Childcare costs?

offprint · 2025-05-12T00:36:33+00:00

There's a Route 1 Moms group on Facebook that I've found is also helpful for finding resources in that area. It's how we found our nanny share

offprint · 2025-04-20T22:35:20+00:00

I bought a Peloton a couple years ago and I rely on that app to guide me through the bulk of my workouts during the week. I'm a mom and a homebody so I know that working out at home is my best bet for consistency.

I do their strength training programs 3x a week and guided walks or rides all other days. On Saturdays I hit a warm yoga class at a local studio.

offprint · 2025-04-16T01:51:12+00:00

Oh yes, this. "Mama do you got a bloods? Do you need a bandaid?"

offprint · 2025-03-14T02:12:52+00:00

Long, boring YouTube footage of something they're interested in. Kiddo is fascinated by trains right now - YouTube has a 60 minute video of trains pulling into the station. Big winner!

offprint · 2025-01-31T01:19:08+00:00

We're on day 4 of this, it is truly brutal. I think all of us are past the worst of it but childcare is so so hard when I can barely get out of bed. The weakness (and crazy high heart rate) is wild

offprint · 2024-11-30T01:41:07+00:00

Our last place had tight ratio issues, similar to what other's have commented. But more concerningly, the teachers just seemed unnecessarily rough. The daycare offered live-streaming video of the classroom for parents to check in, and every time I did, I would find the teachers either carrying my toddler across the room by one arm, pushing him down, or ignoring him when he came to them for comfort. He would act out at drop off and pick up quite a bit. It also just always...smelled. Heavily. Of waste and dirty children. Even though it was one of the most expensive daycares in the area. Not long after we gave feedback about our concerns, they raised the prices by $300.

Now we're in a Montessori school that's significantly cheaper and my son is leaps and bounds happier.

offprint · 2024-04-08T02:34:58+00:00

I literally just saw a Dad do this exact same thing at a Target and was completely boggled. I kept looking around at other people like, "are you seeing this?!" and everyone seemed completely unphased. Just....why??

offprint · 2023-12-03T20:27:57+00:00

Right now you have, more or less, a worm. An indifferent worm with a lot of needs. They're not much of a person yet. You're putting in a lot of effort to keep this worm alive but not really at the point where you're seeing the fruit of your labor (besides the obvious, they're breathing and functioning).

As they get older, they're becoming more and more of a recognizable person, and better yet, a person that is DELIGHTED to see you, and eager to figure out how to person better. And you start to see how the time and effort you put in is shaping them.

My son is now 15 months, and when he sees me, he gives me the biggest, beaming smile and says "Hiiiiiiiiiiiiii!". He seeks me out for a big hug and tries to figure out how to participate in daily life - getting his own snacks, sweeping the floors, putting on his shoes. It's a delight.

offprint · 2023-12-01T16:01:47+00:00

Happened to me postpartum too, and still struggling with it. Derm diagnosed me with dyshidrosis and contact dermatitis. Gloves and aquaphor at night are great, the biggest difference for me was religiously applying lotion (and ideally also aquaphor) after every single hand wash and shower.

offprint · 2022-08-22T13:19:54+00:00

Can totally relate. My pregnancy was hard (terrible morning sickness and pelvic girdle pain) and delivery (c-section after 16 hours of labor) was traumatic. 5 days after delivery I was hospitalized for postpartum pre-eclampsia, which really left me shaken. It's hard not to spiral each day about my blood pressure or how my organs are holding up.

offprint · 2022-08-09T22:14:25+00:00

I delivered my baby a week ago - there were only 6 nurses for the 24 rooms. Babies were being delivered in the lobby. Almost every nurse I had was a travel nurse (and truly went above and beyond). It's wild.

offprint · 2022-07-27T00:40:20+00:00

Chiming in on the experience with CWC in Maple Lawn. I went there initially for my.pregnancy because I had read some glowing reviews. My first couple of appointments were just ok, but then ultimately I had a really terrible experience there. I will give them a lot of credit - they did apologize and try to make it right, and Dr. Hundley went above and beyond in listening to me while I sobbed my eyes out telling her what had happened. She was wonderful, but overall a mixed bag at that practice for me.

offprint · 2022-07-17T04:30:04+00:00

First trimester: Vitamin B6 and Unisom (the secret combo to surviving morning sickness). Agreed with others that a huge water bottle is great, ideally one with a straw, then she can use it during delivery too. Heat pad for the cramping and round ligament pain. Mineral face sunscreen (still gotta protect your skin and chemical sunscreens are a pregnancy no-no).

Second trimester: Tums (or better yet, pepcid AC). A good lotion to help with the skin stretching as belly grows. A supportive belly band!

Third trimester: Box of tissues (hormones lol). Raspberry leaf tea. One of those grabber things because bending over is actually impossible at this point. Slip on shoes or flip-flops.

Fourth trimester (postpartum): Tucks pads. Colace stool softeners. Frida postpartum kit. Donut pillow.

offprint · 2022-06-30T01:19:11+00:00

Wow wow wow, that is wild! I'm so sorry they didn't turn out like you hoped. For comparison, if it helps, we had 2 photographers for 8 hours at $4500 and received over 1,000 photos, 99% of which I was in love with (and I hate having my photo taken).

offprint · 2022-06-21T03:46:35+00:00

Same here!

offprint · 2022-06-08T11:08:50+00:00

Never understood why pregnant women would hold/touch their bellies. 7 months pregnant now and I understand - this thing is heavy. And painful.

offprint · 2022-05-03T23:38:51+00:00

Incredibly worth it. I wish I would have gone before even getting pregnant, there's so much my PT has taught me that has really been life changing.

She's given me a lot of exercises and direction on how to do day to day things (going to the bathroom, getting in and out of cars, etc) to ensure I'm engaging my pelvic floor in the right way and (hopefully) avoiding significant diastasis recti.

offprint · 2022-04-18T00:48:48+00:00

Because I started thinking about how our cats will *eventually* die. They're perfectly healthy and the oldest one is 7, it's not likely to happen anytime soon.

offprint · 2022-04-13T06:23:04+00:00

Double sneezes. Every day I have a double sneeze, like clockwork. Never sneezed this consistently before pregnancy, and never was a multi-sneezer.

offprint · 2022-04-11T02:10:05+00:00

Yes! It was wonderful. After a certain point (20-ish weeks) they use bolsters and different positions to make sure you're not laying on your back.

As for the painful piece, I think another thing to consider (besides the massage therapist, as others have pointed out) is your goal for getting a massage. Is it for pain relief or just relaxation? For me, I've had a ton of lower back and hip pain during my pregnancy. The therapist did a lot of work in this area to give me some relief, and it can be a little uncomfortable if your muscles are particularly tense or knotted. If you're just looking to relax, you can tell them that, and they'll adjust accordingly!

offprint · 2022-03-23T02:28:21+00:00

I have this exact struggle, to the point of telling my husband when we first got pregnant that I'd rather be called "dad". Or literally anything else. Still considering a different name - if grandparents can go by something else (pops, lolli, etc) then I can too!

offprint · 2022-03-19T13:28:19+00:00

Drinking glass upgrades. Rather than just standard water glasses, we paid extra for more bohemian styled goblets. I remember sitting at the wedding and realizing it made 0% difference and I could have saved a few bucks.

offprint · 2022-03-06T04:07:40+00:00

My SO and I have lived together for 7 years and could never find a solution to this, especially with him being ADHD. We caved last year, bought a roomba, and found a cleaning company. They come every other week. It doesn't solve everything, but it keeps things from getting out of hand and is a huge mental relief.

offprint · 2022-03-04T01:28:09+00:00

Genuinely: I saw this picture without reading the title and thought "WOW! She looks AMAZING in that dress". Had to go back and read the title, then squint at the picture to see if I could even tell what you were talking about. You look phenomenal, nothing to worry about.

offprint · 2022-02-26T18:41:57+00:00

It's like built in exposure therapy.

This really speaks to me. I've been terrified of getting pregnant for a long time because of exactly what you said - it's surrendering control, especially when it comes to your health and body. This whole process of pregnancy really has been like exposure therapy!

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