Baby Corner

[JVKn'CVO 11]

I don't feel judged for having a csection - I gave natural birth my best shot, and it just didn't happen for us. Next time, i'll gladly take the hospital birth and the epidural, and if I end up with a repeated csection at least it won't be after 36 hours of excruciating pain

I hope my posts about breastfeeing did not offend anyone. I believe that the most important thing you can give your baby is a happy loving mommy, so we all need to find what works for you to make that happen.

So consensus here is too early for diapers. Good.

Now one more question. A friend of mine is due within a few days of my wife so she is also 22 weeks. She and her husband are going on a hospital tour this weekend. I thought that wasn't till much later? Also she tells me we should have registered with the hospital a few weeks ago. We didn't know. When did all of you do that?

We tried to stock up on diapers and got it aaalll wrong - first, we got a ton of newborn size diapers - Sebas used those for a week and outgrew them. Then, we got all pampers swaddlers because that's what everybody recommended, and while they were very soft and nice, they were too soft to contain Sebas' vicious diaper blowouts So bottom line, don't do it because you don't know if you will like one brand or the other, or if your baby will need preemie size, newborn or size 1.

Saludos,

Caro

[faryan 4]

Hello! I finally found this thread again - was reading this before I arrive here/being pregnant. Now we have a 6 mth old baby boy Ihsan. There's just me and my hubby and Ihsan in this town, and I went back to work but now half time after 8 weeks of maternity leave. We dont send him to day care, just the 2 of us, shifting our work timetable around (we work for the same org). It's been good but very very tiring that our apartment looks like an episode of "Hoarders". Now that Ihsan is 6 months old, we'll have to start feeding him solids - pureed food n all. he has only tried ricemeal a few times, not really a fan.... im really stressed out about this next stage. can you share your experience on introducing food to your babies?

thanks, Far

[chnst 6]

So consensus here is too early for diapers. Good.

Now one more question. A friend of mine is due within a few days of my wife so she is also 22 weeks. She and her husband are going on a hospital tour this weekend. I thought that wasn't till much later? Also she tells me we should have registered with the hospital a few weeks ago. We didn't know. When did all of you do that?

you can relax, I think that's way too early. You will not remember a thing when you go back there to actually have the baby. You know what, I think it's a maternal instinct to get everything done and settled for baby in her first trimester. haha. I would wait with the tour until its closer to delivery and give the maternity unit a call to see when its most convenient.

In my unit the tours are usually done by the unit secretary, but I've given parents a tour too if I had the time. It's easier talk to an RN or a medical professional if you have questions, but in general a tech can show you the NICU, the birthing rooms talk about unit procedures etc. As for the registration- I am 38 weeks and just mailed mine in last week. I'd mail it whenever you think about it just so you don't forget and then have to go through the ER and fill out paperwork but its really not a big deal. Also as for diapers- do not stock up early- first of all you may end up with a BOB (big ol' baby) who will not fit in tiny newborn sizes. same goes for clothes. Don't go overboard. second- stick to one brand of diapers if you must buy some. Most hospitals use pampers swaddlers. Get a few Size 1 (8lbs and up) to stock the diaper bag and nursery. A lot of baby have allergic reactions and diaper rash if you switch brands too often, especially in the beginning. So having a ton of Luv's and Huggies and Pampers is not going to do much good if your baby is sensitive to one or the other.

Evi: no please don't stop posting! People are just way too sensitive sometimes because things just get misinterpreted way too easy here. I don't think anyone here is judgemental and I don't think you meant to offend anyone when you replied to on that baby monitor. I'm actually with you- and I am probably the most paranoid mother on the planet. It's just another electric device and a lot of parents do get freaked out over false alarms. I think it's much more important for mom and dad to take an infant cpr class because even the most advanced gadget can't help your baby if it stops breathing and you have no clue what to do.

BUT if it makes you feel better about your baby's safety then why not. Didn't Tom Cruise buy his own ultrasound machine when his wifey was pregnant? I think people have to do whatever works for them but when you ask for an opinion then be prepared to get a lot of different answers.

TNH: I think that's normal toddler behavior. Ben does it in a similar way with food lately. Things he used to love to eat, like mashed potatoes he is refusing to eat all of a sudden just because he thinks he is old enough to make his own decisions. haha. Then the next day he is over it and he finds something else to show us who's boss.

[tmma 467]

......

......... People are just way too sensitive sometimes because things just get misinterpreted way too easy here. I don't think anyone here is judgemental and I don't think you meant to offend anyone when you replied to on that baby monitor. I'm actually with you- and I am probably the most paranoid mother on the planet. It's just another electric device and a lot of parents do get freaked out over false alarms. I think it's much more important for mom and dad to take an infant cpr class because even the most advanced gadget can't help your baby if it stops breathing and you have no clue what to do.

BUT if it makes you feel better about your baby's safety then why not. Didn't Tom Cruise buy his own ultrasound machine when his wifey was pregnant? I think people have to do whatever works for them but when you ask for an opinion then be prepared to get a lot of different answers.

......

-An infant cpr class will do no good if you are asleep and your baby stops breathing. When I had my son, I took the CPR class and I would have bought the monitor too if they'd had something like that then as I too spent alot of sleepless nights being a nervous first time mom.

[tnh9479 1]

I wouldn't buy too many diapers either. We had so many people give us diapers that we were stocked up for the first four months!!!!

I never got to do the hospital tour or birth class as I got put on bedrest. However, I did take time to go find a good pediatrician. You may want to start putting out feelers on that one.

[chnst 6]

-An infant cpr class will do no good if you are asleep and your baby stops breathing. When I had my son, I took the CPR class and I would have bought the monitor too if they'd had something like that then as I too spent alot of sleepless nights being a nervous first time mom.

yeah but the chances of your child dying from SIDS vs your child dying from trauma, suffocation, illness, allergies or choking is by far slimmer, so I do think a CPR class will do more good to you as a parent than a monitor. (unless your kid was preterm with a history of apnea or otehr sleep related breathing issues.)

Put your child on his back in a safe environment and don't smoke. It's so unlikely that he/she will die from SIDS. After 6 months chances are even slimmer. I think it sucks that this monitor company makes profits from parents fears and paranoia. I had Ben in my bedroom for the first 6 months and I totally understand the fear of losing a child while you sleep, but unless there is a family history or an illness I would not buy something like that simply because its a waste of money. I do consider myself a pretty neurotic mother but I just won't turn my house into an intensive care unit because I can buy all this stuff at Babies R Us.

[Mommy2ZaidnSalma 11]

So I dont have time to chime into anything previously posted but I need help...gaaah. Im 7 days into pumping and I pump every 2-3 hours daytime and 4 hours at night and im still only getting 1.5oz per pump session. She is eating every 2-3 hours but she is eating 2-3ozs. I started eating quaker oats today, ive been drinking a ton of water, i also continue to pump about 5-10mins past when my breasts are empty. Im massaging halfway thru a pump, i just dont know what else i can do. I am not giving up, even if i give her half breastmilk and half formula I am ok with that, I would just like to get to a point where I dont have to give her any formula and I was hoping it would be sooner then later.

[MGoBlue 0]

So I dont have time to chime into anything previously posted but I need help...gaaah. Im 7 days into pumping and I pump every 2-3 hours daytime and 4 hours at night and im still only getting 1.5oz per pump session. She is eating every 2-3 hours but she is eating 2-3ozs. I started eating quaker oats today, ive been drinking a ton of water, i also continue to pump about 5-10mins past when my breasts are empty. Im massaging halfway thru a pump, i just dont know what else i can do. I am not giving up, even if i give her half breastmilk and half formula I am ok with that, I would just like to get to a point where I dont have to give her any formula and I was hoping it would be sooner then later.

Tell your husband to boil hilbeh (funugreek) in water and you drink it as it. No sugar, nothing. I will warn you it'a an aquired taste...but will produce milk.

[MarkTexas 3]

There's

-100's of ways to get pregnant,

-100's of ways too go through pregnancy,

-100's of ways too deliver ur baby,

-100's of ways too raise your child,

Each and every parent should just DO things what they believe is RIGHT!

Another option is; look back too your own childhood, and think too yourself what YOUR mum/dad did to raise YOU!

Your own parents did evedently a good job in raising YOU!

Why don 't you all just agree to DISAGREE with eachother and get going with your REAL life,

instead of all this online (VIRTUAL) bickering.

You all are wasting valuable time on this forum, on this planet,...while you could spent all that time with your newborn / child / family!

just my two cents.

Edited February 19, 2011 by MarkTexas

[Jenn! 918]

Why don 't you all just agree to DISAGREE with eachother and get going with your REAL life,

instead of all this online (VIRTUAL) bickering.

You all are wasting valuable time on this forum, on this planet,...while you could spent all that time with your newborn / child / family!

just my two cents.

Wow what insight! You do know that we can't be with our loved ones every second of the day, right? Thanks for basically calling everyone a sh!tty parent for ignoring their family to post on VJ. How patronizing. Don't YOU have better things to do than post here, man with all the answers?

[JVKn'CVO 11]

So I dont have time to chime into anything previously posted but I need help...gaaah. Im 7 days into pumping and I pump every 2-3 hours daytime and 4 hours at night and im still only getting 1.5oz per pump session. She is eating every 2-3 hours but she is eating 2-3ozs. I started eating quaker oats today, ive been drinking a ton of water, i also continue to pump about 5-10mins past when my breasts are empty. Im massaging halfway thru a pump, i just dont know what else i can do. I am not giving up, even if i give her half breastmilk and half formula I am ok with that, I would just like to get to a point where I dont have to give her any formula and I was hoping it would be sooner then later.

I think it's wonderful that you are pumping! Way to go.

My experience with pumping is that, even after your supply has been established, the amount of milk that you get is all in your head. And by that I mean, if I was at home, relaxed, warm, sipping some tea and not looking at the bottles, my bottles would overflow before I remembered to check. But, if I was at work, cold, looking at the bottles and thinking "ok, 3 oz and I can go back to work"...forget it, I would get 1 or 2 oz max. So with that said, you have a good pump, you are pumping at good intervals and for a good amount of time. Make sure the suction cups are the right size for you (see sizing in the booklet that came with your pump) and maybe try the following:

-Get this pumping bra

Simple Wishes Hands Free Breast Pump Bustier

(you don't have to buy it online, it's in stock at Target)

The idea behind it is that if you are holding the bottles, you are looking at the them. And if you are looking at them, you are thinking about how much you are or you are not pumping. So, hands free pumping serves two purposes: get your mind off the pump, and free your hands to do something else that you find relaxing: hold a book, pictures of Salma, or even your laptop.

So when you are going to pump, go to a warm room, assemble the pump with the pumping bra (make sure you find the right fit), dim the lights if that works for you. Look at pictures of Salma, read a book, post on VJ, whatever - just don't look at the bottles!. You can listen to relaxing music, record the noises Salma makes when she feeds, or anything else that you find soothing and relaxing and/ or makes you think of motherhood. Read up information about parenting or nursing. Try different things and see what works for you, but the idea is the same: that you are relaxed, thinking about your baby, but NOT about pumping or about the bottles you are trying to fill.

And that's what worked for me

You probably know these tips, but here's an article about tips for pumping

Dr Sears: nineteen tips for pumping

Good Luck!

Caro

[Jenn! 918]

So true, Caro! Worrying about counting ounces is a sure-fire way to make it harder to pump them. Catch-22!

[JVKn'CVO 11]

And about nursing teas:

From all the brands I tried, the organic tea from texas medicinals was the most effective - and the best tasting

Texas medicinals

Scroll down to the "Happy Mama Milk Mama organic herbal tea". Just keep in mind it is loose tea, so you'll need to buy one of those little metal strainer things to make the tea.

If your nipples are sore from pumping, their nipple balm can be used before you pump - like a barrier between your breast and the shield - the balm is very soothing and, contrary to the lanolin creams, will not affect the suction of the pump (scroll further down to find it on the previous link)

Saludos,

Caro

[Autumnchik 6]

Kel - This is just my experience with pumping, and many of the ladies here have had different experiences. I struggled very much with trying to breastfeed Declan. I consulted with several lactation consultants, who all assured me that I had plenty of milk. I rented a hospital grade pump and followed a consultant's recommendations to try to have "pumping bursts" where I would pump for 10 minutes every hour to try to increase my supply. I took fenugreek as well. For me, it was at my 6 week postpartum checkup, when I mentioned my difficulty, that my ob-gyn tested my prolactin levels and found that they were indeed low and I was not producing as much milk as I could. He started me on a course of Reglan (FYI, extensive use of Reglan has been linked to tardive dyskinesia, but from what I have read, short term use for increasing milk supply has not bee linked. Just mentioning that in case someone sees the word Reglan and has read about that). Then, we had 2 amazing weeks of breastfeeding. When I pumped, I produced 5 ounces at least at a time. Then Declan had his surgery at 2 months and he wouldn't nurse. I kept pumping and again used a hospital grade pump. I kept taking the Reglan. However, my milk production from the pump decreased. I agree very much with Caro that mindset does play a role (god knows, I was very stressed out at that time). However, I did a lot of reading, consulting specialists (including a doctor in Canada who is known for his work with promoting breastfeeding), and everyone told me that a baby is much more effective at getting milk than a pump, so that, no matter what I did, if I only pumped, I may only get a decreased amount and not the amount I was getting when Declan was nursing too.

I am not telling you this to discourage you at all from pumping. I just remember how frustrating it was for me to try everything to increase milk supply and it felt like nothing was helping. It was actually a bit freeing when I was told that I may never be able to get the amount I wanted from pumping alone. For me, it helped me realize that I would continue to pump and get what I could, but I would not be frustrated and beat myself up if I couldn't get more than a couple ounces.

[JVKn'CVO 11]

While that may be true (Always better to cuddle with your baby, compared to a cold plastic pump!) my birthing club from the babycenter board has (or had? haven't checked that in a while) a group for "exclusively pumping mamas", and it was filled with succes stories from moms that went on to feed their babies pumped BM exclusively for as long as 11 months, so anything can happen!

Another pumping tip: (sorry, it's been a while, so it's coming back to me in series)

If the flow starts to slow down, you can try to switch back to let-down mode on your pump, and that may help keep things going. Do not try to skip the let-down phase of your pumping session to save time.

Saludos,

Caro