Little guy is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. Any last minute tips or advice?
- Thread starter weixiao
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- newborns tips and tricks
@weixiao Pack a power strip, ear plugs, and an eye mask in your hospital bag if you have them. And a desk fan.
Order a bunch of small Vaseline tubs and leave them all over your house, wherever you might get nap trapped. It's the Swiss army knife of skincare, and your hands are about to be dry af.
If it's a boy, always have a wipe or a dry washcloth draped over his penis during diaper changes.
Order a bunch of small Vaseline tubs and leave them all over your house, wherever you might get nap trapped. It's the Swiss army knife of skincare, and your hands are about to be dry af.
If it's a boy, always have a wipe or a dry washcloth draped over his penis during diaper changes.
corderadegracia
New member
@kryslyne My guy is 6 weeks and has peed up and all over his own head about as many times. Sage advice here. Haha. Sometimes I just forget to do it in my sleep deprived haze. And this is such a small thing, but I find it wild that hospitals don’t keep drawers of chargers and shit like that for people staying there. Cords are so cheap.
@corderadegracia This!!!! I come back to read these comments every once in a while because you guys have really answered every question before I thought of it!! The pee! It’s wild. This baby has peed on his own head 4 times in the past 2 days. Sometimes in the middle of the night I forget to cover him so we both get splashed. LOL. Even if he’s just peed, the second his diaper comes off it’s like a fire hose. I can’t wait until his umbilical cord comes off so we can give him a good bath
corderadegracia
New member
@mrs41intx The grunting is so crazy. Who’d have thought you could be so loud AND still asleep? Haha. We took like 12 hours of birth and newborn classes and things like this, rapid/periodic breathing, etc weren’t covered. Wild.
tail0rmade22
New member
@weixiao just go with the flow, accept that nothing can be planned and act according to given circumstances, solve problems as they come
I for example always thought that I am too weak and scared of a natural birth , that I will ask for a cesarean...but as the day came, guess who delivered all natural though with epidural.
Also don't compare your baby to others, all milestones will be individual. Be patient! Good luck!
I for example always thought that I am too weak and scared of a natural birth , that I will ask for a cesarean...but as the day came, guess who delivered all natural though with epidural.
Also don't compare your baby to others, all milestones will be individual. Be patient! Good luck!
@weixiao All of these are great insights. The second night was definitely an eye opener. I also struggled with formula guilt, but am figuring it out as we work to establish supply.
Take as many pictures and videos as you can. These moments are fleeting, and you’ll want to look back at the moment you met your baby, or the moment you take him home etc.
Give yourself grace postpartum. I cried in the hospital because I didn’t realize I’d lose bladder control for a bit after delivery. Your body is going to do something amazing tomorrow. Bear with it as it gets itself to its new mama form.
Take as many pictures and videos as you can. These moments are fleeting, and you’ll want to look back at the moment you met your baby, or the moment you take him home etc.
Give yourself grace postpartum. I cried in the hospital because I didn’t realize I’d lose bladder control for a bit after delivery. Your body is going to do something amazing tomorrow. Bear with it as it gets itself to its new mama form.
@weixiao You guys are literally as prepared as you can possibly be, and as soon as you are home with that baby you will realize nothing could have prepared you for this.
The way your heart grows, the bond that you and your husband will create with each other as parents, the brand new energy in your household and the warrior spirit you will have as a mama. It’s okay to be scared, don’t fight it, just keep reminding yourself “this too shall pass”. Through the scary moments and the beautiful ones, the hard nights and the unforgettably sweet days. All of it will come and go and the more present you can be, the more you can appreciate it all for what it is, the easier it will get.
My husband and I had been planning for parenthood since the beginning of our relationship and still we had a few moments in those first few weeks where we thought: what the hell have we done? Now our son is almost five months old and we can’t believe we ever lived life without him. Honestly even now while he’s teething and there are some rough sleepless nights again it is so much easier than I ever expected it to be.
It will crawl by and fly at light speed. Stay open and honest with your partner, give each other love and grace. Make sure your home is a soft place to land for all three of you. Listen to your intuition - YOU know what’s best for your family and you are allowed to set any boundaries you need to in order to protect your peace. Let go of expectations and focus on intention.
You are embarking on the most magical, spiritual adventure and I guarantee it’s the craziest thing you will ever do. Take care of yourself, pamper yourself, advocate for yourself as a mama and as a human being.
Remember are so strong and you are already the perfect mama for your baby. You’ve got this.
The way your heart grows, the bond that you and your husband will create with each other as parents, the brand new energy in your household and the warrior spirit you will have as a mama. It’s okay to be scared, don’t fight it, just keep reminding yourself “this too shall pass”. Through the scary moments and the beautiful ones, the hard nights and the unforgettably sweet days. All of it will come and go and the more present you can be, the more you can appreciate it all for what it is, the easier it will get.
My husband and I had been planning for parenthood since the beginning of our relationship and still we had a few moments in those first few weeks where we thought: what the hell have we done? Now our son is almost five months old and we can’t believe we ever lived life without him. Honestly even now while he’s teething and there are some rough sleepless nights again it is so much easier than I ever expected it to be.
It will crawl by and fly at light speed. Stay open and honest with your partner, give each other love and grace. Make sure your home is a soft place to land for all three of you. Listen to your intuition - YOU know what’s best for your family and you are allowed to set any boundaries you need to in order to protect your peace. Let go of expectations and focus on intention.
You are embarking on the most magical, spiritual adventure and I guarantee it’s the craziest thing you will ever do. Take care of yourself, pamper yourself, advocate for yourself as a mama and as a human being.
Remember are so strong and you are already the perfect mama for your baby. You’ve got this.
revman2222
New member
@weixiao I really wished I had chapstick when I delivered in January. It’s such a small thing that when ppl asked what they could bring me it completely slipped my mind. But it’s so hard to get sleep at the hospital you and baby get checked every few hours plus visitors plus learning to be a mom. It was only in quiet moments that i could tell in was thirsty and my lips were dry. I felt very prepared! Things that made my stay more comfy: robe (didn’t have to undress for check ins + felt more put together than in hospital gown), blanket, fuzzy socks/slippers, bralette/nursing bra, lotion!
Congrats! You guys got this!!
Congrats! You guys got this!!
@weixiao I just gave birth 1/24, so I am new to everything but these are the biggest things I learned -
- The hormone drop after birth can make you feel crazy. You may feel panicky, have hot flashes and chills, cry for no reason, etc. this mixed with sleep deprivation can really make you feel scared. This lasted about 2-3 weeks for me.
- Speaking of sleep deprivation, if you can take shifts with your partner I highly recommend it. My husband and I started sleeping 3 hour increments, then 4, now we’re up to 5 hours or so of uninterrupted sleep each. When they say “sleep when baby sleeps,” there is no way because their sleeping is so sporadic and they can be so noisy as they spend most of their time in active sleep (grunting, crying, etc.). You’ll think they’re awake but they’re really in active sleep.
- Take the help, I thought we wouldn’t need any help at all. Even if it’s your parents staying with you so you can nap, take a shower, etc.
- Be prepared that breast feeding doesn’t always work out, and that’s okay! My baby never latched and I was dead set on breast feeding. I ended up giving him donor milk in the hospital and kept pumping. This lasted 4 weeks until it was too tough on me emotionally and switched to formula. Washing pump parts and being attached to a pump every 2-3 hours is exhausting if you want to be able to sleep, eat, take a shower, and most importantly spend time with your baby. I felt like I had no time to spend with my baby when I was pumping that much.
- It’s okay not to feel an instant connection. I knew I love my baby but it was a huge life change and the first few days I felt off. Now I can’t imagine life without him.
- There are going to be many ups and downs, good days and bad days. Some days you’re gonna feel like you got everything figured out. We are all learning together. Work as a team with your partner, don’t take frustration out on one another.
- It’s okay if the dishes or chores don’t get done. Try not to stress about it. I’ve come to terms that the first few months are on baby’s terms. You’re on a cycle of eat, change, play, put down for nap, repeat.
- Cluster feeding and growth spurts - babies will be fine one day and then extra fussy the next. There is no way to plan a schedule the first multiple weeks. Also witching hour (more like hours) - baby will be inconsolable and cry or be extra fussy between 8-11 PM for us. It can be extremely overwhelming at first but many babies have witching hours. You will find what works to calm your baby down in time.
corderadegracia
New member
@weixiao Don't be fooled by the first few weeks. They're so lovely and nice. Your hormones are all over and you're in a perfect little bubble.
Mentally prepare for weeks 6-8, then 11-13
Colic is a real thing. It is possibly the most traumatic thing you'll experience. You will spend hours and a small fortune trying to make it better whilst simultaneously making it worse. You will be convinced something is terribly wrong with your baby. There probably isn't, they just haven't worked out how to poop without dramatics yet.
Nah its all fun. Watching them grow and learn new things is amazing.
Not going to sugar coat it, it's tough. You'll find yourself waiting for that silver lining. I don't remember much of the first month. We just, got through somehow. Take loads of photos as post partum memory loss is 100% real.
Mentally prepare for weeks 6-8, then 11-13
Colic is a real thing. It is possibly the most traumatic thing you'll experience. You will spend hours and a small fortune trying to make it better whilst simultaneously making it worse. You will be convinced something is terribly wrong with your baby. There probably isn't, they just haven't worked out how to poop without dramatics yet.
Nah its all fun. Watching them grow and learn new things is amazing.
Not going to sugar coat it, it's tough. You'll find yourself waiting for that silver lining. I don't remember much of the first month. We just, got through somehow. Take loads of photos as post partum memory loss is 100% real.
jhonsmith01
New member
@weixiao Clean the folds in between their neck a few times a day(I use baby wipes and wipe them usually when we're doing diaper changes) Moisture and milk can get trapped there and cause a yeast infection in their skin. Out of all the newborn stuff I wasn't prepared for, that one surprised and scared me the most I think lol. If there IS what looks like an infection there(looks like a rash), clean it, dry it, and put zinc oxide on it. It cleared my LO right up.
This is so small and specific but this is one of the top things I wish someone told me.
This is so small and specific but this is one of the top things I wish someone told me.
@jhonsmith01 Same with the armpits for my LO!
@jhonsmith01 I didn't consider how gross it would get in between my baby's toes also. Another forgotten spot, and behind the ears!