PS Mommy Thread-Newborn to 12 months!

[Pandora II]

Fiery, Daisy had her second set of shots on Wednesday:

- Meningococcal C

and

- Diphtheria/Tetanus/acellular Pertussis/Polio/Haemophilus influenzae B

and was miserable until this afternoon. I just gave her 2.5ml of Calpol every 6 hours and that seemed to really help. I got quite worried as the site on one of her legs swelled up quite a bit, but I called my dad who said it was normal and not to worry. Sure enough it was looking much better this morning and didn''t bother her at all anymore.

I HATE taking her for shots - but then I remember the months my brother spent in hospital when he was 7 with HiB infection in his leg bones and that was a HECK of a lot more shots!

 

[nycbkgirl]

Hey all..soooo sorry been MIA...its 4am and im here practically in tears as is my general feelings these days. Ladies im just in such a state of shock and overwhelment (duno if that''s a real word)..my MIL started her daytime working and now im basically alone with the kids all day (dh sleeps but I wake when I need him)....my 80 yo granny comes about 2pm and helps ..but again that''s with one so I can''t even get a break then. Then my mom and aunt come at 5-7 but they are not very able to help much ..so I don''t leave the house (we go for a walk when its nice but that''s so freakn rare ) my eyelids feel like they weigh 20lbs each. And now we are back to sleep regression and I can''t figure out what im doin wrong..I am messing up their schedule during the day I believe. Jon used to sleep from around 8 or 9pm til 6 or 7 am and now we have full fledge screamin anywhere from 2 to 330am...and that kills me even more bc I wanna rest and if dh does that feeding then he needs more sleep in the morn so I have to be with the 2. I mean honestly I feel like a robot and I dunno what to do..im in such a sad place right now..I see the light in terms of ''it will get better'' but im trying to make it to that point w.o. Crumbling. Jackie sttn 2 nights in a row..last night she woke at 4 and 7am to feed. And my mom is sleeping over tonite and jon just woke jackie up with his screamin..so had to feed her..I mean its a vicious cycle and im slowly goin insane. I love my kids to death but I am lost as a person at the moment and just cry all the time. MIL was a big help to me and she helped me keep them on schedule and now she only comes once or twice a week after work for a little over an hr. And I asked her to come sat morn so I can get out of the house for some energy..she said ok but said she might wanna stay up late and sleep in on sat so she might not come too early...I get that everyone has their own lives but that kinda upset me...my mom wakes at 5am every mornin and travels to work til 5 then comes to me til 7 or 8 every day and takes my niece overnight fri and deals with her sat then sleeps at my house at night til sun mornin, gets some rest,shopping and usually comes back in evening..so she never gets to "sleep in" when her kids/grandkids need her...and MIL has sunday to do w.e. She wants..maybe im being selfish but that response got me so angered..I would understand if she had plans but when u know there is such a need and everyone is doing their part...urgh..sorry im rambling....

Im just at a breaking point....I asked my good friend''s wife if she will want to help me out part time when her kids go to school next week so she can make some extra cash and help me..so still waiting for a response. If she doesn''t, im lost again. I tried sitters/nannies and I just can''t handle a stranger dealing with my kids..and I haven''t liked anyone anyway.

I skim and lurk but don''t even have a second usually 2 post and reply to everyone. Sorry about the self centered long venting negative post but im still here..

Thanks for thinkin of me DD

 

[Pandora II]

NYC -
I hate to say this, and I hope you will take this in the right way, but I've been a bit worried by some of your posts and I'm wondering if you might be a bit depressed and maybe you should consider seeing your doctor.

It is very normal to feel overwhelmed at first and the vast majority of people have little to no help from external sources. Most of the twin mommies on PS have no external help, and those that I know IRL are doing everything themselves so I don't think it's necessarily down to the twins that you feel this way.

I know since Daisy was born I have only been without her by my side for FOUR hours. DH occasionally takes her for an hour on a Saturday or Sunday morning to allow me to catch up a bit on sleep but so far there hasn't been a day that I have had more than 3 hours sleep in a row since she was born. He has a job to go to during the day and my job is looking after the baby, so I wouldn't dream of asking him to take her at night. I know that it will get easier and these days will be gone all too fast so when I feel exhausted and snappy I just remember to appreciate every precious moment with her.

Obviously having twins makes life a lot more difficult and I don't underestimate that, but I think it is unfair of you to expect other people to give up their life and spare time to help with a decision that you and your husband made for yourselves. IF they want to help then that is great, but you shouldn't expect that they should do it.

I think you either need to find professional childcare help and TRUST them - perhaps sending them to daycare x mornings a week or something, or learn to adjust to having no life to yourself until the twins are a bit more self sufficient.

I'm sorry if this comes off harshly, but it just seems that you are finding adapting to parenting very tough and maybe you need to get some help for yourself and how you are feeling as a person.

 

[nycbkgirl]

In the car goin to jersey so have a minute to post...

Pandora- im def not depressed, just lost at the moment...I was the type of person that always needed some "me" time before kids and now goin from that to 0 is very hard for me. Im not ashamed to say I can''t do this on my own. I never expect ppl to tend to my needs and give up their lives....but I was raised a diff way...in our family we are all 1 team and are so close its ridiculous and my parents would do anything and everything to help us in any way they can and I would do the same for my kids/grandkids and its just odd for me to see a grandmom who doesn''t do the same... wouldn''t say u have to come etc I just asked for help and I would totally be fine with no we can''t bc so and so but it seemed odd to me that she had no plans but still was hesitant that''s all...its not a stanger I was asking for help..its my kids grandmom. But I know it still may seem selfish but that''s just how I felt bc of our culture and kids always come first as will be the case with me and my kids. I would never say that to my kid ..o can''t come bc I wanna sleep. Anyhoo im in a better mood today maybe bc dh is here and we are all goin togther to a bday party as a family.

I applaud and am in awe of moms that deal with twins all day and night all by themselves but I am not one of those. If my dh was home evenings as most are I think I would feel totally diff..we chose to be parents as a team and im left alone ...my kids practically don''t nap all day and its screamin and cryin all day long and evenings are hard bc im trying to establish routines for sleep and its impossible with 2..and then the wakes ups...I mean its totally 0 relax time. With 1 kid I wouldn''t ask for any help and would never need to rely on anyone but with 2 I can''t eat,pee,sleep or rest and its a very hard time for me that''s all.

I am hopeful my friend will want to help out and bff is comin tom and will be there to uplift my spirits and help..if only for a week ..still will be great and am looking very forward to that.

Thank pands (can I call u that for takin time to reply to me and my selfish negative self but I will pull thru and just need to vent some! Love u guys bc its so much moral help here!

 

[neatfreak]

Nyc, first I am so sorry that you are feeling so down about things. It does get better-but remember that because your twinners were a few months premature you likely will have two additional months of trouble than most people because they started off 2 months premature, so it''ll take them 2 months longer to reach the stages that other babies reach like STTN, etc.

Second, you NEED to spend some time alone with these babies so that you can develop confidence with them. I know that you are overwhelmed without your MIL''s help, but you really need to learn to do this on your own. Based on what you''ve written here before, it sounds like MIL and your own family background have influenced you into things you "need" to do for the babies (like bringing them outside to sleep, bathtime every night, etc.)

From a twin mom that is alone all day I advise you-THROW IT ALL OUT THE WINDOW. Do what you can. Your babies will be FINE if they don''t get baths everyday. They will be FINE if you don''t move them outside to nap. They will be FINE if you just do your best and love them to bits.

Meet their basic needs. Feed them, change them, try to get them to sleep. Focus on those things alone and things will be more manageable. Focus on trying to give them a routine, even if it means putting them both down at the same time and picking someone back up a few minutes later.

As for "me" time-you are right it''s very hard to get. Many days I don''t even get to take a shower until they go to bed (mine aren''t the best nappers either) Let them play on the floor for a few minutes by themselves while you put makeup on. Stick them in their cribs for a few minutes while you shower. Sometimes it''s OK to put yourself first for a few minutes when you feel like you are going to lose it.

Remember that a happy mommy=happy babies. I really believe that babies can feel when you aren''t confident or are overwhelmed and react to that energy. So be confident in your mothering skills, try to stay positive, and I really think the babies will respond to that calm energy.

Last, I think it''s a little unrealistic unfortunately to rely on your family to drop THEIR "me" time so that you can get some. Would it be nice? Sure would! But I don''t think it''s realistic or fair of you to be mad at them for not dropping everything to come to your aid. That being said, you if you need help you NEED to find someone to help you. I know there are wonderful babysitters out there who would be happy to help you with the babies. Get recommendations from friends, doctors, whoever, but you need to find someone to come help you a bit.

Hang in there!

 

[E B]

Mustang- Kyle is so cute! Look at that huge smile!

Fiery- I agree with everyone else- I've heard that reaction is common, unfortunately. How is she feeling today? I got the tdap on Friday (as did my husband) and our arms were pretty sore for two days! I can only imagine how the tiny ones feel.

Sabine- How's Jackson doing? Has he pooped?

All is well here in the PacNW. Henry slept for 7 hours straight last night, which was great, but I woke up at 5:30 am in pain. My right breast was so full, I had to hand-express for comfort's sake. He's never slept that long in one stretch so my body was clearly not used to it. He woke up a little after I did so he fed, and we slept for another two hours, only to wake to pain in a very full left breast. Luckily he woke with me and emptied it. Ouch, though. I'm thinking the 7 hour stretch was a fluke, since he's usually up at around 3:30 and then at around 6:30 for feeds.

Moms who've been there, done that: When could your little ones hold their heads up all the time? H is getting better at it, but it's still a bit wobbly. When we have tummy time, he'll lift it for a second or two, but otherwise, doesn't seem that interested. He turned 10 weeks on Friday.

Hope everyone has a lovely Sunday.

 

[Blenheim]

Another drive-by post from me-

Cleaning today, during G''s naps
Painter doing some final touches tomorrow morning
Photographer coming tomorrow after painter leaves, as long as it''s sunny out - our realtor won''t take pictures on overcast days b/c it makes the house look dark
Giving notice at daycare tomorrow morning
Realtor house tour on Tuesday
Giving notice at work I think on Friday. Micromanaging is getting out of control there, they just reduced our lunches, I feel like I don''t see George enough and I only see DH for a couple hours on the weekends as we''re working different shifts, and if I keep working we''re going to need to hire a cleaner to keep the house show-ready. It will also be easier to show the house if I can take the dogs somewhere else rather than leaving them crated. It will be very tight financially, but we think we need it to preserve our sanity.

 

[nycbkgirl]

Hey neat! Thanks for the tips I def need all the twin mom help I can get and ur my american idol as I''ve mentione b4 ))

I def am starting to get more alone experience with them and I can deal im not saying im totally incapable but I feel alone all the time bc dh is not even there in evenings...when does ur dh get home? Im interested if anyone else is alone allll the time day and night ..dh can get maybe an hr or 2 in to help before work and then if im really tired a middle of night feeding. I mean don''t people''s hubbies generally help out?..well mine can''t and that''s the biggest problem of all for me...yeh I would do it on my own all day but I would be confident that my hubby will come home and help but I don''t have that luxury

Im sure I seem selfish to everyone but I would never ask anyone including moms n granmas to drop what they were doing/planning and come help me, but if ur not doing anything anyway wouldn''t u want to lend a hand when ur kids need it most? That''s all im sayin..I personally was raised that way...I never ask my mom to come everyday...she does it on her own even thru her need of sleep,rest etc bc kids are priority numero uno and that''s all there is to it but I guess I can''t rely on everyone to act the same way..I know MIL and her fam are diff so its ok. My bff''s mom is the same as mine ...her grandkids are her life and every breath she takes is for them and her schedule only revolves around them..so maybe its just what I was raised around that I feel weird she said that but its fine no biggy..I would''ve managed w.o. Her and will always take care of my kids even if no one helps.

so now we are in jersey at my uncle''s big house by the pool and what is the situation: dh is at the pool relaxin and enjoyin and im her sitting with kiddos...I know I can say smthg but im letting him relax a little and then when party starts so does his daddy duty!!

 

[Dreamer_D]

NYC I ditto everything Neat said, that is what I do all day. And my DH is a 50% parent when he is home. I work all day with the kid (and organize our move/realestate/life) and he works outside the home, then when we are both hom we *both* work with the kid. The exception is night feeds which I handle because, well, he is not equipped. I will say that I think the best thing you can do is hire help. You should just get over not wanting a non-family member helping. It is for your own sanity! Keep trying and you will find someone. I know you were raised to think family should help each other no matter what, but really, some independence is good too, so finding a balance is key.

EBree I didn''t know you were in the PacNW! Me too soon. I honestly can''t recall when Hunter held his head up without support. By 12 weeks *for sure* but I am pretty sure it was sooner than that. What is the developmental norm? I know it is a wide range and every kid picks up different things. If you want him to move faster, do TONNES of tummy time.... like put him on his belly and let him fuss for 10 minutes. He will get the hang of it. I never get negorged anymore and Hunter typically sleeps 7 hours in a row -- the wrong 7 hours

(7pm to 2am), but your supply will adjust! lol!

BLEN Good luck with everything!!

 

[Pandora II]

NCY - My husband is sometimes home in the evening, but he has to attend a lot of events as part of his job so often doesn't get in till midnight.

On the plus side, it means I don't have to cook but on the negative there's no-one to hold the baby or give me a break. We do have a cleaning lady which is a godsend - pigs would probably refuse to live in my house otherwise!

I think you are right about cultural difference though. Daisy's grandparents have each seen her about 4 times since she was born, none of our relatives live that close - my brother and DH's older brother are both in London but they both work crazy hours. I speak to my brother several times a week but he's only seen Daisy once since she was born despite us being very close.

In my extended family and DH's this is normal - his mother and mine each had four kids so they did their childrearing and have no intention of starting again. We stayed with my parents last week for a couple of days and my mother and my dad both took Daisy for a cuddle a couple of times each, but that was it. It wouldn't cross anyone's mind to offer help unless their was an emergency ie if I was in hospital with something where D couldn't come too then one of the grannies would come and help DH till I was able to.

If your MIL comes from that kind of family where it isn't expected then you may need to expect less of her as it probably wouldn't cross her mind to think that way.


Ebree - D could hold her head up around the 5/6 week mark. I am a BAD mother and don't give her loads of tummy time - a) she hates being on her front and b) I'm in no rush for her to get mobile.

 

[gailrmv]

Date: 8/30/2009 6:38:22 AM
Author: Pandora II
NYC -

I hate to say this, and I hope you will take this in the right way, but I''ve been a bit worried by some of your posts and I''m wondering if you might be a bit depressed and maybe you should consider seeing your doctor.


It is very normal to feel overwhelmed at first and the vast majority of people have little to no help from external sources. Most of the twin mommies on PS have no external help, and those that I know IRL are doing everything themselves so I don''t think it''s necessarily down to the twins that you feel this way.


I know since Daisy was born I have only been without her by my side for FOUR hours. DH occasionally takes her for an hour on a Saturday or Sunday morning to allow me to catch up a bit on sleep but so far there hasn''t been a day that I have had more than 3 hours sleep in a row since she was born. He has a job to go to during the day and my job is looking after the baby, so I wouldn''t dream of asking him to take her at night. I know that it will get easier and these days will be gone all too fast so when I feel exhausted and snappy I just remember to appreciate every precious moment with her.


Obviously having twins makes life a lot more difficult and I don''t underestimate that, but I think it is unfair of you to expect other people to give up their life and spare time to help with a decision that you and your husband made for yourselves. IF they want to help then that is great, but you shouldn''t expect that they should do it.


I think you either need to find professional childcare help and TRUST them - perhaps sending them to daycare x mornings a week or something, or learn to adjust to having no life to yourself until the twins are a bit more self sufficient.


I''m sorry if this comes off harshly, but it just seems that you are finding adapting to parenting very tough and maybe you need to get some help for yourself and how you are feeling as a person.

I agree with everything Pandora said.
Thinking of you, NYCBKGirl, I know it''s not easy.

 

[gailrmv]

Date: 8/30/2009 2:57:26 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie
NYC I ditto everything Neat said, that is what I do all day. And my DH is a 50% parent when he is home. I work all day with the kid (and organize our move/realestate/life) and he works outside the home, then when we are both hom we *both* work with the kid. The exception is night feeds which I handle because, well, he is not equipped. I will say that I think the best thing you can do is hire help. You should just get over not wanting a non-family member helping. It is for your own sanity! Keep trying and you will find someone. I know you were raised to think family should help each other no matter what, but really, some independence is good too, so finding a balance is key.

/QUOTE]

DD - about your DH being a 50% parent when he is not at work. This is what I thought my DH would be. We talked about it a bunch before we decided to even try for a baby. We both agreed, this is how it would be. In fact, if you ask him now, he would probably say he thinks this is how it is. I don't feel that way, though.

Then sometimes I step back and realize that he does a lot outside of work that is for the family - such as maintaining the yard, washing the cars, etc. Sometimes I wish he would put those things on hold, hire someone to help, or prioritize a bit differently to spend more family time, but I know he takes a lot of pride in doing things well and doing them himself. While he isn't as involved in taking care of our son as I would like, I know he is working really hard for our family both at his actual job and when he's home.


NYC - you asked about DH's being gone a lot. Mine is. His schedule varies week to week but he always works long hours. Many days he's gone before our son wakes up in the morning and home after our son goes to bed at night. We have NO family nearby to help me. Those days kind of suck - but it is what it is. In fact, this is part of why I am going to be a SAHM for a while. I cannot imagine how crazy life would be if I worked even a regular FT job with DH's schedule the way it is. I don't think it would be fair to any of us.

You'll get through it. Just try to enjoy them being so little. It will fly by so fast, but each stage will bring its own challenges. Neat's advice is very good!

 

[neatfreak]

NYC My DH does help when he's at home-but it's pretty much on weekends only that he actually is home during hours the boys are awake!

He helps when he gets home from work-but that's usually only about 1/2-1 hr before the boys go to bed (they go to bed at 7). And of course dinner hasn't even been started at that point so it's not like I really get a break-I just switch tasks!

Then after they are in bed is when I usually pick up the house, do house projects, shower, do my own work, whatever.

It isn't easy-but I don't have any family nearby to help so it is what it is. I actually just hired a sitter to come either a full day or two afternoons a week so that I can get some work done-because it isn't happening now (I am also trying to finish my Ph.D., so when I say "work" I mean schoolwork). So I totally understand about the lack of "me" time.

Something else I have noticed is that you say you never leave the house? Why? I leave the house with the babies ALL the time and it really saves my sanity. We just moved and I lucked into a group of other twin moms (who I love-they are all great women) that all have babies in the same age range as mine. So we meet once a week or so for a playdate. It's really as much for my own sanity as it is for the babies to socialize. In addition I take them to the park, on walks, to Target, whatever. I think it would really really help both your confidence with them and your feelings of desperation if you learned to take them out by yourself during the day. With the right stroller it really isn't that hard to do it yourself.

 

[neatfreak]

Just had to share this picture-so funny.

 

[neatfreak]

Oof sorry that was so big!

 

[Pandora II]

LOL, great photo neat! Did the magazine stay in one piece?

Quick question - is there such a thing as a ''shower sling''? ie a sling you could wear whilst having a shower with your baby - perhaps in mesh or flannel or something?

I ask because when we were away on holiday some of the places we stayed didin''t have baths, only showers. I had prepared for this eventuality by having a couple of showers with D at home before we went - normally we have a bath together in the morning. She liked it a lot, but they are awfully slippery when they have soap on them and I kept having to sit on the floor of the shower to wash her hair etc - just seemed that a strong but ''barely there'' sling thing would make it all a lot easier and safer! It would also mean that I could wash my hair too!!!

 

[gailrmv]

Pandora, I've never seen one, but what a great idea!! I've noticed the same exact problem and I think a sling would be the perfect solution. I think if one doesn't exist, you should invent it!

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 8/31/2009 4:02:32 AM
Author: Pandora II
LOL, great photo neat! Did the magazine stay in one piece?

Lol-of course not.

I only give them to them when we are done with them!

 

[Mandarine]

haha Neat, that picture is priceless!!!!

He''s so cute too!!

 

[MustangGal]

sabine - Kyle is a formula baby, and he started pooping less at about the age yours is now. He usually goes about once a day, but has gone as much as 3 days without a poop. As long as it isn''t painful when they go, it usually not a problem. It never hurts to call the pedi though.

nyc - just keep going, you''ll get the hang of it. They''re your babies, and you''ll have to start taking care of them alone at some point. I''ve also wondered, like Pandora, if you might need to see a doc about anxiety/depression?

ebree - Kyle started holding his head up very early, he was bobbing it around at like 3 weeks I think. But each baby is different, and it takes them more effort to do it on their tummy. Just make sure he gets enough tummy time, and if you''re still worried, mention it to the pedi at your next appointment.

blen - I hope the house selling goes well for you! Your plan seems to be moving along fast.

neat - love the pic with the magazine!

Pandora - I love the "shower sling" idea! If it doesn''t exist, you should patent one and make a go with it

!

All is well here. Kyle''s muching away on everything in site, but still no teeth popping out. I can feel at least one of them on the bottom, and DH thinks he can see several. DH''s theory is they''re all going to pop out at once

. We''re being invaded by BIL, SIL and my almost 3 year old nephew this weekend. We have a bit different parenting styles, and my nephew never really gets to interact with other children, so it should be interesting...

 

[Dreamer_D]

Feeding Question... Lurkers please help too!

When and how much solid food do you feed your LO each day?

I am unsure about how much cereal and fruit/veggies to give Hunter and at what time(s) in the day. My doc said to keep doing what I am doing and feed him if he seems hungry unsatisfied by BFing, but I wouldn''t mind some more concrete examples.

He eats easily about 3tbs of cereal (dry measured) and then also about an equal amount of a veggie/fruit at one feeding. Is this about right?? I make his food myself so if you can estimate amounts from jars for me that would be really helpful too

 

[Mrs]

hi mamas

Pandora, here is a baby carrier that works in the shower. I think if you google it you may find other as well. Hope this helps!

nycb, sorry you''re struggling so much these days, I hope you feel better soon.

Neat, I LOVE that picture. So great!

Ebree, I think Sage could hold her head up when needed by 10 weeks but it was still very wobbly. I wouldn''t worry about it if I were you but if you ARE worried, call your pedi and ask what (s)he thinks. Yay for the good sleep!

Blen, yay for giving notice on friday! That''s so exciting! I hope it goes well. I can imagine how stressful this time must be for you but you''ve clearly thought everything through and you''re making the best decision for your family. Good luck!

Mgal, good luck with your BIL and his fam! I hope you enjoy their visit.

DD, TDM, and everyone else!

We''re doin fine here. Still dragin my feet on updating my resume but I know I''ll get to it soon... Today we went to the retirement home where we volunteer on mondays and Sage was all smiles for this one older man named Jerry. It was so cute. For some reason, she REALLY likes him and always gives him tons of smiles whenever she sees him. I can see that it makes his day which makes me feel really good about volunteering there.

She has become very inquisitive and rather than shake her toys like a maniac, she carefully inspects them with her little fingers. She also really likes drinking water out of a cup. I''m not sure if she really drinks any of it but whenever I have a glass and I''m holding her, she reaches for it and leans in to put her lips against it. I''m hoping to wean her directly to a regular cup if I can so I''m glad she seems so into it. She''s also enjoying standing a lot.

We went to the beach this weekend and she did NOT like the water on her feet - too cold I guess. She was pretty content to sit in her car seat in our tent while we were there though. I was so glad to get in the water since I haven''t been in the ocean since last summer. I missed being in the water with DH though now that we have to take turns watching Sage. We need to go with friends next time so that they can watch her while we swim for a bit.

Sage has been back to not wanting to nap in her crib for the last couple of days. This morning she cried for ages in her crib and when I finally went in there and held her for a minute she fell asleep but she woke up and screamed as soon as I tried to lie her down in her crib. I finally put her in her car seat and swung her back and forth for 20 seconds so that she would fall back asleep and put the car seat down on the floor in her nursery... I''m hoping this doesn''t last. She''s asleep in her swing behind me as I type this...

Anyway, I hope you''re all well!

Hugs, Mrs

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 8/31/2009 8:11:51 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie
Feeding Question... Lurkers please help too!

When and how much solid food do you feed your LO each day?


I am unsure about how much cereal and fruit/veggies to give Hunter and at what time(s) in the day. My doc said to keep doing what I am doing and feed him if he seems hungry unsatisfied by BFing, but I wouldn''t mind some more concrete examples.


He eats easily about 3tbs of cereal (dry measured) and then also about an equal amount of a veggie/fruit at one feeding. Is this about right?? I make his food myself so if you can estimate amounts from jars for me that would be really helpful too

Dreamer-at H''s age you are supposed to do 1-2 solid feedings a day AFTER BFing him. Mine just turn their head when they are done and that''s when we stop. Did the same thing at H''s age. If H won''t EVER stop/turn his head/wrinkle nose/etc. then you might want to ask your ped.

But really, there seems to be no solid research on the topic and the consensus seems to be just feed them what they want on some kind of routine-whatever that may be.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 8/31/2009 8:44:02 PM
Author: neatfreak

Date: 8/31/2009 8:11:51 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie
Feeding Question... Lurkers please help too!

When and how much solid food do you feed your LO each day?


I am unsure about how much cereal and fruit/veggies to give Hunter and at what time(s) in the day. My doc said to keep doing what I am doing and feed him if he seems hungry unsatisfied by BFing, but I wouldn''t mind some more concrete examples.


He eats easily about 3tbs of cereal (dry measured) and then also about an equal amount of a veggie/fruit at one feeding. Is this about right?? I make his food myself so if you can estimate amounts from jars for me that would be really helpful too

Dreamer-at H''s age you are supposed to do 1-2 solid feedings a day AFTER BFing him. Mine just turn their head when they are done and that''s when we stop. Did the same thing at H''s age. If H won''t EVER stop/turn his head/wrinkle nose/etc. then you might want to ask your ped.

But really, there seems to be no solid research on the topic and the consensus seems to be just feed them what they want on some kind of routine-whatever that may be.

After BFing him as in immediately after? I have been doing the solid feeding in between BFing. So BF when he wakes from his afternoon nap ~4/5pm, solids at 6pm, then BF at 7/8pm before bed (yes, the bedtime shifts sometimes when he does 3 short naps rather than 2 long... can''t see keeping him up from 2pm until 7pm on those days of bad morning and afternoon naps). So constant feeding all evening

I guess the point is to make sure they BF enough since that is where their calories should come from. I can try in that order but it seems complicated since I sort of want him to eat right before bed... I am hoping the solid foods before bed help him sleep longer

Probably a fantasy.

He doesn''t trun his head away... it is funny, when he is done he starts jamming his soft plastic bib into his mouth and chewing that instead. What a wierdo!

 

[gailrmv]

Neat, love the photo!

DD, we''re going to be starting solids soon too. I bought some of the little jars of organic baby food today. I''d like to make some of my own, but I think the jars are OK when I read the ingredients.

So what is the scoop on them drinking water? Aren''t they supposed to have water when they start on the solids? We gave A a chance to try out the sippy cup and he seemed to take right to it! I''m just not sure whether this is important for him to have daily, or if breastmilk is enough hydration.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 8/31/2009 11:06:22 PM
Author: TanDogMom
Neat, love the photo!

DD, we''re going to be starting solids soon too. I bought some of the little jars of organic baby food today. I''d like to make some of my own, but I think the jars are OK when I read the ingredients.

So what is the scoop on them drinking water? Aren''t they supposed to have water when they start on the solids? We gave A a chance to try out the sippy cup and he seemed to take right to it! I''m just not sure whether this is important for him to have daily, or if breastmilk is enough hydration.

The ingredients on all bottled baby foods are fine and healthy, but there is a difference in taste and texture because of the processig involved in making the food suitable for a loooooong shelf life. It basically tastes more bland because it is subjected to really high heat. And it is more expensive. It was actually super easy to make the food myself. Bananas and avocado you don''t have to cook, and the rest you just peel, steam, puree with a blender, and freeze in ice cube trays (Trqansfer the cubes to a bag whe nthey are frozen). I made 2 trays of peaches and carrots in less than an hour, and that included peeling the peaches which was more time consuming that most foods would be. So if you want to try it then go for it, it really is not as bad as you probably think it is!

I don''t think they need to drink water while they are stull nursing or drinking formula most of the time. I would think that they only need water once they are getting most of their calories from regular food. But mayby others know differently...

 

[MustangGal]

Dreamer & TDM- we do about 2 feedings of solids a day, and I also do them inbetween bottle feedings. He eats about 3 ounces of fruit/veggie in the evening, and about the same of cereal mid-morning. Sometimes I skip a solid feeding, either because we''re out/busy, etc., and he doesn''t seem to mind. We started offering a sippy cup of water after the solid feeding in the evening, and he''ll drink a couple ounces of it. The pedi said to stay at 2 feeding a day until his next apointment at 9 months. I''ve also been giving him a tiny piece of whatever we''re eating to let him try out different things, he''s made some pretty funny faces at a few!

Mrs - I hate updated my resume also, and that just means one step closer to going back to work for you

. I''m glad you had a good time at the beach though!

 

[Mrs]

DD, I think Kellymom.com had some info about starting solids that might be helpful.

re: water, BFed babies don''t really need it until they''re not nursing as much but I''ve started giving Sage a sip here and there just so that she begins to under stand how to use a cup.

 

[AllieLuv83]

Date: 9/1/2009 10:35:36 AM
Author: dreamer_dachsie

Date: 8/31/2009 11:06:22 PM

Author: TanDogMom

Neat, love the photo!


DD, we''re going to be starting solids soon too. I bought some of the little jars of organic baby food today. I''d like to make some of my own, but I think the jars are OK when I read the ingredients.


So what is the scoop on them drinking water? Aren''t they supposed to have water when they start on the solids? We gave A a chance to try out the sippy cup and he seemed to take right to it! I''m just not sure whether this is important for him to have daily, or if breastmilk is enough hydration.

The ingredients on all bottled baby foods are fine and healthy, but there is a difference in taste and texture because of the processig involved in making the food suitable for a loooooong shelf life. It basically tastes more bland because it is subjected to really high heat. And it is more expensive. It was actually super easy to make the food myself. Bananas and avocado you don''t have to cook, and the rest you just peel, steam, puree with a blender, and freeze in ice cube trays (Trqansfer the cubes to a bag whe nthey are frozen). I made 2 trays of peaches and carrots in less than an hour, and that included peeling the peaches which was more time consuming that most foods would be. So if you want to try it then go for it, it really is not as bad as you probably think it is!


I don''t think they need to drink water while they are stull nursing or drinking formula most of the time. I would think that they only need water once they are getting most of their calories from regular food. But mayby others know differently...

A tip for easy peach peeling. In the rounded part of the peach make an x shaped cut. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and have a bowl of ice water ready. Blanch for 45 seconds and then right into the ice. It will peel like a tomato super easy

 

[sunkist]

Pandora I see Mrs already got you a link to the Gypsy Mama water wrap! Here''s another link that also show a water sling by Taylormade , if you prefer a sling. http://www.theslingstation.com/tmwmesh.html

I remember about a year ago the Gypsy Mama water wraps were on clearance/ discontinue, so I''m surprised to see they still make them. That''s good! It seems like a great idea.