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I had this coat, but unfortunately I snagged it on my in-laws’ gate recently and it made a hole where feathers started flying out. This coat is the perfect weight — not quite a winter jacket, but more than a fall jacket. It’s light enough that you aren’t sweaty if you are a little overdressed for the weather, but it is warm enough that you don’t freeze if you misjudged and underdressed. The length is also nice, so that if I was wearing leggings on a lazy weekend day, wearing this jacket over them made me feel more put-together while running errands. It washes nicely, but I added this type of dryer balls when I dried it. I am definitely going to re-buy it, and it’s currently on major sale. It is available in several colors for $129 (marked down from $240) in sizes XXS–XXL. Hooded Packable Puffer Coat
Looking for other washable workwear? See all of our recent recommendations for washable clothes for work, or check out our roundup of the best brands for washable workwear.
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Sales of note for 3.28.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – Up to 40% off your full-price purchase; extra 50% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50-70% off everything plus extra 20% off purchase
- Eloquii – 50% off 2+ items; 40% off 1
- J.Crew – 50% off select styles
- Lands’ End – 10% off your order
- Loft – 50% off everything
- Nordstrom: Give $150 in gift cards, earn a $25 promo card (ends 3/31)
- Talbots – 40% off 1 item; 25% off everything else
- Zappos – 37,000+ women’s sale items! (check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kids’ shoe brands on sale)
Kid/Family Sales
- Carter’s – 50% off entire site
- Hanna Andersson – 30% off all swim; up to 30% off HannaJams
- J.Crew Crewcuts – 40% off sitewide; 50% off select swim; 50% off kids’ styles
- Old Navy – 50% off Easter deals
- Target – 20% off Easter styles for all; up to 30% off kitchen & dining; BOGO 50% off shoes & slippers for the family;
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And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!
- If you’re a working parent of an infant with low sleep needs, how do you function at work when you’re in the throes of baby’s sleep regression?
- Should I cut my childcare down to 12 hours a month if I work from home?
- Will my baby have speech delays if we raise her bilingual?
- Has anyone given birth in a teaching hospital?
- My child eats everything, and my friends’ kids do not – how should I handle? In general, what is the best way to handle when your child has some skill/ability and your friend’s child doesn’t have that skill/ability?
- ADHD moms, give me your tips to help with things like behavior in the classroom, attention to detail, etc?
- I think I suffer from mom rage…
- My husband and kids are gone this weekend – how should I enjoy my free time?
- I’m struggling to be compassionate with a SAHM friend who complains she doesn’t have enough hours of childcare.
- If you exclusively formula fed, what tips do you have for in the hospital and coming home?
- Could I take my 4-yo and 8-yo on a 7-8 day trip to Paris, Lyon, and Madrid?
NYC says
Good morning, I will relocate for half a year to work in Manhattan in August and am looking at childcare possibilities for my then 3 year old. The lower Manhattan or Greenwich Village area would be ideal to minimize the commute from daycare to work. It seems impossible and I realize it will be difficult. Nevertheless, do you have any words of advice?
Anonymous says
Yeah call Bright Horizons today. They have locations in TriBeCa, Wall Street, and Chelsea and are large enough they can probably get you in.
FiDi mom says
There are almost certainly spots in the 3s room at Kindercare, both the one at NY Plaza and the one on Greenwich St. We attend the former and love it.
Io says
Double check if your employer has any sort of relationship with a day care (I know someone who taught at the Bank of America day care), my husband’s company provides us Bright Horizon backup care, someone I know at the US attorney’s office gets discounted child care and many of the colleges and universities provide various forms of child care. Even if a company only had backup care, I’d ask HR to put you directly into contact with the center.
Also, if your child will turn 4 during 2020 you should apply for UPK. Applications are open now on the DOE’s website. The form is very straightforward and you can pick up to 12 schools. UPK is unzoned, so you can pick a daycare near work or a public school near your apartment.
T says
I’m sure this has been asked here a ton, but any critical items I might not be thinking of for bringing a newborn home? For either myself or baby? Goal is to deliver vaginally but obviously not a guarantee – do you just plan to have supplies on hand at home for both a vaginal delivery or C section?
Anonymous says
What supplies? I mean, I assume you own comfy pants, pads, and diapers. You have a safe place to put baby to sleep. I’m sure you have what you need already! You’ve got this!
Anonymous says
In my experience the hospital will give you a lot of supplies (pads, ice packs, diapers, etc) that you need right away. A couple of nursing tops/bras would be helpful.
Pogo says
+1, I wouldn’t worry about medical type supplies because the hospital will give them to you. I did buy that numbing spray, which I think helped, but these days there’s nothing you can’t get in a day or so with river store. Target is also a great one stop shop for new mom/baby stuff if you have one nearby – they have all pharmacy stuff you might need plus a great selection of nursing stuff.
I personally preferred Depends to other types of pads in the first 2-3 days, but then was usually regular Always. Like people mention below about night sweats you can’t really guess what your body is going to do – some people bleed for 6 weeks, some people it’s like a light period after 3 days. But again, Target or another pharmacy will have that all.
Io says
My hospital gave us NOTHING. Like, not even an extra diaper for the baby. Check with people who delivered at your hospital before you decide to rely on them. Plan to have your husband make a drug store run on the day you come home (you may have a Rx anyway) and get Prime.
Anonymous says
The thing that caught me off guard was the night sweats. I had to sleep on top of a beach towel with a hand towel on top of my pillow, then change the towels and my PJs every time I woke up drenched, which happened multiple times per night. So make sure you have an ample supply of towels, underwear, br@s, and PJs to swap out during the night.
AwayEmily says
Yeah, plenty of really comfortable pajama pants. I had night sweats too, but even apart from the night sweats the first couple weeks post-partum are just gross and you’ll want to change a lot, but also you will not want to wear anything but comfortable pajamas.
Anonymous says
Fun fact: post-pregnancy, I now get these often when I am ovulating. But not more than once per night. I can remember during and right after pregnancy, my PJ shorts would be so wet that they would literally drip when I got up to change.
Anonymous says
A friend of mine had this but I didn’t (at least not that I noticed), so apparently it isn’t universal.
Anon says
Same. No night sweats here.
Anonymous says
Yeah I ran hotter than normal in the beginning (which was actually very pleasant, since normally I’m always freezing) but I don’t remember any excessive sweating and certainly not at night.
TheElms says
Baby: Diapers (Newborn and Size 1 – but the hospital will likely also give you some), footed sleepers in Newborn and 0-3 month size or gowns for baby to wear (grab a kimono top from the hospital if you’re offered one – good while you wait for umbilical stump to fall off), burp cloths (buy the prefold diaper inserts), place for baby to sleep and extra sheets for that thing, place to put the baby down on each level of your home if you have multiple levels, changing table or dresser with changing pad (especially if you end up having a c section because bending over is hard), thermometer, diaper rash cream, vitamin D drops if you plan to try breastfeeding, some formula and a few different types of bottles (even if you plan to try breastfeeding – because sometimes it doesn’t go as planned and sometimes you don’t realize that until 2am),
You – wear a nursing bra into the delivery room if you plan to try breastfeeding, and have a couple nursing bras or tanks at home. Snacks you can eat one handed while nursing (like Kind bars or cut up fruit or string cheese). Lots of comfy pjs or yoga pants and tops that you don’t care about because stuff gets stained. I really liked Depends for the postpartum period other people prefer the hospital mesh underwear. A nursing pillow (babies are heavy).
T says
Thank you!! I plan to try breastfeeding, but given I’ve never done it before I’m flexible. Should I get the premade formula bottles?
Anonymous says
I would bring formula and bottles to the hospital, especially if it has a “baby-friendly” (i.e., mother-unfriendly) designation.
T says
Fortunately the hospital does not officially have the WHO designation, but they more or less told me that it’d be unusual to be able to send the baby to the nursery for an hour or two.
How do you know when it’s time for formula? I understand the expectation of cluster feeding/around-the-clock nursing at first, but would you switch to formula while still in the hospital if weight loss continues? Or what other factors?
Pogo says
Did you register anywhere? Once you have a registry you usually get samples sent in the mail (because everyone sells you data, I assume) – I think Enfamil has like a six pack of the pre-mixed ones. My local moms group and b-feeding support group at the hospital were both great resources for acquiring formula samples that other people didn’t need. Agree that the 2oz pre-mixed are excellent to have on hand for those early days.
Would also suggest reading how to use your pump before you are sleep deprived and dealing with a hungry jaundiced baby.
Anon says
Side note: I’m very thankful for the women here who mentioned the nightmare that is “baby friendly.” I’m delivering at a hospital that is not “baby-friendly” for the exact reasons women mentioned here (my default, in the new city, would have been the prestigious teaching hospital, which is baby-friendly). My husband is a social science professor, looked at the data and the 10 requirements, and fumed.
Anon Lawyer says
Anon at 2:09 – Sometimes the nurses are practical and override things! All the hospitals in my city are “baby-friendly” which I worried about but the nurses still took the baby to the nursery the hospital claimed didn’t exist for a few hours at night, brought us a pacifier, and were totally open about options for supplementing with formula. I appreciated there was a whole real-world thing going on there.
Anon says
I know that *can* happen, but that’s not a reason to cross one’s fingers and hope for the best when there’s a great hospital 1.2 miles from the “baby friendly” hospital that explicitly gives me those choices.
Anon Lawyer says
It was just a comment about my experience, not a directive.
TheElms says
Yes, I would. It’s more expensive, but its just easier in the beginning. I’d still get a few different bottles (babies can be picky – mine wasn’t but lots are).
Anonymous says
Seconding grabbing a pack of the premade 2oz formula bottles, but I wouldn’t get a bunch of different kinds of other bottles until you know you need it. Start with something cheap and ubiquitous and see if that works. Actually, Amaz*n baby registry gifts have been sending out Avent bottles, so if you do that you’d end up with one of those.
Anon Lawyer says
Between Motherhood Maternity and the Amazon and Babylist welcome packs we had like five kinds of bottles to try. We didn’t have to buy any until we settled on one (Mam as it turned out.)
GCA says
I would get a few of the little premade formula bottles; even with relatively successful breastfeeding there are many reasons you may need to supplement on day 1 (eg. neonatal jaundice – I’ve talked here about our nightmarish experience with kid 1!). If you don’t need them you can pass them on to other parents who might.
Anonymous says
One of the questions we had for our pediatrician in the beginning was what kind of formula to have at home as a back up in case we needed it even though I planned (and successfully was able) to breastfeed. The pediatrician gave us some premade samples and said they have tons of them. So you might be able to get some free ones from the doctor, either before or after birth. It never occurred to me to take it to the hospital with me.
Pogo says
good call! I posted above about getting free samples from moms groups but I forgot ped and OB offices sometimes have them as well.
Anon says
This is a great list and I wish I’d had this list when I was pregnant!
cbg says
This is a great list. I also loved the Medela gel packs that you could freeze or heat up, to help with engorgement, and their softshells to protect nipples when I wasn’t nursing. At least a manual pump too (my hospital gave me one, so ask there). Every mom I know got a sample pack of formula bottles in the mail from Similac (not sure how I got on that list) so those may be coming your way. Nuts, great source of calories that you can eat with one hand, water bottle with a straw. Pacifier, I love the wub a nub since it doesn’t jump onto the floor as quickly. Hair clips if you have hair long enough for little fingers to tangle into when you’re trying to get the latch.
Pogo says
Our hospital gave you free soothies (the wubbanub pacis) if you asked! They were hidden in the bassinet thingy, prob because hospital was baby friendly, but the newborn photog of all people was like, oh, baby is crying – here! they have pacis! (individually wrapped/sterile/etc). I grabbed like 5 before we left lol.
Anonymous says
Honestly, I wish I had worried less about that kind of stuff and bought less ahead of time. Unless you live somewhere without Amazon or Target/Wal-Mart, besides diapers, there was almost nothing that you couldn’t source almost immediately. Diapers, a couple burp clothes, a boppy or other feeding support pillow, and a nursing/sleep bra for you (whether you feed or not, you will want the extra support for engorgement) and you should be set.
ElisaR says
this
TheElms says
I live in a major East Coast city, with no family nearby. I had a C-section. The nearest decent sized Target/Wal-Mart (so it would have all items in stock) is at least 20 minutes away possibly 30 minutes in traffic. Amazon doesn’t deliver most of this stuff same day. The last thing I would have wanted was to drive to one of these places when I was 3-5 days postpartum. I also wouldn’t have been too keen on my husband leaving me for the 2 hours roundtrip the trip might have taken. You might feel differently though.
T says
Thanks for the reassurance, I’m similarly far away from a place like that. I don’t want to be in pain in the middle of the night or have the baby be hungry or in pain and not have options to try. I’m totally fine spending the money (and appreciating that it’s slightly wasteful) to have things I might need on hand before I need them.
Anon says
I’m with TheElms. I live in an urban area where getting even to a Target is somewhat of an ordeal (unfortunately). I had an (unexpected) c-section & could not drive for 2 weeks, & my husband only got 1 week off for my first. Delivery of things fast have improved since I had my babies, but for consumables still aren’t perfect. Here are the things I regretted not having more of:
1) Pads. My hospital didn’t give me enough to last all 2 weeks I couldn’t drive & restocking in between was a thing I remember stressing about. I ended up doing Depends for my 2nd, something I also made sure to have on hand ahead of time/brought to the hospital.
2) Nipple cream. I remember that is one of those emergency Amazon orders I did & I had to get, like, 3 jars of it b/c you couldn’t order just 1 jar online (that is why relying on online shopping for all consumables can still be a little hard) & I had the 2 excess jars kicking around forever. (I mean, not the end of the world, but since you are asking for a list…).
In general for my 2nd I also just made sure to be well stocked (have multiples of) of all my consumables, like shampoo, conditioner, body wash… just one less thing you have to worry about in the initial couple of months.
Good luck!
Anon says
I’m 4-5 minutes away from a 24-hour WalMart, depending on whether or not you hit the one light on the way there, so that is our back-up plan. But if that weren’t the case, we would be buying a LOT more before this kid arrives, just because the human cost of making a long trip at 2 am is so high.
Boston Legal Eagle says
N*pple cream if you plan to b-feed, or at least try to. So helpful to have ready the second time around. Yes, the hospital will have some but never enough and not the kind I liked. Also a nursing pillow (like the Boppy) as the hospital pillows didn’t work too well for support. The hospital will give you most things for recovery though so I wouldn’t worry about that. Do bring comfy pants and some sort of nursing/loose top. I personally didn’t want to be in that gown longer than I had to. Snacks, although my hospital had pretty good (free!) food. Your phone and charger.
As for baby, some outfits in various sizes. A place for them to sleep at home. A lounger is nice too. You can buy most things after the fact.
anne-on says
The gel pads that you can stick in the freezer, n*pple shields, and the earth mother creams (perineum and n*pple) as they were softer/more melty than lanisoh brand, which I couldn’t stand personally.
I also stocked up on stool softener, BIG maxipads (which you can wet/freeze for relief if needed) and the big silicone scar sheets (I had an emergency c, and the incision wasn’t as precise as a planned c would have been).
T says
Awesome, thank you – this is exactly what I meant by stuff that I wouldn’t naturally think of needing.
anon says
For you: something to deal with postpartum constipation. Honestly that was greater pain than childbirth. I have heard specific remedies over the years, but they currently escape me. Google and prepare.
Pogo says
ask your nurse at the hospital for colace ASAP!!! That way they get you started on it and it’s worked its way through your system by the time birth #2 happens a few days later.
I was also already on miralax from taking so much iron, and continued that for several weeks PP. It’s totally safe for pregnancy and nursing. Just do it. Save yourself.
Anonymous says
You have to drink a TON of water if you take colace. Apparently, at least in some people, it can have the opposite effect if you aren’t fully hydrated. I took my colace religiously, and ended up with constipation so bad I almost had to go to the ER (sorry for TMI, but it was baaaaaad).
anon says
I loved colace. It helped me. I hadn’t heard it can constipate you – definitely worked for me! Just ask the nurses what they recommend.
Pogo says
Oh wow, did not know that. I did however drink literally gallons of water in those early days, so maybe that’s why I escaped the terror.
Anonymous says
When I mentioned it to my doctor, she was like “oh yeah that happens to an unlucky few.” So I think it’s a known side effect, but definitely not a universal thing. I also think I took it for too long. This happened when I was three or four weeks postpartum and had gone #2 plenty of times. I think I should have stopped taking it, but the nurse at the hospital told me to take it for something like 6 weeks and I followed her instructions, thinking it would make everything more comfortable and then it had the opposite effect.
rosie says
Can you find out from others who have delivered at the hospital you plan to be at what they give you? I kept asking for more packages of pads, ice packs, etc. and had a ton to bring home (bring a tote bag!). But I know other hospitals in the area charge you if you want to take home the blanket your baby was wrapped in right after delivery and every other thing.
I think there’s lots of good ideas here, I didn’t see witch hazel mentioned. I poured witch hazel on some pads and froze them. Kind of alternated that with the tuck’s pads & lidocaine spray the hospital gave me.
Anon says
Post-delivery constipation is a real and dreadful thing – is bring prunes or other dried fruit to the hospital and start eating it regularly after delivery. For home, comfy clothing and food that is easy to eat with one hand (eg little burritos or egg rolls that you can microwave, chips and dips, bars, fruit). If you are breastfeeding you will likely be quite hungry so don’t skimp on fatty foods (nut butter and avocado tasted great to me). I liked having a water bottle with a straw next to chair I usually sat in while breastfeeding- straw reduces likelihood you spill water all over baby.
It’s helpful to have stocked up on basic house stuff so you don’t have to worry about it – like toilet paper, laundry detergent, garbage bags. But that’s also a great thing to ask someone to do for you after baby comes and you need to restock but don’t want to schelp to the store. Costco has fantastic baby wipes if you happen to be a member.
You’ll be great!
Travel Car Seat (Over 40 lbs) says
My 2.5 year old is a hair (1.5lbs) shy of 40 pounds, which is the weight limit on our scenera next. Haven’t measured to see if she exceeds the height, but I expect she does that as well given how deep into my counters she can reach. Recommendations for a lightweight forward facing travel car seat? Primary use would be rental (or extended family’s) car after a plane (she doesn’t do well in car seats on planes so we would likely curb check it), and I don’t really want to lug our Chicco Nextfit around the airport given the weight. Probably looking for something with an easy seatbelt install if possible, because I think we’re also transitioning out of latch installs (so sad).
Anon says
Graco Tranzitions, Evenflo Maestro Sport,or Cosco Finale, depending on the features you want. I’ve heard the beltpath for the Tranzitions can make it tricky to install in some cars, but I haven’t had issues personally.
Anonymous says
Not OP but do you know how the weight on those compares to the Cosco Scenera Next? My 2 year old has also outgrown that seat but we like using one on the plane so really want something that won’t be a burden to carry through the airport.
Anon says
The Finale is 8lbs compared the Next’s 7lb, so it’s the lightest I know of, but can’t be used without a top tether (so less useful if you travel internationally). I think the Maestro Sport is 9 lbs and the Transitions is 13.
Anonymous says
Thanks! I feel like I should have been able to Google that, but I was only getting results about the child’s maximum weight for the seat.
Anonymous says
Car Seats for the Littles typically includes seat weights in their reviews, for future reference.
Anonymous says
Are you looking to forward face or rear face? I love the graco transitions but it only forward faces so we didn’t start using them until age 4.
NYCer says
I have never used this seat nor have I done much research about it, but someone on another mom’s board recommended the Wayb Pico. On first glance, it seemed very convenient for travel.
CCLA says
I looked into this recently and think the Wayb Pico was recalled, heads up to anyone looking for it (I tried in vain to find one before realizing that). We opted for an Immi Go for our 3yo. It is only forward facing and she is normally rear facing at home, but I was comfortable doing that for travel by age 3. For anyone forward facing looking for a travel seat, highly recommend the Immi Go.
Anonymous says
Yeah, I believe it did have a recall, within a year of first being available, which makes me a little worried.
The Immi Go is great, just be aware it can’t be used on a plane or (I think) without a top tether, which can rule out many international cars.
NYCer says
Thanks, CCLA! Clearly my lack of knowledge about the recall cements the fact that I did very little research. :)
Em says
We got the Cosco Finale for my almost-4-year-old to take on a trip that involved 3 plane rides each way and a rental car at the destination. It was great on the airplane and lightweight and easy to install for travel. I ended up using it in my car permanently after we got back from the trip.
Canadian says
Late reply, but I’m in Canada and we switched from the Scenera to the Evenflo Sureride which is often recommended around here by car seat techs as the next size up travel car seat. The Sureride is actually a rear and forward facing seat just like the Scenera but is much longer lasting and not that much heavier.
Anon says
Good morning! We are planning our first family vacation (yay!) with our 1.5 year old. Location will have some mosquitoes, what are your best recommendations for toddler-safe bug spray?
Anon says
At that age we loved the wipes, rather than spray, for ease of getting their skin covered without accidentally getting any in their eyes or mouth.
My preference is for Picaridin, rather than natural substitutes, because it works against ticks. We’ve used both Avon Skin so Soft Bug Guard Plus Towlettes and Natrapel Mosquito, Tick and Insect Repellent Wipes. If you’re just worried about mosquitoes, there are probably lemon euclayptus options.
Anonymous says
+1 for wipes, much easier to apply to a wiggly toddler. I stock up on the Avon ones every year when they’re on sale. We live in MD (read: a reformed swamp with tons of mosquitoes) and I find that they work really well.
rosie says
DEET (up to 30%) applied once a day. I would suggest not trying to apply by spraying it around the head and face at least. You can get wipes or we spray it on our forearm and then rub it on our toddler. And spray directly on hat before putting it on toddler.
Anonymous says
Are you staying in a resort? They will spray heavily and you probably won’t get any bites. We travel to the Caribbean annually and I’ve never used bug spray on myself or my little one and none of us have ever gotten more than a couple bites. And I get eaten alive on summer evenings in the Midwest so I know it’s not just that mosquitoes don’t like me.
Anonymous says
Idk why you’d assume she’s going to a Carribean Resort.
Anonymous says
I didn’t assume anything. I asked if she was staying in a resort (Caribbean or otherwise, I don’t think it matters – all resorts spray). I mentioned the Caribbean only because it’s known for having a lot of mosquitoes and we go there and never get bitten, due to the spraying.
Emily S. says
We like Natrapel. It comes in spray and wipes. It works very well and I don’t mind the smell.
Anonymous says
Likely will get eaten alive for this (pun shamelessly intended), but I’d use a regular, solid DEET-containing Off spray as directed on the package and with the consent/direction of my pediatrician. I’ve used most all the natural stuff, and they never work. So if you truly want to keep the mosquitoes away, I’d go for the real stuff.
Pogo says
Pretty sure we asked our ped last year during the EEE scare and they just said to use the real DEET stuff. Don’t let you kid like, lick it, obviously, but we would spray ankles liberally. I also have some no-name hippie stuff I bought at a market one time that’s just lemongrass and lavender or something, and I would spray a cloud of that around kiddo since it’s totally non toxic.
anon says
I’ve done some research on this and would recommend checking out the recommendations for bug spray/wipes on Lucie’s List and babygearlab. I read those and several other articles and decided on the Avon skin so soft wipes which have permethin (if I’m remembering correctly). I’m honestly pretty crunchy but you have to do a cost-benefit analysis about bug and tick bites in my opinion. I decided to go with proven-chemical versus something more “natural” that didn’t have the benefit of clinical studies. This was the calculation for us with the strong potential for ticks and Lyme disease in Northern Wisconsin. I prefer wipes as I feel better about my kid/me not potentially inhaling the stuff.
Anonymous says
Picaridin, not Permethrin. :) Permethrin is the stuff you spray on clothing to make it repell insects.
Anon says
I personally prefer the off DEET family spray – it’s labeled as dry touch or soft touch I think – silver bottle with orange cap. We live in the south, back to a creek, and have mosquitos that will eat your dinner (and you) – so we go with the DEET applied as the label suggests and make sure we just have a thorough bath that evening.
Buble says
How do you know when it’s time to request to change preschool teachers? I have had reservations about my child’s teacher for a few months now, but I still worry about overreacting and subjecting my kiddo to the difficulty of transitioning to another classroom for no reason. But I feel like I’ve lost trust in this teacher and want to make a change. Am I wrong to bring this up with the school and try to make it happen?
Anonymous says
I think before you request a change, you should have a) had a parent teacher conference to discuss whatever the issues are, and b) met with the director to discuss those concerns and how they will be addressed. If you’ve done that with no change or improvement, and if these issues are seriously impacting your child, then ask to move.
mascot says
Ok, so there are a lot of factual issues that we don’t know that could change the advice. But, my general experience with schools (absent some serious issue of student safety or red flag event) is that they like if you start with the most direct point of contact to work out problems and concerns. Have you previously tried to work things out with the teacher and/or expressed your concerns to someone at the school? That’s probably going to be the first thing that the administration is going to ask. If the answer is yes, then I think you’ll get a better reception than if this is a total cold call and the first that they’ve heard of an issue.
Leatty says
Has anyone ever had low progesterone in early pregnancy and carried to term? I’m 5 weeks pregnant, and just received a call that my progesterone levels are low (7, when they want them to be at least 15). Dr Google (I know, I know) suggests that this could mean that the pregnancy is not viable and I will miscarry. My doctor won’t give me progesterone supplements until I have an ultrasound next week, so I just have to wait and see. In the interim, I would greatly appreciate any positive stories.
Anon says
Why is she making you wait until the ultrasound? I would either insist on an ultrasound earlier or for her to prescribe supplements ASAP. I’m not aware of a downside to taking the supplements now, until she gave you a solid reason.
Anon says
That said, I didn’t have my progesterone tested until my appt at 6 weeks, and it was low – who knows for how long – and I carried to term. I was put on supplements as soon as the results come back.
Anonymous says
Because supplements have not been proven to be of any use except in women who have had multiple miscarriages.
Pogo says
Supplements are standard of care for women doing IVF (and maybe IUI, idk). I have never had a miscarriage but have been given the supplements for both pregnancies.
anon says
They’re used in IVF bc IVF medications suppress your natural progesterone production, but in a non-IVF pregnancy there isn’t evidence that they reduce m/c except for women with multiple m/c.
anonIVF says
I believe this is because the retrieval aspirates all the follicles that would otherwise naturally produce progesterone, so you need something until the placenta takes over. Cannot explain why it’s used in frozen transfers based on that, though (and I think it is but don’t know from experience). Not standard with IUI for all REs, although some may always include it.
I’ve never had a pregnancy not under the care of an RE, but it doesn’t make sense to me why they wouldn’t just err on the side of caution and prescribe it to the OP assuming beta HCG looked good. You don’t know you will be a person who has multiple m/c unless you go ahead and have multiple m/c, so if you could prevent the first m/c, why wouldn’t you?
Anon Lawyer says
anonIVF, a lot of frozen transfers completely override the natural cycle so ovulation never even occurs. So supplemental progesterone is the only thing sustaining the pregnancy at all.
lala says
I am surprised she will not give you supplements now. However, you can get an over the counter progesterone lotion to apply now. I had low progesterone for my first 3 pregnancies. First ended in a miscarriage. Next two I started supplements around 5 weeks once the test came back low, and I carried both to term.
With my fourth I used the lotion after ovulation and my levels were perfect at testing time, but I continued the lotion until 12 weeks.
Jeffiner says
I had a blood test at 6 weeks, and my doctor prescribed progesterone. I haven’t had an ultrasound or even seen the doctor yet. I’ve had one miscarriage in the past, so maybe that’s why she was so quick to prescribe it.
I’m now 7 weeks and the progesterone (and everything else) is good. Good luck!
go fo it says
Yes, with both kids. My ob was absolutely adamant about my taking it. Crinone was Rx they gave me for 14 weeks with 1st child. Second child had a compound Rx for 14 weeks as well. Had to fight with insurance to get compound covered. FYI the delivery system is a bit gross, you may want to wear a light days pad for the duration of treatment.
Do push back on this with your ob.
Best wishes to you. Keep us posted.
Anon says
talk to me about swimming/swim lessons. i’m not looking to create the next michael phelps. i definitely think my kids need to learn to swim for safety reasons, but at what age did swimming really click for your kids/did you find that they actually got something out of the lessons. i have friends in places like nyc or dc who started swim lessons at a young age bc it was there only way for their kids to have access to a pool. we have easy access to a pool, so my reason for starting lessons would be for my kids to actually learn something. my twins will turn 2 this summer and the reason we haven’t done lessons yet is because we don’t love having regular weekend commitments and both parents have to get in with them. do we need to stop being lazy and put them in lessons this summer or can we get away with just taking them to the pool a lot?
Anonymous says
For mine, 4
AwayEmily says
Following! We just signed my 3.5yo up for twelve private lessons at the Y (a Christmas present from her grandmother) and I’m really hoping it clicks.
AwayEmily says
omg just realized she’s not 3.5 any more, she’s only two months away from being FOUR! How did this happen so fast??
Boston Legal Eagle says
I’ve been waiting for age 4 since our oldest turned into a toddler. I hope this coming year is as magic as everyone says :)
AwayEmily says
My vague sense from my friends with similar-aged kids is that you either have a kid who’s a terror as a 3yo and great as a 4yo, or vice-versa. We had an amazing 3yo and let’s just say that based on the last month I’m not super optimistic about how 4 will go…
Anon says
Age three was no walk in the park (except for a few great months towards the end t) and so far four has been much worse…
Anon says
We waited until our twins turned 3 and could be in lessons without two parents in the pool, because we didn’t want both of us to be committed to something every Saturday morning. Before then, our kids just got exposure during summer beach trips, but that was enough to ensure they were totally comfortable in the water at a young age.
rosie says
Swim lessons for us have been an excuse to get our kid in the pool & also taught us how to make pool time fun and build good habits (like how to hold kid in water and how to use floats, toys, etc. to encourage the right kinds of movements in the water). Our last class at 2.5 was with a great instructor who said at the end that no one needs to keep going with lessons, just keep going with the water time and with the things we learned in the class. I think it could be worth doing a few lessons with a teacher that has a good reputation in your area to get a handle on some of these things if you don’t already feel comfortable. With twins and a pool that you can access, private lessons might be easier, although we haven’t done them.
OP says
That’s a good idea. Maybe we could do 3-4 semi private lessons so we know what to do with the kids when we are in the water but then wait to do real lessons
lala says
4 for both of my kids. We did the baby swim lessons with our second (he showed no fear of the water as a toddler and it was scary) and the only thing it taught him was to respect the water. It didn’t give him a leg up on learning to actually swim. For future kids we will wait until 3.5/4 unless they show the same fearlessness (drowning is one of my parenting anxiety triggers, so I am a little bit crazy about learning to swim . . .)
Boston Legal Eagle says
We’re just starting our oldest in swim lessons when he will be almost 4. I didn’t really want to get in the pool with him as a baby and that’s persisted through the last two summers when I was heavily pregnant and then had a small baby (i.e. didn’t want to deal with varying schedules). I think close to 4 is a good age for them to starting getting it, and they can be in the pool without parents, which is a plus.
Anonymous says
My oldest went from splashing around in the water to full on swimming around 4.5 (she started lessons at 4). My 3.5 year old is begging for swim lessons so we’ll do that and I’m sure she’ll be swimming this summer.
FWIW what *really* helped my kiddo was when she was tall enough to touch the bottom of the pool. even if it was in the shallowest part of the shallow end on tip-toes. It transformed her confidence.
ElisaR says
we started our first at 6 months and our 2nd at a year. I really don’t think it’s necessary to start that early. I think you’ll be fine waiting until age 4 for real swim lessons (although the privates you mentioned can’t hurt). We mostly do it because I need to get my boys out of the house on saturday mornings and it wear them out for naps. It is stressful at times though (my DH hates swim).
2 Cents says
Ymmv. I put my then 15-month-old in swim lessons, which were really just “let’s learn how not to drown” lessons. Seriously, all he learned (with me holding him and the instructor helping) was how to float on his belly and back, to jump in the pool without being scared, and put his head under and how to kick. I don’t know how much he’ll retain for this summer, when he’ll be just over 2, but I wanted him to not be afraid of the water.
Pogo says
+1, we did this at the Y when mine was about 20mos I believe. The major pro to the Y was that it was cheap and only a few sessions. You can stack the sessions as much as you want so you could be in lessons all year, or just do 4 weeks in the summer (what we did). Ideal for me honestly. This year I will probably go to 8w, with a goal of getting him in the next level up (being able to put face in water, blow bubbles, etc).
FVNC says
Also around age 4 for my daughter. I was a dope and thought a six-pack of lessons would do the trick (don’t know what I was thinking) — it did not. What really has helped our (now 6 yr old) daughter is continued weekly lessons, first private and then group lessons now that she can actually swim and needs help with technique. I grew up in a neighborhood where all the kids lived at the pool during the summer and we don’t have that in our current situation, so we have to be more intentional about helping her get exposure. We haven’t started lessons for our 2.5 yr old because of ear tubes and I don’t want to deal with wax or ear plugs.
Spirograph says
TL/DR: Your kids are probably not going to learn to do something recognizable as swimming until they’re around 5. Swim lessons are also about being comfortable in the water and water safety, so for that reason I still think they’re worthwhile for young kids, but you can accomplish the same thing, yourself, if you don’t want to commit to a particular time slot.
We did one round of baby+parent swim classes with each kid sometime between 6 and 18 months, and each time we were like, “why are we paying for this, when we can come for open swim and blow bubbles just as easily?” We splashed around with them all in the pool plenty when they were babies. My younger kids have weekly swim lessons included in their YMCA preschool starting at age 2. They love the water, and while the 3 y.o. can kind of float, plus kick and paddle, he’s not water safe. My daughter was 4.5 last summer and she could go down a water slide and get herself to the wall, but real strokes were not a thing. She’s getting there, now. My older son was 6 last summer, and made HUGE progress on technique in a few weeks of swim camp. It depends a lot on your kid’s coordination and overall gross motor skills, but I wouldn’t expect real swimming until 5+.
DLC says
My oldest didn’t learn to swim independently until she was 6, but I also know kids who were swimming independently at 3. I think it really varies. It didn’t click for my daughter until she had daily swim lessons during the summer in a small group setting. The kids I know who swam young either had private lessons or were really self motivated kids who lived somewhere with daily access to a pool.
SC says
We started swim lessons when my kid was 9 months old. We did it once a week as a water-comfort activity and for a fun weekend activity. We continued to take him most months for a couple years. (If we knew we’d be out of town or have other commitments 2/4 weekends, we might skip the month.) The lessons were pretty casual and mostly for fun. We also had access to various family members’ pools and went swimming at least once per weekend from spring to late summer/early fall, and we go on two vacations that include daily swimming every year.
Kiddo started swimming at 3. He could swim back and forth underwater between parents, but he couldn’t float on his back, tread water, or doggy paddle, so we hadn’t reached “not going to drown” status yet. The summer that Kiddo was 4, he started swimming well enough to take a breath while swimming and to doggy paddle. We tried a couple other activities last fall, and Kiddo has asked to go back to swim lessons, so I’m in the process of signing him up for indoor swim lessons at a new pool.
Io says
I taught swimming lessons in college. It’s super dependent on where you live: Californians and Floridians regularly have 2 year olds who can swim. In other parts of the country, four is pretty standard. Babies who are in the pool right before they start crawling always seemed to do the best.
My kid is 4 now and she can “swim” (she goes under water and moves around, but cannot breathe on her own, I would never call that swimming when I was teaching, but lots of parents do). She’ll be getting her first swim lessons this summer when she can go daily.
shortperson says
we started twice a week private lessons at 2.5. by the end of the second summer she could swim independently. with your kids i would wait until they are three and get a private coach. it’s more efficient for their learning and you dont need to get in the pool.
Anon says
Can I ask a related question? Do swimming lessons do anything for a toddler who’s terrified of water? We don’t live in an area with good year-round weather and we don’t have a pool, so only took our baby swimming for the first time on vacation at 10 months old. She hated it, so we’ve only gone to pools very sporadically since (at hotels/friends with pools and a couple times to our local Y) and every time she seems to hate it more. I know peer pressure works on her at daycare, because she eats lots of things she won’t eat at home. Would the same logic apply to group swim lessons? This last vacation she kept talking about how much she wanted to go in the pool, and then we got all dressed and sunscreened and got to the edge of the pool and she just dissolved into tears and started yelling “NO POOL! AWAY POOL!” I just don’t know what to do! I feel like, for safety reasons, swimming isn’t an optional hobby, but I don’t to force her into something she hates and possibly give her a permanent fear of water…
Anon says
Not necessarily. We have signed up for swim lessons and had our toddler flat out refuse to get in the pool for the lesson. Tried several lessons in the session, tried everything, and there’s only so much the instructor can do to help in that situation. I’ve known a few parents who have had the same experience. For us, we just kept periodically trying and finally at age 4 he was randomly all for it (maybe we had also found a better swim place fit, not sure how much that had to do with it, or just age).
Anonymous says
My DD has had daily lessons in summer and twice weekly rest of year through her preschool and it really makes a difference. I’m not sure once a week is worth much. Far better to do daily for a summer I think.
Anonymous says
How would you feel about your 2 year old being in a classroom of 14 kids, 2 teachers? Apparently licensing in our state requires a 1:6 ratio for 2 year olds but our (highly-rated) school has a waiver to have more in this room – I think maybe because the majority of the kids in the class are over 2.5, with a few over three. My daughter would be moving into this room around 26-27 months. Our other option is a room with only 10 kids but that room skews younger (18-36 months, with most kids transitioning out of that room before age 3, due to the fact that most kids move rooms annually), and it would be nice for her to not be one of the oldest, since she’s been the oldest in the infant/toddler room for most of the time she’s been there. Also, we like the teachers in the 14 kid room a lot more and the teacher fit seems more important to me than ratio, but maybe my instincts are wrong about that. Would welcome any thoughts!
Anonymous says
I’d be fine with ratio if some of the kids are closer to three.
Anonymous says
What is the ratio in practice? At our day care, there was almost always at least one extra floater in the room so the ratios were much lower in practice than the stated ratios.
Anonymous says
Yeah, my kids are in a 12:2 two-year-old room (mostly 24-28 month olds) on paper, but in practice there’s almost always 3 teachers in there.
Anonymous says
I’d ask about things like how they handle potty training. In my area, 2:14 is the ratio for 3 y/os, and it’s totally fine (most are potty trained, the ones that aren’t are in a pullup and pretty self serve). 2:12 is the ratio for 2.9s (half in pull ups, half in diapers but all can communicate well and most are self serve) and 2:9 is the ratio for 15 months-2.9. IMO if you are dealing with 2.5/3s, the biggest issue is how you manage all of those kids learning to use the potty at the same time!
If there’s a bathroom connected to the classroom and they can keep an eye on those in the bathroom and in the classroom at the same time, i’d be less concerned than if they have to take 7 kids down the hall to let one pee.
Anonymous says
There’s definitely a bathroom in the classroom, but I’ll ask Qs about how they handle the potty training. Thanks!
FVNC says
In our new state, the ratio is 10:1 for 2.5 yr olds, so my son is in a class with TWENTY kids. I don’t love it, especially since we came from a unicorn daycare with a ratio of 4:1 for two year olds. But he’s adjusted fine, and the room is not as chaotic as I feared it would be. Potty training is definitely a challenge — two toilets for twenty training kids is tough.
SC says
In my state, the ratio for 18-27 months is 1:8, and the ratio for 27-36 months is 1:12. Our daycare is about twice as expensive as others in our area because it maintains ratios higher than the state requirements, and his 2-year-old room had 14 kids and 2 teachers, with frequent floaters. So 1:7 for 2 year olds sounds fine to me.
Anonanonanon says
Law women!
I’m applying to a part-time law program in the DC area (I intend to continue my full-time job), but I have a few questions about the law school application process. There is only one school in the area that will work with my life/finances, so I want to get it right!
Admissions essays vs. LSAT writing sample: In my current professional life, I take time to edit important documents. I may even run them by a colleague for input. Is it expected that your admissions essay, which you have time to prepare and perfect, will be noticeably more polished than your LSAT writing sample? Obviously, both should be well-written and grammatically correct. Still, I don’t want it to look like I was dishonest in any way with my admissions essay if it is noticeably better than my LSAT writing sample.
Letters of recommendation: I need 2 for the school I’m applying for. I work for a non-profit, my boss (the executive director) and our board chair (A C-suite level executive) have offered to write them. Does that seem on track with who I should be seeking recs from? Alternatively, I have a friend who works in Social Justice (something this school values) in a non-legal capacity that was also a colleague of mine, would that be better than our board chair?
Addendum: It suggested submitting an addendum to explain any gaps in education or other possible issues. My undergrad GPA (now about a decade ago) was… not great. However, it’s right around the median for this school. Is this worth drawing attention to (there were extenuating circumstances for the GPA) or should I not go there since it’s around the median for the school?
Anonymous says
1- yes it should be much better
2- your instincts on letters are right
3- no don’t explain
Anonanonanon says
Thank you! #3 was my instinct as well, let the letters of recommendation and professional accomplishments speak for themselves in terms of addressing that my undergrad GPA from a decade ago is not an accurate predictor of my success in law school.
Anonymous says
Wow, I don’t even remember an LSAT writing sample but G–gle says there was when I applied. I think it matters WAY less than the numerical score though. And I assume it’s totally normal for an admissions essay to be more polished and wouldn’t raise any suspicions about dishonesty.
I think your direct boss and the board chair are the best bet.
I would personally not submit an addendum if your GPA is average for the school you’re applying to. Although where you did undergrad does matter. An average GPA from an Ivy is a lot better than an average GPA from a non-flagship state school. Could you work the extenuating circumstances into your personal statement?
It sounds like you’ve thought this through more than many law school applicants, but I give everyone the advice not to get a JD unless you actually want to practice law. The degree isn’t as broad or useful as a lot of people think it is.
Anonymous says
I always say that my JD is the biggest, most expensive mistake I ever made.
Anonanonanon says
Thank you for the input!
I’m relieved to hear that you and Boston Legal Eagle don’t remember the writing sample. It didn’t seem like a huge deal, but now you do it separately from the LSAT so I wasn’t sure if it’s changed.
My undergrad school was not an Ivy, but is one of the schools that considers itself to be part of the unofficial “Southern Ivy”.
There is a clear career path (to me, at least) between what I do and practicing Law, so I do want to practice as it relates to my current field. Let’s say (using the Ask a Manager teapot fill-in) I am a subject matter expert in mitigating the risk to a teapot factory and develop plans, policies, procedures, and MOUs for teapot factories to assist each other to avoid disruption of teapot supply during emergencies, which often involves waiving normal federal and state legal requirements regulating the manufacture of teapots. I could transition lobbying for state and federal legislation that makes continuing teapot manufacturing during emergencies possible, or advising teapot manufacturers on liability/legal protections in teapot emergencies. I am personally motivated to enter the legal aspect of my current work for a lot of reasons, including an interest in ensuring we are able to continue providing teapots to residents who desperately need them during emergencies, while ensuring we do so in an ethical and equitable way.
Anonymous says
Lolololol there is no such thing as a southern ivy
Anonymous says
That’s mean. (The anon above is not me, the Anon at 11:10). And regardless of what you think of the term “Southern Ivy,” law schools definitely look much more favorably on a 3.0 from Duke or Emory than a 3.0 from Cal State-Whatever. Good luck, OP! Sounds like you have a good plan.
Anonanonanon says
That’s why I said “considers itself to be” and “unofficial” before using the term :)
Pogo says
I assume Duke when I heard Southern Ivy.
Anon says
She said “unofficial,” which made her meaning very clear and your objections less than meaningful.
When I hear “Southern Ivy,” I think Duke, Emory, Vanderbilt, Rice, UVA, and perhaps, if you’re stretching it, W&L, W&M, UNC, Wake.
Anon says
There’s a Wikipedia entry about “unofficial Southern Ivy,” FWIW.
Boston Legal Eagle says
So I applied to law school over a decade ago now (aack!) but I don’t remember an LSAT writing sample. Am I misremembering or is this a new requirement? In any case, if it’s something that you have to write within a small window of time during the test, I would think it’s pretty common for the admissions essay to appear way more polished and thought out.
I think your initial references seem like good candidates. I would go with bosses/higher ups versus colleagues, as long as they can speak to your character.
As for GPA, it might depend on the extenuating circumstances. Is this something you would write about in your essay (i.e. working two jobs or overcoming some other adversity)?
Good luck!
Anonymous says
Same!! I applied in ’07 and don’t remember a writing sample AT ALL, but I searched and found things about it from that year: https://images.lawschooli.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/sampleptjune.pdf (p. 35 has the essay topic). Maybe it was just so unimportant we don’t remember it?
Anonymous says
I definitely had to write an essay in longhand when I took the LSAT in 2003. I remember because I had a cast on my dominant hand. I still got in to my first choice school.
Boston Legal Eagle says
The LSAT was very stressful for me both times that I took it so it’s highly possible that I blocked out a lot of it!
Anon says
I work in law admissions for a T25 school. Your writing sample can now be produced outside of the LSAT exam administration and it is not that big of a part of your application. Just complete it to the best of your ability. I read through them to make sure the applicant is writing coherent sentences, but that’s it. Your personal statement will matter more. For recs – these should be from two people who know you well. Nothing is more worthless to me than a rec letter from a CEO/governor/provost who writes something like… “my friends tell me that he is a very dedicated student!” They should be writing a detailed letter about you, your work ethic, and why you would be a great fit as a lawyer. As for your GPA, write an addendum if you have an actual reason why your GPA was not great. Did a parent pass away, were you hospitalized…. something like that. If you were immature and blew off two years of college, we can figure that out pretty fast and don’t need another essay confirming it. As for your “right around the median”… if it’s at the median they want FOR THIS YEAR, you are golden. Don’t look at previous years. You can’t predict what they will want for the 2020 entering class. Part-time programs tend to have a lot more flexibility with admissions than full-time programs, so you will probably be fine! If you’re wait listed – be the squeaky wheel. Don’t wait for them to find you on the wait list. It’s not a numbered list and you’re next in line. It’s usually whoever will fit the admissions spot (GPA/LSAT and scholarship price) and you need to make sure they know it should be you.
Anonanonanon says
Thank you so much for sharing your expertise, I really appreciate it!
I was pregnant my senior year of college and had health complications due to an underlying illness that affected my GPA that year. However, I went back to school a week after giving birth to complete the class I had previously failed, so hopefully that’s a positive sign? However, the fact I was pregnant in the first place is at least 50% my fault (har har), so I’m not sure that’s a good reason. Applying as an adult with a family and job, I don’t want to look like someone who will latch on to any available excuse/justification for poor performance.
Anonymous says
Can you work this narrative into your admission essays rather than explain it in an addendum? If one of the essay options is a personal statement type, you could use this as part of your story because I believe it is a good example of resilience. Which you will need as a lawyer!
Anonanonanon says
Thank you for this advice, I will work to do that!
Anonanonanon says
Also, this is a (relatively) affordable school and I am fortunate to be in a position where I will likely be paying full tuition, I’m assuming there’s no tactful way to say “you’ll get money out of me!” but wanted to ask in case there’s a tactful way to work that in?
Anonymous says
If they don’t choose to award you a scholarship, they know they will be getting money out of you. They don’t care whether it comes out of your savings account or from a student loan.
Anon says
The waitlisted squeaky wheel approach is how I got into a T20 law school. If you’re waitlisted, they don’t have qualms about taking you on the merits, but they do have qualms about accepting someone in June or July who says no, then going to the next person who turns them down, too, and then suddenly it’s 1L orientation and the spot goes unfilled.
Admissions Anon says
Yes! If I have a waitlist spot, there are hundreds of people on my waitlist I can admit who will all fit the criteria. If I’m calling someone to admit, it’s going to be the person who I know will accept the spot and I can continue to enjoy my summer. It’s not going to be the person who hasn’t been in touch at all and I assume has forgotten to withdraw from the waitlist.
Anonymous says
Make an appointment with the admissions office at your target school. Learn what they’re looking for and recommend. It was the single best thing I did before applying to law school. I assume that in addition to giving you good information, they look fondly on folks who take the time to do this.
Anonanonanon says
Thank you so much, I didn’t even realize this was an option! I have scheduled a visit scheduled with admissions for a couple of weeks from now. Despite spending I don’t know how many hours on their website reviewing example schedules etc. to make sure this is even a possibility for me, I somehow missed that option!
SC says
When I took the LSAT, the writing sample was at the end of the test, after taking all of the multiple choice sections. It also does not impact your score. I assume many (but not all) law schools placed much more emphasis on submitted essays than the LSAT essays. I believe I wrote something completely ridiculous about Harry Potter (wtf?) and I got into several T14 schools.
I see that now test takers can take the writing portion of the LSAT independently at their convenience (but they’re still timed). I suppose admissions people could give them more weight since you have more control and are fresher, but I doubt it. Either way, I would not hold back on polishing personal essays to try to make the two writing samples “match.” Definitely write the best essays you can.
Anon says
With regards to the addendum, I think it can be helpful if you have some unusual, meaningful reason to explain a lower GPA. Or at least it seemed to help my applications. I went to a flag ship state U, but not one of the top ones, and had a lower GPA than the average admitted student at the schools I was applying to and an LSAT at or above the average. I wrote the addendum to (1) explain that I’d been diagnosed with a learning disability during second semester of my senior year of college and (2) is a place to mention that I graduated is a science major when I worked an average of 40 hours a week throughout college because of financial issues. I got in at multiple schools where I had below the average GPA, so I’m biased to think that addendums work … but maybe I would’ve got admitted at those schools anyways.
Anonymous says
My husband and I are taking our first nights away next weekend from our first baby, who is 8 months old. My parents will be staying with the baby at our house, so baby will have all of his things, etc. Grandparents are local and have watched the baby several items before, including putting baby to bed on more than one occasion. Putting baby to bed without us around doesn’t always go smoothly, but DH and I have zero concerns about my parents abilities to care for our son and ensure that he is loved, safe and as happy as he can be (without mom and dad around).
We plan to prepare a general timeline of the baby’s day and print that out for the grandparents, as well as make sure we are fully stocked on all baby related supplies. However, looking to hear from more experienced moms – anything else we should do/you usually do/wish you had done for the grandparents or baby or yourselves for the first night away? Thanks!
Anonymous says
If possible, it’s nice to have a back-up baby sitter lined up that they can call if they need a break. I think watching a baby for 4 hours is so different than watching them for 48+ hours straight, although it’s definitely more of a concern at the toddler age when they are running everywhere and bouncing off the walls and people of grandparent age may not have the energy to keep up.
Enjoy! It sounds like you have a great set-up and everyone will have fun.
NYCer says
I was going to recommend the same thing. I don’t know how long OP will be away, but nights with an S seems to indicate at least a few days. OP, if you will be away more than a day or two, do you have a nanny or babysitter who might be able to come over for a few hours in the afternoon one (or more) of the days?
Anonymous says
we will be away two nights (Friday and Saturday night, back mid day Sunday), and the other set of grandparents (also local) will most likely come over Saturday afternoon to watch the baby and our nanny is on super backup standby.
Anonanonanon says
Just quadruple check that you are adequately stocked up on anything. Diapers, wipes, ointment, clean clothes, baby tylenol, saline spray, anything they could need if baby gets a cold, food baby likes, formula (if applicable), etc. Give them access to your shipt or grocery delivery account if you have one so they can order things they might need. Leave behind a notarized letter giving them permission to access medical care on behalf of your child. 9/10 this hasn’t come up for us, but it did once and it was a pain.
Anonymous says
+1 to the the letter, if you’re not within easy driving distance. It usually doesn’t matter, but you want to be prepared for when it does.
Anonymous says
Put pediatrician info and the hospital you want them to go to as well as addresses. I put two since were in an urban area like go to hospital A if needed stitches but go to children’s hospital for a head injury etc…
blueridge29 says
Also put what pharmacy you use and your son’s weight as well as what medication, if any, you would be comfortable with them giving the baby.
CCLA says
The AAP has a suggested form to use for authorizing medical care. It does not suggest notarization (or at least didn’t when I first did this a few years ago). I haven’t read all other comments but here is my list of things to write down or review with caregiver when leaving our kids: routines/schedules, list of foods they can (or can’t, whichever is easier) eat, ADDRESS WHERE YOU LIVE in case they need to direct 911 and don’t know your address by heart, age of kids/DOB and I like the idea of adding weight, med dosage if applicable, point out where our emergency supplies like fire extinguisher are, how to work the TV universal remote (ha, very important) and for overnight or longer trips we leave insurance info and medical form noted above, as well as info on suggested parks or other outings if they don’t know the area.
Enjoy, OP!
Anonymous says
Stock food for the grandparents. I once totally forgot that. My in-laws were super sweet about it and figured out something to eat. But I felt like a total moron.
Anonymous says
Such a good point! We recently had my parents babysit for just one day and felt super guilty when we got home and they told us they had to scrounge around for food and piece together dinner from various leftovers and pantry items.
Anonymous says
Thanks! I was so worried about baby having everything she needed that I just totally spaced on them! Luckily it was only one evening. They cut up some cheese and crackers and fruit and were fine with it. But I felt bad I didn’t have an actual meal for them, especially since they were staying with us for a long weekend and not local.
Anonymous says
If you are leaving pumped milk, be sure you leave more than you think you need and/or some backup formula. I left 4 oz bottles (same as what my son drank at daycare) for the # of feedings we were going to miss and then found that apparently my son normally drank way, way more than this at the first thing in the morning feeding I was missing. My son needed the backup.
Ashley says
Late to the party here, but I keep a google doc updated regularly that I call the babysitter handbook. I usually print it and tape it to the fridge before any trips like this. It includes: kiddo’s bday, current weight, helpful phone numbers (ours, neighbors, pediatrician, poison control), approx daily schedule, dosages for common medications, and ideas for food kiddo likes. I like the idea above to list your own address in case of having to direct emergency personnel, and to leave a copy of your insurance card.
TheElms says
How much do people spend on kid clothes annually? I know you could spend a lot or a little – I’m just trying to get a sense of what is typical for different people.
Boston Legal Eagle says
There was a great thread on this a while back from CPA Lady. Since then, and because I love tracking my expenses, I’ve calculated that we spent approx. $1,700 on clothes in 2019 for my two kids (2 boys – 3.5 and 1 year old). I’m trying to buy most things for the older one, which can then be handed down, but I just had to stock up on cute primary clothes for the younger one :)
FWIW, this annual total is about half of what we spend on daycare per month. I’m sure we could spend less, but honestly our other expenses are so high that this doesn’t feel like a lot (obviously privileged to be able to afford all of this).
avocado says
I spent well over $3,000 on clothes and shoes for my 12-year-old this past year. She had a gigantic growth spurt and blew through multiple sizes of clothes, shoes, and underthings. I had to buy her several complete wardrobes over the course of the year. At one point she grew an entire shoe size in two weeks–fortunately, I’d only bought her one pair of shoes in that size. She also hit adult sizes in a few items, which dramatically increases the cost.
Anonymous says
$1,300 in 2019 for one toddler who grew like crazy (began the year in 18M and ended it in 4T, for reference). The breakdown is $600 Old Navy, $480 Primary, $220 Target (this is mostly shoes, Halloween costumes and specialty pajamas and snow gear). We got a few gifts of new clothing, but no hand-me-downs (all my close friends have smaller children). As Boston Legal Eagle, this is small relative to our overall budget and significantly less than a month of daycare so it doesn’t seem worth my time to seek out used clothes. She has 2-3 weeks of clothes that fit her in her closet at all times and most things mix-and-match.
Anon says
If I had to guess, I think I spend somewhere around $500-$750 a year for kiddo’s clothes (I don’t track it – I’m just guessing from typical order size and frequency). Mostly gap and hanna on sale, 1 “good” pair of sneakers (usually $60) at a time and a few other cheaper “fun” or seasonal shoes. I expect that total will likely come down though, because she’s been outgrowing sizes so quickly (we’re in 5T at 2.5) so I sometimes have had to size up mid-season.
Anonymous says
I went to look this up, because I was curious. Total for 2019 was $530 for 2 toddlers. We get almost all their everyday clothes as free handmedowns through the the town kids swap and then they get a few other outfits from grandparents, so our expenses are generally shoes, winter coats, swim wear, and clothes for special events. This year was potty-training, so we also bought a lot of underwear.
Breakdown:
$220 Target (sandals, dress shoes, winter jackets, mittens, swim suits, underwear)
$100 Primary (swim stuff and a couple dresses)
$60 Zappos (sneakers)
$50 Old Navy (dresses for a wedding)
$75 Amazon (slippers, underwear, Halloween costume)
$25 Gerber (underwear, leggings)
Anon says
+1 this is pretty true of us as well for two in preschool/kindergarten – probably $600 total for both kids. We got a lot of hand-me-downs and grandparents buy some too, so we mainly buy shoes, underwear, and outerwear. We won’t have as many hand-me-down options coming into the elementary school years, so good to know that we’ll need to triple the budget once the hand-me-downs stop.
SC says
From birth until 4 years old, about $400 annually. We received hand-me-downs, especially in the early years, and I shopped consignment for clothes, so I probably spent about $150 at the consignment sale twice a year. The rest went toward underwear, socks, shoes, pajamas, and weather- or activity-specific items.
Now, probably $600 annually. Kiddo is 4, and it’s harder to get hand-me-downs or find clothes in good shape at consignment sales. (The exception is still sweaters and jackets, which only get worn a few times each in our warm-weather climate.) On the other hand, his clothes are lasting longer. I had to buy 5-6 pairs of pants this fall, but last year’s shirts fit fine, and my mom bought a few new ones for Christmas.
TheElms says
Thanks — I’ll go back and look for CPA Lady’s thread too! I’ve got a 7 1/2 month old who is about to grow out of her 9 month clothes, and its just feeling like a lot. I know they slow down a bit, but still good to know what is coming in the years ahead.
CPA Lady says
I just finished updating my spending spreadsheet yesterday (NERD ALERT!) and I spent $658 in 2019. Kid is 5 and could wear about half of her clothes from last year and I get a lot of hand me downs. I bought a lot of nicer dresses but about half of them are bigger sizes. Plus my kid wears dresses every single day and heads will roll if anyone suggests she wear anything else.
I bought:
1 Leotard
1 ballet skirt
2 prs ballet shoes
1 pr sandals
1 pr mary jane sneakers
1 pr Flip Flops
2 Cardigans
1 maxi dress
7 casual dresses
10 nicer dresses
1 skirt
4 skorts
1 long sleeve shirt
5 prs leggings
3 headbands
Anonymous says
Folks with a baby in a small apartment — what did you do once they started to crawl? Our apartment (about 800 square feet in 2 bedrooms) doesn’t have a lot of floor space for crawling around. We’ve been doing tummy time in the crib, but he’s getting closer to crawling now. Should we get rid of our coffee table and configure our living room set up as more of a safe play area? Get a playpen type set up? Other suggestions?
Anonanonanon says
Our main floor is appx 500 square feet. We kept the coffee table but otherwise made sure anything at floor level/baby-pulling-up level was babyproof or appropriate. This mostly meant moving our coffee mugs from where they were stored and moving the tray of knick-knacks off the coffee table, and for a while not leaving shoes in the entryway because she liked to lick them. We also installed latches inside the kitchen cabinets so she shouldn’t open them. This is such a short phase in the grand scheme of the things that I wouldn’t get rid of your coffee table unless you wouldn’t mind upgrading it anyway.
Anonymous says
I just baby proofed everything and let him crawl
anon says
This— in 500square feet, baby had run of the apartment.
Anonymous says
+1. We blocked off our long narrow entrance hall, which had a tippy bike rack and litter box, and a “dining room” we were using as a workshop with gates. Everything else was basically fair game.
Anonymous says
You will need to either baby proof large areas or be within arms reach of the baby for quite a long time (2 years?) – crawling is one thing but as soon as they can walk they can reach a lot more, and they really need space to move (will need more than a play yard/playpen). In our small living room, We got rid of coffee table and I honestly haven’t missed it – use a sofa table behind couch and a small occasional table we can move around (that can hold mugs of tea after kids’ bedtime etc).
Anonymous says
We got rid of the coffee table and replaced it with a storage ottoman. We put a gate in front of our kitchen doorway (which I would do again, I guess, but now that we live in a house with a different design, would be impractical and has not caused problems with the babies who are growing up there!)
Anonymous says
Taking the sofa cushions and putting the on the floor in front of your sofa turns it into a temporary soft gym babies love to climb. That phase is over soon. Just make it safe for now. Also search “baby gym” on Amazon and for $100+ you can get a real baby gym they will absolutely love. We put the baby gym being the sofa and baby just crawled on the gym and sofa all the time. Also you could get a simple activity table but yes your coffee table if safe is just as good.
Admissions Anon says
Honestly, I’d call the admissions office and ask for an informational meeting or interview. At that point, I think you can certainly mention that you do not need scholarship support if admitted, and that you are only applying to this school and it is your top choice. This is common and helpful. Possibly less so at the part time program (since I believe scholarship support is far more limited when compared to full time programs), but I would find that information helpful from a prospective student who was within admission range. As far as your GPA addendum – YES, that is helpful information and gives great context. There’s no reason to explain your pregnancy (your 50% fault comment) but it is a medical condition that you navigated while enrolled full time, that most college students do not have to manage. I would include a short essay drawing attention to that specific semester – no more than one page.
Admissions Anon says
That was for the law applicant above – sorry!
Anonanonanon says
Thank you for all of this advice and encouragement! I have scheduled (after reading the comments here) a visit with the admissions office.
Anonymous says
Any recs for sleep sacks for really tall kids? My almost 2 year old likes her sleepsacks roomy and is outgrowing the Halo XL, which is the largest size they make. It says it goes to 40″ and she’s “only” 36″ but it definitely feels like it’s getting short on her and not letting her stretch out fully. (It also says it corresponds to clothing size 18-24M so I’m really skeptical of it fitting 40″ kids, since 24M clothes are typically outgrown before 35″). I prefer something without feet since she has not attempted crib climbing and we don’t want to give her the opportunity.
Anonanonanon says
Our tall child (the same size!) has the sleep sacks with the little feet holes that mean they can walk in them. I’m not sure exactly which size, but it has plenty of room! They’re supposed to be big enough that they can have their feet inside of them to stay warm, but mine always manages to jam her feet through the footholes
Anonymous says
Are you set on using sleepsacks or would you be willing to switch to blankets? We gave our kids fitted comforters around that age–they have elastic that goes around the bottom to secure it to the mattress so they don’t just get kicked off like normal loose blankets.
rosie says
Check out Gunapod. I think the sizing gives you the length of the sleepsack not the height of the child (so a 35” could fit a child that is 36” tall since the child is not 36” from shoulder to toes). Also Love to Dream Inventa sleep sack.
FWIW, my child sounds like a similar size (3′ at 2 yo), and I was thinking we would need to start making her sleep sacks once she outgrew the ones we had from the above brands because I couldn’t find bigger ones. But then somewhere around 2.5 she started refusing sleep sacks. So she has blankets in her crib. She could totally climb out, but so far so good (our goal is crib until 3).
FP says
I like the Moon and Back by Hanna Andersson on Amazon. The 18-24 month seems really roomy on my 18 month old who is solidly in 2T and some 3T clothing.
Anon says
Woolino makes a sleepsack designed for preschoolers. It’s a very expensive brand, but it’s the only one we’ve found that fits our 38″ toddler.
Anonymous says
+1 for Woolino! They make a 2-4YO sleep sack. My very tall kiddo was in it until he was 3.5. Pricey, but cost per wear is very low since he was in it for so long!
Anonymous says
We never used sleep sacks with our oldest – fleece pjs with feet were great for him. We keep our house 60-65 at night and he was comfortable. Could put a onesie or shirt under. He was not a climber though — moved to a bed at age 3 and had never attempted to climb out of crib. I think we have him a blanket around age 2.5 but it didn’t stay on him till closer to 3.5. Current extremely tall 1.5 year old can’t have footed pjs or socks at night because they exacerbate a skin condition on his feet so I’m following for tall sleep sack recs!
Anonymous says
Wow, that sounds so cold to me, but I guess every kid is different. Our kid’s room is 71-72, and she sleeps in PJs and a fleece sleep sack and never wakes up sweaty or flushed.
Anonymous says
Same poster from above- yeah, older kid now sleeps in cotton pjs with one thin blanket and is a sweat machine in the night. Refuses additional blankets. So I just assumed all kids are this way! I guess not!
KW says
What’s the process for doing a frozen embryo transfer without egg retrieval? We had a kiddo through IVF and have leftover embryos, which are frozen. When we are ready to try again, will I do meds to thicken the lining and then progesterone? And then do the transfer once the lining is thick enough?
Anon says
I’m about to do an FET too (after retrieving a few months ago). The process for a medicated FET is generally what you’re describing – estrogen for 2-ish weeks to build up lining, then progesterone for 5 days (or a little more or less if indicated by an ERA, but with a previous IVF success that probably won’t be recommended to you). Some people do natural FET cycles where you actually let your body ovulate and then do the transfer, but I’m not sure how that process goes, sorry!
NYC Girl says
I’ve done 3 of these in the past 8 months (last one was finally successful :)). Process at my RE in NYC for FTE is baseline bloodwork day 3 of your cycle, pending how that looks – oral estrogen pills for 10 -18 days, then start progesterone injections 5 days before the transfer. The transfer procedure is the same. I had regular monitoring every 3-5 days during this process (bloodwork, ultrasound). Then, 8 days after transfer I had a beta-HCG blood test.
Good luck!
PR Anon says
First time mom– need suggestions on how to structure a return back to work after 16 week maternity leave.
The job: fast paced corporate PR with small team and new boss overseeing dept since I have left.
Daycare will let me go PT in Feb but it has to be the same three days. I can use 5 vacation days and work from home days to work with. Thinking I start Feb 10 as official return to work date is the 13th. Any help appreciated!!!
shortperson says
i would start now by building up a stable of babysitters for before/after/sick care. personally i would save my vacation days for sick days or daycare closures but maybe you will still have padding
Anonymous says
In theory, I like the idea of returning part time at first, but I think in practice it would be harder on you and your team, especially if you do a three day a week schedule you won’t maintain long term. If you want to use your vacation days right away (and I agree it’s a good idea to save them, especially if you don’t have separate sick leave), I would probably take every Friday off or something like that. And keep baby in 5 day/week care so the day(s) off are for chores, giving you more down time and better quality time with baby on weekends. Honestly, if your child is only in part time daycare, it’s going to be more stressful for you, and I think the benefits to the baby of being in PT daycare are limited at best.
Anon says
I know I’m late to respond but wanted to give another option.
I sent my kid to daycare full time for two weeks while I did part time work. Then after the two weeks I was back to full time. I spent the first week at home just getting caught back up on emails and projects, and then could ramp back into things the second week in the office. By the third week, I had a drop off/ pick up routine down, I had my morning go bags figured out, I had my pumping schedule booked, etc, so I could make it work and didn’t feel so stressed trying to figure it all out at once.
I’m salaried so this was difficult to work out with HR. Luckily my boss was supportive and we figured out a plan that worked for us (some of it using comp time since my job regularly involves late night or weekend work).
PR Anon says
I decided to take another unpaid week (let’s be honest, its me who needs adjusting here). Do two weeks of full time care, WFH a few days, return to office for 4 day week, take Friday off. Phase in for me, save vacation days, before starting a full month. Also on the hunt for backup/babysitters! Huge thanks, ladies.
go fo it says
Yes, with both kids. My ob was absolutely adamant about my taking it. Crinone was Rx they gave me for 14 weeks with 1st child. Second child had a compound Rx for 14 weeks as well. Had to fight with insurance to get compound covered. FYI the delivery system is a bit gross, you may want to wear a light days pad for the duration of treatment.
Do push back on this with your ob.
Best wishes to you. Keep us posted.