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Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

Cara, I've had the same problem. I originally had a six pillow system which was a hassle because I needed to shift from hip to hip a lot and I had to take them all with me! :eek: Then, I bought one of those pregnancy pillows that was shaped like a candy cane but that only supported my back OR my belly and, when I rolled over, I had to take it with me. A friend of mine who delivered when I was about 30 weeks lent me this pillow (http://www.maternityandbabyshoppingmart ... llows.aspx) and I have slept so well since!...well except for the getting up 5 times a night to pee. :bigsmile: I had exactly what Dreamer described and I think it's the weight of the belly. I basically lay on top of the this pillow and it allows your hips, back AND belly to be supported and I can sleep *almost* on my back. I seriously can't say enough about this thing but I realize it's an *investment*.
 
Cara - I've had both problems you are describing. I also have a maternity pillow, the snoogle, which has helped with the hip pain. Definitely worth the investment! As for the cramp, not sure what that is either - I don't get it often, just every once in blue moon.
 
Puppmom, that pillow looks amazing. I think my DH would have to be kicked out of bed for me to have it though!
 

I thought the same thing but it doesn't take up as much room as it looks like it does and, best of all, it stays put! I mean, there's no spooning or anything as it forms a barrier between DH and me but you gotta do what you gotta do! :naughty:
 
Dreamer, I figured it was something about the relaxin/hips widening. My femur feels a lot closer to popping out of socket than I ever recall before! Sadly the pillow between the legs trick doesn't work at all - whatever little muscles are on the outside of my hips cramp up instantly, and also if my legs are bent at all. I've been working to keep my legs perfectly straight and stretched out as this seems to be the most sustainable, and wedging pillows on either side of my hips does help so maybe investing in one of those pillows is warranted so the weight isn't concentrated on the one point of my hips. On the cramping, I don't think its kicking-induced. My Baby Boy NoName has just started getting aggressive enough to cause some soreness after an exersice spurt, but the cramps are different. The are pretty clearly muscle cramps, just not of the whole uterus. But often on the underside, somewhere holding up weight or that got tweaked when I stand up. Anyway, I did manage to go for a pleasant short walk yesterday so maybe I just need some mild training for my baby-container muscle.

Thanks for all the pillow advice ladies, I have a few more months to go, sleep is probably worth it.

Lanie, I *think* I recall reading somewhere that you should follow your body symptoms on the back-sleeping thing. I would love to do some back sleeping (especially as the side-sleeping causes me hip-pain) but it is pretty clear to me that I am cutting off circulation by lying on my back - My feet start to go numb pretty quick and I get this nausea/lightheaded feeling pretty instantly. I can ignore it for a few moments but I'm sure its not great for hours of sleeping. Also sometimes I can feel my spine poking the uterus when on my back - not the most pleasant feeling. If you aren't noticing any symptoms, I'd go with whatever your doc says and not get too paranoid.
 
Lanie said:
Puppmom, that pillow looks amazing. I think my DH would have to be kicked out of bed for me to have it though!
Click to expand...

Ha, hubby is used to my pillow antics so I just ordered it from Amazon (a little less expensive $60.) My sleep is worth it :bigsmile:
 
Shiny, I'm thinking about you, and hope everything went well with your delivery. Can't wait to see pics of your baby girl!!!
 
Icekid, my hubby much prefers this to the *six pillow system* so hopefully yours does too.

Vesper, :wavey: I hope is well over there in the world of toddler and baby!

Shiny, sending some healing dust your way! I hope all is well.

I had my doc appt tonight. I didn't gain any weight since last week and I'm negative for Group B Strep. :appl: Doc said that being 3cm dilated last week at 35weeks 5 days, she doubts I'll make it to my due date but wouldn't venture any further guesses. It felt good to hear that out loud though because it makes it feel like I'm really close (even IF I go to my dd)! I had a pretty good day today physically but I'm so ready to meet this kid! I wanted to make it to the breastfeeding class which was last night - now he can come. For those of you intending to nurse, I highly recommend the class. It was well worth sitting in an uncomfortable chair for 2.5 hours.
 
Cara Girl I hope you are not getting the beginnings of evil crotch pain! Don't know if you read my posts in the last couple months of my pregnancy but I had a LOT of pelvic pain the last 8 weeks of my pregnancy -- it was positioning of the baby and too much relaxin and who knows what. Gads the things we go through!
 
Bellyless wonder here... Even though I *know* it's great to be carrying so small, I want people to know I'm pregnant!! Is it terrible that I want that extra-special treatment?? The other day, someone at work found out I was 4 months along, and they made such a fuss about how small I am... feeling my belly and everything!! I'm fine with belly-rubbing - once I have a belly! Geez. I guess not having to deal with this pillow drama for now is a good thing, though! haha - I just talked to my mom again tonight, and she told me that I'm gonna get absolutely sick of people saying 'You're not (x) months pregnant!"

DH and I are getting massages Saturday - I've never gotten one, and am super excited. Then we're hitting the beach for a few days. It'll be nice to get some R & R, but in the meantime, I'm cleaning like a madwoman! I just love coming home to a nice very clean house.

HH - Congrats on 30 weeks!!! You look great!

SS & Lily - Hope all went well! Can't wait to hear the story!!!

Cara - Congrats to you, too on 30 weeks! No recs for a tall person stroller, but I'm certain I'll be obsessing over the shower stuff like you are... it's just so much, and there are sooooo many options for each and every thing. My dad offered to buy our carseat, and I'm obsessing over that! ugh.

Cdt - Wow... I could've written what you just did. I was super tired, no nausea, and had REALLY bad headaches weeks 12 and 13. One was so bad I threw up! Nothing helped them, either. I hope you feel better soon!

Pupp - You poor thing! I hope time flies for you! Good to hear your appt went well!

Houie - You look fantastic!!! More pregnant than me!! I hope you get the Jack & Jill test too!

Icekid - Wow, the 4D shot is amazing!! It's really incredible how detailed it is...

Lanie - good question! I sleep on my back a lot... I usually wake up on my side, though, now that I think about it.

I've been planning on not finding out the sex (we'd reveal it at the baby shower)... but DH really *really* wants to know. His brother just found out he's having a boy. I totally understand, the brotherly bond stuff... sooooo I think we'll find out. Aug 4th. DH is convinced it's a girl, somehow. I have no clue! I say boy, just to be opposite of DH... with my track record, though, I'm probably wrong!
 
So last night was the first time during pregnancy that I can say I really had a crappy night. I'm thinking it was a combo of our discussion here about not being comfortable at night and watching Bethenny Getting Married right before bed and seeing her go into labor 5 weeks early (her water broke in bed) on the preview to next week's episode. I just couldn't get comfortable in bed, then I had a dream where I started getting contractions and went into labor. Not sure what that was all about, maybe a bad BH? But it woke me up and I had to breathe through the pain thinking to myself "oh my god, is this it? I'm not ready!!!" and debate waking DH up. But I felt my stomach and it wasn't hard so I know I wasn't really contracting and I told myself I'd start timing if it happened again. It passed and I didn't have any more of that specific pain, but I woke up in pain due to being so bound up. I think I need to up my colace dose. I'm now wondering if it was constipation, gas pains or if Aidan was just being a brat (most likely all of the above).

Today I have my 30 week check up. I was supposed to go on Wednesday but got confused and missed it. Last week one of the secretaries called to reschedule an appointment on the 28th. I thought that one was my next appointment, not realizing they scheduled a few at the same time. So I missed Wednesday's and they rescheduled me for today. I'm meeting with the NP instead of the OB. Not sure what they're going to be doing, I know I don't need to have any more cervical u/s which I'm kind of bummed about because they always gave me a trans ab in addition to the dildocam so I got to see LO. Last visit the doc didn't use the doppler or measure the fundus so I'm assuming those are on the agenda in addition to the standard pee/BP/weight check.

When do they start asking about your birth plan? Do they even ask? I have some general ideas of things I want to note for them, but DH and I haven't taken our classes yet so it could change. We start either next week or the week after, so excited!

My shower is tomorrow, I'm heading up to NH for the day. I can't wait. DH is bummed because he's got so much work to do this weekend he won't be able to go :(

No BPF for me since I posted earlier this week.

So happy to see everyone is doing well!
 
15w1d

Lynnie - I can't wait to find out what you're having since are symptoms are so similar! Personally I think I'm having a girl mainly because this pregnancy just feels so different than w/ my son. At our NT scan we were told it's likely a girl, but they wouldn't confirm 100% since it was too early. About the comment on small belly, I got it a lot too during my 1st pregnancy. People who knew me could tell my mid-section was thicker, but I didn't get a round preggo belly until late in the 2nd tri so I had a lot of comments about how small I was. Didn't really bother me though :bigsmile: I'm already getting the same comments from people now because again I've only gotten thicker in the waist at this point, but no real belly yet. I feel MUCH bigger this time though, but that's my crazy mind I think! Being small during pregnancy does not bother me one bit :cheeky:

HH - Sorry you had a rough night! Enjoy your shower!!!

Cara - Sorry about the hip pain. I had it soooooooooooooo bad the last 4 weeks of my pregnancy. I got weekly prenatal massage the last month because eventhough it was temporary I needed the relief! Seriously the end of road is SO tough on our bodies!
 
12 weeks

I'm 12 weeks today! Yay! :)

Quick post before work...I had a dream about our baby last night! And it wasn't all that weird! LOL. In my dream, it was a girl, and we named her one of the top 5 or so names we're considering, and she was breastfeeding like a champ!! Hopefully this is a glimpse into my future?? :)

Longer post and BPF pic later!! Hope you all have a great day!!
 
HH -- congrats on 30 weeks! Have fun at your shower!

cdt -- I want to see pics of your beautiful little boy! Do you post them on the 12m+ thread? I think he might be my fave PS kid bc he reminds me of my hubby's baby pics :)

Lynnie -- Ahhh!!! A massage sounds so nice!!! I'm jealous.

puppmom -- you seem so close to me if it makes you feel any better! I think the only class I plan on going to for sure is the BF class, so glad it was beneficial to you!

cara -- thanks for the pillow/back sleeping advice! I'm not in the pain you are in (yet...) so I feel for you. And it's not like once this is all over you get quality, sound sleep either!


Happy Belly Pic Friday!!! Here's my contribution taken last night, which is when my belly feels huge. I know everyone says that, and I used to look at people's pictures who said they felt huge, and I remember thinking "You girls don't look huge at all!" But I think when it's your own belly, there's just something about it.

Also, is anyone else in the middle of registering, or thinking about registering, and have this fear that your house will look like a daycare center? I'm a minimalist to begin with, and I'm seeing all of these jumpers and bouncers and activity mats and discovery gyms and I'm seriously considering giving my son a stuffed sock to play with. I guess it comes with the territory, but I'm having a hard time grasping that. I keep thinking about when I was a baby and I had a fraction of the stuff out there, and I turned out just fine! And the advice I get is so conflicting. Some people say they couldn't live without X and not to buy Y. While others say their baby hated X and for me to absolutely get Y. ARGH! :confused: I just need to realize that every baby is different and you just go with the flow. And that I need to come up with a creative storage plan. :rodent:
 
Oops too big

IMG_0394a.JPG
 
Lanie, when we registered we threw a lot on the list because it was cool, seemed like it would be helpful/educational and also because people said we needed it! However, we did make a conscious effort to only register for stuff we'd need in the first year and include items at various price points. I know some people who went so far as to register for an infant car seat AND a convertible seat AND a booster seat and potty stuff. Items they wont necessarily need until the second year. That's stuff I know we can get when we need it. Then I stressed for weeks because my shower was approaching and no one had bought anything. Now that I can see people have bought stuff and have been SO generous, but I'm stressing because it's all of the big stuff (the stuff that seemed cool etc, but that could be considered nice to have but not essential) but not the little stuff that we actually DO need, like bottles, etc. But ultimately I won't know what I have/need until tomorrow at the shower. But yea, for the most part it's all going in the nursery with the door closed and the stuff I wont need for a few months will go in the closet until we're ready for it.

ETA: and you have an adorable bump!
 
Lynnie- I didn't show till well into my 2nd trimester. I kinda liked it, but either way, you WILL pop and you won't believe how big your belly can get. Enjoy it now!

Lanie- The stuff is overwhelming. DH and I have a pretty mid-century modern, clean aesthetic in our house and I was determined to only buy "cool" looking stuff. Babies have other idea, though. You will probably end up with more bright-colored stuff than you want, BUT you don't have to have all of it. There is very little you need in the first few weeks. You can start with that, and then add stuff as you go. You WILL be able to run to BRU or Target, or better yet, order everything you need from diapers dot com or amazon.

However, on the flip side, registering for more than you need is good for a few reasons. 1) People want to buy you stuff but they like guidance. 2) For me, it was great to have stuff in my closet and to go "shopping" when he started a new phase. I'd think, gosh he's really trying to sit up, it would be great if I had something he could sit in. And voila, I had a Bumbo in my closet. 3) You can return everything and have tons of cash/gift cards for the things you WILL need like diapers, etc. So do register.

But you don't have to go crazy with all of the stuff. Also, we have certain areas designated for O's stuff and we have storage. So when he's done playing it all goes back into it's place so we don't have kid cr*p all over our living spaces. It's totally doable, you just have to be proactive.

And yes, every baby is different and every baby likes different stuff.

Things you need right away:
Onesies
Diapers
Wipes
Gauze cloth strips (we didn't use the wipes for the first few weeks, used these dipped in water)
Miracle blanket/swaddle blanket
Bassinet/moses basket/something to sleep in
Infant car seat

If you are BF:
My Brest Friend or Boppy pillow
Pump
Itzbeen timer (it was a must for me, helps keep track of time between feedings, which side you started on, etc.) You can just write it down, which I did for a few weeks, but once I got the timer it made my life so much easier

If FF:
Bottles

Things that I LIked But Others May Not:
Swing
Bouncy chair or something to put baby in so you can take a shower

That's about it. The other stuff (high chair, bumbo, strollers, etc) you can wait and see what you need.

I'm sure others will chime in but this is a start. Don't stress about it, it will all make sense when he/she gets here! Sort of. ;))
 
17w6d

I haven't that much to share. I pretty much forget I'm pregnant at the office the whole day! thanks to morning sickness being gone. I'm not into buying any baby stuff yet. we don't register here and baby showers are usually about people getting you cute baby clothes. I LOVE to sleep on my back. as much as I try to sleep on my left side with my maternity pillow, I always end up on my back with my knees lifted over the pillow. back sleeping is still more comfortable so I assume it's ok as long as my body doesn't complain.

the package of maternity clothing my MIL sewed me finally arrived, but it is more for when I'm in my last trimester. they are so wide, but I feel so loved to have clothes custom made for me, especially as my legs and arms are short.

here is Humungoid Belly 1 day shy of 18 weeks

noelwr18w.JPG
 
Noel -- our bumps look very similar! Too cute! I didn't know they don't register over there. Are moms as crazy into gadgets and all of that like we are?

Chinacat -- Thank you SO much for writing all of that! You have helped me out on more than one occasion and I hope I've thanked you. It sounds like we have the same aesthetic. I know some moms are cool with having a giant play yard fence around their whole living room (like the huge huge kind), but that's just not me. I think I've designated the downstairs living room to be the main play area, and when we have our friends over, we'll all go to the living room upstairs. Thanks so much for the must-have list!

HH -- that's a really good point about registering for stuff needed for the first year. Plus hopefully you'll get gift cards to use if you do need those small things like bottles, etc. I'd be willing to bet you will be pleasantly surprised at your shower. Can't wait to hear about it!
 
Lanie, the other thing I've realized (just today LOL) is that some of the bigger things that people have gotten us that aren't necessities *could* be returned for store credit so we could get the little things that we do need. I guess maybe I subconsciously planned this? Does it make me a bad person?? For example, I know our local consignment shop has bumbos for $15-$20, whereas new they're almost $45. If I return the one I got and take the store credit I could get the bottle supplies I need AND the bumbo from the consignment shop. I guess it's sneaky, I feel guilty now that I've typed that out :(

Also, not sure if you're a blog reader, but Young House Love just posted about their experience living with a 2 month old and how they approached registering for items that might clash with their aesthetic and how to store them when not in use. It was a good read. http://www.younghouselove.com/2010/07/k ... ar-factor/
 
Lanie-Just another input on bedding. I don't think it's necessary. Crib sheets are really all you need. Etsy sellers can make you a fabulous crib skirt to jazz up the crib a bit. We use a bumper, always have, but most people don't like to and unfortunately all of the bedding sets come with a bumper. You won't know how you feel about bumpers till baby is here so I wouldn't make the purchase now.

I didn't read through and don't know if this has been suggested but Baby Bargains is such a great resource for registry help. They have a sample registry in the back and that's what I used as a guideline.

My pitch for the bouncer and swing: I would register and try to get both. Keep the receipts and keep the boxes. See which one your baby prefers. I could not survive without my swing. Seriously. We never registered for one but FI's parent's neighbor's son (lol) got us a really cheap one for the baby shower. It was just a swing, no toys/lights/anything. Man that thing was awesome. So awesome that we are getting him and his future wife a fabulous gift for their wedding :Up_to_something:

Also, a lot of those things that people have are useful but can be scaled down. You can get a jumperoo but there are space saver jumperoos. You can get a mat for the floor but it doesn't have to be a huge one.
 
HH -- I totally follow Young House Love! After I posted my thoughts I went to see them, and read the article you talked about. It's great!

Fiery -- Thanks for chiming in! And thanks for the tips!

I have the Baby Bargains book per everyone's rave reviews of it, but I'm quickly realizing I don't have the one that everyone loves. My book is called "The Complete Book of Baby Bargains" and it's a huge waste of money and time. This is it. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Comple ... y+bargains They give you tips like "Search yard sales for baby items that are gently used." No sh*t. So if anyone is lurking and wants to get that book, DON'T. Apparently the one to get is this one http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Baby-B ... y+bargains since everyone references it. I've been meaning to write that on here since I was so mad at the similar name of the book! Both at Barnes and Noble too.
 
Lanie said:
HH -- I totally follow Young House Love! After I posted my thoughts I went to see them, and read the article you talked about. It's great!

Fiery -- Thanks for chiming in! And thanks for the tips!

I have the Baby Bargains book per everyone's rave reviews of it, but I'm quickly realizing I don't have the one that everyone loves. My book is called "The Complete Book of Baby Bargains" and it's a huge waste of money and time. This is it. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Comple ... y+bargains They give you tips like "Search yard sales for baby items that are gently used." No sh*t. So if anyone is lurking and wants to get that book, DON'T. Apparently the one to get is this one http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Baby-B ... y+bargains since everyone references it. I've been meaning to write that on here since I was so mad at the similar name of the book! Both at Barnes and Noble too.
Click to expand...

Yes it's the second one ::)

Actually, BRU has a sample registry too but I found that BRU adds a bunch of stuff you really don't need like a medical kit. You'll get a thermometer and bulb aspirator from the hospital and that's really all you'll need.
 
As usual, ditto to everything Fiery said.

Also, HH, that's not terrible, that's exactly what you should do. That's one of the reasons I was advising Lanie to register, so you could take stuff back and get cash or gift cards to use for the things you really need. No guilt, mama, you're going to feel plenty of it later! Take all the help (and gifts) you can get. People really want to help.

Lanie-That's so nice to hear, I try not to butt in too often. Though I think we *may* live in the same town, so I may be able to answer other questions that may be city-specific. Not sure, but do you live where HouMedGal lives? Assuming HouMedGal lives up to her name!
 
China, I DO live in the same fair city as HOU! I live in the Heights! I knew there was another one out there but didn't remember who. I know of Meresal, but not "in real life".
 
China, I didn't know you were an H-towner too! :) Lanie and I have established that we, in fact, go to the same OB!! LOL!

Ugh, registering....sounds so overwhelming!! I'm thinking I'll wait until I'm well into the 2nd tri and experiencing the famed "best" trimester before I tackle that one. I'm just soooooo tired all the time still!! And my motivation for doing almost anything has left the building. Lemme know if any of you see it lying around, I'd love to have it back. :cheeky:
 
Yep, I'm one and Meresal is too! Oh and GingerB. That is crazy you go to the same OB! Small world. Are you guys delivering in the med center? If you have any questions about anything, I try to read this thread, but am always on the newborn thread.

As for registering, I definitely waited till after the first trimester. I actually had a wonderful friend who went with me to BRU and just registered for everything for me. I had no clue what she was picking. Then I did some research and edited it down. Worked pretty well. There are minimalist lists out there that work great though.
 
Um....I may or may not have started my registry the weekend after getting my BFP....HOWEVER I initially used it to keep a running list of items I was interested in researching. It was a living document...


So apparently the horrendous uterine cramp that woke me out of a dead sleep last night was Aidan turning from breach to head down....the little brat had better stay that way now, I seriously thought I was going into labor last night....
 
ditto having an uncluttered, more modernish house and not wanting lots of primary color baby stuff around. i am 'so far' proud of how we have done, most of his stuff is not crazy colors, there's a designated area, and when people come over we can fold it all up and put it in his room for a few hours. we also don't have storage so everything we got had to be useful or it went away. also we were able to borrow a swing, bumbo, infant/toddler bath, snap n'go. borrow whatever you gals can because then it can GO AWAY after the kid grows out of it. J hated the bumbo, the swing was a GODSEND, kid slept in that all the time in the beginning, and the bath he is outgrowing at 6mo, sng we stopped using after about 5-6 weeks. i cannot wait to get rid of the swing back to it's owner because it's huge.

one note re: returning things. try to make sure people give you gift receipts. BRU will not take things back without a receipt, even for store credit, even with BRU tags on it. they may make the odd exception (i got them to once) but it's a total PITA. Target WILL but you have a $75 cap max per year. that is calendar year. you can have someone else return it for you but after a few big ticket items you try to return that gets old too. carters will take back pretty much anything with carters tags on it and even if its like 08 or 09 merchandise will give you like $3-4 credit. but i have so many things in the closet that he never wore or didn't use and we can't return them so i am saving them as gifts for future shower gifts.

ditto China re: shopping in the closet. LOVE doing that. and it's FREE. i do it about once a month. it's amazing what you can find in there!! today i discovered a 2nd Sophie i totally forgot we had.

ditto re: getting things you will only use in the first year unless you have a lot of storage space. someone did give us the world's cutest frog potty and we put it in the garage for now

ditto having an experienced mom friend or two look at your list. they will add or remove things.

oh we also did BF but we had to formula feed in the beginning and then i also pumped so G could feed the baby so we needed bottles from day one. i wasn't sure we would but i am glad we had a pack on hand.
 
oh one more thing i thought of for you moms which would have been so helpful for me beforehand...sizing of clothes. diff brands have diff accuracy in my opinion.

J is almost 6mo and:
--he's wearing Gerber size 12m+
--he's wearing Carters 9mo and 12mo (depending on the item,9mo for tshirts but 12mo for anything with crotch snaps due to length)
--he's wearing Gap size 6-9mo with some footed items needing 12m
--he's wearing Gymboree size 6-9mo
--he's wearing 12m+ in other brands like Miniwear.. (at BRU), actually more like 18mo in these brands--they run SO small.

I have found Gymboree to be the most accurate re sizing so far. and Gap is the best so far for long and lean kiddos.

one last random thing that no one tells you that will save you if you are like me with a closet full of clothes up to 24mo... since most of the clothes are 100% cotton, they will shrink almost an ENTIRE size in the wash/dryer unless you wash on delicates and that is not really feasible from a kids clothes perspective. so i will wash something that looks like it's a little big for him and when it comes out of the dryer it JUST fits and he only wears it for 2 weeks.
 
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