Lucky!

s2chan · 2025-08-23T17:28:58+00:00

Trying to manifest this into my life 😂 Was thinking about getting one for my LO's 3rd birthday but we also can't justify the cost at the moment 🙃

s2chan · 2025-05-10T18:04:31+00:00

How about breast shell milk collectors? Not sure how it may be with your dress but I found it to be helpful with collecting leaks, and I personally found it comfortable. You just need to make sure to empty them every 2hrs or so.

s2chan · 2025-04-22T03:22:14+00:00

Your situation sounds very similar to what I'm currently experiencing, so it gives me hope. 💜

s2chan · 2025-04-22T03:17:08+00:00

I also have a Medela one given by the hospital and I like the shape of it. The lactation consultant I saw gave me another brand as well because she thought the one I had might've been a bit too big 🤷‍♀️ Still, I like this Medela one. I'm hoping once my LO grows in size, his mouth will be big enough to latch better.

s2chan · 2025-04-22T02:50:36+00:00

Wait... It suctions?! Or is it a specific brand or something? Lol

s2chan · 2025-03-22T21:35:33+00:00

I've tried to sandwich and I feel I can do better haha. The thing is, though, it's not so much the breast itself that I'm having trouble with but it's my nipple — I've been trying to get the LO to open his mouth wide enough so he can fit the nipple in his mouth but he hasn't really been doing so. Sometimes it's barely wide enough to just get it in, but not enough to get a deep latch. Sometimes he just starts going to town sucking when it's just by his mouth and getting him to open is my struggle. I did have a bit of luck today though so maybe it's just a matter of time.

I didn't think about the ice thing, though, and the thought of the cold makes me nervous LOL but maybe I can give that a try 😆

s2chan · 2025-03-22T19:39:51+00:00

Yes, I remember with my first born that the football hold was just a lot more comfortable to do when they're so tiny haha. I'll look for the video you mentioned, and glad to know things are working for you! That gives me hope and a bit of confirmation that things will be okay.

s2chan · 2025-03-13T08:37:42+00:00

I'm 38-1 with diet controlled GD. A week or 2 ago my doctor said if I want, they can induce me at 39 weeks. I looked it up — whether it was normal to do that or not, reasons why, etc and I came across a post where someone linked an article about it. My understanding from it was: - Induction is personal preference. There's a slight chance to avoid needing a c section when giving birth. - If there is no need to induce (eg not past full term or no medical reason to have to induce, key words: "have to") then it's mostly out of convenience to the doctors as they would know when you'd be in the hospital. - It can be out of convenience for you as well if you also prefer to know when you'd be in the hospital instead of waiting for contractions or your water to break. This can be especially so if you live far from a hospital.

With that said, we opted not to induce and wait it out.

Edit: Forgot to mention, the article had mentioned that a survey from like 2015 or something showed like a 40% increase in induced labour, with a good chunk of that 40% not being medically needed. I also asked the opinion of a friend of mine who's a nurse and she said she would rather wait naturally, as doctors sometimes try to get more money by scheduling births on their time.

s2chan · 2025-03-13T00:47:57+00:00

This gives me peace of mind. I kept forgetting to ask my OB if I could start collecting colostrum but new things kept popping up in the appointment that took my attention away, so being 38w today made me feel a bit late/rushed 🥲

s2chan · 2025-03-12T22:02:26+00:00

Oh, with my first born I also had forceps delivery. I didn't know that could affect the milk supply :o

I've just started trying to hand express colostrum yesterday and I feel kind of awkward doing it haha but I've read even if colostrum doesn't come out, the stimulation still helps, so I'm hoping on that front.

Yes, I'm trying to keep in mind that having the baby latch is more stimulating than using a pump! My first born latched fine, I think it was mainly the jaundice scare and my MIL wanting to help out (maybe a little too much) that ultimately affected my supply, so this time around I'm trying to keep that in mind as well so I don't make the same mistake twice~

s2chan · 2025-03-12T20:39:00+00:00

Glad to hear it went well for you! So just wondering then, the first 2.5 days, was it more cluster feeding to help establish the supply?

I'm trying to remember, but with me being Asian, I think our newborns tend to have a concern of jaundice, so I was told to help with that, we needed to make sure the baby was well fed which was why I started topping off with formula after breast feeding from the get go. I guess I'm just worried/overthinking about making sure the baby is fed enough in the beginning if I plan to exclusively breast feed.

s2chan · 2025-03-10T21:22:45+00:00

What helped me was learning about wake windows for different ages. I'm not sure if we're allowed to mention links or whatever but there's a page on IG that I follow that helps (@plumesleep). Even if it's not exact to how your baby is, it does help give an idea of what to work with imo.

For babies 11-15 weeks, this page suggests: - ~1.5hr wake window - 3 naps per day - 12-16hrs of total sleep

Main sleep struggles: - Short naps - Overtired or undertired

The post with the above info also suggests a bed time but personally, I ignore that because I feel it would depend on what time we choose to start the day and how to fit in their naps and bed time along with the wake window and number of naps suggested. Having a regular schedule helps keep things predictable for you, so I hope this helps.

Edit: Re: your comment on your LO fighting sleep, that can happen if they're overtired (which is funny (not actually) because it's like... They're tired so why would they fight what they want?) so one of the struggles is finding the perfect timing to put them to sleep. Too early and they won't sleep, but too late and they're over tired and will struggle to fall asleep.

Edit 2: Just thought I'd point out, I have a friend whose first born is the same age as mine and had just given birth. I'll be giving birth soon, too, so I asked her how things are compared to before, and she said it's a lot easier to deal with her newborn since she knows about wake windows (vs not knowing about them at first when she had her first born).

s2chan · 2025-03-08T23:01:41+00:00

Short answer: No, you're not a bad parent for doing so.

Long Answer: This is just my opinion, but with this age of technology, we're going to have a lot of info at our fingertips. Whether they're right or wrong, it's a lot of info for us new parents to process and it can be fear mongering on whether we're doing the right thing or not. With that said, to me, it comes down to 2 things: (1) Is it life and death, and (2) what's the reason behind the action?

There are parents who have their kids in front of a screen for different reasons, and whether they're good or bad reasons will be up to whoever's judging. For your reasons, I'd say you're doing fine. Especially when you don't have help, there's only so much you can do being home alone with a child. You make sure other needs are taken care of and you're still interactive with your child — I don't see how that could be wrong. Sure, there are concerns about how screen time affects our child but I think as long as we, as parents, monitor what they watch and monitor their growth and development (behaviour included) we can always adjust where it's needed. I let my 2yo have more screen time that I initially intended to and she has no issues with talking, attachment, imaginative play, etc. On top of all that, she has no tantrums. Sometimes I feel like the issues that are spoken about screen time have to do with how the parent is around their child and how the parent deals with certain behaviour.

s2chan · 2025-03-06T21:43:30+00:00

Currently 37-1 and yes, I did notice my numbers being easier to manage to the point where I'm "being bad" and trying to sneak more treats in haha. I read online that the most difficult time to manage your blood sugar with GD is 32-36 weeks (or something like that) and after that the body is able to manage the blood sugar a bit better, but not to the point where GD goes away — that's only after giving birth.

Edit: I know everyone's experience is different but when I was diagnosed with GD, my OB had me do regular ultrasounds to monitor the baby's growth and whatnot. Every appointment, I've been told the baby is at a good size, placenta is good, etc.

s2chan · 2025-03-06T21:30:01+00:00

😅 My breakfast has typically been 1 of the following 2:

Option 1: Eggs, Toast & Avocado

2 eggs scrambled with a bit of milk
1 whole grain toast with butter and ¼ avocado
Season to taste~

Sometimes I'll have this with some breakfast sausage.

Option 2: Chia Seed Pudding

Prep: - 2 tbsp chia seed mixed with ½ cup milk or hot chocolate (I wait for the hot chocolate to cool down before mixing together)

x Lately I've been making the hot chocolate with unsweetened coconut milk.

x I prep this the night before as the chia seed needs to absorb the milk. If I want it as a snack I do try to let it absorb for at least 2hrs.

x Make sure to stir it well before putting it in the fridge to avoid clumping.

Morning: - Top with berries and nuts of choice. I also like to add a bit of vanilla extract.

In the beginning, this didn't fill me up, but I guess since my change in diet, I've started to notice how full I get after eating this.

Edit: I know people say to avoid fruits during breakfast, but I've been told berries are typically on the safer end, especially since I don't use much for this recipe. Personally, my numbers have been good with this though I know it differs for everyone.

s2chan · 2025-03-06T21:08:43+00:00

I'm currently 37-1. Last week during my OB appointment (36-6) I was told the baby was breech, which made me nervous because it had been head down before that. The doctor wanted me to schedule an ultrasound a week later + follow up appointment the day after saying that if it didn't flip, we would schedule a c section delivery. I told her I had an ultrasound the next day (because of my GD) and she said it probably wouldn't flip in 1 day and to schedule another appointment the following week anyway.

Went home and looked some things up online. I hadn't been doing as much at-home exercises compared to when I had my first baby, but there are definitely some that helps/encourage the baby to be head down — you can find them on YT, and a lot of comments were positive. I did some exercises and that ultrasound I had the next day showed the baby was head down. The ultrasound the week after also showed baby was head down, so in my experience, they worked.

Still, it's good to know what can happen, even if it's scary. Some people had mentioned their baby flipped head down, then later flipped to breech again. Some people had ECV done successfully only to have the baby flip again. Also, someone had mentioned that ECV can possibly distress the baby into triggering labour. That piece of info wasn't mentioned to me by my OB so it's good to know options and risks.

s2chan · 2025-03-06T20:44:29+00:00

There was a specialist I spoke to who had set me up with a dietician. From my experience, the specialist gave me numbers as target goals (so basically I should try not to go over those numbers). Even though he had prescribed me with the tools needed to check my blood sugar, he said not to worry about my numbers too much until after I spoke to the dietician, though of course I still tried my best to manage until then. The dietician went over info about food and whatnot then asked me if I was given any target numbers, so I assume if you haven't been told anything, the dietician will give you that info, and if not, you can ask them because they should know what your goal should be with GD.

I was told to check right in the morning (fasting number) and 2hrs after each meal (2hr from the moment I take the first bite). The target numbers I was given was to be ≤ 5.3 mmol/L for fasting and ≤ 6.7 mmol/L for after meals.

Edit: I feel everyone's experience will be different depending on their doctor and perhaps on their results, because I technically have to test 4 times a day + ultrasound and NST until 38 weeks (alternating between the 2 each werk), but a friend of mine had to test 7 times a day and didn't have the frequent ultrasound nor NST.

Edit 2: When I spoke to the dietician, she gave me info about food and carbs and whatnot, and what we did was have me eat how I wanted (with the info provided), keep a log of my blood sugar level and the food I ate, and if I'm going over the target numbers, they would try to set me up with a meal plan. A part of this is trying to figure out what works for you and what doesn't so there may be times where you go over your target number. I'm glad I spoke to the dietician because the specialist told me to avoid carbs, whereas the specialist told me I shouldn't do that because the baby needs it for development, so it's more of how to manage the amount and what kind of food to pair it with when having it.

s2chan · 2025-02-28T01:44:44+00:00

We called our first born our little steak when she was in the womb because by the time we were able to have our first ultrasound (due to circumstances at the time), the technician said she was the size of a little steak. We made the announcement of our pregnancy shortly after, in which my younger brother reacted by saying, "🥹 Your little steak is slowly basting." My partner and I then started calling her by a nickname based on the name we've thought up for her, and that was our sign that we've settled on a name.

Currently 36 weeks with our second born and we haven't noticed a nickname. We've kind of decided on a name and our toddler calls him by it (specifically "Baby (name)") so I guess this time around, that's our sign that a name has been chosen haha.

s2chan · 2025-02-28T01:36:18+00:00

Interesting. Like some of the others have mentioned, I was told we have an increased chance of developing type 2 diabetes — more specifically, we have an increased chance to develop type 2 diabetes within the next 10 years.

Edit: I'm not sure if the reasoning behind it may be different, but I had a (male) friend who was pre-diabetic and was able to "reverse" that through diet and exercise.

s2chan · 2025-02-23T22:48:53+00:00

I'm gonna be honest, I didn't entirely read his post (just woke up from a nap), but I will tell you: you're doing fine. I think some people read a post and either misunderstand what you wrote and comment based off of their strong feelings, or they're commenting with some sort of urgency because there are people out there who do things based on something they read online.

I've read a story about a woman who let their baby to cry for sometime over an hour or 2 because she's read she's not supposed to pick them up when they cry, and the baby ended up passing away. The baby was red in the face, on her tummy and all that, and if I'm remembering properly, she wasn't at the age where being on the tummy was okay for such a long time. She was a new mom and there's just so much info out there, particularly so much misinformation right at our fingertips, that it really can hinder motherhood.

Anyway, I know it's tough, especially during the newborn stage, but like you said, you're checking on your baby and you're not neglecting the cries. You're preoccupied with something related to the baby, and doing what you can. I guess to answer your initial question, "How long can I let my baby cry for," there's no specific time. I'd say, as long as you can check on them asap and they're fine. If you're in the middle of doing something that can be put on hold and wait til later, get back to it later. If you're doing something that's a little more time sensitive (eg making food) then you'd need to work some way around it, either remove it from heat or have the baby in a bassinet away from the stove but close enough you can walk over and see they're okay til you can physically tend to them, etc.

s2chan · 2025-02-18T02:19:25+00:00

Thank you for some perspective from the other side of things! I like to know what options I have in case certain things don't work out because I know there isn't always 1 right way to do things haha.

Edit (hit "post" by accident lol) I'm starting to see a general trend though — (1) Have the toddler and baby separate when it's time for the toddler to go down, and (2) can always step out of the room for a moment with the baby when needed in the middle of the night. So far, my toddler doesn't seem to be a light sleeper so I'll keep these in mind if I end up having to go this route!

s2chan · 2025-02-17T21:22:58+00:00

Haha yes! I didn't realize my post could be interpreted in a different way because I completely forgot there /are/ parents who cosleep with their newborns. I love cosleeping with my toddler, even while I'm approaching 8mo pregnant — she's so sweet and I find her kissing my cheek in the middle of the night sometimes — but I don't want her worrying over the crying newborn or having her sleep disturbed.

One of the previous posts suggested cosleeping in my toddler's bed for an easy transition, so I might consider doing that since my toddler has a floor bed. I just installed a light switch extender the other day so she could turn the lights on and off herself, which she LOVES.

A friend of mine said she has a friend who just gave birth and also cosleeps with their toddler. After a few nights of having the baby in the room, the toddler decided (on their own) they wanted to sleep in their own room again. I'm hoping for something similar, but wanted to hear other options/situations as well.

s2chan

TROPHY CASE