Breastflow Bottles

So, my week for "mommy time" was a little longer, namely because of the 4th of July. It was a nationally holiday and I enjoyed time with my family over a LONG weekend, sue me! 


Any who! We're back on schedule. My mommy must have this week is a the bottle: First Years Breastflow Bottle. For the record, yes, I'm still breast feeding; but occasionally you need a break or you indulge in something that requires you to take a break. 

I know I mentioned in an earlier post about my fear of giving of giving Thia a bottle to early because I didn't want her to have nipple confusion. I also talked about how I overproduced and was in pain/exhaustion and the hubby gave her the first bottle at about 2 weeks old. I was horrified that I did this, but I had to for my sanity and sleep schedule. 

This was that first bottle!

Before little miss Thia arrived I did my research on bottles. I read about the ones that reduce colic and then you have bargain brands. But during my breast feeding class (yes, I took a class), the instructor mentioned the Breastflow Bottle; so I included it in my research. I will admit, it looks a bit complicated with it's two nipples; but it's truly a Godsend for a breast feeding mom (and not really complicated, just put the blue nipple in the grooves). 


The Breastflow Bottle mimics the feel of actual breast feeding in a couple of ways. The first is the size of the outer nipple. It's overly sized to mimic mom's breast. The second reason is those complicated two nipples I mentioned. The dual nipples create a similar suction to the breast. Both of these make the bottle fantastic for a breast feeding mom. Each feature keeps your baby from getting lazy with a small nipple or an easy flow nipple. 


I'm not saying that only breast feeding moms should use the Breastflow Bottle. It also claims to reduce colic (I have to believe that's accurate because my child is not colic-y). Plus they aren't badly priced at the full set at the beginning of the post only costing $16. But I also think this bottle is fantastic must have for moms who are having trouble with breast feeding at first and aren't quite there yet. It gets the baby used to the work of feeding, which means moms can just focus on the latch!

Obviously this is just what worked breast  best (ha!) for me. Every baby is different and you have to do what works for you and your baby. But I know the Breastflow Bottles give me a peace of mind that I wouldn't have with a different bottle.

Swaddling Made Easy

Every doctor, book, nurse, and talk show nowadays recommends swaddling your baby. They even taught us swaddling in our childbirth prep class. After hearing the overwhelming recommendations, I knew this was a parenting technique I wanted to do. Swaddling a baby keeps them held tight and is supposed to mimic feeling like the baby is still in the womb. It also keeps the baby from waking themselves with the Moro (or startle) reflex.


I remember thinking as soon as Thia arrived I would swaddle her like crazy; Thia, of course, had other ideas. I guess she was well and truly ready to be out into the real world. When you swaddle a baby, their arms are tightly snug at their side inside the blanket. 


My overly active daughter in the womb (she moved so much that if I didn't feel her for an hour I worried) didn't like being confined by any means. The only time Thia actually enjoyed being swaddled would be if she was already asleep, which is counterproductive to the teaching techniques. Most recommend swaddling as a way to help calm fussy babies. 


The best book I read during pregnancy was The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp, and he recommends just that. It was a gift from my loving, wonderful sister-in-law (and recommended by my pediatrician) that I will now include in any baby shower gift. Dr. Karp talks about swaddling and teaches a relatively easy technique (DUDU technique--down, up, down, up). And although my daughter doesn't dig the standard swaddling, the other information is beyond helpful with a new little person in your life. 

On the seldom occasions where she has let us swaddle her in a standard blanket, her arms are always out within 30 minutes top, which means she can still startle herself awake. So I decided to try a "blanket" my mom and I bought on a whim while I was pregnant. It's called a "swaddleme." It's a little more elastic than a normal blanket. It also has a pouch for the feet, which gives the baby more freedom than a blanket. The baby's hands are still tightly at their side so they don't wake themselves up with the Moro Reflex.

I can't fully explain why this product works for my daughter when a regular blanket doesn't; the reasons above are guesses, but it does work for her. She's still not as happy as a clam at first, but within a minute or so she's soothed. It's even become part of our nightly "schedule." (Schedule is in quotes because at this point it's wishful thinking, but a girl can dream.) But I like to think that once she feels the feet pouch she knows it's time for a longer leg sleep. 


I'm curious if other moms have the swaddling conflict. Maybe other babies like the feeling? It's always entirely possible that Thia got her mom's stubbornness and just wants it her way.

Sling? Carrier? Why Not Both?

I'm sure anyone who's ever done a baby registry can relate--do you want a sling, carrier, or just car seat with a stroller? I tossed and turned about it because it seemed like a crucial decision. After all making the right choice would dictate how much mobility mom and Thia would have to explore the rest of the world. 

In the end for registry purposes we decided on the Chicco Ultrasoft Carrier. We chose Chicco because it was a brand that several of parental friends chose and it was well rated. I haven't used it much. Miss Thia still can't hold her own head up for long periods of time, which is NOT a criteria for this carrier but seems to be for my child. She's a snuggler and wants to be close all the time, so feet dangling when she doesn't have more control makes her insane. I'm sure has she gets bigger she will love this carrier because she can face mommy/daddy or the world.

I also received a promotional sling from Seven Slings. This one seemed a little to tight for my angel and it's not really adjustable. I'm sure with super small babies it's a God send but for my baby who loves to eat, it's not great. However, I am looking forward to using it when she's bigger (like 9 months). Yes, I know what I just said; BUT this sling offers it self greatly as an on the hip holder.

With these two not being Thia's favorite things, I thought I was going to be doomed to only using one hand for the foreseeable future. Don't get me wrong--I can get WAY more done with one hand than I ever dreamed possible! (All you moms know exactly what I'm talking about!)

But when Thia was about two weeks old I was placing my order on Diapers.Com (a whole other post on this website later), and they had a promo for an item called the Baby K'Tan. Seriously this product is the best of both worlds, and unless Thia is super hungry she LOVES it! It has the cuddle factor of a good sling or wrap, but the true convenience of a carrier. But the best part is: it GROWS with Thia (holds up to 35 lbs). The Baby K'Tan is unbelievably versatile to find a position for any fussy baby--it can be a kangaroo hold, hug position, adventure position, explore position and the two-hip position. It's also designed to support your back and your baby. Plus it's t-shirt material and machine washable (which is essential for a new mom). But may favorite part about this kind of carrier: Strangers actually don't think it's okay to reach in and touch my baby!

Plus it comes in all sorts of colors--I got this fantastic eggplant shade!

Of course the tried and true Graco Snugride car seat is also wonderful. My angel loves to fall asleep in hers, and you don't wake a sleeping baby if you don't have to!