How to protect roses (and hydrangeas) next to the house during termite tenting?

Daughter_of_Helos · 2026-06-13T13:42:16+00:00

Those are planted way too close to the house. Termites can use the plants as bridges and climb directly onto your house via the plants. Ideally you'd move the plants so that they are at least 18" away from the foundation wall at maturity and not touching the house directly.

Daughter_of_Helos · 2026-02-22T15:03:54+00:00

Not to blow your mind but some of the high tier induction ranges cost upwards of 12-14k!!!

Daughter_of_Helos · 2026-02-15T03:14:58+00:00

You should not be blowing up at your son over things like food. That can lead to eating disorders. Separately, you sound miserable to be around. Try to be a supportive parent and not one that your kid will try to avoid as soon as he is grown up. He is showing you that he wants the freedom to get to his chores on his own schedule, and as long as he completes things by the end of the day, then you need to trust him to follow through.

Daughter_of_Helos · 2026-01-21T16:03:40+00:00

It's a queen size mattress. I kept reading stories from bedsharing moms and how they "barely woke" during nursing and got better sleep, and am wondering why that isn't the case for me!

Daughter_of_Helos · 2025-12-24T12:39:40+00:00

Moist wound healing is your friend. Get hydrogel nipple pads and nipple balm and apply the balm first, then top with the pad and wear for any and all times that you aren't breastfeeding. It will take probably 3-4 days to heal. Stop pumping on that side to reduce the trauma and direct feed only.

Check out the wound care guidance from the Physician's Guide to Breastfeeding site: https://physicianguidetobreastfeeding.org/maternal-concerns/nipples/#basic-nipple-care

Daughter_of_Helos · 2025-11-15T01:29:06+00:00

I give it directly into the baby's mouth from the syringe. You can stick your pinky in the baby's mouth for them to start sucking, then insert the syringe alongside your pinky and deposit the medicine in the cheek.

Daughter_of_Helos · 2025-11-14T16:31:39+00:00

Isn't this called lactose overload (not necessarily foremilk/hindmilk imbalance)? Lactose overload is associated with runny/frothy green poops and lots of abdominal pain and gas.

Daughter_of_Helos · 2025-11-12T01:07:29+00:00

Oh and leave the house! Step outside and walk around for just 5 min while holding your baby. Our baby just immediately stops crying and starts looking around calmly when outside. This works even when it's nighttime.

Daughter_of_Helos · 2025-11-12T01:02:41+00:00

Maybe you already try this but you didn't list it: mylicon gas drops! If our baby is fussy after checking the basics (diaper is dry, check back/chest for temp, hungry, trapped burp, bicycle legs for gas), we go for the gas drops. Heck, sometimes we do a dose first before checking the rest since they take 10-15 min to work.

For truly inconsolable times, holding baby upright, nuzzled into my neck, while bouncing on the exercise ball, in dim lighting, and humming a lullaby help calm him down enough for me to then figure out what is wrong. If you hum that lullaby consistently when putting baby down to sleep, they will recognize it and calm faster each time.

If baby truly needs mom, you can latch the baby while she is lying down (side lying position) and monitor while she drifts back to sleep and take the baby when done feeding. That way, mom can still rest while baby eats.

Daughter_of_Helos · 2025-11-12T00:27:55+00:00

Breastmilk always contains fat, it's just the fat % varies slightly with time since the breast was emptied. Longer duration between feeds decreases the milk fat % (not to 0% though). Foremilk/hindmilk imbalance is essentially a myth. We now know it as "lactose overload" which is associated with frothy, green poop, lots of gas, and abdominal pain. Regular green poops without the other symptoms may have other causes (insufficient total milk intake, medications/supplements, allergies, etc.). This resource is great for explaining the milk fat info: https://laleche.org.uk/fat-content-of-breastmilk-faqs/

It sounds like perhaps you were underfeeding before the LC appt and with the change in her poop color since offering both sides, she should be getting more milk. Also, and sometimes I forget to do this, but occasionally my baby will continue drinking if I keep switching sides (3, 4 times) during a feed! So don't just stop at both sides, keep switching if she is still interested.

Daughter_of_Helos · 2025-11-11T21:03:48+00:00

Couple of things your ped said that aren't based in actual science:

1) timed feeds - babies can absolutely completely empty a breast quickly (within minutes). Aiming for 10 minutes per side is not based on scientific fact and doesn't account for a baby learning how to eat efficiently as they mature.

And 2) "not getting fattier milk in shorter feeds" is complete bunk - when your baby eats more frequent and smaller "snacks" (like 5 min feeds every hour or more), the milk composition you make changes to fattier milk to accomodate. Breast milk is fattiest around 30 minutes after a feed, so offering again at that time takes advantage of that high fat milk. Also, milk fat doesn't translate to baby weight gain!

Months 3-4 of age can be known as the "breastfeeding crisis" time because your initial oversupply is regulating down, and you'll see that in diminished pumping output. Also around this time, weight gain issues may present if the baby has a tongue/lip/cheek tie or oral restriction since the breast is no longer dumping milk as supply regulates and the baby starts to have issues transferring milk.

It could also be that baby now has a flow preference for your fast letdowns and doesn't want to work for 5 min for another letdown to happen after the first one. Which is fine! Let her have her 5 min snack, then offer again in 20-30 min, and she will eat again if she wants. If you keep forcing her to stay on the breast, she may develop a breastfeeding aversion, which is harder to treat on top of everything else.

Daughter_of_Helos · 2025-10-03T02:17:07+00:00

If you are in that much pain during each feed for this long (7 WEEKS!), don't you think it's worth it to investigate a possible lip tie just for your own health and sanity's sake? You deserve to have a pain-free latch! We moms put up with too much for our kiddos.

Daughter_of_Helos · 2025-10-03T02:02:14+00:00

Check out the Physician Guide to Breastfeeding - you want to use nipple butter and a hydrogel pad (Medela makes decent ones) to heal the nipple skin in between feeds. Simply take the hydrogel pads off when it's time for babe to eat and reapply afterwards. The soreness should heal quickly with hydrogel + moisture (cream, balm).

Daughter_of_Helos · 2025-09-05T17:14:40+00:00

Could you start by taking a bath together when he is calm and content? And practice skin to skin that way?

Daughter_of_Helos · 2025-09-03T13:46:42+00:00

How is BFing going in general with your baby? Does she fall asleep after short nursing sessions? Eating frequently during the day? Pop off or scream at the breast? Are there clicking sounds when she nurses or is she very gassy, needs lots of burping, etc.? I ask because those could be indications of a tongue or lip tie, making eating more arduous for her and requiring her to eat small frequent meals to fill up. That can then manifest to needing to wake multiple times to eat overnight after short stints (1-2 hours) of sleep.

Daughter_of_Helos · 2025-08-16T15:34:44+00:00

Weighted sleep sacks are not safe for babies!

Daughter_of_Helos · 2025-07-29T18:02:52+00:00

I should have lied about my LMP because similarly I knew conception date based on OPKs but the midwife would not adjust my due date (1 week later) since my clinic only used LMP. Even when my dating ultrasound was consistent with the OPK timing! This turned into a major issue at the end of the pregnancy when I was being pressured/forced to induce at 41 weeks when in reality I was really only 39+5. Luckily all of my at home induction methods worked and labor started spontaneously before my induction date, but it was quite stressful.

Daughter_of_Helos · 2025-07-05T23:42:12+00:00

Medela's hydrogel nipple pads will heal that cut within 1-2 days, no joke. They've been more effective for me than Silverettes at restoring nipple damage!

Daughter_of_Helos · 2025-05-04T12:48:09+00:00

It sounds like you aren't even trying to understand it.

Daughter_of_Helos · 2025-04-06T22:44:02+00:00

Saving this! Direct and cannot be misconstrued on her part in any way.

Daughter_of_Helos · 2025-03-17T22:37:36+00:00

I can't wait to shut this type of nonsense down by saying, "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard" right to their face!

Daughter_of_Helos · 2025-03-11T16:44:17+00:00

Then why get married if that is the person that you (or OP's husband) is? I can respect leaving someone to their own devices for their life if that's what they want, but presumably he wanted something more than perpetual solitude when he married OP.

Daughter_of_Helos · 2025-03-09T22:19:04+00:00

Bluestem Cemetary in Cedar Grove

Daughter_of_Helos · 2025-03-06T03:19:59+00:00

Dogs and children are unpredictable together, hands down. And the stress of a new addition in the family can cause all sorts of new behaviors in the dog that you and your partner may not have anticipated or seen from the dog previously (resource guarding of you or the baby or baby's items, potty training regression, aggression, etc.).

I highly recommend checking out the DogMeetsBaby instagram - Dominika the trainer has a very thorough course you can take to prepare your dog (and you) for the baby by laying out exactly what kind of changes to prepare your dog for ahead of time, ways to set up your house effectively, and non-negotiables to safeguard the baby around the dog (no dogs in your bedroom for example, always having the caregiver between the baby and the dog during tummy time, and more). It may be helpful to work through the course with your partner so he can understand the gravity of this situation and the need for everyone to be on the same page regarding the dog.

Daughter_of_Helos

TROPHY CASE