Advice From Oct13 (Gif Style)

trackgirlparis

Hello future October 2014 moms! The infamous TB October 2013 wolfpack thought we should lend you all some helpful tips for your 9 months of pregnancy and life once baby arrives. You might also receive some helpful advice on how to get the most out of this board. 

FUTURE O14 MOD: I, the O13 Mod, made this sticky so it stays at the top as women get their BFPs and start joining.  I think you can un-sticky it.  If not, just let me know.  ~ @Kimbo1216

trackgirlparis

LEARN HOW TO USE GIFS. 

taylormarie923

Greetings from O13!



You are here because you got a BFP (Big Fat Positive) and shit just got real.


Now you have found yourself on a BMB (Birth Month Board) wide open with so many possibilities.



You are not always going to get along with every bumpie here.



But if you put in the effort, you will make a lot of really great friends over the next few months.



And find some great emotional support.



Always be appreciative for what you have, especially when the subject of baby showers comes along.



Make sure to appreciate your fellow bumpies too!



Before you know it, you will be giving advice to the October '15 group like a seasoned pro.



Enjoy and have a happy and healthy nine months!

carawasa

during your third trimester, you will find yourself going through many emotions - including, but not limited to, the following:





most deft this one:


oh, you want to know if what you're losing is your mucus plug?

Flutterby00

Congratulations!!! Welcome to the new gals and I wish you the best! You have an awesome journey ahead of you.   It's crazy for me to think that just a few weeks from now is the 1 year anniversary of my BFP.  My life has changed so much, I can't imagine not having my LO in my life now.  

So do:

Before you: 

That's how my first trimester went, anyhow!  

Congrats again!

huntjul

When your spine starts feeling like this:

visit your trusty chiropractor!  I started seeing one at 10 weeks pregnant when I already had sciatica, and it helped SO MUCH.

Stay active in pregnancy for as long as you can, even if you don't feel great doing it.  Modify workouts as best you can, but keep doing something.  Your body will thank you for it later!

pandaglitter

Even when you feel like



Remember that each moment is fleeting and special.

And when you go into labor and



It's temporary and you forget as soon as you hold your baby.



At times you'll be terrified. But



Oh and sleep as much as possible.



Really, try to have fun.

OH AND RESEARCH BREASTFEEDING IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO DO. IF YOU THINK LABOR IS HARD WAIT UNTIL YOU'RE TRYING TO BREASTFEED A PIRANHA AND YOUR NIPPLES ARE BLEEDING.

elllaf

Congratulations! H&H 9 months!

I'll let @cousinvicki show you the diagram but know that when you are reading this you're not showing yet. No baby bump. (Some of you probably just GBCB. ..)



O13 is



We are known for lots of things. Including our unrivaled snark, gif parties, and most recently hashtag usage.

pandaglitter

@elllaf oh yea I forgot hashtags!

#pregnancyishard
#trytoenjoy
#educateyoselfbeforeyouwreckyoself
#sleepallthetime
#nobumpsuntil12weeksitsjustbloat
#gestationaldiabetestestssuckdontpostresults
#layonyourstomachwhileyoucan
#medormedfreenoonecares
#formulaorbreastfednoonecares
#youreprobablyagoodmomaslongasyourkidisfedandclean
#it
#isapoundsignincaseyouforgot

muffyvonmuff

Ohhhhhh Shit Bitches you just got your BFP, you're in for a world pain.  Vaginal pain that is.

Don't get your panties in a knot, this forum prays on the weak.  And if you're easily offended, stay far away from the tri, name and shower boards.

Tue= Hot Topic Tues 

Wed=Hump Day Bump Day 

Thur=Unpopular Opinions 

Fri=Flame Free Friday Confessions

Know the difference between a confession and an opinion.  

Being pregnant is not an excuse to eat everything, this will come back to haunt you.  

Hang out with all your friends, impromptu lunch dates are going to get a little more complicated.

And invest in maternity jeans, you will be wearing them next winter too.  

But most of all enjoy the next 9 months becuase that 1st month after you pop out that little baby bundle of joy is gonna a doozy.   

#October13isthetits

CousinVicki

now that i have been there, done that:

BiggerinRealLife

A14 saying, BRAVO Oct13! Bravo!

pmarie33

Get a Roomba

portentosa

That is freaking awesome Oct13! You ladies ROCK!!

Amjoy25

Welcome to your BMB ladies!

More friendly advice...

No cares if you are a SAHM (stay at home mom) or a WM (working mom), both are hard jobs.



No one cares how much weight you have gained OR not gained, and please do NOT post "I haven't gained any weight; my ass and calves are tighter than they used to be, and I look haut".


Don't accept newbs right away...make them earn your love.



Don't engage in food wars...eat the damn lunch meat already!



Do not use ignorant racial/ethnic/homophobic slurs, you will be flamed.



Do not feed your young baby bananas and post it on FB thinking the other bumpies will not be the wiser.


Be sure to ALWAYS include a Friends gif when gif-ing...and pronounce gif with a hard g sound.



And using teeny bopper redic language like "totes" and "deft" is awesome:



Be sure you know the difference between YOUR and YOU'RE.



And for God's sake DO NOT blame all your bitchiness on hormones!!

MamaFantastic

more love from A14!

Homcrn

Congrats ladies! You are having a baby. Enjoy the time of your little one in ute. The first few weeks after your LO comes home will all be a blur! Even when you are at the end and think you want nothing then to give birth, rethink that shit...they are much easier on the inside so do not rush it!

When you voice an opinion or say something not so bright..do not get all butthurt. You will get called out. These are the same women that will be there to support you when needed.

Do not be the board that starts out saying lets be the board that gets along...Kumbaya..etc....there will be disagreements . If you are bored and need entertainment, it is sometimes fun to feed the trolls

Refer to CV fundal height chart, know the difference between gender and sex, do not start a FB group and for god sakes EAT THE FUCKING JIMMY JOHNS! Eat it proud and eat it cold!

Jalee85

Welcome if you are here you must of just gotten a BFP and I am sure are all like

No worries in a couple more weeks you will vomit and you will all be like this

In the beginning your board may be like this

But once you weed out all of the cray cray your board will be like this

It's hard to believe it's been almost a year since our BMB started, and girls let me tell you it has been an amazing experience. I hope you guys have as great of an experience as I have had. Be there for each other but keep it real. 

Best of Luck to you Ladies!

bkeane619

Congrats! We are so happy for you!

We are the ladies of October 13. We have spent the last year getting to know one another and have meaningful discussions. 

We wish you all happy and healthy creatively groomed poodles....wait, babies I mean babies.

 

You will have many ups and downs throughout the next few months and your fellow bumpies can be some friends you will have for lyfe.

But expect some bitches and trolls.  Please treat them accordingly. 

Have a wonderful time and cherish all the amazing moments.

Love ya!!!!

portentosa

More love from Jan13. Some pretty good advice up in this thread!


Also, I love that the BFPs haven't even begun for Oct14 and a bunch of other BMB ladies have already invaded.

CousinVicki

and just because this is my favorite gif ever.  

babygiantquest

Hello, ladies.

Congratulations on your respective BFPs!  Whether planned or a surprise, your pregnancy is bound to drive you crazy.  Don't worry--that's what your BMB is for.  Someday, if you're lucky, you'll have a wolfpack all your own.  Until then, here are some handy tips for surviving the first trimester (and beyond) here on TB.

1. Learn thy acronyms, and learn them well.  Here, I'll even give you a link to a list of them all. (clicky)

2. GIFs make everything better.  Fun fact: GIFing is both low in fat and a natural source of stress relief!

3. You're not going to like and/or agree with everyone.  And that is okay.  After all, that's why God invented flame wars.  Go ahead and expect your HTT, UO, and FFFC threads to look like this:

4. Educate yourself, but expect dumbassery.  There's going to be 47,875,942 repeat topic posts, and they will all be unnecessary questions that could be easily Googled.  If you do your own homework regarding your pregnancy, then you're better equipped to point and laugh at those who don't.

5. Accept the fact that you're going to spend a ridiculous amount of time here.  Even with all the Moon Moons and the trolls you will undoubtedly encounter, you will find friends who understand that babies are awesome, but pregnancy sucks.

6. Last, but not least...

#wolfpackfolyfe

#rockoutwithyourcockout

#thatswhattimsaid

jennlin

#wecallitpoundingnothashtags
#youprobablygotpoundedyourbabydaddythatswhyyouarehere
#im2lazy2gif
#imstillcooliswear
#hh9mos

huntjul

carriet2018 said:

then....the bumps will come. F it eat it all. don't listen to @huntjul she is a freak of nature and never got a bump

Amjoy25

CousinVicki said:

and just because this is my favorite gif ever.  

Balls! I've been watching this for WAY too long! DEAD.

yesthisiskim0401

Congrats on your BFP's but...

pregnancy isn't all 

A lot of you will be like

and

You CAN eat unheated lunchmeat without birthing a child with two heads

After first tri you will be a little less

and a little more

And, no, you cannot feel the baby until you are closer to 20 weeks.

Then comes third tri where you will start feeling

And then all the "OMG IS THIS LABOR!!1!1?!1??1!" posts start

And before you know it, you will have cute little babies!!!

TIPS TO SURVIVE TB:

First and foremost, learn how to gif.

Have thick skin.

And

kimbo1216

First.  To "survive" on TB, start by growing some thicker skin.  Posters will be snarky.  Posters will be "mean".  Posters will say things you don't like. Get over it. Keep posting. And move on. 


even if someone tells you this:

All you can do is be the kind of poster YOU want to be.  You can't control anyone else.  So no lectures you softies that can't take the heat.


But once you get to "know" everyone, you will make some awesome friends and find it truly is a support community.  You may even feel like this about some posters:



You will get lots and lots of advice. 
For good advice--just say:


For bad advice, just:

But think in your head:


Learn to discern the difference.

But most importantly:


For those that don't do their own research and come on to ask stupid, easily Google-able questions, keep this in your pocket: https://lmgtfy.com/ 

This is true for pregnancy and once you have your baby.  Like I said: Research.  And even more importantly, be confident in the decisions you make.  Someone will ALWAYS disagree.  That's okay so long as you are doing what is right for your family.

I take that back. You can do what is right for your family so long as it's NOT Baby Wise.  :P 

No


Most likely you won't have an ideal pregnancy/birth/baby.  So just go ahead and:

but you can deft still hope.


Oh.  And if you side-eyed me for saying deft: stop now.  Go ahead and accept it as an acceptable term.

And to echo my fellow O13 mamas. Yes. Breastfeeding is HARD!  It' also awesome and rewarding. But for something that is so natural, it doesn't come naturally for most.  So research in advance, and don't listen to the pedi's advice. The worst BF advice I hear generally comes from a pedi.  If you want to be sucessfull, the best thing you can remember when you are faced with an issue is to: nurse, nurse, nurse. Nursing is the answer to almost all BF issues.  Sometimes this is easier said than done, but it will do you well to remember it.

But don't worry if you don't look like this while doing it:


And as hard as it is in the begining,  remember it WILL get easier.  So be patient.


Above all else, just GIF away.   GIF your responses as much as possible.  You can even GIF your birth stories.  Need a pick me up? Have a GIF party, Want to celebrate?   Have a GIF Dance party.  Something like this:

yesthisiskim0401

Oh and then there's this...

The "what's safe to eat/drink" debates:

The gender/sex debate:

The 30trillion "It's a..." posts:

And since people find out the sex (usually) before 20w there will be "half way there" AW posts:

Can't forget about the "I felt the first movement that might or might not be gas" posts:

Then the GD test results start rolling in:

Followed by the mucus plug talk:

Then everyone and their mothers will be asking if they will know the difference between BH and "the real deal":

And then everyone will be talking about what to pack in their hospital bags:

There might be a handful of AW 35/35 posts:

And people love check ins. #CHECKINALLTHETHINGS Bed rest, over due, GD, PgAL, STM, cat lovers, people who drive stick shifts, right handers, etc:

But then, finally, there will be a bunch of birth stories filled with squishy newborns!!!

And when you guise have your "why can't we all get along while holding hands and singing kumbaya and kissing puppies and unicorns that fart rainbow colored glitter" (which you WILL have, especially during first tri) please feel free to use all above eye roll gifs. And call us for back up. We love good entertainment!

tmccord21

Oh hayyyyyy Oct 14! Congrats on getting knocked up.

You will soon be pretending to watch TV while you are really bumping.

and conversations with your H will usually end with him asking if you're talking about a "real friend" or an "internet friend." THEY ARE MY REAL FRIENDZ

This board will be full of useful pregnancy related advice but also fun things like.....

Man Candy Monday

and recipe exchanges

Good luck on the next 9 or so months. You will experience laughter, snarkiness, and hopefully very little heartbreak. These bitches will be around for the whole thing.

I love my Oct 13 besties...and pick a labor buddy that won't up and disappear. xoxo @bkeane619!

cat gifs never fail

marianaz0

Dead.

Congrats O14 Ladies!!!!

babygiantquest

Also--and this is important--the "flag" button beneath posts is not a "dislike" button.  (Having been flagged for no reason does give you major street cred, however.)

On a related note, if a post is made that is offensive, stupid, grammatically incorrect, and otherwise riddled with nonsense and derpage, quote that shit for posterity.  It's entertainment--don't waste it!

carawasa

Amjoy25 said:

CousinVicki said:

and just because this is my favorite gif ever.  

Balls! I've been watching this for WAY too long! DEAD.


I also found myself bobbing my head and smiling.

taylormarie923

Oh and another thing...

If you came to this board for some of this


A little of this:


And more of this:



You should probably just head straight over to babycenter.com now. 

sweettwilight16

Hi future October mommies!!! First off, you are in for a fun summer.


But the good news is, you can just wear dresses and flip flops. Because let's face it, maternity clothes aren't cheap.


AND you have the luxury (depending on where you live) of the temps cooling off right when you are at your most uncomfortable.


But, no matter the weather, and no matter how uncomfortable you are, you can always be lazy and hang out with your laptop on the couch, and still be guaranteed a fun time.



Because this place will be full of funny threads, entertaining drama, and most importantly- a bunch of women who are in the same boat as you & know just what you're going through.



Enjoy the ride, fellow October Mamas!!
 

KerCo51

Congrats O14! Not much of a GIFer, but I wanted to post my advice based on some mistakes I made. 

1. Enjoy your pregnancy.  No matter how uncomfortable you are, many of you will miss being pregnant after it's over.  

2. Don't listen to the horror stories.  Everyone will want to tell you how awful their birth story was.  This doesn't mean you are going to experience anything like this.

3.  Prepare for the first few weeks.  Having an infant is exhausting.  Organize your baby gear to make it easiest for you.  Also, take any help that is offered.  You don't have to do everything yourself. 

emmylou78

To the O14ers:

Congratulations! You are all in for a journey.  As you all get your BFPs, you are about to start one crazy ride that will expend this entire year.  Some of you may be new to this pregnancy thing, and some are veterans.  Embrace both! You'll learn from everyone.

Some of you may be




Its okay. I remember POAS and being so nervous.  I peed on 3 more.  I googled the incidence of false positives.  (For those wondering, its very very rare!)

Others here will be all





I remember keeping it to just me and my close friends, it felt like a little secret that I could enjoy all myself.  It also felt good to tell everyone finally, and relish in it.  Everyone will tell at different times.  Some may tell you to wait until the end of the 1st trimester at 13 weeks, and some of you will shout it before the stick dries!  Its all okay. Enjoy it!


I can't tell you how I came upon this board.  I was just perusing TB and wandered here.  At first here we were all




and by the end of the journey, it was very much






For me, this board has been great to save my sanity. I would've never guessed that I'd be on this board nearly every day and it would be such a tight knit group of ladies.  I've learned so much from everyone here.  Pregnancy is full of all emotions and milestones.  Its great to have people that are all going through it with you.  The good and the bad.  Yes, you may get the same questions 1000 times, but its because each person is excited, worried, or somewhere in between.  Embrace it, you may be there at some point.  Remember, everything is a phase and you will get through it!  Once you hold that baby in your arms, you know that your life has changed so so much.  You'll wonder how you ever existed before. 

By this time next year, you will be holding your baby and you will be a veteran yourself and giving your own advice to O15!


PS: buy a magic Fisher Price seahorse. 

ksimo6

Babywise is not child abuse - but feed your kid when he/ she is hungry for God's sake!

And a a cold turkey sandwich is not going to kill you or your baby.  Eat it. 

Be reasonable about what advice you will follow from books, the internet, etc and you will be fine.   Your baby WILL TELL YOU WHAT TO DO!  Trust me.  My child gets pissed about three things... shitty pants, hunger, and being tired.  We figured that out week one...and I didn't read it in a book. 

Congratulations!  Enjoy this journey!

#neverlearnedtogif

#promisetolearnforbaby#2

 

ncase2

Love all the things.

I would just add congrats on your BFP, and now go to sleep. For the next 9 months. Because your infant, once they arrive, will be all

And even when they do sleep, for the first few weeks you will be like

And then, you will have to return to your "normal" life, and you'll feel like

So please. Go to bed. Now. Especially while you're still tiny!

Enjoy! H&H9!

MissLauraPants

Welcome ladies!
Congrats on your BFP!

The Bump will be your best friend for information, a laugh, support, and entertainment.  You will have several fights on here, cries on here, laughs on here!  Just remember that it is all in good fun and you will either love it or hate it!



and don't let pregnancy stop you from pole dancing if you pole

MrsStuessyWI

Congrats to all of you!

If you are anything like I was when you saw those two lines you were like:

You will want to take 500 pregnancy tests. Just schedule a Dr. appointment and wait a month or two and don't go crazy peeing on everything like this:

Soak it all in. That brand new shocked and amazed feeling is the best feeling ever. It will quickly fade and you will probably feel like this (I know I did): 

But that only lasted for a few weeks. 

You will want to get a baby bump so badly. Trust me, it will most likely be there soon enough and by the end you will feel like this:

So enjoy your cute mini bump while you can. 

Don't feel bad if you hate being pregnant, I did. Sure, there were exciting and fun days but a lot of the days sucked. I felt sick and then fat and always tired. I was always hot and then my ribs were being kicked apart. So, enjoy those fun days. 

-make a big deal of ultrasounds... enjoy them for all they are worth.

-enjoy taking advantage of needing to put your feet up and letting people do things for you

-love being cute and pregnant because after that baby comes out you will just be deflated, stretched out and feel even fatter than before. 

-when things get really bad go out and buy a cute baby outfit or even a pack of diapers, it will help you stay focused on what is to come. 

This is what's to come:

It's ok. For me it really wasn't that bad, and I had a natural unmedicated birth. Here is one thing that no else seems to ever say. If there is something you really want for your birth go ahead and get your hopes up. If you want an unmedicated birth tell everyone that is what you want. Hope for that. Dream of it. If things don't turn out that way then you will need to adjust yourself, but until they don't go ahead and get your hopes up. It is easier to get what you want when it is what you are truly hoping for. 

I strongly recommend the book, Natural Hospital Birth if that is something you want. It made all the difference for me. 

No matter what way you end up giving birth the end result will be something along these lines:

So, something else. Breast feeding is super freaking hard. I didn't like it. I didn't feel closer to my baby. It sucked being stuck in a chair with a needy newborn stuck to your boob. I almost quit so many times during those first couple of months. So many people told me it would get better. I didn't believe them but I told myself I just needed to get to 3 months. If it still sucked I would quit and wouldn't feel bad. Well, it really did get better. Give it a try for those first few months, if you can medically. If it doesn't work out don't feel bad. Formula is great and your baby will be just fine. 

Here is what I thought about breast feeding the first couple months:

Don't feel bad about hating to BF. Don't feel bad if you end up FF. And don't hate each other and don't be overly sensitive about what other people say. 

When you have a baby your life will be so incredibly better. They will love you so much and when you know for the first time that they do love you all the sore nipples, sleepless nights, boring days and belly fat will be worth it. 

Whether it is at the moment the two lines show up, at the ultrasound, the moment of birth, when you get that first smile or 3 months later you will feel the most incredible love you have ever experienced. 

Enjoy ladies. Make the most out of the bump! It is a great place to be. Stop in and say hi to all of us over at O13 if you want from time to time. 

Crinita

Congratulations Oct 14 bumpies!

There will be threads on what to pack for the hospital/birth center.  I spent hours packing and repacking a lot of crap that I didn't even think about using.  Here's what I actually used (birth center).  Water, chapstick, phone, hair tie, nightgown for delivery (short dress style), and stretchy comfortable nursing friendly clothes for post-delivery.  All baby needed was a few diapers, a onesie, socks, hat, receiving blanket and car seat.  Dad brought his phone, phone charger and camera, and really that was all he needed.  When I unpacked my bag weeks after the birth (ain't nobody got time for that!) I was shocked at how naive I must have been for putting items like massage oils and magazines in my bag.  Yep, nope.  So my contribution to the advice is:  DON'T OVERPACK.  Focus that energy instead on cleaning your house now, or on resting. 

Also, even though some of you will be puking your guts out soon (raises hand, yep, that was me too, and you have my utter sympathy) and that last month is a bitch, enjoy your pregnancy.  Because it will fly by, and the next thing you know you will be giving advice to the Oct 15 mommies and feeling all nostalgic and weepy.