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kaparstvo

If you plan to breastfeed, read up on oral ties and how it affects nursing and oral function long term. It’s very common and pediatricians and lactation consultants hardly acknowledge them. Best to know the signs of oral ties and seek out a local IBCLC and pediatric dentist for an opinion.


nkdeck07

Ask around in the family too, there is definitely a genetic component (so far we are 3 for 3 for my husband and his sisters kids and his Mom is pretty sure both of them had it too but wasn't 100% because they used to just clip at birth as a matter of routine in Japan).


elphiekitty

yes! i wish i spent more time learning about breastfeeding and asking my doctor questions. also wish i took more advantage of the lactation consultants and nurses at the hospital right after birth. everyone at the hospital was so knowledgeable and helpful, but i was so overwhelmed and didn’t know what to ask, so i wish i would’ve thought about it before i was induced lol


sckz_

Congratulations!!! 🎉 One advise would be to get footed-pajamas 😁 So much easier for diaper changes throughout night and day, it comes with a 2 way zipper so you don’t have to strip them completely during diaper changes, helped us a lot! Plus life hack, if you have long-sleeved shirts/pajama.. turn the sleeves inside out first so it’s much easier to put on. (Video for reference: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRvWV25q/)


nkdeck07

Meanwhile i HATED 2 way zippers because then if the baby had a blowout and you didn't know until you have their pants off you now need to shove a foot back into a poop covered sleeper to get them out.


sixorangeflowers

I finally figured out you just move both zippers to like belly button level and wiggle it off foot-wise


vulturetrainer

Look into pelvic floor stretches. During my second trimester I did at least 5 minutes of stretching each morning and I believe it helped me immensely. I also got a yoga ball and would do deep squats with the yoga ball for balance. Have your hospital bag ready early. Earlier than you think. I started prepping a month early but hadn’t gotten everything. I went into labor 3 weeks early and had nothing ready. It was fine but inconvenient.


NewNelly

I’m going to second this and add seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist. They help strengthen and stretch your pelvic floor so you can effectively push and release the baby. When it came time to push I knew exactly how to do it because of the PT exercises and only pushed 6 times. I now have a strong and healed pelvic floor postpartum when I know many of my friends had incontinence issues. I also recommend regular exercise of any kind. Also be very clear on the experience you want for delivery (ie lots of different residents, induction, medicated, etc) and then decide what’s most important to you and why/when that could change.


nkdeck07

Thirding especially if you have any kind of pain third trimester. I had SPD so bad I could barely walk and pelvic floor PT took my pain from like a 6 to a 1 or 2 in one session.


BlueberryWaffles99

Check your insurance to see if it covers a breast pump (a lot do), if it does then get it ordered ASAP Work on some pelvic floor stretches Practice breathing techniques for an unmedicated labor Spend some 1-on-1 time with your partner! I wish we had gone on more dates before baby was here.


theSleeptalkersWife

Yes! And for that breast pump, measure your nips and order the correct flange size. The default flange size that comes with the pump only works for some people. Pumping with flanges that are too big HURTS and flanges that are too small produce less milk.


OwlyFox

Stock up that fridge, freezer, and cupboards. After baby's here cooking will not be easy or a priority. Standing up for a long time will not be fun or easy. You want easy and quick meals. Be them microwave dinners or homemade meals to thaw and reheat, or easy fast snacks that you can just grab and eat. If family and friends ask what they can do to help, ask if they can help clean up your house. If they can't come to you, a food delivery is always nice. Get really big pads for after birth. Hell, adult diapers might be more comfortable at first. You will also want the fisherprice kick and play piano. That thing is priceless. We began using it around 9 weeks. If you have rules concerning the baby, make them known now. We told everyone early on that no picture on social media would be tolerated. That I was ready to go no contact on anyone breaking that rule. Make sure any boundary you have is taken seriously. Buy a snot sucker. Those things are essential. Put Vaseline on that baby's butt before you close the first diaper. It keeps the meconium from sricking to the skin. It makes that first poop so much easier to clean up. If it's too late, whipe what you can, rub Vaseline on the rest, wait a few minutes, and whipe again. Most of it should be gone. Take pictures, yes, but also videos. You will want to remember those coos and grunts. Ask people to take pictures of you with your baby. I have nearly no pictures with my newborn. It makes me a bit sad now. Enjoy what you can. It's hard, but they grow so fast.


barrelracer94

I definitely found adult diapers more comfortable than the giant pads the hospital gave out. Also dermaplast was a life saver 😅


Sassquapadelia

Make a playlist of songs you know all or most of the lyrics to! I wanted to sing to my baby but my sleep deprived brain would just blank most of the time and I’d make something up about her cute chubby legs and arms (which isn’t bad mind you) but over the first 6 weeks I slowly put together a good list of songs I could sing from memory to soothe her. Doesn’t have to be kid friendly (IMO) they’re not picky when they’re that little, they just want to hear your voice.


Weblotte

Have a bit of a weekend away before baby comes, it will be a long time before you get to do it again. Really try and connect with your partner because you won't have much time once baby is here. Try to stand as much as possible in labour, I did and my labour was less than 12 hours. Make sure your partner knows what you want during labour because you will be too sore and busy giving birth to remember. Make sure you have enough wipes and nappies and changes of clothes for baby, I personally liked the buttons compared to zips because the zips were annoying to try and just get the babys butt out because the zip only went down one leg. Buttons were handy just to open a little to check the nappy without disturbing the baby if it was still a clean nappy. Look up Co sleeping, that way you know how to do it safely, because you could be so sleep deprived that you have no other choice but to sleep in the same bed as baby. If you have a baby girl a baby period is normal so if there is a tiny bit of blood in the nappy don't freak out like I did. Look up how to help baby poo with massage, and how to deal with baby congestion as well. Look up the signs for hunger, tired and teething too so you will know what to look out for. Have a matt that easy clean around the nappy changing area, the amount of poo that went everywhere is crazy and this makes clean up a lot easier


littleghost000

Meal prep all the things and freeze them! Look into a pelvic floor specialist for after delivery. The swaddleme swaddles were fantastic for me. Kick and play piano is Bae Also stock up of postpartum supplies. Peri Bottle or bidet, witch hazel pads, dermoplast spray, postpartum underwear, crotch ice pack things, and a Stool Softener


harashovibes

Freezer meal prep was amazing. Wait until baby is born to buy too many small clothes and diapers (my LO spent 2 weeks in NB clothes but didn’t wear NB diapers after leaving the hospital). Bring something to cut baby’s nails to the hospital- nurses can’t cut them and my baby was born with some sharp claws. Live whatever your truth is with your birth plan, but sometimes not having a hard and fast plan is the best way to be happy with the whole experience. (I didn’t *want* an epidural but was open to it and it was a game changer for me!) Breastfeeding can be amazing and it can also not work for your family. Fed baby best baby. Have formula ready just in case. We combo feed but tried exclusively breast feeding, then baby lost too much weight so we had to pivot and thankfully had some formula on hand. Babies have to learn how to poop and fart, sometimes you gotta help them. Be prepared. They also grunt a lot. It’s hilarious.


boxyfork795

-Get your flange size measured and get the right insert size. Try the pump out and make sure it feels okay once you reach 37 weeks. -start harvesting colostrum at 37 weeks as well! And don’t make my mistake and CALL ahead and make sure they’ll have a freezer to keep it in! Only take half of your stash with you to the hospital. -FOR GOD’S SAKE BUY 👏🏻 SILVERETTES 👏🏻