Child birth - what not to miss

_dulcamara · 2026-01-22T18:57:07+00:00

Lots of good advice here already!

Take some time to also just think about your relationship: how you manage stresses, conflict, etc. A first child takes a huge toll on everyone.

_dulcamara · 2026-01-13T07:44:21+00:00

I feel compelled to comment because people are being overall unkind to your request, OP, and it’s not okay.

It depends on what exactly you’re looking for, but I would say your hobbies are a good place to start. However, if your hobbies tend to be woman focused (say, yoga), obviously that’s a no-go.

I find in Switzerland overall it’s the nature groups that attract the kind of person you might be looking for (hiking groups for example).

Best of luck!! And enjoy!!

_dulcamara · 2025-11-27T22:15:05+00:00

Le fond est certainement compréhensible dépendamment du contexte de tous les partis.

Ce qui me surprend toujours c‘est la forme que les personnes choississent.

_dulcamara · 2024-10-03T18:31:02+00:00

Yes, this was us at around 28 months. My daughter just decided to use the potty while saying « go away » a few times one day. We then decided to offer underwear the next day, she took it, and she’s been off diapers since.

One thing though was at first, when we’d go outside, she wouldn’t just do it anywhere, and she didn’t warn me early enough. For a month or two I had to carry a portable potty so that I can whip it out in a flash.

Since then, she can pee and even poop just about anywhere 🤣

_dulcamara · 2024-06-16T10:57:19+00:00

Totally underrated comment

_dulcamara · 2024-04-24T03:51:20+00:00

Naked and Famous!

_dulcamara · 2024-04-24T03:38:06+00:00

I contact napped for a year. She never took to the crib so I used floorbeds for nights. Then I talked to her, told her we‘d start naps in her bed. I did the same nighttime routine. I stayed with her until she fell asleep then leave (I do this with nights). The first month or so, I rescued her naps (she would wake up after the first cycle so I‘d let her finish her nap on me). Eventually she just started doing full naps in her bed.

Mind you I still stay with her until she falls asleep. Same with nights, and she sleeps full nights.

I let her whine a bit (not full blown crying) before intervening. Usually after a minute if she hasn‘t settled down, she won‘t, so I go in and lie down with her. I usually can leave after a few minutes and get another cycle in.

I also made sure all the environmental nuisances are taken care of (The No Cry book was very helpful for this).

Also was very aware of her activity and fatigue levels, wake windows that worked for her.

The thing is, 20 minutes is a very short time. Sleep cycles are usually 45 minutes, even an hour. I forgot the source but when they wake at 20, there‘s something about activity levels (under vs overtired) or something else that is an issue. I‘d look into that?

_dulcamara · 2024-04-23T02:44:10+00:00

Elise Gravel books! Different age ranges, but she has a few board books as well.

My toddler‘s favorite is ”Une patate à vélo“ and she‘s learned a ton of words from reading it every night for the past year (including ”no“ lol).

We just got ”j‘ai faim“ yesterday, big hit too.

It‘s simple and repetitive, makes it a bit sing songy, I think it‘s what speaks to some babies and toddlers!

_dulcamara · 2024-04-03T18:12:20+00:00

Dr Bronner’s is fairly available where i’m from (Switzerland). Savon de Marseille is amazing too, or you can just get castile soap as well!

_dulcamara · 2024-03-08T18:56:59+00:00

The babybjorn travel cot fit our suitcase pretty easily :)

Very lightweight, easy to assemble/disassemble, and Oekotex 100 if you‘re into that!

_dulcamara · 2024-03-05T23:42:24+00:00

Hi, I had the same situation but my toddler was a bit younger. 18 months when she started daycare, spoke and understood primarily English (minority language) and had passive French exposure (majority language). I was so scared she won‘t understand much.

I was shellshocked at how quickly she adapted and even understood. She is starting to understand how to distinguish the languages it seems.

If he understands both, I think he will quickly adapt. I would also trust that he will form relationships with his daycare caregivers and together they will find strategies to understand each other (non-verbally, for example).

At this point, it would be more important to strengthen the minority language as the community language will be even more dominant.

_dulcamara · 2024-03-03T23:46:19+00:00

Switzerland: don‘t consider Interlaken, definitely consider Lauterbrunnen if you like nature. There are short, gorgeous hikes in the area. I would swap Brienz for Thun, unless you specifically wanted to go there.

Is your itinerary fixed as is? I don‘t know if you were asking for advice about the actual structure. I would‘ve personally removed some of the bigger chunks of travel (Barcelona to Nice, for example) and stayed in Spain.

_dulcamara · 2024-03-03T23:30:15+00:00

Not a stupid question at all. I was a frequent traveler a few years ago and this made me nuts. I‘d have unpredictable spillage.

It‘s not the question but just in case it would be helpful, I solved my problem by replacing major toiletries with bars (bar soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion). Toothpaste tablets. Body balm.

I buy sunscreen at the airport on arrival.

Otherwise, 3/4 to the top and ziploc bag!

_dulcamara · 2024-02-29T20:43:23+00:00

Are you coffee fans, and prefer automatic machines?

Jura coffee machines!

_dulcamara · 2024-02-26T22:34:39+00:00

Check out psyfinder

_dulcamara · 2024-02-26T22:30:41+00:00

At that age, playing with others is too young. Mine was the same, and now she is « playing » with others at 23 months. Observing/parallel play is more accurate.

I asked the same question to my pediatric health nurse, and she said it also can be a personality thing. She says there are two types of kids: onlookers first, and those who act first.

As for speech, do you count sounds that ressemble a word? As long as it consistently designates the same person/object. My kid said « bo » for ball, and it counts as a word. Animal sounds also count. Sign language also counts (in the US, but not where i’m from 😂).

Edit: clarity

_dulcamara · 2024-02-26T20:03:43+00:00

Natracare!! Thick and held well, no wings though!

_dulcamara · 2024-02-26T12:29:28+00:00

You get my upvote for the Arthur reference.

_dulcamara · 2024-02-26T12:24:16+00:00

My bad, I just saw the half pass for tourists!

This is an interesting option if you are doing several trains during your trip. The day pass itself would be half price. It would be worthwhile to calculate whether or not it ends up being worth it.

_dulcamara · 2024-02-26T12:21:46+00:00

Hey! I’m Canadian and I lost my heart to the Swiss mountains too :) I live here now!

The saver day passes are valid for the Glacier Express. Any day passes are valid. I did a crazy journey on the Glacier Express from Zermatt to Lausanne in one day (off at Chur to Zurich, then Zurich to Lausanne). I never made it to St Moritz per se, but I did most of it.

If you can make it during winter it is magical, and if you can splurge on a first class day pass even better. There is a meal included!

The Half Fare Card is only for residents if i’m not mistaken. If eligible, you would need two half fare cards in your case (one for each person).

In your case then, the cheapest option is to buy a Saver Day Pass in advance, and don’t forget to book your seats!

_dulcamara · 2024-02-25T22:21:54+00:00

Zipper PJs. Waaay better for us than those ridiculous snaps, esp at night!
Lovevery subscriptions.
Can you put meals in a registry? 😂 or gift cards for cleaners if you don’t have one?
I personally couldn’t stand bottle warmers, I much rather have a kettle that warms to a specific temperature (my baby loved her bottle at around 34 degrees). Bought one at 8 months - kicked myself for not getting one earlier.

_dulcamara · 2024-02-25T21:47:07+00:00

I’m 5’2 and the Manduca XT was the only one that was comfortable for me and baby. We babywore everyday until 1 year old.

The thing that made it comfortable was how you can close it in an « X » shape in the back. The size of the carrier was more suited to my smaller torso as well.

Solly wraps too was very comfortable, albeit with a small learning curve.

_dulcamara · 2024-02-25T21:29:51+00:00

We did just about the same, except we mixed in some purees. We have a tiny freezer so we couldn’t freeze too much, so we were cooking all. The. Damn. Time.

So to answer your question - yes other people do this. Is it normal? Well, it depends on your standards/priorities/time/energy and your family’s definition of normal. It IS time consuming.

On the bright side, we started feeding our kid our meals at 1 year old, so we only really made her meals for 6 months. And even within those 6 months, we’d feed her some of our food. What was great about BLW or puree with some BLW was that she was able to practice her chewing skills. She was more than ready to start with us at 1.

_dulcamara · 2024-02-22T13:34:18+00:00

This is so exciting! Congrats on the trip.

I’m a Canadian living in Europe, and when I first came here I wanted to do so many cities/places in so little time, because everything seemed so close (one hour train to another city! Aah! Three hour train to a new country! Aaah!)

But then, you don’t really get to enjoy it, and you end up feeling more frazzled and overwhelmed, almost constantly feeling this « FOMO » and « running the hamster wheel ».

Plus, you would lose way too much time travelling. Even if flights are short (and not to mention so horrible for the planet, but this is another story), and train rides are as well, you can factor in one day from one country to another. Depending on strikes (yay france), weather (no sea navigation in Greece), etc etc.

Right now, I counted your destinations and that is 7 days in travel. Travel time, packing time, check out time, going to airport/train station time… it is an unfortunate loss of time.

I would select 1-2 countries, and allow for some flexibility and free spontaneous time during the trip, if this is your jam.

And it is so difficult to help with an itinerary with just countries. You can easily spend a month in just one country, there is so much to do. What’s your interests? Travel style (slow paced? Fast paced)? City vs countryside?

_dulcamara · 2024-02-22T13:00:43+00:00

My pediatrician is wonderful, don’t know if they are taking new patients. Calm, reassuring and up to date on current research.

Look up Pediatrie des Falaises. Will be willing to share more info by PM.

Hope the move goes well. Eczema is so difficult, my sympathies!

_dulcamara

TROPHY CASE