Advice from a Random Mom

When my friend Whitney was recently here she asked me, “Meg, are you going to remember all of these things to tell me when I have kids???”  Of course I said yes, but, let’s be honest, I can’t even remember what I had for dinner two nights ago; so I decided to start a list and then add to it as I think of things. So if you want to know the thoughts of one random mom in the world, bookmark the page and check back!

Pregnancy/Delivery

• If you’re set on having a vaginal delivery and have to have a c-section, it will be every bit as heartbreaking emotionally as you think it might be.  But the recovery isn’t nearly as bad as what you read on the internet.
• Download the BabyCenter app and join the birth club of the month you are due.  The posts are sometimes comical but mostly helpful and you can follow it all the way past pregnancy and a LOT of your questions or wonderings will be answered. Plus you can post anonymously and it keeps you entertained when you can’t sleep.
• You don’t need nearly as much stuff on your registry as the “suggested lists” tell you.  Don’t register for many clothes or blankets, people love buying those for you.
• My must have baby items (most can be found at any baby store): carrier (my fav is the Beco Gemeni; I also have the Moby, which is ok but not the best), hand pump (so nice not to have to hook up the electric pump all the time), Aden & Anais swaddle blankets (buy two packages!), video monitor (I like the ones that allow you to have more than one camera with one monitor for when you have more kids; you can buy the second camera later), Snoogle.
• Belly bands are a lifesaver to extend the wearing of your normal pants; I wore some of mine all the way up until the 8^th month!

Breastfeeding

• Breastfeeding is hard!  If it’s important to you you should give it at least 4-6 weeks to get used to it before quitting.  Your baby isn’t going to die of you not feeding her; you have so many appointments in the first couple of months that if she’s not gaining enough weight then your doctor will tell you to start formula.
• You don’t have to have a freezer full of milk pumped; all you need is enough for the next day, so don't start pumping until you start to give a bottle or about a week or so before you go back to work.
• A breastfed baby needs the same amount of milk at 1 month as she does at 6 months (I had NO idea!) so your body adjusts in the first couple of weeks after birth.  If you’re not getting much when you pump, it’s likely a) all that the baby needs or b) you don’t get as much from the pump as the baby gets when suckling; it doesn’t necessarily mean your supply is dwindling.
• Take Fenugreek pills (I took 12 a day at first and then 4 a day after the first month) and make at least one batch of lactation cookies.
• The My Brest Friend pillow is WAY better than the Boppy.

Baby

• Babywise isn’t for everyone but it’s one of the best things I can recommend to new moms.  This cheat sheet is awesome too.
• ENCAPSULATE YOUR PLACENTA and take the pills. Trust me.  I didn't have even a touch of the baby blues (not to mention postpartum depression) this time around and I think it really did help with my milk production.
• Write about your experience on a blog (even if you don't share it), in a journal or a napkin for your pregnancy and about the baby, it's SO helpful to look back and see what you were going through (and validate your feelings) the second time around.
• We used Pampers Swaddlers for the newborn size (and loved them) and then switched over to Costco and Target brand diapers; they are just as good and cost significantly less!