#2 due in March 2016

[ruby83]

Bella, that's actually a really good idea! With DS they rushed him away to special care unit because he was early and I felt really out of control.

 

[BellaRosa8302]

Glad to help!

To be honest with you, that's more the kind of birth plan I want also. I kinda feel like what will be will be in terms of the birth itself... I'll write that I don't want meds and I'm hoping to try the room with the bathtub to possibly ease labor pain, but the great majority of it will be what I want to happen afterward. And, as I believe I've already said, I'm just looking for ways to manage pain... but I don't think that should go into a birth plan, right??

Anyway, in other news, I'm still having issues designing a nursery for my little guy. I was really excited to pull together some stuff rather than buying a ready made "set".... but now I'm backtracking and thinking the set idea is just so much easier than trying to find a bunch of things I like so that I can piece together. BUT, even worse, regardless of all that, I still just can't find anything I like!!!! I find fault with everything. It just makes me sad/stressed when this should be something fun! With my DD, I knew I'd choose a butterfly set, because butterflies are meaningful to me and my family. I don't feel like I have something like that for a boy.... I've thought about tools (because DH is all about them), outdoorsy/hiking stuff (again, DH's hobby), cars/trucks (because when I think of little boys, that's what I think of), foxes (because I just like them - but I don't generally love the color schemes that come with those kind of sets), and in general, I just want different color blues, from navy to baby blue. But again, any blankets, sheets, crib skirts, etc that I find, I just don't like....

So, now that I've ranted, how are your nurseries coming along??

 

[busybee98]

I hear the dilemma about finding things you like bella. You Have Time Though So Keep looking. It only takes one.
Afm now that we know we are team pink the girls will share a room. ( they were going to anyway we are in a 2BD apartment) but since they will both be girls. I may just extend on the decorations I have for dd which is her name in pi nk letters above her bed with butterflies all around. So once we have a name for this one may be I will make her the same. We do plan to buy Them a nice dresser though that will hopefully share as dd dresser is too small.
What about everyone else?

 

[jtink28]

since we will have 2 boys, they will share a room. we want them to share a room until they're teens, actually! we live in a 2 bedroom apartment right now as well, and my son still co-sleeps most of the time, so we didn't bother to really decorate his nursery. i'm not going to bother decorating the nursery for the new baby, either, as i know this baby won't sleep in his room/crib until at least 6 months. (and we are planning to move when he's 4 months old, so i'm not keen on decorating a room for only 4 months!)

 

[ruby83]

Don't stress Bella, you have plenty of time! Personally I prefer picking items myself rather than a set as I'm not a fan of things that are "too nursery/ baby like" if that makes sense. I also love decorating so find it really fun!

We have had our painter in the last few days to paint the striped wall in the nursery and he is also wall papering our bedroom. It's been quite the ordeal actually. He has messed up a few times and had to re do things so it's taken way longer than anticipated! Brought some of my furniture for the nursery and cot will go in once Harry's big boy bed it delivered.

Have you looked on Pinterest for ideas? I love it! I also love etsy. Post some of your ideas if you want feedback 👍🏻

 

[ruby83]

Don't stress Bella, you have plenty of time! Personally I prefer picking items myself rather than a set as I'm not a fan of things that are "too nursery/ baby like" if that makes sense. I also love decorating so find it really fun!

We have had our painter in the last few days to paint the striped wall in the nursery and he is also wall papering our bedroom. It's been quite the ordeal actually. He has messed up a few times and had to re do things so it's taken way longer than anticipated! Brought some of my furniture for the nursery and cot will go in once Harry's big boy bed it delivered.

Have you looked on Pinterest for ideas? I love it! I also love etsy. Post some of your ideas if you want feedback 👍🏻

 

[BellaRosa8302]

Yeah... I've gone on pinterest & etsy. Those are the things I like the most, to be honest. DH isn't willing to paint the nursery again (especially because we'll probably have 1-2 more babies and be surprised on the gender, so the wall color really needs to stay neutral). So, it's cream colored walls. You wouldn't believe how many sets incorporate A LOT of white... which makes me feel like it wouldn't match the cream walls. It's really hard to find something that A) I like and B) Would match the walls... (and then, DH says I shouldn't take this into account but C) Isn't "copycatting" our newest nephew's elephant theme or his cousin's baby's vintage planes/trains/automobiles theme). Then, I'm also taking into consideration the fact that a lady at work makes quilts and is making me a nautical themed quilt for his room... because she wanted to know 1.5 months ago what my theme would be so she could make me something! I told her I'm considering nautical but I haven't decided yet... and that's what she went with. So I might end up with a nautical quilt and no nautical room because I still have NO IDEA WHAT I WANT TO DO!!!!

Busy, sounds like my DD's room! I made the pink letters above her bed and decorated them with butterfly stuff, and have the pink butterfly themed room! I'm sure your room for your girls will turn out beautiful! Please feel free to share pictures, if you like!

jtink, I understand! DD was in our room until 10 months, so DH thinks I'm crazy to be going this crazy over DS's room (since he'll be with us for such a long while anyway). I just want everything set & ready... nesting already, I guess!

Ruby, sounds like your house is coming along great! Glad the painter is taking the time to make things perfect for you! And, thank you! I will post if I have any ideas... right now, I feel like I just don't know. The two sets I was considering are on the Babies R Us website - one is called "Lambs & Ivy Elephant Tales" (I know - and I was trying to stay away from elephants, but it's SO SOFT! Just wish it had something other than elephants on it!) and the other set is the Nautica Kids Brody set. I'm not too into "characters" though, so I just don't know... Sorry to go on and on...

On a pleasant note, I get to see my baby boy today! Today is my follow up scan to get those spine shots (and hopefully a peek at his boy part! ) I've been chugging water like it's my job so that this works out!!! (I was told I was dehydrated last time & I need a full bladder before I go!). Wish me luck!

 

[ruby83]

Bella, that's great you get to see bub again! I hope they get the measurements they need! Hahaha, you sound like me! I am totally in nesting mode and decorating nearly the entire upstairs! I have to say, I really like the nautical theme for a boy, with soft grey and navy. I saw a gorgeous octopus print I loved a while back that was grey with a navy background which wasn't too babyish. Don't worry about not being able to paint, depending on the shade of cream, you would be fine with linen that has white in it. My son's nursery room had an elephant theme and was white, grey and navy for the colours.

I saw this on pinterest the other day and really liked it for being a bit different. I already have my ideas but would have certainly considered this styling otherwise (hope link works): https://www.pinterest.com/pin/428053139561838700/

 

[ruby83]

Hi ladies, I hope you are all well!

My painter finally finished. Here is our striped nursery wall! Can't wait to get the furniture and decorations in now!

 

[Buttercup84]

Hi ladies, thought i'd follow along with this thread. Seeing a few familiar names I'm expecting baby #3 29th Feb but more than likely he/she will be late like my girls were!

 

[BellaRosa8302]

Cute, Ruby! Keep us posted!

:wave: Hi Buttercup! Welcome

 

[jtink28]

Baby boy is healthy and just as adorable as I thought he'd be! He looks just like his big brother at the 20 week ultrasound. I'm curious to see if he'll look like his brother too! He's sucking his thumb in this picture.

We talked about a possible VBAC in this appointment, and looks like unless I have some Crohn's complications, we'll be trying for a VBAC if I don't go too much overdue.

 

[BellaRosa8302]

He looks great! Perfect profile picture! (I swear, my kids don't take the perfect ultrasound photos! ) Congrats on trying for a vbac! I hope you get the birth you want

 

[jtink28]

Thanks! He was very cute, sucking his thumb and wriggling all over. Honestly, the only birth I really want is one that results on a healthy baby. I'll be fine either way

 

[BellaRosa8302]

That's a positive attitude to have Sounds good to me too! Although I'm def starting to get labor jitters... I've been thinking about it more and more often. Last night I had a nightmare about going into labor... I only call it a nightmare because it was all about the pain of labor but no baby at the end. I don't think I even got that far before the dream ended. I'm really starting to get anxious about it.

 

[ruby83]

Jtink he is a cutie!!
Bella, I hear you! I had a dream the other day I gave birth at 22 weeks it was horrible! Definitely feeling some anxiety!

 

[jtink28]

bella, i can imagine you have anxiety about birth - you didn't exactly have a dream experience with your first! i would be nervous too!!

i'm not nervous about birth/c-section this time around because, well, i guess because i had such a good experience with my c-section before. i'll try for a v-bac, but if it doesn't work, i know i'll have a c-section, and know what to expect. but, i also think that if i try for a v-bac i'll opt for some pain killers later in the labor. are you open to the option of pain killers, or want to do it all natural? maybe look into some meditation, yoga, things that will help you stay relaxed through the next weeks.

you know what blows my mind?? we are past halfway. just insane!!!

 

[BellaRosa8302]

Thanks for the sympathy, jtink!

I considered an epidural... but with my back issues after my last pregnancy (which doctors kept attributing to an epidural - but I never had an epidural) makes me reluctant to get one. I keep trying to tell myself that if I did this last time, I can do it again.... but I admit, I had severe anxiety after my last birth. Even just going to my annual exam, I was having a panic attack - it felt like someone was stepping on my chest & I couldn't breathe. So the more I think about labor again, the more anxious I get. Not to mention, as you said, we're more than halfway there!

I feel like time to plan what I can do for pain management is dwindling & I'm just not ready for this again just yet! DD isn't in her new room yet (because her new room isn't done). The nursery isn't set up yet (because DD isn't out yet & because I still can't make up my mind about what to do with it). And I'm just not ready for labor. I need to do more research... but yet, when it comes down to it, can I really learn ways to cope with pain? Regardless, when it comes down to it, I'm going to have to push this baby out, and it will be painful! And then, last time, I remember thinking labor was a cake-walk compared to the recovery period afterward, which seemed like it was never ending! Maybe I should focus my efforts more on "not tearing" to help with that.... <sigh> Sorry for the rant. And I've probably been repeating myself, too.

Anyway, anyone have some wonderful Thanksgiving plans to distract me with?

 

[jtink28]

a little off topic, but i had a conversation with a friend today. she is prepping for her 3rd csection in 22 days. her first ended in an emcs, and her second was a failed vbac. this one is scheduled, and she's been carrying around this sense of "failure" for nearly 6 years since her first baby, since her body "failed" to do what it was supposed to do.

this is infuriating for me on many levels. yes, women's bodies were "made" to have and birth babies. BUT, not all women's bodies are capable of that. women have been having babies naturally for thousands of years. but women and babies have also been dying in droves for thousands of years as well. what your physical body can and cannot do in no way reflects on what kind of woman and mother you are, and i wish more people saw this fact. if you can't birth a baby naturally, it makes you no less of a "real" woman and mother. our identities should not be defined by what our physical bodies are capable of.

i have crohn's disease. it's an incurable autoimmune disease, and basically, my own body attacks my digestive tract (anywhere from my mouth to the end, lol) and tries to kill it, as if it's an invader. there was nothing i can do to prevent this disease, and there's nothing i can do to cure it. my body does not perform how it's supposed to, and it's not my fault, and it has never been my fault. it's just a fact of my life. if my body can't naturally birth a baby, it's NOT MY FAULT. it's not that i didn't "try hard enough" or that my body was weak. it's so infuriating to me to see friends beat themselves up over a csection, and spend YEARS living in the shadow of their body's "failure."

when the surgeon opened up my friend (who'd been in labor for 18 hours, and her baby went into distress), he told her that the baby was literally stuck in her pelvis, and they had to yank her out pretty forcefully. she would never have fit through her pelvis, and in the day before csections, my friend and her baby would have both died. but yet, my friend still feels like a failure. i'm just flabbergasted at this fact and it breaks my heart, because i know thousands of women feel the same.

aren't we taught to embrace our bodies as they are? if our bodies aren't made for birthing naturally, shouldn't we embrace that as well? i had a woman tell me (more than 1, actually) that since i had a csection, i never gave birth to my baby, that he was surgically removed, not "born." well, i think it's women like that who perpetuate this feeling of "failure" in women who can't birth naturally. just horrendous and disgusting.

bella, this wasn't meant for you, i just had a text conversation with my friend and she's still struggling with feeling like a failure on the eve of her 3rd csection. i'm just ranting over that.

anyhow, rant over. lol!

 

[busybee98]

Yea I hear u guys about the birth situation. I didn't have a great experience last time either. Now they r saying they will monitor my fluid because it was low last time. So I kinda feel like doomed to b induced early agen altho it's too soon to tell. Not feeling too positive about it honestly!
The thing stressing me more is that I REALLY want to successfully nurse this time but feel doomed because of the possibility of early induction. Even if I'm not early it's just so difficult. Dd dint latch I felt frustrated and exhausted and didn't have anyone to help me and to feed her so I just gave up. Anyone nurse successfully last time and wanna offer some advice?