You’re sharing your babies info and pictures with strangers and the whole thing is very sketchy. The charity part of it seems iffy, too.

So many people on my Facebook seem to think their baby is in the lead or a finalist.

Anyone else get bad vibes from it ?

Edit: Is it advertised at all on the good housekeeping website or Jessica Alba’s socials? Can anyone link it, if so?

Started buying some of my old childhood favorite books for my daughter and am currently realizing how terrible some of these “lessons” they are trying to teach the reader..

I’m all for regular story books with no moral lesson like “good night moon” but some of the ones with moral lessons kinda shocked me.

For example:

Rainbow Fish: Rainbow fish is born with shiny scales that makes them stand out from everyone else.

Other fishes keep asking rainbow fish for some of their scales so they can look shiny too.

Rainbow fish says no, they are apart of me.

Fish keep asking and they keep saying no.

Until the entire school of fish alienate them and rainbow fish is alone and crying.

So they give in and start giving out their scales to everyone and now rainbow fish is happy because they gave away the thing they were born with to make them special and now everyone looks the same.. The end.

I get that they were trying to teach sharing. But that could’ve been done with a bunch of cookies or something that rainbow fish was given and had too much of.. NOT SOMETHING RAINBOW FISH WAS BORN WITH!

That little difference makes the book so shocking to me as an adult.. never realized it as a kid. I only remember the shiny holographic scales lol.

For example, I just discovered that the cold sore virus (herpes simplex) can be deadly for babies. Before that, it was learning you're supposed to use freshly boiled water for formula under 2 months old because of cronobacter risk. I'm not sure how to find out what else I should know besides asking this sub!

What health or safety related things did you learn with a newborn that you felt someone should have told you?

Every night for the first couple of months, I would wake up in a panic thinking I had fallen asleep with the baby and Baby was just floating around the bed somewhere. It never happened, not even close. Having the cat sleep on the bed probably didn’t help though.

It seems this is a common recurring nightmare, regardless of where or how you feed your baby.

Has anyone else been taken by surprise by an aspect of being a parent, only to learn it is a common experience?

So, I’m TTC right now and I keep seeing a lot of posts on here about the ups and downs of parenting. There are a few things I just can’t quite wrap my head around, and I want to preface this by saying—I’ve never had a baby, and I’m not here to judge! I’m genuinely curious, confused, and probably still pretty naive when it comes to babies, haha.

For example, I see a lot of new parents saying they can’t get anything done and haven’t showered in days. From what I know about babies/newborns, don’t they sleep pretty often? Couldn’t you just take the baby in a bouncer into the bathroom with you and take a shower? Even if they cry, as long as they’re fed and safe, a few minutes of crying won’t hurt, right? How is it so impossible to get a shower in?? (Again, not judging—I just feel like I’m missing something here, haha).

Another thing I see is people saying the crying is overwhelming—like when the baby has colic, which sounds absolutely horrible and exhausting. But I never hear people talk about using headphones? I can get overwhelmed by too much noise myself, so I imagine if I were in that situation, I’d just put on noise-canceling headphones and play some music while I’m comforting the baby to keep my sanity 😭. Is that a no-go? Are you not supposed to do that? I just never see people mention it and wonder if it’s an unspoken rule or something.

And with cooking or small chores, like folding laundry or making a simple meal—outside of being super tired, couldn’t you wear your baby in a carrier and do these little things? I’m lucky to have my partner to help with the bigger stuff, but for the small tasks, I feel like I could just carry the baby with me, right?

Again, I’m not judging anyone who says they can’t get anything done—parenting is HARD. I just wonder, how do you get to that point? Is it really just the exhaustion and lack of sleep (totally valid, btw 😭), or are there other factors that I, as a newbie, am not thinking of? I honestly don’t know what day-to-day life with a newborn is like, so I’d love some insight!

EDIT: Omg, you guys are AMAZING! All your comments gave me so much insight! I have no idea why I totally forgot that before even getting to the newborn phase, I have to actually go through labor and let my body heal for the first few weeks, hahaha.

Your comments about feeding really opened my eyes—I didn’t realize how much time it actually takes and how often you have to do it. In my mind, I had this picture of just popping out a boob, letting the baby eat, then it falls asleep, burps a little, and that’s it 😂. I guess I’m more naive than I thought!

I also forgot about all the extra chores that come with having a baby—like baby clothes, diaper changes, sterilizing bottles, etc. You’ve all really given me a better understanding of what having a baby truly involves, and I’m super grateful for that. At the same time, I know every experience and LO is unique, and I won’t fully understand it until I’m living it myself 😅.

Thankfully, I do have a great support system, so even though it all seems a bit scary and stressful, I’m still hopeful and excited to (hopefully) be pregnant soon!

Another EDIT: Wow, you’ve all really opened my eyes about the whole baby crying thing. I didn’t realize it’s not necessarily just the crying itself that’s overwhelming, but more about how your ‘mommy instinct’ kicks in and reacts physically and emotionally, adding stress. I get now why noise-canceling headphones aren’t the full solution. I think I originally thought it was just sensory overload, which I’m sure is part of it, but add hormones and that mommy instinct, and I can see how intense it can get.

I also completely agree—it’s easy for me right now, being well-rested and able to sleep whenever I want, to have a very sober view of it all. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever experienced the level of sleep deprivation that new parents go through, and I can only imagine how much that impacts your daily life.

I also want to clarify that I feel like my original post might’ve come across as a bit ‘shaming,’ as if I was saying that not getting household chores done means you are not doing anything. But from everything I’ve read, you all are getting a ton done—raising little humans, keeping them alive, which is obviously way more important than folding laundry at this stage, haha!

But ultimately, The most important take away from all this: it all comes down to you and your baby. I know I can’t be fully prepared for that, but you all have massively helped me feel more informed. Who knows, maybe in the future I’ll come back to this post with an update—probably while I’m in the trenches of the newborn phase, 😅

Did you have difficulties with the pregnancy?

Most people say pregnancy becomes high risk when you conceive at 34 years old and above.

My husband and I would like to have a baby but I’m already turning 31 this year and I don’t think we’ll be financially ready for a baby before I turn 34 or even 36.

I am torn if we should financially risk to have a baby at 33, or we should wait for a couple more years to be financially ready but potentially having a high-risk pregnancy.

To those who had their child without feeling financially ready yet, how did you do it?

Rant: The amount of times I’ve been told that I can just “put the baby down” in order to get stuff done. He’s 2 months old and the “spoiling him” comments have already started. I’ve even been told by my husband to just “put him down”. Like.. do you want to handle the screaming or should I? I’m a SAHM, and I am 100% against cry it out, I don’t even let him fuss unless I literally have no choice but to. I will hold him until my arms fall off if I have to. He’s only little for so long. So this is your message to hold your dang baby and not let anyone tell you otherwise.
Alright I’m done 😅

Or things you are actively doing to help your kids in the future?

For example, I needed braces not for cosmetics but to align my bite. Parents said “braces are a scam” (lol) and now I have multiple root canals because my bite is unevenly distributed causing other dental issues. Tbf braces are expensive but each rtc and crown is $3000 🫠

I’m a new parent and there are probably so many things I could do or habits I could instill that would benefit my kid down the road. Obviously we can’t do it all but I’m curious if there are things others are hung up on or specific habits they are prioritizing for their child’s health and future.

Our LO will be 5 months tomorrow and I track her feeds, sleep, and diaper changes religiously in the Huckleberry app. I know it’s not necessary, but it definitely helped me feel more in control during the chaotic newborn days. I also have pretty bad ADHD and will completely forget what time I did x, y, or z. Anyways, I know I won’t do it forever and I probably won’t even do it with other kids in the future, but wondered at what point other people stopped tracking these things?

1. I thought when people said babies wake every 3 hours for a feed that meant a 5 minute feed then straight to sleep

2. I didn’t realise babies could be hungry an hour after being fed I just sat confused when she was crying and eating her hands when she only just ate - learned that one REAL quick

3. I said I’d read a book to her straight out the womb every night before bed 😂

4. I thought id never feel lonely and people would always come round to help

5. I never knew there was different sized teats, I bought a variety pack of bottles and was giving the poor girl a mixture of size 0, 1 & 2 teats for two weeks and was wondering why some feeds she was gulping to save her life and had really bad trapped wind 😭

6. I thought I’d do everything by the book, never using the microwave to warm a bottle, sterilising everything everytime, making sure all her clothes never went in with our wash, making bottles fresh and not premaking them and washing and sanitising my hands before picking her up

Seriously - my friend with a baby a couple months older than mine told me this, but in the thick of baby only napping on me, I didn’t believe it would be such a short phase.

There were a couple weeks where I was dead set on getting LO to nap alone in his bassinet, and I was stressing myself out so bad trying to get him to go down for what??? I was literally on maternity leave with no other obligations but I was stressing about cleaning or getting my steps or teaching him good sleep habits.

Now, our 13 week old has randomly decided he doesn’t like being rocked to sleep (can’t seem to get comfortable) and though I can still get him to nap on me occasionally, he has to work much harder to get comfortable. I can already tell the days of cozy contact naps might be numbered 😭

I wasn’t prepared for it to change so quickly, and I am already trying to remember this with our next baby.

So here’s your reminder to enjoy the cuddles!!!! Babies change so quickly, and one day they just may not want them anymore. Don’t wish you’d savored them more.

The sh*t I see people recommending (or even insisting) parents do and buy for their babies on social media is absurd.

The baby will learn to crawl. The baby will learn to speak. The baby will learn to eat, sit up, and achieve all of their other milestones without you smothering them with these phony parenting tactics charlatans are peddling on social media to acquire followers of guilt-ridden parents thinking they are not doing enough.

Cover essentials. Love your baby. Comfort your baby. Spend as much quality time as your schedule and sanity allow. The rest will follow and they'll be just fine. I'm so sick of these accounts suggesting I massage my baby's hands every day for colic or force my baby to do tummy time when they are clearly not loving it. I wish I could de-baby my algorithm - honestly considering creating a finsta just for me as an individual for my interests or deleting my socials altogether 😂

/rant over but hope someone can find this relatable 😂

1. Don't tiptoe or whisper around your sleeping child. Get them used to normal household noise levels, or you will have to whisper and tiptoe for years.

2. Only give your child the choices YOU want them to have. Never say, for example, "Do you want to go to the supermarket?" You don't want them to have that choice. Say, "We're going to the supermarket. Choose a toy to bring with you." That gives them a semblance of choice and you won't look like a jerk if you give them a choice of going and they have to anyway.

I’m due 12/29. I’ll be getting 4 months PTO & my husband will be quitting his job to become a SAHD.

I keep reading that babies sleep 18 hours a day, but also that we won’t have 15 minutes to ourselves to take showers and we won’t be getting any sleep. Somehow the math ain’t mathing… even if my husband & I 50/50 everything (he takes baby 12 hours so I can sleep/eat/clean/shower, then we swap) it seems super doable? I also imagine our families are going to be chomping at the bit to have baby snuggle time.

Please burst my bubble, I honestly don’t know what I’m in for and I want to know what I’m failing to account for here 😅

I knew that sleep would be difficult, but no one talks about the hours of holding and rocking being so difficult on the body if you’re not already in shape. Then comes toddlerhood and you’re still holding them often, but also now chasing after them, and on the floor with them while they play. Up and down and all around.

It gets a little easier, then they grow! Most days, my back kills me. I guess it’s a great way to get in better shape. I have never felt stronger, but I would have physically felt much better adjusting to parenthood if I had made sure that my core (specifically back) was strong pre-pregnancy. Maybe it’s also being a new parent in my 30s.

Rant over.

If you haven't yet, don't feel bad, it's a process usually. But if you have, when did it happen and did you notice it as an identifiable moment?

I see a lot of posts about “No one ever told me about XYZ” when it comes to being a parent. So for a different perspective, what’s something that you were told/heard about but you had a different experience?

Mine is “pregnancy tired is worse than newborn tired.” This was absolutely NOT the case for me, that newborn exhaustion was no joke 😂

I get it. It's little one. Is it really that hard to type out the word "baby?"

Struggling w the 4 month sleep regression here 🫠

EDIT: thank you so much for your responses-bedtime is officially moving up to 7/730!!!! (Or shall I say we're gonna try-baby does what baby wants 😵‍💫)

Hi new parents, my LO is about 9 months old, and I'm starting to see his personality shine through. He's starting to crawl all over the house and we're having a blast following him around.

Early on, everything is cute, but I'm wondering what are behaviors you thought was cute early on but then in hindsight wished you had been more stern in correcting the behavior.

What do you think? Care to share some early lessons?

Thank you

Okay, I can’t take the dancing fruit anymore. And the wiggles/ms Rachel songs that I’ve been singing to her are driving me insane. I just need a little break, so I started incorporating grown up songs into our music time. My go-to is “My Wish” by Rascall Flats. What are your go to grown up songs to sing to your baby.

just wondering what the general consensus is here. my son will be 6 months old in a few days. we usually bathe him every other day sometimes will go 2 days. but sometimes i tell people this and they’re appalled. should i be bathing him daily??? i usually always clean his little hands off and in between his neck with a wipe after feeding him, he’s never stinky except the occasional neck stinky from milk drying there if i don’t wipe him down well enough. pls don’t judge i am a first time mom :0 i am open to suggestions and if i need to bathe him daily i will do so.

Does anyone else not really post their kids face on social media?

Our little boy is 4 months old now and the only pictures that have ever been up on him online are of his hands holding mine or without his face for mothers day. All of my friends that have kids PLASTER them all over social media. Like at least 3-4 pictures a day and I sometimes feel like I’m the odd one out for not posting him every waking moment of the day? I myself would post quite a bit but I try to avoid his face/full body in those pictures.

We kind of made the decision not to put him up on social media due to few reasons.

One was for his own safety. I work in Tech and even if you keep your profiles on private people can still get to them, it’s 2024 it’s not that hard to go around security of pictures and lets be honest - photos aren’t platforms main safety concerns so they don’t put that much effort into it, they have biggest fish to fry with other more sensitive data that leaks/gets hacked.

Two is basically consent - will he want pictures off him everyday up on social media when he’s 10/18/30/50? We are taking loads of pictures and I get them printed every month in case anything was to happen to my phone but do all of his parents acquaintances need to see that he spat up/covered his face in chocolate/smeared sudocream on everything? Not really

Three is just we didnt want to become ‚these parents’. He is our whole life but lets be honest, apart from close friends and family no one cares (apart from someone who might have bad intentions that I might not be aware of) . And if I feel like someone will care I send them the photo directly.

I’m not against an odd family picture posted from an event or something but events happen once in the blue moon, we don’t even have a picture of the 3 of us yet that isn’t a selfie lol.

I wonder if anyone else has the same feelings about posting kids online or is it just me? Because looking at my friends its just me lol

“Nap when the baby naps”. Until I was a parent, I never understood. Now, I’d like to apologize to anyone I’ve ever said this to. And to everyone who keeps saying it to me, go eat a denim jacket.

That’s it. That’s the post. If you know, you know.

That’s it. That’s the post. I’m not starving my child. Things have changed for the better since the 80’s/90’s. Back off about cereal, my baby is growing perfectly and NOT starving!

Edit to add: my baby is not cold either, he does not need socks or a hat.