5 months!

Five months. FIVE months. FIVE MONTHS?! When did that happen? Next month will be half a year and...I'm just not getting into that right now. My baby girl is getting so big!

We had her check-up on Friday. She received two shots - HIB & PCV. She's been running a slight fever, but I think it might be related to something else (more on that later). She slept a lot that afternoon and was somewhat still out of it on Saturday, but I think she's just about back to her normal, happy self. Everyday she seems to be growing up right before our eyes. She's such a happy child, but also serious and curious - always looking to figure things out. Here's some new stuff that's happened in the past month:

~She's mastered the art of rolling over, both ways! She hasn't figured out that it means she's more mobile, so it's not like she's going from one side of the room to the other...yet. I'm waiting for the day of that discovery.

~She can sit up by herself, but she's still wobbly. After a few seconds she's going backwards or to the side. If she goes forwards she can catch herself and go into tummy-time mode, but she does not like it when she falls backwards. We're constantly practicing sitting up and she's getting better at it everyday.

~She's still trying to master the art of paci "in and out." She is very good at putting everything else in her mouth - blocks, toys, toes!, etc.

~The funniest thing she does nowadays is grab for anything in our hands. Specifically my cell phone or a drink. She reaches and grabs really well. The finniest things she's grabbed for are glasses full of lemonade, tea, or bottles of beer! NO - we do not let her drink the beer...just gum the bottle top!

As mentioned in a previous post, her first tooth did appear. Confimed by many other people (many of them already monthers of children with teeth). So I am not crazy! (Well...I am, but not in regards to her tooth!). The tooth, a molar, was there on Thursday when her Aunt Tara saw it. After that, I don't know when, but it disappeared! I could not find the dang tooth today! She's been teething very badly this week, so I wanted to see if it had made any progress on coming in. And it was gone! Where can a tooth go? Can you believe I actually wondered if it was a "fake" tooth that was so small that it fell out and maybe she swallowed it?! Yep. Moron Mommy Moment. So, I did what all 21st century mommies do these days - I GOOGLED! Turns out that it's not something super special. It's not common, but it has been known to happen. Teeth appear, but then during the teething process the gums become swollen and the teeth recede or become hidden by the gums. Sometimes they reappear immediately. Sometimes it takes another few months before they reappear. I wouldn't be surprised if this molar doesn't come back before her front teeth make an appearance. After all, her front teeth are the ones that are "supposed" to show up first. And, in regards to her recent fever, I'm going to say it's more likely to be due to the teething and the swollen gums than her shots. The shots she received on Friday were not new and she's never run a slight fever for more than a day when she's gotten shots, so this was very peculiar for her. I bet it was teething.

So that was our special month! It was fun, as always:o) She continues to make our lives happier each and every morning that we wake up. My time with her is priceless and I cherish each moment!

A random breastfeeding discussion...

***Disclaimer - I do not care if you breastfeed, pump & bottle feed, formula feed, gave natural birth, gladly accepted the needle-in-the-back, begged your doc for a c-section, cloth diaper, use sposies, etc. I do not believe that I am better than anyone else for choosing the paths that I've taken. I AM; however, an advocate for women & families choosing to make educuated decisions that fit their lifestyles the best. Whatever is best for you will be best for your baby and that is the ultimate goal = HAPPY FAMILIES!

So...moving on...

I was breastfeeding Autumn tonight before bed and I began to think about how wonderfully lucky I am that our breastfeeding journey has gone so well. Have I mentioned this before? I know I have! And it's not bragging - it's me NOT taking for granted just how lucky we are. Because there are women who struggle. I've read their posts. I've talked to them in person. I've seen it first hand sitting right next to my best friend. If you were to sak me if breastfeeding was easy, my answer would be ABSOLUTELY NOT. Not because my experience has been hard, but because it can be hard and no matter what, it takes a lot of time and effort regardless of if you have problems.

Sometimes I feel guilt for having no troubles. Tonight I pondered this thought. Why did/do I not have problems? Really...why? The main problems I hear about are usually latching, supply, and thrush. I didn't have any of these. Why, why, why? And then the thought of my natural birth came into my head. Did that have anything to do with it?

I'm not a researcher. I'm not a doctor. And I've hardly talked to enough women to find out. But it's a question that makes me curious. Perhaps they've already done this research (and if there is a study out there about this...please send it to me...I'm very curious). But if they haven't done this study, wouldn't it be nice to know if a natural birth vs. birth that called for medications had anything to do with it?

The variables would be numerous - which medications were used, the dosages given, perhaps the type of birth (vaginal vs. c/s), etc. But overall, my questions is, does medication have a lasting effect on breastfeeding? Do meds disrupt something that makes it harder for a child to latch on? Do meds do something to horomones that would make it harder for milk to come in when its supposed to, resulting in a low supply and discouraging women from waiting it out? Is it possible meds could completely take away a woman's milk supply? Can meds make a woman's body more likely to have thrush?

Or maybe it's just chance. It's just a completely natural thing.

Or maybe it's a little bit of both.

I don't know. And that's that. I DO NOT KNOW. I'm not assuming anything. I'm not saying these are side effects. I'm just curious.

3 months!

Autumn was 3 months on Sunday, Mother's Day! We enjoyed our day by spending the early afternoon at the flea market downtown, just walking around, and then the rest of the afternoon and evening at Aunt Tara & Uncle Tony's. Over the weekend she was actually somewhat fussy. I thought I had noticed a spot on her gums that was irritated - teething?! ::gasp:: Today was her 3 month checkup. She received two shots - PCV & HIB. She was NOT happy, but she took them like a champ, downed some generic tylenol, and is now sleeping happily.

She weighs 12.6 lbs, but hasn't grown in length at all, which is perfectly fine. The doctor is very happy with her weight gain and that means that our breastfeeding is still going awesome. I'm always worried about that.

She's still sleeping through the night. And right now I thinks he's starting her 3 month growth spurt because she slept FOREVER last night!

Things are slowly winding down around the home. School is officially over for the semester - A+ & B were my grades. I'm already feeling less stressed. And only two more weeks of bowling - after tonight just one week. Tonight is super stressful because it's position round - everything has to be JUST right & I have to finish collecting money. Next week is a lot easier. I'm doing more reading for myself, which helps me zone out for a little bit each day. I thoroughly enjoy getting lost in a good book. Financially things are still tight, but we're managing. I think we're almost past the "catch up" phase and soon we'll be able to start putting a little money to the side for other things.

And that's about it for now. Let's hope the rest of the day & the week continues to go well!

Weighing In - In more ways than one:o)

Tomorrow's MY 6 week checkup. With that on my mind and with the events of today I thought I'd blog about some stuff swirling around in my head.

I weigh 141.8 lbs. I am very much ok with this! This weekend I realize that when i found my spring clothes and the rest of my pre-preggo size 9 jeans that..well..see below:oP

LOL! I'm laughing because it is funny. And...if I wasn't laughing I might cry. The reality is, I really could care less that they don't fit. Doesn't bother me in the least. My weight tells the real story, but my body is shaped differently than before and for a very good reason:o) It's the fact that we're lacking in funds right now and clothes shopping is NOT very high on the list. I plan on hitting an awesome consignment store in the area asap, but that still might not happen for a few weeks. So alas...I will walk around NAKED until then!!! Ok, maybe not.

Moving on...last week sucked. It was a hard week for me mentally and when my brain goes haywire so do my horomones. Or maybe it's the other way around. I don't even think the best scientists know what triggers what. Anyway...so last week sucked. Weekend was AWESOME! Shawn and I spent a lot of quality time with friends, family, and each other. It was magnificent. And I love spending so much time together to watch him be Daddy. That's my favorite thing...watching Shawn be Daddy. It's a role - just like brother, son, uncle, husband, friends -now he's also Daddy. And it's beautiful!

Fast forward to today...I had a meeting at 11am. Sunday night I mentioned having to make sure all was ready to go in the morning so I could get myself and Autumn there on time. Shawn says to leave her home with him. I've left her home with him for a few hours, but all day?! Let me just say that I have FULL confidence in my husband. I trust him 10000% percent in his abilities to care for our child. But was I ready to do a whole day without her? I said ok.

And the day went fine! Autumn slept late because she had had ad HORRID day before (we're not going into that...) and so I got myself ready. Fed her at 9am. I left at 10am. My meeting started early and went til a little after 11am. I called - all was well:o) I went to work. I got some paperwork done for bowling, I took care of my munchkin-girl, called home ONCE at 3:30pm and all was well, took munchkin-girl and munchkin-boy of "mine" to the library, took them home, read books, played and actually got out of work a little early at 5:30pm. Home by 6pm.

While it was very nice to not have a child attached to me (and my boobs) all day, I did miss Autumn a lot. BUT, she had an AWESOME day with Daddy! She went for a long walk, visited with neighbors, played with a 1yr old little girl, took good naps, ate good, and has no fussiness!

What does this tell me? I need to relax. I need to remind myself that Shawn IS capable - just like I knew he would be - and sometimes I need to let him do a little more so that I can hold onto my sanity. I need my "me" time in order to keep being ME! I've thought about some stuff I'd like to do and my goal is to try a few things to week - a little at a time - to see what works for us:

~do some personal reading - not school related, baby related, internet related. Nope. Pick a book & take a bath or close the bedroom door and read! Even if it's only for 15 mins an evening.

~workout. I really need to find a time I can do this - even if it means getting out of bed, which is SO hard. I just need to start doing something at home forlike 20 mins a day. We'll see how many times it gets done this week and we'll go from there.

~cook. I do miss making dinner.

So those are three small goals. Very small. Because when a little one enters into your life, no matter how much she "fits", the very small goals still manage to end up being large goals. So let's see how we manage these and then we'll discuss baking cupcakes from scratch, joining a book club, and hitting the gym 4 nights a week:oP

Interesting Fact...

According the babycenter.com Wenesday is the most popular day for a baby to be born. Why is this so interesting?

Because apparently Autumn sincerely dislikes Tuesdays. Last Tuesday was so horrible and uncomfortable that I was asked, "Are you in labor?" and my honest to God response was, "I don't know. If it gets worse I guess we'll know!" By Wednesday I was fine. Thursday she was no longer engaged/dropped at my appointment.

This morning, another Tuesday, at 6am I had some fluid leaking that does not resemble pee. But it's not enough to be a gush and leaves me perplexed. I've had fluid leakage before, but not like this. Although I've had the feeling that over the weekend she had dropped again, this morning she was sure to let me know that as I walked around or sat in bed and the pressure "down there" has only increased! A lot. However, I don't believe I've had any real contractions...so I continue on with my day. My Tuesday. What is doomed to be an awful Tuesday with uncomfortableness & another night at the bowling alley with people houding me about when I'm having this child. Ugh.

Also, this is interesting because if this IS it...the big moment...and labor lasted forever, that would mean my child could very well be born on a Wednesday. The most popular day of the week to be born. Which is also my Mom's birthday - she would have been 60. Which is the same day that I've been telling everyone since DAY ONE that she would come. And I've called birth dates before - ask my best friend. If I have this child tomorrow I swear I'm going into the "baby pool" business - I'd make a fortune!

Quick read articles...

Some articles I found this morning related to pregnancy & pregnancy health.

C-section rates around globe at ‘epidemic’ levels

Longer nursing may aid kids’ mental health

Mother’s gum disease linked to infant's death

Breastfeeding may curb heart, diabetes risk

More women choose do-it-yourself births (Fear not...this will NEVER be an option in our future. But to each her own!)

Busy and baffled, new moms hire baby planners (I have a wonderful bff who served as my expert baby planning helper!)

101 Reasons to Breastfeed

Copied from "It's a Domerbaby" - another blog I follow.

http://www.promom.org/101/

PPD article from my Bradley class

Can I just say how awesome my Bradley instructor is? I mean, she goes beyond teaching the basics and takes time to send out e-mails on interesting articles she has read and deems relevant. Totally cool!

So, here's a copy from what she sent in regards to post-partum depression & fathers.


From the New York Times, 12/07/09
Postpartum Depression Strikes Fathers, Too
By RICHARD A. FRIEDMAN, M.D.
The pregnancy was easy, the delivery a breeze. This was the couple’s first baby, and they were thrilled. But within two months, the bliss of new parenthood was shattered by postpartum depression.
A sad, familiar story. But this one had a twist: The patient who came to me for treatment was not the mother but her husband.
A few weeks after the baby arrived, he had become uncharacteristically anxious, sad and withdrawn. He had trouble sleeping, even though his wife was the one up at night breast-feeding their new son. What scared her enough to bring him to my office was that he had become suicidal.
Up to 80 percent of women experience minor sadness — the so-called baby blues — after giving birth, and about 10 percent plummet into severe postpartum depression. But it turns out that men can also have postpartum depression, and its effects can be every bit as disruptive — not just on the father but on mother and child.
We don’t know the exact prevalence of male postpartum depression; studies have used different methods and diagnostic criteria. Dr. Paul G. Ramchandani, a psychiatrist at the University of Oxford in England who did a study based on 26,000 parents, reported in The Lancet in 2005 that 4 percent of fathers had clinically significant depressive symptoms within eight weeks of the birth of their children. But one thing is clear: It isn’t something most people, including physicians, have ever heard of.
At first, my patient insisted that everything was just fine. He and his wife had been trying to conceive for more than a year. He was ecstatic at the prospect of fatherhood, and he did not acknowledge feeling depressed or suicidal.
Suspicious of his rosy appraisal, I pushed a little.
It turned out that he had just taken a new high-pressure job in finance six months before the birth of his son. Though he was reluctant to admit it, he clearly had more than a little concern about his family’s financial future.
And he was anxious about his marriage and his new life. “We go out a lot with friends to dinner and theater,” he said wistfully, as I recall. “Now I guess that’s all going to end.”
He had spent the nine months of pregnancy in a state of excitement about being a father without really registering what a life-transforming event it was going to be.
Unlike women, men are not generally brought up to express their emotions or ask for help. This can be especially problematic for new fathers, since the prospect of parenthood carries all kinds of insecurities: What kind of father will I be? Can I support my family? Is this the end of my freedom?
And there is probably more to male postpartum depression than just social or psychological stress; like motherhood, fatherhood has its own biology, and it may actually change the brain.
A 2006 study on marmoset monkeys, published in the journal Nature Reviews Neuroscience, reported that new fathers experienced a rapid increase in receptors for the hormone vasopressin in the brain’s prefrontal cortex. Along with other hormones, vasopressin is involved in parental behavior in animals, and it is known that the same brain area in humans is activated when parents are shown pictures of their children.
There is also some evidence that testosterone levels tend to drop in men during their partner’s pregnancy, perhaps to make expectant fathers less aggressive and more likely to bond with their newborns. Given the known association between depression and low testosterone in middle-aged men, it is possible that this might also put some men at risk of postpartum depression.
By far the strongest predictor of paternal postpartum depression is having a depressed partner. In one study, fathers whose partners were also depressed were at nearly two and a half times the normal risk for depression. That was a critical finding, for clinicians tend to assume that men can easily step up to the plate and help fill in for a depressed mother. In fact, they too may be stressed and vulnerable to depression.
And there is the child to think about. Research has clearly shown that maternal postpartum depression can impair the emotional and cognitive development of infants. A father could well buffer the infant from some of the adverse effects of maternal depression — but that is a tall order if he too is depressed.
Dr. Ramchandani, who also followed children for three and a half years after birth, reported that they were affected differently depending on which parent was depressed. Maternal postpartum depression was associated with adverse emotional and behavioral effects in children regardless of sex; depression in fathers was linked only with behavioral problems in boys. (The study did not report on possible effects when both parents were depressed.)
As for my patient, he recovered within two months with the help of psychotherapy and an antidepressant. Afterward, he summed up the situation in just 10 words: “And I thought only women get this kind of thing.”
All too many doctors think so too.


Richard A. Friedman is a professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College.

Venison!

Autumn - today you had your "first" taste of venison. Daddy & I are hoping that you enjoy venison because, like it or not, it will be a staple food in our household as long as you live. However, I am REALLY hoping you like it prior to you eating it first-hand...because if you dont...Mommy's tummy is not going to be happy!

Just FYI, if you've never had venison, or you're curious as to it's nutritional value, I found this: venison has LOTS of protein, which is important for when you're growing a baby inside of you & also lots of Vitamin B & iron.

Pregnancy Weight

So I've been doing research on this because I do think it's important. It's on the mind of every preggo woman out there - am I gaining too much weight? Not enough? Am I gaining it too fast, in which case I need to slow down? Am I not gaining it fast enough? ETC.

According to this site: http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20090528/pregnancy-weight-gain-new-guidelines and my BMI pre-pregnancy (http://www.webmd.com/diet/calc-bmi-plus): I am a woman of normal weight and I should gain anywhere between 25-35 lbs.

I also read someone where during the first trimester (up to 13 weeks) a normal weight person should gain anywhere from 3-5lbs and then approx 1lb/week...making that range 30-32lbs.

At 15 1/2 weeks I had gained approx 5.5 lbs. I have no idea what my weight is at right now because we don't keep a scale at home, but I feel like I'm going to be able to stay in my healthy zone. My guilty pleasure is fast food, which I must avoid, or at least try to eat more salads and less burgers from those places. And I need to remember to incorporate more fruits & veggies ( I do love my carbs!!!)

Overall, I think it's important that EVERYONE (not just us preggos) realize that everyone's body starts out different and that will completely determine how you will gain weight and how much you will gain overall. I despise people who suggest that pregnant women have gained too much or too little weight and DONT take into consideration their natural body, metabolism, etc. As long as your doctor/midwife says that you're doing well and you seem to be within the recommended guidelines, everyone else should just shush:o)

Produce Health

Article from Baby Guide 2009 that I received from the Birth Center.

Produce Highest in pesticide residue:
- Peaches
- Apples
- Sweet Bell Peppers
- Celery
- Nectarines
- Strawberries
- Cherries
- Lettuce
- Grapes (imported)
- Pears
- Spinach
- Potatoes

So...that's just about everything I really enjoy eating when it comes to produce. Awesome.

Produce Lowest in pesticide residue:
- Onions
- Avocados
- Sweet corn (frozen)
- Pineapples
- Mangoes
- Sweet peas (frozen)
- Asparagus
- Kiwi
- Bananas
- Cabbage
- Broccoli
- Eggplant

Gender Predictions

So, let's take a look at all the old wives tales and see what gender our baby is going to be:

Chinese Gender Chart (http://www.babygenderprediction.com/chinese-gender-chart.html)
- Conception Month - May, Conception Age - 24 = GIRL

Carrying High vs Low
- It's hard to tell now, but when the midwife was checking me on my last visit she said she could feel my uterus popping "here" and "here" was pretty low = BOY

Heartbeat 140+ is girl, 140- is boy
- on June 25 hb = 156bpm = GIRL
- on July 28 hb = 140bpm = neutral?

Cravings: sweet is girl, sour is boy
- neither, i actually crave crunchy stuff

Husband putting on weight with you?
- highly doubtful = BOY

I refuse to do the Drano/Urine test...gross. I haven't done the ring/pendant motion test. And I'm not telling which boob is bigger:oP

So it seems really up in the air right now. Your thoughts?!

Good quote

You have to be very strong to be able to put out what you really feel, even when it's not culturally acceptable. Risk-taking is empowering. You don't HAVE to put it out there. The process is very personal and the growth can be profound.

Current Reads

So I started skimming thru "What to Expect When You're Expecting..." It does have some useful information, but nothing that seems I didn't have an inkling about before (thru other people's experiences of course). I think it's going to serve as a reminder of what's coming up more than a vastness of unknown knowledge. I can see why others would probably lose interest or only refer to it for specific topics.

I also started the wonderful book that my bff gave me (did I ever tell you that she is the BESTEST EVER?!). It's called "Birthing From Within" and it really discusses the emotional, psychological and physical realities of childbirth. It's really about putting the parents in control of the birth rather than the medical field. I have read a few chapters already and I've asked my DH to follow along with me and do the exercises with me (since he too wants to follow this sort of path for our childbirth). It's my belief that something like this - less texty and more interactive and engaging - will bring us closer together and be more supportive of each other during the next 35+ weeks.

Random stuff from Carolina Parent

As I was leaving Monkey Joe's today the new Carolina Parents (June issue) were getting swapped out from the last month's, so I grabbed it on the way out and have looked it over. No special articles really came up in regards to pregnany, early childcare, etc. But, they do have a few "top picks" of some things that I'd thought I'd share. Oh, unless it's in quote, the information AFTER the product name is just my own opinions:o)

My Brest Friend Deluxe: Since I know someone who actually used a My Brest Friend product (possibly even this one?) I can say I've definitely seen it in action and it works.

Best Shower Gift: "Pregnancy, Childbirth & the Newborn: The Complete Guide (Medically Updated)." The ad reads, "Our testers loved this book's positive, thorough approach to preparing new parents for thei birth experience. It encourages questions, offers alternatives, and empowers parents-to-be to make decisions based on accurate, balanced research and personal choice." Sounds right up my alley!

Just for fun: "Sleep is for the Weak: The best of the mommybloggers including Amalah, Finslippy, Fussy, Woulda Shoulda Coulda, Mom-101, and more!" Basically a collection of real essays/blogs from moms that are sweet, funny, serious and filled with various viewpoints. Sounds like a must-have!

Top Pick: ERGObaby Carrier. I've always been partial to the Bjorn, but that's because I've never used an ERGO. I'll be doing PLENTY of research into carriers, believe you me!

Philips Avent DECT Monitor (SCD 520). I'm sure it works great, but we live in a small two bedroom home right now, so I don't think I'll be needing a $150 monitor.

Summit 360 by Baby Jogger. I've used jogging strollers before and I actually don't prefer them to regular strollers. I know...I'm not quite the jogger, so maybe I don't get the real experience of it, but I have gone for long walks around the lake and on other paths and they have proved more of a pain.

Top Pick: Symphony Featuring Surelatch All-in-One Carser by EvenFlo. My bff works at BRU, so I plan on checking with her thoroughly before ever putting a carseat in my vehicle. She knows far more than me. However, this one sounds decent. 5-100 lbs, read or foward facing positions and can also be used as a booster seat later. And it has SureLATCH connecters. I still think I'd like to get an infant seat but this is something I'll be doing tons of research on too.

Wonder Bumpers: Go Mama Go Designs. Expensive, but a creative twist on breathable bumpers. Kinda neat, but I probably won't get them.

So that's it. Nothing super exciting. I jsut felt the need to so something with my blog today. Hope you found that somewhat interesting.

Book Recommendation

Note to self: You are so lucky to have a best friend who just totally gets you - Thanks Boo!

So, I just got an e-mail w/ this book recommendation:

http://www.amazon.com/Your-Best-Birth-Discover-Experience/dp/0446538132/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242840381&sr=1-1

It's definitely something I'll be picking up when I get a BFP!