April Munchkins 2013- enjoying our wonderful babies!

[TeAmo]

TeAmo -- Oh, I know all about the getting blood problem. The woman at my doctor's office finally gave up and said she "thinks" she got enough (she was holding 3 full viles and 3 empty viles & just said she'd take some from the full ones and put it in the empty ones I swear I bleed more from a paper cut than I do when someone tries to get any out of my arms these days!). I've donated blood too many times in the last year and my veins are completely shot. Feel happy to have a valid excuse not to donate every time they come to work now. They come too often - 6 times a year!! And I guilt myself into it every. single. time. I think after this baby is born I'll only donate once or twice a year. The people just aren't very good and have been killing my veins.

My veins are really deep. I warned her she wouldnt be able to get any from my arms before she even tried. She couldnt even feel them in my elbows so I said she was welcome to the top of my hands. She got two viles (one from each hand) but my blood was like syrup.... need to drink a crap load tomorrow and then go on my lunch break to get it taken! boooooo.

xx

 

[maybesoon]

Ugh! I'm sorry ladies, but I'm glad I'm not the only one having the blood draw issues. It pisses me off over the moon because my bff draws blood for my family doctor. I let her entire class practice on me back 13-14 years ago & as students none of them had issues like the people I have delt with lately. First off, when I had to go to the ER back the end of August the guy took 45 minutes getting ready to draw my blood while I was sitting there. Now needless to say, I'm a very easy stick & my blood runs easily. He stuck my left arm first & while playing with the 2nd tube out of 6 he wasn't paying attention to his needle. I tried to tell him he was pulling out & was about to lose it. He didn't listen & yet.... blew that vein.... So he stuck my right arm. Now mind you when my bff draws my blood I never bruise & 99.9% of the time you can't even tell I have been stuck. Well by the time I got home from the ER that Sunday both of my arms had huge bruises on them & hurt like HELL.

I had to go back in on Tuesday to get my blood drawn again & low & behold if the lady that did it blew the vein with the first stick after only getting 1 1/2 tubes full. She then proceeded to stick my other arm & halfway through the 3rd tube she blew that one too!!! UGH! What happened to paying attention to what you are doing??? I'm beginning to think some of these people need new jobs!!!!

 

[doggylover]

A question for ladies who are on to #2 or more: I am considering cloth nappies/diapers. I have no idea where to start as nobody I know does this. We are hoping to get solar panels fitted soon, so it really depends a lot on whether we do that.

If anyone does use cloth, can you tell me what type (ie all in one, two part etc) you use, and if in the uk where the heck you got them?! Thanks!

 

[simplymuff]

Oh gosh so sorry to hear about your experiences with getting your blood drawn. I just went to have my blood drawn today. I'm terrified of needles... And then I saw how many tubes the lady was filling... 16 tubes!! Why so many? The lady did a great job and it went smoothly but I felt a little sick afterwards. Glad that's over but I just kept thinking of how many more times they are going to stick me throughout this pregnancy.

I have not really had much nausea and definitely no vomitting (wonder if that means boy?) but I have been very gassy and it's It makes it hard for me to eat much. I never know about all this... The not so glamorous side of being pregnant.

Anyhow two more weeks till my next scan and I can't wait!

Hope everyone is feeling lovely

 

[simplymuff]

A question for ladies who are on to #2 or more: I am considering cloth nappies/diapers. I have no idea where to start as nobody I know does this. We are hoping to get solar panels fitted soon, so it really depends a lot on whether we do that.

If anyone does use cloth, can you tell me what type (ie all in one, two part etc) you use, and if in the uk where the heck you got them?! Thanks![/

I am planning on using cloth diapers too. We are eco friendly people as my husband owns a photovoltaic solar installation company. There are many companies online that sell you packages at different prices. I have not ordered them yet (way too soon) but I have seen a few companies just googling it!

 

[ReadytoMum]

Hello ladies! I'm sorry I'm so far behind on what's been going on the last few days, but with school starting up again and teaching getting busy I don't have as much free time to visit.

Doggylover: that was an amazing comparison on the two scans you posted! wow... it's so crazy how fast they change!

To everyone who is suffering with MS, I hope you're all feeling better soon!!

My parents got their card in the mail today announcing that they were going to be grandparents, and they called about an hour ago to get filled in on the details. Apparently my mom screamed a little bit when she opened the card. My dad was on the phone with one of my uncles, and he asked if my parents had gotten a dog or something. We didn't get to chat for too long because I'm at work right now, but it felt so nice to know that someone else finally knows! They're sworn to secrecy though, and hopefully DH's parents will get their card tomorrow.

In other news, I'm a Raspberry now!!

I hope that all those with scans coming up get the reassurance they're looking for! I still have quite a ways to go for my 12 week scan. I have an appointment with my doctor on the 21st though, and once that's done with she'll probably give me the go-ahead to book the us. I can't wait to see it.

 

[LittleSpy]

A question for ladies who are on to #2 or more: I am considering cloth nappies/diapers. I have no idea where to start as nobody I know does this. We are hoping to get solar panels fitted soon, so it really depends a lot on whether we do that.

If anyone does use cloth, can you tell me what type (ie all in one, two part etc) you use, and if in the uk where the heck you got them?! Thanks!

We do cloth. My favorites are Flip covers (WITH SNAPS! Maisie has been able to take off velcro/aplix/disposable diapers for months now!) with indian prefolds. I also really like diaper flats (which I just fold up myself into a prefold shape and lay it in the cover) but those don't work anymore for us because I can't find any long enough now that dd is older. That was my favorite from probably 4-10 months, though. My husband prefers all in ones. I refuse because 1) they're expensive and 2) they take forever to dry. So, I compromised and recently bought him 12 pocket diapers (we already had 7 pockets but we only do diaper laundry twice a week so he he needed some more to get through the days -- I work and he stays home with dd). I went with Sunbaby pockets because they're very cheap and I got some glowing recommendations for them. I like the diapers but I'm not a huge fan of the bamboo/microfiber inserts I got with them. They're too short, IMO. Most of the time they've been quite good, but now that we're entering potential potty training age (almost 14 months), she's holding her pee and letting it go all at once. That has resulted in a couple of terrible leaks (once the leak included a huge puddle of pee on my hardwood living room floor after she had only been in the diaper about 1.5 hours!). I think the Sunbabies would be excellent for smaller babies. We'll put up with them for now. We also have older model of bumgenius pockets and I'm not a fan of those, either. The leg holes wick moisture out to her pants. I'm told the newer model is better but I can't say whether or not that's true.

So anyway, yeah, I love Flip diaper covers and indian prefolds (I also really like Econobum prefolds for her now that she's older but they were way too bulky until she was at least 6 months old). I used Flip covers and newborn sized prefolds as soon as her cord fell off at 2 weeks. The covers are one-size and we're still using the same ones 13 months later. They're in fantastic shape and will no doubt make it through another baby at least. I got the covers as seconds from the cottonbabies (the manufacturer) website (but unfortunately I'm not sure they ship internationally. You'll have to check). As seconds, the covers were only $9 each, I think. The prefolds usually run $1-2 each. I also suggest buying several different kinds used and just seeing which ones you like the best. I thought I would like pockets and all-in-ones the best before baby came and I was 100% wrong! The covers and prefolds just perform so much better it makes any additional during-diaper-change hassle (which is pretty minimal) totally worth it to me.

However, we have yet to find a suitable cloth solution for overnight. So we use 1 disposable per day.

 

[Jenn76]

So... yeah....

I think I'm actually BIGGER right now!

Wow great bump! Very close, any chance there is two in there?

I'm back from the diagnostics center!

Here is my 2.05cm little moomin! I think last week looked better than today it must be an awkward phase. Officially 8+6 btw, the growth is consistent with the weeks!

Also ovaries are clear and no other signs of things weird or scary.

Great scan! Glad to hear everything is Perfect.

Lily that looks great!!

Kristy, thanks! I have to say teenagers can definitely be challenging, especially in large groups..! But they can also be great!

So I was told this appointment would be 3 hours....it was 1! Not complaining as it was just the scan, but I was a bit confused as to why it was so short. Interesting, here in northern Ireland we do NOT get genetic testing done as standard. You can opt to have it done at 14 weeks, but you have to pay (only £27). The reason being that terminations are illegal in northern Ireland, so it's not offered as standard. Dh and I still need to discuss, but I think I would like it done. For downs syndrome and spina bifida, and there is a family history of sb.

Here's the pic - it looks like an actual baby today! Cannot believe how much she has grown in just two weeks! My dates today were consistent with my conception dates, so the last measurements must have been a bit off! So still 10+1, and due April 9th!

OMG this is great! Baby looks fantastic! Congrats! This has made me so excited for my next scan.

wow lily and doggylover, your little babies look great! Congrats on good news! xx

I dont mind what we have, I have both a boy and a girl already and both come with different challenges and benefits so I'm happy either way

here is a pic of my berry bump

Excuse the mess, our washing machine is broken and our land lady wont replace it so we have clothes everywhere!

Your bump is adorable, I would love to have mine look like that.

I'm a professor! Thankfully I only have one course for just the Fall term. I teach first year undergrads. I'm also a grad student, so this is my first teaching gig! I have a horrid commute to get to the University, I live in Canada and I teach in the USA.

Wow that must be a pain, do you at least live in a border town? I lived in Ontario for several years.

Am I one of the few who are not getting the NT done? My partner and I figured that even if the baby is going to have downs, we tried so hard to coceive that we wouldn't abort any way, so no point in testing. Would only add to our worry.

Also very jealous of the clear scans. my scan yesterday was horribly unclear because I had to pee before the scan.

Baby looks happy and healthy though.

My scan was unclear as well, my clinic has crappy machines. Glad to hear you scan went well.

Thank you ladies for sharing your scans and bump pics. I really enjoyed looking at them all!!! It brought tears of happiness to my eyes...I can't wait to go for my next scan...but its 3.5 weeks away

I am feeling "not pregnant" today. Normally, I feel hungry constantly, tired, nauseous and sleepy. Today I don't feel any of that. Boobs are still sore, but that is about it. I hope everything is okay in there..

My symptoms come and go, three days great then two horrible days. I think that is normal.

 

[ooSweetPea]

Doggy the difference only a few short weeks makes is amazing!

Glad to read that all scans are going well - we are all really moving right along now eh?

Littlespy that's an impressive bump! You too UK!

Hugs to all who are suffering with MS - it is so hard. I had hyperemesis last pg with home IV's and a reglan pump - not fun! So far (knock on wood) no puking but am always nauseous... Drs started me on zofran as soon as I tested positive so I think catching it early before it got out of control like last time really helped. I feel for every one of you.

to all!

Here's my scan progression so far - going by my ov date 1st pic was 6+1, 2nd pic was 8+3 (dr let DH take a pic of the computer screen when we were in the emergency room!) and 3rd pic was 9+0 - we could see baby wiggling all around at the last one. Crazy how fast things change!

 

[lily28]

It's crazy isn't it?! And amazing! I feel like I actually have a baby in me now

Ebelle, you're welcome!

Lovely scans! And I agree with your DH, there are many things the scans and tests will not show, and we as parents knew what we were getting into when we took the decision to have children, and we can't control EVERYTHING I'm just being optimistic at the moment enjoying the attention

Well I said I was gonna enjoy this pregnancy as I think it's going to be my last and not complain.... But as I have spent the last half hour with my head down the loo whilst trying to console my dd as she is worried about me bless her, but also trying to copy me too, I want to be in the second tri now! no more sickness please!

Very sorry you feel so sick hun. Oh poor baby she must be very worried. I remember when my mom was pregnant with my sis I was super worried too. She also had severe nausea and vomiting plus the doc prescribed her bed rest on the 1st tri. I couldn't concentrate at school because of this.
Soon we will hit 2nd tri and many worries will go away!

 

[lily28]

Phew what a long day but YEY i made it!! whoooo hooooo

Lilli thanks for keeping m ein mind! and your scan pic is great - how exciting!

Doggylover wow that pic is amazing i'm so jelous hehe i can't wait untill we all have our 12 week scan photos....not long now! and i love the comparrisson!!

Littlespy i love your bump!

Ukgirl your bump looks great!

Ebelle i think your photo is cute

Bsj thankyou i survived ....just lol

Kealz yuk i know how you feel its horrid i hope it passes very soon for you

Chig don't panic and enjoy my symptoms dissappeared in week 9 but are back now .....grrrr enjoy the good days

Hope i havent missed anyone!! Well my day was made extra yukky by the horrid rain - i'm a dressage (riding) instructor and teach outside - on the funny but not so funny side my waterproof trousers no longer fit and my jacket was so tight i thought i was going to suffocate LOL!!! Luckily i was only teaching at 2 yards just multiple horses owned by same riders and they know.....off to buy a big long mac to hide under for the next 10 weeks

Stopped at macodonalds on way home (not going to help the trouser issue!) suddenly found my appetite!!

Of course I keep you in mind!
Oooh dressage AND rain, that must be fun! Yep you must find more comfy clothes especially a mac, you mustn't feel suffocation.
I love McDonalds *sigh* ...

aww lovely bumps and scan pics!! I finally saw the midwife yesterday. Wont get a scan date until next week however. Tried to take blood but couldnt get any! I now have to go to the hospital cattle barn to take a number and wait to be stabbed several times before the get any!!

Hope you are all well! xx

Yay on your 1st apointment and getting your first scan next week!
Booo on the blood thing...

TeAmo -- Oh, I know all about the getting blood problem. The woman at my doctor's office finally gave up and said she "thinks" she got enough (she was holding 3 full viles and 3 empty viles & just said she'd take some from the full ones and put it in the empty ones I swear I bleed more from a paper cut than I do when someone tries to get any out of my arms these days!). I've donated blood too many times in the last year and my veins are completely shot. Feel happy to have a valid excuse not to donate every time they come to work now. They come too often - 6 times a year!! And I guilt myself into it every. single. time. I think after this baby is born I'll only donate once or twice a year. The people just aren't very good and have been killing my veins.

There are such huge differences from nurse to nurse, I gave blood twice this week, my left vein is done for good, and the right is fabulous like no one ever got any blood.

In my job they would come for blood every month! I think you can give once a month without a problem. My dad does it to get a long weekend once every month (he gets the day off for donating) haha!

 

[lily28]

simplymuff I got more than 20 different blood vials filled, there are many things they want to check out, immunity from infections, if you have problems with iron, too many to mention.

ReadytoMum yay on announcing it to your parents!

LittleSpy thanks for all the wonderful info on cloth diapers! I plan on using mostly cloth at home but regular diapers outside our home - for convenience.

Jenn76 there are good days and not so good days, especially at this point. Some days I'm full of energy and others I just want to crawl in my bed and sleep for a week.

ooSweetPea beautiful progression!!! Your baby is super cute!

 

[doggylover]

Simplymuff and littlespy thank you both so much! Definitely given me stuff to look into. I think getting a few of different types and brands to start will be a good way to get going! And probably disposables for overnight as well.

Sweetpea your photo progression is amazing!!! What a cute little bundle you have in there!!

I'm still exhausted, no matter how early I go to bed, how little I do during the day....it's horrible! Plus after school sports start again today and I just hate it! So not looking forward to that at all!

 

[ukgirl23]

littlespy, thanks so much for the cloth nappy info here too!! we are on a low income and cloth nappies were our first choice too. I saw a few good demo videos on youtube which made my mind up for my, I can never remember the name of the brand I liked most though, I just know you can flush the liners and replace them without having to change the nappy. They had the snaps on too.

Doggylover I feel for you! But don't worry it's almost friday!!

When I had my son I took 3 days to labour him so afterwards we went in intensive care and they took blood 3 times a day to check for infections since my waters had been broken for so long, it was a nightmare, I'm not looking forward to getting stuck again!


Last night I fell asleep at 8pm!! I didn't wake up until 1am and then I couldn't sleep because I was craving smoked shredded chicken and of course the chinese is shut at 1am lol.. so I didn't get back to sleep until 6ish and now I'm on the school run... yay!

Hope you all have a nice day! xx

 

[dan-o]

Morning ladies, Hope everyone is feeling better than me this today, it's like I've got the hangover from hell lol! I've been feeling fine the last few days as well, strange! Oh well any unpleasant symptoms are good signs in my book lol!

 

[ukgirl23]

aww nooo dan-o thats not good at all! I hope you feel better soon xxx

 

[dan-o]

Ukgirl, sometimes your local council might offer a nappy trial or incentive scheme, they do one here where you get a bucket of about 30 different nappies to borrow and they will then give you 20% back of whatever you spend on cloth.

I found bum genius great for the first 6-8 months or so, but once my LO started drinking juice etc he started soaking both liners in 2 hours or less, so we moved onto disposables, which I hate, but they hold more pee.

Not sure what to do this time round, might do a combination of the two!

 

[doggylover]

littlespy, thanks so much for the cloth nappy info here too!! we are on a low income and cloth nappies were our first choice too. I saw a few good demo videos on youtube which made my mind up for my, I can never remember the name of the brand I liked most though, I just know you can flush the liners and replace them without having to change the nappy. They had the snaps on too.

Doggylover I feel for you! But don't worry it's almost friday!!

TGIAF (Thank god it's almost Friday!)

And thanks for the tip about youtube vids, will definitely look up some of those. If you have any recommentdations about which ones to watch I'd appreciate it!

Dan-o, I heard that some councils do incentives as well. Not in Northern Ireland though I believe. We clearly don't care about the environment or helping families And thanks for the tip about bum genius as well! So much to research!

 

[ukgirl23]

oooooh dan-o I will look into that!! I'm not far from you so hopefully they do it here xx thank u xx

 

[doggylover]

Just been looking on bgnappies.com website, and it has lots of good info. I find the sites without pictures more confusing, as I haven't a clue what a liner, insert etc is right now! I must be a visual learner...

I'm excited about the prospect of using cloth nappies! I think my family will be a little surprised, as everyone has always used disposables, but then again, I am a Geography teacher, (and both DH and i studied Geography at university!) so they should expect us to be the most environmentally friendly!