Weekly Chat: Sept. 19-26 - Page 3

[3for3hb]

Gunter, couples massage... that was my dream last pg... and this pg come to think of it. Maybe we'll be able to afford it next time around

Kavita, congrats on the new job for dh!!! How exciting!

MelW ewww, ewww, ew-ew-ew-ew-ew!!!!!!!
I hate creepy perverts. When I was pg with willem I had this one stranger tell me that he LOVED pregnant woman... because they couldn't run away, or they were easier to catch or something equally as creepy and out of line as that. EWWwwwwwwwwww!!!

Dh took willem to work with him this morning to try begin trying to acclimate him to the office for when he'll be taking him there after the baby gets here. I've been having lots of contractions, and they are regular (every 2 or 3 minutes) when I go for a walk. I didn't feel like this last time at all, even right before I went into actual labor, so maybe it means that this baby will be early. Who knows.
So anyway, I've been enjoying my morning to myself. I almost forgot what it is like to take a shower by myself!!!

Have a good weekend everyone!!!!

[babykaoss]

Originally Posted by flapjack

Amy- if David Bowie does break into your house, could you wrap him up and send him to me? I love a man in eyeliner.

i'm next in line! i'd love that man in anything!

[guestmama9915]

Well, today I went on the tour of the hospital I'm giving birth at. All in all I'm quite pleased, two doulas led the tour and they're very pro-breastfeeding (they raffled off two diaper bags and admitted to throwing out the formula that came in them :LOL I won one!) and talked about skin on skin and how important it is, etc. I'm feeling very relieved, a lot of the things I was worried about were talked about and the hospital seems pretty flexible. Their private rooms are pretty nice, too. I hope I get one!

But they showed us the nursery, where the babies are brought to bathe etc. Luckily they're moving towards the babies not having to leave their mother's rooms to be bathed before I birth there. Anyway, there was this baby in the nusery all alone and I just burst into tears seeing the poor little thing. The baby wasn't crying or anything, but it's just so hard to see a little baby who's spend so long in their mamas tummy, listening to mama's heartbeat and breathing and voice, and then to be left alone in a plastic container?

Anyway it's just made me so emotional today. They also mentioned fetal monitoring on arrival for at least an hour or two?! Yikes. Going to have to talk to my doctor about that one, or this baby is going to be "accidently" born at home.

[Queen of Cups]

Keja - why couldn't you just decline the bath? There's no medical reason for a baby to need a bath before being discharged from the hospital. Are they really going to come and forcefully take your baby away to bathe it? - if so I would stay home, too! We actually did opt for the nurses to give DS a bath, because he had a head full of hair that was quite gunky. But this time I'm going to give my baby his/her first bath in my room - the hospital has changed its policy recently so baths are always given in the recovery room since my son was born there (I'm sure they would have been agreeable if I had asked for that last time, I was just so tired I didn't even think of it).

Btw, I had a wonderful beautiful natural birth experience at a hospital with DS - it really can be done! I think that in natural-birthing communities sometimes you only hear the hospital-horror-stories, but it is possible to have a great birth at a hospital. I would reccomend staying home as long as possible while laboring, though, just so you can be more comfy and have more privacy. Rooming in was expected at the hospital, as was breastfeeding. Every nurse made a point of introducing herself and letting me know she'd read my birth plan...

On that topic - here's my tip of the week: If you are birthing at a hospital or birth center, make a goodie basket for the nurses/midwives that includes a thank you note and your birth plan. I did that last time and it obviously meant so much to the nursing staff. I got a bunch of pepridge farm cookies (all in individual size packages) and hershy kisses and put some pretty ribbons on the basket handle and then attached my birth plan and a thank you note that said something along the lines of "Thank you so much for sharing this special day with us! We'll always remember your hard work and kindness! Love, the [lastname] family" The whole thing only took me about 10 minutes and $15 or less, but every nurse I met was sooo appreciative. DH dropped it off at the L&D nurses' desk when we checked into the hospital.

DH is giving me the day off today! He's watching DS all day long. So far, I've gone to Whole Foods for lunch and gone to a couple craft/fabric stores, and now I think I'll go to a movie by myself. What luxury! Of course, since I just went and bought a ton of fabric, I'm thinking I might skip the movie and stay home and sew. I never get to sew uninterupted! I'm making the pillow case to go over a body pillow to make one of these: co-sleeping and maternity pillow - for a lot less than $200! I got terrycloth that was 50% off, so I spent a total of $12 since my sister gave me the pillow. I also finally got fabric to make curtains for the nursery. We've had Roman Blinds on the windows that came with the house when we bought it last year right after DS was born, and I've been looking and looking for fabric to make curtains with. I finally found some and it was 50% off, too, so I got 8 yards. That should be plenty - even for the two huge windows in the nursery. Nesting is hitting me hard and I can't stand to not have the curtains finished before #2 is born!

[Queen of Cups]

The nesting instinct got to me... I did stay home and sew all evening. Look what I acomplished! Now the nursery looks fabulous!

Queenie's sewing

By the way, in the nursery you can see the full sized crib and the very edge of the bunk bed. DS sleeps on the bottom bunk (full-size futon), the crib will be for the baby once s/he is about 6 months and sleeping partially out of our room. Until then, we'll have the baby in our bed, then in a cradle in our room. It seems complicated, but it worked perfectly with DS! (Co-sleep totally until baby starts sleeping a 5-6 hour stretch, then baby starts in cradle and comes to bed when s/he wakes up. Once that's a set routine, we move baby into the nursery crib until they wake up, then they come to our bed each night. THEN, when baby starts sleeping through the entire night and is at least a year old, into a big-kid bed. But, hopefully, this baby won't be ready for that until DS is big enough to sleep on the top bunk!)

[Feathere]

Wow, ladies, you all have been so busy!
I just got back from Green Bay--dh, dd, and I went to 'preview' the town because dh has been offered a job there. It was a good trip--nothing as exhausting as willemsmamas experience, thankfully! I was thinking about her when we were at the airport and was so grateful our flights left on time and nothing was delayed or lost. THe traveling was so tiring, though--I wasn't prepared for how tired I would be. And we stayed at a hotel with concave beds, that sucked. DH and I took turns sleeping with dd, and she kept squeezing me out of the bed, so much so that at one point I got up and went around to the other side of the bed just to have a couple more inches. I've got way more belly than I know what to do with!

all in all, it was good, though, now I can imagine myself living there and don't have scary daydreams about the unknown. We probably won't move there until August because in January we are moving to Austria for the first part of this job. It's a little crazy but right now, all I have to do is concentrate on the baby and my daughter--the rest of the the stuff will be handled somehow, and not by me.

Unfortunately the baby is still breech and I have a raging UTI, which my natural treatments are not curing... any suggestions for either are welcome! I don't think I can lay inverted on the ironing board another minute!

And I loved the sewing Queen of Cups! So far I have only made 2 sets of nursing pad out of old receiving blankets!

[3for3hb]

Feathere, so glad your traveling wasn't like mine!!!! :LOL
Have you tried chiropractic for the breech situation??? As a chiro myself I have to offer you that solution of course. If you go to www.icpa4kids.com you can find a Webster technique certified chiropractor in your area. That should really help you out. Research has shown that breech presentation is usually due to intrauterine constraint on the fetus caused by a misaligned sacrum and tension in the round ligaments of the uterus. Basically that means that when the base of the spine is misaligned and fixated in that misaligned position it causes the uterus to be torqued thus preventing the baby from flipping head down. so all the inversions in the world won't get your baby to flip if there is no room for him/her to flip.
I have personally helped many patients by using this technique.
Hope this helps!!!!

[guestmama9915]

Originally Posted by Queen of Cups

Keja - why couldn't you just decline the bath?

Well, I'm just trying to choose my battles, I don't want a huge power struggle at the hospital - I want it to be a pleasant experience! They should be moving to in room bathing and whatnot by October according to the tour, so that's fine by me. Otherwise, yes, I would decline the bath.

Originally Posted by Queen of Cups

On that topic - here's my tip of the week: If you are birthing at a hospital or birth center, make a goodie basket for the nurses/midwives that includes a thank you note and your birth plan.

I love this idea! I was thinking of maybe doing something like this, but thought it might come across as tacky. But even during our tour bringing Starbucks in for the nurses was mentioned, so I think a basket of goodies w/ my birth plan is an excellent idea. Overall, the hospital seemed great. I didn't expect all the things I was worried about to be mentioned on the tour, such as baby going directly to mamas chest for skin on skin, delayed eye drops, birth stools, etc., along with a premade birth plan type checklist my OB gave me which asked what we did or did not want, and it listed rupturing of membranes, IV, epidural, pitocin, and I don't remember what else, at least 10 things.. so they seem pretty open and flexible.

Anyway, sorry I don't often comment on other's entries, I do read them, though! Now if only my DH would give me the day off... :LOL

[Feathere]

willemsmamma, thanks for the link. I have seen my chiro a couple times already and we did some accupuncture the last time. Do you do that? It was sort of weird because he had me laying on the adjusting frame flat on my back, and he put the needles into my pinky toes. I immediately began to feel nausea taking over, and I tried to fight it for a bit. I thought I was going to lose breakfast. I tried to move so that I was on my side, but then knocked out the needles. So I sat up and felt much better, and we finished with me sitting in a chair. Your professional thoughts are welcome!

I don't know if it made any impact. I see him again Thursday, and will probably schedule more appointments if the babe is still breech at Friday's mw appointment. My mw suggested moxibuxtion too, so we might try that.

[3for3hb]

Feathere,
I don't personally do accupuncture but I know it works. And moxibustion too because they both stimulate the meridians and the energy flow in the body.
But accupuncture isn't chiropractic. And if your chiro isn't structurally adjusting you, then that tension isn't being released on your uterus. Ask him if he knows how to perform the Webster technique. I'm surprised he hasn't done it already. I'm sure that if you find another chiro in your area who does Webster they probably won't mind working cocurrently with your chiro to help the baby turn.
I wish I was there to help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good luck,
Monique

[Gunter]

Originally Posted by willemsmamma

Feathere, I don't personally do accupuncture but I know it works. And moxibustion too because they both stimulate the meridians and the energy flow in the body. But accupuncture isn't chiropractic. And if your chiro isn't structurally adjusting you, then that tension isn't being released on your uterus. Ask him if he knows how to perform the Webster technique. I'm surprised he hasn't done it already. I'm sure that if you find another chiro in your area who does Webster they probably won't mind working cocurrently with your chiro to help the baby turn. I wish I was there to help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good luck, Monique

I started seeing my chiro two weeks ago just to avoid back pain, ease labor, be aligned well, etc... It's been about two years since I saw him on a regular basis. My babe is head down but we did talk about the Webster tech. He helped turn two babes-in-utero the morning I was in the office. And, he was very happy about it, too. His wife is preggo with their 5th, due in Nov. He began to share with me how they are no vax and I told him that we don't plan to vax either. Lots of good support from the chiro! I am going tomorrow and getting some foot refloxology work done by the massage therapist.

[*Amy*]

My back has been so tight the past few days; I wake up in the morning feeling like I've been in a car accident or something. I'm going to yoga tomorrow (taught by my doula) so hopefully I can work the kinks out. I'm jealous of all of you going to chiropractors!!

I've been reading everyone's posts but not replying much; I've just been *so* unbelievably tired the past week or so. It's crazy! I lay on my bed thinking I just need to rest for a minute, and suddenly I wake up an hour later, in the same position that I fell asleep! It's weird for me because I've never been able to nap in my life! DH has been so great about it though, telling me to listen to my body, and every time I tell him I rested or napped, he says, "You are such a good mama!" It's weird for me because I think I have guilt about "resting" or being lazy, so getting praise for taking naps is kind of hilarious to me! Thank God DH is so wonderful!

We've been really bonding more than ever lately. We've started a little evening ritual where he rubs my belly with massage oil, and then reads a story to Brynn before we go to sleep each night. It just makes me feel so good, so close to him - and I know it helps him feel more bonded with Brynn too. It's been helping a lot since we haven't really been having very successful sex the past couple of weeks. At least we feel connected this way (though I know it's not *quite* as fulfilling as sex!). I can't wait until Brynn is actually here so that we can all cuddle together!!

[DreamsInDigital]

Somebody needs to start a new weekly thread!