S/o what WILL you do with #2(plus) that you didn't with #1

[persa]

What new thing will you do?

[Deleted]

Ride out everything that works as long as possible (bouncy seat, swaddle, crib, etc.).
Truly believe that things will pass, good and bad.

[bananapancakes]

Have someone give a bottle early and regularly.

[jsillyfun]

-use a pacifier from day 1
-pump from early on to actually have a stash
-force dh to do one motn wake up every night
-transition to crib earlier
-night wean waaaay earlier (than 2.5 years lol)

[bowies]

Get a cosleeper thing and a RNP that rocks itself.

Take a longer ML (and I had a long one by American standards).

[anna7602]

So much of the new stuff is temperament and circumstances. I do a lot more with and without DS because he is very chill and will happily hang out while I'm lunching with a friend or getting my eyebrows threaded. He'll also let just about anyone entertain him and takes a bottle with no problem. I have three different sitters on speed dial.

But, I also don't work as many hours as I did when DD was the same age. I didn't use a sitter this early on with her to go work out or go on regular dates with DH because I felt like I was already spending a lot of time away from DD while working. It's easy for me to say "I'll just get a sitter!" When I work max 2 days/week right now. I can't fault my FTM self for wanting to spend more time with DD.

[yellowbrkrd]

Introduce a bottle sooner.

[teatimefor2]

I'm less than a month in, but I'm trying to soak up the newborn phase - letting him slept on me, baby snuggles.

Basically I'm worry less and enjoying it more.

[persa]

In general I'm pretty content with how we've raised DD so far.
I'm having #2 and #3 at the same time and right now I'm still thinking newborn phase, so some of the differences stem from that but here's my list:

Start pumping earlier
Introduce a paci somewhat earlier (but making sure BF is going ok)
That said, Not get too worked up about BF success (or not)
Hire more help around the house, both with babies and also just with house stuff.

I'm sure I'll think of more soon.

[waterchurch]

I bought a RNP! I feel like a sheep but I hope it helps.

[Brie]

I won't be so worried about what other people think or feel. Last time I remember being so paranoid that the baby would cry at the grocery store and disturb other shoppers, or that I'd have to nurse him somewhere weird. This time I just don't care. Babies cry, get over it. Boobs feed babies, get over that too.

Basically I have much more confidence this time.

[AlpineSlide]

Give bottles consistently. We started them in the hospital with DS but then stopped after a while at home, thinking he'd still take a bottle. Nope. He refused. So, next time we'll do daily bottles just to ensure s/he'll always take one.

Make more noise around the house to get the baby used to sleeping anywhere. DS has to have silence and stillness all around him to fall asleep. Of course, next time we'll have DS around making noise so the new kid will have to deal. We were wayyy too quiet with DS though and it bit us in the ass.

[AlpineSlide]

Also more babywearing!

[magpie]

try and enjoy the newborn stage. Hopefully, if we do have a second, we won't have colic again.

[GotWine]

a lot of what has already been mentioned! I want to enjoy the newborn phase when the baby will actually stay in my arms and not try to get away.
I'm not going to worry about hitting the next milestones. Seriously, the baby will get teeth at some point, I don't have to stress over whether or not they will actually be there ( my niece never got 2 of her baby teeth so I worried that my DD would be missing some)

I'm not going to worry about bf in public, I will not be bringing my new baby back out the car in the middle of winter to feed just so I don't make someone at Target feel uncomfortable.

Take more video. I wish I had more video of DD. I have a ton of pictures, but I wish I had more video of her day to day stuff of just being her. I only pulled out the video camera if it was something special going on.

I just want to enjoy it more. What if this is our last baby. This stage lasts such a short amount of time, I just want to make the most of my time with my baby.

[heygrey]

i will advocate for myself more when it comes to labour and delivery. i go in phases of being okay with my induction and then just really angry that i felt pushed into it by doctors i had never met.

babywearing from the beginning. i didn't get into it much until R was 2-3 months old and i can see how we would have benefited greatly had we started soon.

getting out of the house alone/alone with h more. we've been on one date in 8 months and our relationship is suffering a bit because we aren't getting that time alone. we starting to prioritize "us" more and it's good. we need to be a lot more conscious of it with a second kid. i've only left R a handful of times and they've been for super exciting things like getting an IUD, having my teeth cleaned, and having cavities filled. the other day i went shopping for 2 hours alone and it was glorious.

[Deleted]

I WILL not fret "is this normal?!?" Yes, it probably is. There's a wide range of normal. I know this now.

Like @tokenhoser said, I'll use whatever containment device, sleep crutch, whatever as long as it works. Sleeping in the swing? Fine! Still has a paci? Super. If baby is content and SLEEPING, I'm not going to fuck it up. My mantra will be "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

I will accept more help. DH had a 2 week paternity leave, half of which got eaten up by my 5 day c/s hospital stay. My mom and sister were supposed to stay to help after that, but they both flaked on me. I said "oh that's okay, I know you're busy! I'll manage." And I did, because I had to, but it SUCKED. This time I'll book anyone and everyone I can to help. No newborn mommy martyr.

[Deleted]

Nov 19, 2014 22:17:48 GMT -5 waterchurch said:

I bought a RNP! I feel like a sheep but I hope it helps.

I'm buying the automatic RnP!

[turtletop90]

Make H do more motn duties.

[scribellesam]

Nov 19, 2014 22:27:03 GMT -5 AlpineSlide said:

Also more babywearing!

Yes! I've been doing this with DS2 and it's so much nicer, especially when he's fighting sleep.

Also having the RnP from the beginning, and using swaddles/pacifiers has resulted in so much more sleep for me which is obviously phenomenal.

[cincodemayo]

I will try more baby wearing but I'm not positive it's for me so it will probably be more for function since I'll have a toddler around.

I think I'll have more confidence to tell people I want my baby back.

Not worry about nursing to sleep. I made myself sick trying to get DS to go to sleep without nursing.

[niq]

zombie thread, lol.

Anyway with #2 I will definitely let baby chill in a wrap/ergo/whatever for several hours while the rest of the family goes on with our day.

I think I will try harder to track signs & words. I halfassed it and sort of regret not having a better picture of when V added words.

Take more video.

[noodleskooze]

Have a fantastic LC's number ready to go, and thus, hopefully breastfeed successfully.

[gibbinator]

Do nurse to nap in our bed from the start, rather then having to get him to sleep then wake him up in the transfer to the crib.
Enjoy the non mobile baby because they're so much easier!
Not stress about milestones unless he's waaaaaay behind average.

[stacyb1983]

I will not push milestones. Crawling, walking, eating solids will happen when they happen. I was so anxious for H to crawl, walk, talk, you name it. With C I am savoring the baby days. Toddlers are no joke.

I did more baby wearing this time. I like it.

[jeaniebueller]

Nov 25, 2014 14:57:22 GMT -5 stacyb1983 said:

I will not push milestones. Crawling, walking, eating solids will happen when they happen. I was so anxious for H to crawl, walk, talk, you name it. With C I am savoring the baby days. Toddlers are no joke.

I did more baby wearing this time. I like it.

Totally relate. DD just rolled from back to tummy for the first time last night and even though H and I cheered her on, my second thought was "oh shit, now she is going to start rolling in her crib and then she'll be mobile and then we'll have to baby proof again. Nooooooooooo!!!!!"

[sent]

I am fully staying on ML until the next one becomes mobile.

[mcfelix]

Not stress about pumping. Which probably will mean introducing formula sooner. Pumping was really that one thing that stands out to me as really stressing me out during DS's first year. And it was so unnecessary to put that pressure on myself to give him only breastmilk.

[dragonfly08]

I refused to even try pumping or a nipple shield and switched to FFing when #2 couldn't latch (neither could #1, but with her I FFd while trying to establish a supply with the pump and work out the latch issues, and I was miserable).

I wore #2 in the Bjorn rather than use the infant carrier when we weren't in the car. #1 got transported around in the bucket.

I didn't do anything to encourage #2 to walk early. With #1 it was all "oh, hold Mommy's hands, come to Mommy, she's walking, yay!" but with #2 I was definitely "you sit your butt right down and don't even think about it yet!"

When #2 started giving up naps, I enforced "quiet time" instead, for as long as I could. I never tried that with #1...once she stopped napping, that was it.