***December Snowflakes 2012 Parenting***

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:wave: Hi bean!! Glad your flight went well, good to see you on here again!
 
expatttc said:
Sigh, how do you know when your supply dips?
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I feel less fullness, LO is not satisfied after feeding and cries because she's hungry (breaks my heart). After I usually feed her, I'm able to hand express a few drops but wasn't able to today. I fed her every hour today to try to get my supply up.
 
About the cold hands and feet, I read in one of my books about it being normal. Here's a good explanation:

"My baby's hands and feet are cold
Before you crank up the thermostat or wrap your little one in another blanket, feel his torso. If it's warm and pink, your baby isn't chilled. Because his circulatory system is still developing, blood is shunted more often to vital organs and systems, where it's needed most. His hands and feet are the last body parts to get a good blood supply. It can take up to three months for his circulation to adapt completely to life outside the womb. In the meantime, it's common for his tiny fingers and toes to feel chilly and look pale. As your baby becomes more mobile and active, his circulation will improve."

from this site: https://www.parents.com/baby/care/newborn/12-things-no-one-ever-tells-you-about-babies/


I haven't been around too much lately, lots to catch up on! I was right about my thyroid, I'm hypothyroid again. It's making me completely exhausted all the time. Even when I get lots of steady sleep I wake up feeling like I've been up all night. It's awful. Every day it gets a little worse. I'm glad to be going to the doctor tomorrow morning to discuss meds. After DD1 I went on meds which helped for a while, but then they made it so my thyroid produced no hormones and I became hyperthryoid. :p Had to go off them and slowly wait for it to regulate itself. It was a long process that I'm hoping I don't repeat this time around!
 
juless, glad you know what the problem is and there is treatment! Hope the medications can straighten things out for you.
 
Nellie83 said:
Samj, i can't remember why they are talking of sending me straight to surgery under a general but to be honest she did explain it all too me but i wasn't really processing it all as it was all a bit of a shock getting the phone call and having to be seen so quickley. I'm now more that my little man wont cope if i havce surgery because he is exclusivley breastfed and although i do express he is lucky enough to drink 50mls from a bottle before he gives up and just wants the breast so not sure what to do there.
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Please please ask about the LEEP. It's very non-evasive and you'll be in and out in 30 minutes. They numb your cervix and use an electric current to cut out the abnormal cells. Sounds scary but after they put in the numbing medication you don't feel a thing. Besides some cramping and spotting afterwards you'll be good to go. Especially if you are EBF this would be a great option for you to explore.
 
scoobydrlp said:
cococobain - welcome! If your LO is constantly turning her head to one side she may have torticollis (shortening of the neck muscles on one side), which is what my LO has. We will be doing physical therapy starting in April, but until then we're doing stretches at home. I can send you a link that describes how to do them if you would like. After doing them for a week my LO was much more comfortable looking the other direction, and I had better luck repositioning her to keep her off her flat spot, and I have seen improvement in her head shape after 2 weeks of doing so. If you are still concerned with her head shape at her 4 month appointment make sure to ask your doctor again. They say that the best time for cranial banding is between 3-6 months because that's when the head grows the most. So you would still be in that time frame.
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With torticollis, is it an absolute inability to turn the head the other way without therapy? Because my LO faces the other way just fine if I'm standing on that side and talking to her and she follows toys that move out of her field of vision both ways, she just seems to have a preference (moreso now that her flat spot is more pronounced)

What other ways can I tell if she has torticollis? Would I notice/feel anything different with her neck muscles? I'm so glad to hear you're finding improvement in such a short amount of time :) Are you doing the therapy alone? I'd love a link to those exercises if you wouldn't mind.

On another note, any ladies here getting their periods back already? I thought I wouldn't have to deal with it for a long time since I'm breastfeeding, but the cramps just came back in full force. On the bright side maybe now that I'll be ovulating regularly I'll actually have the desire to have sex again :happydance: haha.
 
I keep the room at 19degrees and Oli's hands are always cold too.

About milk supply, I was going through this exact thing last week. Sounds like growth spurt, due to all his extra sucking last week (he was not happy about this) my milk has increased so keep going. I play white noise while he was sucking and getting annoyed to make sure he keeps sucking rather than latching on and off

Oli is in 3-6 stuff now but it doesn't look like its going to last long! He's so long!
 
Cait is just getting into her 3-6 stuff. She's very petite. About 11lbs now. Growing everyday though and getting so smart! Starting to really reach for things and grab them intentionally a little more every day and I can just see the little wheels turning.:flower:

I was worried about her hands getting cold also but I have just learned not to worry. Now my concern is, she can't wear pants do to the harness, and I also can't swaddle her because of the harness so her legs get cold and her sleepsack is even too narrow for the harness.:dohh: This harness is driving me bananas! Hopefully it'll get warmer and I won't have to worry about it so much but I have been putting her button down jammies on and leaving her left leg out (the side with the bad hip and wrapping a blanket around her waist (not too tight so her legs are still apart bc of the harness) and we keep the room temp at about 68deg. I'm pretty happy that only her hands are cold in the morning.

I haven't had a period yet! I thought a few times it was coming because I've spotted 2 or 3 times just for a day here and there. I am not ebf but still breastfeeding for about 10 min before every bottle and I doubt she'd getting more than an ounce. I'm kind of wondering when it will return, not that I'm complaining. I'm also losing weight still which I'm happy about because I'm not technically down to pre preg weight. I'm getting awful close though and I'll gladly lose more once I'm down there. Just can't wait to get outside and walk with Cait, this cold weather is awful!

Also still on the minipill for now and hair still falling out! So frustrating! Wondering also about my thyroid levels, jules. I have my yearly gyno appt in April and a dr's appt in May so may get bloodwork at either.

Hope you are all well!
 
Gah so lucky not to have a period! I got my first literally a month after birth! So I'm on my third now :( didnt miss them while pregnant at all!
 
Bah, just got back from the doctor's. First of all, I had it backwards - I'm hyperthyroid, not hypo, lol! Anyways, he doesn't want to put me on meds because of what happened last time he thinks that it should get better on it's own. He'll check my levels again in a month and go from there. I was offered beta blockers though. They would help with the symptoms. My worst symptom is weak and achy muscles, and I am shaky. Those meds should help that which would be great! Only downside is that I would probably need to stop breastfeeding. Even if the doctor says there's a kind that would be safe, in the medical info I've been checking online it says that all beta blockers go through breastmilk and that they can affect the baby. If there's any risk of that, I'm not going to breastfeed her anymore. I know some people might think it's selfish of me to stop, but I feel like I'm hardly living right now. I can't enjoy my kids, can hardy play with them, I can't live like this for the next year or however long it takes to get back to normal... I am really sad about it though, almost in tears thinking about loosing that connection we have. I love breastfeeding, and she loves it too. I feel guilty about taking that away from her, but I know I need to be able to give her more in other ways and I need to feel better to do that. Think I'll be heading to Wal-mart to buy some more bottles and formula tonight!
 
jules- I don't think you are selfish at all! And I agree with you, I wouldn't be taking beta blockers while bf'ing. I know you feel guilty stopping bf but if it's best for you than it is best for your children also. As you said, you will lose the bonding experience of bf'ing but you will gain the bonding experience of playing and having fun with your LO's. Also, bottles can be a bonding experience in itself when you make eye contact with LO. It'll all be fine. Do what is best for you!

I gave up exclusively bf early on and felt terrible. I still bf everyday but it isn't Cait's main source of food. I have gotten over feeling bad about it though because I have a happy healthy baby and I feel ok. It was worth bf'ing while I could and I expect to stop completely in the next few months.Think of it this way, your baby got about 3 months of the best, immunity developing food she could get from you and that's more than a lot of babies get! Everything will be fine!
 
Ahhh sorry you'll be stopping nursing Juless, but I agree it's best not to risk it if there has been known effects to baby from the medication passing through into BM, and you need to be healthy and happy too :hugs: as IST rightly said, she's had over 3 months of the good stuff and that's fantastic and has probably made a huge impact with health benefits for you both :) don't feel bad hun x
 
Jules - glad you've got a correct diagnosis! Summer has been on formula exclusively since 3 weeks old and she's doing fantastically. I still get guilty sometimes, but it is always more important to have a sane and healthy mom than to breastfeed.

IST - So glad to hear Cait's hip is responding well to the harness - you must be doing such a great job with her :)

Summer's 4 month visit is coming up next week -- I'm going to ask her to look at her head because I'm paranoid about plagiocephaly as well. DH thinks I'm nuts, of course. She still SCREAMS at tummy time -- the little lady just HATES it. Would much prefer to stand (which she can now do just holding on to our fingers) or be propped up sitting. Even thinking of getting a bumbo soon! Have noticed recently that she is preferring to rest her chin on her chest instead of holding her head up. Insert more paranoia here.
 
IST, so glad the harness is working for your girl. I bet it's a pain though, but good thing you can avoid surgery. :)

Jules, my sister had thyroid problems with her last baby and is still dealing with it 18 months later. Check out www.stopthethyroidmadness.com if you are interested in learning what you can do. She is taking fish oil, iodine, and other supplements along with her thyroid medication but she couldn't breastfeed with her thyroid medication either. If it means you will feel better than you should do it and lo will be just fine with formula. :) Good luck.

Carter is really starting to play with his toys now! He grabs stuff instead of just swatting at it so he puts every thing he gets in his hands in his mouth of course. It's so exciting though!

Carter has torticollis and plagiocephally too. We are seeing an osteopathic doctor regularly and I've seen some improvement after two sessions. I'm giving it two more sessions and if it isn't better we'll explore more options. It can correct on it's own but it could also result in him wearing a helmet which I seriously want to avoid at all costs.

Scoobydrip, can you post the stretches you do? We just make sure to do tummy time several times a day as lo hates it so he only lasts a few minutes before he cries.

What kind of sounds are your babies making? Carter is suuuuuper talkative these days. He wakes up babbling in his crib all the time now and he even copies sounds we make. He mostly does a lot of aaah and uuuuhhs but throws in a couple b and g sounds every now and then. Sometimes he goes on forever just talking to his toys without taking a breath. I fear I am going to have a very loud baby on my hands! He squeals a lot too. :)
 
I awake to Millie cooing and babbling away each morning too :) I love it so much! It's still mostly coo's and like sing song noises that she makes, although she does like to wail (and quite loudly at that!) often. She's recently started grabbing at things and really taking an interest with her toys too. She's chomping down on her teething rings and rattles a lot but will get frustrated at herself when she can't get them in the right position to chew! She's always trying to sit herself up which makes me sad :( they grow up far too quickly x
 
Thanks, you guys always make me feel so much better about things!
I just took my first pill, so tonight will be tough not to forget and pop her next to me in bed when she wakes up. Crazy to think I'll have to get up to get her a bottle! Definitely not something I'm looking forward to! I was really sad giving her her last feed tonight. :( It's all for the best though! But I'll definitely feel terrible if these pills don't help and I've done it for nothing. Need to try though! Also, my doctor did agree that I shouldn't breastfeed while taking the pills, but said it was good that she got nearly 3 and a half months of it.
Tessa is playing with her toys a lot too! I'm ashamed to say I never really do tummy time and hardly did with DD1 either. They just don't seem to like it! Tess is always sitting up on my lap though, and likes to sit in her exersaucer and her little chair with some toys. Never for long periods though, as she's still getting strong enough. I agree lolly, it's sad how fast they grow! It's going waaay quicker the second time around too!!
 
Juless, i'm glad you have a diagnosis and solution! Don't feel bad about giving up BFing. You gave her a great 3+ months! Enjoy bonding in other ways :)

Gabby makes all sorts of noises. She definitely says mamamamama, although I know she has no idea that I am mama, she just happens to be good with her M's. lots of goos and ahhs as well. Still no grabbing toys tho. She is perfectly content just staring at everything. I sit her up all the time, put her in a jumperoo, lay her on the baby einstein play mat, and she just likes to stare at everything while chewing on her hands. And she still despises tummy time.

for those moms who are concerned about flat spots, have you tried positioning baby's head at the opposite side of the crib? I rotate gabby because one side of her head seemed to be getting flat, so sometimes her head is at one end of the crib, and other times its at the opposite side of the crib. She pretty much always likes to look out away from the wall, so the pressure on her head is not always on the same spot. It seems to be evening out her head that way.
 
cococobain said:
With torticollis, is it an absolute inability to turn the head the other way without therapy? Because my LO faces the other way just fine if I'm standing on that side and talking to her and she follows toys that move out of her field of vision both ways, she just seems to have a preference (moreso now that her flat spot is more pronounced)

What other ways can I tell if she has torticollis? Would I notice/feel anything different with her neck muscles? I'm so glad to hear you're finding improvement in such a short amount of time :) Are you doing the therapy alone? I'd love a link to those exercises if you wouldn't mind.
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It doesn't have to be a true inability to turn to the other side, but more difficult so they choose not to. Another sign is if they are looking straight forward their head may consistantly tilt to one side or the other. I didn't realize my LO did this until I read that it was a sign, and when I started paying attention I noticed that she tilts to the right. Pay attention when she is in her carseat/bouncer, it seems very noticable at those times to me. Some babies have sort of a lump on the side of the neck with the tight muscles, although my LO does not. It certainly could be that your LO just has a strong preference to one side, I hope so, it will be much less work for you!

The technician (who is also a physical therapist) at our cranial band evaluation showed us how to do the stretches and gave us a handout which I have scanned and will attach below. Hopefully the print will turn out large enough to be read! These particular instructions are for babies who prefer turning their head to the left. If yours prefers turning to the right then you would just do the opposite of these instructions. I've been using a toy with lights and music to distract her during the stretches the past few days and she isn't nearly as bothered by them now.

https://i1340.photobucket.com/albums/o725/scoobydrlp/IMG_00012_zpsc0a0cddc.jpg
 
My LO is still not a huge fan of tummy time, but with plagio and torticollis it's really important to do as much tummy time as possible to build the neck muscles and to stay off the flat spot, so I've been having her do it a lot more often recently. I was told at our cranial band evaluation that we should be attempting tummy time about 10 times a day, and it only needs to last until she gets upset. She used to cry and cry pretty much as soon as I layed her down, but she's starting to get used to it. It helps quite a bit if I roll up a small blanket to put under her chest with her arms overtop, gives her a little support. I also use the boppy sometimes and put her in front of the hanging toys on the play mat and she will stay there a good 5 or more minutes now without crying. I also try and lay her on the ground with no support just to give her the opportunity to learn to support her weight on her arms, but she pretty much still hates that. I'll take what I can get at this point!

She's not to the point of actually grabbing toys yet, but she does bat at the ones hanging on the play mat, and I've decided it's quite intentional and not coincidence because I had them hanging super low and then moved them up and it took her a day or so to start reaching higher to wack them, but she does it! She sometimes is able to sort of hold one of them between her two fists every now and again, but it only lasts a few seconds.
 
scoobydrlp said:
It doesn't have to be a true inability to turn to the other side, but more difficult so they choose not to. Another sign is if they are looking straight forward their head may consistantly tilt to one side or the other. I didn't realize my LO did this until I read that it was a sign, and when I started paying attention I noticed that she tilts to the right. Pay attention when she is in her carseat/bouncer, it seems very noticable at those times to me. Some babies have sort of a lump on the side of the neck with the tight muscles, although my LO does not. It certainly could be that your LO just has a strong preference to one side, I hope so, it will be much less work for you!

The technician (who is also a physical therapist) at our cranial band evaluation showed us how to do the stretches and gave us a handout which I have scanned and will attach below. Hopefully the print will turn out large enough to be read! These particular instructions are for babies who prefer turning their head to the left. If yours prefers turning to the right then you would just do the opposite of these instructions. I've been using a toy with lights and music to distract her during the stretches the past few days and she isn't nearly as bothered by them now.

https://i1340.photobucket.com/albums/o725/scoobydrlp/IMG_00012_zpsc0a0cddc.jpg
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for going through the trouble of scanning it up for me! I'll definitely be trying these out. Wow and tummy time ten times a day? I really need to step it up then. I try carrying her a lot and am getting a carrier so I can wear her (she doesn't enjoy being horizontal that much lately) but I only really do tummy time twice a day :/

Here is a picture from above of the flat spot.
https://i1325.photobucket.com/albums/u632/cococobain/DSCF1197_zps41f542a3.jpg

Ugh seeing it from this angle I could almost cry. It's obvious even with all the hair. :(

Oh and on the topic of hands, she is a fan of sucking on her fists and both hands individually like to bat at her toys, but righty and lefty still haven't met each-other :) When they do I'm sure they will be her new favourite toys hehe.
 
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