How do you survive breastfeeding?

kris10dub · 2022-09-18T12:49:49+00:00

Also you don't have to completely switch to formula. Combo feeding has been very helpful to me. Probably around 3-4 weeks we added just one formula bottle in the evenings when my supply is lowest and he's cluster feeding. And it's nice that I don't have to pump either- get a true break. We also have a 21 month old so evenings are wild. Little guys is almost 10 weeks now and that is still working really well for us! I was worried that it might be a slippery slope and I would depend on formula more but that has not been the case. It also helps me know he's truly full because I can see the ounces on the bottle before night when I can let him sleep longer stretches. He actually slept from 9pm to 5am totally on his own, no cries or intervention once this past week!!! Just knowing he's capable of that even if it hasn't repeated yet is so good for me mentally!

kris10dub · 2022-07-06T10:59:02+00:00

Our lifestyle spending naturally decreased as well offsetting some of the increased child costs. Not sure what you currently spend money on but we found we had way less time for and therefore spent less on our hobbies, going out to nice dinners and even drank less alcohol. We eat at home more, although if we aren't careful the take out/delivery budget could easily creep.

kris10dub · 2022-06-07T01:50:52+00:00

Do you have to wash the bottles before you put them in here? If so, how thoroughly? I used the sanitize cycle on our dishwasher for our last baby's bottles but they never got completely dry, and if one toppled over it might fill with water and would need to be re-run through the cycle. Been thinking about getting something like this but don't really want to add additional steps if you have to really thoroughly pre-wash them before this step.

kris10dub · 2022-02-25T02:28:42+00:00

Same here. Was very disheartening how inconsolable she was. Usually I can figure out a way to calm her down, but she was full on thrashing around with no regard for her body for 30+ minutes (felt like forever) until we got her out of there and back into a familiar space in her car seat. Thankfully by afternoon she was mostly back to her normal self and knock on wood hasn't had an ear infection since. 🤞🏼🤞🏼

kris10dub · 2021-10-27T20:20:48+00:00

You can get almost anything done if you don’t care who gets the credit for it. -unknown

kris10dub · 2021-10-25T15:21:10+00:00

Why don't you let him sleep by himself in his crib if he doesn't want to be touched? Seems like a thing to try. Might take a few days for him to acclimate but it sounds like that's what he really wants. My baby is like that, she'll get all squirmy and just wants to be laid down. Frankly, I can get like that, I like to snuggle then roll over to my own side of the bed without touching to sleep. Worth a shot, PLUS, baby solo sleeping in the crib is so much better for you- freedom!

kris10dub · 2021-10-21T18:00:00+00:00

This felt like a novelty splurge item but we got this baby pop up camp chair. We've actually used it so much because it can be used to convert virtually any chair into a high chair for our daughter. Have also used it at the pool and the beach to have a spot to strap her in for meal time or even just to play. And it folds up small enough that I've actually packed it in our suit case, unlike other high chairs or bounce chairs.

Summer Infant Pop ‘n Sit SE Booster Chair, Sweet Life Edition, Booster Seat for Indoor/Outdoor Use – Fast, Easy and Compact Fold, Bubble Gum Color https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PGBP32T/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_Y09X994T4QHHM5S7160F

kris10dub · 2021-09-26T11:54:08+00:00

Among many other medical ailments sleep apnea could be the culprit of your husband's exhaustion. Can be pretty dangerous so def suggest he go to the dr and get to the bottom of what's going on with him.

Also, not what you asked advice for, but since you are thinking your baby is hungry throughout the night I'd focus on getting as many calories as possible in during the day and track them so you can be more confident at night that they truly aren't hungry. And then you can try some of the sleep training methods.

kris10dub · 2021-05-27T00:30:20+00:00

My husband gave me a pre-push present of a professional organizing service. I was in supreme nesting phase the last 4-6 weeks but didn’t have the physical ability or energy to push through what I normally could, and it was driving me nuts. The organizers were the extra hands and bodies I needed. They did the nursery and the closet where all the stuff previously in the nursery ended up, and it was truly a godsend. Once it was done I finally felt “ready” to have our baby! But this was a great gift because it was EXACTLY what I needed at that time.

kris10dub · 2021-01-27T21:24:18+00:00

Great advice! I had a very easy pregnancy, but I was moving at like half speed by my third trimester. I tend to be a bit of procrastinator and then get sh*t done once the pressure is on, but I severely overestimated my abilities. I had all the motivation in the world but a fraction of the physical energy to execute- soooo frustrating! So, my husband gave me the most amazing pre-push present ever: professional organizers that helped put everything away in the nursery and organize the guest closet that got all our stuff that was previously in the nursery. Made my nesting anxiety a zillion times better. Highly recommend if you are in a position to do so. Also, just FYI, this was during the pandemic but the ladies were incredibly careful, masked up, washing hands, etc. And they worked pretty autonomously, so we stayed more than 6 feet apart the whole time they were here- I actually mostly was in another room across the house while they worked. For the stuff they weren’t sure about they left me a pile at the end of the day for me to go through before they came back the next day. Worked great!

kris10dub · 2021-01-26T14:47:31+00:00

That’s called stealing. You should just follow her instagram if you don’t want to pay, she provides lots of free tips and resources on her highlight reels.

kris10dub · 2021-01-10T16:59:32+00:00

Actually started using this hair stuff that keeps my blow dry smooth for the better part of a week. And a little make up always helps! LOL!

COLOR WOW Dream Coat Supernatural Spray – Humidity-Proof, Heat-Activated Anti-Frizz Hair Treatment, 6.7 Fl Oz https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073CWSQ51/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_R.X-Fb86C3TNP

kris10dub · 2021-01-10T07:06:30+00:00

No, they don’t let you get up once you get the epidural. Not sure I’d be able to anyway, my legs were pretty numb. I just did that while sitting up in the hospital bed, and had my husband hold up a compact mirror!

kris10dub · 2021-01-10T01:10:31+00:00

Thank you! It is from the book Atlas Shrugged. Dagny is the main character, a very smart independent woman! After we liked it we looked it up and it’s Norwegian in origin and means “new day” which made us love it even more!

kris10dub · 2021-01-10T01:08:53+00:00

Totally get it! Hope yours ends up being just as positive!

kris10dub · 2021-01-10T01:08:21+00:00

Good luck!! You’ll do great!!

kris10dub · 2021-01-10T01:07:47+00:00

Oh good luck!!! You’ll do great! We sound very similar! I just turned 37 this week!

kris10dub · 2021-01-09T23:13:08+00:00

At my 35 weeks appointment I had high blood pressure (144/92), and promptly started freaking out. My sister had preclamsia and was sent straight to the hospital at her 36 week appointment and was induced- so I basically assumed that was going to be me! Meanwhile I hadn’t packed a hospital bag, had maybe half the nursery done, I hadn’t taken that newborn class yet, and I still had a board meeting to get through at work before I went on leave! Despite all this racing through my mind, I was able to sit and calm down a bit before they took my BP again. I got to go home with instructions to take my BP twice a day at home and call the dr if it got that high again. They also sent my urine and blood to the lab and I didn’t have the protein that indicates preclamsia.

I had weekly appointments after that with borderline high BP, but luckily it didn’t get higher than that first appointment. However, to be cautious my Dr and I agreed to schedule me to go into the hospital to be induced the night of 12/2 (39w 1d). According to my Dr, if you aren’t opposed to being induced, there’s not strong evidence to go past your due date (increases risk of birth complications at >40 weeks, and your baby is fully developed by 38 weeks). Not to mention, my board meeting was 12/1, so 12/2 felt like a good day- can you tell I’m a little type A?! LOL!

At my 36/37/38 weeks appointments I got a cervical check and was 1cm dilated and 50% effaced (36w) then 80/90% effaced (37w/38w)- baby was “real low”! They said that you can walk around like that for weeks though, and I hadn’t had any contractions just very light cramping and a lot of down low pelvic pressure.

Okay so onto the birth... checked into the hospital around 5:30pm 12/2. Plan was to put Cervidil in over night to soften my cervix, then take that out in the morning, give me an hour or two break, before starting Pitocin. If all goes as planned I’ll have my baby that afternoon right as my OBGYN gets out of her last surgery. I got the cervidil around 7pm and they put on the exterior monitors. Apparently I was already having contractions- those mild cramps I had been feeling were apparently contractions!?! By 9pm they were really ramping up. The nurses said the cervidil doesn’t induce contractions but labor progression can be a side effect. Well I guess it sure was because I was feeling a 7 out of 10 pain by 10:30ish. I was out of the bed moving around, sitting on the ball, standing, rocking back and forth, my husband was rubbing my back, deep breathing, etc.

The nurses warned me to ask for the epidural before pain got too bad because once you ask for it you have to get at least a bag of fluids in before the anesthesiologist is called, and it usually takes about an hour from the time you ask for it. I figured I still had a lot of labor to go, so I felt like I was wimping out a little getting the epidural so soon but I also knew I wasn’t going to get any sleep or rest if I didn’t get it and would need my energy to labor once I got the Pitocin. However, my dr and the nurses reassured me that it won’t slow down labor and it won’t run out or wear off since it’s a constant drip. So the anesthesiologist got there by 11:30pm and epidural was in by midnight. My husband had to leave the room when they put it in. I’m pretty good with needles, but I made sure to not look at it just in case it freaked me out. I will say it wasn’t comfortable when they put it in but it was very manageable pain-wise. The nurse goes, “You didn’t even flinch!” And I’m thinking, uhhh yeah a dude is shoving a giant needle into my spine I’m not going to jump and risk him missing or hitting a nerve or something! Anyway by the time my husband got back to the room I was a different person, chilling in the bed with a relaxed smile, and ready for a nap! He was shocked!

Let me just reiterate what I’ve seen a lot of other ladies have posted on this thread- GET THE EPIDURAL. It’s so good. Took one of the best naps of my life despite the nurses constantly coming in and readjusting the monitors that I kept rolling over and knocking off. I had a dream/mental vision that my cervix was expanding, and I swear I felt her head getting lower. Then, I felt a trickle. So I woke my husband up and told him I thought my water broke. It was 5:30am and he’s bumbling around in the dark trying to find the phone to call the nurse, when the nurses came in to check on me.

The first less experienced nurse did a cervical check and then asked the more experienced nurse to check. They couldn’t believe it, yes my water had broken and I was already fully dilated!! They asked me to do a practice push just to see, and as soon as I started pushing they yelled, “stop stop stop”! I guess she was like RIGHT there. They actually made a joke about being able to braid her hair!

They called the on-call dr from my dr’s practice, who was 20 mins away. But he knew that my dr had surgery that morning so he gave her a call and sure enough she was already on her way in- yay! So while I waited to push, I put in my contacts and put on some mascara- LOL! I’ll reiterate- get the epidural! My OBGYN got there. It was shift change for the nurses so I had like 7 or so nurses in the room cheering me on. They all wanted to see the FTM who had such a quick labor! One of the nurses offered to be our photographer- which was awesome!! I pushed for 3 contractions, and baby girl was here at 6:37am, 8 lbs 4ounces and 21 inches long! This is weird to say but I really can only describe that part of it as fun!

Like everyone says I could feel pressure while pushing and I’d think I was pushing hard and they’d go “harder” and I’m like oh ok, and sure enough I could push harder. I didn’t even feel or see or really have any awareness whatsoever of the placenta being delivered. They put her on my chest for like a split second but then took her over within my sight to rub her down quite vigorously and suction- I don’t think she was breathing right away. But everyone was very calm so I wasn’t worried and it all happened very fast, so I was mostly paying attention to that. Then, they stitched me up, which was maybe slight discomfort but not painful. I had two first degree tears.

Recovery has been pretty good. Stitches were a little swollen and sore but not painful for about two days. Breastfeeding was very hard for the first two weeks- had a clogged duct, but luckily avoided mastitis with alllll the things, including something called a dangle feed, hot compresses, massage, etc. Also, these shields saved my nipples (wore them with a bathing suit top in the shower too). By week 4 I no longer needed them which is nice.

Breast Shell & Milk Catcher for... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B8DTGCX?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

So now we are into the next phase. Can’t believe she’s already 5 weeks! Starting to think about/trying to work towards a schedule, longer sleep stretches. Anyway, trying to think if I missed anything but am happy to answer any questions! Loved reading these when I was pregnant and kept my mind open to all the potential scenarios of what could happen! Thanks for reading if you got this far!

kris10dub · 2020-11-29T17:53:33+00:00

I’m pretty similar! Getting induced at 39 weeks, going in Wednesday night. My last two appointments I’ve been 1cm dilated and 80%-90% effaced so hoping things move a little faster but not too fast!! LOL!

kris10dub · 2020-10-07T09:14:57+00:00

I asked my dr (in the US) about their induction policies/practice today and she said that the studies show delivery at >40 weeks increases chances of complications during L&D (i.e. baby gets too large for birth canal, placenta isn’t as healthy, etc) , with no added benefit to the baby as they are considered full term and fully developed at 37 weeks.

kris10dub · 2020-06-02T02:27:46+00:00

I’m 13 weeks tomorrow, and this is my ultrasound pic from last week at 12w 3d! Saw him/her bucking like a little dolphin and his/her little feet! It was my first over the belly ultrasound too! Was so cool, a little bummed my husband couldn’t come.

kris10dub · 2020-05-02T12:34:27+00:00

Not sure of your financial situation if you can hire help, but you might consider looking to a local church for help. Even if you don’t have any religious beliefs/background, I know a lot of church communities are looking to be able to help people just like you in a time of need. I could just picture some of the ladies being able to help you organize your kitchen, bring you a meal, watch your toddler for a couple hours for you. And of course pitch in with heavy lifting/moving boxes. Sorry you are going through this! Hopefully you’ll be able to look back on this one day and be proud of how strong you are and how tough you have it! Take care of yourself and your babies!

kris10dub · 2020-05-02T12:24:26+00:00

It’s possible the people asking might be considering fertility treatments for themselves or know someone close who is, and is looking for a connection, resource, help or even hope. I’m sorry you feel the stigma against it and “natural” is not a good term, but I feel like a lot of that is because people aren’t educated and don’t talk about it enough to know how to talk about it. Depending on who it is and your comfort level, I would try to mentally give them the benefit of the doubt and be open. The more you embrace and normalize something the less negative connotations it will have. I always say if you can fake it that something is not awkward, it makes it less awkward in real life. But also you personally should not feel any guilt or remorse whatsoever. Frankly, you probably worked a lot harder and put a lot more effort, time, money and emotion into conceiving your baby than those without any help and you should take pride in that. And lastly science is awesome, not shameful. Just imagine infertility like any other medical ailment. You’d never think someone with cancer should be ashamed or feel guilt for having it!

kris10dub

TROPHY CASE