u/Different-Let4338

I am 10 weeks pp, I am chronically online so expected the worst, the horrible, the ugly and had a much better experience than I expected. It was and is difficult but it has gotten easier as time has gone on.

A life hack I found early on was using my coffee flask instead of a mug to make my morning coffee. It means I have hot coffee all morning and if I get nap trapped it will still be hot whenever he wakes up.

So what are your life hacks for postpartum life to share with others?

I am writing this post not as a brag but because I see many posts on here of women asking if they are overreacting because their husband refuses to do the bare minimum.

Parenting is not 50/50 by default, mothers have more to do, especially if EBF, but that doesn't mean that you have to do everything alone!

My husband and I had our baby in June and honestly he has been amazing! He takes night shifts (he is 10-1, then 6am-9am!) even though he works 10-7 with a 20 minute commute.

He does this because he says he knows taking care of the baby is harder than his job. He also knows this baby is HIS baby too.

There are dads who have jobs where they need to rest: rocket scientists/surgeons/drivers. But if your husband, like mine, works in an office with a coffee machine he will be fine with 5 hours sleep! Just as he expects you to be fine but 5 hours sleep to take care of an infant-with NO BREAK!

Again, I don't write this to brag, there are many women with great husbands who are also great fathers, but I see so many posts on here of husbands not doing enough. Don't stand for it girls!

What's your preferred shift? And why?

My baby latched at birth But due to an infection he needed to supplement with formula.

He's fine now and 10 days old. We feed him formula and I pump and give him that. Currently 20% BM and 80% formula

I am still recovering and I am exhausted. I sleep 8-2am everyday and already feel my supply is dropping!

Husband ​is on paternity and very helpful, so he's willing to help anyway he can. Right now our system is working, but I'd still like to breastfeed (although happy to keep one bottle a night so i can sleep!)

Anyone had a similar situation and can give me tips on how to use our time to help with latching? I know the methods to use but how to use our time to do it?

Thanks​

I gave birth yesterday, FTM, single baby, 39+3. Very happy to have our baby with us. Happy and healthy.

My labour was nothing to plan but I don't know what is considered 'normal'.

10th June had muscus with blood​​, 11th June 1pm water broke so PROM. Went to the hospital and they admitted me (policy in the country I'm in).

At 17: 00 they did a cervical check and said I was closed, 0cm dilated. They described the cervix as very stubborn. They said the next day they would induce me.

17. 44 had some irregular contractions and 18. 00 another cervical check showed I was 0. 5cm

By 20. 00 I was 3cm and was in quite a lot of pain, so they took me the labour suite and tried to give me an epidural, which failed.

Pain got worse and by 12. 00 midnight I was 7cm and in the worst pain of my life. They said the baby's position had his head against my pelvic bone (I​ back labour). They tried to place another epidural, which also failed. They called the head anesthesiologist, but he couldn't arrive for 4 hours. I was in so much pain obviously. They placed a third epidural or changed it I don't know but it worked.

Delivered at 9am.

The things I think might be not normal:

1. The speed of dilation from 0cm to 7cm in 6 ish hours?

2. The epidural failure but they did explain about it.

3. Back labour? I didn't know this was a thing and now obviously I know!!! I don't know what normal labour feels like but that pain almost made me black out. Funny thing is though during one contraction I was doing that Wolf of Wall Street humming Matthew McConaughey which worked lol!!

Hey everyone

I'm 36 weeks pregnant and basically got everything.

I've seen everywhere that a white noise machine is *essential*, but I hear they don't work for every baby

I am debating using white noise on my phone + small bluetooth speaker to 'test', then buying one if baby likes it. Is this a reasonable plan? Or Is a white noise machine different? TIA

ETA : thanks everyone for their replies​, i already have an air purifier So I'll use that first and buy a white noise machine If and when necessary!

I am 35 weeks pregnant, I conceived pretty easily and I have had a pretty good pregnancy. I don't talk about this ​with anyone because I know people have different stories

Anyway, I feel like all through pregnancy people just share horror stories about their miscarriages, preeclampsia, GDM, terrible birth stories.

Now it's nearer I feel like people say​ 'don't expect to get any sleep with a new baby' or 'it won't be a holiday' or just generally saying how terrible a newborn is. I know it's a baby, it's going to be difficult but I'm ready to make the journey with my family. I have good support (again a blessing some ​others don't have​)​​

I'm 34 years old, I've really planned to have this baby. I know children and babies are not easy I am under no illusion, but am I wrong to be excited? Of course I know it is difficult, but I feel ​like you can let people have some joy. Can I say I'm excited to meet my baby without some comments like 'say goodbye to sleep'? Do i just know toxic people?

It's affecting my mental health because i feel a sense of dread instead of excitement!

Thank goodness for my husband and family.

Anyway vent over!!!!

Hi everyone, I am 34 weeks pregnant and discussing with my husband on the best way to feed our baby. My family have always formula fed, but I really want to breastfeed.

However, I would also like other family members to bond with baby through feeding so would like to combo feed (either with 1 bottle a day of formula or pumped breast milk)

I have seen some places say you must wait until 2-3 weeks before introducing a bottle, but other advice says if you wait until too late the baby may refuse a bottle.

So has anyone here set out combo feeding from day 1? What was your experience? Can I pump with a manual pump from when my breast milk comes in? Or should I hand pump?

Thank you in advance for the advice, everyone gave me excellent advice on the last post I made and it really helped me!

FTM, 34 weeks pregnant and making a plan (as far as one can lol) about our situation.

Husband will have 3 weeks paternity and his Mom will come live with us. In those 3 weeks it's all hands on deck.

From week 4 ish my husband has to return to work and will be out of the house for 11 hours a day, 6 days a week for around 8 weeks. After 8 weeks he will working 9-5 five days a week.

My MIL due to mental health reasons cannot miss too much sleep so we need to make sure she sleeps at night.

Our home has 3 seperate sleeping areas, so my plan is to take night feeds by myself and have my MIL take baby through the day, only bringing baby to me to feed. Husband will pitch in when he comes home and potentially take a night shift (for example he could take baby 9pm-2am ​if he has work at 10).

I'm just wondering if any has been in our position, husband returns to work 3 weeks after baby is born and me and MIL take care of baby and ourselves.

I live in another country to my family, but fortunately my sister will visit for 2 weeks around my due date.

Does anyone think our set up is realistic? Do you have advice? Am I panicking too much? Is this actually more help than people get?

I know we can't plan for everything, if the baby or I have some issues we are open to hiring a nanny (it's quite common in the country I live in to hire a postpartum nanny).

TLDR​: husband has 3 weeks paternity then me and MIL will take care of baby, looking for advice to make it as easy as is possible on everyone.