herbal baths and weighing

[Illiana]

ok first i was looking at "in his hands" for the after ease and saw some different herbal bath mixtures. Has anyone tried these? Would you recommend getting them? This is number 2 for me so i'm concerned about after pains esp since they were pretty bad with number 1. but i really dont have any extra money so if its not goin to help i can't really justify getting it.

Also, How did you UCers weigh baby after the birth? I"m not concerned about weighing him immediately but would like to on the first day if possible. My friend who is a MW in training said to get a fish scale but i can't find any that are affordable. With DD i was always told to weigh myself, then weigh us both together and subtract my weight. But that was when she was older and bugging me about her not gaining fast enough. So I'm just wondering if that's accurate enough for a newborn. I'll have him weighed when I take him in for his initial visit but that wont be for a few days at least.

[Banana731]

I actually got the bath from that site. It was nice. I used it in a bath, and then made an infusion with some and used it in my peri bottle. If you are tight on cash though, warm water will do just as well. You can also make your own if it's more cost effective for you to get a hold of herbs locally. I make it with lavender, plantain, chickweed, and calendula.

The weight thing was my biggest issue with my UC. Everybody wants to know how much the baby weighs, and for some reason about 7lbs is just not enough info.

If I were to go back in time I would have tried to get one of those hanging dial scales.

if you're looking to go with something herbal to help with afterpains, I personally really liked catnip.

[BirdMum]

Just google 'spring scale' and you will find plenty that are under $15. The midwives that I had for my pregnancy & birth with DS used a very simple spring scale for weighing babies at home births - they just had a small sling that attached to the scale, and they'd weigh the baby then subtract the weight of the sling.


If you don't object to products made in China, there is a site called dealextreme.com where you can get things like hanging digital scales for less than $10. They have a HUGE amount of stuff on that site, and there's no shipping fees on anything - it just takes a couple of weeks to receive since it's coming straight from China.

[mataji4]

i had afterease on hand but didn't need it.

i ordered the sitz bath herbs from in his hands that was more expensive- it was great and abundant.

[lotusma]

i just bought this one and am hoping for the best. i did buy it from a midwifery supply place, but forgot which one. (i have the site bookmarked on my other laptop if you're interetsted.) same price, tho.

http://www.scales-n-tools.com/index....rack=jellyfish

[rajahkat]

If you're looking for sitz bath herbs, I really like earthmamaangelbaby. Or Mountain Rose Herbs sells organic herbs and you can mix your own, which is what I did for my last baby. As a matter of fact, I have a ton of the mix sitting in my closet, and I'm happy to share. PM me if you would like some and I'll send it your way.

If you want something for afterpains, many recommend afterease though personally it did nothing for me. I've had hideously strong, worse than labor contractions afterpains after my last four babies. They have me in tears. I resorted to Ibuprofen this last time.

I don't know if you have time to make your own herbal extract, but here is one from Demetria Clark (awesome herbal lady I met at a midwifery conference!)

2 parts motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)
1 part lavender flowers (Lavendula officinalis)
1 part chamomile (Matricaria recutita)
1 part cramp bark (Viburnum opulus)
1 part lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)
Use 20–30 drops two to three times a day.

Kat

[zapzipzee]

This is the scale I purchased. DH likes to fish, so I justified the price in him using it to weigh his fish after we use it for the baby. It shipped quickly, but you'll need to get some batteries.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ef=oss_product

[medicinemansgirl]

We are getting just a simple fish scale from Wal Mart or Academy much like the ones in the links provided. My question is this....and it's way stupid. But do you make something to hook to it? I'm thinking maybe like a little flannel receiving blanket and just sewing some round sling hooks onto the corners of it. I just can't ever quite seem to invision what it is I need to do but I know we've got to have something for the baby to be cradled in that will hook to it.

On the herbal baths...my favorite is "A Naturally Healthy Formula" by Shonda Parker. In His Hands has it for 8.50.

[onyxravnos]

normally i would weigh me then subtract babies weight but our scale was broken so we didn't weigh him until 4 days later, we just took ds into the peds office to be weighed. babies are little so you could also just take baby to the grocery store and put him/her on the produce scale.

[Illiana]

thanks ladies, i'll check around some local stores for a fish scale. and to answer medicinemangirl's question, yes from my understanding just get a piece of fabric large enough to hold baby and then subtract that weight from the total (if you know how much it weighs)

Rajahkat, i pmed you.