PS Mommy Thread-Newborn to 12 months!

[mayerling]

May I join all you lovely ladies?

My son N was born 6 days ago and we just got back from the hospital last night. We're still trying to settle into a routine but the little guy is a feeding machine. I feel like I'm feeding round the clock, about once every 1.5-2 hours, and as a result I've got cracked nipples. But, whatever he needs...

I'll come back and start talking to everyone but in the meantime I have a question for the more experienced mommies. I nurse round the clock, but at night time I also supplement with formula in an attempt to gain a longer stretch of sleep. What I mean is that I feed him from the breast until he decides to spit it out, which usually means that he's done, I do a diaper change, and if wants more I give him about 30ml of formula. However, DH and I don't want him getting used to bottles so we try to use soft flow nipples as much as possible. The problem is that I can't get a hold of the same kind of formula bottles the hospital was providing me with while I was there, and I don't want to give him anything that wouldn't require him working hard to get his milk. Could anybody suggest particular kinds of bottles or nipples that would work?

 

[Mannequin]

Summer has been BUSY for us so far, leaving very little time for PS. I lurk sometimes though, and I am glad that all the babies are doing well! Welcome to the thread, new mommies! I love seeing all of our thread's new additions.

Weston is four months old and just had his 4 month dr. visit and shots. He is 17 lbs. 4 oz. (90th percentile) and 26 inches long (75th percentile). He is starting to get drooly and loves gnawing on everything. The ped said he could start rice cereal now. He has already tried some yogurt and really enjoyed sucking on a cold slice of a peach the other day. He has been pretty interested in what we are eating over the last few weeks, so it seems to be time to start some solids.

He is starting to roll and sit up on his own, and he is getting louder with his giggles and squeals. He just realized that he has feet, and he cracks himself up when he plays with the foot rattle booties I put on him. I try to get him ready for bed around 9 pm when he starts to crash, and he will typically sleep from about 9:30 or 10 pm until 6:30 am, sometimes waking up rolling or needing a binky. He likes two long naps a day, late morning and late afternoon.

Weston is signed up for daycare in the fall when my teaching job starts again. He will be only a few minutes away from my school, so unfortunately I will be the only person doing drop off/pick up for him. The places for child care near my husband's workplace were almost $100 more a week for infant care, though. Hubs and I are still struggling with the balance of keeping up a household, caring for a baby, and maintaining a healthy marriage. We haven't been on a date since April!

Some new pics to share:

Weston at four months


All dressed up in a tux onesie for a recent wedding we attended


Weston and mommy in the pool - he LOVES swimming

 

[NewEnglandLady]

MQ, Weston is so adorable!!! I'm so glad you're able to enjoy the summer with him! I just met with my mom group today and one of the moms is a teacher--she's already slightly freaking out about going back next month. I say enjoy the next month! It's nice that daycare is so close for you. Let us know how W does with the solids!

Mayerling, you're in Australia, right? Pancake might be more up to speed on the brands over there. When I was supplementing at night and nursing during the day I just used the Avent stage 1 nipples (one hole) and that worked fine. She had no issues going from boob to bottle and back again. One of the moms in my mom group used the Dr. Brown's bottle with a preemie nipple for an extra slow flow.

Oh and of course congrats to you! I need to visit the preggo thread and read your birth story!

Pancake, look at Sylvie sitting her her high chair! Does she do okay in her high chair even though she still needs support when sitting? I haven't tried putting K in her high chair--she eats in the bebe pod strapped to a chair. But maybe I should give it a shot. Oh, and we tried yogurt today--K loved it!

I completely understand newborn nastalgia already. I find it odd how I'm so excited about K growing up, but at the same time I get teary-eyed every time we go up a diaper size or she outgrows a pair of PJs. I really think that part of the reason I wanted to get pregnant again right away was because I missed every single stage as soon as it was over. I want to go back and relive the feeling of her kicking while I was pregnant. Or meeting her for the first time. Music has a way of bringing you right back to certain moments, doesn't it? I listened to a particular cd all the time while pregnant and when I hear it, my first instinct is still to touch my belly.

LC, yay for Ethan eating and sleeping so well!! Woohoo! And thanks for the article...I read it a couple of months ago (I think I saw a link somewhere on PS) and I really liked the article. I do sometimes feel like there is a lot of pressure on women to try to do it all or have it all. I'm not going to go off on a tangent, but it's nice to read an article from a successful woman who feels that having a demanding job and trying to be a mom doesn't necessarily equal having it all. Oh well, like I always say, we're all trying to do what's best for ourselves and our families, it's just that sometimes what's best isn't crystal clear. At least for me.

IHA, so great to see Liam pics!! And yay for Liam's first teeth!! A friend of mine also has a 10-month-old who just got her first teeth this week. Unfortunately she got the two bottom and two top teeth at the same time. Hopefully Liam's aren't all coming in at once!

AFU:

1. When lying on her tummy, K will stick her bum up in the air and try to get on her knees. The physical therapist told us it's in preparation for crawling. I think the muscles in her upper torso are still undeveloped because she can only support herself sitting up for a short time before she starts flopping over.

2. I think Katie might be learning how to manipulate me. Katie usually goes down for naps without a fight, but she was really fussy during her last nap. She'd fuss, then I'd come in thinking she lost her paci, but she still had her paci and she'd just smille at me (with paci still in mouth). She did this maybe 4 or 5 times and finally I just stopped going in. She kept fussing, but after a few minutes she stopped and fell asleep. Uh oh...

I haven't taken any good pics of Katie lately, I'll try this weekend. For now, this is all I've got.

 

[Skippy123]

Squeeeee MQ, BOBBIN, Pancake, Inhisarms and NEL

 

[monarch64]

Sorry I haven't had time to post lately! I try to read and keep up with everyone but reading on my phone while pumping or feeding is kind of a PITA because the print is so small. Anyway, Kunzite I think you asked how bf'ing was going so I wanted to thank you for your concern and give a quick update.

I finally met with a lactation consultant last week and she was very, very helpful. My doctor also prescribed domperidone and I've been on it for a week now and I am noticing a definite increase in my supply when pumping which is awesome. I also decided to rent a hospital grade pump (the Lactina) and that is making a difference...wish I had done that from the beginning. So we are still supplementing with formula but I have been pumping and feeding around the clock in an effort to get my supply increased as much as possible before I go back to work soon. It is probably the hardest thing I've ever done but something in me just will not allow even the thought of giving up.

Here's a quick pic of Alex from yesterday at 6 weeks, 5 days, 10 lbs 10 oz, 25"!

 

[mayerling]

NEL, I'm primarily based in the UK so hopefully some UK ladies will chime in. Katie is adorable!

MQ, Weston is such a cute little boy!

Pancake, I've been following this thread and I'm glad to hear that you're coping well with your family situation.

LC, yay for Ethan starting rice cereal!

AFU, N is a week old and since it's only been 3 days since we got home from the hospital, I'm trying not to get too frustrated by our lack of routine. So far I've been breastfeeding on demand, and as of last night I've given up on formula feeding (I'd only been doing it for the two night time feedings in conjunction with offering the breast). I also managed to pump about 30ml with my manual pump yesterday so I'm pretty excited about that. I have a question for you more experienced ladies: how do you know that you've drained one breast so you can offer the other? Also, for those of you who BF, do you offer pacifiers? DH is worried they'll interfere with BF. N usually has difficulty latching; he'll take a few minutes to latch but once he does, he knows what to do.
He's also up to his birth weight and has exceeded by 10g actually. We've also noticed that even though we set him down to sleep on his back, he's always on his side when we go back to check on him. Isn't it early for him to be able to do that?
Also, at what point do newborns develop a schedule? At the moment, we're all over the place and he's only able to do about 2 hours between feedings - I'm guilty of having given him formula at night in an attempt to get him to stay longer...

 

[pancake]

Mayerling - hello, and welcome! Congratulations on the arrival of little N, such exciting times...

Re routine/schedule - it is very very very early days to be thinking about that! Babies take a while to figure out day and night, and whilst it does depend on temperament to some extent, most are feeding at least 3-4 hourly for the first few weeks. S has been a pretty cruisey baby from the beginning, and she settled into 3-4 hourly feeds at about 2 or 3 weeks (I think?) and then had the hang of day and night by about 4 or 5 weeks, maybe 6?

With breastfeeding and offering the other breast, if N sucks well for a good 20 or so minutes on one side and then comes off of his own accord, switch him over. Given that he's already 10g over birthweight and you're a week in, I'm assuming your milk has come in? If it has, then you don't need to "switch feed" (which is when you're waiting for your supply to come in, and switch sides each time he slows down, to stimulate your supply). In the very early days, S used to go for about 20-25 minutes on the first side, then maybe 15 on the second? She did need a really good burp in between sides.

I offered dummies (many different types actually!) and at the start she would variably accept them sometimes, but quickly stopped taking them and would gag and grimace and cry when we stuck it in. Plus, even when she did take them, she'd cry when it came out - so I didn't see the point really. I didn't worry about nipple confusion (as a concept I don't really believe in it), particularly as she was latching and sucking well. No milk comes out of a dummy anyway, so if the boob is his only option for nutrition, I suspect N will go for it still! Re bottles - I don't think it matters what you go with, but offer a slow flow teat to begin with.

Babies move quite a bit from the start so it is not too unusual that N is on his side when you find him. Are you swaddling? I don't think you need to sweat it too much

Monnie - you are a trouper, good on you for being so persistent! It sounds like you are really getting things under control now. Alex is certainly thriving - what a delicious little chubba bubba! When do you have to return to work?

NEL - S is fine in one of her high chairs (the "throne" that the in-laws gave her) as it is quite cushioned and has a full harness. She is not yet steady enough in the Leander for me to feed her in it, but as soon as she is, we'll be using that all the time - so much easier to clean!! A lot of the time I feed her in her bouncer at the moment - she seems to prefer it for some reason.

I think our babies are at a similar stage - um, Pancake, not surprising as they were born in the same week Anyway, S is definitely hating being left on her own - which includes when I put her down in bed. I used to be able to leave her playing on the floor by herself for ages - at the moment, she starts fussing after a couple of minutes but will be all smiles the second I come in again. Ditto when she wakes up for nap - she now cries, which she never used to do, but will beam as soon as she hears the door open. I am really hoping that once this stage passes, she will be her cheerful settled self again, but I know it's just a phase that she has to get through.

MQ - Wes is soooo cute! Love that tux!!! You look like you're having a lovely time together - you look fantastic as well!! He sounds like a very chilled out little guy. I think everybody struggles with that balance of marriage, home life, baby, external/work life - no matter how settled the baby is. I don't know what the solution is except to keep talking, keep talking, keep talking - and take protected time with hubby when you can. It is a tough one!

AFU, S is still not back to her usual self. She's catnapping more during the day (about 45 minutes a lot of the time, sometimes 30, but the morning nap is still about 1 1/2 hours so not too bad - although not as good as the 2 hours we were getting before) and her feed-play-sleep routine is sometimes out the window! I am thinking about whether we should drop to four breastfeeds a day (from five) as if I feed her at less than 4 hours, she tends to play and be a lot more distracted.

She is still erratically waking once a night - she had been sleeping from 6:30 to 6:30, but for the last 2 weeks that's gone! Most nights she's waking around 4 or 5, but last night it was 1:30am (??why). She is waking upset, which is new as well, and it tugs at me so much because I'm so used to her waking up playing by herself!

I think we are eventually heading towards a 2 nap day structure, but at the moment she can't stay awake for long enough to get through the middle of the day without a sleep, and because she is hating being alone these last couple of weeks, she isn't resettling during her naps like she was before.

I know this will pass but like every other time that this has happened I do worry that she'll never go back to her usual cheery self! I am less worried than before though... past experience does help!

Here is a pic of her from this morning in her ridiculous (but cute!) outfit... before she managed to wee through it

 

[mayerling]

Thanks for the advice, Pancake! I hope you don't mind if I pick your brains a bit more...
For the past 24 hours, N has been eating a lot (and pooping a lot). He'll take both breasts and when I try to set him down for a nap he might wake up and start rooting again, so I offer the breast again and he takes it! I'm worried I might be over-feeding him. As we have him swaddled, I can't look for other cues like putting hands to mouth, etc. Is it possible his rooting doesn't necessarily indicate hunger and I'm just feeding too much?

 

[pancake]

Hmmm... from the sounds of things (the poop!) your supply is in and he's getting plenty of milk, which is great. The first few weeks are a bit all over the place; is he taking a full feed when you offer it, or is he snacking? If he's taking a full feed then I wouldn't worry as he clearly wants/needs it (they gain masses of weight in the first month once they're getting lots of milk) but if he's just snacking, then maybe not? Newborns are designed to suck so the default modes seem to be cry, suck and sleep Don't worry about overfeeding - your supply will regulate to meet his needs, and he won't feed if he's already too full!

The frequent poop is normal, it takes a few weeks for that to settle down. I think S was doing up to 10 poops a day for the first few weeks after my milk came in - settled down to about 2-3/day (and only during the daytime) at around 6 weeks. Every baby is different, though. Some babies poop once every few days, others poop 10 times a day, and if they're growing and thriving otherwise, it's all normal!

A better night for us - S woke up at 5am fussing a little but not actually crying. Fed her, then she went back to bed and woke up happy and chatting at 8am. Had a feed, breakfast, a poop and a play and went back to bed at 10am. Fingers crossed this is a good nap! We have to go and get her passport interview/application done this afternoon. Her photo is hilarious, I'll post a pic later

 

[PilsnPinkysMom]

Pancake, de-lurking to say I looove that onesie (as well as the rest of the outfit!)

 

[mayerling]

Pancake, I'm afraid I'm too clueless to know whether he's just snacking or not. He does take breathers during feedings and sometimes i have to move my breast around to get him to resume. Last night was particularly difficult. He woke up at 6:30pm and refused to sleep until midnight, during which time he had 6 boob sessions! I was really worried about overfeeding and I don't know why he was up for that long.

Anyway, enough about us; how are all you lovely mamas doing?

 

[PetitiePoire]

Mayerling- I'm in the same boat as you. I feel like L is always on the boob. She seems to go every 2-3 hours. During the day it's snacking (15 minutes) and her midnight and wake up feeding are about 30 minutes to an hour. Daytime feedings are closer together than overnight ones. We were prescribed a scale to weigh her daily to know shes getting enough. She's packing on the weight. I wouldn't worry about over feeding right now, only under feeding.


Hi to all of the mommies! It's weird to officially be over here. Are any moms exclusively breastfeeding and not pumping at all? I'm just curious if I'm as crazy as I feel sometimes being the only one to feed her. Also, I'm finding her to be more alert and awake without me. When she's with me she eats and sleeps and loves to be cuddled. I feel like I'm making her sleep too much because I love being the one to hold her. Is this normal?

 

[pancake]

Mayerling, the cluster feeding in the evening is really common! Don't worry yourself too much, you and N are just figuring each other out and it will take some time. What you're doing sounds perfectly fine!

PP - welcome! Don't get too fixated on the scales - once bub is peeing and pooing like a champ, you're unlikely to run into trouble.

I exclusively breastfeed. I pump from time to time, but only to keep a couple of feeds' worth in the freezer for the odd occasion when I need to go somewhere and leave S at home with DH or my mum over a feed time. In these early days she will sleep a LOT, particularly after feeds. Totally normal! Enjoy these precious early squishy days!

 

[mayerling]

Petite, it's nice to see you over here. You and I will have a lot to chat about given how our babies are only 3 days apart!

I basically only pump once a day, about 30ml at a time, in case I need to be out so DH or my mum can feed. I have a wedding coming up this weekend which will take up quite a bit of the day, so my goal is to have about 180ml in the freezer so I feel comfortable that my mum has enough to feed him while I'm gone.

 

[lliang_chi]

Morning ladies!

Mayerling & PP, great to see you ladies over here!

Mayer, to echo what Pancake and PP have said, you shouldn't worry too much about overfeeding. Your baby will eat when he's hungry and they say it's very hard to overfeed with BFing. I'm glad that N is feeding like a champ. Sounds like his meals consist of lots of snacks for an extended period of time. That's what E's nursing habits were in the very beginning. He'd nurse for like 5-7 mins, then drift off to sleep, so I'd have to jostle him around to wake him and get him to eat more. Now he still nurses for 7-10 mins but I know he's sucking down enough to eat. He still falls asleep nursing though... I love it because I just snuggle with him when he's passed out. Sometimes you'll find your new baby has a random behavior for a day/two days then goes back to what he was doing. Especially these first few weeks. Chalk it up to, he's figuring the world out and don't read too much into it.

PP, sounds like L is doing quite well too. every 2-3 hrs is pretty common place for babies. I think Ethan would go every 2.5 or so? Once he hit his birthweight, the doc said to stop waking to feed him and just let him get up on his own to eat. Pancake & PT are still BFing exclusively. I think PT's A is also currently on bottle strike so she really *is* the only one that feeds her, so maybe you guys can chat about the baby booby time And no worires about L being a snoozer. That's what newborns are supposed to do. Sleep, poop and eat. Just enjoy this, and take LOTS of pictures. They're not squishy and little for long.

Pancake, S's outfit is TOO CUTE! It also helps that you have an absolute doll of a model too Is it starting to get chilly there? We're in the thick of summer and I feel like I don't have enough onesie's for Ethan. I remember you said maybe she's teething could that be why she's more "needy" now? It will pass and you'll get your sweet adorable bubby back.

Monnie, AW CUTENESS! I love her little chubby belly!!! I'm glad hte LC is worked out and you're starting to feel like you're getting in front of the BFing. Keep faith, and I 100% agree, definitely one of the hardest things i ever did. EVER.

NEL, SMOOOOOOOCH!! I want to cover little Miss K with kisses!!! I know what you mean about worrying about being manipulated. I'm now telling myself to give E a few moments to fuss before rushing in to get him. See if he'll settle on his own. It doesn't always work. But I definitely think he knows that "Mommy will come if I fuss," so he fusses.

MQ, Hee hee, love the onesie tux. He looks so dapper! I'm glad you're enjoying the summer with him. You totally should! Little W is looking so big! I'm glad you found a daycare you're happy with. And being close to your school is great! I have foot rattles too, but DH thinks their ridiculous and removes them whenever I put them on E. DH thinks a lot of stuff I make/got for E is ridiculous... Hee hee.

Last night E woke up again at 1:30, but I think he's going through a growth spurt. He just ate and slept all afternoon. I nursed him and he woke up again at 4 and I nursed him again.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

I really should be working, but reading this thread is much more fun.

Mayerling and PP, it's really nice to see some new faces and hear about your newborns! I realize that I'm slightly crazy and possibly annoying, but the frequent feedings/rooting/all things newborn...just soak it in while you can. You ladies are doing great!

Monnie, great pic of A! I'm so glad your supply is up and the BFing is getting slightly easier. I will say HANDS DOWN that bfing was the toughest part of having a newborn. I thought it would be hard, but the supply issues made it even harder for me physically (pumping & nursing constantly) and emotionally (feeling inadequate). It definitely gets easier and it sounds like things are already looking up for you!

Mayerling, I wouldn't even think about a schedule at this point. When they're this tiny everything is on demand 24 hours a day. I remember K just eating and sleeping with very little awake time for the first month. I can't remember when we sort of fell into a loose sleep, eat, play schedule, but I think it was 6 weeks or later. As for pacis, I found that giving K a paci before offering a boob helped K to nurse. It helped later when she went on a bottle strike as well. But my experience may have been unusual.

Pancake, super cute photo!! I love it!! Sorry to hear that S is in a little bit of a funk. Hopefully it only lasts a day or two and she's back to her happy self! Strangely K only gets fussy when the babysitter leaves her alone--she seems fine when I leave her. That must mean the babysitter is much more entertaining than I am

I'll be interested to see when S switches to her two nap schedule! K only formed her 3 naps/day schedule at 4 months, so I don't think she'll be going to 2 naps/day until 9 months or so. But who knows!

LC, it's funny that all of our babies wake up at 1:30 on their "off" nights. Last week K woke up at 1:30 two nights in a row. The first night I fed her (she was screaming) and the second night I let her settle herself. She hasn't done it since. And then S had a 1:30 wakeup a couple of nights ago. Apparently 1:30 is the time to fuss.

AFU, I think K is having a "wonder week". She's just doing a ton of stuff at once. I mentioned that she's getting up on her knees often now. She's also touching EVERYTHING in a thoughtful way. She likes to touch the wall when I change her, or touch the sheet when I put her down for a nap. You can tell she's concentrating and it's really cute. She's also reaching for me when I'm near. Often the reaching is coupled with some "talking". When I'm making Katie's bottle she gets really exciting and starts kicking and "talking". I try to get her to take the bottle herself since she's good at getting the sippy cup to her mouth...but she's not good with the bottle. She opens her mouth and squeals until I feed her. Anyway, it's so interesting to see her "get" things. I've been using more sign language now that she seems to recognize things.

It's been a really fun week with all the developmental changes. Yesterday she started eating a ton (over 40 oz. including 10 oz. of solids) so I wonder if we're on the verge of another growth spurt.

 

[pancake]

NEL - that is SUCH a beautiful photo of Katie! She looks so serene How funny is the new fascination with textures?! I transitioned S from bassinet into compact crib 2 weeks ago, but before the transition I would wake up to hear this scratching noise, which was S repeatedly scraping her nails against the mesh walls of the bassinet. The other thing I am finding really cute/funny is "hand regard" - this new fascination that S has with her hands. She will lie there and stare at her hand for minutes at a time, brow furrowed, completely engrossed

How are you feeling about your work/life balance this week?

LC - it's the middle of winter here, the solstice has passed now though so the days are gradually getting longer, thank goodness! It's nothing like a Chicago winter though - it gets down to about 2-3 degrees Celsius at night time on the coldest nights, and the coldest day we had was 8 degrees. It's not so much the cold that gets to me but the dreariness/overcast skies/rain. Today is brilliantly sunny (hooray for cloth nappies on the line!) so I'm feeling brighter accordingly! Yeah, I don't know about the teething thing. My mother is 100% convinced that it's teething - and I can see why, S is picking at her gums, chewing like crazy, has intermittently red cheeks, drools like nobody's business - but I'm still not quite on board with that yet! I think she's also at an age of a lot of developmental change and I wonder whether it's just that, rather than anything overtly physical.

Mayerling, forgot to say - the evening is often the "witching hour(s)" for young babies too, so often they'll just fuss and fuss and fuss and want cuddles and feeds and cuddles and feeds and cuddles and feeds, so maybe N is just going through a bit of that?

LC, MQ, NEL - how many milk feeds are your bubbies having in 24 hours now? S is currently on 5 but I'm wondering whether I should drop it to 4... it is a bit of a squeeze to get the 5 into the day, and if it's been less than 3.5 or 4 hours between feeds, she tends not to drink that well as she gets really distracted. My supply doesn't seem to have suffered with the drop from 6 feeds to 5 (about 2 weeks ago) so I'm less anxious about dropping another... but I do feel like our eat-wake-sleep routine is already up the spout at the moment, so am wondering whether it's really a good idea to rock the boat...

AFU - S still NQR during the day. Nights have been ok - waking between 4:30 and 5:30 for a feed then back to sleep until 8am. No issues with settling at night. Day sleeps are still a relative disaster. This morning she slept for a whole 40 minutes (morning nap used to be 2 hours, sometimes more). I've just put her down for a lunchtime sleep but I doubt she'll sleep more than 45 minutes again. She has been getting really tired through the day and then will have a long nap later in the afternoon - but that distribution is not really ideal, I would prefer her to have more sleep earlier in the day so that she'll be chirpier. I guess beggars can't be choosers!

I have been letting her fuss and cry a bit with her day sleeps but just don't want to let her go more than 5 or so minutes, and in that time she tends to keep going rather than calm down, so I think resettling just isn't happening at the moment for whatever reason. Hopefully it'll be back soon!

Developmentally, some fun things happening. Still completely not interested in rolling (hasn't gone either way yet) but is loving sitting up to play (with a bit of support), is very good at getting the sippy cup in her mouth (although doesn't drink - sucks, gets water out, then gleefully goes, "gggguuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhh!" so that the water goes EVERYWHERE), eating solids really well. Fascinated by her own hands at the moment. Nappy changes more challenging at the moment because for some reason she wants to put her hands in her nappy area! Lots of new sounds coming out of her mouth now - goo, ga, ghhhhh (that's been around for a while!), wuh! (always an exclamation, don't know why!), buh.

 

[lliang_chi]

NEL, awww!!!! LOVELY picture of K. I LVE her eyes!!! I hope they stay that way because they look so distinctive. Hooray for a wonder week for her. Have you started doing baby sign language? Do you do songs etc too, or are you just doing the signs when you're giving her a bottle, changing her diaper etc? I want DH to start doing the signs too, I bought "Baby Signing Time" too. We just haven't cracked it open yet. How's the vacation planning coming?

Pancake, We're wrapping up summer here and it makes me sad Summer is so short and fleeting here. We're trying to organize a lake house weekend with some friends of mine. I'm hoping it'll go through. Fingers crossed. Ethan was also very engrossed in his hands too! DH said he does the same things in boring meetings. He stares at his hands and fingers. Sorry to hear S's daytime naps are still helter skelter. Hoping it levels off soon

Janine, how's your Cape vacation planning going???

AFU, not a whole lot is new. But adding some pics I took yesterday & today. I got a new phone so was testing out the pictures.

 

[bobbin]

NEL: C was actually chatting and smiling at the doll before I took the picture, but once I got the camera out she instantly stopped smiling! Cheeky little girl. K is so beautiful in that pictuer. And wearing such a pretty dress!

IHA: Naw, Liam is so cute! And so big now! I am hoping that C will be a late teether too. A baby in my mother's group has two teeth now and she is only 14 weeks! I don't want C to bite me while feeding! I can imagine the throwing up! C gags on pacis when I try to interfere and comes close to throwing up. Little drama king indeed!

Pancake: I was referring to a schedule, rather than a routine, but having thought about it a bit more the last few days I am okay with the way things are, but am going to try to put in place more of a feed-play-feed-sleep or feed-play-sleep routine during the day, depending on C. I have received advice from the ABA and MCHN that the feed-play-feed-sleep routine is fine. It seems to be what C wants/needs most of the time as she feeds frequently during the day.

I love Sylvie's red top/black and white tights outfit! Where did you get it from?

I'm sorry about your Father taking a turn for the worse. Your poor mother!

LC: Yes, that was me! DH's work laid off half of their employees in around Feb I think? Luckily DH wasn't one of them and everything seems okay with his work for now. Although, with the industry he is in (computer games) companies go under all the time and so we are always on edge. It has stopped us from buying a house in the town we live in now, because we own a house in our home town and if his company went under suddenly, we would be up the creek without a paddle if we had two mortgages.

Ethan IS beautiful. Tell your DH he is being silly if he doesn't like that! All babies look genderless - the only clue anyone has as to what sex a baby is is whether they are wearing blue or pink. I wouldn't want to cut his hair either! Are you exclusively pumping now? If so, wow! What a trooper!

Mayerling: Feeding frequently is VERY normal for breastfed babies. Breastmilk is very easily digestible so babies will get hungry very quickly. From memory, how often they feed also depends on your breastmilk storage capacity - some breasts store more milk so babies will feed a little less frequently than others. It doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with your supply or the baby (provided they are having enough wet/dirty nappies and putting on weight). Be careful with supplementing with formula (although I see that you have stopped that now), particularly in the early weeks. Your supply is establishing and regulating itself right now, so feeding baby formula will make your body think that the baby needs that much less milk and will regulate your supply accordingly, if that makes sense. Similarly, if you pump milk to be able to leave baby for a while, it is best to pump while you are away from baby so you don't affect your supply (sorry if this is basic info!). C was a snacker and it was very obvious - she would only feed for a few minutes and then would fall asleep. Now she will do about 20 mins for a feed - she only has one side a feed now. If she is still hungry I will offer the other side and she always has both sides for her last feed at night.

I didn't offer a paci until C was 6 weeks old. That was the recommendation I was given by a lactation consultant. I am not sure about nipple confusion either, but given I was having so much trouble establishing breastfeeding I didn't want to take any chances! however, C wouldn't take it, I think because I waited so long to introduce it. If N is feeding properly I think it is fine to introduce a paci. But, having said that, I am glad C didn't take a paci. She is a chilled out baby and doesn't need it, and now I don't have to worry about weaning her from it (although I feel like I am tempting fate by saying this and she will become a tantruming baby in response ). I was tempted in the first few days when she would be calmed only by sucking our little finger and had days and nights mixed up.

Monarch: Great job on persevering! I had the same attitude as you with breastfeeding. I hope your supply issues are resolved with the prescription. Is attachment okay for you?

PP: C is still feeding every 2-3 hours! Completely normal. It was annoying at first when C was having attachment issues and I didn't feel comfortable feeding in public, or even in front of my parents! But now, I feed anywhere, anytime and how frequently she feeds doesn't annoy me anymore.


As for having it all, I grew up with both parents working and I never doubted that I could have both a career and children. However, I agree that it is very difficult to have both at the same time. The way I think of it is that I am 25, I have at least 35 years left before I will retire. Right now, and until C and any future children are older, I am focussing on being a mummy, and working to support that and maintain connections with my profession. Once they are older, I will have plenty of time to focus on my career and meet my career goals. There are other things I won't be able to do though as a result of having children young - we never got to travel overseas together, and so we won't be able to do the same things we would have before. It will be a long time before we can afford to do that. But I think C is well worth that sacrifice

AFU:

C is going through a 'wonder week' but she is still pretty chilled out. In the last few days she has started reaching/grabbing toys a lot more, yelling (not crying, just yelling out), wanting to stand up all the time (and is really strong for 12 weeks, see below), and right now she is in her rocker, playing with the toys with her feet!

I am starting to feel a bit better about my body now. I put on a lot of weight during pregnancy, and after the initial weight loss from the birth/ fluid loss, I haven't lost any weight. But I have started doing pilates again, and am going to the gym (but doing a very restricted workout) , and continuing with walking the dogs and the core rehabilitation exercises the physio gave me. Just the exercise makes me feel like I look better! I am working on eating really well and hopefully I will start losing weight too.

I am starting to organise baby photos to start printing for a photo album, but I don't know what type of album I want to use. I don't like the plastic sleeve type, photo corners seem fiddly and the magnetic albums are bad for photos. I would like to be able to take out individual photos and put them back. What type of album are you all using?

 

[pancake]

Bobbin, the black/white tights are Cotton On, and the tee is Oobi S's wardrobe is mostly Bonds, Cotton On, Target, Oobi, Zara and Sooki Baby - a bit of Rhubarb and Bebe thrown in for good measure.

C is looking so cute! What a clever girl, weightbearing like that at 12 weeks - impressive! Glad you are feeling more positive about your body image, too. It is such a challenging year in terms of that - going from pre-preg, to the incredibly rapid and dramatic changes of pregnancy, then post-partum... I am feeling ok with my body but am really sick of my hair falling out!!

I have to confess I haven't made any albums yet. I am just going to print photo books - don't think I have the patience to sit there and put albums in sleeves!

LC, holy crap that first pic of Ethan is cute!!! So gorgeous. I know I keep saying it, but it's something about those enormous soulful eyes...

AFU (for the 2nd time today!) - S had a crap day with sleep again. 45 minutes in the morning, 30 at lunchtime, 45 in the afternoon. She was sort of just washed out for a lot of the day - not crying, but just quiet and withdrawn. She passed out halfway through the first breast at her bedtime feed I really hope that whatever this is - teething, virus, wonder week, whatever - is over soon!

 

[mayerling]

Pancake, "witching hours" is an understatement! Last night was the night from hell. I'll elaborate more further down, but thanks for all your valuable advice. It makes me feel better to know that I'm not doing anything wrong. Also, I'm not comfortable posting pics of N yet, but I have to tell you that he looks very much like S! I showed S to DH and he agrees!

Bobbin, thanks for the advice regarding BF. I hope this doesn't come back to haunt me, but I actually think that BF is going very well; I might even venture enough to say it's established. N very rarely has difficulty latching, and if he does it's only for a couple of mins usually out of frustration from being too hungry. He's not very patient when it comes to waiting for the boob! I pump once a day, trying to establish a stash for when I need to be away from the baby, such as for the wedding this weekend. Today I managed to pump over 60ml just from my right breast and I stopped because I figured that was enough. By the way, C is adorable!

LC, love the pics of Ethan! He's precious! By the way, "precious" is my new favourite word for describing babies!

NEL, Katie has the most expressive eyes ever!

Monnie, how's BF going? I hope you and Alexandra find your rhythms soon.

Petite, my baby-buddy, how are you and L doing?

AFU, as I said before I had a night, or rather early morning from hell. I fed N from both boobs around 10pm. It took about an hour to feed him and change him, and then DH spent some time rocking him to sleep. So he went down about 11:30 and woke around 1:30. I figure, 2 hours is okay. Then the same process repeated and he went down around 2 and only slept until 3:30. Same process repeated, at which point he just refused to sleep no matter what we did. And he kept rooting at which point I didn't know whether he was still hungry or just wanting the boob for comfort. I broke down and fed him again around 6, in bed with us, and I ended up letting him sleep with us for an hour and a half. While I was feeding him, I was actually crying and DH was trying to console me. I was worried that he might be comfort-feeding, that he might not sleep unless he sleeps in our bed, and that he might be picking up bad habits in general. DH tried to tell me that at 10 days old he can't really pick up any bad habits, but I would not be consoled. I was actually afraid I might end up having PPD. I started feeling a bit better in the light of day. I think it was a combination of inability to put him to sleep, lack of sleep on my part, the fact that I can't even find the time to poop these days (sorry for the TMI), and the fact that I discovered that my episiotomy has become infected and it stings when I pee. The gynaecologist has prescribed some ointment but I haven't felt much relief yet. Anyway, I'm trying to keep my chin up as I figure that it can only get better from here.

 

[pancake]

Mayerling, cut yourself some slack, you are doing a wonderful job! Newborns are really hard to figure out - they don't even know what they themselves want, so it adds yet another layer of complexity to the sleeplessness, hormones and upheaval. I used to worry that when I did [X], I was creating bad habits for S, but my husband would always remind me that a) we needed to do whatever we needed to do to keep ourselves sane and the baby happy, and b) that doing one thing one time does not set up a bad habit. In these early days, I tend to agree with your husband - just do what you have to do, provided that you are on the same page.

Then, once things calm down, you can figure out how you want to do things and what your "non-negotiables" are...not that anything is non-negotiable when it comes to babies

Do make sure that you try to look after yourself, too. You mentioned that you have expressed a little every day, so take advantage of that and have a break. Go to a cafe for half an hour, or just lie in bed with earplugs in, an eyemask on, and have a powernap. I hope your episiotomy infection clears up quickly, you poor thing.

If N looks like S, then he must be gooooooooorgeous (Kidding...but not really kidding!)

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Pancake, I'm so sorry about the crappy daytime sleep! My first thought was that maybe S was transitioning from the long morning nap to a long mid-day nap--I remember from HSH,HC that the morning nap is formed first and then the long mid-day nap and variable late afternoon nap are formed between 5 - 8 months. But who knows! I know you must be so frustrated, I just hope this phase is short-lived. With the possible teething, the developmental growth and a possible long nap transition, it's impossible to pinpoint the source!

Oh, and K transitioned to 4 bottles right around the time she started solids. This is pretty much her schedule, though it can shift by as much as an hour...for instance this morning my husband accidentally woke her up 45 minutes early, so I'm putting her down for her first nap early and she'll probably take a longer nap. But this is the schedule the babysitter and I try to keep.

5am - 8 oz. bottle
7:30am- wakeup
8/8:30am - 5 oz. solids
9:30am - 10:15am - Nap #1
10:30am - 8 oz. bottle (doesn't always finish it)
12 - 2:30pm - Nap #2
2:30/3pm - 8 oz. bottle
4:30 - 5:30pm - Nap #3
6:30pm - 5 oz. solids
6:45pm - bath
7pm - last bottle (between 4 and 8 oz.), then story time
7:30 - bed

Bobbin, I'm so glad to hear you're feeling better about your body. I have been struggling myself because of the same reasons you mentioned. The majority of my weight came off in the first couple of weeks, but I've been hanging on to about 6 lbs. and I'm frustrated. I've started a daily routine to tone my mid-section and I hope it works. If not, I might give pilates a try!

C is so adorable, I can't believe how strong she is!! Isn't it crazy how babies want to be upright immediately? Oh, and we did an eat, play, eat, sleep routine for about three weeks when K was going through a bout with not wanting her bottle. I was hesitant about it because I didn't want her falling asleep with a bottle, but it was fine. Now she's on a regular schedule and she has no issue with wanting a bottle to soothe herself to sleep.

LC, I mostly use the sign language as narrative for what I'm saying. So I use eat, bath, massage, play, happy, sleepy, dog, mommy, daddy, sing, dance (we sing and dance a lot), all done, and a few others fairly often. In our mom group, all the songs we learned had sign language, so I use those. Now she's in an actual music class on Fridays and all of those songs are signed, so we're learning a lot of new signs. At home, she's usually on my lap when we sing songs, so she can't really see me. I'm afraid of overwhelming her with too many signs, so I try to be consistent with a dozen or so.

Vacation to Montauk is booked for early September! We're renting a little house on the beach for a week and I'm excited. D wanted to go this month, but work is crazy and K isn't even old enough to wear sunscreen, so I'm happy we booked it in September. I already bought her a life vest and one of those floating canopies.

The pictures of E are ADORABLE!!! Does E munch on his feet? K always tries to eat her feet when I change her diaper.

Mayerling, [/b]I totally agree with Pancake that you have to cut yourself some slack. I was pretty much the queen of worrying about developing bad habits. Heck, I still am. So I TOTALLY understand. But you really do need to do what is necessary to keep your sanity. I promise you that you aren't developing any bad habits right now. I can't tell you how much energy I wasted worrying about it for nothing! Try to sneak in some naps and don't beat yourself up, you are doing great!

AFU, I promise to stop blabbing, but K rolled over back to front for the first time this morning! Our physical therapist has been having us work on it for a month (to build K's torso/shoulder strength) and even last week at our appointment, she wasn't terribly close. She just couldn't get her shoulders around even when trying. But suddenly she's figured it out!

 

[bubbly1126]

Quick drive-by...

GORGEOUS babies everywhere, OMG!!

Quick question... Anyone have any recommendations on when I should buy Liam a good pair of shoes? He's standing and pulling himself up all the time now. I know he will be walking soon so I'm thinking he is going to need a pair. I don't put shoes on him - like, ever - so I'd really like some advice as to when he should get a pair....

I'll also post this over in the 12-36 month thread... and thanks in advance!

 

[Puppmom]

IHA, I've heard barefoot walking is best. We didn't get DS a pair of shoes until he was walking for about a month (not outside of course!). The best brand we've found so far is Tsukihoshi but our first, soft soled shoes were Stride Rite and they lasted until he outgrew them.

 

[lliang_chi]

Pancake, I forgot to answer your question. Ethan is still doing 7+ milk feeds a day. He usually does like 3 or 4 bottles and 2-3 nursing sessions. I can't seem to get him past 5.5oz (160ml) at day care so he's stuck on 7+ milk feeds. I dunno if this is a bad thing or not. He doesn't really drink MOTN except these past 2 days since I think he's having a growth spurt. Sending S some daytime sleep dust. Hopefully she'll get over this hump and go back to her happy easy-going routine.

Bobbin, OMG Where did you get that ADORABLE giraffe outfit? I want one!!! Not pink of course but SO. FREAKING. CUTE! I'm glad you're feeling better about your body, and you're feeling better with being able to work out etc. So important for you to maintain your health for your sweet little girl. I'm glad your DH is still doing well, and perhaps it's best that your guys didn't pull the trigger on the house. What is your plan on your current existing home? Do you plan to sell it or do you see yourselves moving back to your home town (one day some day)?

Mayer, deep breaths!!! You cannot spoil your baby at this young age. Seriously, right now it's about getting through the day/night. As N gets older, you'll find him sorting out his own routine, and that's when you can start setting boundaries. I think for E it wasn't until 5-6 wks. Up to that point it was feeding as needed, sleeping as needed. changing as needed. He was so little and still getting used to the world-post birth, that there seriously was no point in trying to institute any kind of routine/order etc. I seriously think people suggest to start a routine/schedule so the PARENTS develop a habit, not the baby. ANYWAY, what I'm saying is, You're doing great! Go easy on yourself and get yourself through the day by whatever means necessary.

NEL, your method of using sign is the same way that I want to incorporate with Ethan. Does D do signing also? James thus far isn't very keen in doing anything just yet. Ethan has started sticking his feet in his mouth during diaper changes. He also grabs and tugs on his socks while he's in his car seat. Sounds like your Montauk vacation will be fantastic! Hooray, K's going to have so much fun.

AFU, Ethan woke twice last night. Well once MOTN (1:30AM) and then 1 hr early at 4AM (instead of 5AM). I had to wake him at 6AM to get him ready for school. Sigh! I can't wait until J is no longer sick so he can start helping with some of this overnight stuff....

 

[mayerling]

Fly-by post between feedings and diaper change: N just woke up from a 3-and-a-bit hour sleep! Unfortunately, I couldn't make the most of it as I had a headache and woke up for some painkillers during this stretch, but it's still so exciting!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Okay, I totally lied about not blabbing anymore. Make me stop posting!

LC, D is oddly excited about the signing. He signs, too, and if I'm not signing he "reminds" me. It's annoying.

It was hot today, so I took K to the beach for about 15 minutes. She hated the cold water and I didn't want her in the sun, so it was a short trip. I posted this pic on FB and said it looks like she got drunk and passed out on the beach. She definitely prefers the pool!

 

[mayerling]

Update: He just woke up again after less than 2 hours. At least he's sleeping though...

 

[pancake]

Mayer, what you're describing is totally normal so the thing to worry about is how to get enough rest for yourself! Lots of newborns will wake 2 hourly for the first couple of months and particularly in these early days whilst they're still figuring out the world (let alone feeding, pooing, sleeping!).

NEL, that photo of Katie looking passed out on the beach with her "beer gut" out is priceless!!! One for the books! Hilarious. I can't wait until we can take S to the beach this coming summer. She'll be around 10 months old when the hot weather hits and my in-laws have a holiday house on the beach which we love. Part of me is super-excited whilst the other part of me is sorrowful that she will be so big already by then, etc etc

LC - oh no, having to do all the night wakings by yourself Is J ok? I think our bubs are just at one of those rapidly changing stages and from my extensive reading (read: Googling, plus a skerrick - but only a skerrick - of professional knowledge) it is common for sleep to go funny at the moment. It comforts me reading that, so of course I am seeking out sources that say so, haha.

AFU, a pretty good night again. S slept from 6:30pm to 5am, then had a feed, then slept until 8:45. I can see that her sleep is out of balance with day and night as well - it's a vicious cycle. She's not sleeping enough during the day, so she's sleeping extra at night, which doesn't help the following day...

... but it's now 11:25am and she's been asleep since 10!!! Hooray!!! I hope she gets a little more out of this nap, but even if she doesn't, it's much better than the last 5 or 6 days or so.