Calling anyone who is or has been pregnant!!!!

[Demelza]

I have a quick question for anyone who feels qualified to answer: how "okay" is Tylenol during pregnancy? I know they say it''s safe, but what exactly does that mean? I''ve been getting headaches the past few weeks and have been taking 2 regular strength Tylenol as needed. But I hesitate each time I put them in my mouth. Should my headache be really bad before I take them or is it really okay to pop a couple if I feel a headache coming on? I asked my doctor and she said it''s okay, but to try to get rid of it first by lying down or relaxing. Does that mean, then, that there is some risk involved in taking it? I know this is a medical question and perhaps not appropriate for PS, but I was just wondering how comfortable you pregnant or past pregnant ladies feel/felt taking Tylenol for all the lovely aches and pains of pregnancy? Thanks!

Also, I was wondering at what point in the pregnancy you started wearing maternity clothes. I''m about 13 weeks and bought my first pair of maternity jeans the other day. My regular jeans still fit, but they cut right into my tummy in a way that isn''t super comfy. The maternity jeans are huge on me, but SO comfy. I was telling hubby that I''m going to wear maternity jeans forever they''re so comfortable (even if they are a bit dated looking). I was shocked, however, to find that there are lots of designer jean brands making maternity jeans. Pea in the Pod sells Sevens, Citizens of Humanity, AG, all with the all around maternity belly -- it''s hilarious. I can''t really imagine spending $235 bucks on a pair of jeans I''ll only wear a few months, but I''m sure they''re cuter than the ones I bought!

 

[belle]

it is very okay to take tylenol during pregnancy. it is one of the safest medications you can take. you''ve been through enough already, don''t hesitate giving yourself some relief! make sure you take it as directed and drink plenty of water.

hope you are feeling better!

 

[Demelza]

Thanks, Belle. Good to know, especially coming from a professional such as yourself! I''m trying to drink lots of water too, but I''ve never been a big fan. I know it''s supposed to help a lot with headaches, though, so I''m going to just force myself. The nausea is much better, although I usually feel bad at some point during the day, often at night. Can''t wait till it''s gone for good! Thanks again!

 

[belle]

you''re welcome dem

i know it''s hard not to worry and you want to make sure you are doing the very best for your baby, but just keep in mind that tylenol has been around for a very long time and it''s safety is well documented. one or two tablets during your pregnancy is not going to hurt.
get used to drinking that water girl! it''s not just good during pregancy, but after as well! get some lemons or limes, even rasberries or oranges that you can slice up and add to your water. they can make a good glass of water even better.

of course, if you are used to drinking caffeinated beverages, taper off of them slowly. taking too much caffeine out of your diet too quickly causes headaches!

 

[sk8rjen]

I never felt guilty about taking tylenol during any of my pregnancies. My dr. ok''d it and let me know it was perfectly safe. I think rule of thumb for most dr''s is to tell pregnant patient to medicate at the last possible moment so that you don''t OVERmedicate. I got frequent headaches during my pregnancies, and tylenol was the only thing that took the edge off. Probably had them b/c I gave up caffeine (along with everything else bad) --I think half my pg symptoms were withdrawl!!

Re; maternity clothes. No rule there --- wear em when you need em. I never spend $200 on any maternity item, but I can understand why people do --- with a limited wardrobe, you wear your favorites ALL the time. You will be GLAD when you don''t have to wear maternity clothes anymore! So make sure you like them...and really, if a waistline is making you uncomfortable, you might also consider a few in-between items (not maternity, but larger size) -- you will be in those again post-baby when you are losing weight. Just a few ideas. I''ve done it 3 times now --- if one thing is true about pregnancy, it is that it is unpredictable!! All of mine have been different in several ways. Best of luck!!!
jen

 

[heart prongs]

I'm sort of OK with taking Tylenol as well...but I understand what you mean...you don't want to take it too often. I've taken it maybe 5-6 times over the past 9+ months. My doctor even okayed Tylenol PM for nights when I can't sleep after getting up to empty my bladder for the 37th time...haven't taken it though.

I didn't wear maternity pants until very late...25 weeks...I wore a lot of regular clothes with an elastic waist like flared gauchos and capris...I have also enjoyed dressing up a pair of sweats on occasion as well!! Maternity pants were just entirely too baggy everywhere else til then so I just made my pants work.

Regarding clothes: I've found my favorite stuff at Marshall's and Target. Marshall's has great jeans and cute clothes at deeply discounted prices. Target has awesome Liz Lange T-shirts for $9.99...I've been living in them. She also makes adorable PJs as well. I've been to Pea in the Pod/Mimi...and I got a couple things there, but you know what? The quality is crap! And it's expensive to boot.

Definitely stay in touch...will you be finding out what you're having? Stay well...kaarin

prongs

 

[Demelza]

Thanks Sk8rjen and Heart Prongs!

HP -- I can't believe you were in regular clothes until 25 weeks! Did you at least buy bigger versions of what you normally wear?? You must not have gained much weight! Lucky girl!!!

I'm a fairly small person to begin with -- 5'2 and normally a size 2/4, but I just feel so much bigger these days even though no one would know I was pregnant just by looking. My chest has grown quite a lot (much to my dismay!) and my stomach just feels bloated. I'm wanting everything on me reallly big and loose. My hubby calls my new maternity pants "street jammies". That's exactly what I was going for! I'm so afraid of gaining tons of weight, but I know now is not really the time to think about that. I can't wait till the nausea passes and I can get back on my normal eating schedule (i.e. not having to eat every 2/3 hours to avoid getting sick).

Yes, we will definitely find out what we're having. My next ultrasound is scheduled for June 14. They should be able to tell something then.

Do you known what you're having HP? Is this your first? You must be ready to go any day now, huh? So exciting!!! Good luck with the delivery! Are you scared??

ETA Interesting that Pea in the Pod wasn't very good quality since it's so much more money than most maternity stores. Good to know!

 

[pearcrazy]

Tylenol is fine to take. Of course they always want you to limit how many medications you are taking but a normal dose of Tylenol should be fine as needed.

As far as maternity clothes go, I finally went out and bought some at 18 weeks when I could no longer get away with wearing my pants unbuttoned with my shirt out. It was about 21 weeks or so when I went full on elastic waisted maternity pants. That was my first pregnancy. With my twins, I was in maternity clothes at 12 weeks!

I bought several items at a maternity and baby consignment shop as well as traded with friends and my sister who were all pregnant within a couple of years of each other. The other stuff I needed I bought at Wal-Mart and Target. No sense in spending lots of money on clothes you''ll only wear for a few months. Same thing with some baby items. I hated to shell out $80 for a bassinette that baby only sleeps in for 6 weeks or so but I couldn''t find a good used one and none of my friends had one. I was the first one to use that bassinette but 6 other babies slept in that bassinette besides my DS so I defiantely got my money''s worth!!

 

[heart prongs]

Demelza...I really didn''t gain that much weight -- which I will admit I am thrilled about. I am about 5''6" and around a size 12 pre-pg. I think that because I have a long torso, I''ve hidden things pretty well! This is the first week I''ve actually felt ENORMOUS! After 4 weeks of not gaining anything and one week of losing, I put on six whopping lbs...in like 7 days!!! What can I say, I was hungry!!!

My husband loves to give me a hard time about my clothes as well. He''s like, "Is that a new outfit?" knowing full well I wear the same white top and black pants to everything we attend!!!

Yes, this is our first, and we''re having a girl! Her name will be Lilja Kady (Lilja is my maiden name -- pronounced Lil--ee-yah) We plan to call her Lily though! We are so in love already and just cannot wait to meet her! I''m ready, but I''m all of a sudden scared of the whole labor thing. It''s suddenly very real!!!

June will be here before you know it...the day you find out is so amazing...do something special with your husband that day. We spent the night in Boston...went out to a really nice dinner...and bought her a rocking horse ornament with her name on it (we found out the week before Christmas) It was my favorite moment of this pregnancy, so far of course!!!

I''ll keep you posted...you do the same...kaarin

prongs

Of course I had to "look up" your ring...very nice and very big!!!

 

[diamondfan]

I think your doctor is wise to say try to get rid of it. I ahve awful migraines which were the worst as the hormones were on the rise. By the time I hit my second trimester I had none til I delivered, then back again with a vengence. Tylenol reg strength IS safe, but I would always say avoid meds if possible. As a last resort, fine.

As for maternity clothes it really depends. Some women stay thin enough except for belly that they just buy bigger regular stuff. First kids yo tend not to show as fast. By your second you "pop" sooner. I gained 75 pounds three times and lost it and a bit more, it was harder the third time at 36 or 37 but doable. You might never be in the group of women who need maternity clothes early, you might be able to get away with reg clothes, depending on comfort!

Congrats, by the way!

 

[divergrrl]

Congratulations on your pregnancy and on entering the ***fabulous**** second trimester (my fave)!

Tylenol is just fine. If you are still worried, please call your OB''s office to clarify, but I had horrible headaches for weeks, due to pregnancy hormones, so it was Tylenol or hell.

Just make sure you avoid other pain meds like Advil, aspirin, etc. And always if you have a doubt, call your OB. They''ll give you good guidance.

I was in maternity pants by my 10th week. I usually wear pretty tight fitted jeans, so there was zero wiggle room in my clothes. Everything pushing on my tummy just bothered me (even though things are so lowrise) and going up a size just made things look ill fitting on me. That does work for some girls though, btw, and then you have some transitional clothing after the baby comes.

Good health to you and your baby!

Jeannine

 

[VegasAngel]

Like others have said Tylenol is perfectly fine to take. My headaches were aweful the first trimester, non existent in the second, & started coming back about 3 weeks before I had my daughter. As for maternity clothes I was able to fit into some maternity shirts around 7 months & was never able to fit into maternity pants, they were just too big. I just had to buy stretch jeans in bigger sizes throughout my pregnancy. I was so uncomortable in regular jeans oh my lord there is nothing worse than having a button pressing on your belly. As I got down to the wire I gave up on jeans and just started wearing cute jumpsuits/sweats. Thank goodness I didnt have to work while pregnant because I have no idea what I would have worn. I probably would have called in everyday & gotten fired.

Ps if you want to wear your regular jeans a little longer you can always loop a rubber band around the button, pull in through the hole a few times & then back around the button. You''ll have a little give.

 

[Demelza]

Thanks guys!! So good to hear from those who are there, or have been there and done it. It's really nervewracking, particularly in the early stages. I am SO excited to be almost done with my first trimester!!!! It was so not fun!!!

Yeah, I don't know if it would work for me to just go up a size or two in regular clothing. I feel like they wouldn't fit well in other areas. I'll just try different things to see what works best. So far these maternity jeans are as comfortable as pajama bottoms. There's plenty of wiggle room all over and I'm loving the big, soft, cotton all around belly thing. I had to fold it over a couple of times, but it hits me just in the right spot. I'm looking forward to looking visibly pregnant. Now I just feel like I look a little heavier on top for no reason.

Heart Prongs -- I went to look up your ring, but couldn't find a picture of it. Is there one around here somewhere? I LOVE Mark Morell!!!

ETA Vegas Angel -- I'm surprised you were never able to fit into maternity pants -- even a size small?? Did your belly just not get that big? It'll be a while, I think, before I need maternity shirts, but I know that having anything tight against my belly is driving me nuts these days. I could see why it might be necessary at some point to give up on jeans and go for dresses or soft cotton pants.

 

[VegasAngel]

Maternity pants fit around my belly, but they were humongous everywhere else. They looked too rediculous on me to wear in public.

My belly was the only thing that was big (Well, besides my boobs) I was a skinny pregnant person. My next pregnancy I plan on buying regular pants and having a seamstress sew in the maternity pouch for me.

 

[mrssalvo]

oh yes girl no need to suffer with headaches

When I was pregnant with my first I had the worst cold ever. I could hardly breathe and at night I was miserable. I never even thought to call and ask if I could take anything

and suffered through it. When I was pregnant the second time, I caught another cold, this time I called the nurse and she said i could take a decongestant. I was so happy and wished I''d known the first time around.

 

[cutey TT]

Kinda joining this thread late, but everyone is right...tylenol is just fine. I got massive headaches during my pregnancy as well, and even though I would try to go without, there were times when I just had to give in. I think there was a period of a week where I had to take tylenol pretty much everyday.

I started wearing maternity clothes around the 20+ week mark. I actually bought a pair of Citizens maternity jeans that I pretty much lived in til I delivered. They''re super low-rise, not tight and the stretchy maternity waistband-thingy I always wore scrunched down below my belly. Super comfy! I found them to be much more comfortable than the Sevens, when I was trying them all on.

Anyway, DH didn''t really believe in spending a lot of money on maternity clothes, so I didn''t buy too many things...one nice dress for weddings and special events, my Citizens jeans and enough tops so that it didn''t look like I was always wearing the same thing (I really liked the Gap stretchy tees).

I''m also smaller...5''3" size 0/2 (depending on the store)...I gained 24 lbs during the pregnancy and actually ended up losing it all and then some very quickly...and I ate tons of ice cream while I was nursing. DH thought it was scary.

 

[lisaC]

I wondered the same thing about Tylenol and even called the pharmacist before taking 2 as I had such a headache! Of course he said it was okay.
Have you looked at Gap maternity? Their jeans do come in ankle length and sre perfect for us short people! I am only 5''3" and they certainly aren''t $235 so there is no guilt...

 

[ecf8503]

Tylenol is fine! And lots of water does help too. I''m on my 2nd pregnancy now, and both times I received an "FOQ" handout from my OB''s office, detailing all kinds of things (not just drugs!), and Tylenol is A-OK.

As for clothes, I''m short too (5'' 1")! Pants are an issue even when I''m not pregnant, and more so when I am. I had a heck of a time finding things the first time around - I finally found a pair of jeans in "short" lenght at Mimi that works, but they aren''t "petite" - so like most non-petite pants, they are too long in the crotch and too high in the back, and they shimmy down even more when I walk (!!!!!) but not as bad as most. I still have all my clothes from the last time, but I did go to a maternity resale shop last weekend and found some skirts, shorts, and capris that will work, as my life now is much more casual than it was 3 years ago when I was working.

I''m 20 1/2 weeks now, and like my first time around, I broke out the M-clothes at about 18-19 weeks. I certainly felt "thicker" faster this time around, but to me anyway it''s pretty obvious now. I like the way maternity clothes fit as opposed to just "big" clothes (talking jeans, pants, etc - my "lounge around the house" clothes are just fine!) - if I buy things bigger, not maternity, they are bigger everywhere - which isn''t very flattering on me. I''d rather wear something that fits.

Congrats to all our fellow pregnant PSr''s!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Small]

Just wanted to chime in after having 2 kids and say that tylenol is perfectly fine. I took extra strength ALOT with both pregnancies (along with tylenol pm and cold meds that were fine according to some and not according to others) and I have two very healthy happy children (ages 2.5 and 15 mos).

As for maternity clothes...I started wearing maternity shirts earlier than pants my first time around. I bought alot of elastic waisted capris and shorts for summer that held me well into August/September. I need to say that like you I'm short and petite. I am 5ft tall and normally a size 4. I gained only 25lbs and 27lbs respectively each pregnancy. They were very concerned my first pregnancy as I didn't start gaining until well into my second trimester. After the diagnosed me with gestational diabetes is when I started gaining all my weight. Exercise and my diet really helped gain the appropriate amount for me. My daughter was born at the end of October so I can honestly say I started wearning maternity pants in late August to work (so I'm guessing I was around 24-26 weeks by then). My maternity shirts though started probably in June or July. Now with my second pregnancy I was wearing maternity pants at probably 10-12 weeks. My stomach got big pretty quickly with my son and by the end of my pregnancy I felt like I couldn't even wear the pants I had anymore LOL. I bought jeans at Old Navy. I found them to be very, very comfortable. I had 2 pairs that I loved and wore those with during my second pregnancy as well. I also wore alot of cotton elastic waisted pants (especially the second time since I was home) that I found to be very comfortable. It's a hard stage when you can't fit your regular clothes but you don't need maternity clothes. I tried to shop at cheaper, yet still fashionable stores to get me through until I could shop full on for maternity. And the places I shopped for maternity where Old Navy, Gap, Target, and Motherhood. Good luck and congrats on your pregnancy

I wish you a very happy and healthy 9 mos!

 

[Demelza]

Thanks guys! I love hearing everyone''s pregnancy stories. When it''s your first, everything is so new and feels so precarious, it really helps to hear from others who have been through it. I will definitely relax about the Tylenol and take it as needed. And I have a tall glass of water sitting right next to me as I lie on the couch.

I''m definitely worried about the whole weight gain thing, and even more worried that I''m only 13 weeks and already wearing maternity pants. It seems like others are able to wait until at least 20 weeks. I guess I don''t HAVE to wear them, but they are just so comfy, I can''t imagine wearing anything else. I was lucky to find a pair of petites at Motherhood so they are the perfect length too. Did those of you who only gained 25 or so pounds, did you find that you had to really watch what you ate, or you just naturally only gained that much? I''ve already gained about 6 or 7 pounds

, so that only leaves 20 more if I go by what the books recommend. I was very active before pregnancy and haven''t been able to do much the last couple of months due to terrible nausea. Now that I''m feeling better, I''ve been trying to walk a bit each day and go to the gym twice a week for some light lifting. Hopefully that''ll be enough to keep me fit and healthy!

 

[Small]

Well I had gestational diabetes so my weight gain had to be kept in check because too much sugar makes for a very large baby

I had enough of a time being high risk and big to deal with any baby over 7lbs LOL.
I walked alot the first time. On my lunch everyday I walked a mile. It helped immensley with weight gain. It''s also very good for GD patients to help keep sugar levels down. Walking, swimming, and light aerobics are very healthy and recommended to help keep you fit and weight gain down. Also exercising is suppose to help with conditioning for labor. I can''t tell you if that helps as I had 2 c-sections (daughter''s head was big and stuck LOL, son was planned c-section).
Drink lots of water and just don''t eat loads of junk. I mean the first trimester I was completely nauseated both times so I ate whatever I wanted so I wouldn''t get sick. But after that I tried hard to eat as healthy as I could. Eating for two is completely a myth. I mean don''t deny yourself cravings or anything but be warned that if you stuff your face with pizza and ice cream on a daily basis you''ll end gaining much more than you want to (my 5ft 3 friend gained 70lbs her first pregnancy doing just what I mentioned above

and 2 kids later can''t take off the weight). I can honestly say that I wasn''t as strict on my diabetic diet the second time as I was the first time and I still only gained 27lbs. Again I didn''t eat McDonalds daily or anything but if I wanted ice cream or carbs I ate them even when I wasn''t suppose to. You''ll do fine. No worries. I was so like you monitoring all my weight gain and freaking out. After seeing my friend gain 70lbs I was determined not to end up like that. If you want to gain a healthy amount and keep fit I say walk when you can. Any safe exercising you do at all is going to help you and is good for you baby!
Pregnancy is so exciting!!! Enjoy it...I was high risk and had miscarriages prior to my 2 successful pregnancies so I couldn''t really enjoy anything as I was paranoid the entire time. Even though it seems like it''s a long haul you have so much to look forward to it''ll go by fast once you hit the third trimester (just not fast enough for you I''m afraid LOL). Keep us updated on how you are doing...it''s so fun...I''m not having anymore but I love hearing about pregnancies and new babies

Take care!

 

[VegasAngel]

The recommended weight gain is 25-35 pounds. I think body type and your pre pregnancy weight play a big part. I gained about 25 pounds during my pregnancy. I have a small, lean frame to begin with. I think the fact that I had some food adversions until I was about 6 months pregnant played a part also. I didnt have morning sickness but I could not stand the smell of hot foods chicken (Really bad) & meat grossed me out. Basically I was eating lots of fruits vegetables, cheese yogurt, tons of sweets

stuff like that. Eventually I started eating meat & chicken again. Man let me tell you by the end of my pregnancy I could not control my eating anymore. I was eating EVERYTHING. Whatever food I saw on t.v. I had to have it right then. If I saw a Marie Callender''s pie commerical I had to pick up a pie. If Olive Garden was Advertising pasta I had to go there and eat etc.... I ate out a lot. I''m surprised I didnt gain more weight I really am. I have to say I was addicted to pasta, shrimp, & ice cream during my pregnancy.
Drink Lots and lots of water during your pregnancy it will keep you from getting puffy.

I love talking about pregnancy & babies I have to stop myself or I''ll go on forever. Congrats to you Demelza and all the expecting Ps''ers.

 

[Demelza]

My plan is just to eat as sensibly as possible without depriving myself and just hope that my body doesn''t go nuts on me. I''m quite small to begin with so hopefully that''ll help me not gain too much. I''m a vegetarian and plan to stay that way during the pregnancy, but I do eat dairy and eggs. I''ve mostly been eating carbs (bagels), fruit, yogurt, and some asian cuisine (vegetarian chinese or thai). I definitely understand not wanting to eat food that is hot. With the exception of the occasional pad thai or mushu, everything I eat is cold. The smell of hot food is icky. My husband eats meat and when I smell that cooking, it''s not good. I would say, so far, the biggest change has been in my chest size. I hope that slows down because it''s insane and rather uncomfortable!! So strange how the body can morph. No super strong cravings yet, although early on when I was VERY nauseous, I craved Kraft singles -- you know that rubbery, fake cheese substance kids like. I have no idea where that came from because it seems pretty gross to me now, but at the time, that''s one of the few things I could tolerate. I''m going to force myself to go the gym today and do some very light cardio. I figure something light is better than nothing at all, even if it''s not even close to what I used to do.

Vegas Angel -- are you done having kids or are there more pregnancies in your future?

 

[mrssalvo]

I gained 40 lbs with both of mine

I''m 5''3" and 106 while not pregnant. I didn''t pay too much attention to what I ate but did try to eat things like Total cereal for breakfast every day. Any type of meat grossed me out so I ate a lot of veggie meals and loved pizza, or outback''s salmon (thinking kelly pickler here

pronounes saLmon).

I also bought a lot of maternity clothes from Old Navy. I just hated spending a lot of money on clothes I was only going to be wearing for a few months.

 

[Small]

I absolutely could not eat chicken while pregnant with my son. It totally made me sick. Even when I smelled it I wanted to throw up. I used to eat chicken breasts all the time and since he was born almost 15 mos ago I can barely stomach them now

Very strange indeed what happens while pregnant.
Your chest will slow down a bit and then you will start gaining other places LOL. With my daughter I swelled up like a big balloon and gained all over. With my son I was all belly and butt. I''m still trying to lose all the weight. Unfortunately I wasn''t able to just get back to my prepregnancy weight before my daughter but I''m working really hard now to do so.
Sounds like you are eating very healthy and everything is going well for you. Are you hoping for boy or girl at this point??? I can tell you my girl has been much easier so far but I think in the long run she''s going to be the high maintenance one LOL. I wanted two girls since mine are so close in age (15 mos apart) but I wouldn''t trade my boy for anything in the world

 

[jadeleaves]

Joining in late!

What''s tylenol? My doctor said it''s safe to take paracetamol during pregnancy, but I am allergic to that, so I have to put up with my migraines because i can''t take nurofen (which was my preferred painkiller pre-pregnancy).

Re clothes: I''ve already answered that in another thread, so i won''t repeat myself.

Good news - I made it to 3 days without throwing up!

 

[lilyinct]

Demelza-

A word of advice when buying maternity clothes....they say to buy things in your pre-pregnancy size, however I would definitely recommend buying a size up. I''m pretty small at baseline, and have only gained 22 pounds (only 9 more days to go before my due date!) but most of the stuff I originally bought in a small size don''t fit my belly anymore...so I had to go buy a couple of medium pants and tops.

Also, regarding jeans- I bought the cutest pair of prego jeans at Motherhood Maternity- for 32 bucks! And I like them much better than the $200.00 ones I also bought.

Good luck!

oh yeah, my doc told me not to take tylenol more than 2 times a day, and just be careful on the dose strength (extra strength vs regular- don''t exceed more than 650 mg at a time)

 

[diamondfan]

Yes, I think reg is 250 mg and extra strength is 500 mg, you can really just take one extra or two reg strength, and though it is rsafe, I would try other things (like relaxing or what have you) as my first thing. I got horrible headaches, and always have, so I know what it is like, but try to use the tylenol as a last choice. They do seem to get better in the second trimester, FYI... (edited to say 500 mg not 5, typo!!!)

 

[lilyinct]

Date: 5/7/2006 12:30:20 AM
Author: Demelza
Thanks guys! I love hearing everyone''s pregnancy stories. When it''s your first, everything is so new and feels so precarious, it really helps to hear from others who have been through it. I will definitely relax about the Tylenol and take it as needed. And I have a tall glass of water sitting right next to me as I lie on the couch.

I''m definitely worried about the whole weight gain thing, and even more worried that I''m only 13 weeks and already wearing maternity pants. It seems like others are able to wait until at least 20 weeks. I guess I don''t HAVE to wear them, but they are just so comfy, I can''t imagine wearing anything else. I was lucky to find a pair of petites at Motherhood so they are the perfect length too. Did those of you who only gained 25 or so pounds, did you find that you had to really watch what you ate, or you just naturally only gained that much? I''ve already gained about 6 or 7 pounds

, so that only leaves 20 more if I go by what the books recommend. I was very active before pregnancy and haven''t been able to do much the last couple of months due to terrible nausea. Now that I''m feeling better, I''ve been trying to walk a bit each day and go to the gym twice a week for some light lifting. Hopefully that''ll be enough to keep me fit and healthy!

As I mentioned before, I have only gained about 20 pounds (doing some walking every day, but it is getting tough to walk now with the back pain)....the only thing I have changed since being pregnant is adding a yogurt and some cheese for calcium. I really haven''t had any cravings (though I think for kicks, I should send my husband out for a 2am Ben and Jerry''s run)

 

[eks6426]

Seems like you got some good answers on Tylenol.

I had my son 9 years ago....when maternity clothes were much uglier. I remember wearing my first maternity outfit around 4 1/2 months. But I mixed regular clothes with maternity clothes for a long time. Stretchy pants were useful. And as my belly grew, I just wore the stretchy pants under the bump. You''re lucky tunics are in style because those are really useful for your stage. Just wear what is comfortable...there is not "right" time to start wearing maternity clothes.

A couple of things I''ve noticed...my friends who have had multiple pregnancies were not so anxious to start wearing maternity clothes...they got very creative in wearing regular clothes for their 2nd & 3rd babies.

Another note, I wore my maternity jeans/pants for at least 2 years after my son was born...not out but around the house. They were so comfy.