August Pregnancy Thread [Archive] - CookingLight.com Community

helios7

08-02-2008, 08:33 AM

Happy August everyone!

It seemed a shame to end the July thread as there were several really successful conversations that took place. The wine topic and the "baby stuff" were the two that readily popped to mind. Hopefully we'll be able to continue the "baby stuff" - what does a baby really need? - conversation into this month as I know it's pertinent to many of us. Willybean asked about the number of basics to purchase right at the end of the month so hopefully we can continue this discussion into August.

And I'd like to know how many experienced mothers found newborn sizes to be useful. I've ordered more 3 month sizes, but am ordering a few basics in a newborn size. But then reading Baby Bargains I saw they recommend largely 3 month, as babies grow out of newborn sizes quickly or never fit into them. So I've ordered a few onesies, a few newborn size pants and sleepers just in case, but mostly 0-3 month or 3 month sizes.

Not much happening here - just getting ready for a big barbecue we're hosting tomorrow. It's a belated bday party for me, and should be fun as we haven't seen much of our friends in the past few months. Work really impeded my ability to socialize. So it will be an unveiling of sorts... everyone knows we're pregnant but now I'm really showing it will be really seem real!

Hope everyone's having a great weekend! :)

gertdog

08-02-2008, 12:53 PM

I went ahead and started us again just in case there are any lurkers out there who are ready to out themselves! :D:D:D

Ahem. I can't imagine who you might be talking about.

Okay, I'm ready to out myself. :D Just finished my first trimester, EDD is 2/7/09. Have had two ultrasounds showing a healthy baby who seems to be growing nicely, and nuchal screen results were very reassuring. DS Ryan will be 3 when baby arrives. We are fairly sure this baby will be a boy based on the 12 week ultrasound, but there's always a chance the tech was wrong (though DH and I both agree we think we saw boy parts too).

So far I've been experiencing a good bit of nausea, with the past two weeks being the worst. The fatigue has also been bad, but seems to be getting better. I can't really tell if I've been more tired/nauseated with this pregnancy than I was with my first, or if it just seems that way since it's harder, with a toddler in the house, to just retreat to the bedroom and lie down when I feel sick. Am hoping the nausea starts to recede soon!

Anyway, I'm very happy to be joining the thread! :)

Heather, enjoy the barbecue tomorrow! Re: baby clothes- I think Ryan wore newborn sizes for just a week or two, and 0-3 months for only a few weeks more. 3-6 months was actually the most-used size for us in the first 3 months if I remember correctly.

helios7

08-02-2008, 01:44 PM

YAY! Glad to see you here Stephanie.... even if I not so subtly opened the door! :D:D:D:D Because it's still the first day, I was able to add you to the list. So you're officially part of the group.

Its also good to know about the clothing size... 3-6 months has been the size I've leaned towards... glad to hear that Ryan wore those clothes for a while. Any other experienced moms (particularly of boys) have experiences to share?

Anyone else out there, or are Stephanie and I going to keep chatting to ourselves? :) :) :)

LaraW

08-02-2008, 02:38 PM

Not outing myself (nothing to out!) but I wanted to pop in and say Congratulations to Stephanie! My sister is pregnant and due 2/7/09 too!

Hope you start to feel better soon. Congratulations!!

Pony

08-02-2008, 03:22 PM

Congratulations Stephanie!!! Yay!!! I'm so happy all is well.

I'm here, but sooo tired. I've been cooking since 11am and just finished, but still have a bit more to do. I'm making carnitas, some yummy rice from Rick Bayless, a CL salad for dinner tonight with friends. Plus, had to make food for the lady I cook for.

I don't know of any others that are going to out themselves, but it would be fun if there are more.

LaraW, I'm in love with your blanket. I saw pictures from Mary Kate. I may try to make one. :)

tholbrook

08-02-2008, 04:04 PM

Anyone else out there, or are Stephanie and I going to keep chatting to ourselves? :) :) :)

I'm here too!

helios7 - thanks for kicking off the monthly thread for us. Happy belated birthday and have a great time at your party!

Pony - sounds like you're cooking up quite a storm today... hope you're able get some rest this weekend!

gertdog - happy to see you here! Congratulations!

Wow, it's nice to see so many familiar names from the "Food" side of the CL boards!

I'm hanging in there with 3 weeks left. I feel fine, with the heartburn finally easing up as the baby is starting to drop lower. Of course, that means I'm heading off for the bathroom at least every hour, if not every half hour. We're driving up to Cleveland for the day tomorrow (8+ hours round trip) for DH's grandma's 90th birthday. So that ought to be interesting. Fortunately, most of our route has plenty of exits for emergency bathroom stops. :rolleyes:

I plan on washing some baby clothes and crib bedding today, and probably will even start packing my hospital bag. We're going to take the car seat with us to Cleveland, and I suppose the hospital bag should go as well. Not that it's likely, but JUST IN CASE!

[Thanks gertdog, for the advice on the newborn-sized clothing. I will keep that in mind when I'm picking out which clothes to wash... I'd hate to take all the tags off, only to not be able to use them]

Not much else happening here, this has been a slow week. Next week is another story, with lots of appointments: weekly doctor visit, interview with a pediatrician, meeting with the cloth diaper service people, and on and on. On the plus side, I'm also scheduled for a prenatal massage!

One question for you all: I know the lining of the infant car seat can be removed... so do I wash it now (since it has that "new fabric" smell) or wait until it gets dirty?

MinEaston

08-02-2008, 05:32 PM

delurking... but only to say congrats to Stephanie and best wishes to everyone.

re: washing the infant car seat liner. I think I washed Anna's all of one time - when I handed it down to my sister-in-law. :eek:

Delanl

08-02-2008, 05:54 PM

Congrats Stephanie!

Just want to chime in about the baby clothes. My DD was 8lbs. when she was born and wore Carter's newborn size clothes for quite a few weeks. It's tough, you never know until your little one arrives exactly what will fit them and what won't. I def recommend having a wide range of sizes just in case.

I didn't wash the car seat liner, I'm a big fan of Clorox Anywhere spray and usually spray it down once a week...along with practically everything else. :o

Missi

08-02-2008, 06:53 PM

Decided to stop lurking and join in. I am due March 30th. This is our first, I am 33 and DH (Tony) is 39. We are planning to have it be a surprise. Our first ultrasound is Aug 19. I was more hesitant to tell everyone, but DH is SOOO excited after extensive trying for the last year that I just couldn't help myself.

I'm looking forward to getting to join in with you all after lurking on the pregnancy threads for at least the last 3 years. I feel like I finally get to join some exclusive club:p. I hope you all won't mind me asking a ton of questions, especially from all you "been there, done that" moms!

:D:D:D

Bawstinn

08-02-2008, 08:18 PM

delurking about clothing sizes ....

Madeleine was only 8 1/2 pounds but she was long. We had a couple of newborn things (We are both over 6' so I figured she would be long) but she only wore them a couple of times before they got too short. Some of her 3 month stuff was a little big but it doesn't matter much at that age since they aren't walking around.

Same for newborn diapers; I wouldn't have a lot of them to start with. They may go up to 10 pounds but she started leaking out of them when she hit 9 pounds and I ended up giving almost a whole pack to a friend.

tholbrook

08-02-2008, 08:20 PM

Welcome Missi! Congratulations to you both and hope you are feeling well!

Just wanted to say that I love Lake Tahoe ... my DH and I got married there, and recently went back to celebrate our 9-year anniversary (since we'll have a new addition when our 10-year rolls around :) which might limit the travel plans). I'm 33 as well and we're expecting our first.

Seems like there are a lot of first-timers on the list right now, but I'd have to read back through the old posts to make sure. Back when I first joined the monthly threads, I remember reading the posts of those close to their due dates and having to look up some of the things they were talking about. Now I'm getting close and I still feel like I don't know anything! :rolleyes: So I am very appreciative of advice from the experienced moms too.

Megan James

08-03-2008, 07:37 AM

Stephanie Congratulations! Your spacing between kids will be about the same as mine. And 2/7 is my birthday, a very fine day to be born :D

I've got 3 weeks to go. Amazing to see my name creeping towards the top of the list. Carpet for the babies room is coming Wednesday and then we can move the furniture in and put up the mural stickers. Then the room will be done.

Yesterday I finished my last big pre-baby commitment. I'm on the organizing committee for a local triathlon and in charge of the transition area. It went off without a hitch and mercifully was only low 70's in the morning so I wasn't even uncomfortable. I was wiped out last night and asleep by 8pm!

I physically feel pretty good. My biggest grip is that I'm not sleeping that great. I'll sleep well for a few hours and then wake up for a while, sleep OK for a few hours, wake up for an hour, sleep semi-crappy until morning. And then be crabby in the morning. If I get woken up by DH moving around or snoring I have tons of trouble falling back asleep which doesn't help at all with the crabbiness.

I'm also feeling a tiny bit nervous about labor & delivery. Last time I was mostly worried b/c I didn't know what to expect. This time it's more remember how long the whole ordeal was last time. But then I keep remembering how wonderful it was when Rebecca was put on my chest right after she came out.

Oh that reminds me we've GOT to work on a name....

Good luck to the other August due dates!

mabvt

08-03-2008, 10:40 AM

Welcome Stephanie and Missi!

Things have been awfully busy around these parts for the weekend. Megan, thanks for bringing up some of the issues from last month. I have a gear related question--have you guys seen those fleece things that go on top of the baby carrier for the winter? What are they called? I haven't actually seen them being sold anywhere (yet). I'm thinking they'd be pretty easy to make, too.

It is so hot here. (Michigan) I fanned myself all the way through church this morning (despite air conditioning). Then we went out for brunch and I was complaining to DH about the heat/lack of enough AC. He gently told me it was all me :). Yesterday we went to Lake MI. It was fabulous. We swam like crazy and I dug a hole in the sand so I could lay on my tummy. Ahhhh!

I am nearing the two month mark. It's hard to believe!

Megan James

08-03-2008, 01:02 PM

have you guys seen those fleece things that go on top of the baby carrier for the winter? What are they called?

My hand me down one is called "Bundle Me" by JJ Cole.
I googled it and came up with this webpage http://www.jjcoleusa.com/obm.php
We used that all winter long and it was great.

kabs

08-03-2008, 07:00 PM

I would also like to join you ladies, if that's okay. :) I've been lurking too, and just like Missi, I'm excited to learn from those of you that have been through this before because I have lots of questions! I enjoy reading from first-timers too, because this will be our first. Our due date is March 5th.

I had a m/c last year so I am very nervous so far in this pregnancy, but DH and I are taking this one day at a time. We have told our families and close friends, but have decided to hold off until we get to our second trimester to tell the rest. I am so excited to tell people, so I thought I'd come here and spill the beans! :D

Looking forward to chatting with you all!
Kim

lbd

08-03-2008, 07:29 PM

I think I've washed one of our car seat covers once, after a nasty diaper leak. If the seat gets removed from the car for some reason, I usually shake it upside down to get crumbs and whatnot out but haven't seen the need to actually remove again.

With DS, I think we had some newborn stuff but I can't actually remember how long we used it for. He was born late May and basically wore S/S onesies all summer, and maybe longer sleepers at night? This baby will have a much cooler entree into the world so more layers but I don't think I've gotten a single newborn or 0-3 month thing for her. A bunch of 3 or 3-6 month stuff, plus I've been hitting the sales for 9 and 12 months things for next summer. I think we're pretty close to covered for most of the first year, assuming she doesn't have an enormous growth spurt and outgrow everything immediately. I'm leaving tags on new things until we're at the point of wearing them, will use handmedown sleepers at the very beginning.

I am feeling totally wiped out now -- will this last the next 2 months? I don't remember being this tired in my last 3d trimester, but also wasn't chasing a 2 year old at the time. DH and I keep having the same conversation about how I need to rest and not overexert because growing the baby is taking a lot of energy even if it doesn't seem like it (him) but that I can't just sit around and let him get our house into shape and all the other myriad chores while I sit around with my feet up (me). My argument isn't helped by my two 2-hour naps this past week when I was just totally zonked.

Welcome to all the newcomers! And Megan, makes me feel better to know that you're further along and don't have a name yet either. It was so much easier with DS, now we seem to be just ignoring the issue. Well, we'll have to decide eventually. :p

helios7

08-04-2008, 07:34 AM

Yay! I'm so glad our August thread is off to such an active start. Welcome to the newcomers.... I had been trying to draw out Stephanie but am thrilled that Missi and Kabs (Kim) joined us too!

I'll join the ranks of the tired. This barbecue this weekend was great - 16 people came! But oh man, it took a lot of work. I kept thanking DH as he pretty much gave most of his weekend to cleaning the garden, accompanying me on errands and prepping food in the kitchen alongside me. He of course being the awesome man he is kept telling me not to be silly and that the garden needed the work plus errands can be done by both of us. Still, my work schedule is much lighter then his (I'm almost done) and he also has to deal with my parents visiting for four days THIS weekend. :o

Sides from all of that, not much new really. I keep freaking out that I can't feel him enough or that it's been a while etc. I'm still waiting for the big kicks that DH can feel, I get one occasionally but never when DH is around. I look forward to to that stage as I want him to be included. Plus I think it will be reassuring for me. I have my glucose test at my next appointment on the 14th. I'm a little anxious, even though I don't know why. I have no real reason to be anxious about it... but I still am. Now my schedule is lighter and we moved the elliptical into an room with AC to work on the nursery, I have been using it almost daily. I'm definitely feeling better with the exercise - both about myself visually and in terms of health. I take it easy - I keep my heartrate below 140, but I am hopeful it will check my weight gain for a bit as I had hit the 20 +/- at 22 weeks (last time I weighed). I confess I haven't gotten on the scale lately, and I do think it's mostly baby but still - I know I've got lots of work ahead of me after he comes... no need to add to it unnecessarily!

Beth H

08-04-2008, 09:09 AM

I don't know if the thread-starting post can be edited or not, but we found out we're having a boy last week.

Not much new here - just starting to really show and need maternity clothes. Feeling OK right now overall - hopefully that will last into the fall!

gertdog

08-04-2008, 11:51 AM

Thanks for the welcome, and congratulations to kabs and Missi! Congrats to Beth on the boy news, too!

Carseat covers- I washed the cover once on Ryan's SnugRide carseat, and that was after he outgrew it. I washed it before storing. Otherwise I just spot-cleaned (we had a few mild spit-up incidents, but never a diaper leak in that seat, or I'd have washed it!). He has two Britax seats now- one cover has never been washed and I just washed the other cover for the first time last week after a diaper leak.

Sometime soon I have to haul myself up to the attic and see what-all baby stuff is stashed in there. Ryan arrived in October and it was still quite warm here for his first month or so, but the new baby will arrive mid-winter and I want to figure out what we might need.

JenZen

08-04-2008, 12:02 PM

Hi, ladies.

Just plugging along here in the early first trimester. I'm about 6.5 weeks now ... would really like to get past 8 weeks, which is when I miscarried a few years back.

I know you can't edit it now, but my due date is March 28, according to the dr. (March 26, according to me, so you can use that one!) :)

Not feeling too bad, although I have my moments. Had an ocular migraine this morning, which is the first one I've had since I gave birth to Ada. Blegh. Forgot about those.

Newborn clothes --- both of my kids were big (8.5 pounds and 9.5 pounds), and they both wore newborn home from the hospital. I know for sure that Gabe was out of the newborn size pretty quickly (like within weeks). Ada was in them a little longer because she put on the weight a little slower, although it wasn't that long. I mainly put them in 3-month clothing right off the bat, I think. As for diapers, we used the newborn diapers for only the first couple of weeks. So, don't buy too many of that size! You'll find that they plateau at a point. I've had Ada in size 4 diapers now for almost a year.

MaryMorph

08-04-2008, 12:23 PM

Howdy all.

So our OB's office screwed up last week and revealed the gender of our little one. I've been adamantly opposed to finding out, so to say I was displeased would be an understatement! I had an amnio a few weeks ago to rule out down's due to my NT test. I went in last week for my 20 week ultrasound, and the tech asked if we wanted to know the gender. I said no, and she was very good about not revealing any information during the scan. When she was leaving, she gave us the glucola for the glucose tolerance test next time, and a stack of papers. While we were waiting for the doc, I started going through the paperwork. Included in it was an envelope addressed to me. I opened it and it was a card from the genetics lab. I (stupidly) opened it, and written across the top was "46 XX" and then there were 23 little pairs of chromosomes. I just stared in disbelief! The doc walked in a minute later and asked how I was doing. I told him that I was not very happy and held up the card. He was very apologetic---said it was the first time they'd screwed up in 10 years.

We're excited to be having a girl, but I'm still bitter that I know now rather than in December when she makes her appearance.

We also found out at the time that she has club feet---pretty easily treatable with casts and braces for the first few months (before she's using her feet). We went to a perinatologist on Thursday who did a good job of worrying me more by not ruling out some syndromes, but I just have to appreciate that we have normal genetics and normal looking major organ systems. I keep trying to turn off the part of me that works in neonatal and pediatric intensive care units----the sick kids that I see on a daily basis are not the norm and the odds that I would have one of them is really quite rare, despite the frequency with which I see issues!

Back to other posts---congrats to all of the new additions to our list! Good luck as you move along with your pregnancies.

My son was in the 0-3 month stuff for a while---born at just over 7 pounds, but was in that size for at least 3 months.

One other thing, based on last month's "what do I need" topic---I stocked up on diapers for my son, and ended up donating a bunch of them to a local food bank; he leaked like crazy in that particular brand. I now tell new moms to try a few brands out and not stock up 'til you know what's going to work for your kid. Huggies were terrible for us, but all that would work for my niece.

mary jo

bekki

08-04-2008, 12:23 PM

Had a growth check ultrasound this morning, as baby b had been a bit on the small side two weeks ago. Luckily both babies are at a good size now, and we have no worries!

However, becuase it wouldn't be a doctor's appointment without a little drama, baby b is a boy! We had been told at 16 and 22 weeks that he was a girl, but it was as clear as day now! So, we have two little boys on the way.

I did have a moment of saddness, simply since I've been "bonding" with them as boy/girl, but I think in the long run, we'll be very happy! Only bad part, my friends sent out some VERY cute shower invites that came over the weekend and they are boy/girl themed :o It'll be a good story in a few years!

fancyn

08-04-2008, 01:00 PM

Bueno! Is it hot or what?! We've been under a heat advisory and when the temp guage on your car reads 92 on your way IN to work, you know it will be miserable.

Just got back from my 12 wk appt - had a bit of a scare. :( My doctor doesn't do initial sonos so DH and I were really excited to hear the heartbeat this time around. So she gets my belly ready with plenty of goo and starts rubbing around. OK, maybe from the side then. Still nothing. I'm trying not to panic and of course she's not. She says, " Just by examine, I'd guess you were a few weeks farther." So we ended up waiting until they could squeeze us in for a sono. Oh, my heart instantly melted. We saw both arms and legs, the heart chambers, the bladder and have a few nice profile shots for the book. The silly baby just kept bouncing and wiggling. The tech says to me "You're going to be tormented by this one once you start feeling it. " Nick was soooo active in uetero and is still a busy body. All I can think is what the %#$^ am I going to do with 2 hyper active ones?! But oh well, I'm just so relieved that there is a baby in there who appears 100% healthy - yay!! I was trying to have her figure out the sex but apparently it's very early and the wiggle worm just wouldn't cooperate. Darn, would have been a sono I didn't have to pay for ! ;)

Congrats to Gertdog, Missi and kabs - WELCOME! I will have to say that helios did an excellent job of getting everyone to "out" themselves! :D

Mary Jo - ugh, I can't even believe the lab made that mistake. You sound as though you've somewhat come to terms with it - I'd still be pissed!

Yay for the boys Beth and Bekki! Congrats to you both!

Pony

08-04-2008, 01:02 PM

helios7, thanks for starting the thread again this month!!! I agree, I enjoyed the wine and "baby stuff" talks. Very helpful!! I love the nursery!!!!!! I'm excited to see your crib. Sorry about the birthday. My husband has a summer birthday and that seems to happen to him too. I'm glad you had a nice time at the BBQ and were able to enjoy time with your husband for your birthday.

Val, if you are reading :), thanks for the info. I like the idea of a jogging stroller travel system.

fancyn, my friend is pregnant with her second and she popped at 10 weeks! Her first baby is not even a year old though, so she popped really quick! I've enjoyed popping :) What brand of jogging stroller do you have? Can your infant carrier fit in it? Glad the bad mood is making its way out of here! Are you finding out the sex?

Lorien, my friend really liked her Ergo carrier. Did you prefer that over the bjorn? I was thinking of getting one of Ergo carriers and Sweetpea (amanda) is going to make or get me a mei tai or babyhawk. I like that my husband can use them and we won't have to get 2 sizes. Amanda loves her mei tai, she made a really cute one for Emma and Jack. I hope you get some energy back!

mabvt, we are on the same path as you all with buying things. :)

Beth H, glad you had a nice time in Vegas and had some good wine :). Congrats on the boy!!!!!!!! Did you have a feeling either way? Did you start telling friends? Our neighbors don't know yet and now I feel funny that we haven't told them. So, I am trying to get my husband to do it, ha!

Michelle, I'm so sorry about the VBAC situation. I'm hoping you and your DH can get more info from your doctor. Thanks for the info you gave willybean. I need to make sure I come back to these threads!

Megan, I would love to see pictures of your nursery :). Congrats on finishing your last big commitment!

Sarah, hoping you feel better soon!

JenZen, how was your birthday!?

Stephanie, how is Ryan responding to the idea of a brother or sister?

tholbrook, sooo close!!! Have fun in Cleveland.

Missi, yay, congrats!

Kim, congrats to you too! I completely understand your nervousness as we had 2 m/c'es in '06. It is amazing to me that this pregnancy has been a breeze!!! Well, I mean my nerves are not a breeze ;), but the actual pregnancy has so far gone very well.

Mary Jo, Oh my gosh! I am in the same boat as you as to not at all wanting to know. My doctor said for the rest of my appts. to make sure I announce it everytime someone walks in to the room, b/c people are so used to mom's finding out these days. Annoying, but I will be sure to do that. Are you a RN? My good friend is a NICU RN and I need to stop talking to her about her job! Plus, I am in the healthcare field, so it is a bit of extra anxiety seeing and hearing bad news.

bekki, I'm glad all was well w/ both babies!! Congrats on two boys! It will be a good story!

Jen, I'm assuming your little one has made it into this world since we haven't heard from you. Looking forward to hearing all about it!!!

Pony

08-04-2008, 01:06 PM

Finally got through all the posts.

I survived the big cooking weekend. I had a small glass of wine, about four sips :D. The dinner was awesome. I made Sneezles Carnitas recipe. We did some shopping at IKEA and Target yesterday and we saw a great deal on a play yard if anyone is looking for one. This Graco Pack N Play in the Melbourne style (http://www.target.com/Graco-Pack-N-Play-Melbourne/dp/B0015VW27W/qid=1217861943/ref=br_1_14/601-9435808-0855331?ie=UTF8&node=1041924&frombrowse=1&rh=&page=1) on sale for $99! I think it is a boy theme, but my husband wanted to get it no matter what, ha! I told him not too, b/c his sister wants to get us one. I thought the price was good. Plus, we aren't finding out the sex and even though it is really cute, I think it is more boy. My husband was having a great time looking at all the cute nursery stuff. He is sooo excited.

I'm feeling good. Can't wait for the weekend with my college girlfriends!!! It will be so fun to see everyone. I'm anxiously waiting for some kicks and my appt. next week.

Work is insane right now, b/c of the possible hurricane. Trying to get packets out to the patients.

Hope everyone is well.
Michelle

kabs

08-04-2008, 01:28 PM

Thanks for the welcome, everyone!

I know that most of you are past this point, but my most pressing pregnancy related decision right now is to figure out which tests I should opt for! The pile of leaflets I was given at my first appt was a tad overwhelming. :o

I've seen some of you mention the nuchal test- this is done during weeks 11-14, correct? From my information it looks to be a blood test in conjunction with an ultrasound, does that sound right? Does anyone have any advice about this test? Should I do it? Shouldn't I? I'm so confused. If it matters, I am 35 yo so I don't know if my "advanced maternal age" (came across this <ahem> lovely term in one of the leaflets I was given) points in one directions or another...

Oh, I also wanted to reply to mary jo that I'm sorry the dr's office ruined the gender surprise for you! It sounds like you're dealing with it better than I might.

Beth H

08-04-2008, 01:30 PM

Beth H, glad you had a nice time in Vegas and had some good wine . Congrats on the boy!!!!!!!! Did you have a feeling either way? Did you start telling friends? Our neighbors don't know yet and now I feel funny that we haven't told them. So, I am trying to get my husband to do it, ha!

Well, my feeling actually was for girl before-hand, based on internet descriptions of the Shettles method (timing before ovulation) - we weren't doing this intentionally, mind you, it just sort of was the way it worked out. :) But - obviously it turned out the other way. I am thrilled - neither DH nor I had a preference either way.

I have told folks at work, etc., and will tell some good friends this weekend. I still find it a difficult thing to weave into conversation as I'm not big on drawing lots of attention to myself. I guess as I get bigger it will get easier. :)

Congrats to all new members - seems like a mini-baby boom on the boards!

Beth H

08-04-2008, 01:39 PM

gertdog

08-04-2008, 01:51 PM

I've seen some of you mention the nuchal test- this is done during weeks 11-14, correct? From my information it looks to be a blood test in conjunction with an ultrasound, does that sound right? Does anyone have any advice about this test? Should I do it? Shouldn't I? I'm so confused. If it matters, I am 35 yo so I don't know if my "advanced maternal age" (came across this <ahem> lovely term in one of the leaflets I was given) points in one directions or another...

I just had the nuchal screen done with my current pregnancy, and also had it done with my DS, now 2 yrs. My own opinion is that, if your insurance covers it, go for it. It is, as you said, an ultrasound combined with a finger-***** blood test. It is non-invasive so there is no risk to the baby. They take a lot of measurements during the ultrasound, but they are looking in particular at two key things. 1- the thickness of fluid layer behind baby's neck and 2- the presence/absence of a nasal bone. These two indicators are combined with the bloodwork to assess your risk of having a baby with Down's syndrome or a few other chromosomal abnormalities. For example, based on my "advanced maternal age" :D only, my risk of having a baby with Down's syndrome was 181. The results of the nuchal screen changed my odds to 1 in 3600, which was reassuring enough to DH and I that we've decided to forego amniocentesis for now.

The nuchal screen is non-invasive, but it only provides odds, not a diagnosis. Amnio and CVS are diagnostic, but they both carry a small risk of infection that can result in miscarriage. So, for DH and I who are "need to know" sorts, we opted to do the nuchal screen since it's covered by insurance and no-risk (and also let us peek at the baby!), and the nuchal screen in turn helped us make a decision about diagnostic testing.

Does your OB's office offer genetic counseling? We met with a genetic counselor before the nuchal screen and it was very helpful to be able to ask questions about all the different tests, especially for DH who was worried about the age thing. We weren't given the option of counseling with DS1, so I don't know if it's a new service or one they only offer to women over 35, but we found it useful.

Mary Jo I'm so sorry the gender surprise was ruined for you! :mad:

fancyn Glad the scare turned out to be nothing- I HATE those few seconds of waiting before the doctor finds the heartbeat.

Pony

08-04-2008, 02:12 PM

Kim, Beth and Stephanie gave great info regarding the tests. I'm 32 and will deliver at 33. My doctor encourages genetic counseling and first trimester screening on all of his pts. I wasn't sure if I was going to do it, but my insurance covers it, so I did. However, the baby was measuring too big and they couldn't do the screening, but I did meet with the genetic counselor prior to the screening. I guess the meaurements would have not matched the blood results correctly, since the baby was too long. So, I don't have any information at this point, but at my next appt. they mentioned doing a quad scan instead. I am not exactly sure what that is, but I think it determines the same thing, but at a later date. It is non-invasive as well.

kabs

08-04-2008, 02:15 PM

Stephanie and Beth: Thank you. Your explanations were very helpful. I understand that the nuchal fold screening is just that, a screening. I should have said that instead of test. It seems pretty simple and safe and it would give us a chance to see the baby again, so its something that we will consider. I think DH and I are "need to know" people, too. :)

fancyn

08-04-2008, 02:51 PM

fancyn Glad the scare turned out to be nothing- I HATE those few seconds of waiting before the doctor finds the heartbeat.

Thanks! :) I really didn't want to panic but the longer we waited, the more my mind twisted things around. I forgot to mention in my prior post that it is because my placenta is laying on the front, which acts as a sort of a barrier. Apparently this makes it difficult to hear the heartbeat for a while and it means I won't feel the baby as soon as most. The tech told me I was lucky in that aspect...:rolleyes:

Pony, I'll have to let you know when I get home as to which jogging stroller we have. :o My carrier didn't fit in it but i still used it anyway. I just layed the back flat and rolled blankets around for a bumper. He loved it so I'm hoping this baby will. And yes, I will find out the sex. :) I love the element of surprise, but I'm also a planner. So it's a surprise until I find out, and then I can plan accordingly. Plus, I thought it helped with the bonding with Nick - instead of it or baby, i could at least say "he" and "him" - and it gave me an opportunity to get cozy with the idea of a boy. You know, daydreaming about cars and trucks and baseball games... OK, that was a little cheesy! ;)

Jen

08-04-2008, 11:41 PM

Our little guy made it into the world on Thursday (6 days early) - July 31, 3:02 pm, 6 lbs 15 oz, 19". It was definitely an interesting ride! Some of you might remember that I was struggling with the decision of whether to attempt a VBAC or to go with a scheduled C-section. My previous delivery was Stage 2 failure-to-progress (pushed for 3.5 hours) - I have an android pelvis that wouldn't open up adequately for DD to get through. She was average weight, length, and head size, and exactly 40 weeks, so afterwards I was told that there was a very low chance I'd ever be able to deliver naturally.

So, at the beginning of this pregnancy, I assumed we'd just go ahead with the scheduled C-section. But the more I read, the more I saw that android pelvis is not a contraindication for a trial of labour on a second delivery with a previous C-section. My OB was totally open to giving it a try...she said she couldn't give me a great chance of success, but it would be safe and there was no reason not to give it a go. So ultimately we decided to book a C-section for my due date (Aug 6) to give me ample time to go into labour, then if I did, we'd assess whether to try a VBAC based on estimated size and position of baby, how quickly labour was progressing, etc

So that's the background...phew, I've written a book and I haven't even gotten to the delivery part yet!! I went into labour early in the morning on Thursday and it started a lot like last time, although was moving a bit quicker. I had to go to the hospital earlier because I was a potential VBAC and they needed to monitor me more closely in case of problems. So we went at about 5 minutes apart...at this point contractions didn't seem so bad and were quite short (only 30-45 seconds). I just didn't really feel like much was happening and wasn't 100% sure I was even in real labour!

Got to the hospital and was about 2-3 cm dilated, 75% effaced...this seemed good, since I felt better off than last time at only around 1 cm. I started thinking maybe this would be easy!! :D They sent me off to walk around and again, didn't seem so bad. But then contractions started really ramping up and I was feeling them very strongly in my lower back, with tons of pressure. They got bad very fast although the hospital staff didn't seem to realize how much more intense things were all of a sudden. Finally we got into a room... I was thinking I must be at 5-6 cm because I was feeling pretty bad. But I was measured at only 3-4 cm.

This was where I almost gave it up...I was pretty much in tears because the pressure was so bad on my back, and it seemed like things were going so slowly. Plus, the back pressure/pain made me think the baby was probably posterior, which is not good with an android pelvis. I was very discouraged. The nurse said that often with 2nd deliveries, things start slower then get much faster all of a sudden. She suggested getting into the shower and seeing if that made things progress.

This is where things got very interesting. :) I was in the shower for only around 15 minutes, but things were getting incredibly intense and I was starting to feel like I really had to push. They had left DH and I in the shower for awhile, but the nurse came running in when she heard the noises I was making and insisted I get back out so they could check me again. I didn't want to because I figured it had only been a few minutes and I didn't want to be discouraged again.

Lo and behold, she measured me at 7-8 cm!! :eek: At that point nurses started flooding into the room and there were people everywhere. They were a bit thrown for a loop because they were supposed to be doing some things (like inserting a saline lock in case I needed a quick IV and continuously monitoring the baby...standard stuff for a VBAC). They were also having trouble getting a good measurement on me because my water hadn't broken and was really bulging. So there must have been 4 or 5 people in a row who measured me, no one able to get a good read. It was awful because I had to stay on my back to be measured and it was so incredibly painful on my back! I was having trouble not pushing through this entire phase and could not even begin to keep up with the pain. I was really noisy and felt embarrassed that I wasn't in better control! (Last time I felt much more in control throughout the entire labour). Finally, after only a few minutes, they decided I had just a bit of lip left. One more contraction on my hands and knees broke my water, and then I was at 10 cm.

I was terrified to start pushing because last time was such a disaster, and I didn't feel "ready" because everything was happening so fast. I was so afraid I'd get this far and then hear again that baby couldn't get by my pelvis. But surprise, surprise, this time it worked!! I could feel exactly when it was clear the baby was descending...felt very different from anything last time. DH was so excited and kept saying "we never got this far last time...the baby is going to come". I just kept saying over and over "I can't believe it's going to work!". I pushed for 42 minutes and Sam was born!!

It was a very surreal experience and I still am having trouble assimilating a lot of what happened. I said to DH that I think I could still recount DD's labour 4 years ago better than this one 4 days ago!! I will have a lot of questions for my OB at my follow-up visit (she didn't actually deliver Sam...at my hospital you just get the OB on rotation). I did have a small epi and a small tear, but nothing too bad, and the recovery has been 1000X easier than last time. I can't believe how fast I've been up and around. There is some pain/discomfort, but no comparison.

Now we are getting used to being a family of 4! DD has been amazing and is so excited about her new baby brother. I've heard the first week is the "honeymoon period" so I'm expecting more bumps next week. I've also found it much easier this time emotionally for me...definitely not the same level of baby blues (at least not yet) as the first time.

Good luck to everyone! I'll be lurking around to see when peoples' babies arrive!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3202/2724556354_33c2a22d82_m.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3194/2724563654_1bdc14ec87_m.jpg

Pony

08-05-2008, 07:24 AM

Congratulations Jen!!! I have chills from reading the story. I feel like it has been a long time since someone had a baby. Honeygirl was the last one and I was just getting on the threads. I'm so glad you were able to have a VBAC. Did you have a feeling it was a boy? So exciting!! He is beautiful.

LaraW

08-05-2008, 08:11 AM

Oh, Jen - what a sweetheart! I got goosebumps reading your story. My two deliveries went very quickly and I always have said that it was a good thing DH was there so he could tell me what happened. :)

Take care, and good luck with settling in. It sounds like everyone is doing well.

ETA: I think (I hope) you will find that a lot of things are just easier the 2nd time around. You have more of an idea of what to expect versus trying to figure out what is going on. That's not to say that they won't still throw you for a loop, but I think Colin has thrown me for fewer ones than Natalie did :)

chefbecky

08-05-2008, 08:47 AM

Congrats, Jen! He is gorgeous! I think our kids are similar in age -- my DS turns 4 next week, and DD was born in February. I have to say, it's been almost 6 months, and he adores her. So maybe you'll get lucky! I mean, I harbor no illusions that it will last until they're teenagers, but let's take what we can get right?? Your birth story was amazing ...

Couperine

08-05-2008, 11:26 AM

Congratulations Jen and welcome Samuel - he's gorgeous! I'm glad you had your VBAC even though it didn't go the way you had envisioned. I also found it easier with a second baby - enjoy these weeks and take lots of pictures - I remember the first 6 weeks because of a family blog and pics. :)

Megan James

08-05-2008, 01:16 PM

Congratulations Jen!
I am so glad that the VBAC was a success, kudos to you for trying for it. I'm glad you wrote about knowing when to push and feeling things differently this time around. With #1 I didn't really know when or how to push and I am really hoping it will be different this time. (and faster!!).

Missi

08-05-2008, 10:10 PM

Thanks for the warm welcome!!!!:D

Congrats, Jen, he's beautiful!

tholbrook- I love Tahoe. I feel so lucky to live here full time!! Let me know the next time you visit. My DH is the manager of a great little Italian restaurant here and I could hook you up!!

Mary Jo- I am so sorry about your surprise being ruined. I would be very mad as well.:mad:

Hello to everyone else! I think it's going to take me a little while to get the hang of responding to everyone, as this thread moves very quickly!!!

mabvt

08-06-2008, 08:00 AM

Congrats Jen! He is just beautiful! Your daughter is a doll as well. And congratulations on your hard work paying off in such a gratifying way.

Had a doc's apt yesterday. I still get such a thrill (at 31 weeks) at hearing that heartbeat. Interestingly, I commented on how high it was to the doc. She asked if the baby had been moving a lot prior to seeing her (it had). Baby's heartbeats are higher if they are moving around--just like ours go up when we exercise. Duh. I'd never thought of that, but I thought it was cool!

Last night we had the baby care section of our childbirth class. We gave sponge baths, swaddled and talked extensively about breast feeding. I'm trying not to freak out about bf because I want to do it. But it is going to be such a huge change just to have a baby and bf intimidates me. Every couple of hours! Yikes! Luckily it sounds like there are lots of supports in place. There is a support group that welcomes prg moms to come and visit and ask quesitons. I might do that.

Happy Wednesday all!

kbs

08-07-2008, 08:44 AM

I've been a long time lurker of this thread and think that now I am ready join. :) It's still a little early (I'll be 9 weeks on Saturday), but we had our second u/s this morning and everything looked great so I'm feeling a little more confident. This is our first pregnancy after 3 years of TTC (started seeing an RE at the beginning of this year), so we are so thrilled. We saw the heartbeat flicker this morning which was so amazing. I can't believe how much has changed since our first u/s 3 weeks ago. It really is starting to feel real to me.

So my EDD is 3/15 and we will definitely find out the sex. When I was younger (I'm 33 now) I said that I would want to be surprised, but now I just kind of feel like I don't have time for that now. I'm a planner and I want to plan using all the information that is available!!!!

I have been feeling really very good. I have occasional nausea. It is fairly brief, but still unpleasant, so I really feel for those of you who have it bad.

We are going on vacation tomorrow to Minnesota for my grandma's 90th birthday party. There will be tons of family around, and we weren't planning on telling people, but now I'm thinking maybe we will. I think my dad kind of wanted us to, but at the time that he and I had that conversation, I was still super nervous about it sticking and squashed that idea. Now I'm thinking of reconsidering but I'll need to talk to DH about it first.

Congrats to all new moms and moms to be!!!

-Kim

kabs

08-07-2008, 09:55 AM

I wanted to pop in to say congratulations to Jen. Your children are beautiful!

kbs- welcome! I'm new here too, and I can't help but notice the similarity of our names! We also had a big family get-together with all of our out of state relatives just after we found out we were pregnant and really debated about telling everyone. We kept the secret (for the most part:p) because we knew we'd see everyone again at the end of the summer and would tell them then, but I understand about wanting to spill the beans when you see everyone.

mabvt- I'm looking forward to experiencing the same excitement of hearing the baby's heartbeat. I've had an ultrasound already, but next week will have my first appt where they use the doppler to hear it. Some friends warned me that I might not be able to hear it yet- I'll be 11 weeks. When do we typically start hearing the heatbeat via doppler?

Kim

Pony, thanks for answering my question also. DH and I have an appt to meet with the genetic counselor as well in a few weeks. Good luck with your test!

Sarah45

08-07-2008, 10:46 AM

Congrats Jen! Samuel is absolutely beautiful and I just love the picture with your daughter.

I don't have time to run through everyone's posts right now but I did want to pop in and say "HI"

On Monday we took the plunge and let the news out to coworkers and a couple more friends. Of course this was really fun but scared the heck out of me too. There's a small irrational part of me that felt that we had now jinxed things and that something bad was going to happen.

BUT, went for my 12 week appt. this morning and everything is great and the doc found the heartbeat immediately and it was strong and beautiful to hear :D I think my irrational self is going away for now.

The in-laws are visiting for the weekend so I'm off to finish my "menu" and grocery shopping list! Have a great weekend everyone! :)

kbs

08-07-2008, 12:56 PM

kbs- welcome! I'm new here too, and I can't help but notice the similarity of our names! We also had a big family get-together with all of our out of state relatives just after we found out we were pregnant and really debated about telling everyone. We kept the secret (for the most part:p) because we knew we'd see everyone again at the end of the summer and would tell them then, but I understand about wanting to spill the beans when you see everyone.

kabs- I did notice the similarity in our names. I actually tried to get kabs when I registered, because if you take all my initials that's what you get. Let me guess - is your A for Ann???

On the genetic counseling- we are doing it as well and our appointment is 9/2. Something else for me to worry about...:rolleyes:

-Kim

mabvt

08-08-2008, 08:03 AM

kabs-We first heard the heartbeat right around 11-12 weeks. It was my first "real" dr's apt. It's super cool. Have fun!

kbs-My A is for Anne :)

Also, FWIW- we did genetic counseling. I found it be a great experience. There has been some concern about the baby's kidneys now, and we're going back to the same clinic for follow up ultrasounds, etc. I find the people that work there absolutely wonderful--very caring and patient and there is none of the hustle and bustle I sometimes feel at the OBGYN.

JenZen

08-08-2008, 10:55 AM

Hi Ladies,

Well, some news from here.

I had a little bit of spotting yesterday, so I decided to be proactive about it and call the midwife. She had me come in for an ultrasound, which was scary because the last time I had an early ultrasound, it didn't end so well. But, I am pleased to say that this time was different. We saw a little baby with a pretty little beating heart. Baby is measuring right on with my date, and the heart was beating at about 137 bpm.

Still not sure about the spotting, but I had my blood drawn to check hcg and progesterone. I'm glad she's being proactive, because I tend to flip out, and I was having a really hard time waiting until Sept. for an appointment. I go back next week for a vaginal exam and another blood draw.

When I came out of the ultrasound, I handed the pics to my husband and said I had baby pictures. Gabe and Ada crowded around him to see, but I guess they weren't impressed by the little gray blob because Gabe declared that it just "looked like a big mouth."

Jen

Megan James

08-08-2008, 03:17 PM

I had my 37 week appt today. Everything looked OK, the babies heartbeat was down a little bit, maybe 5-7 beats. I think he may have been sleeping, lord knows I needed a nap then!
I've been having some contractions on and off. I didn't have (or didn't know I was having) these with #1 so this is definately different. Sometimes it feels more like cramps and other times it's just tightening of the uterus. Some of them make me feel a little nauseous but they don't really hurt. I'd like to go another week or so mostly b/c things really aren't wrapped up at work yet. I know I shouldn't feel that way but the project I am on is so understaffed that I am really still working and trying to get things done. My goal for next week is to focus on "passing the buck" at least 50% of my day.

tholbrook

08-11-2008, 03:12 AM

Just checking in really quick - I'm getting ready to head out the door to teach my yoga class... this is my last week teaching and then I'm done for who knows how long!

I distinctly remember thinking - and maybe commenting - that wow, I only have 12 weeks to go. And now ... it's WOW, I only have 12 DAYS to go. Give or take, of course. The baby's head has definitely moved down, and over the weekend, she was pressing on a nerve or something, because it was painful to walk. Fortunately, she moved a little, and I feel better, although still lots of pressure. Darn heartburn still is hanging around!

Anyway ... congrats to Jen on your gorgeous baby boy! And welcome to Kim (kbs)! Hopefully I'll check back in the next day or so - I can't believe how busy this thread was last week, and I've only had a chance to skim over it so far.

kabs

08-11-2008, 05:16 AM

Good morning, everyone! Hope you all had a nice weekend. My best friend came in for a visit and we had such a great time. I was waiting until I saw her to tell her "the news", so that was exciting. Then we went to Babies R Us and she recommended some things. I was completely overwhelmed by the end of it. :)

I have another friend who is expecting in a few months and she's now starting to think of how she wants to decorate the nursery. Does anyone have any great sites for nursery themes/colors? She and her DH do not know the sex of the baby, so they want to stay away from strictly pink or blue. I'm going to be watching for suggestions carefully because DH will be looking for advice when we start thinking about the nursery! Thanks!

Have a great week!
Kim

tholbrook- I can't believe you're still teaching yoga and you're 12 days away from your due date! How inspiring!

helios7

08-11-2008, 07:05 AM

Hi everyone....

I had a really busy week last week, and so didn't get much of a chance to check in. I'm wiped out - I have 2 hours of work this afternoon and 2 hours of work on Wednesday and then I'm DONE! Done until maybe Sept 09 part-time, or maybe longer then that. And I'm ready! Tholbrook - I'm impressed you're still working teaching yoga. I work with preschoolers with special needs, and I'm just finding I'm getting too big and slow to keep up with them. And I'm only 24 weeks. But, almost there.

My parents were here for four days, and we had a really good visit. It was stil exhausting - but it was good to see them. We did some damage at a local outlet mall - Carters and Baby Gap were especially successful stops!:rolleyes: We had the family shower - and my husbands family just went nuts! They bought out our registry, except for the high chair. I went back and added more stuff since I'm going to have one more shower and there was nothing left! Plus I think it was nice for everyone to see my parents again before the baby arrives.

Not much happening on the baby front - I'm just really tired. I'll be taking it easy this week. DH finally felt him kick over the weekend - that was exciting. The baby seems to move at certain times - he likes to get going in the 6am hour! :rolleyes: That's fun for everyone. :) I have an OB appt this week - the dreaded glucose tests looms. I'm a little nervous, no real reason why but I'm worried I may not pass. Hopefully time will prove me wrong.

Welcome to Kabs and kbs.... glad we've got so many new members this month! Who knew! There will be lots of spring babies!

mabvt

08-11-2008, 10:21 AM

kabs-- I love the Oh Dee Doh Nursery website. It has all different products for little ones. Sorry, I'm not adept at posting links! Google Oh Dee Doh. It will be the first site to come up. If you look along the left hand side they have "nursery tours." Our nursery has sky blue walls. Accents are red. We bought a second hand dresser that we are having finished red. Bedding is your basic primaries.

tholbrook--Congrats on the yoga teaching thus far. I'm impressed! I'm a teacher home for the summer and have enjoyed my sloth-like summer.

helios-- 6 a.m. is a popular kicking time here too. In fact, often DH will tell me that he had my hand on my tummy and there was a lot of action and I am still blissfully asleep.

Have a great Monday, all!

Melissa

Pony

08-12-2008, 02:55 PM

kbs-congrats and welcome! Hope you had a nice time on vacation. Did you get to tell everyone?

kabs-did you have your appt? We saw the heartbeat around 6ish weeks and heard it right after 10 weeks.

Sarah-congrats on a good appt!

Jen-oh, how I know the fears of spotting! I was fortunate to not have any w/ this pg. Congrats on the good u/s.

Megan-good luck getting everything done at work.

tholbrook-12 days, wow!! Enjoy your last week of teaching yoga.

helios7-Tomorrow is your last day! How cool. Yay for a great baby shower. Sounds like you have almost everything you need already. Good luck w/ the glucose test.

Well, I'm back from the wedding. It was fabulous hanging out with the girls! All 8 of us were there and we just enjoyed each others company so much. I miss them. I grew in just a few days. On Sunday, my friends were saying, "you didn't look this big on Thursday". All the food helped! Two of my friends are moms and one brought me a sling her son didn't really like and the other a few maternity clothes. I got a couple of other cute little gifts as well. I had one glass of wine :D:D:D at the reception.

I had my gender check appt today, but didn't find out ;). I'm thinking boy. The baby was ALL over the place and it took about 1 hour for the u/s. The tech had a hard time getting all the measurements the doctor likes to have. My office has a flat screen tv above the bed, so it is easy to see. My husband and I just had to keep looking at one another, b/c the baby was squirmy and the tech said we might see something. The heartrate was 135bpm, so another reason why I'm thinking boy. The baby was low, pretty much on my bladder. She was surprised I still can't feel the movements, b/c of how much he/she was kicking. I'm just a few days over 18weeks. The doctor said all looked well. YAY!

Not much else here...I'm exhausted b/c my flight was delayed on Sunday night. Didn't get out of JFK until 1am and got home at 5am. Had to work yesterday and it caught up w/ me today.

Hope everyone is well.

Michelle

helios7

08-14-2008, 04:01 PM

Bleh bleh bleh.

Bleh.

I should be elated to be off work, and instead I feel as though I'm living in doctor's offices getting poked and prodded. There's something swollen and lumpy in my leg again - right where I had the surgery in June. Maybe it's just scar tissue, but it's kinda worrisome when they still don't know what's wrong with me. I've seen my infectious disease doctor twice in the past week, and he's had them draw 15 vials (9 visit one, 6 visit two) in order to rule OUT things so that they can begin to move closer to diagnosing what's going on. As he said, what was removed was NOT normal, but they're not sure yet what I've got.

And then today at my OB appt I took the dreaded glucose test, and my veins were in such poor shape that she had to draw from my hand. Which hurts... and is bruising nicely. And I'm worried about my weight gain - it just keeps coming! I really don't feel like I changed my diet overmuch but the pounds just keep piling on. By my scale (at home first thing in the AM) i'm at the 25 pound mark, and at my doctor's I'm at 30. I'll be 25 weeks tomorrow - still 15 weeks to go! So, my doctor recommended cutting down on carbs. There has been a lot of white pasta, and definitely cake in the past few weeks. Time to work on improving the diet now I have more time. But I have been working out regularly - I'm just feeling frustrated.

So i came home and ate the last cupcake my friend gave me this week. It had to go, it was a couple days old and taking up space in the fridge... right? :o I'll have a nice lowcarb salad for dinner to make up for it.

Anyone got any "I dropped the babyweight really easily after childbirth" stories to tell me to make me more hopeful that I won't be living on lettuce for six months after he arrives. :rolleyes:

JenZen

08-15-2008, 09:09 AM

All right, helios, you need a pick-me-up. :)

Here's my I-dropped-the-weight-fast story for you. I gained, if I remember correctly, 35 with Gabe and probably 40 or so with Ada. (I literally stopped looking at the scale in the last month with here. I would weigh-in standing backwards.)

I dropped everything with Gabe, and it was pretty fast, too. A couple days after I had him, I was within, eh, 7 pounds or so. Ada was a little harder. I was like 20 over after a week, and then in the next month or so, most of it came off without doing anything. BFing rocks. I did keep a little more bulge from Ada. I blame her for that extra 5 pounds that came out of no where. :) (Well, it didn't help that we had a REALLY long winter, and I had just stopped BFing.)

Anyway, I know how depressing it gets when you're watching scale climb, but it WILL BE OK!!! You won't be eating lettuce for 6 months, either. :)

Take care,
Jen

Pony

08-15-2008, 09:38 AM

helios7, **** computer...just typed up a reply and it is gone :mad:.
I am so sorry you are not able to enjoy your time off! Keep us updated on the leg. Sorry about the weight gain. I think cutting back the pasta and sweets will help. What about beverages? Do you drink sodas, juices? My glucose test is the end of the month. I usually ALWAYS crave sweets, but during the pg all I've wanted is salt. Extremely strange for me. My husband brought home different dark chocolate bars b/c a friend said it makes a happy baby :p;). I had half of one the other night and had to chase it w/ Triscits. I don't know what has come over me ;). I had dinner w/ RebeccaT and she had a friend that lost her baby weight very quickly. Amanda (sweetpea) is another quick loser, but she is very dedicated to her exercise routine-6 days a week-and eats well. She doesn't diet, but eats good quality food. I have a friend that lost very quickly w/ both of her kids and she didn't do anything. Are you going to breastfeed? This helps! Anyway, take care of yourself and keep us updated.

Michelle

mabvt

08-15-2008, 11:26 AM

helios--So sorry to hear about all the stress right now. Esp your leg- how scary. As this is my first pg too, I don't have a great weight loss story. But hopefully I will soon! I can tell you that this week I have developed a craving for bean burritos from Taco Bell or the local equivalent. I just finished one, in fact. It is practically the ONLY thing that sounds good. Sigh...

Jen- Thanks for the inspiration. I have taken to heckling skinny girls in their cute little shorts in my head as I drive past. "Hey you b***** I used to be skinny too!" I amuse myself.

Pony- Glad that you had a good trip and apt. I find just when I'm really dragging I have an apt and see the baby or hear the heart beat and it really picks me up.

I swear that my baby (well I guess my belly, really) is only growing sideways right now. I stick out front but totally have the watermelon. It feels like the baby is wrapping around my middle. I felt a kick practically in my back this morning. Next week we have our last child birthing class. Ack!

helios7

08-15-2008, 11:27 AM

Thanks Pony and Jen - I did have a minor freak out yesterday but am feeling a "bit" better today.

Jen - thanks for your stories....they did help! I am planning to breastfeed, so hopefully I will have similar results. And if not, there's always weight watchers. And I thought your story about your baby pics being "unimpressive" to your other children was hilarious! :D

Pony - I don't drink a lot of juices and things like that. That's why I've been so surprised! I drink water, decaf iced tea (homemade) and occasional small glasses of OJ or milk. That's funny about your "new" pg craving. I wish my sweet tooth would go away for a bit - instead it seems to have been amplified!

Mabvt - that's funny we share a kicking time! I've been feeling him more and more the past few days - he was quiet over the weekend which worried me a touch (but I was busy). He's been happily letting me know he's okay a LOT the past few days.

Stephanie - hope everything's okay.

Lorien - how's the move (or move-in at this point) going? I'm sure you're crazy busy (not to mention crazy tired) but I hope everything's going okay. :)

In other news, our upholstered glider arrived. They said 8-12 weeks but it arrived in about four, which was great because I LOVE it. So comfy to sit back and put those feet up. So does Helios (one of our cats). He's decided that the glider is a perfect cat napping place.

Happy weekend everyone!

kabs

08-15-2008, 11:43 AM

mabvt- Thanks for the recommendation on Oh Dee Doh. They have really cute stuff! Your nursery sounds adorable. I love the idea of red accents. I also had luck finding some cute uni-sex bedding (and also boy and girl oriented stuff too!) at Land of Nod in case anyone else is looking...

Pony- It sounds like you had such a great time at the wedding with your girlfriends! Hope you've caught up on your zzz's since then.

Helios- Sorry you had a rough day the other day! I hope the dr's figure out your leg issues soon. Enjoy your new glider!

kbs- Yes, my a stands for Anne, too!

I had my second dr's appt this morning. They gave me a slightly later due date- now I'm due March 8. I am so anxious to get to that magical 12 week point, it seems like time is ever so slowly ticking by...it's a mental thing with me, I guess. The doctor was not able to hear the heartbeat, but she said that it is very typical and not to worry (I am just short of 11 weeks along). Everything looked good according to the doctor. I will have an ultrasound on Monday for our 1st trimester screening, so I'm not too worried about not hearing the hb today.

It was kind of fun at the doctor's office today, because my SIL (who is due one week after me!) also had an appointment (same dr.) 30 minutes before me, so we were both in the waiting room together with our moms, since neither of our dh's could come. So it was like a little family reunion at the OB/GYN's. Not something you do every day. :p

Have a great weekend, everyone!
Kim

Pony

08-15-2008, 11:47 AM

mabvt--have people been guessing what you are having? Everyone is telling me boy, b/c I'm carrying low. My friend got me this cute book and it has a page called "Old Wives Tales for Sex Predicitons". I do fall under both catergories, but mostly boy. There was something in there about a watermelon :)

helios7--ohhh, a glider, I can't wait!!!!!!! I want one bad. I'm glad it was only a minor freak out. I think we can have those! Well, hopefully, cutting back on the sweets will help you, even though it will be hard. When do you get the glucose results back? Glad you are feeling the baby a lot!!

Has anyone been getting a lot of hair on their bellies :o? I'm a very modest person, but I would like to say I have a cute belly bump :p. However, I'm embarrassed by the hair! I have this line of dark hair from below my chest all the way down. I have no complaints about this pregnancy, I will take whatever is thrown at me, but I sure wish my belly wasn't hairy! :D

Pony

08-15-2008, 11:56 AM

kabs, I'm glad you have an u/s next week! Those always make me feel so much better. Very exciting about your sister!!! My dear friend has the same OB. She is 5 weeks ahead of me. When she had her gender check appt., I had my 1st trimester screening. So, I got to go peek in on her and her DH while she was getting her u/s and found out the sex. :) It was fun. Have a good weekend.
Michelle

lbd

08-15-2008, 12:46 PM

Pony - I didn't get the dark hair line (because I'm blond maybe?) but have friends who did and, according to the books, it's pretty common. I think it goes away after birth.

Heather - I lost the baby weight after DS's birth pretty quickly as well. I attribute it entirely to breastfeeding. Sorry to say when you stop breastfeeding, you have to cut back on the goodies or it starts to come back.

I have been busy (hence, my lack of presence here) but am doing pretty well. Starting to get a little freaked about the amount to do before baby arrives and really hoping she doesn't show up really early. I've also been getting exhausted really easily -- my iron tested at the low end of the normal range but they said I could try to Slow Fe if I kept feeling tired. Now I just need to remember to put it on the list so I actually get it at the store.

Okay, DS is awake from his nap and plaintively calling "Mommy I need you" over and over. See ya!

mabvt

08-15-2008, 01:05 PM

Pony- People have been saying girl. I"ve heard watermelon = girl, basketball = boy. Also have had high heart rates for every apt which is supposedly a sign of girl. No belly hair here, but I do have the black belly line. My(blond) MIL saw it and said she'd never seen one before...

Can you tell I'm doing a lot of work on the computer today? I'm planning an online class for the fall and I need lots of breaks :)

Melissa

bekki

08-15-2008, 05:45 PM

It's so good the see that everyone seems to be doing so well! So many questions that I have no idea on--weight gain/loss....I'm trying so hard not to think about it! I did the glucose drink test thing at about 15 weeks, and passed. But they want me to do it again in the next couple weeks, because I guess twins increase your risk. Who knows? I'm nervous though since the last time I wasn't eating hardly anything due to m/s and by now, my sweet tooth is back with a vengence! So good luck to you helios, I'm on the same wavelength :)

We had our "Baby Care" class last night. DH has barely held a baby, let alone changed a diaper or anything like that. I think he liked the class, but I promised I'd do the first few diapers so he could watch over my shoulder :p

I've been slowly cleaning out the room we're using as a nursery, but I feel like I can't even make a dent. There's a ton of crappy furniture in there (like little MDF book shelves and an IKEA desk) that is just taking up space. We're going to craigslist them, but I won't feel accomplished until it's clear of crap.

I'm also freaking out because we have almost NOTHING. Seriously. I have like 1 outfit, a bag of books and one more "fun" outfit on the way in the mail. My shower is next weekend, so I think I'll be going on a buying spree after that. Keeping my fingers crossed that someone splurges a little and gets us like a carseat or something :o

Finally, after my long catch up post, it hurts so bad to walk. My doctor said that a lot of groin pain is pretty normal and will probably get worse as everything starts to sepearte and widen. UGH! However, she did say that we could look into physical therepy if it starts to get bad. Right now it is the wrost when I'm laying or sitting and then go to stand up. The first 10-15 steps KILL. Thank you know who that I have no where particualrly important to be any time soon :)

Stay well everyone!

tholbrook

08-15-2008, 06:45 PM

Hi all!

This thread has been busy again, I see! :) I'm finally getting a chance to sit down and read through all the posts.

...We gave sponge baths, swaddled and talked extensively about breast feeding. I'm trying not to freak out about bf because I want to do it. But it is going to be such a huge change just to have a baby and bf intimidates me. ... mabvt, I know exactly what you mean. I took a breastfeeding class a few weeks ago (lots of discussion and videos), and I'm not sure I feel any more confident. But you're right, there's lots of support out there. It's something I want to do - but I just feel, I don't know, unnerved about the whole idea.

And I love those side kicks, don't you! :rolleyes: I've got the watermelon thing going on too (yep, it's a girl) but instead of the side-to-side, it's top-to-bottom. But it doesn't stop her from sticking those little feet in between my ribs.

I think it's going to take me a little while to get the hang of responding to everyone, as this thread moves very quickly!!!
Missi - it does move quickly, but I don't think you should feel any pressure to reply to every single person. Just pop in and update us on how you (and the baby!) are doing!

lbd - good to see you again! Hope the iron supplement helps you get your energy back ... I can't imagine being pregnant while trying to take care of another child!

helios7 - yikes, how frustrating about your leg. I hope that the doctors are able to find a diagnosis quickly. I don't know what to tell you about the weight, other than everyone is different. Most of my weight gain was in the 2nd trimester, and only a little in the third. Hang in there, and don't stress yourself out (easier said than done, I know!). Hope you hear good results on the glucose test!

kabs - I'm glad you're not stressing out about the heartbeat. They couldn't find it with mine either around that same time. Enjoy the ultrasound on Monday - I remember the first one more than any of the others. :D

I've been having some contractions on and off. I didn't have (or didn't know I was having) these with #1 so this is definately different.Megan James - I'm glad you mentioned that, because I've been a little concerned that I haven't felt anything like this at all. Either that, or they are mild enough that they really don't register with me.
Presuming your baby hasn't made an appearance in the past week, you're getting really close too!

JenZen - glad everything turned out okay from the scare you had. I had spotting a couple times too (late pregnancy), and it really freaked me out. It turned out to be nothing. But I felt better getting it checked out, even though several people told me it was normal.
Thanks for sharing your post-baby weight loss story! Like helios7, I need to hear as many good stories as I can!

Pony - I hate to admit it, but ... those %$#@ pregnancy hormones. I don't have a line, but rather, odd things popping up in odd places. Blech. Very annoying. We're supposed to have a "pregnancy photo shoot" next week (assuming I make it that long) and there is no way I'm showing my bare belly unless there is some serious photo touch-up. :o

bekki - congrats on the glucose test! I hope the next one goes equally well. I'm sure you'll get a bunch of great stuff at the shower. For us, we're waiting on some of the non-immediately essential items (off the top of my head, the baby monitor and bathtub) until after she's arrived because we still have people asking us what we still need and where we're registered. So even though the shower is over, we anticipate that we'll still be getting a few more baby items. Still, doing some of the shopping yourself is a lot of fun! We have some coupons and gift certificates that I'm looking forward to using in the next few weeks.

So to finish this novel :D ---

me - I'm feeling surprisingly good. "Surprisingly" because everyone acts like I should be feeling awful and just ready to have the baby already. Nope, not there yet. I'm sure it's a mental thing - just can't wrap my head around the changes that will be happening soon. I'm convinced that being pregnant is much easier!
I finished up my week of teaching yoga, and also my last day at work was yesterday. Although I might go in for a few hours on Monday ... we'll see. It's a really laid-back work environment, so I honestly don't mind going to work. Not usually, anyway.
And I'm feeling a little less stressed about the whole doctor thing. Maybe it was on the July thead but awhile back, I had a rather dramatic confrontation with my doctor about delivering at a birthing center (which is located within a top-notch hospital) and just my wishes in general for the birth. I haven't been back to see her since then - I didn't officially switch doctors, but I started seeing another doctor within the same practice. And despite some initial resistance, he now seems pretty open to what I want. He even told my friend (office manager at the practice) that this will be new for him, and he's looking forward to seeing how it goes. Which makes me even more hopeful that things go smoothly...

:eek::eek::eek: 8 days and counting...

Megan James

08-17-2008, 03:06 PM

Tholbrook You are so close! Good luck. Hopefully I'm not too far behind.
I took a BF class a few months ago, just felt like I needed a refresher. I had some issues the first couple months with #1 so I sort of hoped taking a class would give me a little extra insurance against that.

I ended up in L&D triage Friday afternoon. At my weekly appt the first time the midwife put the HR monitor on the HR was very low, probably about half what it normally is. That only last about 5 seconds and then she moved the wand and it went back up to normal. She listened for a while and it stayed normal but she send me up to be monitored anyways. So I got monitored for about 30minutes and all was well. Of course I had my 2 1/2 year old with me and no cell phone to call DH. But I figured if there was an issue they would let me use a phone to call him.

That did prompt me to pack my bag last night! It's not complete but at least there is clean underwear in there!

helios7

08-18-2008, 08:27 AM

Good luck to the close ones! I remember when you joined the thread Tholbrook - I was still lurking then. And now the baby's almost here! I feel like I'll never get there. :)

I'm feeling like I'm suffering from a bit of "if it isn't one thing, its another". We got back from NJ last night (we went to pick up the rest of the stuff from the shower last weekend) and I stepped out of the car and impaled my foot on a broken beer bottle. It bled, a lot. It hurts, a lot. I'm still not sure it wouldn't benefit from a stitch or two, but I'm hoping rest, applications of neosporin and bandaids will do the trick because I don't feel like tackling the ER alone today. So, the errands I'd wanted to do are now postponed. And I'm limping around the house feeling sorry for myself. :(

Megan - glad everything's okay. It sounds like your visit was to L&D was scary, but glad everything turned out okay.

Lorien - glad all's well and you're just busy. I'm taking iron supplements - can't say they've made a noticeable difference but ... I guess they help.

Bekki - sorry to hear about the pain when walking. That doesn't sound fun at all. Have a great time at your shower though!

Mabvt - enjoy your guessing game. :) People were convinced I was having a girl based on carrying, but nope! He's a boy. But I have heard the higher heartrate can indicate a girl. His was in the 140s at our appt last week. Hope that helps!

kabs - I couldn't hear my little boy's heartbeat through the doppler until the 16 week appointment. Kind of freaked me out not to hear it at the 12 week appointment, but the dr did a quick ultrasound so I could see that things were fine. Hang in there!

Pony - sorry about the tummy hair. I've noticed more but it's pretty blond and nonvisible thus far. I have heard it i normal to have that line though.....

Hope everyone else is doing a bit better then me today. :(

willybean

08-18-2008, 10:49 AM

Hi everyone!

Helios7--I am sorry you are not having a great day and hope your foot gets better soon.

I am checking in at about 36 weeks now and feeling pretty good but definitely waddling now and not quite as comfortable as I have been.

I have a question about BPA free bottles. I want to go with these but am not sure which brand is best and what type (glass or plastic)? I want to be sure to have bottles on hand just in case breastfeeding does not go as planned and am wondering how many to have in case? And are there some that work better with Medela pumps than others? Or does it not matter if you use the storage bags?

Any advice would be appreciated!

Pony

08-18-2008, 12:44 PM

Hi everyone!

Melissa, it is fun guessing the sex. I have a list of what people keep saying. I am really enjoying not knowing.

bekki, I understand about the stress of getting all the stuff done. We have sooo much to do and then with the holidays thrown in there, ahhhh!!! Have fun at your shower! I'm sure you will get a ton of stuff. Hope the pain goes away.

tholbrook, you are so close, yay!! Too funny about the photo touch-up, ha! I'm sure you will look wonderful in your photo. I'm convinced being pregnant is much easier too! I told my husband last night that I would be perfectly content to be pregnant for one year. ;) I'm glad the doctor issue seems to be resolved!

Megan James, you are so close too!!! Sorry about the heartrate scare. Not fun.

helios7, so sorry about your foot. That sounds horrible. You can't cut a break!

willybean, I will be interested to hear about the bottle discussion. I am not sure about any of that at this point. I have not looked at bottles at all, but I am wondering about the glass bottles. Are they easily breakable? That would be my biggest concern w/ them. But looking forward to hearing responses from other mom's!

About the losing baby weight discussion...we were in The Right Start yesterday buying a gift for my good friends daughter. There was this lady there who had a 2 year old boy and her 3 week newborn baby. She was soooo tiny already. I couldn't believe it. I didn't ask her what/how she did it, but man, I was impressed!

I'm heading out of town again. Probably my last big trip. I'm going to visit my family in Charlotte. Can't wait to see my nieces! I won't be able to travel for Christmas, so I'm heading there now. And I was able to finally use some frequent flyer miles.

I went to my first prenatal yoga class. It was nice and relaxing. I'm hoping to go more often when I get back in to town. I also need to decide if I'm going to take classes at the local Motherhood Center or at the hospital for childbirth and stuff like that. Also, I want to go to some La Leche meetings before the baby is here. Have any of you gone before you baby was here? I want to be as prepared as I can be when it comes to breastfeeding. But, I guess nothing really prepares you for it!

Michelle

JenZen

08-18-2008, 02:11 PM

kbs

08-18-2008, 02:16 PM

Hi everyone!
This has been a busy board and i'm trying to catch up. We got back from our vacation/ family reunion. I ended up telling everyone which was super fun. I told my grandma when we first saw her - at that point I told her we weren't going to share with others. But then at her party, it was just too tempting, so I started telling people one by one after my grandma left for the evening (I didn't want to upstage the birthday girl's party! ;)).

I'm feeling pretty good - slightly less great than I had been feeling which I think is a little weird since I'm almost 10 1/2 weeks. I mostly just have a hard time find things that I want to eat because I don't have much of an appetite and everything sounds gross to me. I had created a new food group in my diet that consisted entirely of baked goods, but even that doesn't get me very excited the last couple days. And I am a really big fan of food so that is saying alot.

We've started telling friends which has been fun. One of my friends is already starting a list of everything we can have since she is all set with it- I guess it's the one benefit of being the last to the reproduction table.

Our next appointment is 9/2 for the down screening. I'm so excited for another u/s I can't wait.

tholbrook and Megan James - You are both so close! How exciting!

mabvt - Thanks for the oh dee doh site recommendation. I LOVE some of the stuff there. I also don't want a "babyish" nusery and some of that stuff (especially the wall treatments) really inspired me. Of course we'll see how long that lasts.

helios- OMG, how terrible about your leg and then to have a bad cut on your foot to boot on top of it. Like growing a baby isn't enough to worry about...

kabs- that is so great that your SIL is due so close to you. And you go to the same doctor too!

pony- on the hair thing, it's still pretty early for me, but I will say that I've noticed crazy hair growing on my feet and toes. DH has taken to calling them hobbit feet because now they're stubby and hairy- luckily it's all blond hair.

-Kim

MomofMooch

08-18-2008, 08:15 PM

Delurking (I don't know why I still read this board periodically, given that I am so happy to NOT be pregnant anymore! ;) ) ...

Medela makes small (5-ounce) BPA-free plastic bottles that attach directly onto the pump parts, so you can pump right into them, put a top on them, pop them in the fridge, and then they sell compatible nipples and caps so you can feed baby right from them. So, no need for bags, pouring into separate bottles, or anything. They were great. I used these exclusively for the first several months that I was back to work until my baby, now 5 months old (and nicknamed "Chunk"), began drinking 6-ounce bottles. Now that Chunk is drinking more than 5 ounces at a time, I use the plastic BPA-free Dr. Browns. I also have a few glass Evenflos that I haven't tried yet--I'm a little nervous about the daycare ladies dropping one on the kitchen floor and wasting 6 ounces of precious breast milk, as I would literally be crying over spilled milk!

Good luck everyone! :) I'm gonna go over to the toddler and new baby threads where I belong now ...

Kerri

08-18-2008, 08:36 PM

BPA-free bottles - I'm interested in this discussion, too. I used Avent with both of my kids, and I'd like to switch to BPA-free this time. I started looking at the Evenflo glass bottles. They're pretty cheap ... I think a set of three was around $5.50 at Target. While there, I saw another brand that was plastic BPA-free, but I can't remember the name right now.

I'm also curious about what would be compatible with Medela because I'll be pumping again. Grrr ... have to buy a pump this time because my loaner is gone. Willybean, I know Medela makes a BPA-free bottle, too, so maybe that's your best bet?

Avent has a BPA free bottle now. I think it is pretty expensive, and honey colored, but that is another option.

ETA: Willybean - it may not matter what you like, it is what your baby likes! I started out with the platex ones, then moved to the avent. That seemed to go ok, so I even bought the BPA free ones. Now we are back to the Dr Browns that DS#1 used, but that isn't going that well. AGH!!

I am not worried about it. I asked my drs about the bottles and they didn't even know what I was talking about.

2HUNGRY!

08-19-2008, 07:33 AM

We had a terrible time with the evenflow ones. They leaked everywhere. We started off with the small glass Dr. Brown's but they only hold 3.5 oz so DS grew out of those pretty quickly. We also have two of the small Born Free glass ones which hold 5.5 ounces and we can still use for middle of the night feeding when DS doesn't take as much milk. What we mostly use now though are the plastic BPA free Born Free bottles that hold 9 oz. I am thinking of purchasing some playtex drop ins for daycare though. I think those are BPA free as well.

I wanted to comment on newborn sized clothes as well. DS is 3 months now and wore the Carter newborn sizes until 2 months but grew out of the gerber newborn sizes before he left the hospital (he was 7 lbs 8 oz at birth so not huge). The Target brand that is made by Carter is good as well -- I think its called Child of Mine? Anyway, I thought I was having a huge baby then ended up having a 50th percentile one and was at Target the day after I got home getting him some clothes to wear. So, it helps to have some on hand I think but maybe don't wash everything so you can return some if you have to. Or, search the clearance racks and get stuff for $1 or so. Old Navy is great for those kind of finds!

helios7

08-19-2008, 08:05 AM

Well, I spent 5.5 hours in the ER yesterday but I did get my foot checked out. I should have gone on Sunday, it was too late to suture however they cleaned it and dressed it and gave me a prescription for Keflex to ward off infection. The funny thing was they sent me to L&D to be "cleared" before the ER would even touch me. Baby boy was fine - heartrate was great, no contractions, looked good on the quickie ultrasound. I wasn't worried, he'd been nice and active since the incident so I was pretty sure he was okay.

Regarding bottles - we chose BPA free Born Free bottles. Just one box of 3 5 oz. We'll see how he likes them. I'll probably go with a Medela pump, and I guess I'll have to pour the pumped milk into the bottles as they won't work with the pump. I won't be a regular pumper though - I think i'm going to try a manual and see if it'll work. The Isis I think it is? I'll be home, so its not like I'm pumping to go back to work.

Can we talk diapers? Cloth vs Disposable? Who uses (or has used) what?
We're researching. I'm willing to give cloth a try (not exclusively but at home) but am a little afraid it's going to be a huge hassle. Especially as I'm the laundry person. I did search and find some old threads - but just wanted to re-raise the issue and see what people are currently thinking.

tholbrook

08-19-2008, 10:32 AM

Regarding bottles - we chose BPA free Born Free bottles. Just one box of 3 5 oz. We'll see how he likes them. I'll probably go with a Medela pump, and I guess I'll have to pour the pumped milk into the bottles as they won't work with the pump. I won't be a regular pumper though - I think i'm going to try a manual and see if it'll work. The Isis I think it is? I'll be home, so its not like I'm pumping to go back to work.

Can we talk diapers? Cloth vs Disposable? Who uses (or has used) what?
We're researching. I'm willing to give cloth a try (not exclusively but at home) but am a little afraid it's going to be a huge hassle. Especially as I'm the laundry person. I did search and find some old threads - but just wanted to re-raise the issue and see what people are currently thinking.

We have exactly the same bottles. We're definitely not stocking up on anything until we figure out what works. I'll go back to work for a couple half-days a week after a few months, so I'll be pumping. I had not even considered that some bottles are compatible with the pump and some aren't. Hmmm, somthing new to think about...

We're doing cloth diapers with a diaper service. It's $20 a week and seems pretty easy and straightforward. The company came out to our house and did a demo for us, and that helped us make the decision. But I don't know that I'd be able to (or really, that I'd want to) wash the diapers myself.

ETA - Glad that you got the foot looked at! And that the baby is doing well!

Megan James

08-19-2008, 11:29 AM

Diapers: We used cloth for #1 so are definitely going that route with #2, that's where you get the huge cost savings! There was a cloth diapering thread on this BB about 3 years ago that was great. The washing really isn't that bad once you get in the groove of it. Honestly doing the dishes is much more of a PITA to me.

Bottles: I got some of the Born Free both glass and plastic and a 3 pack of the evenflo glass. The Evenflo were so cheap I was tempted to buy more. But with #1 I had a bunch of Aventi that she refused to drink out of so we'll see what this guy likes. I'm not sure about adaptability to my Medela from these bottles but I do know they make adaptors that go from one thread/neck size to another. I do have some of the Medela bottles too.

I actually got the infant carried base installed in my car last night and my bag is mostly packed. Bring on the baby!

Sarah45

08-19-2008, 12:51 PM

Hi ladies! I'm glad to read that all Moms and babies are doing well (Take care of that foot Helios!).

The only thing that I have looked into so far that has completely overwhelmed me is the bottle/pumping information. I am hoping to work part-time from home so I don't see a huge need for a large supply but I would like to pump some so that "Dad" has some quiet feeding time with the little one. But what that means in terms of what pump to get, how many bottles, etc. I have NO idea. It will probably be one of those things that I will learn on the fly but I will kind of need to decide what kind of pump to get before the baby arrives.

I have only preliminarily looked into cloth diapers so I don't really have a handle on it's ins and outs yet. I will say that I mentioned it my husband and got a BIG thumbs down :D. I need to look into it more and see if it would be an option at least for daytime/home use. Any little bit helps, right?

Baby and I are doing well here at 14 weeks and my morning sickness seems to have ended (fingers crossed) I am at that stage where I am finding fewer and fewer things in my closet that I can wear but I'm not quite big enough for maternity wear yet either - ugh! This has probably been discussed but what are some good on-line retailers for affordable maternity wear? Other than the lines through GAP, ON, Ann Taylor etc I've found a lot of site that would require me to spend quite a bit more than I want to for a few months of use. Around here the few stores that have maternity sections are of the "don't blink, you'll miss 'em" variety. :rolleyes:

kabs

08-19-2008, 01:55 PM

Hi Everyone!

Today is my last day of summer vacation. :( Back to school/work tomorrow.

DH and I had our ultrasound/1st tri screening yesterday and were able to hear the heartbeat! Yay! The technician said everything looked good and the baby has a nice strong heartbeat. However, our little bugger was being very stubborn and wouldn't turn the way the tech needed him/her to so she was not able to get the measurements she needed. :p We have to go back on 9-2(same day as you, kbs!). I went into the appointment thinking I was just over 11 weeks along, and they seemed to think I was more like 10.5 weeks. Our due date keeps getting pushed back every time I see a dr! Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, I guess. We've decided that after seeing the baby's heartbeat that we'll go ahead and tell people now. It's time to let the cat out of the bag!

One more fun little thing that we just learned: 22 out of the last 23 babies born in DH's family have been boys! So, I guess the odds are in favor of us having a boy. But, one of my friends pointed out that its time to break the streak, so maybe we'll have a girl! I'll be happy either way.

I don't have much to add to the bottle discussion, we haven't even thought about issue yet. I'll keep all of your replies in mind for the future though!

helios:Sorry to hear about your foot injury. Glad everything is okay with the baby and that you're on the mend!

Pony:It's probably too early for me to notice any belly hair too, but I'd take a cute belly bump over belly hair any day! :)

tholbrook and megan james: Hang in there! You're getting so close! I'm sending healthy delivery vibes your way!

mabvt

08-19-2008, 02:52 PM

Bottles--I did a search on Target's website for BPA free bottles and they had some marked that way that came up...

Diapers--My FIL's wife expressed interested in getting us a diaper service as a gift for the first few months. I am excited about this as a non-commital way of giving it a whirl. I've had a number of people ask what "big" things we still need so that's an idea for some of you. I look at the different cloth options for purchase and my head starts to spin. I'm excited to hear how many people here are interested in cloth-that's cool!

kabs-Congrats on hearing the heartbeat, so fun! Also, enjoy breaking the news to people. I was very shy about telling people (not a huge fan of being the center of attention and was feeling like s***) but I got a huge kick out of watching DH tell people. He was so excited!

Sarah- Good luck with the MS. Hopefully you will feel like you have more energy soon. I had my best luck with maternity clothes from second hand stores (there is one nearby that specizlizes in maternity/baby) and garage sales.

Helios- You poor thing! I'm glad you got it looked at/taken care of though. One of my DF broke her ankle at 36-37 weeks! She was enormous and on crutches, the poor thing.

kbs- Glad you like Oh Dee Doh. I have spent a ridiculous amount of time on there. I really like the funky nurseries and also how they emphasize character/interesting vs. cutesy/commercial.

Megan- Glad your bag is (getting) packed! Sorry about your scare but hang in there!

Tholbrook- Are you planning on laboring in cat/cow :D I've heard people do. I took a prenatal class (it's over now) but I still do that position a few times a week bc it's so comfy! Were you teaching prenatal or regular?

Me- Had a doctor's apt today. Heartrate was good. She was able to describe baby's position to me based on feeling my tummy. So strange! But it does explain why I've been getting kicked in the ribs a lot lately. I am having more frequent emotional meltdowns over the last couple of weeks. I think it's probably related to not sleeping well. I went to Target today and got one of those body pillows. I'm thinking of naming him Armond. :D Hopefully that will help with things. Ack, I only have two weeks left before I have to teach in an un-airconditioned school!

Melissa

Megan James

08-19-2008, 03:31 PM

This has probably been discussed but what are some good on-line retailers for affordable maternity wear? :rolleyes:
Old Navy online has a pretty decent maternity line and I also got some decent stuff from JcPenney's online this time around. It was really cheap. The nice thing with both those places is that you can take it back to the store if you have one local so if you want to order more stuff just to try on it doesn't really cost much.

I'd highly recommend getting a Medela double electric pump. If the cost scares you consider two things:
1) Your health insurance may cover it, this may take some digging but is definately worth it if it does
2) Buying a second hand one. They are almost always listed on Craigs list around here. You'd buy all new plastic parts that touch you but you can get those in a kit for ~$30. Some people balk at a used pump but the only way it can be non-sterile is if milk got back into the pump motor which is really hard to happen. I bought mine used for $50 3 years ago and pumped for 14months with #1. I plan to use it again for #2 (though maybe I ought to go double check that it still works....)

kbs

08-19-2008, 04:54 PM

I'd highly recommend getting a Medela double electric pump. If the cost scares you consider two things:
1) Your health insurance may cover it, this may take some digging but is definately worth it if it does
2) Buying a second hand one. They are almost always listed on Craigs list around here. You'd buy all new plastic parts that touch you but you can get those in a kit for ~$30. Some people balk at a used pump but the only way it can be non-sterile is if milk got back into the pump motor which is really hard to happen. I bought mine used for $50 3 years ago and pumped for 14months with #1. I plan to use it again for #2 (though maybe I ought to go double check that it still works....)

Thanks for the info on the used pump- I think that's one of the items my friend offered to give me but I wasn't too sure. It's certainly not something that I'd get exicted about spending money on, so I'll probably go the route of buying new parts and using the pump.

Also, just chiming in on the cloth diaper question. We are definitely planning on using cloth. I know it's going to be a pain to manage, but we try to be earth conscious when we can. It's just one of the 9 million other personal decisions that come along with raising a child. I'm not sure what kind yet because frankly I just get so overwhelmed when I look at all the options. It's still really early for me though. DH is pushing for Gdiapers, but I need to do more comparison research.

-Kim

lbd

08-20-2008, 09:58 AM

Helios7 - glad you got your foot looked at. On one of our maternity tours, they said that if I had to go into the hospital for any other reason while pregnant, I'd always get sent to L&D before another department would see me. I guess it's SOP to make sure you're not going into labor over a cut or burn. :rolleyes:

I got a good amount of maternity clothes at Kohl's. You can return online purchases to the store so it didn't cost a lot -- especially since I shopped a big sale and had a reduced shipping discount. That was mostly summer tops. Last pregnancy, when I needed cold weather work clothes, I got a bunch of stuff at a Motherhood Maternity outlet store during a sale. Their return policy stinks (ie, no refunds at all) but I was able to get several basic blouses and work slacks (basically the whole work ensemble) pretty reasonably. They tend to be expensive but their sales are decent.

We're eco-friendly whenever we can be but went with disposable diapers with DS and will do so again. I forget all the things that went into my decision but at least part was the increased water and energy usage that went into the cloth diapers. We were also living in an apt building with coin-operated laundry, that might have factored in as well.

I used Medela plastic bottles last time and need to check about their BPA status. They're the ones that came with the Pump in Style plus extras of the same style. ?? I will look for part-time home work once I get a little settled but only really need to pump for a small supply for DH or babysitting grandparents to do the occasional feeding.

I think I'm feeling a little better since getting the iron pills, but it also could just be a natural upswing in energy. I'm only taking one every other day, but am also taking it easier. DH and I continue to argue about how much I'm doing but I gave in this weekend and neither mowed the lawn nor went to pick up DS's new dresser.

This morning DS is on a playdate with his grandparents so I hung out at Home Depot looking at carpet samples and trying to figure out what we should get. So much easier to focus without a 2 yo clammering for attention. I'm feeling better about the kids' room being done before baby arrives. DH has made good progress on the trim and we finally made furniture decisions -- we're borrowing my niece's crib for the baby, DS will stay in the crib-turned-toddler bed, and we got an unfinished dresser and nightstand for DS. His current dresser/changing table will go into the baby's room and his new dresser top can double as a changer until he's potty-trainer. Yay! I might finally be able to put up the wall decorations soon! (I've been waiting until furniture configurations were set.)

mabvt

08-20-2008, 12:38 PM

A few things I've noticed about maternity clothes...

1. Old Navy stuff runs small...so be careful, esp if you're ordering online.

2. On the recommendation of a friend I bought several of those camisols or tank tops with built in bras. I have some from Motherhood and some from O.N. I love them and have been wearing them constantly. They are esp great if you have a lot of breast tenderness/are continuously changing size.

3. If you live in a warm climate or have some hot weather ahead of you yet- I love those ribbed "wife beater" (sorry, I know so not politically correct!) tank tops. I wear one almost every day with the aforementioned camisol underneath. If you get mens they are super long and you can get them in multiple packs at a place like Target.

Back to work...

tholbrook

08-21-2008, 05:32 AM

Tholbrook- Are you planning on laboring in cat/cow :D I've heard people do. I took a prenatal class (it's over now) but I still do that position a few times a week bc it's so comfy! Were you teaching prenatal or regular?
I am hoping to labor in whatever position is the least painful! Cat/cow is definitely one of the options, and when I took the birthing class (through a doula/yoga teacher, not a hospital), there was a lot of emphasis on the variations, as opposed to breathing techniques.
I teach "regular" yoga (both a "power" class and a really slow, but intense, class). I am certified to teach prenatal as well, but I just did it as a learning experience for me. Oddly, at my 6 a.m. classes, about 75% of the class are men. Not exactly a good population for prenatal yoga! ;)

LOL on your new pillow! :D Enjoy!

I don't know where you live, but the temperature here in Ohio has climbed back to the typical sticky August heat. I hope the weather cools down for you soon since you're going back to school.

Pony

08-22-2008, 06:23 AM

Hi everyone. Everyone sounds like they are doing well. I'm in Charlotte visiting my family. My nieces are just too cute about the baby. My oldest niece, 6 1/2, keeps kissing my belly, rubbing it, and talking to the baby. My youngest, 5, says she does not want any more cousins (she only has one), but still wants to talk to the baby. I told her if she talks in to my belly button then the baby will hear her. :p It is the funniest thing.

I just wanted to chime in on a few things...

cheap maternity clothes--old navy is where I've been going. I bought things on line and their shipping is free when you return. Some items can be returned at Old Navy Maternity stores. I typically wear XS in shirts and I've been buying XS. Their S shirts are huge on me. However, I bought some S sale sweaters and they fit fine. I had to try on pants, b/c everywhere I've gone they fit funny. I'm wearing bigger pants then normal, about a size bigger. Target seems to be a good option as well, but I've only bought on thing from them, so not sure about sizes.

bottles--loving the discussion, b/c I don't know anything about this yet :D

cloth diapers--we are using them. Amanda (sweetpea) is going to send me hers. She uses Fuzzi Bunz diapers for Jack. We will buy some as well. I think we will try the prefolds, since they are more affordable, but also get some like the Fuzzi Bunz brand. If you are comfortable w/ buying used, people sell them on ebay. Babycenter.com has some cloth diapering forums as well. I haven't really read them, but I know they have a lot of info.

Take care everyone.
Michelle

Beth H

08-22-2008, 08:56 AM

Target seems to be a good option as well, but I've only bought on thing from them, so not sure about sizes.

I second, or third, Old Navy. Gap also has nice maternity things and quite a bit on sale - I've been sort of trolling sale sites as well. Target's Liz Lange line I like, but I've found the tops to be huge and the bottoms true to size. (I'm not big in the chest though - before, or (sadly) during pregnancy.

Motherhood stuff is cut really, really short (I think) - I am not as thrilled with them. Plus they have such an awful return policy.

Megan James

08-22-2008, 02:42 PM

If you are comfortable w/ buying used, people sell them on ebay.
Michelle

Diaperswappers.com is a GREAT site for used cloth diapers. I've probably bought over 50% of my diapers from mothers on that site. I've had good luck there and I just wash them a few times in my detergent once I get them.

Tholbrook tomorrow is your day! Good luck, or maybe you already have a little one.

I had an appt today and am 3cm dilated and 80% effaced for whatever that's worth. I guess it at least means some progress. I've been having irregular contractions but nothing regular or too "real" feeling. I did have two that were 5 minutes apart this morning right before I got out of bed and was thinking 'wow this could be the day'. But that was 10 hours ago...

My midwife did say she didn't think I'd go another full week. I hope not. I don't want to have the baby over labor day weekend since I'm sure many of the regular nurses will be off on vacation and I might not get my midwife either.

Megan

tholbrook

08-22-2008, 04:09 PM

Diaperswappers.com is a GREAT site for used cloth diapers. I've probably bought over 50% of my diapers from mothers on that site. I've had good luck there and I just wash them a few times in my detergent once I get them.

Tholbrook tomorrow is your day! Good luck, or maybe you already have a little one.

I had an appt today and am 3cm dilated and 80% effaced for whatever that's worth. I guess it at least means some progress. I've been having irregular contractions but nothing regular or too "real" feeling. I did have two that were 5 minutes apart this morning right before I got out of bed and was thinking 'wow this could be the day'. But that was 10 hours ago...

My midwife did say she didn't think I'd go another full week. I hope not. I don't want to have the baby over labor day weekend since I'm sure many of the regular nurses will be off on vacation and I might not get my midwife either.

Megan
Megan, I'm right there with you! I suppose I'm as mentally ready as I'm ever going to be. My dad's here now visiting from CA, so the baby needs to get here in the next week!
I had an appointment yesterday, but they didn't check to see if I was dilated/effaced. I was 1 cm about 5 weeks ago, but haven't been checked since then. No contractions that I've noticed, but I'm just not comfortable. Lots of pressure down below! :o
I think there's a pretty good chance you'll go before I do...

SusanPC

08-24-2008, 08:03 PM

I second the recommendation for the Medela pump (Pump in Style) and the bottles that attach to the pump (as was mentioned above). We also have some evenflow bottles and the screw on and nipple are interchangeable with the medela bottle which is nice. I don't mind the glass bottle but DH hates it...and since he is the one giving the bottle....

Re: pumping. Generally in the beginning I'd pump approx 1 hour after Maddie's first feed and freeze that. Then, a few weeks out, Dh started giving her a bottle before bed. So, I'd pump before we went to bed as well. One would be frozen and the other used for the night feeding.

Maddie is now 15 weeks old and I am having a hard time with the frozen stash b/c her appetite has increased so I am afraid to pump in the daytime for fear she'll be hungry right after I pump :o

A great resource I've found online for BF questions is www.kellymom.com. Some of the stuff I took with a grain of salt, but for the most part it was helpful.

Back to lurking!

helios7

08-25-2008, 07:28 AM

Hi ladies,

I'm hope everyone's doing well. I'm glad the topic of breast pumps came up because I'm just not sure what to get. I'm going to be home with the baby. So pumping because of work is not a concern. I would like DH to be able to give our little one a bottle here and there, and that's about it. I've looked at the Isis (the non-electric but supposedly a very effective manual) and I've looked the Medela battery powered type pumps (including the Susan mentioned). And I'm just not sure what to get. I don't want to get a $200 pump, if the $50 Isis Avent manual will fit my purposes. Any advice?

Regarding maternity clothes - I've gotten the bulk of mine from Old Navy. I've gotten some stuff on sale from Gap, but I really wanted to keep costs down. I've found Old Navy's stuff to be cute, cheap and for the most part fits well. I have had to pin a few necklines - what's with so many maternity necklines being Vs that are not sewn together (I'm sure there's a better term for the type I mean that I just can't think of). So, aside from a few safety pins here and there, I've had luck. I did have one top in my latest order that, as DH said, fits now but won't for long. I'm supposedly sending it back...any day now. :)

Not much happening here.. I'm just amazed by how tired I am all the time. I've been exhausted this whole pregnancy - no second tri energy burst for me. I'm not sure if that's just the way this pregnancy is, the way all pregnancies in general will be for me, or if it is the mysterious not sure what's going on aside from the pregnancy factor. I'm just glad to be done with work, able to take naps and take life a bit slower. We had a "busy" weekend - my brother visited and we had a party to go to yesterday. And I feel like I need to day to recover! It just astounds me. But all's well, I'm just looking forward to September, and getting closer to his arrival. 3rd tri starts on Friday - wow!

Good luck to tholbrook and Megan! :) Looking forward to hearing the exciting birth stories!

Bawstinn

08-25-2008, 08:35 AM

Hi ladies,

I don't want to get a $200 pump, if the $50 Isis Avent manual will fit my purposes. Any advice?

I had an issue with my PIS and I got a manual to tide me over the 36 hours until they sent me my replacement parts. Honestly, I hated my manual pump with a passion. Hated it. I am another who was lucky enough to have health insurance that covered my pump, so I would check there first. I had to pay 20%, which was almost $50 for my PIS. If they cover it, might as well get the better pump.

SusanPC

08-25-2008, 10:22 AM

Helios--I am actually staying home as well. However, just food for thought, if you are going to leave your little one at all (out to dinner or a weekend away) during the time you'll be breastfeeding you'll need a decent supply of BM (unless you are supplementing with formula). I haven't found it to be a problem if it will just be a day (e.g. I went to a day spa a few weeks ago and made sure DH had enough bottles to make him feel secure he wouldn't be caught unable to feed her). But, DH and I are going out of town for 4 days in Sept and my mom said she wants to be sure she has PLENTY for when I am gone so as not to get into a bind. I would highly recommend the electric pump. There were nights in the beginning when I was engorged or whatever and it was a lifesaver. That said, DH's firm has a program for new moms where we are assigned a lactation consultant and given a deep discount on pumps...so I was lucky that the $$ wasn't a huge issue. Good luck!!!!

mabvt

08-25-2008, 11:53 AM

Beth H

08-25-2008, 12:02 PM

A question for you all-- Anyone had any issues with carpal tunnel in their pregnancy?

The past few nights I've woken up with tingly hands. This morning I woke up and my hands were sore...Any thoughts?

I haven't (yet) but my sister really had this badly with both of her pregnancies. Unfortunately, I recall that there wasn't much she could do about it - and it went away after both of her children were born. But, I do think it is something that is fairly common. I have had issues with my hands and feet "falling asleep" more readily than usual.

Megan James

08-25-2008, 02:41 PM

William Earl was born on Saturday 8/23. He was 9lbs 1oz &22" long, apparently I don't do small babies!
I woke up Saturday about 4am with contractions. They got sort of worse as the day wore on but would also fade out a bit too. About 2pm we called my MIL to come get my daughter. About 3 or so we called my practice to say we were thinking of heading in to the hospital. After that contractions were getting closer together and I was starting to really feel them. I think we got to the hospital a bit before 4pm. I was 7cm then and the midwife said "we can do this quick if I break your water", she left to change into her scrubs. Not long after I had a really tough contraction with some pushing, I yelled to the nurse "is the baby coming out or something" She took a look and immediately put out a page that "we need a second in this room and the midwife!". Apparently he was crowning. It didn't take too many pushes after that and he was born. So it was a pretty rough 30 minutes or so but over really quick!

We got released ~noon today and are back at home. My parents got here last night and are already being a huge help, especially with DD. Will seems to be nursing well, my regular milk is just starting to come in today and I'm hoping that the minor soreness in my nipples is under control.

He's got all sorts of acne and skin rashes, which DD didn't have but the ped says they will clear up pretty quick.
I'll try to post a picture later.

Megan

helios7

08-25-2008, 03:25 PM

Congratulations Megan and welcome William Earl! Glad to hear everything went well, if a bit quickly. Can't wait to see a picture! :)

Regarding carpal tunnel - I've definitely found my limbs "fall asleep" much more quickly then before pregnancy. I do find I wake with mild tingling and hand "asleepness" but then I also tend to sleep with my hands folded palm against wrist (my wrists are somewhat double jointed) so I figure that doesn't help. It's a mild annoyance but hasn't troubled me too much. I do remember back from my lurking days that sweetnicks had a lot of trouble with carpal tunnel before the birth of her daughter in February.

Pony

08-26-2008, 07:12 AM

Congratulations Megan! :)

tholbrook

08-26-2008, 07:23 AM

How funny! Megan, you had your baby on my due date (Congratulations!!!)and I had mine on yours! Maya Yvonne: Monday, 8/25/08 5:17 a.m, 7 pounds 8.4 ounces, 20 inches

I started having contractions early Sunday morning, but they stayed pretty mild (looking back at it anyway - at the time, I thought they were awful). I was getting impatient, knowing that the doctor I wanted to be there was only on call until 8 a.m. Monday morning. So we looked up some info on acupressure (mostly for feet) for strengthening contractions. Strangely enough it worked, and I went straight from every 10-12 minutes to every 4. Got to the hospital about 1.5 hours later (so about 7:30 Sunday evening) - I was only 3 cm so they made me walk for an hour. Things really picked up intensity-wise, so I was admitted (they originally wanted to send me back home! :eek:). I have no idea when I went into active labor and then transition (they pretty much leave you alone at the birthing center unless you ask for help until you get into the pushing phase). So finally my water broke, and very soon after that I was pushing. It lasted a little under 30 minutes, and there she was (gee, now it sounds so easy! :D). She was posterior, but I didn't have any back labor at all.

She swallowed some fluid, so was breathing fast for awhile. Everything turned out fine, although we're still in the hospital. Mostly to take advantage of the breastfeeding support, since I still find it a bit unnerving.

What else? Although it was really (REALLY) tough, I'm happy I got to do this as I wanted/hoped. No medication, labored in about every position I can think of, including in the tub. The doctor, despite all the misgivings, was great and respected all our wishes (this was a doctor from the same practice, not the same one I had the confrontation with). The nurses here at the birthing center were awesome. And last but not least, DH did a wonderful job coaching me through it.

All in all, I'm thoroughly exhausted but quickly adjusting to this new adventure. We're thrilled she's here and think she's about as perfect as can be! I look forward to continuing to lurk on this thread to check on other new arrivals! The best to all you ladies!

Pony

08-26-2008, 07:33 AM

Congrats to tholbrook!!! I'm glad the labor went the way you wanted it.

I will miss both of you on this thread! Can't wait to see pictures.

I'm very curious about the pain of unmedicated labor ;). I'm still on the fence :(.

Sarah45

08-26-2008, 07:44 AM

Very awesome! Congrats Megan and tholbrook! I'm glad everything went so smoothly for both of you.

tholbrook: I love the name Maya, it's on my short list but not the husband's so probably won't be used over here ;)

mabvt

08-26-2008, 08:43 AM

Yay! Congrats to Tholbrook and Megan.
Welcome little William and Maya! How exciting.

Thanks for sharing your stories with us! Scary bc it means the rest of us are slowly moving to the top of the list. I have my final ultrasound this afternoon to check on the Bean's kidneys. Hopefully the situation has been resolved on its own.

Melissa

gertdog

08-26-2008, 10:22 AM

Hi all- back from a week's vacation in Sedona, AZ, which was just beautiful. Didn't get to partake in the jeep tour (no pregnant women allowed), the nice wines my dad brought along, or the private hot tub (waaah!), but otherwise it was a relaxing trip and I did get a good bit of rest since my mom and sister did a lot of toddler-wrangling for me. Next Dr. appt. is 9/2 and hopefully all will be well. At my 12 week appointment they couldn't find a heartbeat initially and scared me for a few seconds, but the doctor wheeled in the ultrasound and we immediately saw that baby was just moving all over the place, and that the heartbeat was nice and clear- phew!

I have determined that I am just not the sort who "glows" when pregnant- my skin was broken out and extra-sensitive all through my pregnancy with DS, and it seems to be happening again with this pregnancy. Bummer.

Melissa, I had carpal tunnel issues with DS- mostly in the 3rd tri. My doctor recommended wrist braces at night but I didn't find they helped much. It was pretty much something that just came and went for a few months- I found it annoying as I work at a computer daily, but not painful. I did have to stop and stretch more often, though! Hope the ultrasound goes well this afternoon...

Re: maternity clothes- with DS I found lots of decent summer items at Old Navy and Kohls- but I really only needed one or two "work" outfits and the rest were just shorts and tanks/tees since I work from home. I received a few gifts of clothes from Motherhood last time and found their return policy draconian- I won't buy from them this time.

Currently I'm getting by with a Bella Band and my old summer maternity clothes, but I found some great items on the clearance rack at Gap for when it gets cooler in the fall. I don't think I'd pay their regular prices, but some of the clearance prices were great (I got a cute 3/4 sleeve swing cardigan for 3.97!). However, I can't wear any of the Gap's blouses- all are too tight in the shoulders. I'm a size L pre-pregnancy, and I've tried on L, XL, and XXL and all are too tight in the shoulders but have plenty of room in the chest and belly- go figure.

Congratulations to tholbrook and Megan, and welcome William and Maya! :) Can't wait to see some photos.

Sarah45

08-26-2008, 12:01 PM

Just thought I would post an article I came across today in the NY Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/health/research/26rick.html?scp=1&sq=vitamin%20D&st=cse). Most of you are way ahead on this baby learning curve than I am and probably are aware of this but I thought I'd post anyway since I found it interesting.

sweetpea

08-26-2008, 04:59 PM

delurking a moment to say we LOVE the fuzzi bunz diapers--got them used from a friend and love them. we used prefolds with emma and i feel spoiled this time! and you can no longer buy used cloth diapers on ebay as it's considered underwear now...craigslist.org has some sometimes too!

back to lurking....jack is 12 weeks and killer cute--good thing or i'd have sold him for $10 by now! ha! just teasing, i'd only sell him for $20 (no really, i am kidding)...he's just a very active little guy who can't do much yet and he gets REALLY frustrated at sitting around!

congrats to all the new mommies!!

mabvt

08-27-2008, 05:24 AM

Hi guys- Here's my ultrasound report. Kidney issue has been resolved--hooray! It was a little freaky- Bean's heartrate was a bit high (not scary/dangerous high but high enough that the doc wanted to keep an eye on it) so we ended up going to the hospital OB Triage and baby and I were monitored for about 45 minutes. Everything was just fine. The nurses attributed the heartrate spike during the us to an active baby who also had hiccups. I ended up going directly from the hospital to a school orientation- I was pooped by the time I got home at nine! It was so fun to get to see the little booger again-- we got to see it opening and closing its hands, sticking out its tongue and moving its mouth (ready to nurse?). It's weighing in right now at a perfectly average 5 lbs, 8 oz and of course is absolutely adorable in every way. It's hard to believe in six short weeks we'll actually meet!

Melissa

Pony

08-27-2008, 06:20 AM

This thread has such a wealth of information! I will have to pump and am always hearing great things about the Medela brand. Thanks to whoever mentioned contacting the insurance company about coverage. Will put that on my to do list.

I'm back from my visit with family. I had such a nice time with my nieces. Such sweet, funny, smart girls.

My dear friend is trying to start planning my shower. I just feel bad, b/c she is so busy and pregnant. A co-worker of mine is also helping, but knowing Tiffany she will do it all! We are doing a couples shower. A majority of our friends do not live in Houston :(.....but maybe that is a good thing, otherwise her house would be packed. We want to do it before the holidays and before my friend goes in to labor. :) So, my baby bargains book arrived just in time!

Still not feeling movement :(. I am almost 21 weeks. I do think I feel flutters sometimes, but it is sooooo barely there that I wonder if I'm making it up. I go to another appt. on 9/4.

Regarding cloth diapers--do you all know what type you are using? or for the ladies who have used them in the past, what did you use? prefolds or all-in-one's, pocket, etc.? We are getting some of Amanda's stash and will buy some more. Amanda has fuzzi bunz and I'm assuming if we have those, then there is no way we will want to use the prefolds b/c we will be so spoiled, ha! But, we may mix it up a bit. Amanda, thanks for the heads up on no more cloth diapers on ebay! :(

kbs--eating any better these days? Glad you were able to tell family. :)

helios7--how are you feeling? How is your foot?

Sarah45--glad you are feeling better.

kabs--glad all went well at the appt. Have fun telling everyone.

mabvt--I wear those tank tops all the time. They are the most comfortable thing right now. I bought a bunch from Old Navy when they were on sale. I got maternity ones and then regular ones in a larger size. Hope your hands are feeling better. So glad to hear the kidney issue is resolved.

Stephanie--glad you had a nice, relaxing vacation. My skin broke out as well and still does under the jaw line. I had a facial by a lady who was 8 months pregnant and she said she had the same problems. She didn't give me any tips, mainly b/c it is just our lovely hormones. :) How is your garden holding up?

Michelle

tholbrook

08-27-2008, 08:01 AM

Just stopping by to post a picture - I couldn't remember how to do it yesterday. We came home last night instead of waiting until today. Whew, made it through the first night at home ourselves!

mabvt- good for you and baby re: the kidney issue! I'm sure that's such a weight off your mind.

Pony - no worries on the movement. I was freaked out that I couldn't feel anything either, and then around 22 weeks (maybe a bit later), poof, there it was!

Anyway, here she is, just shy of 36 hours old...
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg9/ruckus150cc/P8260252-1.jpg

bekki

08-27-2008, 11:11 AM

Oh, tholbrook, what a precious picture--she is just adorable. Huge congrats! And congrats to you too Megan! I hope both of you are enjoying your new bundles, and that you're getting enough sleep :p

27 weeks today, and had a check up with the midwives. Things seem to be fine with the babies. Me, eh, not as much. They shifted around a bit so I have feet coming into my stomach from both the bottom and the side. It caused about 36 hours of rather unpleasantness where I though I regressed right back into 12 week morning sickness. It seems to have passed, thank goodness.

I also got a referal for physical therepy, since my pelvis hates me and makes it hard to walk. I guess that's what happens when you're 27 weeks, and measure at 34!

I finally have clerance from the DH to go buy stuff that we need, so I'm gearing up for some fun shopping sprees at Babies R Us in the next week or so!

EmilyD

08-27-2008, 11:43 AM

I think I'm finally ready to "out" myself... I've been lurking on this board longer than I care to admit and am nearly 11 weeks, due 3/21. I'm 32 and my DH is almost 33; we'll celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary in October. This is our first pregnancy and we're still a little in shock :D.

I've been to the doctor's office twice; once to confirm (saw a NP) and once to have a full exam with the actual doctor. At my confirmation appointment, my EDD went from April to March after the "dating" ultrasound revealed that I was nearly 8 weeks, rather than 4 weeks (as we thought). Guess that's one way to make the pregnancy seem shorter! My next appointment is Tues 9/2 when I'll have the tri-screen done. My DH will probably attend that with me for the chance to see the ultrasound images.

We told my parents last weekend and will tell his parents after the next ultrasound when we see them the following weekend. In the past week we've also started telling close friends. It's been fun for me to see how excited my DH is, as he was a bit reluctant to change our status quo as DINKs :p

Thankfully I haven't had any morning sickness, but I've been very tired, have breast tenderness, and am fairly ravenous. Some days the fatigue isn't too bad, but there are other days where I long for a nap. I'm fairly tall and thin and am already starting to show slightly -- not noticeable in clothes but a few pants are now quite a bit snugger. Guess I'd better see if my BF can find her Bella bands or order some for myself!

oh, and I just got a big coupon book from Babies R Us for a sale starting this weekend thru mid-Sept. We're sooo not ready to start shopping and there are coupons on everything from furniture to toys, car seats to strollers, diapers to clothes. If you didn't get one and don't find the coupons online, send me a PM, and I can send you the codes for online shopping. I attended a big batch of baby showers this summer, and ordered some of the gifts online, so I think that's how I ended up on the mailing list (I've not signed up on any websites or for any "baby stuff" yet since I don't want to jinx myself in the 1st tri!).

I look forward to catching up with everyone else on the thread -- it looks like there's a solid crop of spring babies underway!

lbd

08-27-2008, 12:22 PM

Congratulations Tholbrook and Megan!! What great stories for both of you. And welcome Emily.

Not much time but wanted to mention that I got an ad from Medela which says their breastmilk bottles "are and always have been BPA-free", so if anyone has those leftover from prior babies (like I do) they don't need to be replaced. It also says you can get a free BPA-free bottle at www.medelabpafree.com. No expiration, just until supplies last. I haven't done it yet but will if I get a chance today.

I'm hanging in here at 34 weeks. Lots of wacky movement and simultaneous kicks at opposite ends of my belly - I guess she's stretching a lot. Some indigestion and heartburn are back but not as bad yet as with DS so I'm not complaining (much :p). Checkup tomorrow and a 36 week ultrasound in another 10 or so days. Woo-hoo!

Beth H

08-27-2008, 12:49 PM

Congrats to new mothers and babies!

At my confirmation appointment, my EDD went from April to March after the "dating" ultrasound revealed that I was nearly 8 weeks, rather than 4 weeks (as we thought).

Wow - that must have been slightly surprising. But, heck, you have one less month of the first trimester to get through!

kbs

08-27-2008, 02:04 PM

Congrats Megan and tholbrook and welcome to your little ones!! Thanks for sharing your birthing stories. I'm really terrified of that part and would just like to be be unconscious or something and wake up and there's a baby. Hopefully all the stories for everyone who is ahead of me will give make me a little less scared.

The last couple days I have felt really good. The food aversion I have had (save for baked goods) seems to have gone away, and I've started eating much better the last two days (ok, well except for the bag of chocolate covered pretzles I ate today). I am finding now that I am just constantly hungry. I'm trying to be very conscious of everything I'm eating since I was fairly overweight to begin with so I am trying to only gain about 15-18 lbs in total. As of today I am still slightly down from my pre-pregnancy weight, but I'm worried about it suddenly ballooning, and that once that starts I won't be able to stop it. I know I shouldn't worry so much about that aspect, but I had lost 30 lbs a year and half ago, and then gained 10 lbs of that back once we started the fertility treatments. :rolleyes:

Anyway, I told my boss yesterday. It was certainly sooner than I had planned since I'll be 12 weeks this coming Saturday, but I felt like I kind of had to. I'm a Project Manager and have been working on the integration of another company we acquired last year. The project will continue into early next year, and my division is trying to do some resource estimates for next year, so my boss asked me when I thought I would be finished with this project. I felt like I couldn't withhold the information of my pregnancy, because I didn't want people to create a plan and then have to go back and redo it. I was going to say something in the middle of September anyway, so it wasn't that much of a difference. At this point we're still going to keep it quiet from everyone else though. He probably wasn't all that surprised since he knew I was seeing a fertility specialist.

We're going to Maine for the long weekend. I'm hoping that the weather is nice- my plan is to just hang by the pool and chill. No hot tub for me, but the pool is usually heated to a comfortable temp anyway.

Thanks for the feedback on different cloth diapers- keep em coming! I (like Pony) am not sure which kind to use. Has anyone ever used Gdiapers? I think they have a liner that (I think) goes in between diaper and baby so that removal of ahem, solids, is a little easier.

Sounds like there's quite a few of us with appointments on 9/2- it will be great to hear all the updates!!

bekki- Welcome! How funny to be off on your edd by a month!! But that makes us close together- I'm 3/15.

mabvt- glad to hear that the kidney issue worked itself out. Sorry to hear about the long day after the heartrate spike, but that's awesome that you got to see baby doing all those things (sticking out tongue!!!).

Helios- Congrats on making it to the third trimester milestone!!!

-Kim

kabs

08-27-2008, 06:37 PM

Congratulations to Megan and tholbrook! Hope you are enjoying your new little ones! Thank you for sharing your stories.

Welcome and congratulations to EmilyD, too! I just joined this thread recently too, and I've found lots of friendly "faces" and helpful information.

Not much to report here. This is my first week back to teaching (3rd grade) and boy am I tired at night! After the Summer of Naps, I'm not used to being on my feet attending to 8 and 9 year olds all day long. I'll get used to it, I'm sure. In the meantime, DH is earning major points for rubbing my feet. :)

This weekend, we head to NY state for my cousin's wedding. We'll be outing ourselves at some point over the weekend, so I'm looking forward to that. I'm especially looking forward to telling my 94 year old grandmother.

I moved my ultrasound appt on 9/2 until 9/4 because an important meeting came up at work. So, one more week and I'll get another peek at the Bean. Can't wait. Have a good week everyone!

gertdog- I think I'm right along with you and your lack of pregnancy glow. :p I feel pasty, puffy, and like a teenager with all my break outs. My doctor was little help when I asked about what I can do. Are there any otc face washes that anyone has had luck with? My usual wash has salycylic (sp?) acid and I don't think I'm supposed to use that.

pony- How fun that your friends are planning your shower! I think a couple's shower is a great idea. So, you haven't registered yet?

lbd- Thanks for the tip on the free medela bottle!

mabvt- Glad everything worked out for you at the dr's!

Luv to Cook

08-28-2008, 06:55 AM

Gosh, I don't think I have posted all summer...we have been so crazy busy with travels and kid activities. I am still around and trying to catch up with all the new babies and newly pregnant mommies...congratulations! Love seeing the pics of all the new babies :)!

All is well here...due Nov. 1 and we still don't know what we are having. I sent my oldest to Kindergarten last week and boy that was heartbreaking! I am still having a bit of a tough time with the transition...just cannot believe that our preschool years are over. DD2 and I have been enjoying some alone time, but everything is just a bit more quiet...might as well enjoy the calm before the storm ;).

One of my dear friends had her 2nd miscarriage yesterday and my heart is breaking for her. She has two wonderful little boys, but was so looking forward to having another baby. She said she is done trying now and I just feel so sad for her, especially with being so pregnant myself. Anyhow, she asked for us to come over today and I am looking forward to seeing her.

We are headed to Charlotte, NC tomorrow for the long weekend to visit some friends. Should be fun...hope everyone has a good long weekend!

That's it for now!
Anita

helios7

08-28-2008, 07:39 AM

What a busy week! New babies, new faces.... we're quite the happening bunch!

Welcome Maya AND William! Hope tholbrook and Megan are recovering well, and enjoying their new babies.

Welcome Emily, and welcome back Anita.

Pony - hope the movements come soon. I still find them quite weird when they happen, but of course love them for the reassurance they provide.

kabs and gertdog- sorry about the breakouts. I had that in the first tri. My ob said over the counter products with salicyclic acid were fine, so I've used a fairly mild one twice a day. It made me feel better - whether my face cleared up on its own or with "help" I'm not sure but either way... the desired result was achieved.

kbs - good luck with your weight gain goals. You may find your body has other ideas! I had hoped to stay on the closer end of the 25-35 range, but last time I weighed in at my drs I was close to 30. I confess I haven't gotten on the scale since.... I'm trying to not worry about it. :o I really haven't changed my eating habits that much, am not eating tons more or anything but the weight has just flown on in the second tri. Granted my sweet tooth has been alive and well, but that's usual for me anyways. Hopefully you'll find your body cooperates, but I just wanted to say it's been hard for me to watch the scale climb so don't panic if the same thing happens to you. Words I need to tell myself as well! :)

kabs - this is the first September that I haven't gone "back to school" in almost ten years. It feels weird, but I couldn't do it. I'm still so wiped out by everything.... good luck handling the craziness of the first few weeks of school!

lorien - Hang in there! You're so close.... I just remember where we both started and I'm so excited for you. :)

Bekki - hope things continue to go well. I saw your post on the frosting thread that yellow cake and chocolate frosting have been a craving of yours. I can relate!

mabvt - hope the kidney issue continues to resolve, and that there won't be any more issues with that particular concern. You're getting so close!

FINALLY - I hope i didn't miss anyone, but if I did sorry!

I don't know if someone wants to volunteer to start next month's thread, I will be away until late on the 1st. But if someone wants to ... I need to PM you as there's a change to the roster that needs to be made that wasn't brought to my attention until after editing time had expired. So..... hope that makes sense!! End public service announcement. :)

sweetpea

08-28-2008, 11:36 AM

Re: cloth diapers (again :)) I would LOVE to use gdiapers--the liner is disposable and flushable! so i would use that in place of disposable diapers but i haven't gotten up the gumption (or funds) to buy them. you have to buy the liners and i think the only place you can is online at gdiapers.com not really thrilled with that. we have a few other brands of pocket diapers (like fuzzi bunz), where there is a thick microfiber insert that you pull out of a pocket. the pee soaks into that pad and is wicked away from the skin, etc. like a disposable. i really prefer the pocket diapers. i have some all in ones that the liner is sewed into place (and i have to use a cover with those) and really don't like them as well.

you can buy NEW cloth diapers on ebay.com but to get used go to diaperswappers.com to find some or craigslist.org for local folks who might getting rid of theirs. diaperswappers is great for hints on cleaning, etc. too so it's a great website to visit. even if you are just curious about cloth diapering. the great thing about the fuzzi bunz and similiar ones is that they are like puttnig on a disposable that has snaps so even my hubby likes them! no messy covers, no pins, etc. easy, breezy. gotta love that when the rest of infancy is not always so easy!

kbs

08-28-2008, 05:57 PM

Ok, so has anyone experienced ocular migraines during pregnancy? I've had two in the last 24 hours. I've experienced them before maybe 3 or 4 times in the last 5 years, so for me to have 2 back to back is unusual. I'm wondering if they are more common during pregnancy. I'm hoping it's unrelated though because though they aren't painful, they are extremely distracting (today I found an empty conference room to retreat to where i could sit quietly with my eyes closed, I can't keep doing that!!!).

-Kim

mabvt

08-29-2008, 05:32 AM

Kim--I don't have any experience with ocular migraines specifically, but I know that some people are more headache prone during pregnancy. I went through a period of time (maybe around 20 weeks?) where I'd wake up every morning with a headache. Call your doc and talk to a nurse.

Any other teachers out there? I didn't realize we had a little group out here. Helios & kabs, I'm a teacher too- 7th & 8th grade Language Arts. My great fear is that my water will break (or later, boobs will leak) in front of a classroom of middle schoolers!

Pony

08-29-2008, 07:17 AM

tholbrook, beautiful picture!!!

bekki, I hope the PT helps. Enjoy your shopping.

EmilyD, Congratulations!!

kbs, enjoy your trip to Maine. That sounds so nice right now. It is so hot and humid here. I have no experience w/ migraines. I hope you find some relief.

kabs, hope you get some rest after you teaching days. I can only imagine how exhausting that would be. Have fun at the wedding. No, I haven't registered yet, but want to this weekend. We are a bit overwhelmed by the process! My mom is bringing me my nieces crib, highchair, and a few other odds and ends, but other than that we have nothing!

Anita, hopefully you are adjusting to your little one being in kindergarten. I was emotional just seeing my niece get ready for her first day of school. I just got back from Charlotte..have a fun time. I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. I've dealt w/ miscarriages as well as a handful of my friends. It is really devastating.

helios7, I would be more than happy to do next month's thread. I will PM you.

Today I am 21 weeks! Not much going on here. I've been trying to read my Baby Bargains book and need to get out and register. Now I'm panicing about the hurricane :mad:. Still unsure if I'm feeling movement or not :rolleyes:. I have felt something recently, but I have such a funny/sensitive stomach that it could just be gas :p. Who knows. Hope everyone is well.

Michelle