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8/1/2012 12:38:27 AM

It's an old wives tale that you have to wait until they're at least one year old to cut their hair. I cut my son's hair for the first time at 6 months old. He was on drugs that made him grow hair and he was looking like furry monkey. My daughter is over a year old and still no hair cut. She had thin, fine, and lol patchy hair so there hasn't been a need yet.

8/1/2012 8:17:50 AM

I don't want to cut Ryan's hair until it is in his eyes or super shaggy looking in a bad way. I also don't want to cut it until he can sit still for more than 30 seconds. Never heard of a time that you could cut hair. That seems silly.

8/1/2012 8:43:41 AM

At the rate B is going he'll be two before he ever thinks about needing a hair cut. But I love my baldie.

8/2/2012 7:27:47 PM

First urgent care trip yesterday complete with 3 stitches to the inside of his lip! Poor guy

8/3/2012 8:29:25 AM

^^^We just gave our little man his first haircut. He's 15 months old and a wild man, not one to sit still. My wife had a great idea to give him a popsicle and that worked really well. He was kind of oblivious to the haircut as long as he was clutching that treat



[Edited on August 3, 2012 at 8:55 AM. Reason : .]

8/3/2012 8:53:45 AM

so have any of yall had to deal with a surgery on your kid? our 6 month old has what looks to be abnormally fusing plates in her skull, and the specialist wants to do a CT scan (which requires sedation) and possibly surgery if they've fused too soon. if they aren't fused yet, she'll have to wear a helmet.

8/3/2012 4:55:33 PM

^^ I imagine we'll have the same problem. He HATES to sit still for even a second, had always been busy, even as a little baby. But as you can see from the pic below it'll be awhile before a hair cut (he's 9 months now).

8/3/2012 10:32:16 PM

-raises hand for surgery-

My kids have DiGeorge Syndrome, so...

We've gone through 3 ear tube placements, 2 cleft palate repairs, 1 cleft lip repair, and a thymus transplant between my two. The morning of surgery is difficult because your little one can't eat and they're in unfamiliar territory. You have to keep them busy and distracted. If your child is over a year old, they will offer a medication to calm your child during the wait in preop. Say yes. In recovery, your child will probably be really upset and confused. Hug, hold, rock, and medicate. Children can't always communicate discomfort so I think it is kinder to keep any pain relief going. You'll be amazed by how quickly they return to normal. They seem to move past things more quickly than you or I would. Those are my big points. I can answer any general questions about surgery, the hospital, and kids. It's pretty much all I've done since having kids.

8/4/2012 7:37:06 AM

https://www.facebook.com/groups/196221090408274/

8/8/2012 1:13:36 PM

^Joined. i think i'm the only male in that group.

8/8/2012 5:13:37 PM

8/8/2012 11:40:41 PM

Bumbo seat recall

http://www.boston.com/business/news/2012/08/15/popular-bumbo-infant-floor-seat-recalled/YbVftoh2p1qYbzXkKfOJgP/story.html

Majority of these are from people putting them on an elevated surface which it says not to do, but some were skull fractures from being on the floor. You can now purchase a safety belt apparently.

8/15/2012 8:47:40 AM

The safety belt kit is free
http://recall.bumbousa.com/

8/15/2012 9:09:33 AM

Free...purchase...time is money or something

8/15/2012 9:18:34 AM

went to the surgeon today after a CT scan on tuesday and found out she doesn't need surgery at this point in time, and may even be able to avoid a helmet

8/17/2012 8:29:12 PM

dropping to one nap and i think this is worse than teething.

right now i'm thankful i recorded lion king last night. that's keeping him occupied after refusing his 2nd nap while i take a moment to decompress.

8/20/2012 4:05:44 PM

http://www.dump.com/parentsrap/

Parenting LOL.

8/24/2012 10:19:13 AM

Parker is now 2.5 wks old. I feed her whenever she's hungry & she sleeps whenever she's tired. Should I be trying to get her on a schedule of some sort? I don't really keep track of when she feeds or exactly how long she sleeps...we just go with the flow. She sleeps in the rock n play next to the bed at night (she won't sleep flat on her back anywhere at all) & in my arms, on the couch with me, or in her swing during the day.

8/24/2012 11:28:42 PM

We started to fall into a routine sometime around 2 months old. I just kept track of his tendencies (when he slept & ate & was up for play) and eventually built his routine around that. If she's going to daycare or be under someone else's care it will be easier for them if you are on a routine. I know some people continue to feed on demand, and I would as well, but for the most part by then he was fed and took a nap around the same time everyday. While he slept at night in his crib around 1.5 months. I didnt start encouraging him to nap in his crib until sometime between 2 & 3 months old. Until then he napped in his bouncy seat, swing, or occasionally in a baby carrier in whatever room I was in.

Your instinct at this point is really your best guide.

[Edited on August 25, 2012 at 8:14 AM. Reason : ]

8/25/2012 8:13:16 AM

i figured this early on that just going by her lead was probably best, but i want to be prepared for later down the road. i'll be out until she's at least 6 wks old. i'm going to ask for an additional 2 weeks...but i'm not sure that i'll get it (very small company, nobody else really knows how to do my job well, they're struggling w/o me, etc). bossman is the granddaddy though so i have a little pull. anyway, she will end up in daycare at some point very early on. i was curious if i needed to do anything differently bc she has a a couple of pretty long sleep intervals during the day instead of at night. i want to switch that around but there's soooo much conflicting information online about how to do that.

i guess i should start tracking when she sleeps just to get a better idea of how much she's actually sleeping & when. i'm not good at keeping up with these kinds of things

8/25/2012 8:25:20 AM

This hippy dippy mommy doesn't have any kind of structured routine with her newbies. Eating and sleeping is all at their command. BUT my husband and I go about our lives as normally as possible with a newborn. It's really easy in the first month or however long you're out to just bed down with your hubbie in your PJs and make the baby the center of the universe. But that isn't the real world. You won't always have a quiet place to nurse or give your baby a bottle, you won't always be able to put your baby in her special place to nap, she won't always be able to go to sleep watching her favorite mobile, etc. I think that parents and baby who live in a bubble in the beginning have a harder time when the outside world intrudes and life has to go back to normal. I hauled Amelia everywhere. . .to Silas's school, to the grocery store, to the gym, I had people over and noise in the house during the day. . .just normal stuff. While doing all of that, I fed her when she was hungry and let her sleep when she was tired. Then we both adjusted to one another. I had to change some of my routine to accommodate her and she acclimated to my daily routine. That's how I ended up with a baby who knew that night time was night time and day time was day time. And a little one whose afternoon nap coincided perfectly with the drive to pick my son up from school and waiting in carpool.

However, the lack of a set timed routine will come back to bite you once they're preschool aged.

8/25/2012 9:52:04 AM

we pretty much just let whatever's going on continue while she eats or naps. our house is loud with the tv on, dehumidifier running, the fan, and my EXTREMELY barky dogs. we don't keep the house quiet during the day. we continue vacuuming or doing whatever while she's around. it doesn't bother her.

my instinct is just to continue to follow her lead, but i know our lives/schedules will be changing in several weeks so i just want to make sure i'm not missing something that will make it easier. i will be going back to work & chris may or may not have a job (had an interview last week) & parker will be spending at least a few days a week in daycare. we both put an app on our phones that will let us track sleep, feedings, diapers, etc & will sync so it's easy to see when she last ate or whatever. so far, there is no way to make her eat or sleep or do anything at a specific time. i think that's normal, but there are several ppl on babycenter who say they have their kid doing everything at specific time. lies maybe

8/26/2012 1:22:44 PM

I didn't have a schedule for a long time. I would say I started to set one when I quit my job and started staying home, and then really he set it himself. For the first three months I let him sleep when he wanted, but tried to feed him about every 3-4 hours during the day (I was terribly afraid he wouldn't get enough for some reason). When he started sleeping through the night a routine also kind of formed and now it's pretty well set, but still get varied depending on life.

I can't imagine having a routine that young. It was also normal for us for him to have long sleep stretches during the day. For a while it seemed like he slept all day and was up all night. That eventually worked itself out.

8/26/2012 4:04:41 PM

Sooooo...once your kids started climbing or attempting to climb everything in sight, how long until they attempted the crib rail? Just trying to get an idea for how much longer we can rest until we battle the toddler bed switch

8/30/2012 11:40:07 PM

We switched to the toddler bed sometime after 2...i think it was around 30 months. Climbing wasn't really an issue for us with the first, but I think it's going to be for our second, as she is already trying to climb the stairs on her feet rather than crawling up (15mo).

With our first, he was so accustomed to my wife coming to get him out of the bed in the morning, he didn't get out of the bed on his own until we moved him into the twin bed. I don't know what triggered this, but it worked well for us. I think it had something to do with us not getting him out of the crib when he woke up in the morning and he got conditioned to keeping himself content until we got him up, even if he had been awake for a bit.

8/31/2012 11:59:33 AM

At 15 months, we put our son in a toddler bed. We "Silas proofed" his bedroom and put up a baby gate at the door. I started putting him in there for naps (we coslept at night) and eventually, he decided that he wanted to sleep in his room at night. We didn't worry about trying to keep him in the bed. I don't remember it taking very long for him to get to the point where he'd play for a few minutes and then climb into the bed to sleep.

8/31/2012 12:55:30 PM

anybody try elimination communication? successfully?

9/8/2012 9:08:03 PM

Haha. No. That is where I draw the line.

When I was working as a nanny for an Indian family, I talked to the mother about it while I was pregnant. She acknowledged that it wasn't that uncommon in India, BUT that it wasn't out of a desire to do so. The poor live in houses with dirt floors and have naked babies and cannot spare diapers in any form. She actually laughed and implied that she thought that it was silly that Americans want to raise their babies like this. And she was definitely into attachment parenting, but that was just a line that she (and a good chunk of us) don't think is practical to cross. It's already pretty demanding as a parent to AP. Hell, it's pretty freakin' demanding to just be a parent. Why make it harder on yourself when you really don't have to and you're not going to make any worthy gains. Or at least I don't see them as being worth it.

Ok, so that was a little more than answering your question. Sorry.

9/8/2012 10:42:27 PM

i came across it when looking up why my newborn would be screaming absolute bloody murder before she poops. somebody in a random forum had suggested reading up on it i think more to help you get in tune with the baby's GI tract/habits/whatever, not as much as early potty training. so then i thought i'd ask if anybody here did it.

anyway, why would my baby be in so much distress before pooping? like beet red/purple, screaming, lots of tears, belligerent, etc.

9/8/2012 11:32:21 PM

Are you breastfeeding or formula feeding? If formula, could be the brand you are giving her has too much iron in it. If breastfeeding and you're giving a multivitamin supplement in drops, same thing. Babies don't really need iron until later.

Or she's just a dramatic pooper.
Ryan can get really really beat red sometimes even now. Can make some really funny faces.

I would also attempt bicycling her legs and tummy massage. That'll help her work out gas too.

9/8/2012 11:39:42 PM

she gets formula on occasion at night. BFing otherwise. no other supplements.

she might just be a dramatic pooper. poor girl we've done the bicycling & tummy rubbing. she's not a fan of either. she doesn't like being flat on her back.

9/8/2012 11:50:42 PM

Ok, this sounds a little weird, but how is the consistency of her poop? Infant poop shouldn't really have any form or consistency to it. It should be pretty loose and liquid. If it's more like peanut butter, she could be constipated. Some type of anal fissure could also cause discomfort and straining during a BM.

And after my two, any baby who doesn't like to be flat and seems to be having digestive issues, I like to bring up the possibility of acid reflux. Which I am convinced is the source of 90 percent of Old School "colic."

9/9/2012 12:18:27 AM

Her poop is fine.
It's still poop though

9/9/2012 3:41:00 AM

Yep...since you just said she doesn't like being flat on her back, I too will say acid reflux/colic. Buddy had it. And just reading some of your posts on fb, I was thinking "oh nooo...she sounds like she may be an acid reflux baby." mainly the only happy if bouncing in the bjorn and going outside. When you said she doesn't like the car seat I know you said bc of how hot she got, but it could be that bc the angle at such a young age can squish on their tummy causing more acid to rise up (this was the case with my friend's little girl...bloody murder any time she was in the carseat)....once they get bigger the car seat could be your best friend, ours slept in his many nights of we couldn't transition him to the crib...which was angled.

9/9/2012 8:10:40 AM

Yeah her poop is very liquidy, mustard + cottage cheese. Yum.

I'm gonna bring up the possible reflux symptoms at her appt Wednesday, but a friend of mine said they won't do anything unless she's not gaining weight. She's DEFINITELY gaining weight. I'm not wild about giving a newborn medication every day but if it makes her more comfortable & makes eating less of a battle, then I'll do it.

9/10/2012 12:38:51 AM

we bought an inclined sleeper thing because our girl didn't like being flat on her back... she slept in it every night for the first 4 months and loved it. We recently transitioned her to her crib now that she is doing gymnastics and everything has gone just fine.

9/10/2012 5:38:56 AM

She sleeps in a rock & play or swing or sometimes on her side on the couch or whatever. She doesn't want to sleep on her back & after her choking/not breathing incident the other day I don't want her sleeping on her back either. Our main issue is around feeding time. Over half the time nursing her is a fight. She does what seems like throwing up in her mouth, pulls back, & screams this high pitched sharp scream. You can hear things moving around & coming up while she nurses. She coughs & gags & arches her back sometimes. This makes nursing very difficult for both of us, esp since I feel like I'm hurting her when I feed her. She doesn't/almost never reacts this way with a bottle.

9/10/2012 7:33:24 AM

Not a dr, but from experience...Totally reflux. The arching, the gagging and screaming. I'm so sorry...I remember how frustrating that could be. And the poor thing, how much pain he seemed to be in.

Also, you probably have a very fast letdown and she can't catch up/or is gulping too much which contributes to the gagging while eating. This was the case for me as well, and remember how hard nursing was with him basically trying to fling his body out of my arms while screaming. I thought i was doing something wrong and it made nursing not the enjoyable experience i kept hearing about. But i was determined to keep at it so I trudged on.

Our pediatrician suggested the fast letdown and gave me this tip. After a few minutes (say 5) of nursing I would break latch and restart. Did this for three months. you will spray everywhere, but it does help some. You could try that before hopping on meds and make other lifestyle changes...such as tilt her changing table too so diaper changes she has the same tilt as when she's in the rock n play.

Quote :

"do anything unless she's not gaining weight. She's DEFINITELY gaining weight"

Not true. Ryan was gaining weight, and our ped still gave us rxx. It probably helped that she witnessed a reflux incident while we were in the office. I wasn't wild about it either, but even with lifestyle changes he still had problems. The rxx was an ENORMOUS difference and brought sanity back to our home. We used it for 4 months, and the last month we only used it once a day. Cause again once they get bigger the symptoms start to subside unless their case is severe such as not able to gain weight.

[Edited on September 10, 2012 at 8:41 AM. Reason : bf frustration]

9/10/2012 8:37:06 AM

Does anyone have a chicco keyfit 30 base they would be willing to part with? We will be starting with a friend watching our baby girl, and we want to let her hold onto a base (at least until we have to upgrade to a bigger car seat)

9/11/2012 10:29:18 PM

Quote :

"Also, you probably have a very fast letdown and she can't catch up/or is gulping too much which contributes to the gagging while eating."

yup. still battling the ultra fast letdown & oversupply issues, but it's a little better. the UNC lactation consultants have been helpful.

we went to the doc today. it is reflux. she's now on zantac 2x daily. she really didn't enjoy the taste of it in her first dose so we'll have to maybe try mixing it with milk next time.

9/12/2012 10:07:01 PM

I don't know about your Zantac, but our Zantac was kinda minty and our two were not into minty. We would sneak there syringe into the corner of their mouth while they fed. If you dispense too quickly or without trying to disguise it, you can end up in a scary situation. (The only time a code was called on Silas was while they were attempting to give him phenobarbitol by mouth. )

9/12/2012 10:18:33 PM

yeah, it's minty. what sort of scary situation specifically?

oh and she's up to 9lbs 15oz now. 2 weeks ago she was 8lbs 10oz. all of the weight is in her head & stomach lol. up to 21" from 19.5" at birth.

[Edited on September 12, 2012 at 10:43 PM. Reason : ]

9/12/2012 10:41:38 PM

We got it in grape flavored once. That helped.

9/12/2012 10:46:35 PM

I don't know exactly what happens, but both of my kids have stopped breathing when being given medicine. I think that they just choke up, refusing to swallow, and hold their breath. They've only done it as infants not older babies, so I think it must be like an automatic response to having something gross tasting put in their mouth, but I don't know that for sure. It was very scary to see them choke up like that and turn so red, until we learned to sneak it in.

9/13/2012 10:05:09 AM

Yay. Atopic dermatitis. At least it isn't allergies. My son is now the anointed one two times a day for the foreseeable future.

9/13/2012 10:44:49 AM

^^That happened at her first round of vaccines appointment. scary few seconds.

9/13/2012 8:25:20 PM

two words: bruised nipples

she bites. hard.

9/13/2012 10:21:43 PM

two words: fuck that!

9/14/2012 9:19:53 AM

i remember this one time buddy chomped down on my husband's finger when he was still really young and had no teeth. after he said, "and you breastfeed with that bite?!" the gel pads after sitting a bit in the fridge really helped soothe my bruised and cracked nipples. give those a try http://www.amazon.com/Ameda-17261M-ComfortGel-Hydrogel-Pads/dp/B003IP2L38/ref=pd_sim_bt_2

i guess we weren't ready for one nap a day. last week was rough so toward the end of the week i went back to two naps and he seems much happier.

9/17/2012 10:26:45 AM