Get your sleep when the baby sleeps. Let people HELP you, don't be a hero and think you can do it all yourself. Do what works for you!

Let's see here.

Before she's born: cherish your last days! At the end of your pregnancy you're going to be so impatient for this to be over and to meet your little girl, so you'll probably forget what I'm about to say to you. But seriously, get as much sleep as you can. Take nice long baths and showers. Take advantage of your alone time with Travis. Most of this will be gone when Kristin is born. You'll be exhausted, you won't want to leave her long enough to take a long shower, you'll rush through your meals (if you have time to eat at all), and you and Travis will be so overwhelmed with taking care of a brand new little person. It might take a toll on your relationship. Definitely cherish these last weeks.

After she's born: take every situation as it comes. You will not break her, so try not to freak out if she spits up or if she starts crying. Don't be afraid to ask for help. If you start to feel overwhelmed and feel like you can't handle any more, hand her to someone and leave the room for a few minutes until you feel better. You won't be a bad mommy if you can't get her to stop crying.

There's no perfect solution out there. Just do the best that you can, don't be afraid to rely on others to help you with her, and listen to your instincts. And as always, ask us! That's what we're here for.

i couldn't have put it better myself!!!

im scared guys
i mean its seriously smacking me in the face when i walk into her nursery and see her crib and all of her stuff
im scared to hold her. or hurt her neck
im scared to pick her up
ive never picked up a newborn before

im not really scared about the labor part. at first i was but now i think im ok with the fact that im going to be in pain no matter what lol

i dont want things to change between me and travis but i know they will
we are going to be parents and thats freaking scary to think about.

ugh i dunno maybe im just being paranoid but thanks for all the help and advice!!!

Trust me, it'll come to you. They'll put her in your arms when she's born and at first you'll feel scared and awkward... and after that, it'll feel natural. Support her head/neck and she'll be just fine. The nurses will help you. Ask them as many quetions as you like - that's what they're there for!

When you're in labor, try to stay as calm as possible and listen to your body. It knows what to do. Think of each contraction as a wave. You'll go up one side and down the other. Each wave will bring you closer to the shore, and Kristin will be waiting for you there. Something that helped me during my contractions was watching the monitor. It literally looked like /\, so I knew when my contractions were about to be over. It helped a lot.

Great advice from the other mothers.

You are going to have everyone telling you what is best and what they did. These aunts, grandmothers, friends, etc all think they know best. Just remember that Kristen is your baby. If someone tells you to do something that you are not comfortable with don't do it. Listen to what they have to say, nod, and thank them with your best fake smile and do what you want.
She's your baby. You are going to make mistakes, but the best parents make mistakes and learn from them.
Babies need a lot of things, but they need love most of all

This is just the start of the rest of your life as a mom. Pregnancy is the 'easy' part. It is normal to be frightened. This is the biggest thing in your life!

I just realized I spelled Kristen's name wrong - twice sorry!

Well since you're having a girl my advice doesn't apply but buy a peepee teepee!

But really I think the other ladies stated everything really well!

i think everything has been covered!



finn must be a freak, he has never once peed without a diaper on.

thanks girls!!!!!!!

as for me and travis we are going to try and have a weekend every other week where we can go out by ourselves and leave kristen with either my mom or his mom for a few hours so we can spend time together. i know its important for us to still have a life and spend time with each other as well so we wont go crazy

Ahh, leaving her will be hard at first - but it will be fine. Those are the poeple that raised you and Travis. I'm sure they'll be fine with Kristen.

Bridget: Aaron was changing his cousin's diaper once (this was years ago), and the baby peed straight over his own head! After a few seconds he lost pressure and ended up hitting himself in the eye with the stream Aaron didn't know what to do! Garrett was screaming and Aaron started calling for people to come help. That was his excuse for a long time while I was pregnant on why he wasn't going to change diapers.

be prepared to miss her when you go out..its not even fun for me anymore because I miss Bree so much and all I do is talk about her.

Make sure you have heavy duty maxi pads for after you have her.. lots of them, youll need them and for labor my advise is EPIDERAL!

I think everyone pretty much covered just about everything I would tell you. Once Kristen is born, it will all come natural. Believe me I didn't have a clue what I was doing & when Kaylee was born, it felt like I had been a mother for YEARS. That's how natural it all came to me. Don't be stubborn like I was & never ask for help, you will need it. As much as you might hate the thought of someone else caring for your baby while you nap for a little while, you'll need the rest! Newborns are exhausting. (What am I talking about -- Kaylee is 1 & she's STILL exhausting lol) .. Like Laura said, enjoy these last several weeks with Travis alone. I wish someone would have given me that advice when I was pregnant!! It is hard in the beginning to try balancing the boyfriend & the baby but you will get it. The biggest thing I've had a problem with is my family & Shane's trying to make me feel like I know absolutely nothing about being a Mommy. Don't let people like that get you down. You're Kristen's mother, you'll know what's best for her. Yeah some people might get angry with you if you don't follow every little thing they say ..(("You should be doing this" & "Do this like that" ..etc... )) But at the end of the day, you're Kristen's mom!
I might be able to think up some good advice a little later!

lol im going natural if i can
i will definately keep an open mind and all but as of right now its no epi for me

oh and thats another question i had! how long do you bleed after you have the baby?

I bled for about 6 weeks.

I honestly can't remember how long I bled. I know it wasn't very long at all though, I'm thinking it was only 2-3 weeks but I'm not sure if it's different since I had a c-section? I have no idea!

On and off for about 7 weeks. Even though I was breast feeding, I 'started' again by 12 weeks. So I got a 5 week break in the middle. UGH!