4/20 Babies - Welcome Annaleah Coraline & Jillian Emily!

Quoth

A few more links about pacifiers (disclaimer: I never used them, neither did my kid, and most places recommend waiting until breastfeeding is going well before introducing them)

http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/crying-colic/Pages/Practical-Pacifier-Principles.aspx?nfstatus=401&nftoken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR:+No+local+token

http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/crying-colic/Pages/Pacifiers-Satisfying-Your-Babys-Needs.aspx

http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/crying-colic/Pages/Pacifiers-and-Thumb-Sucking.aspx

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/96/5/884.short

http://www.aafp.org/afp/2009/0415/p681.html

SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME
AAP guidelines suggest offering pacifiers to infants at the onset of sleep to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).6 The guidelines recommend not introducing pacifiers to breastfeeding infants until one month of age because later onset of pacifier use appears to have fewer negative effects on breastfeeding.21 Pacifiers should not be forced on the infant or reinserted during sleep if the infant spits it out. The exact mechanism of benefit for reducing rates of SIDS is not fully understood, but pacifier use may decrease the likelihood of rolling into the prone position, increase arousal, maintain airway patency, decrease gastroesophageal reflux and resultant sleep apnea, or increase respiratory drive with carbon dioxide retention.22 A meta-analysis22 of seven case-control studies demonstrated a strong association between pacifier use and a reduction in the risk of SIDS, estimating a number needed to treat of 2,733.

Hunter

There's one sure fire method for getting sleep with a crying baby, specifically during the teething stage. Pour yourself 2 fingers of bourbon, drink it, and see if the crying has stopped bothering you. Repeat until not necessary.

In all seriousness, crying never killed a baby. Check their basic needs (diaper, food, too hot/too cold, butt soreness aka monkey butt). If it's one of those, fix it. If not, give a little soothing and let them go. Some babies are self soothers right out the gate, others will pick it up over time. If you constantly pick the poor thing up or fuss too much be prepared to do that for like 2 years at least. I don't recommend it.

Also, men and women react differently to a crying baby depending on pitch and how long the crying has gone on. Support each other and do everything possible to curb the instinct to pick the baby up at every whimper. It's hard to do, especially late at night, but think of it as fighting a war and not a battle.

Extra tip: To avoid monkey butt irritation, I highly recommend preventive maintenance. There's plenty of products available and find one you like and that doesn't irritate the baby's tush. Apply liberally after any diaper change. Do not wait for red, nasty diaper rash. I found Desitin worked best. Try it and then try washing your hands, and you'll learn why it works. You need an industrial power washer or some type of chemical spill cleanup kit to get that off. I could use it as vacuum grease in the lab.

Quoth

I've found that changing the diaper as needed has meant never dealing with diaper rash, no butt paste necessary

But we definitely apply Desitin liberally at night so we don't have to interrupt sleepy times with diaper changes

Desitin is nice and thick, so great for the overnight action

I've found that Boudreaux is awesome for more regular application because it isn't as thick, so it wipes off more easily

Syphyre

Oh woo. Thank you all for the good links and information about pacifiers. Yeah we had to do it when under the UV light just to keep her somewhat silent, but now that we're home, we're going to just let her cry it out. It's the only exercise she gets at the moment anyways.

Besides, when I'm not terribly tired, I have no issues letting her cry for a bit next to me.

Indie Winter

Quoth wrote: »

SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME

that is quite possibly the most panic inducing thing you could have posted in this thread, Quoth

premium

My wife was really bad at rushing in to check what was wrong every time our daughter whined a little.
We ended up agreeing on a time limit rule. At first we forced ourselves to wait 1 minute to see if she just went back to sleep, then 5 minutes, then 15, and now we haven't had to go in her room when she's sleeping in months. Sometimes she wakes up in the middle of the night and I can hear her playing with her toys though.

Also we tried a few different butt pastes and Desitin was what we stuck with too. We don't use it all the time, mostly just when she has diarrhea or something.

Quoth

D:

I'm so sorry! I was trying to help


I'm of the "if he's crying, pick him up" school, to a certain definition of "crying"

Little babies I think cry for a reason, not just for funsies, so they get all the cuddles they want

But once they're older, a certain amount of griping can be attributed to "I want a thing and I'm not getting it"

DisruptedCapitalist

Eventually you get to the point (after a few weeks) where you can start telling the difference between cries too. It makes it easier to figure out what the baby needs at that point.
(I want to be picked up, I pooped, I'm hungry, etc...)

Janson

So far if Anya cries it's for a really valid reason. While whimpering she does self-soothe for a little while, so I do wait then because unless she's reaaaally ready to nurse she doesn't get a great latch or feed for very long. But crying? I have no problem attending to her right away.

Also she is such a finger sucker/blanket sucker that I would not rule out a pacifier in the future.

I know crying it out works at later ages and I also know that some babies are just colicky and cry regardless, but for a baby like Anya it's not really recommended to let her cry it out for at least the first few months, because a young baby then lacks a sense of security.

Hunter

Young babies are really only awake for basic needs to be honest. It gets more difficult once they are awake for longer periods of time. Then you have to learn their little idiosyncrasies and what not. You also pray to whatever dark god will listen for the day when:

They sleep through the night

They are out of diapers

They can find their own TV show, toy, ball, movie, etc

I'm still working on the third one. After that it's smooth sailing until my son is in his teen years and will only communicate with me using grunts and hand gestures.

premium

Janson wrote: »

I know crying it out works at later ages and I also know that some babies are just colicky and cry regardless, but for a baby like Anya it's not really recommended to let her cry it out for at least the first few months, because a young baby then lacks a sense of security.

Yeah for the first while do what you need to do. You got a good long while before you need to worry about things like "does she REALLY need me right now?"

Moriveth

Putting mittens on babies is a difficult task. I managed it, though.

Janson

Speaking of teen boys, my brother did change pretty much overnight to be exactly like that. One day all talkative and sensitive... Next day, cave man

Hunter

Moriveth wrote: »

Putting mittens on babies is a difficult task. I managed it, though.

Get mittens that look like little Hulk hands.

DisruptedCapitalist

Moriveth wrote: »

Putting mittens on babies is a difficult task. I managed it, though.

Meh. I've come to the conclusion that mittens are pointless. Sure they look cute, but they just don't stay on and inevitably the kid's gonna scratch her eyes anyway. Just keep her nails trimmed and it's not really an issue.

BUT if you do get Hulk hands, please please please share the picture!

sarukun

Hunter wrote: »

Moriveth wrote: »

Putting mittens on babies is a difficult task. I managed it, though.

Get mittens that look like little Hulk hands.

Peen

Grandma Els makes a really nice diaper cream. It's a little bit more expensive but it works really really well.

Also my kid uses a pacifier and I know we'll have to break her of it soon but dang heck if it isn't nice to go in when she's wailing in the night and just give her that to sooth her. She doesn't get it during the day, only when she's right about to go to sleep, and it puts her out like a light switch. It's great.

Hunter

Peen wrote: »

Grandma Els makes a really nice diaper cream. It's a little bit more expensive but it works really really well.

Also my kid uses a pacifier and I know we'll have to break her of it soon but dang heck if it isn't nice to go in when she's wailing in the night and just give her that to sooth her. She doesn't get it during the day, only when she's right about to go to sleep, and it puts her out like a light switch. It's great.

So does ether Peen...and laudanum....just saying

HURRY HURRY HURRY! Buy Professor Hunter's All Natural Herbal Baby Opiates for the quiet night of your dreams!

Munkus Beaver

Delicious, delicious laudnaum.

Hunter

Babby iz on teh Syzzurp!

CrackedLens

Listen.

The main thing to remember is that every kid is different and every parent is different.

People can show you a dozen different studies that contradict each other about anything and everything. There are some things that need to be minded (such as safe sleeping positions and early nutrition) but the majority of it is just a crap shoot.

Do whatever you want and whatever works for you. Don't listen to what every person who trys to tell you how to raise your kid has to say. If you're competant parents in the least, and I'm sure you guys are, everything will turn out right 18 years down the road.

DisruptedCapitalist

CrackedLens wrote: »

Do whatever you want and whatever works for you. Don't listen to what every person who trys to tell you how to raise your kid has to say. If you're competant parents in the least, and I'm sure you guys are, everything will turn out right 18 years down the road.

:^:

Hunter

Remember, our parents were told to have us sleep on our stomachs. We were also taken home without car seats, played with lead paint covered choking hazards, and given sugar water to get through the night instead of breast milk or formula. That advice was given to our parents by doctors, magazines, and other experts.

Sure we're fucked up, but not any more than other generations.

premium

CrackedLens wrote: »

Do whatever you want and whatever works for you. Don't listen to what every person who trys to tell you how to raise your kid has to say. If you're competant parents in the least, and I'm sure you guys are, everything will turn out right 18 years down the road.

This is probably the best advice.

Kuribo's Shoe

let me tell you about indigo children

Mysst

don't paint children, shoe

Kuribo's Shoe

Mysst wrote: »

don't paint children, shoe

Janson

Sooo far Anya has not figured out the mittens, I remember with my sister they worked for about a week...

Got on skype just now and was able to show her off to my mother, uncle and siblings! And then fixed a snack and skyped with my dad, until she realised I was daring to try and eat and decided she needed her third feed in three hours.

Skull Man

holy shit! surprise twins?!

Quoth

If you find that she wants to feed an awful lot, and seems really colicky, you may want to ask your doctor about reflux

Right now it's probably just getting your milk in though, so no worries

Magus`

I'm told babies who feed naturally grow up to be smarter. I was considered a genius as a child (not so sure about now!) so maybe I could've been a SUPER genius. Stupid formula. Stupid mom.

Stupid me.

Goatmon

Hunter wrote: »

Moriveth wrote: »

Putting mittens on babies is a difficult task. I managed it, though.

Get mittens that look like little Hulk hands.

When my oldest niece, Hannah, was around 4 or so, I taught her a funny thing.

I'd ask her "Hannah, what does the Hulk say?"

And she'd raise her hands all menacingly and go "RAAAAGH"

Moriveth

Skull Man wrote: »

holy shit! surprise twins?!

If you're talking about the title, no, @Syphyre's daughter was born the same day

Moriveth

And now I am seeing a doctor

(for my leg!)

End

Skull Man wrote: »

holy shit! surprise twins?!

if you're referring to the thread title, they are only twins in spirit

Annaleah is Janson/Mori's baby and Jillian is Syphyre's baby
and they were both born on the same day

Magus`

Holy shit you updated the comic, Skull Man.

Skull Man

happy twinlings

check it out I am stephanie meyer

these babies shall be twinlings

End

Moriveth wrote: »

And now I am seeing a doctor

(for my leg!)

and how long have you put that off?

Moriveth

End wrote: »

Moriveth wrote: »

And now I am seeing a doctor

(for my leg!)

and how long have you put that off?

Like four years!

Already seen the doctor, he recommended a MRI to be 100% sure of what I have is

But it sounds like I'll hopefully get surgery after that!

As long as it's not something worse than what he thinks it is, at least.

Magus`

So how close was the baby being born to what the (original?) doctor assumed. I was born a month early, though apparently I was still quite large for an infant.