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Maternity Monday: Striped Cotton Maternity & Nursing Tunic

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This is a really cute maternity/nursing top that I would wear right this moment — not pregnant and not nursing. I like the super long length and the tie waist to break it up a little bit. The boatneck plays well with the nautical blue stripes.

As you have seen from my prior picks, I am a fan of the statement button, and this top not only has them, but they are functional too. If you’re wearing this as a nursing top, you can unbutton the sides all the way for access. It’s also fully long sleeved, which is nice.

The top is $59 at Seraphine and is available in sizes 2–14. Striped Cotton Maternity & Nursing Tunic

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About April

April is a working mom, a longtime reader of CorporetteMoms, and wrote our morning fashion advice for working moms from April 2018 to October 2020. She has one child (born 2/17!) and she’s a public interest lawyer in NYC.

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    Thanks everybody for your potty training suggestions (particularly the push to use Miralax). It made a HUGE difference and I really think was the issue we were missing- it’s going great now and I would consider potty training complete, or as complete as it can be for a little kid.

  2. AwayEmily says

    Regardless of whether you are going trick-or-treating, doing an alternative activity, or just hanging out spookily at home, what are your kids dressing up as? My 4yo is going to be a T-rex and my 2yo wants to be a penguin.

    Also, any ideas for easy Halloween crafts? We cut some bats out of construction paper yesterday and the kids went NUTS for it so I’m thinking I should find more activities…

    • Redux says

      Robot and mermaid (DIY tips for both of these costumes welcomed!).

      As for crafts, we are painting pumpkins (to be carved closer to the day), and hanging ghosts (supplies: balloon, sheet, marker, string) from the trees. I’ll add paper bats to the list! We are not going out this year, so trying to make our home-based celebration more festive than usual.

      • Anonymous says

        I have seen some fantastic robots made out of cardboard boxes + paint with silver ducting at the joints. If you want to go crazy, a little battery-operated string of lights takes it to the next level. :)

    • Anonymous says

      Baby shark ( 6 years old – just barely fits into largest size kid costume I could find)
      Hermoine Granger (9 years old, 2nd year in a row for this costume)
      A maple tree (6 years old, modifying a scary tree costume with hot glue gun and some felt). Has been upset to learn he cannot give out maple syrup when going door to door.

      When I found out I was having twins, I imagined a lot more coordinated Halloween costumes

      • HSAL says

        I’m coordinating my twins as long as they’ll let me. Last year we had two Batgirls and a Robin. This year the oldest wanted to be Poison Ivy, so the twins will be the Riddler and the Joker.

    • Cb says

      My son hates costumes so we don’t normally bother but he was wearing his waterproof trousers today and decided he looked like a farmer so I might chance a straw hat and suspenders so he can be a proper farmer?

    • Spirograph says

      My kids have a tendency to just grab something out of the costume box, irrespective of what their plan is for Halloween… but for right now, supposedly they’re going as a ninja, princess, and t-rex.

      As for Halloween crafts, we made strings of bats to hang on the ceiling, and decorated construction paper pumpkins. Real pumpkin painting is coming soon, we’ll probably go to the pumpkin patch this weekend.

      Spiders – either foam spheres with googly eyes and pipe cleaner legs, or gluing cotton balls on a construction paper spider – are also a perennial hit with my kids.

    • TheElms says

      A bumble bee!

      Draw a spider web on paper (eight criss-cross lines and join them with flattened U swoops) and give you kid dot stickers to add spiders to the web and then they add the 8 legs to the spiders and a face with fangs if they want)

      We made Boo signs on black construction paper with white paint. Paint the “B” then use feet covered in paint as the “O”

    • Anon says

      – cut jack o lanterns out of orange construction paper or draw them on, and then cut black pieces for eyes, mouth, etc. and/or play pin the witch hat on the jack o lantern (my kids liked this)
      – days with grey had something on instagram that looked easy with drawing a spider web and having the kids put stickers to match colors to make the spiders
      – i got some gel clings from target which my twins loved
      – trader joes has a halloween style gingerbread house
      – halloween themed paper bag puppets
      – at my local supermarket they were selling a bag of 8 mini pumpkins for $5, so i plan on making up some kind of activities with those

    • Anonymous says

      4 year old as the Count from Sesame St (she has been INSISTENT on that since at least April). She has designated the 2 year old as Big Bird. Hoping they will be able to wear their costumes to daycare

    • Anon says

      I’ve got a Wendy (5.5 YO) and Tinkerbell (18 month old), but Peter Pan (4) is not cooperating and planning to be Jay from Descendants. Which is fine! Oldest loves family matching so dad is being Captain Hook and I’m the alligator :)

      We put up bats this weekend too and they loved it! Following with interest!

      • Anon says

        This is adorable. I was the crocodile in an ice show version of Peter Pan once so I appreciate your willingness to commit to that role! ;)

    • Anonymous says

      Cinderella (3.5yo) and Prince Charming (15 months). Blonde Girl is straight out of a Disney princess movie so we had to do this at least once in her life!

    • Anon says

      Probably not dressing up! My 3YO will not wear costumes. Last year I managed to get her in glow in the dark skeleton PJs. I bought a new pair for this year since costumes are still a no go, and she refused the PJs last night. So TBD. So much independence in such a small little person!

    • Pogo says

      LO is going to be a firefighter for the second year in a row (zero complaints) and I decided his baby brother will be a Dalmatian.

    • Clementine says

      We have a baby Yoda, some kind of a dinosaur from a kids’ version of Jurassic Park (god knows) and then probably Minnie Mouse?

      Husband and I are joking about going as Lars Erikkson and Sigrid Erikksdaughter from Eurovision.

      Last year I did the coordinated thing and this year would LOVE to do a Star Wars theme, but I think I’m being outvoted by the kids who can talk.

      • Boston Legal Eagle says

        My friends are going as Lars and Sigrid, with their kid as a lion (Lion of Love). We’ve played that soundtrack here so many times, it’s a hit with both parents and kids.

        My 4.5 year old has said 5 times that he wants to be a pumpkin (?!) and the 2 year old doesn’t yet have an opinion so we’ll see!

        Are people bringing their kids to Party City/Halloween store this year to look at costumes? Or mostly online? I am not a DIYer.

      • avocado says

        You could do the Mandalorian, Cara Dune, and Baby Yoda, and let the dino and Minnie Mouse do their own thing. But I am probably just saying this because I secretly want to make myself a Cara Dune costume.

    • anon says

      Not a craft, per se, but my kids LOVE decorating holiday cookies. If you don’t want to bake, get a roll of refrigerated sugar cookie dough, bake ’em up, and the let the kids go to town with sprinkles and decorations.

    • GCA says

      I love Halloween (the creative dressing-up, not the candy). Kid 1 usually gives some sort of input – the year he was 3 he wanted to be a space shuttle, last year we went as Wild Kratts characters (Tortuga crew), and this year he’ll be a cheetah (with one of my old road race medals, and running shoes). Kid 2 was small enough in the last two years that we could impose family costumes on her, but this year she’ll probably be a dinosaur (or a dinosaur wrangler in a safari vest and hat, a la Dino Dana).

      Halloween crafts – Target had a large bottle of Wilton Halloween sprinkles for $5. We also got some wall decals. And we’ll be folding origami bats and ghosts to decorate the door.

    • anon says

      We have….Bo Peep (3.5 year old) and a wolf spider (baby). I have a purple cape so…witch or something? We have a daycare candy pass out and are letting the big kid hunt for eggs in the yard.

    • Jeffiner says

      My 5 yo daughter wants to be Pascal from Rapunzel. I found a chameleon costume on amazon, but its more generic-chameleon and not really Pascal.

      She also wants dad to be Rapunzel, and me to be Eugene.

    • anon says

      I have a scary ghost (class white sheet costume – 4 year old) and an adorable little construction worker (2 year old).

    • Anon says

      Any fun animal ideas? My 2.5 year old told me she wants to be an animal but doesn’t seem to care beyond that. We did Baby Shark (and Mommy and Daddy Shark) last year, and a lobster + chef the year she was an infant. Family matching doesn’t really matter because the only Halloween events we’re doing this year are daycare celebrations. Has to be warm because Midwest.

  3. Knope says

    Ugh, I am due with my second in two days, and I just want him out already. I’m not sure what he’s doing in there, but it’s putting so much pressure on my hipbones that it literally feels like an adult human is pushing on them full force. Never had that with my first! My first was also early so I’ve never been THIS pregnant before. Just miserable, ugh! Anyone else out there close to the end?

    • Anon IVF says

      I’m due on October 13!

      I’m fortunate in that I still feel really great (sorry – I kind of feel like an a**hole saying that but it’s true), but since I’m 40 and did IVF I’ll be induced on my due date if baby hasn’t made her appearance yet, and I really don’t want to be induced, so Operation: All the Old Wives Tales begins in earnest tomorrow. Already doing lots of walking, curb walking, birth ball circles, “gardening” etc., but will add in a few more things once I officially hit 39 weeks.

      • AnonATL says

        Try the miles circuit and using your breast pump if you have one.
        I’m 99% sure I managed to get things going by using my pump for 15 minutes. Once on Saturday and once on Sunday. My labor started on Sunday right after I finished using the pump.

      • Anonymous says

        If it’s not too close to an induction for you, consider a membrane sweep. They’ve worked for me twice in getting labor started within 12 hours.

        • Anon IVF says

          Thanks. Debating it – I have my 39 week appointment tomorrow, so if I’m going to do it, then that’s the time.

    • So Anon says

      Hang in there! Your description brought a flash of feeling back from the end of my second pregnancy. Its all just so uncomfortable.

    • Anonymous says

      A week post partum here! I’m sorry you’re hurting. I was pretty miserable for several weeks before birth, and I’ve already more or less forgotten about it. In case some positivity helps!

    • Leatty says

      I had my 2nd a month ago, and I remember all too well that feeling! I didn’t enjoy pregnancy either time, but I was SO uncomfortable with my 2nd, and nothing seemed to help (except giving birth).

      The last month of pregnancy seems to be the longest, but you are almost there! One thing that helped me was to schedule an induction, so I had a definitive end date. I went into labor before that date, but it was so helpful mentally to have an end date.

      Good luck!

    • DLC says

      My kid is one, but I so feel you- my First was born at 33 weeks, and in my next pregnancy I was totally unprepared for how uncomfortable and miserable that last stretch of pregnancy would be for me! I tried to remind myself that as uncomfortable as I was, I was really in the calm before the storm and the shit really hits the fan when the baby arrives! I also had an OB that kept saying, “You got this!” in this super peppy way and I just wanted to slap her every time.

  4. anon says

    I got a positive pregnancy test last night. Well, five positive tests actually because I couldn’t actually believe it. I already have a toddler and we were planning to start trying in a few months but I feel totally blindsided. I can’t quite pinpoint why I feel so shocked except that we weren’t actively trying. I just thought I had a few more months. We want this kid for sure but I just…am going to miss having my body to myself so much. I had a miserable pregnancy last time with a lot of morning sickness and then the newborn stage feels like torture to me with all the sleep deprivation and hormones. I love my kid like crazy now of course but I feel like it was such a long haul to get to the good stuff. Probably PPD related but I wish I could just hit fast forward.

    • anon says

      Congrats!!! Honestly this is fantastic – you get to skip the stress of “trying”!

    • Anon says

      If it makes you feel better I found the newborn stage much more manageable the second time around – surprisingly since I too had toddler around and was already so sleep deprived. I think I just felt much less anxious because I kind of knew the ropes already. I still remember those early months with my first…unfondly, while my memories from my first months with my second are much better. So it might not be as bad this time around!

      • Anon says

        I completely agree with this. The first baby was SUCH a lifestyle change. With the second, we were already in kid mode, and I was much more confident as a mother. My second made me love newborns again.

        Also, I completely understand not being mentally ready yet. But one good thing is that pregnancy will now be over sooner. I am just about 14 weeks right now and am so glad the first trimester is nearly through. Congratulations and good luck…and it’s okay to take some time to wallow and be shocked as you get use to this big change.

      • Boston Legal Eagle says

        Same here. I found my second pregnancy and second postpartum experience to be much better than the first, for many reasons, but a lot of it was less anxiety and time to focus on every little thing, and having the benefit of seeing an older child right there and knowing that everything is a stage (good and bad) that will eventually pass. But also, I got treated for anxiety after my first, including medication, which I took with my second, so if you feel you need it, don’t hesitate to talk to your doctor!

        And congratulations!

      • Pogo says

        So much this! I am LOVING snuggling my one month old and really enjoying the break from work; “just” a newborn doesn’t feel like work compared to wfh pandemic while pregnant with a toddler. I have totally different challenges compared to my first, but even tho I have no experience with oversupply and fussy babies, I just…. don’t feel anxious. It’s amazing.

        The toddler is still driving me insane, but that’s another story.

      • AVB says

        Another +1 for the second newborn phase being so much better than the first. Seriously, night and day, and it’s not because my babies were that different. They were actually fairly similar, but I was totally different the second time around. I was much more relaxed and willing to accept things as they are rather than as I thought they should be. I did not read any books about baby milestones — seriously, put them all down. You do not need to be told that your baby should be falling asleep drowsy but awake in a crib for 6 hour stretches at precisely 11.3 weeks, or eating 4 oz every 3.5 hours, or whatever. You know from having done this already that babies don’t follow books. All the effort in the world won’t completely change who your baby is. So you get to relax and not worry about it!

        Having my second made me realize how much I had learned as a mother and changed and grown as a person. My first maternity leave was one of the hardest stretches of my life. My second was one of the best.

        Congratulations!

        • AnonATL says

          I swear if someone tells me this “drowsy but awake” crap one more time.. like how does that work?? My kid wants to be snuggled. Or if I do try drowsy but awake, he lays in his bassinet and then starts giggling and squirming and never actually falls asleep.
          Maybe it’ll work when he’s older, but it’s definitely not working at 2 months.

        • GCA says

          Yes! My first was not one of those much-vaunted ‘drowsy but awake’ babies – I was convinced I was doing something wrong. Nope, it was just him. To this day he remains a super high-energy low-sleep-needs child. AND THEN I had a second. Relative to the first, she was a magical unicorn baby…or we were more experienced and laid-back parents, or both. (She *is* much more stubborn as a toddler, but that’s a different story!) Who knows – the second newborn phase may feel much easier than the first. Congrats OP!

      • anon says

        Agree. It was way easier the second time. The body stuff was harder for me, but I was only free from being pregnant/nursing for 5 months between kids. Now I am two years out from the second and feel amazing – no more pregnancies for me!

    • Anonymous says

      But how how how are people surprised that if you have unprotected sex, that is trying, and you might get pregnant. Congrats!

      • Anon says

        Ha I agree with this in theory (though maybe people expect it to take months?) However, I exclusively have unprotected sex, but I track my cycle and use an algorithm to avoid my fertile window, and I would be surprised if I got pregnant unexpectedly! Surprised in the sense of it happening before I planned it – obviously pregnancy is a possible outcome of sex anytime, even with “protection”. (And yes my method worked to avoid for three years before getting intentionally pregnant again.)

        • Anonymous says

          DH’s friends are super catholic and used this method. 3/4 of their kids are surprises, including the youngest who is ten years younger than her brothers. They’ve been together 20 years so that’s a lot of successful avoidance as well.

          Anecdotally, the method becomes less reliable as you age because your cycle becomes less consistent in many women and you may release more eggs per ovulation (this is also why twins are twice as common at age 35 vs age 25 even when you exclude fertility treatments).

          • Anon says

            Definitely true – also Catholic here. Part of it is a mentality that we accept surprises could always happen. Though it is 100% “successful” if you wait until after ovulation – confirmed with a progesterone test strip or blood draw – to DTD and stop when the next cycle begins. (A second egg is always released within about 24 hours of the first, and after that you definitely will not ovulate again the cycle). Age does complicate things a bit, and not every bleed is a period so you have to be really sure you are tracking correctly

          • Anonymous says

            “a second egg is always released within about 24 hours of the first” Can you share where you found this? I had fraternal twins without any fertility interventions and suspect based on tracking now that I ovulate twice a cycle but based on various factors, I actually estimated ovulation to be about 5 days apart.

          • Anon says

            I feel like this method exerts selection pressure towards unpredictable cycles!

          • Anon says

            @anonymous – I learned it from trained instructors (medical professionals) for my method of fertility awareness, and it is based on lots of research but I don’t have a link. I can try to do some research and will post what I find.

            In summary, your estrogen rises during the first part of your cycle as the egg matures, and then you have a surge of luteinizing hormone. That surge triggers ovulation within about 12-36 hours. If two eggs are mature they may both release, but it is due to the single LH surge. Once an egg is released the follicle produces progesterone which moves you to the next part of your cycle. Estrogen will fall and you won’t have another LH surge.

          • Anon says

            That said, sperm can definitely live for five days (or longer!) so it’s possible DTD#1 fertilizes one egg and DTD#2 fertilizes a second one! It’s hard to pinpoint the exact day of ovulation; I use the ClearBlue monitor and know ovulation will be within the next two days of a Peak reading (with a second egg potentially 24 hours after that).

            Obviously I have gone done a rabbit hole on this and could talk about it all day :P

        • Anon says

          I also use fertility awareness methods.

          Some of the surprise is due to the fact that “having unprotected sex even once can result in pregnancy” is great advice for 17 year olds, but it’s not really great advice for late 30s women who are TTC. Many of my friends struggled with infertility and still do, so I was quite surprised when I had sex once within my fertile window (5 days prior to ovulation, no detectable fertile cervical mucus) and promptly got pregnant. We thought we were in for the same rough road our friends were in for.

      • Anon says

        If you’ve been trying in this sense of trying for 10+ years after failing fertility treatments, it’s still going to be a surprise; not of all us are starting with the same odds!

        • So Anon says

          Exactly. Fertility requirements for one and pregnant on the second month of no BC for the second kid is a huge surprise (wonderful surprise, but still shocked).

      • Anonymous says

        It could mean a birth control failure? I agree you’re trying if you’re having unprotected s*x, but I would say that if you get pregnant despite using birth control (it happens!) then you weren’t trying.

    • Clementine says

      Congratulations!

      FWIW, like others have said: you don’t realize how EASY newborns are until you’ve had a busy 18 month old. Like, they sleep all the time, they’re happy to cuddle, they don’t throw their food on the floor, and they stay where you put them.

      Most people who talk about newborns being ‘magical’ are talking about their subsequent kids, not their first kid.

      • Anon says

        this kind of makes me wish we were going to have more bc i despised the newborn stage with our twins

        • Anon says

          We’re probably convinced that 3 kids would be too many for our family, but one of the major points on the “let’s have a third side” was the notion that we could actually enjoy a singleton newborn in a way we didn’t with the twins.

          • Anonymous says

            On the flip side, you might have twins again :) It happened to someone I know.

          • Anon says

            Haha, yep, this is definitely a point against more kids! Ours are identical, so basically a fluke, but who’s to say that fluke wouldn’t happen again.

    • CCLA says

      Congrats! I 100% agree the newborn time is easier the second time around, though I still didn’t enjoy pregnancy or the newborn stage with #2. I echoed your sentiments about it being a long haul to get to the good stuff. In case helpful to hear another perspective, I went in expecting it to be rough and knowing we just had to push through – you know what, it was still rough those first couple of months, but that passed and it got better! Throwing out any expectation of trying to savor that time made it easier to just persevere for awhile with much less stress. I still way prefer toddlers to newborns, even with the constant destruction, and I really think some people are itty bitty baby people and others aren’t, and that’s OK!

    • Anonymous says

      Congrats! We had to “try” for my first and it was so stressful. Number 2 was unexpected but welcome. It was so nice to skip that stress!! Also..I had a horrible first pregnancy (girl), my second (boy) was shockingly easier. Like night and day. It was only bad the last 4 weeks. And yes, the newborn period is easier.

    • OP says

      OP here. Thank you so much for all of the messages. I feel much more hopeful now that the second time around won’t be quite as rough as the first.

      I was also one of those people who was very dismissive of the “surprise” pregnancy from people who don’t have protected sex! Come on, people! It is biology! When you have to try for a while (we did with our first), you begin to see how hard it actually is to get pregnant. Even if logically I know I shouldn’t be shocked, my body is in shock. But I think that can happen even if you are planning for it. I remember the feeling with my first even though I tracked everything obsessively. I’m sure I’ll get past it soon but man. Thanks for helping me process and the messages of hope. :-)

      • Anon says

        Congratulations!

        If you are worried about more PPD, look into therapy now. It helps a lot; you, your husband, your toddler, and your baby will all benefit.

  5. anon says

    Recommendations for best odor-preventing diaper disposal system (using for an adult)? Foot pedal, drop in, plastic bag lined. (Yes, bad for environment but cloth diapers on adult is not possible.) Thanks

    • Anon says

      I like the arm and hammer one (best smell wise) but given that adult diapers are bigger, I would suggest the diaper dekor or ubbi just given the size and shape of the container. I still think you’re going to have to empty near daily to keep the smell down though, given the relative smells of the inputs in babies vs adults.

    • Anon says

      I can say not the Munchkin step. I feel like it worked very well for a year or so but just isn’t cutting it anymore. I have a diaper genie that seems to do a better job but is kind of annoying to use.

  6. Ifiknew says

    Suggestions for jackets for 3 year and 1 year old for Southern weather? 50 degrees or so. Not sure what’s a reasonably priced but warm jacket.

    TIA

    • TheElms says

      The Target Puffer jackets should be more than warm enough for 50 degrees or so. They are generally $25-40 depending on which one you get.

      • Anon says

        Yes, there are a lot of lightweight puffer jackets for kids that would work. We’ve tried Uniqlo and GAP (there’s often sales). Primary also has one

    • Mary Moo Cow says

      We use the Columbia Benton Springs Fleece in 50 degree weather here in the SEUS, especially if kiddo has a sweater on, etc.

  7. Anon says

    This weekend my two year old went on a swing for the first time since March at a socially distant play date at a friend’s house. He was hysterical when it was time to get off and all he talked about all weekend. So much mom guilt for living in an apartment

      • OP says

        Nope. The ones in our neighborhood aren’t open. There are some open in surrounding ones, but we drove by once and they were packed with unmasked older kids, which I’m just not comfortable with.

      • No Face says

        Playgrounds just opened a couple of weeks ago where I live. It was like magic.

        • Anonymous says

          I hope I never forget the pure joy on my kids’ faces when they got to play on a playground for the first time after covid lockdown. It made both me and my husband tear up with all the feelings. We live in the ‘burbs with a yard, and have a climbing dome and a tree swing, but apparently that was no substitute for a whole playground.

          • Anon says

            Same. My daughter was only 2 and I didn’t think she really cared about playgrounds that much but she ran toward it screaming “PLAYGROUND OPEN NOW!!!!!!!” manically for like 10 minutes. It was hilarious and sad because I realized the playground closure had been affecting her more than I thought. I hope one silver lining of this is that we all have more appreciation for the things we took for granted before.

    • Away says

      Counterpoint: our neighbors (two kids under 3) have a swingset, we do not. They basically spend all their time outside pushing their kids on the swings, which the kids love but I think is super, super boring. I am 100% sure that if we had a swingset we’d be in the same boat. Instead we go on walks around the neighborhood, etc. Maybe less fun for the kids than swinging but definitely more fun for me.

      I do think we will get one eventually but not until the kids are both old enough to pump on their own.

      • Anonymous says

        Yeah, my 3yos gravitate to swings at friends’ houses and playgrounds that have them and I’m sure they’d want to be pushed all the time if we had one in our backyard.

      • Jeffiner says

        Ha, I loved pushing my daughter on the swings for long stretches at a time. It meant I could take a mental break from parenting and just zone out, while still parenting.

        • Anon. says

          Same. And now I can actively parent both the toddler and the baby at the same time this way. Zero mental effort + no one is climbing on top of me + two happy kids. I love our swing set.

      • avocado says

        My neighbor has a chair set up by the swingset. He sits and sips a beer while pushing the swing with one hand.

      • Anon says

        My 3YO sets up a step stool under the swing so she can push herself because mommy and daddy are so over the swing pushing.

      • Anonymous says

        Once they’re old enough to pump on their own, they don’t seem to love it as much. I think half the appeal of swinging is that it “requires” parent interaction. At least for my kids.

  8. cbackson says

    My 4-month-old was successfully sleep trained for falling asleep and night wakings in his bassinet, so we moved him to his crib. Where he now seems to have discovered the joy/frustration of trying to roll over. For the last two nights, I’ve been awakened at 2 AM by a baby who can roll onto his side, but not all the way to his tummy, periodically yelling in frustration. I’ve watched him on the baby monitor, and he gets halfway over and then is desperately flailing his arms and legs to try to get to his tummy, but can’t do it yet. And man, he is MAD about that situation. It is simultaneously hilarious and deeply exhausting (he did this on and off for two hours last night, before finally giving up and falling asleep on this back just in time for his 4:30 AM feeding, and I don’t feel like I can turn the sound off on the baby monitor because what if something else happens and I don’t hear it?). Anybody else experienced the Angry Rolling Baby?

    • Anonymous says

      I just go in and roll back over and shush. What’s the point of ignoring hours of screaming a night when you know there’s a perfectly good reason baby is upset?

      • cbackson says

        I probably didn’t explain it well – he rolls onto his side but can’t get all the way over. So he rolls back onto his back, then tries again. He’s not stuck on his side.

        I know he can roll tummy to back, because he does it sometimes, but not consistently enough for me to feel okay about just helping him roll all the way over to his tummy and leaving him there.

        I tried to shush him the first night, but as soon as he went back into the crib, he was back at trying to roll over. I’m not sure why he’s decided night time is the right time for working on this particular skill, but apparently he has.

        • Anonymous says

          Oh gotcha!!Yeah agreed with anon below. Super annoTing but passes quickly

    • Anonymous says

      Oh yeh this is normal. It’ll only take 1-2 weeks at most before he gets it. And babies who can sleep on their belly (because they roll there themselves) tend to sleep better too!

      • cbackson says

        Thanks! I’m glad someone else has experienced it. I am surprised he is trying so hard given that during the day he doesn’t show a ton of interest in rolling over, but I guess he’s going to learn sometime…

        • Anonymous says

          Stick him in the crib during the day so he has nothing else to do but practice rolling over.

    • TheElms says

      You can wait it out – for us it was about a month even with practice but DD started with the half rolls around 8 weeks, so you might get it faster given your kiddo is older and stronger/more coordinated — and you can do lots of daytime practice on rolling over to try to shorten the period of time it takes to really get rolling down. You may need to help him if he is less into it during the day and also show him to put his arm over his head to make it easier to roll past his shoulder. It totally sucks while its happening, but it will pass.

    • Anonymous says

      This is normal. Some of my friends’ babies went through a similar stage when they learned to stand before they figured out how to sit back down again. Thankfully my son did not. Hang in there! 4 months is a crappy time for sleep for almost every baby.

      • anne-on says

        Ha, oh yes, the ‘whee, I’m standing in my crib!!’ quickly followed by the ‘oh noes, I don’t know how to sit down!!’ panic crying phase was NOT fun. Luckily I think it only lasted a few nights before mine mastered it.

    • EB says

      I think with babies, literally everything is a phase and none of it will last. I remember having that worry with my first kid – OMG, how will I EVER get a good night of sleep ever again, and then the next week, whatever he was doing that woke him up was in the rearview mirror and we were on to something new. So don’t worry – he’ll be able to roll over soon, and then he’ll be on to something new for a little while :) And then suddenly, he’ll be five. Waahhh.

  9. Anon says

    As we start wearing gloves and hats, I am struggling with how to organize them. I want my kids to be able to grab their own stuff. We have a coat closet but no real entryway or mud room. Anyone have any recommendations?

    • Spirograph says

      We have a little plastic drawer thing (~$10 you can get at target or walmart with 3 drawers) in our coat closet. I actually have two of these, one with warm weather stuff (sun/baseball hats, sunscreen + bug spray, bike locks), one with winter accessories. When the seasons change, I don’t have to actually transfer any stuff, just swap out the entire dresser. The off-season one lives in the basement.

      • GCA says

        Stealing this and adapting it! We’re in a 2br apartment with no coat closet to speak of – kids’ coats and jackets live on kid-level coat hooks but some cube-style shelving in the entryway, and I think there’s room for a drawer of kid and grown-up gloves, gaiters, scarves and hats.

        Related: what has everyone been doing for grab-and-go mask storage?…

        • anon says

          Clean ones are in a basket near the door. Dirty ones go directly into a small mesh laundry bag when they come home.

        • Anon says

          Clean ones live in a mesh laundry bag on the kitchen table; dirty ones go upstairs and into a pile next to the hamper for the weekly wash.

        • Anonymous says

          clean ones on hooks near front door (a few at a time – more backups are in bedroom closets, we have like 50 masks); mesh basket on our entry bench for dirty masks and incidentally for dirty kids socks too. They come home from daycare and put socks and masks in the basket before proceeding.

    • anon says

      Do you have space in the garage for storage? Our laundry room/mud room is very narrow, so that’s what we do. I have one of those cube organizers from Target and every family member has his/her own cube for winter stuff. Maybe you could put the cubes on a shelf in your coat closet? Or get an over-the-door shoe hanger and have the kids put their stuff in individual pockets?

      • Anon says

        I like that and I think they might too! We are in the upper Midwest so have a lot of stuff. We might do the drawer thing too!

        Thank you!

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