Girls...if you've had kids before...did you ever get sick late in the 3rd trimester? I got sooo sick last night...diarhea, vomiting and this very weird metallic taste in my mouth. The baby has already dropped, could that cause it?

Oh also...did you have to have the anti-d shot for your rh factor at the beginning of your 3rd trimester?

I have never had that shot...

You could simply have a tummy virus, but it is often common (for a woman who is nearing going into labor) for the body to "clean itself out" before labor. You may want to mention it to your doctor so that you can be checked for early signs of labor just to be on the safe side.

It was another terrible night. I went to bed at 8pm last night. 18 month old woke up around 2am and nursed. After a bit it started to hurt so I took him off and he started the screaming again. He nursed for ages but he won't stop the crying. I took him out of the room and he kept clawing at my housecoat. It was terrible. He quieted down to eat some crackers and water. He got his blanket and crawled onto the couch and fell asleep for an hour, I fell asleep on the other couch. We slept in! I'm still tired today even thought I went to bed so early. I was up at 12:40am couldn't sleep, uncomfortable and hot and figured I would have fell back asleep except for the baby putting me through ****! Any advice?

Babies nurse until that age? I never knew how long you had to nurse them. My first choice was always bottle feeding for several reasons. I do think I will miss that bonding experience with Connor.
I seem to be young and completely clueless when it comes to this pregnancy and raising a child. Everyone says that mothers instinct will kick in...I hope so.

You don't have to nurse a baby for any certain amount of time, if you choose to nurse. Some mothers only nurse for a few weeks...some nurse for about 6 months and switch to formula, others nurse for an entire year, the time period that the infant would normally be on formula if they bottle fed...and some mothers choose to "extended nurse", which is where they go past 1 year of age. It is completely up to the mother and the child. :)

A baby does have to have either breast milk (100% preferred for many reasons-healthwise for the mother and especially the baby) or infant formula for the first full year of their life, though. Physicians who switch kids to cow's milk at 4 months, or 6 months of age are really, really outdated in their advice-so don't ever do it, even if recommended. An infant has certain nutritional needs that first year that cow's milk does NOT provide.

If you do not mind, could I ask why you are choosing to bottle feed? I do recommend at least *trying* breastfeeding, because if you do, and it doesn't work out, then you can always switch to formula/bottle feeding if you want to. On the other hand, if you choose to bottle feed formula right away...and then wish that you had tried breastfeeding a few months down the road, you are sort of "past" your automatic milk making prime and to start producing milk again is a pretty intense, drawn out situation.

I do have to say, that it really *is* wonderful bonding. I am completely biased, though. :D

Well, I guess there are a few reasons why Im choosing to bottlefeed. I will be returning to work sooner than most women after giving birth. Another is that it is 130 degrees here in the summer and from what I have heard breastfeeding can get VERY uncomfortable. Also, after the birth, I will need to up my medicine again (for bi polar) and I do not want that passing onto my child. I know some of my reasons are selfish but for some reason, it has never been an option for me to breastfeed. I just have never wanted to. HOWEVER, I am also open to that changing. I realize that once the baby is born, the way that I feel could change. I basically feel that I will go with what my instinct is at that moment.

What types of formula should I be considering?

What is available in your area?

They cater to children here more than in the States. So, they have everything and anything that I need. If you give me an idea of what I need, I can go out and look for it. I really appreciate the help by the way.

I gave into the maternity leave today. With the heat here, I am unable to handle even going to work. My process to get to work is to drive about 15 minutes, sit in a search pit outside for 5 minutes and then walk a good ways to my office. By the time I get there, Im exhausted. I hadn't seen my boss in quite a while and when she saw me today she immediatley understood what was going on with me. She was really great about it all.

Anyway, I go in soon to get what I assume will be close to, if not my last appointment before birth. Not sure yet. I'm ready. Last time I was there, the doctor said that the baby was a week ahead of me. Meaning he was at 35 weeks development and I was at 34.

Ok, going to go beat the heat...mmm...we have lemon popsicles.

If you can get Enfamil, I always preferred that to other brands when I supplemented now and then while breastfeeding. Powder form is much cheaper than buying it ready to feed, or in liquid concentrate form. It is also easier to take with you.

You can pack a powder cannister in the diaper bag, and a bottle of water (filled with whatever amount the baby currently eats-2 oz., 4 oz. etc.) and rather than worrying about keeping it chilled, and reheating it when you are out-you can just add the right amount of powder to the room temperature water, cap the bottle, and shake it up really well-no need to chill or reheat.

Liquid concentrate formula is a little different-you have to dilute the concentrate with the right amount of water, and then chill all of the bottles-because a can of concentrate usually makes enough to fill a handful of them. Then, of course, if you go out-you must keep the formula with you chilled with ice packs, and have the ability to reheat it. (Not so much an issue when the baby is older, but newborns usually don't *like* it cold.

So, powder is usually the most economical, and the most conventient for travel.

I'll ditto Aphil and the BF and bonding. :D I wish that I had went ahead and BF my son longer than the 6 weeks I did but he had health issues and I let stress and a baby with reflux get the best of it so I switched to formula.

As for formula, the WIC (women, infants, children) offers the Good Start and that's the only kind I used (of regular.) William ended up going through soy and something else before they put him on nutramigen (sp?).

I had another appt. yesterday. Baby is doing well. I also had another 24-hour urine and got my anti-E titers back. The anti-E is looking good still. I did have some ketones in my urine but I was sick on Monday with that stupid stomach virus going around so I didn't drink as much water as I normally would so the doc wasn't too concerned with this one. I had huge problems with the pharmacy (I'll be making a call to either the hospital administrator or the head of pharmacy in a bit). They refused to fill my syringe refill because they said I had already exceeded my quota. I get 60 needles every 2 weeks. I give myself 56 shots every 2 weeks (4 shots a day BTW). I went back to the diabetic clinic and told them and they called over to the pharmacy and was told no problem they'll give them to me. I pick up my prescription and no needles. I was almost in tears. At this point I knew I was just too upset to deal with it and I know I end up contracting when I get too upset. I called this morning and my case worker of course is in another clinic today but they left him a message to call me in a syringe prescription to a local pharmacy that I can pick up tomorrow. Luckily I had missed one shot last week so I have enough to get me through today and tomorrow morning. GRRR, government hospitals.

On a good note, I found Nathaniel a coming home outfit. I'll take pics tonight and post them tomorrow.

WW: I'm not pregnant, but I was twice ;) And I had a ton of controversy surrounding me regarding breast feeding and bottle feeding as well. I was a little different than you, though, in that I desperately wanted to breastfeed both of mine. Try #1...my daughter. Nothing came out of me for DAYS. I had nurse after nurse come in and twist and turn my private parts this way and then that way, all the while I'm bawling because I thought there was something wrong with me and my baby was hungry and crying ...then a nurse came around the curtain with this big, gigantic milking machine and I'm like, 'you're goign to put my boob in there?" :fr: And, so they tried, I had blisters and there lay my baby crying because she was hungry...so I asked if I could just have a small bottle of formula to let my baby have something to eat...she sucked that thing down like she had just trekked across the Sahara and found an Oasis! After that, she flat-out refused my breastfeeding. I remember seeing on her card in her crib in the hospital the word 'breast' crossed out and 'bottle' written above it. I bawled. It never even occured to me that I wouldn't be able to do something as natural as breastfeed.

So...try #2...my son.

So, along comes Kyle and ALL through my pregnancy, I read book after book about breastfeeding and how to prepare for success, etc. Baby is born and what happens? Loads of milk...but for TWO WEEKS, every time I put my baby to my breast, he turned BEAT RED and screamed his LUNGS out. So, out comes my tears again, thinking something's wrong with me. Once again, I caved and gave him a bottle of formula before we even left the hospital and when I got him home and my husband and daughter out of hte house for school and work, I'm like, "Okay, Kyle...lets DO this" Nope...he flat-out refuses. Here I am in a soaking wet breastfeeding gown crying my eyes out. Eventually, I jsut gave up. I tried pumping and putting it in a bottle, but nothing would come out of me with a pump. Then I tried latching him on while he was sleeping and he'd start to work it, like he thought it was his pacifier, and then he'd wake up, realize what it was and :fr: SCREAM LIKE MAD!!

Anyhow...the moral of my story is...give it a try...even for a couple weeks. Hopefully it will work for you better than it did me and you can tell the nay sayers that you did it. I still get slack from people when I tell them I didn't breastfeed (without going into details)..."He'll have eating disorders!" Etc, etc...But in the end, it's all up to you. You're the mom and you better get used to critics now. One of the hardest things to get used to in motherhood is saying "I'm the mommy and I make the decisions!" And stick to it.

Good luck to all you mommies!! I miss being pregnant!! :(

I totally agree with techwife, it's totally the mother's decision and no one elses. I always knew I would breast feed and with my first, my milk didn't come in until day 5. Up to that point it was frustrating and the nurses kept bugging me. They did supplement a little formula with a syringe and a little tube and put it against my breast for the baby to suck. I did have a c-section and they say it takes up to five days for milk to come in after a section. I breastfeed him until he was 15mon and he had weaned himself but I think I was just too impatient and kept skipping feedings and gave him a sippy cup instead.

I dealt with a lot of allergies, eczema and he couldn't drink cow's milk until this last year.

My second, who I'm nursing now is a big time feeder, he loves the breast. It's the first thing he wants when we get home at the end of the day.He turned 18 months yesterday and I just see no end in sight and at this point I really am ready to stop.

In a way, I think that it is a phobia for me. I am in no way trying to offend anyone when I say this but I think it's gross. My mom says that it probably has a lot to do with my age. She is not angry with me for not wanting to breastfeed but she thinks that it can be better. I'm not sure why I find it gross. I don't think its gross when I see other women doing it...doesnt even phase me. The thought of myself doing it grosses me out. Because of this stupid way of thinking, I do not want to make that decision until he is in my arms. However I feel at that point will be the right thing for me.

I could swear hes so close to being here but I know its too soon now...

My SIL used to feel this way as well when she was a teenager and I was nursing my first and second child. She would almost flat out refuse to give the baby a bottle if it was "my" milk. She has some sort of a phobia or aversion about it as well.
I used to (good natured jokingly-not mean teasing) tease her about it, and tell her that she cow's milk she consumed was ALSO breastmilk, but from an animal-and was my breast cleaner, or that cow's??? :lol:
The funny thing is, she is now pregnant, about 4 weeks behind me...and during some point in her pregancy (and now that she is 5 years older than she was when I had my second child) she is wanting to try it with her baby. She has even asked me for help in finding her some nursing bras, because she can't get them at local retailers that sell them, so I am getting them for her shower gift. (She is a 40DDD)

As far as techwife's post-I am not going to say that there are not the possibilities of problems with breastfeeding-but there are also problems that can occur with formula feeding as well. Every baby, and every situation is different.

My son and I had a situation with breastfeeding that was an obstacle-he got serious, serious pneumonia when he was about 6 weeks old. Because it was so serious and he was in intensive care for a few days-they pretty much fed him the first 2-3 days via IV...so to keep my milk supply from stopping-I had to use a breast pump to pump my milk (as many times a day as he would normally feed) and dump it. Breastfeeding is supply and demand-so if I would have stopped for 3 days and done nothing, then my body would have assumed that I was "done" and would have begun to stop production. The next few days he was finally able to eat a little, but it was hard to nurse him in the correct position with the IV, tubes, and all that stuff, so I had to continue to pump my milk-and then bottle feed it to him. It wasn't until almost a week later when some of the stuff was removed, that I was finally able to actually "breastfeed" him in the natural way again. It was a lot of "extra work" to pump like that, and I realize that not every person would have done it.

On the other side of the equation, the pastor and his wife of my stepmother's church had problems with their baby and reflux, and all sorts of problems with her digestive system, and weight gain. As it turns out, a few months later it was discovered that she was allergic to baby formula. They switched her from regular to soy, and even to the extra gentle kind for sensitive babies-with no avail. That kid was in and out of doctor's office for a long, long time. There are actually "breast milk banks" now where babies with problems such as these can get prescriptions from their doctors to get milk from donors to help them.

I guess what I am trying to say, is that there can be potential problems and issues with both ways of feeding-so choosing one way or the other isn't going to ensure a problem free or easier situation. There are happy babies from both sides of the fence as well. Neither feeding method is guaranteed to be problem free-because issues can arise on both sides. :) They are just different issues.

I have plenty of experience when I decided to breastfeed with women giving me all of their horror stories about it...and then on the other hand, I have a friend who is a breast feeding advocate and feels that formula is "the devil" and will give you a hundred horror stories about that. :rofl: So, either way there can be situations-but not every mother will experience them on either side of it.

What I have learned though, is that when it comes to breastfeeding-that learning from breastfeeding mothers and actual lactation consultants is your best bet-and not from the nurses in the OB ward-unless they are one or the other. In my experience, they are very knowledgable about the birthing process...but not always about breastfeeding and solutions to problems with it, if they have never done it succesfully.

barbygirl43-I wonder how the WIC program chooses their formula...in our grocery store, I believe that Enfamil and Similac are the formula brands in the WIC program here. That is interesting that it would be different in different areas, rather than the same across the board.

What does Nathaniel's coming home outfit look like? Can't wait to see the pic!!! :)

We went to Babies R Us yesterday to pick up a few more things, and to order the rocker/glider chair. There were two employees who work in the furniture section, and the first one was a guy-that guy, I tell you, almost had me in tears. When we went there a few weeks ago, I was looking at a glider-and it had a sheet attached to it-where you could order it in different finishes/upholstry, and one of the finishes was BLACK. Our crib and changing table are black, and the bedding and curtains are in sort of a groovy cream/tan/brown/gray/black color scheme-with all sorts of retro hippie looking squares and bubble circles, etc.

Well, we go in, and I tell them that I want to special order a black glider-and he tells me that they can't special order them in that color. They only carry black gliders by one manufacturer, and they come with a black/white gingham check material on the cushions. He also told me any special order would be abut 14 weeks to get in. (I am due in 12 weeks, and will most likely have it a little early.)

I went round and round with this guy and told him that they COULD get black because I had been in there before-and was getting ready to leave before the other lady came over and told him they COULD get them in black. She also said that they have a selection of "quck ship" fabric choices that could be made and ready in the store in 5-7 weeks.

I was so mad at that guy. I am sorry, but a young college age BOY should not be working in the nursery special order furniture section. (Unless he is a Trading Spaces designer type...) My husband doesn't know the difference between cream, beige and taupe-so I know this young guy didn't know anything. :lol: Why couldn't he be in the back stocking the baby safety gates? :rofl:

The woman finally had the chair ordered in black, with tan upholstry so that it will match the nursery. It will be here before the baby arrives. She, on the other hand, knew what she was doing-and would know the difference between the pink chenille, pink gingham check, and pink toile fabric swatches.... :lol: