Mommy FTW

I am a full time stay at home mom with a 9 month old girl, and a 3 year old boy.  My son was always an epic napper.  I was spoiled, and nap time was my favorite time of day – I could get things done around the house, and even have the chance to relax for a few minutes of my ‘work day.’  I was worried about juggling it all when my daughter was born, but I knew I would have my son’s nap time as the glue that would hold my day together.

When my son started to drop his nap time (first he would skip one day a week.. then it was three…) it really started to stress me out.  We would have fights about it every day.  I would give him toys I got at yard sales when he napped, and take toys or privileges away when he didn’t.  We were all pretty miserable!  I decided to bring up the topic at my son’s 3 year check up with his pediatrician.

During our discussion of Cameron’s sleep I mentioned that sometimes Cam wakes up with what I called ‘night terrors’ – he is sort of awake, but a bit delirious, and usually inconsolable and screaming.  The pediatrician asked me when Cam went to bed, to which I answered, on days he naps around 10pm, and on days he doesn’t around 7:30.  She noted that those 10 days must be “long days” – you got that right!  And then she made what was to me, an earth shattering suggestion: drop nap time.  She said that night terrors are often linked to over tired children, and with Cam going to bed so late, he wasn’t getting the solid chunk of night sleep he needed.  She said, still give him “rest time” (quiet time in his room for an hour or so) – if he falls asleep, fine, but take the pressure off and don’t stress over it.

Here’s how I made it happen – For Cameron, rest time is from 2 – 3:15.  2 is also when his sister goes down for his nap – so for my sanity I like to have them be in their rooms at the same time.  The reason I picked 3:15 as the end time is because it is very easy for Cameron to see on his clock – both hands point to the same spot.  We have a great clock from IKEA that is perfect for this.  Cameron’s door knob used to have a ’safety cover’ which we got from Amazon that keeps him from being able to let himself out – we don’t need this any more as he is with the program and knows that he has to stay in his room for the designated time period – but you might want to try something like that initially.  Finally, we have a video monitor in Cam’s room (honestly we bought it for Violet but we get a lot more use out of it with Cameron!)  I use it to make sure he isn’t getting into too much trouble up there.  It has a PA system so I can talk to him if I need to.

Cameron is allowed to play with toys (nothing electronic) and read books.  For now, the system is working great – Cam generally doesn’t give too much of a fight about staying up there the whole time.  In the evening, my husband has an alarm on his iPhone that signals that it’s time to get in the bath and then go to bed.  Cameron is usually quite happy to start his relaxing routine!  I think if you are getting to the point of stressing over and fighting with your child about nap time, it might be time to try switching to a ‘rest time’ or quiet time in the room.  It revolutionized the evening routine at my house and I couldn’t be happier!

Today I was excited to see that Cameron’s favorite sleepwear (Tea Collection) was on sale at the Mini Social.  I just snapped up 4 sets at various sizes… some for now, some for later.  Tea Collection jammies are soft, super comfortable, and cute!  Check out the Mini Social to get some at a great price!  Usually these PJs sell for $35, but you can get them for $17.50!

Tea Collection at the Mini Social

If you haven’t heard, the Mini Social is a site that does online sample sales for babies and kids.  They feature designer quality brands at great prices.  Sign up and get their daily emails about what is on sale.  They often have brands like Melissa and Doug, Plan Toys, Robeez, See Kai Run, and more.

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Cameron and I had such a great time in DC over Christmas that we are going back down today.  We’re taking the train together – so I will be sure to report on how that goes once we return!

I’ll try to post while I’m gone, but in case I don’t – have a great week everyone!

Check out some great posts you might have missed to keep yourself busy:

Free Infant CPR at the Brooklyn Hospital

Reading for Babies at the Clinton Hill Library – a great winter activity

My Pediatrician’s remedy for pesky Diaper Rash

My sleep training bible – Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Baby

Dealing with a leaky diaper?  Maybe it’s time to go up a size

And check out my posts about What Cameron is Eating

Before Cameron was born my husband and I took an extensive birthing class at Real Birth.  We learned all about the hormones that bond baby and mother, and about how important it is to breast feed.  In fact, now a days everyone says “breast is best” and there is a lot of pressure for new moms to nurse, and not use formula or bottles at all.  I was sold, and when Cameron arrived, I knew I was ready to bond with my baby, and go breast milk all the way.

At the hospital I was dead tired, and after much fretting, I allowed Cameron to be taken to the nursery, where he was given bottles with formula.  I was sure that was the end, and he would never take the breast after that!  Of course, this wasn’t the case.  Once I got over my fear of “nipple confusion” I decided I wanted Cameron to get a bottle once a day from his dad (preferably at bed time) because this is one thing my sleep book had suggested – of course, my plan had been to pump this with my Medela “hospital grade” pump that a friend had lent me.  Unfortunately, things didn’t work out the way I had thought they would.

At first, I was in a LOT of pain – like scream out in pain when Cameron latched on – pain.  I had a lactation consultant come to my home, and she certainly helped getting a good latch, but I still was having trouble producing enough milk.  I wanted to pump to alleviate my pain, but hardly anything came out – maybe an ounce or two, if I was really lucky.

One day I went over to my neighbor’s house – she also had a son who was 3 days younger than Cameron.  She showed me her freezer full of pumped milk and I felt so jealous.  Those bags I had bought for milk storage were mocking me – and I was getting frustrated.  My neigbor had a baby nurse who suggested I try drinking Guinness, as well as taking some pricey herbs which I found at Whole Foods.  Both of them helped some (maybe I got 2, or 3 ounces after a day of pumping – several times)… but I still wasn’t getting any real volume – and certainly not enough to store away.   So finally, I started giving Cameron some formula along with his breast milk.  It began as a “cocktail bottle” – whatever I could pump, plus a little formula, and then it grew from there.

I got a lot of flak from other moms and people in general.  Someone told me it was “such a shame” that Cameron was getting formula.  I was angry, and frustrated, but eventually I got over it.  In my mind, Cameron and I were getting the best of both worlds.  All the benefit of breast milk, plus the ease of formula.  Cameron weened himself around 9 months, and has been on just formula and solids ever since.  I wish he had kept nursing a little, both because of my owns selfishness (I miss it a little) as well as I think it would have helped him fend off some colds this winter.  But you can’t fight progress!  My pediatrician said this is common, and it’s a sign of independence.

Anyways – to sum up – moms out there, don’t feel terrible if you are supplementing with formula.  I’m sure you have your reasons, and I’m sure you are a great mom!

Back in early October when Cameron had his first bad cold it left him with some diarrhea.  At first I thought it was just loose poops because he wasn’t eating much solid food during his sickness.  But it went on and on, even after he got his appetite back.  His poor little butt was suffering with some terrible diaper rash, he was having trouble sleeping, and I was getting worried.

Other than the issues “down below” Cameron was fine.  His cold was gone, he was eating, and drinking plenty – so I wasn’t too concerned about dehydration, but I had to solve the problem so I referenced my fail safe, baby 411, and hit up google to see if I could find some advice from the internets.

I read that sometimes babies that are not normally lactose intolerant can become so once they already have diarrhea.  This sounded kind of crazy to me – Cameron has been having milk based formula pretty much since birth – but I was desperate, and willing to give anything a try.  I called up my pediatrician and asked her opinion.  She agreed with the info I had read on line, so I switched Cameron to Soy formula.  I thought he wouldn’t drink it because it might taste different, but he seemed fine with it.  And in 2 days his poops were back to normal.  Yay!  I saw her this past Friday for Cameron’s flu shot, and we talked about the diarrhea.  She said keep him on the Soy formula for a few more weeks, and then transition him back to dairy.

the Soy Solution!

So if any of you out there have babies with diarrhea that won’t seem to go away, try taking them off dairy…. it might be the thing that does the trick!

Hi all!  I know some of you are new to Mommy For the Win so I wanted to highlight some of the most popular and asked about posts that I’ve done in the past.  Check them out!

Diaper Rash?  My Doctor Said Mylanta

Picnic in the Park Made Easy with the best picnic blanket ever!

Free Infant CPR Classes at the Brooklyn Hospital

FREE – Clinton Hill Library – Reading for Babies

The Books I Found Most Helpful

The What’s Cameron Eating series: Ricotta Cheese and Squash, Avocado and Banana, Baby Yogurt and Banana, Baby Mum Mums, Cream of Wheat, Peaches, Waffles, Organic Puffs, Roasted Butternut Squash, Oatmeal with bananas and cinnamon, 67 Burger, String Cheese, Grilled Cheese and Peas

I hope you find them useful!

I have put off doing a post on Sleep Training in part because I think it is a sensitive and personal topic, but I saw a thread on PATH recently about sleep training / “crying it out” and it inspired me to post about the book and method I used to help Cameron become an excellent sleeper.

Before I had Cameron, a friend of mine used a the methods in the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child to train her son to be an great sleeper.  He went down easily at bed time, slept through the night by 9 months, and two lengthy (1 hour + naps) every day.  Her success inspired me to use the same book with Cameron.  And while the sleep training was not easy, I would certainly say it was successful – and worth the effort.  Cameron also goes down easily at night, sleeps through from about 6pm to 7am, and takes two naps in the day (although I think we might be transitioning to one soon).

Here’s a few things I learned from Health Sleep Habits, Happy Child:

1)When children are over tired it is harder for them to sleep.  Have you ever forced yourself to stay up to study for a test, or because you were driving somewhere, only to find that when you finally allowed yourself to try and sleep, you couldn’t?  The same thing happens to babies.

2)Babies need to learn to sooth themselves to sleep on their own.  This is a skill that will help them be good sleepers through their lives.

3)Letting your baby “cry it out” does not make you a bad parent.  If your child wanted to ride their bike without a helmet, eat ice cream all day, and stick their fingers in the electrical socket, you wouldn’t let them.  And if they cried about it, you still wouldn’t let them.  Helping your child learn to fall asleep on their own and develop healthy sleep habits is good for them, and you shouldn’t feel bad about it.

4)Your baby will exhibit signs of being tired.  Signs include: Decreased activity, slower motions, being less vocal, appearing disinterested in the surroundings, eyes become less focused, yawning, and eye rubbing.  Watch your baby for these signs and help them sleep when they exhibit them.

5)Develop a soothing routine before naps and bed time, and be consistent with it.  This helps your baby know that it’s time to relax.  I don’t use the same routine for naps as I do with bed time, but I do use the same routine for every nap, every day, and for every bed time.

Health Sleep Habits, Happy Child

The book is separated into two major sections.  The first 200 or so pages are mainly focused on Sleep Theory.  While they are insightful, when I talk to moms about the book I recommend they skip ahead to the second major section which is divided into chapters by age group and focuses on the specific sleep challenges that you and your baby will be facing at that specific time.

Finally, I wanted to end by emphasizing that this book is not all about letting your baby “cry it out.”  It’s about healthy sleep, and how to achieve it.  Crying it out is one method that you may or may not have to use to get there.  Even if you don’t feel comfortable with having your baby cry it out, I think reading this book will give you some useful tips, and help your family get more sleep.  Good Luck!!!

Check out the other post I did on the Books I Found Most Helpful

This past weekend Cameron came down with his first really bad cold – cough, runny nose, fever, and all around cabbyness.  And to make matters worse, my husband had to work all weekend so we were stuck fending for ourselves.  Two things helped us through it – 1) Baby 411, and 2)my fellow mommies and daddies.

Here’s what I learned:

1) A fever is a good thing.  It means Cameron’s body was busy fighting the intruder.  Also, fevers are naturally higher in the evening than the morning – so don’t be surprised if your baby is 100 in the AM and 102 at night.  Once the fever was gone, I knew Cameron was going to be out of the woods and recovery was on the way.

2) Baby Ibuprofen lasts longer than Baby Acetaminophen (6-8 hours vs 4 hours) so if your baby is over 6 months, give it a try – especially for overnight.  It will give your baby (and you) longer relief.

3) Get yourself a cool mist humidifier.  I don’t recommend the one they sell at Walgreens – it is kind of noisy.

4) Before bath time, run the shower to really steam up the bathroom.  This is good for helping the baby breathe.  Don’t give your baby a cool bath if they have a fever – this is only something you do if the baby is SUPER hot – like 107.  Would you like taking a cold bath when you were sick?

5) Use a Saline Mist to help loosen up all the snot that your poor sick baby is producing.  Then, if you feel comfortable with the idea, use a booger sucker (nasal aspirator) to suck out the snot.  Both of these things will make your baby hate you for a minute, so be prepared for tears and protest.  Also keep a kleenex at the ready to wipe up the snot, and tears.

6) Give your baby extra opportunities to sleep – try putting them to bed 30 minutes early for bed times and nap times.  When you’re sick, doesn’t extra sleep make you feel better too?

Baby 411 - my savior

Check out Baby 411 for more info on colds and other viruses, and don’t forget to ask your fellow parents for help.  I used facebook, and got some really great info as well as support!  Good luck mommies!

I’ve loved Huggies Overnights from the first time we used them.  But recently we started getting some leaks.  Even though the package says that the size 3 is for “16-25 lb” babies, and Cameron was only 18lbs and change a month ago at his 9 month check up, I decided to move up to size 4’s (22-37lbs).  And now, no more leaks!  I plan to move up to size 4 for his regular diaper as soon as I run out of size 3’s.

A friend of mine who is about to have her first baby just asked me what books I found most helpful when planning for Cameron to arrive.  These three were recommended to me by a friend who had already had a baby (my baby guru), and I found them all to be very useful.

Baby Bargains

Baby Bargains: I’m one of those people who reads reviews obsessively to find the perfect product.  This book had great no nonsense reviews for all kinds baby related paraphernalia.  This info, combined with the reviews people post on Amazon, made me feel like I was making educated decisions.

Baby 411

Baby 411: Why is my baby’s poop black?  What developmental milestones are coming up? What is Mastitis?  How much should my baby be eating?  Do I really need to boil everything to sterilize it?  The answers to these and many more questions you never thought of but soon will are in this book.  For a first time parent, this book is extremely useful.  It’s not something you read cover to cover, but use more as a reference text, looking up questions as you come up with them.  A serious must-have!

Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child

Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child: My friend who was my baby guru (she has a 2.5 year old) recommended this sleep book, and used this method with her son.  It’s a bit dense to read (you might feel like you are back in college!) but I think it’s really informative when it comes to sleep and babies.   We’ve been using Dr. Weissbleuth’s methods with Cameron and people always comment that he is one of the happiest babies they know.  When he is awake, is is very observant as well as calm.  It is certainly an effort to do sleep training with your baby, but in the end both you and your baby will get more rest, and be happier for it!