BFP Ladies from MAY we all be blessed with baby! TTC May '13 and beyond[Closed Group]

[Hopeful2014]

@mummy2o Happy 36 weeks!! I'm so happy to hear that she moved for you! That's a relief. I hope she comes quickly and easily. Are there any certain places in the U.S. where you guys would like to live?

 

[melann13]

@Hopeful,
I think you said you were in Colorado, and as a cold weather girl myself (WI) I would say definitely go for the infant car seat instead of just the convertible and here's why... These days you are not supposed to put snow suits or fluffy jackets on kiddos in their carseats because in a crash the fluff compressed and creates too much "give" between the baby and the harness. So, you're supposed to just have the baby in their clothes, buckle them in and then use blankets or covers on top. If you have an infant carrier, this is easy. If you have a convertible seat that stays in the car, are you going to wrap baby up, carry out to the car, unwrap baby, put baby in carseat, re-bundle, drive to destination, un bundle, wrap baby and carry in? and then where does the baby go while you're at Target or the grocery store? I'm as frugal as they come and did everything I could to be efficient in our purchases, but that's just something I couldn't get my head around. I think if you're in a climate that doesn't get as bitterly cold as it does here, it might be fine, but not when there's so many layers involved. Last night DH and I went out to dinner- put Felicity in her seat in the house with blankets and covers, carried it/her to the car and popped it in. Got to the restaurant, popped it out, set it in the booth next to me, folded down the blankets so she could see, and she hung out there while we ate. Afterward we just put the blankets back over her and went back out to the car.
We have the Ergo carrier, the Baby Bjorn and the Moby. All great things to have... but they don't serve this purpose. We use the Moby around the house, vacuuming, doing laundry, working, all while wearing her. The Bjorn and Ergo will get used when I take her to work with me via the bus (although I might take her carseat then too because otherwise where does she sit once we get there?) and they'll also get used plenty for walks and such. The Moby is nice for the newborn stage because it's so snuggly. DH likes it better than the Bjorn because it distributes the weight better. The Bjorn also shouldn't be used for hours on end because it can cause hip problems. I can definitely see us using it or the Ergo for farmer's markets etc when we're not about to try to carry a carseat around and strollers are obnoxious there (I live near the largest farmer's market in the U.S and it gets VERY crowded). The only reason we have all three types of carriers is because I got them all at a consignment sale. The Ergo is VERY expensive new, but I've seen people use it for kids up to 18mos, so it's the one that will get used the longest. They do make an infant insert for it, but we have the Bjorn for while she's still tiny. That's a ton of info, I know, but that's what I've learned in my short time as a mom!
Oh, that and if you're trying to change your baby after a massive spitup that got all in her hair etc, she will pee while in the process necessitating a full wardrobe change and her first tub bath (umbilical cord finally fell off yesterday, just in time apparently!)

 

[athena87]

I had a little scare earlier. I was spotting called my doctor and the nurse said it was normal as long as it's not heavy. It was literally a spot on tp when I went to the bathroom.

 

[daddiesgift]

I'm very pro baby wearing and run our local baby wearing group but sometimes it's just not that practical. For long periods no matter what wrap or carrier I've tried I start hurting. Today it's 82 degrees outside, in late May when Scarlett is due it will be well into the hundreds last thing you want is a sweaty baby wrapped next to your sweaty body while your outside walking around

 

[Hopeful2014]

@melann13 Thanks so much! Those are great points! I do think an infant seat will probably be best for weather and travel purposes. I love to hear about you all going out to eat and house life. That's so sweet! Maybe not the spit up in the hair-just joking-I would even appreciate that moment. I have been considering getting some type of carrier as well. I think I might prefer that while walking around when shopping. Yay for the first tub bath and for the umbilical cord falling off! She's growing so fast!

@athena87 I totally understand being afraid of any and all spotting. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about either though. I had some spotting around 8 weeks that scared me as well. I suggest just watching and making sure it doesn't increase a lot. Take it easy and get some rest if possible. Your cervix might have been irritated or something else like that.

@daddiesgift 82 degrees! Oh! I'm jealous. I'm sooo looking forward to the 50s-60s we may get next week. I'm so hopeful that it does start warming up and that spring is coming soon. That's a great point though. I imagine the weather there will definitely make it harder to wear her while walking outside.



Happy Valentine's Day! I hope everyone is having a great day regardless of what your plans are.

 

[ALiKO]

mummy2o- its definitely worth a visit here. look me up when you get here . i live about an hour from shinjuku, shibuya, and akihabara which is the parts of tokyo you see a lot on tv. i live closer to ikebukuro which is another fun part of tokyo also. im guessing your DH wants to retire somewhere warm like california, florida, or arizona? even perhaps guam, puerto rico, or another u.s territory? my DH wants to retire in australia or malaysia. but we'll see how it goes

athena- i had bleeding too that started 5w+3d and lasted til about 6w+2d on and off. and it was'nt just a spot, it was bright red and would streak the toilet paper everytime i wiped. i was soo scared. i went to my doctor 5w+4d and she said as long as i was not having strong cramps with the spotting that it was completely normal and not to worry. you should be absolutely fine

 

[Hopeful2014]

@ALiKO I've always wanted to go to Japan. A friend of ours taught there for a few years after university, but we weren't able to make it over then. I would also like to go to Australia at some point. I plan to travel a lot in later life. That's one thing I want to do differently with my kids. I didn't get to travel or go to a lot of places as a kid and want to make sure we take lots of trips.

 

[melann13]

@daddiesgift, I can definitely understand not wanting the hot sweaty baby up against you! Even though it's quite cold here, when I use the Moby in the house I have to just have a tank top on because otherwise we end up all sweaty! (Plus it's a lot easier to nurse quickly with the Moby on if I don't have more than a nursing tank underneath.

My LO is growing so fast, but we certainly are blessed that she sleeps quite well for three weeks old, her first stretch is usually 4 hours (at which point the doc wants me to wake her up to feed her anyway if she hasn't woken up herself) and then I get about a 3 hour stretch after that. DH gets up before me and has been taking her out of the bedroom after that so I can sleep soundly for another 1- 1.5 hrs before getting up and feeding her again. It seems like so much sleep for me, but I'm certainly finding that nursing is exhausting! (but so rewarding, definitely wouldn't change it!)

@athena, I didn't have any bleeding this pregnancy (except a little brown around 34 weeks, but I think that was a bit of the mucous plug), but last time I had a speck or two at 7.5 weeks and an internal US showed everything was fine at that point. Granted I MC the next day, but that next day I woke up in SEVERE pain and was having full on contractions (and having been through labor now, I can tell you they were just as powerful), so it was not the speck that meant anything bad.

 

[Hopeful2014]

@melann13 That does sound like a good sleep schedule! It's sweet of your husband to take her for a while too. I can see my husband doing that as well. I know he is ready for some daddy-daughter time. I bet it's a big help to nurse her while in the Moby.

 

[KatyW]

Thanks for the stroller tips, daddiesgift .

I would also push for the infant car seat, since my daughter slept in it in the car and I could move her without waking her up and get stuff done like shopping, etc. I am sure you can make a convertible work well too, though. My child was not a good sleeper so I did everything I could not to wake her up.

 

[Hopeful2014]

@KatyW I do think letting them sleep while moving them around will be a big benefit of an infant seat.


Do you ladies have any thoughts on getting an infant car seat vs the infant car seat and stroller combo/travel system?

 

[daddiesgift]

I think they come in handy when baby is still pretty flimsy and tiny infants fit better In the car seat than the stroller so its helpful to just attach the car seat to the stroller. Most travel systems are cheaper too than buying separate stroller and car seat.

 

[melann13]

I think that witha summer baby I'd get the system. We didn't because a)
We really wanted a jogging stroller because our house is surrounded by beautiful gravel trails that require the bigger rubber wheels b) the jogging stroller systems with car seats I found were quite $$ c) I got a plain jogging stroller at a consignment sale for $20 and d) by the time it's warm enough here to be taking her out for walks, she'll be 4-5mos old and can go in the jogger without a car seat and we have all the wearable carriers in the meantime.
But, if she had been born when it was warm and I wanted to take her out, I would've gone for the system.

 

[kksy9b]

We opted for the travel system. He's coming right as it turns to spring and I want to get that baby out for some walks! Also, the system we got was on clearance plus an extra 25% off so we saved over $100 and paid for nearly all of it with gift cards. I love that the seat can just snap right into the stroller and go. Just need it not to rain every day this spring and we will be all set

 

[ALiKO]

@ALiKO I've always wanted to go to Japan. A friend of ours taught there for a few years after university, but we weren't able to make it over then. I would also like to go to Australia at some point. I plan to travel a lot in later life. That's one thing I want to do differently with my kids. I didn't get to travel or go to a lot of places as a kid and want to make sure we take lots of trips.

yea same here. when i was younger we never traveled a lot only domestically really. im a very get up and go person and i always said to myself when i was younger that when i got old enough i am going to definitely take trips and travel as much as possible. my husbands the same way and at the moment we both have the travel bug and itching to go somewhere .

 

[mummy2o]

@ALiKO I've always wanted to go to Japan. A friend of ours taught there for a few years after university, but we weren't able to make it over then. I would also like to go to Australia at some point. I plan to travel a lot in later life. That's one thing I want to do differently with my kids. I didn't get to travel or go to a lot of places as a kid and want to make sure we take lots of trips.

yea same here. when i was younger we never traveled a lot only domestically really. im a very get up and go person and i always said to myself when i was younger that when i got old enough i am going to definitely take trips and travel as much as possible. my husbands the same way and at the moment we both have the travel bug and itching to go somewhere .

Like you all I also want to travel. I love travelling and also want to do one of those around the world in a year trips. Just for the experience. I doubt that will happen now with a new baby on the way! My mum hates travelling aboard too, which is why we never went as children although she's getting better now in her old age. She's taking my son on a cruise next year, luck thing!

On a side not my OH's cousin who was due 3 days after me had her baby on Valentines day at 35+4. So I spent the whole weekend having phone calls asking if I had my baby yet. It was very annoying. She'll be here when she's here so I wish people didn't ask me, especially a month before my due date!

 

[kksy9b]

Went to the doctors this morning. Baby is measuring 3 weeks back but grew 2 cm like he was supposed to. They think it's just because of bad positioning but if he's any further back at next appointment they will order an ultrasound. I'm not too concerned as he's growing and is moving great. He still has room to do flips and spins and takes full advantage! I'm back in 2 weeks for an appointment and then every week to delivery... I can't believe how quickly it's all coming up! We are just about ready for him though now I'm thinking I should get a bigger box of newborn diapers in case he's too small to fit into cloth right away!

 

[Hopeful2014]

@daddiesgift I get a little nervous thinking about how flimsy and tiny baby will be when first born. I've been around kids my whole life, but those first few weeks always make me a little nervous. You're right; I think being able to push baby in the car seat/stroller will be easier than having to carry it always also.

@melann13 Yay for the good deal on the jogging stroller. Those are good points too. I'm trying to plan ahead based on weather and timing. You're such a big help.

@kksy9b I hope it doesn't rain too much and you are able to get him out. We don't really have a lot of places to walk around here because we live on a large farm area and it's mostly rural around us, but I definitely see the benefit in getting baby out for some outside time. I can't wait for a little sunshine for myself too. It sounds like you got a great deal on your travel system! I'm sure all is well with baby Charles. Are they measuring him based on your measurements or what? It might be good to get some extra diapers. Some places will let you exchange for a larger size if they are still in full packaging.

@ALiKO I always want to go places, but then lose some of my motivation to do it. However, I know that will change when I have kids because I'll want them to experience cool things and places. Do you plan on going somewhere before baby comes?

@mummy2o I think traveling the world in a year would be such a cool experience. I think it would be cool to at least pick one new place for each season of the year. How cool that they are going on a cruise. Don't grandparents always seem to spoil grandchildren more than they ever did their own kids? It seems that way sometimes. I'm sorry you had so many calls over the weekend. The babies will have more space between birthdays now! Baby Emma is due close to my nephew's birthday.



AFM I had my follow up ultrasound today. They couldn't get good pictures of baby's heart or face at my 20 week appointment because she was on her belly. They told me everything was perfect at that time and that they only needed another scan just to get the pictures, but I was still slightly worried. She was on her belly again today! However, the technician jiggled her around and we gave her time to shift over. We got all the pictures we needed and some lovely pictures of her face. The technician and doctor says all looks great and that baby is wonderful. I have another appointment this week for my monthly meeting with my doctor. I've gained 11 pounds so far at 23 weeks, 5 days. I gained 5 lbs in the first trimester and 6 lbs in the second trimester so far. Does that seem good? I knew I gained more from this last month! My belly is definitely showing.

 

[melann13]

@Hopeful, baby's flimsiness depends on the baby. Because Felicity was so late she actually has impressive neck control and gross motor coordination (course Im' biased but she can reach for and grab toys and when she's snuggled up against me she almost always holds her head up and away and turns it back and forth. As for weight gain, I gained about 35 over the whole pregnancy, which was a lot, but at 3.5 weeks postpartum I'm already down 32 with absolutely no diet or exercise, just nursing, carrying around a baby and getting reasonable sleep. I've actually been anxious to exercise, but the easiest with a baby is walking, and considering we're having another blizzard today, that's not happening! I've probably been eating more than prepregnancy anyway, just with the caloric demands of nursing and the amazing baptism cake that we had last week (and brought half of home - think I've had a piece most days with my half caf coffee. It's delicious!)

@kksy9b, I just suggest keeping receipts for diapers so you can return/exchange any you don't open. You will go through 8-10 a day for awhile. Felicity was out of NB size at 3 weeks, but she was born at 8lb4oz.

 

[kksy9b]

Hopeful- glad they were able to get all the pictures of baby Emma that were needed! It is definitely a relief when you know baby is in there safe and sound! Good luck with your next appointment! You'll be going every two weeks here soon!!

The measurements were based on me. Pretty much you should measure right with how many weeks you are. I'll be 34 weeks tomorrow but am only measuring at 31 cm. If it gets any further back they will order an ultrasound to rule out IUGR. I'm really thinking its just because of how he is positioned. At 28 weeks he was spot on. The last 2 appointments he has been transverse and fundal height has been behind. We will see. I'm back in 2 weeks.

Melann- That is so wonderful that she is already holding her head up and reaching for toys! And it's every mom's right to be a biased towards their babies

We will definitely keep receipts to return. We are cloth diapering and I have the stash built up but I opted out of getting newborn sizes and just went to small (which start at 8 lbs to be able to fit). But if he comes out smaller I think we will just do disposable until he fits into the cloth. Like you said, Felicity outgrew NB at 3 weeks and I just can't see spending the money on cloth for just a 3 week period.