*Baby Corner*

[sara535 15]

Staashi - dont beat yourself up about it. You tried, you tried HARD, and if its not working its not working. Plenty of babies grow up just fine on formula

[JVKn'CVO 11]

@Eric: Congratulations to the new mommy and daddy! Roland is super cute

@Staashi: *warning: pregnancy hormones induced bluntness ahead*

Seriously, we all know that breast milk is good. well, duh, no secret. But I think here in the US they've gone a little too far with it, everyone is like obsessed! You get a little baby bump and here comes the breastfeeding police with the 3rd degree on how you'll feed your baby.

My ex (hate to bring him up, but oh well) his mom did not breast feed him, not even once, and by choice. Besides of being a jerk (which I don't think the formula had anything to do with ) He was perfectly healthy and fine. In fact, he was underweight when he was born (like, incubator weight), and became a chunky baby in record time. He also grew up to be a lawyer. And that was back in 1980 Argentina Cordoba, so compare that formula to what is available today, in the US, and...you get the point. Plus, I know you will be a good mom and will give him a good nutrition not only in the first year but on all the years after that, and that is what he needs. Enzo is going to be a healthy, happy baby

Saludos,

Caro

[Nasturtium 500]

Ladies - today, I admitted defeat - I gave up pumping. I could no longer justify the time it took (45 minutes) to produce so little (1 ounce) each time that I pumped. It truly does suck to fail at this - I wanted this so much for Enzo. I had such high hopes when I was pregnant about how the nurses would put him on my breast after he was born...alas, that dream didn't come true - I had the nightmare instead - a baby who had to stay in his ICU and a mother who couldn't leave her room because of surgery. I believed I would be able to breastfeed, but I had a mountain of factors working against me - csection, NICU, inverted nipples, Enzo's nipple preference, dehydration, thyroid disease, and diabetes...yes, the list is long and somewhat distinguished. It killed me to give it up - I have tried teas, reglan, breast shields, breast massage, double pumping, single pumping, multiple pumping sessions (pump one side/then the other/come back and repump breast), various pump types, lactation consultants, breastfeeding support groups, breastfeeding forums and yet, I couldn't make it happen for me. I'm so tired of people saying that breastmilk is the best for my baby and they talk about formula as if it is from Satan - well, yeah, no sh!t - but what do you do if you have more strikes against you than you can imagine? You go to the stores and begin to price formula. And as my friend whose wife just had a double mastectomy put it so eloquently - "what the hell do you do if you don't have breasts?" - dammit, you go out and buy formula. So that's where I am. Forgive me, I just had to vent.

@ Vi - I have the simethicone drops from Argentina - they work wonders. Plus, when I give Enzo formula, I use te de manzanilla o de estrella de anis instead of water. It helps him with his stomach. My mother in law also uses manzanilla for Enzo's baby acne - cleared it up in two days.

@Kelly - I can't believe Zaid will be 1 tomorrow.

@ Eric - congrats on a sweet baby boy!

Everyone else - stay strong, fight the power.

Staashi, I am a really huge breast-milk advocate. I think anyone would have to be a complete idiot to not realize formula is necessary in some/several cases. I, myself, was formula fed from at least 6 months on because of lack of milk. If you'd like, I can tell you my real IQ and you can decide if it hurt me. Do not be upset with yourself. The most important thing you can do for Enzo at this point is to love him and do your best as a parent. The most important thing you could do 9 or so months ago until the C-section was to probably not attend frat parties to do the beer bong and do belly flops on the concrete while chain-smoking, and I think you pretty well covered that part. So, don't worry. People get weird and militant about a lot of things-- sometimes for good reason, but usually not.

[Nessa 23]

i'm sorry to hear that, staashi.

[Eveline 9]

@Stashi: Whatever makes you happy, makes baby happy. There's no way for you to be relaxed and calm when you beat yourself up over not being able to bf or pump. If you feel better feeding your little man a bottle then do that. Happiness comes first, right? I'm sure you are doing a great job.

Making not breastfeeding responsible for a low IQ and vice versa is just rubbish. I have never heard of anything like that.

As for us. I don't know if anybody cares but Adam has been paci free for three nights now. He still asks for it but not very often and he also doesn't suck on anything else instead (thumb, clothes etc). He's had rough nights, wandering around, asking for me but other than that he is doing great. I hope that we are off of it for good. I know the plane right back to TX on Saturday will be stressful and I'll have a paci on hand but won't give it to him unless he really really needs it.

[Mommy2ZaidnSalma 11]

Yaaay for no paci!! Thats a huge step!

[chnst 6]

Happy Birthday Zaid! Hope you feel better buddy!

@Evi: yay, for the paci! How did you do it??

@Staashi: hey, don't beat yourself up over this. Autumchik had similar experiences. She too tried really hard for a long time but sometimes it just doesn't work out. One of the biggest secrets no one tells you before you become a mother is how hard bf actually is. I struggled for a long time and wanted to give up but luckily had it figured out eventually. Formula is very similar to breastmilk nowadays and they even have some dha and iron fortified, which is amazing.

[Chrissy25 0]

Staashi, i did not produce enough milk with Dylan and for a time felt awful that i coulent feed him. My son was born preemie at 35 weeks and was formula fed and is healthy as a horse! i wont be breastfeeding Molly either,as i know i wont produce enough milk.....but you know what, big whoop, my kids are healthy strong and thriving...and as my hubby says can you pick out of a crowd who was breastfed and who was formula fed as a child....the answer would be a big fat NO! lol

[Eveline 9]

Happy Birthday Zaid! Hope you feel better buddy!

@Evi: yay, for the paci! How did you do it??

@Staashi: hey, don't beat yourself up over this. Autumchik had similar experiences. She too tried really hard for a long time but sometimes it just doesn't work out. One of the biggest secrets no one tells you before you become a mother is how hard bf actually is. I struggled for a long time and wanted to give up but luckily had it figured out eventually. Formula is very similar to breastmilk nowadays and they even have some dha and iron fortified, which is amazing.

I took it away and hoped for him not to start sucking his thumb. I don't know any other way. We kinda weanded him to only use it at bedtime and a few days ago I just decided to hide the pacis. I won't show them to him again. Like I said I'll have one handy when we're going back to TX but I'm hoping that I never have to use it.

[Nessa 23]

how long does a rash last? it was red on monday, then it started to bleed when i clean. i've been using since monday afternoon this white paste the ped gave me, but it doesnt seem to get better, so yesterday evening i started to use buttpaste, still, doesn't look any better. today i think i'll try the ointment. poor baby.

[keltic 1]

how long does a rash last? it was red on monday, then it started to bleed when i clean. i've been using since monday afternoon this white paste the ped gave me, but it doesnt seem to get better, so yesterday evening i started to use buttpaste, still, doesn't look any better. today i think i'll try the ointment. poor baby.

Try mixing up a tube of A&D ointment with a tube of Zinc Oxide - equal parts. Slather on a thick coat and don't wipe it all off with each diaper change, just keep it thick. You know, wipe off any poop, but don't try to clean off all the ointment. You can also let him soak in a nice, warm tubby & keep his diaper off for a while to let his bottom be open to the air for short periods of time.

If it still doesn't clear up in a couple of days, call your ped. If it looks like it has lots of fine bumps or a white film (when there isn't any ointment on it), call your ped. Babies can also get yeast on their bottoms and will need to have a prescription ointment with some nystatin in it to clear it up. The regular creams and ointments won't help yeast.

Good luck, Nessa.

[Nikita2Charles 32]

After how many months did you mom/dad start buying baby clothes and stuff? For now kinda waiting until the next Ultra Sound to find out the sex.

So far I've seen some pretty good deals at Marshall when it comes to baby stuff.

Edited April 29, 2009 by Nikita2Charles

[Autumnchik 6]

@ Stef - Hahaha ... you beat me to the punch before I could write to Staashi

@ Staashi - I struggled so much with breastfeeding and pretty much did everything you did. I felt such a sense of shame at first and beat myself up when I finally stopped, because I too had people telling me how good breastmilk was and how horrible formula was. My SIL, in fact, who is a nice lady but was clueless about this issue, told me to "just try feeding him in a different location and relax, it will be fine". I felt like I was a bad mother because I could not breastfeed. One thing that helped me feel better and stop blaming myself was a lactation consultant who said that it would be better for Declan if I was happy and relaxed and not in a constant state of stress from trying to make the breastfeeding work. She actually suggested that I use formula and focus on being happy and content and relaxed with him, rather than a ball of emotions. There is nothing wrong with using formula .... you can still bond with your little one when feeding, just as you would if breastfeeding. And there are good formulas on the market nowadays. Much love to you

[Nessa 23]

@keltic: thanks

@nikita: i wouldn't buy any clothes at all if you'll have a baby shower, that's what people give you. I'd buy cute, more dressed up clothes for when they go out, because people usually give u basic stuff, like onesies, etc.

[Ladylethal 12]

Staashi, me and both my brothers were never breastfed and we all grew up just fine. None of us were ever sick prone, none of us ever had allergies, asthma, stomach issues, or anything. We all kept up just fine in a very good private school so no low IQ either.

Don't beat yourself over it, the idea of breastfeeding is great but not everyone can and that's what baby formula is for, never heard of kids growing up differently from being breastfed or bottle fed, really.

Oh, and my mother is a doctor yet she said it hurt too much so on all 3 pregnancies she opted for the bottle, also she went back to work fast so she'd have to do either that or pump anyway.