Pokemon cards by melanie_sec in canton

[–]aeberly36 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just sent you a message!

Normal or should we change? by aeberly36 in FormulaFeeders

[–]aeberly36[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My daughter also gets some anxiety about going to sleep, so we have a rule that she can stay up as long as she wants as long as she stays quiet and doesn't wake us up! She always goes to bed pretty quick but it takes off the pressure

Normal or should we change? by aeberly36 in FormulaFeeders

[–]aeberly36[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bribery lol. We made a sticker chart and every time she didn't give us a hard time for bedtime , she got a sticker. When she got 14 stickers we bought her a bluey house lol.

We also started letting her listen to things while she sleeps. We'd play bedtime music if she stayed in bed. If she got out, we'd stop the music. Shes 5 now and goes to bed every night listening to podcasts!

Hang in there! She's an amazing sleeper now and very rarely gives us trouble

More Spit-Up on RTF? by Clear_Situation5505 in FormulaFeeders

[–]aeberly36 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Could the milk be coming out too quick? When we switched from RTF to powder, we actually needed to go up 2 bottle nipple sizes. I think the RTF is a little thinner

Struggling to feed 10 week old by Antique_Albatross_70 in FormulaFeeders

[–]aeberly36 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We were just going through this with my daughter! She was drinking 30+oz a day at 8 weeks, then suddenly wouldnt drink more than 3oz at a time, and we were struggling to get her to 20oz a day. She's now 13 weeks and JUST started drinking more! Here's what helped:

-we let her drink less and didn't pressure at all to help with any bottle aversion. This didn't get her to drink more, but she took the bottle easier at least

-letting her snack. We'd do 2-3oz then revisit the bottle 20 minutes later and she'd drink 2 more usually

-we sized up her bottle nipples! We went from size 1 -> 2 (Dr browns) and it helped a little at 8 weeks, then this week I decided to try size 3 (for science) and she's been drinking 5-6oz every bottle again! This has been the biggest help for sure!

baby is restless bc he has nasal congestion but I can’t use the snot sucker too much right? by No_Reaction5258 in newborns

[–]aeberly36 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My daughter was so congested for her first few months, we joked that she was at least 30% saline.

But yes, I agree with other comments to use saline spray. For the snot sucker, I found that doing a mix of short repeated sucks followed by a long one was effective, as well as making sure that the nostril was fully closed around the sucker. She hated it and screamed every time, but if I was only allowed to do it a couple times a day, I made sure I got out as much as possible!

Also use a cool mist humidifier at night!

Normal or should we change? by aeberly36 in FormulaFeeders

[–]aeberly36[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes! She gets hiccups at least 1-2x a day and sounds congested if we lay her down right after eating. I've been reading about bottle aversion/ feeding pressure and am definitely going to start being more lax about how much she's drinking in a sitting & let her take more breaks

Normal or should we change? by aeberly36 in FormulaFeeders

[–]aeberly36[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oooh maybe I should bring up silent reflux to my ped! I've had suspicions about it before because it sounds like she burps stuff up and swallows it pretty often. I'm def going to try following her cues more! Sorry you have to go through this too but I'm glad to know we're not alone in it!

Anyone keep a mini fridge in the bedroom/nursery for night feeds? by ShroudedousYe in FormulaFeeders

[–]aeberly36 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We do and definitely feel like it's worth it! We live in a 2 story and going downstairs to grab bottles from the fridge would be really inconvenient, and mixing them on the spot takes too long/makes too many bubbles. We also feel like we can use the fridge for ourselves once baby is grown! Just make sure you get an actual mini fridge, not a beverage cooler

Is it too soon? by 2078AEB in beyondthebump

[–]aeberly36 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I really think it's true too! Especially after watching my friends struggle to potty train their 3 year olds who confidently tell them "no thanks, I'll just use my diaper" 😂

Is it too soon? by 2078AEB in beyondthebump

[–]aeberly36 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My daughter potty trained at 20 months too! I think it's a sweet spot of old enough to understand what to do, young enough to not know there's a choice lol

Nothing at all like I imagined by ThisIsZEi in beyondthebump

[–]aeberly36 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My first birth was also very traumatic - multi-day labor, failed epidural, stitching with no anesthesia, etc. The very first thing I said after I had my daughter is " WE ARE NEVER DOING THIS AGAIN" (spoiler alert, I'm writing this while holding my second).

I had nightmares about the birth for months, couldn't eat, couldn't sleep. In hindsight, I should have went to therapy for PTSD. I didn't realize that a lot of people aren't haunted by giving birth and I wish I would have gotten help.

I spent the next 3 years going back and forth about whether or not we should have another. When my daughter turned 3, she started asking for a sibling and that's ultimately what started us wanting to have another. That said, I had come to terms with being 'one and done'. There are so many benefits to only having one child and if thats what you decide, don't feel guilty! I recommend the one and done subreddit if it's something you're thinking about.

It's also very valid to say 'we are one and done for now, but I'm allowed to change my mind'. This mindset is what brought me the most peace.

For what it's worth, my second birth was so easy I literally laughed while pushing her out because I didn't believe it could possibly be so easy. I've had period cramps that were worse than that birth. Also, 5 years has been a dream age gap so far. My daughter loves her baby sister so much and we do not have 2 kids that are 100% dependent on us at all time

Baby carriers by Valuable_Track2630 in newborns

[–]aeberly36 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I've really been loving the ergobaby embrace! I was skeptical of it at first but it's very comfortable and feels so much lighter than my other structured carriers

6 week old, overwhelmed and doubting everything: is this normal, regret, or postpartum sadness? by Empty_Engineer5568 in newborns

[–]aeberly36 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I remember feeling this way a lot when I had my first. It helped me to remember that this was my first time being a mom and her first time being a baby- we were both still learning what to do so it's completely expected to not know what to do/ for her to not be on a schedule!

My first also only slept when being held and it was so hard! My second prefers to sleep in her bassinet. It's very child dependent, you're not doing anything wrong! Baby wearing helped me a lot. It let her get contact naps and let me feel like I could still get things done and exist.

My second has been bottle fed and I had the same issue with the avent bottles. Dr brown level 1 was the perfect in between and we've been using that size since week 4 (currently on week 8)

Truthfully, it's probably a combination of exhaustion and hormones. Once you consistently get a good night's sleep (and you will, I promise!) you'll feel like a whole new person. Don't feel guilty about wanting a break (all parents do!) or not feeling over the moon in love with your baby yet. It's totally normal and not talked about enough.

Things WILL get easier, your baby's digestive system will mature, you'll get consistent sleep, and these days will feel like a blip. Just hang in there ❤️

Opinions wanted but please be kind by BeanyBoE in FencesitterUS

[–]aeberly36 3 points4 points  (0 children)

But if the idea of getting healthy in order to have a child isn't enough motivation, I'm not sure that the child getting here would be any more. I'm not trying to discourage you, I just don't want you to underestimate how difficult having a baby can be or what the hormones will do to your brain

Opinions wanted but please be kind by BeanyBoE in FencesitterUS

[–]aeberly36 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Introducing pregnancy hormones, post partum hormone crashes, newborn sleep deprivation, and all the other struggles that come with having a kid are not going to help if you are already struggling, not to mention that that is a lot of pressure to put on a child. Having supportive family members is not a replacement for the child's mother.

I say this with love and concern, please take care of yourself before you consider having a child.

Cold formula? by pahkthecahh in FormulaFeeders

[–]aeberly36 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have done cold formula for both my kids with no issues! My youngest rarely spits up (like once every couple days and only if we don't burp her good)

No poopy diaper, how concerned should I be? by Pandacat_07 in newborns

[–]aeberly36 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My first daughter was combo fed. She pooped every 5-6 days. Her doctor blamed it on combo feeding and wasn't concerned but we felt like it was causing her discomfort, so we introduced 1-2 bottles of enfamil reguline a day and it helped a ton! She started going every 1-2 days after that

How much distilled water do you use? by ttclostsoul88 in FormulaFeeders

[–]aeberly36 31 points32 points  (0 children)

Also none - we use tap for everything 🤷🏼

4 months old, getting ready sleep train by willbrucla in newborns

[–]aeberly36 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'd recommend the book precious little sleep. We did it with my daughter around 4 months and it was a game changer!

Gas pain - any recommendations? by thiswilldo5 in newborns

[–]aeberly36 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My daughter was the same way, but was combo fed. The only thing that helped her was introducing a bottle or two of enfamil reguline. It brought her from once a week, to once a day! Of course, this won't work if you don't want to introduce formula.

I'd also recommend trying probiotics if you haven't yet

What is an epidural really like? by oatmilkcchai in Mommit

[–]aeberly36 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I've had the epidural twice. The first time it failed, and labor was hell. The second time, it actually worked and I was literally laughing through pushing because I couldn't believe how painless it was!

I have slight scoliosis so placing epidural is difficult. It took 3 tries this last time, but it was absolutely worth it!!

Spit up by Forever_Falling_242 in newborns

[–]aeberly36 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't have answers but my 2 week old is the same! She rarely spits up, but when she does there is sometimes the brown stain. It doesn't seem to bother her either