August 27 weekly chat!! « Back to Group Discussions

[rebecca10]

Wow! I can't believe August is almost over.  How are all the new moms and babies?  Congrats to all of you!

And who else is still pregnant??  I hope you are all feeling well, and that the overdue mama's babies come quickly!

I'm here, still waiting, but that's probably a good thing since this week is shaping up to be pretty intense.  My grandmother had emergency intestinal obstruction surgery yesterday and they very unexpectedly found a huge tumor that is probably cancer, which is devastating, although we are still waiting for  the biopsy result to figure out exactly what it all means.  And it's particularly hard timing for me right now because it means that my mom is out of town at hospital with her, and our childcare for our daughter when I go into labor is completely up in the air, after thinking it was completely set and totally ideal since my daughter is so used to being with her grandmother and even loves spending nights over there.  Meanwhile, my daughter started her first day of real preschool today, and I'm feeling pretty sick with a cold or something, so all in all it just feels like a lot to deal with.  I'm trying to do my best to stay positive, but it's tough.    

[sarahdb]

Thinking of you, rebecca10. It sounds like you've got a lot on your plate right now. Hope your labor stays away as long as you want it to, or until you're feeling like you're in a better place. 

I can't believe we're almost to the end of August! I still remember December, when this all seemed so far away, and now I look down at my daughter... it feels so surreal. What a journey.

My mom finally arrived yesterday (Elodie was born almost 2 weeks ago), and she'll be here for 2 weeks. I'm so happy to have her here to help out. I'm severely behind on sleep, and breastfeeding has been so challenging. Elodie needs to nurse almost constantly, and I've had more than one 6-hour block of straight nursing. So exhausting. But it's the only thing that will calm her down, and I can't stand to let her cry. My MIL somehow bullied her way into coming to visit this coming weekend, right in the middle of my mom's visit. I'm not too happy about that, but at the time I was so weak from my labor that I didn't know how to say no. She keeps talking about how much she's going to hold Elodie. I'm not sure she understands that Elodie doesn't do much besides nurse and sleep--there is very little time to actually hold her, and she's pretty fussy and won't be comforted by anything but nursing. My MIL has already told DH that we should be letting her cry more, and that we need to get her on our schedule so that she doesn't run our lives.

I am so dreading her visit and having to defend my choice not to let Elodie cry it out. I don't even want MIL to even hold her! Ach, I'm having a really bad attitude about the whole thing.

[1stTimeMama4-4-10]

The MIL issue can be tricky. Mine has some serious boundary issues and as a brand new mom I lacked the confidence to tell her when she was seriously overstepping. That won't happen again. Do not allow yourself to be bullied and enlist your DH's help so that MIL cannot play you off each other. Good luck.

[LeAnn A Doula]

One more week! Wow, I kind of can't believe I'm still pregnant.

Congrats to all the new mama's! Thinking of you as you get to know your new babes! :)

Rebecca - I hope your LO waits for things to settle a little for you and your family. I'm sorry that your grandma is dealing with such unexpected health concerns. Hugs to you!

Sarah - I'm sending lots of strength and patience to you! It sounds like your MIL's visit is going to be a challenge but I hope you can still enjoy your time with your Mom. I posted on the nursing thread you started, too. Take care of yourself mama!

AFM, I'm still pregnant, 41wks+2. Lu (Louisa is at the top of our list, Poppy) more than passed her NST yesterday and fluid looks good. I'm still just 1cm but we're effaced now, so that's some progress. We scheduled an induction for Sunday night if I haven't gone into labor by then. I'm really hoping to avoid induction so this week is going to be full of walks and sex for us. :) I have another NST on Thursday and I'll have my membranes stripped then if we're still just hanging out. I didn't want to do it yesterday because it was DH and my birthday and I didn't think it would make for a very relaxing evening. :) I was also up and going at 4am yesterday! Hello, nesting energy! Isn't that supposed to be sign?!?!

[andaluza]

Thinking about you Rebecca So sorry to hear about your grandmother and your mom being away when you may need her support. I hope that things work out with very little more stress for you.

Sarah, glad to hear about your mom's visit, but sorry about the strife your mil could cause. It stinks that you feel as though you'll have to be defensive of your choices. I'm a little wary about what will happen with my mil, but we'll only be there over Christmas, so by then we should be able to defend our decisions with our vast 4 months of experience. 

LeAnn, I hope you can avoid the induction. I just wanted to mention that the nurses who cared for me during mine were really wonderful and one of the things that they said helped make it a relatively quick (though not painless) process was that he was in such a great position. I attribute it to the walks, yoga, inversions, etc. that I was doing at the end. I wrote about some of the highlights of my induction on the Bajingo grads thread in the I'm pregnant forum if Sunday approaches and you want to hear a relatively positive experience. The disclaimer is that I could not manage the pain of the intense (non-natural) contractions past 5-6 cm. Even still, baby M was not affected at all and the nurses caring for me and him afterwards were pretty amazed at how alert and eager to breastfeed he was from the get go. Apparently that is not necessarily typical, but if there's a reason for it, it's got to be due to how well my body was prepared even though I had to face the induction.

Afm, M is 5 days old and my milk has been in for over 24 hours...it started coming in the night before last, which was so much better than the totally sleepless night I had Sat (our first home from the hospital). M had a huge sucking instinct in the womb, apparently (in the 2 bpp I had because I was overdue his hands were in his mouth constantly) and I am really thankful that so far breastfeeding has been smooth.  Apparently my mom was a geyser (her words), but she had inverted nipples so it was a little rocky with me at first, but M was able to latch on right away during our skin to skin time and has been pretty good ever since. I want to hand express some milk today, that's my goal aside from just trying to do the baby care and feedings. 

We went to the pediatrician yesterday to do weight and jaundice checks and general overall health and all looks good. He had been down 8 oz when we left the hospital Sat, but was already back up 4 oz by midday Monday, so soon I hope he breaks into 7 lb territory :) He's definitely a tall, skinny baby, aside from his cheeks.

All in all, I am on cloud 9 with being a mom. It has exceeded my expectations in every way so far, and they were already set really high to begin with.

Edited by andaluza - 8/28/12 at 9:48am

[JennaSpring]

Rebecca, I sure do hope you are feeling better and that your grandmother is okay.  So hard to be dealing with all of that plus your impending labor and delivery.  Hang in there, mama!

Sarah, don't you just hate it when other people interject their unwanted opinions about what you should be doing?  Nothing makes me crazier.  The other day I was at a farmer's market getting a decaf mocha for myself and a chai for my husband, and when I ordered the mocha, the guy behind the counter said, "Well I assume you want decaf..."  Wow.  Dude almost got himself punched in the teeth.  It made me want to order a regular just to spite him.  I firmly believe that as moms, we are innately tuned into what our babies need and how to best take care of them.  I hope your MIL can hold it together and let you do what you feel is right and best and healthiest for your little girl.  Super hard when it's family though to speak your mind.  The coffee guy is one thing, but with family it's a totally different story!  Hope everything goes well. 

LeAnn, You have such an amazing attitude.  I know everything is going to go just great for you with or without an induction. Hopefully your baby will decide to make her appearance this week.  It must be fun to know that you are going to meet her FOR SURE very, very soon.  I hope you and your husband are enjoying your last few days of just the two of you time.  Hurray for effacement, and we'll all be thinking some happy dilating thoughts for you this week!

AFM, my due date is tomorrow!  My midwife doesn't do cervical checks until active labor, so I have no clue if I am dilated at all yet or if I still have another two weeks to go.  I have been feeling some menstrual like cramps last night and this morning, but as a first timer, I really have no idea if that means anything.  Maybe I just overdid it yesterday cleaning the house.  :)  I wouldn't be surprised if it was another week or even two.  Still, I'm having a nice time being off of work, washing everything, making brownies, watching silly movies with DH, and taking long walks.  My sister in law and I went for a major hike on Sunday, and it felt so great to get some good exercise.  At my baby shower we started a guessing list (guess baby's gender, weight, date, and height).  So far it's got about 40 guesses on it, and yesterday my husband wrote down his guesses, and next to his name, he wrote: "(papa)".  Of course I started bawling.  So sweet.  He is going to be the best dad and I can't wait to watch him be a father.   That is one of things I am most excited about.  

Anyone else out there still waiting?  I love hearing from all the new moms.  Keep your updates coming if you have time, ladies!  It's fun to hear how everything is going for you all.

[ilovetchotchkes]

My little girl is nurse nurse nurse! all day long! she took a long time to start regaining weight- I was afraid for a bit we were gonna have to supplement. But it didn't happen! 

My SIL has a baby scale and we weighed her, she was 9 3 fully clothed, so i'm assuming she's back to her birth weight. PHEW! 

Its so weird having a new born baby. I keep expecting her to be like my toddler- its hard getting used to the newborn habits again. And she's a different kid than my son. And I love that they're different. 

My friend gave me a gift for both the baby and my toddler. BOOB HATS!!! You have no idea how delighted this makes me ! 

Even though the toddler is weaned  (little booger self weaned during pregnancy! I wanted to tandem!) he refuses to take his off when we're at home. :D 

[rebecca10]

Hi everyone! So only two days left in August, and finally my due date has arrived.

Sarahdb--Hope things are starting to get a bit easier on the nursing front, and you are getting rest. MILs are really hard. Mine is super well meaning, but I still end up feeling just like you are--I'm already dreading their arrival on the 15th. My best piece of advice is just to stay strong, and make it clear that you are going to do things your way without getting into to much of a back and forth about it if possible. I stilll remember my MIL telling me when my daugher was two weeks old, I should just let her cry in the swing since "she needs to learn how to cry"--I was furious, but after I made clear that no, I was going to pick her up and I didn't believe that a newborn needed to learn to cry by herself, she got a lot better at least with the direct remarks--as for the passive aggressive parenting tips, those we are still dealing with . . . but it is definitely better. Good luck, and I totally agree that if things get bad. try to use your husband as an intermediary.

LeAnn, JennaSpring--Hope your babies are here by now or on its way!!!

Andaluza--so great to hear you are so happy with the begining of motherhood. Hope things continue going smoothly

Ilovetchotchkes--sounds like things are going great! yay! Love the boob hats.

AFM, we just got the wonderful news that my grandmother's tumor was benign!!  So that's really great news, and now it's just about recovering from the major surgery which is so, so much better than also having intenstinal cancer would have been.   And I'm finally feeling ready for the baby to come, so now it is really just about waiting. I was having some more contractions than usual yesterday, but nothing much seems to be going on today, except when my daughter was nursing for over an hour this morning--not sure those were productive contractions, but wow, they were good to practice my relaxation skills with.   It would be fun to actually have the baby on my due date, but I have a feeling we've got a few more days. 

[Ninetales]

Hi all!  I know I haven't been commenting but I try to read to keep caught up on everyone.  Congratulations to everyone who's had their babies and speedy labor vibes to everyone still waiting. 

We've reached the point here where I can't really remember what it was like to not have Oskey.  I miss having a (semi) clean house, though.  He's a real tree frog and needs his mama, which I will oblige.  Makes it hard to keep up with the house though, particularly with a toddler and a husband who is blessed with the amazing ability to look at four bags of garbage but not see them.  ;)

I'm pretty happy that we've been able to get out and about a lot sooner than with Elsa.  I've taken them both grocery shopping a few times, we get out multiple times a week to the chiropractor, and we even drove to Detroit to go to the zoo last week.  The zoo itself was easy, it was the car ride that sucked.  Oscar is not a car baby so far.  So we're doing pretty ok.

[JennaSpring]

Chotkes, I love those boob hats!  Hilarious and adorable!  

Happy due date to me!  Tomorrow is a blue moon, so that would be my vote for baby's birthday!  :)  

[DesertSunsets]

Jenna, we are also hoping for a blue moon baby!

Obviously, still pregnant over here. Due date is tomorrow/Saturday, depending on who you ask. No cervical checks, so no idea what is really happening down there.

Love hearing about what is going on in everyone's lives!

[midstreammama]

I'm officially 41 weeks. I would love a blue moon baby too! Or tonight would be ok...I am feeling some light contx but nothing that knocks my socks off..and nothing that I haven't really felt before..they do seem to be a bit more regular though...idk it's so hard to tell and this is my 4th!

[LeAnn A Doula]

I'm happy things are going so well, Ninetales! I think being able to get out and about is going to be huge for my sanity, too.

Add me to the blue moon hopefuls! Still pregnant here at 41+5. Sigh... Lu passed her NST yesterday w no issue and I had my membranes stripped. I was having contarctions every 2-4mins, lasting about 1min all evening. This morning things have calmed down, which seems to be the norm. We'll see if they ramp up again this afternoon/evening. I'm feeling pretty good but its probably the most anxiety I've experienced this entire pregnancy. Mostly just hoping to be able to avoid the induction and the worries about increased risks for post-date babies. I'm trying not to worry too much. I just really want to kwon what labor/birth is going to be like in my body, kwim? I feel like induction would kind of take that away from me. Sitting in the hospital for 12hrs trying to get things started is not exactly what I had in mind. :/ I guess I'll just have to find a way to reconcile myself to that reality if it comes to that. We're getting 'labor day' jokes at this point. :) It never occured to me that I'd have a September baby! 

My thoughts are with you, mamas & fellow mamas-to-be! I can't wait to join the breast feeding support thread! ;)

[rebecca10]

Here's hoping for lots of babies today!!! And lots of smooth deliveries!

I lost my mucous plug last night. I know that doesn't mean much but at least it makes be feel like things are progressing.

[NewMumJoy]

Hellooooo Mamas!!!  Wow I CANNOT believe that it's the end of August and that 1 month ago I was sailing past my EDD and entering "overtime" territory..... where did the month go???  I've really missed being online and keeping up w/everyone - by now many in our DDC have had their babies - congrats to all and I look forward to your updates!  Judging by the length of this week's chat thread, I'm guessing many mamas are now settling down w/their new LOs - yay!!  And, how many are still left?  Rebecca, LeAnn, Jenna, DesertSunsets, Midstream??  I'm thinking of you mamas-in-waiting and anyone else who's still out here... sending happy positive labor vibes...

Oh, have any of you tried acupuncture yet??  Or homeopathic blue cohosh?  Those really gave me a noticeable boost w/contractions during my overdue days (and I'm sure they would have done the trick if it weren't for a pre-existing condition that actually prevented me from dilating....)

Rebecca - wonderful news about your grandmother!!  Hope she has a speedy recovery from her surgery!

AFM - we're about 2 1/2 wks PP and I'm steadily coming back to the world and keeping up w/our new routines.  My first week home from the hospital was incredibly hard and awful, recovering from surgery (it really did a number on me!!), being in a lot of pain, swollen and unable to move or do anything on my own.  But by last weekend, I made it over the "hump" and have had noticeable improvements day by day.  Little things like being able to roll out of bed, climb stairs, bend over, fix meals, shower, hold and maneuver baby, take walks and even short outings are now possible - WOW!!  My inlaws were here the first 2 weeks (super helpful, but glad to see them go nonetheless) and my mom's been here this week.  DH is back at work and will be traveling abroad next week.  My Mom is way more "hands off" and basically only able to hold baby while sitting on the couch (and doesn't move from that spot) - so I feel like I'm getting good practice for being alone next week and doing everything on my own....

And baby William is just wonderful!  He's changing every day and already up about 1 lb from his birth weight.  I just wish I had more free time/hands to keep up w/taking photos and documenting this fleeting and precious period.  He's a screecher (just wanting suck suck suck) but once settled is a great sleeper.  He still spends waaaay more time sleeping than not, and I often have to wake him to be fed.

Our breastfeeding relationship however has been in serious jeopardy since being home from the hospital and that is literally now the bane of my existence.  We started off "great" at the hospital, but due to his early weight loss and my milk supply coming in late we had to start pumping and supplementing w/formula by day 3.  I have a great public health nurse whose been making house calls and working very closely w/me on this (yay Canada!)  We've tried so many different approaches but without success, and unfortunately I'm inching my way closer (w/each feeding) towards exclusively pumping - which is sooooooo much work....  I'll try post more detail on the "breastfeeding support" thread next time I have a free moment .....  :\ 

Enjoy all your new babies and best wishes for our final batch yet to arrive!!!

[poppylove]

Hi everyone!
LeAnn, the name Louisa is just lovely! Hoping you get to see her soon.

And let the blue moon babies start coming out! (desertsunsets, Jenna , rebecca, midstream) wohhoooo!
I think I will have a beer tonight to celebrate!

Sarah, I totally know how hard it is to feel insecure with people (especially in laws) telling you what you should & should not do with baby. Stick to your guns mama, and perhaps Elodies nursing around the clock is a blessing in disguise. Sounds like she is incredibly and wonderfully attached to you!

Rebecca, so happy the tumor was benign, just the info u need to settle into a peaceful mindset for delivery.

Chotchkes, the boob hats are too cute. I get you on the toddler part. It's a weird and sometimes sad reality for me that my dd is not my baby anymore. It also has sort of overwhelmed me at times thinking about starting over.

Hi nine tales, what an awesome report. Oskey, so cute. Love his name. Totally impressed with your outings already!

And for us,
We have been home from the nicu for 2 days now! Luckily, Phoebe is an exceptional eater so I have not had a problem there. Although I do have some sore and engorged boobies. Ow!
We are just so happy to have her home and healthy.
(1sttimemama, I hope to hear you say this soon too)
My birth experience was so incredibly healing for me you guys. I feel like I can take a deep breath and move on with my life now. (I had so much residual fear and anxieties from Dd1s birth)

Anyways, gotta run, P is waking up and needs to eat (man she is a chubbers)