - our's was 12/27. It was a sweet day for me, too.

Rachel - Just wondering how Lucien's doing?

Happy New Year mommas!


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Left DD alone with my parents today for a few hours as a sort of trial for going back to work (ACK!) on Thursday... She did better than I thought she would - she took a bottle of milk I pumped yesterday (yay - not scalded!!!). I'm thrilled about that because I can just put one day's pumping in the fridge for the next day and not have to scald every day... She slept for them in the swing. I'm SOOOO relieved that she did okay and even took a bit of a nap. That's huge, since she's been extra-needy lately with me. She's doing a ton of nap-nursing and wants to just hang out on the boob for 30-60 minutes at a time mostly asleep. If I try to pull her off she pops awake, even if I keep holding her in exactly the same position.

How am I going to do this?! I swear I get really anxious when I'm away from her.

Emily - Did you ever scald and re-refrigerate? I want to just do that and NOT freeze for short-term storage. Like from Friday-Monday?


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

CJ thanks for starting the thread! Sorry you're sick, that sux. Hope it gets better soon.

It's 2:45 a.m. This baby won't sleep! Argh!

Went back to yoga, and man my body is so weird now! My belly for one thing, is still in the way of all those forward bends, and standing with my feet touching is still way uncomfortable. Also, proportionally, I think my calves gained the most weight! They have crazy stretch-marks and during the postures where I had to be on my knees, I swear they are so fat they HURT to sit on, there was all this flesh in my way! It was discouraging. So I've decided to continue my break from Bikram yoga and join the nearby gym to focus on fat loss. I simply can't afford to do both... but I'm excited about the gym. They have yoga there too, just not hot yoga. But they do have a steam room.









I have a headache. Can I go to Hawaii now? Why won't my baby sleep?


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Elizabeth... wow, Thursday! I get anxious away from Ollie too, but haven't had to leave him with a stranger yet. That starts tomorrow, ugh. We found someone who seems great but she forgot to leave her references with us! I hope it was an oversight? Anyhow she's coming in the morning, and I'm a little scared to leave him with her even though I'll be right upstairs... I'll be sleeping, ya know? Anyhow, I don't have to go back to work for a few weeks yet, but am anxious about it as well. Good luck Thursday! I'm sure it'll take some getting used to but in time all will be fine!


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Thx by the way for all the support about my mom... it is worrisome. I talked to DH and asked if he noticed her memory loss, and this time he said yes. I can only hope it doesn't progress too quickly. In her case, it's not cuz she doesn't take care of herself... she's smart, has always used her mind, and exercises a lot and eats right. Anyhow thanks for the support everyone.

It's 7:55 and I got exactly 3.5 hours of sleep. And I've had a splitting headache for days. I've been taking ibuprofen for 5 weeks straight... first cuz it was prescribed after my C-section, then I kept taking it for my back cuz of all the babywearing. Is it possible it's a rebound headache? It's miserable. Oh well at least this sitter is coming in a half hour to give me some relief, and a nap. Whew.


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
Emily - Did you ever scald and re-refrigerate? I want to just do that and NOT freeze for short-term storage. Like from Friday-Monday?

Yep, all the time. Basically I will do this if I know I will use the milk within 3-4 days. Back when I was doing my breastmilk experiments I found that if I pump and scald immediately, my milk stays fresh for 8 days. If I pump, refrigerate, and scald 8 hrs later it lasts 4 (5 if I push it) days. However, I have not had any luck freezing milk after it has been scalded and refrigerated (i.e. I can't scald, store in the fridge for 2 days, then freeze) so once I decide to refrigerate, I am committing myself to use (or toss) that milk.

So glad that DD did well with your parents! Yay!


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Grace24* 
I've had a splitting headache for days. I've been taking ibuprofen for 5 weeks straight... first cuz it was prescribed after my C-section, then I kept taking it for my back cuz of all the babywearing. Is it possible it's a rebound headache? It's miserable. Oh well at least this sitter is coming in a half hour to give me some relief, and a nap. Whew.

Sorry about the headache Julia! It absolutely IS possible to become "addicted" to pain relievers like advil, tylenol, etc and get rebound headaches. INFO HERE


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

*CJ* - Thanks for hosting the Jan thread







There were a couple of newcomers who posted toward the end of the month but with my dog issues and the holidays, I did not add them to the first post. Hopefully they will not take offense and will post again!

*Everyone* - Thank you so much for sending me hugs and well wishes re: Maggie. I love you guys









So, the holidays are over and we survived. We went to Eugene, OR to visit the inlaws. The plane ride there went really well. Benjamin was an angel baby. Then we had to deal with the time change and the fact that there were a bizillion family members who wanted to meet him and hold him etc and he was in a new place and without his beloved cradle swing and WOW, he was sooooo fussy. I seriously thought I was going to die. His entire schedule is completely gone. Now that we are finally back home, he is NOT napping and will NOT go to sleep at night! I have started trying to put him down at 7:30/8 PM and he has yet to actually fall asleep (with tons of crying & screaming) until 11/midnight. We are on day 4 of this. Gah.

Benjamin is just so so SO high needs right now. Wants to do baby standy up time ALL the freaking time. Screams and sobs unless he is standing (or is kicking up a storm in the bath). Doesn't want to be held, doesn't want to be on the floor, hates sitting, just wants to stand. Of course he cannot stand unassisted yet so he has some very tired parents. The only other things that keep him calm are carrying him around the house in a forward facing position (in arms only since he has decided that the carriers are all evil) and kicking & bouncing his legs whiles he is on his back. He also is being weird about nursing. Basically he will only nurse for VERY short sessions (between 1-5 min) and pitches an absolute fit if I try to encourage him to drink more (screaming like he is being tortured, arches away from the boob) Please tell me this is a phase. I thought that most babies outgrow their super fussiness by 4 months. I am seriously dying. I see all these other moms with cuddly calm babes and I am so jealous.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Hi all!

Thanks for all the suggestions re: feedings. I'm not to the point where I'd take donor milk, especially since we're moving so soon, and I wouldn't feel comfortable having to screen someone in a hurry. Also, since we don't really know what the deal is with his illness (that it might be an immunodeficiency), I'd worry that something really benign in someone else's milk might make him sick.

However, we tried him on the Nutramigen last night, as he was HONGRY and I was out of milk. I had to pump, and I was a little







that he wouldn't just take it from the tap, KWIM? I was full, he was hungry- so much easier if this kid would just nurse! Well, he would NOT drink the Nutramigen. Period. We tried some diluted apple juice (not great, I know, but he was wailing by then). Nothing. He finally settled in, pouting, and waited til I finished pumping, when he sucked twice on the bottle, then conked. Poor babe wanted to comfort nurse.









Anyway- the pediatrician Monday said his ears look 'fairly good'. One is still showing a lot of fluid, but otherwise, he's improving. So YAY!







Next step is his immunology follow-up next week, and more bloodwork before we move. If he stays on this trajectory (feeling a little better, not declining), we'll just wait and see what happens. If he gets worse, we have to take him to the hopsital for admission and the full battery of tests. He lost a few ounces in the week between appointments, which concerns me a little. not sure what to do- has anybody ever used goat's milk to supplement?

So- I had a meeting with my boss today. I had my resignation letter in hand. There was an HR person in the room- they were going to put a disciplinary action in my file for all my absences in 2007. Let's see- I got put on bedrest 3 different times during pregnancy, then had a preemie who was in the NICU, and has been constantly sick since he went into daycare. The HR person actually said that if I don't request unpaid leave ahead of time, regardless of the reason, I'll get fired sooner than later. I kept trying to interrupt and tell them it was pointless to talk to me about 'next steps', but they wouldn't let me talk. Finally, she shut up and I put my letter on the table. The HR chick took the disciplinary thing (a form I was supposed to sign) and said, 'ok, we don't need this anymore'. I told them that I understood they needed to follow a formal process, etc etc, but I didn't have any way of avoiding all these absences anyway.

My boss was very cool about it. She seemed to understand my decision- she's a piece of work, but she has 3 kids of her own and hopefully realizes that it's the best thing for my family. I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders! Now I just have to tell my parents (in NC), who are going to be crushed. They won't drive all the way to colorado, and my dad won't fly (they're a bit weird).

Speaking of *parents*, I feel all you mamas having issues with the older parents! Everyone keeps suggesting we fly one of the grandmothers in to take care of Lucien, but my parents are basically useless. They're both in their mid 70's and not in great health, and the one time they visited, the most they did for me was hold the baby while I took a 1-hour nap. Ah well. My mom also is constantly questioning whether I'm feeding the baby enough, whether BM can possibly be good enough, and she firmly believed there was a scientific basis for CIO.







My sisters are 9 and 14 years older than me, though, so they've been a little helpful in terms of bouncing ideas off of them.

Oh, and I have to give our daycare provider notice, too. Which is sad, because she *loves* Lucien, and he loves her right back. I hate goodbyes.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Julia - Yes, as in, tomorrow I go back... I'm soooo sad to think about leaving her. I'm back to not sleeping and just laying there staring at her in her sleep.

Emily - I'm so sorry Benjamin's schedule is so out of whack! I hear a lot of people say that babies get very fussy, especially with sleep, at around 4 months. Hoping it misses us, but we'll see! Isabella also LOVES to stand up - she can support her entire weight - we just provide balance. She loves it and will sometimes absolutely refuse to bend, especially for burping. She has a fun feeding habit now, too. Not screaming, but painful anyway. She will latch for maybe one second (one to two quick sucks to get latched), pull off (without releasing suction - ow), roll back and look up, and then immediately roll back to the boob and re-latch herself (ow). She will do this for LONG periods of time unless I make her stop.

Rachel - Goodbyes are hard!!! Especially moving so far, I'm sure. I'm glad Lucien is doing better - any improvement, right?! I am praying he won't have to be hospitalized, and I really hope the blood draws are going a little better... I'm glad you are getting away from your boss, too. I LOVE quitting bad jobs!!! One really horrible one in college I actually said "F*&# You" and walked out. It felt GREAT!!! Not something I would do now, but I still remember it fondly!

Here are a couple of recipes I found for homemade formula - I think we'd go with one of these if we need to ff at some point. I haven't done a ton of research on them, but it's worth considering. Especially since he won't take the Nutramigen. (That sucks - sorry.) http://www.westonaprice.org/children/recipes.html
http://www.naturodoc.com/library/children/formula.htm


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Rachel, yay that Lucien seems to be doing a little better! And what a relief resigning from that job. I can't believe what a hard time they were giving you. Wow. Isn't it interesting how our parents' generation seems to believe so much more in CIO? My mom, while she was here, just kept saying "It only took two nights before Chris slept through the night..." Yes, but he was 18 months and very demanding and my baby is only 5 weeks old and waking cuz he's hungry! She also thinks (her sister told her this) that my next step, now that baby is in his crib in his own room, is to turn OFF the baby monitor. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As IF! She said I'd hear him if he screamed loud enough. Funny thing is, when she was watching him, she didn't let him CIO... she held him the whole time and was very loving and sweet. But like someone else mentioned, it does make me sad that my own mom's philosophy is like that.

Emily, I'm glad to see you posting, I was actually about to post "Where is Emily?" I'm so sorry Benjamin is giving you such trouble right now! I'd also heard about a 4 month marker for increased fussiness. Maybe once he settles back in from the trip he'll get re-oriented and back on a schedule? Hang in there.

Well the sitter came, sat, and left... and I still have my baby. It was the most expensive nap I ever took! I'm so neurotic... every time I woke up (like to go to the bathroom) I'd check out the window to make sure her car was still in the driveway... on some level I thought she'd take off and try to sell Oliver on the black market or something! But anyhow, she was great with him, and seems to have some good availability for the next few weeks. I just need to make it to the end of February when the au pair comes... which is looking more and more like the right decision! DH and I are using the sitter Saturday so he and I can... get this... go on a DATE! ACK!

Then I took my baby with me to the chiropractor today... he loved my doc! Just smiled and cooed at him the whole time he held him (which is relatively new for him to do anyhow, the smiling at you thing). Then the receptionist watched Ollie while the dr. worked on me (ah, sweet relief from the tension headache! I had all kinds of muscle spasms in my neck and shoulders) When I took him back? He started crying.







: Silly baby.


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Grace24* 
It's 7:55 and I got exactly 3.5 hours of sleep. And I've had a splitting headache for days. I've been taking ibuprofen for 5 weeks straight... first cuz it was prescribed after my C-section, then I kept taking it for my back cuz of all the babywearing. Is it possible it's a rebound headache? It's miserable. Oh well at least this sitter is coming in a half hour to give me some relief, and a nap. Whew.

You and I are very similar. I think I am getting rebound migraines from lack of sleep and regular exercise, and drugs, of course.

But hello, who can exercise when their crazybaby is up all night long SCREAMING ABOUT GOD KNOWS WHAT?! I think the longest stretch I got was 2 hours. Otherwise it was a marathon nursing session. My nipples hurt which usually means she's teething because she rubs them raw in the spot that hurts her, but she's totally inconsolable and dh has met his limit too.

I am >< that close to giving her to the SPCA and insisting she is a hairless pug or something.

I'm crabby and very irritable.


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *preemiemamarach* 
Hi all!

Thanks for all the suggestions re: feedings. I'm not to the point where I'd take donor milk, especially since we're moving so soon, and I wouldn't feel comfortable having to screen someone in a hurry. Also, since we don't really know what the deal is with his illness (that it might be an immunodeficiency), I'd worry that something really benign in someone else's milk might make him sick.

If I could ship you my milk, I would. I have enough for a village even at this age.

I have a lot to say to everyone but today I am hating the world today.


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## ~minnow~ (May 25, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nylecoj* 
I am >< that close to giving her to the SPCA and insisting she is a hairless pug or something.

I'm crabby and very irritable.

Hugs! At least you're still funny.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*emily*, dd is also obsessed with standing -- brazelton says to expct this at 5 mos, sear says 7, ours are precocious














-- and she loves stdinf facing outward in the sling. try it, it might work.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nylecoj* 
If I could ship you my milk, I would. I have enough for a village even at this age.

I have a lot to say to everyone but today I am hating the world today.











thanks, jocelyn! I've always wished boob size = milk production capacity, as I would be feeding a mid-sized state.

so sorry your babe did the all-night screaming.







Friend here at work has a 3 yo that apparently still does it, and I almost recoiled physically when she said that- like it was contagious or something.







I had a few nights right before Lucien's eardrum ruptured where I had to walk up and down the stairs with him ALL. NIGHT. LONG. to keep him from screaming. I said some nasty, nasty things to people on those particular days. hang in there!


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
*emily*, dd is also obsessed with standing -- brazelton says to expct this at 5 mos, sear says 7, ours are precocious














-- and she loves stdinf facing outward in the sling. try it, it might work.

This is also Lucien's New Favorite Thing Ever. Now that he's mastered pulling himself up while holding my fingers, he tries to walk up my tummy.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

I was doing some nakey time with Lucien last night, trying to encourage him to roll from back to front (he does the reverse quite well, but we don't play on the floor much because my back is wrecked, so I'm making a concerted effort lately). He







nakey time, so he was squealing and kicking a lot. At one point, he drew both feet up to his waist (grabbing for 'em), which apparently pushed on his full bladder. He peed SO HARD. It went a good 18 inches in the air and landed on his face- in his mouth, his eyes, his hair. He looked all







: at first- then decided it was the funniest thing ever.










I have pics at home- I'll try to post them tonight. (just of nakey happy babe- sadly, I missed the geiser!)


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nylecoj* 
If I could ship you my milk, I would. I have enough for a village even at this age.

.

Maybe I should try yours and see if that makes dd better since mine's just causing more problems! I hate that I know I have plenty of milk, but pumping I never get more than 2-3 oz....


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nylecoj* 
I am >< that close to giving her to the SPCA and insisting she is a hairless pug or something.

I'm crabby and very irritable.

I'm sorry that LO is so fussy right now. I don't know how you do the lack of sleep for that many months in a row! DD will consistently let me get 3 hours first stretch and then every 2 from then on, but it only works out to getting up 3 times usually. I do miss those periods at the beginning where she'd go 6 hours!

The hairless pug made me laugh, though.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *preemiemamarach* 
I was doing some nakey time with Lucien last night, trying to encourage him to roll from back to front (he does the reverse quite well, but we don't play on the floor much because my back is wrecked, so I'm making a concerted effort lately). He







nakey time, so he was squealing and kicking a lot. At one point, he drew both feet up to his waist (grabbing for 'em), which apparently pushed on his full bladder. He peed SO HARD. It went a good 18 inches in the air and landed on his face- in his mouth, his eyes, his hair. He looked all







: at first- then decided it was the funniest thing ever.









I have pics at home- I'll try to post them tonight. (just of nakey happy babe- sadly, I missed the geiser!)

Heehee. Too funny. I have to admit that is one thing that makes me happy to have a girl! Although she managed to squirt under similar circumstances far enough to hit her own cheek once. Very impressive for a girl! Then we had a bath!


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
Maybe I should try yours and see if that makes dd better since mine's just causing more problems! I hate that I know I have plenty of milk, but pumping I never get more than 2-3 oz....

Me too, and we're still using the hospital grade pump... but I know he's getting plenty of milk.







:


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
*emily*, dd is also obsessed with standing -- brazelton says to expct this at 5 mos, sear says 7, ours are precocious














-- and she loves stdinf facing outward in the sling. try it, it might work.

How do you do the standing up in the sling? Do you have to hold them or is it hands free? I can get Benjamin to hang in the RS kangaroo style (facing out) with his legs crossed in front of him, but only when he is feeling calm. Otherwises he screams bloody murder.

I think Dh and I are going to BRU this weekend and getting a jumperoo of some sort







:


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dctexan* 
I think Dh and I are going to BRU this weekend and getting a jumperoo of some sort







:

Don't feel bad- I got one last weekend because I just could NOT do the standy game while pumping anymore (he kept kicking the horns off-ow). I suppose I'll get some AP points deducted from my account for it, but it's helped on two levels:

1- he can stand and jump, which he LOVES these days, and
2- it's helping his torticollis quite a bit, since he is forced to hold his head up or it's not comfy.

We use it twice a day, tops, about 10 minutes max each time. He likes to boingety boing while daddy plays the guitar.









Oh, we got the FP Rainforest Jumperoo.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

It's so funny how guilty we all feel for buying anything other than a sling to wear baby in! I think a jumperoo sounds like a lot of fun for a baby who wants to try to stand! And I will never ever regret buying the papasan swing... he loves it, but only for about 20 minutes a couple times a day. But what's wrong with that, he's being held all the other times!

Emily I want to see pics of him in the jumperoo once you get it.







(And, when I cross this bridge in a few months, you can advise me once again on what kind to get)


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

We borrowed a jumperoo from a friend, and Willa has loved it since she was about 3 months old. I was sure she would, since she loves to stand and bounce when we're holding her SO much. I agree - 10 minutes here or there in something other than a sling isn't going to kill them, and she has tons of fun when she's in it. I'm also a big advocate of floor time. Now I can't keep her still long enough to really enjoy it, but she got LOTS of use out of our baby gym thing, and I'm convinced the all the rolling and grabbing she did there is what has her so comfortable moving now, walking, sitting herself up, etc.

In that vein... diaper changes have suddenly become a massive ordeal! It takes me two or three times as long. During the course of one change, she'll often flip herself over and get on hands and knees maybe 9 or 10 times. If she's on the changing pad, she tries to crawl off the end. Even if I'm literally pinning her down so she can't flip over, she still does contortions and twists to flip her legs around, and I'm having to learn how to get on the diapers in all manner of positions (I love my fuzzi bunz, but I have to say, I'm now a big fan of all my dipes with velcro instead of snaps - it's just a tad bit quicker).

*Rachel*, your story cracked me up. We mostly avoid the geyser with a daughter, but Willa has still managed some impressively powerful streams. I'm glad Lucien is doing somewhat better, and that you were able to leave your unsympathetic job. I answered your questions about CO in our December thread, so I don't know if you saw it - basically, I don't live in CO now, but used to, and love the state. And the area you're moving to is really beautiful.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Jumparoo - great idea!!! I'm tired of feeling guilty for doing anything other than holding DD. She gets bored when she's held too much - she wants to do stuff! She LIKES her bouncy seat and Bumbo at times. She's held A LOT!!! I wear her as much as I possibly can, but I can't pump, shower, realistically do dishes, etc.

She takes one nap in the morning in her bouncy seat - woohoo! We use her swing maybe 4X/week for a nap, up to 2 hours. She sits in her Bumbo when mommy has to potty


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Emily - one more milk question... What do you do at work? I'm planning to refrigerate and scald when I get home, with a cooler for transport. At home, scalding in the evening is working. I'm so lucky that you've done all of your testing!









Speaking of standing/sitting, etc... We are BAD about tummy time. She just hates it. When we do it, she can hold her head up and look around really well - she has great head-control in general and is still a very strong baby (she likes to lay flat on her changing pad and arch her back up so that only her head and feet are down, then she flops down and grins. Think it's a problem that we don't do it much??? DH is worried she won't crawl, but I think once she can sit up, she'll figure out moving around on her own.

Off topic - housing stuff. DH fell in love with a house that is $60K out of our price range. It's really nice, but I don't love it like he does. He actually got annoyed with me when I pointed out it's flaws to him (like that the master is on one end of the house and the other rooms are as far on the other side as possible. She'd either be in our room until she's 8, or I'd be in her room until then... It's also a bad commute for me, but is close to his work. And, um, we CANNOT afford it.) He finally ran numbers last night and realized that and then again seemed bugged that I wasn't surprised. Gee, honey, we came up with our price-range by doing just that, so yeah, $60,000 over seemed high to me?! He has it in his head that we need the perfect house now and not that this can be a "next" house. We need to move and we can't afford perfect yet. Argh... t's hard to be married to someone who was raised really wealthy and now isn't! He also had the gall to say that maybe he shouldn't have spent all of our disposable income on car stuff and saved more. Gee, you think?!

Who decided that the jumbo loan level was $417K, too? That's crazy. That's like median here!

Okay, done whining.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 

Who decided that the jumbo loan level was $417K, too? That's crazy. That's like median here!

Okay, done whining.

Tell me about it! When we found out what the median home prices in Northern VA/DC are, we knew this was a temporary stop for us. It's a bummer for anybody living in an overpriced market right now- which is pretty much any major metro area. Although where I'm from (NC), a family of 3 can actually afford to buy a house! Crazy! And this is the RTP/Raleigh-Durham area, full of universities, art, good restaurants....yes, I totally miss it.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 

Who decided that the jumbo loan level was $417K, too? That's crazy. That's like median here!


yes that's the crisis du jour. the good news is that we got a mortgage even though i have no job yet







but the terrible news is that the rate sucks because of the above-jumbo portion. apparently for coops you can't get a 2nd mortgage for that part. we don't know what to do.









also i am trying to find something to wear for upcoming job interviews and am
























































to realize that so many things will never fit. i mean there's a category of can zip but feels awful but then there's a category of can't even enclose the postpartum body.







most of those were hand-me-downs and are not exactly stylin anyway but i can't stand to throw them all out. otoh i remember my mom with a closet full of stuff from like the 60s that she would never fit into again -- why torture myself, right? pls give me strength to chuck the latter category. i also need space in my closet to i can see things i might actually be able to wear.

oh dd is screaming/ sigh


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Oh man - what to wear. I think I can pull of jeans tomorrow and Friday, since the Legislature's not in session until Monday. But then it's at least semi-business attire and suits on committee days (like the 14th). I am SURE none of my suits fit. I have no clue what I'm going to do...

I have some first tri-mester stuff I can try to get by on for now. Ugh. It's either buy a new wardrobe of stuff I hope to shrink out of or wear stuff that looks AWFUL!

Oh, and bras. Those are fun. I wear lightly padded ones to hide the nips since mine like to wink







. Now I have to wear my uber-flattering Bravado ++. Nice. I'm scared of any "real" bras with all the mastitis...


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
yes that's the crisis du jour. the good news is that we got a mortgage even though i have no job yet







but the terrible news is that the rate sucks because of the above-jumbo portion. apparently for coops you can't get a 2nd mortgage for that part. we don't know what to do.









We may be able to pull off the 2nd for the above jumbo portion - we'll see. I love that the realtor who showed us the pricey house said "oh, you just have to put enough down to be below the jumbo limit." Um, right. I have that much money just sitting around. Even when we sell this house it's not going to be enough for that. Ugh. She was also wearing a coat with a huge real fur collar and cracked a joke about hunting the wild turkey that was outside (yes, gorgeous location right by the river here). Um, no, not for the vegan family, thanks.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Nope - my fat first-trimester pants are very tight. I'm going to look sooo pretty when I go back. I still have the pregnancy mask/melasma (mostly on my forehead) and acne too. Yay!!!


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

yeah...work clothes. I had to use mostly maternity stuff- then that started falling off (I don't think I lost weight at that point- stuff just shifted)- and I just did the cheapest decent pants i could find at old navy and target. All my non-maternity work pants are packed away still from the move (I was wearing maternity stuff last winter at work).

I look like crap most days. ah well.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

check out my poll in health and healing?


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Elizabeth... been there, my DH grew up a little more priveleged than I did. I've had to teach him the value of generics! Like why buy Advil when you can save five bucks buying Ibuprofen. How nice that he never had to learn that before this! It drove me nuts for a while, but now we're budgeting and everything! He's come a long way. Of course I did benefit... the vestiges of his trust fund paid off my student loan







I also think he must've grown up with maids cuz does he ever clean up after himself? But that's another topic altogether. Good luck house hunting! I think the master bedroom being so far away from the other bedrooms would be a deal-breaker, no matter what the price.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

here's our nakey time shot from last night. heh.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...24-25008-1.jpg


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Awwww...


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Rachel - Lucien is so cute!!!! I love those baby blues! DD's are still completely gray - very cool, but I'm dying to see what they end up...

Julia - Yeah, maids... That's fun, too. They're really common in South America, so it's not unusual, but it creates some interesting habits. He is a ton better than when we first got married, but he still has to really think through money stuff to "get" that we really can't afford certain things. He did give up on the super pricey house last night. Whew. And yeah, babe needs to be close! I can't imagine waking up from a bad dream when you're 4 or 5 and having to go all the way to the other side of the house to climb into bed with mommy and daddy...


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

I'm here, at work. Not cathing up on the 400 things I have to catch up on. I wore jeans, but next week I do have to start dressing up.

It wasn't as bad leaving as I expected. I'm actually feeling okay. She also SLEPT alone in bed for an entire hour this morning, which let me get lots done easily. It's the first time she's slept alone in bed for weeks and weeks - I'm really happy about it. I hope it's not just a fluke!


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## maxzen (Jan 3, 2008)

Hi,
I'm new to the Mothering forum. I'm 33, hubby is 37 and we have a 10 week old girl. I've just decided to become a stay0at-home mom and am scared!


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
Emily - one more milk question... What do you do at work? I'm planning to refrigerate and scald when I get home, with a cooler for transport. At home, scalding in the evening is working. I'm so lucky that you've done all of your testing!









*Elizabeth* - At work I pump 3-4 times (depending on my schedule for the day and the amt I get in my first 2 pumpings). I refrigerate all of the milk until I can get home at the end of the day and scald. I use the cooler that came with my PIS for transport.
One other thing...
I also will do one last pumping just before I go to bed so that I have some fresh milk to add to Benjamin's first 2 bottles of the day. I usually only get 2-3 oz but since I only put fresh milk in the first 2 bottles (so that I can reuse bottles 3-5 if he doesn't end up drinking them), it works out fine. Makes me happy knowing he is getting some milk that doesn't have neutralized lipase.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

dctexan said:


> *Elizabeth* - At work I pump 3-4 times (depending on my schedule for the day and the amt I get in my first 2 pumpings).
> 
> 
> > You're my hero!! I only get in 1 pump most work days, even though I try *so* hard to do 2.
> ...


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

Postpartum clothing...
Ugh. UGH. I wore my maternity clothes for a couple of months, but they started being too big. However, my pre-preg clothes just aren't working (shirts are waaayyyy to tight in the chest and they all seem too short now that I have been wearing maternity clothes for the past year and the pants, well, as Pie said, there is a huge difference between "can zip" and comfortable). I finally broke down and went to the thrift store and bought some "in between" sizes things. So I am in real pants and shirts, they just aren't my normal size. I wonder if I will ever wear my normal size again? Things have definitely shifted, bones have been moved.

*Rachel* - Awww. LOVE the nakey time shot. So cute


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *preemiemamarach* 
You're my hero!! I only get in 1 pump most work days, even though I try *so* hard to do 2.

Wow. You rock!









Well, not really. I am in academia and have my own office (and very "PC" co-workers/boss) so pumping isn't the big inconvience it is for many other working mamas. I would never be able to produce enough if I didn't pump that often!


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Welcome Maxzen!

Thanks Emily - I'm planning to pump every 2-3 hours. I'm lucky and also have my own office and supportive bosses. I mentioned to my Chief today that I will need to pump and he just gave me this embarassed "I don't need to know; whatever you need" look that was funny. He's like my age. I just did one and got 4 oz, which is better than I expected. The left side (with mastitis) isn't draining as easily as the right, so maybe that will go up when it's better. I need a pumping bra, though!

I'm really concerned about protecting my supply, so I'll try to never go more than 3 hours.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

One more question for the working mommas - do you wash all of the parts every time??? I just did and it seems like a lot of work to do that after every time I pump. Also - I may have to pump during hearings, which would mean as fast as I can with no time to wash. Do you think it's okay to just rinse them out?


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

That's a great question... also I'm wondering how all of you wash the parts... we have a steam-clean bag that came with the stuff but it seems like a lot of work to do every time! I have a bottle brush that only gets used for the bottles and I use that with soap and hot water. Is that good enough?

PP clothing... got depressed when I went to the mall last week, and an XL in a sweater dress looked just AWFUL. So I'm still wearing mostly mat. clothes still. It's so funny how when I shopped for mat. shirts they seemed so long... but I just got out my old shirts, and like Emily said, they seem really short! And too tight, even my casual t-shirts that were roomy before. Guess 3 cup sizes makes a difference! Anyhow, I'm going to go to the nearby gym tomorrow and perhaps join, I have a 3-day trial first. They have all kinds of cool classes... I have to decide if I'm going to use the sitter for napping or going to the gym, I guess it will depend on the day. I can't use their child care until Ollie's three months. That's when the au pair comes too. 6 weeks to go! Point being, it was alarming to me to get THAT BIG during pregnancy and then to see what I'm seemingly still left with (still haven't weighed myself and don't plan to), and I'm waaaayyyy determined to get it off as soon as I can... barring any strict diets (milk supply issues). I hate how I look and I feel gross and weak!

Here's a pic from an hour ago... finally caught a smile on film! Is it just me, or does he look cross-eyed?


__
https://flic.kr/p/2162981313


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

Pump parts...
I basically just wipe my parts off between pumpings and refrigerate them with my milk. I figure that if milk stays fresh in the fridge, so will my pump parts. I do take my parts home everyday and wash with soap & water and sanitize in the steamer.

If I couldn't refrigerate my parts, I'd probably rinse them with water at least once during the day. I wouldn't bother washing though, seems like too much of a PIA.

I pump every 2-3 hours when at work.

ETA
*Julia* - What a cutie. Gotta love those smiles.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

I've gotten pretty lax on the washing between pumping thing. I sort of figure that if the milk can sit out for 8 hours before it goes bad, the pump parts probably can too, right? If I can, I often just put the parts in the fridge between pumpings to minimize the risk. But I really only wash the parts well once a day, in the evening. A friend loaned me an Avent sterilizer - I doubt I ever would have bought one, but I have to say, it makes cleaning everything much easier. I usually just rinse it all out well and then pop it in the sterilizer. Sometimes i do do a bit more actual "washing" if it seems like milky stuff is starting to build up.

On PP bodies - i read somewhere that it takes 9 months for your body to grow and bear the child, and you really should give it at least 9 months to get back to normal as well. Happens sooner (or not at all) for some women, but I think it's good to give yourself a lot of time to get back to those old clothes. And finding time to exercise is a lot harder than it used to be! On that note, I'm thrilled that the gym around the corner from me (which I pre-joined well over a year ago and which was supposed to open up a year ago) has finally opened. I don't know how often I'll be able to go, but at least it's an option - since it got frigid here, I've found myself becoming a lot more sedentary.

Julia, cute photo! I don't really see the cross-eyed thing (maybe a bit?) but Willa looks cross-eyed a lot - less now than when she was younger, but it used to be pretty frequent. Here's a recent photo that cracks me up - she's been making this face a bunch lately, and here was doing it while using the arms of the chair to push herself up to standing.
And a couple other, more smiley ones....


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Aw - smiles!!! Too sweet. Oh, maybe a bit cross-eyed, but Isabella took at least that long to get her eyes working in tandem. That whole chameleon thing was weird at first!

How do you all shop for clothes?! Isabella is not up for waiting around for me to try stuff on, and I'm not someone who fits stuff easily, so I really need to try on. I need to get out with my mom to handle DD while I try on! Thrift store is a great idea. I do agree that you get at least as long to get back to pre-pg size as it took you to grow a baby, but it's hard to live with it in the meantime! And yes, none of my old shirts work. I'm definitely a Large now! My arms are huge - tried to put on a jacket this morning and I felt like the Incredible Hulk.

Thanks for the ideas on the parts, too. I think I'm going to rinse in hot water. I am using the office mini-fridge, so pump parts would take up more space than is fair... My little cooler and ice pack already take most of a shelf...


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Grace24* 


__
https://flic.kr/p/2162981313

Ollie is SO adorable!









And my son has on the jacket and pants that go with that onesie RIGHT NOW. Except the onesie under his jacket says, 'Bald IS Beautiful'.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *acp* 
Julia, cute photo! I don't really see the cross-eyed thing (maybe a bit?) but Willa looks cross-eyed a lot - less now than when she was younger, but it used to be pretty frequent. Here's a recent photo that cracks me up - she's been making this face a bunch lately, and here was doing it while using the arms of the chair to push herself up to standing.
And a couple other, more smiley ones....


Attack of the cute babes today! Man, Willa looks so filled with joy- I love it!


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

On washing pump parts- I either rinse in the restroom sink (which is a bit yuck-o to me for some reason), or I'll rinse in the little kitchenette sink if there's not a meeting in the adjoining conference room (I made some people REALLY uncomfortable once).

Or- I use the little disinfectant wipes Medela sells. They're probably not really necessary, but things look less grody for pump #2.

I envy you mamas with private offices! My workplace touts itself as 'family friendly', and actually received accolades in the Washington Post for being a great place to work- but there's no friggin lactation room. The last person to BF in my dept would pump in my boss's office WHILE SHE WAS THERE. Um- no.







I took over an empty office and just borrow the keys from the secretary twice a day, but lately it's been used more and more, and people have been all





















when they accidentally walk in on me.

I've decided to write a letter to the CEO when I leave and be a little bit lactivist about it. I know another preemie mama here who QUIT BREASTFEEDING before she returned to work because it was going to be too hard to pump here.

I've pumped in my car in the middle of downtown DC, parked at a meter, in the middle of the day, though.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

had job interview today, in 1 of 2 suits that fit comfortably. black pantsuit with hot pink blouse. pre-baby would have made emergency run to ann taylor loft but as *elizabeth* said i can't shop with babe. i thought it went okay but not slam dunk. we'll see. i'm not that excited about the job, to be honest. it wouldn't be that great intellectually but it would (or at least it better!!) allow more time to be with dd. but anyway what i wanted to tell you guys is that i am so not in working mode that i took my diaper bag instead of a briefcase!

friends irl are mad at me for not returning phone calls -- don't they understand that i've got a baby here? i feel closer to you all because i can say things like, she wouldn't nap, or she had 2 diaper explosions, and you get it but also get that i love her more than life itself. so there's room to complain but also room to brag about how great the baby is.

and our daycare, due to open in feb, isn't opening till march.

and our mortgage rate options suck due to the jumbo thing.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Willa's so cute!

Pie,







Sorry things are icky right now. I got a pang when you mentioned Ann Taylor Loft... I heart that store!







I need to get skinny again so I can shop there. GL with finding the right job... I'm sure you'll find the right situation. Too funny about the diaper bag. Is it one that looks like a diaper bag with flowers all over it?


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

: that the writers come to an agreement soon... this Hollywood writer's strike is killing me. I'm watching reruns of Beverly Hills 90210!! (shudder)


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

I cannot keep up with this thread anymore!









Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
Maybe I should try yours and see if that makes dd better since mine's just causing more problems! I hate that I know I have plenty of milk, but pumping I never get more than 2-3 oz....

If you want to do this, I totally will. Just let me know what you need in the way of doctor's info or whatever to prove I am not disease riddled. Do I need to stop eating dairy or anything?

Quote:


Originally Posted by *maxzen* 
Hi,
I'm new to the Mothering forum. I'm 33, hubby is 37 and we have a 10 week old girl. I've just decided to become a stay0at-home mom and am scared!

HI! I'd be scared to stay at home all day too, but that's because my child is a CrazyBaby. (I take her to work a couple days a week, but I really enjoy the days when she's in daycare ... she does too as far as I can tell)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
One more question for the working mommas - do you wash all of the parts every time??? I just did and it seems like a lot of work to do that after every time I pump. Also - I may have to pump during hearings, which would mean as fast as I can with no time to wash. Do you think it's okay to just rinse them out?

I don't really know ... but I certainly stopped washing mine every pump session a loooong time ago.









Many of you have been lamenting your new post-partum figures, and I just wanted to address that quickly. I felt horrible about my body after having a baby ... floppy tummy, chubby arms, etc. I still have not returned to my pre-pregnancy size, and I'm not sure I ever will, although I would really like to fit into all those cute clothes! Anyway, it's been a year and I suppose I am carrying a little more weight around the middle than a non-mom, but I certainly don't think most people would be able to tell it's baby weight as opposed to regular chub.

It will get better. In the meantime buy an outfit or two and be proud of your exaggerated mommy figure! You MADE A NEW HUMAN! You get a pass for a minimum of 9 mos.


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## ~minnow~ (May 25, 2006)

I LOVE all the cute baby pics! I love knowing what your babies, of whom I am very fond, look like.

My grandma died. It's okay -- I'm not (that) sad, as she has had Alzheimer's so I "said goodbye" to her years ago; I'm more relieved. But even though we skipped Christmas because we didn't want the hassle of taking the baby, now we have to take the trip anyway. We decided to do the family visitation instead of the funeral. My mom is being a pain nagging me to come for two days (hello, we have a dog who needs to be cared for in addition to the baby). I am pretty sure that this is because she wants to "show off" the baby to all of the out of town relatives (it isn't her mom ... it's my dad's).

Anyway. Don't hate me, but I do fit into my pre-preg clothes. (Underneath I'm hella flabby, though!) Which is good, as I have no money to buy a new wardrobe. However: EVERYTHING I own seems to be dry clean only and distinctly un-breastfeeding-friendly. Gah. Not a very practical wardrobe. After the funeral it'll be back to the sweats for me.

Pie -- diaper bag cracked me up.

I have to confess that these jumbo loans are making me feel less bad about myself, in that one of the skewers upon which I impale myself when I am feeling bad is that we could buy a house with our debt. But actually, if we lived in a metro area that would not be the case! So yay!


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

Happy New Year everyone! As usual, I've been lurking but unable to respond, so here's my attempt to catch up while DD sleeps.

*CJ* thanks for starting the thread. I hope you're feeling better too.

*Emily* glad to hear Benjamin did well on the flights, but sorry his schedule is all messed up. I too am insanely jealous of moms with cuddly calm babies. I still fear going out in public w/ DD because she's rarely quiet for extended periods.

*Rachel* congrats on making the decision to move and giving notice at your job! I love quitting jobs too, there's something so cleansing about it. That's not quite the right word but I'm sure you know what I mean. Sorry your DS is having a hard time feeding again. It's so frustrating when they won't eat and scary when they lose weight. Nutramigen isn't the best tasting stuff in the world but I guess he'd eat it if he was really hungry, maybe? My DD took right to it.

*PiePie* congrats on getting the mortgage! I'm sure a great job will come through for you - I'm impressed that you've been sending out resumes and going on interviews already. I am utterly useless to the real world right now. Oh the clothes thing is awful. I went shopping yesterday and was horrified by what I saw. I thought I was doing pretty well & looked pretty good but I was wrong wrong wrong. I've lost all but 5 lbs of the preg weight but I have this huge poochy tummy and fat thighs. Like others, my mat clothes are falling off but my regular stuff is waaaay too tight. It doesn't help that I weighed more than ever when I got pregnant, so I was already growing out of my fat clothes. The thrift store is a good idea but when will I have time to shop again? I might just hang out in my mat clothes a while longer.

*Elizabeth* I'm glad leaving for your first day back at work wasn't as bad as you thought it would be.








*Maxzen*! Congrats on your decision to be a SAHM.

I love all the baby pics!

Not much up here. NYE was good b/c DD let me nap for 3-4 hours in the evening. She slept through fireworks! I continue to torture DD and myself by feeding her breastmilk even though she was starting to improve on formula.







The cool thing is that she was feeling well enough (and old enough) to actually interact with us. She's finally smiling and cooing and mirroring our facial expressions, so that's been really rewarding.

How and when did you all start a schedule for your LOs? I know Mathilde needs more structure. She does better when I schedule her feedings. I feed her on demand too, but scheduling prevents an empty tummy, which is bad for refluxers. Anyway, there is no sleep schedule yet and I think it would help all of us to have one. Starting next week I'll probably work 11AM-4PM and DH works 5PM-12AM. The plan was for DH to feed her at 2AM so I can get almost 8 hours of sleep but he has an awful time getting her to sleep and ends up staying up til 4AM trying to do it, then sleeps late to make up for it. That won't work when I actually have to get out of the house at a certain time.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nylecoj* 
If you want to do this, I totally will. Just let me know what you need in the way of doctor's info or whatever to prove I am not disease riddled. Do I need to stop eating dairy or anything?
.

You are awesome - and my new favorite person. That is honestly the nicest offer I think I've ever had, especially the offer to eliminate stuff for her!!! Wow - if we figure out what exactly she's reacting to... Ugh. Thank you.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nylecoj* 

Many of you have been lamenting your new post-partum figures, and I just wanted to address that quickly. I felt horrible about my body after having a baby ... floppy tummy, chubby arms, etc. I still have not returned to my pre-pregnancy size, and I'm not sure I ever will, although I would really like to fit into all those cute clothes! Anyway, it's been a year and I suppose I am carrying a little more weight around the middle than a non-mom, but I certainly don't think most people would be able to tell it's baby weight as opposed to regular chub.
.

Just got to this part - I was so touched by your offer I didn't read the whole thing!

Anyway - you do NOT look chub! At all.


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

Lane & Emily it's good to see you posting again. Lane sorry about your grandma & thatyou have to make the trip to the funeral/visitation, but at least you're not traveling twice.

Has anyone heard from Natalia lately?

Oh and I'm so excited - Kripa and SarahJen will be joining us soon!

Is anyone interested in buying some boob-friendly bottles? I'll post them on the TP if you are. I love the Breastflow bottles but they're a PITA to use full time. I also have Avent Tempo (4 & 8 oz) and Dr. Brown's that I don't use.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Lane - I'm so sorry about your grandma. I know what you mean about already having said goodbye, though. It was that way with my grandpa...

Rachel - I can't believe they don't provide a pumping space. I was really worried someone would walk in on me, but at least it was MY office... I'm glad you're leaving.

Pie - The diaper bag thing cracked me up - I put DD's in her room so I wouldn't accidently grab it on my way this morning. I hear you on the friends thing, too. They don't get it at all... I feel more attached to you guys than most of them now. Wish we could all actually get together as a group, but at least we have this!

I'm burned out on bad TV too - guess it's good to go back. I've seen all of the Real Housewives episodes more than once...

No schedule for DD - more a routine that suits her. It involves VERY regular naps and trying to get to bed before 10:00. Last night not so much since she got really gassy at bedtime. I hate that.

I made it until 2:00 at work - my boss teased me, but was fine.

Oh, finally asked the godmother and father if they would do it and they agreed! Godfather is Oscar's best friend and is who I hope DD would go to if something happened to us (nice family, daughter about one year older than DD, stay at home mom, loving, financially secure, want more kids). The only issue is that they live in Washington, so far from my parents. Godmother is my friend and would be next in line. I'm relieved - now we just need to get our will done!


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
I'm burned out on bad TV too - guess it's good to go back. I've seen all of the Real Housewives episodes more than once...

Glad I'm not the only person watching this. I usually sit there like this:










over those women.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Elizabeth... good for you for making a godparent decision. Paul and I are still talking it over... what would happen to Ollie if something happened to us? We need to do a will too. Not fun to think about. Glad you made it through your first day back!

I watched about 5 minutes of that Housewives show and had to walk away. That said, I am, in spite of myself, watching Crowned.







:

Lane,


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Yeah, we need to sit down and figure out will/living will/guardianship decisions too - I keep putting it off because it's so depressing, but I know it's the responsible thing to do. My guess is that if something would happen to us we'd have my parents look after Willa, but it's something we should talk about and formally decide.
Does anyone else watch Project Runway? It's the only reality show that's ever pulled me in, so I'm glad it's on now, when all the other TV shows are disappearing due to the strike. We also just subscribed to HBO, despite the ridiculous expense, so that I can get my Wire fix. It's the last season, and I'm still convinced it's the best written TV show ever. After that, I suppose it's back to Netflix for any entertainment. Especially since the evenings this winter are starting to look long and lonely. Now that Willa's going to bed around 7, I had been enjoying my adult time with DH, but he's an actor, and he's currently in a play that's about to start. Rehearsals (and soon, performances) are in the evenings. We still have about two evenings a week together, but generally it's just me and Willa, and then just me. I'd ask friends to come visit, but they mostly have kids too *sigh*. Guess it's time to break into my big stack of books and make a dent in my Netflix queue.


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## ~minnow~ (May 25, 2006)

Thanks guys; I'm okay. Looking forward to seeing my brother later today!

Dee, how awesome that Mathilde interacts now! Seriously, that changed everything. So much easier to wake up when I don't want to when greeted by a chubby smiling face. And when coming to her when she's crying and she stops and smiles at me through her tears? Wow.

Schedule: ha. But we do have a routine. It was essential to figure out that baby can be awake no more than 90 minutes to 2 hours before she needs another nap. So, the first morning nap happens around 10. After that, it depends how long the naps are. We also do "pajama time" between 7 and 8. I longed for more of a schedule at first but I'm just going with it now. Which makes thinking of having a regular work time hard but I guess that's one of the perks of being temporarily unemployed.

I am trying to work on my dissertation, which sometimes I get a lot done and then days will go by without much chance to do anything. I shoot for my 15 minutes at least. (The problem I'm noticing is that now any spare moment when she's asleep I "should" be working on my diss. Like now, for example. Grad school sux.)

I was just thinking that as a former tv addict I'm glad we don't have any reception. However, I'm a Netflix junkie. Also, Amanda, I am totally with you on the Wire (and also on the lonely evenings -- DH teaches at night). Fortunately, our friends have HBO, so that'll continue to be our one regular "night out." It's starting soon, yay!


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

i'm glad we're not the only people who don't have a will yet. i am horrified at myself. we asked someone who was our first choice, and he said no, and having seen him more recently, i completely agree. then we asked our second choice and haven't heard back yet. we've got two more couples we're thinking of. none of the grandparents are in the running. the official reason is age.

i'm having a rough morning on the housing stuff.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Wills.

Yeah, sucky topic. We still haven't done it. My husband had a suggestion that I totally disagreed with- a close friend of his he's known for years, but she's single and lives with her not-trustworthy boyfriend in a remote cabin with unreliable electricity (!!!!) and is a sculptor without a steady income stream. Great person, I love her, but my kid is medically complex and needs more than that. I'll probably ask one of my older sisters who have kids in college and high school now. They have me listed for their younger kids, so I don't see why they'd have a problem with that, although they're both close to 50. Parents are totally out on both sides- mine due to age, in-laws due to golf.









Honestly I'd like for my best friend and his partner to do it, but I don't even know if they have any interest in having a family (biologically impossible on their own, as they're both male). They're fantastic with Lucien, though, and I've known him for 18 years. Holy crap, that makes me feel old- we met freshman year of college.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*rach*, why not ask your BF from college (and his partner)?? the worst they can do is say no. our long-term plan is to switch the will to go with my BF from college and her partner (same gender) but they are living separately now due to career stuff...


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
i'm glad we're not the only people who don't have a will yet. i am horrified at myself. we asked someone who was our first choice, and he said no, and having seen him more recently, i completely agree. then we asked our second choice and haven't heard back yet. we've got two more couples we're thinking of. none of the grandparents are in the running. the official reason is age.

i'm having a rough morning on the housing stuff.

Sorry things are rough on housing, Pie. It's so stressful.

I'm really glad that Oscar's friend said yes. I was so scared - they really are the only ones I can see taking her. I'm also touched that my friend did - I know she turned down someone else a few years ago because she wasn't in synch with their parenting style...

My parents are out due to age, too. I can't imagine trying to deal with that transition after losing us, God forbid...


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *preemiemamarach* 

Honestly I'd like for my best friend and his partner to do it, but I don't even know if they have any interest in having a family (biologically impossible on their own, as they're both male). They're fantastic with Lucien, though, and I've known him for 18 years. Holy crap, that makes me feel old- we met freshman year of college.

You should ask - you never know! I didn't think my friend would say yes, but just asked and she said yes right away.







I feel good having a backup, too. I'm sure it's much harder for you with all of Lucien's health problems.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Um, speaking for California. *The weather sucks!!!!* I have to walk 3 1/2 blocks from my parking space to my office and I got so soaked that when I went to the bathroom - I realized my underwear are wet! Nice. It's so windy I couldn't use an umbrella, so my normal raincoat is out (no hood), so I wore a casual jacket with a good hood, but it's short...

At least I thought to put my pump in a plastic bag inside my bag - it stayed dry.

MUCH harder to leave DD this morning. Not sure why. She did sleep on her own again, though, which is exciting. I had to wake her up to feed her before I left. I hate doing that, but no way was I leaving without saying good morning!


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

Dh and I still haven't done the will thing either







: We have decided though that our first choice for guardians is DHs parents followed by DHs brother and sister inlaw. Both parties have agreed. Although my mom and sister are super hurt that they weren't chosen, there was NO WAY I would ever let my child live with them. Both of them have made too many irresponsible life choices.

Schedules...
Not so much a schedule as a routine/pattern. Get home from daycare, nurse, play for 15-20 minutes, bath, massage, PJs, nurse, swaddle, sleep (aiming for bedtime of 8/8:30PM). I then feed as needed throughout the night (used to be only once or twice, now is more like 4-5 times, Grrr). Wakeup between 7/8AM (Benjamin is the alarm, I haven't set an alarm for myself since before he was born







), nurse, get ready to leave house, possibly nurse briefly before leaving house if there is time and interest. At daycare Benjamin usually is awake for 2 hours and then naps for 45min-1.5 hours so I try to replicate that pattern at home (although we tend to get off routine on the weekends too because we have so many errands).

When I was on mat. leave I tried to do a walk in the morning (usually after he woke up from his first morning nap and we had nursed) and take a nap with the babe in the afternoon (usually around 2:30PM or so). Everything else I just played by ear.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
none of the grandparents are in the running. the official reason is age.

That's our official reason too


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

ok, sling question.

Lucien is difficult with carriers. He's 16 lbs and around 26 inches, and the only thing he'll tolerate is this carry in the maya wrap: http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...eethingtoy.jpg

due to the standy game fascination, he isn't big on being folded like that for long, but he isn't really big enough (nor is his head stable, due to torticollis) for a hip carry. I'm just going by the carries on the maya wrap video. He is a vertical carry baby, always.

Any ideas on alternate carries? I'm trying to get him more sling-friendly because he's going to be in it whenever we're out of the car/on the plane during the move.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

We've settled into a routine too, that has shifted as Willa's gotten older. As I remember, I first started giving her a semi-regular bedtime when she was about 7 or 8 weeks old. At that point, it was later - around 9 pm. I didn't worry about nap times in the early months other than making sure she slept every 1 1/2-2 hours, sometimes for a longish time, sometimes for a short nap, usually on me in a wrap or ergo. Her bedtime started shifting earlier around 3 months or a little later - now she's in bed by 7 pm pretty much every night, and that's the one "scheduled" thing I try to stick to as much as I possibly can. She seems to like the regularity, and even if she's napped in the late afternoon, she's ready to go right down around 7. We do about 30 minutes of nakey time (which she loves) beforehand, then a bath, PJs, nursing, bed. The whole process takes a little less than an hour, but that's in part because she's such a fast nurser.

As for naps - she started settling into more of a routine around 4-5 months. These days, she's usually ready for a morning nap within a couple hours of waking up (9 am or thereabouts). She usually naps for anywhere from 30-90 minutes. She's ready for an afternoon nap sometime between 12 and 1:30, depending how the day is going. Sometimes she sleeps well enough then that that's her last nap of the day, other days she needs a short catnap in the late afternoon to recharge her batteries. I'm hoping that pretty soon it phases out altogether, but at this point I'm just watching her cues.

I try to respect her need for routine as much as I can - that's made easier right now by the fact that it's winter (so we're home more) and I'm working and we have a sitter during the day, so it's mostly weekends when her routine can disrupt our plans. It sometimes makes it hard to do things I'd like, but I feel like right now, her need for regularity seems high and it's not that hard to try and plan things around when I know she might need to nap, or to change plans as needed. If we have to - w'ere traveling or there's an important family event - she can roll with it, and I'll try and find ways for her to nap in the ergo, etc (though she no longer naps well there at all now that she's more easily distracted), but in general, I find that I appreciate it so much more when she's napped well and is a happy, sunny girl in the evenings that it's worth putting up with the inconvenience for now. Once she gets down to one nap a day i figure it'll be a lot easier.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

I just had a visit from my doula. It was interesting to process the birth with her... I'll save those comments for later (NAK)

But I got another cute picture. She was speaking spanish to him very softly and he loved her! I think maybe he recognized her voice too, cuz he looked like he was trying really hard to place her. Another cute picture:


__
https://flic.kr/p/2166038451

I just love that he's smiling in response to people now! He even has a dimple on his right cheek! OMG! Heartbreaking.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *preemiemamarach* 
ok, sling question.

Lucien is difficult with carriers. He's 16 lbs and around 26 inches, and the only thing he'll tolerate is this carry in the maya wrap: http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...eethingtoy.jpg

due to the standy game fascination, he isn't big on being folded like that for long, but he isn't really big enough (nor is his head stable, due to torticollis) for a hip carry. I'm just going by the carries on the maya wrap video. He is a vertical carry baby, always.

Any ideas on alternate carries? I'm trying to get him more sling-friendly because he's going to be in it whenever we're out of the car/on the plane during the move.

I don't have a ring sling, so I can't help you with alternate carries with your sling. But Willa is also a stand-y girl and always has been - she hated a cradle carry from week 2, and only likes being vertical, either facing my chest or facing out. I've come to adore my ergo - SO comfortable, I can carry her (chunky as she is) for hours and miles and not feel it, it's perfect for travel and on planes, and she loves it. Plus, DH is much more willing to use it than he has been with other slings. I think the patapum is similar and slightly cheaper. I also like my wrap (I have an ellaroo), which lets me do either a tummy-to-tummy or facing-out carry, both of which she likes (and which have her in a standing position) and both of which are comfortable.
Now that she's big enough for a hip carry, I do occasionally put her in my hotsling (which had sat unused for months due to her hatred of other carries) for getting stuff done around the house, but for anything longer, I like having weight on both shoulders/hips. I'm wanting to try putting her on my back more now too.

I know that it can start getting pricey getting more than one sling, but you can often find pretty good used deals if you look here at the trading post or babywearer.com or eBay or whatever... I don't have a mei tai, but I'd think that would also be good for a vertical carry. Most people I know love the black hawk ones.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *preemiemamarach* 

Any ideas on alternate carries? I'm trying to get him more sling-friendly because he's going to be in it whenever we're out of the car/on the plane during the move.

I'm no good with the maya wrap since I don't have one, but I swear I am in love with my mei tai!!! DD LOVES it and will spend hours happily - last night she napped, woke up, watched me wash pump parts/bottles, fell asleep again, slept long enough for me to eat... Probably 3 hours total. She loves ffing, too.

I am also able to do a hip carry with DD in the sling. She's smaller than Lucien, so I'm guessing he could do it too? I just make sure that her little legs are lined up right and I do have to keep one arm behind her for stability and to help keep her head in line. It allows me to do a true one-handed hold with her, though, so I have one hand really free.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *acp* 
I've come to adore my ergo - SO comfortable, I can carry her (chunky as she is) for hours and miles and not feel it, it's perfect for travel and on planes, and she loves it. .

You know, I actually have an Ergo I bought a few months ago, but he was too short and we had to use the infant insert- and he HATED it. Passionately. Screamed. But he also was unmedicated for reflux and just in that weird preemie place overall, so it might be good to try again.

My boobs are SO big now that I may need the extender to have enough room for him (I'm six feet tall, around 200 lbs). But it would certainly be easier on the plane than adjusting the maya wrap. Good points!


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Yeah, I would give it another try, especially now that he won't need the infant insert. That puts them in more of a cradle carry, i think, not the vertical position he might like better. Don't worry if his legs look really splayed - they're supposed to be that way!
One thing I love about the ergo on planes is that if the flight attendants make you take your LO out of the sling for takeoff/landing (some do, some don't), the ergo is pretty easy to slip off (just unclip shoulder strap and slide off shoulders, keeping the hip belt in place) without the baby even knowing you've done it, if they're asleep. When DD was younger, that was key, since I had a couple times where she was sleeping soundly in my wrap, and the flight attendants made me wake her up and take her out. When she was sleeping in the ergo, she never even knew that I'd (semi) taken it off.


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## beckyphry (Sep 26, 2006)

Hi everyone!

I've read posts back to the 24th but obviously can't do personals... I've been gone so long!

We were with my family for Christmas - a 2 hour car ride - and things went ok. We had Meltdown Maya on Christmas because she couldn't nap. Ugh. But other than that, things were fine. We left the 27th for Arizona to celebrate my husband's grandfather's 90th birthday. She was ok on the plane - we had a few short crying spells as she tried to fall asleep - but other than that, she was ok on the plane.

I brought my Ergo and it was a DREAM to have. She napped so well in it. Wish I could have worn her and eaten at all the restaurants we visited! She was pretty cranky anytime we went out.

AND, we had a little mishap... and ended up at the ER. She's fine... but.... I dropped her.





















:









On pavement.














:



































:







:

It was awful. I was holding her while waiting for the valet to bring our car around (she was fussy at dinner, so my husband was going to take us back to the hotel). Suddenly, a bug flew down my shirt!!! I was so startled that before I knew it, my precious little girl was on the pavement!

She screamed immediately, we had the hotel call 911. The EMTs thought she was ok, but we took her to the ER just to be safe. She managed to stop crying and nap in the ambulance, and she smiled at the doctor when we got checked out.

Ugh. What a trip. Never.again.

We took her to the pediatrician today just to check on her after the fall, and of course she's fine. However, she's been pooping 5+ times a day since before the fall so I think she may have picked up a little tummy bug at Christmas. Her poops are all green, so I don't think she has enough of an appetite (she's not getting enough hind milk, I think). Hopefully she'll feel better soon.

Anyhoo.

Re: Schedules. We started a bedtime routine around 5 weeks. Around 7pm, we do bathtime, pjs, books (whatever she seems up for, some nights she's too fussy for books), nurse, rock in the glider and then to bed. She's still up 2-3 times a night (on a good night) to nurse. During the day, she goes about 1.5 hours to 2 hours of awake time before she's ready for a nap.

Re: Wills. We still haven't figured out who we would want to take guardianship. There's just no one that's perfect. *sigh* And I think the more we delve into it, the worse it'll be... since we each have our own concerns about our in-laws.

Re: Carries for Rachel. Have you tried a side sitting carry for Lucien? I put Maya in the Maya Wrap sideways, with her feet sticking out the side. She loves side carries. I also do the side carry with the Ergo.

Re: Pictures. LOOOVE all the baby pictures!!

Re: Blowouts. OMG. We use sposies







: and so far we cannot find one brand that doesn't leak. Just today she leaked out all over the boppy (not just the cover, but the pillow itself) and my lap. Ugh. I'm looking forward to getting her on solids in a few more months so that her poops won't be so ... liquid.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Oh Becky - I'm so sorry about the fall!!! I'm sure it was worse for you than for her. Glad she's okay.

I wish the Ergo worked better for me. I've used it a few more times when DD's asleep on me and I have DH put it on me so that I don't wake her up. It splays her legs too far (she's still only a little over 12 lbs) and just doesn't fit me well for some reason. Maybe it will work better as she gets older? I also cannot for the life of me get the middle strap that connects the shoulder straps closed by myself - and I have hyper-flexible shoulders (like - have had PT for it and should have surgery) - I can fold my hands together behind my back from top and bottom, but I cannot clip that clip... Or unclip, so once she's in, she's IN unless someone saves me. Don't know what I'm doing wrong...


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

*becky-* so scary about the fall! And so wonderful that Maya is fine. On my first day in the peds ICU, my preceptor was giving me a hard time for being ginger with a babe and said, 'trust me- they're hard to break.' All the mama nurses gathered around and told me about their various 'oh crap, I dropped my baby!' moments with their own kids, and literally EVERY MAMA had had some sort of accident at some point in the first year.

You do a side-carry in the ring sling- which direction is she facing? Forward? I think he'd dig that a lot. I need to find a picture online for reference (I am the least mechanically inclined person alive, even with a piece of fabric!)









also- have you tried 7th gen sposies? Honestly, they work really well on blowouts for Lucien. And he's had antibiotic diarrhea several times now. MASSIVE poo. We had leaks with every other brand, too. I think it's baby-shape specific, though- he's got a buddha belly http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...ks24-25015.jpg and a relatively short waist, and these are size 3's. I've heard long, thin babes don't do as well in these.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

just want to say I have MASSIVE short-timers disease at work now.

I honestly just. don't. care.

so I'm leaving early to (hopefully) make better time and pump in the car.

HAGN, mamas!


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

You guys.

You're too fast for me. Slooow down. Wah. I am at work and have no power at home and can't keep up here.

We have no will. We're getting one soon though. I have no idea about god-parents or some such equivalent. (Are god-parents a Catholic thing? Does it matter if you are not Catholic?)

We have a night time routine that is basically: play, then play quietly with books or quiet toys with dim lights, put on pjs, brush teeth (as well as we can), read stories, nurse, bed time.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. We usually start her routine around 6 and she's in bed between 6:45-7:00. Nap time is still kind of all over ... but she's down to two naps and moving towards one longer (read 1 hour or so) nap instead.

Okay, that's all for now. I will sit in my office and stay wet today.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Nylecoj - at least the wind is dying down so you can get home - they closed the Woodland causeway for a while. A semi blew over on it's side. 60 mile an hour gusts suck - I almost got blown over (literally) walking to my car and was soaked to the skin when I got there. Oh well - work shut down early due to weather, so I'm HOME!!! DH is too - no power at his office.

I had godparents, was raised Presbyterian, but yes they are normally a Catholic thing. Dh is, I'm non-denominational, but I'm drawn to Epicapalian due to their gay-right stand and other more open-minded stuff. If and when we get DD baptized, they'll be there. Both of them happen to be Catholic, but we didn't base anything on that. I don't know even if we can have DD baptized Catholic since I'm not?


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

Becky that must have been awful for you! I'm so glad Maya was OK, phew! Good to hear from you & I'm glad the holidays went well.

Lane you mentioned the dreaded "D" word - dissertation. I don't know how I'm going to get any work done on it this semester. I guess getting into a routine, so I know when DD will sleep, will give me some time to write. I've found with housework I'm more efficient when I have time away from baby, so hopefully the same will be true for work & writing. I'm super happy that my RA funding came through for this semester, now I just have to earn it.







:

Julia what an awesome picture!

Thanks for all the input regarding schedules/routines. Y'all made me realize just how little my baby sleeps! Hopefully as she feels better she'll start behaving more like a normal baby, including sleeping a lot.

I totally want an Ergo now. Showed it to DH & he likes it too. Guess I know where the Christmas money is going now!

I don't have a will either. I guess my in-laws or parents would be our first choice despite their ages.

I'm so excited - I ordered a dozen BumGenius OS 3.0 diapers and they should be here any day! That reminds me... does anyone else's baby pee a couple drops then scream bloody murder for a diaper change, only to do it again 5 minutes later? We go through SO MANY sposies this way. I feel bad about the environment but dang it's expensive too. Sometimes I can't even tell that the diaper is wet but she's fine once it's changed. Cloth probably isn't a good idea since it feels wetter (right?) but I think it'll be cheaper in the long run. I'm planning on getting another dozen if this works out.


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

*Becky* -







Sorry you dropped Maya. How scary and awful. my mom dropped me (on pavement) when I was a baby (around 6/7 months) and I ended up with a broken leg. Despite the tons of pictures of me with my little cast, I don't remember anything about the whole incident and harbor no ill will or long last effects from the fall (although I do remind her about the time she DROPPED ME every once in awhile, just to ring the guilt bell







). That being said (and my experience notwithstanding) I have always heard that babies pretty much bounce (which suggests to me that I was dropped several other times, but just didn't end up injured enough to make a story out of it). I know that my time with Benjamin is coming. DH and I have developed a terrible, terrible habit of putting him on his changing table and walking away to get something or do something (he is super happy on his changing table so it is a good resting spot). I know that one of these days (probably soon) he is going to roll off that thing and hit the cold hard floor really hard. Is it wrong to hope that it happens under DHs watch and not mine?







:

*Rachel* - Benjamin is long and skinny too (14 lbs, 26 inches) and at just barely 4 months his head control isn't good enough for a true hip carry. I do the kangaroo carry (forward facing) you posted, but like you said, he will only tolerate being folded for so long. I have also had some luck with THIS HOLD He doesn't love it, but will tolerate it and it is a nice change from the kangaroo carry.

*re poop blowouts*: We have major poop blowouts here too. The best diapers (meaning we only blowout occasionally rather than almost always) for us are Pampers Swaddlers. I also bought a cloth dipe (Bum Genius) to see if it will contain the poop any better, but I actually haven't used it yet







: First of all, I am not exactly sure what the heck I need to do to prepare the diaper for the first wearing and second (this is the truly embarassing part) I don't want DS to poop in his cute neat nice little dipe! We have poop stains on almost all of his clothes (that I cannot, for the life of me, get out) and I really don't want to ruin the diaper. I fully realize the whole point of a diaper is to catch poop, but I am still having trouble. Yes, I realize I need professional help.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

*emily*- I'll definitely try that carry, I think he'd dig it! Thanks!

Oh, and we get poop stains on his clothes. I don't get it. I thought it was my washer, as we also have BM stains on EVERYTHING I OWN. I've tried stain remover for the poop shadow, but it was useless.

I have a question for you mamas (after reading some posts on a mainstream board): do you do *highchairs/*plan to? Lucien's torticollis makes him topple over still, so it's not something we could really do anyway- but I don't really see the point. If I'm pumping and need to give him meds or something, I ususally put him in his infant rocker on the coffee table (strapped in, of course). But he gets all his food in my lap. (I'm doing some purees and soft foods to get his calorie and iron intake up, as it's either that or formula when I only pump about 26 oz a day.)

But a lot of the mamas on this other board do a lot of 'high chair time'. Really? Did I miss some sort of memo? I also really prefer feeding him in my lap because leaning *kills* my stupid back.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dctexan* 
*Becky* DH and I have developed a terrible, terrible habit of putting him on his changing table and walking away to get something or do something (he is super happy on his changing table so it is a good resting spot). I know that one of these days (probably soon) he is going to roll off that thing and hit the cold hard floor really hard. Is it wrong to hope that it happens under DHs watch and not mine?







:
.

We do that - our changing table remains our dining room table with a changing pad on top. I tried to move her to her dresser and she hates it, but she loves being in the dining room and smiles, talks, kicks... She'd have to get off the table and roll to the side, so it's harder to fall, but she could. I do use the strap most often when I leave her for a second...

Another plugged duct and a new antibiotic today... Fun. Made an appt. with a different chiropractor who is certified to work on infants for Monday. Hope she can help. She's affiliated with the birth center here, so I'm hoping that's a good sign.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

have I ever posted our *night time routine*? I think we suck at it. I am terrible at routines, period.

DH gets Lucien at daycare and has him home by 5ish. I get home by 6ish (sometimes earlier/later). We do prevacid, then I feed him a little (he's stopped having meltdowns during this time period since he started getting solids....was he just really hungry? was it the reflux??). Then we snuggle and play, and he takes a short (45ish minutes) nap. I pee and pump and try to eat. When he wakes up, he eats again, then plays. Sometimes we do baths (which he loves), sometimes just lots of playing. If he seems in the mood, I read to him at this point. He goes down in his pack and play downstairs with us by 8. Wakes up again around 11 or midnight, he eats again, snuggled in his blankie with me. Bath and/or reading also happen if they didn't happen earlier and he feels like it (and I feel like it). Then DH takes him upstairs and puts him to sleep in his swing. He's been sleeping in til 7 on weekdays, later on weekends. He didn't sleep AT. ALL. for so long because of ear pain, so it's still weird to me that he sleeps so much.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Lucien's favorite spot is the changing table on his pack and play. We don't have to use the one in his 'nursery' much anymore, as I just change him on the bed if he needs it at night (rare), but he loves that one, too.

And, oddly, he LOVES exam tables at doctors' offices and hospitals. Seriously. Kicks and coos and grins and laughs. I stopped putting him on the table before the doc arrives because it makes him look like he feels fantastic, even when he's crying and miserable the rest of the time. He even does this when he's getting blood drawn, and I'm certain he's had enough of them (and is old enough) to start making associations. MIL predicts he'll be a doctor. I say nurse (MIL is also a nurse).


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## pokeymama (Nov 10, 2007)

Happy new Year, mamas!

You guys make me feel like such a slacker.







I need to get in touch with someone with my teacher's certification program so I can do my observation, and I need to re-schedule my certification test (I was supposed to take it last July but I didn't put it in my phone or some other reminder and I forgot!). I'm really liking being SAH, but I hope DH gets a job soon because we need $$. We've been living off birthday/anniversary/Christmas gifts (cash and gift cards). DH did a phone interview with Match.com (he's a UNIX sys admin) and got asked back for an on-site interview, so we're just waiting to hear from them. Fingers crossed, prayers, vibes, etc. appreciated!

Love the baby pics, our gallery is at gallery.sysadmininc.com I had a 'net friend who is setting up a photog business take pics of John last week; when those are up on the web I'll give the URL.

My sympathies about pumping, dropped babies (I leave John unattended on the changing table - his happy place - for a few secs as well and need to stop that), etc. PP figure....I think the jeans I've been wearing I couldn't fit into pre-preg, but then I lost weight way too fast due to not eating enough (at first no time/no hands, then short on funds so limiting groceries, then avoiding dairy so that cuts a LOT). Too top heavy for a lot of pre-preg tops, and very flabby in the tummy.

Nighttime - bath (only 2 nights a week now, may go every night), massage/lotion, diaper, jammies, Goodnight Moon, nurse in bed. Nightwaking until I go to bed atm due to gas...thinking it might be oats, waiting fr my system to clear.

Off to try to catch up in other forums!


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Having the 3rd night in a row that nursing to sleep (or rocking, or bouncing, or walking, or snuggling) isn't working. She's napping like a champ, but will not go to bed after 8:00.

I am in a lot of breast pain tonight, am sleep deprived (going to bed at 11 due to DD's not sleeping, up 2-3X/night for at least 30 minutes to nurse, up at 6 for work), am just freaking out (again) about the ongoing breast issues AND dd's allergy thing. I'm SO HUNGRY!!! I know I'm getting maybe 1/5 the protein I need and I can't think of any other stuff to eat that would do it.

She's doing this awful thing where she turns her head repeatedly when nursing, mostly at night. Sometimes it seems to be gas, but others she's just doing it. I'm almost scared it's a dystonic reaction to the Zantac.

Thanks for letting me vent again.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
Having the 3rd night in a row that nursing to sleep (or rocking, or bouncing, or walking, or snuggling) isn't working. She's napping like a champ, but will not go to bed after 8:00.

I am in a lot of breast pain tonight, am sleep deprived (going to bed at 11 due to DD's not sleeping, up 2-3X/night for at least 30 minutes to nurse, up at 6 for work), am just freaking out (again) about the ongoing breast issues AND dd's allergy thing. I'm SO HUNGRY!!! I know I'm getting maybe 1/5 the protein I need and I can't think of any other stuff to eat that would do it.
.









to you, Elizabeth! You've really been having a tough time of it, between the breast issues and the allergy thing. I'm astonished that you're able to continue with day to day life on such a limited diet- you go, mama! It must be especially tough doing this as a vegan. I only had to eliminate dairy and soy, and my nearly-vegetarian diet started including daily meat again because I was soooooo hungry.

I wish your DH would/could be more helpful to you on this. I think mine sometimes tries to compensate for the immense time-suck of me EPing by trying to do stuff for Lucien that he doesn't do well (calming him, for instance). There needs to be a happy medium someplace in there, right?

I've never really had female friends before, but having a baby has given me an incredible amount of respect for the strength we have to have as women. I see all mamas (my own included) in a new light now. You have that strength in you, too- I promise!!


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dctexan* 
*re poop blowouts*: We have major poop blowouts here too. The best diapers (meaning we only blowout occasionally rather than almost always) for us are Pampers Swaddlers. I also bought a cloth dipe (Bum Genius) to see if it will contain the poop any better, but I actually haven't used it yet







: First of all, I am not exactly sure what the heck I need to do to prepare the diaper for the first wearing and second (this is the truly embarassing part) I don't want DS to poop in his cute neat nice little dipe! We have poop stains on almost all of his clothes (that I cannot, for the life of me, get out) and I really don't want to ruin the diaper. I fully realize the whole point of a diaper is to catch poop, but I am still having trouble. Yes, I realize I need professional help.

I like Pampers Swaddlers too. For the cloth dipes I think you just wash them 3-5 times before use. You don't even have to, it just increases the absorbency. Don't worry about staining them. I bought some "preowned" Happy Heiny's from diaperswappers & DD was wearing one last week when she had a huge liquidy formula poo. The dipe contained all of it! DH was with her & didn't know what to do so he left the dipe in the bathtub overnight, didn't rinse it or anything. I washed it the next day & it looks good as new.







That said, I'm getting all white dipes in case I need to bleach them. Yes, I know bleach is the devil, but don't diaper services still use it? I also LOVE Dreft stain remover. You have to follow the instructions (can't spray & walk away) but it works like a charm.


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
Asked DH for help tonight and he acted annoyed (which is does A LOT when I ask him to take her, even when she's in a good mood). Tried explaining what all was going on and he just said "well then go to bed" to me, like I CAN when DD is still up and will want to nurse again.

hugs. we've been having those conversations too.

becky - wow. you're right almost everyone has those stories but they're still so scary. I'm glad she's ok, and have been holding on extra tight today!

This is awful but I started sleeping in the babe's room, using the excuse of being sick (which is true) but in reality i just can't handle another night of listening to the babe, dog, and dh all snoozing away while I'm wide awake.

carriers: ella likes the vertical carry too. it's alot easier when their little legs can start to fit around your waste. I like the ergo alot, but when I travel I've been using the ellaroo mei tai b/c it folds up so much smaller. we've abandoned the ring sling for now but I'm starting to use the hotsling more for hip carries in the house.

hey - do you guys know about these sheets:
http://www.cloudsandstars.com/
ella has been napping in her crib and I was already tired of the major bedding change every time she leaked. these are *awesome*

californians: thanks for sending the moisture our way - keep it coming!!

night time. Ella has been changing her routine on us. Used to be SOOO easy to put down. nurse till drowsy, put her in the cosleeper and leave the room dark. done. Now she's fighting it alot more, needing to be in our bed, with my boob in her mouth. MY bedtime routine always involves reading in bed. I love it and need it. but since LO has to have it dark I've had to skip that, which is part of the reason I'm having trouble falling asleep I think.

thing is, we have to go out one night this week and can't take her. probably will be gone 5-midnight (and this after working the full day). we'll be up a mountain. Am so worried about her, I just know she's going to cry the whole time with our nanny.

has anyone read eat, pray, love ? I didn't think I would get into it but I loved it.










must be feeling better


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## beckyphry (Sep 26, 2006)

Argh. I just had this long post written up and accidentally deleted it.

Elizabeth, we can't do carries that splay her legs, either. She hates it. The side carry works wonderfully for us for that reason.

Rachel, here's a picture of Maya in the sling when she was 2 weeks old (hence my unshowered lovliness):

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1199/...dd198bcb2c.jpg

She's just facing sideways, legs slightly extended in the sling. With the Ergo, her legs just hang out the side.

Blowouts: Yes, we've used 7th gen sposies (she just pooped out the back of one!!) and Swaddlers, Pampers Baby Dry, Costco, and Huggies. They've all leaked. *sigh*

Elizabeth, so sorry for your continued breast woes! And sorry your husband is being an ass.









The changing table is also a huge hit in our house. She LOVES it and we use it to calm her down when she's freaking.

Our night time routine works well to get Maya to sleep... but she won't stay asleep. She sleeps for maybe 30 minutes and then I have to work to get her back down again. Last night daddy woke her up by clearing his throat and it took me an hour to get her back to sleep again. Bleh.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
I don't know even if we can have DD baptized Catholic since I'm not?

yes you can. dd was baptized catholic and dh is not. he is an affirmed atheist in fact and of course volunteered this information to the priest. fwiw, episcopalians recognize catholic baptisms but not vice versa. btw, you could even get dc baptized catholic if neither parent were catholic. the parents just have to say they intend to bring the baby for baptism. they don't have to renew their own baptismal vows (which in dh's case never happened).

huge relief: dd is taking the bottle. she likes it hot. thank god.

becky, so scary on maya's fall.

ERGO: dd fusses when put in (don't think she loves the leg spread either) but calms once i start moving. imo it's the most comfortable carrier for me. but not so easy to nurse in.









the apt. is a mess. i really need to clean.

i have already fallen behind on new year's resolution to pump every day.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

blowouts: all the sposies (we've mostly tried 7th gen and pampers swaddlers) do badly for us - one reason I miss my cloth dipes when traveling. We've been CDing exclusively except when traveling from the beginning, and I have yet to see a single poop stain on a dipe, so don't worry too much about using them! The only ones you have to prewash a lot are cotton and hemp ones (to get all the natural oils out). The microfleece types - including FBs, BG, HH, etc - you just should run through one wash/dry cycle before using. We use a mini shower to get the poop off, then run them through a cold prewash, hot wash, and htat seems to get any stains out. If you use rash cream it'll stain, though, unless you put a flushable liner in.

Changing tables: I was bad in the beginning about leaving Willa there too. Once she started rolling I got much more vigilant, but she STILL managed to roll off once when I was right there, in front of her, during the one second when I'd turned my eyes away to grab some rash cream. I turned back and she was halfway to the floor. I caught her, but my heart was still in my throat. I'm sure she would have been fine if I hadn't caught her - i know babes fall off of changing tables all the time - but I would have been terrified. So just a warning not to get too cavalier about it!

high chairs: someone gave us a fisher price booster seat at a shower, and now we just use that when we need a chair - i like that it straps onto a regular chair and doesn't take up any extra space in our already tight dining area. It's not all pretty like some of those beautiful swedish wooden chairs, but it's also the right price - about $30, i think. and it's working really well. plus it's easy to carry along if we ever need to bring one to a restaurant or to travel. We still aren't doing solids that regularly, though, and we definitely don't use it every day. If she's still awake when we're eating dinner, though, I'll sometimes put her in it with a bowl and spoon she can play with just so she can imitate us and join in the meal ritual.

oh - she just woke up. gotta go....


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

HIGH CHAIR: we got a stokke as a hand-me-down but i think that we will hold off on that until she no longer needs the machine wash padding (18 mos.). from my perspective, what's attractive about a high chair over my lap is that it can wipe clean. i want one with parts i can detach and put in the sink. sorry if that's not green enough but i am trying to keep things simple around here. i am very overwhelmed with the whole housewife thing. mommy i'm good at; it's the other stuff that i can't manage. we don't own a high chair yet and the stokke is at my parents. she is very interested in eating though. with her digestive issues i am discouraging it for the time being. ideally until 6 mos. (we'll see -- questioning myself on why i don't follow her cues and let her self-feed)


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
She's doing this awful thing where she turns her head repeatedly when nursing, mostly at night. Sometimes it seems to be gas, but others she's just doing it. I'm almost scared it's a dystonic reaction to the Zantac.

this i think is over-worrying my friend. almosy all babies do tis as they get older. but what's up with so many of us with refluxers?


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## ~minnow~ (May 25, 2006)

Jocelyn, I know! The thread goes so fast!

I just cried in the shower for, like, half an hour. I guess I *am* sad. Not that my grandma died -- hard to be sad about the death of someone in her condition -- but maybe that she had to have Alzheimer's for 8 years, you know? Plus, there was a slideshow going and people commented how much I look exactly like her. So... is that what I have to look forward to in my own life? Plus my husband is also being a little insensitive. Not about my g-ma but just sniping at me for no reason.

The babe was amazing, though. She had zero meltdowns (until the last leg of the car ride home). It helped that we kept slipping into an office to nurse; even when she wasn't that hungry she would give me SUCH a big smile like, oh, hi mom, thanks for getting me away from all those people!

Wills: it's funny, our only choice (good thing he said yes, not that we've officially made a will) is my brother and his same sex partner. After watching my mom in grandma mode yesterday (ripping the baby away from me even though she was whimpering and making me run through the funeral home to retrieve her; flagging people down to come meet her even when the baby needed to go nurse) I'm even more glad. My brother is a little neurotic but I know that he would grow and rise to the occasion.

Becky, how terrifying for you! I'm so glad she's okay!

Amanda, I remember Willa's fall. THanks for the reminder; I'm another cavalier about the changing table (why do babies love them so?)

Elizabeth, oh man, wow. You are having a rough time. Can we help you strategize about protein foods you can eat? I know there's allergies plus veganism, but you GOTTA get yourself enough food. Can you do hummus? Tahini? You want a great recipe for a quinoa salad?

Emily, you're very funny about your pristine BG. Is it the one-size or the all in one? I LOVE the all in ones. Like Amanda said you only have to wash it once before you use it. And the only of our BGs that is a tiny bit stained is stained from diaper cream. And we have NEVER had a blowout with cloth diapers and she has had some crazy big poops. (She's the same size as Benjamin, 14 pounds and almost 26 inches.)

We don't use a high chair yet, but we got a fancy Swedish one, complete with a washable plastic tray cover, for Christmas... from DH's ex-girlfriend. Is that weird?









Natalia, are you out there?


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

One other thing I forgot to post on the Ergo - I can't remember who mentioned that they can't snap the upper back strap shut by themselves, but you might try raising it up a little higher. I'm not super flexible, but I can do it by myself pretty easily, and DH can do it with a bit more trouble. But if it's down too low, I have a really hard time. I've been putting Willa on my back in the ergo more and more - she seems to really like it (I think she can see better) and it's even more comfy for me. I tried putting her on my back by myself for the first time today and it wasn't too tough. I'd love to be able to figure out a back carry with my wrap, but it just seems daunting, especially to do by myself.

Lane, I'm so sorry about your grandma - and it makes sense that you'd be emotional even if it was time for her to go. I remember when my grandfather died two years after a second stroke left him unable to speak or walk or seemingly understand much or recognize many people, I had so many conflicting feelings - I was pretty sure it was the best thing for him, and everyone around him (especially my grandma, who'd become a virtual full-time nurse to him), but it was still incredibly sad. In part, like you I think, for the fact that the last couple years of his life had to be that way, and that that was the way I was most likely going to remember him.
How great that the babe was so good for the trip, though! Maybe she sensed that you needed her to be...

DH is giving Willa her bath now and then I'm looking forward to my first evening with him since New Year's. I'm thrilled that he's in this play, but it's looking like a long three months or so of lonely evenings.


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## k9sarchik (Nov 11, 2006)

I've been such a lurker lately. But now I have a computer at home so I can get on a little more. But this thread just cruises along and I can't keep up.

Dee~ I got 18 of the BumGenius pocket Diapers. DH and I love them! Gavin can sleep all night in them and not have one leak. They are wonderfully soft and keep him nice and dry. They are also size adjustable from 8lbs up to 35lbs. So he will have these for a while and we won't need to buy any more diapers.
I do have to say though, there is a big ick factor when taking the dirty insert out for the wash. But breastmilk poop is so benign that it doesn't really bother us, and Dh is a hand clean freak.

Happy New Year ladies!


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

well, this evening was rough for my husband.

I went to whole foods (I linger too much there) and was gone about an hour and a half. Lucien was fine when I left, hanging out with daddy in his jumperoo. His head has been straighter the last few days and he really seems to feel a lot better. He's sucking down a crazy amount of food, though (which I really don't love, but given the choice between our formula issues and him getting some pureed things, I'm going with purees), and I only left one 6 oz bottle of breast milk. He'd taken 5 oz not an hour earlier, so I really didn't think it would be a big deal.

I was WRONG.

When I got home, Lucien was upstairs, crying, and DH was downstairs.







He rarely leaves him like that, so I knew it must've been bad. Apparently, DS started crying the moment I left and DID NOT STOP. He sucked down the entire bottle fifteen minutes after I left. Nothing helped, apparently- DH changed, fed, burped, played with, bounced, patted, etc....nothing worked. I went and got him and he stopped within ten seconds. He snuffled a bit, then he was fine with me the rest of the night.

We had a huge fight about it. DH insists it's because of me holding the babe whenever I'm able; I tried explaining the six month onset of separation anxiety, but he thinks I'm full of crap. (Apparently in his mind, a sociology minor in college beats pediatric nursing experience when it comes to decoding infant behavior.







) He wants me to start putting the baby down when he's calm. Well, to prove my point, I did that- and guess what? He cried. Duh.

He went along with it for the first few months because crying caused reflux and I worried a lot about aspiration. Now he really thinks that Lucien is old enough to *understand* that I'm coming back and he should just relax. Ugh.

And he's also insisting that the ONLY way to move to Colorado is for him to drive the moving truck (towing his car) and me to drive my car with the baby and dogs (he'll take the cats). He thinks we can keep the baby in the car for 8 hours a day. *I* think he's crazy, but I have no idea how to get 2 cats, 2 dogs, 2 adults, a baby and 2 cars from DC to Colorado. I'd like to have a friend drive my car and the dogs out and I'd fly with Lucien- but my only friend in the area can't do it. I have an unemployed, college-dropout nephew I could probably fly up here- but I don't know if I trust him with my dogs (which I worry way more about than the car).

Ah well. The boobs are telling me to go pump again. Thanks for listening me vent.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*rachel*, sorry about your rought night with dh. thanks for reminding me to pump. can't believe it's 1:30 am and i am pumping.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Rachel







sorry about the fight. DH had a similar day with babe yesterday, in fact both times I left the house (once to go to the gym, once later with DH for an actual DATE!) he sucked down a bottle right after I left... but since he'd just eaten when I left, it took DH a while to figure out he was crying cuz he was hungry. Either it's another growth spurt or his latch isn't good again... wondering if I should call the LC again. Sigh... Anyhow I have no bright ideas to help with the move, I'm just sorry it's difficult right now.

So, like I said, DH and I had a date last night... went out to dinner and to the bookstore, and to TJ Maxx to buy me a coat. And can I just say? I'm fat. Joined the gym a few days ago, my knees are shot cuz I have no leg strength, but I'm determined. The size 18/20 in the coat is the only one that barely zipped. Perhaps I should've done a better job at weighing myself in pregnancy and watching what I ate? Or is it normal to be a good 3 sizes bigger than normal after a baby? It's been 6 weeks. Does the rest of the weight "drop off" from here or is this really what I'm left with to lose on my own?

Until last night, it seemed like Oliver was starting to figure out day/night, but now we're all confused again. I'll finish this later... he has hiccups and gets fussy when that happens. Ciao, Julia


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

K, I'm back... NAK of course... question for the mamas of reflux babes... how did you know it was reflux? Oliver spits up sometimes... but not every time he eats. He gets hiccups about every other day, don't know if that's related. Is spitting up normal? Sometimes he gets fussy right after eating but I don't know if that's gas or not. He's at the 6 -week "peak" of the newborn fussiness, so I'm trying not to be alarmed that he's crying a lot, cuz they say it gets better from here, but it has been a rough weekend. Mostly for DH cuz he's taken the brunt of it in order to give me a break while he's off work this weekend.









Just wondering how much spitting up is normal...


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*julia*, spitting up is normal. vomiting, like the whole contents of the stomach, is what dd does. the more reliable signs of reflux are crying right after eating and arching the back. also develops a love-hate relationship with the boob -- loves it more than anything but realizes it makes the tummy hurt.

*julia*, i also had a bad clothes day yesterday. ordered clothes online (bc who can shop with babe?) and all pants were hellaciously too small!!


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Well, I can't answer you on how you know it's reflux, but spitting up is totally normal. Willa was a HUGE spitter-upper until about 5 months old. Now (at 6 1/2 months) she still spits up occasionally, but it's pretty rare. In those early days we just kept burp cloths (generally pre-fold diapers) all over the house, and I pretty much always had one on a shoulder. She still managed to drench my clothes pretty regularly, though. Sometimes it was small amounts of spit-up, sometimes it seemed like she spat up her entire meal, and completely soaked me, the couch, whatever. Either way, according to our family doc, it was normal, and she definitely never had any trouble gaining weight.

She also got hiccups a LOT. Generally 3-4 times a day. Like the spitting up, that's less often now, but I have no clue if they're related. And she sometimes would get really fussy and seem very uncomfortable right after eating. Again, I don't think it was reflux or anything out of the ordinary - just general (perhaps a little more than ordinary) baby gassiness. I'd spend extra long burping her, and often needed to burp her several times during a feeding. Somewhere in there (again, around 5 months) I realized I was still burping her out of habit after a feeding, but she was rarely burping or seeming to need it. She could just get a burp out by herself later if she needed to. I don't miss it! We had times where I felt like I was trying to burp her for hours.....

Rachel, so sorry to hear about the fight and about Lucien's anxiety. The move sounds rough... I don't have any bright ideas, though. Is he OK in a car seat? If so, maybe you could manage the drive as long as you took it slow and had lots of stops/breaks. But I agree that a flight for you and Lucien sounds FAR preferable. I know I could never have faced that long a drive with Willa, but she also screams bloody murder in the car most of the time (even if someone is in back with her to keep her entertained). It's the one place she's completely miserable...


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

rachel: you alone in car with babe and dogs? no way, don't do it. you need help with all that. oofda.

who was it that was talking about hating to touch the poopy inserts in pocket dipes? I don't even bother. They come our on their own in our wash (these are ones we made ourselves) and everything comes clean just fine.


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

Lane I'm sorry again about your grandma. It must've been really hard to have your mom running around w/ Ada and everyone commenting on how much you look like your grandma at the same time. FWIW, there's a lot of research into Alzheimer's going on right now and I think there will be great treatments/cures by the time you have to worry about it.

Laura good to hear from you! I'm so glad to hear that you like your OS BG diapers. I can't wait for mine to get here.







Soooo tired of burning thru sposies!

Rachel wow what a rough evening for your DH. I'm always a little worried about leaving DD w/ DH b/c I always come home to a screaming baby and a stressed out hubby.







Sucks that he thinks Lucien is more mature than he is... it's hard to get past the culture of independence that's drilled into us sometimes. Oh and I think he's nuts too for thinking you could drive to CO w/ a baby and dogs.







: There's gotta be a better way.

Julia hooray for date night! Sounds wonderful, but I'm sorry shopping didn't go as well as you'd hoped. I feel fat too and the weight has stopped dropping off already. The biggest problem is that my abs are shot. I amost had to relearn how to use them & remember that I could! Sounds like Ollie is a "happy spitter" - a baby who spits us but doesn't have reflux. Like others have said, reflux babies have a love/hate relationship w/ food. DD can be starving but take two sips, arch her back away from the nipple and scream b/c the stomach acids burn her esophagus. She doesn't even spit up much - most of it stays inside her. :/

PiePie don't you hate ordering stuff online that doesn't fit? I desperately need clothes but won't order them online b/c who knows what size I am now? Plus I'm short but just too tall for petites so stuff hangs on me weird & is always too long.

I'm going back to work tomorrow, probably for just a few hours, but I'm worried about how DH will do w/ M while I'm gone. See aforementioned scenario.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

DD slept! I think maybe she is over-tired in the evenings and that's the cause of the fussiness lately??? She slept a lot yesterday and then was really upset from like 6:30-7:15, then she fell asleep on me so I managed to somehow get the mei tai on over her (still sleeping) and she slept in it until 9:30, when I figured I'd just go to bed! Glad I was wearing a comfy bra, because I managed to wash my face with a washcloth, brush my teeth, and put on pajama pants with her still in the mei tai. Untied with her in the same position, laid down and sort of pushed the mei tai off of us and wooh00 - she slept until 12:30!!! That's 5 hours!!! Then ate every 3 after that, but slept!

Made it to the nursing store yesterday and tried on the easy expressions pumping bra. They didn't have a medium, which I am because the large fell off when I tried it with a bottle and pump with some water to see... They're ordering it for me. Turns out I am a 34 F/G now. They don't look it - she kept bringing me DDs and they were all too small! They did have the Bravado tank in an F/G (36 though), which was COMFY! I bought one - I don't know why I haven't seen those anywhere else?

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
yes you can. dd was baptized catholic and dh is not. he is an affirmed atheist in fact and of course volunteered this information to the priest. fwiw, episcopalians recognize catholic baptisms but not vice versa. btw, you could even get dc baptized catholic if neither parent were catholic. the parents just have to say they intend to bring the baby for baptism. they don't have to renew their own baptismal vows (which in dh's case never happened).

Good to know - thanks!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
this i think is over-worrying my friend. almosy all babies do tis as they get older. but what's up with so many of us with refluxers?

Thanks again - I just worry I guess. The fact that she will happily take a bottle and NOT nurse in the evenings is really eating at me.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *~minnow~* 

Elizabeth, oh man, wow. You are having a rough time. Can we help you strategize about protein foods you can eat? I know there's allergies plus veganism, but you GOTTA get yourself enough food. Can you do hummus? Tahini? You want a great recipe for a quinoa salad?

I am sorry about your grandma - it's still sad when they go, yes maybe for the time she lost with the dementia.

Yes, I would love a quinoa salad recipe. I added back in wheat yesterday - so far so good. I'm not over doing it, but at least then I could have seitan and this yummy field roast/lentil thing. Had toast this morning that was heaven. I hope she can tolerate it!!! I can do this if I can have wheat. I'd do vegetarian, and bought eggs last night to do the yolks. I can handle that, too, but not white I guess... They want me to do them raw, though, um, no... Not for me, thanks!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *preemiemamarach* 
well, this evening was rough for my husband. Thanks for listening me vent.









I'm sooo sorry, Rachel. That's really rough. I can totally understand, too. How could a six month old possibly be able to understand that you're coming back? That's exactly when they start the separation anxiety stage - I mean textbook... Can you show him that in a book? And yes, it's frustrating when they eat everything immediately. I would have thought six ounces would have lasted a while!

And no, you can't possibly drive across country by yourself with animals and a babe. Especially a babe who's higher needs than most - how does he expect you to be able to pump and feed Lucien while driving 8 hours a day? I'd almost vote for the nephew, but I know exactly what you mean about not trusting him with the dogs. What if he caravaned with DH? Then DH would be able to supervise any time NOT driving with the dogs, and you and Lucien could fly?

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Grace24* 
K, I'm back... NAK of course... question for the mamas of reflux babes... how did you know it was reflux? Just wondering how much spitting up is normal...

As long as there's no weight loss and no pain, you're fine. Isabella was in a lot of pain, complete with the back arching and issues while and after feeding. Hiccups are normal too. Oh, and constant throat clearing is a sign, too. DD did that a lot.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MajorGroover* 

I'm going back to work tomorrow, probably for just a few hours, but I'm worried about how DH will do w/ M while I'm gone. See aforementioned scenario.

Good luck going back! I think the anticipation was more upsetting than the actual return for me...

I know that this week I should be going back to normal hours, but we'll see how I do.

We also have 2 dr's appts that will require me to miss some time. I promised to work from home while DD naps, which will have to do since we have a hearing on the 14th and I need to have all of my stuff on my bills done by Thursday AM! EEK! I'm worried about Wednesday - she has her first appt with the new ped and we are most likely going to start shots. It's a morning appointment, so I'm hoping that she'll be okay enough for me to get some work done still, even from home...


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

thanks everybody- I now think it was food making lucien crazy. We got a little bold (by accident, actually) and did sweet potatoes with chicken instead of straight sweet potatoes last night. He slept like a rock til about 2 AM, then woke up and wanted to play for five minutes, scream and fart for 10, until about 6. Burned through our last bag of frozen BM, too. I got up with him at 8, pumped and tried very hard to calm him down, which didn't happen til noonish. But at 8:30, he had a crazy stinky poo like you wouldn't believe. This is totally TMI, but it smelled worse than what comes out of my dogs!! There were tiny flecks of white fibery things in it, and I checked the rest of the jar we fed him at dinner (that's when I saw it had chicken in it). He took another poop at 11:30, and passed out with his mouth wide open on my chest.

So no more purees with meat, clearly.

I got some goat's milk to try to make homemade goat's milk formula (from the Dr. Sears website) to supplement his EBM. He already is on multivitamins with iron for his anemia, and we're only talking 1 bottle of goat's milk a day, so I think it should be fine. We tried another bit of formula yesterday (Similac Isomil, maybe?) and he spit it in my face. I'm glad he loooooves my milk and all, but geez!

*Julia,* so sorry about the shopping! I'm 6 months PP and have sucky shopping trips all the time (well, when I actually try to buy things, which isn't frequent). I'm still wearing my maternity winter coat from last year (from the Gap, I love it) because all my pre-pg coats are now tight around the abdomen. I'm right at my pre-pg weight, too. Because of having several surgeries in the year leading up to getting pregnant, I'd gained about 30 lbs before, so my setpoint is still too high, even if the scale number matches what it was just prior to pregnancy.

I'd say my clothing size is about 2 or 3 sizes higher. Sad, but what can you do? Especially BFing. I eat healthy enough, I think, and when I don't get a good calorie intake my supply plummets.

Glad you all agree on the car trip. I think it's insane. We're going to bite the bullet and get a Britax Boulevard before we move if we have to drive- he can tolerate his bucket for about 45 minutes. If the car is moving, he's not too bad, but when we stop he loses it.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Back to work bras... Anyone find a nursing bra that would be non duct clogging and comfy? I found the Bravado microfiber one in my size online, but not in any stores. I'm pretty sure one cup size up would fit (F) - I tried the 34DD and it was too small by a tad. I'm living in my double plus ones now, but the sports bra look isn't really all that flattering with work attire. Neither of the two good stores for that stuff carry Fs in 34 - they seem to all think that you must be big around to have big boobs, which still seems odd to me for breastfeeding moms? Don't a lot of us have big boobs?

I find the Medela ones uncomfortable - the bottom band inside the cup is itchy and bunches up... I also suspect that wearing those more regularly contributed to the recent bouts of mastitis.

I am starting to wonder about the whole idea that bfing is cheaper - I'm spending so much money on bras!


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *preemiemamarach* 
We're going to bite the bullet and get a Britax Boulevard before we move if we have to drive- he can tolerate his bucket for about 45 minutes. If the car is moving, he's not too bad, but when we stop he loses it.


my new ped says buckets are bad for refluxers -- something about the angle.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 

I am starting to wonder about the whole idea that bfing is cheaper - I'm spending so much money on bras!

you are doing so awesome with the breastfeeding!! keep up the good work!


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

I was a 34F for a long time after I had Willa (I haven't measured myself lately, but I think that except when I go too long without nursing or pumping, I'm probably closer to a D now... FWIW, I was a 34 B/C before breastfeeding, so it was kind of a shock when I first got measured afterwards!).
I also got the Bravado bra, which I like ok. But the bra that I wear virtually every day since it's so comfortable is an Anita one. I got it in an E, but it seems to fit well even when I'm pretty engorged (and I got it when my boobs were still on the ginormous side). I'm not sure which one I got, but it's incredibly comfortable and so easy to use - it's as supportive as my bravado one, but it doesn't feel quite so huge and cumbersome- more like a normal bra.

Oh, and on the notion of breastfeeding being cheaper... I have a friend who swears she's spent more on extra food to feed her breastfeeding-fueled appetite than she would have on formula








She's (half) kidding, but it is true that between pumps, bras, etc, it does add up. So worth it, though....


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
my new ped says buckets are bad for refluxers -- something about the angle.

ooh, good to know! He's getting a tad long for his bucket anyway, and I have serious problems getting it in and out of the car to hook into the stroller now that he's heavier.

A friend at work is giving us her Eddie Bauer convertible seat to go in DH's Jeep (wrangler)- the bucket and base barely fit, so I have no doubt that a Britax Boulevard would never go in it. If we can actually get someone to drive the car/dogs out so I can fly with the babe, I may see if we can get by on just the free seat for a while.

Speaking of, DH's brother found out about our move tonight (he lives in NY) and volunteered to help, if he doesn't get a job he's interviewing for on the 15th. We're supposed to get out of here on the 20th, though, so that's cutting it close. I asked my mom to check with my sister on my nephew helping- she's going to call tomorrow. Life will be a LOT easier if we get that squared away.


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rock_dr* 
has anyone read eat, pray, love ? I didn't think I would get into it but I loved it.

That is the book we are reading for my book club in Feb. I haven't started it yet (actually, I haven't started Jan's book either...note to self, MUST learn to read and pump) but I heard it was a great book.

*Lane* -







Sorry about your grandma. Even when it is someones time to go, it is still a loss. Allow yourself to grieve as needed.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *~minnow~* 
Emily, you're very funny about your pristine BG. Is it the one-size or the all in one? I LOVE the all in ones. Like Amanda said you only have to wash it once before you use it. And the only of our BGs that is a tiny bit stained is stained from diaper cream. And we have NEVER had a blowout with cloth diapers and she has had some crazy big poops. (She's the same size as Benjamin, 14 pounds and almost 26 inches.)

Yep, I have the BG AIO. So cute!
You will be proud to know that I did the prewear wash last night. Now I just need to work up the courage to use the damn thing!

Question - What do I do w/ the dipe after it has been worn but before washing? Also how long can a dipe sit before being washed?

Quote:


Originally Posted by *~minnow~* 
Natalia, are you out there?









:

*Rachel* - You driving the car w/ the babe and the dogs is an insane proposition. Just say no (no matter how much your DH complains about it, because seriously, no matter how aversive his response is, the drive will be worse!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Grace24* 
Perhaps I should've done a better job at weighing myself in pregnancy and watching what I ate? Or is it normal to be a good 3 sizes bigger than normal after a baby? It's been 6 weeks. Does the rest of the weight "drop off" from here or is this really what I'm left with to lose on my own?

I am 4 months PP and still 2 sizes larger than pre-preg (despite only being 8 lbs away from pre-preg weight). I gained 50lbs during the pregnancy and it is hard for me to not beat myself up over it. I have noticed that the weight tends to come off in clumps. I will lose a bunch very quckly (3-4 lbs over the course of a week or so) and then plateau for a couple of weeks. I am not doing ANYTHING to lose weight (and I now get zero exercise since I returned to work, but the weight still manages to come off (I lost 4 lbs over the holidays?!). Hang in there, your weight will drop off too.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
Back to work bras... Anyone find a nursing bra that would be non duct clogging and comfy?

*Elizabeth* - Nope. I still haven't found a perfect bra. All of the maternity bras I have tried seem kinda itchy (including the Anita that most other people love). I am currently a 32 F and I still wear the Target maternity tanks all the time. They are the most comfortable and easiest for pumping/b'feeding. I see no difference in support between a non underwire nursing bra and the tanks. I am soooo missing underwire. I just look so gross without it. Thank goodness it is winter and I can hide under sweaters.

So, we bought the jumperoo on Sat. Benjamin is still a tiny bit too short (he only needs about 1/4 of an inch for it to be perfect) but he seems to really like it. He isn't bouncing yet, but he looooves being able to stand up. He also really likes all of the toys (we got the FP Rainforest Jumperoo). I will say the whole thing is VERY stimulating and he really can only be in it for 10 minutes or so at a time right now, but I think it will be a good toy for him as he matures. I took some pictures and will try to post them soon









I also had a talk with DH about night time parenting. These past 4 months it has been me dealing with the night wakings. This was okay during mat. leave because taking care of the baby was my job. But now that I am back at work, it is not as acceptable. Still, I was okay with it because Benjamin was only waking 1-2 times each night. However, he is now waking 3-6 times and I am seriously dying. DH wasn't very sympathetic about my earlier requests for help (sounds familiar to anyone?). However, on Thursday night DH passed a kidney stone. It wasn't a terrible one (i.e. we did not go to the ER), but it was enough to wake him every hour between 3-6 AM). The next day he was sooooo tired and cranky. I then explained to him that was how I felt ALL THE TIME because I often wake up every hour to care for Benjamin and that it just was not working for me. We have now decided that we will feed Benjamin every 3-4 hours at night (if he wakes). I will get up and do feeding nightwakings. Other than that, DH is on the clock and is expected to get up and change diapers or otherwise settle Benjamin back to sleep. Last night was his first night "on". He had to get up twice (and I got up twice). I feel soooo much more rested! Wow! It is amazing. I am also hoping that having Daddy (i.e. no boob) go to him at night, will help Benjamin learn to eat more during the day AND sleep better at night.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dctexan* 
Question - What do I do w/ the dipe after it has been worn but before washing? Also how long can a dipe sit before being washed?

We have a small trash can with lid set up in Willa's room, with a diaper wet bag (I think bummi makes a bunch - basically just a bag designed to hold cloth dipes) in it. If the diaper is poopy, we rinse the poop off into the toilet using the mini shower (seriously, I don't know how I'd CD without this amazing gadget - the few times I've been somewhere overnight without it, getting the poop off has been near impossible, and I'm not so into soaking them in the toilet) and then take the insert out (if it's a pocket diaper) and put it all into the pail. If it's just wet, I just put it straight into the pail (taking the insert out). We wash our dipes every 2-3 days - basically, as long as we can go before we run out of dipes. Seems to work well, and like I said, we really haven't had any staining. Though definitely be careful not to use rash cream without a liner, since that can and will stain (and sometimes affect absorbency as well).

Glad to hear you're finally getting some help with nighttime parenting! I'm sure it'll make a big difference, and it defnitely makes sense. I can't believe your DH thought you should do it all, even though you're also getting up and going to work...


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

Oh! Forgot to say, we used the Baby Bijorn this weekend (I figured we should get SOME use out of it, plus it is the ONLY carrier DH has expressed ANY interest in using - despite the fact that he has yet to wear the babe














. Um, Benjamin LOVED it. I mean, really loved it. He likes it waaaayyyy more than the ringsling. Gah. I think it might me time for a mei tai.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

just a quick post as I'm right in the middle of something at work- we had our immunology follow up today. The doc said Lucien DEFINITELY has a primary immunodeficiency, based on his labs- it's just a question of which kind.

Bad, as he may need IVIG for the rest of his life. Good, as we now know the reason behind all of this. And he definitely doesn't have severe combined immune deficiency syndrome (SCIDS, the boy in the bubble disease), as one of his IG levels is quite good. So it's serious, but probably not catastrophic.

More later. I may feel differently later, but for now I'm relieved to have at least a partial answer.


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *preemiemamarach* 
just a quick post as I'm right in the middle of something at work- we had our immunology follow up today. The doc said Lucien DEFINITELY has a primary immunodeficiency, based on his labs- it's just a question of which kind.

Bad, as he may need IVIG for the rest of his life. Good, as we now know the reason behind all of this. And he definitely doesn't have severe combined immune deficiency syndrome (SCIDS, the boy in the bubble disease), as one of his IG levels is quite good. So it's serious, but probably not catastrophic.

More later. I may feel differently later, but for now I'm relieved to have at least a partial answer.









*Rachel*








I have a very close friend whose son had a primary immunodeficiency (to the point where he needed to have a blood stem cell transplant). He is now a thriving 22 month old (who is feeding tube free) and has not been in the hospital since last spring







I hope that the diagnose leads to treatment and ultimately an excellent outcome for Lucien.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

So, on the dd poop front - had nice yellow poops with seeds yesterday for the first time in a LONG time. This morning it was green and watery - also a first. I hope that the new abx aren't messing her up! It occured to me that adding wheat right when I switched meds was probably dumb because now I don't know which is causing this.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dctexan* 
I still haven't found a perfect bra. All of the maternity bras I have tried seem kinda itchy (including the Anita that most other people love). I am currently a 32 F and I still wear the Target maternity tanks all the time. They are the most comfortable and easiest for pumping/b'feeding. I see no difference in support between a non underwire nursing bra and the tanks. I am soooo missing underwire. I just look so gross without it. Thank goodness it is winter and I can hide under sweaters.

I also had a talk with DH about night time parenting. .

I wish that the Target (or Glamourmom) tanks fit me. My nipples sit too high on my boobs for them - I end up with the seam of the cutout right over my nipple! In the Bravados I need the huge-o one that is a 36, so a bit big around. Wish they had a 34F in the tanks. Sounds like we're similar sizes, though, I wonder which Anita one you have...

Glad you're getting help at night. DD only wakes up to nurse, so I'm on my own. Last night she was again hard to get to sleep and then was up eating every 2 hours all night for a half hour each time! I'm tired. I'm hoping she's gearing up for a growth spurt and that this isn't a pattern!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *preemiemamarach* 
just a quick post as I'm right in the middle of something at work- we had our immunology follow up today. The doc said Lucien DEFINITELY has a primary immunodeficiency, based on his labs- it's just a question of which kind.

I may feel differently later, but for now I'm relieved to have at least a partial answer.

I think having an answer is HUGE. I would be relieved to at least know that there is something specific and diagnosable wrong and then you can figure out treatments. Hugs for you both... You are so making the right decision to stay at home with him.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Elizabeth, I"m pretty sure this is the Anita bra I have - its biggest size is an E (Which is what I have), but like I said, it does fit me and I was an F originally -though my boobs have since deflated a bit from their earlier glory.
I also have the huge bravado one and have never really liked it. In addition to the fact that it's too big around, I hate that I feel like I'm wearing a sports bra, since it's so bulky, and that I have to pull it over my head instead of fastening it in back. But the Anita one has been fabulous.
Good luck!


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

ahhhh....bras. What a nightmare.

I spent a ridiculous amount of money on some nursing bras when I first got out of the hospital, not realizing my boobs would get WAY BIGGER. So none of my nice ones are really comfy anymore.

What I did was just get cheapy nursing bras at Target in the size that fit at the time I needed a new one. So I have six or seven cheap ones, in various sizes. That's probably not the most productive way to do it, but ah well. Laziness and business trumped thoroughness!


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

My boobs got bigger and my band size got smaller, too. I have THREE Bravado tanks that are too small for my giant boobs now. I can wear them, but there is serious cleavage. The F/G one I have on now is comfy, but I also have uniboob. I also have a couple of the M+ ones, and the band is too big and the cups are too small.

Thanks for the ideas!

Back to pumping at work - I pumped at 10:30, so 2.5 hours after a mediocre nursing session with DD before I left home. I got 3 oz. Why, oh why do I not get more when I pump? There's more in there, but it likes babe better than the pump. I think I'm going to try to pump every 2 hours if at all possible to try to keep up with her.


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

((((*rachel*))))
I am glad you are getting answers and they aren't 'worse case.' I still wish the diagnosis were better.

*Elizabeth*- I only get 3 oz at a time usually. i usually have better luck playing with the rate/amount of suction, and doing some compressions. also looking at pics of her helps but like I said I still don't get more than that and manage to keep up (barely).


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

I'm pumping as I'm reading this, and only getting 4 oz, even though I know she drinks about 8 oz around this time. It's frustrating.
The things that have helped me are:
- pumping in the morning when I can. This morning I pumped right after feeding her at 6 am, since she didn't eat much and my boobs were still really engorged. I pumped 9 oz. I don't always do that, or get that much (she went much longer than normal between feedings last night), but I do get more when I pump in the morning that at any other time of day.
- playing with the settings, speed, placement of flanges, doing some breast compressions. All those things can help a bit. And I find that I typically get a lot more now than I did when I first started pumping - I've just gotten more adept and figured out what I need to get good let down. That said, a pump will never be as efficient as a baby, and it's often frustrating to realize, like you said, that there's still more milk in there but the pump isn't getting it out. (that's the case with me right now!). I've heard some people say that letting the pump go for a long time after they stop getting any milk out helps them achieve a second let down, but that's never worked for me...


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *acp* 
The things that have helped me are:
- pumping in the morning when I can. This morning I pumped right after feeding her at 6 am, since she didn't eat much and my boobs were still really engorged. I pumped 9 oz. I don't always do that, or get that much (she went much longer than normal between feedings last night), but I do get more when I pump in the morning that at any other time of day.
- playing with the settings, speed, placement of flanges, doing some breast compressions. All those things can help a bit. And I find that I typically get a lot more now than I did when I first started pumping - I've just gotten more adept and figured out what I need to get good let down. That said, a pump will never be as efficient as a baby, and it's often frustrating to realize, like you said, that there's still more milk in there but the pump isn't getting it out. (that's the case with me right now!). I've heard some people say that letting the pump go for a long time after they stop getting any milk out helps them achieve a second let down, but that's never worked for me...

I agree with Amanda's suggestions/advice
*Morning pump is my biggest of the day - I will pump for 20 min or until milk stops coming out (sometimes as long as 30 min!). This is the only session where I can get more than 4oz
*I pump for 20 minutes each session (I get a second letdown after pumping for 17-19 minutes...so when I was only pumping for 15 min I was missing that extra milk!)
*Moving up to the large flanges helped
*Messing with the speed & suction was also a big breakthrough. I have the PIS original and I usually do Speed 5 at the lowest vacuum for 5 minutes and then switch to Speed 3 at 1/4 strength vacuum for 15 minutes.
*I also learned that compressing my boobs over by the armpit area will increase milk output
*If I have a "bad" pump session (only 1-2oz) I will massage my boobs, wait 15/20 minutes and then repump. I usually get another oz or so.

Also, Benjamin usually only drinks between 9-12oz while at day care so 3pump sessions per day will usually meet his needs. I add a 4th (and sometimes a 5th after I put him down to bed) to get extra milk banked in anticipation of his need increasing in the future.


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

*Elizabeth* - I order my nursing bras from HERE


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Thanks for the suggestions! I have found that getting a good letdown helps some. I always pump right after my shower before work (warm water - then pump). That is generally 3 oz, even when engorged on one side from nighttime (she only eats on one side each feeding at night). Today it was like 2.5 oz because DD ate all night. I need to go longer, I'm sure, but it's hard to watch the minutes tick by at work. Once the pumping bra gets here I'm hoping I can just let it run for a while and do some work at the same time. I could also pump longer at that first pumping in the morning - it's just hard because I'm trying to rush so DH can get up, since he stays in bed with her so I can shower and pump.

Pumping at night is impossible (hyper-needy DD at night) and I get VERY little then anyway. I could get up at maybe 4 AM, but I'm already sleepy!

The good thing is that DD has only used 4 of the bags of frozen milk (maybe 10 oz) total, so I still have a decent reserve even with the loss of November's milk due to the lipase issue. I still have that in there - not sure what I'll do with it!


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dctexan* 
*Elizabeth* - I order my nursing bras from HERE

What a great site! I love this http://www.birthandbabyorders.com/index.php?c=77 This is SO helpful! "MS" cracked me up, too.


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## hazieluna (Sep 20, 2006)

Howdy!

We're back from visiting the In-Laws.... I haven't been able to catch up with everything that's been going on will try to read everything tomorrow while Aidan is napping.

Anyway HAPPY (belated) New Year!!! Isn't it crazy to think that a year ago we were just starting our pregnancies? I had to laugh the on New Year's Day since that morning I took a pregnancy test but couldn't face it in case I wasn't so I went back to bed before the 3 minutes and then when I got up later that morning looked at the stick and thought I saw a line..... do you guys remember this? I posted pictures and everything... aaahhhh the memories!


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Hmm, Elizabeth, I have trouble getting more than 4 oz. at a time too, but I stop pumping when it seems like the milk stops, so maybe I should keep going like they said. It's very frustrating because he's eating so much right now, if I use a sitter for 3 hours he needs a bottle and I'm right back where I started.

So thanks for all the suggestions for pumping! I'll try some of them. I'm gonna have to pump real quick-like on my 15-minute breaks (as in 15 minutes on the stopwatch, back in your seat by time's up or you're late) once I go back to work... there's a little private bathroom I'm gonna bolt into as soon as we break.

Oliver slept from 11:30 til 6 a.m.! OMG! Then the sitter came in and I slept for another 2.5 hours. OMG! I feel human! I think I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Of course he's at the 6 week mark that they say is the peak of the "fussies" so that's not fun but still, I was able to go to my noon ladies meeting (12 step) They love having me bring him... I really needed it! I just brought him and nursed him the whole time. After the meeting he just smiled at them and let me introduce him... he wasn't fussy at all. Whew! And I feel like my head is screwed on a little straighter after the meeting. When I don't get to them, I start finding all kinds of fault with DH and getting just generally irritable and cranky for no reason (not even sleep deprivation, although that's also an issue).

I can't remember who mentioned the nursing bra/uniboob thing but it made me







:!! Nursing bras... I have a bravado that feels like a straight jacket (it fits the way it should, it's just that I hate to wear bras period.), and a Medela "soft-support" or something which I LOVE but it really is soft support. Also got a few nursing tanks from Espressiva... the regular cotton ones are pretty cheap and leave a big fabric line under your shirt, but the Bravado is still a little tight around the middle. I think I mentioned it yesterday, but it's because I'm fat.







sigh...


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Oh, also... I bought a nursing bra at Target too and for some reason it makes me chafe under my boobs like crazy... like to the point of bleeding.







: That's what I get for trying to buy a nursing bra for $12.


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Hi girls.

Ugh.

Dd has a cold or something and has been up about every hour or more (okay, once in while she'll sleep two hours in a row) for about a week now. I'm feeling frayed and raw and can't stand the endless crying anymore. Dh let me sleep yesterday because I have a little cold now too, which was nice, but not enough.

Sometimes I never, ever, want another kid because if anyone had asked me if 13 mos into this I would still not be getting any sleep, I wouldn't have believed them. I know not all kids are like this, but I'm kind of worried my DNA might create another one. UGH.

Silver lining, tomorrow dh and I are dropping bebu at daycare, and then we are going skiing! Woooooooooo! That should help clear my head a lot.

Also, I've been doing yoga again ... not in a class or anything but I'm still feeling the benefits.

Rachel, I'm glad you have an answer about Lucien ... not knowing would be so difficult.

Elizabeth, sorry about the boobs.







That's hard.

I would write more, but guess who is awake again?


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Grace24* 
Oh, also... I bought a nursing bra at Target too and for some reason it makes me chafe under my boobs like crazy... like to the point of bleeding.







: That's what I get for trying to buy a nursing bra for $12.

Julia, that sucks!







I have on a crappy Target bra as we speak. I think I end up buying them way too big in band size to avoid that- although I don't really get a lot of support, I suppose. My boobs haven't felt comfortable since late pregnancy, really. I have Dolly Parton cleavage most days, and could probably hide my baby in there. Seriously, that's how big my boobs seem.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Aw, Jocelyn. I feel for you with LO's sleep patterns... You poor momma. That's hard. DD's been having trouble just getting to sleep since last Wednesday and I'm already beat!

I hear you on having another one and being nervous about a repeat - I am the same way with the PROM and the sheer amount of care she required at first.

Have fun skiing - you guys need a break and the snow should be awesome!!! I can't wait to snowboard again someday (I suck, but I love it).


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

Just popping in to say I







you women!


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## cmu204 (Mar 3, 2007)

nak

*Julia*, honey, you are _not_ fat. You just _made a person_ -- that takes a toll on your bod!

*Rachel*, congrats on getting some answers -- and being persistent in searching for them. Lucien is lucky to have you for his mama.

All of the pumping discussion is a bit nerve wracking. I haven't gone there yet, though I probably need to start soon. (Mostly I haven't 'cause my mother was rushing me to start. Way to be mature about it, huh?







)

Right now I'm just hoping that someday soon, I will stop leaking like an old faucet!







:
It is cosmically depressing to go through so many items of clothing in a day, plus breast pads/lilypadz/diaper inserts (FB inserts work nicely and don't look like you're trying to pad your bra, BTW). In this damp, grey PNW winter, that depressing feeling's multiplied by ten. Some days I feel like I'll never be warm or dry again!

Plus baby is soooooooo gassy and I can't. fix. it. That makes me feel so crappy! We're cutting out dairy, but it will take a few days to see results.
I've nearly forgotten how to be dairy free, it's been so long -- and the massive binge on Tofutti Cuties is probably not helping her. (What is it, 50% of dairy sensitive babes also can't do soy? Oh, I hope that's not her case!)

Well, enough venting. Big kids have done homework, and baby's about asleep -- time to get some dinner started.

Cher








mama to baby Z (12/10/07); loving aunt to N (8) and T (6)


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

I made a rookie mama mistake today.









Had to change a dipe at the doc's office. It was a massive, smelly, green mess (we did home made goat's milk formula this morning, which he loved- apparently it didn't love him!) Anyway there was no trash can in the exam room (this is a sposie, obviously), so I threw said dirty dipe in my purse, then in my car. Went to work.

Forgot to toss it at work.

Came back out to my warm-ish car at the end of the day.

uke

Put a few zip lock bags in the car to have on hand so this incident doesn't repeat itself!


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

HAhaha! Rachel, that is EXCELLENT.

I love smelly poo stories.









Dd was so funny tonight. She was fussy and so I told her to go and get her pj's and she did! Then I told her that if she was tired and ready for bed she should bring me her Goodnight book-- she did that too. Dh could not believe it.

Weird.

Then, she stayed up for half an hour saying, "doggy" - or at least trying to. Now she's awake (been about 45 mins since she went down) and she's sort of fussing with dh.

Oh to ski in the quiet snow with nobody around and just snow snow snow falling everywhere. Yay.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Rachel - you owe me one sleeping babe!!! I cracked up at your story and woke up DD who was napping in her mei tai... That was hilarious. You're nicer than me - I leave poopy diapers on the exam table at the ped's office. Figure they can handle it!

Sorry the formula didn't agree with him, though!

Jocelyn - sending you sleepy girl vibes!

Cher - I'm doing no dairy, soy, nuts, eggs, and anything that seems like it may cause gas. I added back wheat just day before yesterday. Oh please oh please let me have wheat!!! Yeah, it sucks to cut out the good stuff - soy broke my heart. I LOVE my soy.... I feel for you and gassy babe. I so admire mom's with more than one too. I'm still overwhelmed with just DD! DH made dinner tonight - yummy pizza with wheat-based 'sausage' and tomato/garlic sauce he made from scratch. Yum... Not that I ever cooked, but I don't think I could if I had to now!

Pie - I







you women too!!! That made me smile, which also didn't wake DD up like Rachel's story.

Oh - found a house we're very interested in today. We've been watching it for a while. Nice size, pool, area we both like, kinda funky, which suits us. It popped off the market again (dropped before by $50K). Had our semi-realtor look into it and turns out it's up for "quick sale" hopefully for $100K less than the original asking price. Oh I hope this can be it - I'd so love to find a house that we can fit in rather than being crammed into this shoebox... It's come down enough that we may be able to swing a non-jumbo loan too...







:


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

So tired...must sleep but I had to give a warm welcome to *Cher* and baby Z







So glad you finally made it over here to the Life with a Babe thread. If you bug CJ enough, she might even add you to the first post









Oh, and you probably already know this, but most new babies are ridiculously gassy and upset about it. It isn't a dairy intolerance per say, just an immature digestive system. Should start to get better around 4-6 weeks (although at 4 months Benjamin still toots and burps like crazy, it just doesn't bother him anymore).

*Rachel*


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nylecoj* 
HAhaha! Rachel, that is EXCELLENT.

I love smelly poo stories.









Nurses are soooo bad about poo stories. DH isn't squeamish about much, but nasty poo will make him gag. LOL. Former special ops soldier who retches when he smells baby poo.....


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

*Elizabeth*- sorry I contributed to waking the babe! Who was guilty of the Mount Saint Butthole early in this thread? That got my kid woken from a sound sleep.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
Just popping in to say I







you women!

We







you too


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Rachel... ew! 'Nuff said.

Elizabeth...







: on the house! How nice to have a pool! Though I just have to warn you, taking care of a pool can be a PITA and expensive... my mom has one and at first loved it but now wants to sell! I'm still looking forward to visiting it, er I mean HER, this summer









Baby slept til 7 a.m., yay! Went down at 1, so that's a good 6 hour stretch, and it had been an additional hour or so since he'd eaten before that. Plus, he gave me a good nap earlier in the evening and I was able to practice my violin in the other room using the monitor... of course my concentration wasn't at its best when I was half listening for a baby to cry, but it'll work for getting me ready to go back to rehearsals in two weeks. I feel remarkably human in the last few days with the increased hours of sleep, going to the gym, and practicing music again. Whew.

All this to say, Cher, hang in there... Ollie's 6 weeks old and the darkest days of the early newborn phase is over I think. He was super fussy over gas at first too, but within a few weeks got used to it. Now he can sit and fart, and smile, and it doesn't bother him the way it used to.







It gets easier, and soon. Oops, there's one now (fart,







)


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Oh yeah... gave him a bath last night. I think we talked about this before but is there any way to make baths less horrifying? Besides warming up the towel in the dryer, cuz I can't really do that if I'm the only one giving him the bath (our "laundromat" is downstairs from the kitchen). He screams from the moment I take off his clothes (this kid does NOT like nakey time) to the moment I put them back on, and when I put him in the water which I think is a decent temp, not to hot, not too cold, he screams even louder. I feel like I'm torturing him. He finally settles down as soon as he's all dressed again, as though finally saying "Hmm, actually, that felt pretty good." I feel like a horrible mom, putting him through such torture! I also think he's already outgrowing his baby bathtub. Maybe that's why my orchestra gave me so many baby bathtubs... he can kick his legs and almost pop out the top of it. Thank goodness we never found a place for all the stuff I thought we weren't going to use! We're ready for the next size which is still in the garage.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Julia, I have no clue if this will work for Oliver, but with Willa, some of the things that worked are: either DH or I taking a bath with her (she likes having us in there with her and it makes her a bit more submerged than if she's in a baby bathtub, so not as much air on wet skin), keeping the water pretty hot, not just warm (just slightly cooler than I'd make a bath for myself, and I usually take a really hot bath), and using a big, fluffy, adult towel in addition to the hooded towel, which usually isn't all that warm.

Good luck!


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

*Julia* - Our best bath time hints...
*Try making the water warm. Really warm. Warmer than you'd think was okay for a babe. I like my bath to be HOT and I make DSs bath water only a touch below what I like for myself. Just sucking it up and being brave enough to use really really really warm water has made a huge difference.

*Use a large washcloth to cover the parts of the body not submerged (i.e. chest and shoulders). Be sure to redip the washcloth often to keep it warm.

*Wash the head last. This is opposite every baby bath how to I've ever read, but once Benjamin's head is wet, he is far more likely to get chilled.

*Use an adult size towel and bundle up immediately after removal from the bath. Baby towels are cute, but worthless.

*If your bathroom is super cold (our is), buy a small space heater that you run during bath time.

I also agree about trying to put the baby in the bath with you. It won't really be a good washing bath, but it should be fun. Baby can be submerged and swim around. After I took a bath w/ Benjamin 3 times he started loving the water and I was able to go back to the baby bath tub.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

yeah, i bathe with babe in warm water. have yet to use our ginormous plastic tub.

can i just vent? i was so on for my interview today -- looked great, felt great, etc. and they screwed up the scheduling and it's not till thursday! GAH! as *emily* would say. it was the first time i could actually imagine working since having her.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Sweet, funny and one that stinks:

1. Last night, the babe was miserable (he just doesn't tolerate the goat's milk formula, clearly, even just 4 oz of it). He started rooting, so I thought, 'what the hell' and lifted my shirt. He latched and tried to nurse for 3 minutes!! First time in weeks!







I'd just pumped so there was nothing there, but how AWESOME he still can do it. There may be hope for this EPer yet, eh?

2. He got this toy http://www.amazon.com/Learning-Curve.../dp/B0007A2GX2 from my sister when he was 2 months old. Loved to watch it. Last night, he found it on the table and grabbed it. I turned it on. OMG, over stimulation! He was posessed, moaning and trying to shove the flowers in his mouth. Then he wanted to pull the flowers off the stems. He knew how to hit the flowers to make them chime and flash, and I got the distinct impression he wanted to have one to take for the road, KWIM? As soon as I turned it off, he lost interest.

3. Crappy sleep night. He woke at 3 AM with gas, ate, then wanted to play. I turned my back on him, thinking it would dissuade him. He pulled my ponytail. Laughed. He repeated this game til about 6 AM- when *I* had to get up, and he fell asleep.









4. Found out my COBRA for insurance will be $1000 a month! DH's insurance for us won't kick in til the middle of February, and my coverage here ends at the end of January. With the health issues DS has, we can't have a lapse in coverage. Poo. And I work for my insurance plan- you'd think maybe they'd cut a little slack, wouldn't you?









But it's all good- my lil dude still knows how to drink from the tap!


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

Welcome Cher! You're on the front page now









We were up every hour last night. And today was my first day back teaching. Not a good combo.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*rachel*, we totally want that chime garden by lamaze for dd!!


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

DD likes very warm baths too - DH thinks too hot, but she likes it!!!

Sorry you didn't get any sleep and then had to teach, CJ. DD's sleep isn't doing as well since the day before I started back, too. She's also eating more at night, but that's normal, right?

I want a pool more than almost anything except another bathroom, so the upkeep is worth it. I LOVE swimming - the only excercise I truly love. I actually did synchronized swimming from 9 yrs-high school and pretty much lived in the pool as a kid. I'd love to have that for Isabella, too.

Rachel - I'm so glad he nursed!!! Woohoo!!! That's super exciting, momma. I'm sure that being home with him and getting his infection(s) under control will help, too. I really hope you can stop EPing at some point soon!


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
can i just vent? i was so on for my interview today -- looked great, felt great, etc. and they screwed up the scheduling and it's not till thursday! GAH! as *emily* would say. it was the first time i could actually imagine working since having her.

That sucks - hope Thursday goes well!


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
DD's sleep isn't doing as well since the day before I started back, too. She's also eating more at night, but that's normal, right?



both to be expected


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
can i just vent? i was so on for my interview today -- looked great, felt great, etc. and they screwed up the scheduling and it's not till thursday! GAH! as *emily* would say. it was the first time i could actually imagine working since having her.

I *do* say "gah" a lot, don't I? It just seems to capture it for me.








about your interview (although i realize it is a PIA to get ready for no reason. Even thought the screw up wasn't your fault it reminded me of the time I went in for one of my prenatal visits (I think it was when I was going every 2 weeks or so...) and I was soooo tired. I went into the bathroom. Carefully wrote my name and date on my sample cup. Sat down on the potty and peed.

As I was washing my hands I realized I had TOTALLY forgotten to pee in the cup. Ooops (or Gah, whatever you prefer







).


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

bumping us up


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

I joined weight Watchers







:


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## cmu204 (Mar 3, 2007)

Thanks, *CJ,* for adding me to the list: it's nice to be "official."

Just popping in to share my good night with y'all before I go off to spend some of the DH's hard earned cash -- baby (and therefore I) got some sleep last night.
My mom recommended Mylicon, and since the Gripe Water wasn't doing it for her, we decided to go that route.
(Z is so bothered by it, I refer to her as a gas giant; DH corrects it to "gas dwarf" since she's still pretty small







)

Now she's sleeping (and grunting, and farting) away -- and *not* in my arms, but her amazing vibrating chair! I can do something _other_ than hold her today! Woot!

Cher








mama to baby Z (12/10/07); loving aunt to N (8) and T (6)


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

*Grace* - well good for you! I have heard good things about that program. Keep us posted.

*Cher* - right on for a few hours with your hands free.


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

Help.

Two nights in a row of up-every-hour to nurse. Ella rarely goes more than 2-3 hours, so even a good night isn't great. I'm trying to be patient but now that school has started up again this sleep deprivation is really stressing me out (which just makes it worse of course). She's 7 months and we've started some pureed foods in hopes that might help with the sleep a bit.

DH is willing to help with night-time parenting BUT: he is traveling a lot with the new job so it's tough to really try a new approach (ie he's gone 2 weeks straight starting monday).

Also, what would he do? The only thing that works fast and consistently is to nurse. It is mainly comfort nursing, only a few minutes and I don't usually feel a let-down. She just goes right back to sleep. BUT, if we try to give her the paci or just cuddle, no dice, she screams. I'm sure with enough time and patience he could settle her without me but it wakes me up to hear her anyway, so if the goal is ME sleeping more that doesn't work (at least not in the short term?).

So for now, I am just dealing with it. We cosleep and I do better when it's just me and her, so dh sleeps in the other room. Not a great solution, but this is my best chance for sleep until there is some way for dh to take her. Should I just keep doing this, wait it out? Should we have DH sort it out, even if that means tears and everyone being awake for several nights (until, we hope, she starts to let him settle her??). I am not really talking about night weaning yet - am happy to feed her but I don't think she 'needs' to eat every hour??


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Cher - I'm so glad you're getting sleep and a few free hours! That's awesome - DD likes her bouncy chair now, but she was probably 10 weeks before she'd tolerate it. Love the vibrating feature, though! I'm going to look for a pack 'n' play with the same thing to see if that will get her sleeping on a flat surface...

So, minimal sleep for us last night again. DD was honestly screaming or crying from 10 to midnight. We took turns with her after my attempt to get her to sleep from 8:30-10:00. She's clearly sleepy, but will pop her eyes open and fuss the second she starts to drift off. Ugh... Soooo frustrating. Then eventually she gets so tired she starts really crying. I'm at a loss and am so exhausted. She did sleep for 3.5 hours once she fell asleep, but sleeping 12:30-4:00 and 4:30-6:30 (when I got up) does not make for a happy mommy...

We saw the new ped today (and we both really, really liked him!!!). He thinks she's teething. I didn't know this, but he said that they have bone pain as the teeth move in the jaw bone, WAY before they actually pop through. He wants us to try some teething stuff (hylands, etc.) and then if she's still fussy he'll prescribe prevacid for the reflux. I love that he didn't jump immediately to prescribing something. He was also super patient with us and sweet with her.

We also officially started shots - he suggested doing one shot per visit, so we did DTap today and will do PC or HIB in a month. I'm glad he's supportive of that, too. And they had regular Dtap - our old ped only had the one that also has polio and HepB in it, and I want to delay those for a while. She screamed (but has been on and off since last night), but calmed down and is sleeeping in the mei tai now.

I have tons of work to do for tomorrow morning - not seeing how that's going to happen, but I'm going to try to pull everything together somehow - maybe I'll go in really, really early.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rock_dr* 
Help.
??

I'm sorry you're not sleeping either - every hour - ouch!

That's rough - DH offered to help last night, but it's not like I can sleep when she's crying either. And yeah, they can't bf. DH can't help with night-wakings either since she also nurses and then goes back to sleep. But, I'm still up for the 20+ minutes it takes her... She doesn't self-latch very well and needs help and for me to hold her against me (a pillow doesn't work -she squirms and it moves away so she's on her back again).

Wish I had a suggestion - I was seriously thinking about drinking last night to see if that in my milk would knock her out!


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
Wish I had a suggestion - I was seriously thinking about drinking last night to see if that in my milk would knock her out!

Yup, I've thought about that myself. Glad I'm not the only one!


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

so- poop.

Yesterday, Lucien had 6 or 7 of them (weird for a 6 month old, very weird for him). Mostly green, somewhat laborious for him. We chalked it up to being intolerant of the formula (we tried 2 oz of Enfamil Lipil because we thought goat's milk made the diarrhea start).

His diarrhea tapered off by night time and he slept FOREVER. Went down at 8:30, up at 11:30 to eat, back down by midnight and slept hardcore til 7 AM.

This morning, no poop- but I've had diarrhea today. So I'm thinking maybe he got a bug- probably from the 2 kids my daycare provider subbed for Monday (even though I specifically told her to warn us if she does that, grr). Then maybe I got it from him.

It would be GREAT if it was just a bug- that means we can do milk based formula once a day if we need to! Helpful, as yesterday he at 35 oz EBM, 8 oz of jarred baby food and rice cereal, and 3 oz formula. I'm lucky to produce 28-30 oz of milk per day. Knowing he can handle a bottle of formula would make things a lot easier for me. Ped gave us the go-ahead to use more solids instead, but he needs good protein and fats to keep from losing weight again.

Who ever thought I'd be excited my kid might be able to tolerate formula?


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

*CJ-* that sucks about the all-night every-hour waking. Mine did that when his ears were really bad. I don't think there's an answer- I ended up napping in my car during breaks on the days after those nights. It blows.









FWIW, the more purees Lucien eats, the longer he sleeps at night. I dunno, though- if he nursed directly and we co-slept all night, I'm sure he'd be a snacker on boobie.

I just gave up on DH 'helping' at night. He brings the baby to me, and brings me his warmed bottle, then I do the rest (from bed). I'm so used to it now that I don't even fully wake up (pretty good for dealing with the bottle!). I can feel when he stops sucking on the bottle and I take it out of his mouth, roll him on his side, and we both sack out again. All I ask of DH is that he brings the baby and milk to me.


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

CJ - Oh yuck. I hear you on the up every hour thing. Absolutely exhausting. One thing we are trying around here (and I think I posted some of this earlier, so excuse the repetition) is to

1). Only offer boob if it has been more than 3 hours since last feeding (so no boob every hour. I did this because it was clear that Benjamin was NOT eating, just sipping...suck, suck, suck - sleep [remove boob, WAIL. Reinsert boob] suck, suck, suck - sleep). I chose 3 hours because that is how long he usually goes at daycare between bottles AND because that was the MINIMUM he used to go before he decided he hated sleep. No boob means that DH has to go deal with all non-nursing night wakings. I still totally wake up (and pretty much have to kick DH to get him up and out of bed to go get the baby), but it makes me less bitter (because it was soooo annoying to ALWAYS be the one who got up) AND I believe it will cut down on nightwaking in the future.

2). Try to increase the amt of milk consumed during the day. Before I returned to work, Benjamin used to eat every hour (unless he was sleeping - but even then it was a feed before sleep and immediately upon waking) so he was getting TONS of milk during the day (and only waking once/twice at night). At daycare he has bottles and only eats every 2-3 hours or so (supposedly they are feeding him on demand and this is just the schedule he has settled into). I have been slowly increasing the amt of milk in each bottle (we started at 2 oz and are now at 4 oz) and so far he has been consuming all of it, no problem.

Since we started the DH and more milk during the day plan, night waking have decreased. We aren't back to only once yet, but we have had a couple of only twice nights and typically do 3 (which is so much better than 6-8!). Our ped wanted us to start solids (rice cereal - blah), but from what I can tell there is no evidence that solids actually decrease nightwaking. I suspect any relationship is correlational, not causal (I mean you can't get more calorie rich than BM, right?) and due more to developmental factors rather than feeling more sated.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
Wish I had a suggestion - I was seriously thinking about drinking last night to see if that in my milk would knock her out!

This made me laugh








I had a friend who actually labeled the milk she pumped after she'd had a glass or two of wine "knock-out milk". I haven't gone that far, but I have wondered the same thing, the occasional times I've had a glass of wine. Usually, though, if I have a drink it's after Willa has gone to bed and by the time she nurses againI think any effects would have totally worn off. But like Rachel, I'm glad I'm not the only one who's thought of it!

CJ, I wish I had a suggestion. Every hour sucks. Our own strategy, when Willa started waking up more often, has been similar to Emily's - I tried to limit the times I actually fed her. Even though I knew that was the quick-and-easy way to deal with getting her back down, I figured in the long run it was going to build up bad habits and get her "used" to eating all the time at night (by which logic, she *would* feel hungry, even if she had no real need to eat, simply because she got so in the habit of eating all the time at night - the same way we feel hungry around lunchtime because that's when we normally eat. I don't know if that's true or not, but it's sort of how I explained it to myself). So, whenever I could, I got her back down without nursing her, and eventually she started eliminating night wakings on her own. Some of it is just that she's naturally a pretty good sleeper (I'm sorry! Don't hate me.. I'm sure it'll come back to haunt me if we have another kid), but I do think consciously trying to feed her less helped. She slept really well really early on, and it was so frustrating to me when she regressed around 10 or 11 weeks old - I had gotten used to only getting up once or twice a night, and it was hard to suddenly find myself waking up much more often, when I naively thought that sleep only progressed and got better.

Personally, I don't buy the cereal helping them sleep thing. I know it's a common idea, and my guess is that maybe it did when people gave it to much younger babes, since it's slower to digest than breast milk. But I think by the time they get to 5 or 6 months (unless they're still really tiny), sleep and waking has to do with a lot more complicated things than just babe waking up hungry. And nothing's more calorie-rich than breast milk.


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## Thorn Hailfilter (Nov 14, 2007)

Hello ladies!! I intended to get up to speed, what with the new thread and all, but...

Just wanted to post a diaper cream recipe that I'm going to make for DD, this week. She's got a nasty rash, that was almost gone, after a week of Rx cream, but has come back with a vengeance.









I'd love to let her run, naked, as I know it would totally get her into the potty mode, but can't really do that with daycare.

Quote:



1 tube of Desitin
1 tube of A & D ointment
1 tube of Lotrimin (or any other anti-fungal ointment)
1 tube of 0.5% Hydrocortisone cream
Couple of teaspoons of Maalox (or other plain, liquid antacid)
Mix all of the ointments together and then slowly mix in the Maalox, until it is blended and nice and pasty. Add however much or little you need until you get the consistency you want.

If there are any open sores, apply some Lansinoh first, let her go without a diaper for a while, then the tushie cream on top of that.


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## Thorn Hailfilter (Nov 14, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *acp* 
*Personally, I don't buy the cereal helping them sleep thing.* I know it's a common idea, and my guess is that maybe it did when people gave it to much younger babes, since it's slower to digest than breast milk. But I think by the time they get to 5 or 6 months (unless they're still really tiny), sleep and waking has to do with a lot more complicated things than just babe waking up hungry. And nothing's more calorie-rich than breast milk.

ITA! From experience, I can tell you that it didn't work for us. I didn't push solids, but DS was showing all of the signs of readiness, and at his 4 mos. appt., Dr. said, "Give the boy whatever he wants."







: He wasn't sleeping through the night until 15 mos. or so, which coincidentally, was when they completely went off bottles.

DD, on the other hand, didn't start cereal until a little after 6 mos. (tongue-tied, gagging issues, etc...) and she began sleeping through at 4 or 5 mos.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *preemiemamarach* 

Who ever thought I'd be excited my kid might be able to tolerate formula?

All of us who've had issues bfing...







Glad that he may be able to give you a little break on the pumping!!!

Did I mention we're on (I think) day 5 of yellow poop?!!! You cannot believe how unimaginably happy this makes me.

Think happy housing thoughts - we're off to look at a house.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

CJ I'm sorry DD is waking so much! I had that experience the first couple of times I had to put Ollie to bed, because I kept nursing and soothing... and apparently the only way to get this kid to sleep more than 2 hours is to let him cry himself to sleep, and DH is better at that than I am. So I'll nurse him til around 11 or 11:30, then DH puts him in the sling, walks him around a bit, then sits down, and Ollie will cry for 20 minutes max, then pass out. For like 7 hours. I don't know if that has anything to do with you, but unfortunately that's what has to happen around here at night.







: Also we're not cosleeping anymore... he's been in his crib for 2 weeks and I think that helps. We aren't shifting around in bed and waking him up. Cosleeping just wasn't working for us anymore.

I hope you get it figured out!


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## jpiper0430 (Apr 17, 2006)

Hi all. I'm coming out of lurking mode for a few minutes.

CJ - so sorry you are up every hour nursing! This happened to me as well for awhile with Nora. We got the book "The No Cry Sleep Solution" and lots of the suggestions in the book are very helpful. We also had to stop co-sleeping as my movements were waking Nora up. She sleeps in a bassinet right next to the bed now since I'm not quite ready to move her into her own room.

RE:cloth diapers. We have 6 BumGenius diapers and love them! We use them at night with a hemp insert and they help Nora stay sleeping (she usually demands a change the minute she gets wet in regular prefolds). Also, for those concerned about poop stains - we haven't had any poop stains yet - they come right out!

back to lurking...


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Jenn, you lurker you, so nice to see you!


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## SarahJen (Sep 27, 2006)

Hi ladies, I finally have a few free seconds while my mom is watching the baby so I can properly introduce myself and join the thread. I'm Sarah, 36, mom to the lovely miss Aveline Paige born Jan 3rd 6lbs7oz at just shy of 37 weeks.

Things are going ok so far for the most part, we're definitely having some bfing issues - she was slow to learn how to latch and my milk took a while coming in and because she was in some distress during the birth and had to stay in the nursery ended up supplementing with formula which we're trying to wean her off of now. The main problem we're having the last couple of days is that she won't latch on when I'm too engorged, would love any advice on how to combat this because it really hurts!


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

CJ I liked The No Cry Sleep Solution too. Already using some of the techniques. Good luck, waking every hour must be exhausting, esp w/ classes starting this week.

Hey Jenn! Glad to hear you like you BG diapers too. Do you have the OS or AIO? People love the AIO but I love how economical the OS seem. I can't believe my dipes haven't arrived yet!








Sarah! Do you have a breast pump? You could "take a little off the top" so your breasts aren't so round & difficult for Aveline to latch on to. If you don't have an electric pump, I've heard the Medela and Avent hand pumps are good. Or you could check out kellymom's links on hand expression, which I never got the hang of. Good luck - engorgement can be so frustrating for both of you.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MajorGroover* 
People love the AIO but I love how economical the OS seem.

Honestly, I prefer the one-size. The AIOs are cute and easy, but definitely not as practical - she outgrew her smalls by around 4 months, and I don't know that the medium (I only bought one) will last until she potty trains, the way some mediums are supposed to. It also just doesn't hold as much, and is more likely to leak if i don't change her within two hours.
Granted, Willa is both quite chunky and a very heavy wetter, so that might influence things for me, but I *really* like my OS. I was worried they'd seem way too bulky at first, but they never did, and I started using them when she was about 3 weeks old (they are pretty bulky with a hemp insert in them, which is why I tend to use fuzzi bunz with an additional insert for her nighttime diaper). I've found them really easy and they almost never leak. I'm glad I got more of them instead of the AIOs when I started.
Honestly, it's a toss-up which I like more between my FBs and my BGs. If I were doing it all over again, though, I think I would rely more heavily on the BGs than I did this time, just for the fact that you don't have to buy more as the babes get bigger.

Welcome Sarah! Sorry to hear BFing is rough. I don't have any great suggestions, but I second Dee's rec that you try and pump a little off the top to make your breasts not quite so engorged and easier to latch onto. I also had a friend who, for similar reasons, had to supplement early on, and her daughter was having a tough time latching. She got a lactation consultant to come to her house and said it made all the difference. She learned a bunch of different exercises she could do with her daughter to help her improve her latch, got her supply back up (in her case it had gone down because her daughter wasn't an effective sucker), and was able to be completely off formula within a couple weeks. So that might be something to try too.
Good luck! I honestly think the first couple weeks are the toughest with breastfeeding, but then you'll settle into a much easier rhythm and it's SO worth the effort early on.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SarahJen* 
Hi ladies, I finally have a few free seconds while my mom is watching the baby so I can properly introduce myself and join the thread. I'm Sarah, 36, mom to the lovely miss Aveline Paige born Jan 3rd 6lbs7oz at just shy of 37 weeks.

Things are going ok so far for the most part, we're definitely having some bfing issues - she was slow to learn how to latch and my milk took a while coming in and because she was in some distress during the birth and had to stay in the nursery ended up supplementing with formula which we're trying to wean her off of now. The main problem we're having the last couple of days is that she won't latch on when I'm too engorged, would love any advice on how to combat this because it really hurts!

Hi Sarah! Welcome! There are two others of us with early babies - DD was 35 weeks and we have a 33 weeker, too. BFing is a challenge with those 'near term' babes, isn't it?! We had major latch and bfing issues in general (still are working through some of them)... I'd definitely suggest pumping when engorged to get it soft enough for your LO to latch properly. You can use the milk you pump to replace the formula supplements. We did an awful, but in the end the best thing for dd, method called "triple feeding" for weeks. She'd nurse, I'd pump, and then we'd bottle supplement if she was still hungry. She usually was, but I managed to keep up with her for the most part with pumped milk. We did formula too for a bit, but that's a whole other story!


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## SarahJen (Sep 27, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
Hi Sarah! Welcome! There are two others of us with early babies - DD was 35 weeks and we have a 33 weeker, too. BFing is a challenge with those 'near term' babes, isn't it?! We had major latch and bfing issues in general (still are working through some of them)... I'd definitely suggest pumping when engorged to get it soft enough for your LO to latch properly. You can use the milk you pump to replace the formula supplements. We did an awful, but in the end the best thing for dd, method called "triple feeding" for weeks. She'd nurse, I'd pump, and then we'd bottle supplement if she was still hungry. She usually was, but I managed to keep up with her for the most part with pumped milk. We did formula too for a bit, but that's a whole other story!

This is pretty much what we've been doing for the last couple of days, it's a rough schedule. Most feedings seem to be a standoff between the two of us as to who will give in first, me to give her a bottle or her to latch and feed, thankfully the last few she's given in first and had a good feed. I think I'm just making more milk than she can take and then I get engorged which causes trouble for her. The pumping at least helps to relieve some of it for me and stocks up a bit for her in case I give in first and give her the bottle (usually at 4am after two hours of the standoff).


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Hi everyone!

No, I didn't die of sleep deprivation, BUT on Tuesday (after our ski day) dd was up from 11pm-4am screaming and crying and wanting to nurse all the time.

I had no idea what was wrong, but she felt warm to me (stupid thermometer battery was dead) and I thought maybe she had an ear infection.

Long story short she was supposed to have her second flu shot the next morning, but couldn't, so I took her in anyway to see if they could fit her in. A DOUBLE EAR INFECTION. It is her first ever which I guess is good, but poor little girl was in so much pain. I felt bad for being frustrated that she wouldn't sleep even though I think I handled most of it okay. The constant nursing really agitated my nipples though so I wouldn't let her every time, just most of the time. Eep!

Anyway, her ears are pretty bad and she's on antibiotics so it should clear up soonish. Poor kiddo. Last night she was up coughing a lot and needed extra cuddles and even slept on top of me for a good portion of the night. I feel guilty for being at work today, but you know -- we need the dough.

Sorry about the poops you guys. And *Elizabeth*, woooooot on that house. I hope you guys get it.

7 mos was a tough age for us, I want to say *CJ* was posting that her babe was up every hour? Ours was too ... sometimes more than that even. Nothing we did worked. And, also, knock out myth never did a darn thing to dd at all. (Except on one occasion when I drank so much I had a hangover the next day ... then she slept for 4 hours)









*Julia,* Weight Watchers is great. I used it once before. I've considered re-joining but I guess I'm lazy. Do they allow extra points for nursing? I could probably do most of it from memory, but I'm not sure about that part.


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

welcome Sarah and congrats! you are added to page on1









jocelyn - poor baby, I swear ear infections are the worst. One of my earliest memories is waking up screaming with one (my mom remembers it well too).

thanks for the advice on sleeping (or at least commiseration). I think cosleeping might not be right for us either, I just need to be brave enough to give something new a try. As soon as dh is back from his 2 week trip, he is definitely getting mroe involved with night time parenting. I will break out the no cry sleep solution again. I put it away b/c dh was thumbing through it without really sitting down and reading it, and coming up with some really bad ideas as a result.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Aw, poor Sofia - I'm so glad you figured out what was upsetting her!!! Ear infections are so painful.

Sleep depravation won't kill you, but it is so hard. It is unbelievable how my temperment falls apart when I'm overtired... I had a hard time with DD the other night and she was only up until 12:30 or so. She slept last night, thank God. Fell asleep in her swing at 8:00 and I caught her before she woke herself up and snuggled up with her in bed at 9:00. She woke up enough to nurse, but actually did (rather than pulling off repeatedly) and slept pretty well (with nursing every 3 hours) until 7:00. I feel so much better having had some rest.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

nylecoj... yes you get extra points for nursing. I get 34 points a day. It seems to be just about right... I'm not starving but it doesn't leave room for extras... I earn extra points by exercising, which is very cool. Did you say you're doing yoga again? Bikram poses? I did a class last week, it was rough but not because of the heat at all. I'm just big and all my body parts are in the way of being able to stretch and bend! But I'm going again tonight cuz my old studio is celebrating their four-year anniversary and offering free classes







My back really needs it.

I got my pumping bra! It's not as tight as I'd thought it would be, but the holes are in the right place and I'm using it now, and typing like a regular person! Yay!


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

I want my pumping bra!!! I was hoping to get it this week - I hate pumping at work without it. I do need to do compressions, but not constantly, just once the flow slows down.

Had to go 4+ hours before I could pump this morning - eek! Had a meeting with the boss and still left a bit early to pump. First time I've ever gotten more than 4 oz...


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

WELCOME *SARAH*! Congratulations on the birth of your daughter. How do you pronounce her name?

so i had my interview today and it went mixed. i felt like i said something i shouldn't have in the first interview, but the second part with the head woman we really clicked. so i think it will depend on how much power she has relative to the others. sigh. but mostly i am feeling really good about it/myself. as those of you long-timers know, i had a career nosedive when i got pregnant and experienced pregnancy discrimination, and then had a period of time when i was really sick with morning sickness. this did a humungous number on my sense of myself as a prof'l. so today i was talking shop in the second interview and actually felt smart!







like i can do this! i also didn't miss dd even though i was away from her for 1.5 hours. this is a huge difference. before i was having heart palpitations at 10 minutes of separation -- the first time i left her (with dh) i thought i was going to have an anxiety attack.

the bad news here is that we are probably not going to get the apt. i had fallen in love with, due to mortgage issues. this would all change if i were to get a job, but as of right now, nothing. i don't really feel sad yet -- it has yet to sink in, perhaps. or maybe i don't care as long as i have my family?


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nylecoj* 

Long story short she was supposed to have her second flu shot the next morning, but couldn't, so I took her in anyway to see if they could fit her in. A DOUBLE EAR INFECTION. It is her first ever which I guess is good, but poor little girl was in so much pain. I felt bad for being frustrated that she wouldn't sleep even though I think I handled most of it okay.

OMG, jocelyn- that sucks! I totally feel you on the frustration for her not sleeping- I felt a ton of guilt because I just wanted him to SHUT. UP. NOW. when his ears were at their worst.

I hope her ears clear up soon- tis the season, unfortunately.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Sorry about the apt. Pie... HOpe the interview turns out good, though!

We really like a house (so long as we agree it's a middle house, and not our "real" house!) - not the one we thought, but another one the realtor showed us. It's a bit farther out than I wanted and has a SMALL yard, but the house has been beautifully remodeled and has an outstanding kitchen. And there's a bedroom that's perfect for Isabella right across the hall from the master. Oh to have more than one bathroom...

Anyway - it's not everything we wanted and isn't one we fell in love with, but we both really like it and the price is good. We could pull off no jumbo loan, which would be really great, and wouldn't have to sell our house to be approved. So, we could potentially rent until the market improves...


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

*Pie-* glad your interview went well- I'm guessing things went better than you thought they did. I had a lot of issues at my job right after I got pregnant, as I was actually out on disability from major surgery when I *got* pregnant (yes, I had good pain meds!). So I had to come back pregnant to a job I'd only had for six months. I took the job on the condition that they let me have time off for surgery, but I felt like people were really judging me harshly. I had several bedrest episodes (bled a lot, as I sadly m/c a twin) and definitely got a lot of looks and undercutting comments (mostly from women, primarily my boss). Oddly enough, the thing that has restored my confidence more than anything is the fact that I've performed my job well, even with all the issues DS has been having.

You will do great! Sorry to hear about the apartment, but I tell ya- having my honey and my babe are what gets me through, so I'm guessing you're at peace because you know what's important to you.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

My group had my 'farewell' lunch today. Ha. Nobody said a word about me leaving. Too funny. I met with an actual friend here at work and told her about Lucien's diagnosis and possible need for a bone marrow transplant someday, and she started crying. I felt terrible- I didn't mean to make her cry!









Our landlord is making noise that they're going to try to sue us for breaking our lease. When the bottom floor flooded in november, they refused to have a company come remove the standing water and look for mold- now there's mold growing on the wall. I notified them and said I felt it was their legal obligation to have it checked out, especially considering I have a sick kid. They wouldn't budge. I hate the idea of needing to get an attorney with everything else going on, KWIM? But if they push, this is going to be what I bring up.

Lucien has had 7 or 8 green poops today. He felt a little warm this morning, too. I think he might have an intestinal virus, or he could just be intolerant of the formula (he had 2 oz this morning). Ugh. Called the pediatrician and they just said to try a soy formula. Duh, that's not my worry.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Elizabeth- hope you get the house!! Awesome kitchens are so nice- I haven't had a decent kitchen in a few years, I'm hoping our next place has one. it'll be great if you can get in w/o the jumbo loan!


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## wetcement101 (Dec 2, 2007)

I got my pumping bra! It's not as tight as I'd thought it would be, but the holes are in the right place and I'm using it now, and typing like a regular person! Yay![/QUOTE]

Please share the name of the pumping bra. I am still henpecking... thanks!


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

*Rachel,
*GAH. It seems like the Universe is not aligned properly with you right now. Why the heck does all this major stuff have to happen at once? Sorry to hear about your shady landlords ... that definitely sounds illegal, so hopefully they will realize their case is BS and drop it before it becomes an added stressor in your life.

*Elizabeth,*
woo on the home. Our home is definitely an "in-between" home and while I love owning a home and I love the space of it, I wish we couldn't see 12 of our closest neighbors. The lots are teeny tiny! Now with the market so bad I figure we're stuck here for quite some time. I figure even if we have another kid and they share a room (which would allow us to keep a guest room for visitors or, uh, dtd) they won't realize how small our backyard is for many more years. (7?)

*Pie,*
rock the interview girl! Sending out good luck vibes right .... NOW! Hope they weren't too late.

Something cute that will make everyone smile is that today I called home to check on dd. Dh put her on the phone and I said hi to her and asked her what she was doing. I didn't hear anything, but dh took phone back to tell me that she'd just kissed it! She's very big into kissing everything lately and even kissed my boobs the other day. I love how affectionate she's becoming and hope that she is demonstrating love because she watches us demonstrate it to her and each other. (Although she gets mad when dh and I snuggle in front of her. Apparently I am her property)


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wetcement101* 

Please share the name of the pumping bra. I am still henpecking... thanks!

I think we're all getting or have the Easy Expressions one.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Rachel - Okay, not fair!!! You have more than enough s*&^ to deal with, and your landlord is an ass. I'm so sorry, honey. I wish I could fix it for you...

Don't feel bad for your friend crying about Lucien's illness. It is worthy of some tears - she's just sad for him and the situation calls for it. Seriously, you really do need to lean on whoever you can and let them be sad with/for you if they need to, too... I've shed a couple for him and I don't even know you in person!

On the landlord, I'd just move. He's not going to track you down - geez. Or you could call the housing authority now and report the mold, but I don't know if that would help or hurt the situation. I am so happy (again) that you're leaving...

Jocelyn - Yes, teeny yards.... We could fence the front (which is good-sized) and maybe put a play thing out there for her for now. I'd just padlock the gate to make sure she's safe! It would give the dogs a grassy place to be, not that they spend much time outside. You're right that they won't be old enough to know the difference for a few years. DH likes that there's no pool for now - not until she's old enough to know how to swim, which makes sense.

The kissing thing is so sweet!!! I can't wait to get to the phase where she can show us affection back. Kissing your boobs is just precious. I LOVE that DD loves mine and will often pull off of nursing when she's falling asleep and then lay her cheek right on my nipple for a nap. So cute!

Editing to add - we've never had a nice kitchen, or even decent really. Our one now is teeny tiny and not terribly well appointed with extremely limited cabinet space, and it's the nicest one we've had! DH would like a nice one, since he does all the cooking!


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Pie, good luck on the job! I know how you must feel, after all you've been through, to finally feel "smart" as you put it. I get anxious being away for so long and not having had time to practice much.. the last couple times I practiced I felt like there was actually hope!

Rachel... your landlord sounds awful. Do you live at Tysons Glen apartments?







I had mold issues in my old place there and they were such jerks. Or is it a requirement to be a jerk in order to be a landlord? I've had more jerky ones than nice ones. Good luck... I don't think they'd be smart to pursue that, considering the mold issues... that's really quite unhealthy!


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Oh yes, the pumping bra... like someone mentioned it's the Easy Expressions. More of a bustier than a bra but serves the purpose. Don't know if I'll have time to mess with it at work when I only have 15 minute breaks but I can use it at lunchtime and whenever I'm at home.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*rachel*, i am not a landlord tenant lawyer but using the mold sounds good to me. usually folks use issues like that to get a rent abatement (i.e., pay less). in the alternative, your DS has a disability and you need to break the lease (ie, move) to accomodate that. a theory that has the virtue of being true! just some thoughts.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

yall know i've been struggling with feelings about being too big in the lower body for my suits. well today i went to kickboxing class!!


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*cj,* i know you must be near tears with exhaustion but do remember that your night waking is not wasted -- you are forming important bonds with your little one. this too shall pass but what will last forever are those fats for brain development you are giving her all night long. you are doing great mama!


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Pie, let us know how you like kickboxing! I recently joined a nearby gym instead of going back to Bikram yoga full time... figured I should focus on cardio and weight training (weak legs, bad knees). I'm toying with the idea of the tae bo class (spelling?). I always thought kickboxing sounded like fun. I like to kick stuff but it's not very socially acceptable


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Bump - I hate to see us on the 2nd page.

Pumping and work - I left just under 10 oz (3 bottles with just over 3 oz each) for DD today. I'm so hoping it's enough. Yesterday was really busy and I only pumped 2X and once as soon as I got home because she'd just had a bottle. Didn't pump this morning because she ate REALLY well (woke up to poop) at 6:00. She had THREE bags of frozen milk yesterday because we got thrown off by all of her fussiness the other night. Gah! (I'm going to start saying that now.)

Still having yellow poops - I'm seriously excited every time she poops so long as they're yellow!







I think my dad thinks I'm nuts that I'll look in her dirty diapers from the day!

Question - how many times a day do normal 4 month old breast fed babies poop? She was down to one or two a day tops and is back up to 3-4 times a day. Is that normal? I'm not worried since they look so good now, but just wondering...


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
Question - how many times a day do normal 4 month old breast fed babies poop? She was down to one or two a day tops and is back up to 3-4 times a day. Is that normal? I'm not worried since they look so good now, but just wondering...

As far as I can tell, there is no "normal". I have friends whose breast-fed babies only pooped every few days, or even once a week. I don't think Willa has ever missed a day. There was a while - around 4 months old, maybe? - when she'd typically only poop 2-3 times a day, but that's about as low as we've ever gotten. Recently she's been more of a 6-7 times a day gal, which kind of had me worried -it just seemed like a lot (and I was also just getting sick of changing poopy diapers!) - but she's starting to get back to 2-4ish, and from what I've read, it really just depends on the kid. So I think your daughter is doing totally fine, Pie.
It is funny how much poop tends to be a topic of conversation these days... I think DH and I totally freaked my brother out over Christmas with the amount we talked about it









I'm in a hotel pumping right now - second work trip, but again - just for one night. I've only been gone a few hours, and I already miss Willa a ton.
Hey! I just got a second letdown while pumping. I think that's the first time that's ever happened. I was just about to quite since I thought I'd gotten all i could out, when the milk started gushing again. Woohoo!


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *acp* 

I'm in a hotel pumping right now - second work trip, but again - just for one night. I've only been gone a few hours, and I already miss Willa a ton.
Hey! I just got a second letdown while pumping. I think that's the first time that's ever happened. I was just about to quite since I thought I'd gotten all i could out, when the milk started gushing again. Woohoo!

Pumping and pooping! Such fun conversations - I'm glad I have you guys to talk to about this stuff since my RL friends are definitely not interested!

Second letdown - woohoo! I had my first one yesterday; I guess if I go for 20+ minutes I get a second. Didn't get too much more, but hey, it was nice to see that my girls are trying!

Sorry about the work trip - yuck. I can't imagine leaving DD overnight, but you do what you have to!


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

thank you pie. You are right and I needed to hear it


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

my awesome friend here at work gave me her *convertible carseat!* Woohoo! I didn't want to spend the $ on the Boulevard just yet, but Lucien is starting to despise the bucket (and I can't really lift him in it anymore). It's small enough to go in DH's itty bitty Jeep, too (I think).

I got a *2nd letdown* pumping this morning in the bathroom (nice, they were doing a weight-loss challenge in the room I normally use). I was on a couch, btw, so not too gross. I'd just decided to get up and leave when it happened. So yay for 2nd letdowns! I always get them at home, but rarely at work. I think you have to be somewhat relaxed. And my pp periods seem to inhibit things. Who knows, but I'll take the extra milk!

Also, speaking of milk, Lucien pulled my shirt up HIMSELF last night. YAY! I popped open the bra and let him latch on, but he just wanted to chew on my nipple. Yow! But this is two or three times inside a week that he's gone for a boob, so I have lots of hope now.

*Pie,* you rock on the disability thing- such a great point! Now I'm totally not worried.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 

Still having yellow poops - I'm seriously excited every time she poops so long as they're yellow!







I think my dad thinks I'm nuts that I'll look in her dirty diapers from the day!

Question - how many times a day do normal 4 month old breast fed babies poop? She was down to one or two a day tops and is back up to 3-4 times a day. Is that normal? I'm not worried since they look so good now, but just wondering...

good job isabella on the pooping!!

dd pooped more than that at that age and stl does. ped is not concerned. from what i've read there'sa a wide range of normal for bf'd babes. hth.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *acp* 
It is funny how much poop tends to be a topic of conversation these days... I think DH and I totally freaked my brother out over Christmas with the amount we talked about it










lol


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Grace24* 
Pie, let us know how you like kickboxing! I recently joined a nearby gym instead of going back to Bikram yoga full time... figured I should focus on cardio and weight training (weak legs, bad knees). I'm toying with the idea of the tae bo class (spelling?). I always thought kickboxing sounded like fun. I like to kick stuff but it's not very socially acceptable










super thumbs up, way high. bt it was hard for me -- my cardio for a long time has consisted of wakig. up steps, but still. i thought i was gonna puke twice. but i loved it. i would tell the teachrer about the knee onjury because it might require modofications. but i recommnd!! classes in general are a good way to get me to actually go to the gym.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *preemiemamarach* 

Also, speaking of milk, Lucien pulled my shirt up HIMSELF last night. YAY! I popped open the bra and let him latch on, but he just wanted to chew on my nipple. Yow! But this is two or three times inside a week that he's gone for a boob, so I have lots of hope now.
.

Yay on the friend loaning you the carseat - that's awesome. And double Yay on Lucien wanting the boob, even if it was for chewing not sucking. That's great that he's still interested, Rachel.

When is your last day at work? You probably said already but I forgot.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *preemiemamarach* 
Sorry to hear about the apartment, but I tell ya- having my honey and my babe are what gets me through, so I'm guessing you're at peace because you know what's important to you.










our lawyer says we can't get out of the contract (not how i read it?) so at any rate i am under pressure to get a job already.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Oh Pie - that's scary! How can they not let you out? Don't you just lose your good faith money? Yikes - I hope your interview turns out to be the one!!! Good luck - maybe it's fate's way of getting you the apartment you hoped for whether you like it or not.


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## hazieluna (Sep 20, 2006)

Hi,

Sorry I've been mostly lurking since being back from our holiday trip to visit In-Laws. Aidan's schedule (if it could ever have been called that to begin with) is all screwy now. He's up for about 1.5-2 hours, then naps 45 minutes most of the day.

About poops - Aidan was on antibiotics right before we left and since then his poops are all runny, greenish and stinky. When I can I give him probiotic mixed with some breastmilk and then he poops better. Lately he goes about 3 days without pooping and then poops 3 times in one day! Usually when I've put on a cloth diaper! I'm still getting into the CDing... he seems to pee through everything I put on him.

What else..... I'm fighting something again... geez.... OH and I got my period already???? Even though I breastfeed on demand! And with the return of AF my hair has suddenly began to fall out in what feels like chunks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh and my pregnancy acne is yet to clear so really I'm feeling in the pits, I look yuck. My belly is still jelly.

Okay enough with the pity party!

PiePie - I hope you hear back about your interview so that everything falls in place and you don't have to worry about getting out of contracts and so forth!

Rachel - I'm glad that you quit your kak job and soon will be able to focus completely on Lucien! Good luck on your move to Colorado!

Hey how about everyone posting some new pics of their babies so we can see how much everyone's grown?

Btw we co-sleep and it's a pleasure! I'm glad it works for us because it's so easy. CJ does Ella have some teeth already? Maybe that's what's going on and she needs more comforting because it hurts. Anyway it must be tough to have to be 'productive' at work and not be getting enough rest. I'm like Elizabeth my temperament changes when I don't get enough sleep. My whole prospective in life take a nose dive and I HATE the world and have zero patience with Aidan.

I've had a tough week back. He's been super fussy and I've been feeling low about being back and alone again all day. He cried for 4 hours on Tuesday and I confess I yelled at him that I didn't know what was wrong! I feel so crappy because he doesn't deserve that.

Well sorry for rambling on and on about me... will try to personalize later - have to laugh at this since I never seem to get more time later!


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Natalia... thx for posting! We missed you.








I have that personality change with less sleep too, and have been known to mutter "shut up" under my breath if Ollie cries nonstop... my only hope is that I stop doing that by the time he gets old enough to understand, and I don't think he hears me anyway but it does make me feel bad. He's a baby! But you're not alone. Lack of sleep turns me into someone else!


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## jpiper0430 (Apr 17, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MajorGroover* 

Hey Jenn! Glad to hear you like you BG diapers too. Do you have the OS or AIO? People love the AIO but I love how economical the OS seem. I can't believe my dipes haven't arrived yet!


I have the BG One Size pocket diapers. I love them. We currently only have 6, since I started with prefolds and wraps to see if I would stick with cloth diapers. We ordered another dozen, which will make life easier. I looked at the AIO's, but decided they would take too long to dry...

Natalia - good to see you, and glad to see I'm not the only one lurking! Nora hasn't gotten into a nap routine - she sleeps from 8pm - 7am typically with 2-3 wake ups for feedings. We also tried co-sleeping, but she wasn't sleeping well when we did that, so she's now in the bassinet a foot away from the bed.

SarahJen - congrats on the baby! Glad to see you here. Sorry to hear you had some bf troubles. Hopefully, you've gotten them worked out.

I keep my blog updated, so if anyone wants to see recent photos, click on the link in my sig.


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

hi Natalia! no teeth yet but it still could be teething pain. She loves gumming everything in sight. pics in my sig but it's been a few weeks. Add that to the list







Sorry AF found you and she's taking your hair with her.

ok today is my first day back skiing in 2 years, please send 'don't blow out your knee' vibes! (knock wood)


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
i thought i was gonna puke twice.

This is EXACTLY how I felt during the one (and only) kickboxing class I took.

Re poops: Benjamin poops between 2-6 times per day. I was looking forward to the EBF no pooping, but it doesn't look like we are going to get that.

So guess what I did last night...used my CD! I just finally decided to suck it up and put it on him. And guess what else. Last night was the first night Benjamin didn't poop before removal of his morning diaper! Woohoo. Only pee. Of course now I don't know if the CD holds the poop any better than the sposie, but at least I got one wear of the CD before potentially "ruining" (and I realize the poop won't ruin it, but it FEELS like it will) it with poop. Good job Benjamin!

*Rachel* - Yay for boob!!!!


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
our lawyer says we can't get out of the contract (not how i read it?) so at any rate i am under pressure to get a job already.









Um Pie, now I know you are the lawyer and not me, but this is the United States and nobody can FORCE you to buy anything (contract or no). You WILL lose your good faith money and anything else you have put down and the owner could potentially ask you to pay for "damages" (i.e. the loss of potentially selling to another buyer) but you do NOT have to buy.

When DH and I were house hunting, we found a house that we liked, made an offer, and had a contract pending. However during the inspection we learned that the A/C was seriously underpowered and was not enough to cool the house. Being that this is Atlanta, A/C is a big deal. Apparently it would cost 3-5K to fix the A/C. Since we were already at our maximum housing price, we had no money to make such a change. The home owners refused to help us with this and so we backed out of our contract with them. We received A LOT of pressure from everyone (realtor, atty, etc.) saying that we HAD to buy the house because underpowered A/C is NOT a flaw and is therefore not something that would release us from the contract but we just refused to buy. Nothing terrible happened to us (we actually even got our good faith money back!) and we ended up finding a more affordable house that had excellent A/C









Quote:


Originally Posted by *hazieluna* 
OH and I got my period already???? Even though I breastfeed on demand! And with the return of AF my hair has suddenly began to fall out in what feels like chunks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh and my pregnancy acne is yet to clear so really I'm feeling in the pits, I look yuck. My belly is still jelly.

Yep, Yep, and Yep. AF came back ay 10 weeks PP (so you can comfort yourself with the fact that you aren't the only one who is so "lucky"), my hair is freaking everywhere. I hate it. I cannot wait for the shedding to stop. My belly is not a pretty sight. If I learn forward this round sack of flesh and fat just kinda hangs there. I can clearly see where the baby used to be. Ugh. I really hope that goes away at some point. I realize that the bikini days have to end sometime, but I am not ready! The end of bikini days = OLD and I refuse to believe that I am that old (and yet I don't want to be one of those old people who refuses to accept that they are hideous and just need to cover up). So







. Just want you to know that I hear you.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rock_dr* 
ok today is my first day back skiing in 2 years, please send 'don't blow out your knee' vibes! (knock wood)

HAPPY SKIING. I am so jealous.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

sitting with babe in the Ergo, now that he's big enough to ride like a big boy. so far, he's not too happy, but he's had NO nap today (fever spiking again, ear pulling- good timing with us moving in a week or so!).

Gonna walk around the house and see if he mellows. Wish us luck!


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Send good housing vibes for us - we made an offer today... EEK!!! So scary!

Rachel - Sorry Lucien is having a bad day - hopefully he's feeling bad now so that he'll be on the mend when you move! Did you decide to fly with him (I hope)?

Hi Natalia! It's funny how hard it is to post once they arrive! Glad to hear from you and sorry about AF. DD eats constantly overnight, so so far so good here, but I do still have pregnancy acne. That's fun. It is SO wrong to have acne and wrinkles at the same time. I never got a good skin phase... I also have pill and pregnancy related melasma.

I hear you all on how hard fussy babes are. I don't know how Rachel does it. DD is doing okay - but getting her to sleep at night is a new adventure now. Nursing to sleep, snuggling to sleep, etc. aren't working anymore. I finally napped for about 45 minutes last night at like 9 and DD walked with her, then I got up and took over. She fell asleep for me at maybe 10:30, but geez that's so much work!!! I get really frustrated with her sometimes, too. Sleep depravation is a horrible thing - I know she can't help it that she's awake and can't tell me what's wrong, but it just doesn't stick when I'm too tired.

I'm sooo anxious to hear back on the house - I hope they don't take the 24 hours we gave them to respond - and I hope their open house today sucked so that they take our offer!


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Okay, DRAMA... what do I do here?

My health insurance is refusing to pay my midwife for the homebirth because I delivered at the hospital. I have no idea what to say to these people. I can't fight them, I don't even speak their language, KWIM? What do I do, what do I do? I'm a little panicked. I can't afford to give my midwife $1,000 cash!

We just found out today two of our three cars are broken down AGAIN. We're supposed to be selling one of them, DH hasn't gotten around to it, and voila, it's dead. And the other one we'd just gotten out of the shop. (Like three times this year already). Ack! Money stress!


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Grace24* 
Okay, DRAMA... what do I do here?

My health insurance is refusing to pay my midwife for the homebirth because I delivered at the hospital. I have no idea what to say to these people. I can't fight them, I don't even speak their language, KWIM? What do I do, what do I do? I'm a little panicked. I can't afford to give my midwife $1,000 cash!

Hmm. How did the sequence of events occur? Did the midwife come to your house first, then you ended up in the hospital? Does your insurance normally cover homebirths? If they normally cover it and you were transferred for safety reasons, I don't think they can deny it.

I work (until Wednesday, at least) in the industry, so if you can fill me in a little on what happened I can try to help you figure out how to proceed.

Sucks about the cars, too! GAH!


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

*Elizabeth-* good luck on the offer! I hope I hear you got the house when I check in tomorrow!!
*
Pie*- omg that sucks! But I agree with whoever said it- I can't imagine you would be out more than just your good faith money.

*Natalia-* welcome back!! I love the idea of the photos- I was thinking of suggesting a 'then and now' photo posting. My baby has more than tripled his birth weight, so I looooove seeing his NICU pictures now.









So- *the move*. Looks like we're going to get my unemployed nephew to drive my cars and the cats, and DH will take his car and the dogs. He got a new credit card to pay for the moving expenses, so I think he's actually going to hire people to drive the truck. Wonders never cease! So I'll fly with babe- although it looks like his ears are messed up again, so who knows how that will go. I have an appointment with his pedi Monday- if the ears look bad, I'll get them to send us to the hospital for IV antibiotics.

My last day at work is Wednesday. Hoooo freaking ray!

Took the babe for a 20 minute walk in the Ergo, as he was doing ok just hanging out in it at home. He *loved* it! Woohoo!! No crying, which he was doing pretty much all day. I would've gone longer if we'd both been dressed more appropriately. he still hates having a hat on, though.

Also, he did not nap. ALL. DAY. LONG. Packing was pretty much a non-starter for me today. He cried much of the day, except for his Ergo walk. My nerves are a bit shot. I hope and pray it's not his ear flaring up- we just don't have the ability to deal with that right now. And flying with him like that will be teh suck.

OK, time for bed. We have people coming to look at the house in the morning (landlords are probably not suing, we think) and it looks like we're in the midst of packing, and we have a baby in the house. Can't do much about either, but we're going to at least clean out the catbox. Heh.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Rachel! Sucks about Lucien's ears. Jeez. Poor kid can't catch a break!

It went like this. My midwife drove to NY on my due date, I called her to tell her my water broke, and when my contractions were about 3.5 minutes apart she decided to head back. By the time she got here the ctx's stalled to 10 minutes apart and she didn't check me til hours later.







: Anyhow, that aside, yes she did sort of attend the birth at home, and we transferred cuz he was breech during labor, so the labor was started in good faith at home, thinking we'd finish there, and things went wrong at the last minute. Maybe she can change the codes? They're not arguing with her prenatal care, just the birth fees which totall just under a thousand dollars.


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

*Julia* - Was your midiwfe associated with the hospital in any way (i.e. did she stay your primary caregiver) or did you have to switch to the hospital OB? If you had to switch to the hospital I do not see a good arguement for making them also pay for the midwife (AND the OB) since the midwife really ended up serving as a doula (unless they cover doula services...in which case you could AT LEAST get reimbursed for that amt.). What does your contract with the midwife say, what are her expectations for funding in the case of hospital transfer?

You might want to post your dilemma in the Birth Professionals area and see if anyone there has dealt with a similar situation and know some ways to work with/around the insurance co.

Oh, and random side note....
You are in DC right? WTF was your midwife doing in NY on your due date? Um, that is like a 5 hour drive (assuming she was in NYC). Did you know she was going OOT before hand? I would have been sooo pissed if my doula or midwife had done that to me! OMG.


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

*Julia* THIS LINK might prove useful


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Julia- yeah, like Emily said, WTF was she driving to NYC on your due date for? Yikes! I wouldn't even be crossing the WW bridge if I were trying to get to Arlington during someone's labor, KWIM?

I think maybe she needs to look at changing the codes- it sounds like she and the OB are both charging for delivering the baby. You may also need to write an appeal letter to the insurance provider. It *could* be something as simple as an auto adjudication program saw two providers trying to charge for delivering the baby and flagged your claim. Most carriers do most of their claims with those programs.

Lucien seems a smidge less miserable today- he slept for about 8 or 9 hours last night, so let's hope that helps his disposition. And that he naps sometime today!


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

so our friends who have every baby gadget imaginable have offered to drive up here with more stuff. since we probably are getting the bigger apt. (more on that when i have 2 hands) we will have room and i have somewhat relaxed my anti-container parenting thing because i think it's good for my mental health to take a shower every day. i suspect i will do less of it once go back to work. so anyway, *emily*and others who have one, what do you think of the JUMPEROO? i was anti pre-baby because i had read that it causes baby's legs to be more bow-legged than they already are. otoh, now that i have a baby, i have come around to seeing that some things can be used in moderation. like the bouncy chair, which i think dd is outgrowing developmentally although not physically. also, for those of you who have SWINGS (*emily* again?) , did you use them much after 4 mos. of age? dd is 4 mos. now, will be 5 mos. soon. i don't want to accumulate crap, but it is a travel swing to it would be smaller.

personals when i have more hands


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Pie, be careful how much baby stuff you take. My orchestra gave me tons of stuff, half of which came in handy, half of which is still in the garage while the cars sit in the rain outside because Goodwill won't take it, and no we haven't gotten around to finding somewhere else yet. The jumperoo is also out there. It's huge. Also have a dresser full of clothes I never got a chance to get out, and he's probably outgrown half of them already.

Emily... my MW called that morning (on my EDD) to say she's going to NY to see friends "for the day" and to call at the first sign of anything. So I did... called her when my water broke... figured, if she turned around then, no problem... she probably figured, it's a first birth it'll take a while, and in the meantime I have an assistant who can be with her while I drive back. Problem is, she didn't bother to start back for another 8 freakin hours. Ctx's were 3 minutes apart by then. When she arrived? She went to sleep on the couch and told me to lower my voice.







: Don't get me started. I won't hire her again! It pissed me off big time and it's just the start of my complaints. Anyhow, she's not affiliated with the hospital so I may be screwed, but it is worth writing an appeal letter like Rachel mentioned. The language basically said that "we already covered that under such-and-such charge", so it was probably flagged. I'll have DH write the letter, he's much scarier than I am on paper


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

We borrowed a ton of that kind of stuff from friends. It does take up a lot of space, so beware... OTOH, I love that I can give it back when Willa is done with it.
Jumperoo - I (and Willa!) really like it. I think it's definitely to be used in moderation, and I wouldn't put her in for more than, say, 10 minutes at a time, but she has SO much fun in it. And it's also a useful place to put her if I need a couple minutes to get something done. She just loves bouncing. The exersaucer is also a favorite of hers. They're somewhat similar, and if two different friends hadn't lent me theirs, I'd never have both - I'm sort of looking forward to the time when we can get them out of our apartment, since they take up so much space and are ugly. Between the two, I'd say Willa has a slight preference for the jumperoo, but I know other babies that are the opposite.

On the swing - I wouldn't get one at this age. Willa was never a big swing baby in any case, but even the babies I know who adored it, could only nap in the swing, etc, tended to outgrow it by 4-5 months of age. So I don't think there's much point to your getting one now. We borrowed that from a friend too, and returned it several months ago since we were never using it.

Julia, I'd be livid if that were my midwife! And I certainly wouldn't be happy about having to pay her extra, on top of what the insurance is paying for the birth. Is this something she's dealt with at all before? I"m sure you're not her first client to have to be transferred to a hospital. What's the normal procedure at that point? She didn't deliver your baby, so I'd understand why the insurance company wouldn't want to pay her for that part of it, but she was your provider for at least part of the labor, and it seems like they should recognize that. I certainly don't think you should be responsible for her fees, especially since she really didn't do much! (I can't believe she told you to lower your voice while she slept!). I hope you can sort it out. Insurance companies suck....


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

thanks *amanda*- we are soon to be the proud owners of a jumperoo and nothing more (besides some sleep sacks).

*julia*, can't believe your mw left you like that. not sure what to say on the insurance thing. i know that our mw got covered but that our mw went back and forth with the insurance tons and then struck a deal. i would challenge them and see if they can offer, say, half.

*rachel*, so sorry lucien is under the weather.







my dh has what your ds has and says it's pretty awful. it took like 5 days till it started to improve. dd didn't really nap yesterday either and we have yet to get her to go down today. dh is out walking her right now.

*elizabeth*, here's hoping they come back with a good counter! and that NOBODY wants to go to an open house today.


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

Oh wow I actually have both hands free for a second!

*Natalia* there's a pic of Mathilde in the link in my sig too.







Ugh I'm dreading my first PPAF, mostly b/c I'll have to figure out some form of birth control. I guess I should have already, huh?







Still thinking about an IUD but it seems so permanent, even tho it's not. I'm gonna get all my hair chopped off too. It's longer than it's been in years b/c I grew it out during pregnancy. Does anyone who's lost a lot of hair think it'll be less noticeable or more noticeable if I have a super short cut?

*Lane* here's a pic of M just for you.









*PiePie* good job & housing vibes for you!

*CJ* I hope you had fun skiing & your knees are intact.









*Rachel* poor Lucien - I'm sorry you're having to deal w/ a sick baby all the time. Good to hear he likes the Ergo now. I decided to splurge some Christmas money and ordered one yesterday. Can't wait til it gets here! Sounds like a good setup for moving too - the less you do yourself, the better!

*Elizabeth* good housing vibes coming your way! Seems like everyone gets to move except me.







How's breastfeeding & your diet going?

*Julia* my situation was a little different b/c insurance wasn't going to cover midwifery at all, but one of the reasons I backed out of the midwife assisted birth was how much we'd have to pay in the event of risking out or transfer. Rachel's in the business & it sounds like her suggestions are great.







: that you can get this taken care of easily and inexpensively. Can't believe your MW was such a flake. It seems like the really great MWs are balanced out by some really shady characters, like yours and the one I was going to use. Just our luck, right? Sucks about the car too! Seems like you just had car issues a few months ago.

*Amanda* I can't wait til M is big enough for a jumperoo! I didn't know about the bowed legs but I guess it makes sense.


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

Mathilde had her 2 month checkup at the pediatrician yesterday. Despite getting off to a rough start (reflux, colic, breastfeeding problems, failure to thrive) she's doing great now. At 10 lbs 12 oz she's in the 93rd percentile for her sex and age. The crazy thing is her length - she's 24.75 inches long, which is off the chart! In two months she has gained almost 3 pounds and almost 5 inches!









Unfortunately the ped said we can't stay w/ her practice unless we vax. Why didn't they tell me that on the phone when I called & asked about their policy before DD was born? Ugh. She also told us to stop cosleeping.







: Now I'm looking back at everything she told me (like stop breastfeeding) and second guessing it. I'm already trying to relactate and having some success. Guess it'll be better to find a more AP-friendly doc, I'm just not sure they exist around here. *CJ* I should have listened to you and gone w/ a family doc from the beginning!


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*dee*, best of luck with relactating. have you posted about it in the bfing forum? contacted your lll? our ped is anti-co-sleeping too







: but frankly i expected that in general with a ped because it lines up with aap policy. i didn't expect any ped to not be 100% supportive of bfing though -- apparently there's a big bap btwn policy and practice.







your kid is longer than mine and she is nearly 3 mos younger yikes! in looking for a doc, try posting on your local tribe forum, any api group in your area, the lll group, a holistic moms group, etc.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*natalia*, i think we've all yelled at our babes. it's just hard to suppress your own needs all the time for someone else's. hang in there mama.


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

*Pie* - We really like the jumperoo. At 26in Benjamin is just barely tall enough for it. He doesn't stay in it for more than 10 minutes at a time (he gets tired and slightly overstimulated) but both DH and I are so so SO relieved that we are not the only source of safe baby standy up time. That being said, it is pretty darn huge (and you would have to disassemble to put it away some where) and hideous. We also love our FP Cradle Swing. LOVE IT. However, we have been using it since week 1 so we have gotten tons of use out of it (Benjamin will only nap in the swing on in the big bed with me). He still loves it, but is starting to out grow it length wise (however we plan to stuff him there as long as he continues to handle it, much like the miracle blankets which he has also outgrown lengthwise







)


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

*Dee* - I can't believe you came online and posted and I didn't get a personal. WAHHHHH!

jk hon









Sorry you are having ped issues. I think many peds tell you no cosleeping and are hard core about vaxs not because they are truly against them in their heart of hearts, but because we line in the USA, the land of lawsuits, and no ped wants to be sued b/c some kid dies from cosleeping or not vaxing. Going WITH the recommendations of the CDC and AAP (required by their liability insurance, I assume) gives them protection...going against these recommendations put them at risk.

That being said, there are peds out there who will toe the line on the record, but give you support and leeway off the record. I second looking in your tribal area, that is how we found our ped (plus recommendations on kudzu).

Good luck with the relactating. Did you stop pumping? Did you have a midwife or an OB (I feel like it was an OB). If he/she is supportive of relactating, you might be able to get some hormones from them that will help (I am not 100% sure that hormones are needed/or helpful if you have given birth, but I know adoptive moms need them). Congrats on Miss Ms weight gain. Whatever your issues with your ped (and your own doubts of your decisions) she IS thriving. GOOD JOB


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

*Emily* the Kiddopotamus brand swaddle blankets come in 2 sizes, small & large. M is only about an inch shorter than B and the large blankets have plenty of length & leg room for her.

*Pie* my milk wasn't completely gone & we're under 12 weeks so I'm just pumping & nursing DD b/w bottles. I'll check out the resources you suggested though. TY! The ped believes in BFing, I think she told me to quit after seeing what a hard time I was having & how DD was reacting to my milk. Still not sure DD can handle my milk as well as formula, but I figure she's getting a little bit at a time as it comes back in, so she can either adjust slowly or I can stop again before she goes back into full colic mode. At this point I'm emotionally drained on the issue; I almost don't even care if it works or not, I just had to give it another shot so I can say I tried. Of course, this is the fourth time I've tried, who knows if/when I'll actually call it quits.


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

LOL Emily, there ya go! Thanks for the recommendations too. Wish we had something like Kudzu but this is a very small place. I did stop pumping for a couple days. I had been decreasing the frequency and trying to stop slowly instead of dealing w/ engorgememt, so hopefully it won't be too hard ti pick back up. How're things?


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dctexan* 
*Pie* - We really like the jumperoo. At 26in Benjamin is just barely tall enough for it. He doesn't stay in it for more than 10 minutes at a time (he gets tired and slightly overstimulated) but both DH and I are so so SO relieved that we are not the only source of safe baby standy up time. That being said, it is pretty darn huge (and you would have to disassemble to put it away some where) and hideous. We also love our FP Cradle Swing. LOVE IT. However, we have been using it since week 1 so we have gotten tons of use out of it (Benjamin will only nap in the swing on in the big bed with me). He still loves it, but is starting to out grow it length wise (however we plan to stuff him there as long as he continues to handle it, much like the miracle blankets which he has also outgrown lengthwise







)

Ditto on everything Emily said- even the same babe length! Lucien sleeps in his FP cradle swing every night- if he wakes to feed, he comes to bed with us, but probably 80% of the time when he's not sick (ha), he stays in the swing all night. I think it goes up to 22 lbs or so, and I will utilize it until he hits the length/weight limit. It's the ONLY place he sleeps soundly!


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

another no-nap day. Ugh. He's also cutting his 2 teeth all the way through (I hope this is at least part of his problem). Took him up to his rarely-used nursey so I could start packing up his stuff and sorting out the things he's outgrown to give to friends, and I put him in his crib. We have the Tiny Love mobile, and almost never use it. He's been IN HEAVEN in his crib, watching the mobile! I left him there just now to come and post, but I think he just figured out I'm gone. Doh.









ETA: ok, that lasted about three minutes with me out of the room (he was fine when I was in there).

Packing his old clothes was weird. A friend back in NC is expecting his second- a boy- in June, so I'm sending him crazy amounts of clothes. I love Lucien with all my heart, but after what we've been through -and knowing these PID's are genetic- I just don't think I could have another, or at least consider it right now.

Screaming in my lap- gotta go.....


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

so maybe i do want the swing? okay i am completely procrastinating. should be applying for jobs. bang head against brick wall...


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
so maybe i do want the swing? okay i am completely procrastinating. should be applying for jobs. bang head against brick wall...

I'd check the weight limit on the swing first. Doesn't your DD have reflux? How does she do at night? The swing is what let Lucien start sleeping without gagging on his own vomit. But he's been in it since he was 6 or 8 weeks old.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

I'll catch up later - you guys were chatty today!!!

So, the counter was VERY good - same as our offer on $$$$, with the agents taking a bit of a cut on fees and they are paying the home warranty. Woohoo! We're in contract! Now the really scary stuff starts - holy crap, we're going to have two mortgages...

I can't wait to have 4 - yes 4 - (small) bedrooms and more than one bathroom... And a small family room and separate living room, so I can just worry about keeping the living room clean!


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Elizabeth... congrats ont he house! When do you think you'll move? Why two mortgages, are you not sellign your old house, or is that just for the one hosue?


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*elizabeth*, congrats! we can go through the trauma of moving at the same time!




























:












































so we have decided to go forward on the coop. we will be taking a lot out of savings to make up for what we can't get a mortgage for but it seems worth it. we want the place (it's not like we suddenly discovered a defect) and what's the point of saving $ to have it in the bank when you die? that is the hugest admission for dh -- he clings to his savings like a security blanket, due to feeling batted back and forth as a financial liability in his parents' divorce -- like he would rather never have to depend on anybody again. so here we are. the ideal would be for me to get a job already so that we could (1) get a better mortgage or (2) refi. shaky nervous sigh. honestly i care more about not having financial stress between me and dh than i do about homeownership. but dh wants the house too and swears he is willing to risk that we can't refi. so, that's that.

this is a huge leap of faith in me for my own job prospects. somehow i was reading our failure to get a mortgage for the full amount (90 percent) as a sign from God that my career was going to fall apart or something equally catastrophic or representative of my own sense of deserving-ness instead of that the entire country is in a credit crunch. so i guess you could say we are going through with it because dh is a sociologist and an atheist.

next crisis: the day care that nyc has yet to build. fear. since it's not due to be finished till march, what if i have to start work in feb? the daycare dh didn't like? the daycare i didn't like 1 teacher in and push for the other classroom? a family based day care yet to be explored? ugh i could pull my hair out at the thought of starting the search over.

*rach*, thanks, i read amazon reviews and apparently travel swings don't carry much weight so she will outgrpw it in half a pound. and because unlike *julka* we don't have a garage we are passing on the swing. dd will still have to grow 2 inches to fit he jumper but she will ventually rght?


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## ~minnow~ (May 25, 2006)

Oh you guys. I've been reading all week but at a certain point it feels silly to reply to things that were four pages ago. Just know I'm following along and sending the appropriate thoughts and vibes even when I don't chime in.

I'm trying to work on my diss, like, hardcore (so less MDC time for me). It's funny because I might get an hour or so of work, but it's 20 minutes in the morning, 15 minutes in the afternoon, etc. So even though it's only an hour, I feel at the end like I was working on it ALL DAY.

So, several big moves about to happen! Congrats on the new houses! Elizabeth, 4 bedrooms! Yay!

Dee, thanks for the pic. I love it! Big boo on your ped! It's funny, I was all exercised about finding a ped but it turns out all the crunchy people have the same ped. She's great; her staff is variable. She did make us sign a form that she had "recommended" vaxing to us (she didn't really) and that we declined -- for their records, I guess for insurance purposes like Emily said.

Emily, I say Gah all the time now and I'm pretty sure it's due to your influence.

Rachel, oh yeah, mobile time! That's what cribs are for! One day we discovered that if we tie a ribbon to the mobile and loop it around her foot, we can get FIVE minutes before she calls us back in! That's bittersweet about the clothes. I was just thinking about that as Ada starts to outgrow her clothes. We're not planning any more either.

Pie, I love what you said to CJ about the bond and I also love your description of going ahead with the coop because "dh is a sociologist and an athiest." The credit crunch and signs from god -- that's familiar to me.

More personals as I can!


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Thanks for the congrats - Yay for us, Pie!!! But how scary, too! Big leap of faith here, too... Not selling is crazy, but it's the best thing really considering the market.

So, two mortgages meaning two houses - this one and the new one. Scary, but we technically qualify and we should be able to rent this one for more than the mortgage. I'm hoping we can hang on until the market turns around. We may end up doing an 80-10-10 mortgage (so a double on that one) to avoid insurance, but we have to run the numbers...

If all goes as planned, we'll close on 2/15 (which happens to be the weekend of a girls' weekend with my friends, some of whom are flying in from as far as Maine - I CAN'T miss it.) DH may move us himself! Pie, when do you move?

I am SO excited!!! It has a koi pond, with koi... I wonder how long it will take our boxer to catch one.

Okay - going to try to catch up. DD fell asleep in the mei tai and I'm hoping she'll stay that way until I go to bed in a bit.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Grace24* 

My health insurance is refusing to pay my midwife for the homebirth because I delivered at the hospital. I have no idea what to say to these people. I can't fight them, I don't even speak their language, KWIM? What do I do, what do I do?

I can see why they'd deny the delivery charge, since you technically delivered at the hospital, but not sure about the "pre" delivery stuff... I'd talk to her about how she's billing, too... Sorry you're having money stress - and with cars, too. GAH!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *preemiemamarach* 
My baby has more than tripled his birth weight, so I looooove seeing his NICU pictures now.









So- *the move*. Looks like we're going to get my unemployed nephew to drive my cars and the cats, and DH will take his car and the dogs. He got a new credit card to pay for the moving expenses, so I think he's actually going to hire people to drive the truck. Wonders never cease! So I'll fly with babe- although it looks like his ears are messed up again, so who knows how that will go. I have an appointment with his pedi Monday- if the ears look bad, I'll get them to send us to the hospital for IV antibiotics.

My last day at work is Wednesday. Hoooo freaking ray!
. Heh.

Glad you guys aren't going to try to drive - but I really hope Lucien's ears are okay on the flight... Hugs and prayers that he does fine.

YAY for last day at work!!!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MajorGroover* 
Does anyone who's lost a lot of hair think it'll be less noticeable or more noticeable if I have a super short cut?








How's breastfeeding & your diet going?

I didn't (so far), but my hair chick said that anything with bangs or fringe/layers around your face helps hide the pp hair loss... I look awful with bangs, so I'm hoping to avoid them. Go crazy!

Breastfeeding is going well - the mastitis feels like it's gone (please oh please), thrush is still there, but under control as long as I stay on Diflucan (which sucks)... DD is nursing okay - well when her reflux is going well. Her poop looks PERFECT, except for a bit of mucus. I swear I get excited over every yellow poop and every little seedy thing. I am SO glad that wheat is okay - that was the worst. I'll try either nuts or eggs next - not sure which yet. I'm hoping she'll outgrow the soy thing, though, I really, really miss tofu.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MajorGroover* 
Mathilde had her 2 month checkup at the pediatrician yesterday. Despite getting off to a rough start (reflux, colic, breastfeeding problems, failure to thrive) she's doing great now. At 10 lbs 12 oz she's in the 93rd percentile for her sex and age. The crazy thing is her length - she's 24.75 inches long, which is off the chart! In two months she has gained almost 3 pounds and almost 5 inches!









Unfortunately the ped said we can't stay w/ her practice unless we vax. Why didn't they tell me that on the phone when I called & asked about their policy before DD was born? Ugh. She also told us to stop cosleeping.







: Now I'm looking back at everything she told me (like stop breastfeeding) and second guessing it. I'm already trying to relactate and having some success. Guess it'll be better to find a more AP-friendly doc, I'm just not sure they exist around here. *CJ* I should have listened to you and gone w/ a family doc from the beginning!

That's awesome that she's growing so well! Sorry about the ped, though. Even the practice we couldn't stand was okay on us not vaxing - never even made us sign anything. I never told them we co-slept, though. It's only our LC who's kept us bfing - the ped suggested formula a while ago. If LO does have food sensitivities, I'm proof that you can deal with those and BF!!! It was hard getting here, but worth it... I feel so blessed to have found our new ped - he's actually pro-cosleeping.

I think you should visit BFing Challenges on here, too. Lots of great advice and support for re-lactating AND the food sensitivities. Feel free to PM me, too!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *preemiemamarach* 
Ditto on everything Emily said- even the same babe length! Lucien sleeps in his FP cradle swing every night- if he wakes to feed, he comes to bed with us, but probably 80% of the time when he's not sick (ha), he stays in the swing all night. I think it goes up to 22 lbs or so, and I will utilize it until he hits the length/weight limit. It's the ONLY place he sleeps soundly!

Oh yeah, swings. I would be lost without DD's. It is our salvation sometimes. The nights that she's been up really late it's where she ends up falling asleep. She naps in it, too. I think we'll be stuffing her into it when her legs hang over the end and her feet drag the floor! We borrowed the FP Cradle/Papasan swing from a friend and I am sooo glad we did - it was one thing we'd planned not to buy. Great for reflux...


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## SarahJen (Sep 27, 2006)

I'm going to be lousy at personals for a while I think, not enough time to read everything and post too







: I'm reading and trying to catch up on where everyone is at but it's hard!

We're doing good, my mom was here with us last week and left yesterday (I cried all the way home from the airport), I seriously don't know what I would have done without here here last week. Aveline is doing great, she's gained back and 1oz over her birth weight as of last Thursday, hurray! Exclusively on breast milk now as of last Wednesday and she's getting much better with latching and nursing. She usually does about 8 to 10 mins one side and then dozes for a bit before she wants the other side for the same amount of time. It stretches the feedings to almost an hour sometimes but then she'll sleep for about four hours so that kind of makes up for it. I was waking her every three at first but that was just frustrating for both of us so I'm letting her decide when she wants it and that works a bit better. Yesterday she was much more alert and awake for longer stretches.

One question though, what's normal for amount of poops for a newborn? She poops in literally every diaper, changing her about every three hours. It's maddening!


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SarahJen* 

One question though, what's normal for amount of poops for a newborn? She poops in literally every diaper, changing her about every three hours. It's maddening!


Welcome, Sarah, if I never said so!! And welcome little Aveline! She's adorable!









As for the poop, yup, it's normal to get a poopy dipe every time at this stage. Lucien pooped every single time a nipple was in his mouth. I was astonished by how much poop came out of him- it tapered off a little by 9 or 10 weeks, I think, to just a couple a day. Then he went through a twice-a-week phase, now back to once or twice a day at six months. Take those timeframes with a grain of salt, though, as he was nearly 2 months early.

Enjoy the breastmilk poop while you can.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*sarah*, aveline is a normal pooper. my dd did that frequency too for the first, i don't know, more than 2 but less than 4 mos.


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## SarahJen (Sep 27, 2006)

Thanks, good to know it's normal at least. The other night at 3am when I changed her I was surprised to find no poop in the diaper even though it was soaked and right when I was about to take it off she projectile pooped across the counter, very nice. She was quite pleased with herself and her dad thought it was champion.


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## jocelyndale (Aug 28, 2006)

Wonders will never cease.

My child gets sick from bananas, but is perfectly fine with chicken simmered in a masaman curry sauce.







: And collard greens. And mashakitcheri.

I've been laying low lately. Mostly trying to get caught up on laundry. Travel always makes me fall behind. Today's goal is to get the diapers clean. To do that, I have to finish stripping hand-me-downs in the wash. (Fragranced detergent/fabric softener. But I'm not complaining too much--nice clothing is awesome!)


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

*Dee* - Okay, Lane is right. For some reason Mathilde IS really cute when she is screaming. Love the pic









Quote:


Originally Posted by *~minnow~* 
I'm trying to work on my diss, like, hardcore (so less MDC time for me). It's funny because I might get an hour or so of work, but it's 20 minutes in the morning, 15 minutes in the afternoon, etc. So even though it's only an hour, I feel at the end like I was working on it ALL DAY.
...
Emily, I say Gah all the time now and I'm pretty sure it's due to your influence.

Well if ANYTHING in life is "gah" worthy, it is certainly a dissertation. I am so proud (and in awe really) of you for doing ANY work on it. I had such huge writing plans for my mat. leave. I was going to get AT LEAST 2 papers done and out because, you know, I was going to have so much free time while the baby was sleeping. Ha ha ha. Heck, even now that I am back at work I STILL am struggling to write (although not on MDC, hmmm) because I am so tired and my brain just hurts! Anyway, keep up the good work. An unfinished dissertation is huge a weight around your neck. I swear I lost at least 50 lbs finishing my dissertation (metaphorically, of course







)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *~minnow~* 
Rachel, oh yeah, mobile time! That's what cribs are for! One day we discovered that if we tie a ribbon to the mobile and loop it around her foot, we can get FIVE minutes before she calls us back in!

Reading this filled me with joy. Being an experimental psychologist I have been all about testing my child for developmental milestones/assessing his understanding of the world. Tying a ribbon to an infant's foot to work a mobile is one of the standard experimental procedures for infant research. You can do all sorts of neat tests with it. I won't bore you with details (even though I started too! Yes, I am that dorky. I made myself erase it).

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SarahJen* 
One question though, what's normal for amount of poops for a newborn? She poops in literally every diaper, changing her about every three hours. It's maddening!

Normal normal normal. Benjamin pooped ALL THE TIME. Seriously, any time he ate, he pooped. After being hit with several explosive newborn poops, DH and I instituted a 10 min rule for pooping. No dipe change until 10 minutes after the last diaper noise (or once baby enters total meltdown mode because he can't stand sitting in his own filth, whichever comes first). Around 2 months or so the frequency dropped a bit (but he still pooped alot). In the past two weeks he has started pooping only 2-3 times per 24 hrs! I am not sure if the change in poop frequency is due to the fact that I started giving his a probiotic or gut maturation (or a combo of the two?).

On a personal note, so glad to see you lurking about Sarah! Your baby is beautiful


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Yeah, Willa also is (and always has been) a pooper extraordinaire. Poop with just about every diaper when she was a newborn was pretty normal, and we also learned to wait to change her - for some reason, her poops usually came in threes, so I'd make sure she'd gotten it all out before opening the dipe







.
She still managed a few projectile poops (and pees) in mid change, of course.
Sometime around 2 months, it calmed down a bit - she stopped pooping in the middle of the night, and was down to 1-3 times a day. But lately (and as far as I can tell, this is kind of weird, though I'm not really worried about it) she's back up to tons of poopage and middle-of-the-night poopage again. Kind of annoying since I thought we were past that stage. And now that she's having some solids, they're SO much grosser. Oh well... I'd probably be worried if she were really constipated and going days without pooping too, so there's probably no perfect answer.
(I think I said this once before, but one surprise of parenthood for me was how much DH's and my conversations suddenly involve the word "poop")

On writing (or getting anything "serious" done) during nap time - I don't think it's possible. I also used to have these visions of getting all sorts of things accomplished while Willa napped, but a) she's just not that great a napper (we've had a couple of 2-hour ones, but usually she's more in the 45 min-1 hour range) and b) I find it next to impossible to do anything involving serious concentration or real brain work during this time. I'm always wondering how much time I have left and when she'll wake up. Doing housework, making lunch, reading the newspaper, posting on MDC - fine. Actually doing reporting or writing (I"m a journalist) - not going to happen. A few times when our babysitter hasn't been able to come I've tried working while also watching Willa, and it just doens't work. On the other hand, I have learned to work pretty well and tune out whatever is going on in the background (squeals and even cries) as long as I know she's being well cared for by either DH or her sitter. I'm in awe of mothers who actually DO manage to work from home without help, though.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SarahJen* 

One question though, what's normal for amount of poops for a newborn? She poops in literally every diaper, changing her about every three hours. It's maddening!


Glad BFing is going better! Isabella pooped EVERY change too for at least the first few weeks (maybe 4). And that was well before her issues with digestion kicked in. It was super frustrating, and she got diaper rashes for a while there. It passes - honest! DD also cried when she pooped, which was so hard to watch.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SarahJen* 
Thanks, good to know it's normal at least. The other night at 3am when I changed her I was surprised to find no poop in the diaper even though it was soaked and right when I was about to take it off she projectile pooped across the counter, very nice. She was quite pleased with herself and her dad thought it was champion.

Was that your first projectile poop? DD was also a champion. She's hit me in the cheek (blech), the dog (who immediately started trying to lick it off of himself), the floor, DD's shirt... Not lately, but there was a while there...


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Okay, mortgage woes... Pie, we need to stop having these issues!!!

More than half of our down is from a gift from DH's family. Apparently, the Patriot Act changed the rules for how you use gift funds for downpayments (seriously, could Bush be any worse???). So, we are now looking at a higher interest rate to accomodate the fact that our down is partly gift funds. Nice. We'll still be okay, but it's like a 3 point difference! GAH!!!

Maybe we'll sell our place sooner than later to have enough equity to refinance and get out from under that, but we'll see...

Now, off to make an ad for our house to rent. I'd love to have someone in within a couple weeks of moving out.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
Okay, mortgage woes... Pie, we need to stop having these issues!!!

More than half of our down is from a gift from DH's family. Apparently, the Patriot Act changed the rules for how you use gift funds for downpayments (seriously, could Bush be any worse???). So, we are now looking at a higher interest rate to accomodate the fact that our down is partly gift funds. Nice. We'll still be okay, but it's like a 3 point difference! GAH!!!

We did this last year... Paul's dad is infamous for finding clever ways to avoid the tax man. What he did was, when paul's roommie moved out and took her $100K, he invested in the house with us for the same amount (adding to Paul's $200K) as I brought nothing to the table







so he's on the mortgage too but not responsible for it, and we have a right to survivorship clause meaning that someday (as Paul's dad is getting up there and not very healthy) the house will pass just to us. I know it' sprobably too late to do anything like that, just passing along our situation cuz you reminded me. And yes, I'm agreeing with you that it's... uh... time for a new administration. Sorry you got a crappy interest rate









Oliver poops in at least every other diaper, but just a little at a time usually. But at least he's past the phase where he cries when he poops or has gas. Whew. That was rough.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
More than half of our down is from a gift from DH's family. Apparently, the Patriot Act changed the rules for how you use gift funds for downpayments (seriously, could Bush be any worse???). So, we are now looking at a higher interest rate to accomodate the fact that our down is partly gift funds.

WTF??? How on earth could gift funds for down payments have ANYTHING to do with national securitY???








:

Hope you get a renter soon, Elizabeth.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *preemiemamarach* 
WTF??? How on earth could gift funds for down payments have ANYTHING to do with national securitY???








:

Hope you get a renter soon, Elizabeth.









Yeah, I don't get that either! Bizarre. Definitely time for a new administration...
I thought that gifts within the nontaxable gift amount ($24k a person, I think?) were just yours to do whatever you want with. What difference does it make *where* your mortgage funds come from as long as you have them?? Makes no sense at all...
Good luck with it all! I hope you're able to find a way around it, or at least find a renter soon. I wouldn't mind seeing the housing market improve either... At some point over the next three years or so (certainly if we have another baby) we're going to need to move, but it's going to take a lot for us to avoid losing money on this place.


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *preemiemamarach* 

Enjoy the breastmilk poop while you can.

















: I changed a post-banana poop today and YUCK. If that is what we're destined for, I'm going to sposies. Can't handle making the trip to the bathroom to rinse every time.

So ella is eating alot now - apple sauce, banana, pear.. (I have resorted to spoon feeding). But, as of yet, no longer sleep periods. is that a wive's tale, that they start sleeping better when they start eating??

still catching up on all the new posts...


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

So I've mentioned before that I pump in a spare office. The admin left some packing supplies in there a while back, including a BIG stack of bubble wrap sheets. I've fallen into a groove when I pump- read email on my PDA, drink coffee, pop bubble wrap. I almost think the sound of popping bubble wrap makes me let down now.









Anyway, today I pumped and popped the very last bubble on the very last sheet. It's a good thing my last day is Wednesday!


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rock_dr* 
So ella is eating alot now - apple sauce, banana, pear.. (I have resorted to spoon feeding). But, as of yet, no longer sleep periods. is that a wive's tale, that they start sleeping better when they start eating??

still catching up on all the new posts...

I think it's probably a wive's tale, although Lucien was sleeping like a champ after starting food til he got this umpteenth ear infection. He would probably eat five times as much as I give him (spoon feeding here, too), but I try to keep his caloric intake to 75% breast milk minimum to ensure fat content. He gets about 2 jars (4 oz each) of the Earth's Best organic veggie combos per day, along with a couple of tablespoons of rice cereal (I know, but he needs the iron).

Speaking of rancid poop, the WORST is from iron supplements. Lucien is still clearing out dark green formula-allergy poop, and the iron supplements on top of that just sent things over the top this morning. EW.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Too funny - bubble wrap popping is good work - I love that you finished the last bubble on your last week of work! See, it's really time to leave!

Thanks for the suggestions and such on housing stuff. DH's family is from out of the country, so sharing the mortgage would be more work than is worth it.

Apparently the Patriot Act stuff is to prevent money laundering. 'Cause you know that using gift funds from family that will be used for an owner-occupied home is really the best way to do that. Yep, we could be involved in some enormous drug money laundering scheme... LOVE this administration. Weren't the Reps supposed to be for small government and protection of privacy???

Isabella finally slept well last night. It's the first night since I came back to work that she wasn't up every 2 hours. She went for 2 hours, 3 hours, and 2 1/2 hours last night. Still an improvement from every 2 hours like clockwork. I've officially fallen asleep nursing for the first time, too. Woke up maybe 45 minutes after nursing with my boob still out and Isabella laying with her cheek resting on it sleeping. Guess it was possible after all - amazing what being this tired will do for you. I didn't think it would be possible to sleep with something(one) attached to your nipple!


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

*Elizabeth* - so funny, I fell asleep nursing last night too! So sweet that she did that. Congrats on the house and most importantly the KOI pond! GL to you and *Pie* in moving.

*Pie* - so sorry about the daycare dilemna coming up again. I know this is probably dumb but any chance you could afford (and would want) to share a nanny with someone you know (or 'meet' on mdc/craigslist, etc.)?

*Dee* - GL with finding a new doc and YAY for relactating!

*Julia* - I am so sorry you are dealing with insurance/mw stress. hope it sorts itself out soon and with minimal hair-pulling by you ('cause pp women can't afford to loe any more hair!).

*Rachel* - or anyone, remind me again, what's the concern about rice cereal? My mom was asking me today and I didn't have a good answer. Sorry, I have a feeling we just discussed this in this thread but can't find it.


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

*Elizabeth,* Yay on the house! I really hope it works out for you guys. I know it's stressful and finding ways to get around all that money stuff is a huge PITA.

*Dee,* icky doctor. Sorry to hear that. I'm finally about to transfer my ped too because she wants me to "encourage independence at night" which I took to mean CIO, something I am unable and unwilling to do.

*Julia ....* a lot to respond to but my snot infested, sleep deprived brain forgot most of it. Your midwife sucks though. You shouldn't have to pay her at all considering she came over and slept. Boo.

*Rachel,* ugh. my kid is screaming. Sorry to cut this short, again.

If she ever naps, I will write more.

P.S. to all, she pooed every diaper for a couple months. Then, she pooed 6-8 times until she was 6 mos old. Now it's every couple days or so.


----------



## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rock_dr* 
*Rachel* - or anyone, remind me again, what's the concern about rice cereal? My mom was asking me today and I didn't have a good answer. Sorry, I have a feeling we just discussed this in this thread but can't find it.

I'd don't think there's a concern about it, necessarily - it's not a *bad* thing to do. My doc advised against it just because he doesn't see a reason for it and considers it empty calories (simple carbs, etc), with bonus points against it for being tasteless. I think it comes down primarily to how you view solids philosophically. My doctor's suggestion (that seemed reasonable to me) is that for this first year, solids are about socialization, experimentation, taste, and texture more than nutrition - that's still from breast milk. So he advocated self-feeding as a way to let Willa "play" with food and to learn about eating on her own. As I've done more of my own research into self-feeding, I've found that I like the idea that it's more about that exploration and babies regulate how much they eat, rather than trying to get a certain amount of calories into them.
But, all that said, I certainly don't think spoon feeding is bad or in any way harmful - it's just a different approach.

It's taken Willa a while (we started giving her solids very occasionally - a piece of banana here, a slice of avocado there) back around Thanksgiving, but in the past week or two she seems to have really embraced food and finally "gotten" what this eating thing is all about. Her current favorites are sweet potato fries, O's cereal, hummus, and guacamole. I also introduced a spoon for the first time this week, after deciding that letting Willa self-feed hummus with her fingertips was getting a little ridiculous - after all, I don't (usually) eat hummus that way. Funnily enough, though, she totally refused me spooning something into her mouth. Instead, she wanted to take the spoon and feed herself that way. Guess we have a do-it-myselfer









On the topic of peds - we definitely put a lot of time into the doctor (family practice doc, in the end) that we selected, and I have to say, I'm glad now that I did. I remember when I asked my midwife for recommendations - my main concern was finding a doctor who would be open to delayed/selective vaxxing - and she gave me a few names of doctors that she said were supportive of breastfeeding. My reaction was surprise - aren't ALL peds supportive of breastfeeding?? - and her answer was that in theory, they all say they are, but some are way quicker to suggest supplementing than others. I had no clue. As you can tell by the self-feeding thing above, my doc is pretty much on the crunchy end of things. But I trust him completely and when he does recommend a medical answer to something, I trust him, since I know that's not his knee-jerk reaction. As an added bonus, he used to perform home births (he had to stop because of malpractice insurance) and he's an old-school kind of doc who forwards his office phone to his cell phone when he's not at work - so if i call for an emergency at 2 am, he's the one answering the phone. Hard to find, these days!

ETA: On the reasons against rice cereal, I just remembered that I have seen some stuff here on MDC about supplemental iron vs. natural iron - something about eating iron-fortified cereal making it tougher for babies to absorb as much of the natural iron found in breastmilk. But I might be getting that wrong. I think there was info on Kellymom about it? My own hunch, though, is that the cereal is perfectly fine to do - we're just skipping it because of the empty calorie/taste thing, and because we didn't see a need for it.


----------



## jocelyndale (Aug 28, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
Okay, mortgage woes... Pie, we need to stop having these issues!!!

More than half of our down is from a gift from DH's family. Apparently, the Patriot Act changed the rules for how you use gift funds for downpayments (seriously, could Bush be any worse???). So, we are now looking at a higher interest rate to accomodate the fact that our down is partly gift funds. Nice. We'll still be okay, but it's like a 3 point difference! GAH!!!

This was an issue for us, too. I think it ended up not affecting our interest rate/points, but my parents had to provide a note or affidavit or something attesting to the fact that it was a gift, not a loan. And it couldn't count toward our down payment when we prequalified, but it could count toward closing. I think our lender made it count when we actually closed, though, as the time limit had passed.

It's all murky in my memory. Been three years. I could ask DH how it worked out.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

yeah, the *rice cereal/iron issue* is a tough one. I read all the kellymom stuff because Lucien's anemia is getting worse instead of better.

Iron in breastmilk has the best bioavailability, definitely, and I think there's some research that shows iron absorption can be reduced somewhat by feeding fortified cereals. It might specifically be related to feeding the cereals too early, though.

Our problem is that we have a babe predisposed to anemia because (a) he was premature, (b) he was 5 lbs at birth, (c) his mama is anemic, and (d) he has an immunodeficiency. I can't find definitive info on whether my milk, as an anemic mama, is more likely to be iron-deficient, but I *do* know that me supplementing (which is the only way I've ever gotten my H&H to the right levels) won't help the iron content in my milk.

So, we're left with a kid that cannot, due to allergies and/or pickiness, find an acceptable formula- and a mama who is EPing and facing supply issues. I'd honestly rather give him iron-fortified formula to round out his intake than solids at this point, but we've yet to find one that doesn't tear up his gut.

SO we end up doing fruit/veggie purees, a little cereal, and iron drops. I do think that, for the most part, the cereal is empty calories for most babes, but under some circumstances like ours, I think they can be useful.

BTW, not trying to be defensive, hope it didn't read that way. I was a big critic of baby cereals, until I needed to give one to my little dude. (He prefers oatmeal, but it makes him have screamy farts, sadly.)

We just saw the ped- his ears are clear (!!) and the ped thinks it's 'just a cold'. He also personally believes that statistics are in our favor on the immunodeficiency- the type that his bloodwork indicates (Hyper IGM syndrome, rather serious) is exceptionally rare, so he thinks it's probably an atypical presentation of one of the less severe ones that don't really give many problems past childhood (Selective IgA deficiency, Common Variable Immune Deficiency, or IgG Subclass Deficiency). Reassuring words, but he's no immunologist, so I'm withholding judgement til we get to Denver and see an expert.

Oh, get this- he's now 16 lbs 9 oz, 26.5 inches! 50th percentile (or close) for his ACTUAL age. At his 2 month checkup, he was in the 10th! So I guess I *am* feeding him enough.


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

Gah! Tell me I'm being paranoid. It wouldn't be the first time.







So DH & I DTD for the first time in 11 months (yarly) yesterday morning. This afternoon I had the best EWCM I've ever seen. Doh! No PPAF yet so I have no frame of reference for O timing. DD is 9.5 weeks old, which is about when Emily and Natalia said they got their first PPAFs, right?

About the rice cereal - I've heard that supplemental iron can allow harmful flora to grow in the gut, whereas the iron in breastmilk can't. Just read that somewhere so I don't know how much truth there is to it. Obviously if the baby needs iron s/he should be getting it from whatever source necessary, though.

Thanks for all the encouragement about relactating. It's.... hard. I wish it wasn't. Since yesterday I've been nursing her about 5x a day and my nips are already a mess. I'm not hating it yet, but jeez. DD does this thing where she pulls back/away w/ the nipple still in her mouth - ouch. Like I need that on top of the regular pain.


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## ~minnow~ (May 25, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MajorGroover* 
Gah! Tell me I'm being paranoid. It wouldn't be the first time.







So DH & I DTD for the first time in 11 months (yarly) yesterday morning. This afternoon I had the best EWCM I've ever seen. Doh! No PPAF yet so I have no frame of reference for O timing. DD is 9.5 weeks old, which is about when Emily and Natalia said they got their first PPAFs, right?

Okay, this totally happened to me! At about the same time. I couldn't remember (sorry, TMI alert) the difference b/w sperm and EW but I would have bet dollars that I was looking at EW.

Okay then I had a couple days of feeling nauseous and my belly reappeared. I was FREAKIN' OUT. Even though I tried to reassure myself about the ebf thing. It had happened that she'd gone like 8 hour b/w nursing one night so...

Anyway. I stewed about it but then enough time passed that I decided I wasn't. Also I had a pap smear/exam and I figured the doc would have mentioned it if I was.

You are almost certainly being paranoid, but it's a very understandable paranoia. I mean, even when you KNOW when you O it's kinda hard to get preg. for most of us.


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## ~minnow~ (May 25, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dctexan* 
Being an experimental psychologist I have been all about testing my child for developmental milestones/assessing his understanding of the world. Tying a ribbon to an infant's foot to work a mobile is one of the standard experimental procedures for infant research. You can do all sorts of neat tests with it. I won't bore you with details (even though I started too! Yes, I am that dorky. I made myself erase it).

I would have read every word enthralled! Actually, I think we got the idea from reading about experiments -- something about how you can test the length of an infant's memory if she kicks when you put her by the mobile after she's been attached to it. Our kid loved it, though -- like she'd been staring at the mobile and suddenly she found that SHE could control it.

And thanks for the encouragement about working on the diss! I'm pretty proud of myself.

Sarah -- my babe was like yours, only we changed her every HOUR instead of every three. The pooping-eight-times-a-day thing lasted for about three months for us. Now she poops once a day or else she skips like three days. So nice to see you here, and your beautfiful babe. I have an Adelaide -- so I'm partial to the "ade" names. Will she have a nn?

Rachel -- LOVE the bubble wrap story!

I just now figured out that NYLECOJ is your name backwards!

Amanda -- your ped is awesome. Have you figured out your selective/delayed vax schedule yet?

Babe calls, must run!


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## ~minnow~ (May 25, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jocelyndale* 
My child gets sick from bananas, but is perfectly fine with chicken simmered in a masaman curry sauce.







: And collard greens. And mashakitcheri.

Wow! I'm hoping for so adventurous an eater.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MajorGroover* 
Thanks for all the encouragement about relactating. It's.... hard. I wish it wasn't. Since yesterday I've been nursing her about 5x a day and my nips are already a mess. I'm not hating it yet, but jeez. DD does this thing where she pulls back/away w/ the nipple still in her mouth - ouch. Like I need that on top of the regular pain.









No help here on the DTD. I hate to admit that I'm still too freaked - eek. Poor DH - it's been a year!

Sorry relactating is hard. DD pulls off too - ouch! I find that if I hold my hand against the very top of her back, I can at least hold her on long enough to break the suction a bit before she jerks off... It's gotten better, though.

I'd see an LC on the latch (and on re-lactating in general)...


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

You poor thing, Rachel. I know how scary it is when you feel like you can't bf and can't do formula. What a horrible catch-22. I can't understand why no one makes a formula out of a fairly hypo-allergenic protein source (oats, rice, quinoa, millet...) rather than just using soy and milk!!! Drives me nuts! If I were a chemist or something I swear I'd try to go into business to do that - I imagine they'd sell a ton!!!

I hope that you can keep your supply up long enough to help him. I know it's scary with his immune system, but maybe you could re-think the donated milk thing?

I hope that seeing the immunologist in Denver will help settle all of this for you guys. Glad that it's NOT his ears for once, too!










Quote:


Originally Posted by *preemiemamarach* 
yeah, the *rice cereal/iron issue* is a tough one. I read all the kellymom stuff because Lucien's anemia is getting worse instead of better.

Iron in breastmilk has the best bioavailability, definitely, and I think there's some research that shows iron absorption can be reduced somewhat by feeding fortified cereals. It might specifically be related to feeding the cereals too early, though.

Our problem is that we have a babe predisposed to anemia because (a) he was premature, (b) he was 5 lbs at birth, (c) his mama is anemic, and (d) he has an immunodeficiency. I can't find definitive info on whether my milk, as an anemic mama, is more likely to be iron-deficient, but I *do* know that me supplementing (which is the only way I've ever gotten my H&H to the right levels) won't help the iron content in my milk.

So, we're left with a kid that cannot, due to allergies and/or pickiness, find an acceptable formula- and a mama who is EPing and facing supply issues. I'd honestly rather give him iron-fortified formula to round out his intake than solids at this point, but we've yet to find one that doesn't tear up his gut.

SO we end up doing fruit/veggie purees, a little cereal, and iron drops. I do think that, for the most part, the cereal is empty calories for most babes, but under some circumstances like ours, I think they can be useful.

BTW, not trying to be defensive, hope it didn't read that way. I was a big critic of baby cereals, until I needed to give one to my little dude. (He prefers oatmeal, but it makes him have screamy farts, sadly.)

We just saw the ped- his ears are clear (!!) and the ped thinks it's 'just a cold'. He also personally believes that statistics are in our favor on the immunodeficiency- the type that his bloodwork indicates (Hyper IGM syndrome, rather serious) is exceptionally rare, so he thinks it's probably an atypical presentation of one of the less severe ones that don't really give many problems past childhood (Selective IgA deficiency, Common Variable Immune Deficiency, or IgG Subclass Deficiency). Reassuring words, but he's no immunologist, so I'm withholding judgement til we get to Denver and see an expert.

Oh, get this- he's now 16 lbs 9 oz, 26.5 inches! 50th percentile (or close) for his ACTUAL age. At his 2 month checkup, he was in the 10th! So I guess I *am* feeding him enough.


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

Sarah obviously there's never a right answer to any question in motherhood. My baby rarely poops so I look forward to it & worry when she goes too long between poops. She's up to about once a day now, which I'm happy with.









Amanda your ped sounds wonderful! You're so lucky & your research obviously paid off.

Rachel we posted at the same time so I missed your post. Congrats on Lucien's weight - you're doing a great job with him! Glad to hear his ears are clear & hoping for good news from the immunologist in Denver. I hope the iron drops & cereal work for his anemia too. I'm anemic also & didn't know that increasing my iron won't increase the iron in breastmilk. Weird.

Lane thanks so much for sharing your story about how you thought you were preggers! Yeah, I remembered that "leftovers" can look a lot like EWCM but seriously, this did not look like leftovers. And it was more than a day later. Also, I must be fertile in Winter because I got preg 3x last Winter & 1 finally stuck. Now I'm just freaking myself out. I mean, we wanted more than one and we wanted them close together but holy crap!

Elizabeth DTD wasn't bad at all. I really wanted to go ahead and do it, not only because it had been 11 months (!) but also because I wanted to reconnect w/ DH and I didn't want to make it a big deal and get scared. You should try it. You might like it.







Good idea about breaking the latch before DD pull away. I hold my hand on her upper back/neck but she can still do some damage. I have an appointment w/ a new LC tomorrow & I'm looking forward to it!


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

*TMI Warning* I am nervous because I am sure that when the resident that did the stitches did them, she somehow made me smaller than I was before. So now it's like the skin (or so it feels in the shower) is smaller than the supporting tissue down there. Freaks me out - I can also feel scar tissue. I realize that dissolving stitches are more comfortable while you have them, but I also believe they cause more scar tissue. Granted, my experience is based on watching my dogs heal from various surgeries, but that's the case with them and it feels that way with me...

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MajorGroover* 
Elizabeth DTD wasn't bad at all. I really wanted to go ahead and do it, not only because it had been 11 months (!) but also because I wanted to reconnect w/ DH and I didn't want to make it a big deal and get scared. You should try it. You might like it.







Good idea about breaking the latch before DD pull away. I hold my hand on her upper back/neck but she can still do some damage. I have an appointment w/ a new LC tomorrow & I'm looking forward to it!


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

I should be sleeping while I can but I can't stop MDCing while I have the chance!

Elizabeth maybe you could a have and OB or GYN look at it & tell you if there's scar tissue or anything abnormal? TMI from me: I have the opposite situation - they didn't stitch me up as small as I was before. That's great for me b/c DTD was often uncomfortable and now (based on one experience) it's not. I know it's not something you'd run to sign up for, but maybe they can fix it if it's actually a problem?


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## k9sarchik (Nov 11, 2006)

Hi Dee~ Congrats on getting back to DTD. DH and I are trying to get our groove back. Since I am just over 3 months of thrush I finally feel better, but the area where the damn Dr. put a couple stitches is weird feeling. She should have just let it heal on it's own. My midwife would have left it, but that damn Dr. after the whole placenta crap, had to feel like she was doing me a favor.
Also I swear my pubic bones are still sore.
So DH and I are slowly going about it. But usually the baby wakes up and then we are trying to finish and turn the baby's mobile at the same time to keep him distracted.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MajorGroover* 
I should be sleeping while I can but I can't stop MDCing while I have the chance!

Elizabeth maybe you could a have and OB or GYN look at it & tell you if there's scar tissue or anything abnormal? TMI from me: I have the opposite situation - they didn't stitch me up as small as I was before. That's great for me b/c DTD was often uncomfortable and now (based on one experience) it's not. I know it's not something you'd run to sign up for, but maybe they can fix it if it's actually a problem?

That's a great idea - I am actually where you are - I wouldn't have minded if they'd left me a little bigger! I love my OB - I'm due for a Pap anyway - I'll call and make an appt.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

So, I just stared at the acronym EWCM for several minutes, totally confused, before it dawned on me what it stood for. I felt so proud of myself - and I can I just say, there's not a chance in hell that I would have been able to figure it out before TTC! And probably would have been grossed out by it if someone had told me.
I'm on the mini pill since I don't trust myself at all to know when I'm ovulating before AF comes back, and I'm on the fertile side. I'd be horrified to learn I was pregnant at this point. I think we do want a second eventually, but not NOW. I was briefly scared when my midwife read me the riot act at my 6 wks PP visit - it was actually at more like 8 or 9 wks PP, since she'd been traveling, and I had just decided to go ahead and DTD several times before that without protection, figuring BFing was enough. She assured that, in fact, it was not, and I suddenly started imagining learning I was pregnant when Willa was just two months old.

We don't have a definite delayed vax schedule down yet, though I think we'll likely go with my doc's recommendations on most things. I think we're going to start with DTaP (at our checkup tomorrow), and eventually I know he thinks Hib is important too. Beyond that, I'd like to wait on the rest for now at least.

Since we were talking about solids earlier, here are two recent pics of Willa eating that cracked me up. This one is sweet potato fries and hummus (the meal that convinced me a spoon isn't all bad, for things like hummus) and this one is her "Ewwwwwww" face, the first time she tasted goat-milk yogurt. Makes me laugh every time.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *~minnow~* 

I just now figured out that NYLECOJ is your name backwards!

ROFL... I would NEVER have figured that out. Thanks Lane!


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

CJ... am I gonna start losing my hair now?

Dee... way to go on DTD! I'm still scared. Plus I am still irritated I think from the catheter. DH hasn't mentioned it even though we cleared the 6-week mark so I'm just gonna let it go til he brings it up. I have NO desire, must be the PP hormones...

Went to the doc today (can't count on my MW for real medical care now can I) to discuss my "irritation"... she took a look and prescribed something for yeast infection (a cream). Also looks like it's time to get "scoped"... chronic acid reflux which Prilosec is no longer taking care of. Sigh... and now back to my regularly scheduled medical issues... (before pregnancy I swear it was one thing after another...)

So I have a question for pumpers: Do any of you have the Medela PIS? DH bought it for me rather than the PIS Advanced. Problem is it doesn't seem to have the stimulation feature so I don't know if I'm getting a let-down. I'm barely getting anything when I pump. (Maybe I should get some bubble wrap to pop, eh Rachel?







) Is it possible to simulate the "stimulation" feature of the Advanced or am I screwed? I think it's too late to return it, I doubt DH saved the receipt or anything. Why did I let him make this decision! Just because it's electronic doesn't mean it's something a boy should buy!


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*julia*, you have reflux but ollie doesn't? how lucky is that?


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Grace24* 
So I have a question for pumpers: Do any of you have the Medela PIS? DH bought it for me rather than the PIS Advanced. Problem is it doesn't seem to have the stimulation feature so I don't know if I'm getting a let-down. I'm barely getting anything when I pump. (Maybe I should get some bubble wrap to pop, eh Rachel?







) Is it possible to simulate the "stimulation" feature of the Advanced or am I screwed?

I think it's totally possible. I have the advanced, but my friend has the regular one, and we talked about it. All the stimulation phase is is high speed, rather than low speed. Am I right that on your PIS there are two buttons, for speed and for power (or pressure, or whatever they call it)? if I were you, I'd let it run for a couple minutes (or longer, if you don't think let down has started) on high speed, and maybe even slightly lower power than normal. Then once you have let down, move it down to low speed (and high power) which is the optimum for getting milk out once you have let down.
I think you just need to play with it a bunch - even with the advanced, I feel like I've gotten better at pumping as I've gone along and find what things work. Another thing that helps with let down is looking at a photo of your LO. And some people have better luck with different size flanges too.
Good luck! i know lots of people who have the regular PIS and it works totally fine for them. I don't really think the advanced is necessary.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
*julia*, you have reflux but ollie doesn't? how lucky is that?

I know, totally weird, reading about how many babies have reflux but with us it's the other way around. I think I did it to myself, as in my 20's I had an eating disorder. I was in recovery from it for years before evidence showed up that I may have damaged my esophagus way back when.







Not saying I deserved it, but, you know, I think that's why. You can't treat your body the way I did in my 20's without eventual consequences. I hope there's an easy fix though. For now, I'm gonna try Prevacid as I've heard it's better than Prilosec for BFing mamas. Not sure when the heck I'm gonna get to the specialist for all this! Sure is hard getting out of the house with this LO to look after! (Good thing he's so darned cute!)


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *acp* 
I think it's totally possible. I have the advanced, but my friend has the regular one, and we talked about it. All the stimulation phase is is high speed, rather than low speed. Am I right that on your PIS there are two buttons, for speed and for power (or pressure, or whatever they call it)? if I were you, I'd let it run for a couple minutes (or longer, if you don't think let down has started) on high speed, and maybe even slightly lower power than normal. Then once you have let down, move it down to low speed (and high power) which is the optimum for getting milk out once you have let down.
I think you just need to play with it a bunch - even with the advanced, I feel like I've gotten better at pumping as I've gone along and find what things work. Another thing that helps with let down is looking at a photo of your LO. And some people have better luck with different size flanges too.
Good luck! i know lots of people who have the regular PIS and it works totally fine for them. I don't really think the advanced is necessary.

Yeah, exactly what Amanda said. Before I got my PISA, I used an Ameda Purely Yours and a rental Lactina, neither of which had 2 phases. I just cranked the speed up really high at the beginning of my session, then went down on speed, up on pressure as soon as I let down. I think I actually could get my 2nd letdown sooner on those pumps because I was used to fiddling with it like that to stimulate letdown.

But yeah, dudes- nothing beats bubble wrap. THAT is what needs to go in BF support kits!


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *preemiemamarach* 
We just saw the ped- his ears are clear (!!) and the ped thinks it's 'just a cold'. He also personally believes that statistics are in our favor on the immunodeficiency- the type that his bloodwork indicates (Hyper IGM syndrome, rather serious) is exceptionally rare, so he thinks it's probably an atypical presentation of one of the less severe ones that don't really give many problems past childhood (Selective IgA deficiency, Common Variable Immune Deficiency, or IgG Subclass Deficiency). Reassuring words, but he's no immunologist, so I'm withholding judgement til we get to Denver and see an expert.

Oh, get this- he's now 16 lbs 9 oz, 26.5 inches! 50th percentile (or close) for his ACTUAL age. At his 2 month checkup, he was in the 10th! So I guess I *am* feeding him enough.









Woot! You should celebrate! That's fricken awesome! I *really* hope that ped is right. My fingers are crossed.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *k9sarchik* 
Also I swear my pubic bones are still sore.

Uh yeah. I think *my* pubic bones are still sore from the malposition and I didn't even deliver vaginally. But certain positions that were not painful previously are now.

*Elizabeth,* I swear I read somewhere that you can get progesterone cream to help with scar tissue down there. I'm sure your OB will know.

*Lane,* I think I am sort of in love with your pediatrician. Dang.

As for the rest of you, especially you, Lane, what the heck is EWCM? Please tell me, I won't be grossed out. We didn't really try to conceive so much as we stopped using birth control (for a month!) and got preggo. My family is ridiculous fertile.

*Minnow,* as usual you crack me up. You are of course, quite right about the handle. Just something that stuck a long time ago and I'm too lazy to be creative.

I am sick and tired of being sick. Not sure what to do except get more rest and unless I start going to be at 7pm, I'm not sure how to do that. I sleep really well once I sleep (you know, supposing I am not interrupted a gazillion times by my tiny cohort) but I am not as good at just taking it easy and relaxing, or going to bed when I could be doing other things.

And I wonder why dd never wants to sleep.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

*Dee-* congrats on relactating! I imagine it's a toughie. Kudos to you for it, mama!
*
Emily-* I want ALL the gory details on the experiments! There's a show that's aired a few times on Discovery Health called, I think, "The Human Baby" that shows various experiments to explain developmental milestones, and I was enthralled. I worked in clinical research for a brief time before we had to move up here, and I *love* that sort of thing.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Jocelyn... I think (and correct me ladies if I'm wrong) that EWCM stands for Egg White Cervical Mucus (as in the consistency of egg whites) which means, the super-fertile cervical mucus, hence, why Dee kind of freaked when she saw it. As would I, at this point. It's a little too soon to be thinking of another babe right now.... I just started getting some decent sleep. Like, last week.

Ok, I'm pumping using your suggestions. I think it's helping, yay! Thank you thank you thank you! Still gonna try the bubble wrap though, I swear. Just cuz it's different.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*emily*, we all do love hearing about those developmental experiments.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

OMG Oliver just got his social security card in the mail.







That's so cool! Gonna be a while before he can sign it though


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

will somebody pls kick my a$$ and tell me to finish this darn cover letter already? i am







at myself


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

yay!

Lucien and I fell asleep together around 8, slept til 9:30. WOOHOO! He took about an ounce of milk, then went back down in the pack and play til I woke him at 11 for a feeding. He was in a happy, playful mood- then took some milk and sacked out again on my chest. DH took him upstairs and he's **** asleep!

Crossing my fingers that this means he feels better. He's had crap for intake today, but he really, really needed the naptime.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

great Rachel! That's awesome.

How's about sending some of those sleepy vibes this way?


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nylecoj* 

*Lane,* I think I am sort of in love with your pediatrician. Dang.

As for the rest of you, especially you, Lane, what the heck is EWCM? Please tell me, I won't be grossed out. We didn't really try to conceive so much as we stopped using birth control (for a month!) and got preggo. My family is ridiculous fertile.

I am sick and tired of being sick. Not sure what to do except get more rest and unless I start going to be at 7pm, I'm not sure how to do that. I sleep really well once I sleep (you know, supposing I am not interrupted a gazillion times by my tiny cohort) but I am not as good at just taking it easy and relaxing, or going to bed when I could be doing other things.

Jocelyn - you'll love Oberholtzer. He suggested a more spaced out schedule than the Sear's book... We're doing Dtap this month, Hib or Pc next (our choice), the other at her next WB visit and then rotating the three. Those were the three I chose to get for her - he had no other suggestions other than that it sounded good to him and HE suggested doing one at a time rather than two at a time.

I'm sorry you're still sick... That really sucks - can you stay home sick for a day or two and still take her to daycare so you can nap?

Oh yeah, and ECWM???? What the heck is that?! I got pregnant the ONLY time we tried (I know the date), so TTC wasn't an issue here either. I have no idea how we never had a surprise in 10 years of marriage with that track record... Edit - just saw the reply - thanks for clarifying. And seriously, we've all given birth. That is so not gross out material... You should hear my dog stories.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
will somebody pls kick my a$$ and tell me to finish this darn cover letter already? i am







at myself

Go to your room and don't come back until you finish that letter! (There, how's that for a mommy voice?!)

Are you all always up this late? DD decided to wake up right as I tried to go to bed with her and she's just now asleep again. At least (so far) this time hasn't involved an hour of crying. Get this - doing dishes by hand with her in the mei tai puts her to sleep. Whatever works!!!


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

I'm bored and sleepy, but scared to lay down before DD is all the way out...

Anyhoo - so after being on the phone all afternoon with three mortgage brokers, we seem to be in good shape again. I won't get my hopes up too much until we have the official approval, but we found a loan at a fair interest rate in which the gift isn't a problem. Fingers crossed!


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

Good news on the mortgage, Elizabeth!

Pie, did you finish that dang cover letter?









Soooo my milk is negatively affecting DD again, already. She normally drinks about 20 oz of formula. The past couple days she had half that and I'm sure she's not getting the other half from me since my supply is so low. She's also having huge loud stinky farts that make her cry, despite constant regular use of prescription gas drops. Did anyone who supplemented w/ formula experience this when you went back to BM? Does it get better eventually? I hate seeing her in such distress & usually go back to formula b/c it suits her better.







:


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Dee. That sounds so hard. I wish I had good advice to give you









I was another one of those who got pregnant as soon as we went off birth control (which is why I'm on the mini pill now!), but I heard enough friends talk about egg white mucous, that I figured that had to be EWCM. I remember one friend who was TTC tell me that she was totally confused by the egg white thing until she was in the shower one day and realized she had it. She came running out of the shower yelling to her husband, "We've got egg whites!!!" By that time, of course, he was totally not into DTD.

So, despite the fact that we'd decided to start with DTaP today, I'm feeling really torn about it now. On the one hand, I do trust my doctor, especially since he's so NOT vax-happy, doesn't recommend doing all of them, or doing any on the CDC schedule, and he does recommend this one. But she's just such a healthy baby, and the idea of injecting her with something somehow bothers me. I'm sure she'd be fine, but I'm still torn. I guess I'll ask him a bit more at the appointment, and then make a decision there.


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## ~minnow~ (May 25, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *acp* 
But she's just such a healthy baby, and the idea of injecting her with something somehow bothers me. I'm sure she'd be fine, but I'm still torn.

I know. It's sort of what you might call an aesthetic (or visceral?) aversion, rather than a reasoned belief that it is "dangerous" for my baby, for me. It's why I asked you about your schedule. I can't really figure out when it'll sound fine to me to do unnecessarily inject my healthy cutie. Let us know what you decide.

Confession: sometimes I make my baby do the Macarena.


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *~minnow~* 

Confession: sometimes I make my baby do the Macarena.

PAK and I have to do some work today, but...







:

btw, how can we NOT have a spit out drink laughing smilie?! B/c that is what happened when i read Lane's post.


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

LOL ta da!

Oh wow I've gotta try that baby Macarena. Of course Lane, that means that you know all the moves yourself!


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *acp* 
So, despite the fact that we'd decided to start with DTaP today, I'm feeling really torn about it now. On the one hand, I do trust my doctor, especially since he's so NOT vax-happy, doesn't recommend doing all of them, or doing any on the CDC schedule, and he does recommend this one. But she's just such a healthy baby, and the idea of injecting her with something somehow bothers me. I'm sure she'd be fine, but I'm still torn. I guess I'll ask him a bit more at the appointment, and then make a decision there.

You sound like where I was last week... We did to Dtap (Tripedia) and other than that she cried right when she got the shot, she was fine after. No redness, swelling, fussiness, sleepiness - she was just herself. Whatever you decide will be fine. We just wanted to do the pertussis since that's one of the ones I worry about. Do you know what brand they use? I don't have my book with me, but one has the least pertussis and another has the least aluminum - there's a third that has more pertussis and really high aluminum that we weren't going to let them use...


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
will somebody pls kick my a$$ and tell me to finish this darn cover letter already? i am







at myself

Let ass kicking commence.

Pie. Do you cover letter. NOW. Do it well as we all know you can.










There.

/asskicking


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Okay, we're trying the macarena!

Isabella has officially started really laughing! With Oscar on Friday night and with me last night. Wow - now I really know what the best sound in the world is. It made me cry!


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *~minnow~* 

Confession: sometimes I make my baby do the Macarena.

Stop with the funnies! I cannot laugh that hard at work and expect to keep my job.

*Elizabeth* sweet on the mortgage broker dealy-bob.

*Dee,* Man, I am sorry about the bf issues. That sucks. I always thought that breast milk was easier on a babe than formula, but it doesn't seem like that is the case here. Boo.

*Rach,* YAY Lucien! So glad he's feeling better!


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MajorGroover* 

Soooo my milk is negatively affecting DD again, already. She normally drinks about 20 oz of formula. The past couple days she had half that and I'm sure she's not getting the other half from me since my supply is so low. She's also having huge loud stinky farts that make her cry, despite constant regular use of prescription gas drops. Did anyone who supplemented w/ formula experience this when you went back to BM? Does it get better eventually? I hate seeing her in such distress & usually go back to formula b/c it suits her better.







:

It sucks, but you could try what we did and eliminate the "top 8" allergens and see how she does. You need to do it for at least two weeks, which is a PITA. But, it's working great for DD - still having healthy poops and not super gassy... I'd at least try eliminating dairy, soy, and peanuts...








It's hard, I know... Good luck, momma.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

ugh.

Daycare provider just called. Lucien has had huge diarrhea blowouts five times since I dropped him off at 8:30. And he's running a fever again.

Her teenage daughter had a stomach virus on Friday and stayed home from school, but she 'mostly stayed upstairs' away from the kids. Now my kid obviously has stomach issues (no formula in days). Did the DCP call us on Friday? No. Even though I've SPECIFICALLY TOLD HER to call if ANYONE in the family is sick. DH and I can ill afford to just skip out with this being his last day, my next-to-last.

I'm so annoyed.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Aw momma - I'm sorry. I'd skip out - screw your office... What are they going to do - fire you?!


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *preemiemamarach* 
ugh.

Daycare provider just called. Lucien has had huge diarrhea blowouts five times since I dropped him off at 8:30. And he's running a fever again.

Her teenage daughter had a stomach virus on Friday and stayed home from school, but she 'mostly stayed upstairs' away from the kids. Now my kid obviously has stomach issues (no formula in days). Did the DCP call us on Friday? No. Even though I've SPECIFICALLY TOLD HER to call if ANYONE in the family is sick. DH and I can ill afford to just skip out with this being his last day, my next-to-last.

I'm so annoyed.

Oh snap! I will smack her if you need! That is so unfair and makes me mad. I'm so sorry. Hopefully it will stay minor and pass quickly.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
Aw momma - I'm sorry. I'd skip out - screw your office... What are they going to do - fire you?!

Yeah that. Tell them to take their bubble wrap and shove it!


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Oh that sucks, Rachel! No way she should have let someone sick be around Lucien, with all he's been through. I agree about your work, though - at this point, not much they can do...

So, our decision about vax got put off, since the doctor was out of DTaP. He said we could come back in a week or two when he gets more in - he does think pertussis something to worry about, unlike some of the other vaxxed-for diseases - but I think we're just going to put it off until our next WBV at 10 months, which he was fine with. I haven't asked which brand of the vax he uses, though I should. My guess is that it's a safer one, though, since he's super careful already about things like not doing multiple vax at a visit, delaying vax until babies are older, etc.
Willa was 7 months old yesterday, and she weighed in at 20 lbs, 4 oz and 28 inches. Crazy to think that she's grown 9 inches in just 7 months! Basically we just learned what we already know - that she's a very healthy baby and we should keep doing what we're doing - but I still like the reassurance of occasionally having someone who's a professional take a look. She was great during the appointment, thought she screamed bloody murder for the last 10 minutes of the drive home. This girl does NOT like her car seat.


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

julia - cute when the babes get official documents like social security cards. We just got ella a passport for a trip to europe in may. It's funny, you have to fill out all the normal info - eye color, ht, weight, etc. even though she'll be totally different by may! I think it's funny that she's technically topless in her picture - how many people can say that?

rachel - I'm so sorry mama, she should have known better and you should tell her (again). I hope L. is ok.

thanks you guys for the info on rice cereal. We certainly don't need it for nutritional reasons, I'm just wondering if a few ounces before bed might help fill the tummy enough to get a longer initial stretch of sleep. but maybe not worth it.

changed a carrot poop today. YUUUUCK even worse than bananas.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rock_dr* 

changed a carrot poop today. YUUUUCK even worse than bananas.

Yeah- carrot and sweet tater poops look pretty revolting, don't they? Not to push him to grow up too fast, but it *will* be nice when the food my little dude eats doesn't come out the other end with a similar color- and smell. GROSS!


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Boo! I just found that my health insurance plan no longer covers the group that has the awesome pediatrician I wanted. We can't switch until November.

That really irritates me because I'm having a heck of a time finding an AP friendly pediatrician in our area.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Lane... I bet that's the only time that dance looks good







I'm gonna try that! I totally learned the marcarena in my silly exercise dance class last week, so now I know it! I knew it would come in handy someday!

Elizabeth... yay for laughing! Oliver laughed for the first time around 6 weeks. I was singing to him. Either he liked it or he thinks my morning voice is funny, but he repeated it the next day for DH when I sang to him again so I know it wasn't a fluke. Sometimes he also laughs silently in his sleep. I've looked down after nursing, realized he's fallen asleep with the nipple against his nose, and his mouth is wide open in a smile and he's literally chuckling silently. It's amazing.

Rachel...







: for you at your DCP! My sitter showed up one day last week with a bad cold, but her mom came for her the next two days. I just







: that Ollie got immunity from my BM... he seems ok so far and so do I.

Going without a sitter this week since it seemed like Oliver was starting to sleep 7 hours a night on a regular basis. Of COURSE in honor of the no-sitter occasion, he decides not to sleep last night. So I'm hurting. I figured it was time to step up and deal without hiring a sitter for naps... seemed like it was starting to interrupt our morning routine to have someone come in. He was so fussy with the sitters. Plus, she gave him THREE BOTTLES OF BREASTMILK in a four hour period the other day. That stuff is like gold! I feel like I've said this before. Sorry if I'm repeating myself, I'm a little tired. Anyhow I was annoyed because jeez, it's not like you have to give the boy 6 ounces of breastmilk every time he cries. Sometimes he just cries. So we're out three bags just cuz I wanted to take a nap on Saturday.







:

I have to get up to pee but Ollie fell asleep on his nursing pillow and I don't want to wake him up. I should start wearing diapers myself.









Pie, did you do your cover letter yet?


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Grace24* 
Plus, she gave him THREE BOTTLES OF BREASTMILK in a four hour period the other day. That stuff is like gold! I feel like I've said this before. Sorry if I'm repeating myself, I'm a little tired. Anyhow I was annoyed because jeez, it's not like you have to give the boy 6 ounces of breastmilk every time he cries. Sometimes he just cries. So we're out three bags just cuz I wanted to take a nap on Saturday.







:


WHOA! That's amazing! 18 oz of expressed breast milk is all Lucien had ALL DAY yesterday. I'm truly in awe of Ollie's mad drinking skillz.









Annoying, though, like you said- nobody understands how valuable that stuff is unless it came out of their boobs.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Grace24* 
Plus, she gave him THREE BOTTLES OF BREASTMILK in a four hour period the other day. That stuff is like gold! I feel like I've said this before. Sorry if I'm repeating myself, I'm a little tired. Anyhow I was annoyed because jeez, it's not like you have to give the boy 6 ounces of breastmilk every time he cries. Sometimes he just cries. So we're out three bags just cuz I wanted to take a nap on Saturday.







:

That would infuriate me. My mom let Isabella go through more bm than I think she needed yesterday. She was sleepy (I think), but not hungry. She thinks if she eats when you offer a bottle that she's "hungry". Argh. Now I'm down 4 extra oz, too. My dad on the other hand gives her about what I'd expect - 3 oz every few hours or so. My mom also gave her a bottle at 9 AM - after I'd nursed her at 8:15 AM...

Six oz in an hour is TOO much, though. I can't imagine that even fitting in that little belly!

I wonder if Pie is hiding from us because she hasn't finished her letter?


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nylecoj* 
Boo! I just found that my health insurance plan no longer covers the group that has the awesome pediatrician I wanted. We can't switch until November.

That really irritates me because I'm having a heck of a time finding an AP friendly pediatrician in our area.

That really sucks. We switched just in time, but the HMO's my work has don't cover that group either. Annoying.


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## Thorn Hailfilter (Nov 14, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *preemiemamarach* 
Yeah- carrot and sweet tater poops look pretty revolting, don't they? Not to push him to grow up too fast, but it *will* be nice when the food my little dude eats doesn't come out the other end with a similar color- and smell. GROSS!

Just wait until he has beets!


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Thorn Hailfilter* 
Just wait until he has beets!









umm..... uke

maybe daddy can do the honor with beets!


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Gah! Not getting squat pumping today... Both times less than 3 oz. How on earth am I going to keep up with her??? Even my early morning pump isn't producing much. I'm so scared that we're going to run out of frozen milk soon.


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Thorn Hailfilter* 
Just wait until he has beets!









Ewww.

Beets taste like spicy dirt to me.


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

*E*, can your mom or dad ever bring dd to you at work so you could nurse her at lunch or anything? Also, I know at some point your milk changes into a more dense food product and you produce a little less. This happened to me and I was worried, but it always managed to work out. I want to say it was around 6 mos or so, but I'm honestly not sure.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

not having a good day today re day care provider and (separate issue) dd's naps and (separate issue) our coop seller being a freak and (related to dd's non-nap) not enough time to pump to build up a stash.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Sorry you're having a bad day, Pie...

I had decent luck pumping once every morning with DD in her bouncy seat getting enough of a stash that we're still okay. It's not what I'd like it to be, but we still have probably 30 oz saved up...

Jocelyn - I'll talk to my dad about this again. We talked about it before I came back, and then it was crazy busy here at first. But, it's slowed down a lot so that might be a good option.

Okay - I'm sneaking out early... We have a chiro appt at 5 for both of us.


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

Haha carrot & beet poop! I'm so glad I started ECing. It's only part time (DD still wears diapers but I offer her the potty at each dipe change and whenever she normally goes, like after naps & eating. Hopefully it'll pay off with fewer diapers full of technicolor poo!

Well I'm back from seeing my 4th LC. Confirmed M's latch is good. I told her the whole history & she asked me to carefully consider if BFing is worth it, since M does well (better) on formula & it's so painful for me to nurse. I immediately started crying b/c I knew the answer.







I just wanted it to work so badly & kept thinking it was my fault that it wasn't. I'm so envious of all of you who have made it work. Honestly, though, we were both happier last time I stopped trying. It'll be a little easier to stop this time b/c the guilt is dissipating. Yesterday & the day before M was pulling away while still latched on, which was very painful. Today she refused the boobs twice even tho most, if not all, of my milk is back. Neither of those things were very encouraging. Thanks so much for listening & helping me deal with this issue. I know this isn't the BFing forum & the problem is certainly not unique to those w/ #1 in their 30s, but it's been the hardest part of motherhood for me to handle. Not reflux, colic, failure to thrive, or exhaustion. I just always assumed I would & it was important for me b/c I believed that I developed food allergies from not being breastfed. I've since discovered that many things played a role and breastmilk may have not helped me at all. I have a good baby who can be healthy and happy if I listen to her cues and do what's right for her, b/c in the end that's what's right for both of us. OK, pity party over.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*dee*, so sad.









MAMAS WHO'VE GONE BACK TO WORK: how much breastmilk did you have stashed when you started back?

DAYCARE WOES: so the bono daycare, which was supposed to open its new facility in february, is now slated for apri. this is way worse than gah! i am hating on us for not hedging our bets and sinking a deposit with the cheaper alternative that dh didn;t like. what if i get a job but no place to put dd? i've got a tour slated for thus. and about 50,000 messages left. sigh.

dd is fussy which i am sure is because she refused to nap for more than 10 minutes today. that's a gah. dh is taking her for a walk. i







him.

HOUSING WOES: our seller is freaking out that we don't have the commitment letter in the board package yet. she is calling like all the time and spamming us with emails. it's gotten to the point where i'm scared to answer the phone. she needs to







:


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

hugs dee. I think you're right, that's one of the big challenges of motherhood, to be able to listen to the cues from these little creatures rather than just what our brains are telling us.

Geez Pie, that is just TOO MUCH for you to be dealing with right now!

I originally had like 24 oz stored when i went to work, now it's down to about 15 oz after various trips. She takes about 9-12 while I'm gone, and I typically only pump 9-10 oz/day of work, which means I have to pump ALL 'off' days to keep up. Wish I could get it back up to 24 oz, as that would allow me the luxury of gettin' out and doing stuff, like skiing, more often.

skiing was awesome btw, although 2 ft of fresh powder had its way with me. That and dh 'couldn't' get lo to sleep all pm, so I had fussy baby to deal with rather than relaxing in the jacuzzi. oh well, one step at a time.

Elizabeth - I totally get the stress you're feeling, hang in there and keep pumping.

I have one nanny who i think gives her too much milk as well but I never really know how to handle it. I don't want to set a specific rule on the amount, but boy is it stressful to try and keep up.

Jocelyn - I was warned about the 6-7 month supply dip, I wonder if that's what is going on.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Dee - I'm so sorry, but I think your LO is telling you what's best for her and in the end that's what matters. I know how hard it is to let go of bfing, though - I cried and cried when we were going through our challenges. If dd had done well on formula, we would have switched too. I don't think that this thread is limited on any issue - I mean, you're in your 30s with your 1st and therefore ANY of your issues are relevant. That's what we're here for!

Sorry about daycare and housing, Pie. That really blows. On milk - I had maybe 25 oz too. And I'm down now by maybe 1/3 of that? I have a bunch from before I was scalding I could mix in if we have to... But I'm also stuck with her on any non-work time because all of my pumping goes to that! No snowboarding for me this year...

So, what's the 6-7 month supply dip??? I don't know about that. I wonder if that's why so many mommas quit at that time because they "dry up". What do you need to do to deal with it?


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

bumping us up


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

E - I remember my midwife saying something about 'be warned, supply changes around 6 months and if you go to the ped they will likely pressure you to supplement, but it's probably not necessary.' Maybe something to do with the content change towards 'more dense' that Jocelyn mentioned. And/or maybe coinciding with the onset of starting some solids? I don't see anything about it on kellymom.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rock_dr* 
E - I remember my midwife saying something about 'be warned, supply changes around 6 months and if you go to the ped they will likely pressure you to supplement, but it's probably not necessary.' Maybe something to do with the content change towards 'more dense' that Jocelyn mentioned. And/or maybe coinciding with the onset of starting some solids? I don't see anything about it on kellymom.

Yeah, my supply dropped at around six months, but with all I have going on, getting my 3rd (







) PPAF, etc, I didn't think too much of it. Now that you mention it, though, I have noticed that my milk looks thicker. More fat residue clinging to the inside of the bottle, too.


----------



## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

I had never heard about the 6-7 month drop either, but I've definitely noticed I've been getting less from pumping lately, at the same time that Willa is eating a lot more. I was traveling all weekend for work, which made it even more noticeable. I'm lucky that I'm working from home a lot - and am going to take the next few days off since I worked all weekend - so I'm hoping to not use any pumped milk at all for a week or so and see if Willa's demand can help get my supply back to what she needs. I do wonder, though, if that's why so many working moms stop BFing around 6 months...


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

pak...

So, I have a hickey. On my neck.
I haven't had one of those since high school.
However, it did not come from my husband.
It came from Benjamin.
He was nursing and fell asleep (per our usual night time routine) so I carried him up to bed. On the way up, he started suckling on my neck - it didn't hurt or anything, but it was definitely that familar highschool hickey feeling.
Sure enough, I had a hickey. From MY SON!

Most action I've gotten in months







:


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Emily - you need to take a picture of that. Oh my gosh that is too funny!!!

So, home this morning and turns out I can no longer get DD to nap. I think since she's not being worn much with me at work, she's not liking it as much. She's tired, but WILL NOT sleep lately. GAH!!!

What do I do now???


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

bumping- 'cause we're too sexy for page 2.









Tying up all my loose ends here at work. Gotta tell ya- I'm not going to miss it!


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*rachel*, happy last day!







lucien is lucky to have you.

*elizabeth*, i am no expert on getting kids to nap, but i don't think you should read any grand significance into it. i think some days they will and some days they won't. and the latter will always be when you need them to.

*emily*, dd gave my pp doula a hickey. i was having a good long shower and she wanted for forestall the feeding.

JOB SEARCH: so i am super disappointed. as some of you may remember, i have been in the running for a Dream Job for some time. i was offered it in november but i was like no i always said i need to be hme with dd for 6 mos. which is less than i REALLY want but all dh and i can afford and what we agreed to pre-ttc. so i just learned that priorities have shifted and they are hiring in another sunstantive area instead. the rejection is not personal: if and when they hire in my area i have it. but for now i've got to get another job. sucks the big one. this would have been really helpful on the mortgage front.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

sorry Pie! That sux. I know how you feel. I've watched a few auditions go by that I totally couldn't even try for cuz the timing was wrong. I just keep reminding myself that I'll end up in the right job when I'm meant to... I believe that whole-heartedly. If I'd auditioned earlier when I wanted to and gotten a different job way back when I started wanting to and couldn't (other reasons) I'd never have met DH and wouldn't have Oliver! I hope you get something else though as I know how pressed for money we're starting to feel with my being off for so long.







The right one will come along! Or this one, but later. Who knows. Keep the faith girl!

Rachel... OMG it's your last day already and I forgot to give you my # so we could do coffee! Sorry! Man, time flies. Happy last day! You must be thrilled. Goodbye to bad garbage, right?









DH called in sick today just so I could catch up on my sleep. I didn't even ask him to or anything.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Julia - Want to loan me your DH??? That's sweet!

Pie - I'm so sorry that the job thing didn't work out. I've had that happen, but ended up at an even better place because of the one that didn't work out, so you never know... Still, I'm sorry.

Rachel - Yay for last days!!! It's my best friend's last day, which means she'll no longer be right across the hall from me. Gah! I'll probably get more work done, though, which would mean getting home to DD earlier probably... I'm glad you're done.

How's Lucien doing? Is the tummy bug any better?

I know that sometimes they just don't sleep - it's the age more than anything, I think. I think my guilt about returning to work just colors normal baby issues.

On the happy boob news front - I don't have deep breast pain! I guess the last round of abx did something because the constant deep pain I've had (to where I thought it was normal during bfing) is gone... Still have nipple pain, but it's at least under control. I saw the LC today and she did another milk sample to make sure we got everything. She's having me do 2 more weeks of Diflucan then stopping. If it flares up, we'll try a different med.


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## cmu204 (Mar 3, 2007)

So tired.
Baby had a good night (only two wakings) but I am just completely *over* this whole leakage thing. I've checked the BF challenges board, and haven't found my miracle cure, so I'm just hoping that my supply will settle down in the next two weeks. Even my mom's like, "Wow, honey, maybe we'll just have to call you Elsie."








(From anyone else that'd be an insult, but we tease each other like that.)
She also reminded me that it definitely means the LO is getting enough to eat and gaining weight, which is a good thing. I just wish it (the leaking, I mean) didn't make me so sad.
I seriously feel as if I'll never be dry again. I'm on my third shirt of the day.







:

Spoke to a colleague today, and it was really weird. It was as if the part of me that worked (right up until my due date) has just been gone for forever. Activating that part of my brain felt good, though. Perhaps there's room in my life to be both mom and working woman.

Oh, gotta go. The little beastie is working out some _serious_ gas. GAH!









Cher








Mama to cranky baby Z "(12.10.07)


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rock_dr* 
skiing was awesome btw, although 2 ft of fresh powder had its way with me. That and dh 'couldn't' get lo to sleep all pm, so I had fussy baby to deal with rather than relaxing in the jacuzzi. oh well, one step at a time.

Woot and woot. I totally meant to ask you about this and forgot.

Also? Hearing this is the best news I've had ALL DAY. Dd was a major pain today, I came home and did dishes, ran the dog, made dinner and dealt with a screaming monster who took almost 1 hour to get to sleep. UGH. I do not even like her today and I hate it when I feel like that.

Also, dh is on my last nerve tonight. I wonder if I'm not pmsing?

Anyway, we're skiing again soon too! But powder kills me now that I'm so outta shape. I still love it though. Oh, and CJ, dd got her double ear infection the night after we skied, so I hear ya on the not getting to rest in a jacuzzi like you are supposed to.


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

Jocelyn - lol I was coming on to post a big fat complaint about not getting any sleep last night but reading your post, I don't wanna be a downer







. I hope today goes better for you. I love snow. Am wondering if I should give up on telemarking for now. I got the hang of it a few years ago, then stopped for the baby, and I'm pretty rusty.

(although I could use some 'stay awake!' vibes today as it's a big day at work.)

Cher - I stopped leaking after about 6-8 weeks, so maybe you will be dry again







. Good to get those brain cells working again too. I remember I was so relieved when I went back to work and it felt RIGHT, even though I was sad to leave ella.

Pie - sorry about the dream job #1, but hoping there's a dream job #2 out there for you.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Cher - sorry about the leaking. That's the one bfing issue I didn't have! Hope it stops soon.

I hear you guys on using the "work" side of your brain again. I honestly thought it would take me a while to get back into it, but I fell right in and it did feel good to use my brain again. Had some challenging bills right off the bat and was able to work out the issues in them, too... I do miss DD like crazy and would have loved to stay home for a couple more months, but I am glad to be back to work too...


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

PAK... I'm trying all the suggestions but still not pumping much







Was calculating how much milk I'll need vs. how much I'll be able to pump and it's not looking good. Maybe I'll have to suplement w/ formula at some point. Not going there yet but I may have to during opera season. We'll see.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

for anybody who was on the fence about jumparoos, DH and I are sitting in the office at our desks, Lucien in his 'roo between us, boinging away like a crazy boy, laughing and grinning. We have a lot of logistics to deal with for the move, and even though I'm *totally* slacking by posting on MDC, 10 minutes to have both hands to do stuff is FANTASTIC.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

I want a jumparoo - DH really wants to hold off on more baby stuff until we move and have room for it. Maybe I'll use packing as an excuse to get one... I think DD is a bit young, but she just loves to stand up.

We have our 3rd pediatric chiro appt. this morning. I actually think it's helped her reflux...

Oh Rachel - you need to change your signature. You're no longer a WOHM!


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Grace24* 
PAK... I'm trying all the suggestions but still not pumping much







Was calculating how much milk I'll need vs. how much I'll be able to pump and it's not looking good. Maybe I'll have to suplement w/ formula at some point. Not going there yet but I may have to during opera season. We'll see.

*Julia* - How long have you been pumping? It definitely takes time for your body to learn to respond to the pump. Also, you are still nursing fulltime, right? Once you are back at work and NOT feeding the babe, you will have all of that milk too. Right now you are just pumping out "extra" milk.

*Cher* aka "Elsie"







- I stopped leaking around 8 weeks (but even then I'd still have the occasional leak). Around 12 weeks I stopped wearing the bra pads. At 4.5 months I don't think I've leaked in weeks (however, I am hardly ever bare breasted, keeping pressure on my boob is key for leak prevention).

*Pie* - I hope this isn't too forward of me to say, but honestly honey, do you even WANT to go back to work? It seems to be that you pretty much don't (and yet you feel like you should). I know it is super tough and strange getting an advanced degree and then not working, but things change. Priorities shift. You are absolutely not the same person you were when you went to law school. Maybe you don't want to be a lawyer anymore. I know that DH is pressuring you, but it really might be time for a serious heart to heart. That being said, sorry about the job









*Dee* - If formula works, formula works. Breastmilk is great, but it isn't the be all, end all of your relationship with DD. Adopted babies don't get BM and are just fine. I am sure that many of us (babies of the 70s) didn't get BM (and started solids way too early) and we are all fine. If you want to continue to pump (just for the weight loss benefits







) you could consider donating your milk (even if you only pump once/twice a day). That way, even though DD might not be getting it, you are helping other babes. Just a thought. However, if DS wasn't drinking my milk, I just as soon chuck my pump out the window. You have been through so much with this. I really would like to see you at peace soon









*re breast milk stash before returning to work*: Well I had a ton (hundereds of ounces) but it all ended up being for naught as I have that stupid lipase problem. Sooo, I went back to work with NO STASH. None. It was horribly stressful. But, I usually pump 3-6 oz more than DS needs (this is achieved by pumping 5 times a day) so I have slowly been building the stash back up.

Okay, touchy subject here (for me), but I am starting to freak out and just want some feedback.
So I am still having some postpartum "issues". I still have sciatica on my left side that flares up (this was so bad the first 2 weeks PP that I could not even walk) and my yoga teacher says that my left hip is "wonky" (won't settle right in the poses even though it used to before pregnancy). I am also having some incontinence issues







: Not horrible, but if I cough too hard or run, I leak. I have been doing kegels like crazy (seriously, up to 500 a day) and have noticed some improvement, but at 4.5 months I really feel like it should be gone. And finally, my yoni just looks different. There are some tissue bits sticking out (not really far, but they were NOT there before I gave birth) and things just look different. My midwife said nothing about it at my 6 week PP visit and I really do not want to go back to her only to be told to kegel ('cause I already am). Anyone else? Am I alone here? Is this normal?


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Emily... I will be pumping at work a little, but I have limited time, so my concern is that it won't be enough. I guess I'll just take it one day at a time. We'll be ok for the first couple weeks I'm back (I think) and then I have 9 days off to try to build up more stash. RE the PP body... I'm having incontinence too, and didn't even have a vaginal birth. I think it's from the catheter. I know I need ot Kegel but I hate doing them. I don't have sciatica but in yoga last week I couldn't stand on one leg (dancer pose) because my hips would spasm. So you're not alone. Things are different, still. Not sure how much of it will change... for me, I'm hoping the incontinence gets better! I hate having to wear pads. It's gross.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

I'm glad I'm not the only mama who wets her pants a little.







:

Not often, but enough to know it's definitely baby-related.

Also, since we're on the subject- anybody else have weird numbness in the labial region sometimes? I notice it when I'm in really flat chairs (it happened a lot in the rockers in the NICU, but I was freshly PP and the chairs sucked). I noticed it again at the hospital with Lucien last month, also in a flat-bottomed rocking chair. But that time, it was almost my entire vagina that went numb. I ran to the loo to check because I thought something strange like a uterine prolapse had happened.







I have a lot of spinal issues anyway, so transient numbness in my legs is nothing new (I was actually developing paralysis in one leg before my back surgery), but this is.....well, somehow more distressing.









*Emily,* so sorry about the pumping stress. I still have sessions where I look at the bottles and think, WTF?? Your body will develop a relationship with the pump, believe it or not.

*Elizabeth,* I thought about changing my sig this morning! I'm open to suggestions.









*Pie,* so sorry about the job. Nursing is my 3rd career and I didn't get my nursing degree til my 30's, so I feel weird about leaving the work force right now. But then I remember that I'm ONLY 35 (36 in a few weeks, yow), and there are a lot of productive years in me yet, KWIM?


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dctexan* 
*Pie* - I hope this isn't too forward of me to say, but honestly honey, do you even WANT to go back to work? It seems to be that you pretty much don't (and yet you feel like you should). I know it is super tough and strange getting an advanced degree and then not working, but things change. Priorities shift. You are absolutely not the same person you were when you went to law school. Maybe you don't want to be a lawyer anymore. I know that DH is pressuring you, but it really might be time for a serious heart to heart. That being said, sorry about the job










dh brought that up last night. not sure. it would mean renting a 1br apt forever and not buying (throwing the coop bd interview). the day care thing is a disaster and it's impossible to think about work without knowing she will be in a good space. saw the potential alternate day care today and almost burst into tears. looking into home day cares and nanny shares now. i have a job interview tomorrow for a job i'm overqualified for. i was really down on the job before but now i am starting to rethink it, bc it comes with 6 weeks vacation and it would give me a year of maternity leave when we have #2. what does it mean that those are the perks for me?


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

and yes *emily* you are not alone. wasn't i the first to post on the whole peeing thing? i am so embarrassed!! my mw said it would forever look different down there, but the pee thing i wish were under control.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*julia*, my friend has urinary incontinence after her c-section. so it happens.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Willa seems super happy just playing by herself and exploring right now, so I'll try and post a bit...
*Peeing*: Definitely have done this a few times (especially when sneezing or laughing) post-partum. I know I need to do kegels, but I just find them so tedious, and then forget. I keep telling myself just to do them while nursing Willa, but I can count on one hand the number of times I've remembered, and she's 7 months already.

*Rachel*: Congrats on being done with the job!! When do you actually head to Colorado?

*Pie*: Good luck on the job market - or choosing not to go back, if that's what you decide. Honestly, I think that decision to work or not is SO personal, and it's impossible to know how you'll feel before having the baby. I've known women who were certain they'd keep working fulltime, only to cut back to part-time or stop completely, and others who thought for sure they'd want to be a SAHM, and then realize they wouldn't be happy. I know giving up the coop would be hard, but if waht you really want is to stay at home, I think putting up with worse housing, etc, for a while, can be manageable - you just shift your priorities.
I gave more thought than I thought I would to stopping work once I had Willa. It wasn't really doable for us, since we depend on my job for benefits, etc, but I suddenly really had the desire to. However, by the time I finally went back to work, I realized that as nice as it sounded in theory, I would probably go nuts being a fulltime SAHM and not having any outlet for intellectual stimulation of a different sort than I can get with Willa. It's hard sometimes not being with her as much as I'd like, but I also really appreciate the time I DO get to spend with her.
All of which is to say.. I don't think ther'es a right answer, and I don't think you should feel bad for being conflicted. You can also always resume a career a few years down the road, or take a less stressful job now and go back to something more time-consuming later.. Sounds like the job you're interviewing for tomorrow has potential!
Sorry about the daycare situation. But maybe nanny sharing might have potential?

*CJ:* Keep telemarking! I started doing it a number of years ago when I was living in CO and wanted to get out in the backcountry more. Now that I get to ski only once or twice a year, I don't really do it anymore, but I wish I could. And I bet it'll get you back in shape fast... Still one of the best thigh workouts I know!

Ok, was going to say more, but Willa's getting fussy. Now that she's mobile she's getting really good about entertaining herself, but I also have to worry more about what she could get into...


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## hazieluna (Sep 20, 2006)

Just quickly to say Emily you are NOT alone!!! My yoni looks and feels like a stranger's. I luckily don't have any flesh sticking out but the gyn that did my stiches seems to have sewn two labia together?? Freaking weird and I keep hoping my body will just slowly return to it's normal state. Oh and yeah the gyn was a man, why did I think a MAN could sew?

I don't have much to say about returning to work because for the time being I'm at home so no pumping advice. In a way I'm glad I don't have to deal with any of this stressful daycare bologne! But on the other hand staying at home is tough. I think if I had a date that I knew I'd have to return to work by then it would be like vacation mentality where you try to take advantage as much as possible of your time with you LO. Take away that return date and suddenly this is your life, all day you and LO together. Great but also exhausting and lonely.

Wondering how you give your babies probiotics or anything other than boob because it's a battle to get Aidan to swallow from a syringe. He won't take a bottle and he refuses a paci.

Also he seems to be rejecting one of my boobs. I don't know what to do about that.

Rachel - congrats on leaving a kak job!
Emily - I've suffered from sciatica because of mild scoliosis. How did you handle the pain and discomfort just PP?!? Geez! I don't know what's causing your sciatica but in my case Pilates really helped, more than yoga. I guess since a strong stomach helps a weak back.
Pie - good luck figuring out your daycare / getting a job woes. You've already had a rather crap job while pregnant - don't do that again!! I think you should hold out for one that actually has a chance at making you happy.
Dee - wow you amaze me! You are still trying! I don't think I have this kind of commitment. I'm just sorry that it's so hard.

I agree with Emily, I got formula - I don't have any allergies. I got cereal at 3 months! My Moms asking me when I'm starting Aidan on rice cereal - haha... I keep telling her that things have changed a bit.

Elizabeth - congrats on your new house! I have no clue what that pond is you mentioned but having a pond sounds nice!

Cher/ Elsie - sorry about the leaking. Hang in there!

Jocelyn - I have those kind of moments too. I need to learn to forgive myself for feeling so hateful towards Aidan. I think the guilt lasts longer than the moment itself!

I'm heading to the US in March!! I haven't been back in 3 years already! I'm going to Florida to visit my Mom and see the sun hopefully! Whoopie!! I wish I could stop in DC since that's where all my friends still live. I get kind of nostalgic for DC hearing you all talk about it. I use to live on New Hampshire Ave between Dupont Circle and 16th - and commuted to Alexandria. And yep I never had any traffic. Back in my youth.... now everyone's move to Takoma Park or Arlington, I even have a friend in Manassas.
Sorry rambling... this was suppose to be a quick note!


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
dh brought that up last night. not sure. it would mean renting a 1br apt forever and not buying (throwing the coop bd interview). the day care thing is a disaster and it's impossible to think about work without knowing she will be in a good space. saw the potential alternate day care today and almost burst into tears. looking into home day cares and nanny shares now. i have a job interview tomorrow for a job i'm overqualified for. i was really down on the job before but now i am starting to rethink it, bc it comes with 6 weeks vacation and it would give me a year of maternity leave when we have #2. what does it mean that those are the perks for me?









Have you thought about part-time? Is that maybe an option? It does sound like you're really torn, but I can see the daycare thing being a major factor. I couldn't have left DD in a place I wasn't comfortable with. It's weird buying the house right now, too, since it means I really am committing to staying back at work for the long-term... I have put out feelers for part-time gigs, but we'll see. They're hard to find in this environment.

Anyway - I think being overqualified for a job with great benefits might be perfect right now. Probably limited overtime, too. So, more time with babe is a huge factor... Interesting how priorities change, huh?


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
and yes *emily* you are not alone. wasn't i the first to post on the whole peeing thing? i am so embarrassed!! my mw said it would forever look different down there, but the pee thing i wish were under control.

Well, I'm not peeing, but I think because DD was early and I didn't get to that point. I think the muscles get affected from the pregnancy as much as the birth, so C-Section could totally do that too.

My yoni is different - I think I already posted that they did the stitches weird.

I'm also still having "dryness" (yay - like menopause). My doc says it's normal for that to potentially last until I wean DD. Fun.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *hazieluna* 
Wondering how you give your babies probiotics or anything other than boob because it's a battle to get Aidan to swallow from a syringe. He won't take a bottle and he refuses a paci.

Also he seems to be rejecting one of my boobs. I don't know what to do about that.

I mix them with maybe a teaspoon of breast milk and give it to her in a dropper. She takes it fine, but she also likes her paci and bottles...

She also has a sometimes-hate relationship with my left boob. No idea why - the nipples are slightly different shapes so maybe she just likes the other one better. Bfing/pumping have SO changed my nipples! I feed her on the one she sometimes rejects first almost all the time so that she will hopefully take it because she's hungry to try to keep up supply. She always comfort nurses on the left, though.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 

I'm also still having "dryness" (yay - like menopause). My doc says it's normal for that to potentially last until I wean DD. Fun.

oh yeah my mw warned me about that it is not good for dtd


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
Have you thought about part-time? Is that maybe an option? It does sound like you're really torn, but I can see the daycare thing being a major factor. I couldn't have left DD in a place I wasn't comfortable with. It's weird buying the house right now, too, since it means I really am committing to staying back at work for the long-term... I have put out feelers for part-time gigs, but we'll see. They're hard to find in this environment.

Anyway - I think being overqualified for a job with great benefits might be perfect right now. Probably limited overtime, too. So, more time with babe is a huge factor... Interesting how priorities change, huh?

yes with most of teh jobs in the hopper i am moderately optimistic about part time. i was originally 100% committed to part-time, as close to sah as i could get, but then when the dream job came up it couldn't be part time. so i am returning to my original hopes in a way.


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## FiberLover (Feb 6, 2007)

*lurker, in the preg. with #1 thread popping in*

Because...

I noticed telemark skiing here!

Its the one thing I miss being pregnant right now.

Yay for telemark skiing!

*back to lurking and learning about what the future holds...*


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rock_dr* 
I love snow. Am wondering if I should give up on telemarking for now. I got the hang of it a few years ago, then stopped for the baby, and I'm pretty rusty.


Quote:


Originally Posted by *acp* 

*CJ:* Keep telemarking! I started doing it a number of years ago when I was living in CO and wanted to get out in the backcountry more. Now that I get to ski only once or twice a year, I don't really do it anymore, but I wish I could. And I bet it'll get you back in shape fast... Still one of the best thigh workouts I know!

I kind of worship both of you right now. I just got into skiing a few years ago and although I learned pretty fast, I only have gear for regular downhill stuff, no fancy telemarking boots/skis/whatever.

Way to go.

*Pie* - good luck with job stuff. I am way overqualed for my job too, but I get to bring dd two days a week which helps a lot.

*Dee,* I never acknowledged your bm woes. (Breast milk, everyone, not bowel movement







) Anyway, I'm really sorry. That must be super hard on you but you know part of being a mom is making the best decision for your baby, even if it's not what you want. I'm sure you already know that but just figured I'd toss it out. You're obviously very attentive to your child and that's worth all it's weight in breast milk.

Hang in there.

Last night got better.







Thanks for listening.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Glad last night was better Jocelyn!!! It was for us too. She finally nursed to sleep again - it's been 2 weeks, so that was really nice.

Oh, and I'm way impressed by the telemarking, too. Very cool. I'm a crappy snowboarder only, but love it. I am too scared to even try skiing since I've had knee issues...

Last night got better.







Thanks for listening.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

just had to get my DH to explain what telemarking was. Growing up in NC, I didn't see a whole lot of







: weather, let alone skiing! Since I've had 2 major surgeries on my right hip and really need a spinal fusion, I doubt I'll be partaking of the downhill skiing in CO, but I *will* hopefully CC ski someday. And snowshoe! woot!

Speaking of CO- we leave next week! HOLY CRAP! Just locked in my unemployed nephew, who is excited about driving across the country (ah, youth). Yay!! We also hired movers to come in and pack the rest of our stuff- I'm *so* over trying to pack with a 6 month old.









Lucien seems to be doing well (knock on wood). He's coughing and drooling/spitting up quite a bit, but he either has my cold (or I have his), or it's from his two toofers finally getting all the way through. So funny- teething is usually a big hassle, from what I've heard, but with a chronically sick baby I didn't even really notice the additional fussiness.









Movers are coming to pack up the house Monday, and the nephew will arrive that day. The guys will drive out Tuesday, and Lucien and I will either stay in a hotel or with my friend in Baltimore (who will hopefully let me crash at his place) til Friday. I'd love to be able to take Lucien to his NICU follow up on Thursday at Childrens' National in DC, but I dunno about taking him on the train from Baltimore to DC.

Update- my friend got us a room for four nights at the Peabody in Baltimore. They're paying for it, which is exceptionally generous.







My friend's DP has a big trial all next week, so it's probably well worth it to them not to have a baby in the apartment at night.









Looks like it's coming together- expensively, but ah well. In six months, who will really care how much it cost? (Besides the credit card company, who will be reaping the rewards....)


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

Just want to say I'm not a very GOOD telemarker







but would be better if I had some tele buddies around here. especially female ones. in their 30s. with kids.

my mom suggested separating from ella tonight - try the crib with her sleeping in the baby's room for at least part of the night, to see if I can get some sleep. I counted two hours (literally) of sleep last night. we'll see, probably won't work.


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rock_dr* 
Just want to say I'm not a very GOOD telemarker







but would be better if I had some tele buddies around here. especially female ones. in their 30s. with kids.

I would totally try it as I have nothing but the utmost respect for telelmarkers. It just looks like pain to me.









Quote:

my mom suggested separating from ella tonight - try the crib with her sleeping in the baby's room for at least part of the night, to see if I can get some sleep. I counted two hours (literally) of sleep last night. we'll see, probably won't work.
Good luck with the sleep. I am here to tell you that sleep deprivation is some effed up kind of torture for women. I'm not quite sure what the purpose is of creating a youngling that can't sleep at night without keeping it's parent up all night, but surely there is a good explanation I am missing.

Right?

No, really.

*Rachel,* woo on the move and sweet that your friends are paying for you guys to stay somewhere. That will be easiest for everyone anyway. It's always hard when we travel and stay with folks who aren't used to having kids around.

Also, I think Sofie is one of the older kids on here, but does anyone have any experience with toddlers suddenly not letting their mama's put them down to sleep? In the middle of the night she's up wanting to play with me or nurse for half an hour to an hour but when daddy takes her into the other room she settles back to sleep pretty quickly. Tonight and last night took me forever to get her to sleep even though she was tired. Tonight I gave up after ~45 mins and dh got her down in less than 10!!

WTH!?


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

CJ... I just figured out that you were talking about skiing. I totally was wondering if you were hurting for money... I thought "Doesn't she teach at a college or uni or something? Why is she telemarketing on the side?" Heh!

I haven't been very vigilant about correcting Oliver's latch when he slips off and now I have blisters on both my nippies. Ow.


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## jocelyndale (Aug 28, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dctexan* 
Okay, touchy subject here (for me), but I am starting to freak out and just want some feedback.
So I am still having some postpartum "issues". I still have sciatica on my left side that flares up (this was so bad the first 2 weeks PP that I could not even walk) and my yoga teacher says that my left hip is "wonky" (won't settle right in the poses even though it used to before pregnancy).

Find a good orthopoedist or chiropractor. We have a great doc who does manipulative therapy (but he's an MD, not a DO). I couldn't walk PP because of sciatica and he fixed it. When I screwed it up again at the beach, he fixed it again. I obviously have long standing issues, but it's good to walk out of the office without the nerve pain that sent me in.

As for incontinence issues. My OB explained that our hormones take longer to return to pre-pregnancy levels while we're breastfeeding. He didn't say this to discourage, rather more along the lines of "chin up, it won't last forever". I was told to expect about six months of PP bladder issues. And you know what? That was just about right. Sneezing and laughing no longer require a cross-legged kegel-holding preparation.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

On the brighter side, here's a little video I took this a.m. I was singing "You Are My Sunshine" which he always thinks is very funny. Unfortunately the sound on my camera is not working so it's just picture. Though that does mean you don't have to hear me sing







Of course you'll also miss the cute baby hiccups.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

*CJ*, I wish I were out west - I'd totally tele with you! I'm not very good either, but I do enjoy it. And right now, I just miss mountains. Last year I did ski a few times while pregnant, but I definitely didn't tele - I have a feeling it may be a few years before I get back to it. And by that time, maybe I'll be more into getting Willa out on her first skis... Given how determined she is to move, all the time, right now, I can only imagine I'll have my heart in my throat before too long watching her attack the mountain









She actually started pushing along her little wagon today (the one I thought she'd be using around a year old) - taking real steps. She's started cruising a bit after pulling herself up on the furniture. And she turned 7 months old two days ago!! She's a ways away from real walking, of course, but I thought I had much longer than this before she started getting into everything. On the one hand, I'm proud of her - her crawl has become super coordinated, and she's SO pleased with herself and everything she's doing and has just taken to exploring all over - on the other hand, I find that I really miss the days I could put her down and trust that she'd stay in one place... or even sort of in one place. We put a baby gate at the top of the stairs, but our apartment is still not very baby proof. And I'm not always the most vigilant of parents if I'm distracted.
Her daytime sleep has also gone to hell lately - yesterday and today she took a tiny 25-minute nap in the afternoon, after a pretty short morning nap as well, and that was it. She's just way too interested in the world to want to be bothered by sleep. Unfortunately - as her fussiness as it gets close to bedtime attests - she does still need the sleep! I'm hoping that it'll eventually improve over time.

It's DH's (and my) birthday next week. Since he'll be busy every night from Saturday through the following Sunday with his play that's opening, I'm making him dinner tomorrow night. I wish we could actually go out and have a real date together, but our babysitter wasn't available, and I don't really want to try someone we haven't used before, even if it's just while Willa's sleeping. So dinner at home it is. I just made a pecan pie - my first. It's DH's favorite, so I figured I should give it a try... I cheated and used frozen whole foods pie crust, though - somehow the thought of making pie crust from scratch in the little bit of time I have in the evening after Willa goes to bed just seemed too overwhelming. Pecan pie is all about the sweetness and nuts - rather than the crust - anyway, right?

*Julia* - OW! Hope the blisters go away soon.

*Rachel* - yay for moving! That's great that your friends got you a hotel for the time you're in Baltimore. I'm sure it'll all go smoothly - or as smoothly as a move with a 6-month-old can. And the x-country skiing in Colorado is wonderful. I went all the time when I lived there. I miss it in Chicago - we rarely get snow that stays around long enough to x-country anymore.

*CJ* - good luck with the sleep! Maybe it'll help, who knows. Sounds like it's worth a try...


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## cmu204 (Mar 3, 2007)

*Julia* - Ollie is so cute! Absolutely adorable...

(and I'm so glad I'm not the only one who read "telemarketing" for "telemarking". LOL!)

My niece just turned 9 today - we're planning a bowling party for her next weekend, but celebrated tonight by going out for her choice of dinner: sushi. (The best part? She absolutely hates raw fish!)

Cher








mama to baby Z (12.10.07); loving aunt to N (9) and T(6)


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Julia- Ollie is delicioius!!


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Just bumping us up...

I'm going to try EP today and bottle feeding so my nippies can heal (sorry, I'm just in the habit of calling them that now







) They're all blistered!

Glad you all enjoyed Ollie's video... I've got to fix the sound on my camera somehow so you can hear him laugh. It's delightful.

Jocelyndale... nice to hear that the PP bladder issues might not last. Somehow I thought that a C-section might mean I escaped that. Not so much I guess.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *preemiemamarach* 

Speaking of CO- we leave next week! HOLY CRAP!

I'd love to be able to take Lucien to his NICU follow up on Thursday at Childrens' National in DC, but I dunno about taking him on the train from Baltimore to DC.

Update- my friend got us a room for four nights at the Peabody in Baltimore. They're paying for it, which is exceptionally generous.

Yay for moving!!! Glad you got movers, too. I'm still trying to figure out how we're going to move with DD... Of course, I'll be out of town on the weekend we're hopefully closing, so DH may do the bulk of the work!

Can you rent a car maybe for just one day for the appointment? I know it's more $$, but it seems like it would be worth it...

Double yay for generous friends!!!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rock_dr* 

my mom suggested separating from ella tonight - try the crib with her sleeping in the baby's room for at least part of the night, to see if I can get some sleep. I counted two hours (literally) of sleep last night. we'll see, probably won't work.

I hope that works for you. DD sleeps sometimes and not others. Last night she slept again







I got one stretch of four hours!!!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nylecoj* 
I am here to tell you that sleep deprivation is some effed up kind of torture for women. I'm not quite sure what the purpose is of creating a youngling that can't sleep at night without keeping it's parent up all night, but surely there is a good explanation I am missing.

Right?

No, really.

Also, I think Sofie is one of the older kids on here, but does anyone have any experience with toddlers suddenly not letting their mama's put them down to sleep? In the middle of the night she's up wanting to play with me or nurse for half an hour to an hour but when daddy takes her into the other room she settles back to sleep pretty quickly. Tonight and last night took me forever to get her to sleep even though she was tired. Tonight I gave up after ~45 mins and dh got her down in less than 10!!


Yeah - it's interesting that motherhood involves something that the military views as torture. Literally. Especially since you can't even sleep at the end of pregnancy! I swear, I was happy that I could actually sleep for two hour stretches after DD was born.

Sorry about the DH thing - I guess she thinks mommy is more fun? Sucks though!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Grace24* 
CJ... I just figured out that you were talking about skiing. I totally was wondering if you were hurting for money... I thought "Doesn't she teach at a college or uni or something? Why is she telemarketing on the side?" Heh!

I haven't been very vigilant about correcting Oliver's latch when he slips off and now I have blisters on both my nippies. Ow.

That's too funny!!! We both like Warren ******'s ski movies, so that's why I know what it is. And OUCH!!! I'm loving that Isabella can finally self-latch. Not always comfy when she sucks herself on, but it's still nice. Except when she surprises me. A few times she's latched on when I'm not yet expecting it and it's, um, surprising.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Grace24* 






Aw - too cute!!!



acp said:


> It's DH's (and my) birthday next week. Since he'll be busy every night from Saturday through the following Sunday with his play that's opening, I'm making him dinner tomorrow night. I wish we could actually go out and have a real date together, but our babysitter wasn't available, and I don't really want to try someone we haven't used before, even if it's just while Willa's sleeping. So dinner at home it is. I just made a pecan pie - my first. It's DH's favorite, so I figured I should give it a try... I cheated and used frozen whole foods pie crust, though - somehow the thought of making pie crust from scratch in the little bit of time I have in the evening after Willa goes to bed just seemed too overwhelming. Pecan pie is all about the sweetness and nuts - rather than the crust - anyway, right?
> 
> 
> 
> > Happy birthday!!!! What day is yours??? Mine is Monday. I'm still processing turning 35... I'm like a grown up!


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Happy almost birthdays, you guys!

My brain is broken, I think. I got 2 hours+2 hours +45mins of sleep last night.

Boo.

Happy Friday though!


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

Julia: so funny, telemarketing vs telemarking. I don't think I piss off quite as many people (except maybe snowboarders







). ollie - SO cute. hope you heal quickly!

so I was so exciting laying in bed last night, thinking about how I was going to post that dd slept 10 hours last night!! I put her down at 8, my mom took over, and I didn't hear a thing until 6 am! Two problems: 1) I only slept 4 hours (got up to pump, then layed in bed.. oh well). and 2) dd didn't actually sleep in the crib. my mom, bless her, got up and held her from 11pm - 2 am. She was napping most of that, and not fussy, but wouldn't be put down. So it's a mixed success. But the big thing is she DID go that long without eating, and wasn't all that upset about it! I do think the crib will work for us better than cosleeping, so will try again.


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

amanda/acp - I cannot get over willa crawling and walking!! We are just starting to rock at 7.5 months, not even crawling yet! (not that we're exactly encouraging it







)


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

babyproofing:

dh has a beloved weight set in his office. I guess it's beloved because even though he doesn't use it HE WON'T PART WITH IT despite 2 years of nagging by me (he's a collector of 'stuff' and i am NOT)! The office is on the same floor as all our bedrooms and we spend 80% of our time up there. Do I have a legitimate argument now that this is a major baby danger? I am certain she will pull herself up on it or just play around with it someday and end up pulling a 20-40 pound weight down (or more).


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

*CJ*, That's great that she went so long without eating! Isn't it frustrating when your LO isn't up, though, and you still can't sleep?? The first few times Willa slept for a longer time, I was SO sleep-deprived, and yet I kept waking up listening for her and couldn't go back to sleep. Now I still periodically have times when I'm trying to sleep and can't there, and it makes it worse that I keep looking at my clock, and thinking, oye, only 3 more hours until I'm sure she'll wake up and I'll need to go in... only 2 1/2 more hours... must get to sleep... only 2 more hours...
It also doesn't help that DH is, always, sleeping/snoring totally soundly next to me. Half the time he doesn't even wake up when Willa cries.
Despite your not sleeping and DD being up with your mother, though, it still sounds like big progress - I think helping them to get out of the habit of eating at night is a huge step toward them naturally sleeping longer increments. I know co-sleeping has been the lifesaver for most people on this board, but in the end, we found that for us, we all (including Willa) sleep better with her in her crib.
Meanwhile, I think her physical achievements are wreaking havoc with her sleep. She woke up three times last night - the first time in a while she's woken up that much. Two of the three times I found her standing up in her crib. I'm hoping this isn't the start of some new sleep frustrations...

oh, on babyproofing - I think you totally have a point that that could be a danger. However, what about getting a gate and blocking off the whole office? My guess if there are computers, etc, in there, there might be a number of things you don't want DD to get into, so maybe it would be good to have a way to keep her out of the whole room? That way DH wouldn't have to give up his weight collection (though i hear you on the pointless accumulation of useless stuff... so maybe it's just better to use the baby/danger thing as an excuse to get him to toss them).

*Julia*, love the video! Baby laughs are the best. I hope your nips get better soon... ouch!

*Elizabeth*, Happy almost birthday!! DH's is Monday, mine is Tuesday. I'll be 33 this year... My bday is the first night of his play, but I'm hoping to get our sitter to stay late that night so I can go out with some friends after I put Willa down. Are you doing anything fun to celebrate? We normally throw a party around now, since our birthdays are so close, but there's no way that's happening this year. I have a feeling this is the beginning of birthdays (the parents', at least) taking a big step back in importance.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rock_dr* 
babyproofing:

dh has a beloved weight set in his office. I guess it's beloved because even though he doesn't use it HE WON'T PART WITH IT despite 2 years of nagging by me (he's a collector of 'stuff' and i am NOT)! The office is on the same floor as all our bedrooms and we spend 80% of our time up there. Do I have a legitimate argument now that this is a major baby danger? I am certain she will pull herself up on it or just play around with it someday and end up pulling a 20-40 pound weight down (or more).

Whether or not it's an actual hazard, I'd make the argument that it is...







DH is also a collector of stuff and I am also NOT. Except maybe clothes since I still have all of my skinny stuff that I'm guessing will never, ever fit me again.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Forgot my pumping parts today... GAH! I had my pump and the cooler with bottles, but no cones or valves. Nice excuse to run home, which ended up lasting for 1 1/2 hours!!! Walked in and DD was asleep, so I pumped. When I was done, she was awake so I picked her up to give her a kiss and she immediately tried to nurse through my shirt. So, I fed her and she just hung our and nursed/snuggled for a LONG time. It was so sweet that I just stayed and stayed. Then when she was done she was fussy, so I gave her her paci and sat with her snuggled on my lap for like 20 more minutes since she was happy that way. She hasn't let me just sit and rock with her for a long time... It was great.

Now I'm back at work and I'm going to try to go home at lunch more often, even though it's a PITA!


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *acp* 
*Elizabeth*, Happy almost birthday!! DH's is Monday, mine is Tuesday. I'll be 33 this year... My bday is the first night of his play, but I'm hoping to get our sitter to stay late that night so I can go out with some friends after I put Willa down. Are you doing anything fun to celebrate? We normally throw a party around now, since our birthdays are so close, but there's no way that's happening this year. I have a feeling this is the beginning of birthdays (the parents', at least) taking a big step back in importance.

Thanks! So your DH and I have the same bd! We're not doing anything exciting for it. I don't want to leave DD, so we'll just hang out and maybe get take-out or something. We are trying out our new p/t nanny tomorrow for a few hours, so maybe we'll go out to lunch tomorrow... Fingers crossed that Isabella likes her!


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

Jeez I've been reading & wanting to respond but DD's tummy is upset and she refuses to let me put her down.

Thanks everyone for helping me through this breastfeeding thing. I'm feeling better about it already. I think I'm finally at peace with it, as Emily said. I tried to the best of my abilities. Not sure what I'm going to do with my milk stash or my pump. I mentioned selling the pump today and DH asked if I wanted to keep it for future babies.







: Speaking of, someone in my DDC is already preggers again. Her babies will be 10.5 months apart. Whoa. Really gets me thinking. I miss being pregnant, actually... my body handled that part really well. Once the baby comes out, not so much.
*
CJ* glad you enjoyed skiing. I totally read "telemarketing" too and thought wow, I knew female profs don't get paid a lot but wow, she's telemarketing on the side?








*
Rachel* congrats on finishing your job and working out the details of the move. So exciting!
*
Emily* I thought I didn't have an incontinence problem but I definitely don't have the bladder of steel that I once had. Of course I coulda done more kegels, but who really does enough? As for the girly parts, I don't have bits sticking out but the topography is a lot different from how it was before. I'm thinking those parts have been through a lot of stress & just need time to recover. Like a lot of time. So long I'll forget what they used to look like, maybe.







I really don't mind though, it's not uncomfortable, and really, who's looking? DH could care less and Hugh Hefner isn't knocking down the door with a modeling contract. I do still have hemorrhoids though - wth?

*Elizabeth* your story about lunchtime cuddles was so cute! Awwww!
*
Julia* the vid of Ollie is adorable. Sorry your nips are hurting - I hope they heal quickly.








: *Amanda, Amanda's hubby, and Elizabeth*!









*CM* yeah, the boob leaking decreases when there's pressure on them, and I loved Lansinoh brand breast pads. They never felt wet even when (once or twice) I took them out and they were heavy with milk.

*Natalia* hi! I can't read back far enough to what you wrote, but I was happy to see that you posted.









*Sarah* how's breastfeeding Miss Aveline going? Hope you're doing well.

I finally got my bumgenius diapers and DD had a rare (first?) 2nd poop of the day in her brand new dipe. Didn't even get a chance to adjust the snaps & fit properly. Ah well, guess we'll see how the washing machine handles it!

Last night I finally decided to address the cradle cap that's been bugging me. I followed Dr. Sear's instructions to rub it with olive oil, let sit 15 minutes, brush with a soft toothbrush, then shampoo. Now she has cradle cap and oily hair.









That's all I have time for today! Have a great weekend everyone!


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

i swear i posted this last night but i don't see it so i'll repeat: dd crawled! to get book. to eat.









we've got the babyproofing the weight set problem. dh is not yet agreeing to have it in a separate room.







:

more to say but baby needs me and i need food!! did job interview today with only a handful of goldfish in the belly.


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Yay *E*for going home! That's great.

Hurray for crawling babies! (Watch out, you're in trouble!)










More later.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Pie...







for DD crawling!

Dee... I was







: too about Lexi getting preggers already! You and DH be careful with BC now that you're not BFing anymore, you hear me?







I don't know what I'd do if I were preggers right now. I'm just starting to get some sleep!

Yahoo, Rach, you must be getting really excited!


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

wow pie- that's great!


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *acp* 

She actually started pushing along her little wagon today (the one I thought she'd be using around a year old) - taking real steps. She's started cruising a bit after pulling herself up on the furniture. And she turned 7 months old two days ago!!

!! what little wagon do you have? is it weighted? i totally think of push toys as 1 plus. otoh i had a minor freakout at dd's 4mo appt when the ped said she was neurologically 6-8 mos. and i should get her the appropriate toys. i was like, ugh, they are in storage at my parents'!







like that should be our biggest problem, right?

feeling pretty mixed on the whole job search thing. i actually find it impossible to answer whether i want to go back to work in the abstract. it's to what job, with her in what day care. the truth is, i want to do an interesting job with her in excellent daycare *and* stay home with her, have a second, and live happily ever after. dh is pretty bullish on the au pair thing. *julia*, what agency did you use? i am hopeful (fixated?) on a family-based day care -- i have heard that is it great and that the owner has masters frrom bank st and columbia.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

so *cj* there is no question in my mind that a weight set is a serious hazard. i am looking for babysafe storage for them. let me know if you find anything.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*cj*, so your mother is coming over and staying for the night? wow you are LUCKY.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MajorGroover* 

Last night I finally decided to address the cradle cap that's been bugging me. I followed Dr. Sear's instructions to rub it with olive oil, let sit 15 minutes, brush with a soft toothbrush, then shampoo. Now she has cradle cap and oily hair.











*Dee*. DD had cradle cap and the olive oil thing didn't work for us. well, it worked for a few days and then it came back. like adult dandruff i guess. anyway on the advice of the ped i got some head and shoulders and (gently) brushed her scalp with a toothbrush with that on it. it took a couple of times but it seems to have gone away. then again maybe it would have gone away on its own. i think it went away by about 4 mos. i would say it was worst at like 1 mo. but was definitely still there at 2 mos.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*Julia*, what is causing those blisters on the nippies??


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

Pie thanks for the cradle cap info. It's actually a little better, enough to try again. I'll keep the H&S in mind tho. Forgot to send my con.dolences on dream job #1. So sorry. Job/daycare/housing issues are tough to handle individually, and the combo must be incredibly stressful. Sending peaceful resolution vibes. And congrats on L crawling!


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
otoh i had a minor freakout at dd's 4mo appt when the ped said she was neurologically 6-8 mos. and i should get her the appropriate toys. i was like, ugh, they are in storage at my parents'!







like that should be our biggest problem, right?

Nice! You've got a little genius on your hands







We used Aupair Care: http://www.aupaircare.com/ It's a huge leap of faith having someone live with us but the agency's been great so far and everyone I know who's had an aupair has had great things to say. In fact I'm using my friend's Tuesday... bringing Ollie to my friend Catherine's house during my rehearsal for her aupair to watch both our kids at the same time. She's used to working in a day care in her home country (el salvador) so Cat doesn't mind sharing her







And it's $10/hour for me. I'll let you know how it goes once Nun gets here (she's from Thailand). My only concern is her accent, it's quite thick, but that is the reason she wants to come to the US after all... to help her English. Not sure why the nippies are chapped... I think a combo of letting him comfort nurse all.day.long and not correcting his latch when he slips a little. I gave them a rest yesterday and it worked ok... was able to pump what he needed all day







I'm hopeful. Now they're chapped again cuz he nursed last night and is nursing now so I may have to do a few bottle feedings today. I hate it, cuz I miss the bonding, but it does give me some freedom.

Dee... we have a little cradle cap going on here but only on day s when I wash his hair which is only like two or three times a week. So I haven't done anything cuz it seems to calm down on its own the day after a bath. I've used baby oil for the same issue on his skin tho and that fixed it. Not sure about the scalp.


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

pie - dh is gone 2 weeks straight, my mom flew out to be here m-f this week. next week I'm on my own for nighttime again...

cradle cap - we've still got a patch too, right over the soft spot. my doc also suggested a little hydrocortisone cream but I haven't done it yet.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*julia*, get religion on correcting that latch! we may go with au pair care. dh is super bullish on it. i still favor the family-based day care.

you know, what stressful about the daycare and job things falling apart at the same time is that it is impossible to evaluate if i want to go back to work. i want an interesting job with her in excellent daycare; otherwise, not so much.

interviewed a nanny this morning. at first i was pumped because she used to teach in a bilingual sch, but she is way too much $.

*julia*, we've been to thailand and the english is good in writing and at understanding your speech. their speech, pretty hard to understand. but the rudiments are there and you can always have her resort to writing out something you don't understand.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Pie... that was my main concern about the language. I have a really hard time understanding a thick asian accent. There's a violinist in my section from China who''s been living here for years, but I could never understand him for the longest time. Now I'm used to him so I understand him better, but I still often ask him to repeat things.

Good news! Looks like the pumping is going better. I pumped today for 20 minutes after a 4 hour break (doing the bottle feedings again today) and got 5 oz.!! I think I just wasn't doing it long enough... I would stop after 10 minutes cuz it looked like nothing was coming out anymore. Now I just occupy myself on the puter (thanks to my pumping bra) and the time flies... also I'm not thinking about it so much. I'm really relieved!


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

Julia 5 oz is great news! I don't think I _ever_ got that much! Glad the hands-free bra and computer distraction are working well. FWIW I've known people from China and Thailand and I find Thai accents easier to understand. Not sure why, maybe it's just the individuals, but hopefully you'll have the same experience.

I tried the cradle cap treatment again & it worked better this time. Last time I guess I didn't leave the olive oil on long enough or brush the scalp firmly enough. I'll still need to do it again, but at least it looks better. I could see big flakes of scalp coming off. uke Why do babies get cradle cap anyway? Maybe I should've just left it alone.

I don't know if any of you are dealhounds like I am, but there's a great deal going on at Amazon.com right now on Seventh Generation dipes and wipes (and other stuff I think) with the subscribe and save program. You tell them how often you want stuff & it shows up at your house, delivered free. I ordered some and they only took 2 days to get here!


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
!! what little wagon do you have? is it weighted? i totally think of push toys as 1 plus. otoh i had a minor freakout at dd's 4mo appt when the ped said she was neurologically 6-8 mos. and i should get her the appropriate toys. i was like, ugh, they are in storage at my parents'!







like that should be our biggest problem, right?

feeling pretty mixed on the whole job search thing. i actually find it impossible to answer whether i want to go back to work in the abstract. it's to what job, with her in what day care. the truth is, i want to do an interesting job with her in excellent daycare *and* stay home with her, have a second, and live happily ever after. dh is pretty bullish on the au pair thing. *julia*, what agency did you use? i am hopeful (fixated?) on a family-based day care -- i have heard that is it great and that the owner has masters frrom bank st and columbia.

We have a haba wagon. It's pretty heavy, so she can lean against it (it helps her balance herself) as she pushes it. I figured she might use it by 9 mos or so, i just didn't think it would be this early! I like the wagon, though it's pricey - in retrospect, I don't think I can really justify the $$. I didn't want a cheap plastic one, but I think I could have looked for other wooden ones that aren't quite so much. But this will last forever, and be good for our next kid, right?
I can't believe Lorelai is crawling already!! That's amazing. As Julia said, you have a genius on your hands







. (But don't we all, secretly, know that no baby on earth has ever been quite as amazing as our own LOs?)

I had a scare with Willa today - she got a little fussy, and when I tried to nurse her, it was like she couldn't latch on. Then she started screaming and sobbing, throwing the biggest fit I've heard her have in a while. After a bit of me walking around with her, she threw up a bunch of milk, and a little later, I could see something her in mouth, and pulled out a thin, longish, clear plastic thing - i have no clue what it was, but Willa must have found it on our floor while crawling around. She's fine, but it made me realize we have to start being extra careful about vacuuming and what goes on the floor....


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

hi all- want to do personals, but I need to get a suitcase for me and the babe packed for next week. I checked out the website for the hotel where my friends are putting us up- I may not want to leave!









Any advice on air travel with the babe would be most welcome. It's only about 5 hours total flight time- the hardest thing is going to be the fact that I can't pump and hold him in coach. So timing will be key. I chose to have a layover of 2 hours in Denver so I can change him and pump.

We tried soy formula for the last two mornings (he's been taking 30+ ounces a day, plus a ton of food, and I just can't keep up)- so far, he's tolerating it with only 1 greenish poop per day! HOORAY! He's getting a little baby acne around his mouth today, though- if it shows up on his bottom, we'll have to take him back off, but for now, this will be a HUGE sanity saver for me. If he's not straining and doesn't have frequent diarrhea, the green poo shouldn't really be an issue, right?

Anyway- he seems to (knock wood) be feeling pretty good these days. And we're really loving the obnoxious jumperoo:


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

i love the haba wagon! it is $ -- maybe a grandparents thing







do you have the doll pram or the more gender neutral one?


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

I'm so glad the soy formula is working! That's awesome. Green poo is normal for formula babes, so it's not a problem. So long as there's not a ton of mucus or bits of blood you're good! What a relief for you.

I love the jumperoo video, but the one of him laughing is better.







What a cutie.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *preemiemamarach* 

We tried soy formula for the last two mornings (he's been taking 30+ ounces a day, plus a ton of food, and I just can't keep up)- so far, he's tolerating it with only 1 greenish poop per day! HOORAY! He's getting a little baby acne around his mouth today, though- if it shows up on his bottom, we'll have to take him back off, but for now, this will be a HUGE sanity saver for me. If he's not straining and doesn't have frequent diarrhea, the green poo shouldn't really be an issue, right?

Anyway- he seems to (knock wood) be feeling pretty good these days. And we're really loving the obnoxious jumperoo:


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

This is the wagon we have. I was hoping for it to be a grandparents thing - I hinted to my mom as much as I could how great it was, but she has general philosophical issues with buying much "stuff" (even good-quality, wooden stuff) for babies - she gave Willa four board books and two finger puppets for Christmas. She raised us on largely found household things that she turned into toys. In general, I agree with her that babes these days (including ours) get way too much stuff that's way too disposable, but some of it does make life easier... or is just fun. Oh well. In a moment of weakness, I decided I really wanted it even though my parents hadn't gotten it for DD, and since we hadn't gotten her a Christmas present ourselves, I justified it that way.









MIL, incidentally, couldn't be farther from my mother's philosophy. She's all about noisy, obnoxious, cheap, disposable, plastic toys, the more the better - that's the way you show you love your kid. Ironically, she can't really afford any of the stuff she buys Willa or her other 8-year-old granddaughter, whereas my parents could afford to spoil her, but don't. Just different philosophies... I was sort of hoping that my mom would be taken in with the beautifully crafted wooden European-made stuff at a store like Oompa - I even sent her a wish list - but though she does love those sort of things, she didn't go for it. I'll keep reminding her the site exists


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Acp... (what is your name, BTW?) My mom was very proud of the fact that I grew up playing with wooden spoons and pots and pans. I never cared too much but I do remember REALLY being jealous of all my friends' big wheels. Still, she brought plenty of stuff for her grandson when she came for christmas! Guess it's different when it's a grandchild? Hmm...

Rachel...OMG the video is so cute! Yes the jumperoo is sort of obnoxious but man, he loves it so who cares, right? I love the one of him laughing, too.







Too cute. So do you think the soy formula caused the acne?


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Dee... and anyone else who might use these: What do you think of the 7th generation sposies? We've been using pampers swaddlers. Haven't had any blowouts. I really am thinking of going back to cloth now that he's the next size up. Should I get one size dipes maybe? I realized today I might want 2 more babies someday, not just one, so I thought maybe the money is worth it to buy some nice cloth dipes. If I can find some that'll keep him dry...that was my issue with KL's and prefolds.

Of course the idea of having two more... well, it depends on the timing. I'm 37 now, I want to wait at least a year and a half before TTC the next one just so I can take a couple of auditions and see how that feels, and see if I really want to try to get a symphony job after that. (I'm not expecting to win my first audition out.) That would put me TTC #3 in my early 40's, and I'm not sure if that's realistic. But for some reason, even though I got started late, I always thought 3 would be the right number for me.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

So, DH magically got DD to nap in her bouncy seat... I'm hoping this lasts for more than 10 minutes!

Totally OT, but today we stopped at Ross to look around after we went out to lunch (dd did GREAT at a real restaurant!). I found a BCBG sweater that was $210 for $29!!! I'm so happy. I love a bargain. Of course, turns out I'm an XL in BCBG, but whatever.

The nanny seems great. We're going to do a half-day on Friday to see how it goes. She's a little bit freaked out by our boxer, but he's such a love! He is imposing looking, though, even though he's small (60lbs). We'll see! I am wondering about getting her into the daycare at work, though, just so that I could bf during the day more easily... I just wish I liked the facility better! The owner won't 'let' the caregivers babywear...


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

I want one more, and it's good to hear other non-20 something mommas that want more! Dh is not convinced, though... I snapped at him tonight, which isn't helping my case for another one, since having one is a lot sometimes.

I've been happy with the 7th gen sposies, but we do have blowouts. We only used Swaddlers when she was still in the preemie size. I do wish that the sides were a little more contoured, but I like that they aren't bleached and do have gel so that she stays dry. She'll happily spend 12 hours in one overnight and doesn't seem to mind at all even though it's super heavy when I take it off in the morning.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Grace24* 
Dee... and anyone else who might use these: What do you think of the 7th generation sposies? We've been using pampers swaddlers. Haven't had any blowouts. I really am thinking of going back to cloth now that he's the next size up. Should I get one size dipes maybe? I realized today I might want 2 more babies someday, not just one, so I thought maybe the money is worth it to buy some nice cloth dipes. If I can find some that'll keep him dry...that was my issue with KL's and prefolds.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Julia- we *love* seventh gen sposies. I think I've only had one blowout with him, and we had all sorts of blowout issues with pampers et al. FWIW, though, I think a lot depends on the shape of the baby- Lucien has a round tummy (the size 3 7th gens are getting tight, and they're supposed to go to 28 lbs!) and fat thighs, but he's relatively short-waisted. 7th gens fit him perfectly. We didn't use them until he'd gotten out of the preemie swaddlers, and I think he may have already grown out of the newborn size, as they don't sell the NB 7th gens at our Whole Foods.

Were were thinking of more kids, I may switch to cloth when we move- but at this point, I can't justify the cash outlay.

Thanks on the videos- yeah, the laughing video is one of my favorites ever. He does that CONSTANTLY now. I swear he's the most easily amused baby on earth.







He thinks my husband is hysterical- he's not a huge fan of DH actually *holding* him, but man, he loves being entertained by daddy. We call it the Daddy At A Distance Channel.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

i regret to report that we have had blowouts and dampness leaking through with 7th Gen.







They are not exactly cheap. I am still on the hunt for a sposie that does not release her poop. Maybe she is just super powerful?


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

we are planning to have a 2nd dh would prefer to adopt but i want another bio kid. which is CRAZY as i *hated* being pregnant. (*dee*, i am so jealous your body could actually handle it!) i actually got all weepy on new year's eve as i realized that maybe that time next year i would have stopped nursing in order to ttc. i am surprised how much i think about #2 as life is pretty much PERFECT right now -- why rock the boat? it's not likely we'll hit the jackpot twice!


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*liz*, glad isabella liked the nanny. that must be a relief to you.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*rach*, not sure all of my travel tips will apply to you but here goes. first and most importantly: bring extra diapers! tons! anticipate delays! diapers cannot be bought in airports! second, i used the ring sling because it was easy in/out (had to take her out to get through security because the ring is metal







) and easy to get her to my boob quickly. third, bring something for babe to teethe on. fourth, do what it takes to not have to schlep luggage through the airport, even that rip-off sky-check thing. it helps. fifth, don't be afraid to walk babe up and down the aisle while in flight. sixth, pack extra diapers.


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## preemiemamarach (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
i regret to report that we have had blowouts and dampness leaking through with 7th Gen.







They are not exactly cheap. I am still on the hunt for a sposie that does not release her poop. Maybe she is just super powerful?









I can't remember- was it your baby that had Mount Saint Butthole?









Seriously, sorry you've having leaks and blowouts. We've gone right up to the waistband, but so far, no blowouts. But Lucien's dipes fit like old man pants, practically up to his pits in the back.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
i regret to report that we have had blowouts and dampness leaking through with 7th Gen.







They are not exactly cheap. I am still on the hunt for a sposie that does not release her poop. Maybe she is just super powerful?









Maybe her patterns are different... Ollie tends to poop a little at a time, but with at least every other dipe. Not a hute quantity pooper here. He may be ok with most dipes.

Augh, 5:30 a.m. waking! I made DH put him down at 12:30. He slept all evening and woke up at midnight.







: Are you supposed to wake a sleeping baby in the evening if it'll keep him from waking you too soon in the am.? Though I don't really know how to keep him up when he's super sleepy like last night. It seems he'll take a nice-sized nap starting around 7 or 8, I just wish I were tired then. All my life, that' swhen I usually start my work. So it's just never gonna happen. Sometimes I'm able to lie down on the couch while he sleeps in his chair in the evenings, but my mind is usually racing. I'm used to being productive at that time. (Sigh)

I'm lucky that DH's exhaustion isn't coloring his ideas of how many he wants. He's told me he'd be thrilled with 3. And that he'd be thrilled with 2. (I think more than 3 would be a little much even if we were younger...) He's so easy


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## beckyphry (Sep 26, 2006)

Ok, I left off on page 9 and can't possibly catch up. Maybe I'll try later today if Daddy can be on Baby Duty for a while!

I've been so busy with work lately. I'm doing 2 days a week from home, with Maya, so that means I really can only work while she's napping, and now that she's decided that 30 minute naps are just fine and dandy, that means I don't get much done when I'm working from home. My days in the office are non-stop, and I'm pumping at work every 3 hours and still having trouble keeping up with how much she's eating.

That, plus her new "up every 2-3 hours at night" thing means I'm feeling like she's a newborn again. I know she's started teething, but the past few nights I don't think it's been that... I don't know what her problem is, but I'm TIRED. She's now 4 months old, and weighs 14lbs. My big girl! Her blog (linked in my signature) has lots of updated pictures and tons of videos.


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## Code Name Mama (Oct 5, 2007)

Hi! I'm new to this thread - my dp and I had our first baby last month, we are loving this new journey







Am anxious to get to know all you other mamas!


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

welcome back *becky*! Maya is adorable. I know, pumping at work is tough, amazing how much time it takes.

*acp* - I love that wagon. want one now, thanks alot!










welcome *dionnakay* - I will add you to our front page if you like.

we are also loving the jumper toys and doorway bouncer.

sposies. I'm thinking ella will grow out of her pocket dipes in about a month, and you know I just don't think we're going to continue to cd. Now that applesauce poops are blasting out, that extra time spent cleaning them off is just too much for me.


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

*Amanda* that must have been really scary the other night after Willa swallowed plastic! I can't even think about babyproofing without a near panic attack. I'm actually hoping my (genius, of course







) baby is behind the curve on crawling b/c I have to move out of this death trap beach house. Love the Haba wagon. Funny my parents and ILs are the same way as yours w/ toys. My parents, bless them, will ask me what I want within a price range. The ILs love to get us the most obnoxious plastic, flashing, noisy things they can find.







They got us this for Christmas and it actually scared me. Sounds like Krusty the Klown & I'm scared of clowns.

*Rachel* I think green poo is normal for formula. You're using Nutramigen, right? Now that the BM is out of DD's system her poo is green and is the consistency of peanut butter. She's pooping 2x a day now too, yay! Sorry about the rash . I've heard some formulas are more hydrolyzed than others, which you may want to look into. Love the jumperoo vid!

*Julia* I couldn't find 7th gen dipes locally so now I have 184 to try out.







: I'll let you know. Of course we didn't have blowouts until after I ordered them. She's long and skinny so I hope they fit. So far my fave dipes are small Happy Heiny's. She's in a one size BG snapped up to medium right now. Like I said, she's long, so I need the extra length in the rise - she wears size 2 Swaddlers for the same reason. I think even the $$$ CDs pay for themselves even if you don't have another kid. I have a pee monster that passionately hates being wet tho. I used to want 4 kids but maybe 3 is more realistic. I'll be 33 in a few months so I have time for 3 more before 40, assuming they're all a couple years apart. Really, tho, 40 isn't a magic # and I don't think you should avoid TTC b/c of age. Baby schedules - M sleeps from 6:30PM to 11:30PM regularly (technically STTN?) in her swing. I don't like it, but I sleep then on the couch b/c it's the only time I can get a good chunk of sleep. After that she's up again to eat at 3:30AM and up for the day at 7:00. I think I have it pretty good & feel lucky. Now if only I could get some work done during the day!

*Becky* it's great to hear from you! I checked your blog & Maya is beautiful! I love the color of your Ergo. I'm trying mine out for the 1st time now & so far, so good - she's asleep & letting me type this huge post! Do you put her in sideways without the infant insert? Sorry about the hectic work sched & non-sleeping baby. Teething must be awful.








*Dionnakay!*


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

Dear DH,

Since when does doing the dishes mean filling the sink with water?









Love,
Me


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Dee...







That toy is scary! Our gymini thing has a bear sort of like that. It plays the creepiest song I've ever heard, and it makes him cry! He's more entertained by my singing than he is by all that flashy stuff.

Pie...







You made me laugh! I think our husbands must be brothers.

Becky... OMG I can't imagine trying to work from home! All week that I've had Oliver I've only managed to practice three times for a half hour apiece, and those were days that DH was off. God bless ya.








Dionna!

Re: Babyproofing... um, I'm nervous. Our house has so much clutter everywhere! It's much better than it used to be, but between DH and me, well, we just leave stuff places. We're not people who put stuff away. We'll be ok until he starts being able to reach onto the table.







:

Love weekends... DH just took over and let me take another 4 hour nap. Now if I can get to yoga again, I'll be a happy camper! Man I missed my yoga. I went yesterday cuz my neck was pinched and I couldn't turn my head to the right. It happens occasionally. I had to go and be a professional violinist, didn't I? Argh.

Back to work tomorrow... ack! Happy but nervous about logistics. Particularly sleep... between DH's shifts and mine, we'll only need a sitter for 4 hours Tuesday but I don't know when we'll catch up on sleep. Wish us luck! I can't wait to go back out into the real world though! (And make money again!)


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## Code Name Mama (Oct 5, 2007)

Thank you all for the welcomes
 








*Becky* - how I wish I could work from home! I'm supposed to go back to work at the end of February and I am really trying to find a way out of it. It's not possible to do any of my job from home, so I'm having to look for something else.

*Grace* - I wish I had your attitude about going back to work! Where do you play? I play violin but am definitely not symphony quality anymore, those days are gone.

Also, put me in the camp of those who want more kids! At least two please


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*dionna*, i too am dreading going back to work. won't be going back before mid-feb a the earlist. am doing a job search now, so i think that it is especially hard to get psyched about going back to an unknown -- no friends ot miss, projects to check up on, etc. -- it's all just emptiness... whereas my baby is very real and very cuddly!









dh said today that he was thinking of pushing ttc back so that the kids would be 2 years apart instead of 3. who knows. i think it's definite that we want 2 but the timing is unclear. but absolutely no closer than 24 months apart except in case of a big accident!!







we are using BFing as birth control so who knows.

we took dd to hear sweet honey in the rock rock carnegie hall today. she was mesmerized but then conked out.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Dionna... I play at the Kennedy Center in DC for the opera and ballet. This week and next are ballets... one of the Russian companies, I can't remember which. Do you play still?

My nipples are still blistered. I can't figure it out... his latch looks good to me, maybe I just feed him for way too long so that he's mostly comfort nursing. Cuz our nursing sessions last for-EVER!! It's getting to be too much.


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## Code Name Mama (Oct 5, 2007)

*PiePie* - ditto on the cuddly baby - plus I really dislike the job I'd have to go back to, so that makes it even worse









*Grace* - I am ashamed to say that I have not picked up my violin in almost a year. I was never cut out to be a concert violinist - I played in a small KS symphony during college, then stopped for a long time. We were living in small town NM for the last couple of years (now live in Kansas City) and I started back in lessons with a guy who was in the symphony there. They recruited me and I played one concert - and came to the conclusion it really wasn't what I wanted. If I had my druthers, I'd be in the pit for some small production musicals. YOU, on the other hand, have got to be FABULOUS to be playing where you do!! I am super impressed!


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

I definitely want two. I figure ideal spacing is 2 years apart - DH says 3-4 years. I know his way would probably be easier in the short term, but I keep thinking that I'd like to get these infant years (much as I'm loving them now!) out of the way sooner so we can start doing more things together as a family, if that makes sense. Also, having the younger child closer in age means he/she could learn to do many things at the same time Willa does. Who knows. I'm not really talking about it now - I figure by this summer maybe I'll bring it up, and I can usually talk DH into things.
We're doing the mini pill now for birth control - I got pregnant the second I went off the pill this last time, so I'm not taking any chances. While I do want two kids, I think I'd be pretty horrified to learn I was pregnant today...

There's a woman in my DDC who got pregnant at 6 weeks pp while bfing, so I don't think that's always so fool-proof. Her kids will be 10 months apart! The idea of having another in just a few months... wow. That's daunting.

Willa totally refused to nap most of today, and she's usually great about them. She finally went down for 15 minutes, after a lot of struggle/rocking, this afternoon. But she never got fussy this evening, so maybe she knows what she needs? Still, I'm really hoping this total fascination/fixation with all things having to do with standing passes soon. I'm over thinking it's cute when she cries at 1 am (or after 10 minutes of napping) and I find her standing up in her crib...


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Yowza, *acp!* I would be scared about that plastic if I were you too. Also that wagon you got is freaking adorable.

*Rachel,* that video of Lucien is so funny. Sofie LOVED her jumpy toy at first too, but after a few weeks she was annoyed that it confined her.

*Julia!* Holy cow! You have got t be an EXCELLENT violinist! If I ever get to Chicago (which I really want to do) I'm coming to watch you play. period.

*Elizabeth,* boo on that daycare, how could they refuse to let the workers baby wear. Ugh.

I am still sick and I gave this cold back to dd. ARGH. Last night she was up until 1:30am crying and stuffed up. Poor thing. I napped today which is good. I need it.

Okay, talk to you all later.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nylecoj* 
*Julia!* Holy cow! You have got t be an EXCELLENT violinist! If I ever get to Chicago (which I really want to do) I'm coming to watch you play. period.


Nope, I'm in DC.







But hopefully by the time you get to Chicago I'll be playing there







I'd love to be in the symphony there! I love working at the Kennedy Center but I'd really like a symphony job... the music is more involved and I'm kinda bored playing accompaniment all the time. Too much of a diva to be shoved down in the pit away from the public eye







Though at this point if I did have to play on a stage again I'd have to brush all the pit dust off the bottom of my dresses... they NEVER sweep down there!

Baby's up at 6 a.m.... gonna be a long first day back! Can't decide if I want to even try to pump real quick on our 15 minute breaks or wait to pump at lunch which will be about 4.5 hours by the time I get around to it. I'll have an hour. It just seems to hard to try to pump on the breaks, it's not enough time. But I want to encourage supply! Augh, what to do.


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## phillybama (Apr 19, 2007)

Hi everyone! Sorry to butt in, but I have a labor/pregnancy question.









I have been having diarrhea and nausea every night for the past 3 nights, usually around the same time. It is strange because it isn't all day--instead, it's like clockwork. Anyone experience this in the last few weeks of pregnancy?

BTW, I am 37 weeks.

Can't wait until I get to move to this thread!


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

quick question - did i just make a big mistake??

nanny called this AM. she had something like the 24 hr stomach flu on saturday. felt ok yesterday, fine today. I told her it was ok to come, now worried.


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

*aimee*- can i say your nursery turned out absolutely gorgeous! to me, your symptoms sound like a normal pregnant women getting ready to have a baby. Are evenings more active times for your babe? maybe moving down or just squirming is setting off the nausea/diarrhea. can't wait for you to join us - gl!

oh, and *xenon* are you lurking out there? congrats to you!


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rock_dr* 
quick question - did i just make a big mistake??

nanny called this AM. she had something like the 24 hr stomach flu on saturday. felt ok yesterday, fine today. I told her it was ok to come, now worried.

Probably not. Most illnesses aren't contagious anymore by the time you have symptoms. Since she's feeling better it's probably cleared from her system.







:


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## xenon (Aug 24, 2006)

NAK

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rock_dr* 
oh, and *xenon* are you lurking out there? congrats to you!

Thanks, CJ -- and great timing, since I just now got to catching up on this thread. My brain is pretty porous right now, though, so personals will have to wait.

Quick summary: baby boy! I had, all things considered, a really great birth -- 12 hour labor and 3 hours pushing, no repairs necessary. The boy is gorgeous and perfect, and we are so totally in love with him. We named him Tycho, after a 16th-century Danish astronomer









BF has been so much harder than I ever imagined. The midwife who did our day 2 checkup was worried about his weight, and put us on a schedule of 2-hour feedings. We were spoon-feeding him hand-expressed colostrum for over a day, then milk as it started to come in. The midwife kept weighing him and saying it wasn't enough, but I just couldn't pump as much as she wanted him to have (40 cc every 2 hours). So we supplemented with formula for two awful nights... probably about 3 oz altogether, but still really sad for me









Finally on day 6 we went to a lactation consultant, and she was an absolute godsend. She immediately diagnosed us with thrush, and me with friction blisters on both nipples. After a two-hour session with her, Tycho was latching well and drinking. For the past week we've done gentian violet for the thrush (so messy! Goes in babe's mouth, on my nipples, +everywhere else when he sticks his fist in his mouth and flails his arms), probiotics, Monostat cream, and fenugreek and blessed thistle for my milk.

Now things are SO much better -- SO much less pain as the thrush subsides, so much more milk. Maybe too much milk... overnight, babe was choking at letdown and did a whole lot of pulling back and nibbling. But he's feeding on demand, and I'm starting to feel human again with the extra sleep.

DH is back to work today, but thankfully my mom is here taking care of us... she has made it so much easier.

Okay, that's plenty long enough for my first post in this thread. I'm SO glad to be here


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

DD couldn't wait to say happy birthday to me today so woke up at 4:45 this morning. Yippee! DH walked with her and we got her back to sleep around 7 and she slept until almost 9, but gah! It also took 2 1/2 hours to get her to sleep last night... She kept drifting off and then waking up as soon as she's asleep and needed more soothing. Much better than crying, but still exhausting. I so hope this isn't a pattern. I'm sort of wondering if my dad is CIO with her, since she seems almost scared to go to sleep??? I'm going to talk to him today to make sure he's not. He knows we don't want her to do that.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *preemiemamarach* 
Julia- we *love* seventh gen sposies. I think I've only had one blowout with him, and we had all sorts of blowout issues with pampers et al. FWIW, though, I think a lot depends on the shape of the baby- Lucien has a round tummy (the size 3 7th gens are getting tight, and they're supposed to go to 28 lbs!) and fat thighs, but he's relatively short-waisted. 7th gens fit him perfectly. We didn't use them until he'd gotten out of the preemie swaddlers, and I think he may have already grown out of the newborn size, as they don't sell the NB 7th gens at our Whole Foods.

DD is long and skinny... DH and I are both long-waisted and DD is too. She's got chubby arms, legs, and cheeks, but she doesn't have any extra fat on her belly at all. Guess that's why we've had blowouts. We ran out of diapers and wipes yesterday and were already going to Costco, so we ended up buying Kirkland ones and wipes. LOVE the wipes; we'll see on the diapers. The 7th Gen ones I just ordered shipped on Friday, but didn't get here in time!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dionnakay* 
Hi! I'm new to this thread - my dp and I had our first baby last month, we are loving this new journey







Am anxious to get to know all you other mamas!

Welcome!!!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Grace24* 
Re: Babyproofing... um, I'm nervous. Our house has so much clutter everywhere! It's much better than it used to be, but between DH and me, well, we just leave stuff places. We're not people who put stuff away. We'll be ok until he starts being able to reach onto the table.







:

We're cluttery too... I am hoping a bigger house will help us keep control (more room to put stuff AWAY rather than not having any storage)... But, I suppose it could be the opposite!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nylecoj* 

I am still sick and I gave this cold back to dd. ARGH. Last night she was up until 1:30am crying and stuffed up. Poor thing. I napped today which is good. I need it.

Okay, talk to you all later.

I can't believe you are still sick.







I'm so sorry for both of you! I am not looking forward to being a sick momma having to care for a sick babe...

Quote:


Originally Posted by *xenon* 
Quick summary: baby boy! I had, all things considered, a really great birth -- 12 hour labor and 3 hours pushing, no repairs necessary. The boy is gorgeous and perfect, and we are so totally in love with him. We named him Tycho, after a 16th-century Danish astronomer









BF has been so much harder than I ever imagined. The midwife who did our day 2 checkup was worried about his weight, and put us on a schedule of 2-hour feedings. We were spoon-feeding him hand-expressed colostrum for over a day, then milk as it started to come in. The midwife kept weighing him and saying it wasn't enough, but I just couldn't pump as much as she wanted him to have (40 cc every 2 hours). So we supplemented with formula for two awful nights... probably about 3 oz altogether, but still really sad for me









Finally on day 6 we went to a lactation consultant, and she was an absolute godsend. She immediately diagnosed us with thrush, and me with friction blisters on both nipples. After a two-hour session with her, Tycho was latching well and drinking. For the past week we've done gentian violet for the thrush (so messy! Goes in babe's mouth, on my nipples, +everywhere else when he sticks his fist in his mouth and flails his arms), probiotics, Monostat cream, and fenugreek and blessed thistle for my milk.

Now things are SO much better -- SO much less pain as the thrush subsides, so much more milk. Maybe too much milk... overnight, babe was choking at letdown and did a whole lot of pulling back and nibbling. But he's feeding on demand, and I'm starting to feel human again with the extra sleep.

DH is back to work today, but thankfully my mom is here taking care of us... she has made it so much easier.

Okay, that's plenty long enough for my first post in this thread. I'm SO glad to be here









Congratulations!!!
Thrush is AWFUL - I so feel for you. It's been an on and off struggle for me, but only because I've had several rounds of ABX - I'm sure you'll do fine if you're already improving! I also have overactive letdown - they adapt! Tycho is a great name!!!


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

*Xenon!* Good job keeping up the bfing. Sounds like you have had your fair share of immediate issues, but it's great that they are clearing up.

Also, we had to supplement with formula for a couple of feedings as well because dd stopped having wet dipes after 4 days of no milk. Honestly, I tend to forget about it because since then things have been going pretty well. I had oversupply too and she was choking and then very gassy after feedings. It helped me to feed her while laying on my back and to also hold a cloth and sort of let the big letdown happen before latching her on.

Congrats on the birth though, your experience sounds great.

*Julia,* I swear one of these days my brain will work again and I will remember who everyone is, what they do, and where they live. Fine. If I ever get to DC (also a place I'd like to vist) I'll come watch you play.









*Elizabeth,* I hope your dad isn't CIO with dd ... my mother did that once. I'm still mad about it. And, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!! yay!

*Dionnakay,* Welcome!

*Phillybama,* I had the same thing right around 40 weeks and still no baby for another 9 days even though people swore it was time. Man, that was frustrating. Hang in there and make sure you are drinking lots and lots of water. (Not that you don't have to pee enough already, hah)

I am finally on the mend I think, but only because I have been horrible selfish lately and taken advantage of dh's good nature. He's been waking up early with dd every day and hasn't slept in at all. I feel bad, but at the same time I really have needed the extra rest. I'm thinking of night weaning again in another month or so or having dh take over night time parenting for the most part. It's hard. I hate listening to her cry and she really just wants me at night.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

talked to my dad - he's definitely not CIO... He swears he walks with her and bounces, etc. when she cries. He's a sweetie - I guess it's just that she's 4 months and I went back to work???

Oh happy birthday news - I got on the scale this morning out of curiosity... I'm 2 lbs LESS than when I got pregnant. Go figure. I still feel huge, but I guess it's just that I've spread and not that I'm heavier... I'll take it! I also am in my still tight pre-preggo jeans today. Guess bfing works!!!


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*xenon*, congratulations! sounds like a dream birth! BFig was hard for us at first too until the LC came.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY *elizabeth*!

please send good vibes that i love the family daycare i'm seeing tomorrow!!


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Happy birthday *Elizabeth*!!!

*Jocelyn*, that's great that you're feeling better. And that DH is letting you sleep in a bit. DH actually does that with me almost every morning - we figure since I'm the one who gets up with her during the night, he gets up when she wakes up for the day (usually sometime between 6 and 7) and lets me sleep another 30-60 minutes. It makes me feel much more human. He's been complaining about it a bit lately, though, and this morning I let him sleep in for his birthday and got up with Willa. It was actually kind of fun for a change - I love how happy she is when she greets the day, even when it is earlier than I'd like.

*Xenon*: Congrats on your new baby!! and good for you for keeping up with the bfing. Definitely sounds like it's been challenging. I'm glad you saw the LC (sounds much more helpful than the midwife was).

*on diaper blowouts*: we've tried 7th gen and pampers and huggies and honestly, we get monster blowouts with all of them. And Willa has *quite* the tummy. SHe's all chub. I think it's because there isn't really elastic on the waist maybe? Who knows. But that's one of the reasons I think we've really taken to cloth dipes. I decided to try it mostly for environmental reasons, but a huge upside has been the lack of blowouts. I miss them (DH does too, and he was really wary of CDing) when we travel. I think it's different with all different baby body types, though - many of my friends never really had blowouts with sposies, and I know some people get them with cloth dipes. But this works for us.

Recently I dug out my hotsling again - I hadn't used it since Willa decided she hated to be in a cradle position around 2 weeks old. We mostly use the wrap or (more often) the ergo for walks. But I've found that when she gets a bit clingy/fussy now, all I have to do is pop her into the hotsling (upright, on my hip) for 15 minutes or so while I do stuff around the house and she's happy as a clam, and much calmer and happier after I take her out of it. It works so well that DH has starting saying he wants one (mine is way too small for him), so today he went off to our local baby store and got himself a black one. It was SO cute seeing him with Willa on his hip. I'm not even sure he's aware that there aren't too many men that would be caught dead like that (somehow the ergo seems much more masculine). Here's to babywearing men


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## SarahJen (Sep 27, 2006)

One day I will (hopefully) have long enough to type proper personals and actually contribute to this thread but all I have for now are panicked new mom questions









Why won't fussy miss A sleep on her back? She'll sleep in her bouncy chair but not flat on her back at night in the co-sleeper or at all during the day if I put her flat on her back on the couch or bed. At night she'll only sleep beside me cradled on my arm, is this just comfort and she'll eventually get used to sleeping flat on her back on her own? I hate letting her sleep in the chair all the time but other than holding her or wearing her all day this is the only place she's comfortable, on her back she wakes herself up and cries. She won't stand for being swaddled anymore, and when she did even that didn't work for lying on her back either. I have no problem with sleeping with her really, DH worries though that she'll never get used to being on her back.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Happy Birthday Elizabeth! Congrats on your weight!

I weighed myself this morning for the first time since all this... horrifying. Absolutely horrifying. I'm so glad I'm on Weight watchers. Bleah.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SarahJen* 

Why won't fussy miss A sleep on her back? She'll sleep in her bouncy chair but not flat on her back at night in the co-sleeper or at all during the day if I put her flat on her back on the couch or bed. At night she'll only sleep beside me cradled on my arm, is this just comfort and she'll eventually get used to sleeping flat on her back on her own? I hate letting her sleep in the chair all the time but other than holding her or wearing her all day this is the only place she's comfortable, on her back she wakes herself up and cries. She won't stand for being swaddled anymore, and when she did even that didn't work for lying on her back either. I have no problem with sleeping with her really, DH worries though that she'll never get used to being on her back.

DD was older than your LO way before I tried personals!!!

I hate to tell you this because it's probably not what you want to hear, but DD still won't sleep flat on her back... She will at night with me AFTER she falls asleep on my arm - then she'll get squirmy and I'll slip my arm out, but still over her head. Not super comfy, but at least we sleep...

She will sleep on her bouncy seat, her swing, and on me... We periodically will try again, but if they won't sleep like that, I don't see how you can make them? DH was sort of the same way, but he's also recognized that sleep is sleep, in whatever position!

Can you prop her on her side using rolled up receiving blankets?

I'm also planning on trying one of the pack 'n plays with a vibrating mattress, since she likes that in her bouncy seat.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *acp* 
It works so well that DH has starting saying he wants one (mine is way too small for him), so today he went off to our local baby store and got himself a black one. It was SO cute seeing him with Willa on his hip. I'm not even sure he's aware that there aren't too many men that would be caught dead like that (somehow the ergo seems much more masculine). Here's to babywearing men









Here here! That's what happened in our house. When DH saw how well the pouch worked for me he bought a sling at Target.


__
https://flic.kr/p/2205124054

(Yes, there's a baby in the sling) So cute. My mom, who had absolutely no help raising young kids from my dad, was amazed at how much Paul is involved with Oliver, and was particularly touched by the image above, him with Ollie in the sling all day. (That's where he was when she met him for the first time.) I love it.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Oh yeah, and congratulations Xenon!







: I can't wait to see pics and hear all about the birth! So excited you're over here.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*sarahjen,* dd would fall asleep only on her belly when she was first born, so i would wait till she was asleep and then roll her to her back. have you tried that? now she will fall asleep on her side for the night and stay on my arm all night long (although i roll her when i switch boobs). or she'll sleep corpse pose on her back but only if she first falls asleep in the ergo or other carrier.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 

please send good vibes that i love the family daycare i'm seeing tomorrow!!









:


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SarahJen* 
Why won't fussy miss A sleep on her back? She'll sleep in her bouncy chair but not flat on her back at night in the co-sleeper or at all during the day if I put her flat on her back on the couch or bed. At night she'll only sleep beside me cradled on my arm, is this just comfort and she'll eventually get used to sleeping flat on her back on her own? I hate letting her sleep in the chair all the time but other than holding her or wearing her all day this is the only place she's comfortable, on her back she wakes herself up and cries. She won't stand for being swaddled anymore, and when she did even that didn't work for lying on her back either. I have no problem with sleeping with her really, DH worries though that she'll never get used to being on her back.

This is why I started sleeping Willa on her tummy - it's the only way she's really slept well (other than on me) since she was about 2-3 weeks old. That's about how long it took for me to get ok with the idea - the more research I did about SIDS, the more I felt like tummy sleeping didn't have much to do with it. My doctor even (tacitly) OK'd it, but it still took me a few weeks to overcome the enormous paranoia that I feel like they instill in mothers these days, to the point where you feel like if your baby sleeps on her back, she WILL die. I hate it.








Not telling you to put DD on her tummy, obviously - that's your call/comfort level as a mother. But for us, that was the only way Willa ever really slept well and didn't suddenly startle/kick herself awake. Swaddling (in the Miracle Blanket - every other one she'd kick out of) did help for us too, but I guess that's an individual baby thing...


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Does anyone else have this binky?


__
https://flic.kr/p/2210467993


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

*Xenon*! Great to hear from you! Sorry BFing got off to a rough start but it sounds like you're on the right track now. Good job, mama!








: *Elizabeth*!
*
Jocelyn* I'm glad you're feeling better & hooray for daddy doing some nighttime parenting.
*
Amanda* good to hear the hotsling might come in handy one day. I've never used mine b/c it's too small to carry DD in cradle position - I'm bigger than I thought I would be and now DD is so long. DH has one that he uses but it hurts his back, which I why I got us the Ergo that he hasn't used yet.







: I'd like to hear more about your research into SIDS and tummy sleeping. DD sleeps best when she's tummy-to-tummy with me propped up at an angle.








: for childcare, *PiePie*!

*Julia* I actually laughed out loud when I saw the pic of the new binky.







:
*
Sarah* your DD might have mild reflux. Sometimes the muscle between the esophagus and stomach is weak in newborns and lets stomach acid up into the esophagus, which is obviously uncomfortable. Have you thought about those sleep positioners that would keep her on her side? I've heard that keeping the baby's left side elevated helps. Mathilde has bad reflux so we keep her head elevated all the time or left-side-up. They also make crib wedges that might help, or you could try some other method of propping up her sleep surface. Tummy sleeping is an option too, as others have mentioned. Didn't all of us sleep on our tummies as babies? Wasn't that the official recommendation at the time?

Not as happy with the BumGenius diaper as I thought I would be. I ordered 12 but just washed one to try it out. So I just ordered a OS Haute Pockets and OS Happy Heinys. Gosh I hope I don't get sucked into the fun addictiveness of CDing that I hear about. I just want to love the dipes before I sink a bunch of money into them, and I want one system so I don't have a bunch of mismatched dipes. Is that weird?


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

dd has been waking a lot today. i hope it's related to learning to crawl and it's not, as i suspect, gas. or if it is gas i hope it's not because of the indian food i ate last night.

in other news, the post-partum hair loss is happening. how long did yours last?


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

in the new apt., thinking of painting what will be dd's room (if we ever let her snugglebunnyum out of our bed







) misty lilac.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

8 hours of sleep! I actually woke up first cuz my boobies hurt!







What a good baby. (Please, god, let it last.)


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

Congrats Julia! Feels great, doesn't it? As soon as I bragged to you all about M's good sleep habits, she decided to mix things up. I was a long weekend for more than one reason.







Why won't she go to sleep when she's tired? Ugh.

How did work go last night?


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## xenon (Aug 24, 2006)

Thanks, everyone, for the warm welcome







And thanks so much for the advice on letdown -- last night letdown didn't seem to be as big a problem as engorgement was. We're keeping it fresh with all new quirks every day around here.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SarahJen* 
Why won't fussy miss A sleep on her back?

I think we're having the same problem with baby-T, except that that the only sure-fire way to have him sleep is chest to chest with me. I can't find any site anywhere that advocates this, so I keep trying to get him onto his back, but he totally won't have it. And when I do get him onto his back, he manages to flail himself onto his side almost instantly. Sigh. Totally not an answer to your question, Sarah, but commiseration.

*Julia*, the prospect of 8 hours of sleep is absolutely thrilling. Wheeee!


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Xenon... he started sleeping 7 hour stretches at 5 weeks old, after we moved him to his crib







: We all slept better after that, though I missed him at first. We're just lucky, too, to have a good sleeper.

Dee... He did mix it up a bit last weekend with a couple of 3 a.m. feedings, but I was so thrilled that he lasted so long last night, esp. since I have such a busy work schedule. Work was fun, thx for asking! It was great to be back. I'm not quite as out of shape as I thought I was, even if I wouldn't take an audition right now, I felt fine about playing the ballet. People were genuinely happy I was back


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

Hi all - I've been lurking, but not really responding. Just wanted to let you know I was here and doing fine. Just haven't been feeling too chatty.

Welcome to xenon...CONGRATS


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

Oh yeah, and *Elizabeth* (*DON'T READ THIS JULIA!!*!!)
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Sleep went to hell for us at 4 months too. It SUCKS!


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## Code Name Mama (Oct 5, 2007)

don't tell my dp about any long sleep stretches, he might start to think about switching babies







:


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Yeah, finding out that kids go through sleep phases was one of the hardest things for me to accept as a mother. Naively, I just thought it was one continuous uphill slope, where they gradually slept better and better until they slept through the night. So when Willa started sleeping 8-hour stretches at 7 weeks old, I was all "woo hoo!!!! I've got a great sleeper!" And, she is, relatively speaking, a good sleeper, but it was SO tough to suddenly go back to waking up 2, 3, 4, even 5 times a night at 3-4 months old when I'd convinced myself I was done with that. She eventually got back to sleeping well again (especially after we phased out her pacifier and she didn't wake up needing someone to put it back in), and even went for one amazing 7pm-7 am stretch a month ago - of course, it was the night before we left on vacation, which threw it all out of whack again.
She got back to a reasonably good (though no more 12-hour stretches) sleep pattern after we got home, and then the crawling/standing threw it to hell again. Last night we had her best night in ages, so I'm hoping we're in the start of another "good" phase. But I've now learned never to take sleep for granted. And when I talk to my friends with older kids, I've learned that even the 18-month olds and 2-year olds and 3-year olds go through these kind of cycles. Oye. Things you learn after becoming a parent...

Incidentally Julia, we found that Willa (and us) slept better with her in her own bed too. Don't feel bad. I think cosleeping works great for some families and not as well for others. Everyone just has to find what works for them...
I laughed so hard at your binky photo!! (oh, and in answer to your earlier question, my name's Amanda).


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dctexan* 
.
Sleep went to hell for us at 4 months too. It SUCKS!

Hear hear! Us too. To hell. For FIVE MONTHS. Granted, I can count the number of times S has *ever* slept longer 5 hours or longer on one hand, but still.

I'm so envious (and sad for myself I guess?) of my friends who's kids are easier sleepers. I get that babies wake up, but this seems ridiculous. She was up again from 3-5:30 last night coughing. I really want to start TTC here in the near future but I feel like we'll never be ready because she will never, ever, ever, ever sleep like a normal person. And that's depressing.

*SarahJen,* dd wouldn't sleep on her back either, but we weren't co-sleeping then. (Not sure if you are?) I put her on her side and put a rolled up blanket behind her back and in front of her tummy. (Not too hight up or anything) That seemed to work, but as my post suggests, dd is not a good sleeper. She better be president someday.

Oh, and *Pie,* yay on the new apartment and thinking of colors! We still haven't painted dd's room and we've been in our house for over a year. Heh.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Grace24* 
Does anyone else have this binky?


__
https://flic.kr/p/2210467993

Oh man that is so wrong - too funny.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dctexan* 
Oh yeah, and *Elizabeth* (*DON'T READ THIS JULIA!!*!!)
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Sleep went to hell for us at 4 months too. It SUCKS!

Interesting that we're all talking sleep this morning... We had another rough night and I was just getting on here to vent about it! Glad to hear it's hopefully just a phase...

She keeps waking herself up and screaming (angry, frustrated scream) the SECOND she drifts off. Then when she does get to sleep and we try to go to bed, she wakes up five minutes later (after being in a 'limp' sleep) and is really awake... She fell asleep at 7:30 and I was so tired that I tried to go to bed with her at around 7:45 and by 8:00 she was WIDE awake and was up until 11... I know she's exhausted, but she's just fighting it...

GAH!!!


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nylecoj* 
I'm so envious (and sad for myself I guess?) of my friends who's kids are easier sleepers. I get that babies wake up, but this seems ridiculous. She was up again from 3-5:30 last night coughing. I really want to start TTC here in the near future but I feel like we'll never be ready because she will never, ever, ever, ever sleep like a normal person. And that's depressing.
.

I am sad for you too - I can't imagine dealing with the sleep depravation you have for that amount of time. I'm on two days of night-waking and a couple of weeks of generally having issues falling asleep and I'm shot..


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
I am sad for you too - I can't imagine dealing with the sleep depravation you have for that amount of time. I'm on two days of night-waking and a couple of weeks of generally having issues falling asleep and I'm shot..

Thanks.

God, I feel like such a downer sometimes. I just really want a solution and I'm not willing to do what everyone else says to. (CIO)

I think starting on Sunday I'll be sleeping in our spare room and dh will take over night time parenting for a week to see if it changes anything.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Well I posted a reply and it got lost...

Anyway - I don't even think CIO would work (not that I'd do it) for DD. Once she starts crying she's a mess until we get het out of it by doing something to snap her out of it (big bounces or sways, sshhh shhing her, etc.). I can't even think about how long and hard she'd cry if we just left her alone to scream. As frustrating as it is, I can't even think about it. She's not staying awake to upset us - the poor thing just can't figure out how to get from wake to sleep!

I am re-reading The No Cry Sleep Solution and while the ideas are great for babes that DO fall alseep, there aren't really any suggestions for our issues relating to getting to sleep and staying asleep for more than 5 minutes after going to bed...


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Yeah, that's our issue too. She generally goes down easily ...

I think if someone wrote a book on how to prevent night waking they'd make a fortune because clearly nobody knows.









Dd would freak if we did CIO too ... like throw up on herself freak. She already can get that worked up over smaller things, so there is just no way I could do that to her.


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## cmu204 (Mar 3, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
there aren't really any suggestions for our issues relating to getting to sleep and staying asleep for more than 5 minutes after going to bed...

Here, here. I'm just trying to get the LO to sleep for her afternoon nap. I swaddled her, put on the soft music, gave her the binky, and she slept gloriously... for three minutes. Then she batted her eyes at me and spat out her pacifier.









Le Sigh.

What can you do?

Big kids are home 'sick' today. N has an awful-sounding cough (though not a stay home worthy one, IMNSHO) while T allegedly has a tummy ache (which he had yesterday, so I suppose there may be a grain of truth to it).
They are resting (i.e., lying in bed being bored) and having occasional cups of broth. It's killing 'em.









[It's not that I am being super hard-hearted, but I don't believe that they are ill enough to actually stay home. So if we're home, we're convalescing. They may think twice about whether or not they need to come home from school next time.]

Ah, the little princess is yawning again. Maybe she'll fall back asleep if I leave the room...

Cher








mama to baby Z (12.10.07), loving aunt to N (9) and T (6)
wife to the sweetest Code Monkey on the planet


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *cmu204* 
Here, here. I'm just trying to get the LO to sleep for her afternoon nap. I swaddled her, put on the soft music, gave her the binky, and she slept gloriously... for three minutes. Then she batted her eyes at me and spat out her pacifier.









Le Sigh.









I've seen that all too many times.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dctexan* 
Oh yeah, and *Elizabeth* (*DON'T READ THIS JULIA!!*!!)
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Sleep went to hell for us at 4 months too. It SUCKS!

I read it. I'm rebellious that way. It's ok, it seems I keep hearing that about the 4 month point. I'm hoping it passes us by, as that's a busy time for the opera... please dear god don't let him start night-waking while we're playing Elektra! I can't deal with that AND our regular nazi music director at the same time! I'll lose my mind! (Either that or I'll finally tell the little gnome where to put it, and get myself fired.)


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *cmu204* 

[It's not that I am being super hard-hearted, but I don't believe that they are ill enough to actually stay home. So if we're home, we're convalescing. They may think twice about whether or not they need to come home from school next time.]

Not hard-hearted - practical! If you're sick enough to stay home, you are sick enough to need to rest! I hear you, and I still have a few years to deal with it.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

i can't stand the crying!


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
i can't stand the crying!









What's going on over there? Fussy today?


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Yeah, not so much with the 8 hours of sleep last night. Oh well. One out of three ain't bad.


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## hazieluna (Sep 20, 2006)

Oh so that's what's going on. We hit 4 months just last week... and magically sleeping has become laborious for both of us. It just took me an hour to get him to sleep - hopefully longer than 30 minutes - please, please! This hour included nursing, pulling away, screaming like something was hurting him, gurgling and laughing. He's all over the place!
He is also nursing every 2 hours at night but to be honest it's all a groggy haze for me. I'm pooped!
One more thing - I wore him in the Ergo all day yesterday and today I'm sore! He's so heavy it's hard. Today it's the stroller when we go out for our walk.

PiePie - My hair is still falling out and it's been over a month since it started (it started with my period came back







). I find hair in his rolls, in his hands - EVERYWHERE.... it is disgusting and still more falls out... I'm trying to be okay with the possibility of having some scant hair patches on my head.


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## hazieluna (Sep 20, 2006)

Julia - I confess I looked at all your pics! Yay for babywearing Dads! Jan also wears Aidan but only in the wrap







! He hates the Ergo and Aidan hates pouches.

DH has also been the one cooking since Aidan's birth, he's gotten really good! I just have to manage lunches!

I'm breastfeeding on demand and I'm not losing any weight AND I've gotten AF back. And the most embarrassing confession - I'm using teenage acne treatments to see if I can get rid of some of these pimples. So to summarize: Thinning hair, acne, fat belly, a thick streak of gray starting at my temple, and AF.

And I just expected to be glowing? Haha!


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## Code Name Mama (Oct 5, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *hazieluna* 
I'm breastfeeding on demand and I'm not losing any weight AND I've gotten AF back. And the most embarrassing confession - I'm using teenage acne treatments to see if I can get rid of some of these pimples. So to summarize: Thinning hair, acne, fat belly, a thick streak of gray starting at my temple, and AF.

ugh my chin looks like a minefield. and after losing 25 of the 40 lbs really fast, those last 15 are stubbornly hanging on. oh well, dp is so accustomed to my pg body, he still marvels at how "skinny" i am


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## SarahJen (Sep 27, 2006)

Thanks for the replies about sleeping, she managed a three hour sleep in her crib flat on her back yesterday but I think that was because she was tired after being up for four hours straight. Last night not only did she not sleep in the co-sleeper, she didn't really sleep PERIOD. She just fussed from 1 to 5am, wouldn't eat wouldn't sleep wasn't comfortable in any position. I finally woke up dh and told him to take her because I was exhausted and so frustrated. She immediately fell asleep on his chest, go figure.

My nipples are so sore today that when I tried to nurse her this morning I actually bawled my eyes out. I'm >this close< to giving up on bfing altogether because I'm in so much pain and she's nursing five minute stints every hour or half hour for the last 24 hours. Now I'm getting too engorged again to top it off because she hasn't taken anything for two hours and only nursed on one side for about three minutes this morning (I'm actually sitting here with no shirt on because anything touching my chest is like fire) I don't know what changed from two days ago when she was doing fine, I guess that's the way it goes - every day is something new


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## ~minnow~ (May 25, 2006)

I'm lurking too! Actually I wrote a post yesterday but accidently deleted it before posting. Welcome Xenon and happy belated birthdays to the birthday people!

So I remember when this thread was new and most of us had tiny babies and we were all, what is UP with these crazy BABIES? We are DYING here. And *CJ* wrote and said that she thought it was so much easier to parent a 4 month old. And it seemed so far away.

Ada just hit 4 months and wow is she a doll! Kicking both feet and fake-marching her feet against the side of her play gym. Making these long and loud sounds of joy. Since I figured out the front carry in the stretchy wrap, she even loves walks again. Even in the cold! Yesterday on a walk we got caught in a mini-snowstorm -- freezing, blowy, driving snowy wind. Back at home she was in the best mood! And went down for her nap immediately! She's even teething and it's fine! We just give her some infant Tylenol and she's good! She's at her most fun and easiest right now!

Which is all to say that all this talk of a four-month-onset sleep-thing is a serious buzzkill.

However, going back a long way, *Becky* I feel you on how hard it is to "work from home" -- baby takes miniature naps.

And was it *Cher* who pages ago mentioned the leaking? Wow did the leaking ever make me weep. It's horrible to be wet and clammy all the time. HORRIBLE. But I had forgotten about it -- which means it's been over for so long now that I had already papered over it. Hang in there!


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## ~minnow~ (May 25, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *hazieluna* 
So to summarize: Thinning hair, acne, fat belly, a thick streak of gray starting at my temple, and AF.

Ha! I know. What's up with my hair getting grey streaks? I like grey streaks, but for crying out loud, I'm 31. I expected to at least have a JOB (and like, finish my diss.) before I started having to look "distinguished."

I'm also experiencing the acne. And the hair falling out continues apace. Breastfeeding makes me skinny and starving, but unfortunately does nothing about the flab.

Ada has acne too. I think it's from all the drool.

Sarah -- yeah, time is really speeded up at the beginning. Sorry the breastfeeding is so tough.


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

:







:

ella felt like she was burning up last night. Thermometer measured 100.6 so I guess not all that bad, but this is the first time she's been sick. Of course, I've got it too. Don't this was the nanny's sickness - it's more like a head cold (although, she did throw up in bed but I think it was a normal spitup after nursing EVERY HOUR between 3-7. god i hope it's not a stomach thing).

Pretty psyched that I have 2 long days in a row at work - have to be there till at least 6 tonight and tomorrow. and did I mention dh is out of town ALL WEEK again?

pity party over. gotta go walk the dog.


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## ~minnow~ (May 25, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nylecoj* 
as my post suggests, dd is not a good sleeper. She better be president someday.

Love this reasoning! And I'm sooo sorry about the months of difficult sleep.

I was going to say that I let babe sleep on her stomach when that was the main way I could get her to fall asleep. At first only when I was in the room but as she got big and robust and I observed how well she breathes when sleeping, I just let her nap that way.

You know, it takes me more than an hour to get baby to sleep at night -- nursing, singing, ignoring her etc -- but since I don't have to be up at any certain time in the morning and since I'm cultivating patience and submission, it's okay with me. It's just how it is. Also, I read during that time. To myself. I don't really read to the baby very much.

Okay, back to lurking for now.

Oh, CJ, I'm sorry. Hope you and DD feel better and you make it through the week!


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

having existential crisis about whether to go back to work. still no good daycare option.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Today is one gorgeous day, even though it's rainy and freezing out. She slept!!! I mean, she was up every 2 hours to nurse all night, but she fell asleep at 8:45 and we went to bed at 9:15 and she STAYED asleep and slept until 8:00 this morning. Yippee!!! I barely slept because I kept waiting for her to wake up, but at least I got to lay in bed and rest. I guess she napped great for my dad yesterday too. Oh please oh please oh please let this happen again!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *hazieluna* 
Oh so that's what's going on. We hit 4 months just last week... and magically sleeping has become laborious for both of us. It just took me an hour to get him to sleep - hopefully longer than 30 minutes - please, please! This hour included nursing, pulling away, screaming like something was hurting him, gurgling and laughing. He's all over the place!
He is also nursing every 2 hours at night but to be honest it's all a groggy haze for me. I'm pooped!

it is disgusting and still more falls out... I'm trying to be okay with the possibility of having some scant hair patches on my head.

Well at least we're in this together!!! I am feeling lucky, but worried, that I still have hair... EEK! This comment made me laugh though!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *hazieluna* 

I'm breastfeeding on demand and I'm not losing any weight AND I've gotten AF back. And the most embarrassing confession - I'm using teenage acne treatments to see if I can get rid of some of these pimples. So to summarize: Thinning hair, acne, fat belly, a thick streak of gray starting at my temple, and AF.


I haven't yet ordered since I stopped when I got pg, but having had issues with acne forever I did find that Proactive really does work astonishingly well without drying your face out...

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dionnakay* 
ugh my chin looks like a minefield. and after losing 25 of the 40 lbs really fast, those last 15 are stubbornly hanging on. oh well, dp is so accustomed to my pg body, he still marvels at how "skinny" i am









Your LO is only a month old! I did the same thing - lost 27 lbs in a week and then the rest has come off very slowly... Maybe a lb a week?

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SarahJen* 
My nipples are so sore today that when I tried to nurse her this morning I actually bawled my eyes out. I'm >this close< to giving up on bfing altogether because I'm in so much pain and she's nursing five minute stints every hour or half hour for the last 24 hours. Now I'm getting too engorged again to top it off because she hasn't taken anything for two hours and only nursed on one side for about three minutes this morning (I'm actually sitting here with no shirt on because anything touching my chest is like fire) I don't know what changed from two days ago when she was doing fine, I guess that's the way it goes - every day is something new









Did you say you have thrush? I'm forgetful (lack of sleep). It HURTS - more than anything I've ever experienced. It gets better. What are you doing for it? I have LOTS of experience with this, so PM me if you'd like!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *~minnow~* 

Ada just hit 4 months and wow is she a doll! Kicking both feet and fake-marching her feet against the side of her play gym. Making these long and loud sounds of joy. Since I figured out the front carry in the stretchy wrap, she even loves walks again. Even in the cold! Yesterday on a walk we got caught in a mini-snowstorm -- freezing, blowy, driving snowy wind. Back at home she was in the best mood! And went down for her nap immediately! She's even teething and it's fine! We just give her some infant Tylenol and she's good! She's at her most fun and easiest right now!

Which is all to say that all this talk of a four-month-onset sleep-thing is a serious buzzkill.

Well, when she's not fighting sleep she's more fun than ever! She just started grabbing her toes last night in the bath. She talks and laughs and plays with toys and is old enough to enjoy being out and about and just looking at the world. Other than sleep, it's a great age.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *~minnow~* 
Breastfeeding makes me skinny and starving, but unfortunately does nothing about the flab.

Uh-huh... The flab remains...

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rock_dr* 







:







:

ella felt like she was burning up last night. Thermometer measured 100.6 so I guess not all that bad, but this is the first time she's been sick. Of course, I've got it too. Don't this was the nanny's sickness - it's more like a head cold (although, she did throw up in bed but I think it was a normal spitup after nursing EVERY HOUR between 3-7. god i hope it's not a stomach thing).

Pretty psyched that I have 2 long days in a row at work - have to be there till at least 6 tonight and tomorrow. and did I mention dh is out of town ALL WEEK again?

pity party over. gotta go walk the dog.

I'm sorry you're sick and Ella's sick and that you have to work late..

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
having existential crisis about whether to go back to work. still no good daycare option.

Yeah - that's a big one. I will tell you that now that I'm getting used to it it's not so bad being back at work. The daycare thing would be awful, but being back at work has it's good points. I like really using my brain again, I like the adult companionship, and honestly, I think the breaks from Isabella are good for my sanity. I MISS her, but it's going okay.


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## ~minnow~ (May 25, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
having existential crisis about whether to go back to work. still no good daycare option.

Well, you know what working is like. I vote you stay home, get to know what it feels like. You can try again in 6 months, when the Bono daycare is open. Or a year. Or your next dream job will come up next week. What's money for, if not THIS?

I know financially it's tricky. We are going way deeper in debt because I'm taking a second semester off. But it is keeping us all healthy, happy and sane, and is worth it not to have to freak out over finding someone to watch DD. If I was doing it forever, I think I'd be stir-crazy, but since I'm not, I'm really enjoying it. I've NEVER had a schedule this open and I'm getting more done on creative projects than ever before (I've NEVER been able to write every day; now I do even if only for 20 minutes), and I'm enjoying getting to know myself when I'm not constantly under the influence of a huge ball of stress.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *~minnow~* 
Well, you know what working is like. I vote you stay home, get to know what it feels like. You can try again in 6 months, when the Bono daycare is open. Or a year. Or your next dream job will come up next week. What's money for, if not THIS?

Very well said... I have to agree on the money/savings thing. What are you saving for if not for this? If we had the money available for me to stay home for another few months, I would have...


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SarahJen* 

My nipples are so sore today that when I tried to nurse her this morning I actually bawled my eyes out. I'm >this close< to giving up on bfing altogether because I'm in so much pain and she's nursing five minute stints every hour or half hour for the last 24 hours. Now I'm getting too engorged again to top it off because she hasn't taken anything for two hours and only nursed on one side for about three minutes this morning (I'm actually sitting here with no shirt on because anything touching my chest is like fire) I don't know what changed from two days ago when she was doing fine, I guess that's the way it goes - every day is something new









*SarahJen,* hang in there, it is so tough the first six weeks. It definitely gets much, much easier and better, I promise. (And I'm sure many here will agree with me)

I am not sure why it's so painful to BF at first, since it's supposed to be all natural and normal and stuff. Have you tried any lanolin on your nips? That about saved me, although to be honest a little extra fatty milk rubbed on my nips did wonders too.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rock_dr* 
Pretty psyched that I have 2 long days in a row at work - have to be there till at least 6 tonight and tomorrow. and did I mention dh is out of town ALL WEEK again?

pity party over. gotta go walk the dog.

*CJ,* pity parties are fine. If I was near you, I'd bring you some soup so you don't have to worry about dinner.

Relax when you get home -- maybe get some takeout and go to bed with Ella? Or take a bath with her? That's relaxing for me. Sorry dh is gone, I've been there and it can be really rough.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
having existential crisis about whether to go back to work. still no good daycare option.

*Pie,*

I think your gut is telling you something here. Maybe, you should just use this time to stay at home and bond with your baby. It's hard to think this way (I know, I've been there) but there will be more job opportunities and chances for money later. Maybe you could start your own freelance business? I think you are a lawyer? Is that right? What about offering to do mediation for a fee? Something that would allow you to stay home and not stress about daycare for a while?

In other news, I think I have a plugged duct or a mild case of mastitis, which I've never had so I'm not really sure. My left breast is super tender, no redness, mild swelling maybe.

I had my first class last night after work and I didn't have time to pump at work and I think maybe dd didn't drain it all the way. Plus with this cold we've all had for two weeks now ...

Any advice would help, because it's tender! I'm trying to get dd to nurse on it as much as possible ....


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

*Sarah* I had an awful time breastfeeding too and I never even had thrush.







I'm not sure how important breastfeeding is to you but I encourage you to hang in there a little while longer, at least until the thrush is past. Not to dis Jocelyn or anything, but I found that lanolin actually prevented my nips from healing b/c they were kept constantly moist. One night without a nursing top or bra did more to heal them than weeks slathered in lanolin with fresh nursing pads. Sure I leaked everywhere & had to change shirts a couple times but it was worth it. I'm probably a weirdo though. I'm allergic to wool so that might have something to do with it. Can you pump and bottle feed her? I know it's early but sometimes drastic situations call for drastic measures. Pumping was always easier on my nips than actual nursing.


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## SarahJen (Sep 27, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
Did you say you have thrush? I'm forgetful (lack of sleep). It HURTS - more than anything I've ever experienced. It gets better. What are you doing for it? I have LOTS of experience with this, so PM me if you'd like!

I don't think so, how can I tell? I think it's more just overuse, she prefers one side over the other to the point where I have a completely mismatched set of boobs now, one is twice the size of it's smaller leakier sister. That nip is the one that hurts terribly, she falls asleep there sometimes and then does some quick bites with a really bad latch if I don't get her off in time.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Jocelyn - Massive amounts of Ibuprofen (600-800 mg) 4 times a day. Soy lecithin supplements to get the milk flowing, and hot compresses as often as you can. Nurse and pump on that side. Rest and Vitamin C.

If you catch it early you can keep it from turning into anything more.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SarahJen* 
I don't think so, how can I tell? I think it's more just overuse, she prefers one side over the other to the point where I have a completely mismatched set of boobs now, one is twice the size of it's smaller leakier sister. That nip is the one that hurts terribly, she falls asleep there sometimes and then does some quick bites with a really bad latch if I don't get her off in time.

Thrush is generally recognized by health care folks when people describe the pain as "worse than labor". Seriously - toe clenching pain. And your nipples would be bright red.

It could just be the "normal" pain of those first weeks. Sorry it hurts... It does get better! Are you seeing an LC?

Edit to say that the side DD prefers produces about twice as much as the other side now, but you can only really see the size difference if I'm really full.


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## SarahJen (Sep 27, 2006)

I think it's just normal pain then, they are red but after the first few sucks the pain is bearable while she nurses. It's just the initial first few attempts at latching her on that make me wince. I did manage to pump a good bit today so I'm going to keep doing that when I can, at least then dh can give her a feeding once in a while to give my girls a break, pumping is much less painful than bfing her at this point.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
Thrush is generally recognized by health care folks when people describe the pain as "worse than labor". Seriously - toe clenching pain. .

Oh my good god! I had no idea that was even possible, something that hurt worse than labor. So happy I haven't had this! I have had the overuse/bad latch pain (this weekend actually) and I would just pump and bottle feed during the day for a couple days, even though I missed the bonding with him... seems better now.


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

Lane you're too funny about the gray hair! I started graying at 17 so I've been coloring it for years. I went about 10 weeks (2 weeks before birth + 8 after) without coloring it and wow I was surprised how bad it is! Of course, I think those 8 weeks of mothering a high needs newborn had something to do with it too. I didn't know you decided to take this semester off too. I'm going crazy at the idea that I have to finish my diss and defend it before mid-April. When DD will be 4 months old.







: One positive thing is that the boss wants me to graduate b/c she doesn't want to have to pay me again since her funding ran out. That's a negative too b/c the pressure is on and I'm not responding to it accordingly.









Which brings me to my question for everyone: how do you handle everything? I feel like every single minute that I'm not holding the baby is spent cleaning, eating or sleeping. Does this get better? When will I have time to write my dissertation? Make time... when? My plan was to go to the lab so I can write without distractions, but DH and DD are still not getting along. I've been to the lab 3x in 3 weeks, for about 4-5 hours each time. I've written one sentence, and it's pretty much plagiarized.







I just feel like I can't stay on top of everything, and my standards are pretty low right now - the only things that constantly need to be cleaned are dishes, clothes and the bathroom. I feel like DH should do more since he's taking this semester off, but every time I leave them alone he's a nervous wreck about being alone with her again. I had to cancel a doctor's appointment today b/c I was at the lab yesterday.







She cries the whole time I'm gone and he hasn't figured out a way to soothe her. So when I get back in I have a stressed out hubby who never wants to hang out with her again, and a stressed out baby who is too tired to sleep. It's easier just to stay here and handle her myself, but I know that's not the answer so I keep leaving them together to work it out. He's watched me rock and sing her to sleep, he's seen me walk around with her in the colic hold when she has gas - it seems like he knows what to do but is too tired/lazy to do it? Could that be the answer? I was like that for a couple nights when he brought her to bed at 5AM (almost asleep) and I was too tired to get her back to sleep. I regretted it b/c a few minutes invested would have allowed me to sleep well for a hours. These are separate but related issues, I guess. How do you stay on top of things, and how/when was your DH able to handle the baby for extended periods?

ETA: DH & I work opposite schedules so we agreed to continue after she was born so we wouldn't have to pay for childcare.


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## xenon (Aug 24, 2006)

*Sarah*: Thrush pain is like shards of glass in the nipple







You could also look for white patches on your LO's tongue. Also, I went without a shirt for _days_ when I was in the throes of thrush.

I think we're still seeing thrush aftereffects here -- baby-T has little sores on the underside of the tip of his tongue. The LC thinks they might be a reaction to the gentian violet, and the midwife thinks they might just be the last remnants of the thrush. I think they really hurt him when he latches on, because he sort of whimpers (heartbreaking







) and backs waaaaay off... he's been nursing on my nipples for a couple of days now, and they're really getting tender









On a happier note, the babe is over his birthweight by 6 oz. as of today







This is particularly gratifying after the hysteria over his initial weight loss (and because we primarily did it on an on-demand feeding schedule, not on the prescribed 2-hour forced feedings.)


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Dee, it does get SO, so much easier...
Willa has never really been high-needs/colicky, so I don't totally know what you're going through, but honestly, I look back at those early months now and it's hard to remember some of the sleep issues, the fussiness for no reason, the leaky breasts, the endless loads of laundry, the constant spitup, the overtired baby, etc. That's not to say it all is easy now, but any stretch of the imagination, but just the fact that Willa can entertain herself and is getting much more independent, can be happily awake for much longer stretches, and rarely cries for no reason, is a HUGE improvement. I'm doing much less laundry because she goes through fewer clothes (and I often can actually put clothes back in her drawer at the end of the day instead of the hamper, since they don't have spitup all over them! Of course, sometimes they're now covered in hummus or sweet potato...). Sleep goes in phases, but on the whole it's definitely better than it was in the first few months. I will say, though, that it's harder to find time for things like reading since Willa is awake so much more, and has a tendency to get into all kinds of things now that she's mobile if I don't watch closely. I'd never get much work done if someone else wasn't watching her when I needed to work. But maybe she'll gradually get more and more used to DH and he'll get more comfortable with soothing her? I would think the more time they spend together, even if it's sometimes hard, the better for both of them... Also, I know my friends with colicky/high-needs babies say it improved dramatically around 4 months.








. I just wanted to tell you that while still hard, it definitely gets easier... It also gets so much more fun! I feel like each month is more fun than the last as she becomes more and more of a "person." I am continually in awe of how hard babies constantly are working to learn, and to master new tasks. It's a privilege to watch it. And she's such a funny, happy kid - even when I'm exhausted (like this morning, when she woke at 6 am after a rough night of not-so-great sleep) I can't help but smile back at her. She's a lot of work, but she's also definitely the sunshine in both DH's and our lives....


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Grace24* 
Oh my good god! I had no idea that was even possible, something that hurt worse than labor.

Yep - worse than my very worst pitocin induced contraction... Glass is a good description - I generally described it as if the baby's mouth were sandpaper and I had no skin on my nipple.

Glad everyone is feeling somewhat better!

Xenon - glad babe is gaining so well now!


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Yes, definitely mastitis. The skin is turning red now.

Ouchie.


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## SarahJen (Sep 27, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
Yep - worse than my very worst pitocin induced contraction...

Oh dear god I don't ever want to feel anything worse than that, in my wildest nightmares I didn't ever imagine a pain like that could even exist, that a _worse_ pain is even possible boggles my mind.

No white spots in her mouth, I think we'll call it overuse and try to stick to the non flaming nipple for the next few feedings.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Dee - It does get better, but it's still crazed to try to get anything done. I think it's wonderful when they hit the point that you can put them down for 3 minutes. It's awesome to be able to lay her down on her playmat and run to get a glass of water without her screaming!!! But, it's still hard. I think you get much better at managing your time and they get older and easier to entertain.

Sorry DH is having a hard time with LO, but I think it takes practice and patience for them to get to know each other. DH did so much of DD's care at first since I was attached to the pump constantly, so they really bonded quickly. I still do most of the care, but he is really good with her too. He'll get there. It's just trial and error...

Jocelyn - I'm so sorry!!! If the motrin and rest/heat aren't working call your doc. It's better to start abx early and get them over with. See if you can get something like dicloxacillin but NOT dicloxacillin if that's what they prescribe. You have to take it 4X/day on an empty stomach. Try timing that out! Argh...


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## ~minnow~ (May 25, 2006)

Dee, Amanda is right, but wow. Realistically, how much do you have to do to finish your diss? (I'm not as familiar with science dissertations; I'm in humanities. Maybe science ones go faster?) Take an honest look at this, and at what you're able to do. I started writing every day at the end of November, and here it is two months later. I've done a ton of good work, but I have not even finished my proposal draft. It is not realistic for me to say "Okay, I'm going to finish this today" because the baby has a bad day and I don't make the goal, and then I feel guilty and disappointed, which also negatively affects my productivity. I have to take what I can get.

If you can't realistically say that as things are now, you'll be able to finish, I would urge you to find a way to give yourself more time, at least a few months. And then get around to writing when you can, then do what you can every day (even if only 15 minutes) and don't feel guilty. It will add up, and on some days you'll have more time. (I also write "badly" -- like, if I feel stupid during my work time, I open my "notes" file and just write some crap in there. Including asking myself questions like WHY did I like this topic at one point? and then just answering them. It helps even if that's all I do.)

I know not everyone is as comfortable with debt as I've had to be, but there are always student loans. And it seems a shame to miss this time with baby by stressing yourself holding yourself to unrealistic (insane) standards. *Woman! You just had a baby!*

So sorry about the DH. You know -- my Dh has never been with the baby for extended periods either -- 1-2 hours max. We had major blowouts about it because I also wanted to be able to have "work time" for extended periods of time. DH does a pretty good job with the baby, but he def. defers to me and probably would also freak if ever left for 4 hours (plus, she still won't properly take the bottle). I guess I've just acquiesced because I couldn't think of any way to deal, and just started working in teeny, tiny snatches, even though I thought I was not the type. I know I feel better with everything as long as I get to write my half paragraph a day or whatever, just knowing it's all getting there and I'm not killing myself over it. (I have been contemplating getting up earlier so that I can get in an hour before she wakes up, but so far haven't. I think I need to, though.)

So to sum: I stay on top of a lot less, and he isn't yet good at being with the baby for long periods (although he does always do the dishes).

DH has to finish his diss. this semester but does not work on it (unless I nag him and that only works once a week). His candidacy expires (already expired but if he ever files this paperwork he can get it extended due to Ada). I'm totally scared for him. Nagging only gets so far. I can't write it for him.

Ugh. So much for lurking. I'm using up all my writing time on MDC! Oh well.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

On writing. So, never did a dissertation, but I do a TON of writing for work. Big, little and in between. Most for publication... This is just a suggestion that helps ME. I write crap. Seriously - my first drafts are garbage. I brain splat on a page, and put notes where supporting data, etc. needs to be. It's basically a big, messy, outline. Then I edit, and magically it turns into something presentable pretty easily.

The trick to writing for me is just actively writing. Put something down, even if your first sentence is "man I hope the baby sleeps for more than 10 minutes so I can think."

Just an idea - hope it helps a teeny bit... I can't imagine trying to work on soemthing so in depth right now. My attention span is shot.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

haven';t caught up with reading but *dee* i happen to think that asking yourself to work on the diss while taking care of baby is IMPOSSIBLE!! i find that baby entertain herself for about 15 minute stretches, but that is no way to write a diss. it's not really enough to clean house: i am HOPELESSLY behind on dishes and laundry. (shrug) taking care of baby is really a full-time occupation by itself! i have trouble finding time to apply for jobs. i have hired a sitter once (a suggestion i got on mdc) and just been in the house with them or have dh watch her (weekend or evening time). dh has watched her alone for 3 hours or so at a time, but never a whole day without me at least present in the apt. sorry to not be of help, but maybe it will help you realize that you are normal and managing well considering.


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

thanks yall for the sympathy (and SOUP offer - if only!). We're still pretty sickly, hoping we can at least get some sleep tonight.

jocelyn NOOO no mastitis! I hope it's not, but if it is I hope you get better SOON. yikes. I live in fear of that, I really do,

Dee - so could have written your post about how sometimes dh 'helping' ends up costing you more sleep/trouble in the end. But he is going to have to figure it out, you need his help. I would (and have) just left them together, trial by fire. Sure maybe the first few times you'll come home to an exhausted and grouchy pair but I think they'll get it eventually. Either that or his beer money (or whatever) is going to have to go to the nanny fund.

also, I like Elizabeth's advice. just write. crap if it needs to be but at least that's something you can work with. Or, since you're in science, maybe work on getting the key figures together first then hopefully the words will flow. I have my students write very detailed outlines for their chapters. for some reason it's easier to put everything in bullet points than to sew it all together in coherent paragraphs from the beginning. But if you have those bullet points and the figures, it really does go alot easier. gl.

would write more but crankmeister calls and I've got a headache.


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Dee,

I have thoughts to type, especially relating to dh because I felt like that a lot in the early parts too, and I really resented it.

Unfortunately I feel crummy right now so it's going to have to wait until a better time.

I think Elizabeth had really good advice about writing crap and then editing/filling in the important stuff later. I imagine for something like a science dis that's got to be really hard, but it could still help.

Thanks for the well wishes you guys. I'm watching it carefully, drinking lots of fluids, taking drugz, and using heat/cold packs.

It hurts! I can't believe some of you have had to contend with this multiple times! Jeez!


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

You want heat, but not cold, though... Heat kills bacteria and helps keep the milk moving. I'm sorry it's hitting you. I'm sure it hits when you're immune system is somehow otherwise compromised (like a long cold...).


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Speaking of mommy brain... I deleted my ENTIRE inbox at work today. Not just deleted - shift+deleted. Um, oops. Was able to retrieve it with some help from IT (they disable our "recover deleted items" button - they control our computer access pretty tightly). Made for a nerve wracking morning though.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Jocelyn... so sorry about the mastitis. That sucks!









Dee... I don't know how people get stuff done! I totally thought I'd be practicing more than I did... so I resorted to trying to do a little every day. I could never have practiced for an audition like that though, I'd have had to hire someone to stay with the baby in order to focus for more than 20 minutes. And as it was, I was only able to do that a few times last week, and that's when DH was home. And speaking of DH... because I had a C-section, I wasn't able to do a lot of the care for DS for a bit, so DH was thrown into it, like CJ said, trial by fire. Plus I am just lucky there, he's a very involved dad and for some reason just doesn't get as rattled by the crying as I do. That's the only advice I have... throw them together cuz if you guys want to have more babies, he's gonna have to learn to deal. That said, I do feel for DH because there are times when he just wants mom and nothing dad does will soothe him the way just hearing my voice again can. It's tough on them I guess. But my hubby's a trouper. I hope yours toughens up a bit... I'm sure he's trying, this newborn thing is NOT easy as we know. Good luck!

Sigh...3:30 a.m.... I should've swaddled him after all, he never stays asleep if he's not swaddled.

So now that I've had my baby and my coworkers can't lecture me on the glories of epidurals anymore, they're all telling me how wonderful CIO is. Praise be to Dr. Ferber, or however you spell that. One person told me last night, "If you hold him every time he cries, you'll be holding him til he's 15."









He's only 8 weeks old, people! Makes me sad.


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

Wow thanks guys. I was being really hard on myself, I guess, and you've made me feel better. Still don't know what I'm going to do or how I'm going to get any writing done, but at least I can ease up on myself a little bit. Lane I've thought about taking out (more) loans for the summer semester but I'm not sure I can make it on loans alone, since I've been using them to supplement my stipend all along.







: As you mentioned a while ago, I could have bought a house with the amount of money I've borrowed to go to school. Sigh. But you all are right, this is a special precious time that I need to try to enjoy and not beat myself up about getting enough work done. I wish we could afford some type of childcare but that was never even thought about since DH & I have worked opposite schedules for so long. Ugh it sucks to be college kids in your early 30s!

Elizabeth & CJ thank you for the writing tips. They both sound like great ideas to at least get something on paper. We all have tendencies to want it right the first time but that's just not reasonable and hinders progress.

Little one's calling... BBL.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Ok I'm really sad to say this but it doesn't look like I'm going to be able to keep up with what DS is taking just by pumping. I pump when I first get to work and then at the second break (that is except for the other night when I hit traffic and didn't have time














and it's still barely enough for one feeding, and he takes two bottles while I'm gone. I'm going to go through my stash by the middle of next week if it lasts that long. I'm very very depressed about this but I don't see anything else I can do! Pumping at home just doesn't happen when I'm feeding DS all day long. Soo, this hurts my soul, but...

...what formula should I supplement with? I'm so scared to do this. Please tell me it won't give my son food allergies or hurt his little intestinal track. Why is this making me so sad?


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## SarahJen (Sep 27, 2006)

Julia I feel sad this morning too, I couldn't pump or nurse her last night so had to resort to formula before we went to bed, it totally broke my heart and made me feel defective and like a bad mom already. She slept four hours though and I woke up because I was huge (on one side







) and drenched. I'm less sore today though so maybe in the end it was better for both of us to take a night off from the struggle that we've had the last few nights. I just hated doing it, it felt like such a defeat after we worked so hard to get her off the formulas/bottles.


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## hazieluna (Sep 20, 2006)

Hey Dee - I just wanted to suggest that your DH try wearing Matilde. My DH isn't very good or imaginative when it comes to entertaining Aidan but when he's fussy he puts on the wrap and goes for a walk. It has really boosted Jan's confidence in handling Aidan.

Gotta go, my mini napper is of course already awake...


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## hazieluna (Sep 20, 2006)

So sorry bfing is such hard work for some of you. At the beginning it was tough but now it's gotten much much easier.

I wanted to share the info that was given to me here by the nurse that comes to help right after giving birth - nice service! Anyway she said to expect the baby to feed more (more like nurse all the time) at 3 weeks, 8 weeks and 3 months. These are called 'regulating' days where the baby will be going through a growth spurt and trying to build up your supply to meet his needs.

Julia isn't Ollie about 8 weeks now? This is probably why he is eating so much now!
And Sarah this may apply to you too!

Anyway why feel bad about doing what is best for both of you? Let's all wait to feel bad until that day comes when we have to tell our kid NO!


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Hi ladies,

I think I am a wimp. I've been doing heat and stuff (*E,* I read on some website to alternate the heat and cold, but now I'm thinking I'll stop that - thanks!) and although it's not very red, the discomfort/pain is spreading to my shoulder/back. Is that normal in your experience? Also hurts to lift my head over my shoulder. I woke up thinking it was getting better. Gonna give it until the end of today before I call the doctor as I'd really like to avoid any antibiotics if I can. (I'm highly allergic to penicillin and any derivative and just tend to not do well with them in the first place)

So *Dee,* you've got A LOT going on right now. I know it's hard, especially since you have been in college/grad school for what seems like forever, but you might want to reevaluate and see what you and dh can do to accommodate your hectic schedule and your budgetary needs.

I go through stuff like this often where I feel like I'm trying to validate my choices since dd has been born. I don't love my job. I don't make a lot of money. I have spent THOUSANDS of dollars on my brain ... to what end? It's frustrating that the career thing hasn't come easier, and that I still have a couple years (at least) to get where I want. That said, I've also made choices that got me here, and a big choice was to stay home a while and take a job that lets me bring dd to work.

I'm long winded today, but I'm really trying to let you know that I empathize and I know it's hard.

As for dh ....

Mine felt for a while that as a mother my role was to be the primary care giver because there were certain things he just couldn't provide. (Breastmilk, for one) She liked me better, knew me better, etc. And although they were always fairly at ease with one another, when she was fussy I definitely was the one she wanted.

It helped us to try things is smaller segments, like an hour here or there.

What about heading to a coffee shop or library that's nearby to write for 45mins-2 hours? You could call him and see how things are going after an hour and extend based on that? I could never stay at home and listen to her cry so that's why I suggest leaving.

He'll figure it out -- it's his job. I think there's a natural tendency to pass baby back to momma when it gets difficult, but that's not always realistic or healthy.

And yeah, you already know you can never get this time back, but you can always write a dissertation even if it throws a wrench in your plan. (Which is frustrating, I know)

*Julia,* good luck with everything with Ollie! I was fortunate I could stay at home and have nurse days, and I don't know what your schedule is like, but he is definitely at the right age for a growth spurt to get your supply up. Can you call in sick to nurse all day?

Everyone hang in there! We can do it because we are all fabulous, hot, amazing mamas.


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## xenon (Aug 24, 2006)

*Julia*,







. Have you tried pumping after nursing? When we were trying to get my supply up I was pumping for 8-10 minutes after every feeding, and this actually built up a milk stash pretty quickly.

Aaargh, *Jocelyn*, mastitis sound so nasty







I am sending healing vibes your way.

*Sarah*,







for the formula, but I'm glad you're both feeling better today. If you're worried about bottles, have you tried spoon feeding? I can't believe how quickly the babe adapted to it (this is how we did all our supplementing.) It's massively cute, too. Or maybe a lactation aid? Have you seen a LC yet?

*Dee*,







for the dissertation angst. I can't fathom trying to write productively at this stage. I second CJ's advice about starting with figures -- I always found it easier to face Illustrator than to face the text editor.

Three good things already today:

1) At yesterday's visit the midwife gave us instructions on nursing laying down, and we did it with moderate success last night! This also seems to be the key to getting the babe to sleep somewhere other than my chest.

2) Babe is sleeping in the sling, and we are successfully doing laundry and some light housework like this!

3) (This is the best one) the babe's mouth looks NORMAL this morning -- no thrush spots, no spots under tongue









Also, my mom made shortbread


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Grace24* 

So now that I've had my baby and my coworkers can't lecture me on the glories of epidurals anymore, they're all telling me how wonderful CIO is. Praise be to Dr. Ferber, or however you spell that. One person told me last night, "If you hold him every time he cries, you'll be holding him til he's 15."








.

Sounds like Dh's work - awful and sooo sad...

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Grace24* 
Ok I'm really sad to say this but it doesn't look like I'm going to be able to keep up with what DS is taking just by pumping. I pump when I first get to work and then at the second break (that is except for the other night when I hit traffic and didn't have time














and it's still barely enough for one feeding, and he takes two bottles while I'm gone. I'm going to go through my stash by the middle of next week if it lasts that long. I'm very very depressed about this but I don't see anything else I can do! Pumping at home just doesn't happen when I'm feeding DS all day long. Soo, this hurts my soul, but...

...what formula should I supplement with? I'm so scared to do this. Please tell me it won't give my son food allergies or hurt his little intestinal track. Why is this making me so sad?

I went through that. Pump very early morning, even if you have to wake up and leave babe in bed. Pump after feedings. DD was doing this and then will go a day where she'll only eat 8 oz in 8 hours and I catch up a bit. I am also having some luck catching up by pumping regularly all weekend... I also agree with the suggestion to call in sick one day and just nurse all day long. Growth spurts are regular and crazy, but they pass!

If you really need to I'd go with the Nestle one with probiotics. Most babies don't have food allergies, so you should be fine. But do expect a poop change! And do add probiotics - either as part of the formula or separately - helps their digestive system deal with the formula. I don't think that Nutramigen is necessary unless you suspect an allergy.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nylecoj* 
Hi ladies,

I think I am a wimp. I've been doing heat and stuff (*E,* I read on some website to alternate the heat and cold, but now I'm thinking I'll stop that - thanks!) and although it's not very red, the discomfort/pain is spreading to my shoulder/back. Is that normal in your experience? Also hurts to lift my head over my shoulder.

I go through stuff like this often where I feel like I'm trying to validate my choices since dd has been born. I don't love my job. I don't make a lot of money. I have spent THOUSANDS of dollars on my brain ... to what end? It's frustrating that the career thing hasn't come easier, and that I still have a couple years (at least) to get where I want. That said, I've also made choices that got me here, and a big choice was to stay home a while and take a job that lets me bring dd to work.

Everyone hang in there! We can do it because we are all fabulous, hot, amazing mamas.

I didn't have the pain into my shoulder like you're having, but I'm sure it depends on where the infection is. Can you feel plugged ducts? Do you have a fever? I'd call the doc if you get a steady fever for any amount of time. I HATE abx, too, so I feel for you.

On work - you made good choices to be with your LO when she's young. I wish I could do that! I would, but once you leave this place it's like you were never here, so I don't want to take the chance of losing what I've worked for. Geez ladies - we're not 50! You all have tons of time.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *xenon* 

3) (This is the best one) the babe's mouth looks NORMAL this morning -- no thrush spots, no spots under tongue









Also, my mom made shortbread









Yay and yum!


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Thx for the responses... I could try harder to pump after every feeding again, but it's just hard cuz most of the time it's just me with baby and he likes to be held. But maybe I need to just be more adamant about it... he'll sometimes let me put him down for a few minutes after a feeding... almost like it takes him five minutes to realize I'm not holding him before he can fuss. Then I could get at least 5 minutes.

Sometimes I do wake up before he does, I could pump then... but I just don't want to have to set an alarm and pump every 3 hours through the night. I just started sleeping again and I am loathe to give that up!

I'll try pumping more while I'm home. Thx Elizabeth for the recommendations for formula... I'll wait til the last moment to buy it, if I really need it, but at least now I have an idea of what kind.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

I get up and pump after her early morning feeding (usually between 6 and 7) and leave her in bed with DH. If I'm still sleepy and have time, I get back in bed with them and sleep longer.

I can get her to let me pump when I'm home if I put her in her bouncy seat right next to me and talk to her while I pump.

Good luck, momma!


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Grace24* 
Thx for the responses... I could try harder to pump after every feeding again

Or, you know, not. That idea didn't last two minutes. Fine, formula he will get.

It's not fun being with a screaming baby during the day and then having to go try to perform at night without any sleep, when all I really want to do is this







and DH has already announced that as soon as he gets home he's going straight to bed so there goes my nap. I mean he needs it too, but SHIT I've got to go to work here. I'm fried.

Sorry. Rant over. 'Scuse me.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*jocelyn*, neither of my mastitis episodes involved pain like that. i would call a doc or mw. i went the abx route.

i am way behind on reading, will try to catch u later. off to central park zoo now







and later having a drink with a potential new mama friernd


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Excuse my language.


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *xenon* 

2) Babe is sleeping in the sling, and we are successfully doing laundry and some light housework like this!

3) (This is the best one) the babe's mouth looks NORMAL this morning -- no thrush spots, no spots under tongue









Also, my mom made shortbread









Mmmm, shortbread! Yay for no thrush!! And, awesome that baby likes the sling. Babywearing helped me get so much done that would have been impossible otherwise.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
I didn't have the pain into my shoulder like you're having, but I'm sure it depends on where the infection is. Can you feel plugged ducts? Do you have a fever? I'd call the doc if you get a steady fever for any amount of time. I HATE abx, too, so I feel for you.

I can feel a plugged duct ... kind of up near my armpit on the left side. Like way in the back of the breast. I just pumped which felt really good (at work today without dd, of course) while I was doing it, but the relief ended as soon as I stopped pumping.

I don't think I have a fever ... or at least if I do it's very low grade. I could go back to bed and sleep though. Probably I need to stay at work so I can keep taking off time for dd when she's sick, which is a lot more frequent.

ETA: Plugged duct feels less plugged today than yesterday, but more tender.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
Geez ladies - we're not 50! You all have tons of time.


Good point! It's hard to keep that perspective sometimes. And lack of sleep makes everything worse. (Although I got a decent amount of rest last night, especially compared with the way things have been going lately)


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Grace24* 
Or, you know, not. That idea didn't last two minutes. Fine, formula he will get.

It's not fun being with a screaming baby during the day and then having to go try to perform at night without any sleep, when all I really want to do is this







and DH has already announced that as soon as he gets home he's going straight to bed so there goes my nap. I mean he needs it too, but SHIT I've got to go to work here. I'm fried.

Sorry. Rant over. 'Scuse me.

Oh Julia, I'm sorry. I wish I had more than that.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Julia:







.
Two things: If you decide to supplement with formula, don't beat yourself up! You're doing a great job, juggling work, bfing, a needy babe. If Ollie gets a bit of formula along with his BM, it won't hurt him, and I think you do what you need to. But if you do want to try building more of a stash, I second some of the ideas already out there, though I actually found it was easier (and more productive) to wait an hour after feeding before I pumped. Willa would drain me, so there wasn't much left, but an hour later there would be some, but it was still close enough to when I'd last fed her that I didn't worry about depriving her (plus, the pump will never be able to drain you like a baby will, so there's always some left). You can also add in a pumping session at night just before you go to bed (though that only works if you go to bed later than Ollie does) and pumping first thing in the morning is always good for me - it's when I have by far the most milk, plenty both for Willa to get her fill and to get a bunch pumping.
Sorry about DH. I'm sure he's tired, but honestly? You're taking care of a baby and working, and probably even more sleep-deprived than he is! Sometimes I think even the best partners in the world will never totally get what it is mothers go through...
DH will so often complain if, for instance, he gets up with Willa in the morning (especially if, like this morning, she wakes up at 6 am instead of 7) while I sleep for a bit more. But he gets SO much more sleep than me, every. single. night. It was even worse when Willa was little and I was uber-sleep deprived and unable to nap during the day. I'd listen to DH complain about how tired he was (after he'd slept totally through some of Willa's wakings during the night, and sometimes even after getting more than 8 hours sleep) and it made me want to smack him. And he's about as helpful/sensitive as it gets in terms of being a good dad.

On that note... Dee, it sounds like since you guys work different schedules and have already agreed to be each other's child care, your DH just needs to get better with the baby. And that probably means sometimes, you just leaving to do the work you need to do, even if DH is a bit uncomfortable or your daughter is sleeping. He'll figure it out, and she'll get more comfortable with him as he does. I do think having a sling or something like the Ergo or baby bjorn (which some men see as more masculine) helps. By now, other than the fact that he can't produce milk, DH is as good as I am with Willa and i find that an enormous help in terms of lifting that burden of being the "only one" who can take care of her.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

I'm sorry Julia. You do what you need to, honey. It gets better. MOST babies get some formula and do just fine with it. Your mental health is more important than 100% bm! And I realize DHs need sleep too, but they get more than we do from pregnancy through grade school! I don't know why they think their sleep is somehow more precious than ours... Language excused - you should hear me in real life. I worry what her first words will be!

Dee - I agree that DH is going to have to learn. We learn by trial and error; he will too. I'm actually seriously debating getting DH a Pikkolo carrier so that DH can wear her more. DH doesn't like the super thick padding on the Ergo...

Jocelyn - my guess is that the arm pain is because of where the plugged duct is... Pie may be right that you should call, but I'd probably keep doing what you're doing for a bit longer, so long as you're not getting a fever. Oh - shower and combing... It's bizarre, but I had good luck with taking a hot shower and combing the plugged duct toward the nipple with a ton of soap or lotion/oil with a fine tooth comb. It seriously works.


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
Jocelyn - my guess is that the arm pain is because of where the plugged duct is... Pie may be right that you should call, but I'd probably keep doing what you're doing for a bit longer, so long as you're not getting a fever. Oh - shower and combing... It's bizarre, but I had good luck with taking a hot shower and combing the plugged duct toward the nipple with a ton of soap or lotion/oil with a fine tooth comb. It seriously works.

Good tip.

I might leave work early to do some of this. And, I'm skipping school tonight.
Do I need to apply much pressure with the comb? I tried some deep massage and it made me kind of queasy. I think I'm gonna have to go into the doc afterall.

Boo!


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

No - light pressure. For massage too.

Sorry you're dealing with this. Take it easy and take probiotics!


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Thanks for your help! I did some deeper massage today at lunch which hurt like a bi*tch, but I think helped unplug that duct some more. I have more mobility now and less discomfort.

I still want to go home and sleep but that's not gonna happen until 4 or so.

Thanks everyone, your good vibes are obviously working!


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Thanks for your help! I did some deeper massage today at lunch which hurt like a bi*tch, but I think helped unplug that duct some more. I have more mobility now and less discomfort.

I still want to go home and sleep but that's not gonna happen until 4 or so.

Thanks everyone, your good vibes are obviously working!


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## jocelyndale (Aug 28, 2006)

You know, I'm almost 32. It seems that I should have a choice between joint pain *or* acne. I don't need to have both, right?

Begging pardon for my grumpiness. I'm all itchy and headachy and achy. And the urchin is taking a very late nap.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Edit to remove a totally OT rant...


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

Julia









nylecoj









Lots more to say but DD is finally asleep & I should be too. DH & I are basically doing a combo of "trial by fire" and "cut the guy some slack." Yep we never budgeted for childcare b/c we can't afford it at all! There's not even an on-campus facility that I could use. DH walks DD & the dogs w/ his Hotsling but says it hurts his back. Got an Ergo but it's a pain to use w/ the infant insert right now. Won't try the Moby for some reason. Still no good answer to when I'll get writing done. Funny thing is, he wants me to graduate so badly - he wants me to get my PhD more than I do. I just want to be done... or not... just want to stop being a student. It's a pretty easy gig but the pay sucks.







Need more stability in our lives too & going deeper into debt is not a good way to gain stability.

Found a great website that addresses some aspects of my problem.

Lane I forgot to tell you that it's so nice to hear good news, that you're enjoying Ada so much. I hope you're not too affected by the 4 month sleep thing & you can continue to have fun w/ your doll.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
You want heat, but not cold, though... Heat kills bacteria and helps keep the milk moving. I'm sorry it's hitting you. I'm sure it hits when you're immune system is somehow otherwise compromised (like a long cold...).

this is the orthodox advice on mastitis but my lc swears by cold as do a lot of women who use her.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*elizabeth*, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080124/...onomy_stimulus

To address the mortgage crisis, the package also raises the limits on Federal Housing Administration loans and home mortgages that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can purchase to as high as $725,000 in high-cost areas. Those are considerable boosts over the current FHA limit of $362,000 and the $417,000 cap for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's loan purchases.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
this is the orthodox advice on mastitis but my lc swears by cold as do a lot of women who use her.

Whatever works! I never could find time to do much of either...


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

I've been bragging to my work friends about how Oliver sleeps through the night so this week he decided to make a liar out of me. Sigh.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

At least it's my turn for a nap when DH gets home.

How's everyone? Sorry I haven't been personalizing much lately, it's just been a rough week, back at work. Like Dee, DH and I are each other's child care except for three hours last Tuesday and it's exhausting. So glad we got an au pair. I could never keep this up. Dogs have been walked twice all week and it doesn't look like it's going to get better for them.

But I still love my boy


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## ~minnow~ (May 25, 2006)

Dee, thanks for the nice note about Ada. I'm knocking on all the wood in the house hoping that she keeps sleeping okay. I like Ask Moxie! It's always interesting (and an aid to patience) to read about how everyone else has the same issues I do, like with the partner's inability to be as great at childcare as I. I do feel a little like I'm giving up. I do most of it now; it's reasonably easy; however, I don't like that I'm allowing a situation to exist where if I'm ever not going to be around for food/bed, all heck will break loose.

Michel Odent suggests that our current social arrangements aren't conducive to long term breastfeeding, and that polygamy is, while anathema to us, really a better social arrangement for child care.

And I don't know, maybe he's right. I could go for being in a harem right about now. It would be great to leave the baby with other MOTHERS when I need some time off; also I wouldn't mind being excused from sex for a year.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Lane, you crack me up. Do you ever watch that show Big Love about the polygamists? Sometimes I watch that and think, OMG they have built in babysitters right there in the house, how nice! Before baby when I watched that show my reaction was very different! Too funny.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*julia*, how are you and dh feeling about the au pair?


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
*julia*, how are you and dh feeling about the au pair?

We can't freakin wait. Are you guys gonna do it? I dropped Ollie off at my friend's house Tuesday and met her au pair... she was awesome with him. Oliver didn't want to leave when Paul picked him up









Seriously it's been hard with just me and DH, I'm exhausted. I can't wait for her to come. I mean, I think we could've done it just using sitters cuz our hours are different enough for right now, but it would've been more hassle, more money, and more exhausting. February 21st, the countdown begins...


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

i want an interesting job with excellent childcare AND i want to be home with her. work with substandard childcare is not a possibility for us. i was considering passing on the apt purchase and going back to work in sept. (when i am likely to get dd into good childcare) but the truth is i think part of me will ALWAYS want to be home with her. so this crisis is brought on by not being psyched about the most likely job offer in terms of interestingness (good work morally, just not very polititcally compelling, and with many, though not exclusively, not smart folks). then i got a response to an application to apply for a higher-level position than i had applied for at a much more politically interesting place full of smart people (by reputation). and i got more psyched about going back to work. which told me that part of me does want to go back. hm. what i really want is to go back 4 days a week and to take the big apt., which is about the worst situation financially. childcare is not very friendly to part-timers. still optimistic that either a nanny share or an au pair arrangement will come through. brazelton writes about how women who go back to work have a lot of angst about it and it takes away from their time enjoying babe, and i have definitely been suffering from that. so no more. it is very hard work to find childcare but i am not going to let stressing take away from my time with dd.


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *~minnow~* 
Michel Odent suggests that our current social arrangements aren't conducive to long term breastfeeding, and that polygamy is, while anathema to us, really a better social arrangement for child care.

And I don't know, maybe he's right. I could go for being in a harem right about now. It would be great to leave the baby with other MOTHERS when I need some time off; also I wouldn't mind being excused from sex for a year.

OMG, DH and I are watching _Big Love_ right now (writers strike...time to watch all the shows you skipped over before) and I actually see the benefits to polygamy. I have a fierce jealous streak, but since I'm not seeing any action anyway, I could do with an extra wife around here


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

You guys crack me up on the polygamy stuff. I'm totally jealous, too, but I could use someone to help get stuff done around the house.

I'm missing DD a lot this week - going home at noon to do the appraisal, etc. and I am just going to take her with me. I don't even have to go, but I want an excuse to see her! I'm so torn about the daycare here, even though we're not even in yet!

NO sleep again last night. She we sleepy at 8, so we started bedtime routine. She fell asleep and woke herself up immediately for FOUR HOURS!!! I did everything I could think of. She even tricked me into thinking that nursing down was working, but ate for a LONG time on each side and then popped immediately awake again. I'm sleepy. She went to bed at midnight, woke at 2:00, 4:30, and 6:30. I got up after she ate at 6:30.

Edit - I shouldn't say "no" sleep, minimal sleep? I feel bad saying that when Jocelyn gets less than I do!

I wonder how Rachel is doing??? I'm thinking this is the week they're in the hotel for a few days?


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Hi all.

Boobie is doing much better today! I tried some deep massage which hurt like kaka, but definitely unclogged that duct because milk was spraying out all over.

I'm still sore and really tired, but hey, what else is new.

*E,* you definitely got less sleep than I did last night, so don't feel bad. I went to bed at like 8:30 because I've been so tired. Dd slept okay ... better than she has been and I got up at 6 and let dh sleep in until 6:45! Hah.

Uh .. it's been a half an hour since I started this post, so I forgot what I was going to say. Hee.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Jocelyn - I'm so glad you're unplugged! Ouchie, though.

So, I did much better keeping up with DD this week. Partly due to the long weekend, but still I feel more hopeful about it in the future. I think if I keep pumping on weekends and in the morning we'll keep up.

So - did the inspection and appraisal on the house today. I honestly forgot how big it is... I'm so used to small houses! I'm sure by most standards it's not that big, but for us it's huge!


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dctexan* 
OMG, DH and I are watching _Big Love_ right now (writers strike...time to watch all the shows you skipped over before) and I actually see the benefits to polygamy. I have a fierce jealous streak, but since I'm not seeing any action anyway, I could do with an extra wife around here









The writers strike is exactly the excuse I'm using for watching Sex and the City every night.

Re Big Love... the extra childcare and help around the house would be nice, but only if Nikki weren't one of the wives! She's a crazy lady.

Well we gave Ollie his first bottle of formula tonight just to see if he'd take it. I've started pumping after I put him down at night too (like now) but I still am falling behind by at least one feeding a day. Anyhow, we have about six bags left so that should last til, well, Tuesday. (Working doubles til then.) He liked it ok... not as much as breastmilk but he still sucked it down. Hungry boy! He sure eats a lot. Anyhow I'm still trying to let go of my guilt over it. I wish I weren't so hard on myself.

Elizabeth.. thx for the recommendation. We tried the Nestle stuff and he liked it ok.

Pie... I totally miss Oliver when I'm at work, especially for the long days, but I'm so happy being back at work. I really need it to feel like me. I'd be a worse mother without my job because I would lose me. My mom put her music career on hold to be a wife and mom, and we always felt it. It was like she just was never quite happy being there, you know? So my guess is you're just looking for the right situation with work and daycare. It'll come together, I'm sure of it.

Ok time to go to bed, finally!


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

So, DD is screaming her head off and DH has her. She fell asleep in the mei tai at 9:00, I laid down with her completely asleep at 9:15 and she popped awake a few minutes later rooting. I nursed, she fell asleep and after maybe 5 minutes of NO sucks and seeming to be asleep, I removed my nipple. Awake and rooting. Tried to relatch, she started to cry, switched sides. She nursed until she popped herself off and then began squirming non stop and woke herself up. DH gave her a bottle thinking maybe it will allow us to get SOME sleep tonight. She's still screaming.

I don't think it's teething or anything else since she's FINE all day and is more pissed than seeming to be in pain.

I'm so at a loss and feeling like a complete and total failure.

Oh, and she seems to be getting more and more frustrated with nursing now that she's getting so many bottles during the day.

I'm really freaked out that she's going to wean herself from bfing, and I really can't handle exclusive pumping... Man, just when the bfing looked like it was getting better.


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

Ugh I typed out a post yesterday but lost it when the forum was acting weird.

*Lane*, I've always sorta felt that way about polygamy. Built in help with childcare, housekeeping, etc! Plus men would get enough variety in bed so they wouldn't be tempted to cheat. Too bad we're so possessive and jealous! I used to do population genetics research on birds and was stunned at how much they're like us. Really got me thinking about polygamy/polyandry. I also used to joke with a coworker that I needed a wife to take care of me like his wife took care of him - 3 homecooked meals a day!









*Pie* I'm sorry you're in a crisis about childcare and returning to work and housing. Each of those things are stressful alone, so the combo must be overwhelming. I'm sure it'll work out with patience and maybe a dip into the ol' savings account. Like others told me, enjoy your baby while you can. This may be a blessing in disguise.

*Jocelyn* glad you got unclogged! I had a couple ducts that threatened to clog, mostly from holding the flanges from the pump wrong while I surfed the internet.







"Massage" is definitely not the right word for the action taken to unclog them!

*Julia* I'm glad Ollie took the formula & also glad you may be able to pump more so you don't have to use formula as much. You're a good mommy!

*Elizabeth* sorry you had a rough night. Could it be a nursing strike?


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

Does anyone else have a baby who won't tolerate diaper wetness _at all_? We're going thru 20 diapers a day here.







We've used Pampers Swaddlers and BabyDry, Seventh Gen sposies, Happy Heiny's and BumGenius cloth. Nothing lasts more than a couple hours unless she's sound asleep. It's costing a fortune & I'm trying to decide what kind of cloth system to invest in. Pockets hardly seem worth the effort of stuffing b/c she goes thru them so fast. Not to mention they're expensive! I posted a question on the diapering forum but thought I'd ask here too.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Dee, I always hear about these babies... and even remember Willa was first born hear than when she cries, I should first check to be sure she isn't hungry or wet. Willa, however, could care less whether her diaper is damp, soaked, or filled with poop. She seems oblivious to it and always has. I just need to check regularly so that I don't leave them on so long the pockets leak (and of course, when she's a pooping machine, which she often is, we go through tons). Sorry I can't help! I've always wondered why some babies care about wetness and others dont'. With Willa, it seems to go along with some of the other elements of her emerging personality - she doesn't have an ounce of daintiness in her!

So, she finally slept in (until 7) this morning, and is taking a nap at her typical time now. I'm hoping this keeps up. THe last couple days, she has decided that she does.not.need.sleep.at.all. I'm exaggerating - I know I'm still getting more sleep at night than a few mamas on here so I'm not complaining - but especially with naps, she just doesn't want to take them. Yesterday she woke up at 5:30 and promptly decided she was up for the day. I had put her back in her crib in hopes of her sleeping at least an hour or so more, but after 45 minutes of listening to her happily playing around in the dark - cooing, babbling, squealing, standing up, falling down, standing up again - I decided she was definitely up for the day and got up with her. The whole rest of the day, we managed to get her to sleep for two 20 minute naps, and that was it. Needless to say, she was pretty exhausted by the end of the day.
For the most part, she stays happy (though she was getting pretty fussy by the end there last night), but she looks SO exhausted, and I want her to be getting the sleep she needs. The world just seems too interesting for now, though. Fingers crossed that today is better...


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

E and ACP - hugs... nothing is permanent with these babes, not the great days/nights and not the bad ones either. It will pass.

Along those lines, I have a happy dh story to report! He came home at 9 last night, after 2 solid weeks out of town (and dd and I've been sick all week and not sleeping). took one look at me already in bed and said 'I'll take her tonight.'

and he did. I did hear some crying. and he was up with her from about 10:30-1... But I got to sleep and for once I actually DID sleep. Woke up at 3 in pain, pumped (totally green foremilk. don't know what to do with it), then she got up at 4 to eat and I took over. But anyway I think it was about 6 hours straight for me, plus a bit more from 4-8 am when she finally got up. and DH HANDLED IT.







I'm lavishing on the positive reinforcement.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

dd is like willa -- usually doesn't mind a dorty dipe. i hope that means she won't mind having merssy parents.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

CJ - glad you got some sleep.

We eventually did too. She konked out at 10:30 or so and, while up again every 2 hours on the nose, she slept until 10 this morning. She just fell asleep now - we'll see how the nap goes. I'm so glad she slept. I can even handle getting up every 2 hours for 20 minutes with her, but the fighting sleep to the point of screaming is awful.

It's not a nursing strike, since she nurses fine when she's mostly asleep and did again this morning. I think that in the evenings she gets really annoyed that I don't have as much milk and that she actually has to work for it.

It is so true that good nap days mean good nights!

On dipes - She couldn't care less about wet diapers, but hates poopy ones. We try to change her quickly when she poops anyway to avoid leaks. But, wetness doesn't bother her at all.


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

So glad you mamas are getting sleep! CJ your DH rocks!

Guess I have a weirdo baby. She cares much less about poopy dipes than wet ones. I don't think she has sensitive skin - although we use sensitive wipes - she's never had diaper rash. Then again, how can you get diaper rash when your dipe is changed 30 seconds after you wet it?

In other news, I think Zantac has stopped working. The crying... it's continuous.


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## xenon (Aug 24, 2006)

Breastpump question: I've been using a rented Symphony, for which we bought the new tubing set. It's great, but $$$$ to keep for an extended period of time (we're paying $20/week).

DH also bought a used Pump In Style off of Craigslist, thinking that we would use the new tubing etc. we bought with it and everything would be great. But then I looked it up (AFTER purchase, of course), and the internet has filled me with fear that I am a bad person/parent for considering using a secondhand breastpump









Did any of you buy a used pump? How did you clean it? We've got it taken apart, and all the parts we're not replacing (plastic panels, membrane) soaking in alcohol with plans for boiling water.

What are we even worried about here? The Internet says HIV and hepatitis, but, really, how long do those even survive outside the human body?

My hormones are all topsy-turvy, and I totally bawled about this stupid used pump one day last week







Tell me it will be okay, or tell me to suck it up and buy a new one -- I really don't care which, I just want to feel okay about the whole thing.


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

Xenon I went through the same thing... bought a used PIS off ebay then discovered that it might not have been a good idea. I didn't rent one, so I cried so hard when I wanted to use it but couldn't. I took it to a lactation consultant who checked it out and told her about my concerns. She told me to go ahead and use it - the chances of contamination are slim to none. Of course I was still hesitant but my nips were a mess, I wanted to preserve my milk supply and I didn't have the resources or energy to rent one. I don't really know what to tell you... it's probably safe, but I would have bought a new one if I could have afforded it. Maybe you could sell the PIS and buy an Ameda or other "safer" used breastpump while you're still renting the Symphony? I think Julia got one off ebay too but hers didn't have much life left in it - she might have some suggestions too. Love your baby's name, by the way.









Sarah, speaking of breastfeeding, how are you doing? That initial tenderness is no joke. I had to hold my arms over my breasts in the shower so the water wouldn't hit them directly. Hope you and A are doing better.









DD finally went down for a nap. Hallelujah! Now if only I could sleep...


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Xenon... I bought a used PIS advanced on eBay for 80 bucks. Turns out it was a PIS original put into the backpack







: and also had terrible suction so I never even used it, I threw it out. Of course by the time I realized it was a POS it had been months since I bougth it and I don't even remember who it was who sold it to me. About a week or two afte rI bought it? EBay posted an announcement saying not to buy used breastpumps for the reason you describe. We rented the Symphony for a month too and it was great, but ended up buying a PIS Original, and it's good too. Nothing is gonna be as good as a hospital grade but the original has a very strong motor and has been really good. It's cheaper than the advanced, you'd have to ask others if they like their advanced. I've heard good things about that one too. I can't advise you on whether or not to keep the used pump for health reasons... I made the same mistake though. Health reasons weren't why I threw it out, but I was kinda skeeved out once I learned it wasn't a good idea.

CJ... yay DH! Mine's good about sensing when I need a break too. It makes such a difference when they volunteer!

Dee... Sorry M is crying again


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## Code Name Mama (Oct 5, 2007)

From what I've seen discussed in my DDC and elsewhere, the concerns about used breast pumps are nonsense. As long as you can change the parts that your milk touches, you're fine - those other tubes never touch bodily fluid. Plus the diseases they toss around can't live outside of the body! Don't worry about your used pump - clean it, use it, be happy!


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dionnakay* 
From what I've seen discussed in my DDC and elsewhere, the concerns about used breast pumps are nonsense. As long as you can change the parts that your milk touches, you're fine - those other tubes never touch bodily fluid. Plus the diseases they toss around can't live outside of the body! Don't worry about your used pump - clean it, use it, be happy!









This is what I was thinking... The milk doesn't touch any of the pump itself unless I guess you overflow a bottle (not so lucky here). I'd clean it and use it. The tubes from the Symphony will work, but you have to cut off the triangle ends.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MajorGroover* 

In other news, I think Zantac has stopped working. The crying... it's continuous.









that happened to us. if you are lucky they can increase the dose. dd was already at the max for her weight so we went to prevacid. now she is on both zantac and prevacid and doing great. if you can't reach your ped over the weekend you might consider cherry (no dye) maalox -- it works in a pinch.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *xenon* 
Breastpump question: I've been using a rented Symphony, for which we bought the new tubing set. It's great, but $$$$ to keep for an extended period of time (we're paying $20/week).

DH also bought a used Pump In Style off of Craigslist, thinking that we would use the new tubing etc. we bought with it and everything would be great. But then I looked it up (AFTER purchase, of course), and the internet has filled me with fear that I am a bad person/parent for considering using a secondhand breastpump









Did any of you buy a used pump? How did you clean it? We've got it taken apart, and all the parts we're not replacing (plastic panels, membrane) soaking in alcohol with plans for boiling water.

What are we even worried about here? The Internet says HIV and hepatitis, but, really, how long do those even survive outside the human body?

My hormones are all topsy-turvy, and I totally bawled about this stupid used pump one day last week







Tell me it will be okay, or tell me to suck it up and buy a new one -- I really don't care which, I just want to feel okay about the whole thing.


i am using a used pump and feel perfectly comfortable with it. do a search for thread on that in the BFing forum -- you will see that lots of women do. i don't think the tubing needs to be replaced even because as you will see the milk doesn't even touch it. i got new cones (needed a bigger size anyway) and containers and valves.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

have folks read or thought about reading _odd girl out,_ by r. simmons? i read it because i'm the mother of a daughter, but i think teachers and those interested in psychology/sociology (_survivor_-style) should read it too. it's about "relational aggression" among girls -- bullying by non-physical means. it gave me insight into some issues i have had with female bosses. its thesis is that girls, particularly Caucasian girls with some class privilege, are taught to suppress anger and never acknowledge conflict with peers and that for girls the scariest thing is lack of connection. it further posits that because anger is a normal human emotion and conflict is inevitable, it comes out in indirect ways, "mean girls"-style. i never had a super-bad bullying experience by other girls, but i certainly have had "issues" in adult friendships where feelings, e.g., jealousy could not be acknowledged directly because it felt like the sky would fall (when of course it wouldn't). also it notes (all of its evidence is anecdotal) that the most vile thing to girls is for another girl to think "she's all that" -- which certainly goes to difficulties i have had with female bosses feeling threatened by me. one of its interesting points is that the girls who become the targets of relational aggression are those who are threatening -- not the girl who doesn't conform to social norms of slenderness, the right clothes, etc. love to hear your thoughts.


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## SarahJen (Sep 27, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MajorGroover* 
Sarah, speaking of breastfeeding, how are you doing? That initial tenderness is no joke. I had to hold my arms over my breasts in the shower so the water wouldn't hit them directly. Hope you and A are doing better.









MUCH better. I've been promising her cars and expensive clothes when she's a teenager if she'll nurse first on the less than favored side and it seems to be working. The sore side gets less action (except for at night when I'm not up for the fight) and at last the size is starting to even out, it was getting ridiculous.

We actually left the house today! Together! Major accomplishment in my view because I was starting to have major anxiety whenever dh would leave for work at the prospect of another day alone with a crying baby while the world moves on without me. It was mostly the cold weather keeping me in and the fear of her pitching a fit if I took her anywhere alone but we ventured out to the grocery store together today and I feel like a human again, I even wore mascara.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*dee*, if you do take M off Zantac for another med, consider asking how long it takes for that med to ramp up, because Zantac goes out of their system immediately. you may want to give both meds for the overlap time.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SarahJen* 
I feel like a human again, I even wore mascara.

lol


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
that happened to us. if you are lucky they can increase the dose. dd was already at the max for her weight so we went to prevacid. now she is on both zantac and prevacid and doing great. if you can't reach your ped over the weekend you might consider cherry (no dye) maalox -- it works in a pinch.

The dosage for Zantac is 5-10 mgs per kilo. I don't know the math on the dosage for the syrup exactly, though. Isabella's NP finally gave us a range based on how bad she is of 1.4 to 1.8 mls of the syrup... She was around 12 lbs at that time... Upping the dose has made a huge difference for us and so far we haven't needed to change meds, just make sure the dosage suits her weight.

They usually start them at the lowest dose (Isabella was on 4 mgs/kg) so it stops working FAST as they grow.

Maybe you can call your ped and see what a higher dose would be for at least the weekend? They should have someone on call.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
have folks read or thought about reading _odd girl out,_ by r. simmons? i read it because i'm the mother of a daughter, but i think teachers and those interested in psychology/sociology (_survivor_-style) should read it too. it's about "relational aggression" among girls -- bullying by non-physical means. it gave me insight into some issues i have had with female bosses. its thesis is that girls, particularly Caucasian girls with some class privilege, are taught to suppress anger and never acknowledge conflict with peers and that for girls the scariest thing is lack of connection. it further posits that because anger is a normal human emotion and conflict is inevitable, it comes out in indirect ways, "mean girls"-style. i never had a super-bad bullying experience by other girls, but i certainly have had "issues" in adult friendships where feelings, e.g., jealousy could not be acknowledged directly because it felt like the sky would fall (when of course it wouldn't). also it notes (all of its evidence is anecdotal) that the most vile thing to girls is for another girl to think "she's all that" -- which certainly goes to difficulties i have had with female bosses feeling threatened by me. one of its interesting points is that the girls who become the targets of relational aggression are those who are threatening -- not the girl who doesn't conform to social norms of slenderness, the right clothes, etc. love to hear your thoughts.

Sounds really interesting! I was not raised to suppress emotion - if anything I'm too far the other way. Which explains why I've had trouble having female friends, especially as a teenager. I had more male than female friends for most of my life... I'm just now figuring out how to get along with other women by finally starting to see that I need to be very careful in how I deal with emotional situations with women.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SarahJen* 

We actually left the house today! Together! Major accomplishment in my view because I was starting to have major anxiety whenever dh would leave for work at the prospect of another day alone with a crying baby while the world moves on without me. It was mostly the cold weather keeping me in and the fear of her pitching a fit if I took her anywhere alone but we ventured out to the grocery store together today and I feel like a human again, I even wore mascara.

Glad things are improving!

I didn't get around to mascara for way longer than that! Nice job. I still feel all fancy when I actually put on make up. Although, concealer is becoming my best friend. I ALWAYS have dark circles! My hair, though, is NEVER done. It's shoulder-length and DD just grabs it and pulls it if it's down. Glad I decided to leave it long enough for ponytails, because I live in them. I actually took my flat iron to work hoping maybe sometime I'll have a few minutes to do that. Yeah, right.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

what do you all use for storing breastmilk? it's time to buy new containers.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

I've been using the Medela bags for freezing and the bottles for fridge storage... I had originally planned to use silicone ice cube trays, but I couldn't find any with lids, so never mind...


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

So, we are in the process of deswaddling.

GAH!!!!


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Oh Emily, how's that going? Actually nevermind, the GAH says it all! I put him down un-swaddled three nights ago and he only slept 2.5 hours as opposed to his normal 7 or 8. So swaddle we shall...

Pie... I've had just as much trouble over the years with my female friendships and coworkers as I have with men! That book sounds fascinating. And spot on.

Sarahjen, yay for getting out of the house! BTW, totally normal to be afraid when DH goes back to work, I was totally terrified and hired a sitter to come in every day for a couple weeks so I could take naps. Soon it will be old hat, no biggie. BTW I never wear mascara anyhow!







I think I've been gearing up for mommy hood for a while in that realm. The easier the makeup the happier I am


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SarahJen* 
Major accomplishment in my view because I was starting to have major anxiety whenever dh would leave for work at the prospect of another day alone with a crying baby while the world moves on without me.

This comment reminded me so much of those early days with Willa, when the thing I couldn't get over was how the rest of the world seemed to be going about their normal business, when for me, life had turned topsy-turvy. I'd go for a walk with her, and see other people out and about and doing errands and heading out for a night on the town, and wonder how it was possible to do any of those things, when all i could think of was what a major outing a trip around the block to the drugstore was and when Willa would need to nurse next. Somehow it seemed amazing to me that the rest of the people I saw could be so nonchalant and regular and only thinking about themselves, not some other little being who was dependent on them.

I still feel like I'm fundamentally changed, obviously, but it now seems much more possible to carry on a life that's bigger than just DH, me, and Willa. Your comment brought that all back, though. And good for you for getting out of the house! That was definitely one of the things that really helped me in those early weeks and months. Of course, it was easier since it was summer. But even something as simple as walking to my local coffeeshop each morning while Willa slept in her wrap and I read the paper (something that became a pretty regular outing for me) was hugely helpful in making me feel like a person again.

Just got back from DH's play - it was opening night tonight, and we got a sitter. I put Willa down to bed and then headed out. Great show, and again - nice to be able to occasionally have an evening that doesn't revolve around her, much as I adore her. She had a much better napping day today - hoping that means she'll sleep well tonight too! I'd better get to bed since it's well past my normal bedtime and she'll be up before long.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Off to another awful night here... This is seriously already stressing DH and I both out too much. I'm at a loss.

Why does my little girl suddenly hate sleep like it hurts?

ACP - I cannot imagine being able to 'put her down' and then going out. I'm so jealous I could cry...

She's now back up to full on screaming with DH.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Elizabeth...







. That sounds SO hard. I wish I knew why sleep suddenly becomes such an issue. I do think that's a particularly tough age. And I think some babies struggle with sleep more than others. But I can't offer advice because that's one area where we ended up departing somewhat from true natural parenting. Around 4 or 5 months when DD started having a lot of sleep issues and it didn't seem healthy for either her or us, we made a conscious decision both to take our time when responding to cries during naps - instead of going in the instant I heard a noise, I'd get there more slowly, and about half the time it would turn out she wasn't really awake, just crying out in her sleep. And we also let her cry for very short periods when we put her down to bed if we were certain she was drowsy and needed the sleep. We never let her do it for long (more than 10 minutes or so) and it was for very few nights, but I still know that that would be beyond the comfort level of most mamas here, and I'm not advocating it. I'm only letting you know we did that because I don't think it's fair to talk about her going down to bed easily and not admitting that we used a teeny bit of CIO.

The only other things I can say that helped were trying really hard to make sure Willa napped regularly and well during the day - she sleeps much better at night and goes down easier if she's well-rested - and trying to read her cues to catch the moment when she's drowsy but not overtired. Once she's overtired, getting her to sleep is SO much harder. Around 3-4 months, having a pretty regular bedtime (and it seemed to move earlier and earlier, based on Willa's needs) with a regular routine, also helped a lot. Unlike naps, which have often been more challenging for her, she seems to know now what happens at bedtime, and almost to look forward to it.
But again, I think all babies are so different when it comes to sleep, and what works for one might not for another. Good luck! Being overtired and dealing with a screaming baby is no fun.

Pie, I use Lansinoh bags for milk storage. I wasn't crazy about the Medela ones, and I did a bunch of research when those ran out and I needed new ones. I really like them - they have a double zip closure, and are really solid. Also, you can store them flat, which is a huge help in our not very big freezer...


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

Operation deswaddle Benjamin is not going well.

As most of you know I love (truly and deeply LOVE) our miracle blanket. I was perfectly content to swaddle my child until he went off to college. However, my dear child has other plans...

Benjamin is now rolling over regularly - which is fine. However, he is now rolling over while swaddled. This, I am not so okay with. Sooo, deswaddle we shall. It's been 2 nights now. He falls asleep no problem, but then is up every single hour after that. Argh.

To make matters worse DH has pretty much been sick (variety of ailments, headaches, kidney stone, stomach flu, cold, etc.) since he agreed to help with the night time parenting. Thus, he has basically been worthless. So I am DYING of the sleep dep. I have no idea what to do.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Sorry you're having sleep woes too Emily!

Acp - We've tried laying her down to see what happens... Rather than settling down, she gets more and more upset until she's screaming.

She finally went down at around 10:30 again last night, but was clearly tired since 8:00 and after an hour of screaming.

I don't even mind her waking every 2 hours - I just want her to be able to fall asleep...


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

emily - are you deswaddling in stages? ie starting with one arm free? I can't remember what your sleeping arrangements are but can you kind of hold his arms in when he starts to stir?

elizabeth - so sorry I don't know what's going on either. I hope it's just a temporary mystery baby thing (teething?) and that it will stop soon!!


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dctexan* 
So, we are in the process of deswaddling.

GAH!!!!


why? (sorry if that's a dumb question; dd never much took to swaddling...we haven't done it in at least 2 months...but i am curious because maybe #2 will be a burrito baby)


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

Grace24 said:


> Sarahjen, yay for getting out of the house! BTW, totally normal to be afraid when DH goes back to work, I was totally terrified and hired a sitter to come in every day for a couple weeks so I could take naps. QUOTE]
> 
> i was *terrified* too!! had a post-partum doula for 5 visits. i think the key is to get out of the house! of course i had a summer baby so it was easier.


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## hazieluna (Sep 20, 2006)

We're also dealing with crappy sleeping here. I'm tired, very very tired. We co-sleep and last night I think I spent the whole night on my side with my nip in his mouth, and when I would oh sooooo gently take it out sooo carefully he'd wake up and start crying... it's been three nights already of kak sleep.

Btw Xenon (Elsie?) I'm using a second hand pump. All we did was boil all the removable parts. No problems at all! Except I hate pumping that is.

Dee - Aidan doesn't seem to notice wet diapers too much but he pees sooooo much! Really a lot. I guess he's a heavy wetter. Anyway the only diapers that are working really well and also don't actually feel wet are FuzziBunz. I stuff it with three liners and it lasts the whole night! I have tried sposies and other cloth diapers (little beetle and thirsties) but FuzziBunz work best. I'm now tempted to try Bumgenius from what a few people have said here.

Oh I've got a question, Aidan poops only every 3 or 4 days. I'm giving him probiotics since he had to take antibiotics right before Christmas. Since then his poops have totally changed and he doesn't poop every day anymore. I'm wondering if all you with a 4 or 5 month old, how do your babies' poops look? (Did I just really ask that?? ah geez)..
Oh and what brand of probiotics do you recommend? I've been using Country Life but I think I want to try something else.

Sarah!!! Congrats on leaving the house. The more you do it the less terrifying it is. It doesn't feel like so long ago when I was in your same shoes! I recommend you go out every day even if it is just to the corner to get a coffee like Amanda said. It's important for your sanity. Here in rainy country I leave even when it's raining - we tramp around the puddles and I feel like I've done something.


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

Thanks for the advice on reflux meds PiePie and Elizabeth. I think I'm going to give rice cereal a try. Today has been a little better than yesterday, but that's not saying much since yesterday was a complete disaster. It included DH sending me out of the house to get groceries, mainly rice cereal, since I was having a meltdown w/ DD. I got a ton of groceries and was leaving the parking lot when I noticed I had a flat tire. Put a can of Fix a Flat in it & air was pouring out as fast as I was putting it in.







Luckily there was a hardware store in the same complex & one of the guys there plugged the leak but I still had to put another can of Fix a Flat in it, and I don't know what its fate will be. Looks like I might need 2 new tires.







: When I got home DD was on her changing table having a full on tantrum, purple face and all, while DH was sitting in a chair he pulled up to her changing table with his head in his hands, almost in tears himself. Oh my. I missed a reunion dinner because of my trip to the grocery store - no way I could leave DH w/ DD after that. He cooked me a nice dinner though. Then I realized I forgot to buy rice cereal! I sent DH out to get it and he came back with a box of generic rice crispies.







Yeah, it's funny now but it wasn't then. We still haven't figured out how to get it to come out of the bottles though, even with a stage 2 nipple.







We're both still recovering from yesterday. Poor DH has to work tonight.

DD is not eating well. I'm going to call the ped in the morning about increasing her zantac dosage. Has anyone tried that zegerid that the woman on the reflux thread recommends? My doc hadn't heard of it.


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

*Pie* I like the Lansinoh breastmilk storage bags too. Love the double zip - seems very secure. I bagged a few at a time and laid them flat, then turned them on their sides once they were frozen for chronological storage.
*
Natalia* I got Kyodophilus probiotics b/c it's dairy free but it seems to upset my stomach. Glad you like your FB - do you think they keep Aidan drier than sposies? I gotta say I'm not impressed with my BumGenius 3.0 diaper... maybe my expectations were too high. Just put the one size Happy Heiny on her and love it.
*
Emily* I think CJ's recommendation to deswaddle in stages is great. Plus, he could roll himself back over if he had one arm out, right? I left one of DD's arms out last night b/c she was struggling so much. I figured one arm was better than neither! Her sleep was a little disturbed but not too much. The arm was cold by morning though! Good luck!

*Elizabeth* I hope the sleep gets better soon!









*Sarah* yay for mascara! I haven't worn anything but concealer in months!
*
Xenon* what did you decide about the breast pump? Hope you and T are still doing well.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Emily, I also think unswaddling in stages is good. That's what we did with Willa. Also, you may feel differently, but she always slept on her stomach, even in the miracle blanket. She just slept better that way. Since she could pick her head up well and had good neck strength, I never worried about it.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *hazieluna* 
last night I think I spent the whole night on my side with my nip in his mouth,

btdt


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *hazieluna* 
We're also dealing with crappy sleeping here. I'm tired, very very tired. We co-sleep and last night I think I spent the whole night on my side with my nip in his mouth, and when I would oh sooooo gently take it out sooo carefully he'd wake up and start crying... it's been three nights already of kak sleep.

I'm wondering if all you with a 4 or 5 month old, how do your babies' poops look? (Did I just really ask that?? ah geez)..

Oh and what brand of probiotics do you recommend? I've been using Country Life but I think I want to try something else.

Sorry that you're in the same boat. It's awful!!! I hope it's just the age... At least once DD is down she usually sleeps okay if I feed her before she wakes up all the way...

She poops a lot, more than once a day some days, and misses a day here and there. But, her's are still not all the way "normal"... Still green and mucusy sometimes.

I use Country Life dairy free. DD is on Solary baby ones.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MajorGroover* 
Thanks for the advice on reflux meds PiePie and Elizabeth. I think I'm going to give rice cereal a try. DD is not eating well. I'm going to call the ped in the morning about increasing her zantac dosage. Has anyone tried that zegerid that the woman on the reflux thread recommends? My doc hadn't heard of it.

Ask around some about the rice cereal - I hear mixed things on it and have decided to hold off... None of the docs I've talked to use Zegrid, so we won't be the guinea pig on that one. It could be great, but I'd rather stick with prevacid or prilosec for now. I'd go to Zegrid next I think. I WON'T do reglan...

Sorry you're having such a hard time... It's awful to watch them suffer.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

So, today when we went out DD was fine. When we're home, she's a mess... GAH! She ate so little today (can teething do that?!) that I had to pump because I was engorged. That has never happened to me when I'm with her, ever. Even when she was tiny. I'm really starting to worry that we are dealing with an actual nursing strike combined with (brought on by?) teething or whatever is the matter with her. Will be calling my LC tomorrow, but I think even she's at a loss as to how to help me anymore.

At what point do we call it enough???

I swear if it weren't for the late night feeding ease with bfing I'd be ready to call it quits and try Nutramigen or something... I am just scared doing that will make late night feedings a problem on top of everything else right now...

Thanks for listening!!!

PS Jocelyn - can I copy your signature??? I think I qualify for 'guerilla nursing" at this point... I love that!


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

OMG 8 hours of sleep! I almost hesitate to post that since I know y'all are having a hard time. But I'm sure my time is coming...

Well he's 9 weeks now and just like the books said, the random newborn crying-for-no-reason fussiness is subsiding to a great degree. He spends a lot more time hanging out with us, looking around, smiling, even reaching his arms out for me, laughing... or just sitting in my lap or his chair. I think he noticed the dog for the first time the other day. She put her head in his lap and Oliver just suddenly really LOOKED at her, kwim? so cute.

Anyhow I'm so happy he slept last night cuz I have six hours of rehearsal on Sleeping Beauty today. GAH! Thank god he takes formula. He needed THREE bottles while I was at my one performance last night. Growth spurt at nine weeks? At least when DH watches him I know he tries to soothe him other ways before automatically shoving a bottle in his mouth, so I have faith that he truly needed all that milk. But still, I was only able to pump enough for one of those bottles yesterday. GAH! I know it's ridiculous but I still feel a pang of guilt when I see those bottles of formula. So silly, it's not like he's getting any less milk from me, he's just getting supplements to make sure he gets enough because my job is not conducive to enough pumping time. Then I worry, maybe he'll get fat cuz he's drinking too fast or too much from the bottle? I've GOT to chill.

Have a great day ladies!


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## xenon (Aug 24, 2006)

Happy Monday, mamas! It's shocking how similar each day has become to every other for me -- but I know it's Monday because DH is debating whether to go to work or not.

Thanks for all the advice/feedback on the used breast pump. I combed through some threads in Breastfeeding and Lactivism relating to used pumps, and the rational part of me knows that there's pretty much NO reason at all not to use the pump (plus I'm shocked at some of the fearmongering going on over there). DH and I completely disassembled the pump over the weekend (took apart metal housing, removed PCB and motor/diaphram, etc.) and we soaked every part that could conceivably come in contact with milk in alcohol, and then boiled all those parts for about half an hour. Removing the diaphram from the motor was too tricky, so we just suspended the motor above the pot of boiling water. It's all back together now, but I haven't used it yet -- I think that pregnancy/new mom hormones are still suppressing my rational side a bit.

Hugs and empathy to everyone with sleep issues (and yay to Julia for 8 hours again!). I'm feeling spoiled because I got a four-hour stretch last night... I can't imagine doing this for months on end.

Probiotics: baby-T and I are both taking Jameison Pro-Biotec Quattros because of the thrush.

Job stuff: I got contacted for an interview for a job I applied for before Christmas. The job is in Australia, so the interview will be via telephone, which is totally fine. However, I'm also supposed to give a seminar _by telephone_, ie: email them my PowerPoint slides and then narrate the whole thing from across the world. Good grief it sounds terrible, not to mention the fact that I can barely manage to get myself dressed and my teeth brushed in an average day, let alone preparing a job talk seminar (why??? did I not do this before I delivered?). I have serious ambivalence about work in general right now... this is SO not a good time for an interview.

Goal for today is a walk with the boy. He slept in the sling for a walk around the block yesterday -- let's hope for more of the same today.


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
I swear if it weren't for the late night feeding ease with bfing I'd be ready to call it quits and try Nutramigen or something... I am just scared doing that will make late night feedings a problem on top of everything else right now...

It might not have anything to do w/ nursing. DD is much easier to feed at night when her reflux is bad. Almost impossible during the day, basically easy when she's sleepy at night.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

*Xenon*: Congrats on getting the interview. when is it? That sounds incredibly daunting!! I wouldn't have been ready for something like that until Willa was several months old, and even then it would have been tough to pull my scatter-brained new-mother thoughts together enough to feel like I could be totally focused for something like that. Good luck!
Oh - and on the breast pump, I totally understand why you'd be nervous, but honestly, I think it's fine. Everything I've seen says that it would be really rare for there to be something contaminated there, and it sounds like you've done everything possible (and really thoroughly) to sterilize it all. The only thing I'd be worried about would be if it's been used so much that the motor's not as strong (I think that's what happened to Julia).

*Julia*,







on the 8 hours! Maybe he knew you needed it. Sounds like a long rehearsal today!

So Willa is sick







. She got super fussy last night, which isn't characteristic of her at all, and felt a little warm to me. She woke up more than usual during the night, and the last time I fed her she felt really hot. We took her temperature and it's 103. I'm not really worried - we've been through this once before now, and she's still mostly acting like herself (i.e. not lethargic) but I hate seeing her feeling sick. I know a lot of MDC mamas don't treat fevers, but we gave her some FeverAll (the rectal version of tylenol which my doctor likes since it ensures it all gets to them), and I'm hoping that helps. In the meantime, she's super clingy - I had her in a sling pretty much all morning until her babysitter got here - and a lot fussier than normal. I have a bunch of work I have to get done, but I think DH may be free this afternoon for a while, in which case we'll just let her babysitter go early. She wants mommy or daddy today...


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
She ate so little today (can teething do that?!)

y


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Thanks for the support - I am going to call the LC and her ped this morning after I do some quick work stuff. I stayed home this morning since she was a mess again.







I'm so sad for her. She's also just exhausted.

We gave her a bottle of ebm last night and about an hour after that she fell asleep and slept for 3 hours!!! Woke, ate, and slept another 3 hours then woke and slept for another hour. It was heaven to sleep that little bit extra, but I wish getting to sleep was easier for her.

I was seriously engorged last night, too. Tried to sneak out of bed to pump at 1:30 after she ate on one side, but she woke up and ended up eating (poorly) on the other, but enough that I wasn't in pain.

I'm just so sad for her that she's so miserable...


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## ~minnow~ (May 25, 2006)

We can see the first tooth!

I'm totally nervous because I'm planning to go to this school thing this afternoon but I have to bring the A. And I didn't get my proposal done so I haven't given my advisor anything. You know, I havne't seen her in 6 months so I wanted to have something to GIVE her. I'm nervous to be that flakey grad student who doesn't do her work and shows up to a discussion with a teething infant to boot. Gah.

Hugs on all the difficult sleep! Elizabeth, have you tried tylenol (I know it's not MDC but we like it)? It does sound to me like some of what Ada did when she started teething.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *xenon* 

Job stuff: I got contacted for an interview for a job I applied for before Christmas. The job is in Australia, so the interview will be via telephone, which is totally fine. However, I'm also supposed to give a seminar _by telephone_, ie: email them my PowerPoint slides and then narrate the whole thing from across the world. Good grief it sounds terrible, not to mention the fact that I can barely manage to get myself dressed and my teeth brushed in an average day, let alone preparing a job talk seminar (why??? did I not do this before I delivered?). I have serious ambivalence about work in general right now... this is SO not a good time for an interview.

Goal for today is a walk with the boy. He slept in the sling for a walk around the block yesterday -- let's hope for more of the same today.

Congrats, but yeah, that sounds daunting!!! I hate public speaking with a passion and seriously have built my career (which I love) around avoiding it!







Good uck! At least you don't have to worry about showering or brushing your teeth! So, if you get the job are you relocating, or is that just where they conduct interviews?

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MajorGroover* 
It might not have anything to do w/ nursing. DD is much easier to feed at night when her reflux is bad. Almost impossible during the day, basically easy when she's sleepy at night.


Quote:


Originally Posted by *acp* 

So Willa is sick







. She got super fussy last night, which isn't characteristic of her at all, and felt a little warm to me. She woke up more than usual during the night, and the last time I fed her she felt really hot. We took her temperature and it's 103. I'm not really worried - we've been through this once before now, and she's still mostly acting like herself (i.e. not lethargic) but I hate seeing her feeling sick. I know a lot of MDC mamas don't treat fevers, but we gave her some FeverAll (the rectal version of tylenol which my doctor likes since it ensures it all gets to them), and I'm hoping that helps. In the meantime, she's super clingy - I had her in a sling pretty much all morning until her babysitter got here - and a lot fussier than normal. I have a bunch of work I have to get done, but I think DH may be free this afternoon for a while, in which case we'll just let her babysitter go early. She wants mommy or daddy today...

So sorry she's sick.







I'm all for treating fevers when they're that high too!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *~minnow~* 
We can see the first tooth!

I'm totally nervous because I'm planning to go to this school thing this afternoon but I have to bring the A. And I didn't get my proposal done so I haven't given my advisor anything. You know, I havne't seen her in 6 months so I wanted to have something to GIVE her. I'm nervous to be that flakey grad student who doesn't do her work and shows up to a discussion with a teething infant to boot. Gah.

Hugs on all the difficult sleep! Elizabeth, have you tried tylenol (I know it's not MDC but we like it)? It does sound to me like some of what Ada did when she started teething.

Congrats on the tooth! Good luck at school - if your advisor has kids Im' sure she'll understand! We gave her tylenol once, but she fell asleep before it could have possibly worked. (Seriously, within 30 seconds) I keep reaching for it and talking myself out of it for some reason. I will try it if she's fussy tonight. Again last night she fell asleep right when I was ready to try that.

Julia - Congrats on the sleep!!! We had stretches of great sleep when DD was younger. I hope they last for you!


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Hey everyone,

Not too much time to respond to everyone.

*SarahJen!* Woot on getting out of the house. That saved my sanity. And yay for mascara! You really brought me back to the early days of dd. That was nice. The world does move on, but eventually you'll feel like you are more a part of it than you ever were before. It's amazing.

*E,* I've so been there with you on the crappy sleep. For dd, I am pretty sure it was teeth, but I couldn't see anything for a long time. I've read (Moxie, maybe?) that teething pain is worse at night because they are laying down. Have you tried Tylenol or anything? That never helped too much, but Ibuprofen did once she was old enough to take it. We normally would have 1-3 really awful days followed by 1 decent one. Hang in there. It's tough. And yes, you are totally guerilla nursing!









*Pie,* I haven't read that book you mentioned, but the bit you talked about was very interesting to me. I definitely have had an easier time of being friends with men than women, but I've also been one of those women who gets annoyed when someone acts like, "they're all that", unless I believe they are. haha.

I think I have something more systemic than mastitis. Breast is feeling better, but lymph nodes are really sore and not improving. I do not have a fever or anything, but I feel flu-ish I guess. Really tired, (duh) and generally sluggish, I guess. Trying to snap out of it, but I did call the doctor (who hasn't called me back yet, grrr) to see what I should do. Blah.

Dh is taking dd every night this week to see if we night wean her a bit. I nursed her around 9pm last night and he had a bottle of EBM that he tried to give her later but she just wasn't interested, so she's not really hungry at night which is good to know. Anyway, she woke up a lot last night but settled back with him easily and I slept for 7 uninterrupted hours! He brought her to me around 6am and we snuggled and nursed until 7. I was still really tired and felt like I couldn't get out of bed, but I feel much better today than I have in a long while. She's acting normal and happy not all messed up or neglected. Good news.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Jocelyn - It sounds like the mastitis I had... It definitely makes you feel crappy in general, and lymph nodes can and do get involved. Sorry...

Exciting news on sleep, though! That's awesome that you got some sleep and that DD did okay with DH. Hope it keeps up!

So, at work now. I have a bill that needs my attention for a few hours. Left a crying babe with my mom. Tylenol helped some maybe??? She slept in the car when I took her to get the Camelia teething stuff, so I drove around for an hour so she'd sleep! She's sooo tired. She's still crying a lot, though. The ped wants us to try tylenol for a week - yeah right - to see if it is teething and not reflux. I'm going to give it a day or two and then will push for a PPI. She's just so unhappy.

Off to change my sig now!


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*elizabeth*, what's a ppi?

*jocelyn*, i agree with *elizabeth* that it sounds like mastitis. (i've had it twice.) the flu-ey feeling is characteristic.

*xenon*, good luck with the job interview. you can do this! they will be impressed with how soon post-partum you can pull this off -- how do you spell dedicatoin?! and thank god it's by phone because you don't have to worry about what to wear. i had a job interview 3 weeks post-partum. it was nothing i ever thought it would do but i pulled it off.

*lane*, how did the meeting with your advisor go?

gotta pump. tata for now.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

PPI = proton pump inhibitor. It's the drug class that Prilosec, Prevacid and Zegrid are...

Which is your DD on again? One of them is omeprizole (always forget if it's prilosec or prevacid), which is a teeny bit like reglan in that it also increases motility some. our ped uses the other one, but I'd have to look up which is which again.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

dd is on both prevacid and zantac.


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

*Xenon* that interview sounds both exciting and awful at the same time! Will you move to Australia when you get the job? (See what I did there?







) Good luck! I'm sure by this point giving seminars is old hat to you.









*Jocelyn* sorry you're still feeling bad from the mastitis. Poor thing. Glad the night weaning is going well.

*Lane* I want an update on the meeting w/ your adviser too. So I can know what to expect when I go see mine.







: Still no progress here on the diss. Parents have offered to let M and me stay with them for a while so they can watch her while I work on the diss. Only problem is that they live 10 hours away by car or a few hundred dollars away by air. Looking for a cheap furnished rental down here so I wouldn't have to leave DH & the dogs, but this is peak season for rentals here. Gah. Congrats on the first tooth! Wow! I'd love a pic!









*Elizabeth* is it possible that Isabella's reflux meds aren't working as well as they should? Her behavior sounds a lot like M's over the past few days. Finally talked to the doc yesterday about increasing her Zantac dosage. The doc switched her to Prevacid instead. I accidentally gave her a double dose (doh!) but the stuff has been like magic. All of a sudden she can calmly and quietly eat again. Such a relief for both of us. I think Prilosec was taken off the market, or isn't used for babies anymore.

*Pie* does L take the Prevacid melt-tabs? I don't know what they're called exactly, but I was worried that DD would choke on it so I kept my finger in her mouth while it melted.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Elizabeth... sorry DD feels so awful! I hope you figure out what it is soon so everyone can get some rest! Interesting that she slept after the bottle... Oliver seems to sleep so well on nights that DH has watched him all day, cuz he takes so much BM in on those days. I wonder if it keeps him fuller than nursing so he sleeps longer. Just a theory, I hope I'm wrong!

Jocelyn... yay, sleep! I often feel like that when the sleep I've gotten hasn't caught up with me... dog-tired and I can't get out of bed but once I get moving the sleep catches up with me and I feel better. I'm so glad you got sleep! GL with the night weaning.

Xenon... GL with your interview! I'll be doing that later this year, not sure where yet as I have to see what openings are available when I have time to audition, but it won't be as far away as Australia! That sounds neat!

Big news flash: I'm down 2.1 pounds! This WW nursing moms plan is great! It wasn't even my first week on plan so I know it's not just water weight. Who knew playing the violin could burn so many calories! I'm excited. DH joined WW too, and I get three points more than he does cuz I'm nursing. He says he has point envy


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

julia - congratulations on the weight loss!







:














:

lane and dee - gl on the dissertation work. yall can do it. remember to not make it any more work or any harder on yourself than it needs to be.


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

Operation deswaddle Benjamin UPDATE

So last night he slept from 8:30PM-2:30AM unswaddled!!! Woohoo. He woke up a couple of times but put himself back to sleep







Of course 2:30-7AM was another story, but STILL, this is major progress.

*Daycare* - I am freaking out. I am NOT happy with my daycare situation. I know Benjamin is safe (i.e. he will be fed, he will be changed, nobody will let him roll off a table or anything) but I just don't feel like he is getting the attention I would like him to get. I am sooooo tired of walking in to daycare and seeing the daycare workers sitting around talking while the babes are in exersaucers, swings, or cribs. I want to see them interacting and playing with the kids! Is this really too much to ask? I used to work in daycare when I was in college so I completely understand that there are times when you CAN'T interact with the kids because you are diapering or feeding or something, but when you aren't doing those things, you should be interacting with the children. Grrrr. Makes me so mad but I am not quite sure what to do about it (other than switch daycares, which isn't a choice right this sec....still on waiting lists everywhere). DH, of course, has no problem with this (because, surprise, that is how he "watches" Benjamin too) and is completely unsympathetic to my freak out.

*Bottle v. boob*: Benjamin will go through phases when he seems to prefer one over the other. Sometimes he REFUSES to nurse, violent head tossing, screaming and arching away from boob, but will happily take a bootle. Other times it is the bottle that is evil. Who knows why. DH and I just kinda try to roll with it.

*Dee* - I know I am a little late here chiming in about the dissertation writing, but I wanted to express my sympathy. I am having a heck of a time getting back into my writing groove too. My normal way to write is in huge manic bursts, usually at night! This is sooooo not possible now and I still haven't adjusted. My productivity has gone way down. I am just sitting on 3 completed studies (done before I went on mat. leave) and I really haven't written a darn thing for any of them despite being back at work now for 2 months







: I can easuily come in to work now and accomplish nothing but keeping up with MDC and pumping. I think you have gotten some really good advice (especially the write something, ANYTHING, even if it is "I hate being here doing this dumb dissertation", don't edit and just get stuff down on paper) and I am going to try really hard to follow some of it myself (must.get.aticles.done!). Want to be writing buddies?


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## ~minnow~ (May 25, 2006)

Oh hi all! Just a v. quick update: it was a reading group I went to, where people show their chapters-in-progress. My advisor founded the group this year and sent out the e-mails announcing the first meeting of the semester, so I just assumed she'd be there. She wasn't!

Glad I went, though. A. was quiet for 10 minutes (I had her in the stretchy wrap), then started doing her teething-grunting. I went out into the hall, turned her to face toward me, and nursed her to sleep. Took like 20 minutes. I listened to the discussion through the door. Then went back in (she was still attached to my boob, but you couldn't see) for the last 15-20 minutes.

Good to get my feet wet in terms of taking baby to campus. Several faculty have small kids, but I still never see them on campus and somehow there's this vibe that we are too serious for mixing work and kids. (Did I mention that one reason I didn't teach this semester is that I asked for my mandated 6 weeks paid leave at the beginning and instead they opted not to hire me?







) No one said anything about the baby -- positive or negative. It was like she wasn't there, which unfortch made me feel like it wasn't okay if she made noise, but whatev. I'll let you know when I _do_ see my advisor!


----------



## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Thanks for the healing vibes you guys. I'm going to the doctor today. This is just silly. My breast feels fine but everything around it hurts. And, I got another huge amount of sleep again last night but I keep falling asleep on the couch lately. This mastitis is really taking the wind outta my sails.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dctexan* 
Operation deswaddle Benjamin UPDATE

So last night he slept from 8:30PM-2:30AM unswaddled!!! Woohoo. He woke up a couple of times but put himself back to sleep







Of course 2:30-7AM was another story, but STILL, this is major progress.

Word! That's great. Can he come over and teach Sofie to do the same?









Quote:


Originally Posted by *dctexan* 
*Daycare* - I am freaking out. I am NOT happy with my daycare situation. I know Benjamin is safe (i.e. he will be fed, he will be changed, nobody will let him roll off a table or anything) but I just don't feel like he is getting the attention I would like him to get. I am sooooo tired of walking in to daycare and seeing the daycare workers sitting around talking while the babes are in exersaucers, swings, or cribs. I want to see them interacting and playing with the kids! Is this really too much to ask? I used to work in daycare when I was in college so I completely understand that there are times when you CAN'T interact with the kids because you are diapering or feeding or something, but when you aren't doing those things, you should be interacting with the children. Grrrr. Makes me so mad but I am not quite sure what to do about it (other than switch daycares, which isn't a choice right this sec....still on waiting lists everywhere). DH, of course, has no problem with this (because, surprise, that is how he "watches" Benjamin too) and is completely unsympathetic to my freak out.

Grr. This makes me mad. And you know what? My dh used to do the same fricken thing and it bugged the crap outta me. Now that she's mobile and very vocal he has no choice, but I bet he wishes he does.

Perhaps you could discuss it from a monetary angle? You are paying these people your blood, sweat, and tears to IGNORE your baby! It's one thing when daddy is overtaxed and needs a 30 min break, but this is all day.

Bleh. Find new daycare. Move to Sac and I'll watch him for you part-time.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *~minnow~* 
Oh hi all!
Several faculty have small kids, but I still never see them on campus and somehow there's this vibe that we are too serious for mixing work and kids. (Did I mention that one reason I didn't teach this semester is that I asked for my mandated 6 weeks paid leave at the beginning and instead they opted not to hire me?







) No one said anything about the baby -- positive or negative. It was like she wasn't there, which unfortch made me feel like it wasn't okay if she made noise, but whatev. I'll let you know when I _do_ see my advisor!

Ick. That's definitely an uncomfortable feeling. I guess scholars are not allowed to have families though. Wouldn't want to propagate the planet with intelligent people, now would we?

Well, since nobody you work with acknowledged your kid, I guess we'll have to pull a little extra weight around here.

Congrats, Dee! On the fact that you are a mother, a scholar, a woman, and a warrior princess. Those fools have no idea how good they have it with you around.


----------



## veganone (May 10, 2007)

So - last night went better. Not good, but better than we've seen. I think partly she was just so damn tired from being such a mess yesterday. She actually nursed to sleep for a nap - woohoo - first time in a LONG time!!! I tried to put her down (it was 8), but she woke up and was up until 11. Oscar finally got her to sleep by walking her in the living room in circles in her stroller. She slept in that for 45 minutes and then I was able to grab her and nurse her back to sleep. She also slept from 3:30 - 7, which is a major improvement! No bottle, either! We did give her Tylenol, so maybe it is teething. She seemed much better this morning.

My mom is officially off of baby duty for a while... Exactly what I was scared of happened when I left her for 2 1/2 hours yesterday. I left DETAILED instructions on exactly what she could have (camilia teething stuff, tylenol) and left them out on the counter for her. I told her to call me for ANYTHING. What does she do??? She gives her Zantac! And didn't measure the dose or anything. I don't have any clue how that happens?! She didn't even tell me - I noticed pink on DD's shirt and asked what it was and she says "I gave her her teething medicine." Um, her teething medicine is clear. So she shows me what she gave her and gets the Zantac bottle out of the cabinet. I asked how much and she gives me our medicine syringe and says "maybe half of that". OMG!!! I don't have any clue what goes through her head. She was sorry, but WTF?! If I hadn't noticed I would have given it to her again in the evening - and she's on the maximum dose! She also gave her two bottles of 3 oz each in that time period, and DD (obviously) only ate half of the 2nd bottle (I fed her before I left) and she didn't even put it back in the fridge so I had to throw it away. And DD slept for an hour - so all of that happened in an hour and a half total time. Oh, and she let the dog eat a baby toy and threw it away without mentioning it. We try SO hard not to let him have her toys so that he learns not to do it - she lets him do it and then just hides the evidence from us. GAH!!!

I need to call her this morning - I didn't even have the energy to do it last night.

*Julia* - Congrats on the weight loss! That's awesome - glad DH is doing that with you. That's the first time I've seen a woman get more points than a man - yay for bfing!

*Pie and Dee* - It is prevacid that the ped uses. The Tylenol helped yesterday, so I'm still leaning towards teething. She can also be distracted out of it and is fine when she's distracted, which makes me suspect some sort of dull pain that she can ignore sometimes rather than the burn of the reflux, which caused screaming regardless of what we were doing or where we were... The ped has us trying teething remedies for a few days to see what happens, but will add prevacid if we need to.

Emily - Congrats on sleep. I'm so jealous!!! Sorry about daycare - do the workers pay attention to the babes if they are crying or fussy??? That would be a big factor for me. I think you're probably fine as long as Benjamin is getting attention when he's upset until you switch to one of the ones you're waiting to get into... It is upsetting, though!

Glad to hear DD isn't the only one with boob issues sometimes! She was better last night and this morning - hope it lasts!

I wish I could take DD to work. I totally could some days if she were an easier babe, but she's on the high needs end I guess. She needs a lot of attention and at times cries for no apparent reason, especially when she's tired. If I could put her in a sling and wear her for hours on end, I would! Maybe when she naps more easily (yeah right) I can set up a pack 'n' play in my office and bring her in on Fridays.


----------



## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MajorGroover* 

*Pie* does L take the Prevacid melt-tabs? I don't know what they're called exactly, but I was worried that DD would choke on it so I kept my finger in her mouth while it melted.

no we dissolve it in water and feed it to her by syringe


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## ~minnow~ (May 25, 2006)

*Jocelyn*, I'm glad you're getting sleep but I'm sorry you feel icky. Hope the dr. helps. And also...

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nylecoj* 
Well, since nobody you work with acknowledged your kid, I guess we'll have to pull a little extra weight around here.

Congrats, Dee! On the fact that you are a mother, a scholar, a woman, and a warrior princess. Those fools have no idea how good they have it with you around.

Thanks for this! I'm going to sneak part of it for me (Lane) even though it's true that Dee is an awesome warrior princess. I have to say, even though you are sick and don't get a lot of sleep, you are full of good humor. You are awesome! -Are you the one who said you spent thousands of dollars on your brain? What speciality did you buy it?

*Emily*, that sucks about daycare! I'm so sorry! My only idea is to hire a small clutch of destitute graduate students to babysit Benjamin at home until he gets into another daycare. I did this (was the nanny, I mean) and loved it. One on one attention for the baby! But hard to arrange so probably not the right choice.

*Julia*, yay for your weight loss! I bet those six hour rehearsals help.

*CJ*, thanks for the vote of confidence. How's the sleep this week?

*Elizabeth*, I'm glad DD is a bit better. OMG on your mom! OMG! Totally freaking out on your behalf. By the way, for what it's worth Dr. Sears says ibuprofen is now okay for as young as 3 months. We alternate between the camellia, Tylenol and ibuprofen. Love the camillia but it doesn't seem to "last" as long so if it's nighttime or she really needs a nap we do one of the others. This has been going on off and on for us since Christmas (a day she screamed the entire afternoon). But it's awesome how an hour after ibuprofen she'll be a smiling angel instead of Angry Girl, practicing for her teenage goth punk phase.

*Xenon*, piling on the good vibes re. your seminar.

*Amanda*, I hope Willa is feeling better! How are your evenings going?

*Dee*, wow, living with your parents! Or would the rental be for them? It's a great offer of them to offer. Tooth is not picturable right now, is just barely poking through. But here's one Mathilde might like:

__
https://flic.kr/p/2221500505
and while I'm at it

__
https://flic.kr/p/2223293888

*Natalia*, how big is Aidan these days? I can't remember if you said, but I remember he hit 15 pounds months ago. You must be buff as heck!


----------



## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *~minnow~* 

while I'm at it

__
https://flic.kr/p/2223293888

That is one of the cutest pictures I've ever seen. Oh my gosh what a cutie pie!!!


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Piepie - Just thought I'd mention that DH calls DD "sweetie pie pie" and has since she was first born. He's never heard your username, but every time you post it reminds me of this and makes me wonder if that's how you got your nickname.


----------



## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
My mom is officially off of baby duty for a while... Exactly what I was scared of happened when I left her for 2 1/2 hours yesterday. I left DETAILED instructions on exactly what she could have (camilia teething stuff, tylenol) and left them out on the counter for her. I told her to call me for ANYTHING. What does she do??? She gives her Zantac! And didn't measure the dose or anything. I don't have any clue how that happens?! She didn't even tell me - I noticed pink on DD's shirt and asked what it was and she says "I gave her her teething medicine." Um, her teething medicine is clear. So she shows me what she gave her and gets the Zantac bottle out of the cabinet. I asked how much and she gives me our medicine syringe and says "maybe half of that". OMG!!! I don't have any clue what goes through her head. She was sorry, but WTF?! If I hadn't noticed I would have given it to her again in the evening - and she's on the maximum dose! She also gave her two bottles of 3 oz each in that time period, and DD (obviously) only ate half of the 2nd bottle (I fed her before I left) and she didn't even put it back in the fridge so I had to throw it away. And DD slept for an hour - so all of that happened in an hour and a half total time. Oh, and she let the dog eat a baby toy and threw it away without mentioning it. We try SO hard not to let him have her toys so that he learns not to do it - she lets him do it and then just hides the evidence from us. GAH!!!

*Elizabeth* - Ack! This is EXACTLY why my mom will not be allowed to be alone with the baby for quite some time. Basically, Benjamin needs to be able to care for himself before I let my mom do it. She is well intentioned, but just not altogether "with it" about things. So so sorry you are in this situation.
I would be completely freaking out.

*Lane* - I just want to gobble her up! Those eyes are amazing









*Jocelyn* - Okay, you watch Benjamin during the day and I will help teach Sofie to sleep at night. Deal?


----------



## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
Piepie - Just thought I'd mention that DH calls DD "sweetie pie pie" and has since she was first born. He's never heard your username, but every time you post it reminds me of this and makes me wonder if that's how you got your nickname.


yep


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*emily*, i totally feel for you on the daycare freakout.







scarcity of infant care --


----------



## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dctexan* 

*Jocelyn* - Okay, you watch Benjamin during the day and I will help teach Sofie to sleep at night. Deal?









If that's the deal I want in!!! See, move to Sac and you've got full time care, Emily! I'd stay home for a sleeping baby at night!


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Willa's still sick








Her temperature goes up and down - it felt really hot when I nursed her last night, and then was at 103 when we took it, and she felt cooler, this morning - and she's just not a very happy girl. Actually, right now she's doing pretty well with either DH or me, but she screamed bloody murder with her babysitter, who she normally likes, today. Hard because I had a bunch of work I had to get done and was on deadline for. But I finally told her babysitter to go home, and now she and I are playing pretty happily upstairs. I'm putting off going to the doctor, but if she's still not better tomorrow I think we'll go and have him take a look... I hate seeing her so unhappy.

Lane, what an adorable photo!! I love those huge eyes. Beautiful.

Oh - i thik she's getting into some mischief. Better go...


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## xenon (Aug 24, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
That is one of the cutest pictures I've ever seen. Oh my gosh what a cutie pie!!!









:

But, really, the whole Ada photostream is debilitatingly cute.

*Amanda*, I'm sending get-well vibes to Willa. *Jocelyn*, I'm sending the same vibes out to you.

*Dee*, that's great that your parents are willing to help out. Hopefully you can find a way to take them up on their offer. My mom has been such a lifesaver the past few weeks. I am already getting anxiety about her leaving (T minus 6 days).

Job stuff: thanks for all the encouragement! You guys are the best. I have no idea yet when the interview is going to be -- HR is supposed to contact me this week, and I think the interview will be scheduled after that. I've had a long talk with my current supervisor about the job already, and he has dismissed it as a "non-career-advancing position", I think because it's another postdoc position. It seems lost on him that maybe spending some time working on a cool project in a cool location might appeal to me more than "career advancement" right now. That is, if a job appealed to me at all right now.

*Pie*, you are my hero... I can't believe you pulled off a job interview at 3 weeks pp. We are at exactly three weeks today -- I managed to pull off a walk outside, which I was pretty darn proud of. No mascara, though


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Lane... soooo cute! Those eyes! Amazing!

Elizabeth, how scary. I have the same fears about my mom babysitting.... she's a bit forgetful now, but she's never had to watch him for long. Our sitter, in an attempt not to waste breastmilk today, only put half of a defrosted bag in a bottle to give him, but then left the rest warming on the stove. So we had to throw out at least 4 oz. of the golden elixir.







: Frustrating isn't it? Glad DD slept better last night!

Amanda I'm sorry Willa's still sick! Healthy baby vibes to you!

I can't believe I have to play Sleeping Beauty AGAIN today. It's very tiring (but fun). Thank god Oliver's sleeping nights now or I'd never make it through this week. Oh dang, I'm probably jinxing myself saying that.


----------



## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *xenon* 
I've had a long talk with my current supervisor about the job already, and he has dismissed it as a "non-career-advancing position", I think because it's another postdoc position. It seems lost on him that maybe spending some time working on a cool project in a cool location might appeal to me more than "career advancement" right now. That is, if a job appealed to me at all right now.

Oh there is so much more to job satisfaction than career advancement!!! I've taken a couple of jobs for happiness/satisfaction over advancement and am so happy I did! I don't regret it at all. But, I do find that virtually no one understands why I made those decisions - I work with mostly Type-A people who are totally career focused, so the whole enjoying life thing escapes them since work IS their lives... Do what makes you happy.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

off to a "rattle and reel" flick for my own socialization. will play with baby not facing screen. still, bad mommy??

have coop bd interview tonite. must find suit blouse with buttons down front for discrete nursing.

more tosay but gotta go before babe kicks laptop


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

so friends came and deluged us with hand me down gear, now overwhelmed owners of


----------



## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Grace24* 
Big news flash: I'm down 2.1 pounds!

Congrats! Good work!









Quote:


Originally Posted by *dctexan* 
Want to be writing buddies?

Uhm, does that involve fretting about how we should be writing or actually writing? Not sure I'm up for the latter.







But yes, I would love a buddy to keep me motivated. Still trying to work out how my parents will be able to help. I really don't want to stay with them or take the baby away from DH for an extended period. Things change so fast at this age! Rentals where I live are too expensive and/or booked right now, so that's pretty much out. Now DH & I are discussing whether we should have them come stay with us again. Last time didn't really end well, but not badly either, considering there were 4 adults, 2 big dogs and 1 sick newborn staying in 800 square feet with one bathroom! Congrats on success with Operation Deswaddle Benjamin.









Quote:


Originally Posted by *~minnow~* 
No one said anything about the baby -- positive or negative. It was like she wasn't there, which unfortch made me feel like it wasn't okay if she made noise, but whatev.

That sounds really weird. How can you take a beautiful baby somewhere like that and NOT have people ogle and coo at her? I loved your pics, esp the one of Ada crying. Mathilde liked it too.







I want a new camera so badly! Still haven't spent all the Christmas money... DH wants a Wii. OK I'll admit I want a Wii too but I think a camera takes priority right now.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nylecoj* 
Congrats, Dee! On the fact that you are a mother, a scholar, a woman, and a warrior princess. Those fools have no idea how good they have it with you around.

Thanks Jocelyn! I think those words were meant for Lane but I'll hang on to them anyway.







I hope you're feeling better.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
My mom is officially off of baby duty for a while...

OMG understatement of the century! I would be LIVID!







You poor thing. One question though - are you sure your mom gave Ella zantac, or was it Mylicon? My zantac is clear but the mylicon is very pink. Might make you feel better if she wasn't overdosed on zantac.









Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
*Pie and Dee* She can also be distracted out of it and is fine when she's distracted, which makes me suspect some sort of dull pain that she can ignore sometimes rather than the burn of the reflux, which caused screaming regardless of what we were doing or where we were... The ped has us trying teething remedies for a few days to see what happens, but will add prevacid if we need to.

Sounds like a good course of action - don't treat it as reflux if it's teething pain. I just wanted to let you know that DD behaves the same way when her reflux is bad - she's eat if she's very distracted, like only when I'm walking and bouncing her in one hand while holding a bottle with the other. I'm scared that I'll end up looking like a fiddler crab if I continue this technique.









Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
no we dissolve it in water and feed it to her by syringe

FYI I gave her 1/2 a pill (the real dose!) yesterday and watched carefully. She mouthed it and it dissolved really quickly, so I don't think I'll be worried about her choking in the future.

Monday's success with Prevacid was not repeated yesterday and can be attributed to one of 3 things: 1) fluke 2) overdosage 3) screaming so much she passed out from exhaustion. Thanks to whoever recommended overlapping Zantac and Prevacid while the Prevacid gets into her system (Pie?). The only way she'd eat yesterday was after giving her zantac. The doc said it was ok but only for a couple days. I don't want to keep her on both unless/until she needs both.

ETA: new pic in signature.


----------



## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MajorGroover* 
OMG understatement of the century! I would be LIVID!







You poor thing. One question though - are you sure your mom gave Ella zantac, or was it Mylicon? My zantac is clear but the mylicon is very pink. Might make you feel better if she wasn't overdosed on zantac.









New pic is cute!!!

No, it was Zantac. Mom showed me the bottle. She now claims that she gave it to her because she watched me do it in the morning. Um, still NOT okay.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Sleep was better last night! I'm thinking teething for sure now since she was so much better yesterday and last night.

Still had some trouble falling asleep - I think in her mind her new bedtime is 10:30 rather than 8:30! So, we are trying to move that up slowly...

Night before last DH thought maybe she just couldn't get comfortable being held at night, so he put her in her carseat and walked with her carrying the seat until she fell asleep, and it worked! She only slept in it for 45 mintues, but when she woke I just grabbed her and nursed her and she fell alseep in bed with me at 11:15.

Last night, I tried the carseat again and sat with her in it on my lap and jiggled/bounced the seat. She fell asleep! And slept for 3 hours! Then I moved her into bed with me and she slept for 2 hours and ate, and then another 2 hours so I tried giving her the pacifier and snuggling her and she went back to sleep (didn't eat) for another hour and 45 minutes!!! I think I got somewhere around 6 1/2 hours last night, but compared to the last couple of weeks I feel downright refreshed!


----------



## xenon (Aug 24, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
I work with mostly Type-A people who are totally career focused, so the whole enjoying life thing escapes them since work IS their lives... Do what makes you happy.

This is TOTALLY my supervisor -- he thinks that 80 hour workweeks are normal, and basically talks about nothing that's not somehow related to his work. Need I mention that he has no kids?

It's so nice to hear you say that you chose happiness over advancement. Spending too much time around my supervisor makes me second-guess my gut on these kinds of things.

Baby stuff -- after two weeks in postal purgatory, my Moby wrap arrived yesterday. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT! Babe is sleeping in it now, and contentedly slept through a whole-house vacuuming earlier today. But, really, how could I ever have thought black was a good color choice? There are milk-drool tracks all over it already.


----------



## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 

My mom is officially off of baby duty for a while...

Ugh. So much the suck. I'm sorry.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *~minnow~* 

Thanks for this! I'm going to sneak part of it for me (Lane) even though it's true that Dee is an awesome warrior princess. I have to say, even though you are sick and don't get a lot of sleep, you are full of good humor. You are awesome! -Are you the one who said you spent thousands of dollars on your brain? What speciality did you buy it?

Apparently not the specialty that remembers names! Sheesh. Business, actually. And now I am buying it Accounting fanciness.







(When and if I pass the CPA, that is, not for a while)

And dang, your kid is adorable!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dctexan* 
*Jocelyn* - Okay, you watch Benjamin during the day and I will help teach Sofie to sleep at night. Deal?









You got it.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
If that's the deal I want in!!! See, move to Sac and you've got full time care, Emily! I'd stay home for a sleeping baby at night!

Hey lady, step off, this is *my* agreement.









Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
off to a "rattle and reel" flick for my own socialization. will play with baby not facing screen. still, bad mommy??

No. Mommy meeting her needs once in a while is not bad. And, how was the interview?

Night weaning appears to be going well. Last night she slept 6 straight hours from 6:30pm to 12:30am. I nursed her then because of the mastitis and because I'm not sure how long she can go without food. Woke up again at 4:30 and went right back down. Yay! I hope this will continue working.

Also, dh made us awesome sandwiches for lunch today. He rocks.


----------



## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

freaking out over daycare...

the work advancement vs. family time thing is paramount in my mind right now too. more on that later. but it seems to be going around...


----------



## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *xenon* 

It's so nice to hear you say that you chose happiness over advancement. Spending too much time around my supervisor makes me second-guess my gut on these kinds of things.

Baby stuff -- after two weeks in postal purgatory, my Moby wrap arrived yesterday. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!

I should also say that for whatever reason, I have ended up with a job that I love and that is more prestigious than any of the ones I passed up! So, you'd be surprised where you can end up even when you aren't focused on advancement.

Yes, the Moby wrap. I'm so happy I ended up buying one and I love it too. I also love the musician (seriously,







him - in a creepy junior high kind of way!).









Speaking of carriers, my Pikkolo came today!!! Can't wait to try it tonight. I'm hoping it'll get DH babywearing...


----------



## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nylecoj* 

Apparently not the specialty that remembers names! Sheesh. Business, actually. And now I am buying it Accounting fanciness.







(When and if I pass the CPA, that is, not for a while)

And you went to UCSC for art, right? Or am I remembering wrong? You are well balanced if so - business AND art!

We are one smart group of chicas!!!


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Yeah, sort of.

I mean film is an art, but I don't generally consider it "Art", you know?

It's got a lot more to do with lacking direction than being well balanced, but I thank you all the same.









Dd is teething today. And, she only slept for 20 mins. Agh!

Definitely some smarty-pantses around these parts, which is why I keep coming back.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nylecoj* 
Yeah, sort of.

I mean film is an art, but I don't generally consider it "Art", you know?

Dd is teething today. And, she only slept for 20 mins. Agh!

Well I was close! Film as a major just sounds too fun...

Sorry about the sleep and teething, though. It really shouldn't be so hard to be a babe! It's just not fair that it has to hurt!


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

So, anyone else floored and heartbroken by the news today? I saw the story about the baby found on the side of the road this morning on my way to work and I ended up holding Isabella and trying not to cry for a few minutes before I left. People can be so awful.


----------



## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

I actually hadn't seen that story, but I just went on cnn.com and now I'm depressed...








I find that stories like that have (obviously) always bothered me, but that after becoming a parent I get WAY more emotional about them. I just can't imagine what could drive someone to do something like that. It makes me hold Willa extra tightly.
I have a lower tolerance for seeing bad things happen to babies in movies now, too.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

omg i saw _the kiterunner_ today. would not have been good for me pre-baby but really wasn't a good choice.


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

What baby, what road, where?


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Grace24* 
What baby, what road, where?









Yeah me too.

I tried CNN twice today and I'm morbidly fascinated so want to read this story.

I did find some other horrific stuff about a mom who burned her kids and a college student who dropped her newborn in the toilet ...

I also have a much lower tolerance for violence towards children now.


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## cmu204 (Mar 3, 2007)

those stories are too horrible to even contemplate. I'm sticking my head in the sand and holding Miss Z extra close.

Here she is, being adorable and drooly:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/2339977...7603826116873/

These are hard-won shots: she's been extra cranky for the last few hours...

Cher








mama to baby Z (12.10.07), loving aunt to N (9) and T (6)
wife to the sweetest Code Monkey on the planet


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## Grace24 (Mar 9, 2007)

Awww, Cher, what a beauty!

Okay, my turn:


__
https://flic.kr/p/2232015591


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## ~minnow~ (May 25, 2006)

WOW Cher she's gorgeous. I love her name! (I've been trying to guess what the Z stood for: Zoe? Zenobia? Zephyr?) That set is great. Nice glasses, mama!

Julia, what a completely beguiling smile! Oliver is such a cutie!

The story was in Ohio. I hadn't heard about it either before I saw E's thing yesterday. I know: I also have no tolerance for hurt children these days. I couldn't sleep for hours the other night because a friend told us about this story he heard on Amy Goodman that I will not relate here. Actually, it's not just that I can't understand violence TOWARDS children... but babies are so sweet I don't understand how some of them grow up into adults who are icky.

Elizabeth, I wanted to ask, what's your work? I'm sorry if you've mentioned and I just can't remember.

Our sleep isn't going to hell like I imagined you all meant, but it's going someplace not entirely appealing. She doesn't cry at night, it's just that she manages to keep waking me up, over and over, just for a minute or two, but all night. It's kind of like that water torture where they drip single drops on your head. So even though I'm getting "enough" sleep, my brain feels droopy because I barely get to go into REM sleep. Okay, shaking it off.


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## xenon (Aug 24, 2006)

Cher and Julia, those are gorgeous babies!

I'm going to play too: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2038/...b84c9175_o.jpg


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

I'm sorry for bringing up the story... I was just so floored! Haven't seen the other two since I'm now hiding from the news!

All of the baby pics are gorgeous!!! Zora is an awesome name.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *~minnow~* 

Elizabeth, I wanted to ask, what's your work? I'm sorry if you've mentioned and I just can't remember.

Our sleep isn't going to hell like I imagined you all meant, but it's going someplace not entirely appealing.

I'm a committe consultant for the CA Legislature. ETA - The times I chose happiness over prestige were 1)leaving the legislature to work for a state agency's legislative office (less pay, better hours), and 2) passing on the opportunity to be legislative director for that state agency (way too much stress and too many people to please). Ironically, right after the 2nd decision, I was offered this job!

Sorry about the sleep - that sounds awful. Last night wasn't too bad - she actually fell asleep with me holding her, which was heaven!!! She slept okay, but I'm so exhausted that I swear it's been 10 minutes since she woke me up last time and I'll look at the clock and it's been 2 1/2 hours!


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

OMG you guys those baby pictures. SO CUTE. all of 'em. I almost can't stand it!

If anyone's looking for good things out there in the news - there's a new baby panda at some zoo somewhere (germany? I can't remember) but he is adorable. I want one. Just need to figure out how to bring in the bamboo.

big news in my world re: sleep but I am superstitious about posting just yet. Will wait till I'm sure it's a pattern (a few more days). Let's just say I feel like a completely different person. in a good way.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

CJ - I'll keep my fingers crossed that your sleep news continues!!!

Baby anythings are cute - pandas, puppies, monkeys...

Okay - this one is old, but my favorite... DD was less than 24 hours here.
http://s191.photobucket.com/albums/z...current=22.jpg


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

Awwww, the baby pictures are too cute. LOVE THEM!
I wanna play too...

Christmas Day

First Day in the Jumperoo
note how completely UNchildproofed we are...cords everywhere. DH is going to have a ROUGH adjustment once Benjamin becomes mobile.

Bath Time

Nakey Time!


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

What gorgeous babies! Xenon I can't believe T is smiling already! Here's a cute pic of M - too bad it's blurry.







:

I discovered that a yoga ball is awesome for soothing a fussy baby. Maybe it's because I bounced so much on one when I was pregnant, but I don't think so. It seems to mimic the up & down feeling of walking for a baby, but you don't have to burn holes in your carpet from walking in circles all night! I've heard it's good for getting your abs back in shape too. We'll see!


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## nylecoj (Apr 24, 2007)

I will NOT post a baby pic!










Yours are all too cute.

Mine are all here: http://www.knownick.net/gallery/v/nj/baby


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## angelcat (Feb 23, 2006)

Can I join?

I'm Beckie, singel mommy to surprise baby Rachel, born June 27 2005. I was almost 31 then.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Welcome Beckie!


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

*beckie*, your rachel was born on my bday!









the childcare search still *sucks*, we got the coop.


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

Beckie!

Congrats on the coop PiePie!


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Congrats Pie!!! When do you move?


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## ~minnow~ (May 25, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *angelcat* 
Can I join?

Yes! But you must post a baby picture if you have one!

OMG, pictures = awesome!

Xenon, the expression on little Tycho! And the hat! Gah! He is too precious.

Elizabeth, there's a hottie in your picture! The baby is cute too.







No seriously, I see why you love it.

Emily, I LOVE the Benjamin pictures. Esp the nakey one-- he's so skinny! And so cute!

Dee, I love M., and I love the smiling M. even better than crying M. She's sooo cute. YES, THE YOGA BALL. Actually, it's funny, at our childbirth class we played this game where we all stood in a big circle and passed around a doll that was supposed to be "crying" and we were supposed to comfort it. Most of us were totally incompetent and then when we were done, the instructor was like, or you could nurse her (we were all "oh yeah") or bounce on the yoga ball... Anyway, the ball is sometimes a lifesaver.

CJ, YAY for the new you. I checked out your newer pics too -- v. cute. But my all time fave is still the color one of the 3 of you from that photo shoot you won.

Jocelyn, yay for a lot of albums. I love finally seeing Sofie (right?) and it's also awesome to see her from birth to age one. She's SO cute and I think she looks like both of you. I confess, though, I remember you describing her as CrazyBaby so as I gazed at her in that little santa hat I was all trying to divine the crazy within.

Pie, more Lorelei pics? Sorry about the childcare, but congrats on the coop! Also, it seems like yesterday you were posting that you were the proud owners of... but it was blank. So... an alligator? A complete set of Castle Grayskull and old He-Man and She-Ra action figures? What?

Sorry -- I may be slightly loopy right now. Okay, back to work.


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
Congrats Pie!!! When do you move?

god knows. as early as feb 17. trying to postpone t for another week or 2.


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## hazieluna (Sep 20, 2006)

Congrats PiePie!!! Exciting that you about to be a HOME OWNER!!!

I LOVE LOVE the pics.... It's way past my bedtime here otherwise I'd post one of Aidan.

Love the bathtime one of Benjamin... really enjoyed finally finding out what baby Z's name really is! Zora is very, very nice... might put it on my list if you don't mind another one across the world somewhere?
We need to see a new one for Isabella!!
Tycho is soooo cute in that hat! And Jocelyn I confess I snooped through all the months!! I'm glad to see that by one I can expect to see real hair on Aidan instead of this fuzz he's got going on.
Oh and Emily if you want I will post a pic of our cords... it is a cord bonanza in this house with all our computer kak and Jan's toys.
Lane Ada's got beautiful eyes!

I will post more tomorrow and maybe a pic of Aidan these days since we haven't updated our gallery in ages.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *~minnow~* 

Elizabeth, there's a hottie in your picture! The baby is cute too.







No seriously, I see why you love it.

DH is hot - seriously. I swear people must wonder how on earth we ended up together. Thanks for reminding me - I get used to seeing him every day!







You should see his brother and sister, too! They are a disgustingly attractive family.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *hazieluna* 
We need to see a new one for Isabella!!

I know - I'm a bad momma!!! We are AWFUL about pictures in general. I'll take some. I'm also awful about uploading them anywhere... My goal was to do at least weekly, and now it's more like monthly.







:


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Pie, Congrats on the coop!!!!
Sorry about the daycare situation.

I'm loving everyone's pics so much! The babies are too cute. I wanna play too








Here are a few recent ones:
crawling at the playground
w/ daddy at the playground
egg on her face
smiling
nakey time

Still sick today - we actually took her to the doctor this morning. But he told me what I figured he would, that it's probably just a virus like Roseola (there's a slim chance it could be a UTI), and it'll get better with time. And she did seem better this afternoon. I'm hoping she sleeps tonight. I've been up a lot more than usual with her - as I'd expect to be when she's sick - and that combined with a crazy workload doing some election coverage has me pretty worn out. But, we just had a great bath together, she's fast asleep, and I'm looking forward to a quiet evening (solo since DH is in his play) eating chili, watching Lost, and going to bed early (unless Lost keeps me up...).


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## angelcat (Feb 23, 2006)

This is from August, I think. I don't have anything more recent in photobucket right now.

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1...tothetoybu.jpg


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## rock_dr (May 21, 2005)

Welcome *Beckie*!

I added you to our front page. speaking of which.

Any February threadkeeper volunteers?


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

I'd be happy to try to figure out how to post the Feb thread in the morning...


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

ah yes intesestng i forgot to post abt the job search. can we say freud? nothing yet. had weird interview on monday-- they wre appalled that i would consider a position so "beneath" me -- made me feel like it was carer suicide -- but i am not psyched abt the administrative bs that comes with neing management, and -- most iportant -- i want part-time and to not take work home so i can really be present with dd. why is that seen as so bad?


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## dctexan (Oct 18, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rock_dr* 
Welcome *Beckie*!

I added you to our front page. speaking of which.

Any February threadkeeper volunteers?


Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganone* 
I'd be happy to try to figure out how to post the Feb thread in the morning...

I was just coming here to vote Elizabeth Feb. threadkeeper









*Pie* - Congrats on the co-op


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## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

just interviewed another nanny who won't work. she refuses to babywear and she doesn't like cosleepers. to me the advantage of a nanny or au pair is that you get them to hold the baby more (including in their lap while sleeping) -- if babe is going to spend time in a stroller while on walks and a crib while sleeping, why not do a daycare ctr? gr.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Okay, so I'm a computer idiot and can't make the colors and icons copy... I don't want to re-do the whole thing - it's so pretty! Help?

Okay, back to continue playing with this.

Pie - sorry about the nanny. That sucks. Our new p/t one started this morning. EEK!!! She seems really great, but still... First person NOT family or close friend that's taken care of Isabella!


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## Code Name Mama (Oct 5, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PiePie* 
just interviewed another nanny who won't work. she refuses to babywear and she doesn't like cosleepers. to me the advantage of a nanny or au pair is that you get them to hold the baby more (including in their lap while sleeping) -- if babe is going to spend time in a stroller while on walks and a crib while sleeping, why not do a daycare ctr? gr.


that is SO strange to me! first of all, she "doesn't like cosleepers"? so if we lined 20 kids up she'd be able to pick them out?? and she refuses to babywear? i'm with you - i would think a nanny would spend more time doing just that kind of thing.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dionnakay* 
and she refuses to babywear? i'm with you - i would think a nanny would spend more time doing just that kind of thing.









I wonder if it interferes with her TV watching? I find that really suspect, too. Our new nanny is planning to wear her daughter in the Ergo on her back and Isabella on her front in the Moby...


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

Elizabeth go to the first post and hit "quote" then copy all the formatting & text from there & paste it into a new thread.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Thanks Dee! Too late - I just went ahead and did it. Oh well, next time!









It's here.


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