October 2011 Whatever Ladies Havin' Babies! - Page 2

[akind1]

I was surprised how many people on facebook guessed Friday. Maybe that willl be the day - who knows? - DS was born on a Friday, but then he didn't exactly get to choose his day - he was evicted.

Funny thing is, the opening weekend of Ren Fest (Renaissance Festival) is this weekned, and that is when it is cheapest to go. DH and I really want to go! If I haven't had the baby yet, would it completely crazy to travel an hour to go? It's not like in the event of an emergency that there aren't hospitals nearby (it's in Charlotte) - and funny thing is, it might actually be closer to my doula, who is about 1/2 way between here and there.

We never did the amber for DS, but he did ok with most of his teeth, the only ones that really gave him trouble were the molars. It sounds silly, but I'd be way more likely to try necklaces on baby girl! (we get enough comments on how "pretty" DS is without confusing people with necklaces - it's probably a good thing he does best with really short hair too)

[Baby_Cakes]

Originally Posted by akind1 

Funny thing is, the opening weekend of Ren Fest (Renaissance Festival) is this weekned, and that is when it is cheapest to go. DH and I really want to go! If I haven't had the baby yet, would it completely crazy to travel an hour to go? It's not like in the event of an emergency that there aren't hospitals nearby (it's in Charlotte) - and funny thing is, it might actually be closer to my doula, who is about 1/2 way between here and there.

I bet because of this, she'll come before then! Whenever there's something we want to do, baby has a way of knowing!  

Are you able to do any type of meditation?  Even in the shower or something when you have a few minutes alone?  I did this with Finn and it really helped.  I would just close my eyes, talk to him, tell him I'm ready, it's time for him to let go and join us here.  That everything would be fine, that we were in it together, and I would be there for him when he was ready to come.  Just internal, I didn't say anything out loud.  But I felt like I needed to give him permission to come, and give myself permission to let go of him.

[akind1]

I do this pretty much in every spare moment I've got :) Even when it just breaks down to "come, baby, come" So far she hasn't heeded . . . But hey, she will eventually!

hope your coffee has kicked in!

[Baby_Cakes]

Originally Posted by akind1 

I do this pretty much in every spare moment I've got :) Even when it just breaks down to "come, baby, come" So far she hasn't heeded . . . But hey, she will eventually!

hope your coffee has kicked in!

Good!

It did but I need more!!  LOL!!

OMG so I was trying to see if I could use my Boba for a front carry for Finn.  It says for 15 lbs and up, so I weighed him.  He's 14 lbs!  At 7 weeks!  OMG, how hilarious is that??  Soon I'll get to wear him in the Boba!!  Yay.  I wish I could convert it but I don't have the newer one that converts for babies <15 lbs.  I'm happy b/c I paid a lot for the Boba and was actually looking at Ergos but now I see I really don't need one since he'll be in this Boba in a week or so anyway!

[akind1]

I love our Boba! For us, it's more comfortable than the Ergo. Finn is such a big guy!

Not much progress. I go for a biophysical profile on Monday if she doesnt come before then. I cried the whole way home from the doc. Hoping this is my emotional moment so she will go ahead and come.

[Baby_Cakes]

Aww.  I hope so too!  I think a good cry is sign that emotionally you are as ready as you could be.  

I never told anyone this, but the friday before I went into labor (I didn't go into labor until Tuesday, but still) I was just in a mood.  I needed to be alone, and I took a drive to clear my head.  Well, I didn't take a drive.  I drove to the food store and bought a pint of Ben and Jerrys and a Star magazine and sat in the parking lot and ate the whole damn thing.  I didn't care.  I needed to just have a moment.  It really cleared my head though, and from that moment on I didn't have anything but zen about when baby would come.   

[MarineWife]

kat. i hope she comes soon.

[AnnieA]

akind1, sending you lots of peaceful vibes. I can only imagine how frustrating it is while also being a bit scary remembering how your DS's birth went. It's funny but I don't remember having any major emotional breakdowns before I went in to labor with DD but I know it does happen with a lot of women. The morning of the day that my sis went in to labor with her second DD, she called me and just let loose. She was so done with what she thought was false labor and she was just mad! She called me at 3:30 that afternoon because the contractions had started again and she was so frustrated. By 5:30, I could tell in her voice that they had changed. She headed to the hospital at 7:30 PM and my niece was here at 9 PM! All the stuff you've been feeling so far is doing something. Oh and she had gone to the hospital the night before because she was convinced she was in labor and she was only 1 cm. When she went back to the hospital at 7:30 PM, she was 8-9 cm! Things can change SO fast!

Baby_Cakes, Finn is a chunk! I was so happy that DD hit 10 lbs the other day at 11 weeks...Finn could smash Ava!

AFM, you guys, I'm seriously having a MAJOR issue with returning to work. Monday is my first day back and I just don't know how I'm going to do it. It isn't so much being separated from DD because I won't be gone from her the entire day. I will see her during my lunch break. But I'm just concerned about how someone else is going to take care of her. She isn't the easiest baby to deal with. I'm worried that her babysitter is going to quit in a few weeks after taking care of her! Her babysitter has never done this before and the majority of her child care experience has been with her DD, my goddaughter. My goddaughter O is one of those trick babies, you know the ones that are so easy going and easy to take care of that they trick their parents in to having more because they think all babies are that way? I was emailing with M yesterday about DD's hunger and sleep cues and we were talking about getting together before Monday to go over some stuff. She made a comment about putting DD to bed early on Sat and Sun night so she would be well-rested Mon morning. I just started laughing to myself because there is no way that DD would tolerate going to bed before she is ready! She is a strongwilled little girl and just choosing an earlier sleep time would not work with her! On the other hand O has always been such a good sleeper so I can see how M would think that's all you need to do.

I took DD over to M's house last week and had her stay there for about an hour while I went to my office to do some paperwork with HR. She was fine while I was gone but as soon as she heard my voice, she started bawling. It broke my heart! I think that was one of the reasons why she was so clingy late last week. She didn't want to let me out of her sight again! Not working right now though is not an option. Everyone is on my insurance and we need to keep coverage on DD. If DH were able to find a different, better-paying job with better benefits, then I would be able to stop working. Gotta tell you that is high on my prayer list right now!

DD had a cardiology appt today. She's going to have to have another cath procedure in 4-6 weeks. Ugh, that is going to S.U.C.K. She will have to be sedated and intubated for that but it should be an outpatient procedure. If she has trouble being extubated then they will keep her overnight. She took a long time being extubated the last two times she was intubated but her dr thinks it was because she was so small. She also is having some sort of electrical issue in her ventricles so she had to get hooked up to a monitor for the next 24 hours. Kind of a pain but it's what she had on her for the first 3 weeks of her life so we are both used to it. Once they get the data from that, they will be able to get a better idea of what is going on.

I put the rocker/cradle thing away! She is sleeping either in my arms, in her sidecarred crib or in my bed. Yay!

MW, how long does D stay awake during the day? DD can only stay awake about an hour before she needs to go to sleep again.

[akind1]

Annie, I feel you on going back to work! It will be an adjustment for both of you. DS will not put up with being put to bed any earlier than he's ready either - it just takes longer. If we wait until he's good and ready, bedtime takes less than 10 minutes. The one thing that makes going back to work bearable for me is that I work from home 4 days out of 5, so I'll be here with the kiddos, and the one day I'm in the office, DH takes care of them. Does he do everything how I would? no, but so far he's managed ok. And I admit, the days I'm in the office, DS still punishes me when I get home by being super clingy and just all around fussy and whiny when I'm home. But it must be done.

Can you do another trial run before Monday with M? maybe to put you all more at ease?

I'll be thinking of wee Ava when she has her cath. hope she doesn't need to be there overnight, but if she does  - you know its necessary.

Carrie - I love me some Ben and Jerry's! - DH cracks up because I have a "mountain" of ice cream everynight I can for dessert. And I've still only gained about 10 lbs this pregnancy. (I went back down 2 lbs yesterday). I really hope Finn outgrows his reflux soon - it's not easy on either one of you!

Thanks for all the peaceful vibes. I am going to work very hard these next few days on getting back to a zen place. I think environment has a lot to do with it, and my MIL has been not so positive lately (not about the birth - just in general)  - she is so worried about finances and stuff she actually said to DH  that sometime she wonders if it would be better if God would take her and we could just use the insurance money. DH was like, what am I supposed to say to that? It scares me, because she's a history of depression and while I know she needs to talk to someone, can she not lay stuff like that on DH? He doesn't need it. and it worries the heck out of me, because (if she did die) it would just create a whole other host of problems, and then she's miss out on the one thing she loves, and that's watching her grandson grow. At any rate, I don't think it helps, she sends off weird vibes.

I think, barring baby's arrival, I totally want to do the festival on Saturday. Why not?

[MarineWife]

kat ~ the only issue i can think of with going to the festival is if you had to go to a hospital with strange docs who might not be so supportive of a VBAC. so, maybe if you start to fell something happening, don't try to ignore it and continue on if you have a ways to travel back. does that make sense?

Annie ~ to you, too. i'm sorry i don't have any words of comfort or wisdom. I think that as long as your babysitter knows how you parent and agrees with it (hopefully, she parents in a very similar way), she'll do all right. It will take some adjustment for her and Ava as well as you. Leave it open for her to call anytime for anything.

I'll be thinking of little Ava. She's such a cutie. Dylan is about 14 lbs. now at 10 weeks. A chunkster but not as big as Finn.

I know what you all mean about bedtime. Trying to put my kids to bed earlier would just be frustrating and take longer. It's better for all of us if I wait until they are ready, even if sometimes it's very late, like last night. D kept me up until about midnight, which I don't get because his last nap ended at around 7 pm. He did take a little cat nap from about 9-9:30 but I didn't think that short nap would keep him up so late.

I guess that sort of answers your question, Annie. He can stay up for quite long stretches, I guess, although he doesn't do that during the day. He's usually only up and happy about it for about an hour. If I can get him down for a good nap, he'll sleep for 2 1/2+ hours twice during the day, once in the morning and once in the late afternoon/early evening. He also gets a 1-2 shorter naps in the middle of the day.

Do you guys know how long it takes for whatever you eat to get into your breastmilk? I'm wondering if what I ate for dinner last night could have been part of the reason D was so restless last night. I had some pasta with tomato sauce and cooked tomatoes did bother him when he was first born so I stopped eating them. He was really gassy last night. I didn't eat until around 8 pm, though. That's seems rather quick to be metabolized and gotten into my breastmilk.

[akind1]

MW: have no idea re: metabolization of stuff. but it does seem quick.

and yes, if something were to happen quickly, might have to deal with strange docs. . . we'll see how I'm feeling Saturday morning. OTOH all that walking and stuff might be really good for me. and it's a distraction, which is also helpful.

[Baby_Cakes]

This site says it can be very soon, like 4-6 hours from the time you eat it.

http://www.breastfeedingbasics.com/qa/what-i-eat-to-get-into-my-breastmilk

Annie - hugs.  That was the hardest thing when I left DD with my MIL.  HOW would she get her to nap?  To take the bottle? What if she cried the whole time?  But, I found it was best to just let them figure out their own way of doing things.  I might not do it that way, but as long as it worked and DD's needs were getting met, it had to be ok.  I'm sure your sitter will soon realize that things need to be done differently than she is used to, and they will adapt.  

And of course, I'm thinking of sweet Ava and her upcoming surgery.  How frightening. 

I'm convinced Finn will outweigh Nora before long!  LOL!!  At 3 years old, Nora is 32 lbs.  If he keeps growing at this rate, it won't be long!  He's diesel!  It's reassuring b/c with all the spitup issues, at least he is gaining well (quite well) and I don't have to worry about that.  And all his poops are good, and he has great diapers.  One less thing to stress over, you know?

Kat - I don't know how you feel like doing ANYTHING, but I say, since you feel like going, GO!!  

[Baby_Cakes]

Hmm, it sure is quiet around here today.

I'm thinking of trying to give up soy.  I haven't done it so far b/c it's a huge part of my diet, and I'm really not sure what I'm going to eat.  Anyone have suggestions?  I mainly use tofu and soymilk, but we also do a ton of stir frys with soy sauce.  I rely on boca burgers for protein and for quick meals.  It's going to be really hard.  But, I bought some almond milk and some rice milk and am just going to have to make it work somehow.

[MarineWife]

D was overly fussy this morning. once he finally did go down for a nap, i tried to get some cleaning done. got in a huge blow up fight with ryan. i don't know why we have to do that. maybe ryan needs to blow off steam because he's always very nice afterward. i hate it, though.

i saw that about the soy on FB. the only thing i could think of to sub for the soy is beans. eating lots of beans scares me, though, b/c it causes gas. quinoa is supposed to be a good, mild source of protein.

[Baby_Cakes]

I think he's ok with beans, it's hard to tell b/c he's very gassy already and I eat a substantial amount of beans.  We have quinoa 2-3 times a week already, too, though with stir fry so I'll have to find another way to eat that.  Sigh.  Worth it to make him more comfortable but this is sure going to be a huge challenge, especially while already restricting things for weight watchers.

[MarineWife]

i was going to say, you may not need WW anymore if you do this.

that's why i can't cut out dairy. i haven't been able to find a good substitute.

[MarineWife]

D has been refusing my right breast all day. that's the one with the extremely hard let-down. i don't know what to do except keep offering. he cries and screams when i do, though. he'll take my left one without much trouble.

[Baby_Cakes]

Daiya cheese is very good and is GF and soy free.  And I like coconut milk and almond milk.  It's the burgers, patties, and tofu that will be extra hard.  Hell, if I have to live off cereal for a few weeks til I can figure this out, I will, lol.

ETA isit engorged?  Can u pump some off or express some into a prefold?  I still do that from time to time if he goes too long b/w feedings.

[MarineWife]

i doubt i could find that cheese around here. the stores here are pretty conventional. what is it made of?

part of my issue with dairy substitutes is that they usually aren't real food. they are manufactured foods. KWIM?

i tried coconut milk. no one liked it. i can't do almond milk because i'm sensitive to almonds. i like rice milk ok but, unless they've started adding it, there isn't any protein in it. and, that's not a natural food, anyway. rice doesn't make milk. i don't think coconut milk has much, if any, protein, either, does it? i don't drink milk anymore, anyway. i struggle to get enough protein and fat, which is why i need the cheese.

the most difficult thing about cutting out dairy is that it's in almost everything, like soy. casein and lactose are very common food additives as is soy lecithin. it's virtually impossible to completely eliminate it. same with gluten, really. it all just sucks.

it's so hard for me to eat healthy that i've pretty much given up. it's too expensive, too hard to get and too much work. i'm defeated.

not engorged at all. i've been collecting the milk while he's nursing on the left and then switching him over but he still won't take it.

[Baby_Cakes]

Originally Posted by MarineWife 

i doubt i could find that cheese around here. the stores here are pretty conventional. what is it made of?

part of my issue with dairy substitutes is that they usually aren't real food. they are manufactured foods. KWIM?

Part of my issue with dairy is that humans are practically the only species to drink another mammals milk past infancy/childhood.  

Daiya really is a totally manufactured food, it doesn't have a lot going for it other than the fact that it's a good vegan cheese -- meaning it melts, stretches, and doesn't contain soy.  But as for nutritional value, eh.  It's not that great for you.  Coconut milk has a lot of healthy fat but not a ton of protein.  Nut milks are better for that.  And fwiw, soy doesn't make a milk either (like rice doesn't).