9 Months Pregnant

Wow what an accomplishment this is. Today I am 37 weeks pregnant with my first child and he is a wonderful little boy, I can just imagine. I am so proud and joyful, blessed and thankful at this very moment!

It seemed like yesterday I took a pregnancy test and it came out positive. (OK well maybe longer than a yesterday moment but it does not seem like 9 months ago).

In my first trimester I experienced alot of vomiting and tiredness and tasty yucky metal taste in my mouth, but that quickly went away. My second trimester came at ease, no pain, no achiness, energy, great skin, it was awesome I actually thought I could stay pregnant forever lol!
But this last trimester, Boy my skin has darkened tremedrously, and it hurts to walk and sleep. I am always sleepy but I cant get a good nights rest, from achiness and insomnia!

I dream about my baby boy ever second I can get and I want to hold and kiss him badly! I don't want to return to work and he is not even here yet. I still have things to do though.

So far I have accomplished:
nursery theme decor (lion king)
crib
dresser
bassinet
swing
walker
pack and play
bath tub
clothes (0-18month)
"everything washed"
diapers galore
wipes
washing stuff
baby bag
breast pump
closet/dresser organized
car seat

things needed:
changing table \
glider and ottoman
another baby bag
pediatric doctor
pre register at hospital
pay hospital balance
homemade baby DVD
maternity pictures
list of family helpers


things are coming along nicely... check out my pregnancy videos on YouTube under "naturalbeautyguru"

How big is a big baby?

For me I want my baby 7 lbs or less, I was 6 lbs and my hubby was 7 almost 8 but this girl I know was 7 days over her due date and her baby was not 8, not 9 (and 9 is huge) but 11 lbs. 9.6 ounces!!! holy cow!!! no way!!! and she had him vaginally!!!

New Born Checklist

So what do I need to bring to the hospital for the baby and myself?

So far I have for baby:
6 diapers
4 onesies
1 come home outfit
4 socks
1 pajamas
1 blanket
wipes
2 ready made enfamil bottles
travel size wash kit
pacifiers
rattlers


I know I do not need all this but I was too excited, but the hospital should provide more stuff, and I have not gotten to my bag as of yet!


What will/did you pack?

Whats going on with me at 9 months pregnant

Hey guys!

I am 9 months pregnant today and I feel great! I am so excited and nervous all at once. I have been on a baby high since this weekend when I went to one of my church memebers baby shower. She is having a girl and the baby shower was so much fun! I also have a baby shower this friday from my co workers at work. My baby is blessed all around!

I am making a documentary of the baby's upcoming arrival but over that past week I broke my laptop and now my pics and videos maybe lost (sad sad moment).

Guess what? My feel are alittle swollen from time to time. I actually thought that since I have been feeling so good, that the swelling would pass me by! But God gets the glory, everything is going just marvelous!!!! Thank you lord!!!

I have been having braxton hicks contractions and they are getting stronger and lasting longer now but still not steady!!! wow it is almost time. 28 days to go!

What are Kegel Exercises?

If you give birth vaginally, your vagina will probably remain a little larger than it was before. Right after delivery, the vagina will be stretched open and may be swollen and bruised. Over the next few days, any swelling you might have starts to go down, and your vagina begins to regain muscle tone. In the next few weeks, it will gradually get smaller. Doing Kegel exercises regularly helps restore muscle tone.

Start with an empty bladder. Imagine that you're trying to stop yourself from passing gas and trying to stop the flow of urine midstream at the same time. The feeling is one of "squeeze and lift" – a closing and drawing up of the front and back passages.


Make sure that you're squeezing and lifting without pulling in your tummy, squeezing your legs together, tightening your buttocks, or holding your breath. In other words, only your pelvic floor muscles should be working.


Though you may have trouble isolating these muscles at first, it gets easier with practice. It might help to place a hand on your belly while you're doing your Kegels to make sure that it stays relaxed.

If you haven't been doing Kegels, start by holding each contraction for a few seconds before releasing, and relax for a few seconds after each one. As your muscles get stronger, you'll want to work up to holding each Kegel for ten seconds, then relaxing for ten seconds after each one. If you're suffering from urinary incontinence, try to hold a Kegel while you sneeze, cough, or lift something. You may find that it helps keep you from leaking.

How much weight will I lose right after giving birth?

How much weight will I lose right after giving birth?

You probably won't return to your pre-pregnancy weight for some time, but you will lose weight immediately after delivery.

Subtracting one 7- to 8-pound baby, about a pound or so of placenta, and another few pounds of blood and amniotic fluid leaves most new moms about 12 pounds lighter. Yaay!! good for you! Is that still not enough???

Well the weight keeps coming off.  All the extra water your cells retained during pregnancy, along with fluid from the extra blood you had in your pregnant body, will be looking for a way out.


So you'll produce more urine than usual in the days after birth – an astounding 3 quarts a day. You may perspire a lot, too. By the end of the first week, you'll likely lose about 4 to 6 pounds of water weight. (The amount varies depending on how much water you retained during pregnancy.)

Uterus Contractions---How fast will your uterus shrink?

How long will it take for my uterus to shrink?

By the time you go into labor, your uterus is about 15 times heavier  and its capacity is at least 500 times greater than before you conceived.

 Within minutes after your baby is born, contractions cause your uterus to shrink, clenching itself like a fist, its crisscrossed fibers tightening just like they did during labor

 

For the first couple of days after giving birth, you can feel the top of your uterus at or a few finger widths below the level of your belly button. In a week, your uterus weighs a little over a pound –

half of what it weighed just after you gave birth. After two weeks, it's down to a mere 11 ounces and located entirely within your pelvis.

By about four weeks, it should be close to its pre-pregnancy weight of 3.5 ounces or less. This process is called involution of the uterus.

Even after your uterus shrinks back into your pelvis, you may continue to look somewhat pregnant for several weeks or longer. That's because your abdominal muscles get stretched out during pregnancy, and it will take time – and regular exercise – to get your belly back in shape.

Helping your son embrace being a big brother

Lots of kids aren't happy when they hear there's going to be a new baby in the family.

Point out to your son all the advantages and responsibilities that come along with being the big brother. Remind him that unlike really little kids who can't help at all, kids his age can really be involved in helping Mom and Dad get ready for the new baby, and can do lots of things that babies can't.


Try to get your son to discuss his concerns so you can help him deal with them. See what questions he has. And give him healthy ways to get his feelings out — like drawing a picture or throwing a ball outside.


If you sense that he's worried he might not get as much attention from you once the baby comes, talk to him about his fears. Then offer some suggestions that will make him feel better — such as setting aside some special time every day when he gets you all to himself.

Even 10 minutes of time as the main focus of your attention can make a big difference for your older child.

Encourage Older siblings to talk about their feelings

Dealing With Feelings

With all of the changes that a new baby can bring, some older kids might struggle as they try to adjust.
Encourage older kids to talk about their feelings about the new baby. If a child cannot articulate those feelings, don't be surprised if he or she tests limits or reverts to speaking in baby talk.

If your child acts up, don't bend the rules, but understand what feelings may be motivating that behavior. It could be a sign that your child needs more one-on-one time with you, but make it clear that although his or her feelings are important, they have to be expressed in appropriate ways

New Baby and Siblings

Preparing Kids

The arrival of a new baby can bring many changes to a family. Parents spend a lot of energy on preparations, and after the baby arrives, much of the family's attention involves meeting the newborn's basic needs.
All this change can be hard for older siblings to handle. It's common for them to feel jealousy toward the newborn and to react to the upheaval by acting out.
But parents can prepare kids for an addition to the family.

During Pregnancy
There's not one right time or perfect way to tell a child about an impending sibling. When discussing the pregnancy, consider your own comfort level and your child's maturity level.

Preschoolers, for example, may not grasp concepts of time, so it might not mean much if you say that the baby will arrive in a few months. It may be more useful to explain that the baby will arrive in a particular season, such as winter or when it's cold outside.

How much detail should you provide? Let your child's questions be your guide. For example, a 4-year-old child may ask: "Where do babies come from?" Despite how it sounds, the child isn't asking you to explain sex but probably wants to know where, literally, they come from. It may be enough to explain: "The baby comes from the uterus, which is inside the mother's belly."

A child who wants to know more will ask.
If your child shows more interest in the baby, these activities can encourage that:

• going through your child's baby pictures
• reading books about childbirth (make sure they're developmentally appropriate)
• visiting friends who have infants
• packing a bag for the hospital
• thinking of potential baby names
• going to the doctor to hear the baby's heartbeat

Planning for Childbirth

As your due date draws near, make arrangements for older kids for the time when you're in the hospital. Discuss these plans so kids know what to expect when the day arrives.

Consider letting your child visit you in the hospital as soon as possible after the baby is born, ideally when no other visitors are around — this helps reinforce the birth as an intimate family event.

Try to keep routines as regular as possible in the days and weeks around the baby's arrival. If you plan to make any room shifts to accommodate the baby, do it a few weeks before your due date.

If older kids are approaching a major milestone, like potty training or moving from a crib to a bed, try to make those changes well before your due date or put them off until after the baby has been home for a while.

Bringing the New Baby Home

Once the baby is home, you can help your other kids adjust to the changes. Include them as much as possible in the daily activities involving the baby so that they don't feel left out.

Many kids want to help take care of a new baby. Though that "help" may mean that each task takes longer, it can give an older child a chance to interact with the baby in a positive way. Depending on their age, a big brother or sister may want to entertain the baby during a diaper change, help push the carriage, talk to the baby, or help dress, bathe, or burp the baby.

If your child expresses no interest in the baby, don't be alarmed and don't force it. It can take time.
Some occasions, like breastfeeding, excludes older kids. For these times, try to have toys on hand so that you can feed the baby without being interrupted or worrying about an older child feeling left out.
Try to take advantage of opportunities for one-on-one time with older kids. Spend time together while the baby is sleeping and, if possible, set aside time each day for older kids to get one parent's undivided attention. Knowing that there's special time exclusively for them may help reduce any resentment or anger about the new baby.
Also remind relatives and friends that your older child might want to talk about something other than the new baby. If relatives or friends ask how they can help, suggest a fun activity or something special for the older child.

 

 

 

How to Lead a Fascinating Life!

 by Kim Jackson of PeaceLoveandPrettyThings

 a quote that is attributed to the Dalai Lama floating around the internet. When asked what most surprised him about humanity, he responded:

‘Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.’

That is too deep and I thought I would share with all aof you out there... lets make a choice to stop chasing material things and enjoy life right now with the people who mean the most to us!

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