My baby is due at the end of December. I do not want to go back after the baby is born because the baby would only be 3 months old and I do not want to put the baby in daycare. Do you think it is ok to resign from my teaching position mid year or is this not fair for my students.
Your family's needs come before your students. If you want to resign, do it and don't look back. Definitely be certain that you want to resign, though, and that you can afford to do it. Are you planning on working the following year? If so, I might recommend that you not resign, since it is so hard to find a decent teaching job these days. Oh, and talk to HR (anonymously if you prefer) about what happens if you resign during your maternity leave. Sometimes you have to pay back any health insurance premiums made on your behalf. There can be other financial penalties as well, so check into those first. You don't want any big financial surprises unless you know you can afford them.
How are all you ladies doing in the midst of the school year? My little girl just turned 9 months and she is such a joy! I do admit that I am OVER pumping at work. I'm trying to wean, but she won't take straight formula. Other than that all is well...We are trying to recover from the time change and looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas break!
Jeky.... I know bfeeding takes a lot of time...but during cold & flu you are giving your baby extra immunity!!! I would go through this season if you can!!!!
Mine is very close in age to yours. Our biggest hurdle right now is table food. I have been struggling with it because I have developed extreme (seriously extreme) anxiety about the baby choking. I don't know how to get comfortable enough to do what I need to do as far as table food goes. Ugh.
Make sure things are mushy like noodles, bananas, cut things into little pieces. hey do a good job of mushing it with their hard gums.... I know I always had that fear...just have to watch carefully!!!
I lost track of this thread somewhere along the line. Might be something to do with having a newborn in the house. Anyway, I just wanted to say congratulations! Our babies share birthdays. My daughter was also born on 5/8/14 and weighed 6 pounds 11 ounces.
I completely understand. My daughter is only 6 months but I have been attempting a modified version of baby led weaning. For those who aren't familiar... http://www.babyledweaning.com/ I say modified because I have been feeding her homemade baby food as well. Mainly because our pediatrician had us start her on solids before 6 months and they don't suggest baby led weaning until 6 months so I started with pureed solids for about a month. But the choking fear plays a role as well. One of the first truly solid foods I gave her were some steamed sweet potatoes. She grabbed them, took a bite and promptly started to cough. Logically I knew she wasn't in any danger...they were steamed to basically mush, the bite she took was tiny, etc. but it didn't stop me from panicking. She coughed a lot the first few times I let her feed herself but I think it was because she wasn't used to the sensation of swallowing something so solid. Anyway, that was long winded and contained no real advice. I guess I just wanted to say you aren't alone in that fear. I don't have quite the anxiety about it that you do but I totally understand how you can. It is a very scary thing to think about your baby choking.
I had the same fears as you. I kept my babies on mushy food until they had enough teeth to eat little bites of cereal or hot dogs. There is plenty enough healthy food out there that is already mushed or can be mushed in the food processor. I tried teddy bear grahams on my 13 mo old son and he did choke. Scary! I also think that children who are started on table food too soon are at risk of developing weight problems.
We tried puffs at around 6 months and my baby did choke. Like, full-on choking, where there was a tiny red face and tears but no breathing and no sound, where I had to yank the baby out of the high chair and give full-blown smacks on the back, all that. It was terrifying. My baby is great at taking big bites of stuff, but isn't so great at chewing.
Oh, Caesar, that must have been horrible. My younger sister choked on a small piece of apple once when she was a toddler. Same thing--turning blue and everything. She still doesn't like apples...probably because I don't think Mom ever fed them to her again!
Thanks! How is your baby doing? I'm loving the stage he's in right now. He's a very happy baby, but unfortunately is sleeping very poorly. He slept 8-10 hours straight when he was swaddled and sleeping in a rock n play. But ever since I stopped swaddling him (because he rolled over), he hasn't slept through the night. It's probably been 4 months of no sleep now. I'm so exhausted!!!
She's doing great, thanks! I agree. This stage is so much fun. I completely understand what you're going through with sleep. My daughter slept 6-8 hours from about 2 1/2 months. Then at about 3 1/2 months out of nowhere, boom! She was up every 1-2 hours and wouldn't nap during the day. It was so hard! That went on for about a month and I was a zombie! I can only imagine how you're feeling after 4 months! I sure hope it gets better for you soon.
That must have been terrifying! I understand your anxiety even more now! When you asked what size pieces of food, my initial thought was to tell you a little bigger than the size of a pea. But that is about the size of a puff so I guess I don't know. My biggest fear is that my daughter will choke and I will be frozen with fear and not be able to act or remember what to do. Good job to you for knowing what to do for your baby and acting so quickly.
Caesar...I think it depends...We didn't do fruit puss...some actually dissolve quicker than others until a bit older.... I would say my pieces were size of like qtip top/eraser....but everything we give like noodles are so mushy to begin with. Even ripe bananas so mushy!!!
I was always more scared of the teeny tiny bites, because they seemed to just slip right down. I remember my babies having more trouble with smaller bites. I understand the fear though. It never goes away, by the way, it's just replaced with other fears. My baby is going to start driving soon. I literally can't think about it, and just typing that makes me shudder. My advice is to take it slow, one piece at a time, and allow plenty of time in between bites. Some babies just aren't ready when the charts say they should be. As long as they are getting nourishment from formula and/or breast milk, they should be fine.
Kc... Right what works for one may not for other. You are right though it's when then pack their cheeks full... I think the time table now is crazy from kids I know only like 14 years ago. I remember my neighbor chewing on those teething biscuits she got a piece caught. Never used them again...
I'm totally in the same boat with feeding table food, even though this is baby #2. I try to not stress about it and give her things I am comfortable with...At 9 months, she has had puffs, yogurt melts, diced avocado, diced steamed squash, and overcooked peas. She does much better with self-feeding foods than the baby food purees (unless it's fruit puree)! I also watch her like a hawk when she is eating finger foods and try to remember that up until one year it's just practice. Diznee you are right about the cold/flu season and the antibodies given in breastmilk. I'm trying so hard not to be selfish!
Oh man I can't even imagine how sleep-deprived you must be! That's sooooo hard! Have you sleep-trained yet?
Jeky have the feeding "rules" changed since 1st one? I mean they used to say no eggs until after 1 & peanut butter till after 2...no it's whatever whenever!!! LOL!!! Unless known allergies in fam. Good for you!!!! I am always amazed at the info of bfeeding for both mom & baby...sorry I read posters while waiting for drs!!! LOL!!!
