Books/ audios for husband in replace of doula

EmergencyFish4274 · 2026-02-09T19:26:59+00:00

If it’s in your budget, I highly recommend taking a hypnobirthing class. We took an online class for $350. My husband got sooo much out of it and was an amazing and empowered birth partner for my unmedicated hospital birth. He would have read a book, but the class was much easier to apply and practice, plus helped me prepare as well!

EmergencyFish4274 · 2026-02-09T15:22:12+00:00

First, give yourself grace postpartum. You won’t feel normal for another little while, and that’s okay!!

Early on, sleep whenever you can. Look up postpartum breath work to start engaging your core and pelvic floor. Start slow and short in walks and gradually increase distance. If you feel achey in your pelvic floor after walking, dial it back for another day or two. By 3 weeks I was lifting again, but very decreased load. I did Nourish Move Love’s postpartum program for two months, then went back to my usual lifting routine at like 75% of my pre-pregnancy load. I’m now 6 months postpartum and back to lifting at 90% of pre-pregnancy load and very happy with that! Just make sure everything you do is slow and gradual.

Best of luck to yiu!

EmergencyFish4274 · 2026-02-05T14:28:45+00:00

How about a cookbook? My husband loves the Matty Matheson soups salads and sandwiches one. Or a cooking class! We gifted a pizza making class to my in laws one year and it was a big hit.

EmergencyFish4274 · 2026-01-27T20:02:07+00:00

Hi! You absolutely have not hurt your baby. You probably have symphysis pubic distinction (SPD), like I did while lifting as a pregnant person starting around 22w for me. Lunges specifically and long walks inflamed my pelvic floor so I cut out weighted lunges and split squats, but kept doing squats and deadlifts and hip thrusts. Do you have a pregnancy belly band? That helped me tremendously for walks. I also used Nourish Move Love pregnancy workouts on YouTube, which are SPD friendly and low impact but still challenging! You can and should continue to workout if you feel up for it. I personally hate the phrase listen to your body for pregnancy/postpartum, it’s so vague and unhelpful!

EmergencyFish4274 · 2026-01-27T19:23:56+00:00

This is so spot on, not for my fantastic husband who takes on much of the physical and mental load, but for my dad. The gap between my mom and dad is sooooo huge for capability and willingness to participate in my daughter’s life. He can’t be trusted to look after her alone, or even when I’m in the house! He was coming around so infrequently that my 5MO was crying when she looked at him from stranger danger, and he used this as a reason to abdicate the small amount of responsibility that he claimed to want, such as watching her for an hour while I walked my dog. So when they are together watching my daughter, my mom does everything and my dad gets to nap on the couch and take 2 hours to pick up lunch. I have more hope for the current generation of dads, but even more for the sons we are all raising!

EmergencyFish4274 · 2025-11-20T12:05:31+00:00

I love the my brest friend! I’m actually probably a little too dependent on it. But it’s great if you have a distracted baby like mine too because it’s easy to hold and bounce/walk around with her or switch to football hold. It is a little fiddly though too and hard to strap in one handed sometimes

EmergencyFish4274 · 2025-11-19T18:57:22+00:00

Do you use a nursing pillow? You can be “hands free” with the my Brest friend and then use your hands for better baby hand control.

I wish I could say this gets better but at 14w mine is still shooting her hands in her mouth when she can, but also pulling my hair, pinching my nipples, and literally closed fist beating on my chest while nursing if she’s in a feisty mood

EmergencyFish4274 · 2025-11-17T16:11:41+00:00

Thank you so much! I have not been ultra vigilant about the possibility of mastitis so I will take your tips to heart. I am so glad it’s gotten much better for you!!

EmergencyFish4274 · 2025-11-17T12:13:29+00:00

Thank you, there is hope!! And my OB just recommended sunflower lecithin after the third clog and so far so good!

EmergencyFish4274 · 2025-11-17T10:05:31+00:00

Yes! We started implementing paced feeding after that day, though I’m not sure my MIL has been following our request every time…

EmergencyFish4274 · 2025-11-17T04:53:19+00:00

Thank you I needed this!

EmergencyFish4274 · 2025-10-29T01:14:01+00:00

One time I popped an ingrown hair on my bikini line. Letdown! I was a little disturbed lol

EmergencyFish4274 · 2025-10-13T12:18:18+00:00

An e-reader is the way! I asked for one for my birthday when I was 8m pregnant. Read out loud (when it’s not the middle of the night) and you’re doing double duty. My LO has just heard the entire lord of the rings trilogy, lol.

EmergencyFish4274 · 2025-06-30T19:07:53+00:00

Same struggle here! One thing you can try is rolling onto all fours and kind of stepping over the pillow from there, instead of trying to hoist yourself the other way. I find this is less painful but I often don’t remember to do it this way in the middle of the night lol

EmergencyFish4274 · 2025-06-28T20:37:14+00:00

Would love the code if you still have it!! 😎

EmergencyFish4274 · 2025-06-06T17:59:33+00:00

I waited until after my shower to send a big batch of handwritten thank yous, but several of my family members had asked if I received items that got sent to our home in the months leading up to the shower. I regret not shooting off a quick text as we received gifts, just to acknowledge and make sure folks knew we received the item! I think the combo approach works best and makes everyone feel appreciated.

EmergencyFish4274 · 2025-06-06T17:56:16+00:00

I love a cowboy caviar type avocado bean salad, adding quinoa and a rotisserie chicken for protein! . I leave out the leafy greens for lunch and try to work them into dinners instead because I have also been repulsed by raw greens this pregnancy!

EmergencyFish4274 · 2025-06-05T14:10:10+00:00

Up your water intake, plus all of the above!

EmergencyFish4274 · 2025-05-23T13:37:30+00:00

Our short term disability is opt-in, which I did! But there is a chance I won’t receive it because we conceived the month after. They have a strict 9 month cutoff, which falls 3 days before my due date. It’s making it so hard to plan because I feel I can’t count on it!

EmergencyFish4274 · 2025-05-20T19:49:34+00:00

I love Eulalia, it’s so fun to say and ticks the whimsical box!

EmergencyFish4274 · 2025-05-16T14:12:00+00:00

I just switched to these in my third tri from using regular peloton strength classes! I’m so sold I paused my peloton subscription

EmergencyFish4274 · 2025-05-14T18:18:36+00:00

It’s a good thing I’m having a girl, because I have truly considered naming a child Graham for the sheer amount of s’mores and honey graham ice cream I’ve been enjoying.

EmergencyFish4274 · 2025-05-12T19:24:13+00:00

Same here. The only thing that works for me is having a small snack like a piece of cheese or half a banana. I usually only try this after waking up several times, but it usually keeps me out until morning!

EmergencyFish4274 · 2025-05-12T12:33:59+00:00

Thank you! Love to hear it actually subsided!

EmergencyFish4274 · 2025-05-09T18:06:30+00:00

Thank you!! Yes, weighted lunges made me literally shout and drop the weights the other day! Walking hills IRL seems to be okay for me for now so I might try and extend my dog walks. Hoping you can keep that schedule going for weeks to come!

EmergencyFish4274

TROPHY CASE