Stupid questions from first time mom

[madeintaiwan]

4. I'm also paranoid about giving her sunburn. I've been told that I shouldn't use sunblock until she's 6 months but I also don't want to spend the whole summer indoors. I can't figure out how to make sure that none of her skin is exposed to the sun at any point in time. I can keep her in the shade in the backyard but what do I do while walking in the park?

5. She's refusing to be on her stomach unless it's against either of us. Whenever I try to put her down on her stomach, she starts screaming within 10 seconds. Should I keep insisting on tummy-time or it's ok to give up for now (she's 2 months)?

You absolutely do not have to be afraid to go outside. There's a big difference between going out and enjoying every day life vs. regularly taking your baby to the pool every day for hours at a time without any protection. You can tell if your baby is getting too much sun, their cheeks will start to get red and they'll get fussy from being too warm. I have seen little babies BURNED [a friend of mine and multiple times]. It is very sad and you want to smack their parents. Sunlight is great for vitamin D, but at the same time babies do have delicate undamaged skin and are still unable to regulate their temperature. The main concern, besides later on developing skin cancer, is heat stroke. My friend's daughter was on FIRE. It was so sad. I have never been a fan of the sun, so it's always been easy for me.

Tummy time. I am a huge advocate of tummy time. It may just be my HDE background. I would do 5 minutes a day and stretch it out as she becomes more tolerable. Tummy time is pushed for motor development, but my push is for it's role in cognitive development. "Moving around" [not sleeping] on your tummy stimulates the brain in ways not otherwise possible. It is believed to stimulate lower brain development which in turn allows for higher cognitive skills to develop naturally and easily. The boys never minded tummy time, but A HATED tummy time but I gradually worked her up to just doing it.

[Vishenka69]

We have a pool and I wanted to start getting DD used to the water once it's warm out. I guess I'll do it later in the afternoon and for short periods of time while being slathered in sunblock and wearing a uv blocking bathing suit. We're also planning on getting tent-gazebo like thing from HD, so I can hang out with her outside during the day without worrying about too much sun exposure.

She finally decided yesterday that tummy time isn't all bad, so I'm relieved about that. But she has discovered her hands and has been sucking on them throughout the day. Should I be concerned about that?

No. Be grateful. She's self-soothing, which is a lot better than using mommy as a pacifier. Thumb sucking (if she starts/continues - mine all went through a 'aren't these neat' phase, but never continued as a habit) isn't the horrid thing that old wives tales make it out to be. No one goes to college sucking their thumb - it's not a huge deal.

[MrsK]

BabyK has had his fingers in his mouth for about a month now. The ped says he's teething.

[Pollyanna]

No. Be grateful. She's self-soothing, which is a lot better than using mommy as a pacifier. Thumb sucking (if she starts/continues - mine all went through a 'aren't these neat' phase, but never continued as a habit) isn't the horrid thing that old wives tales make it out to be. No one goes to college sucking their thumb - it's not a huge deal.

Very true, no one will enter college breast feeding, wearing diapers, sucking a thumb or paci...just a lot of self righteous mothers will make you think that yours will (which is a discussion for another time). You and baby are doing great!!

Oh, and that pulling off while nursing thing, it usually just gets worse as they get older. At least it did for us.

[HouseofWool]

No. Be grateful. She's self-soothing, which is a lot better than using mommy as a pacifier. Thumb sucking (if she starts/continues - mine all went through a 'aren't these neat' phase, but never continued as a habit) isn't the horrid thing that old wives tales make it out to be. No one goes to college sucking their thumb - it's not a huge deal.

Ditto on this. Both of mine sucked their thumbs for a while, but lost interest. Sophie still likes her pacifier (mostly for teething during the day) but she is only allowed to have it while in her crib. Lately, I've been having her drop it into the dresser drawer. So cute because she then claps her hands because she is excited that she did something right.

I remember Caleb used to stick his thumb under the sleeve of my tee shirt and suck his thumb that way, but it never became a habit for him either.

[MrsK]

Along the vein of pulling off while nursing. . . . BabyK has been talking/singing/vocalizing while nursing, fidgeting around, exploring my clothes, flapping his arms, twisting, pulling, and pushing all while firmly latched. I've tried taking him off with an "Ouch! That hurts mommy!" And he'll just wail and scream until he's back to nursing. When he gets like this, I usually take him off several times and switch sides a couple times before he'll get serious about his supper. What is this? Is he confusing meal time with play time? Or is he not hungry? Teething?

[Michele]

Along the vein of pulling off while nursing. . . . BabyK has been talking/singing/vocalizing while nursing, fidgeting around, exploring my clothes, flapping his arms, twisting, pulling, and pushing all while firmly latched. I've tried taking him off with an "Ouch! That hurts mommy!" And he'll just wail and scream until he's back to nursing. When he gets like this, I usually take him off several times and switch sides a couple times before he'll get serious about his supper. What is this? Is he confusing meal time with play time? Or is he not hungry? Teething?

I think it's just them learning and exploring. I am so intolerant of popping on and off when nursing. I'll nurse a child all night but NOT on and off and on and off. Drives me crazy. I know they don't "get it" at a couple of months old...but I say "focus" and redirect back to the nipple, but if he pops off again, nursing session is over and he gets put on the floor and I stand up and walk away. I then let him play and come back to me when he's ready to feed. It's annoying but both of mine have learned pretty quickly that if they want to nurse, they nurse....and if Kai pinches too much - same thing. I guess I treat it all the same as biting.

[MrsK]

I think it's just them learning and exploring. I am so intolerant of popping on and off when nursing. I'll nurse a child all night but NOT on and off and on and off. Drives me crazy. I know they don't "get it" at a couple of months old...but I say "focus" and redirect back to the nipple, but if he pops off again, nursing session is over and he gets put on the floor and I stand up and walk away. I then let him play and come back to me when he's ready to feed. It's annoying but both of mine have learned pretty quickly that if they want to nurse, they nurse....and if Kai pinches too much - same thing. I guess I treat it all the same as biting.

That's the thing. He's not popping off. Actually, he's firmly latched while goofing off and I have to fight to take him off of me. So, I'm the one taking him off. I guess I'm attempting to do as you say -- end the session until he's ready to get serious. He pretty much just cries when I take him off as though he is starving. He really doesn't "get it" but I figure that if he's learned "coolie up" and recognizes his name, he can start learning other directions.

[Vishenka69]

DD is almost 3 months and I still haven't worked up the courage to cut her nails. I've been filing them but that doesn't last as long and takes forever. She has scratched herself in numerous places (doesn't bother her though) and I feel like a horrible mother. So what's the best way to cut her finger nails? Clippers, scissors (baby ones or regular manicure ones)? My mom said in Russia nurses at the peds office do it, but I don't think they do it here.

[SuzySunshine]

I use clippers. The kit that I got when she was a baby that had all of the stuff in it, like clippers, a thermometer, tweezers, etc had kids clippers. They have a guard so you can't really clip their skin. I would lay A on the changing table and kind of hold the skin back and clip the nail, that probably doesn't make sense. Now that R is sitting I'll sit him on my lap in front of something that interests him and do it that way. I find it easiest if I can hold their hand like I'm cutting my own.

But I still file too, I found if I use the rough side of the file it is faster. Nails are hard to do and I don't usually remember to do A or R's until one of them has scratched themselves.

[Vanquisher]

Julie, when my kids were babies, I would sometimes bite their nails to cut them. I know it sounds icky, but I had a lot more control that way.

[ladymoreta]

I cut DS's when he falls asleep while nursing. Serves him right for not focusing! He sleeps right through it, and his hands are perfectly still. I just file them usually, but sometimes he gets pieces that hang off. Those are the ones I cut.

Yes, do it while she's sleeping, or have M do it while she's nursing.

[Deebs]

I do it while my kids are sleeping or nursing also. DD is the hardest one - I basically wait until she is going to scratch herself. She moves a lot, all the time, and she's a light sleeper. I basically pin her down.
I use the nail scissors. I just find I have better control with them.