Same as the other ladies above. Probably took less than 10 minutes after baby was born, I had an epi so I was numb anyway and couldn't feel a thing. The did push on my stomach to help get it out but it didn't hurt at all. Never tried to show it to me or announce that it was out though.
We received a ton of diapers yesterday at the baby shower (great). Not so great - they are all mostly newborn size. Most of the other gifts came with gift receipts with the exception of the diapers. Is there a way I can exchange some of these for sizes that we will be needing? Do I just haul them to Target, etcetera and have the employees scan them??
@frogdog06 You shouldn't have any problem exchanging them for a different size at Target or Wal-Mart without a reciept. Both are good with allowing exchanges like that.
@frogdog06 diaper exchanges are easy at big box stores. They do however only allow you to make a certain number of exchanges a year without a receipt so they'll take record of your license.
Don't discount how many newborn diapers you'll need. Some babies never use them while my daughter was in them for at least six weeks.
Another question...! We used Baby List for our registry which is a reservation system that allows people to buy from any retailer, whether in person or online. I have 3-5 people reserve necessary items, but I have not received the gifts or heard a peep from them. Two showed up at the shower, and I don't see the gifts from them. Is there any tactful way to get a feel as to whether or not these gifts were purchased? Maybe they didn't understand how to use Baby List?
Some of the items include changing pad covers, etc.
@Bibliobebe Everyone has already said this, but I echo their claims. I did not have to push, they pressed on my stomach and kind of pulled it out. I remember saying "Oh! That felt strange!" as in.. I could feel it coming out, but it was not painful in the least. I did not look at it, they did inspect it and say it looked very healthy. I was busy staring into the eyes of this perfect little baby that I had just birthed. Nothing else was happening in the world, even as they gave me a stitch or two in my lady bits.. Emmett had arrived. My whole world and life's focus shifted to this tiny being... a feeling of utter love and accomplishment.
@frogdog06 - I didn't use that service, I had a typical registry with babies r us, but there were certainly items that were purchased and I didn't physically received before my baby's birth the first time. I got nervous and went and bought a baby tub at Target and just kept the tags on it (they are super easy with returns).
My husband's family is Jewish and there tends to be some superstition around babies in which items are not purchased/sent until the baby is actually born (when my husband was born, his father called the furniture store to have them deliver his nursery set before they went home from the hospital). So quite a bit of his family shipped us gifts within the first week of being home. Some items I had purchased myself because they were essentials and either returned what I bought or what they sent.. not a huge deal.
I couldn't find a tactful way to say "hi.. who bought this? is it coming?" lol
Reading everyone else's birthing the placenta stories makes me feel kind of bad. I'm fairly certain I wasn't holding McKenna when it happened, and I definitely wasn't focused on her at that moment. I think they were weighing her and all that jazz. I actually don't have a recollection of her being in my arms the first couple of hours of postpartum all that much. Immediately after her birth, our first breastfeeding attempt, and on the way down to our postpartum room. I do remember DH holding her a lot, and I remember being concerned that she was doing well. But there was a lot going on, and she wasn't my sole focus until we were situated later on.
@camichael84 - my postpartum experience was very different, and quite laid back. I had E immediately, you birth and recover in the same room at my hospital, and I didn't attempt breastfeeding until a good hour or so after he was born.. family had already visited and left (which was good for me.. I didn't know the stress of trying to latch just yet, I was in a magical land of everything being easy and wonderful). I'll be interested to see how it goes this time, but I don't think I let go of him for the first hour or so if I remember correctly - and let's be honest.. I probably don't! Even though I was holding him, a LOT is still a blur and could be completely mi-remembered.
Well the good news is I hit some rummage sales and consignment shops just right and found a bunch of free awesome outfits for baby William...this is where I need a BTDT mom's help. All of the second hand clothes have been washed and don't have hangers. My thought is to keep the new clothes with tags and hangers that way in case he comes out bigger than expected because then we would return the new clothes back, right? So what do I do with the clean second hand stuff? Is best way to organize by size in drawers or is it better to go right for totes (assuming the volume will quadruple between now and September)? Should i buy little hangers and sort by size that way? Create many levels to save on closet space? Thanks for any insight. Thrilled to be getting ready for him, but don't want to have to reorganize more than I have to because I didn't ask before I started
I kept almost everything for the current size in the changing table/dresser, because I could just grab it when changing. I had newborn stuff up top, with three month in a lower drawer. Anything bigger I kept in totes. Then, as he grew out of things, I had a box in the closet that I tossed too small things in, and when he was pretty much out of newborn, I moved the 3 month to the top and got out the 6 month. That worked well for me.
@bibliobebe With my first, delivering the placenta felt so incredibly creepy, that it haunted me for years. It was like a sudden suctioning feeling and then a huge emptiness. *shudder* With my second, I don't even remember it coming out. It must have been pretty simple.
I am struggling to decide whether to go back to work or not. We can afford for me to stay home, but money would be very tight. My maternity leave is only 8 weeks. That seems extremely short. Would you have been ready to get back to work after 8 weeks? Also, what if I am in the middle of my maternity leave and decide that I don't want to go back to work?
I was not ready at 8 weeks. I took 5 months off and still needed more time. I had an anxiety attack the first day I took DD to day care. I left her for 1h and went back to pick her up, plus I started taking her 1 week and a half before going back to work to kind of get used to the idea. It was hard.
Reading everyone else's birthing the placenta stories makes me feel kind of bad. I'm fairly certain I wasn't holding McKenna when it happened, and I definitely wasn't focused on her at that moment. I think they were weighing her and all that jazz. I actually don't have a recollection of her being in my arms the first couple of hours of postpartum all that much. Immediately after her birth, our first breastfeeding attempt, and on the way down to our postpartum room. I do remember DH holding her a lot, and I remember being concerned that she was doing well. But there was a lot going on, and she wasn't my sole focus until we were situated later on.
@camichael84 - I had a similar experience to you. I didn't get to hold DS for quite a while after he was born. They measured him and diapered him, then the nurses were holding him telling me how cute he was. My husband then got to hold him for a little bit. I was very confused about why I wasn't holding him but didn't say anything. As soon as they finished stitching me up (which took a while), he was in my arms. In retrospect, I assume that there must've been some sort of reason they didn't want me holding him while getting stitched up. Next time I will ask - I will probably bring it up at an appointment closer to my due date.
I have not kept up on this thread and found 400+ posts since I last checked.
I'm stopping by because a tidbit just popped in my head and this is the best place I could think to leave it.
If you avoid footie clothing you can prolong use. DS grew longer faster than wider and anything with feet had s very short life.
On this same note - if you live somewhere that gets cold in the winter, get stuff with footies. Socks seem to be the first thing babies figure out to take off. Also, tiny sock laundry sucks, at least get all matching socks. Whoever decided all pairs should come with individually patterned pairs did not have kids.....
@frogdog06 we have two, I put one on the mattress, then a sheet, then another pad, then a final sheet. That way if she pees the bed in the night, I just pull the top sheet and pad off and don't have to make her bed. It works great!
@MrsVoorhees What a great idea! I am totally going to try that system with the pads & sheets.
BTDT moms: I have purchased a crib and a stroller with a government approved overnight bassinet attachment so have two options for sleeping baby. I have limited space though so do not currently have a changing station. My question is do I need a pack n play option with changing table considering that I have 2 sleep options already? Or should I scratch the pack n play and reorganize to make space for a dedicated changing area?
@geminigirl16 - I really only used my pack n play for the changing station (the bin of it was always full of his clean clothes since we did changes on the main floor of the house). I would say you don't need a bulky pack n play just for the changing station.. can you put a changing pad onto a dresser? With basket that holds diaper creams, wipes, diapers, etc?
@geminigirl16 one thing about the pack n play station, or the one we got at least, they are great for tiny diapers but once you're past a size 2 or 3, not many diapers fit in there. I would prefer a pad on a dresser with a big basket for all the changing stuff.
Thanks for weighing in @AnnaS930@MrsVoorhees You both voiced what I was thinking but I really value the insight of you moms who have already done this.
I have one dresser that I think I can repurpose for baby if I do more de-cluttering. I like the idea of a pad on it with the basket of essentials. Much simpler & cost efficient!
@MrsVoorhees What a great idea! I am totally going to try that system with the pads & sheets.
BTDT moms: I have purchased a crib and a stroller with a government approved overnight bassinet attachment so have two options for sleeping baby. I have limited space though so do not currently have a changing station. My question is do I need a pack n play option with changing table considering that I have 2 sleep options already? Or should I scratch the pack n play and reorganize to make space for a dedicated changing area?
Friends I asked said they just changed the baby wherever the baby needed changing.
@geminigirl16 With my last baby, my room was right next to his, so even though he was sleeping in a cosleeper in my room, I just went into his to change him (changing station on top of dresser). With this one, the baby's room is down the hall, and I'm not doing that a bunch of times in the night, so I bought a changing table from a FB sale site for $25 to keep in my room. I'll still have the normal changing station in baby's room, as well as a changing pad on a shelving unit in the living room for during the day. With the last one, I did daytime changes on the couch, but they do sometimes pee, and when they get bigger it's nice to have somewhere to change them on the main floor (my son is 19 months right now, and we usually change him on the floor...which is getting to be a pain the more pregnant I get). Anyway, that's my two cents.
@pizzaandwine On that note, if one has to be ready to change LO in any room (not just the nursery), would it be recommended to have some sort of changing caddy (with supplies) to carry around? Or have in every room?
I'm such a noob, but do babies require bibs before eating solids? Ive heard you can use them while BF because they spit up? Can I just use a rag/blanket?
@pizzaandwine On that note, if one has to be ready to change LO in any room (not just the nursery), would it be recommended to have some sort of changing caddy (with supplies) to carry around? Or have in every room?
I keep stuff in my room (for the middle of the night), baby's room (because that's where all the clothes are and we do all the getting dressed and naptime stuff), and the living room (because that's where I spend most of the day). Maybe I'm just lazy, but I don't like to have to go very far to change the baby, and I would never remember (or have enough free hands) to carry a caddy with me when I changed rooms.
@RG1 I never really used bibs on my tiny babies - my first spit up a lot, but it was always after nursing and I used a burp cloth (cloth diaper). Some babies drool a ton when they start teething though, and the plastic backed bibs can be great for that - otherwise the outfit can get soaked. Oh. I did usually tuck a cloth diaper into my bra while nursing, because milk can leak out the side of their mouth and I hated my bra smelling like milk. Maybe that was just me/my baby though.
@pizzaandwine That sounds better. I'll keep a basket of supplies in the same - master bedroom and living room as well.
Okay...so diapering. Ten to twelve times a day for newborns. How do you know when to change the diaper, if the baby doesn't yet cry when the diaper is soiled (or will she?)? And when you change the diaper, do you always put diaper cream and cleanse the area with anything other than a wipe??
@frogdog06 I think everyone will have different answers about diapering. I know some people don't change if there's just a little pee, and a lot of people don't use wipes for pee. Personally, I change as soon as it's wet (and I always use wipes). I know it uses a lot of diapers, but I never want the kid to get used to the feeling of hanging out in wet diapers (I figure it makes potty training easier).
As far as how you know...you can smell it (usually)! And with poop you can also feel/hear it. If you're holding the baby, you can feel the explosion happen
@frogdog06 When they are newborns and don't pee as much at one time, the diapers with the color changing indicator is really helpful for knowing when they are wet and need changed. A wet diaper will feel squishy, but it can be harder to tell by feel when they are really little. I always use a wipe, but that is all I use for cleaning during diaper changes. I only apply diaper cream as needed. But as PP stated, this is all by preference, and not a right or wrong.
I'm such a noob, but do babies require bibs before eating solids? Ive heard you can use them while BF because they spit up? Can I just use a rag/blanket?
Yes, but not the same kind. Think the cute little bandana kinds or the terry cloth ones. For drool mostly. (Once they start teething.) For spit up you can use a burp cloth/rag
Do people not use wipes for pee? Im learning something new. I wipe every time. We do not give a bath every day and we use cloth wipes at home. It had not occurred to me to do anything differently. I wipe myself after every time I pee.
@KimmySchmidt When I worked I'm childcare, I saw people not use wipes for pee (some parents, some teachers). We wipe every time we pee to prevent getting pee drips in our underwear. It's not the same case for a diapered child. However, I think wiping the pee off helps with smell and is probably more comfortable for them. At least, that's my reasoning for doing it.
@KimmySchmidt I always thought you were supposed to wipe after everything. When I had my first, the doctor doing rounds was adamant that we only wipe after poops and only use cloth wipes/water. That was news to me. We kept that up for a few months with both of my girls, but eventually switched to wiping after everything. I feel like it freshens them up and like you said, I also wipe after every time I pee.
@frogdog06 Our daughter hated having a wet diaper when she was newborn and would let us know...we changed any time we found she was wet, but I did not wipe after pee diapers because she got a very nasty rash early on and that was a suggestion I received. After fighting some very bad rashes and trying lots of ointments and creams, I ended up putting only coconut oil on her bum at each diaper change and she never got another rash after I started doing that....when she got a little older, I only did it for her night diaper.
Re: Ask a BTDT mom
Don't discount how many newborn diapers you'll need. Some babies never use them while my daughter was in them for at least six weeks.
Another question...!
We used Baby List for our registry which is a reservation system that allows people to buy from any retailer, whether in person or online. I have 3-5 people reserve necessary items, but I have not received the gifts or heard a peep from them. Two showed up at the shower, and I don't see the gifts from them. Is there any tactful way to get a feel as to whether or not these gifts were purchased? Maybe they didn't understand how to use Baby List?
Some of the items include changing pad covers, etc.
And now I'm crying. Come on September!
My husband's family is Jewish and there tends to be some superstition around babies in which items are not purchased/sent until the baby is actually born (when my husband was born, his father called the furniture store to have them deliver his nursery set before they went home from the hospital). So quite a bit of his family shipped us gifts within the first week of being home. Some items I had purchased myself because they were essentials and either returned what I bought or what they sent.. not a huge deal.
I couldn't find a tactful way to say "hi.. who bought this? is it coming?" lol
http://www.laviemclean.com/
http://www.laviemclean.com/
I'm stopping by because a tidbit just popped in my head and this is the best place I could think to leave it.
If you avoid footie clothing you can prolong use. DS grew longer faster than wider and anything with feet had s very short life.
November Siggy Challenge: Selfie Fails
Hidden for the sake of your eyes!
2.) When is a good age to start tummy time for LO?
1) we did fine with just 2
2) you can start it right away!
BTDT moms: I have purchased a crib and a stroller with a government approved overnight bassinet attachment so have two options for sleeping baby. I have limited space though so do not currently have a changing station. My question is do I need a pack n play option with changing table considering that I have 2 sleep options already? Or should I scratch the pack n play and reorganize to make space for a dedicated changing area?
at least, they are great for tiny diapers but once you're past a size 2 or 3, not
many diapers fit in there. I would prefer a pad on a dresser with a big basket for all the changing stuff.
I have one dresser that I think I can repurpose for baby if I do more de-cluttering. I like the idea of a pad on it with the basket of essentials. Much simpler & cost efficient!
November Siggy Challenge: Selfie Fails
Hidden for the sake of your eyes!
http://www.laviemclean.com/
I keep stuff in my room (for the middle of the night), baby's room (because that's where all the clothes are and we do all the getting dressed and naptime stuff), and the living room (because that's where I spend most of the day). Maybe I'm just lazy, but I don't like to have to go very far to change the baby, and I would never remember (or have enough free hands) to carry a caddy with me when I changed rooms.
@RG1 I never really used bibs on my tiny babies - my first spit up a lot, but it was always after nursing and I used a burp cloth (cloth diaper). Some babies drool a ton when they start teething though, and the plastic backed bibs can be great for that - otherwise the outfit can get soaked. Oh. I did usually tuck a cloth diaper into my bra while nursing, because milk can leak out the side of their mouth and I hated my bra smelling like milk. Maybe that was just me/my baby though.
http://www.laviemclean.com/
Okay...so diapering. Ten to twelve times a day for newborns. How do you know when to change the diaper, if the baby doesn't yet cry when the diaper is soiled (or will she?)? And when you change the diaper, do you always put diaper cream and cleanse the area with anything other than a wipe??
As far as how you know...you can smell it (usually)! And with poop you can also feel/hear it. If you're holding the baby, you can feel the explosion happen
http://www.laviemclean.com/
http://www.laviemclean.com/