First Time Mom's - Due March/April 2013

[I Love Lucy]

Alex, thanks for the birthday wishes. I had a nice, relaxing day. Since DH and I are heading out of town today I won't have any time to myself so getting to enjoy one day of doing nothing was just what I wanted.

The color of your nursery sounds really pretty. My nursery is being painted "perpetual green" but it's more of a blueish color then an actual green. Kind of like the color in my bottom ticker. I love the color but it is much darker then I inteded to go. I'm hoping I still love it once we get the nursery all put together in January.

Like Sarah said, I'm sure the decreased movements are nothing to be concerned about. Your baby might just be going through a growth spurt. Or you might be thinking he/she is moving less when he/she really isn't just because you're paying more attention.

Perhaps the bio oil was giving you some kind of allergic reaction since you mentioned the itchiness has been a little better since you stopped using it?

AFM, DH is working until sometime between noon and 1 so once he gets home we're going to go and pick up some gift cards to this movie theater for two of our BIL's. Then we're going to stop at a local cloth diaper shop, I had ordered some diapers from here online but haven't picked them up yet so I will do that today. Had been waiting to do it since I know DH wants to check the shop out himself but the hours are not very convenient for working people so today is the first day we'll actually be able to do it.

Then it's off to Indiana for the holidays so I won't be back on here until I return home sometime next week. Hope everyone has a great holiday!

 

[LiverpoolLass]

Brittany - Happy belated birthday!

My breast issue is Mastitis - what a pain! :/

Anyway! I'm also off out of town for Christmas - I'm heading back to Devon tomorrow morning with my parents, and OH is following us down on Christmas eve - so this will be the last post from me until we get home on the 27th!

Merry Christmas to all of you! Hope everyone has a lovely time!

 

[doggylover]

Hayley I can't believe you have mastitis I've heard it's really painful. What advice were you given to try and clear it up?

Happy Christmas Brittany! Hope you, dh and Aiden have a wonderful time away!

 

[linzylou]

Hayley, I'm so sorry to hear about the mastitis! How do they treat that? Fingers crossed that it doesn't last long! And I love Macaulay!! I wouldn't worry about the name reminding people of the Culkins - one of my friends named her son Nixon (after the snowboard shop, not the President) and I never think of either one, especially after seeing him! Plus, you still have plenty of time to decide... at least that's what my family told me last night.

Lauren, I've only had one leg cramp so far and it wasn't nearly as bad as yours! Ouch! I bet your leg was sore for a few days? Are you sleeping any better? The last few nights I've fallen asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow but now the problem is staying asleep. I wake up every 2-3 hours. Lately I've been laying in bed until 10 if I don't have anything to do!! I feel so lazy!

Alex, that's great news about your liver function test and that your itching has subsided! Hopefully it continues to do so! Can't wait to see your nursery pictures - that sounds like a beautiful color.

Laura, look at your baby girl's wardrobe!! I love it!! I hope to be that organized once the holidays are over. Right now everything is kind of stuffed into a few of the dresser drawers. I'm not sure how much of everything we have and how much more to get. My MIL says we have too many newborn things as baby will grow out of them quickly but then others say we need more because we'll go through several outfits a day. We're also kind of waiting to see what we get from our baby shower in February.

AFM, things are good. We went to a Christmas party last night. DH's step-mom asked me in front of everyone how much weight I've gained, and then kept bugging me about the things I was putting on my plate (crab cakes and salmon). I had to tell her 10x that yes, I'm allowed to eat that. Aside from that (and not being able to drink wine ), the party was great! We have another one tonight.

Also, bending over is really hard now! If I drop something, I seriously have to decide if it's worth picking up. And I felt like a contortionist last night trying to get my boots on!

Happy holidays, everyone!

 

[Laura91]

ILoveLucy - happy belated birthday xx

& Merry Christmas ladies! Xx

 

[doggylover]

Merry Christmas mummies to be!!! X

 

[linzylou]

Merry Christmas!! Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday!

 

[MrsHippo]

Merry Christmas everyone I have eaten so much today, after dinner I could hardly move. Getting home and taking my bra and jeans off was the nicest feeling!! And I was right about what I thought my mum would get me - a 4d scan it's booked for 13th January!! So excited. I got loads of other nice things too OH brought me a pretty locket, keeps panicking though thinking I don't like it. It wouldn't be something I'd pick out in a shop but it's really pretty and I love it because he brought it me (first bit of jewellery he has ever brought lol!!)

Lindsey, the last couple of nights have been better although still waking up at least once to go to the toilet. I can't seem to sleep for long periods though which is annoying. Pre-pregnancy I could sleep for England but now I can't nap no matter how tired I am and I don't fall asleep until gone midnight every night and I wake about 6. You'd think I'd feel ok with waking naturally but i still feel really tired. As for the cramp, yes my leg hurt for about 3 days. I really struggled to drive too.

I also really struggle to bend down, bean seems to have gone through another rapid growth spurt and my bump is massive!! I have also become really achy, I have to ask for regular massages. Im worried that I'm going to just get bigger and bigger and still have a good 3 months to go yet everyone keeps saying 'you'll be massive at the end' - great :/

 

[doggylover]

Just thought I'd share this with you ladies as a throw back to our discussion last week on baby books - my sister in law made this for me for Christmas. So cute!

Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays!

 

[I Love Lucy]

Hayley, I'm also curious about how you're supposed to treat the mastitis.

Lindsey, I'm so sorry for your DH's step mom. What business of hers how much weight you have gained. Hope you didn't let her bother you too much. As I've told you before, she sounds just awful.

Lauren, that's great about the 4d scan. I can't wait to see some of the pictures.

Sarah, the baby book your SIL made you is very cute.

AFM, Christmas was great. Didn't really have many issues with family members thankfully. Though DH and I had to deal with a lot of people trying to guess our babies name or tell us their suggestions. I'm not sure why people feel the need to guess and offer suggestions. We've already said we have a name and won't be revealing it.

DH and I did get a lot of great gifts though. I got a microwave from my parents which I wasn't expecting at all. I had been saying I wanted one for monthes but since DH didn't want one I didn't really ask for one. Then I got some new drinking glasses which I desperately needed (just about all my other ones have been broken) and some other kitchen appliances. I just spent several hours re-organizing cabinets and such to make room for everything.

I also came home to discover my cat had peed on the bed so in addition to all the work in the kitchen I've been busy doing multiple loads of laundry. I'm so pleased to say there is not a trace of cat urine on the bed anywhere. So I now have nice clean bedding to go with my new sheets. I'm excited to sleep in my bed tonight.

Lastly, my countdown is now in double digits!! So exciting! It seems like yesterday it was saying I had 200 days to go.

Hope everyone else had a great holiday!

 

[doggylover]

Brittany congrats on double digits! And glad you and dh enjoyed Christmas and got lots of goodies. Ugh, cat pee is the worst, well done on getting it all cleaned out!

just realised the photo I added is upside down!

Lauren also glad you got some great pressies- the 4d scan is going to be so cool! I can't wait to see the pics from it.

Afm, exhausted. My in laws LOVE to walk, and its taking its toll on me! We maybe did about 5 miles today which isn't so far, especially with a lunch stop in the middle, but combined with yesterday's I feel so stiff! My hip is aching! Plus I got really bad indigestion last night....I can no longer eat a lot in one sitting (not good over Christmas!)

I ordered my pram and our isofix car base in the mothercare sale so apart from nursery furniture we have all the big stuff bought now! I am SO EXCITED for when the pram arrives!

 

[linzylou]

Lauren, that will be such a cool experience! I almost had DH talked into a 4D scan but he says we need too many other baby things, so I'll be living vicariously through you on January 13th. That's very sweet about the locket, too. And I never feel well-rested these days, even when I wake up on my own, so I know what you mean!

Sarah, what a great idea for a baby book! I love that it's homemade! Sorry you're so sore today but at least you got in some great exercise! I've also had horrible heartburn/acid reflux the last 3 nights. Of course, I've done everything to make it worse (eaten chocolate, laid down after dinner, worn a tight shirt, etc.) so today I'm being extra careful because I cannot take another night of it. Hopefully you can get some rest as well! And you'll have to post a picture of the pram when it gets here!

Brittany, I actually didn't let his step-mom get on my nerves too much this time! She bought the baby some gifts, which was very nice and something I totally wasn't expecting. I'll be okay as long as she doesn't take whatever bad feelings she has for my DH, out on our little girl. And it must have been annoying to have people continue to ask about Aiden's name after you'd already told them you weren't saying.

AFM, we had a great holiday. It made me very excited for next year when we'll have a 9 month old to celebrate with! Speaking of, baby girl has been super active. Last night she was kicking waaay over on my right side and it actually tickled, so weird!! For Christmas she got some outfits, binkies, beanies, socks, and a milestone calendar with stickers similar to the one my mom did when I was born. DH and I were given gift cards to our favorite restaurants and told to go on dates while we still can, and someone got me a fluffy robe to live in after baby gets here.

I mailed in my hospital registration and signed up for OB orientation and the hospital tour, a natural childbirth class, a newborn care class, and a breastfeeding class. They all start the first and second weeks of January. I can't believe I'm at this point!! Now that the holidays are over, DH has started reminding me of all the things we need to do/get before March and my mom is bugging me to make a shower guest list.

Has anyone experienced Braxton Hicks yet? Every once in a while my stomach gets hard as a rock and I feel some pressure but that's it... it's totally painless and happens randomly. I'm not sure it's BH but I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow so I'll ask... and wish me luck on my GTT!!! I won't lie, I've had some sweets over the holiday so not sure how I'll do!

 

[MrsHippo]

I love that book Sarah I really appreciate it when people take up their own time to make something, it's worth so much more than a brought present! How much was the isofix in the sale? I want one. Although, I have a feeling my mum has one. I'll have to ask her.

Lindsey, you got loads for Xmas for LO I asked people not to buy stuff for Xmas - and my family listened and didn't get me anything. OH's family did though and my friend brought me a couple of bits. I am very picky over clothes ect and if people wanted to buy us things id much prefer gift vouchers or something so at least I can buy something I really like. Oh and good luck with your GTT!! As for BH, I don't think I have experienced it .... I'm not too sure what im looking out for if I'm honest. Have you felt hiccups yet? Again, I'm not sure what that is supposed to feel like either :/

Now Xmas is over we can concentrate on buying everything but because it feels like I've waited AGES I want to go and do it all now!! Hehe. We went to NEXT yesterday, was a little disappointed as they didn't have a huge amount - must have sold a lot first thing in the morning. But managed to pick up about 10 items or so. I wanted to find some NB stuff but only picked up 1 item in that size :/ I brought I few baby grows (sleep suits), a cute little cardigan, leggings and some summer type trousers which are cute - obviously when our LOs are born the weather will start picking up. I want to go and buy some plain vests, hats, socks ect which I'm planning on getting from asda. They are super cheap and quality is good.

The next couple of months are going to come around so quickly, it's quite scary!!! I'll be in double digits by next week

I can't believe your cat peed on your bed Brittany! My dog went on my bed earlier this year - along with other stuff around the apartment as I'd stupidly forgotten to lock her crate when I went out. She got a real telling off and is now banned from the bedroom. Since then though she never goes in there. I don't know why we have pets sometimes!!

 

[I Love Lucy]

Lindsey, if I have had any Braxton Hicks then I didn't realize that's what it was. I should probably look them up and see so I will have an idea of what they will feel like.

I hope your GTT goes well, I'm still waiting for the results on mine. Having it done right before the holidays was probably not the best time to do it considering I'm sure the people in the labs weren't working.

Lauren, I'm sorry your OH's family didn't listen to you about not buying gifts. My sister was the only one who bought us gifts for our baby and she knew all about how DH is obsessed with penguins so the outfit she got was perfect. The baby shower might be a little different since I'm sure I'll get a lot of stuff I don't like. Like Disney themed clothes, I hate those but I'm sure people are going to buy them.

AFM, I felt hiccups for the first time Monday morning. They felt almost exactly like a pulse or heartbeat.

The new thing DH and I are trying to do is see if he can hear the heartbeat. I read on What to Expect that from 25 weeks on that DH could possibly hear his heartbeat by putting his head on my belly. We tried a little bit last night then Aiden kicked him in the ear. Anyone else try this? I didn't even know about this until my mom mentioned it.

My cat peed on my bed because DH wanted to try to train them to go to the bathroom on the toilet. It was a good idea in theory. We wouldn't have to deal with litter and cleanup would just be flushing a toilet. Would be really nice for when Aiden gets here. But our older cat just was not adjusting to it very well. Peeing on my bed was the last straw so we are back to the litterbox.

In other news, I'm supposed to get all my new bathroom accessories today so I'm super excited about re-doing mine and DH's bathroom. I've been wanting to do it for awhile but haven't found anything I really loved until recently. I think DH is going to really love it because it is very much so his style.

 

[doggylover]

The new thing DH and I are trying to do is see if he can hear the heartbeat. I read on What to Expect that from 25 weeks on that DH could possibly hear his heartbeat by putting his head on my belly. We tried a little bit last night then Aiden kicked him in the ear. Anyone else try this? I didn't even know about this until my mom mentioned it.

.

I read this in my baby book this week too and did the exact same with dh...who also got a kick in the ear!!! Our little ones are a little bit naughty! My baby still refuses to participate when I lift up my shirt for others to see/feel the kicks - even if they've been booting away, it just stops...

Enjoy redoing your bedroom - there is something so nice about getting everything in your house just how you like it, and its nice to change things up every once in a while.

Lauren, my isofix was £112, down from £160. I got the maxi cosi family fix which does the pebble I have now, and the pearl which will last up to four years. They are expensive, so we are only getting one and will just use my car for baby transport for the foreseeable future. And yep, my SIL is very talented at making things - she always hand makes birthday and Christmas gifts, and they are always so creative and pretty. She's currently knitting some bootees (literally as I type!) and tomorrow we are going to pick some fabric for the nursery curtains she is making us

In terms of pets...sometimes I do wonder why we have them. Our pup is a holy terror at the minute. He is into everything, tearing things up, destroying anything he can. But he has this little butter wouldn't melt face that makes it impossible to stay cross with him - which is so annoying!!

Lindsey, you are being so organised getting all your hospital bits and bobs sorted! The classes will make it all seem so real I think, like you say I can't believe we are getting to this point! Good luck for your gtt, but I'm sure you'll be just fine. And whoa, loads of baby stuff for Christmas! I thought I had braxton hicks earlier this week, but I think it was just a mix of indigestion and stretching pains!!! They were sore, and I've heard BH aren't painful, so I was panicking, but all seems well.

Afm, my SIL sent me a text with a list of baby items she has sorted out for us, which is great. Some things like the baby bath I had already thought of, but she's also lending us her monitor/breathing mat and loads of newborn clothes as well. It'll be so great to have so much extra stuff to dip into. And then we can pop all the things we've bought back in the mix for when she has her next baby!

My LO has been very active over the holidays too (all the sugar maybe?!) and the kicks are so strong now, but I'm also feeling a lot more "rolling" and wiggling. Every time I think I feel hiccups...they stop! So still not sure on that one!

I really can't believe how far along we are getting. I'm in third tri from tomorrow, and my ticker says 68%!!! I remember being so jealous of people who were this far along and now it's us!!

 

[linzylou]

All of LO's things came from DH's step-mom, surprisingly. In the last 28 weeks she's hardly even talked about the baby so maybe she was making up for lost time? Not sure, but I won't complain!

Lauren, I'm pretty sure I felt hiccups once. But I'm the same - I'm not 100% sure what I'm looking for. I only know that it was rhythmic, not random like the rest of her movements, and lasted about 30 minutes. We went to Babies R Us tonight and left with a baby book and a closet organizer. Have fun shopping for your LO!!

Brittany, I read about the heartbeat thing too! We tried it once but baby was being shy and DH wasn't patient enough. I want him to try it again, though. What kind of bathroom accessories did you get?

Sarah, happy third tri!! I can't believe it's our turn. Soon we'll be posting in the Baby Club! It's awesome that your SIL has so much you can use. And my dog is being the same. She's super clingy all of a sudden (she won't even let me go to the bathroom alone) and I'm starting to feel smothered!! I think she knows she won't be the baby for much longer.

My appointment today was... eh. I was given the fruit punch flavor for my GTT and it actually tasted good, like the red Gatorade. I didn't feel sick or anything afterwards. I'm far enough along now that my appointments are every 2 weeks instead of 4, and I get to start counting LO's kicks. Once a day, I have to count 10 kicks an hour. I sat down tonight and she kicked 10 times in about 3 minutes! The doctor (some guy - my regular OB was out of town) said it felt like she was head-down ATM but she has until 34-ish weeks before they'd like her to stay that way. That makes sense because it feels like she's been kicking my ribs!

Bad news... my last appointment showed protein in my urine and my BP was slightly elevated today. He said protein in the urine by itself is common but can be a sign of preeclampsia when coupled with high BP. I've also had that pain in my right side by my ribs, which I thought was just stretching, but could also be a sign of pre-e. I haven't had any swelling, headaches or seen any spots so he's not that concerned yet. Now sure at what point they do get concerned? They also found sugar in today's urine sample, which I gave before I even drank the glucose. So yeah, because of the New Year I won't find out my results until Wednesday but I'm feeling a little discouraged now. I really don't want to end up with GD or preeclampsia...and definitely not both!

 

[linzylou]

It's official, I failed the 1 hour. My blood sugar was 172. I didn't know any better so I ate right before the test when I probably should have done so 2-3 hours before. I have the 3 hour test on Wednesday.

 

[doggylover]

Oh no Lindsey not good, but if you ate right beforehand then hopefully the 3 hr on Wednesday will be a more accurate result and show no issues. And my fingers, and everything else that can be crossed (which is getting limited as I continue to expand!!), are crossed that the high bp and rib pain are unrelated and very much nothing to do with pre-e. make sure you are keeping an eye on yourself. I don't know if resting and taking it easy has any bearing on it, but if so, make sure oh is doing everything from now on.

 

[I Love Lucy]

How are they doing your GD test, Lindsey? I had the drink then I had to sit around in the office for an hour then they drew my blood. I have yet to hear the results and they drew my blood on the 18th. I think they had to send it off to a lab somewhere or something but they never said anything about a 1 hour or even 3 hour test which seems much nicer.

Anyways, try not to stress too much though I know it's hard to do. If you ate right before your GD test, that could have easily had an effect on the results. Wednesday's test may come back perfectly normal.

As for preeclampsia, I'm not exactly sure what that is. I do think if you work out regularly it can prevent that but again, not exactly sure.

 

[linzylou]

Thanks for the reassurance, ladies! I definitely think eating right before had something to do with it but 172 is still high. All I can do is eat better and hope that the fasting GTT gives me better results.

Brittany, same here. I had 4 minutes to drink it and then I waited for a while, had my regular appointment, and at the end of the appointment they drew my blood. The doctor said they would only call me if my results were abnormal, so maybe that's a good sign that they haven't called you?

I have a pamphlet on preeclampsia and pregnancy-induced hypertension but I haven't looked at it since I brought it home. I should probably read up on what it is and how to avoid it.