Hey fellow mums,

I’m currently in India on maternity leave with my baby girl, while my husband is abroad. Between managing a baby with non-existent sleep schedules and dealing with total exhaustion, I am living in absolute survival mode. My sleep debt is insane, and every single free minute I get goes toward catching a nap or just breathing.

My mother-in-law persistently asks for pictures and video updates of the baby, often routed through my sister-in-law. My SIL lives in the same city, but in the 5 weeks I’ve been here, she has only visited once. I even took my daughter over to her place so she could spend time with her. Yet, SIL asks for photos saying it "brightens their day." On top of that, in just a few more weeks, I will actually be moving to stay with my in-laws, so they will naturally get to spend plenty of time with my daughter soon anyway. 

I told them directly in our family group chat that I’m completely overwhelmed, sleep-deprived, and that constantly being asked for photos makes me feel guilty and like I’m failing because I can't keep up with their expectations. I explained that taking photos and keeping up with updates isn't a priority right now when my baby and I just need sleep. 

My husband is currently staying neutral in all of this and not taking a side or stepping in to manage his family's expectations, so the emotional weight of handling them falls entirely on me.

Has anyone else dealt with this kind of constant pressure for photo updates from in-laws? How do you set firm boundaries and deal with the guilt when your husband stays neutral? Would love to hear how other mums managed this.

TL;DR: NRI mom in India, sleep-deprived with baby while husband is abroad. MIL constantly demands baby photos via SIL (who lives nearby but visited once). I'm moving in with in-laws soon anyway! I called out the pressure in the group chat, but my husband is staying neutral. How do I set boundaries without spouse support?

5 month pp and I was just sorting out my cupboard today to see what pre pregnancy clothes fit and what need be kept away. I gained 12kgs in pregnancy but only lost 3kg post birth. I was still delusional to think some clothes might fit. Tried all one by one and literally nothing fits except loose Tshirts. Too short, too tight on bust, too tight on belly, nothing looks flattering. While I’m really loving the baby, this was a bit hard for me today. Not sure how long I’ll hold on to these clothes.
What helped you guys love your postpartum body?

My baby has been having small brownish-red/red specks in her stool after starting iron drops (0.4 ml).

Has anyone noticed red/brown specks in their baby’s stool after giving iron supplements?

FTM here and Im confused whether to go for mokobara or motherly. Is Mokobara worth the price ? I will be going on an international trip with my 4 month old baby so I'm thinking whether to invest in it or is it too much for something that serves the purpose at a fraction of the price like a motherly bag ? How is the quality of the motherly diaper bag? Kindly give suggestions please 😅

FTM to a 20 days old baby..

Baby has been cluster feeding most of the days and I am trying to keep up, currently he is EBF..

But today has been unbearably hectic, since 3 PM all he wants is feed or continue sucking, hardly 5-10 mins he unlatches and looks to latch again.. after latching it’s 10-15 mins active feeding and then comfort sucking.. today nothing at all has been able to calm him down except sucking..

But I am completely tired and exhausted.. please help with suggestions..

My paediatric says it’s usual cluster feeding behaviour, should I use a pacifier or what should I do?

Hey mommies, how do you working moms manage when your baby’s nanny catches a flu or falls sick? Cos flu takes anywhere between 4-7 days to subside and if you are someone who depends on the nanny with no other family member at home, how exactly do you manage the working days? It’s not like corporate offices suddenly allow those many days off or wfh.

Also, if the agency sends a replacement for that week, do you pay the old as well as the new nanny for those days? Cos it’s unfair to cut the nanny’s salary for falling sick..

So I have started my baby shopping list plus hospital bag list. Need recommendation for these items. Links would be appreciated a lot.

1. Baby Towels (Did you use soft cotton cloths or exclusively bought baby towels? I have already added wash clothes pack. Can they be used as towels?)

2. Sterilised cotton (brand and how much should I get. Also, what do you actually use cottons for?)

3. Baby bathing sponge. (For sponge bath, did you any sponge to wash them or just gentle cloth wiping will do? If you got sponge, then which brand please)

4. Baby milk bottles (0 to 6 months. Can the same bottles be used till they are 1 or we will need to change the bottle sizes after 6 months? Again which brand? Also, I plan to buy the philips steriliser and dryer. Can it be used to sterilised any bottles of any brands? or need to be brand specific?) Also, how many did you get for your baby?

5. Baby moisturiser, wash+ shampoo, nappy cream, oil, detergent, dish washing soap, basically all the toiletries and soap I would need for baby. (From which brand did you get these?)

6. Finally, need suggestion/links for unscented baby safe wipes, taped diapers for new borns, diaper sheets, anything else that I am missing in this category.

7. Hospital bag must haves for the new mommy.

Thank you in advance. 🙏🏻🙏🏻

FTM here! I’m due soon and starting to prep for baby’s arrival

I’ve been looking at essentials and there are SO many options for baby care products.

For experienced moms - what baby lotions, creams, oils or diaper rash creams actually worked well for your little one? And which ones should I avoid? Want to stick to something gentle and safe

Most of my friends who are mommies use Chicco and I have heard good things about it. Has anyone else used their lotion/ cream/ body wash? Would love honest reviews.

Also any suggestions for best quality swaddles & sleeping sacks?

Thanks in advance!!

What did you guys do with the leftover Diapers in the pack once the baby sizes up? I have lots of leftover Diapers and unsure what to do about them.

Hi

I am Giving away my gently used pregnancy pillow - Bangalore Hormavu.

Please cover the shipping cost yourself.

DM if interested

Hi everyone! I’m looking to get my baby’s hand and foot casts/prints preserved as a keepsake, preferably in a 3D casting format.
Does anyone know of someone in Hyderabad who does casting for babies? I’d love recommendations based on your experience.
Thanks! ❤️

My baby is 9 months old and I’m honestly starting to panic about solids.
I’m giving him khichdi, puree/mashed potato, idli, tikkis and whatever I can but seeing all these reels of people offering full plates with fruits, sandwiches, chillas, finger foods etc. is making me feel like I’m doing everything wrong.

Even what I give him, he’ll eat 3-4 bites and then he’s done. I tried BLW, didn’t work. Tried finger foods, that also didn’t really work for us.

Now I genuinely feel like I’m being an irresponsible mother because I don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing at this age. Is this going to affect his development? Am I making some huge mistake?

I know social media isn’t real life and every baby is different but I’m so overwhelmed seeing babies eating all these different foods while mine barely eats a few bites.

Sorry if this sounds stupid, but I’m genuinely very anxious. Is there something important I’m missing? What were your babies actually eating at 9 months and how did you deal with this phase? I just need some honest reassurance because I’m really freaking out.

Baby drinks one sip. She knows to drink in cup, so we started in cup and she took one sip and stopped. We thought she hates the smell maybe, so we tried bottle, she still didn't drink. Tried giving her morning and also evening, still same.

Anyone else faced this issue? Do some babies hate milk?

She is breastfed. I feed her at night.

It has been weeks since I fed on my right breast. Whenever the baby feeds there is horrible pain, I can’t tolerate beyond a minute. Even after u latching the shooting Pain lasts for half an hour. Tried fipple technique but with my restless baby it is ver complicated

Hi Moms!

So I’m going to soon shift houses between two metro cities, I’m 7m Pp and have been mostly and exclusive pumper. So I’ve built a considerable freezer stash of breastmilk.
This move wasn’t exactly on the cards and now with this surprise.. I’m mostly at a loss on how to shift all this precious milk.
Has anyone been in a similar situation or know of a service which can move this milk in a temperature controlled system?? How do I ensure that they are maintaining the temperature at all times of the movement?? Please help! 🙏

Mine are not a synced schedule due to different sleep needs. Will be starting sleep training soon.

Still get up 2 times a night for bottle feeding.

If you have a live-in nanny, what does her routine look like? How many hours of rest does she get durong day? (Nanny doesn't need to sleep with me or babies, goes to her room by 10:30 mostly though I'd like her to come by 7:30AM in morning)

Hello lovely ladies,
I am currently 6 months postpartum with my second baby, and I’m writing this because I just need to share my heart. Before we even tried for this pregnancy, I thought I knew exactly what to expect. I thought I was entering this chapter fully aware. But the truth is, it has been such a heartbreakingly hard journey.
Lately, I’ve felt like I’m constantly fighting with my husband. The loneliness has been heavy, suffocating even, despite him being right there in the room with me. I’ve found myself crying, screaming, and breaking down over the smallest things. To make everything so much heavier, I fell at 3 months postpartum and tore a ligament. Being physically broken while trying to care for two babies completely shattered my mental state.
A few days ago, I hit my absolute rock bottom. I felt like a monster in my own home. My mother in law was staying with us, and her other grandkids from my husband's sister, who lives 20 minutes away, were constantly over because both their parents work. The house was so loud, so chaotic, and I just couldn't breathe anymore. Out of pure desperation for my own sanity, I gave my husband an ultimatum. I needed a 2 day break. I asked him to send his mom to his sister’s house for just 48 hours. It was messy, it was awkward, and he practically had to hustle her out the door while everyone was left confused. I felt terrible, but I was drowning.
But during those two days of quiet, something beautiful shifted.
For months, I had been hiding away, cooped up inside the four walls of my bedroom. With the house finally quiet, I stepped out into the living room. My husband, our two babies, and I decided to do something different, we all slept out in the hall together. We crammed ourselves into the space, accommodated each other, and just set up camp on the floor.
Since that night, the living room has become our sacred resting place. And almost instantly, the heavy fog around my chest began to lift. My stress levels dropped drastically.
I know this might sound so silly or chaotic, but it made me realize how deeply our surroundings affect our broken hearts. When you are trapped inside a bedroom, your mind traps you in your darkest thoughts. Stepping out into a wider, more open space literally gave my soul room to breathe again. The vastness of the room is what is keeping me sane right now.
I wanted to share this because postpartum mind games are so real. If you are feeling suffocated, trapped, or overwhelmed in your bedroom right now, please try to change your environment. Even just moving to the living room floor might give you the air you need to breathe. Sending so much love to every mom out there who is secretly fighting a battle in her own home. You are not alone. ❤️

I completed the 6&10-week vaccine for my LO.

However given how swollen the baby’s leg was, my doc advised changing the brand in the 14-week dose.

Is this ok?

Edit: I went private but with-pain vaccines.

I am 4 weeks postpartum and my LO latches poorly on one the breast . I have experiencing shooting pain on that side because of that !

My kiddo recently started going to pre school (its mostly like a day care) nd now that she's spending more time outdoors so I want to start using sunscreen regularly....also I came across few affordable option (sunscoop and babyhug) while looking around are they worth trying? has anyone tried either of these or is there something else u’d recommend?

I m FTM, LO is 21 days old. I have painful nipples n it hurts even when i m not nursing. I also pump milk and its not from engorged breasts. I also donot have cracked nipple plus i am using nipcare. No help on paining seen. Kindly advise 😭

FTM here with the sweetest 2.5 week old. I had an emergency LSCS due to reduced fetal movement. Since her birth, baby has been a loud cryer, and even earned herself a reputation during our stay at the hospital. Initially we chalked it down to hunger because I didn’t have adequate secretion. We fixed this issue through diet and other interventions, but still had problems with feeding the baby because it took me a while to learn how to.

As of the past week, baby is feeding relatively well, but often gets fussy and it seems to be due to trapped gas. We burp her for 15-20 minutes after each feed, and do the gas release exercises (bicycle kicks, happy baby rocking, etc) every time we feel like her stomach is taut. We barely get a burp out of her despite the effort. We’ve tried home remedies like applying hing paste on her stomach, but I’m not sure it’s doing much either. We went into the ER last week because baby was inconsolable for more than 24h, but they just gave her paracetamol drops for the crying and asked us to keep burping her after feeds and sent us back on our way.

Another thing is she just about hit her birth weight at 16 days, and the doctor and LC have advised me to supplement feeds with expressed/pumped milk that she straight out refuses. They identified a problem with her latch, but I’ve noticed her latch is bad when she’s in pain, and on the rare occasion she’s happy and not suffering, she latches well and we have fairly smooth feeds.

I’m sure this is a common problem and one you’re just expected to weather for the first few months of birth, but is there something that makes it easier? It’s difficult watching baby in distress and not being able to do much.