So with @Crazy_Bomber about to have his first and a few others commenting on recent births, I thought a thread about baby stuff might be the go. Plus - it might just make a welcome diversion to the ■■■■ that’s going on at the moment.
I never wanted kids. I was happy and content with my wife and my dogs and the thought of kids was just pure suffocation. Then we couldn’t have them. And so then - I really wanted them.
So after 5 years of trying - we finally had our first. I will admit I was absolutely ■■■■-scared the day we first opened the front door of our home, walked in with our little bundle of joy and introduced her to the dogs.
The realisation that we were now in charge of a human life was a bit over-whelming. My wife and I just looked at each other across out beautiful mission brown 70’s abode and just thought - WTF!
Our now 4 year old was fairly small and spent a week in NICU. And she had a habit of blue incidents - so that ramped up the anxiety but nether the less - we were total amateurs.
I tried to prepare. I read books. What I didn’t yet understand was the genius of the baby-advice industry, which targets people at their most sleep-deprived and at the beginning of what will surely be the weightiest responsibility of their lives, and makes them feel like the shittest parent in the world when implementing their ideas just simply doesn’t work.
So get ready for what is going to be the best thing to ever happen to you but what will also place the biggest strain on your relationship that you have ever experienced. Sleep deprivation is a ■■■■■ and brings out the inner ■■■■■ in you - whether your male or female. So be ready for it, recognise it and cut each other some slack and enjoy what is something pretty special.
There’s an awful lot of stuff you can buy in the early stages of parenthood. A lot of it you won’t use.
Useful piece of baby equipment #1:
Blueys - they makes nappy changing and clean up so much better.
Best advice we got was from a midwife who said to us in the middle of the night “everyone will give you advice. None of them will know your baby as well as you do. Take the advice you like and ignore everything else”.
I remember that feeling you are talking about @Mackster. For me it was getting into the car after checking out of the hospital. I couldn’t believe they were just letting us leave with this precious parcel. What if I break it putting it into the capsule in the car?!
We have two beautiful girls, 9 and 3 and feel extremely blessed.
Everything you get told you need before the baby comes is a lie. The essentials like clothes, nappies and a place for bub to sleep are important. Everything else can be bought later. I remember feeling a panic that if we didn’t have everything ready by the time the baby was born it would be too late. Not at all the case.
Only thing I tell people:
If there’s one option that has fancy features, and a basic, $10 Kmart version that looks like it’s easier to clean… get the one that’s easier to clean.
My brother in law tried to criticise us for the fact we couldn’t get our kids to sleep through the night and tried to tell us we were too soft on the kids.
Not sure if Ikea still make them but they had an ace high chair that was safe, stable and almost nook n cranny free. So easy to clean. And in this day and age, easy to clean is a high priority.
When does it get easier? We have almost 2 and 5. I’m kinda glad I work in a hospital and can get out of the house these days…
As above, the best advice my mother have me was “listen to everyone and ignore 95% of it and do what feels right”
Also know who actually can help and have there numbers at the ready. You’d be surprised how many “experts” and such actually know jack ■■■■ and just peddle on new parents anxiety.
My essentials early on was terry toweling nappies to use for pretty much everything but nappies and a baby carrier for when they just want to be held bit you want 2 free hands
I remember all those years when our first child was about two and just refused to sleep, and somehow she would get out of her cot and sit behid her bedroom door and wail and wail and wail. Both of us didnt get any sleep and were very worried, and reluctantly would bring her into our bed, so we could sleep.
All sorts of advice from everyone, parent, friends, nurses, but nothing helped. After a month, we were frantic, took her to a paedotrician, who was an older bloke (compared to us in our early twenties). He told us our daughter was healthy and just had developed a bad habit, and to move her bedroom to one furtherest from ours and put a lock on the door. Seemed horrific, butr after another few nights of no sleep, we did it.
First night was tough, but we hugged each other and let her cry herself to sleep. In the morning, she was curled up behind the door in a blanket ! By the third night, she slept straight through and we never had the problem again.
So consider what everyone says and treat it with respect; as even some tough-love advice may have merit.
All our kids have been good sleepers we have been lucky.
our key sleep things were
0-6 months we had the bassinets in our room
6 months we moved them into their own room
I mean you have the odd sleepless night when they are sick but can deal with that.
A lot of people talk about creating routines, you just need to make one that works for you and the baby.
we always play back ground music for them on repeat so like a loud outside noise won’t wake them up or startle them.
for our first we used to put him to bed like 7pm stay up watch tv then wake him up at 10pm for a dream feed then back to sleep again so he lasted through the night without waking up hungry.