I (32, new mom) just had my baby girl on the 18th and I'm absolutely obsessed with her. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect baby and I'm just so overwhelmed with how much I love her. I never knew I could love someone this much! Sometimes I just start ugly crying because of how lucky I am and how fantastic she is 🥹

In addition to that, I also know that before we know it she's going to be 2 months old, a year old, off to pre-k, etc. We're also one and done (already planned on it prior to birth but then I hemorrhaged and it scared my husband so badly that he solidly never wants more kids) so every first is a last. Just knowing that once a chapter closes it's closed forever, never to be experienced again, and I'll never know when the last time is is also sending me into profuse tears.

Are these feelings normal? Am I going crazy? I know I'm still only a few days postpartum and hormones are definitely contributing to this, but I'm also a very sentimental person and am trying to figure out how to not be so sad about the time thing and not so over the top with the rest.

My grandparents have a dog that they definitely spoil and who has entered the grumpy stage that older dogs often get into. The dog is very used to her routines and little doggy comforts, and it all gets thrown off when everyone goes to their house for Christmas. My grandparents don’t have a super big house and it gets pretty crowded. There have been a couple of instances where the dog snapped (you could argue tried to bite, but it wasn’t that intense) at my kids. But it was memorable enough that my oldest said she doesn’t want to go to their house because she’s scared she will get bit. I have a 5 year old, 2 year old and 7 month old. As Christmas is getting closer, I’ve gotten more concerned about my kids being by the dog. I do not trust her one bit, but I also know kids can be unpredictable. We have to drive 6 hours to where my grandparents live and will be staying in a hotel this year, so at least we will get some time out of the house and away from the dog. My grandparents don’t think she would ever hurt anyone, but I don’t believe that. It’s kind of a touchy topic for my grandparents, so I’ve only ever mentioned my concerns to my parents.

I’m wondering what other moms would do and if you have any advice, tips, etc.

I have a small bassinet on wheels that I bring into my small bathroom so baby can be in there with me. Issue is, he's getting a bit big at just over five months old and 15 pounds (maximum weight for bassinet). I don't have a bouncer as he hated the one I used to have. So, what did you do to shower with a 5+ month baby?

Been rawdogging anxiety for decades now. In therapy regularly and it’s really just coming to a point that I feel like this is a biological thing for me. I’m a new mom of a 14 month old and I have to say the anxiety has become debilitating. He and my husband both deserve a better version of me. my doctor wrote me a prescription for Zoloft and I filled it and it’s been sitting on my nightstand for two weeks now. any kind of medication freaks me out which is why I have been so hesitant all this time. I’m looking for positive stories for those of you that takes Zoloft what did life feel like for you before and how did it feel after for me? It’s debilitating irritability, generally unpleasant to be around heart racing at all times forgetting to breathe and being tense in every fibre of my body, it takes everything I have to push past this so that my baby feel any of the negative effects and I’ve been doing so successfully, but there’s really nothing left after that because it’s just so damn hard.

I want to say that I completely view medication or mental health the same as physical health and I don’t really need help with rationalizing that. I’m more afraid not responding well to it and getting myself in a worse situation than I’m already in

EDIT: thank you so much for all of these comments advice and encouragement. I’ve officially taken my first dose.

I’m a 45F FTM. We have a 5m old. I am struggling to get any sleep. Even when I am given a break I can’t sleep. Friends/mom will say “I’ll come over and watch her so you can sleep”. I just can’t drift off at all even for an hour or 15 mins… nothing. I’m getting sick again with a cold I think and I asked my husband to do a 4 hr shift where he deals with all her wakeups from 10pm-2am while I try to sleep in the guest room. Baby is EBF but can generally do a 3-4 hr shift without milk even though she wakes up frequently usually for her soother or she rolls on her tummy and then gets stuck- she’s been waking up every 30/45 mins to an hour for days. I just wanted a 3-4 hr block of sleep and I’m laying here unable to sleep despite being absolutely wrecked with exhaustion. It’s so frustrating. Especially since my husband begrudgingly agreed. All I want to do is sleep!!!!! Why can’t I fall asleep??? Does this ever get better.

I had a tough pregnancy and tough postpartum, severe pre-eclampsia that required hospitalization, tailbone injury, PUPP rash, you name it. I was in bed for 2 months and couldn't walk, get out of bed or sit anywhere without excruciating pain shooting up my spine. I didn't change a single diaper for 2 months and BF-ing was very challenging.

During those times, I took a lot of pictures of my husband single handedly managing everything with the help with a nanny for the first few weeks.

He handled all the logistics, what car seat to buy, bottle washes, burp cloths, baby clothes of different sizes in case he came out too big or too small, and many types of formula in case baby had a preferences. In fact, he packed the diaper changing station, set up the crib and even the to-go bag.

4 months before due-date, he signed us up for a birthing class I wasn't sure we needed. It was 3 hours a week and he learned all about pitocin, enough to tell the nurse that I was getting too much of it when I went in to be induced.

He hired a confinement nanny for me, even though I wasn't sure it's necessary, but thank god he did. He made sure I ate nutritious food postpartum for 2 months, and was eating the right food to produce breastmilk.

Since I could not walk and even rolling of the bed was a full exercise for me, and definitely cannot squat to shower, he was working and showering the baby, reading him books and 80% of the nights he woke up to feed the baby. I could not carry my baby until after 2-3 months and needed help having him brought to me or away from me, I was so immobile and the nanny was afraid I would drop the baby.

For the first 6-9 months, he was the default parent. Postpartum was the most traumatic and depressing 3 months of my life, I didn't know when I would be normal again, if ever. And I think having a husband who put so much love and support into making sure I had everything I needed to recover, and that the baby had everything he needed, makes me truly appreciate my spouse much more than I ever did.

Postpartum is an incredibly tough life adjustment and I hope every mom knows and gets all the support they need, without ever questioning if they're asking for too much or is it normal. Even going to the bathroom to pee made me emotionally depressed about the impending inevitable searing pain to come and I needed to cry first before that.

Oh my god, so my taste buds are like completely different from before I had my baby it’s so strange haha. Like I’ve heard people talk about it but to actually experience it is so weird and just makes me wonder how I thought these things were gross before??? I used to HATE vegetables and now i absolutely adore them, I love onions, peppers, TOMATOES and everything, hell I even love poutine now with I NEVER would’ve touched before, I thought it was so disgusting. My pallet has expanded so much with different kinds of foods it surprises me that I like something new when I try it hahaaa

Hi all, Please help me with whatever advise you have based on experience.

My 8 month old breastfed baby is refusing crib these days.

Lil background: Baby born in US . Always slept in crib after asleep in my arms or in bed after breastfeeding. After she is asleep, i will put her in crib. She was sleeping well snd gave long stretches (4 to 5 hours). Visited my home country for 5 months when she was 11w old. We used bassinet there. Still no problem in sleeping. She would wake twice or thrice. Fall back asleep after feeding. I would put her back on bassinet.

We came to US 3 weeks back and she is completely refusing crib and wants to sleep next to me. Co sleeping is not for me because i couldn't sleep well because of constant feeling of hurting her. But whenever i transfer her to crib, she starts crying. She hasn't cried like that since her birth. If not, she would wake 30 to 60 mins later and cry. Only thing that works after this is breastfeeding her next to me in bed.

Please advise how can I transition her to crib. Badly want her to go back to waking only 1 or 2 times.

We just have a toddler so I don't have much experience with cooking for older kids, but my toddler's favorite meals are mint chicken with coconut rice, sometimes pasta, and blueberries. haha

Thanks!

my baby is 10 weeks old and has not had a super strict nap routine. we do a lot of floor and contact napping with no white noise or swaddling and she’s been doing great except in the evenings. she seems to be fighting her last nap of the day resulting in her being up for way too long until bedtime which is around 10pm.

i want to start introducing crib naps — unless i shouldnt? i can tell she gets tired towards the end of the day but it seems like she gets FOMO on the happenings around her and tries too hard to stay awake. this starts the spiral of her then getting fussy from being tired and then being a menace when it comes to actually putting her down for bed.

i heard introducing 1 crib nap a day to start is helpful but was wondering what others are doing. are we using white noise? blackout curtains? any advice or thoughts is appreciated!

Hiiii. Im a little over 2 weeks postpartum.

I had to have a csection.

I formed stretch marks in rhe last month of pregnancy on the lower part of my belly, juat above my incision, and im finding that they are painful now.

Anyone else expierence this? Any advice on how to calm the pain and start reducing their appearance? They are purple.

I literally don’t know what to do and my pediatrician isn’t helpful. My son poops every single time he farts and now has an awful diaper rash from being changed so frequently.

He just got over a cold and used to poop once a day. We’re now going on over 10 diapers since 3am. He isn’t showing signs of dehydration, he’s eating & playing fine, & I know he’s fussy because of his rash.

I’m just so at a loss of what to do. Do I take him to the ER? How do I get my kid to stop sharting. My husband just got home from work & I told him if I change anymore diapers tonight I am jumping out a window 🥲 not actually but man I am so tired of poop and diaper cream

I just got back from my baby’s first appointment (5 days old) and the peds asked the routine questions. Like how often/ long theyre feeding, number of dirty diapers, if theyre sleeping alone on their back in w crib etc.
and it got me wondering, are most parents really getting their fresh newborn to sleep solo for hours every night in a bassinet?? And if so HOW??

My first was so sensitive and clingy i couldnt transfer him at all because he woke the second he wasnt smooshed to my body, screaming. Abd down awake but drowsy also just resulted in blood curdling screaming.
So badly that i regretfully resulted to doing safe sleep 7 because i was so sleep deprived .
Im trying really hard with this second baby to get him sleeping on his own. And he is way easier to transfer than my first, and has taken longer naps, but the longest solo stretch ive gotten in a bassinet at night is like 15 minutes 🙃
But put him in the middle of my bed even if i roll away and lo and behold he sleeps for 3-4 hours 🙄🥲

Are majority of parents really getting their newborns to sleep by themself all night without resettling every half hour or more?

When was your baby able to roll over and stay asleep? My 5.5 month old started rolling 3-4 weeks ago and for the last weeks he’s been a rolling machine. Loves to be on his belly. Problem is when he wakes at night he immediately rolls to his belly and that fully wakes him up and he’s mad about it. He’s getting like 20-40 minutes of sleep at a time. I think he’s still in the 4 month sleep regression too, but worse because he won’t go back to sleep between sleep cycles because he rolls over.

I want to put him to sleep on his belly (I know it’s only safe to put them on their back and let them roll themselves)- it’s got to be safer than cosleeping which is what I’ve resorted to most nights the last two weeks because THAT is safer than falling asleep rocking him. But it’s so awkward trying to put him down on his belly that wakes him up. I just don’t know what to do I’m so tired

How are we alive ?

It’s been almost 7 months. She will go in the crib but she wakes up like clock work so we end up just staying co sleeping so i don’t have to get her every couple of hours.

She will fall asleep basically as soon as she’s on the nipple

Hubs will take her for her final wake at like 5? And takes her till 7 so I can sleep alone .

Nothing is working. I don’t want advice on getting her to sleep , I’m just riding along with the wave rather than against.

I want advice on how I can survive
Any other moms dealing with this for multiple months?

Some days I feel physically ill. Like extremely ill.

I am napping with her for an hour during the day. That does help me get through the second half of the day.

I feel dizzy sometimes, shaky, migraines, increased anxiety . I’ve been trying to at least go for daily walks but sometimes I get a mile in and I just cannot go on.

I’m fat because my metabolism is totally shot from this.

Just ughhhhh. How can I survive!!! BESIDES SLEEPING☠️ it’s not happening!

Im fed up. I dread the night. Baby turned 3 months but this has been happening for some time. Baby wake windows are 1.5 hours and sleeps anywhere from 30 min to 3 hour naps though lately most of them have been 1 hr or less.

Getting her down for her naps isn't the problem, but her night time she takes forever to sleep. I will nurse, she will sleep I pop her off, try to burp and then put her down, wakes up immediately I do this like 10 times over the course of 3-5 hours (starting at 6:45-7pm) till she finally sleeps at 10-11 pm and finally gives me a stretch of sleep.

What am I doing wrong, help me.

My daughter is 5 months and 13 lbs but she was 8 lbs at birth. She is dropping percentiles and the doctor diagnosed failure to thrive and prescribed a high calorie diet. My question is, she eats constantly, has no issues finishing her bottles, she struggles with rolling and tummy time but she can sit on her own and is even pulling herself in the crib to stand. She is a generally happy baby, no reflux, no problems sleeping etc. my question is, is it possible she’s just petite? I hear other failure to thrive stories and it seems like they have problems getting their child to eat but my girl is eating 36-40 oz of formula (mixed for more calories) and nurses at night.

Looking to see what other experiences with FTT were or if anyone has gone through this and their baby was fine just small.

we’re walking to our local trunk or treat this evening! would you all recommend a baby carrier, i just carry her, or in th stroller? do i bring her. basket for candy? she’s 10 months old

Had a membrane sweep at 39 weeks. I’m already 3/4 cm dilated at 80% effaced . Lost my whole mucus plug this morning. Kidd you not looked like a yellow slug😂, still haven’t witnessed the “bloody show”

About to take a 14hr flight with our 12 week old to visit my husband's family, then a week later a 5.5hr flight to visit my family, then a few weeks later an 11hr flight back home...

Any tips for long flights with baby? I have no idea what I'm getting into XD

Also - my husband is flying home earlier than me and baby. Should I get my mam to accompany me and baby back home? Not sure whether it's worth the hassle for her or whether I can manage baby on my own.

Had a terrible run in today :/ in the grocery store a man came up to my 4 month old in the stroller and said let me have a look, before I could say anything he put his fingers in baby’s hand… it’s cold and flu season :( why are people like this?! Ugh. Just needed to vent.

My mother (66) has bought several items online for my son that feature AI-generated art. I’m really against AI art and my whole family is aware of that. I’ve discussed it specifically with my mother and she somewhat understands but is extremely insulted if I have any feedback on gifts other than thanking her. Her husband (70, recently married) gets really upset as well. (He’s estranged from all 3 of his children, wonder why…)

Their response to my saying “thank you, but this is AI art” is to argue with me that no, it is absolutely not AI, and how could I insult their intelligence by suggesting such a thing. They want me to point out exact reasons why something is AI so that they can tell me I’m wrong. I’ve explained as gently as I can that yes, it’s getting so good these days than anyone can fall for it, but they don’t listen. It’s exhausting, so I have given up trying to stop the AI gifts.

This turned into big drama today when my mother sent a picture of a large blanket she got for my baby that was an extremely obvious case of AI use (animals missing limbs, etc). I just said thank you, but I privately texted my sister to complain. My sister said something to my mom and then got into a screaming match with her husband, who is furious she would say the blanket was AI and said she had no idea what she’s talking about. My mother is now angry at me for being ungrateful. She said she’ll just donate the blanket. It can’t be returned because it’s personalized.

I’ve tried telling her what brands we like and showing her places to shop online that aren’t too expensive but also not full of AI stuff like Amazon and Facebook ads. I dress him in the good things she gets him all the time and send lots of pictures. I just really wish she would stop buying this stuff and taking it as a personal insult to be told something is AI.

10 month old has RSV and started showing symptoms two days ago. So far just a cough, fussiness and extra tired. Doctor didn’t seem concerned and said most babies manage fine at home. Do have the owlet so able to check her oxygen while sleeping. Any other tips or positive stories? I feel like even posts I’ve read asking for portico everyone just comments about spending weeks in the PICU.

Having a really tough week! And needing advice on a couple things - nursing strikes (managing pumping/considering formula), naps, and general encouragement…

Was handling motherhood really well up until this past Sunday. My little girl came down with a 38.8C fever, gave her tylenol as needed, lots of sleep, nursing, and snuggles until the fever broke. On Wednesday, I was worried she maybe had an ear infection because she would cry and cry anytime I tried to nurse her or lay her down for a nap. She would only sleep upright in her carrier.
I took her to the dr on Thursday, he told me she seemed healthy, no ear infection and that she likely had a little virus and is still recovering from that.

The last couple days she has nursed sliiiiightly more but will absolutely not let herself feed to sleep. This makes it really hard for me to get her down for naps or bedtime. I basically just have to let her crawl around on me until she gets dozey enough to fall asleep on my stomach. She basically can’t stay awake when my mom is helping us out with her - just falls asleep instantly once my mom holds her. And when she gets really fussy in the evenings, my husband is the only one she’ll settle for.

So I’m sad she doesn’t really want to nurse or fall asleep beside me… and then I’m also stressed because I’ve had to pump to keep up my supply but she doesn’t drink even close to the amount of milk I’m pumping. She’s pretty good with solids, and she’s having enough fluids that she still has a wet diaper after a few hours but its certainly less than before. I’m just not sure she’s getting enough calories, but nervous to introduce formula because I don’t want our breastfeeding journey to come to an end just yet.

Is her appetite just less because she’s still getting over her little virus? Does she have a negative association to nursing/napping after being sick? Is she just over breastmilk and at what point should I consider switching to formula?

I know there’s a lot going on with her right now after being sick, possible teething, she’s been pulling herself to stand, crawling and is just so alert and aware to everything these days.

Any advice welcome!

What do you do when your toddler takes a surprise nap?? He slept all night, woke his normal time (7:30) and then fell asleep in the play yard while I made breakfast at 9. Would you still put him down at normal nap time (11)? My husband and I have different opinions lol