This Is the Pregnancy Commiseration and Support Thread

I just found out about two other babies I knew were due soon being born. November is baby month!

Did you feel all kinds of crazy pressure and pulling?

God, yes. Jeff did not watch, but cowered behind the drape with me as I shut my eyes and whimpered about how weird it was.

We knew it was a girl, just kept it a secret!

At about 9 tonight they'll let me stand up and take some steps and it I don't puke or fall over, they'll wheel me to see her. She's already off oxygen and out from under the french fry lamp so I feel like we are both trying hard to meet.

My mom took a video of her while Jeff held her and oh my. This kid.

We knew it was a girl, just kept it a secret!

you guys were v. good with yr pronouns! last week you said something about 'i was on bed rest for weeks, how can you date this asshole' and i was like a) it's a girl, b) it's a gay boy, or c) you have offhandedly reclaimed asshole for all genders

anyway i am so happy for you + jeff + francie

Here she is:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7417/10935838144_47e740740d.jpg

oh, a sleepy little lady.

She looks so comfy and content!

side-sleeper after my own heart

lil buddy

That pic is melting my cold, icy heart. She is too beautiful.

oh my god she is precious. congratulations, jeff and carl! so happy for you guys.

goddammit now I'm tearing up with happy tears

you fuckin guys

she's lovely

YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYBIES!

I'm so grateful to come home from that long day to this wonderful thread. Congrats to both of you and loving thoughts to Ivy. Maybe you already tried to stand up? In any case drink lots of water, esp to make up blood loss. I got dehydrated in hosp bc they didn't want me to throw up and make a mess so they only gave me tiny cups of water, and I almost passed out trying to walk to the bathroom. Then of course they were like "uh huh we told you not to walk to the bathroom" but FUCK BEDPANS.

ivy is so lovely. I know it's jumping the gun but I'm already looking forward to her saying some darndest things.

Awwww she's gorgeous!!

http://www.funtasticecards.com/postcard/images/congratulations-baby-crawling-01.gif

http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large/congratulations-new-baby-girl--azaleas-carol-senske.jpg

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW
http://thejuxtapositionape.blog.com/files/2011/09/Aaliyah-288x192.jpg

Carl finally got to hold Ivy!

:))))))))))))

So glad everything went well. Congratulations and welcome to the world, Ivy!

While it is true I don't know a thing about neonates, that beautiful babby looks fully formed to me! How much did she weigh? She doesn't look like a premie at all, good job Carl for an excellent babby baking project.

She weighed in at a scrappy 4 pounds, 1 ounce (1840 grams for you metric ppl), which is small for a newborn and a little small for her gestational age (we were really hoping she's top 5 pounds). But at almost 35 weeks, babies look like babies. They just aren't as plump since the last 5 weeks are dedicated to fattening up and learning how to suck, swallow, and breathe at the same time.

She definitely feels mini when I hold her, but the last newborn I held was NA's daughter but that was three years ago and she was tall so I really have no frame of reference.

Anyway the next goal is for her to start showing interest in nursing. I'm going to be allowed to get up and move around once I'm disconnected from all these tubes so I plan to spend a lot of time with her and I'm hoping being around her food source will encourage that.

Does she have a white board? You can list out her goals for her ;)

I'm thinking the smell of peanut butter will certainly arouse her appetite.

how long before we learn if she prefers hot vs. cold

She definitely prefers hot. She already hates winter.

lol

She was pretty content stretched out under the heat lamp.

have any cubs fans asked you if she's named after the outfield walls at wrigley?

They have not. I've considered that association when picking the name, but it really did not factor in.

Been dying to get online and get on this thread, no wifi, traveling...CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!! She is so beautiful!!!!!! Oh so happy for you both!!

Kind of offline lately (and waiting for another straggling baby in chicago), realized I had not heard news about carl's junior yet, then noticed this thread. Congratulations, good on both of you.

lol @ "carl's junior"

<3

congratulations carl !

What a beauty!! Congrats Carl and Jeff. YOU MADE A HUMAN

argh why did I not have this thread bookmarked, belated congratulations to the three of you!!

BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL BABY!!!

Ivy's 4 lbs 10 oz! And no more feeding tube! Yesterday I got to see her face without a tube taped to it for the first time since the three seconds they kind of waved her in front of my face on the way to the NICU the day she was born and I am confident saying that she is a really good looking baby.

We're engaged in "kangaroo care" as I type this, which today involves her farting* on me a lot and it is like the best thing ever.

*let's be real she's totally sharting.

Also thank you all for the kind words!

I've always loved the idea of k-care, and I love that you're doing it!

what's that?

skin-to-skin. http://my.clevelandclinic.org/childrens-hospital/health-info/ages-stages/baby/hic-Kangaroo-Care.aspx

My Australian bride gave our two kids kangaroo care, but it was mostly teaching them how to fight with their feet.

It's when you put the baby bare chested on your bare chest (well sort of bare since there are people in here). It helps preemies regulate breathing, heart rate, and temperature and also just makes them feel better because they are getting lots of human contact, which they don't really get enough of. Also makes me feel better.

xp

ah
i am totally not up on the lingo
i would have called that "holding yr baby"!

k-care sounds like obamacare to me! lol
anyway glad everyone is feelin good and eating and not wearing any tubes and on the way to the rest of your lives!

The bare skin contact is the differentiator between k-care and holding the baby.

I love the origins of kangaroo care. It's so simple but so effective and so logical. Babies like being held! Fancy that.

It also gets me right in the feelings area, sort of like how I cry every time I read about the wire monkey/cloth monkey experiment.

oh, man. that robot monkey mama.

what's the monkey thing now?

do I wanna read up on this while at work?