ftm questions for stm+ OCTOBER

Amber_Waves · October 2017

Image: https://media.giphy.com/media/YVgzWgYgrmEdW/giphy.gif

The last thread was getting a bit unweildy, so I thought I would start a new one.
Let's start a new thread on November 1!

Amber_Waves · October 2017

I'm exploring the option of hiring a doula to be there as I labor at home & deliver in hospital (with OB). I've got a few interviews lined up & have a list of questions from a birth book. Anyway...doula experiences worth sharing from STM+?

shellac835 · October 2017

How do you organize baby clothes?! This seems so ridiculous but I'm so overwhelmed with all of the different sizes and styles, and am admittedly not the most organized person to begin with and am not sure where to start. What sizes should I have in drawers/closet at this point? Up to 6 months? Smaller? And what do I hang up vs. fold in drawers? And am I honestly going to fold every onesie and pajama after this first time? Can I just throw those things in drawers? I don't know why this is such a problem, but right now I have every piece of clothing we've received/gotten in a pile in the crib, and feel frozen with putting it all somewhere.

tmk0325 · October 2017

@shellac835 We got a 6 drawer dresser for the twins (they do not have their own bedroom at this point due to the fact we live in a tiny apartment) and what I found works best is I use the top two drawers for socks/accessories and the clothing size they are currently in. The next two drawers down I have the next two sizes, etc. When they outgrow the top drawer I take that stuff out and put it in a labeled bin with the size and move the other drawers up. Even with two of them all of their clothes fit in there and they have a lot!

For this baby since it will be in our room, I actually just got a 4 drawer organizer and will do the same method with the clothes and just keep switching stuff out as needed.

i can’t wait til our house is finished next spring!

anewadventure · October 2017

shellac835 said:

How do you organize baby clothes?! This seems so ridiculous but I'm so overwhelmed with all of the different sizes and styles, and am admittedly not the most organized person to begin with and am not sure where to start. What sizes should I have in drawers/closet at this point? Up to 6 months? Smaller? And what do I hang up vs. fold in drawers? And am I honestly going to fold every onesie and pajama after this first time? Can I just throw those things in drawers? I don't know why this is such a problem, but right now I have every piece of clothing we've received/gotten in a pile in the crib, and feel frozen with putting it all somewhere.

i feel you. honestly, you need to let go of some subconscious expectation that you fold / hang all the clothes unless this is important to you personally. you don't need a pinterest nursery or one your MIL will like - you need one that YOU are happy with.

for me, this means clothes are clean, and sorted in drawers by loose categories that make sense to me, but not folded or hung. and definitely not living in laundry baskets on the floor. that's it.

we have a six-drawer dresser in the nursery and standing chest shoved in the closet. the closet chest gets the stuff like crib sheets, receiving blankets, things in the current/upcoming size that are off-season (like swimsuits, or winter stuff when it's summertime). our six-drawer main dresser uses the top drawer on one side for diapering (our changing pad is on the dresser above this drawer). then the other five drawers are for clothes. five drawers is way too many when you have one infant but as a toddler the clothes are a lot bigger and take up more space.

so we have one drawer that is sleep sacks and pjs (for an infant, this would be all sleepers)
one drawer was always short-sleeved (onesies in a pile, tshirts in a pile), one is long-sleeved, one for pants, one for shorts, one for sweaters and sweatshirts, one for socks etc. you just find whatever makes the most sense to you.

i do try to keep the onesies in a pile within the drawer, separate from other tops, but that's about it. no folding. baby clothes are so small that folding is silly, and then you have to unfold stuff to look at it, and rummage around to decide what you want...don't make more work for yourself

in my house only the rare item gets hung in the closet. dressy clothes (of which there is usually not much) for sure. i don't even usually hang coats, they get their own drawer.

cait5413 · October 2017

Most of our stuff got hung because we had more hanging space than drawers, but I did keep most onesies not hung and most pajamas not hung, as well as a drawer for socks/bibs. Then pants, dresses, coats, etc. got hung up. For this LO, we have more drawers, so I will probably put more stuff in the drawers, similar to @tmk0325 -- current size near the top, next size at the bottom. Our dresser is also our changing table, so the top drawers will likely be diapers and changing pad covers. We're still putting the room together. I did sort what we have that may be usable by sizes--they are currently in those cube bins from Target.

wabash15 · October 2017

@Amber_Waves I did not have a doula the first time but thought about it... We did opt for a doula this time. So I don't have a ton of experience to share I think the biggest thing is just finding the person you click with the most. For us it was not the most experienced doula we interviewed but something about her style and personality resonated with me. (she was not who I thought my top choice would be prior to interviewing.) Also make sure your partner is there because this is just as much for them as for you so they need to click too.

@shellac835 I second the other moms... I have a loose organization. tops in one drawer, pants in another, if there is a specific outfit I semi tried to keep those together. I have been given ALOT of hand-me-downs which is a blessing but also sometimes hard to manage. I would go through the close and pack them in bins labeled by size and season (and gender since I have B/G twins) Then when they grow or the seasons change I pull out the appropriate bins pull the too small/wrong season cloths out of their drawers (I sort through this to see what I want to keep or donate) and then stock the drawers with the new cloths. Its a lot of work... and I perpetually have piles of cloths I need to go through but it works. Oh most of the stuff is in drawers, some of the dresses for my daughter or button down shirts/suits for my son are hung up but other than that its all in drawers.

splsmama2016 · October 2017

Only fancy stuff that she never wore got hung, or if it was a dress or jacket. I sorted her clothes into pjs, a drawer for onesies (then did separate piles of short vs long sleeve), a drawer for outfits that came together (OCD...), s drawer of cloth diapers and swim wear, and the last one had pants and shorts/skirts.

I only have out what shes currently wearing. So when she was new, it was only NB and 0-3 month stuff.

Amber_Waves · October 2017

@wabash15 Thanks! Yes, the first doula we are talking to is an acquaintance of DH; I am hoping to really like her since she knows our history & knows DH well enough to handle him (he can get distracted and over-excited), so all she has to puzzle out is me. Lol.

flowerpower5838 · October 2017

I hung all onesies and put all pants and pajamas in drawers. We started out with the drawers organized a tad differently than they are now. In the beginning everything was a bit more organized and I had the folded "current size" pants/pjs in front the the next to come in the back of the drawer if that makes sense. I just rotated out the next size has he outgrew clothes. That worked for the first 6 months or so, but we stopped that when the growing slowed down a bit. I kept all of the "nice clothes" on the right side of the closet and the rest on the left, each side also organized by size. I kept the bigger/out of season clothes in the guest closet and rotated as needed. I stocked up on rubbermaid tubs and was diligent about putting stuff away as he outgrew it, but I also kept the next sized stuff in the same tub so it was just switching one size out for another.

We also keep diapers in a drawer along with wipes, burp clothes and diaper creams. Socks, mittens and "decorative" bibs were in one drawer organized with some ikea cubes. We kept sleep sacks and receiving/muslin blankets in a drawer together as well.

whiska · October 2017

I've been on pinterest saving "nursery organization" ideas. Basically the only thing I'm pretty sure we'll do right now are drawer organizers, since baby clothes are so tiny

I don't see us doing much folding but mostly throwing everything into the right "bin". I like the idea of putting bigger sizes in the lower drawers and moving them up as needed. I'll use the closet for miscellaneous storage and to hang up outfits (I registered for those closet divider hooks, even if they're a bit precious and I have no idea how practical

).

Next up I want to figure out how to organize the cloth diaper stash, buuuuut I need to actually fill out/complete more of the stash first so I have an idea of how much space is needed...

wabash15 · October 2017

@whiska for cloth diapers we have 2 bins...one for shells and one for inserts. I try to organize the inserts by type since we have several different styles of CD but generally speaking its pretty obvious which goes with which or that the styles can be mixed and matched so it does not matter too much. Thankfully CD's don't need much organization.. hell you could just dump it all in one tub/drawer and you'd be fine

MJDsquared · October 2017

Target registry question: Anyone know if you can add things to the registry after your completion discount kicks in and get the discount? There's a nursing nightgown or two that I plan on buying and getting the discount would be nice, but I feel kind of weird adding them before the shower. I'm fine with having breastfeeding stuff on there (and I do) but I feel like people would side-eye me having clothes for myself on a registry (even though I fully intend on buying them myself).

Also my completion discount kicks in like right around the time my showers are happening. I wanna say 11/1 and my showers are 10/29 and 11/4? Or something like that.

cait5413 · October 2017

@MJDsquared I'm pretty sure last time, I went to Target, used the scanning app on my phone, and added everything I wanted to buy to my registry right before I checked out using my discount. So, I think you can totally add what you want whenever.

tmk0325 · October 2017

@MJDsquared yes, you can still add too it. I just got my code via email yesterday! And of course I ordered a few things last weekend because I wasn't sure when it was coming and they have the baby sale this week!

Amber_Waves · October 2017

@MJDsquared Yes, just add to your registry and then from your registry to your cart. I just did this today.

ShyTonia · October 2017

Soooo advice on laundry detergent please. We already use All free and clear. And was curious if that was fine for newborns. I was at a baby shower today and one of my girlfriends suggested to use dreft. I thought all free and clear would be fine because it’s perfume , dye free etc. And from what I googled quickly dreft is very high in perfume scents.

Marley629 · October 2017

@ShyTonia we used the tide free and clear for DS1 with no issue and will do same for this LO. I do like the dreft smell though!

bb89012 · October 2017

I used babyganics fragrance free had no complaints!

cait5413 · October 2017

@ShyTonia we use All Free & Clear. No problem using it for babies!

skc040512 · October 2017

@ShyTonia Dreft is actually terrible for baby's skin. My pediatrician asked what detergent we were using when DD was diagnosed with eczema, and said that using Dreft was one of the main problems she saw with kids developing skin rashes (not in our case, we were using a free and clear). DD never had any issue with All Free & Clear and it's so much cheaper.

TigerCakes · October 2017

@ShyTonia We also use all free & clear. My DS has eczema, but it’s not related to the detergent and his allergist said it’s a good choice! We will be using it for this baby’s clothes too.

Amber_Waves · October 2017

Right now, we use the Costco brand free-and-clear on everything. We'll be getting Allen's Naturally for the baby's diapers (it's $50/gallon but you use 1Tablespoon per load).
We got a lot of hand-me-downs from a family member that used Dreft and the fragrance was overwhelming! I washed everything twice to get the smell out...my sensitive skin and nose couldn't handle it!

splsmama2016 · October 2017

All free and clear is fine, and Dreft now makes a dye free one now too. I think it’s also fragrance free too. We use Dreft because I’m addicted to the scent

darkfyre · October 2017

@Amber_Waves my doula really saved my birth when we had to transfer to hospital since labor was early. She somehow kept the monitors off me, just had one 15 min session. And kept most of the staff at bay so I could do what I needed to. I still had some interventions I didn't want, like a u/s at 10 cm. But I got a vaginal med free birth in a hospital, no small task at times. I highly recommend them.

ShyTonia · October 2017

Thanks everyone for the awesome feedback! I used to use gain (because I loved the smell) but about halfway through the pregnancy I developed a rash behind my knee.(Dr said right away it was poison ivy, i thought it was eczema. )none the less it itched like HELL, it was torture for weeks. And it then spread to a spot on my thigh and my fore arm. So in that time I switched to all free and clear and aveeno body wash. All free of perfumes etc. rash cleared up immediately. So that was cool and I’ll just keep with it. Thanks guys!
Its crazy to me that when you google top detergents for newborns dreft comes up as the top seller but there are links DIRECTLY under it that say how bad it is for newborns. Smh.

ShyTonia · October 2017

failuretofly · October 2017

Omg you guys have so many clothes for your kids!!!! We have 1 drawer that fits EVERYTHING DS is currently wearing, plus some socks and sweaters in a separate drawer. That's it. And that's only 2 drawers now because he is almost 2 and his clothes are physically bigger. When he was an infant they all fit in the same drawer.... and DH still complains he has too many clothes!

dilbert890 · October 2017

I got my pre-admit forms for the hospital. One of the questions they ask "What food would you like to have after birth?"
It seems very open ended. I have no idea.. what do you feel like eating after? I'm thinking a beer and loaded french fries.. haha (I haven't drank in well over 2 years b/c I seem to be intolerant to alcohol so I'm not actually going to ask for that)..

I'm also in Canada.. and I've spent time in a hospital before.. their food isn't menu based, and in general it sucks.. so what do I want to eat after? I honestly just thought of calling a Pizza Hut and having some pizza delivered haha! Thoughts?

skc040512 · October 2017

@failuretofly we don't even have a dresser for DD...we got one of those 5 drawer plastic storage things from Wal-Mart. 2 of the drawers are super thin, so they have things like socks or hair bows in them. 1 drawer is for clothes in the next size up. 2 drawers are for current clothes, and neither is anywhere close to being full, but I can just find things easier in it when they're all spread out. My mom kept insisting I need a dresser and I just have no idea what would even go in there? A drawer for shoes? A drawer for blankets? Maybe store extra food in there? idk...

whiska · October 2017

Okay real talk: whenever you hear birth stories everything fades to black once baby is out, but I know that it doesn't end there. We did the hospital tour Saturday and they said if baby is well then we do skin-to-skin for an hour until they weigh them and stuff. With a vaginal delivery is the doctor down there all that time delivering the placenta and stitching things up? Does mom have to do a lot to push out the placenta? How long does all that take until the doctor is done?

failuretofly · October 2017

@whiska yep pretty much right. I had to consciously push once or twice to get the placenta out but it wasn't a big thing. I didn't have stitches so I don't know the exact details on that, but from what I can recall from my L&D rotation in school, yes they do that after the placenta is out.
The nurse/midwife will probably feel for uterus at some point within that hour after the placenta is out to ensure it is contracting properly.

skc040512 · October 2017

@whiska I don't really even remember delivering the placenta. I know it took at least 10 minutes or so, because I did a delayed cord cutting (about 5 minutes), and didn't deliver the placenta until after that was done. My Dr was down there for a good while cleaning everything up, checking that everything internally looked ok, and stitching me up (2 tears, both 2nd degree). I did skin to skin for about 20-30 minutes, then they cleaned her up, weighed and measured her (took about 5 minutes, and most of the clean up happened with me holding her), and gave her back for more skin to skin. I was in the delivery room for about 2 hours after she was born before they took me to post-partum. You're so fascinated by the baby, you don't really pay attention to what else is going on lol

ab920 · October 2017

@whiska After baby came out, she was skin-to-skin immediately and the doctor hung out down there for probably 15 minutes delivering the placenta and stitching me up (third degree tears). I didn't have to push at all and I didn't notice anything he was doing down there.

She remained on my chest for quite some time--but we listed "no unnecessary interventions or tests immediately after birth" on our birth plan, so they didn't clean her or test her for a few hours. My husband put a diaper on her as she laid on me. If that's important to you, list in on your plan!

lavashiner · October 2017

@whiska as I recall, they tried to massage my uterus and the placenta wasn't budging, so I was given pitocin to help my uterus contract. I think before that they asked me to push, but I also had hemorrhaging, and was a little blissed out from my unmedicated labor. I think it took maybe 10-15 minutes to clear everything out. I didn't need stitches.

sjis · October 2017

@dilbert890 I’ve thought about what I’ll eat after, but really for me it’s going to be fiber, fiber, and more fiber. The pooping situation after birth is the worst and I’ll do anything to not have it be traumatic.

dilbert890 · October 2017

@sjis I've heard chocolate causes constipation so stay away!! I imagine with my family and christmas there's going to be so much chocolate around!!

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