Magnificent Mamas (Closed Group)

LittleSpy

Don't hate me... I don't have any stretchmarks (yet?) from pregnancy. At this point I don't think I'm going to get any because I feel like my skin can still stretch pretty easily (I can still easily pull it and stretch it out at the biggest part of my belly). I'll be fine if I do get them but I've been very pleasantly surprised that I've managed to get this far without them. I thought it was probably because I had been so overweight recently & then lost 80 pounds before pregnancy so my skin was still stretched or something. Also, you know I'm "so small" that people "can't even tell" I'm pregnant. But my mom said she never got any during pregnancy, either, and she was tiny when she got pregnant (and huge while she was pregnant) so I think maybe she passed along some decent super elastic skin genes to me or something. :huh:

I do have stretchmarks on my boobs and hips from puberty and on my arms (from being fat, I guess?) but they're all whitish instead of red now (I remember when the ones on my hips & boobs were red & then pink). I think the ones on my arms stand out the most but they're probably the most recent. I figure they'll always be there but will fade more overtime. I assume stretchmarks from pregnancy would be similar. I really don't mind if I end up with some on my belly though. They're kind of like cool battle scars.

sthorp1179

Julie - my cocker spaniel used to chew diapers as well which he fished out of the trash, he used to eat the poop until we caught him and now all the dirty ones go in the outside trash bin straight away...yuck! He never suffered though I'm not sure if he ate the gel but I'm sure your dog will be fine in a couple of days.

We shower alone but its an open house when someone is on the toilet, haha, not much is sacred in this house.

Ronya - I told my mother a couple of days after I found out about this pregnancy, I was definitely a lot more guarded this time around but since our night out everyone pretty much knows as they guessed why I wasn't drinking. I guess I'm cool with that because I'm feeling so much more secure in this pregnancy already.

Glad you had some quality time with your MIL and don't feel guilty about the ice cream, dairy is good for you, calciummy!

Sherri - looking good hot mama! Glad you got some quality family time in the great outdoors, I love spending time out with the kids when we an let them run loose and burn off that excess energy.

Anne - you are so sweet, its so lovely to know that you are thinking positive thoughts about this pregnancy, I'm sure it all helps! Glad you got some lovely things for Elise, she's going to be a very lucky girl when she arrives x

On the clothes front, you have to remember the change in seasons sometimes its hard to buy clothes that will fit for 6 months in the future now. I would stick with what you have got for now and see what you use the most in the first few months and perhaps in autumn buy some things then that are warmer for the winter that you know that Elise will wear. I usually stock up in the sales in sizes a year bigger so that come next summer/spring etc. you will have some cute outfits and you can buy some more at the time.

Unfortunately stretch marks don't go away but they do fade from pink or red to silvery grey and are barely noticable. Bio oil claims to help with the appearance but in reality all it does is speeds up the process. Be proud of those stretch marks because your amazing body is growing the most beautiful perfect daughter in the world and you have earned them!

brittonymiller

I got stretch marks on my boobs first thing when I got pregnant. They are not pretty. I have stretch marks on my tummy now. Got them around 35 weeks. 1 or 2 at first. Now I have maybe 5 or 6. They're really not that bad, though- maybe an inch long. I thought I was going to flip out when I first saw them, but I didn't. They are like little Mommy scars. Plus my husband pointed out that they will probably shrink a little once the baby comes out and my belly isn't so stretched. I bought another thing of Bio Oil last night at CVS. It took me awhile to find it. It was hiding in the anti-itch cream section of the pharmacy, rather than in the beauty/lotion section. It's expensive, but I liked my first bottle, which is now almost gone. Plus I had a $4 off $20 purchase coupon, so I looked at it as four bucks cheaper than normal.

Today has been a very lazy day. I took my hubby to Cracker Barrel for breakfast for Father's Day since he's a daddy in training. It's pretty much been raining the rest of the day. I got really swolen this morning, the worst it's ever been. My middle toes looked like they were going to explode. Then I got kind of nauseous and had to lay down. I ended up going in the nursery to relax in the recliner and watch the Bucket List. Then I got really hungry all of the sudden and almost fainted while waiting for my turkey burger to heat up. It's been a very up and down kind of day with regards to pregnancy, which never happens. I guess I'm just getting close to the end

Doctor's appointment tomorrow morning. I'm kind of relieved with the swelling that's been going on the past day and a half. Just want to make sure all checks out okay.

jamielangner

Megan - wow, lucky you for those giftcards! aren't the baby floats so adorable?? i have 3 already this summer, i can't stop buying them lol!

Steph - it's good to know that you're feeling sick

Sheri - you are looking fabulous! looks like you guys had fun also, i love that one with your son's hands up lol

Anne - i would at least have some 3-6 stuff on hand because they grow so fast that it's hard to keep up. you don't want to one day look in her closet and find that nothing fits her! grow spurts sneak up on you lol my stretch marks have gotten lighter but they haven't gone away

AnneElise

Sad about the stretch marks, I was hoping I wouldn’t get them but I didn’t have tons of hope. I just don’t really want to be 24 with lots of stretch marks on the belly but oh well!

Thanks for the clothing advice everyone!

Julie- People keep saying I am small too. They know I am pregnant but they can’t believe 33 weeks. It is annoying. I feel your pain.

Britt- Sounds like a good and bad day Hope you have a good dr. apt. tomorrow.

Hope everyone had a nice weekend.

I have had a horrible headache today. May be because my apple and donut breakfast was the only thing that stayed down today. Heading to bed early.

LittleSpy

Hubby and I just had a chat and laid out what our boundaries are going to be for labor & right after baby arrives. These are a lot more extreme than I initially planned on because of the way my mom has reacted to me informing her (for the 2nd time) she won't be welcome in the labor & delivery room. She has apparently been pouting all day about it (my dad told me he had talked to her earlier today & she pouted to him). She's acting like a child and making me feel like I'm being unreasonable and rude by laying down boundaries when I think in reality she's the one being very disrespectful to me. So, to make things "fair" for everyone, these are the rules:

1. No one will be notified until Maisie has been born and I've recovered. At that point, grandparents will be notified and invited to travel to see us at the hospital (the 3 we'll call all live 1.5-2.5 hours away; fil is farther away & has no desire to drive 8 hours to the hospital but we'll call him to share the news of course).
2. No one, other than hubby, will be spending the night at the hospital. They have to make their own accommodations unless they'd like to stay at our house & take care of our dogs while we stay at the hospital (you know... to be "helpful").
3. No other visitors will be allowed at the hospital. The postpartum room is too small and we anticipate we'll be too tired.
4. Once home, overnight visitors will only be allowed to stay for 2-3 nights at a time. We prefer only one visitor at a time because we only have one guest bed. No one will be allowed to plant themselves at our house or nearby to stay for weeks at a time.
5. No one visitor will be given priority over any other. This may mean visitors will have to take turns staying the night or may have to get a hotel room or find another accommodation for the night. If they can't be mature about the situation, they will be asked to leave.
6. All visitors must call ahead or we will have no problem turning them down at the door.

Basically I have a lot of anxiety issues and the majority of them are really set off by my family (um, mother). I want this to be as pleasant as possible and I feel like my husband and I deserve to enjoy a drama free experience. My mom has invited herself to be WAY too involved for comfort and I feel like now we really have no choice but to lay out our expectations as plainly as possible. I expect she will be extremely upset about these boundaries.

I feel no need for any support other than my husband in the labor & delivery room. We also don't feel like we need help at home. Our situation is different from a lot of people because hubby works from home. We'll both be home for 12 weeks straight. We both like privacy and aren't thrilled about the idea of anyone being on top of us for even a few days but we're willing to compromise and allow overnight visitors. We understand they're excited but we feel like we're being as flexible as we're willing to be on this. Honestly, what we've decided on isn't our ideal but rather a compromise of what we want and what our family (mostly my mother...) wants.

So, honestly, please -- are our requests reasonable? Or do you feel like it would be more appropriate for us to compromise more? If we were to totally get our way, everyone would stay away for a week or so after Maisie is born. Then they would only come for daytime visits and no one would stay at our house for the first few weeks. My best friend is really the only person I'd like to stay overnight for more than a night or 2 (she lives in Maryland, I'm in SC) and she has already said she'd love to come whenever WE'RE ready to have her to visit and get to know the baby and do whatever I need her to do. You know.... to help. She's the ONLY person who has expressed interest in staying with us who has actually been respectful at all about what *we* want.

AnneElise

Julie- I think it is totally you and DH's decision! It sounds like you guys have put a lot of thought and care into what you want. I think it is reasonable to not have anyone stay at your house at all if thats what you wish.

MisdemeanorM

Julie, there's no way I would ever want anyone other than PITAH (I don't like "dh" I call him pain in the *kitten* hubby) the delivery room w me! My mom and dad were there about 30 mins or an hour really early on for me. They drove all the way from Chicago and were just picking up my other son. They just hung out long enough to say hello and get him awake and out of there. I don't think they were all that keen on seeing me puking every ten minutes with a migraine and I was definitely not keen on them seeing anything more than that. I wouldnt mind family and close friends visiting at the hospital but if I actualy lived closer to "home" and there wasthen chance that people would show up I might feel different. House guests I'd say 2-3 weeks. I don't need them there when I'm in the bathroom bleeding all over and can't sit because of bruising and stitches... my mom came down this time and stayed the first week inusing at fhe hospital, but that's given extenuating circumstances where some support was warranted.

joonzgurl

Julie I don't think you are being unreasonable. This labour and delivery is all about you. You are the mother and you are the one going through this life changing experience. Your wants and desires need to come first. People need to respect that, and if they don't, then you guys need to force them to, unfortunately.

That being said, however, I don't think I would approach the subject by sending all of this in an email or whatever (not sure how you are planning to share, that is just my opinion though- it might come across better if you speak it rather than write it). Hopefully your mother handles it ok.

joonzgurl

Sheri you guys look great!! Sounds like an awesome family day.

jamielangner

Julie - It's your baby so ultimately it's your decision and people will have to respect that. I will say that now is probably a good time to make sure everyone knows their boundaries because you definitely don't want to be fighting about this with anyone pp when you are super emotional. I am also a private person so I've only had their dad in the delivery room. Luckily, my mother has been great knowing when I want her around and when to leave me alone. I do know how you feel though because my girls father's mom is very overbearing and even pushed to be in the delivery room during both births... seriously?!? This I really don't get at all. If I was going to have anyone in the delivery room besides the father, it would be *MY* mom. She is just crazy. But hey, she's the one who still calls and pressures me to let her come stay with me even though me & the father have broken up. I will say this though, the first couple nights can be completely overwhelming. You should think about if you are the type of person that might want someone sleeping in the guest room that you can hand Masie off to if you get too overwhelmed, or if you'd rather have your privacy with hubby that night for you guys to handle it yourselves without someone coming in saying "is everything ok in here?" if they hear the baby crying a lot... Everyone is different so some people might like having a "backup" there, but if you don't want them poking in to check on you, it might be better for them to not be there at all the first couple days until you get a handle on things. If your mom is already being too involved for your liking, it might be hard for her to stay out of the way once the baby is actually here and crying. Also, I think it's better to tell people the worst case scenario. Like, you know if you tell people you don't want overnight visitors at all, but then change your mind and let them stay, they will be thrilled. But if you tell someone they can stay overnight, and then change your mind and say they can't, they will likely be very upset and might cause more drama. WOW, I wrote a lot lol.

Mel - lmao @ PITAH

LittleSpy

Thanks so much for the advice, ladies. I fully intend on setting the boundaries in person (she's staying at my house right now because my gramma's in the hospital here).

It's just that she always does this to me. She wants to be way more involved and wants way more going on than I want and she never asks me what I would like before she starts taking it upon herself to do whatever she wants to do. I have been upset for pretty much every major life event that I've been through (graduation, marriage, most birthdays even) because she doesn't respect my limits. She pitched an unbelievable fit about hubby and I unsecretly eloping last year. She's STILL pouting over the fact that MIL is the one who signed our marriage license. Yeah.. well, it just so happened she lived 20 minutes away from where we were staying for our "honeymoon" and she's a Notary. My mom has even tried to say we aren't really married because there was no "ceremony." Sorry mom, a signed marriage license means we're legally married. Then she went into a frenzy trying to plan a party for us which I insisted we didn't want. I finally talked her down from renting a place & inviting tons of people I don't give 2 craps about to a cookout at her house with only very immediate family. She just HAD to send out wedding announcements and she just HAD to announce it in her city's paper and it just goes on and on and on. I didn't want her to do any of it. I even asked her NOT to do most of it (but she did it anyway).

Yikes, I'm sorry I'm going on about this. I guess I'm just really upset about it and I know my hubby has to be tired of hearing it (and you guys are welcome to skip over it if you dont want to read about it! ). Ha, last night when we were talking about it he was like "I swear we'll move to Oregon if our moms are going to be this crazy." :laugh: I'm totally on board with that at this point.

AnneElise

Julie- Don't feel bad about going on. It sounds like I wouldn't want your mom around at the start either, she makes you more stressed out and upset than relaxed and you don't need that! I don't want DH's parents here for at least a week after the birth because they do that to both of us sometimes and I don't want to take that risk. My mom on the other hand might be the most wonderful human alive so I am happy for her to come wherever. My sister also is very good with boundries. Your mom doesn't sound like she is the type who will help you after the birth so I say go with your gut!

Soon2Bfitmamaof3

Anne- Hope your head feels better today

Julie- sounds fine to me, you’re giving way more than I would. Visitors can become stressful especially when you’re running on adrenaline. Just be sure to grab Maisie and take her to your room to “nurse her” when you feel overwhelmed. Everyone needs to understand that your life is changing so much and you need to recuperate. Hopefully they’ll bring some yummy food so you don’t have to worry about that. I only allowed grandmas and uncles at the hospital and only for a 30 minute visit. I become dog like peeing all over my territory…. Not really but I do not like many people around my baby, it is a human not a toy and everyone just has to realize this. You’ll probably see what I’m talking about when multiple people are around and handing her off from one person to the next, I did really good with boundaries this time around so we didn’t have this problem. Took 3 times before I learned to set boundaries so good for you getting them up the first time around. My mom and I don't have the best relationship so she often feels that I dont love her but come one, she lives in my house and has to respect my boundaries or I have no problem being rude, argumentative or whatever I have to be to get my point across.

Jamie - hubby's mom used to be super overbearing until I became the "bitc**y" wife :laugh: I have had to push my hubby to push his mom off a bit, just doesnt feel like my place

dragonfly74

Ronya ~ I am going to still be doing 30 Day Shred on the days I don't have an hour to workout, but I would still like Slim in 6 to be my primary exercise program.

Megan ~ I would love some company in doing Slim in 6! It really is a great program, just long, but effective.

Julie ~ Your wishes sound reasonable to me. I didn't want anyone but my husband in the delivery room with me either. This is your precious time with your newborn that you will only experience once and it is important for you to enjoy her on your terms.

Sheri ~ you are looking fantastic! You have a lovely family too.

Anne ~ I hope your headache has gone away and you are feeling better today.

Wade slept through the night right at his 10 week date for the first time! We put him down Friday night at 9:30 and he slept until 6:36 am! Saturday he went down later but slept until after 6 am. Unfortunately last night he was up every two hours, something must have been bothering him.

Hope everyone has an amazing week!

jamielangner

Happy Monday! I'm a little miserable because I'm at work today and have to wear a bra and shirt all day lol. I've been walking around my house topless as much as possible with the prescription cream on my nipples trying to get some relief from the thrush. It is really awful! Hayley's mouth looks better since starting to use the prescription so hopefully it is working. I can't wait for it to be gone!

I got WONDERFUL news that my daughter has gotten a spot in military daycare! The waiting list is insanely long so I wasn't sure if Hayley would get a spot by the time I would have to go back to work full time (July 11), but she did and I'm thrilled. It is much cheaper on the base, and MUCH easier for me since my other daughter already goes there, we live on base, and I work on base. So you can see why this is such good news for me! My milk supply has been suffering the last few days. I'm not sure if it is from the thrush or not. FOB is staying with Hayley while I work today and he actually brought her here when she got hungry so I could breastfeed her instead of pump today since I've been having such problems. I kind of broke down while I was feeding her in the car. I just can't help but be upset that I'm going to have to return to work full time soon and I won't get to spend as much time with my girls. I'm also really worried about my milk supply when returning to work full time since I'm having a hard time with it now. I guess I should stop being upset and just be grateful for being able to work from home as much as I have because my supervisor definitely did not have to let me telework until now.

brittonymiller

Jamie-That is awesome!! Congrats. It has got to be such a relief knowing both of your girls will be in the same place and so close. Plus the financial aspects!

Bethe- It's great that Wade is starting to sleep through the night. I wonder how long it'll take my baby to get to that point. I'm glad I'll be home for the first two months and only working part-time after that. Getting up in the middle of the night and everything will be much easier for me since I'll be able to nap midday if necessary.

Julie- My Mom got really pissed at me because I didn't ask her to be a bridesmaid in my wedding... WHAT?! haha. Moms, at least you know they love you even if they are being overbearing about it. Again, I don't think you are out of line in the slightest. You stick to your guns!!

Rachickidee

Quick hello, I'll have to go back and read people's posts later. I hope everyone is having a good Monday. My weekend was great. Saturday I washed all my baby's clothes and organized all the shower gifts, then we went to a firework show that night. Sunday we went to both of our parent's house for Father's Day. Anyway, it was busy but good. Today was my dr. appointment. Things look good. I am only dialated about a finger (my MW said). Anyway, got to get back to work.

ron2282

Sheri – you look great! And I love the one all you and the kids, beautiful family!

Anne – I have yet to go thorough the clothes that were give to us so no idea what sizes we have. Other than an outfit to bring her home in and having lots of onesies I’m not too concerned about clothes. My family loves to buy clothes so I’m sure when they come visit after she’s born I’ll get plenty.

Megan – boo for no power!!!

Julie – I think you’re being totally reasonable. You and hubby need some time to adjust to your new family and figure everything out.

Bethe – yea for Wade sleeping through the night!!!! Hopefully it will be happen more often.

Jamie – Boo for a bra but yea for Hayley getting into daycare! I’m already getting upset thinking about going back to work, I’m sure I’ll be a total wreck when it’s time.

I’ve been sick all day so I came home from work at lunch time. Hubby and my in-laws went to visit some family in town so I got to sleep for a few hours. I’m feeling much better now so think I’m going to meet them in an hour or so. They leave for the airport tomorrow morning and for as much as they make me nuts I will really miss them. Then I’m going to hang out with my cousin that’s here from Australia and hopefully find something to wear to my other cousins wedding this Saturday. Fingers crossed!!!

dragonfly74

Just got my one hour of Slim in 6 ~ Burn it Up done. My husband watched the kids and let me get it done. Now time to find some lunch. My HRM said I burned 444 calories today. I was happy I was able to push through level 3. I definitely have some work to do because I did take some breaks but I will get there. Hoping to have my body back by the time the kids go back to school at the end of August.