Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[ellaila]

Photos, Tacori, photos!!

Thanks for posting the story, too, though I have to admit that I''m a little too close to going through this myself to have read it in detail -- I don''t like scaring myself with other people''s stories! (Same reason I don''t watch a Baby Story or any shows about people with twins!!) I''m happy for you though that you got to do a vag birth -- for the next baby, would you do that again or was it so bad that you think you''d elect for a c-sec?

Yep, you all are right -- Dec. 13 is so soon! I can''t believe that five weeks from today (provided nothing happens beforehand), I''ll be in the hospital having babies ... wow! MrsS, our babies (well, Lily for you, not your new baby!) will share a birthday, awww!

 

[mrssalvo]

oh Tacori, you poor thing, what an ordeal. I''m so glad you are at home now though and are recovering. As for the nursing thing. It is so hard in the beginning. I remember nursing a night, crying b/c the pain was so bad. I had the cracked, bleeding nipples b/c in the very beginning I let her latch on wrong. You cannot, under any circumstance let them get ahold of your nipples

. hang in there if you can, I promise it will get better, but it took me a good 2-4 weeks b/f i was ok with it. I can''t tell you how many times i wanted to give up. my aunt couldn''t nurse but pumped for over 6 months, with no forumula suppliments and she inspired me to keep trying. oh and baby #2, was so much easier for me, I had no trouble nursing at all. anyway, can''t wait to see pictures of your sweet little one. did all you acid reflux magically disappear?

 

[Jas12]

Oh Tacori--you are super tough! Way to go! You should be so proud of yourself for getting through that. Take extra good care of yourself these next couple of weeks!

Don''t know if this has anything to do with the spitting up, but friends who had various meds during labor have told me the baby was sickish for a week or so afterward--that can be a lot for their little bodies to handle I am sure, so maybe once Tessa gets that out of her system she will be spitting up less? Here''s hoping.


Ella--can''t believe your ''maybe'' due date is so soon--very exciting. Is there a chance your little girl could flip head-down in the coming weeks (i know singletons do all the time, but twins are so cramped in there). My co-worker who had twins elected to have a c-section even though both babies were head-down-- just her choice I am assuming--if yours are both head-down will you go ahead with a regular v-birth?

Tgal--what is your belly looking like these days--i seemed to have popped a bit again this week (some major stretching going on inside) and the baby is REALLY active--can''t believe how powerful the kicks are at this stage--even my doc.yesterday remarked on it. Funny little thing.
You mentioned you are getting a lot of activity in there as well eh ? We are 1/2 way through!!!!
Mrs S--you must be popping out a bit too-- since you are tiny!

 

[ellaila]

Yep, we need some belly shots, ladies!! I've got a funny one I'll attach here -- we learned yesterday that the bump that made me so lopsided here is baby girl's tush

Plus I think my uterus leans a bit toward the right anyway b/c -- TMI here -- even though she is smaller than her brother, I have a harder time reaching around my belly on the right side after I pee! I've become a lefty-wiper (ha ha)! Doctor said yesterday that a lot of people's uterus does lean one way more than the other.


Tacori, did you decide on Tessa before you saw her, or did you make the decision once you met your baby girl that she was a Tessa and not a Natalie?

ETA: I noticed the other day that the skin under both arms is really tight looking and dark, so I asked the dr. about it, and she said it's a slight case of eczema -- funny timing since we were just talking about that! Mine isn't itchy at all though, which I thought was weird. She said it's discolored b/c of being pregnant -- any skin-related thing that happens when you're pregnant usually happens darker b/c of your increased pigmentation (linea nigra, that pregnancy mask thing, darker nipples, etc.) -- so that should go away. She recommended that I just try an OTC 1% hydrrocortisone cream or just a really good moisturizing lotion.

 

[Kaleigh]

Ellaila, nice belly pic!!!! I bet you''re so excited to have a date next month. Dec 13th was my grandmother''s bday. How is sleeping for you??

 

[Jas12]

Ella--that is the cutest lopsided belly ever!

Take care of the eczema--it can get worse, fast--i''ve been reading a lot on the topic now and apparently it is common to develop it late into pregnancy and then have it stay afterward (not always, but often) so keep it moisturized and wear a lot of breathable cotton clothing.
If it does not itch you are very lucky--this is the factor that makes it worse--the itching is unbearable, which leads to scratching which leads to tears in the skin, and hence the vicious cycle. You may be lucky and just have irritated skin.

 

[chrono]

Tacori,
Thanks for the update. Wow, that infection was really terrible; I''m glad nurse Heather knew what she was doing. As for the reflux, my first didn''t have any but my second was a major spitter. I kept a diaper cloth with me at all times. Even if I burped him and kept him upright for 30 minutes after a feed, he still spit up (sometimes, it was semi-projectile vomiting). He finally outgrew it at around 3 months old. I was washing multiple diaper clothes on a daily basis. I even laid his head on a diaper cloth during naps because he just seemed to spitting up all the time.

 

[mrssalvo]

ella, that belly shot is so cute and too funny about the little girls tush..

ok, here is my sister at 13 weeks, i don't know if she'd want her face on here on not, but ya'll can see she has only gained 1 lb so far, compared to my 12 +

. i love her though and i'm sure she'll catch up eventually

 

[mrssalvo]

I''m not ready to show a naked belly just yet, but here''s me at 18 weeks today.
i accidently cut off my head with the timer but it''s a pretty good shot of how the belly looks

 

[TravelingGal]

Ella, I forgot to say last night...woo hoo! 12/13...wow that is so close!!!! Hang in there, and I LOVE your lopsided belly pic. Makes me realize even more that there are twins in there!

Tacori, lol, no...I did not lose my appetite. I love reading that kind of stuff. The gorier, the better. Although I may not feel the same way when I am closer to my due date.

I hope it''s not reflux...my friend suffered through that with her daughter...it was tough. TGuy had it too. I''ll keep my fingers crossed!

I had a dream last night I had a daughter...I was bummed she looked more like me than TGuy. Then the infant started TALKING to me and demanding milk, food, and all kinds of other things. I was like, whoa whoa! You''re not supposed to be talking! You''re supposed to be cute and let me enjoy this stage! All of the sudden she was 5, and then when I went to the hospital bathroom and came out, she was a teenager. I was freaking out and angry at her, saying, you haven''t let me even enjoy having a BABY!! She smirked and said "Life''s tough mom."

I guess it means enjoy every little bit and that they grow up fast?

Jas, funny you should ask. This morning I realized I look really and truly pregnant finally. Still probably pass as fat in clothes, but my belly looks different. More rounded and not just a pooch of fat. And like yours, TTot is SUPER active. It''s like it went from 0-60 in no time...it''s nuts! I think my days of thinking the kicking is cute are limited...

And yes, we are halfway there! Doesn''t that feel strange?

Oh, and do you have that linea negra yet? I don''t and I am wondering if I am going to get it. I don''t itch either right now. I itched about 2 weeks ago but it stopped. I''m sure it will resume again.

 

[snlee]

Tacori, I can''t wait to see pictures!

ella, what a cute lopsided belly picture! mrssalvo, cute belly shots of you and your sister! You both look great!

Jas, TGal, mrssalvo, I can''t believe the three of you are about half way there! Those 9 months must go by fast, even though it seems like a long time, because it seems like just yesterday you all announced you''re pregnant!

TGal, that''s a really funny dream you had! I''ve sure children do grow up fast so you need to enjoy every moment!

Less than a week until I find out if I''m pregnant! Last weekend (at about 3.5 weeks?) I started feeling some early symptoms. My boobs began to be really sore. So sore it hurts to touch them. Much more sore than the usual soreness before my period. I''ve also been feeling cramps. Sometimes I feel nauseous. On Sunday when I went to the grocery store the smell of fish made me want to throw up! I''ve been having headaches lately too and on Monday I started feeling really tired. But even with these symptoms, I''m not sure and sometimes I''m convinced my period will show up this weekend. I don''t want to get my hopes up and be disappointed.

 

[ellaila]

MrsS, you're so teeny tiny!! I think I had that belly at 12 weeks

TGal, your dream is a riot! I love that your baby smirked at you -- I think your dream baby took after her mom, no? I envision you as a smirker!

For what it's worth, I never got that linea nigra. And yes, the itching does get worse! Just lotion, lotion, lotion. I use the Mama Mio one (it was a gift), and I really like it, but I'm sure that any drugstore lotion (Olay,Jergens, Aveeno, etc. or Palmers Cocoa Butter or vitamin E) would do the same thing for a lot less money!

I've never had any painful kicks (knock on wood), but I've definitely had my moments of, "Ok, simmer down in there so I can sleep, you two!" But even during those times, it's still cute -- I will def. miss feeling them in my belly once they're outta there (though I imagine that holding them in my arms won't be too bad either

)!

snlee, not to get your hopes up, but sore boobs (and I mean, SORE) were my first sign that something was up! Can't wait to hear from you next week -- fingers crossed for you!

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 11/8/2007 12:43:32 PM
Author: ellaila


TGal, your dream is a riot! I love that your baby smirked at you -- I think your dream baby took after her mom, no? I envision you as a smirker!

LOL...believe it or not, I''m not really a smirker. I may smirk here and there when something happens in public that''s worth a smirk, but with people I know, I''m pretty much smiley and happy.

That doesn''t mean I NEVER smirk with people I know though!

 

[chrono]

Tacori,
One more note about reflux: you might want to consider going dairy free. My 2nd (the big spitter) is now discovered to be cow milk intolerant = breaks out in rashes if he eats milk products like cheese, yogurt, etc. Thinking back, he could be having a intolerance reaction to the milk products I had been consuming (we were breastfeeding). I also had to stop eating food with a lot of strong spices. Now that he is older, I can eat Indian food and some milk products without him getting a fussy tummy.

 

[Jas12]

Mrs S--you and your sister look great--love seeing the pics , I will try to post some tonight

I''ve gained about 14 lbs so far--yesterday my doc told me i have to slow down (nice, way to make a preggo feel good eh?!!) But i am overall eating very healthy, with little treats here and there-- and hitting the gym most days a week so what the heck more can I do? I am really being easier on myself this trimester than last--and it feels good to just accept things.

Tgal--i think i am going to be over the kicking too--hehe, it''s kinda cute right now, but almost strange feeling sometimes. i was stretching to reach something in a top cabinet last night and ''bam'' got a little kick in what felt like the ovaries --out loud, all alone, I yelled " hey baninny, watch it down there" and gave my belly a little poke
(bainny is my fetal nick-name--don''t ask, i have many

and easier than calling it --well, "it" )

No line on the belly yet--I was actually wondering about that too. My belly has been a little itchy, but nothing compared to the eczema so no worries there.
20 weeks seems like a big deal to me--i had it marked on my calendar. To me it is partly knowing that the baby is really looking like a baby now and that I am really looking pregnant

 

[mrssalvo]

thanks ladies for kind words. i definitley popped a lot quicker this time around. it''s ok though, i actually look preggo rather than bloated so i don''t mind. I got the belly line with both my other pregnancies so I expect it to come this time too, i don''t think it comes until a lot further down the line though...jas 12 lbs seems fine to me for 20 weeks, my guess is I''ll be at 15-16 lbs at my 18 week visit. my dr. didn''t say a word about my weight gain. i guess i''ll see if he says anthing on monday. But, it''s would be normal for me to gain 40 total and i''m right on track for that number.

Tgal, i forgot to say your dream is too funny.

 

[E B]

This was in one of my pregnant communities, and I thought you ladies might like it. Apologies if it's been posted before (maybe by me!), but I searched for it and didn't find anything.

p.s. Tissue alert! This had me in tears.



Being a Mom


We are sitting at lunch one day when my daughter casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of "starting a family."

"We're taking a survey," she says half-joking. "Do you think I should have a baby?"

"It will change your life," I say, carefully keeping my tone neutral.

"I know," she says, "no more sleeping in on weekends, no more spontaneous vacations."

But that is not what I meant at all. I look at my daughter, trying to decide what to tell her. I want her to know what she will never learn in childbirth classes. I want to tell her that the physical wounds of child bearing will heal, but becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will forever be vulnerable.

I consider warning her that she will never again read a newspaper without asking, "What if that had been MY child?" That every plane crash, every house fire will haunt her. That when she sees pictures of starving children, she will wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die.

I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the primitive level of a bear protecting her cub. That an urgent call of "Mom!" will cause her to drop a soufflé or her best crystal without a moments hesitation.

I feel that I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood. She might arrange for childcare, but one day she will be going into an important business meeting and she will think of her baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure her baby is all right.

I want my daughter to know that every day decisions will no longer be routine. That a five year old boy's desire to go to the men's room rather than the women's at McDonald's will become a major dilemma. That right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in that restroom.

However decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother. Looking at my attractive daughter, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about herself. That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a child. That she would give herself up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years, not to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish theirs.

I want her to know that a Cesarean scar or shiny stretch marks will become badges of honor. My daughter's relationship with her husband will change, but not in the way she thinks. I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who is careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play with his child. I think she should know that she will fall in love with him again for reasons she would now find very unromantic.

I wish my daughter could sense the bond she will feel with women throughout history who have tried to stop war, prejudice and drunk driving.

I want to describe to my daughter the exhilaration of seeing your child learn to ride a bike. I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog or cat for the first time. I want her to taste the joy that is so real it actually hurts. My daughter's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes.

"You'll never regret it," I finally say. Then I reached across the table, squeezed my daughter's hand and offered a silent prayer for her, and for me, and for all the mere mortal women who stumble their way into this most wonderful of callings.

 

[divergrrl]

Tacori: I am so glad to read your story! Honey you are such a trooper & I cannot wait to see your pics. Your post brought tears to my eyes, I''m glad to read about dh....pregnancy is hard for them, its not "real" till they meet their little ones. Of course he''s in love! I''m glad you had a vag. delivery, I''m sorry it was so painful, but you sound like you did awesome.

PICS PICS PICS!!

On spitup: I had the same issues with Delaney spitting up so much more than Jake did & I was worried about reflux. The nurse said they have a lot of mucous in their tummies etc. and the first week or so they spit up a lot. It was so bad I was crying over it.

Then I read in one of my baby magazines (on a first 2 weeks section) that its common! I''d never heard that before the nurse told me. It does pass. Just try to help it by burping her a lot, and keeping her kind of upright after a feeding. But her tummy is adjusting to eating so it will get better. But I was so scared because I thought D was projectile spitting up (it went down my shirt, down my back, soaked her clothing). My ped assured me it was a laundry problem, not a health problem. Sure, she might have reflux, but try not to go worst case scenario just yet.

On her fussing: is your milk in yet? Jake fussed/screamed/cried all day & night hte day before my milk came in. Once it came in he was fine. If your milk is in (or if it isn''t) what you eat can cause her to fuss. Acidic foods are horrors...orange juice, chocolate, and garlic upset Jake''s tummy when I ate those (he was breastfed). I would have one glass of OJ or one chocolate chip cookie & he would be in so much pain after the following feeding.

Hang in there, it gets easier if you get some sleep. Take all the help you can get, and seriously, sleep when the baby sleeps. Dishes, laundry, chores can wait. You will have energy in a while...for now...SLEEP!

Ella: Crazy belly shot! I read your post on the babies, I think of you a lot and keep my fingers crossed they stay in there a nice long time. Sorry you are so uncomfortable, my heart goes out to you. ((hugs))


Jas: Hey there...I forget, when are you due? I have to say, love your avatar.

TGAL: how''s the minibar? Enjoying your $12 cookies? LOL

Mrs. S: Cute pics!!! Your belly is so tiny & you are only belly! Not bad for #3!!!

Ok...I am so sleep deprived...D is still getting up middle of the night. I guess I should not be surprised, but her much much skinnier brother slept through the night at 8 weeks when he was only 9lbs. 8 hours straight. She sleeps from 11 to 3:30 and then again until 8am...so close....but I''m so tired, I feel drunk by evening even if all I''ve had is water or nonfat milk. Last night making dinner, I sliced my thumb instead of the red bell pepper. As I''m bleeding all over the kitchen, my stepmom is looking at me like I''m a sad creature. LOL. I woke up feeling hung over even though I hadn''t had any wine at dinner. Oy....please baby...SLEEP! I guess 7 weeks is too soon, but I got spoiled with Jake. Oh well....comeuppance, dues, whatever you want to call it....

Ok...cable guy coming soon...must change out of jammies....lol

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I *should* be napping right now but oh well

BF: SOOOOOO hard. There is some damage done and hopefully it will heal soon. I am going to the lactation lady tomorrow. I have to use nipple shields too which are super annoying. She is getting her weight check/1st doc''s appointment. I was really upset about the whole spitting issue (felt like she was starving) but then realized she still has dirty diapers so there must be SOMETHING in her belly. I think I am latching her wrong. The strange thing is now that my milk has come in (it came in on tuesday) she doesn''t hurt me WHILE nursing it is afterwards that is rough. Also she is nursing for shorter periods of time. She removes herself so I am guessing she is full. Then again she wants more feedings (since they are short). She did sleep 4 hours this morning. I know I was suppose to wake her but I was so tired and she looked so content. I really wanted to quite the first few days (I am sure I will feel that way again. Haha) but right now I do enjoy our special time together. I like watching her make faces and go cross eyed when she tries to focus on my face.

MrsS, I was having a little heartburn but NOTHING like before. She does have a full head of hair if you believe that old wive''s tale. You look awesome. Don''t go down that dark road (not that you are even close to the size I was....with my FIRST!) Even now I still look bigger than you and I am no longer preggo. I know it has been only 5 days and I am not expecting mircles but I hope my belly (and butt, thighs, etc...) go down soon! I have nothing to wear now that it is cold out.

Ella, I don''t know if I would choose a c-sec over VB. I''ll tell you this, I don''t think I could have delivered a bigger baby

My infection could have happened with a c-sec as well. Maybe it was cath related and I would NEVER do it without an epi. In fact I will have DH REMIND me next time to push the button. I asked all the docs and nurses if this was something that was going to happen everytime I have a child. They all said no. Otherwise Tessa would be an only child. Seriously, it was rough. Tessa used to stick her butt out like that too. It is funny. Actually the nurse could tell that I carried her more on one side just by feeling my (unpreggo) belly. I thought that was interesting. We decided on Tessa while at the hospital (the night before).

Lorelei, the cats are SOOO freaked out. They smell her stuff and kind of run away. Grayson was getting close to her last night (she was in her bouncy chair) and she made a noise and he ran away.

Crono, her''s is more of a dribble but we are going through LOTS of burp/spit clothes. Thanks for the diet info. I love dairy so hopefully it won''t come down to that.

Tgal, everyone''s labor is different. Are you still thinking about going drug free? I will say my contractions were the worst pain I have EVER, EVER felt. I would have died of exhaustion if I had went drug free. But then again I progressed at record speed. If I had not had problems pushing my labor would have been SOOO short. All my dreams she was a girl so you never know...I really think she is a mix of us (well maybe more me) It is hard to tell since she is so young. She has DH''s mouth and eyelashes for sure. I hope its not reflux either!

I have heard how terrible it is. I think I got my linea negra at around 20 weeks. Then it just got darker. It is crooked too which is kind of funny

my belly button never popped though. It was flush.

Snlee, good luck!

Diver, I just kept my eye on the prize

It was hard though.

 

[mrssalvo]

Tacori, I''m glad you''re meeting with a lactation lady. I never did, just suffered and cried a lot those first few weeks until the damage finally healed. the gal will be able to make sure Tessa is latching correctly and that really will make all the difference in the world.

i hope you are feeling better though and things are getting back to normal for you physically. make sure to keep eating lots of fiber too and keep those stool softeners handy

 

[ellaila]

Interesting article: the phrase "big baby boobs" made me laugh out loud!

 

[gailrmv]

Tacori, I am so very happy for you and your DH and Tessa. Your delivery sounds very difficult and thanks for sharing all the details. I''m not pg but thinking about it and it''s helpful to know what you might really be in for. Enjoy this special time w/ your little one...

Ella, I''m so excited to hear that you may have your delivery date... very exciting.

OK I''m back to lurking!

 

[tdiddy]

Tacori: I normally lurk here at the PG thread since lord knows I am nowhere close to even thinking about babies. But I wanted to drop you a line to tell you that I am so happy to hear that everything worked out well for you (Minus the infection. Yikes!) and that Tessa is finally here! I love her name and can''t wait to see pics.

Congrats!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Tacori....

I had problems nursing my first baby and unfortunately we had just moved to VA about a month before that, so I did not have a good support system. I ended up quitting because I was in major pain and he was starving! But when I had my second one, they gave me these great nipple cup things that prevented my nipple area from getting too full, and it also made that area stay dryer. So I never had a moment of trouble with the second one and nursed her until she was 10 months old and starting to drink from a cup. (The third one was adopted at age 5 1/2 months, so I escaped the sleepless nights, labor, etc. and highly recommend that idea, too!) I hope this person can help you get past the hard part, because it is so good if you can make it. It''s just hard to deal with when you are first home, terribly tired, and trying to recover from the delivery.

And I am 100% with you on the epidural! I think it is the most wonderful medical development ever invented! I would honestly think it is better for the baby to have a more peaceful delivery than the kind I would have had with no pain relief!

I hope you''ll feel like posting some pictures of baby Tessa soon!

 

[Lorelei]

Tacori, don''t worry about the kits, I bet they will soon get used to Tessa!

 

[lovelylulu]

Just wanted to pop in and say congratulations Tacori

Tessa is a beautiful name and I cannot wait to see pictures of her! I''m sorry about the specifics of labor (you seriously impressed me), but I was so touched reading about how attentive and loving and amazing your husband acted!!! I''m thrilled that you two are in a great place starting out as parents.

It has to be such a surreal experience. Having a baby. So much anticipation and expectation and then they finally arrive. incredible.

I remember when I was so recently married and still adjusting to the idea of calling my husband, my husband. i kept getting stuck on the idea that we are a family. that the two of us had created this little family together. I simply cannot imagine how it feels to add a child. must be sublime.

ellaila - your belly is fantastic! too cute! i''m thinking only good thoughts for you and your babies!!

mrs. s. you and your sister are genetically gifted! ha! such great looking pregnant ladies.

good luck all mom''s and mom''s-to-be...

 

[ellaila]

Thanks everyone! It is exciting having a countdown, even though there''s obviously no guarantee that that will be the day! But still it''s kinda cool to have an end in sight

Tacori, good luck with the lactation consultant today! I''m sure that will make a huge difference! B/c you were sick while in the hospital after birth, did you not get to see a lactation person in the hospital? They say the first six weeks are the hardest, so just stay strong if you can! After 41 weeks of pregnancy and then a pretty intense labor, I know you''re one tough cookie!

Diver, I think it must be worlds harder to have a newborn baby and a toddler than to have twins, so kudos to you! I''m impressed you were making dinner -- I plan on milking the "I just gave you babies! I don''t have time to cook dinner" excuse for years

But actually I guess life does have to go back to normal at some point once you''re home, huh? When does that usually happen? I feel like our lives are going to be in turmoil for months (or maybe I feel that way because everyone and their uncle tells me that)!

 

[Jas12]

Didn''t get any belly pics up--company last night, so i''ll try again this weekend possibly. Going to meet some girlfriends out of town for lunch and shopping this weekend so i am looking forward to that.
Had a rough night last night--my skin flared up again (no idea why) and I was bleeding and in a lot of pain--so awful. I didn''t sleep well at all. I am lucky that so far this eczema isn''t making me look like a lepper. My hands look dry and not pretty, but not yet hideous.

Diver--I am due around March 26th

Tacori--let us know how the lactation consultation goes--i hope she provides some good tips for you!

Ella--isn''t it insane how much you hear the "well, enjoy your freedom now, cuz you won''t have a life once the baby comes along" comment, or the "things will never be the same" comment--I am sure it is way worse when you have twins on the way. Sometimes I like to answer jokingly "what?!!! things won''t be the same?!?" with a tone of utter disbelief, or "I have no life now, so baby will fit into that perfectly"
On the topic of constant advice.....
I was chatting with an old acquaintance a couple of weeks ago (at a bar of all places--ha) and she is 8 months pregnant. She is the type who is 24/7 sarcastic, pessimistic and blunt. I realize this is just her personality and she is actually happy and really funny. Anyway, she had me in tears laughing recalling all the comments ppl have made to her while pregnant and her responses to them. Since she is not a warm and fuzzy person by any stretch she admitted she was soooo excited about having a child but HATED being pregnant--the attention, advice and sappiness that comes along with it. A total stranger at her doc''s office patted her belly in the waiting room (a big no-no for her) and asked her how she was feeling. So she patted the woman back and then said she went on to explicitly describe her constipation and hemorrhoids problem in a humorous fashion --followed by a cheerful "thank you so much for asking, I have been dying to get that off my chest"

I would never be so gutsy b/c I really just think ppl are being nice by asking, but man when Iam in a crusty mood sometimes I wish I was as funny as she is.

 

[chrono]

Breastfeeding is very hard in the beginning, especially so for the first baby. I struggled with a nipple shield as well for the 1st baby, suffered bleeding nips, bad latch, the whole 9 yards (even with the assistance of 3 board certified LCs). With my 2nd, it was easier but still a struggle for about 4 weeks. I experienced a lot of soreness but at least there was no bleeding, no nipple sheild and all that. The first 6 weeks seemed like I spent my entire days and nights feeding. I was feeding every hour in the beginning, then it stretched out to 2 hours or so at 6 weeks, and it slowly stretched out to 3 hours at about 3 months.

The newborn also gets worn out feeding, all that jaw movement and tongue coordination takes a lot out of the baby. Over the course of next several weeks, the facial muscles of the baby gets stronger and he/she will be able to nurse much better/more efficiently. Not to forget the growth spurts at 1 week, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, etc where the baby will need extra milk.

 

[Jas12]

Chrono--those are good things to keep in mind ( I have BF on the brain and I don''t even have the baby yet for goodness sake)
I know that some women have instant success and not a single issue or struggle with BF, but it seems like that is not the norm--i think it is important for women to know that they are not wrong or bad moms if they have trouble. I think we often feel that we should just know how to do these things--but obviously there is a heck of a lot to it!!!

Does anyone have a good BF book/video or website to recommend? I kinda feel like it''s one of those things that i could read about but really just have to experience and work through--but if there is a good resource to keep handy I am certainly going to try it.