Aphil...I wish I had a big sister like you when I was trying to breastfeed. My sister was like, "oh, well...didn't work...have a nice day" and then exited stage right as fast as she could...I was a single mom and I think she was more afraid I'd ask her for money. :lol: From the posts I've read of yours elsewhere...she's so lucky to have such a compassionate and caring person for a big sister. And with a bra cup size of DDD...when she becomes engorged... :faint: ...she's going to REALLY need your support.

This was William. It didn't help that when he was born we got the Sh!tty pediatrician with him. I did BF him exclusively for 5 weeks. When I went in when he was almost 3 weeks old for his circumcision (they normally do it at 2 weeks and I don't remember why his was so late) he still hadn't gained much weight. He went from 7lbs.12oz. down to 6 lbs. 6 oz. The same thing happened with Lilly too. She went from 8lbs.8oz. to 6lbs.12oz. We had a different ped who put her on soy for one day while I pumped and dumped and that was all it took. But his nurse had the nerve to yell at me in a waiting room full of people that if he didn't start gaining weight I would have to give him formula. It didn't matter that I had told them repeatedly to check Lilly's chart and that she did the same thing. She was 4 weeks old before she started gaining. So I had that issue dealing with. Then he would projectile vomit, cry all the time, nothing worked to soothe him. I finally caved and gave him a bottle of formula and he was so calm and relaxed and I knew that if it were something in my milk making him sick, it would take 2 weeks to leave my system and I was already so rundown I made the decision to just switch to formula. Great idea for about 4 days when we started the projectile vomitting, not sleeping, crying bit again. Back to the docs to switch to soy. Again about 4 days of relief. Finally they tried tagament, mixing tsp. of rice with bottles, gas drops in the bottles, still nothing. He ended up needing the $30 a can nutramigen-still with cereal and gas drops and zantac until he was 6 months old to keep food down him. Had I had the better pediatrician (we switched ASAP) in the beginning, I have no doubts that we would've made it at least a year BF because I would've been better informed and had a more supportive caretaker.
Health-wise: Lilly has had 3 ear infections in 3 1/2 years, William has had too many to count, already had his adnoids taken out and tubes put in, has ashtma and will probably have to get tubes put back in because he's still retaining fluid in his ears (and he's 28 months). I have no doubt that one reason Lilly is so much more healthy than William is because I was able to make it 6 months exclusively BF her (minus the 1 day on soy) and William just had the almost 6 weeks.

WWVixen—I too used to think it was gross and I was 29 when I had Lilly. But it was something I knew that I wanted to do no matter what. If it is something you might want to at least try, I would suggest seeing if there is a lactation consultant at your hospital. There are plenty out there who encourage and don't push it on you. I don't want you to think we are trying to push you into it. I just don't want you in a few years to regret not having at least tried to BF. Regret is just a horrible thing. :)

Well here are the pics of the coming home outfit (as modeled by "gracie"--Lilly's doll that is newborn size). I bought it in preemie. William was just swimming in his 0-3 months outfit and they usually just wear it that one time anyway. Plus I'll be having him 2 1/2 weeks early and I don't have Aphil's history of big babies ;)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...s/HPIM2773.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...s/HPIM2774.jpg

I had to laugh about the babies r us story. I would have been the same way!! The kid was in way over his head.

Thank you for all of the advice on the breastfeeding. I guess it's going to be a decision that I will make when I have Connor in my arms.

Love, love, love the coming home outfit! So adorable! We have a little white outfit for Connor. I had his full name Connor Ellis Munoz embroidered on it. I'm thinking of getting it in Arabic on the back. It's appropriate considering he's being born in Qatar.

Our kitty is pregnant right now...shes about to pop. I feel so bad for her. We both waddle when we're walking. My poor husband is stuck in the house with 2 pregnant chicks. I'm looking forward to all the babis though :)

Wow, you guys were BUSY when I wasn't looking! Love the coming home outfit - I don't know what we'll bring this little guy home in, but we've already got lots to choose from, and I haven't even had my baby shower yet! Deanne - that's definitely a decision only you can make - just make sure you do all the research you can so you can be confident in whatever decision you make. I am planning to breastfeed, but is an easier choice for me. My mom breastfed all 5 of us, and I was 15 when my youngest bro was born - actually, only 3 months with him, but he had some of the same issues with the reflux and was eventually able to keep special formula mixed with a little baby cereal down best, but my mom thinks maybe because it was heavier. ;-) I will not be going back to work, so I don't have that problem, but financially that's a reason to make sure I can get it to work! I know it's going to be hard, but I am excited to learn as much as I can and do my best. Of course as everyone has been saying, every mother and every baby is unique, and you have to figure out what is best for both of you! Are you feeling any better? I'll bet you're getting excited (and more miserable - especially in that heat!). Better go get something productive done...

WWVixen-so funny that you and kitty are pregnant together! :lol:

barbygirl-What a cute outfit!!!! I have some new recieving blankets, knit caps, and 3 months sized gowns/sleepers...and I am trying to decide which one to pack in the hospital bag to take him home in. It is so hard to decide!

techwife-thanks for the compliments about being a good big sis. I try...I have a younger brother, a younger stepbrother, and a younger stepsister, plus two younger SILS. My DH and I are the oldest all the way around. :lol:
I do what I can to help, educate, and encourage my SIL during her pregnancy-I do wish that she were more active though and ate better, and that she would quit smoking completely. She has dwindled it down to about half...but has not stopped completely, and I worry about the child.

I am in the beginning stages of planning her baby shower right now, and I am a bridesmaid in my other SIL's wedding this coming weekend. (Her sister LOL) I am making/made all of the flowers for the ceremony, and doing most of the decorating. I am pretty frazzled this week doing all the final things.

Hello Everyone!

I am a missing member of one of the calorie counting groups (and did okay with weight loss). But, I basically went MIA when I got pregnant.

At any rate, I'm 18 weeks now. This is my second monkey (monkey-boy #1 is 2). I'm very excited b/c I was very ready for another baby.

Now my frustrations, I haven't gained much weight (surprisingly) even though I went on a cruise in early May and haven't been watching my food intake all that well (I've been eating plenty of junk!). I have gained about 5 pounds (through my last visit on May 26 - who knows what it is now). I figure I haven't gained a bunch of weight b/c I'm chasing after the two-year old. And, I am still trying to get exercise (yoga, elliptical, whatever) when I can. At any rate, I really need to be more diligent with my eating and potential weight gain. I don't want another 45-lb weight gain (especially since I still had 7 pounds on me when I got pregnant this time!).

I wanted to chime in on the breastfeeding and other things. I so believe it breastfeeding. It is one of the best things you can do for your baby. It is pretty sad that our society, in general, looks down on and makes women uncomfortable because of breastfeeding. Unfortunately, breastfeeding didn't work out with monkey #1. I did try for a little over a week. But, he didn't like the fact that it was so hard to suck on and I wasn't putting up a bunch of milk for him. So, I gave up and gave him the bottle. And, he turned out fine. I will try breastfeeding again with monkey#2. Hopefully, things will go better.

WWVixen - I read with empathy the story of your 18 month old still wanting to wake up in the middle of the night to feed. I had the same issues with my little guy until he was about 14 months old (he had to have that bottle at 4:00 a.m.!). I highly reccomend that you read some books on the subject of children's sleep habits and needs (i.e., Ferber's book, Weissbluth's book, etc.). As I'm sure you are aware, an 18 month old does not need to feed in the middle of the night anymore (really babies don't need food in the middle of the night past 4 months). These books can offer suggestions on how to break the middle of the night feeding habit your son has (that is all it is, by the way, a habit). I ended up letting my guy cry it out for a few nights. It wsa hard b/c no one wants to hear their kid cry. But, my son was so overtired from waking up at 4:00 a.m. and interrupting his sleep, I knew it was the best thing for him. Now, he goes to bed around 8:00 p.m. and sleeps soundly until anywhere from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m. (depends on how busy he was the day before). The books offer other suggestions if you don't want to go the cry it out method that may be more suited to your parenting style. But, I definitely reccomend researching it!! I'm re-reading my books now in anticipation for monkey#2. I really want to help him develop good sleep habits early on (something I didn't do with monkey #1).

Okay, I guess I've rambled enough. I'll check in again later!

Hey girls! Moving right along...35 weeks and READY TO GO! Sheikha(the cat) still has not had her kittens yet...i know she's just as ready to go as i am. We sleep about the same length of time everyday.

Now, the other day I got VERY sick...vomited (it was actually painful) once at home and then almost did at Applebee's that night. I felt like I had time traveled right back to my first trimester. Is this normal? I just don't understand why I was so sick.

We are booking the ticket today for my Mom to come over about 4 weeks after the birth. She has never been to the Middle East and has been on one flight in about 15 years. She is so nervous! I booked a flight where she has plenty of time to get lost in the airports. She gets to stop in Rome so thats not so bad. We have shared housing with my husbands company. Most of the villas have 3-4 people but ours only has my husband and one other guy. So the other guy has the master bedroom and we have the 2 other bedrooms. This means that my mom gets her own room. She'll be here for a month so I think this will make things easier on her. She will be trying to get a job here so she needs that time to relax. We have a gym, pool and jacuzzi...relaxing shouldnt be too hard. I want this time for her to see her grandson but also to live life and see new things. She had gastric bypass and is in a size 2 now so maybe she can meet a man??!! With my approval of course.

We bought the stroller last night and we're going to get the crib tonight...it all seems so final. I can tell my husband is getting nervous. He's acting a little strange but in a cute way.

What are the basics that we will need...the bigger things such as diaper genie, glider/rocking chair, swing, etc.? We don't want to have a whole bunch of things that we'll never use.

As far as breastfeeding, unless I decide when he is in my arms to do it, im bottlefeeding. The pressure from friends/family to breastfeed is getting obnoxious. Connor will not be any different from any other child because hes being bottlefed. Im choosing to bottlefeed and not because society makes me uncomfortable with breastfeeding but because its my choice. I dont think I'd let society factor into a choice like that anyway. :preg:

It does seem as if im doing everything the non traditional way though...bottlefeeding, choosing a c-section, etc...oh well. I'm lucky to be able to choose.

I hope everyone is ok!!

Stroller, crib...as far as other "big" things, the Diaper Genie is not a necessity at all. We bought one with our first, and it was in the rummage sale the next time we had one. :D Now, honestly, I always have a million plastic sacks left from the grocery store/Wal-Mart/etc. and I wrap up the *smelly* ones in those before I throw them into the trash. :lol: They even sell "scented" ones for pretty much the same purpose at some baby stores.

Other big things...the glider is only really a necessity if you do not have a rocking chair or glider, or a swing on the patio/porch, or other "moving" seat in other areas of your house. Babies are soothed by the movement...so if you have one of the other things, then you are fine.

I would say to have a pack of newborn diapers, and also a pack of the next size up and a couple packs of baby wipes...a bottle brush/at least 8 bottles and a few containers of formula and at least 6 burp cloths/cloth diapers if you are bottle feeding. It is always good to have enough diapers/wipes and formula to last you for a couple of weeks-because you are not going to want to run out to the store when you have a 6 day old baby-because you only bought one pack of something. :lol:

Clothing...a few basic recieving (thin) blankets for swaddling, and a handful of newborn AND the next size up onesies and footed sleepers are usually fine. They don't need a lot of "dressing up". They are usually much more comfortable in "simple" clothing. I see newborns in 50 yards of lace dresses and little cowboy boots, and feel SO bad for those kids-they have to be uncomfortable! :lol:

Toiletries-alcohol and cotton balls to care for the umbilical cord...baby wash/lotion, nail clippers, and diaper rash cream are pretty much the necessities there.

With the crib, I recommend getting more than one sheet-2 is enough, 3 is good. That way if there is a diaper leak, you have another to put on while the other is in the wash.

Toys and things-the baby doesn't need any of those thing yet. They don't need a high chair right away yet, either-not until a few months away when they are ready to start baby food. So, if you want to get the high chair, baby spoons, and other things for solid food a couple of months down the road-that is fine.

Really, basic care, somewhere to sleep, the stroller, and the car seat are really the only basics you will need right at first.



As far as I go-we had an ultrasound to track size on Wednesday-and I had another gd glucose tolerance test done. At my first U/S, the baby was right on target with my due date. In my 2nd trimester U/S he was almost a week ahead growth wise. Now, he is about 2 weeks ahead growth wise. Most babies in the 28th week are around 3 pounds, and this baby is almost 4 pounds. He has a BIG MELON (head) as well. Yay! So, I have another whopper kid to look forward to. :lol: They will check the size again here in a few more weeks to see where he is at. I would imagine, at that time, that they will probably offer me the c-section.

I love natural birth-and luckily, I was able to have it with my second, even as big as he was....but, they learned from my daughter that I can't have them natural at full term without complications due to size, and to have them natural I have to have them early earlier than they would like-which led to Raiden's NICU stay...so the best option seems to be a C-section at this point, a week or two before my due date. I have mixed feelings about it-but I think the way things are going, it is going to be safest. I am terrified at having the c-section done, though...and it is definitely not a choice I would make unless it was necessary.

I am worried as well about losing feeling in the incision area...have any of you experienced that? Mainly, because of dancing. I don't want to "lose any of that" and have it affect what I am able to do professionally. Most people are fine, though-but it would be my luck. :lol:

welcome AJs ma. Glad to hear things are going well.

wwvixen--you're getting closer. I'll ditto Aphil on her list. Sounds like you've got the basics.

Aphil--After my first c-section, I got all my feelings back around my incision. It wasn't until after I had the 2nd one that I lost (and still don't have much) feeling around the incision. It is weird when the doc sqeezes on the gel for the doppler and I don't feel it going on but I can feel it rubbed in. I'm hoping when he cuts me this time, we can repair (or at least get those nerves) a bit closer together.

As for me, I'm 27 weeks today and I've decided that I have to start walking. My right hip joint feels like it's about to pop in 2 and I know that if I walk, it will relieve the pain. Other than that, things are going well. My birthday and anniversary are next week and Jeff is taking me out this weekend. I plan on stopping by the super wally world and putting the bassinette and car seat in layaway since our local one has a very small selection.

Things are going well as can be expected. The morning sickenss is really kicking it up a notch. No vomiting but lot's and lot's of nausea! yuck! I feel off a lot too, funny weird feelings, just not right and I can't explain it.

On the weaning from it's been three nights but he is doing so much better. We co-sleep so he's actually in bed with us. I wear a top everynight and when he wakes I cuddle him offer him water and eventually he goes to sleep. Last night he woke up once, early morning. Fussed then climbed out of bed and onto the kiddie couch I have set up next to our bed. It folds out and I have pillows and blankets down there. He slept down there for another hour. So that's a step forward.

Donna, I'm glad the weaning is going well for you. I know how painful nursing through a pregnancy can be. A lot of women find it gets better after the first trimester. It did for me, but then it came back being very painful in the third trimester. Nothing like the sensation of being stabbed repeatedly with needles to make a gal want to wean! Of course, I didn't, which probably makes me certifiable.

Eighteen months is a good long nursing relationship, & you'll have another one to maul you soon enough. ;) (Funny, but I love it when Esther starts trying to dive down my shirt.)

Aphil...With having worked to get a VBA2C, I'm pretty obviously pro-vaginal birth. I hang around Mothering's online fora a lot. But I absolutely agree with you that a c-section a week or two in advance would be a lot healthier than being induced super-early or risking another dystocia. I did lose some feeling, but it was very localized; really only perhaps an inch around the incision, & it's not a total deadness either. But everyone's experience is different.

Hi everyone,

Anyway, only 12 days to my EDD, now I am thinking I may go late. I hope not, my brother will be showing up from the other side of the country 4 days after my EDD (though he is staying for a week).

Sabra: My hat is off to you for tandum nursing and nursing through pregnancy. I just remember how much my boobs hurt during my first trimester (doesn't help that I have polycystic breasts to begin with) and they're hurting a lot now.

Cheers!

Ali

Had my almost 24 wk OB appointment yesterday. I am with a new doctor. I miss my old doctor's office (and quick entry - this one is a family doc, not an ob, and much more popular and busy) but I like my new doctor a lot. He took time to ask a lot of questions and actually listened to the answers and expressed concerns about a few things (including my almost 30-lb weight gain, which I was grateful for, because I know I shouldn't be gaining quite so quickly) and I just know he's more "my type." My other doctor was very nice, and I don't doubt his skills, but I never felt like I could talk to him, much less share how I felt about the birth and what I hoped for. Hopefully this will be better. Heartrate was great, at 144, and I think I'm measuring right (he didn't say anything). There was one confused student nurse that tried to get me to prep for a pap smear and breast exam at the first (cause I was "new OB patient" but I was able to ask enough questions and assert that I'd HAD these done in February by my other OB to help them realize it wasn't necessary. If I had just meekly done what I was told I would have ended up laying on that stupid table in a paper gown for almost an hour waiting for the doctor! (His P.A. was out of town and things were a little crazy.) I'm glad I'm getting a little better at speaking up! Hanging in there at almost 6 months (tomorrow) glad that the nausea is finally (seemingly, as of this week) almost gone and glad to have a little bit of energy back (though sleeping comfortably is becoming a challenge). Hope you're all having great weeks, especially those of you that are so close to your EDD! Hang in there!

I am going in for my 3 hour glucose tolerance test today. Nothing new, because I had gd with my last two, and it was pretty much expected/assumed.

I don't go into it (measureable on the tests) until about 24-28 weeks, so often if the glucose tolerance tests are done at 20 weeks, or 24, then it isn't caught until it is too late. (Which is what happened with my daughter-my BIGGEST baby. They realized it during the delivery.)

So, I am going in for my 3 hour to see how it goes. I already do the diet plan, and all that-so I guess they will just see if I am a bad enough case to have to do anything else with that.

I am freaking starving though, and I have been awake for a couple hours already...and can't eat for about another 4. :(

My stepmother brought me over some baby things last night-a 3 pack of Carters onesies-the nice ones with the embroidery on the chest. They are white-one with a duck, a bear, and a cute little polka dot elephant in pastels. She broought me a 3 months sized "oufit" onesie as well (newborn size on my kids HA HA) and it is blue/lighter blue striped with terry cloth frogs appliqued on it. Very cute...and my first "baby gift" this time around. :D

I had my OB appointment yesterday. The doc had fun with the doppler since my baby didn't like it and kicked it a few times when he put it on my tummy... The HR is still fairly high at 160! My BP is good and I didn't gain any weight this appointment (I am still 47lbs up.... which puts me above ONEderland (I lost and have pretty much within 15lbs maintained a 100lb weightloss for four years). I am measuring 38 cm so it's right on target. I doubt this will be a big baby!

Sara: I am glad you didn't have to have an internal. They are generally discouraged during pregnancy (especially during the 2nd trimester). I am suppose to be monitored for precancerous cells and that appointment my OB/GYN cancelled for me, he told me just to start being screened after the baby is born. Actually the OBGYNs in my area generally don't do internals until the 40th week (except for that one they do around the 9th week), so next week if I am still expecting I get one (which I sarcastically told my OBGYN "yah").

Aphil: Good luck with the test! I had it done back in April after I failed my screening, but I ended up passing it (I am at higher risk with my dad and his only bro are both diabetics <my dad is type 2 and my uncle is type 1>). Take care and it sounds like you're being proactive either way which is best anyway!

Cheers!

Ali