Short but sweet, the book I used the most when our first was born was a gift from my aunt who lives on the central coast. She gave it to me on day three of our son being with us, and not a day too soon. The Nursing Mother's Companion is the ultimate resource for the breastfeeding mother. I learned more from that book than I did in the hospital, and our hospital is well known for having the highest percentage of breastfeeding mothers in the state, and perhaps the nation. Granted this gave me a good start for support, but I also was determined to have a baby who was EBF (exclusively breast fed). It was from this book that I really came to understand the feed on demand technique. It explained how there are specific times in the baby's early development where they will have growth spurts, and that cluster feeding is completely normal. I also better understood how breastfeeding was really the law of supply and demand and the moment you introduce formula into the mix, you are already on a downhill slope.
I loved this book so much that I sent it to Germany when my friend had her baby. She successfully breastfed for over a year before weaning her son. Next the book was forwarded to my sister in law in London, who started her breastfeeding experience being told her milk would never come in. She is doing fabulously feeding her quickly growing girl born in December. I've also given this book as gifts, and recommended it to anyone who asks me for breastfeeding advice. Hence why I'm recommending it to you!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
What They Say...
I'd like to take a moment to debunk a few myths and confirm a few others perhaps. These all revolve around the differences between my two kids. I'll jump to the moral first: there is no method to the madness, and you just have to go with what hand you're dealt. That said, here we go.
Myth #1: Baby #2 is always early
My OB said our daughter broke every rule. She wasn't early, she was 6 days late. That's even later than my son, who was only 2 days late.
Myth #2: Baby #2 is always bigger, but girls are smaller
This one I can sort of confirm. Our daughter was 8 pounds 4 ounces, and while our first was 8 pounds 9 ounces. That difference in weight is almost unnoticeable honestly. Neither kid wore newborn sized clothing for more than two weeks. So many cute things went to waste...
Myth #3: Girls are easier
This one I want to confirm as well. I remember that our son was sleeping 7 hours at 7 weeks old, so I sort of made that my benchmark. When you're getting up twice a night to feed during those first couple weeks you want some sort of hope, something to set your sights on to help you get through the tough days. On day 3 this girl slept a 6 hour stretch. Yes, it was sort of a fluke, but I swear that night gave us the good start to get us through it all. Now at just 2 months, she sleeps 9 to 10 hours and I'm not getting up to feed at night anymore. That early morning feeding happens in bed, while I'm half asleep. It's awesome. Plus, I hold her a lot, but far less than I did with our son. She's super happy to lay in her gym or sit in her bouncy chair. She LOVES having her diaper changed!
Myth #4: The second child is the opposite of the first
I heard this one the other day because a couple had their second. Instead they had the girl first and the boy is just 4 months old. Their daughter was sleeping through the night at 4 months, but now their son can't even fall asleep on his own. Everyone at this gathering agreed with this concept and I kept my mouth shut. As I described my experience with Myth #3 my second is more similar to our first. They look so much alike, but their sleeping habits are both amazing. They both grow like little bean poles and I love them both more than anything else in the world!
Myth #1: Baby #2 is always early
My OB said our daughter broke every rule. She wasn't early, she was 6 days late. That's even later than my son, who was only 2 days late.
Myth #2: Baby #2 is always bigger, but girls are smaller
This one I can sort of confirm. Our daughter was 8 pounds 4 ounces, and while our first was 8 pounds 9 ounces. That difference in weight is almost unnoticeable honestly. Neither kid wore newborn sized clothing for more than two weeks. So many cute things went to waste...
Myth #3: Girls are easier
This one I want to confirm as well. I remember that our son was sleeping 7 hours at 7 weeks old, so I sort of made that my benchmark. When you're getting up twice a night to feed during those first couple weeks you want some sort of hope, something to set your sights on to help you get through the tough days. On day 3 this girl slept a 6 hour stretch. Yes, it was sort of a fluke, but I swear that night gave us the good start to get us through it all. Now at just 2 months, she sleeps 9 to 10 hours and I'm not getting up to feed at night anymore. That early morning feeding happens in bed, while I'm half asleep. It's awesome. Plus, I hold her a lot, but far less than I did with our son. She's super happy to lay in her gym or sit in her bouncy chair. She LOVES having her diaper changed!
Myth #4: The second child is the opposite of the first
I heard this one the other day because a couple had their second. Instead they had the girl first and the boy is just 4 months old. Their daughter was sleeping through the night at 4 months, but now their son can't even fall asleep on his own. Everyone at this gathering agreed with this concept and I kept my mouth shut. As I described my experience with Myth #3 my second is more similar to our first. They look so much alike, but their sleeping habits are both amazing. They both grow like little bean poles and I love them both more than anything else in the world!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Toy Cleaning
I saved a number of infant toys from my son for my daughter to play with. They were stored away in a container in the garage some place for almost two years before making their recent debut. There were a number of techniques I used depending on the type of toy being cleaned.
The plastic key type toys and rattles were easy. Without actually fully submerging in water, you can simply use hot soapy water in the sink.
There were a few toys that were either plastic or plush, but that had some sort of electronic component to them. I have a set of keys with a stop light type handle that lights up red and green when you push the buttons. And my favorite toy of my son's infancy, a plush inch worm with sections that either make sensory sounds like crinkles or squeaks and also plays a song when you squeeze it's head, required special handling. These types of toys you can surface wash. But, I these toys were in my son's mouth. The inchworm was taken to Europe and I must admit, hit a dirty train station floor or two before the trip was done. I did some research on the web before going with the Lysol technique. Follow the instructions on the bottle for the disinfectant spray. Essentially you can mist the toy until covered, but not soaked, and let dry. Repeat this process for especially filthy toys.
Lastly, there are the occasional stuffed animals that require another technique. My son has a favorite, his hop-hop. This is a dare I say cheap Easter bunny, who at last Easter was practically the size of my son, who has been his lovey ever since. Finally after spotting actual stains on his white cheeks, most likely caused by a milk drip or two from a breakfast on the couch watching cartoons on PBS, I decided Hop needed a bath. I simply put Hop in a pillow case, tied one end, and put him through the wash. I washed him with the baby blankets from both cribs on the gentle cycle. Then I dried the whole load on low. Hop came out stain free and looking like a million bucks!
The plastic key type toys and rattles were easy. Without actually fully submerging in water, you can simply use hot soapy water in the sink.
There were a few toys that were either plastic or plush, but that had some sort of electronic component to them. I have a set of keys with a stop light type handle that lights up red and green when you push the buttons. And my favorite toy of my son's infancy, a plush inch worm with sections that either make sensory sounds like crinkles or squeaks and also plays a song when you squeeze it's head, required special handling. These types of toys you can surface wash. But, I these toys were in my son's mouth. The inchworm was taken to Europe and I must admit, hit a dirty train station floor or two before the trip was done. I did some research on the web before going with the Lysol technique. Follow the instructions on the bottle for the disinfectant spray. Essentially you can mist the toy until covered, but not soaked, and let dry. Repeat this process for especially filthy toys.
Lastly, there are the occasional stuffed animals that require another technique. My son has a favorite, his hop-hop. This is a dare I say cheap Easter bunny, who at last Easter was practically the size of my son, who has been his lovey ever since. Finally after spotting actual stains on his white cheeks, most likely caused by a milk drip or two from a breakfast on the couch watching cartoons on PBS, I decided Hop needed a bath. I simply put Hop in a pillow case, tied one end, and put him through the wash. I washed him with the baby blankets from both cribs on the gentle cycle. Then I dried the whole load on low. Hop came out stain free and looking like a million bucks!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Nursing Pillows
I have two nursing pillows. One is the standard Boppy that everyone has. The other is a My Brest Friend. My routine with my son was to keep the Boppy in the living room and the MBF in the bedroom. This allowed me to nurse in varying positions like the football hold and the standard cradle during the day. This is helpful in those first few weeks you start breastfeeding so you get evenly worn so to speak.
I'm not sure if the Boppy lost some fluff in the year and a half since it's last use, but it is not the wonderful pillow I remember. To be honest, I use it as a back pillow now and a standard bed pillow to hold up the baby. Again this can be shoved on my side or held across my lap and gives me the same flexibility while nursing on the couch. (Course to really complain, our pillows are down so they're way too soft and I'm constantly torquing the pillow to get it the way I want it, but even that is easier than using the Boppy). The pillow can't be all bad though. Everyone I know has one at some point or another while they have a baby. My sister has a great technique for giving her 3 week old son tummy time, and he falls asleep on her lap while straddling the Boppy and loves it. However, after starting to nurse my second child it has lost it's luster for me personally.
What makes the MBF so great you ask? Well for starters it's a firm foam pillow. It holds one shape, and that's it. It wraps around your body, and you clip it on, so it stays in one place. There are two bumps on either side of the front of the pillow which help position the baby's head turned slightly upward. This is an ideal nursing position otherwise you have to support both your breast and the baby's head which gets old. I like to use my free hand to play on my cell when I'm up at 4 am! The part that wraps around your waist has a great back support. While I feed on the couch I find myself leaning forward or trying to keep more upright and this gets tiring. When the MBF is in the right spot, I can relax and lean back and not worry about the baby slipping or shifting. I've used if outside a few times and it fits great while I sit on plastic outdoor chairs. The other day I even used it to nurse while I caught up on emails, hands free!
If I could do it all over again with my first I'd wish for two MBFs. It does seem a little lazy since I could really just carry the one pillow wherever I needed it. But in the beginning when you're tired you don't want to go to bed and wake up for a late night feeding and realize you forgot the pillow in some other room you're not sure where. But, now that our little girl sleeps mostly through the night, I'm almost ready to move the MBF to the living room for good!
I'm not sure if the Boppy lost some fluff in the year and a half since it's last use, but it is not the wonderful pillow I remember. To be honest, I use it as a back pillow now and a standard bed pillow to hold up the baby. Again this can be shoved on my side or held across my lap and gives me the same flexibility while nursing on the couch. (Course to really complain, our pillows are down so they're way too soft and I'm constantly torquing the pillow to get it the way I want it, but even that is easier than using the Boppy). The pillow can't be all bad though. Everyone I know has one at some point or another while they have a baby. My sister has a great technique for giving her 3 week old son tummy time, and he falls asleep on her lap while straddling the Boppy and loves it. However, after starting to nurse my second child it has lost it's luster for me personally.
What makes the MBF so great you ask? Well for starters it's a firm foam pillow. It holds one shape, and that's it. It wraps around your body, and you clip it on, so it stays in one place. There are two bumps on either side of the front of the pillow which help position the baby's head turned slightly upward. This is an ideal nursing position otherwise you have to support both your breast and the baby's head which gets old. I like to use my free hand to play on my cell when I'm up at 4 am! The part that wraps around your waist has a great back support. While I feed on the couch I find myself leaning forward or trying to keep more upright and this gets tiring. When the MBF is in the right spot, I can relax and lean back and not worry about the baby slipping or shifting. I've used if outside a few times and it fits great while I sit on plastic outdoor chairs. The other day I even used it to nurse while I caught up on emails, hands free!
If I could do it all over again with my first I'd wish for two MBFs. It does seem a little lazy since I could really just carry the one pillow wherever I needed it. But in the beginning when you're tired you don't want to go to bed and wake up for a late night feeding and realize you forgot the pillow in some other room you're not sure where. But, now that our little girl sleeps mostly through the night, I'm almost ready to move the MBF to the living room for good!
Goals and Points
I have to admit I actually typed my first entry days ago, maybe even over a week ago... I tried to stock up entries so I could publish something every day even if things were too busy to keep up the blog. Things are even tougher than that. Basically by the time the kids are asleep I've lost most motivation to do anything but sit on the couch and veg out.
Last night was a great example. Our son only took an hour and twenty minute nap when he usually naps 3 hours. He seemed chipper when he woke up so I didn't push him going back to sleep. Plus, I really couldn't. I had to hold our two month old daughter because she had her check-up today and got four vaccines, three shots in the thighs and one oral. The poor thing is extra cranky but extra tired so holding her most of the day was the only solution. Anyway, the lack of nap really catches up to the boy after dinner is done. Getting out of the bath is a struggle. He refuses to brush his teeth. He gets hysterical with Daddy and asks for Mommy only to perform the same routine with me. Both kids are then crying and the parents are about to lose it and then... I snap out of it. I take the poor baby to our room to nurse and let Daddy deal with the boy. Somehow we get both kids in bed, after the girl wakes up a couple times and finally settles down. It's really enough to make someone crazy, and yet, it's the typical night in so many households with children.
I really like blogging though, and I really want to keep it going even if things are nuts. I have tons of ideas of things I want to write about, I just need the time to do it. So here we go again.
I'm going to start with entries about how things compare between caring for our two children. Some products and techniques are the same and yet some new discoveries have made our time with our daughter a little easier. Maybe some of the lessons I've learned can help others. We'll see!
Last night was a great example. Our son only took an hour and twenty minute nap when he usually naps 3 hours. He seemed chipper when he woke up so I didn't push him going back to sleep. Plus, I really couldn't. I had to hold our two month old daughter because she had her check-up today and got four vaccines, three shots in the thighs and one oral. The poor thing is extra cranky but extra tired so holding her most of the day was the only solution. Anyway, the lack of nap really catches up to the boy after dinner is done. Getting out of the bath is a struggle. He refuses to brush his teeth. He gets hysterical with Daddy and asks for Mommy only to perform the same routine with me. Both kids are then crying and the parents are about to lose it and then... I snap out of it. I take the poor baby to our room to nurse and let Daddy deal with the boy. Somehow we get both kids in bed, after the girl wakes up a couple times and finally settles down. It's really enough to make someone crazy, and yet, it's the typical night in so many households with children.
I really like blogging though, and I really want to keep it going even if things are nuts. I have tons of ideas of things I want to write about, I just need the time to do it. So here we go again.
I'm going to start with entries about how things compare between caring for our two children. Some products and techniques are the same and yet some new discoveries have made our time with our daughter a little easier. Maybe some of the lessons I've learned can help others. We'll see!
Monday, May 23, 2011
I'm Baaaack!
I must apologize for the long hiatus. I finally had that baby girl of mine! She arrived 6 days late, but she was worth the wait. The nurse in the delivery room said she must have been waiting to be born an Aries on the first day of spring. Plus, the date is hard to forget: 32111 (3/21/11). Life with two little ones has been rather exciting, but besides the lack of free time, it has provided me with a growing list of favorite products and tips to share. I promise to do my best to keep up the blog better.
In addition to adjusting to our life as a family of four, my younger sister is going through an adjustment of her own. She became a first time mom on April 26th to a beautiful boy. I could not be happier my big boy has a little sister and a boy cousin! Here is a picture of the new best friends:
In a reality note, I'm sitting on my couch, an hour after both kids are officially asleep, watching the latest episode of Glee and typing on my computer. There is a basket of laundry to do, a room of toys that need picking up, and a sewing project that has been calling, but all I have the energy to do is sit on the couch and type. Things will get better, easier, it's just a matter of time.
In addition to adjusting to our life as a family of four, my younger sister is going through an adjustment of her own. She became a first time mom on April 26th to a beautiful boy. I could not be happier my big boy has a little sister and a boy cousin! Here is a picture of the new best friends:
In a reality note, I'm sitting on my couch, an hour after both kids are officially asleep, watching the latest episode of Glee and typing on my computer. There is a basket of laundry to do, a room of toys that need picking up, and a sewing project that has been calling, but all I have the energy to do is sit on the couch and type. Things will get better, easier, it's just a matter of time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)