Reddit reviews What to Expect the First Year
We found 4 Reddit comments about What to Expect the First Year. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Reddit reviews What to Expect the First YearWe found 4 Reddit comments about What to Expect the First Year. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Oh sweetie, I think this is something everyone thinks about, and I don't know if you ever really feel "ready" to have kids. I know that I didn't--but 2 healthy kiddos later, we figured it out. We wanted to wait until we both had jobs, had our living situation figured out, and had been married for at least a couple of years. We felt "ready" and we started to try. I was still terrified when I found out I was expecting. Only you and your partner can decide when you feel "ready", but realize that it will never be the perfect time to have kids. Also, as a woman, you do want to keep in mind that the older you get, the harder it might be to get pregnant. (Not for everyone, but statistically.) It's something to keep in mind as you plan.
If you feel like you might be almost ready, talk to your partner about it. Talk about your hesitations. Are they big giant roadblock? of just little speed bumps? Does he have any ideas on how to work through them with you? Are you scared about being pregnant? having the baby? caring for the baby? What are your (and his) concerns?
Once you feel like you have worked through your major concerns, maybe set a date to stop trying to prevent (you have been using something to not get pregnant, right? that's important too) or a date to start trying. We waited until after a big trip we had been planning. Then, keep talking. Share your fears with him. Talk through them together. Maybe do some research or learning. It helped me to read about what to expect. Some books that I enjoyed or found helpful were:
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Pregnancy Related:
Babies:
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If you like to read, maybe give one or two a shot. You can also check out /r/Parenting and/or /r/BabyBumps to see what real parents are saying. Try to find some local moms to talk to about their experience--they can be a good support group later too.
If you are a planner, do some checking on things that you might need to know about (daycare, pediatricians, etc) if that makes you feel better. Look at costs, locations, ratings, whatever you need to do to feel secure.
Realize that even if you decide you are "ready" you may still freak out a little bit once it happens. Having a baby is scary and life changing, but that's okay! You can do this! You are awesome!
Also, here's a little secret that no one talks about --no one knows what they are doing with raising kiddos, we all just fake it til we make it and muddle our way through the best we can. I still feel like I'm just pretending to be an grown up with kids.
I'm reading what to expect: the first year
First of all, congrats!
Some links for you:
https://www.amazon.com/Expecting-Better-Conventional-Pregnancy-Wrong/dp/0143125702
https://www.amazon.com/What-Expect-When-Youre-Expecting-ebook/dp/B01DCHZE3A/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1500708061&sr=1-1&keywords=what+to+expect+when+you%27re+expecting
https://www.amazon.com/Be-Prepared-Practical-Handbook-Dads-ebook/dp/B000SEKFZI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500708024&sr=8-1&keywords=be+prepared
https://www.amazon.com/What-Expect-First-Heidi-Murkoff-ebook/dp/B00KVRDACW/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1500708115&sr=1-1&keywords=what+to+expect+the+first+year
You're doing awesome. When I had my first baby at 19 and the internet info wasn't so prevalent I had this book laying around at all times to refer to. Called What to Expect the First Year. It gives a monthly breakdown of doctor care needed and things that are normal. It was really helpful to me. I was also super nervous about doing things right.