It's a good thing my husband and I have been together for awhile because while very beautiful, pregnancy is also kinda gross. I'm gassy, burp a lot, have heart burn frequently, my nose is constantly stuffed up, urinate every two hours, have acne like a 15 year old, and my butt is literally twice the size as it was 6 months ago.
I'm starting to feel really huge lately and it really doesn't help that my belly has started catching all sorts of things I put on or in my face. Today it's make up. I really think I need to get one of those stain remover pens and keep it in my purse along with my Maalox, iron supplements, and water bottle. I still have some preggy pop drops in there, but thankfully I haven't had to have any for awhile.
I'm starting to feel really huge lately and it really doesn't help that my belly has started catching all sorts of things I put on or in my face. Today it's make up. I really think I need to get one of those stain remover pens and keep it in my purse along with my Maalox, iron supplements, and water bottle. I still have some preggy pop drops in there, but thankfully I haven't had to have any for awhile.
As un-sexy as pregnancy is, it looks like it's going to get worse before it gets better from what I've seen of the Laugh & Learn About Childbirth video we borrowed from a couple at church...it's been going around the congregation and it's finally our turn since the last couple who had it just had their baby. I was a disappointed that we wouldn't be able to go to the classes because of scheduling conflicts with my husband's schooling and the holidays (it's recommended you take the class around 32 weeks which happens to fall the week of Christmas so they aren't having any classes anywhere near that time) and my husband just really didn't want to spend that much money.
I do like the idea of a video because we can re-watch it as many times as we want. My doctor said that we really didn't need to take a breastfeeding class since it's hard to learn without an actual baby. I agree with that, but I'd still like to get some pointers before the nurse hands me the baby and expects me to feed him. This way I can watch it before hand and have a general idea of what's going on and then I can re-watch it at 2 AM after the baby's born and I'm needing help.
I don't have anything to compare the videos to, but they seem pretty informative so far. I watched most of the breastfeeding and birthing videos and I think it sets you up with some pretty realistic expectations. I've also gotten some practical feed back from a new mom, which is very helpful...hint, hint I'm always open to advice/suggestions/information :) I'm sure having a baby isn't something you can really prepare for, but at least I can feel like I've done what I can in that department.
We borrowed a bunch of child care books and the Happiest Baby on the Block DVD from the library on Saturday, which we watched. While the overall premise seems fine, the jiggling of the baby's head and the loud shushing kinda bothered me. I realize that it's no different than what he's experience in the womb and it makes sense that he would like that once he's born, I've just never seen it done like that before. I've seen rocking and I've seen shushing, just not done like that. The concept of holding the baby on his side/stomach is also new. If Bean likes loud noises to sleep he's going to have to sleep in the living room because there's no way I'll be able to sleep with all that annoying noise.
We bought Gina Ford's The New Contented Little Baby Book: The Secret to Calm and Confident Parenting. Ford's book looks promising and practical. Something I was unaware of is that she's British and the book is written for a British audience. This is not normally an issue for me since I do read English, but apparently we have different words for baby gear on this side of the pond and sometimes it takes me a minute to figure out what she's talking about.
From just reading the advice for getting prepared for the baby it seems like we're not following any of the rules. He's going to have to sleep in our room since he doesn't have a room, and he'll be sleeping in a pack n' play, not a crib. We also bought a chair that rocks, something else she doesn't recommend as the baby could get used to being rocked to sleep.
So far I like Tracy Hogg's books, Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect, and Communicate with Your Baby and The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems: Sleeping, Feeding, and Behavior--Beyond the Basics from Infancy Through Toddlerhood, the best.
They are easy to read and I like her methodology, she has a loving approach that looks at everything from the baby's point of view, but helps to integrate the baby into the family. I like the idea of helping the baby/child to manage his way in the world and I believe getting on a good sleeping/eating schedule is part of that. I also like that she looks at the baby as a person with feelings and a personality, not just as a thing. I should really get her book Secrets of the Baby Whisperer for Toddlers since I work with 30 toddlers every week at church. That would be so useful!
I also borrowed Jo Frost's Confident Baby Care: What You Need to Know for the First Year from America's Most Trusted Nanny from the library. I think it's interesting that three of the books I have are from British authors. What is it about the Brits that make them the parenting experts? I haven't really read this book yet, it seems like practical hand book on baby care, not necessarily a philosophical book about parenting, a type of book I'd like to have on hand for referencing. Not sure if this is the one I'd pick or not.
We bought Gina Ford's The New Contented Little Baby Book: The Secret to Calm and Confident Parenting. Ford's book looks promising and practical. Something I was unaware of is that she's British and the book is written for a British audience. This is not normally an issue for me since I do read English, but apparently we have different words for baby gear on this side of the pond and sometimes it takes me a minute to figure out what she's talking about.
From just reading the advice for getting prepared for the baby it seems like we're not following any of the rules. He's going to have to sleep in our room since he doesn't have a room, and he'll be sleeping in a pack n' play, not a crib. We also bought a chair that rocks, something else she doesn't recommend as the baby could get used to being rocked to sleep.
So far I like Tracy Hogg's books, Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect, and Communicate with Your Baby and The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems: Sleeping, Feeding, and Behavior--Beyond the Basics from Infancy Through Toddlerhood, the best.
 |
photo via |
 |
| photo via |
Comments
Be patient. It takes a lot of work to be a good breastfeeding team. Expect the first 6-8 weeks to be pretty tough. Use lanolin (I used the kind in a purple bottle...so can't think of the name of it now) during your third trimester (according to package instructions). That'll help condition the nipple for your sake and the baby's!
With regards to the shushing and the "jiggling" the baby's head. It does sound mean, but honestly, it works. We put her in a football hold (usually my hubby would) and would gently move her side to side and would shush loudly only until she calmed. Then we'd shush softer as long as she stayed calm. We didn't have her sleep with loud noise - it was really only used when she was having a tough time before sleeping. Again, she slept through the night starting at 8 weeks on a regular basis.
With regards to rocking the baby and them getting used to it. That's what most breastfeeding things will tell you with nursing your child to sleep - I did with my daughter until about 3 weeks before we weaned her completely (she was weaned at almost 13 months). For me, it was no different than a pacifier. Oh and she was rocked/nursed to sleep until this point, too. This transition wasn't terribly difficult at all!
I think the biggest key is do what works best for your baby. If it works best to rock him to sleep - then do it. My opinion is: they're only little once. I have plenty of time to work on altering habits...but really haven't had to work hard at this at all.
Good luck with breastfeeding! It's such an amazing experience but definitely...expect it to not be fun or at all amazing for the first month or two. You'll be a lot happier in the long-run if you go in with this expectation! :)