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Weekly Chat ~ 4/19-4/25

2K views 48 replies 12 participants last post by  drarmywife 
#1 ·
Wowza, April is flying by! I keep saying that the next 3 months is going to take F.O.R.E.V.E.R. but not at this rate!

I'm officially in the 3rd trimester now! Now I feel like I'm justified in complaining about anything. :lol

A good friend came to Samual's ball game on Thursday and we made tentative beach plans! :faint
We're supposed to go camping from June 14-21 and my friend proposed we do a beach trip on June 22. :lol I rolled with it but said that I'd have to play it by ear. I'll be 37 weeks by then and the thought of having to plan and pack enough food to get us through the week-long camping trip and then to have to do it all again in one day is nutso. If we come back from camp a day early, on June 20th, I'd have Sunday to regroup.
It's my only chance to get to the beach before baby and my friend and I have been doing this for years. Her mom has a beach house so I bring all of my kids and she brings her daughter and it's SO much fun! Any physical signs of stress that I have completely disappear in the days that I spend there with her; it's amazing. Even if we haven't seen each other in a whole year, when we get to the beach, it's like we've been together every second since the last time. Those are the best kinds of friendships. :love
I don't even know if my midwife would okay it...

I need to run out to find a baby shower gift for the shower this afternoon - nothing like leaving it until the last minute, huh? :lol
Is it weird to buy something not on the registry? My friend is a natural living, AP mama and her registries at Target and Babies R Us don't seem like her style. Most of the things have been bought already anyway and just extra washcloths and plastic toys are left - nothing that I think she'd miss.
We have a Gymboree down the road and I was thinking of getting a cute outfit for later on, like 6-12 months since she'll probably get a lot of newborn clothing.
Maybe a wooden toy or something from a local store...
 
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#4 ·
I'm wondering why there is so much discrepancy in when trimesters start? Some websites say 26 weeks, some say 27, some say 28, and one even said 30...it doesn't seem like dividing 40 by 3 should allow for a 4-week difference in measurement. It makes me feel like I'm in some weird non-trimester limbo zone between 26-30 weeks (for 2.5 more weeks). There was a 2-week discrepancy between dates for the second trimester, which seems a bit more reasonable, though still weird (why aren't they each just 13.3 weeks, an even measurement?). I'm counting myself as already in the third trimester at 27.5 weeks, since my feet, hips, and thighs hurt all the time and my toes are swollen, and I'm back to needing extra sleep and still being tired all the time. I remember initially hoping for a May baby (to maximize my maternity leave), and now I am SO GRATEFUL that I only have a few weeks left of school so I can rest and nest. I don't know how teachers, nurses, waitresses, and hairstylists (and anyone else on their feet all day) do it right up until birth. I don't know how ladies are still running (I'm thinking of you, CatLadyMeow! You rock!) when walking already hurts. I guess we are just all different in how pregnancy affects us. I'm saying these things without complaining, as I realize that it is amazing and miraculous that I get to have this pregnancy experience at all. Knowing that my body is doing exactly what it is supposed to do is giving me back some of the confidence I lost during the fertility trial. And I still feel grateful not to have had morning sickness. Still, what are you ladies who have to stand a lot doing about your feet? How can I make them hurt less, when I'm already wearing super comfy shoes with gel insoles? And I totally overdid it in the garden yesterday; all that squatting, and my thighs are killing me today (the ligaments and bones, not just muscles). I need to remember this next time and not try to do so much at once.
 
#5 ·
Oh @BarefootBrooke! I'm so sorry to hear of your pains! I have found that warm epsom salt baths really do help if I am sore all over. I wake up feeling better than if I had not taken one and overdid it that day. Lots of people are using magnesium oil so that may also be a good thing to have on hand for yourself.

The midwife in me say's take time every hour or more to put your feet up and be sure to wear shoes that accommodate your feet changing sizes throughout the day- big or open toes is best if your swelling right now is primarily in your toes (ouch!). Also, going barefoot as much a possible will help with circulation- rolling your feet on a ball to get them warmed up and the blood moving kinda stuff. You may want to get some regulate body work at this point and see what help your pelvis and circulation. It could make a world of difference!

I have always calculated the 3rd trimester, technically speaking!, as beginning the 7th month, so the end of the 28th week- given that we gestate on average for 40 weeks (end of 40 weeks) total. Our way of counting makes this all confusing. Meaning, we count the 2 weeks of ovulation too. So today I am 25.6 weeks but baby is really 23.6 weeks old since conception. The whole thing is confusing and silly, really. I loved working in countries where the women knew about how far along they were but the whole dates thing was not really a concern for them. It makes everyone more tuned into the details like how they are feeling and growing and such.

None of that has anything to do with counting yourself in the 3rd trimester! That is completely up to you and you have named it well, it feels like you are in the 3rd trimester- so you are!

I overdid it last weekend and paid. This weekend has been relaxing and easy. Yes, I could have gardened and cleaned and done a zillion other things that I just did not do.

I went on a long walk with a friend and her adorable almost 2 year old. They have handed me down a bunch of stuff, adamantly girl stuff, as she thinks this baby is a girl! I am feeling really exited to sort through everything, wash and get it all organized! I have plans to buy a sidecar simple crib and dresser, stain it and get it all ready to put stuff in at the end of the month. Cannot wait!

I have been looking decidedly lackluster lately. Pale and my hair doesn't have any style and kinda tired. I just had my blood drawn so that will tell me if I need to boost anything nutritionally. I don't really feel all that different just not looking so robust and I want to! I got some sun this weekend and hope it continues and will help. I went on a thrift store run and got 2 dresses! Inspired, no doubt, by you very stylish ladies! One is black and adorable. The other is a pinkish orange- so bright that I was wishing for a second opinion, didn't have it and so went with it. Everyone I have tried it on for likes it. But it is a bold statement!
@Metasequoia, glad to hear your days are not quite so chaotic and full!

Happy fresh week everyone!
 
#6 ·
Based on how I felt this pregnancy, here's my breakdown of trimesters.

1st - weeks 1-19
2nd - weeks 20-29
3rd - weeks 30-42

I am going to need an attitude adjustment if I'm going to make it through the next 11 weeks. I have been super uncomfortable this past week. The baby seems to be everywhere all at once, all the time. I keep waking up with stomach acid in my mouth. Everything "down there" aches.

I will say, even though this baby boy is up in my everything all the time, I love feeling the good movements. They are so strong and if I didn't get to feel them as well, I would be sad.

In other news, our next couple weeks are slow ones. Rummages are slowly starting up, which is exciting. There is a huge children's resale on Saturday that I'm going to.

The weather is going to be windy and cooler this week, with highs barely hitting 50. I'm going on a field trip to the park on Wednesday with my first grader to look for signs of spring. I went on the autumn one too, but sent my husband as chaperone for the winter one, brrr!

I'm still feeling SO emotional lately. I'm appreciating the time passing much differently and as miserable as I feel most of the time, I need time to slow down! My oldest baby is 7! I can't handle it. :(

My husband was in bed sick all day and my kids were not well behaved and my patience went away and I had to lock myself in the shower to cry, so the kids wouldn't see!

And now my husband put on Away We Go, so still tearing up.

This is long and rambly, hopefully it makes sense! :)
 
#7 ·
Since pretty much everyone agrees that the first trimester lasts 14 weeks, I just divide the remaining 26 weeks in half, 13 each. So at the end of your 27th week, with 13 weeks remaining until your due date, it's the third trimester! It was definitely true for me that first trimester symptoms lifted exactly at 14 weeks (well, 13 weeks and 6 days and something hours but crazily on time). Third trimester achiness seemed to start at the start of the 27th week, though my second trimester headaches are persisting even now, in the 29th week. At the end of April which is so soon! I'll be 30 full weeks and just 2-4 weeks away from stopping the medicine and mobility restrictions, respectively. Yay!

Mother in law is here for 8-9 days and is helping out. That's a mixed blessing for sure!!!
 
#8 ·
@metasequoia your sushi story from last week is hilarious. The sushi place by our house is a regular spot there so the staff kind of knows us. I asked once to be sure I hadn't ordered anything raw and the server tenderly said "that is an American rule, I see pregnancy and raw fish as good for you." But she did still tell me what was raw or not. I've been eating bologna from whole foods without heating it up. So wild and crazy.

@barefootbrooke I am on my feet a lot and have to stop and kick back about every hour, no way around it. I saw a cashier at target sitting on a stool with a big belly so I'm sure we're not the only ones with legs wearing out.

I am not sure how trimesters work either but I only have 10 weeks left which seems so small! I always tell ds 3 weeks early to 1 week late, and it is crazy to think 7 to 11 weeks more? Wow. Soon I will count weeks in single digits, even for going past due. Crazy to look back on the first 12 weeks where every day I stayed pregnant was a miracle.
 
#9 · (Edited)
So I went to the baby shower yesterday and my friend is SOOO cute with her little belly! At 35 weeks, hers is miniature compared to mine. :lol Sophie was kind enough to point that out the minute we walked in. :lol
I was feeling a little, "Oh, I wish I was having a baby shower..." since I'd heard about hers, but as I sat there and watched her undo bag after bag after BAG of unnecessary baby paraphernalia, I sighed in relief! So many silly plastic toys, squishy baby books, video monitor, bouncy seats, sooo many pieces of clothing! I was relieved to be able to drive away with nothing while she hauled all of those bags into her house.

I still have nothing and the only thing I think I'd like to get is a wooden cradle/mini-crib of some sort and a custom cut latex pad. Just to have some place safe to lay baby when I need to work in the kitchen.

@BarefootBrooke
It's so funny to hear all of this talk about trimesters and going by how you feel! I've always just divided 40 weeks by 3 since my babies have all come at 40 weeks (except the last one who was a week early.) There's a discrepancy as to my EDD anyway, so I'll be 27 weeks tomorrow or 28 on Wednesday. :lol I'm still sticking with "middle of July" and it's funny how some people want an exact date when they ask me.
So I'm counting myself as officially in the 3rd but didn't put too much thought in it.
If I went by symptoms, my 1st trimester would last until almost 20 weeks! :lol The queasies linger on for me and this time, I don't feel like I've ever had the "let up of symptoms" that you're supposed to get in the 2nd trimester. I'm still feeling mildly icky every day and STILL have that icky taste in my mouth more days than not. I keep trying to eat it away but that often just makes it worse.
I am not feeling too bad as far as feet, crotch stuff, digestive stuff, etc., thank goddess! Just my heavy belly is what bugs me at the end of most days. I have trouble standing still (which I think is an adrenal thing??) I can walk forever, and I can sit or lie down, but standing still while my 4 year old plays in a mud puddle or climbs a tree kills me - I feel like I'm going to pass out.

@Emanresu , our temps are going to drop this week as well, much like yours. Today I woke to pouring rain (which I LOVE to hear in the early morning!) but it's supposed to get up to 75 F, nonetheless. It'll be a tough adjustment to get back into the lower 50s! And to sit through late night ball games in the cold temps, ew.

@Wild Rose , having some sun on my skin has definitely helped with the lackluster feeling! I'm still feeling blah about my hair, but not as much. A little color on the skin goes a long way.
Ugh, wardrobe. I have almost nothing left to wear that covers my lower belly (and pubes.) The lady who lives on the farm where we buy our eggs offered me a ton of maternity clothing since she had a baby girl last July and I've emailed her and she's not so good about getting back. I don't want to bug her, but I saw her at a consignment sale a few weeks back and she said she had the box sitting by the door for me (inside) and I was slow to email her and around it goes. But I'm feeling the need for warm-weather clothing that I can fit into! I went to a consignment sale last week and got a terry dress with tying straps that's dark brown that might just be my giving-birth-dress. I also bought the sweetest wrap dress for baby that she can wear over a long-sleeved onesie and leggings in the winter - it has lovely shades of dark purple, sage green and gray - wish I had one in my size.

LittleKind said:
Metasequoia your sushi story from last week is hilarious. The sushi place by our house is a regular spot there so the staff kind of knows us. I asked once to be sure I hadn't ordered anything raw and the server tenderly said "that is an American rule, I see pregnancy and raw fish as good for you." But she did still tell me what was raw or not. I've been eating bologna from whole foods without heating it up. So wild and crazy.

]I am not sure how trimesters work either but I only have 10 weeks left which seems so small! I always tell ds 3 weeks early to 1 week late, and it is crazy to think 7 to 11 weeks more? Wow. Soon I will count weeks in single digits, even for going past due. Crazy to look back on the first 12 weeks where every day I stayed pregnant was a miracle.
10 weeks DOES seem like not much time!! Sounds like way less than the 12-13 that I have. Weird, huh?

I woke thinking about my midwife appt. this Thursday and wondered when it was that I switch to 2 week appointments rather than 4 week. I don't feel like I'm ready for that yet! I keep going back and forth between wanting baby in my arms NOW and wanting to savor this pregnancy for as long as possible.

And I totally think back to counting every week in the first trimester as a miracle and a blessing. And then counting down to viability (which I think we've all reached now!) Now every week is just that much better, knowing baby has a better chance with each passing one.

Speaking of the miracle of passing 1st trimester weeks, I just noticed that one of our members who lost her baby early on is back in the December 2015 DDC! :love So happy for her and hoping that this baby sticks.
 
#11 ·
So nice to see everyone on here enjoying nice weather this past weekend! I had a busy weekend too! Three more house showings, and we painted the living room at the new house! I am so happy with the difference it made! It was quite dark before and the color didn't go with any of our furniture! I attached before and after photos! :grin:I was so glad it only took a coat of tinted primer and a coat of paint/primer!
I also am starting my 28th week today! I can't believe how fast it is going! Not much of April left! It is going by really fast! Birthing classes start in May so that's just around the corner!
 

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#13 ·
Thanks for the feet tips. I have some classes I can sit down in, but on Mondays, I have a 6-hour stretch of standing only classes with just a 20-minute break in between. That's the most brutal feet day, even though I'm in the classroom for less time than some other days. The problem is that I don't have a desk or chair in that room...just a standing computer station with an uncomfortable stool. Maybe I can find a way to rig up a sitting station for myself with chairs in a corner though. Today is Patriots' Day, a strange Massachusetts holiday where we don't have class, so I am getting to sleep in and rest at home. Yay! Only 3 Mondays to go after this! I'm going to get some Epsom salt (thanks for the suggestion, Wild Rose!) and see if DH can find me one of those foot baths at the thrift store he likes going to (I find it overwhelming, especially when I'm already tired). I've never used magnesium oil or gotten a professional massage, so those are also things I will look into.

Metasequoia, I love your defiant sushi-eating story! I shared it with DH and he chuckled too.

It was interesting to hear your thoughts about trimesters, everyone. WildRose, I didn't know the first two weeks didn't count toward the division, but that makes sense. And Serafina, I've actually seen the first trimester dates range from 12-14 weeks on different pregnancy sites. Like many of you mentioned, I too celebrated getting to keep my pregnancy at the end of the first trimester. I celebrated at 12 weeks, but then didn't make our public announcement until we got back our genetic testing results at nearly 14 weeks.

I hope you feel better soon, CatLadyMeow!
 
#15 ·
So glad to hear one of our members early on is now in dec ddc. I had to bow out of a ddc a few times so I always really hurt for women who have that experience. @barefootbrooke is it an art studio on monday, with no way to get a chair? Can't you have them put one in just for Monday or make a student grab one?
 
#16 ·
Yes, it's an art studio. There are chairs in the room for students, and it's only my own teaching methodology holding me back from using one sometimes...I tend to just circle the room helping students with their projects, and I only sit down (at the uncomfortable stool at the instructor computer station) if I'm not needed by someone, which is almost never. I think I'm going to try stationing myself in the front of the room for a bit and let students come to me instead of coming to them, though this will only work for some projects. I can also try taking a 10-minute break after I make a complete circuit around the room and just telling students why I'm doing it. I'm sure they will be understanding if I just make my needs known...I just haven't ever done this before.

I'm also really happy to hear about the new pregnancy for one of our earlier members...I really hope this one works out for her!
 
#19 ·
Ugh @Emanresu ~ YUCK! I think I'd hibernate and refuse to look out the window and acknowledge that sort of weather at this time of year. :lol

Today is our last mild day before we drop into the low 50s and the low 30s at night for the next 4-5 days. Blah.

Yesterday was crazy!! I babysat from 7am-10am and then took the training wheels off of Sebastian's bike and asked if he wanted to ride it. At first he said he wouldn't be able to, but he climbed on and TOOK OFF!!! Just like that. :lol No help whatsoever and he totally got all of it - the starting, the stopping, no worries. :D
I RAN after him for two laps around the whole neighborhood and it's one HUGE loop! I actually feel pretty good, considering I'm not much a runner anymore.

Then I drove Emma to the barn at 3pm and Sebastian fell asleep in the car so I sat there and let him sleep (for an hour and a half!) while Emma rode horses and I read. VERY enjoyable!
I'm reading Anita Diamant's 'The Boston Girl' and I LOVE it! I've always loved her style of writing and I have trouble putting this book down.

What got me was Sophie's game from 8-10pm. And it was COLD! :cold I can only imagine how cold it will be for Thursday's and Friday's games at the same time! I had my winter coat on and my tall wool boots on, but I was still chilly...

I'm supposed to be waking Sophie up for homeschool co-op right now since we should leave in 30 minutes, but I don't have the heart to do it! Only 3 more classes of co-op left - yay! It'll be nice to wind down with co-op and then ball season and to be able to focus on getting ready for baby. :D

I'm pooped.
 
#21 ·
I often run out in the evenings in April and put upside down pots over my most cherished blooms - usually the bleeding heart, a clematis (which is now too big already and climbing its support to cover)...I can't think of the rest - but it works! Best to use the frost-resistant pots but I've used terra cotta and it's worked.
 
#23 ·
Glad the virus is passed leighmichelle!

My mother in law is here for the week to help and I'm struggling with her even though I know she means well and is doing her best. It's going better than the last time she was here and it was early days before we told anyone and she was a total lack of help! I at least have some help with the cooking and laundry and taking my tot out to play. Her presence kind of ruins the day though, unfortunately. She's not too (socially, especially) bright and makes insensitive commented constantly and doesn't realize it and dominates my husbands attention when he's home and I'm mentally exhausted from speaking a foreign language (and hearing it) all day long.

I got a lot of sewing done! My wrap tops and dresses are enough to satisfy my desire for new designer DVF clothes (same style), and my neighbor came over to model everything yesterday and the clothes looked great on her. My first foray into making women's clothing beyond nursing shirts, although everything is nursing friendly and postpartum doable (stretchy /adjustable). Whatever doesn't sell on etsy I'll keep for me!

Speaking of postpartum wardrobe, have any of you tried "slimming jeans" that are supposed to act like they have built in spanx, in the postpartum weeks and months? I tried the not your daughter ones and the miraclebody jeggings in 2013-2014 and they were better than normal jeans but nothing that made me want to go without my squeem belly binder. This time I'm wary of belly binding and think control top high waist jeans are as far as I'm willing to smoosh my pooch and only if they are comfortable. So I've been reading online reviews like nuts to find "magic pants " to make me feel presentable when I'm still quite fluffy. I'd love to hear if you guys have tried any. So far the jeans and leggings that amazon reviews and articles /blog posts claim do amazing things to tuck in bulges are :

MIH bodycon jeans (haven't yet found a bargain on these)
J brand photo ready high rise jeans (haven't yet found a bargain on these)
Miraclebody jeans (bought another pair of these to try, couldn't find my old ones, they were under $10 on eBay)
Not your daughter jeans with tummy tuck technology (I got some for $5 on eBay)
Calvin klein power stretch jeans ($15 on eBay)
7 for all mankind slim illusion high waist jeans (got them for $40 on eBay)
Hue ultra leggings wide waistband (bought them new on amazon, not expensive)
Hard tail yoga pants (haven't gotten any yet)
Lucy perfect core yoga pants (am aiming to get some used, they are $108 new)
Flexees maidenform leggings ($5 on eBay)
Spanx structured leggings ready-to-wow (haven't found a bargain yet)
Spanx ready-to-wow denim leggings ($20 on eBay, used)
Diesel skinzee jeans ($50 new on eBay)
Chicos so slimming jeans ($8 used on eBay)
Levis perfectly slimming jeans (under ten on eBay)
And I bought a pair of hosiery, spanx tight end high waist tights, that are supposed to be very comfy and not roll down when you sit. $15 on eBay, new from spanx

I'm still hoping to score the hard tail yoga pants and the bodycon and photo ready jeans if I find them reasonably priced. I've sized up one to two sizes from my normal size, to around my first trimester size, thinking that'll work best for a few months and then I can resell these and buy smaller sizes of my favorite styles after that. I hope they won't be too big as these are supposed to be very stretchy for the most part and the support doesn't work if the size is too big. Oh well, the pitfalls of online shopping for a body I don't have yet! My mom is visiting in a month so she'll have a suitcase full of this stuff to haul overseas from the US! Poor lady!
I think I'll resurrect my mommy blog just to write a lengthy unbiased comparison of all these models for postpartum women, since I couldn't find anything comprehensive and definitely unsponsored like that online....
 
#24 ·
Oh, i have missed out on some chatting for sure!

The weather here has been awesome and is turning but each day keeps becoming a treat of beautiful sun at some point. @Metasequoia, You are awesome to run out and save your plants. I totally get the heartbreak at the thought of all those blossoms dying! But I am in awe as I don't think I have ever pulled it off to save them!

I got the opportunity today to do CST on some sweet babies. So nice to take a break from my regular stuff to spend it with mamas and babies and birth folks. oh those first few weeks are so precious and can be so hard for those babies who need a little extra help with adjustment. What a lovely afternoon! I cannot wait for our turns!

I am feeling more relaxed right now. I think checking in with all those mamas who are a few months a head of us really brought home my desire to enjoy this moment and relax! Relax and be here with this right now- this is what creates clam and pleasure! I am feeling good.

I also got a little mini belly treatment from one of my favorite people. A treat since one of the babies was a no-show and we had time.. She showed me some great techniques for adjustments of mamas and she is so lovely. I came home with every intention to go take a walk in the glorious day and instead lay down and took a 3 hour nap- wow!

Baby is still transverse! I have been doing some inversions but mostly just going with it. I will pick up my routine of spinning stuff if this persists much longer!

I can't believe how often I think of you all! Like comrades in the daily movement of things. @barefootbrook, so great that you were able to take Monday at home! I hope the rest of the week has been easier. If not, there are probably more things you can do to help support your relaxed tendons and pelvis. @leighmichelle, welcome back to the living! The flu is the pits and we have all been there recently. Scary to be so bedridden for so long though.

I *hate* putting on my tennis shoes. Boots work okay, slip ons are the best but I am getting to a point where it is hard to put those darn shoes on! Anyone else grunt and complain about this at this point?! Cannot wait for the ease and warmth of summer!

mm, I do miss those babies in my arms, good dreaming for sure to come tonight!
 
#25 ·
I have a midwife appt. at 11am today! I think baby is still transverse (same boat as you, @Wild Rose!) She's very active and I'm not worried at this point. My 3rd baby was still upside down at 32 weeks and he moved on his own without me doing anything.

The countdown is on for the homecoming of my mom, sister, and niece! They'll leave Florida on the 25th (Saturday) and will arrive home either the 27th or 28th (Mon. or Tues.) It'll take a load off of me to be able to leave kids at home with Nana for ball games - especially the youngest.

I *hate* putting on my tennis shoes. Boots work okay, slip ons are the best but I am getting to a point where it is hard to put those darn shoes on! Anyone else grunt and complain about this at this point?! Cannot wait for the ease and warmth of summer!
Yes! I've been wearing my Chacos lately, which I can just slip on (and I can lift my foot up behind me to pull the strap to tighten) but I put my tall woolly, lace-up Uggs on for the late-night softball game on Tuesday and wow, what a chore! Definitely lots of grunting going on. I'll probably wear them again tonight and tomorrow night because it's going to be even colder than Tuesday for these late-night games. Definitely bringing some warm blankets too.

Your day sounds lovely! And a 3 hour nap - wow! We all need one of those here... My 4 year old has been napping this past week, which is great for him. I'm thinking if I drove with him every afternoon, he'd probably nap every day. The boys are eating *constantly* too, maybe big growth spurts going on over here...
@Serafina33, I'm the opposite, I go for the lowest-waisted pants I can find and the loosest clothing (or very stretchy leggings)! My preference is to feel like I'm wearing nothing. :lol
All of that talk on the WholeWoman site about high-waisted/tight pants leading to prolapse scares the bejeezus out of me (plus anything around my waist just bugs me.)

I've been focusing a lot on postpartum wardrobe though, just trying to find comfy clothing I'll easily fit into that will work with the hot July/August weather. I vividly remember after my first baby was born, trying to find something to wear those first couple of weeks. She was born in early February and it hadn't occurred to me to plan on a PP wardrobe. I was only 23 though, and was back in pre-preg jeans within 2-3 weeks. Oh, back in the good ole days. :lol
So far I have mostly elastic-waisted skirts and loose-fitting tank tops. I think a summer PP wardrobe sounds easier than a winter one. :D
 
#26 ·
Thanks Wild Rose! I just told my students yesterday that my feet really hurt and I needed to sit down when I talked to them, and they were totally understanding. They cleared off all of their backpacks and extra stuff from chairs near them so I would have a place to sit when I came to help them with their projects. It was really sweet. I haven't had problems with carrying anything, but they keep offering to help me with with that too, and they really didn't want me to climb on the table to get something down from a shelf (two different students rushed to get it for me instead). So my feet are getting a lot more of a rest this week and don't hurt nearly as much. I wish I had made these changes earlier in the semester!

Serafina, I'm sorry you're having such a struggle. I personally have always thought I looked fat in jeans, and eventually I just quit wearing them in favor of skirts (it's hard to feel fat in a flared skirt...Google image Kelly Clarkson, and you can see that she looks great in flared dresses even after gaining so much weight). I have built up a pretty big wardrobe of these that I'm pretty sure will still fit postpartum (some of them fit for 4 and 5 months into pregnancy). I think nursing might be a challenge in some, though. Sigh. Anyhow, my mom (a still-hip fashionista at 60) loves the Not Your Daughter's slimming jeans (she loves their whole line), and she's also a fan of yoga pants with long sweaters and shirts worn with a belt (I'm not sure what brand she likes best; she has several). She wears one of those waist clinchers too (I am way too big of a fan of comfort to do that myself!). Anyhow, I'm glad you're getting in some productive sewing while your MIL is there...at least a little time for yourself can keep you from going crazy during her visit! I'm sorry you have to deal with her insensitive comments...I don't know what people are thinking when they talk sometimes. Hopefully the rest of her visit will pass quickly.
 
#28 ·
Sounds good! I've been buying tanks at Goodwill that look good for easy nursing. I'm not too worried about the fall/winter wardrobe because my chest won't be as big as it will in the summer and baby and I will be professional nursers by then. :love It's the first few weeks when baby is getting the hang of it that requires easier nursing shirts, imo.

I don't plan on wearing jeans for quite a while. I'm a huge fan of comfort and love leggings with a tunic, sweater, or short dress (like the Old Navy ones I got for this pregnancy.) I'd have to pull them up for nursing, but they're not very long (they go just past my butt cheeks, which is all I ask) so no big deal to simply pull them up.

VERY important to have your PP wardrobe ready to go *before* baby arrives as there's nothing as frustrating as tearing through your entire wardrobe trying to find something both comfy, flattering, and that fits while baby needs you.
 
#29 ·
I live in a cold climate and like to not show flesh and nurse everywhere so I have dozens of long sleeved nursing shirts in stretchy cotton that are fitted and great. Tops I have sorted, but pants to go with them that gives a bit of support to my postpartum tummy is what I need. My most flattering look is a top that ends at my hips, since my best figure feature is the hips/long, slim legs area, so I like to dress to show that when I'm feeling bummed about my waistline. A blousy top that is fitted at the hips with a stretchy ribbed band with a deep v neck and cami underneath is even better than my nursing tops for hiding a muffin top, but a good super stretchy pair of high waist pants could keep that area under control under either top.
Low rise is a muffin top nightmare and also a constant readjustment situation, as I have slim hips and thighs so they can easily give me plumber butt if I don't keep them hiked up as much as they will go. I like low rise in a very tight fit and deal with the adjustments when I'm a size 2, but not with pregnancy weight on me. I repeat, muffin top nightmare. A higher rise legging or pants or jeggings with support can actually stay put where it should be and need no hiking up, and give enough hold to your middle to feel like a fluffy belly is held in a bit, without being uncomfortable. I'm assuming there's no risk of prolapse if the garment is not tight enough to bother you, even when sitting. The styling and memory stretch fabric on these newer models of pants that have come out these last 3 years are managing not to look like "mom jeans"-- I think because the pockets and zipper are in the same place as normal jeans and then the waistband is just wider extending further up. Of course leggings and most yoga pants have always been high waisted or with a roll down option.

One thing I don't like are skinny jeans around the calves and ankles ! I don't like flared either or bootcut, they seem like bell bottoms to me. I love a straight leg, long enough to cover most of the shoe, to make the leg seem longer and simmer and hide whatever ugly comfy shoes I'm wearing and what mismatch socks I have!!
 
#30 ·
Oh and those of you who love skirts and dresses, god love ya but the goofing around on the living room floor with a toddler lifestyle makes those impractical, and I hate needing to wear tights (we have 1 month summers, then it's chilly again) because going to the bathroom takes more effort, and long maxi skirts and dresses I tend to trip on when baby wearing because I can't see what's happening around my feet and all the material gets tangled up. Or just going up and down stairs is challenging with full length dresses and skirts. I'm clumsy. A streamlined pair of stretch pants that feels like a second skin that I can forget about makes my mom life happier so I can just do the grunt mom work without thinking about whether my skirt is pooling in the pile of dropped food I just bent down to the floor to clean up in the kitchen, etc....

Love the femininity when all my kids are bigger though, like over the age of 4 and dress themselves and never need carrying, etc....
 
#32 ·
Yeah, I'm not big on ankle-length skirts because of the difficulty of stairs and getting up and down from the floor with kids, but my favorite is just below the knee length.
I also love to wear leggings with a just above-the-knee shirt or even shorter, as long as it covers my butt.

I find knee-length skirts to be the coolest clothing option for these hot summers (or sundresses.) I probably pull down a strap/sleeve as often as I pull a shirt up to nurse.
 
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