Post by Ashley&Scott on Oct 31, 2012 16:11:09 GMT -5
I have the Weissbluth book & tried to read it during maternity leave. I put it away after about 30 minutes. I didn't like it at all, I wasn't willing to do CIO, it was poorly organized, overwhelming & boring all at the same time.
I also totally agree that BF support groups boost confidence. I hope you like your group. (If for some reason you don't keep searching for one.) I get so excited every week to go to my group
M didn't really have a schedule during my maternity leave (8w). It wasn't until he was in daycare for a bit that he settled into a more predictable routine.
RE:pumping & your stash. If she's only eating once overnight have you considered pumping at that time? When M was only eating once overnight I nursed on one side & pumped on the other. I eventually dropped that pumping session, but it really helped build my freezer stash.
Ashley, do you pump at the same time as nursing? not sure if I am coordinated enough to pull that off...
I did this for a little while, although DD was older (like 4 months). I'd put her in the bouncy seat and hold the bottle with one hand as she ate. I sat next to her and pumped, keeping the flanges in place mostly via a nursing bra. I used the hand not holding the bottel to adjust speed/suction or readjust the flanges if they slipped.
Not the most graceful thing in the world, but it got the job done, and it was so nice to get some extra time via the multitasking.
Post by badtzmaru22 on Oct 31, 2012 21:03:16 GMT -5
Everyone on the bump lies.
My baby was only one of those sleepy babies for the first two weeks. After that, all she did was eat, LOL. She wasn't a good napper, but was always happy. She just liked to see what was going on. She would nap in the swing or stroller, so we went on a lot of walks (yay, freakishly warm Feb/March!) and I just went off the baby's cues. A while into it, someone mentioned "Eat, Activity, Sleep" to try and start a schedule, and that sort of worked, but even then, DD would only take a 20 minute nap a couple of times a day.
She got on a better schedule once she went to daycare at three months. She now usually takes two naps - a short 20-30 minute one and then a 30-60 minute one. On weekends, she usually takes one nap in the afternoon for about an hour. When she was newly in daycare, she'd also sometimes take a 20 minute catnap right after we'd get home, which was perfect for me to get the bottles washed and dinner going.
If you're going to be back at work, a hands free pumping bra is a must anyway. I think that's the secret to simultaneously pumping and feeding.
I have one already but I still think I would need some practice to do both. But it seems possible.
I am looking forward to her taking < 30 minutes to nurse. That would open up a world of possibilities.
Yes, you'll feel much better when she takes less time to feed. Two of the happiest days of babyhood were 1) when I got them all fed and changed in under an hour and 2) When they learned to hold their own bottle. I remember blogging at the time, that I just gained 5-6 hours of my day back when that happened.