FTM Check-in: Week of 5/15

jacksonbears · May 2017

How far along are you?

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go?

Cravings?

Rants/Raves?

Questions for FTM, STM+?

GTKY: What's a bad habit that you're guilty of, either you still do it or you stopped (biting nails, etc)?

jacksonbears · May 2017

How far along are you? 26 weeks and 4 days!

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go? Next week, have my glucose test..

Cravings? Chocolate...when I hear the word chocolate, i want some!

Rants/Raves? We had the baby shower on Saturday, it was gorgeous, but rained all day. Funny, for my bridal shower, it rained that day too..maybe it's a good sign??

Questions for FTM, STM+? When were you able to see the kicks from the outside? Right now I'm only feeling them, however, I'm not really looking for them...

GTKY: What's a bad habit that you're guilty of, either you still do it or you stopped (biting nails, etc)? I had a bad habit of straightening my hair with an actual iron. This was back in highschool, i wanted that pin straight look...guess i went overboard. I do keratin treatments now...

Kathryn0903 · May 2017

@jacksonbears I've been seeing movement for a couple weeks now.

How far along are you?
28 weeks 5 days

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go?
Had an ultrasound Friday and an appointment. Got a free 3D picture out of it - ultrasound tech had a 3D session scheduled later in the day and wanted to practice. Everything else seems good other than me having high blood pressure in the office(not at home though), so I'm getting classified as hypertensive and will be getting extra growth ultrasounds every 3 weeks starting at 32 weeks. More chances to see my boy!

Cravings?
nothing out of the ordinary really. Maybe breakfast foods as I just ordered mixes for donuts, muffins, coffee cake, and cinnamon rolls.

Rants/Raves?
my DH finally got his bday gift from my parents - a jogging stroller!
Also set up the crib last week!
rant: dresser might not come for 12 weeks. Hoping it comes before baby arrives. I know it's not a major item to have before baby arrives, but don't want to be dealing with getting a dresser in the first week or so baby is home.

Questions for FTM, STM+?
none I can think of currently

GTKY: What's a bad habit that you're guilty of, either you still do it or you stopped (biting nails, etc)?
Used to bite my nails. Started getting regular manicures and completely stopped.

BlackNYellow · May 2017

How far along are you? 25 + 2

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go? Next appt is next Tuesday.

Cravings? Ice cream

Rants/Raves? My energy tanked this past week. Maybe it's because I ran a lot last week? I hope it's not because of anemia!

Questions for FTM, STM+? I'm slacking in our nursery set up. By what week did you have yours completed?

GTKY: What's a bad habit that you're guilty of, either you still do it or you stopped (biting nails, etc)? I rip my nails off every week. I can't stand nail files and don't like how jaggedy they are with nail clippers so ripping it is! I have never been able to bite them -they are just too thick!

tova24 · May 2017

How far along are you?

27 W 6 D

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go?

Had preregistration appointment last week. It lit a fire underneath me! I need to actually pick a pediatrician, decide on his middle name, and decide whether I want a doula (sp?). This week I have my 28 week appointment. I start the Dr rotation!

Cravings?
Lemonade, ho hos, and twizzlers. Basically, nothing healthy

Rants/Raves?

I had a very productive weekend! I washed all of Landon's things, deep cleaned my apartment, washed the car (it needed it.), went swimming, and watched Miss USA.

Questions for FTM, STM+?
Work and Dr appointments. Did other employees ever give you shit for going to your appointments? I have coworkers who think I'm playing hooky and also think taking 12 weeks off for maternity leave is "milking it." How did you respond to these haters? Currently I'm ignoring them or just saying "HR approved it."

GTKY: What's a bad habit that you're guilty of, either you still do it or you stopped (biting nails, etc)?
Using my razor too long. I forget to change the blade!

jacksonbears · May 2017

@blacknyellow i haven't started the nursery either! I have lots of boxes of baby stuff. Our goal is to have it by July 4th!

imwithbaby · May 2017

@jacksonbears I started seeing kicks on the outside last week (25th week).

How far along are you? 25+6

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go? GD test & labs this Wednesday. Thankful that I get to drink grape juice! Although I wish it was grape juice in the form of...wine.

Cravings? Chocolate, as always. Red wine.

Rants/Raves? I had two friends have babies this weekend and I can't wait! 14+ weeks seems so long. I just want to snuggle this sweet babe!

Questions for FTM, STM+?

GTKY: What's a bad habit that you're guilty of, either you still do it or you stopped (biting nails, etc)? // My bad habit is that I get REALLY ANNOYED with other people's bad habits (biting nails, chewing weird, etc). I go crazy. It drives me nuts.

dinofreak · May 2017

@BlackNYellow ack that makes my skin crawl to think about! Ripping a nail is one of my least favorite things so I cut/file mine all the way down. Have you ever tried a glass file? it doesn't feel scratchy at all (I know a lot of people hate the sensation of nail filing) but it does a really good job of smoothing edges.

How far along are you? 25+5

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go? Last week I had my regular appointment. I'm making the rounds on all the OBs and this one was very "business only." She literally told me after about 8 minutes that I was boring, she had nothing else to ask me/tell me, goodbye. I hope she's not the one in the delivery room...

Cravings? Pizza!

Rants/Raves? Feeling kicks more often is awesome!!! It still feels like popcorn/flutters/belly flops, but it's definitely different from my gut activity. My SO has felt it a couple of times, too.

Questions for FTM, STM+? Did anyone take baby to work when you returned? I'm a dance teacher and my boss is encouraging me to bring baby in the carseat/pack n play/carrier. I just want to hear how anyone else made it work. My teaching schedule is afternoon/evenings and I expect that my SO or mom would come pick baby up before bedtime.

GTKY: What's a bad habit that you're guilty of, either you still do it or you stopped (biting nails, etc)? I used to bite my cuticles, which was a self-perpetuating problem. The more I'd remove, the more they'd grow back. I finally stopped when I started dating my husband, because he used to bite his nails and watching him was just so gross I just decided I wouldn't do it anymore. Smoking was the same way. I smoked in college until I saw how uncool it really looked and just decided "that's enough of that."

SarahBethBR · May 2017

How far along are you? 26 weeks today

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go? We saw the midwife last week for our regular appointment. Babies seem to be doing fine (both heartbeats were great, belly is growing). But I lost the two pounds I had gained so I'm back to -17 from pre-pregnancy weight. So I'm trying to eat everything I possibly can at this point.

Cravings? Frozen yogurt, popsicles, snowballs. If it's cold and sweet, gimme.

Rants/Raves? Loving our childbirth classes and hospital. I'm really feeling like we made the right choice.

Questions for FTM, STM+? Any tips to help with fatigue and achiness? It's starting early for me.

GTKY: What's a bad habit that you're guilty of, either you still do it or you stopped (biting nails, etc)? Biting my nails for sure. I've stopped for as long as a couple of years but always go back to it in stressful times. Now is definitely a stressful time.

jadkins2 · May 2017

@tova24 F your coworkers!!!! Seriously, I regret to this day not taking the entire 12 weeks maternity leave when I had my first. You can and will never ever get that time back. Enjoy every last second. It goes by so fast you'll be crying after the 12 weeks is up! Some people just don't understand the physical and emotional toll having a new baby causes on your body and your household. My boss literally texted me the Monday after I had my first, "when are you coming back? " .....I finally had to stop answering his texts because he wouldn't stop asking me questions or leave me alone to bond with my baby. I resented him for that very much. You would have thought he understood though, being that his wife had four kids herself!!!! Nope, he was oblivious and selfish. What made it worse was I saw him around town and he would always comment well if you can go to church or out to eat then surely you are able to come back to work! just a huge jerk! Take my advice and ignore the haters. they will get there time and fully understand then. or maybe not, but it's in now way your fault. People are crazy and need to mind their own business!

littlebug2010 · May 2017

@jacksonbears I've been seeing movement for weeks. DH just saw it today for the first time.

@tova24 my DH had a similar issue, and he just spoke with his boss and she encouraged him to take all she can. Its so annoying that people make you feel bad, but I have to assume that they just don't understand what bringing a baby home will be like.

How far along are you? 28 weeks tomorrow

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go?

Nope, not until next week

Cravings? Still sweets

Rants/Raves? I'm getting on a flight home
from my sisters graduation now. It was an awesome weekend, but holy crap, I'm so tight. My whole body is tight and my feet are swollen before the flight.

Questions for FTM, STM+? Nope

GTKY: What's a bad habit that you're guilty of, either you still do it or you stopped (biting nails, etc)? I'm horrible and not putting my dirty laundry in the basket. Its right next to where I put my clothes, but I just always drop it on the floor.

tova24 · May 2017

@jadkins2 wow. That is horrible! I'm not planning on reading my work email when I go on leave. I fully intend to put an out of office message up and walk away. I can't imagine what you had to go through. Luckily I live away from the office and won't run into coworkers while on leave. I'm just really sick of having to justify to people why I have to go to the Dr. Tomorrow I have a consult with a pediatrician that I'm considering. I'm not telling my boss that the appointment is that. I just told him it's another Dr appointment that I have to go to.

Feliciosity · May 2017

@jacksonbears My belly started visibly twitching about a month ago, but it was only once in a blue moon. Only in the last few days have LO's kicks been visible consistently. Don't worry though, everyone is different in regards to baby size, position, and the way you carry. You'll get there!

@BlackNYellow Lots of ladies have told me that I will want something to do during my pre-birth maternity leave. And knowing me, the closer I get to due date the more anxious I will be, so I will definitely need a distraction. Roommate is leaving at the end of this month, so we will slowly start the process then, but I am trying really hard not to rush.

@tova24 I have had those "milking it" comments... from my own HR department. They have been zero help through the process of getting everything set for my maternity leave. I just ignore it. We are fully entitled to want to spend time with our LOs as long as possible. If people don't understand, screw em'!

@SarahBethBR My OB recommended swimming for my cramps and fatigue. Just sitting in the pool and being a little more weightless feels so good. If pool isn't an option, a bath kind of works too.

How far along are you?
28 + 4

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go?
None until early June. Weird going for whole month with nothing.

Cravings?
Protein. Cheese and meat. Also breakfast foods like eggs, bacon, pancakes, cinnamon rolls, etc.

Rants/Raves?
Today just stinks... I'm really tired from lack of sleep and I didn't get to sleep in or take naps this past weekend. Due to my exhaustion getting ready this morning was a trial: dropping things, doing things wrong, etc. On mornings like this I like to make myself a decaf chai tea with vanilla almond milk... and I left it on top of my car before pulling out of the driveway. So now I have no tea... and a broken tumbler. Found out that DH has evenings off the next two days (for once) and that he made plans with his new beer friends. I cried the whole drive to work... make-up ruined. Important day at work with two new attorneys coming in and I am a wreck. I'm just done. :'(

Questions for FTM, STM+?
None right now.

GTKY: What's a bad habit that you're guilty of, either you still do it or you stopped (biting nails, etc)?
I have a bad habit of talking over people. I think I picked it up from my family, because we tend to finish each other's thoughts and sentences. To others though, it comes across as interrupting. I was not even aware of it until DH gently brought it up when we were dating. I was absolutely MORTIFIED and have been trying very hard to break it.

imwithbaby · May 2017

@Feliciosity that sounds like a pretty shitty day

so sorry mama! Sending you hugs and strength to make it through the day! You can do it!

knottie0d8cc4d43bacc09f · May 2017

@jacksonbears I lucked out and saw movement from the outside a few weeks ago. But only because I was staring at my belly. I'm sure in the next few weeks it will start becoming more noticeable.

@kathryn0903 That's a bummer about the dresser not arriving for a while. I know it's not a must-have item before baby, but it's fun to put away/organize baby clothes. At least the crib came! That's a huge part of the nursery. Now you can pick crib sheets, mattress, all of that fun stuff

@BlackNYellow Ours is about 3/4 of the way there.. still need to find a light and hang some art. Don't feel bad about not having started though.. you have lots of time. Plus, LO probably won't even be in there for months. The nursery was something that was really fun for me/DH to work on - so that's why ours is basically done so early. Putting off other projects...

@tova2 @Feliciosity That's ridiculous and incredibly unprofessional. Ignore all of those comments. From what I've heard from other STMs (and like @jadkins2 said), you will reach the end of that 12 weeks so fast and be wishing you had more time. I don't know if it's because I work for a huge company, but once we're out on an official LOA, we aren't legally allowed to work - they don't even want us "checking in" and I think they block our access to the network! Not complaining.

How far along are you? 27 + 5

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go? Glucose test Wednesday morning... I'm getting really nervous for some reason. I just want to pass the 1 hour and not have the 3 hr to worry about/schedule.

Cravings? I've been loving greek yogurt with a spoon of peanut butter mixed in. Super random but delicious!

Rants/Raves? Rant: it rained all weekend, which was a bummer. Of course this week is going to be beautiful when I'm stuck in the office. At least I can take the dog for a walk after work. Rave: Leaving for our babymoon this Friday for a week. Going to San Francisco.. I'm so excited, I've never been!

Questions for FTM, STM+? None at the moment.

GTKY: What's a bad habit that you're guilty of, either you still do it or you stopped (biting nails, etc)? I am really bad about picking at my face

Gross, I know. I know if I just left it alone, my skin would be 10x more clear. I've been better about it lately, but need to completely leave it alone. I feel like a teenager sometimes.

Kathryn0903 · May 2017

@secicc12 have fun in San Francisco! We spent half of our honeymoon there and absolutely loved it!

kvh22 · May 2017

@secicc12 - I love greek yogurt with peanut (or almond) butter, cocoa nibs or dark chocolate chips, and flaked coconut. Also, I used to live in SF (have since moved to the 'burbs just outside of San Jose) so let me know if you want any recommendations! You're going to have a blast

@tova24 I am lucky enough to live in a state where taking 4-6 months is very common for moms so I don't get any hate from coworkers. Lots of other countries have a 1 year maternity leave...you could tell them that 12 weeks is nothing compared to most of the rest of the developed world. Otherwise, I wouldn't even get into it with them because there's no way you can change their minds.

How far along are you? 26 weeks

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go? Glucose test this morning - tough to get it down in 5 minutes but otherwise harmless.

Cravings? Alternates between fruit and carbs

Rants/Raves? Rave: DH and I are going "home" to where we grew up for my sister's college graduation and working remote for 2 weeks. We're staying at the hotel where we got married for our 1 year anniversary and get to eat the top of our cake which is in my mom's freezer. I love spending time with my family and am hoping to make it to both families' lake houses for a day while we're home.
Rant: MIL gets so offended that we stay at my mom's house (they live 3 miles apart) but my mom works and MIL doesn't so my mom's house is a lot more conducive to DH and I working. It is not meant as a personal affront, but she takes it that way and then ends up being rude during the time that we do spend there which I'm planning to do quite a lot for the evenings to acquiesce her, and just drive back to my mom's afterwards.

Questions for FTM, STM+? Anyone have any good caffeine free hot beverage suggestions that are pregnancy safe? Herbal teas make me too nervous because there's so much we're supposed to avoid. I'm thinking steamed milk with chai spices? I'm kind of at a loss otherwise.

GTKY: What's a bad habit that you're guilty of, either you still do it or you stopped (biting nails, etc)? I used to suck on my middle 2 fingers on my right hand. I apparently came out of the womb that way (no joke) and didn't stop until I was 10 years old.

littlebug2010 · May 2017

@kvh22 I drink caffeine free green tea sometimes, and have the occasional decaf coffee. Hot chocolate was a go tonof mine in the first tri.

morgy_bee · May 2017

@tova24 what kind of people say these things. I would remind them that it's all pretty standard practice and to mind their own business. I wonder if they are playfully teasing or being serious, either way you need to shut it down.

morgy_bee · May 2017

@dinofreak I took my last baby in and plan to take this baby. I hold a position of high responsibility and I'm very invested in my company as I helped get it started. I will take a leave that is outside the traditional leavecand then bring baby in for the first couple of months.

If if you want to and think you can make it work, go for it. If you don't feel comfortable you can voice your concerns to your boss.

tova24 · May 2017

@morgy_bee my coworkers are all between the ages of 22-29. None of them are married, in a serious relationship, or have/want children. So I'm the black sheep that they can't relate to. They act especially weird to me because they know that the father of my baby is no longer in the picture. I guess I'm the cautionary tale that they all are pretending doesn't exist/couldn't possibly happen to them. I try to ignore what they say or do, but sometimes it so rude that I'm just awestruck.

knottie0d8cc4d43bacc09f · May 2017

@tova24 Your coworkers seriously suck

smallbutmighty77 · May 2017

How far along are you? 28 +3

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go? Tdap and regular check in on Wednesday!!

Cravings? I had a fruity slushy everyday we were in AZ (4day babymoon, just got back).

Rants/Raves? So itchy/tight feeling by the end of day across my stomach! Rant-i got cute compression sox for the plane they were very helpful!
Also I'm on the nursery delay train. The place we are getting our glider/crib/dresser is having a memorial day sale so we're waiting, even though it could take 12wks to get! eeks!

Questions for FTM, STM+? nope.

GTKY: What's a bad habit that you're guilty of, either you still do it or you stopped (biting nails, etc)? Biting my nails. Always have. Got this polish to help stop, it worked great but I've been a mess this past week so I reverted.

tova24 · May 2017

@secicc12 today one of them came up to me just to say I was breaking the dress code because I was wearing flip flops. I stared right at her and said, "sorry my 7 month pregnant feet don't feel like cooperating with me and my ballet flats. You can relate, right?" You should have seen her face. It shut her right up! My coworkers suck, but the paycheck is nice and will pay for Landon's lifestyle

mrsvp614 · May 2017

How far along are you? 24+4

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go? Standard heartbeat check last week. BP was good. Doc told me to "watch my weight." Yikes.

Cravings? I went through a lot of veggie soup last week when I wasn't feeling well. Right now I want Costco frozen yogurt.

Rants/Raves? Rant: I went on a walk around the neighborhood yesterday for the first time in a while, and it was HARD. Need to do it more often. Rave: Hoping to schedule a prenatal massage this week, and really looking forward to it!

Questions for FTM, STM+? None at the moment.

GTKY: What's a bad habit that you're guilty of, either you still do it or you stopped (biting nails, etc)? I used to bite/pick at my nails. I smoked for about 5 years through college and after. DH still smokes and I'm desperate for him to quit.

DeansGirl14 · May 2017

How far along are you? 28+5

Cravings? I was always susceptible to those late evening food commercials, and now even more so. Pizza, man. Pizza. DH's willpower is so much stronger than mine and he refused to order me a pizza so I'm glad I have him, lol.

Rants/Raves? Not really. Baby is getting super active and it's noticeable from the outside. But like a watched pot never boils, I can't get DH to witness the show. Every time I'm like, honey look! She stops moving.

Questions for FTM, STM+? None right now.

GTKY: What's a bad habit that you're guilty of, either you still do it or you stopped (biting nails, etc)? I rip my nails. It's a nervous tick. Keeping them filed helps, but if all 10 nails don't have an equal amount of growth I feel compelled to rip or file them all down to stubs. Not cute. When I was a kid I used to pick my scabs until they scarred (Ewwwwww!) but thank goodness I got over that compulsion.

secicc12 Good point about not being legally allowed to work. I'm meeting with HR this week to review the policies in the handbook so I'm crystal clear. My teammate had a medical leave last year and really wanted to check in on her e-mail just to distract herself between surgeries and she wasn't allowed. But, she was telling me this because we're going through an acquisition. Assuming all goes well the acquisition may be complete while I'm on leave, and my team has a lot to do with the paperwork. It's unfortunate timing for me, so coworker said if I'm not allowed to check in she'll e-mail my personal e-mail account with the latest goings-on. I can't imagine being out of the loop right now!

kvh22 · May 2017

@DeansGirl14 I had always heard the same thing as @secicc12 - you cannot be checking/responding to emails while on leave. California pays a partial salary from the state (part of why our income taxes are so high) so I'm not sure if that makes it different than other states WRT that law. I don't think they take our computers at my office but DH's company apparently does.

Feliciosity · May 2017

@kvh22 I drink chai with almond milk. It's great warm and cold. When I got pregnant, I was concerned about the caffeinated black tea in the chai, so I thought I had to go without. But THEN I found a decaf chai mix at the grocery store! Yay! Doctor said decaf is okay. What is nice is I get the benefits of the almond milk (protein and calcium) along with the fact that chai spices are good for... "keeping the pipes clear" if you get my meaning.

@tova24 Yes to the sandals at work! So much more comfortable. I'm really glad my law firm has such a relaxed dress code. They let us wear jeans too, as long as we still look like we care. Of course, I am also behind the reception desk for the majority of my day so people don't normally see my lower half. Heh. Some people still don't know I'm pregnant because they only see me sitting behind a large desk.

WineAndDogs · May 2017

How far along are you?

26+3

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go?

Had a HB check today, 150 BPM and sounds great. Can't believe I'm going every 2 weeks now!

Cravings?

All the fresh fruit!

Rants/Raves?

It has finally stopped raining out and is sunny. And I've been sleeping better, thank goodness.

Questions for FTM, STM+?

I'm sure I will think of one at about 4:30 AM.

GTKY: What's a bad habit that you're guilty of, either you still do it or you stopped (biting nails, etc)?
I will occasionally leave the laundry in the washer and forget to put it in the dryer, oops. Then I have to rewash it.

Mango517 · May 2017

How far along are you?
25+2

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go?
Nope, not for a little while

Cravings?
McDonald's fountain coke. It is so good even though soda sometimes gives me heartburn. Has to be McDonald's though, don't try and pass off some other inferior fountain coke.

Rants/Raves?
Why is it so freaking hard to find a pair of white maternity skinny jeans that aren't ankle/cropped? If I find a pair they either get terrible reviews, aren't in my size, or are way more than I want to splash out on for a pair of jeans that I'll wear for 4 months.

Questions for FTM, STM+?
How many diaper bags do you guys have? Do you find yourself needing or wanting more than one? I have one that was gifted and it's really lovely, but I don't know if we should look for another one that is maybe more daycare specific? (ie not as nice because it's more apt to be thrown around..)

GTKY: What's a bad habit that you're guilty of, either you still do it or you stopped (biting nails, etc)?

Another interrupter here who finishes sentences. It's a terrible habit and I'm constantly working on self-correction. Thankfully, I do think that I've improved since recognizing the issue.

SouthernMama15 · May 2017

@mango517 we had 2, but only uses one. When I was working our moms kept DS. MIL drove me crazy because she was constantly taking stuff out and either moving it to another spot or just not putting it back at all. Our bag had little tabs for where wipes went, diapers, bottles, packs, etc. There was an internal pouch for the changing pad. She would stick stuff in with the changing pad that came in contact with his mouth or hands. I had a Ziploc bag inside with Tylenol, gas drops, saline spray, etc and she always took it out because it was heavy and wouldn't put it back.

I've heard of daycares mixing up stuff and just using whatever for different babies (diapers, bibs, clothes) so maybe a mom who sent their LO to an established center might have good tips on labeling and organizing bags and such for that situation.

bumpybump · May 2017

@Mango517 we technically have two diaper bags but really only use one. The one we use is black so either DH or I carry it without any "gender" issues. If she goes to a sitter, the bag stays with her. I think it'd be a pain to switch things from one to the next. The second bag we have is massive and I only use it as though it's luggage when we travel for all the cloth diapers we take along and toiletries.
When DD was at a daycare (she was under a year old), we took everything to them in "lots" at once like wipes, butt cream, etc. Bottles of breastmilk were taken daily in a soft sided cooler and placed in their fridge. Everything was labeled with her name. Since we cloth diapered, we took clean ones every other day (took home dirty ones nightly). People who used disposable diapers took a sleeve at a time, again labeled with their name. I never saw someone leave a diaper bag at our daycare center. The workers just told us when they were running low on wipes or butt balm and to brin more.

imwithbaby · May 2017

@WineAndDogs +1 for the laundry habit! It's the worst.

@Mango517 +1 for McD's coke! It's the absolute best and (thankfully) the only kind I'll drink.

knottie0d8cc4d43bacc09f · May 2017

@kvh22 I'd love some good restaurant recommendations if you have any! And/or any areas outside the city that are fun to explore. We'll have a car.

Mango517 · May 2017

@SouthernMama15 and @bumpybump Thank you guys for the responses to my diaper bag question!

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