FTM Check-in 3/21

wifeinraleigh28

Happy Spring everyone! Just wanted to check-in and see how all my other FTMs are doing. What have you been doing to get ready for the baby?

HgPa

I'm so behind. In my defense, it's been hard to do much during this horrible winter, but it looks like we're finally done with snow!

TW Loss:
I've been super anxious this time after losing my first pregnancy at 6 weeks last spring. Now that I'm huge and feel him kicking every day, I'm finally turning my brain to getting ready. I feel like I'm super late to the game!

We have a registry and my mom and MIL are throwing a shower late April. I took a safe sleep class, and we signed up for the 4 week birth class at the hospital. The babe will sleep in a bassinet in our room, but we're making the guest room kind of a nursery (guest bed will stay, but we're repainting and clothes/changing table/decorations will go in there as well). We have done nothing with the guest room so far.

Only 10 weeks left as of today. I am so excited, and I'm actually really looking forward to labor/delivery!

mkrel

@HgPa I feel the same way about labor and delivery . I also had very similar feelings from a previous loss up through the anatomy scan. Now the more and more I feel her move the less worried I am. 

I am doing well. Getting excited to officially be in the third trimester. We are close to done with the nursery, and we plan to make a giant registry purchase in late April for the rest of the supplies we haven't gotten with our completion discount. 

I think for my husband it is finally starting to feel more real.  He has been so busy with work and studying for his CPA. He mentioned the other day that he hopes I don't feel like he isn't involved and shared some things he is really looking forward to, which was really sweet. He also had me watch a formula commercial and said that I don't need to worry if I have a hard time breast feeding because the baby will get everything it needs from formula. I appreciate that there is no pressure from him, but I want to give it my best effort. 

We have a prepared childbirth class in a few weeks and I need to schedule baby care basics for us as well. Is anyone else taking classes? 

anitamargarita_82

Well we have a big pile of baby stuff in our living room.  I've organized all her clothes into plastic totes by age range.  We have diapers and wipes as well as a crib, dresser and rocker for her room.  However we're now in limbo since we just signed contracts to build a house.  So we'll probably just be winging it when she comes home and making it work until the house is ready. 

My baby shower is April 15th which should be really fun.  The family hasn't had a new baby in 9-10 years so everyone's excited. 

We start our birthing classes tomorrow night which is a 2 hour class once a week for 4 weeks.  I also signed myself up for pretty much every other class our hospital offers.  Caring for your newborn, breastfeeding, how to install your car seat, CPR and infant care/newmom support after the baby is born.  I do well in a classroom environment so I figure they'll all be good for me to attend.  We paid for an all inclusive pass that lets me take as many classes as I want as many times as I feel I need to.  It also gives us a special hospital tour with snacks and refreshments. 

HgPa

I am all about the classes. The safe sleep class through our local SIDS Foundation was awesome, and I'm looking forward to the birthing class. I might do one on infant care, and CPR, if I have time and energy.

I'm holding off in breastfeeding classes for now, but there are some good options locally if I need them later.

@MKRLTX That's super sweet that your husband wanted you to know that the baby would be fine on formula. I don't know why, but that story just melts my heart.

zseirecarg

Our nursery is as prepped as it can be for now, we are waiting for furniture to come in. Our shower is April 30th, so I am sure we will get the majority of the other stuff we need then, if not we will buy it afterwards with our completion discounts.

I signed us up for the hospital tour, and found out the birth class the hospital offers is $175 which seems a little expensive - it's a 1 day 8 hour course. How much were other's classes? DH and I haven't fully decided if we want to sign up for it at this point, but I also have NO idea what I am doing. I had a coworker who took the one at my hospital and said that she didn't benefit from it much.  

Finishing up reserving a spot at a daycare for October, that was a ton of research I am glad to be done with. Next up is finding a pediatrician we like. 

In short- still freaking out that we are so close! 

CapricaAndrea

We have pretty much nothing done. We're moving at the end of the month, and didn't want to buy anything before moving, nor before our baby shower (which is supposed to be the first weekend of May, if the invitations ever get sent out...)

We have hired a doula, so at least we have a resource for any questions we have about anything. She is around for L&D and a few weeks after birth as well to help with things like breastfeeding. 

We've also started some prenatal classes, though I missed the first one due to work so DH went on his own. They're a few hours once a month so out next one is this weekend. They run $50-65 each depending on the class. 

We still have to pre register and do a hospital tour at some point as well. 

HgPa

The class at our hospital is $40 for 4 classes, 2 hours once a week. That covers the expecting mother and lanor coach. $175 seems steep!

anitamargarita_82

@graceriesz my all inclusive pass for classes was 185 for hubs and I both to attend as many classes as we wanted.  Our hospital offers a bunch. 

mkrel

@graceriesz Our 8 hour child birth class is $25 and the 3 hour infant care class is $15. Both are per couple. 

wifeinraleigh28

I honestly don't remember how much we paid for our classes! But we signed up for a bunch. Bringing Home Baby, Labor and Birth Education (we opted to do the intensive weekend option so it's all day Saturday and Sunday versus one night a week for several weeks), Infant CPR & Safety, and Breastfeeding. I'm excited for them because I also do well in a classroom environment.

Our nursery is almost complete. The only furniture we're missing is the glider. We placed our order at buy buy baby in early January and I've called to check on it a couple of times because they quoted us a 6-8 week lead time. Well, they've been telling us that the fabric I chose is really popular and is mega delayed (would've really appreciated them letting us know this instead of waiting for me to call to check on the status). They did say it should only be about 2 more weeks though. Other than that, just need to finish decorating the walls!

We're also planning to finish out our registries with the completion discount, which should be available April 3rd for Amazon, and I'm not sure about BRU. If the baby came today though we'd be fine with what we have, and I feel really good about our progress with getting ready!

meilay

Our classes start in a couple of weeks. We're registered for a breastfeeding basics and a newborn care class. I'm really excited about the breastfeeding class in particular and I'm also going to as many La Leche League meetings as I can between now and delivery (I've been to one so far and will attend another this Saturday).

The nursery has been complete for a couple of weeks. She really doesn't have much stuff yet aside from the big items in the nursery because H is adamant that the rest will be/should be covered by the shower. I don't really feel like waiting that long but I'm trying to be patient. I have been slowly building her wardrobe though because I have fallen in love with clothes shopping for her and refuse to let other people have all the fun in that department. 

Overall I'm regularly alternating between being really excited to meet this tiny human and really terrified that I'm going to f*ck it all up and be a horrible mom. I guess even having those thoughts mean I'll be perfectly fine, but still. 

rmarble23

im jealous that some of you had classes so cheap.  mine was $150 and b/c i work for the hospital i got a 10% discount and that was just for a prepared childbirth class.  with the cost and DH work schedule i didn't want to push for another class.  it also seems this class contains a little bit of everything about breastfeeding and caring for baby.  we had the option of choose between 1 day 8 hrs or two 4 hr classes but the two classes would be night time during the week and go until 9:45 and then a 45 min drive home....no way not for this preggo! so i booked a saturday full day class then we have the hospital tour afterwards.  

i have been strong in the clothes department and haven't purchased any but i did get a small tote from a cousin of 3-6m stuff to borrow that is just soo cute.  i assume many people will purchase clothes for my shower since little girl clothes are just so hard to resist.  plus there is also a few other moms who have told me they have a collection to offer.

zseirecarg

I'm jealous of all you with way more reasonable cost classes. The breastfeeding class is also a cost, I want to say $65. Argh, I don't want to pay that much, but I also don't want to go into labor completely blind. 

beckij34

We (my mom, sister, & I) are getting started on decorating his nursery. I'm buying the paint & new ceiling fan this weekend. I've had furniture for about four years now (dressers & crib). I was licensed in 2013 to adopt via children services but sadly was never matched with a child. I'm excited and can't wait to watch it all come together. I'll be making a hobby lobby run at some point for decorations. I've been buying him clothes, personal care products, detergent, and cloth diapers. I'm in my third trimester and so now the countdown begins, lol. 

wifeinraleigh28

@meilay I feel the same way... very excited and also terrified that I'm going to do something wrong. I'm looking forward to being in the hospital for a couple days after delivery with nurses at my beck and call to answer questions and to help out with things!

Knottie42089123

I haven't really done anything other than go on vaca lol. Our two showers are now scheduled for the 16th and the 23rd, so I'm probably gonna have to pick stores for them to put on the invite and register later. I started to read the stuff you actually used thread and it's giving me some good ideas of what to get. 

I need to go car shopping, because babies don't seem to fit well in two door sports cars. Everything else can be figured out. I'm being surprisingly laid back.

mtvkv5

I'm in full on freak out mode. I have a unique situation since I work in STL and DH works in Michigan. I spend every other week in STL away from him (on top of my international work travel). I'm having the baby in STL to be around our family and will either stay with my mom or dad for 2 months then go back to Michigan to be with DH (he is taking those 2 months off too). But I'm worried he willl miss the birth since he has to either take an hour flight or an 8 hr drive. I just haven't figured out the logistics of traveling for work with an infant. He is looking for jobs in STL but no luck so far. 

Everyone keeps telling me I will have to stop traveling once I have the baby, which is really frustrating. Those same people told me being away from DH so much would ruin our marriage but 4 years later it's still working well. I know it will be more difficult now, but there's not a whole lot I can do about it until he finds a job. 

As far as classes go, I'm really lucky to get them all for free since MIL works for the hospital. We are signed up for the birthing class and infant care class now, but will probably do more since there is no cost. 

HgPa

@Knottie42089123 Glad I'm not the only one who doesn't have everything set up yet 

anitamargarita_82

@Knottie42089123 I traded in my 2 door Mini Cooper back in November.  I feel ya on trading in your smaller car.  I got a 4 door Mini instead  I'm one of those weirdo people who loves Mini's. 

alm52386

We have her bed set up in our room and the swing in the living room and have moved a ton of furniture around to make room for all of her stuff! The only other big thing we need is the rocker/glider!!! Plus tons of little things. We had 1 small shower with friends in WI and will have another one the first weekend in May in IL which is family and family friends. 
We are signed up for a birth class that is like 4 or 5 hours on a Sunday. We were going to do the 6 week one but we would have missed 2 of the sessions since we are currently on vacation. Plus, since I work with infants and young children all the time I didn't want to pay extra for the newborn care portion. I also signed up for the hospital tour, breastfeeding class and CPR class. All of that starts in the beginning of April. I think the class and the tour will make this all seem even more real and close! 
Since I'm visiting my mom out here in AZ she has gotten Chloe lots of clothes and gotten me lots of maternity/postpartum clothes! 

danij0

Can't believe I have less than 3 months to go! Still feeling good for the most part - minus the 24 hour stomach flu I had earlier this week. Hoping to keep up with this easy-ish pregnancy during the home stretch.
I think I'm making progress at a decent pace. We have the big stuff set up in the nursery (crib, pack n' play, dresser, chair). My baby shower is May 7th so I'll probably wait to really decorate until after that.
We already did the hospital tour and did the pre-registration.
Classes: We have a Baby Basics class scheduled for May 8th. I've started reading Ina May's Guide To Childbirth - I don't think we're going to take a class just do a lot of reading and practicing from online sources. Our birthing classes are crazy expensive, too. I think I will take a breastfeeding class though because that is what I'm most nervous about. I also have to renew my CPR certification through work soon so that is convenient.
Our main concern right now is deciding on my post baby work situation. I have put a deadline on this decision for the end of March so I can give my employer time. It's really not a fun topic though so we keep putting it off.

tjvan

We've pretty much only have our crib at this point, but dresser and glider have been ordered.  We are having 3 showers, so I hate to buy too much ahead of those.  We have our infant CPR class next Sunday, but we are also doing baby basics and birthing classes (along with the hospital visit), and then I'll also do a breastfeeding class separately.  Can't believe it's getting so close.  I reviewed my maternity leave with my boss this morning, and I realized that I really only have April and May left - to prepare both work and home!

BellaO21

Nursery: We have all of the larger furniture (crib, dresser/changing table, pack and play) together and in place. Waiting on my MIL to pay off the rocker so we can get that in there. And *most* of the wall decor is up! Just have a few things to add and it will be good to go. 
Classes/pre-registration is still in the works... our hospital charges anywhere between 25-65$ per couple per class so I may just get re-certified in infant CPR and then take a breastfeeding class? Haven't really decided yet. 
Our baby shower is this Saturday so we will see what is left over to buy after that and I'm sure finish off getting what we need then. 

Knottie42089123

@Wearmi1 ha I love the Mini obsession!!!
@HgPa in solidarity we stand. I'm thinking of posting an accountability picture of the future nursery to help move me toward action. Right now there's a ton of boxes and a mop bucket in there. Welcome home, son!!!

krex-2

We've gotten the nursery mostly sorted.  I still need to recover the POANG chair and buy the dresser from IKEA.  

I washed and stuffed all the cloth diapers, so those are ready to go when we start using them, but I've yet to wash the baby clothes we've bought.  My shower probably isn't going to happen, so I've been buying clothes here and there.  

We registered for a "post-natal/how to care for a tiny human" class at the hospital...it was $25.  Which I'm now thankful for because apparently they can be a LOT more expensive!

otherwise, that's it.  No clue on bottles or formula...I guess we'll just hit up a target on the way to the hospital?

jennas312

Nursery is almost done. I'm still debating on taking a birth or cpr class. Some classes at my hospital are expensive too. There is no safe sleep class, maybe I'll see if there's something offered somewhere else. Birth worries me a bit, but keeping a fragile infant safe scares me even more! :-/

wifeinraleigh28

@jennas312 Whenever I tell people that I'm worried about keeping an infant safe, I get reminded that infants aren't as fragile as they seem. It makes sense, when you think about how they can survive coming through the birth canal (which just seems extremely dangerous in my mind lol). Hopefully our motherly instincts will kick in and we'll know what to do