Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[amc80]

Trekkie- Six months, how awesome! Maternity leave here is non-existent on a mandated level. Basically, your job is protected for 12 weeks, but it's unpaid leave. Certain states offer disability programs that give you anywhere between 6-12 weeks at a reduced pay rate (50-66% if your normal pay). Some states, like mine, have no state disability, so it's luck of the draw as to whether the company you work for offers it. Mine does, and it pays for 6 or 8 weeks depending on delivery type, at 66% pay. It is tax free income so it's almost as much as a normal pay check. Some companies have awesome maternity policies (Google comes to mind) where I believe their employees get 12 weeks at full pay.

 

[Trekkie]

Trekkie- Six months, how awesome! Maternity leave here is non-existent on a mandated level. Basically, your job is protected for 12 weeks, but it's unpaid leave. Certain states offer disability programs that give you anywhere between 6-12 weeks at a reduced pay rate (50-66% if your normal pay). Some states, like mine, have no state disability, so it's luck of the draw as to whether the company you work for offers it. Mine does, and it pays for 6 or 8 weeks depending on delivery type, at 66% pay. It is tax free income so it's almost as much as a normal pay check. Some companies have awesome maternity policies (Google comes to mind) where I believe their employees get 12 weeks at full pay.

That sucks. I can't believe 12 weeks at full pay is considered awesome. Out here 12 weeks at (I think) 50-70% pay is standard, but most companies offer more than that, with bigger companies giving one year at full pay. It seems crazy to me that the US doesn't have better maternity policies, but at least there are other benefits in place for those who need them.

 

[MuffDog]

Hi girls. I hope everyone is doing well and trucking along.

Had my anatomy scan yesterday...well half of it anyway. Baby girl was in a bad position for 50% of the pics so I'm going back tomorrow to (hopefully) finish it up. They offered to let me keep walking around and trying again but I've been SO sick that I knew I just needed to go home. Hopefully the baby is more cooperative on Thursday!!

So...tell me...what's new with you guys? Any shopping completed? Nurseries? Ultrasound pics? Gender announcements?

 

[Trekkie]

Hi girls. I hope everyone is doing well and trucking along.

Had my anatomy scan yesterday...well half of it anyway. Baby girl was in a bad position for 50% of the pics so I'm going back tomorrow to (hopefully) finish it up. They offered to let me keep walking around and trying again but I've been SO sick that I knew I just needed to go home. Hopefully the baby is more cooperative on Thursday!!

So...tell me...what's new with you guys? Any shopping completed? Nurseries? Ultrasound pics? Gender announcements?

Ha! That's cute she was being difficult. Maybe tomorrow you'll see more? I have mine on Monday! I hope everything is done in one day because otherwise we'd need to take another day's leave to go back to the city.

I still need to make a plan to get a contractor out to start on our nursery. Need them to bash down a door, brick up another door and install a window. I'm just soooo lazy! Must. Make. The. Call. Tomorrow!

Do you have nursery pics to share? Would love to see them!

Oh, and amc80, I asked around and standard maternity leave here in SA is a minimum of 16 weeks.

Oh, oh, oh! I do have news, but not sure how appropriate it is to share... I started leaking colostrum today. Had to go home at lunch time to change my shirt.

 

[SMC]

I live in WA state. My company gives us 8 weeks maternity leave (short-term disability) at full pay, and then I get 12 additional weeks of unpaid leave to "baby-bond" (state law). I'm taking 18-20 weeks off but I'm working until my due date as well. I sit in front of a computer all day, so it's not really strenuous, but it does take time away from actually preparing stuff for the baby. Oh well.

I haven't really gone into nesting mode, but my husband has. He put together all the baby furniture this past weekend and has been harping about getting new "baby-friendly" rugs (I guess our current Ikea scraps aren't good enough).

Here's our crib and changing table. Furniture will need to be rearranged in the room once we have things sorted out and packed away.


The crib and changing table are Babyletto, ordered from Overstock. We bought an organic Naturepedic crib mattress too. I don't necessarily subscribe to the mindset that everything needs to be organic, but since the baby is going to spend so much time in the crib, I figured it wouldn't hurt.

My husband also assembled a co-sleeper that goes next to the bed. We'll be putting the baby in there for at least the first couple of months since the master bedroom is 2 floors above the baby's bedroom (our home layout is definitely designed for families with no or older children).


We bought an motorized Dutailier glider this past weekend. It's leather (our dog hair would ruin any fabric furniture), has a footrest, and reclines completely (just have to push some buttons!). It was not cheap, but we plan to put it in our living room and I wanted it to not look out of place. The regular gliders with all the sliding wood pieces on the bottom scare me a little because I always imagine little fingers getting crushed. I told DH that it could be considered my push present. The bad news is that it takes 12-14 weeks to be delivered since they make them to order, but the store that we got it from has a loaner program so I get a crappy glider to use in the meantime.

Had another routine doctor visit on Monday and everything is as it should be - measuring 32 at 32 weeks. Baby has flipped and is head-down (yay!) so I can try for the vaginal birth I want. She's been very active lately, and I constantly feel her jabbing me with her limbs. I can feel her feet sticking out from my belly sometimes. Less than 8 weeks to go!

 

[amc80]

Wow, nice progress SMC!

Trekkie- I don't think there's such a thing as TMI on these boards

Muffdog- Oh, that sucks! But at least it means you get to see baby again, right?

Not much going on here. I really need to start prepping for baby. We have everything we need, but most of it is in storage...so I need to go there and get everything out and wash it. We bought all gender neutral stuff the first time (even though we knew he was a boy) so that is making things easy. But everything needs to be cleaned. There are also tubs of clothes I need to go through, but I'm waiting until after our growth scan to do that. If he truly is measuring 4 weeks ahead at this point (as opposed to me just having extra fluid) then I won't even bother with most of the newborn stuff.

My skin is really starting to hurt. It just feels like it's ripping all the time. It woke me up from my sleep last night! I'm looking for ideas- so far I've read that coconut oil and vitamin E might help. I'm beyond trying to avoid stretch marks, by entire belly is covered at this point. You'd think the first pregnancy would have caused them more than the second...

 

[amc80]

Oh, and here is my 31 week pic. I am bigger than I was at 39 weeks with B.

 

[ForteKitty]

Hi Everyone! I haven't been posting much but I'm almost there! 34.5 weeks today, measuring at 37.5+, yet I've only gained about 17-18lbs. He is diagonal with his butt/legs in my right ribs, and head towards my left hip. Getting a scan on the 19th to see if I'll need a csection. My husband and his siblings all ran huge (close to 10lbs, mom didn't have GD) and my ob agreed that a csection might be the best option seeing how I'm running out of space already and it doesn't look like my pelvis can accommodate a large baby. I'm short and small framed so my belly looks massive. This picture was taken towards the end of 33 weeks, but I have gotten quite a bit bigger in the past week. The stretch marks have come in with a vengeance on the bottom... I hope they don't spread to the sides/top!

 

[amc80]

Hi Everyone! I haven't been posting much but I'm almost there! 34.5 weeks today, measuring at 37.5+, yet I've only gained about 17-18lbs. He is diagonal with his butt/legs in my right ribs, and head towards my left hip. Getting a scan on the 19th to see if I'll need a csection. My husband and his siblings all ran huge (close to 10lbs, mom didn't have GD) and my ob agreed that a csection might be the best option seeing how I'm running out of space already and it doesn't look like my pelvis can accommodate a large baby. I'm short and small framed so my belly looks massive. This picture was taken towards the end of 33 weeks, but I have gotten quite a bit bigger in the past week. The stretch marks have come in with a vengeance on the bottom... I hope they don't spread to the sides/top!

What a pretty belly! Mine is a mess with stretch marks- hopefully you can escape them! It's funny, my doctor told me at my last appointment that she's glad I'm getting a c-section. I think I'd be getting one regardless, the way this kid is growing. How tall are you? Your belly definitely looks huge!

 

[ForteKitty]

Oh the stretchmarks are starting to look BAD on the bottom. Like the L.A. traffic report during rush hour on a rainy day... red and black all over, and they are painful. Hopefully it stays there, but considering they popped up pretty much overnight, I expect them to get a lot worse in the next month.

I'm only 5'1, so there's not a whole lot of room for him to grow even though my torso is long. He is occupying all the space between my boobs and crotch!

 

[amc80]

Oh the stretchmarks are starting to look BAD on the bottom. Like the L.A. traffic report during rush hour on a rainy day... red and black all over, and they are painful. Hopefully it stays there, but considering they popped up pretty much overnight, I expect them to get a lot worse in the next month.

I'm only 5'1, so there's not a whole lot of room for him to grow even though my torso is long. He is occupying all the space between my boobs and crotch!

Ugh, I know the feeling. With B I didn't get any until 36ish weeks, and BAM, there they were.

Oh wow, not a lot of room. It's funny, last time people kept telling me how I hadn't dropped. What you couldn't tell was that I had dropped, it's just he was so darn long that his butt was still pretty high up. I was just looking at pics and I can see that I dropped between 37 and 38 weeks. I'm guessing you'll have the same issue where baby will drop but you won't really be able to tell. I'm 5'7" so I have a little more room...

 

[SMC]

Oh the stretchmarks are starting to look BAD on the bottom. Like the L.A. traffic report during rush hour on a rainy day... red and black all over, and they are painful. Hopefully it stays there, but considering they popped up pretty much overnight, I expect them to get a lot worse in the next month.

I'm only 5'1, so there's not a whole lot of room for him to grow even though my torso is long. He is occupying all the space between my boobs and crotch!

FK, I concur with amc, you look great!

 

[ladypirate]

Hi ladies! Things have been busy with my new(ish) job and prepping for the baby so I've been lurking more than posting. Whoops!

I'll be 32 weeks on Sunday, which seems crazy. I've been measuring 2 weeks behind but midwife isn't concerned since it's been consistent. She was a little concerned about me but gaining enough, but I'm at 18 lbs or so, which seems reasonable to me based on the guidelines.

Can't remember if I posted about my GD test--super negative. Our midwife practice does the 2 hour fasting test for everyone and my levels we're almost back to fasting at the 2 hour mark. I almost passed out before I finally got to eat something. Ugh.

My mom is throwing us a shower on the 22nd when we're visiting them for Christmas and my sisters are throwing one here in January. Hopefully the baby stays put so I can make it to both! We need to start putting the nursery together as well. We've done a lot of projects around the house, but haven't really touched that room yet.

I hope everyone is feeling good! I'll try to catch up better when I'm on a real computer.

 

[ladypirate]

Just looked at pictures--SMC, the nursery looks awesome! AMC & FK, awesome bellies! You guys look fabulous!

 

[MuffDog]

SMC - I love the crib and change table you chose!! Great choices. I hear ya on the organic mattress - I'm not huge with that stuff either but I think it makes sense with the mattress.

AMC - I can't imagine what that feels like with your skin!! Poor thing. I hope that one of those options gives some relief!! Your belly sure does look good though. Great shape

ForteKitty - you also have a great shaped belly! Hopefully he turns soon for ya - not just for the delivery aspect but I imagine it would be more comfortable than the position he is in now! Have you picked a name?

Ladypirate - That is awesome about the GD test - not the almost fainting part but the passing! I do think the two hour fast is cruel for us preggos though - we need to eat! The showers sound like fun!

AFM - we aren't doing another nursery. We were lucky to have a designer do our son's nursery for a tv show, so there is no way I'm reinventing that wheel!! I have to re-do my dressing room (third bedroom that we turned into a walk in closet) and that will be my son's room. Hopefully he is cool with the move. Which he won't be. He isn't very easy going generally. Ah well...he'll almost be 3 by then so maybe with age comes...flexibility? Here's hoping!!

 

[Trekkie]

SMC - I love your nursery furniture! I love that your husband has started nesting. My DH and I are exhausted by this time of year! His last day of work before his annual leave starts is 24 December and mine is this Wednesday. Can't wait!

amc80 and ForteKitty, you have such beautiful bumps!

MuffDog, how was part two of your scan?

We're 20 weeks today - had another scan and baby is growing on track! I am still below my pre-pregnancy weight, but my doctor says baby is growing so he's not worried at all. Also, it would appear that what little arse I have is shrinking, which would explain why my bump is growing despite any weight gain!

How is everyone else doing?

 

[Niel]

So we are still down to two names.

I know my husband prefers Walter

I know I prefer Marshall.

I don't know as both of them are really close in both our minds, just swapped.



Uuhgghhssvdsjkud.....

 

[SMC]

I'm doing fine except for the back pain, heartburn, and needing to pee (more so when I'm awake than when I'm sleeping). None of it is too bad though, and I'm prepared for things to get a lot worse in the last month.

We spent a lot of time cleaning the house this weekend and will need to do more this coming weekend. My husband is really cracking the whip, which is strange, because I'm normally the one that does that. He just wants things ready and organized. We have a ton of tiny baby bottles that are hand-me-downs from my two SILs, so I'm planning to get those cleaned and sanitized in the next week or so.

Does anyone have recs on where to buy nursing tops? 7 more weeks to go!

 

[ForteKitty]

Wow, you guys are on top of things! We have tons of bins with hand me downs, but haven't gone through any of it yet. The crib is still on the floor in pieces, we just picked up the mattress last weekend, and I don't have anything washed. We haven't even gotten a stroller yet. 4.5 weeks left!

My friend told me to get the V neck nursing bras because I can just whip it out and tuck it away w/o messing with a clasp. She also recommended the old navy ribbed maternity tanks (which I've been wearing since second tri) because "leakage will happen, and those tanks are cheap and easy to replace because boob milk probably won't wash out. Just pull your boob out over it and tuck it away after you're done. Easy peasy." I've tried it and it seems to work, so I'll try it out.

 

[amc80]

I had my growth scan today! Baby is big and I have some extra fluid. No wonder I'm giant! His head is measuring 37 weeks (I'm 32) so I'm pretty happy about my c-section decision. I go back in 4 weeks for another scan. Thanks to the extra fluid we got some great pics!

 

[Trekkie]

Niel, I can see why you're conflicted - they're both awesome names!

SMC, I can just imagine how uncomfortable you are! I'm not looking forward to those final weeks! Just as well we get a baby at the end of this, or else no one would do it!

ForteKitty, you're almost there! What stroller are you thinking of getting?

amc80, look at that little face! Adorable! 37 weeks?! At 32?! That is going to be a huge baby! Definitely c-section!

 

[SMC]

FK, thanks for the rec. I have some Old Navy maternity tanks already so I can try that. I also ordered one of these Undercover Mama tanks that one of my friends recommended: http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B003IYYEBQ/ref=br_it_dp_o_nS_ttl?ie=UTF8&colid=1TCZF61VCNR6A&coliid=IHTPS0OM8SCM3&vs=1

AMC, your baby looks really cute! He definitely looks like a chubby full-term baby (and not 32 weeks). Mine still looked like an alien at 28 weeks. Just curious - what reason did you doctor give insurance to allow you to have a c-section? My insurance (like most insurance plans) doesn't cover elective cesareans so you must have a valid medical reason for being able to schedule one.

Trekkie, I'm not super uncomfortable yet, but I can see how the last month is going to be a PITA. Just taking it one day at a time!

 

[ForteKitty]

Trekkie, we're looking at a jogger stroller, but will not be getting it until a few months after the baby is born. We don't want to waste the money until things settle down and we get into a routine. He'll spend most of his time in the infant car seat the first few months, or we'll just carry/wear him. Since it'll be cold in Jan-Feb, plus he won't have most of his vaccinations, we don't anticipate taking him out anyway. If I need to walk around I'll walk around my yard.

 

[MuffDog]

AMC80 - those cheeks!!!! AHHH so cute!!

SMC - I never bought any 'nursing' tops. I just doubled up - work a tank top and a looser t on top. That way I could just reach under the t, pull down the tank top under my boob, and then lift up the shirt to put the baby on. Leaves very little skin visible (if any) and it meant I could just buy stuff anywhere.

AFM - part two of the AS was completed last week and my midwife said everything is good. She is going to call with more details but I'm relieved that overall everything is fine. I did catch a look at the partial report from day 1 that shows the femurs are 6 days behind in growth and that teh baby's head is on the high end of normal for roundness, but I guess that overall it is fine if the midwife said "all good" right?

Anyway - starting to think about getting clothes etc ready. We have most of the 'stuff' we need from DS, with the exception of a few things that we borrowed from friends that we can't get again. God I wish I'd been more organized when storing stuff DS grew out of. The thought of tearing the house apart for everything is daunting.

 

[SMC]

AMC80 - those cheeks!!!! AHHH so cute!!

SMC - I never bought any 'nursing' tops. I just doubled up - work a tank top and a looser t on top. That way I could just reach under the t, pull down the tank top under my boob, and then lift up the shirt to put the baby on. Leaves very little skin visible (if any) and it meant I could just buy stuff anywhere.

AFM - part two of the AS was completed last week and my midwife said everything is good. She is going to call with more details but I'm relieved that overall everything is fine. I did catch a look at the partial report from day 1 that shows the femurs are 6 days behind in growth and that teh baby's head is on the high end of normal for roundness, but I guess that overall it is fine if the midwife said "all good" right?

Anyway - starting to think about getting clothes etc ready. We have most of the 'stuff' we need from DS, with the exception of a few things that we borrowed from friends that we can't get again. God I wish I'd been more organized when storing stuff DS grew out of. The thought of tearing the house apart for everything is daunting.

I wouldn't worry too much about those measurements. A few mm makes a big difference in terms of where your baby falls on the growth chart when you're not very pregnant and measuring techniques vary among ultrasound techs. When I did my 20w u/s, my baby's arms were said to be measuring about 5 days behind the rest of her, and when I expressed my concern, the u/s dr looked at me and was like "Baby is fine. It's genetic." (I'm 5'3, husband is 5'9 so baby is destined to be small.)

 

[amc80]

SMC- I'm not sure. I'm guessing It and to do with complications during B's birth and how big he was. And I'm guessing that this time, having the baby measure so far ahead is a good enough reason as well.

I just had my 32 week appt. I'm measuring 37 weeks, which means I'm getting bigger at an increasing rate. My AFI (amniotic fluid index) was 28 and average is 14, so I basically have twice the normal amount. With that comes a big increase in the chances of preterm labor. As a result, my OB said I need to cancel our Disneyland trip we were planning for next week. I'm pretty bummed but happy that B is young enough to not be looking forward to it. Apparently I have to keep walking to a minimum and drink tons of water from here on out. I'm so jealous of those lucky gals who have easy, uncomplicated pregnancies!

 

[Trekkie]

SMC, I always find it so interesting to hear how different things are here vs in the US. All I had to do was fell my doctor I wanted a CS. Then again, I'm not quite 5' tall and wear a UK size 3 shoes (I'm partly of Bushman descent) and DH is a big Afrikaner of French, Dutch and German descent, so we could easily request one based solely on my size.

ForteKitty, a jogging stroller sounds awesome! We're also due in winter but our winters are quite warm, and I'll be on maternity leave for six months, so am weighing up pros and cons of strollers. Was thinking if a travel system, but then I saw how cool the Quinnys are and now I want one!

Muffdog, I'm glad your scan went well! I'm sure those numbers are fine, especially if you haven't heard otherwise from your midwife. We started buying clothes at 12 weeks. Every time we go into the city we buy a few more! Aaaaand Naartjie is having a sale, so I might have gone a bit nuts earlier today. Oops.

Have you all had your baby showers yet? If so, how did that go?

 

[SMC]

SMC- I'm not sure. I'm guessing It and to do with complications during B's birth and how big he was. And I'm guessing that this time, having the baby measure so far ahead is a good enough reason as well.

I just had my 32 week appt. I'm measuring 37 weeks, which means I'm getting bigger at an increasing rate. My AFI (amniotic fluid index) was 28 and average is 14, so I basically have twice the normal amount. With that comes a big increase in the chances of preterm labor. As a result, my OB said I need to cancel our Disneyland trip we were planning for next week. I'm pretty bummed but happy that B is young enough to not be looking forward to it. Apparently I have to keep walking to a minimum and drink tons of water from here on out. I'm so jealous of those lucky gals who have easy, uncomplicated pregnancies!

Interesting treatment, drinking extra water seems counter intuitive to me but I guess putting more water in your body causes it to retain less? My friend had low amniotic fluid and she was prescribed the same exact treatment as you.

Trekkie, I had my shower at 28 weeks (so a little over a month ago). It was great! I had my shower in a different city than where I live because most of my friends are in a different city, so it was a lot of fun to catch up with people I hadn't seen in awhile. My mom's friend is a caterer and she made a lot (too much) food. My bschool roommate is a baker, so she did all the cupcakes. I got a ton of gifts.

FK, our friend got us the Uppababy Cruz which we'll use most of the time as it's light and easy to maneuver (getting the car seat snap-in addition). I'm planning on getting a jogging stroller at some point too, but am in no rush since baby can't go jogging until her neck is sturdier (6 mos).

 

[amc80]

Interesting treatment, drinking extra water seems counter intuitive to me but I guess putting more water in your body causes it to retain less? My friend had low amniotic fluid and she was prescribed the same exact treatment as you.

My guess is that dehydration can cause contractions, and since I'm already at a higher risk for early contractions she wants to avoid it as much as possible? Dr. Google tells me there's nothing I can do about the fluid, so I'm guessing that's it. Unlike when there's not enough fluid and drinking tons of water will help.

Geez, I guess I really need to start doing some prep for this baby. I have no clothes washed, the car seat (and everything else) is in storage, bottles are *somewhere*, etc.

Oh, she did tell me that I can use benedryl cream or hydrocortizone on my stomach to help with the itchiness, so that's a win.

 

[SMC]

Interesting treatment, drinking extra water seems counter intuitive to me but I guess putting more water in your body causes it to retain less? My friend had low amniotic fluid and she was prescribed the same exact treatment as you.

My guess is that dehydration can cause contractions, and since I'm already at a higher risk for early contractions she wants to avoid it as much as possible? Dr. Google tells me there's nothing I can do about the fluid, so I'm guessing that's it. Unlike when there's not enough fluid and drinking tons of water will help.

Geez, I guess I really need to start doing some prep for this baby. I have no clothes washed, the car seat (and everything else) is in storage, bottles are *somewhere*, etc.

Oh, she did tell me that I can use benedryl cream or hydrocortizone on my stomach to help with the itchiness, so that's a win.

Don't worry about the preparation. My friend is due with her second a few weeks before me and she's in the exact same boat as you. It's hard when you're working FT and have a toddler to keep up with! I'd get the car seat out (so you can take the baby home), and stock up on some diapers, and that's probably good enough if you're going to be BF'ing.

Hope everything goes well and your baby stays in there!