4 ms·

I hear you, but I wonder if like in most fields, there are some basic truths that can be relied upon, but that total "juniors" will be ignorant of.

dcre 4y ago
I agree with commenter that there's a good reason general advice doesn't exist. I have some tips for the first couple of months that I collected in an iOS note after the second kid, but they're all little practical things that are pretty personal and make me sound like a crazy person, which to me proves the point. Baby tips - have some of the next size diaper around so you can try it earlier instead of making the kid wear too-small diapers for a week, leaking everywhere. this happened to me every size transition - precut a bunch of little rectangles of paper towel for butt cream application - pump and use a bottle or just use formula if the baby is having a hard time eating in the first week, don’t let the breast dogmatists scare you - early tummy time with them kneeling on the bed, head on your stomach. it’s easier and they can actually lift - keep a box of gloves near the changing table. rather than leaving someone watching them on the table to wash your hands, just take off the gloves - changing table in your bedroom (we didn’t do this the first time) - don’t wear slippers in the hospital, wear something harder you can really clean - soap bottles for bath should have pumps for one-handed operation - don’t be afraid to give tylenol when they’re sick. there were several times we held off when we absolutely should have given it - try to avoid having too many visitors in the hospital. you need to sleep or at least rest instead. we had both our families visiting the first time and it was so much worse than covid-era visitation - they like to be swaddled much tighter than you think you should - bring velcro swaddle blanket to the hospital Products - cardinal gates stairway angle gate - teether thing you can put fruit in - phone tripod for facetime - bottle washing box for dishwasher - hand pump is a cheap way to relieve pressure - lanolin and hydrogels - velcro swaddles and then sleep sacks - Dutailier glider - a decent otoscope is handy to have around (you are constantly wondering whether they're cranky because they have an ear infection) but it's _very_ hard to see an infant's eardrum
- ars 4y ago
  I don't agree with your advice about Tylenol, it has zero medical benefit. Lowering fevers is not necessary in any way, does not protect, it does not help heal, the best you could say is maybe it makes a baby (and child) a bit more comfortable. But in exchange the illness lasts a little bit longer. And this is not my personal opinion, this is what the best available studies say: fever reducers have no medical value.
  - chemeng 4y ago
    For most illnesses, you are correct, reducing a fever is unnecessary. However infants and toddlers are at risk for febrile seizures should their temperature increase too high, too quickly. In those scenarios (fast rising temp) there is considerable medical benefit to intervention.
    - ars 4y ago
      What you write is commonly believed, but not actually true. There is no medical benefit to intervention: "The most consistently identified serious concern of caregivers and health care providers is that high fevers, if left untreated, are associated with seizures, brain damage, and death. It is argued that by creating undue concern over these presumed risks of fever, for which there is no clearly established relationship," https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/127/3/e20103852/65016/Fever-and-Antipyretic-Use-in-Children?autologincheck=redirected%3fnfToken%3d00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000 https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/127/3/e20103...
  - ghostpepper 4y ago
    Can you link to some of these studies? This medical advice you are dispensing online disagrees with what I've been told by doctors and nurses. Also not sure if you have a kid but I don't think it's a foregone conclusion that making a sick infant comfortable is not worthwhile.
    - ars 4y ago
      Here: https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/127/3/e20103852/65016/Fever-and-Antipyretic-Use-in-Children?autologincheck=redirected%3fnfToken%3d00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000 https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/127/3/e20103... "It should be emphasized that fever is not an illness but is, in fact, a physiologic mechanism that has beneficial effects in fighting infection" "and limited data have revealed that fever actually helps the body recover more quickly from viral infections, although the fever may result in discomfort in children." "There is no evidence that children with fever, as opposed to hyperthermia, are at increased risk of adverse outcomes such as brain damage." > that making a sick infant comfortable is not worthwhile. Keep in mind in exchange the illness last longer. There are other ways to make a sick infant comfortable. You nurse them, you hold them, a cool cloth on the forehead helps a lot. Some babies like the vibration of a car ride, parents usually know what makes their baby happy - the hard part typically is finding time to focus on doing that. Obviously it's easier if they sleep in their crib (and for some parents that's the best option). But what you should NOT do is think "My baby is sick I have to give the baby Tylenol!" You don't. (I've even seem parents wake their baby because it was time for the next dose!) A bit to help with comfort? OK. But the main thing is don't think you are treating their illness.
baxtr 4y ago
You’re basically asking a question like: - Hey! I have this new employee. What should I do? - Hey! I have this new job. What should I do? You’ll get plenty of generic advice. Some of it might be useful. Most of it won’t apply to your “case”.
- strix_varius 4y ago
  Those are good examples to use - here's what I would say: - Make sure they have filled out (this list of required legal documents before you can start work) - Make sure you have an onboarding plan. Here's what an example onboarding plan might look like. - Have 1:1s with your manager. Here are some topics you might want to cover in your first week, first month, first quarter, and first year. For a baby-related illustration - I know, for example, that I'll need to change diapers & make sure the baby is clean. I've never changed a baby's diaper before, so I'll probably watch a bunch of youtube videos and also ask if a friend with a baby will give me a tutorial beforehand. But that's a known unknown for me. I would like to know all of the other basic knowledge that every parent is going to need to have, in order to be successful. So I'm not looking for "advice," I truly am looking for the most fundamental, universal guidance. A great example from my wife's doctor was a 1-page list of things she should stop eating and a 1-page list of medications she can safely take while pregnant.

dcre 4y ago

I agree with commenter that there's a good reason general advice doesn't exist. I have some tips for the first couple of months that I collected in an iOS note after the second kid, but they're all little practical things that are pretty personal and make me sound like a crazy person, which to me proves the point. Baby tips - have some of the next size diaper around so you can try it earlier instead of making the kid wear too-small diapers for a week, leaking everywhere. this happened to me every size transition - precut a bunch of little rectangles of paper towel for butt cream application - pump and use a bottle or just use formula if the baby is having a hard time eating in the first week, don’t let the breast dogmatists scare you - early tummy time with them kneeling on the bed, head on your stomach. it’s easier and they can actually lift - keep a box of gloves near the changing table. rather than leaving someone watching them on the table to wash your hands, just take off the gloves - changing table in your bedroom (we didn’t do this the first time) - don’t wear slippers in the hospital, wear something harder you can really clean - soap bottles for bath should have pumps for one-handed operation - don’t be afraid to give tylenol when they’re sick. there were several times we held off when we absolutely should have given it - try to avoid having too many visitors in the hospital. you need to sleep or at least rest instead. we had both our families visiting the first time and it was so much worse than covid-era visitation - they like to be swaddled much tighter than you think you should - bring velcro swaddle blanket to the hospital Products - cardinal gates stairway angle gate - teether thing you can put fruit in - phone tripod for facetime - bottle washing box for dishwasher - hand pump is a cheap way to relieve pressure - lanolin and hydrogels - velcro swaddles and then sleep sacks - Dutailier glider - a decent otoscope is handy to have around (you are constantly wondering whether they're cranky because they have an ear infection) but it's _very_ hard to see an infant's eardrum

ars 4y ago
I don't agree with your advice about Tylenol, it has zero medical benefit. Lowering fevers is not necessary in any way, does not protect, it does not help heal, the best you could say is maybe it makes a baby (and child) a bit more comfortable. But in exchange the illness lasts a little bit longer. And this is not my personal opinion, this is what the best available studies say: fever reducers have no medical value.
- chemeng 4y ago
  For most illnesses, you are correct, reducing a fever is unnecessary. However infants and toddlers are at risk for febrile seizures should their temperature increase too high, too quickly. In those scenarios (fast rising temp) there is considerable medical benefit to intervention.
  - ars 4y ago
    What you write is commonly believed, but not actually true. There is no medical benefit to intervention: "The most consistently identified serious concern of caregivers and health care providers is that high fevers, if left untreated, are associated with seizures, brain damage, and death. It is argued that by creating undue concern over these presumed risks of fever, for which there is no clearly established relationship," https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/127/3/e20103852/65016/Fever-and-Antipyretic-Use-in-Children?autologincheck=redirected%3fnfToken%3d00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000 https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/127/3/e20103...
- ghostpepper 4y ago
  Can you link to some of these studies? This medical advice you are dispensing online disagrees with what I've been told by doctors and nurses. Also not sure if you have a kid but I don't think it's a foregone conclusion that making a sick infant comfortable is not worthwhile.
  - ars 4y ago
    Here: https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/127/3/e20103852/65016/Fever-and-Antipyretic-Use-in-Children?autologincheck=redirected%3fnfToken%3d00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000 https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/127/3/e20103... "It should be emphasized that fever is not an illness but is, in fact, a physiologic mechanism that has beneficial effects in fighting infection" "and limited data have revealed that fever actually helps the body recover more quickly from viral infections, although the fever may result in discomfort in children." "There is no evidence that children with fever, as opposed to hyperthermia, are at increased risk of adverse outcomes such as brain damage." > that making a sick infant comfortable is not worthwhile. Keep in mind in exchange the illness last longer. There are other ways to make a sick infant comfortable. You nurse them, you hold them, a cool cloth on the forehead helps a lot. Some babies like the vibration of a car ride, parents usually know what makes their baby happy - the hard part typically is finding time to focus on doing that. Obviously it's easier if they sleep in their crib (and for some parents that's the best option). But what you should NOT do is think "My baby is sick I have to give the baby Tylenol!" You don't. (I've even seem parents wake their baby because it was time for the next dose!) A bit to help with comfort? OK. But the main thing is don't think you are treating their illness.

baxtr 4y ago

You’re basically asking a question like: - Hey! I have this new employee. What should I do? - Hey! I have this new job. What should I do? You’ll get plenty of generic advice. Some of it might be useful. Most of it won’t apply to your “case”.

strix_varius 4y ago
Those are good examples to use - here's what I would say: - Make sure they have filled out (this list of required legal documents before you can start work) - Make sure you have an onboarding plan. Here's what an example onboarding plan might look like. - Have 1:1s with your manager. Here are some topics you might want to cover in your first week, first month, first quarter, and first year. For a baby-related illustration - I know, for example, that I'll need to change diapers & make sure the baby is clean. I've never changed a baby's diaper before, so I'll probably watch a bunch of youtube videos and also ask if a friend with a baby will give me a tutorial beforehand. But that's a known unknown for me. I would like to know all of the other basic knowledge that every parent is going to need to have, in order to be successful. So I'm not looking for "advice," I truly am looking for the most fundamental, universal guidance. A great example from my wife's doctor was a 1-page list of things she should stop eating and a 1-page list of medications she can safely take while pregnant.