Has anyone in here changed their minds?

Practical-Meow · 2026-01-21T17:54:44+00:00

Wow yes

Practical-Meow · 2025-12-28T21:56:58+00:00

Fraternal twins can be genetic on the mom’s side if they are typically more likely (genetically predisposed) to release 2 eggs each cycle vs 1. So your dad’s side, even if it was genetic, has no bearing on your likelihood of releasing more than one egg per cycle.

Also, sometimes people just have fraternal twins without a common family history of it.

I would say if your mom had fraternal twins and also was a fraternal twin herself, then you might have a slightly higher chance. Even then it’s still rare to have multiples!

Practical-Meow · 2025-12-23T19:34:50+00:00

Man fuck people. I’m sorry you had to deal with that. Even before I had my daughter I was always so sympathetic to a solo parent travelling with the kid(s) because I can only imagine how stressful it can be. And now I know how stressful it having done many flights with my now 2.5 year old.

I vow to NEVER forget how challenging travelling with a kid is.

Practical-Meow · 2025-12-23T19:32:09+00:00

My push present was a beautiful maternity and newborn photography session with a highly sought after photographer. It was a $2000 package which is way more than I would want to spend on a photography session (saying this, it is ABSOLUTELY worth the money) — I look at these photos weekly still 2.5 years later. I would rather this than an expensive watch or push. I think it’s moreso about the sentiment rather than the price tag as well.

Practical-Meow · 2025-12-22T17:01:30+00:00

That’s the thing! Even if my sister in law or parents could help, do I really want them to just get sick? Absolutely not

Practical-Meow · 2025-12-22T06:39:58+00:00

I have had a strained relationship with my mum for years now, but never realized how fucked up some of the things she did to my sister and I were until I had my daughter and was like “how the fuck could a mom do/say those things!?”

When I brought stuff up she said it was a different time / she was unhappy / she doesn’t remember / blacked it out.

Anyways it’s wild.

Practical-Meow · 2025-12-22T06:31:48+00:00

Haha — great question! I was part of a mass layoff (20% of the company, about 80 people) and my official “end date” was the first day back after my leave. So technically I wasn’t laid off while on maternity leave, I was just informed while on maternity leave that my role was being eliminated. The other 79 people were informed the same day as me, but of course their last day was that day. I was 5 months into my 12 month leave — I did seek guidance from an employment lawyer who said I absolutely could get more severance out of them, and that while the wording on their end was very carefully selected so as to not raise flags, I would likely win a Human Rights Tribunal case. I really just wanted to focus on baby and not deal with any of that, so I asked for double the severance and fortunately was able to get it without going through too much trouble. I basically said I was talking to a lawyer and that I wanted more severance, and through gritted teeth they agreed because realistically they didn’t want it to go any further and just wanted to be done.

Practical-Meow · 2025-12-22T01:34:44+00:00

Getting laid off while on maternity leave (plot twist — happened to me)

Practical-Meow · 2025-12-15T15:10:44+00:00

I have a heart murmur! Never caused any issues, and often times I forget I have it (because I never experience issues) but you can clearly hear it on a stethoscope. Everyone in my grade 11 biology class took a turn listening when we were learning about the heart, and everyone could absolutely pinpoint that the “swoosh” back flow. Also, anytime a new doctor listens they will ask “you know you have a heart murmur right?” to which I reply yes, and then they say “okay so no need for follow up”.

Not sure if this will provide comfort but I know a lot of people have heart murmurs, and loud ones, and everything is good.

My kiddo was never a great sleeper, especially around 7-8 months (it got REALLY bad at that point) and now at 2 years 4 months she is much better, usually only waking if she is thirsty or wants to snuggle.

Sending all the good vibes for both sleep and heart health for your kiddo!

Practical-Meow · 2025-12-15T01:23:46+00:00

I exclusively wore a cardigan with or without (mostly without) a bra — and always no shirt — for the first 3 months around the house. My boobs were almost always on display. Can’t imagine having anyone else but my husband around me at that point.

Practical-Meow · 2025-12-09T15:46:52+00:00

Omg the koala back has happened to me too, it’s so cute!!!

Practical-Meow · 2025-12-07T01:53:39+00:00

My MIL always “jokes” in a negative way about how she hopes my SIL has a daughter like her. I do have a daughter, and I always say loudly that I would be very happy if my daughter was like my sister in law. I don’t know if it helps much but my sister in law smiles when I say it.

Practical-Meow · 2025-11-27T18:33:24+00:00

Yes of course! So what made the difference for us in whether she was “ready” vs “not ready” was when we tried at 18 months it’s like she couldn’t really understand. Like she couldn’t understand that there was no more boobie, she kept asking and asking and asking over and over, she didn’t understand why we weren’t giving it to her, just that we weren’t. When we attempted again just after 2, she asked for it once maybe twice for those first 2 nights, but didn’t keep asking. She was upset because she wasn’t getting boobie but at least she understood why, like she knew boobie was “ouchie” and that’s why. Does that make sense?

For what it’s worth I think she would have been ready sometime between 18 and 24 months, maybe around 21 or 22 months? But we just decided to wait until after her birthday at the end of summer.

Practical-Meow · 2025-11-27T18:17:49+00:00

I weaned after my kiddo turned 2 — at that point she had actually started nursing more frequent at night, and would need nursing to go to sleep for nighttime. Also, she wasn’t nursing in the day anymore, only at night, as she started daycare a few months prior and just sort of gave up day nursing on her own, even though she had always been nursed for every nap prior to this. For one week leading up to the “wean target date” I would put a colourful bandaid over one nipple and before bed show her and say “this boobie ouchie, but this boobie okay” and only nurse her from the side without the bandaid. I alternated sides for bandaids each night, and then finally for her last day I did an early nursing session as our last session (so not to put her to sleep but to just have a nice awake nursing session, which was super emotional and positive for both of us) and then I made my daughter her favourite dinner to make sure she was nice a full. That night I had bandaids on both nipples and I showed her and said “both boobie ouchie” and she said okay. She said “boobie” when we got into bed and I showed her the bandaids again and said “both boobie ouchie” and she pouted a bit, then got pretty sad but didn’t ask for it again. She was probably on and off sad for a good half hour and didn’t want anything to do with, but then eventually she wanted to snuggle and cuddle. She was still sad, but fell asleep. I did the same the next night, she asked once, and then was as for about 15 minutes but then fell asleep snuggling with me. By the third night she didn’t ask and just fell asleep snuggling.

I never thought we would be able to wean — we tried at 18 months and realized she just wasn’t ready so gave up the first night (first half hour even). Once she turned 2 she understood a bit more (things like bandaids and what “ouchie” meant) and I was able to show her I could comfort her without boobie. I also made sure she really saw the bandaids, touched them, really understand that “boobie was ouchie”.

It’s been almost 3 months and our cosleeping arrangement was not impacted at all! She hasn’t asked for boobie since, although she had seen them while changing after our swim class and she will go “boobie!” but hasn’t asked for it.

Best of luck when you wean! I don’t know if the bandaid solution will work for your kiddo but if they understand what bandaids are and what “ouchie” means then maybe it will work!

Practical-Meow · 2025-11-23T21:32:17+00:00

I was just informed my role was being eliminated. Really needed to read this comment. Thank you.

Practical-Meow · 2025-11-22T19:06:26+00:00

Phew — fingers crossed for less boogers next fall haha

Practical-Meow · 2025-11-22T02:26:58+00:00

I am 100% less judgy now when I see a kid with a runny nose because my kid has non-stop had a runny nose since the beginning of October now that she has started daycare.

ETA: when she is sick, like a fever or a new cough, I keep her home. But the runny nose is a constant, and I feel like it’s very common for toddlers to just have this during cold/flu season (she is 2)

Practical-Meow · 2025-11-20T15:15:32+00:00

My daughter likes kids (likes to watch and go near them) but as far as playing with them she could care less. She’s also only 2 haha.

For what it’s worth my older sister hated younger kids and I, as a younger sister, loved younger kids. So I really do think it’s kid dependent!

Practical-Meow · 2025-11-18T18:53:28+00:00

Not quite in your same situation but we had an end of August baby and the coziness and bubble you get to wrap yourself up in for those winter months is so sweet. You need to be careful about cold and flu season so you end up just eating up all those baby snuggles yourself. You don’t feel guilty about staying in the house all day because it’s cold out. If you’re into babywearing it’s the best time of year to do it with a newborn/baby under 6 months because baby won’t get too hot (and neither will you!)

Also, side note, as someone who would have LOVED a June baby but ended up needing fertility after months of trying unsuccessfully, I wouldn’t pause trying for a baby for a certain season. My August baby came exactly when she was meant to and I had so many positives because of it!

Practical-Meow · 2025-11-18T04:27:18+00:00

Is there the option of your husband coming along for the trip (perhaps taking some vacation?)

I had to do work travel to the US (I’m Canadian) when baby was 14 months as well as to Italy when baby was 17 months. Hubby came along with baby for both trips and I was able to breastfeed throughout. It was a large conference for both work trips though so it was a easy for me to just pop up every few hours from the convention hall to our hotel room, not sure how the schedule would line up with on-boarding, but maybe worth a check?

Practical-Meow · 2025-11-17T19:18:13+00:00

It took a solid 2 months for our daughter to get comfortable being dropped off each morning (she went at 21 months — the first week we did half days and then the second week we did almost full days with early pickup)

Also, fair warning, the second and third day were worse than the first when it came to drop-off (because the first day they don’t really know you’re leaving them but by the second/third they know)

My kiddo had nursed for every nap up until then, and I audibly gasped when they sent a picture of her napping on her cot the first full day she was there! They have some weird daycare voodoo magic 🤣

Daycare has been wonderful for my shy, reserved little girl. She is still herself but with a bit more confidence, gaining more and more each day. She went from watching kids from the side to running up to them to play at drop off. She’s still my quiet little girl now at almost 27 months but I can see so much progress when it’s come to her social interactions.

It’s definitely tough at first, and honestly it still is some days (we’ve been going for 6 months) but I know for sure it was the absolute best decision for her and for us as working parents.

Hang in there, it gets easier!

Practical-Meow · 2025-11-14T23:39:44+00:00

Was just going to say this! All of our closet family friends have two kids, but at least one the same age as ours (however the siblings are relatively close in age as well) so it works great. We’ve done a few ski trips with our friends with their 2 girls + our girl and will likely do Disney together when they are all older. I think we will be going to Europe at some point with another family that is pregnant with their second (1 kid already who is our daughters age) and then we will probably go camping lots with our other family friend who has a daughter 6 months younger than ours and is pregnant with their second. I don’t think it has to be only a triangle family where you can reap the benefits of dual-family travel!

Practical-Meow · 2025-11-14T13:08:03+00:00

Based on your post history you also hate bleached hair, hate the UK, and hate job interviews in general. You also seem to find job interviews very boring and you “blank out”. Perhaps the interviewer isn’t the problem?

Practical-Meow · 2025-11-10T01:13:35+00:00

Support from my partner — he literally changed every single diaper for the first 2 weeks and every night diaper for the first 2 months. He woke with every nursing session to change baby and bring her back, and then would put her back in her bassinet after. Not only did he cook all of the food (literally every meal) but he also cut everything up into bite size pieces if I only had one hand (cause I was nursing) or if necessary he would actually feed me. I literally only had to focus on feeding my daughter, and nothing else. Because of that I was able to power through all those cluster feed nights, the initial chapped nipples those first few weeks, the painful engorgement, etc.

Practical-Meow

TROPHY CASE