January Thread « Back to Group Discussions

[purposefuldoula]

So, instead of a weekly thread, how about monthly since so many of us are busy busy with newbies? How's everyone doing? 

I wrapped Judah for the first time tonight! It was great and I can't wait to practice this week! Our local AP group has a sling library where we can rent carriers from so that's what I did tonight. In other news, his colicky-ness has toned down a ton and I feel like we are starting to get the hang of three. J was a month old on Sunday! I can't believe it's been a month already! 

Sweetestday- Just saw your belly on the belly thread! Soon mama!! 

[esp831]

Good idea Natalie!  We're awfully busy here too, running around after the teen and toddler with sweet nursing breaks.  It is nice for all of us to have time when we sit down and focus on the babe.  The rest of the day he's in the sling sleeping, he gets so calm and quiet when I put him in it, he knows it's sleepy time. 

I just joined a Seattle Baby Wearing group (they also have a library) and there is a meeting today.  I would love to take the littles but I am so paranoid of the baby getting sick!  It's rainy and cold so we rarely get out for walks or to the park and I feel terrible for my toddler, she's so cooped up.  But there is so much nastiness going around, I don't want to expose True.  I'm in a pickle!

Glad to hear Judah is feeling better, we've had less fussiness here as well and I'm finding it much easier to anticipate baby's needs.  It helps that he's a very mellow kid :) How is everyone?  Thinking of you all...

[hotsauce]

still pregnant.  40 weeks, 4 days.  I have nothing to do since my DP deep cleaned the whole house for me last night and set up 'labor land' downstairs in the living room.  It's a bed on the floor with a million pillows, candles everywhere, heating pad plugged in: nearby and gentle music all queued up and ready to roll.  :)  He thinks the baby will wait until the eleventh, which is our three year anniversary.  We'll see.  I've been losing tiny bits of my plug for two weeks now and since it all came out at once with my son I'm not sure what that means. I've also had a ton of pre-labor this time that I didn't experience last time.  I really need to stop comparing the two experiences because the last birth was pretty awful and my big fear is that I won't be able to let it go and stay in the present.  Oh well.  At this point the only way out is through, so wish me luck!  

[kel]

Pepper is 12 days old today - meaning this is day 12 in the house for me! 

It is cold snowy winter outside our windows and I've read that especially if baby is small that it isn't good to expose her to temperature extremes until at least a month old.  We have no car right now and its a 20 min walk downtown, so here we are - for another couple weeks I imagine.  I don't really mind, because I don't want to expose her to sickness anymore than she already is (with four other kids in the house - two of whom go to school) and dp was really sick for a while there.  I've just been taking emergenC daily and using the air purifier when it seems necessary and hoping we stay well.  I am looking forward to some social time toward the end of the month though - dp is in a local play then, we can start taking babe to weekly jazz nights downtown, and my bday is coming up in early February - sushi!

Pepper still hardly cries at all - I'm sure she's cried less than 10 minutes total these first two weeks.  She just wants me to hold her all the time and she's fine.  Diaper changes are really her only briefly unhappy moments!

I do wish daily that it was summer or that I lived somewhere warm!  I've also been suffering from a good deal of anxiety about dp possibly having to spend 30+ days in jail for driving without insurance (that is what the judge told him would be the minimum) - his court date is the 29th and I don't know if it happens right away or if it can be postponed or...  Also, his mom is wanting to come see the baby and she owns the house we live in and so pretty much feels like she can come when she wants and stay for as long as she wants - and I'm anxious about that, too, and about her wanting to hold the baby a lot - when Pepper really wants to nurse and be in the sling most of the time - and dp will be at work and play rehearsal and I'll have to deal with her on my own.  Maybe she won't even come, maybe he magically won't have to go to jail, but I've been worrying a lot about it - which isn't doing any good.  I'm already weepy enough right now just from hormones I think, and start crying anytime I think about him being gone for a month and me not having a car or any income right now - and him sitting in a cell for a month just because he couldn't afford insurance.  (sorry for the sob story)

xoxo 

hotsauce - your birth space sounds amazing!  I wish that we'd gotten our room totally ready like that - I honestly thought I still had a few weeks - the candles stayed in their box this time around! 

[Mamabeakley]

Kel, you're right that  it isn't doing any good to worry about it - but I can totally imagine being very worried!  When I have situations that I can't do anything about like that (and I've definitely had some) sometimes it helps to let myself worry about it for a set amount of time - and then make myself do something else.  (((hugs)))

Good luck, hotsauce!

Esp, hope you get a break in the weather soon! 

I am feeling all stressed out this evening after our first trip to the doctor . . . I wish I had a doctor who didn't stress me out and who I didn't stress out.  I think this office is better than some in that they are *trying* to accept my choices, but it kind of stresses them out that I'm not doing things 'their way'.  Today I got the vax talk, the co-sleeping talk, and the vitamin-D talk.  Ugh.  I am an experienced, confident, well-researched, educated mom and the choices I've made about these things are rational and reasoned.  The 'talks' were mild compared to what I hear other moms describe, but still . . ..  No, I am not going to take pertussis vaccine in case I expose my baby.  No, it is NOT more dangerous re: SIDS to co-sleep!  No, I am not worried that my light-skinned baby who will spend LOTS of time outdoors as soon as it's a little warmer will get rickets.  Bah.  Also, he tried to freak out about her head circumference.  After re-measuring he realized that actually it's in the 30-somethingth percentile, same as her weight so is 'probably okay' - but jeez.  He had just examined her and seen a totally alert, content, healthy baby.  I do have some sympathy for the guy - I am, after all, pretty much refusing  to let him do anything he thinks he's supposed to do - but I just don't want to deal with it right now.

Big breath.  The good news - she's gained 2 lbs and grew 1.5 inches at 1 month :-)  And despite the doctor's attempts to find something to treat, is perfectly healthy.

Things here in general are gearing back up - and I'm trying not to get overwhelmed.  DH's work schedule is picking up a little, DS1 is starting indoor soccer, our homeschooling co-op started this week, and I'll be going back to work (part-time, baby will be with me) week after next. 

[sweetestday]

It's been so fun seeing everyone else's babies! It makes me excited to meet my own soon...

I'm leaking water and I think losing my plug today, so we'll see what tonight brings. I'm feeling like I might just not stay pregnant forever after all!

[kaliki_kila]

Anyone have some advice on how to help a gassy baby? I have been bicycling his legs and that gets it out, but I wish I could prevent it from happening in the first place.

[hotsauce]

gripe water and infant probiotics plus massage and swaddling helped my son tremendously.  

[kaliki_kila]

Thanks... I did try gripe water but it didn't seem to make a difference for him. I will try the probiotics.

[segolilymama]

I think a monthly thread is a great idea :)

kel - so sorry you are dealing with stressful circumstances - or potential circumstances, anyway. Dh went through a crap-load of driver's license related stuff, and was threatened with jail time, too - he ended up just needing to get an SR22 which is expensive, but at least he didn't have to leave us! Hopefully you will have a similarly good outcome. Oh, and my unsolicited advice? Keep Pepper in the sling, and just constantly tell MIL 'she's nursing.' ;)

mamab - why did you go to the doc? I am personally a fan of 'just say no' when it comes to well-baby visits. Much less stress. BUT if you need to go (concern, insurance reasons, etc) it can be a pain to put up with all of those stupid conversations. I have BTDT, and it pains me to hear how ignorant most docs/nurses are about the actual research WRT co-sleeping, extended breastfeeding, etc. And then to know that they are passing that on to less informed mamas all the time... UGH.

Talysen is 4 weeks old today. He will be a month the day before our 3 year anniversary, which I had almost forgotten about (oops!). Glad my brain kicked in, though, DP would have had a hard time forgiving me for forgetting that. He has been amazing, but I know he needs his attention, too. I've finally almost finished writing up my birth story, hoping to post it today or tomorrow. One of his hematomas has cleared up, he is a generally calm, happy baby, but hates being changed. Probably because it's COLD. I don't think I would like being naked and wet, either. In fact, I know I hate it every time I take a shower!

[Mamabeakley]

Went to doc to establish care - I did the full schedule of well-baby with DS1 but not w/my other kids.  Don't intend to this time either but was a bit off balance at the point where the doc sugested returning in a month so didn't have a good line prepared.  I went ahead and set up the appointment mostly because DD1 (age 3) is getting her vaccines (we vax after weaning, for 3 things only) and I will be there with her anyway.  But I need to be firmer with the guy the next time - something along the lines of "I feel confident that we are able to monitor her growth at home and will come in promptly if concerns arise."  And probably try out some of the other docs in the practice (we moved just before I got pregnant, so we don't have a lot of history here.)

[AlaskAnne]

Torin had his month birthday a few days ago and he's still growing like a weed. I'd guess he's 10 lbs. he's outgrown the little red edge newborn prefolds!! He's a happy baby and getting more alert and holding his head up more. He had a litte bit of diaper rash but zinc oxide cleared that up. I've been trying to give him some diaper free time after each bath (every other day) - makes me wish I lived some place warm where he could do that out side in the sun.

AFM I've been super stressed about our house construction. My parents are here and they have been sleeping on the floor. Finally today is the day our master bedroom will be done and we can move back in and they can move to the guest room where we've been sleeping. Phew. It has been slow going bc DH is working full time, and my dad got sick. I would try to work on the room when bub was sleeping but let me tell u it's not very efficient when you have to change out of your grubby clothes and wash paint off your hands every hour and a half when the baby gets fussy! I was starting to feel really resentful of the project for taking over my precious maternity leave time (btw if one more person asks me "when do you go back to work" I'll scream!). Thank goodness at least this small part of it is done so we can sweep up the sheetrock dust and banish all the tools to the garage where they belong.

MamaB - I'm sorry you don't have an understanding ped. Can you find a new one? My midwife told me early on that if a ped made me feel bad about my parenting then I should find a new one. I thought that was good advice. Our ped is fine with delayed/no vax, cosleeping. She did recommend we suppl D and I agree since most ppl in AK and other northern climates are deficient. I'm taking 5000 ius a day and we give him a drop of liquid stuff about every third day ( when we remember to do it!).

Esp - I know what you mean about fearing sickness. My dad picked up a cold on the plane ride from Seattle and now I think I'm fighting it off. I just don't want bub to get it! Also doing the emergen c thing and drinking tons of water.

Kel - crossing my fingers for you that everything works out with your DP. I don't know how your relationship with DPs mom but maybe she would be helpful to have around if you have to go it alone for a month? Or are there other ppl you could rely on to pick up groceries and help you around the house?

[Jackies]

Hey, mamas. I hope everyone's little ones are growing like bean sprouts. When I hold mine on my belly, I think, "How did you fit in there?"

I'm freaking out about going back to work. I haven't been able to get any milk pumped, and I'm going in for a half day on Tuesday. My midwife is coming tomorrow, so I'll try to get a plan. With DD I was able to stay with her for 6 months, so I didn't need to pump. Ugh, just needed to get it off my chest how much I don't like thinking about this.

[kel]

Pretty quiet around here!

Well, Pepper is a month old now!  She was my tiniest baby - 6 lbs 14 at birth - but at her 2 1/2 week visit she was up to 8 lbs 11 oz already - the doctor was impressed!  She is continuing to get bigger and plumper each day.  We've also really lucked out with her that she doesn't cry, literally!  She does get a bit colic-y and complain-y if I eat too much dairy, but otherwise she's pretty content.  She does lots of little piglet noises though - she is a not a quiet sleeper, always rooting around and chirping and growling - the coos have just begun, so that's very sweet. 

I'm already a bit tired of having enormous boobs that leak all the time - and waking up in the night with me and baby both all soppy from breastmilk. I can't remember how many months it takes for that to mellow out for me a bit...  A kind of strange thing - I haven't had any heavy postpartum bleeding at all, but just a small steady amount that hasn't let up yet, will dry up for a few days and then start again.  Is that strange? 

Would love to hear from other mamas, but I'm sure everyone is busy!

(ps - looks like dp might only have to do house arrest - crossing my fingers)

xox

[segolilymama]

kel - glad to hear your DP will probably get to stay home! That has got to be a huge relief. Talysen is a piglet, too, in fact that has been the primary nickname for him, lol. He's doing it in my lap right now... my bleeding was similar to what you are describing after about the first 4-5 days. so it doesnt seem weird to me at all!

[esp831]

Yay for chunkers babies!  We've got some serious rolls here, it takes work to get so pudgy and cute . 

Kel-I'm glad to hear about DP, wouldn't that be a relief!  How are your other kiddos doing?  I hear you on the leaking, it gets old pretty fast!  My leaking is slowing down at 8 weeks pp and I suspect it will be done at about 12 weeks, at least that's my history.  We're sleeping on towels now so I don't have to change the sheets constantly.

Jackie-Did you work out a pumping plan?  I know it seems impossible to fit one more thing into your schedule, but once you get into your groove it'll be ok.  I'm also strategizing a plan for my return to school in a couple of months.  Good luck mama!

[jakesmama]

Anyone else feeling so exhausted? It's not from lack of sleep - this LO is sleeping very well at night - but, whoa, am I T.I.R.E.D! I'm upping some of my supplements like vit c, FCLO and floradix. Hope that helps!

It's so fun to read about how everyone's doing with their babies! I need to type up my birth story (but, remember, I'm too tired to do anything) and get it posted. Baby is now 4 weeks old! How time flies!

I can relate to having to go back to work :(  I go back in a month and it's weighing very heavily on my mind. The only thing that IS actually in order for when I go back is the stash of milk in the freezer. I second the advice to just start (do it once a day at first) and you'll find a groove.

[chicajones]

I hear you, jakes mama--I think I actually might be getting sick. Headache, sore throat, stuffy nose. :-/ Really hoping it goes away and that I don't pass it to him!

[Mamabeakley]

New Thread! http://www.mothering.com/community/t/1373671/february-thread