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@OldpuebloJenn: yea, i can't wait! I don't remember needing pads when i went back to work last time at 10 weeks, so that sounds about right.
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I love reading these!
How old is your new LO today?
7+3What is your baby's super power?
Sleeping definitely. We usually only get up once a night and her stretches are 5-8 hours. After a change and feed she goes straight back to bed, no settling required. Thanks Anna!How are you feeling both physically and emotionally?
So much better. Continuing with physio but otherwise good. Emotionally, much more settled and confident.What's your favorite thing about having your LO?
Seeing her with DH. He adores her and is a wonderful dad.What's your biggest struggle?
Bonding. It seems to be a taboo topic but I had no bond in pregnancy, and felt no rush of love when she was born. It's been slow to develop but we're getting there now. Her gummy smiles help!For fun: what are you most looking forward to this fall?
Spring here, and I'm so excited for warmer weather and being outside. I hate winter. -
@agold: You are definitely allowed to complain about a 4th degree tear, that's rough! Take it easy, I had pain for quite a while when I walked too much.
@katsupgirl: Yes to explosive poo! It's been on the wall, bookcase, and across the room onto the carpet!
As for me, Anna had her vaccinations this morning, just as DH is away for work all week. I'm nervous about solo parenting!!
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@Umberto: omg I'm so jealous of your unicorn sleeping baby
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How old is your new LO today?
5+4
What is your baby's super power?
Somehow being super cute and lovable despite being angry and not sleeping most of the time? Is that a super power? He's also really strong- he has rolled fully into his side a couple times (from his back) and has incredible neck strength/ head control
How are you feeling both physically and emotionally?
i have my six week check Thursday and plan to start PT- I still get some random pains and feel generally pretty weak in my pelvic floor.
Emotionally I feel good- like I'm getting used to the new normal. Some days are really hard- but they are after unusually terrible nights of sleepWhat's your favorite thing about having your LO?
I just adore him. And I'm really enjoying having a baby again- even though newborn isn't my favorite stage I know how fun it gets, and how quickly this passes.What's your biggest struggle?
Sleep. I just can't get him to sleep on his own, even in the Rock and play which everyone swore would be a game changer. He wakes up a lot and is often hard to get back to sleep because he's uncomfortable with gas/reflux (less of the reflux stuff now, thankfully)My other challenge is balancing the needs of my kids- I know the days we are out a lot are hard on the baby, who would prefer to be home quietly snuggling and resting. But it's hard for me and my daughter to be home all day- she gets bored with me having to tend to the baby so much. I wear him almost constantly when we are out which hopefully protects his senses a little, but I feel bad that he is exposed to so much stimulation at such a delicate stage
For fun: what are you most looking forward to this fall?
I love cold weather! I'm excited to feel comfortable again, and for all that comes with the cold- autumn/winter foods, holidays, fires in the wood stove, sweaters, sledding, skiing... I am excited to start going for walks in the cool weather! -
@Silva: i feel the exact same way about the newborn period. It does go fast though. It always struck me as unfair that maternity leave covers the less fun period and then i go back to work right as the baby starts developing a personality. And I'm also with you on the sleep - he still sleeps at least part of the night in bed with us because of his gas. But he's getting better about being in the rnp for at least some of the night, so i am hoping that that becomes a pattern at some point!
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How old is your new LO today? 4 weeks, 4 days
What is your baby's super power? She is the happiest baby! She has maybe cried for 5 mins total since she was born. She's also a great sleeper. We've hit the easy baby lottery two times in a row now and I'm shocked.
How are you feeling both physically and emotionally? Physically, amazing. I felt back to normal the day after delivery and have lost weight quickly this time and was back in my skinny jeans less than two weeks after delivery. I've bounced back in that respect! Emotionally I'm all over the place - thanks hormones! Not the baby blues or anxiety but just crying all the time about the craziest things - for example I was at a wedding on Saturday and teared up when the cute flower girls walked down the aisle. That's so not me typically so I can tell that emotionally things are still leveling out which will probably continue for months yet. I think a little overwhelmed some days between being back at my PT work from home job, taking care of 3 kids full time and our home, and co-leading a small group at our church. Just a lot to balance and I'm still figuring out what that looks like!
What's your favorite thing about having your LO? The snuggles. And her smiles!
What's your biggest struggle? Staying on top of everything and having to put aside my perfectionism while we are in this life stage. My house isn't going to be perfect all of the time and that's okay.
For fun: what are you most looking forward to this fall? Pumpkin patch with my kids! Halloween! Baking. Putting up applesauce in a few weeks. The crisp weather. Thanksgiving. Just about everything - it's my favorite season!
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@Umberto: thank you for the sympathy! And best of luck solo parenting. You've got this!!
@coopsmama: I'm having trouble with the disorganized house, too.
Quick pumping question!!!
When you started pumping, how many ounces of milk did you pump into each bottle? Some of you have mentioned just pumping one ounce increments. Am I understanding that correctly? Did you fill up a bottle with as much as you could pump out? And then when you went to store it in the fridge or whatever, did you store it exactly as you had pumped it out? Or did you divide what you pumped into specific smaller quantities???
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@agold: when I first started pumping, I just combined my 2 bottles of output into one bottle, dated it and then put in the fridge. Now that we've been doing it for 3+ weeks, my system is getting a little more streamlined. Every time i pump, I make up 3 oz bottles because that's how much she takes at a time. If you're just hoping to test out how your LO will tolerate a bottle, you may want to start with smaller quantities so you don't waste that liquid gold. Good Luck!
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Can someone let me know the FB moms group name?? Thank you!
Also I am back to work in two weeks! Baby boy will be 8 weeks old. My bosses are letting me work from home 2 days a week until January (when we will revisit) and I am feeling pretty good about the situation...make money, keep my career moving, and only have to be away from my littles 27 hours a week including the commute. My mom will watch Baby boy 2 days a week and then DH will take the 3rd day. Wish me luck!!
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@agold: Oops! I just saw this now. In my opinion, when you pump, you'd want to pump until you are empty, no matter how many ounces that is. Then you'd combine all the milk into one bottle of it fits. Label the bottle with date and time. Put in fridge unless you plan to use or freeze it immediately. Then the portion comes into play when it comes to freezing and feeding. When you do the first bottle, start with 1 oz. You can always add more if she wants more. Freezing also works best in 2-3 oz portions so that when you thaw, it is fairly equivalent to what she would eat in a feeding. And the main rule is that you don't want to waste what you pump. I usually freeze in bags and not in bottles. So once I decide to freeze, I take the bottle of pumped milk out of the fridge, run the sides of the bottle under hot water so that the fattier milk slides into the thinner milk and then swirl together. Label the bag with date and time and number of ounces then pour milk into bag. Seal and lay flat in the freezer. Keep stacking up the bags.
Hope this helps!
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@MrsBeluga: PM your email that you use on FB and I'll try to add you to the group. It's not searchable, so if I gave you the name, it wouldn't show in a search.
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@MrsKerch: thank you!
@MrsBeluga: that sounds like a great starting situation!
@pregnantbee: thank you for that info! What bags do you use to freeze? I'm considering the Kiinde system.
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@agold: I never had a stash so I just pumped directly into Medela bottles. I had about 16-20 bottles, both the 2 ounce and 5 ounce ones, and rotated through those during the week. When our daughter was about 8 months we had to switch to a bottle that didn't fit the pump (we ditched to the compromise bottles) and then I just started pumping into the plastic pumping bags.
Also for our little babies I would do 1-3 ounce quantities. Start with a 2-3 ounce bottle then evaluate if she needs another 1-2 ounces.
Also be open to bottles. My daughter was cool with Medela bottles until she was 8ish months old last time, around that time her jaw was so strong she could rip the nipple out of the collar, and we ended up having to try 4 different bottles to find one that worked!
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@agold: I just use the Lansinoh ones.
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@agold: I will second what @pregnantbee: said regarding pumping. Also, I would recommend always pumping into a bottle versus a bag and then transferring to a bag for freezing. It's tough to get an accurate read on the amount of milk in some (most) bags. Pumping into bottles makes it much easier to know how much you pumped, to combine (to get a certain amount) and to transfer.
When I started my stash, I froze in 2oz portions (I froze some larger portions later on). I always labeled the bag (I used Lansinoh and Honeysuckle bags) with the amount and the date.
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Thank you for these tips, girls! So I bit the bullet and pumped this morning about one hour after I finished her 9 am breastfeeding. The boob I last fed her on gave me just under 1 ounce and the other boob gave me just under 2 ounces. Does this seem okay? I suppose it might be better if I pump after the 6 am session. I pumped into the medela bottles. Eeek! I don't know what to do next! Should I pump again sometime later today (if so, when?) and what should I do with the bottles? Ha. I really hate the idea of giving her a bottle, to be honest. Feeding her is the one special thing that she and I have together. Husband is sooooo overly eager to start feeding her.
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@agold: that's great! Kelly Mom says if you are BFing to expect between one and three oz. total pumping between sessions, so you're right on target (http://kellymom.com/mother2mother/what-to-expect-when-pumping/). If you want to feed it to her within the next several days, I would combine into a bottle and put in the fridge. If you want to save longer, put in a freezer bag. FYI you can only combine milks at the same temp. So if at some point you want to add freshly pumped milk to milk already in the fridge, you should refrigerate the fresh milk until it's cold, then combine.
ETA: re: more pumping -- if your husband does give a bottle today, you should pump at the same time to keep up your supply. If not, you don't really need to pump again. Unless you want to.
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We are in our first stormy wonder week leap and it shows
Finn's sleep went downhill in the past couple days, naps and nighttime. Hopefully after this week it improves again. Gas is really killing us, I've been trying some tummy massage with intermittent success.
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@agold: That is awesome!
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@agold: Hooray! Looks like just the right amount. I echo @MrsSCB:
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@MrsSCB: hey I had no idea about temp re: combining pumping sessions! It makes sense though, thanks for the tip!
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@T.H.O.U.: I think I may have mastitis. How'd you know?
I have a fever, and I've had some shooting pain in my right breast, but mainly I just feel like utter crap.ETA- I have a call into my midwife now.
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@OldpuebloJenn: yup. Sounds exactly like that. Get some rest. Take Advil and or Tylenol for the fever
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@OldpuebloJenn: Ugg, I'm so sorry--that is the worst. Hope you are able to get some time to rest.
How old is your new LO today? 10 weeks, 1 day! The time has flown and also been eternal.
What is your baby's super power? She has a slow, world-busting smile that starts with a crinkle of her nose that absolutely undoes anyone who sees.
How are you feeling both physically and emotionally? Physically, pretty good. The sleep deprivation is definitely taken its toll but my birth recovery was much easier this time than last. Emotionally has been all over but I'm starting to feel anxious about starting work on Monday! It's 24 hours a week only, so should be manageable but I've been doing all sorts of emotional things like taking a crazy amount of videos of my sweet baby doing nothing in particular.
What's your favorite thing about having your LO? Just having her. Really, there is nothing so in particular except that she is here and I am so happy for that.
What's your biggest struggle? At the beginning, I would have said helping my four year old to adjust, but 10 weeks in, we're all starting to do pretty well with that and she has settled into her big sister role really well for the most part. Now I am struggling with wanting to feel on top of my life. I really like to have a clean house and time to think and do leisurely things like read cookbooks, etc., and that time just isn't there.
For fun: what are you most looking forward to this fall? Sipping delicious autumn coffee drinks while walking on the bike bath with my baby in the carrier and my four year old on her tricycle, crunching in the leaves... -
Hi, ladies! I've been offline for the past few weeks, just catching up and happy to see everyone is doing reasonably well. When I came home from the hospital we were great, and then I shortly entered breastfeeding hell--baby boy had (has? ugh) a shallow latch and a habit of edging off into nipple nibbling even if I'm fastidious about getting a good deep latch. I saw an LC who was somewhat helpful and identified that I have oversupply and was basically waterboarding my baby, and now we have maybe 3 good days for every bad one, which is better than before when every day was miserably painful. I just started trying block feeding, which I think is working? Hoping we are getting closer to happy-land
@MrsSCB: we're trying to figure out gas, too--I feel so bad for the little dudes. we have had some luck with bicycling his legs for 5 minutes or so when he's in a good mood, have you tried that? the gas issue I'm still struggling with is burping after nighttime feeds--he clearly needs it, but when I burp him he tends to snap out of milk drunk dreamy and into "I'm awake" mode (at 3:30am)
also saw your post about the human pacifier. my ped and the LC both told me in the midst of my agonizing nipple-pain troubles to limit him to 10-15 minutes per side, and let him have boob-pillow as his comfort instead of just inert sucking forever. that transition wasn't bad at all for us, not sure if you've tried? bonus is that often I can pass him off to my husband for post-feed tree-frogging and he'll relax onto him, knowing there's no food but there's comfort. ETA, BUT, we are also struggling with his strong preference to sleep on top of us and not in his rock-n-play, so, I feel ya. @OldpuebloJenn: ugh ugh ugh, are you feeling better yet? hope the worst is over.
@coopsmama: aww, jackpot on the non-crying baby girl! that is awesome
also wondering, do any of you own a mechanical swing? we have a rock n play functioning as our bassinet, but after a couple of super fussy nights where hours of bouncy-walking around the apartment were the only things to get him down, I ordered this hideous, HUGE contraption: https://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Little-Snugapuppy-Cradle/dp/B00DGA06JQ/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8&th=1
we've had it a day and so far he won't tolerate being left in it, someone has to be sitting right in front of him, and then he can go maybe 15 minutes before he's done. I think I'm going to send it back... does anyone have a positive experience with these things? -
@LCTBQE: Yup, I went out last week and got that same swing! This is us currently...
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@LCTBQE: Okay, for something more helpful..
DD LOVES the swing. I had to get out and get a 2nd one because we were relying on it so much. However, DS did not love it. I had to get him fully asleep and then I could put him down in it. Have you tried that? Swaddle tightly, white noise, then swing at full force.
As for burping, we don't have the same burping/gas problems as some of you guys are dealing with, but she can be kind of spitty. At night after I feed her I pick her up and put her on my shoulder and then gently rub her back for a couple minutes. Usually just being upright gets a burp out if there is one.
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@ShootingStar: haha, yeah I have the exact same one, except mine is empty and the baby is sleeping on his back next to me on the couch
she's such a cutie!! what a little dumpling 
and thanks for the tip, no I hadn't put him in swaddled or already sleeping, I put him in when he was fussy-ish or in his active-alert mode, and it seemed to chill him out a bit, but only for a bit, so I will try that for sure. is the benefit to baby being in it while already asleep that they'll stay sleeping longer than if they were just in a regular bassinet or rock n play? because otherwise, seems like it's just another apparatus in which to stick them (but a huge, expensive one)?
and re: night time burping, maybe I've been too stimulating, going to try just your upright/gentle back rub tonight--thank you! -
@LCTBQE: Well with DS the benefit was that he would actually sleep somewhere that wasn't on top of me. He was a very snuggly baby and didn't want to be put down. Ever. With DD, it does help settle her and I can put her in drowsy and she'll settle and go to sleep. Sometimes
. But definitely always swaddle!
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@agold: that's what I get when I pump, too--anywhere from .75 oz to 2.5 oz per boob, depending on time of day and when we last fed. my husband gives about 1 bottle per day and loves it and it hasn't deterred the baby at ALL from the breast, he still very obviously prefers real nursing. we're using Dr Brown's bottles, he'll usually take it without a problem unless he's in super-fussy zombie baby insane mode.
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@LCTBQE: that's the same swing we have, albeit a few years old. Both girls love(d) it. Right now we have it turned so it swings back and forth rather than side to side, maybe try turning the seat?
Thanks, the mastitis is proving a lot harder to kick than I anticipated.
ETA- I'm also an overproduced, and water boarding is absolutely what I assume I'm doing to my babies. For me, with my first, the let down calmed the eff down at about 2 months.
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@LCTBQE: I have the same issue with not wanting to wake up my milk-coma baby in the middle of the night to burp her!!! But then I worry she will choke on vomit in the middle of the night!
As for swings.... It's the one thing I have not bought. They take up so much floor space. But someone just gave one to my MIL so she has it if we want to try it. Not sure yet. I feel like my baby only likes anything for 15 minutes max.
I'm so sorry about your nipple pain. I had that so bad and still have it a bit but I'm not just tolerating it. And too much milk is better than not enough milk. Silver lining.....
@ShootingStar: good suggestion about just being up right and rubbing the baby's back. I have also found that just turning my baby up to sitting gets a burp out of her.
@LCTBQE: thanks for telling me about your pumping experience! Are you doing it once a day? What time of the day or in between which feedings? My baby has taken the Kiinde bottle. My issue with pumping into the Kiinde bags is I'm not exactly sure how much I'm pimping ounce-wise. When you give your baby the bottle, does he need additional milk from you at that particular feeding?
@OldpuebloJenn: so sorry about the mastitis.
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You girls were all right ... I can't get anything done while on maternity leave.
I'm just trying to get sleep for myself and make sure no mold is growing in my house. I don't even wash my hair anymore. I didn't showe yesterday. My husband went back to work last night. I honestly am just hoping to find time to do a sitz bath for my stupid tear. Do you all talk to your babies all day long?? I find myself feeling super guilty if I look at my phone or the tv if she is awake.
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@agold: good god no. I focus on a couple really good interactions- and honestly at this age they happen during diaper changes and baths. I have some songs I sing during these times. I do narrate what doing sometimes but that's habit at this point from having my daughter around. I totally just stare at my phone when nursing or holding him. I gave up feeling guilty about that the first time around
we've been watching Justified at night and I do feel a little guilty about exposing him to the sounds of fun shots and explosions.... I too have a fast let down. I'm semi- trying block feeding at night, paired with gas drops. He didn't sleep any longer last night, but he only woke up screaming and farting once as opposed to Every time like the night before
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@ShootingStar: ah, that makes perfect sense re snuggly baby who only wants to sleep on you. I'm going to feel it out with this swing for the next couple of days and see if it helps when he's like that (right now about 25% of the time). we have a tiny apartment so I'll return it or sell it on craigslist if it's not seriously earning its keep.
@agold: about feeling guilty--actually the big guilt trip I have is sticking him in his rock n play (or that swing!--that's why I'm looking for excuses to return it) if he's not asleep or falling asleep--I feel like such a lazy, negligent parent if I'm not holding him or wearing him. I don't look at my iphone much because I kinda hate cell phones, but when I have texted when he's awake, yes I feel super guilty. I've mostly been on my laptop when he's asleep, but if I'm on it when he's awake: worst mother ever. we've gotta get on the @Silva: method and I'm pumping once or twice a day, but often only one boob at a time, usually in the morning, now that I'm trying block feeding. I pump into the medela bottles that my Freestyle came with, and store them in the fridge (no freezer stash yet, we're just using as we go). then we heat those bottles up when it's time to feed, and once the milk is warm pour into the Dr Brown's bottles--that's just what is working for us at the moment. he takes 3 oz in a full feeding right now and that's enough to knock him out, no need for post-bottle boob. I hope you can carve out some time to do your tear care and shower! taking showers is pretty much the only thread of humanity/dignity I have left right now
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@OldpuebloJenn: that is great to know that your let-down changed over time, thank you--everything feels like it's going to be forever when you're so sleep-deprived! also to you and @Silva: good to know I'm not alone with the fire hose situation
and I did turn the swing so it's sideways but goes front to back, he seems to like that better, too, and anyway when I turn it the other way it juts out and I trip on it. lord, why must it be SO. LARGE. -
@agold: Talk all day long? Heck no. I don't even worry about meaningful interactions. They just kinda happen naturally. Gotta learn to let go of the mom guilt early because it'll crush you if you let it.
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@agold: LOL-no. I do talk/sing to my mini man a good bit throughout the day, but I also veg out in front of the boob tube and text/surf on my phone a lot more than I talk/sing to him. Sometimes I just read emails to him or articles that I am reading on my phone. My primary goals are to keep him as well fed as possible and to get him as much sleep as possible. Anything beyond that is a total win.
Do make time for yourself. For me, my little guy goes down for a decent stretch around 8:30ish. I put him down in the RNP (when I can. it doesn't always work!) and workout (we're talking 20 minutes here, just enough to blow the dust off--and its recent--I'm 6.5 weeks pp now) shower, etc. I have had to give up trying to get those things in during the day because he doesn't really have a schedule. The only reason I look somewhat presentable is that I pickup my oldest from daycare M-F, so I try to look presentable. But for that, I wouldn't bother with clothes or makeup beyond lip balm and combing through my brows!
As I write this, my LO is in the carrier with Ritz cracker crumbs in his hair. Ain't nobody IGing this kinda stuff.
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@Silva: @LCTBQE: @ShootingStar: @pwnstar: Thanks, girls, for making me feel better. I just feel so bad. And then California has these "talk to your child" commercials on TV all of the time. Baby is finally down for a nap. Its too close to the time I actually woke up for me to take my own nap just yet. So I did laundry. Ugh. And I'm going to pay bills and online shop. All I want to do it order birth announcements and make two photo books. But still haven't figured out the time or mental brain power to do it. Do actual work? Ha. No. Not yet.
also saw your post about the human pacifier. my ped and the LC both told me in the midst of my agonizing nipple-pain troubles to limit him to 10-15 minutes per side, and let him have boob-pillow as his comfort instead of just inert sucking forever. that transition wasn't bad at all for us, not sure if you've tried? bonus is that often I can pass him off to my husband for post-feed tree-frogging and he'll relax onto him, knowing there's no food but there's comfort. ETA, BUT, we are also struggling with his strong preference to sleep on top of us and not in his rock-n-play, so, I feel ya. 
and thanks for the tip, no I hadn't put him in swaddled or already sleeping, I put him in when he was fussy-ish or in his active-alert mode, and it seemed to chill him out a bit, but only for a bit, so I will try that for sure. is the benefit to baby being in it while already asleep that they'll stay sleeping longer than if they were just in a regular bassinet or rock n play? because otherwise, seems like it's just another apparatus in which to stick them (but a huge, expensive one)?
. But definitely always swaddle!
I'm just trying to get sleep for myself and make sure no mold is growing in my house. I don't even wash my hair anymore. I didn't showe yesterday. My husband went back to work last night. I honestly am just hoping to find time to do a sitz bath for my stupid tear. 
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