I know there was a book thread a while back... but I can't seem to find it. Anyone have a link?
If not - as a FTM I'm starting to panic a little bit that i have no idea what I'm doing! I don't know if babies are supposed to sleep on their back or tummy.... or what temp. is considered a fever for a LO.... things like that. I'm looking for a book that will help me learn the basic 101s. Suggestions?
Girl, my son is almost 2 and I have no effing clue what I’m doing. We’re flying on a wing and a prayer over here. You’ll be fine, I promise.
Is it way too soon to buy a crib in the next few weeks? I feel like I need to start purchasing things because so far I’ve gotten pretty much nothing. I have a Wayfair coupon that expires at the end of the month and would like to use it on the crib but not sure if I’m jumping the gun on that or not?!
@npkat I bought one really pretty early, it was a Labor Day sale and returnable. It is still in the box waiting for a ceiling repair and the room to be be painted, but I’m glad it’s one less item for me to keep changing my mind about.
Is it way too soon to buy a crib in the next few weeks? I feel like I need to start purchasing things because so far I’ve gotten pretty much nothing. I have a Wayfair coupon that expires at the end of the month and would like to use it on the crib but not sure if I’m jumping the gun on that or not?!
Why not? If you have a lot to buy, it's nice to spread the big purchases out over time.
***March '18 October Siggy Challenge: Halloween Costume Fails***
Thanks @cford08, @leilaquinn, @megpeg, @bettyvonsomethingstein! I had actually narrowed it down to my top picks and this morning I was asking a coworker her opinion on them and she said, I have a crib that is in great condition that you can just have! It is white instead of grey that we were looking at but will still fit our colors, and you obviously cannot go wrong with free! #winningtoday
@npkat We just bought our crib and dresser this week....couldn't pass up a sale!! I would just make sure the crib you are getting is legal. I'm sure the STM mom's can explain the one that is no longer allowed in the US...I cannot remember what sort of crib it is that is outlawed atm.
Me: 36 DH: 37 Married: 5.27.16 Baby Boy Due: 3.18.18
@npkat@muggle621 are you talking about the type of crib where the one side slides down? Those are no longer sold here to my knowledge because they've been considered unsafe for a while now.
There are a million different kinds of pack n' plays/ play yards out there. Is one better than the other? Not only are there a couple of different Graco ones but they are also made by other brands like Chicco. How do I decide on one???
Me: 36 DH: 37 Married: 5.27.16 Baby Boy Due: 3.18.18
@muggle621 definitely by how you'll be using it. With our son we wanted one to keep in our living area so I wanted it to hold diaper necessities, extra clothes, blankets etc I also wanted it to have a change table, it also came with a newborn "napper." I loved the thing and got my money's worth for sure.
Aome people may only use them for travel so maybe not so many "accessories"
This time with twins, needs have changed. I found this one that I like
There are a million different kinds of pack n' plays/ play yards out there. Is one better than the other? Not only are there a couple of different Graco ones but they are also made by other brands like Chicco. How do I decide on one???
This! I looked the other day and got so overwhelmed I had to just stop. That's been happening a lot with all the baby gear... there are way too many options and I have no idea which one will suit our needs best because we've never done this! I need a baby gear 101 book that just tells me what I need and what I don't need.
@muggle621 It just depends how you're going to use it. We got one to put in our living room (nursery is 2nd floor) so we got one with a newborn napper that you could flip over to be a changing area. We used the shit out of it til my son was 3 months or so - changed 90% of his diapers in it and he napped there too. After that, the only time we used the pack n play was for a place to sleep when we were traveling or he went camping with my in laws. We had baby gates so I never really stuck him in there to play. This is the one we got, it's a cheaper one and I'm glad we didnt go all out on a fancy one since we only used it for the first few months.
I know there was a book thread a while back... but I can't seem to find it. Anyone have a link?
If not - as a FTM I'm starting to panic a little bit that i have no idea what I'm doing! I don't know if babies are supposed to sleep on their back or tummy.... or what temp. is considered a fever for a LO.... things like that. I'm looking for a book that will help me learn the basic 101s. Suggestions?
Sorry so late to the game. AAP website and their book was my SAVING GRACE!!! Check it out. It has the same info your pedi will give you about basically every topic. It can be very general but that's bc it is stating AAP guidance.
AAP has a book that some grocery stores (Publix anyone?) gives away for free when you sign up on their mailing list.
Bottom line: I stuck to the AAP website and book and I'm so appreciative for the calming advice it gave me.
There are a million different kinds of pack n' plays/ play yards out there. Is one better than the other? Not only are there a couple of different Graco ones but they are also made by other brands like Chicco. How do I decide on one???
We have a Chicco and Graco. We used the Chicco downstairs when my son was born and the Graco upstairs. The Chicco was a thousand times easier to assemble, sturdier and lighter. The Chicco is so much easier to disassemble too. When we need to use a PnP we break out the Chicco. It had comfier bassinet option and changing table, as well. The Graco is a perfectly viable option as well and he didn’t have a preference. Whatever suits your needs and budget will work.
There are a million different kinds of pack n' plays/ play yards out there. Is one better than the other? Not only are there a couple of different Graco ones but they are also made by other brands like Chicco. How do I decide on one???
My friend gave me hers - she literally never used it, and I used it once or twice while traveling.
The only friends I have that used one were one with twins so it was convenient if she needed one in safe place while doing something with the other, and one friend in a house with multiple floors. She kept is on a different floor than the crib so it was convenient for naps when she didn't want to bring her son upstairs. The only other use I've heard of is keeping babies out of reach from their toddler siblings when the caregiver needs to go to the bathroom, or cooking, or some other situation where you're not right next to the baby
Thank you for y'all's guidance and suggestions @day38, @Gingermom15, @ashleyf911,and @syssa-o ! We will be travelling when he gets a bit older to see my parents, my MIL's house and I"m sure other places as well. We also have a big living room and plan to have it in there. The changing table feature is esp. appealing. I am leaning toward the Chicco atm but we will see!
Me: 36 DH: 37 Married: 5.27.16 Baby Boy Due: 3.18.18
Thank you for y'all's guidance and suggestions @day38, @Gingermom15, @ashleyf911,and @syssa-o ! We will be travelling when he gets a bit older to see my parents, my MIL's house and I"m sure other places as well. We also have a big living room and plan to have it in there. The changing table feature is esp. appealing. I am leaning toward the Chicco atm but we will see!
I loved the changing table the most. I had a cs and both were the perfect height for changing a diaper. After he was a few months old we started changing him on the couch, but those first months that PnP was worth its weight to me in gold
I picked my PNP based on appearance because it was going in our family room, and that it had a bassinet, a “napper” and a changing area. I also didn’t want one that had a bunch of electronics on it because when Baby gets bigger, they will be pushing buttons. I did use mine as a containment space quite a bit because he was constantly into everything and sometimes I needed time to do the laundry or go to the bathroom or to make dinner without holding him. We also bought a Baby Bjorn Travel PNP because it was so much smaller and super fast to set up. We just stopped using it when traveling last month because he decided he wanted to crawl out of it. My regular PNP is a Chicco and I liked the color scheme. Literally I think it’s personal preference and what you are using it for, like PP said.
Help. The underside of my belly is so heavy and painful, even in the morning before fatigue sets in. What can be done to relieve the pain?
This lasted for months in my last pregnancy and I can't go through that again. I was in tears by the end of the day last time.
I vaguely remember people talking about a support that they wore. Maybe someone knows exactly what I am referencing. Sorry, I wish I was more help, but I believe there is a band you can wear that supports your belly.
@barrelocarol they sell those pregnancy support belts at Motherhood. I got one there last pregnancy and it wasn't too expensive. I was glad to be able to try it on before buying.
Thanks, all! I wore a support belt last pregnancy and aside from how much they suck, many physical therapists have told me they don't recommend them for long term use in the pregnancy bc it hampers the strengthening of the whole belly system. Sorry...Totally and completely butchering their words, but you get it.
I'm going to bust out the band again but I'm wishing I could find some relief or do something different and maybe proactive. Exercise isn't helping as much as I hoped.
I'm at a loss. My DD simply can't seem to understand to not put too much pressure on my belly. She's 2.5 years old and we've tried everything from "be careful, your baby brother or sister is in there" to me exaggerating the pain to simply avoiding letting her get near me. We were sitting together on a recliner this evening and she went to climb down and essentially used my belly as an anchor for her elbow (not the first time this has happened). Honestly, it hurt so bad that I cried out in pain loud enough to be heard 2 rooms away. I obviously don't want to stop cuddling my DD but I can't keep letting her do that. We'll cuddle in bed and she start kicking her legs just to move around and she's gotten awfully close to kicking my stomach a few times. I know at this point, the baby is well cocooned in the uterus but I'm scared that she's going to end up doing more damage than momentary pain. How can we make her understand that mommy's belly is an area to avoid right now?
My son is all over my belly. I love counseling so I brought this up in a session and we worked out the same positive/negative reinforcement things we use for everything else.
For me, the bigger issue was the emotional pain it causes me. I am triggered by physical pain and that caused a host of emotional responses to something ordinary.
No real advice to offer but I totally get the world of where you are with this and wanted to share in case it helped.
@maelily15 and @barrelocarol, I am so there with you ladies!!! My almost 2.5 year old DS loves to crawl on mommy. If I lay on my back, he immediately wants to sit on my tummy and go for a horsey ride. Sigh. I've been trying to avoid compromising positions around him. My DH is also very quick to intervene (in fact sometimes he notices before I even do). So he's been very good about reinforcing that we don't climb on mommy. I'm hoping as my belly gets bigger it will be a) a more visual reminder not to climb on me, and b) less comfortable for him that he just won't want to be climbing on me!
@barrelocarol Can you ask one of those physical therapists what they recommend if they're anti-support belt?
@maelily15 I'm with @barrelocarol on the positive and negative reinforcement. If she comes to sit in your recliner tonight, I would stop her and hold her hands and talk to her about the other night. "Remember how we've talked about not hurting mom or the baby but you weren't gentle and you hurt me and baby? You can come up if you will ask for help when you're ready to get down." When she's being sweet to your tummy, praise that. Things like that. Probably one of the most gentle and effective negative reinforcements you can give her is to walk/move away when behavior is unacceptable and say something like "I can't be close to you if you're going to hurt me." (I don't think the chair thing was recent enough for that one to click fully though.) In bed when she starts to kick, say "You can't kick. That hurts and it's not nice." and remove yourself (I was unclear about if you're cosleeping or if you're just snuggling in her bed. Either way, same. But if you're cosleeping, even better if YH does it and moves to the couch for a while. )
She will learn. It's basic enough and she has the capacity to learn it and it will serve more purpose than just protecting you and the baby in utero. That baby is going to come out and she'll need to be gentle then. And she has to learn not to hurt others. From parents to babies to pets to other kids.
And the other part is predicting situations and prevention. H sees that she's ready to climb up in a chair, he invites her to sit with him. You're in a chair together and she starts to get restless and you know she's going to want to climb down soon, get up and go to the bathroom and putter around until she's out of the chair.
Realistically, it's unlikely at this level that she'll do serious harm. I think the things that make you worry about this are really grown adults purposefully hurting a woman and car wrecks. A kid kick is going to hurt (and even if it doesn't now, it still has to stop) but it's not likely to hurt the baby.
Me: 34 DH: 38 Married: June 2011 TTC since Feb 2016 BFP#1: 7/7/16 MMC: 8/16/16 BFP#2: 5/8/17 - CP BFP#3: 6/27/17 EDD: 3/10/18
I also have pains in my low belly, from my pelvis to about halfway to my belly button. Certain movements make it worse, especially partially bending over and lifting one knee, like when I'm trying to put pants on. I had to sit down do get dressed last night. My doc says it's just the muscles stretching and adjusting, but it's not fun.
Best pregnancy pillow? I bought a Snoogle but one end puts my head up too high and kills my neck and now I feel like it's already flattening out. My back is already starting to ache which I'm pretty sure is a combo of working 8-9hours on my feet and the pregnancy. I might just buy another run of the mill body pillow and put it behind me with the Snoogle on the other side for extra support.
@sarah_haha760 I hate my Snoogle. I thought about making that an UO. It's too bulky and hurts my neck. I've tried the suggested positions and they all feel terrible. I think I'm going to buy a regular body pillow and just use the Snoogle to prop up my feet sometimes. I don't feel like sending it back.
Me: 30 DH: 31 Married: May 2008 DD Born: March 2018 DS Born: April 2019 Due with #3 December 2020!
The Snoogle looked like tooooo much for me. I don't want it being my pillow. And how does it work for people of different sizes? We're not all 5'7" with matching proportions. So far I've just bought a wedge (Boppy makes one). I ended up with a Hiccapop (sp?) off of Amazon because its memory foam. So far I just tuck it in behind my lower back at night and it'll let me change position without being flat on my back. I think when the bump gets bigger I'll get another to go under that. Then if I end up wanting something for between my knees, I'll try to find a cheap throw pillow on clearance or get one of the 'blanks' at Michael's with a coupon.
Me: 34 DH: 38 Married: June 2011 TTC since Feb 2016 BFP#1: 7/7/16 MMC: 8/16/16 BFP#2: 5/8/17 - CP BFP#3: 6/27/17 EDD: 3/10/18
So glad we are talking pillows! I was debating buying a generic "C" shaped pillow from Amazon bc of price.
Has anyone bought a cheapy and wished they hadn't? I say cheap but it's like $30 vs $60 and I'm just over spending more money on a pregnancy only thing...Bc after pregnancy, the giant pillows get removed from my house bc they're insanely large.
Edited bc last time I used a $10 body pillow from Target. It was good but cumbersome. Maybe I'll feel that way regardless of what I get? Also, I needed back support bc I would roll over into my husband every night and my back ached.
Re: Questions - Week of 10/2
Edit because autocorrect
Married: 5.27.16
Baby Boy Due: 3.18.18
Married: 5.27.16
Baby Boy Due: 3.18.18
Married: 5.27.16
Baby Boy Due: 3.18.18
Aome people may only use them for travel so maybe not so many "accessories"
This time with twins, needs have changed. I found this one that I like
edit to finish thought
Sorry so late to the game. AAP website and their book was my SAVING GRACE!!! Check it out. It has the same info your pedi will give you about basically every topic. It can be very general but that's bc it is stating AAP guidance.
AAP has a book that some grocery stores (Publix anyone?) gives away for free when you sign up on their mailing list.
Bottom line: I stuck to the AAP website and book and I'm so appreciative for the calming advice it gave me.
The only friends I have that used one were one with twins so it was convenient if she needed one in safe place while doing something with the other, and one friend in a house with multiple floors. She kept is on a different floor than the crib so it was convenient for naps when she didn't want to bring her son upstairs. The only other use I've heard of is keeping babies out of reach from their toddler siblings when the caregiver needs to go to the bathroom, or cooking, or some other situation where you're not right next to the baby
Pregnant with #2:
Married: 5.27.16
Baby Boy Due: 3.18.18
edited because fat fingers
This lasted for months in my last pregnancy and I can't go through that again. I was in tears by the end of the day last time.
I'm going to bust out the band again but I'm wishing I could find some relief or do something different and maybe proactive. Exercise isn't helping as much as I hoped.
My son is all over my belly. I love counseling so I brought this up in a session and we worked out the same positive/negative reinforcement things we use for everything else.
For me, the bigger issue was the emotional pain it causes me. I am triggered by physical pain and that caused a host of emotional responses to something ordinary.
No real advice to offer but I totally get the world of where you are with this and wanted to share in case it helped.
@maelily15 I'm with @barrelocarol on the positive and negative reinforcement. If she comes to sit in your recliner tonight, I would stop her and hold her hands and talk to her about the other night. "Remember how we've talked about not hurting mom or the baby but you weren't gentle and you hurt me and baby? You can come up if you will ask for help when you're ready to get down." When she's being sweet to your tummy, praise that. Things like that. Probably one of the most gentle and effective negative reinforcements you can give her is to walk/move away when behavior is unacceptable and say something like "I can't be close to you if you're going to hurt me." (I don't think the chair thing was recent enough for that one to click fully though.) In bed when she starts to kick, say "You can't kick. That hurts and it's not nice." and remove yourself (I was unclear about if you're cosleeping or if you're just snuggling in her bed. Either way, same. But if you're cosleeping, even better if YH does it and moves to the couch for a while.
She will learn. It's basic enough and she has the capacity to learn it and it will serve more purpose than just protecting you and the baby in utero. That baby is going to come out and she'll need to be gentle then. And she has to learn not to hurt others. From parents to babies to pets to other kids.
And the other part is predicting situations and prevention. H sees that she's ready to climb up in a chair, he invites her to sit with him. You're in a chair together and she starts to get restless and you know she's going to want to climb down soon, get up and go to the bathroom and putter around until she's out of the chair.
Realistically, it's unlikely at this level that she'll do serious harm. I think the things that make you worry about this are really grown adults purposefully hurting a woman and car wrecks. A kid kick is going to hurt (and even if it doesn't now, it still has to stop) but it's not likely to hurt the baby.
Married: June 2011
TTC since Feb 2016
BFP#1: 7/7/16 MMC: 8/16/16
BFP#2: 5/8/17 - CP
BFP#3: 6/27/17 EDD: 3/10/18
Married: May 2008
DD Born: March 2018
DS Born: April 2019
Due with #3 December 2020!
eta fixed spelling.
I thought it was "Quit Effing Playing"
Married: May 2008
DD Born: March 2018
DS Born: April 2019
Due with #3 December 2020!
Married: June 2011
TTC since Feb 2016
BFP#1: 7/7/16 MMC: 8/16/16
BFP#2: 5/8/17 - CP
BFP#3: 6/27/17 EDD: 3/10/18
Has anyone bought a cheapy and wished they hadn't? I say cheap but it's like $30 vs $60 and I'm just over spending more money on a pregnancy only thing...Bc after pregnancy, the giant pillows get removed from my house bc they're insanely large.
Edited bc last time I used a $10 body pillow from Target. It was good but cumbersome. Maybe I'll feel that way regardless of what I get? Also, I needed back support bc I would roll over into my husband every night and my back ached.