Mommy Poll
I have a bunch of questions floating around in my head, and information that I've been picking up from all kinds of places... If you're a mom (or just spend a lot of time with kids) and you're visiting my blog, I'd love your two cents! Just don't be offended if I ignore your advice and do my own thing anyway :)1. What brand of diapers did you prefer for your new baby? So far, it seems like people are VERY opinionated about this. (Yes, we've decided to destroy the environment and go disposable... Please don't judge and/or heckle me. I feel guilty enough all on my own.)
2. Did you pick up a breast pump ahead of time, or did you wait to see if you needed one and then send your significant other on an awkward shopping trip? What did you wish you'd known about this lovely product?
3. What did you look for in a baby monitor? I'd love to hear about good - or terrible - experiences with specific brands or models. (As a side note, I'm really not interested in the whole video monitoring thing. We're not *that* lazy.)
4. What did you pack for the hospital that you didn't end up needing? What did you forget?
5. What is the one thing you're really glad you accomplished - or wish that you had gotten around to - during the beginning of your mat leave, before Baby came?
Thanks! Looking forward to stealing your wisdom...
Labels: Baby Talk
posted by Lindsay @ 4:00 PM
11 Comments:
Oooh, I love these!!! Ok...
1.I started with huggies, then tried pampers, then went with good old president's choice with my kids. They worked well, cost less, and didn't leave those little ball things all over their skin!
2.I waited, and it was a good thing. Riker refused to nurse (actually arched his back and scratched at me like I was forcing him to do something unnatural!). I borrowe a pump for 2 weeks then went straight to formula.
3.I never found one that was great. We went for the kind that would let us know if he was screaming, which was basically any of them! After 2 kids I went through 2 monitors, one expensive, one cheap. The cheap-o lasted longer.
4.Hmmm, that's a stretch for my memory...I didn't need much. My labours were super fast and they kicked me out of the hospital pretty fast. Good things to bring, your address book, socks and those face wipes so you can wash your face without getting up. Sometimes getting up, even a day later, really hurts. Oh, and some snacks that you really like, that's good too. Long story short, I packed a change of clothes (think 4-5 month pregnant size) and my very basic toiletries. Used it all.
5.I was so busy-with Riker I finished work and went to camp. With Trinity we moved to Winnipeg 2 months before, so I guess I'm glad I painted her room and got mostly settled in. One thing I did though, I bought my thank you cards and a pack of stamps so as I got gifts I could do the cards right away.
I like the Mommy-poll idea, I hope some of the answers you get help!
1. I tried a no-name brand of diaper, pampers, and huggies. The no-names didn't hold up very well with leaks, the pampers get really heavy, and I have stuck with the huggies.
2. I waited too and it was a good thing. Carter just screamed when I tried to breast feed because the milk didn't come fast enough. So, he was on formula right away. It's the only thing that made him happy.
3. I really like my Graco monitor. I went online and did some research on customer reviews. Mine's the I Monitor Vibe. It has a rechargeable battery or you can leave it on the base. It can be found at Walmart and other such places. Here's the link for info on it on the Graco website.
http://www.gracobaby.com/catalog/product.aspx?modelNumber=2791VIB1&CategoryID=13
4. I didn't need a robe or slippers. I was too hot to need them. In fact, the heat was off in my room for 2 days and everyone had to wear their winter coats.
5. I'm glad I stocked the freezer with some casseroles.
Hope this helps you out!
Best of luck Lindsay.
I second Jobina...I like these polls too. It makes me feel like I actually know something about being a mommy.
1. We had diapers from Miguel's diaper stag right up until Trinity was 6 months so we got to try all kinds of diapers. Our favourites are Huggies and Pampers. I find Huggies to be stiffer than Pampers so I buy Pampers now because Trinity is on the move. I love Huggies Natural Fit but can't justify paying the extra money for them. We had lots of gross leaks with no namers.
2. I bought my pump ahead of time. It was only $40 at Walmart. I was glad I had it because I didn't go out for a long time after Trinity was born because I was still in a lot of pain (I won't go into details for your sake. :) ) I figured it was easy to return if I didn't need it. It was cheap but it worked for me.
3. We have had two so far...one used and one new. Our new one is a Fisher Price 900hz. We bought it in the states for really cheap. Best feature is that it comes with two receivers so we keep one in our bedroom at all times and the other one can be anywhere in the house. It saves us from scrambling to find the receiver before bed. It also has red lights that light up when there is any noise. I love this because you can see if there is something going on even if you are outside and it is windy or you have people over.
4. I was way over-packed for my adventure but I wasn't sorry. One thing I packed last minute was my Ipod with some relaxing songs on it. I through it in just in case and ended up listening to it through my labour to help me stay focused. One thing I wish I had packed would be Halls. My throat was soooo sore after Trinity was born (laughing gas/screaming). One thing I learned though is that if you ask a kind nurse they can find you just about anything that you would like.
5. I would have tried to get some food into the freezer other than that I felt prepared for my baby's arrival...even though her room is only being completed right now.
Good luck with those last weeks. Take in every moment with your hubby because it will be a while before he will give you his undivided attention again. Go on lots of dates and spend time just relaxing together.
1. i really liked using Pampers or if you're making a trip to the states, LUVS are really good and cheap. But in the end we started using President's Choice cause they're cheaper and just as good.
2.I found out that not everyone can breastfeed or produce enough milk for a baby. so i didn't need a pump afterall. Just so you know, you aren't a terrible mom if you can't or don't breastfeed. Contrary to how some people might make you feel. It can be wonderful but it's not for everybody.
1. We use President's Choice (although we started with Huggies Newborn since PC doesn't have a newborn size) and have never had a problem with them. They're way cheaper and we now buy them by the case.
2. I got a manual breast pump (Medela) and that worked great. I breastfed for 8 months and that's a long time to have to always take your baby with you, so she took breast milk from a bottle with a bit of fussing at first, but they get used to it if you do that semi-regularly. Plus, if you can pump some milk for at night once in a while, then your hubby can get up and feed her!
3. We have a Graco baby monitor and it's been wonderful. It works on batteries or plugged in. It also has 2 receivers.
4. The hospital...I was there for 3 days after, so it's nice to take along a book or something to do in bed when you're not sleeping, having visitors, or taking care of the baby. I get bored really quickly, so that helped me.
5. I would have made more meals in advance since our church was slow with getting meals to us. The last thing I wanted to do when I got home was cook...all I could think about was sleep and how I wasn't getting much!
Enjoy the last few weeks, relax as much as possible, and I pray it all goes well for the 3 of you!
I'll give my advice, but understand I'm only 3 months into it, so a bit of a novice!....
1.I've tried pampers and huggies, so far he leeks poop out of anything, but I prefer the fit of huggies better, it's more curved in the thigh area.
2.I was recommended to buy a pump before hand, to prevent being caught if my milk came in and he was not nursing properly. It turned out I had no problems with that, but I've used the pump a lot for when I go out and leave him with someone. I bought the Avent Isis single manual pump, it works pretty good, but I have nothing to compare to.
3.We have the Grace digital "i - vibe" monitor, and I love it... no static like other monitors and you can hear everything, like when he spits out his soother or sighs (yeah, and i agree about the video ones)
4.I was glad we brought our own pillows and a nursing pillow, cause the hospital ones suck, oh, and a blanket for Stan. I was also glad to have nursing pajamas so I didn't have to wear hospital gowns the whole time (and my own pads so you don't have to wear the hospital "diaper" pad the whole time either). And don't know if there was anything I missed, maybe more snacks for Stan and myself after it was over, I was sooo hungry.
5.i made cookie pucks and froze them, so we could just pull them out and bake them and I loved that after we came home. Just sleep and relax as much as you can, I know they all say that, but It's true and I wish I would've slept more before I went into labour.
Good luck!
Wonderful advice from all of your friends. You will manage just fine as a new mom - soon:)
Wow, such great advice. Since my babies are 25 and 27 I will only comment on the breastfeeding (everything else would be outdated info) - I couldn't breastfeed either of my babies - one cuz he was 9 weeks early and in an incubator for 2 months and one because of the high stress my life was in at the time (doctor suggested no breastfeeding). Remeber that you're not a bad mom if you can't or choose not to. My kids bonded to me just fine. You do what feels best for you at the time Lindsay.
I can hardly believe your great day is almost here.
ENJOY every moment Lindsay and Geoff.
1. When we use disposables it's Teddy's Choice "Mega" or something like that(superstore). They aren't scented like most of the major brands and for my perfume-sensitive nose that's a huge plus.
2. I had an Avent breast pump on hand ahead of time and highly recommend it. I agree with the don't-feel-guilty comments if you can't breastfeed BUT also don't give up too easily. Having the pump and getting a breastfeeding counsellor was the difference for me between giving up after a few days and making it work. It let us give the bottle when we needed to but stay off the formula until we knew which way was up (and subsequently never needed it).
3. The most basic, cheap monitor is good enough for us. I like being able to put batteries in the receiver and take it outside with me once in a while.
4. No idea...never did it.
5. Hmm, never had an official mat leave either. I wish I'd finished a big final paper before Ivy was born. I didn't expect my first baby to be early. The prof felt it was a good enough reason to grant me an extension though.
It really is an experiment for so many of these, so I'm sure you'll find what works best for you guys, but in the spirit of trying to help ... here goes.
1. We tried Huggies and experienced some massive blow outs. Not fun when you have 200+ of them given to you. Then we tried Pampers and they worked so I was done experimenting - despite the extra cost.
2. I had a hand pump and it worked like a charm. I did not have ANY issues with milk though. Way too much milk, so mine was just to release the pressure. If you have issues, hand pumps are not the way to go, rent an electric pump. Definitely wait and send hubby out for it.
3. Fisher Price. No video. Works wonders.
4. I didn't bring much since you don't need much - even when you have a 5 day stay like I did. Some pj's and some sweats. Don't even consider bringing any "normal" clothes. They won't fit and if they do, I'm not sure I can be your friend anymore ;) Oh, and bring granny panties in case you have a c-section. Trust me - you don't want anything rubbing on that scar. Also, if you give birth naturally my girlfriend suggested freezing maxi pads that she'd sprayed with water in a bowl once you are back home so that they contour to your body and soothe at the same time. TMI? Yeah, it was for me too.
5. Nothing. I was 10 days late. I got everything done that I wanted and more. It was slightly annoying to me actually
oh boy, this is fun!
we use Huggies. have from the beginning, and she never leaked out of them or anything. it is like the commercial though, if your baby is a brick, then the other guys are for you!
I waited to get a pump until I felt it was necessary, and even then...I breast fed until i went back to work (6 weeks) and then pumped more for my own relief...she went on formula no problems, and then we didn't have to worry about the shelf life of the milk. so, i did a classic pump and dump.
our monitor we got at Walmart, it was about 100 bucks. it has two recievers, and is electric. we love it. it picks up everything, which was nice when she was super little, we could hear if there was anything going on at all...no issues with it yet, 11 months in and still going strong.
hospital bag. I brought way too much stuff. I brought a pair of sweats, a nursing bra, and a sweater, and socks for me. and toiletries for when they let me shower. Corey brought a change of clothes, and a blanket. we brought an outfit for Emma, and a blanket..plus our own diapers, in case we didn't like the hospitals. and we brought snacks. which was a lifesaver, cause I delivered at 1 in the morning there was nothing open and I was so hungry....but, I had books, and cards and stuff in there, which never even came out of the bag...
I made a bunch of lasagnas, casseroles and stuff to freeze. I also went grocery shopping the day before I went to the hospital, which was nice, didn't haev to worry about food at all. but, I think setting up her nursery was what I felt best about finishing...painting her room, washing and folding all her clothes and putting them away...and, because we delivered mid-November, we put the Christmas tree up, which was nice to come home to a holiday festival in your own home!
Post a Comment
<< Home