[mayankk]

A carrier and a stroller, till the time my son was about 5-6, helped me innumerable times.
We managed to walk all along the mall roads in Shimla, Mussoorie, carrying him on my back, or in the stroller. Mall visits, day to day pushing around not counted.
The stroller was an umbrella type, so it fit easy enough in the boot, and was extremely hardy. Even larger pebbles on tracks didn't faze it. In fact, it , and the carrier, are still serving some other people.
Apart from this, also had a series of car seats for him since birth, which ensured that he learned to only sit in those till he grew out of them.


This Carrier:

https://www.amazon.in/Tula-Ergonomic...019NUEDZK?th=1


This stroller:
https://www.amazon.in/LuvLap-Tutti-F...y%2C284&sr=1-4

[PrasadS]

Originally Posted by mayankk

Apart from this, also had a series of car seats for him since birth, which ensured that he learned to only sit in those till he grew out of them.


This Carrier:

https://www.amazon.in/Tula-Ergonomic...019NUEDZK?th=1


This stroller:
https://www.amazon.in/LuvLap-Tutti-F...y%2C284&sr=1-4

Thanks a lot for the reply as well as the links. Appreciate it at lot.

I know we have a different thread for carseats, but can you just give a small run down of the series of car seats used if it's not too much trouble.

[akhil_007]

Originally Posted by PrasadS

I didn't find any dedicated thread so decided to start one.

So i turn to this amazing community to help me and fellow new parents with their wisdom.
Appreciate any tips you'll have and will post any queries i come up with on the way.

Congratulations and Welcome to Sleepless nights for next few months. Few points that you can consider
1. Stock up your patience as the time ahead will be testing and stressful
2. Always burp the baby after feeding. They will teach you in the hospital. Practice once infront of nurse/doctor to ensure its correct.
3. Learn how to pack the baby snugly. Initial few weeks, babies wont sleep if they are not snugly packed
4. Learn how to change diapers and clean the poo. Dont overdo Wipes as it will dry the skin
5. Read up on baby's growth phases and different milestones. You can subscribe to babycenter.com. You will get emails regularly on baby's milestones,do's/dont's etc.
6. A portable baby rocker is very helpful after 5 months. Provides a consistent posture for baby to sleep and easier to put the baby to sleep

[Capri89]

Originally Posted by PrasadS

I am still on the fence about buying a stroller for our soon to arrive bundle of joy.

Don't buy one.

The joy and the feeling of holding a baby close to the hearts, literally, cannot be described in words. The stroller or anything else takes away that. Ofcourse car seats for babies is a must.

After all, how long are you going to carry the baby in your arms. 2 years max? Once the baby starts walking it will be eager to just run around.

From 4 - 5 years it will ask you to carry again for the closeness it has already experienced but cannot express.

See beyond the convenience factor.

Wishing you happy parenthood.

[subraiyr]

Originally Posted by PrasadS

I didn't find any dedicated thread so decided to start one.

We are expecting soon and are on the 3rd trimester. Being a soon to be first time parent, I've realised I have almost negligible knowledge on this topic.
Being surrounded by lots of experienced elders, i am somehow dependent on them to help me out and take things as they come. But lately I've realised that times have changed and now a day's we have a lot more facilities and tricks which my previous generation is unaware of regarding birthing and babies.


Obviously guys seem more illiterate on this topic than ladies, as we'll talk about cars and gadget more than babies when we socialize
Do share your learning or experiences, as it would help a lot of people like me.
All the best to all the people who are in same situation as me.

First - Hospitals are sterile zones. So the first thing that hits you is that you dont want to go home with the baby considering the dust at home. It is a truly frightening aspect to bring a newborn baby to a home full of things. Don't worry about it. I asked around in the hospital if we could stay a few more days and boy did I get some dirty looks

Actually, this is the first one - Natural Vs C-Section. Natural is the one everybody swears by. But remember the paint quotient is absolutely high. There are incidents of vaginal tears that occur with natural birth. Listen carefully to your doctor. Some doctors insist on C-Section as it costs a bit more + they can put you in the recovery room for a couple of days more. Each one has its pros and cons. Finally, it's about the comfort level of the mother rather than anything else

Second - Recuperation is to be quick. Within 8 hours from the time of delivery, you have to get up and move around. And the big one no one will tell you is pass gas. Not doing this can wreak havoc to the mother

Third - Learn to feed. Babies are natural, but some babies have a tough time suckling. Get the nurse to help and learn the art of suckling, holding, and burping in the end. This is a must

Fourth - Cleanliness - Babies are slippery buggers. Learn to bathe them. The old-fashioned technique of putting them on your legs and bathing is highly preferable to the tubs.

Fifth - Nails. They grow and grow quickly. Cut it every 2 weeks. Baby skin is very soft and the nail can scratch them silly. Use nail scissors. Not clippers

Sixth - Vaccinations - The hospital will give you a chart. Follow it to the T

Seventh - Feeding - Initially every 2 hours or so. They cant drink much in one go, but they can drink multiple times. Store breast milk in containers, inside the fridge. Heat and use. Prefer to keep it up to 24 hours and not more. Invest in a breast pump and a sterilizer. They are useful for at least 2 years if not more. Avent is a trusted brand

Eighth - Diapers, washcloths, bathing soap (Teddybar, Cetaphil), swaddling cloths, burping cloths, etc are not to be missed. I am guessing you already have all these.

Ninth - Keep checking for eye and ear coordination. Snapping your fingers around the ear region and the baby responding, eyes following your finger as you move it

Tenth - 3 months into it, start massages after the baby turns. Helps bone development.

Eleventh and this is a BIG one - Postpartum depression - No one, at least the oldies will speak about this. But this is for me the elephant in the room. Mothers go through a big curve of elation till the baby is born and then plunge into despair. They are not in control of their life suddenly and they are responsible for life of another person who is fragile and totally dependent. They see the world passing by while they end up with a daily routine of feeding and cleaning. Further hormonal imbalances create a storm in the person. My advice - listen to her, let her rant and rave and you be the punching bag. Take her out. Break the monotony of being cooped up at home.

There is so much more if one goes into detail. This is a start. If you have any queries, happy to help

[PrasadS]

Originally Posted by subraiyr

There is so much more if one goes into detail. This is a start. If you have any queries, happy to help

I prayed for a drop and was blessed with a waterfall!
Thank you for mentioning all of these points. Especially the seriousness of point 11. Even now we are being careful and not going out much, especially after the cough episode. So to make up for it and satiate some cravings, we went out just enough to have pav bhaji and sandwich at our regular trusted place. Was a bad decision cause despite taking acidity meds pre meal, we still ended up at the doctor's due to stomach ache. The first thing they ask is 'did you eat outside?'. We accepted our mistake and i decided that I'll have to put my foot down a bit and learn to say no to atleast a couple of things Your point emphasizes that being a punching bag days are still not over and this is just a start.

For the other points, amusingly, some of them i was exposed to due to a k-drama called 'Birth Care center'. I wish we had similar facility here. But we are lucky that our parents and elderly make up for it instead.

[PrasadS]

Blessed with a Baby boy and he's now 2 months old.
Thanks a ton to all the Bhpians who shared their valuable wisdom. When time comes to act, you can't think or get to research, so your words which i read earlier were very helpful when my hands were tied(or holding diapers).
Enjoying each moment of this beautiful time. Sometimes like a zombie but still beautiful nonetheless

My baby bling, the accessories:
1: Luvlap breast pump
2: Philips Avent steriliser
3: Philips Avent bottle
4: Feeding pillow
5: Carry nest
6: Disney baby storage cupboard
7: Pampers premium Diapers 5*(the pants one, didn't leak a bit and easy to change)
8: Last but not the least and my proudest purchase, Graco 4ever Dlx baby seat, courtesy of T-BHP reviews.

All the above were very useful buys and most were recommended by members here

Now I am looking to buy an electric cradle. Not sure if its worth it, but i do doze off a lot when swinging the baby in the old school crib.
Never even blinked during so many night drives, but now i just crash with one hand on the rope and one on the phone.
Please let me know if anyone has used an electric cradle and was it useful and do 6+ months infants use those or don't settle in them at all.

[subraiyr]

Originally Posted by PrasadS

Blessed with a Baby boy and he's now 2 months old.

Now I am looking to buy an electric cradle. Not sure if its worth it, but i do doze off a lot when swinging the baby in the old school crib.
Never even blinked during so many night drives, but now i just crash with one hand on the rope and one on the phone.
Please let me know if anyone has used an electric cradle and was it useful and do 6+ months infants use those or don't settle in them at all.

First of all - Hearty Congratulations. You are ready to go on a roller coaster ride. Whatever people tell you, there are going to be some amazing times and there are going to be tough times as well. Enjoy each and every moment of this.

Personally, i don't think an electric cradle makes sense. 6 to 7 months down the line, your baby is going to move around a lot and will start sleeping without rocking. I have seen my sis in law's child go the other way. She is 7 now and still wants to be rocked to sleep. Doesnt make much sense. Early habits die very slowly. Babies usually sleep off very quickly after a nice warm shower and some yummy food (milk for now). We had a crisis in hand when our son would get bathed and fed and even before he finishes his milk he is in la la land.

[ninjatalli]

Parents,
Any of you (or anyone in your networks) have leveraged daycare(s) for your child from the age of 6 months to 1 year? I was talking to some of my colleagues and they mentioned options like Klay (link) that do offer such services in your respective cities; as another alternative to getting a nanny. In my network, I'm only aware of folks using daycare for children upwards of 18 months so would be interested to know the experiences of folks who have done so for children younger than that.

[DudeWithaFiat]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Parents,
Any of you (or anyone in your networks) have leveraged daycare(s) for your child from the age of 6 months to 1 year? I was talking to some of my colleagues and they mentioned options like Klay (link) that do offer such services in your respective cities; as another alternative to getting a nanny. In my network, I'm only aware of folks using daycare for children upwards of 18 months so would be interested to know the experiences of folks who have done so for children younger than that.

My daughter used to go to Klay (in Pune) for day-care for pre-KG. She was 2 and a half when we had admitted her, but I remember the admin there telling me that they take care for kids from 6 months onwards and I do remember seeing 7-8 months old babies there. It was all okay from what I had seen.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

daycare(s) for your child from the age of 6 months to 1 year

At 6 months, the baby would just be starting solids and wouldn't have weaned out. It is impractical for a third person to manage the baby without the mother's presence.

If the reason is to allow the mother to resume work, look for a full-time nanny and full-time work from home for the mom. I have a colleague who is doing that from the 6th or 7th month.

I would say, look at the daycare option after the kid starts to talk or communicate to you (which is 18 months or later)

[ninjatalli]

Folks,
Could you please share your feedback on baby carrier with lumbar support, that you have used and would recommend? We have been using a carrier (without lumbar support) for our 3 month old so he's used to being carried around.

We are looking at international brands like Ergobaby but don't want to plonk upwards of 15k without getting feedback / trials if possible.

Any feedback on Indian brands like Soulsling or Kolkol carriers? Interested in these as they offer cotton / linen options in 5k - 8k price bracket.

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Folks,

Any feedback on Indian brands like Soulsling or KoiKoi carriers? Interested in these as they offer cotton / linen options in 5k - 8k price bracket.

Both look good. Essentially similar to another couple of brands that we used, I'll update this post with names.
Essentially, you're looking for carriers which don't suspend the baby, but offer full support from knee or mid thigh onwards, and which keep him close to the chest (not pressed). The brands you've mentioned look good, you can buy these, if you get to try them first. They're like shoes, something will be off if you didn'tnt try them first.

I'll let you know. We used carriers till my son was about 4-5.

[subraiyr]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Folks,
Could you please share your feedback on baby carrier with lumbar support, that you have used and would recommend? We have been using a carrier (without lumbar support) for our 3 month old so he's used to being carried around.

We are looking at international brands like Ergobaby but don't want to plonk upwards of 15k without getting feedback / trials if possible.

Any feedback on Indian brands like Soulsling or KoiKoi carriers? Interested in these as they offer cotton / linen options in 5k - 8k price bracket.

The best ones are from this firm called Baby Bjorn. They are brilliant. We used one for our son for about 4 + years. The usual weight they carry is around 25+ kilos. The investment is a bit heavy initially, but it is amazing. While it supports the baby completely including lumbar support + neck/head support, it also helps the parent through effective weight distribution. I could walk hours together carrying my son in this. And you can flip it both ways. Till about 6 months, the child will be facing you when you strap it in front, and post 6 months, the child will face outwards. And we used it for us, my cousin, and a couple of friends - overall 4 babies used it successfully. The fifth one is currently riding the wave

https://www.babybjorn.com/products/b...rrier-one-air/

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Folks,
Could you please share your feedback on baby carrier with lumbar support

The brands were :
Tula
Boba
Cookiie
Anmol