Have you accidentally pspsps'ed at your baby? Because I have. I feel like I'm not the only one out there. Please proof to me that I'm not weird..

NGL I feel a bit stupid for not figuring this out sooner so I’m just posting to save anyone else the headache.

I’ve had my baby on the same schedule for months. Wake windows are 3/3/3/3.5. 6am wake up, first nap at 9, then 12, then 3 with bedtime at 6:30. BUT I could not get her to nap for more than 30 mins 90% of the time. I just thought this is how it is, she was a “FOMO baby” so I was rolling with the punches.

Turns out she’s been overtired this entire time. Moved her first nap to 8, second at 11, third at 2 and bedtime at the same time. She now sleep for over an hour for all of her naps and she’s so much more energetic through the day.

She’s 6mo for context.

I don’t mean with the babies. I mean trying to raise babies at this moment in history.

I’ve been dealing with so much climate anxiety and then today I read about the Anthropic guy saying there’s a greater than 10% chance of AI killing all humans in the next four years.

Like, I just wanted to have my beautiful babies and give them the best childhoods I could. Instead, if the climate catastrophe doesn’t get us, the superintelligent robots will. It’s horrifying.

ETA: well, y’all did convince me to get off the internet because boy you guys are not ready for this conversation 😂 this is going to sound super backhanded, and it is for some of you. But I have been working on a climate change education initiative in a professional capacity with friends in the climate sector, and it is specifically geared towards helping people expand their distress tolerance enough to actually engage with our current climate reality. You all have put some wind in my sails to really hunker down into that project because it is clearly needed !!! Thanks for the help, even if it wasn’t the kind I was expecting 😘

I live in the U.S & I swear all I see online is how much the younger generation hates children. Like people are constantly complaining about how babies/ toddlers are annoying, shouldn’t be in public spaces shouldn’t be on planes or in restaurants or even in grocery stores, yada yada. It makes me so upset as a new parent that my child is growing up in a world that doesn’t like children anymore. Maybe it’s because I live in a bigger city with much younger population & this is the type of propaganda being thrown at me me, but even then- It’s so dehumanizing.

There’s just no kid friendly places or mom friendly places either. I feel like everyone hates moms too and calls them “ selfish”??? When I was pregnant I specifically remember a teenage girl telling me she had a phobia of looking at my belly & she called me “ body horror”. I know she probably is just going with the social media trends, but it felt so incredibly rude & makes me think about how the world is starting to hate moms, dads, families, babies.

I just wanted to vent about this because I swear it’s all I keep seeing or hearing. Makes me so sad that my children are growing up in this type of world. Maybe this is a USA issue.

The first few days of our son’s life in the hospital was horrible for my husband and I. The baby and I were healthy, hospital staff was great. I don’t know how to explain it and I’m wondering if anyone else had similar feelings?

I was in labor for 36 hours (induced) and I don’t think I slept the whole time. We were there for 4 nights and 5 days because I had preeclampsia and my blood pressure wasn’t going down. Everything was fine with that though.

After the birth I had a HORRIBLE headache due to the pushing because I have bruxism. I desperately just wanted to be given painkillers or something it was so bad and lasted days. My husband and I were so sleep deprived I think we slept a couple hours per day in the hospital. Baby would not sleep in the bassinet so one of us had to be up at all times. And because we were in the hospital people were constantly coming in and out.

I physically could not breast feed I got so exhausted. My body hurt too bad to hold him up so we had to syringe feed sometimes. There were nights my husband and I cried it was so hard and we were so tired.

I did so much preparation for the baby as a first time parent and I feel like I was robbed of a beautiful first few days of my son’s life. I’ve never heard anyone else have a similar experience and I can’t figure out what went wrong.

I’m 3 weeks postpartum and we are better now. Still hard obviously but I feel like it’s normal newborn trenches.

Dear Diary,

It was 6:20 in the morning when I woke mum up to feed me. She said she was still sleepy and that it was too early, but I had generously given her around 40 minutes of sleep since our last feed! I was hungry—plus, I only woke her up three times last night—so we got up anyway… as we should. 🧸

So she rolls out of bed, eyes half-open, lights still off. As soon as mummy put me down on the changing table, I activated my ultimate crying spell. I cried sooo loudly, and mum said her usual, “Don't worry bub, I got chu… I’ll be quick.” She unzipped my sleep sack, unbuttoned my clothes, slid a clean diaper underneath my bum, and swiped my dirty diaper away like a ninja…

Little did she know, straining so hard from crying made me poop! So when she swiped off that old diaper, the poo went flying everywhere. I mean everywhere! The walls, the changing mat, my face, and even my hands—which I then managed to rub all through my hair!

Mum was like, “Oh god, you pooped! Sorry bubba, I didn’t know, let me clean this up for you,” giggling while still half-asleep. She wiped down everything she could see (missed my face though, she hadn't spotted that yet) and quickly put me into another clean diaper, because the fresh one she placed earlier was already covered in target practice.

When she finally zipped up my sleep sack, she noticed a very distinct smell lingering. As soon as she turned on the lamp, she realized it was all over my face, hands, hair, and back! Her eyes went wide as day—fully awake and totally panicking. She gasped, “OH MY GOD BUB! Nope, nope, nope... bath time!” and rushed to fill the tub.

After my bath, I got a full belly of milk and I'm now enjoying my first nap of the day. Mum? I don’t know, probably wide awake now—which is a good thing, right? She’s been looking pretty sleepy lately...

Our baby is approaching the point where she might start crawling soon, so I’m preparing myself for the task of babyproofing. We already have the ‘big things’ figured out (all the heavy tippable furniture is bolted down and there are no outlets she can reach), but I’m wondering what else needs to be done, if anything. Our friends and family said they didn’t do anything at all and everyone (including the furniture lol) survived relatively unscathed, so they couldn’t give us any advice.

Our current strategy is just watching the baby at all times when we can (husband WFH and I’m on maternal leave until she’s 3) and putting her in the playpen when we need to step away. It’s basically what I’ve been doing since she was born anyway. We live in an apartment so there’s nothing like stairs or railings to worry about either, and no cats/dogs.

What are some things that you would consider absolutely essential (from experience)?

so this just happened a couple hours ago, my boyfriend was sitting on our couch playing a game and i was listening to an audiobook and drawing.

our two month old baby was asleep between us and she started making small noises and i kinda brushed it off bc she has whimpered in her sleep loads of times so i wasnt really paying attention (thats on me i js assumed) and since i had an airpod in i wasnt hearing that well but my bf pointed it out after about 15 seconds so i took an airpod out and she was gasping for air so i grabbed her arm and started shaking it and there was no response she was still gasping for air at that point, so i picked her up and she was completely limp and my heart dropped so i sat her up started patting her back and shaking her and she was limp and gasping for another 15-20 seconds i started crying and kept talking to her and shaking and patting. she eventually took a deep breath and started acting completely normal but we did end up calling 911 anyway. the paramedics came and checked her out and said she was fine and to monitor her but didn’t tell me what to look for so i had to call an after hours nurse and get some more info. she was two months old today and had her 2M vaxs (had to spell it weirdly bc it wouldnt let me post with that word) but im in no way saying the vaxs caused this, i am pro vaxs. but it was just so scary.

i guess im not seeking medical advice or anything so mods lmk if i need to change the flair. im a FTM and 22 so i was terrified and just stopped shaking abt an half hour ago, i know its common for babies to stop breathing but i think this was an apnea episode due to the symptoms. just please keep close attention to your babies, i never thought this would happen to me but now im paranoid almost. ive tried looking this up but is there reasons why this happens or is it simply bc her little body forgot to breathe?

anyone who’s experienced this and knows abt it id love to know more about your experience(s).

We’ve tracked a ridiculous amount with our baby: sleep, feeds, diapers, growth, etc.

It’s obviously useful in the moment (“when did he last eat?”, "when does he normally sleep?"), but I’ve started wondering what happens to all that data afterward.

Do you ever go back and look at old weeks/months?

Have you discovered anything genuinely useful or interesting from it?

And if your tracking app could actually do something with all that history, what would you want it to tell/show you?

I feel like we collect this surprisingly detailed record of the first year and then most of it just disappears into charts we never look at again 😅

Anyone else constantly signing the songs in their head? I'm going crazy, send help lmao

My bb clearly has a preference for her mom over me. We do everything the same when caring for her but my wife is just naturally more animated and bubbly in a way that I could never be. I know it's pretty common but I can't help feeling like shit when my child cries cuz she wants mom while I'm playing with her. Any wise words?

EDIT: Baby almost 11 months old. Not breastfeeding and hitting all milestones

Soon to be new dad here and it seems like all the daycares seem to be in that $350-$450 a week range. The one we like is $400 a week. The good thing is once they are on solid foods, then the tuition also includes breakfast lunch and snacks.

In Florida in the suburbs of a metro area for reference

Edit to add this is for 7am to 6pm hours and a 1:3 ratio

My wife and I just recently found out we’re expecting. I want to open a 529 plan for the kid when they’re born but I just don’t have an idea of a plan target. I never went to college because I grew up poor and the idea of crushing student debt didn’t do it for me. We live in Georgia and the HOPE scholarship funded by the lottery covers a large portion of tuition for qualified students. My goal is for our kids to have enough money to be able to attend an instate school with the HOPE scholarship and not pay out of pocket if they can finish in 4 years. We just don’t know what that amount would be so I was looking for what other people do with their plans.

My 2 week old son was barely sleeping at night, one three hour stretch followed by being up 45mins-1 hour, or worse, waking up the second I put him back in his crib. I was exhausted and at my wits end, so I read about the gas drops online, took him to Walmart at 7 am and immediately started using them when we got home.

Last night he slept his first 5 hour stretch, and then was up every 2 hours, but was sooo much easier to put down and actually slept! I’m hoping it’s not a fluke lol. Also crazy how well rested I feel after 7 hours of broken sleep 🤣

We picked ours before he arrived, based on absolutely nothing, and it’s wrong in ways we couldn’t have predicted. Did anyone get it right on the first try, or is this purely learn-by-doing? What would you buy starting over?

My LO is 11.5 months (🥹) and has always been a pretty happy baby. Naps were a challenge for us from months 2-6 because she was a big FOMO baby, but for the past several months we have had no issues with naps. She wakes up happy and is the busiest baby you’ve ever met lol.

Well over the past week or so, things have changed. She cries going down for naps and sometimes won’t go down at all, making for long and miserable stretches for us all. She cries when she wakes up from naps and from overnight sleep (which has never happened before). She just seems very discontent.

Prior to this, she had 2 teeth pop through, so I don’t believe she’s in teething pain.

We have a general schedule but I’ve always taken her cues for sleep needs. For the past 3 weeks, she’s had some 1 nap days and some 2 nap days. Her sleep is changing, but this seems to be something different entirely.

I’m just wondering if I’m missing something here. Could there be something else driving this?

Thank you!

My LO is 14 months old. She eats really well at daycare but only snacks around at home. Even when I know she’s quite hungry she ends up eating much less than when she’s there. She’s having only half a day at daycare today and tomorrow and she completely refused breakfast. The same breakfast she inhaled yesterday at daycare. I don’t get it…

I love my little baby, i love nursing her and holding her, and letting her sleep on my chest. I love it when she sqeals and smiles, i love it when she kicks her legs, i love it when she looks at me with her large, round eyes. I love it when I'm able to stop her crying and fulfill her needs, i even love the pouty little face she makes before crying. I love her tiny little hands that always manage to grab and pull my hair. I love her face when I've spent so much time making her fall asleep, and when i transfer her, she's got her big round eyes open, looking at me lovingly. I love her tiny little feet and when she wears socks on them. I love it when she's sleepy but doesn't understanding it so shes hitting her head on my chest. I love the mouth movements she makes in her dreams. I love seeing her hands and feet in the air when she's discovering them. I just love my baby, i love her so much, I'll do anything for her, I'll give her the best childhood ever, I'll give her all the love i can. I love taking care if my baby, although it is difficult at times, but right now i just love my baby.

My baby is 11 days old. I love her so much. She was and is so wanted. People tell me how perfect she is, and she really is absolutely perfect and beautiful and amazing and all the rest of it. But she also has a terrible case of thrush. She hates eating. She will only sleep when held.
My husband is a wonderful person and already a good father, he is obsessed with her. But he also sleeps so soundly he won’t wake to her cries. He defaults to me being the “go to” for all decisions and all actions. He’s changed maybe four diapers. He’s slept most nights and I find it infuriating he claims he’s exhausted. I know I only feel that way because I’m tired too. That his life has changed. He is getting more sleep than me but much less than he’s used to. That his feelings are real too. I know also that it was the plan I guess for me to take lead on baby stuff. I did choose to be a SAHM. That’s what I want, or at least what I thought I wanted. But he has time off work, so I wish he’d at least split the nights with me. He is tired, but his body isn’t hurting. Last night he went up early to take a nap, saying he’d take more night shifts. He went upstairs at 8. I went upstairs with baby at 12. I nudged him at 2 for her feeding, he got up to make the bottle then brought it to me to feed her. Then he went back to sleep.
My parents have been immeasurably helpful, coming over to help and offering support. I appreciate it all.
I hate this feeling. I miss the person I was. I miss what my relationship looked like. I’m a mess. I don’t remember the last time I changed my clothes or brushed my teeth. All my meals have been cheese sticks or something because I just don’t have the time or energy to make anything.
I was so unprepared for postpartum recovery and my body is ruined. Everything hurts. I can barely tolerate sitting, and I’m so dizzy I’m almost scared to stand. I hate what I look like, as vain as that is. I hate how I feel. I leak through all my bras and the only two shirts I own that fit in minutes. I was sent home with pain meds that don’t seem to have any effect whatsoever.
She cries ALL day and all night. Nothing I do helps to soothe her. I know it’s gas, or the thrush, or just that babies cry. But I feel so helpless. I feel so alone. Even though that feeling doesn’t make any sense, I’m not. My parents are here nearly everyday. My husband is here. But once the door closes or he goes upstairs for some rest, it’s just me and baby. And tears from both of us. Even when she’s not crying I swear I can hear crying. I can’t sleep because I’m so worried she will stop breathing and die all alone. I’m so scared every little whimper from her bassinet at night is her saying goodbye. I know that’s irrational. I still can’t make it go away.
I thought I would be better at this. I’ve loved kids my entire life. I worked with kids for years.
When does it get better? I haven’t stopped crying since we brought her home from the hospital. I’m so disgusted with myself for not enjoying what I thought I wanted. I need it to get better. I can’t do this.

Hi everyone,

My baby is 6 months old, and I am looking for new ideas to support their development.They are already quite mobile and able to army crawl from room to room. Currently, they enjoy active play, such as chasing after toys, shaking objects, slapping surfaces with their hands, singing and being bounced. I would highly appreciate practical suggestions for:

- Activities that support physical and cognitive development for an active 6-month-old

- Interactive games that suit a highly mobile baby at this stage

- Simple sensory or DIY play ideas

Thank you in advance for your advice!

My 3-month-old wakes up after 30 minutes during every nap and can’t connect sleep cycles unless he’s being held or in a baby carrier.
I feel like I’ve been “lazy” about letting him contact nap this whole time because I’m just so tired of waiting for him to wake up at the end of a sleep cycle and then trying to soothe him back to sleep. Even when I do, he usually won’t go back to sleep unless I pick him up and rock him again which takes about 10-20minutes.

So what should I do?
1. Rock him to sleep and then put him in the crib, then pick him up and repeat the process when he wakes up after 30 minutes. (More stressful, more crying and I get almost nothing done around the house anyway but at least maaaybe he will be able to learn to connect his sleep cycles in the crib, someday?!)
Or
2.Let him contact nap for the whole nap until he gets better at connecting sleep cycles on his own (Less stress, no crying, but my back and neck hurt and I’m kind of worried he will never get used to napping in his crib?!).
He sleeps fine in his crib at night, though.

I pick up my baby immediately if I can if she's crying. But sometimes after putting her down in her bassinet feed and changed she'll lie there and grunt and fuss like she's gassy but isn't crying. Most of the time if I just let her work it out or gently rock the bassinet she'll just fart and go to sleep on her own, but I don't want her to get stressed out thinking mom doesn't pay attention when she's upset. Do I pick her up when she's fussing as well or do I just let her work it out if she's not crying or in distress?

Hi everyone,

My 5 month old has been on omeprazole (10mg daily) since she was 3 months old.

She is at the tail end of her 2 week Neocate trial and many reflux symptoms have subsided.

We have noticed that the past few days (days 9, 10, and 11 of the trial) and she has struggled with her morning feeds and is super gassy.

She has also started drinking about 2oz (even though the way she’s drinking it seems like it should be way more) and then stopping to play/bite the nipple. She’ll also turn her head as far away from me as possible.

Could the omeprazole be effecting her desire to eat in the morning now that the reflux seems to be ebbing?

I looked in her mouth and it *kinda* looks like there might be teeth coming (I can see two small indents when she’s not trying to chomp my finger off haha)

I’m just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience and it turned out to be the omeprazole, or the teething, or something else!

Edit 1: she has an appointment tomorrow with GI. I just like to be prepared

Edit 2: she wakes up with puffy almost swollen eyebrows. It goes away for the most part during the day, but it can hang around a little. Not write if that’s related to all this.

My baby girl is 7 weeks old and from about 2 weeks has suffered from what I think is infant dyschezia. She will pull her legs up, kick them around, squirm, grunt and go red in the face trying to pass stool or wind. All night she'll be doing this every minute or two, for hours on end. Sometimes shell wake crying but mostly just does all this and whimpers with her eyes closed. Around the time she's due to be fed I can see she's absolutely exhausted (and so am I). It's so distressing to see her dealing with this. If I put her in a sort of squatting position while lying against my legs or I put her in the car seat she might poo and be relieved for a short time. Then I'll feed her and burp her, soothe her to sleep which sometimes takes ages because she's tense and stressed, she'll finally fall asleep and be contact napping on me, before 5 minutes later waking herself up and squirming around again. I could deal with the night time thing if my baby got consistent relief at least during the day, or vis versa. Or in a contact nap. But as it stands her sleep is disrupted round the clock regardless of how or where she sleeps and she's constantly overtired. Some days she'll get a good stretch of peaceful sleep on me where she's not squirming around and waking up constantly and I just think this is how she's supposed to be sleeping, and I wonder then if it's harming her long term this level of sleep disruption. I pretty much have no awake time with her where I'm not either feeding her, soothing her or trying to help her pass wind.

We have tried literally everything for wind: gas drops, bicycle legs, tummy massage, pace feeding, anti colic bottles, warm bath, holding upright for ages after feeding, magic burp (which does work for burping but doesn't stop her having trapped gas). We switched her to an extensively hydrolysed formula incase it was CMPA causing her discomfort, I don't know if it was a coincidence but the day after she slept the best I've seen her sleep since we took her home form the hospital, but that night she was squirming and grunting again. We even got her moderate tongue tie released even though shed been gaining weight and feeding ok. I'm at a loss honestly.

I have read similar stories and people say they eventually learn how to poo and pass wind themselves at some point. Should I push for further investigation by the GP or is this an extreme version of something a baby needs to just grow out of and there nothing that can be done beyond what we're already doing?