1
I thought I would have the internet back by today, but unfortunately that darn chapter still isn't done. I thought maybe I could sweet talk the hubby into letting me have the internet anyway, but he's trying to practice tough love in preparation for the baby. So now I'm frantically writing my quick takes before he leaves for work and takes the cable with him!2
I LOVE the Fourth of July! I'm not sure what we're doing for the actual Fourth yet, but we're looking into some cutesy old-fashioned festivals around here, and of course fireworks that night! It's no America's Hometown, but it'll have to do.Also, we're having lunch with Sarah and Atticus on Monday! I'm so excited! And I will hopefully get to see a friend from home and her husband on Wednesday! So much to look forward to!
3
I think the dress dare is over now. I have to say, I was surprised at how easy it was to wear a skirt/dress/skort every day for a month. I think it's because it's summertime, though - it would be really hard for me to do that in cold weather. 4
The rest of these quick takes involve pregnancy, so if there are any guys hanging around here, you don't have to read any further. Seriously, you'll be bored, so you should probably leave now.5
I'm definitely showing now! Okay, to most people I just look chubby, but I at least know there's a baby in there! I have more pictures than this, but thanks to time constraints and hubby constraints (he'll think you'll be bored by looking at them all), I'll just show you the before and after:
10 weeks
15 weeks (last week)
(Actually, I look exactly the same from weeks 11-14, so you're not really missing anything there.)
6
We might register this weekend! Or at least go and make some final decisions on things, like which specific stroller (I've already decided style, etc.) and whatnot. I've pretty much made all the decisions about what we are registering for. I've figured out all the basics of what we will need. However, I need some help. What do we NOT need? Please, share with me what you got that was completely unnecessary. Our apartment is only so big, and my husband has already vowed to throw out any "plastic junk" that we get that he deems unnecessary. So far the things that I think we can probably do without include: wipe warmer, fancy diaper pail, swing (not enough space), fancy play mat, crib (we're starting with a cosleeper)... What else is there?
7
Okay, are all the boys gone now? No? Here's one last chance to leave, guys.
Alright. Now ladies, can I be frank? I am terrified of breast pumps. As in, I see them in the store and want to run the other direction. They give me the willies. I'm not sure exactly why I have this fear, but I do. My mom said I should probably get one just in case, but I'd really rather not. Is it completely unrealistic of me to try to do without one? My husband has gallantly offered to milk me like a cow if the need arises.
And I'll leave you with that thought. Have a great long Independence Day weekend everyone!
What you don't need.. That partly depends on the baby. I couldn't survive without a swing when my children were very small. It was one of the few things that was hard to fit but I was very glad I had. I have friends who never needed theirs but needed a bouncer seat (something my kids hated). So some things are dependent on baby and parents. Other things I think can be skipped completely. Some of those are wipe warmer, changing table, and diaper pail. You might want a play mat, but it doesn't have to be brand new, fancy, or expensive. My favorite one I found for $10 at a second hand store so remember to check around other places for things like that.
ReplyDeleteAbout the pump, I successfully exclusively breastfed all three of my children without a pump. I tried pumping, and was terrible at it. It would take me nearly a week to pump enough for one tiny bottle, which was a waste of time in my opinion. I no longer own a pump and have no intentions of buying a new one for future children. It's completely possible to get by without a pump, bottles, "backup" formula, and so on. Just remember that sometime circumstances change your needs and you need to be open to that.
Good luck with finishing your chapter! If you get it done today, you'll have even more fun celebrating this weekend.
ReplyDeleteI was horrible at pumping but had a small hand held one, 'just in case', which I did have to use when I developed mastitis and had to take medication and 'pump and dump' after I took said medication. I would get a cheap one just in case. And if you don't and end up need one, DH can just run to the store, right? :)
ReplyDeleteAlso I know you're not getting one but I found the diaper pail completely unnecessary and sold it on craigs.list. because we just put diaper in bag and dump it. Good luck and have fune registering!
1 &2. Good luck finishing your chapter! Hope you have wonderful visit with Sarah and her husband, once you have finished your dissertation and have a bit more time would love to plan a get-together since we live fairly close.
ReplyDelete4&5. Cute picture, how are you feeling? I can't believe I will be 30 weeks this weekend.
6&7: Echoing The Praying Mom: some babies love swings ~ others don't and same for bouncing seats. Get which ever one you thinks best fits and see how your little one does. Space wise we decided not to get a full-size highchair and have done fine. Fed her in the bouncing seat when she did best slightly reclined and since have used a booster which straps to our kitchen chair. Pumps can be intimidating and you might not need it anyway ~ I think wait and see is fine there.
On the pump: I exclusively breastfed three children...well, sort of, I guess...here's the thing. With the first one, I turned down a free pump, b/c I wasn't ever going to need it...and I I didn't.
ReplyDeleteThen came Julianna, who couldn't stay latched b/c of her chromosomally gifted status, couldn't breathe b/c of the holes in her heart, and landed in the PICU on a ventilator at 5 1/2 weeks. And the pump that I desperately needed I couldn't get, because she got sick after hours when the pharmacy that rents them was closed. I pumped around the clock for over a week to keep her fed via NG tube.
I will never be without a pump again. Just in case. Kid gets sick and can't breathe; ergo kid doesn't nurse. Ergo, you can 't get the milk out. Hand pumps are useless as far as I'm concerned. It's the most scary out of control feeling ever. Definitely worth having an inexpensive pump, single, double, whatever--anything to help you get the milk out.
I know, all that is scary bad, (and I apologize for scaring you) but it's better to be prepared with the equipment than panicking without it.
As for diaper pail--VERY necessary if you use cloth!!!! And I HIGHLY recommend cloth. Get people to buy them for you. If you use cloth with child #1, you break even or come out a smidgen ahead. Use them with #2 and beyond, it's all money saved. And they're really not that bad. People are scared of cloth for the mess factor, but they just aren't that bad.
Completely unrelated to this post (though you did mention it) but I totally just bought a skort :-)
ReplyDeleteHave fun with Sarah!
ReplyDeleteI was going to tell you that my mother never used her breast pump (I think that she just had a cheap manual one) and so you could certainly do without if you didn't like the idea. But then I read Kathleen's comment and thought she made a good point about having a cheap one on hand, just in case. Of course it would be different if you had a solid community where you knew you could borrow one from someone in a middle-of-the night emergency situation. Are you planning on joining a breastfeeding support group?
Oh, and how did I forget! I love the pictures! Very cute. :-)
ReplyDeletedo a google search for "layette" lists, compare a couple and register for the necessaries they have in common... just don't go over board... the kid isn't going to need a bunch of fancy clothes or games for a while and you don't want to end up without someone essential!
ReplyDeleteyou are so so tiny still! but its a cute little bump, evidence of a cute little miracle :)
ReplyDeleteoh yeah, and while i didn't do the dress dare, i did consciously try to wear more skirts, especially to mass over the past month. AND i even wore one one day to lab! all the guys in the lab were like "woah, what's gotten in to alison??" yeah, pretty sure that means i should stop dressing so androgynous.
I wish I was so small at 15 weeks! I wasn't even with Maria. You must have very toned stomach muscles.
ReplyDeleteDon't needs...I echo the wipe warmer. I use cloth diapers so I needed a pail, but it's just a garbage can from Wal*Mart. If you want a pail, you can go cheapo on one. It doesn't have to be a purpose-made diaper pail. You can nurse without a Boppy, though I hear they are nice. You don't need a Bumbo seat, or a swing, or a saucer, or a walker, or...the list goes on and on. There are so many things stores tell you you need that I can't even rememeber them all. How about this: all you NEED are boobs (very important), blankets, onesies, sleepers/outfits, hats, a few burp cloths, diapers, wipes, diaper rash cream, a bed (it can be your bed too), a carseat, a diaper bag (the hospital will give you one, most likely), and maybe a bouncy seat or other small baby holding contraption so you can sit the baby down while you cook or shower or whatnot.
I dont' own a breast pump or a single bottle. I never thought to go out and buy them, though most parenting magazines will have you believe they are a 'must' for breastfeeding. Which has me wonder why it's called, breastfeeding? Breastmilk from a bottle might be more accurate. I never left Maria. I never needed or wanted to, and I could have run out and got a cheap breast pump if an emergency arose. When I had plugged ducts, I just manually expressed. It worked fine for me. Also, my understanding is that women who can't express very well manually don't do well with breast pumps either, so it's not like it's going to save you.
You don't need a highchair yet and can probably find a cheap one online later. Does your hospital have breast pumps that you can borrow in case of an emergency?
ReplyDeleteDon't fear the breast pump. I wasn't even sure I would breastfeed, as I wasn't as "plugged in" then and my real-life support system had absolutely no experience. My parents told me basically that only poor women breastfeed. Well, I promised to at least give it a chance and made it 10 months with both. I absolutely needed my breast pump. But I was a working mama. I also had an Avent Isis pump, which was absolutely affordable and excellent to get through engorgement as well as pumping a bottle or two to boost supply, put some in a freezer, or to have a bottle waiting for daddy or a sitter to feed. But believe me....the whole thing really skeeved me out, too. :)
ReplyDeleteAs for the rest of the advice, most of the baby stuff you see is not necessary! You need a carseat, some blankets, some little clothes, a diaper bag, and diapers. Other stuff you will figure out along the way. I loved my bouncy seat (doubled as a feeding seat later) and the playmat (small, took up little space when folded). While neither one was essential, they made life a lot easier. But I bet there are a bunch of moms that never used either one. I bought a lot of used items. Maybe I could have afforded brand new, but it felt so selfish and wasteful when perfectly good used things were available.
I breastfed both my children for over a year, and never used a pump. With my first, on the rare occasions where a bottle was needed, I expressed manually; with the second the occasions just did not arise. (I was home full time; a working mother's needs would be very different.)
ReplyDeleteSince I used cloth diapers (except when travelling), a diaper pail was essential. Disposables can go in any garbage bag.
I never had a changing table and never missed it. Car seat is absolutely mandatory. One that slips easily into a base that stays in the car, and also into a stroller is probably the most practical. Some sort of stroller is necessary. This type of car seat can double as a temporary bed and high chair, or you might want a lighter baby "seat". Proper high chair can wait until baby is sitting up (about 6 months.)
I found a playpen very useful; If you have to step out for a few moments, you can put the child down in it and know they are safe. And if you start using it before the child is mobile, they are used to it.
A crib will be needed eventually, but a cradle or bassinet (borrowed?) can do for the first little while.
Clothes--focus on larger sizes and not too much of the tiny stuff, cute as it is. You won't believe how fast they grow! Second-hand and hand-me-downs are much more affordable.
Ahh! I love the pictures! You're soo cute! Um, not that I've ever been pregnant before, but my sister's sanity was the breast pump she used when my nephew was an infant. Just sayin'. :-) Happy 4th!
ReplyDeleteI am a working mama (unfortunately), but I must say that a pump was a necessity. I wouldn't have called it pleasent, but once I got over the weirdness of the 1st few times it wasn't painful or uncomfortable! I would recommend it if you want your baby to have breastmilk exclusively... odds are you & your husband are going to have a date night (EVENTUALLY, and I recommend regular date-nights!)
ReplyDeleteSo a pump (electric) made expression much easier and quicker so I could spend more time with my son! I also used a double electric because of how much I needed it at work, but it was helpful for me becase when pumping I tended to let-down both sides at once (TMI, maybe?)
I have a Ameda Purely Yours, and it is really nice and about $100 cheaper than the Medelas that are so popular. P.S. you might not find it too many places but the purely yours is actually the hospital grade in the sense that no milk can get into the pump so if you buy a new kit with all the "personal" parts the pump you hook up to can be used by multiple people. I have a few posts on pumping if you're interested, because it was such an integral part of my nursing experience.
As far as baby gear, some babies really like swings but others dont (mine cried every time)! We got (as a gift) a travel swing that folds up to about 6 inches thick and I'm sure you could find one used! Bouncy seat is the only necessity outside of the obvious choices! Other things may make your life easier or baby happy but you've got his or her whole life to figure those out as they get older!
baby is the natural breast pump(er) - stay home and nurse
ReplyDeletethere is no need for a breast pump - unless career comes before baby
breast pump can never replace the nursing-time mother spends together with baby - touching, bonding, face-to-face
Can I just say -- I am only three weeks behind you and the only specific item I know we're registering for is the Gracco infant car seat. :/ You are def. more on the ball than me!
ReplyDeleteI have 8 kids, and we've had varying amount of space. No, you don't need a diaper pail and truthfully, I found the Diaper Genie poop sausages annoying. And they attracted fruit flies!
ReplyDeleteWhat do you need? Consider sleeping, changing, and eating.
A safe place to put baby down is a must - for us, this generally is the infant car seat which travels with me from the living room to the kitchen. My first baby even slept in his - he hated his bassinette!
I never had a changing table either. For my first 6 babies I just changed them on the couch or the floor. Lately, we've used a dresser top. The dresser is very convenient because we can store clothes and diapers in it (and use it again later... before it was a changing table, it was in our dining room holding linens and acting as a buffet!).
If you do go without a dedicated changing space, I found it convenient to have a "diaper basket", a small basket with a handle that held a few diapers, wipes, the rash cream, empty grocery bags for stinkers, and outfits so it was all in one place and I could carry it from room to room.
If you are planning to breastfeed, The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding is a must have book - and you'll probably love a Boppy type pillow.
We also loved our Bumpo seat!