If you were going to get a $100 gift card at a baby shower, where would you want it to be for? We have two colleagues in the office (one with a brand new baby, one due in Nov) that we are having a small shower for. Neither are registered.
Definitely Target. I don't assume that everyone has a Baby's R Us or a Buy Buy Baby near them (we don't) and Target is pretty much everywhere, so I figure you can't go wrong there. Plus I find that Target tends to be cheaper than BRU and BBB.
Here's my 2 cents about strech marks from another old thread. I don't really know or have an opinion on if they are hereditary or not. I really think it's all about where, how much and how quickly you grow - which aren't too avoidable components buut...
So during my last pregnancy my body lotion was Basq. It's rich non greasy and (strech mark debate aside.. lol) prevents strech marks. A girlfriend of mine recommend it to me bc it actually helped her to get rid of some of her adolescent strech marks. It has great reviews and I'm a beleiver! :-)
I can not vouch for getting rid of marks personally but the girlfriend of mine that turned me onto this stuff swore by it. One review I read of the product mentioned to use it anywhere you might get larger during pregnancy. So I used it on stomach and rear end as well as arms and thighs and breasts Nowhere else bc it isn't cheap. I gained about quite a bit of weight. Went from a size 4 to 10/12. I used the lotion daily before bed, with frequent exfoliation (which is also supposed to prevent them) and I didn't get a single strech mark. I started to get one before using the product and it faded hack quickly. Also both my mother and grandmother got pretty awful marks from their pregnancies.
just ordered some, @vino831 ! I had been wanting to try something, but how could i refuse with the link right there AND all the good amazon reviews?! You made it too easy...thank you!!
When is the best time to ask immediate family to come help post birth? My sister and mom live out of state and they would be staying with me. For best use of their help, would it be best that they come when I have the baby and stay a few weeks? Or another time?
@nicklesb this really varies depending on your situation! How long would they stay? Is your SO taking time off too? How close you are with your fam? Are you dying to have them here to help and visit? Or kinda worried about it? i personally didn't want help the first few days-even weeks. I didn't want people around while I changed my first diapers to comment on how I was doing it wrong, or watch me learn to BF... i just wanted to be alone with my DH, try to adjust to having a baby. I think It helps to wait a bit to find out what you actually want help with - so when people come you know what you want help with and what you want to be left do on your own.
@kjd291 That's good advice, thanks! DH gets up to a year of paternity leave but I'm afraid of the whole being overwhelmed feeling, having too much to deal with on our won. I have friends who say it's even hard to figure out meals during the first 3 months.
When is the best time to ask immediate family to come help post birth? My sister and mom live out of state and they would be staying with me. For best use of their help, would it be best that they come when I have the baby and stay a few weeks? Or another time?
As previously stated, it'll depend on your personal relationship with your family and your preferences. At first I thought I would want the first couple of weeks to bond with the baby, but then I decided that I'd rather have my parents, especially my mom, out there immediately. We have a great relationship and my mom is one of those people that just digs in and helps wherever she can. In the end she was a godsend. My little guy ended up going to the NICU for 2 days and then was on the Peds floor for another 3. During that time, my parents took care of the dogs, kept the house clean, brought us meals to the hospital, and I was so eternally grateful. If they weren't there my husband would've had to take care of everything at home on his own since I never left the hospital. With their help, he was able to be there with me and it was nice to have all 3 of us together to bond. This time around I'd like for them to come out at the beginning again since we'll need to have our 2 year old occupied while I rest. My parents ended up staying for 2.5 weeks last time. They came a couple days before the due date and thankfully my son was born exactly on his due date, so they were able to spend a full 2 weeks with him. They live out of state as well, so they couldn't just conveniently drive over whenever they wanted to. My MIL on the otherhand...I wanted that woman to come out as late as possible. Of course she tried to convince us to have her out at the same time as my parents but no way in hell was that happening. She came after son was a month old and she was so far from helpful. Sat on her ass on the couch and "helped" by offering to hold the baby while I cleaned and cooked. She didn't lift a finger. Not that I expect everyone who visits to help us, but FFS we just had a baby. I don't want to wait on you hand and foot and that's what my husband ended up doing because I wasn't partaking in that.
If you were going to get a $100 gift card at a baby shower, where would you want it to be for? We have two colleagues in the office (one with a brand new baby, one due in Nov) that we are having a small shower for. Neither are registered.
Re: Ask a STM
Married: 8/2005.
BFP: 6/22/2016 EDD: 3/4/2017.
I'm going to order some!!
My MIL on the otherhand...I wanted that woman to come out as late as possible. Of course she tried to convince us to have her out at the same time as my parents but no way in hell was that happening. She came after son was a month old and she was so far from helpful. Sat on her ass on the couch and "helped" by offering to hold the baby while I cleaned and cooked. She didn't lift a finger. Not that I expect everyone who visits to help us, but FFS we just had a baby. I don't want to wait on you hand and foot and that's what my husband ended up doing because I wasn't partaking in that.