Stephanie, Christopher gave Owen a bottle unbeknownst to me at 3 weeks. He did it so I could get more than two hours sleep at a stretch. We never had any issues with him switching back and forth from the bottle to the breast. But a lot of it depends on the individual baby. I've known babies that won't take a bottle and I've known babies that once they get the bottle, they won't go back to the breast.

I think by five weeks, you should know what kind of kid you have.

Are the bar people worried about you having the baby in the exam? Do you have a sitter lined up to keep the baby so you can duck out and nurse? I think if you have a baby that won't take a bottle, you might be able to press the issue.

Can children be embedded with special alarms that start to wail when they think about doing something dangerous? Maybe a light tranq as well. How very very scary.

Yes. I want this. Preemptively. Annabel hasn't done anything super scary yet, but just in case.

Yikes, Gud. That's just...yikes.

Stephanie, I think the official advice is that if you're planning to offer a bottle at all, it's good to start around 3 weeks--late enough to avoid nipple confusion but early enough that they won't be too stubborn to accept the bottle. So you're probably good. Consider renting a hospital pump and starting pumping as soon as your milk supply and your kid's nursing habits are well-established.

People who managed to successfully breastfeed will probably have further advice--I just know from pumping, since I did it ever few hours for the first two months.

(Is it bad that I'm currently feeling wary and reluctant to even try breastfeeding if we have another kid? Because I know that it's best and all that, but I also know it's possible to raise a healthy and intelligent child on formula, and my memories of breastfeeding are uniformly negative.)

Susan, it's not bad at all. I'm more than a little leery myself given the cracked and bleeding nipples. I want to try again, but I'm going into with a little more reality based experience and whole lot less guilt considering the healthy, formula-fed youngster beside me.

Stephanie, I have no useful answer as to what would qualify as a special accomodation for the bar, but I've got to chime in to say you must be a very special kind of remarkable to be pulling all this off in such a short amount of time. Go Team You!

Cereal to say I'm watching the Dawson's Creek finale and weeping into my coffee. Why do I do this to myself?

Gud, this might be Leifproof.

Stephanie, what Lilty said. I can't even imagine sitting for the bar so soon after having a baby. You are a brave and remarkable woman.

Female TMI question for older bitches: So, my period is late. I'm not pregnant, just a week late. I am usually pretty regular at starting although things have been getting more and more on-and-off in my 40s. The BF thinks I should go to the doctor because something might be "wrong" but I feel fine. I've had a some cramps the last couple of days and just want to wait and see what happens. Eeven if I don't get a period this month, I am fine with waiting a month and seeing what happens. I mean, I'm 48--this could be perimenopause. Anyone have experience with this kind of thing?

Timelies. I just changed the most heinous, toxic diaper ever. Blech.

Is it bad that I'm currently feeling wary and reluctant to even try breastfeeding if we have another kid?

Do not feel bad about this. You don't have to nurse. But you can always try it again, if you feel strongly about it, and if it doesn't work, you know you can switch to formula. I tried with Jake, couldn't do it, tried with Ben, same, and with Sara I never even attempted it. I am so over the guilt. My kids are happy and healthy, and I was much more relaxed.

Stephanie, would it be possible to nurse the baby during the exam? Will they allow you to step out for that? If you had to do it in situ, I think it might be tough, but I wasn't a breastfeeding mom, so I could be really wrong.

Gud, the window gate does sound like a good idea. Our Ben once pitched himself out of a very low-set first-story window with one of those pop-in screens in his mad rush to see the garbage truck. Out he went, into the bushes, about eighteen months old, dressed in nothing but a diaper and a T-shirt. Stephen said he'd never been so terrified and also laughing so hard at the same time. (Ben was fine, if a little befuddled.)

Robin, I don't think there's any immediate danger in being late. Don't sweat it.