April 2011 DDC thread! - Page 2

[pattimomma]

Wehrli - I would wait to start solids until at least 6 months old. You might want to suggest to your partner to check out the Kelly mom site as it has a lot of good info on when and how to start solids as well as why to delay starting them.

 

Mamapigeon- I know how hard it can be letting someone else take over baby care and do things differently than you do but it's so worth it. I really think my stepping back helps the bond between my husband and Abbey. I keep reminding myself that babies benefit from having a significant relationship with someone other than just mom.

 

This is probably a question for another thread but what is everyone doing about birth control. AF has yet to return so I haven't been too worried about it but I know that the 6 month mark is coming up. I am nervous about charting while nursing. I guess I should go post over there . . .  

[Blanca78]

Pattimomma--we've just been using condoms, all TWO times we've DTD since she was born. We are exciting, huh?

 

Thanks for the input on naps, all! It is still very up and down but her pattern seems to roughly be a couple of short naps in the morning/early afternoon, and then a super long one in the late afternoon. Yesterday was so frustrating. I tried really, really hard to catch her tired signs. Well, it didn't work because I spent an hour and a half on and off just rocking, bouncing, trying to nurse her (I don't think she was hungry because she kept turning away), to no avail. She finally fell asleep with me holding her in our bed, only to wake up 20 minutes later. I just gave up after that. I have realized I really need to try to stress less about it and admit that I can't control her sleep. So I am trying to go with the flow more. Anyway, she crashed and slept for three hours yesterday afternoon. I got to sleep too and felt so much better afterwards. Then, today, I thought the rocking just isn't working that well to soothe her and it's killing my back (she fusses if I try to sit down), so we'll try something else. I swaddled her and turned on the vacuum to shut out stimuli and guess what! She drifted off to sleep in her crib, with me just sitting by her and shushing, within 10 minutes! And slept 40 minutes and then fell back asleep on her own and slept another 40 minutes! And just now I got her to sleep again the same way! I really needed this shot in the arm.

 

Mamapigeon--I'm with you on stressing about others caring for her--I really want to step back and let DH do more but it's hard! Knowing that she CAN go to sleep on her own, without nursing, is huge--this means he may be able to get her down for naps, as well, and I can get out of the house for longer periods of time.

 

Anyone already sent her DC to daycare? We are going to be starting Eliza with someone (an in-home provider) three days a week in mid-September. I'm wondering if you have any suggestions for preparing her. She still won't take a bottle but we haven't been trying that hard so DH is going to practice with her a bit more. That's the main thing that's worrying me. Otherwise, I'm going to bring her by for an hour or two at a time to get her used to the provider before we put her in for a full day.

[mamapigeon]

Windymama- How awesome that you buried the placenta! I hope to get to do that someday, but for ds the placenta was kept by the hospital.

Wehrli- I've wondered about solids too! I planned on waiting until 6+ months, but I don't think Wyatt will let me! He gets really excited and sucks his little fists whenever I eat.

 

Pattimomma- We still haven't dtd, but we have condoms. I imagine by the time I'm interested, we'll be ttc #2. 

 

Blanca- I'm so glad you've found a way to get E to take naps! I bet both of you are a lot happier!

 

I agree with everyone that Wyatt needs to spend some time with other people, I definitely need a break too! Not quite sure how to go about it though, other than leaving the apartment. If I'm here, DH tends to pass Wyatt back to me after just a few minutes.

[mamapigeon]

Has anyone made any new mama friends? I think it might be time for Wyatt to be around other babes (and I'm going crazy for adult company), but I'm not really sure where to look for friends... I'm planning on going to LLL meetings soon, and maybe ICAN, but I don't just want to socialize occasionally. Any ideas?

 

I'm amazed that time is passing so quickly! Wyatt is almost 4 months! He's getting really good at rolling over and getting his arms out from under him. I'm thinking of getting him an exersaucer, but I'm not sure how good they are for babies. Anyone here use one?

[justrose13]

I'm also desperate for mama friends but have yet to find like minded folk aside from LLL meetings... and they are infrequent and I haven't clicked with anyone there yet.

I'm undecided about exersaucers and the like...

[windymama]

pattimomma - we'll be charting soon.  I've to reread TCYOF.  With my other two AF didn't return til 8 or 9 months and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's like that again.

 

mamapigeon - haven't had time to make any new mama friends :-(.  I've a few from the other kids but no one with a new baby and hardly any with 3 kids like me.  I've gone to LLL a couple times but I've always had something else come up for a meeting time.

 

DD2 likes her exersaucer.  It's like the jolly jumper - good in small doses but not long term use (or don't keep your kid in it for hours).  DD2 will stay in it for about 20-25 mins at a time.  I use it a couple times a day.  DD1 hated it though.  

 

DD2 is in a chewy phase.  Everything is now going into the mouth.  I'm wondering if she'll get teeth eariler than the other two...

[windymama]

2 kids in my lap = double post.  sorry.

[pattimomma]

Blanca- Abbey has been staying with grandma while I work since she was 6 weeks old. I was lucky not to have to use daycare this time. My older daughters adjusted fairly well to daycare but my boys took a long time to not cry every time I dropped them off. If stranger anxiety hasn't set in for your little one yet, it will probably be pretty easy, except for the bottle thing. I had one kid who just went to reverse cycling because he refused to take a bottle.

 

Wehrli- I have been thinking about the exersaucer too. My older kids loved it but I don't have one now and am iffy about spending the money since they out grow them so fast.

 

I have a few friends with babes and my sis is due in November but I don't have much time with work, grad school, and kids to hang out :(

[mamapigeon]

Maybe it's easier to make mama friends when babies are more interested in getting out and making some friends too? I'm looking forward to taking Wyatt to playgrounds soon! Too bad all of us are so far apart!

 

We got Wyatt a SuperSeat last night and it seems to be just what he needs! It has a base like a bumbo, but comes with an activity tray that can clip on. I haven't tried that yet, but he seems thrilled to sit up in the seat and look around!

[puddle]

Hi mamas! Found you again!

 

Mama friends -- I found a great group of friends after I had DD 4 years ago.  I met them all at LLL.  Really, what worked for me was just to start inviting a few mamas and their LOs over to my house.  Tried a couple of timwa and there was no real connection, but I kept trying and ended up finding an amazing group of women.

 

DS is awesome.  He's a great sleeper.  Wakes up about 3 times a night, but nurses and goes back to sleep.  He's a really happy little guy even though he's teething furiously.  Went in for his 4 month WBV yesterday.  15 lbs 10 oz, and 26.75" long.  He's so much bigger than his sister was!  He's rolling over back to tummy and grabbing at everything.  The other day we went out to eat and he managed to grab DH's water glass and dump it all over DH's lap.  He almost got a handful of my curry too.  I plan to wait until 6 months to start solids like we did with DD, but he's so grabby that he may manage to feed himself before then.  Hopefully not with curry.  I'm amazed at how much easier everything seems this time!

[Blanca78]

Hi everyone!

I've been away on vacation for the past week but have been checking in sporadically.

Mamapigeon and others--I also am really lonesome for mommy friends. Over the past three weeks or so I've been making an effort to find some, but it's tough to find people whom I really click with. I started going to a new moms group at a local hospital. The interaction is great and it's really fun seeing the different ages of babies (the group is for 0 thru 12 months) but it's a moderated group and there's not as much time for just fun social chit chatting and I'm not sure how much I have in common with all the others there.

 

I did really click with someone from my childbirth class--we got together a couple weeks ago. She has a toddler as well, though, so it was hard to have sustained conversation. Otherwise, I also met the wife of someone in my grad department--her son is about a month younger than Eliza. She's really nice and I hope we can get together soon--but I think I'm also having a throwback to some of my social anxiety from middle/high school. It's scary to be like, "Wanna be friends"?!

 

I look forward to when Eliza is old enough to take to playgrounds, etc. There is a "play cafe" near where I live. I went there with the toddler mom I mentioned above and it was bliss--lots of moms just hanging out, breastfeeding, chatting about their kids--but it's really aimed more at toddlers and up.

 

Pattimomma--thanks for the feedback re daycare. I think she will take a bottle eventually with some practice. DH got her to drink a little from a "Breastflow" nipple today, but it seems really slow/inefficient--she could figure out how to suck it but not much seemed to actually get into her mouth, and then she got frustrated. I tried a basic rubber nipple and she couldn't figure out how to suck on it, so I think the wide-base kind is the way to go. I'm going to pick up some Playtex Drop-Ins or something similar, because that's the one that seems most frequently recommended. Oh yeah, and RE exersaucer--does your sister live near you? Maybe the two of you could split the cost since hers will be ready for it after yours is done with it?

 

Our vacation went well. I was really worried about it. The first few days she did fine--slept like a champ in a borrowed pack n' play, even doing a couple of 8+ hour stretches! Then the last three days it went to hell--she was impossible to settle, super restless, waking up every 2-3 hours. I think it was a combination of overstimulation (grandparents and aunties playing with her nonstop, plus going in a swimming pool for the first time!), unfamiliar setting, and trying to roll over--she has been thumping her legs like crazy and rolling onto her side, but not all the way yet.  I can't believe I survived the five hour drive home, just me and her, and me on about four hours of sleep. But we made it somehow. Last night we were home again and it wasn't great, but much better--after several false starts she slept 5 hours and then another 2 hours, and then an hour after that.

 

Just since my last post, she has turned into a star napper. It is crazy. Just out of the blue she's been doing 1+ hour naps, and seems to have nearly mastered putting herself to sleep (!). I'm pinching myself--both times today it's been as simple as swaddling her and putting her in the crib, then she's out within 10 minutes. I'm sure my luck will change again, though. It is awe-inspiring, though, seeing the developmental leaps speed ahead. Also, I figured out her ideal "awake window" seems to be just about 2 hours on the dot. I think I was trying to put her down too early before and then getting frustrated when I couldn't get her to sleep.

 

Wehrli/Mamapigeon--I just busted out an (older) exersaucer my cousin gave me. We're going to try it at dinner tonight. I hate parking her places but sometimes I just need a moment, and since she will only let me wear her facing out it's hard to get things done with her on me (very awkward weight distribution). I look forward to when she'll let me put her on my back so I can do chores more easily with her attached.

 

Puddle--Congrats on a good WBV! What are his percentiles? I really have no concept of how much babies are supposed to weigh/how tall is "normal" at this age. Eliza seems huge to me--I am almost certain she's well over 15 lbs but I have no idea how tall. Our appointment is this Wednesday, so we'll see!

 

[puddle]

Originally Posted by Blanca78 

 

Puddle--Congrats on a good WBV! What are his percentiles? I really have no concept of how much babies are supposed to weigh/how tall is "normal" at this age. Eliza seems huge to me--I am almost certain she's well over 15 lbs but I have no idea how tall. Our appointment is this Wednesday, so we'll see!

 

He was around 75th %ile for weight and around 90th for height, but I have no idea if they're using the newer WHO charts or not. 

[Blanca78]

Well, I shouldn't have gone off on how great naps have been because for the past week sleep has been JUNK. Naps are still decent--at least one long one a day, most days--but nights have been pretty stressful. She just takes forever to settle, and then has been waking a LOT more frequently. I think it's the 4 month regression--anyone else seeing that? Just trying to ride it out...

 

Had our WBV today. At 18.5 weeks, she weighs 16 lbs 3 oz and is 25 + inches tall (I already lost the little sticker w the numbers and can't remember the exact height--bad mommy!). So she's in the 90th percentile for weight and head circumference, and the 75th for height. The doctor commented on how alert and interactive she is, and when E tried to eat the stethoscope, the doctor said, "My, you ARE an oral exploratory girl!" (E was basically trying to put everything in her mouth). It's a new doctor, and I feel good about it because the second she walked into the room E turned to her, smiled, and cooed. Interestingly, a med student had been in first to do an exam and E seemed indifferent, almost cold to him. So I think there really is something to babies sensing character.

 

So we are getting to the age where we really have to watch her more closely. We do vax and this afternoon E was playing on the floor. I looked up and saw that she had removed the bandaid from her thigh and was in the process of putting it in her mouth! Yikes!

[mamapigeon]

Yay for good well baby visits! We just got home from Wyatt's. 19lbs 10oz (98th percentile) and 27.5in (98th). Blanca, it's nice that E likes her pediatrician! I don't know what Wyatt thinks of his, not really any cooing or smiling for him. I was surprised that he didn't seem bothered for more than a few seconds by his shots, when he was 2 months old it took about 5 minutes for him to stop crying.

 

I'm also seeing some of the 4 month regression I think, or maybe it's just teething (still nothing through the gum though!?!?). Lots of fussiness and lack of consistent naps. Also, lots of hair pulling!   Blanca, how does E like the exersaucer?  I know what you mean about the social anxiety. I haven't tried to make friends in a long time and I'm not sure I remember how. I'm kind of scared that I won't be crunchy enough for a lot of the women at LLL.

 

Puddle- Awesome that you made friends at LLL with your DD. Do you think you'll try to make some more this time? 

 

Darn, Wyatt is really squirmy. I'll be back later.

[minkajane]

Hi everybody! Abby is 19 weeks now and to be honest she's driving me crazy at the moment. She's been incredibly fussy, not nursing well, not sleeping well, etc. But she does seem to be laughing more (though she'll only laugh at DS), which helps. She's laughed twice in two days, which is a lot more than she had been.

 

She has a well-baby check in two weeks. I'm worried about her weight. She was 7lb 5oz when she was born and now she's only 10lb 12oz. She's dropped from the 30th percentile to the 3rd. But she seems like she's satisfied after she nurses (until the recent fussiness), a 2.5-3oz bottle of milk satisfies her when I'm at work, and I pump ok. So I don't think it's that she's not getting enough milk. She just looks so SKINNY (except her chunky little thighs).

 

Milestone-wise she's doing well. Rolling over both ways, really close to sitting up on her own, very vocal and interactive, mouthing everything in sight, and smiling like crazy. Here her in the jacket we got for her at Build-a-Bear. When we realized it fit her, we just had to get it!

 

 

I'd love to see pictures of all the other April 2011 babies!

[pattimomma]

Minkajane- My Abbey is 21 weeks and weighs just a little over 12lbs and she was just a little under 9lbs when she was born. I have decided not to worry about it too much (although I use to worry a lot) since she is meeting all the milestones. We just have small Abbeys

[Blanca78]

Here's one of Eliza a couple weeks ago. She's pretty much outgrown the bouncy chair. We'll have to figure out somewhere else to put her while we're eating. She had her first half day at daycare yesterday and it went well--she managed both to nap and to take a bottle (though only 3 oz), so that's a relief! We're doing a couple half days this week to ease her in before she starts her regular schedule of three days a week next week.

 

MamaPigeon--she's just tried the exersaucer a couple times. I think she's still a little small for it (she kept sort of tipping over) but she was really, really into the toys--spinning them with her hands, trying to mouth them, etc. We also have one of those doorway jumper things and she seems to enjoy twirling herself around in it.

 

MinkaJane--that is hilarious about the build a bear jacket!

 

[mamapigeon]

Minkajane- Abby is adorable! I love the jacket!

 

Blanca78- E looks so cute! Her hair looks like it's super soft. I'm glad E did well at daycare

 

We finally ended up getting an exersaucer and Wyatt loves it! He likes leaning forward and bouncing in there. I'm thankful there's a toy that makes him so happy because we've been going through hell here with teething. None have made it through the gum yet and the 3 of us are not getting much sleep at night. Everything else is going well though. Wyatt is rolling over really well (especially to get toys) and is starting to pinch things between his thumb and index finger.

 

[mamapigeon]

Can anyone else here feel light fluttering or cramping in the uterus? What does that area feel like now for you?  I feel like I did when I was about 18-20 weeks pregnant...

[pattimomma]

mamapigeon- I have had some cramping during the past few weeks and my first PP AF started today.

 

I am still breastfeeding but I was thinking about going on the mini pill. I asked DH what he thought and he said it's up to you, it's your body.