From the category archives:

Month 1-3

Activity #574: Survive breastfeeding

by Whitney

This weekend, I’ll be gone two full days during most of Scarlett’s waking hours. I was really hoping not to pump during this time, thinking “Pumping is for people with newborns,” but Heather has made it clear that she doesn’t want me turning to her at 4 pm, in the middle of a great bloggity BlogHer discussion, saying, “If I don’t leave now, I’m going to leak, contract mastitis, and turn into a raging hormone monster.” So, I guess I’ll bring a pump.

I’m feeling a little embarassed about it though - like who has to hurry home to nurse their one-year old? Am I a sucker? Or maybe a hero?

Anyhow, let’s take a moment to give three cheers for me and my success at nursing both kids till their first birthdays and beyond. How Scarlett and I wind down this relationship is a mystery to me, (even though I’m not a rookie!). It doesn’t seem to be dwindling and the girl has no interest in drinking milk from a bottle or cup. She likes to use those things - for water - but doesn’t like the taste of milk. Stay tuned. This will surely resolve itself before kindergarten starts.

I want to encourage anyone who is reading, who’s in those first difficult weeks of nursing, or who is pregnant and assuming they’ll breastfeed, to read more. Read everything. Assume it will be difficult. Find friends who have done it. Go to a support group or a class. Other ideas from the veteran moms reading are welcome!

Note: I recently interviewed Andi Silverman, author of Mama Knows Breast for Glam.com. Read the interview here and subscribe to her website’s feed so that you can find the resources you need!

And I’ll tag this post “green”, cause really, isn’t breastfeeding about as green as it gets? No appliances required! Doesn’t waste water! Doesn’t create trash!

Best of luck to you new mamas. I’m rooting for you.

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Activity #92: Go to the theater where crying is allowed

by Whitney

Thank God for TiVo, but did you know some theaters also have special showings for new parents? These showings have different names in different cities, but the idea that yours will not (most likely) be the loudest baby in the theatre is the common thread.

Julian’s first movie as a newborn was Closer and Holden’s was Star Wars Episode III. Both kids were frequent attendees of Baby Brigade during their first year.

Select theaters are participating in a program called Baby Pictures. Check the website to see if there is a baby movie showing in a city near you.

The Kerasotes chain in Illinois and IndianaMatinee Movie Magic. I thought I was pretty magical when I watched Julia Roberts in Closer while doing my first in public breastfeeding (without crying!) when Julian was 5 weeks old. This mistakenly led Heather, my 19-weeks pregnant escort, to believe that nursing is easy.

Stroller matinees are a good early outing for freaked out new parents. Crying is totally allowed.

In LA, Monday Morning Mommy Movies weekly at 11:00 am (on Mondays, duh!) at the Grove, Beach Cities, Paseo, and Town Square. Thanks Portia!

In Portland, McMenamin’s Kennedy School hosts the occasional Mommy Matinee and for cheap!

Austin, TX has Baby Day Movie at Alamo Draft House Cinema (Tuesday and Friday). Parents are allowed to bring infants into the movie for shows starting before 2:05 pm. (check website for movie times and location).

For our local mommies:

In El Cerrito, El Cerrito Speakeasy’s Baby Brigade shows movies on Tuesday nights for babies under one year (and their parents!) along with a pizza and beer.

In Alameda, the Central Cinema also has a baby night for those under a year. We found out about it just after both babies were too old to go - darn!

In San Francisco, realtor Jill Russo sponsors a monthly Mommy Movie on the second Thursday of each and every month. And it’s FREE!

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Activity #572: Do the chicken dance

by Whitney

Sometimes a baby just must be worn.  I have a distinct memory of marching up and down my stairs with Julian in my arms, just to get him to stop crying and relax.  If I had been smarter, or hadn’t just blown all my brain cells giving birth, I might have just worn him and saved my arms the trouble.  And, now as a sophomore mom, if Scarlett wasn’t already trained  to nap in her crib so well (yes, I am the best parent ever), I’d probably be stair climbing right now instead of typing at the computer.

I recently met Darcy, a woman who had the same experience as a new mom.  She, being a dancer, had a solution that was less monotonous than a staircase.  She danced.  She soothed her baby to sleep while getting her own heart rate up and toning muscles.  Call it overachieving, or call it crafty, but I have to give her a (virtual) high five for figuring out how to get something for herself out of a marathon soothing session.

If you are like me, you are not going to do this yourself. You might need someone to boss you around, er, I mean guide you.  And Darcy put her work out on a video, so now you have it.  It’s called Chicks-n-Chickens Lullaby Exercises and the DVD shows a room full of baby-wearing women getting a workout.

No time for the gym? Restless baby? Here you go.

What do you think? Would you try it? Does your baby demand to be worn?

Related links:

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Activity #559: Hit the casino with a bambino

by Heather

When we have new babies in our lives, it’s easy to go into a self-imposed exile or quarantine, reading only sleep habits books and looking only at the baby. Of course, Whitney and I think that mama needs to leave the house and thus this site was born.

I read the story of how Vicky took her 6 week old daughter, Caitlin, to a bachelorette party at a casino and nodded with recognition (I flew from SFO to Chicago to attend one of my bff’s weddings when Holden was 3 weeks old, so I’m a little crazy). Her amazingly supportive husband, Dave, hung out with the bambino in one of the party rooms so that Vicky could go back and forth between the party and the breastfeeding.

Dada and babyOh yeah, I would have done that. Maybe it’s awesome, or maybe it’s terrible, but if you don’t even try to go to your best friend’s party, won’t you always wish you did?

Read the logistics and details at SecretMomThoughts post “adventures.” Next time, Vicky, take a picture of you being all wild and not just baby and daddy hanging out.

What are some of the crazy places y’all have taken your infants? Any pregnant mamas with grandiose plans?

Related post: Play poker with your baby

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