Parenting Contents Archive

Baby had blowout on road trip. Newborn insert is gross - we have 2 hours left. What can be done?

What can I do right now and what can be done in the future to prevent the insert getting gross. Unfortunately I think the positioning of her body in the car seat contributed to the blowout, bc it really wasn’t too much poop - but it came out one side bc it had nowhere else to go.

What boundaries are you glad you set in place with your newborn?

Our baby is due literally any minute (please baby girl gtfo) and we’re doing all the last minute nesting. Partner and I️ have agreed to not tell anyone when labor starts because I️ know we’re gonna be stressed and he doesn’t need to be fielding questions left and right from family and friends. Hopefully all goes well but where rounding out the discussion on boundaries with visitors and the first few weeks of life. What boundaries are you glad you implemented or regret implementing???

Setting reasonable boundaries in regards to hugs, etc.

Just looking for different POVs because my wife and in-laws are a super touchy family and say it’s not okay to ever deny kids hugs or cuddles but I’m wondering if it’s okay to be like “not right now daddy needs a second” or something like that. Is that damaging?

Baby breathing with mouth open while sleeping… problematic?

My 4 month old commonly will sleep with his mouth open while napping. I had no idea this was a concern, but I saw someone on instagram saying it can cause issues with their facial structure in the future. Is this truly a concern? Any studies appreciated but anecdotes and experiences / discussion welcome!

One more month and my divorce will be final

We were together almost 2 decades. One more month left in the stupid and completely arbitrary waiting period and my divorce will be final. I was approved for a refinance so I can buy him out and keep the home our kids have grown up in. That will also be final when the divorce is, after I complete my name change. This was one of the best decisions I’ve made and a lot of thanks goes to this sub. My ex was sexually and emotionally manipulative and abusive. The last 6 months that he’s been out of the house have been some of the best months of my life. Being able to post here and get feedback really helped me to finally get into therapy, tell a family member about the abuse, and finally take action. I believe leaving him has literally saved years of my life. I’m just so excited for this chapter to be over. To be legally free from this man and to be able to move on.

Hating the newborn phase

Is it normal not to feel the magic/joy of this time? We are in the thick of it, she was born 6/13 at 36w4days so shes a preemie and shes under 5 lbs. Constantly feeding her and watching her sleep all day. She cluster fed for almost 2 days and it broke me, i had some hormonal breakdowns. post partum recovery has been rough due to preeclampsia and a bad epidural/spinal fluid leak. I want to fast forward in time when she will be months old and know who we are and develop a personality. Is it normal to not enjoy this phase at all? Its not her fault or really anyones. Just having a hard time believing i will look back and miss this?

How Often Do You Clean Your Toddler’s Room?

My daughter is 2.5 and as expected her room is a complete disaster by the end of the day. I clean her room every night before bed because the clutter of toys drives me nuts. I’ve tried only allowing her to play with a certain amount of toys at a time but she still manages to make a huge mess. Sometimes I think that cleaning her room everyday is a bit much. I’m thinking about cleaning it less often and just closing the door so that the mess is “out of sight, out of mind.”😅

Baby prefers me (mom) and Dad is checking out

So we have a 3 month old baby who recently started showing signs of teething (unsure the relevancy of this). He will only calm down and chill out with me. When dad holds him he cries and fuses. This is making dad resentful and checked out - in my mind, the more absent (physically and emotionally) dad is, the more baby will continue to prefer me. Dad being so checked out and refusing to even try is really starting to affect me and in return our marriage. I put support as the flair but could honestly use some advice too. My husband didn’t grow up with an involved dad so maybe that’s part of it…. Additional context: I am on maternity leave still and I do pretty much all care for baby (which is a discussion for another day) including feeding and changing 99% of the time, giving all baths, making/attending all doctors appointments, changing outfits, taking him places. Thanks for any advice or condolences or good vibes or anything really.

At what point did you realize just how bad your depression was?

For me it was yesterday, when I tried to take my hair out of its bun and realized it’s more mats than hair, and greasy as hell from not being washed in literal weeks. I make sure the babies are clean and nourished. I (try to) keep the house at least semi-clean. That’s about all I have the capacity to do these days. I don’t care about myself at all anymore. Nobody else in my family cares about my needs so long as their needs are met, why should I? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Future pregnancies and Rh-sensitization

Hi everyone, first time posting here! I'm O- and my first child is O+. I developed Rh antibodies despite getting RhoGAM shots at 28 wks and later in the day after a C-section delivery. How uncommon is this? What could have caused this? I'm looking into data for outcomes for future pregnancies. Has anyone here experienced this or found helpful studies on Rh sensitivity statistics for future pregnancy outcomes? Thank you in advance!

Parents who used the YMCA, what was your experience like?

I’m home with my daughter except for the one day a week I work. Our budget is tight, but I’m thinking of canceling streaming services so I can have a YMCA membership. I prefer working out at home, but my daughter is 4.5 months old and it’s just not realistic to keep trying to make it happen. The thought of being able to workout and shower sounds heavenly. Plus, the parents’ night out sounds cool, too. We don’t have anyone to help us with childcare, so a date night sounds awesome. I’m thinking the socialization would be good for her. I know diaper changing policies vary state to state. Will they feed baby? Are they going to call me the second she starts crying? How independent does she realistically need to be? What kind of ratios will they have with babies that young? $77/month is not cheap. Is it worth it?

Do you keep baby items or give them away as baby out grows them??

Hello, I just had my first baby 8 weeks ago and she is already sizing to 3-6minth clothes and doesn’t use her bassinet. I am also unsure if I want another one. I am obviously going to hang on to sentimental items. Do other people get rid of items as baby out grows them or hang on just incase. Space in my house is limited but if I had another baby I would want to repurchase a bunch of things. Input please

Visitation Day and feeling very isolated.

My sons went with their father. “Friends” bailed on me. I’m currently curled up in my bed till 5pm rolls around and it’ll be time to pick them up. Time to spend this time figuring out what’s wrong with me and find a way to edify myself or just plan for a future far away from this shit hole County where my ex has defamed my character with lies and victim blaming resulting in me losing “friends.” Wishful thinking as I know I’ll be forced to stay in county as well as state till the kids are out of high school, etc. I try not to hate my life but today is a struggle.

When do they sleep?!

Baby #2 is 4 weeks old and waking up to eat every 1.5-3 hours. I'm exhausted! When did your babies start sleeping longer stretches? I can't remember much from my first aside from the fact that at 14 weeks things got better sleep wise. Does it take that long? 10 more weeks seems like forever!

Things to do while pregnant to reduce allergies and eczema risk for unborn child

I selected scholarly discussion but would love to see research and studies. I have a son who has a dairy allergy, pet danger allergy, possibly other allergies, and eczema. I recently found out I'm pregnant with our second and have read that taking probiotics while pregnant can potentially help reduce allergies and eczema in babies. I'm wondering what else might be out there that can help reduce/prevent this.