The kid thread: Planning, pregnancy & parenting

[moneymaven]

So everything was ok when I went to the doctor. She said he definitely dropped and she could feel his head when checking me. Good news is that my cervix is still closed and no contractions while they monitored me. I was able to go back to work. She said at my next appointment in 10 days, we'll do an U/S to check his size and then stop the Terbutaline that's preventing my contractions right now. That really hit me that he could be here in 10 days.

I had some dinner plans with friends scheduled for this week that I am going to cancel. I feel over-extended, especially with work, so I am just going to focus on my needs right now.

After baby class tonight, I was telling DH that I am worried about getting things done. He basically shouted at me to calm down and realize that there is still time to get things done, and he just didn't understand why I was so worried. It really upset me even more that instead of trying to help me prioritize and rationalize, he snapped at me and told me my feelings were irrelevant. Nothing bothers me more than when someone tries to tell you that your feelings aren't legitimate. I'll talk to him about it when I am not so irritated. He knows that I shouldn't be stressed out, so it really makes me more upset that he reacted that way. Argh, men!

[gusitarenker]

I am hopelessly behind, so I am just jumping back in! I apologize if I have missed something important!

Eternal-I'm so glad you're shower went well!

Insurance-I had a ton of pelvic pressure. I had issues sleeping because there was so much pressure when I laid down.

Taz-Glad you had a good appointment and that you got to see your little one on the ultrasound!

Eh-Good luck with your oral argument! I'm sure you did great!

Baby stuff-He's only a week old, but so far, baby Brett will sleep in pretty much anything. He sleeps in a traditional bassinet at night and in the newborn napper part of a bassinet during the day. We have a small bassinet that was like $40 at Walmart in the bedroom for at night and a pack n play with a changing table and newborn napper in the living room for the daytime. So far, the arrangement is working very well!

Well, we got to come home from the hospital Friday. Brett had to spend a day and a half in the NICU while we were there to have his breathing monitored. His respiration rate was a little fast, and they think he just had some fluid in the lungs he needed to work out. They never had to do anything though, just monitored and watched him. I so hated having to see him in there though. Brett is so calm most of the time, except when he is hungry, then he definitely lets you know that it is time to eat! I decided to go with formula, and that is going great. He'll take his bottles cold or warm, doesn't matter as long as he gets it when he wants it!
DH has to go back to work Thursday, and we are both kind of bummed about that. I have really enjoyed having the extra time with him, and he's enjoyed getting to take care/spend time with Brett.
I am feeling really good. My incision only hurts at night, and I think that is due to how I am sleeping and our sucky mattress. It's actually really small and really low, pretty much right above my lady parts. I am amazed at how easy the recovery from the c-section has been. I have heard some real horror stories, so I was kind of surprised at how easy it has been.

Hope everyone is doing well!

[yogiii]

eh - good luck

econ - DH and I both loved the Ergo. We actually have only used it with the infant insert because now that DS is old enough to use it without it is winter and we haven't used it much. We started using it when he was a week old and probably used it almost daily from when he was 1-4 months old.

[muttleynfelix]

DS took his first steps yesterday.

eh - Good luck today.

Insurance - Hope everything goes well.

guista - Glad to hear you are recovering well.

[stina72]

Taz-How exciting that you got to see LO! I'm glad your appointment went well!

Ins-I'm sorry you are going through so much stress right now. Hopefully once you talk to DH about it again he understands things a little bit better.

Gusita-I'm glad Brett is doing ok after his time in the NICU and you guys are all home and doing well!

Mutt-How exciting about DS!

eh-Good luck with your oral argument!

[gardenergirl]

Mutt - yah on DS taking first steps!!! How exciting. I know what you mean though, every new accomplishment means he's growing up/getting older.

I almost broke down in tears last night putting Olivia to bed thinking how much she has grown. She stood on her own for the longest time yet. About 20 seconds. She was holding and looking at my belt, of all things, the buckle caught her attention. She was standing there, holding/looking at it and I was just in awe of her! Her legs were wobbling a little but she was pretty steady. Then she looked up at me and made a face like "what am I doing" her eyes got all big and she plopped down on her butt!

Olivia was SO exhausted last night too. She went to bed at 6:00. She was SO cranky/grumpy. She refused to nap at DC yesterday. She just played her heart out. She is being transitioned to her new room, the next step up for toddlers when they become more mobile and I think she was just so excited to be in there she refused to sleep! So basically she came home, ate a little food,crying after every single bite. I pretty much gave up and just put her to bed and she didn't fuss one bit about being put to bed so early. Then she woke up at 12:30 because she was hungry. Gave her a bottle and she crashed again until 6:30.

[yogiii]

muttley - congrats to Ben on his first steps

gardener - funny you bring up crying after every bite. DS did this for the first time over the weekend during a couple meals and the 2nd time I realized it was because he was so tired.

[ladyki]

ins- glad to know everything is okay. Tell you DH not to snap at you and that the only person that matters right now is you, lol. You are the one thatis carrying this baby and you are right all of the time okay. That is what I use to tell me DH, haha. Everything I say while pregnant or feel is right, no more arguing, lol.

[jenna30]

She wore newborn clothes for about 2 months, and she wore 0 to 3 month clothes until she was 5 months old.

My LO is the opposite. 0-3 mo fit him snug right now, and I've even started putting him in 3-6 mo sleepers. He's around 6 weeks old.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

My DH snapped at me during the last couple of weeks. Not right of him but looking back 20/20 I can understand his feelings on the subject. I was SICK the last two weeks and yet I kept pushing myself to the point of tears to keep working because "I had to", I kept nagging him about stuff that "had" to be done, I kept beating myself up for stuff at home that "had" to be done.

He was really worried about my health and the baby's health and yet every time he tried to address it I would have some excuse as to why I could not stop.

It was the day before I went into labor that he finally snapped. I had made myself so sick that the OB ordered bed rest for the rest of the day. He said that was it I was not working anymore even if he had to tie me to the couch to keep me from going in.

I don't think snapping at me was right at all, but that day was the straw that broke the camel's back for him and sitting her PP I can understand his point and wish I had listened to him. I probably would have felt worlds better those last two weeks.

He later told me he was so glad that I went into labor that night because if I had not he was planning an intervention!

Point being that it is not nice to snap, but you have had problems insurance and you have been EXTREMELY stressed out thanks to work and you are 10 days away.

It's probably just as stressful to your DH and he's worried about you, the baby and the upcoming birth. The LAST thing he probably wants to think about is a "to do list" before the baby is born.

So Gwen has not been taking the bottle at daycare the last couple of days. They said she is hungry but she won't take the bottle. She's also back to eating off of just one boob again.

I think a tooth is about to erupt but I called the pediatrician just in case and they want me to bring her in tomorrow to check for an ear infection.

Hope she does not have a fever so maybe I can talk t hem into doing what they did the last time and getting the WBV done in one shot as well. That's what they did the last time.

She's not dehydrated or losing weight so that is good, but I worry.

[yogiii]

drama - Hope Gwen is ok. I know it gets hard worrying about every little thing now. I do the same.

[zbear]

taz- how exciting you got to see the LO and most importantly that everything looks good! I'm sad I probably won't get to see my LO again unless I do the 4D u/s, still debating about that one. Did anyone do it? was it worth it to you?

Ins- glad to hear the pelvic pressure was just the baby dropping and not actual labor. Hopefully baby will stay in a little longer! Oh and ladiki- great advice!

gusita- glad to hear both you and baby brett are doing so well! I'm most scared of the time post partum and you make it sound so easy

mutt- congrats on the first steps! How exciting!

drama- hope your DD is ok

[alphayankee]

drama - my DS did the exact same thing a couple of weeks ago and cut two teeth, one right after the other. The only symptom was that he wouldn't eat. There was no fever or excessive drool or anything else. He just wouldn't take a bottle. He didn't mind solids at all, but hated sucking on the bottle. After the first tooth came through, he went back to normal. I just changed what I was sending to the daycare. Instead of five 6 ounce bottles, I sent 8 three to four ounce bottles and told them to try to feed him every hour. It was effective at getting more into him and keeping him from getting dehydrated. I also did very thinned out cereal, similar to what you would feed a baby just starting out on solids. He seemed to like this. Something about the sucking motion must be irritating when there is a tooth coming through.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I've had a few people mention to me that their kids would not eat right before they got a tooth. If I can get my finger in her mouth the nurse told me to run it along her gums and see if I notice a difference. She said if a tooth is coming in you can sometimes feel a discernable difference between the tooth area and the rest of her gum.

I send my milk 3 oz per bag instead of 6 oz per bag. She doesn't always eat all six at once and they have to dispose of any she does not eat. I figure it's better to just make them have to open two bags rather than waste breastmilk. It doesn't grow on trees! Any she does not eat gets placed in the freezer stockpile. Keeps things rotating.

She's still having 4-6 wet diapers a day and at least three good bowel movements so she isn't dehydrated. She's also still a giant ball of energy so that is a good sign for me.

I think it is going to be teething, but the nurse said if it is an ear infection you don't want to put it off, just in case. If it is nothing I am going to see if they can roll the WBV into the appointment like they did the last time. Saves me a trip and paying for an extra office visit.

We are going to discuss solids this upcoming WBV, might as well bring it up tomorrow. Starting her on cereal might help too because like you said it doesn't involve pressure on the gums like sucking on a bottle nipple does.

[gardenergirl]

Drama - I hope Gwen feels better soon! It's so scary when they don't eat and you can't figure out why. Hopefully it is just teething and no ear infection.

Olivia is having a restful day at home today. I wanted to keep her at home from DC today since DH is home and she was so a busy little baby yesterday. She'll have more time for play tomorrow and Friday. I just wish I was the one at home with her! Oh well.

DH called to tell me today that his employer has a job possibly in April lined up - in Connecticut!!! The job is only for 2 days, but with travel time and everything he'd be gone Monday through Friday. Ughhhh. I'm dreading this if it really happens. Would be different if I had family around to help out, but I am going to have my hands so full with work and taking care of Olivia all on my own. Those will be some long days at the DC for her

[ready4achange]

Can I vent? I really hate for my very first post on this bored to be venting post, but I just might either explode or burst into tears if I don't vent to someone. So please just humor me...

So my DS is 7 almost 8 months old. Since his birth we, along with his pediatrician, have been monitoring a flat spot on the back/right side of his head. We have tried everything, different positions, pillows, wedges, etc. to correct this matter. The pediatrician said at 6 months he had not seen as great of an improvement as he would like to see. He said he thought at this point it would be reasonable to referr him to a neurosurgon doctor for an evaluation. 99% of the time there are no issues and the flat spots general correct themselves over time. However there is a small chance that the flat spot could be from a condition where the bones in the skull fuse together prematurely. In that rare case, surgery is required. In order to definetly rule out this condition the neurosurgon recommended a CT scann for my son. The dr.'s office was suppose to schedule the scann at our local children's speciality hospital (because he is so young he would have to be put to sleep for the scann). Once the appointment was scheduled, the dr. office was suppose to call me to confirm the appointment. Well three weeks have went by. So today I called to find out what the status was. Little to my knowledge, I found out today that my insurance does NOT want to pay for the procedure. So everything is being "reviewed" and waiting on approval.
I am so upset, hurt, worried, etc. I currently have the All Kid's insurance for my son through blue cross blue shield of Alabama. They believe we are doing the procedure for cosmetic reasons.... NO, we want to do the scann to rule out a possibly serious condition. Yes I understand it's a rare condition. But I would really hate to know he was the exception to this and we did nothing to try to correct it early on and it causes greater difficulties later on. Because they would have to put him to sleep, I'm sure this procedure would be very costly. We don't have the money to have this done!! I really don't know what to do. The nurse said she would try to check on the status of the review and call me back. I haven't heard anything yet. I guess my next step would be to try to fight this with appeals and letters and such. However the thing that gets me is that if in the rare event that he does have the condition where the bones in his skull have fused together prematurely then we need to catch it and correct the problem NOW. Not 6 months from now after I appeal my case to 20 different people! So frustrating. I feel like a horrible mother because I feel like my son may need a medical procedure and I can't afford it for him. Deep down in my heart I feel like he is fine w/ no issues but there is also that small part of me that says "what if..."

Sorry for the extra long post. Like I said earlier, I really just needed to vent. I sent my husband a text earlier today explaining the situation and my frustrations and his response was "WOW" and thats it. Thats all I've heard from him all day. I know he loves me and our son. But he thinks I over re-act to things and I think he under-reacts to things. Ugh.....

[megera]

Hi everyone.

Medical update - I went to a neurologist yesterday. He doesn't think it's the Chiari malformation thing so we're back to square one. Having an MRI of my neck done (if Medicaid approves it *fingers crossed*) and a nerve conduction study next week. Not looking forward to that one - they basically poke me with needles the whole time (1 hour). It could be as simple as a viral inflammation, which usually goes away on its own but can take up to 3 months for that to happen. I'm less than 4 weeks into this so I hope it doesn't last that long. If it is that, they can speed up the healing process with steroid injections. Le sigh.

Job update - DH called them again yesterday to follow up. Still no decision, but the job is still open. This is getting old.

Sorry, again with the not responding to everyone. Hopefully things will be back to normal soon.

[Deleted]

muttley - congrats on Ben walking! woohoo!

insurance - I had a ton of pressure after about 32 weeks. I'm sorry your DH didn't listen to you. DH and I had quite a few disagreements after DS dropped. I was sure he was going to come early (which he did) and I felt so debilitated that getting ready was overwhelming. DH thought he could dawdle all he wanted. Hope your DH comes around.

gusita - glad things are going good!

eh - good luck!

drama - DS is 2 and still loses his appetite when he's cutting a tooth. Is Gwen drooling a lot and fussing? I found a raspberry teether to be really useful.

ready - I'm sorry you are having to deal with this - hope your appeal is approved soon.

meg - I was really hoping you'd get some answers - hoping they come through soon.

[gardenergirl]

ready4achange - First HUGS! I'm sorry you are going through all of this with your son. Second, welcome to the board. Isn't it up to the doc to determine if it's cosmetic or not? I wouldn't think the insurance would decide if the doc said this is a medical procedure that is necessary. I'd first talk to your doc to see if they can notify the ins comp that it's medically necessary. Then, if you can't get the doc to do this soon, and I mean like in a day or two, consider taking your son to the emergency room. You can get things done REAL quick if you go there. I would think the doc in the E-room would order the CT and the insurance would have no problem covering it then.

[gardenergirl]

meg - Ugh! How frustrating!!
Are you still having a lot of tingling/numbness? Hang in there.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Anne yeah she is drooling a lot and fussing and chewing. Last night I had to grab the dog's bone. She was lying on the couch with us I turn around and there she is bringing it to her mouth. Blech!

[megera]

GG, yep still having the numbness. It's making school really hard. I had to drop my calculus class -- I either wrote so slowly that I couldn't get everything down before it was time to erase the board and move on, or my handwriting was so messy that I could barely read my own notes. And math isn't really conducive to typing notes in Word with all the equations and symbols, KWIM? It's okay - I'm going to take the Associate's in business management and be done with it, at least for now.

[muttleynfelix]

ready4achange - Big hugs to you! I can't believe that an insurance company would think that would be a cosmetic procedure. How frustrating for you. I hope they can be convinced otherwise.

Meg - I hope they figure out what is going on. DH had 2 nerve induction studies done on his arm. He said it was pretty unpleasant and the results were pretty ambiguous.

[ladyki]

ready4change- you can vent any time you need too here. I really hope out that u can work things out with ur insurance. maybe u can have the dr write a letter to them axplaining that is not for cosmetic reason. Oh a men, well that is just the way they are, maybe you guys can talk a little bit further about this when u get home.

meg- hopefully you fing out an answer soon and hopefully you feel better soon. also, I reallu hope that your dh gets a call from that job or a better one soon.

[Lizard Queen]

So much for being caught up on the MB again... I got a phone call last night and DH took over the computer for the rest of the evening! Oh well... here's for getting caught up again!

Hi econstudent! Thanks for remembering me. I remember you--I think you named your daughter something similar to my middle name. (I like it! ;-)

Gandenergirl - I remember your little girl was about the same age as DS. Actually, I keep thinking they're almost exactly the same age, but I guess they're probably closer to 3 weeks apart. He was born Feb. 26th.

Thanks for the welcome stina. Blowing baby dust your way... It seems like everyones TTC is different. DH and I thought he would need an operation to repair a varicose vein down there. Found out I was preggers right after he scheduled it--go figure!

muttley - congrats on DS first steps! (I'm nervously awaiting my own DS doing that soon.)

Hi readyforachange. That must be so frustrating for you! I researched craniostasis a bit because my DS has a very slight ridge on his forehead. (Apparently, I was worried about nothing, as my Dr. hadn't even noticed it, but I was freaking out about it.) I think it's ridiculous your insurance won't cover the test. It sounds like they don't realize it could cause some problems with brain development if it is craniostasis. However, since its just a slight flat spot, it probably isn't serious--from my inexpert opinion after freaking out about it a few months ago. The pictures you see online are very obvious. I'm so glad they're able to fix it though! There was a forum I looked at called something like, craniokids.org, that is very informative.

Meg - It must be so frustrating for you as well. I hope they're able to figure out what it is soon, and that it gets better soon!

DS woke up, so gotta go...

[gusitarenker]

Mutt-That's awesome! I love how babies look when they take their first steps, kind of like little zombies.

Gardenergirl-That is so sweet! It's amazing how much you can love something so little and how fast they change. I'm just trying to enjoy every minute I can. Glad Olivia got caught up on her sleep!

Meg-I'm so sorry to hear you are back to square one. I really hope you get some answers soon; I can't imagine how frustrating this is for you.

Ready for a change-Aw, huge hugs to you! I'm sorry you are having such problems with your insurance. Some of their policies just make no sense, especially when it's something where time is of the essence.

Zbear-Thanks! It's actually been a pleasant surprise; much better than I was expecting! We didn't do the 4D ultrasound because my DH thought it made the baby look like something out of The Descent.

Is it normal to just feel super possessive over the baby with regards to family and friends? Has anyone else dealt with this? I have no problem when other people hold the baby for a little bit (under 30 minutes I'd say), but you get any longer than that, and I just want to rip him away (except for DH. I could literally watch DH hold and cuddle him hours. It just makes me so happy to see them together). My MIL came over earlier, took Brett from me pretty much the second she walked into our house, and proceeded to hold him the whole two hours she was here. She only gave him back when he started to cry and she couldn't get him to stop (which I was able to in a couple minutes, which made me feel just wonderful!) I normally get along wonderfully with my MIL, but I just wanted to kick her out of the house so I could get my baby back.

[gusitarenker]

Newborn clothes-I am amazed that Brett can actually fit into some of the newborn sized outfits. He's way over the weight limit for most brands (he's 10 pounds, 11 ounces), but some actually fit. Mainly the things that are two pieces or the one piece outfits without feet. The one piece things with feet are mostly too short for him.

[kgb18]

Hi ladies! Work has wound down, but I have to be here for about another hour, and since it's slow, I thought I'd hop on. I'm so tired. It's an hour past my bedtime!

While being with Avery a lot more with my new schedule is great, it is having one unintended consequence. She cries when I leave now. Mostly she was asleep when I left, and even when she did see me leave places, it never seemed to bother her. But in the past week she's started crying when I leave. Because we spend the whole morning together, she sees me leave every day. I hate that.

Meg, I'm keeping you and your DH in my prayers for an answer to your health problem and your DH's job.

gardenergirl, If you need to vent when your DH is away, just let me know. My DH is gone for a week or so at a time several times a year. I know how tough it can be. I hope Olivia is getting lots of rest.

Gusita, I'm glad you're home and that everything is going well.

Ready, I'm so sorry you're going through a tough situation. That really stinks. Vent when you need to.

Drama, I hope Gwen is feeling better. I can usually tell when Avery is getting a tooth because her sleep patterns get really disrupted. Also, she drools and gets the awful looking patch of eczema by her mouth. People always think she got burned.

Muttley, Congrats on the first steps. I get excited and sad whenever Avery does something new. Like GG, I get weepy thinking about what a big girl she is. She's really not like a baby at all any more. She's a toddler ... with a very determined and independent personality.

Milizard, Glad you made it over here. And I'm sorry if I missed anyone else.

[kjsh]

Taz - Hooray for HB and baby waving. Hopefully the LO will cooperate for better pictures at your big u/s.
Ins - I hope your LO keeps cooking for a while. Sorry you feel frustrated by your DH - my DH got increasingly anxious as the due date appeared which sometimes lead to friction. Maybe that's part of why he didn't communicate well with you.
Gusita - Welcome back! Glad to hear that Brett is easy going and that you're healing so well. At least your DH is starting back on a short week so you both can ease into this next transition. Take a 'miss you' picture of you and Brett and send it to your DH on Thursday.
Muttley - Hooray and ACK for DS! Already I understand how you feel.
Gardener - Love the image of Olivia standing and then plopping. And try not to stress too much about April yet - it's only January, there's plenty of time to stress later on (yes, I am not a type A personality).
Drama - I hope Gwen is okay.
Ready - welcome, and feel free to vent. We all need to from time to time. Maybe your doctor can advocate on you and your DS's behalf.
Meg - I send you good thoughts at night - I hope the next set of tests can give you some answers. It's frustrating not knowing what's wrong.
Milizard - hi and welcome back.
Possiveness - I'm generally okay with people holding Beckett. My big bout of jealousy/possiveness came when my sister and DH did Beckett's first tummy time without me. It wasn't really w/o me, I was on the couch in the room and I told them it was okay (since I had been sick an hour earlier I didn't want to get too close to BEckett if I didn't have too). Even though I told them it was okay (and I really wanted him to start his tummy time) I wanted to leap off the couch and throw my sister out of my rightful place. The forcefulness of the feeling startled me.
kbg - Hi there! So you're not quite ready to declare yourself a night owl? Although by the time I finally get around to typing this you may be one your way home. Hope you have a safe drive and a happy little girl to wake up to tomorrow.
Can anyone recommend a stain cleaner/spot treatment they use for their baby's spoiled clothes?
Second question - anyone know what will happen to my supply if I start to do two feedings per side before switching? I need to call the LC tomorrow about this, but I'm afraid I won't get around to it. I did it for four feeding sessions yesterday (cause I think DS had a fore/hindmilk imbalance) and DS was far less fussy this morning then he had been. I switched back to regular alternating bre.asts per feeding and this evening he got very fussy and spit up a lot again. It could all be coincidence, but I think I want to try the two feedings per side schedule again.

[ladyki]

Jan 19, 2011 21:47:49 GMT -5 gusitarenker said:

Is it normal to just feel super possessive over the baby with regards to family and friends?

Gusita- Kiani is almost six months and my sister is till like that up until this day. Everytime she comes to my house or I go to her house she immediatly takes Kiani and keeps her in her arms for a long time. New Year's eve they came over to my house and she kept on taking Kiani away from me, ahhhh, I wanted to basically just scream at her, lol.