The island is deserted and the golden birth stool has been awarded. Weekly thread, May 16 - 22 - Page 3

[Dena]

Originally Posted by rhiOrion

My song for the baby is to the tune of Shake Your Booty.

Shake shake shake
shake shake shake
don't shake the baby
don't shake the baby!

Snoopy My standard for the snot sucker is if baby can't breathe well enough to nurse. Otherwise I just leave her alone. She hates it and I figure the screaming takes energy away from what she needs to heal. Hope your dds feel better soon!

Jen Hoping the chiro helps.

Originally Posted by rhiOrion

Ummm, looking at a bunch of these smilies: just made my milk let down.

WTH.

Rough night last night. The babes didn't want to wake up to nurse at the same time, and were up a LOT anyway. I sort of lost it around three a.m. Finally at four I handed off Maya to dh - she wasn't fussy, just awake and I couldn't go to sleep while she was wiggly. Fortunately, this doesn't phase dh, who can sleep through a train wreck. So he was downstairs with her while I passed out with Hannah upstairs.

Hannah had her first shower last night. She seemed to like it - she keep stretching her little legs out in the water and flexing her feet. Tonight I am hoping to do hand and footprints. Sad that we haven't gotten to that yet. Sigh. I guess this is just what happens with third and fourth children.

Stopped for a triple shot latte this morning. Yay for Starbucks.

Ok, on to work and pumping my right breast. It suddenly doesn't want to make much milk, which means no one wants to nurse on it much, making a vicious cycle. Hoping to pump it up a bit today. Literally.

I do have a pic of me with both babes in the carrier - I'll try to post later.

[jsh7809]

I can't believe we're all off the island?! Where does the time go?

I'm not one to look a gift baby in the mouth - but mine slept from about 10:30pm to almost 3am without waking! Then up for a feeding, burping, etc., and back down till after 6! Then asleep 8-9, and then she just took another short nap in her vibrating chair while I showered! For the first time I had to kind of wake her up to feed so my boobies didn't burst (after letting the overflow spill into a cup).
This is in addition to her usual pre-bedtime "naps" (fakeout bedtimes) from about 8pm on.
I think she's growing! And getting enough hindmilk! We are very happy and she is feeling so much easier to care for!!

I was going to start the Vitamin D at 2 months, too. Maybe I should start it now after all...

Anyone else have a funny shaped nipple (mine's a little inverted) that causes the milk to shoot several inches in an arcing spray when your breast is full? It's kind of funny but so messy... baby gets sprayed all over and I feel kinda bad.
I showed DH and he was like, "stop that!", like I can control it!

[rhiOrion]

mine randomly lets down all the freakin' time. but at least my supply is pretty average, so i don't soak through the pads

[sew_crafty_girl]

That's great Jess!

[smeisnotapirate]

Yeah, my letdown is pretty random and pretty often too. With the thrush, though, it's become much less often, which is good because it hurts so much when it happens.

I know I'm lucky to have gone through DS's entire infancy without having had a single case of mastitis, blocked ducts, or thrush, so I'm taking it now (and hoping that it's another 2 years before anything else happens).

But YEOWCH.

Our CVS ordered gentian violet for me and it'll be in tomorrow. Then it's time to paint us all purple and hope it helps.

[finn'smama]

Originally Posted by rhiOrion

Ummm, looking at a bunch of these smilies: just made my milk let down.

WTH.

My mw and doc recommended the vit D right away, but I still haven't picked any up.
As for babies with colds, Henry is actually just getting over his second if you can believe that! It's been a bad spring here for sickies, so he didn't stand a chance. I will say that we only had two bad nights with both colds and then he seemed to be able to breathe much better and never a fever or anything, and I never bothered with the snot sucker. I do drop breastmilk or saline solution in his nose which doesn't bother him and definitely helps to clear things up.

[jenfl]

So my parents barely batted an eye when we chose a homebirth. But going to a chiropractor? My dad's in total freak-out mode. This is making them push formula even more strongly... NOT what I want to deal with. Of course, it just makes me want to make breastfeeding work even more, just so I can avoid giving them the satisfaction.

How very grown-up of me... </sarcasm>

[rhiOrion]

Originally Posted by Dena

Ok, on to work and pumping my right breast. It suddenly doesn't want to make much milk, which means no one wants to nurse on it much, making a vicious cycle. Hoping to pump it up a bit today. Literally.

I do have a pic of me with both babes in the carrier - I'll try to post later.

i'm having the same issue and was wondering what to do about it. it's already the smaller boob, so i dont want to be even more lopsided!

[Dena]

Originally Posted by rhiOrion

i'm having the same issue and was wondering what to do about it. it's already the smaller boob, so i dont want to be even more lopsided!

fwiw, the right breast has always been the underproducer, and dd2 refused to nurse on it. I was pretty lopsided while I was nursing, but once she weaned, they evened out again.

[laughingfox]

Originally Posted by jenfl

So my parents barely batted an eye when we chose a homebirth. But going to a chiropractor? My dad's in total freak-out mode.

I hope the chiro magic works for you!

[krismarie]

Originally Posted by sew_crafty_girl

I'm not sure, krismarie. I have to look more inti it. Rightnow it's of an annoyance. Burning and mild shooting pain in between feedings.

and it's not yeast?? (maybe i missed this and you already said it) i've had shooting pain with yeast issues.

i'm not doing vit d...though my doc and mw never mentioned it. but i didn't do it with ds1&2. it is the thing right now! vit d vit d vit d

oh and i also shoot milk ALL over... i hope my computer is milk-proof cuz i've sprayed it several times while NAK

[jsh7809]

My right boob has always been smaller than leftie but now it is a really noticable difference... and the left one is the mega producer, but the right one is the one that spurts in an upward arc and hits the baby in the face. Oh boy!

Sme, sorry to hear about the pain! Hope it goes away soon.

[dogretro]

I caught a cold immediately after giving birth, then dd1 got it, then dd2 got it at one week old They no longer have the cold but STILL have lots of boogers, wtf? I found that Baby Simply Saline is awesome b/c it is a pressurized mist. One lil squirt in each nostril for dd2 helps some. I have also tipped her to the side & sprayed the heck out of one nostril & let it drip out the other.

Sara, I heard from a mom who had the thrush from hell (boob, mouth, and butt for weeks) that grapefruit seed extract works better than anything else, including GV and prescription drugs. You dilute it and can use it to swab the mouth, nipple, and bum.

I still haven't called about the chiro, whoops! DD2 can now nurse fine on my left side, so that has made me lazy. I still want to get her seen b/c if she has an alignment problem it's not like it magically went away, she just learned how to work around it.

[rhiOrion]

i keep catching L watching tv. at six weeks old.

and the bad mom in me is thinking, "well, she's not crying..."

this is how kids end up addicted to barney, isn't it?

[ivymae]

Originally Posted by rhiOrion

i keep catching L watching tv. at six weeks old.

and the bad mom in me is thinking, "well, she's not crying..."

this is how kids end up addicted to barney, isn't it?

We call it the flashy box. "Oh, mama, look at that flashy box, what is going on over there? Did she.. Oh no SHE DIN'T!"

We try to limit TV exposure for all the kids, but mainly because time spent in front of the TV is time wasted that could be spent doing something better. And since Monkey-see, Monkey-do, I try to stay off the computer and turn off the TV when the kids are around as well.
There is a great book "Into the minds of babes" about the TV-debate, and it does a good job of showing what studies are out there and balancing it against reality. There are days (weeks) when my kids watch a whole lot more TV than I would prefer, but knowing the science behind what is going on in their brains at least makes it easier to choose shows I am comfortable with. Thank god for DVR and 25 recorded episodes of Sesame Street...

Our silly song is to the tune of the Cat Dance.
Becky, you're a baby and you dance, dance, dance,
and you dance, dance, dance;
Beckarooni, you're a baby and you cry cry cry
and you cry cry cry;
Now your bouncing baby, bouncing bouncing weeeee

I have spontaneous letdown 363623452 times a day, and it still HURTS. Nearly 8 weeks out, and I still end up clutching my breasts and yelling when it happens. It's especially fun when the baby is asleep and my milk lets down (because I happened to glance at her). Wake her up? Pump? Put on a low cut shirt and tease my husband?

[GreenTeaGinger61]

Well my babymoon has just sucked badly We did get the apartment so we're moving Friday. I'm thrilled to be out. We haven't slept here since it happened. I'll be happy to sleep in my own bed again. Luckily Rowena is sleeping fairly well but I'm still just really tired But we do get to move so that's good. We were thinking we missed the apartment experience anyway. The constant pool, the lack of bugs, not having to take care of a lawn, etc. And I think I know who tried to beak in and I think they'll do it again. It upsets me a great deal as it's some kids we befriended last summer.

So now I get to move with a month old baby. I mean, what a baby moon. Company the first week, constant appointments the second, Dh losing his job, a home invasion. Sigh. Hopefully we got a streak of really great luck coming up. I just want to sit and stare at Rowena. Thankfully she's really mellow. She's up a lot more now but she has lots to keep her entertained The kids love talking to her. And lights are always a big hit with her.

Our baby song by the way is to chant: Rowena is the baby of the world." If you all haven't read "Julius: Baby of the World" I highly recommend it

[snoopy5386]

Vitamin D - we got a supplement from the pedi but haven't used it yet. I'm planning on starting in the fall with both DDs. When DD1 was born they suggested it, but it wasn't the big deal it is now. I had my levels tested while preggo and it was really low like 50% of where it should be which really surprised me since I hardly ever use sunscreen and am outside a fair amount in the spring/summer/fall. I also tend not to use sunscreen on DD1 unless we'll be out all day at the pool or beach or something. But outside in the yard, or at the park for a few hours where only arms/legs/face is exposed = no sunscreen for us. Luckily she's got my olive skin tone and doesn't burn. I'm going to get her Vitamin D levels tested at her 5 yr appt next year, but we'll supplement this fall/winter. Anyone know of any good, natural supplements?

RE: milk spraying/leaking? Anyone not leak? I've never leaked a drop of milk but I don't have low supply - I grow my babies just fine. With DD1 I had a mild bit of engorgement and that only would happen if she went all night without nursing on a breast. This time around no engorgement at all ever. Downsides of this are I can't really pump anything - today I got an oz total from both breasts with the left producing maybe 1/4 of an oz and when I try to hand express I literally get drops of milk and that's all. I also think this may be why I don't lose weight while BFing, I'm not producing enough to burn "extra calories".

[Knitting Mama]

I never get engorged, and I can't feel a letdown or anything, but I leak. Sucks, because I only notice when my shirt is soaked. Thanks, breast reduction. :/

[smeisnotapirate]

We don't have a song (I know, right? The music teacher not having a song. ), but I do this quick "NomiNomiNomi" thing (it sounds like a nomnomnom from I Haz Cheezburger) because we've nicknamed her "Nomi" (like gnome-ee). Toby thinks it's hilarious.

I cannot wait for tomorrow around 5. Relief, I hope.

And the leaking here is epic. Truly epic. Like when I take off my Lilypadz (which I can't use right now b/c of the thrush ), milk sprays across the room if I'm not careful.

[rhiOrion]

sigh, i think we've hit the 6 week growth spurt. i guess my birthday will be spent nursing a fussy baby all day long