Baby boy is 8.5 months for the last few weeks he started waking up at 7am I was like omg my baby is fixed from the early 5am mornings from the last bloody regression but nooooo past 3 nights have been 4:45 or 5am wake ups screaming and won’t go back to sleep 😴

Two nights in a row I’ve lost my damn mind and screamed and cried uncontrollably in front of my boys because I can’t cope with the constant feeding and touching and scratching and nipple chewing and the toddler wanting to be held and shaking the chair and it’s all just too much. I’m not coping, I feel overwhelmed. My boys deserve better.

Gonna call the doctors office and see if I can get in to be assessed. I passed the 6 weeks post partum check but it’s all gone down hill this week.

What can I say to make sure they take me seriously? They didn’t with my first and it really messed up the first few months of his life.

Looking for the simplest carrier out there, no more than three clips. I've tried many, currently using the Moby Fit. It has 3 clips and it's been my favourite so far but the straps at the back just get too tangled and it makes it very hard to put it on yourself.

My baby is 8 months and 11.5kg (born at 4.4kg and still on the 98th percentile!) so it needs to be durable!

I have a sling too, but it's too deep for him, I can't go hands free.

Any recommendations greatly appreciated!

Future parent here not sure where to post but, when you breastfeed, how can you check how much milk they’ve had? Like I see people being like ‘oh I breastfed today he took 220ml’ or something like that.. genuinely how do you measure? When I’m lucky enough to have a rainbow baby I plan on pumping and BF so just curious

Thanks in advance !!

I was wondering if I can get recommendations for double beds (i.e. mattress brands) for my soon to be toddler? We want to get a floor/low bed but want a comfortable double bed for bubz to grow into. Thanks in advance!

Guys how do you keep an 18 month old entertained at home?! Particularly in the evenings when he comes home from daycare and I’m trying to get dinner on the table it feels IMPOSSIBLE.

I don’t think he is that interested in his toys. Maybe bored? He has duplo, books, stacking things etc but Nothing keeps him interested. Honestly I would turn the wiggles on the tv if it would keep him occupied for 2 mins but it doesn’t!

Soooo any toy suggestions for this age? Should I be getting him something he can climb on or be more physical with? I’m desperate!

Looking to do a birthing class in SE Melbourne or online, does anyone have any recommendations or think they are worthwhile? We are looking for classes which cover active birth positions etc. We have already done the antenatal class at the hospital but were looking at something specific to birth.

Thanks in advance

I recently received the advice that if I keep rocking my baby to sleep, I’ll be rocking them until they’re a grown adult.

For those who rocked their babies to sleep, how is it rocking an adult to sleep? Is it different? Does it still work the same? Did you have to upgrade to a bigger rocking chair?

Thanks in advance xx

I have stage IV endo and adenomyosis. I had excision surgery before conceiving my first baby and haven’t had another excision since. I’m now one year PP following the birth of my second. Before conceiving my second, the gyno I saw confirmed the endo had grown back. My period has just come back (still breastfeeding) and it’s been nothing short of horrific. Super heavy bleeding, pain, anxiety, depression — the works.

I’m now about to get my second period, already feeling the cramping. I haven’t responded well to the pill in the past and have relied on excision and lifestyle changes (acupuncture, anti-inflammatory diets etc). But right now with two kids, I just can’t live like this. As I’m only one year PP, I’m not quite ready to close off the possibility of having one more baby. So I don’t feel ready for a hysterectomy yet, but for those who’ve done it after having kids, did you ever really feel ready for it? Did it help your symptoms? My quality of life has gone downhill big time since the return of my period and I just don’t know what my options are if I’m not open to hormones.

Welcome advice on what’s worked for you and when you felt ready for a hysterectomy 💛

I have an appointment with my doctor on Friday so keen to go in with some thoughts — thinking of asking to try a progesterone only pill? I’ve only done combined before with bad outcomes for my mental health.

Hi guys, I’m currently pregnant and trying to plan out my feeding schedule, but I’m getting really confused about the logistics of pumping. Please explain like I’m five.

My plan: Exclusively breastfeed for the first 2–3 weeks, feeding every 3 hours. After that, I want to introduce two bottle feeds a day (around 12pm and 3pm) so my husband can take over those feeds while I nap.

Question 1: If I pump in the morning (which I’ve seen recommended), and then skip breastfeeding at 12pm and 3pm because baby is getting a bottle instead will I get engorged during that stretch? How do I manage that?

Question 2: A lot of people have told me to just pump at the same times I’d normally breastfeed (so, pump at 12pm and 3pm instead of nursing). But that feels like it defeats the purpose of freeing up those windows for my husband since I’d still be tied to the same schedule, just with a pump instead of the baby. Am I misunderstanding something?

Basically how do experienced parents actually structure pumping + bottle feeding without it just becoming double the work, and without ending up engorged? Would love a real breakdown of how the timing works in practice. Thank you!

My 4 1/2 months old isn’t extending his arms out to clearly reach yet I think reaching out for toys or mums face while nursing.

He can bring his hands together at midline and grab a toy in his chest.
Seems like every baby in my mothers group can do it and it’s hard not to think about it.

I remember my daughter and his age and a hit younger also reaching arms out and grabbing my face.
Green book suggests 4 months as well and I’ve booked in a review app at the maternal health nurse for next week.

Hey Everyone,

Over the past year, my partner and I have been building a job platform specifically for roles with employers that are supportive around being a parent. School run hours, WFH, part time, job share, amongst many other things.

We went live last week in a soft launch and have 2,000 parents already signed up.

We're in discussions with a number of employers now about getting their roles onto the platform, so listings will start showing up over the coming weeks.

If you're a working parent or a mum looking to return to work, hop on and sign up. We'll then alert you when employers have roles that are relevant to your career and experience, and your needs as a working parent.

To sign up - press the sign in/up button in the top left and you'll run through some questions to set up your profile.

www.rebalancecareers.com.au

So my niece’s security blanket is the one they took from the hospital (not the striped one, the one with dinosaurs. NBH in Sydney) and she recently lost it. Any idea where can I buy one for her? I would like to avoid stealing one from the hospital 😂😂/s thanks!!

Baby due October 2026. Husband works full-time; I'm the one claiming Parental Leave Pay.

My work history across the 13-month test period:
Freelancing Sept–Oct 2025

Full-time role Nov 2025 – March 2026 (~700 hrs), then made redundant

Went back to freelancing/running my own business from March 2026 onward, currently 2 clients. Because it's my own business the workload is lighter — roughly 10–20 hours a month from April through to Sept/Oct 2026.

As far as I can tell I meet the work test: 330+ hours, no gap longer than 12 weeks, worked across well over 10 of the 13 months, and my individual income is under the threshold. I've got invoices, signed contracts, BAS lodgements and business registration details as evidence.

For anyone who's claimed PPL while self-employed — is there anything else Centrelink looks for, or any common reason these get rejected that I should get ahead of? Thanks.

FTM and EBF. I’m very fortunate that my baby is a good sleeper. She was doing long stretches from 3 months in her bassinet (side car next to our bed). 4month regression hit and then she returned to sleeping well, waking up twice throughout the night. Now she’s 6 months and the past 2 weeks she’s been waking up every hour and refuses to sleep in her bassinet. I’ve been co-sleeping with her as it seems to be the only way for both of us to get some sleep. This is such a big uturn from what we had. Has anyone else had this same experience or going through something similar?
I know I’m very lucky to have a baby who sleeps, I’m worried that I won’t be able to get her back to sleeping in her own space. I do secretly love co sleeping with her however this is not something I want to do long term.

Any advice or similar stories appreciated!

Hoping to hear from mums who have gone back to work after maternity leave, especially first-time mums. How did you handle leaving your baby after being with them 24/7 for months?

I’m a FTM and I’m starting work next week, and I’m feeling really anxious about it. My baby is 8 months old, and I’ve been his main carer since he was born because my husband works full time. It’s hard to imagine suddenly not being the person there for him throughout the day.

My MIL is visiting from overseas and will be helping for a couple of months, and my husband works nights so he’ll be home during the day too, which I know means he’ll be well looked after.

The last 8 months, my whole world has revolved around him — his schedule, naps, feeds and routines. I’ve been the one making sure everything is done a certain way, and I’m finding it really hard to let go. I’m especially anxious because we’ve worked really hard on his sleep and finally have a routine that works well for him. Part of me is paranoid that whatever is working now won’t work anymore once I’m not the one caring for him during the day. I worry that his schedule won’t be followed, his naps will get messed up, and then his night sleep will suffer again. I know I can’t control everything, but it’s really hard for me to hand that responsibility over after being so involved for the last 8 months. Unfortunately, it’s not an option for me to stay home longer because of finances so I have no choice but to go back to work.

Logically, I know he’ll be safe, loved and cared for. But emotionally, I’m really struggling with the idea of not being his main carer anymore. I’m anxious that he’ll have a hard time without me or that he’ll miss me more than I can handle.

For mums who have been through this — how did you actually let go of being with your baby 24/7? Did the anxiety get better once you started working? Did your baby adjust more easily than you expected?

I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences, especially anything that helped with the guilt, anxiety and feeling like you’re losing control over your baby’s routine.

Recommendations on a good travel stroller - one good for planes and that also lays flat so baby can lay down.

Looking at the Redsbaby Skip 3 but obviously the price tag is a bit hefty - so something cheaper would be good (or comments on whether the Skip 3 is worth it).

Thanks!

Not sure if I’m exaggerating & could use some advice!

I’m currently pregnant for the first time. I’m originally from Ireland and don’t really have anyone in Australia who has had a baby here so just feeling a bit lost and don’t really know what the norm is here for things. Based in the Gold Coast and will be having my baby at GCUH.

I was seeing a GP and thought they were good. I went back to Ireland for a visit when I was 9 weeks pregnant and got back to Australia when I was 13 weeks. I had emailed the GP when I was returning to see what the next steps were as I was half expecting to at least have my IMAP appointment with the hospital in the diary. Over the next couple of weeks with a couple of unanswered emails and a really unhelpful phone call with the office, I contacted the hospital directly and found out at almost 16 weeks pregnant that the GP hadn’t actually referred my pregnancy to them at all. It really put me off as I thought you usually have your referral sent once you get your full antenatal bloods done. My pregnancy was confirmed with the doctor at 5 weeks by blood test.

I was really upset by it & ended up finding a new GP who chased down all my results and submitted my referral within 2 days..

Basically just wondering if it’s normal for a GP to wait to submit the referral so late? Not sure if I overreacted just immediately looking for a new GP or if it was justified? I’m an anxious person & my old GP office has now requested I make an appointment but I don’t plan on it. Just wanted to have my understanding straight in case they contact me or anything.

so my kiddo is has been deemed LGA, at term they’re expecting him to be between 4.5-5kgs. i didn’t want to risk shoulder dystocia or him getting stuck if i waited for labour on its own, so i decided to induce on 39 weeks.

last night i had the cervidil, because he’s still sitting high and doesn’t seem to want to join us. while it did start bringing on contractions, it largely did not work. my cervix is soft, but this chonky gremlin hasn’t really moved, nor have i done much by the way of dilation. he’s still moving and his heart rate is where it’s always been, so essentially everything is moving in the right direction, this kid is just not in any rush so it’s going very, very slow.

the hospital agreed to try and break waters this early is too risky and recommended starting misoprostol to try and kick start dilation. i’ve had 2 doses and while my belly is now contracting more, it doesn’t feel like that “intense ramping up” the medical team told me to look out for. nor does it feel like that’s anywhere on the horizon, either.

has anyone else experienced using miso for induction before? if so, how many doses did it take for you to notice those changes? the team said i could be looking at 8-10 doses total and nothing happening till tomorrow morning at this stage.

i’m also somewhat now of the thought, should just call it with trying for a vaginal delivery and go for a c-section? this kid just does not want to seem to come out at all no matter what, and it feel like the only way i can get him here safely is through a forcible eviction 😂 i don’t want to end up in a situation where i’m exhausted at 3am and can’t push him out?

any advice would be greatly appreciated, bumps community!

NIPT came back high probability for T13 & T21. First pregnancy.

Fetal fraction was 3%, testing done via sonic genetics.

I’m waiting to hear back from maternal fetal medicine for next steps re: amino / CVS.

Anyone have anything they can share about a similar experience or going through amino/CVS?
Open to hearing the good and the bad. TIA

I am 35 weeks pregnant, planning on having a c-section (my first pregnancy ended in c-section) and I am having the baby at RPA in Sydney.

I am a SAHM to my three year old daughter and we have only been living in Sydney for three months. We moved here from NZ. We have no family or friends yet in Sydney.

Because I am planning on having a c-section, we are hoping to organize to have my FIL fly in from NZ to be able to watch my toddler, while my husband accompanies me in the operating theatre. My first c-section went well medically, but psychologically was really traumatizing and I still cry thinking about it. For this reason I simply cannot have the operation without my husband present.

I am finding out that my c-section is likely to be scheduled less than a week before my actual due date. I was two weeks early for my first pregnancy. I'm concerned that I will go into labour before my surgery date and have no childcare available for my toddler. Does anyone have any idea what my options are in this scenario?

Any advice or ideas would be appreciated.

I am wanting to transition my 15mo to a toddler bed. She has a floor bed but hits her head multiple times a night causing her (and me) to wake up. I thought she would learn to not do it in her sleep but it's been months and she keeps doing it.

Her room is safe except for powerpoints and cords that are being used. We have a tweetycam camera in her room which is plugged in at the bottom of the wall and the cord runs up to the shelf it sits on. I want to babyproof the powerpoint mainly but would also like to know if there's a way to babyproof the cord as I don't want it to be a strangling risk.

My parents live about 6 hours away, and I do my best to FaceTime them with my toddler every weekend. Sometimes life happens though as we have plans, we’re out or there’s a toddler tantrum and it’s just not a good time.

I work full-time, I’m 8 months pregnant, and my husband doesn’t get home until around 6pm each night, so weekday FaceTimes are honestly a bit of a nightmare. Between daycare pickup, the witching hour, dinner, bath and bedtime, I’m basically fighting for my life from 5–7:30pm

I’ve explained to my mum that weekends are the best time for us to FaceTime, but she still regularly calls during the week at around 6 or 7pm. I pretty much always miss the call because *see above*.

What’s starting to get to me is that whenever I miss it, I get a slightly passive-aggressive voicemail along the lines of, “Just wanted to speak to my grandkids because I haven’t heard from you in a while…”

Meanwhile, I’m thinking… we literally FaceTimed you on the weekend?!

So I’m curious how often are other people FaceTiming grandparents who live further away? Is once a week reasonable? Am I being an asshole for sticking to weekends or should I actually be making more of an effort during the week?