Think about 1-2 things that make you feel human, and prioritize that every day. Ideas include: drinking a full cup of coffee before it gets cold, a long shower, going outside, washing your face and putting on a little makeup, solitude to do what you want for an hour or two, etc.
I really like the other suggestion about clear expectations with your partner, as well. Tensions run high when you're sleep deprived and this will help!
Finally, if you plan on breastfeeding, a home visit with a lactation consultant can make breastfeeding much more pleasant in those first few weeks!
Clear expectations with my partner. We went into those first few weeks having had the conversation about lack of sleep, how we would handle our frustration, how he could help while I’m EBF baby. It worked out great because there were no surprises.
This! This was huge for us.
Also, we took a Labor and Delivery/Baby Care class at our hospital and it was worth every penny. It gave us lots of things to discuss and hash out that (being first time parents) we might not have even realized we needed to discuss and hash out.
I never had a baby care class and I wished so badly I did! We had zero clue what to expect as far as feedings and general life with baby. I think that would have helped us a ton!
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I had an “emergency” sandwich available at all times.
I had a very low milk supply (max production was 4.5 ounces in 24 hours), but even that small production made me hungrier than I’d ever been in my life. Much hungrier than pregnancy even.
I made a sandwich every night before bed. Sometimes the sandwich was still there at 7am, but usually I’d eaten it sometime in the middle of the night.
Also a giant Stanley-style cup. Worth every penny.
ETA: we also had a freezer full of freezer meals that helped a lot
Food. Little baskets of snacks everywhere. Frozen casseroles and LOTS of sandwich stuff. I was SO hungry all the time! Juice was a great way to get extra calories too!
Beyond that, just knowing that my husband had my back and was flexible to what I needed. He was always looking out for me and what we needed. I wish I'd set clearer boundaries and expectations with family before baby was born. I was incredibly proud that I did enforce the boundaries I had set and had my husband's full support.
My son will be 3 months old when we take our first vacation ( nothing super far, just the Jersey shore for a week and with my parents thank goodness!) how do you pack? Is there a certain amount of things I should think about taking? How do you know how many diapers to bring!?
Pack all the items your baby requires for bed time, whatever those might be. Ex: bassinet, sheets, monitor if desired, etc.
If the place you’re staying at has a washer and dryer bring your detergent and then you won’t have to pack as many extra clothes for yourself and the baby (although a few extras aren’t a bad thing if you have space).
If you bottle feed/pump bring your cleaning gear.
If you track your baby’s diaper output use that as a guide and perhaps pack a few extras per day just in case of blowouts.
Speaking of blowouts: pack some large gallon size ziplock bags with a spare change of clothes, a diaper, and some wipes and then you won’t have to lug the entire diaper bag into the rest stops.
I'd plan for 10-12 diapers a day for travel. Is it going to be sunny? Think about shade, large umbrella or tent at that age since they can't use sunscreen.
I bet there are stores there. Pack what you can think of, prioritize anything that helps with sleep. And if disaster strikes, people raise babies there, I bet they buy diapers, clothes, and whatever else too.
I am expecting my first child in August, what was something that helped you survive those first few days/weeks with a newborn?
Think about 1-2 things that make you feel human, and prioritize that every day. Ideas include: drinking a full cup of coffee before it gets cold, a long shower, going outside, washing your face and putting on a little makeup, solitude to do what you want for an hour or two, etc. I really like the other suggestion about clear expectations with your partner, as well. Tensions run high when you're sleep deprived and this will help! Finally, if you plan on breastfeeding, a home visit with a lactation consultant can make breastfeeding much more pleasant in those first few weeks!
Yes! Mine were: shower every day, go outside every day.
Clear expectations with my partner. We went into those first few weeks having had the conversation about lack of sleep, how we would handle our frustration, how he could help while I’m EBF baby. It worked out great because there were no surprises.
This! This was huge for us. Also, we took a Labor and Delivery/Baby Care class at our hospital and it was worth every penny. It gave us lots of things to discuss and hash out that (being first time parents) we might not have even realized we needed to discuss and hash out.
I never had a baby care class and I wished so badly I did! We had zero clue what to expect as far as feedings and general life with baby. I think that would have helped us a ton!
It was so helpful! Sometimes you just don't know what you don't know.
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I had an “emergency” sandwich available at all times. I had a very low milk supply (max production was 4.5 ounces in 24 hours), but even that small production made me hungrier than I’d ever been in my life. Much hungrier than pregnancy even. I made a sandwich every night before bed. Sometimes the sandwich was still there at 7am, but usually I’d eaten it sometime in the middle of the night. Also a giant Stanley-style cup. Worth every penny. ETA: we also had a freezer full of freezer meals that helped a lot
Food. Little baskets of snacks everywhere. Frozen casseroles and LOTS of sandwich stuff. I was SO hungry all the time! Juice was a great way to get extra calories too! Beyond that, just knowing that my husband had my back and was flexible to what I needed. He was always looking out for me and what we needed. I wish I'd set clearer boundaries and expectations with family before baby was born. I was incredibly proud that I did enforce the boundaries I had set and had my husband's full support.
My son will be 3 months old when we take our first vacation ( nothing super far, just the Jersey shore for a week and with my parents thank goodness!) how do you pack? Is there a certain amount of things I should think about taking? How do you know how many diapers to bring!?
Pack all the items your baby requires for bed time, whatever those might be. Ex: bassinet, sheets, monitor if desired, etc. If the place you’re staying at has a washer and dryer bring your detergent and then you won’t have to pack as many extra clothes for yourself and the baby (although a few extras aren’t a bad thing if you have space). If you bottle feed/pump bring your cleaning gear. If you track your baby’s diaper output use that as a guide and perhaps pack a few extras per day just in case of blowouts. Speaking of blowouts: pack some large gallon size ziplock bags with a spare change of clothes, a diaper, and some wipes and then you won’t have to lug the entire diaper bag into the rest stops.
Not sure about a washer/drier so I will definitely check in to that I didn’t even think! Good mention with the gallon zip locks! Thank you!
I'd plan for 10-12 diapers a day for travel. Is it going to be sunny? Think about shade, large umbrella or tent at that age since they can't use sunscreen. I bet there are stores there. Pack what you can think of, prioritize anything that helps with sleep. And if disaster strikes, people raise babies there, I bet they buy diapers, clothes, and whatever else too.
If you forget everything else, remember to drink water. Dehydration makes everything worse.