The Official New Mom Thread

[Disney Enthusiast]

I have a question for you all. Thought maybe you could give me your opinions on diaper bags. I had 15 diaper bags for DS, many of them fashionable, but I ended up using one I got at my shower.... the Eddie Bauer sporty looking one. It lasted for a while, but I think I beat it up pretty badly and bought my own the next time. With DD I bought Reaction's Kenneth Cole backpack and that has worked really nice for me especially w/ the zipper running up the back so when I stop at the bag check in WDW, I just unzip the back of the back and they can see the stacked items. The strap is starting to go on it though, and it's a difficult bag to hang on my stroller's handlebars as the EB did. And I am getting tired of my stacking.

I was thinking of going w/ Land's End Do it all w/ wide opening bag. I also noticed some bags w/ other companies where you can unbutton the front pouch and it becomes a purse which sounds convenient to me since I always have to end up switching my wallet over to my purse when I go out w/o the kids. Or is that purse thing a hazard because any person can rip it off and run w/ it? I'm so confused and I want to get a good one that can help me bring stuff for 3 kids now. I'd rather go w/ the big bags... the bigger the better for me... I like them more and they travel well... If I could use one of my old ski bags as a carry-on I would. And I am super organized and love to have pockets and compartments galore. Do any of you have experience w/ these type bags I mentioned earlier, or should I just pick one and try it out? Thanks ahead of time for your time and opinions.

 

[floridafam]

Ladies,

Anyone here take Yasmin? Have you had any problems while taking it?

Thanks

 

[joats]

Brigitte: I too have the Eddie Bauer sporty backpack...I love it. Although when I pack it all up it's pretty heavy - I wouldn't want to lug it around WDW!
Hope you have a great time!!

FloridaFam: I took it for about a month a few years ago and it totally messed up my emotions. I basically felt angry almost rage for about a month. The Dr. at the time said that pill couldn't cause that, and advised me to go see a therapist. LOL!!! I am a marriage and family therapist - I'd know if it was a mental health issue - so I stopped taking it and those feelings were gone by the end of my next cycle. I never went back to that doctor again. It was really an awful experience on Yasmin.

 

[Alice28]

I have two Lands End bags and love them both. One I got (a big one- too big for me for daily use) in 97 for DS#1 and it still is in good shape! I have the day tripper bag I bought for Molly- love it too. Sturdy to the max and lots of great pockets, etc. I highly recommend!

 

[lissawynn]

Diaper bags - I got one of the huge Vera Bradley ones at my shower. I used it for a few months then switched to the Vera Bradley carry-all bag. I got the Nantucket Red and also ordered the Chocolat for the fall/winter. It's a great bag with lots of pockets inside (4), two on each end of the bag (I keep a bottle on one end and my cell phone on the other), a full length zippered compartment on one side of the bag, and two covered pockets (one has a key clip) on the other side. The strap is long enough to fit around the stroller handles or across my chest.
I don't know what kind of bag I'll be carrying in WDW. I have some experimenting to do before I pack. I might just take a few of the bags I've taken in the past and see what's the best. It usually takes me a day to figure out that I don't need everything I've packed for the parks.

I bought the Playtex Deluxe Hip Carrier yesterday. I'm going to be testing that out, too. Jimmy is such a little chub!

 

[gwcollins71]

Hi everyone!

Lily is still having bf issues. She taps out the ****ies and still wants more. So we've started supplementing with the bottle rather than the syringe. She gets between 1 1/2 to 2 oz after every nursing session. I've been trying the hand pump to increase the milk production and I swear it was the worst purchase I've ever made. $60 down th tubes. After every couple of pumps, something slips in the pump and the thing loses all suction. Even when there is suction, I can't get more than an ounce a day. I am getting the Medela Pump and Go this weekend from my SIL. I truly hope that helps. I have 3 weeks before I go back to work and I want to have this whole pumping thing figured out.

I am upset that I'm having such a hard time producing milk. Is there anything special I should be eating or doing to help it along?

Anyway, Lily is taking a pacifier too and that helps. At least she just doesn't hang on for dear life to my **** anymore. However, if she falls asleep and loses her binky she fusses until you plug her back in.

It's killing me that she's 3 weeks today. I still feel like I'm pregnant. At least I look like I do. Then again, I looked like I was pregnant long before I actually was.

Hope all the mommies and babies are doing well.

Gretchen



Lisawynn -- We had AR at one of the other schools I taught at. I loved it. My students used it all the time. The school I'm at now just purchased it last year and they are trying to figure out how to best integrate it into the school. I'm hoping it will be up and running by the fall.

Also, whatever happened with your summer school student? I was wondering about it yesterday when I stopped by my school and summer school was going on.

 

[Disney Enthusiast]

joats, Alice28, and lissawynn: Thank you so very much for your opinions. I'm in that rut right now.... I am in an organizing mood, and I really think a new diaper bag will make me feel like I'm in more control.

joats - I loved my EB too. I think the strap went on it or something, because I did not keep it. Or maybe the zipper went on it. I went directly to backpack from that and loved that I could put that on my back and still have 2 hands to spare for the children. I'm alone w/ them a lot. I guess the stacking and difficulty of hanging it on my stroller is becoming an issue. But when both kids are in the stroller, I have to carry it and I'm wondering if one like EB will be comfortable enough, esp. when 2 are in the stroller and one is in my Baby Bjorn. Yikes. I guess if it's a pack like EB, I can hang it over the handlebars. I'm leaning towards getting a bag again instead of another backpack because of this.

Alice28 - I saw an ad for the Land's End and that is what really got me searching. They only had 3 to offer, the Day Tripper (definitely too small for me ), the Do-It-All, and a backback. I noticed the Deluxe on eopinions and that was a biggy, maybe the one you have, but I don't think they offer it anymore. The Do-It-All is a like a Doctor's bag and holds open for you w/o the sides falling down. It also has a lighter color inside so no black hole. It seems really nice, but trying to get any details on it other than what I said is difficult. It's nice to know you like yours though. I'm going to have to go off referral because there is so little info out there.

lissawynn - I have never heard of the Vera Bradley. I'm going to check into that one so I really appreciate you mentioning it and providing me w/ the details on it.

I wish we could make up our own bags from scratch. Some have insulated pockets for 4 bottles... Some have a compartment underneath, either insulated for food, or packed w/ wipes and diapers and a pad for changing.... Some have a detachable compartment for a purse so when I leave the family w/ Daddy to go buy a drink, I can leave Daddy w/ the pack, and I take my "purse". But then I fear, that purse detachment is too easily ripped off in an airport w/o my notice. Does anyone have any experience w/ those?

Anyway, thank you all again. You really helped.

gwcollins1 - Your Lily is a good eater. That's great news. My Caroline was on formula from the beginning and you would think that would be safe. But I used those new nipples by Gerber which are scrunched in in the middle to prevent bubbles and gas. Well, those things are awful. I took her to her appt and the Pediatricians were using words like "syndrome" and such and I was scared out of my mind. She had gone from the 75th percentile to the 25th. She cried a lot and always sucked but barely drank her formula. The doctor had me change the nipple and come back in a week. I was so worried, but she had gained weight. We called her Piglet from then on. Here, she couldn't get formula out of the darn nipple. So ladies stay away from those if you are using Gerber. So now I'm always thrilled to hear that a baby is a strong eater.

 

[lissawynn]

Disney Enthusiast - Here's the link to the VB homepage www.verabradley.com The bags are kind of expensive, but they last forever and most (not the metropolitan) are machine washable. Also, her new messenger bag is really cute and has enough pockets/space to be a diaper bag.

gwcollins The student has paid half of the balance. The total should have been paid next week. My principal sent her mom a letter stating that until the balance is paid, she won't be promoted. I'm sure that will get the ball rolling. Also, if your librarian has any questions regarding AR, I'd be happy to give you our librarian's e-mail address. She is fantastic and makes the AR program run smoothly.

 

[Disney Enthusiast]

Disney Enthusiast - Here's the link to the VB homepage www.verabradley.com The bags are kind of expensive, but they last forever and most (not the metropolitan) are machine washable. Also, her new messenger bag is really cute and has enough pockets/space to be a diaper bag.

Thanks so much! I don't mind paying more money if I get a good bag which lasts for me. I sincerely appreciate all your help.

PS They are beautiful bags. I'm going to check them out for more details now, but they are gorgeous!

 

[Alice28]

Hi everyone!

Lily is still having bf issues. She taps out the ****ies and still wants more. So we've started supplementing with the bottle rather than the syringe. She gets between 1 1/2 to 2 oz after every nursing session. I've been trying the hand pump to increase the milk production and I swear it was the worst purchase I've ever made. $60 down th tubes. After every couple of pumps, something slips in the pump and the thing loses all suction. Even when there is suction, I can't get more than an ounce a day. I am getting the Medela Pump and Go this weekend from my SIL. I truly hope that helps. I have 3 weeks before I go back to work and I want to have this whole pumping thing figured out.

I am upset that I'm having such a hard time producing milk. Is there anything special I should be eating or doing to help it along?

Anyway, Lily is taking a pacifier too and that helps. At least she just doesn't hang on for dear life to my **** anymore. However, if she falls asleep and loses her binky she fusses until you plug her back in.

It's killing me that she's 3 weeks today. I still feel like I'm pregnant. At least I look like I do. Then again, I looked like I was pregnant long before I actually was.

Hope all the mommies and babies are doing well.

Gretchen



Gretchen- I had about the identical problems you are having with the nursing. Molly dropped over a pound at birth, and the lactation consultants were having me do all sorts of tricks- supplementing with the tube, pumping etc. What a nightmare. This is what worked for me: try to limit your nursing to 10 minutes per side- breastfeeding is a HUGE calorie burner for babies. Buy a different bottle- the Playtex nipples worked well for us (the brown ones not the clear). Buy the following herbal supplements to boost milk supply- fenugreek, brewers yeast & mothers milk tea...I think I took 2 fenugreeks daily, 2 yeast with each meal, and tea several times a day (all per lactation consultant's advice). Try and pump after feedings, but I found that to be a pain in the ****. Now Molly is back to 75th % and doing great....we still supplement with about 8-9 oz of formula a day & I don't care.....if she needs it, she needs it & it gives me a little break.

And see if there is a electric heavy duty pump you can rent; they're not TOO expensive and sometimes your medical insurance will cover it...mine did for up to 100 days and it was a SERIOUS pump. I think it was a Medela and it was hospital grade. I usually was able to get 1-2.5 ounces out of each breast after nursing Molly for 10 minutes per side....GOOD LUCK.

 

[Tasha+Scott]

My Caroline was on formula from the beginning and you would think that would be safe. But I used those new nipples by Gerber which are scrunched in in the middle to prevent bubbles and gas. Well, those things are awful. I took her to her appt and the Pediatricians were using words like "syndrome" and such and I was scared out of my mind. She had gone from the 75th percentile to the 25th. She cried a lot and always sucked but barely drank her formula. The doctor had me change the nipple and come back in a week. I was so worried, but she had gained weight. We called her Piglet from then on. Here, she couldn't get formula out of the darn nipple. So ladies stay away from those if you are using Gerber. So now I'm always thrilled to hear that a baby is a strong eater.

I had started to buy those nipples while I was still preg. but had read something you posted on the moms to be thread about them not working for Caroline and being a waste of money. So I decided not to buy them and have had no issues w/Kylie's eating habits. So thanks for letting me know about those nipples so that I didn't have to go through what you did w/Caroline!

Well, ladies, my brother will be headed to Memphis in an hour and a half. He is having pre-op done today and will have his cochlear implant done tomorrow. Dh, dd, and I are going to my mom's house tonight through Friday morning to housesit and take care of their animals. Pray that my brother's surgery goes well. It will be a long road but I can't wait till the day my brother will be able to hear almost normally again!

 

[Disney Enthusiast]

I had started to buy those nipples while I was still preg. but had read something you posted on the moms to be thread about them not working for Caroline and being a waste of money. So I decided not to buy them and have had no issues w/Kylie's eating habits. So thanks for letting me know about those nipples so that I didn't have to go through what you did w/Caroline!

Well, ladies, my brother will be headed to Memphis in an hour and a half. He is having pre-op done today and will have his cochlear implant done tomorrow. Dh, dd, and I are going to my mom's house tonight through Friday morning to housesit and take care of their animals. Pray that my brother's surgery goes well. It will be a long road but I can't wait till the day my brother will be able to hear almost normally again!

Glad the info directed you away from those darn things. I cried the whole way home from the Pediatrician's office. They thought it was a mechanical issue and luckily it was. Scared me half to death. She lost over a pound and quickly. It happens so fast.

Glad to hear about your brother. I will keep him in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[katerkat]

I usually go to the one on 82nd Ave- it's usually quite well stocked & it's less than a mile from Baby Depot, also on 82nd! AND, if you like to scrapbook, there is a killer scrapbook store right there by Baby Depot (82nd & King) called A Joy Forever...across 82nd from BD.

And then of course, the mall with babyGap, Gymbo, and the Children's Place is a mile south of BRU on 82nd....and Old Navy. Just in case you're in a shopping mood.

Oooh, and a scrapbook store! Woohoo! We will definitely be in a shopping mood - we're planning on going to Powell's and the outlets as well. Anything non-shopping to recommend? I know there's some gardens but we're not really garden-y people. We'll be staying in the Astoria area and driving over.

 

[lissawynn]

I will be returning the Playtex Deluxe Hip Carrier tomorrow! That thing is awful. Poor Jimmy was all over the place in it, and my neck and back still hurt. I'm glad I tested it out today than waiting until we hit WDW.

I know this must sound so silly, but I'm thinking of buying a Kolkraft stroller and additional stroller shade for our WDW trip. I just can't help thinking I'm going to walk off a ride and my Maclaren stroller won't be there. The KK stroller is $19.99 and the shade is $14.99. For $35 bucks, I'm not going to cry if something happens to the stroller. My Maclaren was almost $140 and I plan on using it until Jimmy can't fit in it any longer. Am I being silly? I would just really be ticked if my "good" stroller disappeared.

On a different note, our school board adopted a "uniform dress code". Starting in the fall, students in grades K-12 will be required to wear "uniforms" to school. You can read the story in our local paper at www.tnonline.com. It's on the front page. Some parents think teachers should have a "uniform", too. Have you ever heard of teachers wearing uniforms in schools where the students are required to do so? It's going to be an interesting start to the new school year.

 

[justhat]

Lissawynn, I am not a huge fan of the Playtex Hip Hammock either, but I found it is better for older babies. I know it says it's okay for I think 15+ lbs., but I think there should be an age limit too. Madison was about 9 months old and 18 lbs. when I bought it and I felt like she was going to slip right out. It seemed so big for her and she kept sliding around in it. She was sitting on her for over 4 months when I got it so that was not the problem. It just wasn't a snug fit. Now that she's taller and heavier she fits in it better, but it's really that she's able to hang on when I hold her without the Hip Hammock, so she's used to sitting a certain way and not really moving. With that said, I used it once when we were in WDW when she was 13 months and that was it. When she fell asleep, it was better than just carrying her, but I still had to hold her against my body or she'd slump over. She was about 30 inches and a little under 20 lbs. then. I used the Baby Bjorn the next day and it was much easier, but really we just carried her when she wasn't strolling or walking. On our previous trips though (she was 9, 6, and 3 months) I used the Bjorn almost exclusively and used the stroller to carry the diaper bag.

Also, we have a Maclaren too, a Techno Classic, and I felt totally safe leaving it outside when we went on rides. I would never do it here in DC (so we skip all the buildings at the zoo that say no strollers) but there were tons of other Macs in WDW so I didn't think much of it. We have the Maclaren Organizer on it too, and we kept all our fastpasses, park maps, tickets, etc. in there without a problem. We have APs so if they were stolen we'd just get new ones, but never an issue. The one thing I would suggest though is to get a rain cover for the stroller cause the one that comes with the Mac is not really enough if you're wheeling it around in the rain all day. We just got a big plastic rain cover for a regular stroller (actually it was for a double stroller, the front-back kind, not side by side) and threw that over the whole stroller whenever it rained and that way the top, back, and basket stayed dry, which would never have been the case using the Mac rain cover. Plus, the double stroller cover also kept the stuff in the Organizer dry. We also used an additional sunshade with it, I think it was from Kiddopotamus, or something like that. It was essential for keeping the sun off of Madison when she napped.

 

[lissawynn]

justhat Thanks for the info about the stroller. I have a rain cover that I bought for the Graco we used. That stroller is just too heavy and cumbersome to take to WDW, hence the Mac. I'm going to get the additional sunshade tonight.
Jimmy is a big boy (at least 20 lbs. and more than 26"), and I just didn't like the hip hammock. I have a baby Bjorn, but it hurts my back too much to carry him in it for long periods of time. I'm taking it with us just in case, but I probably won't be using it too much.

In another interesting turn of events, Jimmy rolled off the sofa a few hours ago. I was measuring my nephew less than 2 feet from the sofa, and off he went. I feel terrible, even though he's completely fine. I made the mistake of telling DH (who's out of town tonight) and had to answer 20 questions and reconstruct the accident scene. Big mistake! Hope the rest of you are having a better evening.

 

[ahutton]

Michael had his 6 month check yesterday. I can't believe it, but he's 28" long, and 18 lbs. 8 oz! He got huge!!! All is well. For such a tough start and a week in NICU he's been super easy since then.

Gretchen - the only thing I can add to the great advice you've gotten is make sure you are drinking enough water. I found my supply dropped really quickly when I got even a little dehydrated. I made it my rule to drink 32 oz. each time I pumped. For work I got a large cup and got into a routine of finishing 4 (from a 32 oz cup) from when I arrived at work until I left for the day. That way I didn't have to load up at night and get up every couple hours (when the kids were actually sleeping!) to go potty!

 

[Alice28]

Oooh, and a scrapbook store! Woohoo! We will definitely be in a shopping mood - we're planning on going to Powell's and the outlets as well. Anything non-shopping to recommend? I know there's some gardens but we're not really garden-y people. We'll be staying in the Astoria area and driving over.

Yes, like I said, the scrapbook store is across the street- there is an Arby's on one corner; it's NOT in that strip mall, it's on the other corner next to a Mexican grocery store type place. And they have a great selection of DISNEY stickers and stuff if you have any trips to scrap.

There is another Babies R Us on the west side of town, but it's not as close to other shopping- the one on 82nd is so close to the Baby Depot & Clackamas Town Center you just cannot go wrong. If you need a breather for lunch, might I suggest Stanfords, which is across from the mall in the same shopping center as Mervyns and Old Navy (and Target)....it's a very nice sit down restaurant with a wood fired grill- a little pricey, but YUMMY. There is also Chilis, Olive Garden, Spaghetti Factory, Chevys, Red Robin, etc.

Non-shopping- the Oregon Zoo is a great zoo. really and truly. It's on the West side of town. Near the zoo is the Rose Garden (oops, you're not garden-y). It truly is spectacular though...and free! Some other great, trendy shopping is NW 23rd Ave in Portland...and Pioneer Place mall is downtown, only maybe 10 minutes from the zoo. It has a BEAUTIFUL babyGap and Gymboree. Just gorgeous and the mall is very upscale and nice to walk through. Actually, all of downtown Portland is extremely clean and accessible...much more so than say Seattle and San Francisco.

Well ladies, I thought the day would never come, but tomorrow is GymBuck redemption! I'm so excited. But I swear, after this and after next week's Stride Rite sale I am imposing a spending freeze on myself. Since DH got his promotion I have been paying big chunks on our credit cards...but I also have been spending tooo frivilously because I find when I am bored or lonely I shop. I may not spend more than $50 a pop usually, but that adds up and it's getting silly. The kids have TONS of summer and fall clothes and we need to pay more off before DH gets home and I need to save for our Disney trip too! It's paid for (all of it, incl food), but I want to bring enough for souvenirs, tips and any liquor (not incl in food and fun plan and I want one of those pineapple drinks at Ohana's! )..and a margarita in Epcot! So, bear with me as I will soon be going through shopping withdrawl...this house needs me to keep it cleaner anyway, and my scrapbooks need attention too.

I'm cheering for myself! You can do it Robin! LOL!

 

[lissawynn]

Alice28 I only have 3 Gymbucks to redeem, so I don't plan on going too crazy. I just need to stock up on basics for the fall. Jimmy spends every school day with my dad, so he just needs to be comfy and have some warm stuff for when they go outside.

My dad is going through grandson withdrawl. He is missing Jimmy and his cousin James so much! I think he's really looking forward for the summer to be over so he can have the boys again!

I'm heading to BRU sometime soon to buy the extra sunshade for Jimmy's stroller. I want to make sure he's protected from the sun in WDW. I also bought two of those mini fans with the foam blades for DH to zip-tie to his stroller. That way he can have them pointing at him and they shouldn't go anywhere.

We booked a night at ASM yesterday. We're going to need somewhere to chrash our first night (before our ressie at VWL begins) and for a place in Orlando, the price was actually less for ASM. I've never been to a value resort before, so I'm interested to see what it's like.

 

[castlegazer]

I have never heard anyone complain that their stroller was stollen and there are usually tons of Maclarens there. BUT, that being said, our stroller got completely hacked on while in WDW - its now been twice and shimmies and has a ton of road wear on it. We still love it - we use COMBI's travel savvy, which is an awesome stroller that I actually like better than a Maclaren. It also cost only $60 as I bought a floor model of it. I didn't mind putting it through the ringer while in WDW due to that.

Our model has a nice canopy, but I also put a back window car sun shade as an extension onto it - I attached it to the canopy with WDW pins actually - but we just used it again for my baby during a 4th of july parade and I used aligator clips from work. This worked great as they can see through it and it really shades them nicely and gives them some peace if they need it. We keep that extra sun shade with us at all time scrunched up into the diaper bag because it has come in so handy for us.

We also had an extra tray from our larger strollers that sat nicely onto the smaller stroller - didn't attach, but sat on the front bar for snacks and sippies - that was a big time essential thing for us when we went. But my son was one at the time, so a little older.