September 3rd Weekly Chat Thread - Page 3 « Back to Group Discussions

[CCoello]

Originally Posted by sallyrae17 

YES! I don't remember this happening with my first babe, so I'm not sure if it's permanent or not. LOL. I noticed, though, that I was super stinky while pregnant with my son and I wasn't stinky at all with my daughter (while pregnant: now I am).

I was super stinky this pregnancy - and I had a boy too. Interesting. It has occurred to me that I might just be more sensitive to my own body odor, since my husband doesn't think I'm stinkier, but either way it's annoying.
I have also been VERY gassy since I gave birth. I have wondered if someone stuck antibiotics into my IV when I wasn't paying attention. Or maybe it's just the beans I've been eating.

I need advice. My husband just got a job on the west coast after losing his previous job a few months ago (hooray!). This means we're moving ourselves, our possessions, our baby and our dog from coast to coast. HOW should we move the baby?

He will be about 7-8 weeks old, but not yet immunized (we plan to immunize fully, but he can't get his first round until after we need to leave).

Should we: A) all drive together in the car. We estimate this to be a 10-day road trip.

B) drive a few days, so that we can introduce the baby to my 90+yo grandparents in the midwest, then have the baby and I fly the rest of the way.

C) baby and I should fly, husband drives the car across solo.

So far Armie hates the carseat. In a few weeks this might change, it might not. We could be pulling over every 20 minutes to nurse, change, etc. Or I could pump and hand him bottles as needed. Or I could just pop him out of the carseat to nurse, because the chance of an accident during nursing is EXTREMELY slim. Really. Possible, yes, but incredibly slim. It could be a beautiful adventure - or it could be utter hell.

What would you do?

[iixivboots]

Some stuff that has made me laugh despite the stress of the past week or so:

http://www.pregnantchicken.com/pregnant-chicken-blog/2011/10/1/my-baby-wont-stop-crying.html

http://www.nickmom.com/more-lols/chart-who-do-i-love-more-mom-or-ceiling-fan/

Lyle is sleeping right now, which is a bit past his usual witching hour waking, we keep hoping we can break the cycle.

In other news, every time I try to stop taking (expensive!) floradix I feel so crappy and rundown it's barely possible to function. Today was rough, got another bottle. DH says it's like buying me a fine liquor it's so spendy.

Oh no, the beast is stirring.

[LilyTiger]

Boots, I looooooooove the thought of putting a tiny mustache on a screaming baby.  Every time I read that post I die laughing. 

CCoello, I don't know what I'd do.  That's tough.  Some days Piper is great in the car seat and other days she freaks out.  We have to go to Chicago next month, but I think we're taking an overnight train to avoid the car seat drama or the flying drama.  I wish you had that option.  Maybe doing half and half is the safest way to go.

AFM, We had our one month appointment today!  Craziness.  Piper is doing well on weight and length (she put on over a lb and a half in two weeks!) and is hitting all the usual milestones, so we're feeling good about things.  The doctor asked me how Piper sleeps and I said she's great at night.  She then asked about naps.  I looked a little confused, I guess, and told her that Piper doesn't really nap.  She'll sleep in the sling on walks, but otherwise, she's wide awake and staring at ceiling fans.  My doc seemed a little surprised, but said some babies just don't nap, which is unfortunate for me.  It does make it difficult to get anything done.  But overall, I consider myself lucky because she actually slept for 5.5 hours in a row last night.  Whoa!

We're debating the vaccine issue right now, since we'll have to decide before her two month appointment.  DH and I are leaning toward a middle ground between delayed vax and the usual schedule.  My doc said that some vax, like Hep B, you can safely wait on, while others like pertussis are more important for infants, so we might do the more important ones at the two month and hold off on the others until later.  It's so frustrating that there's so much information out there, I get overloaded. 

Otherwise, things are going well.  I'm going to take Piper in to work tomorrow just to say hi and maybe go to Marshalls to get a new pair of shoes.  I'm slowly learning how to function with a newborn in tow.  Now that she's a little more predictable it's a lot easier.  How's everyone else doing?

[Lizbiz]

CCoello - I would probably do the drive halfway and then fly the rest of the way option - especially to introduce your babe to your grandparents.  I'm not a fan of long roadtrips with babies in carseats - especially such little ones who need to nurse so often.  But, I've done some really long car and plane trips with all age ranges of kids, and the good news is that everyone survives - and babies eventually need to sleep - so they can't cry forever :).  And sometimes they even surprise you and do really really well.  

[sallyrae17]

Originally Posted by CCoello 

I was super stinky this pregnancy - and I had a boy too. Interesting. It has occurred to me that I might just be more sensitive to my own body odor, since my husband doesn't think I'm stinkier, but either way it's annoying.
I have also been VERY gassy since I gave birth. I have wondered if someone stuck antibiotics into my IV when I wasn't paying attention. Or maybe it's just the beans I've been eating.

I need advice. My husband just got a job on the west coast after losing his previous job a few months ago (hooray!). This means we're moving ourselves, our possessions, our baby and our dog from coast to coast. HOW should we move the baby?

He will be about 7-8 weeks old, but not yet immunized (we plan to immunize fully, but he can't get his first round until after we need to leave).

Should we: A) all drive together in the car. We estimate this to be a 10-day road trip.

B) drive a few days, so that we can introduce the baby to my 90+yo grandparents in the midwest, then have the baby and I fly the rest of the way.

C) baby and I should fly, husband drives the car across solo.

So far Armie hates the carseat. In a few weeks this might change, it might not. We could be pulling over every 20 minutes to nurse, change, etc. Or I could pump and hand him bottles as needed. Or I could just pop him out of the carseat to nurse, because the chance of an accident during nursing is EXTREMELY slim. Really. Possible, yes, but incredibly slim. It could be a beautiful adventure - or it could be utter hell.

What would you do?

We moved when my son was 8 months old. We flew and my partner drove all of our stuff. I never would have been in the car that long with a baby, but that's just me. My son was much older than yours, but I definitely recommend flying. Little babies do great in planes. If they cry, you just nurse them and they go to sleep. It's honestly not that bad! I wore my son in the moby wrap in the airport so I had both hands free and it was super easy!

[NewMumJoy]

LizBiz - nice to hear your update, sounds like you're getting a ton done over there!

JustChanti - nice to hear from you as well!  Glad that things are starting to settle in for you... I share the same sentiment about this DDC, especially as I've been living in a new place far from any friends/family throughout my whole pregnancy.  It's been great to have a place to share this experience and get some support!

Boots - I love the links!  Always a good laugh from Pregnant Chicken....I also enjoyed her breastfeeding rant (linked from that page), which I'm sure many others in this DDC could also appreciate!!  I hope Lyle is giving you some peace, mama.... soon, if not yet!!

CCoello - We're also moving cross country - w/baby, dog, possessions and everything!  We were supposed to move from Winnipeg to NYC at the end of this month, but we pushed it to mid October since I had an unplanned c-section, which set my recovery back a few weeks.  William will be 8wks old at that point.  We are driving the whole way (w/dog and baby) spending a few days w/DH's family in MI, then w/my family in MA.  The whole trip will be spread out over 2-3 weeks with a total of 4 days driving - that's my optimistic guess on the driving time as I have no idea how often (and for how long) we'll have to stop for feeding (right now William eats every 2hrs on the dot, and can take up to an hour and half to eat sometimes - so we could easily take more than 4 days!!).  I think I'll use the hand pump in the car so that we can alternate feedings w/bottle and breast and not have to stop as often....I'm completely unprepared for this relocation/trip and am worried that it'll wreak havoc on our already challenging BF'ing relationship!  In your case, 10 days on the road sounds like way too much - I would probably go w/your option B - I think you could survive a shorter road trip, and seeing your grandparents then flying sounds like a good compromise.  Just carry him in a wrap through the airport!

LilyTiger - Hooray for the 1 month appointment!  I am also completely unprepared for making any vaccine decisions, which is really haunting me right now since we'll be moving at exactly when William is due at 2 months.  I don't know which ones to take/forego/delay...whether to do any here in Canada, or wait until we get to the U.S. (add finding a new pediatrician to my to-do list!!)  I have family members who are very anti-vacc. so I hear a lot of scary stories from their point of view... yet we're moving to a busy, crowded, dirty, germy city.... so I need to find a good balance for us.  Of course, I had Dr. Sears Vaccine Book sitting on my table for the past 6 months and did I open it? ....And do I have the time (or a free hand) to read through it now, lol??

I've been flying solo again this week w/DH away for 6 days... I've made it through Day 3!!!  Each day is getting a little better and more manageable - but that's mostly because I've dropped all expectations of what should get accomplished in the day, until DH gets back home!  I'm figuring out new tricks to get small tasks done around the house (my ring sling and ergo are lifesavers) and we're continuing to BF better (I'm succumbing to this on-demand/cluster feeding).  Still running on very brief and sporadic blocks of sleep, and my "schedule" is completely abandoned - my new "normal" is up all night, in bed until 11am, breakfast at noon, lunch at 4pm, 2hr nap at 6pm and dinner at 10pm..... which is fine for now, since newborns are only "new" for so long, right??

[lakeruby]

Originally Posted by pennywhistle 

Is anyone else...smellier than usual?  Ever since I gave birth my body odor has been OUT OF CONTROL and it's getting really disheartening.  I'm trying to shower every day, and even so, within a few hours my armpits reek.  My husband has been very sweet thus far and claims that he can't smell anything, but it's really intense.  I'm still using the same products as before, so I don't understand.  Is this a hormonal thing?  Please tell me I won't stink forever!

yes!  me too!!

[Ninetales]

I'm super smelly too. 

CCoelo, whatever you decide to do, please don't take the baby out of the carseat while driving.  Small as the risk may be, it's just too much to take on.  Crashes are the number one cause of death, and even the most careful driver is vulnerable to everyone else out there who is drowsy, reckless, aggressive, texting, or drinking.  I'm completely against lap babies on planes but I'd recommend doing that in a second if the alternative is unrestrained in a car.  Just some food for thought - I definitely don't envy doing a move with a little one this age!  We drove about two hours to see my in-laws a few weeks ago and it was just shy of unbearable.  I think Elsa was probably seven or eight months old before long car trips became ok.

[NewMumJoy]

Smelly here..... but mainly because I've been alone for 6 days and haven't had a shower since last Sunday!!!  

DH was supposed to come home late tonight but his flight just got cancelled and can't get in until noon tomorrow (and then he has to go straight to work for a meeting).  I'm about to lose my mind!1!  I did SO well getting myself through the whole week alone - and I had just enough left to make until 11pm - now I have to do another overnight/morning/afternoon on my own, arghh!!  I've been holding out for that nice hot shower all week, I can't take this any longer!!!!!

[Veritas Vitae]

Smellier here too, but luckily I've had enough help to get in a shower on a regular basis. Now that B is headed back to work...I'm going to have to figure out the logistics of showers.  I'm interested in Tizzy's description of how she showers with her LOs, since Quinn seems to really like showers (and baths), since B is going to be out of town and won't be able to take the baby from me when I'm done washing her.

Joy, I'm sorry you have to wing it alone for a little longer. I know what a bummer it can be when you are expecting things to be a certain way (don't really know how to word this and NAK) and then plans change. I am not looking forward to B being gone next week...and the eight weeks after that. I'm glad he will at least be home on Sat and Sunday.

[sallyrae17]

Originally Posted by Veritas Vitae 

Smellier here too, but luckily I've had enough help to get in a shower on a regular basis. Now that B is headed back to work...I'm going to have to figure out the logistics of showers.  

You can totally shower with your babe, I did it with my son all the time. I just haven't had to do it yet with Baby M. I'm sure she'd love it, though, she loves water. The best way for me to take a shower with both kids is to put Baby M in the bouncer and have my son either take a bath while I shower (with me) or he plays in the basement while I shower in the basement bathroom. We have two bathrooms, so I have two options. I definitely learned how to take really fast showers when my son was a babe. I honestly don't know what I'd do without the bouncer. It's the best place to put my daughter aside from the wrap. I can eat dinner and she just sits on the table in the bouncer with us. She's not left out at all - I love it!

[CCoello]

I have taken baths with Armie and we have both gotten clean (except for the baths we aborted because he pooped in the water ... incredible). I can hold him on my legs while I wash my hair, etc. I have his seat ready to go next to the tub lined with towels, so when we are done I just pop him in it and then get myself out and dried. It works fairly well solo. I've been too chicken to try Tizzy's trick yet. I still can't really picture it.

[Tizzy]

LOL you're going to make me take pics, aren't you!  :-P

Somehow DH can shower with a baby while holding the baby the entire time but I find them way too slippery, and I've got long hair that I need both hands to wash!

[iixivboots]

Ugh. That's all I can say. The past 24 hour have sucked.

Previous to this I thought I had a UTI and started treating with antibiotics (pretty sure, symptoms went away) and I'm scared of thrush (Lyle and I are both on probiotics anyway) also, I had eliminated dairy to help with the colic and because we didn't think we saw a huge improvement and it just seemed random, I started eating dairy again.

Well last night was the worst ever. He just would NOT stop screaming and seemed so inconsolable and in pain. He wouldn't nurse, wouldn't sleep, etc.

Today he still seemed fussier than usual. He also has been sneezing more and coughing some, but his nose doesn't seem too plugged or mucousy. I took him out to a store (it's still freaking 93 here) and he got so sweaty in his car seat, then he was pretty much crazy for the whole rest of the afternoon/evening.

Of course DH decided to stay late at work. I was so mad and just crying. I had to set him in his basinette and just go in the other room, nothing I was doing was working and I was feeling so agitated. DH got home and put him in the sling and he calmed down. Pisses me off, I tried to put him in the sling and he just screamed and screamed.

I have no idea if it's a cold, thrush, dairy allergy, some other kind of reaction to the antibiotics I'm taking (I didn't take them today, which is kind of stupid) or just actually "colic" meaning there is no reason...

I just have not felt so upset and alone and desperate since right after he was born and he was in the hospital. I just felt like I couldn't do anything to help and I am just so tired and not feeling well myself.

We have a pediatrician appointment for Friday, we could go in sooner but we thought we'd seen if he was the same tonight. I haven't had dairy today.

I don't know, I just wanted to get out of the house and I feel like I made everything worse and he's just so upset all the time when he's with me. I feel like he prefers DH and all I am good for is nursing and half the time he fusses during that, too.

Honestly I am just dreading being alone with him again tomorrow. I have been fretting a lot about going back to work and wishing I could stay home but now I feel like even though I wish I could stay home I'm not even fit to care for my son full time.

[LilyTiger]

Boots, tons of hugs!!!!   I'm so sorry things have been so frustrating.  The fussiness is super difficult.  I hope the pediatrician has some words of wisdom for you.  It sounds like colic, which totally sucks.  I know it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but this kind of stuff usually gets a lot better by three months.  We don't have nearly your level of frustration, but it is pretty difficult having a baby (in our case) who pretty much has to nurse compulsively from 7pm to 11pm or she has a mental breakdown.  I think that kind of thing is pretty "normal" at this age.  I just wish it were easier.  I think you're doing a great job, and I bet Lyle does too.  He just doesn't know what he wants at this age.  And sometimes the best person to reduce fussiness in a stressed baby is the person who isn't freaking out too, so perhaps that's why Lyle seems calmer with DH.  I know there have been a couple times when I was on the verge of a breakdown and DH came in and saved the day.  And of course I resented it because I should have been able to do it.  But really, that's why we have partners -- because it's unreasonable to have to do it yourself.  I'm hoping this most recent issue is just a cold and that it will clear up for you in a day or two.  But I hope you know we're all here for you and most of us (at least me) has felt that kind of frustration at some point.  Everyone says it gets better, so try to hang your hopes on that.  I know it's hard. 
 

[NewMumJoy]

Awww, Boots - I am so sorry you're still going through this.  You poor things, both of you!!  I can't even imagine the toll it's taking after so many sleepless nights and wondering what's causing Lyle all his distress (I hope today went better for you!).  Hopefully you get some answers and good advice from your doctor this week, although I'm sure Friday still feels like a long way off at this rate.  And don't be hard on yourself for not being able to always soothe him as quickly as DH can sometimes (at least DH can pitch in some relief).  I'm sure that the "novelty" of a different person (any person) holding him is a big factor - not to be taken personally (easier said than done, I know!!)  You are doing such a great job and it WILL get better - hang in there!!!  Sending you big hugs....  

[Sol_y_Paz]

Originally Posted by sallyrae17 

You can totally shower with your babe

I tried this last night and it was a success.  I was not up for trying it solo, so one of us held his body under a gentle stream of warm water while the other washed him. 

[CCoello]

Okay, I'm totally trying the shower thing as we will be staying with inlaws for a couple of weeks and the only tub they have is in the bathroom off of the living room.

BTW, does anyone have any experience with mucous poo? It is still a bright yellow/brown color, NOT green, but definitely sticky mucous. Wondering if I should consider food allergies or if it's nothing to worry about.

Also, anyone else still have terrible hemorrhoids? Is there any treatment for them other than time? I am cleansing with witch hazel still, but everyday they are still very present and painful. It's the only childbirth wound I'm still dealing with, and I can't wait to get rid of it!
 

[iixivboots]

Originally Posted by CCoello 

Also, anyone else still have terrible hemorrhoids? Is there any treatment for them other than time? I am cleansing with witch hazel still, but everyday they are still very present and painful. It's the only childbirth wound I'm still dealing with, and I can't wait to get rid of it!
 

Here. I had them during pregnancy too. I really like Earth Mama Angel Baby Mama Bottom Balm, but maybe just because it feels good and not because it really heals them, but it might help? Fiber is the biggest thing for me. And I've had success with ice before, whatever way you can figure out!

Ladies, I'm worried Lyle has slept SO much today. What a problem to have for the mom of a colicky baby, right? He's on reflux meds now and I'm thinking maybe he's just a lot more comfy, but seriously he's only woken up to feed and get his diaper changed all day, after sleeping 6 hours through the night. He also has a pussy infected ingrown toenail. Ugh. We go to the doc again 10/3 so I'm not thinking it's worth another visit unless it continues...(both the sleeping and the toenail...)

[pennywhistle]

Originally Posted by CCoello 

BTW, does anyone have any experience with mucous poo? It is still a bright yellow/brown color, NOT green, but definitely sticky mucous. Wondering if I should consider food allergies or if it's nothing to worry about.
 

My nephew had this a few months ago (he's 6 months old now).  It started around week 4 or 5.  Turns out it was a lactose intolerance/allergy issue - my sister-in-law cut out dairy, eggs, and chicken and it cleared up.