Moms to be Part 4

[cmskok]

Piecey---Good Luck!!! I hope things go smoothly! It is so great that you will have him in your arms tomorrow!

____________________

I packed my bag last weekend, well, it is mostly packed...need to add toiletries, but that is last minute stuff! I had my oldest 7 weeks early, so I remember the panic of having to send my DH to pack everything for me after the baby was born

 

[skuttle]

Piecey: How exciting!!! I hope everything goes smoothly!

Talula: Think of the statistic as 2 out of 3 pregnancies DON'T miscarry!

Soccer Princess: Babies develop differently. This early on it's easy for them to be a bit off with how far along you are. With my DS, I didn't have any ultrasound until 20 weeks! With this one, I went early due to our infertility history. I went in at 7w but measured 6.2w. We were able to see the tiniest flicker of a heartbeat. When I say tiny, it was super tiny. I'm sure everything is fine.

As for genetic testing, this time and last we refused all testing because if something came back positive the Dr couldn't do anything to "fix" it and it wouldn't change how we would proceed with the pregnancy. Also, there are so many false positives that I would hate to stress myself out for 7-8 months possibly for nothing.

Pollito: I'll be packing my bag a lot earlier this time around. With DS my water broke at 35w6d and I didn't have my bag packed yet since two days before I was discussing induction at 38w with my Dr!

 

[arubio0801]

Good luck tomorrow Piecey!!!!

 

[Soccer Princess]

Good luck Piecey!!!

Thanks for the input ladies!

 

[lspst8]

Piecey -- Love the nursery. Good luck today!


Soccer Princess - my doctor won't even schedule your first appointment until you are at least 8 weeks along, so I din't have my first ultrasound until 11 weeks. My DH and I decided against genetic testing for the same reasons everyone else listed. I HATE that there are so many false positives. I'm nervous enough as it is, so I didn't need that to worry about too.


Everyone - My DH and I are just starting to think about buying all of our supplies (crib, car seat, stroller, etc...) and I am so overwhelmed by all the choices. Looking on Amazon yesterday made me feel like a panic attack was coming on How in the world do I narrow it all down? Should I subscribe to ConsumerRerports.com? What are these "travel systems" and how are they different than a stroller and a car seat? Why in the world would I ever buy a crib that costs $800 dollars? Are there any good baby deals websites out there? Thanks so much in advance. I had no idea that there were 500 different car seats out there.

 

[WDWorBUST]

lspst8 - I would highly recommend the book "Baby Bargains" - at lease I think that's what it's called. It gives you a lot of info on what you "really" need not what the baby product manufactureres want you to think you will need

There is no reason to spend $800 on a crib. I think we spent $300 on DD's and although it's been recalled we got a repair kit for it and will be using it again. Before I found out for sure it had the repair kit for it I was going to buy a Graco Lauren from Walmart for $125. It's simple, but pretty.

Carseats - the travel systems come in handy but I was going to skip it this go round. I ended up having one given to me so I will use it since it is brand new (they just used it a couple of times) and a really nice seat. The difference is with the travel systems the carseat just unsnaps from a base in the car and then can be carried into the house, store, etc and also snaps right into the stroller. I felt like it was a waste of money myself....we only used it until DD was just about 6 months. I also didn't like the stroller that well and after one trip to Disney with it (when DD was 13 months) I invested in a Maclaren Quest anyway. However, some people swear by travel system. I would just look at how much you anticipate getting out with the baby and whether the convenience is worth it for you. If you decide to skip it I would do some research at www.car-seat.org. Not all convertible seats that say they fit from newborn up really do. Sometimes the harness straps are too low.

It is a bit overwhelming. Just do your research and you will be just fine.

 

[monkeybug]

Hi Ladies! John Philip arrived fast and furiously on Saturday morning at 10:43am. He is absolutely amazing and we love him to pieces. I always wondered how you can love another child as much as you love your first....until I had another child

So here's the birth story:

Last Tuesday I had an appt and I was about 1.5 cm dilated. I was so discouraged since my due date was approaching (8/22). Fast forward to 2am Sat morning and I woke up with contractions, but they were inconsistent. I monitored them until 5am when they were about 7 min apart and then woke up DH. We showered, called my mom to come get DD and then I called the Dr. She said I could wait until they were 5 min apart but not much longer than that. I hated to go wait at the hospital in triage but then again, didn't want to risk not making it. So we hung out for a hour and by then the contractions were strong and 4-5 min apart. Got to the hospital, checked in and was sent to triage about 7:30am. The Dr checked me at 8am and I was 3-4 cm, 100% effaced and +1 station so they arranged to have me sent to L & D. They had to wait for a bed though so it was another hour before I was sent up. By now the contractions are really rough and really close together. I said once we get to L & D I would love an epidural. Got to L & D about 9am, waited until 9:45am for anestesia to come in and it was another 20 min before I actually got the epi. By now it was a little after 10am and I felt like I had to push. I told the L & D nurse and she got the Dr. Turns out I was fully dilated. The epidural never had a chance to kick in. My membrances ruptured and there was meconium so the Dr did an episiotomy to get him out quicker. 10 pushes later and he arrived

I won't lie, it was a very different experience to "feel" everything but not necessarily in a bad way. We are calling our little guy Jack. He weighed 7lbs 7 oz and is 19.5 inches long. DD3 loves her baby brother but is trying to find her way in her new world. We came home yesterday. I feel great and Jack is doing so well. He's a great nurser and so far so good with the sleep

Congrats!!!! I always get to the hospital too late for an epi too, although I'm not as tough as you and feel everything in a very bad way!
Thanks again for the baby flipping tips. My little man was facing the right direction this last ultrasound. Who knows if it has anything to do with something I did or not, but I like to think maybe it did!

 

[monkeybug]

Everyone - My DH and I are just starting to think about buying all of our supplies (crib, car seat, stroller, etc...) and I am so overwhelmed by all the choices. Looking on Amazon yesterday made me feel like a panic attack was coming on How in the world do I narrow it all down? Should I subscribe to ConsumerRerports.com? What are these "travel systems" and how are they different than a stroller and a car seat? Why in the world would I ever buy a crib that costs $800 dollars? Are there any good baby deals websites out there? Thanks so much in advance. I had no idea that there were 500 different car seats out there.

We love our Britax seats! They are pricey, but always one of the top rated for safety and ease of use. They install easily, and are very durable. I always get mine inspected at the local fire station, and they always tell me that Britax is one of the best seats you can have. The harness on the convertible seats go to very high weights, and the fireman say that it's best to keep them in the 5 point harness for as long as you can. We have the infant version (blanking on name), the Boulevard, the marathon (as our spare in my husbands car), and the frontier. The great thing is that by the time baby outgrows the infant seat, my son will be ready for the frontier (he could go in it now) and my daughter will finally be out of a booster, so they will each just move up a stage.
I am using a travel system this time only because I already have the stroller that matches the infant seat, but I would skip it if I didn't already have it.
Like a PP said the strollers that come with the infant seats are not always the best once the baby outgrows the seat. I invested in a Phil&Teds at a garage sale (it's a double) and will use that once the baby outgrows the infant seat. The higher end strollers like the Mclarens, Phil&Teds, ect. really do steer better and are much more durable. The other ones push great for the first few months, but then seem to get worse as the parts wear down.

I didn't buy half as much "stuff" for this baby as I did for the first, or even the second. I wish I had read the book WdW recommended!
This time I bought a cosleeper, an Ergo carrier, a sweet peace swing (off of craigslist), a baby bath thingy, a monitor, made a nursing cover (hooter hider), made a diaper wallet, made a minky and silk blanket and some burp clothes, and obviously bought some clothes (already had a stroller and carseat). Oh and I'm working on my husband to get a big Coach purse to use instead of a diaper bag....we shall see.
I will wait to get the highchair, the crib (ours was recalled), the bumbo, and the exersaucer, because baby won't use those right away anyways.

 

[Pollito916]

lspst - I also very highly recommend the book Baby Bargains - you can save tons of money by reading that book! It also tells you what things are ok to buy used vs new. Like you should almost never get a used car seat, unless you are positive it has never been in an accident, hasn't been recalled etc. I wanna say I spent $200-$300 on a Babi Italia crib I got on sale at BRU. This was 2 years ago, and it was a drop-side, so it's been recalled, but I got the replacement parts in the mail this week.

As for travel systems, I'm not a fan either. None of my friends have liked the strollers that come with it. Personally, I like an infant carrier (which we also only used for 6 months), b/c it is so easy when the baby is tiny to just pop the seat out and bring it into the house, store, etc with baby still inside, especially when he's sleeping. I LOVE the Snap N Go stroller base to use with it - it's only $50 and is so light weight and easy to use. Other brands make similar bases now too. Once baby outgrows the infant carrier, I got a Britax car seat for all the reasons listed by monkeybug. Then I also got a better stroller - a Peg Perego. A lot of people like Pegs and Maclarens, but there are lots of good options. I would go to a store like BRU or Buy Buy Baby and try them out, WITH your baby or something heavy in the stoller b/c some of them push much differently with a 30 lb toddler in them than they do empty. That's how I discovered I hated the first umbrella stroller I bought that I loved so much in the store.

Albeebaby.com is great for deals on last year's model of carseats and strollers. You can save a ton of money on the better brands.

 

[WDWorBUST]

I LOVED my Britax Marathons for DD. I am looking at the Marathon 70 this time. They have increased the weight limit - which for us isn't a selling point since DD outgrew it by height probably a year ago but is still under 65 pounds - but they also have lowered the harness straps where a newborn really does fit well in it (at least that's my understanding). Also diapers.com has britax seats for 20% off right now. So I'm thinking we might just skip an extra base and go ahead and get a marathon for the other car instead.

And it's funny....I also have bought much less for this baby than DD. I plan to get an Ergo and a cosleeper also and have bought cloth diapers. I will also need to get a breastpump.....I rented from the hospital last time. We just got our kit for our recalled crib this week also. Baby's really don't need near as much as they want you to think they do

 

[skuttle]

Everyone - My DH and I are just starting to think about buying all of our supplies (crib, car seat, stroller, etc...) and I am so overwhelmed by all the choices. Looking on Amazon yesterday made me feel like a panic attack was coming on How in the world do I narrow it all down? Should I subscribe to ConsumerRerports.com? What are these "travel systems" and how are they different than a stroller and a car seat? Why in the world would I ever buy a crib that costs $800 dollars? Are there any good baby deals websites out there? Thanks so much in advance. I had no idea that there were 500 different car seats out there.

I did a travel system with DS and didn't care for the stroller because it was big, bulky and heavy. This time, I'm doing an infant carrier and the Graco snap and go frame (found the frame on Craig's list for $25!). We'll be buying a new infant carrier since ours expired.

I plan on getting a really good lightweight stroller.

As for a "real" car seat, we did a Britax Marathon with DS and I loved it! For my DH's car we bought a cheaper carseat and you could really tell it was cheaper. Once baby is big enough, we'll get another Britax (old on expired).

For a high chair, we just bought a small one that you could strap on to the dining room chair which I thought was so much better than a big traditional high chair. And it was cheaper, too!

 

[Piecey]

Well, I must say that recovering from a RCS is a million times better than the first time.

I got out of bed myself today, took a shower, removed my own bandages, etc... I feel better than I did weeks after having DS1.

Overall, the experience was great. We got here about 10am and turns out that there was originally 2 RCS scheduled. The other girl came in during the night, in labor, along with 2 other women who were scheduled for an RCS next week. The nurses all told me I was the only good girl who waited my turn

I got IV fluids and my OB called that she was done in her office early if the OR was ready for us. So things started moving pretty quickly- I had DH bring in DS1 for me to see before I went back and then the anesthesiologist walked me back.

I did not like getting the spinal. The nurses told me I was lucky because I had the best guy coming to take care of me. They said he was quick. He was a jokester- told me it'd be 30 seconds and I'd hardly feel a thing. I felt him do the numbing drug and I felt a little bit where he put in the spinal block. Something didn't go right, though, because it was several minutes of him mumbling something about fluid and my OB hovering right by me when all of a sudden I got shooting pain down my left leg. She saw me cringe, asked me what was wrong and the guy pulled the needle out and tried again.
He said my right leg should be getting warm but my left was.
It was really strange.

Then my blood pressured bottomed out and I started throwing up, I felt like I couldn't breathe, I got dizzy and my entire body felt tingly. I freaked out but my OB was right there with the anesthesiologist making sure he took care of each of the issues I was experiencing. About 20 minutes later I felt okay so they let DH come in (I can definitely understand now why they don't bring him in until I'm stable...) and then she popped the curtain down and said "I've been pinching the crap out of you with these (she snapped them) have you felt it?" I told her nope and she smiled and we were off.

Owen was born at 12:43pm. My OB said "Okay, he just keeps coming." and the assisting nurse goes "Oh my God!" and then my OB goes "He is well over 10lbs!" and then everyone started taking bets on just how much over 10lbs he was.

They brought him round for me to see all messy (something I didn't get to see with Lucas and really wanted to with Owen) before they took him to the room to clean him up.

Other than the experience of actually getting the spinal block, it was AWESOME. I didn't feel anything in the OR. She had me sewn me up and leaving the OR at 1:27 --- I was shocked when she said "Okay, we're done!" . The only sensation I felt on the table was like I was on a pool raft when they'd shift my weight. It was wonderful- I just chit chatted with everyone in the room and the time FLEW. We were all sharing stories of how we announced our pregnancies. I think my OB's story won, though. (She wrapped up the HPT and gave it to her husband at dinner in a fancy restaurant and he opened it and had NO idea what it was, but everyone else in the restaurant was flipping out!)

I had to stay in L&D until I could wiggle my toes. DH took DS1 home to nap so I just chilled out and watched TV for awhile. Then I got sent to postpartum and they brought me Owen and dinner. It was disgusting so my parents went down to the cafeteria and bought me something else.

Owen was 10 lbs 15oz, 22 1/2" long.
He's got ABO incompatibility (I'm O-, he's A+) so he's on lights to try to head off any jaundice that might sneak up later. His pediatrician is hoping to take care of the issue before it arises.

Sorry, I ramble a lot! Here are some pictures!

 

[WDWorBUST]

I just came on to see if you had an update and am completely bummed I can't see the pictures at work

But - CONGRATULATIONS!! So glad the experience was a good one for you. It makes me much more relaxed about having an RCS....but your anesthesia story concerns me only because they had trouble doing mine with DD - I can only hope we don't have a repeat.

Rest up and I can't wait to get home so I can see pictures of baby Owen

 

[hotveggy]

wow Piecey ...

what a big boy! glad everything went pretty smoothly. he is gorgeous! congrats

 

[Piecey]

Better picture... he looks like his daddy.

 

[Leger13]

Congratulations Picey!!!! He's so cute!!! Sorry the epi was such an issue but glad they finally got it right and you didn't feel anything and you're having an easy recovery. I think your little guy is gonna be a football player!!

Piecey -- Love the nursery. Good luck today!


Soccer Princess - my doctor won't even schedule your first appointment until you are at least 8 weeks along, so I din't have my first ultrasound until 11 weeks. My DH and I decided against genetic testing for the same reasons everyone else listed. I HATE that there are so many false positives. I'm nervous enough as it is, so I didn't need that to worry about too.


Everyone - My DH and I are just starting to think about buying all of our supplies (crib, car seat, stroller, etc...) and I am so overwhelmed by all the choices. Looking on Amazon yesterday made me feel like a panic attack was coming on How in the world do I narrow it all down? Should I subscribe to ConsumerRerports.com? What are these "travel systems" and how are they different than a stroller and a car seat? Why in the world would I ever buy a crib that costs $800 dollars? Are there any good baby deals websites out there? Thanks so much in advance. I had no idea that there were 500 different car seats out there.

I agree.....choosing things for baby is very stressful when you just don't know where to start. I don't know how we made any decisions. I just went with what I liked when we were doing our registry and researched them later and have made changes accordingly. I hope you can get your decisions made and feel good about them.

As for the travel system, we got a safety first one and I love it! I love the stroller and the infant seat. But then again I haven't had my baby yet so my opinion might change after I get some actual use out of it

 

[talulabelle]

Congratulations Piecey!!! What a big fella. Seeing the newborn pics on here get me so excited about what I have coming in March.

I had my sonogram today. All was well! It was such a relief since the OB didn't hear the heartbeat at my first visit. I am feeling much better about everything.

 

[Soccer Princess]

Piecey - Congrats! What a handsome big boy!

Talulabelle - So glad everything went well. I know that must be such a relief!

 

[coneygoil]

Hi, I'm Nina! I'm 28 and me and my husband are expecting our first baby! I've wanted to be a mom since I was a kid and have waited a long time it feels like for it to finally come. We're so excited! I'm 19 weeks and due January 19th. I found out at 3 weeks. When I tell people that, they're like that early? Also got pregnant a week and a half off birth control and it happened at Disney World. Yes! Just like I had wanted

I've had about 6 ultrasounds done so far. Lots of people thought that odd, but my doctor is a pretty odd fellow. Sadly, I have to find a new doctor, because my former one is moving. I really liked him too. My last ultrasound was over a week ago. He checked the gender and said it's a girl! The baby totally flashed us too, perfect shot. It did look just like girl parts, so hopefully he was right. Months before I got pregnant, I had this random/sudden feeling that I'd have a girl. I've heard that mother's instinct is usually right. My friend predicted all 3 of her kids and was right all 3 times!

I can't wait to find a new doc and go for another ultrasound in the next few weeks. I love seeing the baby on the monitor. She loves to move. It's such a heartwarmer moment when we see the baby kicking and rolling

My pregnancy has been fairly easy. No morning sickness, whatsoever. I'm afraid the next baby will take vengence on me because of that! I've only gained about 4 or 5 pounds. Everyone says I don't look pregnant. I'm tired of hearing, "Where's the belly?" People, be patient, it's my first pregnancy! I hear you don't start showing until like 6 months. By where I'm gaining inches, I think I'm going to carry side to side like my mom did.

The baby seems to be doing great and is healthy! The first few months seemed like forever, but now the weeks are flying by. DH and I can't wait for her to come!

 

[cmskok]

Piecey--I am so excited for you!!! He is one healthy, beautiful baby boy! I am glad you are feeling so great!

Coneygoil---Welcome! I found out I was pregnant while at DisneyWorld this past January and it was such an exciting surprise for our vacation---I keep trying to remember how many times I rode the Rock and Roller Coaster before I had the official test results!!!

Looks like everyone is doing well. I forget who asked about the travel system (pregnancy brain) but I had one with #1 and #2 and I will NOT be getting another. They are very cumbersome IMO. I am using a friend's snap and go and I am planning on buying a Maclaren, which all of my friends who have had one say are just perfect for maneuvering. I also have a jogging stroller that we have used for vacations at WDW--so we are covered!

Have a great weekend!!