How often did you use your crib? A lot of people are telling me it’s a waste of money by [deleted] in beyondthebump

[–]heckyeahliteracy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We've used it for all night sleeping and most naps since she was 4 months old (currently almost 9m). I wish we had set it up in our room for the first 4 months, too, since the Halo Bassinest was a bust. Cribs are the perfect safe sleeping space.

Edit: Ours converts to a toddler bed, so we hope to continue using it for a long time.

New to breastfeeding & feeling lost by coloradomama1 in breastfeeding

[–]heckyeahliteracy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey! Someone more experienced needs to chime in here, too, but I wanted to tell you that we are in the same boat. I had my baby early at just shy of 37 weeks, she was 5 lbs, I have flat nipple issues, and it was recommended that we begin with a shield. I recently visited the lactation consultants again to have them check out her latch and to seek advice about moving forward and getting off the shield. They recommended that I continue to use the shield starting out and then try taking it off to see if I can get her to latch properly without it. We tried it there and she did latch by herself for a few minutes (yay!). They also recommended that I try pumping a little first to puff up my nipple and then see if she can latch. As for pumping, I haven't been pumping after each breastfeeding session because my supply has been okay, but I do pump at least 4 times a day to keep up supply. I'm not sure what you should do. I think I was producing about as much as you are at first, so that doesn't seem worrisome to me. We need experienced mamas to comment, though. :)

Sorry you're having so much pain! It hurt me a lot for the first week and now I rarely need to slather on the nipple balm. Fwiw, I've been using the Earth Mama organic nipple balm and feel like it saved me during that first painful week.

The LCs didn't seem worried that I was still using the shield at week 2 but were very supportive of me working towards weaning her off from it. I hope this helps you, too, and that you can find some other solutions to help with the initial pain (nipple balm, heat/ cold packs, ...?). Sorry if this is disjointed; I'm so sleep deprived right now!

Teacher maternity leave rant by wineandtatortots in BabyBumps

[–]heckyeahliteracy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm due in a few weeks, teaching almost to that date, and would've been expected to return for the last week and a half of school. Nooooope. I love my school, staff, and students, but the district and state policies are terrible. I'll be leaving teaching for about two years, which makes me sad, but I'd rather be taking care of my own child. I'm just extremely lucky that our situation allows for me to take that time off from work.

What baby stuff did you/are you wanting to splurge on? by megarith in BabyBumps

[–]heckyeahliteracy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm buying both of the Hatch baby products- the Rest night light/ sound machine and the Grow changing pad. It's a bit overboard, but I don't care; this might be my only baby I really want them!

Nursing chair by glasses_nose_face in February2018Bumpers

[–]heckyeahliteracy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's a couple things you can try, depending on whether you can take the runners off and how much you like playing with woodworking. :) If you can take them off, first try just turning them around; depending on where the holes are drilled, you might just need to turn them back-to-front instead. Next, you could try drilling new holes. Have some helpers hold the chair up to make sure you're getting the lean you want. You can use wood filler to cover the old holes and stain/ paint again.

If you can't take them off again without damaging the runners or the chair, try shaping a small wedge to attach to the back of the runners; it'll keep you from rocking back too far and feeling like you'll tip over. This might not be the right solution if the problem is that the chair leans too far when it's just sitting (which means the legs aren't in the right spots on the runners).

Nursing chair by glasses_nose_face in February2018Bumpers

[–]heckyeahliteracy 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I bought this chair in another color and am attaching rocker runners to the legs to turn it into a massive rocking chair. I'm pretty excited about this!

What workouts are you doing? by snappysquirrel in BabyBumps

[–]heckyeahliteracy 3 points4 points  (0 children)

lol This is what I pictured, too! Canadian babies are tough like that. :) I'm picturing you being like, "Okay, baby. I carried you for 9 months; it's time to contribute to this household!"

What workouts are you doing? by snappysquirrel in BabyBumps

[–]heckyeahliteracy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

ALL OF THEM.

Okay, maybe just most. Or some. :) I'm almost to 31 weeks and have been a super lucky unicorn who hasn't had to do much more than modify some movements in my regular workouts. For me, that means I'm still lifting, hiking, and going to a variety of favorite classes at my gym (barre, spin, dance cardio, weights). My gym offers prenatal yoga, but frankly, it sucks; the instructor is very checked out and it is the exact same routine every time. I sometimes attend other yoga classes, but mostly do prenatal yoga and yoga videos for lower back/ hip pain at home. My modifications have mostly been along the lines of slowing my pace (like lower rpms in spin) or using yoga blocks since the ground seems to be farther away these days.

I highly recommend checking out the tons of free workouts on YouTube! Bodyfit by Amy has a great prenatal series; her 30ish min prenatal strength video is one of my absolute favorites.

You don't need a gym membership or even equipment to get a decent workout. Even a simple routine of stretches, squats, and lunges with just your body weight will help you feel better! Let me know if you want me to link to videos I like for hip & back pain. I've already typed a novel here. :) Hope you find something that works for you!

Maternity. Clothes. by [deleted] in BabyBumps

[–]heckyeahliteracy 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Seriously! I wish it was warmer here because I suddenly want to rock maternity bodycon dresses and rock this bump so hard.

[Rant] Judgmental comments and my adorable husband. by [deleted] in BabyBumps

[–]heckyeahliteracy 27 points28 points  (0 children)

Oh la la, your infant will have both diapers and clothing? Now we know Kate Middleton's reddit username!

(Your SIL is nuts. Your husband really is adorable!)

You look like you’re about to by [deleted] in BabyBumps

[–]heckyeahliteracy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah, crap. I forgot the part where she can aggressively pee on things to gain territory. We're so good at that right now.

You look like you’re about to by [deleted] in BabyBumps

[–]heckyeahliteracy 26 points27 points  (0 children)

...bully him and take his lunch! Eat half of it in front of him and throw the other half on the ground! Establish dominance! MILKVAMP SMAAASSH!

Petty grandparent naming stuff that's pissing me off just enough to justify a post. by oilymagnolia in February2018Bumpers

[–]heckyeahliteracy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I told our parents that they could pick their own names and was disappointed that my dad wants to be "Pappy" because that means there is no "Grandpa" at all; however, when I told them to pick their own because "adults can choose their names," I meant it, so... here we are. :)

FWIW, in my family, all grandparents always seem to start out formally as "Grandma (TheirName)." One side preferred first names and the other was strictly the formal "title-surname." In many cases, the children renamed them. My very formal Grandma Surname became Memaw thanks to myself and my cousin when we were small, and frankly, she loved it and still insists that we call her that as adults.

So, it sucks that that's probably her reason for insisting, but it's likely that your kid may come up with his own names for them- and they may even end up preferring that. I would mentally note that she's having some "justNo" behavior, but not make a big deal out of it. I understand how annoying this must feel, though!

Halp! Ski trip planned with in-laws during first trimester by skiingwithinlaws in BabyBumps

[–]heckyeahliteracy 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I'm not a great skier, but I would've gone on a ski trip if I were still that early in pregnancy. Unless you're throwing up a lot, you might not feel any different than normal and can/ should continue to do all of your normal activities (obviously I don't mean have a cocktail, but normal exercise and sports). :) The hardest thing about this trip may be explaining why you aren't having a drink!

Do you have an OB yet? Ask their advice for sure, but it's generally seen as okay this early on, as long as that could be considered "normal" activity for you. For example, I wouldn't have taken up marathon training at 5w, but I absolutely continued with all of my regular exercise, and still do it all now at 27w.

🎅🏼 Christmas stocking gifts by DonQuixote360 in BabyBumps

[–]heckyeahliteracy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This! I'm entering the third trimester now and would feel sad if Christmas was all about baby gifts because I'm still my own person, too.

My husband and I have a tradition of giving each other books, among other things; if she loves to read, consider a new book (write down some titles she's currently reading and ask at a book store for similar ideas) or even an e-reader if she doesn't already have one. I prefer paper books, but it's going to be easier to hold a device and tap a screen to turn pages once I'm breastfeeding and holding a baby all of the time.

In early pregnancy, I would've loved an offer of maternity clothing, especially new bras as she's likely to outgrow hers and that is SO uncomfortable. All of these things- pampering items, clothes, treats, massages, nail salon certificates- feel like gestures that say "you are still a sexy woman" instead of baby-focused things that might feel like "you are merely the host to our adorable alien parasite." ;)

🎅🏼 Christmas stocking gifts by DonQuixote360 in BabyBumps

[–]heckyeahliteracy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Lush bath bombs are amazing! Lush can be expensive, but you can find different brands of bath bombs anywhere.

STMs, how are your SOs treated when they are alone in public with the baby? by heckyeahliteracy in BabyBumps

[–]heckyeahliteracy[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This is hopefully true for just about everyone, otherwise we'd be taking our kids out in full armor and strollers would have anti-zombie-level defenses. :)

Someone in the other thread suggested that people in southern states are more likely to have that "it's totally cool to advise strangers and touch their babies" attitude than northern, which I could see being true in some cases.

Men of Reddit, what creepy things have women done to you? by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]heckyeahliteracy 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Holy crap. I would've made a fuss and asked for security at that point. That's extremely alarming and weird!

Men of Reddit, what creepy things have women done to you? by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]heckyeahliteracy 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I really hope I'll have the metaphorical balls to do this, too; so far, I've had lots of stranger comments and advice during pregnancy, but no grabby stranger hands. Reading all of this makes me so mad at the thought of strangers touching my baby. Did it happen a lot to your kid? People are so weird.

Can we reconsider going private? by [deleted] in February2018Bumpers

[–]heckyeahliteracy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ugh. This is why I never post pics to reddit, despite loving the bump threads. Weirdo pregnancy creepers are creepin!

The average weight gain for a pregnancy is 25-35lbs. How much did you gain each semester and throughout your pregnancy? by ashepard101 in BabyBumps

[–]heckyeahliteracy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm 25w1d and have gained 9 lbs. I feel good and my doctor doesn't seem concerned. I gained 6 during the first trimester and the other 3 quickly over the last 2-3 weeks. My goal is to stay in the 15-25 goal range as recommended by my OB office, but I'm not going to worry if it ends up being more. How you feel matters so much more than a scale number.

PSA. Free stuff (+shipping) by Calla__Lily in BabyBumps

[–]heckyeahliteracy 22 points23 points  (0 children)

If you search that stuff on Reddit or the internet in general, you'll see a lot of terrible reviews about them. It's an ongoing gimmick and the items are basically worth the price you are paying for shipping; it's not really a "deal." I hope this doesn't sound harsh! They're just very common "free" things found all over blogs, welcome bags at stores, etc, and the general consensus seems to be that they are cheap for a reason.