This post may contain affiliate links and CorporetteMoms may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
I am loving this maternity/nursing dress from H&M. I love the all-over print and midi length, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a sheer sleeve that I didn’t think looked cool. I like how the material keeps the print even on the sheer sleeve. The product description states that this is a nursing dress, and it has a double layer at the top that I am assuming you lift. I like that, especially during the holiday season — you have the option of wearing a dress even if you’re nursing. Since you lift the top layer to nurse, this dress can even have a high neckline. The dress seems like a great combination of function and fashion. It is $59.99 and is also available in glittery black. MAMA Nursing Dress Building a maternity wardrobe for work? Check out our page with more suggestions along both classic and trendy/seasonal lines. This post contains affiliate links and CorporetteMoms may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!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;
See some of our latest articles on CorporetteMoms:
Click here to see our top posts!
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?
Audrey III says
Any tips for non-boot camp method of potty training? My 22 month old over the past three weeks has shown interest in potty training, and #2 training particularly, and started making sporadic #2 on the potty a few weeks ago, only when I’m with her on weekend. (With nanny she goes in diaper.) Last Thursday, she told me “I want to get potty trained” out of the blue when I was changing her diaper – she may just be repeating things I have said to her. This weekend, she put all her #2 in the potty, generally at her own request, and again this morning. I am crazy at work now, we have weekends chock full of holiday activities, and we have guests coming for Christmas, so no good time for a few weeks to try boot camp method. She knows the mechanics of pe*ing on the potty, and does it any time she has to go and I put her there, but she still wets diapers without saying anything to me.
Any tips? We did a modified “Oh Cr*p” method with my son. FWIW, her ped recommended training her before 2, b/c she’s very stubborn, but my husband thinks we should wait until after the holidays (but open to suggestions). I don’t want to miss “the window,” but have no idea a practical method to go about this.
Anonymous says
There’s no magic window. Just let her go on the potty when she’s interested. Bring a foldable potty seat in case she wants to try at other peoples houses.
FWIW, we trained all three of ours around age 3 and it was literally the easiest. Took like two weeks before they were consistent without accidents (daycare was very helpful) and they were day/night/#2 trained all at the same time.
CPA Lady says
My daughter basically pee trained herself (with little to no effort on my part– thanks, daycare peer pressure!) around age 2. I never used a “method”. Just let her follow her interest. When she was on the younger end of 2, I reminded her to use the potty frequently, and then tapered off the reminders over time.
What I did to make it easy for myself was put underwear on her over a diaper, and let her use the diaper like a pull up. I kept her in a diaper way beyond the point where she was pee trained, and as a result had almost no accidents to clean up. This will be key if you’re going to be doing a bunch of stuff over the holidays. Diapers are cheaper and more absorbent than pull ups, so if you can make it work that way, I’d highly recommend it.
Anonymous says
We did underwear under the diaper, so she would feel the wetness if there was an accident.
lsw says
My son just trained at about 3.5. It was basically overnight. He’s EXTREMELY stubborn, so I can tell you right now the Oh Crap or other methods would have just resulted in him holding it in. (He just … stopped eating M&Ms, his favorite candy, because not using the potty was more important than candy to him.) We used pull-ups briefly and effusively praised when he went on the potty. It was totally seamless for us, which was shocking. I didn’t feel like we had a “window” because he was pretty old. He still wears pull ups at night.
Anonymous says
I think you should honour her request. The Oh Crap method takes a long weekend to get started, and it sounds like your daughter is already very aware so she may be a quick study. Unless you’re travelling over the holidays, try it now.
Io says
Buy the heavy duty Hannah Anderson training underwear for her to wear. Get a small kitchen kitchen timer you can keep around you (in a pocket or use your phone). Set a one hour timer and remind her every hour to sit on the potty. After a couple days of no accidents, up the time (by 15 minutes or a half hour depending on how she does). When she either goes on her own or you’re only reminding her every three hours, change it to reminding her at transitions. (Almost time for lunch! Potty and wash hands! Can’t put on shoes to go outside until you try!). You’ll be done in a month or two.
Buble says
Raise your hand if you still don’t have your Christmas tree up (if you intend to put one up at all, obviously). Feeling like a bit of a Grinch…
Anonymous says
We don’t but we don’t put our real one up until the weekend right before Christmas (21st or 22nd this year depending on which day we cut it).
Anonymous says
We put ours up yesterday (well, halfway) and no one wanted to help and I ended up in tears. Some PMS may be involved. I always forget how the things I look forward to at the holidays end up being not fun 50% of the time.
anon says
The tree is up, but it’s not decorated. And I want to get out only 25% of the ornaments we own because I just can’t deal with the stress and fuss right now.
Nan says
Me!
Pogo says
We consciously decided to wait. We always end up with the thing dropping dry needles all over the place in the last few days before we leave for in-laws for the holiday, and then it ‘s basically a giant firetrap until we get back and take it down. So we’re going to go for quality over quantity on tree time.
Anonymous says
It’s up as of last night, and by that I mean we bought it and put it in the stand. I’m putting the lights on tonight after the kids are in bed, so it won’t actually be decorated until tomorrow.
The kids want a second, small one for their room and I actually am considering it. Talk me down!
layered bob says
We don’t but we won’t put it up until Christmas Eve, and won’t decorate it until after church that evening. Then it comes down on Epiphany, 12 days later. Highly recommend this approach – Advent feels calmer/less stressed and the tree is special every day, we don’t get used to it before it’s gone again.
So Anon says
I put up the physical tree last weekend after my kids came home from their dad’s house. I cannot stomach putting up our “family ornaments” this year, so I stared at a mostly empty tree for a week. At the end of last week, my mom happily handed over a huge amount of ornaments from my childhood. This year, I have a Christmas tree that looks like my childhood, which makes me so happy, but I didn’t put the ornaments up until this weekend.
It Starts with the Egg says
Has anyone read It Starts with the Egg? I am near 40 and just started ttc and am open to doing what I can to move this along.
anon says
I just read this and all I’ve done so far is spend a lot of money switching to stainless steel everything. But I’m interested to hear other responses!
Anonymous says
I did not, but I did read Taking charge of your fertility. I don’t know how much the two overlap but I found it very helpful. Best of luck!
anon says
I read it before I started TTCing at 39. I ultimately moved to IVF and was successful, but the tips in there can be very useful. Depending on how close to 40 you are, you may want to see an RE sooner rather than later, or at least book an appointment (many of them have long waits for consultations). Good luck!
2 Cents says
+1 to booking an appointment. They are often months away
Anonymous says
Someone posted on the main board on Friday that their Dr wouldn’t do any interventions until there was at least 6 months of trying every second day throughout the cycle. I’d DTD every second day for 4 months and try to make an appointment if you’re not getting anywhere, it might take a couple months to get in and you can get to the 6 months in the meantime.
CapHillAnon says
Late to this, but I read it and followed the advice as well as I could, and I credit it with my healthy 3-year-old, who I gave birth to at age 43. I conceived without any medical help, which may have been just fortunate luck, genes, or timing, but I still think the books advice had something to do with it. Good luck to you.
Anonymous says
Anyone try a breast pump you can wear under your clothes (rather than pumping after you shut your office/mothers’ room door, half uncovered)? I hope to have a kid in a few years and am just starting to read about pumping.
Anonymous says
The technology evolves relatively quickly. What is available today is vastly different from what was available a few years ago. I wouldn’t invest too much into researching now if your time horizon is “a few years.”
Anonymous says
No, there’s a reason this isn’t a thing. Also, you’re not pregnant or even trying to get pregnant. With love, why on earth are you reading about pumping? Go find a new hobby!!!!
Anonymous says
Wow, this is really rude. These pumps do exist (Willow is one).
I do agree that tech changes quickly and there’s no reason to read now.
Anonymous says
No, it isn’t rude. There is no reason at all to be researching pumping years in advance. And so many better uses of your time
Anon says
It was kind of rudely delivered but the point is extremely valid. OP, you will have a minimum of 9 months and potentially much more while you’re TTC/pregnant and can research pumping. Please don’t worry about this now.
ElisaR says
i agree, the delivery of the comment was rude but I agree with the substance. I wouldn’t bother trying to figure this out even when pregnant. You never know how things are going to go and it is a waste of time to worry about anything now. Wait until you have a small human to pump for.
Irish Midori says
I just got a Freemie, but haven’t used it yet. Will try to report back. These didn’t exist when I had my other babies (7 years ago now), so I second the chorus that it might be premature to get too excited about a particular model if you’re not looking to buy right now–better may exist in just a year or two. Also, before you spend money, see what your insurance covers. Mine paid for the whole thing this time.
Anonymous says
If you are planning to have a kid in a few years, there is literally no reason to start researching baby products. My kids are three years apart and there were new companies and new products by the second one. For your own sake, just stop.
rosie says
Yes, there are these pumps available now (Willow, Elvie, Baby Buddha, Freemies are all options, I think), and there will probably be more or different options available when you are at that point in your childrearing journey. So I don’t think it’s worth doing much research right now, but do put aside $$ for it as the newest stuff is not always covered by insurance (and maybe in a few years insurance won’t even have to cover pumps anymore, ugh). As with many baby-related things when you’re not yet TTC, saving $$ for it is probably the best thing you can do to if you want to be prepared.
Anon says
+1 on saving up; it’s always helpful to be able to throw money at problems when you have kids. There will probably be better pumps when you need one.
I loved the Freemies as compared to the traditional system with horns, though I still closed my door (the machine makes noise, I still had plastic cups in my bra, and there were tubes). However, the couple of times I was walked in on, I don’t think the men ever noticed. Women knew better than to walk in on a woman newly returned from maternity leave.
Anonymous says
Another +1 on saving. I used my HSA to get reimbursed for the Elvie. If you want to learn more info, there is a Willow and Elvie and pumping groups on social media.
octagon says
Seeking stories of support for night training! Kiddo (just turned 4) wakes up with a dry pull-up about half the time and wants to wear underwear. I want to support him…. but both DH and I have been under a ton of stress lately and sleep is really precious. I’m worried about how disruptive it will be to deal with overnight accidents, even for the week or two for things to take hold. I realize there will probably never be a good time, though. Please share any tips to help this process!
Irish Midori says
Heh. My 7yo boy is still “night training.” We’ve just about given up and told ourselves surely he’ll be out of pullups by college. Our ped said to chill until he’s like 9, and then try an alarm pad if we’re still not there. For us it’s probably just a delayed hormone thing that’s not all the unusual for boys. BUT, it sounds like you’re closer than we are if your kid is dry half the time. If you’re up for it, try those stick on pads on the bed so you don’t have to change all the bedding every time. Only problem is if you have an “active sleeper” (like mine) who never stays in one place at night and wakes up wound up in blankets that would inevitably also be wet.
Anonymous says
Would he accept underwear under a pullup until he’s dry more consistently? Or could you pick a date when it won;t be so painful, like we’ll try over holiday vacation? We just waited until our son started waking up dry, but he did not care at all whether he was wearing underwear or pullups, and for him it was like a switch flipped – he went from soaked every morning to dry every morning all of a sudden. I was shocked because he day trained late – at 3.5. He has never had to pee in the middle of the night since we made the switch – I mean never, so he’s weird. (Lest anyone get jealous, he was still having frequent daytime poo accidents at age 6).
Irish Midori says
I wonder if that’s the hormone thing. I’ve read that the hormone that suppresses the need to pee during the night just doesn’t show up until a bit later for some. Maybe your kid just had that hormone kick in, and, bam, he’s fine. I’m still waiting over here, I guess. Until then, I’m fine not fighting it and just shelling out $$ for pullups for while rather than changing sheets every morning (which is also hard on DS’s psyche, and he can’t help it).
lsw says
Reading your post like it’s the Bible…sounds like our son except he still wakes up soaked. He’s only woken up dry once. It feels like it will be forever!
Anonymous says
10:24 anon here – I was totally convinced that he was just peeing in the pullup because he was lazy and didn’t think I would be able to tell he was ready, and then all of a sudden he was waking up dry. It was the only thing about our potting training saga that was really overnight. (And okay, its possible i’m remembering wrong and it was slightly more gradual, but it was a pretty dramatic shift).
lsw says
Thank you – I very much feel like this could be my son. He seems to go from zero to 100 with developmental things, ever since sitting to walking (never cruised, etc), so I’ll keep my fingers crossed this could happen!
Anon says
I think your need for sleep and not have to do emergency bed changing trumps his desire to wear undies at night before he’s 100% ready.
We recently had to switch my almost 4 yo daughter back to night time pull ups after one too many accidents. To help her mentally, we started a sticker page where she gets a sticker every time she wakes up dry, and if she goes x amount of days in a row dry we can go back to undies. I think this made her feel a little more in control and excited about the situation.
I personally believe, when you mention there not being a good time…there will be though, when he naturally can go through the night without wetting his bed except the odd occasion. I don’t know that I feel like wearing undies overnight would train him really?
Ms B says
The best tip I got on making this process tolerable was the “double sheet” method. Make the bed as follows:
* Mattress
* Full coverage waterproof mattress cover (we liked the one from The Company Store, YMMV)
* Fitted sheet
* Waterproof mattress cover or two Ultimate Crib Sheets turned horizontally and lined up one above the other (like logs next to each other) and snapped onto the bed rails under the mattress so that they run from the bottom of the pillow well down the bed
* Fitted sheet
* Stick on pad
* Top sheet
* As washable and light a blanket as possible (no down comforters, etc.)
This was amazing when The Biscuit would have a night accident. If volume was small, we removed the stick on pad and then replaced with a new one. If volume was larger, we only had to whip off the stick on pad (which usually took the worst of it), one fitted sheet, and the second mattress cover (and occasionally a top layer or two – keep extras on hand) and could put The Kid back to bed in about five minutes on the “lower level” of bedding (and deal with the wet laundry either right then or in the morning.) This system also is great when dealing with norovirus, the flu, or any illness that involves vomit or other fluids.
Ashley says
Kiddo’s bed stays like this at all times at our house (well, at least the fitted sheet + waterproof mattress pad + fitted sheet). I’ll go months without needing it then suddenly kiddo wakes up with a vomit bug in the middle of the night. I’m always so glad I was prepared!
CCLA says
We were not planning on night training when day training, but we had a small potty in her room from nap time for day training and she started using it at night so we went with it, and it was far easier for her to manage than making it to the bathroom. We used pull-ups and the small potty until she was usually dry, then we ditched the pull-ups and layered chux pad on top of mattress cover and kept an extra set of bedding. Months later we still do keep an extra chux pad layer because you never know, but the small potty has been retired since she can get to the bathroom reliably now.
Anon says
Another potty training question. DD is almost 3 and has been sort of trained for 3 months. I say sort of because she has number 2 accidents several times per week. She just doesn’t care and doesn’t seem to mind? She’ll go in the potty but only if we catch her in time. She’s small for her age with some muscle tone weakness but otherwise developmentally at age. We’ve harped that it goes in the potty and that it’s wrong to go in your undies and she’ll repeat it but there’s no embarrassment or discomfort on her part. Any thoughts or recommendations?
Anonymous says
Yeah she just isn’t potty trained. Put her in pull-ups and try again in a couple months
Anonymous says
Don’t worry about the lack of embarrassment, you don’t want her to feel embarrassed and run into a withholding problem.
Make sure she sits on the potty at regular intervals. When you get home from childcare, before supper, after supper, before bath, before bed, on waking in the morning, after breakfast (and again before you leave if there is a long time after breakfast). Our rule for how long they had to sit was three singings of the Daniel Tiger potty song. Make sure there is a nice high step for her to rest her feet on. It’s really hard to go #2 if their feet are dangling. When mine had accidents, I had them sit on the toilet while I got fresh undies and laundered the dirty ones (laundry room next to bathroom), in case more #2 was coming, this was super boring so a discentive for accidents if they could make it to the toilet in time.
Anon says
Has anyone had ongoing issues with an eyelid twitch? Mine has occured multiple times a day for the last several months. It’s driving me crazy. Dropping my morning cup of coffee seemed to help symptoms a little. I’m weaning and wondered if that is playing a role, but my doctor didn’t seem to think so.
Anon says
Since college, I’ve gotten eyelid twitches whenever I’m tired and/or stressed. It can last for a couple hours or several months, depending on what’s going on in my life at the time. More sleep (or rest in a quiet, dark room if you can’t sleep) should be the best treatment.
anon says
Cosigned. Sorry there isn’t a better solution. But even one solid night of sleep usually gets my eyelid twitch to stop. A couple months seems like a long time to me though. Maybe try cutting out coffee entirely and sleeping well for a week? (Sorry I just can’t stop laughing at how easy it is for me to write this and how incredibly hard this is to do as a working parent.) If a week of solid sleep doesn’t help, I think it is time to see some specialists.
Pogo says
Yep. Stress, lack of sleep + coffee = twitching. Try to hydrate and sleep as much as you possibly can (I know, obviously you are already trying to do this but… that’s all that helps).
Anonymous says
I get it when I’m really tired. Sleeping with an eye mask has helped.
lsw says
I get them all the time. Cutting down on caffeine and trying to get more sleep (lollllll) can help. Try to give your eyes a break from computer/cell phone screen more often than usual.
lsw says
Forgot to add that occasionally potassium can help. You can try eating more bananas through the next few days (silly, but it has actually helped me and others).
anon says
Mine twitch when I eat certain foods, especially things that have MSG in them. They also twitch during stressful spells, but more often its from food
octagon says
my persistent eye twitches were almost completely solved with blue light filtering glasses. I bought a cheap pair with clear lenses, just the blue light coating, from eyebuydirect (I think sites like Zenni also have them). I wear them at work and it’s made an astonishing difference.
Beth @ Parent Lightly says
Yes, I get them occasionally. I am really paranoid about my eyes but my optometrist and neuro-ophthalmologist both assured me that it’s usually stress and caffeine. And that did appear to be true for me. It’s super annoying though.
Coach Laura says
Stress causes them. I get relief with over the counter magnesium supplement 250mg and sublingual B12 vitamin supplements (under the tongue B12+B6+Folic tablets at trader Joe’s are great).
Anon says
Thanks, all! I got an eye exam and it turns out I have terrible vision and didn’t know it. Eye strain is the likely cause.
ElisaR says
man I love monday mornings. i never expected to say that but after a rough weekend with my little dudes…. monday is welcome.
Cb says
Co-signed. My son was loads of fun this weekend but skipped his nap on Saturday and only slept for an hour on Sunday and I really need those two hour blocks. He woke up full of joy this am and I was sad to drop him off at nursery but now at my desk with hot tea, I’m very happy.
Anon says
Ours was a rough weekend (in which I did none of the work I probably should have done, but we were traveling and kiddo was sick) and so I came in early this morning to start plowing through and left my sick little one sleeping at home with her dad, and all I want to do is be home with my cranky, sick, grump beast of a toddler (which I never thought I would feel).
ElisaR says
awww, hope she recovers quickly!
Katy says
Me too. It broke my heart to leave my sad little guy this AM even though I spent half the night rubbing his back as he was racked with coughs. ANY ADVICE ON A COUGH SYRUP THAT MIGHT WORK ON A 2 YEAR OLD PLEASE. (note: in past illnesses I have been VERY please to walk out the door).
Io says
Honey (with a little warm water) was our go to at that age. We just had a lingering cough and the ped recommended Childrens Zyrtec to reduce mucous. It’s ONLY one dose a day, but the bottle said 2 and up. It helped some. I think honey lollipops are an option too.
Ashley says
Late reply but +1 to honey. We usually do this in the form of Zarbee’s “cough syrup,” essentially honey in a medicine bottle.
Anon says
Amen, sister.
Anon says
Also had a rough weekend with my little ones. Lots of sweet moments too, but lots of maddening moments. Support!
Anonymous says
Ladies please help. Please! My 4 month old hates the car. I mean HATES. Cries hysterically for 95% of car trips we can’t go anywhere farther than 10-20 mins from our house. We can’t visit family for the holidays because of it. We’ve tried moving to the convertible car seat, toys in the car, mirror, sunshade, etc…nothing works. He does have reflux so we wait 30 mins after feeding to put him in the car. He does not throw up so I don’t think he’s motion sick. But we can’t even use the infant seat in a stroller because he constantly cries so I’m always baby wearing. I hear they outgrow this but when!? Please throw all your tips and tricks at me it’s really wearing on us.
Anon says
That’s so hard. I’m sorry.
Anon says
Have you tried a car ride longer than 20 minutes? Sometimes they do just need to cry for a bit but then will calm down. Also have you tried screens? A 4 month old is obviously not going to be watching and understanding Daniel Tiger, but by 4 months my kiddo was interested enough in screens that they held her attention better than anything else (sad though that is). Looking at family photos can be especially engaging for kids who are too young to “get” a TV show. Otherwise, solidarity, my kiddo did not like long car rides (though she could handle 1-2 hours) until she was 18 months. It got a lot better when she had her 18 month language explosion and could better have conversations with us, talk to her stuffed animals, watch TV, etc.
Anonymous says
OP here yes we’ve tried to push through but he’ll turn purple and start choking, what you’re describing is colic, this is not colic
Anon says
What you’re describing is a medical issue then, and you should consult your pediatrician. Most kids who cry for 20 minutes or more do not turn purple and start choking. Their parents may not enjoy listening to them cry for that extended duration, but it’s a very different issue than what you’re describing.
Anonymous says
This is going to sound harsh, but have you tried just pushing through? Basically CIO for the car seat? Eventually he’ll wear himself out and fall asleep or you’ll arrive at your destination.
I had a baby who liked to scream for 2 – 3 hours straight every evening. There was nothing physically wrong with her and all of her needs were met. Once I accepted that she just needed to scream and there was nothing I could do about it, it got a lot easier to handle.
Anonymous says
Music was key for us and travelling right before nap time. We had a CD of lullabies that we played in the house before nap time and we moved it to the car for car trips. DH and I used to both sit in the front seat and chat. Hearing our voices with the music in the background seemed to work.
Anonymous says
Also, pretty normal to prefer babywearing over the stroller as being up and snuggled with dad or mom and able to look around at stuff.
I made DH do most of the babywearing because I told him that I carried the baby for 9 months so it was his turn to carry. He actually really liked it because I exclusively nursed so it gave him his own ‘thing’ with the baby.
Anonymous says
This was my second kid!!! We basically didn’t go anywhere further than 10-20 min from our house for about 2 years. Driving 3 hours to grandma’s house = not worth it at all. (I just couldn’t tolerate the crying.) Once he could sit forward facing, hold a phone and watch a show on the phone it got better.
Pogo says
I have a friend whose first was like this. If you can’t tolerate the crying (which who among us really can? not me) – don’t drive. Are there other modes of transportation you could do – ferry, train, etc? Does babywearing help in general – you could babywear on a train and walk up and down the aisle?
I’m so sorry. I didn’t believe this was a real thing until this friend of mine dealt with it.
Anonymous says
White noise played over car speakers? That’s all I could think of that you haven’t mentioned.
Anonymous says
We did this. Harvey Karp (Happiest Baby) has a white noise CD (streamable via Prime Music) and in the car, we’d play one of the tracks that was supposed to be for calming fussy babies over the speakers. I felt like I was riding around in Fury Road, but it did help; when it got him to calm down long enough to fall asleep, we’d switch to one of the Karp sleeping tracks (which we were also using at night). Having someone sit in the back with him also helped, mostly to keep replacing the pacifier (he didn’t have the skills to put it back in himself). For us it got better between 3 and 4 months, and he also now can replace the pacifier himself, so long as we’ve remembered to clip it to his shirt.
Anonymous says
oh, one other thing: I do think that essentially forcing the issue helped some. He had a series of medical appointments 30-45 min away in the 3-4 month range, car was the only way to get there, and I had to take him on my own (so no one could sit in the back with him). I basically just gritted my teeth, made very very sure he was well-fed, well-rested, and as comfortable as possible, then applied the pacifier, used the calming white noise and apologized a lot. It’s always really hard to say what helps over the medium-term (they just change really fast and maybe he grew out of it), but it seems like it may have been helpful.
Anonymous says
I do think the position of the car seat can aggravate reflux – our son had reflux and would spit up every time we tightened his straps. He didn’t always hate the car seat but didn’t love it. If it is reflux-related he will probably grow out of it. Have you tried driving at night? If there is a chance he is hot, you could try the Snoodle (A/C extension) but that seems unlikely this time of year.
Blueberries says
My kids hated the car seat as infants and loved being worn. It helped a bit to have a parent riding in the back with the baby. Ultimately, they grew out of it and are perfectly fine riding in their car seats now. I forget when they got to the point of being chill about the car seat and even sleeping on a long drive. I think it started getting better around 6 months or a year?
Katy says
this SUCKS. Our guys had a similar issue right around that age. He would cry for almost exactly 1 hr and 5 mins then pass out. The only solution was to push through. OR nurse / travel when there was a higher chance that he would sleep. He did grow out of it. My solution was KNOWING that he was fed / changed et etc. Do make sure he isn’t too hot, especially if he is working himself up, which will make it worse.
At that age he didn’t have vomit issues, but subsequently we have discovered that he does get quite motion sick, so maybe there was an unidentified issue??
A. says
Cross posting from the main s i t e : I’m on the hunt for a nylon tote/small backpack that converts (so, can wear it as a crossbody OR as a tote with shoulder straps, and also as a backpack). Usage would be weekend days running errands and/or chasing my three kids — throwing a few snacks in there, some activities to keep them busy at a restaurant, packing a scarf for me in case I get cold at someone’s soccer game, etc. Sort of a cross between a large purse and a small tote.So far my top pick is the Patagonia Ultralight Black Hole Tote Pack, but it’s 27L and I’m wondering if that’s going to feel too big (I’m going for “large purse” not “diaper bag”). However, I love the look of this bag and that it’s super lightweight. Any other recommendations for me?
AwayEmily says
I don’t have a specific suggestion but if I were you I would give up on the idea of doing all in one and get a cute backpack that I LOVED rather than something that checked all the boxes but I was not super thrilled with. I adore my Baggu canvas backpack. Everlane has some nice ones, and weirdly Urban Outfitters has a large selection of cute backpacks.
AnotherAnon says
Feel free to ignore b/c not a backpack but I’m obsessed with my Lulu festival bag. I carry it as my everyday purse, and either drop it into my diaper bag or work backpack. You’d have to buy one off ebay; I don’t think they still sell the original in stores. I regularly pack: a diaper, small wipes pack, a toddler’s change of clothes, a snack bar, a scarf for me. These are in addition to the normal: wallet, keys, sunglasses, mini hairbrush, sanitary supplies, iphone, small lotion, measuring tape, checkbook, and chapstick. This bag holds a lot! Second AwayEmily’s advice: don’t focus on finding one item that fits all – find something you LOVE and you’ll find yourself reaching for it all the time. I still pull out the skip hop diaper bag backpack occasionally when I know I need more supplies. Both are machine washable. Good luck!
Anon says
I love my Caraa studio 2 in medium. The backpack mode is very comfortable, it has actual padded straps. The crossbody strap is padded too and I use that when it’s mostly empty. It looks small but can fit a surprising amount, i.e. my 13.3″ PC laptop plus two bottles of wine (yes, that how I measure), along with wallet etc. And it’s really beautiful.
Anon 4 this says
A thing happened at work a little while ago and I’m having a really hard time moving past it. I was on leave, returned, and learned that my boss missed the deadline to put me up for a significant promotion. I can be put up next year, but there is nothing that can be done until next winter. I thought this was a risk with me being out on leave, so I talked to my boss and a couple other senior folks to help my boss or reach out to me while I was on leave to make sure they had the information they needed from me / knew they could reach out if they needed anything. (There is a package of materials that have to be completed and the package was being revised for this year so I couldn’t see a copy before I went out.) I checked in about it while I was on leave and everything seemed fine. But still the deadline was missed. I thought I was fine and that I would just move on, but I feel so betrayed. Its incredibly distracting during the day and making me angry at everyone and everything. I don’t believe this would have happened if I wasn’t on leave. Of course I can’t say if I would have ultimately gotten the promotion, but I’m as certain as one can be that the deadline wouldn’t have been missed. So now what? Stay? Go? All I want to do is scream or possibly cry (postpartum hormones are not helping this either).
Anonymous says
You stay, and accept that you were never going to get put up for promotion while on leave. You use this time to figure out working with a baby. You give yourself a while. You either look for a new job or you don’t.
Anon says
I think your reaction is totally understandable. Have you had a candid conversation with your boss about this and why it may have happened? I’d want to make sure this was really and truly an error first and not a situation where your boss didn’t want to put you up for some reason but doesn’t have the guts to say it.
Whether to stay or go depends on how much you like your current job and whether you are willing to wait another year. In the grand scheme of things a year isn’t forever, but I’d be pretty frustrated in your shoes.
Anonymous says
I mean. Pretty clearly promoting someone who was on leave just wasn’t a priority.
Anon 4 this says
Yes, it was just a mistake as best I can tell. Boss was the one who initially proactively raised the possibility of promotion before I went on leave. And since returning I’ve asked if boss thought there were things I needed to work on to make myself a stronger candidate (not quite what you asked – but would have given boss a chance to talk about any concerns) and boss said no.
Anon says
Aw man, hugs, this absolutely sucks. I don’t know that rushing out and trying to find a new job is necessarily the best response, but I would 100% have that instinct too. You were discriminated against due to your pregnancy/medical leave and that’s a really hard thing to accept, even if your work environment is otherwise great.
Pogo says
+1 this is super frustrating. Having worked for flaky people in the past, you really have to manage up, grow your network, and be seen in other ways.
Anon 4 this says
I guess the other thing I’m struggling with is that the promotions will be publicly announced in a week or so and lots of people will have assumed I was being considered because it had been discussed with the other folks I work with/for. And clearly my name won’t be on the list. What do I say to people who ask what happened? I can’t imagine if I want to stay that saying my boss missed the deadline is a helpful thing to say, but anything else I’ve come up with makes it look like there was something deficient about me.
Anon says
I would probably say something like “boss didn’t put me up for promotion this year.” “Missed a deadline” sounds kind of accusatory, but you can certainly be honest that it wasn’t your decision not to go up.
Anon says
I think this is one of those times you unfortunately just have to let people think what they think. I’m not sure that clarifying that you weren’t up for it is any better than letting them think you were and weren’t chosen, but if that feels better to you I think you can say that. I wouldn’t mention the deadline, though, unless it was something like “the deadline was during my leave so unfortunately I wasn’t up for the promotion this year.”
Anon says
Help! We were visiting my parents for Thanksgiving, then flew back home for 48 hours, but had to fly back to my parents due to a death in the family, where we then stayed for another week. Starting with Thanksgiving week, though it seriously worsened during our second visit, one of my 18 month old twins began experiencing MAJOR separation anxiety. Crying if I stood up to get a tissue, wanting mommy all the time, etc. Sometimes she was with DH and I was not there and if he stood up, it was the same thing. At one point she was with my MIL and was doing ok, but then saw a picture of me and DH and became hysterical. She also started grinding her teeth. This morning DH handled the morning routine until our nanny arrived and she was hysterical upon our nanny’s arrival. Anxiety runs in both of our families, but I was hoping I’d have a few more years until i really had to worry. we are now home for two weeks, but are heading out of town again for the holidays, so i feel like she will kind of be off until January. Any tips for helping an 18 month old with major separation anxiety?
Anonymous says
Babywearing really helped us with separation anxiety around that age. I would ruck up the anxious one of the twins on my back when I got home from work, switching them out after 20 mins or so if both were anxious. Being in the Tula seemed to provide more comfort and security than just being carried in arms. Also allowed me to have my hands free to start dinner. Usually gave toddler a sippy cup of water or milk to drink while they were up there. I kept the tula on the back of one of the dining room chairs so they could bring it to me when needed for an uppie at other times. My kids were bigger so a toddler tula was the right size after 2 years. Around 18 mths I think I still used an ergo.
AwayEmily says
I’m sorry this is so tough to deal with. Both my kids have the same issue to varying degrees. Things that help us:
1) Consistency in routines as much as possible (I know this will be tough during the holidays)
2) talking to them ahead of time about what to expect (one of the most common phrases in our house is “do you want to talk about what’s going to happen next?” We spend a lot of time talking about the structure of the day, who’s going where, etc. We started this at around 16 months).
3) Staying as calm as possible in the face of the clinginess and not letting it get to you
4) Recognizing that although this is something you may deal with for their whole lives in varying degrees, this is very likely the WORST it will be. Everything is scary and they are developing so fast. This is an insight from an actual therapist — when my daughter was 18 months I seriously looked into therapy for her because she was so anxious and the therapist I talked to told me to give it another six months. She was right — by the time she was 2.5 it was SO much less intense.
Christmas fun says
Anyone have ideas for fun Christmas activities with a 15 month old? He’s a little young for most things but I have some time off and want to get into the holiday spirit a bit.
ElisaR says
Anything you do take a million pictures! They are only that little once and you’ll look back when he’s older on those pictures and love it.
Otherwise, they are too little to enjoy anything other than lights lights lights! But those were an after dark activity which meant when my kids were 15 months we didn’t even get to show them much of that.
DLC says
The local botanical gardens near me has a model train display that we go to every year, which the kids love. They also have a light display.
We also love going to TubaChristmas- Google to see if there is one near you- it’s a concert of tubas playing Christmas Carols and they have them all over the world.
Pogo says
+1 on train displays! Mine was around 18mo last year and we took him to one. He loved it.
Emily S. says
Cookie decorating probably would be a hilarious mess, if you have the stomach for it! At that age, both my kids were fascinated by trees and light displays, and would just sit and stare at the Christmas tree. If you have a decorated mall/shopping district/park, etc., just a stroll to let him soak in the displays would be fun. You could also take him gift shopping with you. Enjoy your time off!
SC says
If there are Christmas lights in your neighborhood, take walks to see them in the evenings. Read Christmas books–my son loved a Christmas touch-and-feel book at that age. Let them play with bows or wrapping paper tubes or whatever is around the house. Use red and green play doh or finger paint. Buy a special Christmas blanket and snuggle under it.
Anon says
Daycare parent/teacher conferences – is there anything we should be asking or doing at them, other than politely listening to what the teacher has to say? We talk to the teachers every day, get detailed reports and can spend time in the classroom if we want, so we don’t have a whole lot of questions.
EB says
How old? One thing our daycare would always mention at conferences is whether they are hitting milestones. I didn’t have any questions about it, but if your daycare doesn’t mention that, maybe you might ask some questions about it? I also asked questions about what the rest of the year looked like – i.e. when do they move up to a new class, are other kids moving into the class, etc. Bigger picture questions than day to day stuff, I guess.
That said, our second just started in the infant room, she’s 5 months, and we didn’t go to the conference. Second child syndrome, I guess. We’ll go to the rest of them, we just forgot to write our names down on the sheet this time…
Ashley says
I usually ask about the progression to the next class, milestones, anything we need to be practicing at home (e.g., for my 2 year old we’re practicing drinking from an open cup and putting his own jacket on, but obviously these things change rapidly by age). I also spend some time praising the teachers and how much kiddo loves them and how much he’s learned. I want them to know how much we appreciate them, and we rarely get dedicated one-on-one time to talk.
Anonymous says
Law firm office holiday party my first week back at work! Do I 1) have husband bring baby by, do one round to show baby off, and leave early? Or 2) put husband on baby duty at home and stay around the party by myself to network? People generally bring spouses to the party, it’s at the office, and has been fairly low key in past years.
Anon says
Hard to say for certain without knowing the specifics of the party or how things have been done with the past, but I would opt for husband to stay home with the baby.
shortperson says
id have him bring baby to my office but it really depends on the office.
anon says
Nobody brings babies to the holiday party at my office (in fact, our firm daycare stays open until the party ends). I wouldn’t bring the baby unless you’ve seen others do it.
Blueberries says
Assuming you’re in the US, so baby is still little, leave baby at home with husband. Too much of a chance of baby picking up a bug.
Anon says
+1, I wouldn’t bring a baby who is too young for the flu shot (<6 months) to any kind of optional gathering in the winter.