|
For those of you who have Flexible Spending Accounts, breast pumps/supplies are now eligible even without a "medical necessity" like they used to be. This includes both purchase and rentals. Bras aren't included and I'm not sure how far "supplies" goes. http://www.hdhpexpert.com/2011/02/10/irs-approves-breast-milk-pumps-now-hsa-and-fsa-eligible/
|
#
¿
Feb 21, 2011 17:41
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 3, 2024 23:40 |
|
|
I saw my OB nurse for my horrible cold and she did a strep test but ended up sending me to my general practitioner anyway a few days later when I was still miserable. He told me to have hot chicken soup and tea. He did check to make sure I didn't have pneumonia.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 28, 2011 20:56
|
|
|
legbeard posted:Sorry in advance for all the questions, these are just some of the things I have been worried about. I'm a twin mom and I'll just let you know my experience. My intention was to tandem breastfeed and cloth diaper. I bought the whole kit and kiboodle for cloth diapering and gave up pretty quickly. I'm doing a load of laundry every day without diapers and that was just too much to pile on. Maybe if I had a diaper service, it'd be easier. I ordered a diaper sprayer that ended up being unusable on our toilet, so that convenience was a no-go. I ended up doing "diaper subscription" on Amazon, which is super cheap and convenient. With Amazon Mom discounts, free shipping, and no tax, an 84 pack of diapers is $15. I got the My Breast Friend twin nursing pillow and it's just too unwieldy for me. My twins were in NICU for several weeks since they were premature (very common with twins). I pumped at home and at the hospital but my supply wasn't enough to not supplement with formula. One of the twins is nipple spoiled and will play around with breast feeding, but just doesn't want to latch on. I give him pumped milk. The other breast feeds mostly. My pediatrician stocks me up with cans of formula for free. For a stroller, get the Baby Trend Double Snap-n-Go. You can find them used on Craiglist and at resale shops. It literally takes me less than five minutes to get the babies in and out of the car. It fits most car seats -- I got the Chicco Keyfit 30 but the Graco SnugRide (popular in this thread) and others also fit. I got a Baby Jogger City Mini Stroller for when they outgrow their car seats and I want them to sit side-by-side. I go grocery shopping with the Snap-n-Go and use a cart without a problem. Lots of people in stores will offer to help you too when you have twins. It's rare that I need to take their offers because that snap-n-go rules. For sleeping, I got a full (not mini) cosleeper but the nurses in the NICU warned me not to let them sleep together because of SIDS. Most nights it's one in the cosleeper, one next to me in bed which is also a no-no. One of the nurses who had twins herself told me she got two mini cosleepers and put one on each side of the bed. She and her husband each had a twin to deal with through the night that way. She didn't breastfeed, so I'm sure this arrangement was easier for her since she was the only point of feeding. Another thing I use a lot is an Itzbeen. I use this to track when I last fed, changed, gave medicine, and pumped. They have a twin version with two of them, but one does the trick for me. I have two full sized cribs in their nursery that we use for naps mostly right now. I got the convertible cribs that become toddler beds, so they'll last for a while. I got two car seats and two high chairs, but everything else gearwise I got one. Like one swing, one bouncer, etc. They take a lot of space and they never both want to be in the same thing now. I recommend getting a changing table with shelves/drawers. It's great to have all your stuff organized, including their liquid vitamins, bath supplies, booger equipment, etc. You really want to be as organized as possible to make the care of your twins go smoothly. It'll save your sanity to know where things are when you need them immediately.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 2, 2011 19:02
|
|
|
On pumping... Rental or purchase of breast pumps and supplies are tax deductible. If you can, get an FSA (flexible spending account) if you're due in 2012 and put enough money to cover a good one. I got the Medela Freestyle which is the most portable hardcore pump you can get if you ask me. I also rented a hospital pump for a month since I wanted to pump as efficiently as possible. I think the Freestyle is as good as the hospital grade pump. "Supplies" means breast pads, storage, and cleaning supplies. Not nursing pillows. For gently caress's sake get a hands-free bra. I switch between this and the girlgoon recommended Bravado Silk nursing bra all day long. Rarely do I wear a shirt. I'd wear the hands free bra all day if it had any support. Being able to fix dinner/empty the dishwasher/type posts like this while pumping makes this bra a must. I have two each of the Simple Wishes and Bravado. Since I'm doing laundry every day, I can wash the dirty one while wearing the clean one. Farrah fucked around with this message at 19:46 on Aug 2, 2011 |
|
#
¿
Aug 2, 2011 19:41
|
|