What is everyone up to lately (pregnancy/planning for baby)?

[Winnifred]

Hi everyone - Feeling like we need some additional topic related threads... so I'll get us going:

What's on your mind right now in regards to your pregnancy/planning for baby? Are you working on anything at the moment (i.e. nurseries, registry planning, baby name selections, physical changes, doctor's appointments, etc)? Or do you have questions for others?

I tend to feel like there's a time for everything in pregnancy so I'm always thinking that I'm too far ahead or behind on everything, when I don't think it matters really at all. Just curious what you ladies are working on right now! 

[Winnifred]

I'll get the ball rolling

I, unfortunately, need to start and finish my registry within the next 2-3 weeks. I don't even know where to begin and it feels way too early for me to be doing this. My family is throwing a shower in early September to accommodate everyone's schedules, so I'll only be 6 months along. So basically everyone will be getting their invites in mid/late July and I'm so not ready for this! If anyone has advice or helpful links to share, I'd love that! Planning on registering at Target and BRU.

I feel like it's too early to really purchase a lot for the nursery so I'm just taking my time there...

My main focus has been making sure that I have the clothes I need and also just picking up some fun items for baby. I think it's time to get a bit more serious, though!

[Deleted]

We went and tested out gliders and strollers the other day. I'm working today to clean out the room that will be the nursery. We basically lived in the room during a remodel so it got pretty messy and cluttered. I have a friend coming to visit in a couple of weeks and she's going to go to Buy Buy Baby and show me what she liked when she had her son. After that I'll do my registry.

My work's hr won't even meet with you until you are 7 months to discuss maternity leave so I have a while before I have to think about that in much detail.

[Winnifred]

@cahistoryteacher, sounds good! Hopefully your friend is very helpful for you! I have people I could call on to help me out... but I hate being told what to do and I feel like that's what the entire trip would be like... So I'll struggle

Maternity leave is a good one to add to this list. That's really annoying that you won't have anything definite until after 7 months. I need to know now!! I'm planning on saving as many PTO days as possible and working to my due date or after (if possible/needed) so that I can have as much time with $ coming in the door as possible. Our benefits are not great...

[Deleted]

Winnifred, my school district is the largest in the area and just renegotiated maternity leave. There is one lady that handles leaves so I totally get why she waits as long as possible to save her sanity, I think I read we had over 50 teachers on various leaves last year. She gave me all the info and I know what I want, I just have to wait to set it in stone.

[requiressnacks]

I met with HR and discussed the maternity leave policy. I also finally mailed the check in to secure our spots in daycare. Those felt like major accomplishments!

I also started a private registry on Amazon of stuff I see on these boards and/or products that people recommend to me. I'll probably be keeping my registry at Amazon and adding a brick & mortar store like Babies R Us or BuyBuyBaby. I really like how BBB takes Bed bath & beyond coupons!

We have our anatomy scan next week (eeeeek!) so then we'll start planning the nursery/names after that.

[Sunny75]

Winnifred,Good luck on finishing your registry. I don’t think it’s too early to be buying things for the nursery so have fun picking out cute baby stuff!
@cahistoryteacher,That’s great that your friend is helping you. Let us know what she recommends. It’s so overwhelming trying to figure out what’s really necessary.
requiressnacks,Congrats on finalizing daycare!

AFM, the only thing I’ve done is cleared out the room that will be the nursery so now it’s just sitting there almost completely empty. I think I’m going to wait until after my anatomy scan on August 3 to start registering/buying stuff. Mostly because I want to see what my sister is getting for her nursery so I can see what I like/dislike.
Not sure if anyone will know anything about this with this but I wanted to ask anyway. Does anybody have any experience or know of someone who has breastfed after having breast implants? I had them done in my early 20s. I would like to BF if possible but I want to keep expectations reasonable if having implants are going to cause problems.

[mrsp121308]

We bought a swing, the 4moms rockaRoo. That's it. We have to gut & remodel our basement to move the playroom down there in order for the baby to have a bedroom. So we can't do much until then.

[mrsp121308]

Jun 29, 2016 21:09:01 GMT -5 crimpgirl said:

Jun 29, 2016 16:47:49 GMT -5 mrsp121308 said:

We bought a swing, the 4moms rockaRoo. That's it. We have to gut & remodel our basement to move the playroom down there in order for the baby to have a bedroom. So we can't do much until then.

Good luck with renos still lots of time

Yea and no. Our basement gets water in it due to some broken concrete blocks in our foundation, so we have to dig out around that portion of the house, Jack the house up, then replace the blocks. All before we can even do anything to the basement.

[Winnifred]

requiressnacks, day care set up totally stresses me out! It's great that you've already got that locked down! I don't know when I'm supposed to be working on this. I don't think our area is SUPER competitive, and I'm looking for in-home daycare for at least the 1st year...

Any advice on finding daycare, ladies? I haven't found a site online that seems super helpful to hook me up with potential providers... Is asking around a better strategy?

Sunny75, that would be pretty nice to have someone you can use to test drive some of the items!

crimpgirl, I like your practical approach! We'll be using disposable diapers and so I'd like to start buying a package here and there... I should probably start working on that. I just have no idea what kind to buy!!

[requiressnacks]

Winnifred, my local united way had a great website that at least helped me get a list together. Then I emailed most of the places I was interested in and went and toured them.

This is the site for Connecticut, your state might also have a local 211 site: www.211childcare.org/

[Winnifred]

requiressnacks, Thank you!! I'm very familiar with our United Way's 211 and I don't believe they have anything child-care related that isn't emergency/low income - however, something about that lead me to searching a lot smarter on Google and now I have a ton of sites I need to check out. The only places I was finding before were like care.com and craigslist.... Thanks for your tip! P.S. That website is an awesome resource for CT families!

[kaydee0402]

Our biggest thing is that we need to figure out our budget and whether I should quit or continue working. I currently have a 45 minute commute both ways, so I'm leaning towards quitting and then finding another job next June that's closer to home. However, it's hard to have these discussions when your spouse is half a world away and you're limited to e-mail and Facebook messenger, which both rely on whether or not the internet is working that day :/

I need to have my BIL come over and finish painting DS's big boy room so I can order furniture and get him moved out of the nursery. Then I'll be able to inventory the nursery and figure out what we need to restock. I already know we need a new car seat for DH's car. And I'll probably need to get more towels and washcloths since I'll now have two LO's using them. Other than that, not sure.

[kaydee0402]

mrsp121308 , eek, good luck with the reno! It sounds like a huge under taking!

[tbonequeen13]

Winnifred, Don't register for clothes- you will get plenty of those without registering for them. Make sure you register for the big ticket items (carseat, stroller, etc) even if you plan to buy those yourself- you'll get a coupon towards the end of your pregnancy that's usually 15-20% off anything on your registry..and most places will let you add stuff after you get that coupon, so make sure all your last min needs are on there before you hit the store. Don't stress too much- anybody coming to your shower that has kids will know what you need and will probably get it for you whether you registered for it or not.

AFM,right now we're in a holding pattern. With our history of loss, I am still kind of cautious about wanting to do much yet. We have a name picked out but that's about it. We have to clean out the room that will be the nursery, but that means we have to get some shelves for DD's room to hold the stuff. We also need to pick up the bed set that will become DD's so we can covert the toddler bed back into a crib for the new baby. We won't need to buy much since we kept almost everything from DD (we need a new infant car seat- that's about it) but we'll probably create a registry somewhere just for the coupon. Really though, I probably won't get started on much of that stuff until after our 20 week scan- which is Aug 3rd. That won't leave us much time as we'll be out of town 2 weeks in Sept and the month of Oct is always full for us, but that's how my PGAL brain operates.

[requiressnacks]

Also on my list - find a house cleaner. I know I sound like a diva, but that shit isn't happening when I'm 8 months pregnant with twins.

I had a good lead, but the lady never called me back. Now I have no idea how to find one. And I'm hesitant to google randomly.

[legalbeagle]

Love this thread obviously.

Short-term to dos:
- get extra life insurance
- email my friend's person about placental encapsulation and talk to my OB about it

Medium-term/later to dos:
- sign up for infant/toddler CPR refresher class
- re-read hypnobirthing book and practice using CD (I ended up getting an epidural, but found the techniques really helpful for laboring at home)
- register with the hospital? (It is in my book's to do list but I can't remember if it is necessary or not.)
- pin nursery ideas/have my decorator friend buy stuff and install nursery (I'm paying her!)
- keep adding stuff to secret Amazon registry (I'm a little shocked by how much everything is adding up to)
- get baby stuff stored at my SIL's house

Since this is #2, lots of decisions re pediatrician and childcare have already been made. I think we have a name -- or at least we have a name that I think is the name and my husband (who is extremely name picky) agrees is the default name if we don't come up with something else and I know he won't spend any time in the next six months thinking about baby names.

[requiressnacks]

another Q - when should we schedule infant classes and/or hospital tour?

[littlelion]

Jun 30, 2016 9:47:53 GMT -5 requiressnacks said:

another Q - when should we schedule infant classes and/or hospital tour?

The sooner the better! I didn't make it to any of mine before I was in the hospital at 32 wks. Which kind of supports the thought: are they really necessary?

[kaydee0402]

legalbeagle, since my OB office was connected to the hospital I delivered at and they delivered exclusively there, it wasn't necessary to register. Check with your OB and see what you need to do.

[fikafairy67]

Since this is #2 for us, most of the planning/prepping is minimal. I've made a list of things that we need to replace or restock, and slowly crossing those things off. The biggest thing will be if I can get rid of/sell DS's old clothes, or if we are going to reuse them. Daycare is taken care of - my mom will be watching this LO, regardless of whether we have a preemie or not (she's thankfully a former newborn nursery nurse, so I literally could not be luckier!).

We did get a new glider since DS broke the old one, and we are working on cleaning out the spare bedroom. DS is already in a twin sized bed, so no transition there. We still have 90% of the stuff from when DS was a baby, so I think we're okay there.

I think with the potential for so many complications with the blood antigen issue, my mom is not-so-secretly coordinating with the rest of our family to basically take care of the list of stuff we still need. Ha - she has asked me for my list 3 times since we found out about the high risk!

[fikafairy67]

littlelion, sometime later I may ask you for advice/questions to ask the drs regarding preemies, since it's likely that I will wind up with a 34-ish weeker, give or take a couple weeks! Your siggy says your DS was early, so hopefully you don't mind!!

Hopefully I remember

[kaydee0402]

Jun 30, 2016 9:47:53 GMT -5 requiressnacks said:

another Q - when should we schedule infant classes and/or hospital tour?

Whenever it works for you.  We didn't do any until the third trimester, but I work in politics and 2014 was an election year, so my schedule was jam packed until November.


Find out what classes are offered.  The breast feeding class that was taught was also included in the Birthing Class (which included a hospital tour).  I could have saved $40 and some time if I had known that by just signing up for the Birthing Class.


The best class we took was the Newborn Care class (mostly because I wound up with an emergency c-section, so everything I learned in the birthing class was immediately null and void).  They teach you how to bathe and diaper a newborn, soothing techniques, all kinds of useful stuff.  DH had never changed a diaper before taking that class, so it was definitely beneficial!  

[legalbeagle]

kaydee0402, thanks! That makes sense! My OB also exclusively delivers at one hospital so probably the same thing. I have a vague sense of calling last time and them being like "What do you want to do?"

requiressnacks, don't laugh but my book says weeks 29-32 for sign up for hospital tour. Maybe earlier for you esp with twins?

fikafairy67, amazing! I'm so jealous that you have a mom who is so knowledgeable. Mine is great and really well-meaning (and a former nurse, but not for babies) but her medical knowledge about babies is a little out-of-date. With DS she kept asking "Don't we need to feed him water in case he gets thirsty" and was asking about solids way early. Yeah so note to FTMs, watch your parents with the kiddos because they just might not be aware of safety things that have changed with babies since they had their own.

[Winnifred]

tbonequeen13, great tips, thank you!! P.S. I'm sorry to hear that you're still having a difficult time on planning for baby, I hope that you feel much better about everything after your A/S!

Everyone else - this has been super helpful for me, thank you! I need to make a real list. It's becoming quite obvious that I have a lot to do and have done pretty much none of it yet...

[fikafairy67]

requiressnacks, we did a hospital tour around 30 weeks and I never wound up signing up for a birthing class. I felt pretty informed about what my options were heading into it, and I also was never opposed to epidurals/medical intervention. I'm of the personal opinion that if there's medical intervention or monitoring available to help the process or create a better outcome, I wouldn't refuse it! My birth plan = have a healthy baby, however it needs to happen, for both DS and this one.

I wound up with a crash C/S anyway (BP crash and heart decels), so the class would have been a waste! I think that you should think about how attached you are to a specific type of birth experience, and then decide on the class from there. If you have your heart set on something specific, then it would be helpful for you to sign up for classes.

[lola]

I haven't done too much, becuase I'm waiting to find out the sex of the baby for nursery, registering, etc. But now I'm feeling anxious to make a list at the very least!

I think the hospital thing depends on your OB. My OB delivers at two hospitals, so I definitely have to register at the hospital I choose, and they told me to do it as soon as I decide. But really, it's just filling out a form.

For daycares, the ones near us don't have waiting lists (yet), but I'm planning to do tours the week of my anatomy scan because my mom will be in town. She was a daycare center director for many years, so I'm enlisting her to come along on all the tours and ask the right questions. She's kind of like a baby whisperer, so I trust her feedback on that immensely. Also she knows all of the rules, laws, etc.

Also, due to the popularity of the baby classes in our area (think 'burbs full of young moms), we had to register now to get space in third trimester classes. I think ours are in October. As far as the classes go, for FTM, my OB said she most recommended the breastfeeding class, because that's the thing most moms underestimate. We signed up for that one, as well as for the infant care class. I feel pretty good there, but my husband keeps saying, "Why can't a baby sleep on it's stomach?" and other questions, so I think it's best we attend that one.

As far as the labor class goes, I opted out. Ours is an all-day class, and honestly, I feel like it would create more anxiety than it's worth. I discussed with my doctor (who is all about laid-back moms), and she said if it's going to cause stress, it's not worth it. She'll be there to discuss options at the time of delivery, and I plan to read A LOT before. Just my style.

Also, as my BFF put it, it's not a pop quiz that you have to take alone. You'll have help.

[littlelion]

Jun 30, 2016 10:08:13 GMT -5 fikafairy67 said:

littlelion, sometime later I may ask you for advice/questions to ask the drs regarding preemies, since it's likely that I will wind up with a 34-ish weeker, give or take a couple weeks! Your siggy says your DS was early, so hopefully you don't mind!!

Hopefully I remember

Definitely! More than happy to share my experience.

[mrsp121308]

requiressnacks, I found birthing classes to be an epic waste of time. I learned more from reading books and talking to btdt moms.

[mrsp121308]

Also, to all the FTMs, you guys have a huge group of BTDT moms, use us. We all have such different experiences with L&D so we can give you such much info, just ask away. I love talking about L&D and had great experiences, so feel free to tag me with any questions.