Thankful for baby shower gifts

Yes, you need diapers, onesies, and footed pajamas.  You will go through a ton!  But, what about those gifts that last?  I have a few gifts that I am most thankful for from my showers.  These gifts have lasted me 12 months!

First, washable and disposable diaper changing pads.  My aunt gave me machine washable diaper changing pads.  I have one in pink and one in green.  They are perfect!  We have used them every day since my daughter's birth.  They are so easy to throw in the wash and have another one on hand.  You need extra protection during diaper changes for sure.  A friend from my work gave me these: Huggies disposable changing pads.  These definitely come in handy during the first couple of months.  Newborn babies have diaper mishaps all the time, and you never know when they're coming.  The disposables are great for BIG mishaps :-)

Second, a large hooded towel.  My cousin gave me a cute yellow duck hooded towel.  It is adorable!  We definitely have used this throughout the year.  The hood is especially helpful if your baby has a lot of hair like mine.

Third, music.  My aunt gave me a 2-disc CD set by Fisher Price.  It's a rain forest theme with lullabies and playtime music.  I never knew how valuable these songs would be!  We've been playing them for our daughter since she was born.  She instantly recognizes the music.  Even today the lullabies help her go to sleep, and the playtime rhythms calm her down when she's in a bad mood.  Great stuff!

Fourth, larger sizes.  Lots of baby shower attendants think of only newborn sizes and then you have tons of only one size.  I was so thankful that I received a few clothes and diapers that were larger than newborn.  The largest size I received was a 9-month footed pajama.  It took a while until she was able to wear it, but I was glad we had it!

Fifth, keepsakes.  I am thankful for handmade keepsakes.  Several of my relatives made handmade blankets, and one of my aunts made a picture frame with my daughter's name.  Keepsakes last forever and have special meaning.  I cherish these, and I am thankful that my daughter has them for years to come.

 

Babies talking in their sleep

My little one wakes me up with her talking if I leave the monitor on all night.  She is asleep, but she makes all kinds of noises.  Apparently this is normal.  Please visit this link on Baby Center for more information on baby's sleeping habits. 

While she was a newborn she would sometimes cry during sleep.  She would also make funny grunting noises or laugh.  Now, she mimics what she says during the day.  Last night around 11:00 pm, I heard her saying "da da" but was still asleep.  So cute!

Timing Feedings

Some breastfeeding books will tell you not to time your feedings, or in other words, look at the clock.  Personally, the clock has helped me tremendously.  This may sound crazy, but in the first months of sleep deprivation I couldn't tell the difference between 10 minutes or 20 minutes.  While breastfeeding, you don't specifically know how many ounces of milk your baby receives.  For me, I would measure it by the minutes. 

I conveniently had a digital clock nearby, so I would watch the clock.  In the beginning my baby would nurse about 20 minutes per side.  Sometimes it would be necessary to unlatch her or encourage her to keep nursing. Most newborns will fall asleep at the breast, so it's important to know how much longer they need to feed or if it's okay for them to stop.  If they've gone too long, then it's like you are now the baby's pacifier.  I'd rather switch to the other side when that happens :-)

After a while, I was so used to the clock that I would watch it while on road trips.  We would stop at a gas station or resting area for me to nurse.  I would watch the radio clock.  I would think to myself "as long as we can get at least 10 minutes on each side, we'll be okay".  If I am somewhere that doesn't have a clock nearby, I use my cell phone. 

This tip has helped me to not only measure each feeding, but also see the progression of weaning.  It has been interesting in these last few months because sometimes she'll only nurse 3 minutes per side.  It's amazing how weaning happens naturally.  What a beautiful thing! 

Pre-Pregnancy Jeans

Pre-pregnancy jeans.  They are our dream and our fear.  Dream that we can be the size we once were.  Fear that we may never be.

I am not an expert on exercise.  I am also not a model for Fitness Magazine.  However, I want to encourage you that it can happen.  You can wear your pre-pregnancy jeans again! 

It took me 7 months and 11 days.  I give most of the credit to lifting weights.  I had never been much of a gym person before.  It was a little intimidating, but I did some research and gave it a try.  I started noticing results after one full month.  All of these weight loss products and gadgets make you think that losing weight is easy or fast, but that is far from the truth!

Lifting weights is so important for women.  Mostly we think lifting is for men only so they can become big and muscular like Hulk Hogan.  However, that is a myth. Lifting weights is very important for our health.  Read this article about why women should lift weights. 

Let me share with you a few resources that have helped me understand exercise.  The first is the book Fitness For Dummies.  It is excellent!  Here are a few excerpts that are my favorite:

Why you've gotta lift weights

The only way to increase your metabolism is to build muscle, which you can best accomplish by lifting weights.  How does this work?  First, a couple of definitions: Your metabolism refers to the number of calories you're burning at any given moment, whether you're watching The Weather Channel or riding a bike.  But when most people use the term, they're referring to your resting metabolism, the number of calories your body needs to maintain its vital functions.  Your brain, heart, kidneys, and other organs are cranking away 24 hours a day, and your muscle cells are constantly undergoing repair.  All of these processes require energy in the form of calories simply to keep you alive.

But here's the key: Your resting metabolic rate depends primarily on your amount of fat-free mass - everything in your body that's not fat, including muscle, bones, blood, organs, and tissue.  The more fat-free mass you have, the more energy your body expends in order to keep going.  So, you want to be muscular.  You can't do anything to increase the size of your liver or brain, but you certainly can make yourself more muscular, and lifting weights is the primary way to do just that. 

If you don't lift weights, your metabolism will slow down every year, as your muscles slowly waste away.  And with a more sluggish metabolic rate, you'll gain weight even if you eat the same amount of food.  How's that for incentive to hit the weight room?
 

Another resource to learn exercise routines is www.muscleandstrength.com.  This link will show you how to work each muscle group.  You can click on each muscle and view videos of so many exercises!  It's awesome!   They have routines for beginners, intermediates, and advanced.  Try it out!

Vaccinations & Baby Tylenol

I wish I had known to give my baby Tylenol or baby acetaminophen before and after her first doctor visit.  We know that it is rough getting those first shots.  I think it was harder on me than her! However, I didn't know what was coming later.  A few hours afterwards she turned into a complete mess!  She was crying uncontrollably and it was impossible to calm her down. 

The doctor said "give your baby Tylenol if she gets a fever". The key word here is "if". I was waiting for a fever to arise and she never developed one.  Finally, without a fever, I gave her Tylenol and within 30 minutes she was back to normal.  Thank goodness!

All babies are different.  Your baby may not respond as mine did.  But just in case, this is what I learned... give her Tylenol at least 30 minutes before her appointment and 4-6 hours afterwards.  By the next morning the crankiness should go away.  Every appointment since has been okay for us. 

I use this acetaminophen chart as a dosage guide.  Keep in mind that not all droppers are the same.

The Mommy Club

Becoming a mother is like you're now a member of the "Mommy Club".

When I am out in public and see other mothers I can instantly relate. Just yesterday I saw a mom breastfeeding in the waiting area of a restaurant. She was doing it so well! She had a pretty scarf wrapped around her son's head and was very discreet. I definitely noticed her.  I admire mothers who can breastfeed in public and do it well. 

I also noticed another mom with a newborn.  Her baby couldn’t have been more than three months old.  Instantly, when I see these other moms I just want to reach out to them.  I want them to know that they’re not alone.  Many times, in the midst of another diaper change or bath time, I feel like I’m the only one feeling totally exhausted. 

We are not alone!  I have found that the best advice comes from connecting with other mothers.  What a wonderful club! 

I'm currently reading a book called Mom Connection: Creating vibrant relationships in the midst of motherhood by Tracey Bianchi.  In the second chapter she writes:

"Never Alone Yet Lonely: Motherhood, while marked as a life stage of peppy bliss, can produce tremendous anxiety and isolation all, interestingly enough, while a woman is not physically alone. As moms we have little people literally hanging on us all day. We sleep with kids, nurse kids, strap kids to our chests like kangaroo-like-carriers. We cannot leave the house, the car, the restroom without them. We are never physically alone and yet our souls starve for connection.

Often our best efforts at connection can be hijacked. Perhaps we finally make plans to connect with a new friend, only to wake up to a toddler with a fever of 102.9. Your poor pediatrician has just become the conversational high point of your day.

No amount of balance, wisdom, or insight can shape a perfect mother. Everyone struggles. We should find this tremendously freeing because it helps to know we do not struggle alone. The old cliche "misery loves company" applies.

At this life stage where emotions feel crisp and near crumbling, even a simple invitation can shape our days and weeks. Author Adele Calhoun says, "Invitations challenge and remake us. They can erode and devastate. And they can heal and restore us. Being wanted, welcomed, invited and included are some of the most mending experiences on the planet."
 

I can definitely relate to these words in Tracey's book.  I am comforted to know that I am not alone.  I hope this information is helpful to you as a mom.  We all have different struggles as mothers.  Just know that we can lean on each other.  :-)

Nursing Strike... Ouch!

A few weeks ago, my baby went on her first nursing strike.  It was an emotional and yet puzzling experience.  I found this article on BabyCenter.com that answered all of my questions. Please see below for some helpful information from the article:

What is a nursing strike?

A baby who refuses to breastfeed (and is not in the process of being weaned) is said to be on a "nursing strike." A nursing strike is your baby's way of telling you that something's wrong. And it'll probably take a little detective work to figure out the problem.

What causes it?

Here are some reasons your baby may go on a nursing strike:

• Mouth pain from teething, a cold sore, or an infection (such as thrush)
• An ear infection, which may cause pressure or pain while nursing
• A cold or stuffy nose, which can make breathing difficult while nursing
• Reduced milk supply or a slow letdown
• A major disruption in your baby's nursing routine or schedule
• If your teething baby has bitten you and your reaction startled him, he may be afraid to nurse after that.
• A change in soap or other toiletry that causes you to smell different to your baby
• A change in the taste of your milk, caused by a vitamin or drug or by hormonal changes (from pregnancy or your period, for example)

What can I do?

A nursing strike can be tricky for even the most dedicated breastfeeding mother. With patience and support, though, you can get through it.

A nursing strike usually lasts between two and five days, but it can go on longer.  While you continue to encourage your baby to nurse, you'll need to pump (or express your milk by hand) every few hours, or about as often as your baby had been nursing. This will help keep up your milk supply, prevent plugged ducts and engorgement, and provide your baby with the milk he needs. You can offer the expressed milk in a sippy cup, a bottle, a spoon, an eyedropper, or a feeding syringe.

Here are some ways to overcome a nursing strike:

• Try nursing when your baby is very sleepy. Many babies who refuse to nurse when they're awake will breastfeed when they're sleepy.
• Visit your baby's doctor to rule out medical causes (such as an ear infection or thrush) and seek feeding advice.
• Vary your nursing position. (Your baby may be more comfortable in one position than another.)
• Nurse in motion. Some babies are more likely to nurse when you rock or walk them than when you're sitting or standing still.
• Nurse in an environment that's free from distractions. It's common for a 6- to 9-month-old to go on a nursing strike as he becomes more aware of the world. Babies this age are easily distracted and often prefer to "snack" at the breast instead of settling down for a meal. Try nursing in a dimly lit, quiet room, away from the sound of the radio or television.
• Give your baby lots of skin-to-skin contact (try nursing without a shirt on or in a warm bath). A sling or carrier can help keep your baby close between nursing attempts.

It's easy to jump to the conclusion that a baby who doesn't want to nurse is weaning himself. But it's unlikely that a baby under a year old who has been successfully breastfeeding is ready to give up nursing. (An older baby may cut back in reaction to a new pregnancy, though.)