Baby Corner

[Fandango 1,440]

Yay chnst for passing the test!!!

Anna....I had some awful BH contractions for the last couple of months...my doc suggested coconut juice. Not the milk, but the juice. Apparently, according to him, the potassium in the CJ helps stop the contractions. It did work, but to me it was gross (i'm not a huge fan of coconuts) and secondly, it was a little costly long term. I can't recall, but I think it was like $1 something a juice box, and he suggested 3 a day. Not that that's a huge amt of money, but while we were waiting on the little one to arrive, it felt odd to me to be spending over $100 a month on coconut juice, heh.

[chnst 6]

Anna: an abdominal binder is similar to a maternity belt. Technically you get it post op to keep your guts in and your blood pressure up. people with paralysis use them and you can use them after a c-section to support the incision/promote healing. I hardly ever see people actually use them because some people find them more uncomfortable than dealing with the post op pain. But we have them at work and the midwife thought I should try it. The material sucks but I really can walk a lot easier. It's kind of hard to fit it around a pregnant belly and you have to be careful not to make it too tight.

Glad you found the right doula. Man I could never have a stranger with me for the birth! I call hubby my doula, he does what I say. lOL

I had this really cute couple in L&D yesteday, she had her 3rd baby, no pain meds but it was dragging and she got more and more uncomfortable and exhausted so I asked her if she wanted to think about some pain relief. She begged for an epidural or anything but the husband said NO WAY. He was totally in charge, I would have kicked his butt. haha.

Lisa: eww coconut juice, I can't imagine... Hows the baby doing?

[Anna C. 4]

Ugh coconut juice... I don't like coconuts to begin with! But I have a history of contractions early on, was on Terbutaline with Jona, so I take this stuff seriously....

Haha, my hubbie is the one who begged to have a doula. I mean I never saw the nurses before at Jona's birth, so that's strangers! But the doula isn't, we have talked so much already and I'm looking forward to having good labor support... Cause hubbie was useless and freaked somewhat during Jona's birth.... He freely admits he doesn't like seeing me in pain and the whole ordeal (he didn't mind blood and the tears, but he didn't like the pain part). So that's ideal for us... Once I arrive at the birthing center, there'll be the midwife on call, a student midwife (know her, she's in her third year) and a nurse, then we bring the doula, and MIL will fly in asap... It's different for every couple I guess. SIL had a doula both times and was so happy about that, but this time they also had a birth videographer since BIL had to do that the first time around and complained that he missed so much because he had to tape it and couldn't be more hands-on. I don't want a video, just pictures is fine. I don't need to tape crowning personally...

I'm looking forward to having continuous labor support and not being left alone! The doula will follow us to the motel and help out the first couple hours... Which is awesome!

I can't believe I'm getting close... Time flew! Sunday I will be 32 weeks pregnant, holy cow!

[Fandango 1,440]

Lisa: eww coconut juice, I can't imagine... Hows the baby doing?

Yeah, I wasn't a fan either, lol. Though I have to say, it wasn't as bad as I imagined it to be...it's like a lightly flavored water...but for me, it was just not a doable situation.

Baby is doing very well! He's officially 3 mos old now! We did have a slight scare on Sunday...he woke up and his right eye was completely swollen and red. You could hardly see his eyeball! So naturally, we rushed him to the ER, and it turns out, he not only has an eyelid infection, but during the night, he went to scratch it, and gave himself a superficial scratch on his actual eyeball. So we have eye goop to put in 4x a day, and antibi drops 2x a day. But Monday morning, all the swelling and everything went down, you can't even see a problem.

He just finished getting all of his vaccinations - we took him separately for each of the 2 mos shots, because I read it would be better. He handled that like a trooper!

He's now 14 lbs! And found his hands, rolls over the other direction (he's been rolling over since 6 weeks, but only one way), he loves peek a boo, and is trying to mimic sounds. My dad taught him to shake hands, and I swear, my dad will say 'shake hands' and he'll stick out his hand, then Nick lifts his hand and puts it in my dad's hand and then smiles and giggles. Maybe it's wishful thinking on my part and it's just coincidence, but it looks pretty deliberate to me!

I take him out shopping and whatnot, and random strangers stop me all the time and tell me how cute he is, etc...it's so cool!

I love being a mom! This is the most challenging, frustrating, demanding, all time consuming thing I have ever done, yet it fills me with such a joy I've never known before. I look at him, and my heart just wants to explode.

[Fandango 1,440]

I tried an abdominal binder today for my pelvic issues and it helps stabilize my hips a little better.

My legs are killing me from being on my feet for so long. They hurt so bad at night I can hardly sleep and it's not much better in the morning. I'm off for 2 days now so hopefully Ben will let me put my feet up tomorrow.

Is this what you're talking about?

http://www.bannertherapy.com/ProductInfo.aspx?mother-to-be-maternity-support&number=15-200

I didn't have hip problems, but I had a horrible sci years ago, and the tail end of my pregnancy was horrendous. I got one of those and it was a Godsend, albeit a hot and sweaty Godsend cos it was summer in FL, lol.

[chnst 6]

Is this what you're talking about?

http://www.bannertherapy.com/ProductInfo.aspx?mother-to-be-maternity-support&number=15-200

I didn't have hip problems, but I had a horrible sci years ago, and the tail end of my pregnancy was horrendous. I got one of those and it was a Godsend, albeit a hot and sweaty Godsend cos it was summer in FL, lol.

not quite, but it's basically the same principle, just more support. I tried that first, I bought the maternity thing and it didn't help much. I seperated my symphysis when Ben was born so it's really bothering me again and it makes my legs pop out of the hips sometimes because it makes the hips unstable. The abdominal binders are more for un-pregnant people because they are straight and don't accommodate a big belly (they want to squish the belly inward) but they give you more support although I have to be careful not to make it too tight. wow I can't imagine wearing this in a florida summer!

Haha so cute about shaking hands! So true I love being a mommy altohugh I think it has physically aged me by 50 years. But it's still worth it. I really enjoy it so much more now that I work. I try to plan a lot more fun and special things with Ben on my days off. Time flies so fast, he will be 3 soon! So enjoy every minute of it!

Anna: you're going to stay at a motel? I thought you found a birthing center.

[Anna C. 4]

The birthing center requires to stay the first night within city limits... So since we have no relatives in Denver, we do it as all the other parents who go there and stay one night in a motel close by (embassy suites), have our one day check up and head home. They just want you to stay within city limits in case of something coming up. Discharge from the center is no later than 6 hours post partum. I wish I lived in Denver cause I just want to go home asap!

[Ban Hammer 13,474]

baby boy just ripped a fart that smells up half the house. that's my boy!

[Dan and Judy 614]

Anna: an abdominal binder is similar to a maternity belt. Technically you get it post op to keep your guts in and your blood pressure up. people with paralysis use them and you can use them after a c-section to support the incision/promote healing. I hardly ever see people actually use them because some people find them more uncomfortable than dealing with the post op pain. But we have them at work and the midwife thought I should try it. The material sucks but I really can walk a lot easier. It's kind of hard to fit it around a pregnant belly and you have to be careful not to make it too tight.

Glad you found the right doula. Man I could never have a stranger with me for the birth! I call hubby my doula, he does what I say. lOL

I had this really cute couple in L&D yesteday, she had her 3rd baby, no pain meds but it was dragging and she got more and more uncomfortable and exhausted so I asked her if she wanted to think about some pain relief. She begged for an epidural or anything but the husband said NO WAY. He was totally in charge, I would have kicked his butt. haha.

Lisa: eww coconut juice, I can't imagine... Hows the baby doing?

A good chastity belt precludes the need for abdominal binders and maternity belts,

If you let the coconut juice ferment first, it is more fun to drink and can preclude the need epidurals

did I just read 133 pages of baby forum?

did I just post on a baby forum

When my wife was having a baby

I was right there in the delivery room

they had an experimental drug that was supposed transfer the pain to the father

I said "go ahead, I can take it"

I dont know why you women are always whining about it.

the dosage determined how much of the pain would be transfered

They started out with a %10 dose

and my wife was crying so I said go ahead and give her more.

As the labor progressed she was up to %50 and still wimpering

so I said give her the whole thing

Frankly the pain didnt phase me a bit

As we were leaving we saw my brother in the waiting room, (He had just come along to give us moral support0

He was rolling around on the ground screaming. the doctors checked him out but we never did figure out what caused his pain.

Anyway I went through it without breaking a sweat, so you girls need to just quit you're whining

[chnst 6]

LOL nice.

Anna: wow I thought you guys were staying at the birthing center for at least a day. That's crazy only 6 hours... I don't know how you do that. Who is taking care of Jona? I am actually looking forward to my 2 days postpartum in the hospital. Ben will be with the grandparents and I can recover without having to worry about cooking/cleaning etc. Hubby and I just get time to bond with the new baby and if there are any complications I have all the ressources right there. Is there a pediatrician at the birthing center? Where do you get the newborn screening done?

[Anna C. 4]

Nope, that is not the idea of a birthing center - they do the first check-up and the point is that you can leave asap, which I want. I hate being in a hospital, I didn't like it when I had Jona, I felt like I was held hostage. At the one day check-up I can opt for the newborn screening (and they are qualified to to a newborn checkup), however we will have it done at 14 days of age at our family practioner's office (if you do it at day 1 or 2 of life you have to repeat it anyways at 14 days, that's how it is done in CO, but we opt for the 14 day test only, as by that time, all disorders can be detected that can be missed in the early testing); we can do the hearing screen at any time in our local hospital on walk-in basis from 7am to 6pm. Hubbie will take care of Jona at the birthing center (it has 3 birthing rooms, 1 living room, 1 bedroom, kitchen, playroom and bathroom), as well as MIL, while I have the doula and midwives focusing on me. I don't mind it that way as hubbie is not much help during the birthing process... We will call MIL as soon as I'm in labor, so she'll be in Denver by the time Eloise is born and tag along to the motel... So I have two adults taking care of me and Jona, that's better than last time (just hubbie, it took a couple of days til MIL could come)... The birthing center is on the grounds of a hospital that is very good, in case of a transfer I have to walk for 1 minute, no kidding. The backup obgyn is this great guy I had for my ultrasound.... And they know when to transfer you. Most transfers are for exhaustion, cause mom has a super long labor. They had one emergent transfer in 6 years of operation, and it wasn't that emergent, they just felt baby had too many decels, but they transferred way before a threatening situation could even have occurred. So they have a great cooperation with Swedish Hospital... One reason to deliver in Denver anyways is that Cheyenne does not have the facilities to deal with NICU cases that are beyond 24 hours of monitoring. All the babies in need get flown to Denver, isn't that crazy, they can't even intubate infants/toddlers/children in Cheyenne. So even if I wanted a hospital delivery, I'd opt for Denver!

I know a lot of people who like being at the hospital, but I feel they are germy (I can't shake the feeling that MRSA is right around the corner), have nasty food, I'm annoyed by people popping into my room every 3 hours to take blood pressure and temperature when I'm doing fine and such.... It's not my cup of tea. My mom enjoyed it always since it gave her break from the other kiddos and she's not a picky eater... MIL and SIl all walked out of the hospital as soon as you can, which is 24 hours after birth....

So once we go home, I can settle nicely at home with MIL cooking and cleaning and entertaining Jona. Once MIL is gone (she'll stay as long as her job permits), hubbie will take his 10 day paternity leave and then another week of leave on top of that.

[Nizzy 1]

Anna: I have a coworker whose wife had both children at a birthing center. After listening to him describe it, I will be looking at it in more detail. I didn't like to be in the hospital either and begged the doc to let me go, so she discharged me earlier.

[Fandango 1,440]

I loved being in the hospital, lol. I was there from Sunday to Friday, and I didn't wanna leave, hahahahaha

[Jenn! 918]

did I just read 133 pages of baby forum?

lol, how long did that take?

[TracyTN 237]

I'm with Lisa - that was some of the best sleep of my life! LOL They didn't interrupt me in the night at all with taking any sort of vitals. They'd come in before lights out, take my vitals, give me meds (including that WONDERFUL Ambien) and I wouldn't see anyone again until at least 7 am. Sometimes breakfast would beat the nurse there which was fine by me. I think if you're in the hospital because you're sick, you probably do get bothered in the night. But I think they know new moms need their sleep. At least my hospital seemed to.

ETA the food wasn't bad either. It wasn't a home cooked meal of course, but I really expected the worse and was pleasantly surprised.

Edited December 10, 2010 by TracyTN