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@MRS. HIGH HEELS - yep, went to urgent care on Sunday because I still had a high fever, and it's mastitis. I'm on antibiotics now, and my fever, chills, and body aches were completely gone as of Sunday afternoon. But, I still have a clogged milk duct which I've been trying SO hard to get rid of. Nothing seems to be working so far - hot showers, massages, heating pads, different nursing positions.. I hope this goes away completely soon.
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Hi February Mamas! I'm so far behind again. We are moved into our new house and almost settled. We have been here for a little over two weeks. Upon moving in we transitioned the babies into the nursery. They are still sleeping in their rock n plays. We need to buy their cribs still. We are leaning towards the Ikea Gulliver crib but not sure which mattress yet since I haven't gone in to feel which is the firmest option.
Has anyone transitioned their LO's to their crib yet?
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@Emilie: oh no!! i hope you feel better soon.
when i had a plugged duct, i saw this little white clogged thing on my nipple, and i popped it with a toothpick then massaged it out. i think i read about that technique on a babycenter thread. i don't know if you have an obvious clog like mine, but that worked for me.@WALLAROO: congrats on the move! must feel nice to get that over with and get settled into the new place. if i could go back in time, i would've purchased that IKEA crib. it has great ratings too.
just transitioned J to his own room 2 days ago, but he's still sleeping in the arms reach co-sleeper for now. the crib still seems so big for such a little fella, so i think i'm going to keep him in the co-sleeper until he's 3-months or outgrows it by length (he's about 6 weeks right now).
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@Emilie: Ugh, feel better! No advice, but I definitely hope that all clears up soon!
@WALLAROO: Congrats on the move--and having your bedroom back! We sometimes put her in the crib for naps, but overnight she's still in our room for now. It's partly because she doesn't sleep that well on her back--she's in a harness for hip dysplasia, so her feet stick up--so she gives us much longer stretches overnight if she's in the bouncy seat.
@Mrs. High Heels: Thank you! I will go study that now
I am definitely finding that the more I look at her cues, yawns...and the clock...the more easily she goes down. It just means I have to find ways to entertain her for longer when she's awake! Speaking of which...what do you do with your LOs while they're awake, other than feed them, or do you just let them stare at the world and entertain themselves?
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@Emilie: I'm so sorry! Pressure massage worked well for my clogged duct, I found a good tutorial on dr. Sears' site (sorry if I already said this, I lose track!). I hope you're feeling better soon. I've had several clogged ducts and they sure do suck.
@mrs. High heels: thanks for posting that link!
@WALLAROO: we have the Gulliver and LOVE it! We got the moonlight slumber little dreamer mattress off amazon, it fits the ikea cribs and had great reviews and is only around $150. It's dual firmness so you can flip it when they're a little older.
Derek isn't quite ready for his crib yet but we have moved the rock n play to his room. Baby steps! We also broke down and got blackout curtains and they seem to be helping him sleep better at night.
@JessiBee: Derek loves his activity gym, we have the skip hop treetop friends one and he loves to kick at the toys, he actually grabbed one today for the first time and held onto it for a long time! It was so exciting! He loves to see himself and me in the mirror so we stand in front of that and I goof off saying silly things to him for a while. I sit him on my lap and stick my to fur out at him, he's been working at imitating me. We do tummy time but he hates it so its only for like 5 minutes at a time lol. We'll take a little walk around the block in his stroller. When I need to get stuff done he really loves his rainforest bouncer and I'll set it in the kitchen or wherever so he can watch me... Sometimes I put on music and dance silly for him. We also got him a crib mobile he's enthralled with, the tiny love soothe n groove so that's fun. Ummm oh and we like to read to him!
So he had his 2 month appt yesterday... 12 lbs and 22.5 inches. He got his shots and screamed... It was sad
but I nursed him right after (just whipped out my boob in the exam room with the nurse there lol). He's been ok, running a fever but we called and they said its ok as long as it's under 102. Otherwise he's been doing surprisingly well!
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@Mrs. High Heels: I'm hoping to transition them by 3 months as well to start getting them used to it.
@JessiBee: we will put them on their activity mat, take them for a walk (but then they fall asleep in their carseats), or I just talk to them in their bouncers or swings
@ladyfingers: thanks for the suggestion on the mattress and glad to hear you love the crib! Aren't the shots the worst? Those cries! And I had to deal with it twice. M&O had low grade fevers overnight and throughout the next day. I gave them baby Tylenol and it was down by the next night. Was D's leg swollen at the site of the injection? M&O got two shots in one leg and one in the other. The leg that got two shots was swollen and sore for a few days but the dr said it was normal and eventually went back to normal.
We joined a new parents group in our area and our first meeting is on Sunday. We are really looking forward to that. We are close to finalizing our au pair selection. She would arrive May 17 which would give me a few weeks to train her before going back to work.
It has been awhile since I posted a pic. Here is one from a few nights ago after bath time. Let's see some more pics mamas!
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@JessiBee: i noticed J almost always takes a nap around an hour after he first wakes up... and he takes about 15-20 min to feed, so we have 40 min or so to entertain him. during that time i'll walk around and give him a "tour" of our house, put him in the snuggabunny swing, read to him, have him do tummy time, set him down on the activity gym, or walk around the block.
@WALLAROO: omygosh, your twins are adorable!! i love the matching PJ's! it's interesting to me how they look identical, but at the same time, your girl has distinct feminine qualities, and your boy looks very "boyish" to me.
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@WALLAROO: How Adorable are they?!?
We're not anywhere near moving LO to her nursery. I was so shocked that our pedi suggested we start transitioning. I said to her that I thought the AAP recommended 1 year in room with parents and she looked at me like I was nuts, lol. Maybe we'll try at 4 or 5 months? I don't know, but I know I'm not ready now. I'm definitely going to start putting her in her crib for some naps though. I get her dressed in there now, and she seems to like it but she's never slept in her crib.
@JessiBee: Sometimes I feel like we should be 'doing' more during awake time but I feel like if she's smiling and looking around/at me/DH then she's having a good time! We have a little dog who is really good with her, but he makes it difficult to do tummy time on the floor. I just don't want him licking her face and hands and it's practically impossible to keep him away when I'm alone with LO. We mostly do tummy time when I'm holding her. She has crazy head/neck control so I'm not too concerned about giving her more floor time. I'll play music/sing for her. She's getting into a few of her toys, like a plush Sophie we have, so I'll let her lay on her changing table or crib and look at/grab for Sophie. We go for walks but it's still chilly where we are so sometimes we'll just go for a ride and listen to music and walk around Target or something. When I'm doing things at home she's either napping or chilling in her swing or bouncy seat. She loves the birds on those things! Also in the last week she discovered the freaky funhouse mirror on the swing and she'll stare at herself and laugh. Too cute!
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I officially *suck* at keeping up
@Emilie: You poor girl! I hope you're starting to feel better. Have you figured out what is causing the rash? It's so frustrating trying to figure out stuff like that...my lil man has been battling a yeast rash. I think it's finally on the mend but I was almost in tears numerous times.
@WALLAROO: Congrats on getting all moved into your new house, very exciting! I have to friends with the Gulliver crib and they both love it, if that helps at all. We still haven't transitioned Z into his room....I think it will be awhile for us still.
GAH!!! Your LO's are absolute cuties! Very beautiful babes you have. I agree with @Mrs. High Heels, M definitely looks girly, while O has boyish features - very cool. How do they interact with each other at this stage?
@ladyfingers: So cute that Derek sucks his thumb in the tub! I hope you're able to get out and about a little bit more. Z seems to be opposite of D in the aspect, if I put him down to nap even with the 'limp arm' he will have himself wide awake again after 10 minutes or so. I only have success with naps if he's in a wrap, his miracle chair or napping with me. Hope I'm not creating too many bad habits!
Glad the shots went alright...I am absolutely dreading getting Z's done. How was Derek the day after? Any fever or fussiness? Which shots do 2 month olds get in the US?
@Mrs. High Heels: Thank you for posting the information on the wonder weeks! Am I correct to say that you're supposed to go by babies due date not birth date?
@JessiBee: Happy belated Passover to you! A STTN, nice! Funny you mention about feeding...I didn't think twice at Seder and started feeding right where I was at the table (with a cover of course). I got a couple of strange looks from two aunties, found out later that all of the women in the family FF in that generation; the strange looks made a little more sense!
For our awake times I will sing/read/talk to him, go for walks (depending on our weather), have tummy time, show him certain pictures he seems to like, let him hang out looking at his mobile or toys in his miracle chair. He just discovered mirrors too, I can get tons of smiles out of him that way. If I'm doing stuff in the kitchen he's either in a wrap or the baby bjorn balance sitter which is awesome, he loves it. Can't wait for the toy attachment to arrive!
I didn't know about the hip dysplasia, if you don't mind me asking how is E doing? How long do they expect she'll need to wear the harness for?
@Baby Boy Mom: Happy belated Passover to you! Is your little boy enjoying being a big brother? How has the adjustment been for him? I am always curious how things go after the first....chaos for awhile I assume
@JerricaBenton: We won't be transitioning to the nursery anytime soon either. We initially thought we would be keeping him in our room for 6-8 weeks....I guess due to ideologies from family. We're planning on 6 months now, we'll just play it by ear.
I hear you with the dog situation....we have a pug and a great dane (who just turned 1). I'm struggling with figuring out how to deal with all three in a calm manner. Tummy time doesn't happen on our main floor due to the dogs.
Ladies...I have a lil tank on my hands. I took Zev to the public health nurse to weigh him yesterday and he's 13lbs 5oz 24.25 inches! I feel like thats a lot?!
On a bright note, we've almost got his diaper rash cleared up...it haunted us for way too long. I felt so badly every time I changed his bum.
I find at night's Z tends to get stuffed up and I have to use the Nose Frida. Does anyone else have this problem? He's totally fine in the day time so it can't be a cold...
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@lolabee: yes, from what i understand it's by expected due date. speaking of wonder weeks... i should post another wonder week summary since some of us are probably going to hit the next one soon! that's a relief to hear that his diaper rash is almost gone - poor thing! it's so hard to see them so uncomfortable.
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GUYS, I suck. I keep thinking, I really need to check in on my Feb mamas, but then something comes up or I forget. I want to respond to everyone, but it's so overwhelming, because I've missed so much.
Glad to know all the babes are doing well. I can't wait to get S weighed... for whatever reason, I'm dying to know how much she weighs. haha
Do any of y'all have Instagram? I'd love to keep up with the Feb babies on there!
Sadie's still in our room. I'm a wimp & can't move her across the hall. Her crib sleep sucks, so that was my biggest worry. I can put her in the RNP awake, and she'll knock out. I'll put her in the crib fully asleep & she wakes right up. It's so crazy. I like the idea of just sticking her RNP in there like y'all have done. Maybe I'll try putting her in there in the RNP for a few days to see if I can handle it.
In other news, she's rolled over quite a few times now. She won't do it every time we put her on her belly, but she definitely knows how to do it now! She's getting too big.
@WALLAROO: Oh my word.. they are precious! I love that they match.
Do you usually put them in matching outfits?@Mrs. High Heels: We are absolutely going through our second wonder week/mental leap over here! I got the app for my iPhone, so I've been keeping up with them. She is learning so many awesome new things, but her night sleep has SUCKED the past couple of nights... I'm talking waking up every 1.5 hours! She didn't even do that when she was a newborn. Hopefully we'll speed through this one, because I'm not sure how many nights of this I can take!
Here's a pic of my two little best buds (I guess we're nuts, but we let him kiss her whenever he wants haha)...
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@photojane: you don't suck, you're a mama to a newborn... you have better things to do!
my instagram is lilbitofange - what's yours?
i recently moved jaren to his own room, but he still isn't sleeping in the crib yet - we haven't even tried putting him in his crib. we have the arms reach co-sleeper and rnp in there too. he usually just sleeps in the co-sleeper for night sleep. at first i was worried too about moving him bc i didn't want to have to trek down the hall multiple times a night, but it has actually improved all of our sleep. i'm not constantly half awake by his little baby sleeping noises and whimpers, but when he does really wake i can hear it loud and clear from the baby monitor right next to my ear. he also sleeps so much better there and longer stretches - maybe bc it's quieter in there for him too without him having to hear us talk, breathe, snore, etc.
sorry to hear you're going through another wonder week! they feel neverending these first couple months. hope it passes for you soon!
and baby sadie is just too cute - so angelic! what breed is your dog?
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@WALLAROO: omgosh too cute!
@lolabee: he slept like a LOG the next day. Went down smoothly for every nap and slept nearly 2 hours each time. So not like him. Fell asleep right away at bedtime... But then was awake at 10:30 womp wommmmmp.
He gets a combo vaccine containing DTaP, polio, and HIB ( Haemophilus influenzae b), a single shot if Prevnar (pneumococcal conjugate), and a liquid dose of rotavirus.
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thank the lord for coffeee!! it's only 10 am on the west coast, and i'm already on my 2nd cup.
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@Mrs. High Heels: me too!!
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@Mrs. High Heels: god I need coffee. I was up trying to get him back to bed for 1.5 hours after his 3 am feeding. Ended up sleeping on the nursery floor. This was after it took 2 hours to get him to bed and then a 12:30 wake up. When I couldn't fall asleep until 11:30 because I was too keyed up. Mama needs a nap!!!
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@Mrs. High Heels: @JerricaBenton: thank you!
@photojane: Sadie looks like a doll. Such a precious photo. I don't usually dress them in matching outfits. I think that is the only matching set I have.
@lolabee: I also have a hard time keeping up but that shouldn't keep you away. Just jump right in when you get a chance. They aren't really interacting much but O did notice M for the first time when they were on the activity mat. His eyes got really big and seemed to think "who are you?" It was cute.
@Mrs. High Heels: @lolabee: @ladyfingers: add me to the list of coffee lovers. Although I can't seem to finish a cup in one sitting when I am home alone. I'm always reheating my cup.
So we bit the bullet. We finally bought their cribs and have put them in it on Sunday. So far so good. I am always checking the monitor though. I can't believe they will be twelve weeks this Thursday. Where has the time gone? I also finally finalized a return date to work - June 5. I can't even imagine going back and only having a couple of hours with them in the evening getting them ready for bed. I will enjoy and take in the next month and a half. If you are going back to work, When do you go back?
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@WALLAROO: I go back to work in 3 weeks - April 29 :'(
I'm really liking forward to going back, I love my job and the monotony of the days have been wiggling me out. But I can't imagine leaving him and not seeing him all day.
I'm also stressed about his schedule. Right now he sleeps a five-hour, three-hour, then two-hour stretch with two hourlong night wakings in between. If I try to time it all so he's waking when I need him to to get out the door on time (wake at 6 to leave by 7), I'd have to put him down at 6 pm... Which is when I'll be getting home from work with him. We talked about having DH bring him even though daycare is 20 min away on my way to work. But dh's schedule is flexible and he almost always has mornings off. If it would allow D to get the sleep he needs, it would be worth it.
Is anybody else thinking about back-to-work schedules yet? What are your plans?
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@ladyfingers: I still have six weeks before I go back to work, but I'm worried about scheduling. When did your LO start sticking to a schedule? Xander's still all over the map about how long he sleeps and when he gets up, so I'm worried about how it will play out when I have to go back...
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@Adira: his nighttime slep blocks only became consistent within the past week or so, so around 8 weeks? His daytime naps are still all over the map but I'm happy to be able to rely on at least his 5-hour stretch. Of course, now that I've said that, he'll prove me wrong tonight
I don't know if it's helped, but we have a consistent bedtime routine and try to put him down between 7 and 9, depending on when his last nap of the day was.
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@ladyfingers: Thanks for the information! It's helpful to know that I shouldn't really expect Xander to be that consistent yet. Hopefully before I go back to work, he'll settle into a more predictable schedule so I know what to expect and can convey that information to daycare!
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Hi Ladies!
I totally suck at keeping up with this thread since most of you are so ahead in milestones and stuff. I love reading all your posts though so I have an idea of what's to come!
@Emilie: Ouch! hope your mastitis is gone now!
@WALLAROO: Congrats on the new house and OMG - how freaking adorable are M&O!!! I agree with @Mrs. High Heels: - they totally look alike, but you can tell the boy is a boy and the girl is very feminine. I think it's in the eyes especially. They are precious! I haven't been brave enough to put K to sleep in the crib at night yet. I've done a couple of naps, but that's it so far.
@photojane: Sadie is so so cute! Love that pic! And, I think all the mamas on HB should be on IG since it's the easiest way to keep up, esp. during the MOTN! As for us, Kaitlyn just turned 1 month last weekend. We've been battling thrush over here and some acid reflux. I can never give her all her medicine in a day, but she seems to be doing better while my boobs still hurt.
In the past week though, I have to say K's been sleeping a lot better and for longer stretches! I think it's mostly due to the fact that I have been letting her sleep ON my chest while I'm at an angle. Spitting up is less and I think she's a lot more comfortable. I've also let her sleep next to me a couple of times, while being very careful. She likes to snuggle real close, but I *think* we've actually got a side sleeper. She sleeps the most peacefully and deeply when she is on her side! So deeply in fact, I check under her nose and will keep touching her till she moves! LOL! She's been stretching her night/morning sleep to ~ 4 hours now! We've even had a few times close to 5 hours! The side effect is that I get painfully engorged and I already have a very forceful letdown so I often wake up because of that and/or my shirt is soaked.
NEVER in a million years thought I'd be a co-sleeper, but she is just so cute and snuggly and we both get better sleep this way! Trying to give myself a goal of 8 weeks to re-evaluate her reflux and see about moving her into her crib. We'll see...
Also in the past week, she has been more calm and finally able to stay in her swing or on the play-mat for awhile, a little longer each day it seems. This is great for me so I can try to grab a bite, go to the restroom, or hop on HB!She is very observant, and I want to get her more visually interesting/developmental things for her to look at to keep her entertained. What do you guys have, if anything? I have just different hanging toys that I try to rotate around...
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Also, when did/have your LOs started grasping/holding things?
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i think i'm hitting wonder week 8 (supposedly happens around weeks 7-9). J is 7-weeks on friday, but he has been extra clingy and harder to put down this week. last night i only got 2-hours of sleep because he kept waking up every time i tried to put him back down after feedings. i pretty much slept the whole night in the glider, if you can even call it sleep. i'm about to lose it - someone tell me this torture is going to end soon. i'm so tired of these newborn stage - not gonna lie, i'm totally over it!
@shopaholic: ouch, i'm so sorry you have to deal with thrush - that sounds so painful!!! it sounds like K is doing much better after you figured out what it was though. i have a side sleeper too and have been putting him on his side since we brought him home. i don't know many babies that are true "back sleepers" - i think most prefer their side or tummy.
i don't remember when N started grasping/holding things, but right now J can grasp my finger and that's pretty much about it! he'll be 7-weeks on friday.
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@shopaholic: Happy 1 month to K! I totally hear you on the sleeping thing...I never in a MILLION years thought I would co-sleep but that's pretty much the only way Z sleeps soundly. He's also a side sleeper. Have you been getting a lot of negative comments from family and friends when they ask you about K's sleep/sleeping arrangements? So far I've found that to be the most opinionated/judgemental topic.
I'm not sure how you're doing it but I put him down in his Arm's Reach Co-sleeper at the beginning of the night and then bring him into bed after his first waking. He's so much easier to put back to sleep after his feed/change, I think because he's not fully awake. I'm not sure when we'll re-evaluate either....maybe I'll try at 10 weeks.
Z will hold his mini Sophie for a few seconds when I put it in his hand but he doesn't show any interest in it. We have the Baby Bjorn toy attached to his Balance chair...he looks at the toys a lot and accidentally hits them a lot but never on purpose yet.
@Mrs. High Heels: Ugh so sorry about your bad night! I didn't have a good one last night either. I don't have any words of encouragement...I pretty much feel like a Mommy fail on the sleeping aspect of things. Hope yours gets better soon for you
In the mean time, coffee is our friend!! Nice to know you put J on his side. I think I will try putting Z on his side as well, maybe it will help.@ladyfingers: Interesting about the vaccines, ours are the same except the rotavirus. Did Derek keep it down?
Glad to hear that you are looking forward to going back to work, I am sure it will be a good transition - I'll be thinking about you on the 29th!
I can't remember who is cloth diapering in our group? I've been experiencing a couple leak issues...whoever cloth diapers let me know who you are
Z still hasn't had a bottle or pacifier...I am waiting on the face plate for my pump to come in to get at it. Hoping I haven't passed the window of opportunity, I have a couple of friends whose babies won't take a bottle and they're 6 months! I've struggled with getting the right size flanges - does anyone else's nipples hurt like crazy after pumping? Just curious if it's normal or if I should go down another size.
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@ladyfingers: I'm worried more about naps. They are still unpredictable and vary in length. Sometimes they just catnap, nap for two hours or will only nap on me. Hoping to see more consistency when they are 12 weeks adjusted.
@Adira: I know you didn't ask me, but my babies have been a little more predictable with their night sleep for about two weeks now and they will be 12 weeks/9weeks adjusted on Thursday.
@shopaholic: I just have the hanging toys on the activity mat and Sophie for now. They grasp my hands and will hold a toy if I put it in their hands but they don't purposely grab things yet. They have started to bat at the hanging toys but is still accidental.
@Mrs. High Heels: ugh I'm sorry you had such little sleep last night. Hopefully you have some better sleep/nights right around the corner.
@lolabee: mine don't hurt after pumping. Maybe it is a sizing issue? Hope Z will take a bottle once you get your pump. My babies don't seem to like their pacis anymore. That is a recent development.
I forgot to mention that on Sunday we hosted our new parents group. It was our first meeting. It was nice to be able to chat with people in real life that are going through the same things we are going through and allowed us to be social as well. It is definitely an awesome program that connects new parents that live in the same area. Do you guys have anything like this in your area? If so, I highly recommend it.
Yesterday while I was changing M, she lifted her feet up like usual but this time she noticed her feet. It was so cute!
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@WALLAROO: Thanks!! I appreciate hearing everyone's experiences regarding predictability!!
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@Mrs. High Heels: I'm going through the exact same thing and A is at 8 weeks. It's brutal
Reading about the wonder weeks gets me anxious because it seems like the duration only gets longer with the later wonder weeks!@lolabee: we cosleep too and it has made a huge difference in our sleep. I'm surprised that we haven't had any negative comments yet...but then again we're one of the first couples amongst our group of friends to have kids. That helps
@shopaholic: Happy one month K! Glad she's feeling better and getting longer stretches of sleep. Is she going to have a one month dinner?
@WALLAROO: Congrats on the house! M&O are adorable! A also nurses every 2 hours during the day. I think she empties both sides by 30mins but if I let her, she'll nurse for hours!
A is going for her 2 month shots today so I anticipate a fussy night and a mild fever. I did some reading and came across an article from Dr. Sears on high needs babies - http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/fussy-baby/high-need-baby/12-features-high-need-baby. A doesn't have every single characteristic, but she is definitely intense and demanding! She's a very loud crier when she wants something, and it has to be RIGHT NOW. It's especially tough during a growth week/wonder week. I just have to keep reminding myself that everything is a phase and this soon shall pass.
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@lolabee: My pediatrician and midwife recommends the calma bottle for breastfed babies. That's the one we use and she didn't have nipple confusion
No pain with after pumping either.Just back from the 2 month shots and it went surprisingly well. She cried for a minute after and went to sleep, and is still sleeping. Will be monitoring her temp and doing lots of comfort nursing tonight.
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@shopaholic: just last week LO started grabbing the toys in his activity gym, so 8.5 weeks. He managed to grab part of a toy and wave it around for a few minutes. It's still hit or miss but he's making a conscious effort to swipe at and grab specific toys but his hand-eye coordination is still not quite there. He's not grabbing for things I wave in front of him yet but I feel like he's going to get this any day now! It's actually really neat to see him
concentrating and working so hard.@lolabee: he did! The nurse was so pleased with him, he gulped it right down lol
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@Mrs. Lantern: my first was pretty demanding too, but also didn't fit dr. sears' "high needs" description perfectly. i have definitely been there and it is NOT easy, but it does get better i promise! she will probably grow up to be an ambitious, persistent, strong woman! it helped me to think that my demanding lil' girl reminds me of myself in a lot of ways, and i like to think that i turned out ok.
unfortunately, the WW's do get longer...
i remember some of them were almost a month long! here's a picture i found of the wonder weeks -
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@lolabee: i'm cloth diapering my first, but i didn't start until she started eating solids. with Jaren, i want to start sooner but haven't yet because we still have some disposables that were gifted to us that we want to use up. once our size 2 diapers are depleted i think we'll start.
about nipple confusion, i heard it's uncommon and some think it's a myth. when i was a ftm, i also didn't introduce the bottle for awhile because i was scared about that. i think there's way too much scare literature out there for first time mom's! anyway, i ended up pumping a little and introducing the bottle around 4 weeks... and she took it, but i was very inconsistent with it and only gave it to her maybe once a week, and shortly after she started rejecting the bottle completely. i finally got her to take a bottle when she was 6-MONTHS. ahhh it was so hard bc it meant i couldn't leave her for more than 2-hours at a time and nobody could help me with feedings. DH and i had a weekend trip planned at 6-months where i HAD to leave her for a weekend and i was so stressed out about her taking the bottle. we finally bit the bullet and just left - ppl kept saying she's not going to starve herself - thankfully, when i left she took the bottle just fine, but it was a huge risk to take on our part.
anyway, jump to present day and this 2nd child... i'm much more loosey goosey this time around. i started pumping right away as soon as i got back to the hospital (not a lot, just once a day). i started building a stash, and have been giving baby J bottles since he was 2-weeks old. i give him at least 1-2 bottles a day just so he doesn't start rejecting it. he switches between breast and bottle with no problems at all (he's 7-weeks now).
i read that if given the choice between breast and bottle, most babies will most likely choose the breast so i wouldn't stress too much about nipple confusion. however, i wouldn't start giving bottles regularly until breastfeeding is well established... but once you're comfortable with breastfeeding, i think giving your LO a bottle regularly should be fine.
and yes, my nipples hurt like crazy after pumping for about the first month - they would get really swollen and huge and white, then i guess they toughened up because they got so much better! trying a new flange size might help! i tried both a size up and a size down, but in the end, it was the standard 24 mm ones that worked best for me.
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@WALLAROO: aw, i love it when they start finding their feet and putting it in their mouths - it's so cute!
@ladyfingers: i love reading your updates bc your LO is just a little ahead of mine, so it makes me look forward to the things to come (and prepare for the difficult moments too). can't wait til J starts swiping at things.
@Mrs. Lantern: not looking forward to those two months shots, but glad to hear she did so well!
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@Mrs. High Heels: There's hope! Sadie had an identical night to J last week at 7 weeks. I thought I was going to die the next day. She's been a pretty awesome sleeper, so I knew it had to be a wonder week/mental leap thing. Well, the adjustment to the leap only lasted a day or two... and now she's sleeping through the night!! She's sleeping 8-10 hour stretches now, and then taking a 3 hour nap after waking to be fed and changed. I'm hoping this leap means STTN is coming for you too!
ETA: I added you on IG! My u/n is janiewtaylor!
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@ladyfingers: D is doing so awesome!! Sadie is trying so hard to grab things, but she can't figure out that she needs to open up her fist. She just punches her toys... haha.
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@photojane: thank you for giving me hope! i am looking forward to more sleep.
8-10 hr stretches sound amazing (when did she start doing that? at 8 weeks?)... J has still never gone more than a 3-4 hour stretch at most. on average, he wakes up every 2-hours like clockwork.i'll add you on IG!
reposting everyone's baby bdays for reference so we don't have to go back so many pages:
Ladyfingers - February 2 - Derek John
Lolabee - February 5 - Zev Jackson Maxwell
Thatwife - February 6 - "M"
Jessibee: February 8 - "Ellie"
Mrs. Lantern: February 9 - Avery
Emilie: February 11 - Mira Josephine
Photojane: February 12 - Sadie Rose
Jerricabenton - February 16 - "L"
Baby Boy Mom: February 18 - "Baby Brother"
Mrs. High Heels: February 22 - Jaren David
Adira: February 26 - Alexander Michael
Shopaholic: March 6 - Kaitlyn Irene
Torojojo: March 6 - Luisa Noelle -
@Mrs. High Heels: I forgot to add mine. M&O were actually born on 1/17 but I still stick around here since they are developmentally at the same stage as Feb babies and I have been on this board the whole time
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@Mrs. High Heels: Is J sleeping a little better? Hope you sail through this wonder week quickly!
K could grasp our finger from awhile ago, so I'm glad she's on track. I just wonder when she could start holding something. But I guess that should still be a ways off.
@lolabee: Thank you! Well, I haven't really mentioned co-sleeping to anyone yet. I know people are judge-y though, because I was that way myself before baby!
I think I would just say that she has to sleep on an incline for her reflux for at least half an hour after each feeding. So I just keep her sleeping on me (and usually I fall asleep that way). I do try to move her back into her bassinet (next to my bed) though when I wake up and she is solidly asleep. She'll stay in there until I hear her rooting around and needing to feed. She is also able to bat at some of the toys on her bouncy chair and play mat, though DH doesn't think it's purposefully yet. lol!I would say pumping hurt in the beginning, but not awfully terrible?
@WALLAROO: The new parents group sounds awesome! I've been waiting to join a Meetup.com group for moms, but all the get togethers and activities seem to be geared towards toddlers. I just don't know what I'd do there with a tiny baby while there are kids running around and playing. I'd LOVE to find a group though with just new babies. I'm also waiting to try out Stroller Strides (probably when she's about 6 months?)
@Mrs. Lantern: Thanks! She did have a 1-month party last weekend. It was fun!
Hope your 2 months shot went okay and I'll have to read that article when I get a chance!
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Hi ladies, I've been MIA again because we decided to take advantage of DH's vacation to head to the beach. It was awesome. I mean it did take us almost 7 hours to get there (normally 4), but we all had such a great time! My toddler could play in the water all day if we let him, and B decided to sleep from 10 to 4 all four nights! Of course the joke's on me because now we're back to 3 am wake up, but it was nice while it lasted.
This is probably old news but don't you love the smiles? I can't get over how much I love B's toothless baby grins...total puffy heart.
Other than that, it's totally summer weather here which is nice on the one hand and makes me feel very self conscious of the baby weight on the other...need to get on that but BF makes me so hungry!@lolabee: thanks! Hope you had a great holiday as well. We have sort of a mixed bag here: on one hand Little boy is super sweet with Baby brother giving him kisses and helping us out with him, and on the other hand he's having major regression and acting like a baby himself. I think it's par for the course but it definitely makes thing crazy around here! I never know what kind of day we have ahead of us.
Also we've been doing the cloth diaper thing for a while now, so hit me up with any q's.@WALLAROO: Congrats on the house and Love the pic- so cute!
@photojane: what a sweetheart! (note to self: need to have a girl next)
@Mrs. High Heels: totally feel you on the newborn stage- I think within the first week we were already like "can't we just fast forward three months"?
but I'm doing my best to enjoy it because most of the time B really is a good baby.
Also- nipple confusion not a myth, but it's probably not an issue when we're talking about one bottle a day. I can go into details, but it was a nightmare with my first..Alright, kiddo's asleep so it's time for bed...
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I didn't mean to stay away for so long, but I headed back to work part-time this week, so I'm busy and tired! Let's see...
I'm back at work part-time. My job is somewhat flexible on hours, so for the next 4 weeks I'm part-time (as I determine it, but only paid for the time I work), then back up to full-time. (The first 8 weeks of leave were paid fully.) I'm bringing E with me for these couple of weeks, since she hasn't started daycare. It's a little stressful, but also fun to have her around, and a good (although interesting) way to ease back into work! She had her shots earlier this week, and was fussier than we've ever seen her that evening, but then slept hard and long for the night and much of the next day. We are loving the smiles and the cooing! It's definitely distracting when I'm trying to get work done, but in the best way possible
She is mostly still a great baby. Her night stretches seem to be getting longer and longer, which is awesome. We have it worked out that after her longest stretch (which has been between 7 and 10.5 hours from her last feed), DH gives her a bottle and I go pump...since it's sometimes SO long (NO COMPLAINTS THOUGH!), I'm in pain and need to get both sides attended to as soon as possible! I have gotten a ton of milk from those sessions, too: record 15 ounces this morning! That's been my only pump of the day, usually, until she starts daycare and we have to figure things out all over again.I want to respond to everyone individually, but naturally...now I have a screaming baby, so...I will try to get back here a little later!
when i had a plugged duct, i saw this little white clogged thing on my nipple, and i popped it with a toothpick then massaged it out. i think i read about that technique on a babycenter thread. i don't know if you have an obvious clog like mine, but that worked for me.
I am definitely finding that the more I look at her cues, yawns...and the clock...the more easily she goes down. It just means I have to find ways to entertain her for longer when she's awake! 
I think I would just say that she has to sleep on an incline for her reflux for at least half an hour after each feeding. So I just keep her sleeping on me (and usually I fall asleep that way). I do try to move her back into her bassinet (next to my bed) though when I wake up and she is solidly asleep. She'll stay in there until I hear her rooting around and needing to feed. She is also able to bat at some of the toys on her bouncy chair and play mat, though DH doesn't think it's purposefully yet. lol!
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