"Newest" Moms Hangout... take 2!

[justhat]

My best friend son Camden is now in the Nicu after he took a turn for the worse this morning.
Quick Update 6/16 9:37: He isn't doing well. He is still on the antibiotic, oxygen and feeding tube. However, his breathing rate is still not where they want it to be so he can't tolerate any feedings.

Sorry to hear that Do they know what's wrong with him yet? My cousin had a baby in March that was born with 2 severe heart defects and his own sign was that he had trouble breathing. So scary for her to see her baby that way, so I can imagine what your friend is going through.



Hulagirl, Scarlett is in ISR swim lessons. She goes everyday for 10 minutes max. She has done 12 classes so far and can already swim with her face in the water, recover from a fall into the pool (as in accidental fall in, sink to the bottom, flip over, then swim up), and float on her back. If you have an ISR instructor near you I highly recommend taking Carys. We did traditional swim classes with my older 2 and neither one was swimming till 4.5yo at the earliest, and even now, Henry is nearly 5yo and I would not say that he could save himself in an accident at all. So he's starting classes when we get back from our trips in mid-July.


I did Gymboree classes with Madison as a baby and she liked them, but it's harder now with multiple kids so I haven't done them with Henry or Scarlett. Henry did start gymnastics classes at 18 months and he does really well with that now. Scarlett *might* start those this fall too, we'll have to see the times though.


LaurenLC, congrats!

 

[hulagirl87]

Brynn's a busy girl. I have her signed up for 2 Gymboree classes, one on Monday and one on Thursday. She has a music class on Tuesday and swim classes on Thursday. We have a standing play date that rotates between homes on Wednesday and on Friday we have a mommy/baby outing trip with another playgroup.
We started with just one class a week, and slowly started layering more in. I thought it might be overwhelming for her, but she really loves going out. I'm really trying to make sure that we get out a lot this summer because I know that when winter comes back we won't go out as much.

On a completely different note, Brynn is going to be a big sister! I found I was pregnant the day after Brynn's first birthday! We're very excited, but really shocked because it took us 10 months to get pregnant with Brynn, but this happened FAST!

Hope everyone is doing well!

That's great that she is so busy!!! I'm thinking of signing up for a gymnastics class. I just wish it wasn't so expensive....

Congratulations on your pregnancy!!!!!


So I'm going to be buying a new (used) car. I hate it though. Pushy salespeople and all. I test drove 6 cars but really like the Toyota Highlander. There is a ton of room in there for Carys's car seat and stroller. Right now I'm cramped for space in the car I have and getting Carys in and out of the car is always challenging. I would welcome the larger back seat area! DH is considering the Ford Expedition as the lease on his car is up in November. 2 new cars in the driveway. crazy!

 

[LaurenLC]

That's great that she is so busy!!! I'm thinking of signing up for a gymnastics class. I just wish it wasn't so expensive....

Congratulations on your pregnancy!!!!!


So I'm going to be buying a new (used) car. I hate it though. Pushy salespeople and all. I test drove 6 cars but really like the Toyota Highlander. There is a ton of room in there for Carys's car seat and stroller. Right now I'm cramped for space in the car I have and getting Carys in and out of the car is always challenging. I would welcome the larger back seat area! DH is considering the Ford Expedition as the lease on his car is up in November. 2 new cars in the driveway. crazy!

You will love a Highlander! My husband traded his car in for a 2011 and now I drive it and he drive my Ford Edge!

 

[RooRach0906]

Thank you for the concern for my best friend's newborn son! I am gonna post updates she posted so I dont transpose it wrong. Sorry if its long.

Saturday Night's Update: Good news is he is off the oxygen on room air and is tolerating his feeds well. He is turning jaundice as we expected but that is not a big deal. Our latest news is that he stopped breathing 3 times last night and then while I was holding him today. They are saying he has sleep apnea. They are not sure what is causing this and are going to do a CT scan in the morning. If the CT scan comes back clear they will move on to an EKG. I cannot put into words how scared/heart broken we are. When he finally does come home he will have to be on a heart/respiratory monitor for the first 2 months.

Today's Update: He is off the antibiotic and IV fluids. Come to find out he never had an infection to begin with. They did the CT and it was clear- Praise the Lord! They still do not know what is caused the sleep apnea spells which is concerning. The nurses tend to think that it is severe reflux which causes him to choke. The Nicu doc doesn't want to put him on medicine just yet. He wants to watch for more spells and go from there. Our prayer is that he won't have any more spells but only time will tell. He will be sent home on a monitor that will alarm every time his respiratory and heart rate dips to low or gets to high. He will be on the monitor until his spells cease for a good amount of time. If he goes into an apnea spell we have to stimulate him to get him to breath again. He had his car seat test today where he has to sit in his car seat for an hour so they can monitor his breathing/heart rate and he passed. Needles to say I am scared to death to bring him home, I know the Lord is in control and am trusting in him to see us through. I cannot thank everyone enough for all the prayers. Please continue to pray that Camden won't have anymore apnea spells. I also wanted to apologize for all the phone calls I have not had the chance to return. So many of you have called to to check on him and to let me know that you are praying for him. Life has been so crazy with going back and fourth to the Nicu, pumping and trying to spend as much time with Alexander as possible too. Each message brought tears to my eyes and joy to my heart knowing so many are praying for him! Thank you again for all the love and prayers! We are so thankful!

Thank you again!!!

Hope everyone is doing well! Annabelle is down to one nap a day and is eating what we eat when we eat (for the most part). She is stubborn and sometimes wont eat but I am tryin to be consistant and keep giving her the veggies and just hoping she will get to the point where she is eating a little more. I am thankful tho, that is she heathly.

 

[scottishduffy]

Hello to all! Mind if I join? I just had my baby girl on Fathers Day. Charlie (Charlotte) is a very good little girl and DH and I just adore her. I have been having few things driving me batty. I posted them on my other baby boards too but thought you guys here would probably be a great resource.


1. Anyone else have crazy hormone swings post birth? I feel like a lunatic because I am totally fine most of the time but have been having periods where I just burst into tears. I don't even feel sad!! I just all of sudden feel like a good cry and start tearing up. I know this is normal to some extent but it makes me feel like I should locked in an insane asylum.

Seriously, I was at the store today buying some diapers and accidentally got the wrong size then burst into tears at register. Poor girl was like "I'll get you the proper ones!! You don't worry" I'm sure this event was promptly followed by her telling co-workers about the nut-job she just saw after I left.



2. My little girl has been super sleepy. She is now 4 days and sleeps so much she has no interest in eating. I wake her up to get her on the breast, but after she latches she immediately falls asleep. I strip her down to diaper, play with her, rub her head, pick her up and try my best to bother her and keep her awake but she just isn't having it. Her latch is good, but she frequently also will suck for a minute or two then get frantic as if she doesn't think she is on the nipple and start shaking her head (with mouth wide open) to try to find it. Any advice on this? I started pumping a bit today to help get supply up and also I had to give her a bit of FF yesterday and last night since she was not having enough pee diapers and had lost too much weight. She is better on the pee thing today after being behind since birth.

Her past 2 feeds have been successful as I think my milk is coming in now.

3. Anyone else end up not liking their ped? I had asked around town to some other moms about what pediatrician they use and heard about someone I thought would be great. I get to her first appointment and was NOT impressed. The office waiting area, and even inside, did not seem very clean or well maintained. They only take cash payment, which begs the questions of WHY a doctors office deals only in cash. It is a single doc working there and not a big practice.So when he is off there isn't coverage. Plus, no seperate waiting area for sick kids vs. well kids... neverming his waiting area was sweltering hot as his AC didn't work properly. It just did not seem professional as his office girl also seemed scatterbrained. While he was a nice fellow I just did not get a good feeling about the office. Yet this guy came highly recommended from several moms in town for his bedside manner.

I came home immediately and looked for a larger practice and made her 2 week appt there. Big group, 24 hour call line,seperated waiting areas, much cleaner. Any advice as to what makes a good pedi?

 

[JoanneDisFan]

1. Anyone else have crazy hormone swings post birth?

2. My little girl has been super sleepy.

3. Anyone else end up not liking their ped?

Welcome to the group.

1. This is the baby blues and very normal. My first pregnancy it freaked me out as I wasn't expecting it, but with #2 I knew what to expect and knew what I was feeling was normal.

2. Also normal, its hard work being born and the first week is very tiring on a little baby. Also if there is a bit of jaundice it also makes them more sleepy. Sounds like with your milk coming in, baby will start getting more milk and making more diapers.

3. My family uses a Family Dr, but when DS was born I used the on call ped. We continued to see him for the first several months, but when they would take days to return my call I switched DS to my family practice. No regrets there.

Welcome to motherhood and enjoy your little one.

 

[hulagirl87]

our thread has died!

Everyone must be super busy with summer activities!

Things are good here. Carys is running around the house like crazy! Why do we push for them to be walking again? I was always set on just having one, having Carys being an only child, but recently I've been having the feeling that I might want to have another! yikes! Not sure though. My sister and I didn't get along at all growing up and I would hate for that to happen to Carys and her sibling. Right now I feel like my mind is just racing with stuff. Will Carys be mad if she isn't the only one anymore, will I be able to handle 2 kids, will we have enough money, etc, etc, etc......

Hope everyone is having a great summer and having a ton of fun!!!!

 

[BabyTigger99]

Let's get this thread back going!!!

Elliott is doing great. He just had his third modeling job yesterday, and did wonderful with it! He is such a joy to be around, and so much fun!!

 

[scottishduffy]

Okey, I will update.

Got a new pediatrician group which we love! DD is now one month, but has not gained a lot of weight. We are going back friday for another weight check on her and possibly some bloodwork if she is still not gaining enough.

I have been keeping meticulous records of her feeding. We do both pumped breast milk and supplement with formula. She eats about 3 oz food for pound of weight. She makes plenty of pee/poo diapers. Has no heart murmurs or chest congestion. Ped said she has no signs of dehydration and looks very healthy! Heck, she has even rolled over a few times and holds her head very steady... she is just teeny! I am not too worried over this but figure it is just one more thing to help drive the new mom crazy.

The ped said as long as she looks good and meets milestones then she is most likely healthy but they would want to check up on her and do tests to be safe. At 4 weeks she is 8lb 4 oz... born at 7lb 4 oz, and was 6lb 10oz at her 5 day check-up.

The question I would have a bit later (if DD remains small) is do I try to fatten her up or not? Do I just feed her as I have been doing since she appears perfectly healthy, interactive, and happy.... but let her be small and a slow weight gainer. Or do I try to add extra calories and concentrate her feeds to fatten her up to get her where she is supposed to be numbers wise (even though it may have no impact whatsoever on her actual health status). Hmmm... what to do?

FWIW I was always extremely small/petite as a child. I wore a 3T when I was 6 yrs old! I stayed a runt until 6th grade.

 

[starann]

Joining in as well....

I am Star, mom to Cody (7), Shane (6) and the newest arrival, Casey, born 5.13.11. Currently he is 2 mo old and I am wondering where the last few months have gone!!!! We are pretty certain he is our last (well DH is certain, I am on the fence!).

We had his 2 mo old appt this week and he is now up to 11lb 15oz and 23 in long...he is about 50th percentile for weight and height....75th for head circ (my kids all have big noggins!).

I am EBF and go back to work this weekend (I work weekends, 12 hours each day as a RN for a visiting nurse agency). I stay home during the week with all 3, which is somethign new since March...there is no way we could afford daycare for 3 kids! Part of me is happy to be going back to work, another part sad that I will be missing out on stuff. Guess I better get my pump stuff together tonight to plan for pumping all day Sat and Sun!

I have been dealing with PPD....I had it with my last as well so I knew the signs early on. With the help of some med changes I am doing much better!

Well that is it for now....here is a pict of my lil man!

 

[LaurenLC]

Long time, no chat. I've been away for several reasons, but mostly because we suffered a miscarriage and I just haven't been in the best of moods.

On a much happier and random note, I took Brynn to a Ford Model open call today just for the heck of it, and they want to sign her!!! They asked us to come back next week to fill out paperwork and go over everything. The whole thing could lead to nothing, but it's exciting none the less and should be interesting.

Other than that summer with Brynn has been lots of fun. I'd love some of this heat to go away, but I know I'll be complaining about snow before you know it.

Hope you're all doing well!

 

[LaurenLC]

Okey, I will update.

Got a new pediatrician group which we love! DD is now one month, but has not gained a lot of weight. We are going back friday for another weight check on her and possibly some bloodwork if she is still not gaining enough.

I have been keeping meticulous records of her feeding. We do both pumped breast milk and supplement with formula. She eats about 3 oz food for pound of weight. She makes plenty of pee/poo diapers. Has no heart murmurs or chest congestion. Ped said she has no signs of dehydration and looks very healthy! Heck, she has even rolled over a few times and holds her head very steady... she is just teeny! I am not too worried over this but figure it is just one more thing to help drive the new mom crazy.

The ped said as long as she looks good and meets milestones then she is most likely healthy but they would want to check up on her and do tests to be safe. At 4 weeks she is 8lb 4 oz... born at 7lb 4 oz, and was 6lb 10oz at her 5 day check-up.

The question I would have a bit later (if DD remains small) is do I try to fatten her up or not? Do I just feed her as I have been doing since she appears perfectly healthy, interactive, and happy.... but let her be small and a slow weight gainer. Or do I try to add extra calories and concentrate her feeds to fatten her up to get her where she is supposed to be numbers wise (even though it may have no impact whatsoever on her actual health status). Hmmm... what to do?

FWIW I was always extremely small/petite as a child. I wore a 3T when I was 6 yrs old! I stayed a runt until 6th grade.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about her growth. If your ped. isn't concerned I wouldn't be. Every baby grows at their own rate and it seems like she's doing great.

Joining in as well....

I am Star, mom to Cody (7), Shane (6) and the newest arrival, Casey, born 5.13.11. Currently he is 2 mo old and I am wondering where the last few months have gone!!!! We are pretty certain he is our last (well DH is certain, I am on the fence!).

We had his 2 mo old appt this week and he is now up to 11lb 15oz and 23 in long...he is about 50th percentile for weight and height....75th for head circ (my kids all have big noggins!).

I am EBF and go back to work this weekend (I work weekends, 12 hours each day as a RN for a visiting nurse agency). I stay home during the week with all 3, which is somethign new since March...there is no way we could afford daycare for 3 kids! Part of me is happy to be going back to work, another part sad that I will be missing out on stuff. Guess I better get my pump stuff together tonight to plan for pumping all day Sat and Sun!

I have been dealing with PPD....I had it with my last as well so I knew the signs early on. With the help of some med changes I am doing much better!

Well that is it for now....here is a pict of my lil man!

Casey is adorable!

 

[jaleaton]

The question I would have a bit later (if DD remains small) is do I try to fatten her up or not? Do I just feed her as I have been doing since she appears perfectly healthy, interactive, and happy.... but let her be small and a slow weight gainer. Or do I try to add extra calories and concentrate her feeds to fatten her up to get her where she is supposed to be numbers wise (even though it may have no impact whatsoever on her actual health status). Hmmm... what to do?

FWIW I was always extremely small/petite as a child. I wore a 3T when I was 6 yrs old! I stayed a runt until 6th grade.

As long as she's happy, healthy, and growing, I wouldn't worry about it too much. My daughter was born at 6.10lbs., and now at 2, she is still only 20.6lbs. We worried ourselves sick because our daughter was growing so slowly, and labeled as failure to thrive by her pediatrician, despite the fact that she's happy, healthy (only been sick once), and she is developing, just not the way the charts show she should.

There are so many different growth charts, which are easy to get caught up in, but not consistent between doctors. According to the CDC charts, my daughter has been underweight and off the charts from very early on. We have taken her to a few specialists to rule out any underlying issue, and guess what, she's (barely) on their charts, which are the WHO ones. There is quite the deviation between the 2 regarding what's "normal". Most doctors offices also only use charts that are for formula fed babies, and there is a big difference if you talk to a lactation consultant and look at charts aimed towards breastfed babies.

We've been down the route of adding calories once she got to baby / table food. We spoke to a dietitian, and they recommended we try to feed her between 1000 and 1200 calories a day to ensure proper growth, or to catch up to where she should be. I was a calorie counter for my baby. Not in terms of how adults may count calories, but I would chart how much she would eat, and see how many calories we could cram into her in a day. How sad is that?! At first, we supplemented formula, and continued on with the toddler formula before switching to milk. With food, we would add little things that pack in a lot of calories; things like olive oil or heavy cream to foods. The olive oil is easy to add to a wide variety of foods, and doesn't really change the flavor either. For example, one of my daughters favorite foods is oatmeal, so we make it with whole milk, and add a tbsp. of olive oil to it. On things like grilled cheese, we would add an extra piece of cheese, or add shredded cheese to veggies / pastas, etc.

Don't worry, I'm sure she's doing fine. It's hard as a first time parent, and I def. can relate on the weight issues. You would know if she weren't progressing and not getting enough nourishment. Her hair would be brittle, her skin would look dry, scaly, she would be lethargic, etc. Hang in there mama!

 

[BabyTigger99]

Long time, no chat. I've been away for several reasons, but mostly because we suffered a miscarriage and I just haven't been in the best of moods.

On a much happier and random note, I took Brynn to a Ford Model open call today just for the heck of it, and they want to sign her!!! They asked us to come back next week to fill out paperwork and go over everything. The whole thing could lead to nothing, but it's exciting none the less and should be interesting.

Other than that summer with Brynn has been lots of fun. I'd love some of this heat to go away, but I know I'll be complaining about snow before you know it.

Hope you're all doing well!

Sorry to hear about the miscarriage

But woohoo for the modeling!! Elliott does local modeling in the area. He has done one commercial and two print ads so far. He is a total ham when he is there!!

 

[RooRach0906]

Hope everyone is doing well!!!!
Annabelle is doing well. We are getting ready to leave in 6 days to go on Vacation!
Lets get this thread going again!!!!!

 

[LMulligan]

Hi ladies,

My 11 month old is having major sleep issues and I was wondering if anyone had any advice. He was always such a great sleeper - slept through the night from 2 months on. Last month, he had a bought of coxsackie and now all bets are off. He has been getting up between 3 - 5 AM and it takes me two hours to get him to go back to sleep.

Do I let him cry it out?? Last night, I tried going in his room to rub his back and leave every 15 minutes or so and it made it worse. He whipped himself up into a frenzy - red face, sweats, etc. until I caved.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated,

Thanks!

 

[RooRach0906]

Hi ladies,

My 11 month old is having major sleep issues and I was wondering if anyone had any advice. He was always such a great sleeper - slept through the night from 2 months on. Last month, he had a bought of coxsackie and now all bets are off. He has been getting up between 3 - 5 AM and it takes me two hours to get him to go back to sleep.

Do I let him cry it out?? Last night, I tried going in his room to rub his back and leave every 15 minutes or so and it made it worse. He whipped himself up into a frenzy - red face, sweats, etc. until I caved.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated,

Thanks!

I would let him cry it out, set an amount of time YOU are comfortable with (could be 15 mins, could be an hour), if he is still crying after that time go in soothe and then leave for the same amount of time. Be constient with the same amount of time and if it is seeming to work then up the amount of time you leave him in there. This is what I would do, you might get some other opinion you like better. Only you know what will work best for you and your family. Best of luck and I hope you find something that works!

 

[harleyquinn]

Hi ladies,

My 11 month old is having major sleep issues and I was wondering if anyone had any advice. He was always such a great sleeper - slept through the night from 2 months on. Last month, he had a bought of coxsackie and now all bets are off. He has been getting up between 3 - 5 AM and it takes me two hours to get him to go back to sleep.

Do I let him cry it out?? Last night, I tried going in his room to rub his back and leave every 15 minutes or so and it made it worse. He whipped himself up into a frenzy - red face, sweats, etc. until I caved.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated,

Thanks!

It's so hard when they go from sleeping great to having issues.

I just want to say that it is okay to "cave." He might need extra comfort for a little while at that time of night, but since he's going down fine and sleeping until then, picking him up and soothing him shouldn't hurt his sleep routine long term. Has it been going on for the entire month? Maybe its molars or a growth spurt?

If it makes you feel better...what you describe as whipping himself into a frenzy?? Lily has done that plus throwing up since she was an infant. Any attempts at CIO left us all miserable. That's why we still co-sleep at 2. NOT that I'm saying that's what you should do here at all!! I think it's a temporary set back and as long as his initial routine is good, it's okay to pick him up and do what you have to to get him back to sleep.

 

[Leger13]

Hi ladies. Nice to see some activity here again. I've been MIA too.

First of all, welcome to the new ladies and congrats on the new babies!

Lauren ~ so sorry to hear about your miscarriage

AFM ~ Alex is doing great! He'll be 9 months old next week. Where has the time gone!? DH and I are back at the RE seeking treatment for baby #2. We'll be doing our first round of IUI's with this next cycle which is due to start next week. I'm excited, anxious, scared, all of the above. I'm just hoping and praying these IUI's work as well as our last round did.

 

[Leger13]

OH and on Alex...haha! He's crawling now! He started last weekend. He's just army crawling but he'll be up on all 4's soon. He hasn't pulled to a standing position yet but he will soon I'm sure. He babbles "dadada" all day long. He's a great sleeper and eater. He has a pedi appt in the next couple of weeks so I'll find out how big he is then. Oh and he's sitting up from a laying down position on his own now too. He's doing really great and is such a joy! Love him to death!