ClearedForOption
Psychiatric Help 5¢
The best advice I can pass along is:
1.) Don't buy any of the baby crap that is being pushed on to you.
2.) What you do need is a metric-*bleep*-ton of diapers. And then 3 days later you'll be buying more. And more.
3.) Vomit cloths. Always a barrier between their mouth and your clothes. You will still be puked on. A lot. (Boys will pee on you... my boy somehow shot poop over 6 feet onto my daughter's face when I was changing him when he was somewhat new. I knew to dodge, she didn't.)
4.) Don't buy any fancy baby clothes. For the first 6 months of life (other than the obligatory 2-3 photo outfits) your kid will be wearing some form of PJ's - in your choice of flavor. Onesies, sleep sacks, whatever. You need a bunch of those.
5.) If you end up having to do formula you are not a failure. (Lots of bottles and one of those steam heaters are lifesavers)
6.) Get a good car seat. And the stroller frame that the car seat clips into. (Speaking of strollers, smaller and lighter the better.... to start you'll never take the munchkin out of the car seat so just the small frame one is good. You'll be carrying around a bunch of stuff so keep everything as easy and light as possible.)
7.) Sleep as much as you can beforehand, do couple stuff if you can, it's you last alone time for the next 19 years.
8.) Seriously, #7. There were times I was so happy that I got 'stuck' on a 3 day on reserve because all I did was sleep 12 hours a night. It was glorious.
9.) Don't listen to people's nutty parenting advice. And you'll get tons of it. Strangers will judge you every time you leave your house. Ignore them.
10.) It really is awesome. You really do turn into a better version of your own parents.
1.) Don't buy any of the baby crap that is being pushed on to you.
2.) What you do need is a metric-*bleep*-ton of diapers. And then 3 days later you'll be buying more. And more.
3.) Vomit cloths. Always a barrier between their mouth and your clothes. You will still be puked on. A lot. (Boys will pee on you... my boy somehow shot poop over 6 feet onto my daughter's face when I was changing him when he was somewhat new. I knew to dodge, she didn't.)
4.) Don't buy any fancy baby clothes. For the first 6 months of life (other than the obligatory 2-3 photo outfits) your kid will be wearing some form of PJ's - in your choice of flavor. Onesies, sleep sacks, whatever. You need a bunch of those.
5.) If you end up having to do formula you are not a failure. (Lots of bottles and one of those steam heaters are lifesavers)
6.) Get a good car seat. And the stroller frame that the car seat clips into. (Speaking of strollers, smaller and lighter the better.... to start you'll never take the munchkin out of the car seat so just the small frame one is good. You'll be carrying around a bunch of stuff so keep everything as easy and light as possible.)
7.) Sleep as much as you can beforehand, do couple stuff if you can, it's you last alone time for the next 19 years.
8.) Seriously, #7. There were times I was so happy that I got 'stuck' on a 3 day on reserve because all I did was sleep 12 hours a night. It was glorious.
9.) Don't listen to people's nutty parenting advice. And you'll get tons of it. Strangers will judge you every time you leave your house. Ignore them.
10.) It really is awesome. You really do turn into a better version of your own parents.