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Serafina
Texas
10/7/08 9:17 PM
serafina's pregnancy journal
Today is Tuesday, October 7th. And I'm pregnant!!! How did this happen?
Well, in September, DH and I (maybe I should call him Mr. Serafina, or maybe Serafino...) decided to TTC. I got a Fertile Focus ovulation microscope. One day---BAM---there they were--little fern-like structures that formed from my dried-up saliva. No bubbles, dots of miscellaneous, random bits this time. REAL "ferning", or crystallization, like the instructions say to look for. I wrote Mr. S an email at work. Subject line: FERNING!!!! In the body of the email: Come home soon. I am ovulating. Holy crap this thing really works!!
Fast forward to 9 dpo. I took a Dollar Tree test. (A good friend swore by them and bought like a case when she went through IVF.) It was a BFN.
15 dpo. Let's try this again. Today I have to take the dog to puppy kindergarten, then to the vet for a booster shot. She's whining in her kennel to go outside, but let me just pee really quick because they say the first morning's pee is the most concentrated. Umm, is that a faint LINE???
(After I take the dog out to pee) I set the test down and stare at it. The line seems to be still there. I wonder if I need my eyes checked. I immediately do what I think any normal girl would do. Put my digital camera on the macro setting and take a photograph, email it to my best girlfriend (my MOH) who lives halfway across the country, call her on her work line, and insist she drops everything and analyzes this image for me. (Of course, she does, because she's an awesome friend.) She see two lines, too. Now not only am I going to puppy K and the vet, but I am squeezing in a quick trip to the hospital where my GYN works for a blood test.
Blood test = BFP, too. The nurse who calls seems surprised. "You are barely pregnant," she says. She seems shocked that I know this early. Apparently, she doesn't know that I am anal retentive about most things and somewhat obsessive about my cycle. Lady, I know when I should be bleeding. My uterus and I have had a close relationship in the last year. (More on that scoop later.)
I tell Serafino the news just as he is about to dash out the door to his RCIA class. (I just couldn't wait!) He kisses me nice like they do in the movies. He puts his head to my belly. He stares at me funny, and his blue eyes are open really wide. I wrapped up an old, tiny, book of baby names that was my mom's in the '70's. We normally used it to name our pets. I tell him we might want to start looking through it for real this time.
Serafina
Texas
10/7/08 9:20 PM
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I should mention we just rescued a puppy in late September. She was eight weeks old when she was found dumped on the side of the road in the Dallas area. Her name is Sadie, and she's a purebred German Shorthaired Pointer. At roughly 15 weeks old, she already needs to run about a mile a day to get her energy out.
Serafino and I are exhausted from the puppy. Imagine a baby! At least they are not completely mobile as soon as you bring them home.
Serafina
Texas
10/7/08 9:46 PM
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A little about us. Mr. S and I met while we were both active duty Army in Korea. We've been geographically separated for jobs and a tour in Iraq for a total of around three years off and on since 2004. We got married on 777 and were able to actually start living together in May of 2008. So got married, went on our honeymoon, and then he moved to Texas and I stayed in Maryland. In May '08 I moved to Texas (just finished a MFA degree) and we had a whopping ONE month together before our ONE YEAR anniversary. Yup. That's normal for us. Let's just say we don't do anything in the traditional fashion. :)
A little about me. (Here's the vagina stuff.) I've had breast lumps for 2+ years, which have finally (after two mammograms and one ultrasound, between ages 28-29, I am now 30...) been diagnosed as "fibrous, dense breasts." No fibroids, no cysts. I am thankful to God for this. I worried and cried for months. My mother has had numerous (benign) lumps removed, and of course, I freaked out.
I also had a bad pap. In my last week of school before Christmas 2007 (alone in Maryland while Serafino was in Texas) I was frantically working on manuscripts and notebooks for my final grades. The GYN nurse calls me. In a nutshell, she says I have had an abnormal pap that is "one step below cancer" and they need me to come in tomorrow morning at 7am for some tests.
**SIDEBAR** Now, let me just say that I am a believer in the pap test. I tell every woman I know to get one, every year. I did. Every freaking year. And still something slipped through for me. Human error? Ultra-fast cell changes? Who knows. Just get those paps, women.
Long story short. My pap was HSIL. (High Grade Squamous Intraepitheliel Lesions.) This is bad. Yes, one step below cancer. But NOT cancer yet.
DH flew up from Texas, and accompanied me on a colposcopy which HURT like a -----. (the three biopsies hurt, and the lovely wire brush with which they delicately scrape the inside of your cervix...) My young female doctor introduced herself, then told me if things were bad I might have to have a hysterectomy, or that if she saw a "huge cancerous tumor" she'd immediately stop the procedure and send me to an oncologist. Tears started down my face and Serafino handed me a kleenex. The doc then proceeded to ask me why I was crying. I looked at her incredulously and she made a note on her clipboard.
Then the young, brand new doctor, a seasoned, red-haired doctor from the Ukraine who wore knee-high brown leather boots, AND a student-doctor named Destiny all looked through the colposcope at my cervix. (Seriously, it was like a Vagina Drive-Through.) All three of these ladies, plus the nurse practitioner...all of them felt my breasts, too. (did DH feel left out?)
The biopsies showed nothing. Did they mess up? The answer was yes, probably. (Sorry, I promised a short summary. I'm getting there, I promise.) And so my doc decided to do a LEEP at the end of January. I started thinking about dying, and felt like someone had just told me how I am going to die someday. Cancer is going to spread through my body. Someday I will lose my uterus. I felt okay with this after a while. I didn't feel the need to have a child. I wanted to survive. And if they had to take my uterus to do it, so be it.
After a panic attack at the movies while watching Atonement, (NOTE--- do not see sad or emotional movies when you yourself are on the verge of a breakdown. Only Disney will do.) I ended up at the Emergency Room at one in the morning, getting a prescription for anxiety meds, an EKG, a chest x-ray, etc. Everything was fine. I was just making myself nuts.
I had the LEEP on January 31st. They took 3-4 mm off my cervix. I was sedated, and it was awesome. (Well, not awesome, but I didn't feel a thing. It was SO much easier than the colposcopy.) The biopsy confirmed the ugly cells were really there, and they think they got them all out.
Since then I've had two paps, one normal, the second (just two months ago in August) was abnormal. I really felt (feel) like my uterus is out to get me.
I started taking folic acid like a fiend. I resumed a dormant yoga practice and tried to think positive. I watched my cycle and obsessively recorded every hour of spotting, pain, clotting, bleeding, and other cervical activity on a calendar. (Hence I knew the date my period should have come in September.)
I feel better now. So many women on here (Denise57 specifically, and many others) supported me. I feel much more in control of my mind, and also conversely much more able to let things go, and let the universe take me where it thinks I should go.
And so here I am. Pregnant. With a tiny little poppy seed inside me. It's still sinking in. I am reading the books. I am googling (which isn't always a good thing.) I am amazed at my body, this uterus. What a crazy thing.
Serafina
Texas
10/7/08 9:51 PM
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Here are the books I am reading:
Your Pregnancy Week by Week 6th Ed by Glade B. Curtis and Judith Schuler
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin
Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy
Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth about Pregnancy and Childbirth by Jenny McCarthy
Cool Names for Babies, Jan '08 Ed. by Pamela Redmond Satran and Linda Rosenkrantz
I saw this journal called The Belly Book that looks kind of cool. Anyone have it?
My nighttime reading is the Autobiography of Henry VIII by Margaret George. (I am a huge fan of fiction and non fiction that has anything to do with England, Scotland and Wales circa 1100-1600.)
Eowyn
Western Australia
10/8/08 2:34 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
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Wow... what an incredible journey you've had so far! How fantastic you were able to move through all that and get pregnant! What a story you'll have to tell your little one when they arrive (and you know, are old enough to actually understand :p).
I just had to add, that your puppy is adorable She looks like her head is too big for her body.
futuremrs.kj
Alabama
10/8/08 7:12 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
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I have to say you are a brave soul. To keep going and to try to have a baby after all that is so commendable. I know life throws us curveballs and just when we think its not going to be any better, God shows up with a miracle!!
You have an amazing story!
futuremrs.kj
Alabama
10/8/08 7:13 AM
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Oh yeah, your puppy is so adorable. What a sweet loving face!
MrsL0607
Virginia
10/8/08 8:16 AM
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all I can say is echo what these two other ladies have said....you are soo brave to just tred on. I'm not sure I would have been able to handle all of that myself. You are truely blessed! :)
my DH and I are TTC and have been for over a year. I know it will happen one day and if not then I know it was not meant to be but your story is soo inspiring and I hope that I have my miracle!
dereksbride
Wisconsin
10/8/08 12:03 PM
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I remember some of your posts when you were experiencing the cervix issues. You have gone through a lot already so lets hope you will have a totally pleasant and very healthy pregnancy and delivery. It really is an amazing experience.
LaLainaj
New York
10/8/08 1:04 PM
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Serafina, I am SO HAPPY FOR YOU.
That you have come through everything bad and have a happy ending. Congratulations on the baby!
And the puppy(who is incredibly cute!).
Winterwed07
Georgia
10/8/08 2:52 PM
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Serafina- I love you puppy. It is so cute.
It looks just like one I had when I was younger.
I am sorry to hear about all the problems you have had but I am so glad to hear that you are preg now.
carly.d
Marquette, MI
10/8/08 4:32 PM
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"(Seriously, it was like a Vagina Drive-Through.)"
i'm sorry, i know it was a serious situation, but this seriously made me laugh!
kudos to you for overcoming such adversity! and congrats again!
Serafina
Texas
10/8/08 7:14 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
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Thank you so much ladies! I truly did not mean to sound so negative in my first couple posts. I was writing late at night, and I've never had a journal before, so I was trying to sum up the background info. I guess when it's all lumped together like that it sounds like quite a long haul.
All of your comments made me smile. It's pretty cool to have WC girlfriends to share this stuff with.
dereksbride, futuremrs.kj, & LaLainaj, yes, I am hoping for a happy, healthy pregnancy! The changes life has brought to me (both good and bad) have really been amazing. At the very least, I can say that life is certainly NOT boring!! God does throw a curve ball in occasionally. Especially since my last pap was abnormal, I consider this little baby a real blessing, as well as proof that sometimes the universe has a greater plan for us. :)
Eowyn, my Dad calls the dog "Chocolate Head" lol She is really skinny, but is getting much better.
MrsL0607, I have a close friend who tried for two years (Clomid, injections, IVF, the works) She has twins now, and those babies are SO loved and SO wanted. It's really awesome. I don't know why some people conceive so easily and for some it seems to take ages. Just hang in there and don't lose hope. It's amazing how brave we can really be!
Carly I totally was laughing to myself as I wrote all those posts. (Yes, I have a somewhat dry and/or sick sense of humor...lol) Laughing at stuff is sometimes the best way to get through it!! During my colposcopy I really did ask if there was anyone else around who wanted to take a peek at my vagina...maybe some people loitering in the hallways for example. I guess if you can laugh while in stirrups you've (sorry can't resist) got a leg up on the situation.
:)
Winterwed, I hope you are feeling better! I can't wait to have morning sickness, if it means a lower risk of miscarriage!! (***is God going to smite me now?***)
dereksbride
Wisconsin
10/8/08 7:31 PM
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Winterwed, I hope you are feeling better! I can't wait to have morning sickness, if it means a lower risk of miscarriage!! (***is God going to smite me now?***)
LOL! Well, for your sake I hope that if you get it, it goes away after 12 weeks like it's supposed to. I was sick the ENTIRE pregnancy, it was totally miserable. But, I did have a healthy baby. I've also heard the old wive's tale that if you have really bad morning sickness, you are having a girl. In my research, I learned there is actually a little bit of truth to that...something like 60% of women hospitalized for really severe morning sickness have girls. Apparently it has something to do with hormones. So not a super high percentage, but more than the usual 50/50 girl/boy percentage.
Winterwed, I feel your pain. Just the thought of some foods during pregnancy made me so sick, I'm still not over my aversion to them. And I've been "unpregnant" for almost 8 weeks now! I hope you're feeling better soon.
Serafina
Texas
10/8/08 9:58 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
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Yes, I hope the morning sickness comes for a while, enough to assure me that everything is okay, and then goes away when it's supposed to. (I wish we could arrange things to be this easy!) :)
I love the old wives' tales. Anyone know any others? I've heard if you carry high it's a boy? Maybe I have it backwards. Spicy food cravings = boy? I need to research this...
I'm 90% sure I want the gender to be a surprise. Now to convince Mr. Serafina...
Denise57
NY
10/9/08 6:17 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
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Serafina, I sent you a PM.
Congrats on everything. Here is hoping for a healthy happy pregnancy.
FYI: I STILL have the same food aversions and I have been unpregnant for almost 6 months. Might have to do with hormones since I am breast feeding though. Don't know but if anyone comes near me with chargrilled food I just about heave. LOL.
Serafina
Texas
10/9/08 9:53 PM
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Babies are so fun! I've been searching the net for nursery ideas that I like...
A cool rocker...
In case the ultrasound tech lets it slip that it's a girl...
Daisies...
This looks like it would be easy to DIY...
Some attempts at gender neutral...
classic white on white...(maybe with a really bold wall color)
I love chocolate...
Froggies!
Super cool (and organic!) lions
Funky retro owls...
Oh, I love zebra...
aurora1036
Rochester Hills, MI
10/10/08 10:21 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
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This isn't baby related but I wanted to say we have a german short hair puppy too He is almost 6 months old now and I know what you mean about the energy!
I don't have any recent pictures uploaded yet but here is one of his puppy shots from my journal He has more than trippled in size in the last 3 months! He is getting SOOO big!
Serafina
Texas
10/10/08 11:05 AM
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Oh my goodness!!!! I LOVE his coloring! What beautiful ticking!! His body almost looks like he could be roan, rather than white with ticking. That white bit by his nose is super cute, too. Did he have that coloring as a pup or did it darken as he got older?
I have never had a dog before, and didn't know anything about GSPs...but I love our little girl so much! (Although she does completely wear me out...good prep for a baby!!)
Sadie is about 4 months now. I am going to have to remember this puppy stage because she will be big very soon! She is all legs right now, with those big paws. She is a VERY smart girl, and has already learned to UNZIP her canvas/mesh crate and escape.
aBride4U2remember
Ontario, Canada
10/10/08 1:06 PM
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I've been lurking for a while, but thought I'd pop in today and say Congrats! On the baby and the puppy (who by the way is super cute, her little eyes melt my heart!)
aurora1036
Rochester Hills, MI
10/11/08 10:48 AM
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Honestly, if your GSP is anything like ours and you can keep u p with her - a baby will be a piece of cake!! HAHA I have never been so worn out in my life!! Since the first week we had him I have been saying that having a child was easier! lol
They are such smart dogs! Jameson has learned every trick we have taught him within a day - sit, stay, shake, lay down, roll over, beg, jump, crawl.... we have had issues with house training him but that seems to be a problem with his bladder muscles rather than an intelligence issue (per our vet). He is such a big baby - he loves to cuddle and wants to sleep with us (which is a habbit we started and are now trying to break! haha)
They are definitely family dogs and are total people pleasers!
I have no idea what roan is! haha but that is the coloring he had as a pup and he has kept it so far. He has some really neat almost symetrical markings on his butt and head and he has a sort of heart shaped spot on his side.
They also have the most piercing eyes! Your little girl has them too - people comment on them all the time saying they look so human!
Here are a couple of our recent pics - the one I posted above is the day we got him, DH was holding him and I took a pic with my phone. He was 8 weeks old and weighed 17lbs.
The female GSP's stay a little bit smaller but not much. I think we got a BIG GSP though because he is creeping close to 60lbs already at only 5 1/2 months old and the average male is around 63lbs at full size. The vet said he would grow in stature until about 12 months of age and then keep filling out and putting on muscle weight until 18 months. He is almost at the average full size weight now and has 12 months left to grow and gain weight! haha
here he is at about 4 months and 48lbs I believe:
and this is from about 3 weeks ago - he has had another growth spurt since then - he weighed in at around 53lbs a few weeks ago
okay - sorry to hijack your thread with pics of my puppy!!
dereksbride
Wisconsin
10/11/08 6:54 PM
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Cute dogs you two!
I love the frog and the lion bedding. There are just too many great sets out there, we had the hardest time choosing one. I can really see your funky taste in the themes you are considering. Just a warning on the "slipping" of the sex. I noticed our sonographer said "he" at one point, and we had a she. I figured maybe she just called all of them "he" if the parents didn't want to know though, since it was right at the beginning before she had looked at anything closely at all.
I saw that you were reading a book called "Cool Names for Babies." Are you sharing any of the names you are considering? That was a hard decision for us. We are both pretty opinionated so it was hard to agree.
Eowyn
Western Australia
10/11/08 8:31 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
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Cute puppy! I love that second picture you're right about the eyes, they do look almost human. I think it's because they seem lighter in the middle or something... but very adorable
Serafina
Texas
10/11/08 9:10 PM
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No problem with lurking. Welcome to my journal and thank you! Tonight Sadie fell asleep on my chest on this silky-soft oversized throw...hopefully she doesn't realize she was on the sofa, more or less....
Serafina
Texas
10/11/08 9:17 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
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I am so in love with your GSP!! And I agree, I think a human baby will be a nice change of pace compared to my girl. I'm very impressed by the number of tricks your pup has learned so quickly. Maybe I need to work more with Sadie. She knows "sit", mostly with the hand signal, and a few others. She still is pretty darn wild though. (But she is a 100% VELCRO DOG.)
Roan is what the color is called when the liver and white ticking blend to almost form a completely different (almost muddy) color. (As opposed to a bright white & liver ticked dog...roan is more of a blend if that makes sense.)
17 lbs at 8 WEEKS???!! OMG! My girl is about 14 weeks and is ~13 lbs. (Of course, she was abandoned, and so she has some catching up to do.) But I think you are right, you do have a big boy on your hands! GSPs are usually nice and lean, though, and his weight should be in his muscles. He still has those big puppy paws, so maybe he's not done growing yet! :)
I love his expressive eyes (especially the raised eyebrows in the last pic) and his shiny coat. Don't you love how the brown spots shine like that? He's really gorgeous. We literally cannot go anywhere without multiple people stopping us to ask about her. I'm surprised I'd never heard of these dogs before we got Sadie.
aurora1036
Rochester Hills, MI
10/12/08 6:05 AM
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only 13lbs! MAkes me miss our little jameson! haha I wanted a bigger dog so I guess I am getting my wish! haha
We almost picked the white puppy from the littler - he was so pretty, almost all white with just a few liver spots here and there. Jameson was in another kennel with 4 other pups and he just stood there staring at us - it was his eyes that got him a ride home that day! All the puppies were bouncing on him and tugging at his ears and yapping and he just stood there looking at us.
His papers say he is white with liver ticking but I can see what you mean about the roan now that you have described it - his front legs kind of all blend together like that.
Will you be hunting Sadie at all? We are wing training Jameson now and it is so amazing to see how they naturally point and his nose is just unreal! DH takes him out to the woods as often as possible and the dog is just in heaven! He gets so excited when he catches a scent - of anything at this point! He points the rabbits in our yard and goes crazy when there are deer bedded down in the back yard.
As far as the tricks - we were only focused on sit and stay but he learned those so quickly that we have been adding more on around every week or so. I have found that with him the trick is to get him to actually do it four times in a row with treats and then he has it down. He still needs to review after that so we will practice for a week before adding something new in. He is still a puppy though so he will do tricks for treats but he isn't the best at just sitting because I am telling him to do it! haha Once he is excited you better have treats to distract him! haha
I was shocked too with how many people comment on him when we are out! Even when we are traveling and we walk him at rest stops - I have had a couple of people walk all the way across the rest stop, out to the dog walking area to comment on him and get a closer look. I never thought a hunting dog would get so much attention! haha
BTW - I love the nursery decor you are looking at!! Where are you finding these? DH and I plan to start TTC this december/january time frame and I have picked an elphant nursery set from babies r us (because I am a big elephant fan! )
futuremrs.kj
Alabama
10/12/08 9:26 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
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Serafina-I love all the nursery ideas you have picked out. The first and second ones are adorable. I love all the bright colors. I can't wait until we are successful in TTC and I can start picking out stuff!!
Also, the puppy pics are great. I don't want to hijack your pregnancy journal but I have to show my Sadie to you! She is a weimaraner-very closely related to the GSP family. She is so sweet and loving. We took her to our local "doggie days" yesterday and she got so many looks. A little old couple (I'm talking 80-90's) said they had weim's and GSP's all their life and they are terrific family dogs. The lady said they had a weim about 1 year before they had a baby and the dog became the baby's watchdog. She said he was so protective over the baby and just wanted to love all over the baby all the time. I thought that was comforting to know. You never know how an animal will act around a baby.
I showed those pictures to DH and he said "we need to get one of those to play with Sadie." I don't think I could handle one of each!! LOL.
I am going to try to post a pick of my Sadie. Maybe I will be successful. ???
Ok so I can't get my pics to upload. I've gotta go for now but I will try again later.
Message was edited by:
futuremrs.kj
Message was edited by:
futuremrs.kj
aurora1036
Rochester Hills, MI
10/12/08 4:27 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
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we read that the GSP's were great with kids too (which was important because we have a 7yo and we plan to TTC soon). We also make it a point to tug on his ears and little nubby tail (gently of course!) anything to desensitize him to something a toddler might do. haha We talked to the vet about it and she agreed that it would be good idea and suggested we also play with his paws and get him used to people touching his pads and nails and all that. I can lay down on him and pull on his ears and he never flinches (unless we are playing of course!). I feel TOTALLY confident that he will do fine with a baby someday He does get jealous of DH when we kiss or cuddle but it isn't in a nasty way, he just pushes his way between us and starts licking us haha
futuremrs.kj
Alabama
10/12/08 6:27 PM
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My pics won't upload. I'm sad. But its okay, I guess that will teach me not to hijack a thread. LOL!!!
Serafina
Texas
10/12/08 8:04 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
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dereksbride, I'm sorry I missed your earlier question! Yes, we have a few names in mind already, and once I get to go through the Cool Names book, I'm sure I'll find a few more. I will be sure to post them here, of course!
My SIL was surprised about the gender of all 3 of her kids. She told me it's important that every time you have an ultrasound to remind them "we don't know the sex and we don't want to know", even if you think they remember who you are, etc, that's it's just best to remind them....
Serafina
Texas
10/12/08 8:21 PM
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Yes, 13 lbs...but she's growing so fast! Jameson's color is awesome. If we ever get a second GSP, we'd like a darker one just like him. GSPs can have so many color combos...they are beautiful dogs.
We aren't going to hunt with Sadie. She's already pointed a few times and it's so cute, but she's also pointing at funny/weird things, like a bug in the grass, or the shadow of a bird. I have her in puppy kindergarten at Petsmart now. This will be our third week. I haven't had much time to work with her at home, which makes it totally my fault when she doesn't learn as fast. Thankfully, she is smart and has picked up a few things ("watch me", "sit", "in your kennel", "let's go" and "outside") pretty easily. The ones we need the most work on are definitely "off" and "leave it!"
For the nursery decor, I am googling phrases like "modern baby furniture" and stuff like that. Some are from Oeuf (sp?) which is in Manhattan. I love the modern, funky stuff!
Serafina
Texas
10/12/08 8:28 PM
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futuremrs.kj,
I'd love to see your weim pics! We actually had a baby blue male weim on hold with a breeder when we found our little GSP on a rescue website...allow me to give it a plug here...They are the German Shorthaired Pointer Rescue of North Texas.
http://members.petfinder.org/~TX176/
Thankfully, our breeder was very understanding and totally supportive of our last-minute decision to go with the rescue dog.
Someday when I am hugely pregnant I will like to come here and see adorable puppies in my journal, so I don't consider it hijacking. :)
As far as a weim vs. a GSP in terms of handling them....weims are tougher to train (from what I've learned/read) than GSPs, since they are super intelligent (like GSPs) but slightly more headstrong and independent. So having a well trained weim as the first dog is probably a good scenario.
Serafina
Texas
10/12/08 8:38 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
The Name Game
Here are a few girl first names I like:
Francesca
Jocelyn
Rowan
Ingrid
Gretchen
Mavis
Savannah
Vivian
Viola
Marilyn
Gloria
Gwendolyn
Maris
Eden
Elsa
Carmen
Girl middle names: (some are family names)
Elizabeth
Anne
Michaelene (family name)
Marion (family name)
Charlotte
Michele (spin off "Michaelene", sort of...)
Claire
Faye
Boy names, first or middle, who knows!? : (these are much harder for some reason...most of the names I have loved became uber-trendy in the last five years...)
Martin (family name)
Fergus (ok, I know DH will never go for this. But I strangely love it.)
Curran
Julian (DH is wildly against this name that I love.)
Roman
Victor (but my brother already used it for his kid, boo.)
Andrew (family name)
more to come...DH and I are each going to go through Cool Names for Babies and highlight our favorites (pink highlight for me, blue for him.) I will post these results as soon as possible!
Serafina
Texas
10/12/08 10:01 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
For the past few days I've had some random spotting. It's been very pale brown, and not very much at all. Then last night after I took a shower it was pinker, pale red. I freaked out and woke up DH and told him we had to pray for our baby. I know it's normal to bleed a little during the first TRI. But I've also been having some period-like cramps for a few days. They come and go, they're not constant. Tonight the spotting is pale brown again.
I've been having some vivid nightmares (not the nice dreams I thought I was supposed to have where I bonded with my baby and saw his/her face....nope...these are like people chasing me with the intent of murdering me.) Twice I've woken up drenched in sweat and have noticed more spotting.
Tomorrow morning we are calling my OB and seeing if she wants me to come in. I am trying to remain calm, but I can't help wondering if this is the start of a miscarriage.
I am praying that my little baby stays strong and holds on in there. I am 5w5d.
Winterwed07
Georgia
10/13/08 3:58 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Oh No! I hope everything will be okay for you and the baby. I have not had any spotting but I have heard that some is okay. Let us know what happens at the dr.
mrsw
10/13/08 4:33 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Praying for you!
The cramps, though, are actually really normal in the first TM as your uterus starts to stretch and grow. I had cramps that felt like a period and was sure something was wrong. I started reading about it online and found that it is actually quite common, but I called my doc anyhow (I was sure mine were worse than they are supposed to be, but I read online that some women have pretty severe ones) . . . they said I didn't need to come in unless I had spotting, too . . . but that still may not mean you have a problem. The spotting can be common, too, and it sounds like yours is really light . . . I know that s_adsmith always tells that she had some spotting early on and she has a healthy baby now.
So definitely call your doc, but try not to panic yet. Both of the things can be perfectly harmless.
MrsJohn83
California
10/13/08 3:52 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
I've been there and am definitely praying for you.....
Serafina
Texas
10/13/08 4:18 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: MrsJohn83 Reply Report
I finally decided to call my OB. After a few back and forth calls with the nurses, they asked me to come in for an ultrasound today. It was transvaginal, not abdominal. It hurt a little on one side, but mostly was painless.
The VERY good news is that my little grain of rice is in my uterus and not stuck in my fallopian tube! She/he is estimated at 6w2d, which is slightly off from my calculation of 5w6d or 6w on the nose. Some really special news that I was not expecting is that the u/s tech saw the heartbeat, at 94 BPM (I have no idea if this is good or not, but the nurse told me everything looked just fine!)
DH saw a much clearer pic on the u/s screen, but this is the pic they gave us to take home. :)
(***on a side note, I was surprised at how little the u/s tech spoke during the procedure. I assumed she'd be telling me what she saw. She was completely quiet, except to tell me that she saw the baby. She said all other info had to come from the doc or nurse, and sealed my results in an envelope, which we walked down to the OB's office and they showed us then.)
iheartjohn
Pennsylvania
10/13/08 6:01 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
awwww. look at your little peanut!
mrsw
10/13/08 6:02 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
That is great that everything is OK.
That's amazing that they were even able to detect a heartbeat. That is one of the reasons that they usually have you wait until around 10 weeks to come in . . . that ios supposedly when the heartbeat is really noticeable.
And as far as the age goes, all that is is an estimate based on the size. I know exactly when my LMP was, and I was 17 weeks on the nose when I went for the u/s . . . and yet they both measured at 17w4d. I think it has more to do with size than anything, and it is just an estimate. They don't change your due date unless it shows it's off by more than a week from what you told them as your LMP.
he tech who did mine chatted constantly with us while she was looking at the screen and kept talking about what she saw. Maybe you just caught one who isn't very chatty. lol
Eowyn
Western Australia
10/13/08 9:14 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
Oh, I'm so relieved everything is all right! I can only imagine how scary it must be. Almost puts me off getting pregnant. But I'm so glad that everything is all right, and your little baby is holding on tightly.
aurora1036
Rochester Hills, MI
10/14/08 9:30 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I'm glad everything is okay!!
As far as the dates and all that - most offices calculate due date based on LMP assuming you have a 28 day cycle and you ovulate on day 14. At least that's what most of those little spinner cards that they use are based on. If you don't know the date of your LMP or you have inrregular cycles then they use the size on the US to estimate due dates. That is why some people have due dates that change a few times, because they have to adjust for size because they don't really know when conception happened.
Because you were tracking your cycle and you know when you ovulated your dates are probably more accurate than the dr.'s date.
Serafina
Texas
10/14/08 1:10 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Yesterday I was so happy, and today I am afraid again. Last night I had cramps again, but this morning I had no spotting and was feeling so good about that. Just a few minutes ago I went to pee and there was bright red blood, soaked through my underwear.
Is this normal after an ultrasound, to bleed 24 hours later?
I know my pregnancy is not ectopic. I just pray that the little bean holds on!
MrsJohn83
California
10/14/08 4:49 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
If they put anything inside you then some spotting is normal. They warned me of that after my initial visit when they did an exam. But if its soaking through that doesn't sound like just spotting. How's your cramping now?
Serafina
Texas
10/14/08 5:12 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: MrsJohn83 Reply Report
No, it's not spotting. It's red blood. And I am still having cramps. They are sort of all over, not in one specific place. I know that bleeding can happen and you can still have a healthy baby, but it's impossible not to worry about a miscarriage when you are bleeding red and have cramps and backache. :(
On top of this, I just got a letter today from the VA hospital where they did my pap back in May. That one had come back normal. The letter today was telling me that actually it was abnormal and they want me to get another pap in November.
I know people say God will only give you what you can handle, but I am really tired of this stuff.
MrsJohn83
California
10/14/08 5:44 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Serafina~
I really understand where you are at. Did your doctor tell you to rest and not have sex for awhile? All doctors are different but mine told me when I was bleeding to REST (NO heavy lifting, NO excercise, NO sex) for a WEEK after I stopped bleeding. Just a thought. Let me know if you ever need to talk, because I really do know what you are going through with that.
aurora1036
Rochester Hills, MI
10/14/08 5:47 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
below is from the american pregnancy association:
It says that some women will experience bleeding after intercourse during the first trimester because the cervix is soft and sensitive - I would assume this is very similar to having an internal ultrasound. They are probing around up against your cervix irritating it.
It says cramps stronger than menstrual period and tissue passing is when you need to be really concerned. You already have your US showing that you aren't having an ectopic or molar pregnancy so I think you are probably okay unless you are having strong cramping and you see clumps and tissue passing. I would monitor it like it says and keep track of what is going on.
Good luck & keep us posted! I will keep you in my thoughts!
Vaginal bleeding can occur frequently in the first trimester of pregnancy and may not be a sign of problems. But bleeding that occurs in the second and third trimester of pregnancy can often be a sign of a possible complication. Bleeding can be caused by a number of reasons.
Some basic things to know about bleeding are:
If you are bleeding, you should always wear a pad or panty liner so that you can monitor how much you are bleeding and what type of bleeding you are experiencing.
You should never wear a tampon or introduce anything else into the vaginal area such as douche or sexual intercourse if you are currently experiencing bleeding.
If you are also experiencing any of the other symptoms mentioned below in connection with a possible complication, you should contact your health care provider immediately.
First Half of Pregnancy:
Miscarriage:
Bleeding can be a sign of miscarriage but does not mean that miscarriage is imminent. Studies show that anywhere from 20-30% of women experience some degree of bleeding in early pregnancy. Approximately half of pregnant women who bleed do not have miscarriages. Approximately 15-20% of all pregnancies result in a miscarriage, and the majority occur during the first 12 weeks.
Signs of Miscarriage include:
Vaginal bleeding
Cramping pain felt low in the stomach (stronger than menstrual cramps)
Tissue passing through the vagina
Most miscarriages cannot be prevented. They are often the body's way of dealing with an unhealthy pregnancy that was not developing. A miscarriage does not mean that you cannot have a future healthy pregnancy or that you yourself are not healthy.
Ectopic Pregnancies:
Ectopic pregnancies are pregnancies that implant somewhere outside the uterus. The fallopian tube accounts for the majority of ectopic pregnancies. Ectopic pregnancies are less common than miscarriages, occurring in 1 of 60 pregnancies.
Signs of Ectopic Pregnancies:
Cramping pain felt low in the stomach (usually stronger than menstrual cramps)
Sharp pain in the abdominal area
Low levels of hCG
Vaginal bleeding
Women are at a higher risk if they have had:
An infection in the tubes
A previous ectopic pregnancy
Previous pelvic surgery
Molar Pregnancies:
Molar pregnancies are a rare cause of early bleeding. Often referred to as a "mole", a molar pregnancy involves the growth of abnormal tissue instead of an embryo. It is also referred to as gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD).
Signs of a Molar Pregnancy:
Vaginal bleeding
Blood tests reveal unusually high hCG levels
Absent fetal heart tones
Grape-like clusters are seen in the uterus by an ultrasound
What are common reasons for bleeding in the first half of pregnancy?
Since bleeding that occurs in the first half of pregnancy is so common (20-30%), many wonder what the causes are besides some of the complications already mentioned. Bleeding can occur in early pregnancy due to the following factors, aside from the above mentioned complications:
Implantation bleeding can occur anywhere from 6-12 days after possible conception. Every woman will experience implantation bleeding differently—some will lightly spot for a few hours, while others may have some light spotting for a couple of days.
Some type of infection in the pelvic cavity or urinary tract may cause bleeding.
After intercourse some women may bleed because the cervix is very tender and sensitive. You should discontinue intercourse until you have been seen by your doctor. This is to prevent any further irritation—having normal sexual intercourse does not cause a miscarriage.
Second Half of Pregnancy:
Common conditions of minor bleeding include an inflamed cervix or growths on the cervix. Late bleeding may pose a threat to the health of the woman or the fetus. Contact your health care provider if you experience any type of bleeding in the second or third trimester of your pregnancy.
Placental Abruption:
Vaginal bleeding may be caused by the placenta detaching from the uterine wall before or during labor. Only 1% of pregnant women have this problem, and it usually occurs during the last 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Signs of Placental Abruption:
Bleeding
Stomach pain
Women who are at higher risks for this condition include:
Having already had children
Are age 35 or older
Have had abruption before
Have sickle cell anemia
High blood pressure
Trauma or injuries to the stomach
Cocaine use
Placenta Previa:
Placenta previa occurs when the placenta lies low in the uterus partly or completely covering the cervix. It is serious and requires immediate care. It occurs in 1 in 200 pregnancies. Bleeding usually occurs without pain.
Women who are at higher risks for this condition include:
Having already had children
Previous cesarean birth
Other surgery on the uterus
Carrying twins or triplets
Preterm Labor:
Vaginal bleeding may be a sign of labor. Up to a few weeks before labor begins, the mucus plug may pass. This is normally made up of a small amount of mucus and blood. If it occurs earlier, you could be entering preterm labor and should see your physician immediately.
Signs of Preterm Labor include these symptoms that occur before the 37th week of pregnancy:
Vaginal discharge (watery, mucus, or bloody)
Pelvic or lower abdominal pressure
Low, dull backache
Stomach cramps, with or without diarrhea
Regular contractions or uterine tightening
futuremrs.kj
Alabama
10/14/08 6:10 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: aurora1036 Reply Report
Serafina-I hope everything will be okay. You are in my prayers.
Your baby is a little bean. It is so amazing to see life at that stage.
Again, I hope everything is okay.
aBride4U2remember
Ontario, Canada
10/15/08 6:25 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: futuremrs.kj Reply Report
We're all pulling for you! Good luck and you'll be in my prayers!
Winterwed07
Georgia
10/15/08 7:37 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: aBride4U2remember Reply Report
Oh Serafina... I am so sorry to hear about the cramps and bleeding. I hope everything will be ok for you and the baby.
I will pray for you.
iheartjohn
Pennsylvania
10/15/08 6:45 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Winterwed07 Reply Report
hi serfaina,
just wanted to let you know we are all thinking about you and pulling for your sticky bean!
carly.d
Marquette, MI
10/15/08 6:47 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
P&PT that little peanut sticks and the bleeding is just from cervical irritation. my gosh, it must be so scary. we're all rooting for you!
Serafina
Texas
10/15/08 10:37 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: carly.d Reply Report
Thanks, Everyone. It really does mean a lot to come hear and feel the positive vibes you are sending me.
Today the bleeding has stopped and has become light brown discharge. I am still cramping on and off. I feel so terrible thinking the baby is miscarrying, or that I will go in for my appointment at nine weeks and the doctor will say there is no heartbeat anymore. I can't help wondering if the baby is alive or not.
mrs.john83, I actually didn't see the doctor (or speak to her). Just the nurse. She said the u/s report looked good. She didn't say anything about resting or not having sex. (Although I have been doing both... or not doing in the case of sex) I didn't call the doctor the day after the u/s when I had the bleeding. I figured there was nothing they could do, nothing I could do, aside from laying down and trying to stay calm. Since the bleeding has essentially stopped I am not sure if I should call. It feels like I just have this endless wait to find out if my baby is alive.
Sometimes I feel like I have a stubborn little kid who is holding on tight to my uterus. And sometimes I feel like my body is so fragile and the baby must be gone.
Aurora, thank you for all of that information. It is helpful to read things in print sometimes. I have read in various books over and over....not all women who bleed have miscarriages...but then I also read women telling other women things about it's okay to spot as long as it's not bright red, or as long as it's not accompanied by cramping or back pain. I've had all three of those simultaneously.
I don't mean to be a big downer...I go in waves of positive thought and sadness. You are correct mentioning the sensitive cervix. I had a LEEP this past Jan '08, and my cervix had been sensitive ever since. It would not be strange for my cervix to bleed after being bumped during a transvaginal u/s. And it is not abnormal to cramp a little. And it is not abnormal to have backaches. But combined......all I think about is that little heartbeat, and I hope she is holding on tight. I hope that little heart doesn't stop.
As for tissue, I haven't had any. Just red blood. Now, when I first started to spot, I had some very thin stringy bits (sorry TMI!) but only a very little bit. I'm not sure what comprises "tissue", if that means clumps or clots...the stringy bits didn't seem like they would be the embryo, but what do I know?
Futuremrs.kj, abride4U2remember, winterwed, iheartjohn & carly.d, thank you for your very kind thoughts and prayers. I will certainly post again when I have more information. Thanks for being here for me.
The question I've been pondering is this...if the baby has died, will my hcg levels continue to rise, or will they drop significantly? I am thinking of calling my doc to ask her to draw some blood to see what my levels are. I just don't think I can wait until Nov 7th and then get slapped with news of a miscarriage that happened weeks prior.
mrsw
10/16/08 3:29 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Oh, honey, i am so sorry . . . I am still praying for you here.
Your HCG levels will stay high for a while even IF you lost the baby . . . I'm not sure that would be a good indicator.
I am betting that as soon as you call that doc, s/he is going to want to see you right away, though. B/c IF you did lose the baby, they are going to want to make sure that all tissue is gone with no chance of infection.
In all honestly, it doesn't sound like you did, though . . . the bleeding is pretty severe when you have a miscarriage, even if it's still quite early on. I have been there, and it was like soak-two-pads-an-hour bad for a while, complete with clots (sorry, I know TMI), and this at about 8 weeks.
MrsL0607
Virginia
10/16/08 8:13 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Serafina...I'm soo sorry to hear about what you are going thru. I would be going out of my mind with worry. Along with everyone else, I will be praying that your little bean is still in there and hanging on!
I know my SIL and MIL both bled while pregnant so I know it can happen but hang in there.
I think I would call the doc just in case especially for your peace of mind.
aBride4U2remember
Ontario, Canada
10/16/08 8:18 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I've been thinking about you constantly! HANG ON BEAN!
I'd give your doctor a call. Like MrsW said, they will probably want to see you so that they can make sure everything is fine.
Good luck and please keep us posted, we're all pulling for you!
Serafina
Texas
10/16/08 9:39 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
If I call the OB, what will she want to do? I don't want a physical exam...I don't want anyone near my cervix! If the u/s made me bleed, I don't want her messing around in there just yet!
I am so relieved that you say I would have more bleeding if I lost the baby. The was some at first, and then it slowed and is now just faint brown spotting. Your post seriously gives me a little bit of hope that I haven't been able to read in any of the books. I had been wondering just how much blood indicates a miscarriage. I don't think I bled enough. The first/worst bleed would have filled a pantyliner or two for the day, maybe not a pad.
This makes me so hopeful!!!! I wish I would stop cramping, but that can be normal. I haven't had any morning sickness, so maybe the cramping is my thing.
dereksbride
Wisconsin
10/16/08 10:04 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Oh my gosh, I just read the posts from the last few days. I am definately keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. I had really nasty cramps, pretty much constantly, my entire first trimester. At several points it got so bad I felt certain I was having a miscarriage. Everything turned out okay, but I know nothing can ease the fear when it's actually happening to you.
It seems that if you were miscarrying, the bleeding would be getting worse instead of better, so hopefully your little guy/girl is just fine. But I think I would still call the OB and see if she wants you to come in. Maybe they could just look at your cervix and see whether it looks irritated and most likely the cause of the bleeding? I don't know, but it can't hurt to see what she says.
iheartjohn
Pennsylvania
10/16/08 3:42 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
TMI alert --
serafina,
i was a member at fertilityfriend.com for awhile and was a frequenter on the message boards. there were a ton of women who were pregnant and some who had miscarried or were in the process of miscarrying. it is a paid site, but it's relatively cheap and all of the women are going through a lot of the same thing. there were hundreds of women on there and all had good advice.
ANYWAY, i do recall one or two women discussing whether or not one was miscarrying. i distinctly remember them saying there was a LOT of blood and some cloudy/clearish/white-ish stuff that was the placenta. i don't want to be gross, but i just remember reading that and it never left my mind.
from what you said, it sounds like you had a good amount of blood, but it doesn't sound like it was TONS.
now, i've never been pregnant, but are you too early to listen to a heartbeat via an ultrasound that isn't internal?
Serafina
Texas
10/16/08 4:20 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: dereksbride Reply Report
dereksbride, that is really one of the most reassuring things I can hear, that it's normal to have cramps. The bleeding has essentially stopped. It wasn't that much...as in it wasn't soaking a pad. The initial rush was enough to cover a panty liner maybe. And then it decreased from there until now, and I am getting some discharge on the toilet paper.
(I hate talking about all this gross stuff in my journal!!! I wanted to talk about baby names and bedding and color schemes. I am so mad that I am worried like this!!!! I don't think women of my mother's generation worried so much...and they didn't have sonograms and stuff like that...)
If I am still spotting tomorrow I will call the OB. Really I just want time to pass and my 9 week appointment to get here.
Serafina
Texas
10/16/08 4:24 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: iheartjohn Reply Report
iheartjohn, it definitely was not tons of blood, and the fact that I only actually bled from about 2:30pm to 11pm reassures me a little.
My bean's heartbeat was heard via the transvaginal u/s. I'm fairly certain it is too early for a Doppler machine to pick it up on an abdominal u/s. Too bad, though, because I have read that when you hear the heartbeat with the Doppler that your risk of miscarriage drops significantly. (Something like 4% if you've had no bleeding.) There are so many statistics on the internet, I'm finding it's better to stay away from Google for a while.
Serafina
Texas
10/16/08 4:30 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Just wanted to add that I picked up the 7th edition of Baby Bargains by Denise Fields, as well as one for DH called The Expectant Father: Facts, Tips and Advice for Dads-to-Be, Second Edition by Armin A. Brott. He is already into the first chapter, which is amazing, since he rarely has the time or energy to sit down and read. But this book is good, he says. And he thinks it's neat that it's written specifically for expectant fathers.
I've been reading the crib section of Baby Bargains. Did anyone else read this? I am amazed at the price difference in cribs! They all must meet the same safety requirements in the US and Canada. I am wondering about these cribs that convert to a double bed...and about the Ikea cribs which were rated an "A", and are some of the least expensive. Hmm...
mrsw
10/16/08 4:57 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Well, I am glad my words may have comforted you at least a little. Just wanted to add that I, too, had pretty bad cramps the first TM. It IS normal! It's from the uterus growing. And I had them bad enough at times that I was sure I was going to miscarry. Nope . . . it is pretty normal.
I was at 10w5d when I went in and they were able to get the heartbeat with the Doppler . . . I'm not sure exactly when it's first possible, but it isn't much before that. I think 8 weeks is pretty much the minimum . . . this is part of the reason why they make us wait so long for that first appointment. And sometimes they can't even find it for a few more weeks, depending on the positioning of the baby.
Eowyn
Western Australia
10/16/08 9:37 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
Serafina I'm so sorry this has been so stressful for you, but I'm so relieved it seems to be getting better. From what everyone has said, I think if it was a miscarriage, the bleeding would have been a lot worse.
I hope and pray that when you next go to the doctor they can find that heartbeat for you!
Denise57
NY
10/17/08 4:21 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Eowyn Reply Report
Serafina,
After an internal exam I ALWAYS bled for about 3-4 days in the same manner you're describing. This happened from the first exam through to the last. I think it is the sensitivity of the cervix. I also had the same cramps in my first trimester that everyone else is describing and back pain. I thought for sure I was going to start bleeding heavier and lose the baby but I never did.
The only time it was very bad was later on during a pretty intensive internal exam in my third trimester. They were concerened I had a placental aburption b/c there was so much blood (it was all over the table and the nurse had to come in to clean it up with towels) but when they checked it was my cervix. It becomes engorged with blood and more sensitive normally during pregnancy but with those of us who have had surgeries it is even worse and is called a "friable cervix". Any impact can cause bleeding and an internal US is pretty invasive so I bet that is what caused it. That means the bleeding is occuring below the uterus so your little peanut wouldn't even be near it.
Take a deep breathe and know that we're all here pulling for you. I think what happened may be normal for you. If it is getting lighter I am confident that you still have little bean holding on.
Serafina
Texas
10/17/08 8:38 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Denise57 Reply Report
Denise, Yes! The spotting is all but gone today. Your PM about the friable cervix (and your last post) definitely could be possible for me. Your posts and PMs have always been dead on for me and whatever I am going through. Thank you. After a few years of laughing every time I mentioned the WC, when I told him what kind of support I get on these boards, DH finally said, "You know, I really like those WC ladies."
The cramping has been better, too!
I am trying to be positive. It can be so easy to let yourself freak out sometimes. I've decided to not call the OB. I think it would just create more craziness (mostly for me, which I do not need right now!)
dereksbride
Wisconsin
10/17/08 12:31 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
So glad the bleeding is ending! It's nice that there are people here who have gone through some of the same things and have some reassuring stories and explanations.
Since I asked about names before, I'm going to give my favorites from your list. I can't help myself because a few of my own favorites are on it. I LOVE both Viola and Ingrid. I wanted to use Viola really badly for my daughter's middle name, but DH wasn't super crazy about it so he convinced me to go with Violet instead. I think it's funny it's on your list because that's a name you hardly ever hear. I also like Francesca, Jocelyn, Maris and Gretchen a lot.
I like Curran from your boy's list. I had the same problem with boy names, most of my favorites are now unfortunately way too trendy. It took us until a week from my due date to finally agree on Quin. At least if we have a boy next time we'll have that one agreed on ahead of time.
Winterwed07
Georgia
10/17/08 12:51 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I am really happy to hear that your bleeding has stoped. You must have a very sensitive cervix. I think your little bean is hanging on with all it's got.
Regarding the cramping. I had some during the first week and now I have some light cramping but my OB told me it is totally normally becuase the utreus is just growing to accomadate the baby.
I can't wait until Monday that is when I am going to the Ob to have my first appt. I hope everything is ok
aurora1036
Rochester Hills, MI
10/19/08 2:37 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I'm really glad you are starting to feel better! I have been wondering how you are doing but we have been so crazy busy lately that I haven't had nearly as much time to be on the boards as before. I was thinking of you today when I had Jameson out in the field for a run.
aurora1036
Rochester Hills, MI
10/23/08 9:44 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
How is everything going?
Serafina
Texas
10/23/08 1:58 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: dereksbride Reply Report
dereksbride,
I like Quin. It's not trendy, but still seems classic, and yet unique. (Does that make any sense at all? LOL) DH likes Francesca best. But then, he gets one idea into his head and can't conceive of anything else. I'm glad you like Curran! People have given me some weird looks for that one. It's from the Gaelic and means "hero". (i.e. it's an old name, which I love.)
Serafina
Texas
10/23/08 2:02 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: aurora1036 Reply Report
Winterwed, I've heard the same thing about the uterus expanding. I think that is what it is. I told the nurse that I just feel generally yucky, but not "pregnant"....and she said that is totally normal. I still am having some brown spotting, but they didn't seem too concerned about it, so I won't be either!
Aurora, I hear ya about being busy. Although I am not busy, more like pregnant-lazy-exhausted. Sadie has been spending a lot of time alone, playing in the backyard, which I feel super guilty about. But when I need to eat, or am having cramps, or feel nauseous, I sometimes just need her to be outside. She wants to be on my lap if she's inside. But she's not 100% house broken yet, and so I can't nap peacefully on the sofa knowing she is loose in the house...chewing or peeing.....ugh...
mrsw
10/23/08 3:30 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
OMG, I was COMPLETELY unprepared for the utter exhaustion that you feel in the first TM. Take comfort in knowing that it DOES ease somewhat later on. I still get days where I am totally exhausted, but it's not that first-TM-I-could-take-a-nap-at-any-time kind of exhaustion.
And, yes, yes, YES, the uterus expanding causes period-like cramps that can be pretty strong! I can't emphasize this enough to people who are newly PG, b/c I know what the biggest fear is as soon as you feel those cramps. But it's actually totally normal!
I can actually understand your "feeling youcky but not PG," too . . . I felt the same way but never really thought about it like that.
Luckily, our dog is 2 1/2 and totally trustworthy in the house. Although, I have told DH that we MUST fence in the yard in the spring . . . I am going to need the security of being able to just turn her out and NOT watch her some times, and I do NOT trust chains. He is in total agreement. So, I have to get the permit so we can put it in maybe even this fall yet before the snow flies.
Glad to hear things are going well and that you are taking your cues from the doc . . . if they aren't worried, then you shouldn't either. That will only stress you unnecessarily, which you definitely don't need.
dereksbride
Wisconsin
10/23/08 7:14 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Hooray for things still going great. I never got the really extreme tiredness until the end of the third trimester. I actually wished at times that I would get it because I could hardly sleep due to the severe nausea. But, I'm sure the tiredness on top of it would have made work even worse, I was barely getting by as it was.
If you think you get weird looks about Curran, you should see the ones I get. We named our daughter Mairead (Muh-rade), which is the Gaelic version of Margaret, and nobody's ever heard of it around here. I hope she appreciates it and doesn't think it's a burden. I was hesitant to use it because of that fear, but I thought it was so beautiful. We went with a more classic middle name so she could go by that if she dislikes her first.
Eowyn
Western Australia
10/23/08 10:49 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: dereksbride Reply Report
Mairead is beautiful and hey, at least she'll never have problems with other kids having the same name as her :)
I quite like Francesca I must admit, probably wouldn't use it myself, but it's pretty I confess, I didn't like Curran at first, but the more you write it, the more it seems to be growing on me I've always liked the name Quinn, but I prefer it with two 'n's (as you can see :))
Winterwed07
Georgia
10/24/08 4:20 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Eowyn Reply Report
I am so glad to hear that you are doing much better now Serafina.
We are all pulling for your little bean.
I like the name Quinton. And then you can use Quin as a nickname.
In fact that was the name I choose for a boy but DH said no
Serafina
Texas
10/24/08 5:18 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I forgot to add that DH has had the flu since Monday (it's friday morning and he FINALLY went to work!) I've stopped calling him DH and will now refer to him as Typhoid Tommy. He had a fever of 102* which came and went for most of the week, a horrible cough, night sweats, and other flu symptoms. Of course, neither of us has had our flu shot.
I just went on Wednesday and got a flu shot at my OB. As of yesterday I've had a horrible sore throat and cough. I really hope it's just minor stuff from the flu shot and not the full-blown flu.
I am incredibly cranky right now, because on top of exhaustion, cramps, and nausea, I now have a bad cough, sore throat and back pain (which was so bad last night that I was laying on the tile floor nearly in tears. I decided to take one of my muscle relaxers, after I looked it up online and it's a category B drug.)
Just had to vent. I am cranky and hurting today. Grrr...
Serafina
Texas
10/24/08 5:21 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Winterwed07 Reply Report
I like Mairead. A lot, actually. Yes, she will always have people mispronouncing her name, but that happens now with even the simplest names. We have a very basic, four letter last name and I am shocked at how many people misspell it.
I wasn't so hot about Curran at first, but it was somewhere on my list. Now that others have been bumped off due to trendiness, Curran has moved up in the ranks. I don't think DH likes it, so maybe it's not even an issue. The only name he likes is his first name, used as a middle name. ugh. What a huge help that is not...
Naming a baby is tough work! Especially if you are like me and deliberate over everything to the point of exhaustion. (Wait, I am already exhausted.)
Eowyn
Western Australia
10/25/08 3:09 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Especially if you are like me and deliberate over everything to the point of exhaustion.
Oh, I do... I'm going to have a nightmare of a time when I'm pregnant and trying to pick baby names.
I'm sorry you're not feeling well I hope it is just the flu shot making you feel a bit funny. I can understand the back pain though, I get like that too sometimes, not generally so bad as you seem to have, but enough to know what it feels like.
As for names, I really like Quinton - that sounds great
mrsw
10/25/08 6:08 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Eowyn Reply Report
We must be weird b/c the name thing has never even really been a discussion for us and I haven't had names picked out since I was 10 like some people. lol
We threw around Alexander jokingly one day (long story), but now we are both kind of liking it. But we still don't have a middle name to go with it.
I think that maybe after we find out what Baby A is, we'll start discussing it more.
carly.d
Marquette, MI
10/25/08 8:12 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
alexander used to be on my middle name list (i need 'a' middle names to fit the "RAD" family tradition...DH is robert anthony, which i LOVE, kudos to MIL and FIL for that one)...but since i've FINALLY found an 'r' first name that i really love, alexander doesn't sound right with it. :/ it's ok tho, i've found other 'a' middle names that i like, and there's no guaranteeing we'll ever have a son anyway. well, maybe there is if we adopt, lol.
quinn i like. i have it as a middle name in one of the pairs i have on our 2nd boy list (provided that we even have a first boy). but i can't get into quinton. for one thing, it reminds me of quentin in the sound and the fury, and i don't know that i like either quentin in that book. the second reason is that "quinton" is the name of a town near where i grew up, and i'm not really down with the whole "place name" thing.
derek's bride - i LOVE mairead! it's one of the names on my girls list that i'm terrified to use (along with eildhe, saoirse, and eilis). neither of us has a lot of gaelic roots (i have a little irish, and a little more scottish...great great gramma straight up the maternal line was a macmanus of the clan gunn, lol), and we have a french last name, plus i KNOW the names would be butchered. (eildhe = aye-lee, saoirse = sorcha, eilis = aye-lish.) i've got some french names too (aurelie, aureliane, amelie, and melisande) that WOULD go with our french last name, but i'm afraid that she might resent that if she chooses to change her name after marriage, AND that they'll get butchered. altho melisande is easy, but there's the whole issue with the 'd' sound at the end of the name running into the 'd' sound at the beginning of our last name. ugh. so hard to use an ethnic name anymore.
Mrs. Taylor
10/25/08 3:40 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Hi Serafina! I've been reading your journal and I have to say congrats on the baby and making it through everything. You and yours will be in my prayers.
I'm pregnant too but I haven't had any bleeding or anything like that. I have had the cramps but they were manigible. I'm in my 22nd week and I will tell you that the exhaustion doesn't really get any easier, at least not for me but hey everyone is different.
On the baby names front, I love Quin. But I'm with the other poster that I like it better with 2 'n's, Quinn. I like Mairead too. It's not something you would hear very often and is unique. I know what you mean about how hard it is to come up with names. We are struggling too. On the plus side we know we are having a boy so we don't have to worry about girls names. Everytime we knock one off the list, another one appears.
Best of luck to you in the future and I will definitely be posting with you again.
Serafina
Texas
10/28/08 1:40 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Mrs. Taylor Reply Report
Mrs. Taylor, I'm jealous that you are at 22 weeks! I would really like time to speed up and just get me to 12.
On the flu-shot front, I am still having side effects. UGH! The doc told me I could use Afrin nasal spray, since I had a whole night with no sleep because I couldn't breathe through my nose at all. I don't want to take lots of meds, but I also need to sleep! Right now I have a stuffy head, stuffy ears, flemmy cough, stuffy nose, and sneezing. I guess I should have just taken my chances with the actual flu!!!
Serafina
Texas
10/28/08 1:48 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Okay, we've slightly updated the name list. I'll try to put the new stuff in bold. (the ones DH also likes have a *)
Girl first names
Francesca*
Jocelyn*
Rowan
Ingrid
Gretchen
Mavis
Savannah
Vivian*
Viola
Marilyn
Gloria
Gwendolyn
Maris
Eden
Elsa
Carmen*
Leila*
Alexa*
India*
Chloe
Girl middle names:
Elizabeth*
Anne*
Michaelene (family name)
Marion (family name)
Charlotte
Michelle
Claire
Faye
Ruth* (although this does not go with our last name at all...)
Bella
Blue
Jade
Boy names:
Martin (family name)
Curran
Roman
Victor (but my brother already used it for his kid, boo.)
Andrew (family name)
Harrison
Jackson
Serafina
Texas
10/28/08 1:51 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I forgot to add that I am nauseous and this flu is making it hard to eat. Today I was trying to eat an orange and it tasted almost rotten to me. I cut up and attempted to eat three different oranges before I figured that maybe it was just me... weird...
MrsJohn83
California
10/28/08 2:18 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
your doc let you use nasal spray before 12 weeks!!!!?!??!?
My doc wouldn't let me use ANYTHING before 12 weeks, and I had a horrible head cold. Now I'm allowed Sudaphed but that is it. I'm surprised they let you take anything!
Serafina
Texas
10/28/08 2:18 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
has anyone taken medications during the first trimester? If so, what did you take? I'm feeling nervous and a little guilty every time I take something that could be bad for the baby.
I've taken extra strength Tylenol (2 at a time, oops. Now the OB tells me to take only one), a few sprays of Chloraseptic (I feel guilty about this!), some Benadryl, some plain Robitussin (100mg guafinesin, which my OB said was okay, but I worry about combining it with the other stuff?), Afrin nasal spray (a recent suggestion from the OB), a few Tums here and there, and lots of Vicks Vapo-Rub, which I can't find any info about, although I did read somewhere that eucalyptus oil (or is it tea tree?) is bad.
I guess I am just feeling guilty. I always thought I'd be one of those women who toughed it out and took absolutely nothing into my body except super healthy food and lots of water, and exercised regularly and felt happy and pregnant.
As long as I am airing my dirty laundry, I've also had sushi two or three times. But it was from a very reputable restaurant, and I think the reason they say no sushi is the chance of a bad piece of fish, which can happen anywhere, whether it's been cooked or not. I wonder if pregnant women in Japan stop eating sushi... I think pregnant women in Italy still drink espresso and red wine...? (Just in case you were wondering, no, I haven't had any alcohol or coffee.)
Does anyone else have any sins they would like to confess here, so I don't feel so bad?
Serafina
Texas
10/28/08 2:23 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: MrsJohn83 Reply Report
Yes, he did. Now I am freaking Mrs.John!!! I've only used it twice, though. Ten total sprays. I hate feeling so sick...and then so guilty...and then so sick... How do women DO THIS???
I also use benzoyl peroxide (2.5%) on my skin every night. I've heard conflicting things on this, but my Mayo Clinic book tells me it's okay. (Just not salycilic acid.)
MrsJohn83
California
10/28/08 2:24 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
If your doctor okays a medication, then it is fine. I have permission from my doctors to take excedrin when I get a headache. It's an acetometophin drug, but most pg women won't take it since its stronger than tylenol. But my doctor said that was fine. But all cold medications I was told absolutely NO before 12 weeks, and I stuck to that pretty good (though I did take sudaphed about the DAY I hit 12 weeks for this stupid head cold) I was VERY pround of myself for not being bad in Disneyland, I went on one ride that was supposedly not supposed to be good for me, but they didn't have it marked on the list they gave me, so I didn't know until later that that was an oops.
The only thing I do that some people would get on me for is take baths. But I just make sure the water is not super hot, that I don't stay in super long, and that I position myself so that my belly and arms and shoulders are out of the water to make it safer. But with no ibuprophen for muscle pain, its the only thing that helps my back muscles relax enough for me to sleep.
MrsJohn83
California
10/28/08 2:28 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I didn't mean to freak you out. I was more jealous that your doc okayed you for something, when I was in agony and got told "Deal with it." It bugs me that there is SO much controversial stuff out there. One doctor will tell you " a little caffiene is not bad for you or baby" and the next will say "You smelled a chocolate bar! You're DOOOOOMED!" How are first time moms supposed to know the best way to keep baby safe when everyone tells us something different!?!??
Honestly, some people say peanut butter is BAAAD for pg mommies. But my OB nutritionist RECOMMENDS a little peanut butter. It's an excellent source of protein.
I know what you mean about feeling guilty. Once I was ok to take Sudaphed, I did, becasue I couldn't breathe, but then I've had some very light cramping, so I feel bad, but at the same time, I was getting weak from not getting any sleep. What are we supposed to do here?
Winterwed07
Georgia
10/28/08 3:39 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: MrsJohn83 Reply Report
I have only taken extra strength Tylenol, fish oil, and tums so far. Fish oil is not recommeded but I take a low dose for cholestrol.
I have not heard anything about peanut butter but I have definately been eating it.
I think my only sin so far is deli meat. Which according to my preg book you should not eat.
Mrs. Taylor
10/28/08 4:11 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I didn't take anything in my first trimester because I never had a reason to (my first trimester went from May to July).
I have taken a little bit of tums for some heartburn. My problem is that I get anxiety/panic attacks and when that happens sometimes, it feels like I am having a heart attack but it has varying degrees of pain. Thankfully I have only had one since I've gotten pregnant but God help me if I get one that's worse. I took Tylenol extra strength for my one attack but I was at 15 weeks and my doctor and I had discussed that in the beginning of the pregnancy.
I have 2 sins. One, I still eat chocolate on rare occasions. I can't give up my chocolate completely and I only have it about twice a month so I think I am ok. Two, when we go to Little Italy at least once a week, I have a glass of red wine which according to my doctor is fine but that's it and only if I have one glass.
I was looking at your name list and I love India. My God-daughters name is Itaca India. I think it's very pretty and unique. I think Ithaca Marion, Ithaca Claire and Ithaca Jade are very pretty together.
Eowyn
Western Australia
10/28/08 7:59 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Mrs. Taylor Reply Report
You're not allowed to eat chocolate when pregnant? Well, that's going to stuff me right up... I'm not sure I could give up my chocolate!
I guess with all the conflicting advice, the best thing is to just do everything in moderation - I'm sure a little bit of most things won't hurt at all.
As for the names, I still reall like Francesa - I think it just looks really pretty. Francesa Jade sounds nice I know what you mean about names that don't work with your surname though, we've decreed that there can be no names that start with P, because that's what our surname starts with and it just sounds terrible (even worse than Peter Parker sounds).
mrsw
10/29/08 3:50 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Eowyn Reply Report
Chocolate has caffeine in it, so I think that's the big concern (plus you should try not to overload on sugar and fat, but that's true all the time . . . lol). I certainly haven't given that up.
Lunch meat you can actually eat if you eat it HOT. You are supposed to heat it to steaming and then it is safe. (Listeria hides out in lunch meat . . . normally harmless to adults, but a pretty harmful bacteria to a fetus!) I still eat grilled ham and cheese, but that's about it.
Peanut butter is a no-no b/c over-exposing the baby to high-risk food allergens like peanuts/eggs/wheat can actually bring ON an allergy to said substance. It is mostly a concern in the third TM, which is when those allergies develop in the baby.
I must confess, I knew I was PG and still went on roller coasters this summer when we went to Six Flags in NJ. I felt TERRIBLE at the time about doing it, but everything turned out OK. Honestly, I was only about 6 weeks PG at the time and I figured that a LOT of women have probably been on them that early on without even knowing they're PG . . . anywho, I wouldn't recommend doing it, but everything turned out fine for me.
Denise57
NY
10/29/08 4:59 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
I never gave up chocolate! That would have been torture. I eat a piece of dark each day. I still do and the baby has never had an issue (I am still BF). I don't consume anything else that has caffiene though.
I also eat peanut butter b/c those allergies are not in my or dh's families. I ate it while pg too. I also had a beer on new years but I had it with my meal. As far as meds go I can't take cold meds normally so I was good there.
I would REALLY stay away from deli meat, unless steamed. I saw a program where the mom ate a sandwich and in 48 hours the bacteria had attacked and killed the fetus. Its pretty devastating. It was Runway Moms on Discovery Health.
MrsJohn83
California
10/29/08 8:06 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Denise57 Reply Report
I'm REEALLY glad you guys mentioned the deli meat thing. I had no clue. I've only had it one or two times since getting pregnant, and one of those times, the turkey tasted so foul (no pun intended) that I stopped after one bite. Everyone else said it tasted fine to them. Maybe baby was crying out to mommy that she shouldn't eat it!
Winterwed07
Georgia
10/29/08 8:23 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: MrsJohn83 Reply Report
I am glad to know why I shouldnt eat it now.
I will definately stay away.
I will say the one time I did eat it. I pan fryed if first to make a turkey and cheese sandwhich.
aurora1036
Rochester Hills, MI
10/29/08 9:11 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Winterwed07 Reply Report
When I was PG with DD I drank at least one can of Mt Dew every single day at work and almost every day I worked I at poorboy sandwiches - ham or turkey lunch meat and cheese. I never heard of the deli meat thing (is this a recent discovery? I was PG nearly 9 years ago! haha) and I knew about the caffeine but I had to have my caffeine to keep me going all night at work! (I was in school full time and working two jobs - caffeine was my savior at times! haha)
MrsJohn83
California
10/29/08 9:44 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: aurora1036 Reply Report
well the most recent caffiene research says that you could even have up to eight cups of coffee a day and be fine, so I am not too worried about having a soda a day.
Denise57
NY
10/29/08 10:54 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: MrsJohn83 Reply Report
Oh I forgot I also took Prilosec every day. There isn't enough data to determine what the risk is but my Drs felt it was worth the risk. Otherwise nothing would have stayed down. My SIL also took it for both her pregnancies and neither of us had an issue.
The deli meat has a high risk of listeria bacteria. It is due to the way the meats are processed. I think this is fairly new, I'd only heard about it in the last few years.
Serafina
Texas
10/29/08 1:09 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Denise57 Reply Report
Give up chocolate? Oh no NO!!! I don't think so! I mean, I understand about the caffeine levels, but I don't eat that much chocolate. But give it up for the whole nine months? That is a little extreme for me. I think a piece of chocolate or a brownie every now and then is fine. I mean, some women eat some bad stuff when they are PG and craving...and their babies turn out fine.
I've had deli ham, but only in a grilled/melt sandwich. I don't really eat deli meat anyway, since I prefer warm lunches for some reason.
Mrs.Taylor, where do you live, if you don't mind sharing? I've lived in a few cities that have had Little Italies...so just wondering. Now I am getting hungry for gnocchi... I also love the name India...and am glad DH does, too. That's pretty high up there for me, along with Francesca. (Eowyn, Francesca has been my top pick for a while, and only recently have I decided to shop around just to make sure...)
Denise, what is BF?
Mrs. John, One doctor will tell you " a little caffiene is not bad for you or baby" and the next will say "You smelled a chocolate bar! You're DOOOOOMED!"
This cracked me up! This is exactly what I mean! I'm sure that back in the 70's my mother ate peanut butter and deli meat and chocolate....and I turned out alright. She only had one sonogram, and that was because my parents were moving/driving across the country. Pregnancies today seem to be so closely monitored, and I wonder if this is always the right answer.
By the way, this is interesting about my mother's sonogram in 1978...the tech told her I was a girl and my mother kept it a SECRET, and never told ANYONE, not even my father. She just told me this last week. She hasn't told anyone in over 30 years. She always claimed my gender was a surprise. I certainly couldn't sit on a secret that long!!!!
mrsw
10/29/08 1:18 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Denise, the studies I have seen with panut butter say that family history does not really factor in. There were plenty of people with no peanut allergies on either side but whose babies developed the allergies. And they all say one thing for sure: food allergies are not like other allergies . . . expose a child to a dog in their first year, and they are much less likely to have an allergy to dogs. But food allergies work in the opposite way. Over exposure actually can bring on the allergy.
All the stuff I have read was convincing enough that I have decided to avoid p.b. altogether in my third TM and if I do end up breastfeeding. I have eaten it maybe 4 times during my pregnancy so far. It won't be that hard to give it up for the last few weeks. lol
Incidentally, it has been theorized that peanut allergies are on the rise due to the fact that p.b. is one of the foods that WIC has pushed on PG women over the last 30 years b/c it generally remains palatable and is loaded with protein. So, in the 70s, it genuinely may not have been a factor, but it is becoming more of one now.
It was really compelling stuff I read. I wish I could remember exactly where I saw it so I could direct you all to it.
MrsJohn83
California
10/29/08 3:45 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
I jsut don't know. The studies I have read said that overexposure to peanut butter COULD be a factor but there was no proof it was THE factor. And the nutritionist my ob provides told me I should eat some peanut butter if I could because of the loaded protein.
GARRR!
mrsw
10/29/08 6:25 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: MrsJohn83 Reply Report
There are SO many other foods that are loaded with protein (think dry beans and stuff) that I don't think eating extra p.b. is worth the risk.
And I never said it was THE factor . . . if I implied that, I'm sorry. I was just relating data I've seen in studies that show an increase in food allergies like p.b. and proof that overexposure CAN lead to food allergies developing (I have known people who became allergic to things by consuming too much of it, so it makes sense to me just from what I have seen in my life).
I have never bothered to talk to MY doctor about it . . . but I HAVE talked to other doctors who agree that it is a pretty strong relationship.
Plus, also keep in mind that I keep saying OVERexposure . . . that means eating it frequently. EXACTLY how frequent is too frequent is what they don't know . . . which is why I intend to stay away from it during the 3rd TM, when allergies develop in the fetus.
Denise57
NY
10/30/08 6:16 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
BF = Breast Feeding.
MrsJohn83
California
10/30/08 8:39 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
I guess. I wasn't trying to sound like I was attacking you or anything, I just am really frustrated by the totally conflicting information. I really don't understand why one doctor would say "EAT PEANUT BUTTER!" and others would say "AACK! NO!" and how some doctors would say "One glass of wine every now and then? Sure, that's ok," and others, mine for instance would say "ALCOHOL is EVIIIIIL!!!" Some will promote water births and other non-traditional methods like hypnobirthing, and others say "WAY TOO UNSAFE!!!" My doctor flat refused to ok any kind of sinus congestion drug until I was 12 weeks, despite that I had a head cold so severe I wasn't sleeping. Serafina's doctor okayed nasal spray. For moms who have done it before and had a perfectly healthy baby, its not as scary. You just do it like you did before and hope and pray for the best. But I know my doctor isn't perfect (or that midwife would be FIRED) so its just hard to know when to go with what he says and when to go with what the literature and/or other doctors say. For the most part I'm jsut going to go with what he says, since he knows my case, but it makes me uneasy when there's so much controversy.
(and as for the otehr protein rich foods, they told me peanut butter because I could eat it easily. I've had more aversions than I can count, and was really struggling to get enough protein in me to keep baby healthy.)
Serafina
Texas
10/30/08 9:08 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Denise57 Reply Report
BF = Breast Feeding.
Aaaaaahhhhhh.....makes sense now. Duh! :)
Well, I think I have Afternoon & Night Sickness. I get so nauseous at night, the time when I usually am the most hungry. And yesterday, my friend said "jalapeno poppers" to me, and then all I could THINK about eating were jalapeno poppers. When DH suggested pasta (a usual favorite of mine) to me I nearly gagged.
Last night my dinner (over many hours) consisted of a handful of natural puffed corn cereal, two Polish whole pickles, a tablespoonful of peanut butter (did our conversation bring on an urge or what?), a piece of mozzarella cheese, and two pieces of toast. Everything else sounded disgusting to me. I am actually dreading eating now, because it's so hard to find something I want.
As for the peanut butter debate, I have definitely read about the allergy development. For me personally, I'm sure I will seriously watch my peanut butter intake in my 3rd Tri. I don't really eat peanut butter very often anyway, so I don't think it's an issue for me. The WIC contribution to the allergy makes perfect sense, and is interesting in a medical/scientific way.
Otherwise, I am still plugging along with my flu symptoms. Will they EVER end?? (I am only using my Evil Nasal Spray at night when I absolutely need it, and am not using all the allotted sprays anyway. The doc said okay, and I have no clue why some say things are alright and others are a total NO. I guess the equation is different for everyone, medical advice + personal choice = your course of action.) (And in my case, also prayer and faith that I will have a healthy little one when the time comes despite any minor deviations.)
...I think it's also important for us moms-to-be to not get too stressed out or worried about this kind of stuff. That can't be good for the baby, either. I'm not saying to be reckless and not give a hoot. But babies are amazing little things. They will pretty much leech what they need from us (and hopefully avoid what they don't), and all the vitamins and stuff are somewhat for US so we don't get just what is leftover in our bodies.
MrsJohn83
California
10/30/08 10:09 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
you sound just like me with the sickness. I was sick ALL day long and NOTHING sounded good. I am just now getting to where most days I can eat two or three actual meals!! But still in smalll portions. So I found out yesterday that there is a small chance I may find out the gender of the baby next month instead of December. EEEKness.
Winterwed07
Georgia
10/30/08 10:49 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: MrsJohn83 Reply Report
Ditto with the food crazyiness for me.
Dh was really sweet and made me waffles on Monday. I did not have the heart to tell them that the thought of them made me want to barf.
I ate two of them to make him happy but I totally paid for it later. I think I only ate two pickles, a few pretzels and some chocolate milk for the rest of that day.
Some days I feel like I can eat everything and others I can't find the one thing that I want in a house full of food.
Denise57
NY
10/30/08 10:51 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: MrsJohn83 Reply Report
MrsJohn,
I had the same due date as you and we found out the baby's sex in the first week of December. It was very clear too so maybe November will work for you!
MrsJohn83
California
10/30/08 3:00 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Denise57 Reply Report
well I am not scheduled for an u/s at my next visit, but I have a feeling they will, because I am not gaining weight but losing weight. Since I am overweight as it is, and eating healthier for the baby, they said this could happen. However if it does, they want to monitor the baby's growth very carefully to make sure I am eating enough. I have a feeling, if they do, they'll be like "Woah! you want to know what it is?" Which makes me think I should try to get John to come to the appointment. I don't really want to find out without him, but I don't think I'd have the strength to wait if he wasn't there.
mrsw
10/30/08 3:50 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: MrsJohn83 Reply Report
Losing weight is REALLY common in the first TM. I am betting you are fine.
When is the appt.? They generally can't tell the sex until at least somewhere around 15-16, and that can still be quite iffy. My doc told me that I should wait until 19-20 weeks for my first u/s if we wanted to know the sex . . . it just so happened that Baby B was spread-eagle and they could tell, though, at 17 weeks.
MrsJohn83
California
10/30/08 4:00 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
If I have my date right, the appointment is on the day I hit 16 weeks. I don't think they'll do an u/s just to check the sex then, but I think that if I've lost more weight they said they were going to do one to measure the baby. I guess there's a posssibility that they'll do that and then "oops! Its a ____ "
mrsw
10/31/08 3:41 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: MrsJohn83 Reply Report
You could always tell them that you don't want to know at that appointment b/c you want to wait until John is able to be there with you.
Eowyn
Western Australia
10/31/08 4:08 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
Heh, I can relate to the 'nothing sounds good to me' feeling and I'm not even pregnant! I do that all the time. It's funny, with so many pregnant women around, part of me wants to hurry up and be one... but also, listening to what you're all saying makes me wonder if it's something I really want to go through!
Is it worth it?
Serafina
Texas
10/31/08 10:09 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Eowyn Reply Report
I always thought to some degree that pregnant women were just being dramatic, with all the cravings and pains and complaints. But now, being one of them...well...let's just say I recant a portion of that statement.
As for is it worth it? Maybe ask me once the baby is born. I hear that pregnant women "forget" all the bad stuff once the baby is out. I have had some regrets, and have felt trapped. And have worried that I'm not ready, or that I won't be a good mom. And been sad that I am giving up my own life in order to completely support someone else. But I hear that is normal, to feel these thoughts. I knew I'd never be one of the giddy, so-glad-I'm-pregnant and can't-wait-to-be-a-mommy kind of moms.
I've seen so many women who have been transformed by motherhood. Maybe it will happen for me, too.
Pregnancy is hard, no doubt. (For some, it's bliss, apparently. And if any of those women want to come see me, I can smack you in person.) (just kidding, you know...) By the way, asking "is it worth it?" to a woman suffering in her first trimester is not all that fair, LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Denise57
NY
10/31/08 11:22 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Its TOTALLY worth it, but it'll take some time to feel that way. Don't feel guilty or selfish if you wonder if its worth it or not, I think its completly normal. After all your life as you know it is about to change forever, who wouldn't have a bit of "buyers remorse".
The one thing that surprised me once the baby was here was how much I didn't mind having it all be about someone else. Sure it sucks that I am still getting up every night, it sucks that I have to pump and run around to make sure he is fed during my work hours and packaing a million things for this little person but I truly don't mind it at all. I've said it before and I swear by it... when you have that child you just can't beleive how much love your heart can really hold. Its amazing. And because of this feeling (and the tiny little fingers squeezing yours) you'll look back and say "Yeah it was truly worth it all".
I also gave birth with no pain meds and NO I haven't forgotten, LOL. It hurts but it didn't hurt as bad as I thought it would. As a matter of fact when the pain got to a point where I didn't think I could handle it much longer it was time to push.
I am not a warm and fuzzy Mom, and I b!tched through my pregnancy but I would do it all again in a heart beat to have David here with me.
mrsw
10/31/08 2:02 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I always thought to some degree that pregnant women were just being dramatic, with all the cravings and pains and complaints. But now, being one of them...well...let's just say I recant a portion of that statement.
OMG, Serafina, I could have written that statement myself. lol. I feel the same way. The only person I really complain to, though, is DH. And that's usually b/c I'm trying to score a sympathy backrub.
What I can't stand is the overly dramatic PG women who complain to EVERYone who will listen (or who can't escape fast enough . . . lol). I just can't see the point in complaining to coworkers and whatnot . . . it's a temporary situation, after all, and you just make yourself sound whiny. lol
Which brings me to the last thing I was going to say . . . and that is that I am sure that 9 short months (b/c they really DO fly by!) of a little discomfort or inconvenience will be totally worth it if I can be a good mom to my kids.
carly.d
Marquette, MI
10/31/08 4:30 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
i'm loving this conversation. it's really helping me prepare for what will be in store for me, and abating my baby-fever a little, lol.
you know, i have to say (about the peanut butter debate) that i would think most doctors would just tell you to eat what you could if you're feeling that yucky from the m/s. (or a/s or e/s, lol...my mom apparently had terrible m/s in the evening with me.) i mean, better to eat a little peanut butter here and there during the first TM than nothing at all, right?
Mrs. Taylor
11/1/08 7:41 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
We have a brownstone in NYC and thank goodness for that because if I couldn't have true authentic Italian food, I would die. Then the new house Wills just bought is in Savannah, Georgia.
As far as the food debate goes, I eat very little peanut butter here and there so I think avoiding it as much as possible is going to be easy for me. The same goes for deli meat.
I can't however give up my chocolate, and coke zero. I drink about 1 coke zero once every other day and have chocolate about twice a week, normally as dessert when we go out to eat and that's when I get my one glass of red wine. (Wills helps with the wine part because he only drinks it when I do which is huge for him because he's a huge wineo) I'm glad we didn't hand out candy for Halloween cause I don't think much of it would've gotten to the kids .
I'm not struggling as much as I thought I was going to be. The only thing that's getting me now is being tired. I feel like I could take 3 naps a day but I try to just take one when I am utterly exhausted. But, after talking to a few people, I think that it's all totally worth it. But I do agree with you that that isn't somthing to ask a pregnant woman in her first trimester. It's kind of like the fat question I asked Wills a couple of weeks ago.
Serafina
Texas
11/7/08 12:53 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Denise57 Reply Report
... when you have that child
/> you just can't believe how much love your heart can
/> really hold. Its amazing. And because of this feeling
/> (and the tiny little fingers squeezing yours) you'll
/> look back and say "Yeah it was truly worth it all".
Denise...this is what I am hoping for! Today we saw the baby on an ultrasound. I am 9 weeks and 4 days. We saw the heartbeat! The baby actually looked like a baby (obvious head, body, arm buds), not like the little blob in the 6 week u/s. It was pretty cool to see that, yes, there still is a baby in there. (Reality still has not hit me...I wonder when it will?)
My doc said everything looked fine. I go back in 4 weeks for another appt, and then she wants another u/s at 16 weeks to check to make sure my cervix has not shortened (post-LEEP insurance, I guess...)
DH thinks it's okay now to send out our little pregnancy announcement note cards to our aunts/uncles, etc.
Serafina
Texas
11/7/08 1:02 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
mrsw, I totally agree about the complaining. I've told DH that I will complain in FULL to him only (and oh, believe me, I do!) (What a lucky guy, huh?)
But it really does feel like the world has shifted...anywhere I go I am almost 100% aware that I am pregnant and it affects everything! (How long can I stand up, walk, will I be cold, do I need to bring the saltines, where is my water bottle....) I guess this is Baby Prep 101. (or was that when we adopted the puppy?) lol
Also I am so lucky to have an awesome DH. He's been really involved and wants to help me with whatever he can. He is reading his dad book (The Expectant Father) and came with me to the u/s armed with all the questions listed in the book that were his priorities.
It feels "worth it" today, since we saw the u/s and the baby was actually moving a little. It seems much more real. I think it will click into place much more when I start getting the big belly and the baby moves so I can feel her.
My guilty admission of the day is that I am mad about the weight gain. I KNOW that it's normal and healthy and I am supposed to come to terms with my pregnancy body....but I am still having trouble with it. I work very hard to be in shape and feel healthy, and now I haven't been working out because I've felt so darn sick! Last night I was doing okay, so I went to yoga and it felt SO GOOD. I need to keep up the workouts. I think they help with the emotional side of things as well as the physical.
My pre-pregnancy weight was ~135 (on a good day, unclothed) and now I am about 140-142. I'm not sure how much weight gain in the first trimester is normal, but I'd like to find out.
Winterwed07
Georgia
11/7/08 1:05 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Yeah!! you got to see your little Bean... That is so exciting. You will have to post a pic of the U/S
Serafina
Texas
11/7/08 1:11 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: carly.d Reply Report
carly, I'm glad you're loving the conversation. I am, too! :)
On a serious note, I do try to be healthy, I know I will love my baby, I will try to be a good mom, and I would never knowingly do anything that would endanger my pregnancy (this is my disclaimer, lol) but I definitely am more of the sarcastic, cynical, non-fluffy mom-to-be. I feel much better now that I've realized that this is MY journal, and if I want to come here and confess my "pregnancy sins" or if I have these negative emotions (like I don't know if it's worth it, I don't want to be a mom now, or to swap my individual identity for "mommy", or that one of my biggest concerns is my body looking "fat") that I can do it here.
So Everyone, feel free to let me know your thoughts, too. Even the "bad" ones. I can only be fluffy and glowing for so long...and then eventually I will explode into a bomb of brutal honesty and sarcastic humor.
(as in today my verbal reaction to the u/s was that it was "freaky and weird"....the OB and the nurse both gave me a look for those word choices. ...but it WAS freaky! There is a BABY inside me! Holy crow!)
Serafina
Texas
11/7/08 1:16 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Mrs. Taylor Reply Report
aarrrghhh!!!! Mrs.Taylor, I am jealous!!! I am dying to move to NYC. (I am a writer, so it just makes sense to me.) Alas, I am trapped in South Texas, practically another country compared to Manhattan.
Ah, the Great Food Debate. Today my OB said hot dogs and deli meat are okay, as long as they are very fresh and heated fully. I haven't been craving deli meat, so I am good to go there. And the only hot dogs I like are Sahlen's dogs from Buffalo, NY (so I am in the clear there, too, since they don't sell them way down here in Timbuktu.)
Oh, she said caffiene is okay, one drink per day, but cutting it out is preferred. Occasionally I have an iced tea when we eat out, but only because water and milk are getting old.
She didn't say anything about red wine. I've stayed away from it since I found out I was PG. I would love some, though. Now I know why my friend who was PG with twins requested a pitcher of margaritas in the deliver room...(I thought this was just PG-woman drama in full effect...)
Serafina
Texas
11/7/08 1:22 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Strange cravings to report:
1. Spaghettios
2. Donuts (yikes, they taste so darn good!)
3. Chicken salad (one big sandwich and this one was quenched, however.)
4. Popsicles (cherry and grape, not the orange, which has a funny chemical taste to me, although they have all natural flavors...)
5. Blue tortilla chips and fresh salsa. (I believe I can smell the salsa through the refrigerator door...)
ps. as long as I am on the subject of smells, can I just say that my dog STINKS?!?!?! DH says he cannot smell it. I think he is just messing with me. It bothered me so much the other day I told him we needed to give the dog away. Or he needed to super-bathe her...ASAP!
Serafina
Texas
11/7/08 1:45 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
my 9 week, 4 day ultrasound photo!
It was much sharper in person, more focused. We could actually see the head, body, arms, etc, pretty clearly. The doc saw the heartbeat, and said it looked healthy. (Although the machine didn't have the ability to measure exactly how many BPM because it was the "cheap u/s machine that they let her play with"...her words, not mine...I assume there is a (financial) difference between this type of u/s and the full-blown, high speed machine used for my first u/s at 6 weeks.) Basically, she just wanted to confirm the heartbeat and check for miscarriage, so that's why I got this version. Okay by me! (I do wish the photo was better, though.)
**edited to add that I also got the goodie bag at my first prenatal appt. It has a BabyTalk magazine, 10 days of a RX prenatal vitamin, a lotion sample, Tums sample, coupons for free stuff, hospital info, childbirth class info, etc. Oh, and a baby registry guide from Walmart, which gives me nightmares due to the size of the list. I hope we don't need all that stuff!!! (And I hope I don't want it, as the baby fever sets in...)
They took 6 big vials of blood from me, plus a urine sample.
Message was edited by:
Serafina
iheartjohn
Pennsylvania
11/7/08 2:47 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
awww sooo cute! your little peanut looks pretty comfy!
Denise57
NY
11/7/08 4:16 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: iheartjohn Reply Report
HA! Your DH is not messing with you, your sense of smell becomes hightened when your PG. We used to refer to it as "beagle nose". It gets better post partum but until then you'll be able to smell a bbq 10 miles down the road! Its amazing!!
My poor DH was made to sleep in the living room when he ate garlic! I told him he was not allowed to eat garlic within 10 days of my delivery date b/c if he breathed with me I would pass out!
mrsw
11/8/08 5:51 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Serafina, are you from WNY? WNY is the only place in the world with decent hot dogs, I am convinced . . . lol! I LOVE Sahlen's! I also like Zweigle's, but they are more of a Rochester area thing, so if you are from too far west, you may have never had one. They are amazing, though . . . the BEST white hots you'll ever touch!
And yeah, smells are magnified a LOT while you're PG. I am WAY more sensitive to the BO of students, which is rather unpleasant . . . lol. I am also more sensitive to really bad perfumes. A lady I work with has got the WORST smelling perfume in the world (right now, anyhow . . . if I weren't PG, I don't think it would bother me at all).
Mrs. Taylor
11/8/08 11:20 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I love New York! I never thought that I would ever be able to here though. I'm originally from Virginia but have loved New York for years. I have yet to journey far from the city, like to upstate New York but am hoping to sometime soon.
I love the city but I do miss the more rural areas. Sometimes the traffic and people can make you feel claustrophobic. And I do miss my family. They are in Virginia and all of Wills' family is in England. I was hoping to take one more trip to England before the baby was born but I don't envision that happening. Maybe sometime late next Spring when the baby is finally able to fly. On the plus side, my family is only a 6 hour drive so we can go visit for Thanksgiving and Christmas and they can easily come up when the baby is born. My mom has already cleared her schedule for the week before, the week of, and the week after my due date just in case I go early or late. I think she also wants to come up and help me out when he is born. I know Wills' family will come over the week after he is born, or at least that's the plan right now.
What part of Texas are you in, if you don't mind me asking? What do you like to write? I have family in Dallas and friends in Austin and Quanah (sp?). I loved the western part of the state cause I love the country and love to be able to go horseback riding. I can't wait to get back out there and see them after the baby is born. I haven't seen them since I got married but I have talked to them quite a bit.
As far as the smell thing goes, I can smell everything! Sometimes it's a good thing like when we are in Little Italy and they're cooking or when we go back to Virginia and are in the fresh air but then when we are walking down the street it can be really bad. Sometimes I want to gag because of all the typical "city" smells! I thought at one point to get a military issued gas mask or something to wear when I go down the street. I can't wait until this passes.
Serafina
Texas
11/11/08 9:53 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
mrsw, Yes. I gre up on Grand Island and went to school in the Falls. My parents are still in the area (Tonawanda & Ransomville) I miss the northeast so much! DH is hooked on Sahlen's, too, even though he is from the South. He wants to ship a frozen package back to our house when we go up for Thanksgiving. I haven't got him to try loganberry yet...but he is a big fan of Duff's wings. (And Buzzy's, which is in the Falls closer to my Mom's) Near my Dad's house it's Wally's pizza. And a few Greek places that I MUST visit because I am craving some good souvlaki with feta and homemade Greek dressing. There is nothing like Buffalo for a foodie like me!
Serafina
Texas
11/11/08 10:02 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Mrs. Taylor Reply Report
That's so great that your mom can clear her schedule like that. I think DH's mom will be able to do that as well. My mom has a job that is tougher to get time off from. That's nice that you know when they're coming, and that you'll have a week before they arrive. So far everyone in our families wants to be here immediately, and oh, by the way, they all plan to stay here with us. I am picturing my house looking somewhat like a refugee camp at the time of the birth.
NYC and England. Two of my dream places to live. I always have told DH that if his company offers him a job in England that he does not need to wait to call me to confer, he can just accept on the spot! NYC is so awesome. However, I've never stayed for an extended period of time, so I don't know now how I'd like raising a baby there...
I'm in South Texas, Corpus Christi. (4 hours down the coast from Houston.) Austin is by far our favorite city in Texas, followed closely by San Antonio, so we try to get out of Timbuktu when we can and drive up there.
I write primarily nonfiction. I am working on a book length memoir right now which is just over half done. I have an MFA in creative writing and publishing (which was why I was living in Baltimore for over 3 years away from DH) and am really hoping to have time to write once I start feeling not so sick from this baby!
There are not a lot of jobs for me down here in Corpus, so I am hoping someday soon that DH's company will want to move us back to the northeast again. We moved down here for the weather and the pace of life, but now we are getting a little bored.
Mrs. Taylor
11/11/08 12:41 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I think if I had all of my family and Wills family in our house at the same time with a new baby I would go crazy. I know that when baby (name to come later) comes, my mom at least will come up. She made me swear that when I go into labor, she is the first person we call besides my doctor. My grandmother wants to come up too and help out but I don't think she will because she gets the fact that it's my moms turn to do what she did when her girls had kids. I know that my mom will stay with us to help more or less with the household things like cooking and cleaning.
Wills has already talked to his job and the two weeks after the baby is born, he can take off which I love. He just has to call his boss when the baby is born and tell him that he's not coming in.
Wills' family will probably all come over together (ie. parents, sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew). On the plus side, if we had to have all of them in our house there is room but on the even better plus side, Wills' parents own a penthouse on Park Ave that they will all be staying at. Their plan is to come over the week after the baby is born to give us sometime to adjust and not be too overwhelmed.
England is awesome! I thought we were going to have to move over there almost right after we got married because the company that Wills works for has an office in New York and in London. I like it when we do get to go over there and the shopping is phenomenal!!! It is nice that when we go over there we don't have to stay with his family outside of London because he kept his flat that is London.
I have never been to Corpus Christi but I have heard from a few friends of mine that it's beautiful. I have heard that Texas in general has some great things to do but once you've done them, it can become very boring. Unless you are like my one girlfriend and her husband that live in the middle of nowhere on a huge ranch and wouldn't trade it for the world. My girlfriend in Austin is the same way. She liked Austin when they moved there but now she wants to move out of Texas and she also misses her seasons.
I know what you mean about not really being able to do anything because of the baby. I'm a fashion designer and it was really hard for me to do work sometimes because I felt so nauseous all the time but didn't really get sick. Thankfully that past though, for the most part, once I got into my 4th or 5th month. I'm hoping that baby cooperates with you and lets you get back to what you love soon!
mrsw
11/11/08 2:00 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Hey, we WNYers have to brag about our food . . . our sports certainly aren't anything to brag about! LOL
And we do have some great food. You just made me hungry mentioning souvlaki . . . it has been WAY too long since I had Greek food! I want to go to The Towne so badly! lol. Must get Dave to go there some time.
We're going to Sabres games this Friday and next, which means we'll likely visit the Pearl St. Grill and Brewery . . . unfortunately, I can't have any of the great microbrews they have.
When I was going to grad school in Western PA each summer a few years ago, I would always take some Sahlen's hotdogs with me b/c you can't get a decent weiner in that area. LOL. I got some of my grad school friends hooked on them, too.
Serafina
Texas
11/12/08 2:59 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Mrs. Taylor Reply Report
I hope my DH can get time off from work when our baby is born. I don't think they have a policy for "maternity leave" for the men...so maybe we'll just have to take our vacation then.
Mrs. Taylor, you guys are totally living our dream....London & NYC! "Penthouse on Park Ave" made me a little envious, I must admit. Especially as I sit in South Texas writing this, lol. I killed another scorpion in the house the other night... a penthouse on Park Ave... **sigh**
We took a Mediterranean cruise a few years ago which ended in Dover, so we got to explore London for two days. It was enough for me, I'd love to move there!
Texas is great. But I think I am a city girl at heart. I just love the life, sights, sounds, etc. I had the opportunity to live in downtown Seoul in a fabulous glass high rise while I was stationed there in the Army, and it was so fun.
Serafina
Texas
11/12/08 3:02 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
mrsw, I am craving a Sahlen's now. I hope when I have my souvlaki that the feta is pasteurized...I don't think I can give up the feta! :)
PEARL STREET! Oooooohhh.......yum. I forgot about Pearl Street. We visited there to try to have our rehearsal dinner or reception there, but decided it was too far from our chapel (@ Niagara Univ.) Too bad about the brews, but the food is good. (or was, back when I was there last.) I remember them having some really unique salads, and I think I had seared rare ostrich with blackberry sauce and brie there once. (oooooh.......brie........yummmmm.....) (By the way this is strange that everything sounds so good to me since my stomach has been hurting lately.)
Serafina
Texas
11/12/08 3:05 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Okay, so my blood test results are back from my first prenatal appt. They found that I have an iron deficiency-anemia. So I have to take another pill each day along with my prenatal vitamin and folic acid supplement. It's called Corvite, and of course, is not covered my our health insurance. Great!
Apparently the important thing about iron is to not take it with calcium, as this prevents absorption of the iron into the body. So I've been drinking extra milk to make sure I get my calcium, and now I will have to add iron at a separate time, along with vitamin C, to help the iron absorb. I feel like I need a vitamin calendar.
aurora1036
Rochester Hills, MI
11/13/08 9:01 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
you should be able to talk to your doctor and get them to prescribe something that is covered by your insurance.
Serafina
Texas
11/13/08 9:46 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: aurora1036 Reply Report
Yes, I hope so. It's not too bad, $34 for 30 days of pills. But normally prescriptions that are covered come in much less than that. I just paid for it anyway this time around since I was already there and it had been filled.
The paper that came with it says that Corvite is iron "plus vitamins and minerals"...no exact list of what those are, which I thought was weird. I might try to look it up and just see if I can't get something similar OTC at my local health food store.
jmf929
NY
11/13/08 12:11 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Congrats on your pregnancy.
I was just reading your journal and see you're from Buffalo. I am too. I live in Lancaster. I know what you mean about the Sahlen's hot dogs! I won't eat a hot dog anyplace else, ugh! Can't even look at them! No one outside WNY knows what loganberry is. When my friend from VA (she grew up here) came up for my wedding last year, all she drank was loganberry! She even wanted some after she got home so I shipped it down there! I love Duff's too but haven't been there in awhile. Should go again soon.
I never heard of Buzzy's or Wally's.
Serafina
Texas
11/13/08 12:27 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: jmf929 Reply Report
Thanks!
Buzzy's is in the Falls, and Wally's is is Tonawanda. Small, local pizza places...the best! We have an okay place here in Corpus Christi, but it's nothing like Bflo pizza. DH can't wait to get to Bflo for the food.
I think I got him to try loganberry once and he just looked at me funny and went back to his diet coke. I guess some people just don't get it, lol.
Mrs. Taylor
11/13/08 12:53 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
The penthouse is a little much for me. I always had a hard time staying there when we came up to visit before we moved. It's just wierd to me to have someone around 24/7 to open the door and hale you a cab. The apartment itself is nice but the building kind of wierds me out. I'm so glad we have our own house with a front door that opens directly onto the street.
However, I will take the penthouse over his parents house in England any day! Talk about overwhelming! Think 300 year old English house.
Serafina
Texas
11/13/08 1:34 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Mrs. Taylor Reply Report
You guys sound like a movie to me! (in a good way) You will be able to offer your baby so much. I hope you are planning to travel with your little one. That would be so cool to grow up and travel to England...what an experience!
Serafina
Texas
11/13/08 1:39 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Is anyone considering using cloth diapers? I mean as diapers, not as burp cloths.
I have been thinking about this for a while. I consider myself to be something of an environmentalist, and when I think of all that plastic waste from disposable diapers...I feel socially responsible to not put that in a landfill.
Cloth diapers are expensive, but over the long haul (birth to 3 years maybe?) they seem to be a thrifty option compared to disposables. Also, they can be better for the baby's skin.
Any other viewpoints?
The diapers I am considering buying are the one-size Bum Genius 3.0 and the Bummis starter kit (with the Super Whisper Wraps for when he/she is a new born, since I think the Bum Genius will be just too huge)
mrsw
11/13/08 1:50 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I am still deeply considering it, even though I am having twins and it will be a challenge. Same reasons . . . the thought of all that landfill waste makes me a little ill.
I don't think they are really that expensive . . . and I know carly.d has mentioned that they have done cradle-to-grave studies on them that show that they ARE better for the environment.
I think it gets costly if you use a diaper service . . . but if you wash them out yourself, they aren't that expensive.
I would like to reserve disposables just for times when we are out where carrying around a stinky diaper will not be possible (shopping and stuff like that).
My biggest problem is that I haven't found out yet what ones are really reliable, nor does Target, where I am registered, have a good selection of the "rubber pants" to wear over them, as far as I can tell. It's hard b/c nearly all the reviews of cloth diapers on Target.com are from people who only used them as burp cloths. It's rather frustrating to see that there are SO few people out there using them that I can't find good info on them!
MrsJohn said once that there ARE some biodegradable diapers out there now, though, too . . . so that is also an option.
Mrs. Taylor
11/13/08 1:58 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
I'm not planning on using the disposable diapers. My best friend and his wife used them for their daughter and he said that they drove them crazy and around 6 months after their daughter was born, they switched to regular diapers.
I have heard of the biodegradable diapers too and am looking into them.
Serafina
Texas
11/13/08 2:06 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
I got my reviews from Amazon. Check out the Bum Genius 3.0, and Bummis.
The Bummis are basically a normal cloth diaper (with whatever additional inserts you might need for napping, overnight etc.) wrapped in a "Super Whisper Wrap", which is a waterproof outer covering with velcro tabs to keep it closed (i.e. no rubber pants or pins, etc.) These are much less expensive and come in a starter kit for $145 for 6 wraps/covers and 36 diapers (I think these are the right specs)
You'd of course need the sprayer, which attaches to the toilet valve where the water comes in from the wall. It's inexpensive, and is used to spray the poop off into the toilet. (Incidentally, I have also heard that even people who use disposables should get the poop off, since human waste in our landfills is a no-no....but who does that? No one I know!) You can possibly reuse the covers during the day if they don't get wet. And the covers come in super cute colors and patterns, which I love.
The Bum Genius 3.0 are one size diapers that you can use essentially from birth until potty training time. They have a snap down feature in the front to keep the diaper away from the newborn's belly button/umbilical cord area. The liners unsnap from the main diaper part, which makes them dry faster. These can also be stuffed with additional inserts if needed for overnight. These are supposed to be the Dad-favorites, because they basically go on just like a disposable. (They have some kind of velcro-ish tabs, too.)
The more I think about it, the more I feel compelled to go with cloth. We have a nice washer and dryer, and I don't think buying the special detergent would be a big deal. (You only use like half of what is directed anyway.)
I would certainly use disposables for long days away from the house and possibly on trips where we didn't have a washer. They do make waterproof bags so you can carry the soiled diapers with you. (Of course then I'd use the flushable diaper liners so if there is poop you just peel the liner off and stow the diaper.) I'd probably use something like Seventh Generation disposable diapers (which don't have the chlorine chemicals added to treat/bleach them) for those odd times.
My mother just kind of raises her eyebrows at me when I say I want to use cloth, but that's probably because she used rubber pants and huge pins and stuff.
Serafina
Texas
11/13/08 2:07 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Mrs. Taylor Reply Report
Mrs. T, what kind/brand are you planning to use?
I'll have to look into the biodegradable ones...I haven't found those yet.
Elise
South Carolina
11/13/08 2:18 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Mrs. Taylor Reply Report
A cute article/review on cloth diapers:
http://www.parents.com/baby/care/diapers/one-dad-gives-up-disposable-diapers/
Mrs. Taylor
11/13/08 2:31 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
If I used regular diapers, I think I would go with Pampers. They're the best from what I keep hearing from friends and family.
As far as disposable diapers go, I haven't really looked into it that much to favor one brand over the other. When I find one I am leaning towards, I will definitely let you know.
There are days when I think I am in a movie or something and I have to pinch myself to make sure it's real because it seems too much like a dream or a fairy tale. I am extremely lucky. I know we will definitely travel with the baby and any other children we might have, God willing. Wills will make sure he know where he came from and all of Europe for that matter. I think one day eventually, he wants to move back to England. He misses it a lot but he will never come right out and tell you that he does.
Serafina
Texas
11/13/08 2:37 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Elise Reply Report
That is a cute article. I wish the Dad was a little better informed, though, or would have tried more than the "dish towel with painter's tape" approach. I disagree with his "time in the laundry room" theory. I mean, how much time does it take to start a load of wash? You don't have to stand there while it's washing!
I've heard of the studies that have said that the energy and water needs to clean cloth diapers is more of an impact than millions of tons of plastic filled with human waste in our landfills. But then I've also heard that those studies were backed by companies that ultimately supported/made disposable diapers.
Serafina
Texas
11/13/08 2:38 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Mrs. Taylor Reply Report
Thanks, I'll be eager to hear what you think as you research the cloth options.
Elise
South Carolina
11/13/08 2:44 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Yea, I don't think it's meant to be a full-on research article on the subject - just sort of a cute outline of his experiences. Plus, I imagine it's the way a lot of men would react, lol. I liked how it gave a real world impression of various types of cloth diapers, though, because as someone who's not ever thinking about having a baby yet (let alone having to diaper one) it was interesting to read about the various types and a normal person's use of them.
Serafina
Texas
11/13/08 2:47 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Elise Reply Report
No, I agree. I understand that he's not trying to be ultra-scientific. But as someone who pretty much supports cloth, I wish he would have given it a better shot. There are so many options out there now. Maybe a guy wouldn't know about them...I wonder where this guy's wife was? lol
MrsJohn83
California
11/13/08 5:46 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
My aunt is really into environmental issues and she is the one who told me about the bidegradable recyclable disposable diapers. I'll see her at Thanksgiving and ask her about them then so I can let you all know!
Serafina
Texas
11/13/08 6:09 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: MrsJohn83 Reply Report
Thanks, Mrs. John. I would definitely like to check those out. Too bad the big companies don't just make all their diapers biodegradable, then we wouldn't have to worry so much about other options.
mrsw
11/13/08 6:15 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Here is another scary thing with regular disposables . . .
My brother and his wife live out in the country. Only recently has there been any garbage pickup in that area b/c it's so rural, and it costs those who live outside the villages quite a bit of money. So, when we lived on that farm, we always burned our burnable garbage. They have burned their daughter's diapers (not a good thing environmentally, I know, but it's hard to convince country fol that there are better options). Anywho, those things are unbelievably flammable. Seriously, they go up like they're loaded with gasoline. Probably from the petroleum in the plastic on them. We were all pretty astounded to see it happen, though, and to know that people are putting something that flammable on their babies. Scary stuff.
MrsJohn83
California
11/13/08 6:17 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
from what I;ve heard, they're actually recyclable. Like you have to take them apart and stuff, but other than that, they get recycled. I'm not sure how it works, but I guess someone I am somehow related to uses them. I guess its a cousin, but I'm not really sure (my family gets so confusing!) But I will ask!
Serafina
Texas
11/13/08 6:21 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
That IS scary.
Also, plastic diaper full of human waste + burning = something really bad, I'm sure.
I hated when my neighbors burned piles of leaves, for crying out loud! Can you imagine someone burning a pile of dirty diapers!?? That would be like the barrels of porta-john waste that the Army burns in Iraq...I have pictures of DH standing with massive columns of black smoke behind him...Not a pretty picture.
By the by, I am not sure if I am mildly allergic to my dog, or if I still have some flu shot residue, or if it's the weather change...or if pregnancy is just killing my sinuses, but I am SO congested at random times throughout the day. The sinus congestion gives me headaches and it generally makes me crabby all day. I am regularly snorting the Afrin nasal spray with short-lived results. Just wanted to complain a little here. Thanks.
(By the way, Afrin nasal spray is on the official list from my doctor of things okay to have during pregnancy, even before 12 weeks.)
MrsJohn83
California
11/13/08 6:25 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
you're so lucky!
I don't know how it works. I think that most likely the waste comes out in a liner or something and then the outer shell gets recycled. But like I said, I don't know!
mrsw
11/13/08 6:39 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Well, their nearest neighbors are 1/2 mile in either direction, and they live on the E side of the road, so I don't think their neighbors are affected by it too much, thank goodness. I still just hate the whole concept of burning garbage at all, but, having grown up on that same farm without garbage pickup, I understand it. I have become more and more of an environmentalist in the last few years, so it's more recent that it has bothered me. I think it's technically illegal in NYS now, too, but no one goes around checking on these rural homes. It only becomes an issue in villages and if a neighbor complains.
Serafina
Texas
11/18/08 12:38 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
Here is a good (albeit slightly old, 2004) article on cloth diapers versus disposables from Wired Magazine.
http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2004/04/63182?currentPage=all
p.s. I keep hearing the argument against cloth diapers because of all the water used to wash them....but what if you have an energy star, water saver washing machine like we do? And a dryer with a sensor that knows when items are dry and shuts off rather than complete the cycle? It seems this should be taken into account. At least I am taking it into account. lol
Mrs. Taylor
11/18/08 12:43 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I am still looking at the biodegradable diapers and I can't really find one that I am crazy over. The over all idea of having to remove the soiled part and flush it or throw it away and keep the outer part doesn't appease me. The more I look at them, I am leaning towards just going with Pampers. I will definitely keep looking though and let you know if I find anything good.
I know that the cloth diapers are out of the question for me.
Hey Serafina, when is your due date? I am trying to see if there's anyone close to mine although I think you are a few months behind me.
Serafina
Texas
11/18/08 12:49 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Mrs. Taylor Reply Report
yes, I've heard the biodegradable ones are also pretty expensive. And you have to sort of pull it apart and swish it in the toilet so the diaper lining breaks down before you flush. Sounds like too much for me.
Cloth (for me) doesn't seem like a big deal. You attach the sprayer to your toilet water line (semi-permanently) and spray off any poo, and then toss the diaper into the diaper pail. For me, a few loads of wash are no biggie. (versus the expense of biodegradable diapers and the "swishing") Also, I read that even biodegradable diapers contain AGM (absorbent gel material) to soak up the liquid, and this gel can possibly be harmful to babies (i.e. low sperm count in boys, increased incidences of diaper rash, etc.)
Of course I am no expert! I think it's trial and error for each mom to find what works best for her. (Although I still wish that Pampers and Huggies and Luvs could make their diapers naturally biodegradable anyway!)
aurora1036
Rochester Hills, MI
11/19/08 9:47 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I've only known a few people to use cloth diapers but the few I have known dealt with A LOT of diaer rashes....it seemed that the moisture wasnt being pulled away from the skin very well? Has anyone read anything about that? I don't know if it was just them, maybe they don't change often enough or if it is something your stuck dealing with with cloth diapers....?
carly.d
Marquette, MI
11/19/08 2:50 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: aurora1036 Reply Report
see now, my experience is the opposite...i've only known a couple of people who cloth-diapered, but they had a lot fewer occurrences of diaper rash than the disposable crowd. apparently people in my acquaintance have trouble telling the difference between a wet diaper and a clean diaper because of the difference in absorption technique and let it go for too long before changing? that's the only thing i can think of.
really, if you change your baby when you're supposed too (i.e., ASAP after baby messes in it), what kind of diaper you use shouldn't really affect how often your baby gets diaper rash. in theory, lol. theory and practice are two very different things.
aurora1036
Rochester Hills, MI
11/19/08 5:51 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: carly.d Reply Report
all good points! haha
I used regular diapers and DD had rashes with all but one brand - I don't know if it had to do with moisture on the skin or sensitivity to the materials in the diapers or what it was - but I know that she had almost no diaper rash once we found the brand that worked for her (huggies) but that said - a diaper rash was how she found her way to potty training right after her 2nd bday.
I had a training potty downstairs and I let her get familiar with it and never pushed her to use it - I felt she would use it when she was ready. One day out pops this diaper rash so I told her she could run around naked to let her bottom air out if she promised to tell me when she had to go potty. I said "don't pee on the floor!" and she didn't - she started peeing in the pot that night and we never looked back! If only everything about parenting was that easy! hahaha
MrsJohn83
California
11/20/08 3:29 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: aurora1036 Reply Report
YES, aurora, my parents started out with cloth diapers on me, and I had a constant diaper rash, so they switched me to disposables and I had hardly any more...
aurora1036
Rochester Hills, MI
11/21/08 9:13 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: MrsJohn83 Reply Report
I asked my mom too after seeing it come up on the boards and she said she used cloth diapers on me at first too and I had rashes all the time and she hated that they were always leaking and the diaper never stayed on in one place and she said there were the little plastic pants that pulled over them but they didn't help matters any.... maybe it was just the old cloth diapers! who knows!
I'm all about saving the environment most of the time but when it comes to diapers I just need the convenience of disposables!
MrsJohn83
California
11/21/08 9:36 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: aurora1036 Reply Report
I'm with you on that one. I mean if my kid has an allergic reaction to the disposables, DUH I'll deal with the cloth. But if all is ok, I'm planning on just using disposables.
Mrs. Taylor
11/21/08 11:59 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: MrsJohn83 Reply Report
Same here. I looked into cloth and biodegradable and I can't find anything I like. I think I am going to try Pampers first and he doesn't like it then I will switch to something else.
mrsw
11/22/08 7:05 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Mrs. Taylor Reply Report
Cloth diapers are a LOT different than they were when we were all kids. They are a lot more reliable and easier to work with . . . no more folding and pinning needed! lol
I just figure that, our moms made it through with the work of the cloth diapers (my mom had my oldest brothers just 17 months apart, so she had two in cloth diapers AND all she had at the time was a ringer washer!), so there is no reason I can't. Sure, it would be more convenient to use disposables all the time, but I just don't think I can bring myself to do it. It's just SO much waste!
I don't know . . . we'll see what happens. It's easy to say one way or the other now, but reality may force me to change later on. The biggest problem I foresee for me is going to be getting DH to deal with them, too. I can see that already. Like most men, he isn't too keen on handling poo. I have really turned him into an environmentalist (it was so cute to watch him start being more eco-friendly . . . he would empty a conatiner and say, oh, that can be recycled! lol). But I don't know if I can get him over the poo. lol
I don't believe any of us ever had huge problems with diaper rash and cloth diapers . . . I'll have to ask my mom. Logic tells me it would be LESS likely since you are putting breathable, natural fabric against their bottoms and not plastic-lined synthetic materials. But maybe some babies just react differently for other reasons. Maybe it's the soap in washing them that they are reacting to.
One thing I do know is that my mom says the sprayer isn't even really necessary . . . she says you can just dip them in the toilet and agitate to get messes out of them pretty effectively without the sprayer. That's all she ever did.
I would at least like to give them a good, sound try. Then I will KNOW how realistic it is to use them and how they will work.
aurora1036
Rochester Hills, MI
11/24/08 9:22 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
One thing I do know is that my mom says the sprayer isn't even really necessary . . . she says you can just dip them in the toilet and agitate to get messes out of them pretty effectively without the sprayer. That's all she ever did.
I don't even like cleaning the toilets let alone sticking my hand in there with a poopy diaper and rinsing it around in the water! It turns my stomach to think about having the poo swirling around near my hand! haha
Besides that - using cloth and dumping the poop off when baby is on solid foods and having sold stools is one thing but in the first few days of the black tar like poop and then the first few months of icky watery poop....nah - no chance of me EVER using cloth diapers for those stages! haha
I admire anyone who has that much dedication to the environment though - I use cloth grocery bags, and I recycle and I try to minimize energy and water consumption but that's as far as I'll take it! haha
aBride4U2remember
Ontario, Canada
11/27/08 6:36 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
I gotta give you huge props for even giving cloth a try! Way to go.
I used to work in daycares a few years ago, and we had one little boy in cloth diapers and they weren't as bad as I figured they'd be. Of course the daycare just threw the dirty ones (poop and all) into a bucket and the parents took it home to clean and get ride of waste.......
but over all the design of them is not that bad.
Good luck. Let us all know how it goes. DH and I are starting to try in a month so I'd be interested to know how the cloth goes.
LadyHeather
British Columbia
11/27/08 2:43 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
I am totally doing the cloth. I was cloth-diapered as well. What my mum did was use a diaper service. I guess not everywhere would have such a thing, but it's worth looking into for someone who doesn't really want to deal with too much mess. I don't really think it will be a problem for me. After looking after a really ill cat with rainbow diarrhea for a few weeks...well...I've seen poop as bad as it can be all over my floor, and I'm not scared. I will definitely still have disposables for travel and such though.
ray
B.C.
11/28/08 6:30 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: LadyHeather Reply Report
I used to take care of my cousins while they were in cloth diapers. It wasn't that bad. When they poop you just put the poop into the toilet and then you rinse and then wash with soap ans hot water......I think.....i can not fully remember, but I don't remember it being that bad, and she wasn't using a diaper service.
When I think of disposable diapers it really bothers me. For some reason disposable diapers are the number one thing that I find to be very waistful. I am sure that there are far worst things, but in my head disposable diapers take the cake.
LadyHeather
British Columbia
11/28/08 1:47 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: ray Reply Report
Yeah, I think the thought of a bunch of poopy diapers rotting in a landfill somewhere just makes me feel way worse than cleaning one poopy diaper at a time does. Just...eww. I know it doesn't work in everyone's life, but for me I don't think I could go any other way than cloth. Maybe it's these three years of living in a place with no recycling program of any kind. Garbage just really bothers me.
mrsw
11/29/08 5:10 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: LadyHeather Reply Report
I feel the same as both of you. It's just the thought of ALL that waste from two little people. I just feel like I have to do it, or at least try. Yeah, it will be a little more work for me, but I feel it's a necessary trade-off. I feel almost a responsibility to go cloth. I just can't help feeling like it would only be for selfish reasons if I didn't.
carly.d
Marquette, MI
11/29/08 8:25 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
that's the way i feel too.
MrsJohn83
California
12/1/08 11:41 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: carly.d Reply Report
Ok ladies I asked my aunt about the recyclable diapers and she has to call her daughter to find out what they were called. So hopefully I will find out what they are called in a few days!
threesia.w
Kentucky
12/1/08 2:25 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: MrsJohn83 Reply Report
I was wondering if you ladies had heard of/considered Green diapers? They are flushable!
Check them out I find them very interesting.
http://www.gdiapers.com/gdiapers101/our-products/starter-kit
I like the little covers they have many styles/colors and they really aren't expensive.
LadyHeather
British Columbia
12/1/08 4:31 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: threesia.w Reply Report
Ooo! Those would be perfect for when I'm traveling or otherwise out of the house for a long time! Thanks for that!
mrsw
12/1/08 5:39 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: LadyHeather Reply Report
I was thinking the same thing . . . no need for disposables at all! You could just use these when you are out and cloth at home and be totally green!
Elise
South Carolina
12/1/08 6:49 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
The writer of the article I found (which we've already established is no where near the ultimate resource on the subject, lol) said this about the gdiapers:
Then, just as I was about to live happily ever after, I put the cloth diapering on hold. A mom told me I had to try gDiapers.
The gDiaper is what might result if cloth diapers and disposable diapers had unprotected sex. The outside looks like the good kind of cloth diaper. It's made of cotton and closes with Velcro tabs. On the inside is a disposable white pad that you replace, just like a disposable. But gDiaper pads differ from traditional disposables in one key way: You can flush them down the toilet.
At first this struck me as a simple and brilliant solution to the diaper dilemma. But simple solutions are rarely what they seem. My gDiaper starter kit came with an instructional pamphlet that offered tips for successful flushing of the disposable pads. "Know Thy Toilet," the pamphlet commanded. To avoid clogging, you have to tear off the edges of the insulated pad, empty the contents into the toilet, and then break up the floating pad with the white "swishstick" that comes with the starter kit -- along with two cloth outsides and 10 pads.
The first time, I forgot to tear apart the pad and clogged the toilet. But as unpleasant as I find plunging a toilet, it is almost preferable to following the gDiaper instructions. When you tear open the dirty pads, cottony particles flutter into the air. And if there is one thing worse than handling dirty diapers, it is inhaling them.
Still, I do think the gDiaper is a smart, if expensive -- a package of 40 pads costs $15 -- approach to diapering. If you don't want to flush the pads, you can throw them out without feeling too bad. Unlike traditional disposables, the gDiaper pads have no plastic and are biodegradable.
Just for an interesting outside perspective
threesia.w
Kentucky
12/1/08 7:17 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Elise Reply Report
Yes, I seen something on the site about throwing them out. Unlike regular diapers, the GDiaper is completely gone in less then a year. I would suggest watching the videos on the site. And they practically beg for you to call and ask any questions, so that's another option. lol
If anyone does try them let us know how well they work.
LadyHeather
British Columbia
12/1/08 9:37 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Elise Reply Report
Hmm...that sounds fiddly for travel. But I'd still use them and throw them out. Beats plastic.
Serafina
Texas
12/5/08 1:37 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: aurora1036 Reply Report
Thankfully they have disposable/flushable diaper liners...I definitely plan to use those, especially for those first couple of diapers!!! :)
I think I will get the sprayer. I know many women of my mom's generation didn't have one...but if it makes life easier (and cleaner) then why not? It's not a super expensive item, so I'm sure DH will be all about that. As far as him handling poo, he already cleans up after our dog, and since this is our child, I think he'll be good to go. I am so lucky to have an awesome husband who is SO helpful around the house.
Serafina
Texas
12/5/08 1:40 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
"I feel almost a responsibility to go cloth. I just can't help feeling like it would only be for selfish reasons if I didn't."
I completely agree. I can't NOT try the cloth diapers.
Serafina
Texas
12/5/08 1:43 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: threesia.w Reply Report
threesia, I have heard of those! They are a bit expensive for me, as far as everyday use. Maybe for travel, like the others mentioned...that could be a great idea!
MrsJohn83
California
12/5/08 4:56 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I agree with you Serafina. Its nice to know I won't be the only pooey diaper changer, hubby's really good about stuff like that. In fact, whenever we babysit our nephew, he is the only one to do it. (Partially because the kid HATES having his diaper changed. He will scream his head off if anyone tries. But for some reason, he'll let John do it with no complaints.)
Serafina
Texas
12/9/08 1:15 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Today I am 14w1d, and I had my next OB checkup. Everything is just fine, blood work was all okay, cystic fibrosis test was negative, and the pap she did was negative!!! (This is HUGE for me, since I had high-grade "nasty" cells last year which resulted in a LEEP surgery, and after surgery still had abnormal paps.) So I am psyched about that and feel like another weight has been lifted off my back. :)
My little baby has a heartbeat of 146 BPM. My doc was paged by L&D during my appt, so it was very fast! They had me give a urine sample (apparently this happens every time, so I need to remember to NOT pee before I leave the house!) and just went over the paperwork. Then my doc was paged, so she listened to the baby quickly, with what I think was the Doppler. (I was glad to not have to get another trans-vag u/s this time)
I heard the whoosha-whoosha-whoosha of the heartbeat and then a long whooooooosh, which the doctor said was a kick! It was pretty cool.
MrsJohn83
California
12/9/08 1:41 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Glad everything was ok!
Winterwed07
Georgia
12/9/08 3:03 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: MrsJohn83 Reply Report
I am so glad to hear everything went well at your visit.
Serafina
Texas
12/9/08 10:33 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Winterwed07 Reply Report
Thanks! You, too! Both of our visits were short today. I didn't know what to expect for today, so I wasn't really disappointed that it was short. Hey, I'm happy to NOT have to get a trans-vaginal u/s any day! lol
I have my next ultrasound scheduled for December 23rd. Then another visit with the OB on January 7th, because the OB wants to check the length of my cervix and make sure I will not need a stitch. (due to my LEEP and subsequent issues)
I really like my OB. Although she was quick today, I feel like she takes the times to listen to me and answer any questions I have. The nurses do the paperwork, ask questions, and check the urine sample, but the OB does everything else. Its important to feel comfortable with your OB...I hope you don't feel like yours is not giving you enough time/attention.
You are going to find out the gender in Feb? That's awesome! We want to be surprised. I hope we can stick to our guns...the green and yellow chick/lamb outfits are starting to roll in...
One thing that has been bugging me is that my clothes are really starting to get tight. When did anyone else start to need maternity clothes? How much weight should you gain in the first trimester? I feel so fat right now! I wish I'd get a nice round belly and that my legs and butt would stay nice and normal.
LadyHeather
British Columbia
12/9/08 10:37 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I got my first maternity pants at 8 weeks. I now wear maternity clothes almost exclusively. And I've gained 9 pounds so far (or that was the number on Saturday when I was 13 weeks).
I have a new belly pic on my thread now. It just keeps getting bigger. I have to say, I am most pleased with the way my body is turning out. At first I was sort of pudgy, but now all my skin's stretched out and looks somewhat toned. Love handles are gone! Pregnancy rules.
Serafina
Texas
12/9/08 10:43 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: LadyHeather Reply Report
It sounds like you are one of the lucky ones! No stretch marks yet?
8 weeks? Oh, that is VERY reassuring to me. Everything I read says that now (at 14 weeks) I will just start to show, or that my stomach may start to look bigger...and I have been looking bigger for a while now so I was worried I was gaining too much too soon.
I went my the maternity store at the mall a week or so ago, but I felt funny going in there...don't know why. I guess I am freaked out about gaining a lot of weight. I want to stay my original size, with the exception of the belly. I know I am totally unrealistic.
If you don't mind me asking this, did you buy all new maternity clothes? I feel like it's going to be a ton of money to buy enough for a small wardrobe. But I am starting a new job in January and I don't think I can wear pajama pants to teach a college class.....LOL
Serafina
Texas
12/9/08 10:46 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Here is what Baby Center tells me about 14 weeks:
"The top of your uterus is a bit above your pubic bone, which may be enough to push your tummy out a tad."
A TAD?? Umm...it feels like (and looks like!) more than a tad, thank you very much. Or maybe the author has decided to ignore the ring of fat developing around my midsection. I gotta get to the gym!
LadyHeather
British Columbia
12/9/08 10:48 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Yeah, all my stuff has been new and not that cheap. I haven't had much luck finding used stuff in my size, even on Ebay. Actually, even the new stuff in my size has been tough. For some reason I take a small in maternity when I am usually a medium. I think maybe it is because I really haven't gained any weight anywhere else at all. That will probably change and then I will need all new clothes again. Blah.
I'm hoping to get to an Old Navy later this month when we're on our Christmas holiday. They have better prices. I really wish they shipped here.
It really is expensive, although I guess you learn to live with fewer clothes. I wasn't going to have another biological child, but now I'm thinking I might just to get the extra wear out of the clothes. Haha.
No stretch marks for me yet! I've been doing cocoa butter from the start. I'm hoping that works for me.
LadyHeather
British Columbia
12/9/08 10:50 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Hehe. The top of my uterus is right below my ribs. Yay for freakazoid uteri!
Yeah, that's one hell of a tad. I've pretty much decided to ignore everything anyone says about what I "should" look like.
Serafina
Texas
12/9/08 11:01 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: LadyHeather Reply Report
"I wasn't going to have another biological child, but now I'm thinking I might just to get the extra wear out of the clothes."
:) I am cracking up over here! Just remember a set of new maternity clothes is cheaper than another college tuition...
As far as stretch marks go, I think I am doomed. I got stretch marks when I got hips as a teenager...there is not enough cocoa butter in the world to smother those kind of genes...
I didn't know Old Navy has maternity clothes! Hmm...
LadyHeather
British Columbia
12/9/08 11:48 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Oh, we're having three kids. The only question is how many of them I actually give birth to.
MrsJohn83
California
12/10/08 3:11 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: LadyHeather Reply Report
Hey! From what I've heard when and how much you start showing/gaining has a lot to do with your pre-pregnancy size/weight. If you are at your ideal weight and size to begin with or if you are underweight at all you will start gaining and showing a lot more and faster.
I still haven't gained any on my pre-pregnancy weight, but it looks as though I've finally stopped LOSING weight. I'm at one or two pounds below my pre-pregnancy weight right now, but MY am I showing. Its hard to tell if you don't know how I normally look from the side, cause there's still a good deal of fat on me, but for me I look in the mirror, and I think "Wow, that's a bump!" It's starting to look more like the bump and less like fat too. (yay!)
I need to buy some more maternity clothes too, but I'm trying to wait till after Christmas in the hope that someone gives me a gift certificate for Old Navy or Motherhood Maternity. I'm doing ok on shirts, but MAN do I need some new pants!
LadyHeather
British Columbia
12/10/08 4:12 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: MrsJohn83 Reply Report
I don't know. My mum was waaaay smaller than me (well, still is) and she didn't show until 7 months. I honestly have no idea where she hid us.
MrsJohn83
California
12/10/08 11:03 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: LadyHeather Reply Report
Its no exact science, that's for sure!
LadyHeather
British Columbia
12/11/08 12:11 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: MrsJohn83 Reply Report
Teensy people are just weird in general to me. I don't even know how there is space for all their internal organs. And then they fit a baby in there? It's madness. Maybe it's like my brother and his food. My grandpa always said he had a hollow leg. Ha.
LaLainaj
New York
12/12/08 9:59 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: LadyHeather Reply Report
What was up with Nicole Kidman while she was pregnant? She hardly showed the whole time. And she is totally underweight. So strange.
Serafina
Texas
12/12/08 9:23 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: LaLainaj Reply Report
I don't know...I guess that is how real women get unrealistic images in their heads of what you "should" look like when pregnant (i.e. still a stick figure, but with a basketball size baby bulge.) ugh!
Serafina
Texas
12/12/08 9:25 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Can some of my WNY ladies help me out here?
It's early to plan a baby shower, but of course my mother (up in WNY) wants to have one. The trouble is, she wants it to be at what I think is a somewhat tacky place. I don't want to tell my mom that I think it's tacky, and she is really stubborn anyway.
So I have been wracking my brain trying to come up with a nice, local place that is not too expensive, in the Grand Island, Niagara Falls, Tonawanda, Buffalo, Lewiston area...
If anyone has any ideas, please toss them onto the table.
Serafina
Texas
12/12/08 9:28 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Okay, I will just come out and say what my mom's idea is. I feel SO bad for thinking it's tacky, and it makes me feel awful...but my mom and I grab lunch at this place a lot, and I guess she just got it into her head that it would be a good place for a baby shower.
I don't think it's tacky to eat there...just maybe for a BABY SHOWER...I don't know. It's a local Chinese buffet. Is that super awful? Am I a horrible daughter for NOT wanting my baby shower there? I really don't want to hurt my mom's feelings...
MrsJohn83
California
12/13/08 8:12 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
If you don't want it there, maybe tell your mom you think of it as a sort of special mother daughter place. You'd like to have your baby shower somewhere that could hold its own significance and not take away from the special mother daughter restaraunt.
jmf929
NY
12/14/08 4:27 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Ok, let's see, doesn't the Holiday Inn on Grand Island have a banquet room? I was only in there once awhile ago, but I remember seeing a banquet room. I'm not too sure what's in the falls. At least nothing is coming to me right now. In Lewiston, the only places I've been to are a BBQ place on Main Street (the name escapes me right now) and Tin Pan Alley (not a big place). What about that place down by the water there. It's called Water Street I believe. It used to go by another name which I also can't think of! I'm not much help! Banchetti's by Rizzo's on North French off the Blvd is supposed to be nice. There's always Salvatore's on Transit, but they're pricey and I think I'm the only person in WNY who doesn't like that place!!
I had my bridal shower at Ilio Dipalo's in Blasdell which is far for you. They did a wonderful job though!! I have no idea what it cost since my in laws paid.
I agree, a chinese buffet isn't a good place for a shower.
Classics V on the Blvd is very nice. I've been to a couple showers there and my husband's niece had her wedding there last year. Food was very good. You would have to check about price. They have different rooms so depending how many people you're having, you could get a smaller room.
I'll do some thinking and see what else I come up with.
When is your due date? I read some of your pregnancy journal, but missed your due date.
Serafina
Texas
12/14/08 8:18 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: jmf929 Reply Report
Mrs.John, yes, I've definitely started suggesting some other places to my Mom...let's hope she is not just humoring me when she acts interested! :)
jmf929, Oooh....those are some good suggestions! Thanks! I will have to start googling those... My due date is June 8th. I am figuring a good time for the shower might be late March. (I will have to fly up from Texas, so it probably can't be too late.)
I think the place in Lewiston used to be called the Riverside Inn? We looked there for our rehearsal dinner, and also ate lunch there on the same day we went...the food was only so-so...too bad, because the location is nice.
I've heard a lot about Ilio Dipalo's, too! Possibly too far though, you're right. Holiday Inn does have a few banquet rooms...also possibly the golf course club house that is right there....hmmm... (if it's still there, that is...)
Incidentally, the BBQ place in Lewiston used to be the Lewiston House...a really great pub that served up some good bloody mary's and nice pints of Guinness. I used to frequent that place in college quite a bit. (I went to NU, just up the road.) It was so sad to see it go! Boo!
Tin Pan Alley, Banchetti's, Classics V...I will look into these. (I'm also not partial to Salvatore's, mostly because I used to have to go there for an old job doing restaurant trade show presentations and stuff...ugh)
Thanks for your help so far! If you think of anything else, let me know. It's tough to remember stuff like this since I don't live there anymore...
aBride4U2remember
Ontario, Canada
12/15/08 6:35 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
You could always tell a little white lie and say that the smell and chinese food makes you ill....you are pregnant and women have complained of less LOL
jmf929
NY
12/15/08 4:27 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
The place I was thinking of used to be called Riverside Inn. You're right, it's a nice location. I haven't been there in years. We went to Lewiston a couple times this past summer to Artpark and ate at tin Pin Alley.
I think Beaver Island has a place for banquets, but they might not be open in March. Isn't there some other place on GI that does banquets called Buffalo Yacht Club?
Places in Lewiston seem to change names a lot! LOL. There's an Italian place there too on Main Street and another corner (don't remember the name of the street) and it seems like every years it's a different name! We go up to Artpark in the summer a lot and usually end up eating somewhere up that way.
Samuel's Grande Manor is nice too out Main Street in Clarence but that might be alittle far for you too.
We had our wedding reception at The Fairdale which is on the Amherst/Cheektowaga border (on Wehrle Drive pretty easy to get to off the thruway) The banquet manager there was wonderful!!!!
If I come up with any others, I'll let you know. I'm more familiar with places around Lancaster, Depew, West Seneca, Cheektowaga.
Janice
Serafina
Texas
1/5/09 2:23 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I finally got to read some of the Baby Bargains book over the holidays and have started picking out stuff for the baby registry. We are going with Amazon.com and Babies R Us, I think...I've heard all the Target horror stories, and have decided to steer clear.
I only have a few things picked out so far that are actually on the registry:
- Ergo baby carrier with infant insert (in camel)
- Rockabye Baby lullaby CDs (Led Zeppelin and The Cure)
- Bummis Cotton Cloth Diapering Kit: 8-15 lbs
- Bum Genius 3.0 AIO cloth diapers (3 yellow. 3 green)
- Bum Genius diaper sprayer
- Lansinoh double electric breast pump
- original Moby wrap in "natural"
- Cloud b Twilight Turtle constellation night light
- Graco SnugRider infant car seat stroller frame
- Swaddlebees diaper pail liner in cow print
- Swaddlebees wet bag in cow print
Other things I am pretty sure I will register for:
(please feel free to offer suggestions!)
- Boppy
- vibrating chair thingy
- thermometer, nose bulb, nail clippers
- Graco Snug Ride infant seat (for the Graco stroller frame)
- swaddlers (Swaddleme Kiddopotamus kind)
- pack n' play with bassinet feature (Graco or Chicco?)
- baby tub (Primo Eurobath)
- glider w/ottoman
- high chair
- Lansinoh bottles, nursing pads, cream
- diaper pail or cheap can w/ tight lid
- car mirror for car seat
- a few onesies, socks, caps, and burp cloths
Things I am on the fence about:
- Britax convertible car seat?
- Graco swing?
- Graco travel-lite (hook on) table chair?
- Exersaucer (stationary, not a walker)
We will probably buy the crib ourselves, since I think we want one from Ikea, mostly because they have great ratings, and are very inexpensive.
mrsw
1/5/09 3:24 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
How many diapers is the kit and the AIO set going to give you in total? B/c I've read that if you intend to use cloth exclusively, you should have a minimum of 18 in order not to have to do wash every day (and you may even need a bit more if your baby goes a lot).
Though yu may want to experiment before you go investing in a full set . . . everything I've read says that many people switch b/c they find out that something fits their LO's shape better than the other brands.
Have you seen the AIOs that are also one-size? I am thinking about getting some of those down the road. I *think* Bum Genius makes them (I've looked at SO many of these things in the last few days that the names are all blending together . . . lol). They are majorly expensive, but they are one of the few cloth diapers that many day cares will actually accept, so I may just wait until I am going back to work to get some of those.
I am registered for the ones they have at Target (I think it's Bum Genius) AND some standard Gerber DSQs and the diaper covers Target carries (can't remember the brand on those) . . . going to try them both out and see what works best before I go ordering those super expensive AIOs. The DSQs really won't be a waste at all b/c you can use them for SO many other things.
I am feeling super overwhelmed by the choices in cloth diapering systems. lol
Serafina
Texas
1/5/09 6:55 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
mrsw,
The Bummis kit contains:
* 36 unbleached cotton pre-fold diapers
* 6 Super Whisper Wraps
* 1 roll of flushable liners
* User guide
These got GREAT reviews on Amazon, and the kit seems to be a good price for a starter set. Yes, the covers (Bummis Super Whisper Wraps) are "fitted" for 8-15 lbs, but they are not too expensive (and they come in cute prints.) You can use the 36 prefolds again, obviously, since those have no size.
I read a ZILLION reviews on Amazon and actually went to a baby store to get my hands on some Bum Genius 3.0 (AIO with the pocket where additional insert(s) can go in) in person. They also seem to have very consistent good reviews, above the Happy Heiny's and Mommy's Touch brands.
So, total, I'd have 36 prefolds and 6 Bum Genius AIOs to start with. I figured after the baby is born and I know the gender that I'd buy a few more in pink or blue. (You can also get some different colors from online stores...Jillian's Diapers I think is one, in Ithaca, NY. They have many other colors and sell in bulk with a slight discount.)
Yes, it can be really overwhelming with all the choices out there!!! I researched forever, and finally decided to start with these two brands and see how I do. (BTW, Jillian's also has a "trial" set, where you get ten or so of different kinds of cloth diapers to try out, and you keep what you like, send back what you don't. I don't think I'm up for that, though. And the reviews seem to speak for themselves.)
I don't know how many prefolds you need inside one cover. And I don't know about how many "doublers" or inserts to use. This is stuff I am still tracking down.
The Bum Genius 2.0 is the same as the 3.0, except that there is no way to remove the insert, or to add more inside a specific pocket. (The insert is IN THERE, but you just can't remove it, if that makes sense. If you need to add more for nighttime, or for naps, heavy wetter, etc, you add it in the main diaper area, not in a pocket. Hope that's not confusing.)
One advantage of the 2.0 is that they are cheaper since the new model came out. The advantage of the 3.0 is that those inserts and whatever added doublers can come out in the wash, and more importantly in the dryer, which means less time to dry.)
Yes, the Bum Genius are expensive. But I read that ONE baby goes through ~2,300 diapers in the first year alone. Yikes!
What is a DSQ?
One other good thing about cloth diapers...the higher end brands like Bum Genius are usually always for sale on Craigslist and eBay. Sellers will list the condition, and I've heard of some moms getting good deals. You just have to wash them really good, obviously. But some listings I've seen have said "no stains" or "minor stains" etc.
Eowyn
Western Australia
1/5/09 7:01 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
I am feeling super overwhelmed by the choices in cloth diapering systems. lol
I'm overwhelmed as well, and I'm not even pregnant!
I hope you can find the ones that work best for you
aBride4U2remember
Ontario, Canada
1/6/09 6:27 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
re: Baby things you are on the fence about...
The excersaucer is WONDERFUL!!!! especially because it doesn't move! My neice has one that we borrowed from my good friend and both baby's love it! They are great because you can put baby in it while you are say, doing dishes, or folding laundry and they are entertained and can't go anywhere (like down the stairs eeekkkk!) You can also raise them up and down depending on how tall your baby is so it sort of grows with them.
My niece loved to bounce up and down on her's to get her legs strong. She was a baby who loved to be "jumped" on your lap, and the excersaucer was great when my arms got tired LOL
I'd say that it would be a good investment IMO.
Good luck!
Serafina
Texas
1/6/09 10:35 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: aBride4U2remember Reply Report
Thanks! I'll keep it on my list. ;)
Do they make exersaucers that also turn into activity tables for when the baby gets a bit older, or are those a separate thing?
Oh...and do you really need the vibrating little chair AND the swing, or is one better than the other?
ray
B.C.
1/6/09 10:40 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I found this online
http://www.toysrus.ca/product/index.jsp?productId=2857192&cp=2582922&parentPage=family
I think it's petty neat. I bet that thing would be just about the only thing a baby would need for a while.....and maybe one of those jumpy swings. My friend thinks that those jumpy swings are the best thing that ever happened to her.
Serafina
Texas
1/6/09 10:40 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Another question to throw out into cyberspace that I have no answer to yet...
Should we wait to get the convertible car seat or register for one now?
I've heard they "expire" in five years (something to do with the plastic parts) and that since you won't use it until 6-9 months of age, you should wait. (We're starting off with just an infant seat and the inexpensive frame stroller and waiting on the actual stroller until we get a better feel for our needs.)
Serafina
Texas
1/6/09 10:46 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: ray Reply Report
Yes, that's what I was hoping for...one that evolves into an activity table. Thanks!
mrsw
1/6/09 2:12 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Whew! I've got to reread your post again to take it all in! lol
But for now, I just wanted to jump on to answer your question . . . DSQs are "diaper service quality" cloth diapers . . . they're prefolds, but are supposedly thicker and whatnot, so are more absorbent. (For instance, Gerber makes DSQss and some other ones that I *think* are called gauze weaves . . . the DSQs get better reviews everywhere I've looked.)
Will come back to comment on other stuff in a bit . . .
ETA:
Regarding the swing and chair . . . if the swing is capable of vibrating, I'd see no need for the bouncy chair. Personally, I am registered for both only b/c I think I may need something for each baby at some point to give myself a break. lol
Winter, it honestly never occurred to me to NOT try cloth diapers. Once you have a routine, you won't know the difference. It will just be part of the daily tasks. And everything I have read says they are really no more work than 'sposies. (Those are supposed to be emptied into a toilet, too, after all, b/c human waste is not supposed to go in your garbage to the landfills.)
Message was edited by:
mrsw
Winterwed07
Georgia
1/6/09 6:01 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
Hey Serafina, welcome back. I haven't seen you on the boards in awhile.
Regarding the cloth diapers... all of you women going that route are very brave. I wish I could bring myself to do it as well. But to me I think it will be to much work. I think I will stick with a regular diapers. I do want to try and find an "organic" one or something that is better for the environment than the normally huggies.
I definitely want the exersaucer. My cousin has one for her 8 month old and the baby can just sit there for hours playing.
So when do you go back to the dr to find out the sex?
Serafina
Texas
1/7/09 1:15 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Winterwed07 Reply Report
Nicole, you could try Seventh Generation brand disposables. They are much better than standard diapers, as far as the environmental impact. At the grocery store here (HEB) we also have a brand called Natural Choice, or something like that.
We're not finding out the sex of our baby. We are hoping to hold out long enough to be surprised. When I see all the cute boy- and girl-specific stuff online I REALLY want to break down and find out!
I was reading in your journal that you've been feeling your baby move for some time now...I am jealous! I have another appt tomorrow afternoon, but I think it's just a regular check-up. I had an u/s at 16 weeks to measure my cervical length, and everything looked normal. Yay!
MrsW, sorry to overwhelm you with my long post! The website/store I was thinking of is called Jillian's Drawers. If you Google that you should easily find the site. They have a few "tutorials" (i.e. fact sheets) and stuff about CD'ing that I found informative. The site is pretty easy to navigate. Once we have the baby, I may go there and order more Bum Genius 3.0 (once I am sure I like them) since they sell them in all of the available colors.
(there are 4 new colors that are brighter than the ones online, butternut, grasshopper, twilight and blossom...the new colors are zinnia (darker pink), ribbit (bright fresh green, moonbeam (saturated, fresh blue) and clementine (a deep butter yellow)
They also have the Bum Genius 3.0 in ORGANIC, but that is too expensive for me. ($25 each)
Just another side thought...have you gotten any flack from friends or family members about your decision to try CD'ing? I've had some skeptical looks and raised eyebrows from women who think I will "learn my lesson" and then ditch the cloth efforts. I REALLY hope I can do it! If you can CD twins, then certainly I can manage ONE baby...you give me hope.
But I agree, if that's the routine, it will not seem like a big deal after a while. Diapering a baby is going to take some getting used to (for me) regardless of what I am strapping on the little one's bum.
Winterwed07
Georgia
1/7/09 4:16 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Well I hope you are able to hold out until the babies born to find out the sex.
We want to do that we with the next one that we have.
I am to much of an organized freak to hold out for this one. I must plan everything.
I will definitely go and check out those diapers you recommend and see what they have at our local grocery as well.
Normally I only feel the baby moving on one side but last night I felt it do a flip flop. It was so weird like a ripple going across my whole belly. I have a feeling this might be a big baby but I wont find out until Feb 3.
I hope you feel baby movement soon.
mrsw
1/7/09 4:59 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
OK, this is my third try at typing this. I keep losing it somehow. Argh! lol
To summarize . . .
I haven't gotten too many comments on the CDing. My parents are all for it (they did it, so they think everyone can do it and that there are no excuses for not . . . lol). My SIL with the twins says she wishes she had b/c the thought of all the garbage their 3 boys produced in terms of diapers makes her a little ill. She says if we start out doing it, it should just become normal really quickly. My closest work friends are all happy about it b/c they are environmentalists, too. Other than on here, I haven't gotten too much negative feedback. But I haven't told tons of people yet, either. We haven't even mentioned it to Dave's family. lol
I see you are thinking about the wet pail . . . I think I will go with the dry pail. I am sure I will have to do a load of diapers every day with the two of them, so I don't think I'll bother with all the presoaking stuff. Or, if I do, they will just soak in the washer, which you can also use as a wet pail of sorts. Here is a link I found on the different pail methods:
http://babyproducts.about.com/od/clothdiapers/bb/wet_dry_pail.htm
I think I will pretty much use DSQs and covers, at least at first . . . the AIOs will be more for Daddy (lol) and then when they eventually go to daycare and I return to work. I have 6 months with them before I have to return to work with the new school year in the fall, so I won't have much problem using the old-fashioned DSQs. Here is a link on different folding techniques:
http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/howto.htm
I want to get some of those Snappis so you don't have to use pins . . . but evidently, if it's done right with the cover, you don't need anything to hold them. Still, I think I'd feel better if the diaper was a tad more secure.
I am glad there is someone else on here who is as dedicated to the idea as I am so we can bounce these things off of each other!
Serafina
Texas
1/7/09 3:04 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
I never even knew there were multiple kinds of diaper pails! I registered for the Swaddlebees diaper pail liner and "wet bag" because they are mostly waterproof. (The wet bag is smaller, for outings and such.) And I figured one big "wet bag" in the diaper pail is better than burning through plastic garbage bags to line the pail.
Thanks for those links! I am learning new stuff every day. I think what I had in mind is the "combination wet/dry pail" method...
The Combination Method - Wet/Dry Pails
Some parents like to rinse cloth diapers in a toilet or utility sink before putting them in a diaper pail. This creates a combination wet/dry pail, where diapers are rinsed and soggy in the pail, but there is no standing water. As with other diaper pails, baking soda and essential oils can be used in a wet/dry pail for odor control.
I am going to use DSQs (I am assuming the Bummis brand prefolds are DSQs?) with covers in the beginning, too. Supposedly, with the Bummis Super Whisper Wraps (covers) you don't need Snappis or pins. At least, I am going to try them without Snappis and see how it goes.
One thing I am a little unsure about is the folding of the prefold inside the diaper. The Green Mountain site seems to have some good info on this, so I've bookmarked that site. Thanks. :)
Yes, I'm glad we found each other, too! My SIL is super skeptical of CDing (she is pregnant with her 4th baby...and they aren't environmental at all really.)
Serafina
Texas
1/8/09 10:03 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Here are the 16 week sonogram photos (from 23 DEC 2008) I guess I am a little behind.
This is the best profile shot:
A straight-on shot. We call this one "The Alien Baby" :)
(This one was shot trans-V, the other two are abdominal. Our little one had hiccups and we could see the little chest bobbing up and down.)
A cute shot of the feet.
Serafina
Texas
1/8/09 10:14 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Arrrrghhhh!!!!!!! I have resized these photos a zillion times, and I CANNOT figure out why they are posting so huge. Grr...
ray
B.C.
1/8/09 10:58 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
How exciting. That first pic is a good one. You can really see that it is a little baby
LaLainaj
New York
1/8/09 11:55 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Aw, how wonderful and exciting!
carly.d
Marquette, MI
1/8/09 6:57 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
i'm soooo glad you and carrie are having the CD conversation on here...i'm bookmarking the links and making mental notes of everything! soaking it all up for when it's my turn...
the u/s pix are great! love the pix of the feet. it's just so adorable to see your LO's feet before you can see them in person!
Serafina
Texas
1/8/09 7:48 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: carly.d Reply Report
Thanks, Carly. The cool thing is that CDs have come a LONG way over the years. There are so many really different options to try until you find what's best for your baby. Since this is my first kid, I am hoping that I don't search for very long! I know if we can master CDing that it will feel very good not having all that plastic/chemical trash.
I love those feet pictures, too! There are also some cute ones (that I didn't post) of the baby's bent elbows and little fists curled up by the face. This last u/s definitely made it much more real for me.
I am happy and sad at the same time. Tonight I was thinking of the next time I try to find a job I'll have so much baggage-- a husband, his job, a kid, etc... I guess that sounds bad, but I'm 30 and have been used to being pretty much self sufficient and independent for a long time.
Serafina
Texas
1/8/09 7:54 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
On a more positive note, tomorrow I go into "work" for the first time in a long time! I am starting a new job as a part-time college teacher (adjunct faculty.) It's basically a foot-in-door kind of position, but it hopefully will lead somewhere down the road. I've been depressed ever since getting my MFA (and subsequently getting the $50K student loan bill) and not really knowing what the heck kind of "real" job I can get.
I think I have a lot of work to do before this baby arrives. I really need to focus on streamlining my life, cutting out the unnecessary stuff and keeping only what I need. I am a huge procrastinator, and I am afraid I am waiting for something that will never come. I realize that I need to get off my butt and make things happen, but the problem is that it's tough to start.
That all sounds really vague, I know. I just needed to type it out to see it in print for myself. I need to get my own act together before this baby comes so I can be at my best to take care of my little child and to be a good mom and role model.
Life can get so cluttered.
Eowyn
Western Australia
1/8/09 10:55 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Oh no, I understand exactly what you mean. I'm the same way... hopeless procrastinator, and have only just started to realise that things aren't going to just fall into my lap any more. I've realised that I need to get out and make things happen... I had a friend make a joking comment about how a bunch of us would all work together and I would be the admin, and it freaked me out a little bit. Was that really all that people saw me as? an admin assistant? Because I know I don't want to stay in admin/reception my entire life, I'd go nuts.
It got me thinking about what I do want to do, and I think has ensured that I will get up and do something about it, once my husband has sorted himself out. I've already finished two degrees, he's still trying to get one finished. I figure he should get himself sorted before me.
carly.d
Marquette, MI
1/9/09 4:27 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
i know what you mean too, in a way. i got up this morning and my first thought was "thank GOD i get to sleep in tomorrow"...ever since i started working i've sort of been living my life weekend-to-weekend, and yet somehow i never manage to get things done anyway. mundane things, like the dishes, cleaning, and laundry. i guess streamlining my life is the wrong word for what i need to do though...more like just plain growing up and getting a routine going so stuff gets done and i don't feel so hopelessly exhausted and overwhelmed.
on the positive side, colleges LOVE adjuncts if you do your job well! i know you're probably hoping for something more permanent down the line because of this job, and that just might happen if the students really like you and you get good figures and reviews. best foot forward, eh?
Eowyn
Western Australia
1/9/09 11:41 PM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: carly.d Reply Report
Carly, I'm like that too! I live weekend to weekend, since I got my job and the dishes still don't get done! My excuse at the moment is that it's too hot... which in all honesty, it really is. I have grand plans to get up at 6am tomorrow and do the dishes while it's still cool, so I'm not sweltering over a sink full of hot water in the middle of the day. Depending on when I finish, I may even go to church.
The laundry I'm not so bad on... if that doesn't get done, I run out of clothes!
ray
B.C.
1/10/09 7:08 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Eowyn Reply Report
My DH does the dishes every day, so I am thankful for that. We are both pretty on top of our house work usually. Sometime the bathroo looks kind of bad, and when it does i get DH to do it. LOL, dirty bathrooms just seems like a boy job to me. I can be bad with the clean clothes though. What i have done though to keep things looking good on the outside is I have a hamper for the clean clothes and one for the dirty clothes. I have those nice whicker ones as well, so you can not really tell when I have been a slacker with the laundry. It's a great little trick.
LadyHeather
British Columbia
1/10/09 10:27 AM
Re: serafina's got a bun in the oven
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I am the WORST procrastinator, horribly disorganized and terrible at getting household stuff down. I am scared for our baby. Haha. I'm going on mat leave as soon as I'm allowed just to have time to set up a routine.
Serafina
Texas
1/13/09 1:51 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
DH and I started our baby registries. We chose Babies R Us and Amazon. The Amazon registry is really the big one. I hope it doesn't confuse people. (My mom has never even heard of Amazon...)
The other thing which is our latest development is that I am considering leaving my OB/GYN's care and switching to a home birth with a midwife!
DH and I want to go meet her this week and see how we feel after that visit.
carly.d
Marquette, MI
1/13/09 3:31 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
wow! definitely let us know how it goes! i'm curious to find out if there are any certified midwives in my area, although i highly doubt it. it seems everyone goes to MGH, and 50% generally wind up with a caesarian for no real reason. i highly suspect it's because the doctors can't be bothered to wait around for a birth for more than a few hours, and the local populus in general is too dumb to say no. if the doctor says so, i must need it, right? ugh.
Serafina
Texas
1/13/09 5:37 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: carly.d Reply Report
I will report back, for sure! I've been doing a lot of reading on home births and I'm excited to make a final decision.
There is a good community forum on Mothering magazine's website specifically for home birth, if anyone is interested.
(AND cloth diapering, delayed vaccination, and what I'd call non-mainstream topics, etc.)
Serafina
Texas
1/13/09 5:45 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: carly.d Reply Report
p.s. I'm sure you could find a midwife in your area, unless your state is one that outlaws it. (**sometimes America kills me**)
Two sites to try are MANA (Midwives Alliance of North America) and ACNM (American College of Nurse Midwives) I just googled "Texas midwife" and went from there. (Mine is a CPM, not a CNM, and I am fine with that.)
A waterbirth should be no problem for most midwives. They could possibly require you to rent your own birthing pool, but this is something a lot of women do. Check out the Mothering forum, if only to lurk and read some of the info. There are a lot of good "stickies" that have good links, etc.
aBride4U2remember
Ontario, Canada
1/14/09 7:02 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Wow, Serafina that's exciting that you are thinking of a homebirth. I personally LOVE the idea of being at home in familiar surroundings and being able to rest in your own bed. Just feel so right to me.
My doctor is totally against it. And when Yves and I told him that were were TTC and planned on using a midwife once we were PG he told me "as long as you promise not to have a home birth"....
I think the idea of birthing at home is fine as long as you've had a normal pregnancy and you are fairly close to a hospital "just in case"
Good luck with your final choices. I'm excited to hear what you choose!
Winterwed07
Georgia
1/14/09 7:44 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: aBride4U2remember Reply Report
I love that you are doing the home birth. We are planning on doing it for our next child.
I was a little to scared to do it for this one. So I want to see how it goes.
But I would really like a water birth for the next one.
Serafina
Texas
1/19/09 9:28 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: aBride4U2remember Reply Report
abride4U2remember,
Is your family doctor totally against it, or your OB/GYN? I can see why an OB/GYN would be against it, since it means less business for them...what reason did they give you?
Our family doctor said he has no problems with it, as long as I am still considered low risk and all the tests, etc, are normal.
If it feels right to you and you have a gut feeling, I would give it some thought, versus ruling it out just because your doctor is against it. (Unless he is against it for specific medical reasons in your case, etc...)
Serafina
Texas
1/19/09 9:32 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Winterwed07 Reply Report
Nicole, we are not 100% certain on the HB yet, just very seriously considering it. We are meeting the MW today. I hope I get good vibes from her!
I had the same opinion at first, about having this one in the hospital and the next one at home/in the tub. But later, I started thinking I didn't want to use my first baby as a "dry run". I will only have this particular birth this one time, and so I want to have the right birth, and not regret my choices. Of course, if the need later arises to transfer to a hospital, I know it's for the best and medically necessary.
It all depends on each woman individually and what you feel comfortable with. I have read enough birth stories to know that if the woman is not 100% okay with her surroundings that the labor can be stalled, go slow, or regress. If I end up choosing hospital over midwife I will feel okay with my decision, too.
aBride4U2remember
Ontario, Canada
1/20/09 7:12 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Serafina,
it's my Family Doctor who is against homebirth...he didn't give me any reasons, just sort of said it as he walked out the door.....
I think they worry about complications. He's an older doctor (like mid 70's) so maybe that has something to do with his opinion.
I plan to review all my options. Yves is not too hot about HB, I think he worrys that something will go wrong...but when we talked about it, he sort of said "well, lets just get someone else's sheets all dirty K" LOL men.
Serafina
Texas
1/28/09 12:08 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
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Here is a pic from our 20 week sono! The baby was wiggling SO much, so most of my pics are blurry...
Today I am 21w2d.
Winterwed07
Georgia
1/28/09 12:38 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Oh that is awesome. I can't wait to post mine next week.
aBride4U2remember
Ontario, Canada
1/29/09 12:36 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Winterwed07 Reply Report
Whoo hoo, what a great pictures! I'm so happy for you
ray
B.C.
1/29/09 12:51 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: aBride4U2remember Reply Report
It kind of looks like the baby is saying something in a bubble caption. "Hello Mommy"
aBride4U2remember
Ontario, Canada
1/30/09 6:49 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: ray Reply Report
I find all "face on" ultrasound pics look like cute little alian babies (no offence!)
Ugh, so cute!!!!
LadyHeather
British Columbia
1/30/09 12:19 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: aBride4U2remember Reply Report
I do too. I fully accept that my little girl looks like alien spawn at the moment. She's the most beautiful alien spawn in the world though. Hehehe.
Serafina
Texas
1/30/09 8:18 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: aBride4U2remember Reply Report
No offense taken. It must be the big, dark eyes. :)
Well, today I officially called the midwife and told her I wanted to hire her to deliver my baby! (At home!) The next step is to call my OB/GYNs office and have them transfer the records...and to tell them I am discontinuing my care...I hope they are not mean about it...
Also, DH and I are trying to plan a babymoon to San Francisco. He's been on the phone all night trying to get us frequent flyer tickets. So this may all fall through, since we are trying to save a little cash AND fly first class. *fingers crossed*
threesia.w
Kentucky
1/31/09 9:46 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Aww, look at the baby! How cute. Thanks for sharing.
MrsJohn83
California
2/1/09 10:01 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Serafina~
I LOVE SAN FRANCISCO!!! Have you guys been before? Or is this a first time? If you need suggestions on anything to do there, let me know. I adore the city and live only 3 hours away, so I go there as often as possible.
Serafina
Texas
2/1/09 8:11 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: MrsJohn83 Reply Report
MrsJ,
It's my first time there. DH has been a bunch, but that was years ago. I'm PSYCHED that we got frequent flyer tickets (first-class for this Pregnant Momma!) and Hotwire'd a great deal on a hotel. (The new Intercontinental?) So that should save us a lot of $$$ for dining out and doing fun stuff.
We haven't started looking at things to do yet...so any suggestions are welcome! I am researching a good guidebook (hopefully one that is small enough to carry with us) so if you know a good one, let me know! Thanks!!
MrsJohn83
California
2/1/09 9:06 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Ok, well obviously you have to check out the famous Pier 39. It really is neat, there are tons of cute shops to look around in, and the street entertainment is usually pretty cool. It's always neat to go look at the sea lions too. If its not foggy you can go look out across the the bay at the Golden Gate.
I don't know how much you want to be on your feet, but if you're up for a day of a lot of walking around, the Exploratorium is AMAZING! It's a great place to feel like a kid again!
The Alcatraz tour is fairly awesome too, and there are several companies you can do that through.
If you or DH is into baseball at all, I am pretty sure that AT&T park does tours even in the off season.
You have to go check outLombard st, even if you don't actually drive it. It's really a neat photo op.
There are several Bay Cruises that I've heard are awesome, though I've never done one.
Chinatown is really neat too. Great food if you like Chinese, and little shops and stuff too. But it really is like stepping into China. Not any English speakers.
Now, in terms of food.
If you like seafood, then you HAVE to go to the Boudin restaraunt. It's above the World Famous Boudin Bakery, by Pier 39. Their food is amazing, and it overlooks the bay. Even though its above a bakery, its a rather fancy restaraunt, and very romantic.
Also at Pier 39, though more casual is a Bubba Gump Shrimp, and also there is the Wipeout Bar and Grill, which was also delicious.
There's also a Hard Rock CAfe at Pier 39.
I'll keep thinking and get back to you with more info!
ray
B.C.
2/2/09 4:13 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: MrsJohn83 Reply Report
They have a huge museum of modern art if you are into that.
Serafina
Texas
2/4/09 1:22 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Well, I am in the process of telling my OB that I want to switch to a CPM (certified professional midwife) and have a homebirth (HB). The nurse gave me a slight hard time about it, saying she needed to talk to the doctor before she could fax my records over. (She said, "this doesn't happen a whole bunch, so I need to talk to Dr. X about it.") I still would like to keep this doc as my GYN later, so I hope things work out.
So I am having last minute fears about leaving the OB. I believe what I have read about HB being safe, but this research is relatively recent for me. I grew up thinking hospital birth was all there was. I second-guess myself a lot.
A friend who recently had twins recently told me that I shouldn't "have to prove anything" and that if I "try" a HB, to not be upset if I feel I need the epidural and go to the hospital to get one.
I'm not so worried about complications as I once was, but they are still in the back of my mind (for HB: hemorrhaging, prolapsed cord, tight cord, meconium in the fluid, can I really handle the pain...for hospital birth: episiotomy, laboring laying down, no food/water, being rushed, feeling uncomfortable in the environment, cord clamping, less baby/momma bonding...)
I don't know exactly what I am hoping to hear. It's that leap from OB to midwife. I don't know anyone IRL that has done it. It's a little scary!
We found out we were PG in early October (due June '09). I immediately did what I always do for big events--- I bought books. I went to Amazon and researched a zillion books, ending up with:
Your Pregnancy Week by Week (this one is supported by ACOG and blatantly says HB is dangerous, doesn't recognize CPMs, etc)
Mayo Clinic's Guide to Childbirth (discusses CPMs and HB as an option)
Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Natural Childbirth
After reading Ina May's guide, I bought Spiritual Midwifery. And then Pushed, by Jennifer Block, which I am slogging through now (it's a bit statistic heavy with much less narrative, which is harder to read compared to Ina May.)
I got these books thinking of trying the natural methods in a hospital setting (all I knew), and then gradually (is 2-3 months gradual?) started thinking about how great the MWs sounded and if a MW was right for me.
I think I lean toward both choices for different reasons. My hospital choice would be (probably) out of fear of "something going wrong", which I KNOW is not the right way to think. But it's that "safety net" and pain relief factor that has been drummed into me as I was raised. My HB choice would be because I want to do things on my schedule and my baby's schedule. Hospitals bring me a certain level of anxiety, having gone through the VA healthcare system for years. (Like once they snap that hospital bracelet on and you put on that backless gown, you give up some of your power somehow...)
If I have a HB, it will be because I think I can find some power inside me that will help me push my baby out. That I can breathe and relax and let nature do what it's meant to do. I don't like the idea of machines or drugs or loud nurses forcing that. I tend to be a "pleaser" and think maybe if a nurse if hanging over me with a clipboard, I would try to "do it right" and "go as planned" according to their agenda versus letting my body set that agenda.
DH and I have always done things differently from the status quo, like how we met, dated, got married, chose careers, moved around, etc....all of these choices were seen as strange to our families on some level. But that's just who we are. And that's why I think HB is my way. But I second-guessed all those other life-choices, too. It's just the choosing that's scary. After a successful HB, I will wonder what all my fear was about... But having fear is not fun...especially when I know a little life is depending on me...
Serafina
Texas
2/4/09 1:22 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
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Well, the nurse just called back. She said "Dr. X said that using a midwife is dangerous, and she (the doc) will not be able to care for you at all in case something happens because of liability."
She said she would transfer my records, but only if I signed a release.
I feel so strange after that phone call...
ray
B.C.
2/4/09 1:25 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
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That is disappointing. My DH doesn't feel comfortable with me choosing a midwife. He said that if I want to give birth in a hospital I should have a doctor. My granny is hell bent on me seeing a doctor instead of a midwife as well. She said that a doctor probably has more resorces.
It is too bad, because a midwife just seems more personal somehow. They seem like they probably care more, and like they will go the extra mile (such as going to your home with you and being by your side the whole time.
LadyHeather
British Columbia
2/4/09 5:04 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: ray Reply Report
Do not listen to your family ray. They don't know what they are talking about. Midwives in BC have TONS of clout. My midwife knows everyone at the hospital. She knows all the OBs in town. They can order all the tests you need, they can order certain things like Rhogam that you might need. I've never had a doctor come to give me a shot at my house. My midwife did it no problem. I've never had a doctor offer to set up special things for me just so I wouldn't feel as stressed out. My midwife booked me in for ultrasounds with an OB just for that reason.
The thing about going with an OB here is that you don't see them until halfway through your pregnancy. Until then you are stuck with a family doctor. Sometimes they know what they are doing, sometimes they don't. Since they don't specialize in birthing, I should think they would be less likely to have to connections a midwife has.
I know I am biased but I hate to see people make decisions based on bad facts. We probably live in one of the best parts of the world for midwives. Everything is covered by the government, we have full access to hospitals - you can't go wrong! If I had stuck with a doctor, I'd be screwed right now. I wouldn't be getting the care I need. My midwife got me that care and got me in with the best OB in town when she discovered my complication. She's done far more than any doctor ever has for me, and she doesn't seem to have any restrictions at all. I wish I could share my story with your husband and grandmother.
Don't get discouraged serafina! Some doctors are really biased about homebirths and pretty much none of them recommend it. I know it's not for me, but many of my friends have had homebirths and wouldn't trade them for the world.
ray
B.C.
2/4/09 5:37 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: LadyHeather Reply Report
My family Doctor also only works two days a week. Maybe i will go through all of the information with my DH. We can go over all of the facts and then revisit the idea.
Serafina
Texas
2/4/09 7:31 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: LadyHeather Reply Report
/> Don't get discouraged serafina! Some doctors are
/> really biased about homebirths and pretty much none
/> of them recommend it. I know it's not for me, but
/> many of my friends have had homebirths and wouldn't
/> trade them for the world.
I won't! We are still going ahead with the midwife and the homebirth. I might have selected a birthing center vs. home, but there are none in our area. I think I will be more comfortable at home anyway, in my own environment.
I just hate the fact that my OB's office is basically using a fear-tactic against me. That doesn't show very much patient care. It actually makes me glad I am not going there anymore...
Eowyn
Western Australia
2/4/09 7:37 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: ray Reply Report
Serafina, you know what the doctor is really worried about is losing all the money you fork out for fees. I cannot imagine that having a midwife is any less or more dangerous than having an actual doctor.
It sounds like you've really thought it all through, and the advice your friend gave you was excellent. You don't have to prove anything, and you sound completely comfortable with going to hospital if you feel you need to. Otherwise, I agree with you, stick to your plans, and let your body set the schedule. After all, having a doctor with you to give birth is really a relatively new thing. For centuries, it was the local village woman who was better at it than everyone else who helped - and hey, the human race is still here, so it can't have been that bad!
Serafina
Texas
2/6/09 9:55 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Eowyn Reply Report
Thanks, Eowyn. That is what I try to tell myself when I get a little worried. :)
Today is my "intake" appt with my midwife and her assistant. I am excited! I wonder what they will do, and how it will be different from my OB experience.
And I THINK I've been feeling the baby move. It's these little pulses...maybe I am never resting or focused enough to feel them. But that's the best way I can describe them, as "pulses" or little blips. I wonder if that's the baby...or my pulse...or my digestive system, lol...
Mrs. Taylor
2/6/09 2:16 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
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That's generally how movement starts. Mine was like a little ripple effect I could feel inside. Then little "bumps" every now and then. I'm betting that it's the baby.
Eowyn
Western Australia
2/7/09 1:58 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Mrs. Taylor Reply Report
Oooh, baby movement exciting
ray
B.C.
2/7/09 5:30 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Eowyn Reply Report
Oh, this is exciting!
mrsw
2/7/09 6:57 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Yep . . . sounds like baby movement to me!
Your doc is probably most concerned with the potential for lawsuit. Seriously, everyone is so sue-happy in this country that everyone has to protect themselves to the nth degree. That's why they are saying that they can't maintain yuou as a patient if you go against their advice. He is just covering himself.
In rural little Wyoming County, there are two OBs and one midwife. ALL of them have full access to the hospital and actually take turns being on call. When the docs aren't on-call, the midwife is. A LOT of people use her . . . her walls are COVERED with baby pics of all the little ones she has delivered (our childbirth classes are held in her office, so I've seen it). I think she's been doing it for like 30 years or something. The nurse who does the childbirth classes actually works for the midwife and always has. She works for the midwife and at the hospital a few days a week on the maternity floor. She's kind of the "head nurse" of the floor.
Some doctors are VERY reluctant to acknowledge alternative medicine . . . yours may be, or else he is just doing a CYA job.
I just wanted you to know that there ARE areas that do respect midwives, so you should not feel uncomfortable going to one. In fact, comfort with your care provider at this time in your life is of utmost importance, IMO. If you are comfortable with the midwife, then use her.
ray
B.C.
2/7/09 7:03 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: mrsw Reply Report
My DH and I decided to go with the midwife after all. If anything goes wrong they should have doctors that they work with that can take over. That is what i have read on their web site. But it might be different in the States.
carly.d
Marquette, MI
2/7/09 7:13 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
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the only midwives available here are CNMs through my family care doctor's office. they are associated with an OB/GYN practice in the same complex, so if you develop complications they just send you there for additional checkups, and there's always an OB and CNM either on duty or on call at the hospital.
i'm not sure what to think of my doctor's office though. i do have "my" doctor, but there are close to 30 doctors at this practice. it's like the walmart of doctors offices. plus, most of them are in their residency...it's sort of the purpose of it. but the only midwives available through the hospital (so that my insurance will cover it...i just can't afford to pay for this OOP) are through this practice, and they do general care too, so it just seems to make more sense to do all of it there.
(rob had a first-year resident when he went in a couple of weeks ago for chronic heartburn and abdominal pain. the guy totally didn't listen to him...told him he was constipated and gave him a VERY EXPENSIVE prescription for heartburn (even though rob told him it was his NORMAL schedule to only poo every 2-3 days). luckily, the pharmacist managed to identify that there was an identical medicine OTC for way cheaper, he just had to double the dose. he's still getting heartburn and occassional gut pain and is now having alternating diarrhea and constipation. he saw a different doctor this week (he requested a different one). this one was a THIRD-year resident and listened to him a little more. we'll have to see how the results of his tests that guy had done turn out this week.)
ray
B.C.
2/7/09 7:19 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: carly.d Reply Report
That is exactly why we decided to go to a midwife. I figure that they are there because they really care. They also provide all sorts of extra services that a regular doctor doesn't.
Something that I didn't realize until LadyHeather mentioned it to me. They fill up very fast. i made an appointment a yesterday and I almost didn't get in (even though I was only 4 weeks and 5 days along yesterday). Pretty crazy stuff.
Serafina
Texas
2/7/09 8:44 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: carly.d Reply Report
carly,
My insurance covers the CPM. That's a bummer that your only choice is a CNM. Not that they are bad...but it's nice to have options.
Of course, our deductible is so high ($3000) that we pretty much will pay almost her whole fee and still will not have satisfied our deductible. But this would have happened with a hospital birth, too.
Winterwed07
Georgia
2/9/09 4:26 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Wow. I cannot believe how high your deductible is.
I am officially counting myself extremely lucky.
We are not paying anything to have the baby. No deductibles or hospital bills because dh insurance covers it 100%.
Serafina
Texas
2/9/09 11:01 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Winterwed07 Reply Report
That's awesome! POssibly you pay a higher amount each month? We pay a super low rate out of the paycheck, but our deductible is high. That's just the plan we chose, for some reason.
Serafina
Texas
2/10/09 1:23 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
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I have been officially fired by my OB. (Good thing I decided to go with the midwife!)
The letter I got today says "I regret to inform you that we will no longer be able to see you as a patient here at OB/GYN & Associates. I will only see you on an emergency basis for the next 30 days while you find another physician. ....When you have chosen another physician, your records will be sent to him/her after we receive a release authorizing us to do so. Please seek a new physician immediately to resume your prenatal care."
What really burns me is that I ALREADY SENT THEM the signed release for my records (to be sent to the midwife, who hasn't gotten them yet.) And also that they keep saying I need a new physician and that they will send my records to my physician...grr...
Now (hopefully) in their defense, I got a slip from the post office that there is an Express Mail envelope waiting for me at the post office. Those had BETTER be my records! Of course, it will burn me, also, if they sent me the records because they refused to fax them to a midwife.
LadyHeather
British Columbia
2/10/09 1:31 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
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Wow, that's really messed up. The OBs in this town work really well with my midwife. She is firmly entrenched within the medical community and that's the way it should be. It's so sad that people still have such biases.
Serafina
Texas
2/10/09 1:58 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: LadyHeather Reply Report
Ugh, you are so lucky. I think the problem is the ACOG (American College of OB/GYNs) It's part of their mission to basically discredit midwives and home birthing. In the book Pushed by Jennifer Block, I read that the ACOG once passed out bumper stickers that said "Home Deliveries are For Pizza" at some conference...ugh...
(My (former) OB is an "M.D., FACOG", which is to say that she's a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)
Eowyn
Western Australia
2/10/09 5:15 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
"Home Deliveries are For Pizza" and some conference...ugh...
I shouldn't laugh, because that's really disgusting the way they're trying to discredit midwives like that... but I can't help it, it was kinda funny.
It's really quite rude of them though... especially if they send you your records instead of just sending them straight to your midwife.
Serafina
Texas
2/10/09 6:37 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Eowyn Reply Report
Yes, it's funny. But not funny at the same time. I hear ya.
Eowyn
Western Australia
2/10/09 11:52 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Especially when you consider that we never get our pizza home delivered... we always go and pick it up, it's cheaper that way...
I wonder what that would mean to their slogan...?
Denise57
NY
2/11/09 4:10 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Eowyn Reply Report
Serafina: If you are going with HB what is your method of pain management going to be? Has your MW recommended anything yet?
Serafina
Texas
2/11/09 10:34 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Denise57 Reply Report
Denise,
I plan on laboring in the tub if it's comfortable. (We have a big garden tub.) And walking around, moving as much as possible. I also do yoga, so I plan to do a lot of deep breathing and relaxation techniques. (I ordered Birthing From Within and the Bradley book (Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way, I think)...I've heard these are great resources for natural/physiological birth.)
Any other suggestions??
Serafina
Texas
2/11/09 10:42 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Eowyn Reply Report
yeah, the ACOG has put out some pretty amazing statements. They are not only doctors, they are also political lobbyists in Washington. I'm surprised that women in the U.S. are having this kind of information given to them. The rest of the world (and the World Health Organization) sees midwives as a perfectly normal (if not safer) model of maternity care for low-risk pregnancies.
It seems our system cares more about liability and dollars than about women's civil rights. It makes me sad that the U.S. does this to our women.
Serafina
Texas
2/11/09 9:37 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
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Grrr...I am mad again today. I picked up that Express Mail envelope from the post office and it was NOT my OB/GYN records. It was ANOTHER copy of that stupid letter from my former OB, along with ANOTHER copy of the release form for my records. I called the office and reminded them that I faxed them the form a week ago. After being on hold for 10 minutes, they "reconfirmed" who I wanted the records sent to and told me that they would take care of it. DH is now pissed off, and says if our midwife doesn't have that fax by next week Monday or Tuesday that he is going to go there in person. This is just freaking ridiculous.
Eowyn
Western Australia
2/11/09 10:20 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
How ridiculous! If they weren't going to send your records then why bother offering? Especially if they've said they won't provide care for you any more, are they even allowed to keep them?
I'm not surprised you're ticked off... I would be too.
Serafina
Texas
2/11/09 10:33 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Eowyn Reply Report
I guess they can keep them. If I want a copy of the entire set, I have to pay $25. (If they are faxed it's free.) They haven't given me an option to take my original records away.
I really hope it's just a clerical error, rather than something malicious like making me wait because they are ticked that I switched to a midwife. I just didn't expect to encounter such an attitude! If I said I was switching to another doctor, there probably would've been no issue at all. Unless they are just mad either way to be losing a paying customer...
Denise57
NY
2/12/09 7:31 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Ohh I heard the Bradley method is very successful, you'll have to let us know how it works.
I used hypnobirthing but I don't recommend this over any others b/c most of the techniques are similar. Its really a mental thing vs a physical. You'll also find what works best for you once you are in labor (for example I thought I would be walking a lot but had problems staying in my zone so I didn't end up walking whereas other friends of mine said they did best when walking).
I guess my only advice would be to just be sure to practice b/c being able to get into that zone is critical once the pain starts. The more relaxed you can be through the contractions the faster your labor should progress. The other thing I thought the ENTIRE labor was "OK that contractions is done, thats the last time I'll have to feel THAT one", it sort of gave me a feeling of progression and success.
Serafina
Texas
2/12/09 12:38 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Denise57 Reply Report
Denise,
thanks for being so helpful. Did you go drug-free with David's birth? I always love hearing birth stories from women who found their own way to labor. It is very encouraging.... :)
I looked at the hypnobirthing book...but I already wanted the other two, and so I figured I'd start with those and see what I learned. We haven't signed up for any classes yet. Did you?
Something I am trying to wrap my brain around is that I should have an idea of how I want my birth experience to be, and yet I have to be able to let go of that ideal if it turns out my body or the baby has other plans...
ray
B.C.
2/12/09 12:59 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
You know, before I got pregnant I was all about the hard core drugs. But, now that I am pregnant the thought of trying to have a more natural birth seems somewhat appealing. However, I am not saying that I will for sure not take the drugs. I guess I will just have to take it as it comes.
I have recently found out that quite a few people I know had a natural childbirth, and they say that it wasn't really that bad. I think different people feel their contractions differently though. Just like pregnancy everyone's labor is different.
Anyway, I am now wanting to try and do it naturally. I might pick up one of those books.
Serafina
Texas
2/12/09 1:17 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: ray Reply Report
/> You know, before I got pregnant I was all about the hard core drugs.
Okay, this sentence just made me crack up.
Yeah, I always figured I'd get an epidural, etc, because why not? ...and then I started reading about the possible effects of the drugs and other interventions, plus the "cascade effect" that can happen when one intervention essentially leads to or causes the need for another. And then I read more about women who've had natural births and their babies were more alert, able to breastfeed easier, etc...and that sounded nice. Especially since a lot of women report feeling very empowered after a natural birth, like they really believe in their body's abilities (and in their own hearts/mind's ability to get them through labor.)
That said, there are a lot of women who do get epidurals and who do have standard hospital births and they are just fine, and their babies are perfectly healthy. I don't think there is anything wrong with that choice. It just depends on the woman, and I think each mama-to-be should just make the best and most informed choice that is right for her.
So Ray, I'm sure whatever you end up doing will be the best! As long as you are comfortable with things, you will be able to labor and progress, and you will have a healthy little one when it's all over!
It's definitely worth getting a few of the books to decide for yourself, though. There are a lot of messages out there, but thankfully we get ~9 months to decipher all this stuff...
ray
B.C.
2/12/09 1:24 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Thank you Serafina :)
I am not sure how many books you have started reading. If you were to recomend one book though which one would it be??
Winterwed07
Georgia
2/12/09 1:24 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
OMG... I can't believe what jack*** you have for dr's.
I am very glad for you and your baby's sake that you went with midwife. I mean seriously people have babies with midwives all the time.
My dr's office has three midwives on staff and they are normally the ones that deliver the baby at the hospital anyway.
I hope they send your records soon so your dh doesnt go over there. Although it would be funny to see what happens if he did.
Serafina
Texas
2/12/09 2:17 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: ray Reply Report
Ray,
Well, if I were you (and I WAS you, about 19 weeks ago!) I'd get on Amazon and read about some of these books, plus others that are out there. Read the reviews and see what sounds appealing to you. Here are some of my thoughts that might help you get started. I always like to see what other books are suggested when I look one up, and that sometimes points me in a good direction.
I've read these books:
Ina May's Guide to Natural Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin
Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin
Baby Catcher, Chronicles of a Modern Midwife by Peggy Vincent
Pushed by Jennifer Block
Belly Laughs by Jenny McCarthy
Mayo Clinic's Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy
Your Pregnancy Week by Week
Ina May's books are awesome. They are filled with natural birth stories from real women who Ina May delivered (or the midwives she works with) as well as other info about the birth process in general. A mild warning on these books-- they are filled with some really "hippie" kind of language (a lot of the birth stories are older, since Ina May's been around a long time!) I could easily get past this, but it annoys some women. If you were to only get one of Ina May's books, get the Guide to Natural Childbirth, since it is the more recent one. I started with this one and then got Spiritual Midwifery afterward. The birth stories are encouraging and make me feel empowered, like I can do it, too. Of course, there are birth stories in there that were less than ideal, where things went wrong, when women did have to transfer to an OB/hospital, etc. It was nice to hear the honest stories about what can "go wrong" and how midwives handle these situations.
The Peggy Vincent book is a memoir. It was a good read, and gave me a picture of a homebirth midwife. (although it is a "story", and so it not really a reference book. Just take it with a grain of salt, I guess.) It also takes place in California in basically the late 1960's to the present day, I believe. This was more of a "fun" read for me, rather than informative.
Pushed was really shocking! It's more like a loooong article or research paper (lots of footnotes, etc) with statistics and fact-based "arguments" against unnecessary C-sections, episiotomies, etc. It puts the midwifery model of care up against the medical model and compares them. Again, there is a thorough historical overview in this book, so you have to understand that the author is showing the progression of the medical system, etc (i.e. not all doctors are like this today, etc.) I skipped a few pages here and there that were statistic heavy and just went for the more narrative sections.
Belly Laughs was obviously just for fun. She talks about pooping on the table during delivery...getting a fat "pregnant head", etc. It made me laugh a little.
The Mayo Clinic book is the best "reference" book that I've found so far. It has a TON of info, but is well organized and is easy to read. If you don't have a basic pregnancy book where you can look up weird symptoms in the index, I'd get this one. (Yes, I'd get this one over What to Expect When You're Expecting...but that's just my opinion based on reading reviews...)
Your Pregnancy Week by Week is not one I would recommend if you are thinking about anything other than a hospital birth where your doctor calls the shots. The first half is a great resource for the "week by week" stuff (i.e. your baby is growing her fingernails by now, or you may be discovering you need maternity clothes now, etc) HOWEVER, I got to a point where I was reading things like (paraphrasing) "episiotomies are a procedure that...blahblahblah...you should ask your doctor whether you will have a say in whether one is done or not." What?!? Of COURSE I should have a say...it's MY BODY! In almost every other medical situation besides pregnancy, women are NOT bullied like this. Also, this book does not acknowledge CPMs as a valid provider (only CNMs). This book is pretty much written according to ACOG beliefs (American College of OB/GYNs). They make statements like "homebirth is hazardous". This is the same group that lobbied in Washington with the "Home Deliveries are for Pizza" bumper stickers. So basically, if you are considering the advantages of a midwife, this book will NOT inform you of them at all.
In my stack to "To Be Read" books are:
Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way, by Susan McCutcheon
Birthing From Within by Pam England
These just arrived today, so I don't have any opinions yet-- although I have heard they are AWESOME and really can help with actual techniques to use to manage a natural
labor.
I also have Your Baby and Child by Penelope Leach. This is more of a "your baby's first few years" kind of book that came HIGHLY recommended to me by an experienced mama of three kiddos. I've flipped through it and it has some good sections (with photos) on things from as basic as "how to hold your baby" (which might not be totally instinctual for some, or DHs, I guess) to more in-depth chapters on breastfeeding techinques, and pretty much everything else you can think of. It's a good basic reference that might ease a few what do I do fears when the baby is new and when googling can make you more stressed out or worried.
And while not related to natural birth, Baby Bargains by Denise Fields is awesome. This is great for researching baby gear and stuff for your registry, what you really need and what you don't, etc. At first I thought I won't need this book...I'll just read reviews online... Well, I quickly got overwhelmed online and picked up a used copy. Now it's full of highlights and tabs in every. single. chapter. I'd say this one is a must-have. Or else you will end up with the wrong stuff. (or pay too much!)
Oh! one more thing...I got DH a book called The Expectant Father by Armin Brott. He says he likes it (and he is actually reading it!) He calls it his "Dad book".
ray
B.C.
2/12/09 2:31 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Wow, you are awesome. This is such good information. I saw the mayo clinic book online the other day, and I have already read what to expect when you are expecting. My friend gave it to me just before I got pregnant. I was attracted to the mayo clinic one, because my doctor once told me that anything from the mayo clinic is great
(their web site and books).
I will for sure look this up on Amazon, and at least I now have somewhere to start looking.
Thank you for the whole review on your books
Eowyn
Western Australia
2/12/09 5:07 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: ray Reply Report
A Dad Book How cute :)
You really are well-read... does it help knowing you've read up on everything?
Serafina
Texas
2/12/09 7:16 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Eowyn Reply Report
You're welcome, ray! :)
Eowyn, yes, it does help me to feel like I am doing everything I can to educate myself. Reading the birth stories is the best part-- it helps me get into that zone of believing that I can do this!
Denise57
NY
2/13/09 5:35 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
HA! I got my DH a Daddies for Dummies book b/c he likes things bulleted. He actually read it and knew about APGAR scores and all that good stuff and was even asking the nurses questions about it. I was so proud of him, LOL.
I did go drug free with my delivery. However if I had a long labor I don't know if I could have done it. You really have to be focused to get through it, especially transition. That was the point where I got up and wanted to get into the hot shower but they wouldn't let me b/c I was hooked up to a bunch of monitors b/c Davids heart rate was not stable. Then I actually fell asleep between contractions at transition, most people would say that made me lucky but it took me out of my zone and I would wake up b/c of the pain of the contractions. That sucked! But I got through it OK.
You CAN do it you just need to be very prepared, have an open mind and learn to be focused within through distractions. If you're with a mid wife at home you'll have a lot less distractions so that should help a lot.
I did do classes. I did a general birthing class and an in depth hypnobirthing one that lasted about 6 weeks. We also did almost daily practicing to ensure I could get to the level of relaxation that I needed to for birth. I didn't think daily practice was needed but BOY was I happy I did once labor started. It really does pay off.
Oh and yep I did have the proud moment. The first thing I said was "I know we have a healthy baby and thats the most important thing but I CAN'T BELEIVE I JUST DID THAT". The worst part for me was when they are actually coming out b/c your skin stretches and will most likely tear a bit. They refer to it as the ring of fire and they ain't kiddin'. But it is very quick and is the last part so you just power through.
I also recommend going onto the boards at Babycenter.com I met a group that was due the same month as me and we all bonded over our symptoms and struggles. We are still all friends sharing stories of our toddlers. Like you I also loved hearing the birthing stories, esp from these women I had gone through my pregnancy with. It is really neat.
ray
B.C.
2/14/09 5:20 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Denise57 Reply Report
So, I bought a book on giving birth (I can not remember what it was called right now, but it seemed like a good book), and a book for fathers on pregnancy, the birth, and preparing for the baby.
I am glad that I didn't buy more books though, because I just remembered something. My midwife has a whole bunch of books that you can borrow. You give them a $20 deposit and you can borrow a book for two weeks at a time. At the end of your time with the them they give you your $20.00 back. It's a pretty great set up really.
Serafina
Texas
2/21/09 3:46 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: ray Reply Report
Thanks Denise. It helps so much to get good, positive support (versus the unsolicited advice and the horror stories that people love to tell expecting mamas...lol)
Ray, I'm glad you got some books that you like to start you off. I like having something to do and a way to learn more about what my body is doing. It helps me stay anxiety-free if I am knowledgeable about my body's changes. Some women prefer not to know and to go with the flow, but that's just not me. :)
My MW has a similar borrowing library, but the two books I wanted were checked out, and my local libraries didn't have ANY of them. So I just bit the bullet and bought them from Amazon. Oh, well...
I've been having what I t h i n k are Braxton Hicks (BH) contractions over the past week or so. My belly gets really hard for a short time, and occasionally there is a small amount of pressure/pain/tightness/or otherwise yucky feeling. I have been kind of anxious today, and have a hard time catching my breath. I've had a woozy/hot feeling on and off. I think I am just upset because I am bored and nothing is really happening. I want to have all kinds of news and updates to post, but I don't.
My job is sucking right now and basically gives me no satisfaction, and DH isn't really proactive in the fun department. (He's watching some Leo DeCaprio movie in the living room right now, and I have been goobing out on the internet for the past two hours.) I think I am mildly depressed. We get so little time together and I anticipate the weekends sooo much. And then we sit around and do nothing, and I don't feel like we are connecting.
I am just not motivated to do household chores or anything like that to take my mind off being in this mood. I am being pretty negative and cranky today. Nothing horrible is happening in our lives, and we are lucky for that. But in general I am feeling pretty blah and I hate that.
The baby has been moving a lot lately, and I think I can feel the head? Sometimes one section of my belly feels hard, but not my entire belly like a BH contraction. When it does this, I feel a roundish hard spot that might be the head? I think my little one is head-butting me...
mrsw
2/21/09 3:58 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
My BH contractions sometimes hit in just one spot like that, so it could be those OR the head.
I kNOW Baby B likes to headbutt me. Right in the bladder/cervix/colon . . . pick your spot. LOL
Sorry to hear about your mood . . . I can really relate. That pretty much describes how we spent every weekend even BEFORE I got PG. I get SO bored sometimes. I love spending time with DH, but not when we're just watching TV, or one of us is on the computer while the other watches TV, or whatever.
And remember, those raging hormones aren't helping you right now. I've read in numerous places that PG women crave more attention from their hubbies, too. So if you're already getting less than you'd like and you add those PG feelings and hormones on top of it, look out. lol
LadyHeather
British Columbia
2/21/09 4:20 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I can actually grab my baby's head from the outside if I want to, so it very well might be what you feel. My midwife showed my where I could find it the other day. It was so weird. Like a little ball. Hehe.
carly.d
Marquette, MI
2/21/09 4:30 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
"My job is sucking right now and basically gives me no satisfaction, and DH isn't really proactive in the fun department. ... I think I am mildly depressed. We get so little time together and I anticipate the weekends sooo much. And then we sit around and do nothing, and I don't feel like we are connecting.
I am just not motivated to do household chores or anything like that to take my mind off being in this mood. I am being pretty negative and cranky today. Nothing horrible is happening in our lives, and we are lucky for that. But in general I am feeling pretty blah and I hate that."
you know, it could have been me writing that. sometimes it's really hard (especially this time of year...i don't know how yucky winter is in texas, but the end of it sucks for everyone i imagine), and sometimes DHs get in their own little zone and lose sight of what's going on around them. i have to remind DH from time to time that doing chores (which i do most of)is not enough to keep me busy and happy, and i've also started finding some interests to get into on my own. i started knitting again, and i'm doing this training for a half-marathon. i also managed to talk DH into snowboarding. if he's being a bit of a bum, sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands and suggest something for the two of you to do together. are there any good museums or botanical gardens nearby? maybe a play or show that you'd both be interested in, or even just dinner and a movie?
it DOES suck that you have to take charge like this when you don't feel up to it (i personally feel that this sort of thing should come from both people in the relationship), but from experience i can tell you that sometimes it's necessary. and it's hard when you have no motivation. (i have a hard time with this too.) what's important is that you find something to distract you a bit and keep you busy, and this phase will pass.
i'm really sorry you're feeling this way. just know that (aside from the pregnancy part) you are not alone.
Eowyn
Western Australia
2/21/09 6:37 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: carly.d Reply Report
It could have been written by me too! I know exactly how you feel (apart from the pregnancy part obviously)... We've actually cut down on the amount of extra stuff we're doing simply because we don't have enough time to spend together. We skipped church this morning to give ourselves a chance to really have a break... I'm thinking I might suggest we go somewhere for a walk or something, just to get outside and have some time together.
Carly made some good suggestions... I know it's hard when you don't really feel great, but sometimes you just need to say "hey, I need some of your attention right now". I know I have to do that all the time.
futuremrs.kj
Alabama
2/23/09 7:14 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Eowyn Reply Report
Wow. You hit the nail on the head for me. My job is kinda sucky and at the homefront I feel like I've just become a slob. Lately, I have no interest in doing chores and now that everything has piled up I am avoiding it because it is so daunting. Yesterday, I practically had to pull DH off the couch and told him we were about to start Spring Cleaning Phase I. hahaha. He didn't like it.
I feel like we are overwhelmed by the junk in our lives. Mostly I'm very organized but I just have sooooo much stuff. One thing that helped me yesterday was that I practically PURGED myself of useless things. Our kitchen is pretty small and we don't have a ton of cabinet space but I rec'd so many appliances and dishes, etc. when we got married its packed in my cabinets like crazy. I went thru and pulled out appliances and such that we never used and I separated them into 2 piles. One for yard sale and one to save. The saved stuff that I use maybe once I year I stored in a container in the basement. It cleared out my kitchen so much I felt so much better. It really motivated me to move to another room of the house.
This may or may not apply to you but I get in this funk too sometimes and I find if I clear out or get outside and do something, I feel better.
Good luck. I know how it is to sit in front of the tv or computer all weekend and do nothing. It gets depressing.
Serafina
Texas
2/23/09 1:34 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: futuremrs.kj Reply Report
Thanks, Ladies. It helps to know I am not alone, even if most of the friends who I really "talk to" are online, lol.
On Saturday I pretty much had a breakdown. DH tried to get me to walk to our mailbox and around the block and I had to stop walking and cry on him. (Pregnancy hormones, anyone??) We came back and I turned off the lights and got in bed under the covers. DH rubbed my head and back while I cried it out, and then we ordered pizza and just hung out together for a while.
On Sunday I was still feeling so sad and exhausted. We went to the gym together (me to yoga, DH to the treadmill.) On the way there, we drove by a little cemetery by our house. There was a woman around my age kneeling down by a new grave, and it made me think about how I don't really have any deep sadness right now...that's it's probably just my hormones acting nuts...and that I should really try to remember I am lucky to have DH and my little baby-to-be. Sounds corny, but it helped a little.
(Plus after the gym, we went to get Chinese food, which is always a good thing.)
Today I am feeling a little better. Not happy and super motivated, but at least not crying my eyes out. One day at a time, I suppose...
...part of my problem is that I think I am online way too much, to the point where I start to ignore my real life. I got a free issue of Baby Talk magazine and read a short article on women addicted to the internet. Of course, they recommended going to their website if you think you are addicted (which was hilarious to recommend a website to people addicted to the net...)
ss
2/23/09 2:42 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I'm not pregnant, but sure can relate. It is just too easy to spend your time on the computer, and it's entertaining (as well as a social support, which is often needed), but the end result is that you do very little with your Real Life. In the past year I've gained 14 pounds and just not gotten STUFF done that I needed to!
What I'm doing is just making small goals and giving myself rewards. I have to get X done on X day. I have to walk X miles or I can't have a glass of wine before bed. So this weekend my goals were to Saturday plant flowers (and I got extra weeding done as a result), and Sunday to organize the spices. Not huge and overwhelming, but a goal that I make sure I get done...and I find that once I get in the groove (AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER!), I get more done than I planned for.
I don't know if it will work for you, but it's what I'm trying. I totally empathize with you though, I'm there myself.
ray
B.C.
2/23/09 2:53 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: ss Reply Report
Oh, man I know how you feel. I sometimes get so wrapped up in my computer that I let things at home slide. Then I feel like crap because I can't even do the basic things around the house that I should be doing. Because I feel like crap I just want to be on the computer or watch tv or whatever it is that is distracting me. It is a vicious cycle.
I completely agree that making small goals is key. Such as you need to do such and such before you even go onto the computer. If i put away the laundry today, then I don't have to feel bad about being on the computer. Speaking of laundry, that is something I must do tomorrow. It is something I will do before I even turn on my computer. That way I will feel good for the rest of the day. I also try to go out for lunch with a friend on one of my days off. DH really gets into computer games so sometimes I need to go out with a friend in order to get that connection during the day. I also make him go to bed with me at night, so that we are least spending some times together. I also usually have him eat dinner with me. Although sometimes I don't mind if he eats in front of the computer.
I find that when he is really into a computer game I need to make the effort to go go out with a girl friend or go shopping for something we need or I go compare prices for things just to get me out of the house. DH can sit at home all day without going out, but I get depressed if I do that.
11108Jenn
Fl
2/23/09 3:51 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Trust me I am right here with you!
We have to move out in 5 days and I have not started any packing. None. The laundry is unbelievable and everytime I walk by the sink I get nauseaus, so I can't do any dishes. I am leaning on DH way too much but I can't help it right now. I usually let things slide for a few weeks and then get into this cleaning zone where I clean the whole apt in a day, but that hasn't happened in awhile.
I would just rather sit here in this comfy chair and visit the three websites I frequent. lol. I know it's sad but I also know it's temporary. Well, I hope it is...
Eowyn
Western Australia
2/23/09 7:19 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: 11108Jenn Reply Report
Me too!
Not much of a coincidence really... that all of us who frequent a website/forum, find that the computer takes over now and then Heck, I'm on here at work... but that's mostly because I sit in front of a computer all day at work, and just can't handle doing the same thing at home after work, so I sneak on while I'm here.
But I too have to force myself to stop just aimlessly being online and get stuff done. Ray, my husband is a computer nut too, although his bent is programming, not games. But last night, yes, he sat in front of his computer to eat tea. Most of the time I'll make him sit with me, but he had a bad day yesterday so I let him have 'his time'.
I feel like we are overwhelmed by the junk in our lives. Mostly I'm very organized but I just have sooooo much stuff.
This really spoke to me too... We live in a tiny one-bedroom apartment, and while we don't have a huge amount of stuff (most of mine is still at my parents place) we have literally no storage (I'm serious, two kitchen cupboards and shelves that's it). So our place is always a mess because we simply can't put anything away. It makes cleaning a nightmare, because it's so easy to get despondant and think "there's nowhere to put anything, it doesn't matter" and so leave the mess.
I get fed up every so often and go on a cleaning rampage. Makes me feel better
carly.d
Marquette, MI
2/24/09 4:18 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Eowyn Reply Report
wow you can get your husband to sit with you durning dinner? i've given up sitting at the table because i'm always there by myself. he's on his computer all day, and yet he can't seem to put it down for a little while in the evening unless one of two things happens: 1) his cat jumps up on his lap, or 2) i strip in front of him and head to the bedroom. it's so infuriating sometimes.
ray
B.C.
2/24/09 6:14 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: carly.d Reply Report
LOL, at least stripping does the trick. That does suck though. My DH seems to go through fazes. Sometimes he doesn't play for months, and others he only plays for month. Right now he says that his game is kind of like a job. He even said that he doesn't always enjoy it, but he is determined to get to a certain level before the baby comes. Because of this he treats it like a full time job. The other day he actually set the alarm for 2:30 in the morning on a Sunday so he could play with a guy from Australia. Nothing seems odd to me anymore when it comes to his gaming.
futuremrs.kj
Alabama
2/24/09 7:21 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: ray Reply Report
KJ likes to look up sports on the net if I am watching tv so most of the time he is in front of the computer. Sometimes when I've asked him several times to pull himself away for dinner or whatever and he doesn't respond, I just walk over and get him distracted and close the laptop. he gets frustrated, but I know our computer stores everything you were looking at so he gets over it. But then when he is pulled away, he actually feels better and likes to interact with me.
Not to hijack your thread, serafina, but going back to the amount of stuff we have--we went to a friends house this weekend for the first time in a long time. We don't see them very often but they moved into a new house nearly a year ago and we've only been a handful of times. You walk in and you would really think that noone even lives there. They don't have books or magazines or pictures. I mean she has it decorated with art on the wall and lamps on the sidetables, rugs, etc. but it looks like a spec house ready to be sold. It is not personalized AT ALL. (Not to mention, the house looks so spotless and immaculate that you are afraid to touch anything for fear of getting it dirty) I asked DH when we left how it would feel to live like that. They have zero clutter in their lives. I wonder what that would be like. It seems weird to me to not have pictures of friends and family or really anything that would make you feel like you are at home.
Just a thought.
ray
B.C.
2/24/09 10:41 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: futuremrs.kj Reply Report
We went to one of DH's old friend's house not too long ago. I asked him if he was just moving in because there was nothing in his place. He didn't even have a coffee maker on his kitchen counter (and he has a huge kitchen). In the three bedrooms there is only one bed with a white duvet and nothing else. His room has a dresser, and one side table. All of his music and lights and heating is programmed through his computer, so he doesn't need light switches or anything. He doesn't even have a back on his toilet. It is just the seat, and the back part is in the wall or something. There is no garbage can in the bathroom, just one of those sanitary napkin dispensers that is built into the wall. All of the water in his house if purified (even the toilet water). Even his unfinished basement is spotless. I have never seen anything like it before.
To be honest I found it very cold and unfriendly (he was very friendly though).
Eowyn
Western Australia
2/24/09 6:12 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: ray Reply Report
Carly, he has his moments. Usually he sits at his computer, but he'll sit with me if I ask. Not that we have a table... well, we do, but we have no bench, so the table is our bench, and we eat on the couch... I hate having no space :(
Ray, that house sounds weird... there's no other word for it...
(sorry to hijack Serafina!)
Serafina
Texas
2/25/09 11:25 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Eowyn Reply Report
heehee...no worries about the hijack. I've been posting on other people's journals and have been neglecting my own. So at least someone is getting some use out of it.
Today I am not as completely mental as I was over the weekend. It seems to have calmed down a bit. I think it was a hormone surge. I still need to go to bed earlier and get off the internet, though. I have no discipline! lol
Today I'm 25w2d.
Serafina
Texas
2/27/09 7:39 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I'm 25w4d today. And something w e i r d happened today: when I was laying on my side on the sofa, I felt the baby kick--but I felt it on both sides of my stomach, like the extreme left and the extreme right!! I figured he or she must be stretched out and was pushing me with hands on one side and feet on the other. It was bizarre.
carly.d
Marquette, MI
2/27/09 8:15 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
how cool! isn't it more like head on one side and feet on the other at that point? lol.
Eowyn
Western Australia
2/28/09 4:59 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: carly.d Reply Report
Neat It's fun to guess exactly what's going on in there
ray
B.C.
2/28/09 6:38 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Eowyn Reply Report
That must feel so neat. It must be a cool bonding moment because you can really visualize what it is doing in there.
Serafina
Texas
3/1/09 3:56 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: carly.d Reply Report
/> how cool! isn't it more like head on one side and feet on the other at that point?
yeah, that's probably right. lol Really, I have no clue what I am feeling. My girlfriend told me with her babies it was totally obvious what was hiccups, what was kicks, punches, etc. I am clueless! lol Maybe as the baby gets bigger I will get a better idea of what it all means. For now I am just excited to get any little "communication" from within.
Last night I was on the computer and had my elbow sort of propped up on my belly, and right underneath my elbow, the baby pushed back...like hey, get that off me!
JILLELLICE
New Jersey
3/1/09 5:38 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
It's my first time on your journal so congratulations are in order! And how exciting that the baby is kicking. It's so cool and weird all at the same time. I remember those days.
Serafina
Texas
3/1/09 10:09 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: JILLELLICE Reply Report
Thanks Jillellice!
Today in church I saw so many moms and babies...and I kept thinking I wonder what that will really be like. It's so cool. In a few months, I will know for myself!
aurora1036
Rochester Hills, MI
3/2/09 9:14 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
you know yesterday in church I was surrounded by 3 babies who were CRYING. It was actually kind of annoying because I couldn't hear the service and the parents didn't bother to step outside to calm them down. I don't usually get annoyed by that stuff but for some reason it got to me yesterday. Pregnancy hormones I guess! haha
Serafina
Texas
3/2/09 10:59 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: aurora1036 Reply Report
Oh, I can't stand it when parents just let their kids go on and on and on screaming and crying. I think some parents get to the point where they hear the noise so much that they become deaf to it, and forget that those around them are NOT.
My SIL is like that, to the point where other people in DHs family have grabbed her kid's arm out of sheer frustration and told him to be QUIET! Of course, this makes SIL furious...but she still won't do anything about it.
LadyHeather
British Columbia
3/2/09 11:42 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Ooo. Hate it. And it's even worse when the kids are older. We were at lunch a couple weeks ago and there was this family at the next table - well a whole bunch of adults and two kids. And the adults were just yammering away to eachother while the kids shrieked and ran around the table. And this was not a family type restaurant. My kids would be in the car so fast. I was one of those tantrum kids. My mum just removed me from the situation. I don't see what is so hard about that.
Serafina
Texas
3/2/09 12:44 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: LadyHeather Reply Report
Oh, I totally agree. It seems like some parents feel like when they are in public they get a free pass to let their kids run wild.
I am mortified when I see parents leaving awful messes at restaurant tables. You see the high chair, and around it is a massive circle of food, crumbs, spilled stuff, broken crayons, all over the booth or chairs, etc. I would not be able to leave the restaurant without at least trying to pick up after my little one. But I've waited tables before, so maybe this is just a sore spot for me.
JILLELLICE
New Jersey
3/2/09 2:13 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I cannot stand ornary kids. It really gets under my skin. I hate when they cry for no apparant reason other than to get what they want. I want to just take them off and discipline them myself.
Seriously, if you're in a store and your child is crying and screaming like a lunatic and everyone is looking, is it too much to ask for you to take that kid outside and do something about it?
Serafina
Texas
3/2/09 3:36 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: JILLELLICE Reply Report
My nephew (who was 3 y/o at the time) screamed through our whole wedding ceremony and it is almost all you can hear on our DIY wedding video. I could've strangled my BIL, since he merely took him to the back row of the chapel, but didn't remove him all the way. grr... And my SIL was up front in the wedding party, unable to do anything about it. It really burned me.
I am already making a vow to myself that I will not do stuff like that to people when I have my kid.
JILLELLICE
New Jersey
3/2/09 3:53 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Amen! We had a few young ones at our wedding but they were good. I know my one SIL had taken our niece outside to the bar area maybe because she knew she'd act up. And I appreciated that.
I understand kids can sometimes act unreasonably. You can't predict their behaviour or what will set them off. But so long as you have the decency to remove them from a situation that will be a bother to others, that's all that is expected from you.
scottishgirl
Palm Bay, Florida
3/2/09 4:10 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: JILLELLICE Reply Report
I'm glad to hear that others feel the same as I do about kids acting up in public. I think the behavior I have witnessed in the past with kids acting up has made me want to delay having kids. I hate going to restaurants anymore because the parents just sit there while their kids scream and cry and run all over the place. It doesn't exactly make the best of impressions to someone who is already debating about having children in the first place lol.
JILLELLICE
New Jersey
3/2/09 4:20 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: scottishgirl Reply Report
I've been a mother for almost 13 years so I speak from experience. There were times, especially when Josh was a toddler, that his behavior was unexplicable. He would have a fit or tantrum for no apparent reason. So I'd give his arm a little squeeze, then walk him off to somewhere secluded and look him eye to eye and tell him to knock it off, with the most serious face I could muster.
I didn't have to hit him. I'd let him know I was serious. I'd use time outs or take something away from him that I knew he'd miss. And if we were some place public and he was getting out of hand, I'd leave the store and take him out to the car for a talking to.
You know the reason a lot of kids end up like that is because they get held too much. You can't just pick up a kid every time they cry. They don't want to be held. You have to find out what it is that they want or what is bothering them and address it. And if it's just a temper tantrum, then leave them in their room and walk away. Ignore the behavior. Don't cuddle them to shut them up. I see mothers and fathers doing that all the time and I want to scream.
Serafina
Texas
3/2/09 8:43 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: JILLELLICE Reply Report
scottishgirl, I felt/feel the same way, and I am PG now! Sometimes even now I see other people's kids and just say ewwwww...I don't want one like THAT! (when I am witnessing a public, unrestricted tantrum)
That said, I DO understand that kids are going to scream and cry sometimes. I am not expecting perfection out of anyone's kids. It's not the kids that bug me, I guess...it's the parents! lol :)
Once my family decided to go to lunch together at a Chinese buffet because my SILs reasoning was that the kids can "run around" there. What?!? There is no playground. There is no kids' area. Just because it's a buffet, that means that the kids can run in circles, climb under the table, etc, and generally be disruptive?!? Um....nooo!!!!
When I see people with very well behaved children, they come across initially as strange or weird to me, and then I realize ooohhh....they're just well-behaved kids. THAT'S why they seem so different from everyone else. Sad.
Eowyn
Western Australia
3/2/09 11:04 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
then I realize ooohhh....they're just well-behaved kids. THAT'S why they seem so different from everyone else. Sad.
That is sad... possibly because I know what you mean. The horror children are always more noticable. Although you do have to wonder, how much of it is the kids, and how much is the parents not discliplining them properly...
Serafina
Texas
3/2/09 11:19 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Eowyn Reply Report
We have two friends (BOTH active duty military, by the way--they are VERY busy people) and they have three kids who are absolutely a JOY to be around. They are the best behaved kids I have ever seen. Yes, they cry and sometimes disobey their parents. But overall they listen to what they are told, and comply usually the first or second time they're told (even the little one!) They are SO FUN to be around, and the parents are able to manage adult conversations with us while their kids are present.
So it can be done! I hope I do a good job like that with mine. I think parents really do their kids (and others around them) a favor by raising them to be polite and well-behaved. This must be hard, since I've seen parents who think it's easier to just give in and buy whatever toy will keep their kid quiet for an hour...
Serafina
Texas
3/2/09 11:21 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I guess it sounds like I am totally on my soap box on this topic. lol sorry all.
Parenting styles really is a huge can of worms.
carly.d
Marquette, MI
3/3/09 4:54 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
i totally agree with what everyone is saying here so far. i've witnessed the same kind of behavior (both in general and within my own family...my father and stepmother had close to ZERO control over their children in public) and it makes me sick. it takes effort and self-control, but there's NO reason why kids should be allowed to do that. i see stuff like that and i think back to when i was a kid...if i had done that kind of thing there would be hell to pay in the car, but there was never hell to pay because i KNEW that and didn't act out in public. i came from a spanking household (to each their own on that one), but i can count on one hand the number of times i remember being spanked. (that's the thing with spanking...if you're doing it right, you rarely have to do it.)
ok, i'll get off my soapbox too. it seems we all agree pretty well in this group as far as modern parenting (or lack thereof).
ray
B.C.
3/3/09 6:10 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: carly.d Reply Report
When DH and I got married a lot of my family came to stay at my parents for a week. My cousin came with her husband and two kids, and my god parents came with their 3 kids. We all went to the lake for the day and the difference in their kids was like night and day. My cousins kids were hitting the other kids with big branches and my cousin and her husband didn't say a thing. They even his my DH, the boy slapped his dad in his face, with no reaction from the dad.
At one point their parents tried to tell him to stop but they had absolutely no control over them. My god parents kid (the middle one) started to get all excited because of the other two, and you could see he wanted to be bad as well. My god father simply said "Marc, you better not" in a stern voice, and he stopped what he was about to do and started walking normally again.
Honestly, all anyone could talk about for months after that was how awful my cousins kids are, and how they wouldn't believe what they let their kids get away with. The boy was supposed to start grade one and everyone was saying that he would get into so much trouble. Funny thing is at school he is actually good. I bet it's because at school he know he can not get away with what he does at home. It's really too bad that they wave done this to their kids.
scottishgirl
Palm Bay, Florida
3/3/09 11:44 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I guess what makes me upset the most about kids misbehaving in public, is the fact that parents make excuses about why they are allowed to behave like that. I hate when parents use the excuse "kids will be kids" or "boys will be boys" to justify why they think their kids can run amok. It's like kids live by a different set of rules than adults do most of the time. Like for instance, it's ok for kids to scream their heads off in a library/museum because they don't know any better (even though most do), but if an adult were to do it, they would automatically get thrown out. No questions asked.
That's mainly what irritates me the most when I witness this type of behavior coming from kids. When I was a kid, things were very different and parents NEVER let their kids get away with the things they do today.
I've had such horrible experiences being around younger children that Scott and I decided that once we are parents, we will take our kids to fast food only and other kid friendly places like the zoo, playgrounds, beach, disney, etc. Any places that are not appropriate for them, they will not be going to until we know our kids can and will behave. If that doesn't happen until their 9 or 10 so be it. I see eating out at a restaurant a luxury and not a necessity. Luxuries are earned, it least that's how I was taught.
Oh my...I started on my own soap box too lol. Ok, I'll stop now.
JILLELLICE
New Jersey
3/3/09 6:33 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: scottishgirl Reply Report
Kids will be kids. To a point. They will be inquisitive and adventureous. They will test the boundaries with their elders. They learn who is soft and who is strict. That's part of their development and learning process. But us as parents have to be the ones to teach them manners. How to be respectful and know when they've gone too far. And to be disciplined accordingly.
Eowyn
Western Australia
3/3/09 6:50 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: JILLELLICE Reply Report
Carly, I"m like you... I came from a spanking household. But, like you, I knew what would be a 'spanking offense' and I can hardly remember it ever happening.
I'm thoroughly disgusted that New Zealand has made spanking children illegal, regardless of anything. Makes me so mad.
JILLELLICE
New Jersey
3/3/09 7:06 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Eowyn Reply Report
That's ridiculous. There is big difference between spanking and beating. And any fool should realize that.
Serafina
Texas
3/3/09 11:23 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: JILLELLICE Reply Report
That is pretty amazing! I wonder when the USA will start creating parenting "laws" lol (not anytime soon, I don't think!) heeheehee...
It is interesting, though, how we develop what we want our parenting style to be. It's funny how in the same breath we can want to emulate our parents' way of doing something that may be lost in our modern day, and yet still be so firm in another area that we want to be nothing like them, and do so much better...
Eowyn
Western Australia
3/3/09 11:43 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Jill, that was exactly my thought too. There is a huge problem with child abuse, especially among the Pacific Island population (which are generally in the lower socio-economic group)... no doubt about it. But this law isn't going to help.
And it's so open for abuse, this means that any kid who is being disciplined normally by their parent can scream abuse. So stupid.
And it's now illegal to slap your kids hand away from grabbing the boiling kettle. You don't have time to stand there and reason with them why they're not allowed. You get them out of the way and then explain!
Stupid, stupid law.
okay, shutting up now.
scottishgirl
Palm Bay, Florida
3/4/09 8:11 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Eowyn Reply Report
Oh I totally agree about the spanking as well. My mom used spanking on us and I can only remember 1 instance where she spanked me. My mom said she only had to spank me a few times in my life because I knew what would happen if I didn't behave. I really wish we could use spanking as well because it is a very effective way of disciplining. Of course, my mom made sure not to beat me, I believe that is completely different from spanking.
Serafina
Texas
3/4/09 9:31 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
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Yesterday I had an appointment with my midwife and things were still fine. I have gained about 16-18 lbs so far, which I am not too happy about. I'm 26w2d right now. I wish I was a little skinnier, mostly in the thighs. **sigh**
DH got to hear the heartbeat for the first time. And we actually heard the HEART, as in the tiny little thud-thud-thud and not just the whooshing heartbeat sounds, if that makes sense to anyone who has heard the Doppler before. :)
My belly measured about 24 (centimeters?) and she had a somewhat difficult time telling me exactly how the baby was positioned because she said my ab muscles are still very firm. (a compliment I was more than happy to gobble up, since I have been feeling less-than-attractive lately.) lol
She is fairly certain (based on the Doppler) that my placenta is high enough up, although I forgot whether it's forward or toward the back. (the pregnancy brain strikes again!) Originally on my 16 or 20 week u/s it said my placenta was slightly low-lying, so this is good news.
We went over my thoughts on my plan for the home birth, what kind of atmosphere I want, who I want doing what, what positions I think I will want to labor in, push in, etc. Right now DH is still planning to catch the baby.
Sometimes in the next few days I am going to order my birth kit online.
ray
B.C.
3/4/09 9:46 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I am glad that the appointment went well. I wouldn't worry too much about your weight. You could be carrying a lot of water as well. It sounds like you are doing very well. Plus you are very thin, so you should probably gain more weight than the average person.
LaLainaj
New York
3/4/09 9:55 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
That's great that things are going so good. I am EXTREMELY impressed that you are going to do a home birth! I am not that brave even though the idea appeals to me.
aBride4U2remember
Ontario, Canada
3/4/09 1:36 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: LaLainaj Reply Report
Glad you are still going ahead with your home birth. That's my dream! I will live through you LOL
Serafina
Texas
3/4/09 1:49 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: LaLainaj Reply Report
I don't feel especially brave. But thanks just the same!!
For me it just feels right. Granted, this is my first baby, so I have no experience to compare to. My midwife is well qualified, I am currently "low risk", and the safety statistics seem to add up. So, I will at least attempt a home birth, unless something changes.
I definitely understand the purpose of the medical model and the procedures that are done in the hospital, and if I need those, I will take advantage of them. I don't want anyone to think I look down on women who choose hospital births...
LadyHeather
British Columbia
3/4/09 1:51 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
16-18 lbs? Pfft. These weight things always make me feel like a whale. Ha.
That'll be exciting for your husband! I wish I could catch my own baby. Hehehe. Seems like it would be a neat experience. I think I lack the flexibility though.
LaLainaj
New York
3/4/09 2:03 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I really don't want to give birth in a hospital! But I don't think I'm brave enough for home. I would like to find a middle ground though. Maybe a birthing center.
Ironically, I myself, was born at home but I was my Mom's 5th so she was an expert by then. LOL.
Serafina
Texas
3/4/09 4:41 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: LadyHeather Reply Report
You are a trip. You always make me feel better.
Some women DO catch their own babies! Quite a lot, in fact! And I've seen it done in hospitals (on the show called Deliver Me, this girl wanted a natural birth and the docs were really obliging. They encouraged her and told her to reach down and pull her baby out and up on her belly. It was awesome.)
Serafina
Texas
3/4/09 4:45 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: LaLainaj Reply Report
Where in NY are you? NYC? There are TONS of midwives in NYC. Birthing centers, too, probably.
For me, the first thing I thought of (once I realized that the hospital was the the ONLY place to give birth) was a birthing center. Alas, we have none here in Podunk, Texas. But THEN I realized that a qualified midwife pretty much brings everything to your home that you'd have at a birthing center. And you get to be in your own familiar surroundings to boot.
If you are even mildly considering a birthing center, I'd look into it, just so you know all your options. Talking to the midwives can really help.
BTW, usually (I think) birthing centers are staffed with CNM rather than CPMs...so just something to think about and know the difference. (Some CNMs can still be rather medical, which is either a pro or a con depending on what you want.)
LaLainaj
New York
3/5/09 7:22 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Actually, I am living in NJ now. I did a bit of research and there is ONE birthing center about 1/2 hour /40 mins away. The only thing is I don't think it's covered fully by my insurance. I am going to look into all my options though.
There are not as many midwives as you would think by me. I was surprised. But there is at least one covered by my insurance so we shall see.:)
thanks for the tips!
Winterwed07
Georgia
3/5/09 7:56 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: LaLainaj Reply Report
Sounds like you had a great visit with your midwife.
Please forgive becuase i have forgotten..Are you going to do a water birth?
Also do you still have to do all the bloodwork and test that are normally done still? I am just curious becuase i dont know how a midwife works.
LaLainaj
New York
3/5/09 8:08 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Winterwed07 Reply Report
I am curious too. Don't the Midwives do less testing?
ray
B.C.
3/5/09 10:47 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: LaLainaj Reply Report
The midwife will give you all of the tests a doctor will.
aBride4U2remember
Ontario, Canada
3/5/09 12:05 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: ray Reply Report
I second Ray, my GP told me that when I'm referred to a midwife they have all the same tests and all the same ultrasounds as a regular doctor.
Serafina
Texas
3/5/09 2:07 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
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Yes, all the same tests. However, my midwife has explained more about each test than my previous OB did. And she is more open to me refusing or delaying certain tests as long as it's in accordance with our state law.
Around 28 weeks I will have the hemoglobin test done by my midwife, just the same as an OB. I won't have any more sonos, though, unless I want them, or unless something pops up to indicate that one might be needed. (Some OBs just do them on a regular basis, I guess?)
p.s. I am not sure if I am having a water birth. We have a large garden tub that I plan to labor in, if it feels good. If I end up loving the hot water, I just might stay in and give birth there. If not, I'll get out! That's one perk of a homebirth with a midwife...I can do whatever I want and when the time comes I can just go with the flow of whatever my body feels like doing.
Serafina
Texas
3/5/09 2:10 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: LaLainaj Reply Report
check out http://newjerseymidwives.net/
I just googled "new jersey midwives" and this was the first hit. That's how I found my midwife, just googled my city and the word midwife. Good luck!
LaLainaj
New York
3/6/09 8:48 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Thank you for that. That was very sweet of you.
I looked and did see the woman I had found that's covered by my insurance 90% plus it specified the hospital that they use which is a very good hospital and probably covered by my insurance as well. So, I will definitely give her a call!
Serafina
Texas
3/6/09 9:34 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: LaLainaj Reply Report
That's great! I've heard really good birth stories from women who had a CNM in a hospital. The midwife gives a lot of support and encouragement, and for a lot of women, they find the get greater relaxation and/or pain relief from this presence and don't need an epidural. Or they have even reported less pain with a midwife and no epidural than women did who only had an epidural. It's something to do with having a woman there who understands birth and is there to "mother the mother."
Good luck! I hope you get a good vibe from her. It's very important to feel comfortable with your practitioner, whether that's midwife or OB. :)
A CNM in a very good hospital might be just the balance you are looking for!!
LaLainaj
New York
3/6/09 9:41 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Thanks! I really do hope I get a good vibe. Otherwise back to the drawing board.
aurora1036
Rochester Hills, MI
3/8/09 7:12 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
The midwife gives a lot of support and encouragement, and for a lot of women, they find the get greater relaxation and/or pain relief from this presence and don't need an epidural
There is A LOT to be said for keeping the mother calm and pain management. One school of thought believes that fear and panic is what makes labor painful - some believe that if you can keep your mind calm and centered and you aren't afraid of what is going on with your body that you can have a totally pain free birth without any drugs at all.
I really do think it makes sense, though I can't speak to whether it really works or not.
Serafina
Texas
3/9/09 12:26 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: aurora1036 Reply Report
I saw a girl from Wales have a pain-free waterbirth (on TV). She looked SO peaceful! And there is another woman on You Tube who actually SINGS throughout her labor!!!
Of course, I am expecting a certain amount of pain to be involved! In fact, I am trying to prep myself for the worst imaginable, so hopefully it doesn't seem that bad. lol
I've been reading about the need for pain, though, in that is sends messages to your brain. The pain provides feedback to your brain, and then the brain knows to release certain hormones to make you progress faster, cervix to open, etc. I think it was in The Bradley Method book...about how if you shut off the pain with an epidural, your labor tends to last longer because the brain isn't sending the feedback as quickly and so the body doesn't respond as much. Who knows how true this is, since everyone has a different experience.
My opinion is that fear can definitely make you tense up, which can't be good for opening and letting a baby come out! I've heard it's better to surrender to the contractions as much as you can rather than bracing yourself and fighting them. I hope I can do this!
ray
B.C.
3/9/09 7:33 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
My mom didn't have any pain with my brother. Well, she may of felt pain when he actually came out, but she didn't feel a single contraction (even though she was having huge ones.
aurora1036
Rochester Hills, MI
3/9/09 9:34 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I wonder if we saw the same woman from Wales - she was in a little blow up tub in her apartment doing a free-birth? That is the one I saw.
f I remember correctly the doctor I worked with (and my friend who has 4 kids) said that they liked to wait as long as they could to give an epidural because once they do labor will slow down. Of course they explained it slowing down because you aren't able to move and walk around and stretch to help it progress but it actually makes more sense that if your body isn't really sensing what is going on it isn't going to do anything to speed the process along.
Serafina
Texas
3/9/09 10:44 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: aurora1036 Reply Report
Yes!! Free Birthing. I was racking my brain for the name of that show! lol The girl had really intense red hair. She told herself she wanted a pain free birth, and somehow, she just did it. Weird. (wish I could do that!)
That totally makes sense about the epi and not moving around. Plus, if you have an IV and/or fetal monitor usually you are laying down, already, I think. I am going to try to be as mobile as possible. (Can you tell I am starting to give my uterus a pep talk even now?) :)
My SIL told me that once she realized she really wanted an epidural that it was too late, so she just went ahead without it and it was over pretty quickly.
LadyHeather
British Columbia
3/9/09 11:41 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Oh man, if I get to do the labour thing I am totally singing through it. Singing and in the tub. That would be the plan. That is how I always deal with pain, so it just makes sense to me.
JILLELLICE
New Jersey
3/9/09 5:20 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Pain free and singing were no where factored into the equation of my labor. Although I did get a c-section, that was after 3 days of induced labor and terrible contractions. When they were at their worst, I wanted to just die. I would imagine the only thing I'd be sining is a string of profanities!!
ray
B.C.
3/9/09 6:54 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: JILLELLICE Reply Report
Apparently when my mom was having my brother her and my aunt were just laughing. They were telling jokes and having a blast. The nurse was just in awe. She was like "your contraction was off the charts and you are laughing". Oh, I hope that is hereditary.
JILLELLICE
New Jersey
3/9/09 8:10 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: ray Reply Report
I hope for your sake as well. That would be great. Some poeple have very easy labors.
Serafina
Texas
3/9/09 10:28 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: JILLELLICE Reply Report
Oh, me too, please!! I hope I am laughing and joking around. Singing-- not really my style. I think I am more of a profanity kind of girl. lol
ray
B.C.
3/10/09 1:52 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
LOL, I think I might be more of a profanity kind of girl as well.
LadyHeather
British Columbia
3/10/09 4:52 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: ray Reply Report
I could see profanity being worked into the lyrics of my made up song. I don't sing anything in particular when in pain. I just make up a little ditty about whatever the source of the pain is.
So it might go "I'm in labour and it really f***ing hurts and I want to die but it's okay because I get a baby and that is awesome but this hurts so bad and I want to gouge my eyes out to distract myself from the pain in my uterus...". It's really just rambling and random tones. But it makes me feel better. I do it with paper cuts all the time. Hehehe.
JILLELLICE
New Jersey
3/10/09 5:41 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: LadyHeather Reply Report
You're too funny! I'd love to hear that song!
LaLainaj
New York
3/11/09 7:48 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: LadyHeather Reply Report
So it might go "I'm in labour and it really f***ing hurts and I want to die but it's okay because I get a baby and that is awesome but this hurts so bad and I want to gouge my eyes out to distract myself from the pain in my uterus...". It's really just rambling and random tones. But it makes me feel better. I do it with paper cuts all the time. Hehehe.
They should put that song in the baby books. haaaaa.
Winterwed07
Georgia
3/11/09 7:58 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: LaLainaj Reply Report
Great song Heather.... I'm sure they will produce that one. It will be on a cd called Labour: women warrior chants
hahahaa... i have to much time on my hand
Serafina
Texas
3/11/09 11:50 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Well, today I sneaked a peek at my baby registry and saw that there are actually a few items purchased! I was a tad worried that everyone would show up with clothes and onesies (the baby will need those things, just not 50 of them, KWIM?)
My baby shower is next Saturday, out of town. (and my S-MIL shipped a pack n play to the baby shower hostess' house 2,000 miles away versus to us at home in Texas. What was she thinking?!)
I am so very thankful to my family. Someone bought the car seat and the baby swing, which I consider to be larger items. We live far away from everyone, and hand-me-downs are unfortunately not going to happen for us. This is one lucky baby!
ray
B.C.
3/11/09 11:57 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
How exciting. That is so funny because people keep on asking me about the baby shower, and to be honest I haven't thought about it. I actually thought it was kind of weird when someone I went to school with announced that she was two months pregnant on facebook and told people to let her know if they wanted to come to her baby shower. For some reason it made me think that she wasn't excited for the right reasons. Now, she is 5 months pregnant, and she posted a bunch of pictures of her in mexico and she is smoking in almopst half the pictures.
Anyway, that has nothing to do with you. It must be so exciting to have your shower comming up so soon. I know that when comes around I will be super excited. I am just remembering how touched I was at my bridal shower. I had never felt so loved before as I did that day. It's a very nice feeling. I am sure you will have a very spoilt baby. Apparently you can not spoil a child at such a young age. So, you might as well do it while you can
LaLainaj
New York
3/11/09 12:05 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Oooooh, baby things! Almost as exciting as the baby being here. LOL. I hope you get all the things you need and more! I'm sure you will. People LOVE to buy things for babies. I know I do.
LaLainaj
New York
3/11/09 12:07 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: ray Reply Report
Now, she is 5 months pregnant, and she posted a bunch of pictures of her in mexico and she is smoking in almopst half the pictures.
God help that baby. What an idiot. There is no excuse for that now the the docs tell you how dangerous it is. The least she could do is smoke secretly!
Serafina
Texas
3/11/09 12:08 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: ray Reply Report
Yeah, that is a little weird for the mom-to-be inviting people to her own shower. (Not to mention the smoking/Mexico stuff...strange...) My MOH and my Mom and throwing my baby's shower together. All I have to do is show up!
Our wedding was such an awesome time, and DH and I really felt "celebrated", not with gifts, but mostly by the presence of our closest family and friends. THAT is what I think will make the biggest impact on me at the baby shower. I am excited to see these women in my life getting excited about the baby and touching my belly. I think it's cool that the party is for the baby. It means he/she is almost here!!
I've heard that, too, about spoiling as far you shouldn't let a newborn "cry it out", that you can't hug or cuddle a newborn too much. Concerning material things, I am really anti-clutter (more so now since the nesting instinct has started to kick in! so even though I hope DH and I can provide nice things for our baby, we are definitely going to ration things like toys to make sure there is not too much baby stuff in our house. I still want a grown-up house, in general, not a Fisher-Price house. lol
Serafina
Texas
3/11/09 12:11 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: LaLainaj Reply Report
/> People LOVE to buy things for babies. I know I do.
I know! I do, too. I think not knowing the gender has made it easier for me to save my $$$, since if I knew boy or girl I think I'd be out shopping WAY too much in the months leading up to the birth...lol
LaLainaj
New York
3/11/09 12:13 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
That is smart and definitely curbs spending. I want to know too badly to wait!
Serafina
Texas
3/11/09 12:21 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: LaLainaj Reply Report
Yeah, DH is freaked out because his company announced they are laying off ~12,000 people, but no one knows who yet. His boss had him "rank order" his people in order of importance, which was a bit unnerving, he said.
Also, a family member of mine was laid off last week, too. (And they have a child on the way, too.) So we are in Save Money Mode right now, just in case.
I think after the baby shower is when I will start buying the basics that we still need. I will have to be careful I don't go on a shopping spree! There is so much cute baby stuff out there...
LaLainaj
New York
3/11/09 12:32 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Oh, no! Employers are so heartless the way they go about it too. Like they make you help out while they get rid of you. I do hope he is not one of the "chosen".
Money in our house is usually tight so I will try not to go too crazy at all. I know people will give us things (already have the cradle and changing table) and our Mom's will probably go nuts. So, I am determined to only buy what we really need and a maybe one or two "special" things. I am more concerned with diapers and wipes. LOL.
ray
B.C.
3/11/09 1:05 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: LaLainaj Reply Report
For me too it was that everyone came to my shower because they were happy for me. It wasn't the gifts, it was that they were there for me, and how happy they were about the wedding. That really touched me. I was also so touched that my friend had done everything she had done for the shower. She made homemade iced tea, finger sandwiches, she made little tags on the favors. It was amazing. To have all of your loved one there to celebrate your new baby. That will probably be even more touching.
I know what you mean about wanting an adult home. When i grew up we had our bedrooms. Our rooms were not on the main floor so we could keep our rooms as we wanted, but the rest of the house always looked like an adult home. We never had toys around the house.
My DH's company laid off 20% of their staff the other day. They also gave a bunch of people pay cuts. Thankfully, my DH hadn't recieved his big raise yet, so we won't be effected by it. I mean he won't have his raise like we thought, but at least we weren't relying on it. At least he still has a job as well. He is actually looking at this thing as positive. His company owed less money than the other companies that do the same thing around here. He is thinking that some of the other companies might go under, and then he will have even more oppertunity when things start to get better. I know it sounds awful, but this is very realistic.
Mrs. Taylor
3/12/09 10:01 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I had three showers. One from my family in January. One from Wills' family in September, since we had to fly to England for that one and then a shower that was really for us and not Luke that was about 3 weeks before he was born. I loved all of my showers. My family shower was co-ed which was awesome.
I made it through my labor and delivery without any medication but I felt pain. A lot! I did crack and ask, no beg, for the epidural but I was too far progressed that it would have been pointless. It is possible to make it through and I would definitely do it drug-free again but don't psych yourself up for no pain. Tell yourself that you will have pain but that you will make it through. I promise you will be ok.
Serafina
Texas
3/12/09 10:24 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Mrs. Taylor Reply Report
maybe you were in transition when you were at that point where you really wanted the epi? Your situation is exactly how my SIL had her 3 kids, and she said she quickly forgot the pain after the baby was out.
I am definitely getting ready for there to be pain. I am just trying to imagine myself handling it in some really awesome and super-woman sort of way. LOL At the very least, yes I will make it through. I will be at home, so at least the drugs will be very far away. I think it's like not keeping chocolate in the house--- if it's not there, it's much easier to do without.
Serafina
Texas
3/12/09 10:30 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Tomorrow DH and I leave for our BABYMOON!!!! We are going to San Francisco! I am so excited! I am really looking forward to getting away from our house, work, etc, and just having FUN for a few days. We are getting a couples massage (PG massage for me, deep tissue for DH) at the hotel spa. Woot! We are treating ourselves because we got an awesome hotel deal on Hotwire. We also used ALL of our frequent flyer miles, but we are flying all legs of the trip 1st class. (It's a long flight from South Texas to SF!)
And I am flying directly from SF to New York for my baby shower next weekend. :)
I wanted to post this since I will be away from the boards for a while. I will miss keeping up with everyone's journals--- so much happens every single day and I will miss all the news.
(We made a No Laptop On The Babymoon rule since we're supposed to relax and enjoy each other and not be on our email 24/7, LOL)
Hopefully I can keep DH off his work Blackberry. (The Crackberry, I call it.)
ray
B.C.
3/13/09 7:00 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
That sounds like a very nice trip. I hope you guys have a great baby moon I can no wait to hear what neat things you did when you get back.
JILLELLICE
New Jersey
3/14/09 8:18 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Well, have a great time. That massage sounds awesome. Relax and have fun.
aBride4U2remember
Ontario, Canada
3/26/09 6:38 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Cheers!!!
have a great babymoon!
aurora1036
Rochester Hills, MI
3/26/09 7:24 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Hope the trip and the shower went well!!
Winterwed07
Georgia
4/8/09 3:14 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: aurora1036 Reply Report
its been so long since we heard from you. I hope you are doing well
ray
B.C.
4/8/09 3:23 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Winterwed07 Reply Report
I have been wondering the same thing. I know she left she was spending too much time on the internet. Maybe she is taking a break from it.....
Serafina
Texas
4/10/09 10:22 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: ray Reply Report
Hey Nicole & Ray,
Yes, I've been away from the internet lately. I have been trying to limit my time online, and haven't been doing the best job of it. I had days where I'd spend soooo much time reading blogs and message boards. It can really get out of control.
I miss reading everyone's journals, and so I don't feel justified reading/posting in my journal.
As a quick update, the babymoon to San Francisco was so awesome and relaxing! DH arranged a surprise car service to pick us up at the airport. Some of the highlights were our couples massage and homemade waffles with a pile of fresh strawberries and real whipped cream at a restaurant called Sears Fine Foods (near Union Square.) Our trip was so lovely, but so short. :)
The baby shower was completely overwhelming (in a good way.) I had a blast seeing friends and family, and I was FLOORED at the amount of gifts people brought. (It was a small shower with only 15 or so people total.) We received our BOB Revolution jogging stroller, Graco Snugride infant seat, Snugrider stroller frame, Pack n' Play, Graco Lovin' Hug Swing, an activity gym, the crib mattress, baby monitors, car mirrors, Skip Hop Duo diaper bag, a Boppy, a baby rocker, some diapers, books, onesies, sleepers, a few toys.......see what I mean??? I guess women just love shopping for babies. I am so floored by this outpouring from our loved ones. Thankfully, my Mom and MOH (who planned the shower) had really nice prizes for the games and every single person left with a nice prize. (Easier to do when there are only 15 people at the shower.)
So right now I am 31w4d. My belly measured 29cm at my last midwife appt. I've gained about 22-24 lbs so far. (I was fairly thin/average weight to start.) My baby is kicking and pushing a lot! We are starting to get our supplies ready for the homebirth, and I am definitely in Nesting Mode! In fact, today (once I get off the computer) I am going to attack the house and get organizing!
I hope all the other mamas-to-be are doing well. I feel bad I am cutting down on my time here. But it has helped me feel a little more productive to get away from the desk a bit more.
Oh, and as for the Name Department...DH and I are totally slacking, but we do have a few contenders. We need more!
BOY FIRST NAMES:
Jackson
Ian
Owen
BOY MIDDLE NAMES:
Luke
Ian
Andrew
James
Victor
Martin
Gordon
GIRL FIRST NAMES:
Francesca
India
Eden
Jocelyn
Vivian
Carmen
Viola
GIRL MIDDLE NAMES:
Elizabeth
Ruth
Anne, Anna
Michaelene
Marion
Jade
LadyHeather
British Columbia
4/10/09 11:13 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Yay! I'm just glad you're okay. It's hard not to worry when someone disappears for a while.
I am jealous of the shower. I don't think I get one. So I don't know what kind of gifts we'll get. We're just buying everything other than the stuff our parents have offered. Ah well. That's what I get for being unpopular and living far away from family. Ha.
I think I like Owen James the best for a boy and Eden Elizabeth for a girl.
LaLainaj
New York
4/10/09 11:19 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I'm glad to hear you are okay as well! I was starting to worry.
Sounds like you got tons of wonderful gifts. And had a fun time with ladies. I LOVE baby showers!
And now I want some homemade waffles. :)
Have fun organizing and picking names.
aurora1036
Rochester Hills, MI
4/10/09 11:54 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
glad to hear your shower and babymoon were both great!! I'm trying to talk DH into a first anniversary/late honeymoon/babymoon/vacation cruise this summer! haha I don't really see it happening but one can dream! lol
Eowyn
Western Australia
4/15/09 1:23 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: aurora1036 Reply Report
Heather that's funny, I was just thinking I like Owen James as well! :)
But I like Francesca Elizabeth for a girl better
carly.d
Marquette, MI
4/15/09 5:48 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
i like ian the best out of your boy names, and vivian out of the girl names (but i like the "vivienne" spelling better ).
ray
B.C.
4/15/09 7:01 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I think Owen James sounds good.
I also think that Carmen Elizabeth sounds good, but I also really like the name Jade.
ss
4/15/09 10:08 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: ray Reply Report
India Anne
Owen James
My 2cents!!!!
ray
B.C.
4/15/09 10:13 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: ss Reply Report
Oh, India Anne is a good combo too.
ss
4/15/09 10:33 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: ray Reply Report
I love it.
carly.d
Marquette, MI
4/15/09 10:44 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: ray Reply Report
it's sweet, but a little awkward. the "-ah" ending in india kind of runs into the beginning of anne. (i only notice because my own first and middle names run together for the same reason.)
Serafina
Texas
4/15/09 6:56 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: aurora1036 Reply Report
aurora, we went on a one week cruise for our first anniversary. Just a really easy vacation (we drove to the port since it was only 4 hours away, and it was SO nice to not have to fly.) I highly recommend a cruise! I am a relentless planner, so it was nice to have things already arranged for me for the whole week. It helped me relax a lot and actually enjoy the trip.
Serafina
Texas
4/15/09 7:04 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Those are all really great name combos! (Of course, I am bound to like them since I made up the source list, LOL)
carly, I also like Vivienne a lot! ....BUT I am leery of a spelling that is not totally classic. My first name is a fairly common name but it's spelled kind of wacky, and I've always hated that, having to spell it for everyone.
LOL-- I like the names that I came up with better than the ones DH thought up. For example, Ian is my idea, Owen was DHs, and of course, I lean toward my choice. I really need to be a little more open minded!!! We both like Jackson, but in general we are sucking at thinking of boys names. Any suggestions? (Nothing too trendy, please.)
Carly, I love the names you've posted in the past, the ones that sound like characters from a historic novel...the more ethnic, non-trendy names...(of course I am 100% Polish, and it figured I'd love Welsh/Scottish/Celtic/French sort of names...
carly.d
Marquette, MI
4/16/09 5:35 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
yeah, they're all my guilty pleasure names...names that i love but can never use, lol. i have about enough irish/scottish to fill the end of my little finger, and we have a french last name! i love the french girls' names (hence vivienne over vivian), but living in the UP, with our luck we'll have a daughter and give her a beautiful french name only to have her grow up and marry a big finlander and change it, lol. i REALLY struggle with boys' names, because we have the added restriction of it having to begin with 'r'. greeeeeeeaaaaaaat. lol! i hope you have better luck finding names you really love AND can use than me!
Serafina
Texas
4/16/09 12:57 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: carly.d Reply Report
My favorite "R" boys name is Roman, but DH doesn't like it. *sigh*
We are soooo bad at boys' names. Why are they so much harder??
We really think the kid will come and we still will have no idea what to name him/her.
ray
B.C.
4/16/09 1:16 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
We had a whole bunch of girls names that we liked as well, but the boys names we had a harder time with as well. I wonder why that is. There are so many boys names that I like better than the girls names, but DH is so picky when it comes to the boys names. He doesn't just want any boy name. Oh, he wants like some sort of warrior name or something. He thinks he is playing his role playing games.
carly.d
Marquette, MI
4/16/09 1:19 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
the only roman i ever knew was really annoying, so it's a bad association for me. (plus the whole "people from rome" thing...has a slight cheese factor for me.) i'd like ryan if it wasn't so common and i didn't have MORE bad associasions (i actually have known TWO really annoying ryans, and work with a really nice one, but then there's the complication of having a close-ish acquaintance with that name). there are two or three that we like (not love, just like), but i'm keeping quiet about them. rorik was a favorite on that list, until another coworker and his wife had a baby last august and named him rorik. what are the odds of that? dad's name is sven though, and he's got this really obviously swedish last name, lol. i should have figured. (i have a bit of norwegian, which is how i was justifying it for myself.)
boys' names are really hard. girls' names have so many more possibilities.
ray
B.C.
4/16/09 1:25 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: carly.d Reply Report
You can give boyish names to girls and its cute, but it isn't as cute to do the reverse.
carly.d
Marquette, MI
4/16/09 1:41 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: ray Reply Report
er, i don't find it cute. i know a lot of people do, but just as many don't. i find it confusing and cruel. one of DH's distant cousins has four kids: tom, brian, one whose name escapes me right now (samuel, i think?), and michael. four boys, right? you'd think so, but no. michael is a girl. poor girl is 20 now. she HATES her name. she went by mickey as a kid, but she hates that too. she's a very angry girl. i wonder how much of that stems from annoyance caused by her name? i also met a baby girl named randall last summer. seriously? RANDALL? the parents said in this happy upbeat tone, "we call her RANDI!" omg. if you wanted to call her randi so bad, why not "miranda"? a perfectly sound girls' name that grows up well with the cute tomboy nickname option. everybody wins.
sorry, the use of boys' names on girls is a pet peeve of mine.
Serafina
Texas
4/16/09 8:00 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: carly.d Reply Report
Yes, my S-MIL has reminded me REPEATEDLY that the current trend is to use what would traditionally be a last name as a girl's first name. Um, NO THANK YOU. Same thing would go for naming a girl a classically male name like Michael. Poor girl.
Rorik IS really unique. It's kind of reminds me of the guy's name from that movie A Knight's Tale, although I think that was Orich or Oreck...
Yeah, I had a long ago ex-bf named Ryan, so no way on that one! I hear you on the "people from Rome" thing. I kind of feel that way, too. The name appeals to me, but maybe not for my only boy. Ray, I am really picky, too, about a boy's name! I want it to be something strong sounding and essentially timeless or literary in some way. Not common or trendy or weak sounding. Boys are tough.
Eowyn
Western Australia
4/16/09 8:16 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I think I'm the opposite, every time I've thought about baby names, I find it easier to come up with boys names than girls. The only trouble I have is finding a guys name that works with Timothy as a middle name (husband's first name). I really like Andrew Timothy, but we know so many Andrew's (three off the top of my head) that I just couldn't bring myself to use it.
Ray, I could totally see my husband doing the "I want to name our son with a warrior-sounding name" - except I'd probably be going along with it but I'm weird like that (and I read way too much fantasy).
carly.d
Marquette, MI
4/17/09 6:52 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
"...the current trend is to use what would traditionally be a last name as a girl's first name. Um, NO THANK YOU."
ITA with your sentiment. i don't get why people get so caught up in trends for something so permanent! this kid will have to live with the name for his/her entire life, which (god willing) will be extremely long! everyone knows that trends are just that...they are something everyone does for a while, and then they CHANGE. so why would you use something so TRENDY for an application so PERMANENT?
it's like wearing the latest hottest runway fashion on your wedding day. twenty, ten, heck even FIVE years from now, you'd look at your photos and say, "OMFG, what was i THINKING?" except that you're giving the name to someone ELSE who has no say in it! the child has to live with and pay for the parents' bad judgment. it's just so stupid, IMO.
Serafina
Texas
4/17/09 8:07 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: carly.d Reply Report
Well, when you are pregnant it seems EVERYONE wants to give you name suggestions/advice. Even my doctor suggested a name yesterday! And my mother bugged me to tell her, and then when I listed "Eden Elizabeth" she very quickly replied, "Oh, I don't like that." UGH! Then don't tell my kid someday that you hate her name, okay? Geez!
My MIL keeps submitting a vote for the (boy's) name of Hunter, which is not in the running at ALL-- because for one, I don't particularly like it (it sounds trendy to me) and also our last name starts with an "H", and I think they sound bad together.
People are so funny. I have to try to laugh all this stuff off.
ray
B.C.
4/17/09 8:10 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I have the same problem. My Dad hates all sorts of names. He is all of a sudden so opinionated about the baby names. It is very frustrating.
Serafina
Texas
4/17/09 8:19 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: ray Reply Report
I've just told them they will find out the name when the baby is born. And that we are open to suggestions, but we reserve the right to:
1. Take suggestions but not use them...
2. Not tell you what we are considering...
3. Use the name we like best in the end.
ray
B.C.
4/17/09 8:34 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I think in this kind of situation you are doing it right. It's your baby, you can name it whatever you want.
carly.d
Marquette, MI
4/17/09 8:36 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
haha, DH and i were discussing finding out the sex if/when our time comes (we've agreed to be surprised the first time around and find out the second), and he said that even if we do find out, we shouldn't tell anyone, because then his mom will be trying to name it for us. and i said, "uh, hon, she doesn't need to know the sex to do that." lol. MIL is very pushy, manipulative, and opinionated, but she means well (i hope).
Serafina
Texas
4/17/09 9:34 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: carly.d Reply Report
Another key advantage of NOT knowing the sex is that you buy WAY less. I can only imagine how many little pink outfits I'd have now if my MIL knew our baby was a girl...(she has only grandsons at this point)
carly.d
Marquette, MI
4/17/09 10:13 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
i feel a little guilty to admit that i have thought of that, but from a different angle. i figured that if nobody knows the sex of the baby, if they buy us gifts, they'll be more likely to buy us USEFUL stuff instead of a ton of cute clothes that the kid will probably grow out of before we get the chance to dress the kid in them. this will be the first grandbaby on all three sides (unless my sister gets knocked up by accident before we start trying or BIL gets a girl pregnant...he has to actually start DATING first though, lol), so i think that everyone will go hog wild. actually, it's almost the first great-grandbaby on all sides too. haha.
Serafina
Texas
4/17/09 10:31 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: carly.d Reply Report
Hey don't feel guilty-- it's true! I got some very useful items at my baby shower. I was very thankful to not get all cute clothes that the baby would outgrow anyway. Besides, down here in Texas, my little one will spend the first few months in a onesie or T-shirt and a diaper anyhow! People love to buy the dressy newborn outfits, and how often does the kid really wear those? Not that much...
Eowyn
Western Australia
4/21/09 10:43 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Serafina, I like your "we'll listen, but reserve the right to ignore you" baby-naming plan :)
I think it would be fun to hear other's opinions and ideas, but that's probably because I'm not pregnant and don't have to put up with it 24/7! We've already come up with a bunch of names we like (due to an instance of late-night insomnia), so unless someone else had a brain-wave, we wouldn't really need suggestions.
I am torn on the concept of knowing/not-knowing. I think my husband would prefer not to find out, but I think for the first baby at least, I would rather know. I'd feel more prepared that way. I can be surprised next time around
Serafina
Texas
4/29/09 10:03 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Just popping in to note a craving that suddenly started at 34 weeks. Rice Krispy Treats. I've eaten almost half a pan so far, and I still want more. I had one for breakfast today!
Yesterday I bought a bunch of birth supplies and continued my "Declutter Mission". I haven't gotten the nesting instinct to clean anything, but I am really into organizing and decluttering right now. I love the feeling of less.
ray
B.C.
4/29/09 10:23 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
That is funny because I went grocery shopping yesterday and I kept on eyeing the ricecrispy squares. I prefer them when I make them myself though. I like them when they are more crunchy and less gooey. I really wanted one, but I was out from 7 in the morning until 7 at night just doing random things all day. I think I might have to make them in the very near future.
LaLainaj
New York
4/29/09 10:41 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Oh, yummy, I LOVE rice crispy treats. I haven't made them in years though. You are making me want to! LOL.
Happy to hear your decluttering is coming along.
Serafina
Texas
4/29/09 11:10 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
I can't remember the last time I made them, either! (aside from yesterday, LOL) And yes, they are MUCH better "homemade". The store-bought ones seem greasy to me.
Hope you both make some krispies soon! It's funny how when you're PG and you get an idea into your head how you just can't think about anything else...
mrs.kj
4/29/09 11:13 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
It's funny how when you're PG and you get an idea into your head how you just can't think about anything else...
This is the case with me and I'm not even pg yet! ha! Today I've been craving dill pickle chips. I would eat the whole bag if I had some. Yummy!
LaLainaj
New York
4/29/09 11:25 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: mrs.kj Reply Report
This is the case with me and I'm not even pg yet! ha! Today I've been craving dill pickle chips. I would eat the whole bag if I had some. Yummy!
Unless you actually are! You never do know. LOL
ray
B.C.
4/29/09 11:42 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: LaLainaj Reply Report
Yeah, that's what I was thinking
Eowyn
Western Australia
4/29/09 9:33 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: ray Reply Report
What exactly are rice krispy treats? I've heard them mentioned, but I was never quite sure what they were.
mrs.kj
4/30/09 7:04 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Eowyn Reply Report
Oh, Eowyn--they are so wonderful! You melt butter in a saucepan over low heat, then add marshmallows. When the marshmallows are completely melted, remove from heat and add in Rice Krispies Cereal. Stir it all up until the cereal is good and coated. Then spread into a baking dish {9X13} and let cool. When cooled, cut into squares and eat!
Do you have rice krispies cereal available in your area?
ray
B.C.
4/30/09 7:36 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: mrs.kj Reply Report
Guess what???? I made rice Crispy squares last night!!! and they are all gone now. Of course I made them with my friend, so we split the batch. I am so glad that you mentioned them, because if you hadn't I wouldn't of thought to make them!!
Serafina
Texas
4/30/09 2:06 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: ray Reply Report
I'm glad I passed on the Krispy-love. Think I might have to go have one right now...mmm...a 9x13" pan should alleviate the craving. Maybe.
Eowyn
Western Australia
4/30/09 7:26 PM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Serafina Reply Report
Ahhh, they sound... sweet :)
We have the same thing, by a different name. They're Rice Bubbles over here :)
You're making me want chocolate crackles now... melt vegetable shortening, mix it with cocoa and rice bubbles and put it into cupcake patty pans, then whack them in the fridge til they're cold... mmmm yummy Might have to get some copha tomorrow when we go food shopping
aBride4U2remember
Ontario, Canada
5/1/09 6:51 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: Eowyn Reply Report
mmm mmm mmm rice crispy squares.....I know what I'm making tonight!!
ray
B.C.
5/1/09 7:52 AM
Re: serafina's pregnancy journal
Reply To: aBride4U2remember Reply Report
My DH liked them so much he requested I make more. He usually doesn't care for sweats. They are so easy to make too.
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