March 27-April 3 - Page 2

[mattjule]

The only thing herbal my mw requests I have for the birth is echinecea. She says that is only if I have a long labor. I don't plan on having a long labor, though I am aware that it is a possibility, plus every time I have used it, I don't feel it has done a whole lot. I am not going to go buy a bottle in the off chance that I have a long labor when it will most likely sit around the house until it expires and I throw it out. That said, a lot of hb mamas have talked about arnica. I already have some from a homeopathy kit my mom gave me for ds so I'll have that on hand. Other than that, I am kind of clueless about herbal stuff. I won't be doing 5W labor formula or anything, I just don't see why people would need that.

We were supposed to pick up our new dresser tomorrow, but the car will be in the shop all day, so I don't get it until Tues. In the meantime, the den has become a dumping ground, which really sucks, there is no room in here anyway and I hate tripping over all this crap! We bought a steam cleaner (yeah!!!) but haven't had time to use it yet

There are a lot of things that need to go to Goodwill-it would be nice if dh and my bro would make time to do that. I know they will do home p/u, but it seems like every time I schedule one we forget and are not home when they come. :

Okay, this is pretty weird, but my belly feels smaller. I am pretty sure dh thinks I am crazy, but it seems like my belly is not so pregnant looking as it was 3 weeks ago. It isn't in the way as much and overall just is...smaller. Or at least feels that way. Maybe baby is sitting low or back or stretched out. Or maybe it just hasn't gotten bigger and I am so used to it now. I don't know.

Tain woke up around 4:30 am this morning and asked to nurse. He has night weaned and never asks anymore so I nursed him b/c he doesn't ask in circumstances like that unless he needs it. So he nurses back to sleep, is asleep for about 10 min, then starts to whimper, wakes and wants a drink of water (very weird, the kid doesn't like to drink water in the first place, let alone in the middle of the night). So we get up and get a drink and he is not going back to bed and is pretty fussy. I finally gave him some Motrin around 6 am once I noticed him sucking on his hand a lot. So looks like his teeth are really bothering him. Even when he has gotten lots of teeth in before, it doesn't usually affect his sleep too much. He gets restless, but I think this is the first time he has gotten up and fussed. I felt so bad for him, poor guy. Dh and I took him on a car ride and he slept for a while, but I am hoping he didn't sleep long enough to skip his nap-I sure could use one!

[Greaseball]

Sometimes I also look smaller. A few weeks ago there were times when I just didn't feel pregnant - not so anymore!

I'm sick. Ugh. I'm just going to stay in bed.

DD quit nursing back in October and just asked to nurse a few days ago! I let her, but she forgot how. Maybe when the milk is spraying again she'll have an easier time.

[2BMamaof3]

Seedling,

I too feel out of sync with dh in the last week. OY he's SO annoying (he's been sick...but still!).

I use the serenity prayer CONSTANTLY in regards to my "witchiness" around DH.

Dear God,
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change (the fact that DH will NEVER have the same standards and ways of doing things that I do),
the courage to change the things I can (realising that my frustration is mostly due to hormonal pregnancy things....I can take deep breaths and keep plugging away one hour at a time if need be),
and the wisdom to know the difference (god...please let me know what I need to do...I turn this over to you.)

While I'm at it...I use this prayer all day long for EVERYTHING...lol...but it's working for me. Maybe it would work for you too?????

Hang in there,
Abby

[irishgreengables]

Modesto--- we just entered into the world of the minivan last Monday -- after a long period of mourning. The thing is, like you, it would have been impossible to fit 3 car seats or even 2 car seats and a booster into our Saturn. Nowadays, you have to have a bigger vehicle if you have more than 2 children. I have to admit that I really do love it. It is so much easier -- even with just 2. They can get in and out easily and there's no bending. Plus they have a lot more space and can no longer kick the back of our seats -- which is nice. The van we got -- we sprung big for the Toyota Sienna 8 passenger (knowing we want one more child and that this will be our car for the next 10 years)-- will actually accomodate all 3 car seats in the front passenger row -- so no one will feel left out...plus the middle front seat, where baby will be...pulls forward so I can reach her.

Funny...everyone's first question is whether or not we got the DVD player. Ummmm....let's see....while we do watch 1-2 videos a week on dd's hair days (braiding takes a long time), we have no cable and so no access to any TV -- so WHY WOULD WE GET A DVD PLAYER IN THE CAR??? It is funny what people just assume other people want/need/etc.

Peace,

[mattjule]

Abby-this is kind of weird, b/c I found myself saying the serenity prayer the other day. I am not a Christian, though I was raised in a Christian household. I heard it most b/c the father of a friend of mine is an alcoholic and they use that prayer at Al anon and the teen meetings (I don't remember the name of them). Anyway, even if you don't really believe in a higher power, it is still a good mantra, especially on tough days.

So I told you guys about ds getting up super early this morning. Well, he was crying a lot and dh got up around 6. That was pretty nice of him. Only now he's sleeping and I am SOOO tired and ds shows no signs of being ready for a nap EVER. It is conceivable that dh will sleep until he needs to leave for work, ds won't nap, and I will be crying in a corner somewhere out of exhaustion. So now I think I would rather dh had stayed in bed so he could be up with ds right now. I can't really fault him for sleeping right now-he works from 4pm-1am and generally goes to bed between 2am and 4am. So it isn't like he had a full night's sleep. It's just one of those times I really wish I had a friend or family member close by who could be with ds so I could sleep...

I thought ds was ready-rubbing his eyes and just sitting on my lap. We went in the bedroom and nursed, but then he started playing. He wasn't making a whole lot of noise and he won't leave the room if one of us isn't up, so I was catnapping-not really asleep, but resting. Then he crawls in between us and starts talking to himself. Not whispering but not being super loud either. So I am irritated with dh b/c I totally could have slept through that or at least rested, but dh is a light sleeper and I could tell it was getting to him. So irritating. So here I am, still. This sucks.

[CryPixie83]

As far as herbal stuff goes, I try to get in a cup or two of pregnancy tea each day (yea right, like my memory is that good!) which has red raspberry leaves, strawberry leaves, nettles and spearmint for taste. I like it, but I think if one weren't adapted to the tastes of herbal teas they'd turn their nose

My midwives "prescribe" shephards purse towards the end of pregnancy to help avoid hemmoraging. Haven't heard anything about echinacea so far. This is my first, so I have absolutely no insight on how long labor will be

Is anyone planning on ingesting their placenta? I know it's a bit early for that, but someone brought it up on another bbs I visit so I thought I'd ask. My midwives encapsulate the placenta and bring it back the next day. Placent Pills! How neat is that? When I first heard about it I knew I wanted to try it, my family is prone to depression, so anything to ward off post partum depression would be great, and I love the idea of how natural it is. All for only $35, not too shabby

As far as projects go, we're trying to decide on what colors we want to use for our apartment. The property just came under new ownership and the new owners say I can paint/walpaper to my heart's content! Yay! No more gross, brown wood paneling! Anyone know which paints have the least fumes? Granted I'll have every window open and be wearing a mask but you can never be too careful (ahem, paranoid) :LOL We won't have the money for painting this month, but I'm hoping next month will be less tight

For now, it's raining (I love Spring! ) and I'm nesting hard lol. There are three rooms in this apartment and they're all calling my name!

[Queen of Cups]

I've certainly heard of ingesting the placenta, but I have no interest in it. My area of study in college was behavioral ecology, and from what I've learned the reason most animals eat the placenta is because it is a huge red flag to every predator in the area if there's a placenta left lying around. Its like a sign that says, "Hey, everyone! There's a bunch of helpless yummy babies really close! Get their scent here! Here's the appetizer!" It absolutely makes sense for animals to eat the placenta, but I don't see the evolutionary need for humans to do that. I know that many people talk about the hormonal benefits of ingesting the placenta, but a lot of those same benefits are gained by bfing on demand from birth - and that sounds like a lot more fun to me!!

(Not that I am judging anyone who decides to ingest the placenta - I'm just explaining my personal reasoning for the choice I've made. Its _your_ placenta - do with it want you want!!!)

[Doodlebugsmom]

Pixie, I don't plan on ingesting the placenta. I absolutely would do it in a heartbeat if I had a history of PPD. If I was hemorraging, I'd eat it straight up if it would save me. I've heard that eating it can stop a hemorrage very, very fast, thus possibly saving the life of the mother. Most people think it's really weird and gross, but it doesn't seem that way to me. It seems like a pretty healthy thing to do.

As for herbals, my mw reccommends drinkining red raspberry leaf tea every day and using evening primrose oil from 36 weeks. I did both last time and everything went so wonderfully that I'll definately do it again.

[wildthing]

I have had my former midwife offer to cook the placenta for me, but I declined every time. I had no interest in it. However, I would have liked to have it encapsulated, definitely. I know it is possible to dry it, grind it, and encapsulate it that way also.

I amd rinking RRL tea every day, one cup, trying to get up to two. I tried a pregnancy tea, but hated the taste of it. If I seem to be hemorrhaging after the birth, my plan of action is nursing, followed by Shepherd's Purse, followed by a peice of placenta if necessary. I have heard a little as a quarter sized piece is enough. I am not sure if dh would want to witness it, so I would probably have him leave the room, eat some, and see how it goes. That was why I was asking about herbals.....I thought I heard of some other alternatives...possibly wombstring, and I was wondering about motherwort?????

I have to say, I love my mini-van. It will be 10 years old in August, and we may be needing another one soon. I was so happy when we bought it....we had 3 kids and a Ford Tempo...while every one fit, not much else did, and we could never bring anyone with us anywhere. No, of course, with our family, we have to take 2 vehicles, but I am not ready for a club wagon yet! :LOL The times we need to take two vehicles are really few, maybe 5 or 6 times a year. I can't see paying the cost for a gigantic vehicle, plus the gas it will use, and not to mention parking, for those few times a year. Plus, I like not having a car payment.

[Greaseball]

I don't have a history of PPD or bleeding, but I'm planning to take a bite anyway! Maybe a few days later, when I have time to cook it. I don't think raw meat is for me. And then if I don't like it, I'll just bury the rest. Or maybe feed it to the chickens.

Dh is saying I'll never do it and I have to prove him wrong.

[3girlsmommy]

Originally posted by CryPixie83
Anyone know which paints have the least fumes? Granted I'll have every window open and be wearing a mask but you can never be too careful (ahem, paranoid) :LOL

Benjamin Moore and Pittburgh Paint both have a no voc paint that has a very low odor. I just bought some yesterday and it was fairly inexpensive as far as paint goes(around $20 a gallon).

HAve fun painting!!

[dharmama]

I'm not planning to eat my placenta, though I'm totally open to the idea. I am planning to take it home (I'm having a hospital birth) and eventually plant it under a tree/bush during the baby's dedication ceremony.

Oh and someone asked this a couple of pages back but I'm slow to respond...

We are taking Bradley classes. I didn't feel that I really needed them (I'm a doula and trained in prenatal yoga) but I really thought they'd be great for DH. So far I've been pleased with the classes and DH is really into it. He's amazing me. Honestly...he was a guy who said "why would you CHOOSE to feel pain during birth when you don't have to" : just last year. Now he's ALL ABOUT advocating for natural birth.

I think the best part about our classes is that we meet after work and go out to dinner first so for 12 weeks, we have a guaranteed once-a-week date.

As for size...

I'm convinced that my clothing makes all the difference. I have a great pair fo comfy maternity overalls and when I wear them (which I did to church this morning) it seems like everyone tells me how BIG I'm getting. But when I wear a top and pants (most days) people have been telling me how small I am. :

Okay...10 p.m...can't keep eyes open any longer...

Good night!

~Erin

[eilonwy]

wow, what a neat board!

we're not planning on taking a childbirth class. i know what's gonna happen, and i know what i want. i also know that things don't always happen the way you expect them to (learned that the hard way : ) and that i should prepare myself (mentally) for the unexpected.. so i have/am.

i've had the shower birth dream a few more times... it's such a strange dream to me, i can't get the feeling out of my head. so now, i feel kind of nervous and kind of strangely serene when i get into the shower alone at night. :LOL

eating the placenta has a strange mystical appeal to me.. it's kind of strange, i know, but when i was 11 i had a dream that i gave birth to a baby girl and then i ate her caul and placenta... it seemed like a completing the circle kind of thing, like ashes to ashes.. from my body you came, to my body you return. (i remember my dreams almost every night, and have since i was a small child, but some of them are more vivid/real/surreal than others and have(had) a more lasting effect on me. the placenta dream was one of them. strange, but there you have it!

that said, i don't know that i could bring myself to do it irl... i suppose it would depend on how it looked. :LOL

no one ever comments on the size of my belly, regardless of what i'm wearing. i think they're afraid to because i'm a fat person and they don't know how to make a comment without sounding extraordinarily rude. the only person who's talked to me at all about it was another fat person who was once mistaken for her pregnant sister by a casual acquaintance of said sister; she's got an entirely different perspective on belly size than most people who've never had kids. :LOL :

[Modesto Doula]

irish- we watch more TV than that around here, but I really dont want a built in TV in the van. We have discussed getting a removable one that we can put in for extra long car rides- Mostly to rennaissance faires or serious road trips, but that's as far as I want to go. I want one that isnt available every time we go to grammas- I want to make sure my kiddos grow up seeing the farmland and orchards before they all disappear in this area.

I've been trying to drink pregnancy tea. My midwife is also an herbalist and she makes her own mix. It wasnt too bad the first couple weeks and I was up to 3 cups a day. All of a sudden, I just couldnt tolerate it, the thought of it was gross, so I quit drinking hers. I mix celestial seasonings raspberry zinger and traditional medicinals pregnancy teas with my regular iced tea to give it a little better flavor (and possibly some benefit- LOL), but drinking it straight just has ZERO appeal, although I do try occasionally.

I probably will plant the placenta. I'd like to plant it in a half barrel, so that when we move it wont be left here for the new people's animals to dig up or pee on =) I've been planning on moing my aloe into a half barrel, so if I put that off long enough, the placenta will fit nicely under that. Eating it is the last thing on my mind- no offense to those of you who are planning it... I dont like gamey meats, so Im pretty sure its just not my style =)

Im sorry to all your mommas whos DHs are into march madness... I like watching the Kings play, but Im so happy my DH is not a sports fan!

[Smithie]

My dh is enjoying our Bradley class as well. I think the exceptionally attractive teacher might have something to do with it, but hey, whatever works

I have been giving some serious thought to this placenta thing. On the one hand, I'm sure it's full of good stuff that my body would appreciate getting back. OTOH, you could say the same for menstrual blood, and I sure don't eat that. I think I'll promise myself to chow down if I'm bleeding a lot, and leave it alone if bfing seems to be doing the trick with my uterus.

In other news, protein is a vastly overrated substance. And I am sick of having my nutriotional choices affect another person. I believe in extended bfing, but this baby is just going to have to deal with simple carbohydrates and vodka tonics as a component of his breast milk.

[eilonwy]

Originally posted by Smithie
In other news, protein is a vastly overrated substance. And I am sick of having my nutriotional choices affect another person. I believe in extended bfing, but this baby is just going to have to deal with simple carbohydrates and vodka tonics as a component of his breast milk.

: Rock on!

[seedling]

Well, yesterday was a better day. When my DH got up, I told him "look, we've been at each other's throats. I hate it. I recognize alot of it is my fault. But we both have to agree to try to be positive today." I decided to include him in on it because he was kind of nasty to me right away that morning. (He would say I'm just being sensitive). Anyway, we had one almost argument but DD was around and she got concerned b/c our voices were raised (what kind of example are we setting!) and we descalated very rapidly and were laughing very fast at our explanations that we were just 'excitedly discussing something'. My DH is also a very physical guy so I made a concerted effort to give him kisses, hugs, etc thru out the day to reinforce this. And it worked. I feel so much better today. And we got thru what could have been a fairly stressful day (with both families here) in harmony. Yeah!

Abby, thank you for reminding me of the serenity prayer. I'm going to use it. I think I'll need it to get back in sync with my DD. She has been something else. I'd run to the store yesterday after the party and when I came back, she'd had one of her tantrums triggered by my Mom trying to help her use the potty. It was kind of a clue that it wasn't just me. She *IS* going thru a rough time right now. Still can't figure out why (maybe me and DH not getting along?) but there's definitely something going on.

Anyway, the party went fairly well. And my sister and DH got the entire yard mowed! We have almost 2 acres so this is no small feat. We usually mow for a couple of days every week in the summer. But my sister has a mower with a really wide deck and they got it done in about 2 hours including all the weedeating. It looks so nice! I LOVE her.

I've totally not been drinking my pregnancy tea the way I should in the past couple of weeks. I had been having at least one cup every day but somehow I've gotten out of the habit. I've been indulging too much in my wants lately too. This darn sweet tooth that I develop when I'm preggo. I don't usually like sweets that much. But lately... I'm still eating really well most of the time but am definitely having a few too many treats.

I'm 30 weeks tomorrow. GULP! Well, I've got a doctor appt this afternoon right smack in the middle of nap/work time so I'd better quit rambling and get to it. Good day all!

[liz-hippymom]

seedling-
i TOTALLY RELATE to your witchyness! thats me all the way..problem is ive been like that the whole pregnancy! We dont watch TV in the house, but my issues with DH stem from his complete space-cadetness...he forgets EVERYTHING, notices nothing and does reallly dumb things like ummmm - last week he smashed into another PARKED car while parking.... first of all the man has been driving for 7 YEARS whereas i have only been driving for three, but you dont see me doing that crap! he has banged up both the cars on numerous occasions and i am SICK of it . plus the whole not remebering things DRIVES ME NUTS...no matter what i say, if it isnt post-ited to his skull he will forget it... pre-pregnancy i had much more patientence for dealing with this, but now i have ZERO- ZILCE-NADA ..seriously..
plus there is the whole kid thing-----
i hate weekends- unless we spilt up- him with DSS and me with DS , then it is complete hell..if we go anywhere as a family i find myself wishing i could melt into the floor...there is something about DH that makes the kids act NUTSO.... tristan turns into an infant whining and crying and wanting to be held and everything is MINE- and Kiryn seeks attention in the most annoying ways, like hitting tristan, stealing his toys and doing EVERYTHING DH tells him not to do, then laughing in his face....DH has no control over them and further more he causes 10 times the behavior issues than i would ever have to deal with in the day... and i have like no power over them unless i devote ALL attention to them both when DH is around..making weekends horribly stressful for me.. i know the kids behaviors are normal, and i know its normal for their behaviors to be increased when DH is around, BUT the difference is night and day..on the weekdays they for the most part listen to me, and i can take them places as long as they arnt tired and hungry without them totally imbarrising me... but weekends are totally and completly HELL... i seriously count the minutes down till DH goes back to work...

so now i am thinking about DHs plan to take his vacation when the baby is born and im thinking- WHAT HELP WILL THAT BE EXACTLY? i think id rather he work and hire a postpatum doula...

AM i crazy?????

oh and we took BFW classes that just ended last week- and DH FORGOT to show up to one! it would be funny if it was not SO bad!

[Ceili]

I have to say I love my minivan. I've driven one for 10 years now, pre-kids. But it's on it's last legs now. I'm just holding out for the new Hybrid Toyota Highlander that's coming out next winter. I'd really rather have a minivan, but for good gas milage I guess I can live with the stigma of driving an SUV.

Placentas - I don't know if I'll eat any of mine. I might, but probably only if I'm feeling depressed. My best friend ate some of hers, she stuck it in the blender and mixed in as part of smoothie.

I don't get any comments on the size of my belly either. I'm carrying really low and flat (I have a long torso) and I've always worn baggy clothes, so sometimes it's really hard to tell. I've found that I only look really pregnant when I'm wearing maternity shirts and most of the time I just wear oversized t-shirts.

[eilonwy]

Our last car payment was going to be this month, and after that we were going to start saving for a (seriously used!) minivan. Of course, that plan has been postponed in a big way because I totalled the car and we had to get a new one. Yeah, the insurance paid for most of it, but now we have to insure the new car... It'll be at least two years I think before we can get a minivan now. *sigh*