Reading the 0-3 month bored scares me $hitless.

JordanL1221

It makes me realize, that even as a Marriage and Family Major and Certified Family Life Educator, and despite my 15 credit hours on infancy and child development, that I don't know SQUAT about newborns.

I didn't know that they should only be awake for an hour before they go back to sleep....

I didn't know that some people chose not to put crib bumpers in their LO's crib.

 

I'm totally unprepared. I just got really panicky. My child is totally screwed .

aliciabee

LOL that's what I thought before DD was born, but really the baby will help you.  When they are newborns, they will sleep and wake when they please, you don't have to worry about timing things.

As for the bumpers, I went with a breathable bumper thanks to this board.  The ladies over on Aug 11 really helped me through the things I didn't know.  You'll be okay! I promise...take it from one clueless FTM! 

JordanL1221

aliciabee:

LOL that's what I thought before DD was born, but really the baby will help you.  When they are newborns, they will sleep and wake when they please, you don't have to worry about timing things.

As for the bumpers, I went with a breathable bumper thanks to this board.  The ladies over on Aug 11 really helped me through the things I didn't know.  You'll be okay! I promise...take it from one clueless FTM! 

 

Whew!!! Thank you for the encouragement. Your DD is GORGEOUS!

Structenggal

You'll be fine!  FWIW, I've never followed the awake schedule thingy - I just let the boys set their own schedule in the beginning.  We have breathable bumpers in the cribs, mainly to make it harder for the pacifiers to fall out of the crib.  :-)  You'll figure it all out.  have no fear.

 

 

AshDahlia

Maybe by the time December rolls around the manual will finally be in print.

Or it will go straight to an app. FX!

bunnymay

AshDahlia:

Maybe by the time December rolls around the manual will finally be in print.

Or it will go straight to an app. FX!

 

jp03

Structenggal:

You'll be fine!  FWIW, I've never followed the awake schedule thingy - I just let the boys set their own schedule in the beginning.  We have breathable bumpers in the cribs, mainly to make it harder for the pacifiers to fall out of the crib.  :-)  You'll figure it all out.  have no fear.

 

I totally agree - don't sweat it right now.  It's a huge learning curve - no doubt, but you'll just follow the lead of your precious little one and they'll tell you when they're hungry, need a diaper change or want to sleep.  All things in due course. 

swlowther

I have been having little panic attacks in my head for the last couple weeks. Glad to hear I'm not alone. More panicking about how everything is going to change! I like my life with DH now! I'm a little petrified at times, to be totally honest. Is that weird?? 

JBM1204

I'm totally with you. I couldn't wait to get pg, but this LO can stay in there forever.

ZooCrewMom

When I would feel unprepared, despite reading and classes for LO #1 I would visit a Target/Walmart...etc. You can find all kinds of people who clearly have and do make every parenting mistake and their children are still alive. Its terrible, but I thought if they can do this I'm in business. 

 Besides, you'll totally figure things out. Every baby is so different that a lot of the "rules" don't work out the same at all.  

MeaganG11

This Dec 2012 board doesn't go away once it hits January 2013, right?

 

....RIGHT? 

 

 

LaceAndLilies

JBM1204:

I'm totally with you. I couldn't wait to get pg, but this LO can stay in there forever.

 

This exactly! 

JordanL1221

MeaganG11:

This Dec 2012 board doesn't go away once it hits January 2013, right?

 

....RIGHT? 

 

 

 

 

No joke! 

jquirke9881

You and your babies will figure it out together.  The beginning is just about survival and you will be working with your baby to find out what works for you both.  It IS hard but we can all do it!  I promise! 

And we will have each other too.  My July 2010 is just finally starting to "die" bc we 100% migrated to facebook but it was going strong for a very long time after we all gave birth and I couldn't have done it without them.  We will help each other!

KiraH28

JBM1204:

I'm totally with you. I couldn't wait to get pg, but this LO can stay in there forever.

 

This!! 

itsmevkb

Awww, don't be scared, think of it as the best adventure of your life.  When you consider the millions of women and men who have figured out parenthood in the past, you realize that there's no reason you can't do the same.  My best advice is don't overthink it.  Your baby wants to sleep every four hours?  Great!  Your baby wants to eat every two hours?  Fine!  You don't need a book to tell you how to care for your baby, your baby will give you ginormous clues.

MrsP052909

You'll be fine! Seriously you'll figure it out once your LO gets here.

egingras

We opted for the baby -led raising of our DD.  We didn't set schedules, she made one up on her own.  She hated swaddling, so we didn't swaddle her.  We do use crib bumpers, but we also have the Angel Care monitor, so if she stopped breathing, we would know in seconds.

It will come.  My BFF had never changed a diaper in her life before her DD was born and to see her now, she's a natural. 

mama2many

MargauxGreen:

When I would feel unprepared, despite reading and classes for LO #1 I would visit a Target/Walmart...etc. You can find all kinds of people who clearly have and do make every parenting mistake and their children are still alive. Its terrible, but I thought if they can do this I'm in business. 

 Besides, you'll totally figure things out. Every baby is so different that a lot of the "rules" don't work out the same at all.  

I love this perspective!

Every one of my children has been different. And, in spite of having had a TON of experience with babies before I had any, I was still often an uptight wreck with my first. Now, I'm so nonchalant I know it completely freaks people out. 

aliciabee

JordanL1221:

aliciabee:

LOL that's what I thought before DD was born, but really the baby will help you.  When they are newborns, they will sleep and wake when they please, you don't have to worry about timing things.

As for the bumpers, I went with a breathable bumper thanks to this board.  The ladies over on Aug 11 really helped me through the things I didn't know.  You'll be okay! I promise...take it from one clueless FTM! 

 

Whew!!! Thank you for the encouragement. Your DD is GORGEOUS!

Thank you so much!

lclaws13

MargauxGreen:

When I would feel unprepared, despite reading and classes for LO #1 I would visit a Target/Walmart...etc. You can find all kinds of people who clearly have and do make every parenting mistake and their children are still alive. Its terrible, but I thought if they can do this I'm in business. 

I would flip on Teen Mom/16 and Pregnant.  If some of those babies survived, I figured I'd be just find.  And when I'd stress over eating a deli sandwich, I'd watch a I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant.