Newest Crazy Mom checking in...

[TheOtherVillainess]

Hi..name's TOV and I am the newest Crazy Mom checking in at MiceChat. *looks around*Nice place ya'll got here.

Things to know about me:
I work. Yes..I know some people find that evil. I have to support my child somehow though.

I let the Bug watch TV. Granted..it's mostly PBS and he's only watching it for the bright colors (he's 10 mos old), but still. I've had some people want to behead me for it. As well as for the next notable thing about myself.

I gave (and still give, actually) the Bug formula instead of boob juice. Why? I had problems BFing and well, formula isn't really the poison the Boob Nazis make it out to be, ya know? You can hurl insults about how horrible a mommy I am because I didn't BF and it'll bounce right off. Why? Because I don't care. Feeding my child formula isn't exactly a crime,people. I don't think BFing is wrong. If I could've done it, I would have. But I had such a hard time with it, it was more stressful to myself and the Bug than anything else. So I quit doing it. I'm not saying BFing is wrong..far from it. IF you can do it, have the time, patience and desire to do it..go for it. Yay for you. If not..well..come sit by me. We can throw wadded up wet paper towels at the Boob Nazis together.

I don't believe in the following: Delaying solids, extended BFing (BFing over the age of one year),not giving vaccinations and cloth diapers.

Yes..I got married when I was but a mere spritling at the age of 20. Yes..that's young. So what?

Yes..I skipped college. Big deal. Not everybody is cut out for college, and besides, if you went to the school I went to you'd have known that only a certain group of kids were actually PREPARED for college. The rest of us could've taken a long walk off a short pier as far as the administration was concerned.

Yes..I live in Texas. w00t!

Yes..I support W. *ducks*

I think that's it..for now anyway.

I'll see ya'll 'round.

TOV

[Tinkerbelle]

..well..come sit by me. We can throw wadded up wet paper towels at the Boob Nazis together.

I don't believe in the following: Delaying solids, extended BFing (BFing over the age of one year),not giving vaccinations and cloth diapers.

Yes..I got married when I was but a mere spritling at the age of 20. Yes..that's young. So what?



TOV

Hahaha, someone else, Yeah...I hate the Boob Nazis, not everyone needs to nurse but one particulare woman (BN) chastised me like crazy saying my kids would not be as close to me as hers are to her because I couldn't nurse.

...well let me tell you my 10 yr old and my 5 yr old are just perfect, happy well adjusted kids, who are very nicely attached to their mommy, frankly we couldn't be closer...boobs or not so HA!

TOV- I agree with pretty much everything you said too...I had my 1st baby at 20 yrs old, was married at 20 (happily for 10 years now) yes we watch TV (also mostly PBS,and Disnney movies, the rest is basicly junk)

As a family childcare provider my opinion...please vacinate your children...(though I can't actualy say that to the parents...)

I support W too...to my husbands displeasure...


Welcome to the Boards

[Rainfully]

I was raised on formula and watched tv while my mom worked... I'm normal... somewhat...

I'm not a mom but will be someday!

Welcome to the boards!

[TheOtherVillainess]

Most people freak when they find out the tender age at which DH and I married (he was 23, I was 20). We've been married for six years almost..(well..it'll be six years in 12 days w00t w00t! ).

Tinkerbelle--because of the BNs I was forced to leave not one but two internet parenting groups. The first one was one for 'alternative' parents. Since I consider myself the anti-soccermom, I felt like that was the place for me. When I started showing signs of anti-alternativism (like decorating the nursery in bright yellow with classic Pooh), they jumped all over me. I was jumped all over by the BNs for not supporting EBF, for *not* wanting to use cloth diapers, for not wanting to do AP (which is fine if you want to do that..I couldn't see myself holding the Bug all day every day no matter what. Even if I'm peeing..*shakes head*). So I ran from that group to another group that was proud to call themselves "bad parents'. I felt that was I'd be able to fit in there cuz lord knows I'm far from being a perfect parent. But another Breast Vs Formula debate started and when I (and some others) defended the right to formula feed, the BNs started in again. I went underground for about 6 mos (online anyway) because of them. One BN even threatened to use my ISP to find me and stage a 'nurse in' at my work. Oy....

The Bug has had all his shots. I honestly can't see why somebody WOULDN"T give their kids the required shots. Don't you have to have shots to get into school? :confused: And really, if enough parents stopped making their kids get their vax, wouldn't things like whooping cough, scarlet fever, etc make a huge comeback and kill lots of kids?

I've also been asked if the Bug is sick because he's so skinny. Nope..he's fine. Right on target to where he is supposed to be according to the doc we take him to. He's just very tall and somewhat on the skinny side. Always has been. *shrug* DH (until midlife metabolism set in and he gained a bunch of weight)was always very tall and skinny too. I've seen the pictures.



TOV

[mamabot]

Welcome to MiceChat!

With my son, I had a very hard time getting my milk to come in. I worked with a lactation consultant, did the pump-feed-supplement regimine, and it worked. I breastfed him until he was nine months. I did supplement him with formula during that time when it was inconvenient to breastfeed. He was a great baby when it came to switching between breast and bottle.

As for my daughter, I breastfed her until she was 18 months. She really never wanted to take a bottle. Thankfully, she went to solids quickly. She always wanted to do what the rest of us were doing.

My favorite story the Boob Nazis was this La Leche League club meeting I attended. I was still a stay at home mom at the time and a recent transplant to the area. The moms were telling stories about how they were going to nurse their kids as long as they wanted to. One even complained about not being able to nurse her 4 year old in the baby center at Disneyland. They were all talking about how great it was to not have their kids in daycare because they were such horrible places and kids who went to daycare were always sick.

Well, Brian popped up with Hand-Foot-Mouth a couple days after the meeting. The only way he could have picked it up was from the La Leche League meeting. My husband and I *still* laugh about this one!

[Mousey Girl]

Welcome!!
I, too, had to stop BFing. I simply could not keep up with The Boy. After supplementing for 3-4 months, pumping, raw boobies, I gave up and switched him to formula.

I work full time, but count myself as lucky to have been able to spend his first 2 years at home.

I went to college, had a blast at the JC level, hated the 4 year so I quit.

I am a liberal minded republican who supports W.

The Boy is 8 and has never missed a shot. He has been relativly healthy, only real problem was a chronic ear infection that lasted for over 6 months.

I didn't get married until I was 25, and didn't have The Boy until I was 28. I never planned on kids, thought I would be a terrible mother, but he is alive and thriving so I guess I am doing ok.

[dsnyredhead]

I had my first son at 37 just over a year ago.

I tried the whole bf thing and it just wasn't going to happen. I applaud those who can, but those who can't... can't.

I did the college thing during my 20's at a time when I thought I would never ever had a kid.

People think my son is younger than he is because at 14 months he is just over 20 lbs. Totally healthy, just tall and skinny. He was just under 6 lbs at birth.

I have a friend who thnks giving vaccinations is terrible because she's worried about autism. I'd rather have an alive child, than worry about something that may or may not cause that condition....but that is her decision.

[baileykat]

Have to pipe in here...

I had Bailey (my son..turned 10 yesterday..wahhh!) when I was 22..got married when I was 21...Breastfed him for two horrid months...He wasn't into it...I wanted it worse than he did..because I thought it was the "right" thing to do for my baby...We switched to formula and he was a much happier child...He was also a little stinker about going to sleep, always wanted to be rocked or gently shaken to go to sleep...was on solids by the time he was 3 months old..and was very very healthy.

My daughter, Kat, (8 years) was 6 pounds even when she was born, we breastfed her until she was almost 1...she was a skinny minny, still is, never on the growth chart, the ideal child, the second week home from the hospital, sleeping thru the night with one feeding around 4am...never overly fussy, just wonderful! BUT MOODY as hell! We used to swear she was PMS'ing at age 2!

Both my children are little smarties...even though they both started out on different paths..Bailey did everything early...Kat did everything when she darn well felt like it! Actually, they are still like that!

[stinkerbell]

Welcome!!

I have three girls, BFed the first one for just three months, because the poor kid couldn't handle it....she barfed buckets of rotten milk for months until my lovely doctor told me to switch her to formula ASAP. I felt so bad for her!! She pretty much just BFed constantly, since she kept so little down. Not fun. She took to the formula immediately, and incidentally--she's my kid who NEVER gets sick!

I BFed the other two until they were each a year old. They gave up the boob pretty easily.

Immunizations....I had the older two immunized right on schedule from day one. With my third, I was a bit more skittish. I've known too many autistic children (as a special educator) and tried not to give into the immunization hysteria, but when you have your third kid and the first two are so healthy and perfect, you wonder when your luck will run out.

My youngest just had her second MMR shot at the age of four last week....I waited until there was a mercury-free shot available. I drove my pediatrician crazy for ages.....wouldn't bring her in for immunizations....and when I did it was always a year later than they preferred, because she's small and muscular--shots are HORRID for her.

Long story short....she's able to continue at preschool (she was going to have to be excluded, because she wasn't caught up ) and is all set for kindergarten and I'll never have to have her shot up with any more goo for ten years. And she got to go get a hot chocolate and cookie at Starbucks for enduring all the needles. Poor little pin cushion!!! :love:

[mamabot]

Long story short....she's able to continue at preschool (she was going to have to be excluded, because she wasn't caught up ) and is all set for kindergarten and I'll never have to have her shot up with any more goo for ten years. And she got to go get a hot chocolate and cookie at Starbucks for enduring all the needles. Poor little pin cushion!!! :love:

We just did Ali's shots this morning for kindergarten. TB test, anemia test and four immunizations. Poor girl. At least she got two lollipops at the doctor's office. I took her home for some ibuprofin and fruit leather. She and I will be shopping after work today.

The only vaccine I was hesitant to give the kids was the Chicken Pox one. I waited until I had to give it to them for daycare. Then it turned out that Ali had already been given the vaccine without me knowing it. Stupid Kaiser.

The kids were in daycare with a boy who had had the vaccine and still came down with the Chicken Pox. What we learned from that experience is that children who are vaccinated and get the CPs can still transfer the full blown version of CP to other people. Pretty scary.

[baileykat]

We just did Ali's shots this morning for kindergarten. TB test, anemia test and four immunizations. Poor girl. At least she got two lollipops at the doctor's office. I took her home for some ibuprofin and fruit leather. She and I will be shopping after work today.

The only vaccine I was hesitant to give the kids was the Chicken Pox one. I waited until I had to give it to them for daycare. Then it turned out that Ali had already been given the vaccine without me knowing it. Stupid Kaiser.

The kids were in daycare with a boy who had had the vaccine and still came down with the Chicken Pox. What we learned from that experience is that children who are vaccinated and get the CPs can still transfer the full blown version of CP to other people. Pretty scary.

Both my kids had the CP shot...and last year, Kat got them! I was totally shocked! She was like..."Mommie..I have this bump on my back..." She scratched it and complained about it for a day or so...then we were at the high school football game and she says "Mommie, I have these bumps on my tummy and they itch" "HOLY Crap..those are Chicken Pox"

She still had to miss school for a whole week...which she hated since she actually likes school, BUT she only had maybe 50-70 bumps total...and they progressed really quickly...like Bump, Pop, Scab...all in one day. So she wasn't very itchy and managed it really well.

I HATE to think about how she would have been without the shot...I used to think CP's were a childhood rite of passage..then I remembered when I got them (Last two weeks of Junior High! IT SUCKED!) and then I'm glad we got the shot!


Bailey didn't get them!

[Tinkerbelle]

OK to chime in on Immunizations

First off both my kids have all their shots as schedualed. I personaly believe that they should have them, those diseases are still out there, they are not exinct, people just think because they don't know anyone with polio (etc.) that it's gone...It's Not!

had to get that off my chest first...Now...
as far as school enrollment is concerned I feel I have some room to talk here (if you disagree please skip to the next post )
I have 2 children in elementry school and run a Family Childcare program/ Preschool program and have been a preschool teacher for 12 years (wow, that long already...)

In California schools and Preschools CAN NOT discriminate against a child for any reason including that they do not have their shots. There is a nifty little form for the parent to fill out stating that for personal or religious reasons they did not immun. their child, However if a child is Not vacinated they are excluded form attending school/childcare if there is a breakout of any number of illnesses. for example no CP vacine? and a case of CP breaks out in the school your child may be excluded for their own safety and the safety of other children. If a case of Measels breaks out your un vacinated child can not attend (again for their safety and that of all the children...you can carry some illnesses but never show symptoms)

Exclusion from school is for the length of breakout plus the length of communicability...example CP outbreak in a classroom first child confermed with CP unvacinated child excluded untli the last child to be Diagnosed is passed the communicality (incubation) period with chicken pox I believe thats 1 week but I'd have to look it up to be sure (time child is excluded could be as long as 3 weeks...)

disclaimer: check with your school or local Health and Human Services Dept for your local regulations

[Tinkerbelle]

TOV-
my kids were on solids early...
Daughter at 12 weeks old
my Son at 11 weeks old
and both are very healthy but neither was very much on the growth charts my
Daughter was in the low percentiles all the way thru, she's a tiny little bit of a thing (still is at 10 she's the smallest in her class, but then so was her Mommy...I was 28 lbs at 4 years old)
My Son was always in the high end of the chart (95th percentile) and in Kindergarten at 5 years old he is one of the youngest and tallest, and also thin as a rail.

[mamabot]

My kids started on solids at four months. We should have started Ali sooner since she was so huge. She was clear of the growth charts since birht. She was the biggest baby at that hospital the year she was born at 10lbs 8 oz. She was almost a full 2 pounds bigger than her brother, who weighed 8 lbs. 12 oz.

They are healthy, not overweight kids now. The doctor told me today that they are both still off the growth charts. I look at some of the kids classmates and comparatively Brian & Ali are fairly average sized. They both has friends who are considerably larger than they are. Some of the kids in Brian kindergarten class look like they should be in first or second grade.

[Tinkerbelle]

thats how my son is he looks like he should be in (what happened I just posted prematurly...so now I'm editing...How did that happen?)
2nd grade...he's tall and eats like a bottomless pit...gosh, the food budget alone is killing me....and he's only 5, what happens at 15? I'll need another job just to feed him...

[TheOtherVillainess]

The Bug weighed nearly 7 lbs at birth and was so long (22 inches) that he looked like a lollipop--great big roundish head and long skinny stick body!

I am actually grateful that my MIL had her vision ruined by LASIK surgery (yeah I know it's supposed to help, but her vision is worse than it was before the surgery). She babysits for us while DH and I are at work, so we don't have to put him in daycare. I don't want him in daycare..I'm afraid he'll always be sick like our neighbor's daughter who'll be 2 in July. They are always having to miss work because of her having ear infections or colds or something. Yuck.

We started the Bug on semi-solids (rice cereal) at 4 mos. Were graduated to 'real food' (like squash,carrots,etc) at 6 mos. Now we feed him 'people food' like chunky mooshed up carrots, Cheerios, Gerber Biter Biscuits (which he loves to gum to death), etc.

We've also just started him on a sippy cup, which he hasn't quite gotten the hang of yet.

I doubt that my MIL is reading this but (because I can't say it to her in person..DH won't let me): GET OFF MY BLOODY BACK ALREADY!!!! Yes I realize the Smallest Freak (tm) (my SIL's adopted son who is 2 wks younger than the Bug) is already crawling like he was born to it as well as pulling up and cruising along the furniture. The Bug is quite happy rolling across the floor or dragging himself on his stomach like some guy in Basic Training. He doesn't want to crawl and I think he's just fine not crawling. Some babies NEVER EVER crawl, you old bat.Freak is an overachiever. Bug will do his thing when he's ready and not before. So back off.

TOV

[DivaPrincess]

No boob nazi's here - the thought of BFing my four year old makes me sick. Do what's best for you and the baby.

I was also married at 20 but had my first at 21. I love being a stay at home mom, but run small business and participate in community theatre. I need those things for me.

Sooo- don't sweat it! You are doing what's best for you and anyone who can't accept that is in the wrong.

- DP - the mother of a tiny 4 year old and an average 2 year old

[TheOtherVillainess]

I think where I live it's considered child abuse to nurse a kid over the age of like 18 mos or something anyway. I seem to remember a story on the local news a few years back about a mom being sent to jail for nursing her 5 year old. Whoa..that's taking it to an extreme. Why WOULD you want to nurse a child who doesn't really need it unless you were trying to hold on to that 'baby' and keep the child under your thumb? I mean really? You'd be doing it for you and not the child. It's a control thing, the way I see it.


TOV

[stinkerbell]

My sister is an OT and she has a kiddo coming to her clinic who takes a break from his work with her, to go grab a booby snack. He's FIVE. I'm sorry, but that's just icky. My sister was so shocked. She has a set of twin three year olds who get nursed right before their sessions with her....at the same time and they're THREE!! At least they know they can't go get a sip during work time. The five year old though, has autism and mom doesn't believe he should be told he can't have a sip during work time.

Anyway.....in Oregon, you don't have to have the CP shot, it's just nice to have, that's for sure. My oldest got CP the month before she was scheduled to get the shot and she had them on her eyelids, down her throat. Ick! I got CP when I was 12 and that was NO fun. I was covered from head to toe. I even had one on the PALM of my hand! That sucked!

I've also opted to have all my kids immunized for Hep A, which is not currently required in Oregon. My oldest was exposed once, so I know how not fun that one can be. Better to be safe than sorry.

The only way you can get away without getting immunizations in Oregon is to have a religious stance on it, and a doctor has to sign off.

[TheOtherVillainess]

My sibs and I never had a CP shot either. I got CP in 3rd grade and it wasn't too bad. But my poor sister..oy. I would've hated to be her. She got a MUCH worse case of it than I did and she even had little sores in her THROAT forcrineoutloud because she was a thumbsucker.

TOV