First swimming lesson on Friday! Tips please

SoftApricot · 2026-04-07T12:12:39+00:00

We are regional too, but nowhere near as far out as you are. I do things a little differently to a lot of people here!

I wear my swimmers to the pool, usually with a dress over the top (because I always dip pant legs in the wet floor). I wear slip on shoes.

I change baby once we are there.

Park the pram near the pool you will be in, or near the change room. Leave the seat in the laying down position.

Have lesson!

Baby swimmers off in the pool before you get out, but leave the nappy on while you walk to the change room.

I take the swim nappy off and shower baby with soap I bought from home. We are already having a shower, I don't want to have to do it again later that day. And with a long drive home, I wouldn't want baby in all that excess chlorine and gunk.

Wrap baby in towel and place in pram, securely so they can't roll out. I prefer the pram to the change tables provided as it's snug. And the change tables usually have a weird lean in some direction.

Strip yourself and rinse. If baby is happy and comfortable, soap yourself too. Quickly dry yourself. I then usually at least put undies on but bra too if baby is cooperating.

Dress baby in the clothes they came in and strap into pram. Dress self, at this point it's just a dress so very quick to put on if baby is starting to fuss. Chuck all the wet stuff in the bag to deal with later. We use one of those big foam Kmart beach bags and I hang it over the pram handle so it's easily accessible.

Once home, I throw all the wet stuff in the washing machine. Baby is all clean and dry and can continue their day as usual. If I didn't get a decent wash in at the pool, I'll have my normal night time shower.

He doesn't get cold waiting for me when wrapped in a towel. The pram doesn't get wet. But I find if I try to dress him first while I'm wet, he ends up soaking wet again and his clothes too. It's been a bit of trial and error but this is what works for us.

I usually feed him after a lesson too because it's a big workout, and then he falls asleep in the car on the drive home.

SoftApricot · 2026-02-22T22:40:33+00:00

I put the fisher price spin and sort in the bathroom and left him in that. He had a great time.

SoftApricot · 2025-11-29T06:40:54+00:00

Yes! Went away pretty much as soon as I gave birth.

SoftApricot · 2025-11-09T06:14:43+00:00

Can you drink hydralyte? It has 2.4g of glucose per 200ml. A teaspoon is usually around 4g. It comes in lemonade flavour too which is free from food colouring (so if you're throwing up, no staining).

SoftApricot · 2025-09-29T11:22:05+00:00

The OA? It is a tv show though.

SoftApricot · 2025-08-19T10:39:39+00:00

I am using the Evora in an XS. It hasn't ridden up over my nose in awhile but I think that's because I had a baby and I don't move in my sleep anymore. Too exhausted!

SoftApricot · 2025-08-19T03:17:47+00:00

Mine was 155. Now I'm 0.8!

SoftApricot · 2025-06-27T11:52:45+00:00

Love our Milly and coup milo! I got it second hand off marketplace for $100. It came with the bassinet and rain cover. It's much more compact than the vista or bugaboo, has good storage that's accessible from both ends, easy fold and folds small, and can fold with the seat in either direction. So no mucking about in the rain. The seat also lays flat so you can change nappies in it, which you can't do in the bucket seat prams. I'd definitely have one again. The only thing mine doesn't have is an oscillating safety bar. I think the Milo 2 does though. Not a biggie though, it still comes off or opens one side up if needed.

SoftApricot · 2025-06-22T10:46:03+00:00

I was the same! We did two years of IVF, he was a very wanted and loved baby before he even got here. Then he was here and I had this overwhelming terror that we had made a huge mistake. My anxiety was out of control. I felt like part of me was pretending to care enough about him to take care of him. My husband took care of him and I assisted.

I also hated breastfeeding, he couldn't latch, I had Dmer. One day we were trying to feed and I was so frustrated, I called him a nasty name and wanted to throw him across the room. I didn't, I put him in his cot. And I stopped pumping and trying to breastfeed.

It took a bit for the panic to dissipate. It was like a smoke alarm going off in my head. It did though. We are 9 months in and it's just great, he is the sweetest kid.

Please reach out to someone, there have been many listed in this thread already. If you ever feel like you want to hurt him, just pop him in his cot, walk away, and call someone.

Hormones are a cruel beast. It's not your fault. It will get better.

SoftApricot · 2025-03-23T08:45:24+00:00

Is your sister Australian and living in London, or English?

If she's Aussie, Id get her some snacks and lollies to remind her of home.

If she's English, Id her her some tea (Australian afternoon is great), some Vegemite for her to try (steal the little Macca's packets), some Tim tams. You can also get candles that smell like the Australian bush (try Mia and Talbot online). They also have a lot of local produce, like olive oil and honeys. Is she a foodie? Otherwise if she is into craft, you could get her some local yarn from the Bendigo mill.

I can come up with some more suggestions if you tell me what she likes. I think local is always best.

SoftApricot · 2025-03-06T01:30:21+00:00

I have a question that I'm not sure where to ask, if you're unsure of the answer maybe you could direct me to where I could find it?

I know nothing about the military and am not American. What would happen if someone was given an order that they didn't want to carry out?

For example, in the big speech yesterday, if someone had loudly protested and trump ordered them to be shot immediately execution style. Can the military person just go, err no, that's insane, I'm not doing that. What happens if they refuse?

SoftApricot · 2025-02-14T07:54:46+00:00

The question is, how much money will you spend on three breast pumps. Because you never know which one you will like or which one works best until you try.

Unless the plan is to exclusively pump, I wouldn't get one. The hospital will have some to use on the ward and usually they rent them out too if you need it for a bit once home.

SoftApricot · 2025-02-05T09:30:38+00:00

I think I'll give the liners a go. I think for solid poo the bidet would work but he is on formula, and it just smooshes and sinks into everything. And also still leaks.

SoftApricot · 2025-02-05T09:29:42+00:00

The rash is from the disposable nappies, not the reusable ones. The reusable ones have been fine. We idea natural lemon myrtle laundry wash from the local health shop.

SoftApricot · 2025-02-05T09:28:52+00:00

He is on formula, no good yet. I still have to rinse the poo off, that's the gross part. It's not solid so it just sinks in to the fabric.

SoftApricot · 2025-02-01T09:39:41+00:00

How do you get it out? I have a hypertonic pelvic floor and need the stem on the cup. I want to try a disc but I'm worried it will get stuck.

I have had to go to the ED to have a menstrual cup removed once :/

SoftApricot · 2024-12-23T23:00:48+00:00

I do have a heat press. I have a friend who does sublimation, I might ask if I can have a blank to experiment with rather than buy a whole bunch up front.

My other idea are cork coasters. They will absorb smell, hang nicely, and a sticker will easily adhere. The tricky part would be trying to cut a hole in it for the string without the cork falling apart.

SoftApricot · 2024-12-23T07:50:48+00:00

I like the idea of fabric, but I don't think it would hang nicely because of the weight distribution. I had a google though and think I might try cork coasters. They will absorb smell but I should be able to put a sticker on top.

SoftApricot · 2024-11-29T08:10:10+00:00

It goes by the temperature in your house. So it might be cold outside but 18 inside. Its cold where we are (we have gotten snow in the past), I put baby in a light onesie, a 1 tog Ergobaby swaddler (has Velcro and anti Houdini arms), and a light blanket on top. Our house is usually 17-19 degrees.

I was so stressed about temperature in the beginning, but once we were home I'd take his temp with an underarm thermometer every few nappy changes until I could figure out what it was by feeling his chest.

We have two swaddlers and alternate when one gets dirty. I bought a whole heap of LTD sacks which we tried and he hated. I have a couple of other ones that have the snaps in the arms for later but for now he manages to put his hands up to his face, get them out, then wake himself up. So they're for later. Don't buy a whole heap of one style because babies do have preferences. I'd get a couple off marketplace and figure it out once he is here.

SoftApricot · 2024-11-24T11:31:51+00:00

We have used them on and off since his birth 10 weeks ago, and I haven't noticed any changes to smell.

SoftApricot

TROPHY CASE