tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61350186876148925072024-02-19T00:00:33.390-08:00Adventures in RandomnessThis blog will be much like my choice in music - kind of random. Topics will include various things, such as decor, organization, recipes, & who knows what else!Marlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14590509712765498800noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6135018687614892507.post-37638835497896239382017-05-13T12:16:00.000-07:002017-07-23T08:24:32.165-07:00James Christopher's Birth Story Part 2: Labor and DeliveryPart 2 is labor and delivery. Make sure to read <a href="http://advinrandomness.blogspot.com/2017/04/james-christophers-birth-story-part-1.html">part 1</a> which includes details leading up to labor starting. It should go without saying, but this is a birth story and will include details about child birth. You have been warned. :)<br />
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Photos are by <a href="http://www.victoriabrownphotography.com/" target="_blank">Victoria Brown Photography</a>. Getting a birth photographer was somewhat last minute, but I am so glad I had one!<br />
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We left off Friday evening with me going to bed around 11 pm. Just after midnight, I woke up to a decently strong contraction. I didn't think much of it because this had been happening every night for the past week. After about 20 minutes, I decided to go get in the tub because they were getting stronger. While in the tub, I realized that maybe I should let Chris know what is going on, but he had been sleeping downstairs. Between his snoring and my need to get up to pee every 30 minutes, no one had been sleeping. I told myself that after the next contraction I would go downstairs and let him know labor might be starting. As soon as that contraction was finished, I heard Chris coming up the stairs. Thank goodness! Apparently the fridge had been super noisy and woke him up. Then he heard me upstairs and said that he knew I was in labor.<br />
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Chris sat in the bathroom with me and of course was asking how far apart the contractions were. I despise timing contractions. I find it to be a huge distraction and don't like to do it. He grabbed my phone and started to time them as best as he could, but again, I despise this task. I was not good at telling him when they would start and when they would end, so he was just guessing.<br />
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I got out of the tub around 1 am and Chris said we need to start contacting people (people means the midwives, my friend Kirsten, and the birth photographer). I told him it was way too early for that and I don't want to disturb people in the middle of the night unless it really is go time. I still thought that this was exactly what had happened every night for the last week. I figured contractions would stop in an hour or so.<br />
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As I was attempting to convince Chris that this wasn't labor, he said "well, your contractions are about 2-3 minutes apart, so you'll probably have another one in about 10 seconds." I said "yeah, ok, whatever." But wouldn't you know it, 10 seconds later, another contraction. At this point I started to think that maybe this actually was labor. In my head, if it was labor, it was still very early labor. The best thing to do is relax and rest as much as possible.<br />
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Around 2:30 am, I was extremely hungry and asked Chris to grab me a luna bar and a bottle of juice. Being hungry and wanting to eat just further convinced me that I was not in labor as I had never been hungry during my other labors.<br />
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I continued to have regular and consistent contractions about 3 minutes apart. I was watching The Office and resting as much as possible. Around 3:30 am, Chris fell asleep. Not sure how he could sleep through me having contractions, but he did. Lol.<br />
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Around 4:30 (I think), Chris woke up and I told him that maybe it was time to let people know. He called the midwife who asked if I felt that it was time to head up to the birth center. I did not feel that it was time, so she said to call back when we were heading up to the center. She said that if we get there and I'm not very far along, we could just go get some food or something. Once he got off the phone, he told me there was absolutely no way he would be taking me to a restaurant while I was clearly in labor. Lol. Chris texted Kirsten and the photographer around this time as well.<br />
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Around 5 am, I was super hungry again and asked for a bagel and chocolate milk. Again, wanting to eat continued to convince me that I was not actually in labor. I also had not had a bloody show, so I was convinced this was still early labor.<br />
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Shortly after 5, I messaged another friend to let her know what was going on. If someone needed to take the kids, she would be the person to do that. I told her my plan was to try to wait until 6 am and then wake the kids up and head to the birth center. Chris and I agreed that he would make them breakfast to eat in the car. Obviously I now realized that this was the real deal.<br />
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Chris got Benjamin up first to give him a quick bath. Genevieve was awoken a little after Benjamin and Chris informed the kids that it was baby time and to get dressed. Genevieve picked out a "Big Sister" shirt on her own. Her hair was still braided from the night before, so that was a good call on my part. Everyone was downstairs getting ready to go, or so I thought. Around 6 am, I got back in the tub and I thought I had told Chris to get everyone ready to leave and I would get out of the tub at the last possible minute.<br />
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At 6:30 or so, I got the urge to leave ASAP. I got out of the tub and got dressed. I went downstairs to find everyone sitting at the table eating breakfast. Contractions were 1-2 minutes apart at this point and I was having to vocalize through them. Genevieve was concerned, but I reassured her that it was ok. I grabbed a chux pad and a towel for the car ride, just in case. We got in the car shortly after 7 am.<br />
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As we were leaving our neighborhood, I asked Chris if he had contacted the midwife on call to let her know we were heading in. He said he had not, so I told him that was an important call to make.<br />
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The 25 minute drive was relatively uneventful. I had 3 contractions or so in the car, so they had slowed down immensely. Once we pulled up to the birth center, it was 7:30 and we were the only ones there. I immediately got out of the van and leaned on my seat as I was having contraction after contraction now.<br />
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It was such a beautiful morning and a beautiful day to have a baby! I was excited to be in labor on a Saturday. I really hate inconveniencing people and a Saturday was the best for the photographer and my friend. Their husbands were home, so child care was not an issue for them. </div>
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A nurse was the first one there and she asked how far apart contractions were and such. I laid on the bed so she could check me and she said I was 7 cm with a very stretchy cervix and a bulging bag of waters. My first thought was "of course I am 7 cm with a bulging bag of waters. 7 cm is where I get "stuck" and I am all too familiar with a bulging bag of waters." The nurse seemed confident that the baby would be born soon, but I had my doubts. Chris contacted the photographer and Kirsten and advised them to head on in. I messaged my friend Amanda to give her an update.<br />
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Since I was clearly in active labor, the nurse got the birth tub going. I could not wait to get in. Meanwhile, I just walked around and leaned on the bed during contractions. As soon as the tub was full enough, I got in.<br />
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Laboring in the inflatable birth tub vs a regular birth tub was something I wanted to experience. I wanted to see if there was a difference between the two and there really is! The inflatable pool is soft and it is easy to get into various positions. In a regular tub, being on your knees is very uncomfortable and your options of positions are limited. </div>
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Sweet Genevieve and one of the midwives, Natalie, in the background.</div>
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Between contractions, I was great. I was laughing and talking. At one point, Nicole and I were chit chatting about some VBAC stuff between contractions.</div>
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The kids were so very excited to meet their new sibling. We were team green, so we didn't know if it was a boy or a girl. Benjamin, Chris, and I thought it was a boy, but Genevieve was holding out for a girl.<br />
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That Saturday was supposed to be a dinner night that a small group of friends and I usually participate in. Kirsten is one of those friends, so she told me that Courtney, the hostess, was aware that neither of us would be attending the dinner that evening. Lol.<br />
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Something else that was different with this labor was that I wanted to listen to music. It felt so quiet in the room! We listened to some 90s playlist from Amazon. There were multiple songs in a row that talked about breathing, but the one that sticks out to me is Breathe (2 AM):<br />
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"Cause you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable</div>
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And life's like an hourglass, glued to the table</div>
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And no one can find the rewind button, girl.</div>
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So cradle your head in your hands</div>
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And breathe. Just breathe,</div>
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Oh breathe, just breathe</div>
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There's a light at each end of this tunnel,</div>
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You shout 'cause you're just as far in as you'll ever be out"</div>
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There were two things I repeated to myself in my head over and over again: "The only way out is through." and "You can do anything for 90 seconds."<br />
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They had essential oils diffusing which was nice. When I had Benjamin, I had taken my diffuser and oils to the hospital to diffuse. The smell of clary sage always reminds me of labor and birth now.<br />
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I discovered that if I sat back like I am in the photo above, the contractions were much less intense and were further spaced apart. I made sure to take advantage of this when I needed or wanted to relax.<br />
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The tubes are just hoses to fill up the tub. They do a great job at keeping the water at just the right temperature. You don't want it too hot or too cold for the baby.<br />
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Also of note is that I packed 2 bags of food. At the birth center, you need to bring your own food. I had no idea how long I would be in labor and wanted to make sure we were well prepared. The kids quickly discovered the snack bags and all we heard for about 3 hours was "I'm hungry." In the above photo, Genevieve is snacking on some dried fruit. I should also note that at 38 weeks when I was told we would need to go to the hospital, I repacked my bags for a hospital birth. This meant I had more stuff as a hospital stay is longer than a birth center stay. I bet the midwives and nurse saw our stuff and wondered how long we planned on staying. Lol.<br />
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Natalie was checking the baby's heart rate. It was great!</div>
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The nurse was applying counter pressure on my low back. Sometimes this felt good and sometimes it did not. I need to say sorry to Natalie for swatting your hand away. Lol.<br />
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This is when things started getting real. I'm guessing it was around 11 am. How do I know things were getting real? The glasses came off. Lol. I was pushy, but things just weren't feeling quite right. I asked the midwives if they are going to do a check and I was told that they wouldn't normally do a check. A few minutes later, I asked to be checked because something just didn't feel right. Natalie checked me and said I was 7-8 cm. It had been 4 hours at this point and the birth center has a rule that if you go 5 hours without cervical change, you have to transfer.<br />
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It was also around this time that I started getting very nauseous. With Genevieve's labor, I threw up the entire time. It was awful. Staying hydrated was impossible. With Benjamin, I asked for anti-nausea meds as soon as I got to the hospital. I was so worried about throwing up during labor, that I had a prescription filled for anti-nausea meds that I could take with me to the birth center. Anyway, Natalie got some spearmint essential oil and put a couple of drops on a paper towel and fanned that in front of my face. It really helped! I made it through the entire labor and birth without getting sick! I am quite happy about that.<br />
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I asked the midwives what we could do to move things further along. Natalie said we could change positions or maybe break your water. At this point, my monkey brain kicked in and I could not make a decision for the life of me. I asked someone to just tell me what to do.<br />
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Kirsten came in and did what we had discussed. She stepped in and told me to get out of the tub. She said to go labor on the toilet and see what happens. I had been going to the bathroom pretty regularly as I was drinking water between each contraction. I knew how much those contractions on the toilet sucked. Kirsten said I gave her an evil look and snapped at her with "easier said than done" when she told me to get out of the tub. Bwhahaha!<br />
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Getting in and out of the tub was not an easy feat as I am pretty short.</div>
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The birth center has an awesome playroom area next to the birth room I was in. It was so wonderful because the kids could come and go as they pleased. The door to my birth room stayed open the entire time.<br />
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This was when I was laboring on the toilet. Those contractions were pretty awful and I was done with sitting on the toilet after a few minutes.<br />
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Nicole suggested that I start squatting during contractions and she would do hip squeezes during the contractions. Those hurt like a bitch too. I should add that one of Chris's co-workers called during one of these squatting contractions and he actually answered the phone about 3 feet away from me! Sorry John if you heard me roaring through a contraction. Lol.<br />
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We did this for about 30 minutes and then I was checked again. Still no progress. Nicole advised me that she recommended breaking my water. She said the OB at the hospital would require internal fetal monitoring and would not allow her to run pit. She said we need to have this baby here. I consented to having my water broken. I was nervous about this because I had my water broken with Genevieve and she got stuck in a bad position. With Benjamin, my water ruptured on its own when I got to 10 cm, but once it broke, I went back to 7 cm and it was another 20 hours before he was born. To say I was nervous about having my water broken is an understatement.<br />
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I was laying on the bed at that point and Nicole told me to go to the toilet and we would break my water there. I was having contraction on top of contraction and could not move. Chris tried to pull me up and I am pretty sure I yelled at him. I would get myself up, but at that moment, I felt like a cockroach stuck on its back.<br />
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I made my way to the toilet and Nicole got this thing that she stuck on her finger to break my water. I asked if she could feel the baby's head and she said yes, but it was very high. She tried to break my water and said something like "this sac is tough and doesn't want to break." She had called for someone to get the stick to break the sac and about 5 seconds later, I felt a pop and a gush. My water had broken.<br />
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Immediately things changed and I lost it. I started screaming that they HAVE to help me. I can't do this. I'm going to die. GET ME OFF THIS TOILET. In my head, I was thinking "I have wanted a water birth for like 8 years now, no way in hell am I having this baby on the toilet!!! I wonder if I can just jump into the tub from here." Once I stood up off of the toilet I could not move or straighten my legs. Nicole was telling me to stand up and move and I literally could not. I was trying to move and my legs were not listening. <br />
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Somehow between Chris and the midwives, they got me over to the stool to get into the tub. Nicole said "ok, that leg is bent, just put it up on the stool." Again, in my head my leg was moving, but in reality, it was not. Chris grabbed my leg and put it on the stool. Then somehow I got into the tub. Still not totally sure how that happened.<br />
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I was still freaking out. Nicole gave me a homeopathic that she later told me is for patients who are losing it. Yep, that was me! The homeopathic was distracting, in a good way. I was focusing on those little tablets that were in my mouth and that somewhat brought me back into reality.<br />
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Kirsten heard how drastically things had changed and brought the kids in. Kirsten told me that when she told the kids the baby was coming, Benjamin asked if he could go outside and play with the baby. Lol!</div>
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At that point I was on my hands and knees and was still screaming and grunting. All of a sudden, I felt something change and I got up onto my knees. I had started calming down and didn't think I was going to die. It was surreal. Almost an out of body experience.<br />
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Apparently I grabbed Chris's arm the wrong way and he said it was like I was trying to pull him into the tub via a bicep curl. Lol. Thank you Burn Bootcamp. :)</div>
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I asked Nicole to check to see if the head was low enough for me to start pushing. I didn't want to push if I wasn't fully dilated. She said it was low and I could push. Yeah, my body was already pushing on is own.<br />
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About a minute later, I asked Nicole to check again and tell me how low the head was. She said something like "well you're crowning, so the head is pretty low." The photo above is one of my favorites. I didn't actually push like I had pushed with Genevieve and Benjamin. My body was totally doing it on its own. I was not thinking about what was happening. Everything was very instinctual.<br />
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You can see his head coming out in the above photo. I was reaching around to support myself which is what I instinctively needed to do. There was also no thinking about what position to push in. Being on my knees was what I instinctively did.<br />
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As soon as his shoulders came out, I said something like "I think he just slid back in" because I felt a pop. I realized later that it was his shoulders popping out, not something going back in. As soon as I saw him, Nicole said "oh, the cord." It was wrapped around his neck, so she quickly untangled it, grabbed him, and handed him to me. (Still didn't know it was a boy though.)<br />
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When I saw the hair, I said "It has red hair" and immediately assumed it was a boy. I also said that he was so tiny and Nicole told me he looked long. </div>
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Very shortly after I had him, Nicole told someone to grab the bag and the doppler. The baby looked pale and floppy. (You can see the doppler in two photos above being used to check the heart rate.) She checked his heart rate and it was over 100, so that was good. Then they bagged him and he pretty quickly started breathing and looked better. It was somewhat scary, but Nicole handled it so well that there wasn't really much time to be scared. By the time I realized what was happening, he was fine.<br />
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I have no idea what Nicole and I were chatting about, but the expressions on our faces crack me up.<br />
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Then I asked Nicole how long between my water breaking and his birth. She said 13 minutes. She also informed me that when she broke my water, I went back to 6 cm. So yeah, I went from 6 cm and a -2 station (which means his head was really high) to baby in arms in 13 minutes. That's kind of insane. Those 13 minutes were the most intense 13 minutes of my life. With Genevieve, I got to 10 cm and pushed for 6 hours, unmedicated, and never felt anything like I did with this birth. With Benjamin, I had a failed epidural and again, did not feel anything like I did with this one.<br />
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Because of the drama when he first came out, I didn't check right away to see if it was a boy or a girl. A couple of minutes later, I checked, and sure enough, boy!<br />
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Benjamin was so excited!</div>
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I did it. I freaking did it! I got my second VBAC and first out of hospital, water birth. I have some choice words I would like to say to the OB who told me my pelvis was too small and I could never have a vaginal birth. </div>
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My older kids got to witness the unmedicated birth of their brother. That's a pretty cool thing!<br />
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After the birth, I got out of the tub and went to the bed to deliver the placenta. Nicole held James while he was still attached and I climbed out of the tub. Chris cut the cord once the cord had stopped pulsing, was flat, and turned white. The placenta came out a few minutes later and I felt much better once that was out. Oh, and no tearing!<br />
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I am so thankful for Kirsten, my dear friend, to be there. I know it wasn't an easy thing for her, but she was exactly who I needed. Thank you!<br />
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He was so alert! This was maybe 10 minutes after we got out of the tub. After his initial crying was finished, he didn't really even cry for the next day or so. He was so chill and just kind of took in his world.<br />
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The kids could not get over how tiny his hands and feet are.<br />
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They did his newborn assessment and he was 6 lbs 5 oz, 20 inches long, and a 13 1/2 inch head. The person doing his assessment checked for lip and tongue tie and he did not have any! I couldn't believe it! Benjamin had severe lip and tongue tie which I feel caused feeding issues. Genevieve had a lip tie which made nursing uncomfortable, but not as bad as Benjamin. I credit the lack of ties to my knowledge of the MTHFR mutation and taking the proper supplements during pregnancy.</div>
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Stay tuned for part 3 where I will talk about my thoughts about my different birth experiences.</div>
Marlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14590509712765498800noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6135018687614892507.post-22351998493517094432017-04-06T07:54:00.004-07:002017-05-12T10:28:44.838-07:00James Christopher's Birth Story Part 1Part 1 will consist of important details leading up to labor starting. I want to remember as many details as possible, so this is the easiest way to keep the posts from being too long. Feel free to read my <a href="http://advinrandomness.blogspot.com/2011/07/genevieves-birth-story.html">oldest's birth story</a> and my <a href="http://advinrandomness.blogspot.com/2013/06/benjamin-thomass-birth-story.html">middle child's birth story</a> as well.<br />
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I knew I wanted an out of hospital birth with my third baby. I had attempted a birth center birth with Genevieve, my oldest, but after 6 hours of pushing, I was a hospital transfer and ended up with a c-section. With Benjamin, my middle child, money was an issue, so we opted for a hospital birth with wonderful midwives. The providers who cared for me with Benjamin's birth also have a birth center, so I knew that was where I wanted to birth.<br />
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I made sure to take care of myself during pregnancy. I continued to go to boot camp until around 35 weeks and my body told me it needed rest, so I listened. I ate decently. I was far from eating Paleo, but I made better choices than I did with my previous pregnancies.<br />
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Right before I found out I was pregnant, I learned that I have the MTHFR mutation. Man, I wish I had known about this with my other pregnancies. I knew that folic acid was a huge no-no and to take vitamins with methylfolate or folicinic acid instead. My naturopath also prescribed 2 different vitamin Bs for me to take as well.<br />
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All was going well with my pregnancy and such; however, at 30 weeks, I learned that there might be an issue and VBACs might not be allowed at the birth center. I definitely started to stress because I did not want to be at the hospital unless medically necessary. It would be easier logistically to be at the birth center because we were planning on the kids being at the birth. Thankfully I was informed at my 36 week appointment that I would be able to continue as a birth center patient. Whew!<br />
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Then at my 38 week appointment, things changed. When the midwife measured my fundal height, I was now measuring 2 weeks ahead. For some people, this might not seem like a big deal, but with Genevieve I had polyhydraminos (poly for short) which is excess amniotic fluid. There can be complications with poly. The midwife had me do a quick ultrasound to check fluid levels. Pretty much as soon as I saw the ultrasound on the screen, I knew I had a lot of fluid. She did her measurements and sure enough, I had poly. Again. I was informed that I would not be able to birth at the birth center and would need to have the baby by 40 weeks or we would need to talk induction. Baby was also posterior, which is not a good position. Immediately my mind went to "this is exactly what happened with Genevieve." My midwife was very kind and reminded me that I have had a vaginal birth and this is not the same situation as Genevieve's birth.<br />
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Once I left the appointment, I met up with Chris for lunch and told him what was going on. He was upset for me and also concerned about the baby. Again, there are complications that can arise from poly. I might be naive, but since we had been down this road before, I was not as worried as I was when I found out I had poly with Genevieve.<br />
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When I got home, I called a friend and we chatted. We discussed how I had the stomach bug for the last week and was dehydrated. Maybe the excess fluid was my body's way of protecting the baby while I was sick. Another friend suggested drinking a ton of water. It sounds counter intuitive, but maybe drinking the extra water would help flush excess fluid. I was willing to give anything a chance. I drank at least a gallon of water every day for the next week. I infused my water with lemon or cucumbers and drank as much as I could.<br />
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The plan was to check at 39 weeks to see what was happening. Maybe baby would turn into a better position, dispersing fluid levels. Who knows. I was viewing the 39 week appointment as the "big" appointment and tried everything to get baby out of the posterior position. I went to my regular chiropractor every day. The day of my 39 week appointment, I went to a different chiropractor who is amazing with pregnant mamas and babies. This office was the one I went to with Benjamin's pregnancy and I know they do more ligament work, which is what I felt I needed. <br />
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After the chiropractor appointment, I drove up to the birth center and met with a birth worker to do some energy and body work. She tried to determine the baby's position and could tell baby was head down, but it was hard to determine anything else. Baby still felt OP to me. She had me get on my hands and knees and did some work on my low back and ligaments. I could feel that the baby definitely shifted, but it still felt OP to me. Something felt different though. <br />
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I went out to the waiting room to wait for my appointment with the midwife. Chris met me there with the kids because I knew I needed support for this appointment, depending on what the outcome was. When I stood up when they called me back, I felt the baby turn from OP to OA. I didn't say anything, but inside, I was screaming "yay!" After the nurse took my vitals, I stood up because I was concerned baby would turn posterior when I sat.<br />
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When the MW came in and measured my fundal height, I was measuring right on track! She asked if I wanted to check the fluid via ultrasound and I definitely did. The only thing I could get would be the same news: excess fluid, or good news: normal fluid. She did her measurements, and guess what? No poly!!! My fluid was normal-high, but still normal. I couldn't believe it. It is what I had hoped would happen, but not what I expected to happen. She confirmed that I could birth at the birth center now. Talk about a whirlwind of emotion! I made my 40 week appointment and was on my way. I really didn't think I would make it to my 40 week appointment, but you never know! <br />
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My 39 week appointment was on a Thursday. As soon as we were finished, I texted my friend Kirsten to let her know the news. She was so excited and predicted that I would go into labor Friday night and baby would be born on Saturday. I said that's fine, I just want to get through Genevieve's Friday dance class and then it is game on for labor. The plan was for Kirsten to be at the birth to be a support for me and to help with the kids as needed. I opted not to get a doula this time. Kirsten and I chat a lot about birth and we both agreed that we would prefer to have a good friend at our next births. I knew Kirsten would be strong enough to get through to me during labor and that's what I needed.<br />
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This is me at 39 weeks.</div>
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Friday came and I was having contractions throughout the day. Not baby producing contractions, but definitely more than what I had been experiencing. I even texted Chris saying "these contractions either need to stop or turn into real labor." The kids and I ran errands in the morning. The kids needed showers, so I had Genevieve take a shower before dance class and French braided her hair. Then we headed to dance class that afternoon. That class was a parent observation class and the teacher had the girls come get a parent to dance with. I was still having contractions and was not amused about this, but I did it anyway. <br />
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We drove home and as I turned on to our street, my gas light came on. I don't like to let my gas get low, so I was surprised this happened. I told Chris when I got home that we needed to go get gas after dinner. We ate dinner and then headed to get gas and ice cream. It was the first time the kids had Dairy Queen and they loved it. No surprise there! Lol. Got home and I insisted on folding the 4 loads of laundry I had washed that day and Chris worked on getting the kids ready for bed. Benjamin did not get a bath, but Chris promised he would give him a bath first thing in the morning. Chris was laughing at me insisting on folding this laundry while I was having contractions. Again, not strong contractions and I was able to talk through most of them, but still. Kids were in bed around 9:30 and I think I finally went to bed a little after 11 pm...<br />
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<br />Marlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14590509712765498800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6135018687614892507.post-90177555292388329082017-01-25T13:41:00.001-08:002017-01-25T13:41:13.601-08:00Results of removing yellow baby stains<div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I was somewhat horrified when I pulled out the clothes for baby #3 and discovered that anything my second child wore was covered in yellow stains. The clothes were certainly stain free when I packed them. Come to find out, those stains are from proteins (like milk and spit up) that were left behind. My second baby spit up non stop whereas my first child spit up maybe once in her first year of life.</span></div><div><br></div><div>I hit up Pinterest and Facebook for tried and true methods of stain removal. Lots of suggestions were given, so I thought I would test them all and report back with my findings.</div><div><br></div><div>A few notes: </div><div>1) Everything was stained, but there were definitely items that were more stained than others.</div><div>2) I tried one non-white article of clothing on the method that seemed the most popular just because I was curious.</div><div>3) After soaking or scrubbing, I rinsed the article of clothing by hand. All items were then machine washed with mainstream detergent (which contains enzymes).</div><div>4) Wet items were set out in the sun to dry after being washed in detergent.</div><div>5) I did my best to capture the stains as best as I could in the photos. It really bothers me that the white balance does not match in the before and afters, but the before photos were taken on a cloudy day and the after photos on a very sunny day. When I adjusted the white balance, it made it more difficult to see the stains, so it is what it is. (Oh, and the photos were taken with an iPhone bc I was lazy.)</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjIqMnGMB8pJmYp1usJmUQzmsw8dupb74us_qj-Jzx3im26JOKKJuQS6ylknv3dFe8xS_QRrxanrAiikwbMgG5qj3LVgbox82f8kgbrBSH7Tcj-eS7_tPFChj9BXCJNwE8Pt5hawhXyPE/s640/blogger-image-444317845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjIqMnGMB8pJmYp1usJmUQzmsw8dupb74us_qj-Jzx3im26JOKKJuQS6ylknv3dFe8xS_QRrxanrAiikwbMgG5qj3LVgbox82f8kgbrBSH7Tcj-eS7_tPFChj9BXCJNwE8Pt5hawhXyPE/s640/blogger-image-444317845.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div><div>In order of least effective to most effective, here are the results:</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9nQ2zYYB8W0z65tbVFmKXDLWHtKAkMjvEcRerXRvRMVnJCAnWY6gB25mppH7EyBrg1hr2hP73aP9qI03Zd4E_azSf-Rd2x9uDQkZVau79fDmlRafsvB1_3OmvkRyUt4_rutxYoy2cbo/s640/blogger-image-1276187110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9nQ2zYYB8W0z65tbVFmKXDLWHtKAkMjvEcRerXRvRMVnJCAnWY6gB25mppH7EyBrg1hr2hP73aP9qI03Zd4E_azSf-Rd2x9uDQkZVau79fDmlRafsvB1_3OmvkRyUt4_rutxYoy2cbo/s640/blogger-image-1276187110.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Fels Naptha:</div>Fels Naptha did very little to lift this stain. I have used Fels Naptha with lots of success on wool items used for diapering. However, for this type of stain, it did not help very much.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYlSStYlbN3CL5Upv3VIKypaMJJYMoXtkDaO9jGVElfX34HWx6FbXBNnU95G3sh3HMI5hIdLLMceIkXOTzZRI3wPCW0_uBoKWeVmVV8_IrWZdVxRuCl98ccMgF13SPfQadRdn8AsQ-L8/s640/blogger-image-1084351730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYlSStYlbN3CL5Upv3VIKypaMJJYMoXtkDaO9jGVElfX34HWx6FbXBNnU95G3sh3HMI5hIdLLMceIkXOTzZRI3wPCW0_uBoKWeVmVV8_IrWZdVxRuCl98ccMgF13SPfQadRdn8AsQ-L8/s640/blogger-image-1084351730.jpg"></a></div><div>Buncha Farmers Stain Stick:</div>Again, this did not do much for this stain. This stick works great on fresh stains, but did not do much here.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHFx6Iij81Nz59LKC8RzngZWlPYGoPfD8PolVu8GVjJEdk0O00Q-Ya8D84BGd_aK5rMaHET0oBr94HwlrxjkBC-TAoKtMs908iSk6KDHIcEv0xTmkfzuHiCfDjcXnarkGyt2Od0J6aKes/s640/blogger-image--1159791556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHFx6Iij81Nz59LKC8RzngZWlPYGoPfD8PolVu8GVjJEdk0O00Q-Ya8D84BGd_aK5rMaHET0oBr94HwlrxjkBC-TAoKtMs908iSk6KDHIcEv0xTmkfzuHiCfDjcXnarkGyt2Od0J6aKes/s640/blogger-image--1159791556.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Powdered cascade:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">This method definitely helped to lighten the stain, but it was still quite visible.</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHYdOIETmWPOWrVD7yLsL7ZHu1f5SaTBU2t3E28wwRbrzznpHr3FvFbuGhdyLT_9U4NzB9PmWiA2i2piJF1bySsI-593X3HwyarYpSzsui2jzFsYdfOrp56_2lGVLCivj2gqfpW6OX-s/s640/blogger-image--807335023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHYdOIETmWPOWrVD7yLsL7ZHu1f5SaTBU2t3E28wwRbrzznpHr3FvFbuGhdyLT_9U4NzB9PmWiA2i2piJF1bySsI-593X3HwyarYpSzsui2jzFsYdfOrp56_2lGVLCivj2gqfpW6OX-s/s640/blogger-image--807335023.jpg"></a></div>Borax: </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">This one surprised me. I had some borax on hand because I will sometimes use it as a detergent booster, but never thought it did much. It definitely helped lighten the stain, but a little bit of the stain did remain.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhMUYRDIaNcTpWm74MENZsQ3WqdhBrmtPnYveLwcjZismgGkDdDsSb1IH1TCbpU3QoBTRArxRFWr0VwYbGfszEJeffvHX0XqcTe4XoJ9Qk7UY5wAtd-Oqr3y4NiPO3eo-VSyf3SlkQ1QI/s640/blogger-image-1927798361.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhMUYRDIaNcTpWm74MENZsQ3WqdhBrmtPnYveLwcjZismgGkDdDsSb1IH1TCbpU3QoBTRArxRFWr0VwYbGfszEJeffvHX0XqcTe4XoJ9Qk7UY5wAtd-Oqr3y4NiPO3eo-VSyf3SlkQ1QI/s640/blogger-image-1927798361.jpg"></a></div>Biz:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">First, let me state my love for biz. This stuff is like oxiclean on steroids. It has enzymes, so I have found it works really well on stains. Even better than oxiclean. I will say that this was the darkest stain of all. Biz did a great job lifting most of the stain, but there was still the slightest hint of a stain remaining. Bummer!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgAhoDeRB8Iw7fbvUpR31e6CSbqNLpg-PzxzWGPW5FRHmMkyOpAld90TxsYyBK4rMJ0bVMdZJnwd0x20Ec5MFlm8nFJK1vkk4rCmg5A0vySVpy_W3lV5nLSjIH9OINcvH2vlj9zEkLA5M/s640/blogger-image--849738755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgAhoDeRB8Iw7fbvUpR31e6CSbqNLpg-PzxzWGPW5FRHmMkyOpAld90TxsYyBK4rMJ0bVMdZJnwd0x20Ec5MFlm8nFJK1vkk4rCmg5A0vySVpy_W3lV5nLSjIH9OINcvH2vlj9zEkLA5M/s640/blogger-image--849738755.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5z_3gyjPOjMa8jASPRWnCAF6t37JGN_QJ47hQJY1civRG46nIOsDmHrevEN9svxJlU39xuL1GYN6dbmfoq5E32IY0qRDN1f7qtBJxjgZ1UVdqtqyXotJfAifmUriawegUR7EuTNrJjs/s640/blogger-image-748013275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5z_3gyjPOjMa8jASPRWnCAF6t37JGN_QJ47hQJY1civRG46nIOsDmHrevEN9svxJlU39xuL1GYN6dbmfoq5E32IY0qRDN1f7qtBJxjgZ1UVdqtqyXotJfAifmUriawegUR7EuTNrJjs/s640/blogger-image-748013275.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTAIfkuIAb4mz0dYamHED1o9w_Ww97A-v1ZMRSv9Fjpdyrq3o1Bc3HJB0MlW18Y1oqaQP-jc6Fjxs9kt5KLEHITP6cCv-VMMoZTBtC6axTPTthG3jz7aj_AOkqWzg7Zt-JebNVNzYAjHE/s640/blogger-image--1633516039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTAIfkuIAb4mz0dYamHED1o9w_Ww97A-v1ZMRSv9Fjpdyrq3o1Bc3HJB0MlW18Y1oqaQP-jc6Fjxs9kt5KLEHITP6cCv-VMMoZTBtC6axTPTthG3jz7aj_AOkqWzg7Zt-JebNVNzYAjHE/s640/blogger-image--1633516039.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Oxiclean: THE WINNER!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Oxiclean was the only method that completely removed the stains and did not leave a trace of it. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">After this experiment, I washed all the baby clothes in a mix of biz, borax, and oxiclean. I soaked for about 3 hours and then washed and dried. Nothing went into the sun this time and everything came out looking great! It might sound silly to have used all 3 methods together when the oxiclean by itself did the job. However, I did not have enough oxiclean on hand to use enough for all the clothes I needed to wash. </span></div>Marlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14590509712765498800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6135018687614892507.post-86269611364615804722015-02-03T10:41:00.001-08:002015-02-03T10:43:59.185-08:00How I am able to meal planI have tried several different methods of meal planning and grocery shopping and have finally figured out what works for me.<br />
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First, I don't check the sales. If meat is on sale, I will stock up and freeze it. Trying to plan around weekly sales was not working for me.</div>
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I buy the bulk of our groceries at Aldi's and that list is pretty consistent. </div>
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I buy our chicken and ground beef from Fresh Market on $2.99 Tuesday's. It is $2.99 a lb for the meat. It isn't organic, but it is fresh, never frozen, and antibiotic and hormone free.</div>
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Then there are a few items I have to pick up at Whole Foods or Trader Joes. We have a Costco membership and I shop there every month or two.</div>
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Okay, now on to meal planning. I wrote down all of the recipes we use on index cards. Each color represents something. Pink is chicken, blue is soup/crockpot, yellow is fish, purple is red meat, and green is turkey or pork.</div>
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On the front of the index cards, I include any special notes about the cooking process. Things like if something needs to marinate or go in the fridge before cooking. On the back of the cards, I noted if there is anything that needs to be cooked or prepped beforehand. This includes things like a salmon cake recipe that needs a cup of cooked sweet potato or if I need to make mayo. I abbreviate the source of the recipe and the page number on the front of the card. On the top card in the photo below, it comes from Zenbelly cookbook, page 200.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXp8DvzNu4hpyUIdm1kR2paZBDTccTWYjqvoaqFCEaBKKk0zLb3IjphUvnJc6B6L5gYAxOOOpYLmUqzmODgxwRf_VJlFyWNKY-mSgaxoJ65SMSDfhyMeW2wtQ9lD9boAtiRpNpgHwy08I/s640/blogger-image-895743749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXp8DvzNu4hpyUIdm1kR2paZBDTccTWYjqvoaqFCEaBKKk0zLb3IjphUvnJc6B6L5gYAxOOOpYLmUqzmODgxwRf_VJlFyWNKY-mSgaxoJ65SMSDfhyMeW2wtQ9lD9boAtiRpNpgHwy08I/s320/blogger-image-895743749.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9XdqfqrDYDvVWytfXRt3C7d18MCZjO842sux0Ygu5cXW8ikDCHz78x0QiDaI-WRO6fhYs744-QK05MxDTm42hQNkVHsABtfNnyYq6fxJkqvdHa0vF7aA1AFt2VTnPKj603QBhu0avCHM/s640/blogger-image--2065679381.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9XdqfqrDYDvVWytfXRt3C7d18MCZjO842sux0Ygu5cXW8ikDCHz78x0QiDaI-WRO6fhYs744-QK05MxDTm42hQNkVHsABtfNnyYq6fxJkqvdHa0vF7aA1AFt2VTnPKj603QBhu0avCHM/s320/blogger-image--2065679381.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Making these cards did take a few hours because I had to sort through all of my cookbooks and pins, but it was worth the time. Now when I sit down to meal plan, I have all of the recipes we enjoy right in front of me.</div>
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Having each meat as a different color is helpful too. It helps ensure that we don't eat chicken every night. :)</div>
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When I meal plan, I do 2 weeks at a time. I take stock of what we have in the fridge and freezer and make sure to use some of the frozen meat. Then I pull out 12-14 cards for dinners. I don't usually plan on a leftover night because we eat leftovers for lunch. We try not to eat out more than once a month and we plan it.</div>
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Once I have two weeks worth of recipe cards pulled, I then arrange them in an order I like. This helps ensure that we don't eat the same meat several nights in a row and breaks up the cuisine choices. You know, so we don't eat Italian food 3 nights in a row.</div>
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Our sides are almost always the same: sweet potatoes, broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower. Every now and then I will do something different, but I have found that this works well for us. I wash and cut the veggies on the weekend and dinner prep is much easier.</div>
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This is what a weekly meal plan looks like:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3vjEPK8ciUVt0Tdi8xnJrCgstyd1iK1TZ3VJN9jkr5C1so4G-kMQBcGoUeS-iujYV_w4a0vbnjp_Of8i-SWV1yRDFSAhqs8kbuV5gFsCACtZM0cbYMeLe4AcTpVIeHuUj4u_mDhAuj8/s640/blogger-image-1816809628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3vjEPK8ciUVt0Tdi8xnJrCgstyd1iK1TZ3VJN9jkr5C1so4G-kMQBcGoUeS-iujYV_w4a0vbnjp_Of8i-SWV1yRDFSAhqs8kbuV5gFsCACtZM0cbYMeLe4AcTpVIeHuUj4u_mDhAuj8/s640/blogger-image-1816809628.jpg" /></a></div>
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I write down the recipe source and any special notes from the front and backs of the cards.</div>
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Next I make my grocery list. One of my friends likes to tease me for my "professional shopping list," but it works for me. I divide my list by produce (the largest section), meat, dairy, and grocery. I go grocery shopping once a week and try to go on the weekends. I try to limit going to Whole Foods and Trader Joes to every other week because I always find things I "need" there that weren't on my list. When I make my list, I do it for a week at a time per list, but do the 2 weeks at a time. I go through my cookbooks and Pinterest and make my lists. Doing 2 weeks at a time helps me save time.</div>
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For lunches, we tend to eat leftovers or the kids get what they want. Breakfast is usually oatmeal or eggs for the kids and I have the Against All Grain Banana Nut Porridge.</div>
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This is the method that works for me and allows us to eat healthy, whole foods on a $125 a week budget. </div>
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What works for you?</div>
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Marlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14590509712765498800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6135018687614892507.post-69326315424052892222015-02-02T18:07:00.003-08:002015-02-02T18:09:57.267-08:00Whole 30 Round 2 and Fitness Progress Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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First off, what is whole 30? Feel free to read about it <a href="http://whole30.com/">here</a>. In short, it is no dairy, grains, legumes, sugar, added sweeteners like honey or syrup, or alcohol for 30 days. Basically, nothing processed. You make pretty much everything from scratch, including mayo and ketchup.</div>
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I did my first whole 30 back in August. Feel free to read about it <a href="http://advinrandomness.blogspot.com/2014/09/fitness-progress.html">here</a>. However, it was more of a Paleo 30 than a whole 30. It was still a huge change for me, nutrition wise, so I don't want to discount that experience.</div>
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However, after not eating the best during the holidays, I was ready for a reset. I had been eating Paleo at home, but again, with the holidays, I didn't eat as well. I decided that I would do a whole 30 in January and I would follow the rules and not cheat.</div>
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It was definitely hard. Sugar is a difficult addiction to break. My worst day was day 10. We took the kids to a friend's kids' birthday party. There was delicious smelling pizza and yummy looking cake and cupcakes. I actually had to take a step outside for a few minutes because the smells were too much. I started to get light headed just from the smell. When I got home, I looked up the whole 30 timeline, and sure enough, day 10 is the worst day. It is the day that the majority of quitters quit. Thank goodness I took a step outside instead of giving in to temptation.</div>
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My cravings were very intense for about 18 days. The worst time of day was in the afternoon, around 3 pm. I also wanted something sweet after dinner, but those cravings were not as bad. After about 18 days, I started to feel much better.</div>
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Oh, I did experience the "hangover" that is typical around day 3. This time though, it only lasted a few hours. I made myself get up and go to the gym and just drank a ton of water. It passed. :)</div>
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I followed all of the rules 99.9% of the time. The only rule that I broke was regarding smoothies. A few days into the program, I was a raging, cranky mess. Then I realized that I had stopped taking my fermented cod liver oil (FCLO) because I normally put it in a smoothie. That afternoon, I made a smoothie and had half a shot glass of smoothie with my FCLO. My mood improved shortly after that. So yes, I had a half a shot glass of smoothie every day. Smoothies are not whole 30 approved even though my ingredients were. Other than that, I followed the rules, so I will call this a success.</div>
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Results from the whole30: very few cravings now. It is so nice not to crave sugar, bread, and all of the bad stuff. Things taste different now too. I have more energy and am overall less moody. I'll get to the numbers results in a minute.</div>
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Things that were helpful to me with this whole 30. I started making the <a href="http://againstallgrain.com/2013/01/04/banana-nut-porridge/">Against All Grain Banana Nut Porridge</a> for breakfast. I found that this filled me up and was easier to make than my normal breakfast of 3 eggs, bacon, and veggies or fruit. Lots of times I would have my egg, bacon, and veggie meal for lunch instead. I try to keep dinners as simple as possible. I wash and cut all of my veggies on the weekend. I spiralize my sweet potatoes in a bulk batch as well. They keep for a few days and it makes dinner prep and clean up so much easier. I meal plan 2 weeks at a time. This is key for me to stay on track and on budget. I began to eat a Lara bar before my 6:15 am workout.</div>
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I started drinking sparkling water with a squeeze of fresh lime with dinner. I used to enjoy a beer with dinner, but the sparkling water is a fantastic swap. I started drinking herbal tea without sweetener. (This is crazy to me. I always loved to put a giant spoonful of honey in my tea.) Another thing I discovered is that I love coffee. I have never been a big coffee drinker because it upsets my stomach. Turns out it wasn't the coffee that was the issue, it was the crap I put in the coffee. Now I blend a tablespoon of coconut cream with my coffee in the magic bullet. It gets nice and foamy, just like a latte. Tastes great and doesn't hurt my tummy. Big win!</div>
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What I love about the Whole 30 is that you shouldn't be hungry. Yes, you will have cravings, but cravings are not the same as hunger.</div>
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Now for the numbers and pictures. I will say that I don't see a huge difference between the September and January pictures, but my clothes tell a different story. :) (Also, I look better with a tan. Lol.)</div>
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I go to bootcamp five days a week and started going in May of 2014. Since May 2014, I have lost a total of 27 inches and 16.2 pounds. I am 5'2". Breakdown of numbers:</div>
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Weight: 16.2 pounds</div>
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Body fat: 6.7%</div>
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BMI: 2.7</div>
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Underarm: 4.5"</div>
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Bust: 4.5"</div>
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Underbust: 3"</div>
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Waist: 7.5"</div>
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Hips: 3"</div>
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Thigh: 2.75"</div>
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Bicep: 1.75"</div>
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From my January Whole 30, I lost a total of 7 inches and 5.8 pounds.</div>
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Weight: 5.8 pounds</div>
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Body fat: 2.7%</div>
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BMI: 1</div>
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Underarm: 1.5"</div>
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Bust: 1.25"</div>
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Underbust:1"</div>
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Waist: 1"</div>
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Hips: 1"</div>
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Thigh: .75"</div>
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Bicep: .5"</div>
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It has been great to see improvement in my workouts. When I started bootcamp, I couldn't hold a plank for 10 seconds. I have now been able to hold a plank for 5 minutes. I can consistently hold a plank for a minute and a half. My form has gotten better. My stamina has improved. When I do squats, I do a full squat.</div>
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In the September photos, I am wearing the same shorts as the original photos. The January photos are different shorts. :)</div>
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<br />Marlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14590509712765498800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6135018687614892507.post-28387491075708773872014-09-05T07:57:00.002-07:002014-09-06T05:26:07.309-07:00Fitness progressI reached the point where something had to change. I was always exhausted and on edge. My 14 month old still doesn't sleep well, so I know that I am tired, but this exhaustion was something different. I just didn't want to do anything.<br />
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A friend posted a link for a groupon for a month of bootcamp. I hesitated because it would require me to get up around 5:30 in the morning. It just seemed impossible. However, then I changed my thinking to "let's give this a try for a month, maybe it is the jump start I need." So I bought the groupon.</div>
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Then came the first day of class. I had a bit of trouble finding the location (thanks GPS) and once I arrived, I was still seriously debating about leaving. Thankfully I decided to stay. I was worried that the trainers would be more like drill sergeants, so I was nervous. I received a warm welcome from my trainer and started to relax. </div>
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At first, the plan was to go 2-3 times a week. After my first class, I decided that I should go everyday so that my body would adjust to getting up early everyday. Plus, exercise everyday is a good thing. I found that working out early actually gives me more energy and starts my day on a positive note.</div>
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I will say that after my first few classes, I felt awful. Not only was I sore, but I was very nauseous. I figured that feeling would pass and I was correct. I started going 5-6 days a week for the 45 min bootcamp. After 6 weeks, I could definitely see some changes and was happy with my progress. </div>
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I knew I was going to have to take the month of July off bc of traveling and such, so I planned on starting a Whole30 in August. I started researching and looking up recipes in May. I checked out lots of books and cookbooks from the library to determine what was right for me. </div>
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I read <i>It Starts with Food </i>and wasn't sure how exactly I would be able to complete the Whole30. No grains, breads, pasta for 30 days? How in the world would I do this? I was already dairy free, so that part wasn't hard, but the grains and sugars were very intimidating.</div>
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I started stocking my pantry with things like coconut flour, almond flour, coconut milk, ghee, etc. (If you are looking for a good place to buy stuff like this, I highly recommend vitacost. Referral link: <a href="http://goo.gl/OplHv9">http://goo.gl/OplHv9</a>. Don't forget to use ebates! (Another referral link: <a href="http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=yyu9RTW6T6hs6lJv%2FeSZqg%3D%3D&eeid=26471">http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=yyu9RTW6T6hs6lJv%2FeSZqg%3D%3D&eeid=26471</a>)</div>
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According to the ISWF book, the only fruit I was supposed to consume were green apples and green bananas. I was also not supposed to use any honey or drink smoothies. I will say that I did not stick with those couple of rules. Morning smoothies were very helpful for me and on Saturdays, I would make coconut flour pancakes. Other than that, I was able to stick with it.</div>
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For anyone that knows me, you will understand how huge this is for me. I ate a lot of bread and pasta. I used to eat a lot of candy, but that stopped after having children. I drank soda and ate junk food every now and then. We used to eat out a few times a week. We ate out once in August and that was completely planned. I am thrilled with how I feel. We are going to continue eating a Paleo lifestyle while at home and will limit dining out to two times a month. And yes, this includes lunches too. No more Chick-Fil-A for me!</div>
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I also signed up for a year of bootcamp. I am only a couple of months in and am excited to see changes over the coming months. I used to go to the gym a lot, but never saw results. I am now seeing results. I am healthier. When I started, I couldn't hold a plank for more than 15 sec. Now I can easily do a minute and have made it to the two minute mark a couple of times. I am seeing muscle definition. My waist and chest have gotten smaller (this has never happened at the gym before). I am stronger. Chris now says that I am more fit than him and I have to agree. :)</div>
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Now for the numbers:</div>
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Body fat: down 6% (it is now under 20% and I am soooo happy with that)</div>
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Weight: down about 13-14 lbs. My weight fluctuates a lot, so this changes.</div>
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Waist: down 8"</div>
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Hips: down 2 1/4"</div>
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Thighs: down 1"</div>
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Arms: down 1 1/4"</div>
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Underarm (top of chest): down 5"</div>
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Bust: down 4"</div>
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Underbust (bra band area): down 2"</div>
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In the photos, I am wearing the same shorts. I had to wear a different shirt, because the gray shirt is now longer than my shorts. That wouldn't exactly work.</div>
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Marlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14590509712765498800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6135018687614892507.post-32184850586840311212013-07-18T18:59:00.001-07:002013-07-18T18:59:23.745-07:00You ate what?!?It seems to be becoming somewhat of a fad nowadays, but is definitely far from mainstream. I'm talking about placenta encapsulation. I first heard about placenta encapsulation when I was suffering with severe postpartum depression (PPD) after having Genevieve. Wait, what? People consume their placenta. Yep, they sure do and there are a lot of benefits of doing so. Here is a great article that goes over the benefits: <a href="http://placentabenefits.info/articles.asp">http://placentabenefits.info/articles.asp</a>. <br />
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To summarize, the benefits are:<br />
-Decreases PPD/PPA (postpartum depression/postpartum anxiety)<br />
-Increased milk supply<br />
-Increased energy<br />
-Decreased postpartum bleeding<br />
-Can prevent postpartum hemorrhaging<br />
-Can be used during menopause to help balance hormones<br />
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The two benefits I was most interested in were helping with PPD/PPA and increasing milk supply. I never had an issue with milk supply with G except when my period returned. However, it took almost a week for my milk to come in and I was hoping to avoid that the second time around.<br />
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My original plan was to have a friend encapsulate my placenta. However, we ended up moving before B was born and we had extra birth related expenses because of that. I decided that Chris and I would encapsulate my placenta. (I encapsulate placentas, so this is no biggie to me.) I also have 2 tinctures that are processing. <br />
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I ended up not completely finishing the encapsulating process until about 3 weeks postpartum. I had ordered the empty capsules from Amazon, but they took almost a month to be delivered.<br />
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I started noticing that I was having some signs of PPD/PPA. I was crying way more than I think is normal. I was also very, very irritable and angry. I finally starting taking my pills and noticed a big difference within a couple of hours. It has also helped give me energy. I am still tired and somewhat cranky due to lack of sleep and adjusting to life with a 2 year old and a newborn, but it is nothing like the extreme irritability I was experiencing.<br />
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As far as milk supply goes, my milk came in within 12 hours after B's birth, so I didn't need the pills for that. I have also had zero issue with supply thus far, so it hasn't been needed for that.<br />
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I am definitely glad that I chose to encapsulate my placenta. Next time though (if there is a next time), I will probably pay someone else to do it. Finding time to encapsulate it was quite difficult in the first couple of days after giving birth.Marlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14590509712765498800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6135018687614892507.post-63455369136203886982013-06-24T17:40:00.000-07:002013-06-24T17:40:02.784-07:00Benjamin Thomas's Birth StoryThis will probably be long because I want to remember every detail. Also, it's a birth story, so keep that in mind. :)<br />
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BACKGROUND:<br />
Benjamin's birth story starts with Genevieve's birth story. For those who haven't read it and are curious, here it is: <a href="http://advinrandomness.blogspot.com/2011/07/genevieves-birth-story.html">http://advinrandomness.blogspot.com/2011/07/genevieves-birth-story.html</a>. The reason I say that B's story starts here is that I ended up with a c-section with G. Once you have a c/s, your birth options become very limited. I knew that I wanted to try for a VBAC with B. A VBAC is a vaginal birth after cesarean. I won't get into VBAC vs repeat c-section and too much of the "political" nonsense surrounding this topic. Let's just start with the fact that finding VBAC providers is difficult.<br />
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In FL, there are 2 options if you want to have a VBAC. You can have a home birth (HBAC) with a midwife (MW) or a hospital birth with an OB. If you choose the hospital route, your options for OBs are limited, although the options in Central FL seem to be expanding. Also, your best bet for a successful hospital VBAC is to show up to the hospital as close to pushing as possible. We decided to opt for the hospital choice for a few reasons. I found a physician that seemed to be decently supportive or at least went along with my wishes.<br />
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All was looking well, but at 30 weeks, we ended up moving from FL to NC. I only had a couple of weeks to research my birth options. I discovered that the 2 options in NC are either a birth center birth or a hospital birth. Everything I read seemed to support the idea that hospital VBACs are very difficult in NC. I attempted to contact the Charlotte chapter of ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness Network) to locate a provider, but never heard anything back. I found a birth center (apparently only 1 of 2 in NC) that is only 30 minutes from us. They have an OB and 2 CNMs (certified nurse midwives) and do VBACs. Perfect.<br />
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So we planned for a birth center birth. However, at my 38 week appointment, I was told I needed to pay my balance that day or I couldn't be a birth center patient. I wasn't aware of this policy and this was the first that I had heard of this. I wasn't able to pay the entire birth center fee that day, so I became a hospital patient. (The birth center is not in network with our insurance, so we would have to pay a big chunk out of pocket.) I was very upset at the last minute change in plans, but reminded myself that everything happens for a reason and God has a plan.<br />
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LABOR & DELIVERY:<br />
Around 38 weeks, I had about 12-18 hours where we thought labor was starting. I had pretty good contractions that were about 4 min apart and lasted 60-90 seconds. However, that fizzled out, so we just waited. I would oftentimes have contractions at night, sometimes all night, but nothing ever came of it.<br />
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I was due June 21st and pretty much assumed I would go a week or two late since G came at 41 weeks 5 days. On June 18th, I started having some mild contractions around 1 am. They were kind of more like gas pains, but they were uncomfortable and there was no sleeping through them. Around 3:45, I woke up with stomach issues and then started having some very strong contractions. I woke Chris up at 4 to tell him I thought things were starting up and I was going to head to the tub to relax. <br />
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Once in the tub, things started slowing down, but the contractions were strong. I decided I didn't want to stay in the tub and instead decided to bounce on the birth ball. I leaned over the bed during contractions and swayed. Also, I started to have bloody show while in the tub. With G, I never saw any blood until I was about 8 cm. Chris texted the doula at 4:22 am to let her know that things had picked up and I had bloody show. Chris spoke with the doula around 4:45 because she hadn't responded to our text. I think at this point contractions were about 3-4 min apart and strong. Chris told the doula she probably had a couple of hours, but we would contact her when we needed her to head over. Chris called her about 15 min later to ask her to come and she arrived around 6 am.<br />
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When the doula arrived, I was in the tub and was already having the "I can't do this" thoughts. When she came in to see me, I voiced my concern with the 30 minute drive to the hospital. Around this time, I started getting the shakes. She asked what my transition signs were with G and I couldn't really say because I went from barely any labor to transition. She left and said she'd be right back and apparently this is when she told Chris we needed to get to the hospital because things were happening fast. She came up and said I should get out and get dressed. I sat down on the birthing ball during a contraction and had to run to throw up in the sink. We definitely needed to leave!<br />
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We left the house around 6:40 am. I was in denial that I was really in labor and knew that I would be 1-2 cm when we got to the hospital. One of Chris's co-workers was going to watch G for us and she was meeting us at the hospital. I was on all fours in the backseat and G was in her carseat. I was definitely vocal and G would just say "mommy, baby, work." Yes G, mommy was working on getting the baby out. We got to the hospital a few minutes after 7 and Chris's co-worker got G's stuff out of the car. I sat on the birth ball in the parking lot next to the car to make it through contractions.<br />
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The hospital I was going to doesn't pre-register, so we had been told to go to the ER and then we would be taken up to l&d. We had to give all of our insurance and personal info. Meanwhile, the nurses from l&d were on their way down to get me. I was offered a wheelchair several times, but walking felt much better than sitting down. I had to stop a few times on the walk to l&d to work through contractions and a few hospital workers came to make sure everything was ok. <br />
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We made it up to l&d and the nurse needed to check me to let the MW know my status. She checked me around 7:15 am and I was at 7 cm. I couldn't believe it! I shouted "hot damn!" lol. The hospital has jacuzzi tubs, so my doula was getting mine filled for me. I went in after being checked. The water felt very good, but the contractions were super intense. I know I started asking for the epidural at this point and said I couldn't do it. They said they wanted to check me first and then we would decide a course of action after. Also, the nurse had originally said that I could decline the IV access, but was then told by my OB that I would need a hep-loc. When she first attempted to put the line in, she hit a nerve. This was the first time I literally screamed and it was a very loud "Owww! Shit! What are you doing?!?" She pulled that out and tried a different vein and was successful.<br />
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Around 8 am, the MW checked me and said "you ready to push?" You're at 9 1/2 cm. Ummm, what? No, I'm not ready to push. Lol. I didn't feel the urge to push yet and decided to lean over the back of the bed while on my knees. After just a couple of minutes, my water broke. At this point, a bunch of people came running into the room with all of the delivery equipment. However, contractions actually became much easier to deal with and they spaced out quite a bit. We all did a bit of chit chatting and I just did some gentle nudges or bearing down during contractions. This lasted a couple of hours before they decided to re-check my cervix. After checking, they told me I was back at 7 cm. Ummm, what? No, that's not right! Apparently my bag of waters was what was making me dilate so fast. The baby's head was high and not dilating my cervix.<br />
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It was now around 11:30 am. I believe contractions started picking up and were quite painful. I was told not to push or anything because my cervix was swollen. I was having a hard time not pushing. Pushing was what gave me some relief. I started asking more seriously for the epidural. My doula suggested I get back in the tub, so I agreed to give that a try. The contractions were very intense and uncomfortable. I was in the tub begging for the epidural because I could not fight against the urge to push. It was not fun. I was having low back pain during contractions, so Chris and the doula would use a tennis ball to massage my lower back. It definitely helped.<br />
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I started begging for some relief. We talked about Fentanyl via IV to give me some relief. The nurse was really trying everything to help me stick to my desire to go epi-free. I knew I needed something, so I agreed. Also, they had already started fluids at this point. My BP was really low (like 80 or 90ish/30 or 40ish). The fentanyl gave me about 45 min of relief. I still felt the super strong contractions, but was able to rest in between. During this time, some twit came in to draw my blood. I saw twit because she would not wait for my contraction to be done before drawing my blood. I now have the biggest bruise from her. Not cool.<br />
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They gave me another dose of fentanyl around 2 and it lasted for about 45 min. At that time, I said I was serious about the epi and did not want anymore fentanyl. I did not want to continue to fight the urge to push and I had not dilated anymore. My MW came and asked me "Is this what you really want?" and my answer was yes. The anesthesiologist came in and had me lay on my side. Just an FYI...if you ever have an anesthesiologist ask you to do this, it is b/c they are lazy. Ask for someone else. I had to attempt to curl into a ball while laying on my side and having very intense and close contractions. He had difficulty with the epi. He said something was blocking it and was unable to put the meds in. He pulled back on the catheter a bit and was then able to get the meds in. This took about 45 min to an hour. I think it was around 3 pm when the epi was placed.<br />
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The epi was good, but it wasn't heavenly. I could still feel lots, but it wasn't nearly as bad. We had the anesthesiologist come back in bc the epi was not working properly. He gave me a bolus and that seemed to help. When he came in, I asked if there was anyone else that could do it and he said no. That was a flat out lie bc they had a nurse anesthesist that could have done it. When my nurse heard what he told me, she called his supervisor and we got the ok to go over the anesthesiologist's head and ask directly for the nurse anesthetist (crna). The CRNA was great. I didn't want the epi re-done (in hindsight I should have had it redone), but he kept me comfy.<br />
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And now we wait, and wait, and wait. We pretty much assumed that he had turned posterior (OP) bc of the quite visible lump in my belly. We started turning from side to side every 30 minutes or so to try to get him to turn. None of that was helping. Then I remembered that peppermint essential oil on the low back is supposed to get OP babies to turn. I asked my doula to get my peppermint and rub some on my low back. It was around 9 pm. (Chris had gone home to take care of the dog.) Meanwhile I was texting my new chiropractor in NC and my former chiro in FL. My chiro in FL told me to apply clary sage & cedar wood to the top of my head, fennel on my ankles, and valor on my chest. I had Chris do all of these when he returned. <br />
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While Chris was gone, my doula asked me how I would feel if they suggest pitocin. I wanted to avoid pit, but if pitocin was going to help me get my VBAC, I was okay with it. I wanted to know I had tried everything to avoid a c-section. Around 10 pm, the MW came in and made the suggestion that we start pitocin. I was okay with it. She said that they are very conservative and will only do the minimum to get things moving along.<br />
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I asked my current chiro to come adjust me bc something was causing him to not descend. The chiro came around 11 pm and adjusted my tailbone. My tailbone had been good for at least a couple of weeks, so we think this might have been holding things up. She hung out for a bit and we all chatted and then she adjusted me again before leaving.<br />
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At some point, I developed a fever and needed antibiotics. I was having the shakes pretty bad, but I had been having that for a while. It took a couple of doses of abx, but the fever did come down. Also, my contractions increased in intensity when the epi was in place. That was a good thing. <br />
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Everyone decided to get some rest. I tried to rest as much as I could. I was exhausted. I could still feel contractions and was starting to have some back pain. I was also having a lot of low pressure. I kept saying that I needed to poop, but that obviously wasn't the case.<br />
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Around 4 am, I was rechecked and the OB told me I was complete. She asked if I wanted to start pushing. I was still exhausted, so I asked if I could get another boost on the epi to get an hour of rest and then we would start pushing. You would think I would be super excited to push, but I knew that I would need my strength. She said "great, sounds like a plan." The CRNA came in to give my epi a boost.<br />
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After about 20 min, there was no way for me to stop the urge to push. The OB came in and checked and said I was complete and at +1 station. She had the nurse come in to work with me on pushing. I pushed for about 20-30 min before the doula suggested I turn on my side. I was having excruciating back pain on the left side. Once I rolled over, I asked the nurse to let me do my thing for a bit. I just worked with the contractions and gently nudged/beared down. Around 5 am, the back pain became even worse and I began to have a burning sensation along the left side of my uterine scar. The nurse went to get the OB bc this can be a sign of uterine rupture. <br />
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The OB came in and checked me and said the head is right there. She became exactly what I needed. She was stern and forceful without being too much. When I would push, she would say "don't stop, don't stop, don't you stop!" It might have been too much for some people, but it is exactly what I needed. I really felt like I was going to rip in two. I was screaming like a crazy person and swearing. Oh yes, I turned into that lady. I was also in denial that this was happening. I asked if I was close to crowning and the OB was like "ummm, you are crowning." Thank goodness. She asked if I wanted to reach down and feel his head and I said no. Again, I was in denial that this was happening. I gave a few more pushes and out he came. The OB told me to reach down and grab my baby. I said no b/c again, I was in denial. She kind of threw him in my hands and I put him on my chest. He was born at 5:20 am on June 19th.<br />
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Holy cow, did this just happen?!? The first words out of my mouth were "I did it!" Any VBAC mom knows the feeling. To go from feeling that I am defective to the realization that there is nothing wrong with me is amazing. He started crying right away and was pink right away. He got 9 & 9 on his apgars. We waited a few minutes for the cord to completely stop pulsing and then Chris cut it. I asked him to take the baby because I had the shakes so bad. I was scared I would drop him. He had a head full of red hair, just like his daddy. We named him Benjamin Thomas. :)<br />
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I just had to deliver the placenta which was no biggie. Then the OB had to put in a couple of stitches and that was that. <br />
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Remember how I said everything happens for a reason? Yep, I truly believe that. I know that if I had had any other provider, I would have had another c-section. While we were waiting for my body to get to 10 cm, the OB told me that there was no reason to cut this baby out.<br />
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Oh, his stats were 7 lbs 4 oz, 20 1/4 inches, so he was a bit smaller than his sister, but he came exactly 2 weeks earlier than G.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZ4hAzZO7uRQUoQygUr93VY8-cTP8vM_1rXOUA0_btFdFAPdKBN_bh2fNXr9QfPAhWKCjGi7_SLUc7_-iV9jjLbNftjy6OHR-MuaknzXMXyOMNUslZ13DglY0cUVB4_IXzAbOEeY-PA8/s1600/image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZ4hAzZO7uRQUoQygUr93VY8-cTP8vM_1rXOUA0_btFdFAPdKBN_bh2fNXr9QfPAhWKCjGi7_SLUc7_-iV9jjLbNftjy6OHR-MuaknzXMXyOMNUslZ13DglY0cUVB4_IXzAbOEeY-PA8/s320/image.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWAYbUPoDUfCam1oJaLPMLZx292UMpGgCJeRHw8GRVsAn5EHobElIv_TDqNAqk6p50f7W-qdMoeEYzsZtclsOe7wZAas39wNOdb7SGGYTkuc5Clkje672YRmGReC7FckCR3zYc5nTJQQ/s1600/photo+(7).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWAYbUPoDUfCam1oJaLPMLZx292UMpGgCJeRHw8GRVsAn5EHobElIv_TDqNAqk6p50f7W-qdMoeEYzsZtclsOe7wZAas39wNOdb7SGGYTkuc5Clkje672YRmGReC7FckCR3zYc5nTJQQ/s320/photo+(7).JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br />Marlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14590509712765498800noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6135018687614892507.post-13457966040527410272013-06-12T17:00:00.000-07:002013-06-12T17:00:08.121-07:00DIY Crib TeetherGenevieve was a late teether (her first 2 teeth came through on her first birthday). She immediately took to scraping these new found teeth on her crib. I wanted to make a teether that matched her bedding since I had extra fabric left over.<br />
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Here's the finished product: </div>
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Supplies Needed:<br />
1-2 yards of decorative fabric<br />
1 yard of quilted batting<br />
Ribbon<br />
Coordinating thread<br />
Fray check (optional)<br />
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Equipment:<br />
Iron<br />
Sewing Machine<br />
Scissors<br />
Pinking Shears (optional)<br />
Lighter (optional)<br />
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This is a pretty easy beginner sewing project.<br />
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I recommend washing and drying the fabric according to the manufacturer directions before sewing. After washing and drying, make sure to iron your fabric.<br />
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The first step is to measure your crib to determine what sizes to cut your fabric. You'll need to measure how long the teethers need to be as well as the width. My length for the long piece was 51" and the short pieces were 27 1/2" long. The width was 6."<br /><br />
Cut the fabric. I cut the long piece at 53" by 8" and then the short pieces as 29 1/2" by 8." Cut the same size for the quilted batting and the decorative fabric. The quilted fabric was long "long" enough for the length of my long piece. I just stitched two pieces together to make one piece that was long enough. I didn't want to buy an extra yard of fabric just to have enough for a cohesive piece. The batting isn't visible, so it didn't concern me.<br />
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Cut fabric</div>
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Next, I went to the crib and measured where I wanted the ribbons. I guess you don't have to be too exact on this, but I wanted the ribbons to be lined up perfectly with the crib slats. Cut ribbon into 10" strips. For the long piece, I used 16 strips and the short pieces took 10 pieces, so 36 strips total. </div>
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Once you have the measurements for the ribbon placement, place your fabric and quilted batting right side together. Now comes the most "tricky" part of this project which really isn't too tricky once you start. You'll need to place and pin the ribbon at the intervals that correspond to the crib slats you measured. See the photo below for pinning instructions. The ribbon will need to be placed on both sides so that you can tie the ribbons together over the crib.</div>
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Once you have the ribbon pinned where you want, it's time to sew! Make sure the ribbon ends aren't hanging out of the opposite side. You'll want them kind of smooshed in the middle. Sew the fabric right side to right side, leaving about 2-3 inches unsewn so that you can turn the fabric right side out. Use a straight stitch and 1/4"-1/2" seam allowance.</div>
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Now turn the fabric right side out. It's time to topstitch. I like to iron the spot that I didn't sew so that it is folded under. This way it looks seamless. Now you just need to sew all the way around to do the topstitching. Just use a regular straight stitch.</div>
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You're almost done! Now you just need to seal the end of the ribbon so it doesn't unravel. You have a couple of options. You can use pinking shears to trim the edges of the ribbon. If you do this, I highly recommend using something like fray check to keep the ends clean. You can also simply heat seal the ends with a lighter. Just be careful not to start any fires!</div>
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That's it! You now have an awesome custom crib teether that will protect your crib.</div>
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<br />Marlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14590509712765498800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6135018687614892507.post-25943710564751849902013-02-01T11:50:00.002-08:002013-02-01T11:50:20.093-08:00Big NewsI know it's been like 10 months since my last post. Oops! Lots has been going on and I will do my best to get around to updating. The biggest news we have is that I am 20 weeks pregnant with #2 and it's a boy!<br />
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We're not sure if we're going to do a nursery right away because 1) we may be moving and 2) he will probably be in our room for a bit anyway. <br />
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However, that doesn't stop me from planning/decorating a nursery. Here's what I have so far:<br />
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My sewing skills are much better now than they were when I was pregnant with G. Hopefully I can execute everything that is swirling around in my head. : )Marlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14590509712765498800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6135018687614892507.post-23953657448034313102012-03-10T18:57:00.000-08:002012-03-10T18:57:22.410-08:00The scoop on poop. Don't be scared of washing cloth diapers!I think the most common response to cloth diapering (CDing) is eww, that's gross, how do you wash them? It's really not that complicated. I mean, it's not like we're in the front yard with a bucket and a washboard. We have washing machines!<br />
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Here is my wash routine. I have tried lots of different routines and have finally found one that seems to work well. <br />
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First, some background info. I have very hard water, an HE top loader (TL), and I wash every 3 days.<br />
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1) Put diapers and diaper pail in the washer.<br />
2) Do a quick cold wash with no detergent. (This rinses the poo and pee from the diapers and makes washing more effective.)<br />
3) Super hot wash with detergent and 1/2 cap of Calgon, cold rinse.<br />
4) Extra cold rinse.<br />
5) Hang to dry. (Sometimes I throw them in the dryer, but I really try to line dry 95% of the time.)<br />
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Once a month, I will do an RLR treatment, but I will do a different post on stripping.<br />
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People are also quite concerned about what to do about poop. When they are little and are EBF or EFF, no rinsing is required. Once you introduce solids, you will need to rinse the poo off before putting in the washing machine. I just use a <a href="http://www.momsmilkboutique.com/cloth-diapers-bumGenius-Sprayer.html">Bumgenius Diaper Sprayer</a> and spray the poo into the toilet. Some people use flushable liners. I am not a fan of the liners b/c G only goes every 2-3 days. I don't want to waste a bunch of liners waiting on a poo. After I spray the diaper in the toilet, I will spray it with some diluted BacOut to help prevent stains and smells.<br />
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The sun is a miracle worker for organic stains. Seriously, just put the clean, wet diapers in the sun and it will get rid of the stains. If you have a particularly nasty stain, put some lemon juice on the clean, wet diaper and put it in the sun. There will be a slight lemon juice stain, but just rewash the diaper before using and the lemon juice mark will be gone.<br />
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And now here is photo proof of the power of the sun. These are clean, wet diapers.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjXOJpkDrW_rirIg3wzH4reQrKH0iGMm5r7QE1dmuXNEwaauAzmghxldDAWO-ZUxQEuoeTy6Hj86-hNjyMcDkvpyJ86JX4S6H1Y8kH1iFhAl8MgrUuqBcY1inELnjHJvZprw0WYTU9nCY/s1600/DSC01803.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjXOJpkDrW_rirIg3wzH4reQrKH0iGMm5r7QE1dmuXNEwaauAzmghxldDAWO-ZUxQEuoeTy6Hj86-hNjyMcDkvpyJ86JX4S6H1Y8kH1iFhAl8MgrUuqBcY1inELnjHJvZprw0WYTU9nCY/s320/DSC01803.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The diaper on the left is an organic Dream-Eze AIO and the one on the right is an old style Grovia insert. Both of them stain very easily b/c they are organic. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQ1UkIHQJvSkUwki7NDDlC-D2qrgGi3YQnTUsBU8EFjGn8VocqORqnOT44miJXVBrvleOIYJrKt2lfQXn53cMMbogtitOvZ4Mof4aOnW5x94N2BnrjwmqrVSZI6ZjvtnGNf7F4JnHqzw/s1600/DSC01804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQ1UkIHQJvSkUwki7NDDlC-D2qrgGi3YQnTUsBU8EFjGn8VocqORqnOT44miJXVBrvleOIYJrKt2lfQXn53cMMbogtitOvZ4Mof4aOnW5x94N2BnrjwmqrVSZI6ZjvtnGNf7F4JnHqzw/s320/DSC01804.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Close up of the Dream-Eze. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvlDOic48SK5YAQiJ-_rYfxI1M0enwvJErttHOPdTEVmdNd80-45Uj712Qlejz5rLHw19gLLi6wiFTjAodo1-bgjT6ge4KK_IRL3LluLRnQK6WsAo15NKxspJs_VoObPQX2VfIhNyzOwE/s1600/DSC01805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvlDOic48SK5YAQiJ-_rYfxI1M0enwvJErttHOPdTEVmdNd80-45Uj712Qlejz5rLHw19gLLi6wiFTjAodo1-bgjT6ge4KK_IRL3LluLRnQK6WsAo15NKxspJs_VoObPQX2VfIhNyzOwE/s320/DSC01805.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Close up of the Grovia insert. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOhH6R0nYGxhe11a3LyELkRjEL6DqyFwkh3xEd_JUbCOOwXYVQch_sngWLKfl5TwRIz-Y6Po5imZg8_tmCm0PFzFMAtPOKCfwWmL1EiSG9gFNWvvQx-OhMtLp0dzB5CAzECHySodcL8GU/s1600/DSC01806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOhH6R0nYGxhe11a3LyELkRjEL6DqyFwkh3xEd_JUbCOOwXYVQch_sngWLKfl5TwRIz-Y6Po5imZg8_tmCm0PFzFMAtPOKCfwWmL1EiSG9gFNWvvQx-OhMtLp0dzB5CAzECHySodcL8GU/s320/DSC01806.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This is how I dry the diapers. The collapsible racks are great b/c I can hang everything up in the comfort of my air conditioned house. They are also easy to grab in case it starts raining. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgthTw7FAKTpt3L0cHyzR9sNY3Lsf0_C_gfruGaScrlOFNpjvKAqe2kAviVsHDWvu4N42qEi3vG1TbrAOExChoiWJ67uYyralOAG6n126U6JUmER0BS5FNN3IBOeUCZj57z1P-SyTp3t6U/s1600/DSC01807.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgthTw7FAKTpt3L0cHyzR9sNY3Lsf0_C_gfruGaScrlOFNpjvKAqe2kAviVsHDWvu4N42qEi3vG1TbrAOExChoiWJ67uYyralOAG6n126U6JUmER0BS5FNN3IBOeUCZj57z1P-SyTp3t6U/s320/DSC01807.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This was 4 hours later. Stains are gone! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNvnKyxMAUU30bO9fZQCaGeS-yEb89mnjb4wqR7GXcaOEPekslRd7UHZJIWJh43-KdFewMfd2VSDpgUS3AKZnr6VVoTNzj5Oi4gCznkrZXAcMM5UTGL6SeOXkr5oBui0SDubepGOLLWS0/s1600/DSC01808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNvnKyxMAUU30bO9fZQCaGeS-yEb89mnjb4wqR7GXcaOEPekslRd7UHZJIWJh43-KdFewMfd2VSDpgUS3AKZnr6VVoTNzj5Oi4gCznkrZXAcMM5UTGL6SeOXkr5oBui0SDubepGOLLWS0/s320/DSC01808.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Close up of the Dream-Eze. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-D19sZd6XKdMiiHtxsm6X_JAkPv2RT_dPIN3MG4K_Yl0VQF6jZHqklsf2fpGwidGcprJPAlQojIEhAGRBL658Vny_EAitr4nRbsrArxg0BfYi_ed7OujmIUXW68i5e_LSOndtspbJEc/s1600/DSC01809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-D19sZd6XKdMiiHtxsm6X_JAkPv2RT_dPIN3MG4K_Yl0VQF6jZHqklsf2fpGwidGcprJPAlQojIEhAGRBL658Vny_EAitr4nRbsrArxg0BfYi_ed7OujmIUXW68i5e_LSOndtspbJEc/s320/DSC01809.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Close up of the Grovia insert.<br />
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You can stick anything with an organic stain in the sun. I have used it for tomato sauce and it worked like a charm. If you don't have access to the outdoors, you can stick the stained item in a window or even on the dashboard of your car! Super easy! The sun also has anti-microbial properties and helps to keep the stinkies away.Marlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14590509712765498800noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6135018687614892507.post-30248459906459430902011-11-11T20:11:00.000-08:002011-11-11T20:13:16.281-08:00JealousyAs some of you may know, I was planning a med-free birth center birth for Genevieve. However, that plan didn't work out and I ended up with a c-section. This is something I am still struggling to come to terms with.<br />
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I guess I could be considered a birth junkie-I like reading birth stories and enjoy talking to women about birth. However, I must admit that I am jealous when I hear what I consider to be a beautiful birth story. Basically anything that ends in a healthy baby without a c-section is what I consider to be beautiful. Even more beautiful are the successful birth center births.<br />
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I still go to the birth center where I labored for a weekly breastfeeding support group. The group is held in the same room where I studied hypnobirthing and dreamed and prepared for my labor. Part of me still has a really hard time going back there. I know, it probably sounds crazy. When I am in that room, I think back to my mindset when we were preparing for her arrival. I was anticipating this beautiful birth and her birth wasn't what I consider beautiful. Am I glad that the c-section was available, of course. I don't know how to explain it.<br />
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I also follow an online natural birth board. Since G's birth though, I can only read a couple of posts before I get too upset and can't read anymore. I also feel like I have to over explain why I needed a c-section. I remember before G was born that I would critique every birth story that ended in a c-section...Why didn't they have her change positions, why didn't they do this, why didn't they do that. I know that c-sections are done at an alarmingly high rate in our country right now. I hate that I am part of that statistic.<br />
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You know what else I hate...I will never be able to have a birth center VBAC in my state. It is illegal. I can have a HBAC (home birth after cesarean) or a hospital VBAC. I am not comfortable with doing a HBAC, so the hospital it will be. It just sucks.<br />
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Then I have this scar to deal with. The stretchmarks I can handle. The giant scar, well that is a little bit more difficult to get used to. It is a constant reminder of my failure as a woman to be able to birth my child. I feel like I did everything right during pregnancy. I ate well, I exercised, I did my Kegels, squats, I only gained 28 lbs, etc. I try to tell myself that by doing everything right, I helped G grow to be strong so that she was able to be born without infection or any other issue. <br />
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I feel like my labor was a tease. It seemed like she was going to be born at the birth center-they even had the birth supplies on the bed. But it was just a tease and she wasn't born there.<br />
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Then I hear stories from women who didn't take care of themselves and didn't prepare for labor-these are the women that seem to have the easiest labor and delivery. Oh, the best stories are the ones that go along the lines of "I really wanted an epidural, but there was no time (or whatever), so I HAD to have a med-free birth." Ugh-talk about rubbing salt in a wound.Marlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14590509712765498800noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6135018687614892507.post-64604172626671629222011-10-24T14:36:00.000-07:002011-10-24T14:36:03.337-07:00My new found love of prefoldsOkay, I'll admit that I did not like prefolds in the beginning. They were bulky and I just really didn't care for them. Well, I have found the prefold love in the last few weeks. <br />
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I love them for a few reasons: <br />
1) They are cheap. You can get a dozen high quality prefolds from www.greenmountaindiapers.com for less than $35. That's a steal!<br />
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2) They are very low maintenance. With some diapers (mainly those with microfiber), you have to be very careful about your wash routine or you can end up with the "stinkies." Prefolds are 100% cotton, so they are pretty resilient.<br />
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3) They dry fast. I line dry my diapers 99% of the time and the prefolds are usually dry within a couple of hours.<br />
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4) They are easy to use. I typically just trifold a yellow edge prefold and use it with a Flips cover or a Thirsties Duo cover. To trifold, you lay the diaper flat, and then fold in the two sides. All of the fluff is now in the middle. Then you just place it in a cover. Easy peasy! I will say that the trifold method isn't the greatest for holding in poops, but the cover will hold the poop in, so no worries there.<br />
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I have actually sold off part of my CD stash because I use prefolds so much.Marlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14590509712765498800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6135018687614892507.post-67131177927667462142011-10-21T10:12:00.000-07:002011-10-21T10:12:26.279-07:00Bed-sharing: Why it works for us.First off, I feel that every woman and family should be able to do what works for them without being judged by others (as long as it isn't a form of abuse). I feel the same way about birth and most things in life.<br />
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That being said, bed-sharing works for my family. Before I was a mom, I said that I would not say that I would never do something. I had the philosophy that I would just go with the flow and do what works for my baby, my husband, and me. <br />
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I had secretly always wanted to bedshare. However, when we got home from the hospital, Genevieve slept better in her pack n play next to our bed. I was disappointed mainly because it was a few weeks before I could actually sit up or get out of bed. It would have been so much easier to have her in bed next to me, especially in the beginning when she was up every hour and a half to eat.<br />
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Starting at around 6 weeks, her sleeping at night became very difficult. She would wake up 5 minutes after being put down. We finally decided to bring her in bed with us. All 3 of us slept so much better! She would typically give me a 6-7 hour stretch each night of sleep. That is amazing for a breastfed baby! Since she was in bed with me, I could tell she was about to wake up before she actually did. This allowed me to easily feed her and both of us would fall right back to sleep.<br />
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Another reason this was fantastic is that my husband was working overnight shifts as a sleep lab technician. Needless to say, I was exhausted. When he was home during the day, he was sleeping and I needed to keep G quiet. I was on my own for nighttime. Bedsharing saved my sanity and allowed me to sleep.<br />
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I am sure some people think I am spoiling her and that this is a habit I will have to break. I disagree. Studies show that just like breastfeeding, babies will wean themselves when they are ready.<br />
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I want her to know that sleeping is a safe thing and isn't scary. Perhaps this desire stems from my experience as a child. I was absolutely terrified of the night and going to sleep. I used to sleep with a lamp on until my Grandmother told me that if someone were to break in to our house, they would head straight to my room since that is where the light was. Yeah, then I started laying there in the dark terrified of being robbed, or worse. It was not fun. I still suffer from awful nightmares every single night. They are quite horrific and I tend to remember them all. Most of my nightmares scare the living daylights out of my husband when I share them with him.<br />
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I digress...another reason I am okay with bedsharing is that it just feels natural. G sleeps right up against me with her head in my armpit. She sleeps on her back and doesn't thrash around or move. I also don't move when she is next to me. She spent 9 months in the womb where she listened to my heart 24/7. I think it is comforting for her to be with me still.<br />
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If you bedshare, there are some safety things you should be aware of:<br />
1) Never ever bedshare if either you or your husband have been drinking, doing drugs, or take medication that affects your sleep. It is dangerous.<br />
2) Keep covers and sheets to a minimum. Covers should not go above your waist.<br />
3) Keep pillows away from the baby.<br />
4) If possible, put your bed against a wall. This isn't possible for us.Marlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14590509712765498800noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6135018687614892507.post-43489380232504958592011-10-18T10:04:00.000-07:002011-10-18T10:04:47.582-07:00Catching up: Belly picsOkay, I know, I am a bad blogger. Being a mommy is quite time consuming! I know I never posted all of my belly pics, so here is a pregnancy recap via photos.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">18 Weeks: </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCv0uDE2wfmtxtdQToMRjZVQcpXdYidl1Jweyz00qaHc8o5_yJZUzTmJ_4KSLFMhSjYijL909ElCQKyUL5iMKjc8KdbAqE2D2NS9rVegPt9njLzjnIcEYoinKMyTnZenFwufAAyRdvBt8/s1600/18+wks+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCv0uDE2wfmtxtdQToMRjZVQcpXdYidl1Jweyz00qaHc8o5_yJZUzTmJ_4KSLFMhSjYijL909ElCQKyUL5iMKjc8KdbAqE2D2NS9rVegPt9njLzjnIcEYoinKMyTnZenFwufAAyRdvBt8/s320/18+wks+1.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">19 weeks: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWWuaHreVDvzqbG-sr-HykKCzBB70ZfEZDFkGOnvxFgHVGl7VjloRFn3EsDPTmWQLbMuQXV1sx2QUXJdvjznVcDGHi3wuwCmy4N6UmmFBqvi_LiIeVMdP_iRTYbf4IA6EuUMgbufKLzMQ/s1600/19+weeks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWWuaHreVDvzqbG-sr-HykKCzBB70ZfEZDFkGOnvxFgHVGl7VjloRFn3EsDPTmWQLbMuQXV1sx2QUXJdvjznVcDGHi3wuwCmy4N6UmmFBqvi_LiIeVMdP_iRTYbf4IA6EuUMgbufKLzMQ/s320/19+weeks.jpg" width="215" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">20 Weeks </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs6fcsOGaRNArhMrm83sYnjs6J4GrAjg833433cEqo7yJuQhl1VA1kHmzz3cmjFyvSdkSe9iIz-ceP5TmJnH_qoc_3f8_voR6CkaciLdVQ2_n-a3XRt08veseqyhiE2RAxlkcG5nWLFlI/s1600/20+weeks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs6fcsOGaRNArhMrm83sYnjs6J4GrAjg833433cEqo7yJuQhl1VA1kHmzz3cmjFyvSdkSe9iIz-ceP5TmJnH_qoc_3f8_voR6CkaciLdVQ2_n-a3XRt08veseqyhiE2RAxlkcG5nWLFlI/s320/20+weeks.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">21 Weeks:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTQ2aW5UD9RW6DpeSCAjEgwYse5Ibn-FzuxZtCTXGxyrOAnF4dNt7cA2eKE95h4a5bnjRRVV0GQDCv3eUDSw8nfDjnQWGZ9suV90zGP5DAufHxpEO32QmztqP2y0cZFoGkkep7WWigYA/s1600/21+weeks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTQ2aW5UD9RW6DpeSCAjEgwYse5Ibn-FzuxZtCTXGxyrOAnF4dNt7cA2eKE95h4a5bnjRRVV0GQDCv3eUDSw8nfDjnQWGZ9suV90zGP5DAufHxpEO32QmztqP2y0cZFoGkkep7WWigYA/s320/21+weeks.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">22 Weeks: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrgW0i5lxbaN_CXOL0OwTGowRJxq-sMITdAshVyQ1gCgPMpLWsCljIBPqWKXL64nYYiLMl3UHwYTnLGal1ZSxQ2sMoFRLGKt3pwwuE06efKDLujHly1Wu1wxldiHxJkfYY63rz7_qVBJU/s1600/22+weeks+with+Jasmine+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrgW0i5lxbaN_CXOL0OwTGowRJxq-sMITdAshVyQ1gCgPMpLWsCljIBPqWKXL64nYYiLMl3UHwYTnLGal1ZSxQ2sMoFRLGKt3pwwuE06efKDLujHly1Wu1wxldiHxJkfYY63rz7_qVBJU/s320/22+weeks+with+Jasmine+3.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">23 Weeks: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxr_5EZYQyG6y7mt4wqhwvdeBU3kDwnT1mDKjmVqzAcpbYQw6Ed0sUlDj7olf6qnX1yVuyrRQwDmYOtMvCwdNo_LsHv6Vo8blz8Don8toQIPivhYX-23YfP1Y7G7DuDER1R5-aw8F_ZLE/s1600/23+weeks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxr_5EZYQyG6y7mt4wqhwvdeBU3kDwnT1mDKjmVqzAcpbYQw6Ed0sUlDj7olf6qnX1yVuyrRQwDmYOtMvCwdNo_LsHv6Vo8blz8Don8toQIPivhYX-23YfP1Y7G7DuDER1R5-aw8F_ZLE/s320/23+weeks.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">24 Weeks:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2xNkN993-ETseVb5mZJS6V3vELHmEODiZEHMUs4UNe9_ajO64TCewRziroMzvBzuMgFe_tjf3mF7oLcxscotRf3q9RwijKVWIAM9R1Z-q4cyhLurG53EKkMTLVLhAxSD7rXyEucAiGA/s1600/24+weeks+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2xNkN993-ETseVb5mZJS6V3vELHmEODiZEHMUs4UNe9_ajO64TCewRziroMzvBzuMgFe_tjf3mF7oLcxscotRf3q9RwijKVWIAM9R1Z-q4cyhLurG53EKkMTLVLhAxSD7rXyEucAiGA/s320/24+weeks+2.jpg" width="190" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">25 Weeks: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb9_iQ5Ya-Jk9aD84wM79HC8T4d7xkb4Nr8j6UkyEcMKAB1RNAXh9PMuPUPXWpUkmpWq_Wry5-BQ6AFR-5567dQBLXeH1KOD1xHy2zND-NTXVW15aH_uLUT0JMRSUdgW60ka38M8_T_WI/s1600/25+weeks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb9_iQ5Ya-Jk9aD84wM79HC8T4d7xkb4Nr8j6UkyEcMKAB1RNAXh9PMuPUPXWpUkmpWq_Wry5-BQ6AFR-5567dQBLXeH1KOD1xHy2zND-NTXVW15aH_uLUT0JMRSUdgW60ka38M8_T_WI/s320/25+weeks.jpg" width="179" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">25 Weeks 5 Days:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjSZW57dW0nOVTB1QP_5u8L-GtPcRuAMlninhIcx9BCAKhuAbUJ89vHec66mIMPLWUzEwD_uD4LSpQ5wJ8IxTQ-1Kq5CW3t4mSuguhLdh-UfLxIa4gOp8kDjXS0W72ZlIavuIuS-xXQP8/s1600/beach+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjSZW57dW0nOVTB1QP_5u8L-GtPcRuAMlninhIcx9BCAKhuAbUJ89vHec66mIMPLWUzEwD_uD4LSpQ5wJ8IxTQ-1Kq5CW3t4mSuguhLdh-UfLxIa4gOp8kDjXS0W72ZlIavuIuS-xXQP8/s320/beach+1.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">27 Weeks:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1TDoFgBne3CFuwfpctl06R8D2X6VL6LleTheBAqBoY-V-MVBaUFU2BkXcsQu5rMAx0J2GB91If3uNy-rvfoeDwPPmV0paMR0PMcrqP8hFvCfoVFK3_FzSYb_UbIUyAlUhrOwyKTDms-Q/s1600/27+weeks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1TDoFgBne3CFuwfpctl06R8D2X6VL6LleTheBAqBoY-V-MVBaUFU2BkXcsQu5rMAx0J2GB91If3uNy-rvfoeDwPPmV0paMR0PMcrqP8hFvCfoVFK3_FzSYb_UbIUyAlUhrOwyKTDms-Q/s320/27+weeks.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">28 Weeks: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6MU3UY4EsWXVoezYQfpItLg9ghQZlfyoLz3gGKI2reobaynu_BxBC_tSnU7LWLm1iIuLrsBZ7D6NoAegV0jOzxzKvpHMK_1gUT2OqDBqlOTVu3oH-n1rvrcTCBLaUbEluSA-a0Tjw38/s1600/28+weeks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6MU3UY4EsWXVoezYQfpItLg9ghQZlfyoLz3gGKI2reobaynu_BxBC_tSnU7LWLm1iIuLrsBZ7D6NoAegV0jOzxzKvpHMK_1gUT2OqDBqlOTVu3oH-n1rvrcTCBLaUbEluSA-a0Tjw38/s320/28+weeks.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">29 Weeks:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZOcjIsw7QrgIGXdMoR1XWb43mdIah-H_8dVFnOmkLGp2Zt05c7eFmhA43079MwYv4TwxQgXCny3aaIgh9L21h2gd_swSW4BonA0iqH9ib1LFpSzVN2JPuLZkMaGhEh4hi_Ir1Bf-mjPI/s1600/29+weeks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZOcjIsw7QrgIGXdMoR1XWb43mdIah-H_8dVFnOmkLGp2Zt05c7eFmhA43079MwYv4TwxQgXCny3aaIgh9L21h2gd_swSW4BonA0iqH9ib1LFpSzVN2JPuLZkMaGhEh4hi_Ir1Bf-mjPI/s320/29+weeks.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">31 Weeks:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSDRdCuj4W0CVktVC1KKm1TdsHYhXDxCw8UUiNNGE4Z_g3OPP2QuM80jtxtCdJw-wOU7s0hOeKv5x_hn3h3Ouq6eao4EauoEUXODyxGYPyhE6QLuKYBUytDBTmC-lIeA3Dcs-IG5ArXLE/s1600/31+weeks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSDRdCuj4W0CVktVC1KKm1TdsHYhXDxCw8UUiNNGE4Z_g3OPP2QuM80jtxtCdJw-wOU7s0hOeKv5x_hn3h3Ouq6eao4EauoEUXODyxGYPyhE6QLuKYBUytDBTmC-lIeA3Dcs-IG5ArXLE/s320/31+weeks.jpg" width="286" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">33 Weeks 4 Days:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0q38B_skMoiswAIrZ1QN9BkFt_TC2rycIZ3Xf3Rpm_7jF5OVJ9HRufB3Gayc51n62291uWfm8wLFLsq27K6WltOdqjcb4buxQtQaWRVwDVpzkrJNvZWW7f-4XiBQW3xqyfvyIc4GVA_k/s1600/33+weeks+4+days.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0q38B_skMoiswAIrZ1QN9BkFt_TC2rycIZ3Xf3Rpm_7jF5OVJ9HRufB3Gayc51n62291uWfm8wLFLsq27K6WltOdqjcb4buxQtQaWRVwDVpzkrJNvZWW7f-4XiBQW3xqyfvyIc4GVA_k/s320/33+weeks+4+days.jpg" width="219" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">35 Weeks 6 Days:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2XezdhLqJenJnUI5qGTf2n1wZ4A6yEga2dYvUkDNiVCS7iA_YyUOsfD0ypPbdTC4mvaRb3jsz7kjbP41XcwSKZx2-3LSUV1QNqvEyPgqrRbexeDHqL87qjdHhH9jsjsY8bqVMnIiyByI/s1600/35+w+6+d+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2XezdhLqJenJnUI5qGTf2n1wZ4A6yEga2dYvUkDNiVCS7iA_YyUOsfD0ypPbdTC4mvaRb3jsz7kjbP41XcwSKZx2-3LSUV1QNqvEyPgqrRbexeDHqL87qjdHhH9jsjsY8bqVMnIiyByI/s320/35+w+6+d+2.jpg" width="186" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">36 Weeks 6 Days:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwXqVTW1oPrkRacsKF-yx5bY2AE25xhFKOO4YZQcZZLz4lRB0eATYP8haxy_HJDCE5zqYEIIJ10a5hLJ-HfiKRz-fEgw8Sqo1V4gaI3_IOyNhHP-2xnBEN8bpeBCQm1TN1FVmTy_7Y3Zw/s1600/36+w+6+d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwXqVTW1oPrkRacsKF-yx5bY2AE25xhFKOO4YZQcZZLz4lRB0eATYP8haxy_HJDCE5zqYEIIJ10a5hLJ-HfiKRz-fEgw8Sqo1V4gaI3_IOyNhHP-2xnBEN8bpeBCQm1TN1FVmTy_7Y3Zw/s320/36+w+6+d.jpg" width="182" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">39 Weeks:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJao0KdXiWcYOQ18UXISAdKdHdKHr8ustMMcVIUnqX3pzuApCG0KzMJm5V2wConCgZ-7lQrKI5gkVxav1c_9oBlIpHuObgpmujM7l0wOpRgtb8PjOTy4bdOOaXoPzM381noYQMOOjte0w/s1600/39+weeks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJao0KdXiWcYOQ18UXISAdKdHdKHr8ustMMcVIUnqX3pzuApCG0KzMJm5V2wConCgZ-7lQrKI5gkVxav1c_9oBlIpHuObgpmujM7l0wOpRgtb8PjOTy4bdOOaXoPzM381noYQMOOjte0w/s320/39+weeks.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">40 Weeks 3 Days:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijymdEPc0aiIWWk1jy8W1_SxTFUhTOPlDt_IW8cubugK9Sh0NT3zZofPzXf1pHBMkr0o38P4mFEA5q390TdBheKJQgAiNLhRWwgZcwYdHqne66tWrJGKTO5AGJIJvWhhNbrIzGXKXJdJo/s1600/40+w+3+d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijymdEPc0aiIWWk1jy8W1_SxTFUhTOPlDt_IW8cubugK9Sh0NT3zZofPzXf1pHBMkr0o38P4mFEA5q390TdBheKJQgAiNLhRWwgZcwYdHqne66tWrJGKTO5AGJIJvWhhNbrIzGXKXJdJo/s320/40+w+3+d.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">41 Weeks:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCH2QVWYvgUVjACG5z5ocwLlM_Y0jLkMSvVcZPNKo9XrGomAE00pWhPJo7p4JuI5LDWUPrTlTTpc8gkLpA2UWigQOy4kZBzjEfXJvG5eMsgseC_qEWp2Jydwy-TROCvDvbkku09unSgc/s1600/41+weeks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCH2QVWYvgUVjACG5z5ocwLlM_Y0jLkMSvVcZPNKo9XrGomAE00pWhPJo7p4JuI5LDWUPrTlTTpc8gkLpA2UWigQOy4kZBzjEfXJvG5eMsgseC_qEWp2Jydwy-TROCvDvbkku09unSgc/s320/41+weeks.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Labor started at 41 weeks 3 days and she was born at 41 weeks 5 days. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Just for fun, here is 2 weeks post-partum. It was amazing how quickly my stomach shrank back to normal. I was at my pre-pregnancy weight by 4 weeks post-partum and was back in my pre-pg clothes by 5 weeks post-partum.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlywEy2YeaA1GRyInyeFQmF6Qp0VvXtcQIyjpjS56sX-qCvqvSR-TsmGuakG5VkkxYAOcPtMkfGwP5AIyHUCyoUzhiaXNCv4VyhAECAZltmnu94lvUcAii4KV8ZUsgiqR_VSrFoK11YSU/s1600/2+weeks+post+partum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlywEy2YeaA1GRyInyeFQmF6Qp0VvXtcQIyjpjS56sX-qCvqvSR-TsmGuakG5VkkxYAOcPtMkfGwP5AIyHUCyoUzhiaXNCv4VyhAECAZltmnu94lvUcAii4KV8ZUsgiqR_VSrFoK11YSU/s320/2+weeks+post+partum.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Marlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14590509712765498800noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6135018687614892507.post-83472315927085681702011-09-27T16:53:00.000-07:002011-09-27T18:03:39.643-07:00The "C" word...No mom wants to admit that their baby might have the dreaded c word...colic. I knew Genevieve cried and screamed a lot. It was awful. I was always nervous when people would come over because who wants to be the lady with the crying baby? Going out in public...next to impossible. I would pray that she would be asleep or that I would be somewhere that I could breastfeed her constantly.<br />
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She would also cry and scream when she had to poop. It would also take her a long time to poop, usually a couple of hours from the first grunt and sign of discomfort. We called her pediatrician and were told that it is completely normal. We were also told that babies cry and it would pass.<br />
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She also started having a skin issue. It looked like a chemical burn to me. There were dry, raised, rough patches on her arms and her legs. It wasn't eczema and it looked awful.<br />
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She also would not nap during the day. I was lucky to get 2 fifteen minute stretches and I had to be holding her. <br />
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Since I was having a hard time emotionally post-partum, I went to my mom's house for a couple of weeks. Chris was working overnight shifts as well as still serving, so he wasn't around much to help. While at my mom's house, she confirmed that Genevieve's crying and screaming wasn't normal at all.<br />
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I started researching like crazy. Everything I read pointed to colic. My question though was what exactly is colic? Colic is really just a term that is given to babies who cry when there is no other medical diagnosis. Basically colic is just like IBS or fibromyalgia...there is something wrong, but no one really knows what.<br />
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While doing research, I came across several studies that said there was a 95% success rate in reduction of fussiness in colicky babies by using probiotics vs only a 7% success while using gas drops. 95% sure seemed like a good number to me!<br />
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Okay, now I need to research probiotics. I came to the conclusion that it needed to have 3 strains: L. Reuteri, lactobacilius, and bifidobacterium.<br />
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Chiropractor treatment was mentioned as well, so I scheduled an appointment with the chiropractor who was able to get me into labor since she specializes with infants and children.<br />
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I started the probiotics on a Tuesday and noticed an improvement the next day. You could no longer feel bubbles of gas moving around in her tummy. You could no longer hear the bubbles either.<br />
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She went in for her chiropractor appointment on Thursday. Dr. S examined her and asked me if she had trouble moving her bowels because she had some locked vertebrae in her lower thoracic upper lumber region. Dr. S also did some neck adjustments which was supposed to help with reflux. The doctor then did a muscle test on Genevieve. Genevieve sat on my lap while I held out my right arm. Dr. S. had me hold my arm strong while she pushed down while pushing on various spots on Genevieve. She determined that there was an issue with Genevieve's immune system, particularly in regards to bacteria. She gave me a homeopathic to take for 5 days. (I breastfeed so the homeopathic would go through the breast milk to her alcohol free.)<br />
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Genevieve actually pooped and fell asleep before we left the chiropractors office. She took 2 three hour naps that day and slept well that night.<br />
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I am happy to report that Genevieve no longer cries and screams during all waking hours. She still cries, but is easy to calm 99% of the time. She also naps during the day. Typically she takes 3 two hour naps, but not all the time. She sleeps at night from 10 pm to 6 am, eats, and is back asleep until about 8 am. For a breastfed baby, this is awesome! She no longer has "silent reflux." Silent reflux is where you can hear stuff coming up after a feeding but the baby doesn't throw up. She no longer arches her back during and after feedings. Also, her skin issue cleared up a week after I started the homeopathic.<br />
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Here is a link to an article that kind of sums everything up: <a href="http://www.healthychild.com/digestive-problems/treating-reflux-and-colic-in-babies/">http://www.healthychild.com/digestive-problems/treating-reflux-and-colic-in-babies/</a><br />
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One of the things I am now wondering about is the use of antibiotics during labor and birth and the incidence of colic. I ended up having an emergency c-section (read about that below if you are interested) and was given a lot of antibiotics via IV b/c I was showing signs of infection after having my water broken for 36+ hours before delivery.<br />
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Also, I wanted to avoid using Zantac because there are a lot of potential negative side effects when used on young infants. I would have put her on it if nothing else worked, but I wanted to try alternatives first. I also had to eliminate dairy from my diet.Marlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14590509712765498800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6135018687614892507.post-16732051716622667242011-09-22T14:55:00.000-07:002011-09-24T15:52:22.046-07:00Baby Stuff ReviewsOkay, this will probably end up being a long post. I have debated about how to organize this, but I have decided on reviewing items by category.<br />
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Items will be rated on a scale from 1-10. 1 being absolutely useless and 10 being I can't imagine having a baby without said item.<br />
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Also, I am by no means an expert. These are just my opinions from the first 11 weeks of being a mom. : ) <br />
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<b>Breastfeeding Supplies:</b><br />
<i>*<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Artsy-Fartsy-Foo-Foo/148395121853257">Milk Maids Reusable Nursing Pads</a>: </i>9<br />
I have the OBV (organic bamboo velour) luxury ones and I love them. These are great because they are large (5 inches in diameter I believe) and are made with a step down process. They are also PUL backed, so you don't have to worry about leaking. They are super soft (a good thing) and they don't get cold when wet (another good thing). I put the link to the FB page b/c these are super hard to find. She will announce where and when she is stocking on FB.<br />
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<i>*<a href="http://www.buybamboobies.com/">Bamboobies Reusable Nursing Pads</a></i>: 9<br />
I love that these are made of bamboo, backed with PUL, and are thin. The heart shape also makes them less visible under clothes.<br />
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*<a href="http://www.amazon.com/green-sprouts-Organic-Cotton-Nursing/dp/B001KEDIUO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316721951&sr=8-1"><i>Green Sprouts Organic Reusable Nursing Pads</i></a>: 2<br />
These are very, very thick, scratchy, and get cold when wet. Also, they aren't PUL backed, so you they will leak. They are so thick that there is no way you can wear them under a shirt without them being completely obvious. Just skip these.<br />
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*<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lansinoh-20265-Disposable-Nursing-60-Count/dp/B002TLU5JO/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1316722063&sr=1-1"><i>Lansinoh Disposable Nursing Pads</i></a>:3<br />
I don't care for disposable products like these. I actually only used them once and just didn't care for the itchy papery feel. Definitely go with the reusable product. Also, the disposable pads have chemicals in them (similar to those in disposable diapers) that I didn't want on me or going in baby's mouth.<br />
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*<a href="http://www.ameda.com/ameda-products"><i>Ameda Purely Yours Breast Pump</i></a>:9<br />
I am thankful that I had a breast pump before G arrived. However, I strongly advise on sterilizing and knowing how to use your pump before your child arrives. Some people advise on not opening the pump until you know you are going to successfully breastfeed. Let me tell you, when you are so engorged that your child can't latch and it takes 3 hours to get him/her latched on, you will wish you had that pump ready to go! The Ameda PY works well and I like that it is a closed system. A closed system means that no milk goes through the membranes, so this is one that is actually safe to buy used. It works just as well as the Medela, but costs half as much.<br />
<br />
*<i>Boobs: </i>10. Haha! Just kidding, but, they are super important for breastfeeding.<br />
<br />
*<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ameda-17261M-ComfortGel-Hydrogel-Pads/dp/B003IP2L38/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316722443&sr=8-1"><i>Ameda Hydrogel Pads</i></a>: 10<br />
Hopefully you won't need these. However, I was given very bad BFing advice in the hospital and ended up with cracked, bleeding, blistered nipples. They were going to give these to me in the hospital, but were actually out. I had to drive to Babies R Us the day after I got home from the hospital to buy these. However, they were a life saver!!! They allowed me to heal. They may seem pricey, but they lasted 5 or 6 days for me and allowed me to continue breastfeeding. The $16 these cost is a lot cheaper than having to switch to formula!<br />
<br />
*<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Brest-Friend-Deluxe-Pillow-Light/dp/B000HZI1R2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1316904205&sr=8-2">My Brest Friend Pillow</a>: 4 <br />
I got this pillow b/c everything I read about nursing pillows said this one is recommended by lactation consultants. Honestly, I discovered I didn't need a nursing pillow. I have a short waist and the nursing pillows were putting her up too high. If I needed one in the beginning, I would have chosen this one. It is nice that it is nice and firm which makes it easier to properly place a newborn to latch.<br />
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*Boppy: 6 <br />
The only reason I rated this higher than the Brest Friend Pillow is that it has other uses. It is great for propping up G or during tummy time. I do use it for "lazy" nursing (meaning I want to be hands-free).<br />
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<b>Bottles:</b><br />
I am not going to say much here other than have several different kinds and don't open more than 1 at a time so you can return them. I now have several bottles that G won't take and I can't return them. She has decided she only likes the $9 per bottle Tommee Tippee bottles. We have one and that is plenty for now.<br />
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<b>Baby Containers:</b><br />
<b>*</b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Graco-Lauren-Classic-Crib-Espresso/dp/B00264HWKY/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1316722798&sr=1-1">Graco Lauren Crib</a>: </i>6<br />
G hasn't slept in her crib yet, but this crib seems like it will do the trick. We got it in white and some of the paint seems to be wearing away. Kind of like the wood wasn't primed before painting.<br />
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*<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Little-Snugabunny-Cradle-Swing/dp/B0042D69WY/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1316722910&sr=1-1">Fisher Price Snug-a-bunny swing</a>: </i>10<br />
Love this! It plugs into the wall (a big plus!), plays music & nature sounds, has a mobile with a mirror, and has 3 different seat positions. This is how I get G to sleep if she is fighting it (which happens a lot)!<br />
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*<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Little-Snugabunny-Bouncer-Seat/dp/B0042D69XS/ref=sr_1_3?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1316722910&sr=1-3">Fisher Price Snug-a-bunny bouncer</a>: 8<br />
This is definitely nice to have, but not a necessity. It moves around the house with us and it is a nice place to put G while I am cooking, eating, or taking a shower. It has vibration, music, and nature sounds. G loves to look up at the little birds too.<br />
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*<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Newborn-Rock-Sleeper-Yellow/dp/B002M77N22/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1316723104&sr=1-1">Fisher Price Rock n Play Sleeper</a>: 10<br />
This is another life saver!!! Our friends got this for G and I don't think it was even on my registry. Many nights G will sleep in this and she takes a lot of naps in it as well. She is also content to hang out in it while I fold laundry, do dishes, etc. The nice thing about this is that it folds compactly and is easy to take with me if I am going out of town.<br />
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*<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Graco-1759165-Newborn-Napper-Noble/dp/B0052IWPLW/ref=sr_1_9?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1316723339&sr=1-9">Graco Pack n' Play with Newborn Napper</a>: 9<br />
G slept in the newborn napper for about the first 6 weeks. The vibration and music feature on the napper and bassinet are great. The light also comes in handy. The changing table was great for in the beginning for middle of the night changes. We had to stop using the changing table when she reached 11 lbs because it started to lean. I like that the vibration thingy works on the bassinet part too.<br />
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*<a href="http://www.amazon.com/UPPAbaby-Uppababy-Vista-Denny/dp/B003WNAQ7O/ref=sr_1_14?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1316723535&sr=1-14">Uppababy Vista Stroller</a>: 10<br />
I feel like this is the BMW of strollers. I love that it has a bassinet included (we even have a stand for it so we can use it in the living room). It rides smoothly and the front wheels lock so you can jog occasionally with it without worry. It has a regular seat too which can face you or away. We also purchased the car seat adapter, so our car seat fits with no problem.<br />
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*<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Graco-SnugRide-Infant-Car-Seat/dp/B003YQK3TA/ref=sr_1_6?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1316725860&sr=1-6"><i>Graco Snugride 35 in Logan</i></a>: 8<br />
I love everything about this except the fact that it is hot. I don't know if other car seats are better or not with this though.<br />
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<b>Baby Carriers</b>:<br />
*<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Print-Beco-Butterfly-Luna-Organic/dp/B004XUUS9G/ref=sr_1_5?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1316725997&sr=1-5"><i>Beco Butterfly II</i></a>:10<br />
I don't know if I could survive without this! It is great to use during shopping, cleaning, walking, whatever. What I really like about this carrier is that it is easy to do a back carry with a younger child. G falls asleep in this thing all the time!<br />
<br />
*<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Boba-Organic-Baby-Carrier--PINE/dp/B002TITO94/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1316726090&sr=1-1"><i>Boba</i></a>: 8<br />
I don't use this one much yet as G is still a little too small for it. It will be great when she is older though. I like that it has stirrups so that her feet won't dangle when she gets older.<br />
<br />
*<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moby-Wrap-100%25-Cotton-Carrier/dp/B000RNJ24A/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1316726290&sr=1-1">Moby wrap</a>:</i> 4<br />
I just didn't care for this because it was soooo hot! G and I would both be super sweaty within minutes. If I had had the Beco when she was first born, I would have just used that with the newborn insert and been just fine.<br />
<br />
<b>Clothing</b>:<br />
Seriously, you will probably get a lot of clothes if you are having a baby shower. We had a lot of NB sized clothes, but G was only able to wear them for maybe 2 weeks before she outgrew them.<br />
<br />
*<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Carters-Basic-Short-Sleeve-Siide/dp/B003V0G6WC/ref=sr_1_4?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1316726394&sr=1-4"><i>Carters Side Snap Shirts</i></a>: 10<br />
I found the side snap shirts to be much easier in the beginning than onesies. G didn't like onesies going over her head and the shirts rubbed her umbilical stump less than the onesies. Buy the Carters over the Gerber ones. The Gerber ones shrink and won't last as long.<br />
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*<i>Towels</i>: We were given a few of the special baby hooded ones. They are nice but not necessary.<br />
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*<i>Mittens</i>: Another thing I got because I was told I needed them. G never had a mitten on her for one day. She didn't scratch herself once either. They are actually not great for motor development.<br />
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*<i>Socks: </i>Ditto mittens. I *think* she wore socks once or twice. She is a hot baby and doesn't really need or want them.<br />
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*<i>Hats</i>: Ditto mittens and socks. G hates hats with a passion. In the hospital they kept putting hats on her and she would start screaming. I would remove the hat and then they would come in and put it on while they were checking on her. Screaming would commence. It was a fun cycle, let me tell you!<br />
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*<i>Sleeping attire: </i>In the beginning, I loved the gowns with elastic at the bottom. They made all of those middle of the night diaper changes much easier. There is no way I could master those crazy snapped ones at 3 am. We then switched to footed sleepers which were nice. I definitely recommend zippers over snaps (see previous comment about snaps). Now she sleeps in a long-sleeved onesie with a halo sleep sack.<br />
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*<a href="http://www.adenandanais.com/shop/swaddles.aspx"><i>Aden and Anais blankets</i></a>: 9<br />
Make sure to get the expensive "boutique" ones, not the ones from Target or BRU. The boutique ones are 47" x 47" and are more stretchy and soft than the other ones. I got one of the boutique ones free from a cloth diaper order that I did on Black Friday. G doesn't throw up or leak out of her diapers (yay for cloth!), so one of these blankets has been enough. I would love to have more but I am cheap. Keep an eye on www.babysteals.com, because these come out all the time. It isn't as good of a deal as it seems though because of shipping.Marlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14590509712765498800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6135018687614892507.post-70949234897601208722011-09-12T11:05:00.000-07:002011-09-12T11:05:16.970-07:00Types of Cloth DiapersCloth diapering can be very overwhelming at first. There are so many different types and brands out there. I spent a lot of time researching cloth diapers, so I hope my research can help someone else. I am going to explain the different types of diapers and the pros and cons of each (in my opinion). G is only 9 weeks old, so please keep that in mind.<br />
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Let me also explain that a lot of diaper brands make different types of diapers. One example is Bumgenius: there is an AIO as well as a pocket. Grovia has an AIO and an AI2. <br />
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<b>All in Ones (AIO)</b>: These diapers can have either an aplix or snap closure. The soaker (absorbent part) is usually sewn in or sometimes snaps in. Common AIOs are <a href="http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=98&products_id=1825">Bumgenius (BG) AIO</a> and <a href="http://www.kellyscloset.com/GroVia-One-Size-All-In-One-Cloth-Diaper_p_4011.html">Grovia AIO</a>.<br />
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<i>Pros</i>: Easy to use. Go on just like a disposable. Typically trim. Don't take up too much space in the diaper bag.<br />
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<i>Cons: </i>Expensive. (This can be cut down though if you buy used like I did.) Typically take a long time to dry. (I line dry, so this isn't a huge issue. Also, some AIOs such as Grovia have an extra snap in soaker to cut down on drying time.) Not always stay dry. (Organic cotton is not stay dry and feels wet to the touch. If your LO is sensitive to this, just add a fleece liner.) Also, organic materials tend to stain easily. However, if you put the diapers in the sun like I do, stains aren't an issue.<br />
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<b>All in Two (AI2)/Hybrid</b>: As the name implies, this diaper is a combination of diapers. Popular examples of AI2/Hybrids include <a href="http://www.kellyscloset.com/GroVia-Single-Shell-SNAP-Shell-only_p_4016.html">Grovia shell </a>w/ <a href="http://www.kellyscloset.com/GroVia-Organic-Cotton-Soaker-Pads-2pk_p_4017.html">snap in soaker</a> and <a href="http://www.kellyscloset.com/Best-Bottom-Diapers_bymfg_100-0-1.html">Best Bottoms</a>.<br />
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<i>Pros: </i>Typically dry fast. (The Grovia soaker takes forever to dry though!) Can take up less room in the diaper bag. Flexible. Can be trim (Best Bottom).<br />
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<i>Cons: </i>Entire diaper will need to be washed after a poop. (Kind of eliminates the point of an AI2 in my book.) Poo can leak. Can be bulky (i.e. Grovia).<br />
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<b>Prefolds:</b> These are the "old school" cloth diapers. The middle of the diaper has extra absorbency where LO needs it. You then fold the diaper, use a snappi or a diaper pin to close it, and put a waterproof cover on top. You can also just trifold the prefold (fold it in thirds) and place it in the cover. I don't personally do this b/c I don't have a lot of covers and if LO poops in this situation, the cover will more than likely need to be washed.<br />
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<i>Pros:</i> Inexpensive! This is the cheapest option for cloth diapering. If CDing a NB, you can get 3 dozen prefolds and 4-6 covers for under $100. Dry fast. Customizable-fold the prefold however it works best for LO. Very absorbent. Contains poo well (if folded correctly.)<br />
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<i>Cons: </i>Probably the most difficult to use. We used these right away and didn't find them difficult, but yes, they are the most difficult to use. Super bulky! DD does not like the bulk because she can't pull her legs up how she likes.<br />
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<b>Fitteds:</b> These diapers are shaped like disposable diapers and have an aplix or a snap closure. Some fitteds don't have a closure and need to be snappied or pinned. Popular fitteds are <a href="http://www.kellyscloset.com/Kissaluvs-Fitted-Diapers_c_822.html">Kissaluvs</a>, <a href="http://www.kellyscloset.com/Thirsties-Fitted-Diapers_c_825.html">Thirsties</a>, & <a href="http://www.kellyscloset.com/Happy-Heinys-Fitted-Diapers_c_924.html">Happy Heinys</a>.<br />
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<i>Pros: </i>Pretty much bullet proof on leaks. Some can be customized for absorbency by adding an insert. Easy to use. I like to use WAHM types without a cover at home to give her butt some air out time.<br />
<br />
<i>Cons:</i> Can be a pain on wiggly babies - you have to put on the diaper and then the cover. Can take a long time to dry. Some can get crunchy with wear. (If this happens, do a soak in ecover fabric softener. Just make sure to take out any PUL items before doing this!)<br />
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Hopefully this helps! If there are ever any questions, feel free to ask and I will answer as best as I possibly can.Marlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14590509712765498800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6135018687614892507.post-84732551482149783642011-07-28T02:19:00.000-07:002011-07-28T02:19:27.209-07:00Cloth Diapering: 2 weeks inWe began cloth diapering (CDing) the day we got home from the hospital. I am by no means a CDing expert, but I feel I have a pretty good handle on CDing a newborn. So far, CDing hasn't really been a big deal and it doesn't seem like extra work. I love that I just do an extra 3 loads of laundry each week and don't have to worry about running to the store for diapers. I also love that I am not exposing my baby to extra chemicals and that we are not adding extra waste to the landfills. Here are my reviews on what we have used thus far. Keep in mind that Genevieve was 7 lb 9 oz at birth and is now close to 9 lbs.<br />
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1. <a href="http://www.kellyscloset.com/Kissaluvs-Fitted-Cloth-Diapers_p_3163.html">Kissaluvs size 0</a> (often called KL0s): Right now, these are in our top 2 go-to diapers. They aren't incredibly absorbant, but we just add in a <a href="http://www.kellyscloset.com/Kissaluvs-Diaper-Doublers_p_3032.html">Kissaluv doubler</a> for extra absorbancy. These fit great and aren't too bulky in my opinon. They are very easy to use and have a snap down for the umbilical cord stump. These wash great and dry relatively fast.<br />
<br />
2. <a href="http://www.bumgenius.com/all-in-one.php">Bumgenius 3.0 AIO XS</a>: Seriously, these are our favorite for her age. Unfortunately they have been discontinued. I purchased mine used off of www.diaperswappers.com and I actually just got some brand new seconds for $6 from www.cottonbabies.com. Anyway, they are super user friendly, contain EBF poo well, wash well (no stains), and dry really fast. Too bad these were discontinued! I wish I would have purchased more! We did have one pee leak with these, but that is because the babe slept 6 hours through the night. It was our fault for not changing her sooner, but hey, we are sleep deprived new parents.<br />
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3. <a href="http://www.kellyscloset.com/-Thirsties-Duo-Wrap-Diaper-Cover_p_3659.html">Thirsties Duo Wrap Cover</a>: We have these in size 1 snaps and they are our go-to cover for the KL0s. The double leg gussets do a fantastic job at holding everything in and we have had no leaks with these.<br />
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4. <a href="http://www.kellyscloset.com/Rumparooz-Diaper-Covers_p_4257.html">Rumparooz NB Cover</a>: Another great cover. It also has the double leg gussets, so we haven't had any leak issues.<br />
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5. <a href="http://www.kellyscloset.com/Bummis-Super-Brite-Diaper-Cover_p_3418.html">Bummis Super Brite in NB</a>: This cover was just so-so for me. We were only able to use it for maybe 4 or 5 days before it became too small. This would be a great option for smaller babies as it is easy to use and has the important double leg gussets.<br />
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6. <a href="http://www.momsmilkboutique.com/Bottombumpers-Cloth-Diaper-All-In-Ones-Aplix.html">Bottombumpers AIO size small</a>: I bought these used and really love them. They have a snap in soaker cuts down on the drying time. They began fitting around 8 lbs. The soaker is topped with bamboo velour which makes it extra soft.<br />
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7. <a href="http://www.bumgenius.com/bamboo.php">Bumgenius Bamboo Fitted in small</a>: Another great discontinued product by BG. We began using these once her umbilical stump fell off (so on day 7) and they are wonderful. They are much more absorbant than the KL0s and is pretty trim for a fitted. I really have no idea why these were discontinued as they were not replaced with a similar BG product. These do take a little bit longer to dry, but overall the dry time isn't bad.<br />
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8. <a href="http://www.earthbums.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=27&products_id=163">Dream-Eze AIO size small</a>: This is a pretty trim AIO that we haven't had any leaks with yet. They take a little bit longer to dry, but I like that they are made with organic fabrics. <br />
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9. <a href="http://www.momsmilkboutique.com/LilJoeys.html">Lil Joeys AIO by RaR</a>: I almost forgot about these because we used them for like oh, 2 days. I am glad that I bought them either on sale or used because they were a big waste. I would say that I basically hate these diapers, but they are just too itty bitty and cute to hate. However, I would say to not waste your money and just pass. This diaper leaked (pee and poo) each time we tried to use it.<br />
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10. <a href="http://www.kellyscloset.com/FuzziBunzR-Perfect-Size-Cloth-Diaper-with-Insert-_p_3997.html">Fuzzibunz Perfect Size in small</a>: I have only used this once so far and the one time I used it, it leaked poo out the leg. The size small is supposed to begin fitting at 7 lbs, but that doesn't seem to be the case for us. I had the leg setting snapped down as small as possible and it seemed to be a good fit, but maybe she just isn't the right size yet. I will try this one again in a week or so to see if it works better.<br />
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11. <a href="http://hyenacart.com/fishnoodles/index.php?c=58">Fishnoodles AIO</a>: These are now called Bright Star Baby, but anyway, this is another AIO that has a snap in soaker. These dry really fast and are pretty darn absorbant. I like that the soaker is extra long so that you can fold down it however you like.<br />
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12. <a href="http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/diapers.htm">GMD prefolds</a>: Prefolds are super easy to me, but the baby hates them! They are so bulky on her right now (even in the newborn size) that she can't pull up her legs how she likes. (TMI warning: this makes it very difficult for her to go poo.) I'd prefer not to listen to her scream like crazy when she needs to go #2, so we aren't really using these right now.<br />
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Wow, I sure have quite the variety of diapers! If I had it to do over again, I would buy:<br />
1. KL0s with doublers<br />
2. BG Bamboo fitteds<br />
3. BG 3.0 AIO XS<br />
4. Thirsties Duo wrap in size 1<br />
5. RaR NB cover<br />
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She is already growing out of her NB dipes, so that is part of why we have such a variety so far. Because I can't resist, here is a picture of Genevieve in her first cloth diaper (a KL0 with a Thirsties Duo Cover):<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh27U6eEYI4FBKn3fP9irLbsKrqM5VgFgxzDcIkz4OlV5_z6SykZSR0E2efFrrcsR5odEjCX7Wo_FopHqgSBn6DvlPWPxy8MYnwXONevheGqt9C3Fph7SSPj7KjgwR_HJsVN1D59kTlMB8/s1600/MEW_7038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh27U6eEYI4FBKn3fP9irLbsKrqM5VgFgxzDcIkz4OlV5_z6SykZSR0E2efFrrcsR5odEjCX7Wo_FopHqgSBn6DvlPWPxy8MYnwXONevheGqt9C3Fph7SSPj7KjgwR_HJsVN1D59kTlMB8/s320/MEW_7038.jpg" width="183" /></a></div>Marlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14590509712765498800noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6135018687614892507.post-19473544578920275552011-07-20T15:58:00.000-07:002011-07-20T15:58:56.737-07:00I didn't get to give birth to my baby...A c-section was the absolute last thing that I wanted for my baby and for myself. I feel like I missed out on so many things. I never imagined that there would be so much emotional healing from this.<br />
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I wanted either Chris or myself to be the first person to touch her in the "outside" world. Instead she was yanked out by a stranger.<br />
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I wanted to give her her first bath. Instead she was rubbed vigorously by strangers and then bathed by a glove wearing stranger a few hours later while Chris stood back the required few feet and attempted to take photos on my cell phone since I was being taken to my postpartum room.<br />
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I wanted her to be born in a peaceful environment. Instead she was born in a bright and cold room with very worried and stressed out parents.<br />
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I wanted to delay cord clamping until it stopped pulsing. Instead it was immediately clamped.<br />
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I wanted to see the umbilical cord and placenta that had sustained her for 42 weeks. Instead it was disposed of as waste.<br />
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I wanted Chris to be able to cut the cord. Obviously this was not an option.<br />
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I wanted immediate skin to skin contact. Instead I got to hold her for about a minute after she had been wrapped up and I was in my gown. I didn't remember until about 18 hours later that I wanted to do skin to skin.<br />
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I wanted to be able to breastfeed ASAP. Instead she had to be on monitors and we missed her "wakeful" period. <br />
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I am thankful for a healthy baby and a healthy mom, don't get me wrong. I just feel robbed and that my body failed me. Haven't women been giving birth to their babies for hundreds and hundreds of years? I didn't get to give birth to my baby, instead, I feel like she was yanked from me. I hope to one day be able to look back on her birth day and smile, but I just can't see that happening anytime soon. For now, whenever I think about it (which is pretty much all the time), I just cry.Marlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14590509712765498800noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6135018687614892507.post-2043900271960781932011-07-15T17:07:00.000-07:002012-01-16T21:43:40.935-08:00Genevieve's Birth StoryWarning, this will be long and it is a birth story, so it may have details that some people aren't comfortable with. If you think that is the case, don't continue. : )<br />
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<b>Background info</b><br />
I began having prelabor around 37 weeks. Contractions were off and on, but they occured daily and were much stronger than the Braxton Hicks contractions I had been previously experiencing. I was checked at 38 weeks and I had made no progress yet, so I was disappointed. I declined to be checked at 39 weeks because I did not see the point at that time.<br />
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At 39 weeks 3 days, I was sent for a BPP (Biophysical Profile) to check on the baby because my fluid was running high. Baby girl wasn't taking practice breaths, so we did not "pass" the BPP. The radiologist called my midwife (MW) to discuss this with her. The MW had us call her and she said she wasn't too concerned because the baby was asleep for all but the last 10 minutes of the exam. She had me closely monitor fetal movements and everything was in normal range.<br />
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However, she wanted me to help nudge things along, so we began acupuncture. Thankfully, my MIL is an acupuncture physician, so that was easy to do. Contractions would increase in strength and become more regular during acupuncture and for the few hours following, but then they would taper off.<br />
<br />
I went in on Monday to be checked and had made some progress (1-2 cm) but nothing too much. The MW said things were progressing, so we would just let them continue as is and keep an eye on the baby. I went in for another BPP and everything was fine. A week later I went in for another BPP (I was 41 weeks and 1 day) just to double check that she was okay and that my fluid levels had not increased anymore.<br />
<br />
I had an appt with the MW the next day and we were to come in whenever so they could do an NST (non-stress test) just to make sure the baby is okay. Once you pass 40 weeks, there are extra tests that should be done to make sure that mom and baby are doing well. When we arrived, the NST equipment was not set up, so I started to get concerned. The MW (we'll call her M) came in and told me that my fluid levels had increased even more, so it might be time to talk about going to the hospital for an induction. I started crying because that was the last thing I wanted. The concern was that my membranes would rupture (water would break) and that I could be in danger of a cord prolapse. (Cord prolapse is when the umbilical cord comes down ahead of the baby's head and gets caught in the birth canal.) It is a very serious complication and would require that the baby be removed ASAP.<br />
<br />
M said she could contact the back up OB to get his opinion and I agreed to this. The OB said that M could break my water, but it would have to be done very carefully to prevent cord prolapse. M asked if we had our bags with us which we did not. We ran home to grab our bags and of course I insisted on making sure the kitchen was clean first. : )<br />
<br />
<b>Labor and Birth</b><br />
We arrived back at the birth center at 11:00 am and went to the exam room to get ready. M did a check to make sure that the baby's head was in place so that we would not have any cord issues. She said she felt a "ridge" but checked it to make sure there was no pulse (meaning it was not the cord in the way). She confirmed that it was not the cord and went ahead with rupturing my membranes. I had been warned that it would be a flood, but I had no idea how much so! M immediately told me to "sit up, sit up!" which I did as quickly as possible. There was fluid all down the table, on the floor, everywhere. I don't remember the last time I laughed so hard!<br />
<b> </b><br />
<b> </b>I was told to walk, walk, walk to get labor moving along. There was nothing going on in the education room, so we put in a DVD (Knocked Up) and I walked around in circles and bounced on the ball. Chris left around 12:30 to pick up some lunch from Firehouse. At around 2:00, the acupuncturist came in and did another session of acupuncture on me (I think this was round 6 for me). M said that their acupuncturist always gets women in active labor within 6-24 hours without fail.<br />
<br />
Around 4:30, M checked me again, and I was still at 2-3 cm. She told us to go home, have a good dinner, get some rest, and to call her every 3 hrs to check in. At 10:00 pm, things were still the same, so she said I would need to drink 6 oz of castor oil at 5 or 6 am if I was not in active labor. I really did not want to do the castor oil, but agreed that I would if labor had not picked up. Around 11:30 pm, my contractions started getting a lot stronger and by 1:00 am, I woke Chris up to help me get through them.<br />
<br />
I found that sitting in the bathtub with the shower head on my abdomen was the best thing for me. By 6 am, the contractions were about 3 minutes apart and lasting over a minute. We called M to make sure that we could skip the castor oil and she said it was fine to skip and she would see us at 8 am at the birth center. We arrived back at the birth center at 8:30 am on Friday. M checked me and I was still at 2-3 cm! Ugh! I could not believe this! She said I had 2 and a half hours to be at 4-5 cm before we would have to start talking transfer.<br />
<br />
I will say that there were 2 other women in labor there that day and one of them was screaming like crazy at the top of her lungs. It was definitely hard to relax while listening to her!<br />
<br />
Anyway, I was told to go out to the parking lot and "march" which involved me lifting my knees as high as possible. This got old fast, but I did it. I was also instructed to squat during contractions. I am sure I was quite the sight to see! M also wanted me to go to the chiropractor and have my MIL come do another round of acupuncture.<br />
<br />
At 9:30, I headed over to the chiropractor who is in the same parking lot as the birth center. She evaluated me and said she could see why the baby was not coming down and adjusted me. She also asked if my belly had always been lopsided, which it had. The baby had never journeyed past my belly button to the left side. She made a couple of other adjustments and sent me on my way.<br />
<br />
My contractions immediately started to feel different. Not necessarily stronger, just different. By the time we got back to the birth center, my MIL was there to do acupuncture. She got started and I think I lasted 15 minutes before I begged her to take out the needles in my low back so that Chris could apply counter pressure. Contractions were very strong at this point and I think they were about a minute apart.<br />
<br />
I asked to get in the tub and was asked to wait, but I didn't listen. I needed that tub and was not going to be stopped. It was about 11:30 at this point, so I was at the critical point for making progress. M came in and said she needed to check me and that I needed to get out of the tub. I did not want to, but I eventually made my way out of the tub and back to the bed by noon. I laid on my back for about 20 minutes waiting for M to come check me and I was extremely uncomfortable. I was informed that she was delivering another baby and would be in with me shortly but she did not want me back in the tub.<br />
<br />
<br />
Screw that! I was back in the tub and said I would get out when she was done. About 2 minutes after I got back in, M was done and ready for me. I managed to get out of the tub again and when I was checked I was already at a 7! I went from 3-7 cm in 45 minutes! I was hoping we would get to meet the baby soon.<br />
<br />
Chris helping me. I originally said I didn't want him in the tub. Oh well, it's a good thing I packed his bathing suit. <br />
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I also didn't think I wanted my mom there. However, I am now very thankful that she was there:<br />
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Waiting to be checked was torture: <br />
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<br />
However, it took over 4 hours for me to go through transition and get to the point where I could start pushing. Those 4 hours were awful because back labor started. Back labor is constant and does not give you a break like regular contractions. There were definitely times that I said " I can not do this" or "what was I thinking." My mother in law was there as my doula and my mom came in to help me as well. Without my team of 3 (Chris, my mom, and my mother in law), I don't know what I would have done. They were a tremendous help in different ways.<br />
<br />
M wanted me out of the tub so she could check me. I know M does not like to do waterbirths, which I wanted, so I was refusing to get out of the tub. I said "she wants me out of the water so she doesn't have to do a waterbirth." M was right there when I said that and I didn't care. She came over to me and said that there was no way I could deliver in the water with the position of the baby.<br />
<br />
It took about 30 minutes to get me out of the tub because I could not move during contractions. M checked me and said that I had a lip of a cervix, but was good to push. I had planned on following the hypnobirth method of "breathing the baby down" and not doing "purple faced pushing," but apparently that was not going to happen. I was instructed to inhale and push "stronger, harder, longer" with each and every contraction. This was so not what I had planned, but I knew we needed to get the baby out because there was a little bit of meconium in the fluid.<br />
<br />
(That's my MIL on the right in the sweater.) <br />
<br />
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Yeah, trying to push a baby out isn't pretty: <br />
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I'm sorry, but my expression in this one cracks me up! It's one of three photos that I actually have my eyes open. <br />
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I pushed and changed positions many times during this stage, but nothing seemed to be bringing the baby down. I was told to get back in the tub, relax, and not push. Yeah right! My body was pushing on its own and there was nothing I could do about it. By this point, another midwife, R, joined the team. She heard me grunting and such and came in and told me I needed to pant and breath through these contractions. I sure tried my best, but I could not stop the pushing. I compare it to trying to hold your breath for 5 minutes. Not really possible. (That's the student midwife in the photo.)<br />
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After a very long 30 minutes, they had me get out of the tub and push again. At this point I had been pushing for 6 hours and it was about 9:45 pm on Friday the 8th. Things in the room started to change quickly. There was a lot of meconium and M called for a transfer. She wanted me to transfer to a hospital that is 40 minutes away and I just could not image the car ride. There is a hospital literally across the street from the center, but M told me that she would be sending me to a butcher shop if she sent me there.<br />
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This is the last photo before the transfer. I was saying that my heart felt like it was beating out of my chest. When we got to the hospital, my heart rate didn't go below 150. <br />
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My mom managed to get me dressed and then they got me into the wheelchair and wheeled us out to our car. Chris had to drive me to the hospital while I was fully dilated and pushing. It was literally the longest 35 minutes of my life! R went with us and was the lead driver. We pulled up to the hospital valet at 10:40 pm. R ran to get a wheelchair while Chris got me out of the car. I guess I should mention that I just had on a flimsy nightgown, but I didn't care.<br />
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They wheeled me in and R and Chris showed ID to the front and then they took me over to triage where we had to wait in the hallway. I imagine I was quite the sight sitting in the middle of the hallway pushing in a wheelchair. After about 10 or 15 minutes, a nurse finally came to get me and thankfully we skipped triage.<br />
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I was quickly taken to a L&D room where I was put on EFM (electronic fetal monitoring) & IV fluids immediately. The nurse asked if I wanted an epidural and before I could answer, R said yes and I agreed. I was beyond exhausted at this point. Within 10 minutes, the anesthesiologist was there and getting started. They had me sit up for the epidural and I immediately got sick. Poor Chris, this was the 2nd time that I had gotten sick on him that day. Zofran was ordered so that I would not continue to get sick.<br />
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The epidural was heaven. I could still feel the back labor, but could no longer feel the contractions or the pushing sensation. The OB came in at this point to evaluate me. It was the birth center's back up OB, so he was already familiar with my case. He had me push through the next contraction to decide a course of action. It is definitely harder to push effectively with the epidural - I really had no idea what I was doing.<br />
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(The anesthesiologist is on the left and the nurse is the one putting stuff on me. They were both awesome ladies. I wish I would have caught their names.) <br />
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The OB said we could either continue to labor as is or go for a c-section. He strongly recommended a c-section for the following reasons: 1) baby's heart rate was not doing well as it was continuously in the 170s and 180s. 2) My heart rate was in the 150s and 160s. 3) I had a fever and was showing signs of infection. 4) My membranes had been ruptured for 36 hours at this point. 5) There was a lot of meconium. I asked if I could talk to R and my family, so they came back in the room.<br />
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R agreed that at this point, we needed to get the baby out ASAP. The nurse spoke up at this point and said that she would have advocated for me if she thought continuing to labor would have been okay. I consented to the c-section, so the anesthesiologist got working right away on adjusting the epidural.<br />
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This was my expression when I was told I would need a c-section. <br />
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Once she did her thing, back labor was gone and I felt so much relief. Chris was super stressed and scared at this point. The doctor and R both told us that the baby will probably be floppy and sick when she was born and would need to go to the special care nursery right away. I was holding strong and was praying for a healthy baby.<br />
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I was wheeled back to the OR at 11:50 pm on Friday the 8th. I guess she was going to be born on the 9th instead of the 8th, but that was okay. They got me prepped and told me that I would feel hands tugging and pressure, but that was normal. Chris was brought in and was seated by my head. I couldn't feel a thing. I had the surgeon say "come on you little bugger, get out of there" and a few seconds later, we heard her cry at 12:36 am. What a relief!<br />
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I asked Chris how she looked and he said she looked fine, but he couldn't see much. Then I asked what color her hair was because her middle name depended on her hair color. If it was brown or blonde, then I got to choose and if it was red, then Chris got to choose. She had a head full of brown hair, so Genevieve Grace it is!<br />
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Chris was able to go over and look at her and take pictures. We had left everything in the car, so we only had our cell phones, but he was still able to get a couple of pictures. He came back to show me and told me that she weighed 9 lbs 9 oz. Seriously?!? A few minutes later they brought her over to me and I said there is no way she is 9 lbs 9 oz, she was definitely smaller than that. She was placed on my chest for a couple of minutes and the anesthesiologist took our first family photo.<br />
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She was then taken away to be checked, but everything looked good. She would not need to go to the special care nursery. Chris's instructions were to stay with the baby at all times, so he walked with her where my mom and mother and law were able to see her.<br />
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I asked the nurse about her weight and she said she was 7 lbs 9.9 oz. Chris saw the 9.9 and thought it was 9 lbs 9 oz! LOL! He had no idea of his error, so he told our moms the incorrect weight which quickly got passed around.<br />
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The OB came over and shook my hand and said that she was stuck in my pelvis. He said that I have a very narrow pelvis and there is no way that she could have come out vaginally. I guess this means that future babies will have to be c-sections as well. <br />
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I was then wheeled to recovery where Chris and Genevieve were waiting. Genevieve had to be monitored for 30 minutes before I could hold her and attempt to breastfeed. The nurse was pretty sure that I would be released from recovery within the hour because I was able to move my feet, lift my legs, and lift my butt off the bed. I guess since I only had the epidural for a short amount of time, it didn't take long for it to leave my system. However, my heart rate would not come down. It needed to be below 100 and it would not go below 120. They turned the lights down and told me to just relax and it would be okay.<br />
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I was begging for something to drink but could only have ice chips until I was out of recovery. At 4 am, they finally decided to release me despite the heart rate issue. I held Genevieve and we were wheeled to the mother and baby floor. The first stop was the nursery where she would have her first bath. Chris was able to go in with her and take photos while they got me set up in my room. They had water, apple juice, and fruit punch waiting for me and I immediately had a death grip on that water!<br />
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By the time Chris and Genevieve were done, it was 5:30 am on Saturday, July 9th. I had been awake for close to 40 hours and was exhausted. I fell asleep shortly after with Genevieve in my arms. We only got a couple of hours of sleep, but any sleep at that point was a God send.<br />
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I am still having a difficult time coming to terms with everything, but I will save later posts for that. I am happy to have a healthy baby, but am still grieving the natural birth that I wanted. I did get to experience natural labor, but not a natural delivery. I also had to recover from both a natural labor and a c-section, which has not been the most pleasant thing ever.<br />
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And now what you have been waiting for: photos!<br />
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First family photo: Genevieve Grace, born on 7.9.11 weighing 7 lbs 9 oz and 21 inches long <br />
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4 days old: <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjghUK-1tVCbUeg-XltDk9rVXqtX_h1yONqdhqQM3JslJbPIAieB90rYnQaQHKNKpvmckDBn_IGj0IUfF0EoUZEacDtY6thKrlbBdCHlRz16FL2kyiZU7cX7srabsRIqMd3vlGoB0m0WGQ/s1600/IMG00174-20110713-1106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjghUK-1tVCbUeg-XltDk9rVXqtX_h1yONqdhqQM3JslJbPIAieB90rYnQaQHKNKpvmckDBn_IGj0IUfF0EoUZEacDtY6thKrlbBdCHlRz16FL2kyiZU7cX7srabsRIqMd3vlGoB0m0WGQ/s320/IMG00174-20110713-1106.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Marlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14590509712765498800noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6135018687614892507.post-7612202588584371082011-06-22T10:37:00.000-07:002011-06-22T10:37:38.949-07:00Finished nursery!<span id="goog_1518172743"></span><span id="goog_1518172744"></span>The nursery has been finished for a couple of weeks now and I am happy with how it turned out. You can find the original post with paint details, fabric details, etc, <a href="http://advinrandomness.blogspot.com/2011/04/catching-up-nursery-progress.html">here</a>.<br />
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Just a reminder that we are keeping the name secret until she is here. Her name is currently above the crib, so that is why there are weird blocks above the crib. : )<br />
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View from the door:<br />
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Cloth diaper storage: <br />
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Crib: <br />
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Dresser, armoire, changing area, etc: <br />
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I am happy with how it came out. The paint color is perfect and her room feels so calm and peaceful. Now she needs to come!<br />
<span id="goog_708432215"></span><span id="goog_708432216"></span>Marlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14590509712765498800noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6135018687614892507.post-78599848136389893372011-06-18T09:50:00.000-07:002011-06-18T09:50:11.643-07:00DIY nursery itemsI have all of my projects completed (for now anyway), so I thought I would share some of the DIY items. I really should have taken step by step photos as I went, but really, these are relatively easy projects to complete.<br />
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Up first are the DIY crepe paper flower balls. I got the idea for these from <a href="http://www.thehouseofsmiths.com/2010/02/hanging-roses-i-was-browsing-blogs.html">this blog</a>. It took a few practice runs to get the flowers to look just right, but once I figured it out, they were pretty easy to make. It was definitely time consuming, but I would just work on it while I watched TV. I have them hanging over the diaper changing area.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Every little girl has hair bows, right? I definitely like to have a way to display these items so I don't forget what I have. This is a similar idea to my <a href="http://advinrandomness.blogspot.com/2010/06/jewelry-organizer.html">jewelry organizer</a> that I made a while back. All you need is a frame, fabric, ribbon, and glue. Then you remove the glass from the frame, wrap the fabric around the cardboard backing, glue said fabric, then add the ribbon and glue. It is pretty easy!</div><br />
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Every little girl also needs headbands, right? Again, there needs to be a place to display and store these headbands so this mom doesn't forget about them! I think this was the easiest of all of my projects. To make, you will need an empty and cleaned out oatmeal container (for infants, I would recommend using a smaller container b/c the larger container was too big), fabric, and a hot glue gun. Simply cut the fabric to fit the oatmeal container and then glue. Now take the lid to the container, cover with fabric, and glue. How easy was that?<br />
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There is one more project that I just can't reveal yet: her name hanging over the crib! Once she is here and we have shared the name, I will make sure to include that as well.Marlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14590509712765498800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6135018687614892507.post-79313537499944096822011-06-16T18:04:00.000-07:002011-06-16T18:04:35.221-07:00Dancing BabyOne of my favorite shows is So You Think You Can Dance. I have watched it since Season 2 and have been to all of the tours except for one. Baby Girl loves music, especially classical, pop, and country. Unfortunately for Chris she isn't a big alternative fan, but I am sure we will work on that one. Anyway, when we were watching SYTCD last night, she was so super active. I really should have gotten the video camera out, but I didn't.<br />
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Her movement has slowed down over the last few weeks, but now I know if I need to check on her, all I have to do is turn on SYTYCD! Maybe she is preparing for her auditions already! : )<br />
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Chris was so excited by all the movement that he turned on his ipod when we went to bed to see if he could get her bouncing around again. Sure enough, she was dancing like crazy. This of course got Chris all excited and he started singing to her. I then joined in on the singing and she calmed down almost instantly. Once I stopped singing, she started bouncing around again. Perhaps my singing will calm her down once she decides to join us on the outside. We shall see!Marlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14590509712765498800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6135018687614892507.post-88744878384692808972011-06-16T08:35:00.000-07:002011-06-16T08:35:23.771-07:00Belly updatesI cannot believe how quickly time has flown and how big my belly is. I look back on earlier photos and remember thinking how big I was then - if I had only known! LOL!<br />
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31 weeks: <br />
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33 weeks 4 days: <br />
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35 weeks 6 days: <br />
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36 weeks 6 days: <br />
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