*Baby Corner*

[Nessa 23]

have u tried keeping her up during the day so she'll sleep at night?

[Carolyn 1]

have u tried keeping her up during the day so she'll sleep at night?

Ha! Good luck on that!

ETA: Sorry, I hope that doesn't sound too sarcastic. Newborns seem to have their own rhythm--they are awake and sleeping when they need to be. Hang in there, Vi!

Edited April 6, 2009 by Carolyn

[Nessa 23]

well they have to sleep eventually, don't they? if they're up during the day they'll fall asleep at night. just shake the baby whenever it falls asleep during the day until it wakes up

this is what my mom told me she did with me when i was a baby. she would ignore me at night, let me cry and only feed me during the day. after a while i quit crying and she could sleep all night. i got used to being fed only during the day. i was a very healthy baby and she never had issues of being up all night because of me. same with my sister.

[Carolyn 1]

When he was just born I had NO luck keeping Ilyas awake. When he wanted to sleep, he did, no matter how much noise and stimulation was going on around him.

I think you can start the "sleep trainiing" kind of thing (letting them cry) when babies are around 4 months old. Until then, most babies (especially breast fed ones) need to wake and eat every few hours.

Also, Sofia was several weeks premature, correct?

[Mommy2ZaidnSalma 11]

Sofia will find day and night soon enough, give her time, she is little. I took Zaid outside when he was 2 days old. We went to babies r us. I never had germ phobia, or fear of all those things new moms fear.

[Eveline 9]

I have posted this before but I am gonna write this again WE ARE MAMMALS...and NO ... absolutely NOOOOO mammal leaves their baby without any defense in it's ´cave´ so alone and all by itself. It might sound corny but all your baby needs is YOU and the ´I don`t want her to sleep in our bed´ is complete rubbish. At least for some months give baby time to adjust. It's been with mommy the past nine month and now she's supposed to suddenly sleep, eat and live on a schedule?? Sorry...I just don't understand why in the world you don't go with your instincts and let that little one sleep close to you.

Vent over.

[tnh9479 1]

We had troubles with Zak at first at well. OMG...I would fall asleep feeding him at 2 am in the morning. He was inconsolable and never wanted to sleep by himself. We tried swaddling, sleep positioners, baths, etc. The only thing that worked was to let him sleep on my chest or with me in the recliner. At three months, he now sleeps on his own. My female relatives all told me I was going to spoil him. You just gotta do what you feel is right.

As for taking the babies out, my family has always felt for the first four weeks you should try to limit their outside exposure. We took them out when absolutely necessary, but that was it. After that, they have gone everywhere with me (even into my wound care appointments).

About wound care, I was finally discharged today and declared "healed". This is 12 weeks later!!!!

As for languages, DH is talking to the babies in Arabic and French. I am talking to them in English.

I thought I would post a pic of the "Easter bunnies" who visited us early this past weekend.

Twila

P.S. Good luck Nessa! You are almost to counting down on one hand!

[Autumnchik 6]

@ Vi - We took Declan outside for walks or to sit on our porch when he was a few days old. We limited taking him to stores, etc. until he was a few weeks or so. Hubby was actually the one who felt more strongly about not taking him out in public right away. As for the sleep, there was a time that Declan had his days and nights mixed up and I tried to keep him awake during the day, but of course, it didn't work! He would sleep when he was tired and nothing woke him up. He eventually grew out of it. I also think it is an unfair service to mothers when people talk about how their babies slept through the night from day one. While that does happen, the majority of babies wake up often at first ... they need to, they eat every few hours, especially breastfed babies. I promise you that you will eventually get sleep again ... I am a big believer in attachment parenting. When I went to my prenatal course, the instructor kept repeating that newborn babies cannot be spoiled. I had to remind myself of that when my in-laws kept commenting on how Declan would get spoiled if we picked him up every time he cried (kept me from killing them! ).

Well, my babies are coming home tomorrow. Yay!!!

BTW Twila, the bunnies are adorable!!!

Edited April 7, 2009 by autumnchik

[sara535 15]

I took my babies out and about early too, as soon as I felt good enough to be doing stuff they were right there with me

I agree about the sleeping thing. Vi, she is still SO young, by 3 months or so things will settle into a predictable pattern/rhythm with some ability to tweak the schedule, but before that its just 'baby time'. Just you yourself try to nap during the day when she does so you wont be a zombie, and if it were me I would go ahead and let her sleep on or near you. Its not possible to spoil a baby this young, they dont have the reasoning or logic skills to think anything through and try to manipulate the situation (although that DOES come soon enough LOL), she is just seeking comfort and familiarity and you are not going to spoil her by providing it

[KJandSH 0]

To all of you breastfeeding moms, what birth control did you/are you using while breastfeeding? When I was nursing my twins, I used the minipill and it was fine. Well, I'm using it again this time and I HATE it. I never spotted or had a period while using it last time, but this time (although fully breastfeeding a BIG baby) I am already having a period after being on it for just 5 days. It is exhausting breastfeeding and having a period. I felt horrible today and have had a 2 day headache on top of it all.

My husband is planning to have a vasectomy soon, so I need something until he has it and until his vasectomy is effective. A part of me wants to just trust that fully breastfeeding for the first 6 months will delay my fertility, but we don't want any more children and I'm pretty sure my husband would be uncomfortable not taking some precaution. Plus, I have to go back to work for 3 weeks in May (before my summer break) and will be pumping, so it's not exactly fully breastfeeding then.

Any suggestions?

Kristi

[Autumnchik 6]

When I was breastfeeding, I used the minipill too. When I first started it, I was super paranoid it wouldn't work, so I used VCF (vaginal contraceptive film) also. After Declan's surgery, when he stopped nursing, I was pumping only and my doc put me back on a regular BCP. I take Loestrin now and it is working fine.

[Anna C. 4]

Sleeping patterns are very unpredictable with newborns. When Jona was little I adjsuted to his schedule. Around 4-5 months he started to have some sort of schedule, which was thrown off each time he teethes. But I don't expect any schedule for a kiddo under 12 months anyways and I am strongly opposed to cry it out. My parents never let us cry it out and we just don't do that in our family, also babies udner 12 months never sleep in their own room, but always in a crib in their parents room. It makes life way easier on mom and baby and helps baby to sleep better.

You cannot really keep a baby awake thoughout the day, they need to eat about every 3 hours when they are so little (varies greatly from babe to babe though). The first three months were harder for us as Jona had so much gas and was in pain a lot. Snuggling him and walking him in a baby sling helped. Whenever he is upset, I give him lots of snuggle time and mommy time. Babies cry because they need something, I hate when people say oh they are just spoiled. GOsh babies don't manipulate, you have to have a certain brain development before they can do that. Even my ueber-mainstrem military pediatrician agrees.

When my DH got a little impatient I explained to him not to put adult standards on little baby. It opened his eyes a lot and he doesn't expect Jona to function like an adult now and has more patience. ANd honestly, I don't mind getting up 3 times at night to nurse Jona, it's jsut part of the package and I try to see it positively as extra bonding-snuggle-time. It can be hard sometimes, but that's just how it is. Rewarding moments always follow suit

[Nessa 23]

@Twila: the bunny pics are so cute

@autumnchik: enjoy

today is the last tuesday of my life that i don't have a child now every day is special in a way. it's the end of an era. BC will be gone and AC will begin.

[Chrissy25 0]

@Twila: the bunny pics are so cute

@autumnchik: enjoy

today is the last tuesday of my life that i don't have a child now every day is special in a way. it's the end of an era. BC will be gone and AC will begin.

are you nervous about the surgery?

[Nessa 23]

not really

i've had a few surgeries before. it would suck if i needed to be put to sleep, cuz coming back from that is a terrible experience, but it's a local anestesia, so no problem