Hello 3rd Trimester.
Two things I am feeling at this very moment - extreme gratitude and a little fear.
I am now 27 weeks - 6 months pregnant.
Weeks 25-27 have been my biggest growth spurt yet.
Second trimester was literally a breeze.
No discomfort, no nausea.
I absolutely loved starting to feel her move and am starting to understand her little personality.
She already has a little sass to her
and will kick right at our fingers when we poke and prod her from outside.
She tends to kick the most on my upper left hand side.
I am loving having a "popped" belly
but starting to understand what it means to be "uncomfortable."
It seems like the pains are coming in waves.
Week 25 I had a really hard time sleeping.
During week 26 I had some very intense lower back pain for two or three days
followed by sore ribs.
I think that I must have just had 3 or 4 major growth days as things seem to be stabilizing now.
During the second trimester I definitely craved more salty foods.
I have now moved on to the sweets.
Poor girl already has a sweet tooth like her parents.
I am working on signing up for a birthing class.
And just started "Husband Coached Childbirth" today.
James is really trying to be interested in all my jabber about birthing.
I love that man.
Something about watching your belly grow almost over night gives you the real labor jitters.
The baby decisions seem to be piling up and I seem to be stalling.
Since my Mom
{and baby consultant}
is in another state I am having a real hard time biting the bullet on decisions.
And part of me relishes in learning about everything and taking my time.
I have picked out a stroller but still need to decide on a crib and car seat.
Car seat advice?
Is it ok to buy a crib on craigslist?
How do you paint a crib with safe paint?
Breast pumps - shouldn't there be a way to test those scary devices?
Bumpers - they are so cute, but apparently risky?
Oh my I have a lot to learn!
As I move into my third trimester I am continually reminded of how blessed I am to be here in this moment.
I know it's cliché, but we truly can't wait to meet our little bundle.
10 comments:
ran across your blog; hope you find this helpful instead of weird! :)
carseats- basically you can go with ones that go to 22 lbs or 32 lbs. I would gauge this on your/your husband's/nieces/nephews weight- in our family everyone was around 20 lbs at 2 years, so we didn't think it was necessary to buy a 32 lb carseat (which are more expensive), since by that point, they will be in a toddler carseat- one that has the option to face forward. As far as brands, chicco is definitely the best (europe has higher safety standards), but is more expensive. We went with gracco, which is also awesome. Don't buy one second hand, since you don't know if it has been in an accident and maybe has invisible damage.
Cribs- yes, you can buy one from craigslist. Just make sure that it is newer and doesn't have drop sides- those have all been recalled because of accidents. As long as the sides stay in the upright position, you are fine. For painting, no lead based paints, obviously, and I would try to seal it with something, because baby will chew on it and paint will chip off (ikea has rail guards for this for 4.99, I recommend those!) I also recommend getting some type of pack n play or bassinet for the first few months when they're little and up all the time.
Breast pumps- definitely get one. I got two, a manual and a double electric. The electric is much easier/faster but is more expensive. The manual is nice for engorgement. My baby also had trouble latching in the beginning because my letdown was so forceful it choked him (ha, is this awkward?) so it helped to pump just a little with the manual before I fed him. This is the manual I got; it's the top rated manual for about $30 I think. http://www1.burlingtoncoatfactory.com/bcf/Default.aspx?Section_Id=3840&pcount=&pn=1&Product_Id=465075&sku1=k_s1_76388662&is_baby_depot=1 If you're looking for an electric (I needed one because I returned to teach school), I love mine. It isn't too loud, it's quick and really easy to clean. I recommend this one because there is no way that milk can get into the tubing, so you just have to clean the bottles. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002G51EJ8/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_3?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000ME3146&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1AA0PT7BT613V2NNM2FT
HOWEVER, you can rent a pump from the hospital. They are different because they are able to be sanitized between persons, and you can use one in the hospital after you have your baby if you want to try it out.
Bumpers- only if you are comfortable with it. We used them- not so much to keep our baby from the bars, he does that on his own, but to keep his binkys in the crib! But if your mommy gut worries about it, then don't do it. Whatever you're comfortable with.
A few other thoughts- cloth diapers make the best burp cloths. Walmart sells them- gerber brand, 12 for $12. Healthy sleep habits happy child by marc weissbluth is definitely worth reading. When baby gets her first cold, and you need a humidifier, you want a cool mist one (NOT HOT- it will feel like a greenhouse in the room), any kind is fine. make sure you have mylicon drops on hand when you come home from the hospital. Some women don't need nursing pads, but I did! I liked johnson and johnson brand best- they absorb a ton. And get some lanolin (I liked medela brand, but they will also give you some in the hospital). And my favorite- amazon mom. It's free to sign up, you get diapers/wipes 30% off shipped right to your door (free two day shipping!), as well as discounts/free shipping on most other items- breast pumps, basically anything baby related, as well as regular items like books or watches, etc.
Okay wow. that's a lot. Hopefully you find this helpful and not creepy. I felt lost too, when I had my son, and hopefully you can learn from my experiences!
I love your pregnancy posts! I had a serious growth spurt during those weeks, and am just now settling into a new phase :) That must be quite a busy time for growing, I felt SO uncomfortable and achy for a few weekends too. Glad you are feeling better now!
I have always had a bumper on our crib and it has been fine. In fact when my kids have slept in a crib without one they tend to get their legs stuck in between the bars and don't know how to get them out. Also, just a side thought, if they were that dangerous you would think companies wouldn't make them anymore.
I'm so glad that you are feeling so good. I wish pregnancy was like that for me. You are one lucky girl!
The car seat advice I got was buy the smallest one possible. Which we did and I was glad because you haul that carseat around everywhere for months! Into church, into the store, etc. Ours was graco snugride and it worked great. By the time she grew out of it, we were just ready to have her in a forward facing carseat so it worked out fine. The only regret I have there now is that I wish I would have just bought a black/gender neutral one. Which at the time I thought about but couldn't resist a really cute girly one! Wish I didn't have to buy a new one now though! Oh well! I've actually been wondering the same thing about cribs because I want to paint Charlotte's as well. I have heard about the drop down sides though and not to get those. We used bumpers with Charlotte and it didn't really worry me that much because 1-she wasn't in her crib at first, she slept right by us in a bassinet for months and then there was a small window of time where I worried about her in there right when we moved her to her crib (but you could remove the bumpers at this point) and then she got big enough where I didn't worry about her because I knew she was strong enough to move away if she got too close to them. But that's just what we did. And breast pumps....those things are so scary to use at first. I was freaked out. Anyway I didn't have one for the first few months and didn't need one. After a few months I actually just borrowed one from a friend because I didn't really want to buy one without knowing if I would really use it and if it would be worth it. I kind of hate pumping and think it's a pain but it was nice to have for times when I got store a little milk to have for a long road trip or just if we were out for a longer period of time. But the one I used was a Lansinoh double electric and it was really nice and worked great. I love the Lansinoh brand. I've also heard lots of people that like Medela and Aveda- purely yours. I think those are probably the top ones. You look so cute and are so small! I look waaaaaay further along then you!
Did you end up getting the city select??
DEFINITELY get a breast pump. I totally made the mistake of getting a manual one since they are cheaper, but then had problems with my milk supply (tmi?), and in that case you need an electric. The more you pump, the more milk you will produce. I have the medela pump & style which I love because it plugs in, and is a double pump. It also attaches to several bottle brands so it just goes straight into the bottle, as well as breast milk storage bags that you can freeze.
If you feel like you have a lot going on right now I wouldn't worry about the crib. Charlotte slept in a bassinet next to our bed for the first 4 months. Even now, I get anxiety about her being in the nursery. If she didn't sleep so well in there I'd be tempted to bring her back to the bassinet :) As far as bumpers go, Charlotte doesn't sleep with one, but the past few nights she's gotten her arm stuck in the crib bars so I'm going to go to Target to get a mesh one. I'm sure the cotton one that came with her crib set would probably be fine, but I'm super paranoid ha.
Good luck with everything! Don't be nervous--FAR less capable people than you have had babies! You will do great! Most of this is up to you and James' own opinion and preference, so just go with your gut!
You are sooooo cute Karly!
Baby jitters are fun! Don't worry come 39 weeks pregnant you will be begging for labor! You won't care about the pain. You will just want that baby out!
Usually car seat and strollers come together. They hold up to around 22 lbs. You switch it out when they reach that weight, are too long, or they are about 1 years old.
For sure its OKAY to buy a crib on craig's list. Save yourself a buck, and who knows it will probably have more spunk to it anyway. As far as painting is concerned. Its okay. Go to home depot or where ever and tell them what the paint is intended for. They will help you pick out the best type. Just remember well ventilated areas for painting. You don't want to hurt that sweet babe of yours or you for that matter.
I used a bumper with Hayden. When he got older he moved around so much, and he would ram his little head into the crib. I felt it was protection against that little head of his!!
Breast pumps. I actually got too. OHHH TALK TO SUZ ADAMS!! Seriously!! She can get you a top of the line hospital one for like 125 bucks!! They are normally like 300!!! My mom works with her, and my mom did that for me! They are really really nice! Also when you actually deliver, ask the nurse there if they give out breast pumps. Usually they do and no matter what if it was in your room you get billed for it!! So double check there as well!
Hope that helped!
BTW!!! I agree with rachel in the above comment about a pack in play. They make them with a bassinet capabilities. This will kill two birds with one stone! If you ever need to leave town you will have the portable crib, and a bassinet.
Many congrats, loved reading your story and look forward to following along!
week 27 pregnancy
Hey Karly, you're looking great! Just thought I would add my two cents.
We didn't use the bumper pads because I was all paranoid, being a first time mum (like you will be), then my baby girl got her chubby little leg stuck in-between the bars when she started moving around a lot and I threw those bad boys on. Just a thought. So for my next one, I think I'll just put the bumper pads on right away.
They are actually saying they aren't so bad anymore (things are constantly changing. Annoying.), As long as you have air circulating in the room you should be fine. SIDS (the reason the pads are looked on as "unsafe) has a lot of other factors, not just the bumper pads. Factors such as no air circulation, parents smoking in the house and other things that I don't think you need to worry about.
Also, DEFINITELY get a breast pump and MAKE SURE it's not manual. I had a manual one at first and my hands got so tired of pumping so I sold it and bought an electric. Make sure the parts fit properly though or it could get uncomfortable. If it doesn't feel right, you can get consults and most breast pump companies will send you out the right fitting parts at no charge.
Ok, that's enough ranting. Hope that helps! :)
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