Dumb Questions - September Edition

MrsMaryK2016

I think I'll do these monthly so they don't get unmanageably long. If needed we'll switch to more frequently. 

hoosiermama-2

Thanks for starting! Looks like I'm first up to bat...

When will we really, truly need a stroller? Follow-up: do we really need the kind that clicks the infant car seat in? (Is travel system the proper term? )

We've got a Graco Jogger Click yadda yadda on the registry, but I've been wondering if we need something that extravagant. DH is a super home body. We're also the types who cringe at wailing babies in public (sorry) and can't fathom toting her around while she's so little.

Whatcha think? Thank you!

SandNStarsNJ

hoosiermama said:

Thanks for starting! Looks like I'm first up to bat...

When will we really, truly need a stroller? Follow-up: do we really need the kind that clicks the infant car seat in? (Is travel system the proper term? )

We've got a Graco Jogger Click yadda yadda on the registry, but I've been wondering if we need something that extravagant. DH is a super home body. We're also the types who cringe at wailing babies in public (sorry) and can't fathom toting her around while she's so little.

Whatcha think? Thank you!

I think it's a matter of preference. That being said, we used the travel system stroller when DD was under 3 months when shopping and then she was able to sit in a cart so it was over. I used the jogging stroller for lots of walks (& still do).

Otherwise we avoid strollers at all cost and used carriers (Bjorn, BOBA, Osprey) until she expressed the urge to walk everywhere (now 2).

SandNStarsNJ

I know there's a thread on circumcision, but it's not a matter of whether we will or not, we are. Sooo... what do I need on hand at home to help with the healing process?

MrsBigTime

I think a stroller is a "need" but a fancy travel system isn't necessarily. We knew we wanted a BOB, so we got that and we did end up loving the attachment that let us click the infant seat into it. 
IMO, I'd find a stroller you like, and then get a seat that works with it if that is important to you. 
I wore my baby a lot but I actually used by stroller a lot, too (groceries, shopping, walks, etc). I think if you like pushing and maneuvering your stroller, you'll be more prone to use it, but if it's cumbersome, you won't. 

EvergreenIslandMama

SandNStarsNJ said:

I know there's a thread on circumcision, but it's not a matter of whether we will or not, we are. Sooo... what do I need on hand at home to help with the healing process?

For DS, we used A&D diaper ointment at the recommendation of my ob (who performed the procedure). Just a big dollop to prevent sticking to the diaper. Everything healed well-although it was pretty traumatic for me. Double check with whoever performs the circumcision for sure though! 

MrsBigTime

For DS, we used A&D diaper ointment at the recommendation of my ob (who performed the procedure). Just a big dollop to prevent sticking to the diaper. Everything healed well-although it was pretty traumatic for me. Double check with whoever performs the circumcision for sure though! 

This is what we do in the hospital, too. I always am very generous with the A&D! I do know that some pediatricians are specific though, so check with yours, but typically you don't need much as far as supplies go.

mrsmoose5

@SandNStarsNJ We needed vaseline (A LOT) and gauze pads. Basically, every time you change his diaper you will load up the gauze pad with vaseline and cover the penis with it to protect it and prevent it from sticking to the diaper. But, like someone else said, be sure to check with whoever does the procedure, they will send you home with detailed instructions for care.

Muscatmommyof4

@hoosiermama a travel system for us was definitely necessary for taking the kids to school, shopping, going for walks (I live in Tracy ca so it's never cold) but if you don't plan on going out a lot or you plan on baby wearing a travel system isn't necessary.. 

@SandNStarsNJ for my sons  circumcision the dr just recommended  putting Vaseline on the diaper every time we changed him so it didnt stick. But the hospital will give you their recommendations (instructions) before you leave.

shevaCC

@hoosiermama, I don't have a stroller that accepts an infant car seat, so I don't think it's a necessity. But...you'll need some way of taking baby with you to run errands/to doctors appointments/wherever. I'm a total homebody too, but we still need groceries, and even I get stir crazy after a while stuck at home with a baby.

At first, they're floppy and helpless, and basically take 2 hands to hold, thus you can't grocery shop without some helpful contraption since you otherwise wouldn't be able to put anything in your cart, nor push your cart easily. Your choices as best I can think of them are:
1. Lug the car seat by hand. It's heavy, but it's quick and sometimes nice to have a clean, safe way to put baby momentarily down without worry, especially germy places like the doctor's office. I did this a lot for quick trips like daycare pickup, pediatrician's office, and getting one or two things from the store.
2. Put the car seat in the basket of a shopping cart - but then not much room for groceries. You shouldn't balance the car seat in the front "seat" part of the shopping cart since it could easily slip off and injure your baby.
3. Snap the car seat into some kind of stroller - but then you can't easily push a shopping cart to carry your stuff so you're limited in how much you can buy if you're by yourself.
4. Take baby out of car seat, and use a stroller that holds newborns (many do) - same draw back of not being able to push a shopping cart, but more stroller options. Also you have to load and unload baby into the car seat which can take extra time.
5. Wear baby in whatever carrier you like. This was my favorite option since I could then push a shopping cart. It makes it harder to bend down and get stuff in and out of the cart, but not impossible. But it takes extra time to load baby into carrier/back into car seat.

BTDT moms, am I forgetting any other options?

m6agua

I am hoping to buy our BOB on a black friday deal this year. Otherwise to me the stroller doesn't seem too important until the spring. You aren't supposed to have them in there (no carseat) until 6-9 months I believe. Where I live we will have snow and it will be winter so I don't see myself using a stroller a lot in the first few months. I did by an Ergo with infant insert and I hope that works for us for a while.

maddenmama15

For me, I needed a stroller almost as soon as we got home with her. I had a c-section so lifting the carseat was basically a no-no for me, and since hubby had to go back to work, I was left alone to take her to her doctors appointments and mine also. So the stroller was a life saver! And we did have the one that the carseat snaps onto, and that was also a blessing bc I don't think they're technically big enough to be in the stroller until about 6 months.

Greencows4812

We used our travel system. I went on walks with friends as soon as I could. It made me feel better to get out and it's good for baby. If you don't plan to go on walks theough the winter then the travel system isn't necessary and you may not need a stroller until Spring. Although, I used the stroller for malls and such so also think about holiday shopping and just general outings. 

For circumcision, we used Vaseline and the doctor provided us with medicated gauze. 

jmama1611

I only started using a stroller with my first around 5-6 months. 
Until then it was carrying in my arms, baby carrier or car seat. 

This time around I'm planning on using sling and wrap baby carriers a lot! Think it'll make life easier with my busy toddler.

BabyTaylor88

Dumb question ------ Does anybody else hips hurt especially at night? Sleeping on my side is almost unbearable and I cant sleep on my back or belly (obviously) so sleeping has become a thing of the past. I meant to ask my doctor about it at my last appointment, but they run me off so fast that I forget to ask questions! 
If you have this problem, what have you done to fix it? I have a pregnancy pillow, but that just seems to prop up my belly which ends up putting even more pressure on my hips. 

rspalding001

Regarding hips hurting: you should put something between your knees at night to help that out. With my first it made a huge difference. This time around I'm just now starting to feel the hip pain at night but I'm sure it will get worse as I get further along. A wedge or pillow between your knees alleviates a lot of that pressure. 

jenesiso

Hip pain: yep. All day. I use a pillow but it still hurts. Try ice or heat too.

BlondeSunnyDays

Re: Hip pain

I just got an egg crate mattress pad off of Amazon and it's a lifesaver. Seriously no more hip pain at night from sleeping on my side. The same thing worked for my last pregnancy we had just gotten rid of it since then. We have a pretty firm mattress though so if you already have a super soft mattress it may not help as much. 

hoosiermama-2

@BabyTaylor88 l love my Snoogle - https://www.buybuybaby.com/store/product/leachco-reg-snoogle-reg-chic-jersey-total-body-pillow-in-heather-grey/1042833666?Keyword=snoogle

I sleep in the position shown in the 4th picture. Sooooo comfortable

kvruns

Question about pumping and storage. You pump into a bag, then freeze the bag (or refrigerate). Then when it comes time to use it you thaw it in the bag and pour into a bottle. Am I missing anything? If not building a stash you could just pump into the bottle for later that day. Right?

leighry

@kvruns that's the long and the short of it!

Knottie1458416769

@kuvruns I just discovered a new way to pump directly into bag and store it and freeze it and thaw and feed baby - no transfers needed cuz that wastes milk - it's called the kiinde twist breastfeeding system - put it on my to-buy list 

MrsBigTime

kvruns said:

Question about pumping and storage. You pump into a bag, then freeze the bag (or refrigerate). Then when it comes time to use it you thaw it in the bag and pour into a bottle. Am I missing anything? If not building a stash you could just pump into the bottle for later that day. Right?

You can pump into a bag or bottle, but if you weren't going to store the milk in a freezer, I'd keep it in a bottle (tip: defrost your bagged milk in a bowl, because enough of them leak you'll learn to not only save the milk, but also prevent a mess all over your fridge). 
I also recommend freezing the bags flat and then storing in a container of some sort (I used ziplock gallon bags)

kvruns

@MrsBigTime that's a good idea using the coke can cardboard for storage. I registered for a couple of plastic things that hold the bags 

kvruns

Knottie1458416769 said:

@kuvruns I just discovered a new way to pump directly into bag and store it and freeze it and thaw and feed baby - no transfers needed cuz that wastes milk - it's called the kiinde twist breastfeeding system - put it on my to-buy list 

I've seen that too. If I were more sure on BFing/Pumping I'd look into it but I am going to stick with what insurance provided for now since I"m not sure how it will go 

kvruns

is a microwave sterilizer or sterilizer bag really necessary for bottles? We plan to wash in dishwasher - won't that sterilize or whatever? 

mrsmoose5

kvruns I love the Medela microwave steamer/sterilizer bags. It's much faster than the dishwasher. If you're putting bottles in the dishwasher, they can quickly take up your entire top rack and you might only run the dishwasher once a day or every other day, but can't wait that long for clean bottles and their accessories. With the microwave bags it takes just a few minutes and you don't have to worry about waiting for the dishwasher or clogging up your dishwasher space with baby stuff. We also used them for pacifiers. And they last a long time — each bag is good for 10-15 uses as I recall. I bought one pack before DS was born and still have some leftover that I'll use for this LO. I don't think they're *necessary* but they are pretty convenient and I would definitely recommend them.

kvruns

@mrsmoose5 do you hand wash them and then use the sterilizer bags? Or just rinse before? Seems like you still have to clean it somehow, right? 

hellopartyof5

@kvruns I used the dishwasher and it worked perfectly.  We're only 3 people and run the dishwasher every night.  

Also, in between pumping sessions you can put everything other than the pump and tubes in the fridge.  Then you don't need to wash everything in between pumping sessions.  Obviously wash all the parts at the end of the day Saves SO MUCH time.

MrsBigTime

kvruns said:

@mrsmoose5 do you hand wash them and then use the sterilizer bags? Or just rinse before? Seems like you still have to clean it somehow, right? 

I always rinsed with hot water first, and probably washed my pumping parts with soap every few days, using the bags to sterilize every night. 

I rarely sterilized the actual bottles and just washed those by hand. I only worked 3 days/week, so the chore wasn't too bad. 

shevaCC

I hated pumping into bags since it made me too nervous...I was always afraid I'd spill milk everywhere. I felt like the bottles are a lot sturdier/harder to knock over, even though you end up losing a small amount of milk in transferring. I also worried about bags spilling in my cooler bag before I got home to my freezer.

I have a few microwave sterilizer bags that I got with DD and have used 2-3x total in 4 years/2 babies, so to me they're not necessary. I just dishwash bottles and parts. We only went through 4-5 bottles a day since I would breastfeed when I was home, and I had 12-16 bottles total so we didn't worry about running out.

rspalding001

I always just hand washed the bottles. I never even used the dishwasher. I never did any fancy sterilization either, just good old soap and water.

BlondeSunnyDays

That Kiinde system looks interesting but I'd be worried about wasting due to not wanting to feed the exact quantity pumped. It's unlikely you'll pump the exact amount needed per bottle and if you freeze it and then thaw it and warm it and don't use it you're stuck tossing it out. I always pumped into bottles and aliquoted into evenly sized baggies (I don't remember how much per bag) and kept any leftovers in the fridge. 

For example if I pumped 14 oz I'd put 6 oz each in 2 freezer bags and then save the 2 extra oz in the fridge to mix with the milk from my next pumping session to make a fresh bottle or another freezer bag of 6 oz. I always made sure to freeze in even quantities that could be easily divided into however many bottles I needed for the day (for example I'd thaw two 6 oz bags to make three 4 oz bottles). 

I was very OCD about my milk though, no one (not even my husband) was allowed to divide or freeze. 

Knottie1458416769

@BlondeSunnyDays not following...r u saying that ur baby wud drink 6oz exactly every time? I feel like the inexact measurement isn't a big deal bc if there's leftover, just put it in the fridge for a couple more hours. I know lots of ppl tell u don't refreeze breastmilk or meats, but should be ok for 24hrs in fridge 

mrsmoose5

@kvruns I would give the stuff a quick hand wash before putting them in the bags because the bags don't really clean, they just sterilize. I would wash bottles mostly by hand and sterilize them every few days, I mainly used the bags for the pump parts. Again, I don't think the bags are necessary, but I really liked having them, especially because I turned into a total germophobe as soon as DS got here and the bags were a quick easy way to sterilize stuff.

kvruns

Ok here's another clothing question. So far we have some sleepers, short sleeve onesies and couple pants for those first few months. Should I get some zip up jackets/sweatshirts to go over the onesies? I'm guessing he will need to be warmer than short sleeves even in the house. Or are blankets just fine ok if he's chilling or being held. 

mrsmoose5

kvruns said:

Ok here's another clothing question. So far we have some sleepers, short sleeve onesies and couple pants for those first few months. Should I get some zip up jackets/sweatshirts to go over the onesies? I'm guessing he will need to be warmer than short sleeves even in the house. Or are blankets just fine ok if he's chilling or being held. 

As I recall, the rule of thumb is that you should dress newborns in one more layer than what you would dress yourself. I don't know that you'll necessarily need jackets or sweatshirts for a newborn unless you're planning taking him outside (if you are, then yes). For inside during winter, some long-sleeved onesies + socks + blankets + beanies should be fine I think. Also, fleece footed sleepers are great  

kvruns

mrsmoose5 said:

kvruns said:

Ok here's another clothing question. So far we have some sleepers, short sleeve onesies and couple pants for those first few months. Should I get some zip up jackets/sweatshirts to go over the onesies? I'm guessing he will need to be warmer than short sleeves even in the house. Or are blankets just fine ok if he's chilling or being held. 

As I recall, the rule of thumb is that you should dress newborns in one more layer than what you would dress yourself. I don't know that you'll necessarily need jackets or sweatshirts for a newborn unless you're planning taking him outside (if you are, then yes). For inside during winter, some long-sleeved onesies + socks + blankets + beanies should be fine I think. Also, fleece footed sleepers are great  

Thanks. I think I was hoping sweatshirts would help prolong the short sleeve stuff we've been given bc we only have like 3-4 long sleeve onesies and 10-15 short sleeve. Not sure if I need to try to pick up some long sleeve ones or if a few zip ups would work instead 

MrsBigTime

I was paranoid my baby may be cold so I layered her in long sleeved onesies (the Gerber ones were my favorite because the arms were longer) and then the short sleeved onesies that matched the outfit. If we went out, a sweatshirt, sweater or bunting were used. You may want to get a small pack of the long sleeved onesies and see if you like using them. You can always get more if you find you use them frequently. I was given a bunch and probably have 20...but I told you, I was paranoid!

kvruns

@MrsBigTime thanks! I did register for the plain long sleeve onesies in a few sizes I was thinking layering onesies was a pain but maybe not?

MrsBigTime

kvruns said:

@MrsBigTime thanks! I did register for the plain long sleeve onesies in a few sizes I was thinking layering onesies was a pain but maybe not?

You have to unsnap two when you change them, but otherwise I didn't think so. I also loved the way it looked, so fashion over function ha