My UO- kids are washable, the world will not end if they touch a germy surface or if *gasp* some clueless stranger touches them. It's ok to go out with your newborn, you don't even need the little yellow caution sign on their car seat warning people not to touch your baby, it will be ok.
@runsomewhere I have a colleague who is a Chiropractor. She is notorious for telling people (even our customers) to pick up that piece of bread you just dropped on the floor and eat it. Germs build antibodies! She says she grosses out her kids because she will do this. I'm actually for her idea.
@ashbub714 I actually like the fish filet too. Won't eat it all the time (I prefer a Big Mac, extra sauce). However, the fish filet sounds good every once in a while. Now I want McDonald fries...
@runsomewhere my mom and I took DS to a craft fair when he was 2 weeks old. It was our first "outing". He was in his stroller, asleep, with a blanket and a car seat cover and we still got so many tsks from the older women at the fair about having a baby that young in public. I do take extra precautions when they are newbies but the germ phobia will cripple you if you let it.
UO: I don’t like French fries very much, unless they are from McDonald’s. I will eat them from other places if they are skinny and seasoned, or smothered in cheese sauce, but I guess it just goes back to my disgust for potatoes lol.
@runsomewhere there's definitely precautions to take sometimes, but you're right! I hate seeing kids who can't play outside because their parents think they'll get too dirty. UGH. I regularly babysit a little girl, she's now two. We would take her outside.. can't remember how early, but after a year old.. she was scared of the grass, she didn't know what it was and when she fell she would cry for us to pick her up because she didn't want her hands to get dirty. Her mom is a HUGE clean freak. HUGE.
@zombiehoohaa that's funny and gross. My kid eats stuff off the ground constantly, especially when we're out at the park or playground and she's snacking on the go, I still try to stop it but the effort is pretty half-assed. She's never really sick so whatever.
@amylu914 DH and I were out on a patio at a restaurant with DD the Tuesday after she was born (Friday night) because it was taco Tuesday and it felt right. We also went to an Oktoberfest festival when she was like 2 weeks old. Of course I was careful when she was so young and washed hands when touching her and other common sense things but it really is fine! I feel that women are bombarded with so much fear mongering and dated info that it causes FTMs a lot of unnecessary anxiety and causes them to be isolated at home which can lead to PPD.
My UO: I commute a lot via subway and bus. I hate it when there is a big crush of people and we’re all hurrying to get out but there is someone walking very slowly in front of me because they are looking at their phone as they walk. I practically get pedestrian rage: don’t slow everyone down behind you because you have to look at your phone! At least step to the side!
ETA: interesting to read all the taking out the newborn stuff. As a ftm, I don’t know what’s what yet....
@lindsayleigh1989 us too, the first tri hit me hard in the energy department. I’m just cutting back on screen time for us both, DS is taking is surprisingly well- I’m sure all the new Christmas toys has something to do with it.
I am a booger helicopter mommy. I can’t stand my kid or others with dried or runny boogers. I don’t care how dirty they are otherwise but them boogers need to go!
On the the topic of taking out newborns i didn’t do it much for the first month because i was recovering from a c section. Other than that i was mostly just careful with overly dirty people touching or kissing him. We still took him out (had to for jaundice). He still gets sick a lot especially when teething. He’s already gone through some contagious things but we survived. He’s at least vaccinated.
I took my kid out, but was careful around people. We went to church late and left early, for example, because everyone would want to touch and kiss the baby, and I wasn't about that during flu season. I kept her pretty covered in public so people wouldn't try to touch (what is it with little old ladies reaching in to strangers' strollers?) or in a carrier until she got her first shots. After that I was much more relaxed. And dirt doesn't bother me at all. I rubbed my kid on my friend's dogs and cats so she wouldn't grow up allergic like me lol. God made dirt, and dirt don't hurt!
Men should not give advice about pregnancy. Your wife/girlfriend/SO is/was pregnant, not you. Don't give me advice to make sure I'm always eating and taking my prenatal. Or to get enough sleep. FFS, Men! Just...dont.
@zombiehoohaa do you watch the office? Your post reminded me of a hilarious scene where Dwight makes basically the same arguement against hand sanitizer. In response everyone in the office starts sneezing and coughing directly in his face.
Also, damn you YouTube for not having this clip online, so I can link the hilarity!
@runsomewhere I am a huge believer in building up immune systems and not living in some antiseptic bathed environment. We also live in New York City, and my kids touch (sometimes lick- face palm) everything. I can't be on guard every time we step outside. But they have pretty solid immune systems.
Kind of goes hand in hand with allergies and early exposure like @christycalifornia said about animals.
@ashbub714 Me too! Idk why, but I've always like them. Dang, now I really wish I could eat one right now
Also I'm with you guys on getting out and about. I took DS to the pumpkin patch about 5 days after he was born. We were in the hospital for most of them, so we just needed fresh air, ya know? @zombiehoohaa That us totally my husband's and my thinking with our son, lol. I never did pacifier wipes, just a little brush off on the shirt. Kids with colds around constantly. He sticks something in his mouth, DH and I just look at eachother and shrug saying "immune system." It just comes down to common sense, at least with a healthy child, and anything beyond that is overkill for me, personally. But hey, to each their own, right?
Guys, I was just thinking this morning about the fact that we will be stuck in a stuffy hospital room in the summer, and I was questioning whether I'll be "allowed" to go outside in the warm sun. DS was born in March and the weekend we came home it was so warm and I was so stir crazy we went to the outlet mall. We actually ran in to my long term sun while there!
I hate dirt and being dirty, but my kids definitely do not. I guess it's a good thing. I'm just constantly wiping them down and making them wash hands LOL
Whenever I see moms out with fresh babes my first thought isn't "Oh man you shouldn't be out with them because of germs." Its, "Doesn't your vagina/c-section scar hurt right now?! good for you!" THere was a woman at a toddler farm group I went to who gave birth and brought her 4 day old with her-and we walk everywhere! It's a two hour play group kinda thing. I was amazed that she wasn't in pain in some way, lol.
I'm reading "the first 40 days" (granola, I know) and I'm definitely leaning more towards giving myself a week or 2 of complete rest...maybe not 40 days, lol. But who knows. July is beautiful here and not too hot - though we are hoping our landlord will put in AC before the summer. That's the ony thing stressing me out about giving birth in July right now.
I keep having dreams he will be here at the end of June, but it's clearly a dream as I know the first one is usually late.
@kissableviv take the rest! Take all the rest! Just don't feel like you have to! I'm all for moms doing whatever they want those first few weeks. Stay in, go out, whatever. Do try and get a bit of sun, though, and fresh air. Sit on your stoop if nothing else. It makes a huge difference in what can be a very isolating experience.
my last baby was July born on the 11th i went a week overdue and had to be induced. Now I had severe sciatic and pelvic pain and at the time undiagnoses gallbladder attacks so the last month I was pretty freaking miserable. EXCEPT we get pools ladies glorious outdoor pools to float around in which actually the most amazing thing come 30+ weeks pregnant. I plan to lather dd up with sunscreen and do it again this time around. our hospital was really comfortable having great ac. I didn't get to go outside mainly because I was being induced but I did get to have walking iv for awhile so I could do the big loop in L&D which was nice. also it was great weather to be able to go for short walks and get out as I felt comfortable
@amylu914 even as a FTM, I think I know that rest is not really gonna happen! I am aware lots of plans I make now may go down the window. I'm preparing as much as I can, but I'm also expecting the unexpected. It will be a wild ride!
The book talks about the "forth trimester" and trying to ease the baby into the world. It also revolves around the mother and how important self-care and proper nutrition is. It stems from some Asian cultures in which families come together when a baby is born and take care of the mom as well as the baby full time. Again, a lot of information may not work for me, but I still find the book very valuable.
One thing I really like is the book's approach to nutrition, focusing on easily digestible foods to help the digestive system and GI tract post partum.
@kissableviv I did a lot of reading about the fourth trimester as well with DS. He came a month early at almost 36w, it was November and already cold here, and I had a smidge of PPD. I definitely gave myself almost two full weeks of “rest.” I don’t think I did one chore in my house for two weeks - my husband and my mom took care of everything. I leisurely showered each evening, I stayed on the couch with TV, my laptop, and my books and I held baby and nursed baby and napped/slept when he did it. I needed it and it was fantastic. I didn’t feel cooped up, plus it was so cold out I didn’t feel like getting out, and I was a little nervous considering DS was early and already having a few issues from that.
After those two weeks I felt so much better and I was able to get into the Christmas spirit and focus on that, in addition to DS, so it was nice to have something to do.
Who knows what will happen this time - will I be early again, go full term, or be overdue? Will I feel differently after birth since it’s my second, or because it’s summer? Will I feel I have to “do more” since I will have a 20 month old? I’m going to see how it goes. But thankfully I have a great support system so I know they’ll take cues from what I need and help me through it.
So, TL;DR, I am all for a dedicated period of time for “rest” and respecting the fourth trimester, if that is what works for you!
Lab Mom (x2): Sept/Oct 2014 Married: August 2015 DS: Nov 2016 (36w) Baby H #2: July2018 (Team Pink!)
Someone on my last BMB did home birth and I think she said she didn't leave her BED for several days post birth, and had done it that way for many of her pregnancies. There was someone else on the board whose religion encouraged "lying in," although I can't remember which religion it was, so there were a couple women on my last board who were pretty into the idea of taking care of your body for at least a few days post partum. I truly wondered if that would work for me, I typically go crazy sitting in one place, its one of the reasons I am so miserable when I am truly sick.
My pediatrician is old school and told us not to take DD into large crowds until she was 4 months. For the first 1-2 weeks after birth I felt great and was up taking walks around the neighborhood, but then had a relapse in my recovery and had to take it easy. That being said - I got very bored on maternity leave, but now look back on that time being lazy at home fondly. We'll see how this one goes having an active 2 year old.
My UO is that I hate the threads where you "need" to copy the questions into your response. 99% of the time I'm on mobile and that's a PITA in my UO.
I can definitely get on board with this idea of total rest after giving birth. Last time I think I overdid it, and I can remember walking around target to pick something up and almost fainting. This time I am hoping to give birth in a birth center where they send you home 4-6 hours (you can stay up to 12 if you need to) after birth. Kind of nervous about that.
It sounds do nice to be able to take a rest after baby is born. I can 100% guarantee that I’ll have to be back at my game when I get home from the hospital. Lol.
@kissableviv that does sound nice. I absolutely do feel strongly about not making any plans or commitments for that first month postpartum, so you can do what works for you and baby and what you truly feel like doing, rather than being obligated to go somewhere or do something. I have lots of family close by and my mom is an absolute rockstar so I did very little cooking and cleaning in those early days, but I don't think I'd charecterize it as particular restful. I guess there's a difference between rest as in sleep and rest as in not straining yourself physically.
I just want to point out that taking care of yourself, for some women, is getting out and about.
I was in bed and around the house for two days. Then, we had to go out to take care of a tongue and lip tie on the third day. After that, I had a little bit of "baby blues" and I would be weepy and sad during the day unless I went out of the house. For me, I needed to feel normal and like myself, which meant putting on pants and makeup and getting out of the house. I feel like it's a waste to put on makeup if I'm just staying home, and putting on makeup and pants and staying home isn't the same thing.
So I went out and about almost every day. To the library or just to get a couple items at the store. It was important for me. I wore her a lot and even in the car seat, people never tried to stick their heads in. And she was breastfed, and breastfed babies tend to get sick less. She never did get sick from any of that.
That is a good point @lovesclimbing. I get stir crazy and I like being around people since so frequently I’m alone! Whatever works for you and keeps mama happy!
Everyone made amazing points. I also usually get stir crazy if I don't go out and about. But I'm really liking reading about this stuff and then taking the bits and pieces that will work for me. Self care for me has often been getting out of the house because I work from home, for example. So who knows!
And yes, by "rest" I mostly mean not straining myself, making too many plans, or committing to things too soon. I should add I tend to overcommit to things and pack my schedule and then getting anxious about it and regret it , so I've been working on doing the opposite!
Due to DH's work we have had very busy social schedules which we love but we already know that's going to change with the babe (although luckily everyone around me is popping babies out these days!!). I know my mom is excited to be here because she lives in another country and this is her first grandchild so imagine that...but she is making arrangements to be in her own place so she won't necessarily feel like imposing since our place is too small for 3 adults!
I just want to point out that taking care of yourself, for some women, is getting out and about.
Yes, exactly! This was so true for me. After I had DD I felt so good being outdoors, moving my body and having fun as a brand new family of 3. I also liked getting showered, dressed and ready daily. That's what worked for me and made me happy but I totally get that it can be different for everyone.
I know that the "staying in" after birth is kind of a popular new age-y thing and more common in certain cultures. However I'd like to point out that this concept stems from a time when we did not have the medical care, sanitation or other luxuries that we do now. Women were at a huge risk for infection and similar complications. Therefore staying at home or in bed for a month were rational precautions.
I have never rested when getting home from the hospital, lol, it just sounds nice. BUT when DS was born we got home in the rain and all the goats met us on the front porch, so we had to deal with that (thankfully it was late June so it was somewhat warm). Sometimes you gotta jump right back in!
I know that the "staying in" after birth is kind of a popular new age-y thing and more common in certain cultures. However I'd like to point out that this concept stems from a time when we did not have the medical care, sanitation or other luxuries that we do now. Women were at a huge risk for infection and similar complications. Therefore staying at home or in bed for a month were rational precautions.
I agree to a certain extent. Yes, we have made so many improvements and yes, by all means, Western medicine saves lives every.single.day., but I think we've also lost a lot of common sense and simplicity in the hustle and bustle of modern life.
By no means I'm going to be in bed the whole time but I definitely don't want to feel pressured to do things and see people and go out to eat just because I'm healthy enough to do it (IF that ends up being the case-let's hope so) and/or the babe is doing well. I'm getting nuggets of information from different resources and will do what works for us based on how things go. 26 weeks to make my head explode with information, lol.
Re: Unpopular Opinion 1/4/17
My UO- kids are washable, the world will not end if they touch a germy surface or if *gasp* some clueless stranger touches them. It's ok to go out with your newborn, you don't even need the little yellow caution sign on their car seat warning people not to touch your baby, it will be ok.
@ashbub714 I actually like the fish filet too. Won't eat it all the time (I prefer a Big Mac, extra sauce). However, the fish filet sounds good every once in a while. Now I want McDonald fries...
@runsomewhere there's definitely precautions to take sometimes, but you're right! I hate seeing kids who can't play outside because their parents think they'll get too dirty. UGH. I regularly babysit a little girl, she's now two. We would take her outside.. can't remember how early, but after a year old.. she was scared of the grass, she didn't know what it was and when she fell she would cry for us to pick her up because she didn't want her hands to get dirty. Her mom is a HUGE clean freak. HUGE.
@amylu914 DH and I were out on a patio at a restaurant with DD the Tuesday after she was born (Friday night) because it was taco Tuesday and it felt right. We also went to an Oktoberfest festival when she was like 2 weeks old. Of course I was careful when she was so young and washed hands when touching her and other common sense things but it really is fine! I feel that women are bombarded with so much fear mongering and dated info that it causes FTMs a lot of unnecessary anxiety and causes them to be isolated at home which can lead to PPD.
ETA: interesting to read all the taking out the newborn stuff. As a ftm, I don’t know what’s what yet....
On the the topic of taking out newborns i didn’t do it much for the first month because i was recovering from a c section. Other than that i was mostly just careful with overly dirty people touching or kissing him. We still took him out (had to for jaundice). He still gets sick a lot especially when teething. He’s already gone through some contagious things but we survived. He’s at least vaccinated.
edited because i clicked post too soon
Also, damn you YouTube for not having this clip online, so I can link the hilarity!
Kind of goes hand in hand with allergies and early exposure like @christycalifornia said about animals.
Also I'm with you guys on getting out and about. I took DS to the pumpkin patch about 5 days after he was born. We were in the hospital for most of them, so we just needed fresh air, ya know? @zombiehoohaa That us totally my husband's and my thinking with our son, lol. I never did pacifier wipes, just a little brush off on the shirt. Kids with colds around constantly. He sticks something in his mouth, DH and I just look at eachother and shrug saying "immune system." It just comes down to common sense, at least with a healthy child, and anything beyond that is overkill for me, personally. But hey, to each their own, right?
I hate dirt and being dirty, but my kids definitely do not. I guess it's a good thing. I'm just constantly wiping them down and making them wash hands LOL
Married: 6/27/2008
DS: 3/14/2010 Planned, PG first try
M/C 6/2012
DD: 4/22/2013 Planned, UnDx Infertility, PG on our own
BFP: 10/28/2016 Unplanned, HUGE SURPRISE!
M/C 12/12/2016
BFP: 10/27/2017 Unplanned, HUGE SURPRISE
EDD: 7/2/2018
But who knows. July is beautiful here and not too hot - though we are hoping our landlord will put in AC before the summer. That's the ony thing stressing me out about giving birth in July right now.
I keep having dreams he will be here at the end of June, but it's clearly a dream as I know the first one is usually late.
The book talks about the "forth trimester" and trying to ease the baby into the world. It also revolves around the mother and how important self-care and proper nutrition is. It stems from some Asian cultures in which families come together when a baby is born and take care of the mom as well as the baby full time. Again, a lot of information may not work for me, but I still find the book very valuable.
One thing I really like is the book's approach to nutrition, focusing on easily digestible foods to help the digestive system and GI tract post partum.
After those two weeks I felt so much better and I was able to get into the Christmas spirit and focus on that, in addition to DS, so it was nice to have something to do.
Who knows what will happen this time - will I be early again, go full term, or be overdue? Will I feel differently after birth since it’s my second, or because it’s summer? Will I feel I have to “do more” since I will have a 20 month old? I’m going to see how it goes. But thankfully I have a great support system so I know they’ll take cues from what I need and help me through it.
So, TL;DR, I am all for a dedicated period of time for “rest” and respecting the fourth trimester, if that is what works for you!
Lab Mom (x2): Sept/Oct 2014
Married: August 2015
DS: Nov 2016 (36w)
Baby H #2: July2018 (Team Pink!)
My UO is that I hate the threads where you "need" to copy the questions into your response. 99% of the time I'm on mobile and that's a PITA in my UO.
I just want to point out that taking care of yourself, for some women, is getting out and about.
I was in bed and around the house for two days. Then, we had to go out to take care of a tongue and lip tie on the third day. After that, I had a little bit of "baby blues" and I would be weepy and sad during the day unless I went out of the house. For me, I needed to feel normal and like myself, which meant putting on pants and makeup and getting out of the house. I feel like it's a waste to put on makeup if I'm just staying home, and putting on makeup and pants and staying home isn't the same thing.
So I went out and about almost every day. To the library or just to get a couple items at the store. It was important for me. I wore her a lot and even in the car seat, people never tried to stick their heads in. And she was breastfed, and breastfed babies tend to get sick less. She never did get sick from any of that.
And yes, by "rest" I mostly mean not straining myself, making too many plans, or committing to things too soon. I should add I tend to overcommit to things and pack my schedule and then getting anxious about it and regret it , so I've been working on doing the opposite!
Due to DH's work we have had very busy social schedules which we love but we already know that's going to change with the babe (although luckily everyone around me is popping babies out these days!!). I know my mom is excited to be here because she lives in another country and this is her first grandchild so imagine that...but she is making arrangements to be in her own place so she won't necessarily feel like imposing since our place is too small for 3 adults!
I know that the "staying in" after birth is kind of a popular new age-y thing and more common in certain cultures. However I'd like to point out that this concept stems from a time when we did not have the medical care, sanitation or other luxuries that we do now. Women were at a huge risk for infection and similar complications. Therefore staying at home or in bed for a month were rational precautions.
By no means I'm going to be in bed the whole time but I definitely don't want to feel pressured to do things and see people and go out to eat just because I'm healthy enough to do it (IF that ends up being the case-let's hope so) and/or the babe is doing well. I'm getting nuggets of information from different resources and will do what works for us based on how things go. 26 weeks to make my head explode with information, lol.