Unsolicited Advice for the Expectant Mother...

(I typed this up for someone that I know is pregnant...)

Here’s my UNSOLICITED Advice. I’m sure, as you know by now…being pregnant---you are going to get a LOT of unsolicited advice…so if you want to quit reading right now…I totally understand!

I am by NO MEANS trying to tell you what to do, or how to do it! I am no expert on baby products, baby needs, or child rearing! It’s just that I’ve recently been where you are , and where you’re about to be (a new mom!) ….

So….here goes…..

• When you see that baby for the very first time---it’s okay to be scared! All of a sudden there is this new life in your arms, and you know you love that baby, but it’s all so new, and it’s an amazing responsibility. So, if you look at that baby, & think “Oh My Gosh, this is my baby who I know, and yet he’s a stranger to me…”, you’re not alone!
• There will be times when you say or think, “I have no idea what I’m doing.” …or, “I have no idea what he needs right now!” Every first time mom has been there. I have sssssooooooooooo been there. You will have a few “first time mommy” moments….I’ve been there…I’m sure your mom was there… Some things you learn from others---but a whole heck of a lot of things are learned on your own---just from going through it!
• I was the world’s slowest at figuring out my child’s different cries. All of these experts say your baby may cry one way when he’s hungry, and another way if he’s wet, or hot, or too tired, or overstimulated, etc. Me---I couldn’t figure that stuff out! All I knew was that my baby was crying! I’d run down the mental checklist: Is he wet/dirty? Is it too hot or too cold in here? Is he hungry? If all of those things were okay---then he’d get a dose of Mylicon, a cuddle, and his binky.
• Mylicon: liquid gas medicine for babies. Make sure you get some of this. The baby can’t tell you if he’s gassy or not---so I was on the mentality of, “Better to be safe than sorry!”, and I’d give him a dose!
• Binky/Paci/Pacifier…..there are a ton of options out there. Gage didn’t, and still doesn’t take the binky too often. But, at first, he was a big fan of the green Soothie brand binky that they provided at the hospital. It was the only one he would take. So, we had to stock up on those. For months he didn’t take the binky anymore, but now that he’s teething—he loves the binky again. Gives him something to chew on.
• Breastfeeding…saw that you’ve got a Medela pump on your registry. You go girl! I tried to get by with a small, portable, electric pump made by a company called “The First Years”. It was about $40. That was $40 that I can’t get back. Such a waste of money. Medela products are so awesome. Here’s my tip on the Medela pump: if the hospital you deliver at uses Medela pumps---before you leave the hospital, tell the nurse that you want to try pumping to help your milk come in (which, it will). That way---the nurse will bring you one of their Medela pumps with a kit of Medela hook-ups. These hook-ups can’t be reissued to another patient, so you get to take them with you, and that way your insurance covers them! The kit costs about $60 if you buy the pieces at the store….and---the kit includes a bunch of parts that will fit all the different Medela pumps. Originally, at the hospital, they let me use the Medela Symphony. I really liked it. So, since my milk didn’t come in for SEVEN days---I rented a Symphony to go home with me. That way—we didn’t spend $300 on a pump that I may or may not be able to use (in case my milk never came in, or we had feeding issues….). Anyway—when I returned to work, I had a Medela Lactina pump here at work to use (I work in a hospital), and b/c I got the kit when I delivered, I had all of the hook-ups. Then, when I got a Pump-in-Style, I already had all of the hook-ups. So, I say, YES—Go with Medela!!!!
• Breastpads…..I nursed for almost 6 months. Went through quite a few breastpads. Here are my opinions on the pads…. The best ones: Lansinoh. They are contoured---which will make a difference under your clothes! They are individually wrapped, so that makes sticking them in your purse or diaper bag easier.
• Breastmilk storage bags: Tried a few of these as well…My reviews: Top pick—Lansinoh bags. They have a double seal which is awesome. The most embarrassing thing that happened to me---I stored a bag of breast milk in the break room fridge here at work—and it spilled & leaked onto other people’s lunches. I could have just DIED. That was with a bag made by “The First Years”. It sported a “handle for pouring.” Um…it sucked. Don’t even bother with the bags they make. They leak. They are crap. 2nd favorite bag---Gerber bags. They never leaked! No double seal, but they never leaked.
• Breastmilk…like I said—mine didn’t come in for 7 days after delivery. So, we had to supplement with formula…which initially broke my heart. (I’m glad to report that I’ve fully recovered from that….) Anyway—I read that if you have a c-section (which I hope you don’t have to have!), it takes longer for your milk to come in. So---in the event that you are having difficulty with your milk coming in…here’s what they had me do: nurse for 15 minutes on each side, then give the baby to husband or mom (whoever was closest…), they would formula feed Gage, while I pumped for 15 minutes on each side. And---just so you know---when your milk comes in full-swing, you can STOP doing this routine. Um…nobody told me that part. So, for the 1st 2 weeks, I was feeding him & then pumping on both sides. Oh girl—I had enough milk to cure world hunger, and I was getting NO SLEEP b/c I was always nursing or pumping!
• If the hospital has a lactation consultant/nurse—I suggest meeting with her. I met with the one at our hospital, and I learned more in 15 minutes with her than I did from reading anything. She taught me different positions in which to nurse, the proper latch & detachment…all things that will make breastfeeding comfortable & enjoyable for you.
• And…with regard to breastfeeding……if you’re scared—that’s okay too. I was scared at first. They hand you this new little baby…who’s about 30 minutes old, and say, “he’s probably hungry. Are you going to nurse him?” …and you think, “Oh Lord…I don’t have any idea what I’m doing!” It’s okay! It’s normal! Just tell them, and they will help you with everything. The nurses can be so great!
• Diapers…..in the beginning we used Pampers Swaddlers b/c that’s what the hospital used. Breastfed babies poo more, and it’s a lot more…liquidy (if that’s a word….) So you will go through a lot of diapers in the beginning! We went through 10-12 a day in the first few weeks. What I’ve learned: diapers that may be great on my child may not be great on yours. Apparently they all fit differently, and babies move differently….etc. Over time—the regular Huggies & Huggies Supremes worked best for us. When Gage was around 3 months old, we discovered that we could get away with Target brand or Tom Thumb store brand diapers for the day-time, but they weren’t nearly as absorbent for the nights.
• Formula. In the event that you don’t breastfeed or supplement with formula, here’s what I’ve learned….we tried Enfamil Lipil, which was fine. But then we tried Similac Advance, which apparently has a sweeter taste. So, Gage liked it more. Then we learned from the Pediatrician that Sam’s Club sells 3 lb. Cans of “Member’s Mark” or “Maker’s Mark”…formula, that is the EXACT same as Similac Advance (the Similac with the DHA & ARA). So, that’s now where we buy the formula.
• Formula: if you do go with formula, go to the website of whichever brand you are going to use---and register as a new mom. They will send you coupons for $5/off each can. We used to get them every month for the Enfamil…which we weren’t using…. But we used the Similac coupons. Hey—it’s $5!
• Two Kiddopotamus products that I loved: Infant Swaddler & Sleep-Sack. Gage loved to be swaddled when he was brand new. I called it, “the baby-burrito”. All of the nurses were so good at it. So was my husband! But me---I couldn’t ever get him swaddled quite right. But, the baby swaddler is like a blanket, ours was made of fleece, and we would wrap Gage in it, and Velcro the little spots where you Velcro---and it would keep him bundled up nicely, which really helped him sleep for longer periods of time. The sleep-sack—I was always so afraid that Gage would get cold during the night (this was when he was about 2-3 months or so…), but they said not to put him to sleep with a blanket. And at that time—it was winter! So, we got these fleece sleep sacks which we put over his long sleeved onesie, and zipped it up around his feet. He stayed warm all night—and it was so easy for middle of the night diaper changes!
• Speaking of easy….Those outfits…some people call them rompers, some people call them creepers…anyway—I’m talking about the outfits that look like feety-pajamas. Some of them snap shut, and some of them zip shut. I was the biggest fan of the zip shut outfits that my mom got for Gage. They were soooooo easy. Gage was not a big fan of the diaper change, so being quick was key. The zipper was so much easier with a crying, squirming baby than the snaps ever were.
• Wipes warmer…I think this is a waste of $$. But, Kelly, a coworker of mine, loves hers, said she couldn’t live without it. So—it’s got mixed reviews.
• Diaper cream: as I mentioned earlier…breastfed babies poo a lot more, and it’s very runny. Gage got a really bad diaper rash at one point because of this. The pediatrician suggested “Dr.Smith’s Diaper Cream”. It smells like….well, it smells really bad. And, it’s expensive—more expensive than your average diaper cream. But, it works. We only used it for 2 days, and it cleared Gage’s rash up. Now, we only use it when he starts to get a rash. It’s not something we use at every diaper change…only when we have to.
• Huggies…or some brand makes this product called “Liquid Powder”. Damon loved it. I hated it. There’s another mixed review for you!
• Baby Food (because your little one will move on to solid food some day!): Heinz is generally cheaper than Gerber. Just a little FYI.
• There is a product called “Little Noses”. It’s saline spray for their noses, so you can moisten any dried boogies to suction them out. Ummm…guess how I heard about this product…the nurse on call from the pediatrician’s office told me about it b/c I called because my baby’s nose was stuffy & the boogies were dry & I couldn’t get them out. (Yes, one of my FINER new mommy moments….)
• Humidifier: one of those things we didn’t have, didn’t register for, didn’t know we’d need.
• Ear Thermometer: one of those things we thought we needed, but we never used (so far) because the pediatrician wants a rectal temperature when you call to discuss your child’s fever.
• Things we could never have too much of: bottles, nipples, wipes, burp cloths, white diaper shirts, baby pants, baby socks, diapers, baby lotion!
• Baby Monitor: here’s a tip for you…..just remember when you plug that thing in, and you’ve got house guests….just watch what you say. You, at some point, will forget that it’s there & on & transmitting your conversation into another (possibly occupied) room.
• Know this: Babies are slippery when wet.
• And…at some point your child will probably lick a floor & eat dog food. It will be okay.
• The boppy: wouldn’t have traded it for all the other pillows in the world!
• The amazing thirst that overcomes your body when you nurse---it’s normal. If at all possible, be prepared with a big ol’ glass of water before sitting down to nurse.

...that's about all I can think of for now...