Baby Questions Part One
As a new mother I am naturally obsessing about every detail leading up to Baby Goins' arrival. I'm sure like most other things in life, I'll learn that most of those details I'm concerning myself with don't really matter. Even so, when trying to make decisions I'd like to ask your opinions on some baby topics from time to time. Here we go, round 1! Please leave me a comment weighing in on any of the below you might have some knowledge of or experience with, whether you have children or not. I welcome any advice!
2. Parenting book recommendations, through toddler years
3. Birthing book recommendations
4. Attachment Parenting v. Baby Wise v. Happiest Baby on the Block
5. Lamaze v. Bradley Method
1. we used dr brown's bottles and i really liked them. they do have a few parts to them, but didn't take long AT ALL to put together. mm had no gas issues--not sure if it was the bottle but both cooper and i had colic so i'm going to say it WAS the bottle.
ReplyDelete2. i have 'what to expect the first year' and even took it to the hospital w/me. have your hubby is like having this book though--him being a doc and all. :-) mm had cephalohematomas and i had no clue what those.
3. i read EVERY book in the gwinnett co library system on this. my favorite was 'a girlfriend's guide to pregnancy'
4. someone gave us both baby wise and happiest baby on the block dvds. honestly, we used neither--mm was a super laid back baby in my stomach and she remains so today. she was sleeping 6+ hrs at 2wks old and was so happy all the time we didn't need to. we did swaddle--only below her arms b/c she liked to move them and when she cried we did sway and "shoosh" her--which is happiest baby on the block.
5. i knew early that i would need a c-section so i didn't worry about that. all i knew was GIMME THE DRUGS! haha :-)
you're going to be a great mom. as soon as they put that baby in your arms you'll just know what to do and how to parent (trust those instincts)...and this is coming from a girl who is an only child and who has never babysat. i had never changed a diaper or given a baby a bath until we had mary margaret. :-)
Hey there Angela. I love that your blogging about pregnancy, the good, the bad, and the ugly and trust me you will get the beautiful when you meet precious baby Goins.
ReplyDeleteI can say that we have born free but haven't tried them yet. I'll let you know when we start using bottles more what I think.
I agree with Natalie that the girlfriends guide to pregnancy was my favorite, it reminded me of all the stuff about pregnancy that maybe like Heather would be honest about. They also have a girlfriends guide to the first year which is pretty good.
Lastly, they didn't have lamaze classes around Knoxville and I wasn't willing to spend the amount of money bradley method classes were. But anyway, I read some of Sheila's books and just basically played the day by ear. Supposedly though I did the Bradley method without realizing it. My nurse asked during labor if I was doing the Bradley method because that's what it looked like but I just used a few ideas here and there and just listened to my body. Oh and p.s. the obsessing doesn't stop at the arrival, haha, it definitely continues once they're here.
1. Although you know that I'll first say "Breast is Best" your little one might like one bottle over the other. I would suggest to have a couple of each and see which one Baby Goins prefers or takes to best.
ReplyDelete2. Dr. Sear's "the Baby Book" it's my favorite so far. I still refer to it the most
3. The Lamaze guide to childbirth was the best read for childbirth. I also read Ina May Gaskin's "Hippy-ish" books which include many different childbirth stories and I liked them, too. Dr. Sears has a childbirth book, too. Just prepare yourself with different possibilities of childbirthing techniques and listen to your body.
4. Same thing. Read all the different techniques and apply what works for you. I'm a little attachment parenting and happy baby... (and maybe I'm babywise, too?!) All the techniques are all good to know. Breastfeeding, Co-sleeping, trusting your baby's cry, swaddling, shooshing, rocking, doesn't that ALL sound great for your precious blessing?!
5. What ever class is available. It's always a good idea to build confidence with a class and get to know other mommies (and daddies)-to-be.
Pregnancy is a wonderful time and scary too and it's nice to have someone close to compare bellies and symptoms, too.
There's my take on your round one questions! Bring on the rest!
love ya, sheils
Hi Sweetie! Hope you are feeling great!
ReplyDeleteHere is my feedback on your questions-- you know me, no sugar coating with this chicky:
1.) wait until the baby is born to buy any bottles or formula. We had purchases the platex bottles pre-Ben and he hated them. Some babies like rubber nipples, some like the regular ones- some like skinny nipples and some like the wide bottle nipples. I would wait.
2.) Your Self-Confident Baby: How to Encourage Your Child's Natural Abilities from the Very Start. This is a great book on giving your child the resources to make good decisions and understand things themselves.
3.) The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer. or Belly Laughs
4.) I have mixed feelings about all the books out there on this subject-- I just feel like so much comes naturally and I did what felt right. Dont fight your nature/nurture instinct. There is no right way or wrong way to bond with your baby. Every book has a different view and I found myself agreeing and disagreeing-- it was frustrating. So...I have been going with what I feel is right- with respect, complete communication and fairness and tons and tons of love and snuggling. There is just too much crap out there in books. It becomes overwhelming and controversial
4.) Bradley--- focus on the pain and find a calm within yourself to get through it vs trying to ignore it. It worked for 16 hours of hard labor with me--then I got the fabulous epidural. :)There are also wonderful labor relaxation programs to download onto your Ipod-- those really helped too.
Everything is going to go great for you I just know it! THe first time around is scary and exciting-- not knowing everything is actually a good thing-- roll with it baby! :) love you!
1. Breast is definitely best, so I never really used or bought bottles. If you plan on breastfeeding, some say to wait at least a few weeks to a month before introducing a bottle. The only bottles I ever really used were the ones that came with the Medela breastpump. Madison got to a point where she wouldn't take a bottle of pumped milk anyways, so I had no choice but to exclusively nurse from the time she was 4 months to 12 months! I wouldn't invest in too many, because you baby may be like mine and not even take one!
ReplyDelete2. All I've ever really read is What to Expect the First Year, I found a lot of info. online too. Publix Baby Club also sends you a free book which I read some too. I think it is by the AAP.
3. I don't think I ever read any birthing books, just What to Expect when Expecting, Pregnancy for Dummies, and Idiots Guide to Pregnancy.
4. I heard a lot about Babywise but never really looked into anything--we did our own version of Babywise I guess-routine, routine, routine. Madison had the same bedtime routine each night (bath, lotion, nurse, bed). Make sure to lay your baby down awake. They will learn to go to sleep on their own if they wake up in the night. If Madison ever got in the habit of us coming in there to put her back to sleep if she had been sick or something, we would have to let her cry a little bit to get her back to putting herself to sleep. It's SO tough hearing your baby cry but they don't remember it and it will be worth it when they wake up happy! Madison was sleeping through the night by 6-8 weeks old.
5. I can't really help you here! I plan on doing a method this time, but with Madison I actually slept all night through my entire labor. My water leaked so they put me on Pitocin, later I got an epidural, then I fell asleep till I was 10 cm and ready to push. Wish that would happen again!
You are brave my friend, asking for advice! Being a nurse that works with babies, I think my best advice is to prepare what you can but have the goal healthy mom, healthy baby. Don't plan out too much because those plans can easily be thrown out the window. I think with your first you have lots of images in your head and then when that is "broken", it's hard.
ReplyDelete1. I used Avent bottles with both of mine after nursing them. I did make sure they got one bottle every so often because I knew I was going back to work.
2.We signed up on BabyCenter.com and I have liked all the advice they have given. You can sign up now and get weekly updates throughout the pregnancy and then once the baby is born enter the birthdate and you will receive weekly updates still! I am still getting them for Brice!
3. Since I work in the "baby factory" I didn't need to read any of this. I read What to Expect and then Justin and I took a class but again the goal is healthy mom, healthy baby. I had a 14 hour labor with Brice, pushed for three and then had a C-section. They could've taken him out of my nose by that point. I just wanted him out and healthy. Talk to Ben about this as far as forceps, vacuums, etc. I knew I didn't want either of these done and would have chosen a section had it come to that. And then Anna, nothing could've prepared me for that ride! 1.5 hours start to finish with three pushes and no drugs. Labor and Delivery is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get!!!
4. We did BabyWise and my favorite book is Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. Takes you from birth through school age as far as sleeping habits. Addresses co-sleeping, nursing to sleep as well as crying it out. We did crying it out with both of ours.
5. If you are planning on going completely natural, talk to your mid-wife/doctor and see what they recommend. they are going to be the ones ultimately in charge so...
We did some breathing exercises in the class we took but I knew I wanted an epidural
You're a smart girl, read, read, read is the best thing I can tell you! Education is the best and be sure you take Infant and Child CPR!!!!
1. I am not going to say breast is best, do what works for you and baby. I nursed but also pumped so Brian had turns feeding the baby. I used Playtex old school drop-ins. Its what my mom used with all four of us and my mom in law used.
ReplyDelete2. What to expect the first year (bible to new moms) and then What to expect the toddler years.
3. Birthing books - save your self some time if you plan on getting an epidural you don't need to read anything. The nurse/doctor tells you when to push etc. When having Logan I was like "you need to tell me when to push, I can't feel anything" oh drugs God love them! Then with Austin things went crazy and he ended up being an emergency c-section with me put to sleep. Neither time did I think back to a birthing book.
4. NOTHING. Again I did what was best for me and baby. I read baby wise and was like I am doing this. Brought baby #1 home and it all went out the window. He nursed all the time, slept all the time, then around 3 months a schedule developed on its own. I did "on demand" parenting:)
5. See #3; are you going natural? Go girl if you are, but remember its all the same in the end. Drugs, no drugs, natural, c-section - its the same prize, a baby!
I read every book, every website, every magazine article thought I knew everything; no matter how much you read its more of a long term forever evolving learning experience. Nothing can prepare you for the pure joy, exhaustion, love filled journey your about to experience:)
1. I tried breastfeeding, but my milk never came in. I used the Avent bottles and samantha seemed to like those. I have heard that Dr. Brown are good as well.
ReplyDelete2. I read what to expect during the first year and registered on www.babycenter.com and I get emails every month and those have seemed to help.
3. I enjoyed Belly Laughs. I also just asked my friends who have babies a lot of questions! We are all here to help you in this wonderful experience so keep asking questions. You can never know too much going in!
4. Routine and schedule were the best for us!
5. Do what your body tells you to do! I got drugs right away, but I am horrible with pain and I was having back labor. I ended up with a c-section anyways so I would have needed the drugs in the long run anyway.
As everyone has said...this is such an AMAZING experience. Enjoy every moment!
3.
Hey Ang! Here are my "answers"
ReplyDelete1. Don't spend a lot of money on bottles right now, or even register for them. Wait until baby is born and he/she will tell you which bottle they want. I wish I had all the money I have spent on bottles through the years and ALL my babies just wanted the plastic gerber bottle with the cheap silicone nipple. It was the one they could latch onto the best. Go figure. Oh, and in my experience it's not the type of nipple that gives or reduces baby's gas. Its just the baby and how they digest. They either have gas or they don't. And those little tummy's gas drops are a lifesaver!!
2. I've never read a parenting book. Sad, I know. Maybe I should get one?
3. I think my nursing books were the only ones I read as far as birth books. Seriously, I wouldn't advise reading too many birth books that are going to give you some false idea of what birthing is like. They can just set you up for feelings of failure if things don't go "as planned". Watch TLC and Discovery Health birth shows and talk to other moms who can really give you the low down on what happens in the delivery room!!
4. I'm not completely sure the details on all of these. But, I pretty much do baby led parenting, until I decide that I know better :)
We co-slept with some, and not others. Some needed strict schedules and others were pretty laid back. With a couple I did my own version of "sleep training" and with at least one we did "cry it out". Read them all, and then baby will tell you what to do :)
5. I'd go with the "epidural method".
See you soon!!! Can't wait to find out what Baby Goins is!!!
1. I've used the old school playtex bottles with the disposable drop in liners for all three of mine. No issues.
ReplyDelete2. Read "what to expect" with Molly, never read another one. You'll find they all say basically the same thing.
3. Didn't read a birthing book or attend a birthing class, like Heather said, if you watch TLC or discovery, you see more than you could ever learn from a book! The docs and nurses will tell you what to do, it's very natural.
4. Go with your instincts, you'll know what's right for you and your baby. It just takes a little time to figure out what works for both of you, no book is going to tell you. Believe me, I read them all with Sadie!
5. I'd also recommend the "get the epidural as soon as possible", every Mom is a hero no matter how their baby gets here. The drugs were made for a reason!
When do you find out the baby's gender?