What I've Learned

Before having my baby girl, I tried to read up as much as possible about babies and parenting. Although I know that you learn as you go and can't learn to be a parent from a book, being a first time mom it definitely helped to put my mind at ease. Through this I developed some opinions about how I wanted things to go. For example, I've read a lot about nipple confusion, so I wrote into my birth preferences that Violet should not be given pacifiers or bottles in the hospital, and that I wanted to breastfeed as soon as possible after her birth.

Well, that definitely went out the window right away. Not only did I not get to nurse her due to her meconium aspiration, but when I went to visit her in the NICU she already had a pacifier in her mouth. I tried not to be that mom and freak out, but it definitely concerned me. After that she had to be given formula through her feeding tube. Even though I was pumping, my colostrum was definitely not enough for her hungry little belly. And finally, we were instructed upon leaving the NICU to give her vitamins each day with a bottle. A bottle?! I thought that breastfeeding moms weren't supposed to introduce a bottle until 3 weeks at the earliest.

Luckily for us, Violet has had no issues with nipple confusion, and it's actually pretty rare. So many books and websites talk about it as if it was a major epidemic, but she transitions easily from bottle to paci  to breast. (The paci above was the one they used in the NICU - she likes it, so we're going with it for now. The wide angle lens of the camera makes it look larger than it actually is by the way) And there is actually one good thing about giving her a bottle each day - when I go out for a date night with the Hubster or go back to work and she has to take a bottle, she'll be used to them. It's also great for the Hubs to have a little bonding time with his baby girl - although he is a diaper changing champ, feeding her is definitely a different experience from wiping her poo.

Speaking of diapers,  I must say that I LOVE our Diaper Genie! A lot of people have said that they weren't useful, but ours has been great. No smell, super easy to use, and very convenient. My favorite diapers so far are Pampers Swaddlers (although Huggies Pure & Natural are nice too)

[Side note: If you want to keep kitties out of the crib - try aluminum foil!]

As far as wipes are concerned, we've been loving Pampers Sensitive. Every now and then we have to use a little Boudreax's Butt Paste if she looks a little red, and trust me - a little bit goes a long way! For moms of new little girls out there, I was a little concerned when people (grandmothers, aunts, etc) kept asking about her girl parts because they were a little swollen at first. I assumed it was normal as this is what she looked like in the NICU and nothing was said there. After a little research I learned that I was correct - it's normal for babies to be swollen down there for a little while after birth. So new moms - don't worry if this is the case!

And lastly, the changing station that Violet's Opa made has worked like a dream, and it's great for sponge baths too! So there's a little bit of what I've learned so far on my baby journey. Stay tuned for more to come!