Plus-Size Pregnancy

[KendraNoell]

I started to pump and words of advice- if you're going to pump buy one of those bras that has the cutouts- I have a double pump and you can't do ANYTHING while you're stuck to it if you don't have something to hold the pumps on

And make sure you have a way to get the milk out if you are combination feeding formula and breast milk- for example I fed him at noon, used pumped milk at a 3 pm feeding, formula at a 6pm feeding, and by 9pm my boobs were rock hard and my bra was soaked. Not fun!

 

[Mrs.B.]

Interested in peoples gender guesses. 20w Scan a week tomorrow, come and take my poll if you have a few seconds to spare. 13w5d Scan pictures and bump picture included.

https://babyandbump.momtastic.com/p...006205-scan-week-tomorrow-gender-guesses.html

 

[KEslinger]

Has anyone packed their hospital bag? I need to do that today.

BTW, I STILL have to buy nursing bras. Haha. I managed to find a good overnight bra at walmart (crazy!) it was like 13 bucks... it's by bestform, it's their "sports bra" type. More supportive than you'd think and pretty comfortable. In the store they had up to a 42DD but they have bigger sizes online. I'm going to go by Motherhood on Wednesday with OH to get 2 more bras that I can wear out and about. There's nothing wrong with this one, really, but the way that it sits would show way too much bra if I don't go out and buy a bunch more clothes. It is super comfortable though... I put it on when I got home yesterday and didn't want to take it off.

 

[lillichloe]

my 20 week ultra sound got moved up from the 30th to the 22nd!!!! Ahhhhh soooo excited I want the week to hurry!

 

[Mrs.B.]

Wow! How did you get it so early? Mines 21st!

 

[lillichloe]

I had it scheduled for the 30th, I do daycare out of my house and my back up person called today and said she could not watch the kids for me anymore that day so I called my Dr office and that was the only day available for the next month so..... thats what I got my dr said any time after I hit 18wks is ok and Ill be 19+1 that day. I'm so excited now I cant wait to find out if I am having another daughter or a son!!!

 

[Mrs.B.]

Best of luck!! Hope your little guy / girlie is cooperative

 

[KEslinger]

I have to plans, the first plan a)
I plan on EBF while I'm home on maternity leave... however, I'm also going to start pumping once my milk comes in to help build up a supply in the freezer. The other thing is we do have to get her used to a bottle, so after a month, we're going to try having OH feed her a bottle of pumped breastmilk at night. My plan for that at first is going to be to pump in the morning, mid-day and night (if we're not home, I'm not pumping!). Then, when I go back to work the plan is to get up early, pump, nurse her, pump when I get to work (which would only be about 2 hours between but still hopefully get a couple ounces), pump at lunch, nurse her when I get home (pump the 2nd breast), pump before I go to bed, and nurse her during night feedings. On my days off of course I'd be nursing, and also trying to fit in a couple of pumping sessions to let my body know that it needs to make more. That's all a "plan" and can greatly change, but without having it in writing I fear that I'll deviate from it too much and not have the frozen supply I'll need while she's at the sitters. I'm going to try and have her on breastmilk only until I run out of my freezer stash and I don't plan on pumping past 6 months.

or the much more doable plan B)
EBF for the time I'm home which should be until she's 12 weeks old (with those pumping sessions 3 times a day too when we're not out of the house, and dad offering a bottle at night) then when I return to work, nurse only in the morning and night, with just 1 pumping session at lunch at work. On my days off I'd nurse her in the morning and evening. She would be on formula/breast milk the rest of the time. Again, I'd only pump/nurse until she's 6 months old. It is doable, and boobs are forgiving. It's just harder to do that at first when your milk is adjusting to your babies needs. The recommend not doing that kind of weaning until they're about a month old and everything is well established.

I haven't done much today... I did the dishes, yay. And, made a list of stuff to pack for the hospital. LOL OH keeps telling me to take it easy. Okay babe! I shall listen! lol

 

[KEslinger]

Reading that over again. I think Plan B is my best bet. I'd EBF longer if I didn't have to return to work...

 

[KendraNoell]

not to be a debbie downer but pumping is sooooo much harder than it looks!! especially when it seems like they never stop eating!

 

[KEslinger]

Yeah, some peoples bodies don't do well with the pump and others do just fine. I know some exclusive pumpers and some who pump while they work and you have to stick to a schedule or it doesn't work.

OH doesn't want the baby on formula (my compromise was until 6 months - unless he wanted to nurse her)... I don't want her on formula either but I won't be a stay at home mom able to nurse/pump 24/7. We'll see how it works out. Nothing is set in stone with a baby who calls the shots.

 

[lillichloe]

All this breast feeding talk makes so confused about what I want to do. Breast feeding wasn't successful with my daughter I dried up after 6 wks because of a vaccine I had to get. I do daycare from home now for the lady five years so I will be a 'stay at home' mom but I only taking two wks off from the other kids as long as baby is healthy. So I don't know if I'm going to have long enough to establish Brest feeding before I have other kiddos to also take care of I can't decide if I should even try or not

 

[KEslinger]

I definitely want to give it a go. OH is definitely on the breastfeeding/breastmilk train. He wants her to have breastmilk with little formula for as long as possible. As I said before, 6 months is as long as she gets my girls for. I don't want to be one of those people that breastfeeds forever and ever. And, what about those teeth?! Haha. So, I guess my plan B then is to EBF her until I return to work while pumping 3 times a day, nurse her while I'm home with her until 6 months, but I really can't see pumping more than once while I'm at work. Hopefully I'll have a fantastic supply, LOL.

On the weight front, these last few days I've been packing it on. Not sure if it's the salty food I had or the larger deal of inactivity. I don't like it. LOL. I need to flush it out with water today. I'm not looking swollen or anything so I'm not too worry but good golly.

I've been waking up with headaches because my allergies are so bad.

After OH got home yesterday he gave me a "jump start" on what needs to be done. Haha, he's a good helper, I love it. Time for some cereal or something. =)

 

[KendraNoell]

I'm glad you guys have a plan. My OH isn't too keen on the formula feeding but he also isn't the one who has to breast feed so ultimately its my decision. I am getting more into pumping at missed feedings and saving it so that my mom or someone can feed him and I can go run errands or rest. But I am disappointed with the amount of milk I am producing. Even after a missed feeding I only pumped 2 oz and that's not much at all for him being 10 days old and eating as much as he does.

 

[CaliGinger]

We just had our breastfeeding class and our lactician gave us a ton of info. I feel much more prepared. PM me with your email if you'd like me to send it on to you. Kendra I hope it gets better for you!

I've decided to take my maternity leave starting on Monday instead of June 9th like we planned. Its less money, but I am just so tired tired tired. A bunch of people quit unexpectedly and I absolutely cannot take over for them. We've got a few very short weeks (maybe) to get ready and I would like to spend at least some of the time getting myself ready. I'm planning to spend every morning walking on the beach.

 

[SaucySac38]

Good for you CaliGinger, take care of your self first. The job will adjust.

I plan on breastfeeding for about 6 months as well. If it works. If it doesn't we will probably go with goats milk based formula and I have contact already lined up for it. If breastfeeding does work for us I am okay with doing until I return to work next Fall but it will end by then for sure.

 

[Marisa08]

With my first three kids I was never able to get pumping down to a science. Plus lots of BF babies, at around three months, decide they don't want a bottle and they only prefer breast. So sometimes at that point you kind of have to make a choice if you are going to do bottle or breast. Hope you ladies can have the best of both worlds

 

[pnf85]

Im hoping to breastfeed! but i know it depends on what my body decides to do, and also baby ..lol. but id like to BF and also pump the first few months .. hope everything works out the way i have it in my head.. :/

 

[KEslinger]

just wanted to update you ladies... i'm staying the night in the hospital...

i came in earlier to get my blood pressure cuff but my BP was super high. they got me an emergency appt with the ob/gyn and they sent me to labor and delivery where i was admitted. my blood work is fine, and blood pressure is back to normal. i have an iv line in but no fluids as everything is going well. i have to stay until tomorrow afternoon when i complete my 24 hour urine test. if my urine test comes up positive the plan is to induce (or if my blood pressure goes back up)... we weren't ready at all. OH had to go home and bring my bag (and finish packing it!), get the babies stuff and also install the car seat. i have to have a couple more nsts while i'm here. if i pass this urine test i go home tomorrow but i will be on strict bedrest until delivery. =\ no fun. super boring here, too. they were very reassuring though... they said fullterm is a period of time, not just 40 weeks, so, if they were to induce when we leave the hospital we'd be taking her with us.

 

[SaucySac38]

Oh wow KeSlinger! I don't know how much you will check in for the next 24 hours but keep us posted.