Home Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[ellaila]

Hiya ladies!

Working out ... no, I haven''t done anything since being pregnant -- and I''m not proud of it! The first trimester I was so exhausted plus we were busy with buying the house and selling the condo that I just didn''t have time to go. Second trimester, we had moved to a new town and I had cancelled my old gym membership and again, just busy busy busy. Plus I guess by that point, I had been away from the gym for a few weeks and it wasn''t part of my routine anymore. And now, I''m just way too fat (err, I mean, I have way too much "maternal storage tissue") and short of breath to even walk up stairs, nevermind go to a gym! I always wanted to be one of those preggies that goes to prenatal yoga and is all fit, but it just didn''t work out that way for me. I really admire women who can find the time and energy to do it though!

Someone at work just commented that my hair looks really thick (it doesn''t, it''s just superhuge today because I didn''t blowdry it or put it back in a ponytail!), and the other PG girl here was saying how thick her hair gets too when she''s PG but that like half of it falls out after you have the baby

I guess I''d heard that before, but I was hoping it wasn''t true. Did that happen to all of you mommas?

I''m sure some of you have similarly ridiculously busy schedules, but I just have to share some of the upcoming things we''ve got planned in the next few weeks b/c it cracks me up! The babies aren''t even here yet and they''re already dominating our lives!

Sept. 18 - GD test
Sept. 20 - my 1st mother-of-twins-club meeting
Sept. 21 - u/s
Sept. 26 - Infant CPR class
Sept. 29 - MOTC tag sale
Sometime in week of Sept. 29-Oct. 6 -- maternity portraits!
Sept. 30 - Parenting Multiples class
Oct. 8 - Multiples Childbirth class, Part I (decided to take them after all)
Oct. 13 - my baby shower!!

Oct. 15 - Multiples Childbirth class, Part II
Oct. 20 - hospital tour!

I need a nap after just writing all that out!

 

[Skippy123]

Ellaila, on page 57 your kitchen living remodel is stunning! Wow, that is an awesome transformation; I am so happy for you!!!

 

[TravelingGal]

Tacori, I doubt that TGuy will go too. I''ll probably look like I''m about to pop at that stage and he''ll be scared to leave me. Plus we''ll have just come back from Oz a month and a half prior.

Ella, I''m tired just reading that schedule! So much to do!

As for exercise, I have been walking, but not as much as I would like since I am SO exhausted. Seems like that''s the universal consensus for the first trimester...just pure exhaustion. I try to get in my walks if I have to go to the supermarket, which is closeby.

But I do take my pilates classes twice a week because it is so good for my abs and back. You''re not supposed to take the class if you''re preggo and never have done it before, but I had been taking it for 8 months before I got pregnant so all is good. They have a 24 hour cancellation policy or you''re out the fee, so I find that it really helps me stick with it.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Hey Mamas! I feel much better today and seem to be at peace with a lot of things. Talking to my mom really helped. My friend came over and saw the nursery and all the cute clothes and got so excited for me (and her, she can''t wait to hold my baby and spend time with it). She already offered to babysit.

We had our BF class last night. DH was happy b/c he was NOT the only dad there. Ella, there was a lady due in dec with boy/girl twins who seemed really nervous about her body not producing enough milk but it made me think of you. The nurse said somehow your body KNOWS you are having two babies and it won''t be a problem. DH and I were both surprised by everything you need to know. She said us new moms need to do NOTHING for the first 2-3 weeks but take care of ourselves and baby. She told the dads cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc...will be their new duties. That was fun to here! Haha! Also there were some extra benefits that I did not know about. He now says I need to BF for a year (what they suggest) Err...lets take it one month at a time buddy. I do want to BF for at least 6 months. We are going to Mexico for a wedding in April and obviously it would be easier if I still BF while there (less to pack). She said the first 3 weeks are the hardest. Once you get through those it will be fine. They have a 24 hour help line and she even said we could call her at home

Seemed very generous to me! DH was cute. When she was talking about pumps and which ones she feels works best he nudged me and told me to write them down.

Interesting facts I learned....your baby will be able to SMELL you (know your scent) up to 11 feet away within an hour of their birth.
When you introduce the bottle (after 3 weeks), mom should be out of the room b/c otherwise the baby will be confused (for BF moms only) and won''t take it as well.
Out of 1,000 babies 158 formula feed babies will need to be hospitalized due to illness only 7 BF babies.
The first 48 hours of your baby''s life they will sleep up to 44 hours.
Baby''s favorite shape is a circle. They love dark circles on a light background (makes sense since that is a breast).

Our hospital tour is tonight and then we added Taking Care of baby/Infant CPR at the end of the month. We were the only one in our class that is keeping the sex a surprise. I guess it is uncommon.

 

[mrssalvo]

ella, you're upcoming schedule is just too cute...wait until you're kids are 3 and then see what it turns into..hehe...

tacori, very cool about the BF class. hubby went with me to mine too although I think it scared him and permenantly ruined his view of the female breast..

good to know about waiting 3 weeks on the bottle and having someone else do it. i nursed my first 6 months b/f ever giving her a bottle. my step dad was the first to give her one and she took it. With Lily, I waited 4 months and was out with hubby and left my mom with her and she would not take the bottle and never did drink out of one. So, this one i plan on introducing early b/c I just can't be the only one with the abilitly to feed the baby at this point. anyway, thank's for that little tip...

 

[ellaila]

Aww, thanks Skippy! You''re always so sweet

Thanks for sharing all that BF info, Tacori -- interesting stuff! I haven''t yet signed up for that course, but I think I likely will. That''s something we can probably do later though, since I''m a little afraid of scaring hubby right now what with all the baby stuff we''ve got going on! And yeah, I''d heard that before about how your body produces enough milk for two babies if you have twins -- crazy! I guess because it did all that extra work during pregnancy -- two placentas, two sacs, double the amniotic fluid, etc. -- it just produces double the milk too? Just call me Elsie the cow in a few months! Good luck/have fun at your other class tonight too!

I visited another friend last night who just had a baby (three weeks ago), and she was giving me my own personal newborn essentials class -- she made me feed the baby, burp her, and put her down. I feel like a pro now (ha ha). Actually, I have SO little experience with newborns that it really did make me feel better to have her show me what to do and to trust me to do it! She also gave me a bunch of bottles -- Avent, Playtex w/dropins, and Playtex ventaire (?) -- and a bunch of different nipples as well so between those and the Born Frees I registered for, hopefully we can find something the babies like.

Hubby also held the baby for a while, and he is just SO cute with babies! It got me all mushy to see him with the little baby girl in his arms like that

I''m getting really excited for the twins to arrive! (Terrified but excited.)

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Hello Gals!

I'm coming out of lurkdom 'cause I have SERIOUS BABY FEVER! It's certainly due to the fact that a close gifrlfriend had her baby this past Saturday. Little Cole came in at 6 lbs 19 inches. His pics are sooo cute, and I can't wait to see him (they live 300 miles away). He was a bit early- 3 weeks!

Anyway, I'm off to read about how y'all are doing. Best wishes always!

 

[chrono]

Glad to see new moms-to-be in here.

I just popped in to answer the question about hair:
Yes, my hair grew the quickest and was very thick during both pregnancies. I recall it has something to do with the hormones making you keep all your hair (and not drop it at the end of its life cycle). Sometime about 3 to 6 months postpartum, these hair that were kept past their "shelve life" will be shed. So although it may look like you are losing tons of hair, it''s actually hair that should have been shed long ago. My bathroom looked like a rug if I don''t pick up my shed hair everyday. Trust me, no one goes bald or near balding.

 

[curlygirl]

Hi everyone!! Just another quick drive by so you can see how Lily is growing!! It's pretty amazing to see how much she's changed since she was born. This photo was taken in Central Park over Labor Day weekend in her Gymboree lemon tree dress and hat. She's so much fun!!!!

Diver, I'm going to have to check in more often to see if you're around! I know when you disappear it will be because Delaney has arrived! I hope you're surviving these last weeks. I think the final stretch was the worst for me--just waiting and not knowing when it was going to happen.

TGal, no sugar?? NO WAY!! Not possible for me! I read that if you eat chocolate during your pregnancy, you will have a happy baby! I think it worked for me and even if it didn't, it sure tasted good!!!! So glad the blob is gone. Regarding amnio, I'm a huge advocate. I had one (that damn advanced maternal age thing plus bad false AFP results) and it wasn't bad AT ALL. And as you mentioned, it gives you peace of mind for the rest of your pregnancy.

Tacori, glad you're doing better. The hormones can get the best of you. Sounds like you're enjoying your classes which is good--lots of interesting info out there.

ellaila, that schedule made me feel tired and I'm not preggo! It does get a little crazy and overwhelming when you start taking classes and hospital tours. It seems like it's all happening at once and it seems insane when you look at it like you are on paper but it's not so bad as it's actually happening. I think it's good to have things to look forward to considering you don't know when you're going to actually have the babies! It's also great to spend time around new moms and babies. Great hands on learning experience. We use the Playtex Ventaire bottles and really like them but I think each baby will like something different so you'll just have to test them all out.

mrssalvo, how are you feeling? I can't wait to see pictures of your little belly!!

njc, hope you're doing well. Definitely get mom to buy stuff for you--she'll probably want to anyway!!

lili, I had the nuchal translucency test. It's an ultrasound and blood test--not invasive at all. I recommend it if only to get another chance to look at your little peanut! Regarding exercise, I'm one of the crazy people that exercised throughout the entire pregnancy. I went to the gym 2-3 times/week and walked at least 2 miles every day to and from work. I really think it helped me out during labor and delivery and helped me bounce back quicker after giving birth. I was back in the gym 2 weeks post partum which isn't necessarily recommended but I felt good enough to do it. Hope you're doing well.

Dani, if you're lurking, good luck with all your wedding stuff. I just double checked on your date--9/28!! Wooohoo, right around the corner. And I'm sooooo happy you're having the Pedalas do your hair and makeup. You will have so much fun with them--I wish I could have them come over and fix me up every day!! Looking forward to hearing all about your special day and seeing lots of photos!

Chrono, so true about the hair thing. My hair was so lovely during my pregnancy and now in the past month I am shedding like a collie!! I still have tons of hair but it's ridiculous--hair EVERYWHERE. Those darn hormones!!!

OK, back to work for me. Hope everyone is hanging in there. I love coming here to check up on you and see who else is joining the group!!

 

[Skippy123]

Curlygirl, baby Lily is too cute for words

What a happy and precious baby! I love her chubby arms; she is a doll! What a cutie pie

 

[mrssalvo]

aw curly, your little Lily is sooooo adorable, what a sweet, sweet smile...

 

[chrono]

Lily is so adorable and she''s grown so much.

Here''s my 9 month old cutie while on vacation a few weeks ago.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Curly, Lily is SO cute!

Chrono, I don''t feel like my hair looks anyways different! Why don''t I get any of the benefits of being preggo?!?

MrsS, makes sense that mom should be out of the room since the baby can smell you. I plan on introducing a bottle around 3 weeks. I want DH to be able to feed too plus I am not sure how comfortable I am BF in public. DH was surprisingly comfortable during the class but the teacher was really funny and laid back about it. Oh, she also said you can drink one drink a day an hour before feeding (for those interested). She also said don''t worry about not eating any certain foods (except *maybe* sushi). There are so many rumors out there (no onions, no garlic, no spicy food, no soft cheeses, etc...) she said ignore them.

Ella, I wonder about the twins that share a placenta (like the lady in my other class). How fun you got to practice being a mom. I *love* seeing DH with babies too. I just know (even though he drives me up the wall sometimes) he is going to be such a good dad. You should have seen his face when I told him he wasn''t BF. haha! It was priceless!!!! He couldn''t understand why (b/c of all the benefits). I would check your bottles for BFA if that is something you are worried about.

Charger, just let me know when we can add you to the preggos in waiting list

I was 3 weeks early too but was only 5 lbs 11 ozs.

 

[TravelingGal]

Tacori, glad you are feeling better! And that is excellent info. I really need to cut and paste all this stuff!

Diver, hope you are doing well! Check in when you can.

Ella, it''s nice your friend did that for you. I have never held a newborn. Part of it was because I have a "don''t hold em until you can throw em" rule, and the other part is because newborns are so fragile and I don''t want to make the parents nervous. I don''t even touch newborns because I would think parents wouldn''t want germy hands all over their delicate child.

But because I have never held one, mine will be the first. Oh well, crash course!

Charger, congrats on your friend''s baby!

Curly and Chrono...LOVE the pics, they are SO cute! Makes me glad that I am having one, so keep postin'' dem pics! They change so fast, don''t they?

I''ve been sick. Just a cold, but inconvenient nonetheless. Just wish the splitting headache would go away. Now I''m definitely getting that flu shot! Every time I cough, I keep thinking I''m startling the baby.

 

[lili]

Curly, your Lily is just too cute. Those eyes are just going to melt somebody''s heart in the future. She is a very happy indeed. I am definitely eating some chocolate

And also wowwy in hitting the gym after 2 weeks. That is an amazing recovery.

Chrono, your little man has gotten so big. I love his smile and those teeth are just the cutest. He''s changed so much since his newborn picture.

Tacori, glad to hear that you are feeling better. Sometimes we just need to let out a good cry. Sounds like you are getting a tons of information from those classes. Regarding your DH and babies. That''s great that he''s comfortable holding babies. I don''t know about mine. He held his newborn niece like a football! and he had this what to I do with it look on his face. I better get one of those newborn doll and let him practice when the time is near.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Chrono, how cute! Such an adorable photo (we must have been posting at the same time)

Lili, he is a total baby hog! He seriously loves kids (of all ages). Though he has never changed a diaper. That is going to change VERY soon!!! The football hold is great for BF so maybe he knows more than you think! Haha. The classes have been great. Both teachers were really cool and it has made me feel more comfortable about everything. I agree a good cry makes me feel better sometimes. I am just hormonal and emtional. Talking to my mom is good too. I never grew out of needing my mommy! Too bad she lives SOOOO far away. I can't wait for her visit!!!

 

[Kaleigh]

Curly, Lily is sooooo cute!! Chrono, Your little man is just adorable. Dying here of their cuteness!!!!

 

[Ellen]

Ohh, curly, what a doll!! LOVE those toothless grins.

And chrono, that pic had me laughing out loud. SO cute!

Gosh I miss lil people. They are just so much fun....

 

[ellaila]

OK, seriously, both Lily''s and lil Chrono''s photos look like magazine shots! Wow, PSers make cute young''uns

And better than cute, they both look like happy little campers, which is awesome!

TGal, I''m pretty scared of newborns, too -- especially other people''s! Which is why feeding the baby last night was such a good thing for me to do. My friend is totally laid back with her kids -- she''s not one of those "You''re not doing it right!" type of people when you''re with her kids; she''s more of the "It''s fine, babies don''t break!" attitude, which is great for someone like me who is so afraid of doing something wrong. Seeing the two little babies this week (1 week old and 3 weeks old) actually reassured me a lot that we can deal with having babies. I mean, yes, I know that it''s a 24-hour job, but I see my friends being so darn capable with babies that there''s no reason why we can''t be too!

 

[divergrrl]

Tacori: Your bfing class sounds like mine, I thought it was the best of all the classes, especially when they tell the dh''s all the housework, cooking, shopping becomes THEIR jobs. muhahahahhahahahahahah love it!

If you can think of your npple as a clock and rotate your baby around it at different feedings you can help alleviate some discomfort. So, one time a football hold, another time a cradle, another time side lying..that helped me some with discomfort.


Lili: Be very careful STARTING a workout regime while pregnant. If you have not exercised before now is not the time to start anything ambitious. (I''m a certified yoga & group exercise instructor, so I''m actually qualified to give advice here). Your body is producing a hormone called "relaxin" at this very moment, and it causes your ligaments to relax & stretch (to help the pelvis spread for childbirth). The big problem is that it also relaxes your other joints as well so you are more prone to injury while pregnant. If you pull a muscle, it will heal, but if you stretch out or injure a ligament, you can''t get it back to its previous state. Its a painful injury. Now is not the time for you to start weight lifting. Even though you can & should be active during pregnancy (I have been, and I still lift, but I don''t lift heavy right now...I lightened my load as I progressed in my pregnancy to protect my joints, back, etc.) you have to be honest about your previous fitness level & what is realistic. I''d recommend getting a book on prenatal fitness for help.

Common advice from physicians is not to start any activities you did not do prior to pregnancy. Old advice was to keep your heart rate below 140 beats per minute, but that is being debated, however, it is important to stay hydrated (drink tons of water while working out) and cool (wear layers you can peel off & work out next to a fan if you can).

Safe activities for you would be pre-natal yoga, walking, and swimming/water aerobic classes, but I recommend you get your OB''s permissioni before starting anything. Stationary bikes, elliptical machines, etc are probably fine too...just talk to your OB first & don''t let your husband "train" you.

Remember, if you''ve been doing it already before getting pregnant, its probably ok...otherwise, stick to low impact, easier stuff.

oK...that''s my PSA for today! (so sorry I can''t help myself! LOL)

Curly: OMIGOSH...Lily is cccute! I can''t believe how big she is!

Chrono: What a sweet baby, ooh I love the baby pictures!

DA tomorrow at 10:30 am pacific time! wooowoooo 2-4-6-8-C''MON cervix DILATE!!!!!! GOOOOOO BABY!

 

[mrssalvo]

you gals are too funny about being scared of newborns.. I was the same way, they just always seem soooo delicate and fragile to me. when my first was born, i was shocked to watch the nurses just grab the baby in a not so delicate way. they gave her a little scrub bath and just flipped her back and forth with ease. they all said babies are actually pretty hardy little things but there really is nothing like holding your own as you get to know each other and realizing they aren't going to break

good luck tomorrow diver

 

[dani13]

Hi Preggos!

Curly- Baby Lily is sooooooo GORGEOUS!!! I can''t believe how much she has grown!!!

Thank you for all of the well wishes....The wedding is coming up very soon, and I am so nervous!! I have so many things to do, and not enought time to get it all done!! I can''t wait to share the details of my big day, and of course, tons of photos with all of my PS friends!!!!

 

[dani13]

ps- Check out some of my e-pics I posted in BWW....

 

[ellaila]

Good luck at appt. today, Diver -- keep us posted!!

I called PB today to see if they know the color green paint that matches the green gingham and they don''t, but the woman there remnded me that Lowes, Home Depot, etc. all do that color matching for paints and that they do a great job with it, so YAY, I feel confident that we can get just the right shade that we want! And our 2nd crib arrived today (SO fast!!), so we''re defiinitely getting antsy now to start this nursery!

By the way, to any Jewish moms/moms-to-be, Happy New Year! Hey Diver, maybe Delaney will be one of the first babies born in the year 5768

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Diver, good luck!

Ella, that is how we got our paint color. I took some of the bedding into Lowes and they matched it. We did the ceiling two shades lighter of the wall color.

So I broke down and bought another pair of jeans. They are kind of baggy/big but I figured I am ONLY going to get larger. We had a good time on the hospital tour. I loved seeing the little babies but it is cool to see where I will be staying. They have fold out beds for the dads, video games, movies on demand, AND give you a choice for your meals (can you tell which I am the MOST excited about???) I pre registered online this morning.

My family is buying their Thanksgiving tickets

It should be fun with the new baby. Plus my Colombian sister (I lived with a family in colombia when I was 13 for 6 months) is coming too! I haven''t seen her for 10 years

So that will be cool to catch up with her.

 

[lili]

Oh no, I''m not about to embark on a full exercise regime. Thank you for your advice and concern Diver, I''ll keep it in mind. I led a pretty sedentary life for the last 10 years. The only workout you can say that I get for the week is dusting and vacuuming and a bit of gardening. My plan for now is to get off my lazy butt and get some walking in daily and work with the dumbbells (5 pounders only) to tone up my astrophied (sp.) muscles. I''m not about to hit the gym and start kickboxing anyone

Anyway, glad you checked in. Hope you dilated more today

I can''t wait to meet Delaney

 

[TravelingGal]

Yes...dilate, dilate, rah rah rah! GOOOOO Diver!

OK, here''s the kooky question of the day. Let me preface this by saying this conversation took place with me (sober of course), TGuy (happily buzzed), and a couple of his guy friends (also happily buzzed).

This is over the name of TTot should we have a girl.

Her first name will be Amelia (I''ve said before on here that it''s because it''s the first three letter of America and the last three of Australia, plus it''s a real name anyway). That is set.

Her middle name, we came to agree within 2 minutes could be Renee. We liked the name as we tossed around a few while driving some time ago, but it bears no significance whatsoever.

As you may know, TTot was conceived on Independence Day. I will spare you the full scope of the recent pseudo drunken conversation, but the boys all decided they LOVE the middle name "Indie" to commemorate the spirit of how she was conceived (which is a funny story in and of itself).

Now, a few days later, I asked TGuy if he seriously liked that middle name better than Renee. Fully sober, he said, indeed he does. But of course, I have final say as he has the boy''s name sewn up. This is of course, a guy who bought the most awful "visitor''s book" known to man and thought it looked fine.

My thoughts?

Amelia Renee sounds way better than Amelia Indie. Indie actually does go very well with her last name, but not when combined with the first name. It''s also a weird name, IMHO.

Pros would be that it would have meaning...for the day she was conceived and for the fact that it is short for Independence (and of course we want her to be an Independent woman!)

All the guys seem to love it. The one gal I told, far less so.

So gals, what do you think? My feelings won''t be hurt, so say what ya wanna.

 

[decodelighted]

Present! Was I late for roll call??

Okay ... "Amelia" ... LOVE IT! "Amelia Renee" -- pretty but not a wowser "Amelia Indie" -- undecided, need more thought

What about

"Amelia JULY"???


ETA: "Amelia LIBERTY"?

 

[FireGoddess]

I think Amelia Indie sounds really nice - and when everyone (as they all will) asks why that''s her middle name, it''s just such the coolest reason ever!!! I love it!!

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 9/13/2007 3:24:18 PM
Author: decodelighted
Present! Was I late for roll call??

Okay ... ''Amelia'' ... LOVE IT! ''Amelia Renee'' -- pretty but not a wowser ''Amelia Indie'' -- undecided, need more thought

What about

''Amelia JULY''???

LOL, nope, right on time.

I''m totally up for names, especially those that mean strong, wise, independent, etc. Renee means nothing to me, nor does Indie. Amelia Noelle got panned by TGuy.

I''m laughing on the July...I am watching "Lonesome Dove" at the insistence of my boss who LOVES the miniseries. In it, there is a town sheriff named July, but his friend calls him JOOhl-eye. I can''t get past the pronunciation!