My advice to first time parents is channel your inner Ross and take EVERYTHING in that hospital not bolted down that you are allowed to take. Find a good nurse to help you navigate. For the price you pay, treat it like a luxury hotel and take all the amenities!
Also, don’t wear your comfy gown to the hospital. Wear their paper sheets. Wait until your water breaks or after birth and you get cleaned up a little.
👋🏼 popping in a week later to say HELLO and thank you guys so much for the warm wishes and rock solid advice! I am nothing without the wisdom of the moms who went before me. So much of this feels like I’m winging it, so I’ll take all of the tips and tricks! Baby Ollie is so snuggly and I am enjoying being his mom even more than anticipated. The sleep is short, but the cuteness and the casseroles people keep bringing us are keeping me sane. Also can confirm, the padsicles are essential.
I’ll be lurking here in the comments for the next few weeks! Love you all!
Hiii! New mom here as well (baby Olivia born on September 7th!) so just soaking in the advice and also adult diapers. They are much easier than the pads!
Re: waffle shirt: here’s a dupe from Amazon that I got and is perfect dressed up or down (and great for feeding of any kind, also spit up comes out of it easily as I learned yesterday when my baby vommed on me 😅🙃🥴): AUTOMET Womens Waffle Knit... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C9SLFBBS?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Also, I’ll be at the Atlanta Iive show, diaper and all!
Congrats on the new addition!! Mom of 11yo & 9yo here. Everyone gave such great advice! Again.. your kid, your rules. . Here's what helped us. #1 the EASY method worked great for us... it was more of a routine than something based on time. Eat Activity Sleep You. Eat... don't let him all asleep while eating they get confused... I would usually put a cold washcloth lor tickle fwwt... otherwise you could come across a cluster feeder. Activity. . Tummy time!! S.. sleep. Y... you define what YOU time is. #2. Have a package of the next size up in diapers. One day you'll be changing a diaper and realize it's too small. #3. Don't let your kid have TV or screen as it changes their little brains and is proven to link to ADHS
I love so much of the advice here for dear Hannah. Congratulations on Baby Ollie! As someone who had quite serious PPD with my first, I became afraid, almost hyper vigilant of it happening again. So it was helpful to learn that, for instance, lots of moms would have very even-keel days with their baby, but feel suddenly lonely, afraid or just altogether sad as it started to get dark. This happened to me with my youngest and I just planned for it. I lined up comfort shows, favourites snacks and friends who could I could talk with in the evening and were willing to come by if my sad feelings got intense. Once I knew it was common and had a plan to deal with it, it just got much easier. That being said, don’t ever feel like you have to white-knuckle your way through hard seasons of parenting (from anywhere from newborn to teen!). There are always people who have your back and love your kid fiercely and want to see you both flourish, so don’t hesitate to reach out. ❤️
Yay for fresh babies!!! The Mama Frida peri bottle is superior to what they give you in the hospital. And Earth Mama Angel Baby brand has my favorite PP recovery balms for lady parts.
So I’m about to cover the reformation and John Calvin for a church history class I’m teaching. This weeks SWDGISS has given me way better material than what I was provided. You better believe I’m including all the ladies you mentioned and not just Calvin
Also I am not very Calvinistic and will be speaking to a crowd with some super Calvinistic people on the person, John Calvin so any tips, arguments, and prayers are appreciated. (I did not pick the material we’re using)
Hannah, YAY! Ollie is perfect! I’m so proud of you for growing and delivering that delicious little nugget.
I had my first baby almost 21 weeks ago, and I am not a pro, but I will share my thoughts. You should take them with a huge grain of salt because my first tip is:
You know how to be a mom to your baby. You can trust yourself and your baby. You can get all the advice in the world and yet you should still trust your instincts and the experts you choose to let speak into this experience.
Other tips:
1. You can’t spoil a baby. They have a biological need to be snuggled and fed and held. Your sweet baby only wanting to nap on your chest and wanting to nurse for what feels like forever is a feature and not a flaw. Literally almost all else can wait- you just hold and snuggle as much as you want.
2. Shower! Make the time. It’s worth it.
3. Erin is correct- padsicles!
4. I know it seems insane, but you might miss those nighttime feeds. When my baby started sleeping for longer stretches, I actually really missed those quiet moments in the rocking chair nursing her.
5. Don’t forget to sniff his head, and his neck rolls, and the spot right behind his ear.
6. Society not being baby friendly is not your concern. You take that baby with you whenever/wherever you want. If you’re nursing- don’t ever feel like you have to go hide if you don’t want to.
7. Baby wear! For real! I love the Solly and the Ergobaby Omni 360. The Omni is expensive (find it secondhand!) but so great for walks and the like. Just strapping the babe on is the only way to get anything done.
8. If you’re breastfeeding, keep seeing a lactation counselor until it isn’t hard anymore. Don’t give up if it’s something that is important to you! There is help available.
Finally, and this is so important, be honest and proactive about your mental health. Baby blues shouldn’t last for weeks or months. If you are struggling, tell your provider, take the medication, start seeing a therapist, figure out a way to get more sleep. You and your baby deserve for you to feel well.
My daughter is 4.5 months old (so I'm *obviously* an expert...not), but my advice is to remember that two things can be true at the same time. You can be totally obsessed and in love with the little nugget, and also out of your mind exhausted and in desperate need of some alone time. Be so grateful for the opportunity to parent this precious baby, and feel that someone at the hospital made a mistake just letter you waltz out of there with an entire person. One does not cancel out the other. Oh, and if you want him to nap on you all the time, let him! You're not going to spoil him by holding him too much. You will not have to carry him napping across the stage at this high school graduation.
Hannah, huge congratulations, Ollie is precious! My mom advice is very serious, here goes:
Park next to the cart return instead of the store. That way you don’t have to decide between putting the baby in the car while you return the cart or wrangling them plus their car seat and whatever else they have once you’ve returned it.
(1) giggle about the cigarette grandma tweet. I've got born and raised New Yorker (Staten Island) grandparents and even though they don't smoke they are textbook cigarette grandparents which is terrifying, sometimes delightful, and often very funny.
(2) Reflect on the awful and wonderful experience of getting a bra fitting. I hate getting bra fittings because it means I have to go to the mall, which is an awful, overstimulating place. But I also love getting them because dang, underwire bras really are the best if you have ones that fit. Last weekend I hit up my local Nordstrom at 11:30am on a Sunday and learned it's a far less awful experience go to the mall when almost no one is there. I even went to more places after Nordstrom - who is she??? I walked out of that mall with a smile, new undergarments, some J Crew workwear, and some candles from Bath and Body Works, then proceeded to collapse on the couch for the rest of the day to read my book with football in the background. So, a reminder to everyone to get fitted as the internet's bra queen Caralyn Mirand taught us, and to only go to the mall in the morning.
(3) Deliver my thanks to Erin for the Lumberjane shirt. I got two of the fleece ones last time she mentioned them in a newsletter and they're so perfect. I also feel obligated to tell everyone the fleece ones are really just a sweatshirt material, there is no fleece in them. Just in case we were all nervous about overheating.
Congratulations Hannah. Savor that maternity leave! Take naps, watch shows, read books (if you can afford a housekeeping service do it). When you are maybe 6 months ask your doctor about pelvic floor therapy.
I just started pelvic floor therapy (nearly 3 years after having my 4th and last baby). It’s the best.
Oh yeah - I started pelvic floor PT at 6 weeks pp. (And I've got good BHM pelvic PT recommendations if you want them, Hannah!) Truly a game changer in pain and healing and sanity!
My youngest baby is 5 now and my oldest is 10 (also named Ollie! Great name choice!), but the lesson I’m STILL learning is that these kids are constantly changing. Just when you think you figure one out, they change in some big, unexpected way. This means that I can’t stand firm on how they’ll behave or respond.
So the best thing I can do is try to manage my OWN expectations of their behavior. When they were babies, this looked like: not being angry or upset when their nap wasn’t as long as I wanted/needed/expected it to be. Babies don’t know I need 90 minutes so I can work!! Managing my expectations and realizing they didn’t even know what expectations were made me (a work from home mom) a much kinder and understanding person.
I’m looking forward to going to the ATL show next weekend. September has been busy and good. Using up all my travel points this month to see friends and celebrate family.
Hello! Y’all. Baby’s need AAAALLLLL the snuggles and what I would give to go back and just hold my baby all dang day.
Also second piece of advice. Take a shower. Don’t get ready or anything. Just shower and put pjs on during the middle of the day for no damn reason.
And 3rd piece of advice. People will have a ton of advice(😉😏) on what you could do differently compared to what they did to fix your problems. When you realize they are giving their opinion that’s not helpful at all politely cut them off. Some things people said when I had newborns still haunt me to this day especially while having ppd.
Anyone have the Walmart dupe and know how it fits?
My advice to first time parents is channel your inner Ross and take EVERYTHING in that hospital not bolted down that you are allowed to take. Find a good nurse to help you navigate. For the price you pay, treat it like a luxury hotel and take all the amenities!
Also, don’t wear your comfy gown to the hospital. Wear their paper sheets. Wait until your water breaks or after birth and you get cleaned up a little.
👋🏼 popping in a week later to say HELLO and thank you guys so much for the warm wishes and rock solid advice! I am nothing without the wisdom of the moms who went before me. So much of this feels like I’m winging it, so I’ll take all of the tips and tricks! Baby Ollie is so snuggly and I am enjoying being his mom even more than anticipated. The sleep is short, but the cuteness and the casseroles people keep bringing us are keeping me sane. Also can confirm, the padsicles are essential.
I’ll be lurking here in the comments for the next few weeks! Love you all!
Hiii! New mom here as well (baby Olivia born on September 7th!) so just soaking in the advice and also adult diapers. They are much easier than the pads!
Re: waffle shirt: here’s a dupe from Amazon that I got and is perfect dressed up or down (and great for feeding of any kind, also spit up comes out of it easily as I learned yesterday when my baby vommed on me 😅🙃🥴): AUTOMET Womens Waffle Knit... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C9SLFBBS?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Also, I’ll be at the Atlanta Iive show, diaper and all!
Congrats on the new addition!! Mom of 11yo & 9yo here. Everyone gave such great advice! Again.. your kid, your rules. . Here's what helped us. #1 the EASY method worked great for us... it was more of a routine than something based on time. Eat Activity Sleep You. Eat... don't let him all asleep while eating they get confused... I would usually put a cold washcloth lor tickle fwwt... otherwise you could come across a cluster feeder. Activity. . Tummy time!! S.. sleep. Y... you define what YOU time is. #2. Have a package of the next size up in diapers. One day you'll be changing a diaper and realize it's too small. #3. Don't let your kid have TV or screen as it changes their little brains and is proven to link to ADHS
To clarify... no TV for 1st 2 yrs. Lol... whatever the pediatrician recommends. Believe me my kids watch TV haha.
I love so much of the advice here for dear Hannah. Congratulations on Baby Ollie! As someone who had quite serious PPD with my first, I became afraid, almost hyper vigilant of it happening again. So it was helpful to learn that, for instance, lots of moms would have very even-keel days with their baby, but feel suddenly lonely, afraid or just altogether sad as it started to get dark. This happened to me with my youngest and I just planned for it. I lined up comfort shows, favourites snacks and friends who could I could talk with in the evening and were willing to come by if my sad feelings got intense. Once I knew it was common and had a plan to deal with it, it just got much easier. That being said, don’t ever feel like you have to white-knuckle your way through hard seasons of parenting (from anywhere from newborn to teen!). There are always people who have your back and love your kid fiercely and want to see you both flourish, so don’t hesitate to reach out. ❤️
Yay for fresh babies!!! The Mama Frida peri bottle is superior to what they give you in the hospital. And Earth Mama Angel Baby brand has my favorite PP recovery balms for lady parts.
So I’m about to cover the reformation and John Calvin for a church history class I’m teaching. This weeks SWDGISS has given me way better material than what I was provided. You better believe I’m including all the ladies you mentioned and not just Calvin
Also I am not very Calvinistic and will be speaking to a crowd with some super Calvinistic people on the person, John Calvin so any tips, arguments, and prayers are appreciated. (I did not pick the material we’re using)
Hannah, YAY! Ollie is perfect! I’m so proud of you for growing and delivering that delicious little nugget.
I had my first baby almost 21 weeks ago, and I am not a pro, but I will share my thoughts. You should take them with a huge grain of salt because my first tip is:
You know how to be a mom to your baby. You can trust yourself and your baby. You can get all the advice in the world and yet you should still trust your instincts and the experts you choose to let speak into this experience.
Other tips:
1. You can’t spoil a baby. They have a biological need to be snuggled and fed and held. Your sweet baby only wanting to nap on your chest and wanting to nurse for what feels like forever is a feature and not a flaw. Literally almost all else can wait- you just hold and snuggle as much as you want.
2. Shower! Make the time. It’s worth it.
3. Erin is correct- padsicles!
4. I know it seems insane, but you might miss those nighttime feeds. When my baby started sleeping for longer stretches, I actually really missed those quiet moments in the rocking chair nursing her.
5. Don’t forget to sniff his head, and his neck rolls, and the spot right behind his ear.
6. Society not being baby friendly is not your concern. You take that baby with you whenever/wherever you want. If you’re nursing- don’t ever feel like you have to go hide if you don’t want to.
7. Baby wear! For real! I love the Solly and the Ergobaby Omni 360. The Omni is expensive (find it secondhand!) but so great for walks and the like. Just strapping the babe on is the only way to get anything done.
8. If you’re breastfeeding, keep seeing a lactation counselor until it isn’t hard anymore. Don’t give up if it’s something that is important to you! There is help available.
Finally, and this is so important, be honest and proactive about your mental health. Baby blues shouldn’t last for weeks or months. If you are struggling, tell your provider, take the medication, start seeing a therapist, figure out a way to get more sleep. You and your baby deserve for you to feel well.
You’re doing great!
My daughter is 4.5 months old (so I'm *obviously* an expert...not), but my advice is to remember that two things can be true at the same time. You can be totally obsessed and in love with the little nugget, and also out of your mind exhausted and in desperate need of some alone time. Be so grateful for the opportunity to parent this precious baby, and feel that someone at the hospital made a mistake just letter you waltz out of there with an entire person. One does not cancel out the other. Oh, and if you want him to nap on you all the time, let him! You're not going to spoil him by holding him too much. You will not have to carry him napping across the stage at this high school graduation.
Love this, Anne!
Hi, Swipes!
Hannah, huge congratulations, Ollie is precious! My mom advice is very serious, here goes:
Park next to the cart return instead of the store. That way you don’t have to decide between putting the baby in the car while you return the cart or wrangling them plus their car seat and whatever else they have once you’ve returned it.
AMEN. This also holds true when they are 2, 4, 7, etc!
Congratulations, Hannah! Ollie is so adorable!
Popping into the comments to:
(1) giggle about the cigarette grandma tweet. I've got born and raised New Yorker (Staten Island) grandparents and even though they don't smoke they are textbook cigarette grandparents which is terrifying, sometimes delightful, and often very funny.
(2) Reflect on the awful and wonderful experience of getting a bra fitting. I hate getting bra fittings because it means I have to go to the mall, which is an awful, overstimulating place. But I also love getting them because dang, underwire bras really are the best if you have ones that fit. Last weekend I hit up my local Nordstrom at 11:30am on a Sunday and learned it's a far less awful experience go to the mall when almost no one is there. I even went to more places after Nordstrom - who is she??? I walked out of that mall with a smile, new undergarments, some J Crew workwear, and some candles from Bath and Body Works, then proceeded to collapse on the couch for the rest of the day to read my book with football in the background. So, a reminder to everyone to get fitted as the internet's bra queen Caralyn Mirand taught us, and to only go to the mall in the morning.
(3) Deliver my thanks to Erin for the Lumberjane shirt. I got two of the fleece ones last time she mentioned them in a newsletter and they're so perfect. I also feel obligated to tell everyone the fleece ones are really just a sweatshirt material, there is no fleece in them. Just in case we were all nervous about overheating.
Congratulations Hannah. Savor that maternity leave! Take naps, watch shows, read books (if you can afford a housekeeping service do it). When you are maybe 6 months ask your doctor about pelvic floor therapy.
I just started pelvic floor therapy (nearly 3 years after having my 4th and last baby). It’s the best.
Oh yeah - I started pelvic floor PT at 6 weeks pp. (And I've got good BHM pelvic PT recommendations if you want them, Hannah!) Truly a game changer in pain and healing and sanity!
Keep a stash of red washcloths and red kool pops as Ollie gets bigger. Booboos and ouchies aren't as scary when the bleeding isn't so obvious.
My youngest baby is 5 now and my oldest is 10 (also named Ollie! Great name choice!), but the lesson I’m STILL learning is that these kids are constantly changing. Just when you think you figure one out, they change in some big, unexpected way. This means that I can’t stand firm on how they’ll behave or respond.
So the best thing I can do is try to manage my OWN expectations of their behavior. When they were babies, this looked like: not being angry or upset when their nap wasn’t as long as I wanted/needed/expected it to be. Babies don’t know I need 90 minutes so I can work!! Managing my expectations and realizing they didn’t even know what expectations were made me (a work from home mom) a much kinder and understanding person.
Good luck, Hannah--you’re gonna do great!!
Team Ollie! ✊🏼
Congrats Hannah!!
I’m looking forward to going to the ATL show next weekend. September has been busy and good. Using up all my travel points this month to see friends and celebrate family.
Hello! Y’all. Baby’s need AAAALLLLL the snuggles and what I would give to go back and just hold my baby all dang day.
Also second piece of advice. Take a shower. Don’t get ready or anything. Just shower and put pjs on during the middle of the day for no damn reason.
And 3rd piece of advice. People will have a ton of advice(😉😏) on what you could do differently compared to what they did to fix your problems. When you realize they are giving their opinion that’s not helpful at all politely cut them off. Some things people said when I had newborns still haunt me to this day especially while having ppd.
Anyone have the Walmart dupe and know how it fits?