So, when I got pregnant, the moment I found out, I wanted to be on the phone to everyone I knew. And, mostly I did do that, but, my third pregnancy ended in miscarriage at around 7 weeks. Even though thankfully I miscarried early I still had gotten attached to that little one and I did suffer through some difficult time of getting through the experience, making the phone calls to let people know there actually would be no baby was hard. Even harder were the calls I forgot to make or people that had heard through the grapevine of the baby but not of the miscarriage that I ended up having to explain to when they asked about the pregnancy.
Another sister recently announced the arrival of her second child. When she called, I heard my own voice, "I know it's early, but I just can't wait to tell and even if something happens, I would rather have the support."
I had said almost the exact same words! However, after miscarrying, when I got pregnant a fourth time, I held off telling anyone besides parents. I only held out to about 1o weeks, but for me that was a lifetime!! This time all was well, and things went perfect. So when I got pregnant this last time, I was hot on the phone again, I just couldn't contain it (that might have had to do more with the fact that I had 4 month old at the time and I was flabbergasted, more than I was excited!).
Anyway, I was just curious as to what others out there thought about when is a good time to let people know the good news? Are more people conservative with their announcements or do you call the minute you see that little plus sign on the stick??
Let us know!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Congratulations!
The winner of our $10 Target card is AMY!!
Amy email us at mybloominbelly@gmail.com with your address and we will mail out your Target card. Congratulations!!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Breast Feeding Woes
There is no question medically that for babies breastfeeding is the best nutrition they can get. However, I want to tell all you women out there that are struggling with it, you ARE NOT A BAD MOTHER!! Everyone is all about the breast and how you have to breast feed, and that is great because really from all I have read breast milk is the best for your baby in a lot of ways. BUT, I am here to say that your baby won't die if you give them formula and your baby won't hate you when they get older because you never bonded over being breast fed.
This is what happened for me:
I really wanted to breast feed my children. I thought that was part of the definition of being a good mom. When my first child was born, I gave it all I had. It DID NOT come naturally for me though. I couldn't get him to latch on easily, he had colic and screamed like crazy which just made it harder. I did not make a lot of milk. Some women have said milk would just drip from them with no effort and could squirt milk into their baby's mouth but that did not happen for me. I had to strip down to feed my baby, it hurt, and I hated it. When I went back to work I tried to pump but soon, I just wasn't making enough milk for it to be worth it. So my first child got about 4 months worth.
Next, I was gung ho about having things go better this time around. I was going to eat, drink tons of water, be stress free and it was going to work this time. Then Viv was born with Downs and was not able to nurse due to her low muscle tone. I pumped for about 4 months and that was about all I could handle.
With my third I was again ready to make this the time I really proved I could nurse my baby!! Instead I got raw nipples and mastitis. I litterally cried every time I nursed it hurt so bad. I only made it to three months this time.
Finally, it was my last chance. I really wanted to nurse at least one of my babies to at least 6 months. This time things did go better, but my sweet baby cried for the first 3 months of her life and it wore me down. I couldn't do it. She too only got about 3 or 4 months worth.
If nursing would have been easier for me I would have done it. Disappoingly, it just didn't happen. It was just extrememly difficult and with my circumstances I gave up. Some might judge me for that, but for those of you who have been in similar situations, you probably get it.
All my kids are healthy and strong. They have grown and developed along a normal course and I feel very bonded to each of them. For a long time I felt like not nursing counted against me as a mother, but I have learned that in the big picture, I did my best and I loved my children and they are happy and healthy.
My advice:
Nurse if you can, but if you can't don't beat yourself up, it has no bearing on you as a mother!
This is what happened for me:
I really wanted to breast feed my children. I thought that was part of the definition of being a good mom. When my first child was born, I gave it all I had. It DID NOT come naturally for me though. I couldn't get him to latch on easily, he had colic and screamed like crazy which just made it harder. I did not make a lot of milk. Some women have said milk would just drip from them with no effort and could squirt milk into their baby's mouth but that did not happen for me. I had to strip down to feed my baby, it hurt, and I hated it. When I went back to work I tried to pump but soon, I just wasn't making enough milk for it to be worth it. So my first child got about 4 months worth.
Next, I was gung ho about having things go better this time around. I was going to eat, drink tons of water, be stress free and it was going to work this time. Then Viv was born with Downs and was not able to nurse due to her low muscle tone. I pumped for about 4 months and that was about all I could handle.
With my third I was again ready to make this the time I really proved I could nurse my baby!! Instead I got raw nipples and mastitis. I litterally cried every time I nursed it hurt so bad. I only made it to three months this time.
Finally, it was my last chance. I really wanted to nurse at least one of my babies to at least 6 months. This time things did go better, but my sweet baby cried for the first 3 months of her life and it wore me down. I couldn't do it. She too only got about 3 or 4 months worth.
If nursing would have been easier for me I would have done it. Disappoingly, it just didn't happen. It was just extrememly difficult and with my circumstances I gave up. Some might judge me for that, but for those of you who have been in similar situations, you probably get it.
All my kids are healthy and strong. They have grown and developed along a normal course and I feel very bonded to each of them. For a long time I felt like not nursing counted against me as a mother, but I have learned that in the big picture, I did my best and I loved my children and they are happy and healthy.
My advice:
Nurse if you can, but if you can't don't beat yourself up, it has no bearing on you as a mother!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
What is that?
Those first few hours are generally pretty blissful once baby is born. You sit there and hold your new baby, hugging and kissing her, smelling her head, calling her by her name, and beaming like every Mother should.
Most babies are so tired that they sleep and sleep, making for a peaceful first few hours. It seems that you are going to be able to do this Motherhood thing after all, and in no time you feel like a pro.
Once your baby wakes up you make that first attempt at feeding her, and wether successful or not you are still on that new Mom high. As the first day passes things seem to be going pretty much the way you thought they would. Even when she cries, you melt and point out "how cute her cry is!"
That was me. Happy as a clam. Things were going just the way I had planned them. I was loving life. Then... I walked over to change her diaper and what was inside was more than shocking.
A giant pile of TAR. Was it tar? It looked like tar! I knew that my baby was defective!
To say that this was unexpected is a huge understatement. I yelled for a nurse, who chuckled at me and let me know that this was normal bowel for a newborn. Meconium. That is what they call it. But no-one ever told me about it. Basically it is made up of Amniotic fluid, bile, and shed skin cells that collect in your babies intestines during pregnancy. YUMMY! I was told that after about 12 hours my baby would have more normal looking poop. And, she did. But not until she was done passing TONS of this sticky black stuff, that I still say could have been used to tar a road. Expect the unexpected. The lesson for the day.
Motherhood is full of surprises, just like pregnancy, and the more you know the less shocked you will be. My advise would be to keep an open mind. While Motherhood can be quite blissful, it is also full of tar. Everyday you will kiss your baby and talk to her, and then the next thing you know she will send a little tar your way. If you know it's going to happen you are more likely to laugh about it.
Some of my favorite memories are the ones where I was shocked by reality and realized how little I really knew!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Freeeebie Friday Strikes Again!
We have a really good give away this week.
We are giving away a $10 target card.
At Bloomin Belly, shopping is always a very good thing, so we want you to have some extra spending money!
To earn entries you can do one, two or all of the following:
1) Write a review of our blog or My Bloomin Belly ebook on your site or blog.
2) Comment on one of our blog posts.
3) Put our button on your blog or site.
4) Refer us to a friend. They have to visit our site and comment that they visited because of your referral.
Be sure to tell us what you did and where to look!
You can do this by posting a comment on the blog. Just leave a comment for each one (THESE ARE YOUR ENTRIES). So if you do all 5 you need to have posted 5 comments on to this blog post.
The winner will be randomly selected by random.com. GOOD LUCK!!
We are giving away a $10 target card.
At Bloomin Belly, shopping is always a very good thing, so we want you to have some extra spending money!
To earn entries you can do one, two or all of the following:
1) Write a review of our blog or My Bloomin Belly ebook on your site or blog.
2) Comment on one of our blog posts.
3) Put our button on your blog or site.
4) Refer us to a friend. They have to visit our site and comment that they visited because of your referral.
Be sure to tell us what you did and where to look!
You can do this by posting a comment on the blog. Just leave a comment for each one (THESE ARE YOUR ENTRIES). So if you do all 5 you need to have posted 5 comments on to this blog post.
The winner will be randomly selected by random.com. GOOD LUCK!!
New posts are below this one.
This give-a-way will expire on March 19th.
Induction Introduction
This week we celebrated my youngest's first birthday!!! So of course I started reminiscing about the day she was born. All my children were on time (my first was 2 hours shy of his due date), or early (4 days, 1 week respectively). So when my fourth came around I naturally assumed she would be on time or early like the rest. To my surprise, the little girl did not want to budge. Normally I would have freaked, but because she had not been planned and I had a one year old at the time, I figured the longer she wanted to hang with me the better. Still, when she hadn't been born a week after her due date my doctor went ahead and scheduled an inducement for me. I thought for sure she would come before the induction rolled around, but still no baby!!
I didn't like the idea of being induced so I started trying all the natural ways of getting a baby out! The doctor stripped my membranes, I went for miles of walks, I ate spicy food, I ate pineapple by the pound, I even resorted to sex and the ever popular nipple stimulation technique (whoever thinks sex is sexy while 9+ months pregnant, I take my hat off to you!). Despite all my efforts, my little one was comfy cozy and did not make any effort of her own to find a way out.
(Other ways to induce labor include massage, pressure points, caster oil and acupressure. There are also other weird and unexpected foods that can work too. Make sure you check with your doctor or midwife before you try anything. Your medical professional may also have some good ideas for you to try.)
Finally inducement morning arrived. It was really strange driving to the hospital and not being in labor. With all my other deliveries, my husband was racing to the hospital with me in full on labor. I walked in without having to stop through any contractions, I chatted easily with nurses as we got ready and finally it was time to start the process.
The first step was to insert a Foley Bulb into my cervix. OK, seriously, you might have to stop reading. . .
A foley bulb is like a rubber balloon that is deflated when they insert it, they fill it was water and it applies pressure to the cervix to thin it and dilate it. Now my cervix just happens to be tilted back and so it was not easily inserted. I felt like I was on a Saturday Night Live sketch or something as the doctor pretty much had to get onto the bed and I swear had their entire arm up inside me. I thought to myself, "Hey, lets save some time and just yank the baby out while you're up there!"
Finally when that was in, I had to wait until I was dialated to 3cm, that is when the foley bulb would supposedly come out. My husband and I watched tv, talked with nurses and just hung out. While waiting I had to use the restroom and all of a suddent this big water balloon plopped out. (Very glamerous) The thing was, that part of it was taped to my leg and so I had this thing just hanging there. Luckily the nurse came in at about the same time and said that it was a good thing it had come out on its own. I was relieved I wouldn't be doing another sketch for SNL! I then was given more pitocin to really get the contractions going and before long I was in full labor. The labor went well and I had no complications. My baby however, was pissed off we forced her out and literally cried or should I say screamed for the first 3 months of her life!
Now this is my take on inducing labor. If you can avoid it, don't do it. I have heard of women scheduling their deliveries for no other reason than they want to know when and how the baby will arrive. I have also heard lots of stories of first time deliveries gone very wrong because they were medically induced. I believe more in the natural way and letting your baby and body be ready. Even though things went fine with my induction, it was my fourth baby and she was a week and a half late. I would never have done it otherwise.
After I had been induced I read spoke with a midwife concerning inductions and over due babies. She said she normally let babies go and advised to wait until body and baby were ready even if mom was over due. She only recommended inducement if something major was going on like not enough amniotic fluid or other distress. She said that some women genetically go over due especially women with nordic heritage. I don't know how true that is, but there is a strong nordic line in my family and I was 2 weeks late as a baby myself. Several of my aunts, cousins and grandmas also delivered late so . . . who knows. I sometimes wonder if my little Cadence would have been a happier infant if I had been more patient and let her come on her own time?
Have any of you been induced, are planning on being induced or have tried any of the natural ways to induce labor? What have been your experiences?
I didn't like the idea of being induced so I started trying all the natural ways of getting a baby out! The doctor stripped my membranes, I went for miles of walks, I ate spicy food, I ate pineapple by the pound, I even resorted to sex and the ever popular nipple stimulation technique (whoever thinks sex is sexy while 9+ months pregnant, I take my hat off to you!). Despite all my efforts, my little one was comfy cozy and did not make any effort of her own to find a way out.
(Other ways to induce labor include massage, pressure points, caster oil and acupressure. There are also other weird and unexpected foods that can work too. Make sure you check with your doctor or midwife before you try anything. Your medical professional may also have some good ideas for you to try.)
Finally inducement morning arrived. It was really strange driving to the hospital and not being in labor. With all my other deliveries, my husband was racing to the hospital with me in full on labor. I walked in without having to stop through any contractions, I chatted easily with nurses as we got ready and finally it was time to start the process.
The first step was to insert a Foley Bulb into my cervix. OK, seriously, you might have to stop reading. . .
A foley bulb is like a rubber balloon that is deflated when they insert it, they fill it was water and it applies pressure to the cervix to thin it and dilate it. Now my cervix just happens to be tilted back and so it was not easily inserted. I felt like I was on a Saturday Night Live sketch or something as the doctor pretty much had to get onto the bed and I swear had their entire arm up inside me. I thought to myself, "Hey, lets save some time and just yank the baby out while you're up there!"
Finally when that was in, I had to wait until I was dialated to 3cm, that is when the foley bulb would supposedly come out. My husband and I watched tv, talked with nurses and just hung out. While waiting I had to use the restroom and all of a suddent this big water balloon plopped out. (Very glamerous) The thing was, that part of it was taped to my leg and so I had this thing just hanging there. Luckily the nurse came in at about the same time and said that it was a good thing it had come out on its own. I was relieved I wouldn't be doing another sketch for SNL! I then was given more pitocin to really get the contractions going and before long I was in full labor. The labor went well and I had no complications. My baby however, was pissed off we forced her out and literally cried or should I say screamed for the first 3 months of her life!
Now this is my take on inducing labor. If you can avoid it, don't do it. I have heard of women scheduling their deliveries for no other reason than they want to know when and how the baby will arrive. I have also heard lots of stories of first time deliveries gone very wrong because they were medically induced. I believe more in the natural way and letting your baby and body be ready. Even though things went fine with my induction, it was my fourth baby and she was a week and a half late. I would never have done it otherwise.
After I had been induced I read spoke with a midwife concerning inductions and over due babies. She said she normally let babies go and advised to wait until body and baby were ready even if mom was over due. She only recommended inducement if something major was going on like not enough amniotic fluid or other distress. She said that some women genetically go over due especially women with nordic heritage. I don't know how true that is, but there is a strong nordic line in my family and I was 2 weeks late as a baby myself. Several of my aunts, cousins and grandmas also delivered late so . . . who knows. I sometimes wonder if my little Cadence would have been a happier infant if I had been more patient and let her come on her own time?
Have any of you been induced, are planning on being induced or have tried any of the natural ways to induce labor? What have been your experiences?
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Get that baby swimming!
When I was a new mother, I was extremely cautious about keeping water out of my baby's face and ears. Bath time took a long time! I felt like she hated the water, even though she was really happy during bath time. What I failed to consider, was that she had just spent 9 months fully surrounded by water, and that in reality, it probably felt very comfortable for her.
When she was 6 months I put her in a Mommy and Me swim class. One lesson they made me dunk her, and I thought that I was the worst Mom, and that she may not survive the whole ordeal. I was wrong. She is now a total fish, and even on the swim team.
Recently, I spoke with a friend who is a very successful swimmer and swim teacher. She has tough tons of kids to swim, and even had her own kids swimming by a year old. I asked her what all parents need to know in order to help there kids love the water, and get them swimming as soon as possible.
Here were some of her tips:
~Never keep the water out of their face. From bath #1 dump cups of water over their heads, and splash them. This way they will always be used to the water.
~Get them in the pool as soon as you can.
~Let someone else teach them to swim. They will have a much higher success rate with a professional who is not so emotionally attached.
Get those babies swimming, you will be glad you did. From experience, the sooner they learn the easier it is to teach them.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Deals
In this economy we are all struggling. If it isn't bad enough trying to find a way to pay our mortgages and car payments, we have to buy food, add to that diapers and you might have a real crisis on your hands. We all know that diapers are not cheap! If you are feeling the strain like I am, you will be happy to hear that you can get diapers for really cheap, if not even free if you just look for deals. I have searched the web and found a great resource for getting free stuff, from diapers, to food, and more. This week I found a posting that I wanted to share HERE. Can you believe the deals that are out there?
We can survive if we are smart. You just have to know where to look.
And the winner is...
We let Random.org select a winner for our fabulous Lia Sophia Giveaway. The lucky winner is:
RACHEL! Congrats. Don't forget to enter to win the Target card!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Top 5 Fave Baby Shower Games
#1 Has to be the "Guess the Poopie Diaper". This is where you semi melt different candy bars and smear them in the diaper and the party goers guess what kind of candy bar it was.
#2 "Feed your baby" is pretty funny. You can do this in two ways. The first that I have seen done is where people pair up. One is the baby and one is the mommy. The mommy feeds the baby the baby food and which ever couple is done first wins. I have also seen this done with bottles and individuals have to drink from a bottle. Whoever finishes first wins.
#3 "Guess Who". This one takes some planning and effort but is really cute. Display pictures of the guests (include mom and dad to be) when they were babies and then have everyone try to guess who is who.
#4 "They said what?" As the mom to be opens her gifts write down a few phrases she says. When she is finished tell the group it is an old wives tale that what the mom to be says as she opens her baby shower gifts are the same things she said the night the baby was conceived.
#5 "Sock Toss" Buy several pairs of baby socks with different patterns toss them in the air onto the floor and whoever can make the most matches wins! This one can get wild and depending on the number of guests you will need to have a good amount of socks.
Tell us some of your favorite baby shower games!
#2 "Feed your baby" is pretty funny. You can do this in two ways. The first that I have seen done is where people pair up. One is the baby and one is the mommy. The mommy feeds the baby the baby food and which ever couple is done first wins. I have also seen this done with bottles and individuals have to drink from a bottle. Whoever finishes first wins.
#3 "Guess Who". This one takes some planning and effort but is really cute. Display pictures of the guests (include mom and dad to be) when they were babies and then have everyone try to guess who is who.
#4 "They said what?" As the mom to be opens her gifts write down a few phrases she says. When she is finished tell the group it is an old wives tale that what the mom to be says as she opens her baby shower gifts are the same things she said the night the baby was conceived.
#5 "Sock Toss" Buy several pairs of baby socks with different patterns toss them in the air onto the floor and whoever can make the most matches wins! This one can get wild and depending on the number of guests you will need to have a good amount of socks.
Tell us some of your favorite baby shower games!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Epi or No
One of your biggest decisions about labor and delivery will include whether or not you have an epidural. I found a few different sources reporting different statistics, but between 50% and 70% of women having a hospital birth receive an epidural. There are both pros and cons to receiving an epidural. One advantage is that you have a more restful and less painful labor and delivery. However, when you choose an epidural you put yourself at risk for side effects and possible nerve damage to when the epidural is placed.
This has been my experience:
Birth #1:
I wanted to go natural. I figured I was built to go through labor and to deliver a baby. People warned me about the pain, but I still felt that natural was the best way to go. I was shocked by the pain to be honest. Luckily my labor was fast and I went from a 0 to 10 in about 4 hours. However, as I started pushing it was clear that part of my cervix wasn't completely dilated and I started to swell and went back to an 8. I gave up and got the epidural. This made me throw up but at least the pain was gone. I was so relieved, it was like the relief of Heaven. It then took two hours to dilate the rest of the way again because sometimes the epidural will slow down your labor. I then gave birth to my first son. I couldn't feel anything and I had never done it before so I couldn't push. The nurse laid on my belly and pretty much pushed the baby out.
Birth #2:
I was going to go natural again (I think there is something that women have in their brains that make them forget labor so they will do it again!). As soon as my labor pains really kicked in and the memories started rushing back, I told my husband I WANT THE DRUGS!! Too bad for me though. We were on Guam at the time and no anesthesiologist was at the hospital and had to be called in. By the time he arrived I was dilated to a 9 and it was too late. I delivered my daughter completely natural and it was awesome. I felt everything as she was delivered and I thought it was really cool. My recovery was super fast too after this delivery. I felt like I hadn't even given birth. It was a great delivery and recovery.
Birth #3
As soon as the pain started and I started screaming, I opted for the epidural. I just wanted the baby to be born peacefully. My first two were hard and I worked. I felt good about my accomplishment and very empowered, but for some reason, I just wanted to be calm and peaceful with this delivery and I knew that I couldn't have that without the pain being gone. This was my best labor experience. My husband and I chatted and laughed all through the labor. I knew how to push from my last baby and even though I couldn't feel it, the delivery was fast and I didn't need any help from the nurse this time! The doctor even said I had been the best pusher of the night!! I sort of wanted a plaque or something but I guess they didn't do that!!
Birth #4
I had to be induced because my little miss was going on 11 days late. Once my labor really got going I decided again to get the epidural. This time it only worked on half my body. It was really weird. I totally felt everything on one side while the other side took a vacation. It was helpful though because it literally cut the pain in half. Delivery was the same. I felt baby move and slide out on the one side.
I found out later that sometimes and for some people the epidural may not even work at all.
So, I kind of got a wide range of experience with the whole epidural thing. As always, we say do what is best for you. I personally think any woman can go natural if that is what she wants to to, but if you have a hard time with pain, it really is a more peaceful experience when you do it painlessly.
What do you all think? Epidural or no?
This has been my experience:
Birth #1:
I wanted to go natural. I figured I was built to go through labor and to deliver a baby. People warned me about the pain, but I still felt that natural was the best way to go. I was shocked by the pain to be honest. Luckily my labor was fast and I went from a 0 to 10 in about 4 hours. However, as I started pushing it was clear that part of my cervix wasn't completely dilated and I started to swell and went back to an 8. I gave up and got the epidural. This made me throw up but at least the pain was gone. I was so relieved, it was like the relief of Heaven. It then took two hours to dilate the rest of the way again because sometimes the epidural will slow down your labor. I then gave birth to my first son. I couldn't feel anything and I had never done it before so I couldn't push. The nurse laid on my belly and pretty much pushed the baby out.
Birth #2:
I was going to go natural again (I think there is something that women have in their brains that make them forget labor so they will do it again!). As soon as my labor pains really kicked in and the memories started rushing back, I told my husband I WANT THE DRUGS!! Too bad for me though. We were on Guam at the time and no anesthesiologist was at the hospital and had to be called in. By the time he arrived I was dilated to a 9 and it was too late. I delivered my daughter completely natural and it was awesome. I felt everything as she was delivered and I thought it was really cool. My recovery was super fast too after this delivery. I felt like I hadn't even given birth. It was a great delivery and recovery.
Birth #3
As soon as the pain started and I started screaming, I opted for the epidural. I just wanted the baby to be born peacefully. My first two were hard and I worked. I felt good about my accomplishment and very empowered, but for some reason, I just wanted to be calm and peaceful with this delivery and I knew that I couldn't have that without the pain being gone. This was my best labor experience. My husband and I chatted and laughed all through the labor. I knew how to push from my last baby and even though I couldn't feel it, the delivery was fast and I didn't need any help from the nurse this time! The doctor even said I had been the best pusher of the night!! I sort of wanted a plaque or something but I guess they didn't do that!!
Birth #4
I had to be induced because my little miss was going on 11 days late. Once my labor really got going I decided again to get the epidural. This time it only worked on half my body. It was really weird. I totally felt everything on one side while the other side took a vacation. It was helpful though because it literally cut the pain in half. Delivery was the same. I felt baby move and slide out on the one side.
I found out later that sometimes and for some people the epidural may not even work at all.
So, I kind of got a wide range of experience with the whole epidural thing. As always, we say do what is best for you. I personally think any woman can go natural if that is what she wants to to, but if you have a hard time with pain, it really is a more peaceful experience when you do it painlessly.
What do you all think? Epidural or no?
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Last Chance
Just a heads up, our give away will end this Thursday March 5th so get your entries in!! We will announce the winner on Monday and a new give away this Friday!! Stay tuned!! Also, if you hadn't noticed we are trying to keep our give aways listed first, new posts will be under the current give away for future reference! We hope that will be more clear from here on out.
If you have any questions or ideas for posts, please contact us and we will be happy to research or share our insights on whatever you all are thinking about!!
If you have any questions or ideas for posts, please contact us and we will be happy to research or share our insights on whatever you all are thinking about!!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Womb Mates
My mom is a fraternal twin (so, not identical, in other words, was her own egg) and always refers to her twin brother as her womb mate, which I think is pretty cute. They were born in the 50's and back then they didn't do ultra sounds or anything like that, but my grandma knew she was having twins. This was her 3rd (out of 6) pregnancy and her symptoms were just different than her first two. She gained weight and her belly grew a lot faster, had worse morning sickness and she said, "I just knew!" If you can believe it, despite my grandma's concerns, the doctors didn't listen much to my little grandma. Finally, they had to admit she really was growing at an incredible rate. The only way then to know for sure back then, was by having an x-ray taken (WOW! Today that is like a huge NO-NO!! Maybe that is why my mom is a little crazy!! Just kidding mom!). Sure enough there were two little babies shoving each other around in there and my grandma got the satisfaction of being right!!
I grew up thinking I would have twins myself. They say the odds increase if you yourself are a twin, your mother is a twin or your mother's mother is a twin. So with every pregnancy I crossed my fingers hoping I would get my twins. It never happened for me, but I did get my last two babies 13 months a part and after that realized how grateful I was I never did get those twins I had wished for!
With the OctoMom, John and Kate plus 8, and all the celebrity twins there is obviously some kind of something going on in regards to multiple births. Studies show that there has been an obvious increase in the occurrence of multiple births, but no study can directly link it to fertility treatments and drugs, which I find interesting, I can't imagine what else could be linked to it?
So what if you are having a multiple birth?? Could it really be that different? Well, I would thinkYES!! First, during pregnancy you will simply get bigger than in a single fetus pregnancy and you will get bigger faster! During a typical pregnancy you can increase your calories to about an extra sandwich (300 calories) per day but with multiples you should eat about 300 extra calories per fetus! Can you imagine having to eat that much while full of babies?? You would be eating all day long!! In general most of your symptoms may just be heightened. Your morning sickness may be longer and more intense. Your aches and pains may be worse and the onset may be earlier than in a typical pregnancy. It is also likely you will have your babies early. If you are having twins, you are more likely to deliver around your due date and 70% of the deliveries recorded as early were still within normal and safe ranges. However if you are having triplets or more the odds increase by a %100 that you will deliver early.
Since I have not had the opportunity to carry more than one baby at a time, maybe some of you out there can enlighten us more. . .what were the biggest differences for those of you that had a multiple birth?
I grew up thinking I would have twins myself. They say the odds increase if you yourself are a twin, your mother is a twin or your mother's mother is a twin. So with every pregnancy I crossed my fingers hoping I would get my twins. It never happened for me, but I did get my last two babies 13 months a part and after that realized how grateful I was I never did get those twins I had wished for!
With the OctoMom, John and Kate plus 8, and all the celebrity twins there is obviously some kind of something going on in regards to multiple births. Studies show that there has been an obvious increase in the occurrence of multiple births, but no study can directly link it to fertility treatments and drugs, which I find interesting, I can't imagine what else could be linked to it?
So what if you are having a multiple birth?? Could it really be that different? Well, I would thinkYES!! First, during pregnancy you will simply get bigger than in a single fetus pregnancy and you will get bigger faster! During a typical pregnancy you can increase your calories to about an extra sandwich (300 calories) per day but with multiples you should eat about 300 extra calories per fetus! Can you imagine having to eat that much while full of babies?? You would be eating all day long!! In general most of your symptoms may just be heightened. Your morning sickness may be longer and more intense. Your aches and pains may be worse and the onset may be earlier than in a typical pregnancy. It is also likely you will have your babies early. If you are having twins, you are more likely to deliver around your due date and 70% of the deliveries recorded as early were still within normal and safe ranges. However if you are having triplets or more the odds increase by a %100 that you will deliver early.
Since I have not had the opportunity to carry more than one baby at a time, maybe some of you out there can enlighten us more. . .what were the biggest differences for those of you that had a multiple birth?
Saturday, February 28, 2009
TOTALLY FREEEBIE FRIDAY!!
At My Bloomin Belly, we believe moms and moms to be, still want to be cute and sassy! So, this week we are giving a way a set of Lia Sophia bangle bracelets. In the 2008 winter catalog these sold for $98, and you can get them from us for free!!
Ok, not really for free, you do have to do some stuff to be entered to win!
Here's what you need to do (each thing you do will get you one entry):
1) Put our button on your blog or site.
2) Add yourself as a follower to our blog.
3) Purchase "My Bloomin Belly: A Pregnancy Calendar Plus"
4) Give us a shout out on your blog or site.
5) Post a comment on one of our posts.
BE SURE TO TELL US WHAT YOU DID AND WHERE TO LOOK!! You can do this by posting a comment on the blog. Just leave a comment for each one (these are your entries!).
P.S. if you want the cuter and smaller button just let us know, we can send you the code through email.
The winner will be randomly selected by random.com. Good Luck!
Belly Envy
In the depths and trenches of my pregnancy symptoms, my husband used to tell me, "Honey, I would do this for you if I could."
"Yeah right!" I would say. I know he only said that because he didn't have to. I mean really, morning sickness, bloating, cravings, sleeplessness. . .who wouldn't want that?? My husband didn't and even though he said he would do it, he also let me know how grateful he was that he didn't have to!
For some husbands though, want it or not they DO have too!! Couvade Syndrome is in my opinion just BELLY ENVY, while most call it sympathy pains, I think it's a man's desire to better understand and relate to a woman, specifically their wife. They never get to experience life growing inside them. Yes, they do have small role, but a woman gets to experience creation up close and personal. I think some men are simply jealous!! But that is just my opinion!
If you can believe it, research has shown approximately 80% of men actually do go through some kind of sympathy pains or symptoms. I think the most common is that a husband will gain weight right along with their wife (an excuse to over eat??). Others include morning sickness, bloating, back aches, and even labor pains!! While some theories suggest that this is brought on by a man feeling helpless as he watches his wife endure difficulty and pain while he can do absolutely nothing about it, it could also be an actual biological phenomenon of a man's hormones actually changing as well. (Sort of like when women menstruate at the same time.) Couples that spend extra amounts of time or are particularly close might see this happening more often. That's not to say if your husband doesn't experience sympathy pains you are not close. My husband and I (I think) are very close and he never had sympathy pains. I think it is also about each individual person and their physiological and mental make up. What do you all think? Have any of your husband's had belly envy?
"Yeah right!" I would say. I know he only said that because he didn't have to. I mean really, morning sickness, bloating, cravings, sleeplessness. . .who wouldn't want that?? My husband didn't and even though he said he would do it, he also let me know how grateful he was that he didn't have to!
For some husbands though, want it or not they DO have too!! Couvade Syndrome is in my opinion just BELLY ENVY, while most call it sympathy pains, I think it's a man's desire to better understand and relate to a woman, specifically their wife. They never get to experience life growing inside them. Yes, they do have small role, but a woman gets to experience creation up close and personal. I think some men are simply jealous!! But that is just my opinion!
If you can believe it, research has shown approximately 80% of men actually do go through some kind of sympathy pains or symptoms. I think the most common is that a husband will gain weight right along with their wife (an excuse to over eat??). Others include morning sickness, bloating, back aches, and even labor pains!! While some theories suggest that this is brought on by a man feeling helpless as he watches his wife endure difficulty and pain while he can do absolutely nothing about it, it could also be an actual biological phenomenon of a man's hormones actually changing as well. (Sort of like when women menstruate at the same time.) Couples that spend extra amounts of time or are particularly close might see this happening more often. That's not to say if your husband doesn't experience sympathy pains you are not close. My husband and I (I think) are very close and he never had sympathy pains. I think it is also about each individual person and their physiological and mental make up. What do you all think? Have any of your husband's had belly envy?
Thursday, February 26, 2009
10 Best Things About Being Pregnant
Not in any particular order, but here are my top 10 favorite things about being pregnant!
1. Has to be when you feel your baby move!! Baby's movement can be felt as early as 13 weeks (rare), but I would say most feel that definite movement around 17 -20 weeks. Every little bubble I felt during all my pregnancies I wondered if it was my baby, but I really wasn't ever really sure until around 17 weeks. Then, I felt those movements that were undoubtedly my little one swimming around.
2. Getting to park in stork stalls at the store. While not a lot of stores offer this parking option, the ones that do are awesome and I loved getting that front row Joe spot when I have been pregnant with 2 or 3 in tow!
3. Eating extra calories guilt free!! OK, not that you can go wild just because your pregnant (although I did, honestly) but you do get to eat more and for me that is nothing but a silver lining!
4. Once I got pregnant, I no longer had to cook dinner. It is one of the perks that I got from my husband while pregnant. While not all husbands will cook dinner, most will do extra things for their wives like rub their feet, or clean the bathrooms.
5. You don't have to have a menstrual cycle! OK you do have to carry a big old baby around, but really who can say 9 months with no period is a bad thing?
6. You always have an excuse to excuse yourself to take a nap. Kids are fighting, turn to your husband and say, "honey, I'm pretty tired right now I think I'll take a nap." What's he gonna say, NO? Not while your pregnant, he wouldn't dare, right?
7. The excuse to go shopping. You all know I love to shop and even though I wasn't shopping for myself (OK, I was. . .maternity clothes) I had to have everything stocked and ready and that meant shopping.
8. The excuse to get a pedicure. Again, what husband will deny his wife carrying his child a little old pedicure. I say use it, use it all you can!!
9. The so called pregnancy glow is great when it happens. It just doesn't happen your whole pregnancy all the time, but from my experience even with my girls that I had bad acne with I usually went through a period of time where people would exclaim, "Wow, you look great, you're positively glowing!" This is great because you usually don't feel like you look great when your bloated and tired so it's a pick me up and makes you feel good when the glow starts glowing!!
10. The baby shower!! OK, maybe I am shallow, but I just love it when there is a party and I am the center of attention. It just feels good to have people around you all excited and supportive of you and everyone is smiling and laughing and sharing stories. Your baby shower is just fun and I say have one even if it's your second and third child, you still need stuff if not more so!!
1. Has to be when you feel your baby move!! Baby's movement can be felt as early as 13 weeks (rare), but I would say most feel that definite movement around 17 -20 weeks. Every little bubble I felt during all my pregnancies I wondered if it was my baby, but I really wasn't ever really sure until around 17 weeks. Then, I felt those movements that were undoubtedly my little one swimming around.
2. Getting to park in stork stalls at the store. While not a lot of stores offer this parking option, the ones that do are awesome and I loved getting that front row Joe spot when I have been pregnant with 2 or 3 in tow!
3. Eating extra calories guilt free!! OK, not that you can go wild just because your pregnant (although I did, honestly) but you do get to eat more and for me that is nothing but a silver lining!
4. Once I got pregnant, I no longer had to cook dinner. It is one of the perks that I got from my husband while pregnant. While not all husbands will cook dinner, most will do extra things for their wives like rub their feet, or clean the bathrooms.
5. You don't have to have a menstrual cycle! OK you do have to carry a big old baby around, but really who can say 9 months with no period is a bad thing?
6. You always have an excuse to excuse yourself to take a nap. Kids are fighting, turn to your husband and say, "honey, I'm pretty tired right now I think I'll take a nap." What's he gonna say, NO? Not while your pregnant, he wouldn't dare, right?
7. The excuse to go shopping. You all know I love to shop and even though I wasn't shopping for myself (OK, I was. . .maternity clothes) I had to have everything stocked and ready and that meant shopping.
8. The excuse to get a pedicure. Again, what husband will deny his wife carrying his child a little old pedicure. I say use it, use it all you can!!
9. The so called pregnancy glow is great when it happens. It just doesn't happen your whole pregnancy all the time, but from my experience even with my girls that I had bad acne with I usually went through a period of time where people would exclaim, "Wow, you look great, you're positively glowing!" This is great because you usually don't feel like you look great when your bloated and tired so it's a pick me up and makes you feel good when the glow starts glowing!!
10. The baby shower!! OK, maybe I am shallow, but I just love it when there is a party and I am the center of attention. It just feels good to have people around you all excited and supportive of you and everyone is smiling and laughing and sharing stories. Your baby shower is just fun and I say have one even if it's your second and third child, you still need stuff if not more so!!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
PAPER, PLASTIC or do you have YOUR OWN?
My mom is one of 7 children. Whenever I complain about wrestling my 4 she says, "Can you imagine 7?" I think to myself (an only child), "NO, can you??" My mom always likes to remind me about the bright side and how easy I have it. Even when she only had my wee little diapers to change and I have had 3 in diapers at once, she always puts me in check. So when ever I have a little grumble about my diaper woes I get, "I remember my job of rinsing out my brother and sisters diapers in the toilet!"
To be fair, she used to tell me this story before I even had children. So when I had my own children, I have to admit I was grateful for the disposable diapers I had at my finger tips. To my knowledge at the time, the old cloth diapers and all the horrors that went with them were gone with my mom's childhood chores!
When I had my second baby, I heard something incredible. There are actually people that still use cloth diapers!! As I listened to this woman speak about cloth diapers, I was shocked! Why would a person put themselves through the horrors of POOP and washing it?? YUCK! My mom's stories raced through my mind. I could never ever do it. I am too much of a ooey gooey avoider. I really can barely manage changing diapers as it is.
BUTT . . .
By the end of the woman's little pitch, I really could have been sold on the idea. Especially now as the economy is in such a scary state, if I was going to have more children I really might consider the switch to the cloth diapers. Here is why:
1)
Did you know the average cost of disposable diapers for one year is somewhere around $1000.00? Think about if your child doesn't potty train until age 3 (average for boys) and then consider the pull ups to use at night? AND that is just if you have ONE child! The total cost could be staggering!! You can buy once and really re-use for most to all of your consecutive children. Think of all that extra shoe shopping you can do for your new big feet!!
Calculate it for yourself and you might get tempted.
2)
If you care about the environment and are trying to find a way to make a difference. . .
Well, this could be a huge way. By using cloth diapers, waste goes in the toilet to sewage treatment plants, not to the dump where eventually everything gets buried and absorbed into the soil and eventually into our drinking water. Do I have to even mention the decomposition of disposable diapers? Well, they don't!
3)
Cloth can be better for baby too. There are no chemicals or anything in cloth diapers and can be better for baby's with sensitve skin.
4)
Can be more convienient. YES, really! Think about it, no runs to the store as you realize your on your last diaper!
These are just a few reasons, but like we always say at Bloomin Belly, do what works best for you and your family. Cloth diapers are more natural, cloth diapers are more cost efficient, cloth diapers have velcro now, cloth diapers can help save the planet, and cloth diapers could be for you!
The last set of hyper-links (cloth diapers) are all different sites where you can look at cloth diaper products.
Good Luck and happy diapering!!
To be fair, she used to tell me this story before I even had children. So when I had my own children, I have to admit I was grateful for the disposable diapers I had at my finger tips. To my knowledge at the time, the old cloth diapers and all the horrors that went with them were gone with my mom's childhood chores!
When I had my second baby, I heard something incredible. There are actually people that still use cloth diapers!! As I listened to this woman speak about cloth diapers, I was shocked! Why would a person put themselves through the horrors of POOP and washing it?? YUCK! My mom's stories raced through my mind. I could never ever do it. I am too much of a ooey gooey avoider. I really can barely manage changing diapers as it is.
BUTT . . .
By the end of the woman's little pitch, I really could have been sold on the idea. Especially now as the economy is in such a scary state, if I was going to have more children I really might consider the switch to the cloth diapers. Here is why:
1)
Did you know the average cost of disposable diapers for one year is somewhere around $1000.00? Think about if your child doesn't potty train until age 3 (average for boys) and then consider the pull ups to use at night? AND that is just if you have ONE child! The total cost could be staggering!! You can buy once and really re-use for most to all of your consecutive children. Think of all that extra shoe shopping you can do for your new big feet!!
Calculate it for yourself and you might get tempted.
2)
If you care about the environment and are trying to find a way to make a difference. . .
Well, this could be a huge way. By using cloth diapers, waste goes in the toilet to sewage treatment plants, not to the dump where eventually everything gets buried and absorbed into the soil and eventually into our drinking water. Do I have to even mention the decomposition of disposable diapers? Well, they don't!
3)
Cloth can be better for baby too. There are no chemicals or anything in cloth diapers and can be better for baby's with sensitve skin.
4)
Can be more convienient. YES, really! Think about it, no runs to the store as you realize your on your last diaper!
These are just a few reasons, but like we always say at Bloomin Belly, do what works best for you and your family. Cloth diapers are more natural, cloth diapers are more cost efficient, cloth diapers have velcro now, cloth diapers can help save the planet, and cloth diapers could be for you!
The last set of hyper-links (cloth diapers) are all different sites where you can look at cloth diaper products.
Good Luck and happy diapering!!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Dreaming of baby.
A friend of mine who has been trying to get pregnant for over three years called me today and told me that she had a dream that she was pregnant. In her dream she had a big belly and figured that she was about six months along. She had never taken a pregnancy test because she was afraid that it would say negative, but she just knew she was pregnant. Finally, she took a test and she was in fact pregnant. She said that she was so happy, and wanted the baby out right then.
She called to see if I could tell her what this dream was all about. I am not a dream reader, but I told her that it probably meant that she really wants a baby (of course) and that maybe her body is trying to tell her that it will happen.
Funny how when we want something bad enough, we can actually convince ourselves that it is real or dream about it in our sleep. Have you ever heard of a false pregnancy? This is a very real condition in which our mind actually convinces or bodies into thinking that we are pregnant, called Pseudocyseis. It is very real and happens mostly to women in their 30's or 40's who want a baby very badly and cannot conceive or women who have had a miscarriage or lost a child.
While some women actually get a positive pregnancy test, most just experience pregnancy symptoms such as cravings, sickness, and a growing belly! While this is a very rare condition, it is very real, and can be very emotional for someone who wants a baby so badly.
If you think that you may have a false pregnancy, talk to your doctor, but don't quit wanting that baby. A positive outlook, wether in a dream or in your everyday life will keep you stress free and more likely to conceive.
Monday, February 16, 2009
My WHAT is going to get bigger???
Pregnancy makes weird things happen to a woman's body. It's true and it is just one of those things women sacrifice to become mothers! What I am about to tell you is absolutely TRUE! Your feet totally get bigger from being pregnant. I am NOT talking about swollen feet, I am saying your feet really will get bigger and not only that, they stay bigger forever!!! Before babies, my feet were about a size 7 1/2 after 4 babies my feet are now a size 8 to 8 1/2. I am not kidding, this is real!!
So, I wanted to know why my feet got bigger, because let's face it, it is kind of strange.
I found out the reason is because of the hormone relaxin that gets released into our bodies. Relaxin is important because it is what loosens everything up, hence the name "relaxin", it relaxes joints and ligaments so that baby can fit in our bodies. But, it doesn't just relax our pelvis joints it relaxes everything, including our feet. That combined with the weight of baby and other weight we gain in pregnancy our feet flatten making them bigger and wider.
The big question I know you all are thinking is, "OH MY GOSH, WHAT CAN I POSSIBLY DO?? DO I HAVE TO BE A BIG FOOT IN ORDER TO BE A MOM?"
Sadly there is not much you can do. You most likely will be a big foot! A few things you can try are wearing good shoes with good arch support and trying to not gain too much extra weight. So even though you most likely will end up with bigger feet, just remember it's worth it and this is why. . .
If your feet get bigger, your old shoes won't fit so you will have to go SHOE SHOPPING!! There is always a silver lining!! Oh, and you get a sweet baby too!!
So, I wanted to know why my feet got bigger, because let's face it, it is kind of strange.
I found out the reason is because of the hormone relaxin that gets released into our bodies. Relaxin is important because it is what loosens everything up, hence the name "relaxin", it relaxes joints and ligaments so that baby can fit in our bodies. But, it doesn't just relax our pelvis joints it relaxes everything, including our feet. That combined with the weight of baby and other weight we gain in pregnancy our feet flatten making them bigger and wider.
The big question I know you all are thinking is, "OH MY GOSH, WHAT CAN I POSSIBLY DO?? DO I HAVE TO BE A BIG FOOT IN ORDER TO BE A MOM?"
Sadly there is not much you can do. You most likely will be a big foot! A few things you can try are wearing good shoes with good arch support and trying to not gain too much extra weight. So even though you most likely will end up with bigger feet, just remember it's worth it and this is why. . .
If your feet get bigger, your old shoes won't fit so you will have to go SHOE SHOPPING!! There is always a silver lining!! Oh, and you get a sweet baby too!!
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