3rd Trimester check in Week Jan 29th

thucks

This is a weekly check in for the mamas  who have made it to the 3rd trimester!!! If you are in week 28 or past, feel free to join in on the weekly fun.

If you're just joining us please post a: 
•Mini synopsis in your first post with your EDD
•How many babies you are pregnant with
•If you know the gender(s)
•How you have been feeling in your 3rd tri
•Any upcoming or recent appointments you may had

Feel free to share pictures of your bump, nurseries, baby gear, and of course those babies when they arrive! 


@thucks EDD 2/12 with a little girl
@kaseycoco 2/27 with a little boy
@momma6angels11 3/9 with B/G twins
@amanning2011 EDD 3/25 TWINS! G/G
@dreamcometrue2017 ; EDD 3/31 with a little boy
@MMD1986 EDD 4/2 Team Green
@cashewchicken ; EDD 4/11 with a little boy
@rel_1987 EDD 4/21 with a little boy
@meredithj123 EDD 4/24 Team Green
@nmtay EDD 4/25 TWINS! B/G

QOTW: To breast feed or not to breast feed that is the question lol...

MMD1986

Good morning and happy Monday to everyone!

31 weeks today, with an appointment free week!  We are having our baby shower this weekend, which I am really looking forward to.  I didn't like the idea of doing a traditional baby shower, so my husband and I are throwing our own baby shower.  The internet says that is tacky, but we wanted to invite all of our friends and family and I didn't like the idea of making someone else host/pay for a big party, so we decided just to do it ourselves.  We live in Louisiana and it's almost Mardi Gras, so we are calling it a Baby Gras and will have lots of food/drinks/yard games (if the weather cooperates).  Hoping it will be a fun time.

QOTW:  I'm going to give breast feeding a shot, but to be honest I'm not 100% sold on it.  I know it is better for the baby, so that is why I'm willing to try.  I've just heard so many horror stories.  My other issue is going back to work.  I plan to take off 8 weeks after birth, but then I'll be returning to work and the baby will be in day care.  I'm getting a breast pump, but I'm just not sure that pumping at work will be something that is possible.  I share a room with a few coworkers, so no private office and there isn't really a place I could go to pump.  Other than the bathroom, but its a public bathroom with stalls and that just doesn't seem sanitary.  So I'm still deciding what to do.  Maybe just breast feed for the first few weeks then do half breast milk and half formula until they go to daycare, then do all formula.  Such a tough decision.

thucks

Hey ya'll 
I'm 37 weeks as of Saturday. She seems to be dropping but I'm not quit sure what shes doing in there. I am getting tired a lot easier when I'm getting dressed and trying to get things done around the house.  2 more weeks from today we meet her unless she has other plans. DH has knee surgery on wed this week and i have my weekly apt on Thursday. I'm so nervous about this surgery I keep dreaming that she's going to want to make an appearance at the same time.  

@MMD1986 That's kewl about the baby shower. I don't see any reason why you can't throw your own party. 

QOTW: With the twins I exclusively pumped, I'm really hoping to actually breast feed this time. I'm taking 8 weeks off for maternity leave, I'm hoping to feed baby and then pump what I can to build up a supply. When I go back to work I'll pump during the day and try to breast feed at home.  It makes me nervous to actually breast feed since I'm so comfortable with the pump. With the twins I pumped for 20 min every 3-4 hrs for a year. I know that I wont get that much time in this round. Different job different privacy and only one baby to feed.   

cashewchicken

Good morning! 30 weeks this week. No appointment either.  The baby is continuing to be quite active and lately punching my cervix region has been his favorite activity. Not cool. 

I feel so lazy these days, I have a long list of things I want to get done around the house before he arrives but haven’t gotten much done yet. We are getting new blinds installed soon, wanted the house deep cleaned and repaint the house but not sure I’ll get any of that done. 

QOTW: I definitely want to breastfeed if possible. Will be good for the baby and save some $$ to boot (heard formulas can get quite expensive).  My company guarantees 12 weeks off post delivery, 16 weeks total if including time off before delivery) but my state guarantees an additional 6 weeks with job security so I’m trying to decide whether to take more time off, or save that 6 weeks and take some time off here and there. 

@thucks When did you buy your breast pump? My breastfeeding class is in the end of February and I’m trying to decide if I should get it before or after the class. If after, I have about a month before the baby arrives. 

@MMD1986 I don’t think it’s tacky at all to host your own baby shower! In fact several of my friends did that.  They all wanted a low key party without games so they decided to have a party at their house and register some items for the shower if people wanted to get gifts for them. Haven’t decided what to do about the shower. Initially I didn’t want one, but my sister-in-law offered to throw me one. And now I’m thinking maybe I should just have a low-key get together at my place before the baby comes. I’m also looking forward to hanging out with some of my single friends and just enjoy a baby-topic free day in the city. A hip restaurant, walk around, cafes and maybe movies? 

thucks

@cashewchicken I don't have my pump yet. For my insurance the OB has to send in the RX at 36 weeks and he just did that on Thursdays apt. I have been calling the medical supply place all day today trying to get it worked out. I have to pick my pump and tell them my date and they will have it available when the baby is born. Insurance doesn't allow me to pick it up until the day I'm released from the hospital. That was really hard with the twins cause they discharged me after they had closed on a Saturday. But they were able to send me home with one cause I was having latching issues and could only pump. I'm hoping insurance will cover the Medela Sonata I really wanted the Spectra S1 but I can't find a distributor that uses my insurance for that one. If I can't get the Sonata I'll get the Medela Freestyle again I liked it with the twins. 

MMD1986

@cashewchicken Did you check and see if your insurance covers a pump for you?

ReesaAnne16

@MMD1986 I'm not an expert on laws, but I'm pretty sure your employer is required to give you ample time to pump at work AND a private space to pump that isn't a bathroom (I know the law specifically says it has to be a room other than a bathroom)
Not sure what state you're in, but there may be additional laws in your state that give you rights to make it easier for you to pump at work. You could contact your local La Leche League and see if they can help with that info. 

kaseycoco

@mmd1986 I think a baby gras party sounds so fun! I don't think it's tacky at all to throw something yourself, I've known other couples who have thrown something at their house and I didn't give it a second thought. I also second what @ressaanne16 said, if you end up breastfeeding and want to pump at work, your employer should be able to set you up with some sort of situation. Maybe there's a conference room or some sort of shared space that you could use a few times a day? When I used to work in an office that's what a woman did, and just just hung a little sign on the door knob letting people know when she was in there. 
@thucks it's exciting that you're getting so close! I've also had some delivery nightmares already and I'm 2 weeks behind you...but I really hope your baby waits until after your DH's surgery to make her arrival  

QOTW: I am planning on breastfeeding. Like @cashewchicken said, it's free food and formula can definitely be expensive. I actually went to a breastfeeding class this weekend that my doctor's office offered. The class made me a lot more confident that, despite hearing all the horror stories, if you really want to make breastfeeding work you can seek help and usually figure it out. My doctor's office has a lactation consultant on staff who I can make an appointment with if I'm struggling, so although I'm nervous about it, I now feel a bit more supported. I actually got my pump in the mail this week. It was kind of a nightmare to get it through insurance, but it sounds like other people also have to jump through a lot of hoops to get one!

cashewchicken

@MMD1986 and @thucks  Did not occur to me to check whether my insurance covers pump or not. Will definitely check it out (so got used to insurance not covering anything after infertility).

@MMD1986 Section 7(r) of the Fair Labor Standards Act- Break Time for Nursing Mothers Provision states that employers are required to provide a nursing mother a reasonable time and a place other than a bathroom for an employee to express breast milk. Though there is a caveat that the employers with less than 50 employees are not subject to this law if the law imposes an undue hardship. A state law preemts federal law, so if you live in a state with a greater protection, then you follow the state law. 
https://www.dol.gov/whd/nursingmothers/Sec7rFLSA_btnm.htm

persnickity

@MMD1986 My company too the smallest conference room and put a lock on the door. I can book it like a normal conference room and i get priority for pumping over other meetings. Never hurts to ask! We had never had a single person pumping until me. 

You mentioned horror stories, so I also want to share experience. For me, nursing has been a wonderful experience. She latched pretty well naturally from the start. I did work with a lactation consultant every day while i was in the hospital to learn new holds and check that things were going well. I practiced pumping starting 2 weeks before I went to work. It got me more comfortable with it and gave me a freezer stash. I pump at work and nurse at home. It's hard to make the time to pump at work some days, but overall it's been a really great experience. We're 5 months in and I'm planning to go until she's a year old. Always happy to help answer questions if you have any!

rel_1987

Hi ladies. First post here in the 3rd tri board. I'm 28wk2days with 1 little boy! My EDD is April 21st. I just actually had an ultrasound today and my glucose test. Been having extra monitoring due to being high risk and also ds right kidney is dialated so they are watching that closely. Overall I have felt pretty good.
QOTW: I plan on giving breastfeeding a try. Hoping to pump also so hubby can feed him. If it doesn't work out I won't be too hard on myself since I gave it a go.

MMD1986

persnickity said

@MMD1986 My company too the smallest conference room and put a lock on the door. I can book it like a normal conference room and i get priority for pumping over other meetings. Never hurts to ask! We had never had a single person pumping until me. 

You mentioned horror stories, so I also want to share experience. For me, nursing has been a wonderful experience. She latched pretty well naturally from the start. I did work with a lactation consultant every day while i was in the hospital to learn new holds and check that things were going well. I practiced pumping starting 2 weeks before I went to work. It got me more comfortable with it and gave me a freezer stash. I pump at work and nurse at home. It's hard to make the time to pump at work some days, but overall it's been a really great experience. We're 5 months in and I'm planning to go until she's a year old. Always happy to help answer questions if you have any!

Thanks for that! I feel like everyone just always likes to tell me how bad it was, etc. so it's nice to hear good stories as well! 

I definitely just need to talk to my boss and I'm sure I'll be able to figure it all out. 

Thanks for all the useful info everyone!!!



ETA welcome @rel_1987

thucks

@persnickity Thank you for chiming in. It's always good to hear success stories about breast feeding. I believe its a benefit to the baby and you make it what it is. 
With the twins I worked where I had a private office I could close the door and pump while still working. I now work somewhere else in a more open environment so I will go to an office upstairs and pump. Luckily my boss is very much for breast feeding and he'd prefer us to do what we can for the baby. 

@rel_1987 Welcome to the 3rd trimester. I'm glad you are feeling well so far and I hope the kidney issue resolves itself.  

meredithj123

Hi Everyone, this is also my first week 3rd trimester! Can't believe I am here already!! Due April 24 with a green baby! Had glucose and rhogam shot yesterday-hoping it went well! I was in a minor fender bender over the weekend so that caused some excitement as to whether to go to the ER to get checked out. My midwife wanted me to but I know for liability reasons they have to say that. I ended up going into work and got and free ultrasound and everything was fine. Baby still with dilated kidneys and measuring a week ahead with a full head of hair! Ive been feeling great lately and hoping it lasts!

@MMD1986  I totally feel you on the breast pumping thing at work. I work in a hospital and you would think of all place they would have a room, but sadly they don't. Instead they kick a nurse supervisor out of her office (or take a break room) and stick a sign on the door saying Do not disturb. The nurses all have to schedule their pumping times with each other since there are usually multiple pumping at a given time. I plan on putting up a sun shade and pumping in my car..that just seems a lot more private to me strangely enough. My colleague did that and it seemed to work out ok for her!

@cashewchicken I think you are in Cali too if I remember correctly? I plan on taking my 18 weeks even though its unpaid..I'm sick of work The messed up thing is that my company is taking all my PTO during my mat leave...apparently thats legal somehow-gotta love it

thucks

@meredithj123 Welcome to the 3rd trimester!! Team green eh? I don't know that I could handle not knowing the gender of the baby. I hope your ok from your fender bender. I did a lot of pumping in the car when I had the twins. My co-workers would make fun of me all the time. I have about a 15 min drive to and from work so the first thing I would do is hook up and pump while driving to and from work. Why not?? 
With my last pregnancy and this one in order for any type of short term disability to kick in all vacation and sick days have to be exhausted and you have to be off work for at least 2 weeks before it pays out. I'm in Illinois I don't know if it's a state thing though. 

MMD1986

@meredithj123 Welcome to the third trimester.  Glad everything is ok from your fender bender!

@thucks pumping while driving is a great idea! Seems like a great to multitask while sitting in traffic.

kaseycoco

@rel_1987 and @meredithj123 welcome to the third trimester! I also have to use up all my PTO for my maternity leave. I wish maternity leave policies in the US would be better...

wabash15

@thucks you can do it!! I also pumped like crazy with my twins but also BF. A LC was s life saver for me. We had a bunch of challenges with latching in the beginning but with help we got to a great place and we BF till the twins were 21 months. This time around we have had some other issues but it's going ok. And for some aeP works best but if you want to BF  aLC is amazing if your having trouble. Also it seems like NF should be so natural but there can be some big learning curves for mom and baby. GL your getting so close!

cashewchicken

Welcome, @rel_1987 and @meredithj123!

@meredithj123, I know what you mean about being sick of work. I have no desire to work. I’m so lazy it’s quite pathetic. So you are taking 18 weeks of unpaid leave? Did you pay CA SDI last year? I think if you’ve paid more than $400, then you are entitled to 60% of your pay for up to 4 weeks before birth and 6 weeks after (if vaginal, and 8 weeks for Caesarian) from short term disability. And that’s non-taxable (federal and state) income! And there’s also paid family leave that pays 60% of your salary for up to 6 weeks for bonding with your baby. PFL is for both moms and dads.  PFL is taxed federally. 

thucks

@wabash15 Thanks for the encouragement. I had a bad experience with the LC after I had the twins so by the time my milk came in I was so used to pumping that I gave up on the idea of even trying to latch. I'm really going to give BF a try this time and I've already called the LC with my concerns and fears and think I've got someone that will be great to work with. 

I had my weekly check up this morning and my OB is ready to have this baby and so am I. He's moved me up a day to the 11th instead of the 12th for our scheduled c-section. He said if by chance she chooses to drop and I have contractions to call him ASAP and we will get her out early. I'm worn out from this chest cold/asthma crap that I'd really like to breath and she's big and moving A LOT.

My DH's knee surgery went well yesterday. Remember I was having the dreams that I would go into labor as soon as they took him back to surgery. Well they took him back and I'm sitting in the waiting room and here walks in my OB to consult another family. My jaw dropped and heart started racing I was like OMG my dream is going to come true this is a sign but nothing happened all is well and he's even up wobbling around this morning. We are both now relaxed that that's over and ready for baby Amber's arrival. 

wabash15

@thucks sorry you had a bad LC to start with. A good one makes all the difference. just hang in there, it  can be so simple or so hard or somewhere in between but you'll get to a good place.  I hope your DH is doing OK today.

nmtay

Hey everyone! I'm 28wks as of yesterday, so this is my first 3rd tri post. So excited to be here with all of you and loving reading your updates! 

I'm having B/G twins with an EDD of 4/25, twin due date closer to 3/28. I just had a checkup and my glucose test yesterday, and according to the doc I'm measuring 35 wks! Which is apparently normal and all since twins but goodness it's making me feel better about the weight gain and about how uncomfortable I'm already feeling! But he also said most twin mamas measure 47-48 wks by the time they deliver so yay for all the lovely things of 3rd trimester! 

I'm definitely planning on breastfeeding! Can't imagine formula feeding 2 so I hope it works!

thucks

@nmtay yay another Twin mom!!! Being a mom of twins get a little excited to see a twin mom like you, @amanning2011 and @wabash15 on the boards.  So welcome to the 3rd trimester I hope we can all give you some great advice and have fun.  I can't remember what weeks I measured what back when I was prego with the twins but I did gain 65lbs and at like 28 weeks I was about 5 feet around lol. 

amanning2011

@nmtay yay another twin mom! I'm 32+4 with my G/G twins who are due 3/25, but my doctor doesn't want me going past 38 weeks which puts me at about 3/11. If I do make it that far my husband and I want to talk to the doctor about doing our induction/c-section (whichever we need) on the 12th as the twins would share DH's birthday At my MFM appointment last week the girls were still measuring at under 3 pounds (2lb13oz and 2lb12oz) but their blood flow and everything else looks completely healthy so the doctors aren't really worried about their health.

I definitely want to try breastfeeding. I was born lactose intolerant and my mom had to put me on really expensive prescription formula because of it so I'm just really hoping the girls don't get that from me.

thucks

I just got my Maternity pics!!!! This is my little/big family!!! Don't mind the my little pony extras in the pic lol 

cashewchicken

@thucks I’m glad your husband is recovering well from the surgery. And lovely maternity pics!  After seeing @amanning2011 and your maternity photos, I think I’ll get one too! Since my mom is a decent photo taker, maybe I’ll have her take our photo (and with my parents too) when my parents come down to see me in two weeks. 

momma6angels11

Well everyone I almost had these babies on my birthday on Wednesday,  but they stopped my labor to give me 2 steriod shots.. just wish they would have let them come at 34+5 now i have to try and get contractions going or my waters to break..im just so completely done..

kaseycoco

@momma6angels11 oh my!  I guess you never know what will happen. Is there a date you're trying to make it to? I can't remember if you've already told that.

@thucks that's too funny you saw your OB at your husband's surgery. I hope he's recovering well. Your photos and family are beautiful!

@nmtay welcome to the third trimester  

momma6angels11

@kaseycoco my cut off is feb 16th but I am ready for these babies NOW!!

wabash15

@thucks I love the pics! Your girls are adorable!
@momma6angels11 I know it's tough but the extra baking will be worth it! Hang in there. Hugs

@nmtay we MoM flock together, we need all the help we can get, so if you need anything just holler 

thucks

@momma6angels11 let them babies bake momma I know your done but they could use a little more time. Hang in there. 

Thank you all I love my maternity pics and DH is doing really well. 

nmtay

Thank you all for the warm welcome! Especially from the other twin mamas!