Week of September 13...we're halfway to October!!!

[blessed2bamommie]

October Mamas Roll Call

momtol&a
Yoga mama
snugglebutter 10/01
mirthfulmum 10/03 BOY! Harrison Eliot Smith
*prediction: last week of Sept, 8 hrs labour*
TracyK 10/04
mhurst 10/04
kraftykathy 10/04 *prediction: Oct 4, short labour, girl*
Jillerina 10/04 *prediction: Oct 6, 6 hrs labour*
water 10/06
KateMary 10/06 GIRL!
Proudly AP 10/08
MamaEmerald 10/08
mayasmama 10/08 GIRL!
FutureMama 10/09 BOY!
bluehalo 10/10 BOY! Noah Daniel
allformyboys 10/11
Lucysmama 10/12 *prediction: girl, Oct 8, 16 hrs labour*
bendmom 10/12
momadance 10/13 BOY! Gabriel Reed...? or will it be Zappa?
*prediction: Oct 23rd*
Mandi 10/14
rhemp 10/14
wannabmommie 10/15
MTBto5 10/15
krnflwr 10/16 GIRL! *prediction: Oct 16th, 10 hours labour*
gmvh 10/16 TWINS! BOY! and GIRL!
Piglet68 10/18 BOY! Sasha Adam
MommyMuse 10/19
JenDoula 10/19
BeansMomma 10/20 GIRL!
Mom2Lily 10/20
CourtneyandLogan 10/21 BOY! Zander Julian
*prediction: Oct 18 or 28*
OakEmber 10/21 BOY! Oakley Kai
*prediction: Oct 6 - 10, 6 hours labour*
mtnjenny 10/22
Stanleymama 10/23 BOY! *prediction: Oct 18, short easy labour*
gottaknit 10/24 *prediction: Oct 31 - Nov 4, > 9 lbs*
3boyz4us 10/24 *expected Oct 22*
Ctmom70 10/24 BOY! Alex Richard
*prediction: Oct 14, 5 hrs labour*
Kim22 10/24 BOY!
aspiring mama 10/25
sunshinegal 10/25 Fiona
truebluexf 10/27 *prediction: Oct 11, 8 hrs labour, boy*
Soogie 10/27 *prediction: Oct 27 or 28*
ameliabedelia 10/29 GIRL! Greta Marie
*prediction: Oct 17, 10 hrs labour*
flitters 10/30
BeauGeek 10/30
AnnR33 10/31
guinnessinu 10/31 TWINS! BOY! and BOY!
BlueMoonTime 10/31 GIRL! Alexis



Well, Pig must be busy, so I'll jump in! I've been kinda lately, so there's no mystery what's going on with me. Yall know I had my first shower this weeknd...church yesterday after several hours of insomnia. I bet Pastor was wondering why my eyes were crossing! :LOL I sit on the front row working the projector. Now, I'm training a teen on it. Came home and got a , thank God and just chilled out after car obsessed dh tried to get me to test drive the car again; but, they were closed! :LOL Tomorrow....mama called and I told her about our hb plans. She didn't flip. She was real quiet. She said.....interesting. :LOL Twice during this pg mama has been speechless--when I told her I was having a wb and now the hb. I called back b/c we actually had a conversation where she didn't : me, so I figure time is running out to tell her before my shower where she'll be present and I'm not shamed when folks ask about my plans. Course, those are her colleagues, so they all know today! :LOL I told her about UNC first and she was actually attentive. Mama tends to be preoccupied when we are on the phone together, and then I told her about the hb. She asked if I was having no hospital at all? (Imagine that! :LOL ) I told her no, and she asked about footprinting and a pic. I don't know...do they still footprint for bc's? My MW is capable of doing the bc...I told her we'd take pics. I need to tell my doula that's *her* job, so dh can focus. She thought it was gonna be in the tub; but, I told her about the aquadoula and she said take a pic of it when its all set up. :LOL She also said that mil can come over whenever she wants to since its here and I was like we want privacy and hopefully she'll understand that. We'll call her. (bil messed things up for folks b/c he was scared to tell mil he knocked up a girl until the babe was 6 mos old and then the girl took the baby away, so she's a bit sensitive) I asked her about her ratty towels she used to have for us to take out to the pool and she had them and some extra sheets and she's willing to put them aside for us. She acted real well! She asked if her best friend knew and I side stepped that like a good politician...:LOL I called her right after I got off the phone with mama but she was on the phone with her ds. I called today and mama still hadn't called her! I was wondering if mama had a heart attack! : We can't wait til mama calls her. She didn't say much tho. She was kinda quiet when I told her. I reaaaaaaaaally didn't need her criticism, now why she can't get that when it comes to other matters concerning the baby and my . So.......it went pretty well! I think both mil and mama are just a bit....shocked?

Well, the baby is up and on my bladder and I think the leftover pot pie is callin my name!

Hey...what's the QOTW? Yall got one? I can't think.... Anything yall wanna talk about and I can edit this post.



36 weeks! : mil says I have a month last week...like I had plenty of time...its a fast mover tho!

[mirthfulmum]

Holy Cow I'm 37 Weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for getting us started Letia!

As for the question of the week... how about: What are you most looking forward to most when your new little baby arrives?

For me, I am so looking forward to nursing a little baby again. I so miss the litle grunts and moans they make when they've latched on and are happily feeding away. And that look of complete and total bliss they have as they pull off and that small little trickle of milk dribbles out of the corner of thier mouth. Ooooh it is just so wonderful and sweet!

[Wabi Sabi]

36 weeks 2 days

It has been a while since I've posted. I read this board daily, but it just moves so darn fast that I can't even begin to keep up the rest of you ladies! I'm just always so busy, busy, busy!

Can't believe that I'm this far along! It just seemed to happen all of a sudden. My home visit is a week from today. I've been busy getting together all of my supplies. At this point, I think I just about have everything that the baby and I will need. Have my birth kit, other birth supplies, kiddie pool, post-partum supplies, more than enough baby clothes, diapers...you name it.

Now, if I could just get my house in order...sigh. It seems that I constantly clean, organize, throw stuff out, organize and clean some more, get rid of more stuff...and yet the house doesn't ever seem to STAY clean and organized for more than a day or two at a time. It's incredibly frustrating!

Towards the end of last week, supplements were mentioned. Here's my list:

Prenatal
Red Raspberry Leaf
Acidophilous
Nettles

I also have some liquid chlorophyl and Evening Primrose Oil, but I haven't actually started either of them yet. Probably something I need to do soon, I'll have to ask my midwife. Oh, and even though I have all of these supplements, I'm still not very good at remembering to actually take them everyday!

QOTW: Hmmm...how about this- What are your plans for after the birth? Will anyone be doing a 30 or 40 day babymoon? For working mamas, how long will you have before needing to return to work?

[Lucysmama]

36 weeks!

Thanks for getting us started, Letia - Piglet has been busy, I am sure she appreciates it! I am so glad your mama took the hb thing well. That must be a huge load off to you! My mom isn't really saying much, either - which is also uncharecteristic of her. Hmmmmm....

Looks like you guys x-posted and now we have 2 questions of the week!

YAY on being full-term Mirthfulmum! Are you ready?!?!! Cause it'll be very very soon!

I am guessing I am around 2-3 weeks away. I mentioned this to dh, and he didn't really react. I was like, "You know....like 14-21 days from now we will have a newborn." That got his attention!!!

QOTW #1: I am most looking forward to just holding the baby in my arms and in my sling. Just being all snuggly with him/her. I also look forward to breastfeeding, but I have some anxiety about that, too. I look forward to snuggling Lucy in one arm, and her new sibling in the other.

QOTW #2: No plans for after the birth! We will be doing some form of babymoon - probably more like a week or 2. We don't plan to let anyone over for at least 2 or 3 days, and then only for a quick meet-the-baby-and-go-home session. I don't work, and dh is outta work right now, so I guess we will use this opportunity to get used to being a new family of 4.

[ameliabedelia]

33 weeks 3 days

Wow, we have TWO questions of the week this week.

QOTW1: What I am most looking foreword to after having this baby is just having a newborn to cuddle and snuggle and hold. I love that cuddly, snuggly feeling. Oh, and also enjoying nursing again, instead of havinga be something I dread with dd. I also hope that plentiful milk will make nursing dd more comfortable.

QOTW2: I am a SAHM now and will continue to be a SAHM. DH will only take a few days off. I am actually hoping to go into labor on a Wednesday evening or Thursday so DH only has to take Thursday and Friday off and can go back on Mon. He is a teacher, so his vacations have to be at the regular school vacation times, and he only gets 2-3 personal days and maybe one sick day a month which is paid. Becaues this is his first year in the school district and baby is being born early in the school year, he won't have hardly any sick days accumulated. My mom is coming up when I go into labor, to watch DD and then will stay with us for a week or so to help out.

On the last thread we were talking about supplaments. I only take prenatal vitamins and a cranberry supplament. I would love to know more about why people take what they take and what it does, if anyone wants to share.

We were also talking about bc after the baby is born. We have never used birth control and would like to have lots of kids. With dd I had over a year of lactational amenorrhea so I expect to have a similiar period of time with this one. Plus, we aren't exactly rabbits KWIM, and I am not terribly fertile anyway. Women in my family tend to not have high fertility and no one in my immediate family history ever really had lots of kids closely spaced together. If we do find ourselved in a position where we really need to wait to get pregnant, we will only use NFP.

[mirthfulmum]

Don't know what a baby-moon is. Someone please enlighten me.

[Jillerina]

I think a babymoon is like a honeymoon... just you and your DH and kids. No visitors, no company to entertain just a bit of time to get aclimatised to the new family you have become.

[mirthfulmum]

Oh I wish we could have a babymoon. But with the mom I have and that I am vulnerable to her manipulations we will most likely have a house guest when Harrison is born .

[AnnR33]

33 weeks (I think-so sad I can never remember now)
Oh my, time is flying by! I just got out all the dipes yesterday and was telling DH it's so fun getting them washed and organized! He grunted and frowned at me like I was insane-DH is not a big CD advocate...he'll only use Bumkins since they're closest to sposies-so I have a few just for him, otherwise I'll be doing most of the changing unless he sneaks in sposies which he does. At least he wants to help so I'm not complaining, with DS and DD he did most of the changing the first few weeks.

QOTW: I agree that I'm looking forward to nursing again, it's so snuggly and relaxing. Of course, I'm sure i won't be thinking that at 3am...LOL
Also can't wait to use my new Hotsling pouches and just looking at all the cute little baby clothes is so fun! I know my kids are just going to oo and ahh over the babe so that will be so fun to watch as well!

Have a good week everyone!!
Ann

[blessed2bamommie]

Didn't mean to cause confusion! Which QOTW do we want to have?

btw, babymooning....which sounds really nice...since it was explained. I guess I knew what it was but the explanation helped me visualize it. So, no visitors; but, how do you handle the calls....I figure dh will make some calls after birth; but, then folks (ie church once the announcement is made) calling..won't that be just as bothersome? I was just thinking how peaceful can a babymoon be if the phone is ringing off the hook.

I thought I'd turn off the phone in the bedroom for when we are napping tho...

[sunshinegal]

I am getting so very excited about this baby!! QOTW#1- I cannot wait until I can cuddle and snuggle and nurse this new little gal. Smell that baby smell and put my cheek against that fuzzy little head. Oh baby vibes baby vibes!!! and QOTW#2- I am going from being a WOHM to being a SAHM, first time in 5 years, so I am a little worried how I am going to be able to handle ALL of it. We homeschool too so that will be a new challenge. But I am looking forward to the change and it seems like my family is too!
As far as supplements go- I take a prenatal and some vit-C (can't drink OJ when preg- way too much acid) and liquid chlorophyll to make sure my iron/hemoglobin is up up up. And every day I have some RRL tea.--- oh yeah-- and a little chocolate My daughter read somewhere that women that had a little bit of chocolate during their prenancy had happier babies. I don't know where she read it but it sure sounds good!!

[MamaEmerald]

I agree, sunshinegal, that baby smell and that feathery baby hair and all those cuddles are just so exciting! I'm anxiously awaiting.

I found myself getting a little crabby with the lack of sleep and some renewed morning sickness and the discomfort of such a fulllll belly, but I've decided no more complaining for me. How can I jump right into baby-having if I have to complain about this?! I want to be strong and brave and have a good time bringing my baby out, so I figure I better start now with a positive attitude. Yeah, baby making is work. But I know I can do it well! No sense in whining about a job that I've got to do, a job I want to do.

I'm also looking forward to nursing. and cloth diapering. Gosh, I need to get my supplies up! It's unreal that It's coming so soon. I guess that it could happen any time now! Not that I expect him to come until I'm more like 42 weeks, hahah. I'm trying to pretend that that's my actual "due date," so that I won't feel so anxious as time passes.

[krnflwr]

Originally Posted by sunshinegal

- oh yeah-- and a little chocolate My daughter read somewhere that women that had a little bit of chocolate during their prenancy had happier babies. I don't know where she read it but it sure sounds good!!

I read this, too...and thought it was a very important, well reasoned study. We should all keep this in mind and eat more chocolate!

I am definitely planning on turning off the ringer on the phones (let the machine take all the calls) and locking the front door for the first few weeks. Unless, of course, the visitors are bringing food...then I'll let them in. My mom will be out here for the month of Oct, so it won't be a total babymoon...but we get along pretty well and I'm hoping things will go smoothly with all of us smooshed together in our tiny house.

I'm looking forward to nursing w/o pain. Things are so sore and irritated in the boobage area right now I can barely stand to take a shower or wear a bra (although it's worse w/o one), it's agony when Hannah wants to nurse. I'm so looking forward to just plain old nipple soreness or engorgement pain, isn't that sad?
I'm 36 weeks now...seems way too soon to me. I'm envious of all you nesters. Anyone want to come over here and help me out? I need some energy, and soon. Maybe I should start some chlorophyll (sp) or extra iron. I've been faithfully taking my prenatal and drinking my RRL tea each day (I make mine iced tea, with an orange or lemon slice...yum!) but haven't started any EPO or anything else. Not in any hurry for the birth to begin, yet.

[gottaknit]

34 weeks 1 day!

Hi! I survived my in-law weekend, although FIL and his girlfriend are still staying with us until tomorrow. I was surprised at the lack of discussion about our birth plans, etc. They held their tongues very well. We left our Birthing from Within art hanging up on the kitchen wall (every week we put up our latest drawings and we've got quite a collection going now), and everyone asked about it. DH was such a cutie explaining what all the different pictures are about. The inlaws thought it was pretty woo-woo and made some jokes about it, but oh well.

Oh, and FIL (an anti-hb MD) tried to initiate a discussion with me about how great sposies are after he saw our cloth stash. Yeah, so I've got a couple hundred invested in beautiful cloth dipes and am so excited to use them, and he thinks we should use sposies cuz they're "easier". I told him that lots of things are "easy" but that doesn't make it right. So there.

A word about mailing beads: I received an envelope today with a tiny hole in it the size of a bead - no bead! So sad. I think the machine they feed the envelopes through just popped it right out. So everyone please consider wrapping a little bit of bubble wrap or tissue around those beads!

Regarding the birthcontrol chat last week: I'm surprised no one mentioned sponges! I've been using the Protectaid Sponge for five years and love it! You can order them at http://www.birthcontrol.com/product_...products_id=33. You just put it in when you need it - no need to add water or anything like with the old Today sponge. I don't think you can buy it OTC in the US, which is why I order from Canada. Works like a charm. And we were pg the first cycle not using it. No lingering hormones to worry about, no mess, no loss of sensation.... It's perfect!! Even adds a little extra lube to the activity.

[AnnR33]

Oh no Nancy-that is too bad about the bead-I just wrapped all mine in bubble wrap so hoping that helps. I also wrote "hand cancel" on each hoping that may help also??

Ann

[stanleymama]

34 weeks 2 days!

QOTW #1: I am looking forward to meeting my baby. I love the first moments together where you get to discover their little hands, toes, eyes, etc. And then getting to hold and nurse them to there very first sleep in your arms.

QOTW #2: As for a babymoon, dh is planning to take 4-6 weeks off which will be very nice. MIL will still be here for the first week after baby is born, but then she leaves back for Utah for the winter and we will get to enjoy our little family. Our church does meals for 2 weeks so we won't have to worry about cooking for a bit, just relaxing. I am really looking forward to it.

Now that I have everything I need for the baby, I find that I am more relaxed. I have been just enjoying my time with the boys and closing up my business. Though yesterday there was a girl at church who had her 5 day old little girl there and I was feeling a bit anxious, but above all I am just trying to stay peaceful. I am looking forward to being an officail sahm again instead of a wahm.

Chat more later....

[MamaEmerald]

I just got back from my appointment with the midwife and guess what? I've started dilation! I'm so excited that something is indeed happening. No real effacement yet, but she said it's nice and soft and got her finger in there and felt the bag and the baby's head.

It kinda makes it sink in, you know? Like, I'm really gonna have a baby soon!

[bluehalo]

36 weeks

QOTW #1: I'm very much looking forward to those same moments of newborn nursing bliss described. I can't wait to meet this little person, discover his personality, welcome his spirit to our family. And of course all the sweet baby-ness to soak up ... their sweet smell, their peachfuzz heads, itty bitty fingers and toes, even the way that only a tiny baby can cry.

QOTW #2: We won't have an "official" babymoon, in that we'll probably receive visitors, etc. (in moderation) ... DH will probably take about a week or so off to be with us, and then spend maybe a week or two working 1/2 days or so as it feels right. I have no idea what amount of support I (and Ethan) will need, so we're planning on playing it by ear. I'm currently a SAHM, so no big changes on that front.

[kraftykathy]

I'm sending out my beads tomorrow. I'm recycling some old christmas cards to help protect the beads (just so you know when you get weird cut up holiday cards in the mail in the next week or so, lol!) and I'll ask about bulky postage at the post office. I sure hope they arrive safely!!!!

Kathy

[Court]

34 weeks 4 days

I keep getting my beads back in the mail, oops. I used some old card I had too. I'm adding the extra postage needed for there "bulk" and mailing them out as they come in.
QOTW:
I'm really looking forward to nursing a baby again and all the little moments that have already been described. We also just can't wait to see what his face looks like, and if he'll have my coloring or my husbands...

I don't think we're having any visitors until late November. Dh is going to take off a few days, and basically we're just going to play it by ear. I'm already a SAHM, so no changes there.