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December 2010 Moms
jillybean800
member
Question for the new moms...
jillybean800
member
This is going to sound like a ridiculous question.
But when you get the baby home...how do you really know what to DO with it? I know there is no chance of a "schedule" or anything like that. So is it just kind of "survival mode"? Do they "seem" hungry before you feed them or is it just guessing? Do you change diapers every time they wake up or just when you suspect it's dirty?
This is a series of stupid questions, and I apologize. I guess I'm just thinking that I am so "prepared" because I have the stuff. I'm packed. I know how to get to L+D. But as for the actual baby, I feel SO unprepared. It seems like so much to remember.
So I guess I'm just wondering how it's going and how you're surviving 
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Question for the new moms...
Dx MTHFR (C677T & A1298C, Compound Heterozygous)
Your questions are not stupid. I remember thinking 'Yay we get to leave with the baby' and then we got the baby in the car and we were leaving the hospital I thought 'Oh shiiit, we'll be doing this without the watchful eye of the hospital staff'.
While you are at the hospital ask as many questions as you can. Don't worry, you will get an idea of what the cues are for feeding. The first few days/ weeks, LOs just sleep and when they wake its time for a feed (every 2 to 3 hours). I would always change a diaper before a feed or in between a feed. They go through about 8 to 10 a day so you'll be changing quite a few diapers. Cues for feeding look like; mouth/ lip smacking, hands going towards mouth, chewing on hands and crying.
Today he is 3 weeks and he only has a few times a day that he is alert and awake. But for the most part he is still pooping, eating and sleeping.
I just wanted to hold her all the time! We generally checked her diapers before feedings, if she seemed like she was pooping (we figured out her pooping face pretty quickly, was fussy or if her diaper felt full. You pick it up pretty quick. We learned her hunger cues in the NICU (like PP said, ask all the questions you can). She will move her head side to side with her mouth open like a little bird searching for food. She will quickly open her mouth if anything is near it (your hand, bottle, etc.) and when I held her close she would root around (feeling around with her mouth open). We call her a little zombie because she looks like she is trying to eat our arms, chest, etc.
We introduced her to the animals and that took a lot of time. I was recovering from a c-section so I just sat around holding her.
Hopefully this answer doesn't seem stupid, but seeing as my first survived and we are doing good so far with the second I must be doing something right!
When you bring your LO home they will basically sleep all day. I generally check LOs diaper every time I feed him (every 2ish hours) or sooner if I know that he needs it. As far as feeding, I demand feed right now. He tends to have his own schedule and gets fussy and wants to eat approximately every 2 hours. Depending on how much he eats, sometimes he will go back to sleep for awhile. Other times he will only eat for 5 minutes and doze off and even if I wake him up he isn't interested in eating. He will than wake up 15 minutes later hungry again. I feel like it is WAY to hard to try to get him on to much of a schedule as I also have a 14 month old that I am chasing around and have to take care of as well. It's a lot easier when DH is home but he works 40 hours a week plus is in school 3 days a week until the end of the semester.
So basically to answer your question, you basically roll with it and kinda go with what baby wants. If you want to get baby on a rigid schedule, probably start soon. I basically let my first determine his own schedule, which was rough until it was established, but seemed to work out for us. I will probably try to incorporate #2 into the same routine so we have similar feeding/changing/nap and bedtimes.
HTH!
The PP have said some good stuff! I know we were like "ok, now what?" once we got home. I'd say the 1st two weeks are survival mode for sure!
I also really liked the book WTE: the first year. I know a lot of people don't like WTEWYE, but I do. And the 1st year one is nice- tells you what they should be doing each month, and has a HUGE newborn care, feeding, etc section. I referred to it a lot in the beginning.
Also if you are planning to BF, read up on it and lurk on the BF board NOW. You do not want to have a screaming newborn and not know what to do!
I forgot to add something...when LO is born they will be at a certain weight (for instance; my LO was born at 6 lbs 3.5 oz) and they will lose weight (when we left the hospital he was at 5 lbs and 5 oz). Until they gain their birth weight back, its suggested that you feed on a schedule.
Last week I got him weighed at a pharmacy and he gained his weight back plus more, so now I let him tell me when its time to eat. Again, ask as many questions as you can at the hospital and lurk on Babies 0-3 board. This may prompt some questions you didn't even know you had.
I'm getting excited for you ladies!!!
Aw you guys are so nice! Those were really comforting posts to read actually...(and thanks to the soon to be moms who let me know that I'm not alone!)
I just packed a notebook and pen to take notes from the nurses into my hospital bag. Brains picked!