Stupid Questions - Page 2

[flapjack]

What Crista and Queen of Cups said on the growth thing- but bearing in mind that all children grow at different rates. It's not just breast or bottle, things like allergies can also slow down the rate at which they gain weight- and nobody ever warns you about this.
Probably a really daft question, but should I be leaking colostrum from both sides equally? I had both nipples pierced after my last child weaned (not expecting to ever have working breasts again) and had some problems with infection in the right one. Now, I have colostrum flowing like a tap on the left side, which was always my more productive side, and very little from the right. Do I panic?

[*Amy*]

Thanks for the link, Queen of Cups!

Helen, regarding nipple piercing: ow! (But cool!)

[crsta33]

Helen, I'd just guess since that side has always produced more that it's just normal for you. By this time with my first, I leaked colustrum regularly. I know there's some in there this time, but it doesn't leak.

Also, no need to worry too much, you can completely support a babe on one breast, if necessary. Might leave you a little lopsided for awhile, but it would work out fine.

Christa

[*Amy*]

I thought of another one! So I know we are supposed to use baby-friendly laundry detergent but is it OK to use fabric softener? If so, should I use liquid or dryer sheets? (But I do know not to use FS on cloth diapers.)

Also I've noticed a lot of you are discussing using cloth wipes rather than disposable baby wipes. Is there a specific reason you are choosing to do this (environmental, better for baby)? I just assumed I'd buy disposable wipes but it sounds like there might be a good reason not to.

[zjande]

flapjack, my right breast has always been the way more milk producing (& larger one) & I have been leaking colostrum almost exclusively from that one. I think you are probably just fine. Do you have to take your piercings out for breastfeeding? Strangely enough, I always thought nipple piercings sounded too painful & never went through with them, but I did get my clitoral hood pierced. (Which I STILL don't know whether & when I need to take it out for delivering....oy, I need to add figuring that out to my to do list).

Y'know, I've never used a special laundry detergent for babies. I suppose it would be very wise for babies with sensitive skin though.

I was thinking of posting a prediction thread where we could try to predict our baby's size and birthdates just for fun. Do you wanna? It'd be fun to look back on after the baby's come.

We had our carpets cleaned today & I have very soggy feet. (yes, that's waay off topic)

[Queen of Cups]

Personally, I didn't use fabric softner for the first several months. I used a Free and Clear detergent and that was it - newborns have really sensitive skin, and DS had very dry skin bordering on excema. Any kind of additive/scent in stuff seems to make that worse. Now, I just use a squirt of Dawn (non-ultra) for all our laundry instead of detergent because it rinses cleaner than most detergents (almost all have some build-up).

IMO, cloth wipes are easier if you're using cloth diapers. Otherwise, you have a wet or poopy (cloth) diaper to put in one diaper pail and a disposable wipe covered in poop to put somewhere else.

[MelW]

Most piercers will tell you that nipple piercings will not affect breast feeding. I asked an LC who said she had seen one case where the mama had scar tissue from a piercing that plugged her milk duct- so she only fed on one side. (I tried to convince my youngest sister-unsuccessfully- to only pierce one nipple just in case of scar tissue. We did the breastfeeding research, and she decided to go with both sides hoping it wouldn't be a problem) As for the unequal amounts of colostrum- I have one side that leaks and drips and seems to produce much more (and my nipples have never been pierced).

I've looked after a couple of women with clitoral piercings, and most take them out for birthing. Theorectically it shouldn't be a problem, but I guess it could be uncomfortable when baby is crowning. Because they're often kind of tricky to take out quickly, usually docs and midwives talk to their clients about taking the ring/bar out in early labour.

I love this thread- I was wondering about the weight limits for bassinets, so this answers my question (as in- there is no way to know).

[zjande]

You know what I just now realized, my mom has no idea my clit is pierced. If I left it in I think she'd be in for quite a shock! :LOL

See, I can't imagine FEELING it what with all of the torturous "ring of fire" already going on down there, I just wonder if it could tear out due to the tautness & stretching of my entire area during crowning.

Are people telling you guys what you are having just by looking at your belly shape? Today I was told for the 4th time (by the carpet cleaner man this time :LOL ) that it's a boy. No one has ever said I look like I'm carrying a girl, even though that's what my intuition is screaming at me! It's funny. I wonder....

[crsta33]

Baby detergents (like Dreft and All Baby) have fabric softeners in them already, so it isn't necessary to add them.

If you have polyester sleepwear and/or polyester fleece blankets for your little one it will create lots of static in the dryer though even with the fabric softener in the detergent (which is one of the reasons I try to stay away from polyester).

Christa

[Awaken]

I used Dreft at first b/c I thought/read that's what you're 'supposed' to do- however, it didn't get out stains AT ALL, not even breastmilk poop which is supposedly easy to wash out. So now all his infant clothes (now the new baby's!) are stained b/c I didn't know not to put them in the dryer like that!

I quit doing that and now I always use All Free and Clear with no facric softener for ds's clothes (he has eczema)- works MUCH better at stain removal!

I am a total laundry novice- hence being somewhat hesitant about using cloth dipes!

[BensMom]

We used regular detergent, as long as it was frangrance free. I don't buy into the Dreft propaganda. :LOL What a lock they got on the new mom market, eh?

I used cloth wipes with DS, since it was easier to throw everything into one pail. I loved the kissaluv wipes and we use them this day for bathing DS. I have a bunch of fuzzibunz wipes on hand from when I was a MOE consultant, but they seem so soft (no terry to grip the poopies) that I wonder if they would just smear the poop around. I guess if they dont work, i can go back and take the kissaluv wipes out of bathing duty. I found that for a poopie that required 3-5 disposie wipes, I could usually get it done with one cloth wipe. They work quite well.

[crsta33]

I have some flannel I was planning on serging for wipes, but haven't ever gotten over to my great aunt's house to borrow her serger.

With dd I just used regular old white washcloths. They are a good size, work well, and are readily available. I am fortuneate to have a really large countertop with a sink for a changing area...everything within arms reach and I can wet the cloths in the sink and not have to keep water warm somehow.

Christa

[flyingspaghettimama]

IKEA sells huge packs of white washcloths for cheap. They're square, I think meant to be used in the kitchen or bathroom - like washcloths. We loved em last time, I think bought them in the kitchen section.

[Emilie]

All kids are different. I think ds weighed almost 20 lbs by 6-9 months- then stayed there! He just grew up not out!
If you are thinking about clothes selection( I am too) things they wear do not have to FIT perfectly( like we require on us) it is better if they are bigger than smaller of course.
Ds stayed in 18 months for about a year. HE then shot up to 2T in the last month or so!
Emilie

[*Amy*]

New stupid question: would fleece make good burp cloth material? I have a bunch left over from making doublers for newborn (meconium) dipes, and thought that might be a good use for it since I don't actually have any official burp cloths. I'm not sure though; fleece doesn't seem to absorb really quickly like regular cotton, so it might just make more of a mess. Any input?

[MrsMoe]

Baby Weight
-------
Emma was 6.5 pounds at birth.
By 8 months she was 15 pounds.
By 1yr she was 18.5 pounds (making her weight triple her birth weight which is supposed to be the golden standard)
(I looked it up in her baby book.)



Lopsided Tummy
-------
Yes – my tummy is lopsided



Laundry Detergent
-------
I washed Emma’s clothes in what I washed my clothes in (Wisk, Tide or Gain and Snuggle or Downy fabric softener) and never had any problems. She and I both have sensitive skin.
I found baby detergents to be worthless; they don’t clean the clothes well at all.

[lexi2005]

Lopsided - yes, definitely!

And to those who keep getting "you're so small", getting "you're so huge" isn't much fun either! (That's what I get.) People ask me if I'm having twins. Nice. Yesterday in the grocery store this girl says to her mother "Oh my God, that woman is so pregnant!" Like I wouldn't hear it. So, as I passed them I turned to her and said, "Yes, I am!" and smiled big.

Kylie

Expecting Lexi, my first - EDD 11/7/2005