Discomfort

I mentioned how I was starting to get uncomfortable being pregnant and today is one of those days.  I am exhausted tired.  I tried to take a nap today but it was at a time when the baby decided to kick me like crazy and I couldn't get to sleep.  I thought I'd be better rested today because I actually slept through the night last night.  I only got up to go to the bathroom at the usual times (3am, 6am, 9am) but I went right back to sleep after.  Today I slept until noon so I really thought I would be well rested.  But no, I'm so freaking tired.  On top of that I feel heavy and uncomfortable.  It's hard for me to sit at my desk or sit up straight.  It just feels really uncomfortable and kind of crampy.  I found the most comfort in sitting down while leaning back to give my belly lounge space.  I know I'm not getting any exercise and I'm sure it would help if I did but I'm really just not motivated to do anything.  All I want is sleep.  When I took a shower I noticed that it was really hard to bend over and soap myself.  I've been finding comfort in laying down in the tub during my shower and just trying to relax for a little bit before getting out.  Also I noticed that there's now a dark ring around my belly button.  Same color as my linea nigra but a circle around my belly button.  It would look like a bruise but it just kind of looks like part of the linea nigra line.

Sleep Issues

I'm still having sleep issues.  Very uncomfortable sleep issues.  It's driving me crazy.  I keep waking up at 3am, 6am and 9am.  At 3am it'll usually take me an hour to get back to sleep.  At 6am it'll take me two hours to get back to sleep.  Then I'll wake up at 9am starving and feeling nauseous.  I started feeling really nauseous when I'm hungry so I have to eat something or I just won't feel well.  I usually have a packet of oatmeal.  Then I can go back to sleep until 11 or 12.  My sleep pattern is all off.  I guess I really am preparing to be woken up every three hours.  I periodically get Charley Horses in my legs.  A couple days ago I had it in both legs.  Joe will usually massage my back to help me with the pain (he's preparing for my labor too) but he's been sleeping in the office room all week since he's sick.  He quarantined himself from me hoping it'll keep me from catching his cold.  Poor guy, he’s been feeling pretty miserable too.  I've gotten hip pains from sleeping on my side and last night I had joint pains in my knees that hurt and were really uncomfortable.  All that makes it harder to sleep.  I'm so so tired.

Maternity Shoot

Joe and I had our Maternity photo shoot today at Lake Balboa Park.  I hired Anna Mae Lam Photography based on her online portfolio which I really liked.  She was very nice and easy to work with.  She posed us and took a lot of really nice artistic pictures.  We met at 4pm so she could get sunset lighting.  Unfortunately scheduling was kind of tough.  Originally we were supposed to do it on Sunday but the forecast is rain so we moved it up to Wednesday but it ended up being overcast so we had to reschedule again for today.  On top of that Joe came down with a cold.  He felt it coming on yesterday but it’s definitely here now.  He’s been quarantining himself off to try and keep from getting me sick but we had to hold hands and kiss and pose for pictures close together.  I think it’s only a matter of time before I get it.  It always happens when you live with someone anyway. 

The shoot was really fun.  I wore make up for it as I found light make up looks good in professional pictures to highlight your features, especially considering professional photographers do touch ups which typically lighten shots a bit.  I found the key for me with make up is to look like I’m not wearing any (since I don’t typically wear make up and I prefer to look like myself in pictures).  I did some research on when you should take maternity photos.  Everybody is different but the goal is to take them when you are bubbly and cute with a nice round belly and feel comfortable.  Ideally the consensus is between weeks 32 and 35.  After week 36 you start to become bloated and uncomfortable and may not feel so great or cute to take them, plus with swollen joints it might be harder to pose.  Once you hit week 37 the baby could come at any time so you might miss out on taking photos if you wait too long.  I scheduled mine for when I’d be 32 weeks, but since I’m reading a week later right now I might actually be 33 weeks.  Not really sure.  I guess I’ll see how I’m reading on my next doctor visit.  However the photographer kept commenting on how tiny I looked and how it was difficult to get a good shot showing off my bump because it was so small.  She kept having me push it out more and take big breaths to get good shots.  She even said that I’m the smallest she’d ever worked with and she can’t believe I’m 32 weeks.  Joe jokingly said, “Yeah, she’s faking it.”  Now I’m wondering if I should have waited longer and done it at 34 or 35 weeks.  However I did really want to do it when I was still feeling round and cute and good overall.  I have started to feel heavier, more bloated and more stretched out lately.  My stomach just feels tight and stretched and I have had days where I’ve felt pretty bloated and my joints feel sore so I really wanted to get my photos done sooner rather than later.

I picked a form fitting outfit to really show off my belly.  Target was having a boot sale so I got some knee high motorcycle type boots and wore them with Jeggings from Walgreens (I don’t do Skinny Jeans).  The Jeggings were actually really comfortable, like stretchy tights that look like jeans.  The only issue was the front button (which was only for aesthetic purposes) poked out too much.  You could see it under my shirt so I cut it out.  The hole just got covered up with my purple maternity shirt from Target.  The button was jeweled and looked really tacky anyway.  I really liked my outfit.  I kind of researched my Facebook friends’ maternity photos and Anna’s online profiles to see what kind of outfit I wanted to wear and the look I wanted to go for.  One of my Facebook friends wore motorcycle boots and Skinny Jeans for her shoot and I loved the look so that’s where I got the idea.  Most of the women in Anna’s portfolio wore dresses that I didn’t find very flattering on them at all.  Since my bump is on the smaller side it probably would have gotten lost if I did wear a dress or anything loose.  However, I liked the props used in some of her portfolio pieces which gave me some ideas of what pictures I wanted to have.  I brought some yellow baby shoes (since we don’t know the gender), an aqua blue baby onesie (that I already selected to get the coming home outfit for the baby), a couple baby board books and some baby blocks that spell out Baby Vargas.  I brought a picnic blanket too to lay out and take pictures with Joe and some of the props. 

We had a really good time and I think we got some great pictures.  Anna really knew what she was doing and I’m so glad I found her.  I definitely think we’ll be calling her back for family pictures and when it becomes time for baby number two.

Playing With Baby

The baby has been punching/kicking/moving around a lot lately.  I guess I'm going to feel it moving around a lot all the time from here on out.  Sometimes though it can be kind of rough, a little uncomfortable and slightly painful.  Joe decided to play a game with the baby.  It was kicking me in my side again so he would press down on its foot, then he'd move his hand and press down in another place near it and wait for the baby to push back.  It totally kept doing it.  The baby would find his hand where he was pressing and kick back.  It was literally like the baby was playing with him.  It kept doing it and found his hand every time for about twenty minutes.  Unfortunately for me all the kicking was kind of uncomfortable but it was so cute and interesting we just kept doing it.

The baby also gets the hiccups quite often now.  It doesn't usually last very long but the baby definitely gets the hiccups two to three times a day.  I don't even have to eat or drink anything.  It's just totally random when it happens.  Though usually it'll have them once in the morning and once at night.

Bagels, Pancakes and Nutella

I’ve still been craving Western Bagels.  There's nothing like a delicious chewy freshly made bagel.  We had some pancakes at Norm's the other day and they were so fluffy and delicious that ever since then I've been craving pancakes.  I can't wait to go back to Norm's for breakfast.  They must have changed their batter recipe because we've had breakfast there before but I never remembered having pancakes that good from there.  The other thing I'd been craving is Nutella.  I'm just putting it in and on things.  I swirl it around in my ice cream and on my croissant.  I actually got some oatmeal cookies to pack in our hospital bag and I started spreading the Nutella over the top of the cookie before eating it.  I know it’s not the healthiest craving but it’s good.

Finding a Pediatrician

Today we went to check out a pediatrician's office.  At our last visit the doctor had given us a list of pediatricians that are in our healthcare plan.  I looked all of them up on Healthgrades and Yelp to see the reviews and what people are saying.  I learned the hard way to ALWAYS look up a doctor before scheduling an appointment.  I've had so many horrible experiences, primarily in the dental field, that I'm never going to make an appointment before reading reviews ever again.  There were several doctors and pediatric groups on the print out she gave me.  The ones that were all pediatric groups with multiple doctors had bad reviews.  Long waits, an uncaring staff, being rushed through appointments with doctors who have minimal interest in seeing them, etc.  I found that healthcare groups tend to be like that.  More like a factory and impersonal rather than individual care.  It was easy to narrow down our choice of pediatrician to two options.  One had only all positive reviews but the other was pretty high also.  We decided to check out the one with all positive reviews.  I called ahead and scheduled a tour of the facility.  The doctor wasn't in but the office manager showed us around and explained the hours and procedures.  Apparently we just need to have our OBGYN write down the pediatrician's name on the medical form and they will call her in once the baby is born to come to the hospital and do the initial exam.  Then she'll schedule a follow up appointment at her office and we can just have her as our baby's doctor.  Simple enough.  The office was pretty big and painted with jungle animals all over the walls.  There’s a separate waiting area for infants.  It seemed very kid friendly.  The office manager answered all our questions and was very nice.  We'll see how it goes.

Shaving While Pregnant

Shaving has definitely become more difficult now that I have a belly in the way.  The good news is that I have actually found that my leg hair is growing much much slower than it did before I got pregnant.  I really only have to shave every couple of weeks.  I think I’ve even gone three weeks without having to shave my legs.  I still have a lot of long ugly belly hair but other hair on my body is growing a lot slower.  I’m having trouble bending over to shave so I just squat down to reach now and that seems to work out more comfortably.

I decided to give myself a little treat and took a bath using a Lush Dragon’s Egg bath bomb.  It smelled great and the inside of the bath bomb had some orange fizz that turned the bath water sparkly.  It was amazing!  My skin and hair were so soft afterward I didn’t use any shampoo.  I actually never used a bath bomb before since it’s so expensive (about seven dollars for one) but I wanted a relaxing treat and it sure was relaxing.  Maybe I’ll treat it like a luxury the way I do getting my nails done where I only have it two or three times a year.

Besides that, peeing is getting weird.  I definitely feel the weight of the baby and I just never know when I’m going to have sudden pressure on my bladder.  I’ll go to the bathroom and think I’m all done and as soon as I stand up from the toilet I have to go again immediately.  It’s happened a few times now.  I think I’m done but oh wait, I’m not.  The plus side is that when I'm in public, people are usually very sympathetic and kind and let me go in front of them.  They often comment that they remember how it was when they were pregnant.  I feel like I’m definitely going to let pregnant ladies in front of me in line too from now on because it’s pretty hard to hold it for any length of time and there is a slight chance that enough pressure on the bladder can cause a leak.

Dental Check Up

I went to the dentist for a cleaning today.  I hadn’t been in a year and I’m usually a stickler for going every six months since I’ve had so many previous dental problems.  I think it was good to go and get it taken care of before the baby arrives.  I asked my dentist when babies are supposed to start going to the dentist and he said two and a half years and showed me some pictures of his grandson.

I was craving a meatball sub for lunch so I looked up online good meatball subs in the valley.  Joe Peeps came up which is close to my house so I went there to get one.  The lady who took my order was nine months pregnant.  She talked to me the entire time I was waiting for me order.  Again I found that friendly approachable pregnancy invite to conversation.  It’s almost like I’m part of some club.  I guess most people can relate because they either have kids or want kids or have been pregnant themselves.  I’m not used to people being so friendly though so it is nice.

Baby Beginnings Infant Care Class

We took another free class at Valley Presbyterian Hospital called Baby Beginnings Infant Care.  It basically teaches about taking care of the baby from birth and at home.  The lecturer was really good, the best we’ve had so far.  She went over what happens at the hospital, how they clean up, examine and tag the baby.  They give babies a Heb B shot, a vitamin K shot and put ointment in the baby’s eyes to protect against infection.  She also went over how to care for the umbilical cord.  You’re supposed to leave it alone until it falls off but if you need to clean it, you can use rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball.  Every person in the class (besides maybe us because we don’t know) was having a boy so she went over how to care for the baby if circumcised.  You basically put a glob of Vaseline on some gauze and put that on the baby’s penis before putting on the diaper every change until it heals.  She also suggested forgoing nail clippers and just using a finger nail file to shave down your baby's nails.  She said the clippers always end up cutting the baby and it'll make everyone cry.

She also went over all of the symptoms a newborn baby could have that are weird or funky, what to do about it and when it’ll likely go away (cradle cap, Mongolian spots, white heads, acne, cone head, soft spots, crossed eyes, etc.)  She explained and demonstrated (bathing, burping, dressing, swaddling, changing, using a nasal aspirator, etc.)  She went over baby gear and necessities like strollers, car seats, swings, bouncers, toys, etc.  And she even made some suggestions on gear that she recommends (she strongly recommended a swing, an exersaucer and a Ring’O Links).  She also went over feeding the baby and when and how to move to solids. Besides honey and cow’s milk, babies aren’t supposed to have strawberries for a year or peanut butter for two years.  I also learned a couple of things I didn’t know like not to use baby powder because it isn’t necessary and just causes the baby to breathe in the powder which can be harmful.  Not to use mittens because the baby won't be able to suck on its fist which indicates that it's hungry.  Once they get to the stage of crying it's extreme hunger and it'll be harder to calm the baby and get it to nurse.  You're also supposed to give the baby twenty minutes of supervised tummy time a day.  Since babies lay on their back so often giving them tummy time every day helps develop their abdominal and neck muscles.  It was A LOT of information to take in.  I definitely do feel better prepared now.

Eighth Prenatal Dr Visit

We met our new doctor today and really took a liking to her.  I have to say I think I actually kind of like her better than my regular doctor.  She was nice, funny and very informative.  We asked her about a pediatrician and she gave us a list of referrals in our healthcare plan.  She also explained that the pediatrician will come to the hospital when we give birth to examine the baby and set up a follow up appointment at their office.  Joe asked her about cord blood banking vs delayed cord cutting.  She gave us both her professional and personal opinions on both subjects.  She said that for delayed cord cutting there’s not really much difference in waiting one full minute vs the three that are recommended besides the fact that the longer we wait the higher chance the baby has of getting jaundice.  That’s really the only risk.  So she suggested if we do it, to do it for one minute.  As far as cord blood, she said it’s so new that if there is any financial issue to us doing it, she doesn’t think it’s worth it but if we have the money no problem we can still do it and collect the blood after the one minute delayed clamping.  She even gave us a research studies article about both procedures.  She does agree that there are proven benefits to delayed clamping but the studies show no difference in the benefits between babies that delayed cutting for one minute vs three minutes.

I got my Tdap vaccine.  She suggested the Joe get one too if he hasn’t had one within the last ten years and anyone else who will be around the baby for prolonged periods of time since Whooping Cough is back and more of a risk now due to anti-vaxxers.  Most everyone had a vaccine as a child but we could still carry it and expose infants to it without knowing since our immune systems are matured and it takes longer to show any symptoms.  Pregnant women are supposed to get one Tdap vaccine per pregnancy between 27 and 36 weeks of pregnancy.  Antibodies pass through the placenta to the baby to offer protection.  Babies can’t be vaccinated until they’re two months old so getting it during pregnancy is important.  I’m mentioned before that I’m extremely pro medical science and pro vaccine. 

My doctor said that the last test I’ll need to do is a vaginal swab for Group B Strep but that doesn’t happen until I’m 35 to 37 weeks.  Apparently all of us have Strep B bacteria in us naturally and there isn’t a way to get rid of it, but they have to check the levels to make sure they’re healthy for the baby.  If the levels are too high they’ll give you antibiotics during delivery to protect the baby.

Then we got to see the baby during our third trimester ultrasound.  She couldn’t really print us a picture because the baby is too big now.  The wand only captures the head or the arm or the leg at a time.  Apparently our baby is already head down in delivery position.  That round part that keeps pressing out near my belly button is apparently the baby’s butt.  So our baby is just pushing its little butt out.  The kicks I’ve been feeling are indeed kicks.  The legs are over on my right and the baby is doing mule kicks at me all the time.  The doctor basically told us that we would probably be able to see if we were having a girl or boy at this stage so she let us know when to turn away from the ultrasound when she went below the baby’s belly to keep it a surprise.  I had a hard time looking away and was kind of peeking.  Joe got mad at me and kept asking why I was trying to peek and not to ruin the surprise.  It’s so hard to resist the temptation.  I didn’t see anything though and she told us the baby’s private was in shadow anyway so not really visible.  Our Dr was really funny.  The baby’s hands were up by its face again.  She gave it a little poke with the want to see if she could get it to move for us since Joe was recording it.  However, it was the one time the baby wasn’t moving.  She gave it a couple pokes but no reaction.  “Stubborn baby,” she said.  Then we got to see its little baby foot pressed up against my belly.  She gave the foot a poke too and the baby kicked back.

She said that the baby is 3 lbs 10 oz and reading 31 and a half weeks as opposed to 30 and a half but the head is actually reading 32 weeks.  She said that’s all normal and good though so nothing to worry about.  I’m a little nervous about delivery if the baby ends up having a bigger head.  She didn’t change my due date or anything but I had suspected all along that they were wrong about my due date.  By calculation of my last menstrual cycle I should be due on March 16th as opposed to a week later.  By the calculations of the due date being the 24th my period would have started on the day it was already over.  I just have this feeling the baby will come early but we’ll see.  I guess the fact of the matter is that you never really do know when you’re going to ovulate.  So seriously, the Rhythm Method is complete BS.  You could ovulate at any time. 

During the drive home after our appointment I was so happy.  I can’t believe how close we are to having the baby.  Seeing the baby healthy and moving around always fills me with so much joy after our doctor’s appointments.  We’re only a little over two months away from having our baby!

Window Shopping and Ice Cream

Today I went with some friends to the Third Street Promenade to get lunch and do some window shopping.  I hardly go there since traffic and parking is insane as it’s right next to the Santa Monica Pier.  I think it’s been two years since I was last there.  But I love the Penzey’s Spices store and needed to get a few things.  We had some Mexican for lunch and they just walked around window shopping.  I really just wanted to get out and get some exercise which was nice and I think worked well.  Afterward I had a craving for a Carvel ice cream cake.  The kind that has a layer of vanilla and chocolate separated by a cookie layer.  I haven’t had one of those in many years. They sell them at the grocery store but only in large sheets and we only needed a serving.  My friend, being the enabler that she is, stopped by an actual Carvel store that was near her place and we got a small round cake to split.  The store had a few different sizes so we just go the smallest one, which I think was a six inch.  It’s really servings for four so we didn’t finish it but it was a nice treat and so yummy.

Birth Plan

I’ve formulated a birth plan based on an example print out that The Bump has on their website and the information we received in our Birth and Breastfeeding classes so far.  We still have the infant care class coming up so I’m not sure if that will affect some decisions we’ve made.  Instead of using The Bump’s provided checklist I just typed up a document with the things I wanted and didn’t want.  There were some things I didn’t have a preference on so I just left them off to simplify it. 

It lists the obvious info, mother and father’s names, due date, doctor info.  Then it lists things you’d like during labor and how you want to spend the first stages of labor.  I don’t really have a preference, just whatever works best.  It asks what you want for labor augmentation.  I just figured if it comes to that I’d rather have all options explained to me in detail before making a decision.  For pain relief we decided on an Epidural after 6cm dilation.  I definitely don’t want forceps or vacuum extraction used.  I’d honestly rather have a c-section if it comes to that.  I definitely don’t want an episiotomy but I understand it might be necessary to avoid a tear if the baby’s head is too big so I listed that one as a last resort.  We definitely want to delay cord cutting until the baby gets all its cord blood.  I heard three minutes or until the placenta stops pulsating is best.  I’m okay with a c-section if it’s necessary (I originally wanted an elective one until I found out that it interferes with the timing of having another baby and the bonding process after birth since you can’t hold the baby right away.  We want to have the Golden/Magical hour of skin to skin contact immediately after birth to bond with the baby and try to establish self-latch breastfeeding.  I definitely want the baby to stay in the room with me and make sure either my husband or I are present for all the exams.  I want to breastfeed on demand so I don’t want formula given to the baby.  If we have a boy we would like him to be circumcised (I’m pro for several reasons that I won’t get into but mainly that it reduces the susceptibility of STDs and cancer). 

That’s pretty much it.  I’m really glad that I took all those classes.  They were really informative and helped me to understand how different procedures affect me and the baby so I could make more informed decisions about labor and delivery.

Diaper Bag Packing

I worked on packing the baby’s diaper bag today but I’m still missing a lot of stuff.  I referenced what should go in it on The Bump but some of the things are not needed until the baby is a little older.  A newborn doesn’t really need that much.  I also realized that buying a feminine/girly diaper bag is not the best idea since at times my husband may need it to take the baby out without me.  It’s too late now but I would suggest a gender neutral diaper bag to anyone shopping for one.  Joe says he’ll get his own but it might be a waste of money and resources to have two bags loaded up and ready to go at all times.

The diaper bag gets:

Diapers

Wipes

Changing Pad

Diaper Rash Cream

Hand Sanitizer

Extra Baby Clothes

Baby Blanket

Burp Cloth

Sunscreen

Plastic Bags

Tissues
Nasal Aspirator

Nail Clippers/Finger Nail Files

Nursing Cover

Nursing Pads

Mini First Aid Kit

Emergency Contacts Card

Baby Sling (if you want to use one, I’m not sure if I will but I got one for free)

Bottle With Milk (after breastfeeding is established and I’ve started pumping)

Pacifier (after breastfeeding is established)

Toy (once child is old enough for one)

Hospital Bag Packing

Since I hit my 30 week mark, I want to have the hospital and diaper bags packed and ready to go in case I go into labor early.  I got my hospital bag packed and have it by the door.  I’ll probably end up moving it to the trunk as I get closer to my due date and just leave it in the car.  I looked up on The Bump what I’ll need to pack.

The hospital bag gets:

Insurance info

Birth Plan

Baby Book (for hand and foot prints)

2 Pairs of warm Socks to get ruined

Warm Robe or Sweater to get ruined

2 Maternity Bras

Nursing Pads

Several pairs of underwear to get ruined

Nightgown to get ruined

Overnight Maxi Pads (the hospital will also provide)

Lip Balm

Toiletries (hairbrush, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, deodorant)

Hairdryer

Hair Tie

Sugarfree Candy

Pen and Pad

Change for vending machines (in case cafeteria is closed)

Cell Phone and Charger

Camera

Change of clothes (to go home in)

Baby coming home outfit

Baby blanket

Food/Snacks (protein bars, dried fruit, Fig Newtons, Pringles, applesauce, pretzels)

I’m still working on my birth plan but everything else is packed.  I also read that Baby Be Mine makes great maternity sleepwear which is comfortable and easy for nursing so I’m probably going to get a set, though they are pretty pricey pajamas at around 60 dollars.

30 Weeks!

Well, we’re at the 30 week mark!  This is super exciting!  I had Joe take pictures of me in the park again to mark the occasion.  I still have a feeling the baby is going to come early but even if it doesn’t we’ve only got 10 more weeks to go!

Reading to My Belly

I ran a bunch of errands today.  I got a book that I didn’t really want for Christmas so I went to the store and exchanged it for some baby books.  When I got home I read them all to my belly.  Not sure if it’s true but I read that reading to your belly helps baby after its born to be familiar with your voice and that some studies even suggest the babies recognize the stories later in life.  I got the baby a couple Little Golden Books.  I remember reading those when I was a kid.  And also, The Giving Tree.  I loved that story as a kid too. 

For lunch I had kind of a strange craving.  I ate an almond butter and Fluff sandwich with black bean soup.  Fluff is an east coast thing (basically a marshmallow spread).  The black bean soup was a little bit spicy.

Breastfeeding Class

Joe and I took a breastfeeding class at Valley Presbyterian hospital.  It was another one of the free classes they offer.  It was very informative.  Apparently there is something called the Magical Hour where the baby is supposed to be placed skin to skin contact with the mother for an hour immediately after birth (baby is cleaned while on mother’s chest and the medical exam is done afterward).  The Magical Hour promotes bonding and healthy development in babies plus helps with breastfeeding.  We watched a super cute video of the Magical Hour with the baby going through nine distinct stages.  It’s really all about the baby relaxing and starting to suckle and then finding its own way to the mother’s nipple to self latch.  There’s a pretty good YouTube video on it called Breastcrawl.  The goal is that by the end of the hour the baby will have found its way to the mother’s nipple, self latched and started nursing.  You’re supposed to just let the baby slowly find its way even though my first instinct would be to try to help it.  During the hour it has nine stages of activity where it’ll become more alert, start sucking on its hands, feel around, look at the mom, and crawl up to the breast.  The videos are really cute.

The lactation consultant also showed us different nursing positions, how to hand express milk (in the case of premature infants or infants unable to latch) and showed us different charts of baby poop.  I guess the only way to tell if your baby is getting enough breastmilk is by their poop.  She says a feeding usually takes 20 minutes and needs to be every two hours.  I had previously heard it was three.  Wow, that literally means that a new mom will only have an hour and forty minute intervals where she isn’t feeding her baby.  Plus, there’s changing and burping.  A newborn baby is supposed to have 8-10 diaper changes a day starting at day four.  Milk doesn’t come in for 3-4 days and they are only getting colostrum the first few days in the hospital.  Obviously breastmilk is healthier for a baby for a number of reasons but she made a great comparison.  She said that breastmilk is like giving your baby healthy salads where they don’t fill up as long and formula is like giving your baby a Thanksgiving dinner so it will be full longer and not need to nurse as often.

She also mentioned how to stop breastfeeding.  Never do it cold turkey because it will cause mastitis.  You have to wean the baby off by just feeding it less and less.  Babies should be exclusively breastfed for six months, then you can introduce solid foods (though I had heard you can start feeding your baby solid foods at five months).

Trip to Downtown LA

Today I met my friend at the metro to take the subway to downtown LA for lunch.  I’d been craving a Philippe’s Original French Dip sandwich and a churro from Mr. Churro on Olvera Street (the best churro ever).  I figured it would be a good way to get my walk in too.  She told me that today is actually no pants day on the subway so we might see people riding without any pants on.  I have no idea where this theme might have come from.  Luckily we only witnessed one pantless person the whole trip. 

We got off at Union Station and then walked two blocks to Philippe’s.  I got a double dip French dip and a lemonade.  So yummy.  Then we walked through Olvera street looking at all the shops and items for sale.  The Avila Adobe was actually open so we went inside.  It’s a preserved adobe from 1818, considered a historical LA monument.  We got a churro from Mr. Churro.  As always there was a line but it wasn’t too bad.  They do fillings in them if you want but I always like mine plain.  Warm, chewy and delicious as it’s freshly made.  That was pretty much it.  We took the subway back.  I think it was a nice food adventure outing and I did enjoy getting out for a little bit.

Bad Constipation

Today I had some really bad constipation.  This might be TMI but I had a hard time with my bowel movement.  It was actually really painful coming out because it was big and hard and I felt pain and was worried I was going to tear something.  When I looked down I was bleeding.  Kind of a lot.  Like mid-week on your period.  I read that pregnant women often get hemorrhoids that cause bleeding during bowel movements but this is the first time I’ve experienced any pain or blood.  Going number two has become more difficult since I got pregnant but that was only minor constipation until now.  Otherwise I felt no discomfort or pain in that area.  I did double check to make sure and it was definitely coming from that area.  I’ll mention it to my Dr when I see her at my next appointment but I don’t think it’s anything to worry much about unless it keeps happening.  Online forums suggest eating prunes or drinking prune juice to help with the constipation so I’m going to try that.

On the pleasant side of things, before that all happened Joe and I put up all the nursery wall decorations.  We just have a few finishing touches to add and then the nursery will be all ready.  I got the Cocalo Turtle Reef set with a Little Bedding Ocean Dreams Mobile (I didn’t like the Cocalo mobile so I opted for a different one, but it fits perfectly).  Besides the crib bedding and mobile we finished putting up all the wall hangings and decals.  It looks so cute!

Bladder Problems

Today I literally felt the baby roll over onto my bladder.  There was a big wave of movement on my stomach and then all of a sudden I felt a lot of pressure on my bladder.  I kept having to pee.  I had to pee five times in a thirty minute period and I actually lost a little control and a few drops leaked out.  I was a little embarrassed but Joe assured me there was nothing to be embarrassed about and to just keep going as many times as I needed to.  Eventually I figured out a laying position on the couch that took the pressure off my bladder.  I read that the baby should be about fifteen inches long and close to three pounds plus there’s about a liter of fluid in the amniotic sac.  It certainly feels like I’m carrying around a lot more weight.  I’m just hoping the baby doesn’t get comfortable right on top of my bladder.

Increased Appetite

For the first time since I got pregnant I’ve noticed an increase in my appetite.  Until now I’ve just been eating normally and that’s been totally fine.  In fact my friends point out that I actually eat much less than they do when I’m out to lunch with them.  However, the last few days I’ve just been really hungry and continue to feel hungry even after I eat.  I suppose this is the stage where the baby is growing the most and putting on the most weight so maybe that has something to do with it.  I really don’t like feeling hungry though and I definitely don’t want to over eat.  I like where I’m at and my weight gain has been slow so I’ve been happy with that.  When I wake up at 6am I’m usually starving so I’ll have a bowl of oatmeal.  Then when I wake up again I have a bowl of cereal as a second breakfast.  Then lunch later and dinner really late.  Sometimes I’m still hungry immediately after eating lunch.  Maybe I should find some healthy filling snacks to try.

Trouble Sleeping

I’ve been having a lot of trouble sleeping.  I keep waking up at 6am no matter what.  Then I can’t go back to sleep until 9am and end up sleeping until 12pm.  I usually go to sleep between 1am and 2am but no matter what I keep waking up at 6am and can’t go back to sleep.  I also have trouble getting comfortable and sleeping on my side.  I sleep on the couch every night now.  It’s the only way I feel comfortable enough to go to sleep.  I guess the side of the couch hugs me kind of like a pregnancy pillow.  I don’t get leg cramps from sleeping on the couch and my head is elevated a bit which keeps me from getting acid reflux.  I do miss sleeping in bed with my husband but the couch is the most comfortable place for me to sleep and seemingly the only place I can actually fall asleep even if I still keep waking up at 6am.

Little Foot

We started calling the baby Little Foot because its little foot keeps pressing out of my right side.  Not necessarily kicking, just pressing out really hard.  You can actually see and feel the little baby foot shape.  It’s pretty distinct.  Sometimes I think its little head presses outward on my left side just off the side of my belly button.  It’s like a perfectly round little circle poking up.  I think the baby is starting to maybe get cramped in my womb and pushing back to make some space.  But I feel little foot pressing all the time.  And I mean all the time.  Once I think I felt its whole leg.  Sometimes I’ll feel the hard edges of the little foot just sitting there, not necessarily pressing out, and then it’ll go back down.  I think I’d prefer it kicking and pressing on my side rather than in my rib cage or worse down low toward my uterus.  So I’m fine with it.  In fact it makes me feel good to know I have a healthy strong baby inside.  Joe said its probably going to be impatient to come out and now he thinks it’s going to come early too.  If I sleep on my right side it does feel like it’s trying to kick off.  It still only seems to settle when I lay on my back but even then it likes to kick back and press its little foot out.  In fact, one of our early ultrasound picture was of it sticking its foot up straight in the air. 

Rose Parade Floats

Joe and I went to see the Rose Parade floats in Pasadena today.  We saw the parade on TV and Joe always mentioned how it would be cool to go sometime but I don’t find anything appealing about getting up super early and standing outside in the freezing cold surrounded by huge crowds of people.  So I suggested we just go see the floats afterward.  They set them up on the streets for viewing for three days and it costs ten dollars.  We stopped at Donut Friend for breakfast (Joe’s idea).  I got a mint oreo cake donut.  It was so rich and filling I didn’t even finish it but it was yummy.  Parking was annoying but we did find a spot up in a neighborhood not far away.  The floats were really beautiful.  Lots of design and intricacies that you could only see up close.  There were so many roses, flowers, seeds, plants and fruit used to make all the designs.  I think there were about forty floats and they went all the way up three different streets so viewing them all took quite a while and a bit of walking.  By the end I really felt like I had walked seven miles.  Though I’m sure the exercise is good for me.  They had so many float themes, the Disney, Milk, Dragon, Ballerina and Bear/Candy floats were my favorites.  I really love roses too.  They’re my favorite flower so it was really awesome to see so many different shades and varieties.