Weekly Questions 3/31

purplg8r · March 2019

What Questions do you have this week?

sw1122 · April 2019

Is a bassinet during the first few months imperative? I was thinking about having baby in the crib from day one since the nursery will be in the next room over, but I was told that it was necessary to have baby sleep in a bassinet because the baby can't roll over in it, the way he/she can in a crib. My SIL had her son in the crib from day one, but they also hired a night nurse.

peachy0709 · April 2019

@sw1122 - We never used a bassinet. Some pack and plays come with a bassinet attachment, so you'd like to try it out, you still get a pack and play out of it.

Allycat11 · April 2019

@sw1122 definitely not imperative. There are other options depending on the needs of you and baby. Crib from day 1 is definitely an option. Some people do things like a side by side cosleeper, regular cosleeping, rock n play, pack n play, etc... You can read up on safe sleeping options, as I am sure you have, and make your decision about which options you are comfortable with. I swore DD would be in the crib from day 1 but she cried and cried and cried. She ended up unwilling to sleep without a boob in her mouth so we coslept. DS also cried when we tried the crib, so we did a combination of cosleeping and rock n play by my bed.

mrosek91 · April 2019

@sw1122 our sons were in the "infant" level of the pack 'n' play from the day we brought them home. It's really just a pack 'n' play but high so you don't have to bend down so far to get them out. I think most cribs have adjustable levels, with an infant option as well. The baby can't roll over at that age at all, so it doesn't really matter how big their sleep surface is.
We did buy a bassinet when DS#2 showed up, but that was because at that point we had moved to a house, and we wanted a place to put him during nap time. At night he still slept in the pack 'n' play.

sourlemon · April 2019

This is kid 3 and we've never had a bassinet. Typically the baby is in our room for the first 4-6 months at night either in the pack n play or the rock n play (yeah yeah, not a "safe sleeping" thing but I had 2 reflux babies who had to be inclined).

It is recommended that the baby be in your room the first 6 months to reduce the risk of SIDS, but I know plenty of people go straight to the nursery, especially if its nearby. Our kid rooms are all the way across the house, so I dont like to put them down there until I'm only getting up once regularly. For us, that has always been between 4 and 6 months.

WinchesterGirl · April 2019

We tried both a bassinet and co-sleeper with our first (halo bassinest and arm's reach) and he wouldn't sleep in either. So we sold them both. We are debating just using the crib as a sidecar this time until we move him to the shared room with DS1. But, some people successfully use the crib from day 1. It's really a matter of preference, as they can't roll for a bit.

sw1122 · April 2019

Thanks for the feedback everyone!
@mrosek91 @WinchesterGirl - I thought that babies that young couldn't roll over, so I was confused/freaked out a little when I was told they could/would in a crib.
@Allycat11 - I thought about cosleeping at first because that's what a friend of mine did with her 2 daughters and plans on doing it with her 3rd. But I personally don't think I would feel comfortable. I'm a light sleeper, but my husband is a heavy sleeper and our dog sleeps in our bed. Who knows, maybe we'll need to reconsider based on baby's needs and we'll have to adjust.

wabash15 · April 2019

@sw1122 no a bassinet is not required... and babies don't roll over till ~4 months sometimes later... and once they start they can an will do it no matter what they are in.... Do what works for you. Also in regards to Co-sleeping I never thought I would until the babies were here... no judgment one way or another, if you do end up co-sleeping just read up on making it as safe as possible.

WinchesterGirl · April 2019

@sw1122 I am pro-cosleeping myself. So, take this with a grain of salt. If you think you might at all be interested, look up the guidelines for safe co-sleeping ahead of time. We had no intention of ever trying it with my first. But then, he just would. Not. Sleep. Unless he was touching one of us. Not in his crib. Not in his bassinet. Not in the cosleeper we ran out and purchased. Desperation won out at that point, and I researched what we needed to do to keep it as safe as possible.

I ate a lot of "I'll never..." once I had my first kid!

thirdtimesacharm2019 · April 2019

Never had a bassinet. Last time I had a pack-n-play with the top level attachment thing, so it’s way more versatile. I will probably go with that again for downstairs/naps since my post c-section self won’t be running up and down stairs. Also, no issue with going straight to a crib. I’ve done that too!

side note: this will be my first baby with a two story house and I’m a little scared to carry the baby up and down stairs 😬 guess I need to get over that!

sw1122 · April 2019

@thirdtimesacharm2019 - oh god, I didn't even think about carrying the baby up and down the stairs. Another thing to be overly worried about!

Allycat11 · April 2019

@WinchesterGirl right there with you about no plans to cosleep but did it out of necessity. DD would scream bloody murder the second my boob came out of her mouth so there was no transitioning to a different surface. If we did not cosleep no one would have slept at all for months. DS nursed to sleep then pushed off so depending on our position and how tired I was I would try and move him to a rock n play but often ended up cosleeping too. I definitely agree with reading up on ways to make it as safe as possible.

Allycat11 · April 2019

@thirdtimesacharm2019 I fell walking down the stairs with DD when she was a baby. Momma instincts kicked in and I fully wrapped my arms around her. I bruised the crap out of my tailbone and twisted my ankle but she was perfectly fine.

grangerhp37 · April 2019

@thirdtimesacharm2019 @sw1122 Ugh I'm glad I'm not the only one with that concern! Our stairs are carpeted thankfully, but I've slipped when walking down them with socks on at least a handful of times. Nothing too bad, but enough for me to land on my butt - I am so paranoid about walking down them holding a newborn! H thinks I'm insane.

sw1122 · April 2019

@dogmomma096 - I honestly hadn't even thought about the stairs until @thirdtimesacharm2019 mentioned it. Our stairs aren't carpeted and I've definitely slipped down them at least a few times. I was running down them when I have slipped though. I suppose we'll just have to be extremely careful - ugh this really worries me!

aecm · April 2019

@sw1122 - I don’t think a bassinet is necessary, but I found the bassinet attachment in our pack and play to be very helpful for the first couple of months. First, I had her sleeping literally a step away from my bed, which was about as far as I wanted to move to get her when she needed to be fed at 4am. Second, it was way easier to pick her up out of than the crib while dealing with an unexpected c-section recovery.

@thirdtimesacharm2019 - No one let me carry the kid down the stairs for the first few days (maybe a week? Lol) home after my c-section. Eventually you do it enough that it becomes more comfortable / natural. I do remember being very excited when DD could hold her head up on her own b/c I could start carrying her with one arm and go back to using my other hand on the bannister!

Twinkiedoll · April 2019

@sw1122 Add me to the "not necessary" camp. We got the Pack n Play with the bassinet attachment and that was great for us. DD slept in that pack n play for the first year of her life. She only slept in the bassinet for the first few months or so before she exceeded the weight limits. That said, recovery from a C-section is a whole different ballgame so depending on your recovery, having a bassinet that's right next to your bed may be necessary.

thirdtimesacharm2019 · April 2019

@aecm Waiting until I start to heal is definitely a good idea! DS2 will be 7 when this baby is born, so maybe I’m just generally worried about handling a newborn again. Hopefully it’s like riding a bike 😊.

WinchesterGirl · April 2019

When we had DS we were in a 1 story, but now we've moved and the stairs already concern me as a slip and fall risk with being pregnant and clumsy. But I'm also not sure what stuff to get doubles of for up/downstairs.

So, 2 story house + moms, what are you planning for upstairs vs. downstairs baby gear?

olivemomma · April 2019

@WinchesterGirl I found a breastfeeding pillow/station and diaper area both up and downstairs were helpful since you are doing both a lot. Other than that though I didn’t find stairs problematic.

Mommas just be extra cautious and take them 1 at a time (basically go down like a 2 year old)

purplg8r · April 2019

@thirdtimesacharm2019 I hadn’t thought about carrying her upstairs and downstairs!

I registered for 2 diaper genies, 2 diaper caddies, 2 changing pads, 2 boppies (I know I’ll forget those suckers downstairs and I’m not going keep going up and down to get them. ).

wanderlustsoul · April 2019

@sw1122, we are only getting a bassinet and no crib. We will get a crib when he’s older. I want him to sleep beside the bed so I found a great bassinet that is bed height and easy access. It’s kind of like cosleeping without me worrying incessantly. A pack and play would also work but we aren’t getting one of those here since we will get one in Canada at my parents house. Or you can just use the crib.

I feel like whatever works best for you is the right choice.

wanderlustsoul · April 2019

Anyone here cloth diaper? Advice? Tips?

Originally I wanted to do it but our dryer takes forever so I was gonna not do it but now I think I may try and see. If I buy enough I can hopefully do a small load each day and it won’t be so bad.

WinchesterGirl · April 2019

@AKuzReve What bassinet did you find that's bed height?

aecm · April 2019

@WinchesterGirl We have 3 levels (including basement - and we’re down there most evenings) and I didn’t buy duplicates of anything. There were times when we definitely had diapers and wipes on each level and did changes on the floor. I vaguely remember having a container for pumping supplies that went upstairs at night and all came down in the morning. Also, our pack & play had a “newborn napper” that my kid lived in for the first several months and was super light / easy to carry between the main level and the basement. But as long as you have a place to put the baby down in each space you spend significant time, you should be fine.

Allycat11 · April 2019

@AKuzReve I cloth diapered for a handful of years. My biggest piece of advice is to find a local cloth diaper store if you have one. Mine is a wealth of knowledge and was unbelievably helpful when I was first starting out. I recommend starting with several different styles/brands so you can figure out what works best for your family. All in ones were my favorite because I am lazy and think they are the easiest. DD did best in Bum Genius Freetimes. For DS we preferred Blueberry Simplex. A lot of people like hook and loop (velcro) because you can get a more precise fit. I prefer snaps because they are more durable and with 2 animals velcro is a nightmare to clean. For drying you are actually best off hanging them to dry. Again, I am lazy, so mine usually just went in the dryer. I would dry them outside sometimes in the summer but not often. Most people I know wash every other day, some every third day. For DD cloth was a game changer. She had a very slim build and had blowouts up the back constantly in disposables, it never happened in cloth. For DS we always had issues and eventually gave up shortly after he turned 2. He is a heavy wetter and peed through every type we tried.

cato99 · April 2019

I had a full set-up both upstairs and our main central middle floor (I didn’t take baby down to the lowest level very often, it’s the laundry room and guest accommodations and workout space). So all the stuff @olivemomma and @purplg8r mentioned, plus we had a pack n play with newborn napper in the living room.

In our room we started with a bassinet, then got a smaller pack n play travel crib, and then moved her to her room and real crib at 9/10 months.

BigBadWolf12 · April 2019

@sw1122 we put ds in his crib from the first day home from the hospital. It was in our room though. We got an ikea crib so it's small enough to go through a door frame without taking it apart. Easy transition to his own room later. No regrets. Will do the sane with this baby. The crib also converts to a toddler bed after.

@akuzreve we cloth diaper by day, disposable at night. We got best bottoms covers (love them. ..good as new after almost 1.5 years of extensive use edit to add we got the snap covers, not velcro). At first we did disposable til meconium was done, then we did prefolds&snappy or fitted diapers inside the covers. Then we did medium sized inserts that came with the diapers and he's going to size up to large inserts when we go back to Canada in June. The BB covers are one size (7-35lbs, do on the trimmer side of one size but they have "bigger best bottoms" available now for 10-40 or 45 lbs if your lo isn't potty trained by then) but their snap-in inserts are sized to balance not being overly bulky when lo is tiny but still absorbing enough as the kid grows and pees more/more at once. LOVE them. Will definitely use with the next baby

Also having inserts will save on dry time

wanderlustsoul · April 2019

@WinchesterGirl, it may just be sold in Europe but it's called the SnuzPod. It attaches to your bed. The side closest and can go down so you have easy access to the baby. You can tilt it if the baby has reflux. The bassinet part also comes off so you can move it around the house without having to move the entire thing. So, in the day, I will move him into the living room and can go back and forth.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/p5/28l9kgmi8gbm.jpg

(Sorry if these pictures are massive)

@Allycat11 and @BigBadWolf12, thank you. My mind was a little

so I have lot of research to do but all good information to have.

@BigBadWolf12, do you get European brands? Any I should check out? Is BB european and I should just google? Lol.

wabash15 · April 2019

@AKuzReve we have cloth diapered with all our kids.... if you have enough inserts its no big deal to hang them to dry (it takes 12ish hours... plus hanging them in the sun will bleach out all the stains. I agree to finding a local store or group. I would maybe dabble with a few of each kind (you can buy them used for less) to see what works for you... we tend to use the pocket style and just change out the inserts. We also like best bottom (though not the velcro... velcro does not hold up)

BigBadWolf12 · April 2019

@AKuzReve I have no clue. I'm a bad European buddy 😂 Basically everything we have is from Canada (small stuff), gifts, or from ikea 😬 we didn't have a lot of "stuff" anyways. Crib, hand me down recliner seat with no bells or whistles, ikea play mat, sit me up chair (from Canada at Christmas), door frame jolly jumper (from Canada at Christmas time), ikea highchair, and.......that's basically it for the first year lol.

No swing, Rock n play, pack n play, baby gym, walker or saucer seat etc for us.

Edit: I thought I was on a different thread 😂 best bottoms is in North America. Not sure if you can get them here too. We bought all our cloth stuff in Canada (lilmonkeycheeks is awesome!) But we have thankfully loved our best notions with snaps so jumping right in instead of trying out a bunch of types first worked out for us

Twinkiedoll · April 2019

@WinchesterGirl We live with my inlaws in a two story house. They have knee problems so they can't use the stairs which makes the upstairs "ours." We had a diaper changing station and a pack n play both upstairs and downstairs so my in laws would have the necessities when they watched DD for us. Those were really the only things we had duplicates of.

I think my MIL brought random stuff here and there that she wanted to have downstairs for DD. like, if DD had a favorite toy, MIL would buy a second one to have downstairs.

olivemomma · April 2019

Anterior placenta moms - how often are you feeling baby?? I’m sorry, I know we’ve been here before and I was pretty relaxed about it always. But I’m now at 23 weeks and am still not feeling much, I technically feel him daily but it’s random and not often. I keep trying to remember from my prior pregnancies buts it’s all a blur.

peachy0709 · April 2019

@olivemomma - When I had an anterior placenta, I never had the aggressive movements I've had with my two posterior placentas. You might feel more at ease if you try counting when you do feel the movement - when you pause to count, I find you realize there is way more movement that you previously realized. Also, remember that even at 23 weeks, the average baby is just now at about a pound. You'll start to feel a lot more movement in the next few weeks I'll bet.

olivemomma · April 2019

@peachy0709 literally 10 minutes after I posted this baby decided to have his first dance party. Murphy’s law...

bluebonnet15 · April 2019

I’ve officially outgrown my fav GAP non-maternity pajama shorts. Any recs for maternity lounge/pajama shorts? Most I’ve found are 3” inseam, which is a little short for this 5’8” mama to feel comfortable wearing around folks (and I know I’ll want to be in them the entire month of August when we have visitors...).

wabash15 · April 2019

@olivemomma last time I did not feel her till 28-29 weeks and then it was maybe once a day. This time I feel the baby every few days but its maybe once or twice than nothing for a long time (21 weeks), I was stressed about it last time because it made it so hard not to worry something was wrong, but this time I've accepted it. The one upside is this kid won't keep you up at night with kicks...

EmilyA724 · April 2019

@heml I don't have them, but I have been eyeing Old Navy's Maternity Yoga Shorts I have their maternity yoga pants and I love them, they are my go-to post work bottoms

mamamias · April 2019

On a different note, is anyone experiencing round ligament pain? Sometimes it really hurts to walk and when I called the dr's office, they diagnosed it as RLP. Didn't recall having this in my first pregnancy.

mkrel · April 2019

@olivemomma I'm still feeling very inconsistent movement as well. I feel her daily, but there are definitely times where I find myself thinking that it has been a very long time and is she ok in there. Usually if I eat something sweet, drink cold water, or lay down she'll move shortly after. It is so different this time around though.

Want a personalized experience?

Weekly Questions 3/31

Re: Weekly Questions 3/31

Choose Another Board

Search Boards