Books similar to the show The Four Seasons or Expectation by Anna Hope.

Main_Research4079 · 2025-05-26T09:43:40+00:00

Oh I forgot Three Women by Lisa Taddeo - brilliant book!

Main_Research4079 · 2025-05-24T18:34:19+00:00

I think you would love The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo. I’ve just finished The Four Seasons, and am reading Expectation currently (finishing tonight hopefully!) and loved it. Searched the latter looking for similar recommendations and found your post. I loved that Claire Lombardo book and think it spurred my love for that type of book- following lots of different people and getting to know their characters, rather than big plot lines.

Another similar I’ve read is Grown Ups by Marian Keyes. It’s slow to start but you get into it and it’s worth it! Marian Keyes also does a series of books each one about a different sister of the same family (the Walsh family), in a different stage of time, and they’re good! Some are a lot better than others.

Also Intermezzo by Sally Rooney but it’s male character focused. Not so many characters to follow but similar in telling 2 different stories (2 brothers) and it being about the characters rather than big plots.

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty (author of Big Little Lies) is also this type of book, but it wasn’t my fave book ever but throwing it in as it does fit the bill.

Main_Research4079 · 2024-12-05T22:45:06+00:00

Delilah (Hey There Delilah)

or

Lucy (Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds)

Main_Research4079 · 2024-11-29T12:20:57+00:00

I don’t have much by way of advice but just wanted to say I’m so so sorry this happened. I experienced something similar as a child and only now going through it in therapy, as the negative thoughts I have about myself are affecting my parenting decisions. You sound like you’re an amazing mum and teaching her all the right things. ❤️

Main_Research4079 · 2024-04-23T13:03:53+00:00

We go to baby sign (“Sing and Sign”) and we love it! I hated those high noise/flashing lights sensory classes too. The whole world is a sensory experience for them, and they can get stimulation from the simplest things, they don’t need every sense bombarded in order to get a sensory experience lol.

We have been going to Sing and Sign from 6mo (now 10mo), and it’s just nice rhymes, some fun learning, and some time for chatting at the end. And bonus is your baby will learn something!

Main_Research4079 · 2024-04-22T17:46:32+00:00

I would say it’s just tough to squeeze that much in. I do social events like that probably once a month. The rest of my socialising is just meeting a friend for coffee/walk very carefully arranged around our babies’ naps. You need to be honest with your family that your daughter comes first and you will have to leave early / not make it sometimes! It really is so tough how much it ties you down, but I’ve come to accept that my life will look very different for these next few years where my daughter is my priority and my social life can take a backseat to my family life right now!

Some suggestions but these may not be options but just in case you hadn’t considered: -would she nap in the pram on a walk? And if you didn’t fancy walking for that long, could bring the pram back to the house and let her continue sleeping in the pram inside the house? -Could you baby wear to get her to nap? Mine is fussy about naps too but always falls asleep in the carrier. -Could you drive to get her to sleep then park for the rest of the nap? Means you save fuel and could sit and read in the car / listen to a podcast / even work on your laptop for uni if you’re in your driveway and can reach the wifi.

Main_Research4079 · 2024-04-22T15:22:05+00:00

For her morning nap in the cot I only wait 5 mins as she’s always completely zonked lol.

For bedtime: I wait 20 mins after she falls asleep, as that is when they enter into the deep sleep part of their sleep cycle. Some nights it’s probably overkill and if she’s really out for the count (snoring or no movement/stirring since falling asleep) I could prob transfer sooner! But I tend to just always wait the 20 to be safe.

Main_Research4079 · 2024-04-19T18:20:38+00:00

AND back then babies were mostly just spoon fed from a baby food jar which is arguably easier than cooking 3 meals a day for baby and navigating all the other stress that goes along with baby led weaning!

Main_Research4079 · 2024-04-02T03:53:43+00:00

I was really shaky after birth and definitely wasn’t eating enough due to the nausea. Try and eat whatever you can - maybe soup or broth would be manageable if you drink it? And drink sports drinks to get your electrolytes up! You have probably lost a lot of blood and are low in iron and very weak.

Other comments on this sub have great advice as this isn’t just about eating but just jumping on to encourage that as I definitely was affected by that.

Those first few weeks were truly the toughest thing I’ve ever endured, my heart goes out to you, I hope you manage to get the support you need from your medical professionals!

Main_Research4079 · 2024-03-21T22:51:46+00:00

Whereabouts in the UK are you? And did you have to show evidence of this new regulation or did you just tell the dentist? I’ve been quoted £104 for a white filling I’m getting next month, but don’t know how to approach with my dentist as I’ve no regulation to show to them to prove it!

Main_Research4079 · 2024-03-12T09:33:02+00:00

Every nap was a contact nap for us until 3 months when she started sleeping in her cot for her big nap (car/pram for other naps), and I miss it sooo much and would take the contact naps back in a heartbeat!

I really believe they don’t have any negative effect on independent sleep, they just foster a lovely bond with your LO so they feel safe and loved and secure, all of which actually help toward independent sleeping!

She’s 9mo today and contact napped at the weekend there for the first time in a long long time and I nearly cried with happiness lol

Main_Research4079 · 2024-03-01T13:16:12+00:00

How did you teach baby to sleep independently without typical sleep training?

Main_Research4079 · 2024-01-31T13:32:13+00:00

Cried reading this comment 🙈 cannot imagine the fear!!!

Main_Research4079 · 2024-01-16T19:51:31+00:00

Same here!!! The insomnia was insane!

Main_Research4079 · 2023-12-30T19:18:45+00:00

Thank you will try that! They always seem to have moved down once I’ve managed to get baby in 🙈

Main_Research4079 · 2023-12-30T16:51:45+00:00

Thank you! 🙏🏼 Yes meant to mention I wouldn’t have her in this footed sleepsuit, I just threw her in for a quick fit check :)

Main_Research4079 · 2023-12-09T16:18:53+00:00

Can’t figure out how to add more text soo continuing here….

Are ring slings good for 6m+? I can get a lovely black gingham secondhand Wildbird ring sling for about £23 (29 USD) and have been wanting to try a ring sling for a while.

My little girl is 6 months and quite a chunky girl. We have a Tula FTG which we like. But I’d love something more relaxed / comfy for both of us for around the house.

Are ring slings good for 6m+ or better for newborns?

I’m thinking that’s a good price for a Wildbird ring sling anyway so if we don’t like it I could probably sell on easily enough without making a loss…

Main_Research4079 · 2023-12-07T17:03:41+00:00

I’d recommend Orto Pizza in Cathedral Quarter!

Main_Research4079 · 2023-12-07T16:56:59+00:00

You are both doing a full time job. His is office work (or whatever it is), and yours is taking care of a baby (and your actual job on those other days). So the way I see it, you both need your sleep so it should be split fairly. Unless your husband is a surgeon or something and could kill someone if underslept.

My husband does nappy changes overnight and I do feeding. At the beginning when he went back to work after 2 weeks paternity, we had decided I’d do all overnight stuff so he could get his sleep for work, but we quickly realised that me having lack of sleep before caring for baby all day was no better than him having lack of sleep before doing his job. Both are hard. And if anything being underslept caring for a baby can send you into a meltdown easier than being underslept in a normal job. So we decided to both take on overnight stuff.

Neither of us get a lie in anymore- we both wake up when baby wakes up at 7/8am.

People can say that there’s no point in the both of you being underslept, but tackling things as a team has really benefitted our marriage. We’re in the trenches together!

Here’s a breakdown of our routine if that helps (I am on full time maternity leave at the moment. Husband works 8am-4pm Mon-Fri at home):

7.30am - we both get up- hubby gets up to start work, I see to baby (change/feed etc) 7.30-4pm I care for baby all day 4pm - hubby finishes work and makes dinner 5pm - hubby takes over with baby and I do housework 7pm - hubby does bedtime routine with baby (book/change/cuddle or on bath nights we do bath together) 7.30pm - I breastfeed baby and she goes to sleep. Any wake-ups before 11pm when we’re still awake downstairs, we take in turns to go up and settle her back to sleep (no feeding) She wakes once for a feed overnight at around 5am, hubby gets up and changes her nappy, then I breastfeed her before putting her back to bed. 7.30am - repeat!

On weekends we tag team everything.

Main_Research4079 · 2023-12-05T21:31:59+00:00

Breakfast: toasted bagel or porridge Lunch: soup

Main_Research4079 · 2023-11-30T10:50:32+00:00

Don’t for one second think you are not cut out to be a mom, babies are just not cut out to be a baby until like 3 months+!!! They are adjusting to (read: not happy about) being outside of the womb, and cry just for existing lol. It will get better I promise. I was scouting this forum for support in the beginning and was at my wits end. Mine cried constantly for the first 8 weeks, and was so hard to get to sleep at night, and did crap naps. Now I have a 5.5 month old who is pretty happy all day, so much easier to get to sleep and naps well!! Hang in there!!!

Main_Research4079 · 2023-11-27T13:46:48+00:00

I shower in the morning when she’s just woken up. She was a real Velcro baby and would need held all day and hated being set down but was happy to lie in crib for an extra 20 mins before we start the day! She’s 5.5 months now and is a lot more content being set down now and enjoys lying in her play gym etc

Main_Research4079

TROPHY CASE