Yeah my only advice from the first time around is LEAVE THE HOUSE. Leave the house every single day. Play Pokemon go and take a walk around the block, go to the grocery store, sit at Starbucks for 20 minutes, hit the library for however long you have until the baby cries and then go home, but go outside, get fresh air, put sunshine on your face, feel like a living, breathing, human being even if it's only for a few minutes and ends in disaster.
I actually really loved newborn phase during the day- baby carriers and marching around outside were my jam. My main pain point was sleep deprivation and the wee hours of the morning after not having slept all night. Daylight made sleep deprivation hurt less during the day. Once we were outside in sunlight it was easier to manage feelings of exhaustion so we actually spent a ton of time at the zoo and walking in circles around a duck pond in our neighborhood.
The newborn phase was actually one of the reasons we were on the fence about baby #2. But then I reminded DH that it is only a few weeks and we can rock it! It will be difficult in February which is the coldest month of the year here but hopefully we will be graced with good weather this year so we can get out of the house! If you babywear like @craftywitch suggests its easy to keep baby warm.
Me: 38, DH: 36 Married Jan 2008 DD Baby Bells born Dec 2016 5 lbs, 12 oz, 18" so in love Due with #2 Baby Arya EDD February 2020
TTC#1 10/2018: MFI (2 SA under 9 million/ml) 11/2018: HSG shows right Fallopian tube slightly damaged 1/2019: Husband diagnosed with grade 3 varicocele 4/05/2019: varicocele repair surgery 6/13/2019: BFP!!! EDD: 2/22/2020 Baby girl born 2/27/2020 7/18/2019: Total Motile Count at 3 months post surgery = 51 millions!! (number must be >20 millions to conceive naturally).
My DH will probably only get the weekend off. He’s in mortgage sales, so we loose out if he doesn’t go to work. Plus, he’s not really involved in much care of the kiddos that it just annoys me to watch him sit on the couch while I struggle. Bless him, but he does more for me at work, lol. For you guys that have your husbands home and doing stuff that’s awesome. Enjoy it!
My OB recently told me that he isn’t going to be able to tie my tubes after delivery and I will have to do an out patient procedure at six weeks. Is the new norm? I am thinking of pushing the issue, but have been poling people to see if this is the norm for post vaginal delivery.
@DDRRT1982 hmm I’m not sure. I know my friend had hers done later, but I’m not sure if that was bc they said she had to wait or if she had just not made the decision.
They asked me at my last appointment if I wanted it done after my CS. I do not. I don’t know if I’m done yet!!
Me:33 DH: 34 Married: May 2011 TTC #1: May 2015 DS: 10/20/2016 TTC #2: June 2019 #2 EDD: 2/20/2020
@DDRRT1982 I’ve had a few patients go back to OR for a salpingectomy the day after vaginal delivery, as long as they didn’t hemorrhage. My SIL did. Some wait til 6 weeks PP. But of course if you have a csection we can do it right then after uterine closure.
Also - enjoying this thread. Big life shifts coming and I feel emotionally unprepared so thinking about what to expect and what others experienced is nice
I second FIT4MOM!! I actually became an instructor a year after taking classes and it has been absolutely wonderful! It’s not just exercising it’s a supportive group of women all going through the same or similar things at the same time! Definitely worth looking into
I don't know if I want my tubes tied - we are definitely done with kids but I am scared of what hormonal changes it could make with me as I'm very sensitive to them. I'm going to have DH get a snip snip instead.
Me: 38, DH: 36 Married Jan 2008 DD Baby Bells born Dec 2016 5 lbs, 12 oz, 18" so in love Due with #2 Baby Arya EDD February 2020
I was so happy to find that I only have a 1.5% chance of going into labor in superbowl sunday :-D but not so happy that only have 90% chance of going into labor before March. I am a February baby and so was my mom and we have some cool jewelry I'd like to pass along to my daughter. I do have a February niece that I love to death, luckily.
Me: 38, DH: 36 Married Jan 2008 DD Baby Bells born Dec 2016 5 lbs, 12 oz, 18" so in love Due with #2 Baby Arya EDD February 2020
@Swiftlet - my husband is a HUGE Patriots fan but luckily I don't think they will be there this year haha. My birthday is 2/1 and I'd really like to enjoy my birthday weekend without him all keyed up for once. I get a free birthday day off and I think I will choose the Monday 2/3 instead of the Friday before so I can actually watch the game regardless of who is in it this year. I am REALLY hoping the Ravens are in it this year (I'm from Maryland so they are "my" team and my husband HATES them.) Lamar Jackson is amazing.
Me: 38, DH: 36 Married Jan 2008 DD Baby Bells born Dec 2016 5 lbs, 12 oz, 18" so in love Due with #2 Baby Arya EDD February 2020
@Swiftlet haha I'm sorry. It's funny I'm from the eastern shore so people are split between Ravens, Redskins and Eagles since we are equidistant from Philly and DC, and a lot of people hate the Ravens because they say that Ray Lewis is a murderer, or that they are the Colts that were stolen blah blah blah
Me: 38, DH: 36 Married Jan 2008 DD Baby Bells born Dec 2016 5 lbs, 12 oz, 18" so in love Due with #2 Baby Arya EDD February 2020
Quick question on baby bedding! The pack and play we bought has this detachable bassinet and I realized earlier I still need to get sheets. I've seen some that are the waterproof quilted cotton kind. Are those okay for newborns to sleep on? Or is it better to just use a standard fitted crib sheet. I know ideally firmer surfaces as best for a while I'm just not sure if the quilted is too soft? Also for moms who've used pack n plays for baby to sleep in, did you buy the separate squishier mattress as they got older? I'm not sure if we'll be getting her a crib when we move.
@babyroma I rarely used my PNP for infant sleep....used it more when traveling after age 1...but I would use a fitted sheet that fits it. I am team firm mattress and as little as possible in the sleep space with baby. Do they make sheets specifically for the bassinet part?
I never bought the extra mattress for the PNP and he’s always slept fine in it. They don’t know any different!
Me:33 DH: 34 Married: May 2011 TTC #1: May 2015 DS: 10/20/2016 TTC #2: June 2019 #2 EDD: 2/20/2020
@babyroma - the extra mattress for the PNP is NOT sleep safe approved. I got one and then returned it and was very upset that BRU would sell something that is not safe. The pack n play sheets are absolutely fine - my daughter slept in the PNP bassinet with just the flat fitted sheets for the first 4 months of her life and she slept fine
The other good thing about PNP sheets is if you take your kid to daycare they usually use the same sheets for their mini cribs as well, so you will need them anyway.
Me: 38, DH: 36 Married Jan 2008 DD Baby Bells born Dec 2016 5 lbs, 12 oz, 18" so in love Due with #2 Baby Arya EDD February 2020
Okay so this might be an annoying loaded question but FTM and having a little bit of a panic lol. We will be *hopefully* moving within a month of baby girl's arrival. Our stuff is already getting packed up and we will be putting in storage, not setting up a nursery or anything. Am I missing something lol? We have the below on our list so far to have at our current house:
- bath stuff - pack n' play with changer and napper - clothes - diapers, wipes - baby carrier wrap - pump. bottles, pacifier - mammaroo - playmat - boppy - baby lounger
@brookert615 I agree with @kiwi2628. I think you have everything you need accounted for on the list! The only thing I see missing is a portable changing mat. I used it in my house way more than I did out and about during the early weeks. If my changing station was in the bedroom, I kept the portable changing mat in the living room stocked with diapers and wipes so I didn't have to travel far.
We’re doing our hospital tour tonight, any advice on questions I should be asking? I feel like I have so many questions that they’re overwhelming me and I can’t think of any of them lol
@taylor2020 it depends on what is important to you and if you would switch hospitals based on what they say. If that is your hospital no matter what, it doesnt matter if they do standard epidurals vs walking, or if they don't offer laughing gas or dont have birthing tubs since you will only be able to get what they give, KWIM? It is helpful to know about their visitor policy. I asked about what foods/liquids I would be able to eat during labor, I asked about beds for SOs staying at the hospital and I asked if their TVs worked with amazon fire sticks. I actually did my hospital tours with DS back when I was only 10 weeks because I was deciding between 3 hospitals so I asked very different things based on what I hoped for my birth.
@taylor2020 - i'm looking forward to my hospital tour to try to get some comfort/familiarity with the surroundings. Las time my questions were things like: - Is there a tub to labor in and what are the restrictions, if any? - Visitor policy (including excluding visitors if necessary) - Any questions about the room - do you stay in the same room the whole time? - Is there a nursery or do they "room-in" baby? - What birthing apparatus do they have? birthing stool, yoga ball, peanut ball? - Hours of the cafeteria. My doula suggested we bring food in case we deliver in the MOTN and one or all of us is hungry. - Check out the family area - our hospital had a little kitchenette where you can store food in the fridge, make coffee, etc. - Maybe note the # of plugs and the inputs available on the t.v. - we brought a device that didn't work with the t.v. which was annoying.
Me: 38, DH: 36 Married Jan 2008 DD Baby Bells born Dec 2016 5 lbs, 12 oz, 18" so in love Due with #2 Baby Arya EDD February 2020
I am still struggling to find a bassinet. Which one do you have? Why did you pick it? Originally, I wanted the Delta Children bassinet. Super simple, about $50 but people kept complaining about rusty parts. So now I have the Fisher Price soothing motions bassinet in my cart.
TTC#1 10/2018: MFI (2 SA under 9 million/ml) 11/2018: HSG shows right Fallopian tube slightly damaged 1/2019: Husband diagnosed with grade 3 varicocele 4/05/2019: varicocele repair surgery 6/13/2019: BFP!!! EDD: 2/22/2020 Baby girl born 2/27/2020 7/18/2019: Total Motile Count at 3 months post surgery = 51 millions!! (number must be >20 millions to conceive naturally).
I got a handmedown bassinet kind of like the Delta one and my daughter HATED it. She did not like the close quarters associated with the fabric sides. This time I will try to use it again and if not I have a Baby Delight snuggle nest that she can use. It goes right in the middle of our bed and allows her to sleep safely between us. Also we have the PNP bassinet which is more spacious and open if this baby prefers that like DD1.
Once baby is here I might order a cosleeper if the other items aren't working out.
I would definitely go with the soothing motions one. I've been eyeing the Baby Delight Beside Me Dreamer Bassinet & Bedside Sleeper
Me: 38, DH: 36 Married Jan 2008 DD Baby Bells born Dec 2016 5 lbs, 12 oz, 18" so in love Due with #2 Baby Arya EDD February 2020
@rikiteacup we got the lotus travel PNP and bassinet. We picked it because we knew we would be moving around a lot with the baby- going to friends houses, going to grandma and grandpas etc and we knew we didnt want to always have to leave by 6 to get home in time for bed. It is lightweight, folds up small and travels with us, so we can go to a friends party and use their spare room and set up the travel PNP (or bassinet when he was smaller) and stay till 10 or whatever, or bring it to grandmas and he could stay there overnight. It is considered a safe sleep space, the bassinet part can actually slightly rock using the babies own movement (very slight, but DS liked it) and DS is still using it whenever we go places. It has definitely been worth it.
With that said- DS was an early mover, so he only stayed in the bassinet until 8 1/2 weeks and then had to get out because he was rolling too much, so consider if you truly want a bassinet.
We are going to stick with the pack n' play since we are moving. But my friend had a super cute wooden bassinet and her baby hated it, then they got the halo bassinet and he hated it.
@brookert615 - this is why I hate bassinets! They only last 2 months, baby hates them 50% of the time and yet they are hundreds of dollars. This whole question on what to do with bassinets has me stressed out, which is another reason why I'm delaying until baby comes.
Me: 38, DH: 36 Married Jan 2008 DD Baby Bells born Dec 2016 5 lbs, 12 oz, 18" so in love Due with #2 Baby Arya EDD February 2020
@leksiL you could still get the Finnish box. If it wasn't sitting on the floor I would get it. I wish they had a stand to raise it higher.
TTC#1 10/2018: MFI (2 SA under 9 million/ml) 11/2018: HSG shows right Fallopian tube slightly damaged 1/2019: Husband diagnosed with grade 3 varicocele 4/05/2019: varicocele repair surgery 6/13/2019: BFP!!! EDD: 2/22/2020 Baby girl born 2/27/2020 7/18/2019: Total Motile Count at 3 months post surgery = 51 millions!! (number must be >20 millions to conceive naturally).
DS also hated his bassinet at night. But I used it all the time to put him in during the day and I wheeled it all over the house. It’s one from Pottery Barn that my aunt bought for us. He may have slept overnight in it 5 times.
Me:33 DH: 34 Married: May 2011 TTC #1: May 2015 DS: 10/20/2016 TTC #2: June 2019 #2 EDD: 2/20/2020
Re: The Great Question Thread
Married Jan 2008
DD Baby Bells born Dec 2016 5 lbs, 12 oz, 18"
Due with #2 Baby Arya EDD February 2020
10/2018: MFI (2 SA under 9 million/ml)
11/2018: HSG shows right Fallopian tube slightly damaged
1/2019: Husband diagnosed with grade 3 varicocele
4/05/2019: varicocele repair surgery
6/13/2019: BFP!!! EDD: 2/22/2020
7/18/2019: Total Motile Count at 3 months post surgery = 51 millions!! (number must be >20 millions to conceive naturally).
TTC #2
9/07/2021: BFP - CP: 9/10/2021
10/07/2021: BFP - CP: 10/23/2021
12/23/2021: BFP! EDD: 08/31/2022
DH: 34
Married: May 2011
TTC #1: May 2015
DS: 10/20/2016
TTC #2: June 2019
#2 EDD: 2/20/2020
Also - enjoying this thread. Big life shifts coming and I feel emotionally unprepared so thinking about what to expect and what others experienced is nice
Married Jan 2008
DD Baby Bells born Dec 2016 5 lbs, 12 oz, 18"
Due with #2 Baby Arya EDD February 2020
https://datayze.com/labor-probability-calculator.php
I was so happy to find that I only have a 1.5% chance of going into labor in superbowl sunday :-D but not so happy that only have 90% chance of going into labor before March. I am a February baby and so was my mom and we have some cool jewelry I'd like to pass along to my daughter. I do have a February niece that I love to death, luckily.
Married Jan 2008
DD Baby Bells born Dec 2016 5 lbs, 12 oz, 18"
Due with #2 Baby Arya EDD February 2020
Married Jan 2008
DD Baby Bells born Dec 2016 5 lbs, 12 oz, 18"
Due with #2 Baby Arya EDD February 2020
Married Jan 2008
DD Baby Bells born Dec 2016 5 lbs, 12 oz, 18"
Due with #2 Baby Arya EDD February 2020
Also for moms who've used pack n plays for baby to sleep in, did you buy the separate squishier mattress as they got older? I'm not sure if we'll be getting her a crib when we move.
DH: 34
Married: May 2011
TTC #1: May 2015
DS: 10/20/2016
TTC #2: June 2019
#2 EDD: 2/20/2020
The other good thing about PNP sheets is if you take your kid to daycare they usually use the same sheets for their mini cribs as well, so you will need them anyway.
Married Jan 2008
DD Baby Bells born Dec 2016 5 lbs, 12 oz, 18"
Due with #2 Baby Arya EDD February 2020
- bath stuff
- pack n' play with changer and napper
- clothes
- diapers, wipes
- baby carrier wrap
- pump. bottles, pacifier
- mammaroo
- playmat
- boppy
- baby lounger
Diagnosed with PCOS & Hashimoto's
DH: 34
Married: May 2011
TTC #1: May 2015
DS: 10/20/2016
TTC #2: June 2019
#2 EDD: 2/20/2020
Diagnosed with PCOS & Hashimoto's
DH: 34
Married: May 2011
TTC #1: May 2015
DS: 10/20/2016
TTC #2: June 2019
#2 EDD: 2/20/2020
@ibabyloveb87 Oh man! Wishing you a smooth move!
Diagnosed with PCOS & Hashimoto's
Las time my questions were things like:
- Is there a tub to labor in and what are the restrictions, if any?
- Visitor policy (including excluding visitors if necessary)
- Any questions about the room - do you stay in the same room the whole time?
- Is there a nursery or do they "room-in" baby?
- What birthing apparatus do they have? birthing stool, yoga ball, peanut ball?
- Hours of the cafeteria. My doula suggested we bring food in case we deliver in the MOTN and one or all of us is hungry.
- Check out the family area - our hospital had a little kitchenette where you can store food in the fridge, make coffee, etc.
- Maybe note the # of plugs and the inputs available on the t.v. - we brought a device that didn't work with the t.v. which was annoying.
Married Jan 2008
DD Baby Bells born Dec 2016 5 lbs, 12 oz, 18"
Due with #2 Baby Arya EDD February 2020
Originally, I wanted the Delta Children bassinet. Super simple, about $50 but people kept complaining about rusty parts. So now I have the Fisher Price soothing motions bassinet in my cart.
10/2018: MFI (2 SA under 9 million/ml)
11/2018: HSG shows right Fallopian tube slightly damaged
1/2019: Husband diagnosed with grade 3 varicocele
4/05/2019: varicocele repair surgery
6/13/2019: BFP!!! EDD: 2/22/2020
7/18/2019: Total Motile Count at 3 months post surgery = 51 millions!! (number must be >20 millions to conceive naturally).
TTC #2
9/07/2021: BFP - CP: 9/10/2021
10/07/2021: BFP - CP: 10/23/2021
12/23/2021: BFP! EDD: 08/31/2022
Once baby is here I might order a cosleeper if the other items aren't working out.
I would definitely go with the soothing motions one. I've been eyeing the Baby Delight Beside Me Dreamer Bassinet & Bedside Sleeper
Married Jan 2008
DD Baby Bells born Dec 2016 5 lbs, 12 oz, 18"
Due with #2 Baby Arya EDD February 2020
With that said- DS was an early mover, so he only stayed in the bassinet until 8 1/2 weeks and then had to get out because he was rolling too much, so consider if you truly want a bassinet.
Diagnosed with PCOS & Hashimoto's
Married Jan 2008
DD Baby Bells born Dec 2016 5 lbs, 12 oz, 18"
Due with #2 Baby Arya EDD February 2020
10/2018: MFI (2 SA under 9 million/ml)
11/2018: HSG shows right Fallopian tube slightly damaged
1/2019: Husband diagnosed with grade 3 varicocele
4/05/2019: varicocele repair surgery
6/13/2019: BFP!!! EDD: 2/22/2020
7/18/2019: Total Motile Count at 3 months post surgery = 51 millions!! (number must be >20 millions to conceive naturally).
TTC #2
9/07/2021: BFP - CP: 9/10/2021
10/07/2021: BFP - CP: 10/23/2021
12/23/2021: BFP! EDD: 08/31/2022
DH: 34
Married: May 2011
TTC #1: May 2015
DS: 10/20/2016
TTC #2: June 2019
#2 EDD: 2/20/2020