I'm definitely not ready to have another baby but I've found myself beginning a sentence with "Next time I will..." several times lately, so here are my notes to self:
1) Stay active during pregnancy for as long as I can. I walked 4 miles the day I went into labor. This isn't to say that I did something active every day, but whatever I did definitely paid off since I was back in pre-pregnancy jeans in 5 days. I know genetics helped in this too because my mom was the same way (thanks Mom!) Note to self: This "staying active" will be harder with a toddler in tow, so make sure you are in shape before you get pregnant next time so that it will be easier. Also, I'm pretty sure it will be harder to shrink the tummy back next time, but we can dream.
2) Don't buy maternity clothes ahead of time. There were several short-sleeved things that I didn't get to wear/wore once because I wasn't big enough until the seasons had already changed (and I refused to buy a maternity jacket and only bought 1 long-sleeved maternity shirt). I just wore sweatshirts and my long-sleeved Chi O tshirts and workout pants for the last month or so unless I was leaving the house.
3) Start the cloth diapers early. I will post a separate review of them soon, but I am loving the fact that I no longer have to worry when I pick Elise up out of her carseat after she has pooped. I won't start them at the beginning because newborns go through a ton of diapers, but I will start them after a semi-regular schedule is established (probably in the second month).
4) Buy a comfortable nursing bra at the beginning (I have one now but didn't get it until after 5 1/2 months of nursing and I am kicking myself for that...).
5) Work hard to establish good nighttime sleep habits early on like I did with Elise. It was definitely hard work at the beginning but it paid off big time. I took at lot of ideas from Babywise and a few of my own and somehow combined them together to work well. She started sleeping 8 hours straight at 5 weeks and 12 hours at 9 weeks. Next time I will start trying to establish a schedule a little earlier.
6) Don't buy newborn diapers unless you need them after the baby is born. The hospital gives you plenty for a few days and then you can send hubby to the store to buy more if you need them. We tried putting a newborn diaper on Elise in the hospital and laughed because we couldn't get them to fasten around her legs. She was a big baby.
7) Along the same lines, don't wash all of the clothes before the baby comes, even though it is tempting. Wait and see how long you'll be using newborn clothes. There were several outfits that she didn't get to wear or only wore a few times. I would have liked to exchange them for bigger sizes.
8) Buy another white noise machine for the baby's room right away. It helps Elise fall asleep faster for naps and at night and I can go in and out of her room without feeling like I will wake her up. Unfortunately, I didn't buy one until she was 4 months old.
9) Anticipate that breastfeeding will be a major production in the beginning. Contrary to popular belief, it is a three-person job (mom, dad, and baby) because baby will fall asleep, need to be woken up/burped, you will leak and the burp cloth will never be within reach when you really need it. Use the Medela lanolin instead of Lansinoh because it is easier to apply. It will take awhile before you are comfortable BFing in public with a nursing wrap because it hard to carry on a production while trying to keep yourself covered. Realize that there is a light at the end of the tunnel when the baby will be a quick eater and you won't spend 8 hours a day as a milk machine. Now she is finished within 5-10 minutes. Also, experiment with using the Boppy in the beginning. At first I thought it wouldn't work for me, but at about 1 month old I figured out how to position her to make it work. This saved my wrists. I used it until she was about 3 months old.
10) Use the Baby Bjorn carrier more when they are smaller and lighter. I'm sure it will definitely come in handy with a toddler. After Mike deployed I realized how much I actually needed 2 hands and since then I've used it almost every day. Also, if you live in Texas, buy the Air Carrier because it is much cooler in the summer.
11) Put the new baby in the crib from day 1. You get so little sleep anyway that you might as well sleep soundly when the baby is sleeping instead of constantly worrying at every single noise they make.
12) If you find cute bibs, you are lucky. Buy them because the baby will be wearing them a lot. It is a bummer to have a cute picture with an ugly bib. I'm betting there are cute bibs on etsy but I never thought to look.
13) When you go into labor, if the contraction doesn't hurt REALLY REALLY REALLY bad then you don't need to go to the hospital yet. Wait until it makes you cry because you will be more comfortable being in pain at home than in the car going back and forth to the hospital (we went 4 times, it was lovely).
14) Don't assume that the baby is hungry every time she puts her hand in her mouth. Though this is definitely a sign of hunger, it can also mean that she just likes to suck on her fingers/thumb.
Other things that I plan to review soon: (Find out which one(s) I wouldn't buy again!)
Tessera Baby Book
Baby Bjorn Babysitter 1-2-3 (bouncer)
Baby Einstein Activity Gym
Baby Bjorn Air Carrier
Evenflo Baby Go Travel High Chair
Gro Baby Diaper System
Bumbo
