Potty training woes

Anyone's son ever pee on a power strip and blow the fuse to the room? Yup, that's what my son did tonight. Oh the joys of potty training. Just thought I'd share.




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Breastfeeding and pumping

I breastfeed my baby, however I don't do it the traditional way. I strictly pump and feed him the breastmilk in a bottle. My first son was a preemie, so I didn't have much choice while he was in the NICU. Once he came home, he still had a weak suck and he was used to the bottle, so I just kept pumping. This time around I gave the traditional way a chance for a couple of days, but I prefer pumping. I just didn't have the time or patience. Pumping & giving the breastmilk in a bottle is just easier for me. I don't have to worry about how much he's getting. I can see it. I also don't have to worry about engorgement. I just pump a little longer if need be. The important thing with pumping is to set up a schedule and stick to it. My son is on an every 3 hour eating schedule, so that's when I pump. I hook up to the pump and bottle feed my son while he's sitting in my lap. Multitask and it works out pretty well.
If you are going to pump full time, one thing you need is a good pump. The first time I used the Medela Pump in Style Traveler backpack. Apparently these pumps are single use only, so you can't save it for a few years & use it again for the next baby and you can't use someone else's pump. Milk can back up into the pump and bacteria can form, so it's safer to just buy a new pump. Really sucks as they are expensive. This time I bought the Medela Pump in Style Advanced backpack. Great pump. The amount of milk I pump out is amazing. Got it for $225.00 at BestBuyBaby.com. They are based in New Jersey. Medela won't let sellers list pump prices on websites anymore, so if you are price shopping, you most likely will need to email the website for a price list.



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Breastfeeding and foods to avoid

My new baby is 6 weeks old today. He's doing good. Very cute & cuddly. Pretty good sleeper for a newborn. Eats at 11pm and will sleep until 4 or 5am. After that feeding, he'll sleep until 9am. The only problem so far, is he is very sensitve to the foods I eat. Broccoli is the worst. It sends him into complete screaming that lasts for at least an hour. The first few days after he came home from the hospital, all he did was eat & sleep. Then my mother brought over broccoli & cheese soup and the screaming began. At first it didnt't register. I thought it was just the adjustment of him to life outside the womb, a growth spurt or maybe silent reflux. Then I read a list of foods to avoid while breastfeeding and there was broccoli. Stopped eating it & the screaming stopped. Other foods I need to avoid are cabbage, onions, dijon mustard, strawberries & chocolate. It's looking like tomato soup makes him vomit. How I'm going to not cook with onions and not eat chocolate for the next year is beyond me. Pump & dump a few batches I guess.
At least garlic seems safe so far. Maybe a bit of gas, but no fits. Garlic is the only thing keeping the white spots off of my tonsils, which I get when I'm run down. Normally I eat 1/2 clove once a day, but have had to increase to a clove per day. I really think garlic is what kept my blood pressure normal when I was pregnant. My first pregnancy I was border line high the whole time, but this time it was normal the whole time. If you have blood pressure problems, eating garlic is worth a try. I eat pickled garlic cut into pieces on a cracker with peanut butter. Start out slow though. Too much garlic will make you sick.

Update: Here's a link to a good chart of foods to avoid while breastfeeding. BTW, you only have to avoid the offending foods for 3 months. Yaaaay!


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Chris O'Donnell baby, Jamie Lynn Spears is pregnant

Congrats to Chris O'Donnell and wife on the birth of their fifth child, a daughter Maeve Frances born December 10, 8 lbs. and 21½ inches long. She joins sister Lily, 8, and brothers Chip, 7; Charlie, 4; Finley, 1.

Oh and guess who's pregnant now? Britney Spear's 16 year old sister Jamie Lynn Spears! She is currently 12 weeks pregnant. The father is her boyfriend Casey Aldridge. Apparently everyone is in shock and Britney had no idea her sister was pregnant. Let's just hope Jamie doesn't ask Britney for parenting advice. What's really funny is their mother, Lynn Spears, is writing a parenting book which has been delayed indefinitely. When it does come out, I would advise against buying it due to the poor job she has done raising her daughters.


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