Pregnancy » Two Wishes

Contractions Are Not Our Friend

Dec 102008

I’m writing this from a hospital bed. Started having contractions on Monday — not the usual Braxton-Hicks belly-tighteners, but actual, “wow, that HURTS!”, baby-moving contractions. We went into the hospital Monday night and took a test (fetal fibronectin) that told us the baby shouldn’t be coming in the next week or two, so they sent us home to wait it out.

Well, saw my OB for a regular appointment today, and though the contractions were slightly less painful, my cervix is now starting to dilate. (Sorry for anyone who finds cervix talk TMI+, it’s a hazard of pregnancy…) The OB sent me back to the hospital, and this time I’m here at least for the night. They’re giving me no-more-contractions medicine, and I’ll talk to a high-risk doc tomorrow. Even with these developments, it’s highly unlikely actual birth would happen soon, but all this is pretty stressful when the baby still has 3 more months to cook!

So, just wanted to share with you all, to apologize if I’ve been neglecting the blog a bit (and continue to do so), and to solicit any prayers, good vibes, etc., etc. that you’d be willing to toss our way. Back with an update as soon as there’s something to tell.

Wardrobe Choices for Future Moms-to-Be

Pregnancy 11 Responses »

Nov 172008

Unless your clothing budget is much larger than mine, the maternity months are tough on fashion. There are some gorgeous-but-pricey designers (Isabella Oliver), and a few well-styled budget lines (Target, Old Navy, Gap). But a surprising number of maternity fashions are both expensive and the style equivalent of a 1960s smock-with-a-bow.

(Our mothers know these smocks well. As do Mad Men viewers….)

There’s also the issue of spending $$$ on a wardrobe you’ll only wear for a few months. Overall, the clothes that make me happiest are the non-maternity clothes I owned long before our Blessed Event. Of course, not everything works. But if you’re thinking of getting pregnant “one of these days,” here are some wardrobe pieces you can add now that will also take you through pregnancy and back.

Drawstring-waist pants. I’m huge for a 5-monther, and my drawstring-waist pants still fit beautifully. Thanks to the cinched drawstring, they also stay in place better than actual maternity pants. (And that’s something you’ll come to appreciate!)

Stretchy jersey shirts in rayon or cotton. I love these anyway — so soft and comfortable. And the built-in stretch hugs and highlights a smaller bump. (Roomy non-stretch shirts will also fit over your bump for months. But there’s no question something’s going on under there, and highlighting the bump points out the stomach action is a baby and not a few dozen pints of Ben & Jerry’s.)

Cardigans and tunic sweaters. My tunic sweaters still fit, and cardigans can always be left unbuttoned at your biggest spot. Bonus points for cardigans with a single tie in front.

Nightgowns. Because they don’t have a waist, nightgowns in stretchy fabrics go far. A deep v-neck could take you all the way through nursing.

Where shouldn’t you invest? (1) Bras — Most pregnant ladies gain around 2 cup sizes, and some of it happens right away. Your favorite bras will end up in a drawer. (2) Shoes — The process that stretches ligaments in your hips and belly also stretches them in your feet. And apparently this doesn’t entirely reverse — most women gain half a size post-pregnancy.

For anyone else who’s been through the maternity jungle … do you have other advance-planning advice for future moms-to-be?

Fun With the Unborn

Pregnancy 3 Responses »

Nov 112008

Pregnancy (and parenthood, I’m sure) is a swampland of free-form guilt. Didn’t drink enough milk? Stole a bite of sushi? Painted your nails? Forget it, game over, the kid clearly doesn’t stand a chance.

I try to maintain perspective, but sometimes it is nearly impossible to fight the overwhelming guilt. Perhaps because of this, Mr. T and I have discovered what is possibly the most enjoyable game in the history of expectant parenthood. I call it “Really Fun Ways to Mess With Our Precious Child’s Head.”

We started with the obvious targets. For instance, there was Mr T’s joke that he’s looking forward to that future day when Wallaby mouthes off and he can inform her, “Yeah? Well … you were an accident!”

It was all downhill from there. News story about social pressure over test scores? We plan to make fun of her either way. Too low, she’s a bit slow; but too high, and “What a nerd!”

Our best plan yet came this weekend, when I shared with Mr T the shocking statistic that overweight women earn 24% less than their normal-weight counterparts. He asked, “Should we tear out that clipping for Wallaby?” And we were off:

Me: Definitely! We could tape it to the fridge.

Mr T: Wallaby, this is a dollar. This is 76 cents….

Me: Which would you rather have?

I don’t know whether we’ll eventually have a second child, but that would certainly open up whole new worlds of pressure. I suggest introducing the new baby to the older child with “Look, we got a newer model. Guess it’s time to step up your game.”

Any suggestions for other areas we can explore? (Needless to say, bonus points always awarded for passive-aggressive delivery.)

I’m Back, and It’s a….

Pregnancy, Wallaby 12 Responses »

Oct 212008

Thanks, everyone, for your patience with my little blogcation and for your kind comments.

Wish I could say I got a ton done this week, but…. Maybe a little more than usual? The biggest excitement was that we got the results of my amniocentesis. The baby is healthy (whew!), and it’s a:

GIRL! That’s right, Wallaby (the name we’ve been using these past few months — from Mr T’s brainstorm of “animal names other than Tiger”) is actually a Wallabette!

The above is how I picture her in a few years, terrorizing our 4 cats. (Image from Etsy seller Carla Sonheim, who draws the most lovely girls.)

Baby Name Moment #2

Pregnancy 9 Responses »

Sep 232008

When trying to come up with baby names, you tend to “try out” all the names you stumble across in the press, on TV, or wherever.

Recently, I read about someone named Vera. I like old-fashioned-yet-strong names, so latched onto “Vera” and rolled it around in my mind for a bit.**

Of course, one of the things that you do is try out a name with your own last name…. In our case:

“Vera.”

“Veerrrrraaaaa.”

“Vera WANG.”

Oops. Never mind.

(Unless everyone with that name gets a cut of the company profits?!??)

** Also, for Firefly fans, “Vera” has a rather hilarious special meaning. Don’t know whether this would have made Mr. T more or less likely to jump at the name!

Baby Name Moment #1

Pregnancy 3 Responses »

Sep 202008

So, I have tons of things to post for y’all but just haven’t felt up to it recently…. In the meantime, here’s a baby-naming conversation that amused me:

Mr T: If it’s a girl, what about “Gillian”?

Me: I don’t know. It’s okay, I guess….

Mr T: Dana?

Me: Nah.

Mr T: (Exasperated) Well, we can’t name her Scully!

Me: Um.

Me:

Me: … Are those the only choices?!?

Close Encounters

Pregnancy, Wallaby 1 Response »

Aug 292008

Mr. T and I had an OB appointment today. And there was a little trouble finding Baby’s heartbeat, so after a few tries the doc resorted to a quick sonogram. Turns out a 10 1/2 week fetus looks exactly like this: