Questions - January Edition

SnarkasaurusRex

As PP mentioned, the greatest risk with caffeine is in the first tri, as it's been linked to miscarriages in excess (as in, more than the recommended 200mg). With DS, I cut caffeine cold turkey when I read this (probably around 8 weeks or so), and I had awful headaches. I'm not a big coffee drinker, but I usually have a cup of tea every morning and the occasional soda here and there. I talked with my OB about it and she said that, as long as I was staying within the recommended 200 mg (which I was), then she said to drink the caffeine anyway and keep the headaches away.

ETA that 200 mg is about 12 oz of coffee.

doozenberg

I stopped coffee in the 1st trimester simply because the taste changed for me it. It tasted awful! Thankfully that was only temporary and I've gone back on. I usually do a 1/2 decaf 1/2 regular and that's worked well for me. So something you can try if you want to lower your caffeine but still love your coffee. 

schef070911

doozenberg said:

I stopped coffee in the 1st trimester simply because the taste changed for me it. It tasted awful! Thankfully that was only temporary and I've gone back on. I usually do a 1/2 decaf 1/2 regular and that's worked well for me. So something you can try if you want to lower your caffeine but still love your coffee. 

I have also switched to "half-caff" and love it! I do 8-10 oz/day. I think I love the feeling of settling into my morning with a cup of coffee more than I need the actual caffeine at this point. I know at my grocery store there's at least one 1/2 caffeine ground coffee option, but I usually get equal amounts regular and decaf whole beans and mix them together because I'm a control freak that way.

doozenberg

@schef070911,YES! We do the exact same, buy them separate and then mix ourselves.
I have to agree with you, I love having my cup in the morning. There's just something so comforting about it. 

Omie_Wise

I figured out in the first tri that most of the coffee drinking was about just having a warm mug of coffee in the morning so I've been drinking half cups with milk. I am pretty sensitive to caffeine, I didn't start drinking it until my first job out of college, so half a cup has been plenty for me. 

chelle087

The placebo effect does not work for me with caffeine...I drink several cups of partially caffeinated coffee per day. I mix mostly decaf beans with a little bit of caffeinated beans. It really isn't cutting it. I am always so tired!!

cafedisco

I know this is going to sound idiotic but I was so ignorant...with DD, I could not wait to get back on the coffee train.  Until right after birth my midwife was all casually like "no, you still have to limit it with breastfeeding..." and I became a ragey monster.

Just as a heads up to anyone who is counting down the days 

HGRich

@cafedisco I was lamenting that fact to my husband, but trying to stay positive in that I figured the McAlister's deli that was slotted to be built in a nearby shopping center would be completed around the time I finished breastfeeding and I could chug their amazing sweet tea by the gallon until it was time to start trying to get pregnant again.  Actually they may build it faster, but it's taking forever. 

belocin

@HGRich Yes! McAllister's sweet tea is where it's at! I hadn't lived near one for NINE YEARS until one finally opened this summer! I had a few glorious months of sweet tea goodness until I got pregnant and had to cut it out because my body can't handle it while growing a human. It will feel so good to be reunited in a few months!

Taylor72

I know there are some moms getting ready to do hospital tours.  Should we start a hospital tour thread so people can post good questions to ask or things like that?

schef070911

@Taylor72 I would love to do that because mine is Sunday - I'll get on it shortly

Taylor72

@schef070911 great! Mine is tmrw at 10 and I have no idea what to ask lol 

Knottie34471835

@Magheeta thanks for sharing about the Braxton Hicks. I have been having what I think are BH contractions for the past week... irregular but still painful. They feel like I just got my period and deep breathing seems to make the pain subside. This is my 2nd pregnancy but I never felt this way with the 1st.... ended up getting a c section a week early the first time around. I'm happy to hear I'm not the only one experiencing this. I keep worrying that I'm going into preterm labor. I'm also nauseous while they are happening. Does this happen to anyone else?

Magheeta

@Knottie34471835 - I've had some nausea with mine, too. If they get too uncomfortable, it won't hurt to call your OB to let them know and see if they have any advice for you. Mine basically said as long as I wasn't bleeding and didn't have any strange discharge, I would be okay. Hoping the next few months are too bad for us!

Taylor72

Who gets reflux at 12:30 in the morning from fricking water?! 

HGRich

@taylor72 one of my worst reflux triggers is water too.  sorry you were up with it last night. 

SnarkasaurusRex

@Taylor72 Meeee. Ironically I can drink ginger ale all day long, but as soon as I drink some water my reflux flares up.

Taylor72

@SnarkasaurusRex and @HGRich I had no idea what was even going on. I've never had it before. I'll just say it was friggin miserable. Twelve more weeks. Twelve more weeks. 

Magheeta

Add me to the list of having ridiculous reflux. I didn't have it with DS, but I have to take tums just about every night before I go to bed with this one. I fell asleep on the couch last night and suddenly woke up with reflux/vomit in my mouth. It was disgusting. 

chelle087

I am also in the reflux boat. I get it after everything that I eat or drink and any time I lay down. It's terrible. 

Taylor72

This might be a FFFC but does anyone else watch teen mom? 

KirstinH88

@Taylor72 I used to! It's on my "things to watch" list when baby is here. I haven't been keeping up lately except for what's on the gossip sites.

Taylor72

@KirstinH88 I have watched it for years and every week I say to myself "why do you keep watching this" sometimes it's so difficult to get thru without cringing but I come back every week for more 

Nolegirl1185

@Taylor72  I used to, it's been awhile.  I never watched it when it was actually on, I watched when I was on summer break.  Are they still playing it?!

HGRich

@taylor72 It may be different for you but here's what I do: I drink like 60 oz of water in the morning and afternoon and then stop by around 5pm so that I don't drink any right before or during dinner. Then I let myself have a few sips after dinner but none right before bed. I also avoid all high-protein foods after 7pm. Water and protein are my problem items. Yours may be other things but that's what I've learned about myself. Of course I couldn't resist and had water with dinner tonight because it was salty and I'm now lying awake at 1:15am because the reflux is threatening to crawl right up my esophagus anytime I lie down. Yaaaay. 

smoochie041719

@taylor72 I totally watch it every week and have the same thoughts... definitely a guilty pleasure show haha

Taylor72

@HGRich I will have to try that. I drink quite a bit of water every day and even during the night when I get up.  Maybe it's making it worse.  Thanks for the suggestion!


@Nolegirl1185 the new episodes for TM2 are on.  I normally DVR them but I find myself fast forwarding thru parts of it because "I just can't" lol 

schef070911

So today I have discovered that my feet and ankles are hella swollen. I thought I noticed it yesterday morning and when I put my sneakers on today to walk at lunch I knew right away it was even worse than I thought. I know the swelling is normal, but is it normal for it to come up so fast?  I have an OB appt tomorrow so I'll have her check then. Guess I'm gonna need some new shoes for the next 10 weeks.....

catem07

@schef070911 I'm really hoping my feet don't swell. My mother-in-law said she grew a size (permanently!) with each of her kids. But she was both overweight and AMA, so maybe that had something to do with it (that's not based on any research, really just my hope since I am neither of those things...) I just have so many nice shoes I really like... I did read that it's not uncommon for feet to grow longer because the arch flattens out a bit during pregnancy. 

My friend had pre-e and she showed me a picture she took shortly before giving birth of her feet and ankles...It was a sight. 

schef070911

@catem07 Pre-e is what I'm a little worried about but I haven't had any other symptoms. Hopefully the pee test tomorrow will be negative! 

kitkat8387

This might be a silly question but...what size clothes do I need for a newborn? My aunt sent me a huge box of clothes, but most of the stuff in there is 0-3 or 3 months, very few newborn sizes. Do most newborns need newborn sized stuff, or can we make 0-3 month stuff work for the most part? Obviously it depends on the size of the baby , but just trying to get a sense for most people's experiences.  

catem07

@kitkat8387 I've heard they grow out of newborn very quickly. If there are any gerber onesies, though, the 0-3 are the same size as some newborn clothes (when I compared them) so those might work. I wouldn't get too many newborn. But FTM, so what do I know?

Dannylion24

catem07 said:

@kitkat8387 I've heard they grow out of newborn very quickly. If there are any gerber onesies, though, the 0-3 are the same size as some newborn clothes (when I compared them) so those might work. I wouldn't get too many newborn. But FTM, so what do I know?

5th time mom and I agree with all this ^^ especially regarding gerber sizing running hella small. My babies were all between 7.3 and 8.7 lbs at birth and grew out of newborn quite fast. 

KirstinH88

I've heard babies grow out of NB sizes fast. DS was 6.14 at birth and he stayed in NB for 6 weeks. DH and I don't make big babies though. His other two boys were (are) small as well.

ETA: I'm sure you could get away with 0-3 month sizes as well as sleep sacks for awhile.

mrsstuessy

DD1 was 6lbs, 12oz when she was born and the newborn clothes were huge on her. I had heard not to get very many NB clothes just in case, and since DH was a 12 pound baby (and his brother a 14 pound baby!!!) I was anticipating someone larger than she was. So, the day after we got home from the hospital we made a stop at Target and bought up some newborn clothes, honestly the preemie size would have fit the best. She wore newborn clothes for about 6 weeks. I still wouldn't plan on getting a ton of NB clothes, but know that you might need to run out and buy more. 

pinkshades05

My girls were good size babies (8-8.5lbs) and they were in newborns for a good 3-4 weeks. But they went through a lot of outfits each in day so we did a good stash of onesies in the beginning.

Nolegirl1185

@kitkat8387 great question, I've been going through all of the baby clothes my best friend gave me and there is lots of 0-3 months but hardly any newborn. Honestly I think all the newborn are ones I have bought myself. I may purchase a few more just in case and go out and get more after baby is here if needed. 

lovelongdog06

I make tiny babies (DS was 5 lbs) so I got more use out of newborn than most (and had hardly any newborn outfits), but 0-3 is pretty perfect.

smoochie041719

My niece was 9 lb 11oz at birth and never wore newborn. It's so hard to know what you'll need! And different brands run differently. Like Carter's newborn is both shorter and narrower than other brands I have. I have been stocking up on 0-3 and 3 months with a couple of bigger newborn items and a few gowns because I feel like they may be more flexible for sizing. I figure if our baby ends up being small (which I don't expect) I have enough NB to get me through a couple days and then DH scan go shopping and grab a few more newborn things. 

chelle087

DS was 7.14 and wore newborn for a couple of weeks.  I only had a few things in that size and just did a lot of laundry to make it work.  The few 0-3 month things I put him in were huge, with the exception of gerber onsies...those did run super small.