Alright. The panic mode is kicking in! Do I have what I need? What am I going to do with this baby once we get home? I know we all say we have baby-sat, but there is just something different about your baby being the one up all night crying and upset. This is a little person that I am now fully responsible for!!! My mom is planning to be here for at least a week, but it could be as much as 2 1/2 weeks, depending on when the little bit arrives. I am trying to get some meals made and put in the freezer for nights we need something to eat. I feel like I have everything set up and almost in order, I am just waiting on the chair to be recovered for the nursery. Bag packed. Check. Well, almost...there is a list of some things I need to grab. "Call" list made. Check "To Do" list on the way out the door. Check. Arrangements for our puppy girls. Check. I am getting my car cleaned today and then installing the car seat. You think you think of EVERYTHING....and then it hits you like a ton of brinks.... So, I am asking for advice on:
-Things you wish you would have known.
-Any tips you have.
-Must haves.
-Things you had, but never used.
-What I need at the hospital.
-What I need once I get home.
-Things I can do now to make my life easier in a couple of weeks.
-Whatever you've got...hit me with it!!!!
2 years ago
26 comments:
Hello my friend... Sorry to say I don't have any mommy advice. But I wanted to drop you a line to say that I am thinking about you daily. I wish I could be with you during these last couple of weeks. I can't wait to meet Baby Harris. He or She is going to be beautiful I just know it. Love you ,
Look at you.... you are definitely more on top of things than I am!!! I feel the need to go get busy now! I can't wait to hear that Baby Harris is here! I'll also keep my eye on the comments for advice from other moms too... I definitely need it!
Well, you are way more planned than I ever was. No one stayed with us and we didn't make any meals ahead of time.
My best piece of advice is to buy some adult diapers. I know it's gross, but it will be much more comfortable then pads for the first few days.
Also, don't forget your camera!
The baby item we used most? Fisher-Price Ocean Aquarium Cradle Swing. My daughter had really bad acid reflux and couldn't lay flat. We bought it when she was 8 weeks old and she slept in it through the night (8 hours). She continued sleeping in it until she was 8 months old.
One more thing...if you are not breastfeeding, wear a TIGHT bra. Don't take that bra off one night, thinking you'll be fine. The result in the morning is more painful than childbirth!
Good luck!
When people told me, "..enjoy when they are litte because it will go so fast.." I wish that I would have understood
What that meant instead of trying to be "super mom". I wish I would have relaxed a bit more and let the dishes
sit in the sink more often, the laundry lay on the floor.
I wish that moms would have told me that breastfeeding is not always an easy thing to do at first. I'm still
breastfeeding my daughter at 11 months and it is so much easier once you push through the hard stage in the beginning.
With my oldest, I thought that something was wrong with me and I took on a lot of guilt because I had no one to tell me
that breastfeeding can be difficult at first.
I could not live without my swing.
It seems like once you have kids many people think they have a right to give you their opinion. And many times its about
things that are not their business. So, my biggest advice is... Dont worry about what other people think or say... God made you the mommy for a reason
and you will know whats best!!
oh ya, and I second what Jenny said about the swing, all of my kids used that same swing (its amazing) and all three of my kids slept in it through the night!! It helped for some much needed rest for me!! :)
If you are planning to nurse, take your Boppy to the hospital with you. Make sure you have PLENTY of newborn diapers and wipes on hand. Miracle Blanket!! sometimes swaddling is the only thing that works! A nightlight is handy--either in the nursery or if baby will be in your room in the beginning, one for in there (or both)...so you do not have to turn on a light to see to nurse and change in the middle of the night.
These are some things my daughter found helpful for my new grand-daughter. Relax and enjoy your sweet baby! You will be a great momma!
You'll love having your mom there with you! She will be a great help to you, and please tell her I said hello :)
Tips -- everything (from induction, to nursing, to whatever) make sure you have a say in what is going on. Yes, take your doctors advice, but if something just feels wrong, then speak up.
Must haves -- each baby is different :) Meredith loved her bouncy seat as a baby, but Russ hated it. Russ wanted to be swaddled until he could no longer fit in the blankets, while Meredith started fighting the swaddle about a week after birth. Each kiddo is different. Both kids liked car rides / stroller rides to calm them down during evening "fussy" periods.
Hospital - less is best :)
Things you can do now - rest, rest, and rest. It sounds like you have the nursery all set up. I would go ahead and take a couple of pacis out of the package and boil them just in case you decide at 2:00 AM during that first week that momma needs sleep and cannot wait two more weeks to avoid nipple confusion.
Praying for you, and so excited that you are going to meet your child in just a few short weeks!
No personal baby tips for you, but would love to chit chat more with you about what brought you to Waco and how you've adjusted. I know now isn't the best time to be adding a new friendship to your life, but I'll stay updated and when things calm down we should talk. Good luck with the birth!!
Hey rebekah! I am so excited for you. I know everyone says that your life will never be the same, and it's so true, but only in the best ways ever. You will be so blessed by you child.You will learn so much and God will use this baby in so many ways in your life. I am so happy for you. :)
Be confident in the mom that you are. Every mom is her own, so figure out what works for you once the baby is here, and don't worry about how everyone else does things.
Read a lot. Study about babies, sleep, breastfeeding... There are some really great books out there, but you don't need to do everything by the book. Make it your own, and do what works for you.
Some of my favorite books are
Babywise (again though, you don't have to do stuff by the book, just take what you want, what fits you) I didn't start a routine with Sarah right away, like the book talks about, and I always keep things pretty flexible. Everyone is different. So is every baby
Lul-a-baby (a great book about how to help your baby learn to sleep on their own.) I like using these books together.
One thing I wish I knew before I had kids was how quickly they are ready to go to sleep, and what true signs of sleepiness were. Both of my kids were ready to sleep after maybe just 20- 30 minutes after they woke up in the newborn stage, and it gradually increases as they get older. Some babies look hyper and active, but they are really just fighting sleep. I didn't know this with Sarah and so I kept that poor baby up for hours and hours and kept saying, "Why is she SO fussy?" haha
Ultimately it will be trial and error, learning about you as a mom and and who your baby is. You'll do great. God has chosed you and Flint to be the parents of this child and for good reason. He is never wrong! :)
Hi, found you through Kellys Korner. I have three grown children and 4 grandchildren.....the one piece of advise I wish I had listened too is get all the REST you can now. Take a deep breath and just slow it down. It's amazeing how much gets done by family and friends who are more than ready to rush to your every need. YOU NEED TO RELAX AND THAT RELAXES THE BABY! Enjoy these next few days of being a couple. You are ready, more than ready. God will provide the rest. Hugs from a momma and nanny in Oklahoma God Bless you all.
hi rebekah! the meals you are making for the freezer will be a huge help! enjoy being in your pj's until noon. carry no guilt if you are in them past noon, just try to be dressed when your husband gets home from work. :) i was never too protective over our son's sleep in the beginning. he was always use to noise, i could even vacumm next to him while he was in his swing. he would never wake, it was amazing. bring home a blanket from the hospital that the baby was wrapped in for your dogs. we have two dogs also and they knew his scent before he came home on day two.
you will be a terrific mom! wishing you all the best as you prepare for this exiciting journey ahead. it will be even more special than you've ever dreamed!
-tara
Congrats, I know you must be so excited. Bring your most comfy maternity pants or big sweat pants to the hospital to wear home, I underestimated how big my stomach would still be and had to wear my pajama pants home, this caused tears. If you plan on breastfeeding and can swing it get the MEdela pump n style, it will make storing milk much easier. Also swaddeling worked amazing for both our kids for a while. Enjoy and don't stress, every baby figures out how to sleep through the night eventually!!
What I have learned in 5 weeks is with babies - it's really hard to "plan" anything. I'm a huge planner and so far nothing has gone as planned.
Obviously our trip to the NICU was not planned. But I meant to have Harper on a strict schedule and we tried it but she just does better on a demand feeding schedule. We bought all this "stuff" and she hates it all. SCREAMS bloody murder every time I put her in the swing - and I had planned for that to be my savior! ha! Hates the pack and play too.
It's hard at first .....but you'll do great. I was a nervous wreck - still am. But you just do what works best for you and the baby and you'll be fine. Every baby is different.
You will be a great mom!!! Don't worry and try to rest now. I'm always tired these days.
Our favorite item (we received as a gift) is the Bath 'N Bumper from www.leachco.com It can also be purchased at Baby Stores. It is the BEST bath tub ever. When they are babies you lay them on the bottom to sponge them and then they start sitting in it in the tub. Brycen loved it and many friends of mine use it with their children.
I agree with Kelly about not expecting the trip to Children's when Brycen was born. One thing I wish I had done was put a stack of clothes or a section hanging in my closet of things I would need in case of an emergency. My mom did a great job of picking out some stuff but we went straight to Children's and we didn't have the things we needed.
You will do great!!! Keep us updated about your welcome appointments.
Christy
I am so glad you posted this! I don't get enough visitors to my blog to do it, but I soaked up all of the information you received! Can you believe how close we are? I have my 39 week appointment today!
yea! you will see your sweet baby soon :) we're excited for you and Flint.
some advice...truly, let everyone help you as soon as they offer..
make a list of the things you do on a daily/weekly basis you would like done once the baby is born and then when someone offers to help you will have it listed right there!
must haves: good swaddling blankets-our favorites are the 3 marthas and one cloud 3?
EG loved the swing AF hated it, the bouncey seat was helpful with both t
what you need at the hospital-chapstick (no liquids will leave your mouth really dry) hard candy
once you get home, have a basket of mommy pampering items, favorite lotion, fun book, set up an appointment for a massage! some new lounging clothes (if you're anything like me you won't want to touch maternity clothes you're so sick of them!)
I wouldn't have made it without nursing pj's from Japanese Weekend - they are the best & so comfy!! (They have some stores in the metroplex, but you can probably order them online) I think I lived in those for a few weeks after Luke was born, plus it was nice to have something new after delivery :)
Can't wait to meet Baby Harris, ya'll will be great parents!
You will be a great mom!
It is such a small world! I'll have to tell Christina to stop by. :)
I stumbled onto your blog and just want to say your baby's bed looks amazing! As far as advice, precook and freeze all the meals you can. Babies are so time comsuming and making a meal will be the last thing on your list.
Congratulations on your upcoming birth and God Bless you all.
I am so excited for you! Sounds like you got lots of wonderful advice. The only thing I have to add is take your pillow and a cute robe to the hospital (it will make you feel pretty!). I loved having my pillow and almost didn't bring it. ; )
GOOD LUCK! I'll be praying for a healthy and easy delivery. Can't wait to find out what you are having.
Thanks for your sweet comment. You're precious!
Don't forget to pack a nursing bra....I did like a goober! I actually only had one hand-me down. Um, you need more. Mine had underwires; it hurt like crazy. Go try some on now. You will get bigger afterwards, so leave some growing room. I also didn't have a nursing gown. Would have been nice...although they all seem to look grandmotherly.
House shoes/slippers!
Also, don't forget to POST A PIC ON THE BLOG!
You'll be surprised at the people who will bring ya'll food the first week or so. Our Sunday School class was lifesavers. Neighbors and other friends came to the rescue with meals. Also, my Mom cooked while she was there. The froozen stuff will be handy after Mrs. Clemons leaves! LET her help. It was hard having Mom do the laundry while I was recovering (C-section style)and trying to sleep between feedings, but she wanted to help and she sure DID! She was gone too soon!
Also in the hospitol...take some movies or favorire cds. If you're like me, you might be in labor for awhile and could use a distraction or calming tunes.
How are you doing??? You feeling ready yet? Or do you ever feel ready?
I am thinking of my favorite hints:
** As hard as it is to put sheets on a baby mattress, it is good to layer sheets. Buy a good quality fitted waterproof mattress pad, buy the largest white waterproof pads you can find, and choose 3 sheets. Take mattress out of the bed to layer on the mattress pad, then one sheet, place a waterproof pad approximately where the baby will be, then second sheet, a waterproof pad, and the third sheet. When Little Bit 'accidently' wets or dirties the bed - just peel off the top layer! The Bed is Still Made!
**To protect the mattress from the springs, place a piece of cardboard between the springs and the mattress.
**If you have a dust ruffle to the floor, use the space under the baby bed to store boxes of diapers.
**You will be a good Mother. Your Mother has been your wonderful example. Relax and listen to your heart. Love.
you are funny. my best advice is to remember to eat! also, i was glad i packed slippers :)
Oh! I got your comment! I am thinking about you! Do you go back Monday? When is your actually due date? I don't want to be induced, either, but I definitely know what you mean!!!
aww! just found your blog & you are gonna do great. one thing that worked...well, helped for all of the screaming was mylicon. it's like tums for babies. they always seem to be screaming from gas!!! wierd i know.
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