Pregnancy Q&A

This was posted on a pregnancy forum I frequent. I figured a lot of you out there could probably appreciate it as much as me!

Should I have a baby after 35?
~No, 35 children are enough.


Can a mother get pregnant while nursing?
~Yes, but it’s much easier if she removes the baby from her breast and puts him to sleep first.


My husband and I are very attractive. I’m sure our baby will be beautiful enough for commercials. Whom should I contact about this?
~Your therapist.


I’m two months pregnant now. When will my baby move?
~With any luck, right after he finishes high school.


How will I know if my vomiting is morning sickness or the flu?
~If it’s the flu, you’ll get better.


Since I became pregnant, my breasts, rear-end, and even my feet have grown. Is there anything that gets smaller during pregnancy?
~Yes, your bladder.


What is the most common pregnancy craving?
~For men to be the ones who get pregnant.


What is the most reliable method to determine a baby’s sex?
~Childbirth.


The more pregnant I get, the more often strangers smile at me. Why?
~‘Cause you’re fatter than they are.


My wife is five months pregnant and so moody that sometimes she’s borderline irrational.
~So what’s your question?


What’s the difference between a nine-month pregnant woman and a model?
~Nothing, if the pregnant woman’s husband knows what’s good for him.


I normally wear a size 34-C bra. Now that I’m pregnant, should I continue to wear a bra?
~Not if you don’t mind switching in the future to a size 34-Long.


Do I have to have a baby shower?
~Not if you change the baby’s diaper very quickly.


Under what circumstances can sex at the end of pregnancy bring on labor?
~When the sex is between your husband and another woman.


What position should the baby be in during the ninth month of pregnancy?
~Head down, pressing firmly on your bladder.


My childbirth instructor says it’s not pain I’ll feel during labor, but pressure. Is she right?
~Yes, in the same way that a tornado might be called an air current.


When is the best time to get an epidural?
~Right after you find out your pregnant.


How long is the average woman in labor?
~Whatever she says, divided by two.


Is there any reason I have to be in the delivery room while my wife is in labor?
~Not unless the word “alimony” means anything to you.


What does it mean when the baby’s head is crowning?
~It means you feel as though not only a crown but the entire throne is trying to make its way out of you.


What are forceps?
~Giant baby tweezers.


Does labor cause hemorrhoids?
~Labor causes anything you want to blame it for.


I’m modest. Once I’m in the hospital to deliver, who will see me in that delicate position?
~Authorized personnel only - doctors, nurses, orderlies, photographers, florists, cleaning crews, journalists, etc.


Where is the best place to store breast milk?
~In your breasts.


What does it mean when a baby is born with teeth?
~It means that the baby’s mother may want to rethink her plans to nurse.


What are the terrible twos?
~Your breasts after your baby stops nursing cold turkey.


What is the best time to wean the baby from nursing?
~When you see teeth marks.


What is the grasp reflex?
~The reaction of new fathers when they see a new mother’s breasts.


What causes baby blues?
~Tanned, hard-bodied bimbos.


What is colic?
~A reminder for new parents to use birth control.


What are night terrors?
~Frightening episodes in which the new mother dreams she’s pregnant again.


Our baby was born last week. When will my wife begin to feel and act normal again?
~When the kids are in college.


Is there anything I should avoid while recovering from childbirth?
~Yes, pregnancy.

Good news!!

I finally got my 28 week picture done! Thank you Stacey!  Remember to check my belly photo page if you want to see the progression from month to month.

But that's not the only good news! ;) We found out today that Jason is not a carrier for the CF gene!  That means that our child will not have CF!  (Technically there is still a possibility but the chances are very very small... the gene test only tests for certain mutations of the gene.  Unlike most genetic diseases there are over 1,000 CF gene mutations; it would be nearly impossible to test for all of them. If Jason were to have one of the mutations not tested for though the chance of our child having CF would be 50/50 since I'm obviously a carrier on both genes).

We had initially chosen not to get the testing done because a) we knew that it wouldn't affect our decision to have children and b) the doctors said it wouldn't affect care during the pregnancy.  But after some encouragement from various people we decided to go ahead, and I have to say that I am more relieved than I thought I would be!  People were right, it is good to know we have nothing next to nothing to worry about!  We knew that research for CF care and treatment has come a long way (obviously! Here I am, happy, healthy, and pregnant!), but you still hope and pray for the best for your child.

On another note, the registry is finally complete!!  It was frustrating, exhausting, and completely overwhelming to realize just how much we need!  I know that we can probably make do without a lot of the stuff... so in some ways the registry is a wish list.  I honestly can hardly tell you what will be the necessities though and what will be the "nice to have" items.

A few last notes to add to my previous registry post...

1. I completely forgot to thank my friends for being so awesome and helping me with my registry!  Thank you so much to Sabrina, mom of a three-year old, who helped explain A LOT of stuff and gave me the "low down" on what I really need and what I don't!  And of course for putting up with me AND her toddler as we strolled the long aisles of Babies R Us!  And thank you to my best friend Stacey for being patient with me and my indecisiveness, twice!!! She had lots of awesome advice too after going through this twice with her sister-in-law!
   
2. If you are choosing to buy us a gift (for which we are very thankful!) you are welcome to shop around for better prices.  The registry makes it easy for us to exchange items if we get doubles of anything.... I chose to register at Babies R Us for the ease of having just about anything you could imagine you would need for a baby under one roof.  But Babies R Us isn't always the cheapest place.

Dreaming of baby

(Even though I already posted my regular Saturday post, I had this dream last night and felt it needed it's own separate post).

I keep reading that by now a lot of women are having dreams of baby.  So far I haven't and I was starting to feel like a bad mom!  But I finally had my first dream of Floodling.... unfortunately it wasn't about getting to meet him, what he will be like, or any of that cutesy stuff... it was terrifying!

I dreamt that I had Floodling now (like 28 weeks pregnant now).  In my dream I apparently had started having minor contractions (or something) and went in to the hospital to be monitored.  The next thing I knew I had a baby!  (I think this stemmed from having read a couple of premature birth stories last night).

Of course, being premature, he was tiny, but in my dream he was not the 14.5 inches and 2.5 lbs. that he supposedly should be at 28 weeks, he was about the size of a tiny frog.  No, not a frog like this:

But a tiny tree frog like this:

At one point he came unwrapped from his miniature receiving blanket (it was probably the size of a kleenex) and he literally started to try to hop away.  I was trying to hold on to him clenched in my hand like you would a frog or any other small animal.  When babies are born premature their skin is incredibly delicate so I was terrified of hurting his skin (or even his bones! I swore I heard a bone snap!).  I was bawling as I tried to hold on to him so he wouldn't jump away and he was crying too because I was hurting him (you had to hold him to your ear to hear the cry it was so tiny).  I was trying to call for a nurse to come help, and she finally did... She got him calm and had to wipe his poor skin with ointment because his skin had in fact been hurt.  Then she got him swaddled again.

I asked her why he was so tiny.  She said "well dear, you gave birth at 28 weeks".  I was like "I'm only at 28 weeks!?" I had apparently not realized I'd given birth so early.  It still seemed strange to me that he should be that small, but I said nothing else.  It did hit me though that we had nothing ready for him! We couldn't take him home! Granted, in real life if he were to be born right now he would spend a lot of time in the NICU before we brought him home, but the feeling of being unprepared was really overwhelming.

So it definitely wasn't a cute "can't wait to meet my darling" dream... it was terrifying and weird.  I'm sure it says a million things about my mental state right now, not the least of which is my worry that we won't be ready in time, or the fear of giving birth prematurely.  But why was my mental image of him frog-like? Why did he try to "hop" away? Why did I have to hurt him to keep him safe?

It's that time again!

It's been four weeks, so I'm "technically" in a new month.... month 7? (My discussion of my confusion with the months can be read here).

I forgot about the "pregnancy reflections" last month, so this month's reflection is a little longer... (questions come from www.babycrowd.com)


Buying maternity clothes was: fun, but frustrating too.  I bought them kind of early (while visiting with mom and sis) so it made it hard to know what would look good later when I was actually big.  I need to go again and get more spring stuff (I have mostly winter). I'm not looking forward to it as I'm getting to a point where I look at everything and just think "geez... I look pregnant!"

The biggest change in my body has been: my belly of course!  I can't get over how much it grows, and I'm terrified of what it will look like in three months!  I'm so happy to have a cute belly right now though!

My favorite change in my body has been: my clear skin! 

My least favorite change has been: my belly button!  It seems like I wake up to a new belly button every morning... how many changes can it go through? Right now it's practically flat (probably will be popping out by the end) but it has an extra "pocket".  Where did that come from??

I've started thinking about the nursery: We finally decided to go with the golf/argyle/blue/green theme. My mom and I are going to design/make the comforter.  I'm considering attempting to paint some wall art.... and my mom is going to paint the room when she is visiting next weekend! :D

I used to love food! Now I avoid: mostly I try to avoid foods that are "empty calories"... ie. I'm trying to eat healthy.  I am by no means perfect (I had ramen noodles for lunch yesterday! A girl can't be perfect all the time...) but overall I'm trying to pick whole grain, high fiber, high protein foods.... and I'm eating TONS of fruits and veggies! (I swear the grocery cart is probably half full of produce bags these days...and that's definitely not a bad thing!).

I never thought pregnancy would make me: so happy!  I mean, this is what I wanted, so of course I'm happy, but I expected to be an emotional wreck nonetheless.  I've technically been diagnosed with PMDD (basically super-PMS) and hormones tend to make me fly off the handle, but so far I've been really good.  I have to admit that I did spend this past Sunday crying ALL day for no apparent reason, but that was really a first!

I can't wait to: see who our baby most looks like! I can't wait to see if he'll have our curly hair, my brown eyes or Jason's blue eyes, whose nose he'll have... and I really can't wait to actually meet him and learn about his personality and what he'll be like!

At this month's prenatal visit I learned: about the circumcision process.  Yet another decision to be made, but I guess Jason has made it easy for me ("ummm... of course he'll be circumcised... dugh!").  That is if I can just let it be at that... but I'm sure you guys have figured out that I'm pretty obsessed with researching both sides of an issue...

My hopes: to keep stretch marks at bay with cocoa butter (at least it smells awesome!)

My fears: of getting so large that I just look...well... something like this. (Don't know if that's photoshopped, or if that woman is expecting multipes...but yikes!)

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of his head to his heels. He can blink his eyes, which now sport lashes. With his eyesight developing, he may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. He's also developing billions of neurons in his brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

Of course, be on the lookout for my new monthly belly shot... I know I'm horrible for always making you wait but you can blame Jason.  He's the main reason I don't do weekly shots... I can't very well take the photos myself (I've done the timer thing, but that involves moving things around so I have somewhere to set the camera) but getting him to take a simple photo is like pulling teeth.  He just doesn't understand the "why". So... when I actually convince him to take the photo it will be posted here!

The home "stretch"

Since about week 8 this has been my daily routine:

Cocoa butter lotion for the day and belly butter at night.  So far they seem to be working well, but as I'm entering the third trimester and knowing that I have a LOT more growing to do (if Floodling only weighs 2.5 lbs. now and will weigh about 7 by the end, that means he's going to at least double!) I'm worried about what is to come.

Pregnancy books and websites say that stretch marks are mostly inevitable unless you have great genes (or awesome super-hydrated skin from years of treating it perfectly).  They say to look at your mom for a "sneak peak" as to whether or not you'll get stretch marks.  I don't even have to look at my mom because I already have stretch marks on my hips.... from what I don't know... puberty? General weight gain? In any case most sources say that creams and lotions will do nothing if your skin is prone to stretch marks....

I have a friend who used the stretch mark lotions and said she avoided the marks until the last three weeks of pregnancy when she said she got lazy... but I'm curious if that really had anything to do with it? If she had continued using the creams would she really have kept the lines at bay? Or did she just grow so much in that last little bit that it was unavoidable?

I don't really know why I'm so concerned anyway... I've never been proud of my tummy area and I've never had a "beach perfect" body.  I know Jason won't care (and probably won't even notice).  The pregnancy books claim that stretch marks are a "medal of honor" proving what my body went through and accomplished. But I always see those marks on my hips... and they just bother me. (Sigh... women...)

So my question for you "been there, done that" crowd (or the "I'm here, doing that" group too!) is, did you get stretch marks?  If so, when?  If not, do you think you did something in particular to prevent them? Do you think the fact that I've avoided them so far says anything at all??

In any case, if I do manage to avoid the stretch marks I will completely attribute it to the lotions.... I will keep you all posted! ;)

I hate Tuesdays!

No, that's not a typo.  I didn't mean to say "I hate Mondays" like most people... I truly mean it.  I hate Tuesdays!  Probably on the same level that most people hate Mondays.  In fact, I would have a whole week of Mondays if it meant I could skip Tuesday.

You've got it all wrong Garfield!

What makes Tuesdays so bad?  It is the only day of the week that I have to teach all 6 grade levels (K-5)... with no planning period, and no time between classes (ok, I lie... I have 5 minutes between classes, but even if I actually manage to get my class out on time the next one is usually already waiting for me anyway).  I have to admit that the PE teacher does this every day and I truly feel for her!  And I also have to admit that this was more-or-less my schedule last year BUT with the major exceptions that 1) I had a planning period (albeit a short one) and 2) the class periods were shorter (I taught from 8:15 to 1:55 instead of the current 7:50 to 2:00). To top it all off I have to do the news broadcast in the AM (which takes from 7:00 to 7:50, meaning I'm running from the library to catch my first class) then I have bus duty in the PM from 2:15 to 3:00.....all I can say is thank goodness I at least have 45 minutes for lunch!

Overall what makes Tuesdays so horrible is not having a single moment of free time.  That doesn't work so well for a gal that's preggo!  No time to go to the bathroom, no time to eat a snack (which I regularly need around 10:00), and no time to even sit for a moment!  I can't help but feel bad for my Tuesday classes.... they get the worst side of "Señora Flood"!

Bring on the third trimester!

According to most sources I am now officially in the third trimester!  Woo hoo!  BUT that means we only have 3 months left to prepare!  Yikes!

Thankfully I've taken the first few steps and finally started my registry.  Unfortunately it is not yet complete though as after 2.5 hours and having only made it through about half the store I was too exhausted to continue.

Some notes I want to share about my registry:

1. I do not expect gifts from anyone.  The registry is as much for me to prepare and be able to purchase items piece by piece as it is for people who would like to buy gifts.  I often feel like making a registry is a way of begging people to buy you things, but I think it's just nice to have everything you need written in one place, especially since it would be impossible to afford it all at once.
2. I did not put any clothing on the registry.  First off, we do have quite a bit of nice stuff from Andrea and Jason's dad and Donna.  But I also know that people LOVE buying clothes anyway, so I'm not going to tell them what they should buy.  If you would like to purchase clothes for Floodling, feel free to pick something you think is cute.
3. I do plan to breastfeed.  I may have a post about this topic later, though I'm not looking for as much input as I have with past issues (childbirth, diapers, etc.).  I am pretty convinced this is the way I want to go.  I did not register for supplies for breastfeeding though as I don't foresee people wanting to pick up nursing pads and nipple creams and such for me.... I also do not know what I'm going to want in the way of a pump and all of that.
4. Even though I plan to breastfeed I did register for bottles and supplies.  I will be going back to work so I will have to pump and therefore have bottles for feeding.
5. I registered for my stroller and car seat at Wal-Mart because both were a lot cheaper there... Babies R Us does sell the same items though and depending on if there is a good sale going on they may be cheaper at Babies R Us.... I am not a huge fan of Wal-Mart overall, but sometimes you just can't beat their prices...
6. My registry is not yet complete.  I realize I do not have any receiving blankets yet.... a play pen.... and plenty of other things.  A girl can only do so much in one day, especially a preggo one!
7. I did register for things like sippy cups for later on.... I figure the more prepared we are now, the easier it makes it later!
8. If you are choosing to purchase a gift for us, when it comes to the small things I'm really not excessively picky about brand, style, etc. (pacifiers, bibs, towels, for example).  You do not necessarily have to find the exact item on the registry.  If it makes you feel more comfortable, that's fine, but overall I have a feeling that everything and anything will be useful!
9. Again, if you are purchasing a gift, the registries have our shipping information so if you choose to purchase online, items can be shipped directly to us.

All that being said, you can view my Babies R Us registry here and my Wal-Mart registry here.

As I said, we are now officially into the third trimester at 27 weeks.  Floodling is growing bigger and stronger by the day!  I'm enjoying feeling his antics in my belly and was allowed to rest a little knowing that apparently he's so squiggly now because he still has a little space to do acrobatics.  When he's bigger, however, the space will be tighter and he won't be quite as mobile.  I've been concered about what he's going to do to my insides when he does get even bigger and stronger so that news was somewhat comforting.

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with his legs extended. He's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes, and perhaps even sucking his fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if he were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother him, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

Kids Say the Darndest Things

Being a teacher and therefore being around kids during much of my days I get to hear all sorts of comments regarding my new "rounder" look.  I thought it would be fun to compile them, even though right now I can only remember four specific comments (there have been many more, I just can't remember exactly).  I figured as I get more I can add to my list.

Kindergartner:
Student: What's that hanging out of your tummy?
Me: You mean this? My ID badge? [Since it hangs around my neck and rests on my stomach]
Student: No! That! [pokes my belly]

Second grader:
Student: Is that a baby? [sounding disbelieving and pointing at my stomach]
Me: Yes...
Student: Ohhhh.... I thought it was a basketball!!
(I don't think he was kidding... second graders make it pretty obvious when they think they're being funny, he seemed to genuinely think I was hiding a basketball)

Kindergartener:
Student: What's wrong with your tummy!? [true concern in his voice]
Me: (Stupid response) There's a baby in there!
Student: What!? Why do you have a baby in your tummy!?
(How do you respond to that!?)

Four-year old:
Child: [In response to hearing his mom say I'm having a boy] You're a boy??
Me: No, but I'm having a baby boy, like you!
Child: Where's the baby?
Me: Right here... [pointing to my tummy]
Child: That's why your tummy is fat!!

More thanks!

This is a big thank you to our friend Jessica!!  We now have a crib! Thank you Jessica (and Lilly too, of course!)  I'm starting to feel like things are finally coming together!  Maybe we will actually be ready for a baby in three months....  I think I'm also finally ready to do my registry this weekend... it doesn't seem like it should have taken me this long to get it done (register for things I want!? How hard is that??)  But there are just so many big decisions, and by now you have all figured out that me and decisions are like oil and water!

Isn't it nice?  It has a built in changing table and storage too!

(And no, the Paris painting on the wall will not be staying there... doesn't really go with the "golf" theme!)

Paper or plastic?

Or should I say cloth or plastic?

I keep thinking, "wouldn't it be nice if I could just be normal?"   Life would be a lot easier if I didn't think... if I didn't question everything... if I just registered for the travel system stroller like everyone else does for example without questioning "why?", or if I just went with a nursery-in-a-bag theme, or even if I didn't question what has become "normal" childbirth.... As a friend's dad more or less put it, "leave it to Diane to take something so simple and make it so complicated".  And yet, again, here I am pondering over another question...

Disposable diapers?  Or cloth diapers?

Jason and I try to do our part to be green.  We recycle (even at our inconvenience, like when we had no recycling service at our apartment), we use cloth bags at the grocery store (when we remember!), we use electricity-saving light bulbs, we try to save water and energy....  we're definitely not doing everything we could do, but we do try to do our part.  That being said, it greatly disturbs me that my child's dirty diapers will be in landfills for 500 years to come.  Not to even mention the chemicals and natural resources used in the processing and distribution of these diapers.  Now, I know that cloth diapers use water and chemicals to be washed, so they aren't perfect either, but 500 years is 500 years!  If my great-grandparents had used disposable diapers they would still be around today!!

So I started considering the idea of cloth diapers.  Here is my list of pros and cons of cloth diapering:

Pros:
Earth friendly
Money-saving (they're reusable, you don't have to keep buying more)

Cons:
Inconvenient (you have to wash them) or pricey if you want convenience
Gross (wouldn't you rather throw away poop than scrape it into a toilet??)
Leaks (thereby needing plastic covers)

There are some ways to make cloth diapers more convenient.  (Keep in mind, an economy-size box of Huggies from Sam's Club costs about 13 cents per diaper....)

1. Opt for a cloth diaper delivery service.  They pick up the dirty diapers and deliver clean ones.  They do all the washing.  BUT, the price-per-diaper cost is more than disposables (about 23 cents per diaper). These services proclaim to be cheaper than disposables, and to be honest, if you're buying diapers at Babies R Us or even Target you may spend easily 26 cents per diaper (priced on the exact same brand and style of Huggies, just a smaller box)
2. Get a mid-way cloth/disposable diaper like the "gDiaper".  It is basically an outer "shell" that you put a lining in.  Changing the diaper is as easy as changing the lining which means less washing and faster changes than a normal cloth diaper.  You can either use a cloth liner, or they have disposable liners that you actually flush and are completely biodegradable.  But again, the price-per-diaper is much higher than disposables.  These run about 37 cents per refill and that doesn't include the cost of buying the "gPants".

 I scoured the disposable diaper aisle to see what I could find as far as green options there, and I did come across these:

 

The online description says:

Nature Babycare Diapers are 100% chlorine-free, based on natural and biodegradable materials,100% GM free, and OK Compost certified. The film used as a back sheet is a biodegradable film, not only waterresistant but also more breathable, resulting in an airier, drier, and more comfortable diaper. The packaging is 100% biodegradable and OK Compost certified, based on natural chalk. The ultra-thin construction makes for a non-bulky fit that is comfortable for your baby.

Once again though, these are a more expensive option. These run about 38 cents per diaper.

I know that if I were to choose cloth diapers I would have to use disposables every once in a while.  I'm not going to make people who watch our child deal with cloth diapers.  Nor am I going to carry dirty diapers around with me if we're on vacation, or even out shopping for a while.  But again, my idea is to be "more" earth-friendly and to do my part as best I can.

I guess it comes down to 3 Cs:

• convenience
• cost
• conscience

And what wins??

I'm late! (No, not that kind of late... well, actually....)

I am actually a day late posting!  Sorry if you've been waiting on me. I've posted my Saturday posts late in the day before but never a whole day late... there is a first time for everything though and I have a feeling that once Floodling arrives I will have a whole new meaning to the word "late"!

I was actually out of town without a computer on Friday and Saturday.  I attended a FLAG conference (Foreign Langauge Association of Georgia).  It was actually very fun and informative!  I have a TON of new stuff to bring back to my classroom, and not just ideas!  I did a "make and take" seminar on Friday morning and actually made some games and things to use.  This was one of the first conferences I've been to where I didn't feel like it was a complete waste of time.  I usually sit in the seminars falling asleep because they're boring or it's something I already know.  Especially now that I teach elementary school I have a hard time finding sessions that apply to me (I don't teach grammar, I can't really use computers or internet.. and overall my kids are just not teenagers!). Elementary school language teachers are few and far between so most conferences are geared towards middle and high school.  But there were a TON of seminars for elementary teachers this time.  And every one of them had us either up and moving, or singing, or coloring, or doing something fun!  Besides the awkwardness of having to share a hotel room with a complete stranger I had a really good time.

I left the conference a bit early on Saturday so I could get home and actually visit with my mom!  That was a nice surprise.  My dad was driving down to Birmingham, Alabama for a motorcycle track weekend and my mom decided to go with him and just drive out to Atlanta to visit me.  She got here yesterday afternoon and we just sat and talked the afternoon away, went to Longhorn's for dinner (yay steak!) and chatted some more.  She stayed the night and left this morning... thus the reason my blog post is late.  It was so nice to see her, even if it was just for an evening.  And she got to feel Floodling wiggle for the first time!  Actually she felt lots of wiggles!

Speaking of... Floodling is obviously getting bigger these days!  I can feel him more and more and his movements are getting a LOT stronger.  I can actually feel him "shifting" now.... not just the little kicks and pokes, but I can feel my whole belly kind of shift as it feels like he slides around inside.  It's still not painful, but I can only imagine if he's moving this much now what it's going to be like later on and he has even less space!

In fact, Floodling definitely is bigger these days.  I had my monthly high risk OB appointment on Thursday.  He's a whopping 2 lbs. 6 oz. or so now!  He's still "above" the curve (somewhere in the 60th or 70th percentile... I don't remember exactly).  Turns out last time when he was "right on target" it was because they had my due date in the computer off by a whole week!  They had it as 6-11-10 instead of 6-17-10... someone read the 7 of my actual due date as a 1.  While it's not a huge deal (I know it's highly unlikely he'll actually be on time) it does make a difference when it comes to measurements, and that's the whole purpose of these appointments!  I actually caught it because I noticed that my last ultrasound pics said 22 wks 6 days but it should have been 22 wks 0 days, so I asked about it and the tech went to check on it.  She came back and asked where I got the date 6-17-10 and I said "my OB/GYN" so she left again and came back and was like "oops...".  Kind of scary!  The doctor apologized several times... I know they don't like to be caught in mistakes like that.

Floodling is about the length of an English cucumber at 26 weeks, but instead of a fruit/vegetable picture, or a drawing of a baby inside the womb, how about a picture of what he actually looks like?

Isn't that a cool picture??  That's the front view, by the way.  Can you see it?  It took me a second, but once you see it it's really cool! (Kind of like a "Magic Eye" picture)  I think it's much better than this front view at 18 weeks...

You can really see the shape of his chin though in both the pics!  So cute!!  My friend Stacey says it's my chin... I wonder if he'll have a dimple in his chin like Mommy too!  I think that's much cuter on boys than girls...  (And he is definitely still a boy.... once again he was flaunting it, the tech laughed.... I'm a little worried!)

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

P.S  I uploaded 2 other ultrasound pics on my "Ultrasound Photos" page (in the right-hand bar or you can click here).
P.P.S Don't forget to vote on my poll also in the right-hand bar!  Do you think Floodling will arrive early, late, or right on time??

100 days!

Woo!  Just had to celebrate that I'm 100 days from my due date!  Who knows when Floodling will actually arrive of course... I'm curious if he'll run late like his mom, or be early like his dad??  I read that at a birthing class this couple was told by the instructor that the arrival times of the couples often indicated the arrival times of their babies... those who came early had their babies early and those late arrivals had similar late arrivals.  Of course, between the two of us we tend to arrive right on time, but if it were up to me we'd always be late, and if it were up to Jason we'd always be early.  For fun, check out the poll in the side bar.  Do you think Floodling will be early or late?

Look what I found!

I definitely don't want the room to be overdone with argyle like this, but overall I really like it!  I was searching "golf nursery" and this was the first thing I came across!  I'm almost tempted to say that is the exact same fabric I'm looking at!

I'm glad to actually see it... I am a very visual person but have a hard time imagining what things would look like in real life. I really think I'm leaning towards this theme, especially because it doesn't have to be "over the top" with golf accessories to get the overall golf idea.  My mom picked up some fat quarters of the argyle print material that I showed in an earlier post.  I'd like to at least do a quilt, maybe a "diaper stacker" (the bag hanging off the changing table... it holds diapers) or changing table pad cover.... then compliment with accessories in greens and blues.  I'm thinking we'll leave the walls the color they are, a kind of dark tan (the same color in the background of my profile pic and all my belly pics)...

What do you think?

And do you think these leaves would go?  I know I posted them before... are they too girly?  I love the idea of a painted mural, but love that this would be much cheaper, and peels right off (for when he's ready to choose his own bedroom theme)!  There are tons of wall stickers like this, so I can keep searching for something else... I kind of thought golf is outdoors so this would kind of tie in.

Just found this.....but it still feels a little girly....

 

Strollers and car seats???

So my outing yesterday was fairly successful.  I am glad I went alone and gave myself plenty of time to peruse and meander through the stores.  I played with and touched plenty of things... my dad will tell you how much I LOVE to touch things (it used to get me in a lot of trouble at stores because it frequently led to breaking or spilling things), but in this case I felt it necessary to touch, feel, and play so I could really get an idea of what I was looking at. Opinions are welcomed and wanted again!! :D  (Again, you do not have to log in to post a comment, you can choose "anonymous" then you can sign your name.  Or you can e-mail me!)

While I sorted out a few of my questions by playing with some things, I now have some new questions.  First off, what kind of stroller do I want???

Do I want a "travel system" like this one from EvenFlo:

These "travel systems" seem to be very popular these days. Basically they come with an infant car seat that clips on top, but the car seat can be removed and underneath is a regular stroller for infants to toddlers.  They have all kinds of perks like cup holders, baby wipe holders, storage beneath, purse hooks etc.  This particular one was easy to maneuver, folded down with a one-handed push of a button and twist of a handle, and I loved the handle on the car seat and the stroller itself:

 

I was also a fan of this model from Graco.  It was heavier than the above one, but only by a bit.  I particularly like the pattern.  It was also easier to fold up one-handed and the pieces seemed to snap together a little more easily.  But it didn't have the "twisted" car seat handle nor the one-handed steering handle like the stroller above.

But maybe I want a stroller and car seat seperately?  Most of the travel systems are really bulky and heavy.  I like that you can plop the car seat in so you don't have to transfer the baby, but I don't like how cumbersome they seem.  I did find this though:

It allows you to clip in an infant car seat, as pictured below (ignore the pink, I grabbed the closest appropriately branded car seat):

It, like the others, folds up with one hand but is soooo much lighter.  And I understand that it will only be good while baby is in the infant car seat, but I keep reading that most people recommend getting an umbrella stroller or a simple stroller like this later on anyway....

 

I am NOT a strong girl, especially in the upper body department, and though I was working on that with a personal trainer (pre-pregnancy of course), and I know I'll get more strength once I'm lugging a baby around, I really don't want to deal with something heavy and cumbersome.

When it comes to car seats in the first place I don't even know what I'm looking for!  All of the above involve infant car seats, but do I want an infant to toddler convertible car seat?  My question is how soon we'll be thinking about having another little one.... and I don't really know right now.  But if one is going to be a toddler and another an infant at the same time (which is most likely), it seems we ought to have separate car seats anyway otherwise we'd have to buy a new infant car seat to accommodate the baby while Floodling is using the convertible one as a toddler seat.

In any case, I think I really like this pattern, what do you think??  Is it neutral enough to accommodate future little ones should we end up having a girl later on??

 

Close up of fabrics:

 

And I also liked this one (I was kind of surprised that I did):

 

Close up of fabrics:

Both of these were Graco and had matching high chair, play pen, swing, etc.  Obviously I need to choose a brand/model I like before I choose a pattern I like... otherwise I'll end up choosing a stroller/car seat based on how "pretty" it is (a bad habit of mine that I am trying to avoid), but just curious what you think.

I also did some searching for fabrics in another attempt to settle on a nursery theme.  I came up with this combo in the "dino" department that I thought was cute, but maybe a little bright:

I also ventured into new territory... doggies:

As for something simple and theme-neutral, I really liked these prints:

Overall, I think one of my faves is still the "golf" argyle print:

 

I found some really cute stick-on leaves (that peel off the walls later) that might go with the above, and with a golf theme... I think they would be cute covering one wall.

Enough visual material for you today?  Can you tell I am a visual person???

I would REALLY love some opinions and thoughts! :D

Saying "thank you"!!!

Feeling a little unloved right now... only my mom commented on my previous post?  I really want to know your opinions and your own experiences...
 
My plans for today include hitting up Babies 'R Us, Target, Jo Ann Fabrics, and Borders all in attempt to sort out many of the millions of questions racing through my mind and to try and nail down some of the things we need and want.  I don't think I'm quite ready to start my registry... today is kind of a "research" day.  I think the "nesting" instinct is beginning to kick in though... it started with my freak out last weekend that lead to the deep cleaning of my dining room.  I know it seems unrelated, but basically the room that will be Floodling's is a storage room right now, so we were wondering where we were going to put all the stuff, especially considering our dining room was overflowing with more junk that we had no idea where to store!  So I cleaned the dining room, Jason brought down the futon from his game room and replaced it with the bed from the guest room (to be Floodling's room), and now we more or less have an empty room ready for baby!  Phew....

Actually, the baby room is definitely not empty.  It is already starting to fill up with baby stuff thanks to wonderful in-laws!  (I dislike using the word "in-laws" though... it seems too impersonal, but I don't really have a better term).  Jason's sister Andrea had a baby boy (Noah!) last June so she sent some awesome bags of clothes!  I had a great time sorting through what was there!  It's actually quite perfect considering Floodling *should* be needing the same sizes of clothes during the same seasons!  Also, Jason's dad and step-mom Donna hit up a consignment sale and bought us a TON of goodies, including some more adorable clothing, a Leap Frog bouncy seat, a little "tent" to take him outdoors, a bath seat, and a Diaper Genie (woo hoo!) WITH refills!!  I believe there was more that I am just not remembering off the top of my head.  They also bought some cute little shirts and sweatshirts at Kohl's yesterday, and I LOVE this little brown fleece sweater that says "Hot Dog" and has a little weiner dog on it.  Too cute!  We are so appreciative of all the wonderful things we've already gotten from people!!  It has been daunting realizing how expensive things might get.

We also have two friends who have a number of the "big ticket" items left over from having their baby girl 3 years ago.  It's all in GREAT condition, and a very neutral theme (animals).  They've offered to let us use whatever we need (play pen, high chair, stroller, infant car seat), which is awesome!  Our debate right now though is if we'd rather have our own things since we're planning on having more than one in the future...  but it's nice to have a back up for now knowing that all of this adds up FAST!

I have a new "fruit" picture again!  He is an eggplant this week!  I read that baby is about 13.5 inches long right now, so I got out my ruler at school (only 12 inches of course) and am shocked!  How can that be inside my belly?  Of course I know that Floodling is curled up, it's not like I have a 13.5 inch stick in my belly, but still... it's really starting to dawn on me just how big I'm going to get!

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

I want your opinions, PLEASE

I am currently reading two books in preparation for Floodling's arrival.  One in preparation for the actual arrival, and one in preparation for the needs that then follow.

I'm actually writing with the hopes of getting some of your opinions.  You all have been awfully quiet lately!  I know most of the time I'm just writing about daily things that happen and nothing needs to be said, but this time I want to hear from you! :)

The first book I am reading is about the Bradley Method of natural childbirth.  I will start off by first saying I am NOT thinking of having a home birth.  What is meant by "natural childbirth" is a birth that is unaided by the use of medications, whether for pain or for inducing labor, it does not mean I can't be at a hospital or have an obstetrician aiding in the birth.  I've been asked by several people if I plan to have a natural birth (kind of a weird question in my opinion) and my resounding answer for the longest time was "NO!".  You hear from friends and family and see on TV just how "painful" labor is.... so no, I did not think I wanted to do a natural birth.  I am NOT a brave person, nor do I deal with pain very well.  I saw natural birth as something women do to be seen as "heroic".  In addition, I know that I have my own medical needs and complications, possibly making a natural birth difficult.

So how did I get to thinking (notice I'm saying thinking) about natural birth then?  A teacher at my school had a baby over Christmas break.  Upon her return she told me she had a number of pregnancy books and asked if I would like them as this was her LAST child (she had a lot of health issues with both her pregnancies).  The next day I took home a large bag of books, among them The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy, The Complete Book of Breastfeeding, Hypnobirthing, Communing with the Spirit of your Unborn Child, and The Bradley Method.  A lot of them (Hynobirthing and Communing with the Spirit... for example) seemed a little too...weird... for me.  I passed them aside and dug through the others.  I opened the book on the Bradley Method not really knowing what it was and thinking it seemed like something maybe along the lines of Lamaze.  I quickly discovered it was a method for natural childbirth, but read on curious about its theories.

So this is what I've gleaned so far (keep in mind, these are not MY opinions, this is what I've read from a one-sided book):

• Labor drugs do enter the baby's bloodstream before birth, and can carry with them risks to both mother and baby
• Epidurals often slow the labor process then forcing doctors to use pitocin to again speed up the labor which may then again cause very painful contractions
• Epidurals don't always numb all of the pain
• If an epidural numbs the muscles needed to push the baby out then forceps or vacuums have to be used to extract the baby (in turn often leading to necessary episiotomy...or tearing....)
• Unmedicated babies have a natural tendency to help push themselves out and to spin to pass properly through the birth canal 
• A lot of the pain in labor is caused by the tensing of ALL the muscles in the body during contractions.  The theory behind this method is that by relaxing all of your muscles and allowing your uterine muscles to do their job (and understanding what they're doing) you can handle (and maybe even avoid) the pain.

And I thought this quote was interesting (though I don't entirely believe it as I have several friends who say once they got their epidural they couldn't feel a thing and were happy-go-lucky):

"The myth is that the medicated labor is painless.  But it is the medicated mother who later talks most about pain (and it is she who is often seen during labor suffering and out of control).  She may have thought drugs would see her through labor, so she didn't take the opportunity to get her mind and body ready.  In contrast the trained, natural-childbirth mothers talk primarily of hard work..."

I know of one person in particular that after her epidural was still in pain.  She also had to have pitocin to speed up the labor process but things still didn't move at an appropriate pace and she ended up having to have a C-Section.  But I also have (as mentioned above) friends who had epidurals, and one even then had pitocin, and they felt nothing and everything went "normally".

I've searched online for opponents to the Bradley Method curious what they have to say against it.  Honestly, I had a hard time finding anything.  There are a lot of women who have had medicated births followed by Bradley Births who all rave of how much better it is the Bradley way.  The biggest negative factor I've found is that apparently a lot of Labor and Delivery nurses and obstetricians dislike Bradley patients for being demanding and being hostile to medical interventions.  I am obviously not a person that is against medical intervention (who knows where I'd be if I were!) and I don't imagine myself being hostile or demanding.

Some opinions I found (from a neutral site):

"The knowledge about the anatomy/physiology and psychology provided by Bradley can't be beat. And you are smart/savvy enough to know not to incorporate any hostile attitudes about health care providers, if you choose not to. It can't hurt to gain the knowledge you would get taking these classes. And if you do choose anesthesia in labor for some reason, that's ok. You will still be smart and go in informed about your body and its workings in labor and delivery, something NO ONE can take away from you!"

"Tried both methods. Bradley teaches you how to relax and work with the labor you get--hard or easy. It better prepares you for releasing your body to the process of labor, for what childbirth will feel like and how to manage it by not fighting your body.   It helps reduce some of that Fear-leads-to-Tension-leads-to-Pain cycle that birthing can cause so well. Lamaze works OK to start with, but was worthless once real hard labor started. Bradley Method was by far the best...."

If I do choose to go with a natural childbirth, I am not set in any one method (yet, at least).  I did talk to my Ob/Gyn about natural childbirth and the Bradley method.  He said I would likely be viewed as "weird" as it's not the normal thing to do these days, but he often enjoys natural births as it makes his job a lot easier and often times the delivery room environment is more inviting.  I think the fact that his job is made "a lot easier" says something in itself, not to mention a "more inviting" room (ie. no screaming and cussing!).  His concern was allowing him to do his job if an emergency situation should arise, but otherwise he had no problem with it, and of course if it came to the health and safety of my baby I'd do what was necessary.  He also didn't seem to have any concern over my own medical situation interfering.

I should also mention that if I were to take Bradley Method courses it costs about $300 (eek!)... it is a 12 week class though that not only prepares you in this method, but also prepares you for breastfeeding and a lot of other things that come along with childbirth and having an infant.

So this is what I'm looking for... all of you moms out there, what is your opinion?  Am I crazy?  Is this book a load of... you know what....?  Did you have a natural childbirth or a "medicated" childbirth?  Either way, how did it go?  If you had medicated, did you still have pain?  Is there anyone that has done both?  Non-moms, I'm sure you have an opinion too.  What do you think???  I like to think I am open-minded (thus the reason this is even coming into question) so please feel free to share honestly!  Don't be mean, but I would appreciate others' true and honest opinions.

I will share more on the second book I'm reading later... :)

Think he's growing much?

 Excuse the mess that is my hair, btw (though it actually looks better than the last month's I think...)

I'm still surprised at my consistent growth!  I was measuring my belly, but I stopped because it never seemed to change and that annoyed me...I measured it the other day though and it's supposedly only about an inch bigger than it was pretty much at week 12... how does that make any sense with pics like this?  I must be doing (or did) something wrong...

I added "pages" to my blog... you can check them out in the right-hand column.  I added a "belly pics" page so I don't have to keep uploading the monthly photos.  I like to have them side-by-side for comparison's sake, but I hate having to upload each of them.  So you can check out the new page to see my new photo compared to the others.

Still keep an eye out for another post from me, probably tomorrow.... I was working on it today, but got a lovely call from my mom (who I hadn't talked to in forever!) and didn't quite finish.