Good article for parents:

A Point of View: Modern parenting
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14416799

8/6/2011 9:32:26 PM

We are through due date. Hope he comes soon...

8/6/2011 11:00:10 PM

Toxic Chemicals found in many car seats, new study reports.

Here are the best and worst ones to buy, according to the level of the chemicals:

http://www.healthystuff.org/departments/childrens-products/product.seatsbestworst.php

8/10/2011 12:39:14 AM

I had the glucose test today.... and little man has been going crazy all day from the sugar. This is the most movement I've ever felt in one day.

And... first case of the hiccups today too.

8/11/2011 7:45:47 PM

Quote :

"We have one of these. Hope it works! http://www.stroller.com/4moms-mamaroo.html"

this thing is AWESOME. it totally workd. i'm not a parent. nor planning to be. but i've seen it in action. it seriously works (or at least, from what i have seen)

plus i think they're really cool

i guess they're kinda pricey ($199). i don't really know the price for other baby things.

8/11/2011 10:59:05 PM

the only stroller i ever had was one of those little folding "umbrella" strollers, and I probably only used it once or twice. Granted, I didn't have my daughter all the time or anything, but I always thought it was pretty easy to just carry her.

8/11/2011 11:38:56 PM

^ That's probably because you didn't have her all the time

^^ I think all baby crap is overpriced. I'm seriously amazed what people will drop of chunk of change on/

8/12/2011 8:44:21 AM

Our children used like a 40 dollar rainforest bouncer when they were little and that thing was worth its weight in gold. You don't need to spend $texas on a bouncer.

^^If you were at the point where she could sit in a folding umbrella stroller I get where you're coming from. It's when they're slugs and can't even sit up when carrying them around is a pain. You can't ever set them down if you don't have a stroller to set them down in.

8/12/2011 10:16:25 AM

I hate using a stroller. I only ever pull it out when I had a lot of extra stuff to tote around. Usually, I just tuck my baby in a sling or baby wrap because it's just easier to get around that way.

If you have a baby who has colic or reflux that's uncomfortable and crying, you'll spend any amount of money to make it stop.

8/12/2011 10:34:37 AM

Any thoughts on the chromosome screening? I am sure that this has been discussed before.

8/12/2011 1:56:58 PM

Speaking of baby stuff I'm having a yard sale tomorrow morning in Cary. PM me if you want details.

8/12/2011 7:14:51 PM

When my son was 3-6 months old. he was in the 99th percentile for weight. He didn't fit in the shopping cart infant seat (18 pounds max). He couldn't sit up to sit in the cart. Shopping with a 20-24 pound baby strapped to you gets exhausting. Needless to say, I used the stroller all the time before he could sit up for the cart.

Now I have a Light weight Jeep All Terrain stroller. It is so easy to maneuver and my son will sit and play or sleep for about two hours in it. One hand fold is amazing. So if I am going to be out for awhile I will put him in it.

I am seriously considering getting a pack carrier. He is 11 months old and his growth has slowed although he is wearing 2T shirts. (Man the little 3 month clothes were a total waste of money. He never even wore a single item in that size ) Have any of you had experience with a frame carrier? I would guess my son is just shy of 30 pounds so I would want something that would last a good year.

[Edited on August 12, 2011 at 9:40 PM. Reason : 2nd a bouncy seat....the swing was a total waste of money.]

8/12/2011 9:39:50 PM

The bouncy seat worked for our son, but not for our daughter. She's all about the swing.

I don't know anything about a frame carrier other than its considered the way to go with a bigger kiddo. I've just used the Moby wrap and the pouch sling with my kids. I have the opposite problem! Amelia is in like the 3rd percentile for length and weight. She's been in NB clothes for 2 months and will probably be in them for another 2 months.

8/12/2011 9:54:02 PM

Must say ...excellent choice in name! I am kinda of partial to it being an Amelia myself. What is her middle name? Mine is Rose. When I grew up, I only knew one other Amelia until I went to college.

I found a pack carrier I like but I would really like some reviews. Plus, I had to try 3 different soft carriers before I figured out what I liked and what was comfortable.

8/12/2011 10:02:48 PM

i think the mamaroo is more in lieu of a swing than a bouncer. i dont' really know since it doesn't really do either. but based on the pricetag that was my assumption

Quote :

"If you have a baby who has colic or reflux that's uncomfortable and crying, you'll spend any amount of money to make it stop."

YES. there are people that try like 500 things and then find the one that works! it might be $30 it might be $400 haha but they're happy they found it

[Edited on August 12, 2011 at 10:34 PM. Reason : .]

8/12/2011 10:33:16 PM

She's Amelia Lillian. My husband picked out Amelia. We didn't personally know anyone named Amelia, which was a bonus. Lillian was a last minute pick thanks to Rugrats. Silas and I watched it a lot the last few days of my pregnancy and one of the kids is named Lil/Lillian.

8/13/2011 10:13:57 AM

Quote :

"Any thoughts on the chromosome screening? I am sure that this has been discussed before."

Are you referring to maternal serum screening? I say go for it IF you know what you would like to do with the information. If you are the type that would like to be prepared if it turns out there is a chromosomal anomaly, the MSS will help you. It will come back as either screen positive or screen negative, but keep in mind it is only a screening test. That is, it can't give you a yes or no answer. The most reliable test is the integrated screening test which is a combination of first trimester serum screening, a nuchal translucency measurement (also in the first trimester), and second trimester screening. It has about a 5% false positive rate. (Just FYI, please don't believe what you read on the internet about a lot of these tests. Many people say there is a very large false positive rate which is not true.)


If the results happened to come back screen positive, the ultimate question is what would you do? Would you want to go through with an amniocentesis to have confirmation and then prepare your home and yourselves, or choose to end the pregnancy? Or, would you not do any diagnostic testing? The amniocentesis will be able to give you a picture of the baby's chromosomes (karyotype) and is able to show you any major chromosomal rearrangements, additions, or deficits. If you know you would just go forward without any changes then it might not be worth the time and effort.


That being said, I always encourage prenatal genetic counseling.


Here's a table I made... hopefully it'll help out with knowing exactly what/when y'all want to do something

8/13/2011 7:20:04 PM

We opted for the screening with our second child because our first child was born with DiGeorge. We didn't even make it through the screen because of the results of the findings during the nuchal trans. measurement. Amelia had a cystic hygroma, so we went straight to a CVS. (Fetuses with cystic hygromas have overwhelmingly negative outcomes. If they survive the pregnancy, they typically have genetic problems like Downs or Turners.) The CVS showed that Amelia was a normal female, but we knew that we should probably expect some sort of problem and went through counseling. Sure enough, Amelia went straight to the NICU at birth and fits the DiGeorge Syndrome phenotype.

I think that Sam is on the right track when she says that you should know what you're going to do with the information. We knew that we wouldn't terminate, so the information only prepared us for the possibilty of a negative outcome. We expected the worst, but ended up with a happy and ultimately healthy baby.

8/13/2011 8:31:34 PM

forkgirl I have a kokopax carrier. It's an aluminum frame, backpack type carrier. I love it, it is very lightweight and comfortable. If you are local and want to try it out, let me know...they are ~$100-150

8/13/2011 9:51:50 PM

We had Hamilton 8/12/11 he weighed 8lbs and 21" long. Born at 9pm. She pushed for two hours and the doctor was surprised how long it was taking. When he came out he was posterior and sunny side up? Not sure what all that means but doc said that if she had realized she would have done a c-section.

8/14/2011 2:01:47 PM

congrats!

8/14/2011 2:04:28 PM

YAY Baby Hamilton! Congrats!!!

8/14/2011 3:32:56 PM

^^^ I'm guessing you mean he was a breech birth?

Congrats!

8/14/2011 4:30:27 PM

congrats! saw his pic in the babies thread cute and lots and lots of hair!

hope it doesn't fall out...our little guy looks like friar tuck right now haha

and "sunny side up" is still head first but instead of the head coming out with his face down toward the back of mom's pelvis (the easiest way for a vaginal birth as far as pushing the head past the pubic bone), he is face up (more difficult)

8/14/2011 5:36:52 PM

congrats!!

8/14/2011 7:37:03 PM

Congrats!

8/14/2011 8:46:55 PM

^^^ yea that. His little head looked like pilot mountain when it came out. It straightened out nicely though. he's presh. A baby defienetly changes ones perspective on life...



[Edited on August 14, 2011 at 10:14 PM. Reason : Pic]

8/14/2011 10:12:02 PM

Quote :

"re you referring to maternal serum screening? I say go for it IF you know what you would like to do with the information. If you are the type that would like to be prepared if it turns out there is a chromosomal anomaly, the MSS will help you. It will come back as either screen positive or screen negative, but keep in mind it is only a screening test. That is, it can't give you a yes or no answer. The most reliable test is the integrated screening test which is a combination of first trimester serum screening, a nuchal translucency measurement (also in the first trimester), and second trimester screening. It has about a 5% false positive rate. (Just FYI, please don't believe what you read on the internet about a lot of these tests. Many people say there is a very large false positive rate which is not true.)"

Are there factors that put a couple at risk? Does family tree have anything to do with it or is it random?

8/15/2011 4:37:08 PM

There are a few factors that put someone at risk for having an abnormal serum screen or at least elevated/decreased levels... some families show many women with increased AFP levels for no reason (very rare), diabetics have different levels... As far as risk factors for chromosomal anomalies, it is possible to have a heritable chromosomal translocation but this is very rare. In basic terms, one piece of a parent's chromosome is switched with another piece of a separate chromosome. While everything is balanced in the parent themselves, when the two sets of parental chromosomes are coming together there is a chance everything won't be perfectly balanced in the child; you can have a child with either too much or too little genetic material. One sign we look for with these cases is if the woman has had three or more miscarriages with the same partner. Granted, there could be other causes but that is one of the things we immediately think of.

The tests are based on the woman's age, previous pregnancy history, serum screen levels, weight, and race. Your family history in general will not play a role in your MSS results (only things that are relevant, such as a previous pregnancy with Down syndrome). The MSS also only screens for Down syndrome, Trisomy 18, and neural tube defects. Syndromes like Turner syndrome are usually picked up via the ultrasound.


Your general family history would be part of the prenatal genetic counseling visit and they tie all of this information in to give you a more personalized risk estimate. Hope this helps

[Edited on August 15, 2011 at 4:47 PM. Reason : .]

8/15/2011 4:45:25 PM

So I am thinking of trying a baltic amber necklace for Orion when she starts teething. The oil from the amber supposedly is a natural way to sooth the baby's ouchie gums. She is teething already without breakthrough.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/BalticAmberPalanga?section_id=10156204

I will get one from this shop.

8/15/2011 10:57:54 PM

I made Orion's first food. Puréed peas. She is going to try them in 3 days. I can't believe she can eat "solids" now.

8/16/2011 6:54:23 PM

looks yummy

8/16/2011 9:09:49 PM

Poor kid.

8/16/2011 10:23:16 PM

Now question. I've seen the individually cubed & lidded 2oz squares for purees. Is that just an ice tray? Or is that a special "ice tray" for food?

8/17/2011 5:04:38 AM

I just used a regular ice tray, covered with plastic wrap and froze overnight. The next day, I just popped the cubes out into a labeled zip lock bag. Just like most things with babies, it seems they grow out of stages pretty quickly. It didn't take long to get out of the "puree" stage, so I didn't think it was necessary to spend money on special containers.

I will say that these type of containers come in really handy:



[Edited on August 17, 2011 at 8:23 AM. Reason : add]

8/17/2011 8:21:14 AM

A coworker is expecting in a little over two months, she thinks she will only need to be out 6 weeks, she is 42 and this is her first kid (got married a little over a year ago). I have heard the older you are the harder the recovery is. I think she will be out more than 6 weeks (she does not have much leave).

She isnt in the greatest shape, she was out of shape (overweight) before getting preggers and only recently you could tell she is preggers.



[Edited on August 17, 2011 at 10:58 PM. Reason : w]

8/17/2011 10:55:51 PM

Cool story bro.

8/17/2011 11:01:38 PM

pretty sure my little guy has acid reflux

i'm starting out with lifestyle changes (sitting more upright when feeding...i didn't have coffee this morning *sigh*), and if there's no improvement i'll talk to the doc about medicine (he's gaining weight just fine so if it is acid reflux its not causing problems in that department).

so i've got him in the sling...and of course he falls asleep. is it possible to be in the sling TOO much? he's not screaming his head off when he's in the sling...but he sleeps. i mean maybe that's just what he needs. I'm just worried he won't go to bed tonight...like last night i tried to put him down like we had been at 6:30 (that's when the process starts...he's asleep by 7:15...usually)...10:45 he finally goes to sleep. 10 frickin 45

am i missing out of all this opportune awake time for tummy time blah blah blah? or am i saving my sanity and keeping him happy so that's what's important?

8/18/2011 11:01:10 AM

^^^ To be honest, if she doesn't have much leave then she'll probably be back in 6 weeks, whether her body wants her there or not.

8/18/2011 12:42:21 PM

Both of my children have had acid reflux that's required medication. Zantac worked wonders for my son, but it's not really doing the job with my daughter. I'm taking her back to the doctor on Monday to see if there is something else that we can try. We were up last night until 1:30 am with a screaming baby, so I feel your pain.

Keep him happy! Reflux is miserable and can really cause some problems if its severe and persists. If you're worried about the tummy time that he is missing out on, you can try modified tummy time on an incline. You can lean back on the couch and lay him on your chest or try a wedge if you have one. That way he's still slightly upright, but has the chance to work those muscles.

If the reflux is causing sleep problems at night time, find a way for the baby to sleep upright or on an incline. Amelia sleeps on her side on an incline. The incline lets gravity do its work and keeping her on her side keeps her from choking on anything that does come up.

8/18/2011 1:41:09 PM

Reflux is evil!! Bailey has been fighting it since 3 weeks old. We tried zantac but saw little improvement so we're now on our second month of nexium. Unfortunately our pedi doesn't like to do nexium long term. So we may have one more month until he wants us to do a trial off the meds. We missed her dose the other night and paid for it dearly so I dread losing this med.

We let Bailey sleep in her bouncey chair next to the bed. The incline does seem to help. This is a product that a tons of my friends have recommended to help with reflux. http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Newborn-Rock-Sleeper-Yellow/dp/B002M77N22

8/18/2011 7:49:53 PM

^^ooh! I've been doing some modified tummy time and not even thinking "this is tummy time." why i didn't equate on his tummy, even if he's on me, as "tummy time" b/c he wasn't on the play mat is beyond me.

we tilted his mattress tonight. he's asleep and he wasn't as fussy at the end of the day so far the changes I've made today *seem* to be working. even had a few hours of a happy baby not in the sling which was nice.

now laying on the side thing...how do you do that? he likes laying on his left side I've noticed (I've always been moving him back to his back)

^i hope whatever your doc changes her meds to is just as helpful. just the glimpse of reflux I've seen so far is terrible. when he's so fussy I feel so bad for him

and that's the second recommendation for the fisher price rock sleeper in this thread...that thing must really be magical

has anyone tried gripe water? my friend recommended that. she eventually got her little girl on medication too though.

[Edited on August 18, 2011 at 8:17 PM. Reason : ^^ & ^ clarity]

8/18/2011 8:15:49 PM

I may have recommended that rock and play sleeper already in this thread, but if not, I would like to now. I used it EVERY SINGLE DAY reflux or not, it is a great baby holder...I was really sad the day I found her sitting straight up in it because I knew it was time to move on

Here is a cute picture of her (about 4 months old) taking a powerful nap in it with her sleep sheep.



[Edited on August 18, 2011 at 10:28 PM. Reason : picture]

8/18/2011 10:07:11 PM

Gripe water did not seem to help my son, but I've heard of other moms having success with it.

LK, I know that everyone says "back to sleep" because of SIDS, but Amelia's doctor recomended that she sleep on her side. We put her on her side by using a receiving blanket that is folded in half and then rolled up. You end up with a blanket roll that is about the size of a rolling pin. You can roll the baby on their side and put a blanket roll behind them to keep them from rolling to their back, some babies also have a blanket roll wedged in front of them to keep them from rolling the other way, but we've only needed one wedged against their back to keep them side lying.

I know that folks hate putting little ones on medication, but they typically don't need the medication for very long. My oldest was off of medication by the time he was 12-18 months old. Starting solids and muscle maturity typically eliminates the problem.

8/18/2011 10:21:57 PM

well so far so good! he slept really well last night with the mattress tilted, my holding him upright with feedings, and no coffee. He does wiggle his way down the mattress throughout the course of the night which is funny/concerning. Gonna keep this up and see how it goes, but still bring it up at the 2 mo appt to see meds may be the right thing in addition.

8/19/2011 11:19:42 AM

Quote :

"with her sleep sheep."

OH GOD +1 for the sleep sheep

also, my wife's aunt got our daughter one of these



basically you buy a blanket and then they send one to a charity. pretty cool, plus it's like insta-sleep for our daughter when she's on it.

[Edited on August 19, 2011 at 11:29 AM. Reason : .]

8/19/2011 11:26:07 AM

We use a sleep positioner that you cant buy any more because of this -> http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10358.html

Ava prefers to sleep on her side (well, actually her tummy, but we only do that when we are holding her)

She refuses to sleep on her back. Her brother was the same way.

But she is a little diva. She is extremely fussy unless you are walking around with her. Holding her is not enough. If you sit down, she has this "trying to cry"cry. If you persist and do not walk around, it becomes a very obnoxious cry. But we relent because she won't be this little for long. 3 months old is coming up. So far, this past week has been great. She has been sleeping from 7:30 or 8 to 7:30ish without waking up (on her side). As far as the article above, I don't have many concerns because we keep her snug enough in the positioner that she can't roll or turn (yet!) The one we have is two foam triangles connected by a velcro strap that she lays on.

8/19/2011 11:37:24 AM

LK, it's a little pricey for what it is, but if you're concerned about your child sliding down the matress during the night, you can try the Crib Matress Sling by Tucker Sling.

http://www.tuckersling.com/khxc/index.php?app=ccp0&ns=catshow&ref=CribMattress&sid=ab7q0wtv72s77l68q1iegkp8xkh80i30

[Edited on August 19, 2011 at 12:42 PM. Reason : .]

8/19/2011 12:40:22 PM

^ Is that just a triangle piece of foam covered in fabric, because the average person could totally DIY that

8/19/2011 7:16:09 PM

the wedge is, but the sling is attached to the wedge and wrapped around the babe to keep them from sliding down the wedge (from what I can tell). the sling part looks like if it was made wrong by DIY that it could be a strangulation hazard.

i dunno...i know it can take some time for lifestyle changes to really see any change, but i think i'm gonna have to call the doc on monday to get him on medicine if it is indeed acid reflux. i don't think he's eating as much. he's still eating well and having enough wet and dirty diapers...but not eating nearly as much as he had been and i think it's cause it hurts

[Edited on August 20, 2011 at 12:40 PM. Reason : stupid laptop.]

8/20/2011 12:39:02 PM