@RubyRed1085 I've had the same fear with my hospital! The only support BF and won't give formula. I'm hoping to BF, but what if I can't? Does baby just not get anything? I'm thinking of taking some formula, just to be safe.
If you're that stressed, you could always bring or rent a pump, too. I did that, and found that it dialed my stress down a notch. There are definitely reasons to not pump in the hospital, but it could help to know you could if you were panicking. I rented a pump there, and ended up nursing and pumping for 15 months.
They only promote breastfeeding? That doesn't really make sense. One of my previous coworkers ended up having an infection in her csection incision and after being in the hospital for 6 days (she fainted while using the bathroom and they found she was severely anemic and had two blood transfusions) her milk/colostrum never came in as a result of the body fighting the infection. The hospital has laction consultants to help everyone in the beginning but what if there is no milk...? That doesn't seem right. Now my hospital has signs everywhere saying "breast is best" and I marched in with my bottles and formula ready for DS and they did force me to try to nurse. Saying if there was no medical reason as to why I wasn't nursing then I had to at least try to nurse (as a result I'm glad they did and I nursed for 22 months) but if The baby wasn't getting anything they can't deny it formula.
Thanks everyone for all the info! Im reading the Mayo Clinic's guide to a healthy pregnancy and I guess I hadnt gotten to the part yet about the amount they need that early on.
I know having inverted nipples isnt a dead no with breastfeeding but my doctor has already told me its not likely and he kinda dashed my hopes. I really want to but I guess Im just expecting it to not work. I'll work my butt off to do it as long as I need to though.
As far as my coworker, yes she just had her daughter in August 2016 and was at the same hospital I will be delivering at but different location on the other side of town. She had issues breastfeeding her first child 6 years ago and her doctor knew this but the LC refused to take no for an answer until 2 days later. She said her daughter kept crying constantly then after 1oz of donor milk her newborn was so content the rest of their stay and she felt horrible that she felt she starved her daughter. She didnt produce a single drop while she was there and they even had her try to pump.
ME: 28 DH: 27
Started Dating: 10/20/2006
Married: 10/20/2013
MMC @ 8w 12/15 MC @ 5w 03/16 ALEXANDER JAMES DUE JULY 15th!
@RubyRedPirate I would contact your local La Leche League. I'm surprised your doctor discouraged you about BF due to inverted nipples. I had them (and didn't know what they were, so was embarrassed by my body my entire life, btw!). I used a shield for a couple weeks after about 10 days and having some injuries. That worked really well, and I nursed for 20 months after that. No more inverted nipples, either - I feel like a big girl, lol
@RubyRedPirate lots of good advice above. Just adding to the experiences shared: My milk also didn't come in for several days - almost a week I think. I manually expressed the teeny tiny drops of colostrum on a little spoon because I was a worried FTM in addition to putting him to suck frequently. My pediatrician weighed baby daily once we were home and until my milk came in. I spoke to both her and my doula who is a certified lactation consultant every day until the milk came in. My doula physically grabbed my boob and showed me how to do the massages to try to encourage the milk to come and I put baby to breast frequently and he slept on top of me (even in the hospital). I am very grateful to have had their support - be sure to ask for the LC as many times as you want if you have any questions or just need reassurance. Don't be shy.
This thread is a lifesaver. I was just telling my DH that I wanted to put our hospital bags together this weekend. And I had an old list from 2015 that I used but I never really had the chance to utilize what was in my hospital bags due to the severity of my condition, the amount of medical intervention needed and having to be relocated to another hospital for treatment. So this was super helpful for me to pack a little lighter this time around.
But as for myself, when I was in the hospital for my DD... I wished I had the following:
-Some pillows from home. -A Plush blanket or two for warmth. -A robe and gown set since the hospital one felt like paper and gave very little coverage. -A bag with some snacks and drinks when the kitchen is closed at night. ***Note: Due to the severity of my condition I was not able to eat or drink anything for two and a half days. And after I finally gave birth, I had to wait another 6 hours before I could eat anything since the hospital kitchen was closed. -Better entertainment. Such as saved movies or TV shows on my computer or tablet, magazines, books, etc. Hospital Internet is very crappy for streaming. -Slippers that are easy to slide on and off. I didn't have any and the floor was cold, even with thick socks on. -And finally, I wish that I had more thank you gifts. I had no idea that there were multiple doctors and nurses overseeing and helping with our stay.
Sorry for the long post. But I hope that it helps someone.
Baby Olivia Born October 28, 2015 Baby Pumpkin Due July 17, 2017
has anyone used the depend fit flex underwear postpartum? They've come in highly reccomended to me. sorry in advance if this has already been answered!
@BusyZee I'm not sure if that specific one has been mentioned but PP have recommended Depends. I know I will have heavy bleeding due to taking blood thinners and having a history of heavy bleeding. (Both periods and postpartum) I will more than likely try and use the hospital pads but if my bleeding is too heavy I'll probably double up with a Depends. I haven't really looked into them yet. I'm glad you bumped this because there are still some things I need to get.
@Poppyseed72017 I've ordered mine, I'm going to test them with water and see how absorbent they really are. It would be nice not to wash or worry about stained underwear and clothes so I might just double up with pads and then this and be slightly more free. I need to go through this thread again too!
Full disclosure I didn't try them but I'd probably recommend them or consider trying only because I had a very hard time holding my bladder the first pp week. Like peed in my pants (guess I didn't do enough kegels) so for that reason they would have come in handy!
STMs+, how likely is it that the baby will be picky about the type of clothes she wears? I've been hesitant to wash everything because I've heard that babies can prefer some types of clothes to others, which we obviously won't know ahead of time. I'm also wondering about newborn clothes, knowing they may be too small. How much is smart to wash ahead of time? Should I just go ahead and wash everything or is it smart to keep the tags on as long as possible?
@lph4248 I had/have an easy kid when it comes to clothes-- he's fine with whatever you put on him. But I did find that I developed some preferences about what he wore. Some moms prefer snaps, some zippers, some sleep gowns, some footie PJs... I think (generally) it has to do with what each person finds most practical based on her likes/dislikes rather than on the baby's.
In terms of how many things you should actually go ahead and wash/have ready to use: maybe just choose a variety of styles and fabrics to try out different things totaling 5 or 6 outfits and 5 or 6 sleepers? I'm guessing here but the first few weeks I did laundry a lot so I wouldn't think you'd need a ton more. If you are worried about having a baby who will never fit into newborn, have the clothes you'll want set aside and ask a friend/relative to wash them for you after you have the baby. (That may be overkill because I think most babies do fit in newborn for at least a little while, but if you'd really rather not waste the money I get that.)
Most of my clothes were hand me downs so I only had to worry about tags on the things we got new, but I was glad I held off on removing them because I did wind up returning several items I never used... but that was because I didn't like the style, rather than my son not liking it. So I might suggest returning anything now that you don't really like since that probably won't change once the baby is here!
@BusyZee I used Depends Silhouettes and liked them, but can't speak specifically the Flex Fits. I doubled up with pads after quickly learning that I didn't want to have to change my underwear over and over all day. For my first week, the incontinence was terrible. I felt so much more comfortable being around other people with this arrangement.
@lph4248 I washed all of our newborn stuff, but it was all gifts that I knew I would not be returning. I would make sure to have enough washed to cover a week or two, but might wait to wash duplicates of similar items (I.e. only wash one pack of Gerber onesies until you know they will work, then wash the others).
STMs+, how likely is it that the baby will be picky about the type of clothes she wears? I've been hesitant to wash everything because I've heard that babies can prefer some types of clothes to others, which we obviously won't know ahead of time. I'm also wondering about newborn clothes, knowing they may be too small. How much is smart to wash ahead of time? Should I just go ahead and wash everything or is it smart to keep the tags on as long as possible?
I've never heard of a baby being picky about the clothes they wear. But if you are worried about having clothes that don't get used, there's no harm in leaving tags on. As long as you have a couple of onesie clean, running a load of laundry after baby comes home and you know the right size is a pretty easy task.
That being said, I washed everything ahead of time. We had outfits he never wore. It wasn't worth stressing over to me.
STMs+, how likely is it that the baby will be picky about the type of clothes she wears?
I've never heard of a baby being picky about the clothes they wear. But if you are worried about having clothes that don't get used, there's no harm in leaving tags on. As long as you have a couple of onesie clean, running a load of laundry after baby comes home and you know the right size is a pretty easy task.
That being said, I washed everything ahead of time. We had outfits he never wore. It wasn't worth stressing over to me.
1+ to the bold and I completely agree with the rest of what you said!
My almost 2 year old is now becoming picky because everything has to have a Truck or dinosaur or he throws a fit but he has never once been picky about clothes until now. And honestly if he were to have started crying because he didn't like his outfit I wouldn't even think of that I'd go to rocking, nursing, changing diapers, etc. it's not like they can tell you they don't prefer the feel of this onesie.
@lph4248 I had/have an easy kid when it comes to clothes-- he's fine with whatever you put on him. But I did find that I developed some preferences about what he wore. Some moms prefer snaps, some zippers, some sleep gowns, some footie PJs... I think (generally) it has to do with what each person finds most practical based on her likes/dislikes rather than on the baby's.
In terms of how many things you should actually go ahead and wash/have ready to use: maybe just choose a variety of styles and fabrics to try out different things totaling 5 or 6 outfits and 5 or 6 sleepers? I'm guessing here but the first few weeks I did laundry a lot so I wouldn't think you'd need a ton more. If you are worried about having a baby who will never fit into newborn, have the clothes you'll want set aside and ask a friend/relative to wash them for you after you have the baby. (That may be overkill because I think most babies do fit in newborn for at least a little while, but if you'd really rather not waste the money I get that.)
Most of my clothes were hand me downs so I only had to worry about tags on the things we got new, but I was glad I held off on removing them because I did wind up returning several items I never used... but that was because I didn't like the style, rather than my son not liking it. So I might suggest returning anything now that you don't really like since that probably won't change once the baby is here!
I'm worried about getting the teeny onesies over his head without him throwing a fit... But those side snap onesies are hard to find! Aren't those better for their cord stumps, though?
Highly monitored internet and no cell service in the office, so I'm postin' and ghostin' while I'm workin'
@GlitterFish I found side snap onesies. The ones they have to wear underneath their clothes(Body suits), incase you were looking! I wanted plain white but mostly found printed ones.
I'm worried about getting the teeny onesies over his head without him throwing a fit... But those side snap onesies are hard to find! Aren't those better for their cord stumps, though?
Those neck holes are super stretchy! I used them from day one but also had some side snap ones. I stole a few from the hospital and then got some from carters (amazon has carters brand on prime too, just search newborn kimono)
We had the kimono style onesies for DS and I really liked them. Even after the cord stump fell off. It was just easier (for me) than getting clothes over the head, even though that wasn't really that hard, either. I bought this baby 5 kimono shirts and 5 kimono onesies. I also bought three gowns with the elastic bottom, because I loved the ease of those last time. I think those are the only new things I've bought for this baby.
I also loved pants with feet in them, but for some reason they are kind of hard to find. So much easier to use than baby socks, though.
I love love love gowns for the newborn stage. It makes diaper changes super easy, pull it up and pull it down, no zippers, buttons, nothing.
I've also never heard of a baby being picky about clothes, if you're worried about it just wash a few that you took the tags off of and return the rest for a bigger size.
Thanks for the advice everyone. I decided to keep tags on a bunch of stuff and washed probably 40% of what we have for newborn and 0-3 (mainly 0-3). Here's hoping I bought stuff that won't annoy ME.
I'm kind of interested to know how many clothes I need now.. seems like most people have a lot of clothes. I just counted mine (already washed yay!) I have 15 outfits, 7 being 0-3/newborn and 8 gowns slightly bigger. three swaddles and waiting for 6 body suits. do I need more? (Still have to get bibs, I have three) and 6 beanies/caps. Three came within sets.
@lph4248 I'd keep tags on the newborn stuff in case you have an 8+ lb baby - and while we're at it, don't get diapers now - you'll get a good amount at the hospital and I'd just order the right size on amazon so they're there when I get home from the hospital.
So did we ever find out when would be the best time to get waxed? I'm less than 4 weeks out, but I only want to do it once!!
Good luck with that, I've been getting waxed for years and haven't had the courage to do it even once since I got pregnant. Personally, I would suggest you get waxed twice. Get it done once on really small hair,so most of it comes out but not all of it. Wait two weeks and get it done again. That way itl be less painful. That's my plan. (I've done it this way before)
edited to add: relax and wax scream cream really helps.
I packed the things on the must need portion of check list and an out fit for the baby... I'm do nervous, I keep making list after list of things I need be for and after labor, just an OCD thing I do to make sure I don't forget things. I'm still worried about not having what I need.
So did we ever find out when would be the best time to get waxed? I'm less than 4 weeks out, but I only want to do it once!!
Good luck with that, I've been getting waxed for years and haven't had the courage to do it even once since I got pregnant. Personally, I would suggest you get waxed twice. Get it done once on really small hair,so most of it comes out but not all of it. Wait two weeks and get it done again. That way itl be less painful. That's my plan. (I've done it this way before)
edited to add: relax and wax scream cream really helps.
I'm sorry, I'm not sure what you mean? Get it done on a smaller area the first time??
Highly monitored internet and no cell service in the office, so I'm postin' and ghostin' while I'm workin'
@GlitterFish no not on a small area, just hair that's so small that half comes off and half doesn't. That way your hair will thin out a little bit after two weeks (the ones that the wax did catch) and it won't be killer pain because ALL the hair got waxed out. If I've ever had a gap in waxing (holidays etc) I always preffer to do that because otherwise it's too much pain to handle in one sitting. After that it's no problem!
I'm kind of interested to know how many clothes I need now.. seems like most people have a lot of clothes. I just counted mine (already washed yay!) I have 15 outfits, 7 being 0-3/newborn and 8 gowns slightly bigger. three swaddles and waiting for 6 body suits. do I need more? (Still have to get bibs, I have three) and 6 beanies/caps. Three came within sets.
I personally think that's enough, but I guess it depends on how messy your baby is (DS was a pooper and a spitter), and how often you're able to do laundry. DS went through 0-3 and then 3-6 month sizes super fast. I didn't even manage to get all the clothes in those sizes into the rotation before he grew out of them.
I think I've mentioned before DS was a happy spitter and an every single diaper was a blowout kinda kid so many of our outfits were thrown away depending on severity of the blowout. I'd play it by ear. In theory that should be enough but it will really depend on your baby because then I NEVER even once used a bib for DS because through his 2 years and seemingly constant teething he never drooled. But I have friends whose kids drooled until their clothes were drenched so it really depends... @BusyZee sorry I guess that's really no help lol
Another clothes question... can newborns wear pretty much anything, as long as it's a layer of clothes, underneath a zipper or velcro swaddle or swaddle blanket? I have some onesies with pants, footed onesies/sleepers, and a couple of the gowns - would any of these be okay under the swaddle layer?
@lph4248 I always had DS in a simple onesie and then the swaddle at night. They are very particular with the temperature in a newborns bedroom because of SIDS so I was always afraid to double up and do a footed pj plus the warm swaddle..
Another clothes question... can newborns wear pretty much anything, as long as it's a layer of clothes, underneath a zipper or velcro swaddle or swaddle blanket? I have some onesies with pants, footed onesies/sleepers, and a couple of the gowns - would any of these be okay under the swaddle layer?
Yes, if temperature appropriate. The gowns may be a little more difficult with a swaddle because you want their knees up in a froggy position. But maybe I'm in the minority of not using gowns with swaddles.
Another clothes question... can newborns wear pretty much anything, as long as it's a layer of clothes, underneath a zipper or velcro swaddle or swaddle blanket? I have some onesies with pants, footed onesies/sleepers, and a couple of the gowns - would any of these be okay under the swaddle layer?
Yes, if temperature appropriate. The gowns may be a little more difficult with a swaddle because you want their knees up in a froggy position. But maybe I'm in the minority of not using gowns with swaddles.
I agree with this. My DS was a summer baby as well, and I always just did a short sleeved onesie under the swaddle. Anytime we weren't leaving the house I just put him in cheapo plainwhite onesies and had a blanket handy.
Re: Hospital Bag & First Days
I know having inverted nipples isnt a dead no with breastfeeding but my doctor has already told me its not likely and he kinda dashed my hopes. I really want to but I guess Im just expecting it to not work. I'll work my butt off to do it as long as I need to though.
As far as my coworker, yes she just had her daughter in August 2016 and was at the same hospital I will be delivering at but different location on the other side of town. She had issues breastfeeding her first child 6 years ago and her doctor knew this but the LC refused to take no for an answer until 2 days later. She said her daughter kept crying constantly then after 1oz of donor milk her newborn was so content the rest of their stay and she felt horrible that she felt she starved her daughter. She didnt produce a single drop while she was there and they even had her try to pump.
MC @ 5w 03/16
ALEXANDER JAMES DUE JULY 15th!
But as for myself, when I was in the hospital for my DD... I wished I had the following:
-Some pillows from home.
-A Plush blanket or two for warmth.
-A robe and gown set since the hospital one felt like paper and gave very little coverage.
-A bag with some snacks and drinks when the kitchen is closed at night.
***Note: Due to the severity of my condition I was not able to eat or drink
anything for two and a half days. And after I finally gave birth, I
had to wait another 6 hours before I could eat anything since the
hospital kitchen was closed.
-Better entertainment. Such as saved movies or TV shows on my computer or tablet, magazines, books, etc. Hospital Internet is very crappy for streaming.
-Slippers that are easy to slide on and off. I didn't have any and the floor was cold, even with thick socks on.
-And finally, I wish that I had more thank you gifts. I had no idea that there were multiple doctors and nurses overseeing and helping with our stay.
Sorry for the long post. But I hope that it helps someone.
Baby Pumpkin Due July 17, 2017
has anyone used the depend fit flex underwear postpartum? They've come in highly reccomended to me.
sorry in advance if this has already been answered!
In terms of how many things you should actually go ahead and wash/have ready to use: maybe just choose a variety of styles and fabrics to try out different things totaling 5 or 6 outfits and 5 or 6 sleepers? I'm guessing here but the first few weeks I did laundry a lot so I wouldn't think you'd need a ton more. If you are worried about having a baby who will never fit into newborn, have the clothes you'll want set aside and ask a friend/relative to wash them for you after you have the baby. (That may be overkill because I think most babies do fit in newborn for at least a little while, but if you'd really rather not waste the money I get that.)
Most of my clothes were hand me downs so I only had to worry about tags on the things we got new, but I was glad I held off on removing them because I did wind up returning several items I never used... but that was because I didn't like the style, rather than my son not liking it. So I might suggest returning anything now that you don't really like since that probably won't change once the baby is here!
@lph4248 I washed all of our newborn stuff, but it was all gifts that I knew I would not be returning. I would make sure to have enough washed to cover a week or two, but might wait to wash duplicates of similar items (I.e. only wash one pack of Gerber onesies until you know they will work, then wash the others).
That being said, I washed everything ahead of time. We had outfits he never wore. It wasn't worth stressing over to me.
Highly monitored internet and no cell service in the office, so I'm postin' and ghostin' while I'm workin'
I have a few gowns for the beginning too for the same reason,
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BBEESOI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apis_1496497100892
Parade Organics Organic 'Cloud Collection' Kimono Gowns https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0718ZBM8K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_yWRmzbRH5ST
eta: https://www.carters.com/s/Carters/carters-baby-boy-bodysuits/888767674364.html?cm_mmc=ip_Carters-_-Google-_-Baby_Boy_10-14_-_-888767674364&cvosrc=cse.google.Baby Boy_10-14_Tops&cvo_crid=186487618485&cvo_cid=778424335&scid=scplp888767674364&sc_intid=888767674364&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=CjwKEAjwvMnJBRCO2NSu-Puc6AUSJAAf-OSUbqZlvQgPrTfbpUs7mQvAwLcGw7rqFnIft2J2eCog5RoCd9nw_wcB
good price right now!
I also loved pants with feet in them, but for some reason they are kind of hard to find. So much easier to use than baby socks, though.
I've also never heard of a baby being picky about clothes, if you're worried about it just wash a few that you took the tags off of and return the rest for a bigger size.
I just counted mine (already washed yay!) I have 15 outfits, 7 being 0-3/newborn and 8 gowns slightly bigger.
three swaddles and waiting for 6 body suits. do I need more?
(Still have to get bibs, I have three) and 6 beanies/caps. Three came within sets.
Highly monitored internet and no cell service in the office, so I'm postin' and ghostin' while I'm workin'
Personally, I would suggest you get waxed twice. Get it done once on really small hair,so most of it comes out but not all of it. Wait two weeks and get it done again. That way itl be less painful. That's my plan. (I've done it this way before)
edited to add: relax and wax scream cream really helps.
Highly monitored internet and no cell service in the office, so I'm postin' and ghostin' while I'm workin'
Also, because I am avoiding the pain of waxing, I had DH use his hair trimmer on me a week or so ago and am pretty pleased with the results.
DS went through 0-3 and then 3-6 month sizes super fast. I didn't even manage to get all the clothes in those sizes into the rotation before he grew out of them.