Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[Puppmom]

Date: 5/27/2010 1:51:16 PM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
*chuckle* I love that you call your LO Gary...

Hehe - people keep teasing us that it''s going to stick! I can assure you that it will NOT! We''re trying to decide between the names Henry (your favorite

) and Nolan and recently DH has taken to calling "Gary" Nolan. I think I''ll remain on the fence until he''s born.

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Bebe is the size of a Crenshaw Melon this week! had no clue what that was so had to google...

re: sugar to get baby to move. i shudder to think what kinds of movements i''d be feeling if a was allowed to have sugar (damn GD!). (s)he is a mover and a shaker as it is- just a late bloomer due to the anterior placenta

 

[cara]

Congrats swimmer and welcome baby Elijah! What a trooper you are, ms. swimmer, with the 60 hrs of labor!

Allie, def. talk to your doctor if the anxiety gets bad, but I think part of it is just adapting to this new motherhood thing and the fact is that even though the risks are there, so much is just out of our hands right now that there is no control. It is easier to forget when you are a stable, competent healthy young adult and your husband is the same, that lightening strikes all the time, and car accidents and diseases too, and yet you keep functioning in this world full of risks without being too preoccupied with them. For me I think it will be even harder when the LO is out and growing up - how to keep them safe and yet let them explore the world? And then the parenting decisions might actually affect things. Right now there is so little you can do, it is really out of your hands. A friend of ours IRL actually had a late loss (stillborn at 40 wks) and she has displayed so much strength in the face of it that it is amazing. Life goes on. She has a living toddler daughter and a husband and I am sure they will try again at some point but it has got to be hard. What can you do but carry on living your life, and roll the dice and gamble on a pregnancy or going on a car trip or anything else in life? There are always risks.

On the feeling movements, I was feeling flutters around 18 weeks but they weren''t consistent. And I got concerned when I stopped feeling them a little later, but then I realized they had changed from flutters to nudges. Now I am pretty sure that I can tell the nudges from gas, but I certainly don''t feel them all the time yet at 23 weeks with anterior placenta. Not enough for me to get worried with kick counts or anything Just enough to get a daily reminder or so that he is still kickin away in there!

Anyway, I am plugging along here in preggo land at just over 5 months. Hubs keeps commenting on my belly size but while I find the size OK for carrying around still, the smushed guts are getting to me. I am over having this continual nausea/gas/heartburn and other sources of abdominal discomfort! Also a new issue, my feet are swelling a little and I am noticing numbness and swelling when I sit w/out my feet up. Too bad a lot of my day involves sitting, I am trying to get up and walk regularly but it is a little worrying. 4 for months to go, probably not going to get better from here but I guess just counting down weeks/months will help.

We got a load of loot from my mother (yay mom!) plus another smattering of unasked for advice, which I know is meant well but really it is such a change to go from the co-equal adult treatment I am used to to revert to a more parent-child relationship where mother feels she has all this knowledge to dispense to me and I am lacking. Of course I AM lacking in information, but the communication mode has changed and annoys me, haha. She is probably going to come out just after the birth to help out and I think I just have to accept that I will need the help and she will be somewhat annoying at times If I try to accept it beforehand then maybe I can just appreciate the help and not get bothered by the telling me what to do stuff.

Oh, I will need a strapless bra in a few weeks for a wedding in my new jumbo size, any advice on where to go shopping? Actually the letter is not so huge, but that is only because I think my band size has gone up 3-4" over the pregnancy and the boobs have just kept pace, making the letter less impressive. But I am clearly sized out of Victoria''s Secret, and had trouble finding anything at Macy''s the other day. TIA.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Cara I cringe to say it, but try Lane Bryant.

 

[Keepingthefaith21]

Date: 5/27/2010 5:31:41 PM
Author: cara
Congrats swimmer and welcome baby Elijah! What a trooper you are, ms. swimmer, with the 60 hrs of labor!

Oh, I will need a strapless bra in a few weeks for a wedding in my new jumbo size, any advice on where to go shopping? Actually the letter is not so huge, but that is only because I think my band size has gone up 3-4'' over the pregnancy and the boobs have just kept pace, making the letter less impressive. But I am clearly sized out of Victoria''s Secret, and had trouble finding anything at Macy''s the other day. TIA.

Not sure if you have one around you, but try Lady Grace - they usually have a great assortment of sizes.

 

[AllieLuv83]

Here is my contribution to BPF...with ham hock arm and all!

19 weeks.


ETA: Rats! I did it again...stupid upside down pictures!

 

[AllieLuv83]

Let me try again!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Allie-Your bump is so cute! I can''t believe you are 19 weeks already!!!

 

[Jena17]

Allie Your bumb is so cute!

Here is my first baby bump picture. I am at 22 weeks now!

 

[melz]

Date: 5/25/2010 12:02:15 PM
Author: swimmer
Lindsey! Congratulations! how wonderful to have him in sight, soon enough in your arms for good! Mazel Tov to your entire family, what a blessing!

Thank you everyone for all of your well wishes! baby Elijah and I are doing great, he is almost 2 weeks old and totally worth the 60 hrs of active labor (7 of them at 9.5cm without painkillers) to get him here. He weighed 7.6lbs and 21.5 inches long or 1 foot 10ish as DH says. Gah, photos are too large to attach, will work on that! Hugs and kisses from us to all of you waiting to meet your little people!

Congrats swimmer! And what a wonderful name, I love it.

Melz (formerly melanie987123)

 

[lili]

Lindsey
I don''t know how I could have missed Andrew''s birth announcement?!!

I''m so happy for you and your family.
Andrew is beautiful.
You did great baking him.
Many congrats to you and your hubby.

 

[AllieLuv83]

Well I am tired of waiting for this supposed change over to the new system. I wanted to check in with all the mamas to be. I started feeling the little one kicking on Saturday. I had a doctors appointment on Wednesday and was telling her how concerned I was that I was not feeling the baby yet. So I went from feeling nothing really to feeling the baby doing trampoline jumps off my cervix. BOUNCE BOUNCE I love to feel the baby move!

I finally convinced DH on the Uppababy. They just released a limited edition Myles color 2010 stroller and it was the exact color that we were hoping for. It is a turquoise blue which I think would work for a boy or a girl. I think we are going to go ahead and order it since anyone that I talk to about a $679 stroller seems to think I am nutso!

What''s new with everyone?

 

[So Excited]

Morning Ladies!

Allie- Glad to hear you are feeling the movement now!! Yay for an anxiety relief ay?? Cute Bump

It''s been pretty quite here lately.. I thought my computer was on the fritz or something with the changover version supposed to have been up and running. Looks like we are all just taking a Holiday Break.

Well, I''m officially going crazy (for the past week actually..) I am soooo ITCHY that I want to jump right outta my skin!! It all started last week Monday after a night outside and I thought that I got bit up by the mosquitos that were out, but turns out that is not the case... I have No Rash or bumps anywhere... its not Pupps and they had me come in last week for bloodwork to check for Cholestasis and all the tests that didn''t need to be sent out (waiting on the bile salts one) came back good.. They have no idea what it could be and since they tested for anything that would pose a threat to bebe or me they aren''t to concerned.. benadryl gives me NO RELIEF besides making me tired enough to pass out at night for a few hours so I decieded that I didn''t want to put any un-needed drugs into my body!! IM GOING CRAZY!!! It feels like I went and rolled in poison ivy, then got covered in insulation and then frolocked in some poison oak...

Anyone have any ideas for any relief.... Aveeno baths don''t work either.. or Lanacane... or spray calamine.. or spray benadryl..

 

[somethingshiny]

So Excited~ I feel ya with the itchiness! I bought a thing of vitamin E oil (at the dollar store for like two bucks) and rub it into my skin. Yes, it''s a bit greasy. But, there''s really no smell and it actually brings some relief. Just don''t sit on the couch without a robe!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Hey ladies!

Just got back today from a few days in DC with DH. We had an awesome time, but OMG it''s been a long time since I''ve walked that much. Aidan, my feet and my back were NOT happy with me! Anyway we were in Old Town Alexandia last night for dinner with vc10um and her SO and we stopped into this "couples boutique" for fun. Apparently it''s a pretty controversial establishment in this town and even has its own dungeon in the basement. So here''s my late BPF submission. Please excuse the demented look on my face, I was hamming it up for the camera...

 

[Bella_mezzo]

HH-Your bump is so cute

Aidan must be growing like a weed

Funny pic in the couples store. If youo keep going there, you may not be "one and done"

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Bella, it was totally spur of the moment, I''ve been in plenty of these types of stores before, but this was the first one with a dungeon. Maybe it''s because we were there with friends but DH and I couldn''t stop giggling while there. It was totally NOT a turn on.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Bwahahahahahahaha! I am calling BGD and Leon right now to give me quotes for my bracelet

 

[Mara]

Allie, I am typically not a worrier at all but having something so out of my control really messes with your mind. The first tri was stressful, but even past that...we had an amnio so I was worried about the test itself, the results, any possible after-effects, etc. It wasn't until about 20 weeks when I felt more calm...it could be because that is also when I started feeling him move. I think also talking to my Dr about statistics made me feel better....the statistics as you get further along get incredibly low. I think I finally realized at that point I had no REAL reason to worry...and it was out of my hands. And try not to read stories online...it can totally mess with your head.

That said, I think the general worry can stick with you until the day of birth then after that it's a whole diff type of worry..!!

But just think positive.

PSA...In case you ladies don't already have this...sign up for Carters online, you can get coupons in email. I just used a 30% off $40 which works on everything, even clearance items, and got J like 12 things for $40. GREAT sales and I love their stuff. This one ends June 2.

re: bibs...well J has light reflux so we have like 100 bibs in circulation. I like the Carters ones the best, and side velcro is a must for us. When J would fall asleep with bib on, the last thing you want to do is reach behind their necks to unsnap or unvelcro the bib. By having it on the side we could just do it without bothering him. Also don't get the smooth Carters ones, the terry ones absorb better (aka the barf won't slide out of your kids mouth and down the bib and onto your lap!). Oh and FYI--the Gerber bibs with the plastic backing are super great for waterproof and catching spitup, BUT they shrink down to SO small in the dryer, J is basically grown out of them...but good for small babies.

re: the sheet savers/waterproof pads etc--we have actually not yet had a leak with J like that at night...knock on wood and I'm sure we will at some point but we use the BabyDry 12hour diapers for nighttime and they work GREAT on him. we put sheet savers down for spitup though.

oh and also, gals make sure to have backup sheets. we have 2, but we need at least 2 more as we only do laundry like once a week for him. that is the one thing i keep forgetting to buy more of....again for his spitup. i don't like having 'floating' pads in the crib because i am afraid he can move and get under one at night. sheet savers have ties for the crib slats but pads don't.

one more thing... gee I have tons to share hhaa. clothes shrink like crazy when you wash and dry them. so many clothes LOOKED like they were still too big for J but when i washed and dried them they would fit perfectly--and not for very long. so just keep that in mind when going through your closet or looking at what to pull tags off and wash/dry. a lot of cute outfits were too small when washed up.

and Gerber runs very small...aka J is in carters 6 months right now but gerber is 9 or 12 month.

 

[AllieLuv83]

Date: 5/31/2010 11:45:47 PM
Author: Mara
Allie, I am typically not a worrier at all but having something so out of my control really messes with your mind. The first tri was stressful, but even past that...we had an amnio so I was worried about the test itself, the results, any possible after-effects, etc. It wasn''t until about 20 weeks when I felt more calm...it could be because that is also when I started feeling him move. I think also talking to my Dr about statistics made me feel better....the statistics as you get further along get incredibly low. I think I finally realized at that point I had no REAL reason to worry...and it was out of my hands. And try not to read stories online...it can totally mess with your head.


That said, I think the general worry can stick with you until the day of birth then after that it''s a whole diff type of worry..!!

But just think positive.


PSA...In case you ladies don''t already have this...sign up for Carters online, you can get coupons in email. I just used a 30% off $40 which works on everything, even clearance items, and got J like 12 things for $40. GREAT sales and I love their stuff. This one ends June 2.


re: bibs...well J has light reflux so we have like 100 bibs in circulation. I like the Carters ones the best, and side velcro is a must for us. When J would fall asleep with bib on, the last thing you want to do is reach behind their necks to unsnap or unvelcro the bib. By having it on the side we could just do it without bothering him. Also don''t get the smooth Carters ones, the terry ones absorb better (aka the barf won''t slide out of your kids mouth and down the bib and onto your lap!). Oh and FYI--the Gerber bibs with the plastic backing are super great for waterproof and catching spitup, BUT they shrink down to SO small in the dryer, J is basically grown out of them...but good for small babies.


re: the sheet savers/waterproof pads etc--we have actually not yet had a leak with J like that at night...knock on wood and I''m sure we will at some point but we use the BabyDry 12hour diapers for nighttime and they work GREAT on him. we put sheet savers down for spitup though.


oh and also, gals make sure to have backup sheets. we have 2, but we need at least 2 more as we only do laundry like once a week for him. that is the one thing i keep forgetting to buy more of....again for his spitup. i don''t like having ''floating'' pads in the crib because i am afraid he can move and get under one at night. sheet savers have ties for the crib slats but pads don''t.


one more thing... gee I have tons to share hhaa. clothes shrink like crazy when you wash and dry them. so many clothes LOOKED like they were still too big for J but when i washed and dried them they would fit perfectly--and not for very long. so just keep that in mind when going through your closet or looking at what to pull tags off and wash/dry. a lot of cute outfits were too small when washed up.

and Gerber runs very small...aka J is in carters 6 months right now but gerber is 9 or 12 month.

Thanks Mara,

That is really what it is for me. Feeling like things are out of my control. Being the typical type A it really messes with my head. What I have had to do was to stop and think about just daily life and the risks that we take just getting in the car and driving to work, going to the store etc. it is hard to equate being pregnant to taking just another calculated risk in life but that is really what it is. I am not normally a religious person, more just spiritual, so really thinking positively and as soon as the negative thoughts creep up trying to revert to something positive has really helped me. Tragedy happens daily, but tons of positive things happened as well that outweigh the bad. I lost my father suddenly at a young age and I think that the fear of the unknown has been a big part of me since that point. I definitely worry about everything, and my mind always goes to the worst possible place first. An example of this would be when DH takes out the trash to the dumpster, one day he was gone like 20 minutes, when it should take 2. I got worried and automatically thought something happened to him, abduction, heart attack. It is totally crazy, but I went out looking for him...he was sitting cleaning out his car!

So to me having a little person growing inside of me, and trying to do everything right, and still having very little control SUCKS in my book!
We go in for the gender/anatomy scan on June 8th and I hope to maybe talk to the doctor at that point. Until then I am practicing my deep breathing and just trying to chill!

 

[Puppmom]

Charger, I have no idea what a Crenshaw Melon is but it''s sounds BIG.

You''re closing in on your due date! Oh, and you look FANTASTIC!

Cara, let me know where you find a bra. I have a wedding on the the 12th (I could hurt DH for agreeing to go

). I''m going to try to use an empire waste dress that I already have but the idea of a strapless bra doesn''t seem pleasant!

Allie, you look great! I''m glad your feeling baby move now. Don''t forget - you might still go an entire day with nothing. I can''t remember - are you finding out the gender? Your anatomy scan has to be coming up, right?

HH, man, I''m sad that PS 2.0 is going to eat the belly pic! Best yet IMO. That belly came out of nowhere! There''s definitely no doubt that you''re preggo now.

Jena, fabulous bump! Your pregnancy is moving so quickly...for me anyway.

Mara, thanks for all of the pointers! I nose around in the newborn thread but mostly to see all of the cute pics. I should start reading to I can learn all of these things!

SoExcited, I hope that itching has settled down. That must be really unpleasant to say the least.

As for me...I have my 31 week check tomorrow then visits are every two weeks!

The only thing I think I need to address with the doc is the fact that I have BH contrax all day every day. I usually have between 15-20 during my waking hours. Two or three times though I''ve had them pretty frequently for several hours. We also put together the high chair yesterday. I know it''s early but the return period was almost up and we wanted to make sure it was all good. Turns out, there was an issue so we had to exchange it. It''s a really tight fit in our breakfast nook but it was a relief that it fits at all. It''s very weird to see baby stuff around the house. It''s going to take some getting used to!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Pupp, maybe I should make it my avatar? I''m kind of afraid to upload it to FB, but I giggle every time I look at it. Bummer about the BHs.


I''ve definitely started having them at random times, but I''ve also been having weird cramping lately. It started last week when I was walking around Homegoods. I don''t know if it was RLP but it''s really uncomfortable. It''ll hit when I''m walking around and it doesn''t go away until I sit down and relax for a few minutes. I don''t have any tightening in the bump, which makes me think it''s a structural thing vs a contraction. Like maybe Aidan''s weight is in a place that''s not supported well?

 

[Puppmom]

HH, when I walk (and sometimes when I roll over in bed), I get a pain in my lower right side - almost like that cramp you get when you jog (I mean when you''re out of shape and you jog

). I started wearing a support belt when I walk the dog and it makes a HUGE difference! It''s not the most attractive thing and is somewhat of a contraption but the doc suggested it and it really does the trick.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

This is more like a period cramp that extends across my lower abdomen, but with no tightening of the uterus

 

[AllieLuv83]

Date: 6/1/2010 9:16:21 AM
Author: puppmom

Allie, you look great! I''m glad your feeling baby move now. Don''t forget - you might still go an entire day with nothing. I can''t remember - are you finding out the gender? Your anatomy scan has to be coming up, right?

Yes! Yes! Yes! June 8th I feel like I have been waiting forever! 7:45 in the morning!

Any guesses for me?

Chinese Calendar says Boy! Everyone has said boy from the beginning but I am not so sure!

 

[Puppmom]

Allie, yay for the early morning appointment!! Mine was at 2pm and it was the LONGEST day of my life! I''m going to say girl! One more week!

HH, that does sound more like how they describe RLP. Hopefully, it''s not a permanent state of affairs. A few weeks ago, I decided I didn''t like being pregnant anymore because I felt like crap that day. I thought I would feel like I did THAT day for the next 12 weeks and I was really bummed but I''m finding that I have good days and bad days...phew!

 

[Puppmom]

Ladies, www.zulily.com has really cute stuff all the time but today they have the cutest nursery art!

 

[AllieLuv83]

Date: 6/1/2010 10:34:38 AM
Author: puppmom
Ladies, www.zulily.com has really cute stuff all the time but today they have the cutest nursery art!

Rats...blocked from work!

Yay for early morning appointments is right! I took a half sick day just so I can finally go out and buy something after my appointment. It has been so hard to browse and not buy! Retail therapy is my kind of therapy!

 

[lovelylulu]

Happy post-holiday Tuesday

I love a short week

HH - I

that bump photo. and glad to hear that you had a fun trip to DC!!

Pupp - BH all day, every day

. Sounds like you are coping well though! Hurray for 31 weeks.

Allie - love your bump. you look fabulous.

Charger - you and I are at the same *very* pregnant place. care to place a wager on which one of us will go first

jas - thinking of you and hoping that your last days are entirely uneventful

mara - thanks for chiming in with tips - always so helpful!! will probably be stopping in the newborn thread for more breast pump advice. finally ordered one and feel like the two tiny bottles that came with the machine can't possibly be enough . . . spied some pictures of J at the pool. ridiculously cute!!

***************************************************************

We had a fantastic memorial day weekend. Finally got a grill and put it to use immediately! Plus lawn games and good friends. Much fun. Not even my ridiculously swollen feet could keep me down.

I am now at 37 weeks and am baking away a FULL TERM baby

Such a happy milestone to reach.

Had another appointment this morning and have progressed to 2cm.

Last week, I was 1 cm, so I'm having some slow and steady and painless progress. I particularly like the painless part

 

[Mara]

lulu...you cannot be 37 weeks, wow!!! go you. time is just flying (i know it doesn''t when you are preggo though)...!

FWIW i have never filled both pump bottles with milk. they hold about 4.5oz each and the most i have ever pumped at one session is 8oz (with tons of breast compression!). some gals can get crazy milk from pumping, my friend pumpls like 12-15oz a session but everyone else i know pumps way less. if you EBF also sometimes pumping will not get you very much-it''s weird but it happens. since i am EP''ing for a while now, my bb''s are used to the pump but i still can''t prob get ''every drop'' out like J could. my friend who EBF''s can only pump like 2-3oz at a time but her baby is getting at least like 5-6oz from eating directly. babies are so much more effective than the mechanical!

did you get the ameda? i can''t remember. if so you can also order 2 extra bottles online, and they come with caps. i got these so that i can pump at work and cap them off for the fridge and still have 2 clean ones at home. i also got extra little white seal things and the translucent cap thingies that go in the flange. you will have to change those out at some point, i do like once every month because it does affect suction.

pupp... the newborn thread for me before i had a newborn was just like reading a foreign language haha!

allie...yep i am total type A too and the lack of control was my biggest issue (well after the m/s went away)...it totally messes with your brain. what helped me too was realizing that was just how it was and yes comparing the statistics to others and having a bit more perspective. it is very hard though when that is ALL your world is. yay for the scan coming up!