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I can see this being a controversial pick, and to be honest I’m not 100% sure how I feel about it myself. This is a company that makes jewelry out of breastmilk that you send them, and my honest initial reaction to hearing that there’s a market for this was that I was weirded out.
That evolved into curiosity, which then turned to intrigue, and now I think I see the appeal. It didn’t hurt that a mom in my Facebook moms group posted a photo of her ring and it was beautiful.
The more I think back about my own experience with breastfeeding, I have a lot of mixed emotions, but when I am feeling most generous with myself I feel proud that I did it and proud that I knew when to quit.
Maybe this serves as some sort of adult version of a merit badge? Maybe it’s a physical reminder of the time you spent learning something together with your baby? Maybe it’s not your thing? Any readers out there love/hate/indifferent?
The ring is $275. Crowned Beauty Breastmilk Ring
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And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!
- The concept of “backup care” is so stupid…
- I need tips on managing employees in BigLaw who have to leave for daycare pickup…
- I’m thinking of leaning out to spend more time with my family – how can I find the perfect job for that?
- I’m now a SAHM and my husband needs to step up…
- How can I change my thinking to better recognize some of my husband’s contributions as important, like organizing the shed?
- What are your tips to having a good weekend with kids, especially with little kids? Do you have a set routine or plan?
Anonymous says
I love these and I’m so sad I only found out about these after I had used up all the milk. Such a nice reminder of a special time for those who had a good BF experience and miss those days. I realize that’s not everyone’s journey, but when it has been I think these are a lovely momento.
Anonymous says
This is a sweet concept but I can’t help but think of Marcus from Superstore and his attempts to sell human cheese. ????
Anonymous says
I thought of the exact same thing.
anon says
Yes! Love superstore!
Mrs. Jones says
The less I remember about BF/pumping, the better. No thanks.
Leatty says
Good vibes needed.
We are replacing all of the floors in our house this week, and my 10 month old is sick with a virus and can’t go to daycare until she is symptom-free for 24 hours. DH is staying home with her today and camping out upstairs while they install the floors downstairs. Tomorrow will be my turn to stay home with her, and they expect to start on the upstairs -where all of the bedrooms are – tomorrow. Bah humbug.
Marilla says
Ugh good luck! Can you camp out at a grandparent’s house instead? Our main floor is getting painted this week and my kid’s been fighting a bad cold – another week I might have been a little softer on taking a sick day with her but I definitely didn’t want to keep her busy at home with all the activity going on.
August says
What kind of floors? If they are sanding for hardwood there is so much dust in the air…and the poly can’t be good to smell (even the waterbased not good to be around)… really would be better if you can camp out somewhere else..
If carpet/tile then you are probably okay.
Anonymous says
This is disgusting.
Rosie says
“Disgusting”? That’s kind of strong.
Not my cup of tea – but “disgusting”?
pickle says
My toddler is the only memento I need of breastfeeding. I am glad that he nursed and grew and now eats people food!
Marilla says
100%! I get so much more joy out of watching my daughter eat than I ever did out of nursing her. Breastfeeding is great when it works for mom and baby but I don’t need a memento of it to carry forward.
Anonymous says
Your coworkers are going to see this ring and ask what it’s made out of…awkward.
Anonymous says
Totally depends on your workplace. My workplace is about 40% working mom lawyers most of whom BF so they’d be more likely to ask for a recommendation where I got it. If that’s not your workplace, don’t wear it to work? Everyone has certain accessories or clothing they don’t wear to work, no?
AIMS says
I can count on one hand how many times someone has asked me what my jewelry is made of at work and I wear some unusual stones. I don’t know how I feel about this ring but it’s pretty easy to say “opal” if you’re not comfortable having this conversation with someone.
Anon says
To each her own. If you don’t want to remember your time nursing/pumping, don’t get the ring. If you had an enjoyable experience and want to remember it this way, get the ring. Those saying “disgusting” and those saying it’s a “lovely memento” are both entitled to their opinions. I personally have been thinking about a way to commemorate this time as I begin to think about weaning my second son and I like this ring. I don’t care if people ask about it, I may or may not tell them what it’s made of, because if I get it it’s for me, not for anyone else. And I don’t really care what people would think about it.
AwayEmily says
+1 ! It’s not for me but I echo the “to each her own.”
Two Cents says
I truly loved nursing and was sad when it ended. But I never see myself wearing a ring like this. Bodily fluids in jewelry doesn’t sit well with me.
mascot says
Yeah, I’m not a fan of this. Something about bodily parts/fluids as jewelry or decorative items doesn’t sit quite right with me.
That being said, I will make an exception when my beloved dog passes away. I’ve seen some gorgeous stained glass and glass sculptures that incorporate some of the ashes and plan on getting one. So I guess I understand the motivation for this market.
Anon says
This is how I feel. I thought I was opposed to this type of memento, but I saw those glass orbs with ashes in them and was in tears thinking about my dog. So I totally understand the market for these.
Boston Legal Eagle says
Tips for transitioning to a toddler bed? Our 2 year is now trying to climb out of his crib whenever he’s not constrained by his sleep sack, and we also want to get him used to a toddler bed before potty training and before the new baby arrives so we bought a new toddler bed!
Do we just put him in there starting with naps, and then say this is his new bed for nighttime? My biggest concern (of course) is that he’ll get out and start wandering around. Should we put a gate on his door? Wait to see what he does before installing it? We’d rather not have the gate because he goes from his living room to his room a lot, and we like the accessibility. However, we don’t really feel comfortable letting him wander around the living room at night by himself.
Anonymous says
Is there a reason you’re not just leaving him in the sleep sack if he can’t get out with that on? Toddler bed vs. crib doesn’t matter for toilet training as they are usually quite a bit older before they can coordinate getting themselves to the bathroom when they are sleepy. Until age 4.5 we usually just heard stirring and a mom/dad call out on the monitor, carry sleepy kid to potty, potty, carry sleeping kid back to bed. Around 4.5/5 they can usually handle it themselves without coming in our room to wake us for help.
Another crib transition question says
Oh not in our house! My oldest was night potty trained at 2.5 (and day trained at 2), but did not pee overnight until she was more like 3.5, at which point she did it herself. She was (and often still is- she’s 5 now) nice enough to wake us up after and let us know, though, before putting herself back to bed. ;)
Just a second data point lest you think you are doomed to carry a 4.5 y.o to the toilet in the middle of the night. FWIW we didn’t have a monitor in her room starting at about 2, but could hear her if she cried out.
Anonymous says
So lucky to have a whole year between 2.5 and 3.5 without needing to pee at night! We have to have a monitor in our house based both on size and layout of the upper floor.
Anonymous says
It’ll be 2-5 nights of wandering, then he’ll get the hang of it. Give him 3 days’ warning, and then get rid of the crib altogether (out of his room), and just replace it with a toddler bed for naps and nighttimes. Don’t worry! It will be fine!
Anon says
We have the Munchkin Easy Close Gate that is ~$50 on Amazon. It’s got a little foot at the bottom that we use to keep it from locking shut during the day so they can run in and out, but you can flip that up at night and actually shut the gate.
We bought the (twin) bed, made a big deal out of “Big Kid Bed” coming soon! We did naps for one weekend, and then the next weekend went in there for bedtime. There were a few nights of trying to get out, but we just explained the “Big Kid” concept again and within a week, all was good.
Anon says
Yeah, look into gates that have doors. We use one on our toddlers’ bedroom and leave it open most of the time so they can wander, but its convenient to have a way of containing them in their room when the parent in charge is busy changing a diaper or something.
Anon says
Yeah this is in the same category as jewelry made out of people’s ashes – no thanks.
Anonymous says
I’m wishing I hadn’t learned ashes jewelry was a thing. To me, that’s creepy. But I do have a bracelet of clay beads embedded with dried and crushed flowers from my Grandma’s funeral. (Four years ago later this week. Glad I have a memento, but also glad it’s not actually made from HER.)
H13 says
Does anyone use a menstrual cup? I am just getting my period after kid #2 and really want to use one. The one I have seems, well, intimidatingly large. I mean, I laughed trying to put it in. But, I have had two kids so I assume it is the correct size. The second attempt was a little better but not great.
Any tips or tricks?
EB0220 says
Mine came with instructions to fold it in half twice before inserting. Did you try that?
H13 says
I tried the “taco fold.”
Mama Llama says
Keep trying! I think it took me 2 periods to get the hang of mine, and now I’ve been using it for 10+ years. Play around with positioning – mine doesn’t seem like it sits where the directions say it should, but it’s comfortable and works just fine. I have a Diva cup, and I ended up cutting off a bit of the “stem” to make it more comfortable. I do sometimes have trouble grabbing it for removal, but I have found that if I bear down a bit, it will move down to where I can get it. It’s never gotten lost or stuck. Finally, I would say that if the cup you are using just doesn’t work for you, maybe try a different brand or style. In the past 10 years I’ve probably spent $100 on Diva cups instead of thousands (?) on disposable products, and I’ve kept so much waste out of sewers and landfills. Plus I don’t deal with leaks, and I can go all day without emptying the cup. So I really think it’s worth putting in some effort to try to make a cup work for you!
mascot says
I can’t search for the link now, but I feel like I saw a site with a detailed guide to various brands and proper sizing. I want to try one, but I’ve heard they don’t play well with an IUD.
Anonymous says
I use one and really like it, although i think it did contribute to my IUD expelling, so be careful with that. (I used one successfully with an IUD for about 4 years before this happened – getting my period immediately after my new IUD was inserted probably didn’t help). I use the #2 fold on this page usually. Also I had to trim off the little tail from my cup to avoid discomfort.
https://pistachioproject.com/2015/01/6-folding-methods-for-menstrual-cups.html
Occasionally when I put it in it is sticking to the walls of my vag rather than going around the cervix, which is uncomfortable, so if it hurts it is probably in the wrong place. Also keep in mind your cervix moves around at different points in your cycle, and it may be easier to reach when you are actually having your period.
anon says
I tried for several cycles to make it work and have decided the cup is not for me. I can’t get it positioned correctly on a consistent basis. (It may fit differently depending on whether it’s a heavy or light day.) The large cup is laughably huge, but what’s worse is using the smaller cup and having overflow at work. Not that it happened to me … ahem.
H13 says
Thanks for the input everyone. I think I need to set aside some time tonight to keep trying. A friend told me that rotation was key. I really want this to work!
Meg Murry says
I find it easier to insert and remove when standing rather than sitting – plus I’ve had a few slippery moments where I almost dropped it in the toilet and I’d really prefer that not happen.
One thing you can try in inserting and removing in the shower or bathtub. Propping one foot on the side of the tub helps me too.
If it seems stiff and hard to fold, depending on the material it may soften up a bit if you rinse it with warm water first.
H13 says
So helpful – thank you!
Rainbow Hair says
Your body does change shape when you’re actually on your period, so you might find it different then than on a test run. I think generally cervixes are lower when you have your period? Seconding the suggestion to try getting the cup wet before you put it in — just run it under the sink for a second so it goes in more smoothly.
I fold it in half once, then again, so it’s like 1/4 size, then it goes in, let go so it opens up I guess, and then I rotate it until it feels like it’s all in there.
Anonymous says
I got a pandora-type bead with breastmilk to commemorate my bf journey. It is admittedly super weird and not for everyone, but I like that I have it. It just looks pale white – no one has ever asked about it specifically. I say go for it.
Ifiknew says
I’m a bit confused by baby gates by the kids room. Do you guys not shut the door to baby’s room or by 2, can they open the door and that’s why you need a gate? I have a 1 year old so not sure what happens when!
Anonymous says
They can open regular doors around age 2. My youngest also figured out how toopen doors with the safety covers on the handle by watching his older sibling. He could open the deadbolt on the front door by 2.5 so we had to add a chain higher up.
Mama Llama says
Not only can they open the door, but mine freaks out if we close her door (or turn off her light) at night. So the gate has been a real necessity.
Anon says
Our house is old and doesn’t circulate well so closed doors means some rooms are way too hot and some are freezing. The gate lets the room stay a decent temperature and still keep them in.
NewMomAnon says
Kiddo’s doorknob didn’t catch (out of alignment with the jam), and it’s a rental so the landlord didn’t want to fix it. The monkey latch didn’t work with our moldings so….baby gate. Until kiddo dismantled that too.
But even if we could have closed the door, her room would have been oppressively hot in the winter and way colder than the rest of the house in the summer, given the air circulation. So the baby gate was just better.
Boston Legal Eagle says
Yep, our 2 year old can reach and open all of the doors himself. He can also just barely reach the deadbolt on the front door, so now we’re adding a chain higher up.
EP-er says
We always sleep with bedroom doors closed for safety reasons. If there is a fire, you have a much better chance of surviving if there is a door between you and a fire. Which I realize is very unlikely…. but this is this is the way I grew up. We also have an egress ladder for the second floor and emergency evacuation plans/mustering areas. Do you have a plan?
avocado says
I just realized that this is teacher appreciation week and I have not been asked to send in any of the following:
A single flower so the class can combine their flowers into a bouquet
A contribution to an Anthropologie gift card
Gourmet low-carb sugar-free snacks
A crock pot of homemade chili
A homemade pie cut into exactly six slices
A loaf of homemade tea bread
(All real requests from elementary school room parents or the PTA)
I love middle school.
anon says
Those requests are cray. Seriously, what working parent has time for this stuff in the middle of the work week?
Betty says
Yup. The PTO requested that we send in a crock pot of a meat to be used in tacos, sour cream, an enchilada casserole or dessert plate tomorrow. (Apparently it was a Cinco de Mayo themed thank-you party.) Or we could volunteer for set-up, which ran from 8:45-9:30 or to serve lunch. I laughed out loud at the image of my seven year old trying to navigate getting on and off the bus with an enchilada casserole. These ideas were clearly not thought of with working parents in mind. Actually, they reminded me of our PTO’s Thanksgiving food drive, where they requested that we send in whole turkeys, whole butternut squash and pies. Right.
Anon says
That’s hilarious. Mine requested people send in various items for a taco bar, they’ll provide the meat. I sent in $10 “to cover any items that are missing” and called that good enough.
Trampoline says
My husband and I (this is Betty) met with our son’s therapist (for suspected ASD) for the first time yesterday. She seems wonderful, engaging, calming, and all other great things. One of her recommendations was to get a big, backyard trampoline. She stated that it would provide a good outlet for my son’s emotions. I can see the value, but the lawyer in me inwardly screamed “noooooo!” I understand that the large, backyard trampolines have improved since I was a kid (a net around the trampoline), but they seem inherently dangerous. Am I overreacting here? Are they really more safe with a net than when I was a kid (the 80s)?
Anonymous says
How old is your son? I’d look into the amount of injuries that come from trampoline accidents. They have skyrocketed since trampoline parks have become popular. If he’s younger than 5 I would definitely say no because their bones aren’t formed enough to sustain the force of a trampoline. There are a lot of pre-school aged and toddler-aged kids breaking their femurs just from jumping on a trampoline. But – my mom worked in insurance and is probably influencing my bias. I know that we won’t be getting a trampoline for DD though.
Anon says
We have one of those mini trampolines with the handlebar for my 5 and 2.5 year old, and they love it. I know they’re just as risky as the big ones, but I have a hard time saying no to physical activity. I don’t know how much is just stating the inherent risks of moving vs an actual high risk.
This is my constant struggle. I don’t want to be a helicopter parent or put my kids in a bubble, but it seems like every single activity carries risk warnings now. Soccer, climbing a tree, walking three blocks home from school, trampolines. I don’t want to have my kids hurt unnecessarily, but they really need to get energy out and explore freedom. I don’t know the right way to walk this line.
Spirograph says
Total anecdote, but to me, the bar is worse. My 4 year old was playing on one of these at a friend’s house and the bar made him want to jump higher with weird center of gravity…until he tipped forward over the bar and landed face first on the arm of the couch.
I had no idea kids’ bones could break from an awkward trampoline jump!
Betty says
He’s seven but his younger sister is four, and he is very small for his age.
I agree with the struggle of wanting my kids to explore, play and live life but not be unnecessarily hurt. The funny thing is, I encourage my son to climb trees, play on boulders, etc. but something about the trampolines just makes me uncomfortable.
Pogo says
I’m surprised the lawyer in you didn’t scream “attractive nuisance”!!
Blueberries says
Thanks for making me laugh, Pogo!
Mama Llama says
We have one, but my daughter is inherently cautious, so she’s not doing big, wild jumps. I may be biased because I grew up with a giant, second-hand, rusty-springed, no-net, no-pads trampoline, but the trampolines these days seem so safe with all the pads and nets. I think enforcing a one kid at a time rule is the most important for safety. The only time anyone got injured on my childhood deathtrap trampoline was when there were like 6 kids on it.
anon says
Falling off is one of the smaller risks, IMO. I’ve known several kids who have broken femurs just from the impact of a wrong bounce. That isn’t to say I never let my kids jump on trampolines, but I am wary and know it’s risky.
Even at the trampoline park, my DS was a little too confident in his skills and was definitely trying stuff he had no business attempting outside a gymnastics class.
Anonymous says
How old is your son? We have a Little Tikes bouncehouse that is easy to set up and take down (it literally inflates in 30 seconds). Could that be an option?
anon says
This is completely anecdata but I’m in a number of local moms groups on facebook recently and I’ve been surprised by how many moms posting their kid just broke their leg or arm on the trampoline (both surprised by the volume and the number of people opening sharing pics of their kids’ broken bones, but I digress…). Maybe check with your pediatrician to see if they have any thoughts or recommendations?
Em says
Also a lawyer, and a trampoline would be a hard no from me both due to the risk to my kid, as well as other kids breaking into our backyard to use it (compounded by the fact that we have dogs that react negatively to strangers coming into our backyard). Can you ask her if there are other alternatives that would provide the same or a similar outlet, like a swing set?
anon says
My brother sprained his back jumping on a trampoline when he was 10. He was jumping alone and not doing anything fancy. We called an ambulance and my parents several hours wondering if he had a spinal cord injury before we found out he would be okay.
No trampolines at our house. Too scary.
anon says
You’re not overreacting. I partly want a trampoline because they’re so freaking fun and my ADHD kid needs a way to burn off steam, but we’re not doing it because of the safety risks. I’d be just as worried about a neighbor kid injuring himself/herself as my own kids. Doubly so if more than one kid bounces at once, which seems almost inevitable, no matter what the “house rules” might be.
I don’t want to be a helicopter mom, either, and it’s hard to find the right balance.
blueridge29 says
When we just bought a house, we were specifically asked whether we had a backyard trampoline when we were receiving homeowners insurance quotes. You may want to check your policy to see if buying one could increase your annual rate.
mascot says
Certainly there have to be other options here (not everyone has a big backyard or wants a trampoline). What is the goal? Big, full body movement? Vestibular input? Would one of those big, spinning swings work? Hippity hop? Mini-trampoline? Could you do running or kicking/hitting a ball into a rebounder? How about a kid’s punching bag? Is a group class for martial arts too much?
Frozen Peach says
I’ll chime in with a different perspective. In law school I got into “urban rebounding” fitness classes and bought myself one of their mini-trampolines. It has a bar and can tolerate an astonishing amount of weight.
We recently unearthed it in the basement, set it up in our outdoor space, and my 3 year old LOVES it, cannot get enough. She’s sleeping through the night again!! We are generally pretty free-range, and I do not buy into a lot of the cautions or things that other parents get very upset about. (This space and several choice others excepted, y’all are sane.)
I have two rules about the trampoline, though. One, no bouncing without an adult RIGHT THERE. Two, we have an outdoor rug and soft floor tiles underneath it. And it’s tiny, not one of the big ones. I am a huge fan. I figure there are tons of risks, and this is one I’m comfortable with. I would not be okay with my kid playing hockey or football because of the injury potential, and plenty of parents are, so I see this one as squarely in the “follow safety precautions, good for you, not for me” category.
I will also say that I love the adult workout videos for the trampolines and am trying to get back into it. The science around it is pretty interesting– they discovered a lot of weird side benefits when training NASA astronauts for space flight…
Another crib transition question says
This will be a novel.
My first kid transitioned herself from the crib at 18 months. As in, she just screamed when we put her into it one day, so we took the mattress off it and put it on the floor and BAM she was in a bed (we did have to sit outsider her door and remind her to stay in her room, but it was very brief). Over the next few months we changed from crib mattress to real twin mattress, then put the twin on a bedframe. Happily ever after.
Fast forward- second child is just shy of 2. We have a new baby coming in 2 months. Long term, #2 will be in the second twin bed in #1’s room. Short term, #2 is in a crib in her own room, which shares a hallway door with #1’s room (#2’s current room will just be a playroom). New baby will sleep in a pack and play/rock and play/whatever in our room for a few months, then move into her nursery.
Do we:
(a) transition from crib to bed now
A1. Transition right to the twin bed in #1’s room?
A2. Transition to the crib mattress on the floor right where it is now?
A3. Transition to the twin bed, but mattress on the floor where the crib is now?
A4. Transition to the twin bed, on its frame, (with the railings put up), but right were the crib is now?
(b) leave well enough alone since she’s not climbing out
We are find dropping $200 on a second crib & mattress if/as necessary, but my bigger concern is trying to have a newborn/infant and THEN doing the transition if/as it becomes critical (2 y/o suddenly starts climbing out).
Of note, #2 is a fusser-to-sleep, so any transition that involves #1’s room will inevitably disrupt #1’s sleep. Which…is just going to happen at some point but maybe there’s a way to make it smoother.
Anonymous says
Are you putting new baby in a crib immediately? If not, I vote (b) (which worked really well for us) and using a pack and play for new baby.
NewMomAnon says
Oh gosh…that’s tough. We hit a ton of bedtime fights at 2.5 and it would have been nice to have a crib for containment when I just could NOT anymore. But kiddo threw herself out of the crib one night, and I immediately converted her crib to a toddler bed the next day.
If that’s an option, I would strongly suggest it – convert the crib to a toddler bed and give yourself 3-4 nights of escapes. Then you can switch to big kid bed in sibling’s room after baby comes; the switch from toddler bed to big kid bed (with rails) was not hard. FWIW, I wouldn’t switch anything right when baby enters the picture; I’ve heard it’s best to let baby be the only disruption for a few months.
Boston Legal Eagle says
I have no advice as I am in a similar boat from above, but I just want to send my sympathy on trying to plan out these various scenarios and not really knowing how an unpredictable toddler will react, all while trying to get ready for a new baby!
My best guess would be to leave #2 where she is right now as she doesn’t seem eager to get out, having baby #3, and then re-evaluating in a few months. But, as is probably apparent from my post, I too would rather get any necessary transitions over with now, if feasible.
Meg Murry says
Am I correct in understanding that new baby’s nursery is not kid #2’s room but a currently unoccupied room? Is there room in kid #1’s room for both the crib and the twin bed? Or does the crib convert to a toddler bed? I might suggest option C of moving kid #2’s crib into kid #1’s room so the transition to sharing a room is over and done with before the new baby arrives and isn’t associated directly with new baby.
Alternately, if the 2nd twin bed is already set up in kid #1’s room, you could try having a few “sleepovers” with both kids in one room and see how well or badly it goes. I’d suggest either putting the twin mattress on the floor or investing in some guard rails, however.
Anonymous says
Transition bedrooms but not beds.
Move the twin bed into the nursery if it fits, and put the crib where #2 is sleeping into #1s room. (Or just add the crib so there are 3 sleeping spaces). Get #1 & 2 used to being roommates and make that a cool thing that happens because they are big girls! and they get to be together at night! And how lucky that they have a sibling!
Make the nursery a room that is not fun for anyone to be in so there are no jealousies of new baby.
Then, when (if) #2 starts climbing out of crib, transition to bed in same room with big sib.
We had this sort of. We were going to move our #2 in with #1 so I could get an office, and started that process, but then found out #3 was coming, and it worked out perfectly (except that I still don’t have a home office, sigh).
Anon in NYC says
Gift suggestions please!
#1 – for a soon to be 7 year old girl. She loves drawing/art, enjoys jewelry, and is pretty physically active (gymnastics, swimming, soccer, etc.)? Last year I got her a personalized jewelry box, stick on earrings, and a charm necklace (she loved it). This year I was thinking art supplies (crayola has an airbrush marker and stencil pack that looks fun). Any other fun ideas?
#2 – for my almost 3 year old! I think we’re going to get her a kids table + chairs and some art supplies. But grandparents/friends are asking. She’s just started getting into her scooter. One grandparent is getting her more art supplies, another is getting her a balance bike. But any other suggestions are appreciated!
NewMomAnon says
For 7 year old – a magazine subscription would be cool. Is there any age-appropriate magazine for her favorite sports? I always liked books and my own CDs (er….cassette tapes…) at that age, but I don’t know if kids these days get books and CDs.
For the 3 year old – that was the age kiddo got her own suitcase and sleeping bag, which were BIG hits. Puzzles started becoming fun, and board games – Peaceable Kingdom has good little kid cooperative games.
anon says
For three year old, dress up clothes? Can’t have too many of those! If doing art supplies, what about an easel? A light foldupable one?
Meg Murry says
If she doesn’t already have one or the grandparents getting the bike aren’t getting it – a helmet to go along with the bike.
For art supplies, my kids love those super long rolls of easel paper, and they are relatively small and easy to tuck away when they aren’t using them (or if you get more than one).
Anonymous says
for #1, jewelry making kit? Shrinky dinks paper?
Anonymous says
soccer net for the backyard for the seven year old if you don’t already have a net out there.
anon says
three year old could have fun with this too! great one! my three year old loves backyard soccer!
AIMS says
For #1 – cray-pas! So much fun to draw with.
For # 2 – my daughter is a bit younger but really loves using an easel at her cousin’s house. If you don’t have room for a stand up one, they have table sized ones and ones you can hang on a wall. Check out the Hape Tabletop Art Studio.
avocado says
For Betty re. trampoline: Many gymnastics coaches advise against backyard trampolines. If the people who are certified to teach kids to use trampolines think backyard trampolines are too dangerous, that says a lot.
Patty Mayonnaise says
I guess this q is kind of on point for this post…how did you decide when to fully wean? My babe is almost 14 months and I stopped pumping at around the 1 yr mark and he gets cows milk at school, but have continued with nursing in the morning and before bed. I don’t plan to nurse until he’s like 2, but we both enjoy the connection. But I also want my body back, esp as we consider ttc again. I’ve also heard that it’s harder to wean as they get older… I guess ultimately I’m having a hard time with my baby growing up. Any advice?
AwayEmily says
Do you have any trips coming up? My weaning story: When she was around 13 months, I was only BFing in the AM and PM, and realized I had to go to a 3-day conference in a few weeks, so just decided that that would be it. For me it was much easier not having to SEE her while we weaned (though my husband reports that she didn’t even seem to notice). So maybe if you have a trip you need to take anyway, you could use it as an opportunity to wean.
Anon in NYC says
My daughter made the decision for me at 15 months when she stopped nursing all at once (principally due to illness – she refused to nurse for a week). At that point we were down 2 sessions (AM/PM), and I was reaching a point where I felt like she had waning interest, particularly in the morning session, and my supply was dwindling. Our sessions were typically very brief (~10 minutes). So the very week that she stopped nursing, I had been planning to drop the AM session and keep the night session for a little while longer. After she started to recover, I watched her carefully to see if she had any signs of wanting to continue nursing and would have tried to restart the evening sessions again, but she showed no signs of wanting it. So we were done!
Anonymous says
I wouldn’t assume it’s harder to wean as they get older unless your LO seems super attached. You’re only nursing twice a day compared to some super attached kids who want to constantly nurse multiple times a day. My three all weaned on their own around 16 months. They wanted to go go go when they got up in the morning and dropped that feed and then they weren’t interested in nursing and asked for a sippy cup of milk at bedtime a month or so later. It was harder on me then them because I would have been totally happy to continue until age 2 nursing just once or twice a day. So nice when you don’t have to worry about a glass of wine or two or three after bedtime.
Anonymous says
Around 15 months, my daughter started taking a bottle of cow’s milk after nursing in the morning. So one morning, I just offered her the bottle first, and we sat in the rocking chair and cuddled. That was it!
Anonymous says
Sorry – this was poorly articulated. She was taking the bottle of cow’s milk in the mornings from before 15 months.
GCA says
I confess mine was a clinger – I had to unilaterally wean him at 19 months because *I* was completely over it (and he is still a big snugglebug).
Anonymous says
My story is the same as AwayEmily’s. I was down to 2x day when I went on a 3-day work trip. I couldn’t bring myself to pump while I was away, so I just…didn’t. Kiddos were 14 months then. One twin didn’t notice, the other was pretty upset when I got back but adjusted fine.
anon says
Can anyone here speak about the interplay between ST disability and maternity under the new NYS law? I’m TTC and trying to figure out if I should be purchasing my own ST disability policy to extend my time (my firm offers what is required by the new law only). I did call the provider of ST group policies offered through NYSBA, who told me that giving birth is not covered under most policies.
TIA
Betty says
Do you mean the January 1, 2018 law regarding paid family leave? If so, paid family leave and short term disability cover two different things: paid family leave is to care for someone else and short term disability is for when you personally are disabled and unable to work.
Does your employer offer short term disability? If not, can you ask them if they would be willing to bring it to employees but not pay the cost?
anon says
I think NYS employers are required to provide ST disability. I mean, I’ve obviously never delivered, but I’m thinking the disability coverage would be for me when I’ve just pushed a bowling ball through a baseball. So the idea would be to have STD cover the first period (whatever time would be offered), and then use the paid family leave.
Patty Mayonnaise says
Is teacher appreciation day/week something I need to think about with my son at a small daycare? I wouldn’t have known about it if it weren’t for posts here…!
Anonymous says
Our small family daycare didn’t seem to observe it and it was NBD at preschool. I’m in NYC.
geriatric pregnancy says
Just posted on the main site; though it hasn’t yet shown up. Then realized this pages exists and may be more handy. My partner and I decided it’s time to have a baby; yeah! I’ll be considered ‘geriatric’. I have a check up thing scheduled with my GP. What should I tell her/ask about this? Other stuff I should consider? Thanks!
Anonymous says
Consider getting a cycle tracking app that is geared toward TTC so you can time things right. Start taking prenatal vitamins. Talk to your doctor about any health conditions you have that might affect/ be affected by the pregnancy.
Meg Murry says
Not sure if you’ll see this but one thing you may want to ask your GP about is checking for things like your iron levels and Vitamin D levels, etc, especially if you have a history of low levels. If you are borderline or low, you may want to discuss options to bring those levels up before you get pregnant and maintain them so you don’t dip low during the pregnancy.
MoMa says
This is a little late to the game, but I’d like to chime in because I think these rings are just gorgeous. I just got through a hellish experience breastfeeding with my firstborn due to complications from a nasty case of mastitis. I had to fight so hard to keep breastfeeding, and it was tied inextricably into getting to know my daughter. I would 100% have found the concept of BM jewelry gross before having gone through this experience, but now I’m going to order one and wear it like a beautiful badge of honor. Besides, basically everything to do with pregnancy and babies is both gross and beautiful on one level or another. Thanks for bringing this jewelry to my attention.