Reddit mentions of Dynarex Disposable Under Pad, 17" L X 24" W, 100 Count

Fellow new mom here, with two thoughts:

Not sure if they were readily available when you had your older son, but as /u/Aida_Hwedo noted below, puppy pads are the bomb for covering changing tables (and anything else you want to remain poop and pee free, like if you’re changing the diaper on your bed or couch or the floor). If you search amazon for “chux pad” (that’s the kind without the dog attractant smell, made just for humans), they can be SUPER cheap. These are my current favorite - its a pack of 100 for $15.58, and you can even use the same one several times if it happens to stay clean. Game changers, seriously.

Second, I had a fairly similar experience to yours. Extended family vaccine resistance, a bunch of physical and emotional stress, spiking blood pressure leading to a very sudden early delivery (we had a c-section on 30 minutes’ notice at 35 weeks), followed by a NICU stay, separation from the baby, and postpartum health issues (continued high BP and foot/leg swelling, and an incision infection). So I feel confident in saying that handling the level of shittiness you described in your post, along with bonus stress from FAB being a self-absorbed, self-righteous shithead, means that you’re a big damn hero. And you and your DH are both saints for not utterly eviscerating her. FAB can go choke on an entire damn pineapple.

Okay, now that my rage is out of the way - I want you to know that it will get better. Therapy helps (I ended up diagnosed with PPA, which honestly isn’t surprising, considering). Postpartum support groups help a lot too. But more than anything, it just takes time. We’re half a year out now, and things feel WAY different than they did in the first few weeks. I still use a pulse oximeter sock with my baby every time he sleeps (we use the Owlet), because it helps me relax knowing that an alarm will go off if he’s in trouble - I won’t accidentally miss it or sleep through it. You mentioned that you still use one yourself. I’ve found that babywearing helped a LOT with my anxiety, especially early on. Whatever you find that works for you, run with it. Take the damn hair dryer with you. (Ignore the trash blog; it was just the only one I could find with an excerpt of the story. The original post is much more interesting, but a whole lot longer.)

I hope that in time, you’re able to feel peace again, and settle in nicely with the new addition to your family. You did what you had to do, and went through hell to get your baby out safely. Your baby is here now, and safe. You are here, and safe. Your other son and your DH are here with you, and love you, and they’re safe. Nobody can take that away from you.

I’ll see if I can go find an extra-spiky pineapple for FAB.

Oh man, these pads were a lifesaver with our newborn:

Dynarex Disposable Under Pad, 17" L X 24" W, 100 Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HWWR732/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_q1zFDb3MDGS26

We usually went through at least one a day and saved us a lot of mess!

Cheers!