Hi All--
My 2 month old son loves his bath and so we'd like to take him in the kiddle pool at our building. The doctor says it's fine but I can't find swim diapers for such a little tushie (he's 12 pounds). Does anyone know if pampers or huggies makes swim diapers for tots smaller than 16 pounds? I'm afraid that swim diaper will swim on him!

Thanks for the help!
Jennifer

Hi DCUM,
I've graduated from the 'expectant mom' listserve to the general parenting one! Our son was born 5/15. Things are going well but I have some questions that I'm hoping the group can help me with.

First: which breast pads do you like? I'm using the lanisohl ones now and they seem lumpy under t-shirts

Second: how old does my baby need to be before I plop him in a swing? We're borrowing a Graco one from a friend but she thought he might be too little for it (birth weight was 9lb 3oz)

I'm sure I have other questions but for right now those are the most pressing!

Thanks in advance for your advice!
Jennifer

Thanks for all this great feedback! Looks like ALL Free and Clear is our best bet since we can't control the rinse cycle (we're in a condo building and the machines are card-operated).

Hi all--
I've heard that you're supposed to use Dreft for all the baby's stuff--clothes, sheets, etc. But we have high efficiency washers in our building and Dreft doesn't yet make a HE version of their stuff. I've been told by some that we can simply continue to use ALL Free and Clear and just wash the baby's things separately. What's the DCUM consensus on this? Do we have to use Dreft? I thought it has just as many chemicals--in terms of perfume--as regular detergent. Is there something else in regular detergent that's bad for the baby's skin?

Thanks for your suggestions!
Jennifer

I'm wondering if anyone can recommend a repair shop that can help me with my nursing glider. I bought it used from a thrift shop in Philadelphia, where it worked fine. Somehow in transit (in the back of our sedan) it has become off-kilter and now it won't glide. I've tried adjusting the bolts at the base of the chassis but no luck. Has anyone had a similar problem and been able to fix the chair? I'd hate to have to find a new one. There's nothing else wrong with it!

Thanks for any suggestions you can offer.

Jennifer

Hi all--
I'm wonder if there is some collective wisdom out there about the type of material that's best for pacifiers--latex, silicone, or rubber. I think I've heard one is preferable but I can't remember which, or why. Can anyone shed some light on this for me?

Thanks!!
Jennifer

I'm pregnant with my first and asked my midwife about this. She said that there is evidence that it helps with a 1st birth, but not a 2nd.

Good luck!!

I think basically everything is normal. But I can tell you that at around 24-25 weeks I was getting kicks that felt like a hand or foot was going to come through my cervix! Very strange, and a little uncomfortable. The baby was just in a weird position. My midwife said it was unlikely that he was actually that low but that instead his kicks were triggering some nerve that gave the sense that he was lower.

Overall, sensation in the uterus is much less sensitive than other areas of your body (with good reason!). My yoga instructor suggested that I could try a pose to get him to shift. I never ended up doing it. Baby changed position on his own. But, here's what she recommended: Lay on the floor with your calfs/feet supported on a chair or sofa. Lift up your hips into 'bridge' pose, while keeping your upper back and shoulders on the floor. Arms/hands are by your sides, straight in front of you for additional support. I guess the idea is that gravity pulls the baby up into your torso and away from your cervix.

I have noticed that the intensity and sensation of the baby's movement has changed (I'm now 28 weeks). So, hang in there. Whatever he or she is doing now probably won't last for much longer.

Raspberry leaf tea is supposed to help with uterine muscle tone. My midwife said you can drink this any time during your pregnancy. The nettle tea I think is for something else, but not sure what. I would ask your provider.

OP here.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR POST! I'm so relieved to have this helpful suggestion, though I don't look forward to wearing that do-hickie! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

I've heard witch hazel is good for that. Otherwise, just clean your skin and leave it alone. I wish there was more we could use. I get them all the time.

I had a fibroid degenerate during this pregnancy (I'm 25 weeks now, happened around 14-16, I think). It hurt--REALLY HURT--for a week and then it stopped. My friend named the fibroid--Fran, the fibroid--to help take away some of the sting. Didn't really help, but it was funny. I took regular tylenol. I also took warm baths and used a hot water bottle. My midwife said hot water from the tap would be okay, but not for longer than 10-15 minutes. You don't want to overheat your belly.

Bottom line, for me: it's temporary. It really did hurt though. You have my complete and totally sympathy. Hang in there. Once the pain goes away, it doesn't come back (at least that's what I've experienced).

For me, the 'hard belly' feels heavier than normal. It's a distinctly different feeling from how my belly normally feels. And, if I press on it, it feels hard like my forehead instead of more malleable. B-H are totally normal. Not everyone feels them, but everyone gets them (I'm pretty sure). If you feel fine exercising great! I don't think I should stop exercising necessarily, though I did skip the gym today. The thing about my 'hard belly' that bothers me is that it feels really strange and heavy.

I hope all is well with you on the bed-rest-light. How many more weeks to go?

I'm glad you shared your story. I was a little concerned about it and I wasn't sure how common it was. I do get the hard belly periodically and at my 20 week appointment my midwife wasn't concerned about it. Still, better safe than sorry. I'll be sure to ask at my next appt in two weeks.

good luck to you!

Hi Group--
I'm 24 weeks pregnant with my first baby and I've noticed that when I exercise (walking at a moderate pace, and sometimes an incline, on the treadmill) my belly gets really hard and heavy. I basically stopped exercising for the first 18 weeks of my pregnancy but started back up when my energy returned. I had one incident of spotting after using the eliptical, but that might have been from a number of other things too (sex, standing for a long time that day, etc).

So my question is, does anyone else have the sense that their uterus is hard/heavy while they exercise? I'll ask my midwife at my next appointment, too.

Thanks,
Jennifer