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Well, at 29 weeks, 1 day, I have officially entered in to the 30th week of my pregnancy! This is crazy to me. I have about 9 weeks left until I'll have two daughters in my arms! Wow.
This Sunday, Ian and I are going to our first childbirth class (there are 3), and then right after that, a caring for a newborn class at Mt. Sinai, where I will be delivering. It will be a full day, but I’m really excited. I’m hoping the childbirth class doesn’t freak me out, but I don’t think it will. I’m excited to be going to a class; learning something new, meeting new people. For the childbirth class, here is what we’ll learn:
Parents-to-be share common fears and concerns regarding pregnancy, labor and delivery, and parenting. The course demystifies the labor and birthing experience through:
♦ Discussion of pregnancy, labor and delivery
♦ Discussion of cesarean birth
♦ Presentation of breathing and relaxation techniques for maintaining control during labor and delivery
♦ Discussion of analgesia and anesthesia options for labor and delivery
♦ A review of the video tour of the maternity facilities at the Mount Sinai Hospital
♦ Videos and other audio-visual aids
For our “Caring for a Newborn” class, it says:
A two-hour class devoted to teaching baby-care basics. Topics include bath demonstration., swaddling, diapering, temperature taking, dressing, infant safety and basic needs.
So, we sure will be learning a lot! We’ll be pro parents by the end. :)
I’m kind of bummed, because in reading about the rules of the hospital, Ian will only be able to spend the night in our room if we get a private room (vs. a semi-private). Of course a private room is not fully covered by insurance; you have to pay the difference out-of-pocket. So, we’ll have to figure out what we want to do about that. I’d really like for him to be there, but it may not be in our budget. Anyone else have this experience; your partner not being able to stay the night with you? Just wondering if it’s standard, or a Mt. Sinai thing.
In other news, I have two butternut squashes in my uterus. Or, rather, two babies who each apparently weigh the same as a butternut squash. And to illustrate that, here is a picture of the most phallic butternut squash ever:
Ok, I just did a google image search, and I guess they all kind of look like that, but still. This one seems extra phallic to me.
Have a lovely weekend all!
~M
How far along? 28 weeks 6 days! I can't believe how close to 30 weeks I am!
Total weight gain/loss: To date, 17 pounds. I had a doctor appointment yesterday, and gained 1 pound in the last 2 weeks.
Stretch marks? Yes. And, the itching seems to be improving. Ian got me this special soap called Grandpa's Pine Tar Soap, that he read about on some PUPPP's message boards. I've been washing my belly with it 2-3 times a day for the last week, and I really think it's helping. I haven't had to ice at work so far this week. It still doesn't feel perfect, and it still is itchy, but WAY better than last week. I've also been taking Benadryl every night (which is safe during pregnancy) and I think that helps, too. I hope it keeps getting better! The Manhattan heat would make the itching really miserable if it sticks around, so I'm hoping it goes all the way away before the temperatures really start to rise.
Maternity clothes? Yep. I finally got some belly/back support thingys. I got two of these, one in black and one in white. I haven't tried them yet, just because I don't want to irritate my stomach more, but I'm thinking I can start using them soon. There are way heftier support belly things out there, but they all seem so clunky. I'm hoping I like these!
Sleep: It has been better the last few nights; I think the Benadryl helps. I haven't woken myself up scratching my belly, which I did every night last week; so that's good!
Best moment this week: Growth ultrasound on Friday. Always so great to see the babies. :) No pictures were taken, because both of the girls were face down and curled up; feeling a little camera shy. But, they are measuring normal; Baby A estimated at 2 pounds 15 ounces and Baby B estimated at 2 pounds 11 ounces. I don't know how accurate these weights are, but either way, they're looking great!
Movement: Yep! Also, in the last week, I've had root beer twice, and they seem to love it- or I'm giving them a crazy sugar rush. Probably the latter. :) Granted, I haven't had any sugary soda since I've been pregnant, so maybe they'd go all crazy with any soda, but I like to think it's specifically root beer that makes them boogie.
Food cravings: Nope.
Genders: Still two girls!
Labor Signs: No- not yet.
Belly Button in or out? It's a little more than halfway out now. But still not out all the way.
What I miss: Vanity alert; once again, I'm whining about missing clear skin. I have a new sympathy for anyone who's ever struggled with chronic acne, because my skin is really bad right now. Nothing to be done, but I miss my mostly blemish free days.
What I am looking forward to: Our Child birthing and Caring for a Newborn classes this Sunday! Pretty excited for those. :)
Weekly Wisdom: Time flies! I know; I'm blowing your mind right now. You've never heard that before, right? Well, it's true. Even though I occasionally get a little impatient and just want to meet my girls NOW.... mostly I just can't believe how quickly this time has gone by. At my baby shower, my friend Jill said something really great: In the pie of life, pregnancy & childbirth are such small slices, and go by so quickly. So, if you're having a fabulous pregnancy and a fabulous birth; enjoy them. If your pregnancy is miserable and your childbirth less-than-perfect; just know it is such a small part of things. That really stuck with me. I have really loved this experience for the most part, thus far, so I will try to soak up every moment I can!
Milestones: Hmm, I don't know that I reached any milestones this week. I guess one milestone I forgot to mention a couple of weeks back, is that Ian and I officially have two full names picked out. We aren't telling- sorry!- but it felt good to choose. We don't know which baby will get which name, or even if we'll stick with the names once we see them. But, I think we will; we've been hemming and hawing about names pretty much since 16 weeks when we discovered it was two girls.
And here's me, 28 weeks, 6 days!
Have a lovely Wednesday! And apologies if you're tired of me asking, but if you wouldn't mind, please vote for me if you have a chance. Thanks! :)
~M
Every once in a while I get all choked up just thinking about how I get to meet my two girls in such a short period of time. I get so overwhelmed with emotion; excited, nervous, overwhelmed, in awe, and just lots of love for my husband and my two little ones.
I often think about what their lives will be like, and what paths they will take. Even though they’re not even born, I already have the urge to protect them from any pain that may ever come their way. I know this isn’t possible, and that pain and hardships are just part of life, but I do wish a few things for them, and I’m going to do all I can to make sure the wishes come true:
1. I wish that you will always feel loved. By me, by your dad, by your family and by each other. I plan on telling you I love you every day, so get ready.
2. I wish that you will always feel safe. I hope that if ever you don’t feel safe, that we can be there to comfort you, or that when you’re older, you’ll have a wonderful support group of friends and family that you can lean on.
3. I wish that you will feel beautiful, always. As women, we struggle so much with our outward appearances, but I plan on doing everything in my power to show you your beauty both inside and out, and also teach you to appreciate the same in everyone.
4. I wish that you will have kind hearts, open minds, and a taste for adventure.
5. I wish that you will always have the courage and strength to follow your hearts and take your own paths, even if it’s not what everyone else thinks you should be doing.
6. I wish that you will enjoy your childhood as long as you possibly can before heading in to adulthood. You may THINK adulthood is way better, but trust me, don’t rush it.
7. I wish that when we go through our inevitable difficult period during your teen years, that we’ll still be able to communicate on some level, and that I remember what it was like when I was a teenager so I can have more patience with you.
8. I wish that you will feel loved. Yes, I said this already, but I can’t emphasize it enough. We will always love you, and I hope that above everything in your life, that you find endless amounts of love.
I can’t wait to meet you girls. I love you so much already, I can’t even imagine what it will feel like to finally see you and hold you.
Love, your Mom
~M
*photo credit here
P.S. A quick plea- we are climbing up the list, but it seems to be slowing down a bit. Just click the box below, and then once more, and you can do it every day! :)
Two posts in one day? I know- crazy. :)
According to "what to expect", I currently have two small cabbages in my uterus. Well, ok, babies the SIZE of two small cabbages.
Also, here is babycenter's best guess as to what it looks like in there:
~M
On Friday my work was closed for Good Friday. I had an ultrasound at 8:30 that morning, so no sleeping in for me, but I didn’t care. I love ultrasounds! This one was to measure growth. They have to measure growth every four weeks to make sure they are growing enough, and that they aren’t more than 40% different in size. I also was so relieved to see them and their little heartbeats, because lately their movement has SEEMED sporadic. I don’t think it actually is, but it just seems that way. I watched them on the screen on Friday, and they were moving all around, and I didn’t feel every movement they made. So, apparently there’s lots going on in there that I don’t feel. Also, I can’t differentiate between which baby is kicking me. So, sometimes I get all paranoid that Baby B is doing all the kicking/moving, and I haven’t felt Baby A for a long time. But, I think it’s just that I can’t tell who is doing what. It always baffles me when I read or hear pregnant ladies saying “Oh, yes, I totally keep getting kicked in the kidneys or the bladder, or the ribs.” I don’t know how they can tell which internal organ is getting kicked. To me so far, it just feels like they’re kicking my “insides”.
During the ultrasound though, when the tech had finished and left the room, we were waiting for the doctor to arrive to double check everything. I was laying on the table chatting with Ian and all of the sudden there was a BIG kick, and we both saw my stomach move. Ian was at least four feet away from me. It was crazy. This has started to happen all the time; I can actually see the kick from the outside. Crazy!
Anyway, (this is kind of rambly so far; sorry.) after the ultrasound, I had the whole day free. Unfortunately, I had a really un-fun way to spend the day all planned out. My driver’s license needed to be renewed, and since I’m never off work when the DMV is open, I decided I needed to take care of it on Friday. I didn’t think that many people would have Good Friday off. Apparently I was wrong. I got there and there was a line that probably would have taken me over 2 hours to get to the front of. I considered just leaving, because I really don’t think I can stand for that long, but I decided to see if I could tough it out. After about 5 minutes of waiting in line, one of the DMV guys came up to me, looked at my gigantor belly and said, “Here, let me help you out.” He then proceeded to take me up to the front of the line! Wahoo! I apologized to the guy behind me, but honestly, I didn’t feel too bad. I don’t know how I would have possibly be able to stand in line for that long. So, what would have normally been a 2-4 hour trip to the DMV ended up being only about 45 minutes. Huzzah for pregnancy! :)
Regarding the PUPPP itching, it seems to be getting a LITTLE bit better. Ian found this soap that is supposed to help called “Grandpa’s Pine Tar Soap”. I’ve been using it 3 times per day for the last few days, and honestly, I think it’s starting to help. I still have to ice my stomach a couple of times a day and also at night, but it’s starting to feel like it could be improving. I really hope so!! I honestly have been having such a lovely pregnancy so far, I would hate to have this itching ruin the last couple of months. I just hope it's gone by the time the summer comes; because the itching is MUCH worse when I'm hot. Keep your fingers crossed!
We didn’t get any pictures from the most recent ultrasound, because both of the babies were all curled up and face down, so no cute profile pics could be taken. I think it might be hard from here on out, since they’re so crowded in there. Baby A they are approximating at 2 pounds 15 ounces, and Baby B is approximately 2 pounds 11 ounces. They are still right on track, so that’s great! I can’t believe we only have 10 weeks to go! Crazy.
Happy Monday to all! I hope you had a great Easter weekend.
~M
Well, time is certainly starting to tick away quickly- I only have about 10 or 11 weeks until the big day! Of course they could come a bit earlier, but I’d prefer they stay in there and cook as long as they can.
In the meantime, I have a list I’m keeping of “things to do” before their arrival, and I thought I’d share it with you all. Because, other people’s lists! How fascinating, right? Anyway, here it is, in no particular order:
1. Talk to insurance company and get any and all info we need for hospital stay, adding babies to insurance, etc.
2. Take our classes! This is coming up soon, and I’m excited. We start our Childbirth class series on May 1st! This goes for 3 Sundays, and then we have breastfeeding and caring for a newborn in mid May.
3. Find a pediatrician. My OB has one that she’ll have us use in the hospital on the day, but still we need one for after that.
4. Do some spring cleaning. We need to deep clean the house a few more times (or perhaps hire someone to do it towards the end) before the babies arrive. I also want to do another “purge” of things we can give away to the Salvation Army.
5. Buy our cloth diapers and some wet bags. Yes, we do plan on cloth diapering. At the beginning, we’re going to do a mix of disposable and cloth, and slowly move towards just doing cloth as they get bigger/ we get better at it.
6. Wash all newborn clothes, crib sheet and mattress pads.
7. Stock up on food, toiletries, cat food & litter.
8. Test out breast pump and make sure I have all necessary parts. Wendy SO generously gave me hers, so I just need to take a look at it and make sure I understand how it works.
9. Purchase a few last minute items like a baby monitor. Mostly we have what we need though.
10. Line up a cat sitter.
11. Pack hospital bag.
I’m sure I’m forgetting some things, but this is the list as it stands! A lot of this isn’t doable for a few weeks, but it’s nice to see it all laid out in black and white.
Any of you moms have anything you think I should add to my list? Or just thoughts in general?
~M
*adorable list and picture found here
How far along? 27 weeks 6 days! Officially in the third trimester!
Total weight gain/loss: To date, 16 pounds.
Stretch marks? Yes. And remember my itching? (oh, and remember how I was all "next time I won't talk about my itching, I promise!" Well, I lied.) I haven't been officially diagnosed, but it seems I have PUPPS. Sounds like a cute, innocent name, but it honestly is the most miserable I've ever been physically. I'm SO itchy it's ridiculous. My stretchmarks are all red, angry, raised and inflamed. Some women have it worse though, and also get an angry rash all over their torso and legs! I have a doctor appointment on Tuesday, but from what I've read online, there's really not much to be done. I just ice it at night and sometimes I sneak off to the bathroom at work with a cup of ice and do some makeshift icing. It's really so, so miserable. Yesterday walking through Grand Central (it's worse when you're moving around and you have fabric rubbing on your stomach) I almost started crying it was so intensely itchy.
Maternity clothes? Yep. Though lately, maternity clothes are a major pain, because they are rubbing on my tummy, which makes it feel worse.
Sleep: I still wake up almost hourly, but now it's more annoying, because where I used to just go use the restroom and flip over to my other side, I now also have to go get an ice pack from the freezer, and ice my stomach for a few minutes before I go back to sleep. Yes, I realize I'm talking about being itchy a lot. It's really really itchy, so, it's on my mind all the time. So, deal with it. :)
Best moment this week: Well.....I'll be honest. Hasn't been a great week. BUT, I did reach the third trimester, so I guess that is my best moment this week; realizing I'd reached the last 1/3 of my pregnancy!
Movement: Yep! The one good thing about having to ice my belly all the time is it makes the babies move around a lot. They're probably like, "Mom! What are you DOING?? Jeez, that's cold!"
Food cravings: No, not really.
Genders: Still two girls!
Labor Signs: No- not yet. But I have noticed Braxton Hicks contractions a few times for sure.
Belly Button in or out? It's halfway out. It's all wonky looking.
What I miss: I miss when I wasn't itchy! (I know; you're shocked.)
What I am looking forward to: When I don't itch anymore! Oh, also, my growth ultrasound on Friday. Can't wait!
Weekly Wisdom: Not being insanely itchy is always better than being itchy.
Milestones: Third Trimester! So exciting. :)
And here's me, 27 weeks, 6 days!
Have a lovely Wednesday! Sorry for all of the complaining about itching. I will find more interesting things to write about for the rest of this week. :)
~M
Remember, you can vote once a day! :) We're at 95 now! Top 100, baby!
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