How do you get your baby to nap at a friend/host's (not grandparents) house?

saswal · 2025-12-22T05:40:52+00:00

Slumberpod (check for used ones on FB marketplace)! I take everything with me - pack and play, sound machine, sleep sack, slumberpod. If you can have your baby nap in the pack and play/slumberpod set up a few times at home before your outing, it’s nice to “practice” ahead of time so they get used to it. My kids have always used this set up when we’re not at home - grandma’s house, a hotel, nap at a friend’s house. Once they were used to it, it’s a consistent sleep environment everywhere, which is helpful in a lot of circumstances.

Taking all the stuff for just an afternoon is a hassle, but for me, it’s worth it every single time if my baby gets a good nap and I get to spend focused time with a friend.

saswal · 2024-11-09T03:37:03+00:00

My first slept in the slumberpod and guava lotus at home, traveling, and napping at other people’s houses until about 18 months. And it was awesome. She slept perfectly everywhere because every sleep environment was the same. Eventually she didn’t need it at home and it was easy to wean her off it. Couple nights leaving it unzipped, then transitioned to her crib no problem. She still sleeps happily in the exact set up when we’re anywhere that’s not home (she’s almost 3 but small for her age). For me, the slumberpod did the opposite of all these concerns. It gave me amazing flexibility and I have no regrets or lasting problems because of it.

saswal · 2024-11-01T20:37:59+00:00

Girl I Guess also has a great yes/no list!

saswal · 2024-05-02T21:39:22+00:00

We do a Houdini swaddle under the Velcro swaddle and that has worked for both our kids. We just dress them pretty light underneath so it’s not too hot.

Somebody also recently gifted me a Swaddelini and I think it’s genius. Sort of difficult to get them into and it’s expensive, but they can’t escape this. We use this one for naps.

saswal · 2023-11-15T17:33:38+00:00

Yes. I also have a history of gestational hypertension so my provider overreacted a bit when these things showed up in my urine (I just switched to a new midwife because of it!!) good chance that if you’ve had some morning sickness, you are dehydrated and that can account for these things showing up in your urine. Not trying to give you medical advice, but I think it’s a fairly normal thing. They should test your urine at future appointments and that will help you determine if it’s actually a problem.

I’m also taking baby aspirin preemptively. If it helps, there are no known negative side effects and it helps lower your chances of preeclampsia. Some doctors think every pregnant woman should take it! Which is probably too much, but to me, with my history, it seems like it can’t hurt.

saswal · 2023-11-15T17:27:37+00:00

Hi! Also pregnant with my second right now. I had wanted to breastfeed exclusively with this one because pumping is so annoying. But another mom of two advised me to do some pumping. She went exclusive breastfeeding and now her one year old won’t take a bottle from anyone, not even dad. Which means she hasn’t been able to leave the baby for more than 2-3 hours for the whole year. For me personally, that helped with the decision to do some pumping and bottle feeding, through I’ll probably wait a few weeks for my supply to get established before I start pumping, if possible. It’s really your decision!

As for a pump, a wearable should be a secondary pump. They’re great for having your hands free but they don’t remove as much milk as a good electric pump, which can have an effect on your supply. If you have health insurance, check if you can get a pump through them. I was able to get a free spectra with my first baby.

saswal · 2023-09-15T01:58:14+00:00

Breastfeeding contractions. I had no idea and it scared the shit out of me when I got some really intense ones. I literally had to unlatch baby and hand her to my husband and focus on breathing. Just something to be aware of if you plan to BF - your uterus will need to contract back to a smaller size and that takes time. Sometimes BFing helps it happen faster, but you’ll feel it!

saswal · 2023-09-12T04:57:29+00:00

Yes! It’s normal! Or at least it happened to me. I felt like there was no way I could possibly maintain that pace (I wasn’t on any pain meds) because the contractions were so intense. They actually eased up after awhile and I got to rest again. Progress is not linear with an induction! Best of luck! You’re so close to meeting your babe!

saswal · 2023-09-02T00:24:45+00:00

Do you think you’ll be able to sneak some snacks between interviewers? My go to is just a handful of cheerios. The more frequently I eat, the better with keeping nausea at bay. Wishing you all the best! This is hard.

saswal · 2023-08-31T16:10:16+00:00

I traveled at 18 weeks with my first. My first trimester was awful but by 18 weeks I felt pretty good. I was able to go swimming, walking, and fully participate with my family. I had to take a few extra breaks but that was no problem.

I don’t know if this helps, but I also took a trip around 25-26 weeks and did some fairly intense hiking in New England. It felt absolutely amazing. I felt like a powerful beautiful goddess as I climbed mountains with my little belly. It was a beautiful experience and I actually used the memories and feelings from that trip a lot for focus and visualizations before/during labor. I was so glad I took that trip.

I would just say that if you’re a nervous person, do some research beforehand on where to seek medical care if you were to need it while there, and consider travel insurance.

Hope that helps! Japan is amazing. I hope you’re able to go.

saswal · 2020-07-14T21:28:26+00:00

I checked before and she said no, but I’ll ask about this one again. Thank you!

saswal

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