So I just realized that my registry at Target (made for the completion discount) was somehow switched from private to public and someone bought a bunch of the stuff off it for us. That part is awesome, and I'm guessing it was my MIL because she wanted to get something for the new baby with a budget of about the total that came off, but we don't have any big ticket items. The awkward part is that since it was such a short list, everything that was available online was purchased - including the Depends on there for post partum. REALLY hoping it was Mom or MIL...
@Knottie9983816 Wasn't your mom 18 and pregnant when she got married? Or did getting pregnant happen right after your dad got divorced and married the babysitter?
Ha-ha that was my fiancé's parents. Although my parents got engaged at Christmas and married in July, I was born a month later. Tbh my mom was always a "Christian" up until that point, but when her and my dad got divorced she started going to church like five days a week and threw herself into religion from that point forward. When her and my dad got back together she forced him to become a Christian before she would allow him back into our lives. She's spent my entire life screaming at us to not make her mistakes. Part of why she homeschooled us (to keep us from outside influences) and yeah. I don't even believe in God now, but that's a whole other mess lol
So I just realized that my registry at Target (made for the completion discount) was somehow switched from private to public and someone bought a bunch of the stuff off it for us. That part is awesome, and I'm guessing it was my MIL because she wanted to get something for the new baby with a budget of about the total that came off, but we don't have any big ticket items. The awkward part is that since it was such a short list, everything that was available online was purchased - including the Depends on there for post partum. REALLY hoping it was Mom or MIL...
Oh man that's too funny! I wish someone would buy the post partum mama cloth I have on my registry, but I'm totally cool with that not being a thing at the same time lol. It isn't really that different from buying someone breastpads is it?
@NOLA520 DS was born July 2014, and the fox craze started right after that. Now I'm having issues finding tigers on anything other than clothing, since DH and I made a deal about theme... Not that LO is really getting a nursery. I'm just finding tiger stuff that can be used wherever.
@knottie9983816 Ugh... That's annoying. My dad isn't religious at all (he's a very loud and proud atheist), but he's the type who thinks all children should be born in wedlock, since he had a kid in high school and never got to meet him and have a parental relationship with him. I hate listening to him talk down about couples who have kids but are not married or got engaged after their child was born. He freaked out over the idea of my sister or I getting on birth control. Hello? That would help prevent us from having babies before marriage! My mom finally had to put her foot down and say we were getting it whether he liked it or not, since it was our bodies and we had other reasons beyond sex for getting on it (my sister has a hormonal imbalance that causes migraines, while I started showing signs of endometriosis at about 16 along with the migraines).
@NOLA520 DS was born July 2014, and the fox craze started right after that. Now I'm having issues finding tigers on anything other than clothing, since DH and I made a deal about theme... Not that LO is really getting a nursery. I'm just finding tiger stuff that can be used wherever.
Ohhhhh, I thought you were talking about DS2. I was like uhhhh really?? We're doing a "forest / woodland" theme and we have to deliberately search for things that aren't all foxes and owls.
Woodland theme has completely decimated the jungle theme, it seems like. My only problem with foxes being everywhere? Most of the fox stuff is pink or purple... Or flowers. I'm not a very girly woman, so even if I was having a girl, the stuff that's out there is just too flowery, sparkly, and pink for me.
@RoseShadow873 yeah. And I'm making a large framed branches piece, as well as a vase with craft beads and painted branches for the shelf we have. It's all grays, black, and white. She can't stand that I'm not using cutesy animals or Disney stuff. Apparently not having a lot of color in the room for decorations is detrimental to the babies development. I've tried to explain that's what toys, books, and our faces are for, since I don't plan on leaving him in his crib all the time, so why does it matter???
My brother is assembling this for me out of 2x4's, painting the branches black, and the frame white. I'll go back over it with some kind of design painted on the frame. We're making this with black branches and black, white, and silver stars, instead of just silver.
This will be with clear craft beads at the bottom and black branches.
@Knottie9983816 That's cool! I wish I was that creative! I haven't even decorated at all but I'm already bored of my theme; I should have thought about it more before I bought stuff.
@RoseShadow873 (I know you'll appreciate this) I almost went with a Nightmare Before Christmas theme, but Fiancé shot it down I should have mentioned to him that that would have eliminated at least one of my mom's issues: No Disney characters!
@RoseShadow873 (I know you'll appreciate this) I almost went with a Nightmare Before Christmas theme, but Fiancé shot it down I should have mentioned to him that that would have eliminated at least one of my mom's issues: No Disney characters!
I'm not sure about your mom's idea that colors are important for babies anyway. What about all that stuff about them responding to contrast the most? They specifically sell black and white books for newborns and I was planning to get some of those.
@Knottie9983816 while I think you're pieces are wonderful, you can inform your mother that babies don't come out of the womb with the ability to even see color. Here's an article for her enjoyment https://www.bausch.com/vision-and-age/infant-eyes/eye-development#.Vq54ZEZHanM
Eta: this is purely intended as snarky sarcasm and my loathing of when people make moms-to-be feel shitty about decisions on things like nursery decor.
Also, DH let me have time to use my new sewing machine. It's been so long since I've seen anything that I had to remind myself the patterns for things that I used to make all of the time.
@thaisac1 So I just took that...ugh. It says baby will likely come on or after her due date. Honestly not overly surprised since it takes previous pregnancies into account! Honestly I'm good with that. Before 39 weeks I'd be a bit concerned, since the brains continue forming until 39 weeks. But I'm loving that is says 13 hours of labor! HUGE improvement over my 40 hours with DD1...haha I was going to the bathroom in the middle of the night a few nights ago and swore that there is no way I'm making it until my due date...or even April. Then again, I thought the same thing before. I guess we'll see!
ETA: I blame my husband. Him and his siblings being stupid and all coming after their EDD. ALL FOUR of them...
Mine: Your labor prediction quiz results are below.....
I know you were hoping we weren't going to say this, but don't expect this baby to come early. Your baby is nice and comfy tucked away in your womb and has no interest in joining the rest of the world. We predict your baby will be born after its due date. Your baby will most likely be born in the morning. Justmommies predicts that your baby will weigh approximately 7.3 pounds and that your labor will be about 12 hours long.
This is for entertainment purposes only.
I am ok with this. I do not want her to come early because it would really put a pinch in my vacation plans at the end of my maternity leave. lol Keep on cooking, baby.
I think the only reason my 'prediction' said my baby will be born 2-3 weeks early is because my husband was born 3 weeks early... And it picked a birth weight right between mine and my husband's... For a lot of the other questions, I did not know the answer. It's nothing but a big ol' guess, but I'd be curious to see how it matches up.
I think the only reason my 'prediction' said my baby will be born 2-3 weeks early is because my husband was born 3 weeks early... And it picked a birth weight right between mine and my husband's... For a lot of the other questions, I did not know the answer. It's nothing but a big ol' guess, but I'd be curious to see how it matches up.
I'm not going to take it just because I know I won't like what it says...DH was the fourth kid and I was the sixth. We each weighed over 9 pounds because, from what I've been told, the more kids a mom has the bigger they tend to get. I'm a petite person and the thought of pushing a 9 1/2 pound watermelon through my pelvis the first time around gives me nightmares. Nope!
@thaisac1 I'm actually a little surprised that it predicted LO will weight 7.5 lbs. I put in 9.5 for DH, but I'm pretty sure he was almost 10. I was 7.5 almost exactly, DD1 was even smaller though at 7lbs 4ozs (at 4 days late!). She actually has been the smallest of all the babies in both her's and our generation on both sides of the family except for my older brother because he was born 3 weeks early.
@AmadorRose I've actually heard that bigger babies can be "less painful" (whatever the heck "less" means, when it comes to said watermelon...) than smaller babies. In my readings, it actually does make some sense scientifically, specifically if their head is bigger. When the baby's head comes out, it stretches and flattens the nerves in the perineum, actually causing them to go numb. If the head is bigger, its going to cause those nerve endings to be even more stretched, so a much better chance of "numbing" the pain to a point. If the head isn't quite as big, they wouldn't be as stretched so there may be more feeling in the nerve endings still.
@thaisac1 I was born on my due date. Can't remember if DH was or not. Likely not and likely late, since FTMs tend to go past their due date. I went into labor with DS 5 days before his EDD and he was born 3 days before his EDD at 6 lbs 15 oz (my exact birth weight, too). DS I believe was about an average size baby and would have been about 8.5 lbs. Another trend is the first is usually on the smaller side of all of your children. I just don't want the 33+ hours of labor again... That sucked. I'll take the 12 or whatever hours it predicts!
@thaisac1 I'm actually a little surprised that it predicted LO will weight 7.5 lbs. I put in 9.5 for DH, but I'm pretty sure he was almost 10. I was 7.5 almost exactly, DD1 was even smaller though at 7lbs 4ozs (at 4 days late!). She actually has been the smallest of all the babies in both her's and our generation on both sides of the family except for my older brother because he was born 3 weeks early.
@AmadorRose I've actually heard that bigger babies can be "less painful" (whatever the heck "less" means, when it comes to said watermelon...) than smaller babies. In my readings, it actually does make some sense scientifically, specifically if their head is bigger. When the baby's head comes out, it stretches and flattens the nerves in the perineum, actually causing them to go numb. If the head is bigger, its going to cause those nerve endings to be even more stretched, so a much better chance of "numbing" the pain to a point. If the head isn't quite as big, they wouldn't be as stretched so there may be more feeling in the nerve endings still.
See, this thing has no rhyme or reason whatsoever. Just like the sex prediction algorithms (which by the way always told me I was having a girl... Not the case!).
@imrachellea one of my sisters tells me big babies are easier to push...but another sister loves telling about her last birth, where a nurse was essentially sitting on her stomach to help push her daughter out because her shoulders were so wide. I'm not cool with a baby that weighs almost 10% of my pre-pregnancy weight....but then I think about being pregnant longer than I have to be and know that this kid could weigh 25 pounds and I'd still gladly push her out just to not be pregnant any more.
@thaisac1 I was born on my due date. Can't remember if DH was or not. Likely not and likely late, since FTMs tend to go past their due date. I went into labor with DS 5 days before his EDD and he was born 3 days before his EDD at 6 lbs 15 oz (my exact birth weight, too). DS I believe was about an average size baby and would have been about 8.5 lbs. Another trend is the first is usually on the smaller side of all of your children. I just don't want the 33+ hours of labor again... That sucked. I'll take the 12 or whatever hours it predicts!
My brother was the first born and was 10 lbs. Then my sister at 8+ and me, the third and last at 9+. I'm scared this girl is going to be big. SO was only 5 lbs but he was a premie. My neice was 7.5lbs which isn't bad I guess.
@thaisac1 Oh yeah I know, just think that when you look at it even from a number standpoint, that is is strange to think the DH seems to have no influence on the size of our kids (since they keep telling me DD2 is measuring RIGHT on track, never behind never ahead)...we'll see if that holds true!
Update: I finally had lunch with my friend who quit her job last week and got the scoop on what's been going on. It sounds like a lot of things that would have been manageable on their own happened all in the same time span and just became completely overwhelming. She had one aunt get diagnosed with a brain tumor; another had a mental breakdown; her dad is an alcoholic and her mom wants to stage an intervention; she got pregnant (unintended and definitely unwanted) back in November and subsequently miscarried; her casual boyfriend got a (second) DUI and will be going to jail in a few weeks; and, as a result of not being able to focus and then getting sick multiple times, she fell behind at work and couldn't see a way to catch back up. I knew about the aunts and the boyfriend, but not about anything else. She basically hasn't been sleeping since November and had started thinking about suicide.
So this past week, she went to the doctor and her blood pressure was so high that they wanted to send her to the hospital (she did some breathing exercises and was able to get it down enough to not go). She came back to work on Thursday and just couldn't handle being there, so she decided to exercise control over pretty much the only problem she has control over, and wrote a letter of resignation. Her department is being wonderfully supportive, encouraging her to take short-term disability or at least an unpaid leave of absence, as they don't want to lose her. At a minimum, they were going to wait until today to accept her resignation, so that she would have benefits through the end of February instead of losing them as of today. I'm really hoping she'll take the short-term disability, but she sounded very against it, since she does not plan to return. It does sound like she has some cushion for a month or two, financially, and she's no longer contemplating suicide, and her parents and one other close friend are also aware now of everything that's been going on.
From a totally selfish perspective, I'm really sad that she didn't feel able to confide in me more over the past few months, although I recognize that's mostly about her and not about me. I'd like to think I could have been more supportive if I'd had any idea how stressed out she was, and I feel terrible thinking that something horrible could have happened if she hadn't recognized that she needed to change something immediately
@AEG84 I can't imagine any of those things being easy to deal with, let alone all at once! You can't go back and change how supportive you could have been - but I'm sure she's happy to have your support now! My thoughts go out to her, because that is a lot to deal with
Okay... I'm giving in... I am officially considering myself "uncomfortable". So far I've had the EASIEST pregnancy (sorry to those who haven't)... I've been putting off any complaining because I've been lucky... but now there's no denying it... head on my bladder, foot under my rib or elbow in my spine... 10 weeks left.... how does everyone pass the time?
I cannot believe that man is a doctor and actually thinks that vaccines probably caused that little girls leukemia.
Of course I had to see if he was still in business. Top holistic doctor 2011, direct pay at time of visit...the fact people go to someone like him makes me scared for humanity
@thaisac1 - I suppose somebody has to graduate at the bottom of the class... looks like we've found the lowest achiever from his graduating class at the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine
So an update on my seemingly hopeless situation: we won't be moving back to Denmark anytime soon as we cannot apply from Denmark, only from Sweden. The application process time is 4-5 months which means it will be completely impossible for me to keep up with my studies (it's a 6 hour trip to the University) and graduate this summer.
I've been crying all day about this and my counselor at university was trying to explain to me how impossible it would be for me to go through with the semester as my due date falls on top of two examinations and I risk failing everything. So I had to take the hard choice and choose to go on maternity leave and fall even further behind on my studies so we can stay in Sweden.
At least now I don't have to worry about DH missing the birth, I know which hospital I will be giving birth in and I can enjoy my little man for 4 months before I have to start working again. Another plus side, I can start setting up a nursery corner for him in our bedroom!
So I guess Sweden it is (at least until the end of summer).
@AEG84 I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. What a tough situation for her and I'm so glad to hear she has spoken up so she can get the support she needs. Many people do not speak up in time...that is something to take pride in, she is standing up for herself.
@thaisac1 I still can't believe we are debating this. It's not a debate, it's science! But I guess if there are fools questioning the roundness of the earth, then I shouldn't be that surprised. People are stupid.
@elasticheart13 I'm so sorry to hear that this whole situation is not working out quite as you had hoped. I hope you can find comfort in all the positives that you mentioned - your DH will be there for the birth, no more hospital/birth location uncertainty, you won't be failing your courses, you get to enjoy time with your baby. I think at least having more certainty about where you will be giving birth has to be a huge bonus right now.
ok HONEST OPINION - is it ridiculous to spend $52 on a 2lb bag of personalized M&Ms to use as part of my baby shower party favors???
additional info: that's $52 WITH A 30% off coupon. I'm only allowed to pick 3 colors and since I'm team green, the shower is all the bright primary colors so I was planning on supplementing with the valentine's day color mix that's out right now (so I got the personalized, mostly 'boy' colors.) The candies have baby feet on one side and "Baby [our last name]" on the other side.
It feels like a ridiculous amount and like I should just get the regular old bag of M&Ms that has all the bright colors anyway (side cute factor: DH and I both have names that start with M.)
ok HONEST OPINION - is it ridiculous to spend $52 on a 2lb bag of personalized M&Ms to use as part of my baby shower party favors???
additional info: that's $52 WITH A 30% off coupon. I'm only allowed to pick 3 colors and since I'm team green, the shower is all the bright primary colors so I was planning on supplementing with the valentine's day color mix that's out right now (so I got the personalized, mostly 'boy' colors.) The candies have baby feet on one side and "Baby [our last name]" on the other side.
It feels like a ridiculous amount and like I should just get the regular old bag of M&Ms that has all the bright colors anyway (side cute factor: DH and I both have names that start with M.)
I think it's adorable given the M's connection. If you've got the extra funds, why not? Plus, you get to eat a shitton of m&m's.
ok HONEST OPINION - is it ridiculous to spend $52 on a 2lb bag of personalized M&Ms to use as part of my baby shower party favors???
additional info: that's $52 WITH A 30% off coupon. I'm only allowed to pick 3 colors and since I'm team green, the shower is all the bright primary colors so I was planning on supplementing with the valentine's day color mix that's out right now (so I got the personalized, mostly 'boy' colors.) The candies have baby feet on one side and "Baby [our last name]" on the other side.
It feels like a ridiculous amount and like I should just get the regular old bag of M&Ms that has all the bright colors anyway (side cute factor: DH and I both have names that start with M.)
I don't think it's ridiculous if you can afford it. I had personalized M&Ms at my wedding and it was pretty cool.
Pregnancy rant - week 29 day from hell last night husband arrives home from a week in Boston. (We live in Israel) scatters all his belongings in the living room, goes to bed at 10pm and wakes up jet lagged at 4am. I having slept only 4 hours the previous night manage to fall asleep only around 1:30am with broken sleep till he wakes up at 4 and starts holding a discussion with me likes it's 3pm. Tells me he's off to the gym and needs the car to get to work. (He usually takes the bus) I am unable to walk due to severe pain in my back and tell him he can't take the car because I can't walk anywhere, he gets very annoyed. I go back to sleep till 8am when he arrives home from the gym very exhausted and hungry and gets annoyed at me for not having offered to prepare something for him earlier. He leaves in a state of anger and confusion and later sends me an apology message and asks me to do his laundry and pick him up from work and more things to do for him. I manage to sleep for another half an hour until mum wakes me up with a phone call letting me know she's at the doctors appointment I made for her and no one is there. I check my diary and discover the appointment was for yesterday. We both get really upset, I call her 7 times to apologies, she doesn't answer. I get up and go and get a pedicure because I can't reach my toes. Discover I have a new fungal toenail, my worst fear and also fungus all over the bottom of my foot. That just set the tone for the rest of the day, tried to nap throughout the day and organize a relative to pick up husband, but of course, his mother never goes out of her way to help with anything! I lye down with a stomach ache and baby is kicking my insides so much it hurts. I spend the rest of my time trying to sort out medical appointments beurocracy and snap at several phone clerks who have no information for me and I can't be bothered dealing with that shit. I manage to book a Physio appointment for tomorrow morning. 12am sudden tingling sensation in my left foot. Horror stories of mums discectomy and resulting paralysis from sciatica which started the same way freak me out. Too tired to sleep, too much in pain to stay awake. Can't even lye in the couch comfortably to watch tv, makes back pain worse And I know all this will seem like a speck of dust tomorrow morning i hope after a good nights sleep. Thanks for listening and good night fellow preggies
Re: **The Everything Random Thread for April Mamas**
Oh man that's too funny! I wish someone would buy the post partum mama cloth I have on my registry, but I'm totally cool with that not being a thing at the same time lol. It isn't really that different from buying someone breastpads is it?
@knottie9983816 Ugh... That's annoying. My dad isn't religious at all (he's a very loud and proud atheist), but he's the type who thinks all children should be born in wedlock, since he had a kid in high school and never got to meet him and have a parental relationship with him. I hate listening to him talk down about couples who have kids but are not married or got engaged after their child was born. He freaked out over the idea of my sister or I getting on birth control. Hello? That would help prevent us from having babies before marriage! My mom finally had to put her foot down and say we were getting it whether he liked it or not, since it was our bodies and we had other reasons beyond sex for getting on it (my sister has a hormonal imbalance that causes migraines, while I started showing signs of endometriosis at about 16 along with the migraines).
My brother is assembling this for me out of 2x4's, painting the branches black, and the frame white. I'll go back over it with some kind of design painted on the frame.
This will be with clear craft beads at the bottom and black branches.
Also, DH let me have time to use my new sewing machine. It's been so long since I've seen anything that I had to remind myself the patterns for things that I used to make all of the time.
ETA: I blame my husband. Him and his siblings being stupid and all coming after their EDD. ALL FOUR of them...
Your labor prediction quiz results are below.....
I know you were hoping we weren't going to say this, but don't expect this baby to come early. Your baby is nice and comfy tucked away in your womb and has no interest in joining the rest of the world. We predict your baby will be born after its due date. Your baby will most likely be born in the morning. Justmommies predicts that your baby will weigh approximately 7.3 pounds and that your labor will be about 12 hours long.
This is for entertainment purposes only.
I am ok with this. I do not want her to come early because it would really put a pinch in my vacation plans at the end of my maternity leave. lol Keep on cooking, baby.@AmadorRose I've actually heard that bigger babies can be "less painful" (whatever the heck "less" means, when it comes to said watermelon...) than smaller babies. In my readings, it actually does make some sense scientifically, specifically if their head is bigger. When the baby's head comes out, it stretches and flattens the nerves in the perineum, actually causing them to go numb. If the head is bigger, its going to cause those nerve endings to be even more stretched, so a much better chance of "numbing" the pain to a point. If the head isn't quite as big, they wouldn't be as stretched so there may be more feeling in the nerve endings still.
So this past week, she went to the doctor and her blood pressure was so high that they wanted to send her to the hospital (she did some breathing exercises and was able to get it down enough to not go). She came back to work on Thursday and just couldn't handle being there, so she decided to exercise control over pretty much the only problem she has control over, and wrote a letter of resignation. Her department is being wonderfully supportive, encouraging her to take short-term disability or at least an unpaid leave of absence, as they don't want to lose her. At a minimum, they were going to wait until today to accept her resignation, so that she would have benefits through the end of February instead of losing them as of today. I'm really hoping she'll take the short-term disability, but she sounded very against it, since she does not plan to return. It does sound like she has some cushion for a month or two, financially, and she's no longer contemplating suicide, and her parents and one other close friend are also aware now of everything that's been going on.
From a totally selfish perspective, I'm really sad that she didn't feel able to confide in me more over the past few months, although I recognize that's mostly about her and not about me. I'd like to think I could have been more supportive if I'd had any idea how stressed out she was, and I feel terrible thinking that something horrible could have happened if she hadn't recognized that she needed to change something immediately
What a selfish human being... I cannot believe. I am so angry!
https://deadstate.org/anti-vaccine-doctor-i-frankly-dont-care-if-my-child-gets-other-children-fatally-sick/
How does one become a cardiologist if one is also able to believe that vaccines cause leukemia???
Of course I had to see if he was still in business. Top holistic doctor 2011, direct pay at time of visit...the fact people go to someone like him makes me scared for humanity
So vaccines cause leukemia now? Who woulda thought it.
I've been crying all day about this and my counselor at university was trying to explain to me how impossible it would be for me to go through with the semester as my due date falls on top of two examinations and I risk failing everything. So I had to take the hard choice and choose to go on maternity leave and fall even further behind on my studies so we can stay in Sweden.
At least now I don't have to worry about DH missing the birth, I know which hospital I will be giving birth in and I can enjoy my little man for 4 months before I have to start working again. Another plus side, I can start setting up a nursery corner for him in our bedroom!
So I guess Sweden it is (at least until the end of summer).
@thaisac1 I still can't believe we are debating this. It's not a debate, it's science! But I guess if there are fools questioning the roundness of the earth, then I shouldn't be that surprised. People are stupid.
@elasticheart13 I'm so sorry to hear that this whole situation is not working out quite as you had hoped. I hope you can find comfort in all the positives that you mentioned - your DH will be there for the birth, no more hospital/birth location uncertainty, you won't be failing your courses, you get to enjoy time with your baby. I think at least having more certainty about where you will be giving birth has to be a huge bonus right now.
additional info: that's $52 WITH A 30% off coupon. I'm only allowed to pick 3 colors and since I'm team green, the shower is all the bright primary colors so I was planning on supplementing with the valentine's day color mix that's out right now (so I got the personalized, mostly 'boy' colors.) The candies have baby feet on one side and "Baby [our last name]" on the other side.
It feels like a ridiculous amount and like I should just get the regular old bag of M&Ms that has all the bright colors anyway (side cute factor: DH and I both have names that start with M.)