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3rd Trimester
KatieKim0815
member
Tips from a New Mum (and former Third Tri poster)!
KatieKim0815
member
Hi All:
Not sure how well this "things I can't live without or things I would recommend posts" go over but I loved them when I was in third trimester! 
So I thought I would post some advice just based on what was right for me!
1. Be Open to Your Plans Changing
I found myself and a lot of other pregnant women were very opinionated on what they did and didn't plan to do for the birth and with their newborns. Unfortunately, and I speak from experience with women in my life, the ones that have the strictest plans are the ones most let down if they don't follow through. I would just advise to be open. We said we wouldn't co-sleep and now we are (and loving it) because DS is fussy in his bassinet. I thought I would BF as well but due to the fact that DS had to be supplemented with formula to get his weight up the bottle ruined his latch! So we've had to shift our plans and I have friends who were quite upset at having to do the same becuase their expectations were so high.
2. Epidurals may be right for you!
This goes with "being open". I had thirty hours of labour and for me, the epidural was right. I got it about 15 to 16 hours in and don't regret it. It enabled me to be more aware of his birth and enjoy it. I got the epidural at 4 cm after being there for 15 hours and when I got it I was able to sleep and went to 10 cm within an hour!
3. Showers during Labour are a God-send.
I had to wait 5 hours for the epi and having the hot water on my back (I was sitting on a ball) was indescribable.
4. Get Many Types of Bottles
If you plan to bottle feed...there isn't one right one. I started out with a pack of Drop Ins and don't like them. The Playtex Vent Aire quickly became our favourite.
5. A good diaper bag goes a long way.
I purchased the Skip Hop Studio and it fits sooooo much! I can't speak enough for a good diaper bag.
6. An excellent stroller will make or break an outing!
Just make sure you LOVE the one you got. Every time we get ours out (Uppababy Vista) we say "what an awesome splurge that was". Whether it's a $100 or $1000 stroller make sure you love it and it fits your needs.
7. Cloth diapers
If you're open to it..even having one or two is awesome. We love our BGs more than expected and it's been so fun. I feel better doing it and can't explain why. I think DS loves it too.
8. Be open to making rules about visitors.
Far more overwhelming than the birth was the visitors! I felt like I hadn't talked to DH until 4 days after the birth because extended family was everywhere and it was way overwhelming even though I didn't have to "host" them. I would really advise people to think about this. No one stayed with us overnight and we were still TOTALLY overwhelmed. You need a routine to feel comfy in the big change, I think. Visitors around really prevents you from feeling this.
I hope that helps. Now that DS is here I can't wait to be pregnant again.
Good luck all!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Tips from a New Mum (and former Third Tri poster)!
I'll just comment on 2 things in this post. First, I agree with her 100% that the bath was AWESOME. Before going into labor it didn't seem like it would be a big deal and I though I'd probably skip it, but with the back labor I had, the tub with DH holding the sprayer on my was my absolute favorite thing.
About the visitors, I guess everyone's experiences can be different on that. I actually felt awesome and was in my own jeans soon after birth, and I told the nurses to let anybody come in any time they got there. I loved showing off my DD, and actually liked having some company at the hospital.
I guess that part would go with being open minded... you never know how you'll feel until it happens.
Ditto to #8. We lived around family when DD #1 was born and it was a revolving door of visitors. DH and I were EXHAUSTED. However, for DD #2, we lived out-of-state and the decreased amount of visitors was fabulous. Made recovery and getting in to a routine much easier.
Definitely a good idea to set some boundaries with visiting, etc.
I agree with you a ton KG! We had a revolving door of visitors in the hopsital and I completely and utterly loved it. I feel so blessed to be with family that came out of their way to celebrate our baby. It's just when I got home I felt like it was nonstop and DH and I didn't have a day to just unwind before people arrived. I would have loved to sit down and reflected with him as a partner before having visitors. I agree visitors are awesome (and helpful)! I would have just wanted a day (after all the hospital visitors) to unwind as a family of three!