Congrats! The feeling you have when your kid is born is like no other. You can try to imagine it, but just wait until you experience it.
I bolded this part because it is more important than some might think, especially for a first time mother. She will be going through a lot of emotions/stress and needs some time to bond with the baby and figure some things out without all sorts of family and friends coming in and "needing" to hold the baby.
Decide if you are staying with “mom” in the room when the kid is born. I did not, wife was tired, I was tired and a futon looked awful to sleep on. Nurses will help a lot. I went home to sleep and rest up so I could be fresh for the remainder of the day and do most of the work during the day so my wife could sleep as much as she wanted the 16-18 hours I was there.
This is so true it's not even funny. Plus, hormones will be messing with Momma, so she'll decide that the $1000 stroller really is necessary, or that a baby wipe warmer is just what the nursery needs.
Don't skimp on the car seat, though. Buy one new, make sure you know how to install it. For the little ones, we liked the Graco Click-Connect ones. When baby falls asleep in the car, you can just pull the carrier out and bring them inside. Plus, it can go right to the stroller as well, so that's less for you to mess around with.
And make sure you try the car seat out in your car! I have a friend who bought a gigantic one that didn't fit in their back seat. Didn't realize it until time to pick up the kid from the hospital.
Stay in the room with mom and go south of the equator! Watch that baby enter the world!
If you can handle watching a puppy being born then you can handle it
It did take some time for both sides to get back to love makin'. Some things you can't unsee, but you'll get over it. Get right in there!
(Although I didn't cut the cord. We had a room full if professionals. Why would I cut that thing??)
If you live in DM suburbia I don't know of many centers for under $250wk for infants.
Stay in the room with mom and go south of the equator! Watch that baby enter the world!
If you can handle watching a puppy being born then you can handle it
It did take some time for both sides to get back to love makin'. Some things you can't unsee, but you'll get over it. Get right in there!
(Although I didn't cut the cord. We had a room full if professionals. Why would I cut that thing??)
Stay in the room with mom and go south of the equator! Watch that baby enter the world!
If you can handle watching a puppy being born then you can handle it
It did take some time for both sides to get back to love makin'. Some things you can't unsee, but you'll get over it. Get right in there!
(Although I didn't cut the cord. We had a room full if professionals. Why would I cut that thing??)
If you live in DM suburbia I don't know of many centers for under $250wk for infants.
I meant in the room at nights after the kid is born. Oh, definitely be there for birth, I would not recommend not seeing the birth.
First - Congrats! Don't be afraid to do what is right for you and your family. If your situation warrants a mini-van - get it.
My humble opinion:
- Your baby will let you know when it needs something for the first 6 months
- Walk at 1 / Talk at 2
- Can you afford to have one parent at home and not use day care? I'm not a fanatic about it, but 10 years later, you won't miss the money, but might avoid the hassle of daycare and enjoy the extra time with them.
- Toddlers don't need screen time but do need structure/limits. They might test you, but hold steady to right/wrong: time for bed/breakfast/lunch/supper (it is OK to make them eat whatever you have cooked), when to talk and when not to talk, time to run & play/time to be quiet, when to ask questions/when to do what they're told (you get what you get and you don't throw a fit), etc. (every teacher they have will thank you for that!)
- Pay attention to them when they need it. They are more than a pet you can just shove an iPhone in front of and ignore. (hearing lots stories around this from my teacher-wife)
Agree with this. Don't be afraid to also start your own family traditions. When we had our first kid my wife really wanted to start our own tradition: which was that on Christmas Day our family will not leave our house. Anyone is welcome to come over and spend time with us, but we will not dress our kids up to drive to Relative X where 50 other people are. Something as simple as that really ruffled some feathers year 1, but now everyone is used to it.
Don't be afraid to let the nurses take the baby back to the nursery at night either, so you can get a couple 1.5-2hr sleep sessions in.Decide if you are staying with “mom” in the room when the kid is born. I did not, wife was tired, I was tired and a futon looked awful to sleep on. Nurses will help a lot. I went home to sleep and rest up so I could be fresh for the remainder of the day and do most of the work during the day so my wife could sleep as much as she wanted the 16-18 hours I was there.
Brandon Wegher?Also, don’t do as my the brother of my wife’s friend did. Do not knock up another woman during the last trimester. That seemed to be a mess for him.