First-time moms: What will you differently the next time around?

This is something DH and I were talking about earlier.

Since this was our first child, we did a lot of things "on the fly" that came back to bite us. We've made a pact that when our future DC come along, there are a few things that we will do differently.

To name a few:

1. Tell the nurses in L&D NOT to give DC a paci because he/she is learning to nurse. I can't even tell you what a headache this caused, and all because they gave her a paci without asking us first.

2. On that note, we will try not to give a paci at all. Our DD is addicted.

3. Put the crib in our bedroom and nix the bassinet. The whole transitioning to the crib thing...oof.

4. Start a consistent nap schedule when DC starts sleeping through the night, and keep the noise going through naps. DD is so used to quiet that she'll wake up if I flush the toilet in our bedroom next door.

What will you guys do differently?

Re: First-time moms: What will you differently the next time around?

I swear, I JUST clicked onto Parenting to write this exact post.

After reading Vanessa's post about the Pacifier, I am def. rethinking giving it to this next baby. Jack only took it for five months and I can't remember having to put it back in his mouth all night long (i'm sure I did - I must just have blocked it out)

I will not rock this baby to sleep if I can help it. I will try to put him in his crib awake. For 6 months I had to rock Jack for all naps and bedtime - and I was completely shot. It took me longer to get him to sleep then he actually stayed asleep.

I think that by 2 -2.5 months I will start to incorporate some sort of routine with this baby. Naps in his crib, bedtime routine (even if he still wakes for a bottle which I'm sure he will - at least he will start with the early bedtime)

Re: First-time moms: What will you differently the next time around?

Try and save enough to stay home for at least 9 months. So missing my boy when I'm at school.

Get on a real schedule for naps, etc. It's definitely not easy but harder to do as they get older.

Read and learn more about breastfeeding so that I can do it for longer.

Journal more day to day to remember the little things.

Re: First-time moms: What will you differently the next time around?

I'm hoping that next time around I'll relax a little more and not worry about every single little thing....and trying to do everything so perfectly.

The rest of it will fall into place I hope.

Re: First-time moms: What will you differently the next time around?

I'm a really new first-time mom, so I'm not even aware of what I'll regret later yet.

One thing I'll do is, if we do go for baby #2, s/he will definitely go right into the crib in the nursery from the start. Once we moved DD in there, EVERYONE slept better.

Re: First-time moms: What will you differently the next time around?

I am hoping that I can breastfeed longer.

Re: First-time moms: What will you differently the next time around?

Fun thread!

1) I will NOT breastfeed. I was miserable and in pain. Abby and I BOTH got thrush and it simply was not worth it. Happy Mommy, Happy baby.

2) DEFINITELY limit visits from family and friends in the baby's first few weeks. I will have a c-section the next time around again and I will not entertain the troops like I did with Abby. Too bad if people don't like it.

3) I will get a baby nurse for the first week or two. Is it necessary? No. But I want it and I deserve to have it.

4) I agree with a strict napping schedule. I cannot be wishy-washy about that next time around.

5) I will be more persistent with transitioning to solids. I cannot help but think that had I challenged Abby a little more, then perhaps her feedings would be a bit easier.

(I'll add more later)

Re: First-time moms: What will you differently the next time around?

Re: First-time moms: What will you differently the next time around?

i don't know how much i'll do differently, except listen to advice from BTDT mommies the fist time instead of the third time! i could have been sleeping better way earlier if i swaddled DS right from the start

DS was an incredibly easy baby. he had latching issues but it had nothing to do with pacifiers. he transitioned to the crib with no problem. he can sleep through almost anything. and it's not because we were noisy! it's just how he is.

but i do know that this time, i'm going to try and pay more attention to what the baby is trying to "tell" me. last time i let everyone tell me what they thought DS needed when more often than not i was right

Re: First-time moms: What will you differently the next time around?

lots of things!!

-will swaddle 24/7

-sleep train from day 1

-not have the "breastfeed or die" mentality...that really screwed me up!

- try the 5's from day 1

-incorporate a bassinette, actually lol. we did the crib in her room thing and i ended up waking up every 45 min and walking to her room like a zombie. i didnt believe in co-sleeping. yeah well that's out of the window.

Re: First-time moms: What will you differently the next time around?

Re: First-time moms: What will you differently the next time around?

I'll do whatever I can to get DC in the crib or PNP ASAP. I do not want to co-sleep.

Re: First-time moms: What will you differently the next time around?

Re: First-time moms: What will you differently the next time around?

Definitely will establish more of a nap schedule that involves the crib.... ds would refuse to nap in the crib until he was9 months old... which with two dogs made nap time impossible....


stick to my guns about my rules with family, which i started over the past few months with ds but i dont need the headache early on

turn my phone off for the first few weeks.... i somehow ended up "hosting" dinners at my house alot during the first two months with ds as my parents would invite my aunt and uncle to my house or my siblings and hey would bombard me...

be more insistant on the nursing issue... i didnt get alot of help in the hospital and i ended up eping instead beause bs gave me issues with latching

Re: First-time moms: What will you differently the next time around?

Oh I was just thinking of this...how funny!

- I will get a pump in my room the moment they bring me out of L&D

- I will ask for and accept help

- I will take a nap during the day when the baby sleeps and go to bed early

- I will no stress that the house is not perfect

- I will start the baby on Lucas' schedule as early as possible

Re: First-time moms: What will you differently the next time around?

Breastfeed longer
No soothie in the Hospital

Nothing else really DD has been a dream from day one sleeping 8 hours

Re: First-time moms: What will you differently the next time around?

-try breastfeeding (even if it only for when I'm on maternity leave)

-if we can swing it, take more than 8 weeks in maternity leave

-start from day one with naps in the crib

Re: First-time moms: What will you differently the next time around?

I am pretty much doing everything the same....never gave a binky...never rocked to sleep.

Only thing is I am more relaxed...not sweating the small stuff like when will she hit milestones

Re: First-time moms: What will you differently the next time around?

reach my bfing goal

create more of a balance in my life as mom to newborn and wife. i was really bad at that. it took us a long time to recover.

Re: First-time moms: What will you differently the next time around?

Re: First-time moms: What will you differently the next time around?

I will even attempt to breastfeed. It was such a horrible experience for both Samantha and I. I can honestly say BFing was tramatizing to me.

Other than that, really nothing. I think I would probably have a different answer had we not hired a baby nurse for 3 weeks after Samantha was born. She really helped us and taught us ALOT. She's already on my speedial for when I get pregnant again as we will be hiring her back!

Re: First-time moms: What will you differently the next time around?

- I will not BF and if I pump, it will only be for the colostrum then I will stop.

- I will put #2 on a nap schedule earlier and not just let her nap whenever.

- I will start the 5 S's sooner.

Re: First-time moms: What will you differently the next time around?

Actually.. not much.

The paci is a non-issue with us...she only gets it to go to sleep in her crib.

She goes to sleep on a schedule by herself without rocking or anything like that...wide awake in her crib and falls asleep.

I actually cant think of anything that I would do differently.

Re: First-time moms: What will you differently the next time around?

no breastfeeding at all. Getting my boobs back, was WAY TO PAINFUL!!!!

no Binky, my "get rid of it at 6 mos" out the window. Damn Binky

No jumping every two mins someone fusses (DH is notorious for this)

Oh, and maybe finally get a baby book, so I can track his/he growth and firsts.

Other than that, I think Im good.

Re: First-time moms: What will you differently the next time around?

MY dd is a terrible sleeper so I SWORE I would do everything differently with #2....sure enough - he won't have it the way I want it! He HATES his crib and is sleeping in the swing all the time.

If you had asked me 2 weeks ago I would have a huge list of all the things I "planned" on doing - but now that I realize that isn't going to happen the only change I am really making is realizing that I don't have that much control, and I am going to go with the flow more without stressing. I hope this will also allow me to enjoy him while he is little more than I did with my DD.