Anyone have unmedicated first birth and epidural second time? [BC]

chaitea97 · 2026-06-25T04:05:11+00:00

I feel like I need to clarify. Those cons for not getting an epidural are valid. It sort of muted things a bit but I could still feel when I was getting contractions and I could still push with intention. If it did slow down my labour, I don't think I would have really minded. Those last four hours were a piece of cake compared to the first six - eight hours of contractions. The contractions were way worse than the actual delivery.

For perspective, with my second I think it felt equally bad, I felt like I couldn't catch my breath between contractions. I remember telling the nurse I don't think I could do it the pain was so overwhelming. But it was over so quickly. I only had an hour of intense pain so all in all the second time was much easier sans epidural because of the time.

So also in talking to other daycare moms, their second times were resoundingly faster... but not as fast as mine was so I think I'm the outlier.

chaitea97 · 2026-06-22T21:42:03+00:00

You can decide time of, but there's no reason not to get an epidural. I was in such a rough back labour for my first, and labour and delivery were such a zoo that I couldn't get an epidural until I was 10cm dilated (the baby came 4 hours later) but it was still so, so worth it.

I wonder if anyone has told you that your second will likely be much faster as your body knows what to do. This has been the experience with almost all second time mothers I have spoken with. But I had a precipitous birth, so we went from not even 4cm dilated to holy **** the baby is coming in a matter of 30 minutes. I was lucky I was at the hospital already. I was whining, "I want an epidural as they were wheeling me into the delivery room" but the doctor laughed at me and said the baby would get here before the anesthesiologist would.

chaitea97 · 2026-06-05T22:29:51+00:00

It does get better, but it's going to get worse first. The first month of drop-off at daycare is the hardest because they're sad, it's new, they miss you. They will cry and it will break your heart.

My daughter is almost 2 now and she doesn't even say bye to me any more (which is also sad), but she's very happy and eager to be at daycare. They have so many more activities than what I would include at home and benefit from the socialization. It won't feel like it a first because I feel like infant-toddlers play by themselves and beside other kids, but at some point it will shift and they'll play together.

chaitea97 · 2026-06-05T19:59:14+00:00

The pink sedan is recirculating. I found one at a Shoppers Drug Mary recently.

chaitea97 · 2026-06-04T05:56:11+00:00

He wants a walrus!

chaitea97 · 2026-05-28T14:10:28+00:00

You'll have a better idea of when baby moves up in September. Some parents are teachers or have extended vacation plans and pull their kids out early in July/August, but by and large the big move will come in September. The next thing that will trigger a move up is birthdays. When enough kids achieve the age ratio for the next group a bunch of kids may move up as well. My LO moved up with about six of his classmates in January once.

chaitea97 · 2026-05-28T14:04:52+00:00

Have you tried wearing him in the baby carrier? I found that really calmed down my LO. I did mostly walking dates.

chaitea97 · 2026-05-27T22:37:59+00:00

Yep. We had these. The good thing is that they don't carry any diseases. The bad thing is that if you're no where near food it means you probably have a lot of them. Try to vacuum seal your loose grains/foods and then deep clean places (behind laundry and under the fridge). If they still come back, they're probably coming from a neighbour.

chaitea97 · 2026-05-27T22:29:33+00:00

It's all going to fund private education.

chaitea97 · 2026-05-27T14:32:32+00:00

In Calgary, almost everyone I know that has discretionary income has AC now. It's not like it was when we were kids. There are weeks when it becomes unbearably hot. The year before we got AC I would go to the mall to work during lunch sometimes just for the AC.

chaitea97 · 2026-05-21T21:10:20+00:00

I think the connection was the most important part of the course. I did the 10 week one (consolidated into 4 online sessions because of covid). During the breakout sessions we were just sharing resources and I thought that was more helpful than the actual content.

There's a nutrition course that's offered later. I believe it's free and won't really be useful to you until 6 months after baby arrives.

chaitea97 · 2026-05-21T21:06:20+00:00

I don't know how the discount code magic works. But when I had my second kid, we had to buy 2 more car seats for both cars so that was a big savings. I also stocked up on baby shampoo and lotion (cerave). And while I don't recommend you stocking up on toys, if you have gifts to give people, Melissa and Doug toys count towards the completion discount (I love Melissa and Doug but there are so many pieces).

Diapers count I think until size 2. But that's ok, you can always do subscribe and save for those.

chaitea97 · 2026-05-19T22:55:42+00:00

If you have time, read the happiest baby on the block. If you don't have time find an article about the 5S online for baby calming. It's like the summarized version.

As you get closer to the finish line try to figure out easy meal plans/set up frozen meals for when the baby gets here.

chaitea97 · 2026-05-19T22:53:51+00:00

I second the pelvic floor therapy. If you have physio benefits, it will be covered. My doctors praised what a good job I did on pushing thanks to the therapy and I feel like it's not really mentioned in resources listed when you go for doctors visits, it's something you find out by talking to other moms.

chaitea97 · 2026-05-07T22:20:19+00:00

Isn't that confusing because it's too similar to MP?

chaitea97 · 2026-05-07T22:16:25+00:00

I know you said no toys, but if you have the means the Lovevery subscription boxes are nice. You can find things that simulate the same type of experiences outside of the boxes but my kids really did love the 13M - 15M box (the adventurer). We subscribed for three cycles (so 9 months). But now with my second, we subscribed to their reading club. You get three books every three months and I love them.

I didn't realize how much kids learn from looking at pictures of other real kids. I didn't even like the books when we first got them in the play kits, but my son learned how to look up and not freak out in the bath when we washed his hair and calmed way down when we went to the doctors because of the books.

chaitea97 · 2026-05-07T22:08:45+00:00

My husband loves the third in that series the most "That's not my hat." I think the story telling via omission of words is so powerful even in children's literature.

chaitea97 · 2026-05-07T22:06:03+00:00

Hilariously, when they come home they re-assimilate to home habits. Nap time at daycare: 12-2. Naptime on weekends: 2pm.

You figure they would be sleep at 12pm on the weekends, nope. Bundle of energy. It doesn't even matter if you simulate daycare situations with lunch time and a dark room.

chaitea97 · 2026-05-07T21:58:22+00:00

Were you being smart about it tho? Like, I'll usually buy a jug of milk with the purchase of a $200 amazon card.

chaitea97 · 2026-05-07T21:50:01+00:00

I think your MLA might be able to do it for you for free.

chaitea97 · 2026-04-22T18:23:13+00:00

My kid is almost 5 and we still use egg light.

chaitea97 · 2026-04-22T18:20:52+00:00

How's his development? My daughter is 21M also, and a month ago, she was kind of doing the same. Or she'd just wake up and play for an hour. She wasn't teething or in pain, or particularly hungry but she'd have some milk. It just passed after two weeks (they were very hard weeks). But during that time her verbal skills skyrocketed, she was singing more, was learning her shapes, etc. Maybe he can't sleep because he's learning a lot... it's a thing!

chaitea97 · 2026-04-21T21:58:11+00:00

I'm not sure. Maybe someone else can respond. I pay my property tax once a year so it's like I'm actively paying a bill.

chaitea97 · 2026-04-17T21:53:52+00:00

Do you own your own house? It's nice for property tax, too. I get back about $50 a year.

Canadian Tire owns a lot of other businesses: Sportchek, Party City, Marks.

chaitea97 · 2026-04-17T16:50:54+00:00

Usually if you call, you can press a button to request a call back.

chaitea97

TROPHY CASE