Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Gear Recommendations

Just returned from my (almost) 36 week scan. Everything looks great - and it looks as though the little poppet has had a growth spurt as he seems to be now measuring/weighing around the 50th percentile. Like Raf, he has little femurs and a very big tummy (which was measuring small during the last scan), but a very normal sized head. Music to my ears! We didn't have the friendliest of sonographers today, sadly, and it was very rushed with no pics, but nonetheless it was a relief to hear that everything is as it should be.

So... just 1 and a half days of bed rest left. Seems very surreal to think that I've been mostly confined to my bed for close to 6 weeks, and can I admit that I may miss elements to lying around and watching TV? I think I have tapped in to my lazy gene and have indeed embraced it with some relish. I know that I am going to have quite the awakening come Thursday.

I'm very excited and relieved, though, to have almost made it to 36 weeks and now I can really start to think about the birth and also last minute things we need to get. I could actually do with some advice/recommendations.

I'm looking for a different type of bottle to feed the baby expressed breast milk once I return to work. Raf never really took to a bottle and would basically wait until I got home to feed. He's sometimes take the bare minimum to stave off absolute hunger but would then eat in a frenzied way - all evening and much of the night. I would love to avoid that this time because this kiddo will be much younger when I return to work and will need milk much more regularly than a 6 month old.

I'm looking at the Tommee Tippee bottles... a bit spendy but I've heard very good things about them. Does anyone have any good experience/or recommendations?

The other item I'm looking for is a cover for when I wear the baby. Because Raf was a summer baby we didn't have to worry about keeping him warm in the sling/carrier but things will get cold quickly so I need something that will work with a moby and an ergo/becco. I like the idea of a cover instead of bundling them up for walks in clothes because often Raf would fall asleep on walks and if he was dressed appropriately he could take a long nap, still attached to me, when we were back in the house.

Would love to know what people have used!

11 comments:

  1. Yay for 36 weeks!!! Wow wonderful to hear that baby toast is around 50th percentile!

    When are you returning to work Alex? Sorry no help with the bottle here since Raami never used one. Take rest and enjoy the last few days of pregnancy :)

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  2. I'm SO excited for you that you're so close to 36 weeks. What a long journey.

    We used Born Free bottles and loved them, however Rory was never a very picky eater even as a baby, so I think he would have drank out of anything we put in front of him.

    And, I'm glad you asked the question about wrap covers. We're going to need one too and I hadn't even thought about that yet. Yikes!!

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  3. J used a playtex bottle, http://www.playtexbaby.com/Bottles/VentAire, and it wasn't anything special but the one the LC gave us. She did take a ton of my milk through bottle because of all the issues we had with breastfeeding, which I know you know, but that one bottle did survive her first year.

    I never used a cover with a wrap but would zip her up in my coat. I know they make cute ponchos, though.

    And YAY!!! for 36 weeks! You can count down the hrs of bedrest now. And I don't think it's bad to say you'll miss some aspects of it, but you will gain so much in freedom and mobility it'll be great.

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  4. That's wonderful that you've made it to 36 weeks! I know I was relieved when I got past that point, and I was much, much less stressed. I hope you feel the same and are able to relax and enjoy this last bit of pregnancy.

    We used Dr. Brown's bottles (glass). Ethan never had any appreciable gas issues, so I can only assume that the venting system works. They are a bit of a pain to clean, though.

    For a "cover", I bought a Kindercoat this time around. It's like a Columbia 3-in-1 jacket, only with an insert in the front to make room for baby. There's also a flap in the back for back carries. I've only used it around the house, but I'm confident it will be *perfect* for our cold winters. I didn't want to have to keep Ethan in the house, so this way we can go out without worrying that Rowyn will freeze into a babycicle. :)

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  5. No idea about gear except that the blanket will be finished by the end of the week. I'm actually quite proud of it. It's pinkish though so it'll be interesting if people think toasty-toes is a girl.

    Well done my friend in taking such good care of you and baba.

    I wrote a loooong response to your email and it hasn't sent but it's not in my outbox. So I will either write another or find it in ether where.
    Love x

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  6. Alex, we used the Dr. Brown's bottles when I returned to work. Iris was 11 weeks then and did great with the bottles (I think we started giving her bottles of expressed milk here and there at 6 weeks, though). Funny thing, though- when she hit 5 months (and I was off from teaching for the summer)

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  7. (cont'd)... she stopped taking a bottle entirely! Aghhhh! It was like she knew she didn't have to anymore...

    As for a cover for

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  8. ...you and baby Toast, I used a maternity coat, zipped up most of the way, when I was wearing Iris the first few months. That might do the trick! (P.S. Sorry for the multiple posts- my phone keeps cutting my comments short!)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, everyone. Chaitra, I return to work in January and the babe will be between 3-4 months. It's so little, to my mind, but I know that here in the States it's still a pretty good length of time. I didn't go back until Raf was 6 plus months last time. It made such a difference.

      Thanks. Pidge! We tried Born Free with Raf... and he didn't take to them. Mind you I do think we left it too late for him to get accustomed to a bottle so we'll try after a few weeks with this one. I'm going to be popping home throughout the day whenI return to work, otherwise, which won't be ideal. And you are also getting so close!!!! Can't wait for all the kids to have a play date. I must admit I've been secretly hoping you're having another boy :) And I'll let you know if I find the perfect cover!

      Hey D! We tried the Dr. Browns, too.. I really liked them but, alas, Rafi did not. But almost everyone I know has had some luck with them so it could be different with this kiddo. And I have not heard of that coat/cover. I will definitely check it out. If baby is warm enough I worry that *I'll* be too hot as I tend to run hot so something that covers him more than me would be ideal.

      Sarah, that's so funny about Iris and the bottle! Raf was a similar age when I went back to work and I think he, too, realized he could just wait it out and wouldn't have to take a bottle. I had hundreds of ounces of stored milk in the fridge and he wouldn't touch a drop. All of that pumping...!!

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  9. Yay for Baby Toast! So pleased to hear this good news about the scan. And wow--one more day of BR!!!!!!

    We, too, use Dr. Brown's. Not for the insert (without which they could not be used and which are, indeed, a pain to clean) but because the nipple was softer than others we tried, and it was the only one Sage would take.

    I know going back in January is going to be hard, A. I went back to work when Sage was the same age. The nanny used to come to my office so Sage could nurse, which worked out well. But still--I feel for you. He *will* be fine, though. Based on his behavior thus far, he seems definitely to be a real self-starter!

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  10. Mila drinks only from Tommee Tippee bottles and I have nothing but great things to say about them. She's been on them since birth. I know they are spendy but they are worth it in my opinion!!

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