The new "New Moms" thread!

[Tiggerlover91]

Last night girls Mo cried for 40 straight minutes. Hubby was at his end. He changed him, tried to feed him, but he wouldn't take bottles, not breastmilk nor formula. He fed him solid food, but that only kept him happy for about 10 minutes. What could have been wrong??? He was fine with me all day. Hubby called his mother and she said he could have been constipated, but he had not one but two bowel movements earlier that day. Hubby said Mo was fine as long as he was holding him. I know that when I left him on the floor yesterday morning I heard his I'm hurt cry. I think when he rolled from tummy to back he got his head really good on the floor. I picked him up and checked for injuries and just moments later he was laughing and fine. I nursed him and he did so for about 10 minutes, so it couldn't have been that right? That was nearly 5 or 6 hours before his crying episode. And now...he's perfect! Lying in his crib making noises and rolling all around. It couldn't have been because I was gone? He's NEVER done that before. Could he have been reacting to his shots that much later? HELP!!!!

And someone send me the lists for shots. Why are not getting the rotovirus or delaying chicken pox? Mo just had all his 4 month shots, was that okay? Is there some danger or something?

 

[kellyf2626]

Last night girls Mo cried for 40 straight minutes. Hubby was at his end. He changed him, tried to feed him, but he wouldn't take bottles, not breastmilk nor formula. He fed him solid food, but that only kept him happy for about 10 minutes. What could have been wrong??? He was fine with me all day. Hubby called his mother and she said he could have been constipated, but he had not one but two bowel movements earlier that day. Hubby said Mo was fine as long as he was holding him. I know that when I left him on the floor yesterday morning I heard his I'm hurt cry. I think when he rolled from tummy to back he got his head really good on the floor. I picked him up and checked for injuries and just moments later he was laughing and fine. I nursed him and he did so for about 10 minutes, so it couldn't have been that right? That was nearly 5 or 6 hours before his crying episode. And now...he's perfect! Lying in his crib making noises and rolling all around. It couldn't have been because I was gone? He's NEVER done that before. Could he have been reacting to his shots that much later? HELP!!!!

And someone send me the lists for shots. Why are not getting the rotovirus or delaying chicken pox? Mo just had all his 4 month shots, was that okay? Is there some danger or something?

Hey Denise....Sometimes Brady had minor "freak-outs" for no apparant reason. He would be fine all day, and then at night cry hysterically and just want to be held. At his 6 months shots, he was totally fine when he got home, took a great nap - and then when he got up from his nap, screamed for 3 hours straight. My ped said that they injection site may have hit a muscle or something, and after he woke up, been really sore and hurting him. Who knows? He was totally fine the next day.

Hmmmm...some people don't give the Roto b/c it's a fairly "new" vaccination and protects against something that isn't necessarily "deadly". The actual rotovirus flies around daycare facilities, so since Brady wasn't in daycare, we didn't do it. Personally, I also didn't do it because it is also a "live vaccination", meaning he would get small portion of the actual virus, which leaves a risk he could even get a mild form of the virus from the vaccination. I just didn't think it was necessary. Kinda the same thing with chicken pox - it is a live vaccination, and protects against something we probably all got when we were kids and survived. Of course, your ped will talk about the deadly cases of each....and of course those happen....but people can die from all kinds of various viruses that we don't vaccinate against.... YKWIM? It just comes down to that I want to put the least amount of chemicals into my little boy....and I will delay things that are especially potent until his body can really handle them. If you want to pm me your email - I will send you our "schedule"!

 

[Pollito916]

Did anyone have to change a diaper on a plane? Were there change tables? My biggest worry is that our flight time is right about when Colin usually makes a stink, so I'm sure I'll be in the bathroom, balancing him on my lap because there's no change table!

Adorable new pictures! I did have to change a diaper on a plane, and more than once, and of course one of them was fully loaded. There was a changing table, but the bathroom is still tiny and cramped. It's definitely better than trying to change a poopy diaper on your lap, though! Have fun at WDW!

Side note story: when we moved to AZ last month, my mom flew out here with my son, and didn't think it was necessary to include an extra outfit for him in the carryon diaper bag. I said, "but what if he has one of those exploding diapers," which he has only had once before, but with my luck, the one time I don't pack an extra outfit, it will happen. Sure enough, he exploded on the plane, and boy was she glad I packed that extra outfit! Don't question my judgement - I am always right!

 

[ashjohnson80]

Thanks for the advice on the car seats. I think I'm going to order a Britax Marathon in "Cowmooflauge" from babycenter tomorrow. I found a coupon.

 

[kellyf2626]

Just in case anyone was in the market for a stroller...albeebaby is having 1/2 off many of their Peg Perego strollers!

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

Question for you all - is it possible to be allergic to one brand of diaper and not another? I usually use cloth, so I don't know much about Pampers and such. If I need disposables, I usually have Huggies and he has no problems. I bought some Pampers for him this time, and now he has this rash across the bottom of his belly where the top of the diaper would be. It doesn't look like a diaper rash, and doesn't spread onto the rest of his belly. All I can think is that he must be allergic to something about the Pampers. Is that possible?

We usually do cloth diapers, too, with the occasional Pampers for disposables. Owen doesn't have problems with Pampers, but he does get diaper rash from Luvs, so I think it's quite possible for a baby to be sensitive to one brand of diaper but not another.

By the way, on another cloth diaper note, anyone have any tips for overnight? DH calls Owen "supersoaker" because if we just put one cloth diaper on him he's guaranteed to leak through overnight. We tried using a disposable, but that was even worse. I've been doing two diapers - folding one in thirds to make an extra pad and putting that down the middle of the other diaper - and he soaks both of them but doesn't leak that way, but his butt is enormous! Anyone using cloth with a diaper doubler? Do they work? Is one brand better than another?

Oh yeah!!! I made my first batch of homemade baby food tonight! Applesauce!! It was so simple. I peeled, cut and cored the apples, cooked them til soft and then threw them in the new blender we purchased this evening. Now tomorrow, Mo will get to try mommy's applesauce instead of the store bought for adults. I put some in a little container for tomorrow and the rest is in an ice cube tray in the freezer for later. Wish me luck! I think I'm going to introduce a couple veggies to him next week and then some more fruit. I think sweet potatoes and peas will be the first two.

We're making our own babyfood here, too! So far Owen is just on rice cereal, green beans, carrots, and avacado. He's loving the avacado, which is good because he needs those good fats! By the way, one thing to watch for if you are making your own food is that the carrots and spinach you use need to be grown without nitrates. We get our veggies from a local organic farm that doesn't use nitrates in their fertilizer, but most veggies are grown with it and an organic label doesn't always mean they don't use it.

I know my ped is going to give me major attitude about delaying the MMR and chx pox. But hey....I am the mom....and I am educated about this. Also, I plan on discussing it with her at Brady's 9 month appointment about what our plan is going forward. He is not due to get any shots at his 9 mo, so it will be a good "neutral" time to have the discussion. I have actually made a spreadsheet with what my ped gives at each age, what the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends, and what I plan on doing with Brady. He is actually getting all his shots within the AAP timeframe, just not the MMR and chx pox. (If anyone is curious how this all maps out, let me know! I will pm you the chart!).

Things that I learned in Dr. Sears book that I thought were VERY informative:

1. The early ones (DTaP, HIB, Prevnar) are given at those ages for a reason, and really shouldn't be delayed more than a few months. They are protecting our little one's from illnesses that could be deadly when they are small infants. If you delay them past 1 or 2 years old, there really isn't any use in getting them.

2. Many people decide to split up the MMR vaccine because many autistic kids have a viral-induced inflammation in their intestines. When tested, the vaccine-strain measles virus is present in their intestines. Their non-autistic siblings did not have this infection in the studies that have been conducted. Soooooo, there is a worry that the measles portion of the MMR is the part that is not safe for smaller babies/infants to have. So when you split them up, you should be giving the Mumps part at 12 mo, the Rubella part at 24 mo, and the Measles portion last - at 3 years - so that the LO's system can handle it appropriately. All three are LIVE viruses, which can be more reactive and harder for our LO's to handle (same with chx pox).

BUT - many don't realize that if you do split up the MMR, you are exposing your LO to all the chemical ingrediants in the shot 3x - once for each part. Each separate dose of the vaccine still contains all the ingrediants/preservatives/chemicals that the combination one does.

Sooooooo....basically.....if you do decide to split them up (and can find a ped that will order them separate for you....which is very hard to do) you want to make sure you are giving them a year apart (not just a few weeks) and that the measles portion is LAST. Splitting it up a few weeks apart does NOTHING and basically you should just give the combo MMR. It can take up to 8 weeks for reactions to occur with this live vaccine.

Phew....like there isn't enough for us moms to stress about!!!!

Thanks for that info - I'd love to see the chart, too. We decided to split Owen's vaccines up just to give his little body time to adjust rather than dealing with everything all at once, and so far his Dr. is supportive. But of course we're with an HMO and they have a system for doing everything, so it's a little bit of a pain to go to the injection clinic and explain that we only want two of the 4 or 5 vaccinations. You are supposed to see your dr. the day of the shots and bring a vaccination request form with you that is dated for the same day, and since we split ours up we don't get that form for the second visit. Technically, they don't have to have the form to do the shots - it's all in the computer - but they react like we've comitted a federal offence! I'm really interested in getting more information on the later shots, though. I'll have to get that book and do some more reading...


We've got tons of construction noise at our house these days and it's messing with Owen's naps. We're finally getting the garage remodel done to give DH some office space out there (he calls it his "man cave" ) and make a better laundry room. We're getting tankless water heaters at the same time, and there's all kinds of electrical and plumbing work that has to be done, including using a jackhammer to take up sections of the cement floor of the garage. I love these contractors, and they really do their best to be quiet while he's sleeping, but I told them to just do what they need to do and Owen will have to learn to deal with it. The faster they work, the sooner it will be done and we can finally move the last of DH's office out to the garage and Owen can have his own room.

Since Owen has started sleeping in his room (instead of my arms), DH had to move his computer out to the dining room, so now we don't have a place to eat meals. He plays the Lord of the Rings online game as his stress-reliever, and was losing out on game time with Owen asleep in the room with his computer! He says that a lot of the players in his "fellowship" are moms with babies and they frequently are holding a baby while they play. Apparently they all think I should join the game, too.

 

[RadioNate]

Maggie turned 5 months today! I can't believe how fast she is growing.

We just started solids. She doesn't really like them and only will eat a tiny bit. She loves her milk though but I can't keep going through 40oz a day!

I am a little concerned about her rolling. She doesn't roll. It isn't that she CAN'T, she has a few times but she doesn't normally do it. She has no interest in it at all. She is totally content to lay there and talk.

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

One more thing I forgot to ask -

Anyone have any experience with/tips on getting a baby to give up a pacifier? When did you start, how did you do it, etc. etc.?

Owen uses one to fall asleep or if he's really upset, and I don't mind it so much except that if it falls out of his mouth he can't put it back in by himself yet. If he wakes up without it in his mouth he won't go back to sleep again until I get up and pop it back in for him. So in addition to getting up twice every night to nurse, he also sometimes wakes up 2-4 times needing the pacifier put back in his mouth. Naps are the same way - if he wakes up without it, I've got to go in and get it back in his mouth for him. Cry it out doesn't work with this - if he doesn't have the nuk, he's not going to fall asleep again no matter how long we let him cry or what else we do.

Any tips?

Oh, and here's a few of his recent photos:

3 months with Bywater (his dragon)

4 months with Bywater

In his funny dinosaur/dragon outfit (there's some debate over which one it is...).

Owen's "I'm an evil genius plotting something" look, which he gets rather often these days.

First "piano lesson" with my BF when she was visiting from Michigan. He was "singing" along with her, and then gave us his little "angelic choirboy" look. (which he does about as often as he does the evil genius look...)

 

[kellyf2626]

Bethany - the pics of Owen are adorable!! I can't believe how big he is getting!! Sorry I have no advice about the paci. Brady used to need his too, but then slowly he just started not wanting it. He sucks his thumb now to go to sleep. I don't know if that is any better, though. I feel like that will be an even harder habit to break!!

I am a little concerned about her rolling. She doesn't roll. It isn't that she CAN'T, she has a few times but she doesn't normally do it. She has no interest in it at all. She is totally content to lay there and talk.

Alison - Brady is like this with crawling. He will sit and play with the 4 or 5 toys within his reach for an hour, content as can be. He really has no interest in crawling or trying to get anything else. He will also lay on his back with a toy and talk to it forever. I think we just have very content babies!! I am enjoying his limited mobility for now...I know it will all change very soon. I am not worried, since he bears weight on his arms, and when he really wants to get something, he will pull himself to it with his arms (army crawling). But, again, only when he REALLY wants something. My girlfriends baby was always really, really active - even when he was little. Of course he has been crawling for weeks now - up on all fours! - and he is the same age as Brady. He just needs to be on the go more. Funny how our little one's personality can really impact what they do! Also....sometimes kids that are more verbal are slower with motor skills, and vice versa. Brady is very verbal and babbles constantly, so I think it is kinda true for him!

 

[Pollito916]

Bethany - the pics of Owen are adorable!! I can't believe how big he is getting!! Sorry I have no advice about the paci. Brady used to need his too, but then slowly he just started not wanting it. He sucks his thumb now to go to sleep. I don't know if that is any better, though. I feel like that will be an even harder habit to break!! /QUOTE]

Bethany - my DS also did the same thing as Kelly's. Around 6 months, he lost interest in the paci and picked up his thumb, which is now swollen from all the teeth marks, lol. I'm kind of worried about breaking the habit with Alex, too, but my mom said I was the same way, until I was old enough to start pre-school. She told me the other kids would make fun of me, and I quit cold turkey, lol.

 

[Jen_in_NH]

Bethany - I was double stuffing diapers at night for a while, and that seemed to work for a bit. I started using disposables at night a few weeks ago, to see if that will help any.

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

Bethany - I was double stuffing diapers at night for a while, and that seemed to work for a bit. I started using disposables at night a few weeks ago, to see if that will help any.

Let me know how your experience goes with the disposables. What kind are you using? I just ordered some diaper doublers off ebay, so we'll see how that works. After looking over the various descriptions of them, it looks like something I could make myself if I had a working relationship with a sewing machine, but I haven't touched one in decades so that's out of the question! DH is disturbed by the double diaper on Owen - swears it's going to make him bowlegged. But at least he's not leaking at night anymore. We'll see if the diaper doublers work and are less bulky.

And thanks everyone for the hopeful words about Owen's paci addiction. The goofball was crying about it this morning and when I went in he had it in his hand but was trying to stuff the back of it into his mouth. If only he could figure out how to get it in the right way!

 

[Tiggerlover91]

I suppose ladies I'm going to get the Britax car seat. What model should I get? I have a 06 Cobalt. Should I get the marathon or the roundabout? I know they are expensive, but Mo is worth EVERY penny and I like what I saw on their website with the crash testing.

 

[kellyf2626]

I suppose ladies I'm going to get the Britax car seat. What model should I get? I have a 06 Cobalt. Should I get the marathon or the roundabout? I know they are expensive, but Mo is worth EVERY penny and I like what I saw on their website with the crash testing.

Good choice Denise! They really are worth every penny for the peace of mind that you know your baby is safe. I don't know much about either of those models, but I am sure someone on here will. I would chose the one that goes up to the highest weight limit....that way you can use it the longest.

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

Denise, the Boulevard and the Diplomat carseats are the ones with the best side-impact protection. The Boulevard will hold a larger child (up to 65lbs), but doesn't fit in all car models. The Diplomat is smaller and fits in almost every car, has the same side-impact protection, but has a lower weight limit (up to 40lbs). We bought the Diplomat when it was on sale a few months ago on Amazon and got it at 20% off plus free shipping. DH was worried that the Boulevard might not fit in our car, and Owen is small anyway, so the Diplomat seemed the best choice for us.

The Marathon and Roundabout are both really good carseats, too. The Marathon is the larger one and has a weight limit of 65lbs, while the Roundabout fits better in small cars and has a weight limit of 40lbs, I believe (might be 45 - can't remember). Our friends have the Marathon and they really like it, but it is huge and only fits in their van, not their sedan. They have the Roundabout for their sedan.

HTH!

 

[Tiggerlover91]

Thanks ladies for the input. Looks like hubby and I will go with either the Roundabout or the Diplomat. The backseat of our Cobalt is pretty small and sometimes hubby or I will sit with Mo and we need the room.

 

[kellyf2626]

Brady says, "Happy Cinco de Mayo tomorrow everyone!".

 

[Tiggerlover91]

Brady says, "Happy Cinco de Mayo tomorrow everyone!".

LOVE IT!!!

 

[kellyf2626]

LOVE IT!!!

Thanks Denise!

 

[mrs.explorer1977]

Hey Denise --

We have different standards for carseats up here in "the great white North", but the Roundabout and Marathon are both highly rated for Canadian standards as well (and I think I've heard that they Cdn ones are little stricter than US). While we haven't bought either of them, we have checked them out, and like the other ladies were saying, the Roundabout is smaller than the Marathon so fits more vehicles.

We actually have Colin in the Cosco Eddie Bauer one right now, and like it as well. It's not much cheaper than the Britax ones, but we got it on sale at Babies'r'us. Of course, it doesn't fit in hubby's Jeep, so we're down to one vehicle when we're going somewhere with Colin (my Torrent). But, once Colin is front facing (only 2 more months...*sniff*) we'll be able to use a bigger carseat in the Jeep.

--

In non-carseat related news, things are going well here. We have a doctor's appointment tomorrow because I'm worried Colin might have a bit of an ear infection and since we leave for Disney via plane in 12 days banana: ) I wanted to get it checked out.

Hope everyone had a good weekend. We spent all day yesterday at the garden centre getting plants and trees, and most of the afternoon planting everything. I just have my pansies to plant tomorrow and then we're all done until the risk of frost is gone and we can plant some annuals.