I hate being AP......

[goodcents]

in the summer.


I am whining.


Babywearing and nursing in the summer with no AC is HARD. IN NYC (i.e. hot and humid yucky)


Plus I am sick with a summer cold (grrrrr the worst!)


Anyone else with me?




Makes me sad.....that I am not giving this baby enough loving. He has been in the bouncy seat alot (hides head in shame but can't still can't deal with my sticky sweaty wet skin.....)


help!

[sohj]

No AC in my apartment, either. Only a window fan set to exhaust in the air shaft at the back and a couple of windows open in the front.

Nursed my son until shortly before his 3rd birthday.

:shrug Look at it this way, sweat glands are one of the things in our bodies that only develop if you use 'em. So, hold your baby and let the two of you sweat and you'll be doing that little pixie a favor for the future.

:hippie

[littleaugustbaby]

:hug Summer colds are the worst. :(

Try wiping yourself off with a cool washcloth, mama. It might help a little.

[Icequeen_in_ak]

I feel for you! My dd was still in the sling alot during our summers... and at the time I was living in the part of Alaska that hits 100s. We did lots of cold showers together (clothes and all)

[Anglyn]

Im with you! Im in Texas, and even WITH a/c, it still gets into the upper 80's inside! Plus, my job takes me from house to house, with little time for my truck to cool off inbetween visits, so I come home sweaty and sticky and of course both kids want to nurse the second they see me. Ick. Some days I go into the bedroom and strip, nurse dd as quickly as possible then dump all three of us (me, dd and ds) into the tub. Ive even nursed IN THE TUB. At least its cool.

[Jennifer3141]

Nursing in the tub is wonderful!!! Would that work for you?

Jen

[Diane~Alena]

Oh girl I am there with you! I can't imagine living in NYC I live way over on the other side of the world. I don't like AC I find it makes me feel ill. I liked being almost naked last year when it was hot up here. My daughter loved having a cool cloth to suck on and I found that helped. I also put a bowl of ice in front of my electric fan, it is like AC but no Chemicals. Hang in there it will get better just suck on Zinc that will run that cold away for you :D

[goodcents]

0oooooohhhhh GOOD!

It is not just me.

I love taking cold baths and cold showers.

Those are usualy reserved for the toddler though. i haven't taken the little guy in with me yet.

[soccerchic21]

:Hug

I am due this week with #2 and I have a nursing toddler that still likes to be in the sling when we are out.

We are just now getting into the hotter days but man being at home with no AC...this pregnant and with a toddler who wants to snuggle and nurse close can wear you down.

I am wondering what Tandem during the hot summer will be like. I remember when I had DD 2 years ago this weekend....ahhhh!!! It was super super HOT! And breastfeeding was super super sweaty.

[Leilalu]

Summer cold here:wave
I just nursed ds for over an hour straight!Well, if you count the tossing and turning and acting like he's done countless times in between.:nut We are all sick:( am up at 4 am not being able to sleep. Summer colds suck!

We have a portable ac unit from our last apartment, we bought it. It helps a LITTLE.

It is hard to parent lovingly and AP when you get tired and hot and cranky:hug
The way I try to look at it is this: It's best for everyone,and people are suppossed to sweat in summer. So, if I sweat like crazy chasing my kids around, people can just deal if they happen to care. And I like hydrating with Alacer packets in water, they help me not get too lethargic and tired from the heat.

[Ravin]

I live in Arizona. I'm with you on the summer cold misery. I had one a couple of weeks ago. I think anyone w/o AC is touched in the head. Sure, winter is short here, but I wouldn't go without a heater!

We use public transportation a lot, which smells lovely in summer, especially when the AC on the buses is out, which is as often as not. And it's hot enough that you don't really notice how hot babywearing is because you'd be sweating buckets whether you do or don't, and at least baby in the sling can nurse on demand and not get dehydrated, assuming they're one that will nurse when hot.

I'll admit, though, the stroller did get more tempting as it warmed up, at least for outings without the bus (we have to collapse strollers for the bus so that becomes just a huge hassle).

[ktlady]

I am also in AZ - but I just spent 3 weeks on the East Coast. In my opinion it is more uncomfortable to BF and Babywear in the summer on the East Coast. I have said that I am not sure if I would be as AP if I lived on the East Coast - hot and humid in the summer and too cold in the winter (too may layers of clothing!)

Move to AZ and cool off in the 110 deg heat! (with very little humidity).

[Ruthla]

I wore my first baby almost continually from birth- I even made a makeshift sling out of some fabric (tied in a knot in the corner) when the "real sling" was in the wash.

My 2nd baby was born in late April, in Baltimore. I didn't wear her in the sling NEARLY as much- it was just too hot for both of us!! Much of the time, she actually prefered the stroller because it was cooler and she wasn't getting drenched in my sweat!!

I beleive that AP means responding to your baby's cues- in my 2nd baby's case, that meant a lot less babywearing (at least until the fall when she was bige enough for the hip carrier.)

[Naughty Dingo]

Dang Mama, i hope your cold gets better soon. Then the situation won't seem as awful. As far as the heat goes, I have been there and it is the worst. Trying to nurse when everything is slick with sweat. I always wonder what the Mamas in really hot climates do? The summer after I had my first DC I basically sat in our bedroom on our bed the whole time because DP had gone out and gotten a window unit for us.

Can you go with your babe to a shopping center or a grocery store with AC and take a nice leisurely walk in the cool. That always made me feel better. And lots of cool showers followed by sitting in front of the fans.

Hang in there.

Also, forgot to add. I got a mesh sling that allowed more air flow and that helped keep my babe a little cooler in the really hot months. You could try something like that.

[Diane~Alena]

Well I am not touched in the head :irked: and yet I still don't have an A/C just like the original poster.

I think anyone w/o AC is touched in the head. Sure, winter is short here, but I wouldn't go without a heater!

However I do use natural gas to heat my home. I find natural gas doesn't make me feel as sick as freon though. I try to limit my families exposier to Chemicals I don't think that makes me "touched in the head", I know you are allowed your own opinions but come on that wasn't nice at all.

[sohj]

So, goodcents, how are you feeling these days?

:wave

[goodcents]

well the weekend was lovely, i thought, so better.

except the cold is still here (and prolly will be for another few weeks - it has sunk into my chest for crips sake)

baby is good too. i am in one of those positions now though where i can't wear the bjorn (at 13 pounds my 3 month old is pretty big) cause it hurts, and i find the nursing position in the sling to be a little claustophobic to him. maybe i am not slinging him right? i can't wait until he is sitting up and has more head control - more slinging option will open up then.

but alas maybe there is more hope.....

i am supposed to be headed to my uncles this weekend in south jersey. there - there is central air AND a pool. oooo la la.

[MaryCeleste]

I feel for you! Here are a few more things that might help.

Oddly enough, drinking hot tea can help you cool off in hot weather. In the countries where this is customary (India, Japan, Turkey, etc.) they usually drink black or green tea, but I'd guess it would work with certain herbal teas. Maybe mint? And that would help your cold at the same time. :)

Along the same lines, having a hot bath also helps your body's natural cooling system. Don't towel yourself off afterward; just pat yourself dry with a damp washcloth, sit in front of the fan with a tall glass of water, and let evaporation do the rest!

One final piece of "backwards" advice: If the heat ever makes you feel breathless or anxious, try breathing slowly and very shallowly, rather than deeply. (This is known as the Buteyko method (http://members.westnet.com.au/pkolb/buteyko.htm).) I've been trying this for other reasons, and was delighted to find that it's also helping me to tolerate hot weather much better. :)

[Lula's Mom]

Well I am not touched in the head :irked: and yet I still don't have an A/C just like the original poster.
..... I don't think that makes me "touched in the head", I know you are allowed your own opinions but come on that wasn't nice at all.

Perhaps not, but it does seem to make you cranky and unable to spot a joke! ;)

I hate humidity too. One of these days, I am gonna move to AZ.

[Diane~Alena]

Perhaps not, but it does seem to make you cranky and unable to spot a joke!


Hey I know cranky I spent the day with four kids one of them being a 8 year old that hates her summerschool, another is a 18 month old that is teething. I was just insulted :blush if you are unclear on cranky feel free to come by and baby sit while I take a nap :wink (that was a joke ;) )


Goodcent I hope you are feeling better all my kids and I have that summer cold and it nasty. I feel like someone is sitting on my chest and I swear I have a rock in my sinuses. keep hydrated and hang in there it can't last forever. We are lucky on the west coast we have rain right now. I can't immagine being in heat feeling this way, my hat goes off to you.

[MamaBug]

I can't imagine the heat in NYC in the summer. I suggest that you also stick your feet in a tub of cool ice water. Whenever I am dying with the heat ( we only have a/c in the master bedroom and try not to overuse it) if I can't take a cool down showere or soak in the lake, I set myself up with a cool bucket of ice water for my feet. They say if your head and your feet are cool you body will also cool. So maybe try that while your nursing?

Good luck and I hope this heatwave is short lived for you!

[eilonwy]

I am wondering what Tandem during the hot summer will be like. I remember when I had DD 2 years ago this weekend....ahhhh!!! It was super super HOT! And breastfeeding was super super sweaty.

:Hug Tandem nursing without A/C in the summer sucks royally, especially if you have a c-section and can only tolerate certain positions with pillows for support. I avoided tandem nursing in the heat as often as possible, because when I had to do it I was miserable. :shake