What I've Learned

I have been compiling this post for a while and since Hayden's birthday is tomorrow I thought now would be a good time to wrap it up.

In my brief year of motherhood I have learned a lot. I have made mistakes and stumbled along the way, but it has been an experience I'll never forget. I know many have probably disagreed or thought I was crazy, but it is a continuous learning process and I feel we have done what we thought was best for our family. I wanted to make note of the following things for the next time around and to see what other moms do and don't do.

I originally started this with questions I got off Amy's blog.

Breastfeed, Formula, or both? Hayden was jaundice with a bilirubin level of 22 which is extremely high so for his health and safety he got some formula for a few days after he was born. Then I exclusively breastfed until he was six months old. I was working full time and pumping 2-3 times a day at work, but I wasn't producing enough to keep up with his appetite so we switched to formula at that time.

If you used formula, what kind? Similac Advanced Early Shield

What kind of bottles did you use? Born Free (and Playtex Drop-Ins during the height of his reflux)

Did he take a pacifier? Yes until he ditched it on his own at six months

At what age did you introduce rice cereal? Four months

Did you put it in the bottle or just feed it with a spoon? Spoon because I read somewhere not to put it in the bottle and his doctor confirmed this

Did it help your child sleep through the night? Somewhat

How old was your child when he/she finally slept through the night? Four months, but there were times when he would wake up if he wasn't feeling well, teething, etc.

What were the times? from 10 to 6, then back to sleep until 8. His sleeping pattern has changed over the months though. He has slept through the night consistently, but his bedtimes and wake times changed. Right now he sleeps from about 8 to 7.

How old was your child when you could put her in a Bumbo? I think he was two months old. He has always been a strong little guy.

When did he first smile (not gas related)? around 7-8 weeks

When did he sit up? five months

Crawl? Six months

When did he start solids? Six months

Pull up? seven months

Use a sippy cup? Introduced the sippy cup at six months, but he didn't love it the first few months

When was he off the bottle? 11 months

When did he start eating table food? We started giving him table food at around nine months and then took him off baby food completely at 11 months

First words? mama, dada, baba (bottle), dog

Walk? with a little assistance at 10 months and he has been taking a few steps on his own lately

Did your child have reflux? Yes, he had an upper GI done when he was 7 weeks old.

Did you have medicine for reflux? Yes, Zantac

Did it help? Yes, but removing dairy, wheat and numerous other things from my diet helped the most

When did the reflux stop? When he was about six months old
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Likes, Dislikes and Random Tidbits

Must Haves:
- electric double breast pump
- HANDS FREE PUMPING BRA (this was by far the most used and most appreciated item given to me personally by my aunt who is a lactation specialist) I could hook myself up and continue working, reading, talking on the phone, playing on the computer. I used it at work every day. It might look a little strange, but it is fabulous my friends!
http://www.easyexpressionproducts.com/
- swing
- bouncy seat
- exersaucer...it can keep them entertained and contained at the same time
- Medela steam sterilizer bags
- baby monitor
- Name labels (if they go to daycare, MDO, PDO, etc)
- Baby Deb's diaper creme and Aloe Jelly (these two products have cured numerous rashes and skin irritations) I use the aloe jelly myself. www.deborahscollection.com


I prefer Pampers over Huggies or any other brand of diapers...tried them all

I don't usually use Johnson's baby products for various reasons, one being because they have a lot of different chemicals and perfumes in them and Hayden has weird skin. I have used California Baby since he was born and love it. When he got baby acne and cradle cap, California Baby products did the trick. It doesn't have that Johnson's baby smell that we know so well, but it is free of harsh chemicals. (I do use Johnson's on occasion when I'm craving that sweet smell.) You can buy some of their products at Target and the rest I order online.
I use hypoallergenic, fragrance free products when at all possible including baby wipes, laundry soap, dryer sheets, etc.

I use Seventh Generation dishwashing soap and cleaning products.

Having a baby has made me MUCH more aware of the world around me. I am far from being a "green" queen, but I have made a conscious effort to make some changes. I'm sure some people think I'm crazy and I get the "Well, we did it this way for the last 30 years and so and so turned out okay" a lot, and my response is yes, that may be true to a certain degree, but we also know a lot more now and an increasing number of illnesses are being linked back to things we have consumed or been exposed to. In that regard, we have changed our eating habits and are trying to live a healthier lifestyle. I certainly don't buy into everything out there, but I do think there are some valid concerns that can be lessened if people just make a few simple changes.

I have learned that you can read all the books and listen to all of the advice in the world, but every baby is different and you have to do what works for them. Hayden hasn't felt very well for most of his first year so I didn't follow all of the rules and guidelines for raising the "perfect" child. I just did what felt right. I rocked him to sleep, let him sleep with us if he was having a bad night, let him set his own schedule and loved him unconditionally. He is a content, well fed, well rested, well adapted baby so I guess we did something right along the way.