**April Bunnies 2015**

[counting]

24 weeks today! Vday! Feels amazing to get here, especially after almost loosing him. We have our "28 week" ultrasound to recheck his kidneys in less than a month. Really hoping for good news. I love this little boy so much already

Baby wearing is the only way. I kid you not ladies. I still wear my 17 month old, while 6 months pregnant! I started wearing him in the hospital, and the weight gain of baby is so gradual it still does not really feel any harder most times than wearing a 7lb newborn, and he is 23lbs. I would have never got anything done if I didn't wear my first for 6+ hours a day. You can breastfeed while you do it. It reduces crying by a lot, keeps hands free, is so snuggly, it counts as tummy time and builds muscles for baby and you, and makes parenting a whole lot easier. Especially if you have a baby who needs to be held 24/7, has colic, etc. My oldest is high needs and could not be put down. Also my husband loved baby wearing too, a great way to bond. Just be sure to look up the most comfortable, safest ways to wear baby. Carriers that place baby in a laying down/reclined position are not ideal for airways, and carriers that keep baby with legs hanging straight down are first and foremost going to kill your back and shoulders. I loved a stretchy wrap(like a moby wrap, but I made mine, you can do it super easy and cheap) I used a woven wrap for a while, but it wasn't my favorite(with a stretchy wrap you can put it on and wear it like a tshirt all day and just take baby in and out without untying or adjusting anything, woven you can not) and then a boba soft structured buckle carrier once he got past the 15lb mark was most comfy. I also used a ring sling for a while for hip carrying. I hated mei tais. I would be willing to help any ladies with baby wearing questions if you are interested but not sure where to start. It honestly is amazing, can not say enough good things!

As a side note on the it counts as tummy time- my son was not big on tummy time, but was able to hold up his own head for extended periods of time by a few weeks old, could sit up unassisted and bear weight on his legs by 4 months, and crawled by 5 months. The doctors could not get over how good his muscle tone was, a lot of that was attributed to the fact I wore him for hours every day.

 

[Beanonorder]

Yay for v day counting! Mine is on Thursday. But he's already measuring at 24 weeks so that makes me feel a bit more confident. I hope your 28 week scan brings good news.
Baby wearing really is a nice bonding experience. I must admit that I was very lucky with dd that she was very happy to be put down. She loved being in her bouncer chair and on her playmate.

Wow Christina you're being brave! When I was younger I wanted to be done by 30 but that changed to 35! I'll turn 32 two months after baby is born and seeing as I fell pregnant so easily I'm glad I waited. But I know plenty of people who are so glad they had their kids close together.

 

[Dini]

Counting thanks for the info! And congrats on V day!! So exciting!!

I really want to try baby wearing especially until I go back to work. I feel like a wrap type sling would work well for me but I don't know for sure so I'll just have to try it. I just don't know which one to try.

Christina, if my life had gone as planned I wanted all my kids by 30 but when I was 28 I left my husband and started all over again. Had a long drawn out divorce but got so lucky to find DH and remarry. We started ttc long before we were married because of my fertility issues and it took us 4 years and I'll be 35 before this one is born. I would love more kids but at my age one may have to be it. I did agree to not prevent after him and maybe if by the time he's going on a year we haven't gotten pregnant again I may do clomid again but I don't think we will ever go down the road of major treatments again. Is little guy is our miracle!!

I feel like the last week or two has just crept by and I do hope it starts to move faster. I guess I'm impatient. Perhaps after the holidays we can focus more on getting his room done and doing the registry and the baby shower and it will move faster. My V day is the Saturday after Christmas so I guess it's good timing.

 

[Perplexed]

Congrats on vday counting!!

I tried using a carrier for DD but the only time she was okay with it was during her 4 month wonder week for short while. Before and after she really hated it. DH kept trying to convince me to just make a wrap out of some fabric but I was so overwhelmed I couldn't find the time. It would have made things so much easier!

 

[beautymyth]

Feeling little to no movements is still pretty normal at 21 weeks right? Baby was so active all last week and yesterday and today I feel kicks but not as strong and more frequent as they were last week.

If my first pregnancy wasn't so long ago I could remember this stuff but I can't and now I am a little worried. I know they still have lots of room to "play" but why be SOOOO active and then hardly at all, all of a sudden? Growth spurt?

 

[RebeccaR19]

Counting- I will probably get some info for how to make a wrap. I'd rather have different ones in different sizes than fuss with a ton of fabric I don't need. Also happy VDay! So exciting!

Beanonorder- I had felt the same as you. I wanted to be done by 30. But here I am about to be 32 in April. It's not so bad really.

My husband is 28. So, he feels like we have plenty of time to have more kids, but I feel like my clock is ticking! So, I'm pretty glad to be having this one now.

Beautymyth- I think that is very normal! Even now, I still have days when baby is very "quiet" and maybe moves only a few times a day. I think even earlier on, it just might not feel like anything. But then baby will start up again later.

My life keeps having more going on. My grandmother might be passing away. She is 91, so it's not like a huge surprise. But I'm just not sure what's going on. My mom is kind of busy and sort of frazzled, so I'm getting fragmented information from her. But from what I know, my grandmother started choking on something at lunch today and then ended up aspirating some food. She is in the hospital. And my mom said her lungs aren't working right, so she is on oxygen. She has a living will that says she does not ever want to be on a ventilator. So, they had to refuse that. And they can only keep her on oxygen for so long. I'm not sure when, but at some point soon I guess they are going to have to take off the oxygen. And then they will just see what happens. My husband told me to go ahead and pack a bag and now I'm prepared to have to drive to see my family if I find something out in the next day or so.

 

[Button#]

I'm sorry about your grandmother Rebecca.

I have a stretchy wrap and a mei tai already which I used loads with DS. I'm not going to bother with a double pushchair so I may treat myself to a woven wrap or a ring sling. I have a friend who has offered to let me play with hers and also there's a sling library down the road.

Me and OH used to squabble over who got to wear DS, he loved it and would quite often go off for walks with him in the sling.

 

[Beanonorder]

Beautymyth I have also felt less movement the past two days. It has me a little worried too. I keep trying to tell myself it's the anterior placenta but I'm not very convincing!

Rebecca I'm sorry about your gran. I lost my grampa at 92 in September this year.
My dh is also younger - 29 and he also seemed to think we had plenty of time!

At the rate I'm going I have no idea how I'm going to work until at least 37 weeks. I get I'm also sick but I got home today absolutely exhausted and my back is so sore. Yesterday I went grocery shopping in the morning and baking in the afternoon and my back was sore after that too.
Bring on the holidays next week!

 

[AmeliePoulain]

I'll have 3 kids at 29

My plan was always to be done by 30. And I think 3 is our limit.

 

[captainj1]

Wow you ladies are all so young! I will be 40 three months after this LO arrives. When I was a child I planned to be married at 25 and have 4 kids...as it was, I worked hard at my career, didn't meet my husband until I was 30, got married at 34 and took 7 months to concieve my son. The rest is in my signature so even though I won't get 4 kids, 2 will be such a blessing.

I am definitely finding it harder this time around though. I'm less physically fit too. I am in Japan on business at the moment, landed yesterday morning and had a day of sightseeing with my client then a full day of meetings today which was supposed to be followed by dinner but I had a dizzy spell this afternoon (low bp) so excused myself as I still have tomorrow to get through before I fly back to the UK. I am missing my son's Christmas concert today too, which I'm pretty sad about. But he understand mummy has to bring home the bacon.

Xxx

 

[Scottish]

Yes Amelie if you ever in Scotland let me know hehe and anyone else !

I will be 29 when this one is born. I to will have 3 kids and want to feel done but something is niggling in me for just one more to even the number out! I don't know see how I feel in a couple of years but yes being done by 30 sounds good

Congrats on v day counting! I have one more week yippee!

Rebecca sorry to hear your grandmother is unwell

Bean hope the pain eases

 

[Dini]

Rebecca so sorry to hear about your grandma. If she is just on oxygen they should be able to keep her on that as long as she wants as it is also considered a comfort measure. I deal with that a lot at work since I work in intensive care. I hope she recovers but sometimes an episode of aspiration pneumonia can just be too hard on the elderly and if she didn't want to be on a ventilator then they made the right call there. My thoughts are with you hon.

I have days where baby boy is quiet or I'm too busy to feel him but I grab my doppler to check on him when that happens but I think it's the anterior placenta and like you beanonorder I am not so convincing!

Ugh, I didn't get much sleep at all. Woke up 4.5hrs in with bad reflux and couldn't get back to sleep. I may try again for a bit but if I can't fall back asleep I guess I'll be up for the day. I do have a lot to do but the stores don't open till 10 and one errand I need to do can't be done till after 12pm and its just after 6am here.

 

[RebeccaR19]

Dini- Thanks for that information! Like I said, I'm getting fragmented information from my mom and I'm not 100% certain what exactly is going on. I am not faulting her with it, of course. This is her mother and her last living family member from that family. So, I think my mom is not thinking so clearly.
I do not quite comprehend why her lungs are not working. I had thought that aspirating food just meant that you were more likely to develop pneumonia or an infection. I don't know much about the oxygen other than the fact that my mom told me they can't keep her on it. I don't even know why they said that or when they plan to take her off of it. I'm wondering if it's an insurance thing? I'd love to call the hospital myself and get information from them, but I know they can't tell me anything over the phone especially not really knowing who I am at all.

I'm just waiting on my mom to update me with what all is going on. Your info as a nurse is very helpful though!

 

[beautymyth]

I feel kicks really low, she's breech at the moment. I got some kicks this morning though that I could feel on the outside! Already making me worried haha.

As for the age question, not sure who asked it. But I will be 28 when she is born and she will be my last one. I'm single so I don't think the sperm donor counts with his age lol

 

[wanting2010]

I'm sorry about your grandmother, Rebecca. Does the hospital your grandmother is in have it set up so that there is a PIN you can use to obtain information on her? The hospitals around here do that so they know they are able to give out info to anyone calling with the PIN for a particular patient.

I wore my DS a lot in the early days. I loved my Moby wrap until he reached about 15 lbs then it started getting more uncomfortable and I moved to a Beco Butterfly that I loved as well. I expect I will get a lot of use out of baby wearing once #2 arrives.

Last weekend I didn't feel baby moving much at all and was starting to get a little worried, and then the movements picked up again early in the week. My bump also looked bigger too, so I think maybe baby was having a growth spurt. Some days she's quieter than others, and I remember it being that way with my DS as well.

I'm another one who always said I wanted to be done with babies by 30. I've always wanted to have them close together in age- get all the sleepless years out of the way at once as I told my DH. I've gotten used to sleeping all night again now though, lol. Anyway, I'm 27 and I think we will be done after 2.

 

[AmeliePoulain]

Hehe, I tried to tell myself I was done at 2...then my coil rejected itself and we drank too much wine and apparently sperm can survive for 5 days, hehe.

My little lucky Penny, I am so glad she hapenned though. I might not have been brave enough to go for 3 but already just having her inside me I feel so much more complete.

 

[GreyGirl]

Lovely to hear of so many getting regular movements now and on the outside! We're getting close to viability, woot! I've finally got more regular movements too.
Quite a few people around my age too, I'll be 30 this week and so 30 when baby arrives. I think we'll be done at 2, but I don't want to say never.

Sorry again for being MIA - I'm rubbish, I know. I rarely get on the computer at the moment, so never feel I have time to scroll back and read. Last week was my daughter's second birthday and it's been so manic!
This is our repeat scan (couldn't see heart properly at 19weeks) at 22+6... All well and managed to stay team !

I asked specifically for this picture - the sonographer said no one normally wants this view!

In other news, my friend who lost her baby isn't ready to see me yet, it's too painful. I understand, but it hurts because she's one of my closest friends.
I've got a swelling in my neck, around my thyroid gland. I've had my blood tested for thyroid function and it's come back normal - so now my only other thought is thyroid cancer and I'm so panicked. I've got an appointment on Wednesday to see if they can find out what it is.

 

[Dini]

Rebecca, just for your info incase it helps...when you aspirate, it doesn't mean you get pneumonia but for most elderly people it does as they can't fight off the infection and don't have the good strong cough you and I do even remanants of the food stay behind and bacteria clings to it causing pneumonia. It's also possible she was "silently aspirating" before the choking episode which made it worse. Antibiotics can help but unless placed on a ventilator sometimes the lungs just can't work with all the fluid that the pnemonia has created. As far as the oxygen, if they live in the US it most certainly isn't an insurance thing. It's possible she's on a very high amount or a special mask called a Bi-Pap that will force air into her lungs and help her exhale without actually being on a ventilator, but you can't live on that forever. If she's on a very high amount requiring a special oxygen delivery system that could be what they mean as well, that she can't live on that forever but if she were just on plain old oxygen that shouldn't be an issue, however your grandma may have put in her living will or told your mom she didn't want that for the rest of her days. Lots of aging people do that and in my field we really respect those wishes. I do hope they can get her better but if not I hope they can keep her comfortable. And I'm sure your poor mom is just overwhelmed by all of it, having a loved one who is very sick is stressful no matter what their age especially when it's your parent. Please let me know if you have more questions I can answer, I don't want to step on toes by interjecting my opinions lol.

I'm about to go try to get the rest of my shopping done. DH will be upset when he sees what I'm spending because I have to get groceries as well, poor guy worked 84 hours in 7 days and had a great paycheck only to have Christmas and groceries gobble up a lot of it. We are being very frugal with Christmas this year, but we are buying 3 gift cards at the grocery so on top of our usual bill we will have that, and I am buying a cake for my girlfriend at work's shower on Wednesday and that wasn't cheap. Excited to pick it up today though, I'm sure it's adorable!

 

[Dini]

Greygirl, I was posting when you did so didn't see your post. The pics look so cute!! Glad all is well there.

Sorry about the swelling, it could be a thousand things, but I'm like you, I'd think the worst. It could just be a lymph node that is swollen trying to fight of an infection or due to the extra fluid your body is carrying right now. I hope you get some answers soon so you can relax!

 

[RebeccaR19]

Dini- That is all extremely helpful! You are not stepping on toes at all. You are a health professional and know lots about this stuff. I am clueless. I have just talked to my mom twice today. The first time around, she said the plan was to leave her on the oxygen for a week and then try to see if they could slowly wean her off of it. I guess that's what she meant the first time when she said they couldn't keep her on it. My mom is consumed with making her she is doing what her mother would want her to do. It's not easy when the person can't communicate well with you.
But the 2nd time I talked to her, she said that my grandmother is now taking her own oxygen mask off! And they are trying to monitor her to keep it on, but she is hard-headed. She said one thing to my mom and that was, "Get me out of here. Get this off my face." She is now being removed from the hospital and going back to her assisted living with the oxygen because that's where she wants to be. I know that if my grandmother were fully aware of everything, she would still be doing all of this. This is her personality. My mom said she thinks she's just ready to go and that's okay. So, they are trying to make sure she qualifies for hospice so that if she truly refuses the oxygen they can just keep her comfortable. There's no knowing. She might leave the oxygen mask alone once she is back somewhere that she is happy and comfortable. I told my mom I'm ready to go if something happens, so I guess we just wait to see what happens. And, of course, they are going to try to monitor her closely and try to keep that oxygen mask on her.
But well before she was even this old, my grandmother has been known to escape the hospital. She has ripped her own IVs out and such. She has a mind of her own.