My baby must haves

Hey hey!

I’ve been meaning to type up this post for awhile now and since Sawyer is officially 2 months old, I think it’s high time I share what must haves got us through the first 8+ weeks of his life.

In no particular order:

The binky (aka pacifier, or nuk):

Some moms are adamantly against using a pacifier for fear of nipple confusion (if breastfeeding) or a reliance as they get older.  Or also fear of it impacting tooth growth.  We have those concerns, but believe it’s self-soothing abilities far outweigh the possible future unknowns.  Since the bean likes his binky (Nuk brand), my boob never (or rarely) gets used as his human pacifier.  I’m also able to be far more independent since the binky keeps him happy and quiet.

The Boppy:

Okay this actually may be my favorite baby item ever.  It’s sort of fabulous.  It’s primary use may be for breastfeeding, which I still use all.the.time.  But it is also the bean’s home-base.  He naps in it, hangs out in it, takes a bottle in it, chills in it, and sometimes even sleeps in it while it’s nestled in the bassinet at night.  I like to lay a blanket inside(or over it, as shown) so he doesn’t slither underneath the cushion.  The blanket also kept him more propped up when he was really little.

The Bjorn:

As far as baby carriers go, I’ve only tried the Bjorn, but any ol’ baby carrier will do as long as it’s comfy for you!  It’s just so wonderful to have both hands free!  This has been a life saver for me, especially for walking the dog.  I learned the hard way how difficult it is to push a stroller and walk my 45 lb dog.  Not fun my friends. 

The Babee Covee:

I randomly picked this up while at a Baby Pallooza fair I attended in my pregnancy.  It is literally like 7 different items in one: a blanket, an infant carrier cover, a grocery cart seat cover, a breastfeeding cover, and more.  As you can see I use it to cover the infant carrier.  I love being able to peek through the hole to check on the soybean while still keeping him completely shielded from the wind or bright sun.  Seriously love this cover.  I would highly highly recommend getting one.  Even the hubby came around to loving it

The bouncy chair:

We got the Fisher Price Comfy Time bouncy chair in Coco Sorbet for Sawyer.  While he doesn’t use it all that much, it is perfect for bringing him into the bathroom while I shower.  The combo of steam, rushing water, and calming vibrations keep the bean happy so I can take my daily shower in peace. 

Chicco KeyFit Caddy:

Yep we bought a $400 jogging stroller and use this <$100 stroller so much more!  It has a huge basket in the bottom great for carrying groceries, coats, diaper bags, purses, etc.  It’s super light and folds up in a cinch.  This has been a fabulous post-baby purchase.  We envision bringing this stroller with us to NYC in May.  And if it breaks before then (due to over use by me!) then it’s cheap enough to buy another.  Perfect!

There are a number of items that we got and don’t really use, but that would be another post.

But in other news, my Mom arrived last night– she is staying for 2 weeks.  Wahoooo!  I’m so stoked.  I have a ton of plans in store for us, including the zoo

If you’re a new parent, what item[s] worked for you?

Feeding the beast

You think I’m talking about myself dontcha?  Nope, I’m referring to the pint-sized beast who is semi-permanently attached to my boob: Soybean (aka Sawyer).

Before I merge onto that topic into depth, I wanted to fill you in on how my post-baby body progress is coming along.  I don’t want to do a weekly update because the changes will likely be minimal, so I’ll let you know in full how things are going next week when I have my 6 week postpartum doctor’s appointment.  I have been getting in more activity though including a 4 mile hike on Saturday, weights on Sunday and cardio on Monday.  All of it has been very mild, but it feels oh so very good to get back to the gym.  It does absolute wonders for my disposition. 

Okay back to "feeding the beast"…While lil soybean has been a really pretty easy baby, life hasn’t been without hurdles.  Breastfeeding is one of the most immediate trials.  Women have been doing it since the beginning of time so you’d think it would be easy as can be, but really there is a learning curve.  And the learning curve, for me, had a lot to do with getting over the discomfort (and sometimes pain).

But based on some horror stories I heard, my experience was a cinch!  Sure there was a few blisters, tenderness, etc, but no mastitis, clogged ducts, or swollen montgomery glands (…yet).

I started breastfeeding in the hospital right after giving birth and don’t remember a single thing.  During my stay I was fortunate to see a lactation consultant who went through holds and technique:

Nice visual eh?

For me, I quickly learned the football hold was easiest though I desperately wished the side lying hold would work so I could eventually feed in bed

After leaving the hospital we had a visit at the "Newborn Club" where they checked Sawyer’s weight, then had me feed him, and checked his weight after feeding on each side.  I averaged about an ounce which is great for only 5 days after birth.  And it was wonderful having a lactation consultant check my latch and the girls to make sure all was well with the world   Because the soybean had lost nearly a pound since birth, we went back to the Newborn Club to weigh him again a few days later and he had gained a few more ounces so breastfeeding was working.  At this time he was feeding every 3-4 hours and even had a 6 hour stretch and an 8 hour stretch.

I should also note that we had already been using a pacifier simultaneously since the hospital.  The nurses provided one and asked my permission before giving him one. There were no issues with nipple confusion using the binky and breastfeeding.  We have been using the Nuk brand pacifier.

Pumping was another story.  Though I’ve had my pump (Medela Pump in Style) since pregnancy, it took me until 3 weeks postpartum to give it a go.  I blame my slow recovery.  Pumping is seriously a hoot.  My hubby and I gave it a go one evening and were cracking up at how ridiculous I looked.  I felt like a total cow.  I only pumped one side at a time and still do, mainly because I was usually using my other hand to play on my phone and I just broke out my hands-free bra yesterday.  Whoops. 

I’ve been pumping 1x per day and storing it in the freezer, though we did introduce a bottle about a week ago with no issues whatsoever. 
However, last week Sawyer was a bit fussy and feeding a lot and I feared I wasn’t supplying him with enough food.  Sure he had plenty of wet/dirty diapers per day, but based on my low-perceived volume of pumping (about 2+ ounces total per time), I decided to call the advice nurse.

She assured me that my body was producing enough and to make sure I was drinking a ton of liquid especially while I’m in the act of breastfeeding.  She also suggested I burp in between sides to make sure all air is out of him so he can accept more food.  Both great tips.
Now this week, he’s been upping his desired feedings from 3-4 hours to close to every 2.  Oye. 

For this reason, I decided to start to supplement with formula.  What I want to say here is that I do NOT feel like a failure for supplementing at close to 5 weeks.  I read so many blogs with new moms saying they feel like their body faiiled them.  Why?  Every lifestyle and body is so different, we can’t expect that every women will as easily produce milk as the next.  There are so many factors that can affect milk production.  Besides, there is nothing wrong with formula-fed babies.  In fact, both my hubby and I were exclusively fed formula and we turned out fine (…we think..haha). 

So anyway, sure I could easily be at his beckon call every 2 hours, but that would have really tested my patience and my sanity particularly in the evenings when he cluster feeds a bit.  I wanted to have a bit of flexibility to leave the house if need be or get some extra stuff done if I so choose.
We chose the Enfamil Infant formula and so far so good.  Our plan is to feed him once a day with formula and the rest of the time breastfeed, but this could change.  Flexibility is key. 

As with everything in pregnancy, motherhood, life, it is easy to compare, but what’s most important is doing what’s right by you!  There is no one way, no right way, no best way.  It comes down to what works for you and your family so that you are healthy, sane, happy, and have a good quality of life. 

And with that, Happy Thursday!

PS I use the Boppy for all my feedings and love it!