Getting started with breastfeeding

Breastfeeding has been a great joy - it's amazing to watch your baby grow and know that all of his nutrition is coming from you. After the umbilical cord was cut, I felt like this was another baby-mom link that we could enjoy. I also like knowing that as long as my baby is exclusively breastfed, he and I will always get private time together.

There are some frustrating things about nursing, especially in the beginning. For example, it's a little unsettling that you can't tell exactly what and how much is going in. But as long as he's gaining weight and what comes out in his diapers looks good, he's getting what he needs!

Here are some of the issues I encountered early on:

Cracked Nipples

My nipples definitely took some time getting accustomed to breastfeeding. They cracked and bled a little bit. It was painful when the baby first latched on during a feeding session, but the pain usually went away within 30 seconds or so. And let me tell you, having just recently gotten through labor, this pain felt like nothing. The good news is that the soreness didn't last long - after a couple of weeks, my nipples looked happier and didn't feel sore anymore.

I tried using Lansinoh once or twice to soothe the cracking. I didn't use it for too long, though - I didn't think it helped much. Also, one of the nurses at the hospital said that even though it's labeled as safe for the baby to ingest, she still thought I should wipe it off prior to nursing. I didn't want to be scrubbing at my painful nipples, so I just skipped the Lansinoh.

Another thing that helps keep nipples from hurting too much is to not get soap on them in the shower. After several months of breastfeeding, I still try to keep the soap away so as not to irritate them!

Primary Engorgement

Primary engorgement occurs when the breasts first start making "real" milk (after the colostrum). This is totally normal. Unfortunately, I didn't know it was normal, and I was pretty stressed out during this period. For me it occurred during the fourth night after the baby was born.

My breasts inflated to three times their normal size, they ached, and they felt really hard. It was difficult for the baby to latch on, which only compounded my stress. Plus, the worst of the engorgement occurred in the middle of the night, when it's harder to think clearly!

Luckily, we finally read about primary engorgement in our "What to Expect When You're Expecting" book. We were relieved to find that it was normal and that it should only last for 12-24 hours.

Sure enough, the next morning, my breasts were (slightly) smaller, less tender, and the baby was able to latch on again.

Clogged Ducts

I had three or four clogged duct episodes during the first month of breastfeeding. The first time it happened was the worst, and then I learned how to manage it. I found a lot of good advice at these kellymom websites:

General info: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/mastitis.html

Milk blisters: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/nipplebleb.html

You know a duct is clogged if your breast feels hard and possibly lumpy in one area. Once, I could actually feel the outline of the duct engorged with milk. The best remedy I found for the clogging was to have the baby nurse that breast longer, if possible, and to gently massage the tender area as he was nursing. Usually the clog would go away in one or two nursing sessions.

If the plug lasted longer, I would use a warm compress prior to nursing (to open things up), and a cold compress after nursing (to relieve soreness).

Latching On

The baby has the nursing instinct right away when he's born, but it might take him a little while to perfect the latch-on technique. For my baby, it was nearly a month before he could latch on the first try. Sometimes it would take several minutes, and that was frustrating.

This is where the hospital nurses' and lactation consultants' techniques come in handy. They help you learn how to gently flatten the areola to get as much as possible into the baby's mouth. They show you how to position the nipple and bring the baby's mouth in towards you.

My advice: ask all of your hospital nurses for help latching on, since each one might have a slightly different technique, and one might work better than the others. That helped me figure out what worked best for me and my baby.

During the first month or so, the baby's little fists would often get in the way of his mouth while he was trying to latch on. It helped to have someone hold his hands away from his face until he was successfully nursing. If I was alone, I would try to get him to hold onto my thumb to keep his hands out of the way!

We quickly developed our techniques, and soon the baby was consistently latching on the first try. Now, after about three months, all I have to do is get the breast near his mouth and he pretty much helps himself!

My Birth Story

I’ve been under the care of a midwife practice that works in conjunction with an OBGYN group. We learned so much from the midwives during the pregnancy, and they taught us ways to achieve a natural labor. All of their births take place at the city’s major hospital, we always had access to physicians, and we felt secure if any emergencies were to arise.

We know that being under the care of a midwife was a major factor in having my labor go as we hoped it would – natural and with no pain medications. We are very happy with how the whole birth day went. I am still amazed at how my body told me exactly what to do throughout the labor. Staying focused and relaxed helped me get through it.

The birth day began at 5:00 a.m., when I woke up to go to the bathroom and discovered my mucous plug had released. I was pretty excited and showed it to Devon! I went back to sleep for a bit, but at 6:30, I felt two big pulls in my abdomen. A relatively strong contraction followed, and then there were two more big pulls. I could feel liquid ready to spill out, so Devon got me a towel. Sure enough, my water had broken, and several big gushes soaked the towel… labor had begun.

The water was clear and odorless, so we didn’t have to worry about infection from meconium. I lay in bed a little longer to try to catch a few more winks, but contractions were coming stronger and a little closer together. We got up and made eggs for breakfast, to get some good energy into my body.

The contractions were coming strong, just strong enough that I had to start breathing through them a little. Devon started timing them, and they were about five minutes apart. I couldn’t focus on eating, and I felt like walking around was the best way to handle the discomfort. I was also still leaking a lot of fluid, so sitting on a couch made me nervous.

Three hours in (9:30), and the contractions were much less bearable. I definitely had to breath through the peaks, I was being much more vocal (i.e., yelling) during the contractions, and unfortunately I vomited the small amount of breakfast that I had eaten. We decided to call the midwife.

Juliane was in the office that day. Since the office was open, she suggested that we pack our things for the hospital but come in to see her first so she could check my progress. We got to the office around 10:00 a.m., and Juliane determined that I was 3 cm dilated and 100 percent effaced. My contractions were about 4 minutes apart at this point, and she said I was in pre-labor. Juliane said it was our choice to go to the hospital, but she suggested going home for several more hours to progress a bit further before checking into the hospital.

Even though I couldn’t imagine continuing with these contractions (especially once they got worse!), I knew Juliane's recommendation to labor some more at home was sound advice.

In the car, I realized that I was pretty comfortable sitting down, so I settled onto the couch at home. Less fluid was leaking now, but the show was bloody after being checked. Active labor had started, and it was amazing how my body took over and I settled into a rhythmic zone. I was very quiet and just focused on getting through each contraction. They were 3-4 minutes apart, and seemed to be getting stronger over time. I closed my eyes and dozed a little between contractions.

I decided to try sitting in a hot bath to ease the pain a bit. Juliane always called a hot bath a “liquid epidural!” Now, I do not like bathtubs. I haven’t sat in a bathtub without a bathing suit in a long, long time. But this bath felt great. I imagined the energy of each contraction being absorbed by the warm water. Devon poured water over my back and made sure the bath stayed hot. I labored in the tub for about an hour.

I got out of the bath after an hour because I’d read that labor can slow down a little with too much liquid epidural. I went back to the couch for about an hour. I mainly used deep breathing to get through the contractions, but sometimes I would use quick breathing at the peak of the surge. I also tried to imagine the energy of the contractions being dissipated over the rest of my body.

Devon was there for me, but during active labor I didn’t want any physical contact like I thought I would. I didn’t want to talk, I didn’t want to be touched… but emotionally, it was important that he was there. If he wasn’t in the room when a contraction started, I called him in to be near me.

We decided it was time to go to the hospital when my contractions were regularly 3 minutes apart, and they had become stronger. I felt like there was a lot of pressure happening between contractions, too. We also wanted to beat rush hour traffic! We left for the hospital at 3:30 and got checked into our labor and delivery (L&D) room around 4:15.

I didn’t want the sudden change in environment to affect my focus. I didn’t make eye contact with anyone except Devon, my midwife, and my L&D nurse. By ignoring most of the people and equipment around me, I was able to concentrate on breathing through each contraction.

Amelia was the midwife on call at the hospital. Amelia checked my progress; I was at 7 cm! I was hooked up to the electronic fetal monitor, and the baby was doing great. Then transition began for the last couple centimeters of dilation. I felt like being on all fours, and I was very vocal (this surprised me). I didn’t yet have a strong urge to push, but my body was doing a little pushing on its own during each contraction.

Around 5:30, I felt more of an urge to push. I was at 9 cm, and Amelia and my L&D nurse had me change positions. I ended up on my back, and they told me this would help get the baby under my pelvic bone. The nurse and Devon helped hold my legs, and I learned how to give three or four effective pushes with each contraction.

Pushing was not that painful, but the feeling of the baby’s head down in my pelvis was agonizing between contractions. I kept asking how much farther he had to descend, when would he be far down in the birth canal? I distracted myself by rubbing a damp washcloth over my face and neck. I also sipped water between contractions – Devon handed it to me.

The baby eventually moved into the birth canal, and it was time to push him out! Devon could start to see the baby’s head bulge in the perineum and move in and out with each push. Once the baby started crowning, a lot of people came into the room – nursery nurses, additional nurses to help out. Amelia was busy delivering another baby across the hall, but she came to evaluate the situation. She told me, “Irene, you are a powerful woman.”

The baby’s head crowned one final time, and he emerged facing my right thigh. I looked down and could see his head as Amelia helped deliver his shoulder and then the rest of his body. Then suddenly he was up on my chest! He made a few small cries and started breathing. His skin was grayish-pink but soon turned bright red and pink. His hands and feet were the last to turn pink. His little fingers immediately latched on to mine. The nursery nurse cleaned him up a little and suctioned out his mouth and nose.

Little Alden lay on my chest for a while as the nurses did their jobs. His Apgar scores were 9 and 9 at 1 and 5 minutes. At one point I asked, “is he definitely a boy?” We checked, and he sure was! After the cord stopped pulsating, Amelia clamped it near his belly button. Devon made the cut, and little Alden was officially operating on his own.

When it was time to deliver the placenta, the nurses moved Alden to the warming table and weighed him – 8 lbs 14 oz! Delivering the placenta was not difficult, but I didn’t like that Amelia had to push on my brlly to stimulate my uterus. The placenta came out and was intact. Devon held Alden for a little while, and then the baby went back onto my chest for some more bonding.

I had a tear that Amelia had to stitch up. She gave me a local anesthetic, but it was still a really uncomfortable procedure for me. It was over after about 20 minutes, and then the room emptied out.

The L&D nurse helped Alden and me nurse for the first time! He latched on well. He was very alert for about two hours after delivery, and we got to look at his eyes and make connections with him. We gazed at his head full of curly blonde hair. We took in his pouty little mouth and big blue eyes with long lashes. He is perfect, and well worth the wait!

Maternity Leave

My brother and sister-in-law, who are living in Germany for a year, recently learned about maternity and paternity benefits in one of their German language classes. After they described the generous leave policies, it made me think about American maternity leave. There are quite a few differences!

The U.S. Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 states that new moms can take 3 months off with no pay and have their position and benefits status held for them. Dads can also make use of this leave policy, but I think this is rare. Prior to passage of this bill in 1993, leave policies were entirely at the employer's discretion.

If you look through Wikipedia's summary of countries' leave policies, the U.S. and Swaziland are the only two countries that do not offer some amount of paid leave time! Many countries also mandate the option of taking more than 3 months off.

I know that paid leave and extended periods of leave have economic costs and productivity implications. However, there are definitely costs associated with limited leave, such as lesser bonding time with your newborn, less time to establish and continue breastfeeding, not to mention the cost of extra child care.

At our final childbirth class, we all shared our plans for after baby's arrival. I was surprised and impressed that about half of the women said they were not going back to work at all. The rest of us said we'd be starting work again after a period ranging from six weeks to one year. There was one dad (a grad student at Princeton) who was planning to take a semester of paternity leave.

I would definitely support more generous family leave policies. I especially think fathers could benefit - they should be able to get a taste of life at home with Baby without having to worry about job security or loss of pay.

Cord Blood Banking

I had been going back and forth on cord blood banking, but now I feel that I have a pretty good handle on it. Cord blood is an excellent source of stem cells, and with the current research that's happening, there's a good chance those stem cells could come in handy some day to treat diseases. As with any relatively new medical advancement, though, it sounds a lot more simple than it is.

If you're having a baby, the first thing you'll get in the mail are flyers from ViaCord and other private cord blood banks. Their brochures say that there are currently over 70 diseases that are treatable with cord blood, such as leukemia and certain blood disorders. However, if you log onto their websites (I'm using ViaCord as an example), you'll find that the collection fee is around $2,000, and there is an annual $125 storage fee for your baby's cord blood.

That sounded pretty expensive to me and my husband. Then, we read some articles that affirmed that the expense is probably not necessary. This article from BabyCenter.com (link) makes some interesting points, including that "most people have a better chance of finding a stem cell match in the public cord blood system than in their own family."

We also figured that if the benefits really outweighed the costs of private cord blood banking, insurance companies would probably cover some of the cost.

But the idea of public cord blood banks sounded intriguing. These banks are sort of like public blood donation centers, except storing cord blood is less common and more expensive an endeavor. Some hospitals are set up to collect cord blood for public banks, but unfortunately ours is not.

This week we saw an article in Time Magazine (article, video) about kits that are available for hospitals that aren't set up to collect and transport cord blood on their own. An expectant mother can request a kit, take it in for collection after the baby's been delivered, and the specimen gets shipped to the cord blood bank. There is no cost to the mother.

This sounded like a great idea, but unfortunately I was too far along in the pregnancy to take advantage of it. Most public cord blood banks require enrollment between 28 and 34 weeks of pregnancy so that maternal blood tests can be completed prior to delivery.

I was disappointed that I had missed the opportunity to donate the baby's cord blood to a public bank. I didn't like thinking of wasting those potentially life-saving stem cells. However, I spoke with my midwife, and she gave me some more good information. She said that if you don't clamp the cord right away and allow it to continue pulsating after birth (which we had been planning to do), nearly all of the cord blood travels back into the baby's system. Thus, there is no cord blood left to collect.

So we feel good that our baby will be benefiting from his cord blood; it won't be wasted. Maybe with our next child, we'll look into public banking. By then, there might be more information on how useful these stem cells are, and perhaps more hospitals will be set up for public cord blood donations.

Strollers and Car Seats

Note: My final recommendation on strollers and car seats is DO NOT buy them based on recommendations from people who haven't used their stroller/car seat with a baby yet.... so don't take our advice until I've updated it when we've used our products with the baby!! Read on if you'd like to learn about our decision process :)

We've done a ton of research on strollers and car seats, mainly by reading reviews online and testing them at Babies R Us (BRU). Here is a summary of our BRU experiences:

• First visit: Spent three hours looking at travel systems, car seats, stroller frames and small strollers. Conclusion: Graco travel system plus a smaller Graco stroller for traveling.
• Second visit: Spent two hours re-testing strollers because we decided our first decision was not good. Conclusion: thought we'd never find a stroller we liked.
• Third visit: Spent two hours pushing around stroller frames with car seats. Conclusion: Stroller frame and car seat, purchased separately.

Our final purchases were the Baby Trend "Snap 'n Go" stroller frame and a Chicco KeyFit30 infant car seat. We plan to buy another stroller later when the baby doesn't like being in the infant carrier anymore. We feel this best fits our travel needs.

For background, here are some definitions:

• Infant car seat - A car seat that typically fits a baby from birth up to 22 or 35 pounds, depending on the model. There are two parts: a base that sits permanently in the car, and a carrier that snaps in and out of the base. (The carrier is what you see people carrying their babies around in.) It can only be used in a rear-facing position. You typically stop using this type of car seat at one year (or when the baby weighs more than the seat's limit) and buy a new front-facing toddler car seat. Price range: $70 to $180
• Travel system - A stroller, infant carrier, and infant car seat base sold as a package. The stroller is full-size (RE: heavy but very sturdy) and folds up so you can put it in your (large) trunk. The infant carrier snaps into both the stroller and the car seat base, so you can move your infant from one to the other without taking him out of the carrier. The stroller also accommodates a toddler up to 40 or 50 pounds. Price range: $200 to $300
• Stroller frame - A collapsible frame that accommodates an infant carrier (sold separately). The frame can only be used with the infant carrier; there is no seat for a toddler. Price range: $50 to $80

How we came to our final decision:

After testing the travel systems, we thought that was the way to go. This was despite recommendations from several parents that the travel system stroller is too heavy and impractical. Online reviews (by still-pregnant people) of the systems were pretty positive, though. And rightly so, because when you're just pushing the stroller around the store, it feels great! Very sturdy and safe-feeling. We knew the travel system stroller wouldn't fit in our trunk along with luggage and other baby supplies for a long trip, so we also picked out a small stroller to use for travel.

When we continued to hear accounts of travel system strollers collecting dust in the basement after a few uses, we changed our mind. We really wanted to like the stroller frames - they are lightweight, inexpensive and fold up pretty small. They just didn't feel quite as sturdy as the travel system strollers. After much hemming and hawing, we realized that comparing the travel system to the frame system was like comparing a Mercedes to our Jetta: the Mercedes has some extra features and feels ultra-luxurious when you're driving it, but we love the Jetta just fine when we're not actively comparing it to a Mercedes! (We technically haven't made this comparison. But we think it is accurate :) )

That meant we needed to purchase a car seat a la carte. We selected the Chicco KeyFit infant car seat because it gets excellent ease-of-use reviews by actual parents (including family members) and Consumer Reports. And indeed it was the smoothest-operating car seat we tried (we compared it to Graco and Safety 1st). Keep in mind that all car seats for sale have to meet strict government safety standards, so all brands at least start in a level playing field in terms of safety requirements.

There are two types of Chicco seats - one accommodates kids up to 22 lbs and the other up to 30 lbs (most brands have similar model choices). We preferred the 22 lb version because it's lighter and we really think our baby will not be much bigger than 22 lbs at one year - the 50th percentile baby at 12 months is 23 pounds. However, we found that it wasn't available without buying a travel system. So we went with the 30-lb version. I guess we're safe if he's a big boy!

I will post again after we've actually tried these things out with our baby.

Some other incidental notes:

• Try to avoid stroller shopping at 8 months pregnant. Not fun. Take water if you do.
• The best patterns only seem to be available in the travel systems. We think this is a marketing ploy to get you to spend more money: first up front with the expensive travel system, and then again when you decide you have to buy a stroller you can actually use.
• Shop around online once you've decided what you want in the store. There are often much better deals online. We bought our car seat from http://www.justkidsstore.com/

Comfortable sleeping

I've been lucky so far and have been able to get a pretty good night's sleep (most of the time). I had to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom during the first trimester and again now that I'm in the third trimester. It wasn't a problem during the second trimester, though!

To get comfy, I use a series of pillows. I highly recom- mend the Boppy pregnancy wedge pillow. You can get one for about $15 on Amazon, or at Motherhood Maternity. At first I used it between my knees. Then, as the belly got bigger, I started using it to wedge underneath the belly (which is its intended purpose). It provides some support so the belly doesn't feel like it's just hanging out there, or drooping onto the mattress. I usually have to flip over a few times during the night, and I bring the wedge with me to the other side.

I also put a full size pillow between my legs and knees. I think that helps with keeping the hip joints in line (although my hips still hurt when I wake up!). Finally, I have a small pillow that I put behind my back when I feel like I need support there.

So, each night I build a little nest and have a fairly comfortable sleep!

Skin on the Belly

Starting around 29 weeks, the skin on the top of my belly got very sensitive. Occasionally it's painful. I've tried a lot of different things to try to make it feel better! Starting at the beginning of the pregnancy, I've rubbed in Bath and Body Works Body Butter at night. I also have a sugar-based skin exfoliator that I use on the sensitive area in the shower. It's not too abrasive, and it leaves a nice oily feeling after the shower is done. I also put Jergens lotion on after the shower.

Those things didn't seem to solve the problem... I bought some Vaseline aloe lotion/gel. That provided some temporary relief, but then my skin felt a little taught. The thing that seems to work the best is Aquaphor ointment (made by Eucerine). I rub on a little bit when the skin is feeling tender, and it feels better right away. It doesn't last forever, but then I just put a little more on.

It's funny how it's only the top of my belly that has this problem. I'm hoping it will get better before the pregnancy is over, but if not, I don't have too long to go :)

Prenatal Yoga

I love this yoga exercise for expectant moms (Prenatal Yoga with Shiva Rea, Gaiam, 2007). I've been doing it (or part of it) two to three times per week, and I always feel great afterwards. It's a lot of stretching and "joint opening." The poses are not difficult, especially if you're already a little familiar with yoga.

I like the routine because it moves seamlessly from pose to pose, and the poses all flow together. There are three ladies doing the poses - the leader is not pregnant (first trimester), there's a late second trimester lady, and a third trimester lady. Each is doing the pose modified for her trimester. I like this because you can look ahead to what's up for the next trimester, or, if the pose in your trimester seems too easy, you can move back by one trimester.

There are several segments - warm-up, standing poses, seated poses, and relaxation. All the routines together are about 50 minutes. I've been doing the first two, and sometimes part of the third segment, for about 30 minutes of work.

Because I've been doing the same routine over and over again, I have parts of it memorized. I think this is good because knowing what's coming up helps you relax and focus on your breathing. Excellent preparation for childbirth, in my opinion!

I also have another prenatal exercise DVD, but I don't like it as much (Prenatal Yoga - 20 Routines for Common Prenatal Issues for Each Trimester, BodyWisdomMedia, 2008). The poses are chopped up - in one way it's nice because you can skip a pose if you don't like it, but overall that decreases the nice relaxing flow of the poses. You choose a trimester at the very beginning, and there is just one lady for you to follow. There are routines supposedly targeting specific problems, like backache and constipation. The main instructor is annoying and a little scary! (It's not the cute girl on the DVD's cover.)

Prenatal Exercise Videos

I bought two exercise DVDs, and my mom bought me one more. Three seems to be a good number to rotate through, although I tend to use my favorite one most often! I chose these mainly based on reviews at www.amazon.com. These were the ones that got good ratings for being safe but still getting your heart rate up. My favorite comment was "Some of the programs don't have you move around enough to get a good workout - I'm just pregnant, not dying, after all!"

Denise Austin: Fit & Firm Pregnancy

I had never done a Denise Austin workout before, and at first she was way too chipper for me. But, I really like this workout, and it has become my favorite one to do. It has a 20-minute aerobic session. Denise is not pregnant, so I think she's supposed to represent a first trimester woman. There are four other ladies at 20, 25, 30 and 36 weeks, so you can watch the one who is closest to your stage.

Following the aerobic session, you can do a strength and toning exercise. There is one for the second trimester and one for the third trimester. Each is about 10 minutes in length, so doing the aerobic session and one of the strength training sessions is a good half-hour workout. Sometimes I just do the aerobic workout. There is also a post-natal workout that I haven't checked out yet.

It was made in 2006, so the music, outfits, and set are modern. The moves are pretty easy to learn, although Denise is so busy saying how pregnancy is a special time in your life that she often forgets to tell you what move is up next :)

Supplies needed: pillows, weights (optional)

Kathy Smith: Pregnancy Workout

This is an old-school workout (made in 1989!!), but it is laid out really well. There is an 11-minute warm-up/energize section that gets you moving and breathing. Then there are three 6-minute aerobic workout sessions followed by a series of 3-minute strength and toning exercises that focus on legs, arms, etc. I usually do the energizer session, two of the aerobic workouts, and the strength sessions. That makes for a good 35-minute workout.

I've done Kathy Smith workouts before, and I really like her style. In this one, she is about 24 weeks pregnant, and she has five more-pregnant ladies working with her. It doesn't have workouts tailored for each trimester, but I think this one is good for the second and third trimesters. There is a heart rate check between each aerobic workout so you can keep track of how hard you're working.

The biggest drawback is the dated look - all the women are wearing hot pink or turquoise leotards and leg warmers, and the music is definitely 1980s. And beware of the end of the second aerobic session - the ladies do a really bad pregnancy rap! I wouldn't recommend watching it, but you can find it at this link :)

Preggo Shuffle

Supplies needed: pillows, weights (optional)

Summer Sanders' Prenatal Workout

This workout focuses the most on strength and toning. There are some aerobic moves in between the strength exercises, but no devoted aerobic workout. There are three separate menus for the first, second, and third trimesters. Each menu contains a full-length workout and an express workout tailored for the specific trimester.

Summer is pregnant and is led by her non-pregnant sister-in-law, who is a fitness trainer. It's just the two of them in a living room-like set with some cute baby things in the background. They have fun together, and it's a really relaxed, laid back workout. It's modern (2009). I like that they have time devoted to drinking water, although I have to pause the DVD so as not to fall behind - I don't have a personal fitness trainer working with me who will bring me water on demand!

Supplies needed: pillows and a resistance band (like the one below, although I don't have a fancy one with handles)

Cloth Diapers

We've decided that we want to use cloth diapers for our baby. I've read a lot about them, and they seem to have a lot of advantages:

• Baby has less diaper rash
• Baby potty trains earlier
• No filling up of landfills
• No chemicals
• Less costly than disposable diapers

There are cons too:

• More laundry, more hot water use
• More chance of leaks (maybe)

The debate rages on over which method is more environmentally friendly. I'm convinced that cloth diapering is better for the environment, because I do not like the idea of my diapers from almost 30 years ago still decomposing in a landfill somewhere. I plan to line-dry the diapers when I can, so that will save on energy.

The cloth diapers that are available can be quite fancy. They're not just the white sheets of cloth that you fold up and secure with safety pins anymore. They have waterproof exteriors and liners you can insert depending on how much leak-protection you need. Most of them close with snaps or velcro.

I've decided on the Fuzzibunz brand. They have snap closures and adjustable waist and leg openings. I have yet to read a bad review on these diapers. They come in a bunch of neat colors. The only drawback is that there aren't any stores nearby that sell them. There are lots of online stores, though. Here's a link to the main Fuzzibunz site: www.fuzzibunz.com

They cost $18 per diaper. We plan to buy 24 in size small and 24 in size medium. That sounds like a lot of money, but I figure that we'd spend at least $18 per week on disposable diapers. That means we'll have recouped the diapers' cost in less than a year, whereas we'd have to keep buying disposables for at least two years. Plus, a lot of reviews I've read said that their Fuzzibunz lasted them for more than one child. So we might not have to spend any money on diapers for the next baby!

I'll give an update on how our cloth diapering adventure goes...

Food aversions and cravings

I was very lucky and didn't get physically sick during my first trimester. I did have nausea, and there were a few times I sat in the bathroom for a few minutes, just in case! But the nausea was usually only (a) in the morning, (b) if I was near certain foods, or (c) if I ate too much for dinner.

Those "certain foods" included turkey, other poultry (but not as bad as turkey), coffee, and broccoli. So strange, because those are usually foods I love - even broccoli! My sister-in-law couldn't tolerate lettuce :) For me, the turkey was a bit of a problem after hosting Thanksgiving - Devon had to eat all the leftovers. I couldn't even watch him eat them!

I couldn't get enough cheese. I'd have cheese and crackers, macaroni and cheese, cheese with fruit. That craving has gone away, and I'm back to my normal intake of cheese (which is still probably above-normal).

At one point I also craved nacho cheese Doritos and Friendly's Reeses peanut butter sundaes. I only craved these things until I ate each of them once - then I realized neither was as good as I remembered!

Now I don't crave anything specific... I'm just hungry all the time. I suspect the cravings might pick up again now that Rita's has opened for the season!

Maternity bras

My chest grew quite a bit (two cup sizes!) during the first trimester. Growth has leveled off since then, but I hear I'll get bigger once nursing begins.

Finding a comfortable bra has not been easy. I usually like the fit of Victoria's Secret bras, so I bought a bigger one. I find the underwire to be very uncomfortable, even though it never bothered me before. I think it's because as my belly gets bigger and rises up, the underwire hits the top of the belly.

I bought a sports bra at Target. This is definitely the most comfortable bra I have now, and is great for my prenatal exercise routines. But, it's not a very flattering shape for going out.

I tried on wireless bras at Victoria's Secret, but they didn't fit right. Not having that wire to shape things seemed to be a problem.

Some people have said they went right to nursing bras at this point. I tried on a few of those at Motherhood Maternity. They either provided not enough support, or way too much support for right now. Plus, I'll probably have to buy more of these later, when I know how big I'll get when I'm nursing.

I finally found a basic Vanity Fair bra at Macy's. It is wireless but still provides a good shape. I haven't worn it much yet, but I think it will be my favorite going-out-of-the-house bra :)

Maternity clothes

I figured that I'd rather spend money on baby things than on updating my wardrobe with a lot of maternity outfits, at least until the spring/summer when I was really big. That was before my belly started growing, though! Soon my sweaters didn't look right - they still fit over the belly but were much too short. So I decided at least a few wardrobe additions were necessary.

Motherhood Maternity "Secret Fit Belly" jeans

YYYYY 2 stars

The first thing I bought were two pairs of "Secret Fit Belly" maternity pants from Motherhood Maternity - one denim, one corduroy. I was excited about them because the spandex band goes all the way up and over my belly and is really comfortable. I started wearing them as soon as my jeans were uncomfortable to button (about 11 weeks). I usually fold the spandex over once, but I think I'll wear it all the way up when my belly is really large.

They're comfortable, but what I found is that they stretched, and now they don't stay up around my waist. I have to pull them up all the time. So, I only wear them when I go out of the house. The cords did better than the denim, and both pairs are fitting a little better as my belly gets bigger.

Motherhood Maternity "Tummy Sleeve" YYYYY 0 stars

I also tried a "belly band," which you're supposed to stretch over an un-zipped pair of jeans to keep them up. The band didn't flatten out the open top of my jeans, though, and you could see an outline of the flaps and button through my shirt. I didn't buy the band.

Liz Lange for Target dress YYYYY 5 stars

The next thing I bought a this simple black dress from Target (Liz Lange for Target). It ties in the back, which means I could adjust it for my small belly at the time (16 weeks), but it could still expand for bigger bellies. It also has pleated material that goes over the belly, so it will fit many stages of belly growth.

Maternity stores overall...

Motherhood Maternity YYYYY 2 stars

The clothes don't fit me very well. The prices are pretty good, though. I didn't like the pushy salesperson, who tried to get me to buy all sorts of belly balms and maternity underwear (which I don't think is a necessity). Once in a while, I check out what they have, though.

A Pea in the Pod YYYYY 3 stars

Very pricey. Finding things on sale is they only way I'd buy something there. But, the clothing is high quality and fits very well.

The Gap Maternity YYYYY 4 stars

Their shirts fit me well; I have two from them so far. The prices are typical for Gap (too high for the quality of the clothing), but buying things on sale is okay. Their website is really great because their review are very detailed. When a person reviews something, there are very specific questions like "Which trimester will this work for?"

Old Navy Maternity YYYYY 3 stars

You can't beat their prices, but their clothing is not great quality. They have some cute, lightweight sundresses that I have my eye on for summertime. Website: same comments as for gap.com. (I was even able to pick out a great bathing suit at the Old Navy website based on user reviews! See below...)

Target Maternity YYYYY 4 stars

They have a lot of options online for decent prices (the dress I bought was only $25). The selection in stores is not so great - at least not at the store near me. Plus the store doesn't have a well-defined maternity area... it sort of melds in with Juniors and Women's, so you have to look carefully at the tags to know if it's maternity.

Sears, J.C. Penny, Kohls Maternity

YYYYY 2 stars

Hit or miss at these department stores. Their small sizes are too big for my shoulders, so I haven't found much here. But, for basic things like long-sleeved t-shirts, these stores work.

Choosing our prenatal practitioner

For this pregnancy, we're seeing a certified nurse midwife (CNM) for our prenatal care. We stumbled upon midwifery by accident, really - we'd planned to see an obstetrician (OB), but we were very impressed by what our midwife practice has to offer. Here's how we made our decision...

I saw an OB/GYN when we lived in the midwest. She was great - kind, patient, didn't seem too rushed during my visits. She was often behind schedule, though, and I had to reschedule my appointments a lot - because she was off delivering babies :)

Since I was used to seeing a doctor, I set out researching OB practices when we moved to New Jersey. Two practices fell into my criteria - they accepted our insurance, they were relatively close to our house, and they had decent webpages.

I set up an appointment with an OB at one clinic. They misunderstood from the start that I just wanted to talk briefly with a doctor and get a feel for her practice - I ended up having a whole annual exam! (I was due for one anyway.) The doctor seemed rushed. When I asked questions about future prenatal care (office visit schedules, hospital affiliations, etc.), she said, "We'll deal with that when the time comes." But this was what really struck me - when I mentioned that I had very long cycles between ovulations, she immediately brought up drug therapy and trying to change things with medications. I certainly didn't feel like my cycles needed to be "fixed" - they were just long! I knew I wasn't going to be coming to this practice again.

I called the second clinic in the area and asked for an appointment with a doctor. The receptionist said I could come in and speak with a midwife - she could give me information on the clinic's practices and philosophies overall (the clinic is co-operated by doctors and midwives). Devon came with me to this appointment. The midwife that we spoke with was our age, which was cool. She explained more about midwifery care - they provide the same services as an OB, with the exception that they can't do surgical procedures. So for typical "non-risk" pregnancies, midwives provide the same prenatal care as an OB.

What piqued our interest was her description of midwife care during labor and delivery. You still give birth at a hospital, and the OBs in the clinic are there if any complications come up. One of the four midwives in this practice is always on call or at the hospital, and she will be there for your entire labor. She assists you with pain management and recommends good labor positions to speed things along. She helps you get through labor and delivery with no medications (but you can still have them if you want to). She encourages you to move around and eat if you feel like it. She'll monitor the fetal heartbeat, but you don't have to be hooked up to a continuous electronic monitor unless there is a problem. She'll help you start nursing soon after the baby is born.

Intrigued, we went to a seminar a few weeks later that the midwife group held at the affiliated hospital. We got to know the other three midwives. We got more details about what we learned at our first appointment. We learned that, even if our prenatal care provider was an OB, one of the four midwives would still be the one present for most of the labor; the doc would arrive when it was time to deliver.

To us, our decision was clear. I am not big on medications and would prefer to have a natural labor and delivery. I don't like things to be too far out of my control - I like the idea of managing labor with the help of an educated midwife and my husband. And, why not get to know the women who will be attending my labor ahead of time?

So far we've been happy seeing a midwife. She is very laid back... this is good and bad for my data-driven personality. On one hand, the midwife is very reassuring and confident that things are going well for me. On the other hand, she doesn't give me a lot of hard, fast information or reasons for things I might be feeling.

But I think the midwife philosophy has helped me view pregnancy (and the idea of labor and delivery) as a natural process that can be, for the most part, left out of my conscious control and up to my body to handle in the way it has been programmed to know best.

A blog for baby research

I started this blog because I'm enjoying my pregnancy so much! Four months in, I've already done lots of baby- and pregnancy-related research, have many ideas, and have noted some interesting things about being pregnant. I wanted to "write" it all down so I could remember it all, and also so other people could benefit. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing about all the things to come during the pregnancy and after the baby's born!