week of July 19 - Page 2

[3bees~1flower]

Originally Posted by mirthfulmum

I don't remember who it was who pointed out that I may have miscounted my weeks but you are right. Upon a more careful count, I am 29 weeks, not 30. I'll be 30 weeks on Sunday. I guess I was just getting excited and hopeful and a bit of wishful thinking. I really can't wait for our little Harrison to make his grand appearance.

ummm, that would be me...:LOL....i was just teasing...i really can't wait to meet our bean either....

[Piglet68]

Well, I am just totally psyched and excited.

A dear friend just emailed me with her birth announcement. Their baby girl (they didn't know ahead of time the gender) was born on Emily's birthday!! her due date. They sent me what has to be one of the most gorgeous newborn photos I have ever seen.

I've been talking about babies and AP stuff since way before they conceived, and then she had an early miscarriage, so this PG was so wanted and welcome. I got her totally on board with AP, mum bought her Dr. Sears' Baby Book and she ate it up! I sent her a newborn sampler of cloth diapers, and my own "Cloth Diapering 101" sheet I made up for her. She is just going to be the most AWESOME mama - she is so ga-ga over babies as it is, and so loving and affectionate.

Anyways, I'm so glad I'm pregnant, because if I weren't I would be like "waaaah! I want one!"...and just living this whole experience with her has made me even more excited about meeting baby Sasha.

So I just had to share my warm, fuzzy, pregnant, baby-love vibes with you all. We're all getting close!!!!

[flitters]

25 weeks 3 days

hi mamas!!! welcome mtnjenny!

ooooh, slings. my first baby purchase was a pouch sling from walking rock farm. i think it will be really soft and comfy and the right warmth for our autumn baby. i'm also going to sew an ABC and maybe a non-padded pouch as well.

fun QOTW, but it's funny, i haven't really thought about birth as such... i feel more like i've set things up so that i'm likely to have a very positive birth experience and now i just wait and see how it goes. of course it's the big things i care about most - healthy baby, healthy mama, but now thinking about it more i guess there are certain detail things i envision too... labor beginning in the wee hours of the morning and laboring alone for a couple hours while it's still dark before calling our midwife and doula. dh being really strong and supportive. the dogs just lying on the couch watching. getting into the birth tub and finding some relief and extra strength from the water. pushing out the baby when my body feels ready and not tearing at all. feeling strong and powerful and fearless, knowing i can cope with any pains of birth and the intensity of the experience like billions of women before me. feeling the baby come out of me and maybe catching it myself with dh's hands right there too. bringing it to my chest and having it nurse right away. feeling amazed to meet the baby i've been carrying these months and overwhelmed with love. and then looking at its face.

[krnflwr]

more slings stuff

Who said they had a pattern for a sling or pouch? Care to share??

[kraftykathy]

Oops, I've been off for a couple of weeks and I can't believe how busy everyone here has been! It's going to take me awhile to catch up, lol!

QOTW - Okay, I'm also hoping for a dream birth like Lucysmama!!! We live on a pretty little farm. Our house is at the top of a little hill and at the bottom runs a small stream that runs out of a maple bush. It's spectacular in the fall and I've dreamed of walking through the woods in early labour as well! We are having a midwife attended homebirth, but like Lucysmama, I dream of birthing too quickly for the midwives to arrive. I'm getting an inflatable fishy pool for the birth but I'm going to wait until I'm actually in labour to decide if I'm going to use it or not. Yeah, in my dreams the birth is just me and dh (and our kids). In reality the midwives will likely be there, we'll see. I also hope to catch this baby with the help of dh. I caught our last one, but hubby was a little overwhelmed by how many people were crowded into our birthroom (for some unknown reason there was a whole bunch of interns there though no one asked me if this was okay?!) and he sort of got shunted to the side, poor guy. I really look forward to having him feel truly involved and needed this time!!!

I saw the midwives today (it is a group of several midwives, assistants and students) and so far we have gotten to know each one. But now we've finally found out which 2 midwives will be definately attending our birth. We are very pleased with these 2 ladies (and their student). I dream of a UC, but if these ladies do happen to make it there on time I know it will be a great experience!


Kathy

[mtnjenny]

I've been trying to figure this out, but I finally have to give up and ask...what's UC?

All the sling-advice has been great, thanks everyone! My sister gave me her Maya wrap, but I love checking out all the different options.

I know everyone's enjoying the "dream births," and keep 'em coming, but I've been dying to ask, as a first-timer, what's something you wished you would have remembered to do before the baby came? I know we can't plan everything for such a life-changing event, but I'm tryin' hard to get as many bases covered as possible before I start teaching again at the end of August. Hope it's not selfish to ask, hopefully others can benefit also!

[Lucysmama]

MtnJenny - UC is Unassisted Childbirth. You can read more about it at www.unassistedchildbirth.com

We would definitely be having a UC if this wasn't a VBAC(vaginal birth after cesarean)...but being a VBAC I feel more comfortable having it attended by a professional. Maybe next time...

[flitters]

i made a little video of my tummy getting kicks from the inside.
i'm not sure how long i'll leave the link in public like this, but i thought some of you might enjoy it.
it is about 4MB (mpg - video and audio) and runs for about 20 seconds.
it generally won't just load if you click the link but it will work if you right click and save it to disk.

i think it's cute.

[edit] if you want to see the little movie pm me and i'll send you the link... i just didn't want to leave it up here indefinitely [/edit]

[Lucysmama]

Linky no worky.

[flitters]

did you right click and do "save target as" ?
it won't load directly if you just click it like a normal link.

[blessed2bamommie]

I got it! Cute! OK! YOU make me look like I'm carrying twins!!!! I was in NO in the tub and I saw my belly moving. I started laughing and I needed to tell dh so he wouldnt call the paddy wagon. I called him to come and I guess I started the baby. He stopped.

[sqoya]

flitters - what a great movie!!! I love the music and the different shots. I was just thinking about doing the same thing... as soon as our house is done being painted, I can remove all the tarps, find my camera, and try it out!

QOTW: Being a first timer, I've just been focusing on what I DON'T want, i.e. no epidural, no episiotomy, no separation from the baby, etc. Since we're using a freestanding birth center, I think I can put all those worries behind me and now focus on what I DO want! YAY!!! I'm one of those people that researches everything for hours before making a decision, but I haven't done any reading on birthing itself (this has surprised all my friends)! I guess it seems like it can go any route, and no matter how much I prepare, it will be different than I ever dreamed of. Our first birth class is tomorrow, I'm so excited!!!

BTW, anyone trying hypnobirthing? It seems like hypnobabies is really popular.

[mirthfulmum]

Originally Posted by mtnjenny

I've been dying to ask, as a first-timer, what's something you wished you would have remembered to do before the baby came?

I wish that I had been better prepared mentally for just how huge a transition it is to have a little new person join your family. I know it sounds like this would be so obvious, but everyone kept telling me how great everything was going to be and how I could "handle" it. Then when Alias came home and those first few weeks of learning and adjusting and pacing for hours in the middle of the night, I was totally surprised by how unprepared mentally I was for parenthood. But fortunately the sense of feeling in over my head only lasted a couple of weeks. Before we knew it we had found our new family groove.

And did somebody mention Kegels? : Yeah... I keep meaning to do those.

[Lucysmama]

mtnJenny -

I would have lined up a lactation consultant and a postpartum doula before having dd. I ended up with a cesarean that was very difficult to recover from and I really didn't know where to get help when I needed it. I tried to do it all myself, and well....it didn't really work out for me. I also would have visited a LLL meeting or 2 before I had the baby. I didn't really know about them then, though.

I mentioned this last week, but I will mention it again since you weren't around....I am asking my MIL to organize a "feed the new parents" schedule this time. The idea is to have everyone who wants to help sign up for a date after the baby comes to bring us dinner....whether it be a casserole, a pizza, or Chinese take-out.

Little things like that I think will make our transition a lot smoother this time.

[3bees~1flower]

Originally Posted by krnflwr

Who said they had a pattern for a sling or pouch? Care to share??

well, i mentioned that i'm going to make my own sling....the pattern i have is on this site... www.ida.net/users/stace/sling.html i have made one that *may* work, but is a little shallow...i will make a better one at some point. hope it works for you!!

[Piglet68]

flitters: the video is precious! I also took shots of Emily moving in me, and will try to get some of Sasha. It is just SO cool, isn't it?

Mandi: I definitely recommend going to LLL meetings NOW. I started when I was about 25 weeks, and I am SO glad I did. It really taught me so much, and I felt really confident about breastfeeding when I went into hospital. I had my "womanly art of breastfeeding" book, and the numbers of my LLL leaders. Our hospital also had lactation consultants available, but I wouldn't have relied on them for all my knowledge. It's much better to go into it informed, rather than depend on whomever comes around.

One mistake I made was not choosing a ped before I went in. I just figured someone from the hospital could pop by while we were in there. Well, I ended up with a royal b*tch of a ped and she made me very upset. I wished I had found someone nice beforehand. You don't need any stress when you are postpartum!

Also, do research c-sections. I know most people don't want one, and hopefully won't end up with one, but if you find yourself having one and you know NOTHING about them, it can be pretty scary. Find out everything: if you end up having one, where will your birth center transfer you to? Do you have a choice of hospitals? What about your choice of anaesthesia (spinal or epidural), whether your spouse can be there in the room, can he cut the cord, hold the baby while you are being stitched up? Who will be performing the surgery, and most importantly...what are your hospital's policies regarding c-section mamas - are they allowed to be with baby immediately after the birth? Are they allowed to room in? Some hospitals make distinctions, even if mom and baby are both healthy after the cesarian.

Finally, for after the birth, I'd try to keep family and well-wishers away for a few days, unless you can be sure they will be a help and not a hindrance. I went into parenthood very confident and sure of how I wanted to do things (BFing on demand, cosleeping, no CIO, etc...) but still....in that emotional postpartum phase I did NOT want people around questioning me, pressuring me, trying to be "helpful" and not letting me find my way.

[flitters]

25 weeks 4 days

I'm glad you guys liked the video. I thought it was cute. I'll probably take the link down at the end of the day (and if anyone else wants to see it they can PM me).

Piglet, I think the baby moving is really cool too. It would be neat to compare the videos of Emily and Sasha. I'm also amazed at how strong the kicks can be... like if I'm leaning into my desk they are almost strong enough to roll my chair out a bit.

Mandi, I hope you make a movie too! I'd love to see it if you can share!

wannabmommie, it's so funny how so many times I go to show someone the movements and they stop instantly. Smart little babies! As for comparing our tummies, It's really interesting how differently people carry (high, low, round, oval, in, out)... even just changing position makes a surprising difference. Lying on my back I look way less pregnant than standing up.

Actually, now that I'm showing, the variety of things people say about my pregnancy and my tummy is actually pretty amusing. Within one lunch break I've gotten both "Oh, six months, you're so tiny!" and "Wow, you're showing a lot for six months!" They almost always claim to be experts too (especially the men). Like "I have 16 nieces and nephews and I've seen lots of pregnant women." or "Pregnant women don't show until 5 and a half months." I always just kind of smile (although I think sometimes I can't hide my smirk) and try not to roll my eyes.

Why is natural, healthy variation such a difficult concept??? Why do people come up with these ideas of a pregnancy mold that everyone should fit? They can't even agree with eachother! Oh my.

[OakEmber]

Flitters- I checked it out too, that was neat!

Mandi- I think that is a very healthy outlook you have and will serve you well.

Katie- that feed the family menu plan is a great idea...I just don't know if it's something that I'd feel right about organizing for myself and I don't know who I could delegate it too....maybe someone will ask!

Oh, and Mirthfulmum...that looks like a great sling, I still dunno what I'll do but I think I will wait until Sept. when I will be bringing in a little money to buy one anyway.

[AnnR33]

Mandi- I would stock up on good protein snacks-a big variety so when you're being picky your DH can offer lots of stuff-dried fruit, cheese, nuts, yogurt, etc And some frozen meals in the freezer ready to pop in the oven. I was so hungry for "good" food but certainly didn't want to cook so ended up eating not the best stuff.
I would also second going to LLL mtgs now-they are a great support and will give lots of advice and info that you can take what you need from.

Dr's appt today and the heartbeat was 168-that's the fastest yet...but it's ranged from 128 to 168 so who knows what this baby is doing in there. Last appt with this dr and now I'm on my own until I find a midwife when we move-hopefully soon.

Good news-she said new research says that back sleeping is not so bad after all and is fine for most women. babies are not affected by it at all and you should only stop if you get a little lightheaded-but the oxygen to the baby is not affected even when yours is in this case. Good news to me since I was going crazy finding a decent position to sleep in.
Ann

[stanleymama]

Flitters--I too enjoyed the video Thanks for sharing it with us!

And wannabe--my dh is always thinking I am playing tricks on him when it comes to the baby moving. With our first two, they stopped every time he would touch my belly. I would tell him that they were just awed by their daddy. With Samuel and this baby he has felt them really early on, but he will still do the "yeah right" look when I tell him to feel the baby move. He does it just to get me going He can be such a stinker.