*** My son would get thrush from poopy diapers. Make sure to buy diaper rash cream that has at least 40% zinc oxide - the other's are too thin and don't work!
We had to use prescribed nystatin or a bacterial cream for his bad diaper rashes. Rinse his bum sometimes under the bathtub faucet (no wipes, not even cotton clothes), pat dry and then nystatin cream, topped off with desitin, aquaphor or lasinoh or triple paste (from Ped's).
*** DS had sensitive skin - mild eczema - mostly from soaps with bath. We switched to Cetaphil instead of baby wash soap. Used baby wash on his hair instead of baby shampoo (milder). Used Aveeno or Aquaphor.
*** Mommy had sore cracked nipples from nursing/pumping combo. Used nipple sheilds to keep nipples from rubbing on bra, used lasinoh w/ breast pad or soothie pads (under the sheild). Never put soap on my nipples.
*** Tilting baby's bassinet board up into a slightly elevated position helped him sleep better. White noise helped to - ran a humidifier next to his bassinet (plus he was on oxygen which has a slight white noise).
__________________ Websissy
Me: 46; DH: 47; DS#1: 6 years old ; DS#2: 2 years old
Angels in Heaven, DD had Trisomy 18
Dx APS, hypothyroid, IR, Endometriosis, Asherman's, tubal factors
Sept 2009
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1. You never need all the crap they say you do.
2.sleeping sacks rule!!! forget footie jammies at first, esp for night diaper changes
3. TRUST YOUR INSTINCT, no matter what the book, your neighbor, your best friend, or the drive by commenter has to say....
4. ENJOY it, even the hard days, because it may take 14 years for the next miracle to happen.
__________________ 6/08 Dx with Cushing's Disease , surgery date TBA
Thanks for the advice all these years and good luck to all.
what a great thread. i loved reading all of your responses and hope to have things to add in a few weeks To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Newborn babies have very erratic breathing, they will take a breath hold it in for up to 12seconds and then when they let it out they will breathe very quickly for a little while.
Newborn babies have all kinds of digestive issues! They will have blowout poops and then won't be able to go, they get gas and spit up and cry about it.
Their umbilical cord stump can take what seems like forever to come off sometimes. Every baby is different but my first boy's came off at 2 wks, ds2's came off at 3wks but Ember's stayed on for what seemed like forever 5wks! And there is something that the pedi can put on the stump to help it along if you want them to.
They get eye boogers all the time before their tearducts open up....they are always running around with bloobs of white gunk in their eyes. Also they get hairs/eyelashes and other small fuzzes in their eyes, it will bug the crap out of you but the baby never seems to care and aside from sticking your finger in their eye there is nothing you can do about it other than wait for it to blink out.
Most babies hate to be put on their bellies for tummy time, before they can play on their own they will just squirm around and cry when placed on their tummy.
Newborns will rub a balled spot on the backs of their heads, they rub their hair right off their little heads from sleeping on their backs, sitting in their bouncy chairs ect.
They also try to trick you in the hospital,,,while still in recovery they will most likely sleep a lot, to the point you worry and ask the pedi if you should wake them at home to eat every 3hours....in which you will be told yes wake them up...but you will never have to because they won't sleep like that once they are at home.
I second the sleep sac or sleep gowns for middle of the night changing, way easier than snap up the legs or even zippers.
Babies get the biggest boogers in their little noses and they don't know how to breathe out of their mouths so they will make a whistle while trying to breathe and they hate to have their noses sucked out but you have to do it.
Just trying to think of things that you normally don't think about until after you need it or have delt with it. maybe I'll think of more later
I wish I'd known that virtually all of them go through a lot while they work on maturing their digestive tract. Spitup and gas are par for the course, not always a sign of something wrong. Even after a couple of months, it can still be very confusing. They all do it.
__________________ Metformin 1500mg, Yasmin, managing IR/pcos with lower carbs
First pregnancy ended at 23 weeks due to incompetent cervix.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Mary Catherine will be in our hearts forever, November 28, 2003.
Second loss March 9, 2004 at five weeks
Third pregnancy, Cerclage at 13w
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Duncan 2/11/05, 9lb 3oz
Fourth pregnancy, Cerclage at 13w
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1. If you have a vaginal birth, you'll be swollen in places you never knew could swell!
2. LOVE the sleep sacks for overnight!
3. They hiccup TONS!
4. You sweat at night like a marathon runner the 1st week (or month) after birth.
5. You CAN have 2 good babies. My parents and friends said I'd never have a 2nd child as "easy" (if there is such a thing) as my 1st. Well, my 2nd is easier! The last few weeks of being PG I was honestly terrified of having the baby because he was going to be an "awful" baby.
6. Take the pain meds after birth even if you aren't cramping right away. I alternated Tylenol and Motrin every 3 hours (i.e. Tylenol at noon, Motrin at 3pm, Tylenol at 6pm, Motrin at 9 pm.) THe uterus contractions after birth and while BF can be WICKED the first week!
7. you can BF and bottle feed and not mess your baby up for life. Both of mine were bottle fed and BF from day 1 and took a pacifier without any latching problems.
KEEP AN OPEN MIND AND BE FLEXIBLE!! Don't assume worst case senarios for everything. If you want to try BF, then try, not every baby has latching problems, not every woman has supply issues. But be open to the possibility things may not go "perfect". Same thing with the birth, everyone wants a "perfect" birth, very few get them, don't let it ruin your experience. The birth is less than 24 hours of the more than 18 years we have with these miracles!
Somebabies don't take the pacifier, not all of them "need" stimulation or extra sucking, don't force it if they don't want it. (makes it easier in the long run anyhow)
Some babies cry themselves to sleep, they are self soothers and need to time to unwind and calm themselves down. IT'S OK to let them cry!
If you can't BF, it's OK, your baby is not going to starve.
ALL babies lose weight after they are born, a few ounces is not somethignt o get worked up about.
you WILL love a 2nd baby just as much as your first baby!! It seems almost impossible but doesn't divide, it grows!
__________________
~*~ ARMY Family ~*~
Angela & Shaun
Nate 9, Nick 5, Katie 3, Kaleb 1
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Here's some things I wish I knew before the baby came. . .
1. The labor and delivery process can be extremely stressful on your DH. I'd planned for a med-free birth and ended up with a C-section. I've come to terms with it, but my DH says he's still "traumatized" by the experience.
2. Learning to breastfeed requires lots of patience and persistence. Your baby may feed well one time and then struggle to latch on the next time. There's almost nothing more stressful than having your newborn babe at your breast crying inconsolably! Then, once you've gotten into a good routine, your milk will come in and that can be a whole new feeding experience.
3. At about 2-3 weeks after birth, you're babe will have his / her first growth spurt. This means that he or she may want to nurse for hours straight. It's very disconcerting to finish a full feeding, only to have your baby seem ravenously hungry again. There is nothing wrong with you or your baby; it's nature's way of increasing your supply to help meet your baby's growing needs. You won't know when the growth spurt is coming, but once it starts, it will go on for a few days. Dedicate plenty of time to nursing during the day / evening so that you aren't feeding for hours in the middle of the night.
4. If you have a C-section, you'll probably want someone with you for about a week while you heal. Simple things like getting up out of a chair while holding your baby can be very difficult.
5. You probably won't need to buy many small (newborn or 0-3 month) clothes. Everyone will give you them as gifts. And, at first, you really won't be dressing them up in little outfits that much. Plus, although some people will say that you may change your baby lots of times a day, you might not. I have a very clean little guy who doesn't spit up or have messy poops a lot.
6. Babies may pee just after they wake up. My baby does. A lot of times, if I change him right after he wakes, all I'm doing is setting myself up for a projectile pee incident (and wasting a diaper).
7. You can't really anticipate how much you'll love your newborn child. No matter how much you've longed for them, or how deeply you've loved your DH, family and friends, there's something beautiful and profound about the love you'll feel for your child. It's one of life's most magical experiences.
Good luck mommies-to-be!
__________________
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Newborns HATE baths! For weeks they hate 'em! That's why it's good to know they only need 'em about once a week (and - in fact -- more may dry their delicate new skin). The rest of the time, spot washings are perfectly fine.
Too much activity can = a cranky baby. So that family gathering where everyone passes junior around oohing and ahhing may cause a major meltdown when you are back home with your little one.
If you think you can't exist on such a lack of sleep...take heart, you can. My sleep needs have always been HUGE (I could easlily sleep 12 hours in a night), and I'm still alive, even after eight months with a baby who seems to need sleep as much as...well...someone who doesn't need sleep... To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
5. You probably won't need to buy many small (newborn or 0-3 month) clothes. Everyone will give you them as gifts.
Aid was in 0-to-3 month gear will into her sixth month. She's still wearing some. Good thing, she was drowning in outfits from people. Whe had to start dressing her up every day if we ever hoped to have her wear them all! Don't bother registering for clothes, blankets, socks, anything like that. People want to pick their own. They love it!
I would get at least one preemie outfit to leave the hospital in. Aid was wearing preemie stuff dor a couple of weeks. She was born 6 lbs 5 ozs.
"Babies can choke on vomit when sleeping on their back. If I ever have a second, I'll sleep my newborn on her side or slightly elevated. My friend's newborn made a slight funny sound...and just by sheer mommy instinct alone, she went to check on her. She was blue. Thankfully, she knew CPR and was able to do something while her hubby called 911. The baby was fine, but still, VERY scary! Again, this is where the Angelcare monitor comes in handy."
Wow, that is super scary since this is what we are told to do!
__________________ Me: 33
DH: 40
Married: July 31, 2004
Location: Western NY
Diagnosed: Age 16 (1991)
DD: Got pregnant right away after going off BCP and starting met 500mg.
TTC: No. 2 Gabrielle Elise born February 6, 2006
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A doctor/nurse's word is not gospel! Some will suggest you do things that went the way of the eight track years ago. Do your own research! Read, and be ready with questions at each appointment. Things i do not do -based on research from respected sources-- that I might have done at my pedis suggestion...
1) I did NOT put rice in a bottle to treat Aid's reflux, and her recovery was amazing without it.
2) I did NOT feed single grain cereal (rice cereal) as a first food (or ever, really). It may increase diabetes risk, and since my hormones are wacky anyway, we stay away from it.
3) I will not feed juice as a staple of Aid's diet. At least one doc calls it "soda in a sippy cup." They don't need it, but juice company's work hard to make you think they do.
4) I did NOT feed soy formula when Aid turned out to be cow's milk protein intolerant. Most baby's who are sensitive to cow's milk protein will also react badly to soy, and there is significant evidence that soy formula can lead to early puberty and infertility.
...there are many uninformed nurse's who will inadvertantly ruin your chances to bf your baby, so read a ton on bfing before you deliver, if it's important to you!
The list goes on and on, but suffice it to say, while I like Aid's doc, he gets questioned on everything, and his work is double checked! To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Wow, that is super scary since this is what we are told to do!
It's standard practice to put your baby on their back. The number of SIDS deaths has gone down significantly since the practice was started. BFing and NOT smoking also decreases the risk. Evidence shows back sleeping is perfectly safe with regard to vomitting, but our parents were told it was dangerous...
Different moms will measure the level of risk differently, and make their own decisions!
If you don't want a c-section, be on alert when your doc starts talking induction. Sometimes they do them to fit into their schedule, not because you need it, and if your body's not ready, it will be a painful waste of time that's likely to end in a c-section.
There is a way to tell if your induction is likely to succeed. It is a "bishop score." Here's more...
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Consider a doula. I'm pretty outspoken and well read, but when talking about/experiencing labor and delivery, you are not yourself. I wish I'd had an advocate, and will hire a doula next time (if I'm lucky enough to have a next time!)...
