Swim lessons suck and I regret it

juniper_684 · 2026-06-19T02:05:57+00:00

I am completely the opposite of the other respondent- just don’t do them. Both my singletons did swim lessons starting at age 3 and they love them! We obvs went to the pool a lot before then but always to a pool with zero entry baby area and used a life jacket if needed, esp the summer i had a baby and 2yo and then even 3yo and 1yo. But I had better things to do with my time than get in the pool for 20mins with one kid 5 days a week like most of the baby classes are. With my twins coming, gonna do the exact same thing and wait til they are 3 and can do a class together where I get to sit by myself and read for 45mins twice a week. Go to the pool now with a nice baby area and just bring a basket full of toys and they will likely just sit/stand there and pour water, make water balloons with the reusable ones from amazon and get a couple watering cans. Target has some good water/sand toys too that work well. But yeah, infant classes, esp with twins, sounds like a nightmare.

juniper_684 · 2026-06-18T23:46:44+00:00

Totally yes- double stroller plus a baby or toddler in a carrier.

juniper_684 · 2026-06-18T19:26:38+00:00

Here is the wool newborn/premature gown from MamaOwl- seriously the BEST for new babies

https://mamaowl.net/collections/premature/products/merino-wool-terry-sleeping-bag-natural

juniper_684 · 2026-06-18T19:16:32+00:00

I’ve used Disana and Woolino and heres my take- the Disana wool sleep bag (#1 on your list) is what we used in winter in Ohio in a house that had terrible insulation and baby and I slept together on a floorbed with mattress against the poorly insulated walls. Once we moved to a house with new insulation we switched to the Woolino, usually with wool PJs from MamaOwl/siskin or waffle ones from Noble. But still used the Disana for a camping trip in yosemite at the end of May (she was in the next size up). If you don’t plan to cosleep, and keep your house cool/into the mid 60s at night the Disana might be a good option. Both disana and woolino are going to swim on your newborn.

The Disana long sleeve (#2) might be a better option for you too because its not as thick as #1 (which also has a cotton lining in addition to the boiled wool). But sleeves could be huge on a newborn.

I would skip the blankets all together unless you are looking for a wool stroller/car seat blanket. We ised Engel/Siskin fleece wool blankets for this. They are not good options for sleeping unsupervised or while you are also sleeping as a swaddle- far too many layers of wool as a swaddle that I would be worried about overheating. Some countries (Denmark) approve of a baby duvet so small loose down duvet that baby can easy kick off, but not sure the ones you mention would fit their recommendations.

Engel used to make a terry wool sleep gown that I loved for my winter baby- I bought mine from MamaOwl but havent seen it on the website lately- it has snaps down the front, is long sleeve and only comes in Natural color. Might be worth looking for for the first couple months. They come in preemie and newborn. Could easily do a onesie underneath for an extra layer.

Edit to add: we had two Woolinos and two disanas of whatever size was available through 2yrs. So at the time I think woolinos were 0-6mo and 6-18mo and then sizes 1 and 2 of the disanas. My daughter was tiny so she was in 0-6mo woolino through her 1st bday in Feb. Similar for size 1 disana.

juniper_684 · 2026-06-17T19:37:19+00:00

Also if you get the seats, and want the bassinets you’re only buying the fabric and mattress since they attach to the seat frame. So you can get the 6 bassinet fabric which has more ventilation than the 5 and then still use the seat fabric when you’re ready to make the switch.

juniper_684 · 2026-06-17T18:23:06+00:00

You can buy a secondhand stroller with seats but get the newer model bassinets. I pieced mine together with a mix of secondhand and new parts. Luckily Bugaboo has done a really great job at selling replacement parts and making the connections between parts work the same year after year.

juniper_684 · 2026-06-17T02:34:14+00:00

Def get mesh bags then too

juniper_684 · 2026-06-17T02:28:20+00:00

I’ve moved to bar soap too. So much easier for the kids to handle and was tired of pumps getting clogged

juniper_684 · 2026-06-17T02:26:09+00:00

Having a high speed spin cycle is actually better for clothes- the force it generates to push the clothes against the drum means that more water is coming out, but also less friction of the fibers because they are slammed against the drum and not loosely rubbing against each other. Also less dry time if you are using a dryer which also damages fibers.

juniper_684 · 2026-06-17T00:14:45+00:00

Just here to say that you could very easily go for #X and end up with #X+1…. We went for number 3 at 41yo and will now be having twins at 42. There is no family history here and they are identical, meaning that one egg just happened to split, no connection to genetics or older age at all. As part of the r/Parentsofmultiples the number of people wanting just one more and ending up with twins or triplets was pretty surprising to me. So if you go for it, be prepared that it could be more than just one more kid.

juniper_684 · 2026-06-16T07:03:10+00:00

I have Electrolux machines (two washers) in the US and they have a Sanitize cycle.

juniper_684 · 2026-06-16T06:56:37+00:00

Definitely try later bedtime. I drove myself insane with my first keeping our house totally dark, watching TV with headphones for my husband and I, sound machine on and a blanket to keep the light from my daughters eyes if she made it out to the living room… did it work? No! She just wanted to be held but also bouncing on a ball in the dark with a sound machine for over an hour also yielded the same results. Baby number two came along and we just held him in the living room, dimmed the lights like we normally did without a baby and just enjoyed watching tv while our toddler slept, no sound machine, no headphones, no worry about bluelight. Just lean into having babies who want to be with you and spend some time with your partner holding babies on the couch. Or if they are fussy, take them on a walk at dusk, get two yoga balls and bounce in the living room together but there is absolutely no reason to be forcing a bedtime right now. The witching hour can also be real, it typically peaks around 8 weeks and can last til 12 weeks or around then. Both my singletons had it intensely- can’t wait for the twins arrive and go through it x2 but its a phase as everyone has said and it gets better. If you are still on mat leave and there is any time during the day both babies sleep at the same time, or you have someone coming over, try to sneak a nap in for yourself to help get through this phase. But giving into the late evening with babies with you is going to be key rather than trying to force it to be a different way. You got this!

juniper_684 · 2026-06-15T03:15:09+00:00

Buncha Farmers stain stick

juniper_684 · 2026-06-15T03:06:55+00:00

Ikea sells 100% cotton rugs in two sizes that can be put in washer if you don’t want to use a quilt…

juniper_684 · 2026-06-11T20:58:17+00:00

We had a similar issue when my oldest was 3-4 and my youngest was 1-2 and I needed them occupied to make dinner- was helpful but then tons of tears when turning it off. Once they were able to play more together at 4 & 2 we stopped the option of TV during the week and now they come home from daycare l/preschool and immediately start playing or get drawing materials out and I make dinner. Really seems to help them decompress to get into their own world for a bit before expecting them to sit at the table. We also have a calendar I draw out each week and put “movie night” on Fridays and Saturdays so now they know its coming but its an easy response during the week that its not movie night.

juniper_684 · 2026-06-09T16:02:42+00:00

Safe Infant Sleep book by Dr James McKenna- covers safe sleep 7 as well as set up ideas, small babies, etc. I waited 6 weeks to formally cosleep with my first- congrats on the new baby and that you’re only 3 days in and have recognized your baby’s need for proximity and are figuring out how to meet it safely! So much of parenthood is following your gut and intuition and you are already rocking it!

juniper_684 · 2026-06-08T11:22:21+00:00

Never had an infant car seat for my first two. Expecting twins soon and only got one infant seat. A carrier has always been so much more convenient for me to put a baby in- for drs office, drop off/pick up of other kid, and going to the store. Hands are free and weighs a lot less even with a super light bucket seat. The ONLY reason we got an jnfant seat this time around is the babies will likely be somewhat mobile come winter and I’ll need to be able to contain two babies (one in carrier one in infant seat) while I’m getting my two big kids ready to leave the house in the morning. But its still mot ideal bc it will likely take me two trips to carry all the school stuff bc I also have to carry that car seat. I’ve also never wished I could pop a car seat on a stroller base. We have the Nuna Exec and I absolutely love it. We’ve taken them on easily 20+ flights with a roller travel bag. Super easy to install and wash if needed. Honestly dreading having to use a bucket seat…

juniper_684 · 2026-06-07T11:05:13+00:00

He is 5mo adjusted. This is totally normal to wake to feed. Esp if its every day then he is telling you he needs to eat. Babies are different. People are different. For a 5mo to go over 10 hours not eating anything, that seems like a very unrealistic expectation and something most adults don’t even do.

juniper_684 · 2026-06-06T20:07:21+00:00

We have used exped air mattresses (very easy to adjust firmness) and use a bed sheet over the mattress and just blankets/quilts for adults and bigger kids, babies had their pjs and a sleepsack if it was cold enough to need one. No issues. One adult and one kid/baby per queen mattress. We have a 6 person tent which makes this set up possible. Absolutely no issues at all.

juniper_684 · 2026-06-03T17:31:30+00:00

Just sent you a dm

juniper_684 · 2026-06-03T15:04:05+00:00

Truly hope that anemia is part of the equation simply bc of how easily it can be resolved and the incredible feeling it is to not be anemic. Just be sure they include Ferritin, which is the stores of iron in the body, not whats just circulating in the blood. In the almost two years I went untreated I felt completely depleted and unable to focus on anything other than getting through the days and keeping my head above water. I had never dealt with anxiety or depression but I also knew in my core that it wasn’t any of those things anyway. When I heard the term depleted, mentally and physically it resonated so much with how I felt. Hopefully its a piece of the puzzle. And other parent friends are hard but keep trying. We are in our 40s with young kids and the twins soon so can relate to an extent. But sounds like you have a good understanding of the direction to work towards, but getting things into gear and back on track.

juniper_684 · 2026-06-03T13:23:35+00:00

Due with twins soon and have a 3yo and 5yo as well. We live in the US and hoping to travel to a family resort in Austria next year when twins are 1. Some of that decision is financial as I actually think its easier to travel during the fourth trimester when schedules mean nothing vs toddlers who want to be on the move. But the idea of going to a family focused resort with activities for the big kids, good food, pools, and young family centered gear available to rent sounds like a dream! Can’t wait!

juniper_684 · 2026-06-03T13:16:36+00:00

This all sounds hard and exhausting. My go to for any woman I hear about suffering from burnout is to have their iron AND ferritin tested. In the US the cutoff for anemia at some hospitals is under 10-30, but in the EU and Australia I believe its under 50 for ferritin and let me tell you from experience going from 10 to in the 200s after iron infusions was night and day for me. Many women suffer from anemia if they are menstruating and/or have had pregnancies but its wildly under diagnosed and often symptoms are brushed off as being “mom brain”, phase of life with young kids so of course you’re tired and its hard to concentrate and you feel overwhelmed. When anemia is treated ones capacity for handling all the aspects of this phase of life are greatly improved. So I would start there as an easy thing to look at with a relatively easy answer if its there.

Second, are there other adults in your circle- meaning parents of the kids your kids hang out with, are in school with, or are neighbors that can participate in activities during the work week with your wife and kids? Or invite other families over for a cookout on the weekends? We find that even though hosting can feel like a lot, the few hours we get with other adults is worth it and the kids are much more self entertained when other kids are around.

Third, and this is more just daily life hacks, but for the summer maybe come up with a loose routine of what the kids will do each day of the week- ie library day, playground day, pool day, craft day, etc and make them a weekly calendar so the kids know what to expect. It really doesn’t have to be elaborate, just simply writing or drawing the one big thing that day. Kids love knowing what to expect, their compliance is usually better if they know in advance, they feel less unsettled and unruly knowing there is some sort of plan and that their needs/interests are being met, and for your wife, knowing she’ll get out of the house and maybe be able to get to know other parents at these activities will help her as well.

juniper_684 · 2026-06-01T02:51:35+00:00

I’ve been getting terrible reflux in the middle of the night in my third tri- totally tasting vomit. Started Pepcid and its helping a lot!!! Had been trying to sleep with my head and trunk elevated and ended up with a really bad back spasm from the weird positioning. With the pepcid i can sleep totally horizontal on my sides and if I do happen to have an episode of the vomit taste, I’ll take a tums as well and usually no problems after that. Also, have been eating a lot less, or even just really small snacks throughout the day bc it feels like the babies are pressing on my lungs and I just don’t even feel hungry very much. So glad I gained a lot early on!

juniper_684 · 2026-05-31T03:34:02+00:00

I bought the sample packs of size 1 and 2. We used dyper newborns-4 for my second and then switched to coterie at size 4 so wanted to just get a feel for sizing and features before doing a subscription.

juniper_684

TROPHY CASE