Alternative Momming

Alternative Momming

Guess whose back? Yeah, I know I said this once before, but really now guys here we go! I just want to take a second to thank all of you. You, reading this right now. Thank you. I fell into some major mama wormholes when this was just getting underway and you came back, or are here for the first time to share in my journey again. You legitimately rock my socks. 

Guys, what a time it has been, right? How are you doing? A lot has happened in my time voyaging through wormholes, and I can’t wait to fill you in. My son is going to be 17 months in just a few days. It feels like time flew by and slowed to a crawl at the same time. Just a heads up before we get going, I do have affiliate links in here for some things I use. If you buy anything, I will get a kickback. I want to be transparent about it. They are things I bought on my own and actually use.

Things I Did to Make Raising My Son Easier

I’m 17 months into this thing and trust me, I’m still figuring all of this out. Believe me when I say these solutions are not a one-size-fits-all thing. You may have to tweak things to work for you, but these are things I was concerned about as a mom with Cerebral Palsy that I had to figure out as I went.

How did you carry him as a newborn?

I didn’t. It absolutely killed me not to have a more hands-on approach in that way with my son, but my C-section WRECKED me. My strength took a factory reset to zero and point-blank it would not have been safe to carry him. This does not mean I didn’t hold him, it just means I didn’t transport him from place to place. My husband did all of the carrying.

How did you hold him safely?

Boppies and pillows! I was basically a bassinet with boobs. The Boppy also helped cushion my incision which is a very happy bonus. We put pillows under at least one arm if not both so the only thing I had to focus on was his weight. Here is a link if you want to check it out! Boppy Nursing Pillow – Bare Naked | Breastfeeding and Bottle Feeding, Propping Baby, Tummy Time, Sitting Support | Pillow Only

How did you bathe him?

In the newborn days, I placed him on his changing station and would wash and dry him one appendage at a time with a bowl of warm, soapy water, a washcloth, and a towel. Once he got a little bigger I used the whale tub from Fisher-Price. It has an attachment to use for newborns that reach a certain weight. I still use that tub with him now and probably will until he is ready for the bathtub. I can’t use the whale tub in the bathroom because it is too low and strains my back. I put a big towel down on the kitchen table and use the tub there. When I stand up it is the perfect height.

How do you carry him around now?

Once he could hold his head up and he was the right weight, I started to wear him around the house in a carrier. The downside was I couldn’t get him in it by myself, and I could only do 15-20 minute sessions. I also bought a $15 folding stroller with no umbrella to use inside. I use the stroller whenever I’m alone with him. I transfer him from his playpen to the stroller, push him to the changing pad, or wherever, get him out and do what we have to do. I still can’t hold him and walk, but I do hold him standing up with a couch, or bed behind me so neither one of us misses out on that.

A note about the stroller is he was about 15 pounds or so before I could push it with his weight counterbalancing me.

This is the closest thing I could find to the one I have. Infantino Flip Advanced 4-in-1 Carrier – Ergonomic, convertible, face-in and face-out front and back carry for newborns and older babies 8-32 lbs

I want to make a note here that I have not ever loaded my son into his car seat. My husband has always been around to do it; However, they do have car seats that pivot so the child is facing toward the open door to make the process easier. Then you just turn it back to the original position to drive. This is hands down what I would have gotten had I known it existed before I bought a different one.

He can outrun you now, how do you keep him safe when you’re alone?

I bought the penthouse of playpens for my son. I’m 5’1 and I can get in there, lay down, and not touch the sides. It’s usually known ahead of time when I’m going to have him by myself, so I just get everything we need set up next to the playpen. Then I get in there with him and we just play. There have been a few occasions when I had him all day by myself and I used a combination of the stroller, his highchair, and the playpen to keep him safe. Luckily he was younger and didn’t mind the playpen as much as he wants freedom (and he gets it) now. This is what I have. Baby Playpen Portable Kids Safety Play Center Yard Home Indoor Fence Anti-Fall Play Pen, Playpens for Babies, Extra Large Playard, Anti-Fall Playpen

We have also started harness training him. I know that makes him sound like a dog, and I hate the name, but he loves his harness. I never thought I would be one of those moms to put their kids on a leash, but here I am telling you loud and proud because it is about keeping him safe while knowing I can’t catch him if he runs. He falls over every time he gets a tug, so it’s a work in progress.

He has a regular stroller for when we go out, but I also bought a Radio Flyer wagon to take him around in. The problem was, once I got it I realized I couldn’t pull it. Luckily they make one you can push with a bar, so now my nephew has the pull wagon and my son will be getting the push one soon. This is the pull wagon. Radio Flyer EZ Folding Wagon with Canopy for Kids and Cargo

Things I Would Do Differently

• There are companies out there that make cribs that open up in the front. Think of how you open a gate, but it’s the front of the crib. My son is in the 75 percentile for height, the boy is tall, so we had to drop the mattress down to the lowest setting early. Once we did that. I couldn’t reach to put him to bed anymore. If I had an open-up crib, it wouldn’t be a problem.

• A bassinet on wheels! We used one that was portable with a handle. (We never moved it with him inside.) That worked, but if we had one on wheels I could have moved him from room to room, or to the changing pad without assistance. This would have been the one. Graco Dream Suite Bassinet, Mason, One Size

• I would have gotten a comfy reclining rocking chair from day one. I went with the classic wooden rocking chair and it was a nightmare. It squeaked, it made breastfeeding even more uncomfortable, it was bad. We traded out chairs a couple of months ago and the difference is like night and day.

As always, I hope I was able to help so of you mamas and daddies out, or at least gave you a jumping-off point. It feels great to be back, and I will catch you on the flip side!