Giving a new born bath: Karnataka Style

* The procedure could be all over India, but I don’t know anybody else who does it other than my Kannadiga people*

Quick update on bath products: I really recommend California baby products as they are natural, I’m kind of iffy about Johnson baby products ,( although they do make a baby, smell like a baby) But I was wondering if all that fragrance is ok to be used on a new born and I was kindly directed by my friend whose baby has sensitive skin to California Baby Products.  Since then I have tried all of the products and love them, especially the insect repellent which is DEET free and safe to use for infants. You don’t know for sure if your baby has sensitive skin when he is just born, so don’t risk it, by trying possibly irritant stuff. Try Cali. baby and maybe buy the other stuff after 6 months. I must say that although the price is 3X more than Johnson Baby- a little goes a long way, so forget the price- it’s better than your child having skin problems.

Ok, moving on to “namma” stlye bath or abyangasnana, I always use a bucket and mug and premix water, coz if you are using the hand held shower in the sink or bathroom, and if somebody flushes the toilet or turns on the dishwasher or the washing machine, the baby might get scalded or cold. So be on the safe side and premix the water.

An abyangasnana is mostly preceded with a nice, hot oil massage.

For the bath, get your water ready and prepare the makeshift bench, which are your legs. So, you sit on a stool and stretch your legs and place them on a stool of equal height. Your legs need to be level. I got my stool from walmart and sit in our jacuzzi tub, which is huge!! Lay down the baby , always keeping one hand on him and proceed to wash. Make sure that you pour water gently- small amounts from a mug or measuring cup. This procedure is especially good while washing the back, which gets neglected in normal baths. My mom says that the baby is always lying on his back, so its important to strengthen and stimulate it. Lay the baby on his tummy on your legs, his feet pointing toward your feet and head turned sideways, so he can breathe well, Hey guess what, he also gets his tummy time this way. My mom , the expert gently bends Niks legs and draws his arms back and pours water down his shoulder blades. Other poses are turning him up again and holding his legs together, bend his knees and pour water on the knee joints, or on the feet. Water therapy is real good for a baby that age, when they don’t get any exercise. Also this way the baby is not scared of  water or the bath as he is always skin to skin. Remember, one hand always on the baby.

A disadvantage is that  you always need 2 people, some one to sit down and hold the baby and someone to pour the water.

 

Diapering Must Haves

• Diapers ( Disposable) : I ( * read Nik *) have tried a lot of diapers. I received a tonne of diaper cakes and diaper care packages for my shower from a lot of people at work as I had not registered and friends said I definitely need diapers,and thus ended up with different brands of diapers. I had a lot of swaddlers, huggies, luvs etc. The best diapers in terms of softness and cloth-like effect were the Pampers Swaddlers. But it has happened many times, that during some explosive situations, while using Swaddlers that poop has come out of the back from top and from the sides. This was more so during the in-between diaper sizes phase. They are generally more expensive and you can find coupons online or specials in stores. Diapers.com has the best price and they ship it in 2 days, no tax. Plus you get 10 bucks off the first order and 5 bucks off if your friend has referred. Give my gmail id to get your discount. Also Pampers they only make them upto Size 2-3 (bless their heart) and I almost cried when Nik outgrew them. I have since upgraded to it’s evil step brother- Pampers Cruisers and I feel it’s time to move to cloth diapers.

• Wipes: Pampers sensitive wipes ( sans alcohol and perfume) are the best- more cloth like. Any scented wipe gives Nik a rash , even now after a year. Huggies wipes disintegrates easily and defeats the purpose of using a wipe, coz you have this stringy paper remanants all over the butt. Although be warned, if your baby has a sensitive tush , then he/she will develop some rash initially, coz we inevitably rub the kin and irritate the delicate skin. So when Nik had a rash in the 2nd week, we washed his butt a lot ( Good old Indian style), for real large jobs. It was not very easy to do it, I couldn’t master holding a tiny baby in one hand and washing the butt in the other, also I’m real freaked out about cross contamination and I see e.coli everywhere, so that wasn’t viable. So I came across a product, California Baby brand’s Diaper wash. Hubby made fun of me- said I was a sucker for marketing ( true that) and bought expensive scented water. BAH!! I had the last laugh as he became an ardent believer in the spritz. It is also nick named “phoos phoos” by my niece and it has stuck. This is a great product to have, smells great- and believe me, it’s been a year since Nik was born but we are only in the second bottle. I would put this as a must buy.

• Diaper rash cream: I have tried Vaseline,also I had a lot of samples of A&D, Blistex, didn’t like either the smell or the way the skin felt. I bought Buttpaste, coz I liked the name ( yes, I’m juvenile like that), and we have been using it ever since. Initially for the first 6 months, we put a little Buttpaste everytime we changed diapers. Again, a little goes a long way with this.

Other product we tried for the butt and all over was California Baby’s Calendula Cream, smells so pleasant and is like a mousse, everytime I open it, I put some on my face coz it feels so luxe.

• Prince Lionheart wipes warmer. Initially, before I had my baby, I scoffed at the idea of a wipes warmer- I’m gonna make my baby a tough cookie I thought, a wipes warmer was just one the those hyped up things you don’t have to have . But once Nik was born ( in January), he used to poop/pee every 2 hours. Even at night. So a cold wipe would wake him up good and I had to rock again to put him down. I just shooed my hubby at 8 pm on a Sunday to go to Walmart and get me the wipes warmer, Damnitt. It really made life easier for both Nik and us. The wipes also stayed real moist and that helps clean up better. One important thing though, the wipes won’t be real toasty. They will be atleast room or body temperature. But as the stack of wipes deplete, if your warmer’s pillow is well hydrated, it’ll be super toasty and deliciously warm. Be sure to follow instruction and wash the pillow everyweek and water it. I always wash and top with around 1/2 cup water (as much water to saturate the pad plus some to float it). It really helped in the night awakenings, so full paisa wasool. Encouraged by this I also bought a Dex travel wipes warmer, it’s real neat to take in your car and when staying at hotels.

 

Breastfeeding Supplies

These are items you definitely want to buy ahead of time and even take it to the hospital:

• Nursing bras: These bras are expensive and also if you are planning on buying one ahead, it’s hard to estimate the size as different people increase differently. General rule of thumb for buying a nursing bra in your third trimester is to go up 2 band sizes and 2 cup sizes. I bought some Gillian O Malley ones from good ole Target. They are very affordable and worked great. I would recommend them, plus they have great reviews. I really didn’t buy any nursing tops and till date, I haven’t regretted it.
• Nursing Covers: It’s pretty daunting to breast feed for a first time mom and more so in public. But I feel that one shouldn’t feel embarrassed by it, you are doing what is best for your baby. Please don’t go to a rest room , which is full of germs to nurse the baby. Unless, there is a nice little alcove with a nursing chair etc but NEVER on a potty. I flew to India when Nik was a wee little 3 month old, I had to nurse him all the time and on the plane. You will appreciate BFing more when you are put in a situation like that- no bottles to carry, nothing to sterilize or wash, nothing to warm. So I bought this Bebe au lait cover . It is just beautiful and soft. It has withstood all the travel and still looks new. Half the time people didn’t even know there was a baby underneath. The stiff neck really is the best thing as you and baby can keep eye contact. It doesn’t come with instructions, all you do is slip the thing over your neck and adjust the sides.
• Boppy : This is a life saver. Arguably the most practical gift I got. However, I had no idea what it was for. So in case anybody else is out there who is clueless, here is how you use the boppy. The boppy is a “c” shaped pillow, which is very sturdy. You put the inside of the “C” around your tummy- so that creates a platform to lay the baby. You place the baby on this pillow and nurse. This pillow works for all nursing positions, and is a life saver when your baby is on a growth spurt and wants to nurse forever. It has happened that many times, Nikku has slept on the boppy, it is also very useful to give the baby some tummy time or even support when they are just learning the sit, or if you have a baby with acid reflux and you have to prop them. Warning: Never let a baby sleep on the boppy.

• Nursing pads ( get the Lansinoh disposable pads AND a pair of Lily pads)

• Lansinoh cream- very important. Apply it after every feeding session- don’t have to wipe before baby nurses as it is safe.

• For Sore Nipple:  Get these gel packs. They are soooo relieving. I didn’t have them, but the nurse got me some.They may be hard to find, so look online and order 2 ahead  of time.

• Don’t buy the nipple shields- they do more harm than good. They are to be used in specific conditions and a friend developed an infection due to this. For more info see the experts.

• Breast pump, breast pump storage bags. The Lansinoh pump is a great value for money. I loved it- it worked great for me. But I was staying at home, it might be different for working moms. Here is a great review from an experienced mom.

 

Why I hate travel systems

Travel systems are bulky, cumbersome and your baby will out grow it sooner than you know it. I have realized that for “smart” baby shopping, think  quality and think  long term.

The Good:

The  only advantage of a travel system  is in the initial months, when the infant is sleeping a lot and you can take him/her out of the car and into the stroller without disturbing the babe. Oh Yeah ! the stroller is very comfortable for the baby to lie down and roomy enough to change your baby’s diapers too. ( Although, I change my baby’s diaper in my car’s trunk before I go anywhere).

The Bad: The bang for your buck.. or NOT.

The Chico travel systems, which are supposedly the best, costs around $350.  You will  use it for 6 months max or longer, just to get your dollar’s worth;but you will be cursing it. Alternatively,  you can transition a baby into a lightweight stroller (like a McLaren) within 3 or 4 months once they have good neck control. Another disadvantage is that , a baby+car seat is heavy to carry around. More so, after a few months when they start packing in the pounds. Also infant car seats are only good until baby weighs 20 lbs and  then you’ll just bite the bullet and buy a Britax, kicking yourself for not buying it earlier.

The Ugly:

If you prefer the  Plasma TVs to older box TVs- you’ll know the ugly on Travel systems. They are bulky and occupy a lot of valuable trunk space. ( And then you can”t change diapers in the trunk

They are also cumbersome to move around, especially in packed restaurant floors and store aisles ( I’m talking Banana Republic not Target or Walmart ). So it kinda beats its purpose if you can’t use it everywhere. Yes, your baby will sleep all sprawled over and stuff, but other people will curse you, and what baby sleeps like an angel in malls and restaurants? If  yours does, more power to you and you deserve all the spoils in life. Mine wants to be at the table, sitting eye-to-eye and banging on the plates and shit.

Be an informed consumer, go test drive travel systems at stores. We went to Babies R Us and saw a few ,thought they were bulky and cumbersome and decided not to get it.

Of course, the factor that made me realize this was that Nik was a winter baby, and the pediatrician warned me & my mom wouldn’t allow me to take him out anywhere except for doctor’s visits. I went along with it, coz you can’t really hang out and enjoy nature in winter and you don’t want to take an infant to any mall with all the recirculated nasty viruses. Also my hospital gives ALL newborns a free Evenflo infant car seat as a courtesy. Evenflo is not the best, but Hey, I worked in the hospitals Risk and Quality department , and I knew for a fact that while it might not be top of the line, it met with the safety criteria. The hospital wouldn’t dare risk precious newborn safety. So I did my research and bought a Kolcraft Sit and Stand stroller frame from walmart.com to go with the car seat. It is real skinny when folded, has great reviews ( amazon.com) and cost me 35 bucks,  we were at par with any travel system for 10% cost. See this pic of us shopping in BR and this pic of us in Fun Expedition.

We went to India in April and came back in July when Nik was amost 6 months old- so we upgraded to the Britax Marathon ( holds babies from 5 lbs to 40 lbs) and let me tell you, that car seat is phenomenal. Worth every penny, looks and feels like a plush throne and is so comfortable. Read some reviews of parents who have been in crashes and vouch for the safety of Britax. The only disadvantage with Britax is that it’s too bulky to carry around & unlike an infant car seat, the baby has to be removed from the seat and put in stroller. Also if you like me, hate driving vans/SUVs , it takes up an entire person’s space in rear seat.
So do I regret not buying a Britax earlier on? Absolutely not. The Evenflo was really light with the baby inside too- we could pick it up and snap it in real fast on his stroller frame. Nik stayed in it during Doctors visits. We have not tried
long distance journeys- so I am unsure of how comfortable it would be.

The Verdict:

From my experience, if you are not planning on traveling a whole lot in the initial few months, save your self some money and valuable trunk space, by getting a good safe infant car seat and team it with a “stroller” frame. There are many that go with Graco, (Graco has better reviews than Evenflo, and I would buy it if I didn’t get the free Evenflo).
Stroller Review:

*Disclaimer* We don’t use a stroller much- we use an Ergo Baby Carrier

I bought the Mclaren Quest Stroller from B’r US and got a great deal plus a promotional 10% off it.Very happy regarding that. My picky hubby likes it too and wants to be the one pushing the stroller everywhere. I must admit though that Nik would sit like an auto driver in the stroller.

Although the Britax and McLaren are more expensive than other brands, they are of high quality, designed to get a long term use.

Carrier:

Again, in order to be more economical and not wasteful, we bought an Ergo Baby Carrier, with the Infant Insert. We don’t use the stroller much- Nik loves for us to hold him and he likes the view from our height and not from the waist level, sitting in a stroller. I did extensive research;Baby Bjorn, I believe puts pressure on delicate baby boy parts, plus they are not comfy for the grown ups. I’m a sucker for ergonomics and bought the Ergo Carrier online. It was the best buy ever! I used it when I took Nik to India, as I did’nt want the hassle of pushing a stroller and going through the security checks and folding it ..Blah blah. Nik was so well behaved as he was snuggled up on me and I got many compliments on it and enquiries including the  stewards on Lufthansa. ( I guess gate checking strollers all the time might get old). The main disadvantage is when your baby doesn’t sit independently and if you go to a restaurant without a stroller, there’s no place to plonk him down. So many times, we have gone out wearing Nik, he has slept right in. You can even go places, where strollers can’t go. These days, using Ergo, I carry Nik on my back – Hardly feel the weight- thanks to years of lugging heavy school back packs

 

Late Much??

Umm , the post should read lazy much?? I feel terrible for not updating the blog after I read my older posts. Such sweet memories and boy do things change- they change fast. Nik is just 11 months old and he is a total “Thod-Phod” .

New years resolution to be made and enforced in December:

Update blog everyday.

Today Nik did something nasty- I was changing his diaper and he had pooped too- he reached and touched it. EEEKSSSSSs after a shrill shriek from Mommy , one frantic ajji came running in and it took 2 people changing- and Nik found the whole thing hilarious and was laughing.. belly laughs too, I shit you not!!.

Also in the evening , somebody ( not me) gave Nik a kodbale to nibble on- and in 5 minutes I saw his mouth totally crammed with it and freaked out that he would choke. He was fine- but kodbale is now forbidden.

Well it’s dinner time and it means both Mommy and Nik get new hair-treatment masks. Really Earths Best guys should advertise.

 

Precious moments

The first time that I felt so much happiness was when you were a tiny fetus just 8 weeks old, a circular head and body, dancing and bouncing with a huge, pulsing heart beat. Also I can still hear your heart beat just whooshing away fast and steady.

You have a way of looking directly into my eyes and my heart – a quiet & calm look. The same look you gave when you were just born.

When you were born and used to work hard at nursing, you would go “chug-chug-chug and sigh”
Now at 2 and a half months you dawdle and give mommy big smiles while drinking.

You love your baths from day one- you just look so comfy and bindass

The first time you spit up: You were a few days old and an eager Mommy and Daddy wanted you to burp, so we sat you upright and patted your back till you spit up a large quantity. We were so shocked- you looked bored.

…. to be continued

 

Compressed Video Trial

Tried my hand at compressing videos. An excellent tutorial is available on youtube.com by a desi guy who says dekstop for desktop.. whatever , his tutorial works but I find the result a bit grainy.. any suggestions gentle reader??

 

No more a new born

Nikku finally hit that milestone I was desperately looking forward to, as if the clock strikes and magic happens. He turned three months on April 14th and if the experts are to be believed, things get smoother after the three months mark. Nikku has had such trouble with gas & pooping, everybody told me, it gets better at 3 months so I was wishing that he grows up fast and outgrows the pain. Well, he is certainly more at ease these days and has grown like a weed. Nikku is also filling out his clothes and it is bittersweet to put away all the “small clothes” but I am having fun pulling out his “3 months to 6 months” clothes. Nikku is right now in the “worm” phase (his Ajji calls him yere hula). He literally wiggles his way around. He is also a champ in blowing raspberries and spit bubbles.This morning Nami Chikki left for Chicago at 5 am and Pappa was driving Ms. Daisy. Nikku had slept THROUGHOUT the night in his crib I missed him so I picked him and put him next to me. what do I know, around 9 am he has wiggled and made it in to my arms . Also we have noticed that he rotates in his crib- he has this habit of arching his back and pushing backwards and thus moves in a circular fashion.. Pappa was surprised to find him rotated 90 degrees the other day. This just tells me I gotta be more careful with Mr. Slinky.

 

Hit the road Jack

Today was Nikku’s first REAL outing. I have taken him to the temple, the Doctor’s office etc. But today we ventured out into the public- where a lot of vectors were running around. Nikku did great and I have hopes that since he tolerates the mall so well, I wont have to resort to ONLY online shopping for my retail therapy. The day started with going to the airport to pick up his Nami Chikki who was arriving from Chicago. Since our little Lord had to poop and feed, we made Chikki wait an hour, poor thing. Then we went to Renu’s for eyebrows and were stuck for an hour there but Nikku enjoyed the parlor scence and didnt fuss. After that we got so hungry and had to hunt for something to eat, finally went to Chick-fil-A and waited till eternity to get through the drive through, only to find that they didnt put in my chicken wrap in the bag. Nikku slept through it all and then we went to the Indian store and then the mall. I recently bought the kolcroft stroller frame and it was total “paisa wasool” we just propped his car seat on and off we went. Nikku was cooing and gurgling at all shoppers. Dillards has a nice ladies lounge and after we went to BR and bought Pappas gift, we went to Dillards, fed-burped-changed Nikku and went home. Nikku slept like an angel till we drove home.
As if all that excitement was not enough, we went to Fun Expedition to celebrate Granny Ruth’s birthday . Everybody bowled and played laser tag while Judy & Georgie watched Nikku. When it was all through, it was 9 pm and Nikku finally got home and slept.

 

Baby Hues

You know how you have  postpartum baby blues? Well, I thought it won’t happen to me- I was so wrong, it happens to everybody albeit at different scales. I was a huge emotional case. I cried every night for 2 weeks. I dunno if I was overwhelmed- but I felt a lot of “what if’s?” and used to cry- in fact I could not sleep for a few days, coz of all the SIDS scare. I used to cry out of relief that Nik is still there. I used to cry if he nursed and if he didn’t nurse. I used to cry if he pooped a little or a lot. There was just no stopping me. But after 14 days, it just felt very silly and I would be like “whoa, didnt cry today”. The one major thing about having a baby for me was the surprise factor- I had never taken care of, or even held a newborn. I was most comfortable with toddlers and I wasn’t ready for the arrival. All those years in Scouts & Guides, shame on me- sorry Baden Powell. I am gonna “BP” for ever now. So the first 2 months, I read and researched voraciously. I left no article available online unturned. The best investment was my iPhone and my boppy pillow. The Boppy pillow is a wonderful invention- leaves you hands free while nursing- so inquiring minds can browse the internet. Also I hugely recommend the Sitz bath for moms with Vaginal delivery- you should do at least 3 a day and for 10 minutes. It’s miraculous how fast you heal. Although it is a pleasant experience, I ADHD and have to multitask- so I took my iPhone and “researched”.

The best sites are www.babycenter.com , The LaLeche League website www.lllusa.org, www.kellymom.com , askdrsears.com,  great website on colors of baby poop http://www.drjaygordon.com/development/pediatricks/poop.asp

Soon the blues changed to pinks, reds and even greens. If you get my drift.