My next baby will be here in a few short weeks and I am feeling the anxiety.  I don’t have a baby bath tub, or enough swaddling blankets.  I have to pull out all of those fun things like burp cloths and my handy Nose Frida (no bulb syringe here, this thing works great!).  I also need to get a new dresser to hold enough clothes for 2 children.

What I won’t be preparing: bottles.  Won’t use them.  Pump: probably won’t be using that either, though I may grab it in a moment of engorged desperation.  Nursery: baby will be either sleeping next to me in bed or next to our bed in our Hushamok hammock.

What I hope not to prepare: a hospital labor bag!  I will find out very soon if homebirth is a possibility for us.  Since the MMA (Midwifery Modernization Act) passed and Certified Nurse Midwives have the right to practice homebirths in the state of NY without a signed practice agreement with an OB, there is hope.  The only foreseeable block is that my potential midwife already has a mom due at the end of October and she also wants to take some time off that month.  If she can get coverage from one of the other midwives in Ithaca then I should be good.  The next hurdle would just be meeting with her and making sure I am comfortable with her.  It looks like my insurance does cover homebirth, at least 70%.  NY State does have a law stating a woman has the right to choose her birth setting and doctor and insurance must cover it.  Strange that NY is great for Homebirth in terms of insurance, but it took so long for homebirths to be practiced without the legal tape and hoops.

Besides my obvious reasons for wanting a homebirth, the main perk would be not having to scramble for childcare when I go into labor.  Living far from friends and family is very hard, and even harder when you need to leave your house in a relative hurry with short notice.  Grandma’s are good for that, “friends” are not.  Especially those with jobs and children.  I would still want to have someone come to help with Fletcher depending on the time.  But at least he wouldn’t have to pack up and come to the hospital with us, which is what I am afraid of.

If things don’t pan out then I will be ok, but only because I do love my current midwife.  She is caring and competent and will make my birth experience as close to a home birth as possible.  I would actually be sad to lose her if I get my homebirth.  I only wish she could deliver me at home!

Pregnancy wise, this has been a breeze compared to my first.  With my first I weighed close to what I weigh now before I even got pregnant.  And I kept gaining.  I had constant hip pain very early on.  It hurt to walk up and down stairs.  I ran out of breath, my Gestational Diabetes had me on far fewer carbs than I can eat now, and I was generally pretty miserable.  These days I forget I am pregnant.  While I am beginning to experience trouble sleeping and some hip pain at night, during the day I am comfortable.  My GERD has settled down thanks to my Gestational Diabetes diet and I stopped taking any medications for it besides the occasional Tums.  I do have to pee a lot but I don’t think there is a way to avoid that at this point.  I am also getting a little lazy.  My floor hasn’t been mopped in a couple of weeks!  The only reason it isn’t coated with crumbs is that I have a Roomba.

I am getting more and more excited about meeting my next son.  I am also starting to dread the impending loss of sleep that I have only recently started getting.  I am afraid two children will kill me, especially since the one I have keeps me busy enough.  Still, I will be happy to have him here with us!

In my ongoing mission to make this next baby sleep better than my first child (we can dream, right?) I am reconsidering my position on swaddling.  My son loved to be swaddled.  He only slept in his crib when he was swaddled, and slept for the longest stretches when wrapped tightly.  But he didn’t want to give it up.  Once he was rolling we had to cut him off cold turkey because frankly my nerves couldn’t take it.  At the time he was *gasp* sleeping in his crib the majority of the night and I checked on him constantly for fear he rolled over and couldn’t breathe.  But the problem was that we lived in an apartment with squeaky floors.  No matter how lightly you stepped you hit a creaking floorboard and it often times that woke him up.  It was awful.  After we stopped swaddling him he woke up every few hours again, down from sleeping in 6 hour stretches.  And it just went downhill from there…. we were laying him in his crib and he fell asleep watching his aquarium, he regressed to nursing to sleep.  Then he just started sleeping with us because I was exhausted.

I am terrified the next baby will rely on swaddling and the transition will ruin him too!  In my son’s baby book he started “sleeping through the night” at a fairly young age.  Til we stopped swaddling.  Then it took him until he was a year old.  Then he stopped again.  I just can’t get an 8 hour stretch of sleep!  I understand newborns aren’t meant to sleep all night, I am ok with that.  I just want to begin healthy sleep habits to hopefully have an easier time of it this go around.  So, do I swaddle this baby and stop sooner, or stop when they are “ready,” or just not swaddle past a couple weeks?

And, what blankets should I choose?  There are a lot on the market, some which profess to be “miracles” so I am lost!  I tried two brands with my son and we liked one of those.

The Organic Woombie

Pros:

Easy to use. Highly rated.

Coms: $$$, looks like you have to remove all the way for diaper changes

The Miracle Blanket Swaddler

Pros: Supposed to hold in the wriggliest baby. Well rated.

Cons: $$$, complicated

Kiddopotamus & Co. Organic Cotton SwaddleMe

Pros: My son’s favorite, simple, inexpensive.

Cons: Velcro tabs wore out from drying.

aden + anais Swaddle Blanket

Pros: lightweight, beautiful, well rated.

Cons: $$$, traditional swaddling blanket so you actually have to “swaddle” lol

Go Mama Go Designs Snug and Tug Swaddling Blanket

Pros: cute, breathable, choice of materials

Cons: $$$, have to wrap around and then under baby

Cozy Cocoon® Organic Baby Bunting

Pros: Super adorable designs, matching hats

Cons: $$$, Put on like a sock for some models, not as easy to change diapers with,

So, any ideas?  I am so not prepared for another 2 years of sleepless nights!  I swear, 2 kids is my limit, I don’t think I can do it 3 times!

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I have not been to a blogging conference yet.  Do you know why?  Because I either procrastinate and don’t buy my ticket in time (Blogher) or I am too pregnant.  Blissdom 2010 is being held at the end of October in Toronto.  Toronto is a 4 hour drive for me and the date is over 2 weeks after my due date.

I have decided that I am going to go, but I can’t do it alone! I am looking for a few sponsors who would be willing to help with the cost of a ticket and hotel. No need for airfare because I will be driving.

As a sponsor companies will be featured on my website and my other social media outlets as well at the conference itself.  I am looking specifically for sponsors that I can easily promote at Blissdom.  And here is what I am thinking…. I will have my adorable newborn son with me.  I will be wearing him and diapering him and breastfeeding him.  Wouldn’t it be awesome for a baby carrier company, diaper company, and/or breastfeeding company to help this mama out? I will also be carrying a diaper bag, so those companies can apply too!  I will be with lots of mamas who will see me around so this is already great exposure!

If I could I would pay for my own ticket and lodging to avoid “begging” for a sponsor.  Bu frankly, I can’t.  Plus I have a lot to offer to a sponsor who fits my readership. I wouldn’t agree to be sponsored by a company I wouldn’t promote anyway so you can rest assured I won’t be going thanks to the P word (rhymes with Hampers).  I’d love to learn how to make my blog better.  My mission has always been to promote cloth diapers, babywearing, breastfeeding, and other “crunchy” topics close to my heart.  If I can reach more readers that is even better.  I am kind of amazed at how far my website has come since it began over a year ago.  I didn’t think I would have ten readers, yet alone the 1,000 plus a day who make it here.  I love every one of you guys and I am so glad you stop in.  Plus, I love drilling you for advice!

So, if you are out there sponsors, contact me so we can chat about a possible working relationship! I promise my baby will look good in your product.  Have you seen my first baby?  He is adorable!  Lightening will strike twice!

Visual of my acrobatic son in bed with us

I have decided that my son needs to sleep in his own bed, all night.  Not because I don’t love sleeping with him, because I do.  I love snuggling all night and waking up next to him saying a random word every morning like “uh oh” or the standard screaming of “mama, Daaadeeee!”  I need him to sleep in his own bed because in a few short months I will have a new nursling by my side in the bed.  I will also have a husband in that bed.  Our bed is a Queen, not a stately King!

Plus, lately he has been very restless at night.  He used to wake around midnight from his own bed to come to ours (at least we get a little bit if evening time alone in bed!) and sleep all night.  Now he tosses and turns and wakes so that he can put his head on my chest or place his hand in between my boobs.  You read correctly; he likes to put his hand down my shirt in my cleavage for comfort.  This is a little thing that developed after he weaned.  He still loves my boobs but they have a new purpose.  Being that I am pregnant, him moving and kicking and doing acrobatics next to me has gotten very uncomfortable and a little scary.

Sleeping with his hands down my shirt

Since he falls asleep with me rocking him or with me laying next to him in his own bed I have a head start.  He knows he goes “nite nite” in his bed.  He has never fallen asleep on his own but he definitely knows the routine.  I just have no clue how to get him to accept that his bed is his home for the entire night.  I have tried many times to get him back to sleep once he wakes up in his bed.  It works, but he wakes up shortly after I leave and then points to the door screaming.  He wants to be in OUR bed.  I give in and we all get a good night’s rest.

For the past 2 nights I have slept on the floor next to his bed on a couch cushion.  As soon as he wakes I try to comfort him back to sleep.  So far he has crawled out of bed and onto the floor with me.  I have to put him back in his bed.  The only way he falls back asleep is if I am in bed next to him.  Even worse, he has spidey senses and knows when I leave.  I have to wait until he is deeply asleep before getting up and going back to my floor pallet.  If I were with him he would sleep the rest of the night but he knows I am not and wakes again.  This time he won’t let me slip away.  No matter how ninja like I escape after he falls back asleep he will wake up.  So for these two nights I have actually slept in a short twin bed with my son.  I have to curl up because it isn’t long enough for my body.  Often times I am relegated to a small section since my son hogs the bed.

This isn’t solving our problem.  Now I am co-sleeping in a short twin bed.  I would rather co-sleep in my comfy queen!!!  I feel like doing this has to say something.  It says “You are not allowed back in my bed for sleeping.  You will sleep in your own bed.”  But how do I get him to let me leave him?  I try shhushing him to sleep, patting, etc, things that don’t have me IN bed with him but after the 2nd waking he has none of those.  I know I have to do this now before I am too pregnant to do it later, and of course before his brother arrives.  Co-sleeping with a restless 2 year old, newborn, Mommy, and Daddy is not going to work for this family.  Sorry!

I would love any advice from those who have been in a similar situation.  Or just words of sympathy for the pregnant lady sleeping on the floor/ in a toddler bed!

After a 3 day wait I finally got the call to inform me that I do have Gestational Diabetes again this pregnancy.  I almost thought I didn’t this time.  I weight much less than my first pregnancy, and they said they would call back the next day.  I knew that could mean longer so I didn’t hold out much hope.

The nurse has already called in my old friends, my test strips.  I will be checking my blood sugars once a day, or maybe twice.  I like to check my fasting number everyday since that one is the hardest to control for me.

The practice I am with goes by a different diet than the one I used last time.  With Fletcher I was counting carbs.  I could have 30 for breakfast, 15 for snack, 45 for lunch, 15 for snack, and 45 for dinner.  That isn’t a lot.  A banana has 23 carbs just for reference.  Anything high in fiber is good because you can subtract the fiber number from the carb count.

This time I am on an 1,800 calorie diet and I have no idea what that means.  I meet with the nutritionist next week.  In the mean time I am sticking to what I know.  I will start checking sugars and hopefully I can keep my numbers under control as well as I did last time.

I expected this outcome but it doesn’t make the news any easier.  Up to now this has been the easiest pregnancy ever.  No morning sickness, no fatigue, no head aches, no extreme swelling (just a little in Texas but that is gone now), and no aches or pains.  I don’t even feel pregnant.  Now my pregnancy will rule every decision of the day.  Eating has to be on a schedule, or at least it should because that is easier to control.  If I crave an ice cream it is tough cookies.  And, once again my labor bag will include a yummy chocolate bar for after delivery.

The silver lining: My weight gain will level off.  I was shoveling in all of my favorite foods because I knew I was probably going to be cut off after my test.  I was right.  While I still haven’t gained as much as I did with my first, I have gained more than I would like.  I started out technically underweight so I use that as one excuse.  With this new diet I probably won’t gain more than another 5-8 pounds before delivery like last time in my third trimester.  I will live off of the fat stored in my thighs!

With a well controlled diet there is hardly any risk to the baby or me, so don’t worry.  I am now classified as “high risk” and will likely be having Non Stress Tests from here on out to check on Shrimpy.  I will also have another Sonogram or two to check the growth of the baby since GD causes larger babies when not controlled.  The placenta cannot process the sugars and they go straight to the baby and make them extra fat.  So instead of eating as I wish and having my body give the correct amounts to baby, I have to control my intake.

When I was told I had GD the first time I cried all day.  I was at work when I got the call.  I couldn’t keep from crying, then one of my kids came up to me and gave me a big hug.  I took a big girl pill until I got home and then became a shaking crying mess.  I thought it was the end of the world.  I had no idea what to expect.

This time I know what I am in for.  I knew before I got pregnant this was likely.  I interviewed midwives to ensure I would end up with one who would not induce simply because I had GD.  I will not be induced, I can’t do it again.

Everyone go eat a nice big chocolate chip cookie for me.  I have another 12-13 weeks until I can indulge again.  But ya know, it is totally worth it!

My next birth experience will be in roughly 107 days, at a hospital located about 15 minutes from my home, and will hopefully be attended by my Midwife, my husband, and my doula.

Things I would like to be different from my first birth.

• I do not want to be induced again.
• I do not want to be chained to an IV pole and fetal monitor
• I do not want to have limited access to a shower (I had none)
• I do not want to be barred from any food from the start of labor until giving birth. (I did not eat for over 24 hours and all I could think about was food, not my labor or my baby)
• I do not want to receive pain medication (I did receive an epidural.  Though the nap was nice, I am hoping having food, not being induced, and laboring at home more will prevent this)
• I do not want to be told when to push.
• I do not want my baby to be prevented from nursing within the first 45 minutes because he is breathing a tiny bit funny.

Things I want to be the same as my first birth.

• I do want my husband by my side (at my beck and call)
• I do want A Lindt Chocolate bar in my labor bag for after delivery (Since I had gestational diabetes last time.  I test in 3 weeks)
• I do want the most delicious tuna sandwich in the world after delivery, especially if it is at 4 am.
• I do want great nurses who are supportive and helpful.
• I do want to delay the cord clamping.
• I do want to pull my son out myself once the shoulders are out and put him on my chest.
• I do want a lactation consultant to check with our nursing progress, even though I am an experienced breastfeeder, my son won’t be an experienced nurser.
• I do want to cuddle my adorable new son, who will be rooming in with me.

I am looking for an almost entirely different experience that my last.  I am hoping that my midwife will allow me to go into labor naturally even if I have gestational diabetes.  I also just met with my doula and I believe she is going to help tremendously with attaining a natural birth.  The only concern I have currently is who will watch my son while I am in the hospital.  We do not have family (or friends really) in the area.  My son relies on me to fall asleep for his naps and at night.  He also sleeps with us the majority of the night.  Me being gone will be hard for both of us.

Now that I have a great support team in place all I need is to wait for my son to arrive.  Hopefully that will be on 10-10-10.

This review was written and performed by Kristen, DDL Contributor, for the New Baby Event.

When I returned home after having a c-section with my second baby I was looking forward to enjoying a shower in my own home.  I had received the Cherub Shower Hug to review and was pretty excited to get to try it out, as my milk had come in that morning and my nipples were sore and cracked already due to latching problems.  As I was about to hop in the shower, I was faced with a major dilemma…whether to use the Shower Hug to cover my c-section staples, or use it to cover my sore nipples and engorged breasts!!!

I ended up using it to cover my nipples but did also use it to cover my c-section incision at a later shower.  Something so simple has turned out to be pretty useful.  The Shower Hug is a soft velour fabric that Velcro’s together to make a snug fit.  It has many uses, such as protecting nipples or an incision in the shower, or using it as post partum support around your belly.  The fabric is great, as it sucks up the warmth of the water and keeps gentle pressure on your breasts, which really helps with engorgement.  The only thing I had difficulty with is that the Velcro is so good that it can be hard to un-velcro and readjust.  I just adjusted it once and then I slip into the Shower Hug by stepping into it and pulling it up.  It can sag at times when really wet, but I think I could probably make it tighter to alleviate that problem.

In addition to the Shower Hug, I also used the burp cloth and wash cloth (which is free after a $50 purchase), and I absolutely LOVE both of them!  The fabric for both is the same as the Shower Hug and is so soft against my baby’s face and body.  The wash cloth is my favorite one to use now because of how soft it is and how absorbent it is holding the soapy water to wash my newborn baby and my 1 year old.  So, in addition to the Shower Hug being a nice product for new moms, the burp cloth and wash cloth make it even more worth spending the money because not only can you treat yourself (or another new mom) but you can also treat your baby as well!

Win your own Shower Hug!!!

The Shower Hug brings therapeutic relief that is long lasting, by providing support and relief when and where it is needed most. Not only is it a miracle find for breastfeeding mothers, it is also of great comfort and relief for those who are recovering from mastectomy, augmentation, reduction, reconstruction and lifts. The Hug is made it of the softest, most luxurious knit terry velour to provide expectant and new moms with gentle bust line support and to soothe sensitive nipples and breasts associated with pregnancy and breastfeeding. Proudly Made in the USA by Moms for Moms!

Mandatory Entry:

Visit ShowerHug.com and tell me something your learned about the brand/ product. Leave a comment.

For extra entries do any or all of the following.  Leave a comment for each you do.

Follow @KimRosas on twitter and tweet this giveaway. Please tweet, “Enter to win a Shower Hug from @KimRosas http://n8xrg.th8.us #bfing Ends 4/9” Leave a comment with a link to your status.

You can tweet once a day for the duration of the contest. Leave a comment with your status for each tweet.

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New Entry: Become a fan of Dirty Diaper Laundry on Facebook and get 5 extra entries! To qualify, post on my wall with either your favorite review I have done (would prefer this to be diaper related but it can be another product if you don’t dig my diaper reviews) or let me know a diaper you want to see reviewed.  Then copy and paste what you wrote as a comment here.  Then, leave 4 more comments saying “facebook entry 2, 3, etc)

Giveaway ends on April 9. Winner will be chosen using random.org. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours a new winner will be drawn.

***Open to US only!***

Awaiting my baby boy, my teddy bear was wearing a Bum Genius 3.0

I was looking much like this.

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