Jackie, Melissa, and other newborn mommies...

MrsJOSEnADRI · December 2010

How are you guys doing? How are the babies?

mjz · December 2010

Hi! All is going well here, although we've had a couple of hurdles. Javy has a terrible diaper rash that just will not go away. We've been through all the major OTC diaper rash creams and one prescription. We just got the second prescription filled. We've switched diapers multiple times and are now using the Whole Foods brand based on the pedi's recommendation. I let him go without a diaper whenever possible to air everything out. I'm seriously considering switching to cloth diapers.

Our other big hurdle that we're just getting over a case of thrush (and part of that rash is actually yeast...ick).

Other that that stuff, everything is going great! I go back to work Jan. 3. I'm trying to savor these last few weeks. He's just so yummy!

cocojack10 · December 2010

Hey there! I'm doing good overall, but starting to get cabin fever. And with the cold weather, a walk to the park isn't an option for us. I did venture off to Dadeland alone w/ the boys yesterday and it went great. However, DH wasn't too thrilled with the idea, stating the mall was too packed for them during flu season. I can see his point, but honestly, the mall was rather empty, especially for holiday season.

I did, however, not like the fact that I felt like a circus act everywhere I went! People stopping and asking me stupid questions. I couldn't walk 2 ft before getting stopped by someone else.

The boys are doing great. I feel like they are growing a mile a minute. I'm already retiring some of their newborn clothes! I am actually washing some of their 3 mo pjs to have handy jic. Crazy, and to think 6 wks ago today they were preemies in the NICU.

Oh, and I have to brag a little bit on this one b/c well, I'm still in a bit of shock about it! I was so dreading having to lose the baby weight, considering I'm horrible w/ diets and exercising. Well, guess what... I'm 12lbs less than pre-pg already! I was a little overweight getting pg, so now I'm 10lbs away from my goal weight. Granted, still need to exercise to tone up, but dude, what a huge accomplishment. It honestly makes me feel really good about myself, and better adapting to mommyhood.

On the down side, my foot grew. : ( I was already a size 10 before pg, so now I'm up to a size 11 (10.5 doesn't exist). I'm so sad to not be able to wear some of my old shoes. I had to buy 2 new pairs yesterday - ballet flats and boots.

How are you doing Adri? I saw that you stopped pumping. Sorry it was earlier than expected, but at least you got to 2 mo. That is good. Oh, and the Gymboree membership does sound a bit expensive, especially for the working mom that may find it difficult to attend. Not sure if I will be joining. But I may go to at least a free session... if you go back, let me know. Hopefully I can join you.

cocojack10 · December 2010

Oh now Melissa! I'm so sorry Javy has the rash and thrust! Hope it all goes away quickly. Enjoy the next few wks home with your cutie.

MrsJOSEnADRI · December 2010

Melissa, I hope Javy gets better soon. IDK if this helps, but MIL thought all the OTC diaper rash creams were too harsh and gave us some prescription stuff called Vusion. I've been using that and Balmex here and there. I also go back to work January 3rd so I completely understand how you feel. I may ask for that Friday off to ease into the work week and also because it's our anniversary!

Jackie, I can't imagine all the attention you must get with those two cute boys! Good for you for losing all the weight! I still have about 10 pounds to get to pre-pg weight and about 25 to get to wedding weight, lol, (that's my ultimate goal). Seriously, though, if I could just lose these extra few pounds so I can fit into my work clothes, I'd be happy. If not, I'll invest in lots of Spanx! I am going to Gymboree, again, tomorrow. I just got an email coupon for $50 off the membership and if I pay per class, it's not that bad. Hopefully, they'll honor the coupon without having to sign-up for the monthly program.

MrsJOSEnADRI · December 2010

Oh, and, Elise is doing great! I forgot to update on her! She is such a happy camper as long as she's well-fed, lol. Seriously, that's all she really cries for - the bottle. My mom calls it her favorite toy, lol. I was feeding her on demand until last week, but this week I started a schedule. She kind of had her own schedule of every 3 hours anyway, but then in the evenings she would kind of go all over the place. I also think that's because in the evenings, other people would come over and if she just whimpered they immediately said she was hungry. So, I've been sticking to the every 3 hours (more or less) and it's been working out and she hasn't had any spit-ups either. I think we were overfeeding her in the evenings b/c DH would also want to feed her if she just whimpered, lol. Sometimes, she would just vomit everything (that really sucked when it was BM that I had just pumped). She has been giving us a 6 hour stretch at night which used to be from 9 to 3, but with the new schedule I've been trying to push it back to 11 to 5 so that it's easier on us when I go back to work. We're also starting a more consistent bedtime routine and it helps with the "schedule." She really does adapt well to whatever we try. I'm also really happy that she recognizes my mom. She's been coming over almost everyday and wants to babysit any chance she gets. She's so excited about taking care of her in January. She can't wait for me to go back to work, lol. It makes me really happy to see Elise's face light up when she sees my mom. I know she's going to be in great hands!

mjz · December 2010

Jackie, good for you and your weight loss! I'm glad the boys did well on your outing. It stinks you get stopped by so many people. I hope that gets better as time goes by, although who wouldn't want to stop you with your two handsome guys!

Elise, I'll have to ask the pedi about the cream you mentioned. The first prescription was for what she called Magic Butt Paste and now we're starting just dry Nystatin powder. We'll try that alone for a day or two and if that doesn't work, experiment with different combos of stuff. I feel so bad for him and his poor bum.

I'm also impressed you seem to be on a great schedule! Good for you! We've implemented a bedtime routine and that's been going pretty well.

I don't get on here much anymore, but it's wonderful to hear the great updates.

MrsJOSEnADRI · December 2010

Melissa, a friend that EBFs was the first who told me to try a schedule with her. She started with her son at 10 weeks, but encouraged me to give it a shot anyway. At first, I thought she was too little but decided to try it for one day and see how it went. So far so good.

cocojack10 · December 2010

Please share your bedtime schedule! My boys are up every 3 hrs to feed. We actually started them on rice cereal once a night to enlongate their sleep, but that only got us to 4 hrs, maybe 5 hrs.

Also, how much are you babies eating and how often? Just want to compare notes. My boys eat anywhere from 3.5 - 4 oz a feeding, which like I said is between 3-4 hrs. My niece is also eating about the same, but she sleeps like 6 hrs straight at night.

I just started tandum feeding, which cut out about 15 min out of our feeding routine, but still takes close to an hour to change and feed the boys.

Albah · December 2010

Hi Ladies! My baby is not really a newborn anymore but just had to chip in and congratulate you all - seems you are doing great with your babies! :-)

Melissa, I hope the diaper rash and thrush get better soon! Poor baby must not be very comfortable.

And a 10 week old on a schedule is impressive Adri, I eased Ethan into a schedule over time and until the last couple of weeks we have gotten into a groove. And that's great that Elise is used to grandma being around, they will be spending plenty of quality time soon.

Way to go Jackie on the weight loss! And I can definitely see why you would get stopped everywhere you go with your 2 gorgeous boys!

STTN is not an easy feat with these little ones. I can only tell you that when your little ones are ready to sleep through the night, they will! I am from the train of thought that cereal or giving formula at night are not necessarily things that help them sleep more. With Evan, I tried all those things and that boy did not STTN until just after his 1st birthday. ANd here comes Baby Ethan and at 4 months has been STTN without cereal, without formula. He exclusively gets breast milk which supposedly fills them up less so that is why they wake up more too eat. I was in shock when he slept from 8pm to 7am the other night.. and although it is great, we are struggling with Evan's sleeping habits as he is waking up 2-3 times...so that translates to not much sleep for me anyway. lol Just my 2 cents on STTN.

MrsJOSEnADRI · December 2010

cocojack10:

Please share your bedtime schedule! My boys are up every 3 hrs to feed. We actually started them on rice cereal once a night to enlongate their sleep, but that only got us to 4 hrs, maybe 5 hrs.

Also, how much are you babies eating and how often? Just want to compare notes. My boys eat anywhere from 3.5 - 4 oz a feeding, which like I said is between 3-4 hrs. My niece is also eating about the same, but she sleeps like 6 hrs straight at night.

I just started tandum feeding, which cut out about 15 min out of our feeding routine, but still takes close to an hour to change and feed the boys.

Elise was doing the same but ever 3 hours or sooner. So, I noticed she was getting more calories during the day. DH would do the last feeding around 9 and then midnight, but when she started eating more during the day she eliminated that midnight feeding herself. However, she would wake at 3 a.m. So, what I started doing was increasing her bottle to 5 oz and she eats every 3 hours during the day. Around the 8-9 feeding she gets a bath, lotion, feeding, and swaddle and straight to crib with lights out so it's really dark (not always in that order - I need to get more consistent). Then around 11, DH wakes her for last feeding. sometimes it's only a couple of ounces, but she'll sleep until 5. After that, she might give us 3.5 to 4 hours. So, around 8 or 9, she'll wake up for the day and start the 3 hour routine (more or less 3 hours). DH was also the one who started putting her in her room and it worked out better bcher room is darker than ours. As, she gets older, i'm thinking she might start drinking more at around the 9 p.m. feeding and wont need those extra ounces at 11 p.m. But, I'm just taking it one day at a time since growth spurts, teething, etc, can throw them off. Aso, as they get older, you can try offering the paci instead of the bottle at night. Sometimes, it works sometimes it doesn"t. But, definitely, getting in all their calories during the day will help them sleep longer at night. But, it takes time for their stomachs to grow to be able to handle that.

HTH - This is all the info I've gathered on STTN from friends, books, and the other boards.

MrsJOSEnADRI · December 2010

Ditto, the rice. It doesn't seem to make a difference what she drank at bedtime - BM or formula. I think it was just the fact that she was eating more during the day. And, from what I've read, STTN is considered 5-7 straight hours. They may do more; they may not. That's why I've been trying to push back her 6 hour stretch so it's not so early.

MrsJOSEnADRI · December 2010

Sorry to keep adding stuff, but Justine also mentioned that her pedi said that girls will STTN sooner than boys. So, that may explain the difference between your boys and your niece.

mjz · December 2010

I've been trying to pump once a day to build up a stash and have DH feed Javy a bottle, but that doesn't always happen since things don't go as planned every day. But, when we give him a bottle, he's up to eating 5 ounces.

Right now, our "schedule" is to start the bedtime routine about 8:00. We do bath (depending on the day), sleep sack or swaddle, nurse, and then bed. DH reads him a book and we say a prayer together while I'm nursing. As he gets older, we'll give those things their own slot in the routine, but I figure it doesn't much matter right now. He's been asleep since 8:30-9:00 every night so far since we started the routine. Oh, we try to put him down drowsy but awake and turn on the vibration on the bassinet.

The nighttime feedings are still inconsistent. He did give us 4 or 5 nights of sleeping from 8:30-2:30, eating at 2:30, then sleeping until 6:00ish, but the last couple of nights he's been up around 12 or 1 and then 4:00ish and up again 7:00ish. The past couple of days he's been extra fussy, though, so I'm thinking he's uncomfortable or going through a growth spurt.

During the day he's eating every 2-4 hours. I've noticed he'll go 3, sometimes 4, hours between feedings the first half of the day, then want to eat more like every 2 hours until bedtime. He's been wanting to comfort nurse a lot lately, though. Again, I think that's related to discomfort from the rash or gas.

cocojack10 · December 2010

Albah:
Hi Ladies! My baby is not really a newborn anymore but just had to chip in and congratulate you all - seems you are doing great with your babies! :-)
Melissa, I hope the diaper rash and thrush get better soon! Poor baby must not be very comfortable.
And a 10 week old on a schedule is impressive Adri, I eased Ethan into a schedule over time and until the last couple of weeks we have gotten into a groove. And that's great that Elise is used to grandma being around, they will be spending plenty of quality time soon.
Way to go Jackie on the weight loss! And I can definitely see why you would get stopped everywhere you go with your 2 gorgeous boys!
STTN is not an easy feat with these little ones. I can only tell you that when your little ones are ready to sleep through the night, they will! I am from the train of thought that cereal or giving formula at night are not necessarily things that help them sleep more. With Evan, I tried all those things and that boy did not STTN until just after his 1st birthday. ANd here comes Baby Ethan and at 4 months has been STTN without cereal, without formula. He exclusively gets breast milk which supposedly fills them up less so that is why they wake up more too eat. I was in shock when he slept from 8pm to 7am the other night.. and although it is great, we are struggling with Evan's sleeping habits as he is waking up 2-3 times...so that translates to not much sleep for me anyway. lol Just my 2 cents on STTN.

I didn't mean I wanted them to STTN already at this age. I know that is impossible. However, we want at least 5 straight hrs of sleep. Is that too much to ask for at this age (no sarcasm)? It may be.

As for the cereal, it was DH's idea to ask pedi at last appt, and she said that there is no medical facts that cereal causes babies to sleep longer, I know. However she says that many of her moms come in and swear that it works, so she "allowed" us to start it. The first 2 nights they did go a bit longer, but the last couple of nights not so much. However, I do think it is the change in environment. They were sleeping in crib until last couple of nights. Their room is so cold!

Albah · December 2010

cocojack10:
Albah:
Hi Ladies! My baby is not really a newborn anymore but just had to chip in and congratulate you all - seems you are doing great with your babies! :-)
Melissa, I hope the diaper rash and thrush get better soon! Poor baby must not be very comfortable.
And a 10 week old on a schedule is impressive Adri, I eased Ethan into a schedule over time and until the last couple of weeks we have gotten into a groove. And that's great that Elise is used to grandma being around, they will be spending plenty of quality time soon.
Way to go Jackie on the weight loss! And I can definitely see why you would get stopped everywhere you go with your 2 gorgeous boys!
STTN is not an easy feat with these little ones. I can only tell you that when your little ones are ready to sleep through the night, they will! I am from the train of thought that cereal or giving formula at night are not necessarily things that help them sleep more. With Evan, I tried all those things and that boy did not STTN until just after his 1st birthday. ANd here comes Baby Ethan and at 4 months has been STTN without cereal, without formula. He exclusively gets breast milk which supposedly fills them up less so that is why they wake up more too eat. I was in shock when he slept from 8pm to 7am the other night.. and although it is great, we are struggling with Evan's sleeping habits as he is waking up 2-3 times...so that translates to not much sleep for me anyway. lol Just my 2 cents on STTN.
I didn't mean I wanted them to STTN already at this age. I know that is impossible. However, we want at least 5 straight hrs of sleep. Is that too much to ask for at this age (no sarcasm)? It may be.
As for the cereal, it was DH's idea to ask pedi at last appt, and she said that there is no medical facts that cereal causes babies to sleep longer, I know. However she says that many of her moms come in and swear that it works, so she "allowed" us to start it. The first 2 nights they did go a bit longer, but the last couple of nights not so much. However, I do think it is the change in environment. They were sleeping in crib until last couple of nights. Their room is so cold!

It's actually not impossible for your boys to give you at least 5 hours at their age. Baby E started off giving me 4-5 hours right off the bat! and i know a few friends of mine that their babies were STTN from the get go! Definitely increasing the amount they eat during the day prepares them for sleeping longer at night! If the cereal works, go with it! Ive also heard lots of patients say the cereal works but I just think it's a coincidential thing. Hope the boys start giving you a few more hours in a row!

Want a personalized experience?

Jackie, Melissa, and other newborn mommies...

Re: Jackie, Melissa, and other newborn mommies...

Choose Another Board

Search Boards