April 2006 Moms! The 3rd and FINAL Trimester!

[MMHinCA]

38 week belly shots:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v380/michelleheller26/969555515305_0_ALB.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v380/michelleheller26/438065515305_0_ALB.jpg

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! Maybe we will have some Easter babies! :)

[charissa]

Hi ladies...

just wanted to share some belated good news:

Logan Jacob is now here!!!

Stats:

DOB: 4/11/06
Time: 07:31
Weight: 7 lbs 8 oz

We got through it all without the epidural, that was my main goal besides having a healthy baby boy, so yeah!!! :)

He arrived ALMOST on time... the doc had me down as due on 4/10, haha.

We're all home now doing great, just a tad sore, unfortunately I lost a lot of blood, my blood pressure is normally pretty low so this made it pretty bad, I even passed out trying to use the bathroom the first time. So I was pretty dizzy a lot and they kept me on the IV. I was just glad the baby was OK, so I wasn't even thinking about myself.

I'll have pics as soon as DH sends me from his computer. I hope everyone has a great last couple weeks!!! Its truly an amazing experience, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. :-D

[MMHinCA]

Congratulations Charrissa!

[jeeplover]

Congratulations Charissa! Can't wait to see pictures!

[Sal03]

Congrats CHARISSA!!!!!!!!! Welcome to the world Logan Jacob! :)

[hapahaole]

Yay!!! Welcome baby Logan! We can't wait to see what a cutie you are!
Congrats on going epidural free...can't wait to hear your story too.

Aharg!
Things are insane around here. My mom just went home after staying with us for 4 weeks! So I got a taste of what it's like to have some live in help. Ahh...what a joy. Though now that she's gone I'm thinking I'll be able to work off the 10 pounds I still have left to lose since I won't be eating all her good cooking every day. We're also in escrow right now with our first house! Yay! But it's crazy all the paperwork and inspections and such. And my husband wants to make sure we don't miss anything, so he even wanted me to call the airport to make sure they won't redirecting any flight paths over our house! The airport people laughed at me. :)

Anyway, Kaylie is doing great. Was 9lbs 13oz at her 1 month appt. That's up over 2 lbs from her 1 week visit. So guess she's getting enough to eat. She now fits the 0-3 month clothes...but coming home from the hospital she had to wear newborn size stuff.

Okay, got to run and feed the kids.
Sorry no SO's...I'll have to catch up and congratulate all the new moms next week once the house situation calms down a bit.

Take care all you new mommies and mommies in waiting! All the babies will be here before we know it.

Oh, funny story. I was taking both kids out by myself this morning (toddler holding one hand, baby in carseat in other hand). Well, I tripped over the sprinkler, and we pretty much all ate it on the grass. I had to go in and change my pants they were so muddy. So serious injuries...just people probably wondering what was wrong with me as they drove past us all on the ground (we live on a very busy street).

Happy holiday and easy labor vibes and good sleep vibes to everyone!
hapa

[uskiku]

Congrats Charissa and welcome to the world Logan Jacob!! Cannot wait to see the photos and read your birth story! :)

Threadmistresses (I know you are very busy with your adorable babies...!), this is the most boring update ever, but if you do get a chance, would you change my age to 34...? Thanks!!! My b'day was yesterday, but no baby to share my b'day with me ;). Though I'm getting increasingly more crampy... hmmm... hope this is a good sign!

Happy Easter everyone!

[mel7dog]

Welcome Logan and congrats Charissa family!!

Not much going on with me. At my 39w apt Thurday, the MW said everything is progressing, but the baby still needs to drop down a tad before he position may rbing on labor. I have another apt next week at 40w and feel pretty sure he won't be coming till my EDD or after. I may get my membranes scraped at 40w, but I need to do some more reading first.

[Jane&Andy]

Congratulations Charissa! :)

Just wanted to let y'all know that I'm having some computer problems so if I disappear temporarily thats why. Not sure whats wrong with it but we may need to delete everything and reload it all. I'll try to get in another round of updates tomorrow.

[briamcd]

Just dropping off an Easter pic!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/briamcd/102_0641.jpg

[charissa]

So here is the little guy:

http://x10.xanga.com/313b8af46253248942196/z32886024.jpg

Thanks everyone for the congrats, we're SOOOOO happy that he's finally here.

I'll be back with my birth story, Little Logan is crying, its feeding time ;).

[uskiku]

Great pictures, Bri and Charissa -- your have such adorable cuties in your hands! :)

Nothing much going on over here... Just tired after a sleepless night... sigh...

Baby book We have the Sweet Pea Memory Book from BRU and we love it.

[cagey]

Hi, my name is Katherine, and I think I'm going to be pregnant forever.

Well, Saturday was my EDD, but no one bothered to inform my child :rolleyes:. With the exception of moving pretty slowly (and an incredibly painful right hip after getting up from sitting/laying down), I feel pretty good. Have been having B/H the past few days in the late afternoon/evening, but obviously they haven't lead to anything yet!

Friday was my last day of work - I still feel okay enought to work, but between the whole bad-hip-when-walking thing and people saying "whoah! no baby yet!" I decided to call it quits. I've got enough paid leave to stay off until after Labor Day, so it's Home for me now. Today will be filled with a quick grocery store trip, some laundry, and maybe a slooowww walk around the neighborhood with the dog!

here's me on Saturday, 40w pg. (belly/hips are too scary for a naked belly shot - the stretchmarks appeared almost overnight! eepp!)
http://static.flickr.com/54/129072098_d68ff720c3.jpg?v=0

[mel7dog]

cagey - Oh you make me LOL. I so feel your pain right now. I'm glad you don't have to work anymore though, that must have been so annoying having all those people say stuff everyday. I am sending you major labor vibes!! What have you Dr's said, any progress yet?

charissa - You little guy has such a sweet face!

bria - Love her little Easter dress!

Nothing going on with me, still pregnant of course :rolleyes: I am going to get a Brazilian wax today. Hopefully that will make me feel a little cleaner down there.

[Sal03]

Charissa he is beautiful!! congrats again!

mel I so wanted a brazilian at the end. just had no time to go. good for you! the end is in sight...hang in there!!

Hapa absolutely LMAO at that story because I can really relate!!! today was my first shopping outing alone with the two of them. had katie in the bjorn and dylan in the cart and luckily we did great! good luck with the house!

cagey you look great! the back and hip pain at the end is the worst. I hope your baby comes SOON!

baby book just got one today! I got the Just Stay Little book from Carter's for Katie. It is so sweet. Has a moon on the cover. Dylan has the John Lennon one.

Bri what a happy family! :)

Katie was such a fuss until about midnight last night but then slept until 6 so that was not horrible. The witching hour is just draining when they are fussy for no good reason for a long stretch in the evening. I have the exaggerated bounce and sway move that has been working pretty well.
oh I finally have some pictures with her eyes open! Here she is, already 3.5 weeks old!
http://images.snapfish.com/34684%3C55%3B%7Ffp339%3Enu%3D323%3B%3E486%3E%3B37% 3EWSNRCG%3D323365%3C35%3B943nu0mrj
http://images.snapfish.com/34684%3C55%3B%7Ffp344%3Enu%3D323%3B%3E486%3E%3B37% 3EWSNRCG%3D323365%3C35%3A746nu0mrj

[JenniferEC]

Kopper - I hope things are going better with BF. That's great that you are doing everything you can to make it work. :)

charissa - Congrats and welcome to Logan. He is a cutie!

briamcd - Great family pic!

uskiku - Hope you can get some rest soon before the baby comes.

mel - You are brave! I only got the basic bikini wax, but it was nice to know things were at least cleaned up down there.

Sal - Your pics are adorable, as usual. :)

I never thought I'd be this busy. Between a 2 year old and a newborn, I barely have 5 mins to myself. Marin is nursing quite a bit and Caden wants my attention all the time. We went to get her some new clothes on Sat, and cute preemie clothes are hard to find. The Gap doesn't carry them in the stores and BRU only has a limited supply of cute preemie clothes. It will be a while before she's in 0-3 mo clothes. She's crying, so off to nurse.

[LittleStar]

Harrison Campbell was born on Saturday, April 15, 2006. He was 7 lbs. 9 oz and 19.75 inches. And he's gorgeous :p

We came home today and are busy getting settled in. I'll be back to post pics and the story.

Good luck to all the ladies who are waiting :D The perfect time will be here before you know it and then you won't remember what it was like before-baby. :p

[mel7dog]

Welcome Harrison and Congrats LittleStar and family!! :)

[uskiku]

Congrats LittleStar and welcome Harrison!!! Cannot wait to see pictures and read your birth story!

Charissa He is too cute -- love the cheeks! :)

Sal OMG your kids totally look alike -- soooo cute!!

Cagey, Mel and everyone else who's still waiting -- am right there with you! ;) Any news from the doctors? I have my appointment tomorrow... According to the doctor (they go by LMP) my due date is 4/21, so they consider me very close to 40 weeks anyway... I'm trying to focus on "my own" due date (4/24, based on charting), just to keep myself sane... :rolleyes:

Jennifer Hang in there! By the way, (you probably know this from experience anyway ;) ) Gerber's newborn clothes seem to run small, though it's probably not the cutest stuff out there...

[cagey]

Had my midwifes appt today, which included my first internal -- apparantly my evening crampiness has resulted in me being 2-3 cm and 50% effaced. According to my kind-of-chart, I'm 39w, so not really that concerned.

I wouldn't let her sweep my membranes just yet, but will next week if nothing happens. According to my kind-of-chart, I'm 39w, so not really that concerned.

Off for a long walk with the dog and hope that he doesn't see any rabbits that he wants to chase after!!

[relly]

HI, hope all Moms, babies, Moms to be, and babies to arrive are very well.

I have just a second but had to let you all know that my babies arrived on

Tuesday, March 21st

Brycen Peter and Devon Elisabeth

They were delivered by c-section at 35 weeks because I was not doing well.

We are all very healthy and doing fantastic.

They are simply amazing and both my DH and I are so in love with them.

[Jane&Andy]

Congratulations relly and Little Star! :)

[mel7dog]

relly - Congrats :)

Due Date: - My LMP DD is actually today 4/18, but I have been going by my charting DD of 4/21 since I know it is correct since DH was away. I am starting to get restless, but am trying to remember most first time moms deliver late. I have mt 40w apt Thursday and will have an internal, but have no decided about getting my membranes stripped yet. From what I have read it only seems to help people who are about to go into labor anyhow and is pretty painful. I am waiting to see where my preogress stands first and what the Dr. says.

[April'06Moms]

Updated to here. :)

[Kopper]

Congrats Relly and Littlestar!!

Good luck cagey, mel, uskiku and everyone else waiting to deliver.

BF is going about the same. The CST therapist had to cancel on me yesterday because her son has a stomach virus. We both agreed that Jacob shouldn't be exposed to that. We have two appointments with two different therapists on Wednesday and Thursday. I'm thinking about canceling the one on Wednesday though. BFing is going about the same. Yesterday he transferred 14ml (almost 1/2 oz) from me twice but today he has not latched on yet. My first postpartum check up was yesterday and it seems I am healing well. My incision looks good. She gave me an Rx for a compound med that is supposed to help increase my supply. It isn't covered by insurance since it's a compound medication but it's worth a try. Right now I'm getting about 14.5 ounces per day and Jacob takes between 22-24 ounces per day. I'm hoping with the med and the fenugreek to be able to get at least what he needs if not more. Well it's time to pump since he is napping. Oh, this morning he weighed 9lbs 11.2oz.!! I feel good that at least he is getting ebm and gaining weight.

Jennifer - How is BFing going? It sounds like she is doing well. Hope you are too. :)

[jeeplover]

Just wanted to stop in and say congrats to relly and LittleStar!

Also has anyone heard from Sully?

[Sully130]

Hi gals! Congrats to charissa, Little Star and relly on all of your new bundles of joy! I am so happy for each of you.

jeeplover - Thanks for thinking of me. I've been busy enjoying being off bedrest and trying to get our house in order before the baby arrives! I was just coming by to update though since I had my weekly appointment today (it was postponed from yesterday).

Update on me: - I'm scheduled for an induction on Thursday! I found out at my appointment this morning and I've been running around since then trying to get a few last things. Right now I'm more excited than nervous, but I think it's only because the reality of "I'm going to have a baby!" has yet to set it! Wednesday night I'm sure I'll be too nervous to sleep. I'll be like that precious little boy in the Disney commercial, "I'm too excited to sleep!"

I'll try to get someone to come by here and update...but if not I'll stop in as soon as I can after we get home. Take care and I look forward to hearing about more babies making their arrivals. I can't believe we are already in the second half of April!

[Sal03]

LittleStar and Relly Congrats!

Sully Good luck on Thursday! Can you believe you have a scheduled date? who would have thought? I am so excited to hear your good news!! :)

[uskiku]

Congrats Relly!!! Our first set of twins, yay!!! :)

Cagey 2-3 cm?!! Woo hoo!! Hope you managed to avoid all the rabits ;)

Mel That's my understanding of stripping the membraines as well. Hang in there; it'll be our turn soon!

Sully How exciting to have the date set!! GOOD LUCK!!!

[Jane&Andy]

Joey had his one month ped appt today - he weighs 7lbs 10oz! 19 1/2 in long. (2 wks ago he was only just getting back to his birthweight - 6lbs 4oz).

[ginandchris]

Hi everyone,

Just started getting back to things. Deborah Sara was born on April 12th at 8:07 am. She weighed in at 6 lbs 15 oz and 19 inches long. I'm BF, but I want to increase my supply. She was a little jaundice so she had to spend 2 nights in the hospital nursery, so they suggested bottle feeding while she was in there to help with her biliribium levels. But she was well enough to come home with us this past Easter Sunday.

I'm wanting to increase my supply, mainly because she is eating probably about 2 oz BM and 2-3 oz of formula every feeding. I can't BF from my left breast, due to nipple issues, so she's only getting it from my right breast. I'm trying to pump as much as I can from the left but its not much. I'm going to try and increase my pumping sessions. But its hard when she's hungry!

We have her first ped appt tomorrow and the practice has a LC on staff so I hope to get some help there. Here are the pics of our little girl.
http://images.snapfish.com/34685%3C%3B82%7Ffp339%3Enu%3D3243%3E242%3E739%3EWS NRCG%3D3233665585635nu0mrj
http://images.snapfish.com/34685%3C%3B82%7Ffp344%3Enu%3D3233%3E574%3E5%3A2%3E 2324574693293ot1lsi

Good luck to everyone still waiting. And any advice on how to increase my supply would be great!

[Kopper]

ginandchris - Congratulations!!! She is so cute! :)
To increase supply - My LC has me taking 3 capsules of fenugreek 3 times per day. I pump after each feeding. Also when you pump, she said to pump 5 minutes past when you get anything. This tells you body to produce more milk. She said that you should see an increase 1-2 days of doing this. I am also going to start taking a compound medication that is supposed to increase supply. I don't know the name of it off hand but I can post it later after DH picks it up. It is Rx only and you have to get it from your OB. Insurance won't cover it and you have to find a pharmacist that can make the compound since it isn't a drug on the market. HTH!! Congrats again!

Jane - Wow Joey has gotten so big! I bet you are happy momma. :)

Sully - Glad you are doing so well. Good luck Thursday! You are so close. Can't wait to hear that your little bambino has been born! :)

[Jane&Andy]

Congratulations Gina! She's beautiful. :)

thanks Kopper - its such a relief to have him gaining so much weight. The ped said I can stop supplementing now. I'd cut back a lot already and will probably continue to give him bottles just often enough that he won't decide he doesn't like them anymore (very nice to be able to get a few hours of continuous sleep during the weekend when DH can take over).

Congrats Sully on having an induction date set! Good luck!

[JenniferEC]

Congrats to LittleStar and relly! Can't wait to see pics.

Congrats to gina! Deborah is adorable and love all that hair!

mel - Can't wait to hear if there is progress at your appt.

Kopper - Good to hear Jacob is gaining weight! Hope your appts go well tomorrow and you can get Jacob BF again. Maybe that new Rx will work wonders!

uskiku - Thanks for the clothes info. Gerber clothes are rated awful in Baby Bargains, and that's what is mostly available at BRU. I'll keep looking...

Sully - We'll be thinking about you on Thursday. Congrats on making it this far and good luck!

Jane - That's a great weight gain and that's wonderful you can stop supplementing!

BF is going pretty well. I let her nurse when she wants and then pump after. I'm only supplementing a few times a day because I'm getting more than enough from pumping to fill her belly. She's due for a weight check tomorrow, so I'm hoping she's continuing to gain.

Hopefully next time I check back, there will be more babies. :)

[MMHinCA]

NO PROGRESS! I am still 50-60% effaced and a tiny bit (barely a fingertip) dialated. :( She said that most first time moms go past there due date. Not what I wanted to hear.

I see a lot of walking and sex in my near future.

[jeeplover]

Kyle is two weeks old today!

Here is a picture of him after his first bath at home:

http://images.snapfish.com/34686%3A2%3A8%7Ffp33%3B%3Enu%3D3239%3E2%3B3%3E3%3A 2%3EWSNRCG%3D3233669%3B8377%3Anu0mrj

[Jane&Andy]

He's adorable jeeplover. :) looks like he has quite the head of hair.

[jeeplover]

Thanks Jane! Yup he was born with a full head of blonde hair!

Quick Question: For anyone who used a nipple shield-how long did you have to use it?

[Jane&Andy]

nipple shield - we used it for about 6 days I think.

[briamcd]

Nipple Shields - still using mine. I went to a breast feeding support group thingy today and talked with someone who had used hers for 2 months. So I guess it depends on mommy & baby and what they work out.

At the support group thingy, I got to weigh Mackenzie...she's still hasn't gained any weight from leaving the hospital. :( She turned 2 weeks yesterday, and no weight gain. I feel like she eats a lot though, I'm going to keep at it, the LC at the meeting had some advice, we'll see if I can put it into play and still function on no sleep, b/c her way = no sleep. lol.

[uskiku]

Congrats Gina and welcome Deborah!!! Oooh what a little cutie-pie! :)

Jeeplover Kyle is adorable -- love that hair! :)

Bri Hang in there, mama! Hope she'll gain more soon!!!

Jennifer Goodness, I had no idea that Gerber's stuff is so badly rated [hangs her head in shame], but to be quite honest, it doesn't look that great. I have a few side-snap shirts that I bought (no other company seems to be making those! :mad: ) and a few hand-me-down onesies and shirts we got from my SIL. She has twins and I noticed that the newborn stuff was very small.

Dr's appointment update Had my first internal today and I'm 2 cm dilated and 75 % effaced -- at least there's something going on down there! The doctor didn't think I'd make it to my next week's appointment, but he was probably just being nice... :rolleyes: Anyway, I told him that he had to inform DH who was sitting in the hall, so that to scare him into action -- we need to get that carseat installed! :D

[Kopper]

briamcd - I'm sorry Mackenzie hasn't gained any weight. Is it possible you can rent a scale from an LC? Jacob wasn't gaining weight either even though he was BFing and it turns out the even though I was using the shield and seeing milk in the shield he was not transfering milk from me. His suck is to blame. He does not draw my nipple back and instead chomps on it. This means he doesn't get much milk from BFing. We rented the scale and weigh him before and after his feedings several times a day. It helps to know how much milk he is getting from BFing. Things have improved he is now getting ~ 1/2 oz. from BFing where before he was getting maybe 2-5 ml. We still have a long way to go. Oh, we ditched the shield when we determined it wasn't really helping him. He latches less but gets more milk so it's a toss up. Oh since we started using the scale last Wednesday he has gained 13oz!

[Sevilla]

Uskiku: glad you had a good dr.'s appt today! If it helps you feel better, it took me over 12 hours of labor to get to 2cm and 75% effaced so you've made good progress IMO!

Congrats to Relly and Gina on their babies!

[Misty911]

just wanted to pop in.....trying to type with one hand while holding joshua. emily has rotavirus! we spent her first easter in the er!! one of the reasons why i havent been online...maybe one day i can catch up.....congrats to all the mommies

[Txfish]

Quick post -- haven't even ventured near the computer in a week, I think. I'm horribly delinquent about taking pictures, let alone sending them out/posting them.

Huge congratulations to all the new mommies and the babies are all so sweet -- and also, we have some terrific baby names on here! (High praise from the self-proclaimed name nazi ;) ) I'm so sorry I'm not shouting out individually to each new addition, but know that I've smiled and cheered for every announcement!

We are doing pretty well; Whitney has been continuing her excellent sleeping skills most of the time and so far has not done that whole cranky-fussy vening routine. In fact most nights she starts her 3 hr naps after her 6-7 feeding, so I'm totally freed up for Caroline in the evenings. Plus I get 2 hands for dinner. Oh, the things that make us happy...

Had our 2 week check on Monday; we had been in the previous Fri & Sun for bilirubin checks, so I knew that at 4 days she had almost regained birth weight (8-5 at birth; 7-15 at hosp. discharge; 8-4 at 4 and 6 days.) Well, although we're stil having some latch issues, apparently it's only a pain problem for me -- kiddo gained an entire pound during her 2nd week! So she is now 9 lb 4 oz, and 21 1/4 in. Has the worst case of baby acne I've ever seen; it's seriously gross. My dh is horrified lol

Still need to write out my birth story... maybe tomorrow. I will try to catch up, too!

[mel7dog]

I just got back from my 40w apt and I am STILL 0cm and only about 50% effaced (same as 38w)!! :eek: He said my cervix was soft and that he could feel the baby's head down low, but that he would've felt better if I was at least dialted some. I asked about having my membranes stripped and he said they can't even do that unless you are dialted!

He said we needed to schedule a date to be induced in case it comes to that :( I so don't want to be induced. It would be very very difficult to have NCB if I didn't go into labor naturally. My date is next Friday the 28th, but I am going to argue it later if it comes close tot hat date, because I was charting and know my real EDD is the 21st (they have 18th). I just want to cry. I can handle being pregnant for a while longer, but the thought of being induced makes me feel sick.

[Sal03]

Mel ugh :( so sorry to hear that. hang in there though. you can go from 0 to something in no time. You never know! I know how you have been so prepared for natural though so I can only imagine how you are feeling!

txfish you are so lucky to be skipping the evening fussy period!

jeeplover ADORABLE!!!

Gina Congrats and welcome Deborah!!!

I know I missed people - sorry! had a very small window here...

[Sevilla]

Mel: (((((hugs)))) I know how you feel--my biggest dread about labor was i would go overdue and need to be induced b/c i know how much harder it is to have a good labor when pitocin is involved. Honestly, i would push to not be induced earlier than almost 42 weeks--b/c normal gestation is 37-42 weeks anyway. So that would put you at the first week of May and give you more time. As long as you and the baby are fine, be assertive and ask your dr. if you can wait longer and reschedule. I think sometimes dr.'s push for earlier induction dates b/c they think the moms want pregnancy over with, but if you show that you want to go as long as possible then they'll be more ok with you going later. Also remember that ultimately it is YOUR CHOICE to be induced. They are not going to come cart you away to the hospital on a stretcher on the 28th if you don't go in and call to reschedule instead. And don't worry at all about not being dilated or effaced at all yet. I know i wasn't dilated or effaced at all before i went into labor, baby hadn't even really dropped yet, but i still did on my own even though it took awhile to progress. I would start working on some natural induction techniques now and trust your body that it knows when to go into labor-don't let yourself be pushed into a medical induction that you don't want that might be premature (and i consider a 41 week induction when mom and baby are fine to be 'premature' since that's totally within the range of normal for going into labor on one's own). Be strong!

[uskiku]

Mel HUGS to you!!!! But hang in there -- a friend of mine went from 0 to her precious baby girl in the matter of days! I agree with everything what Sevilla said. Just thought I'd add what they do in my practice: at 41 weeks they do a non-stress test and an ultrasound to see if the baby is doing OK, and if all's well with the baby, they let you go until 42 weeks. Sometimes it's better to throw a "bone" to the medical establishment... ;) Maybe you could try to suggest an alternative (i.e. a non-stress test and an ultrasound etc) first, see how they react and then decide how to proceed/what to argue. And, yes, for some reason all doctors seem to think that all women want the babies out asap and would fall over themselves at the first mention of an induction... Hang in there!
Try not to stress (if that's possible...!), and keep up those walks and squats! Remember, he said that your cervix is soft and that's a great sign -- things are happening down there! I'm absolutely freakin' positive that you'll get your natural birth!!

Sevilla Thanks! :) I was very happy last night, but now I'm getting slightly nervous about still being 2 cm at my next appointment... Ah the pregnancy worries... But 2 cm=18 hours -- goodness, I'll have to go and re-read your birth story again!

ETA: Really hope no one took offense at what I said above about inductions... I do apologize for getting on a high horse... [climbing off the horse now...]

[longislandlolita]

Popping in . . . jeeplover, Kyle is so beautiful!! My brother was also born with a full head of hair, and everyone raved about how gorgeous it was. Anyway, enjoy every minute and definitely post more pics when you can! :D

[April'06Moms]

Updated to here. Out of 28 Moms, 17 have had their babies - 11 more to go! :) :D

[ceallaigh]

Whoa! It's raining babies here! Congrats to all of you! I rarely have a chance to pop in here these days but I *think* I'm up to date!

Mel I was scheduled for an induction with my son and a couple of days before I was at 0cm with 0 effacement and he was -3.... So yeah I was FREAKING out since I knew I probably couldn't have an epidural (and in fact I couldn't). I scheduled a pedicure and an acupuncture treatment the Thursday and Friday before my scheduled Monday induction and something worked because labour started that Sat. night on its own. You have nothing to lose in trying some alternative methods.

I finally loaded a hopsital pic of Miss Kyra but she's already changed so much. This pic is nice but it doesn't show her red hair!

http://images.snapfish.com/3468782%3A7%7Ffp33%3A%3Enu%3D3279%3E897%3E55%3B%3E WSNRCG%3D323366833%3B335nu0mrj

Birth story

Well I guess mine is not so exciting since the whole thing was scheduled since Dec! But the days leading up to the c-section were pretty stressful. I was sooooo nervous about attempting a spinal when my failed epidural from 2 years ago was one of the most painful experiences of my life. Worse than labor itself!

On the morning of the 7th we were up at 5am for the hour drive to the hospital. I think I slept about 5 minutes all night so I pretty much sprang out of bed when the alarm went off. DH stopped for a coffee which was torture for me since I wasn't allowed even a measly sip of water! We checked in at emergency/OB counter and she handed me my medical file and all the paperwork which had been already completed when I went in the week before. The whole procedure was seamless and surreal. Like it couldn't BE so easy!

Off we went to the birthing center, handed in my file and was set up with a fetal monitor. I felt a little nostalgic knowing this was the last stretch of time I'd get to BE pregnant, feel the baby move inside, hear the heartbeat... I had a super easy pregnancy and I was admittedly a little sad to see it end.

The nurse was super nice and reassured me that the anesthesiologist on call was awesome. Dr. K. came in to meet with me and I explained my case, he read the file and said what head of the dept had told me the week before: yes he was willing to attempt the spinal but it may not go in and even if it did I might not freeze. OK. I'm glad I'd had a while to digest that info beforehand.

Just before 9AM they came to get me and I walked down the hall to the OR. WEIRD! Like it's no bigger deal than going to the dentist!

DH couldn't come in so I walked in to the glaringly bright room with only my nurse holding my IV bag. I managed to crack a joke to DR. K about the lighting. "In the ORs on Grey's Anatomy the lighting is much kinder!" My sense of humor pretty much went out the window once I sat on the edge of the metal table and they started pushing on my back looking for their opening. I had an attendant holding a pillow on my lap and I just started to shake and tears started streaming. Total flashback to 2 years ago. They kept telling me I was doing great but I felt like a big suck. My OB showed up at this point and asked me if I was ok and I told her I'd changed my mind I didn't want to have a baby after all!

So puncture #1 failed. Puncture # 2 failed. I can't say it was pleasant but it was bearable. On the 3rd try he said: "Oh! what do we have here! Fluid!" Like he'd struck gold. I was super happy but he told me we had to wait and see if it would freeze. I could feel my legs getting numb but I could still feel. The kept shifting and lifting the table on all angles but my right leg just would not freeze. They upped the dosage and slowly but surely it froze! Finally he said they could go get my DH! It worked!!!!! And they started the surgery!

Now the SCARY part! I started to feel wayyyyy sick, weak, couldn't breathe! I looked up and my BP was like 45/25.... HELLO people! They had to keep injecting me with medication to keep the pressure up. That was such an awful feeling.

Next thing I knew my OB said I'd feel alot of pressure and pulling and it felt like my insides were being jostled about... and a cry! There she was! All goopy and gross and EXACTLY what I had gone through all this to see! I missed this with my son and I'm so happy I got to experience the 1st cry. I watched as they cleaned her up and she wailed like a mad woman!

After that it took forever for me to get feeling back in my legs since they'd had to use so much medication but I didn't care! I was painfully itchy from head to toe as well (who knew that was a side effect??) but I didn't care! It was all worth it!

Thanks for all your well wishes regarding the spinal: maybe they helped!

[briamcd]

beautiful picture!!! I can kind of see the red hair. So cute.

[Jane&Andy]

ceallaigh - beautiful picture, she's gorgeous.

I quit my job today. :) I'm going to go in a few hours here and there to tie up some loose ends in the next few weeks but aside from that I'm now a SAHM. :D

[LittleStar]

Dropping off some pictures (hope this works)...

http://images.snapfish.com/34687%3A278%7Ffp33%3A%3Enu%3D3243%3E29%3A%3E498%3E WSNRCG%3D323366%3A8%3B26%3B9nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/34687%3A278%7Ffp345%3Enu%3D3243%3E29%3A%3E498%3EWS NRCG%3D323366%3A87264%3Cnu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/34687%3A278%7Ffp33%3A%3Enu%3D3243%3E29%3A%3E498%3E WSNRCG%3D323366%3A872658nu0mrj

[Jane&Andy]

LittleStar - what a cutie pie! :)

Mel - my fingers are crossed that you will go into labor soon so you won't have to worry about the induction.

TXfish - wow, you've got a great sleeper!

Joey has a lot of trouble at night - either he's up for hours or he wakes up AT LEAST every 2hrs (that was last night). He's not a fussy boy (not colicky/inconsolable), just has trouble settling sometimes.

[SaphirimalMei]

Hey ladies, just checking in over here.
I've been lurking though, and we have the cutest crop of babies ever! How sweet! It makes me all the more excited for this baby boy to finally GET HERE ALREADY!!!!!

<xpost from journal>

As of this morning's OB appt: Still at 1.5cm and 30% effaced.

Baby is at -2 station, which I think is actually good news cuz I was still at -2 station with Jilly about an hour before I started pushing. Unfortunately that also means this is bad news for my bladder and my hips. :rolleyes:

Nevertheless, I have not given up hope that this kid will arrive before his due date. I have been having some cramping and spotting since my appt and have been having contrax (though not regular at all). Also, I have been feeling since learning my EDD, that the boy would arrive on 4/21. We'll see if a mommy's intuition proves right soon enough...i HOPE!!!!

[mel7dog]

Thank you for everyone for your labor wishes and advice for the induction issue. I am feeling much better now that I have had some time to let it sink in. I was so caught off guard when the Dr. sad we should schdeule now just in case at 39w 6d :eek: I now realize there is a LOT more questions I can ask and tests that can be done first, I just need to read up on this now so I'm ready :)

[JenniferEC]

jeeplover - That pic of Kyle is so cute! I just realized our little ones have the same bday.

uskiku - No worries about the Gerber clothes. Caden had some onesies that fell apart this winter so I'm not a fan, but sometimes they're the only ones that sell what you need. I hope it's not much longer for you. :)

mel - Sorry there's no progress. Maybe this weekend things will start to move on their own.

Jane - Congrats on being a SAHM! It's the hardest job in the world, but the most rewarding.

All of these babies are just adorable!

Marin is finally almost at her birthweight. She went in for a weight check this am and is at 5lb 13oz. Since we're only supplementing about 3-4oz of formula a day, most of that is from me. :) The sore nipples are almost gone, it's just when she doesn't latch on right that I have to bite my bottom lip. We ordered her announcements so here they are:
http://images.snapfish.com/34686%3B583%7Ffp342%3Enu%3D3262%3E3%3B3%3E6%3C7%3E WSNRCG%3D3233667%3A98825nu0mrj

[Phen]

Barging in with news from Sully130's LJ:

Born (today) at 5:32 p.m., Thomas is 8 pounds, 4 ounces, 21 and 1/4 inches long.

Not sure how many details she wanted posted here, so I'll leave the rest of the story for her to post when she can. :)

~ Phen

[ds2003]

mel7dog - Why won't your doctors let you go the full 2 weeks past due? I would definitely argue and I would research what ever reason he/she gives to you. A co-worker's wife had NCB for 2 of her induced labors. Even though it will be hard, you can do it if it comes down to that.

[Sal03]

Sully!!!! I just had tears in my eyes when I read that and yelled out to DH the news. LOL we are such nerds. CONGRATS and welcome to the world THOMAS!!!

ceallaigh beautiful pic. hope you are having so much fun with your sweet lil girl!

Jennifer I love the announcement!!

Jane Great news!! Welcome to our crazy but wonderful world :D

Littlestar what a sweet boy!

[jeeplover]

Sully-Congrats! What a healthy little boy and I am so happy for you and your DH! I am so happy for you and I hope that the labor and delivery went well and that your recovery is a speedy one!

[mel7dog]

Sully - Huge CONGRATS!!! I cna't wait to hear all about it and see pics :)

ds2003 - Thanks for your help! Don't worry I won't be settling for an induction unless I am 2w late and it is necessary. I'm currently reading up and getting ready so if it comes to that I can argue my case!

Jennifer - Beautiful announcement, she is so sweet!

Has anyone heard from KB? I remember her being overdue last week and am wondering if she had her little one!

[Jane&Andy]

Cagey had her baby! Benjamin Joseph, was born at 8:16 am April 20. He weighs 7 lbs 4.8 ounces and is 20 3/8" long.

Her DH emailed me, I'll save the details and picture for her to share.

Sully - Congratulations! I am so happy for you!

Jennifer - gorgeous birth announcement. yay for Marin gaining weight.

We're taking Joey to visit MIL this weekend (90min drive each way). Should be interesting. She has not been well and hasn't seen him since he was 2 days old.

[Guinness]

OUR SURPRISE IS A BOY:D

We're home!! After a failed induction and a c-section . . . let me introduce . . .

Elliot Judson, 4/18/06 5:54pm, 7lbs 7oz, 19.25in

http://images.snapfish.com/3468865%3A6%7Ffp33%3B%3Enu%3D325%3A%3E237%3E983%3E WSNRCG%3D3233673983697nu0mrj

We are doing well - feeding great waiting for my milk to come in. I am sore from the c-section, but glad to be home. Will catch up later.

Easy labor vibes to all - and remember no matter what the birth process it is so special to hold you little one on the other side.

[Sal03]

Cagey Congrats!!! You must be so thrilled to be done and to have your little boy with you. I just have to say also that I LOVE his name. That was my beloved Grandpa's name, another Benjamin Joseph, so your son has a wonderful name!

Jane good luck on your little road trip. hope joey sleeps both ways for you!

I just had my second successful shopping outing with my two. Dylan goes in the stroller or cart and I bjorn Katie and it has been working perfectly. She just sleeps the whole time. How did I get so lucky to have two good sleepers??? :D

[Jane&Andy]

Congratulations Guinness! He's adorable! :D

[jrsygirl]

Hi all!
I've been really absent for a while but you can all guess why..


Paige Kelly and Cole Robert were born on April 5. They are perfect and amazing.

They were 5.7 and 5.8 oz each and about 17-18". They are both now almost 6lbs at their 2 week ped appt yesterday. They are both great. Paige is a much better sleeper, Cole is a bit fussy and gassy but hopefully the new formula will help fix that up!

Anyway- I know you all really just want to see pics..

Cole:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v231/hbd511/cole1.jpg
Paige:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v231/hbd511/paige1.jpg

[Jane&Andy]

jrsygirl - Congratulations! They're adorable!

holy cow! I think its time for another round of updates already! :p

sal - in 2wks we're taking him to NC to visit my family - about 6hrs each way! I'm not excited about that drive!

[Sal03]

ohmygoodness!! so many babies!!!!!!

jrsygirl they are beautiful!! Welcome Paige and Cole!!!!!

Guinness Congrats and welcome Elliot!!

[uskiku]

Oh my, it's raining babies here!!! :D :D :D

HUGE congrats to Sully -- welcome to the world Thomas!!

Congrats Cagey and welcome Benjamin!!! Yay, Cagey had her baby!

Congrats, Guinness and welcome Elliot!!! Speedy recovery, mama; he looks sooo cute!!

Congrats Jrsygirl and welcome to the world Cole and Paige!!!
They are beautiful!

All mamas -- our April babies are just heart-breakingly cute!!! :)

[jeeplover]

Wow so many new additions to our wonderful April babies thread!

CONGRATS to Sully (again)!

CONGRATS jerseygrl and welcome to Cole and Paige! That makes four babies born on the 5th!

CONGRATS to cagey and welcome to the world Benjamin!

Congrats Guinness and welcome to the world Elliot!

[Pink_Converse]

Congrats on all of the new adorable babies!

[MMHinCA]

Congratulations to all the new babies and mommies! :)

Since I still can... I thought I would post my 39 week belly shot!

(Edited to change to photobucket)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v380/michelleheller26/419036045305_0_ALB.jpg

[jeeplover]

Well I finally typed up my birth story but it is really really long! Do you still want me to put it here?

[April'06Moms]

updated to here

[mel7dog]

Wowy so many babies!

CONGRATS Cagey and welcome Benjamin! That's such a great name :)

CONGRATS Guinness and welcome Elliot!

CONGRATS Jrsygrl and welcome Paige & Cole!!

jeeplover - I'd love to read your birth story here!

I am so excited for all the babies born so far. Plus we still have a good bunch yet to arrive :D

[Jane&Andy]

jeeplover - yes, please share. :)

[uskiku]

Jeeplover I'd also love to read your birth story! :)

[Kopper]

Congratulations to Sully, Cagey, Guinness, Jrsygirl!! :)

Jacob is three weeks old today! We are still really struggling with BFing. My supply is up thanks to the new pump (Medela Symphony), fenugreek, domperidone and pumping more often. I'm now getting around 16oz. per day and I think today it will be more. We are working on it though. Today his weight was 9lbs. 14.7oz!

[usafwife]

Wanted to say Congratulations to all of you mommies! You all have such cute little ones.

And an extra special congrats to Sully! I'm so happy for you and your DH. Enjoy that little one and give him a hug from me.

mel ~ As someone who was scheduled to be induced but never made it to the induction, you can go from nothing (or just a finger tip) to being 2/3/4 in a matter hours. That's what happened in my case. I fretted over the scheduled induction for hours. If you want to talk, feel free to PM me (or anyone else), I'd be more than happy to talk to you.

[Txfish]

(mel) -- hang in there, and listen to everyone -- it really does happen out of nowhere sometimes. We're thinking of you!

HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEWEST MOMMIES!
Sully, Cagey, JrsyGrl, and Guinness -- great names, healthy and beautiful babies -- who could ask for more?? Welcome to our new crop of little sweeties!

Jane -- yikes. Sorry to hear about the fussies... we've had a few nights where Whitney was up for 2 or 3 hours, once she finally woke up. Not fun. Dad tends to get the hand-off after the first hour LOL Good luck with your road trip! Oh -- and Congrats on being a SAHM!!!!

OK -- so I know I'm seriously jinxing myself here, but I just really can't believe it -- the last 3 nights, Whitney has slept from 9:30-4 am straight. I sometimes lay her down for a nap and just dance around with glee at all the sleeping LOL I am trying to go ahead and pump again at 11 or 12 to build extra stash & make sure supply doesn't tank, though.

Next week is our last week of daycare for Caroline... I am quitting my job as well! I've had both kids home with me one day every week so far, and it's gone ok, but I know I'm in for much rougher roads once she's here every day and getting bored. I'm getting my "curriculum" in place and gearing up... at least it's only until August, and then kindergarten starts. I really don't know how you all do it, with two (or more!) little ones at home all the time. I'd love to have #3, but I'd want to wait until Whitney is almost 5 herself first!!! Haha

Jeeplover, yes! We want all the birth stories!!

Kopper -- so glad to hear that your supply is up! You have done such a great job to stay with it!! Hope the BFing improves (hugs)

[jeeplover]

Well I warned you all about how long my birth story was but here it is:

Birth Story

Tuesday (4/4/06)
It all started on Tuesday with me being admitted for some preliminary testing which included another EKG and biophysical profile measuring my amniotic fluid. Jason had to drop me off at the hospital since he had a meeting he couldn’t get out of and then was to meet me later. They did a bunch of testing and my OB found that my amniotic fluid was even lower than the day before in his office so he was happy that I was having the c-section the next day. All the testing took about 5 hours then I was brought back to my room. I waited for Jason and waited for him to show up. I called him and he was on the way there (he was about an hour away) but he was stuck in traffic. While on the phone with him though my sister called him and said she had broken down on the side of the road on the way to our house so I told Jason to go get her and bring her with him to the hospital. Well on his way to get her the muffler fell off our car! Finally Jason reached my sister and looked at her car and were able to get it to a dealership to drop it off. Then Jason had to deal with our car which was so loud. So he took off the exhaust pipe which wasn’t an easy task and they were finally on their way to me. They didn’t end up getting to the hospital until 12:30 and we all slept in the hospital room or at least tried to!

Wednesday (Kyle’s birthday 4/5/06)
I wasn’t scheduled until 10:45 but at 5:15 am the fun all started with a tech coming in to take my blood. Then the nurses started to come in and another tech to take my vitals. At around 8 am the nurse came back and said OK time to go to the OR! Mmm hello you said we weren’t leaving until 9 am! A little unprepared as Jason had just woken up. So I was taking into pre-labor area and hooked up to the monitors there. The anesthesiologist came in and spoke with me. He was a nice guy and put my mind at ease since I was very nervous about having the spinal. He spent about a half hour talking to me and answering my questions. The nurses were really nice and could tell that I was scared. Jason had to keep coming in and out since his parents were on their way but time definitely did pass slowly for me. It was hard for me to realize that in a short time I would be meeting my little boy! Finally it was time to go into the OR. I was really scared and was kind of upset that Jason couldn’t be with me when they did the spinal. That was the weirdest feeling in the world though. First my feet started to get tingly and then slowly the rest of my body went numb. Finally Jason came into the room with me, so much relief having him there with me! They put up the little curtain and it all started. I would say that all in all the whole thing from the start of the spinal to them closing me up took about a half hour. It was the weirdest feeling as I felt pressure and tugging but no real pain. At 11:23 am Kyle was brought into this world with a little more than a whimper. The pediatrician quickly took him after Jason cut the cord. They were very nervous since he didn’t cry loudly and had found fluid in his lungs so they checked his vitals and informed us that he had to be taken to the NICU. They asked me if I wanted to hold him but my arms felt like lead and I was so scared little did I know I would not be able to hold my baby until almost 36 hours later! So the doctor finished closing me up and I was taken to the recovery area. The medication was really taking its toll on me. I had to wait for a cardiologist to come and see me to determine where I was to spend the night. It took almost 3 hours for the cardiologist to see me and then another 3 before they were able to move me to the cardiac floor which I was not happy about. Before they took me upstairs I asked that they bring me by the NICU so I could see my baby. Oh that was the most heart wrenching thing ever. He was hooked up to every monitor known to man or so it seemed to me and just looked so tiny. Since he was on a ventilator I couldn’t hold him and the aides that were bringing me to the floor wouldn’t let me stay with him long. So they took me to my room and my roommate was a 91 year old lady who was very grouchy! The nurses on the floor didn’t really know how to take care of me since they weren’t used to postpartum woman so it made for a very long night for me especially since Jason couldn’t stay and my roommate snored and had some bowel issues. The nurses in the NICU were nice enough though to take some pictures of Kyle for me so that I had them on my bedside table. I called the NICU twice during the night to check on Kyle.

Thursday (4/06/06)
I was very upset since the nurses wouldn’t help me get cleaned up or get out of bed especially since everything people tell you is that after a c-section you are best to start moving around as soon as possible. Jason wasn’t able to come to the hospital until the afternoon since my sister wouldn’t get out of bed so I was really upset since they wouldn’t let me see Kyle until he got there. Also I was not happy with the cardiologist since he had told me in the morning I would be transferred to the high risk floor which is right next to the NICU but he never wrote it in my chart. Finally Jason put up a big fuss and called my OB and he had me moved to the high risk floor. The nurses there were so much better and I was able to see Kyle so I was so happy! By the time we got to the NICU he was off the ventilator which I was so happy about.

Friday-Saturday (4/7/06 to 4/8/06)
The rest of my stay at the hospital basically involved me spending a lot of time in the NICU. I was discharged on Saturday even though my doctor said I could stay until Sunday but since Kyle wasn’t going to be coming home with us on Sunday, Jason and I decided that I would leave on Saturday night since we both knew we wouldn’t sleep at the hospital. Of course I didn’t sleep at home either and leaving the hospital without Kyle was the hardest thing ever. I kind of felt like a failure having to leave him all alone. I cried the whole way home and pretty much all night. Sleeping was not happening since I was still really sore and couldn’t get comfortable.

Sunday-Tuesday (4/9/06-4/11/06)
Sunday we spent at the hospital and then on Monday my parents arrived. On Tuesday Kyle was finally able to come home with us. I was so happy and couldn’t take my eyes off him on the trip!

[Sal03]

Jeeplover Thanks for posting your birth story - it was an interesting one! That was so nice of the NICU nurses to bring you pictures of Kyle for your room :)

Kopper Great news about your supply and Jacob's weight!

Txfish you sound like me! I whisper it and have everything crossed every time I talk about what a great sleeper Katie is. Hope Whitney keeps it up!

[tin roof rusted]

hey ladies...i hardly ever posted in here but just wanted to pop in to say i had baby quinn on 4/18, a successful VBAC. :) he weighed 6 lbs 11 oz and is doing wonderfully.

congratulations to all the new mommies!!!

[jeeplover]

Tin Roof Rusted-Congratulations and welcome to the world QUINN!

[Kopper]

jeeplover - Wow that is quite a birthstory! I'm so glad Kyle is home with you and doing well.

tin roof rusted - Congrats!!! Welcome Quinn! I love his name. It's one of my favorites but did not go well with our last name.

Newborn portraits
Here are a few of our newborn portraits that we had taken last Saturday when Jacob was 15 days old. The little bugger decided that he wasn't going to sleep even though I had just fed him and we had a 35 minute car ride to the photographers. He slept until the moment we got there. I fed him during the picture taking and he still wouldn't sleep. He did however manage to pee on both mommy and daddy and have a very poopy diaper!

http://images.snapfish.com/346897%3B59%7Ffp346%3Enu%3D3236%3E266%3E474%3EWSNR CG%3D3233675%3A7978%3Anu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/346897%3B59%7Ffp343%3Enu%3D3236%3E266%3E474%3EWSNR CG%3D3233675%3A79794nu0mrj

I never mentioned, but he has a problem with his pinky toes. They cross over his fourth toe. The ped says it shouldn't cause a problem with his walking and it may or may not correct itself over time. We aren't worried too much.
http://images.snapfish.com/346897%3B59%7Ffp343%3Enu%3D3236%3E266%3E474%3EWSNR CG%3D3233675%3A837%3B7nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/346897%3B59%7Ffp344%3Enu%3D3236%3E266%3E474%3EWSNR CG%3D3233675%3A83824nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/346897%3B59%7Ffp342%3Enu%3D3236%3E266%3E474%3EWSNR CG%3D3233675%3A83865nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/346897%3B59%7Ffp339%3Enu%3D3236%3E266%3E474%3EWSNR CG%3D3233675%3A83867nu0mrj

[mel7dog]

Kopper - Your little guy is such a beautiful baby :) I love those pics!!

[jeeplover]

kopper-thosse pictures are wonderful! He is so handsome! Also I think his toes are cute!

[mel7dog]

I am still pregnant and have pretty much forgotten this labor thing will actually happen eventually. :rolleyes: It just doesn't feel like it will ever happen. Luckily I am feeling pretty good and have been keeping busy decorating and painting the new house. I've tried almost all the natural induction methods and nothing has even made me have a real contaction. I am convinced I will be having a May baby :eek:

[MMHinCA]

mel7dog - I am right there with you. I feel like labor will never start. I still feel great and have no signs of labor starting anytime soon. Like you I feel like I will be having a May baby! I am glad to hear that you are still feeling good and getting a lot done around the house!

[Jane&Andy]

tin roof rusted - congratulations! :)

kopper - gorgeous photos! :D

mel and MMH - hang in there ladies! it can't be much longer - although I'm sure each day feels like an eternity at this point.

[Jane&Andy]

We took Joey to MIL's yesterday and it went pretty well. He slept in the car (90min each way) both ways.

I've found that its hard to deal with being around so many people at once with my baby (a couple of DH's siblings were there with their spouses too). I don't mind passing him around but it drives me up the wall when people tell me what to do with him and what he needs. I know what he needs and when he needs it - I'm with him 24/7 - you aren;t. People just drive me up the wall sometimes. And he's not a girl so quit calling him "she" (MIL did that all day long) and its not safe to stick him in his car seat on the kitchen counter (I stopped that one before it happened). Give him back to me or put him in his bouncy seat - thats why we brought it! Anyway, thats the abbreviated version of the vent from my journal. :p :cool: It was fun but it was mentally exhausting at the same time.

[SaphirimalMei]

Mel & MMH - At this point, I think I'll be having a May baby too :p With DD I was due 1/22 and she didnt see fit to arrive til 2/1!!! This baby boy better not be as stubborn as she was! Labor Vibes to everyone still waiting!!!!

Jane - it drives me up the wall when people tell me what to do with him and what he needs It's funny how all of a sudden everyone's an expert, eh? :rolleyes: At some point you do learn to tune it out. Til then, just smile and nod. ;)

[uskiku]

Count me in, Mel, SaphirimalMei and MMH! I'm now officially convinced that my days of identity crisis are over: I'm an elephant :cool:

Kopper these pictures are absolutely stunning; he's soooo cute!

Jane Sorry about relatives being so annoying...!

[Jane&Andy]

At some point you do learn to tune it out. Til then, just smile and nod.

or take the baby and exit the room b/c the baby needs some quiet time. :p

We have SIL's wedding next month and all of DH's extended family will be meeting the baby all at once. Man, I wish I could sit that one out. :p

[jeeplover]

MMH, Mel, Saphirimei, and usikiku-I am so sorry you feel that their is no end in sight! I was feeling that way and I wasn't even close to my due date! Here's sending you some labor vibes!

Jane-I understand how you feel about being around so many people and them all being experts! Glad to hear that Joey did well on the trip there and back though! I guess we all need to remember that we have to take alot of the stuff that is told to us with a grain of salt!


Kyle is doing well. Last night he slept from about 1 am straight through to 6:45 this morning! I am mainly pumping now as each time I put him to the breast he is so hungry afterwards that I have to supplement with formula. Also I think that the formula is making him constipated. We have been giving him prune juice but I am afraid to give him too much. So we will see how he does today with bowel movements, he has also been spitting up alot lately so I am worried that this formula is making him sick as well. I just hope that he gets better before next weekend since we have a 10 hour drive ahead of us up to MA.

[cagey]

Thanks to Jane for posting my news! We got home yesterday and are slowly settling in. I'm working on my birthstory now, but the cliffnotes are: Very managable labor (long slow walk, birthing ball, an ipod, and hypnobirthing = the key!!), pushing/delivery was SO LONG and SO HARD. Seriously, the hardest I've ever worked in my entire life. The midwives were awesome -- No OB would have let me keep pushing for 4 hours. I woke up Friday morning feeling like I'd been kickboxing. Back, shoulders, arms, neck, abs were all SO sore and achy.

and now that he's here....wow. seriously, wow.

A few quick photos

Birthday!
http://static.flickr.com/44/133613188_51f409434b.jpg?v=0

this morning:
http://static.flickr.com/47/133584766_66c338b9a5.jpg?v=0

lunchtime!!
http://static.flickr.com/53/133584535_a5798f1b75.jpg?v=0

Be back later with a full birthstory and shoutouts!

[jeeplover]

Cagey-He is adorable and I am so happy that you got to experience the birth the way you wanted to!

[Jane&Andy]

Congratulations Cagey! :) He's adorable!

[Sal03]

Kopper BEAUTIFUL pictures!

Cagey he is adorable and you look great!!

Mel and MMH the end is in sight! I delivered at 40 weeks 4 days with dylan so I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL. And at the time, everyone I knew was going early, it was so unfair. I can't wait to hear that your babies have arrived!

Jane I still have not learned to deal with unsolicited opinions and advice. DH always tells me I have to ignore people, but I still get annoyed. I nursed Dylan for a year and I only know one other person around me who BF that long so unfortunately I got a lot of "You're STILL nursing??" And I picked up Dylan and now Katie as soon as they fuss. People always say I am going to spoil them. irritating stuff like that. I just say matter of factly that you can not spoil a newborn and that every professional medical organization recommends nursing for a year. that usually shuts people up. just two examples, but as you can see...I still get really annoyed!

[mel7dog]

Thanks for all the labor vibes and support ladies!!

cagey - Little Benjamin is too precious!

Sal - Love the new icon!

MMH - At least we can be overly pregnant with coompany!

Here are my latest belly shots from Fri/Sat
http://images.snapfish.com/3468%3A6%3A%3A%3B%7Ffp345%3Enu%3D3278%3E642%3E%3B5 5%3EWSNRCG%3D3233677%3B39627nu0mrj
http://images.snapfish.com/3468%3A6%3A%3A%3B%7Ffp342%3Enu%3D3278%3E642%3E%3B5 5%3EWSNRCG%3D3233677%3B39629nu0mrj

[MMHinCA]

Mel - You look FANTASTIC in your 40 week picture!

Thanks everyone for your kind words! I know our time will come soon enough! I am trying to enjoy these last few days being pregnant as much as I can.

[ceallaigh]

Congrats to all the new mommies! So many cute babies! Wasn't it just yesterday that we joined this thread????

Cagey, Guinness & Kopper those are some handsome boys!

Jeeplover Thanks for posting your story. I'm glad to see it all worked out for you in the end. I know you didn't have the easiest pregnancy. I was scared about the spinal too but I think you handled it better than me! Enjoy being home with your baby!

MMHinCA & Mel I know the waiting game is hard at the end but I did some research for you and in fact no woman has ever been pregnant forever!:p We're all anxiously awaiting your big days!

Sal Don't you know you can't win? If you don't breastfeed they ask why not, if you do they ask when you're planning on quitting, if you let the baby cry you'ree neglectful, if you pick her up you're spoiling her... I'm so beyond caring what people think. It's too tiring!

[jeeplover]

I know most of you are breastfeeding and some are doing both but I have a question:

Did any of your pediatricians tell you to start your baby on a polyvisol multivitamin supplement?

[Sevilla]

Jeeplover: Nope. Why does your ped recommend that for a newborn? everything i've read says that at least for the first 6 months vitamin suppements are totally unecessary as bm/formula provide all necessary nutrition.

(ETA: Except for preemies who may need extra iron supplements to make up for the stores they weren't able to accumulate in utero due to shortened gestation)

[Jane&Andy]

vitamin supplement? nope.

Mel - you look fabulous! :D

[jeeplover]

Sevilla-I thought this was strange as well. I don't think I am comfortable giving him this supplement as all of my education and training has taught me that babies do not need any vitamins until at least 6 months of age. I am currently looking online for more information. Also I am nervous to give him any more supplementation that contains iron because he has been constipated.

[Sal03]

jeeplover that surprises me too. Dylan did not start vitamins until 6 months

[ginandchris]

Congrats to all the new mommies and all the new babies! All the babies are so adorable. :)

To all those that are still waiting, uskiku, mel, and MMH you're time will be coming soon. When you finally see your little ones, it will be like they've been always been around. Sending quick easy labor vibes to you!

As for me we're doing ok Deborah had her 1 week appt last week and she already passed her birth weight.:) We are still supplementing with formula and I've started taking fenugreek and I'm trying to pump more often so I'm still hopeful to have her only on BM soon. I'm still waiting for a call back from the LC with our ped group.

We also took her out yesterday for her first "social" outing. It was DH's bday and my family came over and we all went to Cheesecake Factory. It was very good we got there early and Deborah slept the whole time! After we got home we took our first family pics with DH and his bday cake, so hopefully I'll be able to post them soon. Oh and lastly, I just weighed myself and I've already lost 30 lbs! I'm sooo happy about that!:D

[Kopper]

Thanks everyone for the compliments on Jacob's newborn pictures. I know I'm biased but I think he is a cute baby! :)

mel7dog - You look amazing for 40+ weeks!! I hope things start happening soon. Can't wait to see pictures of your little guy!

MMHinCA - Hang in there and good luck! Your baby will be here soon!

Jane - Sorry you had a bit of a rough weekend. Honestly I find it easier to take care of Jacob when no one is around. Going places and having visitors throws off our schedule and makes things difficult. I know everyone means well but I don't like to pass him around all the time. Sometimes I want to hold my baby too! :) Guess that's the momma in me.

jeeplover - Hang in there, I know how hard pumping all the time is. I'm glad Kyle is doing well. Jacob was very hungry after BFing too. It turns out that he wasn't getting hardly any of my milk. Renting the scale has been so wonderful for us so I can gauge his progress and see how much he is getting.

No vitamin supplements btw

cagey - He is beautiful and you look great! :)

---
So things are really improving around here. Yesterday Jacob transferred 38 and 36ml from me and this morning he transferred 40ml!!! That's 1 1/3oz which is way up from the 2ml he transferred a week ago Wednesday. If things continue to improve I may eventually be able to exclusively BF him. He takes around 100-110 ml per feeding so it may be awhile but I am very very happy and encouraged. He is also latching on faster and his suck has really improved. We have another appointment for CranioSacral Therapy this Thursday with the original therapist. Oh, his weight is 10lbs 2oz!

[jeeplover]

Another question- for those that are using fenugreek, where did you buy it?

[Kopper]

CC time! Love my sling :)
http://images.snapfish.com/3468%3B366%3A%7Ffp342%3Enu%3D3236%3E266%3E474%3EWS NRCG%3D323367%3B432427nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/3468%3B366%3A%7Ffp33%3A%3Enu%3D3236%3E266%3E474%3E WSNRCG%3D323367%3B3%3C%3A85%3Anu0mrj

Fenugreek - I bought it at my healthfood store (Sprouts). I'm also taking Domperidone which is an Rx compound med my OB gave me. It's hard to get but has really increased my supply.

[Jane&Andy]

nice sling Kopper. I have a handmedown NoJo sling from my SIL but Joey seems to hate it. And I find the Baby Bjorn uncomfortable (luckily that was also a handmedown). I just ordered a Mei Tai so I'll see how that goes. yay for BFing going well. I really don't mind letting people hold Joey - I enjoyed seeing my MIL enjoy him. I just wish they could keep their mouths shut while holding him. :p

gina - glad to hear Debora is doing well. :) (nice name btw, its my sister's name :) )

unwanted advice - the most hilarious advice (warning actually) that I've gotten so far was the warning that my cats will steal the baby's breath (from the old lady next door). :eek: :rolleyes: I had no clue anyone still believed that.

I think we've hit the 6wk growth spurt - Joey wants to eat all the time. its very draining. :p

[KB57]

Hello everyone and congrats to all the new mommies...and add me to the new mommy list:

Our surprise is a girl!
Abigail Grace arrived on 4/13/06 1:11 am 9lbs 10oz, 21 inches long.

I had posted that I was scheduled for an induction on Sat 4/15, however, Abby did not want to wait that long....I was having slight contractions all day on Wednesday 4/12, and they increased in intensity as the day went on. I wasn't feeling so good all day and at one point took my temperature and realized I had a low-grade fever of 99.9-- I called my OB who told me to come in and they would check me out.

I had a NST the day before and the baby was moving normally, but when they hooked me up to the fetal monitor, she was very still, her heart rate stayed between 157-160 the whole time, whereas the day before she was between 140-170 and moving around ALOT. They were concerned about my fever and why she wasn't moving, and they tried to stimulate her but to no avail. By this point I was up to 5 cm, but my water had not broken. They brought me in to the L&D room to give me my epidural (at this point the the contractions were insane--but getting the epidural was AWFUL--sooo painful and uncomfortable.) and then my OB came in to tell me she had a feeling that the baby passed meconium in the womb and that was probably why I had a fever but they confirmed later on that I had caught some kind of infection. She broke my water and confirmed that there was meconium and she did not want to let me go naturally, she just wanted to go in and get the baby out so I ended up having a c-section. I didn't care at that point, I was so worried that the baby would aspirate the meconium...I just wanted her out of there. So the c-section went great, I was in recovery for alot longer than I expected (my BP was really low afterwards) and Abby had to stay in the Continuing Care Nursery for two days bc they had her on an IV of antibiotics just as a precaution since I had an infection, but luckily she did not catch anything from me.

We came home on Monday 4/17, spending Abby's first Easter in the hospital.

To all the girls who are waiting to go into labor----hang in there...I was a week late and it sucked, but well worth it.

[jeeplover]

Congrats to KB57 and welcome to the world Abigail Grace (love the name)!!

Glad to hear that Abigail is doing well though after such a scare!

[Jane&Andy]

Congratulations KB57. :)

[Sal03]

Congrats KB and welcome Abby!! Sounds like an eventful day but glad everyone is doing well!

[mel7dog]

KB - Congrats on your baby girl! I am so happy everything worked out ok and everyone is healthy!

[LittleStar]

Congrats KB! Kopper - what a sweet little baby! Mel - you look great - hang in there to you and MMH and Uskiku.

DS is pretty fussy, so the last week or so have been very draining. My mom has been staying with us, but she goes home at the end of the week, so I'm a little nervous how things will work out after that. BF seems to be going OK - we have our 2 week appt. on Thursday (even though DS won't be 2 weeks til Saturday), and I'm anxious to see what his weight it.

Q - where do your babies sleep at night, and where do they take naps during the day? Most of DS's sleep time is spent with someone holding him. We have a pack n play in our room that I was hoping he'd sleep in at night, but he cries after about 10 minutes of being put down. I put him in his crib for an earlier nap today, and he slept about 15 minutes. Right now he's napping in the crib and has been there for 20 minutes, so that's a new record :p Any tips? I just don't think I can hold him 24/7.

[Jane&Andy]

LittleStar - so far he mostly naps in his bouncy chair or swing and sleeps in the bassinet at night. He winds up in bed with me sometimes, probably at least every other night, for a little while. He has napped in his bassinet (which gave me great freedom for 2 whole hours b/c I was able to close the door on him!) and in his crib once - but for only about 20min.

He'll often fall asleep while I'm holding him and then I transfer to the bouncy chair, etc to finish the nap.

I bought "The No Cry Sleep Solution" book but haven't made it very far in it yet. So I can't recommend it yet but it was recommended to me.

************************************************** **

he's 5 1/2 wks old already!
http://images.snapfish.com/3468%3B54%3C7%7Ffp344%3Enu%3D3237%3E%3B35%3E433%3E WSNRCG%3D323367%3C5%3C%3A%3A5%3Anu0mrj
http://images.snapfish.com/3468%3B5532%7Ffp345%3Enu%3D3233%3E58%3B%3E693%3E23 2458%3B784%3A32ot1lsi

[jeeplover]

LittleStar- Kyle sleeps in his bassinet at night although there have been times that we have fallen asleep with him in our bed. I am trying to get him used to his crib by putting him in it at intervals during the day. We also have a pack and play bassinet the he sleeps in during the day. We have been lucky that he sleeps almost anywhere we put him. Good luck in getting him used to the crib!

Also I have heard that healthy sleep habits, happy child is a good book. I plan on buying it soon.

Jane-adorable pictures of Joey!

[JenniferEC]

mel - You look great! When you don't post, I'm wondering if you're having the baby.

Kopper - Congrats on the BF and cute pics!

Congrats to KB57! Can't wait to see pics.

Jane - I can't believe there's a baby that old in the April 06 Mommies. It seems like just yesterday we were waiting for the first one to be born.

sleeping - Marin sleeps in a bassinet in our room at night and in the pack-n-play or her crib during the day. Sometimes she gets fussy and wants to be held but if I put her on her side, she tends to sleep better.

fenugreek - I got mine at GNC. I think it was about $13 for a huge bottle.

Marin is doing well, but I could use some more sleep. I'm not getting any sleep during the day and with getting up at night, I'm running on fumes. It seems like Marin wants to eat during Caden's nap, so I can't catch a break. Hopefully one of these days we can get their naps in sync.

[SaphirimalMei]

LittleStar - Til DD was about 5-6 weeks old and "woke up" to the world a bit more, the little portable swing we had worked wonders! It was like turning off a light. She napped beautifully. I guess they spend 9(10) months in the womb getting swung back n forth in some fashion of another, so I can see why she found it so soothing :) At night, she slept just fine in the PnP next to the bed til 3 mo when we transitioned her into her crib. (Gosh, I hope DS is similarly easy!!!) <crossing fingers>

Jane - The No Cry Sleep Solution is a great book! Youre right that you wont really need it yet, but when you do, it's a great help. With DD, we started getting her into a schedule of sorts to feel out how she would react at about 2.5/3 months. Other than a few hiccups along the way with illness and teething, we were been blessed with a STTNer from 3 months on. LOVE the dickie outfit!!! He's getting so big already!!! :)

~~~~~

In other news...and I'm hopefully not jinxing myself:
I've been really crampy, contracty and losing bits of plug all day, so here's hoping this is it and I'll be holding my son within the next 24 hours or so!!!!!! Woo hoo!

[Jane&Andy]

I hope this is it for you SaphirimalMei!

[Sevilla]

Typing 1-handed while baby sleeps in the other...

Kopper: Congrats on the bf improvements! You deserve a medal for persevering the way you have and i'm so glad its paying off with your growing boy :).

jane: Love the new pics! Don't you love how alert our babies are getting now?

Congrats KB and Cagey on your babies!!! i'm so happy to hear they are healthy and that you're all doing well :)

Sleep: DS sleeps for long stretches of time (1-2 1/2 hours) if he's held, so that's what we do. We both have slings that we use so that he can nap on us and we have our hands free. And the sling (i use a hotsling pouch www.hotslings.com, DH uses a ring sling from www.funkygiraffe.com) is great for nursingin public too. I was at Kohl's for an hour and a half today and he nursed and then napped in the sling the whole time, it was great. I actually get a lot done during the day while he sleeps and i'm wearing him so it works well. i even wore him in the shower once b/c i desperately needed to get ready in time for something and he did great in it, curled up and napped like a little water baby. He also naps pretty well in his swing.

At night he sleeps with us and that works well. Either on top of one of us or next to me (so we can nurse laying down when he wakes up--it's a great way for me to still get some rest while he eats).

DS won't sleep more than 20 minutes if you lay him down by himself though-i think it's pretty common with newborns. But i don't worry about it b/c i know once he's older we'll be able to figure out him sleeping alone at least for naps. i'm really enjoying all the cuddling and watching him sleep now when he's little :).

[mel7dog]

Because I am still pregnant, I've had plenty of time to finish the nursery. Besides the bookshelf and area rug I want to buy at some point, it is done! There are WAY more pics on page 15 of my journal.

http://images.snapfish.com/3468%3B62%3A9%7Ffp339%3Enu%3D3278%3E642%3E%3B55%3E WSNRCG%3D323367%3B657%3A%3A9nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/3468%3B62%3A9%7Ffp339%3Enu%3D3278%3E642%3E%3B55%3E WSNRCG%3D323367%3B6655%3B5nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/3468%3B62%3A9%7Ffp343%3Enu%3D3278%3E642%3E%3B55%3E WSNRCG%3D323367%3B657%3A99nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/3468%3B62%3A9%7Ffp344%3Enu%3D3278%3E642%3E%3B55%3E WSNRCG%3D323367%3B6655%3B7nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/3468%3B62%3A9%7Ffp33%3B%3Enu%3D3278%3E642%3E%3B55% 3EWSNRCG%3D323367%3B665744nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/3468%3B62%3A9%7Ffp339%3Enu%3D3278%3E642%3E%3B55%3E WSNRCG%3D323367%3B665756nu0mrj

Off to bed. Hopefully I wake to extreme labor pain!

[Sevilla]

Mel: Your nursery is gorgeous! It turned out really well :). Love the name you chose too, i don't think i'd heard what you picked before i saw his wall letters :). i hope you go into labor soon too--sending you lots of good vibes!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dropping off new pics of DS. He'll be one month old later this week!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v452/Champagnepunch/7c721f6b.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v452/Champagnepunch/28e5a337.jpg

[ginandchris]

fenugreek--DH bought it for me from Whole Foods, though don't know how much it cost.

sleeping--let's see DD has been splitting up her time between the bassinett, which she sleeps in at night in our room. She also naps sometimes in her crib in her room. But the past couple of days she wants to hang out with us, downstairs and sleep in her pack in play.

vitamins--no our ped didn't mention giving any to her

[uskiku]

Congrats Tin roof rusted and welcome Quinn!

Congrats KB57 and welcome Abigail!

Jeeplover What a birth story -- thanks so much for sharing! So sweet of the nurses to bring you pictures of Kyle!

Kopper oooh, these portraits are gorgeous! And I like your sling! :) Fantastic job on BF -- you're a real inspiration! :)

Cagey Great pictures -- you guys look so happy and content! But... 4 hours of pushing?! :eek:

Mel You look great as always; hang in there! Love your nursery; it's gorgeous! And, wow, you painted that mural?! You're so talented!

Gina Hooray for weight gain! :)

LittleStar Awww a fussy baby... I've read Weissbluth's Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child and basically what he says is that fussiness increases until 6 week (peak time) and then gradually decreases... Hang in there!

SaphirimalMei Woo hooo - hope this is it for you!

Sevilla Love the pics! :)

I'm now both officially and unofficially overdue... Had some cramping last night but -- nada, nichts, nothing. Oh well, guess the waiting game continues...

[Sal03]

Mel the nursery is just precious :) I still have to hang katie's name letters! And I love the name Benjamin, it's my favorite!

Sevilla he is so alert! so cute!

Jane I can not believe he is 5 1/2 weeks already! that is crazy!

Sleeping Katie sleeps with us and naps in my arms, the swing or pnp. We did the same with dylan until about 8 weeks then we will transition her to the crib. hopefully it goes as smoothly. I am going to try starting today to have her nap in the crib more

Katie is working my last nerve today. I can't do anything. I just had to let her cry while I put my contact lenses in and then when I made Dylan breakfast. I feel like she needs to be held all the time when awake. She is loving tummy time though. SO did Dylan so I wonder if she will crawl as early as he did. Here are some pics of her loving her new lamaze toy and Dylan loving his sister! He is like this all the time, hope it continues!

http://images.snapfish.com/3468%3B%3A577%7Ffp343%3Enu%3D323%3B%3E486%3E%3B37% 3EWSNRCG%3D323367%3C%3A64%3B4%3Cnu0mrj
http://images.snapfish.com/3468%3B%3A577%7Ffp33%3B%3Enu%3D323%3B%3E486%3E%3B3 7%3EWSNRCG%3D323367%3C%3A53578nu0mrj
http://images.snapfish.com/3468%3B%3A577%7Ffp33%3A%3Enu%3D323%3B%3E486%3E%3B3 7%3EWSNRCG%3D323367%3C%3A53579nu0mrj

[mel7dog]

I am in labor! I woke up at 6 and started paying attention to the contractions. When DH got home at 8 we started timing them. Apparently the contractions I though were only 15-20 sec long are actually 45-55 sec long and 5 min apart :eek: Who knew?! Guess I was denying it most of the night, LOL. Feeling good so far and super excited! DH called the doula and she is on her way :) I can't believe this is it. I keep saying "this can't be it" and DH and Mom say "Hello it is!" Off to be in labor now and and give birth, EEEEEEE!

[Sal03]

mel so excited for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! can't wait to hear good news!!

[Pink_Converse]

Go Mel, Go! I'm so exited for you!

[Jane&Andy]

yay Mel! Good luck! and your nursery is gorgeous - love the mural!

Sevilla - David is adorable. yep, I love how alert they are now. But I do miss those early newborn days. I guess its the same as missing being pregnant - I miss it but I'm not ready to go back to those days just yet. :p

Sal - love the pictures of Dylan and Katie. so cute. :D

slings - I just ordered a Mei Tai carrier from rosiebaby. I have a handmedown NoJo but Joey howls when I put him in it. And now that he finally weighs enough for the baby bjorn I find it really uncomfortable on my neck (and he howls in it too). But all that howling could just be part of this growth spurt so who knows. Hopefully he will like the Mei Tai so I can carry him more and retain the use of my hands. That would certainly help me with getting the dog out in the backyard for some playtime now that the weather is so nice.

I go in for my 6wk post partum dr's appt on Thursday - can't believe its time for that already.

[Txfish]

Go Mel Go!!!! :D (And I know the name was supposed to be a secret, but I love Benjamin -- and his room looks great!) We can't wait to hear!!!

Whitney naps & sleeps in her bassinet probably 80% of the time. She does her early stage sleeping on us, and then we transfer her. We are starting to have a little more trouble keeping her asleep once we lay her down by herself though, but I'm determined to keep her in her own bed for sleeping... I don't think we can take another 4 years of a kid invading us in bed and not sleeping well at night.

Slings -- I've got one that I've worn her in a few times, but I feel like her head gets turned awkwardly in it. I wouldn't mind trying a few other kinds, but I'm also not going to spend a fortune testing things out.

Vitamins -- nope, my ped told us the same thing -- nothing needed until at least 6 months.

Hi to everyone and congrats again on the newest babies -- and all of the pics are so beautiful! I already feel this sense of having lost opportunities for these precious pics. I hate how fast this baby girl is growing already :(

Jeeplover -- thanks for sharing your birth story! I love that the nurses gave you some pictures for your bed while you couldn't be with Kyle.

[uskiku]

Go, Mel, Go!!!! :) :) :) Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MMHinCA]

Yeah Mel! I am so excited for you! Good luck! :)

[jeeplover]

Yeah Mel! Sending you easy labor vibes! Can't wait to hear of your little ones arrival! Also love the nursery it turned out so well!

[SaphirimalMei]

Hooray! Go Mel!

~~~~~~

Was in L & D til 4:30 this morning. Got sent home cuz I wasnt making progress despite walking all over creation :rolleyes: Oh well...Atleast I got a little shut-eye in my own bed. This boy is such a teaser!!!

[Kopper]

Yay Mel!!! Good luck! So happy and excited for you. I love your nursery.

BFing - Thanks everyone for the support it means a lot to have everyone cheering me on. This is something I really wanted and I am so glad that things are finally working out. At 4am this morning Jacob transferred 60ml (2oz.) from me. I was so ecstatic! He continues to do well taking about 40ml on average per feeding.

Slings - I just have the ring sling from Marisa (funkygiraffe.com) I still need to figure it out a bit more but I love it so far and Jacob likes it too.

Sleeping - During the day he sleeps mostly on me and in the sling. Sometimes I put him in the swing or bouncy chair. At night he sleeps in the PNP bassinet about 2/3 the time or on me or next to me in bed.

Sal03, Sevilla, Jane - Cute pictures of your babies! :)

[mel7dog]

Hooray! Go Mel!

~~~~~~

Was in L & D til 4:30 this morning. Got sent home cuz I wasnt making progress despite walking all over creation :rolleyes: Oh well...Atleast I got a little shut-eye in my own bed. This boy is such a teaser!!!

I am right there with you! My labor has been the same ALL DAY LONG!! Contractions ae 45sec-60 sec long and sometimes as often as 2 min apart, but other times, almost 10 min. I just took castor oil, so I'm hoping things progress soon!!

[jeeplover]

mel-I hope the castor oil helps you!

[mel7dog]

mel-I hope the castor oil helps you!

Thanks non such luck yet! The doula and I agreed that since my labor was just staying the same, it would be best if we all just relaxed, rested, and stopped focusing on each contraction. She left here around 5. The good news is that I am still having contractions and I lost my mucos plug this morning around 9:30. Soooo despite things moving slowly at least he'll be here in the next day or two and I won't have to be induced :)

[Sevilla]

Hey Mel! Your labor is starting a lot like mine was. Sounds like you have a good plan of getting as much rest as possible, b/c it sounds like you're in for a longer time. The really good thing is that your water isn't leaking/broken so there's no 'time clock' to worry about and no pressure to go to the hospital :). When i was trying to get my contractions into a regular pattern, the two things that *really* helped were walking a lot and nipple stimulation. The nipple stim was SO effective--i would use my fingers or my manual breast pump for about 1 minute on each side and then within a few minutes i'd get a contraction each time. Can't wait to hear another update!

Sal: I love the pics of Dylan and his sister! I so look forward to DS having a sibling someday.

Saphiramel: Sorry to hear labor stopped for you, i hope it picks up again soon!

[SaphirimalMei]

Mel - definitely sounds like we're in the same boat here! I feel like I've already been in labor forever, but am getting nowhere. Atleast we know these boys cant stay put forever :D

[JenniferEC]

mel and saphirimalMei - Good luck to both of you. I hope we hear about your boys' arrivals soon!

uskiku and MMH - Hope things are soon for you, too.

Sal - Love Katie's face in the first pic. She has a great head of hair!

Hair - Anyone else losing theirs already? I swear it didn't start falling out until later the first time, but the past two days, it seems I'm going bald.:(

[cagey]

Thinking about you Mel, and hoping for the best!!!

FINALLY have finished my birthstory! I tried to get all of the details before I forgot them, so sorry for the length


From the beginning!

My EDD was 15 April (Saturday), and it came and went with little notice, with the exception of a few more intense B-H contrax in the evening. I was really thinking that the B-H would have been the start of something, but nooooo..... Things were quiet until Monday, when more B-H were felt, but again, leading to nothing.

Had a midwives appt on Tuesday AM where I got my first interal (2-3 cm, 50% effaced), but declined having my membranes swept. Went home, took a looooong walk with the dog, and was just convinced that the kid was coming on his own schedule, but started to worry that more proactive induction methods were going to be discussed if things weren't moving by the next weekend. Had a little bit of spotting that day, but I associated it all with the exam.

Wednesday AM woke up at 6 with some contractions -- didn't know if these were more B/H or 'real contractions'. Judd stayed around until about 10:00 to see how things were progressing, then went into work. I took it easy - watched some TV, sat on the birth ball for a while, but was pretty uncomfortable sitting anywhere. Had a light lunch of hummus and flatbread with an apple, and drank a couple of cups of Red Raspberry Leaf tea. As the afternoon wore on, I did a hypnobirth 'session' but really couldn't get comfortable. Around 3, I called Emily, my doula, to give her the heads up that things were starting, but moving pretty slowly. She advised a light dinner, warm bath, and heading to bed early to get some rest.

Judd came home around 5, and we took a slow walk around the neighborhood. The walk was truly one of the best things I did that whole day - when a contrax hit, I just slowed down and walked verrry slowly -- gave me something else to focus on. Had a grilled cheese and couple of huge glasses of water for dinner, then took a bath and got into bed around 10.

By midnight, I KNEW I wasn't staying in bed, and started timing contrax - they were coming around 5 minutes apart, but still only lasting about 45 seconds at the most. By this point, Judd to start doing the 'hypno coaching' reminders for me. I called the midwife and she said that I sounded a 'bit too calm' and wanted me to wait to come in. I think we called our doula around this time to say things were moving along more, and we'd keep her posted.

The next 2 hours were a blur - I sat on the birthing ball beside the bed, rolling forward with each contrax so Judd could provide counterpressure on my back. Somewhere along this time, I started having to do vocalization w/ my exhales. As I'd feel the contrax starting, I'd take a loooong slow breath in, and as I'd exhale slowly, make some kind of "mmmmm" sound to partially distract myself, and also to alert Judd that I needed back pressure. I'd do about 2-3 of these per contrax, then roll back and sit upright on the ball, zoning out.

By 2:30, they were STILL between 30-45 seconds long, but about 3 minutes apart. I was ready to go to the hospital, as I was afraid I'd be in transition if we waited any longer. Called the midwife ("come on in and keep me company!") and the doula, to whom I apologized for being one of those 'middle of the nighters'

Around 3 am, I'm in the 'inprocessing' triage area and really out of it - L&D was SLAMMED at this point, and I was mildly annoyed that the rooms with the tub and showers weren't available - there were so many women there by that time that all 8 rooms were filled, so they set me up in the triage area for a little while. Judd pulls out the Ipod and I start listening to a playlist that I'd put together of music (relaxation wind trance, Dead Can Dance, Sigor Ros)

I barely notice when they start drawing blood (it took them 3 times, then they just gave up until 2 days after birth!) and trying to fit me for a hep lock. My bloodpressure/heartrate & baby's were fantastic at this point, so there was no need for any alarm. My internal revealed that I was indeed 8 cm dilated. I was SO happy to hear that I was 8 cm -- the hypno techniques were working, my body was doing what it was suppose to do, and I wouldn't need pitocin!

On one contrax, I felt my water break ("either I peed, or my water broke!") and shortly afterwards, the end of contractions felt entirely different - rather than a tapering off, there was a pressure to push that was more intense than the beginning of the contraction itself. Trying to NOT push at this point was kind of like trying to not cough or hiccup.

The nurses started wheeling me down the hall to a private room where I wouldn't be hearing everyone else. This was one of the few times I kept my eyes open - I feared if I didn't I'd get nauseous!

This is where the work began. I spent a couple of hours 'breathing the baby down' (hypnobirth's style of delivery, where there's not much pushing, just a gentle release down with an exhale). After about 90 minutes of that without much progress, the midwife had me try to squat facing Judd and push from there. This worked pretty well, as nearly every time I'd stand up, another contrax would come and I could push. This got reallly tiring on my legs/ankles, and finally one of the nurses found me a 'toilet seat' chair. I sat on that, and bent forward into Judd's lap. This defiantly progressed things, but STILL no baby!

Finally, the midwife had me get back into the bed and dropped the edge out so she could work a bit better. The hypno 'breathing down' wasn't working for me, so was told to just push with all of my might with each contrax. I spent a lot of time fighting my own muscles (lots of stress/strain in my neck/arms/abs/back that I wasn't directing to where it should have gone!)

HOURS went by of 45 seconds of hard pushing and 2 minutes of rest. I was so exhausted by this point that the midwife overruled the 'ice chips only' rule and got me some grape juice. The baby was starting to crown, but I just couldn't get the last big pushes to get him out.....frustrating for EVERYONE in the room!

I asked about forceps / vacuum, but my doula and midwife wouldn't discuss it at that point. Finally, as we approached hour 4 with no real end in sight and lots and lots of perinial massage, the decision was made for an episiotomy. 2 big pushes later, Benjamin Joseph came into the world, a tiny bit coneheaded, but full of life and vigor, taking immediately to the breast.

A few funny things:

-when I finally opened my eyes, I noticed the room we were in was HUGE. Turns out, I delivered in an empty operating room. So THAT explained why Judd and the doula had scrubs on over their clothes! They had to make it look like they were 'supposed' to be in there! I love the fact that I delivered naturally in an OR :P

-my cell phone rang just at the moment of birth. Anxious grandparent? No.....ADT calling to say that the house alarm had gone off. The neighbor who was letting the dog out didn't get to the code in time!

-When I received the shot for the local anesthesia for repairs, I said "OW! That hurt!" Funny how different pain is!

So overall, extremely happy that I had the birth that I wanted. Yeah, an episiotomy wasn't in my birthplan, but hell, neither was hard pushing for 4 hours. I did wake up the next morning feeling like I’d been kickboxing for hours, then moved 3 people. My arms, back, neck, chest were SO sore!

I was pretty vigilant up to the end with exercise and yoga - even did 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer the Friday before he was born. I have to believe that kept the heartrates and bloodpressure of both me and Benjamin steady, thus preventing any medical intervention due to stress on the baby.

[Sully130]

First off, thanks for all of your congratulatory wishes!

Thomas was born last Thursday and we got home from the hospital Sunday morning. He had to stay an extra night (and they gave us a "courtesy room" so I could stay to feed him...and the floor nurse brought us all kinds of food anyway!) because his bilirubin levels were borderline high. At first it was within a tenth of a point from where they treat him and they didn't want us to go home on Saturday and have to check back into the hospital on Sunday (b/c doctor's offices weren't open). Anyway, the bili levels went down (well, actually they went up, but at a slower rate and at the ped appt. yesterday he said he was better) enough for him to go home and all seems to be getting better.

Our internet connection went down while we were gone and they couldn't come to fix it until this afternoon. We were going crazy not being able to share pics of our little man with family and friends!

ANYWAY, I do have a picture to share. I'd rather not share his full name, and I'd also ask the threadmistress to NOT post this picture anywhere else in this thread. I will come back and remove it in a week or so. Hope you all understand. I don't show my own face out here and I just don't think it's right for me to put my son's on here. But I have to share it at least temporarily! :) Here is my precious son Thomas! I think it was shared in the announcement post Phen made for me, but he was 8 pounds, 4 oz. at birth and 21 1/4 inches long. He has blonde hair and all the nurses loved him for that!

:)sorry.... had to remove the pic. -Sully

I'm too busy (and tired) to catch up right now. But congrats to all the births that occurred while I was away and best of luck to those of you still waiting!

[Sevilla]

What a wonderful birth story Cagey! I really really enjoyed reading it and i'm SO happy for you that you got your NCB and had such a great support team. Lol about delivering in the OR!

Sully: Congrats on your little guy! He is SO cute and i'm really glad to hear you're all doing well :).

[Ericka_Jarett]

Sully, Thomas is such a cutie, you must be in heaven with him.

[kerbahr]

Sully! Just an August 2005 mommy here to say CONGRATS! Thomas is beautiful. I am so happy for you. Take care!

[usafwife]

Sully ~ Congratulations!! He's perfect! I'm so happy and thrilled for you and your DH. You have your little miracle!

[Sal03]

going insane with extremely fussy baby but just had to say

Sully congrats!! he is just beautiful

and

Jennifer YES! starting earlier this time. there is hair everywhere and I have to watch katie's fingers because she loves to grab my hair and she is pulling it out!

[jeeplover]

Sully- I am so happy to hear that Thomas is doing well! He is adorable and thanks for sharing that picture with us!

[mrstim]

I'm sure most of you have kept up to date by reading Mel7dog's journal, but I just thought I'd update ya'll that Carrick posted last night that her water broke at 10:13 PM. They were planning on staying home for a short while, then heading to the hospital!!!!

Just thought I'd post it here - congrats to all you new moms!

[uskiku]

Sully Thomas is absolutely adorable -- thanks so much for sharing that picture and many, many congrats to you and your DH! :)

Cagey Thanks for posting your birth story; right now these are my main reading material ;) and yours sure was inspirational!

Thinking of Mel and sending her easy labor vibes!!!

[Camdynlyn]

I just spoke with Carrick, (Mel7dog's hubby), and she's still in labor and at 6-7cm dialated. He said she's doing great! I'll call back again around lunch to check up!

[Sevilla]

Go Mel! You can do it! I can't wait to hear another update :).

[Jane&Andy]

He's adorable Sully. :) Joey has that same blanket.

Good luck Mel!

[MMHinCA]

I just got back from my doctor's appointment. I have a little progress to report... I am 1-2 cm dialated. While it is not much, I am at least pleased that it is a bit more than last week. I have another appointment scheduled for Monday where we will discuss induction (that is if she doesn't make an appearance before then)!

[uskiku]

MMH Looks like we're in the same boat: just got back from my appointment and I have not progressed from last week. Have another appointment on Monday to discuss induction. Am quite disappointed about this, as I really, really wanted to avoid induction. C'mon lazy baby -- I know you are just like your daddy, a last minute man, but it's time to come out and play!!!!

[Kopper]

uskiku & MMHinCA - Good luck! I hope you both go into labor this weekend. As someone who was induced (twice :(), I can understand why you want to avoid it. I plan to avoid it at all costs next time unless absolutely necessary.

Sully - Thomas is such a beautiful baby! Congrats!! :)

mel - Hope everything is going well and you have had your baby boy! Can't wait to hear your birth story.

cagey - Great birth story! Thanks for posting :)
----
Well we've had a bit of a rough two days. They aren't terrible but Jacob has reverted a little after all the progress he made. We are still working on things but it feels like all I do is feed him and pump. The CST therapist had to cancel on me because she just found out from her malpractice insurer that they aren't covering patients under 2 years old any more. I found a different therapist but we can't get in until Monday and it is going to cost 2Xs what the other one charged. I'm going to the LC tomorrow to get a Lact-aid (http://www.lact-aid.com/) nursing system to hopefully cut down on the time it takes to feed him. One bit of good news is that we are down to only 4-6oz of formula per day.

[Sevilla]

Kopper: That is awesome how much you have reduced the formula he is getting and how much bm he gets :). Sorry to hear he has reverted back some, but if it helps you feel better he's also right at the age for his 3 week growth spurt--so even moms who arent having the struggles you are feel like all they do is feed the baby (that's what i felt like a few days ago--he was eating literally every hour all day long). I hope the Lact-aid and CST work well for you!

[Camdynlyn]

Okay, bugged Carrick again! He had just woken up from a nap (this was about 30 minutes ago) and said she's still at 5/6cm but doing decent. I asked how the natural thing was going and he said she's hanging in there. He sounded worn out. He did say the baby had POed (I thought he meant he'd been pissed off! ) but he said that mean he flipped but not breech-- but into a sunnyside up position. I told him sorry to bug him but I would call back again later tonight and that I was really thinking about her all day as well as the other CC ladies!

[Sevilla]

Cam: Thanks so much for posting an update!

[jeeplover]

MMH and uskiku-Here's hoping that your little ones arrive prior to Monday-there is still some time for more progress to be made!

Kopper-That is wonderful that you have been able to reduce the formula intake-that is such a wonderful feeling! I hope the CST and Lact-aid help you!

Cam-Thanks so much for continuing to update us on Mel's progress!

Mel-I commend you on the natural birth!

Had to take Kyle into the peds this afternoon. He hadn't had a bowel movement in 4 days and was just not himself and eating less. I had given him prune juice this morning and he puked it all up. I felt so bad for him. The nurse told us to give him a suppository-man was that awful. I felt so bad for him. It did help him though but he was in a lot of pain-it broke my heart! He is doing great now and is back to himself-thankfully! I really hope that we don't have to continue to use the suppositories.

Oh I haven't given him the polyvisol as I am not convinced that he needs it and the fact that it contains iron and I am afraid it will make his constipation worse.

[MMHinCA]

Anyone heard anything about the negative effects of having your membranes stripped if you have tested postive for Strep B? I had an appointment today (39w5d) and I think the midwife may have "stripped" my membranes. She never actually used these words but rather said she would try to move things along (I was about 1-2 cm dialated). I was then reading online tonight that it is unsafe (it can spread the bacteria to the baby and cause death for the baby and mother) to do this procedure if the mother is Strep B positive. I am now a nervous wreck and with it being 1:15 in the morning I have to wait until morning to call the doctor to see what exact she did to me today.

[Camdynlyn]

Mel just called me to let me know Benjamin is here. She sounds exhausted and she said "everything went wrong!" She was stuck at 5/6 cm for over 12 hours, the baby was facing up and the cord was wrapped around his neck. She said her doula was awesome and was the one that requested she get a C-Section. She was tired and although we all know that's not what she wanted, she knew it was for the best.

Benjamin Gerard greeted us on April 26, 2006 at 11:42pm by c-section. He weighed a whopping 8.5 pounds and was 21 inches long.

She said she will be in the hospital for a couple days and I promised to call her this afternoon to check up. She said Benjamin's head is a little bruised/red from being sideways in the pelvis so long but that's he's beautiful and doing well. He has a little hair and they are debating with who is looks more like.

Melissa said she will go into more detail with her birth story but that she's just happy to have her baby in her arms. I forgot to ask about BFing but I will ask when I talk to her tonight!

So, again, a HUGE Congrats to Carrick and Melissa for the arrival of their beautiful boy Benjamin!

I told her we all were thinking about her and that her journal has doubled in size!

[Sal03]

MMH no idea, but I hope you got the answer you wanted early! Sorry you were up worrying!

Mel HUGE congrats and welcome to the world BENJAMIN!!!!!! I hope you are feeling good and not even the slightest bit disappointed that things went "wrong". you did everything right and now you have your precious baby in your arms!!

Jeeplover Poor Kyle! Hope he is back on track now!

[JenniferEC]

Congrats mel and welcome to Benjamin! I'm so glad you finally have him in your arms. I hope your recovery goes well.

[Pink_Converse]

Welcome Benjamin. Congrats to his SuperMama! I'm so proud of you!

[uskiku]

Congrats Mel and welcome to the world Benjamin!!! Don't beat yourself up, Mel -- you did everything right! The main thing is that you have your beautiful little boy in your arms!

MMH I'm sorry, I have no idea... Hope you got some reassuring news from your doctor today! Keep us posted!

Thanks, jeeplover and Kopper! :) At this point, I've kinda given up hope that he'll make his appearance before Monday. Off to do some more cleaning! :rolleyes:

[Sal03]

Forgot a few SOs before!

Kopper you are doing such a great job! Jacob is so lucky to have such a determined and dedicated mommy. Sorry about the therapist situation

uskiku hang in there! you will have your little one really soon!!!

[Kopper]

Congrats Mel and welcome to the world Benjamin! Everyone is right about how well you did. Hope things are going well with BFing and can't wait to see pictures.

---
Well I only have a second to post since Jacob has decided to wake up a little early. Last night he transfered 92ml or just over 3oz from me. I am over the moon! Now we just have to keep it up and get him to do that every time. I'll be back later for SOs.

[SaphirimalMei]

Congrats Mel! 12 hours stuck at 5/6cm!!! You are a trooper! Welcome Benjamin :)

I have an OB appt this morn in about an hour for a NST, AFI and all that jazz. With DD, this same type of "routine overdue appt" was when my water broke! Crossing my fingers :D

[MMHinCA]

Congratulations Mel! Welcome Benjamin!

I am still waiting for the doctor's office to open. I will keep you all posted when I get some information. I have had a knot in my stomach all night! :(

[jeeplover]

CONGRATS TO MEL and CARRICK! WELCOME TO THE WORLD BENJAMIN!

Mel-Have to say that you are amazing for holding out as long as you did. I am glad that Benjamin is in your arms and doing well!

MMH-Sorry to hear about your bad night. I hope that you have nothing to worry about when you speak with your doctor!

SaphirimalMei-Here's hoping on some progress!

Kopper-That is wonderful news! Keep up the great work!

Cam-Thanks for the update!

Sal-Thanks! Kyle is doing well, it is just a matter of seeing what happens in the next couple of days and praying that we do not need to use the suppositories on a routine basis!

Kyle's appetite is back up so I am very happy about that! He has only gained 3 ounces in 7 days though so we will see. I might looking into getting a pediatric scale-I know someone is currently renting one (sorry can't remember who), where did you rent yours from?

[MMHinCA]

I haven't heard from my doctor yet (I left a message) but my BIL who is in med school sent an email to one of his professors who replied with the following:

"Membrane striping isn't a special technique or procedure that requireds
consent. At term most OB/GYN's will do a vaginal exan to determine if the
ecervix is dilating some. If the cervix is dilated 1-2 cm, then we can
insert the index finger through the cervix and in a circumferential
motion lift the membranes away from the uterine wall. This causes release
of prostaglandins which may precipitate labor. Since the membranes are
intact, any bacteria from the vagina that might be on the glove can not
get into the amniotic fluid.

GBS positive means she is colonized. 25% of women (and men) are colonized
with GBS with the GI tract as the resevior. THe danger for the baby is
after membranes are ruprured. After that happens, the bacteria can get
into the amniotic fluid, the baby breaths in the bacteria and an
infection in the baby can start. Also in wome with heavy colonization,
the baby picks up bacteria as they deliver and later develop symptoms.

Some non-peer reviewed data on the internet may suggest an association if
membrane stripping and GBS sepsis in the baby, however with 25% of the
pregnant population carrying GBS and likely 75-80% get their membranes
stripped the association should have been confirmed in a well designed
study. No association has been found.

For your education, there is a lot of erronious info in the internet
world."

[Sal03]

MMH that's great! so happy you do not have to stress about it anymore

[jeeplover]

MMH-Glad to hear that your BIL's professor was able to put you at ease!

[Jane&Andy]

Congratulations Mel! :)

[ginandchris]

Congrats Mel on your little boy, Benjamin!

[Sully130]

Congrats Mel!!! I'm sorry to hear it wasn't the birth you hoped to have, but I"m so happy that sweet Benjamin is now safely in your arms. I love his name BTW. :)

Jane - Isn't that blanket the best? Someone gave it to him and it is so soft. Love it. I like to stick it over his Boppy and sit him up in it. He seems to like it.

Thanks ladies for all of your kind words about my little miracle man! I can't believe he's a week old today! This time a week ago I was in some major pain! Yikes! TOtally worth it though. ;)

[Jane&Andy]

I had my 6wk post partum appt today - it went fine. I still haven't lost a single pound since 2wks pp (lost 20 in the first 2 wks), so thats really frustrating. I have a family wedding to go to next month and the thought of shopping right now is totally depressing. I've still got a lot of extra belly so I'm still in maternity pants and all of my pre-pg tops are too small for my boobs now. :(

Sully - I actually have that blanket in yellow and blue - bought it in yellow first and my Mom loved it so much she bought the blue one. its so soft and lightweight. :)

[jeeplover]

Jane-I hear you on the depressing prospect of shopping for clothes! I went today and just couldn't bring myself to get anything! UGH!

[Sevilla]

Congratulations Mel!!!! I can't wait to see pics of your little guy, and i hope you have an easy recovery--i'm sure being in such great shape will help a lot. I am very very eager to hear your birth story as it sounds like it was pretty similar to mine. I have a few friends who had similar situations in their first labors (c-sections for failure to progress even after a long time) and *every single one of them* has had a successful VBAC with baby #2 :).

[Txfish]

Congrats Mel & dh -- welcome sweet Benjamin!!! As for the birth, regardless of what "went wrong", I think you did such a fantastic job -- what a strong mommy, to make a tough choice for your baby's benefit!! ;)

[MMHinCA]

Just bumping us from the bottom on the page to say... I am still pregnant! :rolleyes: I know there are a couple of us still out there so I wanted to check see how you guys are doing.

[jakedog]

Hey I've been away so long I have missed welcoming all the babies. They are all so beautiful!
Congratulations mamas!
Also wanted to offer some words of encouragement to those who haven't had their babies yet. Hang in there ladies you can't stay pregnant forever!
I know it probably seems like an eternity at this point but I promise its all worth it.


And is it my imagination or do we have a unusual number of redheaded babies here?

I also wanted to offer some sympathy to those who are feeling some anxiety about their post-baby shape. I had a lot of stress about the poochy belly and all that last time. I have a lot more acceptance of my pooch now. Besides I know I do not get the go ahead to excercise for another two weeks and frankly I am too sleep deprived and toddler-crazy to even look at the eliptical trainer.

[uskiku]

MMH I'm still here and still very much pregnant. At this point, I've given up any hope of getting this baby out. Instead, I've started to think that I might have a weird condition that makes my belly bulge out :cool: The other day I got so desperate to get this baby out that I went for a walk in a cold rain wearing flip-flops (the only things that fit my swollen feet right now) and now I have a sore throat and I seem to be losing my voice. Lovely.
On the bright side -- if I do go into labor (right, yeah, like this is gonna happen!), I'll have a silent labor like Katie Holmes! ;)

[Jane&Andy]

I'm trying not to stress too much about my out of shape body right now. Joey is still waking up tons at night and not the best sleeper during the day either so I don't think I can fit in much else right now even though I'm at 6wks pp and can start doing more now. I'm just going to wait until he gets a more consistent schedule during the day and I can start counting on him to nap for awhile and then I'll start working out. Still dealing with conflicting feelings about it though - freaking out over how gross I look but realizing that at this point I can't do much about it. Doesn't help that there's a family wedding coming up and I need something nice to wear.

[mel7dog]

Benjamin Gerard arrived via c-section at 11:42pm on April 26. He weighed 8lbs 8oz and was just over 21 inches long.

Our family minutes after birth
http://images1.snapfish.com/34694%3A%3A33%7Ffp343%3Enu%3D3278%3E642%3E%3B55%3E WSNRCG%3D32336894%3C44%3A7nu0mrj

DH calls him our little burrito!
http://images1.snapfish.com/34694%3A%3A33%7Ffp346%3Enu%3D3278%3E642%3E%3B55%3E WSNRCG%3D32336894%3C44%3A9nu0mrj

Little Ben is ready to go home
http://images1.snapfish.com/34694%3A%3A33%7Ffp339%3Enu%3D3278%3E642%3E%3B55%3E WSNRCG%3D3233689549987nu0mrj

loving his new crib
http://images1.snapfish.com/34694%3A%3A33%7Ffp346%3Enu%3D3278%3E642%3E%3B55%3E WSNRCG%3D3233689549994nu0mrj

I am currenly working on my birth story. It is going to be long and kinda depressing to read, but the whole experience didn't seem so bad while it was happening. Basically one thing after another went wrong with my labor. The only thing that went right and as planned is that our little boy is beautiful and perfectly healthy! I ended up laboring for 40 hours (28 hours of hard labor). The baby's head was stuck in the transverse position, his cord was around his neck causing his heartrate to drop, for the last 13 hours I was stuck at 5-6 cm, and my temp was rising as my water had been broken for over 24hrs. A prime candidate for a c-section if there ever was one!

I'll be back later with more details :)

[Pink_Converse]

Love his crib and going home photos, you can see his face better. I can't tell who he looks like yet, you I think. He's so sweet!

[Sevilla]

Welcome home Mel! Those pictures of Ben are adorable, he is SO cute! How crazy that there were two April babies with transverse head position. I am sorry that you did not get the labor you wanted--i was thinking of you and praying for you while you were in labor. It's hard that you went as long as you did with the complications. But i think it does make getting a c-section easier when you know that it is a last resort and the best option given unfavorable circumstances--i know that's how i felt when c-section was a definite possibility for my labor. I'm so glad you're all healthy and i hope you enjoy your babymoon :).

[Etoile]

SaphirimalMei's baby came today!
WELCOME TO THE WORLD....



FINLEY NORMAN!!!!!

Born April 28, 2006
at around 7pm
8lbs 6.1oz
21 inches long
14" circumfrence head
In 90th percentile for head, length and weight

Here is the best picture I have yet...
http://www.t-mobilepictures.com/photo/photo03/30/db/d089e200b07c.jpg?tw=305&th=228&_rh=tonjblj6627be4c1p7svifx0

[MMHinCA]

Congratulations mel7dog and SaphirimalMei!

Here are my 40 week belly shots!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v380/michelleheller26/124318665305_0_ALB.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v380/michelleheller26/724318665305_0_ALB.jpg

[hapahaole]

I'm so behind...please forgive me if I forget anyone. If you thought pregnancy brain was bad, wait until you test out the down-graded new mom brain. :)

Welcome to all the new babies and congrats to all the new moms!! And hang in there all those still waiting, your day will soon be here. Try and do something fun like go to a movie or get a hair cut...sometime I only dream about doing now.

Congrats Mel. Ben is beautiful and I must say that you couldn't look any cuter in all your belly shots....so fashionable up til the very end. I hope you have an easy recovery.

MMHinCA. Hang in there! I guess I had it easy with both my kids since I was due early in the month and they both came early. Have you tried the eggplant parmesan recipe? :)

Sal and other repeat offenders--So, I knew it was going to be hard, but nelly... Last week went pretty well, but this week defintely had some trying moments. Both kids went down by 8:30 tonight and by 9pm I had downed some pineapple wine. I think Kaylie is starting to finally "wake up." She still sleeps a lot, but her awake periods seem to be a bit longer now...usually 2-3 awake periods a day. Now I'm trying to figure out a good stroller set up. I took Kaylie out in the snap n go while Jack walked and that sure didn't work too hot today.
Hey....it's funny, when I had my first baby it was overwhelming and sure seemed like a lot of hard work. But that I have two, I just think how easy life would be if I was just starting over with the one. Guess we must have learned a lot the first time around.

Anyway, I'm beat.

Okay, sadly, that's all I think I can manage to type out tonight. I just need to vege. Have a great weekend everyone. Easy labor vibes going out!

hapa

[hapahaole]

oh and some pics just for fun!

My son thinks it's fun to wear My Brest Friend (I like it so much more than the boppy btw)
http://static.flickr.com/46/136738006_a6f27d8753.jpg?v=0

Aw...so sweet
http://static.flickr.com/52/136738005_02f49d85de.jpg?v=0

I just couldn't resist the hat
http://static.flickr.com/47/136738003_a57e67e91d.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/49/136736783_9689dc7c58.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/47/136738001_5744db0a05.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/53/136740519_2f8139b45d.jpg?v=0

hapa

[amyinlosangeles]

Just popping in to say congrats to mel7dog and SaphirimalMei!!

And Hapa - your pics are adorable! Congrats to you too!!

[Kopper]

mel7dog - He is so CUTE!! :) Congrats again. I totally understand about feeling like your birth story would be a depressing read. I feel the same way about mine. That's a big part of the reason I haven't finished mine. The c-section still pretty traumatic for me to think about that I'm having a hard time writing it out. You are so right about the one thing that went right. That's what keeps me happy about my whole birth experience.

SaphirimalMei congratulations! Welcome Finley

hapa - Cute pictures! Your kiddos are too precious!

MMH - Great 40 week belly shots!

PP body - I actually feel really good about it surprisingly enough. I've lost all but the last 8-9lbs of the 48 :eek: that I gained. My belly is a little loose and I can't fit in most of my pre-pregnancy clothes yet but that's ok. Jacob was 4 weeks yesterday so I figure I still have time. I need to lose another 12lbs on top of my pregnancy weight that I gained in the year we were TTCing. It will come off though. I've done it before and I can do it again.

Does anyone have sensitive stretch marks btw? Mine are very sensitive especially when Jacob is laying on my stomach and kicking my belly. They are still very red. I haven't started using mederma on them yet.

---
BFing is going better. I used the Lact-Aid for the first time last night. It wasn't hard to use at all. He ended up taking more from it than I would have liked so I am going to start using it after nursing him for 15 min or so. It is supposed to work so that he takes from me first and then the LA supplement if he is not getting milk from me but he ended up taking less from me with the LA than he had been taking w/o it. Well he finally went back to sleep so I'm going to pump and then try and get an hour or so in.

[Sal03]

SaphirimalMei Congrats and WELCOME TO THE WORLD FINLEY!!

Mel Congrats again!! He is so beautiful!

PP body I am still 6 pounds from goal weight and my stomach is just so unnattractive. situps are something though that I can only dream of having enough time for

Kopper glad the BFing is sounding better with each post!

ROs Hapa - I hear ya. this is so hard some days. ummm like yesterday when I am not exaggerating, except for a few catnaps, Katie nursed from 1pm to 9pm with barely any breaks. I just had to let her cry a few times so I could change dylan and get him out of the crib after his nap which makes e so sad. somehow I managed to make him dinner while nursing! I am pumping now so I can get the h*ll out of this house later for a much needed break and a mani pedi. I feel like I have turned into a miserable person. I really hope when she turns 6 weeks next thurs things start to settle a bit around here. I am looking into a mother's helper for over the summer and hopefully that will help too

Hapa by the way, those pics are precious. the one where she is looking up at you - she is your mini-me!

MMH I think she is looking lower. I can't wait to hear your good news!!

Everything going on here I posted above. just a bit nutty. I think it will help to get out by myself for a while later. it will be while dylan is napping so dh does not have too much of a breakdown. :p Katie slept from 10-5:30 last night though. I mean she was up all afternoon so that made sense!! She is holding her head up really well and definitely more awake and alert. I am so excited to see her smile any day now.

[mel7dog]

SaphirimalMei - Huge Congrats!!! Looks like both our little guys were determined to stay in there a little longer and be a little larger. Ben also had a 14" head!

Hapa - I love your pics!

MMH - Hang in there! I know it is tough, but I was where you are only a few days ago. Besides you still look great :)

[jeeplover]

SaphirimalMei-Congrats on the arrival of Finley! You look fabulous in that picture!

Hapa-I love the pictures of both of the kids-they are adorable!

MMH-You look fabulous and try to enjoy these last days as a pregnant woman-I kind of wish I had been able to.

Kopper-Glad that the LA is helping out.

Mel-Ben is so cute! Can't wait to read your birth story!

PP body-Still haven't weighed myself and haven't tried on any of my pre-PG clothes-mainly because the doctor told me that I shouldn't wear any tight clothing for at least a month so that my incision heals smoother.

Well we made it to Boston. We only had to stop twice to feed Kyle and both times I had to wake him to feed him. He did so well, all he does is sleep in the car. The funniest part of the trip is how much stuff we had to pack, and we couldn't even fit the stroller in the car-thank goodness I have the infantino baby carrier! I got to use my car adapter for my pump which was great since he didn't want to wake up to eat. Sunday is the shower and everyone is excited to see him. Thank goodness he doesn't mind strangers holding him because everyone will want to hold him. I am excited to see how my nephews react to him this weekend as well!

Well I hope everyone has a great weekend!

[uskiku]

Congrats SaphirimalMei and welcome to the world Finley!

Oooh, more babies! :)

Mel Ben is very cute and I absolutely love the first family shot! :)

MMH You look great! :)

Hapa your kids are soooo cute! Kaylie looks adorable in that hat and love the pic of Jack and the Breast Friend!

Kopper You are my hero -- I really admire you your determination and preserverance with breastfeeding! Way to go, mama!

Jeeplover Wow, the first trip with your son, how cool is that?! Have fun at the shower!

~~~

Woke up at 6 AM with some painful contractions which -- of course -- have disappeared by now :rolleyes:
I swear, this kid will never come out!

[JenniferEC]

Congrats to SaphirimalMei and welcome Finley!

mel - Your first family pic is great! Your DH is beaming! BTW, the nursery is gorgeous!

uskiku - I hope you're feeling better. Maybe things will start happening this weekend.

hapa - Such cute pics!

Kopper - I'm glad BF is getting better for you. What is the Lact-aid?

RO's - This week has been the toughest. I'm so worn down and there are times I just want 5 minutes to myself. It seems I'm either nursing, pumping or taking care of Caden. And between the nursing and pumping, my nipples are so sore right now. I thought I was past that! There were a couple of times I thought of how easy it would be to give up BF, but we've put so much work into it so far. Besides, I keep buying more Medela stuff every time I'm at Target. :) At least it is Sat and DH is home to help. Hapa, yes, I keep thinking how much easier I had it when it was just Caden. Off to grab a quick shower!

[Kopper]

Sal03 - Have fun at your mani and pedi today. :) I have a gift cert for a spa that I'm dying to use. Maybe in a few weeks once things settle a bit more. Right now I can't imagine being away from him yet.

jeeplover - I'm glad your car trip went so smoothly. Have fun at your shower. :)

uskiku - Thank you so much. I have been called stubborn before. I guess this is one time where it pays off. Sorry the contx went away. I'm sending you labor vibes ~~~~~~~

JenniferEC - You guys are scaring me on the RO stuff! WTG on BFing!! I can't imagine what it will be like with #2 if they have all the same issues Jacob has had. I hope that since I know a lot more it will be a little smoother next time. At least I will know things are not going well sooner. I can sympathize about feeling like it would be so easy to give up. Keep it up though, you are doing a great job!! :)

Oh the Lact-Aid (http://www.lact-aid.com/) is a nursing trainer/supplementing system that allows you to supplement your baby w/o using bottles. My IBCLC recommended it to me over the Medela SNS because she said it clogs less and is easier to use. I've used it twice so far and the only complaints I have is that it takes awhile to clean if you follow their instructions. I think you could probably skip one of the rinses though if you wanted to.
http://www.lact-aid.com/images/delux01.jpg

--
Jacob is stirring so I better go.

[Jane&Andy]

Mel - he's adorable! Congratulations!

SaphirimalMei - Congratulations!

Hapa - your kiddos are adorable and I LOVE that hat.

Kopper - my stretchmarks aren't sensitive but they are still very red. Makes for a lovely belly since I'm absolutely covered in them. :(

jeeplover - we're driving to NC on Wednesday - 6hr drive. We'd never be able to fit everything in our car - luckily since Joey is the fifth grandchild for my Mom she has most everything we need at her house. That really helps since we also have to take the dog and epileptic cat with us. I'm glad Kyle slept the whole way for you. :) Have fun at your shower!

nothing much going on here. Joey doesn't hardly sleep longer than 2hrs at a time at night. And he's awake a lot during the day so this isn't a day/night reversal issue. its wearing me out. I'm able to stay in bed long enough that I feel fairly rested by the time I get up but the nights are still long and hard. I'm hoping once he gets through this 6wk growth spurt he'll start sleeping better. He's still mostly wearing newborn clothes but I periodically throw some 0-3 month outfits on him just for something different. I've gotten a few social smiles out of him - thats the best. :D

[Jane&Andy]

oh, and you RO's are making me rethink the spacing I wanted between kids - maybe 18yrs between them instead of 2-3. :p get one raised and out of the house and then have #2. :p :cool:

[Sal03]

Jane hope you start getting more sleep soon. aren't smiles the best?? Oh and as for kid spacing...it is REALLY challenging now having 2 under 2 but the way I see it is that we are kind of crazed now but we are getting this all out of the way now (newborn fussiness, crazy nap schedules). Then we get into the easier stages with both of them sooner!

[Jane&Andy]

thanks Sal. for as much as I complain its really not that bad. Its not like he's inconsolable at night, he just wakes up a lot and sometimes struggles to fall back asleep.

Joey rolled over from his tummy to his back twice today! And he's doing really well with holding his head up. :)

[jrsygirl]

Hope everyone is doing well! Are we going to start a Mommies thread soon (or is there one and I missed it?)

I have a few questions... just trying to gauge where everyone is..i know there is no normal answer to any of the below but its interesting to see how they compare..

How old is your baby now? Cole and Paige are 3.5 weeks ( I cannot believe how fast time flies by!
What are you feeding them? We're on formula #3. We started with Similac Advanced, switched to Enfamil Lipl at the pediatricians reco, and now have switched to the Enfamil Lipl Gentlease because Cole has terrible gas. They have been on it almost two weeks and he is still really bad so I don't know what we're going to do. They have weekly pediatrician appts since they were preemies so I guess we'll talk about it then..
what is their longest sleep cycle? Ugh. right now the average is 1.5 maybe 2 hours although once or twice they have gone four. But if you do the math with two of them about a half hour apart then Brian and I are getting about a half hour of sleep at a time..not fun. and all our help left today so starting tonight we are on our own.
How long do they go between feedings? max of 3 hours..sometimes only 1.5- 2
How much are they eating? anywhere from 3-5 oz each ..yes x2 we are spending a fortune on formula :) We're going through about 3-4 24oz cans a week. Unfortunately the enfamil gentlease doesn't come in premade so we're mixing powder which I'm not thrilled with.

[charissa]

Mel - I'm sorry about the c-section, I know how much you wanted to have a natural birth, but I'm SO glad your little boy is healthy and is so cute :)

I haven't even started my birth story, yet anyway, Logan is almost 3 weeks old and I'm still having trouble re-living the birth, as much as I wouldn't change anything, I actually got to do it the way I wanted to, sans the epidural, and pushing was short, its still REALLY traumatic for me. I told DH that we're NEVER having sex again. hahaha.

Logan got his circ done last Tuesday at his 2 week check up, he's still only 7 lbs 5 oz, which was 3 oz shy of his birth weight, but the doc said he's fine.

We're currently still BFing exclusively, but I've made my mind up, that if he hasn't gained anything at his circ check on Tuesday, we're switching to formula and pumped breastmilk. My boobs are constantly sore, not just the nipples, but like my entire boob, and I really would like DH to have a role in feeding him. Maybe we'll just do BM at night, and bottles during the day, we'll see, guess I'll talk to the Ped on Tuesday.

jrsygirl to answer your ?s...

How old is your baby now? Logan is 2 weeks and 5 days
What are you feeding them? currently exclusively BF, i was planning on this for at least 6 months, but my nipples have another idea... hahaha
what is their longest sleep cycle? Last night he only got up once to feed, around 3 am, so he slept a good 5 hours - i think that'll change soon though at some growth spurt or something
How long do they go between feedings? on the average - 3
How much are they eating? I pumped one breast till I thought it was empty and it was almost 3 oz, so I'm guessing he's getting at least 2.5 oz in one feeding - i'm currently doing the whole empty one side, then start on the next at the next feeding

[hapahaole]

jerseygirl
How old is your baby now?
Kaylie will be 7 weeks on Tuesday. Where does the time go?
What are you feeding her?
Breastmilk. Mostly from the tap, but I did introduce the bottle at 3 weeks...she seems to take it okay. I was thinking about introducing formula too, just so I don't HAVE to have milk pumped if I need to go out and someone else watches her for a few hours. She's pretty gassy on the breastmilk even, so I'm not sure I want to risk her having issues with formula. I tried giving formula to my DS when he was about 10 months old an it gave him the runs (milk issues that thankfully went away around 18 months).
what is their longest sleep cycle?
5-6 hours. She usually does some cluster feedings starting around 6pm (when I'm trying to give DS dinner) and then really tanks up around 8 or 9pm. Then I put her down for the night and she'll go until somewhere between 1am-3:30am or so. Then I'll feed her again, and she'll wake about 3 hours later (usally around 5:30 or so), then she'll eat again and go down for an hour and then start to fuss for about an hour, then I bring her into bed with us and she'll usually sleep for a few more hours. I think maybe her gas builds up during the night or something. Sometimes I put her in the carseat to sleep at that 5:30am waking.
How long do they go between feedings?
Depends...1-5 hours. I'll let her go until she wakes me at night and during the day I'll let her go if she's taking a good nap...but usually I try not to let her go more than 4 hours during the day.
How much are they eating?
Not sure since she's bf. But she weights about 12lbs right now (gained almost 5 lbs since birth). So I figure she's doing good. Lots of pee and poop too.

Wow, JerseyGirl... How're you feeling now that your help is heading out? I must say that when my mom left to go back home after having my first child and even after the 2nd I was a bit terrified. It was so nice to have the companionship too, especially since my DH works a million hours and has started traveling a lot too. It takes me a few days to get back into the swing of things, but getting out and meeting other moms and going for lots of walks getting back into shape really helped me out last time. This time I HAVE to get out since DS going crazy in our apt. Good luck to you. And I hope the kiddies start going longer between feedings so you can get some rest at night.

Jane&Andy
Wow, rolling already? Kaylie rolled from front to back a few times too, but I wasn't sure if it was a fluke or not since I don't think our DS rolled until after 6 or 7 months.
Good luck on your car trip. I've taken DS on lots of 6 hr car trips by myself and sometimes it feels more like a relaxing break. All you have to do is drive...no entertainment needed (so long as they're good car sleepers). He'd wake up screaming when he wanted to eat. But it is a lot of prep work with all the gear and packing (that's so handy all that will be waiting for you).

2 tips
1. While your babies are all still fresh, do lots of tummy time with them. I waited a couple months before I started with DS and boy did he hate it when I put him on his tummy. So with DD I try to put her on her tummy at least a couple times a day. It helps get her gas out too. :)

2. Okay, this isn't as important but maybe worth mentioning...Try to get them to sleep on different sides of their head. This may be impossible as all I really care about is getting DD to sleep period. But something to think about anyway. My DS had a big heavy head, and had a very favorite spot to sleep on (back left)...that spot got super flat and we almost had to put him in a helmet to round it back out. Once he started rolling around in his sleep that helped with his head shape and we didn't have to give him a helmet after all. But his head is still a little flat on one side.

sal
Smiles are the best. I think Kaylie did one this morning, but she's yet to do another. I can't wait! Thanks for the stroller advice. I could have sworn that you could put a carseat in the double zooper, but you would know. Do you like the Zooper better than a double jogger? I'm thinking about getting a Seat 2 Go, but I'm not sure if it would get in the way of my feet.
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/dmart2/setogosabyli.html
And how cool is this? http://shop.store.yahoo.com/dmart2/swstrifrhast.html
Too bad it's so expensive.
How do your nails look? I'm dying to get a haircut, but I'm debating if I should wait until after it all falls out. :(
Sorry to hear you've had a hectic week. I'm right there with you. Maybe it was the moon or something...I head lots of kids were wacko this week. Jack has been testing my patience somewhat more this week too. DH went with me to a 2nd bday party this morning. He mostly watch Jack while I carried the baby around. I think he's got a lot of respect for what I go through with the kids each day. I'm leaving jack with him for a couple days while I go to a wedding shower with Kaylie....

JenniferEC---hang in there! We're right there with you. Seems like Kaylie always wakes up when it's time to feed DS...so I end up tryign to spoon feed one with the other attched to my boob...hoping no one is looking in the window from the street. Ah, who cares at this point?!

uskiku
Good luck...I know your time will be here soon! I wonder if Katie did have a silent birth? I didn't make too much noise, but I did blow a ton of blood vessels in my face (sounds worse than it was). I hope you didn't get sick out there in the rain!

jeeplover
I'm so glad you get to have your shower! Have a great trip to Boston!

Charissa
My boobs are constantly sore
Yep...my boobs where much more sore than they ever were in my life while I was bfing...I could barely sleep on my stomach with DS, but now it doesn't bother me so much any more. I must have gotten used to it. I can't wait until I can sleep without a bra on any more though. :) Good luck to you and Logan in finding the balance that works for you. I'm contemplating supplementing with formula (maybe a bottle every couple of days), but so many kids have some kind of issue with formula that I'd be careful not to let your milk run low just in case Logan doesn't react to it well.

kooper
Good luck with the nursing. Sounds like you've got a whole system worked out. It was so weird to nurse a newborn again after nursing my son for 14 months. My nips did get a bit chewed up then 2nd time around, but it was a lot easier...depends on the kid too.

the body
Well, I still have 10lbs to go, but I feel like I look okay. Just a little extra jiggle all around. Last time I started walking like a mad woman after jack was born. It gave us something to do during the day and the pounds just melted off. It's a bit harder doing that with 2, so I'll have to figure somethign else out since I've been eating like a horse with a chocolate addiction. The pediatrician said that besides broccoli, chocolate is also known to cause gas in babies...great.

meldog
Your little burrito is a doll. And I love what you did with your nursery. It's so beautiful. I even took a spin around your home improvements in your journal...
I'm sure I'll be visiting it again to get some decorating ideas once we move into our house in June.

SaphirimalMei
Welcome little Finley. Love the name! My kids had the same size head. Can't wait to see more pics!

MMHinCA
Your bellyshots look great! Hopefully that's the last one! Good luck to you!

jakedog
I love that you call your little girl Ellie. That was one of our top 3 names.

Sorry if I missed anyone!
Okay...guess I should do some stuff around the house. It's so nice when both kids are sleeping at the same time though....ahhhh...calgon take me away....

Take care everyone.
hapa

[Jane&Andy]

How old is your baby now? 6wks 3days
What are you feeding them? primarily BFing, giving formula if he's been eating for hours without seeming to get satisfied or when DH takes over at night sometimes
what is their longest sleep cycle? 3 1/2 hrs during the day, 2hrs at night if I'm lucky
How long do they go between feedings? 1-3hrs
How much are they eating? no clue

hapa - we haven't gotten him to rollover again today. One of my nephews did it really early too but then didn't do it again until he was older - about when most babies do it. so maybe it was a fluke.

[Sal03]

Charissa no pressure at all obviously because anything you do is fine, but I can tell you from experience that BFing gets so much easier at 6 weeks. They get on more of a schedule, the letdown pain in the boob stops hurting...everything just seems to get better. Just a little encouragement to try and help you stick with it because I know the first several weeks (I am still in that phase) are SO rough!

How old is your baby now?
Kate will be 6 weeks on Thursday

What are you feeding her?
She is exclusively breastfeeding. She has also had a bottle of pumped milk, I think maybe 4 times

what is their longest sleep cycle?
she is a great sleeper. I usually nurse her around 10 and she nurses at 2 then goes until 5 or 6. But twice now she has skipped the 2am. I really hope she sleeps as well when we move her out of our bed

How long do they go between feedings?
1 or 2 hours usually during the day, but it also can be 3 or 4 hours if she takes a really long nap

How much are they eating?
When she has a bottle, it is 2.5oz. If she is nursing, it is usually for about 15 minutes.

Jane I can't believe he rolled already! I think you have a mover on your hands!

Hapa not sure since I do not have a jogging stroller. I think only the 2004 Zooper tango takes the carseat. JKI in the summer thread has that one. You are too funny with all your strollers! We also had a 2nd birthday party today. DH has such respect now for what I do during the week because it is so chaotic here even with both of us on the weekends. I know I have been snapping a lot and I am trying to control it. It is just hard right now. I went for a pedicure today and my pink toes are helping my mood. it is just nice to feel groomed! :)

jrsygirl good luck when your help leaves. I really hope you guys start getting some more sleep soon!!

[mel7dog]

Sevilla - Sorry I missed your post before. I just went back and read your birth story again and realized it is a LOT like mine. I was stuck at 5-6cm and you at 7cm. Funny how both of us who wanted NCB so much weren't able to do so. Not because of anything we could control, but because our bodies decided to be difficult on us! To my surprise I am not upset with how things went because I know we tried everything and then some. I am mostly still in shock that one wrong thing after another kept happening. I'm working on my birth story now, but like yours it will probably be long. I feel like in order to tell the whole story I can't leave anything out!

charissa - Thanks for the support! By the time it came around to getting the c-section I wasn't bummed about it at all. I just wanted little Ben to be healthy.

Jane - Yea for Joey rolling over!

Even though mine boy is brand new...

How old is your baby now? Benjamin is 4 days old
What are you feeding them? Currently exclusively BF, planning to BF for at least a year. It has only been 4 days though, but so far so good!
what is their longest sleep cycle? No cycles yet, maybe 3 hours!
How long do they go between feedings? 3 hours a few times, but usually 2 at the most
How much are they eating? I have no idea, but it feel like all I do is BF!

[Sevilla]

Charissa: Sorry to hear about the BF difficulties. Are you giving him both breasts per feeding (i.e., "feed 10 min on one side and then 10 on the other") or just one breast the whole feeding? if you're switching breasts partway through what could be happening is that he's filling up on foremilk and not staying on a breast long enough to get the fatty hindmilk that helps them gain weight. I think this happened to Jane early on. I hope your little guy starts gaining soon!

Mel: I'm glad to hear you're at peace with how things turned out. I know what you mean about just the fact that the interventions were a last resort makes them ok, b/c you know they *were* needed. i hope bf'ing continues to go well for you!

~~~~~~~~~~~
How old is your baby now? One month old
What are you feeding them? Exclusively BF. I've been nursing in public since he was less than a week old and i feel pretty comfortable with it (mostly at church or at our relatives' homes, but also in my sling at the store a few times)--its a lot easier when he can hold his head in place so i just need to support with 1 hand and not 2.
what is their longest sleep cycle? 3 hours
How long do they go between feedings? 1-3 hours, depending on how long he eats for. At night we cosleep and nurse lying down so it's not so bad (except when i have to change his diaper--i HATE nighttime diaper changes b/c it wakes us both up fully).
How much are they eating? Enough to have tons of wet and poopy diapers and to gain 1 oz/day :). He nurses anywhere from 5 minutes to 1/2 hour at a feeding.

[JenniferEC]

How old is your baby now? 3 weeks 4 days
What are you feeding them? BF all day and night and about 5 oz of formula at night
What is their longest sleep cycle? 4 hours, even though I am supposed to feed her at least every 3 hours
How long do they go between feedings? 1-2 hours and maybe 3 at night thanks to the formula
How much are they eating? dunno when BF, but 2oz of EBM when she takes that

When Marin has her one month visit, we'll see how much she weighs and maybe go off formula. I'm hoping she's at least 6lbs. She's still so tiny and will be in preemie clothes for a while still. We went to a party today and it was the first time I nursed outside the house. I'm proud of myself, but still not comfortable enough to do it just anywhere. Perhaps one of these days...

[hapahaole]

After giving birth, displaying my boobs is almost no big deal for me now. I feel more weird for the other people having to look at me. I know when even a friend is nursing, I feel a tiny bit weird...like trying to just look them in the eye so they don't think I'm looking at their boobs. Even though I have no issue with anyone looking at my boobs now. Go figure.

charissa
Sal is right on with her advice. Bfing does get so much easier after the first month or two. And that initial latch on "ouch" also goes away pretty soon.

hapa

[JenniferEC]

Hapa - I realized today it's not so much that I don't want anyone to see my boobs as it is I was embarrassed by the flab of skin that was hanging over my pants. :eek:

[Sal03]

I realized today it's not so much that I don't want anyone to see my boobs as it is I was embarrassed by the flab of skin that was hanging over my pants.



LMAO!!!!!! So true!!!

[SaphirimalMei]

Hello All!

We are home and settling in. DD is so excited about the baby (for now! :p) she loves looking at him and waves at him and trying to give him "5". So far so good. L & D was much better this time! Got to the hosp at 3-4, got my epi at 6cm and was pushing within about 14 hours. (Jilly was 27 hours with 17 of those hours stuck at 1cm, so 14 is a great number to me :D) Pushed for a really intense 15 minutes and he was here! Already I have noticed a HUGE difference in personalities between Jilly and Finn. Finn seems quite sensitive, startles easily, and hates to be put down. BFing is going quite well for now and the true test will be if my milk actually comes in this time. I have high hopes, but it's all a waiting game. When we left today, the nurses weighed him and he'd only lost 5% of his weight, so that's a good sign :)

Here's a few pics...

Mr. Finn
http://images1.snapfish.com/346968849%7Ffp33%3B%3Enu%3D3282%3E5%3B9%3E976%3EWS NRCG%3D3233695479653nu0mrj

Finley's Sideshow-Bob-like monkey feet
http://images1.snapfish.com/346968849%7Ffp346%3Enu%3D3282%3E5%3B9%3E976%3EWSNR CG%3D3233695477%3B94nu0mrj

[hapahaole]

I realized today it's not so much that I don't want anyone to see my boobs as it is I was embarrassed by the flab of skin that was hanging over my pants.
Ha! It's all about wearing looser pants so they don't cut into the stomach flab. :)

I kind of feel like my boobs aren't even mine anymore... and they sure don't look like the boobs I used to have (not that I can even remember what they used to look like)!

hapa

[Kopper]

Jacob is one month old! :) Things continue to go well. Yesterday he only had 2.5 oz. of formula. Each day it is getting easier. I'm hoping that by 6 weeks we can be completely done with formula and exclusively BF.

Oh, help us settle a kind of silly debate. Since he was born on the 31st of the month when was he technically 1 month old? April 30th or May 1st? Some people think it is the last day of the month others think the first day of the month if there is not a 31st in that month.

Gotta feed him but I will be back with SOs. Oh, prayers for my kitty Maxine are needed. She is at the vet right now having follow up blood work. The vet thinks her liver is failing her and has a weak heart due to a heart murmur. She lost just over 2lbs in 6 months and has now lost .85lbs in the last month. Maxine only weighs 6.25lbs now so there is nothing left for her to lose. She refuses to eat the special food the vet gave her and has started hiding a lot.

[cagey]

How old is your baby now? 10 days old!
What are you feeding them? He's 100% on the boob with no problems
How long do they go between feedings? anywhere from 1-4 hours. Average is 3
How much are they eating? Benjamin will usually take about 35 minutes to finish one side, then will pass out in a milk coma. Only rarely will he be interested in more.

Things are going well here - days are filled with feeding, sleep, and at least one 45 minute walk a day, sometimes longer. Since its beautiful outside today, we may take our longest walk yet (2 mile) to the library......I'd hate to mess with the carseat just to pick up 2 books that are on hold for me!

New QOTD: Where's everyone's baby sleeping? If they're not in their crib, when do you think you'll transition them?

Ben's in a bassinet by the bed - hope to start having him nap in his crib sometime this week, and will probably switch him to the crib at night once feedings are down to 1x a night

[hapahaole]

New QOTD: Where's everyone's baby sleeping? If they're not in their crib, when do you think you'll transition them?
Kaylie's in the pack n play in our room. Our DS actually slept in the pnp with us until a few months ago (about 2 months before DD was born). He'd wake up in the night and I didn't want him to wake the neighbors upstairs. I did have him nap in his crib and when he was young he used to nap all over the place...swing, bed, pnp, bouncy seat, stroller...

We're moving in 2 months to our first house. It's only a 3 bedroom and DH wants an office, so the kids will be sharing a room. I think to start we'll keep Kaylie in our room and then just see how she does with sleeping at night. If she starts sleeping through the night then we'll put the 2 kids together. If she still wakes for a lot of feedings, then I'll keep her closer to the food source. Sorry such a long winded answer.

Healthy vibes going out to little kitty maxine (that's my grandma's name too). Get well soon!
hapa

[jrsygirl]

New QOTD: Where's everyone's baby sleeping? If they're not in their crib, when do you think you'll transition them? the twins nap in their pack n play in our family room and sleep in a crib together at night. We will probaby start putting them in their own cribs soon since they are getting big and won't fit width wise eventually. Every now and then Cole will sleep in bed with me but only if he's really bad and has only been 2-3 times for one stretch of sleep. Paige is a good sleeper and sleeps in the crib all the time at night.

[Sal03]

New QOTD: Where's everyone's baby sleeping? If they're not in their crib, when do you think you'll transition them?

funny you should ask...I am currently beyond excited because Katie just took her first nap in her crib for 2.5 hours!!! I put her down AWAKE with the ocean wonders aquarium on, all swaddled and in her sleep positioner and it worked. I tried two other times today with no success but this time it worked :) before this she was napping in my arms or the swing. At night she sleeps in bed with us but at the end of the week we are going to start trying to transition her to her crib. She turns 6 weeks old on Thursday.

ETA Kopper sending lots of get well wishes to little Maxine!

[MMHinCA]

I just got back from the doctor... No progress. I am 70% effaced and 1 cm dialated. We have scheduled an induction... I will be going into the hospital Thursday at 5pm to start Cervadil (sp?) to soften the cervix. This lays on the cervix for 12 hours so they will start the pitocin on Friday morning and she will hopefully come Friday afternoon! So it looks like we are going to have a Cinco de Mayo baby!

While I still can't believe I have to wait 4 more days, at least I see the light at the end of this LONG tunnel!

[jakedog]

Oh MMH I am thinking of you! Been there and I know it just sucks sucks sucks! Glad you have a plan though.

How old is your baby now? 1 month
What are you feeding them? Exclusively BF
How long do they go between feedings? anywhere from 1-4 hours. Average is 2
How much are they eating? No idea because I can pump one side and get 7-9oz though I can't imagine she is eating THAT much..
She gained 2.5 pounds this month which is almost a third of her initial body weight.
Where's everyone's baby sleeping? If they're not in their crib, when do you think you'll transition them?
Our Baby is nocturnal. Will only sleep at night ON ME. Its sort of akin to sleeping on an airplane. Night after night after night... She never sleeps for more than three hours anyway.
She will sleep in the PNP but only during the day:rolleyes:
We need to move #1 out of the crib before we move #2 in, so we are on his schedule of when that will happen- 4-6 months I am guessing.

Thoughts are with your kitty Kopper!

[relly]

Congrats to all the new mommies and all their beautiful babies!

MMH and Usiku - I'm thinking of you both, sending easy labor vibes your way.

Well I've finally caught up reading, I'm so happy everyone is doing so well. Things here are going well, too.

Here's my birth story from over a month ago, the c-section was a breeze, my body and my tiny babies were a tiny bit more worrisome:

I was admitted to my hospital on the 8th of March, at 33 weeks, due to protein in my urine, high bp and swelling. At that time it looked like I would be delivering very soon, within a week or two, and my Dr. told me I would most likely need to be sent up north, to the Women&Children's hospital because my hospital does not have a NICU. However, they never did that, I seemed to be responding well to my care. I was given steroid shots for the twins' lung development and ultrasounds showed that they were doing very good. On the 18th of March when my blood pressure started to increase quite a bit, it was decided that I would deliver on the 21st of March, which was 35 weeks. My Dr. would do it here at my hospital.

My c-section was to be at 3:15 in the afternoon. That day I was in a fabulous mood, so excited to be delivering my twins, so happy to become a Mom. The day flew by, even when they came in at 3:00 to tell me I would be delayed for a while, time still passed quickly. My parents were in my room keeping me company, along with my FIL and his wife, my sister and my aunt, and DH of course. They all seemed more nervous than me. I became nervous when I was in the OR before my DH was allowed in. The spinal went just fine and my midwife sat next to me and chatted with me until DH could come in. Once he was there, things went pretty quickly. I was a tiny bit scared and DH seemed a bit nervous too. He stood up so he could watch it all, I was surprised by that. Our little girl was delivered first at 5:00 pm, I heard her little cry which made me so happy, then they rushed her by me for a very quick look and took her to the nursery. Our little boy was delivered at 5:02, and once again I heard his little cry and got a quick look at him and then he was off to the nursery. I was just so happy, I said to my DH "am I supposed to cry, I think I'm supposed to cry but I don't feel like it, I'm just so happy". All I could do was smile. I then told DH that he could go off and join the twins. It was then that my midwife came in to tell me their weights, our little girl was 4 lbs. 7 oz. and our little boy was only 3 lbs. 14 oz. I was so surprised, I was expecting 5 pounders. I couldn't believe they were so tiny. It was then that she told me our little girl was having resporitory trouble and would be sent to the NICU at the other hospital. I was OK with that news, I had expected this possibility quite a while ago. I had prepared myself and knew it was for the best.

While I was being cleaned up, my family was allowed to go into the nursery and see the twins. By the time they could visit with me, they all had met the twins yet I had only seen them briefly from a distance as the nurse passed them by me in the OR. The nurse did continually bring me polaroid shots and told me how terrific my DH was, he hadn't left their sides. The midwife came in my room to tell me that both babies were having trouble breathing and both were going to the NICU and that I would also be transferred to that hospital for the remainder of my care. Okay, we'll all be together, its all for the best. Besides, a nurse told me they were both doing well, just needed a bit of extra care, she was so sweet, she didn't want me worrying too much. For the next few hours I couldn't stop asking my family about my twins, for them to tell me all about them, I still was so incredibly happy. At 10 pm I had to say bye to my twins. One at a time they were brought into my room in a huge transport gurney, it was like an isolet with all sorts of machines attached on wheels, it was massive. Each transport team allowed me a few minutes with each baby, I was able to touch their little hands for the very first time, look at them and to tell them I'd see them tomorrow. My DH took our car and went and stayed with them at the other hospital. Around 5am when the nurse came in I told her I needed to clear my throat when actually I was having a bad reaction to the morphine. I couldn't breathe well. The next thing I knew my Dr. and 2 nurses were standing over me, telling me to stay awake, it was so hard to. Eventually they were able to get me under control.

The next day I was feeling fantastic, I was up and walking around. I also was so excited, I was finally going to properly meet my babies. However it wasn't until 5 pm that I was transported to the other hospital. Then just when I thought I'd be able to go see them, the nurses and doctors had to take care of me and my high bp. They said I couldn't go to the NICU, that's when I cried, I just wanted to see my babies but they wouldn't let me. Finally at 10 pm I was doing well enough so my DH wheeled me to NICU and I met my twins.

First I met my little girl, I was able to reach into the isolet and touch her so gently. I just stared at her, she's amazing. Then I met my little boy who was so tiny but he opened up his eyes when he heard me and I touched him, my DH told me he hadn't opened up both eyes until then, when he realized I was there with him. That meant so much to me. They both were hooked up to an iv for food and a c-pap on their noses for oxygen. They responded quickly to their treatment, they were eating more and more with each feeding and were off the iv and the oxygen in a few days. They spent 5 days in NICU and 5 days in the special care nursery. My DH stayed in the hospital with us the entire time. I was discharged after 8 days, we stayed at the Ronald McDonald house for the last 2 days so were we able to attend every feeding except for the overnight ones.

We brought them home on March 31st and are overjoyed with pride and so in love.

When they were born on 3/21/6, he was 3 lbs. 14 oz., 15 1/2", she was 4 lbs. 7 oz., 16 1/2"

At their first month checkup on 4/24/6, he was 6 lbs. 4 oz., 19 1/2", she was 6 lbs. 8 oz., 19 1/4"

Here's a pic when they were 3 days old, the first time they were back next to each other and I was allowed to hold them both together.

Brycen is on the left, Devon on the right.

http://images1.snapfish.com/346958799%7Ffp33%3B%3Enu%3D3282%3E%3A76%3E249%3EWS NRCG%3D32336938828%3B9nu0mrj

[Sal03]

MMH yay! at least you know your lil girl will be here by friday!

Relly ohmygosh, I am sitting here rocking Kate and that post just brought tears to my eyes. what a great story and I can't believe how much they have gained in a month!

[hapahaole]

relly
They're just beautiful. Such a touching story too. And I'm so glad you're doing fine now. Sounds like you downplayed a pretty scary experience with the Morphine reaction (just like a mom to do). :)

hapa

[LittleStar]

I feel like I've missed so much!
How old is your baby now? 2 weeks, 2 days
What are you feeding them? Formula and breast milk. DS was 7 lbs 9 oz at birth, 7 lbs 2 oz when we went home from the hospital, 6 lbs 10 oz at his 4 day dr. appt., and 6 lbs 11 oz at his 2 week appt. last Thursday. Until last Thurs., I was just BF'ing, but decided to start supplementing to help DS gain weight. He gets each boob for 5-7 minutes, and then I give him either 2 oz of milk that I pumped or of formula. I'd say about half the time it's formula. Anyway, today we had a weight check, and he was up to 7 lbs 5 oz so I'm really relieved. I'm also taking fenugreek to try and increase my supply.
How long do they go between feedings? 2.5 hours during the day, 3 to 3.5 hours at night.
How much are they eating? Not sure how much breast milk. 2 oz of "supplement" (either pumped breast milk or formula)
New QOTD: Where's everyone's baby sleeping? If they're not in their crib, when do you think you'll transition them? Crib - finally! The first 2 weeks were really tough as DS was crying all the time b/c he was hungry. Once we started supplementing, he's been taking naps and sleeping at night in the crib and mommy's much happier :)

OK - off to take a walk. Hope to catch up more later.

[SaphirimalMei]

How old is your baby now? 3 days
What are you feeding them? BF, but he's had 4 total oz of formula (come on milk!!! please come in, my baby is starving!!!)
How long do they go between feedings? .5 hr-2 hrs max
How much are they eating? no way to tell just yet
Where's everyone's baby sleeping? PNP in our room, or in the bed with us. He prefers not to be put down.

[Sevilla]

He gets each boob for 5-7 minutes, and then I give him either 2 oz of milk that I pumped or of formula.
Glad to hear he's gaining weight! You might want to just feed from one breast per feeding instead of switching, b/c that way you're sure he'll suck long enough to get the fatty hindmilk that will help him gain weight (whereas if you switch between breasts too often that could make him fill up on the foremilk which is lower in fat and he doesn't get to the hindmilk since he switches to another breast). HTH!

[mel7dog]

relly - Beautiful little babies. So glad they are growing so well!

MMH - Hope your little girl arrives before Friday. I went intooo labor last Tues, so manybe you'll be a week behind me!

Benjamin had his first Dr. apt yesterday when we was 5 days old. He was very healthy and the best news of all is that is is already back to his birth weight!!! :D I was so happy! We left the hospital Friday and he weighed 7lbs 15oz. Monday afternoon he was back to 8lbs 8oz. So he gained 9oz in only 3 days :eek: Yea for my super BM!

I just posted my birth story in my journal if anyone is interested. It is pretty long though. Here's the link Mel's Birth Story (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?p=711204&posted=1#post711204)
It's starts at post 986 :)

[Sevilla]

MMH: you'll be meeting your daughter so soon, how exciting!

mel: I loved your birth story. Wow, you sure went through a lot. It is just the worst feeling in the world to be working so hard and then find out that there is no progress. You really showed a lot of strength in keeping on and in knowing your options once things got rough. I'm glad you had such a good support team through it all too--doesn't that make such a huge difference?

[JenniferEC]

mel - What a great birth story. It's not what you wanted, but it shows what a great mom you are! Glad he's back up to his birth weight.

uskiku - Are you off meeting your baby?

[shania0474]

I just wanted to drop in and congratulate all the April mamas. I'm an april mama myself but I'm new to CC and you all had formed such a wonderful bond that I didn't want to impose. Anyway, congratulations on all the beautiful babies!

sully I'm so happy for you... I've been following your story and rooting for you... I also spent some time on bedrest but it was nothing like what you had to endure. Congratulations!

MMH/Uskiku wishing you happy & healthy labor & delivery. Enjoy these last days -- go to the movies, read a magazine cover to cover in one sitting, treat yourself to a spa day... anything that you love doing that you think will become more difficult when baby arrives! :)

sal03 we've got a lot of things in common including being repeat offenders. which double stroller do you use and would you recommend it highly?

charissa hang in there with the sore boobies... I really hated the soreness with my firstborn so this time I've been very diligent with the Lansinoh lanolin treatment. I feed DS on one breast, when he's done, I put the lansinoh on the nipple and aureole (sp?) knowing that he's not going to eat from that breast again for another 3-4 hours. It has really helped this time. good luck!

[Sal03]

Mel you are my hero. what a great story. thanks so much for typing it out. I had to wait until both kids were napping to read it so I could pay attention! SO glad BFing is going so well for you!

Shania wish you had joined us sooner! I have the Zooper Tango and love it. Also have the Graco Duoglider which I have not used yet. The Zooper has been great for walks and to go to an outlet mall. When I have gone out with them bymyself though I just have dylan in the single maclaran and katie in the bjorn.

SaphirimalMei Hang in there! Hope your milk comes in soon. Both my kids nursed NON stop the first week, and then VERY often for the first 6 weeks. In that first week, don't worry. they are not starving. it is just their way of bringing your milk in. As long as there are enough wet diapers, you are doing great!

[Jane&Andy]

Congratulations Shania on your April baby. Please feel free to come back and join us - the more the merrier.

Relly & SaphirimalMei - your babies are beautiful. :)

LittleStar - ditto what Sevilla said. I think thats where I went wrong BFing Joey when he wasn't gaining weight. He still gets a little formula here and there but its minimal and he's gaining lots of weight now.

Where does the baby sleep? all over the place. At night in the bassinet and then if he has trouble going back to sleep after a feeding he ends up in the bed with me. During the day he usually naps in the swing or pack n play if he naps at all. Or the car/stroller if we're out. Once he is waking up less at night I'll move him to the crib.

DH's work through a shower for us today. That was fun, although overwhelming b/c its a bunch of people I don't know. But I know DH had fine introducing his coworkers to Joey.

Tomorrow we're driving down to NC to visit family. Joey handles car rides well so I'm not too worried. He's been fussy a lot for the past week but is napping now and the nights are starting to get a little better so I'm hoping we're coming to the end of the 6wk growth spurt finally.

[ginandchris]

How old is your baby now? 20 days
What are you feeding them? Breast milk and Formula. I try to make it about 50/50, but sometimes its more formula. I'm trying to pump 5 times a day plus nurse her then give formula. I'm hoping to decrease the formula and increase the breast milk. Fenugreek has been helping my supply.:D
How long do they go between feedings? 2-3 hours
How much are they eating? 3-4 ozsd
Where's everyone's baby sleeping? At night she sleeps in the bassinet in our room, during the day in her room in her crib and occassionally she'll sleep downstairs with us in her PnP.

[uskiku]

Just a quick message from a tired but happy mama :) :

Our son Anders was born yesterday, May 1st, at 3:38 AM. He weighed 7 lbs 11 1/2 oz and was 21.5 inches long. And he gave his mama the biggest toothless smile when he first saw her :)

We just got home from the hospital and we are doing fine; we had a wonderful labor and delivery (7 hours in total, incl. 1 hour of pushing) and are recovering well. My nipples are getting a little sore from breastfeeding, but in overall it's going better than yesterday.

Special thanks to Hapa for posting that eggplant parmigiana recipe: I went into labor literally 30 minutes after having it for dinner Sunday night! :p

[JenniferEC]

Congrats to Uskiku and welcome Anders. I was wondering about you today.

[Sevilla]

Huge huge congratulations uskiku!!!! I'm so glad you had a wonderful L&D. Lansinoh was awesome on my bb's when we were first learning to breastfeed. Enjoy your babymoon!!!!

[Sal03]

Congrats Uskiku and welcome to the world Anders!!

[MMHinCA]

Congratulations uskiku!

Still pregnant here! I guess I will be making it to the start of my induction tomorrow. I guess that also makes me the last April mommy to have her baby, but it also makes me a May mommy. I hope you guys will still accept me in here! :)