Stupid Questions: February

SandNStarsNJ

MrsMaryK2016

When do their movements stop being so herky jerky? And maybe related, when do they stop flailing around in their sleep? 

SandNStarsNJ

MrsMaryK2016 said:

When do their movements stop being so herky jerky? And maybe related, when do they stop flailing around in their sleep? 

I think it's all a matter of how they mature. My DD was smoother by month 4, but she still flails in her sleep from time to time; in fact her lip stills moves in and out like she's nursing and she hasn't nursed in over a year and a half. 

SandNStarsNJ

What's your indicator to stop swaddling? I can't remember when we stopped with our first and I can't wait to stop with this one. 

rspalding001

@sandnstarsnj when they start to roll (especially back to belly) you stop swaddling because rolling without use of their arms could be dangerous.

kvruns

SandNStarsNJ said:

What's your indicator to stop swaddling? I can't remember when we stopped with our first and I can't wait to stop with this one. 

I keep thinking of trying to start 1 arm out since he keeps breaking out but I'm chicken 

SandNStarsNJ

I don't swaddle his arms at all. We do the burrito wrap under his armpits. 

desoky01

I always think about stopping the swaddle too, but I feel like his little hands get so cold! His body is warm enough, but his hands feel frozen when they're out of the swaddle. I wonder if the little mittens or socks would come off if he was trying to suck on his hands? 

SandNStarsNJ

desoky01 said:

I always think about stopping the swaddle too, but I feel like his little hands get so cold! His body is warm enough, but his hands feel frozen when they're out of the swaddle. I wonder if the little mittens or socks would come off if he was trying to suck on his hands? 

LO hands are also typically cold but the rest of him is a furnace and he loves his hands so we just let them be.

kvruns

How do you bathe your baby? We have a baby tub with a sling thing and we put him on it and my H basically gives him a sponge bath but has him laying in it for ease. It just dawned on me that we probably don't need to do it this way anymore. Should we just fill his baby tub with water and have him on the sling above it? B doesn't like baths and I think part of it is from getting cold sitting out of the water. My H does baths, not me, so unfortunately I don't know if his bath hatred is from H doing something "wrong" or the temp not being right or maybe he just doesn't like baths.

RhodaMorgenstern

We just stick A in the fancy infant tub we received as a gift. She's about 11 lbs and can hold her head up pretty well. Getting cold might be part of the reason your LO hates it. We put on music and try to make bath time fun but sometimes, A is just in no mood and freaks when we take her out of the tub.

kristah2

@kvruns baby might actually enjoy it more if he was actually in the water. Think about if you were sitting in cool ish air and someone kept pouring warm water on you and then you'd immediately get the breeze. Even with water and the sling if his body isn't actually in the water it'll be cold! 
We actually bath in our tub. H gets in with him and they play with some tub toys. It's their bonding time and it's super adorable. 

kvruns

Do you guys think I should try without the sling? Doesn't look like the sling would allow him to submerge in water. He does a weekly baby swim class and doesn't mind being in the water which makes me think sitting out of it during bath time is the problem. 

SandNStarsNJ

 We use the baby bathtub with the sling but fill the bathtub so that he is submerged pretty substantially.  I also make sure that he has a washcloth on his chest that is the same temperature as the water so has to keep his body temperature pretty regular. He doesn't fuss and seems to like taking a bath that way, but I also make sure that the water temperature is fairly warm.

 The way I see it, is that at this age they all have spend more of their lives in water (okay, maybe fluid is the better word) then out of the water. So why not let them be in the water the way that they're used to? 

m6agua

When preping for bath time I run the shower without the fan for a bit to get the room a little warm. I keep the door shut throughout the whole bath to keep the warm air in.

rspalding001

This is how we do baths. You can't see it but he is half in the water and I keep pouring warm water on him to keep the washcloth from getting cold. Once he can support himself a little better I'll get rid of the sling.

tvh1982

This is how we do it in the Netherlands. Grandma came by so pictures had to be taken. My LO usually doesn't have her pacifier as she really enjoys bath time, but she had an off day.
I give her a quick spongebath on the changing table and then she can relax in her bath. 
The temperature is between 36-38 (96-100) 
Changing table with her towel is laying ready so I can wrap her in asap and dry her so she doesn't get cold.
Her room has a lovely temperature and no draft. 

MrsBigTime

@rspalding001 Brilliant!

Poor Evy rarely gets a "real" bath! I mostly just quickly bathe her in the sink, but she doesn't really get to submerge in water - I just kind of get her wet, soap her up and then rinse her off with the faucet. If she does get a bath, it's in the tub with me, or I hand her to my husband while he's in his shower. 

jujellis

We bathed my first like that in the sling for a couple months and then realized cobathing was so much easier. So with this baby we started cobathing from day 1. My husband just holds him in the shower with him and my daughter usually goes in with them too. He does all the bathing and then I get him out, dry him off and dress him. 

MrsMaryK2016

We have a fancy baby bathtub that we use right now but as soon as he can sit up we'll just bathe him in the laundry room sink (it's like a regular sink, not a utility sink). The only bathtub in this house is a huge garden tub so I have no idea what we'll do when he outgrows the sink. Move hopefully. 

hoosiermama-2

Super dumb question: how exactly do y'all co-bathe? I'm all for efficiencies! Does the shower spray not bother them? Do you use cooler water than you use by yourself? I usually take pretty warm showers and baths.
 
[Edit: We've been setting her in her tub sling, water usually covers all of her bottom and I lay a wet washcloth across her torso.]

rspalding001

I'm also confused on the co-bathing. If you are holding LO how to you wash yourself?

MollySm

@rspalding001 - that's exactly how we did it with 2.  We haven't figured out how to fit 3 in yet.   So Pip still gets sponge baths on the floor.   But soon... 

jsmai

I did the bathtub with the sling the first month.  A mom in my breastfeeding support group mentioned Co-showering and that's now my preference. 

I get D down to a diaper,  wrap her in a towel and put her in the rock and play in front of the shower. I close the bathroom door and leave the fan off so the heat stays in the room. I hop in for a 3 minute shampoo/condition/soap for myself first.  (I sing to entertain get during that time) Then I take off D's diaper and bring her in with me.  I like molten hot showers so I have had to tone it down when she's in with me. She really seems to enjoy the water and the skin on skin time we get. I just make sure to keep the water out of her eyes.

 Admittedly, the first time I did this is was super scared I would drop her.  It ended up being more relaxing for both of us in the end. My back was much happier also. 

kvruns

LO definitely has a cold though it's mild so far. I'm supposed to bring him to my work tomorrow for a baby shower. That's a bad idea right? I'm guessing he spread germs just like an adult? 

SandNStarsNJ

kvruns said:

LO definitely has a cold though it's mild so far. I'm supposed to bring him to my work tomorrow for a baby shower. That's a bad idea right? I'm guessing he spread germs just like an adult? 

I wouldn't bring him because his immune system is weaker when sick and could catch something else. 

kvruns

SandNStarsNJ said:

kvruns said:

LO definitely has a cold though it's mild so far. I'm supposed to bring him to my work tomorrow for a baby shower. That's a bad idea right? I'm guessing he spread germs just like an adult? 

I wouldn't bring him because his immune system is weaker when sick and could catch something else. 

Thanks that was my other concern since people would want to hold him

tvh1982

I co-shower with my little girl. But it's just for closeness and not really washing.
I get ready and then get her ready. 
Both get in the shower (38degree) and she loves the water on her and being close to me. 
Im not careful with water in eyes and on her head. She doesn't mind too much, which is great when being bigger and I need to wash her hair. 
I tried washing her in the shower, but she'll get slippery..that scares me. So now we just relax and do a spongebath or nothing and take a bath the day after:
After the shower I wrap her in the warmest towel I have and lay her on her changing mat on the floor. I quickly dry myself and put on a bathrobe and get her dry and ready before continuing with me.
I also have a wrap that one can use, but it's to much work to attach her to me. I'll use that for swimming instead

MrsBigTime

rspalding001 said:

I'm also confused on the co-bathing. If you are holding LO how to you wash yourself?

One handed, ha! I rarely wash my hair, so it's just a quick soap up shower. If I need to do more, I'll wash her and then wrap her in a towel and put her on the floor on the bath mat and quickly wash myself better. 

kristah2

DH baths with him and gets him all washed then he will get out and get baby all dried and dressed before laying him in his crib and hopping in the shower himself 

kristah2

When do babies start giggling?

MrsMaryK2016

I just got an amazing video of M laughing for a minute straight yesterday! We had our first real giggle about a week ago.

Edited to add that he's 12 weeks on Saturday.

kvruns

@kristah2 mine has been giggling some the past week or two. Not all the time but sometimes we get sound. He's 11 weeks 

m6agua

Mine laughed/giggled for the first time today. She is 11w3d.

SandNStarsNJ

DS sporadically squeals and giggles since week 9, but it isn't anything of grand proportions. Our DD was a nonstop giggler at a very early age. I think they all just progress differently and typically mimic what they are around. So if we laugh a lot, odds are they will mimic that giggle - same for smiling. 

lajoliedreamer

LO has only really giggled once a few days ago. She's 14 weeks today, so same age as yours, @kristah2. My dr said it typically happens by 4 mos, but like everything, all babies are different. 

tvh1982

My little girl giggled at 11 weeks, it scared her and she hasn't done it again until she this week, she's 14 weeks now.

jsmai

DD has had an uptick in blowouts over the last week.  Neither myself nor H have changed our diapering routines and she's still in the same size diaper she's been wearing for a month (she's 13 lbs in a size 2 diaper). I haven't the faintest idea what,  if anything,  I've changed to permit the poopsplosions. The only difference between H's diapering and I try to get the diaper inside her leg crease while H will include some of her thigh roll in the diaper.  

I feel stupid asking this at 10 weeks but which way is correct?

hjmommaplus1

 I put the diaper inside of the leg crease.  I've never paid attention to how DH does it. We have had our fair share of blowouts too so who knows if there's a foolproof way

MrsMaryK2016

I don't know that it matters where on the leg it is as long as the ruffles are out and not tucked i. You should be ok. I also make the waist area super tight. 

SandNStarsNJ

I don't think it matters either but the ruffles need to be out around the legs. It's your last line of defense before the poop escapes.