Non first timers...what are you doing differently this time?

[PregnantGrrrl]

After 'practising' on DS i'm doing a few things differently this time.

Going to try swaddling- DS was a flappy sleeper, sure half the time i got up and breastfed him back to sleep it was from arm flapping waking him up.

Going to breastfeed for longer...i felt sad after stopping at 6mths last time.

Letting new baby settle self to sleep- i don't think DS started doing this until a few weeks ago! He was always fed or cuddled to sleep, rather than left to lie quietly for a bit.

1. BF for longer. My target is 3 months and if I can get to 6 months I will be pleased.

2. Do things my way and in no way accept any interference. Various family members made me feel so inadequate last time, will not be having any of it this time.

3. Went back to work at 4 months last time and to this day (14 months later) regretted it, so a full 9 months off me as a SAHM to my soon to be two little boys.

1. Try and sort BF properly this time

2. Allow baby to settle himself

3. Blackouts in bedroom

4. NO DUMMY

5. Lots of walks rather than car trips

Oh forgot about the dummy - yes definitely going to try for no dummy.

I'm going to have a bedside cot so I don't have to bother getting up to the moses basket in the night. I really wish I'd had one first time!

Swaddling, oh yes. Got to this one late last time and it worked a treat.

I'm also going to leave solids for longer as I went with a timetable and not DD.

1. Not get whooping cough immediately after c-section

2. Not then give whooping cough to newborn baby 3. Make more effort to get pumping established to build up a frozen stash

And BLW... I'm going to do BLW this time.

What is BLW????

Oh is it Bloody Lose Weight... if it is me too.

1. Try to BF for longer

2. Rooming-in while DH is on paternity leave - and not dash about like a headless chook, like I did last time. Visitors can get their own food and drink! 3. Try not to read any 'baby guru' books

A good few weeks to go yet, but

1. No middle of the night car trips.
2. No parents visiting in the first few days/weeks
3. Dh to do more (including nappies), even if only for ds1.
4. Ignore helpful advice from MIL
5. Not eat like a pig afterwards and try to lose some weight
6. No reading of baby manuals

1. If i cant get the hang of breastfeeding, to DEMAND help and not be satisfied with "oh she's not interested is she. Nevermind, here's a bottle" (this is truly what happened with DS).

2. To let DP help as much as he wants and be absolutely grateful that he WANTS to help (had no help from DS - different DP back then).

3. To not get stressed too much and ask for help if i need it.

1. get bf right from the off this time to avoid bleeding nipples and excrutiating pain

2. not eat chocolate as a reaction to weight coming off quicker than i thought 3. TRY to be a bit less of an emotional wreck (not easy this one I know)

Not swaddling as DS2 hates it - DS1 couldn't sleep without it until he was about 6 mths old!

Not feeling pressurised into giving formula when clearly isn't necessary (I didn't do this last time either, but was made to feel like I should)

Breastfeeding DS2 to sleep, and lying with him for as long as need be in the evening until he goes to sleep (in our bed usually, not moses basket). I have promised myself I will try to stop this at 3 mths.

Leaving DS2 to cry for more than a milisecond before I pick him up (this is necessary in order that I can spend time with DS1, have a shower, get dressed, eat etc.)

Not sterilising!!

BLW
Not try and be superwoman.
Sleep more when baby sleep.

Try and express and use a bottle every day or so from an early age so we don't have the mega trauma of getting him/her off the breast when we need to/I want to.

Stress less about things.

Enjoy having a newborn more as won't be doing it again.

1. Defo give BF a good go

2. Not worry that the house is in a mess for the first few weeks

3. Teach DH how to operate Washing Machine and Vaccum Cleaner

4. Remember that I am not eating for two after the baby is born (more like shouldn't be eating for two now)

IN addition to my other post :

Be braver about bf in public

Bf in lots of dif places around the house too so easier to do above! (last time ended up mainly feeding lying down in bed as ds seemed to settle best that way)

Invest in some decent breast feeding tops

Not buy stuff I dont need

Keep away from competeive mums

*Not listen to my mums outdated breast feeding advice (she meant well but 10 mins on each side is NOT the way to go)

*Trust my body more, and not panic about producing enough milk.

*Try not to rush LO's babyhood by always waiting for them to do next thing (even though the firsts are really exciting!)

*Cuddle LO as much as possible and not worry about making a rod for my own back/spoiling them etc

*Not worry so much, esp about what other babies are doing (particularly when it comes to sleep)

I'd like to say I'll take things easy and not overdo it in the early weeks but with an 18 month old I think it's unlikely!

Cuddle the baby as much as I can and not worry about "bad habits"
Get good at feeding lying down in our bed so I can snooze through the night feeds
Not stress about how much he eats (which prob means BLW)

Rofl rofl at Bloody Lose Weight! Nooo, I'm not going to think about that!

(its Baby Led Weaning - chuck them a bit of what you're having rather than faff with purees)

no visitors in hospital

no one staying in house

not to worry about the birth - just look forward to new person arriving!

put child in all the lovely clothes they were given

Ooo, new girl, I did just the opposite and this time did not faff around putting my floppy new born into all manner of charming but totally impractical garments. She's been in the same sleepsuit for about 3 days now.... (I have bought a few nice things for when she's 4 monhts and not flopping and puking all over the place though )

NO VISITORS ON DAY 3 (there should be a government health warning about that)

Not reading any books (there is a well thumbed copy of What to Expect on standby though for any minor concerns)

Not trying to live my life as normal and bring a tiny baby everywhere with me - I'm watching for her routine and am fitting my stuff around that. Much easier. She won't need this much sleep forever.

Will deffo be doing BLW.

I'm not bothering writing a birth plan this time as it was completely ignored when DS was born.

1. Not accepting visitors til we're past the exhausted stage, no matter how pushy they are

2. exercising from the off to get abs strenth back

3. not eating chocolate brownies every afternoon

what I will do the same, is try not to have too many rigid expectations, see who this new person is and how they respond to the world.

hey all - as a first timer, this is a great thread to read ty

claireybee - i love this one:
*Cuddle LO as much as possible and not worry about making a rod for my own back/spoiling them etc

That is completely what I did with dd - tried to go against my instincts because everyone kept telling me I was making a rod for my own back - bllcks to that I say - what does a baby need more than to be cuddled and feel secure?