Sunday, November 2, 2008

Baby Bottle Dilemma

Back when we first came home from the hospital, we used the standard bottle and nipples that they provided. It seemed to work just fine at the time, until our baby boy kept crying in the middle of the night. Was he hungry? No. Tired? Yes. Gaseous? Big YES! When we fed him we could hear the big gulps of air he was taking in along with the milk. It was fine coming down, but NOT coming out.

So we had to investigate/research the bottles that were out there that helped minimize gas. It is pretty amazing actually, the technology that these bottle companies employ - and each with their own unique perspective.

We heard different things from different parents, and the brand that my wife wanted first was The First Years Breast Flow (picture below):


So I scurried off to Target in search of this brand. Sure enough, it was not there, so I made an executive decision and picked up two random brands: Avent and Playtex. Avent I never ever heard of and I thought Playtex just made bras. But in fear of coming home empty-handed, I decided to pick them up.





My loving wife was, not happy. She wanted the Breast Flow. Alas, we gave the other brands a try. Avent had this interesting ventilation system at the neck of the bottle near the nipple, while Playtex had theirs at the end.

I did end up going to another Target, and picking up the Breast Flow - with their unique dual nipple that was supposed to most simulate the breast.

To make a long story short, which one did we decide on? Which one minimized our baby's gas the most? Which one did he most enjoy feeding off of?

Yes, Playtex, the bra company bottle. Who would've thought? But he liked it, and we continue to use it this day.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Baby Constipation UPDATE

I think the prune juice worked!
It took a couple days to 'kick in' - but when the time was right, the BOMB dropped. About a weeks worth of backed-up poop all in one diaper! Now, he poops nearly every day, and we feed him the prune juice about every other day. He actually takes it in really well...we thought he'd reject it at first, after having been used to milk his entire life. But he sucked it all up...ahhhh!

Well, speaking of poop, after every diaper change, we always put the soiled diaper in our DIAPER CHAMP. It is actually our SECOND one. The first one we got as a gift (we actually got two of them). We returned one to Target, and kept the other. I guess we picked the wrong one because it was pretty defective. When you turn the turnstyle, it always got stuck, and you needed two hands to turn. We thought that it was difficult, but normal - until we visited our friends home where she easily, and smoothly turned hers with two fingers, and a baby on one arm.

I was willing to complain to Baby Trend, but we would have had to go thru the process of mailing the product in, then waiting weeks to possibly receive a new one. Not worth it, so we just bought another one at Babies 'R Us. Now we are happily using it, while the defective one sits in our laundry room. I can't bear to throw it away even though it is of no use to us - so I somehow take comfort in letting it sit in storage and collect dust. Strange, I admit it.

Anyway, we stuck with the Diaper Champ because alternatives need a proprietary trash bag system where you'd spend more money to replace. Didn't make sense - in the end the DC was cheaper and still worked well. So I do recommend, just hopefully you won't end up with a broken one.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Baby Constipation


We've been trying to transition to formula - not because my wife can't produce, but because it actually helps him sleep thru the night. The experts say that it is more complex to digest than breastmilk, so he doesn't get as hungry in the middle of the night.


One evening, we tried doing a half-and-half bottle: 2 oz. of breastmilk, 2 oz. of formula. And it seemed to work - where he used to wake up consistently around 2 or 3am, this time he slept thru til about 6am. But then we realized the trade-off: constipation. He last pooped Monday...it is now Friday, and no signs of poopage. Back in the pre-formula days, he had a BM every single day, pretty regular.

We called our doctor and she said it's normal, as long as he's not in pain. She also recommended giving some prune juice to help with digestion. We'll see what happens, I bought some today, and gave some to him. Can't say I miss changing poop-filled, smelly diapers, but seeing that oatmeal, curd stuff would be welcomed at this point.

Stay tuned...

Friday, October 10, 2008

Pee Pee Tee Pee Really?


Now they really thought of everything!
I never even knew these existed until a friend gave us these Pee Pee Tee Pees as a gift. I guess it makes sense, but I didn't even know that there was a need for something like this. Of course, naive me - after my first shower-shot, I realized, these things are a must. It's pretty amazing how absorbant they are, and they save a diaper from being prematurely peed on.

Sometimes I get lazy, or am too rushed to put the tee pee on, but I do it at my own risk! 50-50 chance he gets you. But then my wife so observantly noticed that when he's about to shoot, his little thingy actually grows - that's a surefire sign that the tee pee is needed.

Toilet paper or tissue would do the trick as well, but these are more fun!

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

How To Make His Poop Not Stick!



My brother of all people gave me this tip before I had my kid. Put some vaseline on the diaper so that when he poops, it won't stick to his bum. I gave it a try, and it worked! Sometimes I get lazy and don't put the vaseline on, only to be punished later when I have to srub his butt with a babywipe to make sure the dried poop comes off.

Pampers or Huggies should come up with a 'non-stick' diaper...not only does the poop not stick, but also moisturizes the bum. Sounds marketable right?

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

The Straight-Jacket Swaddle



I can certainly vouch for the effectiveness of swaddling your infant - it provides him/her with a sense of security and safety, plus they don't end up hitting themselves and waking up! From the "Happiest Baby..." DVD, we learned the correct way to swaddle, and worked great on our boy, in the beginning. But as he grew in size and strength, he regularly broke out of the swaddle prematurely or mid-sleep, and consequently woke up.

Then we remembered the Miracle Blanket that we received as a gift from a friend of ours - we thought we'd give it a try. It's virtually a straight-jacket where the arms are snug and secure, and the entire body wrapped fully. He never once broke out of it, and we continued to use it each night until he turned four months. It costs anywhere between $30 and $40 and can be found here. Give it a try, and let us know how it goes!

Friday, October 3, 2008

Happiest Daddy On The Block




A few weeks before our due date a friend of ours lent us a book & DVD of "Happiest Baby On The Block". She and her husband convinced us that it worked and helped their baby to sleep and/or calm her down. So, the next day my wife and I popped in the DVD, and I was amazed at some of the clips. Wailing, uncontrollable babies, suddenly calmed by the author of this book (certified Pediatrician), in what appeared instantaneous.

His premise is that there is a 'fourth trimester' where the baby continues to form and develop. Of course, the infant is forced into the world a month early, but has the behavior and expectations of a fetus in the womb. For example, he/she is used to being in tight quarters (in mom's belly), is used to movement (as mom walks around), and is accustomed to regulated noise (organs functioning, body fluids moving, etc.). So the key is to try and re-create that setting for the baby with 5 S's:
1. Swaddling
2. Side
3. Shhh
4. Swinging
5. Sucking

Once my son was born, I was eager to try the doctor's methods. To my surprise, they actually did work (though some more than others). Swaddling is definitely critical to creating a secure, tight space for him. Shhh'ing works as well - especially when he starts wailing. Laying him on his side, sometimes works, sometimes didn't...my conclusion was that it wasn't a big of a deal. Swinging also works, it's more like light shaking (if you watch the video you'll know what I mean). And sucking, we didn't need to use too much - he usually calmed down by step 1-4.

Anyway, I whole-heartedly recommend buying the book and DVD. It makes a lot of sense, and you'll find that the steps are pretty remarkable in settling baby down. Ultimately, it'll make baby happy, as well as mommy & daddy.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

No Crib, No Problem


We were expecting sometime in June, so we figured ordering a crib in March should give us sufficient time to receive and set it up before our son's arrival. Our crib was coming from Europe so the sales rep said that it should arrive in 8 weeks maximum - plenty of time! Either she was a really 'good' sales person or the manufacturing was really bad - after 8 weeks we called to check up, and found out that it would probably be delayed another few weeks. To make a long story short, my wife was much more efficient in manufacturing and delivering than the crib company.

No worries - we've read and heard that most newborns don't sleep in the crib anyways. So we kind of improvised. We used a pack 'n play (Orange Oak Playard $129.99 Retail) and a changing pad to create a makeshift crib in our bedroom. The changing pad actually works really well because it keeps him from moving left or right - he's safe and secure the whole night. Plus the pack 'n play is easily moveable, so it was great to have him in the same room with us. AND, if we needed to change him, he was waiting and ready right then and there!

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Importance of Proper Car Seat Installation



Make sure that prior to checking in to your hospital that you securely fasten your infant car seat. Call your local police department - they can ensure that it is installed correctly. In Los Angeles there is a department at the CHP that specializes in infant car seat installation. Also, here's a website that gives some great tips on how to install.

One other thing, be sure you know how to safely place and buckle an infant in the car seat. Practice with a stuffed animal or something to make sure you know how to do it properly. The hospital will NOT help you buckle your newborn into the car seat due to liability issues. Kind of unfortunate, but understandable in this litigious day and age.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

My Baby Has Jaundice

After some relief and rest post-delivery, we were eager to wrap things up and finally head on home. Just a couple of things left to do: circumcision and a meeting with the in-house lactation consultant.

I actually witnessed my son get clamped and sliced up...not pretty! Thankfully, there was some local anesthesia and a good old pacificer to keep him occupied. It was a pretty swift surgery, maybe 10 minutes total, but felt much longer, as I cringed in the corner - hands over my eyes but peeking thru like during a horror movie. Finally it was done, they put jellied up gauze over him, and we returned back to our room. If your son is circumcised, you will need to continue to put massive amounts of petroleum jelly on a gauze, to ensure that 'it' doesn't stick - that would hurt.

Interesting note on circumcision - I thought everyone did it, but apparently about 50% do, 50% don't. There are no proven health benefits, it's just preference. My main reason was that I wanted him to 'look like daddy' - so he won't be confused growing up. I guess it was good enough reasoning to shell out the additional $250 cost (not covered by insurance).

Meanwhile, my wife was getting some guidance and advice from the lactation consultant. Definitely recommend asking the hospital for one - while I don't know the details or technicalities, the consultant helps you to know what to expect, how to 'latch' the baby, etc. Ours also gave us some free Medela pump accessories ($50 retail value) - we ended up renting the actual pump from the hospital for a reasonable rate.

Finally, we thought all was well until we found out that our son had jaundice. It sounded like some terminally ill disease, but it's not that bad. But, he had to stay an extra day under some UV lights wearing protective sunglasses, and consume formula milk to help flush it out. Jaundice comes from the French word jaune, meaning yellow. The nurse said back in the day doctors noticed that the babies that lay near a window did not have issues with jaundice while those on the interior did. That was a clue that sun exposure was needed to help the child recover. Thankfully our son did, and we were able to take him home.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Delivery Day Thoughts


It was 5am in the morning and my wife wakes up, "Hunny, I think I peed in bed". We checked the sheets and sure enough there was a damp puddle of liquid around her. Not knowing what it was, she rushed over to the bathroom to let the pee out. "Hunny, it's still leaking and won't stop". That's when we knew, her water had broken.

Now, unlike movies that dramatize delivery and make it seem like it all happens within minutes (latest example being "Knocked Up"), our doctor calmed us and said it is still hours away. So, what did we do? I called in to the office and said that I'm starting my 'leave' early (I lucked out, there was a big meeting that I got out of that day), and my wife and I made some initial preparations for the hospital. We put together our diaper bag and a backpack full of clothes and other essentials, then we headed out for breakfast. Yup, that's right, we had a nice breakfast at the Omelette Parlor in Santa Monica - enjoyed our last decent meal for a few days, and called some family and friends.

A couple hours later after relaxing at home, we noticed that her contractions were being more consistent and closer together. They were about 5 minutes apart before we decided to check into the hospital. We walked in around 2pm.

We notified our doctor who in turn told the hospital to expect us. There was some comfort knowing that once we were there, they had already prepared a room for us. Another comfort was that our child-birthing class instructor (btw recommend taking), who was a practicing nurse, was also there. She was at the end of her shift, but it was still nice to see a familiar face.

Your nurse by the way, has to be your best friend. The doctor doesn't show up until right before delivery, which is hours away. The one who is monitoring you, tending to your needs, and making the decisions for your health and safety, is the nurse. We definitely lucked out with such a kind, caring, and patient nurse who made us feel at home, and...normal.

Thought's on epidural...use it.
My wife wanted to see how long she could last thru the pain. After a few minutes, we did the "point your finger in the air and say, 'doctor?!?!'". Of course there are potential complications with any type of external influence, but if you want your wife to be comfortable for what could be hours...use it. It was about 6pm when the drugs kicked in, and my wife lay in relative comfort until 4am when she was fully dilated.

Our OBGYN was called in, the nurse and I held her legs, and we were off and running. She pushed for about an hour, and our baby oozed out, cone-shaped head and all. Whew! Overall, it was about a 24 hour labor from beginning to end...not bad if you ask me.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

I'm not an Expert



I would say that the most intimidating experience I've had in recent memory was not: asking my then-wife's parents for her hand in marriage; placing the ring on her finger to seal a lifetime of commitment; signing your life away in the form of mortgage loan documents. No, I would say that the most daunting, overwhelming, paralyzing experience I've had was...stepping foot into a BABIES 'R US.

50 foot high ceilings, wall-to-wall shelves stacked with foreign objects, the sound of crying babies and bustling moms who know what they're doing. I was amazed at this underground world that I never knew of, and what is likely a multi-billion $ industry...all for this little one who has know idea or care for any of this stuff. Wasn't Jesus born in a manger? If that's good enough for Him then, hey? Okay fine, I did succumb to the innate parental urge to provide the best, safest (and always interestingly most expensive) products for my baby boy.

I don't claim to be an expert, as many authors and doctors will claim. I can just share about the things that have worked (and not worked) for my kid - and hopefully you can learn from them. I do believe that for the most part, there is no right or wrong...just what works for your baby. I try to gather reasonable amounts of information, and simply make a parental decision. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't - but we learn, and move on and continue to try our best.

Since that first trip to Babies 'R Us, I've had many more. I know where to go, I know what I'm looking for. I am familiar with the brands: Medela, Dr. Brown's, Baby Trend, Graco, etc. etc. I can't say that I don't still feel like a fish out of water, but I can walk the aisles with a sense of purpose and confidence. Don't worry, you will too - just be patient, with your baby, and yourself.
 
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