Topic: New Baby Info Thread?

[Nikkisixx]

So you're saying it's worse than gutting a deer? I have a little experience gutting a sardine, about half a sardine actually.
Sounds like more fun than I anticipated

Thanks for the input, I'll leave my contact lenses at home then...and will bring food that will be easy to vomit out again. Why are we doing this again? 

p.s. you're scaring me.

I went through it about 2 months ago, and there are things that you will see that you can not un-see.  I longed for the days when men nervously sat in a waiting room drinking scotch and smoking while the delivery happened behind a veil of mystery.

You will be fine man, just focus on her and what she needs.

[apex_seeking]

This is a great thread!

I've got two boys(thank god!). A 2 1/2 year old and a 1 year old.

I've read through a lot of the tips here and they are all great. Don't watch the birth, just hold her hand and focus on her. Sleep because a luxury that she's going to need if you hope to survive. An exhausted new mother is nothing to tangle with. HELP OUT! she won't want to kill you. We got lucky with our boys. Neither wanted a binkie. Our youngest has decided that he has a favorite blanket but that's easy to deal with, it's only available at bed time or for naps.

I guess the thing that I could add to all this, if it's feasible, get a dog. It my sound weird but meal time cleanup is soooo much easier. My dogs have add a couple of pounds to their waist lines since the kids but they help get that last crumb that I would never find under the table.

Just my .02.

[flybox1]

Also, what's a "pack and play with the vibrating tray AND REMOTE CONTROL" and an "Einstein Jumper". It sound like something I need, but I'm pretty sure my friends don't have those either.

A "pack and play" is just a collapsible play-pen/crib.  It folds and unfolds relatively easily and can be brought along in the car when you're going to be gone from home for extended periods.  I'm not sure about the vibrating tray and remote control, but it sounds like overkill to me. 

A Baby Einstein jumper is a stand-alone piece that your baby sits in with its feet on the ground so it can stand and jump without getting hurt.  It has a large ring that surrounds the baby with toys attached, and the seat swivels to turn around and play with all of them.   

+100 for both of these.


ill also add that those baby einstein videos are a godsend.  along with a swing. battery operated with different speeds/sounds.
both are necessary for sanity time.  when you gotta put them down for a few minutes and bang out some housework.  if they are awake, the jumper and vids, if asleep, or trying to sleep, the swiing.
our twins ar e6mos now, and its the only way we can get $ht done.....

[zanorak]

PINK EYE! Had this to deal with this past weekend. When the kid shows up with gooey eyes don't take any chances. It's very infectious. She wanted to snuggle too... I had it within an hour! Don't put off the trip to the doctor, get the eyedrops and use them right way. It takes 24 - 48 hours to deal with this little bug but  you can reinfect yourself and others if you don't clean everything. I'm still washing couch cushion covers and towels. If you can - confine the kid to their room for the duration. It will make things much easier to deal with. AND only let them have toys that are easily cleaned. I'm going to have to wipe down about 1000 crayons with clorox wipes.

[hikerjay]

One thing that our neighbor with 6 kids told us was that we should not be overly quite when the baby is sleeping.  If you do they tend to wake up more easily when it is nosier.  Just maintain normal sound volumes.  I believe this works because she is now two and slept through the first fire up of my bike last weekend not far from the house 

[hikerjay]

I guess the thing that I could add to all this, if it's feasible, get a dog. It my sound weird but meal time cleanup is soooo much easier. My dogs have add a couple of pounds to their waist lines since the kids but they help get that last crumb that I would never find under the table.

Just my .02.

+1 for the dog thing.  May not make sense for everyone to get a dog, but our two dogs clean up so much off the floor from our 2 year old.
We only had one dog until my pregnant wife talked me into going to a pet store with her one day; then we had two.

[noahspop]

One thing that our neighbor with 6 kids told us was that we should not be overly quite when the baby is sleeping.  If you do they tend to wake up more easily when it is nosier.  Just maintain normal sound volumes.  I believe this works because she is now two and slept through the first fire up of my bike last weekend not far from the house 

That truly works. All of our kids sleep just fine with the t.v. on, vaccum cleaner, etc. My wife can be a loud talker. Now that our two boys run through house acting like boys, our daughter sleeps just fine.

I watched all three of my kids being born. It is such a miracle of life.

[Nikkisixx]

A $20 toddler swing hanging from the rafters in your shop allows you to spend some QT with your favorite helper AND noodle around in the shop.  I just do "clean" things like pick up tools or make to do lists when she is "helping" 

[flybox1]

something to keep them contained and entertained is best. last summer my 3 year old decided he'd "paint" my white tank with the remnants of my last oil change 
i'm just glad they had cooled off   

[kirkn]

Great thread and great advice, so I won't repeat it.  My kids are now 19, 17 and 15! 

I had a walker thingy for my older two (they sit in it and can just touch the ground and propel themselves around), and I tied a 10' ~ 15' rope to it and tied the other end to the track for the garage door so he had a 15' semicircle to play around in.  Then, I attached a big golf umbrella to it to keep him out of the sun.  My oldest would be content for at least an hour at a time out in the garage / driveway with me.  He loved it, I loved it, Momma loved it... 

Did it with his little push-car thingy, too.  Here's a shot from way back in 1992!



Kirk

[noahspop]

My two older boys, prior to the arrival of their sister.

[Blasbo]

You are expected to spend the night on the back ache inducing liounge thing in the hospital room. I seriously didn't know and I am still hearing about it 16 years later!

[Gordon]

You are expected to spend the night on the back ache inducing liounge thing in the hospital room. I seriously didn't know and I am still hearing about it 16 years later!

We had both of our kids at home, so we all got to sleep in bed!

[mrrch]

Just go with it, it will come naturally to you.
I having to return to work monday after having the last 3 months off for parental leave, it was harder than being at work but worth every minute of it.
ENJOY and sleep when you can.

[Grnrngr]

Yep...great thread....mine are 26 and 27 now.     +1 on all the baby stuff, and especially with letting the grandparents, aunts and uncles be involved, that's what family is all about, and "you" (all you new daddies) and "mom" will definitely need the time off for yourselves. Add at least a half hour of "getting ready" time in front of anything you plan on doing, if it involves hauling the kids with you, and expect that, as soon as everything is ready to go and you're about to pull out of the driveway, yer gonna have to change a diaper. Discuss your "parenting style" way before you actually need to be "parenting", don't argue in front of the kids, especially concerning "parenting issues", and that includes "heated debates" or "stimulated discussions", if you feel a fight coming on, try to walk away and discuss it calmly later, or at least away from where the kids are. No one really "wins" an argument. Put your pride aside and respect each other, not only listen to each other, but strive for understanding as well. Make sure you and her are alright, because when the kids are grown and gone, all you'll have left is each other, and if you lose that, it's no fun spending the rest of your life with someone you don't like anymore. Grow together, or you'll grow apart. And don't forget..the kids are watching you all the time, they learn from everything they see, good and bad, even before they start to talk. Show your kids you and mom respect each other and your kids will be respectful. Disrespect each other and your kids will be disrespectful. You'll also get a whole new perspective on your own parents. Saltines and raisins ROCK for car snacks..

[vance]

Just became a dad for the first time 17 days ago! My amazing girlfriend birthed our 9 pound 21 inch long baby girl in the tub all naturally with no drugs or interventions whatsover! It was an incredibly moving experience to watch her give birth to our baby Charlotte and slowly move her out of the water and onto her chest.

I would encourage anyone who's thinking of having children to look into natural childbirth and research having a Midwive attend the delivery. If you check into the rates of c-sections and unnecessary interventions in our country for hospital births you will realize that for low risk pregnancies, a hospital birth may not be the best option. Watching the documentary "The Business of Being Born" really helped shed some light on the subject for us.

Anyhow, one tip I could add to the thread is for soothing the baby when she is extra fussy is you can fake a car ride. I put her in the carrier that snaps into the car seat base and belt her in then set it on top of the clothes dryer. It vibrates and bounces very similar to the car and she goes right to sleep!

[mrrch]

Congrats Vance

[Gman]

Just remember to turn off the dryer alarm.  We used to do the dryer trick, too; one time, my wife fell asleep and when the dryer timer went, the baby had a rude awakening (as did the wife).  

[jgmmgood]

All good points!  We have an 11 yo girl who loves flat-tracking and anything outdoors.  Keep'm active and the rewards are plenty.  Another point I would suggest is to NOT get a social sec. # for the kid right away.  They will try to force you into it at the hospital, but you do not need to apply at that point.  There are many reasons for this one and they hopefully will not be working for awhile! 

Also, try to save money in an account as soon as they are born.  If you can find a good pre-tax account for higher education or whatever, try to use one.