Stupid Questions Thread

nikki912

Also helps prevent SIDS (according to some), since it helps baby learn to pick up head and move to side. That's why they say to do it supervised since some babies need more practice and spend a lot of time face down.

AcaAwkward

^^^ and it also helps prevent flat spots! 

Mamamonzo

Maybe I'm just a total asshole, but tummy time is HILARIOUS to me. Watching a baby get all squirmy and fussy and try to lift their heads. The bobble head lift followed by the minor face plant is always great entertainment. Granted, I haven't done it with my own screaming flesh and blood. Check back in a few months to see if I still think it's so funny!

I'm really not a mean person!!

irisheyez7

Mamamonzo said:

Maybe I'm just a total asshole, but tummy time is HILARIOUS to me. Watching a baby get all squirmy and fussy and try to lift their heads. The bobble head lift followed by the minor face plant is always great entertainment. Granted, I haven't done it with my own screaming flesh and blood. Check back in a few months to see if I still think it's so funny! I'm really not a mean person!!

I agree! I always used to get quite the chuckle out of watching my youngest niece. On one hand you feel bad for the poor thing, on the other watching them faceplant and turn their heads helplessly always gave me an "awe" moment. I also always loved being her "hero" who rescued her from her torment ;-)

SoulTermination

I know this has been talked about, but I'm blowed if I can remember what I read on it.

As far as car seat covers go (talking about the ones with elastic edges and are put over the top of the entire car seat that keep LO warm while having a peephole to make sure they're okay), is it safe to have the ones with fabric that ends up between the car seat and LO's back?  I was under the impression that's regarded as unsafe, but I can't remember for sure.  I know having bulky coats or blankets and things around LO under the safety straps is a no-no for sure.

HNRomance

kali55 said:

Ashleypixie said:

Here's one. Does anyone have really bad contractions after sex? I'm only 30 weeks but she's already starting to drop so I'm not sure if that's it, but they're more intense than BH.

I do!  They feel like period cramps but go away after about an hour

I don't have pain with them but yes, my stomach is rock-hard after for a good number of minutes and sometimes i get RLP on one side or another with it when I straighten up or stand.

HNRomance

ahoefling said:

Stupid FTM question... Do you have to use nipple cream or can you just use lotion? I just use lotion now, but I could possibly see that as an issue when I actually start to BF.

a lot of lotions have dyes/chemicals/fragrances. If you don't like the taste, your baby might not either. I'm FTM too but from what I hear, breastmilk has some natural healing properties and so spreading some around and letting it airdry is supposed to be about as effective. Plus, making sure you are getting a good latch.

HNRomance

FTM but i'm passing on a tip from my mother: Don't even bother with burp cloths just get cloth diapers for that. They are softer, more absorbent and bleachable!

Twirple

HNRomance said:

FTM but i'm passing on a tip from my mother: Don't even bother with burp cloths just get cloth diapers for that. They are softer, more absorbent and bleachable!

This!  The cheap Gerber refolds make the best burp cloths, and when baby is done with them, they make great cleaning rags.

HNRomance

thomas930 said:

This thread is awesome! I have 2 - I think I lost part of my mucus plug last night. TMI I found a sorta booger colored blob with a dark dark red spot in my underwear. It was small less than dime sized. I'm 32 weeks is it too soon for this/is it something I need to bring up at my appointment this week? I feel silly asking if it's just normal third trimester discharge. And 2 (this one makes me feel really silly) is there some sort of guide for dressing a newborn? I live in New England and April weather can be snow or it can be 50+. I feel totally unprepared to properly dress LO so she's not really warm or freezing.

1. mucus plugs can regenerate so I wouldn't worry. It's not really a sign of labor. 2. Dress baby for the weather for the day. Layers are nice since you can take some off if it's too warm and have a blanket with you if you think you might need a little more coverage.

Note on number 2 - be careful of winter coats and carseats. There have been studies done recently that the extra bulk of the coat will not allow the straps to tighten/adjust properly and the coat can compress if in an accident which means your baby has too much room to move and leads to more injuries. They are recommending putting the coat on backward after buckling baby in but that seams like a suffocation hazard to me. I got a car seat cover instead to protect from cold during car transfer since i live in MI and have the same problem with weather!

sdo_082989

kcp913 said:

From other boards, I see that a lot of them talk about using an exercise ball to help the baby drop and get into position for labor.  Are there special balls that should be used (like should I get next weight up/ do they make ones that won't pop if I sit on it) and what time do you think is okay to start sitting on one of those.  

I'm also thinking about switching over to one because my back is starting to kill me from sitting in my chair at work, then at home.

I am already sitting on one of those balls. My midwife told me to sit on one because I was telling her about how badly my back and hips hurt. She said to sit on one of those balls to take the pressure off of my back. It has helped a ton. I sit on it while folding laundry, chopping vegetables, watching TV, etc. I don't know anything about it helping baby drop or any of that but if it does that's just another added bonus!

HNRomance

P&B715 said:

Um see I can't even explain it well!!! I feel like my vagina is being stretched, but only when I pee.

Kinda feels like a reverse kegel right? Those same muscles push out as well as in. I have something similar with the extra pressure from my uterus pushing on my bladder and all other parts. It helps if I lean way forward to pee for some reason. 

HNRomance

ColleenSwerb said:

Ok I have a really dumb question!!! I am not leaking yet, and I have no experience at all with breastfeeding. Where exactly does the milk come from (i.e. the nipple itself or the area around classified as the areola)??

It's lots of little pin-prick holes in the nipple. I'm trying to find a good image on google.

Think of it like a tiny shower head lol. All the ducts fill up and connect centrally to the nipple itself. The little bumps on the areola are oil glands that help to lubricate the nipple and send sensory stimuli but the milk comes out of the nipple itself.

Twirple

kcp913 said:

From other boards, I see that a lot of them talk about using an exercise ball to help the baby drop and get into position for labor.  Are there special balls that should be used (like should I get next weight up/ do they make ones that won't pop if I sit on it) and what time do you think is okay to start sitting on one of those.  

I'm also thinking about switching over to one because my back is starting to kill me from sitting in my chair at work, then at home.

I use one part of the time at work to help with my back and hips.  I got mine off Amazon, it is for use in athletic clubs, rated to somewhere around 380 lbs, and is anti burst.

SoulTermination

aviola329 said:

I think the rule is nothing that goes between baby and the seat/straps....it invalidates the warranty etc and it's not considered safe for baby. 

This is what I thought, but I wanted to try and make sure first.  Saw an adorable flower car seat cover at Once Upon A Child the other day, but it had fabric that went between Baby and the car seat so I told DH we were passing on that one.

ksulli

My DD loved being bounced on the yoga ball as a newborn to calm her down & go to sleep. I would absolutely go get a good one to use now & with baby on the outside.

hlm184

...Now I'm thinking about going to the store and getting one of those balls.

katiedidthat

I just bought a regular exercise ball at Walmart when I was pregnant with DS.  I bounced on it a lot to help him turn and then used it in labor.  After he was born we would sit on it with him and bounce to calm him down, plus if he had bad tummy pain we could lay him on top of it on his belly and he would pass gas almost immediately.   Now he thinks its great fun to push it around and try to climb over it.  Best $20 I ever spent. 

Just make sure you get one that will keep your hips above your knees or its impossible to get back off of.

sking72

I just have a yoga ball from Walmart also, already sitting on it. The squatting position helps open up your hips! Excellent for while you're in labor also.

And... SO and I really like it for sex.

snmetz7

So for the exercise balls that don't specifically say "anti-burst" what is the likelihood that it would burst?

snmetz7

ColleenSwerb said:

So for the exercise balls that don't specifically say "anti-burst" what is the likelihood that it would burst?

I feel like unless you're 250lbs, it's not gonna burst. It should have a weight limit on the package I would think.

online it doesn't say a weight limit and I'm right at the 250 mark... but then the ones that say anti birth go on to say that there has been a link to birth defects due to the chemicals... maybe someone can link me to the anti burst ball that you purchased?

strawberrytree

SoulTermination said:

aviola329 said:

I think the rule is nothing that goes between baby and the seat/straps....it invalidates the warranty etc and it's not considered safe for baby. 

This is what I thought, but I wanted to try and make sure first.  Saw an adorable flower car seat cover at Once Upon A Child the other day, but it had fabric that went between Baby and the car seat so I told DH we were passing on that one.

You can actually cut out the back of those ones to make them safe. Like this: https://thecarseatlady.blogspot.ca/2011/01/bundle-me-everyone-uses-it-in-car-seat.html There's a video about halfway down that shows how to cut out the back. 

sking72

snmetz7 said:

ColleenSwerb said:

snmetz7 said:

So for the exercise balls that don't specifically say "anti-burst" what is the likelihood that it would burst?

I feel like unless you're 250lbs, it's not gonna burst. It should have a weight limit on the package I would think.

online it doesn't say a weight limit and I'm right at the 250 mark... but then the ones that say anti birth go on to say that there has been a link to birth defects due to the chemicals... maybe someone can link me to the anti burst ball that you purchased?



Say what???? Birth defects??

snmetz7

ColleenSwerb said:

Now I feel like an asshole. Sorry. I can't even comprehend how using the ball for a few weeks now would lead to birth defects. That's insane. I hope you find one that will work for you!

no need to feel like an asshole, you answered honestly! I don't know why it would lead to birth defects at this stage either but since its a big bold warning, I'm leaning towards no go. Maybe I'll just have to make my way up to the store and check em out in person.

sking72

Googled it immediately, saw this and thought it was funny

snmetz7

sking72 said:

Googled it immediately, saw this and thought it was funny

you don't know my LYFE I  totally lick EVERYTHING!

but I found one that is made of non-toxic and phthalate-free materials and holds up to 300 lbs for only $5 more than the one with the warning. https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=13305249&lmdn=Category in case anyone else needs a ball that can hold a bigger girl

sking72

Thank goodness I kept the box for mine... It does have the warning on it. Guess ill be throwing a towel on it from now on. I know California has really strict rules about warning about the chemicals so I'm not too worried.... But there's that little paranoid part of me that of course is now thinking "omg my baby's gonna have two heads!!!"

sking72

me on yoga ball=

sking72

im gif-ing the crap out of this board today

Emily041285

If anyone is still thinking about getting a ball my yoga instructor had a good tip. She suggested getting a weighted one so it can't roll away from you. I had an un weighted one and it would roll out from under me. The weighted one I bought stays put.

SoulTermination

strawberrytree said:

SoulTermination said:

aviola329 said:

I think the rule is nothing that goes between baby and the seat/straps....it invalidates the warranty etc and it's not considered safe for baby. 

This is what I thought, but I wanted to try and make sure first.  Saw an adorable flower car seat cover at Once Upon A Child the other day, but it had fabric that went between Baby and the car seat so I told DH we were passing on that one.

You can actually cut out the back of those ones to make them safe. Like this: https://thecarseatlady.blogspot.ca/2011/01/bundle-me-everyone-uses-it-in-car-seat.html There's a video about halfway down that shows how to cut out the back. 

Awesome, thank you very much! ^_^

haziedaze

What size ball did people buy? Any amazon finds that worked out well?

BiggerinRealLife

haziedaze said:

What size ball did people buy? Any amazon finds that worked out well?

This. I've got a small and a large for DH and my workouts. Which is a better height? One that forces you to squat, or one big enough for sitting comfortably at a desk?

snmetz7

BiggerinRealLife said:

What size ball did people buy? Any amazon finds that worked out well?

This. I've got a small and a large for DH and my workouts. Which is a better height? One that forces you to squat, or one big enough for sitting comfortably at a desk?

I'd imagine one that makes you squat, that will open your hips and stretch your perineum (according to my Bradley book you want to squat as much as possible to prepare)

Emily041285

I think it's a personal preference on which size. I bought a 65 cm ball for a class I took and I found the bigger ball the instructor had worked better for me. I was a little more stable on the bigger ball. And I plan to use it in labor and was way more comfortable using the bigger ball for some of the positions I learned.

mamahann

I don't know if any of you ladies have a Five Below near you but a coworker just told me she was there yesterday and they had 65cm exercise balls for $5. Might be worth looking in to if you just want a cheap one  

mrsB68

New stupid Q...a friend of mine just texted me appalled that a newborn was at the movies. I didn't we what was wrong with that as it was a daytime pg movie. At what age can you take baby out? I was going to wait a couple weeks but that's about it!

Twirple

@mrsB68 I walked a 5K heart run and attended a house party with 30+ people when DS was a week old.  The only concern I would have with taking a newborn to a movie would be the noise level on their sensitive ears.

AcaAwkward

mrsB68 said:

New stupid Q...a friend of mine just texted me appalled that a newborn was at the movies. I didn't we what was wrong with that as it was a daytime pg movie. At what age can you take baby out? I was going to wait a couple weeks but that's about it!

We were in the hospital for a week, but as soon as we were discharged we were out and about. We came home on a Sunday and went to lunch and shopping on Tuesday. We regularly took her grocery shopping, etc. I had to get out of the house or I would have gone nuts. It was cold & flu season (Feb), so we just made sure to either keep her in her infant seat or wear her. Most infants sleep alllllllllll the time -- they are actually really easy to take out.

We never did the movie thing because I was too nervous she would cry, but looking back, I wish we had (especially a weekday matinee). I think she would have been just fine -- it would have been easy to nurse her if she woke up.

mrsB68

Ok I feel better now. I want to eat out, I want baby to be used to going to a restaurant or being around people, etc. I don't want to be stuck in the house! I plan to use common sense and not go visit someone with a cold or put the kid on a bathroom floor, lol, but I really didn't get why going out midday was so shocking within the first few months!