I was thinking about that quote yesterday ... and why, really, must all good things come to an end? So you can appreciate the next good thing? I'm pretty happy with what I've got going on right now, alas, can't hold on any longer. Today is my last solo day home with Georgia for, oh, the rest of my life. I love this quiet baby time. She is such a sweet, good baby and SO easy now. (Well, now that she is sleeping). I know that this, too, will end and she will become more energetic and opinionated and fun - and I look forward to that for sure - but this sweet sleepy baby stage is just awesome. (Not the newborn stage, just to make the distinction).
Georgia's school bag is packed and all of the "camp list" of items has been shipped off to a box under her crib at school. They can't swaddle babies any longer, so I'm also sending her teachers good wishes because it's going to be rough. Little G hasn't napped or slept un-swaddled in probably 2 months. If you look at the bright side, it appears we are farming out the "break the swaddle" training, which is nice. If you look on the dark side, though, I am pretty certain I will be picking up an exhausted baby from daycare all next week who won't eat and will be sleeping like a crazy person at home. In fact, send some good wishes our way, too, if you don't mind.
I'm remembering how un-fun it is to pump at work all day, but I've got all my supplies prepped and ready. I'm currently trying to formulate the best way for me to wake / shower / feed / do hair / do make-up / get dressed / pump / grab coffee / grab breakfast / kiss my loved ones goodbye every morning. I'm tempted to use a stop watch to see just how long each task takes, but I will try to resist. I did order the Rumina Hands-Free Pump&Nurse tank and so far really like it. It's an investment, for sure, but they do have a sale right now and free shipping through the end of the month. I ordered the full-coverage version so I could wear it solo under a cardigan or something and I think it covers enough to be work appropriate. I used their measuring guidelines and the size on the corresponding chart was just right. It is kind of cumbersome to get your pump parts to fit in the tank, or at least takes a little practice, but I did it one morning while brushing my teeth and putting on make-up and it worked perfectly. Huge time saver for me. Will be ordering two more ...
Sweet G also has a cold this week, shared by her loving sister, so I'm hopeful she won't get hit AGAIN when she starts school next week. Yeah, right. She is incredibly snorty and stuffy, but no fever and otherwise happy. I forgot that I had purchased the Nosefrida Snotsucker in a fit of nesting several months ago. Pulled it out today and it is AWESOME. So much more effective than the bulb syringe.
And, finally, came across this article last night while perusing my phone and pumping ... That Baby Wants to Break You Up. I can't say that I ever felt things were this extreme in our household, but the newborn stage is no joke and this summed up some of my feelings. Sleep deprivation is terrible and I can now look back and see that I've been pretty freaking tired for the last 4-5 months, with a several week period of serious lack of sleep thrown in the middle just for kicks. It is hard and makes me a difficult person to be around. Our mornings and evenings are finally pretty pleasant again and I seem to be hitting my stride during my days home with both girls. I'm much more patient and Ellen seems more calm. I will say that the silver lining of having a non-napping older child is that I can dictate when her "quiet time" begins - i.e. it starts the minute I put Georgia down for her nap. Now that Georgia's schedule is pretty predictable I have finally figured this out and it gets me (most of) an hour to myself each afternoon. Essential.
Showing posts with label 0-3. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 0-3. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Friday, December 28, 2012
Breastfeeding, take 2
Sporadic posting, I know. That really is What I've Learned So Far ... no time for things like this!
I did want to take some time to note my experience with breastfeeding this time around because it was one of the things I was nervous about with baby girl #2. I nursed Ellen for 10 months and I'm pretty sure we had the typical course ... major learning curve at the beginning, figured it out by about 1 month, and then coasted pretty smoothly (with an over-abundant milk supply) to 10 months when I weaned her before a vacation and she was majorly distractable / disinterested.
Despite all that, it was seriously a distant memory and I could hardly fathom doing it again. I dug out my pump (the Medela Freestyle - still convinced it's the best thing around) and found that all my old pump parts were pretty grody. I was planning to order replacements, but that sealed the deal. I guess the old style of breast shields (the Soft Fit) didn't hold up over time, so they aren't available now. I ordered replacements and they come in sizes - I started with the 24mm (standard) and moved up to the 27mm after my milk came in. I have 2 full sets of parts and will have 3 when I go back to work to avoid so much sanitizing and drying during the work day. I also got replacement tubing, just because, I guess. I had everything sanitized and ready at home before I left for the hospital.
The day before I delivered I was looking up breastfeeding videos on YouTube (lame), but I didn't really even remember the terminology and such and needed a little refresher. Lansinoh had a decent video that was protected under like 3 warnings about being age 18 or older - really?
I don't remember much about the hospital days of breastfeeding with Ellen, other than the fact that she was SO SO sleepy that we spent most of her feeds trying to wake her up. I think she was latching well, though, and hadn't lost too much weight when we went home.
This time was different - Georgia didn't latch well at all and kept her tongue at the roof of her mouth. She wasn't tongue tied or anything, just more of a general disinterest in eating. I felt much more comfortable with the nurses and lactation consultants trying to help me, and I felt more confidant in what I was doing (it really is like riding a bike ...) and they all acknowledged that I was doing everything correctly, but that she was just difficult. It was super frustrating, even with my knowledge base, and I'm glad she was #2 instead of #1. I ended up using the hospital pump and pumping after trying to nurse, then giving her colostrum through a syringe on my finger or in her mouth while she was nursing. It was super annoying and very difficult to do by myself and I couldn't see how this would translate to us going home.
Over our 3 days in the hospital she showed VERY SLOW progress, to the point where we all felt comfortable going home and following up with a weight check the next day. Her best feeding was right before we left the hospital and then her weight check the next day was promising. She continued to nurse better with each feeding and by about day 5 she was totally fine - no more tube feedings or any assistance. One of the lactation consultants commented that when she had her babies (25+ years ago), no one expected breastfed babies to eat very well for the first 3 days. Now we get in a panic about it, when I think it just takes time for some babies to wake up and show interest. That certainly seemed to be the case for Georgia (fortunately).
From that point her weight gain was great and I even thought she was a better / more relaxed / possibly more efficient feeder than Ellen. She was eating 7 times in 24 hours and I was able to read or check email on my phone while she nursed, which I could never do with Ellen (needed all hands on deck). Then fast forward about 3 weeks and I had searing, toe-curling pain when she latched on. I was afraid it might be a yeast infection or something, but when I assessed the situation I realized it was just a lazy latch. She was getting milk, but wasn't latching well and I was paying the price. I did quite a bit of reading and even watched some videos (Jack Newman's site is good) of a good latch to really get a picture of what I was aiming for. I worked hard for a few days to improve her latch, which was successful, and it has been smooth sailing since then. So, in the end, it really was about 1 month until everything seemed easy for both of us.
Some tips I have learned this time around:
- Use lanolin (or a comparable product) EVERY TIME you nurse or pump. I started in the hospital and have been diligent and I haven't had any cracks or bleeding.
- Have some smallish ice packs on hand and frozen for when you come home from the hospital. When your milk comes in you will be happy you have them (cold is better than hot - that just adds to the inflammation). I would wear my nursing tank, then a zip up jacket on top to hold the ice bags in place.
- I pumped much more this time when my milk came in, which I think helped matters. With Ellen I think I was afraid to pump too much for fear it would just produce more milk. This time I bet I pumped 4 or 5 times the first day, and 2 or 3 times the second day, in addition to feeds until my breasts felt soft(er). By the 3rd day I think I was pretty much back to just the regular feeding schedule.
- While you are doing all that pumping, just save your pump parts in the fridge in a ziploc bag so you aren't constantly sterilizing and drying parts and use them as needed. It should be fine for 12-24 hours.
- We are still using the little Medela regular neck bottles that fit on the pump for Georgia's bottles. She takes them just fine (gave her first bottle around 3-4 weeks, no issue). I sterilized all the bottles and caps and rings before we left for the hospital and bought new slow flow nipples. Nipples for regular neck bottles are almost impossible to find anymore, just FYI. I don't even think Medela makes them - I used the Green To Grow ones.
- I still pump at least once a day (usually last feeding of the day when she gets a bottle from Dad) and sometimes twice (early morning after first feed now that she is mostly sleeping through the night).
- I am on the hunt for a good hands-free pumping situation that might allow for me to get ready for work in the mornings while pumping. I have read good things about the Rumina tank and may splurge.
I did want to take some time to note my experience with breastfeeding this time around because it was one of the things I was nervous about with baby girl #2. I nursed Ellen for 10 months and I'm pretty sure we had the typical course ... major learning curve at the beginning, figured it out by about 1 month, and then coasted pretty smoothly (with an over-abundant milk supply) to 10 months when I weaned her before a vacation and she was majorly distractable / disinterested.
Despite all that, it was seriously a distant memory and I could hardly fathom doing it again. I dug out my pump (the Medela Freestyle - still convinced it's the best thing around) and found that all my old pump parts were pretty grody. I was planning to order replacements, but that sealed the deal. I guess the old style of breast shields (the Soft Fit) didn't hold up over time, so they aren't available now. I ordered replacements and they come in sizes - I started with the 24mm (standard) and moved up to the 27mm after my milk came in. I have 2 full sets of parts and will have 3 when I go back to work to avoid so much sanitizing and drying during the work day. I also got replacement tubing, just because, I guess. I had everything sanitized and ready at home before I left for the hospital.
The day before I delivered I was looking up breastfeeding videos on YouTube (lame), but I didn't really even remember the terminology and such and needed a little refresher. Lansinoh had a decent video that was protected under like 3 warnings about being age 18 or older - really?
I don't remember much about the hospital days of breastfeeding with Ellen, other than the fact that she was SO SO sleepy that we spent most of her feeds trying to wake her up. I think she was latching well, though, and hadn't lost too much weight when we went home.
This time was different - Georgia didn't latch well at all and kept her tongue at the roof of her mouth. She wasn't tongue tied or anything, just more of a general disinterest in eating. I felt much more comfortable with the nurses and lactation consultants trying to help me, and I felt more confidant in what I was doing (it really is like riding a bike ...) and they all acknowledged that I was doing everything correctly, but that she was just difficult. It was super frustrating, even with my knowledge base, and I'm glad she was #2 instead of #1. I ended up using the hospital pump and pumping after trying to nurse, then giving her colostrum through a syringe on my finger or in her mouth while she was nursing. It was super annoying and very difficult to do by myself and I couldn't see how this would translate to us going home.
Over our 3 days in the hospital she showed VERY SLOW progress, to the point where we all felt comfortable going home and following up with a weight check the next day. Her best feeding was right before we left the hospital and then her weight check the next day was promising. She continued to nurse better with each feeding and by about day 5 she was totally fine - no more tube feedings or any assistance. One of the lactation consultants commented that when she had her babies (25+ years ago), no one expected breastfed babies to eat very well for the first 3 days. Now we get in a panic about it, when I think it just takes time for some babies to wake up and show interest. That certainly seemed to be the case for Georgia (fortunately).
From that point her weight gain was great and I even thought she was a better / more relaxed / possibly more efficient feeder than Ellen. She was eating 7 times in 24 hours and I was able to read or check email on my phone while she nursed, which I could never do with Ellen (needed all hands on deck). Then fast forward about 3 weeks and I had searing, toe-curling pain when she latched on. I was afraid it might be a yeast infection or something, but when I assessed the situation I realized it was just a lazy latch. She was getting milk, but wasn't latching well and I was paying the price. I did quite a bit of reading and even watched some videos (Jack Newman's site is good) of a good latch to really get a picture of what I was aiming for. I worked hard for a few days to improve her latch, which was successful, and it has been smooth sailing since then. So, in the end, it really was about 1 month until everything seemed easy for both of us.
Some tips I have learned this time around:
- Use lanolin (or a comparable product) EVERY TIME you nurse or pump. I started in the hospital and have been diligent and I haven't had any cracks or bleeding.
- Have some smallish ice packs on hand and frozen for when you come home from the hospital. When your milk comes in you will be happy you have them (cold is better than hot - that just adds to the inflammation). I would wear my nursing tank, then a zip up jacket on top to hold the ice bags in place.
- I pumped much more this time when my milk came in, which I think helped matters. With Ellen I think I was afraid to pump too much for fear it would just produce more milk. This time I bet I pumped 4 or 5 times the first day, and 2 or 3 times the second day, in addition to feeds until my breasts felt soft(er). By the 3rd day I think I was pretty much back to just the regular feeding schedule.
- While you are doing all that pumping, just save your pump parts in the fridge in a ziploc bag so you aren't constantly sterilizing and drying parts and use them as needed. It should be fine for 12-24 hours.
- We are still using the little Medela regular neck bottles that fit on the pump for Georgia's bottles. She takes them just fine (gave her first bottle around 3-4 weeks, no issue). I sterilized all the bottles and caps and rings before we left for the hospital and bought new slow flow nipples. Nipples for regular neck bottles are almost impossible to find anymore, just FYI. I don't even think Medela makes them - I used the Green To Grow ones.
- I still pump at least once a day (usually last feeding of the day when she gets a bottle from Dad) and sometimes twice (early morning after first feed now that she is mostly sleeping through the night).
- I am on the hunt for a good hands-free pumping situation that might allow for me to get ready for work in the mornings while pumping. I have read good things about the Rumina tank and may splurge.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Pumping (or, couldn't you buy me dinner first?)
The pump and I have a love-hate relationship. Yes, it allows me to feed my child and it also allows my husband to feed my child, thus buying some freedom. It also feels like a ball and chain at times. Despite that, for me, it is a necessary evil as I am committed to breastfeeding as long as it works for us. And it is working.
Opinions from a less-than-expert ...
1. Start pumping early! I'm no lactation consultant, but it is really hard to find good advice about the pump. My LC told me to get out my pump one day at about 1 week old when I was really engorged and I thought I might be getting mastitis. It is super weird the first time, but you get the hang of it quickly. Ever since then I have pumped almost every day, with the exception of when the Girl was going through a growth spurt.
2. We started with the bottle at about 3 weeks, so I would pump while Dad gave her a bottle. Initially I would pump first and then he would give her the freshly pumped milk, but I couldn't quite keep up, so it was better to have a bottle ready to go and then pump at the same time for the next day's bottle.
3. I started off giving Girly 4 oz. Again, very little direction on this, but you might have a better idea if you use formula. She gobbled it up. I think a rough formula is 24 ounces in 24 hours - just divide by the number of feedings they are getting and that is the approximate right number of ounces. Some kids more, some kids less.
4. Use the Soft Fit breastshields if you have a Medela pump - seem comfy and the LC at the store I go to says she won't sell anything else now.
5. I use the microwave sterilizer for everything, but I find that the milk fat doesn't really come off the bottles well after they have been in the fridge with milk in them. Use the dishwasher for bottles at that point. Life is too short to wash bottles by hand.
6. From about 1 week-6 weeks Girly would have random times when she would only eat on one side (I always offered both and she averaged 10min/side). I would pump the other side because I wanted to keep my supply up, didn't want my boob to hurt, and it was a good way to build up a little supply in the fridge.
7. When Girly first started sleeping much longer stretches at night (around 7-8 weeks) I would only feed her on one side when she woke up in the morning. This will totally depend on your baby, but I was very engorged and she would choke and sputter and spit up if I fed her on both sides. She seemed satisfied after one side, so that was it. Then, I would pump both sides (double pumping is always more effective than single pumping) and I would get lots of milk. I have continued to do this every morning, but it is a bit of a Catch-22. If I weaned off the morning pumping I could nurse her and get out of the house much quicker before work, but I get SO MUCH milk when I pump first thing that I am afraid my supply will drop and I won't be able to keep up with her bottle demands for daycare. So, pumping it is. Now I put the pump and bottles by my bed the night before I have to work so I can just barely wake up and do it while I watch the news.
8. Details: I tried to read a lot online, but the info varies so much. Many websites say it is normal to only get 2-4 ounces TOTAL when you pump both boobs. I found this was pretty close to what I would get when I pumped during the day, but I just couldn't see how I would ever keep up with the Girl's bottles if she took more than 4 ounces each time. Plus, when I asked my friends, they all said they got a lot more! So ... I started pumping 15 minutes each time I pumped (or, longer if you still see drips), which gradually helped a lot. I also add in an extra "feeding" each day - the Girl nurses 5 times and gets 1 bottle and I pump twice, to make 7 "feedings". I have GOBS of extra milk in my freezer at this point, but I wanted to try to bank as much as possible before going back to work. Try these things, or adding a beer a day, before using meds to increase your supply. In just a few weeks time I now have 200+ oz. of milk in my freezer.
8.5. This isn't to say that meds don't work. I have several friends who have used Fenugreek and prescription meds with great success. I was just hesitant to start because I didn't think I had a low milk supply, I thought I just needed better pumping habits. As it is now, I feel like I spend all of my time on "milk maintenance" and I can't imagine if I was pumping MORE than I already am.
9. Freezer supply: My LC told me to have about 30 oz. in the freezer when I went back to work. Sounds like a lot, but really that is only about 2 days at daycare! Build up as much as you can. And, here is the catch - I read that you really shouldn't use your freezer supply unless you really have to. Once you start relying on that to meet the baby's bottle needs for the day, your body interprets that to mean you need to make that many fewer ounces each day and it is a vicious cycle until you make too little to feed the baby and your freezer supply is gone. I just plan to use it in emergencies and when I am weaning her.
10. As for milk storage, I will leave fresh milk in the fridge up to 4 days before giving it to her or freezing it. I follow the La Leche League guidelines - figure they know what they are talking about. My pump doesn't go directly into bags, so I transfer from the little bottles. I was using the medela bags, but they are pricey, so I am switching to Lansinoh. Also, I have a milk storage gizmo in my freezer that works great to smoosh the bags flat. When this is full, I transfer the frozen blocks to those ziploc throw-away tupperware things. The rectangular size works great.
11. I've said before that we use the medela bottles and they work great for the Girl without adding a step of transferring milk to another bottle. I have about 20 of the 5oz bottles and we still go through them like crazy - 6 for me and 4 for her each day I work, plus random overflow bottles in the fridge from pumping. Eventually, she will take more than 5 oz and these bottles won't be so useful. As it is now, when I pump first thing in the morning I can fill up a bottle. I got some cheapy 8oz Evenflo bottles for the morning pump. They are bpa free and fit medela pumps. Dr. Browns bottles also fit the medela pump if you use those.
12. Keeping track! I used sticky notes at first to keep track of what day I pumped the milk. In a stroke of genius (at least I would like to think so) I got a narrow dry erase marker to write the day of the week on the cap. Now I also use it to keep track of daycare bottles and first morning bottles. Wipe it off before you throw it in the wash.
13. Vitamins - our doc recommended PolyViSol since the Girl was exclusively breastfed. I put the dropper of goo in her daily bottle so we don't battle to get it in her mouth, She doesn't seem to care. I also put her tylenol in her bottle after she had her first shots. I don't yet feel confidant getting the whole dropper in her mouth and this eliminates the guesswork. Also, after Ellen's first shots she screamed when I laid her down to breastfeed because her legs hurt. Next time, I'll probably just plan for the bottle.
14. Finally, if you are pumping when you go back to work, you will hopefully be pleasantly surprised at your supply. I almost never pumped during the day - just first thing in the morning where I got tons, and late in the day when I had much less, which is pretty typical. I have pumped a lot more in my first week back than I would have expected. Good so far!
Opinions from a less-than-expert ...
1. Start pumping early! I'm no lactation consultant, but it is really hard to find good advice about the pump. My LC told me to get out my pump one day at about 1 week old when I was really engorged and I thought I might be getting mastitis. It is super weird the first time, but you get the hang of it quickly. Ever since then I have pumped almost every day, with the exception of when the Girl was going through a growth spurt.
2. We started with the bottle at about 3 weeks, so I would pump while Dad gave her a bottle. Initially I would pump first and then he would give her the freshly pumped milk, but I couldn't quite keep up, so it was better to have a bottle ready to go and then pump at the same time for the next day's bottle.
3. I started off giving Girly 4 oz. Again, very little direction on this, but you might have a better idea if you use formula. She gobbled it up. I think a rough formula is 24 ounces in 24 hours - just divide by the number of feedings they are getting and that is the approximate right number of ounces. Some kids more, some kids less.
4. Use the Soft Fit breastshields if you have a Medela pump - seem comfy and the LC at the store I go to says she won't sell anything else now.
5. I use the microwave sterilizer for everything, but I find that the milk fat doesn't really come off the bottles well after they have been in the fridge with milk in them. Use the dishwasher for bottles at that point. Life is too short to wash bottles by hand.
6. From about 1 week-6 weeks Girly would have random times when she would only eat on one side (I always offered both and she averaged 10min/side). I would pump the other side because I wanted to keep my supply up, didn't want my boob to hurt, and it was a good way to build up a little supply in the fridge.
7. When Girly first started sleeping much longer stretches at night (around 7-8 weeks) I would only feed her on one side when she woke up in the morning. This will totally depend on your baby, but I was very engorged and she would choke and sputter and spit up if I fed her on both sides. She seemed satisfied after one side, so that was it. Then, I would pump both sides (double pumping is always more effective than single pumping) and I would get lots of milk. I have continued to do this every morning, but it is a bit of a Catch-22. If I weaned off the morning pumping I could nurse her and get out of the house much quicker before work, but I get SO MUCH milk when I pump first thing that I am afraid my supply will drop and I won't be able to keep up with her bottle demands for daycare. So, pumping it is. Now I put the pump and bottles by my bed the night before I have to work so I can just barely wake up and do it while I watch the news.
8. Details: I tried to read a lot online, but the info varies so much. Many websites say it is normal to only get 2-4 ounces TOTAL when you pump both boobs. I found this was pretty close to what I would get when I pumped during the day, but I just couldn't see how I would ever keep up with the Girl's bottles if she took more than 4 ounces each time. Plus, when I asked my friends, they all said they got a lot more! So ... I started pumping 15 minutes each time I pumped (or, longer if you still see drips), which gradually helped a lot. I also add in an extra "feeding" each day - the Girl nurses 5 times and gets 1 bottle and I pump twice, to make 7 "feedings". I have GOBS of extra milk in my freezer at this point, but I wanted to try to bank as much as possible before going back to work. Try these things, or adding a beer a day, before using meds to increase your supply. In just a few weeks time I now have 200+ oz. of milk in my freezer.
8.5. This isn't to say that meds don't work. I have several friends who have used Fenugreek and prescription meds with great success. I was just hesitant to start because I didn't think I had a low milk supply, I thought I just needed better pumping habits. As it is now, I feel like I spend all of my time on "milk maintenance" and I can't imagine if I was pumping MORE than I already am.
9. Freezer supply: My LC told me to have about 30 oz. in the freezer when I went back to work. Sounds like a lot, but really that is only about 2 days at daycare! Build up as much as you can. And, here is the catch - I read that you really shouldn't use your freezer supply unless you really have to. Once you start relying on that to meet the baby's bottle needs for the day, your body interprets that to mean you need to make that many fewer ounces each day and it is a vicious cycle until you make too little to feed the baby and your freezer supply is gone. I just plan to use it in emergencies and when I am weaning her.
10. As for milk storage, I will leave fresh milk in the fridge up to 4 days before giving it to her or freezing it. I follow the La Leche League guidelines - figure they know what they are talking about. My pump doesn't go directly into bags, so I transfer from the little bottles. I was using the medela bags, but they are pricey, so I am switching to Lansinoh. Also, I have a milk storage gizmo in my freezer that works great to smoosh the bags flat. When this is full, I transfer the frozen blocks to those ziploc throw-away tupperware things. The rectangular size works great.
11. I've said before that we use the medela bottles and they work great for the Girl without adding a step of transferring milk to another bottle. I have about 20 of the 5oz bottles and we still go through them like crazy - 6 for me and 4 for her each day I work, plus random overflow bottles in the fridge from pumping. Eventually, she will take more than 5 oz and these bottles won't be so useful. As it is now, when I pump first thing in the morning I can fill up a bottle. I got some cheapy 8oz Evenflo bottles for the morning pump. They are bpa free and fit medela pumps. Dr. Browns bottles also fit the medela pump if you use those.
12. Keeping track! I used sticky notes at first to keep track of what day I pumped the milk. In a stroke of genius (at least I would like to think so) I got a narrow dry erase marker to write the day of the week on the cap. Now I also use it to keep track of daycare bottles and first morning bottles. Wipe it off before you throw it in the wash.
13. Vitamins - our doc recommended PolyViSol since the Girl was exclusively breastfed. I put the dropper of goo in her daily bottle so we don't battle to get it in her mouth, She doesn't seem to care. I also put her tylenol in her bottle after she had her first shots. I don't yet feel confidant getting the whole dropper in her mouth and this eliminates the guesswork. Also, after Ellen's first shots she screamed when I laid her down to breastfeed because her legs hurt. Next time, I'll probably just plan for the bottle.
14. Finally, if you are pumping when you go back to work, you will hopefully be pleasantly surprised at your supply. I almost never pumped during the day - just first thing in the morning where I got tons, and late in the day when I had much less, which is pretty typical. I have pumped a lot more in my first week back than I would have expected. Good so far!
STTN
Sleeping Through The Night, that is.
My primary goal before I had the Girl was to get her to sleep through the night before I went back to work. Although she is a darling, growing, healthy child - this is my proudest achievement to date.
Disclaimer: There are MANY ways to parent your child and MANY opinions about the best way to do it. The bottom line is this - if you are parenting your child with love and your techniques work for your family, then you are doing the right thing. What was best for my family may not be best for your family. Here, however, is what worked for us.
As background, all of our friends have delightful children. Two in particular, however, had children who were excellent (truly, excellent) sleepers from very early on. They primarily followed the methods described in Babywise and I knew that we would try to make this work for us when we had a child of our own. There is a lot of controversy about this book online. I'm not really sure why - I think the critics probably didn't read it. At the end of the day, books don't make you do anything to or for your child. They are tools to help parents figure things out. You can't follow them blindly - you have to use the information and put it in context with your child and family.
I read Babywise during the middle of my pregnancy and then again closer to delivery. I have re-read parts of it over and over. I have found it to be extremely helpful, along with much of the information on the Chronicles of a Babywise Mom blog. The Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child book was also recommended by several friends and I have found it to be a nice supplement to Babywise. Some of the details are different, but they are overall quite similar and the Healthy Sleep Habits book is more detailed about sleep and covers challenges throughout childhood, not just infancy.
We really started from the first day on focusing to get the Girl to take full feedings. She was SO sleepy in the hospital that this was a challenge. We also didn't "room in" in the hospital. This is a personal preference, but I thought it was better for us to try to get some sleep for 3 days before we came home. The Girl was in our room all day and then in the nursery at night, but still brought back in every 3 hours to eat.
She slept in her room in her crib from the first night home. Our room is only a few feet from her room and we used the monitor and heard every sound, but it helped to eliminate another transition from a bassinet to her crib later on.
I firmly believe some kids are born sleepers and some are not. Fortunately, our Girl is of the sleeping variety. My friends both said that they could tell their children would respond well to Babywise. I had no idea what they meant until we had a child of our own and I figured it out ... you will just know if and when they are ready to respond to some sleep training.
As you might expect, it is EXHAUSTING to get up every few hours with your new baby for feedings. I religiously set our alarm clock to wake the Girl to eat every 2.5-3 hours for the first 2 weeks. She literally NEVER woke to eat during the night on her own (and rarely during the day, for that matter). I realize that this likely made our sleep training easier than for those babies who wake up screaming in hunger, but it was our reality.
Many books and specialists will tell you that "by the clock" feedings should be avoided and that you should read your baby's hunger cues and feed on demand. On-demand feeding was not an option for me: 1) the Girl was not demanding and wouldn't ever eat if I left it up to her, and 2) I didn't want to become a pacifier. I really needed to set a schedule for her because she wouldn't do it on her own. This is not to say that I didn't feed her if she appeared to be hungry and she wasn't due to eat "according to the clock". In truth, I still wake her for most feedings even at 13 weeks old.
Once I felt confidant that the Girl was growing (had regained her birthweight and then some) I let her go up to 5 hours at night between feedings, or whenever she woke on her own. (This is measured from the time you wake them to start feeding until the next time you wake them to feed. This does not equal 5 hours of sleep for you!).
Her first night of sleeping 4 hours was at about 12-13 days, and then her first night of sleeping 5 hours was at about 15 days. Her first night of 6 hours was between 3-4 weeks and her first night of 7 hours was at about 5 weeks, and this is for an exclusively breastfed baby. She certainly went back and forth over time, but I knew we could expect her to begin sleeping longer.
By about week 2 we started following the eat / wake / sleep cycle as best as possible. It is hard to keep baby awake for long at first. We also set her first morning feeding at 6:00am (the time we would need when I went back to work) at about 1 month. It probably should have been done earlier ... I had the Girl on a pretty consistent 3 hour schedule, but it was never the same 3 hours because we woke up at a different time each day. She became much more predictable when our days always started at 6:00am (give or take 30 minutes).
You may not believe it, but you really will learn to understand your baby's sleep cues and figure them out sooner rather than later. (The Girl yawns, sneezes and yelps). As described in both Babywise and Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child, your baby should be taking 1.5-2 hour naps and should not be awake more than 2 hours at a time. Our Girl would never stay awake more than 2 hours. Once I really paid attention, her optimal awake time was more like 50 minutes from the time she woke up until she needed to go back down for a nap. Practically, this meant she woke, fed for about 30 minutes, was awake for about 20 and was back in bed. This awake time will lengthen with age, but we are still at about an hour or an hour and 10 minutes at 13 weeks.
About the time we became consistent with the 6:00am waketime, I worked on actively getting her to sleep when it was time for her to nap. The "5 S's" in Happiest Baby on the Block were useful for this to help to establish the pattern of eating, waking, sleeping.
Our days were great, but bedtime and night feedings became exasperating for me. The Girl would feed great and would appear tired, but would just lay in her crib and NOT SLEEP. We played the game of bouncing, shushing, and replacing the pacifier over and over and over again. She wouldn't scream, but would squawk and grunt and whimper. Before you knew it, you were awake for 2 hours in the middle of the night just trying to get her to sleep and that 6:00am feeding would be right around the corner. My coping skills were wearing thin ...
Now for the controversy ...
I felt the Girl was ready to "cry it out" at about 6 weeks. (For us, this meant allowing crying to fall asleep at naptime and bedtime. We would still get up if she cried during the night to eat, but we let her cry when we put her back in bed to sleep). She had been so easy going and cried very little and really seemed to respond to our schedule. I understand we were lucky! We pieced together a plan that worked for us - started on a Friday night when no one had to work the next day. We planned our naptime and bedtime routine: swaddle, pacifier, rock for 5 minutes, then in bed. We agreed to let her cry 5 minutes and then check and re-plug with the pacifier and walk out. Then 10 minutes, then 15 minutes. You and your partner MUST both be in agreement that this is the right thing and the right time for your family. The crying is hard to listen to and you don't want to cave 20 minutes in. (Note: I did listen to all of the crying rather than leaving to go outside or something. It may frazzle you, but you do learn what the crying means - tired, hungry, mad...)
- Develop a nap routine and a bed routine that you can stick with. Our routines are generally the same, but we add a book at bedtime. The nap routine especially should be something that is brief and can be done other places, like if baby naps at grandmother's house, for example.
- We initially had rocking for 5 minutes in our nap and bed routine, but cut it out after a week or so. This is such special cuddle time for parents, but I don't think it is as important for baby and you run the risk of training them to sleep ONLY with rocking. My great wise friend suggested rocking when you wake up - genius! Still gives you cuddle time and doesn't interfere with sleep training.
- Despite how I've written it, our Girl is not the perfect child. (She is close to perfect, though!). From close to the beginning her evening nap from 7p-9p was dicey and she would scream and scream and we would end up getting her out of bed and putting her in the swing. My wise friend again suggested we just start with the swing at that time of night to avoid the scene. Swings are OK for sleeping as long as your child doesn't NEED it to sleep. The Girl does fine in her crib at all other times, so this is our solution for now.
At 13 weeks, Girly takes 3 good daytime naps (7a-9a, 10a-12p, 1p-3p) when she is at home. She usually takes a shorter nap in the 4p-6p window and then usually sleeps from about 7p-8:30p in her swing before her last feeding. Then, to bed!
We are blessed.
There are sure to be trials and tribulations to come (weaning from the swaddle and pacifier, for example), but we are all happy and rested for now. Life is good.
My primary goal before I had the Girl was to get her to sleep through the night before I went back to work. Although she is a darling, growing, healthy child - this is my proudest achievement to date.
Disclaimer: There are MANY ways to parent your child and MANY opinions about the best way to do it. The bottom line is this - if you are parenting your child with love and your techniques work for your family, then you are doing the right thing. What was best for my family may not be best for your family. Here, however, is what worked for us.
As background, all of our friends have delightful children. Two in particular, however, had children who were excellent (truly, excellent) sleepers from very early on. They primarily followed the methods described in Babywise and I knew that we would try to make this work for us when we had a child of our own. There is a lot of controversy about this book online. I'm not really sure why - I think the critics probably didn't read it. At the end of the day, books don't make you do anything to or for your child. They are tools to help parents figure things out. You can't follow them blindly - you have to use the information and put it in context with your child and family.
I read Babywise during the middle of my pregnancy and then again closer to delivery. I have re-read parts of it over and over. I have found it to be extremely helpful, along with much of the information on the Chronicles of a Babywise Mom blog. The Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child book was also recommended by several friends and I have found it to be a nice supplement to Babywise. Some of the details are different, but they are overall quite similar and the Healthy Sleep Habits book is more detailed about sleep and covers challenges throughout childhood, not just infancy.
We really started from the first day on focusing to get the Girl to take full feedings. She was SO sleepy in the hospital that this was a challenge. We also didn't "room in" in the hospital. This is a personal preference, but I thought it was better for us to try to get some sleep for 3 days before we came home. The Girl was in our room all day and then in the nursery at night, but still brought back in every 3 hours to eat.
She slept in her room in her crib from the first night home. Our room is only a few feet from her room and we used the monitor and heard every sound, but it helped to eliminate another transition from a bassinet to her crib later on.
I firmly believe some kids are born sleepers and some are not. Fortunately, our Girl is of the sleeping variety. My friends both said that they could tell their children would respond well to Babywise. I had no idea what they meant until we had a child of our own and I figured it out ... you will just know if and when they are ready to respond to some sleep training.
As you might expect, it is EXHAUSTING to get up every few hours with your new baby for feedings. I religiously set our alarm clock to wake the Girl to eat every 2.5-3 hours for the first 2 weeks. She literally NEVER woke to eat during the night on her own (and rarely during the day, for that matter). I realize that this likely made our sleep training easier than for those babies who wake up screaming in hunger, but it was our reality.
Many books and specialists will tell you that "by the clock" feedings should be avoided and that you should read your baby's hunger cues and feed on demand. On-demand feeding was not an option for me: 1) the Girl was not demanding and wouldn't ever eat if I left it up to her, and 2) I didn't want to become a pacifier. I really needed to set a schedule for her because she wouldn't do it on her own. This is not to say that I didn't feed her if she appeared to be hungry and she wasn't due to eat "according to the clock". In truth, I still wake her for most feedings even at 13 weeks old.
Once I felt confidant that the Girl was growing (had regained her birthweight and then some) I let her go up to 5 hours at night between feedings, or whenever she woke on her own. (This is measured from the time you wake them to start feeding until the next time you wake them to feed. This does not equal 5 hours of sleep for you!).
Her first night of sleeping 4 hours was at about 12-13 days, and then her first night of sleeping 5 hours was at about 15 days. Her first night of 6 hours was between 3-4 weeks and her first night of 7 hours was at about 5 weeks, and this is for an exclusively breastfed baby. She certainly went back and forth over time, but I knew we could expect her to begin sleeping longer.
By about week 2 we started following the eat / wake / sleep cycle as best as possible. It is hard to keep baby awake for long at first. We also set her first morning feeding at 6:00am (the time we would need when I went back to work) at about 1 month. It probably should have been done earlier ... I had the Girl on a pretty consistent 3 hour schedule, but it was never the same 3 hours because we woke up at a different time each day. She became much more predictable when our days always started at 6:00am (give or take 30 minutes).
You may not believe it, but you really will learn to understand your baby's sleep cues and figure them out sooner rather than later. (The Girl yawns, sneezes and yelps). As described in both Babywise and Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child, your baby should be taking 1.5-2 hour naps and should not be awake more than 2 hours at a time. Our Girl would never stay awake more than 2 hours. Once I really paid attention, her optimal awake time was more like 50 minutes from the time she woke up until she needed to go back down for a nap. Practically, this meant she woke, fed for about 30 minutes, was awake for about 20 and was back in bed. This awake time will lengthen with age, but we are still at about an hour or an hour and 10 minutes at 13 weeks.
About the time we became consistent with the 6:00am waketime, I worked on actively getting her to sleep when it was time for her to nap. The "5 S's" in Happiest Baby on the Block were useful for this to help to establish the pattern of eating, waking, sleeping.
Our days were great, but bedtime and night feedings became exasperating for me. The Girl would feed great and would appear tired, but would just lay in her crib and NOT SLEEP. We played the game of bouncing, shushing, and replacing the pacifier over and over and over again. She wouldn't scream, but would squawk and grunt and whimper. Before you knew it, you were awake for 2 hours in the middle of the night just trying to get her to sleep and that 6:00am feeding would be right around the corner. My coping skills were wearing thin ...
Now for the controversy ...
I felt the Girl was ready to "cry it out" at about 6 weeks. (For us, this meant allowing crying to fall asleep at naptime and bedtime. We would still get up if she cried during the night to eat, but we let her cry when we put her back in bed to sleep). She had been so easy going and cried very little and really seemed to respond to our schedule. I understand we were lucky! We pieced together a plan that worked for us - started on a Friday night when no one had to work the next day. We planned our naptime and bedtime routine: swaddle, pacifier, rock for 5 minutes, then in bed. We agreed to let her cry 5 minutes and then check and re-plug with the pacifier and walk out. Then 10 minutes, then 15 minutes. You and your partner MUST both be in agreement that this is the right thing and the right time for your family. The crying is hard to listen to and you don't want to cave 20 minutes in. (Note: I did listen to all of the crying rather than leaving to go outside or something. It may frazzle you, but you do learn what the crying means - tired, hungry, mad...)
Girly cried for a total of 1.5 hours the first night, off and on. We also committed to ALL sleeping in the crib from the day we started - naps and bed. I was prepared for a few days of crying at naptime, but she miraculously never really cried when being put down for naps. Her crying at night was always less after the first night, but some nights were better than others. I don't know exactly when it happened, but by 12 weeks (6 weeks after we started) she generally goes down for all naps and bed without a peep. She is sleeping about 9 hours at night consistently.
A few tips:
- If we had the right pacifier for her (see Pacifier post) it might have made the crying even less from the start. There was a lot of crying when the pacifier fell out of her mouth only seconds after we put it in.
- Develop a nap routine and a bed routine that you can stick with. Our routines are generally the same, but we add a book at bedtime. The nap routine especially should be something that is brief and can be done other places, like if baby naps at grandmother's house, for example.
- We initially had rocking for 5 minutes in our nap and bed routine, but cut it out after a week or so. This is such special cuddle time for parents, but I don't think it is as important for baby and you run the risk of training them to sleep ONLY with rocking. My great wise friend suggested rocking when you wake up - genius! Still gives you cuddle time and doesn't interfere with sleep training.
- Despite how I've written it, our Girl is not the perfect child. (She is close to perfect, though!). From close to the beginning her evening nap from 7p-9p was dicey and she would scream and scream and we would end up getting her out of bed and putting her in the swing. My wise friend again suggested we just start with the swing at that time of night to avoid the scene. Swings are OK for sleeping as long as your child doesn't NEED it to sleep. The Girl does fine in her crib at all other times, so this is our solution for now.
At 13 weeks, Girly takes 3 good daytime naps (7a-9a, 10a-12p, 1p-3p) when she is at home. She usually takes a shorter nap in the 4p-6p window and then usually sleeps from about 7p-8:30p in her swing before her last feeding. Then, to bed!
We are blessed.
There are sure to be trials and tribulations to come (weaning from the swaddle and pacifier, for example), but we are all happy and rested for now. Life is good.
Diapers!
I confess - I am a diaper snob.
Those Pampers people know what they are doing when they stock hospitals with little newborn diapers.
You will go through diapers like crazy! I like Pampers best for the Girl and Huggies wipes. I tried to scour coupons and deals to find the best price and it turns out that Sams Club has huge boxes of diapers and wipes for a great price - better or equal to the best deal you would ever get (with coupons) at Target or the grocery store. Much less hassle for me. My time is much more valuable now.
Also, the Pampers Sensitive Swaddlers (Newborn) have a little line on them that turns blue when baby is wet. It is surprisingly hard to tell if newborn diapers are wet.
For those of you who like the challenge, Baby Cheapskate has all kinds of tips and tricks about buying diapers.
Those Pampers people know what they are doing when they stock hospitals with little newborn diapers.
You will go through diapers like crazy! I like Pampers best for the Girl and Huggies wipes. I tried to scour coupons and deals to find the best price and it turns out that Sams Club has huge boxes of diapers and wipes for a great price - better or equal to the best deal you would ever get (with coupons) at Target or the grocery store. Much less hassle for me. My time is much more valuable now.
Also, the Pampers Sensitive Swaddlers (Newborn) have a little line on them that turns blue when baby is wet. It is surprisingly hard to tell if newborn diapers are wet.
For those of you who like the challenge, Baby Cheapskate has all kinds of tips and tricks about buying diapers.
Bath time
The Girl loves her bathtime! It was certainly stressful at first - those wet babies are slippery! - but it is fun now.
Our first several baths were sponge baths next to the kitchen sink. The Girl did not appreciate those, although it got slightly better when I learned to leave the water running - she liked the noise.
After we moved to the baby tub, it was great! We still use a baby tub in our kitchen sink because we don't really have any counter space in our bathrooms and I am trying to save my knees and back as long as possible before transitioning to the real bathtub.
We use this tub and it has worked very well.
I love the Aveeno babywash (smells so good!) and lavendar lotion. We use Cetaphil for faces and Aquaphor for crackly hands and feet.
Several friends gave us big fluffy hooded towels for the Girl - work much better than the thin baby ones. I do like baby washcloths, though - gentle for faces.
Our first several baths were sponge baths next to the kitchen sink. The Girl did not appreciate those, although it got slightly better when I learned to leave the water running - she liked the noise.
After we moved to the baby tub, it was great! We still use a baby tub in our kitchen sink because we don't really have any counter space in our bathrooms and I am trying to save my knees and back as long as possible before transitioning to the real bathtub.
We use this tub and it has worked very well.
I love the Aveeno babywash (smells so good!) and lavendar lotion. We use Cetaphil for faces and Aquaphor for crackly hands and feet.
Several friends gave us big fluffy hooded towels for the Girl - work much better than the thin baby ones. I do like baby washcloths, though - gentle for faces.
Feathering your Nest
Planning the nursery is tons of fun and the first thing I started dreaming about. I'm sure all first time parents want it to be just perfect, but there are a few things I've learned and would have done differently.
Be sure you have a clock in the room where you will be breastfeeding. I nursed the Girl in her room at night and needed to time her feedings. Our first night home I was struggling to check the time on my cell phone while I handled her - stupid.
Have some type of soft light in the room where you will feed at night. A little nightlight wouldn't have been enough for me to see to change a diaper and feed, but I didn't want to turn on the overhead light.
We also went out to get a cool mist humidifier soon after coming home for a little white noise in her room.
I have been happy with our glider, but I could have also considered just a comfy chair. We didn't rock much - more bouncing and patting that could have been done in any chair. Also, we got the smallest glider we could find due to the small size of our nursery. It is a little hard to fit the Boppy and the baby in the chair to feed - should have tried it out first.
Bumpers are so cute! But also, so NOT necessary. Our Girl is a wiggly one and we took the bumpers out after 1 week. Sad, but safe. This was after HOURS of deliberating over the perfect fabric to have them custom made. Again, stupid.
Also, on the topic of bedding, it is challenging to put sheets on baby mattresses! We do, however, layer a big waterproof pad, then a sheet, then another pad and another sheet. It helps with middle of the night sheet changes if you only have to strip sheets and not re-make the bed.
Be sure you have a clock in the room where you will be breastfeeding. I nursed the Girl in her room at night and needed to time her feedings. Our first night home I was struggling to check the time on my cell phone while I handled her - stupid.
Have some type of soft light in the room where you will feed at night. A little nightlight wouldn't have been enough for me to see to change a diaper and feed, but I didn't want to turn on the overhead light.
We also went out to get a cool mist humidifier soon after coming home for a little white noise in her room.
I have been happy with our glider, but I could have also considered just a comfy chair. We didn't rock much - more bouncing and patting that could have been done in any chair. Also, we got the smallest glider we could find due to the small size of our nursery. It is a little hard to fit the Boppy and the baby in the chair to feed - should have tried it out first.
Bumpers are so cute! But also, so NOT necessary. Our Girl is a wiggly one and we took the bumpers out after 1 week. Sad, but safe. This was after HOURS of deliberating over the perfect fabric to have them custom made. Again, stupid.
Also, on the topic of bedding, it is challenging to put sheets on baby mattresses! We do, however, layer a big waterproof pad, then a sheet, then another pad and another sheet. It helps with middle of the night sheet changes if you only have to strip sheets and not re-make the bed.
Pacifiers
I wasn't sure about using a pacifier, but the tiny piece of plastic has become a new best friend. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends them to reduce the incidence of SIDS, but also says to wait to introduce them until 1 month of age if mom is breastfeeding.
We started with the Soothie pacifier (at about 3 weeks) because the hospital uses them and I heard that a lot of people loved them. While the Girl sucked on it just fine, it is pretty heavy and kept falling out of her mouth. We quickly got to playing the game of putting her to sleep with the pacifier and it falling out seconds later. Plus, it is round and easily rolls out of the crib and on to the floor.
We had been given other pacifiers as gifts and I was contemplating trying another one when some good friends confirmed that babies really need a "pacifier try-out". They told me to buy several different kinds and have the Girl try them - they said she would just "slurp" in the one she liked best. Who knew?
At 8 weeks we finally had the trial. We started with the RazBaby Keep-it-Kleen because we had them. A HUGE improvement over the Soothie, but kind of hard to put in her mouth with only one hand. After trying the Mamm, Avent, Gerber and Gerber Nuk .... the winner is ... Gerber Nuk!
It used to be that the Girl would wake up around 5:00am and we would try to give her the paci to buy a few more minutes of sleep. It might have worked for 3 minutes. The first morning with the Nuk, it bought us over an HOUR. Worth a million bucks!
We started with the Soothie pacifier (at about 3 weeks) because the hospital uses them and I heard that a lot of people loved them. While the Girl sucked on it just fine, it is pretty heavy and kept falling out of her mouth. We quickly got to playing the game of putting her to sleep with the pacifier and it falling out seconds later. Plus, it is round and easily rolls out of the crib and on to the floor.
We had been given other pacifiers as gifts and I was contemplating trying another one when some good friends confirmed that babies really need a "pacifier try-out". They told me to buy several different kinds and have the Girl try them - they said she would just "slurp" in the one she liked best. Who knew?
At 8 weeks we finally had the trial. We started with the RazBaby Keep-it-Kleen because we had them. A HUGE improvement over the Soothie, but kind of hard to put in her mouth with only one hand. After trying the Mamm, Avent, Gerber and Gerber Nuk .... the winner is ... Gerber Nuk!
It used to be that the Girl would wake up around 5:00am and we would try to give her the paci to buy a few more minutes of sleep. It might have worked for 3 minutes. The first morning with the Nuk, it bought us over an HOUR. Worth a million bucks!
Bottles
I am guessing that most people have very strong opinions about the bottles they use. There are so many choices out there and I tried to research what would be the best. I chose to go bpa-free because, well, why not?
The Adiri bottle seemed to be the latest and greatest. They are pretty pricey compared to other bottles. While the idea is interesting, I generally found them exasperating to use. Mine always leaked and it was a hassle to transfer milk from the Medela bottle that I pumped into to the Adiri bottle. When I searched online for opinions on these, people either loved or hated them. Checkmark hate.
I found that the Medela bottles work best for us. I can pump directly into them, eliminating a step. They are inexpensive, easy to read and easy to use. Medela now makes 8oz bottles, too, but they are only in glass and some daycares have a no-glass policy.
(fyi - Dr. Brown's, Evenflo and Green to Grow bottles also fit the Medela pump)
The Girl was never gassy, so we didn't try out the Dr. Brown's due to all the parts, but I know lots of people like them.
The Adiri bottle seemed to be the latest and greatest. They are pretty pricey compared to other bottles. While the idea is interesting, I generally found them exasperating to use. Mine always leaked and it was a hassle to transfer milk from the Medela bottle that I pumped into to the Adiri bottle. When I searched online for opinions on these, people either loved or hated them. Checkmark hate.
I found that the Medela bottles work best for us. I can pump directly into them, eliminating a step. They are inexpensive, easy to read and easy to use. Medela now makes 8oz bottles, too, but they are only in glass and some daycares have a no-glass policy.
(fyi - Dr. Brown's, Evenflo and Green to Grow bottles also fit the Medela pump)
The Girl was never gassy, so we didn't try out the Dr. Brown's due to all the parts, but I know lots of people like them.
Nipple Confusion
My general opinion is that nipple confusion is a bunch of hooey. I'm not a doctor or a lactation consultant, but I think the majority of children will be able to transition between the breast, bottle and pacifier if given the opportunity at the right time. (And my pediatrician agrees, thankyouverymuch).
I've certainly read and heard about kids who refuse all bottles, or only take one obscure bottle or pacifier, but I don't think that will be true for most.
Let me tell you about my experience with the Girl (or, a case series of 1).
We didn't start a bottle or pacifier until about 3 weeks old. We chose not to give her a pacifier in the hospital, but really it was just a snap decision. "Do you want her to have a pacifier or not?" they asked. Not, we said. There was no good reasoning behind this decision. It did help, however, that the Girl was so content and didn't require much pacifying.
We were fortunate that she latched and fed well pretty quickly. By the time we were home from the hospital most feedings went OK, and by the end of the first week we were on our way.
We introduced the bottle at about 3 weeks. Despite much hemming and hawing on my part, she did just fine - sucked it down. She did fine when we changed bottle types on her about a week later - didn't even act like she noticed. Once baby is feeding effectively (baby is gaining weight and peeing and pooping well), I wouldn't hesitate to introduce a bottle. My breastfeeding class said for Mom to leave the house when Dad gives the first bottle of breastmilk because the baby can smell the Mom. Again, I vote hooey.
I held off on the pacifier until after the bottle. Again, not for any good reason, but because she didn't really seem to need it. Eventually it came to be that the Girl liked to wake from her naps early and it was a little difficult to get her back to sleep. The pacifier really seemed to help with these sleep transitions.
She still transitions among all three with ease.
I've certainly read and heard about kids who refuse all bottles, or only take one obscure bottle or pacifier, but I don't think that will be true for most.
Let me tell you about my experience with the Girl (or, a case series of 1).
We didn't start a bottle or pacifier until about 3 weeks old. We chose not to give her a pacifier in the hospital, but really it was just a snap decision. "Do you want her to have a pacifier or not?" they asked. Not, we said. There was no good reasoning behind this decision. It did help, however, that the Girl was so content and didn't require much pacifying.
We were fortunate that she latched and fed well pretty quickly. By the time we were home from the hospital most feedings went OK, and by the end of the first week we were on our way.
We introduced the bottle at about 3 weeks. Despite much hemming and hawing on my part, she did just fine - sucked it down. She did fine when we changed bottle types on her about a week later - didn't even act like she noticed. Once baby is feeding effectively (baby is gaining weight and peeing and pooping well), I wouldn't hesitate to introduce a bottle. My breastfeeding class said for Mom to leave the house when Dad gives the first bottle of breastmilk because the baby can smell the Mom. Again, I vote hooey.
I held off on the pacifier until after the bottle. Again, not for any good reason, but because she didn't really seem to need it. Eventually it came to be that the Girl liked to wake from her naps early and it was a little difficult to get her back to sleep. The pacifier really seemed to help with these sleep transitions.
She still transitions among all three with ease.
Books
I am the kind of person that likes to read EVERYTHING about every topic, but sometimes it gets to be a bit much. Especially when it comes to pregnancy and parenting and the gajillions of theories and opinions out there. (And, now look at me, adding my own!)
When I was pregnant I got my hands on lots of books quickly - What To Expect, A Girlfriend's Guide, etc. - and then quickly became overwhelmed and stopped reading all together.
I've tried to be a little more selective with this new parenting thing.
In the 3rd trimester I began reading about getting your baby to sleep (!) as this was one of my greatest concerns. The two best books I read were Babywise and Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child. I found that Happiest Baby on the Block wasn't as helpful for sleep tips, but did have good soothing techniques (the 5 S's).
For new baby, I have liked Your Baby's First Year: Week by Week and Your Baby's First Year by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
And, if you are in search of the best baby book, here is my strategy: I am transferring our digital photos to http://www.blurb.com/ to make a book for the Girl each month. (Yes, this is ambitious). It allows you to customize it and add text and it is pretty inexpensive for the 7x7 inch book. This eliminates the need for scrapbooking or printing and transferring photos to albums. I will put all of the miscellaneous items (cards, artwork, etc.) into archival boxes for storage. Finally, my mom got me this cute little journal - Baby's Journal - that is perfect to jot down ALL of those cute things.
When I was pregnant I got my hands on lots of books quickly - What To Expect, A Girlfriend's Guide, etc. - and then quickly became overwhelmed and stopped reading all together.
I've tried to be a little more selective with this new parenting thing.
In the 3rd trimester I began reading about getting your baby to sleep (!) as this was one of my greatest concerns. The two best books I read were Babywise and Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child. I found that Happiest Baby on the Block wasn't as helpful for sleep tips, but did have good soothing techniques (the 5 S's).
For new baby, I have liked Your Baby's First Year: Week by Week and Your Baby's First Year by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
And, if you are in search of the best baby book, here is my strategy: I am transferring our digital photos to http://www.blurb.com/ to make a book for the Girl each month. (Yes, this is ambitious). It allows you to customize it and add text and it is pretty inexpensive for the 7x7 inch book. This eliminates the need for scrapbooking or printing and transferring photos to albums. I will put all of the miscellaneous items (cards, artwork, etc.) into archival boxes for storage. Finally, my mom got me this cute little journal - Baby's Journal - that is perfect to jot down ALL of those cute things.
Gear: Inital Thoughts
After the first week of living with the Girl, here were some of my thoughts on baby gear:
Changing Pad:
This is the changing pad we got and I have been very happy with it. It doesn't require a pad or cover which is KEY because I find that it gets poop all over it on a regular basis. I can just wipe it out with a wipe and be done with it. Otherwise, I would be washing changing pad covers a few times a day.
Pack and Play:
It was a very lovely gift and has proved so useful. We primarily use it as a changing table downstairs, for now, but it will be great to contain the Girl as she gets more mobile.
Carseat accessories:
I registered for a little fleece "snuzzler" and a cover for the car seat (December baby). Ultimately, though, our car seat came with both of these accessories. Check out what comes with your carseat before you pick any of these things.
Boppy:
This is the single most useful item so far. It is great for breastfeeding (although a bit akward with a small baby), and the Girl naps in it propped on the couch.
Swing:
We borrowed a swing and it has been a HIT! Some kids apparently don't like them, but it is like crack for our Girl. She doesn't, however, want anything to do with the vibrating chair.
Swaddling:
I found a lot of helpful tips in The Happiest Baby on the Block, and Swaddling was one of them. My friend Carrie gave us some great swaddling blankets, and I also like the Swaddle Designs blankets. At night, I'm still not confidant enough in my swaddling skills, so we use the SwaddleMe wraps to make sure there aren't any loose blankets by the Girl's face.
Changing Pad:
This is the changing pad we got and I have been very happy with it. It doesn't require a pad or cover which is KEY because I find that it gets poop all over it on a regular basis. I can just wipe it out with a wipe and be done with it. Otherwise, I would be washing changing pad covers a few times a day.
Pack and Play:
It was a very lovely gift and has proved so useful. We primarily use it as a changing table downstairs, for now, but it will be great to contain the Girl as she gets more mobile.
Carseat accessories:
I registered for a little fleece "snuzzler" and a cover for the car seat (December baby). Ultimately, though, our car seat came with both of these accessories. Check out what comes with your carseat before you pick any of these things.
Boppy:
This is the single most useful item so far. It is great for breastfeeding (although a bit akward with a small baby), and the Girl naps in it propped on the couch.
Swing:
We borrowed a swing and it has been a HIT! Some kids apparently don't like them, but it is like crack for our Girl. She doesn't, however, want anything to do with the vibrating chair.
Swaddling:
I found a lot of helpful tips in The Happiest Baby on the Block, and Swaddling was one of them. My friend Carrie gave us some great swaddling blankets, and I also like the Swaddle Designs blankets. At night, I'm still not confidant enough in my swaddling skills, so we use the SwaddleMe wraps to make sure there aren't any loose blankets by the Girl's face.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Breastfeeding: Clothes for Mom
I know, I know ... it's a breastfeedingpalooza around here ...
As any pregnant mom knows, her shirts get smaller and smaller as the bump gets bigger and bigger. And, it isn't only the belly that grows ...
There are only so many times one wants to buy "the next size bigger, please" -
I thought I was being very clever in buying nursing bras for my 3rd trimester. Multitasking! Turns out, not so clever. There just isn't a good way to predict what size bra you will need. Good nursing bras are expensive - don't waste your money on the wrong size.
I have worn nursing tank tops almost exclusively since having the Girl. Easy access and comfortable. My favorites are from Target. I had an expensive Medela one that shrunk a ton. I hated the ones from The Gap - only a tank top, no bra inside.
I really like these nursing PJ tops from The Gap. Get dark colors - leaks show less.
For "real" clothes, I find that cardigans with a nursing tank under, or wrap-style tops work best. Actual "nursing tops" aren't usually all that attractive and I kind of put them in the maternity clothes category - something that serves only one purpose and probably isn't worth the money.
As any pregnant mom knows, her shirts get smaller and smaller as the bump gets bigger and bigger. And, it isn't only the belly that grows ...
There are only so many times one wants to buy "the next size bigger, please" -
I thought I was being very clever in buying nursing bras for my 3rd trimester. Multitasking! Turns out, not so clever. There just isn't a good way to predict what size bra you will need. Good nursing bras are expensive - don't waste your money on the wrong size.
I have worn nursing tank tops almost exclusively since having the Girl. Easy access and comfortable. My favorites are from Target. I had an expensive Medela one that shrunk a ton. I hated the ones from The Gap - only a tank top, no bra inside.
I really like these nursing PJ tops from The Gap. Get dark colors - leaks show less.
For "real" clothes, I find that cardigans with a nursing tank under, or wrap-style tops work best. Actual "nursing tops" aren't usually all that attractive and I kind of put them in the maternity clothes category - something that serves only one purpose and probably isn't worth the money.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Breastfeeding: Accessories
I am a firm believer in the benefits of breastfeeding, but understand that it is not the right decision for everyone. Or, that not every mom and every baby will be able to make it work despite their best efforts. While I intend to breastfeed as long as it works for us, it isn't always easy. The right tools make a difference!
The Freestyle Medela Pump is probably the best baby-related purchase I made. It is more expensive than their other pumps, but is super-portable, which was my primary concern. I haven't used other pumps for comparison, but I swear that some of my friends are jealous of this little thing! I didn't even realize that you often have to plug in other pumps (mine is battery operated and rechargeable) and that other pumps didn't have timers. Mine has 2-phase expression, which is very effective. I travel between 3 different offices and find myself moving around the house with this thing - definitely worth it.
If you will be pumping a lot, or pumping at work, get at least 2 sets of the breastshields (SoftFit are best) and extra pump membranes and back caps. (I have 4 sets). Otherwise you will feel like you are sterilizing parts all day.
I use the microwave sterilizer bags and they work great, for the most part. Once milk has been in the fridge in a bottle, I think the milk fat doesn't clean off the sides of the bottle in the sterilizer - use the dishwasher.
Get a milk storage system for your freezer - we use this. Once it is full, I transfer the frozen milk bags to Ziploc Snap n'Seal rectangle containers - they are the perfect size. Also, freeze your milk in 2, 3 or 4 oz. portions so it is easy to thaw and make the right size bottles for your baby without a lot of waste.
Milk storage bags: I was using Medela, but they are pricey and Lansinoh are similar for a little less money.
Dry Erase pen! Sounds strange, but pick up a narrow-tip one at the grocery store. It works great to label the bottle caps in the fridge so you know what day you pumped and when it needs to be used by. Also works well to designate bottles for daycare if you go back to work.
Breast pads: I have used the Medela cotton ones and they have worked fine and are a little more economical than the disposable ones (but are thick and will show through some shirts). I've read that a lot of people like the Ultra Thin Lansinoh disposable pads. I also really like Lilypadz. I have two sets at a time so one can be washed while I am wearing the other. Works well for me to contain leaks. They last about 2 months.
Combating soreness the first few weeks ... I used lanolin every time baby ate and also used Soothies for several days with a cracked nipple and it helped immensely.
TMI? Get used to it!
The Freestyle Medela Pump is probably the best baby-related purchase I made. It is more expensive than their other pumps, but is super-portable, which was my primary concern. I haven't used other pumps for comparison, but I swear that some of my friends are jealous of this little thing! I didn't even realize that you often have to plug in other pumps (mine is battery operated and rechargeable) and that other pumps didn't have timers. Mine has 2-phase expression, which is very effective. I travel between 3 different offices and find myself moving around the house with this thing - definitely worth it.
If you will be pumping a lot, or pumping at work, get at least 2 sets of the breastshields (SoftFit are best) and extra pump membranes and back caps. (I have 4 sets). Otherwise you will feel like you are sterilizing parts all day.
I use the microwave sterilizer bags and they work great, for the most part. Once milk has been in the fridge in a bottle, I think the milk fat doesn't clean off the sides of the bottle in the sterilizer - use the dishwasher.
Get a milk storage system for your freezer - we use this. Once it is full, I transfer the frozen milk bags to Ziploc Snap n'Seal rectangle containers - they are the perfect size. Also, freeze your milk in 2, 3 or 4 oz. portions so it is easy to thaw and make the right size bottles for your baby without a lot of waste.
Milk storage bags: I was using Medela, but they are pricey and Lansinoh are similar for a little less money.
Dry Erase pen! Sounds strange, but pick up a narrow-tip one at the grocery store. It works great to label the bottle caps in the fridge so you know what day you pumped and when it needs to be used by. Also works well to designate bottles for daycare if you go back to work.
Breast pads: I have used the Medela cotton ones and they have worked fine and are a little more economical than the disposable ones (but are thick and will show through some shirts). I've read that a lot of people like the Ultra Thin Lansinoh disposable pads. I also really like Lilypadz. I have two sets at a time so one can be washed while I am wearing the other. Works well for me to contain leaks. They last about 2 months.
Combating soreness the first few weeks ... I used lanolin every time baby ate and also used Soothies for several days with a cracked nipple and it helped immensely.
TMI? Get used to it!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Labor (?) and Delivery
I had planned (ha!) to go into labor at home in the evening or on a weekend so I could be certain to get everything we needed. It would be a nice, orderly procession to the hospital. It would surely be after my due date, but definitely before Christmas - it was my first, you know. I would be in charge.
In reality, our girly arrived via an un-planned, semi-emergent cesarean section at 38 weeks. In the middle of the work day. On a Wednesday!
I had hemmed and hawed for weeks about what to pack for the hospital - Googling for THE PERFECT list. In the end, it was all for not as our bag laid empty on the floor of our bedroom when the call came. My husband, bless his heart, was able to follow my chicken scratch notes from the described Googling and gathered most everything we needed in record time.
While all you really NEED is yourself and your significant other, there are quite a few things that make the experience a little nicer. I started with this and this and added or subtracted as I saw fit.
Some highlights:
- Your own pjs - pants and a top for breastfeeding
- Your own underwear and pads - the ones they give you at the hospital seem like ones from the 1950's and you probably will want something different
- Nursing bra or tank top (I like these the best)
- A robe for walking the halls
- Bring chapstick - you will need it
- A camera, of course, and our laptop was nice to have. We brought our iPod, but didn't really listen to it as I didn't spend a lot (or any) time in labor.
-Some lists say to bring snacks, but our hospital had a room full of all kinds of snacks and drinks for new parents
- Going home clothes for baby (newborn size unless you are having a giant)
- Pillows for you and Dad
- Comfy clothes (and a change of clothes) for Dad
- Good smelling shampoo and soap
- Warm socks with anti-slip bottoms
- Going home clothes for Mom - try to buy something new that is stretchy and will accommodate your post-delivery belly, but at the same time is not the dreaded maternity clothes
Also, my two cents on delivering a baby: There is no trophy at the end. Whichever way that baby gets out, you have a BABY at the end and that is what is important. Everyone is certainly entitled to their own wishes about having that baby. While my mother and I may have had a tiny disagreement about epidurals, I will say that my nurse in L&D asked about my thoughts on pain management and I told her I wanted an epidural and she said "Good for you - it is the only civilized way!"
Further, regarding birth plans, BAH! As my doctor eloquently stated, "The plan is to have a healthy baby and a healthy mother". I agreed. Surprisingly, being one who loves lists and planning, I never saw the need for a birth plan. Good thing, as it would have been a waste of my time.
In reality, our girly arrived via an un-planned, semi-emergent cesarean section at 38 weeks. In the middle of the work day. On a Wednesday!
I had hemmed and hawed for weeks about what to pack for the hospital - Googling for THE PERFECT list. In the end, it was all for not as our bag laid empty on the floor of our bedroom when the call came. My husband, bless his heart, was able to follow my chicken scratch notes from the described Googling and gathered most everything we needed in record time.
While all you really NEED is yourself and your significant other, there are quite a few things that make the experience a little nicer. I started with this and this and added or subtracted as I saw fit.
Some highlights:
- Your own pjs - pants and a top for breastfeeding
- Your own underwear and pads - the ones they give you at the hospital seem like ones from the 1950's and you probably will want something different
- Nursing bra or tank top (I like these the best)
- A robe for walking the halls
- Bring chapstick - you will need it
- A camera, of course, and our laptop was nice to have. We brought our iPod, but didn't really listen to it as I didn't spend a lot (or any) time in labor.
-Some lists say to bring snacks, but our hospital had a room full of all kinds of snacks and drinks for new parents
- Going home clothes for baby (newborn size unless you are having a giant)
- Pillows for you and Dad
- Comfy clothes (and a change of clothes) for Dad
- Good smelling shampoo and soap
- Warm socks with anti-slip bottoms
- Going home clothes for Mom - try to buy something new that is stretchy and will accommodate your post-delivery belly, but at the same time is not the dreaded maternity clothes
Also, my two cents on delivering a baby: There is no trophy at the end. Whichever way that baby gets out, you have a BABY at the end and that is what is important. Everyone is certainly entitled to their own wishes about having that baby. While my mother and I may have had a tiny disagreement about epidurals, I will say that my nurse in L&D asked about my thoughts on pain management and I told her I wanted an epidural and she said "Good for you - it is the only civilized way!"
Further, regarding birth plans, BAH! As my doctor eloquently stated, "The plan is to have a healthy baby and a healthy mother". I agreed. Surprisingly, being one who loves lists and planning, I never saw the need for a birth plan. Good thing, as it would have been a waste of my time.
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