5 months into my exclusive pumping journey and I'm tired of this, Grandpa π«© Hooked up to a machine for hours of my day, constantly overstimulated, sore breasts, bleeding nipples, bloody clogs... I am so over it all. I am grateful that I can feed my baby breastmilk and she is thriving on it, but this is the hardest thing I've ever done.
Only 7 more months until my goal π₯²
This is just a heads up to make sure your wrap isn't too tight, I accidentally gave my baby a pressure rash from a Momcozy wrap the other day :( It healed up okay but the pediatrician said it's likely from the wrap being too tight and/or cutting off circulation to her leg. I always thought wrap carriers couldn't be too tight, but the ventilated material on the Momcozy one doesn't give much and caused this rash. Likely not going to use the MC wrap again but will post a pic to check the fit if we do.
Genuinely asking, what are we supposed to do during wake windows when LO is 5 months old? My daughter is 21+ weeks, turning 5 months on Tuesday. Her wake windows are 2-2.5 hours long and I am completely out of ideas on how to keep us both occupied.
Naps are SO short, sometimes only 20 minutes, 30 minutes if I'm lucky. And then it's a long 2+ hours until the next nap. She has completely lost interest in playing with toys on the playmat, squirms when held too long, doesn't enjoy babywearing in a wrap or structured carrier, has decided she now hates the swing, and gets bored quickly in the bouncer. She only seems to enjoy going for walks in the stroller or spending time in the Skip Hop activity center, but some days it's just too hot to go on long walks and I've heard activity centers aren't great for their hip development and should be used sparingly if at all.
We spend our days switching between all of the activities above, just praying one of them keeps her occupied for more than 15 minutes before she gets fussy and bored again. She loves to sit or stand but can't do either without assistance, so sometimes I'm just holding her upright until she starts squirming to do something else. Tummy time is pure torture and not an enjoyable experience for either of us, although we do it for short bursts for her own good.
We are so bored and the days feel SO long. I'm exhausted from getting up/down constantly as we switch activities. I'm hooked up to a pump over 2 hours a day as an exclusive pumper and have to plop her in the swing regardless of whether she's happy about it or not because I can't hold her when I'm pumping. Naps are too short for me to even get a full pumping session in.
Funds are tight and I have no interest or ability in buying more crap she'll get bored with quickly. Does anyone have ideas on how to keep a LO that isn't yet able to sit on her own? We're both bored out of our minds π
My dad and I used to bond when I was a kid by collecting Pokemon cards and playing Pokemon Yellow on my Gameboy Color in 2000. He passed away very suddenly in 2010 and I miss him every day. He was very active and enjoyed hiking, so he would have LOVED PokemonGo.
I've been playing on/off for 10 years now and only just realized I caught one of his favorite Pokemon, Aerodactyl, on his birthday in 2016. It's now my buddy and I have him join my game whenever I miss my dad. It's like he's flying around with me.
Miss you, Dad. Thanks for sending me this Aerodactyl :)
She was lying on her playmat, happily cooing to herself and kicking her legs. I'm scrolling reddit for a little break when I look up and she's got it in her hand.
The pacifier. I watch in amazement as she's looking at it in her tiny little fingers, bringing it closer to her face. She touches it to her cheek, barely missing her mouth. I wait with baited breath. She aims too high and grazes her nose, almost dropping it. She readjusts her grip on the handle.
I am frozen in anticipation. I want to cheer her on but I'm afraid to break her concentration. She tries one more time. She's got it to her mouth, she just needs to part her lips and stick the landing.
A few tense seconds go by... and....
SHE GOT IT! The pacifier lands smoothly in her mouth and she releases it from her grasp. She's nomming on the pacifier like it was one of the ten thousand times I've placed it for her.
I am elated and she has no idea what a big deal that was. The countless hours of sleep that went interrupted because her pacifier fell out and she needed help finding it. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Never in my life did I expect to be in near tears watching my daughter put a pacifier in her own mouth. But I couldn't be more proud if she had won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Good lord I get the biggest ick when LO is on the changing table and kicks me straight in the nipples π«© it's the perfect height where her little feet are aimed straight at my boobs and she always launches her heels STRAIGHT into my poor abused nipples right before or after a pump. Like girl please don't do that, they work so hard to keep you fed π
My Grandmother (87F) lost her beloved husband of 65+ years this spring and has been very lonely. Today we helped her adopt a senior shelter kitty (12F) in need of a good home. May they have many happy years left together π₯Ή
(Don't worry, family will happily adopt kitty if she lives past Grandma's final days on Earth)
I LOVE this sport variegated African Violet in my collection! I don't even remember what color the flowers are but I enjoy the unique foliage so much I don't really care. I own a plant shop so I see and collect a ton of sport variegated plants, but this one might just be my favorite β¨
TW: oversupply, milk stash, cannabis
Hi everyone, I have a concert tonight and exposure to cannabis will basically be unavoidable. I know I will get a lot of judgement, but hopefully some science based opinions as well.
I exclusively pump for my 4 month LO and have an oversupply that has allowed me to build up a nice freezer stash. I have several weeks worth of frozen milk available and LO does accept frozen, so that is not an issue. We've tested it before and she does not seem to have any objections to frozen/thawed.
Here's the situation: I have a concert tonight I've been looking forward to for almost a year. The problem is that this crowd is quite cannabis friendly and I WILL be exposed to cannabis smoke regardless of whether I partake or not. It's in the air and unavoidable.
I will also not entertain the thought of NOT attending due to this. My mother is lined up to watch LO all night and I will not be impaired when caring for LO. I plan on changing my clothes and showering as soon as I get home. I am over 21 and a responsible adult with safe transportation to/from the concert.
My question is how long should I pump and dump to make sure my milk is safe? I have multiple weeks worth of milk stashed up and will dump as long as necessary. I'm reading conflicting reports with some studies suggesting a few hours, six days, or even six weeks. I will do whatever it takes.
Please be kind and judge as little as possible. I was a heavy cannabis user before I got pregnant and quit cold turkey as soon as that positive test came up. I do not struggle with addiction and just want the best for my LO.
Thanks in advance.
EDIT: Thank you everyone for your comments and support ππΌ I was expecting an angry mob but the replies have been very kind/supportive, which I really appreciate. I have to get ready for the concert now and won't be able to reply to everyone, but know I appreciate y'all. BMFS π
My oxalis absolutely loves this northern window and has been going strong for over a year! Every time it goes dormant it comes back stronger than ever :)
Finished my third-ever piece, a cappuccino for my brother's birthday. Severely underestimated how much work this would actually be given his birthday was in February and I'm finishing it 5 months later π
Pattern by SpringsAndStitches on Etsy, linked here
I just purchased this fun evil eye pattern from Etamine Patterns on Etsy (link below). I have some black aida cloth kicking around I'd love to use up, but would the design get lost? What do you think? π§Ώ
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1809234803/evil-eye-cross-stitch-pattern-turkish
Trigger Warning: blood, clogs/clots, possible cancer
Hi everyone! I'm the one who posted about a week ago with horrifying blood clots in my milk. I received a lot of very kind and supportive comments with a request for an update, so here it is.
To recap (with fresh horrifying pics), I have been experiencing EXTREMELY bloody milk while exclusively pumping. Like, not strawberry milk... Hawaiian punch. Then I'll find congealed clots at the bottom of the cups that are quite large and can be picked up or caught in a strainer. Really gross and very alarming to see. It would happen on both sides, but especially on the left. I first noticed it about 3 weeks ago, it got better, and then started up again but worse to the point I was dumping the milk. I know it's okay to feed bloody milk, but I make enough to be comfortable dumping the really bad pumps.
Anyway, I went to my OBGYN and she did a breast exam. She ruled out mastitis and sent me to get an ultrasound. I went for imaging today and they did an ultrasound on both sides.
I was worried because the tech needed more pictures on my left and then the doctor ordered a mammogram too. Luckily it could all be done in the same appointment and I didn't need to come back, which would have made me spiral with worry.
They did the mammogram and thank GOD they did not detect any cancer ππΌ Doc said she's seeing some hard buildup in my ducts, which is likely the cause of the blood and what I'm pulling out of the collection cups. The results are being sent to my OBGYN and the imaging doctor wants to see me again in 3 months with the possibility of a referral to a breast specialist if the OB agrees.
I'm not out of the woods yet but very relieved there is no sign of cancer. It's something we need to keep an eye on, but for now I can breathe easy.
Thank you everyone for all the love and support. This community is amazing π€
Day in the life of an oversupplier (+50oz). The first MC pitcher was too small and couldn't hold an entire day's worth of milk, so I upgraded. Really puts into perspective how much I'm pumping per day.
I am so grateful I have enough to feed my baby and donate to other parents in need, but the glorification of over-producing on social media doesn't show how much work/discomfort it really is.
My LO is +16w and turning 4 months next week. She used to be a decent napper and would regularly take 60-120min naps 4-5 times a day. She would sleep up to 2 hours if we contact napped and then would throw it a little 30 min nap after a big one. We have had very little to no success napping anywhere but a moving car or on me (mom). Any naps in her bassinet/crib are extremely short lived.
The last couple of days, she is refusing to nap more than 30 minutes at a time despite all the best napping conditions. Full tummy, dark room, A/C running, white noise machine, sleep sack, in my lap in a rocking chair... the works. Today she took four 30min naps and I am baffled.
Is this the infamous "4 month sleep regression" everyone warns us about? She has been waking up 2-3 times a night rather than her usual 1-2 times, too.
Help me I'm scared π₯² I already don't sleep enough as it is and I need that downtime even if I'm just quietly browsing reddit
Hi everyone, I have a new neighbor that is .... rather unwelcome. The house next door has a raccoon living underneath the siding. Several months ago, I came home from work at night and witnessed a raccoon scurry into this hole in my neighbor's house. I managed to take some pictures/video and knocked on their door to show them, explaining where to find the nest and suggesting they may need to call a professional to have it removed. The woman was horrified and thanked me for letting them know.
It has been over 3 months and I noticed the hole hasn't closed up, but hadn't seen Rocky again until this morning. My dog had been chasing something in the yard at night, but we have a lot of stray cats in the neighborhood that occasionally wander back there. The neighbors on the other side of us leave cat food out, and I've even seen a raccoon at their automatic feeders.
Now I'm concerned Rocky has gotten a little too comfortable. My question: do your neighbors have an obligation to have a raccoon removed? He's very cute and I feel bad for him, but I have a dog and a baby in the house so I am very concerned about rabies. I don't think he's rabid as I've only seen him at dawn/dusk and he behaves normally, but that could change.
My neighbors have a dog too (a beagle) so I am shocked their dog isn't losing his ever loving mind having a raccoon under his roof. We are not close with these neighbors but friendly enough and I tried to be as non judgemental as possible when showing them the photos in March. But they've clearly done nothing about it, so I'm not sure if it's a financial issue or they just don't know who to call.
We live in East Providence down by the water, so wildlife is not unusual on our street. We have turkeys, skunks, coyotes, etc. all the time and I accept that they live here too, but Rocky has got to go. Any advice? Is there anyone I can call?
Thank you! π¦
Edit to add: my dog is vaccinated against rabies, thankfully
Trigger Warning: Clogs, blood, oversupply
I am TOTALLY freaked out and mentally spiraling. Recently I have been having extremely bloody milk with these disgusting clumps at the bottom. I wouldn't even call it "strawberry milk" ... sometimes it comes out so dark red it looks more like Hawaiian punch. The milk will either come out bloody with the first letdown or sometimes I'll think we're all good but then I look down after a minute or two and BAM, it's bloody.
The clumps at the bottom are nightmare fuel. It congeals down at the bottom of the collection cups and when I dump out the milk (because there is NO way I'm feeding that to my baby) it slides out like a booger in picture 2. I can pick it up with my fingers and it doesn't fall apart. Or sometimes it comes out stringy like picture 3-4 where I collected it into a strainer and dumped onto a paper towel.
I am an exclusive pumper and have a manageable oversupply. I do 4-5ppd (4-6hr between sessions) and yield 40-50oz a day for my nearly 16 week old baby. I've exclusively pumped since she was born. I use a Spectra S1 as my primary pump.
About two weeks ago, I used a BabyBuddha pump which is usually too strong for me but easier for on the go. It was fine when I used the BB, but when I switched back to my Spectra the milk came out of both breasts a bloody mess as described above. It freaked me out, but it got better and the milk stopped coming out bloody after a few days. But it started up again last night and I'm scared something is very wrong.
I will be making an appointment with my OBGYN as soon as possible but would really appreciate any insight. I am terrified it's something like the big C and I'll have to stop pumping. I have a small freezer stash but it won't last long and I will be devastated if I have to stop pumping now.
Please help :(
UPDATE: I have an appointment with the doctor tomorrow morning and will follow up with an update. Thank you everyone for the words of encouragement and personal experience. This sub is so supportive and I couldn't do EP without you all π€
Did you know if you order your breast pump through Aeroflo, you can change your flange size?? I got an automated text to reorder pump parts, covered by insurance. I usually just reply YES and pump parts and bags magically show up at my door. But I actually read it this time and was able to change my flange size!! They sent me a new kit that is compatible with my Spectra.
I'm so excited! No more silicone inserts!
Hi! I am new to Angelfish, but an experienced fish keeper otherwise. I've successfully kept (and bred!) fancy goldfish, bettas, and a few other community fish such as platys, mollies, corydoras, etc. I took a little break from fishkeeping after having a baby but kept this 40g tall tank cycled and ready to use until inspiration struck.
Well I finally decided to get it stocked again and with the guidance of my local fish experts picked out these gorgeous Angels and a rubbernose pleco to go with the silvertip tetra I already had in there (keeping it cycled).
I plan on adding a lot more plants in the coming weeks, as I'm learning they enjoy vegetation. I have some rocks and a couple plants for them to explore now, but will have a lot more soon.
These angels (which were sold to me as a koi and a blue marble) seem to get along very nicely and often swim together. I have not seen any aggression in the 2 weeks they've lived together.
What can you tell me about them? Any advice or guesses on gender? Insight is greatly appreciated for a novice angelfish keeper!