@canavara I had BH pretty early last time, 20ish weeks? And I think I had a couple the other day at 16 weeks. I don't feel like I ever worried about them unless they started making a pattern and I felt like I could time them. If they're extremely painful, don't go away if you lay down and drink lots of water or are coming in regular intervals call your doctor, but otherwise? Nah, you're okay, your uterus is just an overachiever who wants to practice.
@canavara I'm 15 weeks and have had some BH this week. I'm teaching a cooking camp in the morning and I've been on my feet a lot more than normal. They come and go and are never regular. As soon as I feel them, I drink water right away to make sure I'm hydrated, and try and stop and sit for a few minutes. I think last time I started noticing them around 20 weeks or so.
@canavara yes. Worried now. I wasn't worried with my daughter, because I was naive and the world used to shit rainbows when I was pregnant with her. I hate bh now. They scare me. I try to avoid timing them. They are uncomfortable and last a long time (3+ minutes each). When I have them, I chug 1 full glass of water, because the uterus is a muscle, and dehydration causes contractions.
I had BH around 14weeks with my last 2. Felt so odd, like all the sudden I had a softball in my stomach and it was hard to breathe. So far I haven't had any this time. If you're concerned, I'd bring it up with your OB. I'm betting like @ThePax89 said that it might be due to dehydration?
@TinaBelcher I had a swivel glider arm chair thing (much like the gray one someone posted above) in the nursery. I hated it because I'm short and it was too deep for me. My feet wouldn't touch the floor because of this, so I actually couldn't rock. It was bought as a present for me (by my inlaws), so I couldn't get rid of it. I didn't ask for it or get to pick it out or I would have noticed that it wasn't right for me. It killed my back. I spent many an uncomfortable night in it holding LO.
This time around I'm getting a recliner. I remember on those long nights holding baby just wishing that I could recline a little bit and get more comfortable. This lasted quite some time for us. Teething is no joke and can make for some long nights. FYI, I didn't nurse. LO was bottle fed, so I don't know about the dangers of getting too comfortable with LO and possibly falling asleep while nursing.
@katesmama0706@nolemomma14@thepax89@mommywesley Thanks for talking me down from a full-on freakout I have an OB appt tomorrow so I'm probably going to bring it up then but I was having all sorts of visions in my head of my cervix just opening up and the baby falling out last night. I don't think I've been drinking enough water but it has been so hard to up my game there for some reason. I used to drink a gallon a day pre-pregnancy and now I'm struggling with just 64-80oz.
@canavara I had BH pretty early last time, 20ish weeks? And I think I had a couple the other day at 16 weeks. I don't feel like I ever worried about them unless they started making a pattern and I felt like I could time them. If they're extremely painful, don't go away if you lay down and drink lots of water or are coming in regular intervals call your doctor, but otherwise? Nah, you're okay, your uterus is just an overachiever who wants to practice.
@TinaBelcher as others have said, you don't HAVE to have a glider but I personally loved the hell out of mine and still do. Probably my favorite part is that the ottoman glides with you with very little effort and it would sooth DD to sleep every time. I'm sure it is dangerous to fall asleep with LO in the chair with you but I was definitely guilty of that happening on several occasions. Those first few months are hard yo.
I have a question for moms with 2+ kids already. Have any of you used those monitors that have two separate cameras that feed into one monitor/screen? Did you have to toggle back and forth between cameras to view the two rooms? What about sound? Could you only listen to one at a time?
DD will be 3 when this baby is born but I am far from ready to give up the monitor in her room. What brands do you recommend or if you had bad experiences with any, what were they?
Omg falling asleep at the drop of a hat was so real those first few weeks.
Example: For many reasons I ended up exclusively pumping. I hadn't been prepared with a hands free pump bra so the first week I had to hold the bottles while pumping. Problem was pumping made me pass right out and then I'd drop the bottles and spill milk everywhere. My husband literally had to sit next to me and feed me a popsicle to keep me awake. If he delayed at all in the frequency of offering popsicle bites I'd fall asleep. The exhaustion is real.
@adorebella Right?? No idea why pumping knocked me out so much. I too exclusively pumped for a number of reasons.
I will recommend for any mom that is going to pump at all, invest in a hands free pumping bra, it is a life saver. You can also cut holes in a sports bra or other hacks like that but I loved my hands free bra. I used the simple wishes hands free bra. It was awesome because it zips up the front, has removeable straps if you wanted straps and the back velcroes so you can adjust the size. They also include an extra zipper piece in case you need it wider in the front for where your nipples are. I would just unsnap my nursing bra and then wrap this around me so I didn't have to switch bras or anything. Having your hands free while pumping is huge...even if you just look at things on your phone or tablet while you pump.
@TinaBelcher my gliding sofa chair plus ottoman was a lifesaver. I spent so much time in it and it was so comfortable for me. Granted, I have tailbone trauma from delivering my daughter and couldn't sit on most surfaces. It gives you kind of a boost when you are getting up too. But, even if I didn't have to deal with that, nursing and rocking in the wee hours of the night require something comfortable. I found mine at a consignment store for a fraction of the cost and it was the perfect mint and white tiny checkered pattern so I had to have it.
@LastMango. I'm in a similar position. DS will be 2.5 when baby is born and I definitely still want the monitor in his room. He started off with just a monitor for noise, no video. Eventually we bought a camera from Amazon, a sumsung one, and you download the app and can have it on your phone. I think, our plan for this one is to leave the camera in DS1s room and have the other monitor in the baby's room to start. Eventually I would like to get a camera for the second baby, although the it's another boy, so there's a good chance they will share a room once he's sleeping through the night!
@LastMango we have a Motorola video monitor that can have up to 4 cameras but I freaking hate it. At first it was awesome then one day the parent unit would only pick up the signal from the camera if it was in a specific spot and at a specific angle on my nightstand. And even then it cuts out a lot. I was looking at reviews for an Angel care(???) split screen monitor the other day. I'm considering going that way this time but I wanna do more research. Our Motorola had good reviews on 3 sites but when I googled the specific issue we had it turned out to be super common.
@LastMango: We have a VTech, but it is not split screen you do have to press a button to switch back and forth between cameras. Right now we have a Tommee Tippee video monitor in DS1s room and a VTech video monitor in DS2s room. I have not actually tried to use the Vtech with 2 cameras because of the screen switching thing, and you only get sound from one camera, I think. Honestly the review for multiple camera monitors I was looking at was not great 2 years ago, so I just got a different video monitor all together for the other room. We just have two monitor screens in our living room with us at night. No big deal. Not sure what we will do with 3 kids in 3 rooms when this baby comes.
ETA: I am very happy with the Vtech brand and have had no issues with the camera at all. Maybe they make better multi camera models now. I have also had a great experience with the Tommee Tippee monitor we have had for 4 years, but I am not sure they sell them in the US anymore.
@lastmango I bought the summer handheld video system and used it for my daughter and then 2 yrs later bought a second camera and still use it for both kids now. Yes each room has a camera installed and then I toggle back and forth between rooms when I want to check on them. My kids are 7 & 5 so we don't need it but it's nice when I hear a noise in the night or when they are sick. I will put the camera from th 7yr olds room into the new babies room once he arrives.
We are going to convert our office into the nursery. We're going to have to buy all new furniture for the room (I hiiiighly doubt the desk, couch & filing cabinet will be helpful for baby). Where's the best places to get nursery furniture without it costing me the price of my mortgage?
@kelseyh62 we got our crib from Walmart and it came with the mattress. I got a dresser from a yard sale page and refinished it into a changing table. If you don't mind used always check out Facebook yard sale pages in your area there's always baby furniture.
Our RainbowBaby H arrived at 37 weeks on 12/20/16!
Baby E arrived at 37 weeks on 01/31/15!
Married my Marine 05.23.14
*TW* TWIN LOSS 7.2.15 BFP 9.7.15 CP BFP 12.31.15 MC 2.28.16 BFP 10.14.17 CP BFP 3.10.18 D&C 4.13.18
We are going to convert our office into the nursery. We're going to have to buy all new furniture for the room (I hiiiighly doubt the desk, couch & filing cabinet will be helpful for baby). Where's the best places to get nursery furniture without it costing me the price of my mortgage?
I second walmart; I'm pretty sure we got the crib and the mattress for under $200. Our dresser was second hand and we decided against a changing table; some friends told us it was something we likely wouldn't use unless we were already in the room and since DD had a huge closet at our apartment we didn't feel the need for the storage it would offer. Nurseries can cost a fortune to furnish, but they don't HAVE to
I'll check those places out. We are definitely planning on having multiple kids, so I want to make sure this furniture will last for a while too. Sheesh, I feel like time is flying by and there's so much to research/do!
@LJ623, I swear by the whale tub that costs a fraction of the cost of others, dries easily and can be slid behind stuff or as we did, put on top of the fridge with all the bath stuff in it. It's my go to baby shower gift. I originally had a high tech baby bath but our son nearly slid off it into the other side of the sink with the newborn thing. My Mom got us a whale tub at Once Upon a Child and I sold the fancy one on a fb site.
@kelseyh62 we found our nursery furniture at JC Penneys for our son. It was inexpensive, durable and beautiful. Can't wait to use it again with this next one.
I'll check those places out. We are definitely planning on having multiple kids, so I want to make sure this furniture will last for a while too. Sheesh, I feel like time is flying by and there's so much to research/do!
The crib I got from Walmart is a convertible one, so we'll also be able to use it for a toddler bed, twin bed, day bed, and full bed if we want to. We plan to get the same kind for this LO- why buy several beds down the road when you can buy one and be done?
Don't waste money on a changing table. Get a low dresser and put a changing pad on it. Then when the baby outgrows diapers, it's just a dresser. We have an 8 drawer HEMNES dresser from IKEA and it is the perfect height for diaper changes. Plus, it fits a ton of stuff in it.
@sagoon that's what we did. We put the changing pad on a non-slip mat on top of his dresser. We got this crib convertible set from JCPenny (crib has 4 positions and converts to toddler and double bed with conversion pieces).
Don't waste money on a changing table. Get a low dresser and put a changing pad on it. Then when the baby outgrows diapers, it's just a dresser. We have an 8 drawer HEMNES dresser from IKEA and it is the perfect height for diaper changes. Plus, it fits a ton of stuff in it.
We have this one:
This is the exact dresser that is in the nursery waiting to be put together! We also got an IKEA crib, too.
I'm not a fan of having big items to store or clean out. We used an infant bath chair that folds in half and can be stored in a teenie space.
(Stock photo, not my kid)
i apply that "no-big-crap" ideology to most practical things though. It's why I refused to buy a baby potty chair that I would have to store and clean (ew), we bought a new toilet seat that has a drop down baby seat - it's awesome. (Again, not me. Haha)
I also highly recommend this bath sponge to put in the plastic bath tub. It makes it so much more comfy and secure for baby. It dries quickly and can be easily compressed to pack with you. And it's cheap!
Thanks for asking about this @canavara. I think I definitely experienced some BH contractions today and they freaked me out, but I was definitely dehydrated so I just chugged a ton of water and hopefully they stop. Not painful in the least bit, but just a weird, tight, uncomfortable feeling. I usually am pretty good with my hydration, so i'm hoping this is the culprit. Even though they say they're harmless, it's still scary. Thanks to all of the STMs for your thoughtful answers!!
@LastMango, yep! Fits into any sink and was nice to transition DS into the sink when he was too big for the whale tub. Like @ThePax89 he just sat in the big part when he got older then gained his courage to go into the sink (he was a little nervous of water at first but now loves splish splash time).
@Wholesome we have the same toilet seat and love it! Also like that the lid closes slowly and doesn't slam down!
Question for third time moms: I know with hormones/change of lifestyle/sleep deprivation that many couples seriously struggle after the birth of their first child. God knows we did. I would say that by 7 months, it chilled a lot. So the question is: is the arguing better the second time around?
@ThePax89 you still have the hormones raging in the beginning but because you have both done the newborn thing before it does seem a bit less stressful since you have been there before. I'm sure y'all will know more how to help each other through it more as opposed to literal survival mode. Before delivery is also a good time for you two to talk about what happened the last time and discuss how you can help each other better this time around.
We bought that whale tub mentioned earlier on this page of the thread a couple of weeks ago and then a few days ago were made frighteningly aware of the reality that sometimes babies just looooooove to pee in the tub. Those of you who have the whale tub or similar smaller tubs instead of just the little blocks that you rest the baby on in a full-sized bathtub, how'd you go about the times your baby peed in them? Do you drain the entire thing out and start over or do you just call it a day and say "welp, pee is sterile and it's not like it's much...." ?
We bought that whale tub mentioned earlier on this page of the thread a couple of weeks ago and then a few days ago were made frighteningly aware of the reality that sometimes babies just looooooove to pee in the tub. Those of you who have the whale tub or similar smaller tubs instead of just the little blocks that you rest the baby on in a full-sized bathtub, how'd you go about the times your baby peed in them? Do you drain the entire thing out and start over or do you just call it a day and say "welp, pee is sterile and it's not like it's much...." ?
Team oh well, it's just pee over here. Poop on the other hand? Because shit happens.
Re: Ask a STM+ Week of 8/1
DS1 - 03/31/2006
DS2 - 12/31/2008
DS3 - 06/26/2012
DS4 - 08/07/2014
This time around I'm getting a recliner. I remember on those long nights holding baby just wishing that I could recline a little bit and get more comfortable. This lasted quite some time for us. Teething is no joke and can make for some long nights. FYI, I didn't nurse. LO was bottle fed, so I don't know about the dangers of getting too comfortable with LO and possibly falling asleep while nursing.
DD will be 3 when this baby is born but I am far from ready to give up the monitor in her room. What brands do you recommend or if you had bad experiences with any, what were they?
Example: For many reasons I ended up exclusively pumping. I hadn't been prepared with a hands free pump bra so the first week I had to hold the bottles while pumping. Problem was pumping made me pass right out and then I'd drop the bottles and spill milk everywhere. My husband literally had to sit next to me and feed me a popsicle to keep me awake. If he delayed at all in the frequency of offering popsicle bites I'd fall asleep. The exhaustion is real.
@adorebella Right?? No idea why pumping knocked me out so much. I too exclusively pumped for a number of reasons.
I will recommend for any mom that is going to pump at all, invest in a hands free pumping bra, it is a life saver. You can also cut holes in a sports bra or other hacks like that but I loved my hands free bra. I used the simple wishes hands free bra. It was awesome because it zips up the front, has removeable straps if you wanted straps and the back velcroes so you can adjust the size. They also include an extra zipper piece in case you need it wider in the front for where your nipples are. I would just unsnap my nursing bra and then wrap this around me so I didn't have to switch bras or anything. Having your hands free while pumping is huge...even if you just look at things on your phone or tablet while you pump.
I was looking at reviews for an Angel care(???) split screen monitor the other day. I'm considering going that way this time but I wanna do more research. Our Motorola had good reviews on 3 sites but when I googled the specific issue we had it turned out to be super common.
@LastMango: We have a VTech, but it is not split screen you do have to press a button to switch back and forth between cameras. Right now we have a Tommee Tippee video monitor in DS1s room and a VTech video monitor in DS2s room. I have not actually tried to use the Vtech with 2 cameras because of the screen switching thing, and you only get sound from one camera, I think. Honestly the review for multiple camera monitors I was looking at was not great 2 years ago, so I just got a different video monitor all together for the other room. We just have two monitor screens in our living room with us at night. No big deal. Not sure what we will do with 3 kids in 3 rooms when this baby comes.
ETA: I am very happy with the Vtech brand and have had no issues with the camera at all. Maybe they make better multi camera models now. I have also had a great experience with the Tommee Tippee monitor we have had for 4 years, but I am not sure they sell them in the US anymore.
DS2: 11/5/14
*TW*
TWIN LOSS 7.2.15
BFP 9.7.15 CP
BFP 12.31.15 MC 2.28.16
BFP 10.14.17 CP
BFP 3.10.18 D&C 4.13.18
@kelseyh62 we found our nursery furniture at JC Penneys for our son. It was inexpensive, durable and beautiful. Can't wait to use it again with this next one.
We have this one:
Jan17 Sept Sig: Pumpkin Spice gone too far
(Stock photo, not my kid)
i apply that "no-big-crap" ideology to most practical things though. It's why I refused to buy a baby potty chair that I would have to store and clean (ew), we bought a new toilet seat that has a drop down baby seat - it's awesome.
(Again, not me. Haha)
@Wholesome we have the same toilet seat and love it! Also like that the lid closes slowly and doesn't slam down!
Due 1/21/17