Posts by machatica

I had the Mirena IUD prior to both my pregnancies.  After removing it in May 2007, I was pregnant by July 2007.  This time around, I removed it April 15th, 2009 and was pregnant by the middle of May!  Lucky, perhaps...maybe just super fertile, but my point is that I don't think you necessarily have to worry about your fertility taking longer to return after a hormone-based IUD. 

I just love it when the forums turn into attack forums.  I have more concern for children that don't experience the benefit of folic acid and DHA in the womb than I do for children whose mothers drink an OCCASIONAL glass of wine while pregnant.  My experience wasn't dangerous, and there was no risk to my fetus. The child is fine.  I don't appreciate your attack, as I'm not here attacking anybody else, just sharing an opinion and experience. 

As an aside, I don't really get the obsession with getting your children to drink milk.  Milk is designed for COWS, not humans.  You can raise a perfectly healthy child without glasses of dairy/cottage cheese/yogurt/cheese/ice cream.  I find it particularly ironic that Americans consume more supplemental calcium (and calcium products) than any other country in the world, yet still maintain the world's highest rates of osteoporosis.  See the disconnect?  I do, which is why my son doesn't drink milk.  And no, I'm not an adamant vegan; I just don't get buy into the dairy council's messaging.

I've had the Mirena twice, and loved it.  Your periods virtually disappear after a couple of months, and it's effortless birth control.  I also breastfed while having the Mirena in place, with no effect on my baby boy.

You can microwave or bake yams/potatoes etc. and mush them up.  My babe likes the lumpy consistency.  You also (obviously) can mash up all sorts of fruits like bananas, peaches, etc.  I cut up small finger chunks and my boy is really into that.  As for meats, really, at 11 months, he's still not into eating them unless they're really disguised into a rice/gravy mixture.  Just cook up the meat, cut into TINY pieces, and mix up with rice or whatever else.  Mashed potatoes are also a real hit with my boy.

1.  Keep up your exercise routine, even if you have to switch from running to walking.  I walked 5 miles daily and I know it helped with mood, weight gain, and labor.

2.  Get a midwife.  She will encourage you and your body to follow the natural path toward childbirth.  And the prenatal visits can be awesome--not clinical like a regular obgyn.  I had a naturopath/midwife, which was the ULTIMATE experience, because she respected my fish oil consumption, alternative dietary beliefs, and love of herbs.  (Of course, if you want a medical-intervention-rich delivery, by all means, get a traditional doctor ;)  Clearly I'm biased.

3.  Take fish oil.  It's really important for brain/eye development, and it really helps with postpartum depression for you.  The babe drains your DHA (an essential fatty acid), and without fish oil, you will be depleted which can drastically affect postpartum moods.

4.  Eat sensibly, but allow yourself to enjoy food.  I think I ate dessert daily (shame on me), but walking and eating right most of the time kept my weight gain pretty reasonable (35 pounds).

5.  Enjoy preganncy.  I hated it.  I regret that hate, now.  I wish I had savored my big belly and enjoyed the wee one while he was kicking around inside me.  Mostly I just wanted my svelte old self back, not appreciating the beauty that growing a life can be.

6.  Enjoy your relationship with your husband as it is now.  Go out to eat.  Go away on vacations.  Watch movies IN THE THEATER.  It's not impossible once babe arrives, just exponentially more difficult.

7.  Watch Rikki Lake's documentary on birth.  It's fantastic.  It's called The Business of Being Born.  I think you can get it on Netflix, if not at your video store.

8.  Drink coffee if you want.  A cup a day won't hurt the baby, and if it keeps you happy, I highly recommend it!

9.  Realize that the weight will come off, and don't worry too much about it while it piles on.  You are an athlete, and you will return to that discipline in due time. 

Good luck, and enjoy the journey!!!

Well, maybe this might seem crazy, but why buy her anything?  The spirit of the holidays isn't really about gifts, in my opinion...especially for a little one who really only wants/needs love and affection from people who love her.  I'm not planning on buying my boy (7 months now) anything for at least a couple of years.  (Then again, we really don't do gifts in my family, anyways...)  But alternately, the savings bond thing sounds good.  Or maybe start a college fund.

First, 13 pounds at 20 weeks is really not bad.  I gained maybe 10 in my first trimester alone, and then about 15-20 in the second, and then about 5 in the third, so I don't think it's fair to assume that you'll necessarily gain a pound a week for the next 20 weeks.  Eat right, continue to exercise, have the baby, be patient, and the pounds will come off.  Slowly, perhaps, but with persistence they will come off.

You should know this, but if you dont:

Healthy pregnancy usually involves 25-35 pound weight gain. Looking at your photos, you're clearly starting out at a "normal" weight (that is, you're not overweight or obese), so it would be inappropriate for you to either lose weight or gain a mere ten pounds during your pregancy. Gaining 6 pounds in the first trimester is not unheard of. I gained 10 pounds in my first trimester, and approximately 10 pounds in each of the others, for a total of 35 pounds. Within two weeks after delivery, I was down 27 pounds, and now, with a 5 month old son, I still need to lose about 6 pounds, but I'm sure 3 of those are boobs alone! Don't worry about weight gain at this point. You are totally within a normal range, and your baby needs you to eat well. Stuff I ate:

breakfast: smoothie or oatmeal

lunch: sandwiches, soups, salads

dinner: salad, protein, veggies

snacks: fruit, cheese, cottage cheese, brownies and cookies (indulgences)

Focus on protein, and plenty of fruits and veggies, and you will be fine.

--stephanie

Yes--I gave up on hauling the car seat around by three months old (15 pounds).  Now I just leave the carseat in the car and throw the babe in my arms or in a sling on the way to the car.  Much easier.  (I probably won't be as strong as you in the end, though!)

dh=dear husband

I put on 10 pounds per trimester.  You're only supposed to gain a couple of pounds in your first tri, though.  I guess every woman is different.

Our babysitters in Seattle make A LOT more than minimum wage.  My in-home part-time nanny is $14/hour.

Christal,

I would highly recommend consulting with a naturopathic physician who specializes in women's reproductive health.  Short luteal phase can be easily addressed through diet and supplementation.  I have known women who used the herb vitex (aka chaste tree berry) with great success in regulating cycles, and, more specifically, lengthening luteal phase.  Get the standardized extract if you do take it (your local health food store will know what this means).  You can take the herb daily until you conceive, and then discontinue use.  There are other supplements that a naturopath will likely recommend, but vitex is really a miracle worker for a lot of women.  Good luck!

I rented for a month (around $75), then bought a Medela Pump in Style double electric breast pump off Craigslist for $50.  As long as you buy new tubing and bottles, it's perfectly safe and sanitary to buy used.

Hey Vanessa,

First off, hang in there.  There first few weeks are the roughest--you're hormonal, your boobs hurt like mad, and you're just learning to be a mama.  Of course, you're stuck home without your husband, and you have to learn what it means to be devoid of, as I call it, "mature adult interaction."  I hated being at home with my wee one for the first few weeks, to be totally honest.  I think, in my hormonal non-bliss, I mentioned to the boy's dad that I wanted to put him up for adoption, and I was totally serious!!  It gets better.  You learn the rhythms of your child, you learn to love the precious time you're spending with her.  A return to the "real world" will come soon enough, and you'll probably wonder why you felt so isolated and stranded sitting at home with a bundle of cuteness.  Oh, and lastly, you don't need to buy into the belief that you MUST keep the baby home for x amount of time.  I was out walking with our son two days after delivery, and within the first week, I was doing my usual 3 mile loop at the park.  It was a MUST for my social sanity.  There is no harm in strolling to the coffee shop and trying to have some semblance of a life.  Plus, the social interaction with the baristas was indispensable.