Wednesday, August 20, 2008

State Assistance

STATE ASSISTANCE

As you can see, I gave this one it's own special category because trust me this will be beneficial for SOMEONE, a few or many:):)I want to tell you all about this great program it is called WIC, stands for women, infant and children. They give assistance to low income families through food vouchers. These food vouchers are for nutritious foods such as: eggs,milk,ceareal,peas,peanut butter,etc. You can locate your wic office here http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/ or simply type in WIC programs in google. Restrictions apply but just give it a try, doesn't hurt!

Who is served by WIC?

* Pregnant women.
* Breastfeeding women with children under 12 months of age.
* Non-breastfeeding women with children under 6 months of age.
* Infants and children under 5 years of age.

Fathers, grandparents, foster parents or other guardians may apply for WIC for their children. (http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/wic/about_us.shtml#desc)

Once your baby is born they give you vouchers for formula which as you know can really help you save. I encourage those that feel they could benefit to apply for it:) Also pass around this information, I'm sure it will help someone out:)
STATE ASSISTANCE

As you can see, I gave this one it's own special category because trust me this will be beneficial for SOMEONE, a few or many:):)I want to tell you all about this great program it is called WIC, stands for women, infant and children. They give assistance to low income families through food vouchers. These food vouchers are for nutritious foods such as: eggs,milk,ceareal,peas,peanut butter,etc. You can locate your wic office here http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/ or simply type in WIC programs in google. Restrictions apply but just give it a try, doesn't hurt!

Who is served by WIC?

* Pregnant women.
* Breastfeeding women with children under 12 months of age.
* Non-breastfeeding women with children under 6 months of age.
* Infants and children under 5 years of age.

Fathers, grandparents, foster parents or other guardians may apply for WIC for their children. (http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/wic/about_us.shtml#desc)

Once your baby is born they give you vouchers for formula which as you know can really help you save. I encourage those that feel they could benefit to apply for it:) Also pass around this information, I'm sure it will help someone out:)

Monday, August 18, 2008

Back to the Essentials

Ok, let's rewind back to the essentials. Let me tell you, it is true when they say having a baby is expensive so you want to make sure you are prepared for it. If not, there are certain state programs that will help you out.

Diapers- You can either choose to use cloth diapers or disposable ones. I've chosen to use disposable and I've found that Pampers have worked the best for me. It costs around $21.00 for a pack of 92 diapers(lasts 2-3 weeks depending on baby)(Up to 10lbs), which depending on how much your little one poops or pees can be used rather quickly. I usually purchase mine from Walmart or Target. Than you need to purchase wipes, getting bulk is the way to go this usually costs $14.00-$20.00 for a pack of 312 (lasts a few months depending on baby), I usually get the Huggies wipes. I don't mind the price on the diapers because I've used other diapers such as Huggies and non brand ones that have leaked many times. I found that Pampers is much more softer and absorbent for my daughter.


There are people that choose to use cloth diapers which in the long run will save you much more money, I'm not sure about all the details of using cloth diapers but I know that they range $7.00-$10.00 for a six pack.

Nipples- Your little one will most likely be using the nipples for (0-3mo) which are the slow drip nipples, I prefer to use the Evenflo nipples, since our little girl was so tiny we started off with the Gerber nipples but than she quickly outgrew them. You can get these at Walmart for around $3.00 for a pack of 4.


Formula Dispenser- This is a neat gadget to carry your formula in premeasured, instead of having to carry the clunky formula bottle. The way it works is, you measure the amount that your baby uses for each feeding and pour it into one slot and keep doing it for all the slots. The one I have is circular and carries enough for 3 feedings, easy to use when traveling. You can also get this at Walmart for around $3.00. This isn't the exact one but similar.



Bottles- It doesn't matter what kind of bottles you get and there are a lot of varieties out there. You can get a 3 pack with nipples and cap attached for around $3.00-$4.00 (Walmart or Kmart). The 5 ounce ones are the best ones to start on. You want to get a few cases of bottles, we have around 14+ bottles total, but don't worry as your little one gets older he/she will be using fewer bottles. The pic below isn't the exact one we have I believe the bottles we use are manufactured by Small Wonders.


BABY FOOD
We can't forget baby food! Breastmilk is the way to go, saves a lot of money and is healthy for the baby, provided you are eating healthy. If you can't do breastmilk, don't feel bad. There are also benefits to bottle feeding such as convenience and variety. I just want to stress, bottle feeding is not something you should feel bad about because I know when I wasn't able to breastfeed I felt horrible. If you can do supplementing breastmilk and formula that would be good also because your baby would still be getting nutrients from you. If you are thinking about breastfeeding or know you will breastfeed a breastpump would be a good investment.

BOTTLEFEEDING
There are many types of formula out there, the well known ones are: Similac, Enfamil,Nestle. We've tried Enfamil and Similac you can visit www.enfamil.com for more choices or www.similac.com. I believe it's common among little ones especially for those that are bottle fed to have more gas and constipation, there are formulas that help for those symptoms. Whichever one you choose is up to you. Enfamil for a 12.9 oz can is around $15.00-$20.00 or for the biggest one is a whopping $25-$30 and again we purchase the formula from either walmart or kmart. The more costly would be Nestle which we have not tried. The 12.9 oz usually lasts 2 weeks for our little one.

You are probably saying, I cannot afford that much to feed my baby! Well, there are coupons which are like checks that these manufactures will give. All you need to do is simply sign up at their site, pretty neat too:) You will also be sent formula samples (2 12.9 oz) to see which one your little one likes best.

Similac-They usually give you 3 or 4 checks a month that allow you to take off $5.00 off your formula purchase.

Enfamil-They give you a total of $9.00 a month so one $5.00 check and a $4.00 one which can be used up to the expiration date.


Feeding Patterns
When our little girl was first born she would eat every two ounces every two hours around the clock. YES around the clock, sorry to say the first few weeks you will NOT get any sleep but cherish these times because your little one will grow up fast!







References:
http://www.csnbaby.com/asp/show_detail.asp?sku=EVF1143&refid=XT51-EVF1143
http://www.mysimon.com/9015-11024_8-24049051.html
http://www.diapers.com/Shop/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=6702&From=Brand
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2919699
http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/wic/about_us.shtml#desc
Ok, let's rewind back to the essentials. Let me tell you, it is true when they say having a baby is expensive so you want to make sure you are prepared for it. If not, there are certain state programs that will help you out.

Diapers- You can either choose to use cloth diapers or disposable ones. I've chosen to use disposable and I've found that Pampers have worked the best for me. It costs around $21.00 for a pack of 92 diapers(lasts 2-3 weeks depending on baby)(Up to 10lbs), which depending on how much your little one poops or pees can be used rather quickly. I usually purchase mine from Walmart or Target. Than you need to purchase wipes, getting bulk is the way to go this usually costs $14.00-$20.00 for a pack of 312 (lasts a few months depending on baby), I usually get the Huggies wipes. I don't mind the price on the diapers because I've used other diapers such as Huggies and non brand ones that have leaked many times. I found that Pampers is much more softer and absorbent for my daughter.


There are people that choose to use cloth diapers which in the long run will save you much more money, I'm not sure about all the details of using cloth diapers but I know that they range $7.00-$10.00 for a six pack.

Nipples- Your little one will most likely be using the nipples for (0-3mo) which are the slow drip nipples, I prefer to use the Evenflo nipples, since our little girl was so tiny we started off with the Gerber nipples but than she quickly outgrew them. You can get these at Walmart for around $3.00 for a pack of 4.


Formula Dispenser- This is a neat gadget to carry your formula in premeasured, instead of having to carry the clunky formula bottle. The way it works is, you measure the amount that your baby uses for each feeding and pour it into one slot and keep doing it for all the slots. The one I have is circular and carries enough for 3 feedings, easy to use when traveling. You can also get this at Walmart for around $3.00. This isn't the exact one but similar.



Bottles- It doesn't matter what kind of bottles you get and there are a lot of varieties out there. You can get a 3 pack with nipples and cap attached for around $3.00-$4.00 (Walmart or Kmart). The 5 ounce ones are the best ones to start on. You want to get a few cases of bottles, we have around 14+ bottles total, but don't worry as your little one gets older he/she will be using fewer bottles. The pic below isn't the exact one we have I believe the bottles we use are manufactured by Small Wonders.


BABY FOOD
We can't forget baby food! Breastmilk is the way to go, saves a lot of money and is healthy for the baby, provided you are eating healthy. If you can't do breastmilk, don't feel bad. There are also benefits to bottle feeding such as convenience and variety. I just want to stress, bottle feeding is not something you should feel bad about because I know when I wasn't able to breastfeed I felt horrible. If you can do supplementing breastmilk and formula that would be good also because your baby would still be getting nutrients from you. If you are thinking about breastfeeding or know you will breastfeed a breastpump would be a good investment.

BOTTLEFEEDING
There are many types of formula out there, the well known ones are: Similac, Enfamil,Nestle. We've tried Enfamil and Similac you can visit www.enfamil.com for more choices or www.similac.com. I believe it's common among little ones especially for those that are bottle fed to have more gas and constipation, there are formulas that help for those symptoms. Whichever one you choose is up to you. Enfamil for a 12.9 oz can is around $15.00-$20.00 or for the biggest one is a whopping $25-$30 and again we purchase the formula from either walmart or kmart. The more costly would be Nestle which we have not tried. The 12.9 oz usually lasts 2 weeks for our little one.

You are probably saying, I cannot afford that much to feed my baby! Well, there are coupons which are like checks that these manufactures will give. All you need to do is simply sign up at their site, pretty neat too:) You will also be sent formula samples (2 12.9 oz) to see which one your little one likes best.

Similac-They usually give you 3 or 4 checks a month that allow you to take off $5.00 off your formula purchase.

Enfamil-They give you a total of $9.00 a month so one $5.00 check and a $4.00 one which can be used up to the expiration date.


Feeding Patterns
When our little girl was first born she would eat every two ounces every two hours around the clock. YES around the clock, sorry to say the first few weeks you will NOT get any sleep but cherish these times because your little one will grow up fast!







References:
http://www.csnbaby.com/asp/show_detail.asp?sku=EVF1143&refid=XT51-EVF1143
http://www.mysimon.com/9015-11024_8-24049051.html
http://www.diapers.com/Shop/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=6702&From=Brand
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2919699
http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/wic/about_us.shtml#desc

Friday, August 15, 2008

Tips for Crying Babies

I remember hearing about a woman named Priscilla Dunstan aka "the baby whisperer" she could decipher any baby's cry. I decided to research a little bit more into her discovery. You can view the video here http://video.ivillage.com/player/?id=47974.

This is what I've discovered in my own little one

Rubbing eyes,face,pulling hair or ears,says Oww cry that usually means she is tired.
Nyah- The N is emphasized and she won't stop crying, usually means she's hungry or tired.
Eh,eh- needs to be burped or has gas
Aowh- A is really emphasized means she has to pass gas or is uncomfortable
Heh eh- wet diaper or needs a diaper change

Don't worry all little ones are different and soon you will be able to decipher your baby's cries.

I'm going to clue you in on the top things you MUST HAVE/KNOW when you have a baby

-How to burp your little one
-Bathing your little one
-Feeding your little one
-Consoling
-Swaddling

These are all important in your child's development and the bond that is forming.

Need to have
-Food-Formula or breastmilk
-Bottles
-Nipples
-Microwave Sterilizer or some form of bottle sterilizer
-Diapers
-Bassinet or a Sleeper if your baby is sleeping with you
-A few pairs of clothes, onesies,socks
-Mylicon (if your baby is gassy)
-Burping cloth
-Changing pad
-Diaper Bag
-Baby bath tub
-Bibs
-Wipes
-Blanket
-Bottle and Nipple brush

Burping Baby-
There are several ways to burp your little one and each little one is different.
1. Burping by patting lightly or rubbing on the back with your baby over your shoulder
2. Burping your baby by laying baby on your lap and patting lightly on the back
3. Supporting your baby on your lap and placing hand in c shape underneath baby's chin and lightly patting baby on the back or rubbing.
4. This works for me, placing baby over the shoulder so that chest is near shoulder, arm supporting baby's bottom and using other hand to pat baby on the bottom.
5. I also found that this work for me, holding baby in a sitting position supporting head and moving baby so that baby is sitting up but waist is moving in a circular motion.

If you hear a bubbly sound it is probably because your baby has to pass gas or needs to be burped.

There are many ways to burp your baby and it doesn't matter which method you choose as long as you burp your little one. You will have a happier, less fussy baby. If your little one is fussy and crying, make sure you evaluate everything listed above and care for his or her basic needs. If you have done everything above and your little one is still crying, it might be best to consult your pediatrician. It is important to be patient with your little one and to keep trying to console them. If it gets to be too much for you leave your baby in a safe place,such as a crib and leave the room for a few minutes. It is good to take a breather so if you have family members or friends you can call that would be good.
I remember hearing about a woman named Priscilla Dunstan aka "the baby whisperer" she could decipher any baby's cry. I decided to research a little bit more into her discovery. You can view the video here http://video.ivillage.com/player/?id=47974.

This is what I've discovered in my own little one

Rubbing eyes,face,pulling hair or ears,says Oww cry that usually means she is tired.
Nyah- The N is emphasized and she won't stop crying, usually means she's hungry or tired.
Eh,eh- needs to be burped or has gas
Aowh- A is really emphasized means she has to pass gas or is uncomfortable
Heh eh- wet diaper or needs a diaper change

Don't worry all little ones are different and soon you will be able to decipher your baby's cries.

I'm going to clue you in on the top things you MUST HAVE/KNOW when you have a baby

-How to burp your little one
-Bathing your little one
-Feeding your little one
-Consoling
-Swaddling

These are all important in your child's development and the bond that is forming.

Need to have
-Food-Formula or breastmilk
-Bottles
-Nipples
-Microwave Sterilizer or some form of bottle sterilizer
-Diapers
-Bassinet or a Sleeper if your baby is sleeping with you
-A few pairs of clothes, onesies,socks
-Mylicon (if your baby is gassy)
-Burping cloth
-Changing pad
-Diaper Bag
-Baby bath tub
-Bibs
-Wipes
-Blanket
-Bottle and Nipple brush

Burping Baby-
There are several ways to burp your little one and each little one is different.
1. Burping by patting lightly or rubbing on the back with your baby over your shoulder
2. Burping your baby by laying baby on your lap and patting lightly on the back
3. Supporting your baby on your lap and placing hand in c shape underneath baby's chin and lightly patting baby on the back or rubbing.
4. This works for me, placing baby over the shoulder so that chest is near shoulder, arm supporting baby's bottom and using other hand to pat baby on the bottom.
5. I also found that this work for me, holding baby in a sitting position supporting head and moving baby so that baby is sitting up but waist is moving in a circular motion.

If you hear a bubbly sound it is probably because your baby has to pass gas or needs to be burped.

There are many ways to burp your baby and it doesn't matter which method you choose as long as you burp your little one. You will have a happier, less fussy baby. If your little one is fussy and crying, make sure you evaluate everything listed above and care for his or her basic needs. If you have done everything above and your little one is still crying, it might be best to consult your pediatrician. It is important to be patient with your little one and to keep trying to console them. If it gets to be too much for you leave your baby in a safe place,such as a crib and leave the room for a few minutes. It is good to take a breather so if you have family members or friends you can call that would be good.

0 - 3 Week Development

What to Expect
0 Weeks- Crying, Sleeping, Eating,Pooping, focused on ceilings,lights,colors
1 Week- Crying, Sleeping, Eating,Pooping, focused on ceilings,lights,colors
2 Weeks-Crying, Sleeping,Eating,Pooping, focused on ceilings,lights,colors
3 Weeks-Crying,Sleeping,Eating,Pooping, your child may start interacting a little more than usual and will also start to focus on things more.


When our little one was born it was an amazing experience. VERY painful but amazing, it was April 20th, 2008 at 9:40PM. I got rolled into the emergency room on a stretcher getting prepped up for surgery, this was after 12 hours of labor and I still remember the pain. I went through 12 hours of labor and unexpectedly delivered our baby girl through a c-section. I was intoxicated with all the medication they had given me and could barely stay awake, I remember feeling pressure and more pressure and than heard the most beautiful little cry. Our baby girl was born! It was amazing! She weighed 5lbs, 8oz, perfectly healthy. After the delivery I was than placed into my room for recovery, ahem more like bootcamp. After going through surgery and labor my body was aching all over and in extreme pain, I could not walk and barely ate. The doctor kept insisting that I walk so I could recover faster. I kept thinking "that's easy for you to say, you aren't bleeding profusely and feeling as miserable as I am."
Day one with our baby girl was interesting and exhausting. We finally realized how hard being a parent was. My little girl was placed into my arms and I remember being afraid to hold her because she was so tiny, she was a little bit bigger than my arm. The doctors had lactation specialists come in to talk about breastfeeding. The benefits of it compared to bottle feeding and how to get baby to nurse. It was difficult since I was in so much pain. My husband took care of our little one which as you might already know babies don't do much except for eat,sleep,poop and cry. We learned how to swaddle our baby. I recommend all parents learn how to swaddle their babies because it's a lifesaver when you need sleep. She was a good baby for the first two days and barely cried but the next few days were different. I was discharged out of the hospital at day 3.
I was relieved to be able to go home and start our new life together. The next few days our little girl started to cry more and it was very frustrating because we didn't know what it was our baby needed. When a newborn cries it can be very frustrating and overwhelming. My husband and I took turns trying to console our little one and this is when I decided to research on the internet how to deciper babies cries.
What to Expect
0 Weeks- Crying, Sleeping, Eating,Pooping, focused on ceilings,lights,colors
1 Week- Crying, Sleeping, Eating,Pooping, focused on ceilings,lights,colors
2 Weeks-Crying, Sleeping,Eating,Pooping, focused on ceilings,lights,colors
3 Weeks-Crying,Sleeping,Eating,Pooping, your child may start interacting a little more than usual and will also start to focus on things more.


When our little one was born it was an amazing experience. VERY painful but amazing, it was April 20th, 2008 at 9:40PM. I got rolled into the emergency room on a stretcher getting prepped up for surgery, this was after 12 hours of labor and I still remember the pain. I went through 12 hours of labor and unexpectedly delivered our baby girl through a c-section. I was intoxicated with all the medication they had given me and could barely stay awake, I remember feeling pressure and more pressure and than heard the most beautiful little cry. Our baby girl was born! It was amazing! She weighed 5lbs, 8oz, perfectly healthy. After the delivery I was than placed into my room for recovery, ahem more like bootcamp. After going through surgery and labor my body was aching all over and in extreme pain, I could not walk and barely ate. The doctor kept insisting that I walk so I could recover faster. I kept thinking "that's easy for you to say, you aren't bleeding profusely and feeling as miserable as I am."
Day one with our baby girl was interesting and exhausting. We finally realized how hard being a parent was. My little girl was placed into my arms and I remember being afraid to hold her because she was so tiny, she was a little bit bigger than my arm. The doctors had lactation specialists come in to talk about breastfeeding. The benefits of it compared to bottle feeding and how to get baby to nurse. It was difficult since I was in so much pain. My husband took care of our little one which as you might already know babies don't do much except for eat,sleep,poop and cry. We learned how to swaddle our baby. I recommend all parents learn how to swaddle their babies because it's a lifesaver when you need sleep. She was a good baby for the first two days and barely cried but the next few days were different. I was discharged out of the hospital at day 3.
I was relieved to be able to go home and start our new life together. The next few days our little girl started to cry more and it was very frustrating because we didn't know what it was our baby needed. When a newborn cries it can be very frustrating and overwhelming. My husband and I took turns trying to console our little one and this is when I decided to research on the internet how to deciper babies cries.

Congrats!

Congrats! You have just given birth to your little bundle of joy but what to do now? Babies do not come with instruction manuals nor do they require little care like your chia pets. Being a parent takes a lot of work, I am a proud mother of one sweet little girl:) In my blog I will share with you my experiences from day one and you will go on my journey as a first time mom whom is consistently living and learning. Don't be surprised being a parent is a lot harder than you may realize. That is why I will be sharing with you my experiences good and bad. You're a good parent since you must have stumbled upon my blog looking for answers, c'mon give yourself some credit. On this journey trust me you will feel like you are a bad parent or have failed but we are all humans and as long as we keep trying we never fail. Feel free to bookmark this page as I will be updating.
Congrats! You have just given birth to your little bundle of joy but what to do now? Babies do not come with instruction manuals nor do they require little care like your chia pets. Being a parent takes a lot of work, I am a proud mother of one sweet little girl:) In my blog I will share with you my experiences from day one and you will go on my journey as a first time mom whom is consistently living and learning. Don't be surprised being a parent is a lot harder than you may realize. That is why I will be sharing with you my experiences good and bad. You're a good parent since you must have stumbled upon my blog looking for answers, c'mon give yourself some credit. On this journey trust me you will feel like you are a bad parent or have failed but we are all humans and as long as we keep trying we never fail. Feel free to bookmark this page as I will be updating.