Weekly Chat! March 11 through March 17th! - Page 3 « Back to Group Discussions

[MommyPixie]

Hi Everybody!

I am de-lurking after a few crazy months. It was very silly, but I freaked out when I went from having a due date in mid May to June 1st. "Ack! Technically not a May baby!" Hah hah. So I am finally over this foolishness and I want to get back to socializing! 

Name: 

Jenn

Weeks/Days along:

28.5 wks

Appointments:

Yesterday I had an ultrasound to check a low-lying placenta (totally fine now!). Oh man it has made my brain baby crazy. After work I spent hours organizing all the clothes by immediate use (up to 6 months I guess) versus later use. Then washing the clothes. Then getting out some baby toys. A little flurry of nesting.

Symptoms:

So many contractions! I am freaked out by how many BH contractions I have felt this go around. With DS, I had such a different experience.

Food:

Cheese! I am a cheese maniac.

Exercise:

Walking over a mile a day for my work commute (I am so spoiled to be so close!). I also did a restorative yoga class this weekend that was awesome. I moved to San Francisco a few months ago and I keep feeling blown away by how rich the yoga options are here. This class integrated yoga and hypnosis, was run by two doulas, and had special flows for the pregnant ladies. I felt so guilty about taking a whole Sunday afternoon off to go to the class, but it has made a huge difference in my mood.

Body changes and other milestones:

I'm huge. 

Thoughts:

I really hope people don't mind me popping back into the group this late in the game. I spent the winter moving, starting a new job, getting DS started in school, being sad that I don't know many people in CA, being pregnant, supporting DH in a frustrating job search, and generally feeling like I don't have my feet on the ground. I think DH's search to get back into a job after 3.5 years of being a stay at home dad has been a lot harder than I expected. But then again it might be awesome if he is home when the LO arrives.

What other basic info should I share to re-introduce myself? The baby is a girl! I made the u/s doc verify that it is just one and a girl. Hee hee. 

[Kamiro]

ETA: Thank you ladies so much for letting me vent. Much love to you all! ~*~*~*~

[Kamiro]

Oh, and Hi MommyPixie :) Sorry to be the Debbie Downer right now. Always feels nice to do something nice for others - so the quickest way to get rid of my pity party is to give you a great big welcome LOL

That yoga class actually sounds really nice!

[MommyPixie]

Originally Posted by Onemoreontheway 

Oh, and Hi MommyPixie :) Sorry to be the Debbie Downer right now. Always feels nice to do something nice for others - so the quickest way to get rid of my pity party is to give you a great big welcome LOL

Thanks, OneMore!

That day sounds genuinely terrible. If it helps you feel better, we had mac and cheese from a box for dinner, and I have no excuse at all! Other than the fact that just getting the basics done is so much more of a challenge some days. 

Tomorrow should have 200% more fabulousness than today?

[Kamiro]

Thanks Mommy Pixie :) I'll fake it til I make it! LOL

[forestmushroom]

Onemoreontheway, ((hugs))

I have been totally short of patience lately.... here's to getting through your school work so you can chill out a bit before baby!  <3

And HI mommypixie!  Give SF all my love, too!  Glad to hear you are settling in! 

[Astraia]

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=360166837357666&set=a.194206763953675.44713.167486533292365&type=1

This was on my FB this morning- hip displasia with different carriers. Super basic picture, I hope this loads properly for anyone interested!

[rozziemama]

Meredith: I think you should make the chiro appt. I keep meaning to myself - because I've been so uncomfortable recently... and with DS I went to a chiro every week and I'm sure that helped me feel as good as I did while so darn huge.

a good pregnancy chiro can really get babe to move, just by opening things up and giving him more space to flip.  Also - ever do any yoga?  I think bridge pose is very very good for breech position - and feels great on your back. Are there any prenatal yoga teachers near you you could talk to?

THere's also the swimming pool - doing some flips and handstands in the water... but that always seems more silly than anything to me. I mean, just how many flips do you have to do in the water? I think yoga postures are more feasible!
 

[shastalily]

Welcome back, MommyPixie!  Sounds like you've had quite a busy winter.  That yoga class sounds amazing.

OneMore...I hope today goes better.  ((((HUGS))))  Being pregnant sure makes everything harder.

[JynxGirl]

Astria - Thank you for posting that!!! My daughter has tibial torsion with femoral and hip rotations due to a bone disorder, so it's nice to see things to do to help this little guy NOT end up with similar problems.

[alittlesandy]

Onemoreontheway, hang in there! I'm an English Prof and would be happy to read your paper for you today if you want help with it. I'll PM you my email in case you're interested.

About babywearing and carrying: I think mamas should do what works best for them. I have used a huge variety of carriers, including the mainstream "bad" carriers and they all meet different needs. I believe they are all fine. I'm starting to hear hip displasia rumblings about the Moby now as well, and I think that until there is a significant evidence (remember, correlation is not causation) I have to take all of that with a grain of salt. If there were significant evidence, you can bet your bottom dollar that companies like Bjorn would look into it and issue a recall, because nobody wants to be sued. Gazillions of people use that carrier and ones like it and I've never heard mention of problems anywhere but on MDC. I don't want to start an argument, because I completely respect where everyone is coming from on this issue, but I feel like it's necessary to play devil's advocate on occasion.

I DO think it's great for women to have all the information they need to make a decision, so I appreciate people sharing the links and pictures, etc., but to have a mama apologize and tell people on the forum not to pick on her because she's planning to use her car seat carrier is sad to me. There is nothing wrong with women who carry their babies in car seats. Not every woman can babywear for a variety of reasons. And if the only carrier you have, like, or can use is a snugli or Bjorn, enjoy it!

[maryamrose]

welcome back MommyPixie, and welcome to the Bay! I thought about you a couple weeks ago and wondered if you ended up moving.

[lightheartedmom]

Just wanted to chime in and say hi monmypixie! There's a lot of bay area moms in this group and I'm in sf too. lots of great yoga options among other things.
Hope you're settling in nicely! Welcome back to the group!

[BubbleMa]

I had a Snuggli too, and my biggest issue with it was that it KILLED my back.  Even with a newborn.  It's just not designed very well IMO.  There are so many better options out there, but you don't know what works for you until you try it!

I don't know about the hip issues, but it does seem like if their legs are dangling like that it could cut off circulation.  Or at least be pretty uncomfortable.

Anyway, I had my 32 week appointment today.  Everything went well.  I'm STILL showing leukocytes and nitrites in my urine (an indication of UTI) even though I've tried every natural remedy I can find over the last several months.  So I'm going to have to get on antibiotics.  Grr.  Other than that everything is going well.  I finally heard the heartbeat with the fetoscope!  I'm only measuring 1/2 a centimeter bigger than last time, but she said that was normal.  Baby is still head down, so that's good.  :)  Oh, and my hemoglobin levels have gone up a full point since last time, so that's good too!  :)

I only have one more visit until our home visit!  ACK!  It's so close!!

[lightheartedmom]

Originally Posted by BubbleMa 

I had a Snuggli too, and my biggest issue with it was that it KILLED my back.  Even with a newborn.  It's just not designed very well IMO.  There are so many better options out there, but you don't know what works for you until you try it!

I don't know about the hip issues, but it does seem like if their legs are dangling like that it could cut off circulation.  Or at least be pretty uncomfortable.

I primarily used a Bjorn for DD1 and I HATED that carrier. By the time she was 13 lbs, it was too much for my back. And she definitely has residual hip/joint issues from that thing. If you're not going to do much babywearing, even still, a soft-structure carrier (look at mei tais on etsy!) is probably better. I really wish that I had known how bad the bjorn was when I was looking for carriers the first time around. :-(

[Kamiro]

Thank you ladies so much for listening to this ol' bat whine. Much love to you all. <3

I have some good news - I think DH is convinced on the name Dodi!!! <3

[Astraia]

Sandy- on the one hand I agree with you. There is no need to make new moms (or any mom, for that matter) feel guilty about her choices if she is choosing what is best for her. On the other hand, there's no reason to tell people not to say the negative stuff just in case they make someone feel bad about their choices. I don't know if the hip displasia thing is true, but I'm hearing it coming from a lot of different sources. There are a lot of rumblings about things that don't become known as dangerous until long, long after those first rumblings (ie, immediate cord clamping vs. delayed- rumblings, eventually there were studies, and even now immediate is the norm and delayed is "weird"). It can take a LONG TIME to change a culture of "well, it was good enough when I had kids"... or whatever... I am so not good at explaining things.

There ARE dangers to lugging a carseat around everywhere. Yes, I have done it, and will probalby do it again... well, maybe, except we're not getting a bucket seat! But telling any mom who plans to do that only "oh, that's FINE" is... not quite right. Saying "Oh, yes, use a Snugli!" when there are so many bajilllions of other options- some of which are a lot better- in case you offend someone also isn't entirely right. I agree that guilting moms into doing something how we would do it is wrong, but not saying anything when it could be helpful isn't exactly the best options either. As with everything advice-like, it's a fine line between information and guilt (or pressure, or too much information, or "why don't they just respect my decisions"). I know we've all been on the "just grit your teeth and smile" end of needless advice, but sometimes it's necessary or just hard to tell where the person is coming from or what they know or are receptive to.

I did use a snugli for a bit with my first, until I did more research and figured out why DD would cry every time I put her in it. I also know a LOT of moms who poo-poo babywearing because they couldn't wear their first past 10-15lbs because their backs hurt so badly or because baby starting screaming in the carrier, and they used Snugli/Bjorn style carriers. I have also been strapped into a harness for a few things that is the crotch dangling style, and i gotta tell you, holy shiznit is it ever freaking uncomfortable! If I was a kid, I'd cry too.

Rozzie and Meredith- I'm looking into chiros in my area right now to see about this seemingly permanent posterior position for all three kids now. I've also talked to my midwife about it and she recommended a homeopathic called.... something... I keep thinking it's kali carbonicom or something like that, but I talked to the naturopath at work and she was like, "erm, I don't think that's it...." so I need to call and ask. Also a LOT of information about Pulsatilla.

Definitely worth looking at spinning babies- the website has been redone finally (yay!) and makes a lot more sense.

Here's another link on breech presentation: http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/breech.html. I love the GentleBirth archives.

[cristeen]

Hi MommyPixie!  I think you're #5 for this group in the greater Bay Area.  We really should get together at some point.  I've met Maryam, but haven't managed to meet the other mamas yet. 

I'm at the point of needing to take it easier.  I was feeling so good on Monday, first day without any pain in weeks, that I just kept going and going, working on the house, cleaning, etc.  And yesterday I spent half the day sleeping, and my back was killing me.  Today again I'm exhausted, although luckily no pain.  Last night we wound up having Mac & Cheese and hot dogs for dinner (it was either that or leftovers and DH chose m&c), I just couldn't muster the energy to cook, and tonight will be leftovers. 

As for carriers - right now I'm eyeing a Bali Breeze woven wrap.  I tried DS in a woven wrap at the local babywearers meetup, and it was great, but the one that was long enough was too thick for a summer baby, I think the Bali Breeze will be a better choice. 

Personally I don't care for the sized carriers, like the K'tan or pouch slings.  Because I'm big to begin with, and my body is changing shape considerably in the first few months PP, it's so hard to get the right size.  I really have to go for the adjustability of a RS or Moby or other.

As for the Snugli or Bjorn, many moms/babies love them.  But I also know many who were put off BWing altogether by them.  Like a pp said, they're not designed all that well for proper weight distribution on mom, and as a NB it's probably not much of an issue, but as they get bigger/heavier, you can really start feeling it.  If it becomes a problem, just remember that there are other options out there, BWing should not be painful.  That's why I loved the woven wrap with my toddler - I was able to have him on my back for an hour without pain, and he weighs 40 lbs, and I was 20 something weeks pg.  All the other carriers I've tried to carry him in just kill my back at this point... I used them for ages, but he just got too heavy for them. 

[Kamiro]

Wow, LHM. I am really sorry to hear about your daughters hip issues still. :( How old is she?

I baby wore ALL the time with all 3 of my kids. Trusty ol' ring sling or padded sling. 

I happened to get gifted a Baby Bjorn and before I could even use it - that night (or within a couple nights, cant remember clearly) some one broke into my car and stole all kinds of things (dance costuming, DVD's, baby stuff..Just odd)

and the Baby Bjorn was one of the items!

I spent a good 6 months being angry about that because at the time Baby Bjorn was kind of the expensive, trendy, 'nice' item for your babe and...we were not doing very well financially. I muttered quite a few angry words at the thief!

Definitely sounds like it was a blessing in disguise giving your experiences. :(

Is any one else waking up in the middle of the night/super early and not going back to sleep? I went to bed at 1 am after doing homework, and woke up at 430 am. I couldnt go back to sleep so I got up and cleaned the kitchen. Went back to sleep about 9 until 11. Its also only about 5 hours sleep. I am functioning fine at this point, but I don't want to be all wore out before she gets here.

This seems to be a pattern the last week. Any one else?

***************************************************

After my pity party yesterday I got my paper wrote (Sandy-I only did 5 pages double spaced size 12 font. The prof. likes me so I don't anticipate being marked down too much as he is one who grades more on quality and opinion. After five pages I just ran out of stuff and I know he hates fluff. It was stressing  me out yesterday though! Thank you for your offers of help. You are so kind!)

I got one of my psych finals done with an 82%- I am technically DONE with psychology now!

I am working on my 2nd final which is a 3 day meal plan meeting all nutritional needs and staying within caloric and fat recommendations. Not too bad!

After I am done with this just the one more Criminal justice final on monday and I am done.

I can't believe how overwhelming everything felt the last two days, compared to how easily everything has fallen into place today. The kids are behaving and Dh just went to drive to my fave coffee spot to buy me a small espresso and a key lime bar, bless his heart...Wind is starting to pick up though, so I hope he gets back soon!

Living rural and being new to the area I don't really have any friends, so it was so nice to be able to blab to you ladies. Thank you for listening!

*************************************************************************

Originally Posted by lightheartedmom 


I primarily used a Bjorn for DD1 and I HATED that carrier. By the time she was 13 lbs, it was too much for my back. And she definitely has residual hip/joint issues from that thing. If you're not going to do much babywearing, even still, a soft-structure carrier (look at mei tais on etsy!) is probably better. I really wish that I had known how bad the bjorn was when I was looking for carriers the first time around. :-(

[janellody]

Originally Posted by Astraia 

Sandy- on the one hand I agree with you. There is no need to make new moms (or any mom, for that matter) feel guilty about her choices if she is choosing what is best for her. On the other hand, there's no reason to tell people not to say the negative stuff just in case they make someone feel bad about their choices. I don't know if the hip displasia thing is true, but I'm hearing it coming from a lot of different sources. There are a lot of rumblings about things that don't become known as dangerous until long, long after those first rumblings (ie, immediate cord clamping vs. delayed- rumblings, eventually there were studies, and even now immediate is the norm and delayed is "weird"). It can take a LONG TIME to change a culture of "well, it was good enough when I had kids"... or whatever... I am so not good at explaining things.

There ARE dangers to lugging a carseat around everywhere. Yes, I have done it, and will probalby do it again... well, maybe, except we're not getting a bucket seat! But telling any mom who plans to do that only "oh, that's FINE" is... not quite right. Saying "Oh, yes, use a Snugli!" when there are so many bajilllions of other options- some of which are a lot better- in case you offend someone also isn't entirely right. I agree that guilting moms into doing something how we would do it is wrong, but not saying anything when it could be helpful isn't exactly the best options either. As with everything advice-like, it's a fine line between information and guilt (or pressure, or too much information, or "why don't they just respect my decisions"). I know we've all been on the "just grit your teeth and smile" end of needless advice, but sometimes it's necessary or just hard to tell where the person is coming from or what they know or are receptive to.

I did use a snugli for a bit with my first, until I did more research and figured out why DD would cry every time I put her in it. I also know a LOT of moms who poo-poo babywearing because they couldn't wear their first past 10-15lbs because their backs hurt so badly or because baby starting screaming in the carrier, and they used Snugli/Bjorn style carriers. I have also been strapped into a harness for a few things that is the crotch dangling style, and i gotta tell you, holy shiznit is it ever freaking uncomfortable! If I was a kid, I'd cry too.

Giving advice is perfectly acceptable.  However, when someone isn't actually asking for advice every time they post something that they have purchased (i.e. me) and everyone jumps on board to talk about how awful that product is, it gets a little disheartening.  I don't believe anyone has any bad intentions, but at a certain point, when I am excited to post that I just bought something (snugli, travel system, nursery decorations) and every one tells me how that is a bad purchase, it just feels a little less supportive and little more like it's "my way or the highway" on this board. 

Being a new mom is so exciting until I get on here and talk about it...

Anyways, no need to get into another argument.  I will try not to post anything I purchase since I will assume 95% of you will disagree with it.  Gosh, this was supposed to be fun to share the baby excitement. Sigh.