Fetus Friday #3

Fetus Friday is a carnival hosted by Amy Beth to help her Roomie learn all she can before giving birth in a few months.

I have to admit that I'm not the normal Mom after I give birth. I don't rest when the baby is resting. My house looks amazingly clean. I prepare great meals. All of that is because I feel so much better after that thing is out!!! In fact I had Campbell at 5:43 in the morning, left the hospital at noon, & attended a church potluck that night at 6. Not normal, I know.

The reason is that I get extremely sick during my pregnancy. Can't go anywhere. Lose some weight. The first I lost 23 lbs, second I lost 18 lbs, third I lost 16. Of course I gain it back (plus) after baby is born. =(

If you feel more normal after your birth (and by normal I mean...hit by a train) please accept help from those who offer. BUT, be clear. A lot of good meaning people just want to come hold your baby. Truth is...YOU'LL want to hold your baby. Tell them what you need help with. Laundry, freezing meals, grocery shopping, mopping floors....anything at all. My Mom came for a week and did all of this for me. Even though I didn't NEED it...once she left...it was a huge blessing.

You'll want as much quality time w/ baby during those first few days. Don't feel like you have to let everyone hold him just because they offered help. BTW - some of this fear will ease with each subsequent birth. =)

Another thing people will do is grab baby's hand & kiss it.....YIKES. Babies put their fists in their mouth. Your baby could have just gotten herpes...seriously. When people come up to my baby, I'm quick to put my hand up & say "I prefer you touch her hair & not her hands. She likes to suck on her fists." Surprisingly kids are cool with this...adults are not. But I WILL NOT risk my baby getting something nasty because I was worried about hurting people's feelings. I am their only advocate.

Of course you could just put on those little mitten things too. But I always had girls & painted their nails so...I CAN'T DO MITTENS! Here are some pics of my middle girl Kenady:

My brother holding her at 2 weeks.
Her little puckered lips...Mmmm...kisses.
This girl has some great eyelashes.
And great hair.

Fetus Friday #2

It's Fetus Friday again. We're helping Amy Beth's roomie learn all she can from us veteran moms. Cyra & her lovely baby Christina are helping me this week.

My second installment is going to be on burping your baby. Colic is a nasty, dirty, horrible, very bad thing. Most babies get colic from gas not being able to escape their little bellies. OK - let's let out a collective "Ohhh....poor little thing" ...ok good.

First, when feeding your babe stop every once or so to burp them. Sit them on your lap like so

Start at the bottom of the baby's back, putting pressure on him, rub up. You'll know if there's a burp in there, because you can actually FEEL the air. I can't explain what it feels like, but they sort of wiggle when you get to the spot that's full of air.

It also works well to hold them on your hip, facing out. You can support their little neck & get your other hand around to work it out. Although this position encourages spit up...at least the spit up is AWAY from you.

Laying baby on your legs works good to. Either straight up & down or sideways. Both work. Use the same rubbing motion. Start the bottom, rub up w/slight pressure. Repeat. This will usually put baby to sleep, especially if you bounce your knees slightly.
I know it seems like burping is a small issue. I can't tell you how many moms don't do it thoroughly & end up w/ some nasty colic.

Better out than in right?

Birth plans Shmirth plans

Hooray! This is the first week in AmyBeth's Fetus Friday Carnival. Head over to her blog & read why we are all excited for this time in her life.

First I have to bring attention to my oldest daughter Cyra Lynn. She is 3 days old in this pic. She was born August 12, 1999 at 8:06 a.m. Weighing 6lb 7 oz & 18 3/4 in long. She had the most beautiful black hair...*sigh*

Here's my advice...First edition:

Everyone (over the last decade or so) feels like they MUST have a birth plan. That's the plan you have in place that describes in detail what you want to happen in the delivery process.

For example I have a friend who decided she MUST NOT use drugs. Another one who wanted Enya playing in the background while she was laboring. One who wanted a video camera "down there" documenting that beautiful thing they call birth.

I had my first labor planned in my head too. And then my water broke. It was "supposed" to happen while hubs was home and on a weekend so I could immediately go back to work on Monday morning. Yeah right. It happened on the toilet. Splash. Uh oh.

Then I was supposed to labor for a day while I waited for my parents to come from OR. Nope. I didn't labor at all. Not for 12 hours. Once it did start...I. HAD. 36. MINUTES. TO. PERFORM. That's right 36 minutes from first contraction to delivery.

I had planned to have an epidural, but 36 minutes isn't long enough. Dang it.

So my advice is...don't have such a rigid plan. God has one for you & for your little one. You really have no say in the matter. Roll w/ the punches.

The pain may not be so bad that you need drugs (mine wasn't). You may decide you don't want TIME magazine documenting every curse word or exorcist type outburst (oh yes, you'll have a few). And you may decide to watch Wheel of Fortune instead of listening to your mixtape of relaxing music. "Can I have a W Alex. For WHY ON EARTH DID I EVER GET MYSELF INTO THIS PREDICAMENT. FOR ALL THAT IS HOLY...MAKE IT STOP!?!"

My Mom told me..."The only thing predictable about labor & delivery...is that it's unpredictable." Amen.

No matter how your labor goes, at the end of the day (or 2, or 3, or 36 min) you still have a beautiful baby in your arms. God intended it that way...so you'll keep reproducing. And you will actually WANT to take care of that alien that somehow got your cheek bones.