January 2011 Moms
Annie Marie
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Question from a Jan 2012 Mom to be...
Annie Marie
member
My first DC was a spring baby, and I'm getting really nervous about having a winter baby (getting to the hospital in potential bad weather as well as all of the challenges of keeping a new baby warm especially when out and about with a toddler).
Tell me about the challenges and how to overcome them! Thanks!
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Re: Question from a Jan 2012 Mom to be...
First Congrats on #2! Also if Annie Marie is your real name that's also my little sister's name, so pretty.
My two were 18 months apart last January. To be honest I didn't go out much with both of them until DD was about 4-6 weeks old. I would try to just take one or the other when my H could stay home with one or come with us. When I took both of them I would take DD out of the car in her seat and then go get DS out of his seat, just unbuckle & help him hop down and hold my hand while walking into the store (I could do all this while holding DD's infant seat).
When I got them back in the car I would put her seat in first and have DS "tickle my leg" so he was touching me & occupied (not running off, since my eyes had to be diverted for this). If DD was in the Moby I'd put DS in his seat first then go put DD in hers. (all of this because unless DS is buckled in properly he is making a beeline for the steering wheel)
If I was going grocery shopping the easiest thing to do was put DD in my Moby/carrier and DS in the cart because he still couldn't be trusted to walk around. I didn't want to be chasing him and leave the baby just sitting in the cart.
Honestly the best thing to do is a "practice" run. Take both kids out when there won't be a lot of people wherever you're going (think Target at 9am on a Tuesday) allow yourself plenty of time and just grab a few things.
Also I majorly organized the diaper bag. I tried to get it prepped for the next outting way before we had to go anywhere. I made a list of all the essentials and kept it in the side pocket so I never forgot anything. It's crazy getting two babies ready to go anywhere on top of remembering two sets of things (bottle, burp cloth for one/sippy cup & quiet toy for the other).
You didn't ask about home stuff. But I found the hardest thing for DS to get used to was the times I was feeding DD or putting her down for a nap. You know when I needed him to be quiet and occupied. I got special things like playdough, a few toys and puzzles that I would only pull out at those times to distract him. I also bought him a doll and would tell him to feed his baby while I fed mine (he loved that).
Hope this is helpful! Sorry I ramble (ask anyone). If you have anymore questions let us know!
congrats on #2! when we had p we lived in ithaca, ny & definitely saw some cold temps (below 0 & such). we had a carseat cover as well & i'd put a blanket down in there too. i loved this b/c once he was in the car you could unzip the cover & take the blanket out so he didnt get overheated. we had a fleece snowsuit as well that i would put him in if i was taking the dog out or if we'd planned on being outside for more than a few minutes but 80% of the time i'd finally get him in it & then discover he'd peed through everything, only to have to start the 10 min long cover up session all over again.
https://www.target.com/p/EVC-Microfiber-Fleece-Cozy-Cover-Black/-/A-12988850
Congrats!
I was out and about with LO and big brother 2 weeks after delivery bc i had to get DS to and from school everyday. We had a car seat thing that was basically a 2 layer fleece zip-up blanket. It has velcro closures in the back to fit the car seat straps to so LO can wear it and go in and out of the car seat if needed.
So for example, I'd have that fleece thing in the carrier inside the house, put LO in there, zip him all up and head down to the car. Quick snap into the base, and unzip him so he didn't overheat (always had the car warm already). If we came straight home I'd zip him back up and bring the whole carrier inside with me. If we stopped at the store I'd pull LO with the blanket out of the carrier and walk him inside quickly, then deal with getting him in a wrap once we were inside.
Sorry I don't have a linky to the blanket! I'll see if I can find one.
My DD was born on the day that it snowed in NYC after Christmas. It was like 30 inches and they were not cleaning it (no money, trucks kept getting stuck, etc). Not to mention DD was due in January and decided to come 2 weeks early so that she can experience the snow storm. We had already decided that we'd always shovel a path to let our car out when it snowed just in case, so when my water broke, it was easy to get out and head to the hospital. I like to always be prepared just in case.
At any rate, we stayed at home for the first six weeks because I didn't want to take her out in the winter with all the diseases and stuff around that time. I could imagine staying at home for days being difficult for you because of a toddler. Perhaps you could have someone take her out if you're not up to it.
For keeping DD warm, we had a footmuff that was manufactured by our carseat company (Orbit Baby), similar to a BundleMe, only thing it's tested with our carseat. Anywho, that thing was a lifesaver.... seriously. We did not use any jackets or anything, just the footmuff. Other than that, remember not to over heat the baby... my baby would sweat in anything more than 2 layers, and be careful in the snow
I wouldn't recommend buying any jackets, the ones that actually fit are too bulky and uncomfortable IMO
I had no trouble with weather since we live outside ATL, though well baby visits were a bit dicey. My nephew was born in the middle of the crazy blizzard in DC 2 years ago, though, and they had to call the ambulance and all that. Although it's a little crazy, you will get to the hospital, and it'll be okay. My niece still talks about getting to ride in the ambulance, heh.
to keep her warm, while she slept we bundled her in an undershirt, socks, fleece jammies and a sleep sack, plus we used a space heater to keep her room at 72 or higher. Most of the time while we were out & about I put her in the Moby so that wasn't really a concern. And like I said we live in ATL so from the house to the car was no biggie.
So, I'm lots of help. lol.
What she said! We used a similar version but ours had a flap to cover Jays face. We could put him in his carseat with a onesie and a pair of pants and no matter the weather he would stay warm. My mother always worried that he was to cold but he would actually get to warm if I left him in it too long.
Good luck with your new baby. Hope you have a safe drive to the hospital when the day comes!
I also had a footmuff for my Chicco Keyfit 30 that was awesome. I could tuck a blanket inside, put the muff on, and then pull both off super easily once I got in the car. I would run outside and start the car when I was leaving the house too when I could. I only had 1 so that was easy enough to do. I would definitely be getting a remote start if I had a 2nd LO.
I also layered - always had a onesie, underneath footed sleeper, and then a sleepsack overtop of all that. But when the heat was on in the house I could do a onesie with sleepsack and that was usually enough. Oh, and I usually swaddled too - that helped when we were home.
Oh, and try to get hats that velcro or snap under the chin. Once LO can pull it off that will be a huge help. I know I had a heck of a time trying to find one in January so stock up on a few sizes now while they are in stores...cause if you wait you'll probably get stuck.
Congratulations...Jan will be here before you know it!