*~*~* ftm & btdtm play date! 11/13 *~*~*

AMShark

Welcome to the First Time Mothers (FTM) & Been There Done That Mothers (BTDTM) Play Date!

This is a thread for the FTM's in our PAIF community.  Check-ins will be posted every other Thursday.  On alternating Thursdays, I'll post a FT & BTDT moms' "Play Date" thread - in which we inexperienced first timers ask for advice and feedback from the more experienced ladies in our communities.

Here are our FTM's, ordered by EDD:

Third Trimester

11/04/14 - @rox825

11/19/14 - @Ashris13 

12/13/14 - @CandaceC1020

12/15/14 - @heleng5

12/15/14 - @xc1148

12/30/14 - @Saintelizabeth

01/13/15 - @southernyankeegirl

01/14/15 - @MKateG

01/21/15 - @hopeby2015
01/24/15 - @Lady2010

Second Trimester

02/02/15 - @WA1215

02/07/15 - @jaztastic

02/11/15 - @MissEm15

02/17/15 - @weansworld09

02/19/15 - @Escarabeo217

02/22/15 - @BeckyP005

02/22/15 - @runawaylaurel

03/14/15 - @Margritli (twins)

03/21/15 - @KT416

03/23/15 - @poohniki

04/17/15 - @pblge

04/25/15 - @BalletAn

04/25/15 - @Canuck13

04/29/15 - @AMShark (twins)

05/01/15 - @LO95

05/02/15 - @gsancho

05/05/15 - @rella22

05/07/15 - @sugar4bri (twins)

First Trimester 

05/16/15 - @Aimothy

05/16/15 - @sunshinedaisies000

05/20/15 - @Lesliem0901

05/21/15 - @holberry5

05/25/15 - @1220winterbride

05/25/15 - @Champs28

05/25/15 - @Regan1976

05/25/15 - @yvonne0001
05/26/15 - @HCAMP123

05/26/15 - @viola27
05/29/15 - @kittenmittens9

05/30/15 - @MJ14323

05/31/15 - @IFinTN

05/31/15 - @sweetpotato123 (twins)

06/03/15 - @CarSaidYes

06/03/15 - @turquoisequeen

06/04/15 - @wendyful

06/06/15 - @Andy99

06/11/15 - @starlightgator (twins)

06/12/15 - @PurpleDaisy923 (twins)

06/15/15 - @jessimi06 (twins)

06/18/15 - @hbanana18

06/24/15 - @erbear84

07/02/15 - @katemonster1

07/03/15 - @amylev80

07/08/15 - @theblessingofababy
PAIF Angels: 
missmarypoppins

Graduates:
@Cutiecruz327 - Welcome, baby Manny, b. 10/22/14

@lincoln79 - Welcome, baby William Ryan, b. 10/29/14

@ekc0630 - Welcome, baby Jackson Thomas, b. 10/31/14

QOTW: Let's play the name game!  Have you started thinking of a name(s) for your LOs?  Any disagreements with your OH? Any *rules* your trying to follow in choosing a name?

**Play Date Note** Hey, expectant FTM's - What do you want to know from someone who's already been through it?  Now's your chance to ask questions!

Please respect our BTDT contributors & avoid duplicate questions. What to know what was already answered?  Check out the links to previous Play Date threads:
10/02 Play Date session
10/17 Play Date session

10/30 Play Date session

AMShark

Woo Hoo!  The whole thing posted in one try this week. 

Also, OMG, guyz!!  I totally forgot to gather questions from my FTM's yesterday.  I think that worked well last time, but I just totally forgot this week.  (In 2 weeks, after things stop being INSANE at work, maybe I'll remember again).

My Question to BTDT Moms - Car seats - do you have a model that you recommend?  Did you need to buy an infant car seat, and later replace it as your baby(ies) grew?  

(I'm having twins, so I'm expecting smaller babies at this point).

Thanks in advance!

QOTW:  We have not really started the name game yet, but we do have a few rules, based on our last name.  Because our last name is long (9 letters), I want to avoid longer names, and because our last name starts with an "S", DH wisely proclaimed, we need to avoid S names.  (I'm not giving either of my kids the initials S.S. - unhappy associations there).

turquoisequeen

Thanks for posting @AMShark‌

My question for BTDT moms is about gliders. Did you find one that you like or recommend? I'd like to avoid the ones that have wood mixed with fabric and get one that looks like a regular upholstered chair but some of them are pretty pricey so it needs to be comfy and easy to clean.


QOTW: we haven't talked about it much yet except that we want to avoid any names in the top 20 for recent years.

runawaylaurel

Ditto @AMShark's question, sort of. We actually already bought a convertible car seat (5-45 lbs. I think) but a couple of my mom friends have warned me that I'll miss not having the infant seat so now I'm second guessing myself. Will I regret it?

QOTW: We have picked a girl and a boy name! We just hunkered down one weekend morning and talked until we'd decided. Our rules were nothing ending with a hard C or K sound because our last name starts with a hard C, and nothing that's super popular/trendy or rapidly gaining popularity right now. 

Saintelizabeth

My question to BTDT moms: Another BFing question specifically to those who supplemented either because it was recommended by a ped or you chose to. At what point did you start to supplement? I had a breast reduction 11 years ago and I’m going to attempt to BF. My fear is that I won’t produce enough or even anything at all, so I’m considering supplementing if I can produce. I don’t know when I would be ideal to start that. My OB also had a breast reduction and her experience was she dried up at 6 wks and before that she never produced enough anyways. I’ve also thought about pumping after feeding if I can rather than supplement, but don’t know when I would start that either?

 

I apologize if it seems like I’m rambling. Right now this is my biggest concern :-$

QOTW: DH and I had our names picked out years ago before we ever started officially TTC. We’ve both been obsessed with music since we were kids and it’s still a big thing in our lives so our boy and girl names we picked revolve around a singer/songwriter we both are crazy about who passed away when we started dating. The middle names are going to be related to our grandparents. My grandfather’s name if it’s a boy and his grandmother’s name is it’s a girl.

pblge

Yay, another play date! I don't have any questions, but I'll thank the BTDT moms in advance for all their wonderful help!!

QOTW: YES, we struggle. DH likes weird nature names, like Lake or Stone, but when I suggest more common nature names like Forrest, Willow, or Reed, he just makes a face. We'll be talking about it again once we know the sex. And we do have rules:
1. No terrible, common nicknames. Both of us have first names that are routinely and horrifyingly shortened. None of that.
2. Nothing from the Bible, except perhaps for a family mn. We're just not Bible people.
3. Nothing that will get the kid beaten up in middle school. Like Lake or Stone, or a girls' name for a boy.

rella22

Add me please as a FTM!  Due May 5th...15 weeks 2 days today!

QOTW:  We have a girl name...but we are struggling for a boy name.  We'll find out next month if we have to continue the struggle haha!

hopeby2015

No questions here either.

QOTW: we do have a name picked out but if anyone asks, we're still thinking about it. We had no rules or anything. We kind of just threw names at each other whenever we heard or read something we liked (and it was more me giving suggestions than dh) and the other person would veto if they didn't like it. Finally had like 3 names we really liked, told family and they liked em all and saw no bad associations that we couldn't see ... so we choose our favorite.

Thank you BTDT Moms for answering our questions!

Lady2010

Hi Ladies - 

My question for BTDT moms - I have heard that every baby likes a different bottle.  I am planning on BFing but of course want to be prepared in case the baby doesn't latch properly and I have to pump and use a bottle - or if for whatever reason I don't produce enough and have to use Formula.  SO - I think ideally it would be good to have a couple bottles on hand just in case - but HOW do I know which to get?  Should I just get one or two of a few different kinds or ??? Any advice on this is appreciated!

2nd BTDT question (sorry - hope we are allowed 2!) - Thermometers... I have heard the ear / forehead are not as accurate and it is best to do the rectal - but I would be terrified to hurt the baby.  Thoughts?

THANK YOU!

QOTW:  We do have a girl and boy name (we are team Green)... We started the list years ago and the girl's name we settled on early in pregnancy.  The boy's name has been harder.  We are different cultures - and initially we were looking at names from both, but we (actually DH) suggested that we focus on names from my culture since the baby will have his last name.  Only rules - we both had veto rights, and we decided to avoid names that started with the same letter as DH's last name.

sweetpotato123

Thanks @AMShark‌ and all the BTDTmoms!

I have a crib question- are convertible ones really worth it or will we just end up buying new furniture when the time comes?

QOTD- I dont think these babies will have names.

mdiblasi10

Hi ladies! So happy for all of you

Car seats - I do recommend the infant snap-in seats, for a few different reasons. There will be times when baby falls asleep in the seat and you are about to go shopping or eat somewhere and it's much easier to just pull the seat out with baby in it. Also, most strollers have adapters to hold most infant seats so you can just pop the seat into the stroller and go, right from the car. We used a Graco Snugride infant seat. We now have a Britax Marathon for our 2 1/2 year old and love it. 

Glider - I looooooove my glider! I fed LO in it so many times and it became a favorite place to sit with him. I wanted an upholstered one as well and found one at the local consignment store and had it re-upholstered, as well as the gliding ottoman we found. It wasn't the cheapest option (upholstering is SO expensive!) but my Mom gifted it to us. One thing that was important was for me to actually sit in it. I wanted comfort and a high back. Some have such low backs, that if you lean back to rest your head, it doesn't support you. I have the Newco Channel Glider Chair.

Bottles and Supplementing - I had no clue how to pick a bottle. Just before LO started daycare, I bought a few that were supposed to resemble the breast and tried them. Funny thing was the one he ended up liking best was the simple Playtex Nurser with the drop-in liners (and the brown nipple) I did use a slower flow nipple for as long as possible to try and help him avoid becoming happier with a bottle as opposed to the breast. I breastfed for 10 months, when DS decided he was done. I was supplementing at 7 months as he started to want more and more at daycare, and my pumping started to produce less. I hated pumping, so I would guess that if I wasn't a working mom, I could have continued exclusively breastfeeding for the full year like I wanted. 

FishyMom

Hello FTM!! I am less than a week away from my EDD.. So ready!

No questions for me at this time but I LOVE this thread! Thanks to @AMShark‌ for the hard work.

Qotw: we have had our girl name for years but we're struggling with a boy name after my sister took the name we wanted for her son.. Thanks goodness it's a girl!!

Pintobean39

I never participate because my kids are so much older nothing is the same anymore but I'll give my opinion.

I had separate car seats with them. When they were infants I loved the infant carrier because it was so much easier to not wake then up moving them in and out of the car. I can't imagine a car seat for an infant that I wasn't able to carry around. Of course mine didn't snap in like they do now but I'm sure it's the same concept. Also my boys slept in their car seats a lot, why wake a sleeping baby if you don't have to was my motto.

I didn't have a glider, this again is a new concept. I did have a recliner rocker. I will be getting a chair with an ottoman with no wood that rocks. I can't tell you how many times I dozed off in that chair with my boys during night feedings. I'm going to make sure this chair is comfy enough to sleep in just in case.

They didn't have convertible cribs with my boys either. I did have a toddler bed that their dad made. My oldest loved the toddler bed and my youngest went straight from crib to queen size bed. I'm getting a convertible bed because I'm sure this baby will mess up the bed, babies love to chew them. I had guards on my boys beds to prevent this but I'm not sure if they have them anymore. I love antiques and I'll buy this child an antique when it gets older but until then it can damage the convertible bed all it wants. Then when it's done chewing and coloring on furniture I'll buy it a nice bed. From what I've seen on the prices of convertible beds they aren't that expensive to be used for 7-8 years and them get rid of it.

Thermometers, here again not sure if they have gotten better. I had an ear thermometer 16 yrs ago and it was always different temps. I didn't trust it, I like just plain digital thermometers.

Ruthie04

I have 2 year old boy twins, so I'm happy to help!

Car Seats: I would highly recommend getting an infant seat before the convertible. Not only would it be a pain when the nurses at the hospital ask you to bring it in to inspect it (they check the expiration date), but it makes the early days so much easier. When LO is sleeping or it is super cold outside, it's wonderful to be able to pop the car seat out and bring it into stores or doctor's offices. It's essential with twins, as trying to get two tiny babies in and out of car seats when it is raining or snowing is a nightmare. Just pop them in a snap and go stroller and you are good to go! We moved the boys into convertible car seats around 10 mos. We had the Chicco Keyfit 30s, which were recommended by the hospital staff. Not only are they very safe, but they are one of the only car seats available with a weight minimum under 5lbs (my babies were never in the NICU, but were discharged with me at 4lbs 8oz).

Glider: I do not care for mine, but it was a hand me down. If I could pick, I would get a reclining glider. It would have been amazing to lean back and let the babies doze on me during fussy nights and naps.

Bottles/Supplementing: We had to supplement from day 1, as the babies were SGA (small for gestational age). The NP at my pedi's office was a LC, so she helped us come up with a plan that worked for us. In the hospital, I'd nurse/pump, give the boys that milk, and follow up with formula. Later, I did the same with nursing, but would mix formula with the BM bottles. Much easier. As far as bottles, my boys used Dr Brown's with no issues. I read it was good for BFing babies and babies with reflux. No problems switching back and forth with bottles and the breast. I bought a couple NB starter sets in the event they liked another type. You can throw those on your registry if you are planning on using bottles. Either way, get the contact info for a good LC before you deliver and she will help you work out a plan for bottle or BF/formula feeding.

Cribs: My boys are still in cribs, but I'm regretting the convertible option now. Because the boys share a room, I suppose it will be nice to have smaller toddler beds, but I do not want to buy toddler bedding, only to have to switch to twin bedding a year or so later.

Thermometer: There's actually a thread on this on SAIF today! I use a temporal and double check with a rectal if it is over 100. They make rectal thermometers for babies that will prevent you from putting it in too far. My boys have never fussed when I check their rectal temp- just use some Vaseline and it won't bother them a bit.

HTH!

ccam

Hi ladies!! 

Car seats - Like @mdiblasi10 said, the infant carrier car seats are worth it just for the sleeping aspect.  Also, they were nice during the colder weather so that you don't have to take them in and out of the seat.  Instead they could stay all bundled and warm.  I used the Chicco Keyfit and loved it.  I also had the snap-n-go stroller frame so I could leave DS sleeping and be on our way.  Once we switched to a convertible car seat, we purchased the Britax Marathon.

Glider - We spent a lot of money on our glider/recliner but it was so worth it!  Both DH and I have slept in that chair on multiple occasions.  Our chair is by Best Chairs, Inc.  It's super wide so even now, DS can sit next to one of us in the chair when we read before bed.  It's something on our list of things to buy for LO #2 when he or she is ready to transition into the nursery.  It could also eventually work in another room of the house because it doesn't look like nursery furniture.

Supplementing - DS lost so much weight in the hospital and within the first few weeks that we started supplementing from the beginning, in the hospital.  That, along with a combination of other things, I believe led to my lack of supply.  If I could do it again, I would have tried to hold of a little longer but when you're so worried about the baby losing weight, you sort of do what you have to do.  I also started pumping from the very beginning because DS's latch was so awful.  I fed him colostrum through a little dropper.  I worked a lot with the lactation consultant and pretty much did what they suggested.  I also was never able to EBF so I'm hoping I have better luck this time!

Bottles - I would suggest buying a bottle or two in a few different brands.  Don't get those starter kits because if the baby doesn't like that type, the whole expensive kit is a waste!  I did a little bit of research before DS and registered for a few avent bottles and Born Free glass bottles... he hated both!  I tried a few more which I borrowed from a friend (who went through the same thing) and he ended up doing well with the Playtex Ventaire Wide bottles.  I've also heard good things about the Playtex drop-ins and Dr. Brown's bottles (tried these and cleaning was a pain!).

Thermometer - I use the ear one now and love it (DS is 2 though).  The forehead one - I went through 2 of them and they were such a waste.  It would constantly have a different reading.  But for the infant stage, rectal is probably best.  You literally stick the very tip in, so the baby won't even notice it! 

PennyLane26

Hi mamas to be! Hope you are all feeling well and enjoying growing your babes!

Car Seat - I recommend anything by Britax. IMO they are the safest out there. I would also strongly recommend an infant seat. Though I was big on baby wearing, it was a lifesaver to not have to wake a sleeping baby to transition to a wrap or carrier. Also, for all of the pedi appointments early on, it gives your arms a break and gives baby a place to relax! We transitioned to a convertible around 6 months.

Glider - Definitely necessary, though we bought a fairly inexpensive one from BRU and I love it. It's been used and abused and it's still going strong for baby #2!

Bottles & Supplementing - Because of some health complications, DD was introduced to bottles and formula by day 5. I primarily BF, however she did get one bottle of formula every evening for the first 7 months. I used that time to pump and build a pretty good freezer stash. She was never picky about bottles, we used the medela bottles and nipples that came with my breast pump early on and eventually transitioned to playtex nursers. She never had nipple confusion or a preference and did very well on formula, too. I wouldn't buy TOO many types of bottles, but maybe having 2 brands on hand in case one doesn't work would be helpful.

Thermometer: Definitely rectal for the early months, it's the easiest and most exact. Once DD was older we used a forehead thermometer and still do.

luvboston

Car seat- my daughter was 3.10 at birth she went home at 5 pounds and has always been in a convertible car seat. I have a bad back so cannot pick up the infant seats. I love our seat it's the maxi cosi pria with infant insert.
Bottles- we use glass factory glass bottles we Love them! We have the sippy caps as well and they are the best. You never have to buy a sippy or anything else because they turn into whatever you need.

Dragonfly1226

Hi @turquoisequeen‌! We got a great used glider from Craigslist for our daughters' room. It was worth over a thousand dollars new, and we paid $300. It came from a smoke free, pet free home and was in perfect condition. We had to search but were thrilled when we found what we wanted. It is an upholstered chair that glides and also reclines. We still use it every day to read bedtime and nap time stories to K&A.

Dragonfly1226

@Saintelizabeth‌ - Your situation may be a little different, but here is mine. I EBF all three kids but had to supplement at the beginning with all three too. (DS was jaundiced and K&A were losing weight while my milk was coming in and supply was building.) While we used formula to supplement at the beginning, I also pumped after every single nursing session. That helped build my supply so that eventually I could supplement with my own BM until we could stop supplementing all together. I was so lucky that a LC in the hospital suggested pumping when DS needed supplementing. With K&A I had the experience and told the nurses that I was going to pump. It was a tough schedule but worked in the end. I EBF DS for a year and still nurse K&A once a day at 17 months.

MJ14323

Hi! Everything going well here. We told family and close friends over the last week or so. It was super emotional. Everyone kept saying that the news made their day/month/week/year. 

QOTW: We have started to talk about them. DH and I will text names we think of to each other throughout the day and we will rank them on a scale of 0-10.  If anything is above an 8, it gets added to the list.  I do want to have family names, so that's super important to me and DH agrees.

As for questions, since we've started telling people, I've had so many people offer hand me downs. So my question is...what are things I should take as hand me downs and what are things should we buy new?  I've had a few offer breast pumps, maternity clothes, baby clothes, boppy etc.

Thanks!

mrs.willie

Hi playdate ladies! I think everybody's answers so far are helpful, but I'll add the Q's I can answer...

Car seats: I loved the infant seat. It's so easy to just click it in and pull it out, even if LO's sleeping. If you're getting home or out somewhere and LO is sleeping, he/she can stay right in there. Or even if they're not sleeping and you're out to eat, can still sit right in there. A lot of the high chairs at restaurants can be flipped upside down and you can rest it on top. I think we had the Graco Snugride 30 that also rested on the stroller. They have new models out now. That way you don't have to take LO in/out of carseat and stroller.

Also, if you just have the extra base in a second car or on hand in case you need to put in someone else's car (a family member who will be picking LO up at daycare, for example), it's so much easier to do that than switching the convertible car seat from car to car. We moved DS to the convertible car seat around 8 months, not because he was outgrowing the infant seat, but we thought he'd be happier seeing more and was getting a little heavier. We have a Britax Roundabout (now retired) and an Evenflo Symphony, which I think is more comfortable and the buckles snap and unsnap easier than the Britax.

Gliders: I didn't get a glider. There wasn't a lot of room in DS' room and we had a recliner that rocked in the living room not far from his bedroom.

Bottles: I'm not sure, but I think babies are more particular about the nipples if they breastfeed. I think most are ok, as long as you have a good nipple and stage on there. I had a ton of the older model Dr. Brown's from my friend. They were almost brand new and I just replaced the nipples. I'm not sure they helped with DS' reflux or gas though. All the parts were a PITA to wash. You have to make sure you get in all the little holes on the pieces. We also had the Philips AVENT bottles. I loved them and didn't have any issues with them. I didn't see it mentioned, but you'll want different sizes of the bottles too... 2 oz, 4 oz, 8 oz, etc.

Convertible Cribs: It was worth it for us. We have the Europa Baby Andover. Surprisingly, I was able to find the toddler rail for it really cheap at Target when we moved DS over around 22 months. Definitely get the bite guard! They're cheap, don't look bad and will save the bed from looking like a beaver attacked it. We're getting DS1 a new big boy bedroom sit and DS2 will have the convertible bed set.

Thermometer: Rectal is the most accurate. I was nervous too about how far in you have to go. Not very far at all. Much easier than I thought and DS didn't mind it. I still do it to him when I suspect a fever. I should look into the ear or forehead one now that he's older I guess.

AMShark

Ruthie04 said:

....    Thermometer: There's actually a thread on this on SAIF today! I use a temporal and double check with a rectal if it is over 100. They make rectal thermometers for babies that will prevent you from putting it in too far. My boys have never fussed when I check their rectal temp- just use some Vaseline and it won't bother them a bit. HTH!

Thanks for the tip @Ruthie04

Here's the link to the SAIF thermometer discussion, for those who are interested (I'm looking at you @Lady2010 ).

erbear84

Thanks for the answers, ladies! I got a sample of an Avent bottle and I was thinking about the bottle question myself a lot lately. Qotw: we have names picked out for both sexes. it wasn't as difficult as I thought it might be.

Robeano

Hey ladies, great questions this week.

Car Seats:
Ya like many PP said I loved my infant carrier. Where we live it gets really cold so I didn't want to take DD out and put her in a cold car seat.

Glider:
I had a rocking chair, and I NEVER used it. But I think if I had a glider I probably would have used it. I love gliders.

 Can I add some unsolicited advice? One thing I wished I had done before I had my DD was to "secure" or figure out postpartum help. Like for example I found out after I had DD my MIL's idea of helping was to offer to hold the baby while I did stuff. Needless to say I did not call her for help at all. And I gladly accepted my sister's help, but I didn't think of the fact that she had two kids herself and how that played out with her helping me. Just something to think of. And this time, hubby is taking two weeks off! I think I'll need it.

mrs.willie

@Robeano‌ I think our MIL's must know each other. I agree with Robeano. Both our families live 6-8 hrs away. I had an unplanned c-section with DS. My parents came the week after. My mother offered to help cook, clean, do laundry, shopping, errands, etc. My IL's came shortly after and thought they were on vacation. Their idea of "helping" was holding the baby (or requesting to) and I don't recall them offering to help much with the other stuff, if at all. They've already asked about visiting in April or May this time around. I'm guessing they want to wait until the weather is nice for their "vacation." They WILL BE warned it's not their vacation where we wait on them. The great part is our extra bedroom will be gone. Enjoy your hotel. Hmmm... maybe I should've done a separate rant post. LOL ☺️

itsmevkb

Sometimes I hesitate to answer some of the questions because I think I'm a pretty lax on a lot of things which most FTMs aren't so my answers may come off as odd.

Car Seats - I agree with everyone else that an infant seat is a must.  You can actually use it for almost a year depending on how fast your baby grows so I think it's a good investment.  I definitely like being able to carry the baby in it and keep them in it even in the house when they are sleeping.  Sooooo much easier than having to unstrap and carry a baby, which is even harder once you have more than one child.

As for brands or specific models, here's where I think I'm unlike a lot of moms.  They all have to meet the same safety standards so I never spent a ton of time researching.  I picked one that would fit well in our cars, was a neutral color and that wasn't the cheapest but also not super expensive.  Once my kids outgrew the infant seat we moved to ones that they can use pretty much until they are out of car seats.

Bottles - None of my kids were ever that picky and in fact, with most I used a variety of bottles.  I would buy maybe two of one kind and then go from there.  I had the Dr. Browns and just ugh, too many parts!  Last time around I used some Similac bottles and liked them.  My big thing with bottles is getting the wide mouth ones so that it's easier to dump the formula in.  The skinny ones are easier to hold with the same and you're holding your baby with, leaving the other hand free, but I hate formula powder all over my counter tops so I get the wide mouth ones.

Supplementing and pumping - I have only breastfeed my first and we started supplementing right away.  He was in the NICU and my milk didn't come in for a while so he was getting just formula for a few days and then once I started breastfeeding my supply was never adequate.  I tried different things to increase it but nothing really worked.  The worst was pumping after every feeding.  Most days it seemed that's all I was doing, either feeding or pumping.  I switched to just formula right around 3 months and never looked back. 

Convertible crib - We bought one but haven't ever converted it because by the time one kid was ready to move to a big bed, we were having another baby.  We did buy a toddler bed for our oldest and are now using it again for our other son.  I like that it's smaller than a twin bed as our bedrooms aren't very large.  Perhaps we will actually convert the crib to a bed with our last baby but I doubt it.

Gliders - I don't have one and instead of a traditional rocking chair.  I agree though that I would prefer one that looks like an armchair over one that has the wood.  I had my eye on one when I was pregnant with my first but ultimately decided it was too expensive and too big for our little nursery.

Thermometers - I guess I've been super lucky in that I haven't really had to use one on a baby yet. (knock on wood)  I do have a rectal one though as I believe they are the most accurate.  Oh wait, I do remember pinning one baby down trying to the take the temp in their armpit and that didn't work at all.  Recently I bought a forehead one for the older kids and that thing is junk.  Every time I take the temp it's different.  I need to find something different.

@Robeno - I totally feel you on the people offering help but that really just meaning they will hold  the baby.  That's really the only kind of help I get from family and trust me, having them hold the baby while I take care of a bunch of other kids, cook and clean up, is help but not the kind I really want!

Lady2010

Thank you all BTDT moms!  Your responses are extremely helpful.

AMSharkRuthie04 -  thanks for the tip and link to the SAIF thread.

southernyankeegirl

Thanks to all the BTDT moms!!!

My questions:

At nearly 32 weeks, I am having trouble breathing. Sitting seems to wedge my belly into my lungs. Dr. Google says baby will likely drop around 36 weeks, giving relief. But that seems so long to be out of breath! Any suggestions or words of wisdom?

We will be doing disposable diapers. How much should we budget per month for these?

QOTW: Names weren't particularly hard for us, but we had years of time to discuss and think about it. We had names chosen on our honeymoon when we first started trying, and they were the same names when we got pregnant nearly 2 years later. We did end up changing the boy name mid-pregnancy, and we are having a boy, but it was an easy change.

Robeano

Oh breathing while pregnant. I am a deep breather, years of singing and playing the flute taught me to breath from my diaphragm. Well breathing was rough during the end. The only advice I was given was to take shallow breaths, which I can't do, it's so unnatural for me. Honestly just take it easy, don't over exert yourself and just wait it out . Baby will drop, and at that point you can breath again, but your urge to urinate increases . I personally preferred not breathing.

Disposables, if you have a Costco or Sam's club you can probably get away with $40-50 per month. (If you buy their brand, and honestly Kirkland diapers are awesome) now this is prices in Ontario so adjust accordingly.

pblge

Oh geez, the things we have to look forward to! I am definitely not reveling enough in this easy stage of pregnancy if I'm not going to be able to breathe for weeks at a time later on!

Anyway, I thought I'd add one thing to the car seat discussion, even though I'm a FTM. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all newborns start out in an infant car seat, as it's much safer for them than a convertible seat (but there are exceptions, I'm sure, like for the moms with back trouble who can't lift an infant seat, like PP). Consumer Reports has a discussion here.
https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/car-seats/buying-guide.htm

AMShark

Thanks for the article @pblge . It's a great resource.