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GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink

Mr-Spain posted:

Wife had to have a C-Section and lost lots of blood, but she is OK now and I've got a brand new 22" 10lb 2oz baby boy.

He is my man-child and we are going by Nutrition Depot on the way home for some Creatine and then we're going to order some P90-X vids from Amazon and he will crush everyone. BOOM!

Holy crap! Congratulations on your giant baby!

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GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink

legbeard posted:


Sorry in advance for all the questions, these are just some of the things I have been worried about.

I have been wondering if it was possible for me to still use cloth diapers. It seems like the amount of laundry that I would have to do would be staggering. How did your mom do it? Did she breastfeed at the same time or one after the other? How did she find time to sleep? How do you get both babies out to the car without leaving one of them alone for a minute? Did your mom work during the first year? Would she have any advice on how to continue breastfeeding while still being able to work? If I use one crib for the both of them at first, about how long will it take before I have to get them separate beds?

Can't give you first hand experience, but real-life acquaintance of mine has twins & is managing to breastfeed & cloth diaper both of them (plus cloth diapering her toddler). Her blog is here: http://rachaelkincaid.blogspot.com/ & she's always willing to answer reader's questions. Now, she does have a husband & older stepsons that are ridiculously helpful, which is probably how she's managing all of that.

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink

Bahunter22 posted:

Well I told my parents and they pissed all over it and decided that they were going to call her whatever they wanted. Seriously? I don't really give two shits if they don't like it but I have a serious problem with them taking a dump on her name before they even took it in. How do you all deal with that?


I can't offer any advice, but I can let you know that you aren't the only ones dealing with crazy grandparents. My sister-in-law's mother-in-law gives each of her grandchildren nicknames & refuses to call them or introduce them to other people with their real name. Virginia is called Button & the newest baby, Anabel is now Dolly. There's not much they can do about grandma calling them weird names, but my sister-in-law is proactive about making sure that anyone new introduced to the kids knows their real name & doesn't start calling them Button & Dolly. :bang:

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink

Chicken McNobody posted:

And he is a lot more vocal than usual; he has periods in the evening where he just meows for like an hour. Apart from all that, he just seems way more neurotic than usual, and mostly unable to relax unless we're not home or my husband is sitting on the couch so he can rest in his lap.

I don't know what to do to comfort him, or to get him to quit trying to trip me. :( Anyone have experience with this? Training with treats doesn't really work, he has never liked any treat we've tried.


I don't have personal experience with this, but I know that if you asked in PI we'd direct you towards Feliway plugins. They release pheromones that help stressed cats chill out. You can get them for a decent price on Amazon, so it's worth a shot.

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink

Cathis posted:

I miss caffeine.
This is the part that's supposed to go away (largely) in the 2nd trimester, right?
I mean, other than the not-sleeping parts of the 3rd trimester and the rest of my life.


Yeah, drastically cutting back on my caffeine intake is not going well so far & it's been what, 5 days since I tested positive? I'm trying my hardest not to tell everyone at work until we see the doctor in a month, but if I stay this zombiefied they're going to call me on it.

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink

Ceridwen posted:

So it looks like I should be joining this thread. Got a (several) positive test this morning. I'm only ~10 days past ovulation so it's really early, but even the digital test gave me a positive. Still in a bit of a daze about it but we are very excited.

Can't wait for it to sink in!


Congratulations!!! I don't think it really sunk in that I was pregnant until we saw the little jelly bean on the ultrasound last week. Up until then everything just felt very surreal.

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink
All of the referrals do seem a little excessive, especially the neurologist for a headache & psychologist for mood swings. I mean, aren't these extremely common pregnancy symptoms??

If you really don't feel like you need to see those specialists, you don't have to go to the appointments. Since it seems like you really don't trust this practice & they're already laying down the c-section commandment, I would go through the hassle to find another doctor. These do not seem like the kind of doctors that will listen to you, but will force interventions on you during birth that might not be necessary.

The doctor cycling does seem to be something that happens with large practices, but there are practices that work differently. My doctor is one of 7 doctors in her practice, but I see her on every visit. If I want to meet the other doctors, they have scheduled "meet & greets" so I can meet the person who might be the one on call when I go into labor. They all have similar philosophies regarding birth (don't push epidurals, no automatic episiotomies, don't jump to c-sections, etc) that are important to me, so I'm not worried about getting some crazy doctor I've never met pushing me into a c-section.

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink
Cathis, this is what my Mayo Clinic book says:

"DEET is generally safe as long as you follow the manufacturer's instructions... The benefits of avoiding these illnesses (West Nile & Lyme) generally exceed the risks of the small amount of DEET that might enter your bloodstream through your skin. To stay on the safe side, minimize your time outdoors, especially during the first trimester, and use the lowest concentration of DEET needed for the amount of time you'll spend outside."

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink

SassySally posted:

My mother claims that she went over 4 weeks late with my brother (2nd child) in 1989. That seems a bit excessive to me... she says the dr. also told her to go home, drink a beer, and run around.

She doesn't remember if she was late or early with me (1st child). She has no clue when my original due date was anymore... (I'm only 28.)

My husband's mom also claims that he was 4 weeks late, but she also didn't find out she was pregnant until about 3 months into the pregnancy. And even then, she thought there was something wrong with her digestive system, pregnancy didn't cross her mind. So there's a very high probability that they just really didn't have an accurate due date.

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink
Ceridwen, I am so sorry. I hate that you're having to go through this. :(

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink
So we found out today that our little dude only has one functioning kidney. :( We had our anatomy/gender scan last week & my doctor thought there was probably something going on with his right kidney. So we went to the fetal specialists today to get another ultrasound & get the specialists opinion. Turns out his right kidney didn't develop correctly & is now just full of cysts (Multicystic Dysplastic Kidney). Thankfully, the left kidney appears to be working & taking up the slack.

Everything else looks great (left kidney, heart, limbs, skeleton, etc), which makes me feel like this will hopefully not be a big deal. But it just sucks that our guy is missing an organ, even if the other one is working just fine. The doctor said that we would just keep a close eye on both kidneys to make sure that the dysplastic one isn't enlarging & crowding the other organs. It used to be routine to automatically remove the bad kidney, but now they'll leave it alone as long as it doesn't enlarge.

Anyone else out there making it through life with only one kidney?

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink
Spermy Smurf & Irisi, thank you for the reassurances. I'm feeling better about everything today, just keeping my fingers crossed that nothing else comes up during the next 4.5 months.

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink
We're planning on going out & getting our registry started this weekend (since I have relatives begging me to tell them what to buy). I have a great list from a friend of all the products she researched, used & loved, but I want more opinions!

What are your top registry must-haves & what should we leave off?

If it helps, I am planning on breastfeeding & going to back work so I'm going to need a good breast pump. Any preferences in regards to Medela versus Avent versus Ameda?

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink

bamzilla posted:

Also I know of several insurance companies that are going to start covering breast pump purchases after the 1st of the year. So there is more incentive to wait, if you can.

Bam, do you know any specifics on the new insurance coverage? I've been looking & all I can find are vague statements about "breastfeeding support, supplies & counseling".

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink
Thank you for the links! My insurance renews in November, so I should be covered, which is super awesome.

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink

Acrolos posted:

My wife and I are going in for our first appointment tomorrow, which we think will be at 8 weeks (she has odd menstrual cycles, so doesn't remember the exact date to calculate things on). What can we expect for this first appointment?

I have been extremely nervous about the possibility of a miscarriage (I can't help it, I always expect the worst) and I have been waiting on this day so I can get some kind of verification that everything is ok. I was under the impression that we would get an ultrasound and a listen for the heartbeat through a doppler, but I'm now hearing that this doesn't always happen at the first appointment.

So, the question is two-fold.

1. What should I expect for the appointment?

2. Based on what tests they perform, will I at least get some piece of mind that things are ok (or not) at this point...or is it still just a guessing game this early along?

It's really going to depend on your doctor's practice, they might do an ultrasound & they might not.

My doctor did an ultrasound, as early on is the best time to pinpoint a due date that's not based off your menstrual cycle. There won't really be any tests performed at this point, other than measuring the fetus & it's heartbeat. This will at least let you know that the embryo is implanted in the uterus & growing. Your wife should expect to pee in a cup & give some blood, but that's about it so far.

You won't get into the optional screenings for things like Down's & other genetic problems until the 12th week.

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink

Alterian posted:

Also, if your wife is unaware, its a trans-vaginal ultrasound so be prepared for that!

I was fully prepared for the dildo cam at our first appointment, but they were able to do the measurements with the standard ultrasound. So you might not have to deal with the awkwardness.

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink
Huge thank you to Bamzilla & Chickalicious!!! I called my insurance company this morning & as long as I get a breast pump through my hospital, it's completely covered as a preventive service!!!!!! They said a manual, electric or hospital-grade electric is 100% covered & since my hospital uses the Medela, I know what accessories to get now. :)

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink

sheri posted:

So, where do I start? When did you all set up your first appointment with your doctor? What are some good week by week books to read? What is a good site or source of information that tells you the things you really should avoid doing/eating/using and stuff like that?

First of all, congrats! I would call your doctor as soon as possible just to let them know that you're pregnant & let them decide when they first want to see you. As you can see from the posts above, every doctor is different. Some will want to see you right away for a blood test & some won't see you until they can do an ultrasound to confirm dates.

I've really liked the Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy. It breaks down the weeks & lets you know what's safe/not safe. But it's not alarmist & scary like I've heard the What to Expect books can be. It also has a lot of great information about the different genetic & prenatal testing available.

sheri posted:

For example-- my husband and I are closing on a house in 2 weeks. We'd like to paint some rooms and obviously have some furniture to move. Can I help with the painting and lifting of heavy furniture? I am not planning on telling anyone other than the internet and maybe a close friend, (including not telling our parents), until 12 weeks or so (because as soon as my mom finds out the world will regardless of me telling her otherwise).

Personally, I would not be lifting heavy furniture during a move if I was pregnant. Unless you're lifting furniture on a regular basis, that's not going to be something your body is used to doing.

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink
They will have a special setup for you, make sure you tell them you're pregnant when you make the appointment. Some places have tables & bolsters that can be adjusted so you can lie on your stomach & back. The place I went yesterday for my massage had me lie on my side with a huge pillow between my legs.

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink

Obscurity posted:

She's being bullheaded about the whole situation, but still plans to see the doctor this coming week. I figured if we explained the situation they'd help without records.

You seriously need to tell her that this could cause incredibly serious complications for herself & the baby if she does not get seen by a doctor. If the doctor she's trying to see doesn't think this is an emergency situation that needs to be attended to immediately, I would find another doctor.

From the Mirena website:
"What if I become pregnant while using Mirena?

Unfortunately, no birth control method, including Mirena or even getting your tubes tied, is 100% perfect. If you do get pregnant while using a birth control method, there can be risks to you and your baby. Here we talk about the risks of getting pregnant while Mirena is still in place.

Less than 8 in 1,000 women become pregnant over the course of the five years using Mirena. One risk of getting pregnant using Mirena is called ectopic pregnancy, when the pregnancy is not in the uterus. It may occur in the fallopian tubes. Signs of ectopic pregnancy may include unusual bleeding or abdominal pain. Ectopic pregnancy is an emergency that requires immediate medical attention and often surgery. Ectopic pregnancy can cause internal bleeding, infertility and even death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you think that you're pregnant.

There are also risks if you get pregnant while using Mirena and the pregnancy is in the uterus. Severe infection, miscarriage, premature delivery and even death can occur with pregnancies that continue with an intrauterine device (IUD). Because of this, your healthcare provider may try to remove Mirena, even though removing it may cause a miscarriage. If Mirena cannot be removed, talk with your healthcare provider about the benefits and risks of continuing the pregnancy."

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink

Chickalicious posted:

FYI I think the gummy vitamins are missing iron, so if you end up anemic, you'll have to take a second supplement.

This is correct. I looked for a gummy vitamin with iron & could not find one anywhere.

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink

Superdawg posted:

On the subject of names, what resources have you all used as a reference to find the names you wanted.

We have a couple names that we are considering for our second son, but my wife has been making all the suggestions up to now.

We both downloaded a couple of baby names apps that let you look through names alphabetically, by origin, by popularity, etc. It was the easiest way for us to find names that we both liked.

Now, we still haven't made a decision & are waiting until we meet our little dude to give him a name...but we do have a short list of names to consider.

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink

rangergirl posted:

Hopefully this is alright but I have a bunch of newborn baby boy stuff I don't need, we are not having any more kids, and I am older (33) so everyone I know either is done having kids, has tons of baby stuff already or they aren't having kids at all. If there is a new goon mom who needs or wants anything as far as newborn boy clothes, swaddling blankets (velcro type), a Moby wrap or for the love of God a snow suit since I have 6 freaking snow suits I would love for the stuff to go to someone who needs it. Anyone interested let me know!

I PMed you as well. Thanks for the offer!

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink
So my little man made his way into world last Thursday. Archer Logan was born after my water breaking in bed at 3am & being pushed out a mere 8 hours later. I transitioned so quickly from the initial stages to full dilation I didn't even have a chance to ask for the epidural. :eek: But somehow we made it through, and after a little over an hour of pushing my 7lb 5oz, 20 inch baby was born.



So far things at home are going okay. Being the sole source of nutrition gets really tiring, but with my husband's support we're making it through. I knew he would be an amazing father, but seeing him with Archer just makes my heart want to burst.

Stuffed with milk & chilling like a boss.


Late night family feedings.

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink

Lullabee posted:



Question - when did you guys pack your hospital bags? DF is like 'WE NEED TO PACK AN OVERNIGHT BAGGGG' lately. However, being I'm only 33 weeks (34 on monday), I see no rush. We're less than 30 minutes from the hospital (given it's not rush hour), and the only things I'm concerned about bringing are the usual - clothes for everyone, pillow & blanket for the fiancé, toiletries, our phone chargers, our entertainment (handheld games and tablets) and his camera & charger. Oh and socks and sandals for me. We've had a few nights spent in L&D already and throwing together the bag doesn't take long at all - I usually do it while he's getting ready - so I don't think we really need to rush/worry about it. I think he's just still convinced Collin's coming early and will be here within the next three weeks.

I packed our bag after my water broke in the middle of the night. I was still using or wearing everything I wanted to take, so I just didn't pack it in advance. And I really took too much in the way of clothing. I spent most of my time with the hospital gown just laying over me, because he was nursing so much.

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink

ukulele bastard posted:

Hey, general question for all those who've had at least one baby already. Our daughter is 3.5 weeks old. She usually will feed and go back to sleep without a problem except for about once a day, she'll be awake for 2 to 5 hours straight, most of the time crying, feeding often, getting changed often, being held the entire rest of the time. Almost always this happens at the time when we are wanting to go to bed for the night. Internet research shows this seems to be fairly common (some call it the "witching hour(s)"). I just went back to work so my wife, bless her heart, has said she will take care of all nighttime fussiness/diaper disasters, since I have to get up early and she can sleep as late as she wants (with baby's cooperation, of course), but, so far, it's been three hours of crying after I go to bed, followed by my wife crying out of frustration and tiredness, and me getting out of bed to console her and help out. To ease my mind and especially my wife's sanity, my question is this: for those of you who experienced a similar thing, at about what age did these long gaps of not sleeping and being fussy end for you? Just wanted to get an idea to remind us that things will get easier.

We're right there with you. My son is 4 weeks old & 8-12am is the worst time of the day. He just doesn't want to settle down. Wish I had some advice, all I can offer is the knowledge that someone else is going through the exact same thing.

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink

Dandy Shrew posted:

I keep meaning to ask my GP if I can take a vitamin D supplement while I'm pregnant (because the bottle says to ask a doctor if you're pregnant or breastfeeding and I'm paranoid) but I always forget to once I get there. This is my first winter in Ireland and I feel like I haven't seen the sun since September.


One of my good friends was part of the research team that put out this study on Vitamin D & pregnancy: http://www.happyhealthylonglife.com/happy_healthy_long_life/2009/12/hollis.html

In short, yes, taking extra vitamin D while pregnant & breastfeeding is very beneficial to both you and your baby.

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink
Don't worry, our son is named after the FX cartoon Archer & Wolverine (Logan)....

This is slightly better than what I wanted to name him, Brock Samson. Thought that would just lead to him being a complete douchebag meathead jock come high school.

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink

Sockmuppet posted:



So, when does the glowy stage start?
So far I'm just pimply, and my nails have started splintering something fierce. Stay away from my B-vitamins, baby, you're getting plenty! :mad:

I had terrible skin all through out my pregnancy & I'm still battling it 6 weeks post-birth. I just hope it'll calm down once I get the mirena put in.

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink

Lullabee posted:


I'm putting money on still being pregnant by then - my GD is well controlled with diet/exercise and he's not measuring ahead by any means, so I doubt they'll induce me early. Plus my mother went 2 weeks over with all of us. My siblings came naturally, they had to force me out. I was just curious how often it happened to people I could actually ask and not just a statistic.

Don't bank on going overdue based on your mom's experience. All 3 of us were 2 weeks late & my mom was induced for one of my brothers. I went at 38+4 with Archer measuring normally & I wasn't even having regular BH.

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink
I would just get one bra for now until your milk comes in. I would suggest something like the Bravado body silk, because it fits within a range of sizes. Also, don't worry about bringing too much to the hospital. It is way easier to just stay in the hospital gown. You're going to want to spend as much time skin-to-skin as possible & that's way easier in the gown.

At 7 weeks out I have 2 Bravado bras & a few nighttime cheaper bras. I also have 4 camis that I wear underneath regular t-shirts to keep my stomach covered up when I pull up the outer shirt to nurse. I didn't think I would need so many bras or camis, but I leak a lot so going braless around the house isn't really an option.

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink

Ben Davis posted:

I'm going to disagree and say I got 4 stretchy sleep bras beforehand and used every one in the hospital. When my milk came in, I kept soaking through them, and without them, I would've gotten even more soaked, because sticking a nursing pad to your nightgown doesn't work very well when your breast shifts. If you leak a lot, you'll want sleep bras anyways, and they'll work for a large variety of sizes. I think the ones I got were just a size large from Motherhood Maternity, and they fit my mostrously huge breasts and would've fit some way smaller too.

True. If I'd been in the hospital one more day, I would have needed bras. As it was, my milk didn't come in until the day after we got home.

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink

Eggplant Wizard posted:

Stupid question. I always hear you all say "when my milk came in" and it's days after the birth. What does baby eat for the first few days? Colostrum?

:saddowns:

To add onto what Twatty Seahag said, here's a handy graphic for how much your newborn really needs.

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink
tse1618, we went through the same cycle of crying & latching & pulling off when we first started. It got better as Archer grew & got more practice. I know it's super frustrating, but just keep at it. It does help to try & start feeding before the baby really realizes she's hungry. If you can get her to latch on when she's in that semi-drowsy state it can go a lot easier, especially at night.

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink

Haydez posted:

I'm slowly working my way through the thread trying to take this all in. My wife is going in for her first ob appointment next week (will be 9th week) ... and she definitely wants me to go. There's no problems with me going this early right? I presume I just wait in the waiting room until they call me in. My google-fu so far says they'll be asking her questions without me around (i.e. sex with other guys etc) but then I'm allowed in? I swear everything I search I find 2 sets of answers for. Looks like some people get an ultrasound on this visit, but others the doctor's wait much longer.

I'm a nervous wreck. We totally planned this and was trying for about 4 months but I'm still nervous. I'm not very good with kids, hopefully I'll learn. Is there any "how now to be a lovely dad" books or websites I should read? That sounds horrible, I just don't want to screw up raising a child.


We've had a girls name picked out for a long time, but no luck on boy's names. She won't let me name it THOR like I want. Argh!

My husband didn't have to wait outside or anything & I don't see why you would need to either. Your wife just needs to ask the doctors office what to expect for a first visit. We got an ultrasound to confirm the due date based on my charting & I think they took some blood. But some doctors wait & it might depend on how many ultrasounds your insurance will cover.

As far as books go, we haven't started worrying about raising our little boy yet since he's only 8 weeks old, but my husband enjoyed reading this during my pregnancy: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004XWDD8W/ref=oh_d__o04_details_o04__i00

GoreJess fucked around with this message at 21:09 on Jan 31, 2013

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink

rectal cushion posted:

Epidural works better with the dilation phase than the actual pushing I think? That's what they told me at least, I asked for it when I was almost fully dilated and they said no time + there wouldn't be much point. In retrospect I was just as glad, turned out for some reason I had problems feeling when to push even without an epidural :iiam: Also pushing for me was not as bad as dilating.

Same thing happened with me, except I was fully dilated when I decided I couldn't handle the pain anymore. Archer had been facing the wrong way until I went through transition, so I was dealing with back labor almost the entire time during labor. I could feel when to push the first half of the pushing phase & then baby slid right back up & I had to push him all the way back down again. That second half the nurse was having to tell me when I was having a contraction so I could push. I just did not have that pushing urge after the first 45 minutes of pushing. But yes, dilating was much more painful than actually pushing.

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink
Apparently it can. They do go back up a little between contractions, but he went way back up. My doctor & husband could see his head & said he was almost out & then he disappeared. He did have a shorter umbilical cord, which might explain why he didn't want to come down. As a result of this, he had a serious conehead.

GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink
I didn't mean to scare you guys! I'm pretty sure what happened to me is strange & you should not be worried it'll happen to you.

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GoreJess
Aug 4, 2004

pretty in pink
Swaddling & gently bouncing our little boy sometimes breaks the evening crying spells. Sitting on the edge of the bed & bouncing seems to be the perfect amount of movement.

If feeding makes him happy & your girlfriend can handle it, let him feed. He won't overeat while breastfeeding & just sucking can be really soothing.

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