Stupid Questions Thread

ksulli

@ahoefling said:

For others that were induced, did you have any restrictions on the day of? Like no food after a certain time to anything else?? I feel like I'm in the dark...

I went in at 6am and was told I could have a light breakfast.

ASasquatch

Are sheet savers safe or do they up the SIDS risk by being extra stuff in the crib? Are they even worth it to bother using in general? I got one as a gift and the concept seems nice but I don't know if they are just one of those "buy all the things!" items that I should just return and use the money for something more useful.

lindz324

ahoefling said:

lindz324 said:

Those that were induced.. Did the hospital call you the morning of to let you know what time you should come in? Or was the time pre planned?

I'm due for induction tomr, and anxious to know what time I need to be there.. The anticipation is killlling me.

I'm getting induced tonight and I still have yet to hear! For others that were induced, did you have any restrictions on the day of? Like no food after a certain time to anything else?? I feel like I'm in the dark...


Still haven't been in for the induction, waiting for a bed.. Frustrating. They told me to just eat light. Good luck, hoping they can take you!

sherks11

lindz324 said:

lindz324 said:

Those that were induced.. Did the hospital call you the morning of to let you know what time you should come in? Or was the time pre planned? I'm due for induction tomr, and anxious to know what time I need to be there.. The anticipation is killlling me.

I'm getting induced tonight and I still have yet to hear! For others that were induced, did you have any restrictions on the day of? Like no food after a certain time to anything else?? I feel like I'm in the dark...

Still haven't been in for the induction, waiting for a bed.. Frustrating. They told me to just eat light. Good luck, hoping they can take you!

Thanks for the info, good luck to you too!

hordol

So before I get flamed for asking, I promise I did ask my doctor this afternoon--his answer was basically "maybe, maybe not" so I'm just looking for some other people's experiences:

On and off all day I have been really crampy. The cramps started in my lower back and were timeable, but they didn't really involve my lower belly. After about an hour and a half of the back cramps, it switched to lower belly cramps. Duration was about 35-50 seconds each time and about 15 minutes apart, but my lower belly never got very hard, even though that's where I was feeling them. They were intense enough that I had to concentrate on breathing through them, but not terrible.

Now I'm back to having these cramps about 8 minutes apart for 35-50 seconds again, although my belly still doesn't feel rock hard. Has anyone had contractions during early labor that didn't make your stomach hard? Or are these likely just typical pregnancy discomfort cramps? The fact that I can time them is what confuses me. Again, I know this is a doctor question but he really couldn't tell me much when I asked.

tamaraaaa

Extra stupid one coming your way... When they tell you to drink orange juice and lay down to feel movement, it seems like I always see to lay on your left side. Why left and not right? I naturally go right since that's how I sleep. Obviously not a super important question, just curious.

hordol

joytomylifex said:

Extra stupid one coming your way... When they tell you to drink orange juice and lay down to feel movement, it seems like I always see to lay on your left side. Why left and not right? I naturally go right since that's how I sleep. Obviously not a super important question, just curious.

Laying on your left side is best for circulation.

knotty-girl

Is there any reason why you couldn't just use an ace wrap bandage as a customizable postpartum belly band cincher? Seems like it would be better as a lot of the bands have reviews that they ride up or are too short or long for one's torso, or too loose. (Not speaking of c-section recovery, which may have more specific instruction/needs)

hordol

knotty-girl said:

Is there any reason why you couldn't just use an ace wrap bandage as a customizable postpartum belly band cincher? Seems like it would be better as a lot of the bands have reviews that they ride up or are too short or long for one's torso, or too loose. (Not speaking of c-section recovery, which may have more specific instruction/needs)

When I was researching whether or not I wanted to get a post-partum belly wrap, I did see that lots of people did simply just use an ace bandage and it worked fine. I did buy a belly bandit, but if I end up not liking it I will just use an ace bandage rather than buy anything else.

hlm184

my contractions were all back cramps.

How much milk do I need to have stashed to leave a two month old with DH for 10 hours?

SoulTermination

Anyone know anything about putting Vaseline or Neosporin or something lubricating and unscented on your genital stitches? Normally I wouldn't, but even with the Tucks pads and things it feels really dry down there, and it's making things more irritated and painful than I think it needs to be. Just wondering if anyone did something like that, or asked their OB about it? I need to call my OB's office tomorrow in any case, so this is mostly just to satisfy my own curiosity, heh.

littlesocks

We were given this bassinet. I'm assuming the fabric/padding around the sides is a no no because it's basically the same thing as a built in bumper. Should I remove it?

snowbound

Amsull324 said:

We were given this bassinet. I'm assuming the fabric/padding around the sides is a no no because it's basically the same thing as a built in bumper. Should I remove it?

I have this same bassinet. I'm curious to know where you found sheets for the pad? I had the hardest time finding ones that weren't oval shaped. I'm not sure about the padding, though. I was just going to leave it but now I'd like to know.

littlesocks

hbell12 said:

Amsull324 said:

We were given this bassinet. I'm assuming the fabric/padding around the sides is a no no because it's basically the same thing as a built in bumper. Should I remove it?

I have this same bassinet. I'm curious to know where you found sheets for the pad? I had the hardest time finding ones that weren't oval shaped. I'm not sure about the padding, though. I was just going to leave it but now I'd like to know.

I'm actually using a receiving blanket. I was given the fitted oval shaped sheets as well and when I put them on to the mattress it actually bowed the mattress so I opted not to use them.
I just tucked the receiving blanket under the mattress on the sides. It ended up being the perfect length so I don't have to tuck on the top and bottom.

BreeShipman

Ok so I tried to make the ice packs out of pads but they were really stiff and too cold for the normal parts down there. What did I do wrong?? What is the best way of making an ice pack?

edoliesmom

My NP says they'll let me go to 41 weeks, but that I'll be induced if I go longer. (I'm 39 weeks as of yesterday, 4/16.) Couldn't I technically refuse to be induced as long as my water hasn't broken?? And if so, how would I go about phrasing that I'd rather wait and see if my body does its thing?

ksulli

SLSchuerg said:

My NP says they'll let me go to 41 weeks, but that I'll be induced if I go longer. (I'm 39 weeks as of yesterday, 4/16.) Couldn't I technically refuse to be induced as long as my water hasn't broken?? And if so, how would I go about phrasing that I'd rather wait and see if my body does its thing?

You can refuse an induction. I would probably start it as a discussion, eg why do you want to induce now rather than wait a week? What are the risks of waiting a bit longer? Once you have answers to those questions to ahead and tell them with that information, you would still prefer to wait and see when baby wants to come on his/her own, so long as it's safe.

mamahann

dani+california said:

First night with baby. Slept 4 hours in his PNP and then got fussy after his 2 am feeding. I'm now sleeping on a recliner with him on my lap, swaddled.

Is this bad? He didn't want to be put back in the PNP and is sleeping like a champ right now. I don't want to start a bad habit though...but I know it's the first night so who knows. Suggestions?

First, congrats!!

I'm of the opinion that during the first weeks you do what you have to do. When we first got home LO wouldn't sleep unless she was being held so DH and I took 3 hour shifts switching off sleeping and holding her with me nursing in between. We kept trying to put her down in the co sleeper and on the 4th or 5th day she slept in it.

LO is almost 3 weeks old now and sleeps for 2.5-3 hour stretches in the co sleeper at night. She occasionally gets really fussy due to reflux and I'll bring her in bed with me and have her sleep in the crook of my arm. Sometimes they just want to be close to you

Good luck on your first night!

AcaAwkward

dani+california said:

First night with baby. Slept 4 hours in his PNP and then got fussy after his 2 am feeding. I'm now sleeping on a recliner with him on my lap, swaddled. Is this bad? He didn't want to be put back in the PNP and is sleeping like a champ right now. I don't want to start a bad habit though...but I know it's the first night so who knows. Suggestions?

YAY DANI!!!!!!!! Huge congrats! Do what you have to do to get him and you some sleep -- you can't spoil a baby at this age so if he wants to be help, hold him! Do try and make sure y'all are sleeping as safely as possible. DS slept on me for his first week ( first in the hospital bed, then in the crook of my arm on the couch or in bed). Gradually, I was able to get him to sleep in the RNP more and more. Now he's happy there all night.

chichi589

@dani+california‌ we do what we have to do to sleep these days. LO has reflux and refuses to sleep at night unless he's on his belly. So he sleeps on my chest or my SOs. Not ideal but we have to sleep. We can only get him to sleep in the rnp for about 3 hrs of the night.

reillyea

We have been sleeping with baby on us since she came home. During the day she will sleep in her bassinet. But at night not a chance. She is ten days old today, I figure she will either start to figure it out on her own or we will start training for now we are loving cuddles, and sleep!! Plus she wasn't sleeping in the night at all when we fisrt came home and now her sleep habits are getting pretty great, so one thing at a time I suppose.

HNRomance

KendraColeslaw said:

Why is immediate skin-to-skin so important to some moms? (This isn't a snarky question, I really do want to understand the importance of it)

The skin-to-skin helps release additional hormones for you and baby that help with bonding/connecting and can assist with milk production or letdown. It's also calming for baby. The sound/smell of mom is one that they know when everything else is new and scary. Think about how nice it feels to have your DH rub your back or belly and then multiply that by a huge hormone release...very similar.

littlesocks

MrsW26 said:

Here's a stupid one. What do you guys use to clean your hands after changing but before feeding? I don't want to leave the room to wash my hands and despise hand sanItizer. I've been using LO's Burts Bees hand and face wipes which work well but it's going to get expensive!

I've been wondering the same thing. :-/

rockstarlaw

Can someone please remind me which milk storage bags are recommended by this group?

hlm184

How do you store your freezer bags?  I remember someone having a dispenser trick...

cgoldian

Small gift bag with a slit cut out in the side bottom part. That way when you lay them flat, you are pulling the oldest ones out from the bottom and putting the new ones on top to freeze. (Does that make sense without a visual?)

nicole mackenzie

So I live in an old farmhouse. I love it but my floors are crooked. Is baby going to roll downhill?

Should I face the crib so her head is uphill?

It would put her perpendicular to me. Although I suppose I could move my bed to go with the incline as well.

Ps why does my mobile phone always change so to do?! Very annoying.

AcaAwkward

MrsW26 said:

Here's a stupid one. What do you guys use to clean your hands after changing but before feeding? I don't want to leave the room to wash my hands and despise hand sanItizer. I've been using LO's Burts Bees hand and face wipes which work well but it's going to get expensive!

I just use a baby wipe unless I really get poop on my hands, then I pick him up and wash before feeding.

rockstarlaw

cgoldian said:

Small gift bag with a slit cut out in the side bottom part. That way when you lay them flat, you are pulling the oldest ones out from the bottom and putting the new ones on top to freeze. (Does that make sense without a visual?)

if it's not too much trouble, I would like a visual

cgoldian

https://greenlitebites.com/2011/06/02/breast-milk-storage/

This has step by step instructions and a video

cgoldian

Do you put your newborn in pjs every night? Ours stays in long sleeved onesies and socks for the most part and we just swaddle her when we put her to bed. We change her clothes every morning and again if she gets messy (which is rare). Is that enough for now?

Emily041285

When should my hormones even out again? This is the second night in a row in tears for no good reason.

MapleLeafMama

Re:clothes ... I prefer sleepers at night because I know her feet are covered and she hasn't kicked off her socks. I try to dress her (and myself) so I don't get in a funk of wearing pyjamas all day every day.

rockstarlaw

I got a Medela pump in style from a friend. I donated everything to Goodwill except the pump itself and bought new replacement parts off Amazon - a Maymom (off brand compatible w Medela) replacement MyFit breast pump kit with new breast shield & flanges, membranes & tubing. I boiled the shields & membranes per the instructions, but it says not to boil the tubing because I could break down if it gets too hot. The package instructions claim this isn't a big deal since the milk doesn't go into the tubing...but is this true? And what should I be doing to clean/sterilize the tubing? Having never used one of these things before, I'm a little lost.

Also, I bought new Medela storage bottles (just for collection, then plan to freeze in storage bags)....is it ok just to wash these bottles in the dishwasher? Or do I need to be boiling these as well? I guess this part of the question actually goes for all my bottles...including the ones I plan to feed LO with later. Is boiling necessary?

rockstarlaw

Bump

Emztron500

Is there any reason not to bring my newborn into an epsom salt bath with me?

thomas930

Leeroy80 said:

Stupid question re diaper cream. Should I use it on my baby for every change as a preventative measure or only if baby has a rash/irritation? We are cloth diapering and I planned to use coconut oil as needed. Thanks!

I only use as needed.  

ksulli

@MrsW26 said:

@purespark - I have a 3rd degree tear myself.  Maybe I will just keep taking it for a while...at least another week.

I'm just going to finish the bottle I got- I think it had 28 in it. I've only been taking one a day and that's been enough to keep things comfortable. Just make sure you keep up the water intake once you come off them.

ksulli

@Jessieann1020 said:

At what age do babies start grasping things like rattles and ring toys?

From what I remember with dd1- way later than I thought. Like 2 1/2 or 3 mos.

hlm184

Sports bras.

Isn't compression bad?  If I wear a sports bra, will I up my risk for clogs and infection?  But how else do you run?  34DDD, running w/o a sports bra is a no-go.