Categories
Babies Baby Blankets Baby Gear Baby Registry Baby Toys Little Branding Monster Malarkey Kids Review Shopping Toys

Chew on this..

Sometimes, you find a company that blows you away. You know what I mean.. those companies that just seem to hit the nail on the head with their products – and their products do exactly what you expect them to? Malarkey Kids is one of those companies.

Note: The following products were provided to us free of charge. Regardless, this is my own honest opinion.

I was first drawn to Malarkey Kids when I saw their Munch Mitt. My babies all decided that their hands were the perfect “first teether” – and they tended to start this hand gnawing before they were developmentally ready to hold onto a traditional teether toy to chew on.
With my youngest, this constant sucking on her hands exacerbated her eczema. I needed something to protect her hands, and traditional cotton mitts just ended up soaked making things worse. When I heard about the Munch Mitt, I knew I needed it, and for about 3 months, we never went anywhere without it. (You can read more about my love of the Munch Mitt here)
As she began to get older and more coordinated, new products came out. Perfect with her new development, we were sent their Buddy Bib. I SO wish I had this with our other kids. Bandana bibs are not only trendy, but so cute on. Add a removable, chewable teether that doubles as a wrist rattle? MAJOR WIN.
This became our new staple. And the detachable “buddy” was the perfect solution for car rides. It entertained her, it gave her something other than her hands to chew on, and it even attached easily to our baby carriers to help discourage her from chewing on the straps. Bonus that it is adorable.
Once again, Malarkey Kids has expanded their line and we LOVE it. We recently received two of their newest products, the Munch-it Blanket and the Chew Cube. I expected to tell you they were a hit with our little girl, but honestly? Our 3 youngest kids ALL fight over them.
When I first unpacked them, our little girl would NOT put down the Munch-It blanket. She toted it around the house, outside in the snow, in the car. Pretty sure it’s her new BFF. I’m assuming the incredibly soft fabric and snack-inspired print helps. Pretzels are her favorite past time, after all.
You best watch out when her brother sees it and tries to take it for himself. It never ends well. Luckily, I can usually give whichever of them doesn’t have the blanket our new Chew Cube and it will instantly distract them enough to prevent a fight.
The Chew Cube is a great developmental toy, more than just a teether. While the outside is definitely perfect for chewing, the cube itself is so multi-purpose. A toy to roll around or throw -like dice for babies, a rattle to shake, and a sensory stimulating block lies in the center.
With mirrors and bold black and white patterns, it keeps my kids entertained for several minutes trying to free this small block from the confines of the teether cube. (Rest assured, try as they might, that cube has yet to be liberated. It is constructed well!)
Over the years, and between our numerous children, we have come across many teethers.. so trust me when I say these Malarkey Kids products are most definitely worth having. All of them.
Categories
Babies Baby Gear Baby Registry Baby Shower Baby Toys Gifts Little Branding Monster Malarkey Kids Parenting Review Shopping Toys

Adventures in Slobber Town. Why we love Munch Mitt.

[Note: This product was provided to me for this post. All opinions expressed are my own]

Let’s be real — Teething isn’t fun. The copious amounts of slobber and seemingly equal amount of tears is enough to have any drool covered, sleep deprived parent on a coffee induced search for just about every product out there that may bring some relief… ANY relief… to their otherwise happy little baby.

I’ve been there. With 6 kids.. I think I’ve tried almost everything that said “teething” on it.. most did nothing. Some worked alright.. but never have I found one I have appreciated as much as my newly found love — the Munch Mitt by Malarkey Kids.

Is it an affective teether? Yes. Does baby like it? Definitely.. Is it cute? Of course it is. But none of these things are what make me love it as much as I do. So, what is it exactly that has me crazy about Munch Mitt? It helps her eczema.

Now, I’m sure you’re sitting there, with one eye brown raised and your hand with a thoughtful grasp on your chin going “uhhh, how exactly does it *help* her eczema?”

No, this isn’t some miracle moisturizer that heals her eczema.. it obviously does nothing to treat eczema.. but what it does do is provide a barrier. This Munch Mitt gives her something else to chew on.

Saliva irritates the skin, as does going from slobbery wet to dry over and over again through the day. We treat most of her eczema prone skin with moisturizers and creams, but she’s a baby. Her hands are not somewhere I am comfortable putting topical ointments – especially with as often as she’s putting them in her mouth. So, her tiny little wrists and hands end up chapped, red, and covered in patches of eczema. That is, until I put this mitt on her hand. She immediately went straight to chewing on it, just as she would her bare hand — but when I removed it after about 15-20 minutes – her hand was dry. It wasn’t covered in saliva. She was happy, and her hand was protected. Win. Total win.

What else makes it a great tool for eczema prone babies? It’s a razer sharp finger nail barrier. She has eczema on her face.. her cheeks are possibly one of the worst areas she has it. Any time I put her in the car seat, she starts chewing on her hands, slobber sits on her cheeks, then they itch. She gets irritated with it’s itchiness and starts clawing at her face. Now we’ve got eczema and claw marks. Not awesome. This mitt, while it’s crinkling offered a distracting toy for her, and it’s silicon soothed her urge to chew on everything — this adorable little mitt also contained her slice and dice happy finger nails. Hooray!

If you’ve been on the fence about getting a Munch Mitt, hesitate no more! Go get it! I only wish I had found it sooner.

 

Categories
Babies Baby Gear Baby Wearing Kids Pregnancy Shopping Yah Yah Photography

So you want a big family… (or not)

I had a very fun opportunity this past week. I recorded a segment for a podcast!

This all came about a couple weeks ago. I noticed I had been tagged a couple times in a post in the gDiapers Facebook community. I clicked to see what I was being called out for, and I instantly laughed upon seeing the post. They were looking for parents of large families (5+ children) to interview for their podcast.

After laughing, I sat and thought for a minute. I’m really the person my friends think of when asked if they know any crazy people who can’t seem to stop having babies?!? Yep. I am. *insert more laughing*

The focus was a lot about how you know when and if you’re done having babies. There were a lot of questions regarding this.. but one actually made me think. What would I say or what advice would I give to someone trying to decide if they’re done.

Considering only ONE of our SIX babies were planned, and one was a birth control baby when we thought we were finished, I have no advice to give on deciding whether you’re done or not. We have been blessed beyond measure – but with very little deciding. (Until now, that is..) That said — I do have a lot of insight on having a large family. So, if you’re sitting there, staring at your all-too-quickly growing baby, trying to decide if you want to set out to procreate like rabbits.. here’s a few things to think about:

•On your worst day, how do you handle the chaos? Large families come with a lot of chaos, even on the good days. You often find yourself running in circles. Like you’re in one of those revolving doors and can’t seems to figure out how to get out of it. Round and round you go. Same stuff, different kid. Over and over until you hit the mattress. (And then a couple times after you’ve hit the mattress. Kids, they just KNOW when you’ve attempted to relax!)

•Do you enjoy shopping at Costco? Costco is one of those things that is no longer a luxury. A trip to Costco used to be one of those “Oh! I can buy our entire months worth of groceries!” Nope. It’s basically a necessity just for a week’s worth of feeding 6 kids. Especially when almost all of them are growing boys with giant appetites. (Have you seen how much a preteen boy can put down?!? And WHERE does it go?????)

•Are you willing to size up your vehicle? Our particular dilemma when we found out that number 6 was on the way was that we would require 5 car seats or boosters to be installed. My gripe is that most large vehicles don’t feel the need to accommodate car seats like they should. We upgraded to a full size van just to fit the amount and types of seats we needed to install, plus give room for all the STUFF that going out with 6 kids requires. It also allows us to not fold our giant stroller (Uppababy Vista) so, yay for being lazy! I mean, uhhh, saving time!

•Are you one of those people who loves doing laundry?  Here’s an equation for you. Smelly, sweaty preteen + sticky, snot nosed toddler + slobbery, poop filled infant = A LOT OF LAUNDRY. Along with upgrading the vehicle, you may need to upgrade your washer and dryer capacity. I used to love laundry. I no longer love laundry.

•Cold and flu season.. when one goes down… the entire forest is going down with them. I’ll never forget when I was about 7 months pregnant.. our toddler vomited as we were getting him ready for bed. We thought it was a one off, as he seemed fine after. Put him down to bed and moved on. An hour later, our 3 year old followed suit. Oh no. Okay.. two was tolerable. By 3 am, we had 5 vomiting children and a pile of towels and sheets covering beds and the floor. (Which goes back up to “do you like laundry?” Ha!)

•Are you willing to become best friends with your local baristas? Let’s face it – coffee is my life line. Drink the coffee, do the things. Fairly certain my baristas know what kind of day I’m having based on how many times I roll my giant van through the drive-thru (also a necessity!) and how many children are crying as I do so. They know my drink based on time of day. No joke.

In all seriousness, though..

Do you want a lot of kids? This is probably the only thing that matters. Everything else works itself out. If you want a large family, if you love being a parent and want to keep doing it.. do it! We have our people, our tribes or our villages, whatever you want to call them.. and that’s great. They will all have an opinion on whether you should or shouldn’t have several kids. They’ll probably voice those opinions, too. But as nice as it is to have a support team, this decision is one only you can make, and you shouldn’t let anyone make you feel otherwise.

We love our big family, and our children love our big family. Did we set out thinking we’d have 6 kids? No. It’s been amazing, though. We did make the decision to be done-done (or as done as you can be.. they say nothing is 100%) after baby girl.. We thought we were done after number 5, and she is the whipped cream that topped off our mocha.. We felt ready to make that decision of completion.

Half a dozen kids, one kid, no kids. We all have our ideas of what OUR perfect family is. None of us are right or wrong. Make the decision that works for your family. Also, keep an open mind. Sometimes surprises or tragedies happen and our ideas get changed a bit. Embrace your family, and never apologize for your decisions.

Categories
Announcements Babies Baby Gear Baby Registry Baby Wearing Lillebaby Parenting Tekhni Wovens

#whowhatwearweekly – launching 52 weeks of babywearing bliss

I’ve been babywearing for a long time. What began as a means of parental survival when our third baby was born, quickly became a passion. Eventually, I ended up with quite the extensive collection of carriers. I recently joked to my husband that I almost have enough carriers that I can wear a different carrier (be it style, print, brand, etc..) every week for an entire year.. He made the challenge, and so I will!

Introducing the Diaper Bag Confessions #whowhatwearweekly — Every Friday of 2018, I will post our weekly carrier on my Instagram.  Who made it (spoiler alert- most of my collection is LÍLLÉbaby) – what it’s called – and a different carrier (be it a different style, color, print, or brand) every week for a year.

Im super excited to show you my carrier collection, have an excuse to grow it a little more, and answer any babywearing questions you might have! I’d love to have you follow along!

Categories
Announcements Babies Baby Gear Baby Registry Pregnancy

Rolling in the pink..

If you following me on social media, you’ve likely heard the news already. Our family is expanding once more this coming September!

A little different, however, is that this BOY MOM is about to have a GIRL. *insert nervous, freak-out emoji here* As a boy mom, I was very much the type who would say things like “Boys can do and wear whatever they want.” and “Colors don’t have genders.”

While I have nothing against pink and purple, and do wear them.. I’m really not an overly frufru girl. Neither my house, nor my closet, is full of throw pillows, scented candles, and ruffles.

When we found out  we were expecting, I was firm in my thought.. if by some crazy obscure chance this baby is a girl, she will be more “Princess Leia” than “Sleeping Beauty” — and I honestly still feel that way in an empowerment sort of way.. (trust me, baby girl will hold her own!!) but the moment the ultrasound tech confirmed “OMG IT IS A GIRL” all of my gender neutrality flew out the window like a tornado had engulfed it. “Pink! All the pink! We need pink. And purple. And flowers. And metallics. Gold and silver and rose gold and sparkles!!!”

This photo courtesy of the amazing Yah Yah Photography in Portland, Oregon!

My husband just laughed.. then handed me the car keys and sent me on my way. I entered the store, about to make my first purchase for my baby girl.. and I shocked even myself. Bows. Headbands. Pink. (Bright pink, soft pink, neon pink.. I did not descriminate.) Purple. Florals. *blink*

Who is this person? What?!? It’s like this dormant girly girl had unleashed itself. I never felt like I needed a girl, but apparently my inner self was just waiting for the chance to explode in a puff of glitter — and here I am.

 

 

Categories
Babies Baby Gear Baby Registry Baby Shower Baby Wearing Gifts Lillebaby Review

Meet SeatMe. The newest carrier in the LÍLLÉbaby family.

Note: This product was provided to me for this post. This post also contains affiliate links.

Hip seats are nothing new in the baby carrier industry. They’re extremely popular in Asian regions and are starting to make their way here to the States. They have always intrigued me, as I’ve never used one and I’m very much a fan of floppy SSC’s (soft structured carriers), ring slings, and wraps. You know, the carriers that conform to myself and to my baby. When I saw that LÍLLÉbaby was planning to release this new carrier, I knew I had to try it.

First, I am slightly obsessed with learning the ins and outs of new carriers.. fitting carriers on people is sort of a niche of mine, and I enjoy feeling confident in doing that by knowing a carrier through and through. Second, it just seemed so different than what I was used to, that I had to find out for myself if it was worth the hype. (Spoiler alert: it is!)

Let me start by talking about the feature that makes the SeatMe so much different from LÍLLÉbaby’s standard SSC lineup — Complete and Essentials. That notable feature is, of course, the structured seat insert. It’s exactly what it sounds like it is. A hard (yet slightly padded.. it’s still comfy for baby!) insert that forms a physical seat for baby to sit on. It’s like having a small stool attached to your waist for baby.

On the SeatMe, with 2 very simple steps (one zipper and 2 buttons), you can remove the back panel and straps and use this sturdy seat all on its own as a hip seat, or on your front. I have been asked “but why?!?” about this feature a lot. My answer is simple. Parents are not ignorant to the toddler on the hip.. swing one hip out to the side and stand/walk at an awkward back and hip tilt so your child can essentially sit on your hip bone as you carry them around. This simple hip seat ability of the SeatMe eliminates the need for that swing of the hip and bent back. It basically gives you a hip bone for your child to sit on while you can stand normally. Woohoo!

 

Another added benefit to this structured seat is, if you choose to face baby outward, that structured seat gives baby a nice seated position that so many struggle to get when outward facing in other SSC’s that support that carry style. It even gives a supportive seat to bigger children when outward facing, as well. I will say, wearing a larger child (over 25 pounds) on the front, especially in the outward facing position, does put a lot of pressure on that structured piece, which can push into your pubic bone area a bit. For short amounts of time, it’s neglegent, but I wouldn’t suggest it for a larger child on front for extended periods of time. Stick to the hip seat, or back carries.

Below the structured seat insert of the SeatMe is another A+ feature. It’s essentially a built in fannypack, without the 80’s stigma and neon colors. This deep belt pocket is in addition to the now-standard large LÍLLÉbaby front pocket so many of us know and love. Yes! Twice the storage!! (I’d actually almost say more than twice.. the bottom pocket definitely holds a hefty amount of stuff!) it’s easy to access, even with baby on you.

You may have noticed, when talking about the structured seat, I used the word insert. The hard seat structure is, indeed, an insert that can quickly and easily be removed and you instantly have a standard SSC to use. Its a fabric and padding covered hard plastic structure that securely velcro’s into the zippered pocket on the belt. It’s like the magical carrier that transforms itself into 3 different carriers. A structured seat carrier, a hip seat, and an SSC! Amazing. Removing the structured seat also gives you even more space in that belt pocket!

One of my favorite features of the SeatMe is most definitely the adjustable panel width feature. The panel is already more narrow than the other LÍLLÉbaby carriers, and then the simple sliding adjustment ability expands its flexibility for baby’s size and makes going from inward to outward facing carries so much easier! Because of the way the slider works, you can essentially customize the panel fit for the size of your baby. Not just two set sizes, wide and narrow. As someone who’s toddler stayed between the wide and narrow setting for a long time, I think this particular ability is a fabulous! You can also, for back carries with larger children, unclip the sliding seat adjuster, since you would use the panel on the widest setting in that scenario anyway.

A small but notable detail that the SeatMe has that other LÍLLÉbaby carriers do not (but I wish they did!!) is a lovely, soft, and plush lining along the inside of the neck support seam. It was one of the first things I noticed when I was examining the carrier, and my baby loved laying his cheeks against it.

The SeatMe, like the Complete, has the tell-tale LÍLLÉbaby neck support that is a very popular feature! It was definitely a selling point for me when I first discovered LÍLLÉbaby, as I know it is with many LÍLLÉ lovers. Along with this neck support is also the nice and large, and easily removable, hood that is also a well known LÍLLÉbaby feature. Same snap attachments as the other LÍLLÉbaby carriers. It also had the same two-way strap adjusters, making adjusting your strap tightness easy in both front and back carries.

A difference you will notice, probably immediately, is the belt. This is not your typical LÍLLÉbaby webbing buckle belt and lumbar support. It’s, instead, a wide canvas belt with sturdy Velcro to secure it around your waist, followed up with a webbing belt and buckle closure. I am not typically a fan of Velcro.. however, I definitely see why this structure is made the way it is. Especially when the SeatMe is used as a hip seat only. The thick, all the way around belt makes it very secure and supportive. It reminds me of those pregnancy back support belts, or the heavy lifting back support belts people buy. (Bonus.. it’s also a bit of a tummy hider! Hahaha)

The SeatMe can be used for the following:

  • Front inward facing carries
  • Front outward facing carries (only once baby can hold head in upright position)
  • Back carries (Minimum 6 months of age)
  • Hip Seat only (front or hip positions, 12-45 pounds)
  • As an SSC with no structured insert (front carry position)

These are the ins and outs of the new LÍLLÉbaby SeatMe. I am impressed and highly recommend it! Especially if you are looking for something new and different. It most definitely feels and fits differently than the SSC’s I’m accustomed to — but in a good way. I am thrilled to have it as part of my collection and know it will be used often.

*** You  can save $10 on your LÍLLÉbaby purchase by clicking this link: http://lillebaby.refr.cc/tracim   ***

I (Please note: I will also receive credit for purchases made via this link)

 

Categories
Baby Gear Baby Wearing

Vote Líllébaby in the #cribsieawards

Its that time again!! Voting in the Cribsie Awards. You know that Líllébaby is my favorite brand of baby carrier and I know many of you feel the same!

Our group of ambassadors has joined forces once again to give you a chance to win a Líllébaby carrier of your own for voting!

Just click on this link and follow the instructions. Happy Babywearing!

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Categories
Babies Baby Gear Baby Wearing Lillebaby Parenting Tekhni Wovens

The benefits of babywearing – bonding, safety, convenience

If you have been a reader of The Diaper Bag Confessions for a while, if you follow me on Instagram, or perhaps know me from my days as a babywearing group admin on Facebook — you know I am an avid babywearer. When you have five kids, you’ll do anything you can to free up a hand or two.. but especially when you have kids with special needs. I always wore my babies. It allowed me to shop easier, vacation simpler, and even do chores more efficiently. I really delved into it, though, when our 3rd baby was born and had physical impairments that delayed a lot of milestones. (He was hypotonic and had a muscle fatigue syndrome.) Babywearing became my “thing” very quickly. It is something I am passionate about, and it’s something I do well. (Have a fit question? Feel free to message me!)

With our two youngest kids, babywearing became a tool beyond just freeing up hands. It assisted with bonding in the most amazing way. Skin to skin time was crucial. One of the best ways to help a baby thrive early on is skin to skin time. Wrapping was my favorite way to facilitate this practice as much as possible. (The stretchy wrap pictured is the LÍLLÉbaby  Tie-the-knot wrap) Even through the most basic activities. My woven ring sling was the best carrier when our baby was too small for other carriers. (Pictured is the Tekhni Wovens Adelphi Gothic Wrap Conversion Ring Sling) It allowed me to wear him close and safe. I will note.. I sought out the advice and safety opinions for wearing from the hospital staff before bringing our low birthweight baby home, as well as our pediatrician. This is important if you want to wear a baby that is small and especially if baby is a preemie. There are safety concerns you need to be mindful of.

Along with skin to skin, another benefit of wearing babies — especially newborns and medically fragile babies — comes the ability to help shield them from the affects of cold and flu season. I love the clip up neck support on the LÍLLÉbaby  Complete (Pictured below! *aff link*) especially for this!! It  puts a nice shield, of sorts, around baby’s head. This stops (most) people, especially strangers, from attempting to touch baby or get in their face. A nice little buffer. We almost always wear at the grocery store and the doctors office mostly for this reason!

Wearing baby also provides a safe space. It doesn’t take long for baby to realize the comfort and security of being worn against mom or dad’s body. Crowded places, loud and chaotic surroundings.. even family gatherings when you don’t want baby passed around. Baby is snuggled up to you and calmed from the chaos around them.

When doctors starting altering our baby’s diet, I found myself leaning on my carriers even more than I did before. Playing with his diet meant one huge thing for me — He was suddenly breastfeeding less than he was used to, and not nearly as much as I would have preferred. (It also resulted in an abrupt halt to our nursing journey in the end..) I longed for those snuggles. I found myself hooked up to a breast pump multiple times per day, mixing bottles frequently, and just getting frustrated. I wanted to feel that closeness that we had when we were nursing. Babywearing. Cheek to chest. Sleepy snuggles. Was it the same? No.. I can’t even pretend it was the same thing.. but I was something we were both needing. Craving, even. That bond never broke. 

Then came our time in the hospital. I wore him throughout our stay. The staff was very supportive of it, complimenting me for my choice. One of the doctors even did her entire morning exam while he was in the carrier. As she walked in the room I said “Oh! I can take him out for you.” With a smile on her face she said “No. You leave him right there where he’s comfortable. There isn’t anything I need to do that requires him to be out, so you just leave him where he is.” Heart melted. You see, his world had just been rocked upside down. he now had a tube in his nose. His feedings were all clinical. It gave him what he was familiar with. He would lay his head down on my chest and quickly fall asleep. If you find yourself in the hospital with your infant or toddler, ask the staff if wearing is a possibility for you! 

As the weeks with his tube progressed and our new normal began to shape, babywearing was our constant. His wraps. His SSC’s, his ring sling. His happy place. It also greatly helped me keep his graspy little fingers away from his tube. If you can’t reach it, you can’t pull it out.

Babywearing has given me so much. It has given me a passion, made my life easier as a mom of five, allowed me to continue the physical bond with my baby through his medical challenges, and helped keep my kids safe, healthy and comforted. For that, I feel blessed. I enjoy using my experience to help other parents. Embrace your circumstances and explore how wearing your baby can help you and your little one.

Categories
Babies Baby Gear Baby Wearing Lillebaby Nook Sleep Stokke

#growbabygrow – Our journey through failure to thrive and NG tube feeding.

When I was pregnant with baby number 5, we had already started the conversations with our doctors. The plan of action for the seemingly inevitable battle with Failure to Thrive. (FTT) You see, each of our kids has fought this battle and to this day, no one has a definite answer as to why — just some observed solutions and suspected causes. As my due date approached, I knew this situation would be no different. Call it mom instincts (or just common sense based on the fact that I was 39 weeks pregnant and looking more like 33 weeks) but I knew he would be born small. Each of my 5 kids has been born smaller than their previous sibling. Small for Gestational Age is a term we are familiar with. He was born small.  We (with the guidance of his medical team) decided to see where time got us. My milk came in quickly and with abundance and he was nursing well (despite a fairly significant tongue tie that was examined by no less than 6 doctors and feeding specialists and determined not an issue at all!) However, as each of his first 4 weeks of life flew by, his weight gain was not enough.
This is when the fun really started. He was gaining, just not enough. We began playing with equations. Could we still let him be EBF but increase the calories? Didn’t work. Could we supplement a few feeds per day? Didn’t work. He kept plugging along the same ever-so-slow weight gain pattern. So, we turned to the amino acid based elemental formula that had worked for his brother and then upped the calories with what is essentially an emulsified liquid fat.
As we approached 3 months, things were still stagnant. We now had a scale at home and were weighing him once or twice a week. It was stressful. My heart would race every single time I had to put him on that scale. Would it yield a better result? Would things be worse? What will his doctor say after I email it to her? Then it happened. At 15 weeks old, things weren’t improving and his lab results were starting to show signs of a malnurished body. As a mom, I saw those words and felt like a failure. (If you are in this situation, it is natural to blame yourself.. but if you are doing everything in your power to help your baby gain weight and these diagnosises are still in front of you.. STOP blaming yourself!) Here I was, feeding my baby as I was told. Breastmilk is supposed to be the best thing for babies. My supply was fine, I could feed him and pump like no ones business. We had turned to formula. We turned to a crazy concoction of a food solution and “extreme protein malnutrition” and “failure to thrive” were still front and center on his medical charts. We ended up in another specialist office and that’s when it was decided. He would be admitted to the hospital and put on an NG tube. I spent the next day sobbing in self pity.. I knew why this decision was made and my husband and I both agreed with it. We knew it had to happen if we were going to have any hope at helping our baby grow and possibly finding out why he wasn’t. That didn’t mute the hurt, though. I sat there the morning before we checked into the hospital nursing my baby for what I knew might be the last time and I cried. I felt mad that my baby would be taken off of breastmilk at 3 months old. I felt nervous about what an NG tube would entail. I felt so many emotions.. I can’t even describe what it felt like. As I sat and held my baby, though, I forced myself to breathe and my husband helped remind me that I would do anything for our baby and this was no different. So off we went.
They insert his NG tube immediately upon our arrival. I was somewhat overwhelmed and a little traumatized. They took a LONG tube, lubed it up, held down my screaming baby and proceeded to feed it down his nose. I watched it get shorter and shorter and my baby get more and more angry.. and then one of the nurses looked up at me, smiled, and said “It’s okay, mom. We’re going to make him better!” I was calm.
While he was admitted, I continued pumping. I don’t know why. I think somewhere in the back of my mind, I hoped they would tell me that he would be able to nurse again.. or that he could have breastmilk in his tube.. something. My entire baby raising experience has been filled with people telling me breastmilk is best for baby. If there was any chance that he may be able to have it again, I wanted to make sure I was prepared to make that happen for him. He was in the hospital for 8 days. The first 4 days yielded no change.. but the last 4 showed wonderful progress! I’ll never forget the nurse coming in right before rounds to ask if there was anything I wanted to make sure they bring up to the doctor.. I mentioned that his legs were swollen. He had socks on (he has trouble with temperature regulation) and his once-too-big socks were now tight on his calf and leaving indentations. She pushed on his leg, looked at me and smiled “He’s not swollen.. That’s fat!” We celebrated. Those nurses were almost as invested in his health and well being as I was.
When we came home, he came home with the NG tube still in place. This was a whole new experience. It was definitely overwhelming to think about.. and the first week was a balancing act for sure. He was not only on the tube, but a high calorie density. I swear, those first two weeks — my life was measuring and mixing specific caloric recipes for formula, pumping, and attempting to keep his hands off of his tube.  There were definitely some tears as we adjusted, but life adapted quickly as we got used to our new normal. Ultimately, after 3 weeks, I decided to stop pumping. I cried almost as much then as the last time he nursed, but I was also oddly okay with it.

The NG tube definitely comes with its difficulties and learning curves. Priming the pump, making sure you’ve mixed enough formula to last the entire feed. (In our case, when he came home.. he was on a continuous slow feed for 10 hours overnight  so that he could do bottles during the day to keep up his oral motor abilities) Our baby also loved playing with his tube. So much so, that he managed to pull it out no less than 8 times. We quickly learned some hacks to keep it out of his grasp, and I even learned to reinsert the tube myself. (This was a whole new level of nervousness and self doubt! Eep!)
Life with the NG tube, for the most part, proceeded as normal! It was more work, as I mentioned above, but for him.. business as usual. It wasn’t invasive for him at all. He was just as happy and content as he always was.. he just now had a tube in his nose.
As he approached 4 months old, you could finally see the progress he was making. I finally felt like it was doing its job and things were working. Like our baby could actually thrive. How long he would need the tube, however, was still not clear. Day by day, week by week. 
He also began meeting more developmental milestones. This was huge for us!! Our previous two kids had gross motor and developmental delays — this was a concern for us and his doctors.. as he grew and began doing things typical babies his age were doing, I was even more confident that this was the right decision for our little man.
We have been, and will continue, to document his progress on our social media channels. I was hesitant at first, but as I began posting, more and more moms either facing FTT diagnosis or with tube fed babies began reaching out. Whether it was looking for support and comradeship or to offer support and reassurance. I knew then that using our voice was a good thing. If you’re reading this to follow our journey, our little man is 5 months old now. He’s made amazing strides in his growth. He’s still very small for his age (well below 3%) but compared to where he was, he’s doing amazingly well! I don’t know what the future holds for him. He has an amazing medical team that we trust (this is critical!!) and I finally feel like he is thriving.

If you’re reading this because you find yourself in similar shoes.. about to climb the Failure to Thrive mountain and unsure of what it means, blaming yourself, or just looking for someone who understands — I hope our journey offers some support and reassurance.

“I’ll never reach my destination, if I never try. So I will sail my vessel, until the river runs dry” — Garth Brooks “The River”

Categories
Babies Baby Blankets Baby Gear Baby Registry Baby Shower Gifts Parenting Review Shopping Uncategorized

Swaddled in comfort with Nested Bean

I just had baby number five. FIVE. I’m well seasoned in this mom game and newborns are like second nature to me at this point. I can translate cries easily and change diapers faster than Mark Zuckerburg. I know that newborns tend to want 3 things: Food, clean diapers, and to be cuddled. This is where swaddling comes in.

image

My previous two babies had an exaggerated Moro Reflex. I am going to guess many of you haven’t heard of a “Moro Reflex” but perhaps know it as a “startle reflex” — or perhaps you don’t know it as anything and just think your newborn is a particularly jumpy little human. The Moro Reflex is a reflex typically found in newborns – usually present until baby is around 3-5 months. It’s a natural response to the feeling of falling, or a sudden loss of support. Baby will flare their arms out, contract them back in, and fuss or cry.

image

Think about it, when you depend solely on someone else holding you and supporting you, and suddenly you feel like that support is gone, you’d panic a little too. This often happens while babies sleep, and frequently startles them awake. My boys would have this reaction if you even walked while holding them.. Just imagine what nights were like. Until our pediatrician recommended swaddling. It gives babies that feeling of security and combats that reflex action. I knew how to swaddle and did it sometimes, but it wasn’t something I was religious about. Especially at night. All that blanket wrapping and tucking, making sure baby was positioned correctly, things were snug but not TOO snug. Then the moment you aced it, baby would poop and you’d have to undo your efforts and start over again. We found a couple blanket options that were said to make all of this easier.. But they either didn’t fit right or they were just as inconvenient. However, swaddling was the best comfort for our babies when they were in that Moro Reflex stage. Well, that and the feeling of being held.

When baby number five came along, I got an email from Nested Bean asking if I’d be interested in trying one of their weighted swaddle blankets. The Zen Swaddle. I was familiar with the brand (hello: did I me ion I’m addicted to baby products?) but I’d never used it before. The idea intrigued me, but I wasn’t quite sure how it would work for us for a couple reasons. First, I had used Velcro swaddles before, and like I said.. Hadn’t had much luck with them. Second, my newest baby was a “small for gestational age” low birthweight baby. Surely these blankets would be much too big for him, at a little under 5 pounds. Knowing how our previous babies were, however — and the fact that I don’t judge one product on my experience with another — I decided to give them a try.

image

I have never been more happy with a decision. Ever. When it first arrived, my first observations were aesthetic. It was so cute! I mean, if you’re going to put an adorable squishy baby in something, it should at least be cute, right?!?

The next thing I noticed was the instructions for using it on a smaller baby. WHAT?! Yes!! I followed the directions and was amazed that it fit! Wonderfully. Snug where it needed to be snug, relaxed where it needed to be relaxed. A good, SAFE swaddle for my tiny little man! (Yes. As with all things baby related, there are safe and unsafe ways of swaddling.) I was very happy at this point.

image

The only thing better was when I got baby to sleep, set him down in his crib, and he slept there for two SOLID hours. I would be lying if I said I didn’t go in and check on him a million times. He’d never slept that long out of my arms since we brought him home!

image

The Zen swaddle has 3 sections of weighted beans. One on the chest, mimicking a hand resting on baby. Then one on each side of baby. They feel held and snuggled while swaddled. I imagine this is what contributed to his sudden willingness to sleep on his own for that duration of time! It also calms him down, even when I don’t necessarily need him to sleep. Wrap him up into a Zen swaddle burrito, give him his pacifier, and suddenly all is right in the world.

image

The fabric is so soft. The Velcro is STRONG. (My only advise is, don’t swaddle on something it can stick to. It will stick! Hahaha!!) It works for babies of a wide variety of sizes. It says 0-6 months.. It very likely will last most babies that duration of time! It’s one of my favorite baby staples. Likely a product I will include in baby shower gifts and recommend to new moms! “This! Go buy this! You’ll thank me later!!”

 

Note: Nested Bean provided me with a Zen Swaddle to review. My opinions are my own and I was not otherwise compensated.