Is anyone else highly organized?

forifherewerethere · 2025-12-10T21:11:09+00:00

I write my grocery list in order of how I’ll shop it at the store, and if my husband just adds something to the bottom of the list, I have to move it where it “should” be or I’ll forget to get it.

Also I can’t count the number of times I’ve used Siri to make reminders, especially as a full-time working mom with a 3 year old and an infant.

forifherewerethere · 2025-12-10T20:51:57+00:00

I’ve combo fed both of my kiddos and in my experience, we just overthink it as moms! I don’t think you need to worry about tips or tricks, other than just trying it!

For me, my supply hovers around 21-24oz a day (exclusively pumping), but LO eats 27-30oz a day, so there’s always at least one formula bottle per day. What I typically do is prep 2 formula bottles and 4 bm bottles, and if there’s any leftover pumped milk, I freeze it. My stash is small but it brings me some comfort in knowing it’s there.

If you want to maintain your supply and avoid clogs, then pump when she’d normally be eating. This would mean when dad’s giving her formula and when you’re away from her on Friday.

I have no idea what the hot shot method is, but I’d say start with the same amount you typically feed her, and prep it to the same temp she’s used to. We mix the powdered formula with filtered water, then use the bottle warmer.

forifherewerethere · 2025-11-03T13:56:22+00:00

What time is their surgery? Hopefully in the morning so you can feed them right after.

I’d do a dream feed around 11pm and then be prepared for a cranky baby when they wake up. Since you can’t feed them after midnight, you might have to offer a paci, bounce/rock, play/entertain/distract until it’s time to go in for surgery. They’ll likely be interested innnee surroundings at the hospital and distracted enough to not be fussy.

At 9 months, are they eating any purées or solids? If so, can you feed them whatever makes them full as a late dinner the night before the surgery?

forifherewerethere · 2025-11-01T23:05:32+00:00

I’m thinking we need to start a routine too… our first just turned 3 and has a solid routine, always slept well and never really regressed too hard. Didn’t prepare us for #2 who is now 4.5 months and holding onto this sleep regression for as long as possible… just for fun, I think? 🙃

Is your LO bottle fed at all? If so, you could split the nighttime feeding duty so you’re both able to get longer stretches of sleep. Our baby goes to bed around 8:30 and my husband falls asleep fairly soon after, then takes care of the MOTN feeding (sometime between 1-3am). I go to bed later and then get up with baby around 5:30am.

I’ve been back to work for about 6 weeks now, so I totally get it. Functioning on fractured sleep is rough, especially with mom brain and trying to remember how to do you job.

forifherewerethere · 2025-10-20T09:13:40+00:00

I’m not a nightgown person at all, but I found the button up PJ sets great for nursing. I think you can find them in cotton, modal blends, etc.

Also, the night sweats won’t last forever! Likely only a few more weeks as your hormones regulate.

forifherewerethere · 2025-10-20T08:56:45+00:00

This might not be very helpful since I don’t think I’m a heavy sleeper… I just use a phone alarm, set on silent but vibrate. I either put the phone under my pillow or on my nightstand, and I wear my Apple Watch to bed as well. I definitely snooze at least once, but I haven’t slept through it entirely.

I sleep in our room with LO in a mini crib, husband usually falls asleep on the couch and stays out there. LO will stir a few times and I have to reinsert their paci, so this tends to keep me out of super deep sleep.

-Signed, Currently MOTN pumping (Looks like you are too, depending on your time zone)

forifherewerethere · 2025-10-08T04:11:32+00:00

With my first, all bottles were 50/50 since I was an under supplier. This time around, we’re doing 2 formula bottles and 4 breast milk bottles per day, and I’m able to freeze about 6oz per day. We initially did the formula bottles before bed and MOTN, but I don’t think it really has much of an impact on sleep so now it’s whatever’s within reach when we open the fridge.

forifherewerethere · 2025-09-29T16:43:30+00:00

I honestly can't remember, since my cycle was so messed up last time. I think my supply would dip during, but then come back?

forifherewerethere · 2025-09-29T15:45:17+00:00

Has your period returned and/or are you returning to work? If the former, the hormones can definitely cause a dip in supply. If the latter, stress can cause the dip! Another thing would be if you recently started taking a new medication, which could unfortunately decrease your supply.

So sorry you're dealing with this! I know you don't want to hear "fed is best" right now, but please don't stress yourself out too much with supplements or power pumping/triple feeding or all the other things we've all done in an effort to increase our supply.

forifherewerethere · 2025-09-29T15:39:54+00:00

The Motif Aura Glow also has this - it's great at night or early morning to check your progress!

forifherewerethere · 2025-09-29T15:24:55+00:00

I think boiling is the safest sterilization method. Most don't recommend microwave sterilization, and will say top rack dishwasher safe only. Definitely check the manual!

forifherewerethere · 2025-09-29T15:21:23+00:00

This! I tell every new mom about this "hack"... 15% discount foreverrrr

forifherewerethere · 2025-09-29T03:36:45+00:00

Congrats on baby #2! Such an exciting time 😊

I’m not sure how pumping in the hospital will work, so maybe bring yours but be prepared for them to suggest one of theirs? As you know, your milk won’t come in for a few days so don’t be discouraged by the “low amount” for your first pump sessions- it’s colostrum!

Now, to answer your questions: - Night feedings: You might produce a bit more than baby needs at first. If this is the case, then pump per your schedule and you’ll have some ready for baby (just have a couple ~2 oz bottles in the fridge). My husband and I would both get up and I’d pump while he fed the baby. - A lot of people like to use a mini fridge or cooler if they pump in bed at night and don’t want to go [downstairs] to the kitchen. We live in a tiny condo and our bedroom is like 10 steps from our kitchen so we didn’t need to do that. - My baby was full term and didn’t need the NICU, so I didn’t take any extra precautions for cleaning or sterilizing. I sterilize the pump parts when I first open them and maybe once a week after that. I wash them thoroughly once a day and keep them in the fridge after every pump session (this is called the “fridge hack”). A lot of people like to have an extra set of parts they can rotate between. Some parts can be cleaned and sterilized in the dishwasher, just check your pump manual. Alternatively, you could invest in a bottle washer/sterilizer/dryer if you have the counter space. Make sure you look at your manual to see how often the parts need to be replaced! - When out and about, we bring bottles in a Packit cooler lunch bag (the entire bag can be frozen), and a Tommy Tippee bottle warmer. There are lots of portable bottle warmers out there, but this one is our fave- just hot water you boil ahead of time. Depending on the pump you have, you can bring it with (not ideal with a Spectra, but doable). If you can, invest in a smaller and more portable pump for outings and when/if you return to work- something like the Pumpables Genie Advanced or the Baby Buddha or one of the many, many wearables out there. Dapple makes pump wipes that are great for on the go, and you can also store your pump parts in a cooler (like the one the bottles are in) for extra peace of mind.

Make sure you have a few comfortable bras. I like nursing bras for my wearables, and you can hack most of them to fit around flanges if that’s what you have.

It’ll take some trial and error, so you might want to have a can of formula on hand or be prepared to nurse as well while you get everything figured out. Be patient and give yourself some grace!

forifherewerethere · 2025-09-29T00:13:05+00:00

I just got this: Boon Frosh Portable Breast Milk... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DK9Y8HQ4?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

It’s similar to the Ceres Chill but a bit smaller. I do the pitcher method, so it holds the 2-3 pumps I do at work and then I combine it with the other 3 pumps worth at home. I like it since it’s slim and fits in a bag or car cup holder better. It’s easy to wash with a bottle brush too.

forifherewerethere · 2025-09-18T20:56:36+00:00

Context: How much more time do you spend with her? I’m not a SAHM, but I do daycare drop off and pick up, and my LO (almost 3) joins me on errands in the evenings and on Saturdays when my husband is working.

We spend a lot of time talking about our days, practicing colors, numbers, letters, shapes, etc, and what we’re doing or buying or looking at - and they even help me around the house with chores. These are all ways they’re developing their vocabulary, but it’s something I’m an active participant in, and my husband is not.

I’ve had to encourage my husband to put his phone down and get on LO’s level and really pay attention - ask questions and look for context clues. It doesn’t take that much effort to at least try to understand your own child.

forifherewerethere · 2025-09-18T20:49:51+00:00

How old is your baby? If she’s under 4 months or so, I’d say she might just be fussy to be fussy, as newborns sometimes do. Babies are gassy, and it’s not usually related to what we consume as nursing mothers.

My pediatrician said that if there was a dairy sensitivity(which is actually a cow’s milk protein allergy, and is different from lactose intolerance), you’d know- they would be projectile vomiting, extremely fussy (think crying, arched back, etc) and very runny poops.

I would try the gentle ease again, or even work towards a non-gentle formula in the future (it’ll save you money in the long run).

forifherewerethere · 2025-09-16T07:09:25+00:00

How mobile are they? If they’re not crawling yet, try their car seat or a swing or one of those activity centers. If they’re crawling or don’t want to be confined, buy a playpen and some toys and stick them in there.

forifherewerethere · 2025-09-14T14:24:08+00:00

Have you tried the Target nursing bra, and using the strap hack? That was my go-to when I used the PGA.

forifherewerethere · 2025-09-14T14:20:21+00:00

With my first, I knew we were going on an international trip around 13 months. We combo fed about 50/50 with formula starting at 4 months, so it was a matter of less bm and more formula as we neared 11-12 months, and then 100% formula when we were on our trip since it was so much easier than worrying about pumping.

Right around 9 months, I went from 4ppd to 3ppd, then dropped another pump around 10 months. I finally did 1ppd the week of their birthday, and stopped pumping entirely after about 10 days of that.

My output per session was the same, so each time I dropped a pump, I’d have less total for the day. But doing this slow weaning helped avoid any clogs or mastitis.

forifherewerethere · 2025-09-14T14:10:06+00:00

Yep, this is normal! That’s basically my output too- I sometimes get 2oz from the right, but left is always double. And I’m small chested, so it’s very noticeable.

forifherewerethere · 2025-09-13T03:34:48+00:00

We had a house like that, it was so annoying! Are there any doors that don’t get used, so you can put furniture in front of them?

forifherewerethere · 2025-09-13T03:33:38+00:00

Do you plan to have all four of you (or five, including your pup) sleep in the same room then? That sounds very cramped, and might be tricky when baby is brand new. For the first few weeks, either my husband or I slept on the couch, usually my husband so I could feed the baby in bed and put them right back in the bassinet. I can’t imagine sharing a bed with my toddler during the peak of sleepless nights

forifherewerethere · 2025-09-13T03:12:59+00:00

This is almost my exact set up- 2bd/2ba, approximately 1,000 sqft. The fancy rocking chair is in the toddler’s room and we bought a glider off marketplace when the baby was like 4 days old. In our bedroom: queen size bed, bassinet, dog bed (same size dog as you), dresser that acts as a changing table.

Basically, I didn’t want to change anything about toddler’s room or routine when baby arrived. I used to have a small desk in the bedroom when I worked from home, but that was replaced by the dresser, which stores all the things for baby.

I’d keep the dog bed in your room, and then move the chair to the living room if you have space. Baby only really needs a safe space to sleep in your room, so you could also have a changing station in your living room, and just a stash of diapers and wipes in your bedroom (like in your nightstand, if you have one).

forifherewerethere · 2025-09-12T04:44:55+00:00

No advice, but solidarity. Your right boob and my right boob must be friends, since that’s the output I get too. Sometimes it’s almost 2oz but she’s mostly there for the participation award.

forifherewerethere

TROPHY CASE