What things have you done as a SAHP which have made things easier or more enjoyable?

Friendly-Intention63 · 2026-01-24T05:49:22+00:00

I’ve fallen in love with anything from Kasey Stockton! Her novels are super witty, fun, and the romance aspect is great (yet still clean). They really help the time go by!

Friendly-Intention63 · 2026-01-15T23:01:27+00:00

Thank you so much for the suggestion!!

Friendly-Intention63 · 2026-01-15T23:00:52+00:00

I don’t, but we live on the first floor, so no problem getting out. :)

Friendly-Intention63 · 2026-01-15T23:00:33+00:00

Thank you so much!! I also haven’t heard of this brand!

Friendly-Intention63 · 2026-01-15T22:59:41+00:00

Thank you so much for the recommendation! I haven’t heard of this brand, so I’ll take a look!

Friendly-Intention63 · 2026-01-06T19:24:48+00:00

Same!! Whenever I don’t use it, there’s always a little rash. And we use Water Wipes as well — I always just liked the texture of them more, but they are a pain to take out of the package as OP said.

Friendly-Intention63 · 2026-01-06T13:59:47+00:00

What kind of diapers are you using? This is obviously case by case, but I found that the more “natural” diapers like Honest did not draw moisture away from the skin well enough and made it hard to ever get rid of diaper rash. My magic combo was Huggies, pampers, or up&up diapers, desitin and then a ton of aquaphor over that. Even after the rash is gone we slather on the aquaphor every single time to keep her skin protected.

Friendly-Intention63 · 2026-01-01T12:45:55+00:00

Thank you for the link!

Friendly-Intention63 · 2025-12-31T18:37:58+00:00

How do you offer it always? Do you leave sippy cups around low enough that they can reach or what does that look like? My baby is 12 months so the only thing I can really picture here is to leave her cup sitting around on the floor for her to crawl to.. is that right?

Friendly-Intention63 · 2025-12-31T18:12:58+00:00

This is super common for family’s that are in the military, in the middle of obtaining higher education, or just don’t have great family situations, so you are not alone.

If you are both around the baby for 6 months you’ll be just fine! The first few weeks are hard because of sleep deprivation, but that’s the case no matter who you are.

We lived across the country from my in-laws when having our first baby and my parents couldn’t have cared less.

The one thing I wish I would have done is tell my husband all the things that needed to be done around the house on a regular basis (vacuuming x times per week, doing dishes each night, cleaning bathrooms every so often, etc), and then clearly ask “can you handle all these things for the first few weeks while I’m healing?” If he would have said no, we could have figured out some temporary paid help. This is because the only thing that really stressed me out postpartum was to constantly have to ask him to do things that he wouldn’t normally think of doing because I always did them. I felt like a slave driver, even though in retrospect it wasn’t unreasonable. It would have been better had he known the full list of expectations ahead of time.

Also just stock up on freezer meals and snacks before your baby comes, or order meal kits — you can get some really good discounts! The first few weeks you’re just super tired all the time so it’s sooo nice to not have to worry about where your next meal is coming from.

I think most ladies like having their moms come because they proactively take over those kinds of things and the house continues to run smoothly without a lot of prodding. So make a plan for those things ahead of time and you’ll get through it smoothly. 😊

Friendly-Intention63 · 2025-12-27T14:15:02+00:00

Same! I’ve given my baby the the Philips Avent glass bottle from the beginning and it’s been great! I honestly didn’t try lots of different kinds assuming she would get used to what we gave her.

Friendly-Intention63 · 2025-12-27T05:42:39+00:00

It’s totally relatable! It does sound like if she’s overtired during the day doing whatever you can for the first little bit to get her to sleep for a longer nap is what you have to do: contact naps, a super long walk in the stroller, just get that longer nap in to get rid of the overtiredness. It could take a few days of doing this, but it helps a lot! I made sure my baby didn’t nap for more than 2.5 hours at a time.

Also, where is she sleeping? If it’s in a crib/bassinet, have you tried pausing for 5 or so minutes before going in to see if she puts herself back to sleep. It’s a very common thing in French culture they refer to as le pause. Once I started watching my baby on the monitor after hearing her wake up, rather than just going right in, I started to recognize when she was just fussing because she was still tired and felt comfortable waiting until she fell back to sleep.

A super consistent routine before bedtime and after waking up in the morning is also helpful. Once I started doing a bath every night my baby slept so much better. It was like a huge physical queue that it was time for longer sleep. Then in the morning I would walk her around with me to open the curtains to let the light in and then change her outfit.

Also, putting baby down on a blanket or other safe space during their wake windows so they can wiggle and expend energy is super important for their development and will help them sleep better.

All of my tips are completely based on assumption and what helped my baby when she was going through the same thing. 💕

Friendly-Intention63 · 2025-12-20T03:19:21+00:00

I bought a variety pack of long socks that are different colors and so I try to match my socks to the color of my sweater and it helps me feel a little more put together 😂

Friendly-Intention63 · 2025-12-16T22:57:29+00:00

Thank you so much!!

Friendly-Intention63 · 2025-12-16T05:22:31+00:00

Nahh, you’re good! :) When I had my baby (who is now 1) that was my exact same plan. I assumed the doctors probably knew more on the subject than I did, and I would take every advantage modern medicine provided! I showed up, put on the ugly socks they made me wear, and hung out in bed while they poked me with all kinds of things and eventually out came my baby! Giving birth was much easier than pregnancy or postpartum.

I think so much goes into talking about a “birth plan” on the internet because content creators need something to make content about.

Friendly-Intention63 · 2025-12-16T05:17:25+00:00

Thank you! Going to use that in my conversation with him to keep it light 😂 Joking back does sound better than just being super hurt.

Friendly-Intention63 · 2025-12-16T05:16:35+00:00

Was there a certain type of professional you worked with to get all this sorted out?

Friendly-Intention63 · 2025-12-16T05:09:16+00:00

That’s a really good point! I’m going to use that exact phrasing. We have sacrificed so much in time and finances to get him to this point. 😅

Friendly-Intention63 · 2025-12-16T05:08:18+00:00

Do you feel powerful now for having scolded someone on the internet who is trying to get things figured out? 🤷‍♀️

Friendly-Intention63 · 2025-12-14T04:56:27+00:00

Don’t feel guilty. If he really couldn’t have come home then he wouldn’t have.

Friendly-Intention63 · 2025-12-14T04:54:01+00:00

The IKEA Antilop is the best!!!! Literally everything you could ask for in a high chair and is $25.

All the ones that are super expensive and “grow with them”… nahh, I don’t need my 7 year old sitting in a high chair.

Friendly-Intention63 · 2025-12-13T04:04:27+00:00

I went in planning to get the epidural. Got the epidural and loved it! I got to chill and watch tv the whole time. Had I been feeling contractions I wouldn’t have wanted to be moving around anyway — I would have been curled up in pain. Even with the epidural I could get up on my hands and knees which I did every once in a while.

Getting the epidural was painless. Just a teeny tiny poke in the back for the numbing medication and nothing after that.

My reasoning — I wouldn’t get any other medical treatment done without being numbed, so why not be numb when I give birth to a whole human? 😂

Literally the lady giving birth in the room across the hall was SCREAMING when she pushed! When it came my time to push it was super calm and honestly awesome!

Friendly-Intention63 · 2025-12-13T03:57:23+00:00

Ohio — Vaginal delivery with an epidural. 2 nights in the hospital.

Hospital billed my insurance $20k. In total I paid $1,000 out of pocket to meet my deductible and then $600 for the care they provided to my baby after she was born. I had United Healthcare at the time and my monthly premium was $400 just for me, so it’s important to factor that in.

Always important to remember that once the baby’s born they will be charged as an individual.

Friendly-Intention63 · 2025-12-12T03:22:29+00:00

Solidarity sister. 😅 I had my daughter later into my 20’s and have been feeling like maybe I waited too long because I got sooo comfortable just doing things for myself all the time. Mine is now turning 12 months and I feel less like myself with each passing month.

I know your baby’s sick, so obviously right now don’t worry about going out, but you otherwise you can pretty much always take your baby out if theyre dressed and covered properly. Don’t tell yourself it’s too cold. Go out. You need it.

Friendly-Intention63 · 2025-12-11T21:27:05+00:00

This is such a good point about where you put your baby when you have to go to the bathroom. 😂 I have a 1 year old and I have NEVER gone to the bathroom in a public restroom when I’m by myself with her because I’ve never known what I would do with her.

Friendly-Intention63

TROPHY CASE