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Monday, June 24, 2013

Answers from mamas

Again, thank you all so much for giving your input, insight, recommendations and advice in my questions for mamas post. I am so humbled by the time and effort so many busy mamas put into their answers, I really appreciate it! I had a few requests from mamas to be (and new mamas) for a compilation of answers so today, I am compiling the most popular answer for the questions I asked. To me, I can research for hours and hours on Google but I feel most comfortable getting advice from moms with experience. So thank you!


Pre Baby

What are your hospital bag essentials? Besides the necessities, what is something someone wouldn't ordinarily pack that was a life saver?
  • Chapstick- so many moms said this was a must!
  • Socks and a robe since most hospital rooms get cold. I bought this robe from Target and bringing some fuzzy socks and slippers I have
  • Powerstrip so you can plug in your phone and laptop/camera/ipad chargers
  • I heard not to pack a lot for baby since the hospital will provide everything you need so we aren't packing diapers, rash cream, etc. The only things I am packing for baby are his going home outfit, a pretty blanket for pictures, hand mittens, 2 beanies/hats, his baby book (they do the footprints for you at the hospital), and a cute binky...my hospital is very pro breastfeeding so I am not sure if they supply pacis or not (and I have some cute ones!). 

When should I pack my hospital bag? Should I keep it in my car?
  • Heard lots of different responses to this and I have actually started putting stuff in a bag in my closet.
  • I have a document I am going to send out to my family members with info on the hospital, what to do when I go into labor, etc so if I happen to go into labor when I am not at home and my bag is, someone can grab it for me and bring it to the hospital. And I won't keep it in the car since it is so darn hot!

Anyone else have traveling husbands? When did yours stop traveling? Jon is hoping I can make it to 37-38 weeks before he makes all his normal travel meetings remote.
  • We haven't really decided on this one. Some ladies said their hubbies didn't travel the last month, some said 35 weeks because that's when doctors won't stop your labor... so we aren't really sure. I go to the doctor on Friday then start weekly appointments with cervical checks and ultrasounds so hopefully we can get a better idea of how big he is and if he will come early. Jon will definitely not travel after 37 weeks though! 

What are some of your favorite recipes to make ahead and freeze for when after baby comes?
  • Noodle based recipes, lasagnas, soups, Mexican meals
  • I meal plan every week so next week I am going to start making double of certain recipes so we can have a few stocked in our freezer. I plan on looking on Pinterest

Post Baby

I hear post delivery bleeding can be a beautiful thing (sarcasm folks), what pads/protection do you recommend?
  • I talked to someone who gave birth at the hospital I will give birth at so that was incredibly helpful to know what they will send us home with. I got a package of the largest pads I could find (with wings) and may make a few padcicles thanks to my girl Katie!
  • I hear Tucks pads and Witch Hazel are life savers and my hospital sends you home with dermaplast

I want to pack a cute-ish outfit for me to bring baby home in, should I plan on packing a maternity dress? I have a few maxis I was thinking would be good. 
  • I plan to pack two Target swim coverups to wear in the hospital after he is born because they will be easy to nurse in and still cute. As for going home, I will most likely pack a maternity maxi since I will still be fluffy (most women said you look 6 months pregnant), and if I do have to have a C section, it won't irritate the incision.

Diapering

I have one pack of newborn Pamper's Swaddlers but curious to see your thoughts. I know it depends on how big the baby is but should I buy another few packs and keep the receipts to be safe? I have 2 packs of size 1 diapers too. 
  • Not knowing how big baby Hart will be, this one is a toss up. I purchased 2 more packs of newborn diapers and taped the receipts to the bottom in case he is a giant and doesn't go through all. My guess is we will have to purchase more which is fine because we will have lots of help from my family who can run out and grab them. I also have 2 packs of size 1 diapers inc ase he is bigger. 
  • We will be using Dr. Smith's rash cream for disposable diapers and I have a large and small container.
  • I have a few packs of Honest wipes I want to use when he is a newborn but after that we will use Huggies Naturals (bought in bulk from Costco with a coupon).

We plan to start cloth diapering when he is sleeping a little bit more at night, when did you CD mamas start?
  • This will totally depend on baby, how he is sleeping, and what his potty schedule looks like. We have 24 BumGenius 4.0 diapers that say you can start at 8lbs but I don't want to be overwhelmed with laundry when I am learning to be a mama. So we will take it one step at a time and most likely start around 2 months or so. 
  • After lots of research, we will use coconut oil (purchased in bulk at Costco) on his booty when we cloth diaper

What detergent do you use on your cloth diapers? We are using BumGenius 4.0 one size pocket diapers. 
  • We still have time since we won't start cloth diapering right away so I am not 100% sure but I have heard great things about Rockin Green. I feel like I have researched this to it's death and multiple websites/blogs say that Purex Free and Clear is an awesome mainstream detergent that is great for CDs and it is CHEAP! So we will see. 

Feeding
My insurance covers the Ameda Purely Yours double electric breast pump, has anyone ever used it? I've read great reviews but would love a personal experience.
  • A few women commented that they have the Ameda pump and love it so I am excited! And thanks to Obama... it will be free for us which is a huge plus. Our new insurance coverage starts July 1st so all I have to do is have my doctor fax in a subscription to Cigna and I will have my pump in 2-5 business days. Score!
  • Last week I purchased a bunch of breast feeding "supplies".... who knew that $100 could be spent so easily!! I bought disposable breast pads, reusable breast pads, Medela Lanolin, Lansinoh Lanolin, Earth Mama nipple butter, Lansinoh breast therapy cold packs, Lansinoh breast milk storage bags and I already have a boppy, nursing cover, bottles, etc. 
Our goal is to exclusively breast feed but I do want to pump and bottle feed so Jon (and family/friends) can help out. When did you introduce a bottle to your EBF baby? I've read many reviews that suggest different ages.
  • I think we are going to try a bottle at a month. We bought very low flow nipples that are very similar to the breast so hopefully he won't struggle with nipple confusion. Lots of moms said between 1-2 months and even 1 bottle a day was a huge help for getting extra sleep.
  • We have our breast feeding class tomorrow night so hopefully I can get more insight.
  • Another piece of advice I got from my sister was to get a bottle sterilizer so you aren't having to handwash all your bottles. They are less than $20 at Target (see here)

What is the best way to store bottles? We are using Dr. Browns that have 5 pieces so I want to make sure we have things organized. 
  • I may try plastic Tupperware for each of the parts but not sure yet. As of now, each bottle is washed and put together in the cabinet

Random

We have the Ergo, Baby Bjorn, Moby and a sling. Any great YouTube videos or how-to's on tying the Moby? I am guessing we will use that one most when he is newborn.
  • Reading the Moby manual is on my to do list and I hear it is super helpful. 
  • I've heard that the baby Bjorn isn't the best carrier for the baby's hips but we bought it for $3 from our neighborhood swap so we couldn't pass it up! I am guessing we will use the Moby and Ergo the most.
  • Becky sent me this awesome post on baby wearing
  • We were also given a Kelty Kid carrier which is for hiking/etc. but we won't use that until he is older.

We have a 2 story house and our room is downstairs and the nursery is the farthest room away upstairs. The plan is for him to sleep in the basinet in our room until we get into the swing of things and aren't having to walk all the way upstairs every hour. Any tips on what to keep downstairs? Should I keep a whole diaper changing station and all of his clothes?
  • We set up the pack and play that has a built in bassinet and changing table on top in our bedroom. We plan on using that to change him and for naps until he starts sleeping upstairs. At night, he will sleep in a real white bassinet next to my bed (or in the master bathroom). 
  • My sister told me some great advice she had heard from a friend with a 2 story house that once baby is on a good schedule (not needing a diaper change every hour), to always change their diaper upstairs so you essentially get in a little workout walking up the stairs. So hopefully we can do that once he is on a schedule but I'm not ruling out keeping a changing pad and supplies in a cabinet downstairs.

If you have some time and are wanting more details, check out the comments in the original post. So many great pieces of advice!

Thanks again moms!


18 comments:

Anonymous said...

This was so helpful and great!!

I want to let you know that I have seen quite a few moms complaining about Rockin Green. It sometimes doesn't get all the bacteria out and leads to ammonia build up. Here is a GREAT FB group that I have learned SO much from. They share a lot of great tips about everything. One of my favorites being how you can cloth diaper and have wash routines that are super simplistic. I know some diaper brands have warranties, so you have to check, but hands down it seems like original Tide powder gets the diapers super clean. You just have to worry about voiding warranties (: xoxo

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Mimiscdhelp/

Unknown said...

Just for future reference if you decide the lansinoh nipple cream isn't helping (I bought this pre baby too and ended up not feeling like it really helped...and my dog chewed it up lol) but love love love "mother love nipple cream". I HIGHLY recommend it! Can't even describe how soothing it is! Lol

Carolyn said...

This is AWESOME!!!! :) Thanks for posting! :)

Meghan said...

Hi Ruthie! Just one more bit of advice about beginning to bottle feed. Be careful about pumping too early. Your body naturally begins producing enough milk depending on your baby's nursing schedule. Often times new moms begin pumping to try to boost their supply and then their body begins making too much milk which can lead to engorgement and even mastitis. I wish I would have listened to that advice! I'm just getting over my first case of mastitis and my little one is just 3 weeks old. Hope that helps!

Becky Borgman said...

This is all great info and as a new momma of a 3 month old I agree with most of it, too! I EBF and will tell all my new momma friends to NOT buy a lot of one kind of bottle. My baby girl took a bottle every night at 2 weeks perfectly with no nipple confusion. But at 6-8 weeks she decided she only wanted to nurse and refused a bottle strongly. We had bought about 8 Tommy Tipee bottles that we are now stick with. We went through several other bottles, nipples and flows until we found one she will tolerate. She still will only really take it when she's at daycare twice a week. Some babies do great with both breast and bottle, but until you know for sure, save the money and cabinet space and only buy 2 or 3 different kinds. That's really all you'll need for awhile anyway if you are EBF.

Becky Borgman said...

This is all great info and as a new momma of a 3 month old I agree with most of it, too! I EBF and will tell all my new momma friends to NOT buy a lot of one kind of bottle. My baby girl took a bottle every night at 2 weeks perfectly with no nipple confusion. But at 6-8 weeks she decided she only wanted to nurse and refused a bottle strongly. We had bought about 8 Tommy Tipee bottles that we are now stick with. We went through several other bottles, nipples and flows until we found one she will tolerate. She still will only really take it when she's at daycare twice a week. Some babies do great with both breast and bottle, but until you know for sure, save the money and cabinet space and only buy 2 or 3 different kinds. That's really all you'll need for awhile anyway if you are EBF.

Unknown said...

Nail file and mittens for
baby because my boys came out with long naills.

Katie said...

wow! I'm not even preggos and enjoyed reading this haha! I'm sure itll be so helpful when time comes!!

jessi bridges said...

So much great advice!! Yes to the chapstick!

And I'm sure they'll mention it at your breastfeeding class but you don't even worry about bringing pacifiers to the hospital. And make sure they know (put it in your birth plan) that you don't want the baby to have any artificial nipples (pacis or otherwise). It's best to wait a few weeks if you choose to use one so there is not confusion. You want to get a solid latch and good breastfeeding going before you introduce new nipples ;)

KRISTIN said...

You got great advice! It's definitely helpful to hear it from mamas versus scouring the internet and hoping for good advice! :)

Bridget said...

This is great info you got. I purchased that same robe for my hospital stay. It was very comfy and came in handy when I was walking back and forth from my room to the NICU to see my boys.

I am now going to look into the coconut oil for cloth diapering. I had not heard of that and now am interested. We haven't started cloth diapering yet because our lil' guys cord hasn't fallen off...it's taking forever I feel like.

Thanks for posting these answers!!!

Gina said...

2 more items for breastfeeding/pumping moms. My Breast Friend - similar to the boppy. Really helps your back when your feeding as the little one starts to grow. It straps around you so you don't slouch over while feeding.
Also, a hands free pumping bra (I won't even tell you how my husband asked the salesperson for it, still impressed he bought it). It's a life saver especially when you go back to work.

Unknown said...

Thanks for linking to my video! I hope its helpful to other mamas. We do a lot of babywearing in my house so don't hesitate to ask if you have any quesitons.

Another thought on bottles - I've never given my boys a bottle of milk (I've given them water). If I'm home and they know it, all three refuse bottles. If I'm out or hiding downstairs they'll happily take a bottle. So the first time John (or whoever) gives a bottle, you should go to another room.

You're going to be great!

Miranda said...

i have ranch style house so the changing table was great but I could see how someone with a 2 story didn't use it as much. but the pack and play sounds like a good idea! especially for naps as well! good luck and this is a great list!

mrsPines said...

Love this Post Ruthie !! and I will be using the tips and following along as you are a few weeks ahead of me.

Brooke Hamilton said...

When it's time for us to have babies, I'll be coming to you for advice, just a heads up! And padcicles, what a great idea. See, I would have never thought of what to do afterwards!

Brooke Hamilton said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Emilie said...

Thank you for sharing this!!! I have had so many of the same questions. I LOVE coconut oil!! I use it for cooking and baking and it makes an amazing deep conditioning hair mask AND body lotion. If its safe enough to cook with then I feel so good about using it on a baby bottom. :)

Regarding laundry detergent - I have super sensitive skin and started using Charlie's soap when I heard it is au naturale, etc. come to find out it is also recommended for cloth diapering! I have not yet tried it for that purpose but thought I would share the knowledge. :)

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