December chat; vents & encouragements & shameless plugs for support :) - Page 2

[Mrs.Music]

Woke up to a painful contraction this morning... But since I had to go to the midwife anyway, I didn't end up having to do any time in L&D. I did my glucose test. Came back fine. I figured as much. I told the midwife I thought the baby was transverse with feet on my right, head on my left and butt in my ribs... She felt around and said I was right. I got an u/s of my cervix when I popped in to the OB's for a visit. It's 2.7cm and the cerclage is intact, so that's looking great. Baby is about 3lbs 5oz. We set a date to have my cerclage out... Feb 1st. So hopefully I will have a baby by the 2nd... and all my kids will just be 2 weeks apart. haha.

[Twinklefae]

So happy for you Mrs. Music - how's it feel to be so pregnant?

[portlandmama]

I fondly referred to my post nursing boobs as origami boobs...as I had to creatively fold them to tuck them into my bra. The chance to have fuller breasts is definitely a plus in this second pregnancy...a silver lining to feeling so uncomfortable during this pregnancy. This little girl is kicking my butt!

[nia82]

Yeah, the midwives said most people keep eating raw meat and stuff, so I shouldn't worry too much, especially since it was an isolated incidence. But I'll still go for the blood test.

I decided for a doula, yeah! One thing less to take care of!  

@ MrsMusic: That sounds great, great length! My mom had all her cerclages taken out at 36 weeks and delivered between 38 and 40 weeks, but she was on a Terbutaline-like drug til 39 weeks... The cervical length is amazing, I mean I had no cerclage, but was down to 3cm at 26 weeks with DS!  

I can't wait for my blood test to be over, and for DH to hand in his final paper to finally spend time with us again (12/13 is the due date for the paper, yeah!). Then I can finally sew up all the diapers that I have cut out, and the wipes. I can't wait for my Cat in the hat fitteds, lol, I'm a CD addict.

[Twinklefae]

Cat in the hat diapers sound cute!  I have a Grinch Christmas AIO somewhere.

I'm so tired and achy and complainy today.  And I've got so much to do!  Shopping shopping shopping for my husband and family and groceries.  I'd really just like a quiet weekend and the chance to put the decorations up.  I'll have to do that on Sunday at some point...

[ashleybrook]

well this is my first real day out of bed in the last 4 (been in bed with a cold)...so i'm really excited i already went for a walk and i'm going to start packing. i'm sure i'll get in some rest in bed time, but i'm just feeling productive again, which is nice! the only really yucky thing is all the draining going on from the nose and coughing up phlegm...yuck! it's enough to put one off eating! or at least slow me down a bit. i also put off my 28 week appointment because my midwife brings her little one and i didn't want to get them sick...so we'll meet next week. 

there's about 10 days before we head to texas for my sister's wedding...so that means 10 days to finish packing up all the house! i'm on the countdown and have lots of progress already made...but lots to still do! we'll close on the house when we're gone actually, so we plan on moving two days after we get back! i'm headed full into organized chaos! :) but so excited. 

currently the babe and belly are bouncing around! love those movements!

ashley

[Chula13]

Is it normal to have swelling in the 3rd trimester , my bp is fine and everything but my feet seem to be swelling a bit

[OkiMom]

Ashley- glad you are feeling better! Be careful not to overdo anything..

Chula- from my experience its totally normal for a bit of swelling. By the time most women can't wear their wedding bands any longer and quite a few of my friends who have had babies complained that they couldn't wear their normal shoes. I know when I was active duty a lot of Marines later in pregnancy couldn't wear their combat boots any longer because they couldn't fit into them and the boots made the swelling even worse so even if they could in the morning by the end of the day they couldn't get them off.

haha hit submit without finishing.. Im making a list of the last minute things to order for the baby.. On it: Carseat (100% need), co sleeper (like not need), postpartum bath (nice, DH says its a need because I need some pampering after this pregnancy), nipple cream (have to order online, can't use lanolin), rash cream (need to get some stuff that works with cloth) and a small gift for SIL whos due two weeks after me..

Its all getting to real right now.. Im 31ish weeks tomorrow.. Wow, 9 weeks left and I don't have a carseat or a car big enough to bring the baby home in..

I think I need a nap. (ok, and I think that smiley is cute)

[Twinklefae]

Chula, it's totally normal (hell, even What to Expect mentions that it's normal, and they like to freak you out!) but super annoying.  I can still cram my rings on for now, but I don't think they will last much longer.

Ashley, take it easy.  Don't wear yourself out and end up back in bed. 

Okimom, you and I are I think both stressing about the to-do lists.  My bff keeps laughing at me (when not-pregnant, I'm pretty chill so me freaking out is an interesting turn around for her!) and telling me we'll get it all done.  I dug out my homebirth prep list and started stressing over that recently.

[Strong Mama]

chula.....my hands and fingers are fine but my feet are like elephant trunks all day long. i have tried everything: propping feet, lots of water, more protein, etc...nothing works. my hubby rubs them everynight and thats the only thing that seems to help them.ive been up two hours and they are already swelling. o well...my bp is fine too.

[ashleybrook]

thanks mamas for the well-wishes. i did have a productive, yet still got to lay in bed a lot too, day! so, i'm planning on doing the same thing today...i'm really doing better in the day, but in the night my cough is at the point where it is a bit worse getting all the junk out. so, i'm going to increase my steaming (head over a bowl of steaming water) in the night and day to see if that helps break it all up faster. at this point, a cough/sneeze is really not fun at night because it's when i leak urine the most (laying down)!!!  i've never had that complication with a cough/sneeze (plus so many night sneezes!) and i've got to say it's embarrassing...and it's just me dealing with it at 2 am! i realize i shouldn't be embarrassed, but that just goes to show what really goes on when we lose control of regular body function! 

sorry mamas for the swelling...hugs. a massage sounds quite nice! i'd love a daily massage! wow. 9 weeks, i've got about 11 weeks and that's sounding really close. 9 is like turn the corner and you're there! yeah!

ash

[Chula13]

Thanks ladies i appreciate your input, this is just new to me because the only time i have had swelling was with my oldest and at the time had bp issues so I have never experienced the swelling on it's own.

[Mrs.Music]

Originally Posted by Twinklefae 

So happy for you Mrs. Music - how's it feel to be so pregnant?

 Thanks. I feel... big. Lol. And I have never been so uncomfortable or outgrown maternity shirts before. Haha. But my belly is starting to show in a couple of them.

Originally Posted by nia82 

 @ MrsMusic: That sounds great, great length! My mom had all her cerclages taken out at 36 weeks and delivered between 38 and 40 weeks, but she was on a Terbutaline-like drug til 39 weeks... The cervical length is amazing, I mean I had no cerclage, but was down to 3cm at 26 weeks with DS!  

Great news. I'd like to deliver right away though... Keep the baby's birthday as far from DD's as I can. :)
 

[trekkingirl]

spent a long time yesterday going through the bags of hand me downs I have been collecting since about 18wks when we found out we are having a girl. Most of the clothes I have are size 0-3 months and not newborn size. My almost 9lb DD was swimming in the newborn size clothes when she was born so I can only imagine how the 0-3 m size will fit Aubrey. I would like to find some preemie sized clothes for the first couple of days. They have proven really hard to find though. Anybody know where to find preemie clothes? Carters starts at newborn, target starts at newborn, kohls only has newborn. Where can one find preemie sized clothes?

I was given a bag of cloth diapers that I want to make good use of. I used sposies on my first two kids. I'm new to the CD world.

Here is what I got:

2 bummis super whisper wraps (frog print!)

3 doppi CD's (that I think go under the covers)

1 swaddlebees (not sure if that one needs a cover)

1 thirsties cover

5 prowrap covers

6 gdiapers (with a dozen plastic hammock insert things? no idea)

3 girlie gerber prefolds

I don't know if I have enough or if I'm missing some key elements. All the stuff I have is size small or extra small so I guess it will be good for the first few months? The prefolds seem pretty big though?

Oh I am hoping to get a moby wrap or something similar. Might try to make one myself. We'll see. I'm new to wearing baby too.

So what do you think ladies?

[Twinklefae]

Wow - are you sure your 9lb baby was swimming in NB size?  Here's a pic of my 9lb-der in NB.  We couldn't even get the crotch buttons done up.  (Even without the cloth diaper, I just figured I'd stick wool on him if his butt was going to be hanging out all night.)

As for cloth diapers the standard recommendations, and I really think they are accurate, is 36 nb/sm diapers and if you are using covers, 6-8.  I'd err on the side of eight.  And skip nb diapers, unless you are expecting a preemie.

[OkiMom]

Twinkle- Im a total planner! I like everything "perfect" before things happen. It stresses me out totally thinking of a messy house or getting to 36+ weeks without a carseat.. My husband is like your friend though, "Don't worry it will all work out" and then I throw a book at him :) He just doesn't stress about anything. When we moved out here we didn't get our oldest passport until 2 weeks prior to leaving and I was freaking out that we didnt' have it. He just kept saying they will figure out something if it doens't come.. UGHS.. MEN! Haha Love him, he keeps me from pulling out my hair.

My girls swam in newborn clothes even though they were both well over 8lbs. 0-3 months just didn't fit them, fell off. I'm worried with this one, I have a feeling he is going to be smaller than his sisters were and if that's true all his clothing is going to be huge on him. I think its partly just how the girls are shaped, the same way DH and I are, small waists and tallish.. People were surprised at the sizes my girls wore because they were in the 90th percentile for height/weight but were able to wear 0-3 months until well into their 4th month. DD1 could still wear 12 month skirts in her waist at 2 but needs 3T-4T in length and DD1 could wear 24 month size in waist but needs 5/6 in length.. One of the reasons I make my kids clothing. Otherwise it just doesn't fit them most of the time.

For cloth diapers it totally depends on how often you want to wash. If you want to wash daily then 30ish should be ample.. If you are like me and a bit lazy on the washing then you might want double that to get through 2ish days without washing. Remember newborns go through a LOT of diapers when they are first born.

I have to go help DH now, the girls are "helping" him replace vent filters which probably isn't good!!

[trekkingirl]

cute baby picture

I didn't CD with either of my two kids so I hadn't thought about the bottom not fitting. I expect I will use the pampers the hospital provides while I am there.

well DD was 8lb9oz when she was born and the clothes she left the hospital wearing were rolled up at the sleeves and long on the feet. She was 21inch.

With DS he was 7lb7oz 21 inch and I had two rolls on his sleeves.

I expect that Aubrey will be even smaller than DS because I am really small this pregnancy. Maybe I will be surprised though, the doc says I am measing exactly on target.

Maybe I should get more CD to add to my stash if 36 is recomended. Or I may get burned out from all the laundry, LOL.

[Twinklefae]

Wow, I'm amazed at the stories of babies who didn't fit 0-3.  DS wore that exclusively from birth, and was into 3-8 mon pretty quick.  I had like 2 things of NB and they never fit at all.

Okimom, to be fair to my friend, she's going to help with all the laundry and stuff, and most of it I can't start yet anyway (no point in washing yet...) but yeah.  This stuff needs to get done, darn it!

[nia82]

DS was 19 inches and weighed 5lb 10oz and we had to buy preemie clothes (babies'r'us has them). Within 3 weeks he weighed 9lbs and newborn fit, at 8 weeks he weighed 15lbs and was in 3-6months clothing...

The Burlington Coat Factory has tons of preemie stuff... Gymboree has a up to 7lbs category and Janie and Jack has preemie stuff too... I bought some preemie outfits expecting a small baby, I doubt mine will get really big, the biggest baby in our family weighed 6lb 6oz at 40 weeks and 2 days...

As for making stuff fit, I will buy the garment extenders from One step ahead. They fit all brands out there, and cloth diapers will add bulk, so that's neat. Gotta order all that stuff soon! Also the probiotics I want to take, the oral vitamin K and postpartum supplies... Time flew by so fast...

CDs: I agree, 2 to 3 dozens diapers and 6-8 covers is standard recommendation... Prefolds being the cheapest route. I have a gazillion diapers though and still working on more (girlie colors)... :)

I have had Braxton Hicks all night long every 2-5 minutes, somewhat painful, had it checked out, but it seems fine. I hope it won't come back. It's scary, I have to make it to 37 weeks for the birthing center....

[OkiMom]

I think clothing really depends on the kid.. and that you won't know until they are born.. Everyone was suprised how big the girls were and how small their clothing was but I only used it until they started to snap tight and then they got retired. I don't like stretching clothing out because then its useless for the next tyke.. Also, brands really differ. Carters 0-3 months fits 8-15 lbs so its bigger than say the Gumball (an offbrand sold over here) thats 0-3 month is a good inch shorter and inch smaller around..

I wish someone would come do laundry for me :lol I have like 3 more loads to do after doing laundry all weekend. Its never ending I swear..

So, I got a few things done this morning. I froze some food, picked out the fabric from my stash for the ring sling Im making and started that.. Im going to try to finish the sling today and work on Christmas presents. Christmas is really to close for comfort!