Child Expenses

formerlyGDaisy09 · July 2015

hoffse said:

formerlyGDaisy09 said:

vlagrl29 said:

@formerlyGDaisy09 I hated being hungry all the time. I actually had it worse than most people I think. I had to eat 6 full meals every day and a 4am snack. I'm actually dreading this part again. I also had the nausea so if I got sick I would have to immediately eat afterwards cause the belly was empty. It did create more expense in our grocery budget - lots more.

I had the chiro expense about 4 months after delivery that lasted 6 months and our insurance didn't accept chiro coverage so we had to pay cash and get a discount. I had severe pubic bone pain starting about 6 months pregnant until I got it taken care of after I realized it wasn't going way after delivery. Felt like a knife stabbing me in the pubic bone if I opened my legs or stood on 1 one leg.

OMG the hungry is terrible...right now I'm following the breakfast, snack, snack, lunch, snack, snack, dinner, snack plan... plus I'm having aversions to a lot of protein sources so many of my snacks are dairy based (cheese, yogurt, ice cream...). keeping snacks I'll actually want to eat around has been tricky and expensive.

I'm expecting I'll probably need to continue chriopractic care after delivery, the office i see also recommends bi-weekly adjustments for infants and touts research that it makes BFing and sleeping easier. The chiropractor thinks the current issues I'm having are chronic issues that have just been exastrubated by pregnancy.

I've never been to a chiropractor so I have no idea what I'm talking about.... but I've never heard of this before. Isn't it dangerous to adjust an infant? Their spines and joints are so fragile...

My sister is a physical therapist who specializes in pediatrics (age 0-3 years), she thinks it's a good idea. Most her smaller infants are babies with developmental disorders, but she finds chiropractic adjustment helps her work on them because it unlocks things that are simple misalligned (birth can be a traumatic process as far as alignment goes) and allows her to see where muscle weakness is the problem.

formerlyGDaisy09 · July 2015

brij2006 said:

@formerlyGDaisy09 Again, I'm a cheap mama and keep things as minimal as possible. But I could see where that system would be convenient. But really, I just pump into the bottles, then transfer to the storage bags and freeze. We use the oldest milk first (right now we're using milk I pumped in May), and just thaw it under warm running water, then pour it into a bottle. If you freeze the bags flat, they thaw and warm up within 2 minutes. I was reading where that system takes just as long, and you aren't always going to have that system handy. Another thing, not all babies take to the nipple that works with that system. So then you can't even use the option to screw the bags into the bottle part. Along with the fact that the freezer bags for it are expensive. I go through 100 bags every 2-3 weeks. It costs us $15 for the Target brand ones. With their system, it's $15 for 40 bags.
Also, Medela makes freezer bags you can connect and pump directly into. I got a few packs of those as a shower gift, and they're super easy as well (but more expensive than the Target ones). We also found that you can pump directly into the Dr Browns bottles with the Medela pump. So I picked up a few of those at a garage sale, sanitized them, and pump directly into those ones for cheaper than the Medela ones. But that's also what our DD uses. So we can just screw a nipple straight onto that bottle if we need to use it right away.
Truthfully, once he gets the hang of doing it, it's not so bad. My H thought it would be a pain in the butt, but he says it just takes a couple minutes to do a bottle. Which is how long it would take to heat up the milk for a formula bottle anyways.

Thanks for the input...I'm going to have to think on this a while, H is really one of those guys where the simpler the system the better, i doubt he would do this to a baby, but just yesterday he got up to "take care of the dogs" at 6 (30 minutes after they usually eat), come to find out when I got up at 8, he'd been waiting for me to feed them because he "didn't know what I feed Maya".

I saw a kiinde demo at a moms and babies expo I went to a few weeks ago and they were showing how they actually have a variety of interchangable nipples to help find one that the baby will take. the system itself (without the warmer) isn't terribly expensive, especially with a 20% off coupon...but unless I can find a source for replacement bags that isn't terribly expensive it isn't worth it.

Xstatic3333 · July 2015

Oh man, @formerlyGdaisy09 I would be so mad! Yikes!

brij2006 · July 2015

formerlyGDaisy09 said:

brij2006 said:

@formerlyGDaisy09 Again, I'm a cheap mama and keep things as minimal as possible. But I could see where that system would be convenient. But really, I just pump into the bottles, then transfer to the storage bags and freeze. We use the oldest milk first (right now we're using milk I pumped in May), and just thaw it under warm running water, then pour it into a bottle. If you freeze the bags flat, they thaw and warm up within 2 minutes. I was reading where that system takes just as long, and you aren't always going to have that system handy. Another thing, not all babies take to the nipple that works with that system. So then you can't even use the option to screw the bags into the bottle part. Along with the fact that the freezer bags for it are expensive. I go through 100 bags every 2-3 weeks. It costs us $15 for the Target brand ones. With their system, it's $15 for 40 bags.
Also, Medela makes freezer bags you can connect and pump directly into. I got a few packs of those as a shower gift, and they're super easy as well (but more expensive than the Target ones). We also found that you can pump directly into the Dr Browns bottles with the Medela pump. So I picked up a few of those at a garage sale, sanitized them, and pump directly into those ones for cheaper than the Medela ones. But that's also what our DD uses. So we can just screw a nipple straight onto that bottle if we need to use it right away.
Truthfully, once he gets the hang of doing it, it's not so bad. My H thought it would be a pain in the butt, but he says it just takes a couple minutes to do a bottle. Which is how long it would take to heat up the milk for a formula bottle anyways.

Thanks for the input...I'm going to have to think on this a while, H is really one of those guys where the simpler the system the better, i doubt he would do this to a baby, but just yesterday he got up to "take care of the dogs" at 6 (30 minutes after they usually eat), come to find out when I got up at 8, he'd been waiting for me to feed them because he "didn't know what I feed Maya".

I saw a kiinde demo at a moms and babies expo I went to a few weeks ago and they were showing how they actually have a variety of interchangable nipples to help find one that the baby will take. the system itself (without the warmer) isn't terribly expensive, especially with a 20% off coupon...but unless I can find a source for replacement bags that isn't terribly expensive it isn't worth it.

Yeah, it's definitely different with a baby. My H never pays attention to the dogs' food bowl till she's pushing it around after him. Then he'll clue in that she needs food. But with our DD, he's quick to get her fed. Babies are mean when they're hungry. ;-)

I will say that making things as easy as possible for him is a good thing. We cloth diaper as well, and I use the all in ones. It's easier for both of us, the sitter, and any grandparent who is watching her. They're a bit pricier than the ones you have to stuff or fold, but have been worth it to us. Granted, we're 2 working parents. The last thing I want to do with my 2 hours at home at night, is spend 30 minutes stuffing diapers.

Heating up frozen BM is a bit complex, but it works. And quite honestly, when he made a comment about how we could make it easier, I let him know how complex heating water and mixing bottles of formula was. It isn't any easier.

Granted he's jealous that I don't have to worry about heating anything up or washing bottles when I feed her. ;-) All ways of feeding have their pros and cons.

KatieCutie05 · July 2015

@formerlyGDaisy09: To reheat bottles - I just keep a wide soup mug out - fill it with water and pop it in the microwave for 2 minutes and then put the bottle in that. Its not any harder then a bottle warmer and its free.

I use the Tommee Tippee anti colic bottles. They have conversions that you can use to pump directly into those bottles. I only have 2 medela pumping bottles that came with my pump and then i have 9 tommee bottles. I usually end up with 2 pumped bottles after work that i spread out into a third bottle and refrigerate for daycare the next day. I only use bags for freezing milk and i only freeze 2-3 bottles worth on fridays so i rarely use bags. But I am mostly exclusively nursing when DS is with me. Although i do wish my supply was higher - i don't have much of a freezer stash at all otherwise i'm sure i'd use a few more bags.

formerlyGDaisy09 · July 2015

Xstatic3333 said:

Oh man, @formerlyGdaisy09 I would be so mad! Yikes!

I was mad. this is part of why we're trying to get Maya off the home cooked food and back on kibble, so H looses his excuse of "but I don't know what her breakfast routine is". This is also part of my goal in trying to make baby stuff easy...removing the possible number of things he could use as excuses.

Xstatic3333 · July 2015

formerlyGDaisy09 said:

Xstatic3333 said:

Oh man, @formerlyGdaisy09 I would be so mad! Yikes!

I was mad. this is part of why we're trying to get Maya off the home cooked food and back on kibble, so H looses his excuse of "but I don't know what her breakfast routine is". This is also part of my goal in trying to make baby stuff easy...removing the possible number of things he could use as excuses.

I bet PPs are right that it will be very different with the LO. Hopefully you can find a kibble that will work so it's one less step in your morning!

formerlyGDaisy09 · July 2015

Thanks @brij2006 and @KatieCutie05

I guess I'll have to do more research! if one of you MM girls had rave reviews of the kiinde I was going to call it a done deal and stick it on my registry...not the case. Quite a bit of bottle feeding will happen once I go back to work, between H and the nanny, so I would guess we'll go through a number of bags every month. My friend who was super excited about it is staying home from work until her daughter is almost 18 months old, so I don't think she was likely thinking about the quantity of bags that would be required by someone planning to go back to work after only 8 or 9 weeks at home.

one of my goals for this week is to get the paperwork for the pump my insurance company will cover completed....that may help determine what brands of bags/bottles we look at.

brij2006 · July 2015

KatieCutie05 said:

@formerlyGDaisy09: To reheat bottles - I just keep a wide soup mug out - fill it with water and pop it in the microwave for 2 minutes and then put the bottle in that. Its not any harder then a bottle warmer and its free.

I use the Tommee Tippee anti colic bottles. They have conversions that you can use to pump directly into those bottles. I only have 2 medela pumping bottles that came with my pump and then i have 9 tommee bottles. I usually end up with 2 pumped bottles after work that i spread out into a third bottle and refrigerate for daycare the next day. I only use bags for freezing milk and i only freeze 2-3 bottles worth on fridays so i rarely use bags. But I am mostly exclusively nursing when DS is with me. Although i do wish my supply was higher - i don't have much of a freezer stash at all otherwise i'm sure i'd use a few more bags.

A lot of this. There are so many factors into what will work best for you. I had a friend who was only 1 day ahead of what her son drank while she was at work. So she would literally put nipples on the bottles that she pumped, and those were used the next day at daycare.
I have been very fortunate to be the opposite. So I have a little over a months worth of extra milk frozen. Which is why we freeze what I pump that day, then use the oldest that is frozen. Just to keep everything in rotation, since your milk changes as your baby grows.

brij2006 · July 2015

formerlyGDaisy09 said:

Thanks @brij2006 and @KatieCutie05

I guess I'll have to do more research! if one of you MM girls had rave reviews of the kiinde I was going to call it a done deal and stick it on my registry...not the case. Quite a bit of bottle feeding will happen once I go back to work, between H and the nanny, so I would guess we'll go through a number of bags every month. My friend who was super excited about it is staying home from work until her daughter is almost 18 months old, so I don't think she was likely thinking about the quantity of bags that would be required by someone planning to go back to work after only 8 or 9 weeks at home.

one of my goals for this week is to get the paperwork for the pump my insurance company will cover completed....that may help determine what brands of bags/bottles we look at.

I say toss it on the registry, and if someone gets it for you then great. If not, then no biggie.

vlagrl29 · July 2015

@formerlyGDaisy09 - don't know if it is like this for you, but when hunger stuck it was so sudden and I had to eat right at that moment or chew someone's arm off. I would eat a full lunch and then an hour and half later need to eat a full dinner. It was nuts! I felt like my life revolved around meal times. No other pregnant woman I know what like that. When DD came out she was having to eat every 2hours as well and the nurse told me that DD was quite the drama queen in the nursery overnight because she would not stop crying until she had a bottle in her mouth (didn't BF). I'm really hoping for a somewhat enjoyable pregnancy next time. Between the constant hunger, puking every day for 8 months, sciatic pain, sacrum pain, pubic bone pain, crazy weight gain, indigestion, acid reflux not gonna lie I'm kinda scared to do it all over again. I'm also gonna go for a vabac next time as well.

bcarb · July 2015

@Vlagrl29-that is how my hunger hits. I am full for a while, then boom, I need to eat unless I feel like I am going to day. Some days/weeks are worse than others, but it is a terrible feeling being hungry ALL THE TIME!

@formerlyGDaisy09- I say stick it on your registry, someone may buy it for you and if not, and you really want it, use your completion code at the end. We put so much random stuff on our Target registry when we completed it so we could get the 15%.

formerlyGDaisy09 · July 2015

vlagrl29 said:

@formerlyGDaisy09 - don't know if it is like this for you, but when hunger stuck it was so sudden and I had to eat right at that moment or chew someone's arm off. I would eat a full lunch and then an hour and half later need to eat a full dinner. It was nuts! I felt like my life revolved around meal times. No other pregnant woman I know what like that. When DD came out she was having to eat every 2hours as well and the nurse told me that DD was quite the drama queen in the nursery overnight because she would not stop crying until she had a bottle in her mouth (didn't BF). I'm really hoping for a somewhat enjoyable pregnancy next time. Between the constant hunger, puking every day for 8 months, sciatic pain, sacrum pain, pubic bone pain, crazy weight gain, indigestion, acid reflux not gonna lie I'm kinda scared to do it all over again. I'm also gonna go for a vabac next time as well.

That is exactly how it has been! I've worked several baby line items into our budget so we can start living on that...I steal a little from those categories for both maternity wear (that counts as baby supplies, right?) and for emergency food. I've gotten better about always having a granola bar or cheese stick on hand, but there have been several times when we've been on the road and stopping for something to eat has just been the only option. I've been dealing with a lot of dizziness (thankfully no vomiting) but food seems to be the only tool to combat the dizziness.

vlagrl29 · July 2015

yeah there were many times where we were out and about and I had to get fast food while I was eating an apple in the drive thru. LOL. Even when we were putting stuff on our registry at babies r us DH gave me the keys to the car and I drove thru sonic. I told DH that next time I will have to start doing a lot of freezer meals while we are TTC. It was also one of my first pregnancy symptoms. I kept wondering why I was waking up in the middle of the night starving.

I always took a food bag with me everywhere I went. It did prep me for being on the baby's schedule early. After DD was born I was then feeding her every 2 hours and the food bag I had turned into carrying a diaper bag everywhere we went. And now I have snacks in my purse for DD when we are out and about. I was so happy that I could feed her all the time instead of myself.

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