I don’t know about you, but I hadn’t worn wire-free bras in years until I started nursing my boys. My favorite nursing bra was still an underwire, but after both boys I was left wanting a more comfortable bra for casual days or days around the house, but something that still looked good in case we left for dinner or something like that. As someone on the bustier side, that’s like looking for a unicorn — so I was thrilled when a recent bra-fitting appointment netted me this new find: a super, super comfortable bra. Admittedly, this bra has wires, but the fact that it has a smooth back instead of a hook and eye makes it so much more comfortable, while still supportive (and your back is super smooth, and there’s a bit of shaping power so your tum is a bit more smoothed too) — it’s really amazing. I bought both the full-length version as well as one of the “shorteez” — you have to wiggle into both by pulling them on over your head and it takes a bit of manipulation to get yourself in, but once you are you’re super comfortable. The cami + bra version is $91, available at Amazon or Unbelievabra.com. Shapeez Unbelievabra
Meg Murry says
No comments? Here, I’ll leave one – how is your office and your daycare handling the 4th of July this year? I just found out both daycare and camp will be closed the 3rd – oops, didn’t pay attention to that on the calendar. My office is giving us the choice of taking off the 3rd or the 6th, which I think is a kind and reasonable way to handle it.
Happy weekend all!
hoola hoopa says
We’re all off for the 3rd, no choice. Works best for us anyway, because we’ll be travelling and will want to be at our destination on the 4th.
KaLuLo says
Has anyone moved with a newborn? We are contemplating a cross country move with what will be a 6-8week old. And two cats. And we’re insane.
Does anyone have any experience, anecdotes, or horror stories?
Anon says
We moved with a 2 month old to a new city. It went completely fine, but it was only a 3 hour drive away, plus I was not working at the time and my husband took a good chunk of time off to handle getting us settled in.
Anon says
Responding to my own comment to add that you should fly, not drive, with the baby. Driving for 3 hours with a baby is plenty!
RDC says
Haven’t moved, but we traveled when baby was that age, and my takeaway was that he was pretty oblivious as to where he was. He slept in his minicrib in the closet on the trip and was just fine. So I wouldn’t worry about baby “adjusting” to the change. I’d be more focused on backup childcare so that you’re able to focus on packing / moving, etc. And I’d also vote for flying over driving at that age, if it’s an option. Just my opinions though, not having actually done it.
nb says
I would have found this challenging. My husband and just moved 10 miles away with a toddler and two cats, with the help of four parents in law, and it was brutal even though we’d planned meticulously.
You’d be gearing up for the move between newborn ages 3 – 8 weeks, which are usually the most challenging. Prior to then baby just sleeps, after then baby calms down some, but those middle weeks are a 24 hour cycle of scream / rock / cluster feed / sleep for an hour / repeat. You won’t be in a good physical or mental space to coordinate and assist with a big move. You will be exhausted and irrational but unaware that you are exhausted and irrational.
The coordination of moving (calling movers, packing and labelling, deciding what to give away and what to move, cancelling and starting services and utilities, etc.) takes some mental dexterity that will be in short supply. If your spouse can coordinate all of this on their own, great – but if he/she is a decent person, they’re going to be busy raising as newborn too so they will suffer similar limitations.
Neither of you should be driving for long distances while exhausted. Also, if you’re driving, by whatever route you take there will parts of the country that are remote, without nearby towns or good cell phone coverage. Yes, I realize people survived without phones for many years, but with a newborn, consider your level of comfort with caring for a newborn while also dealing with flat tires, severe weather, etc. Or actual emergency-emergencies without nearby help.
EB0220 says
Moved when my oldest was 4 months, when I was 35 weeks pregnant with #2 and when she was 7 months. I am done moving for a while!
(former) preg 3L says
When did you move your baby from a rear-facing car seat to a forward-facing one? Did you base your decision on height, weight, or age (or all 3)? I have a long lean 16 month old who kind of hates her rear-facing bucket seat, but I feel like I need to keep her rear-facing for at least a few more months. I’m also not anxious to drop $150 on a new car seat. So, advice? Also, what car seat did you get when you moved to forward-facing?
mascot says
We outgrew the bucket by 8 months and moved into a convertible (rear facing) carseat. Convertibles can be used forward or rear-facing. I’m amazed that she still fits in a bucket. The new recommendations are to keep them rear facing until 2 years minimum. Ours (Britax Boulevard) has held up well to daily use over the past 3 years. What kind of car you drive, budget, frequency of use, and the size of your child will factor into what kind you should buy. The Car Seat Lady has some discussion on that site about different seats and good installation.
(former) preg 3L says
Wow, Britax car seats are expensive! I definitely wasn’t planning to spend $400 on a new one.
mascot says
Try Amazon, they have some at better prices. The Britax webs!te should have the specs for each model. Our kid is average sized so he’s taken a while to outgrow the seat. The Roundabout gets good reviews from Consumer Reports and is under $200.
Meg Murry says
we rear faced in Cosco Scenara ($40-$50 at Walmart, Kmart, etc) for as long as we could – but it was around 14-16 months when we flipped for good, because my son had been riding in his father’s pickup truck which could only forward face (old pickup, long story) so he would scream his head off when we tried to rear face him – and I’m of the opinion that while rear facing may be ideal, I can not safely drive with a child screaming bloody murder for 20 minutes – it almost drove me to more than one accident.
I know the new recommendation is 2 years old, but I think the true recommendation is “as long as you safely can, and definitely at least 1 year”, IMO.
Even if she hasn’t outgrown the bucket seat by weight, she may have by height (or be getting close to it) so you should probably move her up to a convertible.
Personally, I’ve found it makes more sense to spend the money on a 2-in-1 (rear facing and forward facing) and then upgrade to a booster seat when ready, rather than spend the money on a 3-in-1 (rf, ff and booster) because the 3-in-1s tend to be really large and heavy and pricy. We tend to buy seats in the $50-$150 range because we buy multiples (grandma’s cars, babysitters cars, etc), so it makes sense for us.
EB0220 says
My little ones have been so much happier rear-facing in the convertible seat. We switched both around 10-11 months to RF in the convertible seat.
hoola hoopa says
Keep them rear-facing until at least 2 years old. If they’ve maxed out the height/weight on the current seat, then buy a convertible with higher ranges.
EP-er says
Please check your local state laws. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends rear-facing until at least two and many states have adopted this into law.
(https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/aap-updates-recommendation-on-car-seats.aspx)
I am a big proponent of extended rear-facing and properly using boosters & safety belts. My son started kindergarten in a 5 point harness because he didn’t meet the weight requirement of a seat belt/booster combination. Please don’t rush your child out of the seat if it still fits properly!
Maddie Ross says
When you say “bucket” do you mean the infant seat that snaps into a base? If so, I’d get her out of that as soon as you can. I have very lean, very small little one and even though she hadn’t hit the weight or height limits, we moved her around 16-18 months and it made a big difference. She’s over 2 now and still rear-facing, but in a Britax Marathon and I haven’t heard any complaints. I think she’ll like forward-facing better, but I’m hoping to wait another 6 months before switching.
Jen says
We had an infant carrier that we used (Britax marathon?) until ~9 months. At that point she moved into the RF Peg Perego convertible- I I had known how much shed liked it I wod have moved her earlier!
She is still RF now at 21 months. I took it one goal at a time- 12 months, then 18. I want to keep her to 2 and she seems to be cooperating so far!