*Baby Corner*

[hilkka28586 0]

I was in the elevator at work this morning when my baby boy decided to give me a good, hard kick...as a reflex, I put my hand on my belly and grimaced a bit. You should have seen the look on the guy's face standing next to me!

I'm starting to make my co-workers VERY nervous

i bet you are everytime i say ouch...or make a face...my family will say are you ok everything ok...

hahaha when nikki first started kicking and i was trying to video tape it to show to my husband. so when she would kick, i would flick my tummy back and it was like a little game. she soon started kicking too hard, so when i flicked her back she would really give it all she had. needless to say that game ended very soon after.

between her kicking, my ribs hurting and what i think are braxton hicks....i have had one hell of a night!!

[Eveline 9]

I have braxton hicks contractions and I hate them. It's not that they are painful but very uncomfortable. I felt the first one in this pregnancy at around 11 weeks already. Can't wait until they get stronger and more painful.

[chnst 6]

hey ladies, let me join you all in the whining... I've had the easiest pregnancy until... yesterday....

I woke up and it felt like the baby was crushing my lungs, my ribs, my bladder and my back at once. Getting up from a chair feels like I just ran a marathon and my heart beats like I'm going to pass out. Not fun. boo-hoo! I'm 5"10 and I thought that I would never have trouble breathing because of my height, but boy was I wrong! He's all over the place kicking the ####### out of me!

I think my baby grew into a 10 pound monster overnight.

So glad that this is the homestretch. I hope that he'll drop soon! Hope we all get better soon!

@Tracy: my doc ordered an ultrasound at 33 weeks for "measurements", but the ultrasound lady was a beotch that day, so the whole thing took about 2 mins, she measured away and we were not to ask questions. No picture to take home, and we hardly got a glimpse at him but she told us that the baby was about 4 pounds, 12ounces at 33 weeks.

I'm so happy for you that things are going well with hubby! Yes, you may be the next in line, but I still wish that they got mixed up with my due date and that he'll be born, like, next week.

@Vernon Family: welcome! I feel your pain, after hearing a lot of childbirth horrorstories lately I am scared to death about the delivery! lets stay optimistic and hope for the best!

hey ladies, let me join you all in the whining... I've had the easiest pregnancy until... yesterday....

I woke up and it felt like the baby was crushing my lungs, my ribs, my bladder and my back at once. Getting up from a chair feels like I just ran a marathon and my heart beats like I'm going to pass out. Not fun. boo-hoo! I'm 5"10 and I thought that I would never have trouble breathing because of my height, but boy was I wrong! He's all over the place kicking the ####### out of me!

I think my baby grew into a 10 pound monster overnight.

So glad that this is the homestretch. I hope that he'll drop soon! Hope we all get better soon!

@Tracy: my doc ordered an ultrasound at 33 weeks for "measurements", but the ultrasound lady was a beotch that day, so the whole thing took about 2 mins, she measured away and we were not to ask questions. No picture to take home, and we hardly got a glimpse at him but she told us that the baby was about 4 pounds, 12ounces at 33 weeks.

I'm so happy for you that things are going well with hubby! Yes, you may be the next in line, but I still wish that they got mixed up with my due date and that he'll be born, like, next week.

@Vernon Family: welcome! I feel your pain, after hearing a lot of childbirth horrorstories lately I am scared to death about the delivery! lets stay optimistic and hope for the best!

[nannygirl82 0]

hey ladies, let me join you all in the whining... I've had the easiest pregnancy until... yesterday....

I woke up and it felt like the baby was crushing my lungs, my ribs, my bladder and my back at once. Getting up from a chair feels like I just ran a marathon and my heart beats like I'm going to pass out. Not fun. boo-hoo! I'm 5"10 and I thought that I would never have trouble breathing because of my height, but boy was I wrong! He's all over the place kicking the ####### out of me! I think my baby grew into a 10 pound monster overnight.

So glad that this is the homestretch. I hope that he'll drop soon! Hope we all get better soon!

@Tracy: my doc ordered an ultrasound at 33 weeks for "measurements", but the ultrasound lady was a beotch that day, so the whole thing took about 2 mins, she measured away and we were not to ask questions. No picture to take home, and we hardly got a glimpse at him but she told us that the baby was about 4 pounds, 12ounces at 33 weeks.

I'm so happy for you that things are going well with hubby! Yes, you may be the next in line, but I still wish that they got mixed up with my due date and that he'll be born, like, next week.

@Vernon Family: welcome! I feel your pain, after hearing a lot of childbirth horrorstories lately I am scared to death about the delivery! lets stay optimistic and hope for the best!

i thought the same thing about my height....i'm 5'11 and thought oh i should be great with the kicking and back pain....ya right....

[Autumnchik 6]

Tracy - I'm only 28 weeks along but I had a 4-D scan done last week by the hospital that is delivering my baby and then at 30 weeks I'm having another scan by my doctor. She said that between 30 - 36 weeks I probably won't have one. But we'll have one at 36 - 38 weeks to get a final look at Nikki before she arrives.

Autumchik - Nikki does that to me too! but for me her kicking in the "lower area" isn't very common. However, sometimes I feel her kick my right side (where she always kicks) and then its like a wave I feel another kick at my upper left side and down there at the same time. It's very strange!! She used to kick at the same time on both the left and the right and I never understood what she was doing. During my scan last week she did it again and we saw she was hiccuping and the doctor said its common. They have no coordination so that just have little jolts, it was very cute!!

Do showers really help you? I can't shower at night because it seems to wake Nikki up. If I bath I can sleep through the night, but the couple times I have chosen to shower instead she seems to get burst of energy and kick her little heart out.

I love showers. And our upstairs bathroom has a shower only and it is nice and large and I am able to lean over and let the water hit the area of my back that hurts .... love it!!! I wish I could take baths, but it is uncomfortable for me to be sitting or lying in the bathtub right now.

[Autumnchik 6]

Okay, so maybe I totally misinterpreted what I felt the other day ... OR baby flipped overnight. I went to the doctor tonight, he felt my stomach and said he thinks the baby is in the head down position and it is the butt that is poking into my ribs. So who knows what body part I felt "kicking" me low the other day.

Bear with an anxious mommy-to-be, but after reading everyones' tales of how active their babies are and how much kicking, I am stressing a little that I am not feeling movement to that extent. Yes, the baby does seem to kick a bit, but no hiccups, no rolling over, when I feel a kick, it generally is just one at a time, not a drumroll or anything. Is there anything to worry about or am I just being paranoid? I have been told that my placenta is in the front and was probably cushioning kicks and stuff initially.

[yassmine2878 1]

Hey ladies (and guys), are there any particular products / brands that you recommend? My co-workers have asked me to register for baby stuff and I was overwhelmed last night, looking at the options for so many things. Any items that you would say are "must haves"? Any brands that are especially good? Thanks!

A diaper pail is pretty much a required item, but IMO it doesnt have to be fancy. I was given a standard trash pail with a fitted lid that pops open with a push button. Ive found it works quite well and doesnt allow stink out into the room because of the fitted lid. Cheap, easy, and takes standard kitchen-size trash bags.

One word: Boppy. Get one. In fact, get two. I wish I had bought 2 so Im not carrying mine all over the house. I got a brand new one on Ebay for 20 bucks. They rock. You will wonder how you ever lived without one. And some extra covers, you WILL need them.

Burp rags, buy tons. You can never have too many burp rags. I didnt think to stock up on these before Mehdi was born, so Im really thankful I got alot as gifts. Most babies spit up at every feeding at least a little. Regardless of breastmilk or formula, spit happens so be prepared.

Receiving blankets. These are pretty inexpensive, lightweight flannel blankets. I got several at the dollar store. They are great to use for warmth, changing pads, burp rags, etc so stock up.

Bottles. Even if you plan to nurse, buy a few. I planned to nurse exclusively so I didnt buy any bottles, but my little man came out ready to eat steak and potatoes so he eats ALOT. Its difficult to nurse him when we go out because he eats for an extremely long time, so I always have to have a bottle when we plan to go somewhere. He absolutely HATES traditional bottle nipples so I got him the Playtex Nurser bottles with drop in liners. Im pretty pleased with these. They can be a little leaky, but not too bad. The liners are great because there's less to wash. And Mehdi takes to these larger nipples much better with no confusion when going back to the breast. They're reasonably priced too. About 4 bucks for one bottle with 5 liners (or about 12 for a set of 3 bottles), and a box of 50 replacement liners was also about 4 dollars. The liners cut down on ingested air, so less gas and spit up after eating (always a plus).

Onesies. Get a couple dozen if you can afford it. They are the all-purpose piece of clothing and great for layering. When its cold I put a footed sleeper on over the onesie. When its mild, a onesie with pants. When its warm and we're staying inside, a onesie with socks. They are versatile and you're going to go through alot of clothes with all the mess babies make. Id advise buying the 0-3 month size mostly. You'd be surprised how fast they grow out of the newborn stuff.

Socks. Buy lots of plain white socks. Even in warm weather, baby's feet get cold because they lose most of their heat through their feet and head. Cute socks are fun, but IME socks always get lost. Having all the same socks makes it easier to have a matching pair when half of them wander off.

Laundry soap. Ive been using All Free and Clear Baby (pink cap) which is half the price of Dreft. It smells nice and my baby has had no problems with it. Stock up, because you're going to be doing at least one load of laundry a day.

Thanks Yassmine I am just trying to prepare myself for a C-section. I will have an Ultra sound at 37 weeks to find out the vertic. Was your C-section planned a couple weeks before your due date? My doctor told me to be prepaired if we had to go this route it could a week or 2 before my due date.

Is anybody else having an ultra sound this late?

No we planned c-section from day one. I was high risk because I have spondylolisthesis (vertebrae that slip down over one another) and doc and I decided it was best not to risk doing any more damage to my spine by trying to give birth vaginally. Had the baby been much smaller, we might have tried it, but I was the first case of this disorder in a pregnancy, so we were both kinda flying blind and decided better safe than sorry. And I have to say, knowing about the c-section in advance did wonders for my state of mind. I was already in turmoil over a thousand other things, so knowing my delivery date and knowing how the birth would procede took a load off my mind. Incidentally, my c-section was scheduled exactly one week before my due date.

[nannygirl82 0]

Okay, so maybe I totally misinterpreted what I felt the other day ... OR baby flipped overnight. I went to the doctor tonight, he felt my stomach and said he thinks the baby is in the head down position and it is the butt that is poking into my ribs. So who knows what body part I felt "kicking" me low the other day.

Bear with an anxious mommy-to-be, but after reading everyones' tales of how active their babies are and how much kicking, I am stressing a little that I am not feeling movement to that extent. Yes, the baby does seem to kick a bit, but no hiccups, no rolling over, when I feel a kick, it generally is just one at a time, not a drumroll or anything. Is there anything to worry about or am I just being paranoid? I have been told that my placenta is in the front and was probably cushioning kicks and stuff initially.

do you do the count kick??? 10 kicks for up to 2 hours???? if you aren't feeling anything drink some cold water or OJ and lay down and push around and see if the baby starts kicking....if you are worried call the dr and have them check it out!!! i am sure everything is ok...but i know how you feel if i can't feel anything

[Lyuba 0]

Sorry, Eveline, I didn't want to rub it in. I hope your next delivery will be easier.

Vernon Family, please don't worry. I am the biggest whinie in the world and I don't tolerate pain well. I did it just fine. In fact contractions are not that bad if you learn to breath through them. Epidurial doesn't hurt and it works magic. Nurses are very skillful and they have seen everything, they will take good care of you.

I don't like onesies that much, I put one under his footie when we go out in cold weather but that's pretty much it. I love footies though, they are great and very comfortable. Get Gerber footies, they are soft and cute, 10 bucks for 3 I think. Carter also makes great stuff. I like those with a zipper - easier to change, especially at night when you do it with your eyes closed. Also easier for hubbies as their fingers turn to be bigger.

Get a good bathtub. One we got as a present was so uncomfortable. Babies don't enjoy baths that muhc until they are about 10 weeks so try to get a good one to minimize an uncomfortable experience.

Sleepsacks didn't work for me as Mason gets too hot in them. Swaddling is better.

A humidifier is a good idea as dry air isn't good for babies, he might get a stuffy nose. Saline drops are great to have too.

[Eveline 9]

Lyuba: It's ok, I was just kidding. I'm not offended by your story, why should I get offended? I'm glad to see that not everybody is is having such a tough time with all the interventions.

Eric felt the baby kick the first time yesterday. The little one was so active that I saw movements on the outside and she didn't want to sleep at all. She kept me up until midnight and then Adam took over. He didn't want to sleep either so I sat on the couch with him until midnight, him sleeping on my belly. Can't wait for baby to get here, I don't think I'll get any sleep at all and I will eventually just conk out doing dishes

Edited March 20, 2008 by Eveline

[EsOrEnNa 0]

congrats and welcome vernon

we had almost everything from fisher price rainforest.. except the mobile and swing.. we had the vtech mobile and the graco luving hug swing DEVON and i LOVED that thing.. BUT our motor died 4X and graco always sent us a replacement.. for FREE!! i realllllly LOVE graco for that.. cuz those swings are $80+..

@stina.. i love ur nursery.. we also had the frog and the orange baskets.. i got them for $1 (each) at walmart

@theme.. D's room had a ZOO theme in VA.. with the floor puzzles.. they are AWESOME!! D loved them.. i am about to buy him his big boy bed.. a car toddler bed.. his new room has the car theme.. everything with cars.. at least daddy is happy.. our next one is gonna be a princess room.. lets just hope we gonna get a girl the next time..

[Autumnchik 6]

Okay, so maybe I totally misinterpreted what I felt the other day ... OR baby flipped overnight. I went to the doctor tonight, he felt my stomach and said he thinks the baby is in the head down position and it is the butt that is poking into my ribs. So who knows what body part I felt "kicking" me low the other day.

Bear with an anxious mommy-to-be, but after reading everyones' tales of how active their babies are and how much kicking, I am stressing a little that I am not feeling movement to that extent. Yes, the baby does seem to kick a bit, but no hiccups, no rolling over, when I feel a kick, it generally is just one at a time, not a drumroll or anything. Is there anything to worry about or am I just being paranoid? I have been told that my placenta is in the front and was probably cushioning kicks and stuff initially.

do you do the count kick??? 10 kicks for up to 2 hours???? if you aren't feeling anything drink some cold water or OJ and lay down and push around and see if the baby starts kicking....if you are worried call the dr and have them check it out!!! i am sure everything is ok...but i know how you feel if i can't feel anything

When I saw my doc, I asked about the kick count. In his opinion, if baby follows the usual pattern, I don't need to do the kick count, but do it if baby is moving much less than usual. He also suggested 5 kicks in 1/2 hour. I did do it today and it was fine, so probably just my paranoia Thanks for the response though.

[hilkka28586 0]

When I saw my doc, I asked about the kick count. In his opinion, if baby follows the usual pattern, I don't need to do the kick count, but do it if baby is moving much less than usual. He also suggested 5 kicks in 1/2 hour. I did do it today and it was fine, so probably just my paranoia Thanks for the response though.

when i saw my doctor yesterday she told me to think of them as normal humans. some days you have lots of energy and other days you have none, well babies will be the same way. some days they will kick and move about and others they will want to be left alone to sleep. i wouldn't worry too much and just keep counting those 5 kicks to keep yourself sane. its better to very a little over protective than not care at all =)

[nannygirl82 0]

i saw my dr yesterday...and told her about my back...and she said i was having false labor pains in my back....well needless to say my back is all out of sorts....so when they took the baby's heart rate it was really high about 180....so they had my lay down so i wouldn't be in so much pain the it dropped to 170 and then 10 mins later to 162...so they felt because i was in pain that increased my bp and pulse which stressed out the baby...so he gave me some pain medicine to take so i am more comfortable and said she think i will be in labor in about 3 weeks....i sure hope so....

[Eveline 9]

I counted kicks, not because the doctor told me to but because I wanted to. It was kinda our baby-mommy bonding time. Every day after dinner I sat down and counted kicks. sometimes we had all ten within one minute, sometimes it took one hour. One time though he didn't kick at all. He also wouldn't kick when I had OJ, poked my belly or ate some candy. The next morning DH took me to L&D because Adam still hadn't kicked (at least I didn't feel it). They gave me icewater and then put me on a monitor. I could see movement on the paper but I couldn't feel it. They did an US and apparently I didn't have enough amniotic fluid. I'm glad I counted and 'listened' to baby, otherwise who knows what would have happened. I don't mean to tell you ladies what to do but for me it was definitely good and since I didn't really watch out for movements during the day, I always counted at night.

Edited March 21, 2008 by Eveline