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Question

I am a first time mommy and am 29 weeks. It felt like we had all the time in the world, but now it’s getting closer and closer and I want to know anything that helped you through labor and delivery and/or transitioning home with a new born. Also I have two big fur babies so any tips how to ease them into their little brother? TIA!

Answer

Congratulations! For the fur babies: the 1st hat they put on baby's head right after being born, have someone take it home before you go home with baby and have the dogs smell it. The dogs will get to know baby's scent. It may take a little time but those dogs will be some of the baby's best protectors! When my step son is here our dog wont leave his side.

Answer

For me, the biggest thing would be to set boundaries from the start. 
My MIL was so full on after we had our son and it was waaay too much. Literally the minute I’d had him she told hubby she was on her way to the hospital bearing in mind I still had my legs in stirrups and hadn’t even been stitched up by this point! I told hubby no visitors until we were home - and by that I was thinking more like a few hours after we’d settled ourselves. But no, since mil was invited to the hospital she turned up uninvited to our home instead literally less than a minute after we walked through the door as hubby texted her that we were on on way there. I found it too much!! She also posted the birth announcement before we even told anyone else and this caused upset between hubby and his brother as he had to find out from someone else who saw the post 🤦🏻‍♀️
She’s backed off now after I told her in no uncertain terms that it’s our baby our rules after she did a few other things not to my liking but honestly I’ll be making it clear that I need a little more space with the next one!
Also set the ground rules early in terms of hand washing, unvaccinated family members busting and kissing etc. as you’ll be surprised how many people don’t follow the basic etiquette!!

Answer

Labor and delivery: Trust your nurses and doctors! They do this alllll the time! Speak up if you are unsure of something or are curious! It's your right to know and feel in the know! Trust your body and the process! Be flexible with any "plan" you have for birth! You can absolutely do this!
Coming home: Be flexible with your expectations in regards to visits, recovery, adjustment! You won't know until you're home what works and if it's different than what you planned for, be ok with it! Speak up if you don't want visitors immediately and also if you need help you didn't expect you would need! 
Fur babes: Expect jealousy! Our dogs did great with meeting our son. One just isn't interested and stays away, the other wants to be all up in our baby's business lol and is a jelly bean but is very gentle! 
Big changes coming for everyone mama! Give yourselves time to adjust, and to continue to adjust just when you think you're getting the hang of it! Lol! Be kind to yourself and the process!
Congratulations and have a safe and healthy rest of your pregnancy and safe delivery!

Answer

everyone says to bring home a dirty diaper or the beanie that baby wore in the hospital so they can smell baby before bringing him into the house

Answer

Labour: the breathing. Seriously learn the breathing 😂 I had 42h of back labour, the epi didn’t work and the labour breathing I learned at my antenatal course saved me 👍🏻
At home: lower your expectations for everything. Just be. Respond to your baby’s cues, seek help when you need it, let yourself cry (those extra hormones have gotta get out somehow). Accept that change is the only constant with babies and take it one hour, then one day at a time ☺️There is so much love and magic, but also a lot of WTF and seriously... a lot of poo. 😂

Answer

First outfit and or hat bring home to the dogs let them sniff it or sleep with it and it’ll work womders

Answer

After you have the baby have someone bring home a hat or clothes that baby had on so the dogs can sniff them to get used to the scent! That’s what I did when I had my daughter and my dog was good with her when I came home with her 💕

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