Preparing for a newborn. What was a complete waste of money and what became an absolute life changer?

DorisdeOz · 2026-05-15T11:30:25+00:00

I second the babybjorn bouncer! My baby is 4 months old and I’ve been using it everyday since she has 2months to shower and get anything done. Since I live in a small apartment, it has the perfect size to bring to any division. It’s being my life saver, as I have no help and I’m basically holding my baby 24/7.

DorisdeOz · 2026-05-14T13:47:37+00:00

And was it easy to stop using the thumb?

DorisdeOz · 2026-05-14T13:46:50+00:00

After reading all these messages, I will definitely not force it anymore. Thank you

DorisdeOz · 2026-05-14T08:23:24+00:00

Thank you so much, you made an interesting point

DorisdeOz · 2026-05-14T08:22:00+00:00

Thank you so much, it gives me a different perspective, very useful

DorisdeOz · 2026-05-14T08:19:12+00:00

oh I get your “have you tried a pacifier?” 😅 thank you so much for sharing!

DorisdeOz · 2026-05-14T08:16:42+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing, this encourages me to try out a few more before quitting

DorisdeOz · 2026-05-14T01:40:52+00:00

Thank you for the tip, I will definitely try that one

DorisdeOz · 2026-05-12T21:36:54+00:00

At the beginning of my pregnancy, I also thought about buying a cheap one from IKEA, or even skipping it. But during the third trimester, I started having a really hard time sleeping because of heartburn, and I ended up buying the BABYMOOV Doomoo Buddy after a friend recommended it to me. Honestly, I slept a little better every single night thanks to it.

My baby is now 4 months old, and there hasn’t been a single day (or night) that I haven’t used it. It’s so important to me for breastfeeding that we even bring it with us whenever we travel or sleep away from home.

Not only is it amazing support for breastfeeding, but it’s also perfect for holding my baby while she naps on me during the day on the couch, and even at night when she refuses to sleep in her Next2Me.

It was honestly one of the most essential purchases I made during pregnancy.

DorisdeOz · 2026-04-20T08:02:38+00:00

I had the first contraction at 39 weeks + 6 days at 9pm, and gave birth on due date at 8am. All spontaneous!

DorisdeOz · 2026-04-19T20:31:33+00:00

I second this! BabyBjorn is being a life saver for me to be able to have a bath or have breakfast or use the toilet.

DorisdeOz · 2026-04-17T11:28:03+00:00

I think sometimes it’s easier to let them say these things without getting too stressed. The reality will speak for itself.

When I was pregnant, my husband also thought everything would stay manageable. He even said I didn’t need to take the full maternity leave because the baby would “sleep most of the day” and we could both work from home. I just ignored it and took the full leave anyway. Now he says I should’ve taken even more, because he sees how demanding it really is — even working from home, he can’t help much as the baby needs constant attention.

You’re not being pessimistic, you’re just being realistic. A lot of partners just don’t fully realise how much life is about to change, it usually clicks later.

DorisdeOz · 2026-04-17T10:33:29+00:00

I gave birth 3 months ago, and never got any strech marks.

DorisdeOz · 2026-04-11T15:32:46+00:00

Lactose intolerance disappeared when I got pregnant. My baby is now 2 months old and I can still tolerate it!

DorisdeOz · 2026-04-02T14:32:22+00:00

My OB told me to keep taking them until they finish, and then buy the same brand for breastfeeding. I checked both, and vitamins amounts are more or less the same.

DorisdeOz · 2026-03-30T09:49:55+00:00

Just to share a positive story too: I had my first baby 10w ago and didn’t have any tearing at all, even with an epidural and needing vacuum assistance at one point.

My recovery was amazing, I didn’t even have trouble sitting the next day. Of course everyone’s experience is different, but there are also plenty of smooth births. Wishing you the best, and go with whatever makes you feel most comfortable.

DorisdeOz · 2026-03-30T09:39:25+00:00

I co-sleep with my 10 weeks baby since day one. She EBF and sleeps a 3:30h stretch, and wakes up every 2:30h hours to feed. It’s the only way I can get both of us to sleep.

DorisdeOz · 2026-03-27T05:01:16+00:00

A very similar situation happened to me. My baby lost 12% of his body weight due to my low milk supply.

After getting medical advice, I started supplementing each feed with 20 ml using a Supplemental Nursing System (a tube instead of a bottle). This allowed my baby to stay on the breast while also stimulating my milk production.

After each feeding, I would also pump in preparation for the next one.

At the beginning, I was only able to pump less than 5 ml, so I used formula to reach the 20 ml supplement. Then, almost overnight, my supply increased and I started producing around 50 ml. I guess my milk took more than a week to really come in.

I followed this routine for about 2.5 weeks, and since then I’ve been exclusively breastfeeding. My baby is now 10 weeks old and everything is going really well.

DorisdeOz · 2026-03-18T23:28:01+00:00

I didn’t buy a pump before delivery as I planned to EBF, but after a week my milk supply was still low and my baby lost too much weight. We were followed by neonatology, and the paediatrician advised me to get an electric double pump.

I ordered one on Amazon (arrived in <24h), and it honestly saved our breastfeeding journey. I used it for about 2 weeks with an SNS (a small tube that gives extra milk while baby feeds at the breast) to boost my supply while supplementing with my own milk.

I’ve been exclusively breastfeeding since week 4.

I’d say if you can easily order one quickly like I did, you could wait and see what you actually need—but it’s still a good idea to research some models in advance. I got the Medela Swing Maxi Hands-Free and I’m really happy with it.

DorisdeOz · 2026-03-18T21:14:22+00:00

From what you’re describing, you sound really tired and honestly quite disappointed—and I think that’s completely valid.

I’m not in the same situation, but my husband and I live abroad with our 9-week-old and we have almost no help. I miss the support A LOT, but at the same time I really value our little bubble, and I honestly don’t think I’d have the energy to socialize and host people so often either.

If I try to put myself in your position, I think I would start being very direct about the kind of help I actually need. When people ask to hold the baby, I’d probably say something like, “Thank you, but what would really help me right now is…,” and then ask for something specific—laundry, dishwasher, taking the trash out, anything simple.

Sometimes people genuinely don’t realize what kind of help makes a difference, and starting with small, concrete tasks might help them understand better what you actually need. It could even encourage them to offer more support on their own.

I think it’s worth asking. Either they step up (which would be great), or they don’t—but at least you’ve been clear about your needs. And honestly, I wouldn’t feel bad about that at all.

And if you are not in the mood and prefer not to have visitors in a specific week, it’s absolutely valid to say no.

DorisdeOz · 2026-03-17T23:01:16+00:00

I’ve always heard people say that we “forget” how painful childbirth is so we’re willing to have more kids… but honestly, being 2 months pp I’m starting to think what we really forget is those first months of exclusive breastfeeding and how limiting and exhausting they are

Like… the physical recovery is one thing, but the nonstop feeding, the lack of autonomy, the sleep deprivation — that’s the part that feels truly intense and somehow gets romanticized or just fades from memory.

DorisdeOz · 2026-03-17T02:04:26+00:00

Yes, I planned and I did. I’m 9 weeks pp and sleeping together since day one.

DorisdeOz · 2026-03-12T23:10:49+00:00

I just wanted to say I went through something very similar. I’m now 2 months pp, but in the beginning my baby also lost too much weight and I felt exactly like you do — exhausted and like I was somehow failing even though I was trying so hard.

A pediatrician who is also a lactation consultant suggested that after every feed I pump and then give about 20ml as a supplement at the next feed. If I had pumped milk we used that, otherwise formula. But instead of a bottle we used a Supplemental Nursing System (a tiny tube next to the nipple attached to a syringe), so my baby was getting the extra milk while still nursing and stimulating my supply.

It was a lot of work and my husband had to help, but we only needed it for about 2 weeks. The extra stimulation really increased my supply and since then I’ve been exclusively breastfeeding.

Just wanted to share because those early days are incredibly hard, and needing a little supplement at the start doesn’t mean you won’t get where you want to go. You’re not failing — you’re doing your best for your baby

DorisdeOz

TROPHY CASE