This article got me thinking. I have no idea why I was so anti television for Jude. I watched a lot of TV up until I was old enough to play outside on my own, aka "the formative" years, and I turned out just fine. My IQ is over 125 and I have excellent focus, so... what was the issue?
I mean, sure, perhaps if you are just plopping your toddler down in front of a screen and leaving it there all by itself for long periods of time... I can see how that would negatively impact development in many ways, but if you turn it into an interactive, social activity it's pretty great. Not only will it free up precious moments for you to tend to your own needs, it's also a learning experience in its own right -- done correctly.
There is a lot of educational child-friendly programming on Netflix. Once Jude was old enough to actually care about what was on the screen I started playing Sesame Street in the morning so that I could take a shower. It was the only time in my day that I was not holding him where he was content. I started with the really old episodes and played right on through to the newer ones. He loves it. Now we spend the majority of our day playing, practicing skills, eating, and napping, but I keep Sesame Street on in the background almost all of the time.
The only parts he's ever really interested in are the opening themes to the mini-series throughout (Bert & Ernie's Great Adventures, Abby's Flying Fairy School, etc.) and Elmo's World, so it's often just background noise for us both. I get up and dance with him every time music comes on. I say hello to new characters as they appear on screen and wave goodbye when they depart. I even participate in the interaction parts as if I were a kid too. He is fascinated and thoroughly loves the interaction he and Mommy have with the muppets on the magic screen. He also loves Elmo's World, so much in fact that if it comes on while we're in another room of the house he will stop what he's doing and crawl out into the living room as fast as he can. He'll watch it aptly from start to finish. He's developed an impressive attention span for a human who has only existed outside for 10 months. He's also ahead developmentally of the other babies in his age group.
For a while I felt bad about all of this. It was television. People (professional baby-people!1!1eleven!) these days tell you not to allow any TV time until well after 2 whole years. Before he was here I was so going to stick to that strict rule. No TV! TV is bad! But wait, why again?
Is it the commercials? There aren't any on Netflix and we don't have regular cable so, there's never any advertisements telling him he needs $300 shoes or a flawless complexion. Is it the content? If I decide to watch an episode of Deep Space Nine he isn't learning that Cardasians kill Bajorans. He's actually ignoring it completely while playing with blocks and balls and eating Cheerios within plain view of me. Unless it is Sesame Street, which he has associated as "his" show, he has no interest at all. The television may as well be off he's paying so little attention to what's going on. So I'm confused here. Why did I think TV would make my baby implode again?
I watched TV up until around the age of 5 years and was never overweight, didn't struggle with paying attention or school work, and would always choose to go outside to play over television if the option was available to me. I was not ruined by consumerism, stricken by ADD, or molded into an idiot by my time in front of the screen. So why the heck did I think it'd be so awful for my offspring to do exactly what I did? Exactly what my parents did when they were kids, and if it wasn't the Depression, exactly what their parents probably would have done as children too? Do what's right for you and your kids, mommies. If that includes television, it includes television. If that includes dwelling in the forest in a thicket and living off the fat o' the land, so be it. It works for your family. Just continue to be an interactive part in their development and it'll all go well. It's not about the TV or lack-thereof, it's about being a present parent in your child's life.
Friday, August 23, 2013
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Twilight Ritual
Everyday in the wee morning hours, around 4:00AM Neelix starts to roam around the house and yell. There is never a reason for this. He has eaten, has fresh water, companionship, toys, and is always more than welcome to hop into bed to sleep on my feet. But everyday he yells at least several times. It's a 50:50 chance he'll wake the baby.He's decided to increase those odds. Lately, not only does he start yelling but he walks right up to the nursery and opens the door. Then continues to yell. This is a 100% chance to wake the baby. I can only assume he is in fact yelling every night because he spends all day with Jude and actually wants to wake him up. Which is super adorable, but also super not cool.
Sometimes I just get up in a rush, stumble out half awake into the kitchen and give both Intruder and him an extra scoop of cat food. Food distracts everyone and this seems no different. Sometimes I just get up in a rush, stumble out into the hall and pluck all 25 lb of cat off of the floor and bring him back to bed with me like the world's most inconvenient teddy bear. He never turns down free cuddles.
Last night was exceptionally bad. I hear him start to yell as per usual, a few seconds later I hear Jude start to stir. Now, these days thanks to self-soothing Jude can actually fall back to sleep all on his own during a middle of the night wake up half of the time; the other half of the time he has just been woken a bit too much and still needs Mommy to come soothe him. I knew if I quieted Neelix quickly enough, by the sound of it, Jude would fall back to sleep by himself, I could go directly back to sleep myself, and we'd both wake more refreshed in the morning. Neelix didn't like this idea.
He not only proceeds to push open the nursery door, creating more super interesting sounds to waken the baby, but also meows a few more times just to be sure. If that wouldn't do it, what he did next certainly would: he galloped out into the kitchen where Jude had left several of his toys, and proceeded to activate them. So now there is meowing, singing, sound effects, and a guy shouting shapes. Jude is well awake now.
So I go in and nurse him because by now not only is he awake but he's awake enough that he's realized he hasn't eaten since 7:00PM and surely that will kill him. Then I rock him a little and let him settle comfortably in my lap until he's out once again and stealthily slip him into the crib and sneak out -- where Neelix awaits hopeful that I'll emerge Jude-in-hand like I do every morning around 8:00AM when it's actually wake-up time. I give him a stern look and, defeated, he goes out and flops over in the middle of the living room.
I'm going to have to start making rounds before bed to make sure every single toy is switched to off now. We'll not have that again! Smartass giant cat.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Warming Baby Up to The Sippy Cup
I recently posted a video of my son happily drinking from a sippy cup all on his own at ten months. A few friends of mine are having difficulty getting their children to do the same even though their children are much older. So I figured I'd go ahead and share my strategy.
Long before your baby should be capable of doing things (self-feeding, using a straw or a sippy cup, etc.), let them experiment! Self-feeding doesn't generally take place until the ninth month, sometimes even later, but Jude has been doing it since eight months, because I had been offering him bits of very soft food for two months by that point. During those months he mostly just picked the bits up and mashed them in his hand rather than get them anywhere near his mouth, but it was helping him with his pincer grip.
Babies generally don't start self-feeding with a utensil until after a year of age, but you bet your ass that Jude already owns his very own spoons! Though he doesn't use them to feed himself, he plays with them all the time. They are always available to him during the day. He can pick them up and practice manipulating them with his hands, sometimes he even pretends to feed himself.
I did the same thing with the sippy cup. We've given Jude small amounts of white grape juice since he was about six months old. Not to replace meals or quench his infant thirst, as breast milk is far superior in both regards, but because once he started solids he would get backed up once in a while and white grape juice is a natural, gentle stool softener. We'd give it to him in a bottle when he needed it, but when he didn't need it, I'd put a little in a sippy cup and leave it out for him. He could practice with is much as he would his spoon. To encourage him I'd take a few sips from it myself before setting it down.
Worked like a charm. He now drinks from it willingly between meals. Juice, milk, water, whatever is inside, he'll drink it from the sippy cup. In this way we've avoided him becoming reliant on the bottle, or the breast for that matter. He now uses all three interchangeably. Were I able to pump breast milk, I'd offer him that in the sippy cup too.
So my advice in summary, fellow parents, is don't go by the guidelines. Just because a book says they won't do it until ____, doesn't mean they can't do it earlier. Even if you don't expect your baby to hold his own spoon until eighteen months, give him one at five months. Let him chew on it and throw it around and make a big mess. So what if hes hows no interest in a sippy cup and refuses to drink out of anything but his bottle or the breast at six months, give him a sippy cup anyway. They're only disinterested until suddenly, it's the most interesting thing in the world. The transition later will be far less frustrating for everyone involved!
Disclaimer: Make sure the utensils you are giving for "play" are baby-safe. No metal or glass. Also be sure to supervise baby with these things, as with all things.
Long before your baby should be capable of doing things (self-feeding, using a straw or a sippy cup, etc.), let them experiment! Self-feeding doesn't generally take place until the ninth month, sometimes even later, but Jude has been doing it since eight months, because I had been offering him bits of very soft food for two months by that point. During those months he mostly just picked the bits up and mashed them in his hand rather than get them anywhere near his mouth, but it was helping him with his pincer grip.
Babies generally don't start self-feeding with a utensil until after a year of age, but you bet your ass that Jude already owns his very own spoons! Though he doesn't use them to feed himself, he plays with them all the time. They are always available to him during the day. He can pick them up and practice manipulating them with his hands, sometimes he even pretends to feed himself.
I did the same thing with the sippy cup. We've given Jude small amounts of white grape juice since he was about six months old. Not to replace meals or quench his infant thirst, as breast milk is far superior in both regards, but because once he started solids he would get backed up once in a while and white grape juice is a natural, gentle stool softener. We'd give it to him in a bottle when he needed it, but when he didn't need it, I'd put a little in a sippy cup and leave it out for him. He could practice with is much as he would his spoon. To encourage him I'd take a few sips from it myself before setting it down.
Worked like a charm. He now drinks from it willingly between meals. Juice, milk, water, whatever is inside, he'll drink it from the sippy cup. In this way we've avoided him becoming reliant on the bottle, or the breast for that matter. He now uses all three interchangeably. Were I able to pump breast milk, I'd offer him that in the sippy cup too.
So my advice in summary, fellow parents, is don't go by the guidelines. Just because a book says they won't do it until ____, doesn't mean they can't do it earlier. Even if you don't expect your baby to hold his own spoon until eighteen months, give him one at five months. Let him chew on it and throw it around and make a big mess. So what if hes hows no interest in a sippy cup and refuses to drink out of anything but his bottle or the breast at six months, give him a sippy cup anyway. They're only disinterested until suddenly, it's the most interesting thing in the world. The transition later will be far less frustrating for everyone involved!
Disclaimer: Make sure the utensils you are giving for "play" are baby-safe. No metal or glass. Also be sure to supervise baby with these things, as with all things.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Friday, August 2, 2013
Like The Nights of Yore
Tonight was the worst Sleepening (the process by which I prepare Jude for bed time) in the history of Sleepenings. It's the first time it's taken a full hour to complete in such a long time. I'm not sure if his teeth are bothering him or if he's suddenly developed a fear of the dark or something. But ffs.
He finished nursing, then I gave him his bottle to top him off, then he fell asleep beginning the count down (the moment the baby unlatches I start counting to five minutes, after which time it is the ideal moment to place him in his crib with success). All per usual. However then he woke up in tears, struggled to get comfortable unsuccessfully which only brought on more tears, until the point of hysterics.
I changed him to a more upright position which has worked in the past during bed time fusses, and that worked up until he tried to fall asleep in that position -- which he can't, so he started to cry about that. So I returned him to laying across my lap, and he was fine for a second until suddenly he wasn't and he was crying inconsolably again.
Aaron poked his head in (like Castiel) to see if he could help somehow and I asked for him to fetch the Tylenol. He did, and helped administer it which calmed Jude down because 'yay Daddy,' then I tried to get him to doze again but he was still far too upset. And now totally awake.
In the end I had to get up like the days of yore and pace around in the dark with all twenty-some pounds of him for fifteen minutes until he finally passed out. Thankfully. Combination of walking and Tylenol no doubt. Hopefully he sleeps through the night at least. Poor Ducky.
Is that a thing that happens? Do babies suddenly develop a fear of the dark at some point? I mean, it could just be his teeth but I've never seen him that upset before. Ever. So I'm inclined to believe it was multiple things bothering him, teething, sleepiness, darkness, etc.
He finished nursing, then I gave him his bottle to top him off, then he fell asleep beginning the count down (the moment the baby unlatches I start counting to five minutes, after which time it is the ideal moment to place him in his crib with success). All per usual. However then he woke up in tears, struggled to get comfortable unsuccessfully which only brought on more tears, until the point of hysterics.
I changed him to a more upright position which has worked in the past during bed time fusses, and that worked up until he tried to fall asleep in that position -- which he can't, so he started to cry about that. So I returned him to laying across my lap, and he was fine for a second until suddenly he wasn't and he was crying inconsolably again.
Aaron poked his head in (like Castiel) to see if he could help somehow and I asked for him to fetch the Tylenol. He did, and helped administer it which calmed Jude down because 'yay Daddy,' then I tried to get him to doze again but he was still far too upset. And now totally awake.
In the end I had to get up like the days of yore and pace around in the dark with all twenty-some pounds of him for fifteen minutes until he finally passed out. Thankfully. Combination of walking and Tylenol no doubt. Hopefully he sleeps through the night at least. Poor Ducky.
Is that a thing that happens? Do babies suddenly develop a fear of the dark at some point? I mean, it could just be his teeth but I've never seen him that upset before. Ever. So I'm inclined to believe it was multiple things bothering him, teething, sleepiness, darkness, etc.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Must Haves
If you are expecting or have newly become a parent, I have a few key recommendations to make adjusting to life with baby a little easier on you.
1. Playtex Diaper Genie Elite
This product is aptly named because it's like you wished away the stinky diapers and a genie appeared to take them away. There is no odor, no mess, and you just step on the peddle to toss the diapers away leaving your hands free to carry baby. Refills are reasonably priced and changing them is easy.
There are two models of this by Platex on the market. I definitely recommend paying the little extra for the elite model as it not only includes the foot pedal for hands free use but also seems to better seal in odors. As in seal them in completely. We have both models and while the standard version is still nice to have, the elite model is MAGICAL by comparison.
2. The Boppy
I had my doubts when people were trying to explain this concept to me before having the baby. A pillow you wear around your waist to put the baby on while it nurses? Why not just hold the baby in place? Why is this necessary? In my naivety I did not truly comprehend just how frequently and for how long you nurse. This thing came in so handy for the first several months that I cannot imagine life without it.
I've nursed with it and without it and it's just more comfortable for everyone involved with it. To the point where at five months Jude did not want to nurse without it at times. Holding baby in position to nurse, even as a newborn is surprisingly tiring and newborns nurse every couple of hours for thirty minutes to an hour sometimes. That's a lot of muscle fatigue! I had no idea going in.
It also made nap time easy in the early days, as Jude would not sleep without being held. On the Boppy he would just rest on it while nursing and doze so peacefully, and I could just let him stay there while I did other things because it allowed me to retain the use of at least one arm, if not both (depending on position). Granted I still couldn't get up and be mobile, but that was fine. I could at least read a book, browse the internet, chat with my family 3000 miles away, or feed myself.
Once baby out grows (around 9 months for us) it it's still useful as a neck pillow for you during road trips, or heck, while nursing!
3. A Quality Rocking Chair or Glider
Sometimes baby wants what baby wants and nothing else will suffice. A lot of the time what baby wants is to be rocked. You'll want to be prepared for this by having an appropriate rocking apparatus on hand. Let's be clear here, I'm all about penny pinching, but quality matters. If you skimp here you'll wind up with one that will need to be replaced frequently, negating the money you saved; or one which is noisy which will mean baby won't fall asleep in it, making the money you spent worthless.
I included the exact glider I own (gliders are nice in upstairs nurseries as they don't create a lot of noise for the people downstairs while in use), which Jude absolutely loves. I rocked him to sleep in it every night starting at 5 months and it moves so effortlessly that once it comes time to start getting baby to fall asleep more on their own rather than while nursed or rocked, it's a smooth transition. Usually I just sit in the chair with Jude now and he simply associates it with bed time, even if we don't rock at all.
4. A Swing
As previously mentioned, babies love rocking. Especially in the early months when they are incapable of moving on their own. Swings come in handy because they allow you to set baby to rocking while remaining independent so that you can get some much needed "me" time, or simply accomplish some house work. You may even get lucky and find that baby loves to doze off in it for naps.
In the early months for us, Jude would not sleep anywhere but on me and in his swing. So when I needed to get some good deep sleep, in his swing is where he went and there were no complaints. He would sleep there at five weeks old for hours at a time. Much longer than he would sleep anywhere else. These days it is part of our daily routine. He sits in it anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour every morning watching Sesame Street while I nap, make breakfast, or hop in the shower. It's a safe place he can be left happily while I do things that need to be done in another room.
5. A Pack 'n' Play
This thing serves the purpose of a portable changing table, bassinet, crib, and playpen. What more really needs to be said about it? They are stylish, easy to fold up and reassemble, and work in every capacity they are advertised to. We take ours on road trips all the time. I'm always amazed at how very little room it takes up when it's all packed away.
6. A Bottle and Some Formula
I know, I know: breast is best! I am a breast feeding mother myself. Breast milk is the staple of Jude's diet, even now that he's eating three solid meals per day. Making the decision to breast feed is an incredibly selfless act and you are doing something absolutely amazing for your little one. That said, sometimes you need to get a little gd sleep.
Breast feeding is incredible and incredibly demanding. You will be nursing every few hours day and night for twelve months or longer. You are going to experience sleep deprivation. Often. Especially if your baby is not only waking up hungry but is also a light sleeper and wakes up often. Even more so if you are like me and cannot pump or express enough breast milk for your significant other to take over a few feedings for you. This isn't a problem with formula fed babies. First because anyone can give your baby a bottle of formula. Secondly because formula is harder to digest meaning your baby feels fuller, longer. Which translate to: formula fed babies sleep at least six hours a night right from the get-go.
So every now and then, when you're really needing the sleep, go ahead and prepare a bottle of formula for baby. Even if you breast feed exclusively otherwise. I don't recommend this in the first month or every night as that will inhibit the milk supply you're trying to establish, but a couple of nights a week isn't going to hurt anything. And you know what else severely inhibits your milk supply? LACK OF SLEEP.
These days (9 months) I give Jude a bottle every night before bed. Granted it's only a couple of ounces and he must breast feed fully first. It makes putting him down easier and keeps him comfortable for at least 9 straight hours, whereas breast milk only keeps him comfortable for about 3. Since taking up this practice we've gone from being up four times a night for an hour each time to being up only once or twice each night. What a relief!
This is also very useful for road trips or other prolonged travel as you'll need to stop less often. A meal before we hit the road then a bottle as we go and our travle time across the entirety of California is only 7 or 8 hours (depending on traffic). When we made this journey breast feeding exclusively we had to stop every 2 hours and the trip wound up taking almost 14 hours total! If you're stopping anyway though (bathroom break, lunch, etc.), you may as well breast feed too. Your milk production should not suffer from missing just a few feedings for a single day. If you can pump though it is better to just bring expressed milk in bottles for the road for sure.
Note about formula: Powdered formula is more likely to contain bacteria than premixed bottled formula. Also once you open a tub of powdered formula you have one month to use it in its entirety -- this will be difficult if you are only giving your baby one 2 ounce bottle a night. Therefor I suggest you buy the premixed bottled formulas, which are a little friendlier for this purpose. Once opened you have 48 hours to use them, but they contain less formula overall. They also sell powdered formula in packets, which is also good for this use though can be a little messier as resealing a torn open packet is impossible.
7. A Travel System
These are expensive, yes. They are also more cost efficient over time. They function as a car seat, an infant stroller, and a toddler stroller all in one and come with a fixture for the car that makes buckling baby in extremely easy on the go. You can also just grab the seat part of the car seat and strap it into other vehicles without the fixture. I love these things.
The one we have can also be used to go jogging with, meaning it handles all terrain fantastically. If we're taking a walk in the park and baby needs to be changed ASAP, you can feel free to roll through the grass, gravel, pavement, and up curbs freely to get to the restroom quickly. It also fold and unfolds easily, which is important when you're working on baby time. Babies want everything accomplished in 0 seconds. The closer you can get to this, the better.
8. Footie Pajamas
They say you shouldn't put babies into a crib with a blanket because your baby is gimpy and retarded and might die by rolling the blanket around its own head and suffocating. Jude has known how to pull fabric away from his face since like, the first week he was home, so I'm not sure how valid this concern is. That said, if you wrap up your baby for warmth at night and put them in a crib expecting them to stay wrapped up, you've got another thing coming.
I'm not sure when sleep paralysis kicks in, but it isn't at birth and it isn't at 9 months. Jude has managed to unswaddle himself 100% of the time in 3 hours or less then wake up cold and crying because of it. Jude has also always hated to be swaddled. How dare we oppress him? Babies move a lot when sleeping. I put Jude in his crib head facing left and when I go in there in the middle of the night to tend or check on him he'll have rotated 180 degrees and be in a whole new position. Trying to contain that in a blanket is hopeless.
This is where footed pajamas come in handy. With footed pajamas your baby will not need a blanket to stay warm. They come in a variety of fabrics, so you'll find something available for when it's 75 degrees and baby may just wake up due to a draft, or something more substantial like fleece for when it's like 40 degrees out and baby may actually get cold without. This also removes whatever suffocation risk everyone's so paranoid about as well. So, double win.
9. A Pacifier
Babies suckle for sustenance and for comfort. Thing is babies do not know the difference between a want and a need so if they feel the compulsion to suckle and cannot, they freak out. Some babies want nothing to do with a pacifier, especially breastfed ones. It took us days to get Jude to accept one and once he had he used his for only a couple of weeks before he was over it. Those few weeks were peaceful though as I no longer had to comfort nurse every time he had the urge to. I enjoy nursing, but there was a period of time, in the beginning, where I was literally nursing for about 19 hours per day. The pacifier changed this.
Don't worry about your little one becoming 'addicted' to it. Most babies lose interest all on their own once they discover their thumb or solid foods. It should be avoided during the first 4 weeks if you are breast feeding though, to avoid nipple confusion. Jude took to a bottle and pacifier and the breast interchangeably, I'm to understand this is very rarely the case.
10. Pampers Diapers
As stated in my diaper review, Pampers has been the front runner in diaper usability and effectiveness since Jude was born. Sizes 1 and 2 have a wetness indicator when you're new to parenting and may not be able to easily tell when baby needs changed, and the diapers are super absorbent and hold up to a lot of abuse (like trying to tug and wrap them around a wiggly uncooperative baby). Their shape also makes them pretty easy to use even on the go -- a lot of other diapers have a ruffled elastic type back that wants to fold in on itself constantly. These do not.
For the first few months I'd recommend the Swaddlers then move up to the Cruisers which are not only effective but adorable.
1. Playtex Diaper Genie Elite
This product is aptly named because it's like you wished away the stinky diapers and a genie appeared to take them away. There is no odor, no mess, and you just step on the peddle to toss the diapers away leaving your hands free to carry baby. Refills are reasonably priced and changing them is easy.
There are two models of this by Platex on the market. I definitely recommend paying the little extra for the elite model as it not only includes the foot pedal for hands free use but also seems to better seal in odors. As in seal them in completely. We have both models and while the standard version is still nice to have, the elite model is MAGICAL by comparison.
2. The Boppy
I had my doubts when people were trying to explain this concept to me before having the baby. A pillow you wear around your waist to put the baby on while it nurses? Why not just hold the baby in place? Why is this necessary? In my naivety I did not truly comprehend just how frequently and for how long you nurse. This thing came in so handy for the first several months that I cannot imagine life without it.
I've nursed with it and without it and it's just more comfortable for everyone involved with it. To the point where at five months Jude did not want to nurse without it at times. Holding baby in position to nurse, even as a newborn is surprisingly tiring and newborns nurse every couple of hours for thirty minutes to an hour sometimes. That's a lot of muscle fatigue! I had no idea going in.
It also made nap time easy in the early days, as Jude would not sleep without being held. On the Boppy he would just rest on it while nursing and doze so peacefully, and I could just let him stay there while I did other things because it allowed me to retain the use of at least one arm, if not both (depending on position). Granted I still couldn't get up and be mobile, but that was fine. I could at least read a book, browse the internet, chat with my family 3000 miles away, or feed myself.
Once baby out grows (around 9 months for us) it it's still useful as a neck pillow for you during road trips, or heck, while nursing!
3. A Quality Rocking Chair or Glider
Sometimes baby wants what baby wants and nothing else will suffice. A lot of the time what baby wants is to be rocked. You'll want to be prepared for this by having an appropriate rocking apparatus on hand. Let's be clear here, I'm all about penny pinching, but quality matters. If you skimp here you'll wind up with one that will need to be replaced frequently, negating the money you saved; or one which is noisy which will mean baby won't fall asleep in it, making the money you spent worthless.
I included the exact glider I own (gliders are nice in upstairs nurseries as they don't create a lot of noise for the people downstairs while in use), which Jude absolutely loves. I rocked him to sleep in it every night starting at 5 months and it moves so effortlessly that once it comes time to start getting baby to fall asleep more on their own rather than while nursed or rocked, it's a smooth transition. Usually I just sit in the chair with Jude now and he simply associates it with bed time, even if we don't rock at all.
4. A Swing
As previously mentioned, babies love rocking. Especially in the early months when they are incapable of moving on their own. Swings come in handy because they allow you to set baby to rocking while remaining independent so that you can get some much needed "me" time, or simply accomplish some house work. You may even get lucky and find that baby loves to doze off in it for naps.
In the early months for us, Jude would not sleep anywhere but on me and in his swing. So when I needed to get some good deep sleep, in his swing is where he went and there were no complaints. He would sleep there at five weeks old for hours at a time. Much longer than he would sleep anywhere else. These days it is part of our daily routine. He sits in it anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour every morning watching Sesame Street while I nap, make breakfast, or hop in the shower. It's a safe place he can be left happily while I do things that need to be done in another room.
5. A Pack 'n' Play
This thing serves the purpose of a portable changing table, bassinet, crib, and playpen. What more really needs to be said about it? They are stylish, easy to fold up and reassemble, and work in every capacity they are advertised to. We take ours on road trips all the time. I'm always amazed at how very little room it takes up when it's all packed away.
6. A Bottle and Some Formula
I know, I know: breast is best! I am a breast feeding mother myself. Breast milk is the staple of Jude's diet, even now that he's eating three solid meals per day. Making the decision to breast feed is an incredibly selfless act and you are doing something absolutely amazing for your little one. That said, sometimes you need to get a little gd sleep.
Breast feeding is incredible and incredibly demanding. You will be nursing every few hours day and night for twelve months or longer. You are going to experience sleep deprivation. Often. Especially if your baby is not only waking up hungry but is also a light sleeper and wakes up often. Even more so if you are like me and cannot pump or express enough breast milk for your significant other to take over a few feedings for you. This isn't a problem with formula fed babies. First because anyone can give your baby a bottle of formula. Secondly because formula is harder to digest meaning your baby feels fuller, longer. Which translate to: formula fed babies sleep at least six hours a night right from the get-go.
So every now and then, when you're really needing the sleep, go ahead and prepare a bottle of formula for baby. Even if you breast feed exclusively otherwise. I don't recommend this in the first month or every night as that will inhibit the milk supply you're trying to establish, but a couple of nights a week isn't going to hurt anything. And you know what else severely inhibits your milk supply? LACK OF SLEEP.
These days (9 months) I give Jude a bottle every night before bed. Granted it's only a couple of ounces and he must breast feed fully first. It makes putting him down easier and keeps him comfortable for at least 9 straight hours, whereas breast milk only keeps him comfortable for about 3. Since taking up this practice we've gone from being up four times a night for an hour each time to being up only once or twice each night. What a relief!
This is also very useful for road trips or other prolonged travel as you'll need to stop less often. A meal before we hit the road then a bottle as we go and our travle time across the entirety of California is only 7 or 8 hours (depending on traffic). When we made this journey breast feeding exclusively we had to stop every 2 hours and the trip wound up taking almost 14 hours total! If you're stopping anyway though (bathroom break, lunch, etc.), you may as well breast feed too. Your milk production should not suffer from missing just a few feedings for a single day. If you can pump though it is better to just bring expressed milk in bottles for the road for sure.
Note about formula: Powdered formula is more likely to contain bacteria than premixed bottled formula. Also once you open a tub of powdered formula you have one month to use it in its entirety -- this will be difficult if you are only giving your baby one 2 ounce bottle a night. Therefor I suggest you buy the premixed bottled formulas, which are a little friendlier for this purpose. Once opened you have 48 hours to use them, but they contain less formula overall. They also sell powdered formula in packets, which is also good for this use though can be a little messier as resealing a torn open packet is impossible.
7. A Travel System
These are expensive, yes. They are also more cost efficient over time. They function as a car seat, an infant stroller, and a toddler stroller all in one and come with a fixture for the car that makes buckling baby in extremely easy on the go. You can also just grab the seat part of the car seat and strap it into other vehicles without the fixture. I love these things.
The one we have can also be used to go jogging with, meaning it handles all terrain fantastically. If we're taking a walk in the park and baby needs to be changed ASAP, you can feel free to roll through the grass, gravel, pavement, and up curbs freely to get to the restroom quickly. It also fold and unfolds easily, which is important when you're working on baby time. Babies want everything accomplished in 0 seconds. The closer you can get to this, the better.
8. Footie Pajamas
They say you shouldn't put babies into a crib with a blanket because your baby is gimpy and retarded and might die by rolling the blanket around its own head and suffocating. Jude has known how to pull fabric away from his face since like, the first week he was home, so I'm not sure how valid this concern is. That said, if you wrap up your baby for warmth at night and put them in a crib expecting them to stay wrapped up, you've got another thing coming.
I'm not sure when sleep paralysis kicks in, but it isn't at birth and it isn't at 9 months. Jude has managed to unswaddle himself 100% of the time in 3 hours or less then wake up cold and crying because of it. Jude has also always hated to be swaddled. How dare we oppress him? Babies move a lot when sleeping. I put Jude in his crib head facing left and when I go in there in the middle of the night to tend or check on him he'll have rotated 180 degrees and be in a whole new position. Trying to contain that in a blanket is hopeless.
This is where footed pajamas come in handy. With footed pajamas your baby will not need a blanket to stay warm. They come in a variety of fabrics, so you'll find something available for when it's 75 degrees and baby may just wake up due to a draft, or something more substantial like fleece for when it's like 40 degrees out and baby may actually get cold without. This also removes whatever suffocation risk everyone's so paranoid about as well. So, double win.
9. A Pacifier
Babies suckle for sustenance and for comfort. Thing is babies do not know the difference between a want and a need so if they feel the compulsion to suckle and cannot, they freak out. Some babies want nothing to do with a pacifier, especially breastfed ones. It took us days to get Jude to accept one and once he had he used his for only a couple of weeks before he was over it. Those few weeks were peaceful though as I no longer had to comfort nurse every time he had the urge to. I enjoy nursing, but there was a period of time, in the beginning, where I was literally nursing for about 19 hours per day. The pacifier changed this.
Don't worry about your little one becoming 'addicted' to it. Most babies lose interest all on their own once they discover their thumb or solid foods. It should be avoided during the first 4 weeks if you are breast feeding though, to avoid nipple confusion. Jude took to a bottle and pacifier and the breast interchangeably, I'm to understand this is very rarely the case.
10. Pampers Diapers
As stated in my diaper review, Pampers has been the front runner in diaper usability and effectiveness since Jude was born. Sizes 1 and 2 have a wetness indicator when you're new to parenting and may not be able to easily tell when baby needs changed, and the diapers are super absorbent and hold up to a lot of abuse (like trying to tug and wrap them around a wiggly uncooperative baby). Their shape also makes them pretty easy to use even on the go -- a lot of other diapers have a ruffled elastic type back that wants to fold in on itself constantly. These do not.
For the first few months I'd recommend the Swaddlers then move up to the Cruisers which are not only effective but adorable.
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