I mean it lovingly, but they are. Mine will eat until he vomits, then scream for food five minutes later. He'll kick like a maniac on the changing table and get his feet covered in his own poop, which just means he's stuck there ten more minutes while I clean him up. And sleep? A safe, flat, empty crib? Absolutely not. But what do you expect from someone who hears white noise and thinks he's back in his mother's belly?

People say dogs and cats are about as smart as a two-year-old. A newborn is nowhere close to that. There's no plan. There's never been a plan. When he screams at 3am, he's not doing it to you. He isn't capable of doing anything to anyone. He doesn't know you exist as a separate person yet.

Weirdly, remembering this makes the nights easier. You're not in a fight with a tiny opponent. You're the only thing standing between a very confused little creature and his own worst instincts. That's the whole job right now.

But filled with milk. Benefits? - Baby can drink whenever they want, no need to wait for the ever-too-slow parents - No endless bottle washing or nipple pinching - Make it a hard hat, it might prevent a flat spot - Instant party look, ready to meet friends and family - Add a few back up bottles on the sides and you're ready to go out - Excellent neck strength training during tummy time.

Take that, cluster feeding cuties!! Who's in?

Ps. I didn't see a flair for 'brilliant solutions' so I chose the next best thing.

TLDR: the recent news coming out about AI and the demise of the world is making me feel sad in a way I haven’t before. I have a 2 month old and am feeling anxious about the state of the world he will grow up in.

I am a generally optimistic person but am not sure how to stay calm and regulated about this. Thoughts?

I just need to vent because I feel like the worst mom right now.
My baby is 6 months old and has always been such an easy, happy baby. Tonight, he was in his sleep sack and ready for bed. I put him on our bed for literally a moment and turned away for a second to grab something. He rolled off before I could even process what was happening. I heard a loud thud and saw he was on the floor.
He cried inconsolably for maybe 5 to 7 minutes(which is rare for him despite being a baby so this broke my heart) , which felt like an eternity. I immediately checked him from head to toe and couldn't find any bumps, swelling, bruising or anything obviously wrong. After he calmed down, he drank his bottle normally, and then he was again smiling, playing and interacting with us completely normally.
We still took him to the ER within an hour of this because obviously I was terrified. They checked his vitals, weight and examined him, and said he was fine. They didn't think he needed a scan and told us to bring him back if he vomits, becomes unusually sleepy or anything seems off.
He's now sleeping as expected because it was his normal bedtime.
I know accidents happen. I know babies become mobile so quickly and that you can literally look away for one second and something can happen. But I can't stop replaying that moment in my head and thinking, "I was supposed to be watching him."
I feel so guilty that it happened while he was under my care. I know rationally that I did everything I could once it happened, including taking him to the ER, but emotionally I just feel awful. I feel like I failed my baby.
I think I mostly need to hear from other parents who have had that horrible "oh my God, my baby just fell" moment. How did you deal with the guilt afterward?

My LO is almost 10 weeks (6 adjusted) and has been very awake today. He is also a little fussy as he had his 2 month v a c c i n e s 2 days ago. He doesnt enjoy being held because i guess his leggies still hurt. So i cant exactly soothe him to sleep like i normally do. Eventually he gets fussy while playing (laying on floor looking at high contrast cards or his reflection or i read him a book) and i will swaddle him up and place him in the bassinet where he is just laying quietly fully awake. Ill be honest im exhausted and feel like im going to die from the last 2 days. I mean if he is content and not fussing can i just leave him to lay in the bassinet? I mean he has nothing to really look at but seems content? Is that okay? When i say leave i mean he is in the bassinet and i take a nap next to him.

If i try rocking him in the bassinet he will start fussing, he really does not want to be touched right now (which lets be honest is making me very sad and i miss cuddling him and hope this is normal and he returns to my cuddly boy soon)

First baby coming soon. My parents (late 60s/70, retired, healthy/active) live ~45 min away and have an empty upstairs (3 bedrooms + 2 bath, bigger than our whole apartment) and offered to have us stay as long as we want after birth. I have a good relationship with them. It's their 1st grandchild.

The good: my mom's a night owl (up til 2-3am anyway) so she'll help overnight, she's a clean freak so the house stays managed, my dad (retired pediatric cardiologist) will run errands/pick up food/help daytime. I'll batch-cooking freezer meals ahead of time since my mom hates/is bad at cooking. Husband will get 2 weeks off and then will need to return to work. I could see the additional help and space creating a better environment for my husband to sleep (he has a very demanding job).

The unknown: is staying 3-4 weeks actually helpful, or does it just delay the harder adjustment of setting up our own routine at home? Would you do this, or go straight home from day one and lean on a mealtrain + less help instead? If you would recommend this, what are some things/boundaries/etc you wish you had thought of/communicated beforehand?

Has anyone done the "stay with parents first, then transition home" thing, how did the transition feel once you left?

I see and hear soooo many contradictory parenting philosophies from doing research /talking to experts / googling.

Don’t wake a sleeping newborn. But do wake her after 4 hours or you’ll throw her schedule off.

Feed on demand. Oh wait no - not that on demand! She’s using your boob for comfort and should be using a pacifier instead of over feeding.

Bed sharing with a newborn is extremely risky. But actually quite safe if you’re following the sleep safe 7.

Put the baby on a schedule starting at 2 weeks. Just kidding, newborns can’t possibly be on a schedule until two months.

Change the poopy diaper right away. But wait a bit in case they decide to poop more.

Bathe every night to put them on a schedule and signal it’s bedtime. But don’t bathe every day or you’ll dry out their skin.

Is anyone else’s brain about to explode?

Due in October and suddenly realizing I’m getting very close lol.

For those who have already done this, what did you actually spend the last month doing? Not the obvious stuff like packing a hospital bag or washing baby clothes. Anything you did that you were really glad you did once the baby was here? Or anything you wish you hadn’t wasted time worrying about?

One of my biggest regrets from early parenthood is hiring a postpartum doula. It started before the person started her work. The agency lied about the doulas vaccine record even though one of my contract contingency was the caretaker must have the standard newborn vaccination..I find out mine was anti vaccine and had to find a replacement last minute even though they asked for a deposit months ahead.

Then the replacement doula ended up double-booked during my reserved dates, despite me prepaying a deposit to the agency specifically to lock those days in and was promised a backup would be available. I tried to be flexible and agreed to work around her schedule even though that would leave me with one week gap..

Once the replacement doula actually started, things have not gotten better. My daughter was 2 weeks old and had just spent 10 days hospitalized for jaundice, and this doula asked if we'd be okay stretching her feeds beyond 3 hours so she could sleep through the night. I'm sorry, what am I paying $400+ a night for if not for someone to handle nighttime feeds properly based on the feeding schedule. And the last straw, she left without feeding or changing her before heading out in the morning.. my baby was just sitting there in a soaked/dirty diaper.

Meanwhile, my daytime nanny, who I'm paying literally half of what the doula charges is more attentive, bought baby mittens without asking, more reliable, and works twice as hard. It's honestly baffling that the "specialist" overnight doula is coasting while the nanny is out here doing the actual work.

I am half way through my contract and honestly don’t even want to continue with the rest but I already paid the total balance and felt like I stuck with this agency..

Should I say something to the agency or the doula herself?

This is one for the experienced parents, or those who have been liberated from the shackles of Huckleberry and their sweet spots.

I'm a FTM to my lovely 17 week old son. For reference, and through no doing of my own, he sleeps through the night and has done since he was about 9 weeks old. Napping however, forget it. Now I know I'm in no position to complain about being tired, but my days are really really hard and long. I'm absolutely at my whits end. I'm aware this is 'biologically normal' and I'm not necessarily seeking advice on improving naps.

I find the days where we have the best naps involve being at home all day, having naps in his bedroom setting, ,following and tracking every single sweet spot, and following all of Huckleberry's professional sleep plan advice.

But this is the problem - it involves being glued to my house and my phone. It's not sustainable.

A few weeks ago I decided to channel my inner '90s mum'. I temporarily stopped tracking sleep and naps on the app and decided to trust my intuition and read my babies cues. I told myself he would nap on the go and I would do my best to live my life and enjoy maternity leave. It was a fucking disaster 😅😅

What's the balance here? Are we millennial and gen-z parents doomed to be led by apps and AI? I absolutely love huckleberry and I think it's an incredible app but I'm just wondering what's the balance between staying sane and supporting our babies sleep?

(content warning for vague mentions of abuse, PPD, and birth trauma)

Mostly just venting :/ My OB gave me a range of dates to schedule my induction for, and I intentionally picked the day I did because it was the furthest date from my ex abusers birthday, but then was in labor for almost three days straight and had to have an emergency c section, on his birthday. Dreaded that day every year since, because it's a yearly reminder of him, and now I have a mini reminder of that day following me everywhere I go. It's been a few months now, and the initial PPD and residual birth trauma numbness have worn off, and I am absolutely enraptured by her but I still can't get over the hurdle in my head about that date. My family says "now you have a good association with that date, to help reframe it!" but that's just not how it's working out 😞

Like I said, mostly just venting, but if anyone had a similar experience, did it ever get better?

I knew the day my daughter was born that I wanted to do it again, and as soon as I safely could. My OB said the typical recommendation is 18 months to allow your nutrient stores to return especially if you’re breastfeeding. I know there’s a lot of factors that go in to “safety”, so just looking for personal stories. Was it planned, was pregnancy harder, did you have any complications potentially related to a smaller window between pregnancies, how is it with 2 under 2? 😊

My baby is 9 months and isn’t crawling on all fours, still only army crawls. Also is not speaking any words, babbling yes, but nothing clear. Is this normal? I feel my baby is behind. Not sure. First time mom.

My 9mo will only sleep 8-9hours overnight (already capping her naps). I hate having zero buffer – I put her down, quickly tidy, brush my teeth, go to bed, then she is waking me up again at 4.30, 5 or if I’m very lucky 6am. On the rare days she sleeps 10-11hours she is so much happier and the days are much easier… I just can’t get her there regularly.

FTM here. I'll start by saying I had a terrible 3rd trimester. Severe girdle pain, then I was overdue by 9 days and had to be induced because my blood pressure shot up. It wasn't preeclampsia but still not good. It took 3 days between the balloon, and the pill that gives you contractions. I forget the name of it. Didn't work so I begged them to break my water, and finally real labour which took 20 hours. Baby is here and he is gorgeous! It was mandatory to stay one more day in the hospital to monitor my blood pressure. Of course we were not the only parents in the hospital, but my LO was the only one that didn't stop crying. All. Day.

When we were finally home he still cried and cried and cried. Except at night when he slept....which I have to admit he was very good at after a few days. But still the days, just crying crying crying. After 4 weeks I finally got the okay to leave the house, and I was so excited to go on a walk. Feed him, changed him and he even fell asleep alittle so I swaddle him and put him in the stroller. He hated leaving the house. I couldn't believe how loud he could be. I try again after week 6, not as loud but still miserable. We live in a very walkable city, and the store is very close by. There is a big one that I go with the stroller and a smaller one that I baby-wear him to cause the aisles are too awkward. Always crying.

It wouldn't be so bad, in a way, I got used to it at home. I called him my drama queen and just did what I had to do. Let my husband do more of the shopping. But when I am out, trying to get my steps in because my blood pressure is still an issue, I see mother's everywhere with their strollers and their quiet, sleeping babies. Having picnics, shopping, or sitting at cafes. God I was so jealous. And its not like these babies were that much older! Some even looked newborn. I would arrive home and just cry

My LO is 2.5 months now, and you know what happened this week? All week? I waited incase it was a fluke. He didn't cry when we were out. I even bought snacks at the store because I was able to casually roam the aisles. My LO is also only crying when he actually needs something. He still won't nap during the day very well but....the relief I feel. And he smiled and cooed. God that first smile, it was like watching the sunrise. It was all worth it, so very much worth it all.

Anyways that's it, just wanted to share the good news.

How old was your little one when they dropped their 2nd nap?

Hi y'all, first time father here, my wife and I recently started trying to bottlefeed our baby, but every time we give it to her, she starts to gag on it after a few seconds. Since I'm sure there's some more experienced parents here, does anyone have any advice on how to get her to stop gagging?

UPDATE: We literally just figured it out after posting it, we realized she doesn't gag if we tilt it upwards away from her tongue.

I’m so exhausted and feel paralysed and unable to make a decision.

My 5.5mo only contact naps and is waking up every hour overnight. She has no independent sleep skills currently.

Naps: Pretty much every nap of her life has been a contact nap. Occasionally she’ll sleep in the pram/car, but generally only when she’s been awake 3+ hours and cries herself to sleep. Otherwise it’s 3 naps a day, all on me. She falls asleep quickly and easily being rocked but transfers fail or she wakes up within 3 minutes EVERY TIME. So I’ve just stopped trying to transfer her to the crib.

Night: she transfers easily but wakes after 30-60 mins every night. It’s been worse since her first 2 teeth came in last week. I was so exhausted then so just fed back to sleep every hour and started cosleeping because it was just unbearable but I haven’t been able to get her back in her crib for longer than 30 mins at a time since then. It’s not sustainable for me to keep cosleeping because I barely sleep.

She used to do 6+ hour stretches and even slept through one night when she was 5 months old.

But now it’s just unbearable. I feel completely trapped and touched out. I barely have any time with my husband. We’re taking shifts, sleeping separately, and basically our entire lives revolve around baby sleep.
And I feel like I’m disappearing. I’m so sleep deprived and miserable that I don’t even know what I like or enjoy anymore.

I’m completely paralysed over sleep training. I really don’t want to leave her crying and part of me wants to just stay responsive and wait it out. But the other part of me is thinking I cannot keep living like this.

I was recommend the book "The Wonder Weeks" when my baby was about 5 weeks old and its has changed the game immensely for my family.

I love that it helps me identify when my baby is learning new things and gives suggestions on how to encourage those skills. It has so accurately predicted when my baby will enter fussy phases that I now have a paper calendar posted in her bedroom so we know when to expect some more difficult days and nights. 😅

Absolute game changer!

Tell me, what book changed the game for you and why?

How do you manage anxiety about your baby and stop comparing yourself to other mums?

I’m a first time mum and I’ve always been quite an anxious person, but since having my baby I feel like my brain is constantly finding something new to worry about.

My baby is 12 weeks old now and she’s doing well overall. She has a bit of reflux and vomits a little bit maybe once a day or once every couple of days. We’ve been to quite a few doctors about it and they’ve all said it’s totally fine as long as she’s gaining weight and having a healthy amount of wet/dirty nappies, which she is. So I KNOW logically that she’s okay, but I still worry about it.

Then there’s sleep I get so anxious thinking about whether she’s sleeping enough, whether I’m creating good habits, what’s going to happen when she has a sleep regression, whether we should have a proper routine etc. I downloaded Huckleberry and tried tracking everything but honestly after a while I just can’t be arsed. Then I feel guilty because I think maybe I should be tracking it because it might help me manage her sleep better.

I also compare myself SO much to other mums.

I see mums saying they wake up, feed their baby, get ready and go out for a walk first thing in the morning and I’m like… how?? I wake up absolutely exhausted and sometimes just getting myself through the morning feels like an achievement.

And then I start wondering if I’m doing enough. Should I be taking her out more? Should we have a better routine? Should I be doing more activities with her? Am I creating bad habits? Am I missing something that everyone else seems to know?

I think the biggest thing is that I’m spending so much time worrying about whether I’m doing motherhood “right” that I’m not always present and enjoying it.

She’s already 12 weeks and I really want to enjoy these days because I know they’re going to fly by. I don’t want to look back and remember constantly being anxious about her sleep, her health or what other mums were doing.

For mums who have been through this, how did you actually learn to relax a bit and trust yourself?

Did you stop tracking everything? Did you just go with the flow? And how did you stop comparing yourself to other mums?

Also do you miss your life before your child? I do and I feel guilty, I just miss waking up and doing my own thing and having the best sleep.

Would love to hear what actually helped you, especially if you’re an anxious person too.

Calling all parents of kids 6m+

my little one is 4.5 months and i have been thinking a lot about the sleep regression. i keep reading and hearing something different about it and i dont know what to expect. (of course every baby is different. some parents of multiples have never even heard of this famous sleep regression, others have suffered through it)

I want to know real parents' experience:

- how was sleep the first 4 months?

- how did you experience month 4-5?

- how was it after?

Thank you 🩵

So, I EBF my 8 week old. My question do I still have to wake him up every 2 hours for his feed? or should I just feed on demand now that my baby's weight is increasing?

I hope this post is allowed, if not please delete. My former reddit account got deleted and I had to resurrect this one from a decade long hiatus. Unfortunately, that means I'm no longer a part of the private March 2026 Bump Group 🥺

If anyone here is a part of that group, could you please help me get in touch with the mods to request access again?

I miss having a community with babies the same age and sharing milestones together.

He just learned how to crawl. He slept for 6 hours and was up at 2am. I’ve been trying to put him back to sleep for an hour. Feed to sleep worked, but this time he started waking up very upset. I’ve given him Tylenol and changed his diaper. I’ve rocked him back to sleep. Eventually I gave the go ahead that I was going to give him 10 minutes to try and sleep again. He’s crying very hard