@elasticheart13 my friend who is a L&D nurse had someone to flat out decline an IV. The lady got dehydrated during labor and she wasn't getting enough fluids to the baby either and she had to have a stat c-section so she still ended up with an IV.
So I registered for a rock n play and a swing... the day I thought about taking the swing off the registry my grandparents bought it for us... I haven't unboxed it yet because I'm still debating whether or not I want to return it and get some of the other essentials (my BFF bought the rock n play which I think will be way handier)... thoughts... suggestions?
It is SO dependent on the baby - with DS we had EVERYTHING - swing, bouncer, vibrating seat, RnP.. he only liked the RnP. This time around, I was hesitant to get much of anything else because of him. The only reason I got a swing this time around is because I found this Graco Duet Connect one brand new at the "dented box store" (Bargain Hunt - Target and other stores give them the things that they can't put out on the shelves due to shipping damage to boxes, overstock, etc and sell it for stupid cheap) and I paid less than 50$ for it. (I also got a brand new PnP for less than 50$ and a new RnP for 25$.. on a money saving roll over here, haha). Anyways, it's a swing and a bouncer in one, so I figured at that price I'd give it a shot and we will see what this little lady likes. I could resell for what I paid easily if I don't end up needing it. Point being, if somebody else bought it, I'd be inclined to keep.. OR return and get some essentials plus a small travel sized swing. Best of both worlds?
Thanks lady! Now I just have to wait and see if I go over my due date, because I'm signed up to take a pediatric life support class the day after I'm due...my supervisor won't let me back out so that should be interesting!
@cmjenkies Hmm, you do have a great point. I just hate the sensation of that tube in my arm, I'm so scared of bending my elbow haha.
@imrachellea yeah, when I was admitted for my surgery last month I had it in the elbow bending and I hated it so much. When I went in for surgery I got it in the backhand and it was much more comfortable, so perhaps I should request that they avoid uncomfortable locations. My worry is that I won't feel like I can move during labor or hold on to anything because it's annoying and painful.
@Knottie9983816 Haha I must have missed that thread or blissfully ignored it
@AmadorRose it makes sense that they'd need quick access even though I hate getting painkillers directly through an IV drop. When I had morphine after the surgery it made me very uneasy and I preferred to have it injected in my thigh which gave me a slow absorption of it.
@elasticheart13 my hospital puts in a hep-lock when you are fully admitted. They numbed my arm and used a hollow needle to insert it, but then it's just a flexible tube with a stopper taped to your forearm. You're not actually attached to anything until you need something, so you can still move around. You have to have at least one bag of fluids before an epidural can be placed so it was used for that and for the pitocin. Like others have said, they also use them for antibiotics if needed, short term pain meds if requested and for general anesthesia if you need an immediate ECS and haven't had an epidural.
Yeah, this hospital did the same thing last time I was admitted but I did not know it was flexible to be honest. It just felt really uncomfortable and I was too scared to bend my elbow or do anything and was hoping I could avoid it.
@elasticheart13 my friend who is a L&D nurse had someone to flat out decline an IV. The lady got dehydrated during labor and she wasn't getting enough fluids to the baby either and she had to have a stat c-section so she still ended up with an IV.
Oh man, that would stress me out. Dammit! Looks like I'm getting the IV after all haha.
So I was just reading up on the Group B swab that I am having to get done at my next OB appointment. Am I reading correctly that it's a vaginal AND rectal swab?
I woke up with my throat on fire and it has only gotten progressively worse throughout the day!! i really hope this isn't going to turn into something else and is just a slight cold. I can't find any relief for it ugh
ETA: this bug has been going around my store and I'm pretty sure i caught it from one of my employees. They've all experienced fevers though. (Ps don't freak I don't let them work when I find out they're sick! Chipotle is still safe!) I don't think I have a fever, but I can't tell. I'm always having hot and cold flashes. My irrational pregnant brain jumped straight to taking a Tylenol just in case I do have a fever. But I haven't. Any thoughts on my irrational thinking right now!?
@yodiggity my midwife prepared me for it at my last appointment. She gives the option of swabbing yourself and she'll do it if you're uncomfortable with it. I like to make Herman the hemorrhoid my little secret (at least until birth), so it looks like I'll be giving myself a rectal swab. I figure it's not the worst thing that's going to happen in the next couple of months.
@elasticheart13 I'm hoping it's not too demanding because chest compressions were killing me after just a couple of minutes today. Maybe I'll bring a medicine ball for the classroom portion instead of their awful plastic chairs!
@kalanieileen Ah man, that sucks I've been feeling pretty crappy all day and I think it was my body fighting off some virus I had picked up from my friends. My immune system did not let me down luckily.
But you should probably have your temperature checked, stay well hydrated and big creepy hugs from me
@elasticheart13 my hospital puts in a hep-lock when you are fully admitted. They numbed my arm and used a hollow needle to insert it, but then it's just a flexible tube with a stopper taped to your forearm. You're not actually attached to anything until you need something, so you can still move around. You have to have at least one bag of fluids before an epidural can be placed so it was used for that and for the pitocin. Like others have said, they also use them for antibiotics if needed, short term pain meds if requested and for general anesthesia if you need an immediate ECS and haven't had an epidural.
Yeah, this hospital did the same thing last time I was admitted but I did not know it was flexible to be honest. It just felt really uncomfortable and I was too scared to bend my elbow or do anything and was hoping I could avoid it.
I would definitely request it in your forearm then - if that bends you have bigger worries! They also have mesh covers they can put around them to make sure you can't snag them on anything.
@AmadorRose Congrats! And welcome to the ACLS club! FYI, you will need to recertify every 2 years. If you do it before your card expires, you can do an abbreviated, 1day refresher course. But if you let it expire, you will need to do the whole 2-day course all over again...
@AmadorRose Congrats! And welcome to the ACLS club! FYI, you will need to recertify every 2 years. If you do it before your card expires, you can do an abbreviated, 1day refresher course. But if you let it expire, you will need to do the whole 2-day course all over again...
Fortunately, there's a place on post dedicated to training medics so the class will likely be offered every month or two, so I should be set to recert shortly after I get back from my next deployment. Now I just wait for the guy at the hospital to put my name on a card and send it to me...and it's definitely getting laminated
@cmjenkies@AmadorRose My dogs are all less than 25 pounds, but if I couldn't nap with the 3 of them I don't think I would get any sleep at all anymore. Something about the rhythm of their breathing (and one snorer) is just about the only thing that lets me get little bits of rest.
That said, until having animals myself, I never realized how divisive this issue was! My mom first visited me when I got my first dog 11 years ago, saw her climb onto my bed, and was HORRIFIED. Called it disgusting, unhygenic, etc etc. Other friends have told me "if your baby is going to sleep in your bed, your dogs can never go on there again". It's just a very clear line for them.
@Missingchampagne my 10-month old is a lab/GSD mix and weighs about 70 pounds. She likes to cuddle on the couch with us but there's no way there'd be room for her on the bed. The only time she was allowed was shortly after we got her (about 50 lbs ago) and was so sick we rushed her to the emergency vet. She also gets up every hour or so and patrols the house and I don't want her waking me up so she has a dog bed right next to my side of the bed. The puppy is a malamute mix and from looking at her dad, her paws, and the way she eats, she'll easily hit 90 lbs in the next year.
As as far as it being unhygienic...their dander is already floating through the air and landing on the bed anyway. They're treated regularly for fleas and ticks...so I don't see the difference in them laying in the bed or laying on the floor next to the bed. I also wash my bedding religiously because of DH's susceptibility to the dander, so it doesn't bother me when jungle cat jumps on the bed with us. He just wants to be part of the family!
@Missingchampagne my 10-month old is a lab/GSD mix and weighs about 70 pounds. She likes to cuddle on the couch with us but there's no way there'd be room for her on the bed. The only time she was allowed was shortly after we got her (about 50 lbs ago) and was so sick we rushed her to the emergency vet. She also gets up every hour or so and patrols the house and I don't want her waking me up so she has a dog bed right next to my side of the bed. The puppy is a malamute mix and from looking at her dad, her paws, and the way she eats, she'll easily hit 90 lbs in the next year.
As as far as it being unhygienic...their dander is already floating through the air and landing on the bed anyway. They're treated regularly for fleas and ticks...so I don't see the difference in them laying in the bed or laying on the floor next to the bed. I also wash my bedding religiously because of DH's susceptibility to the dander, so it doesn't bother me when jungle cat jumps on the bed with us. He just wants to be part of the family!
To me it has little to do with dander, which indeed is all over. It's more about how they don't wear underwear and their crotch and butt will be on the blankets, which is gross because they don't wipe. They also sometimes step in their own pee and shit, which will be on their paws. One of my dogs also likes to lift his leg on the house or fence when he pees and it often splashes back on his legs and this can also get tracked in.
Well after assembling the rock n play, swing, pack n play, washing every shred of baby anything we recently amassed, and setting up the nursery, I think I can finally add my nursery pics to the thread tomorrow. Just not tonight because the pack n play is too wide to fit out the door assembled, and I'm too tired to move it out of the room tonight...
@RoseShadow873 my dogs do enough licking themselves that I'm not worried about their crotches on my sheets. Plus, I prefer to sleep naked (in undies now with all the discharge, but still) so that doesn't bother me either. I'm probably the least-germaphobic person I know, so there's that.
I let my pups on the bed but SO doesn't. So they only get to hang out on the bed if he's not home or if they sneak up there. Every once in a while he will cuddle one of them on the couch, usually it's the pit since she's the cuddler. My Shar pei mix wants to be petted and loved for about a minute before she's good to go sleep at the top of the stairs and keep street watch.
PSA: If you need nursing tops!!!! I bought these off of amazon and they are actually pretty adorable and will seem to work great! You get three in the pack! There's plenty of room for LO's head to fit and stay all covered. So much easier than fiddling with a blanket while both of you are learning!
Since we are on the subject, any nursing tanks you ladies recommend? I have no nursing tanks or nursing bras yet and the what-to-wear-in-labor thread is making me feel like I'm behind! What are your recs????
p.s. My hubby's work is throwing us a lunch baby shower today! He's been there for 12 years, they absolutely adore him and I can't wait. I am also super nervous for some reason!
@emgee27...I really liked the Gillian & O'Malley shelf camis from Target with DD. I carry around a huge rack and they supported me well. Plus they were long enough that they showed at the bottom of my regular shirts, which is how I wear most clothes. The straps are a little wider which is nice, but I don't like the ones that are fabric to the tops of the shoulders...just the ones that are elastic all the way. I am not a good person to give advice on bras though...I am incredibly picky when it comes to those. And am never satisfied. I would suggest trying a few different kinds on to see what you prefer. So many different fit styles to choose from.
I have to share about how cute DD was this morning. My dad flew in for the Daytona 500, so she stayed home with him Monday/Tuesday instead of going to daycare. She usually has a bit of a rough time transitioning Monday mornings to daycare after being with us all weekend, so I assumed it would be a little exaggerated after being home two extra days. So I squatted down on the floor with her when I took her to her classroom and she was clinging so me, but at least not clawing to get back into my arms. Two of her little friends ran over to her and were smiling and saying "Hi A*****, Hi A******!!!!!", super excited to see her after four days away. I asked her if she wanted to give her friends a hug and she immediately proceeds to give both of them great big hugs...and then leans in for the kiss LOL! After she plants a big one on each of them, she starts chasing the boy around (we joke and call him her little boyfriend, they run around the playground holding hands), both of them giggling, trying to keep kissing him. So that was how I left her this morning. Made it so much easier to say goodbye with her laughing and playing and OMG how cute are two year olds?! (sometimes...)
I don't feel good today. Can I have a magical fairy arrive and feed me/rub my back? Everything hurts, like it does when I'm fevered, but I'm not fevered, and when I sit up I see stars. I knew assembling all that nursery stuff and being up and around was too much on the one day I have to teach >.<
Also glad someone pointed out today is a full moon. The kids I had in my class last night were behaving like wild animals and I went into the bathroom to cry between classes because of it.
I woke up at 4:30am and could NOT get back to sleep. I had this uneasy feeling like I had forgotten my dog out in the rain or something. I did get up and realized I had forgotten to put the water bowl back on the floor after filling it up but I don't think that had anything to do with it.
Today I have the bubble guts. I'm not sure why my anxiety is so out of whack. Is that normal at this stage in the game?
@emgee27 I bought two from target in preparation because I'm an active member of go the IBTC so I don't particularly like wearing bras if I don't have to. I'm not sure what the brand is but they have thick elastic straps and it's compression, which I like normally and think will be comforting as my insidey parts readjust. I've already been wearing them and my only complaint is that the little string attached to the bottom of the cup area to keep everything together makes my nipples itch if not adjusted properly. The snaps are super easy, the material is soft, and I really like them overall despite the price tag of $25, which I thought was ridiculous but everything maternity and nursing related is overpriced.
@briterfly84 Thanks for the tip! I used to love shelf tanks but haven't had any in a few years so thanks for the suggestion. Especially good to know they are long enough for you - shirts that run short in length annoy me!
@AmadorRose so true, they are so overpriced! I looked at some of the Target options and saw some prices and wondered if I should just go to a fancier store because of it. I also only saw a few options without underwire (which just sounds like TORTURE) but this was a smaller Target. I like the idea of compression though so I'll be on the lookout for that!
My first thought was: "This is terrible, selecting the sex of a baby is not natural, it is not up to us to decide." Then I reflected upon this and realized that, well, IVF in itself is not natural either, and if it wasn't for IVF my husband and I would never have a baby. So how much medical intervention is ok, and how much is too much?
After really thinking about it and letting go of some pre-conceived ideas, I concluded I am OK with this. I wouldn't do it myself, but in the grand scheme of things, I don't see any harm or disadvantages for them as a family.
Re: **The Everything Random Thread for April Mamas**
Me- 25,DH-28
@imrachellea yeah, when I was admitted for my surgery last month I had it in the elbow bending and I hated it so much. When I went in for surgery I got it in the backhand and it was much more comfortable, so perhaps I should request that they avoid uncomfortable locations. My worry is that I won't feel like I can move during labor or hold on to anything because it's annoying and painful.
@Knottie9983816 Haha I must have missed that thread or blissfully ignored it
@AmadorRose it makes sense that they'd need quick access even though I hate getting painkillers directly through an IV drop. When I had morphine after the surgery it made me very uneasy and I preferred to have it injected in my thigh which gave me a slow absorption of it.
Oh man, that would stress me out. Dammit! Looks like I'm getting the IV after all haha.
ETA: this bug has been going around my store and I'm pretty sure i caught it from one of my employees. They've all experienced fevers though. (Ps don't freak I don't let them work when I find out they're sick! Chipotle is still safe!) I don't think I have a fever, but I can't tell. I'm always having hot and cold flashes. My irrational pregnant brain jumped straight to taking a Tylenol just in case I do have a fever. But I haven't. Any thoughts on my irrational thinking right now!?
@elasticheart13 I'm hoping it's not too demanding because chest compressions were killing me after just a couple of minutes today. Maybe I'll bring a medicine ball for the classroom portion instead of their awful plastic chairs!
But you should probably have your temperature checked, stay well hydrated and big creepy hugs from me
FYI, you will need to recertify every 2 years. If you do it before your card expires, you can do an abbreviated, 1day refresher course. But if you let it expire, you will need to do the whole 2-day course all over again...
That said, until having animals myself, I never realized how divisive this issue was! My mom first visited me when I got my first dog 11 years ago, saw her climb onto my bed, and was HORRIFIED. Called it disgusting, unhygenic, etc etc. Other friends have told me "if your baby is going to sleep in your bed, your dogs can never go on there again". It's just a very clear line for them.
As as far as it being unhygienic...their dander is already floating through the air and landing on the bed anyway. They're treated regularly for fleas and ticks...so I don't see the difference in them laying in the bed or laying on the floor next to the bed. I also wash my bedding religiously because of DH's susceptibility to the dander, so it doesn't bother me when jungle cat jumps on the bed with us. He just wants to be part of the family!
p.s. My hubby's work is throwing us a lunch baby shower today! He's been there for 12 years, they absolutely adore him and I can't wait. I am also super nervous for some reason!
Also glad someone pointed out today is a full moon. The kids I had in my class last night were behaving like wild animals and I went into the bathroom to cry between classes because of it.
Today I have the bubble guts. I'm not sure why my anxiety is so out of whack. Is that normal at this stage in the game?
@AmadorRose so true, they are so overpriced! I looked at some of the Target options and saw some prices and wondered if I should just go to a fancier store because of it. I also only saw a few options without underwire (which just sounds like TORTURE) but this was a smaller Target. I like the idea of compression though so I'll be on the lookout for that!
My first thought was: "This is terrible, selecting the sex of a baby is not natural, it is not up to us to decide." Then I reflected upon this and realized that, well, IVF in itself is not natural either, and if it wasn't for IVF my husband and I would never have a baby. So how much medical intervention is ok, and how much is too much?
After really thinking about it and letting go of some pre-conceived ideas, I concluded I am OK with this. I wouldn't do it myself, but in the grand scheme of things, I don't see any harm or disadvantages for them as a family.
Look forward to your thoughts.