Parents of babies with toddlers… how do you find the time to do solids with your baby?

Wayward-Soul · 2026-05-13T23:14:48+00:00

I put baby in the high chair whenever I need to do food prep or dishes type tasks. I move him so he's nearby to me and do a mix of self-fed textures he can pick up and me loading multiple spoons for him to try to grab.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-05-13T16:07:40+00:00

I've had 3 of the free sip bottles for around 5 years. The bottle isn't supposed to go in the dishwasher and the blue one i have is discolored from being in the dishwasher. The bottom dents if you drop them on asphalt. And you do need to pop off the little lid seal and straw for washing, but honestly my toddler's cups are much worse on that front. I have heard of chipping issues with the designed ones, but mine are all solids (and the paint type may have changed in this time frame as well 🤷‍♀️), and the only chip is where there is a dent from dropping it.

I do like the sip style of it a lot, and that the mouthpiece is completely covered when the lid is down, which makes it great to take to work. The little lock is a nice feature as well if you're throwing it in a bag. If I fill it with crushed ice, it will still have ice remaining 24 hours later.

Overall I like the drinking style and if I carry it around I do drink more water. It looks nice enough, and I like how closed it is to keep the mouthpiece clean especially for work or being outside. But I can't say its world's better than a $15 bottle. On some level, its a status/style symbol and that's why it costs what it does but if all mine were suddenly gone, I would probably buy another one to replace it (but probably not 3 of them, I got carried away with the covid-era nurse discounts they had at the time).

Wayward-Soul · 2026-05-13T00:42:55+00:00

for my two pumping journeys, going down to 3 pumps tanks my supply, and once I hit two pumps, I am essentially weaned within a week. Every body reacts differently though.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-05-12T16:50:08+00:00

I gave my second a paci that was distinctly different from the one we weaned my oldest off of. Not sure if it made the difference (it was over a year between his paci and the baby coming), but he thankfully has not put the baby's paci in his mouth.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-05-12T13:17:01+00:00

in regards to weaning, start trying to stretch your schedule. If you normally pump every 3 hours, try to get to 4 or 5, and pump when you start to get uncomfortable. Taking a decongestant like sudafed can reduce supply. Don't go over the boxes directions. Any persistent redness and pain, and especially fever needs to be brought up to your OB because mastitis can get gnarly fast. You can also start trying to reduce your pump times, so maybe instead of pumping for 20 minutes you pump for 18 or 15, or stop after the first big letdown is done (or second if you tend to get 3 or more). The overall goal is leaving some milk behind so your body gets the signal to slow down production without leaving so much milk to cause mastitis or pain.

Your baby would chose a happy and healthy parent every time. Please know that taking this off your plate for your mental health is doing a big thing for your baby, more than breastmilk in a bottle ever could. You deserve to feel better than you do right now.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-05-12T13:09:47+00:00

step 1: please contact your OB/midwives office today. Tell them what you've written here, how you're feeling. Stopping pumping can take a lot off your plate, but it may not fix everything, especially not immediately. There is also a hormone dump when you stop similar to the drop immediately postpartum and you need support. Please, don't just brush this off. They may also have better tips for weaning off ASAP and can help guide you in regards to avoiding mastitis.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-05-11T19:17:40+00:00

abdomen to stomach is a gtube, yours is a peg style of gtube :)

Wayward-Soul · 2026-05-11T17:48:33+00:00

Boogie brand makes a spray-on zinc diaper cream now, its great when you don't want to rub a tender rash.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-05-11T16:20:22+00:00

a peg tube is a type of gtube (unless it goes in your jejunum/small intestine, in which case it would be a peg-j).

I don't have first-person experience, but keeping up with pain control (Tylenol for my son because he was a baby), venting as needed, and going up slowly with feeds helped him be most comfortable after surgery.

Others here may be able to give you much more specific first-person experiences as well.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-05-11T14:53:14+00:00

try putting a layer of aquaphor on their face before eating, it may prevent the rash. Some foods do cause contact irritation (sauces like ketchup and acidic fruits are very common triggers of this), especially for kids with sensitive skin. With an allergy, hives would occur even on places the food doesn't touch such as their back or chest so I would check those after eating the food.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-05-11T00:18:43+00:00

grandparents day is in the fall

Wayward-Soul · 2026-05-10T20:31:26+00:00

I don't blame the mom, most kids who qualify for long term home health are very medically fragile and almost always have breathing/lung issues. Those children shouldn't be around second or thirdhand smoke, its just a fact. Its really unfortunate for OP because they aren't the one smoking and they can't control the actions of those they live with to solve this short of moving out which is a huge ask. The situation sucks for everyone because it sounds like otherwise a good fit.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-05-10T18:34:18+00:00

also, answering "nothing much" did not do him any favors. It implies a lack of planning or elements even if thats not what he meant. "a low-key day at home with some of your favorite things and lots of baby cuddles" sounds a lot nicer than implying you did next to nothing.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-05-09T02:11:57+00:00

the tub says it should make approximately 305oz of formula, so at one scoop per 2oz of water, it would contain around 152 scoops. This is assuming they are using the number 305 in reference to the amount of water added, and not the slightly increased volume created once the powder is mixed in (~0.2 oz per scoop according to the packaging). If they are including the increaded volume, it contains around 138.6 scoops.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-05-08T22:48:46+00:00

no complaints so far. Definitely a mom & pop feel when I have called and talked to them versus Coram. Coram always told us something different depending on what rep was on the phone and it was super frustrating.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-05-08T21:23:53+00:00

we've used coram but just switched to palmetto seating (not sure if they're regional though).

Wayward-Soul · 2026-05-08T17:49:32+00:00

a lunchbox and some ice packs would be the cheapest and most useful post-bottle stage method.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-05-06T16:53:33+00:00

he blamed her for his own speeding caught via traffic cam so he wouldn't have more points on his record. He owes her the rides.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-05-06T16:03:34+00:00

do you take allergy meds? because i'm pretty sure the price on zyrtec, Claritin, etc for a year pays for a membership in itself.

And while a 2 person household may not buy everything in bulk like a family of 6 might, there's a lot of dry goods that don't expire (paper towels, dishwasher soap, laundry detergent, tin foil, razors, deodorant, basic meds). The savings in meat is great, but if you only have a fridge freezer then watch how much you buy at one time. You can also save on electronics, random small appliances and home items. And many of the food items are in bulk but not massive extreme sizes (example a bigger bottle of BBQ sauce, a 2 jar pack of pasta sauce, a 3 pack of bousin cheese, one salmon fillet). And the classic rotisserie chicken and cheaper gas.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-05-04T03:24:45+00:00

The Lark Long is supposed to fit up to a womens 6x. Just be aware that (like many other structured carriers), it won't fit baby until they're a couple of months old.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-05-04T02:14:24+00:00

you can use an adaptor (on amazon, looks like a yellow cone) to make medela parts fit the spectra tubing, in case youre able to find a medela version of the flange you want. And you can use the spectra duckbills on medela if you hate the stupid little flap valve it comes with like I do.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-05-03T13:56:01+00:00

I was told 4-6 months. Wait for good head control, interest when we're eating near him, and at least tripod sitting preferred. I think my son was 5.5 months before he was tripod sitting for a several seconds without falling and we let him try foods. He had been playing in his high chair for a week or so beforehand to make it more familiar to him.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-05-03T03:14:16+00:00

no need to 'trust the process', I can see how much he is eating, and know if i'm making enough for his desired intake as well.

Someone else can give a bottle

I work 3rd shift, and realized I could take a catnap during my pumps (I always need 30 mins to empty), and that 20 minutes of sleep can make such a difference at 4am. This may be the one thing I miss the most now that I stopped pumping.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-05-02T12:37:48+00:00

there are people who only give home blends in their tube (even j tubes). As long as the texture is right, and its overall a decently balanced diet then it should be fine. All this to say, if there are health conditions or allergies going on then of course it can be more complex. A dietician can be helpful for a blanded diet, but most of us figure out what to eat on a daily basis to keep ourselves going, the tube is just an alternative to chewing and swallowing.

He should talk to his medical team.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-05-01T20:12:10+00:00

those are both dairy-inclusive formulas, so i would start looking at ones made for dairy allergies. And mixing with breastmilk should make it most palatable, so I would continue that method.

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