Mama Knows Best #9 Questions...I need answers!

 

Photo credit

We ordered cloth diapers over the weekend.  I decided to go with the FuzziBunz brand based on recommendations by my friends Sara & Emily (read Sara's cloth diapering post here).  I also love the bright colors they come in and I'm pretty excited to get our rainbow of diapers in the mail.

I actually do have a couple more moms working on Mama Knows Best posts.  I finally did some recruiting, but today I thought it would be fun (and helpful) for me to ask some questions that I have been thinking about.  Most of them are related to labor and delivery.  I hope that all of you knowledgeable moms out there comment to answer some of them.

Questions

1. Did you bring music to the hospital when you gave birth?  If so, did you use it and what kind of music did you prefer?  What about movies?

2. What did you wear during labor and delivery?  I'm pretty anti-hospital gowns.  I'm not sure what would be best to bring though.

3.  How did you decide who to have in the delivery room with you?

4. Did you have a written birth plan?  If so, did you stick to it?

5. How did you go about picking a pediatrician?

6. How quickly after labor were you able to breastfeed for the first time?

7. Is there anything not on the typical "hospital bag packing list" that you wish you had brought with you?

8. Did you use an exercise ball during contractions and was it helpful?

9. Do you have any other helpful tips for labor you would like to share?

To be honest, I can't believe there is going to be a baby (one which I have been told has a large head) exiting my body in around 6 weeks.  I'm of course very excited to meet her, but the thought of going through labor is pretty frightening.

-Kira

Mama Knows Best Recap and...I am Terrible.

 photo via weheartit

Hi friends,
So this is week #3 of me being too lazy to line up moms to post their Mama Knows Best musings.  Instead of pretending like this feature doesn't exist on my blog, I decided to do a recap highlighting all of the past posts.  They are all great reads and have been extremely informative.  If you see a topic below that you are interested in and missed it the first time, please check them out!
#1 Consignment - Becca from Life @ 1521
#2 Sage Advice - Emily from Homemade Lovely
#3 Breastfeeding - Melissa from www.pdxritchie.com
#4 Sleep - Nicole from Adventures, Memories, and Love
#5 Home Birth - Jessi from Sparrows and Arrows
#6 Cloth Diapering - Sara from Life on Oak St.
#7 The Amazing Boppy (plus bonus photos of my adorable niece) - Kara, my sister
#8 Things You Don't Need to Register For - Becca from Life @ 1521

Moms - Contact me if you want to cover a topic that hasn't been written about yet.  I would love your participation!  Also, I think it would be fun to do one or two posts on pregnancy so if you are currently pregnant or have been recently I would love to hear your take on that topic as well.

Sorry I have totally dropped the ball on this one.  I know people like reading them every week.  Apparently I am just a really lazy recruiter.

-Kira

Mama Knows Best #8 - Registering

things you don't need to register for...

Hi, I'm Becca from life@1521.

You're probably thinking to yourself didn't she already do a guest post for Kira? 

You would be correct (read my first one here).  I wanted to do a few posts for Kira about registering, since I know she is pretty nervous about it.  I had always heard that registering was so overwhelming, so when I was pregnant, I tried to prepare myself as much as I could by reading a few great books containing a great wealth of baby product info and reviews (see those books here and here).

It's a fact that babies need a lot of stuff. But they don't need nearly the amount of stuff that the giant baby stores lead you to believe. I thought it would be fitting to make a list of items to not register for.

(These are things we found that weren't necessary for us, though I'm sure people's opinions differ, as with anything.)

don't bother registering for... by life@1521 on Polyvore.com

1. special baby-friendly detergents. These are quite a bit more expensive than regular detergents. Babies do have more sensitive skin, but they don't need anything special. Instead, choose a perfume and dye-free detergent like this that you can use on all your laundry.

2. bottle sanitizers. Just one more thing to take up space on your counter. This is what a dishwasher is for right?

3. baby bathrobe and slippers. Really? I've never known a baby to hang out in a bathrobe, let alone slippers. Resist the cuteness and put them straight into their pjs.

4. baby mittens. Babies have sharp nails and scratch their faces when they get frustrated. My son wore socks on his hands while he slept for the first six months of his life so he wouldn't wake up with a bloody forehead. He never once asked for special mittens. You already have the socks, so just use those.

5. baby food cooker. Once again, something else to clutter your counter. I made all of my son's baby food and was actually glad that I didn't buy one. The "puree stage" lasts for a month or two at the most, so don't waste your money on something you won't use for very long. Instead, buy this, this, or this... and at least you can use them later on for other things.

6. changing table. Not to say that you don't need a changing table, but at least get one that has a dresser attatched so they can use it for more than 2 years. Better yet, just plop a changing pad on any low dresser you like!

7. stroller frame.  Total waste of about $80. You probably would use this for a total of 3 months. Most strollers have infant seat adaptors anyways.

8. baby powder.  A little air-drying never hurt anybody, plus they think it's really funny when you fan their hiney with a diaper. Apparently, baby powder is dangerous to a baby's respiratory system if they inhale it as well. My son's pediatrican made sure we didn't have any at home.

9. special diaper pail. If you end up going with disposables, just get a kitchen sized garbage can and line it with a normal garbage bag. We use one like this. It's not an eyesore, we don't have to buy expensive inserts, it never stinks and we can use it later on.

10. wipe warmer. Dries the wipes out quicker. If you really want warm wipes just hold it in your hand for a moment.

11. bottle drying rack. Yet another thing to clutter your counters. Use a good 'ol towel or get glass bottles, they dry much better than plastics.

12. bottle warmer. Warming bottles in the microwave is a no-no because of hot spots. We put our son's bottles in a large mug and ran hot water over it. Warming the bottle in a saucepan with water works well too.

13. newborn shoes. It's hard to resist cute, tiny shoes....but really there is no point. The tiny shoes probably won't fit/stay on anyways. Keep their feet warm with socks, which are probably way more comfortable.

14. special lotions. My son has eczema and I spent so much money on fancy lotions when he was a newborn. His pediatrician recommended Cetaphil which works so much better than the expensive Aveeno Baby lotion and is way cheaper. The simpler the better.

15. formula mixers.  Really? Do people actually buy those? Use your hands people!

And there you have it. I'm sure there are a bajillion other things out there that are totally ridiculous (like this) but I thought I'd stick to the items that you might actually be considering.

Thanks Kira!

**Thank you, Becca!  I feel really blessed to have so many friends like you who are willing to help me navigate this task.  I finally created our registry account on the Babies R Us website last night.  I was so overwhelmed by everything, I kind of felt like my head might explode.

-Kira

Mama Knows Best #7 - The Amazing Boppy

Hi, my name is Kara.  I am Kira’s twin sister, and I have an almost four year old daughter named Maleah.  I wanted to share my favorite baby related product with you. 

From the beginning of my pregnancy I was really excited about the journey.  I got my associates in Early Childhood Education, and took care of a whole room full of infants my whole pregnancy.  So, I wasn’t worried about the mom part, but I didn’t really know where to begin when it came to what I needed.

There are so many companies trying to make money and promoting their items as the best, I didn’t
know who to believe or where to begin. My husband is quite the research man so he was on the lookout for the best and safest carseat, stroller, breast pump, etc. The only thing I did know from working in childcare is that my first purchase would be a boppy pillow. We used multiple of them daily with my room full of six week to eight month olds. What I didn’t know is that I would use it for more than just nursing Maleah.

After I had Maleah and before being discharged from the hospital, I called my mom and requested she
bring my boppy pillow, not because I needed it to nurse Maleah, but because it was killing me to sit on
anything. The thought of sitting on that thing was glorious. Here is a picture of Maleah and I the day
after we got out of the hospital and yes I am sitting on the boppy.

I shared a little in the hospital though, she didn’t have any desire to sleep while we were in the hospital, but once I laid her on the boppy she went right to sleep.

I used it to lay her on when I needed to get things done like fold laundry or take a picture of her looking all cute!

Maleah had reflux really bad and she was supposed to stay elevated for at least thirty minutes and not
be moved around a lot after she ate and sometimes it wasn’t possible for me to hold her during that
time, so this is where I put her.

Once she got a little older and started learning how to sit unassisted, I used the boppy to wrap around
her in case she fell over (we have all wood floors), which happened pretty often. I would scoot it back a little further the more I felt she was getting better at sitting alone.

It has many different uses besides what it is advertised for and I am sure there are many more than
what I have metioned. I would have to say the boppy is the one thing that I used the most in the first year, I took it everywhere with us, even though Maleah is almost four the boppy still gets used by her dolls and for friends babies when they come over, but it is waiting for round number two one of these days!

Thanks Kira for letting me post on your blog, you will be a great mom and I can’t wait to go on this
journey with you!

 **Kara, thanks for posting, I know how much you love that thing.  I started an amazon wish list and it pretty much only has three items at this point.  The boppy is one of them due to your endorsement.  Also, thanks for posting that make-up less photo of me :)
-Kira

Mama Knows Best #6 - Cloth Diapering

Hi! My name is Sara, I blog at Life on Oak St. I am a mom to a little boy named Blake, who just turned one! When Kira asked me to be a guest blogger I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to share about my experience with cloth diapering.

When you think about cloth diapering you probably think about safety pins, plastic covers, and gross smelly prefolds. That's not necessarily the case anymore. Cloth diapers have changed tremendously over the last several years. In fact researching cloth diapering can be quite overwhelming nowadays. There are several different types of cloth diapers out there. I'm not going to dig into all the different kinds there are (that would take all day!), but I am going to tell you about the two different kinds I have used with Blake. Here is my cloth diapering experience...

When I was pregnant with Blake I worked in a child care center with infants and toddlers. One of the little girls in my class used the Fuzzi Bunz diapers. I was lucky in this case, because I really got to see what cloth diapering would be like (except I didn't have to take the diapers home and wash them). After having some experience with using the Fuzzi Bunz I thought I could do this cloth diapering thing.

Before Blake was born I purchased 14 Fuzzi Bunz diapers, 10 smalls and 4 onesizes. I didn't have intentions of cloth diapering right away since Blake was my first baby and I knew life would be busy trying to adjust to having a newborn, and newborns poop and pee so much that I would have constantly been doing laundry. We used disposables for about the first 6 weeks. When I felt like I was ready to give cloth diapers a try, I pulled out the small Fuzzi Bunz and tried it on him. It seemed really bulky on him and he didn't seem comfortable in it. Blake was on the smaller side when he was born and didn't gain weight very quickly like some babies do. Since I was eager to give cloth diapering a try I headed down to the local cloth diaper store and purchased a dozen prefolds and 4 covers and 2 snappies. I figured these would fit him better and was the most affordable way to go since I knew I wanted to use the Fuzzi Bunz once he grew into them.

(Blake at 6 weeks in a prefold cloth diaper)

How a Prefold works: There is a cloth piece which is called the prefold, then you have the snappies to hold the cloth part together and then the cover (the cover can be reused a few times before it needs to be washed). Since prefolds are made from cotton and don't hold a ton, they need to be changed pretty frequently. We only used prefolds during the day and disposables at night for about a month and a half. They worked great for the time that we used them but I definitely prefer Fuzzi Bunz over prefolds.

We started using the Fuzzi Bunz when Blake was about 3 months old and have been using them since! I started with the smalls and as he has gotten bigger we have been using the onesize.

(Blake at 8 months in a size small Fuzzi Bunz)

How a Fuzzi Bunz works: Fuzzi Bunz are considered a pocket diaper. There are two pieces to the Fuzzi Bunz. The outer waterproof layer is lined with a fleece inner layer that creates a pocket where the absorbent microfiber insert goes. Here are some pictures...

 (outer layer, and microfiber insert)

 (the pocket where the insert goes)

I have found the Fuzzi Bunz to be really easy to use. They have seemed to stay pretty nice, the one pictured, is one that we have been using since the beginning. Now that you kind of have a little bit of an idea of the kinds of cloth diapers out there I'll talk more about our routine and how we do cloth diapering on a daily basis. 

Storing: I have a garbage pail with a lid that I keep in the bathroom. It is lined with a mesh bag. For poopy diapers I simply shake the poop off the diaper into the toilet and then toss the diaper in the pail. For wet diapers I just toss them in the pail. You can buy a diaper sprayer that hooks up to your toilet so you can spray them off, I have never purchased one but I know a number of people who have and it can be helpful at times. When we are away from home I put the dirty diapers in a wet bag (or just a plastic grocery sack if I forgot my wet bag). Surprisingly, I very rarely smell the diapers both when they are in the pail or wet bag. 

 

(garbage pail)

How many: I started with 14 diapers which would get me through 2 days, so I would wash every other night and occasionally have to use a disposable while washing. Right now we have 24 diapers since Blake can still fit in a size small (shocking, I know considering he is one!). Once he out grows the smalls we will be back down to just to 14 onesizes. I feel like 14 is a doable amount but having 24 has been great because we always have cloth clean (with washing every other night). 

Washing when/how: You probably are thinking... "Washing diapers every other night?! That sounds like doing laundry all the time!" It actually hasn't been that bad. I find that it works best for me to toss them in the washer once Blake is in bed. I first run them through a cold rinse cycle and then a hot wash cycle with a tiny bit of ALL Free and Clear detergent and then occasionally I'll do another rinse and then pop them in the dryer so they are dry by morning. There are all sorts of special detergent you can buy for cloth diapers. I have found that ALL Free and Clear works good for me (it is best to use a detergent free of dyes and perfumes). The one thing with Fuzzi Bunz, (and I think goes for most cloth diapers) is that you should NOT use fabric softener. The chemicals in fabric softener do something to the waterproofness of the outer layer. There are lots of resources online you can find about washing your diapers and it seems like there are many ways to wash them and every washer can be different, so do what works best for you! Oh, and a great and easy way to remove stains is to simply lay them in the sun for a few hours!

Cost: Cloth diapering can be pretty expensive to get into. We looked at it as an investment. We know we want more then one child and our plan is to use the diapers on baby #2 as well. The savings really come in when you can use them on multiple kids. We haven't noticed much of an increase in our water or power bills from washing. And we are creating less garbage so that is nice and better for our environment!

I never thought I would be a cloth diapering mama, it's really not as bad/hard as it may seem. But you have to do what works best for you :)

Kira, thank you for allowing me to be a guest blogger! I hope this information was helpful! I am so excited for you and Jeremy and can't wait to meet your little girl! You are going to be a great mama!!

Thanks, Sara!  I have seen the Fuzzi Bunz diapers and was pretty impressed with the quality.  This info is really helpful so I know how many we will need if we do end up going that way.

-Kira

Mama Knows Best #5 - Home Birth

Hi! I'm Jessi and I blog over at Sparrows and Arrows. I am the mother of 3 girls, and am excited to take part in Kira's Mama Knows Best Series and share some of my experiences with you :)

Home Birth & Hospital Birth

My 3 girls are, Kate, Maya and Lily-and were all different styles of births. Kate was born via Obstetrician at a hospital, Maya was born via midwife at a hospital, and Lily was born via midwife at home - so I have covered some bases in child birth and have a somewhat educated opinion :)

If you wanted my short answer - Home birth FTW! They are an excellent option for whom it is an option,  I don't want this to sound as though it is wrong to have a hospital birth in anyway! You need to do what you feel the most comfortable with, I was lucky enough to have totally text book, low risk deliveries that allowed me to have the option of a home birth.

If you want to know why, here is the long answer :)

 Kate

When I had Kate, I didn't even know midwives existed, so I just went the hospital route, with no reason to question.
During pregnancy: I saw so many different students and residents and only ever got about 5 minutes face time with my obgyn - who really didn't have a clue who I was each visit. Every appointment was behind schedule and I really had the feeling that I was not being encouraged to ask questions, they needed to keep moving.
Delivery: When delivery time came, I was not in labour, but my water had broken. They said you'll be induced in the morning and left me alone. When I buzzed them that night to say I was feeling a lot of pain they brushed it off and were just going to give me morphine - I was not asked if I wanted it, I was told I was getting it. A keener student suggested they take a look, and wow imagine that, I wasn't just a wimp, I was 8 cm! The epidural guy was called in (I was never talked to about other pain options, and trustfully went with what was suggested).
I had 5 strangers in the room while I delivered, and then soon as she was out, the Dr. left and the nurse did all the work - until her shift was over.
Post Delivery: I stayed in the hospital for 2 nights, and was checked on when it was their scheduled time to - which sometimes was the middle of the night.... no matter if we were both sleeping - rounds need to be done! I had a rough recovery, and lots of stitches, but as far as I knew that's how babies were born. I now know it was the drugs that made pushing harder and therefore caused more tearing.

 Maya

Fast forward to Maya: By the time I found out I was pregnant with Maya, I had met a friend who had had a midwife. She is my hippy vegetarian friend so I didn't take her seriously, I mean there was no way I was delivering my baby in a tent with a stick of wood in my mouth while the neighbors chanted in a circle! " Umm I had my baby in the hospital after being induced and having an epidural"she enlightened me. oops. She told me I really needed to at least meet them, and I would change my mind right away.
I decided to sit on it (which I have learned not to ...if you want a midwife go right away - there are wait lists!) so I was wait listed and started my care with an obgyn. Again I was a number, my appointments were always behind schedule, and therefore rushed. I hated it. I was so happy when the midwives called and said there was space for me, even 6 months in I switched.
During Pregnancy: Every appointment was held in a room with comfy couches - no medical looking equipment, they knew my name, she took time to ask me questions to get me thinking when I couldn't think of anything to ask. I was never rushed or made to feel like anything wasn't in my hands.
"Have you thought about natural childbirth" she asked. Here we go I thought - here is the hippy part - who on earth has natural child birth! Why suffer when there are drugs to help you?!
"Nope I had an epidural with Kate and I am going to again I guess." She smiled and let me believe that that was totally fine, but she said I had such a fast delivery the first time, that this one was bound to be faster and I should prepare myself for not having drugs - there might not be time.
Delivery: When I called to say my water broke, Heather (my midwife) was over right away to check me (despite an 12am false alarm the night before) and we headed over to the hospital - where 15 minutes later, and as predicted drug free*, Maya was born. She and another midwife were the only "staff" in the room, they kept the lights low and I was able to go home 4 hours later.

*I will add I had not taken her suggestion to prepare for a natural birth - and panicked when I found out I couldn't have any drugs... tried not to push and fought against my body..lol clearly the smart thing to do...also in all honesty, because I could feel the muscles I was using to push I was terrified and embarrassed to maybe go to the bathroom on the table...if we are being honest here :). 
Post Delivery: I felt great after having Maya, I felt empowered and like I could do anything. I had very minor stitching needed, and the midwives came to me for the first month of post baby appointments. Hippie friend wins, midwives are awesome.

 Lily

Jump ahead 3 more years and Lily is coming...

I got a midwife right away. Appointments and such were the same, I had decided that this baby would be really fast and I know I can do it drug free so maybe I should just stay home. What a great idea, I thought.
Are you F&%^%# crazy is what Clifford thought. How would I win this battle?? He thought I was putting our baby at an un-necessary risk, that I was being selfish thinking of comfort over the baby's safety.   I posted to my baby center birth group ( a great recourse btw!) about my frustrations and recieved an answer from a maternity nurse who had some valuable information that helped convince my husband to at least attend the home birth information night.

She said the following: I work in a hospital, and attend high-risk deliveries on a regular basis as part of my job.  I decided early on to have a hospital birth, because with everything I had seen over the years, I was convinced that I needed to be in the hospital for my own safety, and that of the baby.  Well, I'm starting to regret that decision now.  I've been doing a lot of research, and am slowly starting to discover that so many of these high risk deliveries that I have attended have only become high risk because of the medical interventions imposed on the mom.  Statistics are actually showing these days that home births are extremely safe- there are fewer medical interventions and fewer complications.  I applaud your decision to do this at home, and I will likely do the same thing for baby #2.

At the Information Night I was embarrassed that Clifford was the only dad asking question (and direct, "what will you do in this scenario...), the midwives answered all questions with medical statistics and science .... and he wavered, if science says it safe it must be! So we went ahead with my plan.

Delivery: I woke up and my water broke and contractions started, the midwife team showed up and hung around my bedroom quietly as I laboured. I was in such a different place with this delivery, I had research so much in to home births and knew this was the most natural thing my body could do and felt totally in control. At one point they decided to check me and realized that Lily was stuck - enter panic feeling of "what was f%^$ was I thinking!! Why am I not in a hospital".. 3 minutes later she was born, and I was totally team home birth again :)

Post Delivery: They let me hold her for awhile, then did all her stats right there on the bed with me. Clifford made coffee, the midwives went downstairs to do their paperwork, and our newly grown family + dog hung out together on a nicely cleaned bed that 25 minutes before - wasn't so clean. Again I had such a feeling of empowerment, something I did not get when I was numbed by pain meds. Overall it was just such a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere that I wished I had all my babies that way. And after all was said and done Clifford was a major advocate for home births too :)

 Again, this is my opinion based on my own experiences and those of my friends. There are wonderful doctors out there and great hospital experiences, this is just my account and meant for those who are considering going the home birth option. It helped when deciding to hear other stories of women who had successfully had home births. I know that home birth isn't for everyone, and some medicaly are not able, but for me it was a most amazing and rewarding experience.

If it is midwifery and/or home birth is something you are considering, I suggest watching "The Business of Being Born" I watched it after having Lily and it really is full of great information, that I think will help in making a decision.


- Jessi

Thanks Jessi!  I'm going the hospital route for my first birth, but I have the option to choose between a doctor or a midwife for delivery.  This information is certainly helpful to me!
-Kira

Mama Knows Best #4 - Sleep

 **Today my guest blogger is Nicole from Adventures, Memories, and Love.  Nicole owns a small business with my sister Kara in Bremerton, WA.  I was excited to hear about her topic choice because I know this particular topic is one I will definitely worry about.  She has some great suggestions!

Hi everybody! My name is Nicole and I am lucky enough to be Mama to two amazing little girls, Noelle (5) and Brylee (4). I am so happy to be a guest blogger for Kira, I remember being pregnant with Noelle and being overwhelmed and feeling like I needed to read anything and everything out there to prepare myself.

I have been around kids of all ages for the most part of my life, I have three younger siblings and many younger cousins and close family friends. I started babysitting when I was 13 years old. I taught swim lessons and worked in a daycare up until I had my own children. I felt very confident in my ability to be a Mom since I have been around kids forever. Once I got pregnant with Noelle I started thinking about the fact that the most time I had ever spent around a newborn or a baby for that matter was only about two to three hour babysitting sessions, or visiting my baby sister every other weekend. I started thinking about feedings, diaper changes, sleep schedules, and oh my gosh, what if my baby gets sick? I think I read "What to Expect When Expecting" cover to cover in two days!

Once I had Noelle I immediately relaxed, everything was so natural, you learn as you go and if you have questions, well that is what Mothers and Doctors are for! For me the biggest cause of anxiety was sleep. How is she supposed to lay? What about blankets? What is better a crib or a bassinet? When should she be in her own room? Is it okay to co-sleep?

via

I decided that I felt most comfortable with my daughter in a bassinet right next to my bed. I got a simple bassinet that had a mobile as well as a music player. The next thing I got was a wedge*.

via

I was so scared of SIDs (sudden infant death syndrome), I talked to our pediatrician and found out they recommended babies to sleep on their backs and these wedges were helpful with keeping them in place and keeping their heads elevated. Both my daughters slept so peacefully on the wedge. The next item I swear by and recommend to any new parent is a sleep sack.

via

The use of a sleep sack eliminates the need for blankets in the crib or bassinet with a newborn. (I actually kept my daughters in sleep sacks until they were walking.) There are long sleeved fleece sleep sacks that are good for winter, you can even put your baby in jammies and then in the sleep sack. For the warmer months there are sleeveless sleep sacks and you can have baby in just a diaper or a onesie and the sleep sack. I swear by these, they helped me sleep better at night knowing there was nothing in the crib with my daughters that could harm them.

A huge issue is co-sleeping. This is where baby sleeps in bed with Mom & Dad. It works for some, and it doesn't work for others. My only advice is to do what is best for you and for your baby.  There were many nights when my newborn would wake up for a feeding, I would put her in bed with me and feed her and we would both fall asleep. I would wake up later and burp her and put her back in her bassinet. Whenever I tried to sleep through the night with her next to me I just couldn't do  it. I was aware of exactly where she was and I was too scared I would roll over on top of her that I just wasn't able to sleep for more than about thirty minutes at a time. The most important thing to remember is that you need to do what is most comfortable and natural for you and your baby.

I moved my daughters to their own bedrooms when they were around 6 months old. In their cribs they had the wedge still, and had their sleep sacks. The next item I recommend is a good baby monitor set.

These days they make baby monitors with video so you can actually see your baby in her crib in her own bedroom, those are amazing and I'm sure I would have bought one when my daughters were newborns if they had them. 

You learn as you go, trust your gut and if you have any questions there will be many people to give you advice! Congratulations again Kira, I cannot wait to see a picture of your sweet little girl!


*It has been brought to my attention that at least some wedges have been recalled.  I'm not sure which are considered unsafe and which are ok to use.  Please fill me in if you know.  How did you keep your baby sleeping on their back?
-Kira

Mama Knows Best #3 - Breastfeeding

Hi!  My name is Melissa and I am a mother of three (two of them I birthed, one came as a bonus with my husband!).  I write a blog over at www.pdxritchie.com and I was super excited when Kira asked me to be a guest blogger!  I just had a baby so timing was perfect!  One very important part of having a baby this time around was breastfeeding, and here is what I have to share about that.

When I was pregnant with my daughter, 13 years ago, I had all the best intentions of breastfeeding.  I had a long labor that ended in a cesarean delivery.  I did not get to hold her until I was done recovering, which to me felt like hours and I actually don’t know how long it really was.  I remember the nurses helping her to latch on when I was in the hospital and nursing her.  But the morning following our arrival home, she wasn’t staying latched on and kept crying and crying.  I was worried she wasn’t getting anything from me and so I gave her a bottle.  I was young and didn’t know what I was doing, and I was afraid she was starving.  After that she refused my nipple and became a formula fed baby.

Last June, my husband and I celebrated the news of becoming pregnant.  I immediately started reading everything I could get my hands on regarding breastfeeding, determined this time to be successful at it.  I was also fortunate to have several girlfriends that have had babies in the last couple years and were a wealth of knowledge on the breastfeeding front.  From my good friend Julie who nursed for 10 weeks, to my friend Sophia who is still nursing her two year old son.  I figured I could not go wrong this time with all the resources at my fingertips.

My beautiful son Enzo was born on Sunday February 20th.  It was very important to me that I hold him immediately after he was born and get that first skin-to-skin contact that I read about.  And to get him latched on as soon as I could.  I really felt that this was the key to being successful at it.  And while that may be part of it, I believe that my success so far has mostly been due to patience.  He is a whopping 16 pounds, 5 ounces and is only three months old!  I am very pleased to say that he is excellent at nursing and growing fast!  

Here is what I learned along the way, and what items helped me the most:

*  Breastfeeding Made Simple: Seven Natural Laws for Nursing Mothers (Book) 

This was invaluable information to me.  Not only did it prepare me for the first few days of nursing, explaining that the “cluster feeding” was what I had experienced with my daughter, when I thought she wasn’t getting any milk because she wouldn’t stay latched on and was fussy.  This is a transition time between your colostrum and when your milk comes in, usually happening on the third or fourth day. So on day three when Enzo was super fussy and wanting to nurse constantly for about 6 hours straight, I stayed patient and just listened to his cues.  And then my milk came in and he was a happy camper.  This book also helped to educate me on the importance of breastfeeding and how our society vews this issue.

*  Lansinoh Brand products

Lansinoh has a lot of things for the breastfeeding Mom.  I used their nipple crème for the first three weeks, to help with the soreness in the beginning.  And yes, you will experience this, but please trust that it goes away and it’s worth it if you can just keep going.  It’s painful at first, every nursing Mom will attest to that.  But it’s not unbearable, I mean come on, you just gave birth!  You can do anything!  The crème is totally safe for baby’s ingestion so you don’t have to worry about wiping it off before nursing.  This comes in handy because I swear, every time I remembered to put some on, five minutes later Enzo would decide he wanted to nurse again!  

I also used their disposable breast pads for leakage remedies.  One thing about breastfeeding that you can count on, are leaking breasts!  As soon as you feel your milk “drop”, it just starts to flow out.  And every woman is different, for me it was a steady drip.  For the first week I felt like a warrior preparing for battle with all the extra padding I had to put on.  Not only are you wearing grown up diapers (if you had a vaginal delivery), at least that’s what they felt like to me, but you are also having to wear pads in your bra so you don’t leak all over everything!  I remember one Monday a couple weeks in, our cloth diaper service showed up to pick up our first bag of dirty diapers and I had forgotten to put them out.  I answered the door with a baby in my arms and a very wet shirt, still in my jammies at noon.  Welcome to motherhood!  I’m sure the driver had seen it all before, he didn’t even flinch.  But it was embarrassing nonetheless.  I used the disposable pads until a month ago when I bought some reusable ones, they are cloth and you just throw them in the wash.  The good thing about these is that you don’t have to keep buying more.  But they are a little thicker than the disposables, so they do tend to show under your shirt.

Which is a good lead-in to my next item…

* Nursing bras & shirts

I bought a couple nursing tank tops from Target before I had my son, so that I would be prepared in the hospital.  I bought two different kinds.  And I quickly learned that the ease of which you can unclip something with one hand is very important to keep in mind.  

These tank tops are awesome, I own two and wear them several times a week.  They are pretty under a button up cardigan.  And nobody knows that they are nursing tanks, they just look like a nice layering tank anyone would wear.

This one was a good idea, looks pretty but totally annoying with the clasp system it has.  I could not get the darn thing undone with one hand, so I had to set baby down and undo it.  Annoying!  I think I have worn it maybe twice, and that was only because the others weren’t clean.

I was given the advice to not purchase a nursing bra until after the baby is born, because you never know what size you will need.  I, for some reason, did not listen to this advice.  So I ended up buying a bra that is too small in the cup area.  Lesson learned.  But I did buy one that was a sports bra style, with the easy to undo clasps, and I love it!  Highly recommend.  It is a nice layer underneath sweaters or t-shirts.  

It’s a  little frustrating that what top you wear every day has to be one you can pull down at the neck to have easy access, which eliminates anything that doesn’t have stretch and/or a button/zip front.  And if you look at tops that are specific for breastfeeding, they are cleverly done so you can have access but most are ridiculously expensive.  I recommend a couple button up cardigans, that you can wear over the nursing tanks.  And a few deep V-neck t-shirts that you can layer over the bra or tanks.  When I return to work in a few weeks I can start wearing all my clothes that I can’t right now, because for pumping purposes it doesn’t really matter.  

*  To cover or not to cover, that is the question

This is a hot topic in our society, and now that I am nursing Mom it really irritates me that it should even be an issue.  Some people think that breastfeeding in public is not okay and should be done in private only. But when you sit down to lunch with the girls (ask Kira, this has happened each time I've met her for lunch with Enzo) and just as your food arrives, baby decides he is hungry - what are you going to do?  Duck into the bathroom to nurse?  Or go to your car?  I say forget about what others think and do what feels right to you.  It’s a natural thing, and more accepted now than ever before.  I have no problem with nursing in public, but I do try to still be discreet.  I don’t just flop my breast out for all to see, but I also don’t hide my baby under a blanket.  I tried that at first, but it was really hot under there and it makes it really difficult to help him latch on when he let’s go accidentally.  I ended up scratching Enzo above the eye with my fingernail as I was blindly searching for his mouth.  That’s when I decided to just do what was best for me.  If you do decide to cover, I suggest the covers that have a opening at the neck that allows you to look down and still see baby.  There's boning around the neckline of it, so this is possible.  I have one, it works well.  Also, some nursing bras and tanks have a layer of fabric that covers that top half of your breast, so that you aren’t completely exposed.  There are options, find what you are comfortable with.

******

As I said before, I truly believe that patience is the key to successful breastfeeding.  Every baby is different and so is every woman.  You might try every trick in the book and still not be able to nurse.  Or you might just be one of the lucky ones and it comes easy for you.  Either way, your baby will still be beautiful and healthy!  And that’s what is most important!  My daughter didn’t have any extra illnesses or issues because she was formula-fed.  

Thank you Kira, for allowing me to share as a guest blogger.  Good luck!  I can’t wait to meet your sweet baby girl!

xoxo

 

**Thank you, Melissa! That information was so helpful and I'm definitely going to get that book.

Again, if anyone is interested in doing a guest mama blog post just shoot me an e-mail (kiralynnpdx@gmail.com).

-Kira

Mama Knows Best #2

Hi! I'm Emily from Homemade Lovely.  I have temporarily retired from teaching to be a stay-at-home mom to my amazing little girl, Audrey. I was really excited when Kira asked me to guest post with advice for her upcoming role as a new mom. She is such a great friend and I know she will be an amazing mom.

Before Audrey was born I read about baby stuff a lot. I read blogs, I read pregnancy calendars, I read books people gave me, I read anything that had anything to do with a baby. I even watched a uTube video on how to give a newborn a bath. It was my way of trying to "prepare" and I enjoyed learning as much as I could. And I did learn a lot of things. I learned about what would happen at the hospital, about nursing, about how the baby would sleep and where and when.

And now, very close to one year later, what I've learned is that all of that stuff I learned before didn't matter once I was holding Audrey in my arms. Everything changed once she was here and we just figured it out as we went because she definitely hadn't read what I had and she made up her own rules.

So my biggest advice to you is to do what feels right. If you want to study up, do it. I'm sure I will again when we have a second, but in the end be ready for the best roller coaster ride of your life. And try your best to enjoy every second, even during the hard times because you'll blink and be planning her first birthday party and wonder how it is possible that a year has already gone by.

My Top 5 Baby Items:
1. Ergo Baby Carrier - I love this carrier. It is so comfortable.
2. FuzziBunz One Size Cloth Diapers - We are so happy with these. One size diapers are definitely the way to go. Audrey has been wearing the same diapers since she was nine days old.
3. Backseat Mirror - A mirror to hook on to the backseat of your car so when you look in the rear view mirror you can see the baby. I would really miss this if I didn't have it.
4. Food Processor - To make homemade baby food of course. It is so easy to do and saves a lot of money. Plus, in my opinion, the food is much better.
5. Infant Tylenol - A lifesaver when it comes to teething, shots at the doctor's, and everyday bumps and bruises. I would be embarrassed to admit how much of this stuff we have stored up "just in case". (p.s. Word around the hospital is that they are taking it off the market, stock up now!) 

 

Thanks, Emily!  This post makes me feel better since I know so little about babies.

If you are interested in sharing about life with your little one please send me an e-mail at kiralynnpdx@gmail.com.

-Kira

Mama Knows Best #1

Hi friends,

Today is the first guest post in my new "Mama Knows Best" series (thanks for the name suggestion, Lauren!).  Our guest blogger today is Becca from Life @ 1521.  She is a good friend of mine that I met while in college.  We lived in the same house for a year and our husbands actually lived together as well!  She has a super adorable son named Bennett, and based on her experiences with buying items for him, she wanted to share her thoughts on consignment shopping with us.  I will let Becca take over from here...

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If you know me and have a child or are pregnant, chances are pretty darn high that I have given you the card to my favorite place to find cheap and unique things for my son Bennett. 

I keep a stack of these cards in my wallet because I love this little consignment shop so much and want to let people in on my best-kept secret.

 I started going to Piccolina after I found out I was having a boy. I had heard that they are picky in what they buy, which means that they only have the best of the best. 

I wasn't really sure what to expect on my first trip in, but I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't the graveyard for bulky plastic toys that I had been imagining. 

I felt like I was walking into a little boutique filled with high end clothes (for both my baby and my expanding belly), lots of good quality books, toys and games, and all the baby gear you could ever want.

Fast forward two years.

I usually go to Piccolina once a month to sell a few things that I don't see us using in the future and to browse to see if there's anything new that I can't live without.

I have even featured a few of my favorite things from Piccolina on my blog:

the vintage Fisher Price puzzle seen here,

these vintage cowboy boots,

these wellies,

 3 pairs of Converse (that had never been worn!),

and a ton of other things that I absolutely love but just don't have pictures of.

sell/trade/consign.

One reason I love Piccolina is that yes, you can buy stuff for your kids for super cheap, but its also great knowing that you have somewhere to unload all your baby gear when you are done with it and make a couple extra bucks in the process!

They will give you cash or trade for kid's clothes (they buy high-end, like-new condition) and consign maternity clothes, toys, books and all other kid's products from boppy's (hello those are expensive!) to baby carriers to sets of blocks that your kids have grown out of.

Check out their policy on buying (incuding days they consign) here. 

It makes so much sense to buy from your local children's consignment shop!

Kid's only use/wear/play with things for such a limited amount of time that they barely have a chance to break it in before they are grown out of it.

shopping at piccolina.

Right when you pull up to Piccolina you will notice the huge selection of strollers, highchairs etc. out front of the store. I went on a rainy day so everything was covered in plastic.

the tour.

I went and took pictures in the store to give you a feel for what it's like and what they have...

(most of the things seen in the pictures are likely not there anymore, 

but they always have awesome things so it doesn't hurt to go look!)

 1. local, handmade clothing

2. bedding (including high end brands like Pottery Barn Kids and Serena and Lily)

 1. large toddler toys (usually walkers, wagons, activity centers, etc.)

2. hats (new, handmade, and gently used summer & winter hats)

3. shoes, boots, sandals, slippers, dance shoes

4. new, locally handmade children's clothes

5. books (mostly kids, but some parenting books as well)

6. Piccolina carries A LOT of girl clothes!

7. bigger items (baby gates, johnny jump ups, play yards, play tents, etc.)

1.baby carriers (baby bjorns, slings, mobys, ergos, mai tais, etc) and smaller maternity items like gently used or new nursing bras (those suckers are expensive!) and swim suits too!

2. in-season, name brand maternity clothes (if you're into designer maternity jeans they usually have a few pairs and are a lot cheaper than buying them new!)

3. Boppys, boppys, and more boppys (plus some pregnancy pillows too!)

4. Bennett

5. super cute/locally made baby blankets, bibs and burp cloths

6. electric breast pumps (buy new tubing, and going this route will save you so much $)(I will be getting one from Piccolina next time around, as they are one of the most expensive, yet invaluable things you need)

7. local/handmade diaper cases (I love mine because it's so easy to just pop into my purse instead of lugging around a diaper bag on quick trips)

1. bottles, sippy cups, water bottles (all in great condition) (they always have a plethora of my very favorite bottle!)

2. monitors

3. kitchen/ feeding items and safety products

4. splat mats, bibs, shopping cart covers, ect.

1. Sara the owner (she's so sweet and always remembers me!)

2. boys clothes (much smaller section than the girls, but mom's of boys are used to this)

3. diaper bags (totally makes sense to buy a used one since they only accept ones that are in great shape) (they buy/sell nicer bags like Petunia Pickle Bottom, Skip Hop, JJ Cole, Ju Ju Be, etc.)

4.  was confused as to why I was taking pictures. 

5. toys (all in great, like-new condition)

6. more girls clothes!

1.  sleep sacks, swaddling blankets, swaddlers, etc.

2. all sorts of cloth diaper covers and anything else you would need (inserts, cloth wipes-new only/handmade)

3. baby blankets and towels

4. bathing suits, tights, socks training pants, underwear, leg warmers

and more...

If my tour wasn't enough, here are some more pictures 

including some cute things I found along the way!

(I was really just wanting to have fun with Picnik, okay?)

Piccolia is pretty much amazing and you are missing out (and paying a lot more) if you decide to buy everything from that horribly overpriced baby store (where people don't actually know anything about the products they are selling, and it's impossible to track them down to help out anyways).

I'm sure Sara(the owner) would be more than happy to tell you the 

differencebetween an Ergo and a Mai Tai.

 Just ask her, cause she's a mama!

Piccolina has two Portland locations:

SE Clinton location:

(this is the one I was at)

2700 SE 26th 

Portland, OR 97202

(corner of 26th & Clinton)

503-963-8548

Mon thru Sat: 10am to 6pm

Sun: 11am to 4pm

SE Woodstock location:

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4416 SE Woodstock Blvd.

Portland, OR 97206

503-505-5045

Tues thru Sat: 10am to 5pm

PS: if you're crafty and make cute stuff for the little ones, stop by and show them your product. 

They may just want to sell it at the store!

Thanks Becca, I'm super excited to stop by Piccolina now!  If you are interested in guest blogging for this series shoot me an e-mail: kiralynnpdx@gmail.com.  I'd love for you to write on any baby related topic you feel passionate about.  I'm really excited to see the other submissions trickling in!

-Kira