Big Decisions: Types of Providers

Hey future mamas!

As many of my friends in my community contemplate pregnancy or actually get pregnant, I'm thrilled to see that I've become a small but mighty source of information about making decisions in this process.  I love talking about it and I love helping people make educated choices about their health consumerism and their consumerism in general.  This week's posts are lovingly dedicated to multiple friends who shall remain nameless who asked me about this topic recently.  Best of luck to them and their partners in crime as they navigate these waters.

The decision of where to give birth wouldn't have even occurred to me as a decision until a couple years ago.  But as I began researching information about how to get pregnant, I realized that there were choices on where to be pregnant that I didn't even know existed.  I hope this week's posts will serve as a launching point for several of you who are doing your own research.

Types of Providers

A Doctor - This would typically be an OB/GYN but also could be a family practitioner, dependent on where you live.  They are typically affiliated with one hospital where they have "admitting rights" and that will dictate where you deliver.  OB/GYNs are surgeons by trade.  They are surgeons who have specialized in surgery required to deliver babies.  They are not typically well trained in natural child birth techniques, and are much more likely to recommend labor augmentation drugs, pain reducing medications like an epidural, and c-sections.  This is all, of course, statistically speaking, and should not be taken as a blanket comment about EVERY ob/gyn in the world.  They can provide both your prenatal care and your labor/delivery/recovery care.  Your insurance probably covers everything this provider provides.

A Midwife - There are two types of midwives... nurse midwives (CNMs) are trained first as nurses, then additionally as midwives.  In the state of MA where I live, they must practice in a medical facility (as opposed to in a home).  direct entry midwives are not nurses first.  They are more likely (in my limited experience) to work in people's homes.  Midwives are trained in vaginal childbirth.  They do not perform surgery, though they might perform small procedures like stitches necessary if you tear while giving birth.  They 'replace' the doctor in our typical view of pregnancy and childbirth... However, they are typically are affiliated with a doctor or facility who knows them well and will serve as a "back up" if your pregnancy or labor/delivery becomes high risk and you need more medical help than they are trained to provide.  They can provide both your prenatal care and your labor/delivery/recovery care.   Your insurance probably covers everything this provider provides.

A Doula - A doula is a completely separate type of provider.  I think it means "mothering the mother" in some language like Greek or Latin or something.  This person's job is not to deliver your baby, but instead is to help you through the process.  Think of them as a paid support provider similar to the role your husband or mother might serve.  They can be REALLY helpful, even if you have an active, involved husband and mother.  First, they have a wealth of knowledge that your husband and mother don't have because those people haven't attended hundreds of births.  Secondly, they probably know the venue and providers you're working with... so they can help you navigate the system while you're figuring all of this out for the first time.  And third, they are an objective 3rd party who can really help with decisions if you're in a rough spot.  Statistically speaking, women who hire doulas have FAR less c-sections than those who don't.  Your insurance probably won't cover this person, but the small amount they charge is totally worth it.  If I get pregnant again, I'm going to save up for a doula.  For sure.

Labor and Delivery Nurse - this provider is an 'assistant' to your midwife or doctor while you're in labor and delivery.  I didn't think they mattered too much when I was making decisions about where to give birth.  The thing is... on a busy night in the L/D unit, you might see more of this person than you do of your midwife.  And you CERTAINLY will see more of her than you'll see of your OB/GYN.  You don't get to pick this person.  You are picking a type of labor and delivery nurse by picking a facility.  So be sure to ask lots of questions about how L/D nurses act, provide care, etc while you're touring facilities to give birth in.  Ask how long their shifts are.  Ask how many patients they care for at one time.  Ask how they feel about drugs, lack of drugs, atypical positioning, intermittent fetal monitoring, etc... This person will become your/your husband's best friend or worst nightmare if you have a long labor/delivery.  Her services are covered by your inpatient hospital bill which is covered by your insurance.

Recovery Nurse - this provider is an 'assistant' to your midwife or doctor before you go home.  It might be the same as your L/D nurse if you're in a small facility.  Or you might not have one at all if you labor at home or in a small center and go home immediately.  I didn't think they mattered too much when I was making decisions about where to give birth.  The thing is... if you labor and deliver in a hospital and stay on the recovery unit for the average current stay of 2-3 days (4-6 for a c-section), you'll see a LOT of this provider... they give you your meds, they take your vitals, they check your bleeding, they make sure you do everything you're supposed to do before discharge... and they share a LOT of opinions while they do these things.  You don't get to pick this person (though you might be able to request the same nurse for several days in a row if you're lucky).  You are picking a type of recovery nurse by picking a facility.  So be sure to ask lots of questions about how nurses act, provide care, etc while you're touring facilities to give birth in.  Ask how long their shifts are.  Ask how many patients they care for at one time.  Ask how they feel about waking you in the night, caring for your child, co-sleeping while in the hospital, formula/breast feeding, etc, etc, etc.  Her services are covered by your inpatient hospital bill which is covered by your insurance.

Things to take to the hopsital

So I've read a lot of different sources on things to take to the hospital... and given that I'm 37 weeks pregnant, I thought maybe I should be starting my own list.  But I will be humble enough to admit that I have NO idea what I'm talking about here.  This is just a compilation of things that made sense from other sources.  So first of all, expect an "update" some day about whether or not any of these items were actually needed or useful.  And secondly, feel FREE to provide your input.  I've provided my own thoughts on the items too...

Paperworky Things
Insurance Card - not 100% sure I'll need this, since I've already pre-registered with Mt Auburn.  But it's always in my wallet, so doesn't really matter either way.
Hospital Paperwork - again, I'm pretty sure I've turned in everything in advance... but this might be important for other mamas out there at different locations
Birth Plan - my midwife and I talked about this last week.  We're both pretty sure that the vast majority of the things I want for my labor and delivery are "standard" with the midwives at Mt Auburn.  But I'm going to jot down a few notes for a) my own peace of mind and b) Ben's benefit.  That way he'll have the resource available if he, in a sleepy stupor, doesn't know the answer to any questions he's asked.

For the Labor/Delivery/Recovery Room (everything up to 2 hours post birth)
Chapstick - always a good idea, as the air in hospitals is generally dry.  And since I have about 100 laying around half completed, it won't be sad to "miss" one for the next couple weeks while it sits in the bag unused.
Music and connector - the LDR rooms at Mt Auburn are set up with CD players and have iPhone/iPod capability, but no cabling for it.  Not even 100% sure I feel the need to have music.  But it would be sad to not plan on this and then regret it.

For the Recovery Room (from 2 hours to 48 hours post birth)
Toiletries- personally, I'm not so picky.  And I know that the hospital will have some standard/generic stuff available.  But I'll probably throw in the most recent travel sized collection I have from a hotel, just in case.
hair brush - I only have 1 at home, so I can't pack it.  But I do have one I keep at work that I could bring home to pack.
Pajamas/Nightgown - this item is being tough for me.  First of all, everyone recommends it be something that you don't mind "ruining" by accident.  And then there's also the stipulation that I won't be back to my original pre-pregnancy size anyway.  So I'll probably pack my pregnancy sweats and a couple of older t-shirts that I don't care about as much.  I need to think about this more...
Non-slip socks or slippers - I wear my slippers at the house all the time.  They definitely couldn't go in a bag tonight and be unseen for the next 3 weeks.  I'll pack a couple pairs of socks though... but non-slip?  Huh-uh, don't have any.  I guess if I remember to throw the slippers in at the last minute, great.
Nursing Bras and pads
Underwear
Going Home outfit for myself - Needs to be comfy.  But also something that I don't mind wearing out in relative public.  Probably should be something that I fit into in the 3-6 month pregnant range.
Cell phone and Charger - of course can't pack now.  But I do have an extra charger that I typically leave at work.  I could probably bring that home and put it in the bag.
Pen and Paper - to write down questions between midwife visits, tips from an LC or RN, notes from the Pedi regarding how babygirl is doing, weights, etc.
Camera and charger - I know Ben will go crazy with his iPhone, but since I don't have one, I'll throw my camera down in the bag, just in case.
Extra pony tail holders - ya never know.  And they don't take up that much space.

Unsure about these items
Sanitary Napkins - Some things I've read suggest that the hospital will provide what I need and that I should leave these at home.  Others say take 'em.  Suppose it would be a good question for the midwife the next time I see her!
snacks - we know that the Mt Auburn hospital has a great cafeteria, good room service, and a large number of candy/snack machines available.  We also don't typically eat a ton of non-perishable, prepackaged snacks anyway (they tend to fall in the category of "food-like products" for us, which we try to avoid)... so I hate to buy a bunch of things that fall in the "snack" category just to waste them.  But maybe a pack of granola bars is a good idea???
Contacts and Make up??? - I think it's obvious why this is on the maybe list.  It's so "unnecessary."  But these pics will last a life time.  So if I could look good in a couple... it might be worth it.

For Ben
Clothes for two days
Pajamas

For Baby
Car Seat
Diaper Bag
Coming Home outfit
Receiving Blankets
Baby book??? - several sources suggest bringing it to put baby footprints in.  But I'm not even sure if the one I have has a spot for footprints- I need to look.  And on top of that, it might be just as easy to have them put on a piece of paper and add it to the book at a later date.

I don't think I'll take
A pillow - I'm not so attached to my pillows from home.  And the hospital will have pillows.  I'd rather not overpack.

What am I missing???

Confession is Good for the Soul

I confess I think I've been avoiding the blog.  I put it together with the primary goal of being the place I could talk about pregnancy and motherhood, judgement free, away from the "news feed" of facebook.  I didn't want to be that person who only posted on facebook about their child, so I thought this would be a good safe space.

But for the last several weeks, as I've been well into the 3rd trimester, I've sort of felt like what my mom used to say to me-- if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.  I wish I was the sort of pregnant woman who was happily nesting, decorating a nursery, and being excited about all of the new "stuff" that she owns for her baby.  I wish I was writing love letters and singing lullabies to my unborn to share with you.  Heck, I wish I was at least reading a good book with new, interesting tidbits about natural childbirth, labor, and delivery that I felt worth posting!

Truth of the matter is, that none of that feel-good stuff is happening.  Ben's been out of town for the entire month of March.  I typically have enough energy to make it to and from work followed by hopefully creating some sort of dinner and then falling in front of the computer for Netflicks or Hulu before I pass out.  I want to be eating better-- healthier, greener -- for me and for my growing little one.  But I'm not.  I just can't be bothered to put in the energy!  I'm not sleeping well, I am uncomfortable all the time ("squished" is the best word I can come up with) and there doesn't feel like there's a solution for it.  I think I've got more sadness/depression about Ben being gone than actual fatigue... but either way it limits me from house cleaning and other necessary chores.  People ask what they can do to help, but I'm not great at taking them up on it... I mean, how could I possibly ask someone to do the laundry that I'm capable of, just because I'm feeling too lazy to do it?

In so many ways, I'm just feeling overwhelmed by the process.  I know it will all get better once Ben gets home (5 more days!) and I have some emotional support.  But I can't help feeling like I lost a month here that I should have been using more productively.  And let me tell you, when you try to explain this feeling to people, most don't understand... saying things like, "well, enjoy your rest now!  It's the last chance you'll get for 18 years!"  I don't want to enjoy my rest.  I want to actually take care of myself.  The type of "rest" I've had this month is not enjoyable, it's just sad.

*sigh* I read over this and wonder if I should be keeping these thoughts to myself rather than publishing them on the internet for all (whomever "all" is) to read... but maybe some day another mom-to-be will read this and feel justified, not alone... and so for that reason, I'm about to hit "publish"-- against my better judgement.

full baby weekend!

Having had a 3 day weekend, I should have taken time to stock up on some blog posts... but alas, I spent Saturday at childbirth class, Sunday at a baby shower, and today shopping the Natick Malls.  Thus, no blogging for this little mama.

For now, you'll just have to be entertained by this pic of my cousin and me.  She's gonna be induced in 10 days if she hasn't popped before then.  Doesn't she look like she's smuggling a watermelon?!?!

Maybe THIS is nesting?

I still struggle with knowing whether or not I'm "nesting."  It might have started when I was painting every room in the house... but that was just finishing a project from before I was even pregnant.  Or it could have been the day of winterizing the windows, but we do that every year.  The next "nesting" thing that I'm doing isn't really nesting either. 

So Ben and I receive veggies every other week from this awesome program called Boston Organics.  We get awesome food that we love to eat.  But sometimes (especially when pregnant) I feel lazy about the foods and don't get enough of them fixed up and they go bad in our fridge before we can get to it all.  Well this week, I've been making a STRONG effort to use up the veggies! 

Simultaneously, though, I've been thinking about some of the "Once A Month Cooking" I've read about online and also thinking about mommy-blogs who talk about how hard it is to get the motivation to cook in the first couple weeks home from the hospital after giving birth.  Thus, I'm trying to kill two birds with one stone and cook up those veggies in ways we'll appreciate and then freeze the results for consumption in April and May!

Take a look at my results thus far:

This is a carrot/parsnip soup I was working on Thurs night in the crock pot.  Threw them in there with some water, seasonings, celery, onion, garlic, and curry... tonight's project will be to puree it and get it in containers for the freezer.  Then it's just a thaw-and-eat that Ben and I can pull out whenever!

Here's some zucchini bread muffins.  The zucchini was actually already in our freezer, pureed/chopped up from last summer/fall, but I got it out and made the muffins on Thurs night as well.  After they flash freeze on the pan (so that they're all separate), I'll throw 'em in a gallon sized ziplock and they can be brought out a few at a time for re-heating in the toaster oven.  Yummy breakfast and snack foods!

And here's the two soups from earlier in the week.  On the left side is the chicken soup- just add noodles when you defrost it and that container will make 4-5 servings of yummy, organic chicken noodle soup with carrots, celery, and onion.  And on the right side is a baked potato soup.  The advice I got online was to freeze it without the dairy products, 'cause it would re-heat better.  So it needs a bit more work on defrosting.  But I think Ben will like it more, so it's worth it. :-)

I'd like to start working on some other items besides soups too-- maybe some pre-seasoned meats that could just be dethawed and cooked by Ben or even some other bread products.  All of the Once a Month Cooking websites talk about premaking and defrosting pancakes and the like... but I'm worried they just won't turn out.

Anyone have personal experience or advice for me?

Maternity Clothes

In my group of friends, recycling is pretty common.  But Recycling is only one piece of the puzzle.  It's definitely better than landfills, don't get me wrong.  But it still has a financial impact on society when you think about collection, plants for breaking down the goods, and energy to rebuild the raw materials into something new.  We all need to be doing our part to Reduce and Reuse as well if we're going to make an impact on our limited resources.

That's why I'm SUPER PROUD of my newest addition to my house.  I've joined a listserv of moms in the Jamaica Plain area.  It seems to be a good, supportive forum for moms to ask advice, get advice, etc.  But they also have a "classifieds" area where folks will post cheap and free items to be reused by other families in the area.  Most of the stuff is kid toys/clothes/etc.  But this week, a mom posted about free maternity clothes in my size!  All I had to do was pick the stuff up at her house and I could prevent all those items from being in a landfill, make 'double' use of items which took energy and economic resources to create, and also build my wardrobe while saving myself a pile of cash!

Check out the loot:

8 pairs of black pants and khakis
1 pair of black sweatpants
2 pairs of jeans
9 long sleeved shirts
6 short sleeved shirts
2 tank tops
2 cardigans (one cream, one black)
2 skirts
2 dresses
3 swim suits
3 shorts
4 capris






Even when you "subtract" the items that I've gotten which aren't gonna be seasonally appropriate for me, I'd say I still SWEPT UP!!!

Agreed?

This basically doubles my maternity wardrobe.  It means I can put away all of the non-maternity clothes which I've been trying (only partially successfully) to stretch over my growing belly and feel confident in the clothes I have that fit me.  It also means that in the next couple weeks as my belly officially out-grows my scrub bottoms, I have enough stuff to wear to work without needing to make any purchases!

I'd count this one as a success.  It'll be a double success when I can hand these items down to someone else in the future, as well!

My Kingdom for a Good Night's Sleep!i

Happy New Years, friends!  The ball drop came and went in my life this year without too much pomp and circumstance.  I was out in Albany, NY with Ben for his work.  We were barely up late enough to watch the ball drop and turned out the lights shortly thereafter.  But the trip, overall, was a success and good times were had by all at other, more reasonable times of day.

And speaking of the middle of the night, I thought I'd let you all in on the toughest part of pregnancy for me thus far-- SLEEP.  During my first trimester, I didn't have any of the usual issues that anyone describes... no nausea to speak of and I felt fairly energetic and rested on my usual amount of sleep and sleep routine.  But basically, as soon as my 2nd trimester hit, all hell broke loose for me.  Didn't they say that the 2nd trimester was supposed to be easier?  I was gonna have more energy and be more productive?  Not true for this mama, so don't believe everything you read.

Here's some of the issues I've had and my solutions or general thoughts on them:

Plain ol' Insomnia
Now I tend to be someone who wakes easily in the middle of the night anyway -- Ben and I toss/turn most of the night.  And usually, I've just fallen back asleep.  But around week 13/14, I started waking up and staying awake.  I fell asleep easily, but couldn't stay asleep for the life of me.  I wasn't uncomfortable, I didn't have to pee... I was just awake.  For a few days/weeks, I would let myself get back up-- stay in bed but turn the light on and read, watch Hulu, or try to be otherwise productive.  But I nipped this issue in the bud eventually by refusing to turn the light on and do anything.  Sure I had a couple of looooong nights, but eventually I started sleeping through the night again around week 16 or so.  This problem has come back once in a while, but I've moved on to other things.

Funky Contractions
Around week 23, I had one tough week with regard to pain/discomfort.  I think I posted about it when I thought it was associated with a fibroid.  As it turns out, for about a 2-3 day period of time, I had contractions.  Yes, contractions and no the docs/midwives never called them Braxton Hicks.  They occurred for 12 seconds a piece every 2 minutes for all of Sunday and Monday as well as the nights surrounding.  They took a Tuesday off and then were back Tues night again.  Bizarre.  No one knew why they happened, but I had an ultrasound and everything checked out as a-okay, so the best advice I was given was to ignore them as much as possible.  In the interim, however, it was definitely a couple of uncomfortable, mostly sleepless nights.  To 'cure' this issue as much as possible, I rested (off my feet, no house chores, etc but I did go to work), hydrated, and used a heating pad -- a surprising recommendation by my midwife since I'd read that "heat was bad" for the pregnancy... don't they say no hot tubs?  Regardless, the heat to my belly felt wonderful and actually let me rest a little and forget the pain.

Heartburn
Over the last 4 weeks or so (between 21-25 weeks), I've had intermittent heartburn, specifically when laying flat.  It's different than the heartburn I describe to my patients and different than what I've felt before when I eat too much Italian food.  But it's heartburn, as best as I can describe it.  For me, it's literally a long, slow, acidic sizzle in my lower throat, just below my thyroid.  I don't have it frequently enough to figure out what foods trigger it, but I'm sure it's at least partially related to my diet.  To solve that, I am trying to do as much of the typical GERD diet as I can tolerate -- reduce orange, tomato, onion, fatty, fried, carbonation, caffeine, etc.  But realistically, I like to eat and I want to eat, so I'm gonna eat and I'll suffer the consequences.

Of course, laying fully flat doesn't help either-- I should elevate the head of my bed in general and especially when feeling this heartburn.  But some times I can't get comfortable with my head elevated, especially now with the growing belly, so I try to find a happy medium.  I have also been working on laying on my LEFT side as much as possible.  I saw an awesome picture recently which really brought the anatomy home for me-- when laying on my left, the curvature of the esophagus is supposedly such that the lower sphincter is "above the water line" where as when laying on the right side, the sphincter is "below the water line."  Brilliant.  I'd never really thought of that or realized it before-- wondering if it's really true.  Anyone medical out there want to confirm it for me?

Thirst
I'm lucky that hunger hasn't been a real issue for me during my pregnancy.  I've always been an awesome eater and I continue to be so, but I'm not STARVING during the day nor do I have weird cravings too much.  But thirst... I can't get enough water these days.  I was reading some (likely unreliable) online references which stated something about how the amniotic sac will re-generate/refresh the fluid every 3-4 hours if you drink enough fluids?!?!  It seems totally bizarre to me, but I suppose I can picture it.  The woman who was talking about it then talked about how "gross" it was to have your baby floating in "dirty old fluid" if you don't drink enough... which seems to be a bit of a stretch to my mind, but I guess I see her point.  Regardless, my midwife's recommendation to me was a cup of water for every hour I'm awake.  I should have clarified whether she meant "a glass" or "a cup" the measurement.  I'm certain that most days I actually end up having more than that.  And when I don't, I wake up DYING OF THIRST in the middle of the night.  I started leaving a tall cup of water on the dresser near my bed for just this issue... but that brings me to the next problem...

Uncomfortable Re-positioning
As I barrel towards the 6 month marker, I'm definitely visibly pregnant.  It started with Ben commenting, "Did you pop over night???" and has continued with complete strangers feeling comfortable stating "and good luck with your pregnancy!" at the ends of our conversations.  Yup.  Definitely showing.  With regard to sleep, it's definitely made the rolling and tossing and turning I do more difficult (and reaching that water at 3am!).  First of all, I think when not pregnant, I really like to sleep at least partially on my stomach.  Now that's impossible.  And second of all, my center of balance is all off-- fine for walking (though Ben did ask the other day if I'll start falling forward now...) but actually causing some challenges when trying to roll back and forth in bed or even get out of bed in the AMs.  Given that this is the newest issue, I don't really have a solution for it yet.  I try to get into a comfy position and then just stay there as long as possible before feeling the need to roll.

But I definitely am looking for other suggestions, if any of you mamas have any?  I'm also a little worried about this "difficulty getting out of bed" thing because a) it's gonna get worse as I get bigger and b) Ben's out of town for all of March!  What if I get stuck in the bed?!?! Who will come help me get out?!?!

Nesting? Or Winterizing?

So if this really IS nesting, there are ways to make those nesting instincts work in your favor if you're a green-lovin' momma like me.  In the pictures below, you'll see two exciting things happening in my kitchen.

First, my Advent Conspiracy gift from my husband and parents-in-law is that my kitchen was finally painted!  Huzzah!  I love that bright, cheery yellow color.  It goes so well with the candy apple green in my living room and I'm convinced we'll actually turn the lights on less because it reflects so much of the natural day light we get in our windows.

But second, take a look at my hubby using his mad skills to help me winterize my kitchen windows!  This is a chore I've been doing since I was a kid.  I remember my mom putting this stuff up and then enjoying poking at it, watching the cold air billow on the other side.  I'm sure what my mom loved was that we weren't going to spend a fortune on heating the house that winter!  After some coaxing to get my pregnant belly off the couch, we've now winterized everything but the bathroom window... just one to go!  What a GREEN friendly option - green for my wallet AND green for the earth!

What techniques do you use to save a little green during the winter months???

Merry Christmas!

So all of you out there who feel I need to slow down and take it easy will be glad to know that during the entire Christmas weekend, I repeatedly thought to myself, "I should blog right now," but never actually did.  The result means that I've been absentee from this space longer than I wanted to be.  But the other result is that I actually did do a lot of nothing on my 3 day weekend.  Perfect, really!

Christmas this year was excellent - on Saturday we went to my in-laws and participated in an excellent yankee swap where Ben received a knife sharpener (very baby friendly, I think...) and I received a singing, dancing christmas tree.  I haven't put the thing together yet to make it sing and dance, but let's be honest, that's AMAZING!  Sunday was literally a whole lot of nothing.  My Advent Conspiracy for my hubby was not really a secret.  But I think he enjoyed it anyway.  I made his favorite sausage rolls and delivered them to him in bed on Sunday morning.

The rest of Sunday consisted of watching movies, chatting with family and doing a whole lot of nothing.  We returned back to Boston on Monday where my hubby (and his family who came down with us!) painted my kitchen and hall for me!  An excellent yellow color which I think is going to be absolutely cheery and beautiful.  Just what I'll need if I'm gonna be around the house full time for 3 months this spring/summer.

And then surprise of surprises, my parents-in-law stayed in Boston today and my mother-in-law cleaned my house for me!  Literally the best Christmas present I could picture... better than anything she could have purchased.  Our bathtub (and the rest of the bathroom for that matter) is actually cleaner than I've ever seen it-- like, cleaner than when we moved in.  My laundry is done and folded.  And cobwebs are swept out of corners I didn't know existed.  I feel SO RELAXED and blessed tonight!

But it makes me think about the concept of "nesting" which the websites say kicks in during the 2nd trimester.  As I'm rounding out my 2nd trimester (just a couple more weeks to go!), I'm wondering if I've felt the nesting urge.  Ben and I started the long, slow process of reorganizing and redecorating our apartment in the summer (before I was pregnant).  It's been long and slow because we're both sorta ADD about it, but also because we both work full time and it's hard to get to any of it.  So yes, when we have free time, I crave things like finishing the living room projects, starting the kitchen painting, or planning out what we're gonna do in the nursery.  But I don't think it's really to a full blown "nesting" situation.  I think it's just who I am!

Have you guys felt the "nesting" feeling? What did it feel like to you? Did you end up doing any crazy things around the house?

2nd trimester aches and pains

So today I'm learning about fibroids.  Maybe it's a little TMI, but it turns out I have one (as MANY women do) in my uterus.  In? On?  Near?  I'll be honest, I'm not sure.  The ultrasound tech told us a few weeks ago when we were there that it was no big deal, not near the cervix, and we shouldn't worry.  So we haven't.  But today I'm having some bizarre cramping and my midwife wonders if it could be the fibroid giving me issues.

If you're related to me, DO NOT GOOGLE THIS!  Googling medical diagnoses is never a good idea without actual collateral medical back up.  It only serves to freak you out, no matter whether the diagnosis is fibroids or something as simple as toe jam!  Trust me on this.

For the time being, I'm taking it easy, using a heating pad, hydrating, and taking a little tylenol for the irritation.  Ben is, meanwhile, making fun of me for how silly I look while typing and lying in bed. :-)  We'll see the midwife this week and get another ultrasound just to make sure everything's doing okay, which I'm 100% sure it is.  But if you're the praying type... prayers are also welcome.

Maternity Clothes

So tonight's obsession is about how the heck I'm gonna make it through the pregnancy without spending a fortune on maternity clothes. It doesn't make sense to me to buy a bunch of new stuff for several reasons. First, I'll only wear the stuff a few months, and then they're back in a box for years (or ever?) until I... what... have another? That's so not something we're even gonna discuss right now. Secondly, what a WASTE of money!!!

Thus, I'm really keeping my eyes peeled for interesting ways to keep my maternity expenses down. Right now, I'm using the 'rubber band trick' which, from what I can tell, most moms know about. (Where did we learn this stuff before the internet?) And things like Belly Bands, of course, make a lot of sense to stretch my 'normal' pants a few more weeks/months (I'm ordering mine tonight, because they were out of my size at Isis this weekend). But what other ideas can I find or think of?

Turns out, there's a lot of great ideas out there on the internet! Who would have thought?!?! Take a look:

make-baby-stuff.com shows how to turn two shirts that are too-short into one that's long enough. It's actually brilliant for tees and for tanks. The question is, are the bright, contrasting colors too cheesy? Maybe putting a neutral like tan or black in the middle would make sense for work.

homemadebyjill.blogspot.com shows how to take one larger shirt and turn it into a slightly tighter one. Hm... might require a trip to good will, especially if I don't want to just steal all of Ben's shirts. ;-)

diymaternity.com's ribbon tied top

and finally, here's a couple top patterns that honestly, while I have the skill for, I probably just won't take the time:

ruthie-lilmamasews.blogspot.com

diymaternity.com's men's button down top

Any other ideas for me???