Pregnancy 2011 - April

Babys come out looking pretty blue/purple but its totally normal, I panicked when I saw my firstborn but she soon started pinking up. Enjoy it, it truly is a miracle holding that baby and a moment you will never forget so while the labour may have been 4 days of absolute hell it will all be worth it (and you will soon forget it and probably want to do it all over again!)

Haha. I have no recollection of "meeting" my son. I remember them pulling him out in the OR and that he was nasty looking and thinking I was glad they weren't going to bring him near me right away. I imagine several hours later they did bring him to me... since it's three years later and he's still here! :laugh: :laugh: I don't remember any of it though for the first 8 or so hours post op!

I just found out that I am pregnant....so I am cautiously optimistic. I'm glad to find this board!!
:)Ariel

wow! babies require LOTS of stuff. I try to stay really organized and the thought of organzing all of my son's things is realllllly starting to overwhelm me. I have not even had my baby shower and it already seems lke he has so much. Does anyone have anything that they use o help keep thngs organized that you just could not live without?

Actually they don't need much! What do you have that needs organization and I could help. Do you mea like sheets, blankets, diapers, etc?

ok his closet is pretty small to begin with, and so is his room. i dont even know where to start as far as organzing his clothes ( what to hang, what to fold), then there are different sizes, some that come in sets, then there are hats and bibs and bootites and shoes. diapers, burp cloths, towels, rags, blankets ahh! like i said, im realllly organized usually, but i just dont know where to begin. the main thing that is frustrating to me is sorting all of his clothes. This is my first child, and im not used to tiny people's clothes haha

I understand! I love organizing, but w/ baby stuff it is overwhelming. I got so much w/ my first babies, twins. More than I could ever use. For myself I put into drawers the newborn stuff, then I would hang the other sizes or put them in labeled bins on the shelves or under the crib, if you are doing one. If you plan on getting a changing table I would put diapers, rags, burp cloths, etc on the changing table or in baskets on the changing table. Put the towels there too or in your bathroom if you plan on bathing baby there. Back to the drawers I would have a drawer for hats, socks, bibs, socks, and booties stacked in piles. I wouldn't keep the sets together, as you will most likely recall what goes together. I am not big on the sets personally. If the bibs are bigger than the small ones for teething or bottle feeding put those in the bigger sized bibs as well. Put onesies together, then shirts, pants, one pieces.

Baby will be in my room and I have one of these http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3006581 in my closet and one of these, similar to this one in my closet as well http://www.amazon.com/Munchkin-10081-Baby-Care-Cart/dp/B000JKPZVK/ref=sr_1_25?ie=UTF8&qid=1301950433&sr=8-25 and these are the baskets on the changing table http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2401876

wow! babies require LOTS of stuff. I try to stay really organized and the thought of organzing all of my son's things is realllllly starting to overwhelm me. I have not even had my baby shower and it already seems lke he has so much. Does anyone have anything that they use o help keep thngs organized that you just could not live without?

Actually they don't need much! What do you have that needs organization and I could help. Do you mea like sheets, blankets, diapers, etc?

ok his closet is pretty small to begin with, and so is his room. i dont even know where to start as far as organzing his clothes ( what to hang, what to fold), then there are different sizes, some that come in sets, then there are hats and bibs and bootites and shoes. diapers, burp cloths, towels, rags, blankets ahh! like i said, im realllly organized usually, but i just dont know where to begin. the main thing that is frustrating to me is sorting all of his clothes. This is my first child, and im not used to tiny people's clothes haha

I managed my first when we lived in an RV. His "closet" was the cabinet where a TV would have gone. We put up a hanging rod and I hung everything that would hang. The hangers clothes came on (or snag some from the store itself) are helpful - the ones that can hang pants with the shirt. Then I put a 3 drawer plastic organizer below that and had 1 drawer for burpers / blankets, 1 for onsies, and one for socks / bibs / hats and everything else random. There was one shelf under the whole unit where i kept diapers. The whole entire thing was probably about 2-3 feet wide and about the same tall. He slept in a pack and play in the living room / dining room / kitchen area. It was tight, but I never felt like there was not enough room - it just would have been nice to have more room!

I only kept out the 3 months of clothing he actually fit in. So all the 6-12 mo etc (that people had sent in advance or gifts) went in a rubbermade in the shed (thank god we had a shed!! 3 people + 2 dogs in 350 square feet!!) and I was diligent about labeling bins and changing stuff out when he outgrew it or it was time to move in new stuff. Even at that, I think there are things he never wore or only wore once. I figure at least they will be in good shape for this baby then!!

Also, don't be afraid to get rid of or regift things you find useless. I got a ton of baby washcloths and like 9 hooded towels. I kept a few washcloths and maybe 2 of the hooded towels. I know how to do laundry (and didn't totally bathe him all that much as a baby)! I don't need a million towels! If you feel really guilty since it's something someone gave you and you can't return it - maybe donate it to a women's shelter or something where it will really get used.

I kept up the super space saving and clothes rotating when we moved to a "house" (I use the term loosely! :laugh: :laugh:) since his bedroom was still only about 6 feet by 6 feet with a little closet. I did the same thing there - hanging everything I could and filling the rest of the closet with shelving (mostly for toys though since he was 1-3 at the time. We had one tall dresser and a twin bed (I got him the kind with drawers underneath for more room) and that took up all his floor space.

Now we're in a real house and his room is huge. I don't know what to do with all the space!! Well... i guess soon we are going to be filling it with his brother so... :laugh: :laugh:

I got in 3 days this week for the exercise challenge.

Tuesday - 25 min walk.

Wednesday - 30 mins light aerobics

Sunday - 2 hours cleaning/nesting

Yes, I'm officially nesting!!! I wore out a path from one end of my house to the other yesterday cleaning, moving stuff around, sorting through things, WHEW! It was a very successful day in terms of getting things accomplished! I have 7 garbage bags of clothes to take to Salvation Army along with 4 boxes of "stuff".

It rained here all day yesterday and the sides of the roads are a sloppy mess, so probably won't be able to do any outdoor walking this week. Hopefully I can stay motivated to be active indoors.

Oh! And Wal Mart has a great deal this week on the little trailors you pull behind a bike, they are $88! I like the thought of this for family bike rides much better than the seat that attaches to the bike. We looked at a few different sites for ones and this is the cheapest we've found. Even used on CL they were like $75. We'll be getting one for sure!

Go to Walmart and walk around there, I think it is great exercise to walk around in stores or malls when the weather outside is not cooperating. :laugh: We have one of those trailors, got it when we only had our first and it is still going so very well worth the investment. Only problem is that baby needs to be able to sit up on their own and you definately do not want a weeble wooble so I usually do not use ours until the kiddos are a year old.

Hi ladies, just checking in. MIL came over yesterday and actually fixed us dinner, made extra for lunch today, and cleaned my kitchen! Woohoo, I guess hubby telling her we need rest really worked. Brooklynn had her first follow up appointment today, I was sadly disappointed. My poor baby is down to 7 lbs 9 oz now and has jaundice, she had to get her poor little foot poked and her blood drawn Hubby had to take her into the lab because I could not handle the idea of them poking my baby :brokenheart:
I had thought that she was eating well though she is a bit lazy and falls asleep on the breast. Not sure what to do about that since I try everything to keep her awake during feedings. The nurse said that the baby should be taking in about 2 oz of breast milk at a feeding, they weigh the baby have you nurse them and weigh them again full. She took in just over an oz so that makes me feel like I am not doing a good enough job in the milk production area.

That is poor advice. A baby 4 days old does not need 2 oz of milk, that is standard for bottle feeding, not breast feeding. Jaundice is entirely normal, keep nursing and add sunning in a window. She probably has breast milk jaundice which is different and not a concern, beyond frequent nursings and sun in window. Also, weigh feed weigh is not an accurate measure of production, your breast aren't bottles holding a certain amount of milk, you make most of what baby consumes at a feeding, longer feeding, more milk consumed. At 4 days that is wonderful, not a poor production.

Dragonfly – I’m pretty sure I’ll be feeling the same way in a few months. But on the positive side you already know what to expect.

Stef – I’m glad you had a good appointment; hopefully you’ll be able to have a home birth.

911Girl – I love your new picture!!!! And 2 pounds on a cruise doesn’t seem bad at all, glad you had a good time.

Fitflores – welcome!

Kayla – I’m a little nervous about organizing too. I don’t plan on buying too much, but I know our families are going to overwhelm us with stuff (they’re already sending things). I had no idea where I’m going to go with all of it.

Sheri – Obviously I have no first hand knowledge of this, but I heard from a bunch of different places that it can take up to a week for your milk to fully come in. And isn’t it normal for babies to lose some weight in the first few day?

I’m having a hard time sending the message to my brain that I don’t need to shove every bit of food I see into my face. I let myself get way out of control the past few days and it’s harder than I thought to get back on track. On the good side though, I’m finally able to drink water again without it making me sick. I’ve already had 8 glasses so far. It’s a long way off from my normal pre-pregnancy amount of 15 glasses, but it’s better than the 3 a day I’ve been getting lately.

Hi ladies, just checking in. MIL came over yesterday and actually fixed us dinner, made extra for lunch today, and cleaned my kitchen! Woohoo, I guess hubby telling her we need rest really worked. Brooklynn had her first follow up appointment today, I was sadly disappointed. My poor baby is down to 7 lbs 9 oz now and has jaundice, she had to get her poor little foot poked and her blood drawn Hubby had to take her into the lab because I could not handle the idea of them poking my baby :brokenheart:
I had thought that she was eating well though she is a bit lazy and falls asleep on the breast. Not sure what to do about that since I try everything to keep her awake during feedings. The nurse said that the baby should be taking in about 2 oz of breast milk at a feeding, they weigh the baby have you nurse them and weigh them again full. She took in just over an oz so that makes me feel like I am not doing a good enough job in the milk production area.

That is poor advice. A baby 4 days old does not need 2 oz of milk, that is standard for bottle feeding, not breast feeding. Jaundice is entirely normal, keep nursing and add sunning in a window. She probably has breast milk jaundice which is different and not a concern, beyond frequent nursings and sun in window. Also, weigh feed weigh is not an accurate measure of production, your breast aren't bottles holding a certain amount of milk, you make most of what baby consumes at a feeding, longer feeding, more milk consumed. At 4 days that is wonderful, not a poor production.

In addition her birth weight was 8lbs 3oz. So in ounces that is 131 oz, w/ a norm, before concern, of 10% weight loss, which is 13. 1 oz. A 118 oz would be lowest w/ 10%, that is 7lbs 3oz. At this point there is no concern and she and you are exhibiting completely normal newborn behavior and numbers.

I have officially decided I want this baby to stay in! Labor is getting too real. Sometimes I wonder if it would be better to know exactly when it is coming. I'll take all the prayers I can get. I broke down in tears this morning with my husband. I just want it over with (labor that is).

Bethe... all of these months and never knew your name, lol. If your little man is anything like Brooklynn you will get a surprise, after all of those days I had figured that she was just never going to come out. The one thing I learned with her birth is not to wait for water breakage or bleeding, contractions is definately enough of a sign. To think I had thought there was no way it was "real labor"

Sheri ~ Yeah I thought it was about time I added my name! I am one of those people that has no bleeding prior to labor. My water only broke with my third putting me into fast and furious labor. My first labor was under 5 hours. My second was 4 hours and my third labor (the one where my water broke) was only 3 hours. So I am anticipating this one will come even faster. Who knows maybe 2 hours

Hi ladies, just checking in. MIL came over yesterday and actually fixed us dinner, made extra for lunch today, and cleaned my kitchen! Woohoo, I guess hubby telling her we need rest really worked. Brooklynn had her first follow up appointment today, I was sadly disappointed. My poor baby is down to 7 lbs 9 oz now and has jaundice, she had to get her poor little foot poked and her blood drawn Hubby had to take her into the lab because I could not handle the idea of them poking my baby :brokenheart:
I had thought that she was eating well though she is a bit lazy and falls asleep on the breast. Not sure what to do about that since I try everything to keep her awake during feedings. The nurse said that the baby should be taking in about 2 oz of breast milk at a feeding, they weigh the baby have you nurse them and weigh them again full. She took in just over an oz so that makes me feel like I am not doing a good enough job in the milk production area.

That is poor advice. A baby 4 days old does not need 2 oz of milk, that is standard for bottle feeding, not breast feeding. Jaundice is entirely normal, keep nursing and add sunning in a window. She probably has breast milk jaundice which is different and not a concern, beyond frequent nursings and sun in window. Also, weigh feed weigh is not an accurate measure of production, your breast aren't bottles holding a certain amount of milk, you make most of what baby consumes at a feeding, longer feeding, more milk consumed. At 4 days that is wonderful, not a poor production.

In addition her birth weight was 8lbs 3oz. So in ounces that is 131 oz, w/ a norm, before concern, of 10% weight loss, which is 13. 1 oz. A 118 oz would be lowest w/ 10%, that is 7lbs 3oz. At this point there is no concern and she and you are exhibiting completely normal newborn behavior and numbers.

Thank you Annabelle, you are making me feel much better. The boys had formula even if it was only as a supplement so this is the first baby that I have done exclusive breastfeeding. My last nursing session I was only able to keep her awake for about 10 mins. I decided that getting the food in her was most important, and my breast felt like they were ripping at the seams so I pumped for a few mins and had hubby give it to her in a bottle.

@ Sheri
Hi ladies, just checking in. MIL came over yesterday and actually fixed us dinner, made extra for lunch today, and cleaned my kitchen! Woohoo, I guess hubby telling her we need rest really worked. Brooklynn had her first follow up appointment today, I was sadly disappointed. My poor baby is down to 7 lbs 9 oz now and has jaundice, she had to get her poor little foot poked and her blood drawn Hubby had to take her into the lab because I could not handle the idea of them poking my baby :brokenheart:
I had thought that she was eating well though she is a bit lazy and falls asleep on the breast. Not sure what to do about that since I try everything to keep her awake during feedings. The nurse said that the baby should be taking in about 2 oz of breast milk at a feeding, they weigh the baby have you nurse them and weigh them again full. She took in just over an oz so that makes me feel like I am not doing a good enough job in the milk production area.

That is poor advice. A baby 4 days old does not need 2 oz of milk, that is standard for bottle feeding, not breast feeding. Jaundice is entirely normal, keep nursing and add sunning in a window. She probably has breast milk jaundice which is different and not a concern, beyond frequent nursings and sun in window. Also, weigh feed weigh is not an accurate measure of production, your breast aren't bottles holding a certain amount of milk, you make most of what baby consumes at a feeding, longer feeding, more milk consumed. At 4 days that is wonderful, not a poor production.

I would have to agree. Emma was sick when she was 5.5 months old and I had to weigh breastfeed weigh and the dr. said she wasn't eating enough, I offered to pump so they could measure accurately, but i don't pump well. so they MADE me top her up with formula. and when she wouldn't drink it all they FORCED it in her via NG tube! (nasal gastric) :sad:

but her weight finally came back up and I was NEVER SO HAPPY to take that f'ing tube out of my baby's nose!

and I also agree with the 10% weight loss. You're baby was receiving all her fluids directly from you. her little body has to figure things out on her own. it's actually much more of a loss if you've had a c'section, b/c of the extra fluids you're receiving also goes to baby!
Annabelle is ONE SMART COOKIE! :flowerforyou:

@ Sheri
Hi ladies, just checking in. MIL came over yesterday and actually fixed us dinner, made extra for lunch today, and cleaned my kitchen! Woohoo, I guess hubby telling her we need rest really worked. Brooklynn had her first follow up appointment today, I was sadly disappointed. My poor baby is down to 7 lbs 9 oz now and has jaundice, she had to get her poor little foot poked and her blood drawn Hubby had to take her into the lab because I could not handle the idea of them poking my baby :brokenheart:
I had thought that she was eating well though she is a bit lazy and falls asleep on the breast. Not sure what to do about that since I try everything to keep her awake during feedings. The nurse said that the baby should be taking in about 2 oz of breast milk at a feeding, they weigh the baby have you nurse them and weigh them again full. She took in just over an oz so that makes me feel like I am not doing a good enough job in the milk production area.

That is poor advice. A baby 4 days old does not need 2 oz of milk, that is standard for bottle feeding, not breast feeding. Jaundice is entirely normal, keep nursing and add sunning in a window. She probably has breast milk jaundice which is different and not a concern, beyond frequent nursings and sun in window. Also, weigh feed weigh is not an accurate measure of production, your breast aren't bottles holding a certain amount of milk, you make most of what baby consumes at a feeding, longer feeding, more milk consumed. At 4 days that is wonderful, not a poor production.

I would have to agree. Emma was sick when she was 5.5 months old and I had to weigh breastfeed weigh and the dr. said she wasn't eating enough, I offered to pump so they could measure accurately, but i don't pump well. so they MADE me top her up with formula. and when she wouldn't drink it all they FORCED it in her via NG tube! (nasal gastric) :sad:

but her weight finally came back up and I was NEVER SO HAPPY to take that f'ing tube out of my baby's nose!

and I also agree with the 10% weight loss. You're baby was receiving all her fluids directly from you. her little body has to figure things out on her own. it's actually much more of a loss if you've had a c'section, b/c of the extra fluids you're receiving also goes to baby!
Annabelle is ONE SMART COOKIE! :flowerforyou:

Sounds like a horrible experience, I could not stand the idea of anything being wrong with my baby. The nurse called me and said that her jaundice level was almost 14 and so we need to take her back Wednesday for another blood draw. Hubby and I are totally unsure what to do about this. I am going to email the kids pediatrician and see what he says but so far we are leaning towards not having another draw. He said it was freaky the way they take her blood and he does not want her to go through that again unless it is absolutely necessary. They use this little scan thing on the forehead and if it reads high then you get the blood drawn so I think I am going to have them do that reader thing to see what it says and ONLY if it is high will we even think of taking her back to the lab. So torn between not letting them do unnecessary testing on her and not letting anything happen to my baby. I think I am becoming hormonal

Sheri - just had another thought, when I first started a midwife told me that if baby kept falling asleep while feeding to try and strip baby off a little maybe to her vest so she's not so snuggly warm or maybe change her nappy in the middle of a feed to keep her awake for longer. Hope this helps.

Thank you, I'm here to help whenever I can, breastfeeding is one of my specialist subjects, having done a breastfeeding peer support course a couple of years ago. I have also read extensively about pregnancy, labour and birth over the years, I was going to train to become a midwife myself but with soon to be 4 little ones, I am not sure how I would fit a 3 yr degree course in my hectic schedule :laugh: