1st time moms

[Sabo]

. . . or those who very clearly remember the beginning days as a 1st time mom: What do you wish that you had done or had or arranged before the baby was born? What do you feel might have been helpful in the very beginning that you didn't think of beforehand? BTW, congratulations mommies!

[BoringTales]

I wish I would've let people help more. I was very 'sure' that I only wanted it to be OUR family, as in me, my husband, and our new baby for the first few days out of the hospital. It was really hard. My husband had to go to work for a few hours each of those few days and I wish I would've let someone come over and help cook, clean, hold the baby while I showered, etc.

[mama2walden&luna]

I wish I had gotten a Moses basket to tote baby around in when a sling wasn't practical. And I still need one with this baby!!

[PiePie]

i needed/need the following:
a breast pump
new tubing for same
the changing table cleared and set up
more than 2 covers if you are CD'ing
the numbers for your LLL hotline and a lactation consultant who is not on vacation handy
more disposable mesh underwear by medela
more nighttime maxi pads (figure you go through one every 2.5 hours)
more teensy weensy little hats and preemie clothes (she is not a preemie, but started off at 7 lbs and has since lost 4-5 oz. and 0-3 sized things are too small...)

i wish i had known i have an allergy to lanolin. proceed with caution with that stuff. it feels great upon application, but makes my sore nipples even sorer.

also, i wish we had figured out how to turn our phone off...

[MahBearRI]

As per PiePie's list I'm doing pretty well - except for the pump...

ANd what are mesh panties?

[PiePie]

they are disposable underwear for when you are bleeding a lot. the ones i have are made by medela. there were some in the hosp-based birthing ctr, but you can buy more at buy buy baby and perhaps other venues.

[eri_flores]

Mesh panties are the greatest! My hubby and I decided those and the little bendy straws were about the greatest thing for postpartum recovery...so someone could feed me drinks while I breastfed or whatever.

I second the pump idea, even if only a single hand pump. My breasts were so full that little one couldn't/wouldn't latch on which just made both of us more frustrated.

Definitely have help. I wasn't up and about for two days due to excessive blood loss, so even if I'd wanted to, I couldn't do anything. Hubby did lots, but he couldn't do it all. Also, know which people in your life will actually BE helpful. I had a friend come over, to "give me a break" and she promptly sat down and demanded that I tell her all about the birth, then when she took the baby to "soothe him to sleep" she got him so riled up that he was screaming and I had to intervene. Not so helpful.

Anyhow, that's my list. I'd also like a bouncy chair/basket type thingy to put him in when I'm doing stuff in the kitchen so he can be with me rather than all the way in the bed room. I've had really sore nipples so holding/slinging is more difficult than anticipated, just because of the rubbing. (I won't even get into the nursing thing...yeah, think about having a LC you are ready to call!)

Good luck!

[pookel]

Stuff I didn't know about last time that I remembered this time:

Newborn or larger preemie clothes (I think Carter's newborn stuff is for 5-8 lbs, which is ideal)
Bouncy seat - even if you plan to sling (you have to pee sometime!)
Lansinoh
Back scratcher
A swaddling blanket (the kind with velcro)

And not a thing, but something to get done - have the baby's room set up. Even if you plan to cosleep, if you expect the baby to need his/her own room within the next couple years, and you have the space, get it done now! Because once the baby is there, you will have a lot less time to rearrange the furniture and organize everything. Do it in advance and everything will be much easier (and you'll have a place to put all those diapers, clothes, toys, etc. that people will give you).

[pookel]

P.S. Another thing to plan to do - take at least one picture of the baby every day. With my first son, I had PPD for a couple weeks at the beginning and didn't take any pictures because I just didn't care. So now I have no pictures between 1 and 3 weeks (and they change a LOT in those early days). This time I still had the PPD, but I kept my resolution to take at least one picture a day no matter what.

[artgoddess]

I had most everything ready. But one thing i figured out to do after the fact was for diaper changes. Did want to use wipes only warm water and a cloth on the baby. And coordinating warm water in a bowl while carrying a baby is no easy task. I bought one of those pump thermos things at overstock for like $6 that usually are used for coffee. Then I filled with with hot water in the morning and it kept the water warm all day right by the changing table.

[PiePie]

Originally Posted by pookel

I kept my resolution to take at least one picture a day no matter what.

applause!!

[Alohamelly]

Originally Posted by pookel

Stuff I didn't know about last time that I remembered this time:

Newborn or larger preemie clothes (I think Carter's newborn stuff is for 5-8 lbs, which is ideal)
Bouncy seat - even if you plan to sling (you have to pee sometime!)
Lansinoh
Back scratcher
A swaddling blanket (the kind with velcro)

I second the bouncy seat. It has come in handy, even though my baby won't sit in it for very long. Also, I can't live without Lansinoh right now.

[eri_flores]

Originally Posted by artgoddess

I had most everything ready. But one thing i figured out to do after the fact was for diaper changes. Did want to use wipes only warm water and a cloth on the baby. And coordinating warm water in a bowl while carrying a baby is no easy task. I bought one of those pump thermos things at overstock for like $6 that usually are used for coffee. Then I filled with with hot water in the morning and it kept the water warm all day right by the changing table.

OH that's genius! I'm totally stealing that, thanks! I've been wracking my brain trying to figure a solution to this very issue.

[PiePie]

we don't have a bouncy seat, but instead we use a boppy or a gymini by tiny love http://www.amazon.com/Tiny-Love-Gymi...7806536&sr=8-3.

[Yuba_River]

Again, not a thing, but something that was surprising to me--I had now idea how completely exhausted, sore and weak I would feel, especially the first three days or so. I wish I had been more mentally prepared for that. Of course, everyone is different, as is every labor. In my case it was a major effort just to stand up, and I found it a little shocking. If I feel this way again next time, I'll know it's normal for me, and that I will heal. This made having help and having everything as set up as possible so important.

[lyttlewon]

I wish I had slept more. Also with this pregnancy I used poise pads, like depends, instead of pads and mesh. It was way better. I wish I had been prepared for how overwhelming it was to have a newborn. I don't know if that is something you can prepare for though. It really surprised me how time consuming they were and how much they needed to be held.

[Mama2OneLilBoy]

I wish the first time I would have made a sign that said, NO VISTORS!!! Baby and mama resting...call first, etc. Vistors came in and out and it was nuts for awhile. I wish I would have spoken up and told them all to wait.

Oh, I wish I would have gotten more help for breastfeeding the first time around. The lacatation nurse was really snotty and made things worse. It can be so much easier with someone helping that you feel really comfortable with! This time around I had a friend who is a midwife in training!

[PPK]

I wouldn't have changed much, only that we had more help with cooking..dh had to do everything and it was hard on him and me as well.

I could have slept more, I didn't realize how much attention nb's would require!

I also wished for a way to stop time : those first two days were so magical...things still are, but coming up on two weeks and its already flown by!