Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[Jas12]

steph--here's hoping it's mostly just bloat. I am still in my old clothing, but just barely. My thighs already feel thicker so i know iam putting on a bit of 'padding' hopefully not much. But one thing i do know, i won't look like you miss teeny at 30 weeks!

Blen and Rockpaperscissors--i am planning a home birth assuming i stay normal risk the rest of the way through! i am very excited about it. Any tips? Around here our middies come with all the gear they need, so aside from getting a few things ready that i will personally want/need, i don't think there is much prep on my part.
RPS, you are right, it's not a popular choice. I think b/c my sister and i were both born at home i've been raised with the idea that a HB is something normal and comfortable.

Burk--i think you look smaller this time around too, and if you've gained less weight that must just mean that you haven't put on any 'extras'! That's nice eh?!

 

[jcrow]

remember that glider i was on the fence about? well they dropped the price so we just got it. $149 for glider + ottoman, when everything else we''d seen is $400+, well i thought it as a good deal. it doesn''t have padded arms and it''s not as comfy as some of the others we looked at, but i know i won''t be keeping it long. and who knows if i''ll even use it! so, anywho, that''s my exciting pregnancy news of the day! oh, and my cousin is gifting it to us. i''m quite excited

 

[Mara]

Oh I was going to tell you ladies... for pants.

My coworker wore the cutest pants for a lot of her pregnancy so I asked her what they were. Granted she weighs like a buck o'five and was tiny all thru...but she got the Splendid soft cotton jersey pants and I bought some at week 10 of my pregnancy.

I got a size larger than I would typically be non preggo, they are NOT maternity pants, but they are SO amazingly soft. Then, I cut the elastic in the band (hidden) as I just got larger. They are fold over yoga pant kind of style but wide leg so I wear them to work on Fridays with a longer fitted sweater. They aren't as fitted as the image below if you just get a bigger size, they are more like wide leg jersey pants then.

So for anyone looking for some comfy yet still stylish pants... I will be able to wear them after pregnancy because of the fold over waistband but they sit UNDER belly so are super comfy for me even now. Highly recommended.

Non Mat Pants:
http://www.splendid.com/Jersey_Foldover_Wide_Leg_Pant/pd/c/105/np/105/p/1167.html

Looks like Pea in the Pod also has a jersey fold over pant Maternity by Splendid, now I am tempted to get those too. But on the other hand I can't wear those as long afterwards and I prefer under belly. But for anyone interested or earlier in their pregnancy to get more wear out of them.

http://www.apeainthepod.com/Product.asp?Product_Id=293900105&MasterCategory_Id=MC11&Media=FroogleDataFeed_09_2005

 

[meresal]

Date: 11/20/2009 1:44:40 PM
Author: jcrow
remember that glider i was on the fence about? well they dropped the price so we just got it. $149 for glider + ottoman, when everything else we''d seen is $400+, well i thought it as a good deal. it doesn''t have padded arms and it''s not as comfy as some of the others we looked at, but i know i won''t be keeping it long. and who knows if i''ll even use it! so, anywho, that''s my exciting pregnancy news of the day! oh, and my cousin is gifting it to us. i''m quite excited

Congratulations! But, that''s really ALL you have to share of BPF??

Amber, you look great! I can''t believe she is almost here!

Drk, Lookin'' Good!!

Burk, your boy is definitely carrying lower! You look so cute!

Here I am at 17w2d:
I don''t think that I have grown any. I just returned from our office holiday lunch at Birraporetti''s. House salad, Chicken Fettuchini Alfredo, and cheesecake.

I am about to burst though... so full.

 

[meresal]

oops, pictures usually help with the visual

 

[Mara]

OMG Mere that is what you look like when you are SO FULL? That is what I looked like in the womb, woman!

I will go off and console my big preggo bellied self with In N Out burger now.

 

[jcrow]

Date: 11/20/2009 2:50:19 PM
Author: Mara
OMG Mere that is what you look like when you are SO FULL? That is what I looked like in the womb, woman!


I will go off and console my big preggo bellied self with In N Out burger now.

no kidding! sheesh. NOT FAIR.

and mara, those pants look super comfy!

 

[qtiekiki]

MP
The t-shirt is hilarious. You are so cute.

Amber
Hang in there. Just a few more days.
You are glowing. So cute.

Steph
OMG, you are teeny tiny. You look so good.

drk
You are so funny with your sucking in pictures. You have a cute little bump.

Burk
You look the same with both pregnancy. Adorable.

meresal
Your little bump is adorable.

Here''s me at 30w1d.

 

[drk]

Ditto the others meresal - I cheated and took my photo before eating/drinking anything for the day, just straight out of the shower. The bloat definitely increases during the course of the day though, and with food.

Burk - you''re definitely smaller than last time, which seems amazing for it being your second time around. You''re still very small too! Nice belly.

Maybe if I stay measuring on the small side, I''ll get away without any additional stretch lines to add to my adolescent collection on hips, thighs, lower back, and boobs. Have a feeling I''ll end up with some though. Maybe I''ll finally see a benefit to being so darn white everywhere - the silvery lines just aren''t as noticeable on me.

I''m starting to worry about child care options now. I don''t really want my baby at home alone all day with a nanny (even if DH will be working from home lots of the time). I''d rather have her in a group setting with other kids to play and socialize with. The big day cares seem to open from 7:30am-6pm, which won''t work if I have to be at work at 7:40am. I need a place that opens at 7am. Sure, DH will be able to drop her off most days, but when he''s away, this also has to work. I''m thinking going through some licensed home day care agency (because I want to be sure that people are checked out, have criminal record checks done, have their homes monitored for safety, some sort of educational assistance) may end up being the best option. Looks like I''ll take the first 3 months or a little more off, then DH will probably take over next summer when it''s quiet at his workplace anyhow, and then she''ll end up in daycare from about 6 months on. Hope she thrives like my brother''s two oldest have, though they were in a bigger centre.

What are you all going to do?

And DH is now sad because his company is finally getting its act together with the car lease policy, and the A4 we want to get will take 3-4 months to arrive. I can live without it, but he wanted us to have in in Jan for the move and for when I''m highly pregnant and struggling to get around more. Oh well, I can deal with public transit till after baby for sure.

 

[qtiekiki]

And here''s a frontal view. I was too lazy to photoshop it into one pic.

 

[rockpaperscissors67]

Mara, I am so glad that you didn''t hurt yourself! I felt pain in my hips just reading what you did. I''m up 30 lbs. too and I can assure you that it''s not that big of a deal. Every time I''ve delivered, I''ve been in the 150-155 range and every single time, I''ve lost it. You will get back to feeling much closer to normal!

Amber, you look beautiful. Now consider this from your baby''s point of view...she''s all warm and snuggly in there -- would YOU want to leave? I sure wouldn''t!

Burk, is that your little girl? I''m going to assume so and say that she looks just like you! You look healthy and very happy!

Meresal, you''re so tiny! And I don''t mean just your belly! It looks like you are very petite all around and I''m jealous.

I''m also jealous of your lunch since at this point, I''d explode if I ate all of that stuff. I hate having less stomach room.

Jas, yay, I''m so excited that you''re doing a homebirth!! My biggest piece of advice is have faith in yourself. Women are a lot stronger than they sometimes let themselves believe. You are so lucky to have family support and be able to see this as normal and comfortable instead of something crazy. Other advice is to do what feels good to you. You might be surprised at what that is when the time comes because it may be the complete opposite of what you thought you wanted before you actually went into labor. I really love that with a homebirth, it''s mostly about YOU and what YOU want, rather than conforming to someone else''s rules.

 

[meresal]

Thanks ladies! I should have taken some pictures from the front, because though I''m not getting and depth in the front, I can feel the difference in width when I put my dress pants on. They sit higher on my hips now, and I have to be careful what heels I wear to work. Yesterday it looked like I was predicting rain.

Drk- I''m starting to look into day care. Unfortunately they don''t seem to be as interested in returning my emails. lol. I, like you, also don''t want an in house nanny. I want a public setting, and I don''t want to have to worry about giving a nany vacation time, and then have to worry about getting off of work myself. Daycares are open every day.

 

[KimberlyH]

Steph, that bedding is great, right up my alley. My husband would say it's not "fun" enough. He's obsessed with whatever I choose being "fun" for some reason. What a goofball.

Mara, I didn't really want a "theme" but I know myself and if I don't choose something then the kids' room will end up looking like the rest of our house: undecorated. This will be the first room I'll have truly decorated since we've been married and I figure it will last at least the first several years so I should at least give her a nice comfy place that is totally put together. When we move and get houses sold we'll be in a better financial position and then I can finally do the things that make a house a home (as i've been talking about for some time on PS), but for now I think the kid should at least have a rooom that looks like a kids' room. I've been coughing a lot from my cold and I think I bruised a rib, too. Painful. Take care of that knee.

 

[Mara]

kimi, i am sure the room will be super cute! i hope you guys get the new place soon so you can do all the nesting. its my fave part.

thanks for the well wishes on the knee. i need to walk around in a bubble obviously...i am kind of a tomboy with how i am used to moving and i am not very graceful, greg calls me a mini elephant the way i kind of stomp around in general. i need to remember to be a bit more careful and move more gingerly the last 10 weeks i guess.

re: daycare ... i have been looking into it a little as well here. in terms of socialization, most of the moms i know tell me that the babies are not that interested in 'other children' til at least one year if not more like 1.5-2 years. they said that their kids are more interested in discovering their feet, playing with toys and other stimulation kind of things, and THINGS rather than other children. since i have heard this from multiple moms locally, i would like to not put our boy into daycare until 1 year if possible plus it gives me more flexibility. i am going to try to work from home 2x a week so i am at least around to see some of his milestones.

problem is a nanny is 2x the amt of a good daycare, and daycare here is expensive anyway like $1200-1500 and a nanny (not even a super expensive one) is more like $2000-2500 a month. sooo i am researching both options. doing a nanny might be doable for 6 months til he is 1 year, but would def eat into what we save monthly.

qt you look great woman!! love the background in the photo with all the toys hehee.

 

[Pandora II]

DrK - If you are looking for a good changing mat, both Mela and I have the Kuster Jelly Baby one. It''s made of some soft of memory foam and is shaped. You can get covers for it, but I just wipe mine over with a cloth. Being memory foam, they sink into it and can''t roll off so easily or be as squirmy as they get on other surfaces.

It fits really well on IKEA dressers - I did add the changing table adapter to my dresser, but it would have fitted anyway.

Geez, I can''t believe how tiny some of you all are. I''ve always been on the thin side, but at 15 weeks I looked like most of you do at 30! My parents took some photos of me 2 days before I went into labour - I still haven''t seen them, but at 70lbs+ on my normal weight and the bloating I had, I''m not sure I want to!

 

[Sha]

Date: 11/20/2009 2:50:19 PM
Author: Mara
OMG Mere that is what you look like when you are SO FULL? That is what I looked like in the womb, woman!

I will go off and console my big preggo bellied self with In N Out burger now.

LOL @ Mara. Meresal''s tummy is the same size as mine when I''m not pregnant and hungry! Ha!

Seriously, you girls are really tiny!

Everybody''s bellies look really cute, though!

 

[vespergirl]

Hi everyone, I just wanted to post that I had my 19 week full anatomy scan ultrasound today, and it looks like everything is normal. And, the tech confirmed that it''s definitely another boy! We had a gender ultrasound done at 16 weeks, and he seemed pretty sure then, but it''s nice to get a confirmation.

 

[cellososweet]

Hey Mara
Since I know you are closer to a big city (aren''t you near SJ or in SJ?), have you thought about a nanny share?

I was a nanny that did a nanny share and it was awesome! I had two infants (same age. Both 6 months old when we started). I had one little one 42 hours a week (Monday through Thursday 8:30-5:30 and then Friday 8:30-2:30) and then I had the other one Monday and Tuesday 9-1, Thursday 8:30-5:30 and Friday 8:30-2. It was really great and I enjoyed the varied schedule. I was at one house Monday through Wednesday, and the other house on Thursday and Friday. I also had the full-time infant''s older brother Monday and Wednesday 3-5.

It''s not really necessary to find people who jibe with your parents philosophy 100%, just as long as their house is safe and clean and you agree on the big things.

It really helped with cost for both families. I was paid a certain amount for 2 kids and a lower amount for 1 kid. Since you are looking at part-time care, it might be a really great option.

Even though kids don''t really interact until they are older, the presence of the other little one was comforting for the babes that I watched. And there was a lot of positive monkey-see monkey-do activity (one started having an interest in tummy time after she realized that the other one crawled and she couldn''t).

Just thought I''d throw it out there. It was the best job I''ve ever had and I think having two made it much better (but beware! You have to find someone who likes a challenge and is very patient).

 

[sunkist]

Hi everyone! Oh my gosh, you all look so good for BPF

Amber, I''m thinking of you and hoping your little one decides to join you on the outside soon! You look fantastic, by the way

Mara, those yoga type pants look really cute and they are great to wearing after birth too. I got GAP yoga pants and that''s all I want to wear since I''ve been home from the hospital. I think I need to go get some more!


Everything is going really great for Wesley and I here at home! He is nursing really well and he''s been a calm happy baby. My mom stayed down here with me for 3 or 4 days after we got home from the hospital and she was very impressed with how good of a baby he is and how well we were doing with breastfeeding. Now, last night was my second night totally on my own (since my mom went home) and it was a little rough. He just wanted to eat, wouldn''t sleep, so I ended up sleeping on the couch with him on my chest most of the night. It''s so fun though! I''m just busy enjoying every little moment with him here

A couple items I have to recommend because I LOVE them:
-My brestfriend pillow http://www.mybrestfriend.com/, you can buy it at BRU. At first I hadn''t brought it to the hospital with me and it was a little difficult figuring out how to hold the baby to nurse. So I had my hubby go home to get it and it made such a big difference! This is a great, great pillow!!! Bring it to the hospital with you!!
-Itz Been timer http://www.itzbeen.com/, I was having a hard time remembering when I fed him or how long I fed him on each side, so I sent my hubby to pick one up for me and it''s been very handy!
-Moby wrap - I haven''t used it that much yet because I''m still sore and not walking around too much. But it''s so comfy and it feels so good to hold him in it. I can''t wait to use it more! I have taken the dog to the park across the street a couple time since I''ve been home and just stuck the baby in it so I was mostly hands free.




He is 1 week old today and I had my friend come over and do a newborn photo shoot! I can''t wait to see her pics, but here is one that I took myself yesterday.

 

[steph72276]

aww, sunkist...he is such a doll! How sweet he is smiling in his sleep...hope he''s having a good dream

 

[vespergirl]

I ditto Sunkist on MyBrestFriend nursing pillow - way better than the Boppy. It leaves both of your hands free for the baby.

 

[KimberlyH]

Sunkist, he''s darling. Glad things are going well.

Mara, the room will be cute, a bit matchy, but I''m obsessed with matching so that''s okay.

Got a $10 off card for Kohl''s and they''re having a sale so I went by. Picked up a pair of sweats (mine all hurt my stomach now) a regular top (I look awful in normal pregnancy tops that cut off empire style, like I''m showing off my breasts, no thanks) and they had a great deal on Carter''s Sleepsacks, normally $20 on sale for $9.

 

[Logan Sapphire]

Date: 11/20/2009 5:57:03 PM
Author: vespergirl
Hi everyone, I just wanted to post that I had my 19 week full anatomy scan ultrasound today, and it looks like everything is normal. And, the tech confirmed that it''s definitely another boy! We had a gender ultrasound done at 16 weeks, and he seemed pretty sure then, but it''s nice to get a confirmation.

I got my 19 week anatomy scan today too...you weren''t at Washington Radiology in Dunn Loring, by any chance??

 

[Kaleigh]

Sunkist,
He''s just the sweetest thing ever, soooo cute!!!!

 

[MonkeyPie]

Sunkist, omg, he is such a sweetheart! That little smile is just killing me!

I love BPF - you ladies all look SO good. So many cute bellies full of equally cute babies!

I don't have a picture today, but I do have news. I had my ultrasound today aaaaaand...

[COLOR=1E90FF]IT'S A BOY!!![/COLOR]

 

[KimberlyH]

MP, congratulations! That''s funny because if memory serves, which it may not you tend to refer to the baby as "she" which is far better than the pronoun I''ve been using: it.

 

[MonkeyPie]

Date: 11/20/2009 10:11:29 PM
Author: KimberlyH
MP, congratulations! That''s funny because if memory serves, which it may not you tend to refer to the baby as ''she'' which is far better than the pronoun I''ve been using: it.

LOL I know - I was soooo convinced it was a girl! But now I can''t imagine ever thinking that, it''s so funny how your perception changes. My husband was calling it IT, too, but now everything is HE lol.

I''m going to try and get the pictures scanned - they are super cute and the official boy shot is sooooo obvious hehe.

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 11/20/2009 9:37:06 PM
Author: MonkeyPie
Sunkist, omg, he is such a sweetheart! That little smile is just killing me!

I love BPF - you ladies all look SO good. So many cute bellies full of equally cute babies!

I don''t have a picture today, but I do have news. I had my ultrasound today aaaaaand...

IT''S A BOY!!!

Awwww, yay for team blue MP!!!! I swear those boys are sooooo good to their Mom''s. How exciting!!!!

 

[Mara]

MP ... CONGRATS, that is so funny!!! how do you guys feel about it?

congrats vesper on a boy!!

sunkist, he looks adorable!! what a great shot!

cello, yes i am in SJ. i love your suggestion but i don''t think i am totally familiar with what a nanny share IS. do you have to find another family who has a schedule like yours? my friend told me to sign up for care.com ... can i find a nanny share on there? do you have to coordinate it yourself?

it''s funny because our floor at work has like 9 babies in a 15 month period so i am like why doesnt our company do daycare! and this is just on our floor. we are a big company. or we should all do a nanny share.. hahaha. too bad we can''t coordinate something like that! we have a few empty offices hehee. i have 2 people on my team that are preggo and due within 2 weeks of me. too bad we don''t live nearby each other so we could do something like that.

 

[cellososweet]

About nanny shares (for Mara and anyone else looking for info):

You find a family with a child close in age to yours so that they are close developmentally and can enjoy the same activities (mommy groups on meetup and yahoo tend to be good places to look as they have more strict rules for membership than say, craigslist). As for a schedule, something similar helps, but it''s better for the nanny if one of you is full time and the other is part time (so she doesn''t have both infants full time. That''s a LOT of work. Ask a multiples Mama)

The best part about a nanny share is the financial aspect of it. For example, say the nanny is being paid $18 an hour for two children and say, $14 an hour for one child.

If your child is always in care with the other child (Mara, this would be you probably because you''d be the part-time kiddo), you will pay $9 per hour and the other family would pay $9 per hour, for a total of $18 an hour to the nanny. This ends up being cheaper than childcare. If you were to do 3 full days at 24 hours, you''d pay $216 a week ($9 an hour). Of course you have to pay the nanny tax, but it''s not hard to figure out and it''s still cheaper than daycare.

Nanny shares have additional perks too: your child is in his/her own home or only one other home so it''s a familiar surrounding, there is more 1:1 attention for your child than a large daycare, you can negotiate additional reasonable duties (like doing the children''s laundry and helping to keep the children''s rooms organized) and if your nanny is nice (like I was haha) she might even run your dishwasher for you and clean your kitchen every once in a while, your little ones will get to go to story times, music classes, etc. if you arrange for it with the nanny, you''ll know exactly what your kiddo is eating once solids are introduced, and if the child is sick you won''t have to stay home (though that was always really annoying for me when they were really really sick. I got violently ill from my charges once. Ended up in the hospital).