I always have registry questions so this is great. I'm looking at this post and knowing I had a question I was dying to ask and I can't remember for the life of me.
But here are some other questions: -Any recommendations on maternity swimsuits? -Any recommendations for sleeping nursing bras? -Did you sleep with your baby in your room or did they sleep in their own room initially? If in your room, what did they sleep in? (Links or brand names appreciated) -
- I bought a cheap maternity suit that was on clearance on motherhood maternity.com. - I also liked nursing tanks better (easier than wearing a bra + tank) but had a few nursing bras I slept in when the tanks were dirty. For tanks, I can't find the exact ones I loved, but they were similar to this (minus the pads and cross straps) www.target.com/p/medela-174-women-s-slimming-nursing-cami-with-removable-pads/-/A-51623640. I also had a Gillian OMalley cotton nursing tank that I hated. It fit really weird (boobs were way too tight and belly area was giant). The nursing bras I got for sleeping are these: www.target.com/p/nursing-sleep-bra-2pk-gilligan-o-malley-153/-/A-16754657 - C slept in a pack n play in our room for about the first 4 months.
Me: 34 | DH: 33 Married: 2010 | TTC since Jan 2012 Met RE: March 2014 | Official DX: unexplained 04/2014-12/2014: 5 IUIs, all BFN IVF #1 March 2015 25R/20M/17F: Freeze-all, 12 frosties! FET #1 - May 2015: BFP! Beta #1 361, Beta #2 726 Baby boy, C, born 1/19/2016
I want to BF but I'm intimidated. What are some positives and negatives you've experienced from BFing?
The biggest positive for me was $$$$$. I was a starving student with DS and would have been hitting up the food bank for formula 10 years ago.
The first 2 weeks were hard. It takes a village as they say. I had to get help from a public health nurse and spent a lot of time latching, break latch, re-latch, break latch, oh good I finally got a good latch, oh you only want to nurse for 5 minutes.... pump, try again in an hour or two. But after you go through the initial trial by fire, it is super easy. Like baby crying MOTN here is a boob...
A positive is it burns a lot of calories, but the flip side is you will always be hungry/thirsty and have to eat an addition 500ish calories a day beyond your pregnancy diet, can be hard when you never get to eat warm meals, are tired etc.
A positive is the hormones that come from BFing actually make you feel good! A negative is that you may be the soul source of nutrition/sustenance for your baby.
I plan to BF again, but I will try to keep an open mind about formula and bottle feeding because it is hard to predict how it will go.
I want to BF but I'm intimidated. What are some positives and negatives you've experienced from BFing?
I can relate to this. I always said I'd try, but wouldn't push too hard.
Honestly the best part was that it's (mostly) free. You do have to buy some gear, but it's a sunk cost. Honestly I would recommend buying a few nursing camis and just sticking with your regular clothes. I wasn't ever a fan of nursing clothing. So that was my biggest positive. I also found it much easier to pop boob in her mouth MOTN (eventually) than get up and make a bottle and deal with all of that. Of course it's good for her which was a bonus (but, recent studies show any benefits of breastfeeding are offset by age 5, so it wasn't a big reason to do it). There were a few nice bonding moments too. And a real sense of accomplishment.
That being said even when BFing is easy (which it mostly was for us) it's hard. The first few weeks are a mindfuck. My LO latched quickly and I had an ample supply. I still had a cracked bleeding nipple from bad positioning and wound up in the ER for mastitis. I had overactive letdown and sprayed milk everywhere often. We had a spate of refusals, and we had to deal with finding a bottle she liked for DC. There are some great antibodies in there, but they're not magic. She still got sick.
In the end though I would have BF her longer if I didn't have to wean for IUI. I also had a very easy time weaning and was very lucky with an LO who wasn't a boob addict and feel asleep on her own by 8mos. It's totally up to you and fed is best, how ever you do it.
TTC #1: March 2014 Dx: MFI Medicated IUI #1: March 2015-BFP Baby Girl born 11/5/2015! TTC #2: August 2016 Medicated IUI #1: Feb 2017-BFN Medicated IUI #2: March 2017-BFP Baby Boy expected Dec. 1
I always have registry questions so this is great. I'm looking at this post and knowing I had a question I was dying to ask and I can't remember for the life of me.
But here are some other questions: -Any recommendations on maternity swimsuits? -Any recommendations for sleeping nursing bras? -Did you sleep with your baby in your room or did they sleep in their own room initially? If in your room, what did they sleep in? (Links or brand names appreciated) -
-I think I got mine from ON, it's simple black suit.
-I just had target sports type bras for sleeping at first. Once my milk regulated I quit wearing them at night.
-She was in our room until after the 4month regression. First in the RnP next to me and then in a flat bassinet across the room.
TTC #1: March 2014 Dx: MFI Medicated IUI #1: March 2015-BFP Baby Girl born 11/5/2015! TTC #2: August 2016 Medicated IUI #1: Feb 2017-BFN Medicated IUI #2: March 2017-BFP Baby Boy expected Dec. 1
I want to BF but I'm intimidated. What are some positives and negatives you've experienced from BFing?
My son was born early and BF at the beginning was so very hard for us. That said, I utilized the LC at my hospital was there once a week for help. Don't be afraid to ask them! They are amazing and can make or break a bf relationship.
When Superman got it, it was amazing! I felt awesome to be able to do it. Sometimes, it is hard/isolating, but I found a bf support group that the LCs at the hospital ran thet did wonders for. It got me out if the house, let me know that Superman was getting enough milk, and I met other mamas who were where I was. We are still going strong at over a year and I dont see us stopping anytime soon. I love it and so does Superman. If your hospital offers a bf class, I highly recommend it. It can give you some insight into how bf works, etc.
I want to BF but I'm intimidated. What are some positives and negatives you've experienced from BFing?
I was intimidated too! I worried about pain, not being able to do it, etc.
My biggest positives are cost, convenience (more on that below), bonding, and easy crying solution in the beginning.
In the beginning when they cry a lot, you can pop them on your boob and fix most crying situations. It helped me so much to have that in my arsenal!
I'm the beginning, BFing is HARD! They eat every couple of hours and eat for like 30 mins so I felt like I couldn't do anything because I felt like I had to nurse all day. After a few weeks, it is so much easier! They space their feedings out and everywhere you go, you have food. No washing bottles, remembering to bring formula, nothing. Middle of the night, you just whip out a boob! No heating milk. You can barely wake up and deal with it.
It takes some investment to learn in the beginning but it gets easier for sure!
Natural chemical pregnancy 8/2013 Clomid #1 and #2: BFN IVF 1 :0 to use IVF 2:4 great embryos after PGS testing. FET 1: BFP EDD 6/20/15 Chemical Pregnancy FET 2: BFP EDD 11/14/2015 MMC 9.5 weeks twins IVF #3: 2 fair embryos after PGS testing Surprise BFP during break cycle and DD born 4/2016
I always have registry questions so this is great. I'm looking at this post and knowing I had a question I was dying to ask and I can't remember for the life of me.
But here are some other questions: -Any recommendations on maternity swimsuits? -Any recommendations for sleeping nursing bras? -Did you sleep with your baby in your room or did they sleep in their own room initially? If in your room, what did they sleep in? (Links or brand names appreciated) -
I had a simple one piece maternity suit from Target I think.
I had a sleep bra from Target I really like that was really comfy. I also got some nice nursing bras from Cake. They have a couple that are like sports bras that I could wear to sleep and while out about.
She was in our room until about four to five months. She slept in an Arms Reach Co-Sleeper that we got as a hand-me-down from a friend. I really liked it and it was nice to have her so close. The con was that she was a huge baby and outgrew it then refused to sleep in the pack and play. We ended up transition her to her crib sooner than we would have otherwise because she just wouldn't sleep in the pack and play. But we definitely did a lot of co-sleeping to with her in our bed as we need the transition or when she had regressions on sleep.
I want to BF but I'm intimidated. What are some positives and negatives you've experienced from BFing?
when I was pregnant I was terrified that BF would not work for me. It was definitely intimidating and I had a lot of anxiety. For me the biggest positive is how convenient it is once you get through the hard part at the beginning. I like being able to always have food for her and my girl is a huge Comfort nurser. We just got back from vacation and nursing her on the flight was so helpful. I also enjoy the bonding but I also know you can bond with your baby in a million ways and bf is definitely not the only one. The biggest con is having to pump when away from her. Pumping at work was a pain in the ass to schedule sometimes and carting bottles of breast-milk back and forth was annoying.
It can be really helpful to go into it without a lot of expectations and see what happens. No matter what you will be an awesome mom who feeds their baby and that's the most important thing.
I always have registry questions so this is great. I'm looking at this post and knowing I had a question I was dying to ask and I can't remember for the life of me.
But here are some other questions: -Any recommendations on maternity swimsuits? -Any recommendations for sleeping nursing bras? -Did you sleep with your baby in your room or did they sleep in their own room initially? If in your room, what did they sleep in? (Links or brand names appreciated) -
Our twins started sleeping in their crib in their nursery the first night we brought them home. We did have a twin bed in the nursery so one of us was always in there with them. It allowed whomever was sleeping in our room to get some solid sleep without interruptions.
Post by teachermomtobe on Mar 29, 2017 15:37:12 GMT -5
TTMA: Postpartum pads. I have seen people rave about Always Infinity but then I see they come in "sizes" which I think are their absorbency. So which ones do I get?!
TTMA: Postpartum pads. I have seen people rave about Always Infinity but then I see they come in "sizes" which I think are their absorbency. So which ones do I get?!
The first week, I wore depends. I didn't love the hospital big pads and depends gave me security when I couldn't get up for a couple hours because of the nursing/sleeping baby. After that, I moved to the regular infinity pads.
Natural chemical pregnancy 8/2013 Clomid #1 and #2: BFN IVF 1 :0 to use IVF 2:4 great embryos after PGS testing. FET 1: BFP EDD 6/20/15 Chemical Pregnancy FET 2: BFP EDD 11/14/2015 MMC 9.5 weeks twins IVF #3: 2 fair embryos after PGS testing Surprise BFP during break cycle and DD born 4/2016
TTMA: Postpartum pads. I have seen people rave about Always Infinity but then I see they come in "sizes" which I think are their absorbency. So which ones do I get?!
I'm obvs not postpartum but I love always infinity and will pay the extra for them. The green ones are what I usually use for days and the overnight yellow ones (that are longer) for nights during AF.
teachermomtobe, I got the Always Infinite Overnight on recommendation from Ask A Grad. I was super nervous because they were so thin, but they held everything in really well!
yoshijo28, breastfeeding cons: the first two weeks were painful until my nipples became accustomed to it. Then I got an open sore on righty that lasted 3 weeks. Having to stop and nurse when you're out and about can be obnoxious, but you learn to plan ahead pretty quickly. Pumping is annoying AF.
Pros: free. You always have milk on hand when your babe is hungry. If babe is hangry, you don't have to listen to them scream while you make a bottle and wait for them to calm down enough to drink. Whenever Rowan got sick, the next day my milk was yellow because of all the extra antibodies. Magical! It's a handy excuse to get away from visitors. The first five weeks, I breastfed exclusively in my bed or in the nursery. It was nice to get away when we had people over. Visitors were exhausting. The bonding. Any way you feed your baby is an opportunity to bond with him or her, but there is a definite difference. I don't know if it's the hormones or because you feel closer giving this part of yourself to nourish the baby or if the skin to skin has something to do with it, but it definitely feels different than bottle feeding.
Me: 32, PCOS Him: 30, 4.5% morph, TTC: 10/11/12 After 5 failed Clomid cycles and 3 failed Femara cycles with HCG triggers, IVF #1 w/ICSI April 2015 resulted in a BFP! Our little Newt was born January 2016!
yoshijo28 , westiemom has an amazing registry list. I also agree with checking Lucie's list. I got everything off of recommendations there. I needed newborn sleep sacks for months (E was 6 lbs 7 oz). You definitely want the RnP that auto rocks. I had the other that just vibrated and it wasn't helpful. Bought the auto rocking one desperate in the MOTN and it seriously saved my sanity.
jennykat , once E got bigger, we loved our Ergo. I still use it quite a bit and always when I travel. I'm now looking to get something more structured for hiking.
JustJudy , the only class I did was infant CPR, which is definitely worth while. I wish I had read more/taken a class, been more prepared for breastfeeding.
king26 , I had a cheap Target maternity suit. I slept in nursing tanks/not bras and just went with the cheap Gillian O'Malley Target ones. E was in our room through 7 months. Initially in the auto-rocking RnP, then in a bassinet.
yoshijo28 , so I just assumed BF would be easy and wasn't prepared at all. So we definitely had some initial struggles. The hospital LC were huge resources and I found a BF support group, without which, I probably would never have made it (now I'm toddler nursing).
Biggest positives: - It's cheap (sooo much money saved) - It's convenient (I never needed to worry about bringing a bottle anywhere, if she fussed, I put her on the boob, which made me confident in taking her places) - The transferred immunity is huge, like MellyKnu said, you could actually see the milk change color due to antibodies - Weight loss! The pregnancy weight seriously melted off. At one point I was making 36 oz/day. You burn 20 calories for every oz you produce, that was 720 extra calories I could eat per day. Amazing. I was eating more than my husband and still actually lost a little too much weight at one point
The downsides: - It hurts in the beginning whether latch is good or not. Your nipples are just not used to being sucked on 24/7. Get you some coconut oil. - Pumping at work was a PITA
teachermomtobe , I used the mesh panty/diaper combo for a while (stock up on that when you're in the hospital) and then the Honest co pads (I have weird local allergies to whatever they put on traditional ones)
yoshijo28 definitely get a newborn halo sleep sack swaddle in addition to a small. The "small" is sort of huge and is recommended for 13+ lbs, 23+ inches. My DD is 3 months and 12 lbs, 24 inches, and is only now transitioning from the newborn one.
Also, everyone's advice about BF is spot on. It can be hard, but it does get easier. My recommendations - get some of those gel pads to wear in between feedings at first (the ones from Lansinoh and Ameda are good) - they help you heal more quickly if you have sore or cracked nipples at first. I also like the nipple cream from Motherlove - it is way better than lanolin. And also, don't beat yourself up too much if things don't go as expected. I had a very sleepy baby who didn't feed well at first, and dysfunctional boobies that didn't make enough milk as a result. So I had to start combo feeding at 2 weeks, and I still combo feed. I love that I am able to give her some breast milk, but please know that formula is not poison and feeding your child is the most important thing at the end of the day.
king26 DD sleeps in our room with us next to our bed (we use the bassinet attachment for our Guava Lotus travel crib, and it is great). However, we got lucky and she started sleeping thru the night very early. If she hadn't we might have put her in her room earlier so that H could get some sleep as he is back at work. I'm not sure when we'll move her into her own room - maybe once she outgrows the bassinet or at 6 months.
Post by remylove1011 on Mar 31, 2017 14:34:10 GMT -5
yoshijo28 I think I'm in the minority here, but we never used a rocknplay. We didn't have any issues with reflux and DD actually didn't like the rocking motion to sleep. I didn't miss not having one.
king26 seconding/thirding the Tar.get nursing sleep bras. I have two of the cami's that I occasionally wear, but the bra section is small and the stomach section large. DD is 7 months and still sleeps in a packnplay in our room. We'll move her at some point. Her room is upstairs (and ours in downstairs) so with her current sleep regression issues, this has made my life easier.
Me (30) MH (32) Dx: MFI (low all the things) M. 10/11. TTC Since 01/14 IUI#1-3(Letrozole + Trigger) = BFN Second Opinion. Changed RE's. IVF 09/15 Long Lupron 12R/9M/8F, Transferred 1=BFN. 4 frosties. FET #1 12/15 Transferred 1 (3 still on ice)
king26 I got my bathing suit from Kohl's. I got a tankini so my belly was covered but I had easy access for peeing!
yoshijo28 You've already gotten a lot of great advice. The beginning was unbelievably hard, although for me a lot of that was because I was feeding two. I'm so glad I stuck with it though. Recently I've had some supply struggles and it's made me realize how much I treasure snuggling while we nurse and how not ready I am for it to end. Also, since I've had to supplement more recently I am SO TIRED of washing bottles. The other big benefit was the immune boost. They have gotten sick a couple times, but in both those cases G got sick before me so my guess is she was exposed before I could produce antibodies. But there was one time I got norovirus (stomach flu). It was horrible and super contagious - we were on vacation and 5/6 adults got it. But neither baby got it and I'm convinced it was due to the protection from my breastmilk. I'm so proud of that.
yoshijo28 I think I'm in the minority here, but we never used a rocknplay. We didn't have any issues with reflux and DD actually didn't like the rocking motion to sleep. I didn't miss not having one.
king26 seconding/thirding the Tar.get nursing sleep bras. I have two of the cami's that I occasionally wear, but the bra section is small and the stomach section large. DD is 7 months and still sleeps in a packnplay in our room. We'll move her at some point. Her room is upstairs (and ours in downstairs) so with her current sleep regression issues, this has made my life easier.
We didn't use a rock n play either. It made it so easy to transition from just the pack n play to the crib, too!
Me: 34 | DH: 33 Married: 2010 | TTC since Jan 2012 Met RE: March 2014 | Official DX: unexplained 04/2014-12/2014: 5 IUIs, all BFN IVF #1 March 2015 25R/20M/17F: Freeze-all, 12 frosties! FET #1 - May 2015: BFP! Beta #1 361, Beta #2 726 Baby boy, C, born 1/19/2016
Post by madamewaffles on Apr 2, 2017 12:01:29 GMT -5
yoshijo28 another outlier here: we had a RNP but he ended up not using it for sleeping but as a baby holder for when I needed to put him down for short periods of time. Going back I probably would have just gotten a bouncer.
yoshijo28 I think I'm in the minority here, but we never used a rocknplay. We didn't have any issues with reflux and DD actually didn't like the rocking motion to sleep. I didn't miss not having one.
king26 seconding/thirding the Tar.get nursing sleep bras. I have two of the cami's that I occasionally wear, but the bra section is small and the stomach section large. DD is 7 months and still sleeps in a packnplay in our room. We'll move her at some point. Her room is upstairs (and ours in downstairs) so with her current sleep regression issues, this has made my life easier.
We didn't use a rock n play either. It made it so easy to transition from just the pack n play to the crib, too!
Adding another to the no rnp list. My kid didn't have reflux and slept fine flat so we didn't really need it plus we had a swing to put her in for soothing as needed.
king26, so baby slept with us for way longer than I expected. And I think the pediatrics association. (We whatever it's called) recently suggested that parents keep them in their room for the first year. But I really think that's neither here nor there.
I had a friend give us a bassinet to borrow, but I could not deal bc it was solid and I couldn't see him from the bed. So this (below) was a lifesaver. My baby was a giant so it only worked for 6 weeks, at which point we put him in the pnp. We transferred him to the crib in his room around 4 months, but then we moved when he was 5 months, and while he started in his room, he'd inevitably wind up with us. Hope that helps!
I always have registry questions so this is great. I'm looking at this post and knowing I had a question I was dying to ask and I can't remember for the life of me.
But here are some other questions: -Any recommendations on maternity swimsuits? -Any recommendations for sleeping nursing bras? -Did you sleep with your baby in your room or did they sleep in their own room initially? If in your room, what did they sleep in? (Links or brand names appreciated) -
-Any recommendations on maternity swimsuits? I just got one on sale from MM. I wore it zero times but it was handy to have JIC. -Any recommendations for sleeping nursing bras? I love the Bravado Seamless Silk nursing bra. It's not a "sleeping" bra, but it is so very soft, it doesn't bother me. Plus it's got some luxurious padding in it for the overnight leakage. -Did you sleep with your baby in your room or did they sleep in their own room initially? If in your room, what did they sleep in? (Links or brand names appreciated) Due to house logistics, my baby still sleeps in our room. The first 2-3 months he slept on myself or MH (that was a whole other ball of wax, but I digress). But we immediately transitioned him to his crib in our room. My little is almost 10 months and he does very well in there still. I'm ready for him to move out though. It's quite confining and MH and I basically get little alone time now. We are moving in Aug/Sep and he will have his own room then. Save
Ok, here's a grad question. I'm trying to put together a gift basket for my SIL who is having her first baby next month. I want to make it up of stuff just for her, since I've already bought so much for baby. What are some new mom essentials I should include? (Also may start hoarding some of these items away for myself)
Ok, here's a grad question. I'm trying to put together a gift basket for my SIL who is having her first baby next month. I want to make it up of stuff just for her, since I've already bought so much for baby. What are some new mom essentials I should include? (Also may start hoarding some of these items away for myself)
Maybe some wine if she drinks. Gift cards to places that deliver or do take out. Snack food. It is hard to find time to prepare food for yourself with a newborn.
If she is planning on breastfeeding, you could get her bamboo reusable nursing pads- very soft! Also nipple cream/butter or gel soothies.
Ok, here's a grad question. I'm trying to put together a gift basket for my SIL who is having her first baby next month. I want to make it up of stuff just for her, since I've already bought so much for baby. What are some new mom essentials I should include? (Also may start hoarding some of these items away for myself)
Amazon gift cards (for the inevitable things she will need to prime) Snacks!!! Nipple butter and gel soothies (if BFing) Chapstick (H got me a huge multipack and I kept them everywhere pp) Wine!
That's all I have right now.
disneykate didn't realize until after I posted that I echoed you. Great minds!
@justjudy my hospital offers online courses, you might want to look into that. They may also sell you the book they provide in the class even if you cannot go in person.
Ok, here's a grad question. I'm trying to put together a gift basket for my SIL who is having her first baby next month. I want to make it up of stuff just for her, since I've already bought so much for baby. What are some new mom essentials I should include? (Also may start hoarding some of these items away for myself)
Comfy slippers or pajama pants. She's going to be hanging out in those a lot at the beginning Tons of snacks. Granola bars, trail mix, lactation cookies, pretzels, nuts, dried fruit, etc. Maybe one of those "one line a day" journals so she can document the baby every day (but only with a sentence, so it's easy!) Gift card for Netflix/iTunes/Hulu/Amazon Prime/insert other VOD service here Gift card for a coffee shop that is nearby, especially if it's one she can walk to with baby
If she's breastfeeding: Nipple cream (I like the Motherlove and Earth Mama Angel Baby ones) Nursing pads (the Bamboobies reusables are nice, and I like the disposable Lansinoh ones too) Ameda or Lansinoh gel pads for breasts (essential in the beginning!) Mother's Milk tea
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