Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[ChinaCat]

Blushing- Personally, I would go with the Miracle Blanket and the A&A blankets. They are on my "must-have" list for the first few weeks. The sleep sacks you can get later if you need them. Again, this is just my experience. We never used the sleep sacks as swaddles, they are way too easy to break out of.

 

[somethingshiny]

We swaddled with regular receiving blankets and then went to the Halo sleepsack (without swaddle) JT stayed in the sleep sack until he was around a year old. I loved them. I''m looking for the regular sleepsacks for this bebe but have a harder time finding them without wings.

 

[Jas12]

ugh, more annoyances to add to my pregnancy. i am strep B positive again *and* we found out at the scan yesterday that the baby has gallstones. At first i was freaking thinking kidney stones (from the solitary kidney nonetheless) but once i collected myself i realized gallstones is something totally different and then freaked that there was another issue to contend with. We met with a pedi and it turns out they are pretty harmless in fetuses and will typically just resolve in the first year of life. But man, i feel like this poor kiddo is riddled with random stuff. First the brain cyst (gone now), then the kidney, now this. I hope he/she is getting everything out of it''s system before coming into this world

. On a good note the heart looks good, the solitary kidney is slightly larger than average which indicates it''s doing the work of two, and he or she is in the normal range for weight (estimated just below 7 lbs).

Lulu--bummer about the stretch marks, but the good thing is they came late in the game and so more likely to fade quickly. And you are right, they are a small price to pay for the prize you get.

HH--glad the house stayed standing! It''s scary but not like you did it on purpose! I almost burned the house down a few weeks postpartum. I was boiling breast pump parts and got distracted by my son upstairs. The pot boiled dry and started to cook the parts. Thank goodness my girlfriend came over and just let herself into the house. The parts were smoking and melting away and i don''t know what would have happened if she didn''t come in! When i called a supply shop to order new parts the guy said he''d be a rich man if he got paid for every sleep deprived mom that over-boiled bottles/parts. Kinda made me feel better

 

[Puppmom]

HH, what a close call! I''ve had a few false alarms in that department - mostly relating to the straightening iron. The other day my sister took her two youngest to a soccer game. She left her oldest (he''s 11) at home with her husband. Her husband decided he wanted to come see the soccer game after all. He arrived and said "Where''s J?" to which my sister responded "He was at home with you!". She said the look on his face was priceless. Thank goodness J is 11! When they got home, my sister notice that, not only did her husband leave their son at home, but he LEFT THE STOVE ON!

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Boo on the stretch marks, Lulu. Hopefully they''ll fade after you pop back.

Blushing, I registered for all three, but don''t plan to use the sleepsacks until after we''re out of the swaddling stage. I''ve received the A&A blankets and 2 sleepsacks so far...

 

[NovemberBride]

Date: 5/26/2010 11:12:47 AM
Author: somethingshiny
We swaddled with regular receiving blankets and then went to the Halo sleepsack (without swaddle) JT stayed in the sleep sack until he was around a year old. I loved them. I''m looking for the regular sleepsacks for this bebe but have a harder time finding them without wings.

SS - you can get them directly on the Halo website. That''s the only place I found that sold the newborn size without the wings. My DD hated being swaddled so that''s what we used. Before I found them on the website I just carefully snipped the wings off. It seems that they are switching over to only sell the newborn size with wings because that''s all BRU and Target carry.

 

[Puppmom]

I hope my bebe doesn''t hate swaddling! I bought all of the necessary swaddling equipment and DH is ready to be the resident swaddling technician.

Question for you gals in the third trimester - I''m approaching 30 weeks and my belly is pretty firm most of the time. If I wasn''t feeling the baby kick, I used to be able to push a little bit and get some movement. Now, my belly is a little too hard to push on! It''s definitely not "hard as a rock, contracting" hard just really firm. Did your bellies get harder in the third trimester?

 

[Mara]

ditto CC on the miracle blanket, aden and adais blankets and the sleep sacks (though those come later).

the MB saved us as J was a houdini and got out of EVERYTHING else. the MB he is just starting to break out of at 4 months now, and we plan to deswaddle hopefully around 5 months. we have 2 MB''s.

the A&A blankets we used for swaddle in the beginning and also they are great for throwing over the carseat to keep baby hidden when newborn (and people from breathing on them!) and also just as a thin but warm general blanket, esp as we head into summer. now that we dont swaddle him with them i dont use them as much but we got 8 to start, i would say if you do a lot of laundry 4 is fine (pack of 4).

the other things we loved, itzbeen timer, the grobag temperature egg. be sure to get enough diaper cloths for burp rags and bibs...though at first J didnt need as many bibs but after month 1 he started spitting up more and now we have like 15 bibs in rotation! then for solids the plasticy bibs with the scoop area in the bottom are great. oh on the same note gerber makes great bibs that have a plasticy underlay so that they don''t soak through. however they are totally small i the neck area, so J is outgrowing them at 4 months.

oh and lap pads/waterproof pads..we use them on the changing table and in the crib, we used them in the bassinet too (sheet savers are good too, whatever you find that is waterproof).

toys and random things he didn''t even use til around 2+ months. playmat etc. bouncy chair we used from day 1 as he had to sleep inclined for a few days and he loved it, put him right to sleep .same with the swing but he has a love/hate relationship with it, sometimes he loves it and other times he just hates it.

 

[blushingbride]

Mara - great post! I am keeping all 3 on my registry. I won't use the sleep sacks until later one. Also, I added some additional items you mentioned to my registry. The itzbeen looks like it comes in handy! Thank you!

Do you have any bibs which you recommend for infants? Are the more expensive ones better than the cheap ones?

 

[Miscka]

Lindsey, Andrew is so incredibly handsome! I have tears of joy for you guys, I hope you get to take him home soon! Many many congrats

 

[HOUMedGal]

Just wanted to pop in and say CONGRATULATIONS to Mrs. and Mr. Lindsey and super cutie Andrew!!! I am so thrilled for you guys!!! He is such a handsome little guy.

Enjoy him!!

 

[somethingshiny]

NB~ Thanks for the tip! No wonder I haven't had any luck...

pupp~ My belly was very firm when preggo with JT, with this one I have a bit more give although it's still pretty firm. It may have to do with placenta placement, your muscle tone to begin with, how big the baby is, etc.


Big ditto on Mara's sheet saver tip. I used to layer 2-3 sets of waterproof pads and sheets so I could just rip them off in the middle of the night and have fresh bedding immediately.

JT had no neck and the best bibs for us were the towel-looking bibs. There was a neckhold cut out of a towel and it was easily stretched to make room for cranium boy.




eta~ I just realized I typed "neckhold" instead of "neckhole" I'm leaving it because it makes me giggle.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

SS the sheet tip is genius!!!

 

[AGBF]

Congratulations, Lindsey!!! You and your handsome guys look really wonderful together! And, yes, I love the way Andrew is checking you out in the photo you pointed out to us! What a wonderful birth story!


Love,
Deb/AGBF

 

[AGBF]

swimmer-the IDF was probably a good place for you to prepare for the kind of labor* you described, sweetheart. It is too bad that all women do not have such training! When do we see pictures of you and Elijah?



* 60 hrs of active labor (7 of them at 9.5cm without painkillers)


Hugs,
Deb

 

[AllieLuv83]

Hello ladies...I am going through a bit of anxiety recently. I am not sure who to talk to or how to address it. I am really worried about the outcome of this pregnancy. All I keep thinking about is what if I have a late loss. I feel like reading statistics is only freaking me out more. I wonder if I should talk to my doctor about it. Is it normal to worry? I feel like my worry goes beyond normalcy. Ignorance is definitely bliss when it comes to this.

 

[ambulance92]

Allie - I hope you start feeling better soon. I think if it''s something that really bugs you that talking to your doctor might help and he/she will be able to try to reassure you that everything will be ok. It''s hard to not get nervous/scared after reading all of the sad, unfortunate stories online.

 

[fieryred33143]

Congratulations Swimmer!! 60 hours! Wow!! Love his name. Hope you guys are doing well and getting plenty of rest!

Date: 5/27/2010 10:06:40 AM
Author: AllieLuv83
Hello ladies...I am going through a bit of anxiety recently. I am not sure who to talk to or how to address it. I am really worries about the outcome of this pregnancy. All I keep thinking about is what if I have a late loss. I feel like reading statistics is only freaking me out more. I wonder if I should talk to my doctor about it. Is it normal to worry? I feel like my worry goes beyond normalcy. Ignorance is definitely bliss when it comes to this.

I think as you become more emotionally connected to the baby, the worries start coming in full force. Yes, a late loss can definitely happen but is it likely with you? Probably not. It is normal to worry though. Once you hit your 28th week, it''s a little easier to put your mind at ease because you can do your kick counts. In the meantime, just trust your body to tell you what''s up and try not to worry too much

. The worry never ends though. Welcome to mommyhood

 

[Puppmom]

Date: 5/27/2010 10:06:40 AM
Author: AllieLuv83
Hello ladies...I am going through a bit of anxiety recently. I am not sure who to talk to or how to address it. I am really worries about the outcome of this pregnancy. All I keep thinking about is what if I have a late loss. I feel like reading statistics is only freaking me out more. I wonder if I should talk to my doctor about it. Is it normal to worry? I feel like my worry goes beyond normalcy. Ignorance is definitely bliss when it comes to this.

Allie, I''m a very anxious person and worry a lot about these things too. Just try to remember that your worrying will NOT change the outcome. Stay away from the statistics. I know from experience that my head can turn .5% into something that seems probable.

If you feel like your worries are affecting your quality of life or preventing from functioning at your best, then definitely talk to your doctor.

 

[AllieLuv83]

Thank you ladies. I guess looking at that .5% seems a lot better than the 1 in 200 odds. I feel like the sad stories online is what make me feel anxious. I am a type A personality and not being able to control this, as well is coming to terms with "what will be will be" is what I am struggling with the most. I think that maying practicing some positive thinking might help. I am becoming more attached to this baby, and once we find out the sex I am sure that will increase ten fold. Just yesterday I read another sad 26 week loss and it kills me. I need to stay off the internet.

I think what is fueling this is the fact that I am 18 weeks and I still have not felt very much movement. I am certain I felt a roll last night as I was pestering the baby with my doppler after eating a large italian ice. All that sugar made the baby all crazy I know that FTM''s don''t usually feel movement until a bit later but it still has me concerned.

 

[vespergirl]

Just a quick drive-by to congratulate Lindsey on beautiful baby Andrew! I am so happy for your family!

 

[ChinaCat]

Allie- I didn''t feel kicks until like 22-23 weeks. Think about it this way, if you were TRYING to win the lottery or something and your odds were only like .5%, you sure wouldn''t be quitting your job and buying a Ferrari, right? Those odds are so low. I am not an anxious person but I had these moments as well. Now I have paralyzing fears about something happening to my kid now that he''s safely arrived. It will never stop, it just changes shape. So try to control it now, take some deep breaths and realize 1) it''s normal to worry and 2) there is NOTHING you can do about it. When the panic sets in, focus on something else. I know it''s scary, but life unfolds as it does and you don''t want to waste any moments that you don''t have to. Try to enjoy the pregnancy and focus on the miracle that''s going on inside you. It''s a beautiful thing.

 

[Puppmom]

Chinacat, I love your analogy!

Allie, I''m almost 30 weeks and felt what I *thought* were kicks around 16-18 weeks. Then, when I had my 20 week anatomy scan, my little guy was moving ALL OVER the place and I didn''t feel any of it! Shortly after, maybe around 21 or 22 weeks, I felt definite kicks BUT it''s only recently that I feel consistent movement. Up until about 27 weeks or so, I would still go almost an entire day sometimes without feeling anything. I know it''s nerve-wracking and I''m sorry it''s stressing you out.

Do your best to stay away from the internet - I know for me that it really only upsets me. I NEVER find anything that reassures me when I''m worrying.

 

[Mandarine]

I''m super late...but wanted to congratulate Lindsey!!!!!

Andrew is ADORABLE. I cried reading the birth story...I can''t imagine your feelings and I am just so thrilled for you that he is doing so well!!!.

Welcome baby Andrew!!!!!!!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Allie, I''m 23 weeks and I''m still not feeling Aidan regularly. Usually not until I lay down for bed at night and even then it''s just a couple of bumps, not major kicks like some people say they have. Maybe I''m just not tuned into him well or maybe I have more gas than others, but I can tell the difference between a kick and a bubble and what I feel most of the time are bubbles.

I think it''s totally natural to be anxious about having a baby, especially when you''re a first time mom, or it''s been years since your last, like Pupp. But really, just stay positive. Even if something (heaven forbid) went wrong, really there''s nothing you can do about it, so why worry? Just keep thinking about the number 24. 24 weeks is when most babies are viable outside the uterus with medical assistance.

Something that helped me big time is not reading online message boards like the Bump or Baby Center. You have to remember that those boards are a mix of women from all walks of life with different histories and health profiles. What is normal for one might not be normal for all and I think you see a higher incidence of problems because of that. It''s not a realistic view of your chances for problems is what I''m trying to say.

So try and stay positive. If you have specific questions about your health or the health of the baby then call your doc. Similarly, if you feel your anxiety is getting too tough to manage, call your doc. There are things they can do to help with it.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Confession....sometimes I eat/drink super sugary things to try to get Aidy to move...he likes coca cola.

 

[lovelylulu]

It is 90 degrees here and my ankles are swelling, actually they are swollen.

This has happened before, but it was only after walking laps around ikea.

cankles - not pretty. not pretty at all.

 

[Puppmom]

Date: 5/27/2010 12:30:36 PM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
Confession....sometimes I eat/drink super sugary things to try to get Aidy to move...he likes coca cola.

"Gary" likes Sprite!

Lovelylulu, thank goodness you're so close! Put those feet up! Mine are swelling a tad and I have 10 weeks left.

I can't *see* the swelling but my flip-flops leave dents!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

*chuckle* I love that you call your LO Gary...

 

[AllieLuv83]

I think Shim likes Rita''s Mango flavored water ice. Because he/she was going crazy last night. I felt the first roll as I was probing with my doppler!