35+ TTC 1st Graduates!!! Come on Over!

[rottpaw]

Super quick update from me just to say the got me last night. no pregnancy for me this month, which hit me completely sideways for some reason. We werent even trying, but i was still disappointed. Oh well, we will be moving back to officially ttc at first of the year, so I hope to have better news soon!

Hugs to all and I will write a proper update later this weekend!

 

[dodgercpkl]

*hugs* I'm so sorry about that Rottpaw. I hope your next cycle gives you a sticky bean!

 

[Mommy's Angel]

Dodgercpk! Congrats on your news. Looking forward to getting to know you.

Angela, sorry to hear AF is back. I'm sure you'll get a bfp soon. It's exciting waiting already. It's the patience that's the hardest. Love to you dear friend!

 

[sunshine71]

Welcome, Dodger, and congrats!

Aww, Angela - I'm sorry! But at least you'll be able to have a little bubbly over the holidays, right? (Sorry - just trying to look at the bright side...) I'm SURE you'll have better news soon!

Okay - I need input. Hannah has silent reflux, and it's really gotten worse in the last few days. She's on a script for Prevacid, and I plan on calling the doc today to see if we can adjust the dose (I think it's pretty low right now). But in the mean time, any suggestions? I'm feeding her 4oz instead of 5, burping her often (she cries every time I do it), and keeping her as upright as possible, but she's still arching, squirming, grimacing, crying... She burped yesterday, and although she didn't spit anything up you could tell it was "juicy". Then she choked on it and it scared the CRAP out of the both of us! If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears!

Have a good day, ladies!

 

[lavalux]

Sorry about the BFN, Angela. It is always such a letdown even when you prepare yourself and say you are okay with the wait. But, I agree ... enjoy the holiday wine and bubbly in December and hopefully you will get pregnant in the beginning of 2012!!!

 

[animalcracker]

Hello girls!!

Gosh, it's been an absolute age since I posted here - time is just flying by!! I hope you are all doing well?

As for me, I am 29 weeks tomorrow. I had a bit of a scare last week - I wasn't feeling my little girl move too much last Monday night through Tuesday morning, so I called my Dr. in a panic and she sent me for an ultrasound. Well baby has shifted position once again! Her little face is now facing towards my back, hence less movement. It was good to hear she is ok!

I tell ya - there's always something to worry about in pregnancy isn't there? I won't stop worrying until I can hold my daughter...I wish I was term already!

Also, at my last ultrasound I was told that my fibroid is behaving - it moved out of the way and that I could have a natural birth if I wanted! I really was not expecting to hear that, as for the longest time I was told I would need a vertical c section high up on my stomach. So that was nice to hear! We'll have to wait and see how things are when she's ready to come out and go from there. But it is nice to have the choice again

I also am having the most peculiar dreams! Last night I dreamed that I was carrying SIX babies. I was in the hospital with a Dr. who kept focusing on other patients over me and I was getting frustrated. I gave birth to the first baby (a girl) and she was beautiful. The next one got stuck..and Mike Tyson was at the end of the bed cheering me on. So bizarre!!

I am embarassed to say that I have gained 40lbs so far I am just SO hungry all the time. It's getting really difficult to move around now and I sometimes find it hard to breathe. I will admit that I am not eating healthy all the time either...I actually had McDonalds for the first time (in over 2 years) last week.

How is everyone else doing? xo

 

[MissMuffet08]

Welcome Teri! Good to have you here!

 

[MissMuffet08]

Angela – Sorry on about the witch coming! But I am sure you will have a BFP in the New Year! I did have a question for you regarding solids…when did you introduce Ethan to stage 2 foods? I was thinking about giving Katelyn stage 2 right after the Holidays. Her pooping is still hit or miss, the prune juice is working, but she doesn’t like it at all. In fact have you ever had an alcohol drink that was too strong and made that “face” like yikes that is strong…well that is the face my baby makes everytime she eats prunes. Also what kind of yogurt are you giving him?

Viv – that is awesome that you are able to go out and do so much. I keep forgetting that it is your Summer time now so the weather is great for taking Cal out. I am glad that you have some groups where you can hang with other mommies. That is really important and helpful.

Rebekah – Don’t worry about not being able to do stuff on time. I am almost never on time anymore. My husband gets upset about it because he hates to be late (not like I like it), but a lot of the times when we get ready to go somewhere Katelyn will fall asleep or like Amelia it will be time for her to eat. I normally will just but EBM in a bottle and take it with us though. However, occasionally my hubby will rush me and then I will forget something…like Katelyn’s pacifier (I know have one in both our cars and two in her diaper bag!). We didn’t go to church for 3 months! Even now our service starts at 10:00 and we normally get there about 10:30 or later. I am hoping that as she gets older the lateness will lessen LOL. I am like you…I don’t BF in public really. I normally do it in the car (or over at my girlfriends house who has a baby and she will be bfing her daughter as well!) I did it once, but we were in a restaurant way in the back and there was only 1 other couple back there. I put my little BFing smock on and fed her. I kept looking around to make sure that no one could see my booby LOL!

Laura – Your babies are almost here! I am soooo excited for you! I can’t wait to hear your birthing story. You are going to be a great mommy! I am sure it must be hard to concentrate at work. I don’t know how you do it!

Chris #2 – Katelyn had really bad reflux early on and our Dr. had us put a ¼ of a teaspoon of cereal in her bottles…this also helped with her weight gain issues. I still had to keep her up for about 30 minutes after every feeding. I had SEVERAL experiences when Katelyn choked a bit on her spit up and her eyes got all wide as she was trying to breathe. It is SCARY!!! I quickly grabbed her and turned her upside down and patted her back. I would definitely ask your Ped about increasing the dose because it is based on weight. The more she weighs the more medicine she should be receiving. Keep us posted!

Jules!!!! – it is soooo good to hear from you! I am glad that everything is okay with baby girl. If you have scares like that don’t even call just go in, especially at this stage. Those are some weird dreams…mike Tyson?! Did you watch the Hangover recently LOL. Don’t worry about the weight gain at all it will go away once the baby comes. I am sure you are beautiful. It is hard to eat healthy all the time. Sometimes you need pizza and McDonalds. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Your baby will be fine .

AFM – Katelyn and I have had colds the past few days. Mine was much worse than hers. She has a stuffy/runny nose still and just trying to suck it out breaks my heart because she cries and screams soo much. It is getting better though. I took Friday off because I was in bad shape. I got a LOT of extra sleep which helped tremendously. I was even able to decorate my tree on Saturday. We did take our family Holiday photos on Thursday. I can’t wait to get them back. We did that at JCPenney. If you haven’t done yours yet, they have great coupons on line. We got 48 Christmas card photos for $.59 cents each! They have a lot of other great packages as well. Now, I have a questions and I feel like a bad mommy….I did not do birth announcements for Katelyn (my mom kinda made me feel guilty saying, this is my first child and I didn’t do it), I actually have them designed and was going to order them, but felt that maybe it was too late to send out birth announcements 8 months after the fact. I do feel badly that I haven’t gotten/sent them…what do you all think?

Best,
Steph

 

[lavalux]

I don't think it's too late to do birth announcements, Steph, if you still want to. Only some people are really keeping track of the time and they are the ones that are family and super close friends anyway so they wouldn't mind and the rest will just be happy that they aren't being left out of the loop. I love getting birth announcements.

Jules,
So good to hear from you! Don't you worry about weight. It will come off later. I've been eating tons of chocolate since Halloween. I can't help it! I've had some McDonald's too. Now I'm getting so big that there is little room in my belly for food, but I'm trying to force myself to eat protein shakes, etc. b/c my babies are small and I need to plump them up!

AFM, I just got home at 4:30 from my "half day" at the office. I can't say no to my boss who left at noon because she was getting sick and asked me to cover her 2 pm meeting. Can you ladies tell that I am so sick of work!!!! Also, I met with my HR Director today. It would be great if I can get to Jan. 1 and be eligible for my short-term disability benefit. I'd get a check to cover 60% of my pay from 8 weeks after the babies are delivered (for csection) or 6 weeks (for vaginal) so if I go out for a few weeks of medical leave before they are born, I get coverage for that time too. But the bad news is that I don't have enough annual/sick leave to cover 12 weeks of FMLA leave so I will need to take unpaid leave (my HR Director recommends 1-2 days per week I take unpaid to cover the full 12 weeks). And I can't utilize our donated leave policy unless there is something "catastrophically wrong" with the babies - like they are still in NICU after 2 months, God forbid. Aaagh! I wish we didn't have to worry about all of this. I'm grateful for my job and my paycheck, not to mention that they are letting me work from home some while continuing to accrue leave, but it's so stressful! Anyway, thanks for letting me rant a bit! I know there is nothing y'all can do, but it helps to vent. Ok, now I am going to nap!!!

 

[animalcracker]

Hi Steph and lava!

Thank you both for your kind words! I'm trying hard to not beat myself up too much about how much (and what!) I am eating. Right up until I got pregnant, I was working out every day for about an hour - two hours per day. My diet was also very 'clean' with nothing processed. That went out the window when I got pregnant and I haven't worked out at all because I have had zero energy

Well, as soon as she gets here, I guess I will hop right back on the bandwagon and hopefully lose the weight! The closer I get, the more excited I get to meet our daughter!!

No doubt I will be asking you lovely ladies for advice once she does arrive - no idea what to expect, but so excited to finally be a mommy!! Hubby is so excited, he loves my pregnant belly and we are both going to miss it once it's gone LOL

Love to you all! xo

 

[Mommy's Angel]

Hi ladies!

Well, ((sigh)) I'm very emotional. The past few days Amelia has been SCREAMING in pain. I thought she had a seizure 2 days ago and it was a reflex reaction. Today we had another office visit and she's been diagnosed with Acid Reflux. She was given Axid prescription and we were given Enfamil neutramagen specifically made for colic and I had her write a prescription and we'll be getting a case of it for 25.oo with Dougs hospital benefits.

She's been a NEW child today since we've had her for 2 months. Turns out all that gas, the issues with the bf'ing taking in and out the nipple, the arching, squirming etc. seems to have been reflux. With just one dose she's already been still, she's been talking, happy and now she's sleeping. We've given her only 2 ounces of the special formula after she gave me an issue with the breasts and even after that her color has come back and she's all happy.


I'm pretty sad right now as I don't want to lose that bond, but she's been a pretty unhappy baby since birth all this time and I'm thinking that if she continues to have issues with the breast, it may be time to switch to formula feeding for my sanity and for hers especially. The only thing I'm hesitant about is that all the formulas including this one have corn syrup in them. My breast milk should be much better than that...it makes me so sad. This will allow for us to make it to church and other functions and feed her on demand when she needs it.

I'm so confused as to what to do. I LOVE the closeness but if it comes to Amelia needing formula and the meds for reflux then maybe that's what I should choose over my own wishes.

I'm just wondering if things "could" get better with bf'ing if I give it another month. Should I feed her both my breast and supplementation? If so how will my milk come in to sustain her needs as she gets older?

If I DO decide to stop bf'ing what about my milk? Do I just leave it alone or do I need a special med to stop the flow so I don't get mastitus.

What do you girls think? As I said, I know there's nothing wrong with ff'ing. I'm just SO SAD to lose that special bond. I really don't want to stop but if it's making her sick then it's no brainer. ((sigh))

 

[rottpaw]

Bek, honey! I know exactly how you feel because Ethan had reflux issues too. We ended up having to quit bf'ing for supply reasons anyway, but it was also aggravating his reflux (bmilk is thinner than formula and doesn't stay down as well as formula). If you want to continue with bmilk I would say try to pump as much as you can, and freeze. As her reflux improves (and it will with age) you can mix bmilk and formula, or bmilk and cereal etc. you could also try nursing first then feeding the formula on top which might help it stay down better (did not really work for us though). Did your dr. Mention the enfamil a/r? That is what we have used, with great success. With it, we were even able to avoid reflux meds entirely (and his reflux was terrible to begin with).

The good news is, it improves as they age AND it improves as soon as you begin solids, which help everything stay down too. We began solids at 4 months so know that there is light at the end of the tunnel!

I can promise you, you will still feel close to Amelia as you bottle feed. I just know that it doesn't FEEL that way at this moment... It is a very emotional thing to stop bf'ing for any reason, and I understand completely!

If you stop completely, just ramp down slowly then quit altogether when you get to like 1 feed or pumping per day.

 

[rottpaw]

Angela – Sorry on about the witch coming! But I am sure you will have a BFP in the New Year! I did have a question for you regarding solids…when did you introduce Ethan to stage 2 foods? I was thinking about giving Katelyn stage 2 right after the Holidays. Her pooping is still hit or miss, the prune juice is working, but she doesn’t like it at all. In fact have you ever had an alcohol drink that was too strong and made that “face” like yikes that is strong…well that is the face my baby makes everytime she eats prunes. Also what kind of yogurt are you giving him?

ph

Hey steph!

We started stage 2 pretty quickly (like a month after we started solids). The only difference in stages one and two is that they are bigger packages and combinations, but everything is still puréed. I think I mentioned that we love the Ella's kitchen products, and Ethan has done great on those (I think in part because they mix different fruits and veggies together, so no issues with constipation from too much of one or another.). I am surprised Katelyn doesn't like the prunes just because they are sweet, but then I have never tried to feed Ethan straight prunes or juice, so maybe it tastes different once mixed with other foods.

If you need her to eat prunes try mixing them with something she likes (maybe apricots, peaches etc).


The yogurt he gets is part of the Ella's "baby brekkie" line. They have one with prunes and raisins and a blueberry pear and Ethan loves both! I have also given him yo baby which he likes. Hth!

 

[rottpaw]

Sunshine and Laura, yes I am DEFINITELY looking forward to some bubbly over the holidays lol! that is my favorite cocktail and, after this week, I am looking forward to having some while we decorate the tree!

So its already been a fun start to the week here. My little guy cropped up with his second cold in as many months, this Sunday. it is so hard to watch them suffer and be miserable! He did okay yesterday, but today has alreadybrun a 101.8 fever and thrown up all his lunch. This time he has lovingly given it to me as well. I didn't figure I would escape two in a row, so I took yesterday and shopped for Kleenex, cough drops and groceries, and made some homemade chicken soup and a nice dinner we can eat for a couple days. And I am SO. Thankful I did that because I'm gonna need it!

Ah well. Anytime I start feeling sorry for myself, I remember the title of this thread and that I need to celebrate having this little guy, in ALL circumstances (and I do!)

Laura, I remember those last weeks at work well. NOT fun! Try to rest up as much as you can, and conserve those calories!

Jules, so glad all is well and do NOT worry about your diet too much. I ate whatever I wanted, and Ethan was born healthy as a horse! Just enjoy for now!

Okay girls. Off to shower and try to nap a bit myself. Praying this round of family sickness passes quickly!

 

[Junebug_CJ]

MA, Zoe had severe reflux issues (she didn't gain weight for 6 weeks it was so bad) and no one ever told me I had to stop BF'ing! We certainly didn't start formula. The meds were enough to help, I don't see why they're telling you to switch to formula!

 

[MissMuffet08]

Rebecca – The good news is that you found out that Amelia is having reflux. Now you know what to do for her. Unfortunately, I think most of us have babies who have/had reflux. It is extremely common and being diagnosed more and more (previously people just thought is was colic). As I was saying to Chris 2 yesterday, Katelyn’s doc recommended adding a bit of rice cereal to her bottles to help with both reflux and weight gain. I added a bit less then he recommended, but it did help in both areas. In addition, I would always add her reflux medicine to a bottle of EBM for her. I am sure if you speak with her doctor there are probably several options you can do that can include you breastfeeding. One of my friends was in the same boat with reflux, and she exclusively breastfeed, except when she gave her baby vitamins and that was done in EBM. However, if it turns out that breastfeeding is not an option, that will be ok too. As Angela said, you can still pump and freeze your breastmilk and perhaps provide that to her once or twice a day. It will work out.

Angela – Thanks for the tips on the food. It is just so confusing, because you are supposed to introduce 1 food a time to ensure there are no allergies so that it is a pain in the butt to only give her 1 food for 3-5 days and then start mixing and matching. Where do you get Ella’s Kitchen food? I only saw some at BRU and it wasn’t a huge assortment. Also, I am sorry to hear that Ethan is sick again and now you are sick! Kudos to you for making homemade chicken soup while sick. Feel better soon!

 

[rottpaw]

Ps rebekah, I checked our A/R and it does not contain corn syrup. Hope that helps!

 

[rottpaw]

Hey steph!

After a while I started just giving Ethan combinations (like Ella's has a butternut squash, carrots, apples and prunes mix) where he had eaten two or three of them without incident, the I was only introducing one or two things new each time. I still have not given him many grains, just rice, oatmeal and wheat so far. But I agree, so many of the 2nd foo are combos it is almost impossible to avoid the mixed ingredients after a while.

Our target carries the whole Ella's line, and I have found a much better assortment at BrU vs. their stores.

It is definitely confusing! We are still having gag reflex issues with Ethan and any finger or textured foods, so we are still doing purée exclusively for now. I cannot WAIT to be able to give him some regular food, because the purees are expensive!

 

[sunshine71]

Hi ladies!

Steph - in my opinion (for whatever THAT'S worth) - I don't think it's too late to send announcements. I agree with Lava - if you want to send them, send them!

Thanks for the cereal info! We've upped her Prevacid dosage and I'm giving her a tiny bit of Gaviscon after each feeding, and it SEEMS to be helping a bit. If I don't see enough improvement I'm going to ask her ped about adding the cereal.

Animal - I'm VERY glad that baby's doing well! It's always a relief to hear that everything's okay. And I totally hear you about the weight gain thing! Like you, I also exercised every day and had a strict diet before I got pregnant. Then I had the extreme exhaustion once I became pregnant, so my exercise routine went out the window, too. The only advice I can offer is to avert your eyes from the scale! I actually refused to get on it in the first place... But like you said - you just jump back in to it once the baby's here. And HOPE your clothes will fit in a few months...

Angela - I hope both you and Ethan feel better soon! Have you tried Cold Ease losenges? (I don't think I spelled that right...) They usually work pretty well for me.

MA - All I can say is You won't lose the closeness, I promise!

I hope everyone has a good day! If any of you watch Sons of Anarchy, don't forget that tonight's the season finale - I think I might to into withdrawl...

 

[animalcracker]

Jules, so glad all is well and do NOT worry about your diet too much. I ate whatever I wanted, and Ethan was born healthy as a horse! Just enjoy for now!

Thanks Angela!
BTW, whenever I see Ethan's pics on Facebook, he brings such a smile to my face! He is the most beautiful baby and always looks so happy!!! xo