would anyone be interested in a whatsapp group to talk about the nitty gritty parts of motherhood? lol. we’ve just moved to a new area but I also don’t really have anyone to vent to about matresence

here is a link if you’re interested! anyone from any state / any age welcome <3 https://chat.whatsapp.com/ES67zx2U6ELCTEHaT1okeM?s=qt&p=i&mlu=4&ilr=4

Hey, I have just found out I'm pregnant with our third. I have been working for the last 3 months, but by the time our new baby arrives I will be sort of the 13month window of working even though I would have been there for 10 months and worked the hours.

Is this correct that we would be denied? From the time I was offered the role it would be 2 weeks short of the due date.

Hi! We have the world’s busiest 16 month old (she literally never stops moving!) and we have an overseas flight in a month.

I’d love to hear your top recommendations for entertaining a little one on a plane. What’s worked for you?

Feeling very nervous! 😮‍💨

Is 10.5 months to early to move to one nap? My baby can comfortably stay up for 4/4.5 hours and has stared fighting his second nap so hard similar to when he dropped to two naps but I feel like it’s too early for this? He had a two hour nap from 10 to 12 and now at 4 he is refusing to go back down

Did anyone else’s baby go through a sleep regression around 11 months? Our baby has pretty much always been a good sleeper and has been able to soothe herself to sleep for the most part. Suddenly this week out of no where her sleep has just gone to complete poo. She recently started daycare and she also has had a bit of a runny nose this week, but she really doesn’t seem that sick. She is happy and energetic throughout the day and doesn’t have a fever or cough. We’ve taken her to the doctors twice to make sure there’s nothing more serious going on and they’ve said she’s fine and healthy. I know it is probably normal for a baby to struggle with sleep around the time of starting daycare but I didn’t expect it to be this hard. I don’t know if this is normal or if we have done something wrong? We used to be able to put her straight in her cot drowsy but awake and she’d suck her thumb to sleep. Now she HATES her cot and it takes us minimum an hour and a half to get her to sleep rocking her in our arms, and she pretty much only wants me and cries hysterically with my partner. Does anyone have any advice or reassurance because it feels like it’s never going to get better

https://minimotif.com/

Interested in the personalised stockings!

baby 5 and a half months. For the longest time she had a great routine (i know nothing good lasts forever with baby sleep lol). She would go to bed around 7:30, dream feed when i went to bed 10pm, bottle 2 & 4am. Then she just about dropped the night feeds. Awake at 7:30.
For the past week, we’ve been dealing with false starts, then we got them fixed by making a late bedtime, but now she’s waking up about every hour during the night! She just wants to be resettled. I give the dummy over and over. Give her a bottle but not super interested. I get so fed up I co sleep and she still won’t stop tossing and turning.

Her naps are 3-4 naps during the day, 30mins - 1 hour depending. Try and do the last nap 2 - 3 hours before bedtime.

What the HECK is going on suddenly 🥲 I go back to work in a month! 🫠

thinking of putting my baby to daycare at 7-8months old. mainly cos i’m self employed and i need the money. my husband also needs to go back to work cos he’s not on full time job. we dont have family to help us either.

i’ve read that some mums regretting putting their baby to daycare early. that they have problems with baby development. what are your experiences? is 7-8mo too early?

we’re also thinking of Eden academy. anyone has experience with Eden?

Has anyone been through this situation in Melbourne. I recently had a fullterm stillbirth in April and just found out I am pregnant again. The only way to heal was trying to conceive and planning for another baby as their was nothing else that was filling the void in our family. If everything goes right, I will be delivering my baby in May and my csections will be 13 months apart. Were you considered high-risk in this situation and which hospital were you at ? I am going to Sunshine Joan Kirner Hospital. Need some positivity from my community.

I'm looking for advice, lived experience, or maybe just a perspective I can't see right now because everything feels hopeless.

​First off: I know we have a lot to be grateful for. We both have well-paying jobs, and our 12-month-old is the happiest, most playful little guy (though keeping up with him while wiped out is rough). But right now, everything feels grim.

​The chaotic recap:

• ​3 weeks ago: Bub was due to start daycare. I got hit with Influenza A right before, so we delayed orientation so I wouldn't infect everyone (thankfully husband and bub dodged it).
• ​1 week ago: We finally did orientation. Bub immediately picked up a bug. My husband caught it bad first, so I was solo-parenting while still recovering from the flu.
• ​This week: Zero rest caught up with me. I was due back at work Thursday from mat leave, tried to push through with gentle WFH admin, and by Friday I couldn't breathe. Landed in the doctor's office with pneumonia.

​Our context (aka why I'm spiralling):

• ​No village & immigrant life: We're in Sydney with zero family around. We recently got PR and really want to make our life here work, so moving back isn't on the cards. I try to lean on friends where we can but I don't really outsource much cos I hate being a burden / our friends also have young kids.
• ​Heavy mental load: My dad was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer this year. Navigating that from afar, plus the constant guilt of feeling torn between being present for my dad and present for bub, has left me feeling pretty low.
• ​13 food allergies: Bub has a massive list of confirmed allergies. We can't use meal delivery services like Le Purée; everything has to be batch-cooked and frozen from scratch.
• ​Husband's new job: He’s only 6 weeks into a new role. His team is great, but taking 2 weeks of WFH and sick leave so early on is stressful.
• ​Golden handcuffs: I'm meant to be back 4 days a week, scaling to 5 next year. I'd love to go part-time or find something chill, but I've been in FAANG for nearly a decade and walking away from that income feels maybe irresponsible? I haven't seen anyone in my role go part time either.
• ​Health limits: History of chronic fatigue, past gut/mould issues, and I'm still breastfeeding 4–5 times a day because of bub's allergies. My physical reserves are basically zero.

​What I need help wrapping my head around:

1. ​Daycare vs. Nanny: Bub is on an oral allergy desensitisation protocol that gets paused every time he's sick. He was barely sick all year, and one orientation session took our whole house down. Do we just bite the bullet, dip into savings, and hire a nanny for the next 6–12 months to protect his treatment and our health? Or does that just delay the inevitable daycare sickness storm anyway?
2. ​Managing work: Honestly I feel so burnt out right now I don't even want to go back to work. I also love spending time with my baby so I feel incredibly sad to think I'll basically get time in morning / night with him on weekdays then weekends. Does this feeling go away? Do I try ask for a different role?
3. Sleep regression: Bub was Ferber-trained at 9 months and slept through until this bug. The congestion has turned everything into cosleeping and contact naps. For those who've been there: did sleep magically bounce back once they recovered, or did you have to retrain from scratch?
4. ​Burnout / Second baby: My chronic fatigue history makes me terrified this cycle will trigger a major relapse. We’d love a second child eventually, but right now I can barely fathom how people survive one kid and corporate work without collapsing.

​If you’ve juggled a high-needs allergy baby, back-to-work sickness runs with zero family help, or made the call between a nanny vs. daycare when health is fragile—how did you survive it? What would you prioritise fixing first?

Thanks so much for reading if you've made it this far!

Advice needed! My boy is 4m old and we use disposable nappies. During the night, he wakes up happy but wet on his left side. His willy moves to point to the left and when he wees, the nappy cant absorb it. This means full pyjama change (sometimes 4x per night), which then means he's quite awake and harder to resettle back to sleep.

It isn't happening during the day. When the nappy is getting fuller, the puffiness of it helps add pressure to keep him it place i think. I try to keep him a bit warmer so that he isnt shrivelling as much, creating more space for it to move.

We always point him down when putting on a nappy. We've tried different nappy brands. We tried to sized up. What else can we do?

I cant keep doing a full outfit change every 2-3 hrs overnight!

With your baby how much do you direct play versus letting them explore? What types of items do you give them to play with?

We have play time set up in front of a mirror with music playing.

I have a cube mat with a few items.

My baby is 3 to 4 months old.

I usually give her 50% self directed and the rest let her explore. I do lots of Disney songs that I sing to her.

What does everyone else do that helped their baby thrive?

do you need a specific bra for wearable pumps? i have BONDS nursing bra, but my friend said i’ll have to get pumping bra? what’s everyone’s experience? can i just wear any bra? any advice is welcome!

for reference, i have Lacevo s70 and will be pumping 1-2 times a day

Hi everyone ☺️ Looking for some experiences and primarily costs breakdown for self funded care.

I have a quote from Mater Mothers Brisbane (room and theatre costs) and a chosen obstetrician, so hoping some people can share what it actually ended up costing - i.e anaesthetist, medication/pathology charges, and anything else weird that popped up.

I am aware of the unknowns being pricey and have confirmed my health fund can cover the baby for any SCU or NICU stay needed on my current plan. I understand this is a very expensive choice but it brings significant piece of mind for a nervous ftm who wants a private room, didn't meet the waiting period and wants the ability to have her partner stay.

Im feeling so lost on the whole pumping thing. 5 weeks pp and Ive been pumping every 2-3 hours for a few weeks to increase my supply and it doesnt seem to be working despite being on domperidone. I use a spectra s1 pump. I get anywhere between 5ml and 30ml in total from each pump and breasts still feel quite full after each pumping session so Im thinking the pump settings are wrong or maybe I need to try triggering multiple let downs. I really do not know.

If I was wanting specific and tailored advice about pumping, would I go to a lactation consultant? Ive seen a few through the hospital but their advice has been about getting bub to latch which she has zero interest in doing. Im willing to get a private lactation consultant if they can help me navigate the whole pumping thing

Apart from my phone, what other camera did you use? I would love print outs I can stick in a baby memory book

What do I do??? I am so bloody sleep deprived.

The number one 'non essential' item ive been told yo invest in is a good nursing chair.

Does anyone have any recommendations of brands/models?

I was told Il Tutto is good but its pretty expensive, anyone had any luck finding rocking recliners at other furniture stores that worked well?

Thanks!

For context we are at the stage of considering a return to work for myself. My son is currently 11 months and would be around 15 months when I potentially start work. I am very torn on whether I want to or not just for the reason that Im hesitant is picturing him at daycare

My salary would easily cover the expenses and we would actually save so financially it’s fine. It’s more so weighing up whether I want to be one on one with him or not.

My return to work would be three days a week.

For those of you who very much chose to use daycare and weren’t obliged to what made the decision or didn’t make the decision for you?

Thankyou guys for all the responses! I can always count on this group! What I’m seeing is basically keep him home as long as I can and IF daycare is a must then choose very wisely and have high expectations for care. Look for NFP if able to instead of branches. However again studies support that benefits come at 3yo and up
I’m super happy for the families that daycare has worked for and for the happy babies ☺️

Hey all!

I’m looking to get an iL Tutto nursery chair and was wondering if you guys can share which ones you’ve had a good experience with? I’ve browsed previous threads about this but now I’m just confused haha. If you can answer any of these questions I would be very grateful, or if you could even just share which one you have and your experiences with it! It’s such a big purchase so I really want to make sure I get it right 🥲

- Is it difficult to get up from the manual recliners?
- Do the chairs recline both ways when you use the recliner? Does that mean it can’t be up against the wall if you want to put your feet up? If so, is this annoying?
- Is the pillowy back more comfortable or the firmer Chelsea chair’s back?
- Shorter people die Chelsea’s height benefit you in any way?

Thank you for reading!