Last call FTM's with questions

rowanthefrog · November 2013

megngregk said:

And naturally, I forgot a couple of my questions already. PB strikes again.

For those CD'ing, do you bring CDs to the hospital/birthing center, or do you use the disposables during your and LO's stay?
I will use the disposables at the hospital and switch into my cloth when I get home.

Would you recommend using Nuks/pacis if you don't want LO to use them long or skip them from the get go?
Babies like to suck. Its a soothing thing for them. I've had one baby who liked pacis (until 10 months, when he got his first tooth he spit it out and never used it again) and one who would NEVER take a paci OR bottle ever. I was his paci and bottle. I will be doing everything I can to make sure this baby takes a paci and bottle. However, I've never been one to constantly put a paci in my baby's mouth. I try to use it for sleeping and soothing, but if they are awake and happy then not use it.

Is there a special diaper rash cream if using CDs, or is Desitin (or similar) alright?
No desitin!! CJs BUTTer, I think CA baby is ok. If you have a really bad rash that isn't clearing up with those then you can put a fleece or flannel liner or cut up an old Tshirt to line your CDs and use desitin, but if that gets on your CDs then it doesn't wash out. Sometimes when they get really bad rashes I would use disposables and desitin until it cleared up.

I bought an Ergo original and received a Boba carrier. Reasons to keep both, or return the Boba?

Did you use an on-the-go diaper changing pad, and are they a necessity?
Yes, if you are changing at a public changing station or somewhere else they are nice to protect baby from germs and keep poop from getting on...whatever you are changing on!

@megngregk

rowanthefrog · November 2013

RedSaffron said:

Is BF that painful? If it is, what did you do to relieve your nips?

@RedSaffron

Yes, there can be some pain the first 2 weeks or so. It's normal. There are some Soothies gel nipple pads which help, I liked to keep mine in the fridge:

https://www.diapers.com/p/soothies-gel-pads-by-lansinoh-22632?site=CA&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc_D&utm_term=LA-017&utm_campaign=GooglePLA&CAWELAID=1338722492&utm_content=pla&ca_sku=LA-017&ca_gpa=pla&ca_kw={keyword}

Also have some lanolin handy to rub on your nipple. And believe it or not, one of the best things you can put on your nipple is....breastmilk! When you are done, express a little and rub all over your nipples. That will also help.

If I recall, the first week or so the latching would be a little painful and sometimes the letdown feeling was intense, but it subsides over time. The best thing to do is just keep breastfeeding and let your nipples toughen up. I had no pain BFing after 2 weeks, maybe less.

A

rowanthefrog · November 2013

suupercute said:

Mines is gross. But my question is totally serious and I don't know who to ask. How long before you can go poop? Will your insides feel like it might fall out when you go? I imagine it's all damaged down there and scared about trying to push anything else out afterwards.

@suupercute

Most likely they will give you a stool softener or some Senna at the hospital. I'd have some at home as well. Pain meds make you constipated and yes it hurts to push, especially if you had an episiotomy. I think I pooped before I left the hospital, but make sure you continue taking Stool Softeners as long as you are taking pain meds.

rowanthefrog · November 2013

dhueston said:

1. Do you prefer the Diaper Genie or an odorless trashcan?
I gave up on the diaper genie/champ early on. There is nothing nastier than opening that thing up and pulling out a huge bag full of nasty diapers. When we used disposables we quickly got into the habit and throwing pee diapers directly into the kitchen trash (which was changed nightly) and poo diapers would get wrapped in a grocery bag and put right outside into the garage.
2. Did you make your nurses a gift bag for taking care of you while in the hospital? If so, what did you include in it?
No
3. What is recovery like for a c-section? Are you not allowed to lift anything over 10lbs? We have a Shorkie who needs to go out on his run and I'm worried I won't be able to leave him out if I need to have a c-section.
It will take you a couple of weeks to be able to move around normally. I don't know what the weight limit is on lifting, but you will want to limit any lifting you are doing those first two weeks. After that you should be fine.

TIA

dhueston

MIT721 · November 2013

Omg best thread EVER!

1) I have to have a c-section due to a previous surgery on the good ol' uterus - what should I pack that would be different from delivering vaginally? Anything?

2) on the poop question, when is it appropriate to say hey how about some colace?

3) Belly wraps? Yay or nay? I have heard good things especially after a c-section. Anyone have insight?

4) I am 32w + 2d and after a VERY MINOR fender bender spent the entire day in the hospital being monitored (LO made it as HARD AS POSSIBLE for them to monitor a heartbeat but had no problem moving around so much that the nurses could see it - jerk

) ANYWAY- the doctor did a quick cervical check and said it was soft and there was some bleeding. But I had not been spotting or anything - should I be worried?!

4) I have like 15 blankets - receiving swaddling, etc. Do I need that many?

5) Changing table? Yay or nay? My hubs swears that we don't need one and we don't have room for it. But I saw a great one the fits in the corner -
the link is atrocious - there shortened! https://bit.ly/1fzXCcW

6) I have two bouncy chairs / sleepers. Better to have the newborn in one of those at first for the nights - right by my bed? Or in the pack & play napper in our room?

7) More leaking? Less leaking since I am having a C?

8) If everything goes as planned, how long will I be in the hospital - 3 nights?

I am sure I will have more BUT THANK YOU FOR THIS THREAD!!!

growingmybun · November 2013

slmille4 said:
How does long does it take for ur milk production to slow down/speed up depending on baby's needs and ur availability (work)?
Also this is may be a gross tmi one but for those who have DH who enjoyed fun time with ur fun bags did u find it was easy to revert back to that or once uve nursed baby you can't ever think of them in that way again?
Was there any question of when u were going into labor? Like u knew they were for real contractions and not Braxton hicks easily right?

It is amazing what men see in terms of birth, breastfeeding, etc and what they can get over. I worried that my husband would be seriously repulsed and it didn't even phase him. He was back on board with sex as soon as we got the ok.

growingmybun · November 2013

Also wanted to reply to the belly wrap question. I think that it feels really good to compress your midsection after birth. My organs felt weird and out of place and I thought that the wrap was amazing. I know others are not such a fan.

Hkula · November 2013

Awesome idea @megngregk!

1. Did you play music in the nursery?
2. So if you were to have a postnatal treasure box, what would be in it? For vaginal and csections (Ex: tuck's wipes, frozen pads, frozen cabbage leaves, lanolin cream)
3. How soon was baby sleeping in their crib?
4. What did you do those first few months to keep your sanity? (Play groups, extra help around the house, set date nights?)

jmdaisy2 · November 2013

Siblynika said:

CD moms- how many diapers did you start off with? Did you bother with any newborn sizes?

This, and more specifically if you do covers with inserts rather than AIO, how many covers would you suggest starting off with vs how many inserts/prefolds.

I'm sure I will think of more soon!

This is an awesome idea and I am really excited and will be very grateful to see the answers to these questions!

KristaBelieve · November 2013

I also want to know about cleaning after the circumcision. Assuming baby is healthy, how many times do you go to the Dr. in the first month?

KristaBelieve · November 2013

Another... Baths, how often do they need a bath in the first 3 months? I thought everyday but my friend only does every couple days. Any tricks on how to handle a wet squirmer?

Roses87 · November 2013

@goldenB The reason the baby is not getting oxygen is because the baby is in the birth canal and the cord is compressed in the pelvis. A csection is not the best option because by the time you get back to the OR and sedate the mother, too much damage can occur to the baby and the outcomes are not that good, so other interventions are preformed that are quicker. That and once the head it out it is very hard to push the baby back in to get the baby out through csection.

mnfarmgal · November 2013

Great idea! 1) when is the best time to buy nursing tanks/bra (I'm 31 weeks and I swear my boobs grow CONSTANTLY) and how many do you recommend having? 2) Best way to trim baby nails- I have heard chew not clip...is this crazy or a legitimate process? 3) How did you get your pets (dogs in particular) used to the new baby?

growingmybun · November 2013

Re question about circumcision: The baby has some gauze with vaseline on it that you change every time you do a diaper change. If memory serves, it is pretty awful looking for about a week and then it heals.

Re baths: Again, trusting my memory….we did sponge baths because of the circumcision for a week or two. Then, we did the tub in the sink. It seems a lot scarier than it actually is…they don't squirm at that point.

Re sanity: Finding other moms with like-age babies will be really helpful. After some time, you may not like them, but they are great to start. We also took my parents up on watching my son anytime they would. Just one night of sleep will transform you. I did not do a good job of this, but you really have to nap if you can.

One more unsolicited tip: people have to learn to connect their sleep cycles. We all wake up in between sleep cycles, but we are trained to go back to sleep. To that end, you could consider waiting just 2 minutes when the baby cries at night to see if s/he goes back to sleep. I was always one that was in the nursery after 10 seconds, but waiting just a couple of minutes (no longer) may help them be better sleepers later without feeling abandoned now.

megngregk · November 2013

I've got everything so far. Anything else FTMs?

Cara1024 · November 2013

I'm trying to finalize budget concerns so a few quick questions about that:
1. Anyone have any links to info about how many diapers I'll need in each size? I know it would be an estimate.

2. Also do you know what you spent, on average, monthly on diapers?

3. Any big ($70+) expenses after baby came that you weren't expecting?

4. Those who formula feed, estimate on how much that ran monthly? I'm hoping to breast feed but just want to be prepared.

cpm1223 · November 2013

1.We rec'd a video monitor at our shower and I was going to also get the Snuza to go along with it, but is that overkill? Am I being a paranoid FTM here? (I should also add that we'll be room sharing for now with LO so....it's probably even more overkill, right?)

2. How long did you worry/panic about the risk of SIDS? Did the worry go away (or become less of a worry) at a certain point?

3. Was the transition from Rock N Play to crib difficult? How did you get LO to sleep flat once they've been so used to sleeping at an incline? (We're planning to use the RNP for night time so I can BF and crib for naps during the day....hoping this might help with the transition)

Hmvbaby14 · November 2013

I know I've already posted once, but I have more!! How much (and how far ahead) of LO's clothes do you wash before LO is born? Only a few NB and a few 0-3? How long (days/weeks) can baby sleep in the newborn napper part of the packnplay before I would move him to the next section? Do you suggest going with the pediatrician that's 5 minutes from your house, or the one that will see LO at the hospital and shares an office with my pcp (25 minutes away)? Who will be up to answer my questions at 3am once he's here?

jmdaisy2 · November 2013

Soo this is kind of a BF question.

Is there a down side to pumping and breastfeeding? I see people saying they will be EBF, and I want to weigh the options with pros and cons. It would be nice to have some help for the night time feedings or when I will be at school for an hour here or there and my fiance will be with baby boy alone.

Is there a point that you start trying to help with a feeding schedule? How do you do this? I know that when they are first born a feeding schedule isn't what is in the plans, but eventually I will be taking baby to school and once baby is on a schedule he is happy with, it will make life a little bit easier.

Also, if you want your SO to help with night time wake ups/feeding, is there a point time that is best to introduce this?

How do you get people to stay away from your baby? As I mentioned earlier, I will be taking my baby to school and I don't want every other student trying to touch my baby, or every other professor or grad student for that matter.

My fiance is really bad about helping with things, if I don't do things they often don't get done. This brings me to my next question. Since I will have a really hard time making sure I eat enough in the beginning, and he wont likely be making this much better, does any one have any suggestions on go to nutritious easy grab and go no prep snacks/meals they used?

LuGal623 · November 2013

1) Do you recommend pumping in between feedings? Will that ever realistically happen?

2) I am going back to work and will have to pump, for those of you who did, how often were you pumping at work? What routine did you get the LO on for feedings before going back to work?

3) Any tips or tricks for soothing a newborn who may be having trouble BFing? Blog or book recommendations on BFing?

4) Are there any tips or tricks for getting your H's involved with the baby right from the get go? I know this depends on personality but DH has never held or even been around a baby before and I know he's anxious.

P.S. @megngregk awesome idea!

Dishylo · November 2013

I didn't have time to read all of the latest posts but I have a question on bottles.....

I plan on bf-ing but you never know what will happen. Should I buy a breast pump now or wait (I'm thinking that if I can't bf, it's a waste of $500). Also, should I buy formula just to be prepared or is that also a waste of money? I'm not sure if the hospital will supply you with anything up here or if it's a case of "good luck, hope he/she takes to the boob!"

Also, what kind of bottles do you get and how many??

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