Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Baby Issues and Questions

1. So Baby J has decided that he WILL NOT take a bottle. I've been breastfeeding him since the beginning, but have pumped bottles for him as well when needed. During the past month or so he flat out REFUSES to take the bottle. He just wants Mama. I have tried 6 different types of bottles. I have left the room and let others attempt to give him the bottle(supposedly they can smell your milk for up to 20 ft--kinda crazy). We have tried a cup (pediatrician's recommendation...he's obviously not here to help with laundry). Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm dying here. I can't leave him for very long because he still eats every 3 hours.

2. My sweet Baby J is losing his head of hair! It has been falling out in his hats and in his crib the past few weeks. Y'all he looks like a little old man with male pattern baldness. (We still think he is beyond perfect and cute.) Of course, he is being baptized at the end of this month and we have a photographer coming to take his pictures. Just out of curiosity, does anyone know long this process normally takes? It looks like there is more hair growing in (that is a little lighter).

3. Which exersaucer do you recommend? We are about to purchase one and are trying to decide between this one, this one, this one, this one and this one. I've heard bad things about Johnny Jump Ups because of spinal injuries to kids, but it seems like a lot of people have those too. Thoughts...

4. Baby J recently started rice cereal and we need some new bibs! Which ones are the very best in your opinion?

5. I'm looking for a monogrammed tshirt for Baby J to wear with his swim trunks when we go to the beach. All I'm finding is onesies. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks for your help!!

31 comments:

Dollface said...

oh gosh.. I wish I could help more!! xxxooo

KellyV said...

I used to babysit a kid that would not take a bottle. His mom had to go back to work, so when I was there I would feed him in his little lounge chair from a sippy cup. We're still not sure to this day why this worked, but it did. I think he may have just gotten hungry enough!

There are some cute bibs out there that are plastic - they are great because you can just wipe them off after each meal and then clean then in the washing machine every so often (depending on how dirty they get).

Good luck!

Lucky Designs said...

My daughter was the same way with a bottle. She just never wanted to use one. (I am not help!) We have the Rainforest Jumper. It was a hit.

KellyV said...

Sorry - meant to leave this link with the bibs that I think work great: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001389SGA/ref=asc_df_B001389SGA806805?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=nextag-baby-delta-20&linkCode=asn

they're by "bumkins"

kace said...

Don't have any kids.. but nannied all through out college... so the only answers i have are bumkin bibs are AWESOME.. protect clothes, wash easy or rinse off quick if you are out, & easy to pack! And rainforest jumperoo hands down the lil girl would stay in it for an hour no joke! good luck!

Anonymous said...

#4- You can buy the ones that you can just wipe off, they aren't a cloth material. They also snap at the bottom to provide a little dumping ground lol.

Kelly said...

Rainforest Jumper!! My daughter loved it!! Will post picutres..one day. Once Baby J gets older you will definitely need the bibs that go over the head. My daughter learned very early on that the snaps were no match for her!
Hmmm...I wish I could help with the bottle issue!

Kate said...

I 3rd the bumkins superbibs. They are awesome!

I have nannied twice for babies that refused bottles when the mom went back to work. It was definitely tough-we did the whole try every kind of bottle/nipple thing! A family friend who is a pediatric nurse told me/the family that although harsh, you just have to be patient, even when he's crying, and keep offering the bottle. The baby will eventually give in because they will get hungry (kind of like what Happy Dash wrote). That approach doesn't work for everyone but I thought I'd suggest it.

Bev said...

Two of my boys refused the bottle. At 9 months, after trying every bottle, sippy cup and cup known to man, I stopped cold turkey. One of the boys starting drinking a bottle after about 2 days... I was away so that helped. My other son did not have anything to drink for 2 weeks. It was a nightmare. He had to have weight checks and checks for dehydration daily. I love the bumpkins bibs and we have the jungle jumperoo and it has been a hit.

AEOT said...

As a pediatric nurse (who is NOT a mom, so take with a grain of salt) who works all the time with pediatric physical therapists, I have heard numerous negative things about exersaucers. They really do not walk sooner if placed in them and can develop slight bow leggedness from them. The same can be said for the bumpo seats (develop bad sitting habits and don't strengthen stomach muscles at all). Now, both are used all over America by plenty of moms, and obviously, most kids are fine, but just wanted to let you know this from a different perspective.

Baby J will take a bottle if he is hungry enough. The hard part is letting him cry it out until he'll take it. I don't know how I would handle this situation as I know it would be SO hard. It's not the nipple or the bottle; it's really just him wanting you. GL with this. I'm sorry!!

Betsy said...

Found your blog somehow from all the way down here in Austin, TX! I have a 16 month old son, Wright (one of those Southern, family names :) who looks a lot like yours! This may sound like a dumb question, but have you tried a higher level nipple flow for the bottle? Some of my friends didn't know to change out the nipples as they grow and their babies got frustrated that the flow wasn't fast enough. We have the Baby Einstein exersaucer which he loved, but we also have the rainforest jumper- would have been nice to have a combo to take up less room. The Bumkins are great...until he learned if he pulled hard enough, the velcro would give way. So then we got Baby Bjorn hard plastic ones which he can't remove.

Katy & Lisa said...

I have never commented on here before, but had to chime in! I have 6 nieces and nephews and you HAVE to go with the rainforest jumperoo....between the 6 of them, we've had some version of the jumperoo over the years and it was a hit with all of them! No question, it wins hands down!

Under a Green Roof said...

give bailey boys a try for a monogrammed tee. They aren't available online, but are at lots of boutiques here in Birmingham (I hear you'll be here soon)

Thanks so much for my bloggy award!!!!

Anonymous said...

I don't have kids so feel free to totally ignore me:). I read an article once that recommended holding the bottle in some nightgown or t shirt of yours so that it will smell like you. It also said that you just have to stick it out and he will get hungry enough.

Good Luck!

Dr Wednesday said...

Good luck!

When my daughter was about 3 months she started sipping water, out of my water bottle. I just tried to find it, but the online picture doesn't show it well. The of the fixed in place straw is made of the same silicone that nipples are- very very soft. I wonder if Baby J would drink out of a straw?

Good luck!!

http://www.target.com/Trudeau-24-oz-Hydration-Bottle/dp/B0010346YW/sr=1-17/qid=1244680113/ref=sr_1_17/175-6253711-7538336?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=0&pricerange=&index=target&field-browse=1038604&rh=k:water%20bottle,p_36:$0-$24&page=1

Preppy Mama said...

Did you try the playtex drop in bottles? My first was really fussy with bottles when I breastfed and these seemed to work. With #2 being a preemie we had a really hard time finding a nipple he could handle and this is the only bottle he will take to. I have to say the bumkins bibs are the best. You rinse them out and hang them up they dry in no time and they really are the best I have found.
Oh, mine lost his hair and he had a lot I think it took a good three weeks for it to stop and the hair underneath was much lighter. Good Luck!!

Barefoot in the Park said...

i love the new design!

i've been nannying since loosing my job for a baby about baby j's age. the mom breast feeds and then pumps for when i'm there. she uses "Dr. Brown's" glass bottles. They seem to work very well ... if you haven't tried them yet, you should! good luck!

Ashley, Kyle, and Baby Boy said...

1. it's ok if he refused the bottle....then he doesn't get milk...eventually, he will take it! dr. browns worked for us....i introduced a bottle at day once along with nursing, so starting now...i'd give it once a day until he learns

2. my son lost all of his hair too....he didn't grow it back until around 8months when it slowly started coming in again...now he has a good amount of hair but is by no means in need of a hair cut....that's just how it goes...

3. we have the rainforest jumparoo- my son LOVED IT...and he walked at 12 months just fine!

Grove Gal K said...

1. he will take the bottle when he is hungry...it is hard to take, but it is a battle of the wins and you must win it

Bibs..my favorite were the 3 marthas xl bibs, great size

Melcy said...

As far as the bottle issue, Jonah went through this too... have you tried making sure the nipple of the bottle is warm? We would just run it under warm water and he seemed to take it a little more readily.

We have the rain forest exersaucer for Jonah. He loves it! We went to Buybuy baby and let him sit in a couple different ones... this is the one he like the best :)

Jamie said...

Sorry but I am no help on the bottle; my twins had to take a supplemental bottle in the hopsital, so they did not have a problem with the bottle ever...they actually did not like me. Have always used Dr Browns.

I do have an opinion on the jumperoo...I totally recommend the Baby Einstein Musical Motion Activity Jumper. This is available at Target for approximately $85. Not sure if you want to spend that much but WORTH every penny. Both of my babes love this thing, and Maggie would jump for hours. It has four different musical tunes, collapses flat (relative) for storage, and is adjustable for height. My husband (police,firefighter,EMT) loved it because it was the most sturdy, user friendly, and well made one we could find. He all but jumped in it himself.

Bibs: we use the cheapy ones that are plastic on the back and cloth on the front...they absorb a little, don't leak through to the clothes, wash and dry(on low heat), STRONG velcro.

Hair loss: this jsut happens to some kids...I actually shampooed what little my son had out. By the fourth bath it was gone and grew back in s.l.o.w.l.y! My daughter, full head when she was born never lost any.

Good Luck...shoot me an email if I can help further: czfire77@bellsouth.net

Love your blog!

Elizabeth said...

My daughter had an exersaucer and a jumperoo. She loved them both. Someone had wrote about it causes them to be bowlegged. I'd never heard that. When they are in it just the tips of their toes are supposed to touch. The jumperoo we had could be mounted on the door. She loved it. I would put her in it while i showered or did things around the house.

Have you tried etsy for a monogrammed t-shirt?

Seersucker Scrapper said...

I am so sorry you are having trouble with the bottle. I wish I had advice for you, but both my BF'd babies went back and forth pretty easily.

I will say that we had the Little Einstein exersuacer and it was a big hit with both little one. Very easy to assemble, lots of activitys, and they learned from it to.

As for bibs, I would recommend the ones terry ones that pull over the head. The little ones can't take them off and they are very durable and washable. I even saw some cute monogrammed ones on the internet.

Good luck!

Sunshine In The City said...

All I can help with is #5, contact my friend Kristen at kristen@madamemonogram.com

I'm sure she can help you out!

http://www.madamemonogram.com/index2.php

All Things Cherish said...

For adorable and high quality monogrammed t's and onesies, too, check out So Cute and Cozy boutique. www.socuteandcozy.com. Jill, the owner is amazing and they're customer service is bar none! I order the personalized onesies all the time for shower gifts and am amazed at how great the quality is, and she is extremely helpful! Good luck w. the bottle thing!

Executive Momma said...

Oh honey, I couldn't imagine if the Mister didn't take a bottle! I am afraid I am going to be no assistance in the advice department there! Praying for something to work out soon honey!

Unknown said...

I can't help on the bottle thing (sorry!), but for the monogrammed tshirts try the kiki collection (kikicollection.com)-- a good old southern company! For bibs, i also like the bumkins, and also crocodile creek. giggle on Lex has some of these crocodile creek ones i think.

Jill said...

I didn't read through all of the comments and maybe some have already suggested these: try feeding him with a bottle sitting practially upright (instead of cradled in your arms laying down). Also try diluting a tiny bit of cereal in the bottle. Maybe it's the formula and not the bottle. I always had great luck with soy formula for some reason. If he gets hungry enough, he'll take the bottle! *good luck*

Unknown said...

I'm sure Baby J looks adorable no matter how much hair he has :)

Shawn said...

Best advice is to have the person feeding him a bottle (not you) offer him a bottle while wearing a t-shirt that you've worn (has your smell on it). It worked like a charm for us when my baby was refusing a bottle.

Elizabeth H. said...

I have a bottle refuser as well. Please post the solution when you find one!!!!

Blog Widget by LinkWithin