Eat, Sleep, Poop Journals

Hi,

I'm due for a c-section in 16 days and I'm looking for some advice on keeping track of the feedings, soiled diapers and sleeping patterns. Some of my friends just kept a plain notebook to record everything. But I've found some cute "eat, sleep, poop" journals online. What did you do and what do you suggest?

Thanks!

 

I kept a journal started by the hospital- they gave me a sheet or two to record the data and I ended up having them make copies for me! I wish I'd gotten this: Itzbeen I think it would have been much nicer. I think 1 would have worked unless they needed meds or something specific.

Good luck!

 

I've gotta echo getting the Itzbeen - in different colors. It's been especially helpful when I have had others helping. You can train your helpers to at least push the buttons if you can't train them to complete your paper log. Then you can circle back and complete your paper log. HOWEVER, note that it only records the time from the last feeding/poop/nap/extra button, and it doesn't keep a daily log so you may still want to do a paper log covering the day's events. Whatever log you use, make sure it has a column for extra stuff, where you can document things like when your kids got Mylecon, vitamins, rash creams, baths, etc. This way you don't double dose on meds, or assume someone else did something when it wasn't done.

 

I'm too cheap to buy anything special so i just made my own journal. Each boys name with multiple columns - time, diaper, amt fed, to sleep, awake and just jotted it all down in there.

 

Oh my god I totally forgot about this kinda stuff! The nurses and dr always want to know when baby poos and pees and feeds and its sooo hard to remember with one.. Thanks for the reminder!!!

 

I didn't bother to keep track. (Note: I had two singletons prior to having twins.) I nursed, and mine tended to poop every time they nursed, and since they were gaining weight and the diapers were wet when I changed them, I didn't worry about it. I generally gave the dr/nurse whatever answer seemed to make them happy (8-10 wet diapers a day or something like that). It was fine. But, again, these were not my first babies, it was not the first time I nursed and I just wasn't worried about it.

 

We used a plain ole' notebook with columns for each girl and kept time of feeds, diapers (for about the first week) and meds.

 

I used this one with the twins...I'm not as paranoid about Hannah as much esp since I'm nursing and she was up over birth weight before a week old.
http://www.amazon.com/Babys-Sleep-Poop-Journal-Book/dp/0976779803/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277691961&sr=8-1

 

never used one - I couldn't be bothered...they came home from the hospital on a strict 3 hour schedule (we formula fed) and everytime they pooped we changed their diapers.,..if they didn't poop we changed at feedings to get them to wake enough to eat...

 

I, too, made my own. Figured I could make it to be exactly what I wanted. I've seen somewhere they have all the times listed, like 1 2 3 4 5..etc, and you just slash thorough the time and write down the ounces. Not a fan of that - I'm too detail-obsessed - I liked writing the time, but that takes more time. I definitely think you could find a couple of them online to get an idea of what you think would work for you and then make them. Then, if you end up wanting to do it a different way, you could just change it.

I bet, if you have a fancy phone, you could even keep it on there, if you want to go paperless.

 

Once we left the hospital, the only thing I kept track of was feeds. When and how much, on a sticky pad!

 

I never kept track of it with my first twins. Unless there is a problem then it would be important. Bit if I did it would prbably make a template o the compute so you could change it with needs.