Hellobee Boards

@Beebug: I have been thinking about getting a Beco Gemini. Is it easy to put on by yourself? I have a Bjorn, and I can't figure out how to get the baby in and fasten it on my own, so I haven't even taken him out in it yet. I'm thinking of getting either a Beco or a Boba instead - a friend has the Boba, and it looks very easy to use.

For those of you who have been able to get their babies on a bit of a schedule, how have you done it? Right now the only thing that has been consistent time-wise is that J goes to bed around 11:30, and I go to bed then too. He's slept 6 hours in a row a few times now, which is very exciting. But I would love to start moving his bedtime earlier, which I think most of you have done. How do you do it?

During the day, J has no schedule at all - I feed him when he is hungry, he passes out from eating and naps until he's done (and how long he stays asleep really varies - it could be 15 minutes or 2 hours), and I feed him when he's hungry again. There's no real pattern, and I can't figure out how people start to impose one. I would love some advice!

@Beebug: That sounds like a great schedule! Normally does C only want to eat every 3 hours? Often J will cry to be fed before 3 hours, which means that I can never get him on a good schedule. Perhaps I need to try to stretch out his feedings a bit more so he's not expecting food every 2 hours or so?

The Beco sounds great, I may need to order one!

@Beehive: I have the Beco too. Love it! And it's very easy to put on by yourself. We're on a baby-led schedule right now. I pretty much let him eat and sleep when he wants. Some babies just tend to fall into their own schedules. But mine is like yours and eats about every 2 hours, sometimes less. Sometimes he'll nap for half hour and sometimes for 2 hours. I would say a routine is better than trying to put baby on a schedule. At around 7 pm we start his bedtime routine which consists of a bath and then nursing to sleep. He goes down around 9 pm and has now started sleeping 5-6 hours for his first stretch of sleep. So maybe try a bedtime routine and do it every night. You could also have a morning routine with your LO.

@mrskc: we are going through the same thing with rashes...DS has what I think is a diaper rash on the top of his butt, right by his "plumber's crack". I have my mom's group at the pedi tomorrow so will ask her to take a look at it. Usually we use triple paste on diaper rash and it goes away, but it isn't doing anything for this rash. That picture is FANTASTIC--I am super impressed!! We're getting our tree this weekend/putting up lights, I'm going to try to do something similar. Also, do you bathe every night? Right now we do it every other day/third day, dependng on what else is going on. But I think I want to try doing it every night.

@Beehive: We don't really have a set schedule either...DS has somewhat of a routine during the day, in that he usually has three long-ish naps during the day, and goes to bed between 7:30 and 830. One thing my pedi told me is that babies need to nap in between feedings, if you can get them to. A lot of the time, DS will eat, he'll be awake for a while, and then he'll start fussing. I might think he's hungry, but really he's tired (as evidenced by the fact that if I put a paci in his mouth he passes out almost immediately). So trying to get him to sleep in between feedings kind of gives more of a structure to teh day. I also try and get his naps to be at least 45 min, even if that means walking him in the stroller for 45 min.

I am so jealous of you guys whose LOs are sleeping 5-6 hours!! DS did a 5/6 hour stretch once. I put him in a swaddle me tonight, we'll see if that helps at all.

@hilsy85: DS slept 7h yesterday...&then another 3.5h. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the time! I'm sure it was a fluke:/
@mrskc: love that!

@hilsy85: Awesome! Good for L...and even better for you!
I tried to make an appointment with an LC who specializes in suck issues, and I can't get one until next week. Don't know if my nips will make it til then...
Our routine is primarily baby-led but it has a structure to it. LO wakes up around 7-7:30, eats, diaper change, and hangs out until around 8:30 and she goes back down for a nap. Then the rest of the day is basically eat, diaper change, some time in the swing or the mat, nap. She usually goes to bed between 9 and 10 depending on when she last ate. We'll give her a bottle and then I'll let her nurse for a bit since it tends to put her to sleep/comfort. She'll sleep that first stretch for about 5-6 hours. It's been hard to get her back down after that, so that's our primary struggle right now with her nights.
@mrskc: that is amazing!! great job!

@mrskc: That sounds great - I like the idea of routines. I would love to get J on a schedule, but starting with routines may be a good way to go.

@hilsy85: I'm so glad the swaddle worked! That's some great sleep. Your routine sounds similar to my days, except J usually falls asleep while eating (or just after finishing eating).

@tidybee: (and everyone else probably) How do you get your babies to nap during the day if they don't fall asleep right after eating? I don't want to get J in the habit of needing to nurse to go to sleep, but it seems like that's the only way he does it. Do they just fall asleep after you play with them for a while, or do you put them in their crib awake and they fall asleep somehow?

Hi again. What is everyone doing for birth control? I kinda want to avoid hormonal methods so I was thinking of the copper IUD but it makes period heavier and crampier and my periods were heavy to begin with. Ugh. Don't want to risk the pull n pray and we both hate condoms. What are you all thinking/doing?

@JessLC: Thank you! I like to use aperture priority mode (Av mode). You set your aperture and the camera decides the shutter speed. I think for this photo I used an aperture of 2.2. Make sure the camera focuses on your subject and not the background.

Re birth control I haven't decided yet. I have a prescription for the mini pill but now sure if I want to take it. I guess that would leave us with condoms...

I'm back to being a skeptic about this not being a period. I don't know, there's so much about it that is so period like, and not "tear" like. Not that I have had tearing down there before the last 6 weeks, lol. Bleeding is heavier today, which doesn't make since if I tweaked it Sunday, I'm eating like a cow, and I don't know.....hmmm. All I can do is track it I guess and see, with the IUD going in next week, who knows when it'll come again if it is a period.

I dropped the script off at the pharmacy, and pharmacist was like, it's $437 and may not be covered....so I thought "well eff that, I'll go on the pill" but had some hope in mine and DHs benefits.......100% covered! Pharmacist was like.....I've seen it covered, but never 100%! Score.

@hilsy85: we only do baths every 3 nights or so (depends if there is a blowout or pee incident) ... LO has some eczema and dry skin so the ped said not too bathe too much and it seriously helps @mrskc: maybe don't bathe every day and it will help the rash?? Not sure. (Love your pic!!)

@mrskc: @hilsy85: and others ..... so jealous of the long sleep! I hope we get there soon!! Do you pump when they sleep that long? my boobs start to get so engorged and hard if we wait too long! So what do u do when they sleep longer??

@hilsy85: oh no! That's terrible. Have you double checked to see if it was backed up to iCloud? I also use google+ instant upload to backup iPhone photos.

@hellobeeboston: I was a bit engorged when he started sleeping longer. After a few days my supply regulated and I don't get super engorged anymore. Hope your LO starts sleeping longer soon.

@mrskc: @hellobeeboston: thanks ladies...apparently nothing was backed up on icloud so they can't do anything I'm trying not to think about all the pics we lost and just focus on the fact that we have a lot from our other camera and that I've emailed to DH and family.

@CarrieLouWho: wow...that is terrible...I'm speechless:( so sorry for her loss:(

@CarrieLouWho: so tragic. I'm so sorry for your friend. I was just going to get on here and ask about everyone's pp weight loss.

I signed up for a color me rad 5k in feb. don't know if I'll actually run the whole thing but its something for me to work towards. DH and I have been taking a walk after he gets home from work. I'd like to start jogging. Maybe on wknds when DH can watch the baby. I still have 20 lbs to lose to get to pre preg weight. I'd be happy to lose 10 tho. I thought I would've lost more right away but I guess I pigged out on too much chocolate. Now I'm trying to eat healthier. No more candy in my house. I cut up apples and put them in a container for a healthy snack while I nurse. I'm working on it.

How is everyone else doing with weight loss and exercise?

Oh! And I meant to say I signed up for a 5k on New Years Day to get me motivated. I may not run the whole thing (haven't done any jogging so far), but its a start!

@CarrieLouWho: so sorry to hear about your friend!!@mrskc: I"ve been going to the gym sporadically since 3 weeks post partum...I ran my first mile yesterday! Thought I was going to pass out, lol, but I made it! I am still 8 lbs over my pre preg weight, but definitely have lost muscle--my hips are wider and my tummy is mushy. @Beehive: I think I need to order those wipes! They sound great.

You ladies are all so great working out. I am not, and don't know when I will again. With work looming on the horizon, I can't justify a gym membership when I am going to have so little time with James... I'm not sure how I will ever get back in shape, mostly just need tummy toning - somehow my hips and butt are smaller postpartum.

@CarrieLouWho: I'm doing a 5 k in feb. don't think I'll run the whole thing tho.

@hilsy85: you're doing better than me! I haven't started jogging yet. Just walking.

@hellobeeboston: yay for more sleep! I won't get a gym membership either. I've just been trying to do sit ups at home and walking around the neighborhood.

@Beehive: do you swaddle for his naps? Maybe he's waking himself up.

DS slept almost 8 hours last night! 9-5 am then slept another 2. Hope this is a new trend but I'd still be happy with the 5-6 hour stretches we've been getting.

@CarrieLouWho: My goodness, sorry to hear about your colleague's husband. That is so tragic, and a worst fear.

@mrskc: I have a chunk of weight to lose too, about 15lbs, I signed up for a 10k, but not until May! I have started eating the junk food out of my house (lol) and then making sure DH stops buying more, and I do too, then I won't have problems, argh! I am just walking daily, but anxious to do more and need to start prioritizing it.

@hellobeeboston: Woo hoo about last night's sleep!!

We also had a good sleep night. Nursed at 10, bedtime, nursed at 3, slept until 8....huge score, I needed that after the bad night before.

@Beehive: Awesome about the 3-hour sched!! Sometimes C doesn't nap as long as I hope, and I just "deal" with it, I find it varies day to day what naps she gets, and sometimes I just put her in swing, her seat, or wear her, or have her in my lap.....means I get less done, but the time with her is ok too!! If I am needing the nap and napping with her, she gets the paci or in bed with me to stretch the naptime.....bad!!

@mrskc: Wow, awesome sleeping he is sleeping!!!