"explosive poo shooting up his back" .....what!? really? does that happen with every baby? oh man... :(

Good point, Bubblybunny! Once baby's a little bigger, he/she won't stay in a small swaddle easily. In my kids' case, they didn't need/want to be swaddled once they were a little bigger, so the issue was moot for me.

Still, a great tip for bigger babies who do still enjoy it!

You both are going to do GREAT!!! Can't wait to see the little one :)
it will be over soon and believe it or not, you will forget about month 9!! Sending lots of positive energy and please don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions! Alot of being a mom is trial and error (I always said there should be hazard pay for first born babies!!!)
Keep us posted!
Angie

@mamaluv We were taught that method at the prenatal class. It worked well when the baby was small and wasn't wiggling too much. Then, his arms got loose during sleepy-time and he woke himself up. My midwife showed us another way that was much easier, but it didn't stay as tight as your method and we only use the midwife method for calming during cranky-time. :P

If you are going to swaddle using receiving blankets, I recommend investing in a BIG blanket. I had one blanket that was big enough for my son and I used that over and over again for everything. It became a problem with he had explosive poo shooting up his back. :P Then I bought the miracle blanket and I managed better with 2 blankets, until he outgrew his swaddling blanket and I couldn't find one large enough to replace it.

For my daughter, I discovered the Muslin blankets (JJCole or Aden&Anais;). They are expensive but I LOVE them. They are big and light, great for swaddling in any weather, great as a stroller/infant car seat cover, or use to tug around the baby when you are using the carrier...so many different uses. I buy those for baby gifts now because they are so useful!!!

Swaddling is actually really easy once you know the trick, and you can use any old receiving blanket to do it. When I see you in person next I'll demonstrate, but here it is in text version:

1. Lay out your receiving blanket like a diamond (assuming it's reasonably square, so tilt it on its point). You can fold down part of the top flap of the diamond to orient yourself (it should sort of look like a pentagon now, not a triangle). Put baby on the blanket with head on the folded down top flap.

2. Think of a compass (or if you forget North-East-South-West, remember the good ol' "Never Eat Soggy Wieners"). Take the "east" point, and fold it over baby snugly trapping his arm down by his side (babies hate having their arms flap around, trust!). Tuck the east point under his body on the far side.

3. Fold the "south" point up over his body so that the feet are snugly tucked in.

4. Fold the "west" point over baby snugly, covering the "south" flap and all the way over to his far side and under his back.

That's it! Pick up your baby and tote him around proudly. It literally takes 10 seconds or less once you have the hang of it.

The nurses in the hospital had a slightly different method when they taught me which I actually found more complicated. This was easiest for me and least likely to come undone.

Oh by the way, I did use the woombie for my second baby's first 2 weeks. Then she grew out of it. I liked how easily it is to use but my baby didn't like being swaddled very much. I swaddled her when she's really really fussy and it calmed her down but it took a while for her to realize she's swaddled and that she can be happy now. :P Babies are funny that way.

You don't need to know how to swaddle!! You can just buy them ready to go. I loved my Miracle Blanket which is what I used for both my babies. Super easy to use. There is also the Woombie and I've heard a lot of good things about it. You basically put the baby in and zip her up!! Easy Peasy!! The only problem with the woombie is that they are sized so they don't grow with your baby very well and babies grow FAST!! For that reason, I highly recommend the Miracle blanket. I used that with my son until he was 4 months old and he was ready for a sleeping bag by then.

If you are looking for luxurious sleeping bag, try the Perlimpinin Organic sleeping bag. Expensive but It ROCKS!!!!!!!!!

Good luck, Ali!! We are all rooting for you and your little one's arrival. :D

Thanks for the encouragement and tips, you guys! I have heard the swaddling is really important. Now I just need to learn how to get the blanket folded correctly. I have been practicing on stuffed animals and am not very good at it ;).

Swaddling - yes!!! Takoda's absolutely right that a nice snug swaddle is one of the best tips I can give you. Most babies don't like to be flapping around in loose blankets. They also love contact with Mom & Dad, so if you don't already have a baby carrier or sling I suggest you consider one. Some people might say it's spoiling Baby (that's what our grandparents believed), but these days it's a very common choice. All about bonding!

Oh Ali you'll be fine, trust me we've all felt the same
things you're feeling now just before our first baby show it's beautiful
little face to us. It's hard to let you in on what to expect because
every baby is so different.
For the first few months, unless you get
really lucky you won't have much sleep. All babies have to eat ever few
hours for the first little while, so loss of sleep is a given. That's
why I always say, if someone offers to watch the baby so you can take a
nap, or even just go for a walk to get your mind back in order, take
it every time!! Don't ever compare your baby to your friends new born
babies. They're baby made sleep for two hours in between feedings, but
yours may sleep longer. Your baby may cry more then theirs does. Yes
there's going to be times when you've done every thing you can think of
to make them stop crying and nothing will seem to work, but that
doesn't mean your baby is sick either. It just may be having a bad day
like we all have. You'll be surprised at how fast you will come to know
your baby and how to react to his, or her needs. There's going to be a
lot of people telling you to do this, or that because it works for
them, or it's best for your baby, but you will know your baby the best
and what works best for your baby. I found that just giving them a smile
and saying thanks maybe I'll give that a try, helps to shut them up.
Always just follow your own in-stinks, but never be afraid to ask
questions, or ask for help. We'll all be here for you if you ever have
any questions, or concerns, you can be sure of that! As you may know
from reading some of the things I have written before, both of my boys
were very fussy and sick babies. I found that when I had them swaddled
up nice a tight and walked around the house with them they would quiet
down and go to sleep. I found out later that it worked because that
makes your baby feel like they are back in your belly were they felt
snug and safe. After reading that it made a lot of sense to me, after
all they were in there for nine months. So give that a try with your
baby for the first month or so even if they aren't fussy, it will help
them feel safe. Ali you are going to be a great mommy and Alex will be a
great daddy, I have no doubt about that. Just give us a shout if you
need any help with anything and I'm sure one of us can come up with the
right answer for you. We can't wait to see the baby pictures!!
Big Hugs to ya!!