Week 4 Check In w/o 3/6

HGRich

Due date: 

Any appointments? Questions? 

Rants/Raves? 

How are you feeling? 

Did you do anything to prep for baby this week? 

GTKY: What’s the nicest thing a stranger has done for you? 

HGRich

EDD 4/26 but possibly induced earlier due to GD. 

First of weekly BPPs tomorrow. Kinda excited to see him and see if he’s head down. 

Rant: frigid weather, having a cold, stuck at home all the time.
Rave: my upper right quadrant pain hasn’t come back so I’m starting to think it was this kid brutally kicking me rather than gallbladder problems. 

Feeling: sick, tired, achey. Cranky. Ready for spring. 

Baby prep: we had to postpone work on the nursery due to sickness and me needing DH’s help with the toddler this past weekend. But I ordered the dresser. 

GTKY: When I was on vacation when DD was 3mo, she was not having it on the flight. I didn’t want to take her on a plane but it was a big family vacation and our tickets were paid by grandparents. She was spitting up all over me, crying a lot. I was trying to walk her up and down the aisle and getting annoyed looks from people, including the flight attendants. I was embarrassed and frustrated and of course tired. As everyone was filing off the plane, an older gentleman stopped and told me what a great mom I was and to keep up the good work. I definitely cried right there. I’ve also been touched by the kindness of strangers buying my lunch or dessert. 
There was also the EMT who sat with me and gave me a stuffed animal when I was 5 and my mom was being loaded into the ambulance after an accident that totaled our car. 

mesweettea

Due date: 4/24

Any appointments? Questions? Check up with midwife tomorrow.

Anyone have thoughts about cord blood donation? We aren’t planning on keeping it for any reason, so, is donation a pretty straightforward other option?

Rants/Raves? 

Rant - just so unable to care about my job right now. It just feels like a drag to me, and like I am a drag to it, so maybe no one is winning?

Rave - my support network is so, so kind, even if most of them live far away from us. Things little and big are trickling in and making me feel loved, and it helps me worry a little less about whether we can qctually handle a child 

How are you feeling? Cranky af. Nauseous and tired.

Did you do anything to prep for baby this week? Started with our birth class! I like it so far. (It’s 6 weeks long so we might be pushing our luck that we actually finish before baby shows up but, eh, better some prep than none, I guess...) Nursery planning, also got my breast pump ordered and maybe delivered.

GTKY: What’s the nicest thing a stranger has done for you? 

The stories that pop into my head are mostly from when I was in countries outside my home country — maybe because I was feeling extra vulnerable. One time, I was visiting a friend in Malaysia and I forgot my wallet with all my money in his apartment when I left and had no way back in. I didn’t have any way to contact him, or the other friend that I was trying to meet up with when I discovered this trying to pay for a train ticket. I had pretty much just started to panic and look alarmed when someone on the platform just offered to pay my fare. Just like that, this person averted me spending what would probably have been hours to the entire day in a random place in Kuala Lumpur with no money while my friends wondered what happened to me.

But also, there are so many other times that people were patient and humored me, trying to give me directions or assistance through my poor communication attempts. So grateful for those interactions.

kaitykins

Due date: April 22

Any appointments? Next Monday  Questions? I’m applying for a handicapped placard for a temp. Couple months because of how bad my walking is and how much pain I’m in... it’s really limiting how much I can get done  

Rants/Raves? I went to our bi-annual giant consignment sale today and got all the things we needed for 9m size baby and nighttime cloth diapers for 0-6 m baby for a steal. Also had a blast. Also had like 50 Braxton Hicks in 5 hrs  

How are you feeling? Tired and sore slept terribly last night  

Did you do anything to prep for baby this week? 

Shopping! 

GTKY: What’s the nicest thing a stranger has done for you? 

Once a stranger gave us a pass to the museum we were in line for. Saved us like $50 bucks? That was kind. Um... yep. Nothing miraculous just kindness day to day.  

cabearit

Due date is 4/25

I had an appointment yesterday for an ultrasound to check my fluids. I am double what is considered normal now! Baby is estimated 4lbs 10oz, in the 44th percentile and has a head full of hair. 

Rave: My amniotic fluid finally leveling out is a HUGE relief. 

Rant: I'm so tired of trying to figure out my medical leave. I posted about it in the random, but basically my benefit department keeps reiterating the same thing that doesn't make any logical sense. 

My heartburn is ramping up as he grows bigger by the day. Also, part of my bump is now completely numb. It feels so weird, but doctor says completely normal. 

I did a bleach soak, washed and prepped all my pre-loved cloth diapers. I also purchased two pail liners and did A LOT of stroller research. We are leaning towards an Uppababy Vista, but hoping to find a pre-owned model 2015 or later. ETA: We also started our three-week Child Preparedness Course at the hospital. 

Last year I was sponsored by a local chapter of a national club to spend a week in Jackson Hole at an educational adventure camp. I went to Grand Teton National Park, white water rafting, hiking, and became a certified archery instructor. It was such a great experience. 

kristenhk

Due date: 4/26 with earlier induction 

Any appointments? Questions? Fetal assessment and OB appointment Tuesday. 

Rants/Raves? Rant: frustrated being put off work after my last FA appointment but I know it's for the best.  Rave: DH is coming home today he's only been gone 5 days but with no cell service or internet so will be good to talk with him about the last appointment. 

How are you feeling? Ok, still very itchy at night and right upper quadrant pain but able to sleep a bit during the day now which is nice. 

Did you do anything to prep for baby this week?  Ordered a few more things online.  Planning on finalizing my hospital bag today. 

GTKY: What’s the nicest thing a stranger has done for you? When I was 17 and had just started university a few hours away from where my parents live, I drove out to see them for the weekend. They live on a farm in the middle of nowhere and I ended up having my car break down and of course my cell phone was dead.  After a couple hours of seeing no one go by a man pulled over to check on me on his way to a cattle sale (haha) a couple hours away.  He seemed pretty worried that I was alone and tried to call my family from his cell but there was no answer. He ended up missing the sale and drove me the remaining 1.5hrs home and when we got there refused any money for the ride - just said he had a teenage daughter and he wouldn't want her stuck somewhere alone.  Fast forward to now I wouldn't get into a vehicle with a stranger, but 11 years ago in a small town it wasn't that 'abnormal' haha. 

saraleigh2

@mesweettea cord blood donation is a very generous thing to do! You should know that after your baby is born they will also need to take some blood from you as well. You may also consider giving all your cord blood to your baby by allowing the cord to stop pulsing on its own before it is cut. Babies get a lot of benefits from receiving all their cord blood (if it’s medically possible in your birth situation- sometimes for medical reasons they have to cut the cord earlier). For more information research delayed cord clamping. Sometimes people are able to compromise and delay 3 min or so and still have cord blood left to donate as well. Personally I struggle with HG the first half or more of my pregnancy then iron deficiency anemia so I feel like it’s a real challenge for me to get my babies the nutrients they need so I want them to get every last drop of nutrient rich cord blood they can possibly get. 

Due date: 4/28

Any appointments? Questions? Next Monday for a regular prenatal 

Rants/Raves? Feeling large these days. 

How are you feeling? Achy at the end of the day but stretches and exercise helps. Tired. 

Did you do anything to prep for baby this week? Started setting up the mater bed room to accommodate the baby, we have her room set up but we really won’t use it much until she’s 4-6 months old as we bed share and nurse etc and it’s just more convenient in the early days. So put the rocker and changing table in the master bedroom. 

GTKY: What’s the nicest thing a stranger has done for you? Given us free GreensKeeper passes to the Phoenix open a few years back, that was really fun! But also really appreciate when someone tall helps me reach items on the top shelf at the store, or notices when I drop something and let’s me know! The little things count too! 

lyse01

@saraleigh2 it’s my understanding (from What to Expect) that it’s very possible to delay cord clamping and donate cord blood. I’d love to read more about it though - where are you looking?

mesweettea

@saraleigh2 thanks for the insights. I researched these things some back in first trimester and I would also say that I didn’t think that I saw anything saying that cord blood donation and delayed clamping are mutually exclusive. I thought it also wasn’t super important to delay cord clamping for all babies, but just those with particular needs (as you said your case might be important to do it)... I know my hospital delays clamping as a default now, so it would be interesting to know if this would change up that procedure. 

I asked my midwife at my recent appointment and she said that she didn’t know much about the process of donating in particular (she said the L&D nurses would know, but asking then sounds a bit late to me to be making that decision??), so that’s why I’ve been kinda starting to ask around. 

That said, I don’t even remember where I read the things that I did, so maybe I should try to start from the top of understanding this...

saraleigh2

@mesweettea and @lyse01 here is some info on doing both:

https://www.cordblood.com/how-banking-works/delayed-cord-clamping

https://www.smartcells.com/baby/delayed-cord-clamping/

I will say that I’m most familiar with delayed cord clamping and banking cord blood privately for a families personal/future use (paying fees to store it etc) vs donation. Tho I don’t know why the criteria would be different if you were donating....