May 9-15 ~ enjoy those kicks! - Page 3

[SharonAnne]

Emmy, thanks so much, that makes me feel better about my boobs :LOL Weird the things we worry about when we're pregnant

Dude, I joked around last week about fingers swelling, and how I was afraid to wear my wedding rings. Well, they WERE swelling a bit, but I woke up this morning with serious SAUSAGES attached to my hands. I mean real, serious swelling, for the first time. I'm a little disconcerted. I was so proud of the whole not swelling too bad thing. Sigh.

Anyway, nothing hurts, but it's a tad uncomfortable; what do you guys do for swelling? I just downed 16 ounces of water, and let some cold water run over my hands from the tap. I'm not sure, but I think it helped a bit.

I should find out how my friend's sister's-in-law induction went later. Over 9 months; over 8 pounds, indeed. Betcha eight billion kajillion million dollars that she ended up sliced on the operating table.

[mcs]

it is finnally after six in the morning and so I let myself get out of bed- I have been awake for hours. I have a combination of heartburn, back ache, and worried mind. My Dh has trouble sleeping if I am not in bed so I stay, but I wonder how anyone can sleep through the tosses and turns and grunts of my nighttime pillow and belly brigade. Now I am up and already thinking of a nap.

Punk Princess- It is great that your midwife will deliver breech. This little lady is in some transverse/contortionist type of position (I really can't figure what bump is what) but they won't even try a breech around here. Have you thought of accupuncture? I had an appointment with an accupuncturist yesterday and she seems really faboulous. It is a simple procedure of holding a burning moxi stick near your little toe a few times a day. She said that she has about eightfive percent success with this and that she believes the baby knows what is best in the rest of the cases. That seems pretty reasonable to me and even more reasonable was that she showed us how to do it at home instead of charging us to come everyday for who knows how long? The moxi is supposed to relax your uterus so that the baby can turn more easily.

In the visitors after the baby department, I have just been put into an awkward position myself. I have been having, as I mentioned before, some major issues with my family and in particular my father. I had planned for my mother to come a few weeks after the birth, but now my father wants to come too. I talked to my mom about my concerns- the size of the apartment, his cat allergy, and the amount of attention that he seems to need right now and finnally suggested that they could stay in a BB down the street. Last night she called and at the end of the conversation added, as if it were nothing, "oh, and your dad sais that he just won't come after the baby if he is going to be in the way." My dad doesn't "just say" anything when it concerns me right now and aside from that, I had not intended for her to drop it on him in her not so subtle way- I wanted to do it. oh woe. Do I want any of them here? I am reminded why I live ten hours away.....

Also complicating the matter is that my dh is from germany and his family will probably come for a longer stay (though not till september) and I would not really think of asking them to get another place to stay. I know that my family will recognise this and it just irritates me to know that it will irritate them. And on and on......that was too much information I think. Did I say that I am tired?

to the first Michelle- I hope that your back starts to feel better. I have been bouncing here on my birth ball and it does really seem to help- maybe I can crawl back in for an hour before the "real day" starts...... michelle

[mcs]

I forgot..
Almost Fey- I made some wipes too, but am not really sure how to use them. I thought that maybe I could just mix some t-tree oil and water in a squirt bottle and spray it on the wipe before I use it. Really though, I have no idea what to do.

Also, to those of you who have already had children- what type of detergent do you find best for diapers ect... And- any easy 1-2-3 type suggestions for lanolising wool covers? I looked on the diapering forums, but got lost in the seemingly endless list of possible rituals. I've got the jist, but I want, of course, to do it right.

ok, thanks and now I am really off for a morning nap. zzzzzzmichelle

[twouglyducks]

Lanolizing... The easiest way IMO is to fill the sink with very warm (not quite hot) water. While filling put a squirt or two of baby shampoo and a little glob of liquid lanolin (you can buy it at your HFS for pretty cheap) into the sink. Swish it to mix and toss in a cover. Swish the cover around a bit to be sure it gets all the way wet and let it sit for a bit. Then, squeeze out excess water, and lay it flat on a big towel. Roll the towel up with the wool in it, and step on it to remove more water. Then hang the wool over a towel rack or drying rack of some sort. Putting them in front of a fan really reduces dry time.
Oh, if you can't find liquid lanolin, you can use the solid kind, like you would use for your nipples. But you put a pea sized amount into a microwave safe dish with a few ounces of water and heat until the lanolin melts, then mix with shampoo.
Of course, you can always just use a wool wash (liquid or bar, although I prefer liquid). K, I shouldn't post when I just woke up b/c I get a little rambly. :LOL

I use all or purex free and clear for everything b/c my oldest son has eczema pretty badly, but supposedly that can leave a film on fleeces? That doesn't make any sense to me, though, since it's the same as other dets, just no fragrance or dyes right?

[fuzzypeach]

I'm not sure what I'll do for the wipes - they're flannel one side, terry on the other, and I havent decided whether I'll keep the wipes solution in a spray bottle, or keep the wipes wet in a container of the solution. As for the solution itself, I'm planning on using a combo of water, burt's bees apricot oil (love that stuff!), and a few drops of tto.... but then I read that having oil in the solution can cause the wipes to not soak up the solution so well after time, so now I'm confused as to whether I should do that or not. I may just use water :LOL

I lanolized my soakers by soaking them in warmish water, then stirring in hot water than had lansinoh and dr bronners soak melted & mixed in it. Then let them soak for 30 or so min, wrung out gently, laid on a towel to dry. Wish I'd thought of a fan, duh, that would've been much faster! Took forever.

Of course I haven't used these soakers with a baby yet so cannot vouch for this method's effectiveness I'm just awfully helpful huh.

Michelle, hooray for GBS negative! I had the test last apptment, will find out the results this Thursday at my next one. I hope it's negative, really badly.

[ex-stasis]

I just came back from my mom's yesterday. I was there for mother's day and I got to finish some of my sewing projects for the baby. A couple weeks ago I bought a whole bunch of wool sweaters from goodwill and shrunk/felted them, then I sewed them into little soakers which I am going to lanolize for waterproofness (thanks to everyone who posted instructions for that!). It was a lot of fun and really easy even for me (I'm not a good sewer!). I'll post a picture on my weblog later if anyone wants to see what they look like. They're really cute. One of the sweaters I got was a Unitied Colors of Benneton and another was from the Gap, so I took those labels and sewed them back into the soakers because I just think it's so funny to make diapers out of brand name sweaters. When I told the woman at the cash that I was going to do that she was shocked and tried to convince me that I shouldn't cut them up, but wear them myself.

While I was at mom's I got to sleep in my old waterbed which was heaven! Lately I've been feeling like lying on my side on my regular matress my hips are being crushed. Not a pleasant feeling. The only relief I get is from rolling onto my back, which is nice for about 2 seconds and then the weight of everything on my spine is not good. The waterbed totally took away that crushed sensation. But now I'm back home and dealing with the hard mattress again. Ugh. Last night it was so unbearable I took the couch cushions off the couch and stacked them across my side of the bed so I could have a bit of softness under me. That helped a bit. I really hope this doesn't get worse because it's making me really really tired!

I guess I should be thankful that I haven't had any really major discomfort for most of the pregnancy so far... but I am definitely slowing down in this last month.

Oh, and absolutely nothing is going on with my breasts either! They've gotten bigger, but I have no colostrum or anything. I was a bit concerned, but you ladies have reassured me that that's okay.

[NiksMom]

Thanks for all the responses concerning my MIL. The problem is my family is extremely close- we all live nearby and he has had a hard time coping with the fact that his family structure was/is so warped. He's got a lot of childhood baggage- didn't have the best upbringing. He is VERY sensitive about being "fair" with our families. He knows that my family will be around (we see each other every day, my mom watches our son), so he figures it's only fair that his family be involved as well (even though they don't usually want to be and not even close to how involved my family is).
I really think I'm going to have to bite the bullet on this one and just try to look for the positive in her visiting because I think it would do more damage to confront DH about this.
And like I said, it's not that I don't like her or anything, I just don't really know her. I don't really feel like she's family. Does that make sense? I'm going to feel like we have a stranger (strange being key word- boy she's a wacky one - won't even get into that :LOL ) in our house. You would have to meet the in-laws to fully appreciate what I'm dealing with!
Sigh. The things we do for those we love.

[Karennnnn]

Ah boobs.
I was just thinking today how lovely it was that they didn't hurt anymore. But then realized how awful the first couple of weeks might possibly be lol! Especially getting huge again. But I remember at my 6 week postpartum appt that they were pretty much normal.
I have some stuff going on there, but it doesn't look like colostrum, it's clear. Before there was absolutely nothing coming out and now I have something so that's encouraging. And of course if there was nothing that also means nothing hehe!!!
I need some serious nursing bras. Maybe I'll register for some. The shower is week after next so maybe there's still time??? Which reminds me, I have to take a serious look at my breast pump and see what it needs so I can order it from Bailey.
Things are getting in order... I put some bath stuff in the cabinet above the sink so it would be handy... Clothes that I have so far are either hung up or put in the dresser. There are diapers and wipes. Really isn't that all we need???
Im wondering where my baby towels are. I have to take a look at my stored things and see if I can find them. Baby towels really only get used for a few months but they're nice because they're stretchy.
Oh a tip for new moms--if you use a baby tub, put a towel on the bottom so the baby won't slip around. Same goes for the sink, just line it with a regular towel. Did I spell towel right? The word looks foreign now.
Two of the moms at my son's school pitched in for a Maya Wrap for me. I am really excited about that! I hope I can figure it out; it will be very useful if I can make it work.
Soybeans are waiting for me again.
Talk later. Eat now.
Karen

[dynamohumm6]

Karen, my colostrum is clear, too. There's like, one or two ducts that have the bright yellow type of colostrum, but otherwise, it all just looks like sugar water.

Lorrie, in that case, I think you just need to make sure you don't get into the "hostess" mindset, and not feel like you have to do ANYTHING to entertain your houseguests, you know? If you're at all like me, I know it would be easy for me to get hung up in the "oh, I have to make sure they have XY and Z to be comfortable".
I think as long as you can avoid that, you'll be fine.

My mother is going to be in town to go see U2 with my sister (dangit, *I* wanted to go to that show, but it's just too close to my due date...I have tickets for December though!). I am HOPING HOPING HOPING that I go into labor AFTER the 24th, because I just don't want my mother in town for the birth. She was here for two weeks before I had Samantha, and I'm convinced that I was late because of her. She drives me absolutely crazy.
So far, no mention from the in-laws-to-be about when or even IF they are coming to visit. Keep your fingers crossed for me, his mother already had a mini-nervous breakdown when she found out we were co-sleeping.
"BUT YOU'LL KILL HIM!!!"
Wait til she sees his intact little penis, she'll probably keel over.

[Pepper]

34 weeks 1 day

ok, no stressing allowed over breasts or having enough milk I never leaked, ever, and always had plenty of milk for my babies. The key isn't if your breasts are big or leaking it's how often you nurse in the beginning and not using artificial nipples when baby wants to suck (ie: pacifiers). And beware of the older generation who wants to stick a pacifier in baby's mouth whenever they fuss--my mom was so insistent on it but I knew it was a bad idea.

Karen, excellent tip on putting a towel in the baby bath or sink! We figured that out on baby #2 and it worked great.

mcs, I hope you were able to take a decent morning nap. Insomnia is just the worst! If you are laying in bed, try to control your thoughts and direct them away from worries or negativity. Think of yourself floating in a stream or river and each thought is like a leaf coming at you...see it, acknowledge it, then release it with the flow of the water down the stream. Visualize doing that and relaxing each part of your body and hopefully you can fall back to sleep--or at least relax a bit. I learned this trick from yoga and it always works really well for me.

Michelle, yay on the gbs negative! One less thing to worry about. Don't have that baby yet, though, 36 weeks=too early.

Yesterday was such a great, high-energy day for me : I was so thrilled to actually feel somewhat normal. We went to playgroup, then out to lunch, then the park. Then got home and did some art projects! Geez, I felt like my old self again, it was wonderful.

I saw a thin woman walking briskly on the park track yesterday and hated her I find that I am occasionally longing for my old body back--just so that I can move around normally again. I miss that. I guess I'll have it back soon enough.

Anyone else feeling major ups and downs about labor? One minute I can't wait for it to start and experience it and the next minute I'm terrified of it and doubt that I can do it again. I hope that as I progress towards 40 weeks I feel more strong about it.

/ramblings

[twouglyducks]

Good tip on the towel... Also, if you want to shower with your babe, put him/her in a onesie.

[ex-stasis]

Originally Posted by Pepper

I saw a thin woman walking briskly on the park track yesterday and hated her I find that I am occasionally longing for my old body back--just so that I can move around normally again. I miss that. I guess I'll have it back soon enough.

I can relate. In Toronto right now all the different neighbourhoods are preparing to run a 10km race against each other and I'm jealous of those people when I see them running in preparation. Sigh! Before I got pregnant I was just starting to train myself for running longer distances. Now I'll have to start all over again! With a jogging stroller! :LOL

Originally Posted by Pepper

Anyone else feeling major ups and downs about labor?

Yes! Mostly I'm pretty psyched about it... I mean, excited. Actually, it is somewhat related to my training I was just talking about. I sort of view labour as I would running a marathon. I know it's going to be physically challenging but I'm going to be so proud of myself when I get through it and I get a wonderful prize at the end! All the same I feel nervous in the same way I would before running a race, yk?

[cmili]

Originally Posted by twouglyducks

Also, if you want to shower with your babe, put him/her in a onesie.

We figured that one out the hard way. Slippery baby, water, soap - not a good combination!

dynamohumm6 - I hadn't thought about my MIL seeing my son intact. That will probably send her over the edge. co-sleeping and nursing past the first tooth (which by the way was at 4 1/2 months) almost did it the first time around.

Pepper - Anyone else feeling major ups and downs about labor? YES!!!!

[dynamohumm6]

I'm pretty excited about labor. My labor with Samantha just sucked. Royally. I keep replaying it over and over in my mind, and I think I know all the things that contributed to it going the way I did, and how to avoid them this time around, but at the same time...I just don't know. I wanted to stay on my feet and walking and squatting with her, and I was physically incapacitated by the strength of the contractions. So, even though I am meeting this labor head on, and feeling pretty confident, I keep having the sneaking fear that I'll have another labor exactly like that one, and end up with an epidural, a giant episiotomy, and narrowly avoiding a c-section.

Trying to keep the positive thoughts in the forefront, though!!

[SharonAnne]

ARGH it is HOT HOT HOT. Okay, it's not that bad, it's only 80 degrees, but it feels so much hotter to ME! And the heat is making me swell. And my pool isn't ready yet! (It is full, the pump is running; just waiting for the chlorine shock crap to wear off to be able to dunk my whale butt in it.)

I hate hot.

I had an argument on another board I frequent today about EBF. Okay, it wasn't really an argument, it was more like a slightly heated discussion. Okay, in reality, I'm probably the only one who got heated :LOL

I think I'm having a bad day :LOL It's hard to tell when I'm hormonal as opposed to just having a regular old bad day lately.

I'm going to stop at Rita's on the way home and get myself a gelati. That'll make me feel better.

[Meli65]

Selena -- I experienced the same "crushed hips" thing when I was pg with ds. The waterbed sounds wonderful!

Emmy -- Thanks for the birth ball tip. I've been so wrapped up in my misery I forgot all about buying one. My MIL arrives tomorrow so maybe I can send her and ds out to get one for me.

I totally crashed and burned today. Ds has been very needy, very moody, very difficult. I've been really hungry and thirsty and it's hard to keep up. We woke up late and had to rush around to get to the Y in time, which is almost impossible for me to do (no running up and down stairs, for instance). When I got to the Y, I called the Cleveland Clinic for the third time in as many weeks to see if they had adjusted a prior claim yet (I owe $600 because they coded something wrong) and left a weepy message on the answering machine of the billing department. And when I changed ds in the locker room I almost fainted because it was so hot and stuffy.

Arrived at my mother's house in tears, and spent the afternoon there in a stupor. Thank God for her, seriously. I am so wiped out I couldn't even read or watch TV. Tomorrow I see the midwife and the chiropractor again. The diagnosis is sciatica, and they are having me do exercises to relieve the pressure. The cough that plagued me all winter is back, too.

My mother is suggesting that it might be a good thing if the baby came early (that is, to induce) and I will admit that at present it does sound nice to be checked into a hospital and handed a remote control so that I could just rest comfortably for a while and be fed regularly and not have to worry about laundry. I don't see it happening, but it sounds pleasant. Thanks again for the good thoughts! I hope to have some better news to share soon.

[Pepper]

Melissa, are you getting enough protein? How's your iron? I can totally relate to the feeling that you can simply do nothing but lie down--I had it with my 1st pregnancy when I was anemic and I get it now if I don't get enough protein.

I get really winded and tired just walking up my stairs and I know how it is when you are looking after a toddler and trying to run errands. Exhausting! Hang in there--it's just a few more weeks.

Originally Posted by Meli65

My mother is suggesting that it might be a good thing if the baby came early (that is, to induce) and I will admit that at present it does sound nice to be checked into a hospital and handed a remote control so that I could just rest comfortably for a while and be fed regularly and not have to worry about laundry. I don't see it happening, but it sounds pleasant.

Why is it our mothers can put these doubts into us? You are STRONG and you can do this. Tomorrow is another day and hopefully you will feel better. You are going to have a great birth--at home, no less!

I had my own mini-breakdown today: dd shredded a tomato plant that dh had been nurturing for weeks. I freaked out my kids because I started crying and saying Why did you do that? and Don't you know that plant was special and we were going to have tomatoes all Summer from it? I felt horrible afterwards for losing it but my patience is just non-existent these days.

[twouglyducks]

Yes, Melissa... you can do it. I got talked into induction last time... that's why this birth is labeled VBAC.

[mcs]

Pepper- Thanks for all of your kind and helpful thoughts. It is also nice to hear that a day of energy is a possibility- for someone somewhere. Maybe me today! I already slept until 8-30 which is really perfect.

I too am having up and down feelings about the birth. It is my first and so I know that no mater how much I read and talk and think about what I would like and not like to happen- I really just can't know. I have a friend who really blamed herself for an epidural that she hadn't planned and I know that I don't want to fall into the category of self-blame. I just want a beautiful healthy baby. And, if she doesn't turn I will have to prepare myself for a c-cection which just never really entered my mind before all of this.

But I don't think that I need to worry too much- after doing the moxi burning last night she was wiggiling and poking her body out in the most hysterical way- she really wants to turn. I am only afraid that when she is born she will already think that her name is "eisa flip, please." Ha!

I can also relate on the admiring non-p bodies. I really love the way that my body looks pregnant, but I look around at all of the spring ladies springing around, bending to pick flowers, twisting to look at that nice dress in the window, running across the street.......yup, that seems nice too.

NiksMom- I hope that the situation with your MIL will work for the best. Maybe you could still talk to your dh about what you will need from him so that he isn't gone all day driving her around. Or maybe for one or two of those days he could leave her with those relatives who she will visit. It does sound like a sticky situation though- so, like I said, I just hope that it can work for the best.

Those were great ideas about the towel in the tub and onsies in the shower- thanks. ok, off to start the day. one, two, three.....mcs

[NiksMom]

Anyone else notice that they are crankier the further along they get? I don't know what's wrong with me. I have felt pre-period for the last week or so- just really wound up tight and easily annoyed. I did run out of my fish oil pills around that time, so maybe that has something to do with it. I was so even-keeled and tempered throughout the first and second trimester and it seems like I keep getting crankier and crankier