FEB 2010 August thread - Page 2

[Lauren31]

Originally Posted by flavorfull1

Lauren, what disposable to you use? We did kissaluvs onesize diaper with a prefold or insert and a cover and he peed through it in a couple of hours. I tried an overnight diaper and he peed through that really quick but it was fisher price brand bc it was cheapest .

We just pick up whatever is cheapest bc honestly we use it only for traveling. So we got the luvs size three. I really like them, which surprised me! They aren't overly scented and contain leaks well. I hate the huggies bc they are like plastic to me. Pampers are pricy for some reason and are very scented.

[flavorfull1]

We are at the beach! Wohoo! I am having to be a good mommy and stay inside instead of playing in the waves right now because Malachi needed a nap. Poor guy, he seems to have the sniffles and he is really loving hanging out with all of our family so he does not sleep. Now they are on the beach and I am inside In other news that is great, found a diaper "cream" that works with cloth diapers. It more like heals his dried out skin and keeps away more diaper rash. It is the diaper rash and thrush stuff from Motherlove. I LOVE it and it is working in like two days. So, we don't have to go the disposable route now, back to kissaluvs!
As far as PKU, we got the testing done, pretty sure it is required in NC to have metabolic screening. I hated getting his heel stuck but it really seemed like the best for us. We, however, have not done any vaccines yet and I would love to wait until two years but it might be just one since DH is not as comfortable waiting until 2 yrs with moving to NY. I dunno, we will see!

[Ambystoma]

PKU: We did it-actually, we went in to the hossy lab when he was 3 days old especially for the NB screen. Not sure if it was required or not here, and I hated for him to have the heel stick, but saw no other reason not to have it done. I wanted to get it done.

Vax: none yet. I want to start at 6 months, DH wants to wait till 1 year, so I'm waiting to make him more comfortable. I think it will realistically be 9 months-ish. We've decided on DTaP, polio, MMR(when it' time), and chickenpox if he doesn't get it by age 12. Other vax, like HepB and meningitis he will decide if he wants in middle school.

[Nicole730]

I'm pretty sure we did the PKU. Midwife took blood from DDs heel the day after she was born. She never got the hearing test though.

Okay, so off topic, but I cannot stop crying. I just read about a little girl who was diagnosed with leukemia at the beginning of this month and she died today. She was 8 years old. Her parents took her in a few weeks ago because she was sick and now she is gone. So, so sad. As I'm reading her story, my little boy keeps running out of bed and laughing instead of sleeping -- Tonight he gets another long hug and more kisses.

[Lauren31]

Today, DD was at the doctor- she is 6 months and 20.5lbs and almost 28 inches!!! WOWSERS!! haha, so we got her shots that we are doing this month and we are ready to go on our cruise! Now I just need to pack. LOL.

Oh and--We definitely did PKU before we left the hospital (we left on the 4th morning, they keep you hear a while after a normal birth), it's a pretty important test and imho it's silly to not to do it.

[N&M]

HappiLeigh and hapersmion, thank you for the reassurance! She really has a taste for paper--we have to watch her every second!

Midwife did PKU 3 days after dd's birth, if I remember correctly.

Nicole730--that is so sad . I can't imagine what those poor parents must be feeling. It certainly does put things in perspective. Which I need right now because I am stressing out.

Last week, our ped decided he heard a "click" in her left hip and wrote a prescription for a ?bilateral ultrasound on it, to rule out hip dysplasia. He also referred us to a pediatric orthopedic dr. to have him read the ultrasound. I wasn't thrilled about this, but I figure, it's just an ultrasound, not an x-ray or anything, and hopefully it will rule it out so I don't have to keep worrying. Well, our appointment was today for the ultrasound. The office just called to tell me that my dd is over 5 months, and the ultrasound tech said the test won't show anything because she is too old, and they won't do it. She suggested I call my dr. and see what he wants to do (like an x-ray). I feel NO WAY are they zapping my dd's midsection with an x-ray machine on the off chance she has this condition. I'm getting myself more and more worked up the more I think about it! And of course, the ped. doesn't get in until 9:30 today, so I have to wait to speak to them.

Anyone have any experience with this that can help calm my fears?

Lauren, enjoy your cruise--it sounds fantastic!

[NicoleS]

I looked up hip dysplasia, and it seems like it is pretty treatable if you catch it early, they may or may not outgrow it if left untreated, and waiting to treat it can cause them to walk with a limp and have problems with pain later on. So I would do the x-ray personally, but that's just me. Could you see the orthopedic doctor first and get his opinion before going for the x-ray?

[N&M]

Thanks NicoleS!

I spoke to my ped--he said bypass the test and just go to my appointment with the specialist. Which isn't until the 25th, unfortunately. And no, they can't squeeze me in or wait list me, as he is overbooked already. So, we wait...

And, yes, it does seem pretty treatable, but (and here is where that perspective needs to come in!), I hate the thought of harnessing/casting my very active dd who is sitting up and just starting to make crawling motions. I know, perspective, so many babies and mamas have so much more going on. But I can't help it, ya know?

[NicoleS]

Maybe you can use the next two weeks to do some research on the topic? See if there are alternative treatments, risks of not treating, etc. so that you can be informed when you talk to the specialist? Is the brace something they wear 24/7? I know my friend's DS was born with club feet, and had to wear a brace for a long time (I think until 2 years?). However, after the first few months he only had to wear it at night.

I think making decisions like these are some of the hardest as a parent. We all obviously want to do right by our kids, but that doesn't make the right answer always an easy one to find. I remember crying on the way home from Athena's PT appointments (she was diagnosed with torticollis at 2 months old). I had to put on a "happy face" during the appointments, because the therapist said if Athena picked up that I was upset/stressed she would become stressed as well, but it was so hard to do because it was torture for her. She would scream the entire time - so bad, that our therapist would cut our sessions short some weeks. But in her case, leaving the torticollis untreated (it was bad enough that her head was misshapen and one ear was pushed about an inch further forward than the other) would have been a lot worse than the therapy.

[aramat]

PKU - I just figured since the disorders are mostly hereditary, and after two babies with boringly negative test results, probably Juju is safe. Maybe it is silly, but they actually didn't even push for it during Juju's 16 days in the NICU, whereas I DID get a funny look about declining Hep B.

N&M, if it helps at all, Juju's pedi heard some clicking in her hip when she was a week or so old, and they ran the U/S on her, and it was nothing. They said, "sometimes clicking can be normal." Hope you get some answers soon!

[Snapdragon]

N&M I know my chiropractor also works on babies. I would suggest finding a good chiropractor in your area who works on babies and having them see what they can tell about your baby. It seems like a less invasive way to find out more info.

[hapersmion]

We get the PKU, since the test is so unlikely to have lasting side effects - I had to go to several different places to find someone who'd do it, though! They just aren't used to homebirths in this area. No vaccines yet, I'm happy about that. I'm supposed to re-examine a few shots, like DTaP, at 6 months, but by then the biggest pertussis risk will be gone, so I'm thinking we'll probably wait until at least 2.

I'm getting so excited about starting table foods at the end of the month (or so)! I'm still trying to decide what food to give first... I started DS1 with rice cereal like everyone says to do, but once he tried other foods he never ate it again. You'd think it would remind him of delicious cardboard, since he seems to like that so much... It seemed pretty wasteful to have all those boxes of baby cereals (since I got all the kinds) just sitting there never getting eaten. So, hmm, what will be your first food (not counting accidental feedings - DS1's real first food was SYRUP, because my dad thought that would be funny and didn't ask me!) I know there was a mothering article about this a few months ago, maybe sometime last year... I need to look it up.

[Nicole730]

I'm not sure what DD will eat first. I have let her taste a few things - mostly fruit.

I want to do a veggie first and I want to do BLW and have it be something fresh from the garden (or farmer's market) - so maybe zucchini? Or some other squash. I still have some research to do I guess. Maybe carrots, if they are ready. DD will be 6 months on Sept 5th, so I have some time yet. She'll have to conquer the pincer grasp before then too.

Lauren - what a big girl you have! Have fun on your trip!

[Ninetales]

I'm thinking of offering Elsa peaches at the end of the month. I'm not sure what vegetable I'd choose, since nothing we grow is what I'd want to use for a first food, except tomatoes, but Kellymom suggests holding off on those.

[aramat]

I like this site: http://www.babyfood101.com/food/ Juju likes everything she's tried so far -- rice (whole), an olive, avocado, black beans, and a bite each of carrot & bell pepper just to try. My first daughter's first food (@ 9-10 mos) was banana w/breastmilk, and she HATED it!

Haven't weighed Juju lately but, at 7.5 mos, she is wearing sizes 12-18 mos! I'm guessing she's about 20 lbs now, but she still "supplements" breastfeeding w/at least 50% formula (hopefully less when we start solids in earnest). Formula must have a lot of sugar in it, I guess? Blech.

[Nicole730]

Originally Posted by aramat

I like this site: http://www.babyfood101.com/food/

nak

awesome - thanks

[Ambystoma]

DS is 5.5mo now and 28 1/4 inches long! Haven't weighed him in a bit, (he's not super-chubby except in the legs) but in 9-12 mo clothes. Feety jammies have to be 12mo+ because he's so long. He's a giant

[Hunnylocs]

Hello Feb 2010 Parents, this is my first post on the MDC. My DD turned 6 months old yesterday (Aug 8). She's a baby phenom. She's been sitting unassisted for about 2 weeks now, rolls like a log to get her toys, wants to put everything in her mouth, smiles at everybody, and has taken well to solid foods. She's incredibly curious. She's starting to lift her hips up too, and trying to combat crawl. I could go on and on, I'm a first time mom, I'm at home with her, she's EBF and wears Bum Genius 3.0s. We're having a great time. She doesn't sleep completely thru the night, she's usually sleep between 7:30 & 8:30pm, wakes at 3am and 6am for a quick feed, and then finally wakes up by 8am.

I can't believe how fast time is passing, she's already 6 months old, and this time last year, I was nearing the end of her first trimester.

Today we went to the clinic for a check-up, we live in Angola, so the well baby visit wasn't exactly what I would have experienced in the US. She had two vaccines today- Penta and Prevnar. We have followed the recommended vaccine schedule by the CDC and the AAP. I just try to monitor her for the milestones listed in the AAP book, Caring for Your Baby and Young Child and Dr. Sears' Baby Book since I'm not able to see our usual ped in California. According to those books, DD is right on track. I only have one concern through, she did not gain any weight from month 5 to 6. She's 13.5 pounds, 10th percentile. She grew 3/4 of an inch from month 5 to 6- 24.5 inches (10th percentile), and her HC was 16 3/4 inches (50th percentile) She BFs all the time, on demand, lots of letdown, and I still have engorgement about once a week, so I don't think my milk supply is an issue. I never seen signs of hunger with her. We started solids last week with Tasty Baby Rice Cereal, she's also had avocado and butternut squash. Loved all of it. I guess I'm wondering if I should be concerned that she didn't gain any weight this month, she's longer, and her HC is fine. If I weren't looking at any of these numbers I would say DD is definitely thriving, I just wonder about her tiny size. My mom tells me I was a tiny baby too.

Thanks for reading.

Hunnylocs

[OlyR]

been gone way to long....

happy to "see" all of you again and hear about your babies!

[Perdita_in_Ontario]

Hunnylocs - nice to meet you! Don't panic about her size or her not growing for a month. She's very likely just readjusting her growth curve. My DD did the same thing - our ped was very doom and gloom and "you are losing your milk, you must supplement" (I didn't). She was at 5th percentile for height and weight at one point at about 3 years. She's just a small child, and if the ped had taken the time to listen, she'd understand that my DH's side of the family are all shorter than average (I'm the same height as the tallest man at 5'8" - the women are all much shorter). She's up to 25th for height now, but she's never going to be big. But she's feisty!

DS is doing so well. He's 17.5lb and filling out 12mo clothes (what a change from DD). He's doing really well with EC (CD backup). We are going to try solids on his "et-demi" (french for half) birthday - probably banana to be like his sister. He's got the milestones - he can sit straight in his high chair, he has the pincer grasp, etc. I did cave and give him a couple of tastes of applesauce on my finger last week and he was clamouring for more - I didn't take it as a sign for physiological readiness but looks like he wants to!

He learned to wave yesterday and was waving at everyone! I love this age.