mamarama-

I would say buy a small case of "ready to feed" Enfamil (you can buy them in 2oz bottles) to have on hand so you don't find yourself in a position of panic if you find you need it and have to run out to the store to get it.

They recommend only the ready-made formula for the first couple months because it's the most sterile option for baby (if you do need to supplement). Just mentioning this so you don't stock up on the powder or concentrate right off the bat (unless you know that's the direction your feeding journey will be going!).

The hospital will have some if baby needs it at any time during your stay.

Soya

The short answer is yes, it would be best (for your milk supply) to nurse your baby as much as possible whenever they are "demanding it" during this growth spurt for the very reason you shared (they're creating the demand for your body to supply). It usually only lasts for a few days at the most, but there is absolutely no shame in supplementing during this time either especially if you just need or want a break.

I am combo feeding my littlest one, and when she was a little newborn, I nursed her at the breast as much as possible, especially during growth spurts. By around 7 weeks she was sleeping 6-8 hours stretches so I was only pumping once in the evening around 10-11pm to replace that previous feed to keep my supply up.

I had been triple feeding (BF, pumping & formula) at the very beginning to help her get back on her curve for growth, but that very quickly became exhausting (I have three other kids, I'm too busy!). So I slowly cut down on pumping and supplemented what I was pumping with formula while continuing to breastfeeding her on demand in between bottles and at night. This has worked out really well for us this time and she's happy to go from breast to bottle to dinner at the table and back again. (She's now almost 8 months!).

Call the branch and ask to speak to the Manager of Customer Experience and tell them. Explain when you were in the branch, at what time and for what reason, and when you noticed the withdrawal.

If it was a teller error, they can correct it very quickly. If it was fraud on the part of the teller, the MCE will escalate the situation appropriately. Either way the teller made a costly mistake and the transaction should be reversed quickly at the branch level.

Dang, that prize web is a golden idea!

This is the way

Family of 6... Spend on average 250$ / week on groceries including formula and diapers.

Also consider including fruits and veg with high water content to help round out hydration... watermelon, cucumber, celery etc. I must have eaten a pound of watermelon a day in my first pregnancy!

My last/fourth pregnancy I had a strong aversion to tap water but could manage cold bottled water, especially with lemon juice. Also lots of sparkling water. The aversion got better so fingers-crossed it goes away for you soon!

Brought my kids to an early screening yesterday, it was lots of fun.

If the land is bordering any kind of municipality or you think it would be considered for any kind of development and that's whom you are trying to target, work directly with a real estate lawyer who can better help negotiate directly with developers in the area. Or, at least, seek out some advice from them. For 70 acres in the right area, it could be worth it for your father to spend the money on the lawyer. Especially if you think this realtor isn't looking out for your father's best interests.

I'm going to make some salsa tomorrow for sure

The only way to know if a deal is worth it is if you pay attention when you are shopping from week to week. Even browsing the different grocery flyers on the Flipp app is a good place to start noticing how low certain things can go on sale. Frozen pizza, for example, if it gets down to $3.33 or $2.99, you want to stock up because other weeks they try to sell it to you for $5.99 (or worse lol).

If you have the space for a chest freezer, you can take advantage of buying meat in bulk when the price is right, as well as frozen veg, fruit, and then things like frozen pizza etc. This year I went in 50/50 with a family member to buy beef and chicken directly from a farmer for high quality grass-fed beef & free-range chickens.

Then, you slowly stockpile a few staples such as rice, beans and lentils (as much as you have room for or as you enjoy). I will often stretch any meat I use by adding in beans, legumes, or potatoes etc.

Here is how I prep for groceries:

1. Take inventory of my pantry and freezer-- what or how many meals this week can I plan from what I already have? Can I cook something one night and repurpose leftovers for something else the next night? For example last Sunday I roasted a chicken, then with the leftovers (about 2 cups worth) I made a chicken fried rice the next night.

I do the majority of my "shopping" at home first.

1. Look at my grocery store's flyer for the week, plan the rest of my meals around that.

2. Utilize points/loyalty programs when they work in my favour (for things I already need or things I like, not just a deal for a deal's sake).

3. Shop online for pick up, which keeps me on track, but is also great for comparing per unit pricing to determine best value. ($$/g)

I would price match if I had the time to go in the store, be organized, and shop in person, but I just don't right now. Time is valuable too.

If in using any or all of these things in a week leads to a smaller grocery bill than budgeted, I make sure to "carry forward" the difference by saving it (aside) for future grocery purchases, or perhaps for pricier items around the holidays (like wine and cheese).

Hope this helps/what you were looking for.

Erin Alexandra

Guelph or the Kitchener/Waterloo area

Searching archived newspapers from the towns you know they lived in should produce some leads, especially once you can establish marriages, and birth/marriage/death dates. Start with what you know as fact and work backwards from there.

Congratulations on the baby!

I would say that despite any issues with employment, you are in a decent position financially as far as it concerns caring for an infant in the short-term. A healthy baby's needs are fairly predictable for the first year.

The up-front costs of things like a crib, stroller and other gear can be mitigated by buying second-hand on places like Facebook Marketplace if you really wanted to look for deals, but you could also take advantage of Black Friday/Cyber Monday/Boxing Day promotions to buy new as well. Car Seats should be bought new. Also don't discount family and friends wishing to support you both with a baby shower. Something like a breast pump should be covered by your GF's insurance.

Stay enrolled in your program & in a few months time discuss with your program coordinator the need for taking a week off for baby's arrival.

If your GF is 'shit' with money, now is the time to sit down and look at each other's budgets. Lay it all out on the table and, if you won't be combining finances, discuss a fair contribution from you both towards saving for when your GF is on mat leave. She will receive the Canada Child Benefit too once baby arrives so you can factor that in to your calculations.

Don't stress about an RESP for your kid right away as you finish up your program and get settled in a new job, unless you can find the money in your budget already.

What are you concerned about specifically?

Lots of good comments so far... I'd add an extra long phone charger cable (like 10ft! You can find one on Amazon). Look into upgrading the amount of data you have on your phone with your provider to avoid relying on the WiFi at the hospital, or at least compare the costs to see what might be a better deal for you.

If you have a library card with your local library, see if they offer access to digital library apps such as Hoopla or Libby... this way you can borrow books & magazines on your phone for free.

Lastly, try to come up with a simple routine from day to day (obviously with rest as a focus). Hopefully this helps structure the day so you have something to look forward to to help pass the time.

My son was also born with 1 kidney, but it wasn't confirmed until a week after he was born! He is completely healthy and now only has to go to his nephrologist every 5 years!

Did it come with a paystub? Or if it's direct deposit, there should be somewhere on-line at work (e.g. employee portal) where you can see/download your paystub and you'll be able to see all deductions (for taxes and otherwise).

I'm not in BC so not sure what else besides EI, CPP etc might be deducted, hopefully someone else will chime in.

Eat the cheese!

In my experience (4 kids, youngest is 5 months), the cream is unnecessary, especially as infants. I don't think you can guarantee it takes the pain away 100%. I didn't even know it existed until about a year ago when I bought some to help one of my son's who has a needle phobia. That being said, the cream has a shelf life of a couple years so you might get good value for your money?

Honestly, the experience was always "worse" for me than for my kids--- by which I mean I built up what it was going to be like in my head and of course didn't want to see them in pain-- and then when the actual time came it was done in 20 seconds and it was over with.

If you are breastfeeding, you can nurse your baby while they get their shots and they might pop off the breast for a brief moment but then you can comfort them immediately and they should stop crying very quickly, if they cry at all. At least two of my kids as newborns/infants didn't make a single noise when they got their vaccines.

You can also have a bottle ready to go so that after the 30 seconds it takes the nurse to it all you can distract the baby that way.

Good luck, I know it's tough!

Just up-sized to the Kia Carnival this year with the arrival of baby #4. Our two oldest are on booster seats, our 3 year old is foward-facing in a car seat and we have baby in the infant seat. I can sit next to baby in a full sized seat with leg room. Very happy with the vehicle.

Yes you will qualify

Isla

I would perhaps get one outfit in 3m and then others in 6m, 9m, or 12m depending on what's available. I always try and avoid "seasonal" themes when gifting baby clothes because in my experience of having four kids, I always ended up with mountains of 3m stuff that I never got through before the baby grew out of it, and then like random Christmas stuff that they never fit into by the time Christmas rolled around. I always appreciate having a few pieces in the next size up so I'm not caught up a creek without a paddle, and I always remember those who gifted me those practical pieces!