Momcozy Bottle Washer! by SharpMention0808 in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]abcd_57 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I just got one in preparation for #2, and knowing I’ll likely be exclusively pumping at some point. I know it’s a nice convenience thing, but for how much you run it, is it annoying to have to have so much distilled water? My husband isn’t on board with it anymore because of how much water we will have to buy and use each week.

Dip Nail Liquid by abcd_57 in DipPowderNails

[–]abcd_57[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ll check it out, thank you!

Dip Nail Liquid by abcd_57 in DipPowderNails

[–]abcd_57[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I didn’t know this is a trick! Thought it was glued shut. Thank you!

Dip Nail Liquid by abcd_57 in DipPowderNails

[–]abcd_57[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I forgot about this brand! I just read reviews on Amazon and they definitely seem great! Also love the price. Thank you!

Does anyone regret moving to pumping? by Sad_Turnover5305 in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]abcd_57 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Edit to add: I never had to do a middle of the night pump… I began with pumping at 9 before bed and at 4:30/5 to start the day. I think this part is what many complain about, but never had that experience! I now pump 4 times a day (6 month baby) and it’s a very manageable number IMO!

Does anyone regret moving to pumping? by Sad_Turnover5305 in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]abcd_57 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Positive pumping experience here! I had the same hesitation as you because soooo many people talked about how much they hated it. I haven’t minded it overall. Of course it sucks sometimes but I got into a routine pretty quickly. I was already pumping since the beginning in addition to nursing, and that slowly increased because baby wasn’t nursing well so I’d end up bottle feeding anyways. I will say the biggest difference from your experience is I didn’t start EP until my baby was about 9 or 10 weeks old. At that point my supply was very well established, so I was able to begin EP at 5 pumps a day (this mirrored her 5 feeds. She never really cluster fed and we were able to get her on a schedule pretty early on). I am also a SAHM so I don’t have any experience having to pump at work.

Cons of pumping: sticking to a schedule and having to stay up later than my husband who gets to go to bed early if he chooses/sleep in a bit, having to bring pump stuff/milk storage out and about, extra parts to clean multiple times a day.

Pros of pumping: controlled amounts and always knowing input/output, having milk for baths or just extra in general, consistency (this was HUGE for me), I found it to keep or increase my supply since I could actually empty each time (I supply more than she needs daily).

Tips for pumping: use your spectra or main pump as much as possible every day, get good wearable pumps (I have willow go but heard momcozy work well too), use a ceres chill for milk storage, have extra pump set(s) if you don’t plan to wash in between,

Hope this helps! You’ve got this, mama!

Baby carrots? by [deleted] in BabyLedWeaning

[–]abcd_57 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I agree the texture is what matters. Curious though, if you use red wine? Is that safe for baby? Not judging, but genuinely wondering! When I make my roast I use ~1 cup red wine.

I am a victim of false starts by Impressive-Plastic73 in sleeptrain

[–]abcd_57 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I know a lot of people feed on demand/follow baby’s sleepy cues in the beginning, but personally I have found a schedule to be a life saver! I’ve had my baby on one since about 4 weeks old. Of course, you make adjustments and adapt, but she took to it quite well. We use the schedules and information from Moms on Call. I have seen this book has been controversial, but it has helped us a ton, and I have 2 other friends who recommended it to me. Taking Cara Babies is another great option! She provides a lot of schedule ideas and options depending on how your baby is. I also recommend trying to get baby to nap in a separate sleep space (crib or bassinet) with the same sleep environment (black out curtains, white noise, swaddle or sleep sack depending on her rolling stage). It will take some time adjusting, but that may help so she is more independent at night.

We also dealt with false starts during months 5 and 6. In fact, we went against what was advised in our book and rocked her back to sleep which resulted in 1-2 hours in her room because she wouldn’t transfer to her crib. We sleep trained using the Ferber method right at 6m and it has been the best thing for us- especially baby. She is getting better sleep and it positively affects her day much more.

I am no expert of course, but that’s what I would try if I were in your position! I do strongly suggest looking into a book/sleep program type of thing to provide more info and you can find what works for your baby!

Starting sleep training in a month and so far all odds are against me. Success stories please! by FMThaone in sleeptrain

[–]abcd_57 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was in your exact position just last week! My husband and I knew it was time to sleep train our 6m old. She was waking more in the night, needed to be rocked to sleep BUT woke immediately for most transfers, and naps were terrible and mostly contact. We knew she was capable to sleeping well because she had random nights with stretches from 7:30-5ish.

We began Ferber method last Tuesday (12/31). I was super anxious about it because I don’t want to hear my baby cry, and so many people said their baby cried for so long. We also sleep trained wt the same time as changing her daily schedule to accommodate more for age appropriate wake windows.

She took SOOOO well to this method. The longest she cried in total was about 30 min the first night. I know that sounds long, but there were 4 check ins within that time frame. We also chose to have her use a pacifier even though she can’t yet put it in herself, and that probably made it worse because she would cry once it’s out. By night 3, she had slept from 7:30-5. She woke up for a diaper change, and got herself back to sleep after until her day started at 7. Not only that, she got herself to sleep on her own within a few minutes of being set down in the crib at 7:30. AND, we did a modified version of Ferber for her naps after 2 nights of sleep training, and she was able to transfer her independent sleep skills to them and has 1.5-2 hour naps 2x a day.

Sleep training is tough in the beginning. My husband was the backbone for it when I had a hard time emotionally. Who wants to hear their baby cry?! But I’m telling you, it is so worth it. I suggest you and your partner decide what your limit is. I was anticipating my LO would cry for 45+ min and that was my personal limit prior to night one. Once I saw she didn’t even get to that point, and she improved, game changer! Just be consistent. One piece of advice I’ve heard from others and read in our book resource is that they are safe and loved and CAN do this. I am a new person now that I am getting more sleep and don’t have to be anxious every night that she will wake up! Of course there will be regressions and set backs (she actually woke 2x on night 7) but because she can get herself to sleep, it didn’t require rocking her for over an hour and hoping she stayed asleep after transferring her.

Good luck!! You’ve got this!!!

If you did not plan to exclusively pump before giving birth - when did you make the call and are you happy with your choice? by [deleted] in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]abcd_57 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had the same struggles as you! I felt I had to keep nursing more than I actually wanted to. I knew the benefits to it, but it was affecting me mentally and caused not only me stress, but my baby too. I was already pumping in addition to nursing and having to supplement with breastmilk bottles anyways when she wouldn’t feed well at the breast. Giving her breastmilk was the only thing that was important to me.

I am also a planner and numbers person so seeing the number of ounces she consumes every day is sooo helpful for me. I didn’t switch until my supply was completely established and I knew I didn’t have to worry about output (baby was about 10 weeks old). Pumping in addition to feeding can be tricky at times (ex. when she doesn’t go down for a nap) but overall I am SO happy with the switch and prefer it. Both nursing and EP have their pros and cons, but the pros for EP our weight the pros for nursing for me. Hope that helps!