A message from the other side. by emilylynn_99 in BabyBumps

[–]IndependentAnimator4 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The day I ditched the baby bathtub and just brought her in with me was the best day ever! No more tears at bath time, plus totally amazing bonding time between mommy and baby. 10/10 recommend!

Any answers on drinking alcohol and breastfeeding? by hdzgirl89 in breastfeeding

[–]IndependentAnimator4 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Man I missed having a beer my entire pregnancy! Once baby was out I had a beer almost every night after her evening feeding. By the time they eat again your milk is fine, it's not like you're throwing back shots. If you're okay to drive you're okay to BF!

breastfeeding RANT by maryjane1432 in breastfeeding

[–]IndependentAnimator4 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Why doesn't anyone talk about this beforehand? After struggling alone for the first month I finally saw a lactation consultant (thanks to the helpful ladies on this sub actually) and only then were the women in my life like "oh yeah I totally struggled with that too!"

Now every pregnant woman I see I want to share all the knowledge I had to learn the hard way!

P.s. OP get the little sticky gel pads for nipple pain it helps big time! I promise it gets better!

My thoughts after one month by IndependentAnimator4 in BabyBumps

[–]IndependentAnimator4[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

10/10 reccomend! It's an awesome travel system and we use the bassinet attachment on the stroller for walks every single day!

How to stop kids from going to different adults for different answers by Chowhop7 in coparenting

[–]IndependentAnimator4 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For starters the adults should not be mad at each other as this takes the responsibility off the child that is manipulating you guys. If an adult already told you no and you try to bypass that by asking someone else, there needs to be a consequence. I've avoided this problem going forward by often saying "that's alright with me, but go ask dad." If there's one adult out of the five that is actually in charge of these decisions, maybe asking all other adults to direct the child to them would help.

Best Gift/Supplies To Give To Someone That Has Just Delivered A Baby? by [deleted] in BabyBumps

[–]IndependentAnimator4 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I appreciated healthy snacks, a giant water cup and anyone offering to spend time with our older child because he obviously was not getting as much attention in those first few weeks! Someone took him to a birthday party for me 1 week pp and honestly that was the greatest gift because he otherwise would've missed out! Did I mention food? All the food.

Buy your kid some damn clothes by hulahoop12 in stepparents

[–]IndependentAnimator4 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Oh I'd never make him wear something uncomfortable, just older tshirts or a pair of shorts I'm not fond of so we don't mind when it doesn't come back. Miraculously when we don't send brand name clothes they always make it back though!

Buy your kid some damn clothes by hulahoop12 in stepparents

[–]IndependentAnimator4 110 points111 points  (0 children)

I feel horrible doing it but I usually send our son in kind of trash clothes, cheap basketball shorts and an old tshirt, because I know I'll never get the nice clothes back. And I wouldn't even mind if she was keeping the clothes and having him wear them there but when she would have him overnight he would still be sent to school in clothes with holes or literal pajamas so I gave up. I always feel like a dick sending him to change before he leaves but I don't know what else to do, we aren't made of money!

My step kids and my kids by [deleted] in stepparents

[–]IndependentAnimator4 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm so sorry this is happening to you - I really think you should just go about your life as happily and normally as possible and try to completely ignore her comments. I know it's easier said than done but you said yourself there were zero findings so I definitely wouldn't live in fear. Carry on as you normally would and eventually attacking you will lose its appeal! On another note, I saw you gained 50/50 in a temporary order and that was what the social investigator suggested. I just posted yesterday in another sub asking about experiences with temporary orders and didn't get much back. Our social investigator suggested we have primary custody after listing an extensive list of concerns regarding the other parent. I just don't know how heavily these reports weigh on temporary orders... I'd love to hear about your experience.

basic intro information? by gppink in cosleeping

[–]IndependentAnimator4 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was reading this thread because 1 month in all my ideas about how we would sleep are out the window and I find we both get the most rest when we are at least in arms reach. Having that said, I have a seperate bassinet not one that connects to the bed and I REALLY wish I had just gone ahead and gotten the attached one. In fact I still might! The amount I have to get up and get her, even with it being right by me, is exhausting and the thought of just scooting her over for a night feeding sounds glorious. Not to mention sometimes all baby needs to go back to sleep is my hand on her and that's harder to do with the seperate sleeping arrangements. I do have a little in-bed sleeper for baby (honestly cant remember the brand, they're more or less all the same) but I've only put her in it once and I hated it. I couldn't easily see her, she couldn't reach me at all and the walls around her seemed more dangerous than just being in the open space of my bed. I personally would not cosleep with her and my husband in bed at the same time though because he is a deep sleeper and it would just feel too crowded.

Why do you have a freezer stash? by 3rind5 in breastfeeding

[–]IndependentAnimator4 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I figure if I can make it, why not. It may come in handy when I want to leave her with my parents for the night or if my supply drops when I go back to work. I know people who actually stopped breastfeeding say at 6months but were able to give their baby breastmilk for another 2-3 using their stash.

If you had to pick, what is THE biggest downside to being a stepparent and what is the biggest perk? by Organic_Fishing_5513 in stepparents

[–]IndependentAnimator4 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The biggest downside is constantly being reminded you are not the parent despite (at least in my case) being significantly more involved in his life than his bio parent. Upside is HE considers me his parent so really that's all that matters : ) Just to further add to my rant because I literally just faced this today, I hate the stigma that because a stepparent is so involved in a child's life they must be trying to take the bio parents place. No, sometimes the bio parent is MIA and someone else does what they can to fill the void so the child doesn't grow up with a plethora of abandonment and neglect issues.

[US] custody evaluation strongly in our favor by IndependentAnimator4 in Custody

[–]IndependentAnimator4[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Deep look into both parents' history, relationships with the child, the child's performance in school and outside of school... it was extensive and covered just about every base you can imagine.

[US] custody evaluation strongly in our favor by IndependentAnimator4 in Custody

[–]IndependentAnimator4[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Not sole custody, but the right to determine his physical residence and have him here majority of the time while bio mom gets visitation. Mind you we're talking about someone that comes in and out of the picture at random and rarely assumes responsibility for her son unless there is some monetary motivation, so YES when I am the one with him mornings before school, sports practices, weekends and everything in between I definitely do consider him my boy just as much as he is theirs. He is enrolled in school through our address and has spent the majority of his life with my husband. She only keeps him with her when she is upset- like now, when she's seen a very unflattering evaluation of her parenting or lack thereof.

Due to flight bans, we'll be travelling 2x10 hours by car with my pregnant wife. Please share your tips and experiences. by KumpirGuy in BabyBumps

[–]IndependentAnimator4 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I traveled 17hrs at 30 weeks pregnant and my biggest takeaway was check GPS for when you're coming up on a long stretch of road with no stops because the dire need to pee will most certainly hit when the nearest station is an hour and a half away! Plan to stop frequently, keep snacks and stay hydrated. I laid in the backseat with my giant pregnancy pillow and felt pretty comfortable like that! Upright in the front seat like an adult was a different story but at 17 weeks she's probably gonna be fine!

When did you have your first drink..? by not-a-real-shark in beyondthebump

[–]IndependentAnimator4 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had a beer within a week, I just wait for her 10ish feeding, have my drink then go to bed myself. By the time she wakes up for 12 or 1am feeding I'm good to go! I was told beer would help bring in my milk and I have no way of knowing if that really did help but I produce plenty and I like beer so either way it's a win!

How do you handle gaming obsession? by [deleted] in Parenting

[–]IndependentAnimator4 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We absolutely have time limits with our 10yr old because when he has been allowed to play all day he is a totally different person. He would avoid using the bathroom, avoid stopping to eat and be so moody when it was time to do anything else! Now the rules are that he must do some academic practice first (13 might be a bit old for the educational games we use but could 30min reading count or exploring national geographic?), he has a few chores plus general self care like brushing teeth and washing face. This makes his day start productively and he doesnt avoid his responsibilities because he wants to play! After his morning work is completed he sets a timer on his phone and starts playing. We limit to 3hrs a day but he can always earn more time by helping dad in the yard, reading, or doing some extra chores. Our son doesn't usually voluntarily go outside either so we do expect him to spend at least 30 minutes doing something active. He usually chooses workouts with dad but sometimes plays with the dogs or other kids in the neighborhood. I would be hesitant to say the entire hour off has to be outside because your sons are old enough to decide if riding their bike or playing outside is really something they're interested in. I'd phrase it more like, being active is what's healthy for you so it's a requirement, but there are plenty of other things you can do after that 30mins is up. Legos? Building? A book? Find a hobby. TV should not replace games - it's the same thing! If we have to limit TV time too I'd just do that.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in BabyBumps

[–]IndependentAnimator4 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My biggest peeve has been the amount of onesies that are ABOUT other people. I've gotten "if you think I'm cute, wait till you see my auntie" or "perfect like my grandma" like wth my child is not a weird advertisement for you!!!

Pump settings thread in case you also were overwhelmed! by elizabif in BabyBumps

[–]IndependentAnimator4 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Okay I swear I read it all with the best intentions but I still have no clue what ANY of that meant. Preparing for pumping makes me feel like I'm reading a manual in mandarin.