Prepping For Kids

***Pauler*** · 03-31-2010, 09:11 PM

so baby evan will be here in about 1.5 mos. what are some good things we can do to prepare?

**Rach** · 03-31-2010, 09:40 PM

1. Sleep
2. Get in plenty of husband-wife time
3. Sleep
4. Take care of your wife...these last couple months are going to be the hardest on her
5. Sleep
6. Make sure your have Labor & Delivery's number in your phone, have made visits and even "pre-check-in" if you can (we were having a scheduled c-section, so that made it easy)
7. Sleep
8. Make sure the nursery is all set up, baby cloths are washed and organized, plenty of diapers are purchased and on hand, and sooner to the date a bag is packed and ready
9. Sleep
10. Make sure you know the hospital's policy on visitors and then make sure you have made each of your families and friends aware of your expectations for visits (i.e. first couple hours after baby is born is just you, mommy and baby time, only immediate grandparents and aunts/uncles the first night, friends the next day...etc...) and make sure you tell family/friends that there will be times when you want it to just be the three of you. This SO important, because you two will be overwhelmed with it all, and some good "new" family time is important. Also, if your wife is planning on nursing, that your family understands when it is time to feed baby, that you guys expect everyone to clear out and give that time to mommy and baby because most likely it won't go perfectly right off the bat, and it will be important for them to be able to get their little routine and "dance" as I called it figured out without everyone surrounding and hovering. We were VERY clear to our families and friends about this stuff, and it made for a very relaxing time at the hospital and first couple weeks at home.
11. Sleep
12. Get the car seat purchased and installed in the car. This way you don't have to worry about it once you leave for the hospital. It might be a good idea to take it to the local fire station once you get it installed to have them check to make sure it is installed correctly. Something like 75% of car seats are installed incorrectly by parents/care givers.
13. Sleep
14. If your church will have families make and deliver meals for you guys once you get home from the hospital, make sure you let them know dislikes/allergies and when you expect to start getting them. (My parents were here for the first week we were home, so my mom was making meals for us. Once they left was when we told the church we would like to start receiving meals).
15. Sleep
16. Get all the thank-you notes for gifts received prior to baby's arrival done so you don't have to worry about that after baby is here.
17. Sleep
18. Make sure the camera has fresh batteries and the video camera is charged and ready for video.
19. Sleep
20. If your wife is nursing, make sure she has purchased and takes with her a nursing bra

Okay, there is 20 things, and I want to stress EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM! There is a reason sleeping now is important...you and your wife won't get a good night's sleep for a LONG time after baby is born. Chris and I got so tired of hearing this that we started to tune it out, but it is so true. My son is 8 months and I haven't had a good, solid nights sleep for well over a year (pregnancy sleep is not restful, especially when baby is playing soccer on your bladder and heartburn is radiating from the top of your head to your knee caps).

Everything else is stuff that we learned the hard way, or was told to us that was life savers. There is probably 100 more things, but that is what I could think of off the bat. I may add more later...

CONGRATS!! You guys are entering into one of the most exciting and absolutely most rewarding times of your life. Parenthood is hard, but it is the biggest blessing of your lives!!

**Dwight Schrute** · 04-01-2010, 07:03 AM

I agree with Rach's list though she missed this one - sleep.

we're having our fourth at about the same time frame. my heart goes out to you, my friend!

stock up on diapers and wipes and those little receiving / burping blankets. invest in a good baby swing. adding to the nursing bra, get plenty of those little round nursing pads they stick in the bra. can't tell you how many times my wife heard a crying baby while in public and released.

best book on the topic, ever: The Expectant Father series by Armin A. Brott. really excellent book from a guy's perspective.

tlj009 · 04-01-2010, 08:22 AM

Just be sure to get rid of the breast pump. That way your wife can't store up milk and she will have to get up every single time anyway.....so there is no need for you to get up.

At the same time, find a good marriage counselor that will agree with you.

**Dwight Schrute** · 04-01-2010, 08:32 AM

lol and a good doctor friend who will put in writing that you are allergic to changing diapers...

jthomas1600 · 04-04-2010, 06:43 AM

Congratulations. I'm done. My youngest is 11. Take advantage of help when it is offered. It will be a while before the baby is ready/you are comfortable, but that first evening when someone can come sit with the baby so you can go out will be heaven.

OiBoyz · 04-04-2010, 10:14 AM

If you don't have a grandma/grandpa (experienced parent) type in your family, find a stand in. Not necessarily for child care, but for all those questions that will pop up. In the middle of the night. Have them on speed dial.

Also, I can't believe no one mentioned it, but sleep now while you can.

1/2-Fast Player · 04-04-2010, 02:29 PM

If it's a boy, when you're changing him, as soon as the old diaper is off (I mean immediately) set it back over his little crotch while you work with the new diaper, lest ye be blessed by a scale demonstration of the Old Faithful geyser. Trust me.

A blow dryer works great for drying the kid after a bath and for keeping him warm while you're dressing him.

Though it's been mentioned, I don't think the above posts put enough emphasis on getting sleep while you can. My youngest (now 15) had colic for his first 8 months. That kid was either asleep or screaming; nothing in between. We had very little peace.

Turned out the vitamins my wife's doctor prescribed for her were upsetting his stomach through the breast milk, but that was the last thing we suspected. We also discovered he didn't like spicy Mexican food in his breast milk, either.

You might see if you can get paid for participating in a sleep deprivation study, since you'll be doing without anyway. You could use it to start the college fund.

tlj009 · 04-05-2010, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Though it's been mentioned, I don't think the above posts put enough emphasis on getting sleep while you can. My youngest (now 15) had colic for his first 8 months. That kid was either asleep or screaming; nothing in between. We had very little peace.

This reminds me. Mylicon drops.

1/2-Fast Player · 04-05-2010, 02:07 PM

I'd bet there'd be a great market among new parents for a version of Wet-Wipes that were saturated with chloroform.

Of course, FDA approval might be a bit difficult...

tigerfan88 · 04-06-2010, 12:29 PM

I'm not a parent, but I've done a good bit of babysitting for nieces/nephews. Regarding diapering--my technique was to unfold the new diaper and put it under the baby's bottom. I'd then quickly take off the old diaper and quickly secure the new diaper. In doing this, I never had the always pleasant experience of being "sprayed" by my nephews.

**tmlfan123** · 04-06-2010, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tigerfan88

I'm not a parent, but I've done a good bit of babysitting for nieces/nephews. Regarding diapering--my technique was to unfold the new diaper and put it under the baby's bottom. I'd then quickly take off the old diaper and quickly secure the new diaper. In doing this, I never had the always pleasant experience of being "sprayed" by my nephews.

I'm not going to pretend I know a lot about diapering, but don't you have to wipe the kid down after removing the old diaper?

earlessdog · 04-06-2010, 04:58 PM

I've honestly changed more diapers in my life than most parents ever will (my mom has fostered infants since I was 6, so I've been changing diapers since I was 6.), and I don't do any special tricks with it, but I do unfold the new diaper ahead of time, lay it near by, then take off the old diaper and fold it up and dispose of it (all with one hand because i'm still sort of holding the baby up with my other hand) then I stick the new one on. I'm pretty dang fast at it now.

I would also learn how to spank if I were you, haha.

**thesteve** · 04-06-2010, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tigerfan88

I'm not a parent, but I've done a good bit of babysitting for nieces/nephews. Regarding diapering--my technique was to unfold the new diaper and put it under the baby's bottom. I'd then quickly take off the old diaper and quickly secure the new diaper. In doing this, I never had the always pleasant experience of being "sprayed" by my nephews.

This is really the best way to do it IMO. By having the new diaper under the old diaper you reduce the odds of getting whatever you're changing on soiled by your child.

Pre-Ex-Girlfriend · 04-06-2010, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thesteve

This is really the best way to do it IMO. By having the new diaper under the old diaper you reduce the odds of getting whatever you're changing on soiled by your child.

In that case, then don't you also increase the risk of soiling the new diaper before it's even on the baby?