baby cinco

it's official. we have a new baby boy to add to the third boob family. he'll be two weeks old tomorrow and is perfect, as all new babies are. welcome to the party, baby cinco. you're in for a crazy ride with the third boob bunch but we think you're going to like it here. we are so happy to have you.

getting ready for baby: what to expect at the hospital post delivery

yeah! this is our last "getting ready for baby" post. we've made it to the end and by now, you'll have the nursery stocked, your baby gear ready to go and you'll know what will happen during labor and delivery. if you missed any of our "getting ready for baby" posts, don't miss reading those.

here's what you can expect in the hospital after your sweet, little wonder arrives.

after you deliver your baby, the nurses will eventually take the baby and clean him or her up slightly and then they will start working on cleaning you up as well. the big pads they placed under you for delivery (think bed covering pads) will be replaced. you'll be rinsed off a little bit and cleaned off with some towels. eventually you'll be put back onto another big bed pad. you'll stay on this for a while until your bleeding gets under control. they will keep replacing the bed pads for the rest of your stay.

i was informed after delivering my fourth baby that you tend to have more bleeding after each delivery. for my fourth, i was told that i wasn't at the point of needing a blood transfusion but that i was close. this isn't just period bleeding...this is something much more. think crime scene photos. be prepared.

eventually you'll try to get to the bathroom again on your own. each time you go to the bathroom, you'll have a little plastic bottle to fill with warm water. you'll need to rinse yourself well after each trip to the potty. they'll then give you some super attractive disposable underwear and some monster sized pads that you'll wear and replace many times in those first hours after delivery. if you need more, ask for them. don't be afraid to use the towels to clean yourself off. this is labor and delivery. they are used to a mess. don't worry about the white towels that are sitting in the bathroom. just use them.

they'll also provide some ice packs for your va-jay-jay. these don't make your feel 100% but they do help you feel better. use them and ask for more. they are a small relief after labor and delivery and you'll be glad you have them. if they don't offer them right away, ask if you can get some.

after a short time, you'll have a lactation consultant come in to visit. if you thought your privacy was invaded during labor and delivery, just wait for this fun. these lovely ladies will come in and grab your boob with a vice grip and shove it into your baby's mouth. if the baby doesn't do it right, they'll move the baby off and try again. this will happen repeatedly during your hospital stay. good times. don't forget your lanolin at this point. it will save your boobies.

your baby will be in and out of your room at this point. they'll be taken and bathed. the pediatrician will check on the baby either in your room or in another location. there will be blood tests done on your baby through a little slice on their heel. the baby will be poked and proded during their hospital stay. they will love calm moments with you so enjoy those. when the baby is away, take advantage of that time to take care of yourself.

if the baby is out of the room, this is the perfect opportunity to use the bathroom, change your clothes, if possible, take a shower. use those moments to clean up a bit and to feel a bit more refreshed. little luxuries make a huge difference during your hospital stay.

you'll be offered pain medication during this time as well. if you need something stronger, don't be afraid to ask. if you are exhausted, don't feel bad about asking a nurse to take your baby to the nursery for an hour so you can take a nap. the nurses are trained to take care of your baby. you'll be on call 24/7 as soon as you walk out of those hospital doors. if you can get an hour of sleep in a the hospital, take it. nurses will be in and out all night long, your baby will need to eat every couple of hours all night long, hospitals are never particularly quiet. if you can get a moment of rest, don't feel guilty, take advantage.

on your last day, several things will need to happen. your baby will need a final check with the pediatrician, you'll need a final check with the ob/gyn, discharge papers will need to be completed, forms signed and your iv removed. the day you leave is always packed full of activities. be prepared for a busy last several hours there. finally, your baby will be released to you and you'll be wheeled out of the labor and delivery ward. this was always my favorite part of the process...the moment when it was all over. have your camera ready. take pictures and try to savor the little moments before you head home. your life will never be the same. try to absorb as much of it all as you can.

there are so many details of each person's experience. you'll have plenty of stories of your own. each baby brings its own excitements and hilarious moments. try to see them as hilarious intead of mortifying. they will all be worth the prize...a beautiful baby of your own. do your best to enjoy.

getting ready for baby: toys and activities

if you haven't read our previous "getting ready for baby" posts, you can catch them here:

diaper bag must haves - newborns

diaper bag bust haves - older babies

changing table

bathing

clothing

sleeping
feeding--breast and bottle

health and safety must haves

if you are new to these posts, we just want to again mention: we're not experts...just mommies. if you have ideas that differ from ours, please share them. if you are a new mommy looking for some advice, here's what we've learned.

first of all, as a newborn, your baby won't play. they might look up at a mobile in their crib but they can't even see colors yet. look for things in black, white and red for your newborn to watch. that's about all the playing they'll be interested in for their first few weeks of life.

secondly, bear in mind that babies will play with anything. i lived in south america when my first three were born and we sometimes had to get creative with our toys. my oldest's favorite toy as a baby was a wooden spoon with ribbons tied to it. he also loved a string tied from the sides of his crib with little ribbons dangling down. toys don't have to be expensive. you'll learn as your children grow that you'll end up buying them the newest, greatest thing out there only to realize that they are much more interested in playing with the box it came in. don't kill yourself trying to find the newest and greatest thing. there will probably come a time when you'll look at all the crazy little noise making objects covering your living room and want to take a massive trip to the dump. save your sanity and don't overdo it.

thirdly, babies and toddlers do get bored. you'll end up getting gifts for your children's birthdays and holidays. grandparents will go overboard and you'll have more stuff than you know what to deal with. one of the greatest tips i learned as a new parent was to purchase large plastic tubs that can be stored at the top of a closet. i divided my baby's/toddler's toys up into those tubs and rotated them, taking one tub down each week or even each few days. what a difference that made! not only was i not overwhelmed with the toy clutter in my house but my toddler actually played with the toys i resurfaced. to your baby's little mind, it will be like christmas ever few days of the week...and it will cost you virtually nothing.

those three things being said, here's a list of some toys that we've enjoyed and used for our babies at various stages. some i wouldn't want to live without.

playmat/gym - this is one of those toys that i loved having for my infant babies. it was fabulous to lay my baby down for a few minutes and know they would be occupied and happy while i got some things done. a lot of them have music and other sounds as well as lights and a little mirror. the baby can be entertained again and again. they are more expensive than i anticipated as a new mommy but they were worth the price in the freedom they provided.

Baby Einstein Around The World Play Gym

tummy time mat - along those same lines, they have little tummy time mats for your infant. these are great as well. you can use the playmat/gym listed above for the same purpose but these have a convenient little pillow to prob your baby up for what is generally a tough time of the day.

Infantino Surfboard Tummy Time Mat Blue

bouncer - a bouncer is an amazing thing for a newborn and an infant. as a new mommy, you'll be looking for any place to put your baby down for a few minutes. you'll need to shower, use the bathroom, brush your teeth, make dinner, all those crazy things that are easier with two hands. a bouncer is the perfect place to put your baby. my kids loved the bouncers that vibrated them back to sleep and played a little lullaby. as they grew, they wanted one that had toys attached to a bar across the top so that they could be entertained. if you can find one with all of those options, pick it up.

Fisher-Price Infant-To-Toddler Rocker - Blue/Green

swing - my babies loved their swings and i in turn did as well. with our first born, he'd wake up in the morning too early for our sleepy standards but would sit happily in his swing for another 45 minutes until we could bring ourselves to deal with the day. they are also amazing for rocking your tired baby to sleep. with the little moving mobiles at the top and the music playing all the while, they are magic in box.

Fisher-Price My Little Snugabunny Cradle 'n Swing

hanging toys - it's great to have a couple of hanging toys to attach to a portable car seat handle or a stroller. your baby will love having something that dangles for them to pat. it might also give you a few minutes of happy baby time while you're in the grocery store trying to check out.

Lamaze Mortimer the Moose

Lamaze Freddie the Firefly

other infant toys - there are tons of great toys out there for your baby. you can choose from so many that it can seem overwhelming. here are some of our favorites.

Rhino Toys Oball Rattle (Colors May Vary)

Manhattan Toy Winkel

Manhattan Toy Baby Whoozit

as your baby grows, his or her needs will change. you'll need some toys to help they sit up, learn to stand, learn to walk, or just get tired out. here are some of the ones we love.

bumbo - once your child can hold his or her head up, you'll love having one of these little bumbo seats and the attachable tray. this can keep your baby comfortably sitting wherever you may be. my babies loved to sit and watch me cook in the kitchen. i could chop veggies and they could sit, watching, playing with toys i'd place on their tray, carefully away from the little hands of brothers and sisters.

Bumbo Baby Seat - Lime

Bumbo Play Tray - Ivory

musical play table - as your baby grows, a scary thing will take place. they will become mobile and will pull themselves up to standing. yes, it's wonderful. your baby is progressing, motor skills are developing, and they will start to get into everything! save yourself some trouble and but a toy they can enjoy while one their own two feet. this won't save you from finding a wii remote in the toilet on occasion but it will perhaps cut down on the frequency.

LeapFrog Learn & Groove Musical Table

exersaucer - immobile entertainment...in a word, perfection. these things are amazing. they are bulky, not very attractive and you'll wonder why you didn't purchase one for each room. once your baby can hold his or her head up and are tall enough to reach the bottom of the exersaucer with their feet, they are ready to enjoy one of these. the seats rotate so baby has 360 degrees of fun. the greatest part? you can put your baby in one of these and come back in ten minutes and they'll still be there.

Baby Einstein Around The World Discovery Center

jumper - jumpers crack me up. my kids generally have loved these and i have loved watching them bounce up and down and get so tired that they literally fall asleep jumping. i have pictures and video...cutest things ever. this toy will tire your baby out. enough said.

Fisher-Price Rainforest Jumperoo

other toys - again, the options here are endless. find some simple toys your baby will love and stick with those. my kids were all suckers for music so most of our toys revolve around one song or another. they are also obsessed with phones. buying play phones will inevitably save your real one at some point.

Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube

Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Learning Phone

Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Rock-a-Stack

Playskool Busy Poppin' Pals (Colors May Vary)

walker/ride-on - as your baby grows in mobility, they'll want something that can aid them as they learn to walk. walkers really are wonderful and you'll find your little one scooting all over the house attached to one of these.

Fisher-Price Stride-To-Ride Lion

play gate - you may not need something like this but i've found that it is super helpful. if you use it indoors, you can put some toys inside and know that your baby will be safely playing while you get some things done. it is big enough to keep older brothers and sisters safely away from a playing baby as well. if you take it outdoors, lay down a large blanket and place the gate on top of the blanket. my kids love playing outside and this was a great opportunity for the baby to enjoy play time outdoors as well.

Friendly Toys Little Playzone with Sounds and Lights

i hope this is helpful. again, in this area, there are so many options that i'm sure i've missed someone's favorite out there. if you have one you feel you could not live without, let us know. we'd love to pass the information along!