Mid June and July Firecrackers Group Due June/July 2017!

[DobbyForever]

Aww nice! I have a dishwasher and 8 bottles so I just toss them and whatever dirty storage bottles in there when 7 are dirty with dapple pods.

Ooo did not know that about the hormones. Sadly I was told no sex for six weeks because of my tear. . So we just made out like horny teenagers and did over the clothes stuff hahaha

Exclusive pumping always makes me sad until I see his weight gain. Seeing how he never grew with latching but how he flourishes now makes it worth it. I love when things pan out that he gets the milk straight from a pumping session. I call it my semi organic (cuz fortified) boob to bottle milk and it makes me giggle. *like farm to table, boob to bottle. Felt I needed to explain cuz SI didn't get it and I thought I was mad clever lol

Also pft everyone journey is hard in its own way. And I consider myself lucky. Sure pumping sucks ducks but I just saw it as hey I have the opportunity to pump.

The fortifying has definitely helped. He's up 10 oz since Sunday. In the 0.71 percentile the nurse was like hey! Just .29% more and you're on the chart! (Their bottom line is at 1% lol). But I think he started at .2ish so we're creeping on up. Just so bizarre he's 6.375 lbs at 3 weeks meanwhile my friends are having 7lb babies at birth lol

 

[Mummafrog]

Haha dobby I'm glad you were having fun. Orgasms are the best pelvic floor lifters in my opinion.

Sounds like you're both doing amazing! Yes haha Kayla is probably 10lb now... I find it so strange holding small babies it takes all sorts to make a world

I did it!! I grew some balls and gave her my boob to bottle ( ) milk! She took 1.5oz, it seemed too fast for her and it's the slowest teat lansinoh make so might have to look for a slower bottle. She seemed to like it though and it's really helped lift my heart and ease the worries. She's back on my boob now I know frozen milk can taste a bit different so hopefully she won't mind that xx

 

[DobbyForever]

Ooo nice! Congrats on an easy transition so far! Hopefully she won't mind the frozen stuff.

I'm leaving A with my folks tomorrow and have a fair amount of milk today so trying to figure out the best way to transport it/keep it fresh instead of just going the easy route and giving them formula.

 

[Mummafrog]

Thank you finally updated my profile 3 weeks later xD

A cool bag with ice packs and then straight into the back of their fridge when you get there maybe? Or if you're taking it frozen, into their freezer. It should be just fine you can do it mummy x

 

[Weebles]

Dobby, you are so sweet. And funny! Your posts crack me up even though you're going through some pretty tough experiences. The pump I got from my insurance came with a little cooler, almost like a lunch box and an ice pack. It says that if the ice pack is frozen the milk will keep for 8 hours before needing to be stored elsewhere.

To all the ladies doing boob to bottle.. I think it's amazing. Pumping takes so much dedication and it's a wonderful thing to do for your babes. Also, isn't it kind of sweet to let Dad get in on some of the feedings? I think hubby taking over some of D's night feedings with ebm has really helped them to bond.

So here's something I forgot to mention. At D's 2 month check up her Dr mentioned starting solids at 4 months. I was shocked because all the info I've seen lately has said to hold off until 6 months. She said we would talk more about it at her 4 month appt but has anyone heard anything like that? I'm a little worried she's not current but maybe she has a really good reason for her views?

 

[DobbyForever]

Aww I'm glad I can provide some humor. I think I'm freaking hilarious but not everyone else thinks I am haha. But if you can't laugh at your own jokes then life is gonna suck imo

It is cute when SO feeds A. I like it cuz I can get things done but SO flips out because A does this thing where he holds your hand while he eats and SO thinks it's the best thing ever.

He's also a brat and seriously checks to make sure I'm holding him lol

Back on point I have heard the 4 month recommendation but more so 6 months. Kaiser says 6 months exclusive breastfeeding or formula feeding then supplementing bm for an additional six as their corporate policy

 

[DobbyForever]

Seems like the new trend this year is starting solids between 4-6 months. The immune and digestive system should be fine developing by 4 months, so introducing solids after that is safe. But it's baby by baby so AAP says 6 months to be on the safe side. But evidently a lot of pediatricians give the 4 month recommendation. A recent NPR article even suggested new research says peanuts should be introduced much earlier than a year, "The National Institutes of Health announced Thursday that a panel of allergy experts recommends that parents introduce peanut-containing foods into the diets of babies as young as 4 to 6 months." I didn't read anything scholarly just some stuff on Kelly mom, momtastic, and NPR.

 

[lesondemavie]

I get that sad feeling like I'm missing out when C gets a bottle, and I totally didn't expect that. She's only had 0.5 oz of either formula or EBM a few times, always after breastfeeding, and still it's hard for me in the moment. We chose the comotomo bottles. She has no problem switching from breast to bottle and we are also using a pacifier since my intense let-down made it hard for her to soothe on my breast. I think her favorite is still breastfeeding bc well my overactive boobs are faster than the newborn nipple, there's skin to skin, and plenty of cuddles. I have so much admiration for everyone pumping. I keep trying to fit it in just once in the morning, but so far I've only find it twice. I think she's going through a growth spurt bc yesterday she was back at my boob every hour for 15-20 minutes. The boob stimulation would be constant if I pumped on top of that. Our little girl is getting cute little baby fat rolls. She's gaining about a pound a week, and I can't believe she's nearly 10lbs. Still fitting in NB just fine bc she's short, but gaining there as well.

 

[lesondemavie]

I've seen the 4-6 month and peanut rec as well, I'm on board with peanuts but want to do a bit more research on the solids at 4 months.

 

[second.time]

Oh I'm trying to catch up with a reply! Pretty, I don't think there's that much to do to speed up a labor, other than walking/bouncing on a ball, etc. Beyond that, your body's going to do what it wants to do ... some women have one-hour labors and some have 24-hour labors, it's sort of the way we're made. A lot of second labors ARE faster, and this time you know what to expect. I think having a long first-time labor is really exhausting, and it's totally natural to have an epidural. You want to get your strength/energy back for pushing.

Girly, I'm sorry you're dealing with that! It's really understandable that it would make you feel a bit emotional.

It sounds like everybody is doing so much for their little ones and feeding/caring for them as best they can, whether that's breast, bottle, or some combination.

Weebles, I really relate to the bed-sharing concerns. I do put my A. in the cradle when I can. Sometimes putting it on vibrate for a few minutes and giving him a pacifier helps him go to sleep when he's a little fussy. But I won't lie, for a lot of naps and for part of each night, he ends up in bed next to me. I'm just trying to be careful with having very few blankets/pillows in the bed, making sure to position him on his back, and being careful with my own sleep position. A lot of cultures bed-share routinely. I hope you find a sleeping arrangement that gives you a decent amount of sleep without causing you stress or worry. I know it's tough.

I'm considering getting something like this the By Your Side Sleeper, a basket that goes right in the bed with you, so your baby has some separation from you but is still in the bed.

My baby had his one-month checkup and he gained up to 10 lb. 9 oz., but he hasn't grown in length! My older son grew REALLY fast as a baby, especially in length. He was a beanpole. So I'm worried. Maybe A. is just shorter naturally? He spits up so, so much and it worries me. I know he's a healthy-sized baby and I should be grateful, it's just hard to avoid those worries creeping in.

 

[DobbyForever]

Yeah I'm kind on in the wait until 6 months for solids boat. I don't mind peanuts before a year but only because nobody in my family tree has ever had nut allergies/ I ate peanuts while pregnant with no complications. I had a coworker and both kids had strawberry allergies. So whenever she ate strawberries while pregnant she would get super sick, and at the time nobody understood why. Then her daughter ate strawberries as a kid and had an intense reaction and she was like waaaaaaait a minute wait a minute!

 

[Weebles]

Second, I don't think babies gain length as quickly as they gain pounds but I wouldn't worry as he's gained weight. Also, I don't think length is too accurate at this age seeing how they measure them. There's a lot of room for variances with all the crying and wiggles.

Pretty, I meant to reply to your earlier post but got sidetracked. Don't be hard on yourself about having an epidural. If your labor went on for a long time having one very well could have given you the energy needed to avoid a c-section. And there really isn't a fool proof way to speed up labor anyway, every delivery is different and there's not a whole lot you can do about it. With both my pregnancies I had PPROM (preterm water breaking) and my son's labor was super fast, in fact I was over 4cm by the time I got to the hospital. With D I bounced, I walked, I did squats, you name it and I tried it but I never technically went into labor at all and I was induced unsuccessfully twice! Second labors are supposed to be faster my ass! I really wanted an all natural pain med free birth experience but it wasn't in the cards. Most of all I wanted immediate skin to skin and that wasn't in the cards either. I think it's easy to be critical of ourselves when we're no longer in the moment but we just do the best we can.

After doing a bunch of reading I think I want to do baby led introduction to solids. She already notices when we're eating though, she opens and closes her little mouth and it's super cute. It's supposed to be one of the signs but I think it just means she's observant. Being able to sit unassisted is another sign they are developmentally ready. When my son was just over a month old my mother gave him some yogurt and I was so pissed off at her for that but I don't remember when I really started him on solids because that's what I wrote down in his baby book.

 

[Mummafrog]

I agree about the epidural, for a lot of women who've been in labour for a very long time it's just what they need to help them relax enough to finish dilating and rest enough to push. I think you ought to be very proud of yourself. My first labour was as long as yours and my second was 2 hours! They are all different and positive thinking helps if at all possible x

We did baby led weaning with our first and will again with this one, it was great and felt much more natural and made sense to us than spoon feeding purees.
We liked that it could only happen when baby was physically able to make it happen. We liked that it was the baby's choice what she ate and how much. It was easy, calm and fun, albeit messy! Hehe. If you're interested in it reading the book or website about baby led weaning is really enlightening x

 

[lesondemavie]

As for the epidural, I think we, as women, shouldn't be so hard on ourselves. I can understand possibly emotionally wanting to experience birth for all that it is without medical intervention, but there is no shame or harm in getting an epidural, and as some have mentioned above sometimes it is the best decision you can make. Birthing without an epidural isn't doing it "better," it's just a different experience. There are pros and cons to each. I went through the last month plus labor and delivery figuring my body would just do what it was meant to do, whether it was a 6 hour labor or a 38 hour labor. I knew that if I was overdue and induced after I tried eating dates and spicy food and having sex every night to bring it on even though none of those methods are scientifically guaranteed to do anything at all, I'd be angry and frustrated. Instead I chose to let go and let be. We have far less control over what happens than we'd like to think, and attempting to change that or believing differently often just ends in needless guilt or frustration. I knew my preference, but I was also acutely aware that especially with an induction things might not go "perfectly," and as countless women will tell you with L&D they rarely do. I labored for over 24 hours without an epidural, but that was just my story and how things happened for me. It's neither good nor bad to me, it just is.

We are all amazing mothers who care and love our children, and details like epidural/no epidural, home/hospital, and immediate/delayed skin-to-skin don't change that one bit. It's not like I, after my daughter was born, said, "Take her. I don't want to hold her." That's just what happened given the circumstances. It was out of my hands. I love each and every one of our stories and am so proud of us all for going on this adventure whatever it may be and whatever may come.

 

[lesondemavie]

Oh and a few of my fav newborn photos:

 

[Girly922]

Gorgeous photos leson!

I have my new pump, I am pumping after every bf and topping up 1-2oz EBM. Midwife came this morning and A has gained 130g (4.5oz) since Friday so I'm continuing with the pumping and topping up for now. Got another weighing on Tuesday and hopefully we can discuss starting to reduce the top ups. Still another 210g (7.5oz) to go until we reach birth weight, but at least we're starting to gain.

With regard to weaning, I know some paeds recommend early weaning at 4m for preemies, but health visitor recommendations to us have been to wait until 6m again. We will also be doing baby led weaning again. We did it with DD1 and she took to it really well.

 

[PrettyInInk42]

Cute pics, leson.

In regards to when to introduce solid foods, I was gonna start Alex on purees at 6 months. But I heard recently that you can introduce baby cereal as early as 4 months. I'll see if he takes to it well, and if he does, I think it'll definitely help with in-car feedings on our drive from Toronto to Florida in Nov. And if he's still going through a cluster feeding phase, it'll help fill him up.

Also, I said F it on Friday and bought a single electric breast pump. I had already manually pumped 3oz that morning, but I was able to get another 2.5oz in the evening. So, I think I'll definitely be pumping more now.

Edit: Oh, and about the feeling horny around the 3-4 week mark, I'm getting that. As soon as I'm "good to go", I'm fully jumping BD's bones. lol. It's kinda weird though cuz when my sister had my nephew, I felt weird messing around with BD, like "I can't give you a BJ, I kiss my nephew with this mouth." But now I'm all "When Alex goes for a nap, we're doin' it!". lol
Also, Dobby, in regards to your question from a few days ago, I have not tried my breast milk and I have zero plans to. I don't even like regular white milk. lol

 

[Gagrlinpitt]

Sorry I've been Mia for a few days, It's been a bit crazy around here..

We switched P to the similac pro sensitive and she got so gassy all she did was cry which is not like her so we switched her back to the similac pro advanced. She does spit up a bit more but she's back to her self again and thankfully that is a very chill baby. She is for sure a cuddle bug and I try and hold her as much as possible so she doesn't get a flat spot on her head as I really don't want to do the helmet thing and doctors push for it so quick now a days.

She will be a month old on Friday which is insane to me!! Time is flying so quickly.

This Saturday coming up she will get to go to her first birthday party as my nephew's birthday is this Sunday and we are celebrating it on Saturday. My mother in law told me to dress her up really cute cause they want pictures so I'm going to have to put her in something really cute so we can take pictures with her and her cousin together as they are 11 months and 1 day apart.

She for sure takes after her daddy as she gets hangry and when she doesn't get food as soon as she is hungry she throws a fit. I'm thinking I might have a type A baby as she is so calm and chill the rest of the day. Her belly button is finally almost completely healed so I'm thinking Tuesday or Wednesday she will get her first bath!!! I'm so excited to see how she reacts to it. She doesn't mind too much when I give her a sponge bath so I'm thinking she might actually like bath time but I guess we'll see.

 

[Weebles]

I've tried a drop of mine out of curiosity and was not impressed. My husband thought I was nuts but then looked up a recipie for breastmilk cheese?? He's building up his own supply in our freezer of previously thawed milk... No thanks!

Lesonde, he's adorable! I really like the pic of the three of you together too, our family shot didn't turn out as nice. Oh well.

Girly, glad supplementing is going good. I stopped doing top offs once D surpassed her birth weight. Looking back it might have been less exhausting to continue for a little longer because she was such a slow nurser. Well, she still is... My son gulped it down in a few minutes and sounded like a bull frog and I thought all babies were like that. Now I know better.

Also, in all the googling I did I didn't come across 4 month weening being recommended for preemies. That's so counterintuitive to me! I figured since D was a little over a month early that she'd be "ready" a month later than term babies. I will have to investigate, I'm glad you mentioned that.

 

[Gagrlinpitt]

I figured I'd give a quick update on P... She had get first bath which she didn't mind.. however coming out of the tub.. not a fan. She also moved up to size medium nipples.. she was collapsing the slow ones and she's doing great on the medium ones. Girl can house some formula.

Her one month doctor appointment is on Wednesday so I'm curious to see what her stats are then...