FTM questions for STM 4/8

pawcall

rosalie12 said:

Re baby carriers - I had a k'tan with my second and loved it! I used it for several months. But a note with sizing - I would size down one from your usual shirt size. You want it to be tight, and I've found that they run bigger than most shirt sizes!

Weird question, but if I wear a medium mostly but occasionally a large because i carry all of my weight in my stomach (unpregnant) - would you get a medium?  or size down to a small?  I'm nervous that it'll be too tight since I'm not a *small* girl (I'm 5'4" and about 160).

DuchessOfCambridge

There are a few different kinds of Aden & Anais dream blankets: classic, cozy muslin, silky soft, and organic. Which kind do you recommend?

ShePersisted

I used the classic and they were great. I also had a couple muslin which are fine too. 

ArtificialRed

@slaven I did some research on the merino wool items and fell in love. Great suggestion!

I think I may now be getting a handmade wool sleep sack. My mil is an avid knitter and I never have a whole lot of enthusiasm for project suggestions because I personally don't wear many knit things. So she was so excited to have something useful, that I asked, for to look into making for her grandchild. I ran it by DH, just to be doubly sure I wouldn't be asking too much/using her, and he agreed that she would be thrilled to make something for the baby. So we all win??

edit clarity

slaven

@artificialred That's great! Just remember, like a wool sweater for yourself, not all wool is the same and some is itchy. That might seem obvious but I'd have for your MIL to go pick out the wool and get the wrong kind and then you end up with a sleep sack you can't put on LO. 

ArtificialRed

@slaven too true about itchy wool. But my mil is like a wool connoisseur. She picks out the best stuff for DS. It's never itchy, never too fuzzy, never too chunky, sews any buttons on multiple times... She loves the whole process. Makes me wish I enjoyed knitting!

jess0211

I thought I knew what RLP was until today,  I stood up quick and got this sharp pain in the lower right area. It didn't last and was clearly associated with the motion of standing up. Could this be RLP?

Edit wording and I meant to post in symptoms thread oops. I guess it's relevant here too. Blame pregnancy  brain.

ShePersisted

@jess0211 yep that sounds like RLP. I've been having it on and off since I got my bfp. Sometimes it is very painful especially if you suddeny stand after sitting for a while. 

jess0211

@ShePersisted thanks! Sometimes I have a hard time telling whats pregnancy related and what is referred pain from my hip issues. But this definitely felt different

adirat

@jess0211 Mine is like that... I especially get it when rolling over in bed. So sharp! So painful! Then it just goes away.

MississippiCatfish

@DuchessOfCambridge I have the original muslin A&A blankets and thought they were great...until I felt the silky soft ones that I bought as a shower gift. Life changed! I'm definitely getting a few this time around. 

DuchessOfCambridge

@MississippiCatfish so many choices! I need to go somewhere and feel them all. I was leaning toward the classic. Must be good if it's classic?

@jess0211 RLP is a real TW. I've started curling up my body before I cough so the pain won't happen!

elsieisamoocow

@DuchessOfCambridge I have a ton of the muslin ones. They're fantastic. The bamboo are really nice too but oh so pricey. The silky soft are new since I had DS but I felt some at Target today, and they were nice! I'll have to get a couple for this baby. Keep in mind when feeling them in the store, they'll soften up significantly after washing. 

pawcall

DuchessOfCambridge said:

There are a few different kinds of Aden & Anais dream blankets: classic, cozy muslin, silky soft, and organic. Which kind do you recommend?

The silky soft and the bamboo are softer. The main thing is to buy true A&A - their "for target" or "for Walmart" collections are smaller and rougher. 

TallMomma29

I agree with @pawcall re: getting true A&A.  For me I wasn't really concerned about the softness factor, but the Target ones are smaller which is annoying once your baby starts getting bigger and you need more blanket to be able to tightly swaddle.  

BayCamp

Guys, I don't know why but just thinking about having a new baby to burrito up in my A&A blankets just made me all teary eyed! 

Mine were all the classics and I loved them for their softness. My way of thinking is if the cheaper ones are wonderful and I loved them, I don't want to feel the expensive ones and know what I'm missing lol 

pawcall

Stalk places like home goods and marshalls and tj Maxx. They tend to have a lot of the true A&A stuff for a huge discount. That's where I bought my bamboo and silky soft. And I went for a dream blanket too - my 6yo still sleeps under his every night!

am+mommy

Although I am not a FTM I still have a question. Any tips on how to get my 2 year old to understand there is a baby inside my belly so she stops using me as a trampoline? Maybe she is too young to get it at all but any advice would help! 

BayCamp

@am+mommy same here! If anyone has any tips pass them on! 

ShePersisted

@am+mommy that's going to be just hard. I have a 3 yr old who kinda gets there is a baby in my belly but I still need to remind him a hundred times to be gentle on my tummy. You just need to keep repeating but at 2 it's going to be hard. Children however are quick learners and once you start to show it may register better. 

rosalie12

pawcall said:

rosalie12 said:

Re baby carriers - I had a k'tan with my second and loved it! I used it for several months. But a note with sizing - I would size down one from your usual shirt size. You want it to be tight, and I've found that they run bigger than most shirt sizes!

Weird question, but if I wear a medium mostly but occasionally a large because i carry all of my weight in my stomach (unpregnant) - would you get a medium?  or size down to a small?  I'm nervous that it'll be too tight since I'm not a *small* girl (I'm 5'4" and about 160).

@pawcall since you are between sizes, I would get a medium. I was an XL but needed a large, but do wear some large shirts, though mostly XL. But order from amazon and they have the best return service, just in case! You should be able to tell pretty quickly if it's too big. 

rachelb51212

@am+mommy I have a 19 month old and we've been having to repeatedly tell him not to sit on my stomach for this reason, too. I think it'll just take repetition, and then as your belly grows hope they get used to it and stay off! We just say "be gentle, don't forget there's a baby in my tummy". 

jka427

My almost 3 needs reminding about the baby at times but then other times he will do something so gentle and say "I don't want to hurt the baby!" So I think he's getting it. 

A&A blankets are the best!!! We got 8 of the big muslin ones and we use them still daily 3 years later. They are SUPER soft now, having been washed tons of times. I saw a dream blanket at home goods the other day but it honestly felt a little scratchy to me. Do those get softer over time too?

pawcall

Muslin in general softens with washes so the dream blankets definitely do get softer and floppier over time. They are fabulous.

jess0211

Weird question, outdoor country concert at 4.5 months? Any dangers I am not thinking about?

NYTino24

@jess0211 Just be cognizant of sun exposure since pregnant women burn more easily and watch out for people smoking nearby.

adirat

@jess0211 In addition to @nytino24 's great points, is there plenty of food and water there? Being outdoors in the summer I imagine dehydration could be a concern.

jess0211

@NYTino24 thanks! That's what I was thinking.  If I go I'll be going with my friend who is a doctor so that makes me feel better bc I know she'll keep an eye on me. I wasn't sure if the sound would be an issue?

NYTino24

@jess0211 I'm not sure of the set up of the place, but if you're sitting far enough away from the stage, I think you'll be fine. While the baby can hear at that point, loud noises wouldn't affect him or her. You can wear ear plugs if you think sound will be an issue for yourself. Typically country concerts aren't too bad with noise. Do you have an assigned seat or is it general admission / in a field? 

jess0211

@NYTino24 we can pick our seats. I love loud music so I'm okay with I just didn't know if it would be harmful to the baby

liz4382

 @jess0211I am also going to a concert around 5 months and was wondering some of the same things.  My main goal is to stay hydrated and away from smoke.  I think it goes without saying that if there's standing room in front of the stage, don't get into that crowd.  We have great seats fairly close to the stage but I don't think this particular concert will be that loud.  Although hopefully since it is outdoors there will be places to go that are farther away from the speakers if need be.  I'm thinking if it hurts our ears or makes them ring it's probably too much for the baby.

baker1jm2

Concerts are totally fine...I mean think about musicians. They don't stop performing bc they are pregnant.  Enjoy yourself!

BayCamp

@jess0211 I saw Old Crow Medicine Show at 6 months, I just steered clear of smokers and pushy crowds and of course stayed hydrated. 

DuchessOfCambridge

@jess0211 I've also read that concerts are fine for baby. Like @NYTino24 said, baby can hear by then but loud to you is quite muffled to him/her. The comparison they gave in what I read (it was either a TB article or WTE) was that standing next to a jackhammer or a screaming jet engine would be cause for concern but your own ears would blow out before baby would be harmed. Have fun at the concert!

gipfish

Interesting. When I was researching whether it is okay to go shooting pregnant, I read that baby has less ear protection in the womb than a pair of regular foam earplugs would give you and that loud noises can be harmful to baby's developing ears. That's very different than what @DuchessOfCambridge read. 

ArtificialRed

@gipfish that sounds familiar to what I thought I heard previously. I thought I read somewhere that amniotic fluid actually intensifies sounds for baby? I felt really guilty going to a couple of really loud movies when I was pregnant with DS. But I haven't looked into it this time around. I have a few movies I want to see in the coming months, so I'm curious what the current school
of thought is. 

DuchessOfCambridge

Here's what I read:

https://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/ask-heidi/lloud-noises.aspx

jess0211

@gipfish now that you mention it our shooting range doesn't allow pregnant women in the building due to the noise. Hmmmm, I need to do more research.

ElizabethSchuyler

I went to a NASCAR race and metal concert when pregnant with my first. Doctor approved it. 

Re: gun ranges. There's oils, powders and smells in addition to the loud sounds that might not be safe. 

ElizabethSchuyler

And lead. I forgot to add lead.