2009 Pregnancy/baby thread

[Cataholic]

Lyra started sleeping through the night on her own about a month ago (I didn't do anything- the first night I thought it was a fluke, but she's been sleeping from about 8 pm to 4-6 am pretty consistently). I can't hear her crying without the monitor at night because of the window fan, and I can't leave the door open or the cats would jump in her crib. I have been waking up though, not from the noise through the monitor, but from the lack of noise from the monitor. When I can't hear her (because she's asleep and not crying) or see her, I'm convinced that there's something wrong...so I think the video monitor would help me sleep rather than keep me up.

Have you considered a crib tent? J always slept with a crib tent on his crib, cats can't get in, and he couldn't get out, well, until he was about 2 anyhow. I had a lot of comfort in knowing I could keep the door open, and not worry about the cats.

[wolfsoul]

Great pictures of Laura. Do you think her eyes will stay blue?

I'll be 38 weeks on Saturday. The pain I was having in my belly while working has come back. Dr is not sure what it is -- could be a hernia, could be placental abruption.. I guess at this point we don't worry much because baby is still active and growing, and if it's a hernia there is nothing we can do right now anyways.

Question -- how did all of you feel about getting checked for dilation? I don't understand why my dr wants to check me once a week. She did it again yesterday and I actually told her to stop, it was too much, it hurts, it felt like I was tearing, and I'm afraid it will induce me. What difference does it really make if I'm dilated? I'm 38 weeks, obviously it's bound to happen any time now, and frankly I don't need someone poking around down there to tell me just how far along the dilation is.. I simply don't care!! lol. So I think I'm just going to refuse it from now on.. Either way, I'm not dilated yet.

Otherwise things have been okay. Sleep has gotten ALOT better. Belly is growing. I've gained about 20-22 pounds. Everyone keeps telling me I'll have a 5-7 pound baby because I'm so small, but dr still says she's expecting an 8 and a half pound baby, maybe more, based on my growth so far. It's common in my family to have 10-12 pound babies and not grow very much or gain much weight. I have my mom's body more than anyone else's, and my brother was 9.15, and she only gained 28 pounds and wasn't very large (though I carry higher and more outfront). So who knows. I definatly expect in the 8 pound range though. I wish she would drop already, breathing is so diffcult.

[beeniesmom]

Great pictures of Laura. Do you think her eyes will stay blue?

Thanks! I'm not sure but we are hoping. So far they seem to be the same color as my husbands so you never know...

Question -- how did all of you feel about getting checked for dilation?

Not sure why they are checking you so much.... You need to ask if there is a medical reason for them to do so. Believe it or not I was never checked. The only time they needed to go 'down there' was when they did the strep B test swab and that was it. They didn't know 100% if I was going to have a C-section until a few days before so they could have checked me for dilation...

I dunno, if you are uncomfortable then tell them you'd prefer not to be checked unless they are checking if you are in labor or something.

Don't be shy, that's the one thing I can tell you. I wish I was a little more firm with some stuff but hindsight is 20/20. If I had insisted they bring me the baby as soon as she was born and that they not give her formula I wouldn't have had such a difficult time with the breastfeeding... she never wanted to latch on so now, I am stuck pumping 4 - 5 times a day and feeding it to her with a bottle.

[Pembroke_Corgi]

Great pictures of Laura. Do you think her eyes will stay blue?

I'll be 38 weeks on Saturday. The pain I was having in my belly while working has come back. Dr is not sure what it is -- could be a hernia, could be placental abruption.. I guess at this point we don't worry much because baby is still active and growing, and if it's a hernia there is nothing we can do right now anyways.

Question -- how did all of you feel about getting checked for dilation? I don't understand why my dr wants to check me once a week. She did it again yesterday and I actually told her to stop, it was too much, it hurts, it felt like I was tearing, and I'm afraid it will induce me. What difference does it really make if I'm dilated? I'm 38 weeks, obviously it's bound to happen any time now, and frankly I don't need someone poking around down there to tell me just how far along the dilation is.. I simply don't care!! lol. So I think I'm just going to refuse it from now on.. Either way, I'm not dilated yet.

Otherwise things have been okay. Sleep has gotten ALOT better. Belly is growing. I've gained about 20-22 pounds. Everyone keeps telling me I'll have a 5-7 pound baby because I'm so small, but dr still says she's expecting an 8 and a half pound baby, maybe more, based on my growth so far. It's common in my family to have 10-12 pound babies and not grow very much or gain much weight. I have my mom's body more than anyone else's, and my brother was 9.15, and she only gained 28 pounds and wasn't very large (though I carry higher and more outfront). So who knows. I definatly expect in the 8 pound range though. I wish she would drop already, breathing is so diffcult.

I ended up being induced 4 weeks before Lyra's due date so I was never checked prior to then (though I was actually already 3 cm dilated), but I will tell you being continuously checked was more painful than most of the labor!

I hope your last few weeks of pregnancy go well, and I can't wait to hear the news that your baby is here!

[AdoreMyDogs]

Oh my gosh all the babies are so incredibly beautiful! Lyra AND her daddy are total cuties, Carmen you and Laura are darling. I don't know that I've seen a picture of you before, you're so pretty!

Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying mommyhood (and mommyhood-to-be)

[Pembroke_Corgi]

Have you considered a crib tent? J always slept with a crib tent on his crib, cats can't get in, and he couldn't get out, well, until he was about 2 anyhow. I had a lot of comfort in knowing I could keep the door open, and not worry about the cats.

I hadn't thought about it before but I could see the cats thinking it was a new toy made for them to try out. They have been sleeping in the crib for nearly a year (I think it was last October that we bought it and set it up), so they somewhat rightfully think of it as "theirs." They are also not shy about sharing with Lyra if need be, even though she delights in trying to grab them. I could definitely see Desmond trying to jump on a crib tent, repeatedly, with Lyra in it, even if he fell off a few times....

And anyway I made the mistake of mentioning a video monitor to my husband who is now convinced we should get a webcam instead. In the mean time, I have Lyra back in my bedroom.

[Cataholic]

I hadn't thought about it before but I could see the cats thinking it was a new toy made for them to try out. They have been sleeping in the crib for nearly a year (I think it was last October that we bought it and set it up), so they somewhat rightfully think of it as "theirs." They are also not shy about sharing with Lyra if need be, even though she delights in trying to grab them. I could definitely see Desmond trying to jump on a crib tent, repeatedly, with Lyra in it, even if he fell off a few times....

The crib tent that I had would easily hold 25 pounds. It is the coolest contraption, really. The thing wouldn't bend/break. Once J turned 2, he slept in a bed. Of course, at that age, only 1 cat wanted to be anywhere near him, LOL...now he has a bedful of cats at times. Gives me more leg room!

[gemini9961]

Here is my first posted belly pic. Taken last night at 14 weeks. I think I still look more bloated and chubby than pregnant. My waist has pretty much disappeared and my whole belly area (under chest to pubic area) seems to have grown outwards. It's quite strange.


Taken with my cell so the pic is not the best.

[wolfsoul]

Thanks guys for your opinions about the dilation checking -- I am going to tell her I am not comfortable with it. I honestly don't care if I'm dilated, so I don't see why it needs to be done anyways. I could be 6 cm and ready to pop and I'm okay with not knowing it LOL, it doesn't really make any difference at this point!

Here are some pictures from today (38 weeks in two days)



I look a little sporty here LOL, I just like to be comfy right now. No curves left!

[beeniesmom]

Awww, you are adorable!!!

[finn's mom]

Both of you girls look just right! It's so exciting to have so many ladies having babies!

Today is my 33rd birthday *and* Clara's one month birthday! YAY! It's amazing that it's been a month already!

[Pembroke_Corgi]

You both look great!

(And I am a little jealous...I got about 2 million stretch marks!)

Today is my 33rd birthday *and* Clara's one month birthday! YAY! It's amazing that it's been a month already!

Happy birthday to you, and happy 1 month birthday to Clara!

[wolfsoul]

Thanks guys! Dr says my belly should shrink back up no problem -- I hope so!

I got the swine flu the other day, and I think today is my last "kinda" sick day. I'm feeling pretty good actually. Hubby got it alot worse than I did, but I've been feeling not too bad, even took the dogs out to the dog beach this morning. It's more annoying than anything -- I HATE not being able to taste my food!! LOL. The infectious disease specialist wanted me on antivirals right away because I'm "high-risk" but I never did go on them. I knew it wouldn't be hard to fight off myself, and they don't even know what the drugs would do to the baby. I've just been eating well (lots of spicy stuff) and taking it easy-- lots of baths, lots of hot tea, and lots of rest.

Now, I feel the need to vent a bit. Does anyone else really dislike any of their parents in law? My MIL is driving me crazy. She's SO opinionated. I want to move away so I never have to see her or hear what she has to say, and I NEVER want her watching my baby -- she certainly wouldn't be sober and she'd chainsmoke around her. When her daughter had a baby, she took all of his soothers and cut the ends off of them. She's already TOLD me not to use soothers. Um, I'll do whatever I want, thank you.
She got all angry the other day, like "why would you be around sick people when you're pregnant?! You can't do that when you have a baby!" Uhh I wasn't around any sick people. It's freakin' airborne, I could've caught it anywhere, everyone has the swine flu right now (in my city).
When I first got pregnant she absolutely was CONVINCED that I was a month behind what they said I was. "You're not big enough, they counted it wrong, they gave you the wrong date." I counted the days with her on the calendar. "Well they aren't right, you can't be this far along, you're too small." I know the TWO days I had sex that month (I got a bladder infection soon after and stopped having sex until my treatment was over, too uncomfortable), and I am actually FARTHER ALONG than they think I am.
And now she is bugging us about the drugs. She WANTS me to get the epidural -- she is like pushing it. WHY? Why does it make a difference to her? But you know what -- I'm glad!! Because I want a natural birth so bad, and her wanting me to use drugs is going to deter me from using them, no matter how much pain I'm in. I'd rather be in excrutiating pain than give her the satisfaction of knowing that I "gave up" (her words) like she wants me to.
She also argued with Kyle about the types of drugs they use. I've read every book and been to prenatal classes, I know they can give you narcotics in the early stages of labor. She refuses to believe us -- they would never give you demerol, morphine, etc -- she worked at the hospital for years, so of course she knows. She even argued with him about smoking during pregnancy. She chainsmoked during all of her pregnancies, and when my hubby came out with asthma she didn't think anything of it. Now she tells us "your baby could get asthma because you had it when you were young." We told her that prenatal smoking would have caused that, and she didn't believe us. She still smokes around me constantly and has no respect for me. I could never leave my baby alone with her because she would smoke right in front of her (and drink...and drink..).
God I really hope she doesn't come visit us all the time when we have the baby. My mom listens to everything I have to say, and she never TELLs me to do anything -- she can suggest things from her own experiences, but she respects whatever I have to say, and she never makes it sound like her word is gold and it can only be done her way. Apparently my MIL is the only right one.
Ahh.. just needed to vent. I am so afraid that Kyle is going to want her to babysit one day, and when I say no he's going to think I'm a complete cow. I'm afraid when I say no that he'll turn it around and make it so MY mom can't babysit. So frustrating!