Hi all!
So a while back I posted this post asking people what they wished they knew before they were a mom.
Well, here I am asking again, but in a different way: what pregnancy/newborn advice do you have?
I want serious advice...not "be healthy and it'll make pregnancy easier." While I know that's true, let's be honest...it's super general and not exactly helpful to me.
Here are a couple things I've been told already that I found helpful:
- Use name brand diapers until their "little poo poo" (thank you Bill Cosby) becomes more solid, and blow outs will be less likely to happen. After it becomes more solid, use store brand diapers to save money.
- Buy sensitive wipes: then you're less likely to have to worry about crazy rashes and such.
- Make sure pacifiers have the little "lip" on them. If they don't, baby has to suck harder to keep it in his or her mouth, and it makes breast feeding more difficult because they're used to sucking hard to keep the pacifier in.
- Walk or do yoga everyday. It'll help keep extra weight off, and make labor a lot easier.
So...what advice do you have?
Skin to skin immediately after birth. I also breastfed Bri about thirty minutes after hey birth and she's a great feeder. She can even go from breast to bottle without problem.
ReplyDeleteWe found a&d either best for diaper rash and it doesn't smell. But we tried a few different ones to see what worked. We still have beaudreaux's butt paste of you want. It's practically a fill tube.
Gas drops help with burps and only affect the gas in the stomach. Gripe water works for hiccups.
Put them down when they are drowsy but not asleep! We got the book the no cry sleep solution because crying it out has no definite positive effect on sleep for babies. I don't agree with it.
Be confident in your parenting, and politely nod your head when advice is given. But in the end always do what you feel is best. You know what is best for your child.
Well, that pacifier one is tricky. Different babies will like different pacifiers, so you may have to try various kinds. Jocelyn uses a completely different style than the rest of my 3.
ReplyDeleteI totally prefer Butt Paste over any other rash cream.
Gas drops only work in 50% of babies. (statistic from nurse when Tyler was a baby.) Unfortunately, my babies were all the 50% they didn't work for.
Breast-feeding is hard, but so worth it. Find the support you need! (Me, Mel, Robin, Sis Casey, etc.) But if, for some reason, it doesn't work out....formula is a fine alternative. Tyler was formula fed and he's smart as a rocket scientist. You don't need lots of gadgets. We (personally) don't use baby baths, monitors, changing tables, etc, etc, etc.
Baby-led weaning is our food method for our babies. I actually had no idea there was a name until I stumbled on the "method" one day when Kinley was almost a year old. Back when Tyler was a baby, he did NOT like baby food, so we had to find real foods to feed him that would work with no teeth. Anyways, I love it. It saves me time, money, stress, etc. and just makes so much historic sense to me. Some babies love the texture of purees though (not mine!!), so if you want to go that method, save yourself tons and just puree your own. Super easy and a LOT cheaper!
I have a specific lullaby for each of my children. I inserted their names into a song and it's only their song. I don't sing it to the others. It's special just for them.
Oh, Diapers! Pampers swaddlers are my favorite for newborns. I don't do any store brand, except for costco, which I LOVE. (And they are the same price anyway.) Store brand are NEVER worth it, even for older kids, in my opinion. Especially Luvs. They smell, even before the poo. After the poo, I just want to throw up. Yuck!
If you have a boy, get plain white tights to wear under pants in the winter. Socks just don't stay on feet, unless you buy the expensive kind that are made to stay on (and they really do!).
If you hate any of these ideas, don't listen!!! :) Love you!
Breastfeeding might not be easy! Don't be discouraged if baby doesn't latch right away or just isn't quite getting it...it took me and Page a month to really settle into a good, painless routine. If you make up your mind beforehand to be determined to breasfeed then you are more likely to stick with it!
ReplyDeleteDon't let anyone pressure you into what they think you should do during birth! If you are in labor and you know you are capable of delivering without an epidural you rock it! If you know your limit for pain and want an epidural you are not a failure for getting one! I had an epidural and I am glad I did but that's just me!
Take your stool softeners! I know this is a little tmi but believe me you are going to thank me for this knowledge when yoy have your first after giving birth bowel movement! Lol
And I know you hear this a lot, but it really is solid advice. DRINK LOTS OF WATER!!! Like even more than before you were preggo. I kbow drinking water sucks the bigger you get because you have to pee more and more often but you do not want to end up like me with preeclampsia...it is the absolute worst and probably could have been avoided with healthier diet choices like DRINKING MORE WATER!!!
I probably have more but I don't want to become hat crazy advice lady lol but I know you are gonna be a rockin mom!!! Stay grounded in the gospel like you are and there is nothing you can't acheive!!!
Breastfeeding might not be easy! Don't be discouraged if baby doesn't latch right away or just isn't quite getting it...it took me and Page a month to really settle into a good, painless routine. If you make up your mind beforehand to be determined to breasfeed then you are more likely to stick with it!
ReplyDeleteDon't let anyone pressure you into what they think you should do during birth! If you are in labor and you know you are capable of delivering without an epidural you rock it! If you know your limit for pain and want an epidural you are not a failure for getting one! I had an epidural and I am glad I did but that's just me!
Take your stool softeners! I know this is a little tmi but believe me you are going to thank me for this knowledge when yoy have your first after giving birth bowel movement! Lol
And I know you hear this a lot, but it really is solid advice. DRINK LOTS OF WATER!!! Like even more than before you were preggo. I kbow drinking water sucks the bigger you get because you have to pee more and more often but you do not want to end up like me with preeclampsia...it is the absolute worst and probably could have been avoided with healthier diet choices like DRINKING MORE WATER!!!
I probably have more but I don't want to become hat crazy advice lady lol but I know you are gonna be a rockin mom!!! Stay grounded in the gospel like you are and there is nothing you can't acheive!!!
I wish I would have know how much being a first time parent would scare me, even though I was prepared, I had read books, I even babysat a lot, I thought I knew how to deal with everything, but when it came to actually being the mom, and having to take care of someone whom you care about so dearly, it is SO different. More different than I could have ever imagined. You will have to choose how to deal with things, in regards to your baby, and you will have absolutely no idea what to do. It is scary not knowing. But you will figure things out, and you will be a wonderful mother, just know that whatever you do, you can always change it, and you will learn so much about yourself, and you will see a huge change in yourself and your husband. You are going to be a wonderful mother! Just remember that you don't have to know everything about being a mom, because you are just learning the ropes. Children are resilient, for the most part.
ReplyDeleteGood luck! I'm SO excited for you guys!! I'm here if you need any advice/help. Seriously, and time :) FB message me if you need my number.
Where do I begin? Sounds like you've already received some fabulous advice and I say "AMEN!" to a lot of it! Here's my 2 cents:
ReplyDelete~Invest in a good breast pump if you're planning on working after baby comes. I've gone back to work with all 3 of mine, only part-time with 2 of them so it was a necessity to pump for sitters and better models keep up with your milk production better. I have a Medela one.
~I love, love, love Lansinoh breastfeeding pads because they are thin and discreet, and they catch a lot of extra milk. They are a little pricey, but they're fabulous! With my last baby I also purchased a night breastfeeding bra that wasn't so constricting and easily opened for easy access. That sounds bad!
~I, too, use Pampers Swaddlers on my newborns and then switch when my baby is older. Different generics have worked better on different kids so we try several smaller packages until we find our fit and then go bulk. Target brand worked fabulous on my oldest, but only Huggies Snug & Fit worked on my 2nd. (She was really chubby and they held up the best on her. With my 3rd we use the Sam's Club brand or the Costco brand. My preference is the Sam's one, but it's also a little more of a drive for us than Costco. I also only like the Sam's unscented baby wipes. The scented ones and me don't get along because they LOTS of extra puking during one of my pregnancies. Not fun.
~Every time I'm pregnant, I immediately sign up on every formula or diaper company's website. They send lots of coupons and sometimes samples! I also join BabyCenter.com and get weekly emails during my pregnancy, as well as ones after that help explain development stages. I still get them for my almost 9-year-old and it helps.
~My favorite pregnancy book is "Your Pregnancy Week by Week". It was WAY better than the "What to Expect" series. I'll find the author's name if you want it.
~ I breastfed 2 of mine for over a year, but only made it 10 months with my last so we switched to formula and he didn't seem to mind. If you chose to do both, it is wise to introduce the bottle around 4 weeks of age, I think. I waited until much later with my older 2 and it was a nightmare for sitters in the beginning! Oopsy. I've also had MANY plugged milk ducts and a bout with Mastitis if you need extra advice. They both suck!
~I keep my babies in my room until 12 weeks of age and then move them to their own space. My first 2 started sleeping through the night at that point, but it took my 3rd another 3 months to figure it out. We also lay them down half-asleep or drowsy when beginning sleep training and then progressively more and more awake, and I've had some good sleepers.
Becoming a mother is wonderful and so very exhausting! It's by far THE best job in the world, and the most draining. But you know your child best so go with your gut or that wonderful motherly instinct. I've relied on close friends, neighbors, my mom, and my MIL for advice over the years and some has been great, while some has been not so great. You'll figure out what works best for your little family. Good luck!