Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[neatfreak]

Date: 9/23/2009 10:11:52 PM
Author: steph72276
NF, thank you so much for the info! They don''t have an earlier measurement to go by b/c they just discovered it at my 20 week ultrasound. That is good to know about going to l/d. I didn''t know there was a way to stop the preterm labor. The cramps I was having kind of subsided at bit today, so I hope they don''t start up again tonight. And they were kind of like mild period cramps, so nothing too bad...but if they do get worse, I will go in. Thanks again, I might have more questions for you later

Glad to hear they stopped Steph! And it''s great if they have the measurement at 20 weeks. Now they can watch it closely to determine if it''s shortening or just short (some people have naturally short cervixes). Do you by chance know how short it is?

 

[sunkist]

Is anyone else totally overwhelmed by the baby registry??? I put some stuff on there, but I feel like it looks so pathetic, haha! Well I hope I''m prepared

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 9/23/2009 10:54:08 PM
Author: sunkist
Is anyone else totally overwhelmed by the baby registry??? I put some stuff on there, but I feel like it looks so pathetic, haha! Well I hope I''m prepared

I''ve done a little bit of digging around, but haven''t even considered a registry yet but at 15.5 weeks it feels like I have quite a bit of time. It''s not something I''m looking forward to doing; my goal is to take a minimalist approach w/ baby gear, we''ll see how that works out.

 

[Mara]

sunkist...I did mine a few weeks ago just to have it done and out of my hair, people were asking. I put what seemed like basics on there and then had 3 mom friends take a look at it and tell me what their additional must-haves were. If it sounded reasonable (aka boob cream etc...yes makes sense!) then I added it.

I felt like I have a ton of stuff on there, but people still tell me that it seems sparse?!?! haha. I am trying minimalist as well so we''re going this route and we''ll see. Whatever we NEED later we can always buy ourselves but I think we covered our ''basics''.

 

[natalina]

Re: baby registry- it was my mission to go minimalist too! Somehow though, that stuff piles up so quick. People are very generous, and before you know it it''s a bit out of control. I think we have managed to keep the "gear" minimal, but man we have a lot of clothes and stuff. Baby wash cloths for example- I registered for 1 pack because I wasn''t really even sure that we needed any, and all of a sudden I seriously think we have received about 20 of them. And blankets, bibs, woooweee- it is nuts!

Anchor- congrats on 3rd tri!!!

Has DrK posted lately? I''m worried about her.

Steph- you lay low and keep that baby baking, girl!

Pheonix- scary stuff about the swine flu at your school. One of my managers has what I hope is just a cold, so I am constantly using Clorox wipes on everything and washing my hands like crazy.

Swimmer- YAY and welcome!!!!!

Well, ladies, as of midnight I guess I am officially 38 weeks. And with it has come what I guess is heartburn that is making it impossible to sleep tonight. I''ve never had heartburn, but this is a burning sensation in my throat that feels like the acid in my stomach is creeping up my esophogas. Is that heartburn or something like acid reflux? Tums doesn''t seem to touch it. So instead of sleeping, I''m on pricescope and the alarm is going to go off in 5 hours- boo! Wonder how much longer I have to go...

 

[steph72276]

Good morning ladies. Had a great night's sleep with no cramps, so I'm feeling good today! Hope everyone is having a great Thursday!

Sunkist, congrats on the house!

Viz, yea for the great showers! Glad you got lots of stuff off the registry!

Burk, glad to hear your cramping stopped after drinking lots of water....I am drinking water constantly all day now!

Congrats Sparkly!

Mandi, totally love your binder idea! You are so organized!

Mara, yea for feeling the baby kick! Evan is down at my bladder too!

Amber, sorry you are uncomfortable at night....I'm starting to feel the same way too. I can't seem to find a good position to sleep in now that my belly is getting bigger.

Phoenix, I really hope the swine flu hasn't been in your classroom....be careful!

Tao, you're getting really close...exciting!

Kimberly, yea for your new car!

GingerB, sorry you didn't have much luck in finding maternity clothes. It is very frustrating...I really need to go shopping again for some bigger stuff, but I'm trying to just hold out as long as I can b/c it is not much fun to me!

Anchor, yea for the 3rd trimester!

Monkey, I agree....you will feel lots better after you get some maternity pants. I only lasted until 7 weeks until I couldn't stand having a zipper and button....that elastic band was like heaven!

Swimmer, congrats!!

Natalina, yea for 38 weeks....any day now, exciting!!

NF, He didn't give me a measurement, but I will ask next time I go in and also see how they are going to monitor it. Was yours just short to begin with or shortening as the pregnancy went along? It is scary stuff....I know you had twins, but did you deliver earlier than you were supposed to or when they scheduled you? Thanks again for the advice!

 

[vizsla]

hello ladies - haven''t posted much this week... super busy at work

- which makes the days go by fast, but that also means that EDD is creeping, creeping, creeping up. i can''t believe i''m 3rd on the list! wozah!

went to a concert last night.... which was fine and dandy. i agreed to go way back in june - i hate to go back on promises - so i went. i guess i also wanted to prove to myself that this baby isn''t going to change me completely (i''m running with the philosophy - as of 9.24.09 - that i''m still going to be the same ''ol viz, just with a baby

) mind you, this wasn''t kenny g or yani... this was a bigger, what i guess you would consider, rock concert (i''m trying to be all stealth). so cute, before i head out, DH hands me some earplugs and tells me to stay away from the general admission floor so i wouldn''t get pushed around. all and all i''m glad i went, but standing for even 2 hours, surrounded by people who gave no thought to ''lighting up'' around a PG lady, the fact that i missed my 10:00 bedtime, and the fear that i was blowing out baby''s eardrums made me a little sad that i couldn''t hang like old days. but i digress.

i also did my first official ''new mom'' stalk

. way back in the day when DH and i went to our baby care class we were one of the last people to arrive, so i quickly scanned the room for the open seats next to the couple that looked most like ''us''. anyhoo, long story short - we ended up talking to a couple, and it turns out she works for the same company as i do, her husband is a carpenter just like mine, and she is due 2 weeks after i am. so we''ve been emailing at work (i never realized how hard it is to make ''new friends at 33/34... it''s not like college) and we''re going out to brunch on sunday. i think DH is more apprehensive about the ''change of friends'' than i am. i think he feels like his friends won''t ask him to do anything etc. after baby and he will have to make all new friends. i know this happens to some degree, but it''s interesting the different types of fears men have vs. women.

hmmmm i think that''s all the blabbing i have for this morning. still having a complex that my belly is too small to have a 5.5lb baby in there, but m/w assures me at each apt. that i''m measuring perfectly, so i guess i shouldn''t worry that much.

sleep has been a good night followed by bad night etc. i guess if i get tired enough, i don''t care that i''m not comfortable

- although when the ceiling fan started to make weird noises the other night and we had to turn it off i thought i was going to lose it. how does a PG person sleep without some type of air movement... i''m so flippin'' hot these days!

mara - i gave up on trying to reason why my a** had to grow in proportion to my belly many moons ago.. i don''t get it either. my saving grace has been leggins and (don''t laugh) jeggins. they are leggins that look like jeans - you can find them at urban outfitters. heaven!

swimmer- welcome!!!!

mandy - sorry about the itchy skin... however, you have an end date!!!! so crazy!! did you change it or is it still the 22nd??? OMG less than a month!! you are going to beat me to L&D

steph - i''m sorry to hear about the modified rest - keep us updated! have they scheduled you for a follow up apt to check your cervix length? or are they just going to check at your next apt?

drk? meresal? - how you ladies doing??

hey QT! it took me awhile, but i forgot to comment on your MC DJ names... HI-larious!!

sorry if i missed anyone else.....

registry - yeah, bleh.... i found that asking ONE trusted friend w/ children is the way to go. any more than that and it just gets confusing. we didn''t register for any baby ''products'' or bibs or wash cloths etc. we ended up getting some, but those things are cheap and DH will need a good reason to run out of the house while i''m feeding anyway. we tried to stick to bigger, functional, baby gear type things. highchair, pack and play, stroller, car seat, exersaucer etc. i don''t really want someone buying me $3 lanolin or breast pads anyway ... i guess i''d just rather run out and buy those little things in one swoop - plus they aren''t $$. we did a pretty minimalist registry - which i can post if anyone is interested. i did a TON TON TON of researching and had a trusted mom friend help me.

otay - best start my day.

 

[MonkeyPie]

steph, yay! I''m so glad the cramps have subsided. Stay away, cramps, stay away!

 

[MonkeyPie]

Has anybody else had horrendous mood swings? I never feel too bad, but today I woke up and I have just been wanting to cry. I am so depressed and I just want to park myself in bed with a box of tissues and an electric blanket.

 

[steph72276]

Date: 9/24/2009 9:21:53 AM
Author: MonkeyPie
Has anybody else had horrendous mood swings? I never feel too bad, but today I woke up and I have just been wanting to cry. I am so depressed and I just want to park myself in bed with a box of tissues and an electric blanket.

MP, don''t worry, you are totally normal having mood swings....blame it on the hormones! I have that feeling every once in a while. DH will look at me and say "what''s wrong" and I will say "I don''t know, I just feel like crying for no reason!!!"

 

[meresal]

Hi everyone! I caught up on the last 4 pages... yeesh...
Peony- Congratulations! I read this week that boys lungs develope slower than girls lungs, is that right? I hope they keep getting better! They are absolutely precious!

Steph- I''m glad to hear that your camps are finally going away!

Ok... preggo brain kicking in, I think I just forgot everything I read, Crap! I know someone got the house they wanted! Super exciting!

I''m sorry to hear about wht you are going thru drk. Has the bleeding stopped?

Ok, I''m sorry. I can''t remember the rest. Too many pages at once.

______________

We have our 2nd appt on Tuesday, and we''re having our NT scan. I have been feeling so much better about the pregnancy and much more confident in everything. My small cramping came back, and for some reason that is very reassuring to me. My tummy has grown a little bit, so that''s nice. DH commented this morning that I need to make my stomach bigger.

It''s funny, but I figure that since I''m the first one in our "group" to be preggo, everyone wants my stomach to get bigger so they can "see" me!

Not much else has been going on, other than the fact that we signed the contract on our house. They will break ground in the next 4 weeks and we are so excited! Right now we are just going over all of the financing. What a beating.

For those of you that work in an office. Did you notice that your suit pants and skirts stopped fitting MUCH sooner than your casual wear (jeans, shorts, etc.)? My dress pants still fit, but since they are higher up, it is getting alot tighter around my tummy and I''m not sure they will fit after another month. Can you recommend good places for business maternity clothing?

 

[gingerB]

MP - oof...i''ve been having one of THOSE weeks for the past 3 weeks -- and this weeks my lone pair of slacks that still buttoned -- is no more

. That''s why I''ve been on this frantic shopping frenzy trying to find clothes before I end up bottomless! I''ve been doing the rubber band and hubby''s belt thing -- so sick of that. this morning i was soooo tempted to raid hubby''s side of the closet and try to wear one of his slacks! i might still try to do that tomorrow.

anchor - i''m sorry to hear aout your aunt. but i''m glad you''re feeling good in your pregnancy!

swimmer - welcome!

steph - glad the cramping has stopped! we have a pretty high rate of pregnant residents/fellows put on bedrest/modified bedrest around here -- doesn''t sound like much fun.

mara - yeah, i think ordering the XS would have been better. getting dressed in the morning is just not as fun anymore -- more stressful trying to work a handful of your clothes and not have people notice that you keep wearing the same stuff over and over again.

mandy - boooo for the eczema...it''s just insult to injury to add another level of discomfort. hope it clears up soon!

tao - 50 days...woohoo!

viz - i am so VERY VERY interested in a minimalist registry. please please pretty please post?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

so i know i seem obsessive about the clothing issue, but i am just so not comfortable these days in my work clothes! some good news, i did find a pair of jeans that fit not too horribly and were semi-cute!

unfort i can''t wear jeans to work, but i usually live in jeans so it''s nice to know i have some mat jeans ready. they''re slim cut dark wash jeans that i plan to wear with sweaters and flat boots over all winter. not bad for sale at JC Penney for $25 if anyone else is interested. i bought my regular street size and theyre a tiny bit loose but still barely skimming through the leg, and lot bit more loose at the waist, so it will give me room to expand throught the winter

so now i plan to raid the nearest JCPenney on my next free moment, and i got a tip to go try digging through the maternity section of Ross, Marshall''s TJMaxx etc... My mom cracked up at my flat a$$ dilemma (i''ve been teased about this by my dear family my whole life) but is offering to do alterations as needed so I see a glimmer of hope in the horizon! I don''t know of any boutiques -- just the chains. Will keep my eye out for all the above mentioned stores. Thanks ladies!

 

[vizsla]

the rubberband/hair-tie + bella band worked WONDERS for me for the first 5/6 months w/out the need to buy new pants. when my butt/thighs got too big, i moved into my ''fat pants'' and can still wear them (at 9 months) with the rubberband + bella band - so i''ve only needed to buy maybe 4 pairs of maternity pants/jeans to supplement. i work for an apparel company so i totally understand how frustrating it can be to get dressed AND look cute. i would say the longer you can stay in your current clothes the better - maternity clothes are totally

IMHO.

i''ll compile my registry and post it in this thread (or in the baby stuff thread) shortly.

 

[Mara]

for those gals who are trying to find clothes, i feel your pain. it took me a good month or so to work up a decent 'wardrobe'. i ordered a bunch of stuff, went into some stores. it bugs me that old navy and i think ann taylor have mat clothes but online only. who does that? it's like torture for a newly preggo to try to GUESS what size they are. really not very nice of you guys. so that is why boutiques have been the best for me, they don't carry cookie cutter stuff and it seems more personal. and i was really jazzed with gap mat actually. i loved the secret support cami, i am getting 2 more online. and i bought their leggings which are also really comfy, i am getting 2 more pairs. my big problem is bottoms... i have a fair amt of tops and sweaters that will do me just fine.

ginger you hit the nail on the head re: getting ready not being fun anymore. i loved getting ready in the morning, i loved picking my outfit, doing my hair, whatever. now its not so much. i am lucky in that our office i can kind of wear whatever (well not PJs but more casual), so lately sundresses with small sweaters and flip flops are my staple. i feel like a hippy but everyone says i look so cute. blah. i love how our own perceptions of ourselves are just soooo not the same as what people see. every time someone says what a cute preggo i am, i want to be like LIAR! i just smile instead.

viz pls post the minimalist registry. you are kind of right about the nipple pads and lanolin but i figured if it was on there then i couldn't pull a preggo brain and forget it later when i had to buy it myself.

plus then it's 10% off. hahaha.

re registry also, people have always told me not to put hardly any clothes on there because people will give you a crapload anyway. i did put some but again for a reminder to myself mostly. and our 'big' items are not that many on there. the registry recommends like 15 over $50 items and i think i only have 10. whatever people won't get me that i need (aka breast pump) i will just buy myself.

got my diaper bag worked out, YAY. i am super excited about that. and slowly narrowing it in on the stroller. maybe. other than that, yesterday my belly felt huge but it subsided when i got home, i swear the cube life just is not kind to you once you hit the belly stage. i think i need to walk around more. for you gals in office life nearing third tri, do you get up and take frequent walks or what?

steph hope those cramps stay away.
meresal, glad to see you... i bet what you are feeling in the lower area might be the muscle stretching, i was not sure if they wre cramps for the longest time but it's prob ligament pains. i learned to welcome them because it means your uterus is growing!
natalina, you are right around the corner, how exciting!!

for those gals who hit 37 weeks recently, is it mentally fun or kind of freaky to think that you are full term and it could happen anytime? my coworker in england just had her baby 4 weeks early and he was almost 7 lbs. they say at 40 weeks he would have been TEN. wow. and she is tiny.

 

[AmberWaves]

Morning all, just checking in.

Steph: Glad to hear you're not cramping anymore!

MP: re: mood swings... oh man. I hated EVERYONE in first tri. Seriously, I had no tolerance for ANYONE.

Viz: I hear you on the concert. I forget that I can't do the normal stuff now! Every night I lay there and go, "Why CAN'T I just get out of bed easily? It's all in my head!" Then I weeble and wobble but can't get up. So yeah.

Sunkist: I absolutely HATED registry shopping. I did it online after taking a quick trip to BRU to get a literal feel for things. Now I have to maintain it because crap keeps getting out of stock and it's nearly impossible to keep up with it. Have I mentioned how much I hate it?

Meresal: good luck at your NT!

Ginger: Can't remember if I welcomed you or not, if so- WELCOME anyway! I went to Motherhood and was just overwhelmed by everything. I'd much rather cram myself into comfortable clothes like leggings and yoga pants than try to find something professional, but then again, I could wear sweats to work if I owned any. GOOD LUCK!

Madarine: Congrats on 34 weeks!!!

Sorry if I forget anyone, it's been the crappiest of crappy mornings. I woke up late, was unable to make a lunch, and as we were running out of the house I notice we have ants in our sink. So I spray some raid on a paper towel, and wipe down everything I can in that short time, then I notice more ants on our backsplash. THEN notice ants trailing into the pantry (sparse trail, not a thick long line of ants). Since Woofie's "room" is the kitchen- right next to the pantry is his nest of blankets, I couldn't completely enfog the area in Raid. Now I'm all paranoid they're going to hurt him. No, I am not rational.

Yesterday a guy asked me if there was one or two babies in here. I said one, and he said, "At least it'll be healthy."

HOW THE HELL IS THAT AT ALL KIND?? So frustrating. On a happier note, a mom with a new baby heard the exchange and tried to make me feel better. She delivered at our hospital and said it was FABULOUS. So we're all pre-registered at the hospital AND we have a meeting with a pediatrician next Thursday, right before our 32 week ultrasound. Piper's crib may not be set up and her dresser might still be waiting to be built, but she WILL have a pediatrician! I'm actually a little stressed about the room. We have so much to do!

Re: Maternity clothes. I finally broke down and went to Motherhood to try on jeans. I'm five feet tall and jeans never fit. I tried on the bootcut secret belly fit jeans and they are great! Of course, I was the biggest person in the store- my belly was huge compared to some people. It's crazy because I'm PREGNANT. I know I have been for 31 weeks now, but yeah. It's crazy.

I'm stressing out this morning. The ants, being late, getting crap done at work... I have a decaf pumpkin spice latte and it's making me feel a bit better.

Oh, and my feet are swollen. I HAVE CHUBBY TOES!!!!!!

Sorry it's so Amber-Centric.

ETA: Mara, we were also told no clothes because a lot of the places will phase out the seasonal clothes, but I think they mean the cute dresses/overalls/tops things that people will buy you anyway (seriously, who could avoid buying a cute shirt with a hedgehog on it??). We have a ton of long sleeved/short sleeved plain white T-s/onesies and various other white things that come in packs of three or whatever on our registry. My husband said it's basically like registering for their underwear since we can use them under anything. All we have for Piper are the cute pink things (and things with owls on them) with designs and little outfits from family who won't see us until after she's born. So if I want her to just lounge around in a pair of pants and a white onesie, we're out of luck unless we get some at our shower!

ETA2: What are everyone's thoughts on Coming Home Outfits?

 

[MonkeyPie]

Date: 9/24/2009 9:37:38 AM
Author: steph72276

Date: 9/24/2009 9:21:53 AM

Author: MonkeyPie

Has anybody else had horrendous mood swings? I never feel too bad, but today I woke up and I have just been wanting to cry. I am so depressed and I just want to park myself in bed with a box of tissues and an electric blanket.

MP, don''t worry, you are totally normal having mood swings....blame it on the hormones! I have that feeling every once in a while. DH will look at me and say ''what''s wrong'' and I will say ''I don''t know, I just feel like crying for no reason!!!''

Oh, good. I''m so glad it isn''t just me, as awful as it is! I have been pretty happy all along, but today I was crying in the car on the way to work this morning. For no reason! And I just feel exhausted despite sleeping really well last night.

Here is the worst part - my husband has been working overnights at a new job, and I am CONVINCED he is doing stuff during the night that I would not approve of. It''s ridiculous and I am fully aware of it, and can''t seem to do anything about it. Ugh.

Meresal, good to see you

My work pants actually came AFTER my jeans, because they were so much more fitted I guess. But now my work pants are almost impossible to wear. I may get a Belly Band and try it, but just the thought of leaving my pants unbuttoned is uncomfortable!

gingerB, I actually would wear my husbands pants, but he mostly wears cargo-style ones. Even though my office is relaxed, I would be pretty casual. Darn him for not dressing up more, lol! If you can wear them, I would try it. It certainly couldn''t hurt!

 

[Mara]

omg Amber some people are just evil. i just love all the comments people feel they have to make to pregnant women. re: basic baby clothes if anyone is worried about supplementing what they get, your local Marshalls or Ross or discount store is great for that. i admit to going a little wacko on that stuff whenever i go in there, they have things like 5 pack of carters onesies for $6.99 etc. so in case you need to get some additional basics that you don''t get at your showers, visit one of those. i refuse to pay $20 for a pack of onesies. i come home with sleep sacks etc... i mean honestly some of this stuff is too cute to pass up. a bib with Snugglesaurus on it? YES!

and MP yes i am pretty hormonal from time to time. and it''s not rational. some days i am SO easily irritated with people, i just hide in my cube so that i don''t explode at anyone until it passes. hahah. the other day i was experiencing crazy road rage and i am never like that. but it could have been that my pants felt like they were splitting me in half right at my uterus and i was dying to get home and release the belly.

 

[vizsla]

OK - here is my registry.
please don't make too much fun of me we tried really *really* hard to keep it neat and tidy and ended up getting everything on the list - plus a few extras like hooded towels, washcloths, receiving blankets etc. we also got a few gender neutral outfits, but nothing crazy. and secretly i've been LOVING buying clothes myself - i'm super picky. thank heavens for american apparel baby!

BIG GEAR:
-Baby Trend Playard
-Maxi Cosi Micro Infant Car Seat – we actually ended up buying this ourselves b/c it was on super sale at albee baby.
-Maxi Cosi Miro Extra Base
-Phil & Teds Sport Buggy – again, we bought this ourselves on mega sale at albee baby
-Maclaren Volo Stroller - Carbon
-Phil and Ted's MeToo Chair – IMHO this is the BEST thing we’ve rec’d. it folds flat as a pancake, fits on our dining room table as well as our kitchen counter, is super portable (for trips) AND eliminates the need for a stand alone highchair.
-Safety 1st High Definition Digital Monitor – no video monitor for us.
-Kidco Peapod Travel Bed – not necessary, but we do lots of traveling and do not want to take the pack and play.
-Fisher-Price Soothe n' Play Bouncer

FEEDING:
-Dr. Brown's Natural Flow Bottle Brush
-The First Years Spin and Store Drying Rack
-Dr. Browns BPA Free Deluxe Gift Set - we are not opening this, as baby may hate dr. brown's bottles - we bought one bottle to test out on baby before we open.
-BornFree Microwave Sterilizer – you can get the dishwasher basket and eliminate the need for a microwave sterilizer, but we don’t run the dishwasher that often, and wouldn’t run it just to sterilize some bottles, but again, not a total necessity on this one.
-Boppy Bare Naked Pillow/cover
- I also have decided to rent a breast pump from the hospital before investing in an expensive one, I want to see how feeding/pumping goes before we spend $200+ on a pump.

HEALTH:
-The First Years American Red Cross BPA Free Deluxe Healthcare Kit
-Especially for Baby Under the Sea Turtle Sponge – we decided against getting an infant tub because: #1 they are HUGE #2 we have a large sink so opted just for the sponge insert so the baby doesn’t slip and slide.
-Frog Cool Mist Humidifier- my sister fought me on this one, I liked the frog – she said the cool mist humidifiers need a lot more cleaning than the warm mist ones – this will be a live and learn item. I just thought the froggy was too cute to pass up
- we supplemented in this category with organic baby wash, lotion, little tummies, lanolin, breast pads, children’s motrin, children’s Tylenol, gripe water and other ‘first aid’ things that we purchased ourselves.

MISC:
-Carter's Keep Me Dry 2 Pack Quilted Multi-Use Pads – apparently these are good for breastfeeding, keeping your bed clean, and a hundred other things– a good waterproof mattress (for your bed) is essential too.
-JJ Cole Original Bundle Me – for taking baby out in the cold in the carrier or stroller, this eliminates the need to totally bundle them up.
-JJ Cole Essentials Diapers & Wipes Pod – I loathe diaper bags, so I got a pod that fits into any bag I choose.
-Gerber 6-Pack Premium 6-Ply Cloth Diaper – I’ve heard from many moms’ that cloth diapers make the best burp cloths, (although not the cutest) and you should get the thickest ones around.
-Two Stage Car Seat Protection – not necessary, but I’m anal about my car
-Summer Infant Organic Cotton Changing Table Pad Cover
-Organic Cotton Crib and Toddler Bed Mattress Pad
-Serta Organic Contour Pad
-Ultimate Crib Sheet – love this already!

-Halo Fleece SleepSack & Swaddle Blanket – recommended by the AAP – and the only swaddle system recommended by AAP – in fact, they do NOT recommend swaddling baby before you put them down to sleep, unless in this HALO sleep sack/swaddle blanket.
-Halo Small Plush Dot SleepSack
-The Original Slumber Bear with Silkie
-Skip Hop Funky Farmyard Activity Play Mat
-Evenflo ExerSaucer Mega

AAP also says NO bumpers of any kind, not even the breathable bumpers and NO sleep positioner.

oh, let the firing squad begin

ETA: that we also purchased a kelty baby carrier on mega sale thru REI and my sister got me a peanut fleece sling from walmart for like $20 - i haven't opened the sling yet JIC.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 9/24/2009 7:58:01 AM
Author: steph72276

NF, He didn't give me a measurement, but I will ask next time I go in and also see how they are going to monitor it. Was yours just short to begin with or shortening as the pregnancy went along? It is scary stuff....I know you had twins, but did you deliver earlier than you were supposed to or when they scheduled you? Thanks again for the advice!

We don't know for sure with mine because no one ever took an earlier measurement (so it's great that yours did!). But it was not shortening once we continued to monitor it. It was the same from week 28 to 38 when I delivered.

It's important to note that a short cervix with twin moms is not nearly as predictive of PTL as it is with singleton moms. If your cervix is actively shortening/or super short as a singleton mom it is very predictive of PTL-which is why I am advising you so strongly to continue to be monitored closely.

After 24 weeks they should also start giving you the fetal fibronectin swab (here is more info: http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1149.asp)

Basically a negative result on this test means you have a fewer than 5% chance of delivering in the next two weeks. A positive result does not mean that you WILL deliver but it is a sign that they really need to monitor you very closely to make sure you don't. If you get a negative it can really give you some peace of mind-at least it did for me!

Unfortunately a very short cervix (which is why I asked how short yours is-some doctors freak out even if it's a little short-but usually that is nothing to worry about) can be a very strong predictor of PTL/early delivery for singleton moms. So I don't want to freak you out but simply make sure you advocate for yourself with your doctor if it's necessary.

It's nice to know that most women who have symptoms of PTL won't actually deliver early-but it's better to be prepared if you can just in case.

 

[vizsla]

i had to post the metoo chair b/c i love it ever so much... here it is in our kitchen. perfect height for our pooch to slip under baby's feet and eat up all of his crumbs

also, this chair does have straps that go over baby's shoulders (a 5 point harness) and a crotch restraint.

 

[steph72276]

NF, thanks for the additional info. That is interesting that the short cervix affects singleton mothers more. I would have thought the opposite since more babies = more pressure on the cervix. I will def. keep a watch on any symptoms I get and just try to rest up as much as possible. Glad everything went well with your little ones

 

[snlee]

steph, sorry to hear about you being on modified bedrest. Just want to ditto what NF said. She gave you some very good info. With my son, I went on bedrest at 28 weeks because of PTL. I felt some period like cramps and didn't really think anything of it. Then I had some spotting so I went into the hospital to make sure everything was okay. Turns out I was having contractions that were shortening my cervix. At one point I had contractions every 3 minutes that I hardly felt. They gave me a shot of Terbutaline to try and stop the contractions. I also got some steroid shots to mature baby's lungs in case he was born early. I was on bedrest and Nifedipine. My son was born 3.5 weeks early. It's very good they got a measurement of your cervix at 20 weeks so they can determine if it's shortening. How many weeks are you now? Were you on modified bedrest with Andrew because of a short cervix? Was he born full term? Did your doctors monitor you more closely this time around? Are you having any contractions? Take good care of yourself. If you feel like anything is off, go to your doctor to have it checked out! If you have any questions, I'm here for you.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 9/24/2009 1:27:29 PM
Author: steph72276
NF, thanks for the additional info. That is interesting that the short cervix affects singleton mothers more. I would have thought the opposite since more babies = more pressure on the cervix. I will def. keep a watch on any symptoms I get and just try to rest up as much as possible. Glad everything went well with your little ones

Maybe I didn''t explain right. It doesn''t affect singleton mothers more but it''s more of a predictor of PTL for single moms. With twin moms just as you said sometimes the pressure just simply makes the cervix flatten a bit-but it isn''t REALLY shortening. So they see a "short" cervix-but really it means nothing because it''s not the body preparing for labor.

With a singleton pregnancy it is more likely that this shortening is really active shortening-the same kind your body goes through right before labor begins. So that is why it is much more worrying.

They''ve done a lot of scientific studies where they follow women who are diagnosed with short cervixes early on and see who is more likely to deliver early. They''ve found that for twin moms it isn''t very predictive-that means that it often doesn''t mean much for a twin mom. But for singleton moms those who were diagnosed with short cervixes early on were MUCH more likely to deliver early. Which is why it''s crucial to have close monitoring to make sure your baby stays baking.

Remember though it''s just a risk factor-it doesn''t mean it will happen-so I hope I am not scaring you!

Also like I said some doctors freak people out and tell them their cervix is ''short'' when it really isn''t that short. If you were only put on modified bedrest so far it likely falls into the "short but not crazy short" category if I had to guess.

 

[drk]

Steph - So sorry to hear you''re having issues too, though it is nice to have someone just a little ahead of me (17 weeks tomorrow!) to commiserate with. I''m also interested to hear what your cervix measured on your scan that got them concerned. They just said no lifting, no sex, nothing too strenuous? That''s what I''ve been told so far for the tightenings.

I haven''t had any more bleeding since Sat night, but have continued to have tightenings. I''m getting another scan tomorrow to see if they''re changing my cervix, or if I''m just being paranoid. I''ve scanned myself at work daily this week, and things are still looking longish and closed, though I''m not confident of my measurements with the portable scanner. My regular OB (who doesn''t deliver any more) is heading out of town tomorrow morning, so I had a brief chat with my favourite OB at the hospital I work at (who still does all his own deliveries) about what has been going on. He told me the same stuff she had - take it easy, quit worrying about it (yeah right!), no more night call, and added don''t palpate your belly to the list. If I wasn''t constantly checking to see if things were firm or not, I might not be so freaked. Two days ago the baby had it''s butt on my cervix, but it flipped to head down and was all stretched out yesterday. Today it was hanging out a little higher up in the uterus (thankfully). I also have a little left-sided low back pain the last day or so, but I think it''s likely from lying funny or lying on my side at night. And I think I may finally be getting a little round ligament pain too. I''m now not doing any more call, and am able to take Mon-Wed off next week to chill out and hope things settle down. I may also be able to cut down to 3 day weeks from Oct if I still want to. Yay. I''ll do anything to get this baby to 32 weeks.

NF - I''m not aware of any interventions that have been proven to prevent preterm labour/shortening of the cervix. I''d love to hear more words of wisdom from you about what to watch for, and what they can do. I may be a doctor, but don''t have too much experience with this!

Oh yeah - we bought the 4000 sq ft house on Tues night after meeting with the current owner again. Close date is Jan 15th, which is fine by me. By then I''d be 33-34 weeks pg, and won''t be so concerned if the excitement puts me into preterm labour. But with the stress of the house purchase (we paid full asking, being certain that the owner wouldn''t drop the price, and because it wasn''t worth $5000 to us to worry that we might lose the house) and the stress of the tightenings, I''ve had horrible sleeps the last few nights. I felt like absolute crud at work yesterday - weak, dizzy. Spent the evening lying on my side on the couch at home eating, and then couldn''t fall asleep last night either. So I started to panic that I was getting into a downwards spiral: poor sleep, more contractions, more worry, worse sleep. And after researching on the motherisk website, decided that I''d take one of my sleeping pills left over from my exams in April and May. What a relief - I slept for 6 hours straight, and felt so much better today than I did yesterday. My OB is renewing my prescription in case I have any other emergency nights like last night.

I think that''s all the news. I''ve been too tired/busy the last couple nights. Hopefully I''ll catch up more on the weekend!
Kate

 

[NovemberBride]

Peony, congrats on the birth of your twins. The boys look great and I hope they keep growing stronger every day.

I am 32 weeks today and begining to feel really uncomfortable, especially at night. It takes forever to get to sleep and then I wake up several times a night. No matter what I try to sleep on my side, I always wake up on my back and I feel like a turtle stuck on its shell trying to turn over.

But other than that, things are going well. We had a 32 week ultrasound and Olivia is right on track, she''s at the 50% mark for height and weight. My baby showers are this weekend and next, and I am super excited. I admit to being a registry stalker and I cannot believe how generous people are. We had what I thought was a good amount of items on the registries, but I have had to add additional things twice since there was nothing left. I am pretty sure that a lot of it has been bought by my mom and MIL (seriously, who else would buy a $350 breast pump?). For those of you stuck on what to register for, many of my friend swore by the book Baby Bargains. It gives great reviews of the major categories of items and then recommends the best items in each price point. I basically sued that as my registry guide

We are mostly finished with Olivia''s nursery, I am going to attach a pic. I just need to get curtains and hang the art. I am so pleased with how it turned out. DH did a great job, he painted and hung the chandelier and the chair rail. He is pretty proud of himself and I am too.

Re: maternity clothes, I totally agree that getting dressed is much less fun than before. I ended up mostly with work clothes and going out clothes from Motherhood and casual clothes from Old Navy. Old Navy''s lounging clothes and t-shirts are the comfiest. For those of you just moving into maternity clothes, I would think about getting sizes that are a little big unless you want to be buying more clothes as the pregnancy progresses. I made the mistake of buying my pre-pregnancy size (S) when I was shopping between 15-20 weeks. Well, now that I am at 32 weeks with a huge belly, those clothes (especially the pants) are way too tight and uncomfortable. What fits you well at 20 weeks will not fit at all at 30 if you are anything like me. I wish I had just dealt with wearing clothes a little baggy back then instead of being forced to buy more clothes with only 8 weeks to go so that I don''t have to go to work bottomless.

 

[NovemberBride]

Here''s one more of the nursery:

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 9/24/2009 2:12:47 PM
Author: drk


NF - I'm not aware of any interventions that have been proven to prevent preterm labour/shortening of the cervix. I'd love to hear more words of wisdom from you about what to watch for, and what they can do. I may be a doctor, but don't have too much experience with this!
Kate

You're right that there isn't anything to prevent pre-term labor but they CAN stop it if caught early enough by using meds (like Snlee had).

I don't know if I have any more words of wisdom other than what I have read in the medical journals and elsewhere which is basically drink a TON of water, don't stress yourself out (stress is a predictor), don't mess with anything down there, and if you feel cramping, any general sign of labor, or even if you just don't feel like things are "right" to head to l/d right away. They do say that women's intuition is often right on target-so if you really have that feeling that something is off you should head to l/d right away.

ETA: One more thing. There is some evidence that progesterone can help prevent PTL for certain women. I read a lot of the medical journals and it looks promising and doesn't really have side effects. So my doc and I decided to do it and I did make it to 38 weeks with a ridiculously short cervix. Who knows if it did anything-can't say for sure-but it didn't hurt! We did suppositories but there is some evidence for shots too. If you have access to the literature there is a bunch there.

Also it's important to monitor because if they think you are at risk they can give you steroid shots to help the baby's lungs mature which can help them greatly in case they are delivered early.

 

[snlee]

drk, sorry to hear about your spotting and contractions. I missed your earlier post so I just went back to read it.

I went on bedrest at 28 weeks because of PTL with my son. I felt some period like cramps and didn't really think anything of it. Then I had some spotting so I went into the hospital to make sure everything was okay. Turns out I was having contractions that were shortening my cervix. At one point I had contractions every 3 minutes that I hardly felt. They gave me a shot of Terbutaline to try and stop the contractions. I also got some steroid shots to mature baby's lungs in case he was born early. I was on bedrest and Nifedipine. My son was born 3.5 weeks early but very healthy.

A cervix measurement of 4.2cm is very good and I'm sure your doctor will continue to monitor it to make sure your contractions aren't doing anything. My cervix was at 4cm at 20 weeks then down to 2cm at 28 weeks.

Take an easy, drink lots of water, and keep your bladder empty. A full bladder can cause contractions. An infection can cause contractions too so it's good you are taking some antibiotics. Some women just have BH contractions through their pregnancy. Just make sure the contractions are not shortening your cervix and if you feel like anything is off, go to your doctor to have it checked out! Can you feel the contractions? When I was having contractions, I couldn't always feel them. I had to lay down and put my fingertip on my uterus to feel the tightening. If you feel the tightening often, start to monitor them and keep a log. It's helpful for your dr to know that info. If you have any questions, I'm here for you.

 

[sunkist]

Viz, thanks for sharing what''s on your registry. I was thinking maybe I could also just stalk other people''s registries on BRU

But it helps to see what other people register for. Thanks!

 

[steph72276]

Snlee, thanks for the info and for telling me your story. It is good to know that your baby was born only 3.5 weeks early. I am 21 1/2 weeks right now. He was originally due on Feb. 2nd but because of prior complications during my last c-section, the doc didn''t want me to go into labor, so he had planned to take him at 38 weeks anyway. I was on bedrest with Andrew from 28 weeks on due to him dropping down and major swelling I was having, but I never heard the term cervix shortening with him. But I suppose it could very well be related. He was actually born right on his due date after I had to be induced, so he wasn''t early after all. I''m not sure if what I was having was contractions, but on several different nights, I have had period like cramping, but nothing too painful. I went to the doc last week to have it checked out and I was still fully closed so that is a good thing. Thanks again for sharing your story!

NF, ahh I understand more now about the differences between multiples/singleton moms with cervix shortening. No, you are not scaring me at all...the more info, the better!

Drk, yep they just said try not to do anything that might bring on preterm labor. Glad your bleeding has stopped. Yea for your new house!

Nov, that is the most gorgeous girl''s nursery I have seen in a while! I love all the furniture and the paintings, great job!