I thought it was time to do another prego photo since I was already dolled up for the day. I am 27 weeks and I only have 10 more weeks to go! If I make it to my 37 week due date these babies will hatch the day before Easter. These last few weeks haven't been too bad. It just started to get a little more uncomfortable sleeping and flopping this belly from side to side at night isn't getting any easier! Today was the first day I felt the babies really move themselves from the positions they were in. I have felt them move and kick before but today it was a full on MOVE. When people ask how I have been doing I say just fine because I really have been. I've been super blessed through this pregnancy with not having any complications. I hope it continues to stay this way! I've managed to only gain 23 lbs so far and I hope to keep the weight gain pretty steady. I go to my perinatologist next week and they will start to monitor contractions and all that fun stuff. I started this past week to really have the braxton hicks and it is NOT fun.
Clark and I have yet to agree on two names and that is fine. As long as we can before I have the babies. We start our labor and delivery class this week and take our hospital tour on the 25th. I am pretty excited about that! My sweet sister in law Kristin is throwing my baby shower in a few weeks and I am super excited! She has tons of cute ideas! It feels weird that now it will be my turn to have one! Crazy!
I was reading a friend's blog and she is 33 weeks along. At the end of her post she asked some questions that I would love to post here...so I am going to! Feel free to answer them because every opinion and experience is valuable!
What should I be expecting during Labor??
Any books I need to be reading before they come??
What should I register for??
Whats your opinion on where your baby sleeps??
Anything you wish you knew with your first baby/labor/nursery etc.
13 comments:
Jenna & Clark,
After having 3 babies I learned to expect anything in the delivery room and just roll with it :) Make sure to communicate with your nurse. They are there to help you and make you as comfortable as possible - and they are wonderful!!
My first baby must-have is Mylicon drops. They can be a real life saver. Second, you will want to make sure to always have scented diaper trash bags with you.
Letting your baby sleep in your bed for the first month or so (only at night time) can be nice. But, make sure that you break the habit shortly after that, otherwise they will be with you for the next few years, as I learned the hard way :)
I am so excited for you guys! You will be great parents!
Ashley
I'm glad your pregnancy has gone well. You look amazing! Ditto to Ashley on the labor and delivery. Pray you'll have good sleepers. :)
I HIGHLY recommend the book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Dr. Marc Weissbluth. It's my sleeping bible! Also, try to read it before they come. It explains a lot about their inherit sleep cycles.
I was (and still am) a big proponent of swaddling babies (tighter the better) and having them sleep in a bassinet or something. (Although sleeping in bed is easy, it scares me!)
But the best advice I can give is... figure it out as you go. Everyone has their two cents they are going to want to give, but you are the one who needs to figure out what is best for you! You're going to do great!
You will do just fine. What works for you will be different than what works for another. What works for one twin will be different than the other. This labor will be different than others. (Are you sensing a theme?) Be flexible, and be open to things that you can't imagine that you would ever do. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Buy a really good (MEDELA) double breast pump.
Wow, you look AMAZING!
You look great! I feel like I can't answer any of the questions cause I did a csection. Never went into labor or anything. The one thing I would say is that everyone just says to you "Being a mom is the best thing ever." and it is. But it is hard. I can not even imagine TWO!!! :) I am so excited for you guys. And I guess all google the babes names before you decide. After we named Drew my father in law was like Drew Orton is some cage fighter guy. not that anyone knows him, so I dont care. Also we love the Sophie giraffe. it is just a chew toy but Drew loves it while were in the car etc. Also I agree with Emily. figure it out as you go. I know people say don't put babies on their stomachs but drew would sleep like 2 horus tops, but could always sleep on my chest. so i put him in his crib on his stomach and he slept like 8 hours. I think they all come different and like things their own way. this is the longest comment ever. I AM JUST SO EXCITED FOR YOU GUYS. LOVE YOU>
These are hard questions because it's just so different for every mom and baby! You will figure it out as you go :)
I won't leave you without any advice though.. just remember that it is from my experience and may not apply to you and your babies.
Sophie never had any trouble sleeping, but we did have issues with eating/feeding. I liked Child of Mine by Ellyn Satter and have heard that The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding is good (if you plan on nursing). Sophie has only slept in our bed once (when she was really sick). It makes me too nervous to have her in bed with me, especially when she was really little. I think having your babies sleep right next to you in a bassenet or packnplay is a good alternative for the first few months.
Also, I wish someone would have told me this before I went into labor: it is your body and your baby and you are in control. I've talked to a lot of moms about this and the general consenses seems to be that labor and delivery nurses can be a little abrasive and demeaning. Not all of them are that way, but from my experience (and from others I have talked to) the nurses treated me like I was stupid or I didn't know what was best. And I would kind of let them tell me what to do and how to do things eventhough I had a different opinion (which turned out to be right).
When it comes to labor positions, what/how you want labor to go, what you want done with the babies, etc. you are in charge. Of course, I wouldn't ignore any medical advice because when it comes to that stuff the doctors/nurses definitely do know better. But you are the mom and when it comes to the non-medical stuff you should follow your instincts even if the nurses don't agree with you.
Wow, that was longer than I though it would be. I hope it wasn't too preachy. Bottom line: you will do great Jenna and figure it out as you go. Just don't be afraid to stick up for what you want when it comes to raising your babies!
Jenna you are so dang cute!!! Haha I wish i had some advice! We are in the same boat, although you have two coming and I have one. :) But I know you'll be great! I'm excited for you both!!
Jenna, you look GREAT!! I can't believe you are already ten weeks away!
Labor... I think you can have a plan in your mind but I'm not sure what to expect. I thought the birthing classes were really useful and have some sort of idea of what you want and communicate that to the nurses. Don't be afraid to speak up.
Books... hmm... Read something that YOU enjoy before the babes come. Read some gossip magazines out in the sun.
Register... the boon spoon- I love it because it's easy to take along baby food/rice cereal and it's clean and simple. I agree with your friend Ashley with the scented diaper trash bags. I love the aden + anais swaddling blankets. My baby didn't like swaddling but they are even nice for blankets especially when you're living in warmer weather (hawaii, florida).
Boppy pillow is a must.
One thing I wish I got were these cool little bracelets that you can move the charm on it to remember what time you last feed your baby. I would always forget... maybe you could wear two? :)
Baby sleeps... my baby is an awful sleeper so he slept in his baby swing. It was my life saver. Get a swing if you can.
You will be a great mom! I'm sure you will learn lots as you go!
I lived with my What To Expect THE FIRST YEAR next to my bed/nursing-spot after James was born. It was my go-to book. It answered most, if not all, of my concerns/questions. I highly recommend it. :)
I LOVE Babywise. I've never done the complete "program" but i've taken parts and used it with my kids. With James, crying it out DIDN'T work, but the sleep/eat/wake cycle was key. For Jenna, she did well with crying it out and did only OK with the cycles...you just try it out and see how it works for YOUR babies. I have a friend who had twins and she swears that Babywise is the reason she was able to nurse BOTH babies. I definitely recommend at least borrowing it from the library (or buying it) and reading it BEFORE the babies get here.
I loved those swaddling blankets for Jenna. James hated being swaddled. You have time to figure out if you want/need one though. I didn't get one for Jenna until she was about 2 months...that's when she got strong enough to get out of just regular blankets. It helps them sleep longer and sounder. She was sleeping through the night by 2 months and I think that was a big reason why. You'll figure out your babies soon enough. :)
I definitely agree that NO BABIES in YOUR bed. Weaning them from it is HARD so just don't do it. :) I recommend getting a nice, comfy chair to nurse in and putting it right next to your bed until you move them into their own room. that way you're not tempted to fall asleep with them in your bed...
JUST DO THE EPIDURAL if you have them vaginally. I could feel all the pressure of when to push without the sharp pain. Plus, if there's complications and you have to do a c-section (which i'm sure is more likely with twins), you'll end up needing one anyway...
If you bottle feed, get a bottle warmer! They are fabulous. I didn't use one with James (i'm not sure why) but i have one for jenna and its lovely. :)
LOVE my MOBY WRAP. I don't know if you'd like or use it as much with twins, but i used mine for Jenna ALL THE TIME last summer because I was taking James to the park every day and she HATED sitting in her car seat.
LOVE my SOUND/NOISE MAKERS. I have one for each kid. The background noise makes a big difference in helping them sleep through noises. Mine are from Babies R Us.
I recommend BORROWING big things like a swing/bouncy seat/etc. to see if your kids like them. Mine both liked the bouncy/vibrator seat but neither really liked the swing. so since those kinds of things are pricey, just borrow them at first to see what you actually want to spend your money on it...or just borrow them period b/c they SUCK to store after you're done with them!!! :)
STROLLER: LOVE my Baby Trend Sit n Stand double stroller. I have the one that can fit 2 car seats (best for twins). Then the back seat converts to just a bench for an older child (2=) to sit on. And its compatible with just about any kind of car seat which is nice b/c i think the Baby Trend car seats are kind of small.
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I'll let you know if I think of anything else! :)
I'm so excited for you. I LOVE being a mom. Just try to enjoy it. It'll be hard b/c it'll be tiring and alot of work (especially with 2), but try to enjoy the sweet moments when you can cuddle and snuggle them.
Try not to have any expectations during the whole process of labor and delivery, but make it VERY clear to your medical team what you ARE and ARE NOT comfortable with. After you deliver the first one, the second one will "tumble" right out, so don't feel daunted at the thought of working as hard as you did to get the first one out. get as much education as you can. Create a birth plan if you must.
I'm not sure what you're plans are, so i'm not sure what books to recommend. I did a home birth and i am nursing and bed-sharing, and can give you titles on those subjects if you're interested.
My only advice -- bring your own pillows to the hospital with you. The smell of your own laundry coupled with the fact that it's not a lumpy mess covered in plastic will do you wonders :) xoxo
Jenna -
I always love to share my favorite, couldn't live without it twin product! I did a combo breastfeeding/bottle feeding for my twins until they decided they were done with me and wanted the bottle. At that point the best bottle EVER (Laurie Menden gave me mine) is the Podee bottle. My came from Babies R Us. They let you stay completely mobile and allow the babies to bottle themselves when you're on the go. I only used them when we were out and about. At home I used the Dr. Brown bottles - my guys were spitty - but the Podee is awesome for church or the mall or lunch out. I tend to get cabin fever when I'm home too many days in a row, so it set me free. Good luck with your cuties! Twins are the best. If you ever have questions or want to talk, I'd love too! sockeye411@yahoo.com. Love, Barb Jensen (used to be in Roswell ward)
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