[KoalaMommy]

Hi, I thought the old first time mommas thread was getting awfully long to read. Plus there are so many of us here now who are relatively new here and need a chance to introduce themselves.

I'm 27 years old and 16 weeks along, so I'm expecting my first sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I'm already showing even though this is my first. Dh is a student, and I work full time. I will be returning to work after the baby comes, I'd love not to, but health insurance is a big issue and we just can't get it any other way (trust me, I've done tons of research, we're too "rich" for medicaid and I have health problems that make private insurance impossible). I'm going to be delivering in a hospital with midwives if I can avoid high risk classification.

We plan to cloth diaper and breastfeed as long as we can with me working full time.

Who else is here and what are you up to? Questions? Concerns? Fears?

 

[alegna]

Hello

Soon to be first time mom here. Angela, 28, due with my first in early August. Planning: a homebirth, cloth diapering, breastfeeding, non-circing, non-vaxing, co-sleeping (does that cover it all?)

I might go back to work part-time (I was a teacher, but I'd be doing administrative stuff if I went back- an assistant principal of sorts) but if I do, I'll take the baby with me

We're in Houston and just working on getting all the pre-baby stuff finished up (trying to find a ped. or family doc, dealing with insurance, etc) No real worries, concerns, fears yet- just looking forward to meeting this new person.

-Angela

 

[shannon0218]

I'll pop in. I was on the old thread before my last miscarriage. I'm 33, dh is 37 (actually, he'll officially be dh on Sat) This is my 4th pregnancy but things are definitely being handled differently. I'm on progesterone support, baby aspirin and heparin. I'm 5 weeks 4 days today and going in for my first U/S in an hour and a half!! Really hoping for the best.
We too will be cloth diapering, hopefully breast feeding (I've had breast surgery so it's up in the air) and I will be a work at home mom. I too have a number of health problems that will require me being delivered in a hospital, but I'm really impressed with my OB, so I'm ok with that.

 

[dharmama]

Good idea. That other thread was getting VERY long!

I'm Erin...30 years old. We'll be married for 4 years in July. We TTC'd for almost a year and now here I am ready to give birth any day now.

Yesterday was my official "due date" but of course the baby doesn't know that.

I left my office job about 2 weeks ago for maternity leave but I'm not planning to return. I've been teaching yoga part-time for the last 2 years and I look forward to getting back into that in the fall.

We have a small backyard farm that I'm excited to share with our daughter. Right now we have a dog, two sheep and a dozen chickens. I recently learned to spin wool into yarn and I hope to make lots of wool soakers for our daughter out of our own sheeps' wool.

Oh so yeah...we're going to be CD-ing (obviously). We're planning a hospital birth (couldn't get DH to agree to a homebirth) but I'm ok with it. I

our midwives and the hospital is very small and I've talked to the nurses and they are very open to our birthplan/intentions etc. Planning to co-sleep, not planning to vax, and looking forward to wearing our little one everywhere we go!

That's about it here. Just busy nesting and waiting

~Erin

 

[cancat]

I'm due in mid-september, but I'm already anxious to meet this baby (and a little over being pregnant at this point)!

Due to gynecological problems (& surgery) earlier in my pregnancy, I opted to go with an OB rather than a midwife (actually, she's the one who did the surgery! and she rocks!), but the practice is very natural-childbirth oriented (as they seem to be here in Canada - obstetricians are much influenced by traditional midwifery).

I've already had the experience of staying overnight (a few nights...) in the hospital, having an epidural, and meeting alot of the maternity ward nurses, so I'm not as concerned about the actual delivery as I am about AFTERWARDS... I don't have that much experience with babies, and feel a little lost.

I'm 99% sure that I won't be going back to work (unless I can work from home), but I get almost a year of paid(-ish) maternity leave to figure it out, so we'll see... Planning on cloth-diapering and breastfeeding, but haven't decided on the whole vaccination issue yet.

 

[shannon0218]

Hey Cancat!! I'm in ontario too and my OB rocks, where are you?? I'm in Milton area (NW of toronto) Small town hospital, etc etc.

 

[cancat]

I'm in ottawa...it's a big hospital, but nice (and I already feel at home there

)... also, my apartment would be a little small for a home birth!

 

[naturegirl]

HI!

I am Cheryl and my baby is due in August too. (middleish) I am 32 weeks along and on the home stretch!

We are planning a homebirth with a midwife, possible waterbirth (at least laboring in the birth tub), cloth diapering, co-sleeping, slinging, and not vaccinating or circumsizing (if a boy). We do not know the sex. Haven't had an ultrasound. Refused the GD test. Pretty low key, non-technical pregnancy. Feeling a lot of movement which I love

and bonding with the baby.

As far as work...I will likely be going back at my leisure but I have the freedom of bringing my baby, nursing and scheduling clients around babies needs. My dh will be taking over some of my clients but I have a few that refuse to see him and only want to see me so they have been told they may have to wait a month or so but I will be back, eventually.

Just wanted to give

to Erin and a big GOOD LUCK and Happy Birthing! I feel like we have been "together" through our pregnancies and I am so excited for you!!!!

Cheryl

 

[KoalaMommy]

For those of you who are cloth diapering (seems like most of us), how have you chosen your "system"?

I registered for some CD supplies on Felicite.com, but it really was just a stab in the dark. Okay, maybe not entirely, I've read A LOT on the subject, but there's so much information and so many options, I feel lost

:

I'm thinking I might make some of my own supplies, but I'm afraid to do that until I know what I like, and that will be after the babe arrives, and then, who will have time for sewing?!!!

It's great to have some first-timers to ask things of, afterall, we're all in the same boat of having to figure this stuff out. And I don't know about y'all, but there are very few people in my area who go the alternative route on anything. I get looks of shock and horror when I say I'm going to try natural childbirth, and I get people trying to convince me that sposies aren't "that expensive", yeah right!!! I don't even go into the environmental/health stuff because I'm not going to appear to criticize someone else's choices for their babes, but I hardly ever get the same respect for my choices.

 

[dharmama]

Quote:

Just wanted to give to Erin and a big GOOD LUCK and Happy Birthing! I feel like we have been "together" through our pregnancies and I am so excited for you!!!!

Thanks Cheryl!

Hil ~ I went with Kissaluvs O's for my newborn dipes. Honestly my main motivation was that they are just SO darn cute! I only bought 12 though (I hear 18 is a better number) so I will also be using CPFs.

For covers I bought some newborn Prowraps (they have the cord notch), some bummis wraps and I got a bunch of Dappis (kind of the "generic" diaper cover that you can find at most stores like Babies R Us) really cheap at a yard sale. I also knit so I'm busily working on soakers. I've made 3 so far and I have the yarn to make 4 more.

I have one friend IRL (also a MDC mama) who CDs. Her daughter is 9 months old so she's been handing her outgrown dipes down to me. She's given me some Happy Heineys (pockets), Bumkins (AIOs), and Fuzzibunz (AIOs). So I'm going to try those and see how they work.

I'll let you know how things are going as soon as my little one decides to make her appearance!!

~Erin

 

[Chiku]

Good idea to start a new thread. I'm 28, and starting my 9th week today, so I haven't made a lot of the decisions about diapering, co-sleeping, vaxxing, etc. I'm just starting to think about all that stuff and struggling to think about it and make intelligent decisions that I believe in rather than going with what "is expected." But I have lots of time to straighten it out.

I'll be giving birth at a birthing center with a midwife (would love to do a homebirth, but I live in a condo and I'm afraid my neighbors would hear too much!). My first prenatal appointment is next week!

What's on my mind--

--weight gain! ugh! I posted about this elsewhere, but I'm finding the early stages really difficult. I've put on a few pounds and my waist is thickening, but I'm not showing yet and not many people know, so I just look like I'm getting fatter and fatter. I hate it. I think once I have a belly it will be easier. I hate that I am feeling this shallow about it, but I definitely am!

--how do you tell the difference between normal 1st tri frequent urination and a possible UTI? I am peeing about every hour, and 3-4 times at night. I've had UTI's before and always have a lot of burning, which I don't have now, but 1x per hour just seems excessive!

--calming the general first tri anxiety. My last pregnancy ended in M/C at 6 weeks, and even though I am past that point, I still feel nervous. I am sort of hoping my midwife will let me do an U/S before 12 weeks just to calm me down a little. I have been very hesitant to tell anyone and have only told immediate family so far.

So that's what I'm thinking about today, but it changes everyday. What a ride! I am looking forward to the so-called golden trimester when my energy returns!

 

[dharmama]

Just wanted to pop in to say...

Lilia Hope was born Sat. night @ 8:50 p.m. after about 8 hours of labor...almost 7 of which were at home. Labor and birth were AMAZING....better than I ever dreamed. We are so in

Still typing up my birth story (it still really hurts to sit

so I have to work in small doses) but here's some pics of Lily.

~Erin

 

[TurboClaudia]

Thanks for the new thread! That other one was getting ridiculously long!

I'm a mama now! Our baby boy was born under the bed at home on June 8th just after noontime after a marathon 36-hour labor. We are making an official name announcement in the next few days, so I'll keep you all updated.

Being a new mama is easier than I expected right now. My sister came at the end of May to be here for the birth and she took really good care of us after the baby was born, feeding us and going to the store and running errands. I felt pretty good by the end of the week, and we actually went on our first outing together to the farmer's market when the babe was just five days old. He slept the whole time we were walking and eating lunch and woke up just before we drove home to have his diaper changed. My mom has been here since the end of his first week and is staying until this Tuesday. My dad flies in to visit tonight. I know each day and night will be different, but so far, he's a very content baby. It is also becoming easier to discern what he is crying for, i.e. a snack from the breast, a dry and poop-free diaper, a good burp, mama's voice, a snuggle.

As far as cloth diapering, I have five Kissaluv 0s, which were great for the first week before his cord stump fell off and before he started wetting a lot more. I also have six Dappi diapers, which will probably fit him for only a short while longer. I got them with some Dappi covers super cheap on Ebay. I also have some assorted Proraps, Diaperaps, and Green Earth wraps I found at secondhand stores here in the Portland area. I got four Bumkins all-in-ones for when he gets bigger, but mostly we've been using prefolds with a Snappi and a cover. I got two dozen preemie sized ones which have been just fine until now, and I have another two dozen infant sized prefolds for when he gets a little bigger.

My experiences so far: Regardless of cord notch, all the diaper covers irritated his cord stump. In fact, the Dappi covers (no notch) folded way down were the least irritating. The Kissaluvs were not irritating at all either, and before he was peeing a lot we'd just put on one of those with no cover. They do wick a lot, though, so pee goes right through to the other side. They're ridiculously cute, though. Putting a Snappi on prefolds is definitely the best way for us while he's little. Without the Snappi, the poop leaked out the sides of the prefold onto the cover and we would have been washing covers a lot! Kissaluvs are the easiest for middle of the night diaper changes because he's a wiggler and squirmer and getting the Snappi on an anxious-to-eat newborn who likes to scrunch up his legs can be a time-intensive task! Having the infant sized prefolds has been great because we use them as burp cloths. When we start using those for diapering, we'll switch to using the preemie sized prefolds for burp cloths. I'll definitely need about a dozen more diapers when he gets big enough for the infant sized prefolds, so I'm going to start looking for those soon.

Oh, one more thing: I bought some microfleece to cut up into liners for the diapers to keep his bottom drier. (I chose microfleece because it doesn't need to be serged along the edges to prevent fraying.) I haven't needed to use the liners yet, but I also discovered that microfleece makes excellent breast pads for my leaky boobs.

Here are some of my favorite pictures of our baby boy...

warmly,
claudia

 

[KoalaMommy]

Congratulations, she's beautiful!

 

[naturegirl]

CONGRATULATIONS Claudia and Erin! Thanks for the diaper info too!

.

I have a bunch of cpf's and just a couple of nb covers so far. I need to get some more... I also have some bumkins AIO's and fb's. I think I will be doing mostly cpf's with covers to start and experiment with others as I go. I kind of have a variety of fleece covers amd fitted's also in a range of sizes.

Beautiful babies ladies!!!

Cheryl

 

[butterflyma]

It's a party! Congratulations Erin and Claudia!

:

Erin~ Lilia is so beautiful

I'm glad that your birth went so well, looking forward to hearing the details.

Claudia~ Thanks for the cding advice! What a beautiful baby

I can't wait to hear his name!

I'm almost 38 weeks pg

It seems so hard to believe...We have been interviewing pediatricians this week, and may have found "the one" yesterday. As for cds, I have got a dozen kissaluvs, cpfs, a couple of mini-buns and a couple of AIOs. I've got a small assortment of covers, and am working on making a few PUL covers and Fleece covers. Tomorrow, I'm finally going to buy a changing pad for the top of the changing table.

 

[dharmama]

Wow Brandi!!! You are 38 weeks...oh my goodness mama...you are so close!!!

I just have a few minutes but I thought I'd write a little about dipes and baby gear (not that I've been a mama for a whole week :LOL )

Kissaluvs O's are working great for us. I bought 12 - hindsight 18 would have been better...the first two days DH was doing laundry constantly. Before my milk came in, she could wear them w/out a cover. Once mama's milk arrived (day 3-4)..NO WAY...she wets right through them.

For covers we are using LTK wool soakers that I made. I

them. They fit very nicely over the Kissaluvs and they look so darn cute on her.

I also have some dappi, bummi, and prowrap covers. I have used each of those a little. I prefer wool for breathability...it is so hot here...but the others fit great too.

Cord came off on day 3 (maybe 4) so then we started using other dipes (w/out the notch).

Angel wraps newborn (fitted) seem to fit her well...easy to use, as are Happy Heiny pockets.

Now that milk is in and flowing freely...we are changing dipes CONSTANTLY (DH says it feels like every half hour).

Today I tried CPFs for the first time. They are huge on her, but they do the job. I'm using a bummis cover over them right now. I think I will use these during the day when we are around the house and save the AIOs, pockets etc for when we are out and I want to show off how cute dipes can be and for at night when we're sleep-walking through diaper changes....not that CPFs are hard...just a little more coordination required with the folding and the snappi.

Receiving blankets

Even though it is summer we are using LOTS of these. At night our room is a/c so we bundle her up tight and during the day I use them to protect her from the sun/bugs. Inevitably she spits up or I leak on the blanket

so we go through them fast.

Cloth wipes

them. We bought sposie wipes and DH and both agree that cloth is better and easier to use. I got mine at emibeans.com - I'm sure there are plenty of other great places to buy them. My mom also made a bunch. I bought flanel, terry cloth and velour and she is combining them to make great wipes!

Swing/Bouncy chair

Pre-baby I swore I would NEVER use these things...didn't want them cluttering up the house

Reality: They are very helpful tools. I am incredibly attached to my baby...she sleeps in the sling/baby bjorn on me most of the day and snuggled up on my chest at night but at least one nap a day...I NEED to be able to put her down to maintain my sanity and personal hygeine.

We have a take-along swing (free hand-me-down) that she loves. And we have the Eddie Bauer Bouncenette. Just put that together today and tried it for the first time...she seems to like it.

Best "thing" we've found is Dr. Harvey Karp's CD - soothing womb sounds (or something like that). He wrote Happiest Baby on the Block. We got a free DVD of his with our snuggle nest (which we have not used once btw) and the womb sounds are amazing. When she is inconsolable...we pop in the dvd and put on the sounds (heartbeat/white noise) and she settles down almost instantly.

At 4:30 in the morning DH went online last night to order the audio CD so we have something to take in the car or anywhere else that we might need it.

His book is all about the "fourth trimester" and how babies need us to create a womb-like environment (slings/snuggles, swaddling, womb sounds, gentle vibrations etc.). VERY helpful.

Okay...ladies that's enough

from me. Miss Lily is sleeping peacefully in the bjorn so I'm going to try to do a few more things before she wakes!

~Erin

 

[blessed2bamommie]

I go out of town and you pop!

: Congratulations!!!

 

[dharmama]

:LOL

Where'd ya go? Any place fun?

 

[blessed2bamommie]

We went to New Orleans for a convention. It was business. I beat myself up so bad, I was cramping for hours yesterday and eventually went into L&D to be checked for ptl.

She said it was probably the effects of the trip on my body. Noone was trying to make an escape.

Looking forward to your birth story! Nice labor! I like that amount of time! How are the parts?

Tried a sitz or herbal tub bath?