Random Facts...

I was talking to one of the new moms that just came back from maternity leave this week about baby stuff she informed me of a few things I didnt know... and thought I would share...

-if you put a lot of alcohol on the umbilical cord it dries it up and falls off quicker. supposedly the hospital sends you home with alcohol pads that dont have much and dont seem to do the job as well. You are to douse the alcohol on it every other diaper until it comes off

-you dont have to have a pediatrician before the baby comes just know what office you want to take care of the baby. They will ask you this information when you leave the hospital.

-the baby swing we got seems to be very popular and I was looking through the new moms pictures and she had the exact same swing. She said she loves it and it was the only way that their little girl slept.

-she also stated that breasftfeeding was so much harder than she had ever imagined and a pump helped a lot.

-she had a c-section and said it wasnt nearly as bad as she thought it was going to be but not being able to take a shower for 24 hrs was just pure torture.

thats about it or all that was important. If you are a mom and have some tips/tricks you wish you would have known I would love to hear them.

9 comments:

Katie said...

Re: the umbilical cord--another tip that I wish I'd known is not to put too many onesies on your baby while the stump is still there. Try T-shirts instead so the stump can get some air and fall off more quickly. With Morgan being a summer baby, try even leaving her shirtless as much as possible. C's stump took over 4 weeks to fall off because pretty much all we had for her were onesies.

Swings do rock. If it doesn't seem to help, try swaddling Morgan and then putting her in the swing. C wouldn't really sleep there until we learned that tip from Harvey Karp and Happiest Baby on the Block.

Breastfeeding can be very hard at first, and it might seem like that it's taking forever for Morgan to eat or that she's constantly eating. Just stick with it. And yes, pumping can help some, but don't over-rely on it. Babies are usually much better at getting the milk out than a pump is.

Another tip--when you get home from the hospital, sleep sleep SLEEP when you're not tending to the baby! Let someone else worry about the household tasks.

Chrissy said...

I agree with Katie on the pump. I would avoid it if possible for the first few weeks. I started pumping too early and it contributed to a massive oversupply that was a nightmare to get under control. Poor Addison was choking every time she ate. :(

We just did a quick, light wipe of the umbilical stump with an alcohol pad a couple of times a day and Addison's fell off in 10 days. I'd check with the pedi or hospital staff before dousing it. That sounds rough on the surrounding skin.

Jen said...

- Definitely don't get the umbilical stump too wet with alcohol. What the wipes has is the perfect amount.

- Agree about the pump and oversupply. I had no option but to pump when Ryan was born and it tooks me weeks to get it under control and to wean off the pump.

- If you are having trouble getting the hang of breastfeeding make sure you have a Lactation nurse come in and help you while you are in the hospital and then follow up with them the next week if you still haven't gotten the hang of it.

- If Morgan likes the swing it will be your best friend!

- I agree with getting sleep when you can.

- Don't be afraid of asking stupid questions while you are in the hospital. The nurses have heard anything you can think of asking and they are an amazing resource.

- The pediatrician thing depends on your hospital. Mine asked as I was checking in so that way once the baby was born my ped could come and do an exam in the hospital.

-

Henriettæ said...

We never used anything but luke warm water to clean the umbilical stump - no alcohol at all - and it fell off in 10 days.

Leah said...

My Mom was telling me about the umbilical cord trick, which is great to know! I don't have any tricks, but I can't wait to read the suggestions that people give you, as I'm in need of major suggestions. :-D

Dana said...

I've actually heard that putting alcohol on the cord doesn't work to dry it out any faster. Up here they just told us to wipe around it with a cotton swab or Q-tip, so that's all we did. Xavier's fell off in 7 days.

The swing is definitely a huge help if Morgan likes it! And as for breastfeeding, it will basically feel like that's all you do for the first month or so. Don't be frustrated if you get nothing else done in a day but feeding and changing Morgan and finding time to eat yourself! The rest of it can wait until she's going longer between feedings - or Chad can take care of it for you!

Sarah's Smile said...

~I wouldn't rely on the swing too much. Otherwise, she will only want to sleep in the swing. Learn how to swaddle Morgan TIGHTLY! That'll help. I'm a fan of Happiest Baby on the Block, too!

~Don't be shy at the hospital. You will have more help there to get the hang of things. USE IT.

~If/when people stop by after you are home, have them help around the house before they can help with Morgan. For example, folding, washing, switching laundry. Putting supper together, wiping down the counters, running the vacuum...it'll help a TON!

Dana said...

-At the beginning, breastfeeding was SO hard for me. I worked with the lactation consultant and didn't give up. Now it is the most rewarding thing I have ever done! So don't give up! Make sure to buy some Lansinoh lanolin (baby can ingest this)-it really helps with soreness!

-Get a good breast pump and start a 'stash' in the freezer. This has helped so much because other people can feed him bottles and we can take bottles when we go places that I don't feel comfortable breast feeding. (I didn't start pumping until 3 weeks or so after his birth so my supply would be kinda established)

-We used alcohol on q-tips at every diaper change to clean his cord and it fell off within two weeks.

-We had to have a pedi. lined up before his birth so he could get examined and discharged from the hospital. I would ask your hospital about this!

-Enjoy your time with Morgan!! It goes by so fast!!

4mckenzies said...

Hey Amber,
This is Ginger (I work w/ Chad & I gave you the swing). I hope Morgan enjoys it as much as Sidney did. She slept in it the first few weeks of her life! She wouldn't sleep in the bed/pack-n-play or anywhere else we tried and Mommy needed sleep so the swing it was!

And the alcohol wipes work great. They have enough in them to squeeze on the stump and get it just wet enough.
You can also fold the top of the diaper down so it doesn't cover the stump.

And the breastfeeding thing, do what works for you. Try it and do NOT, I repeat, do NOT feel one teeny bit guilty if it doesn't work for you.

C-sections are not fun & take a few weeks to feel better, but if you have to have one you will heal from them. The first time you get up is sheer torture though so pray you have Morgan the other way! I have had 2 now and I still feel it esp when my kids jump on me right there! :(

You might want to bring more than one cute outfit to bring Morgan home in. Sidney spit up all over her cute outfit right as we were about to walk out the door of the hospital room! :)

Take care,

Ginger

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