Bump Brief #11

Bump Brief #11: 18 weeks

How far along? 18 weeks, baby is the size of a sweet potato!
Total weight gain/loss: Gained a pound this week. -4 and have a feeling the weight is going to start piling on... :/
Maternity clothes? Victoria's Secret yoga pants. Seriously. Preggers or not, they are the best. It's an addiction. Buy some; you won't regret it. This is coming from a cheap, frugal person. Spend the money if you wear yoga pants as often as I do.
https://www.victoriassecret.com/clothing/sexy-steals-yoga-styles/the-most-loved-yoga-legging?ProductID=223407&CatalogueType=OLS
Stretch marks? Nothing new. let's keep it that way, body. Ok, thanks.
Sleep: Good! I have been waking up less, once, maybe twice. I thought I was going to have a rough time since we transitioned Nate to a twin bed, but he has done fantastic so sleep is better than expected!
Best moment this week: Oh, I've had a great week Did some organizing of baby stuff, organized and purged some of Nate's stuff, cloth diapers are starting to arrive, went to the beach, went on a hike, and the house doesn't look like a tornado hit it. Mom winning! 
Miss Anything? My ability to lay on my back and stomach for long periods of time. It was tough to relax at the beach when I can't lay on my stomach and get nauseous and out of breath if I lay on my back to long. 
Movement: There are moments when I think I feel something, poke the crap out of my stomach and nothing. She(?) is either calm, shy, and being stubborn.
Food cravings: Dr. pepper, blackberries, peanut butter and banana sandwiches, pickles, Cheetos Puffs, any cold fruit, McDonald's fries. This is why I think the weight is going to start multiplying.
Anything making you queasy or sick: I had one puking incident after breakfast this week. Tried to be healthy and eat eggs scrambled with spinach. So much for that. 
Have you started to show yet: Yes. I took comparison pictures this week to see the difference of bare belly and a tank top.  
Gender: Girl!!! Confirming on February 9th!
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Mood: No complaints! Energy is on and off depending on how much I do during the day. Overall, I feel pretty damn good. 

Here are my comparison pictures and then one of Nate and I on a hike. He walked most of the time, but I also wore him in my Tula. If you babywear or not, most people ask if it is comfortable and/or safe to babywear while pregnant. Yes and yes. I will link some articles if you are interested in that.

My view...

 Side view...

Front view...

Babywearing while pregnant. I am wearing a Tula, which is a Soft-Structured Carrier(SSC). It is ok to wear the strap above or below the bump, whatever is more comfortable for you. I am still fairly small so I can still front carry fine, but as I get bigger, back carries will be the best for me. You can also babywear in a woven wrap, ring sling, or Mei tai. The links will be under this picture if you want to read more about babywearing while pregnant.

Babywearing while pregnant links:

http://www.hobomama.com/2014/07/babywearing-while-pregnant.html

http://somdbabywearers.weebly.com/blog/babywearing-while-pregnant (this link has videos)

http://www.wrapyourbaby.com/pregnantwrapping.html

http://onyababy.com/2013/12/babywearing-while-pregnant-1/

Cloth Diaper Laundry Room Decor

No, I don't have cloth diapers hanging all around the laundry room as "decor". This will change in the near future since some will be hung dry though. Hang drying cloth diapers is not what this particular post is about.

This post is about hanging out the instructions of cloth diapers in the laundry room. If you have ever researched, thought about, or wondered about cloth diapering it is VERY overwhelming. There are so many different types of diapers and inserts you can use.

The prepping and washing routine is equally overwhelming. I started prepping my diapers this week for Nate, quickly realizing I am and will going to forget these steps until I am doing it for awhile. It is not second nature to me...yet. The hubster also has no idea of the prepping and washing routine. What makes it hard to remember is all the different fabrics. Is it synthetic or natural? Is it bleached or unbleached? Is it cotton or PUL? Another difficult aspect to remember is how many rinses and at what temperature you need to use in each cycle. Doing research, I found every single person has a different routine that works for them. Awesome...non-answers. I found what the majority people do and used that.

What did I do with this information? I made it into laundry room decor. I went on Word and typed out a simple document for both prepping and washing cloth diapers and inserts. I cut the white printer paper out with those design scissors, glued it on some scrapbook paper, then put that in a frame. Bam, another easy peasy project.

Here is what it looks like...

 

Excuse the mess (or don't)...it is laundry the laundry room. What else do you expect?

 

Here are some close ups:

 

Not only do I have some decor in my laundry room; it is FUNCTIONAL and it was CHEAP! We already had the frames (weren't being used) and scrapbook paper is ridiculously cheap.

 

Another bonus...the hubster has no excuse for not helping with the diaper duty. Tricky tricky. :)

 

If you aren't using cloth diapers, you could still do something similar. Do it for regular laundry instructions so your kids...or significant other...have no excuse to help either (if they can read).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sharing is Caring: A Guest Post by Katie Moore on Transitioning into Motherhood.

Tips for Transitioning into Motherhood

 

First time motherhood is a monumental experience that can be filled with anticipation, joy, and amazement. Luckily, the long nine months of pregnancy allow a mom-to-be to address several of her questions and concerns before the baby even arrives.

 

Some decisions should be made prior to the baby's arrival, including:

 

1. Cloth diapering versus disposable - For cloth diapering, there are some start up costs that should be noted, including different sized diaper covers and washable inserts; for disposable diapering, moms should have enough diapers and wipes for the first few weeks of baby's life, but remember that certain brands will work better for each baby so try not to stock up too far in advance in case baby needs a different diaper brand

 

2. Formula versus breast feeding - Every mother has the right to decide how to feed her baby. It has generally been believed that breastfeeding was better for a child, but formula feeding is just as healthy. For breastfeeding, there are several educational resources including lactation specialists at the hospital and breastfeeding classes a woman can take to learn the proper way to get her baby to latch on.

 

Baby formulas are available in several different varieties and the baby may prefer one type to another due to sensitivity, taste and even allergies; moms can contact formula companies and request different samples to have on hand when baby is here and ready to eat; many hospitals and doctor's offices can also provide formula samples until moms find the one that works best for their baby.

 

3. Cord blood banking – Planned for before delivery day with a private storage facility, umbilical cord blood banking is where the cord blood is collected after birth and stored for potential use in treating a possible future illnesses. The medical staff in the delivery room should be made aware that this option has been chosen by the parents so they can plan to perform the collection when the time comes.

 

The first few weeks of baby's life is an adjustment period for mom and baby. For a mother used to a full night's sleep, the interruptions at night to feed the baby can take its toll. Luckily, there are several things that a mom can do to regain her strength and avoid suffering from sleep deprivation:

 

1. Sleep when the baby sleeps! A new mother should relax and avoid the temptation to do housework or other chores when the baby naps. Mom can snuggle into bed and take a nap; even a short amount of time resting can do wonders for their energy level

 

2. Proper Nutrition – A mom should make sure she is eating and drinking enough, especially if breastfeeding, to help keep her energy up. Making it a priority to have small meals throughout the day and always keep a water bottle handy are great ways for a mother to ensure her health is taken care of.

 

3. Accept offers of help – Many times, family and friends want to help a new mom take care of her home and newborn to help during post-delivery recovery. Some mothers may feel reluctant to accept the help either out of embarrassment or the feeling that, as the mother, she needs to be able to handle it all. For a new mother, recovery time is important and she can learn that her feelings of exhaustion will not be forever; accepting help with house chores or babysitting will allow a mother some time to rest and relax.

 

A new mom should know that it is normal to have some emotional ups and downs, known commonly as the “baby blues”. A mother has just gone through a major change and will need time to heal. However, if a mom ever feels like her moods are just too much to handle, she should feel comfortable asking her doctor about postpartum depression. With a great support system of family, friends and medical partners, a mother will breeze into motherhood.

 

This article was written by Katie Moore. Katie is an active writer within the blogging community who discusses maternity, motherhood, prenatal health, childbirth and other topics within this niche.  If you have any questions or would like to connect with Katie please contact by visiting her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter @moorekm26.