Caring for a baby is hard work. And navigating the different things you need to do, like interviewing different potential providers and figuring out sleep patterns can be incredibly overwhelming. Here you’ll find all of that and more.
For some reason, when you’re pregnant and in full fledged baby prep mode, so many people try to add one more thing to your list: baby proofing. There are checklists galore out there telling you to add baby proofing your home to the list of other things you do actually need to do before baby arrives. Like grabbing the essentials and interviewing possible pediatricians and daycare providers.
As our son has been getting older and more independent (14 months and he thinks he’s grown :-P) my husband and I have been discussing the way being in daycare seems to be impacting him. In some ways, its been absolutely great, but there have been some frustrations as well. No matter how much you love and trust your provider, there are pros and cons of daycare, just like any other childcare option. And just like any other childcare option you’re evaluating, you’ll have to weigh your own list of pros and cons in deciding if daycare versus another solution will work best for you and your family.
If you’re anything like me, you find the countless items online regarding the “things you absolutely must do before baby arrives” to be overwhelming and exaggerated. There were so many items on those lists that I couldn’t help but question – does this really need to be done before my baby arrives? So, I found myself texting my friends questions like, “why does every checklist out there say I need to pick a pediatrician before I have this kid? Do I really need to do that?” Turns out, the answer to that specific question was a resounding “YES!”
If you’re anything like me, establishing a bedtime routine for your kid can seem like a daunting task. I can’t even manage my own consistent bedtime routine! How am I supposed to put a routine in place and make this strong-willed minion consistently go through the same routine night after night? As it turns out, it has been one of the easiest things for us as a parents, once we decided on what that routine would look like.
In the early weeks after bringing my son home one of the things that drove me crazy was the suggestion to start “reading baby’s cues” in order to get him to sleep. Seriously, what freaking “cues” were those people talking about?! I simultaneously felt like I couldn’t imagine life without him and also totally and completely clueless as to who he was and how the heck to “read” him.
Going back to work is tough – whether you want to go back or not. Leaving your baby is no easy thing, and I don’t think anyone would tell you otherwise (if they do, they are wrong and not to be trusted). Add to the fact that, in a lot of cases, you’re leaving your baby with a stranger, it can seem unbearably difficult. So how do you go about choosing a daycare provider?
Ah, sweet sleep deprivation. We mommas (and dads) wear it like a uniform. Those puffy eyes and three-day-old t-shirts might as well be name tags reading, “Hi, I’m Sarah and I haven’t slept in 167 days, 5 hours, and 13 minutes” (not counting the sleepless last weeks of pregnancy—oof). We knew it was going to be tough, really tough. But countless men and women have suffered through these sleepless nights before us, so of course we could handle it too. But then we brought our little guy home and we were breaking – cracking at the seams.
I don’t know about you, but when my baby got his first cold (and his second) I felt terrible. Trying to soothe him through pitiful whimpers and all-out screams was tough enough for this new momma from a medical perspective, but to add to it the total uselessness I felt when none of my maneuvers calmed him – ouch. Coping with baby’s first cold is necessary, but tough.
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Baby’s First Foods Tracker and Idea List
Checklists for your first days home with you baby as well as items to take from the hospital
Self-care, home dates, and toddler activities idea lists
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I’m a mom, like you, navigating parenthood for the first time. Snugglebug Life is where I share the tips and tricks I wish I knew along the way along way!
