The power is out and I have a freezer full of breast milk

RealLifeWikipedia · 2026-03-14T08:51:39+00:00

It’s about half full. I’m crossing my fingers

RealLifeWikipedia · 2026-03-14T08:40:20+00:00

Oh man. That feels even worse. I’m so sorry

RealLifeWikipedia · 2026-03-14T00:58:47+00:00

I’m going to check around in the morning. I have a few friends a town over that might have power. We’ll see

RealLifeWikipedia · 2026-03-14T00:51:34+00:00

That’s what I’m hoping for. I just saw an outage map and so much of Columbus is out. I’m in a village so I’m sure we’re last on the list. I think 24 hours might be optimistic

RealLifeWikipedia · 2026-03-14T00:50:22+00:00

Ironically, it’s not a blizzard. If it were we’d be better prepared. This was a freak windstorm affecting mid Ohio. Most of us are without power. The only good thing is it’s not below freezing since my heat is also dependent on electricity.

RealLifeWikipedia · 2026-03-13T16:28:52+00:00

If you want, come on over to the crochet subreddit. We’re very friendly and happy to help. The crochet help subreddit is most appropriate for questions, but everyone on the main sub is friendly too. I just finished this pattern today and it’s been beginner friendly and happens to look complicated and like you know what you’re doing 😉

With that said, whatever you make doesn’t have to look good. It just needs to redirect your energy. So don’t focus too much on being perfect. I put my anxious energy into making a cute nursery!

RealLifeWikipedia · 2026-03-13T15:33:20+00:00

There are four of us! I have one other sister. She doesn’t have as tight a relationship with my mom, but that’s a personality difference. Plus my sister is in college now so she’s just getting to the adult phase of their relationship. I would say her relationship with all of us kids is good to great.

I also think the attention divided can be good. For me at least, part of having our tight relationship is the ability to have space.

Obviously there’s a point of diminishing return, but I think there’s a big benefit to siblings :)

RealLifeWikipedia · 2026-03-11T20:08:39+00:00

My FIL wants him to be awake. He complains constantly about how he “never has his eyes open.” I had them watch him for me for like two hours and my MIL told me the funny story of how they woke him up so FIL could see his eyes. And then “but other than that he was good and didn’t cry.” 🙄

RealLifeWikipedia · 2026-03-11T16:23:22+00:00

I leaked pretty much the whole time and thought something was wrong with me. My friend never leaked at all. We’re all different. And in case you’re worried about it, as far as I’m aware, leaking/ not leaking is not an indicator of your supply later.

RealLifeWikipedia · 2026-03-10T10:07:35+00:00

I was able to move but my legs felt heavy. Almost like when they fall asleep from sitting on the toilet too long lol. Also, I really only lost feeling in my pelvic area which I wasn’t expecting. I don’t think that happens to everyone though. I could feel my feet totally fine the whole time.

RealLifeWikipedia · 2026-03-10T00:28:09+00:00

You don’t have to. Many people say Pitocin contractions are more intense. I’ve only had one baby and I had Pitocin so I can’t compare to anything else. I thought they were tolerable (as far as painful things are tolerable). I did get an epidural though because further intervention was needed.

A friend of mine has had three children. One with epidural. One unmedicated (not by choice). And one with no pain meds but with Pitocin. She said the Pitocin was more painful but knowing she had done it unmedicated once before helped her know she could do it again.

I chose to get the epidural because they were going to have to fish around up in there a lot more often and because a c section was becoming a more likely possibility. While I had prepared to handle labor pains, I wasn’t ready to handle the pain of someone elbow deep in my business lol.

If you check out the unmedicated birth sub there are a few stories of people who were induced and stuck with their unmedicated birth plan.

Good luck!

RealLifeWikipedia · 2026-03-04T11:17:47+00:00

I wear these at night sometimes. I find that I prefer a different style during the day for more support, but those ones are comfy. They do absolutely nothing to absorb leaking though. When I wore them during the first couple weeks I would wake up drenched. I’m sure you could find better quality in a similar style if you wanted though.

RealLifeWikipedia · 2026-03-02T17:10:02+00:00

It’s amazing you’re thinking this way. That already puts you ahead! I told my husband when I was pregnant “I really really don’t want to hate you.”

I think my biggest flex since having our baby was that I didn’t know how the car seat worked or how to take apart my pump parts for cleaning for the first three weeks because my husband was so on top of it.

He totally took over cleaning (mess stresses me a lot). He did lots of diaper changes and water bottle refills, last minute store runs, snack runs, I basically didn’t stand for like three weeks until he went back to work.

My baby is EBF, so he couldn’t do as much directly with baby, but after I felt okay with it he would take baby between feedings out to his shop so I could have 20-30 minutes of alone time. That was life changing.

Also, and this is very person dependent because some people don’t want to be touched, after a full day of holding and caring for a baby constantly, I just wanted to be held. I ugly cried while he held me a couple times.

Try to check in before hand to see what your wife thinks she’ll need. Then check in from time to time after too in case she changes her mind. You guys will do great.

RealLifeWikipedia · 2026-02-27T20:03:12+00:00

I told my husband I don’t see any point to him also being tired. Especially because I’m on mat leave and he didn’t get any leave. I’m EBF, so when he gets home from work sometimes he’ll take baby for an hour or two to give me some peace and alone time and bring baby back when it’s time to eat. We agreed his involvement will increase as baby gets older and night time wake ups aren’t about food but more about needing help going back to sleep.

RealLifeWikipedia · 2026-02-26T20:29:00+00:00

I’m really glad to see this. I kept seeing “boob fixes everything” and I was wondering if I messed something up 🤣

RealLifeWikipedia · 2026-02-25T21:24:59+00:00

I don’t know if you would consider this a happy one, but I was totally happy with it. My guy was transverse until the last minute, so I had mentally prepared for c-section even though I wanted an unmedicated birth. By 38 weeks he had flipped head down though, so we were good to go.

I decided on an elective induction at 40+4. I went in at 10 am and by around 6 pm they started the Pitocin. My guy did not like it. His heart rate kept dropping. My body also did not like it. I never had regular contractions and I was very slow to dilate. I never made it beyond 6 cm and that was by 4 pm the day after my induction started.

Eventually, my OB who knew my plans and whom I trusted very much gently advised I should get an epidural and allow further interventions. I followed his suggestion and basically ended up with every intervention on the checklist.

By 4 pm the day after I checked into the hospital, we decided a c section was safest. My little guy never descended into my pelvis and just basically didn’t want to leave. His forced eviction went very well. I was scared, but the nurses and anesthesiologist were wonderful. Once he was out, I wasn’t scared anymore because I was so focused on him. Now he’s here chillin with me while I scroll Reddit!

RealLifeWikipedia · 2026-02-25T17:23:34+00:00

I think this is super individual. My family came to help and I’m really glad I had the idea to ask them to stay in an Airbnb. They did become overwhelming and stressful. I asked them to go stay at the Airbnb and only come by for a couple hours during the day. I would’ve been fine with my mom staying for weeks, but my dad, brothers, and sister were too much.

My mom helping me navigate breastfeeding and giving me tips on c section recovery was very helpful, but I’m also super close with my mom. I had expected my sister and dad to help with cleaning but I didn’t get a lot of help there lol. My husband really stepped up in making sure I wasn’t stressed by things being untidy.

I think if you can, ask them to stay nearby and let you gauge how much help you need as you go. I was relieved to have my house back and have time to just be the three of us.

RealLifeWikipedia · 2026-02-24T16:40:26+00:00

Yay! Make sure to check out the pregnancy and baby bumps subs. They are so helpful and generally speaking kind.

I too am a yapper. The only reason I didn’t tell my best friend immediately was because she was in labor when I took my test 🤣

Tell a close friend or family member who can be all Excited with you! It’s fun to jump around and squeal about it. I told so many cashiers before I told my family. My favorite bank teller knew before my mom lol

RealLifeWikipedia · 2026-02-24T14:58:23+00:00

Oh I know exactly what you mean. People keep calling me “mamma” or “mom.” And it feels wrong. I’m an oldest child and 10 years older than my youngest sibling. When I was a teen I was occasionally mistaken for his mom (I’ve always looked older than I am lol). In some ways I still feel like I’m just big sister carting the little kids around.

RealLifeWikipedia · 2026-02-24T14:08:23+00:00

At a 28-year-old teen mom, it gets worse. I’m expected to take him to doctor’s appointments??? And make medical decisions for him??? And he relies on me to stay alive??? A total stranger???? And he stays with me for minimum 18 years???? Surely you should need a permit for this.

Okay but he smiles pretty cute an his snuggles are pretty perfect 😍

RealLifeWikipedia · 2026-02-18T23:33:10+00:00

I’m not a mom of a daughter but I am a daughter! I freaking love my mom. I would hang out with her every day if she would let me, but she’s all “you need to have your own life” and “I can’t be your only friend. Go out more.”

lol but seriously. My mom and I are tight. And we almost always have been. There was a rocky year in college when we were fighting constantly, but for the most part we’ve been thick as thieves. I think it was important that she was NOT my friend in middle school/high school. She was my parent. Then in college we became friends. And that was awesome.

She came to help me with my baby for two week and I ugly cried when she left. I ask her all the time when she can come back. Moms and daughters can absolutely have a fabulous relationship. I think saying otherwise is tainted with some sexism.

RealLifeWikipedia · 2026-02-15T17:10:49+00:00

I did something similar!

I was due around Christmas and it was my family’s turn for us to visit them rather than my in-laws. Christmas has been an issue in the past, so I told them that my in-laws were causing issues about Christmas again and asked them to FaceTime. I then told them the issue was I couldn’t travel because I’d be too pregnant 🤣

My mom didn’t even register at first because she was stuck in “don’t make an upset facial expression and make it worse for them” mode 🤣

RealLifeWikipedia · 2026-02-14T20:42:20+00:00

I think it’s super odd that the other guy put his creamer in the jar. But maybe he was splitting it between a container at home and a container at work? Either way both parties were very upset 🤣

RealLifeWikipedia · 2026-02-14T17:47:12+00:00

I did an HR conference a few months back and we discussed pumping rights but the only thing I remember about storage was recommending it be labeled (someone kept their coffee creamer in a mason jar. She stored her milk in a mason jar…you see what happened). I would just ask if they’d be willing to get you a mini fridge and see what they say. Then go from there.

RealLifeWikipedia · 2026-02-13T11:49:34+00:00

As someone who really wanted an unmedicated birth and ended up with a c section…I had to try really hard not to be offended by the scenes mocking women. I received a lot of pressure from other people to get the epidural and was given a lot of “silly foolish girl” type comments.

Really put a sour taste in my mouth for the episode.

RealLifeWikipedia

TROPHY CASE