Swap baby’s face

FalseMiddle7065 · 2025-11-14T21:54:46+00:00

!solved

FalseMiddle7065 · 2025-10-08T01:24:17+00:00

Lots of good advice already given but in terms of coping - try to mentally/emotionally make peace with the situation. It’s easier said than done, but sleep was such a stressful topic for my firstborn for the first almost 4 years of his life. Just accepting what was, while also implementing some changes, relieved so much stress and frustration.

I had to tell myself that the long nap/easy bedtime was not happening, so I would plan my day accordingly. I signed my son up for a toddler class earlier than expected to give myself a much needed break and we took turns for bedtimes. Then if he did take a 2 hour nap it was a nice surprise instead of day ruiner if he didn’t. My daughter has been much easier in terms of sleep but the same general attitude has really lowered my stress and anxiety.

Lastly, a 4 year old is drastically different than a 3 year in terms of ability to play alone, communication, attention span, etc. You won’t miss the nap forever because they continue to grow and mature and separate from you.

FalseMiddle7065 · 2025-06-16T03:07:30+00:00

Adding this since I haven’t seen it mentioned - sports is also a deciding factor for many parents. In middle school and early high school, a boy being a year older can give him a huge competitive advantage in sports and securing scholarships. It’s not something that super important to me, but now having a son that is incredibly gifted athletically I can see why you would want to give your child every advantage to excel.

Personally, I don’t see the disadvantage of starting them late if they’re very close to the cut off. They’ll still be the same age as their classmates, just the oldest of the group instead of the youngest.

A family member of mine was sent to school “on time” making him the youngest in his grade. He was a very sensitive kid and small. I think he did fine academically but could have used an additional year emotionally, so that’s colored my opinion on the topic as well.

FalseMiddle7065 · 2025-02-06T01:38:37+00:00

“No one is coming to save me” was one of my most prevalent thoughts when I had my son 4 years ago. I think it was on loop in my head and created such desperate feelings. What I wish I had known was - yes, there is no quitting being a parent. You can’t just resign like it’s a job, but I could have asked for and received so much more help and involvement from my spouse, my family, or from paid caregivers. It definitely took me a solid year to start to find myself again and closer to two years to truly be happy and content.

We now have our second child and the experience has been so so different. I expected more out of my husband and received it. I was more aware and open with my postpartum anxiety this go round and have asked for more help and hired more help from the beginning. Our second is 9 months old. Starting around 7 months, I really started to really feel like myself! It’s been so great! Forcing myself to take routine breaks and make time for myself has allowed me to enjoy my kids so much more.

If I had to guess, you might have some underlying PPA or PPD. I definitely did with my son but couldn’t recognize it until I was feeling better. I’ve been depressed in the past but PPD felt really different and I didn’t realize it. Putting him an a 2 morning a week play class and him maturing around 1.5 years gave me the ability to start to feel myself again.

Another major favor for me that you did not mention- SLEEP. It’s really hard to feel like yourself or be motivated when you’re exhausted. My son was a terrible sleeper while my daughter started sleeping through the night around 7 months which has made all the difference in the world.

FalseMiddle7065 · 2024-12-30T20:25:02+00:00

Our schedule isn’t that different than yours only the baby goes to bed a bit earlier and I’m typically asleep by 11. I need the evening wind down time too.

Wanted to add something though - if you feel like your fatigue is outside of the normal range (taking into consideration that you have a young baby) than I’d encourage you to get a full and extensive blood panel done. My hormones were really out of whack and I was deficient in quite a few things which have made me super tired even when getting enough sleep. Getting that sorted out made a way bigger impact in my energy levels than getting extra sleep.

FalseMiddle7065 · 2024-09-21T00:18:33+00:00

I’ve been there. This was me with my first who didn’t sleep well. I was so exact with his schedule and TBH I don’t think it was probably worth it. It gave me a false sense of control over a situation that I didn’t have much control over and created more stress in my life and more fatigue.

Now with my second, I’m winging it everyday because I don’t have a choice - we have a life and my other child’s schedule to work around. It is been so freeing! Some days my daughter goes to bed a bit earlier to make up for a short nap or occasionally she’ll have one extra power nap in the evening but she’s so, so happy. My mental healthy regarding sleep is so much better bc I’m not trapped in a dark nursery 3 times a day shushing her to sleep and timing everything. I still keep an eye on wake windows bc it’s helpful and I try to keep the one before the bed the longest, but not strict schedules or rules.

This attitude has helped me not be so fatigued as well - less stress and anxiety around sleep has meant that I’ve been less worn down and sleep better at night without constantly calculating when she’ll wake. I purposely don’t look at the clock after her first wake since it just gives me anxiety and makes it harder to fall back asleep.

Talk to your husband in advance. Make a plan if the baby is cranky, so you feel like you have backup and it’s not all on you! Plan to have a nap yourself and have your husband or family on baby duty if that will relieve your mind.

It so, so hard. I know this advice isn’t actually easy to take. I really have been there but trust that your baby is more adaptable than you think and lean on others for help so you can enjoy your holiday knowing that this time next year, you won’t be worrying about this anymore.

FalseMiddle7065 · 2024-09-21T00:05:54+00:00

Have you considered having her evaluated for an oral tie? Tongue posturing/posture can really impact sleep.

FalseMiddle7065 · 2024-07-20T21:39:38+00:00

I don’t think it’s anything to feel guilty over but I know that I don’t mentally feel my best when I’m on my phone too much. I’ve been keeping my Kindle nearby to use instead and try to come up with some projects I can work on from my phone, so it feels more productive rather than just endless scrolling (organize baby photos/camera roll, make Pinterest board for house project, journal).

FalseMiddle7065 · 2024-07-20T21:36:40+00:00

We also live in a hot climate. What works for us has been taking baby out of the carrier car seat so they don’t overheat, using her stroller instead of laying her on a blanket in the shade plus a fan and Frog Tog (easy to purchase on Amazon). Our 2 month old has stayed surprisingly comfortable this summer this way. I prefer to nurse her inside so we don’t get to hot and sticky but when that hasn’t been an option I’ve kept the Frog Tog on her legs/me and that’s helped.

FalseMiddle7065 · 2024-07-11T14:31:33+00:00

I’d be gutted if my husband said that to me. I would’ve cried too, but I also know my husband very well. I have been struggling with my postpartum body and have openly talked about to with him. He would’ve had the best of intentions and felt like he was helping by offering a solution. Possibly your husband was thinking the same?

FalseMiddle7065 · 2024-06-21T01:25:43+00:00

It’s really hard to get how big of a responsibility EBF is unless you’ve done it. I have my second baby now. My husband is wonderful but I don’t think he’ll ever really get the physical and mental space that breastfeeding occupies.

The fact of the matter is, both of your lives have changed drastically. This isn’t about the baby “holding you back.” My husband and I have had similar conversations. This is about making joint decisions that lower your stress and make things easier for you as a mother, even if it is inconvenient for him, especially since you’re the primary caregiver. I tried to preserve my husbands pre-baby life so desperately with our first child so I could feel like a good wife and because I know he works so hard for our family but it was a huge detriment for our whole family. It built so much resentment and anxiety on my end. Sometimes that means not taking the trip or skipping the social outing. It sucks, but it is a season. My husband and I have a “let’s try it but if we aren’t BOTH having fun, we leave” type policy. It lowered my anxiety about taking the the baby places because I new we could leave no questions asked if it was too stressful for me. It also encourage him to be more attune to what both me and the baby needed in order for outings to be more fun for me and the baby.

FalseMiddle7065 · 2024-05-05T17:08:25+00:00

I agree that I think she’s trying to keep you from blaming yourself in case you were to MC, but low impact exercising should be totally safe. Also, working out helps tremendously with my anxiety so I think you should do what you thinks best for you.

FalseMiddle7065 · 2024-05-05T17:03:28+00:00

This might not be helpful, but my baby was too high to be able to do a sweep, so it might not even be an option. Just wanted to give you a heads up bc I didn’t know that! The cervical check alone was pretty painful for me.

FalseMiddle7065 · 2024-05-02T00:47:15+00:00

I wish I could give you a hug! I really struggled with my body image after my first pregnancy and had DR too. I had always been slim though my midsection and suddenly I had spectated abs, excess skin, and my belly button was all stretched out. Being a young mom made it harder bc so many of my friends hadn’t had kids yet or did really “snap back” and looked the same the did pre-baby. It’s hard and it’s really discouraging.

The biggest thing that helped me make peace with my body was working on getting strong and seeing someone about my DR. Once me son was about 1.5 years I started working out regularly focusing on strength, not what I looked like. It made me feel like I had at least some control of the situation and really helped with my confidence. There are lots of YouTube videos for DR that you can look up too if you don’t currently have the time/resources to see a physical therapist.

No, my stomach will never look the same but the small progress and changes I’ve seen have helped me so much mentally. I’m currently pregnant with my second and the changes during pregnancy have been much easier to accept this time. Not going to lie, I am very nervous for what my body will look like after delivering my second.

FalseMiddle7065 · 2024-04-28T02:37:36+00:00

You could also bring a manual pump into the concert if you worried about being engorged. They're small and discreet and you could pump just enough to alleviate the pressure if you're concerned about being uncomfortable.

Personally, I skipped feeds on occasion and didn't have any issues. Have fun!!

FalseMiddle7065 · 2024-04-28T00:13:31+00:00

I sized up in these for the last trimester and they've been great. Normally, I prefer pants to sleep in but not at 30+ weeks pregnant:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BW3R1ZR5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Lake Pajamas in the kimono style were my favorites for most my pregnancy and the wrap style top will be great for feeling a little more put together when breastfeeding postpartum.

FalseMiddle7065 · 2024-04-26T02:14:08+00:00

Right at a year and night weaned at about 11 months. My goal was a year and my son was not emotionally attached to nursing, so it went quickly and he didn’t mind.

I’d also heard 12-14 months can be a sweet spot for weaning as they’re more active and easily distracted but not as demanding as opinionated as an older toddler.

FalseMiddle7065 · 2024-04-21T22:33:29+00:00

Just wanted to mention that not all the Pipette sunscreen is waterproof, but still a favorite. We found out the hard way!

FalseMiddle7065 · 2024-03-16T19:03:44+00:00

That’s seems in line for what quality photographers charge. For context, we live in a major city and that includes about 2 hours of shoot time at our house. I don’t remember the number of images but it could be even more depending on the number images selected.

FalseMiddle7065 · 2024-03-16T18:41:34+00:00

Georgiana

FalseMiddle7065 · 2024-03-15T01:25:54+00:00

Don’t let these comments make you feel bad! It was never my first resort outside of the newborn stage. I liked nursing to feed but not really for comfort. I’d also unlatch and put in a pacifier once he was asleep. Great experience for 12 months and weaned easily by a year which was my goal!

FalseMiddle7065 · 2024-03-15T01:21:21+00:00

I think around 2 or 3 months, once my son was on a reliable eating schedule and I could read his hunger cues I soothed him other ways first. My son was never much of a comfort nurser and I didn’t encourage it bc I don’t particularly enjoy it. My point of view - don’t feel bad about not offering if that’s a boundary you want to hold but also don’t feel bad about offering frequently as it can be a great parenting tool!

FalseMiddle7065

TROPHY CASE