This is a question for the graduates on this sub - could you tell when your partner was going to have the baby or was it a complete surprise when she went into labour?

I feel like I'll know when she's a day or two away but this is our first so ive never done this before, but I feel like I'll get a feeling

we've been starting to research baby monitors before the baby arrives, and i'm realizing there are way more options than i expected. aside from having a reliable video feed, i'm curious about sleep tracking and whether those extra insights are actually useful for new parents or just another thing to check.

i came across Nanit while looking into smart monitors and noticed it offers sleep tracking features. i've also seen Miku mentioned in discussions, so i'm trying to understand how the options compare rather than just going by marketing. for those who've already done their research or have experience with these, what features would you prioritize, and is sleep tracking something you'd actually use regularly?

Hi all, going to be a dad in February and we were wondering - where do you find baby beds for the crib? We went to Target and other big box stores but can't seem to find any that aren't Amazon. Any tips? TIA!

EDIT: Mattress for the crib, not mattress pad

We're getting the nursery ready for our first baby, and I'm at the point where every baby product seems to have ten different features. One thing I do want is a monitor that shows the room temperature since our house can get pretty warm at night, even with the AC running.

I'd prefer to see it in the same app as the camera instead of having another device to keep track of. Dads, which monitors have you used, and is the temperature reading accurate compared with a regular room thermometer? Hopefully this helps me narrow things down before we make a purchase.

So my girlfriend (22F) is about 4-5 weeks pregnant right now and the hormones and morning sickness is killing her. She has had some really tough days so far and I need some advice on how I can help. It's been really tough for her mentally and physically the last few days and I want to be able to help but I don't know how. I know to be there for her and try to understand her but I don't know what I can do specifically. I love her and I know she needs some help but I don't know what I can do the best. I would also love some advice just generally helping her that I can relay to her that may be of use to her. I would love to make her life as easy as possible throughout this and some advice and encouragement would be super useful.

Little man came early! 36+4. October 12 (Canadian Thanksgiving).
Everybody is doing great and mama was a rockstar!

we're getting ready for our first baby, and one feature i keep coming back to is breathing tracking. nanit's breathing band caught my attention because the camera reads the pattern on the fabric to track breathing motion, rather than having an electronic sensor attached to the baby. i can see why that would appeal to new parents, but i'm still unsure how reliable it feels during a normal night, especially if the camera loses sight of the pattern.

for parents using nanit's breathing band, how often do you run into alerts that turn out to be a reading issue? i'm trying to get a realistic idea of how it works in everyday use, because that's the feature we'd be paying extra for.

Hello,

My wife and I are expecting our first baby and we just found out it’s going to be a boy! We however have been having a hard time coming up with names. She was a teacher for 10 years and we both have difficult relationships with our families so names are hard. Also a lot of the online lists repeat the names or have the same names. Anyone else struggle with this?

I can‘t describe my excitement. After 2 miscarriages, we are in week 24 and had an ultrasound recently. Baby looks perfectly healthy, all organs grow as they should and I am beyond thrilled. Everything seems perfect. Due date is in Febuary and we already agreed on names for both genders.

Still anxious that something goes wrong but I bet that‘s normal after our hopes were shattered two times in a row. I know chances are small now, but still… do you know what I mean?

I think I will cry my eyes out when our baby is born. I cannot wait for our little miracle to come out of my wife‘s tummy! Lol.

Just needed to get that off my chest. I know I will love that baby more than words can describe!!!

Hi everyone. This is actually my first ever dad post. My wife is about 5 months pregnant after we struggled with infertility for a few years so we are both over the moon with excitement for our little one to get here in March.

However I am already dealing with some pretty significant anxiety about the current climate in the United States when it comes to school shootings (and many, many other things but that's for another day).

It is driving me crazy that this just seems to be so accepted and normalized. I am a huge proponent of public education and we plan to use our local district. Homeschooling is not an option - I have personally experienced the harms that can do.

So my question to you all - how do you deal with this? I'm assuming my anxiety about this is only going to get worse as our little one is actually here and they approach school age.