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DjCoax posted:There is one question I have for you guys that is related to the whole announcing process : how do you cope with people who have been trying for a long time to have a baby? We ourselves were on fertility drugs and then the fertility drugs that come in needles thing for 6 months and (CONFESSION COMING UP) when friends of mine got pregnant at first I wasn't happy for them. I actually was annoyed they were pregnant before us. I was very surprised and shocked with my reaction. I'm not a jealous or vindictive person .And these are good friends we're talking about. So I understand the emotion but have no idea how to cope with it in other people. That kind of reaction is totally normal, I can't even count how many stories I've heard that go along the same lines. The best suggestion that I've seen is to share the news in a private way, like in a kind email, just to give them a heads up and so they can process the news privately. They'll come around in time after dealing with those completely understandable feelings of jealousy, just like you did.
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Sep 7, 2011 18:05
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Mangue posted:Parenteral = parental. Oops. Despite the legality of the situation, I think you're in danger of being seen as a problem employee/coworker before you even get started. Maybe even "more trouble than you're worth", since you're in the position of needing concessions before you've gotten a chance to really prove what a valuable employee you'll be. I think you need to have a sit-down with your boss as soon as possible and let them know that you are pregnant AND fully committed to the training program/position. I hope it works out for you - it's hard to find a job right now.
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Sep 7, 2011 20:29
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I'm totally done talking about names with my family. They hate everything I like, and have absolutely no concept of what's outdated vs. overly popular (vs. totally redneck). I've got some eclectic tastes in names, I'll admit, and my husband's taste boggles my mind. We've have enough trouble narrowing it down to a list of 12 names either of us doesn't hate. If my kid ever tells me he hates his name, the little jerk is going in time out. (I'm only mostly kidding.) I've spent way too many hours already thinking about this already, and I agree that the whole process has an uncanny parallel to putting together Ikea furniture. I'm sorely tempted to ignore the whole naming process until I'm in labor. Or until I get a suitable bribe (like a Blizzard from DQ). For what it's worth, Arthur & Maxwell are very cool boys names, both of which I've tried to talk my husband into, with no luck. Saria is pretty darn cool as well. F the haters.
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Sep 8, 2011 19:10
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I can't get over how hard I'm getting kicked lately. I'm ~31 weeks, and the hard kicking and punching lasts for hours and hours every day, starting around 4 am. It's like I'm gestating the Mini-Hulk, and every Hulk-Smash to the cervix makes me want to cry. I can pretty much always tell you where he is (head up, down, transverse, etc.), and where his feet (and often his hands too) currently are. None of my pregnant friends seem to have the same level of hyper-awareness of their baby's movements and position. So now I'm wondering if I'm overly sensitive in my baby-making parts, if this level of activity is normal, and if I'm going to be able to go through with the natural birth I'm planning. I don't know what the gently caress, and I'm starting to freak out just a little.
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Sep 10, 2011 21:03
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I remember that he felt like bubbly gas at roughly week 17, and I'd only feel him like once or twice a day back then. There was about a month where I was definitely feeling some baby movements, but couldn't really be sure if it was baby or gas at any particular time. I remember distinctly that it was week 22 that he started trying to escape via my bellybutton. It's really nice to know I'm not the only one with the mini-Hulk. It's also nice to know that I've only got at most 10 more weeks of this.  I really shouldn't complain much though, because overall the pregnancy has been pretty easy to deal with since I got over the morning sickness. I'm even still able to sleep on my back some at night, which rocks because sleeping on my side has always made my body ache in the morning, even pre-pregnancy. Legbeard - you might think about getting one of those heavy-duty belly supporters/harness/girdles; I've heard good things about them. I can only imagine what carrying around a twin-belly would feel like, but I think it would be more comfortable with some extra oomph. Wearing the bella band or cinching my hips & lower belly with a scarf provides some relief when I get achy, too.
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Sep 12, 2011 17:22
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Gumby Orgy posted:I had a gynecological nurse visit today to just confirm that I am, indeed, knocked up and to allow me to ask some questions. I am definitely pregnant (duh). I do feel better about the pregnancy, though, knowing that my symptoms are completely normal, including my case of "pregnancy brain." I feel like I suddenly developed a case of ADD. Even the simplest tasks require more mental fortitude than I currently seem to possess. My cramps are not abnormal and it doesn't appear that I am miscarrying, just cramping. Congrats! It's nice to know for sure. Preggo-brain sucks. Everything important in my life has to go on a post-it note now, or I'll completely forget about it. It was really disorienting for me, and I felt like an idiot a lot of the time until I got a good system in place. Getting as much sleep as possible helped me a lot. It's gotten better lately, too; since I made it to the 3rd trimester, I've been feeling more myself (more logical & together, less weepy). I'm even auditing some CS and engineering classes online to try to stay sharp. Screw Baby Einstein - this kid is listening to Stanford professors in utero. 
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Sep 13, 2011 18:51
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Gumby Orgy posted:Has anyone had to deal with less-than-accomodating employers? Mine won't let me take a little bit of time off to go to my first prenatal appointment. The OB/GYN is already exceedingly busy, so I will have a hard time getting another appointment anytime soon. I might be November or later before I can get in again. My first appointment is (supposed to be) October 17th. Sounds like your employer is being a dick. Might be better to approach it as, "I will be gone for a crucial doctor's appointment on Oct 17th for a few hours. I can make up the hours on <option a> or <option b>. Do you have a preference?" It's not like doctors' offices give you tons of scheduling options for nights and weekends, and going to regular appointments isn't optional. Your boss knows that of course, they're just being a dick. I'd look into setting a meeting with HR and starting scouring through any employee handbook you have ASAP.
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Sep 14, 2011 16:43
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It's chilly (cause I'm in Canada). And none of my hoodies will zip over my bump anymore. I'm trying to hold out on buying more maternity stuff until I can use some of my 50% off coupons next month. Should I just get a poncho or something? Supposedly they're cool now, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to look like a gigantic walking tent. Preggo + Poncho - yea or nay?
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Sep 16, 2011 20:41
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Chicken McNobody posted:Decided last night that after over a week of sleeping in the recliner I would try sleeping in my bed. (My poor husband is writing his master's thesis and is very stressed and in need of cuddles.) I made it until about 2 AM and when I woke up and tried to reposition myself it was as if my hips had just locked up--I could barely move them at all and when I tried it HURT. So back to the recliner for me. My hips were loving killing me earlier this week. It was impossible to get truly comfortable in any position at night. It's eased up a little, and I think it's from using my woven wrap to cinch my hips in and help support my belly. Do you have a ring sling that you could borrow until your new maternity belt gets delivered? The wrap was a ton of fabric to deal with, but it was what I had on hand, and I was desperate to get some relief. I've got another appointment with the midwife tomorrow. I'm trying not to focus on weight gain too much, but it's hard not to sometimes. Eating Haagen-Dazs in my underwear this evening has left me feeling a tad guilty, but it was drat good.
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Sep 22, 2011 02:44
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It's comfy, but am I stuck sleeping here until I have the baby? I wanted to try to get at least some bed time in before I have to abandon it for third-trimester heartburn and breathing difficulty, but it doesn't seem like this hip pain is ever going to end. The nausea ended, the exhaustion ended, why won't this hip pain end 
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On the subject of Spanx, I've been wearing a handful of camis with built-in bras throughout this pregnancy. The camis are not maternity so they're tight over my belly, but I love the way they feel like they're helping to support my bump. Plus, regular bras are just too annoying right now. I wouldn't want to be a bridesmaid though, personally. I'm 32 weeks right now, and it really sucks to have to stand up and to stand still for long periods. I'd definitely take up the offer of having a chair at the altar. At my uncle's wedding, one of my aunt's bridesmaids was pregnant, and actually passed out during the ceremony. She was fine, but SO embarrassed to have disrupted the wedding of one of her best friends.
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Sep 29, 2011 02:53
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Fire In The Disco posted:The books can't hurt. I would suggest "Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way" at the very least. You also might want to look into something like Hypnobabies. I did that (and Bradley classes) and while I had no intention of having a fully hypnotized birth, it really did help-- everyone thought it was hysterical when I would sleep or zone during contractions. I have a pretty close to silent birth. It was, well, kinda cool. I'm doing Hypnobabies, too. I'm a skeptic when it comes to psuedo-science, but I can honestly say that Hypnobabies is far less hokey than I was expecting at first. The zoning out during practice is awesome, and has been ideal for helping me get back to sleep after getting up to pee for the millionth time during the night. One of the tracks we listen to (my husband too) is all positive affirmations, which has turned out to be one of my favorite things when I'm having a rough day. I liked that Bradley Way book quite a bit, too. It seems like the programs with the best reviews all have an emphasis on both practicing relaxation regularly along with giving both parents a solid understanding of what will physically be happening during the birth.
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Sep 30, 2011 17:11
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I'm confused about the pros/cons of getting antibiotics during labor, with regards to trying to prevent group B strep infection in a newborn. I don't know if I'm GBS+ yet, but I've had a hard time coming across any reputable-looking info on the side-effects. Most everything I've found simply says that GBS infection can be really bad in rare cases, so everybody gets antibiotics, and that's that. Personally, I'm not totally comfortable with the idea of pumping my newborn full of antibiotics, and my midwives are frustratingly neutral on the subject. They did warn me that if I need to be transferred to the hospital for some reason (instead of giving birth in the birth center), then there would be a lot of pressure from the hospital staff to simply have the antibiotics. At the birth center, it's totally my choice. Has anybody else been given this choice?
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Oct 4, 2011 19:04
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Thanks for the GBS-related feedback. I think I'll be getting tested no matter what, because I don't want to be forced to take antibiotics by the hospital should I have to get transferred and I don't know my GBS status. I'm absolutely for antibiotics, vaccination, and things in that vein when they're warranted; this isn't just a knee jerk reaction to someone trying to do something "medical" to me during birth. I've got a pretty decent grasp of the science and statistics involved, and got plenty used to reading scientific studies in college as a biology major. I'm still in "research mode", attempting to get a balanced view, though I'm not sure the data I'm looking for even exists. What's the cumulative, long-term effect of widespread dosing of women and newborns with antibiotics? I'm worried somewhat generally about the long-term effects of antibiotic use and overuse, but also more specifically about the effects on my baby specifically if one of the first things that happens to his body is getting a big dose of penicillin. Newborn guts getting colonized by the right kinds of bacteria is a really important process, with long-term effects on immune response. So to answer the question from Bodnoirbabe and others, one of the reasons that I am even considering this is that I think categorizing the antibiotic treatment as no-risk oversimplifies the actual situation. One of the studies I've recently found shows that in babies given antibiotics at birth, GBS infection is down as you'd expect, but antibiotic-resistant E. coli infections are up significantly. Infections like that are much harder to treat than GBS, and very dangerous for newborns. I think it's also worth mentioning that some developed countries like the UK don't do routine GBS screenings. All this researching today is starting to make my brain hurt. How about some more photos of cute, healthy babies in this thread?
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Oct 5, 2011 18:38
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Gumby Orgy posted:Question: For me, my first trimester sex issues weren't so much because of the low energy (which definitely sucked), but it was more my new, amazing & annoying sense of smell. Nothing breaks up sexy time like some dry heaving, amirite? I was much more in the mood once my nausea settled down, and I wasn't overreacting to the slightest odors. I think 2nd trimester is also when the graphic sex dreams started up, too. Enitsirk's OB is right on - pregnancy is weird.
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Oct 8, 2011 02:27
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I'm kind of intimidated by the idea of having a bunch of people with me in the birthing room. It doesn't seem very conducive to relaxing and concentrating on relaxing, but I'm a pretty private person in general. I think it'll just be the midwife, her midwife-in-training, and my husband. I was considering having my mother-in-law fly up here for the birth, but it turns out she'll be in the middle of chemo, so I'm pretty sure that's not going to be possible. I'm trying to focus on the positive, though. Honestly, being pregnant has been far more pleasant than I was expecting; I'm hoping that stays true for the birth, too. Just a few more weeks to go.
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Oct 15, 2011 04:51
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I had all these awesome plans for my baby's nursery and wardrobe, and how we weren't going to do the standard boys = blue bullshit. But I love in a freaking retail wasteland (Quebec), and I can't find a drat thing that isn't blue or pink, or ridiculously overpriced for the quality. I can't even do any decent online shopping without getting screwed on prices and/or import duties. It's bugging me that all the stuff we've been able to get so far looks so drat generic. At least my baby carriers are unusual and reflect my style. Anybody else planning on baby wearing? So far I've got two woven wraps and a mei tai.
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Oct 17, 2011 02:00
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The Young Marge posted:I do! And have a ton of baby carriers. I think I have 2 Mobys, 4 slings, an Ergo, a Bjorn and a ring sling. These were all gifts or hand-me-downs (I did register for the Bjorn). I don't know where or how I'm going to use all these things. Another example of being overloaded with stuff I didn't pick out, but hopefully a lot of it will be useful. I like some of the styles, too. I'm jealous! So many of my friends and family think the whole baby-wearing thing is nuts. You should check out the forums at thebabywearer.com. It's been invaluable for learning about the various carriers' pros and cons, and they've got a busy for sale or trade forum. Its a good place to sell the carriers that you've decided you don't need or like. (They're not big fans of the Bjorn, though.) I'm also having some unpleasant sensations in the crotchal region. I can't seem to get comfortable in any type of chair; it's like everything feels "smushed" the whole time I'm sitting down, and there's nothing I can do about it. Ugh. And while I'm whining about pregnancy - I miss my old boobs. These things look like they belong to someone else; a someone else with distinctly less sexy-looking boobs. I'm shocked and amazed my husband finds all of this sexy. My belly is kinda cool looking and fun to play with, but I'm not feeling the sexy lately.
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Oct 17, 2011 17:55
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I don't hate being pregnant on the whole, and some parts of it are pretty awesome. It's been far more pleasant than I thought it would be, even now that I'm officially ginormous. I'd do it again happily as a surrogate or gestational carrier if I could get [legally] paid for it. I think it's just luck and biology, but I'm happy to be one of the lucky ones. Maybe it's all the meditation and Hypnobabies practice, but I've been feeling really mentally healthy too. Honestly, it's probably all these preggo hormones though, so I'm hoping I don't get PPD once everything starts changing again. The only thing that's really been ugly is feeling like I could/would throw up at any moment for a solid 2.5 months. It was exhausting, and I can understand why the unlucky ladies with h.g. or who can't get comfortable enough to sleep at night would have their reasons to hate being pregnant. I do miss being able to tie my shoes AND breathe at the same time, and some of the other trivial stuff that's just not possible when you're carrying around a big belly. However that is more than balanced by how loving awesome it feels to eat whatever thing I'm craving and obsessing over. It's usually a specific fruit or a big glass of ice-cold milk. For me, it's eerily similar to eating when you're high; pretty much everything tastes AMAZING. I also recently had my first double cheeseburger ever, and I can honestly say that it was a near-orgasmic experience. And now I'm going to be thinking about cheeseburgers for the rest of the day.
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Oct 18, 2011 18:15
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Dr. Octagon posted:I was still pregnant at my 41 week appointment this past Monday, where they swept my membranes (OUCH) and scheduled a non-stress test and an amniotic fluid index for the following day, with an induction to follow by 42 weeks if the results of those tests were "non-reassuring." I would've been less than thrilled, but okay with an induction at that point. Congrats! He's pretty darn adorable. I think we're about to have a whole crop of fall goon babies all up in this thread pretty soon, and I can't wait to see more pictures. I'm officially 4 weeks away from my due date, though I'm thinking 11/11/11 would be pretty cool if things work out that way. I can never remember my husband's birthday or our anniversary, so it would be nice to have ONE date that I can always remember off the top of my head. edit: Just wanted to edit and say that I'm being self-indulgent and lazy as gently caress. I have no idea how you other ladies are working AND dealing with being pregnant. My best friend is 28 weeks and working 2 jobs, and I can't figure out where she gets the energy. I get worn out (and cranky) after about an hour of doing anything "in public" and I can't get back to my house quick enough for a nice cup of tea and an hour or two dicking around on the internet in peace and quiet. Babies R Us in particular stresses me out and makes me want to stab people, and then go home to have a root beer float. MoCookies fucked around with this message at 04:45 on Oct 24, 2011 |
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Oct 24, 2011 03:41
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I'm peeing like clockwork every 2 hours at nighttime, too. I can't remember the last time I slept ALL the way through the night without having to get up to pee, but I was probably early on in my 1st trimester. I even rearranged the furniture in the bedroom so that the distance I have to waddle to get to the bathroom is halved. I'm realizing now that I get that "oooh, I gotta pee RIGHT NOW" feeling when I'm having a Braxton-Hicks, and sometimes that's what's waking me up, rather than the full bladder itself. As for getting back to sleep - I listen to a Hypnobabies track, and I'm out in just a few minutes without even trying. It's fantastic. I got the mp3s "from a friend", but the home study course would be 100% worth the money just for the ability to relax and get back to sleep throughout this pregnancy. There's a track of positive affirmations for pregnancy which I really love, too. That little daily dose of positivity makes up for a lot of the negative BS you're told and you see about pregnancy and birth.
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Oct 27, 2011 17:45
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Banana Cat posted:So for those of you who stopped working in the third trimester and don't have any other kids yet...what do you do all day? ....And I felt way better being able to stay home and sit or lie down in whatever position was comfortable all day, so physically it was great...but mentally, I was really bored. There's a delicate balance between trying to feel productive and overdoing it, at least for me. I hate cleaning, but I feel like I'm doing enough housework each day if I run the dishwasher, do at least one load of laundry, and spend 30 minutes cleaning some room of the house. With just my husband, me and the mutts, that tends to be enough to stay on top of things; some days I get more done, but I try not to sweat it if I don't. I've learned the hard way that if I overdo it, I'm going to feel pretty crappy later. Staying mentally challenged is more work, though. I'm doing some of the free online classes that Stanford is offering (ai-class.com is one). I'm kinda obsessed with getting better at sudoku at the moment. And internet and video games, too, like a good goon.
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Oct 28, 2011 20:01
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Lyz posted:Welp, of all the things I thought I'd learn in my first week of motherhood, changing diapers by candlelight and nursing by flashlight was not one of them. Stupid freak October snowstorm absolutely wrecked any tree with leaves on it and now my town has no power, going on two days and counting. Parenting - frontier style! Glad to hear the co-sleeping is working out, too. I've been hemming and hawing about it myself. The baby will definitely be in our bedroom, but between my husband's coma-like sleeping habits and the fact that our dogs have always slept in our bed, I'm not sure it's for us. I'd also love to hear more about infant sleep, from those of you who've read more about it. I've enjoyed reading the No-Cry Sleep Solution and Happiest Baby on the Block.
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Nov 1, 2011 18:00
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I got really emotional at the beginning of this pregnancy because it felt like 99% of pregnancy information is all about the poo poo you can't or shouldn't do because you'll gently caress up the fetus. I was feeling so much pressure to be the perfect womb environment, and it was really overwhelming, and I felt like everyone was judging me all the time. Cue the waterworks! The FACT is that its all the stress is far worse for the baby than almost anything else. I recommend that you encourage your wife to stay as far away from Babycenter, pregnancy forums, and the majority of online "news articles" about pregnancy as possible. It all combines to stress you/her out. I was SO much happier and less anxious when I cut that poo poo out of my daily routine, and just concentrated on the relaxation practice from my birth class, and the "need to know" medical stuff. I did come across an awesome book recently, though, which I'd definitely recommend. It's "Brain Rules for Baby" by Dr. John Medina, and it includes all sorts of cool info about how babies' brains develop before and after the birth, actual science-backed information from a person who is great at translating research studies into fairly entertaining reading. There are lots of clips from the audiobook on the books website: http://brainrules.net/brain-rules-for-baby Some of the pregnant women I know would be appalled by how relaxed I am about all the "food rules" - I've had some wine, some seriously funky cheeses, a little raw cookie dough on occasion, I still drink coffee/tea/Coke daily, etc. But the fact is that I feel great, even at 38+ weeks preggo, my kid is growing well, and I've really enjoyed being pregnant. It's all anecdotal, but out of the women I know, that's pretty rare.
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Nov 7, 2011 17:59
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I think the reason I feel great is that I'm choosing not to stress, not that everyone should try to eat like me or make the same choices as me. Panne posted:Guidelines like this are (hopefully) based on research and a risk/benefits assessment. Oh and it's not just an American thing, we have the same general guidelines here including a recomendation to completely avoid alcohol. You're right - guidelines should be made on a risk vs benefit basis, and data is more than just the plural of anecdotes. But don't you find that the majority of the time, the rules are just repeated, rather than actually imparting useful information? For example, 'Don't eat soft cheeses' isn't very useful, especially when nearly all the cheese you can buy in North America is pasteurized, which means it has a very low risk of being contaminated by listeria. Stuff like that makes me nuts because it's repeated so often, despite being nearly useless information. Relative risk is an important concept, and one I think that doesn't get emphasized enough when we're talking about the riskiness of various germs or other pregnancy related stuff. I don't spend much time worrying about suicide or my husband murdering me, but there was just a study published about how expectant mothers are more likely to die from murder or suicide than the most common pregnancy-related medical issues. Weird, right? You'd never know it by the looks I get when I order a big coffee at Tim Hortons. My philosophy is that real food and real life comes with certain risks, and I'd rather enjoy the benefits of living with less stress than try to be perfect or perfectly safe all the time.
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Nov 7, 2011 21:15
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Crazy Old Clarice posted:Had a midwife appointment today and during the exam part she said "you are having Braxton-Hicks contractions" (note I am at 33 weeks). My response was "really? Because I don't feel anything". That's exactly how I learned I was having Braxton-Hicks, too. I almost always get them when I go up or down the stairs, but most of the time, I can only tell that I'm having a BH because my belly feels firm like a soccer ball vs. squishy like normal. I also have trouble getting a full, deep breath while I'm having one, but I'm also ginormous and ready to pop at any moment, so that's kinda become normal these days.
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Nov 15, 2011 19:38
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I had my baby, and he is awesome. Meet Nolan: My husband keeps saying, "He's so little!" and I keep saying, "He's enormous! I can't believe I pushed that entire thing out of my lady parts." The birth itself was WAY harder than I was expecting. I got to 8 cm fairly easily, but I ended up having to push for hours and hours. My midwives and husband were supportive and awesome, and eventually the little nugget came out. I had no idea I could physically work that hard or be in that much pain without just giving up or passing out. The rush of hormones immediately after Nolan was born was magnificent, though. All of a sudden, felt like a million bucks, and couldn't have cared less about how miserable I had been for the previous 18 hours. I'm still feeling pretty awesome, actually. And for what it's worth, learning to hand express has been priceless. We've been having a hard time getting Nolan to breastfeed properly, so being able to feed him regardless of his sleepiness/laziness has been really nice.
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Nov 20, 2011 12:49
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Thanks everybody! We're going great, and Nolan's now 8 days old. Breastfeeding is going much better (yay!), and his stinky cord stump finally fell off, too. I have to say, I totally recommend getting a few baby carriers and learning about babywearing. Its so nice having the baby right with me, but I still have my hands free for the handrail in the stairway, typing at the computer, eating, and all the extra cuddling is fantastic. I like using the wraps at home, but I'm loving the mei tai for when we need to pop into a store for some shopping. We haven't used the stroller at all yet, but the carriers get used everyday so far.  Nolan - Thanksgiving by Melissa Lientz, on Flickr Tesla Insanely Coil posted:Congrats! For the first half of the labor, all my practicing with Hypnobabies was really helpful. I seriously was falling asleep between contractions, and was able to dilate to 8cm really without much pain at all. I'm not sure the 2nd half of labor would have gone as well without being able to conserve that energy. I did a lot of early laboring in the tub, and end in the end, I think I labored in just about every position possible. For me, the birthing stool and sitting backwards on the toilet were both good for making progress. Being able to do that was one of the primary reasons I didn't want an epidural. We had positioning issues with the little guy's head, so I ended up pushing for a god-awful long time. There was definitely a point at which I would have gotten the epidural if I was in a hospital. My mantra during the hardest parts was "The only way out is through." The midwives did a great job with all their tricks to help me through the "ring of fire" - compresses, massage, etc, and although I did end up needing some stitches, my recovery "down there" has been really easy, probably because all of their work. I had though the ring of fire stage was a relatively short-term thing, but not for me, at least. In hindsight, the one thing I would consider trying next time is getting the Epi-No. I scoffed at the idea just a few weeks ago as totally crazy, but if I ever talk myself into giving birth again, I'm definitely going to give the Epi-No a try. I don't think either my husband or I cried after the baby was born. Our reaction was more like, "Holy poo poo, they just gave us a baby."
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Nov 27, 2011 20:34
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I ended up changing my mind about our baby's name pretty much as soon as I went into labor. He was going to be a Duncan, but somehow it just didn't feel right to me. We ended up naming him Nolan, much to the relief of my family, who made it clear they weren't crazy about the name Duncan in the first place. It still seems weird to me that something that came out of my vagina has a name, though. On the subject of pushing, my body definitely told me to push. I spent about 6 hours in the pushing stage, even though I dilated quickly. I spent awhile just trying to "breathe the baby out" like my birth course said, but it wasn't getting the job done. Pushing Nolan out felt like taking the biggest, angriest crap of my life. Its a good thing all those birth hormones erase your memory a bit, because those hours were absolutely miserable. The (hopefully) cute baby helps too.
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Dec 12, 2011 18:05
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On the subject of leaving the house with a newborn, I was desperate to get out of the house after that first week. I mostly tried to limit our exposure to crowded, germy places. I'm so so so grateful that I researched babywearing before I had this kid. It's drat convenient for around the house, not to mention errands and shopping. I haven't even been tempted to take the stroller out of the house, and we've been able to avoid hauling around the baby in the car seat. I think having the baby in a carrier on my chest is pretty helpful for keeping strangers from touching him, too.
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Dec 23, 2011 00:46
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Lyz posted:And if you're getting a lot of headaches, try drinking more water. I know I've always been stupid about keeping myself hydrated and a couple glasses of water a day helped me a lot. Besides, you'll need the practice if you decide to breastfeed. Watching your water is so helpful - dehydration can certainly cause killer headaches. The other thing I'd suggest is keeping your caffeine intake consistent day to day; suddenly going off caffeine will often cause me to get a headache, and if I let it go too long, it turns into a raging migraine.
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Dec 27, 2011 18:27
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Sarsaparilla posted:Ug. I've been having this same issue, but my due date is only 12 days away so I've been using my hubby and a mix of 5 pillows stacked and shoved in random spaces. This is exactly what I did throughout pregnancy, and it's come in handy for making a little nursing nest too. I did buy a body pillow, but I could never get it to do what I wanted it to, so I went back to hogging all the pillows on the bed instead.
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Jan 9, 2012 16:05
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Thia posted:I'm 14 weeks pregnant and my husband and I recently went looking around at baby stores to get an idea of all the stuff we're going to need. We both ended up a little overwhelmed with all the choices. Some of the suggestions I've found in this thread have been helpful, but I've been lurking in it for a long time and it's hard to go back and sift through everything. It IS crazily overwhelming. Luckily, you really do not need all that crap. Don't get sucked in - it's a lot like weddings, actually. The stuff you actually need is minimal, though everywhere you look someone is trying to sell you something else. I'm pretty minimal in what I buy, though there are a few items I think it's worth it to splurge on. 1. Place for the baby to sleep - you can go crazy with a $1000 convertible crib, only to find that you guys and the baby all sleep best in the same bed. I like our IKEA crib just fine. And you don't need to go nuts with the bedding either; a mattress protector and two fitted sheets for the crib. In fact, the rest of it is at best decorative, and actually a lot of it is actively discouraged by experts because of SIDS concerns (padded bumpers, pretty comforters, etc.). 2. Carseat - its a non-negotiable item you've got to have, but don't make yourself crazy trying to analyze the ins and outs of all the various options. It will drive you crazy, and I'll be damned if the hours I spent researching it all made any practical difference. Any carseat is heavy as poo poo, so you'll want to carry it as little as possible. The Chicco Keyfit is what we ended up getting, and it's fine. 3. Diapers - Cloth is easier than you'd think, and no grosser than disposables. Your baby will cover you with all their bodily fluids one way or another anyhow, so if squeamishness about poo is holding you back, I'd encourage you to at least try it. Our diaper service is the same cost as disposables, so I say why the hell not. Also save the planet, blah blah blah. You get the benefit of secretly feeling superior to all the disposable using parents. 4. Baby transportation and entertainment - I'm a huge advocate of wearing your baby in a carrier of some type as much as is practical/possible. Research shows that babies who are carried more cry a lot less. It's so useful that I gush about it to every drat person I know with a kid. I've yet to use my actual stroller, or even wish I had my stroller instead of a baby carrier when I'm out shopping or running errands. Hands-free nursing is the poo poo. I can still do almost everything I used to do around the house, I just do it now with the baby on me. I give 2 thumbs up to the BabyHawk mei tai, and Didymos woven wraps. Carriers aren't cheap, but neither are strollers, and I use them for at least a couple of hours every single day, and being able to get poo poo done more easily is priceless right now. Ergo and Moby are pretty mainstream now, but there are a lot of options, too. I'd recommend the forums at thebabywearer.com for more info about babywearing and what to get. 4a. As far as jogging strollers go, the BOB stroller is the one to get, and pretty much everyone I've talked to seems to agree on this point. I'd say this is another area worth splurging on if you're serious about running for exercise. 5. Something to wear - Don't buy a ton of clothes in the smaller sizes. They grow out of them lightning fast, so think about cost per wear. You'll be pissed if you spent a ton of money on something they only wear like 4 times. Whenever I want to buy something, I try to remind myself that the more you have, the less wears each thing gets. It's easy to let the anxiety of pregnancy and parenthood drive a crazy buying spree, but I hope you'll resist the urge. I find the less time I spend in Babies R Us, the less stressed out I am. Hope that helps.
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Jan 12, 2012 22:43
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Bahunter22 posted:
Adorable kid. Nice work. 
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Jan 19, 2012 18:26
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Aqua Hamster posted:I just don't want to get her in the habit of only falling asleep if she's going to be going on a car ride or something. Right now we don't have a thing to carry her on our chest or whatever, but it's something I'm looking at with my next check/tax return. She loved laying on my chest while I pat her back, usually she falls right asleep, but last night/this morning she wasn't going to have any of it. A great place to get a well-made inexpensive ring sling is sleepingbabyproductions. Her basic fabric ring slings are study, but inexpensive. I'm big into babywearing, and have close to a dozen carriers now. A Moby is nice to have when they're small and light, but as they get bigger, you'd be better off with a ring sling, a mei tai (like BabyHawk), or a woven wrap (like a Didymos). Hope that helps.
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Feb 13, 2012 21:47
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Sarsaparilla posted:My newborn (4 weeks now) is starting to have much longer awake periods. She doesn't cry much but I feel like she gets bored. She babbles at me when she's sitting doing nothing for more than three minutes. I mean, there's not much she can DO right now. And there's only so long I can bounce and wiggle and swing and sing to her before I go nuts. How do you entertain your babies? I don't worry about entertaining the baby much. My philosophy is that they need lots of downtime to quietly just BE. I'm at home all day by myself with the baby, so there's lots of time to fill. I love to read, so I'll read aloud quite a bit. Kids classics (like Swiss Family Robinson in the AM, and Roald Dahl at night), plus whatever I'm reading on the internet, and we listen to audiobooks a lot too. If he's awake and alert, I'll sing whatever pops into my head or tell him about random stuff, like which restaurants have the best tacos, etc. I hate to beat a dead horse, but babywearing plays a big role in "entertaining" too. If you're a baby, "helping" someone make oatmeal or do laundry is fun. If more specific ideas are what you're looking for, this page had a lot of good ideas that my husband liked: http://www.babycenter.com/0_lets-play-weekly-activities-for-your-babys-first-year_1501475.bc
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Feb 17, 2012 17:42
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My husband and I had the hardest time agreeing on a name. We never actually agreed, now that I think about it. I went into labor and all of a sudden, I knew the baby's name (and my husband had the good sense not to argue with me). It was also a name that I had barely even considered while pregnant. Go figure. Every mom needs to hear the advice that I got from my midwife: "When the milk comes in, so do the tears." No loving kidding. You are not going crazy. You are not a failure at being a mother because breastfeeding is hard. The hormones and the sleep deprivation are making everything bigger, and worse, and so very intense. It doesn't get said enough that breastfeeding is loving hard work. I thought that I wouldn't have any issues because I read all the books and "knew" what to do. Ha. It took a few sessions of my midwives coming to the house and helping me throughout a feeding for it to finally click so that the baby would latch on. The piece of advice that really helped was to make a "boob sandwich"; it made all the difference in getting my nugget to latch on. Having in-person nursing help at home from a professional should be standard care for all moms who want to breastfeed. I think I'm actually going to start giving pregnant friends a pre-paid session with a lactation consultant as baby gifts. Now that we've got it down, nursing is a million times easier than fussing with bottles. Once I finally figured out side-laying nursing and co-sleeping, I started getting SO much sleep. I think I actually get more sleep now than when I was pregnant, because at least now I don't have to get up 5 times a night to pee.
MoCookies fucked around with this message at 02:26 on Feb 28, 2012 |
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Feb 28, 2012 02:20
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For the possibly preggo Cathis - now is the time to start practicing consciously relaxing. Hypnobabies, meditation, prayer, etc. whatever gets you to your "happy place." I did Hypnobabies and meditation pretty much daily starting in the first trimester, and it was more helpful than anything else I bought or did. I don't think I could have made it through labor without the practice, and it's come in handy so many times since then. Helanna posted:Anyway, reading the last bunch of posts I noticed something that kind of surprised me; does each session of breast feeding really take 45 mins or an hour? I always assumed (perhaps naively!) that I could wake up, feed baby for like 10 or 15 minutes, and go back to sleep! When we were still figuring stuff out (like the first 4 weeks or so), it really did take Nolan about 30 or 40 minutes to get a full feeding. I think I was spending like 5 hours a day nursing at one point. It gets better, though because they get more efficient. Its so much better now. He can suck down a full meal in like 5 minutes now that he's 3.5 months old. Once I gave into the idea of cosleeping, we can nurse without ever even fully waking up. Baby stirs -> pop boob in mouth -> go back to sleep. You'll get there eventually, but it'll take up more of your time at first as you're both learning.
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Mar 4, 2012 01:02
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My dogs are all very cool with our baby. I worried a lot at first, but we've settled into a routine and kept the rules consistent, and so I don't foresee any problems for awhile. I'm sure it'll begin to be a bigger deal once the kid is mobile and our routines change again. They keep a respectful distance from the baby (which we have reinforced with treats, attention, etc.). I know my dogs well enough to predict that the biggest chance of something going wrong is if the dogs feel cornered, or if they're just roughhousing with each other and the kid happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. We don't have the baby touch the dogs for fun, and let the dogs decide what sort of distance/personal space they want to have. So far, so good. The magnetized babies section of the blog above was really helpful as we were thinking through these issues when I was pregnant.
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Mar 14, 2012 23:56
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Mnemosyne posted:I keep seeing things that say not to sleep or even lie on your back briefly after 20 weeks or so. It's on website of the American Pregnancy Association, so I guess there must be real science behind it, but I have a hard time imagining that it's as dangerous as some sites are making it out to be since humans have managed to procreate for a really long time without any knowledge of what veins run where, and which positions produce optimal bloodflow. If you feel good on your back, it's not really dangerous. I felt great on my back throughout my pregnancy. If there's a problem, you'll feel short of breath or dizzy.
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Mar 25, 2012 20:57
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Chicken McNobody posted:Argh, these boobs. Do they ever stop leaking? I'm at almost 12 weeks postpartum and I still soak nursing pads and wake up sopping wet at night. I know some people always leak, but it got much better for me pretty soon after the 3 month point. I only leak sometimes now, usually on the opposite boob when I'm nursing, and I don't bother with nursing pads. While I'm on the subject of nursing, I have to say that of all the maternity clothes I bought, I love my nursing pajamas so much. Its great being able to nurse at night without having to fuss with pulling my shirt up or completely off.
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Apr 3, 2012 02:53
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