@ladythrice you inspired me to try Luvs and give subscribe and save another try. I can’t deal with running out to Target every time we need diapers. I feel better already!
@ekendall09 I loved the Medela ones... but they were the only ones I tried. The LCs at my hospital gave them out like candy (that and the Medela Tender Care Lanolin) so I got hooked there. My LC also gave me two helpful tips: store the package in the fridge and cut the pads in half (if it still fits over your nipple). With my first I basically rotated out the halves whenever I needed a fresh cool pad (each pad is good for 24 hours). I think I only went through one, maybe two, boxes (plus my hospital stash) before my nipples adjusted.
DS: EDD, December 19th, 2014. Born, December 19th, 2014! DD: EDD, July 18th, 2016. Born, July 19th, 2016!
@ladythrice thank you! I ordered a box for my friend that had her first tuesday. Amazon will have them waiting for her when she gets home from the hospital!
Ameda hydrogel pads are amazzzzeeee-- I don't know about other brands because I never tried any of them. Yes to keeping these in the fridge per @ladythrice!
As for nursing pads, I tried the reuseable medela ones and thought they were scratchyand horrible, but I was able to use them a bit after my nipples healed all the way. The disposable medela ones are softer, but the lansinoh disposable pads are the softest and best ones ever, IMO. Not the greenest option, but when your nipples are as mangled as mine were, softness totally wins.
I think somewhere we talked about diaper bags, but not an entire thread... Maybe? Anyhoo... What brand/style have you loved that had enough room for stuff for 2 kiddos?
@g_amoss I LOVE my little unicorn brookside tote. It doesn’t scream diaper bag and is similar to regular bags I might wear. Also the price is incredible when comparing it to similar non-diaper looking diaper bags (75ish I think). That being said—I want to switch to a backpack style bag because I’m sure my hands will be full with a toddler and newborn. Ive been looking at the honest company one. Anyone have any backpack style diaper bag recommendations?
@g_amoss my sister picked out this one for her twins and apparently she’s happy with it. I’ve long since transitioned to just shoving my large purses full of baby stuff, so I have no relevant personal experience to share. Skip Hop Forma Travel Carry All Diaper Bag Tote with Insulated Bag, One Size, Berry https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R4PXJG6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_6xuwAbR8WT5B4
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@g_amoss I’ve used this Petunia Pickle Bottom for a few years now and it’s been amazing. More than enough room for stuff for 2 kids and I feel like it looks pretty decent for a diaper bag. The one I’m linking to can be bought at Target, but I found mine on sale at Nordstrom so it may be worth keeping an eye out for lower prices.
@rmmorris I just switched over to this Skip Hop backpack style from my Vera Bradley diaper bag tote, anticipating that I'd want hands free with two kids. So far, I love it! I feel like there's plenty of room left to add in newborn essentials (along with the toddler stuff) in a few months. I love that it has so many compartments that are easily accessible and that it's easy to wipe clean.
@kbamomma33 - I'm looking at that one... Reviews seem mixed on how well the straps hold up - are you a heavy or light packer?
Yeah, I noticed some of the Amazon reviews complaining about the straps tearing or the zippers ripping. Maybe those are exceptions? I'm not really sure how this could happen, as I feel like the one I have is made very well and is really sturdy. I'm a pretty heavy packer-- extra outfits, toys, snacks, tons of diapers, full pack of wipes, a bunch of stuff for me, etc. I have some other Skip Hop items too, and I feel like the brand is generally well made.
At my routine appt today my OB and I were discussing an ultrasound I have scheduled to check on a minor kidney thing at 32 weeks. She said that they would probably want to do another ultrasound after that to check on growth. Then in a sort off hand way, she mentioned possibly wanting to induce at 39 weeks if baby is big again (DS was 9.3 at 40+1).
I didnt really notice her comment until I was thinking about it later. 39 weeks?! I was counting on that week! Anyone have experience with this, ie induced earlier than 40 due to estimated size and/or history of big babies? Intellectually I know baby could come on her own early, but I just sort of pictured going to my due date...this has be irrationally rattled!
I just saw a commercial for Always Discreet incontinence underwear and wondered if they'd work for postpartum bleeding once I run out of the coveted mesh underwear from the hospital everyone has told me to steal. Has anyone used these?
At my routine appt today my OB and I were discussing an ultrasound I have scheduled to check on a minor kidney thing at 32 weeks. She said that they would probably want to do another ultrasound after that to check on growth. Then in a sort off hand way, she mentioned possibly wanting to induce at 39 weeks if baby is big again (DS was 9.3 at 40+1).
I didnt really notice her comment until I was thinking about it later. 39 weeks?! I was counting on that week! Anyone have experience with this, ie induced earlier than 40 due to estimated size and/or history of big babies? Intellectually I know baby could come on her own early, but I just sort of pictured going to my due date...this has be irrationally rattled!
I take comments like that with a huge grain of salt. The ONLY time doctors should be talking about stuff like that is inducing for medical lifesaving needs (pre-e), if your family has a history of narrow pelvises and births complicated by them, or if your first baby got stuck by your pelvis. For some reason the American medical system is obsessed with scaring women with "size", to a degree that other developed countries scratch their heads over (other countries don't do "sizing scans" because they are completely bogus).
I don't know of it is an effort to make more money off of women, true ignorance, or something else, but American medical professionals LOVE to make size a boogey man. If you birthed a 9 lb baby before without problems, you are equipped to go higher if necessary. Heck, I popped out a 10 lb kid on my first try, so unless someone tells me I have a 14 lb kid in there, I am not intimidated.
@beach_mama I don't have experience with this yet, but I got some Bamboobies nursing bras that I've been wearing basically everyday for the past 4 months, and they are very comfy and soft, so I got some of their reusable nursing pads too. Hopefully they are just as soft!
TW
Me: 33 DH: 32 Started Dating: 2003 Married: 2013 Started TTC August 2016 BFP: 2/1/17 MC: 2/8/17 BFP: 3/8/17 MMC: 5/1/17 BFP: 7/23/17 EDD: 4/5/18 BFP: 2/27/20
@frenchiekinplusone yes! The teacher of my birth class recommended incontience underwear for postpartum bleeding. Honestly it worked so much better than the disposable hospital panties once we were home. Also with my 2nd I was super happy to have a pack in the closet after my water broke and wouldn't stop! Hubby ran and grabbed me a pair and I headed to the hospital. It just kept coming and coming...
@Puddlewonderful did your last wee one have any sugar issues or anything? My 2nd was 9 lbs and had to have her sugar tested like hour or 2 for 24 hours and it really sucked. So its hard to say. I definitely agree with @ngolimento think Drs are too concerned with size and the numbers can be off too. But if there was an issue that came with a big baby like hyperglycemia or major tearing, maybe then I'd be concerned. My Drs are watching my 3rd baby's size too since the first 2 were big. I'm not sure what I'll do if they recommend taking him a week early because they think he's huge.
@icalynn yes for sure. Last couple days have been better but I think its because he moved lower. But last week was awful. General soreness and some painful braxton hicks. If it gets bad I put a pilllw under my stomach and lay down. Hang in there.
For a diaper bag we just used my old backpack. It was easy to carry along with the baby. And my dh and ds11 didn't mind lugging it around the way I imagine they would have with a more traditional looking diaper bag.
For diaper bag I’m going to use my Jansport backpack from ds. I love having a separate compartment for dirty vs clean clothes/diapers etc.
as for early induction due to size I agree that size alone is not a complication. Dd was almost 8lb 15oz, ds was 9 lbs 8oz. Never once have I been monitored for size beyond the anatomy scan looking for issues. I delivered dd in a big hospital and they made a fuss over her size and blood sugar but she was fine. Ds on the other hand was at a small hospital. They didn’t fuss, they did check periodically but it was never an issue.
I’m looking at early induction for ICP though and really is terrifying to be losing the extra time but also a relief to know I’ll have a firm date.
@mcb2016 sort of, DS was induced due to my small pelvis and family history of 10+ pounders. One of my cousins was 11.5 and broke his collarbone coming out.
@lesliegolem no sugar issues for DS, just a big guy. I definitely get what you and @ngolimento are saying, but hand in hand with obsession with size goes the high C section rate in the US. Our bodies are made to (mostly) withstand this, and yet so many stories end in C sections that might not have been 100% medically necessary. Knowing that, I’d rather be pushed into a full term induction and vaginal delivery than into a C section...at least that was my logic with DS, who was induced at 40 weeks. (But to be clear, I didn’t feel bullied into it at all and firmly believe it was the right choice for me)
also, rereading the above I don’t want to sound like one of those CS shaming moms. I absolutely am not. I personally just wanted to avoid it because of the recovery.
@Puddlewonderful but it’s probably not an either/or situation, right? If you push back against an early induction it’s not as if a c-section MUST be done. If size is really all they’re concerned about, you don’t have to consent to either procedure (unless there’s an emergency). I would just be very weary of any interventions at all based on how big they think your baby might be.
@icalynn - yes to the sore stomach. I have a belly band that I love/hate. It makes me itch if it’s right on my skin. If I forget it on a work day, I’m miserable and waddling more than usual by the afternoon.
Exactly what @kmalls said. I hairy eyeball the shit out of any doctor who wants to push for induction just because of size and with no supporting concerns.
Induction isn't something to be taken lightly, or as an "easier " option. It is extremely useful, and has it's place, but trust me, you don't want it of you have a healthy alternative. It takes an obscenely long time (pack for a labor around 48 hours), and increases a lot of birth risks since you are forcing your body into something it isn't quite ready for. I personally had an induction because I went to 42 weeks, and it was a gruelling slog of a labor where I had to throw out all my birth preferences. It ended well, but it was NOT my first option.
@icalynn and @g_amoss me too on this I have been using kt tape and it's been wonderful.
also on diaper bag I went with a tactical baby gear brand the hold up amazingly and have lots of room. not girly at all but I love it. I bought this one but they have a shoulder strap style if you don't like backpack style
@lesliegolem DS was 8lb 14oz so they tested his sugar every 2 hours. If the baby is over 8lb 14oz I believe they test every 2 hours at my hospital because they are considered macrosomic babies.
My OB wouldn't have let me go over 41 weeks due to size of DS. I delivered him the day before his due date. I think I said this somewhere before but I think I had a rough recovery due to his head size more than anything else.
Re: Questions 1/9
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DS: EDD, December 19th, 2014. Born, December 19th, 2014!
DD: EDD, July 18th, 2016. Born, July 19th, 2016!
Baby #3: EDD, April 16th, 2016
As for nursing pads, I tried the reuseable medela ones and thought they were scratchyand horrible, but I was able to use them a bit after my nipples healed all the way. The disposable medela ones are softer, but the lansinoh disposable pads are the softest and best ones ever, IMO. Not the greenest option, but when your nipples are as mangled as mine were, softness totally wins.
Baby #1: Aug. 2016
Baby #2: April 1st, 2018
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Skip Hop Forma Travel Carry All Diaper Bag Tote with Insulated Bag, One Size, Berry https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R4PXJG6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_6xuwAbR8WT5B4
https://www.target.com/p/petunia-downtown-tote-breakfast-in-berkshire/-/A-50758370?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&CPNG=PLA_Baby+Shopping&adgroup=SC_Baby&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=m&location=9001870&gclid=CjwKCAiA1uHSBRBUEiwAkBCtzSDBp1j6-f3JccEjwicRC4FxVAGgySafhlsPLkrlcIunp1yrGHUxoRoC7kgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
I didnt really notice her comment until I was thinking about it later. 39 weeks?! I was counting on that week! Anyone have experience with this, ie induced earlier than 40 due to estimated size and/or history of big babies? Intellectually I know baby could come on her own early, but I just sort of pictured going to my due date...this has be irrationally rattled!
Married: 10/3/15
TTC: May 2017
BFP: 7/20/17
EDD: 3/29/18
I don't know of it is an effort to make more money off of women, true ignorance, or something else, but American medical professionals LOVE to make size a boogey man. If you birthed a 9 lb baby before without problems, you are equipped to go higher if necessary. Heck, I popped out a 10 lb kid on my first try, so unless someone tells me I have a 14 lb kid in there, I am not intimidated.
Started Dating: 2003 Married: 2013
Started TTC August 2016
BFP: 2/1/17 MC: 2/8/17
BFP: 3/8/17 MMC: 5/1/17
BFP: 7/23/17 EDD: 4/5/18
BFP: 2/27/20
as for early induction due to size I agree that size alone is not a complication. Dd was almost 8lb 15oz, ds was 9 lbs 8oz. Never once have I been monitored for size beyond the anatomy scan looking for issues. I delivered dd in a big hospital and they made a fuss over her size and blood sugar but she was fine. Ds on the other hand was at a small hospital. They didn’t fuss, they did check periodically but it was never an issue.
I’m looking at early induction for ICP though and really is terrifying to be losing the extra time but also a relief to know I’ll have a firm date.
@lesliegolem no sugar issues for DS, just a big guy. I definitely get what you and @ngolimento are saying, but hand in hand with obsession with size goes the high C section rate in the US. Our bodies are made to (mostly) withstand this, and yet so many stories end in C sections that might not have been 100% medically necessary. Knowing that, I’d rather be pushed into a full term induction and vaginal delivery than into a C section...at least that was my logic with DS, who was induced at 40 weeks. (But to be clear, I didn’t feel bullied into it at all and firmly believe it was the right choice for me)
also, rereading the above I don’t want to sound like one of those CS shaming moms. I absolutely am not. I personally just wanted to avoid it because of the recovery.
Induction isn't something to be taken lightly, or as an "easier " option. It is extremely useful, and has it's place, but trust me, you don't want it of you have a healthy alternative. It takes an obscenely long time (pack for a labor around 48 hours), and increases a lot of birth risks since you are forcing your body into something it isn't quite ready for. I personally had an induction because I went to 42 weeks, and it was a gruelling slog of a labor where I had to throw out all my birth preferences. It ended well, but it was NOT my first option.
also on diaper bag I went with a tactical baby gear brand the hold up amazingly and have lots of room. not girly at all but I love it. I bought this one but they have a shoulder strap style if you don't like backpack style
My OB wouldn't have let me go over 41 weeks due to size of DS. I delivered him the day before his due date. I think I said this somewhere before but I think I had a rough recovery due to his head size more than anything else.