One week: A reflection

Levi is one week old today!!!

Thought I'd take some time and reflect on everything that's happened this week and pass along some things that have worked for us and our little one!

Hospital stay:

This is going to sound STRANGE but I LOVED being in the hospital. Mr. Free...not so much. For me, the reassurance of knowing that there are nurses there 24 hours to help me recover from surgery and Levi to make sure he is on track was so nice. I also loved the hospital bed, solely for being able to easily sit up with it while recovering from a c section. Getting out of our bed at home is NOT so easy. At our hospital they had a huge menu and room service all day. If I wanted oreos and milk at 2? Not a problem. Yeah...that was AWESOME. I also loved the constant stream of visitors to see Levi. It was such a huge blessing. We stayed in the hospital from Tuesday night til Saturday afternoon. Mr. Free was itching to get home, but I could've stayed just a little bit longer...

Breast feeding:

Well, this hasn't quite gone according to plan. I just assumed I would breast feed, that it would hurt and be difficult, but I'd do it. Well, right after Levi was born I was SO out of it from all the meds that we just had them give him formula til the next morning when I would be coherent enough to try breast feeding. The next day we tried and he latched pretty well and we went from there. The lactation consultant at the hospital worked with us, and we have GREAT family friend who is the lactation consultant at our pediatrician's office, who came and helped as well. When we were discharged from the hospital, Levi had lost some weight, but well within the normal range. We thought we were good! But the first 24 hours at home, we noticed Levi hadn't had any poopy diapers and only 2 wet diapers. Dr. Google confirmed this to be not normal. I texted for Lactation Friend (as I will call her) and she said he should be getting at least 4 wets a day. We had a pediatrician appointment the next day and we'd come up with a game plan. We decided to nurse every 3 hours and supplement with an ounce of formula afterwards. This seemed to help, but at his week weight check he had lost even more weight. Our Lactation Friend asked about how I was feeling with nursing and I told her how it didn't really hurt, I never felt "heavy or achy". She said she thinks I have supply issue (extremely common in diabetics...our hormones are so screwed up!) So Levi has lost 10% of his birth weight and our new plan is to try a hormonal supplement to try and increase my supply, 20 minutes of nursing followed by as much formula as he would like. I hate that we are having to do that, and feel like a failure of sorts, but know he is getting SOME breast milk and that will give him many of the good things he needs and the main thing is that he is getting all the nourishment he needs to grow. If that means formula, so be it. We tried it out tonight and the little guy chugged 2.5 ounces of formula after nursing! Poor little guy has been hungry! We will see if the supplements work. No matter what, it's important he is fed.

Sleep:

I'm getting used to the whole "sleep in 2 hour chunks" thing. I've had a few breakdowns (I'm a SLEEPER) but it's getting better! I look forward to that snuggly time with him...but that darn 4 am feeding is hard to get up for! But he is well worth it!

C-Section:

My recovery has been going really well. I'm still on some pain meds and can't over do it, but overall I feel really "normal". I had my staples out yesterday (which is nothing, by the way! I totally freaked myself out about it!) and the Dr and nurses kept commenting on how perfect my incision looked! That made me feel good! Diabetics tend to not heal as well, so I was proud that I've done so well! Overall, having experienced labor and a c-section, I'm mostly Team C Section. Recovery is no walk in the park, but it hasn't been that bad! The most important thing is that Baby gets out safe and sound!

Weight Loss:

Immediately after leaving the hospital I had only lost 5 pounds. How could I only lose 5 pounds?! He was 7 pounds?! Plus all the other gunk that was in there with him! Well, once I got home I noticed my feet and hands swelling up. I had NO swelling in pregnancy at all, so did NOT care to see it now! I talked with the Dr and they said from all the IV fluids and pitocin, it is very normal. So just drink water and it'll eventually come out. So yesterday, I chugged water and peed like crazy and lost 10 pounds in 24 hours! My feet are still swollen so I know I still have water weight, but they are better, my hands are better and my belly better. So all in all I'm down 15 lbs the first week and I had gained 25 with pregnancy. With my milk supply issues, the pediatrician wants to make sure I get enough calories, so I'm not counting on being down to my pre-pregnancy weight anytime soon...

Mr. Free:

He has been amazing!!! I can't state that enough! He is SUCH an incredible Daddy! He loves his son so much and I love getting to see him in this role! He has been invaluable at home. I think he got the "nesting" bug instead of me. He's been managing everything while I recover and feed Levi around the clock. I am DREADING when he has to go back to work! I wish we could win the lottery and both be stay at home parents!

So far, we've found some things we've used for either recovery or Levi that have been invaluable. Here's what has worked well for us:

-Depends. Yup, the old people diapers. After my c section, they gave me the infamous mesh panties and pad as big as a slip and slide. Well, with my "shape", my butt felt like a pot roast with that mesh string. Not comfy. I begged my mom to go out and get me some depends, as I'd read about it on some blogs. Holy cow...amazing! They aren't nearly as "crunchy" as I thought they'd be, felt good around my incision and I don't have to worry about messing them up! They are disposable! So anyone about to have a baby...pick up a pack. Seriously.

- Lactation consultant. Seriously USE THEM!! When in the hospital, use her as much as you can. Find a pediatrician with one in house. Our Lactation Friend has been SO helpful with all our new parent questions (and we have a LOT). She has seriously been our ANGEL.

-Soothee pacifiers. At first we didn't want to use a pacy with Levi, but at the hospital he came back from the nursery for a test with one in his mouth : / We noticed later he was trying to suck on his fingers, so we quickly converted to Team Pacy. When he's a bit older it is MUCH easier to get rid of his pacy than his thumb. Plus a NICU nurse at the perinatologist said they are actually the best pacifiers and help them reduce gas and help stimulate their oral development. Bonus!

-Boppy. We brought the Boppy to the hospital with us, which I'm so glad we did. It made nursing so much more comfy in that hospital bed and visitors used it when holding him so their arms didn't get tired.

- Pampers Swaddlers. We are still planning on cloth diapering, but Levi isn't big enough for them yet. We received a few packages at a baby shower and these are by far the best. The other brands leaked out and these have a strip down the front that turn blue when its wet. Nice.

- Iphone. The iphone has been my best friend in mommyhood. During late night feedings it keeps me entertained. Plus has lots of helpful apps...like...

-iBaby Log app. This is free and looks SUPER cheesy. Like terribly cheesy. But it is actually a great tool. It helps you keep track of nursing, bottle feeds, diaper changes, feedings, doctor appointment, sleep, etc. Every mom needs this app with a newborn.

- Swaddle Me Swaddle. Levi loves being swaddled so we do this at night while he sleeps and it immediatly calms him down. Plus its easy to use. Just velcro baby up like a burrito!

- Video monitor and Snuza. I'm a nervous first time mom, so we snagged a Motorola Video Monitor on Kids Woot for just $59. It had great reviews and awesome features. We can always peek in on Levi with it (has night vision!) and is a 2 way system, so during the day if Im in there with Levi and Mr Free is elsewhere with the monitor, we can still talk. I can ask him to grab me a bottle, etc. And it always displays the temperature of his room so I can keep track if it's too hot/cold. The Snuza is a movement monitor that clips onto his diaper while sleeping. If it doesn't feel movement for 20 seconds an alarm will go off. Now, this isnt to say it can prevent SIDS, but sometimes baby's get into such a deep sleep they "forget" to breathe, and if the Snuza goes off, we can rush in and wake him up. We actually had a false alarm with it our second night home. It had just turned sideways and wasnt on his stomach anymore. Holy cow...we had never moved so fast! I yelled "SNUZA!!!" and jumped out of bed you would never know I just had abdominal surgery! Luckily all was well. It definitely helps me sleep at night.

- Swing. We bought a little travel swing on clearance at Target before he was born and it has been great! It seems babies either love/hate the swing. Luckily, ours likes it. It gives us a place to put him other than his crib so we can do something with our hands for a few minutes. He's a baby that likes his car seat and car rides too. Just likes movement.

So...that's our week! We had a great Valentine's Day with our new little Valentine. We just relaxed, ordered in some sushi and snuggled with Levi. Definitely memorable.

I can't believe he has already been here for a week!

Levi's Birth Story

Levi Patton Freeborn

February 8, 2012

7 lbs. 10 oz.

20 inches long

The long story:

An induction had been decided due to my blood sugars hitting major resistance since 34 weeks. The plan was to do an amnio at 37 weeks and if lungs were mature, induce. If not ready, wait and week then induce.

We did amnio (NEVER AGAIN!) and sure enough, not ready.

So the doctor scheduled the induction for February 8 at 6 a.m. at 38 weeks 1 day.

Had weekly appointment that week at 37 weeks 6 days and hadn't made any more progress (1 cm, 70% effaced) so OB decided for us to come in the next night for Cervidil before beginning pitocin next morning)

So, on the 7th I went to work like normal (which was strange), had the car packed and after work headed to the hospital!

We checked in at 6 p.m. on February 7th and got the Cervidil placed in at 6:45 after blood work, the IV put in and to be checked (again no more progress).

At around 7:30 my mom and sister visit and we hang out for about 15 minutes, and then I puke. Pretty sure it was from nerves.

Right after the barf fest, our best friends the Clarks come and visit. Nathan carefully monitors my contractions and gives his expert opinions : )

At this time I get really crampy and ask for some Tylenol.

At 8:30 I get the Tylenol and around 9 our guests leave so we can rest.

At 9:30 I get a sleeping pill to rest up for the big day.

Though the sleeping pill helped, I think nerves kept me awake.

And then I got even more crampy and rhythmic contractions.

At midnight I can no longer sleep through them so I was given some morphine to help me rest.

This did help me sleep, but baby didn't care much for it.

Nurses came in and had me switch positions to sleep in and baby was fine.

At 5 a.m. we are awake and the Cervidil is removed.

I feel woozy and throw up (once again) and hop in the shower.

At 5:45 I was allowed to eat a light breakfast (since Im diabetic..one of the few perks!)

and given nausea meds.

Again, at 6:00 am, I puke.

After that, the OB comes in and begins pitocin with the antibiotic since I'm Group B Strep positive.

I'm still feeling woozy.

At 6:30 the OB breaks my water (not very comfy...)

Around 7 I heard Anesthesia at the door, so I go ahead and ask for my epidural while they are there.

At 8 oclock I begin eating Popsicles and ice chips, getting very thirsty.

Not feeling any pain at this point, but still woozy and now itchy.

I'm able to sleep for 2 hours.

At 10:30 I am checked and now at a 3. Making some progress

At noon, still a 3. I start to get major pain and pressure down there, so they give me a bolus of pain meds.

At 1 I'm feeling nausea again so given more Zofran.

At 1:30 I am now between 3 and 4 cm, baby very low.

At 2:20 I am in lots of pain "down there" and ask for more pain meds, which they gave me another bolus.

At 3:30 I'm checked again and still no progress. The nurses start to talk about possible C-Section. They are concerned about baby's size.

My contractions had been inconsistent the entire time. They are thinking body just isn't cooperating.

At 4:45 the pitocin is upped to its max in hopes of pushing me beyond a 4.

At 5:30 I have this huge amount of pressure, like I need to take the biggest poop ever. Nurse is encouraged that I may have made some progress.

Nope...still a 3-4.

At 5:45, the pressure is unbearable. I asked for more meds and they gave me a morhpine boost.

At 6:15, I talk to nurses and OB about C-Section. They said that I've had the most Pitocin I can and still can't get past the 3-4 cm range, after 12 hours of Pitocin.

I have had irregular contractions the entire time.

The OB (who is VERY anti- c section) starts to think its going to happen at some point.

That if I'd like to continue laboring into the next day, I can and see what happens.

I am so miserable, I was telling Brian "never again, this is our only child".

We decide to give it another half hour and if I've made even a little progress, decide to keep laboring.

If no, progress, go ahead and proceed with C-Section.

At 6:45, get checked.

No progress.

OB declares it "Failure to Progress"

C-section here we come!

At 7 the anesthesiologists come in and prep me for spinal.

By 7:15 I am wheeled back to O.R.

Because of the pain meds and morphine boosts I'd had, I am having a very hard time staying awake.

They do the "poke test" on me to see if I'm numb and I can feel everything. Luckily they upped the meds and I'm fully numb.

Brian is suited up and comes into be with me.

Through out the procedure I am falling asleep and trying to wake back up....not wanting to miss the good stuff!

I feel LOTs of pulling and tugging. Very strange feeling.

He had gotten pretty low in the canal so they were having to yank him back out.

A heart monitor had been on him the whole time and I just kept listening to the heart beat for reassurance that our baby was OK.

Suddenly I don't hear the heart beat and start to worry. I ask Brian if Baby is Ok. He responded, " Can't you hear the baby crying?!"

At 7:35 p.m. the OB holds him up and proclaims, "It's a boy!!!"

Everyone is so excited!

Right then I fall asleep.

I saw a glimpse of him and was out.

Brian asks, " Did you hear that? It's a boy!"

And I responded "Yup."

(Have it on video...pretty funny)

After that I was out.

I remember feeling them stitch me up a bit and saying "Ouch. That hurts. Ouch" But then I'd fall back asleep.

When I wake up I'm in recovery and they are hooking me up with a morphine booster pack.

My incision is really burny and stingy at that point.

I look over and Brian is giving Levi his first bath and dressing him.

They said he weighed 7 lb 10 oz. (we were shocked! Everyone thought at LEAST 9 pounds!) and 20 inches long.

He got an 8 then 9 on his apgars and his first blood sugar was 71!

He was a healthy baby boy!

This whole time we have our family and friends filling the waiting room and I realize Brian hadn't gone to tell them the baby's sex yet!

(I asked that we tell the name when they come see him, so I can be there!)

Brian goes out and tells everyone it is a healthy baby boy and everyone is so excited!

We then get wheeled to our Mom and Baby room.

I am still so out of it, that the nurses asked to give him a bottle to ensure his blood sugar stays up as they are concerned of it crashing. I consented that he get formula until the next morning when I am more with it and can try nursing.

We first bring the grandparents in and Brian has a birthday cake he decorated

(We ordered a blank chocolate balloon cake from Costco and bought pink and blue icing to decorate appropriately!)

This is how we told people our new little man's name.

Levi Patton Freeborn

Levi- Brian suggested this name years ago when we first started "trying". We both loved it.

Patton- My maiden name. In honor of my Dad who passed away when I was 6.

After the grandparents we had everyone else fill the room.

Everyone took turns loving on Levi and sharing our extreme joy.

I couldn't believe he was here!

He was healthy!

He was adorable!

I am SO exhausted I fall asleep around 11 with a room full of guests. I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer.

We stayed in the hospital for 3 more days and had constant visitors.

It was SUCH a blessing to see just how many people love Levi already!

We came home yesterday and have been adjusting to being new parents.

Brian is SUCH an amazing father.

It makes my love for him grow to a whole new level.

Thank you everyone who has prayed for us and with us during a journey to parenthood. It had its ups and downs but the end result is amazing. We are so blessed God chose us to be Levi's parents!

He is such a good and adorable baby!

We love him SO much!!!

Last post before Baby!!!

How far along? 38 weeks!!!

Matenity clothes? Most certainly. However...I have rebelled in my last few weeks against maternity shirts. I am so over them. I HAVE to wear maternity pants, no way around that, but luckily I have lots of LONG pre-pregnancy shirts that I have been wearing. I just miss my old clothes.

Sleep? Not so much. My left hip (which I've always had problems with) has been hurting SOO bad. It hurts to sleep on it, it hurts to sleep on the other hip, even with a plethoria of pillows. I think it's just the nature of this stage of pregnancy. Preparing me for being up with a newborn. : )

Best moment of the week(s)?

- Everything is set up for baby. Everything is hung on the walls, the bags are packed, house is clean. We are ready!

- Got my "mom" haircut. My best friend and I had a girls day and went to the salon, shopping and Indian food! My hair was SO long and thick that it took forever to dry! I knew that with a newborn, something easy is what I needed! I really like the change!

- Knowing FOR SURE when Baby Free will be here! We are scheduled for induction at 6 am on February 8 (my best friends birthday!). Baby's lungs weren't ready for induction last week, as originally scheduled, but Baby WILL be here no later than February 8!

What I miss? I truly have enjoyed being pregnant. I feel very blessed to have been able to carry this child. But, now that the end of pregnancy is drawing near, there are a few things I told Mr. Free I am looking forward to, including:

- Sleeping on my tummy. Oh have I've missed that!

- Deli meat. I have already "ordered" a Mr. Goodcents sub after delivery!

- Non-itchy skin! I have a horrid rash on my stomach that itches SOOO bad! Dr. said it should go away after delivery.. I can't wait!

What I'm looking forward to?

- Meeting Baby Free! I can't believe Wednesday we will meet him/her! And I can't wait to find out if it's a him or her as well!!! I am so looking forward to seeing Baby's face for the first time. I can't wait to see if Baby has lots of hair like the ultrasound techs have said, and to see if the hair is red, brown or blonde! I can't wait to see if Baby Free has super chubby cheeks like they look on the ultrasounds. I just can't wait to meet this child! I'm also looking forward to seeing Mr. Free as a Daddy. I know I'm going to fall in love with him all over again.

Milestones?

Being full term!

We are going in TONIGHT to start the induction!!! So crazy! We will begin with Cervidil at 6, give me a big ol sleeping pill. Early tomorrow morning get an epi, pitocin and break my water. My OB is confident Baby Free will arrive tomorrow sometime!

I'm pretty nervous about the whole labor thing but know that God has brought us through this incredible and often scary journey to parenthood and that He will see us through to the other side! Can't wait to meet this precious child He has planned for us. It's so crazy...I'm going to be a Mommy!!!

The Plan, Stan

So...on Monday, we had another BPP and growth ultrasound.

At 35 weeks, 6 days, Baby Free was clocking in at 7 lb. 4 oz.

90th percentile.

Gulp.

My blood sugars have still been all over the place.

(Which means placenta function is good, but not good to have baby marinating in lots of sugar. Maybe my child will be extra sweet?!)

So...here's the plan.

Next Thursday (2/2) at 8 a.m. we have an amnio scheduled to check for lung maturity.

By noon we should have results.

Peri said we need a number above 70.

If it is....we will head to the hospital to induce!

I asked about statistics as this would mean Baby Free coming into this world at 37.5 weeks (which is pretty standard for diabetic pregnancies).

He said he'd give a 70% chance that baby's lungs will be ready. If they aren't...we will induce one week later.

He said with induction, and it being my first, there's a 25% chance of it leading to a c-section.

The "scheduled" induction time is at 3:00 on 2/2. They will most likely begin with a 12 hour dose of cervidil. Then around 3 a.m., if cervidil did it's job, we will begin the pitocin. When Dr. gets in around 8, she will break my water.

The nurse said she would "guess" Baby Free would be here around dinner time on Friday (2/3).

Granted, sometimes the cervidil needs to be done twice (which would be 24 hours of just that) or baby doesn't react well to pitocin, so a c-section is needed. So lots of variables.

But I'm so excited to meet our chubby-cheeked child!

The peri and doctor agree that it's safer for both of us to get baby out as long as baby is ready. The longer baby is in there, the harder my blood sugars are to control.

The longer baby is in high glucose, the fatter baby gets and harder their own pancreas has to work, which could result in a NICU stay for hypoglycemia.

Mr. Free and I have seen God's hand throughout this entire pregnancy.

I am nervous about all these events (amnio! pitocin!), but know that Mr. Free and I have faced some scary procedures through these past 2 years and God brought us through them just fine.

I know He is leading the path to meeting our little miracle!

On a good note, I've been having some on and off contractions, so a true blessing would be if Baby Free decided to come on their own before Thursday!!! Praying, praying, praying!!!

Our Changing Station Crib Topper

Since our nursery is small, I knew we wouldn't have room for a traditional changing table.

And I was OK with that.

I googled all over for options and stumbled upon this

The Oeuf Changing Station.

I loved the modern look and simplicity of design.

I did not like the price however.

$249.

Gulp.

So, I put Mr. Free and Grandpa Free on a mission.

This past weekend during one of my baby shower's, Daddy and Grandpa made this masterpiece.

Mr. Free thought adding some storage on the side would be beneficial for our small space.

We tested it out with the cloth diapers and they fit perfectly.

However, for the first bit we are starting with disposables and regular disposable wipes as we were gifted a TON.

Everything fits perfectly!

Look at all that storage!

I am thrilled with the results and so glad to have a custom solution for our nursery!

And the price?

Materials came out to a little less than a quarter of the Oeuf price!

And on Friday, the middle school art teachers threw Mr. Free a baby shower and gifted him some money for the baby. Mr. Free used that money to build this! Thank you art teachers!

Baby Free could be here as soon as about 2 weeks! Luckily things are coming together nicely!

I can't wait to meet my chubby cheeked baby!

A little overwhelmed.

Baby Free 34 weeks 2 days

6 lb. 3 oz.

Well, we met with the perinatologist today to review blood sugars as well as a growth ultrasound and biophysical profile.

Baby looked great.

Turns out our kid has LONG hair. Crazy.

One kidney looks normal, other kidney measuring 7.2 mm. Doctor said that he would be concerned if it was over 10 mm, so he thinks it'll be fine following birth.

But...baby is measuring big. 87th percentile.

Borderline macrosomia.

Macrosomia is very common in diabetic pregnancies and simply means a big baby.

My blood sugars have been GREAT through out pregnancy, but the last 2 weeks they have been a roller coaster. This is very normal for diabetics, but frustrating too.

With macrosomia, a risk is that the baby will be born with low blood sugar.

See, my uterus is not the 'ideal environment' since Baby is growing amidst lots of glucose. Therefore, Baby's pancreas has been working overtime to keep Baby's blood sugar normal.

But once Baby is out, their pancreas may still be in 'over drive' and cause low blood sugar.

The perinatologist said that if this occurs, it could mean Baby is in NICU for a few days after delivery.

He said he thinks the best option is that in 2 weeks (gulp) have an amnio to see if Baby's lungs are ready for birth.

If Baby's lungs are ready.... Baby will be induced.

He said as long as Baby's lungs are good, it would be better for Baby to be out, then in.

The closer to 40 weeks we get the chance of stillbirth can increase and other complications.

He really wants a vaginal delivery as it will help Baby's lungs.

So we may have a baby in 2.5 weeks!

If Baby's lungs aren't quite ready, we will postpone the induction until they are.

All this was hard to hear.

First of all, this is SOON!!

MUCH sooner than I had thought!

Also, I can't help but feel overly guilty.

I wish my blood sugars were better the last few weeks...I've really been trying.

Thinking of our sweet baby in NICU just tears me up.

(Now I know, the NICU is a wonderful place and if this is where my child needs to be, then by all means that's whats best)

The thought of an amnio freaks me out.

The thought of bringing baby into this world in less than 3 weeks freaks me out.

The thought of Baby struggling after birth freaks me out.

Now, I am so, so excited to meet our sweet baby.

I just didnt anticipate hearing all this today.

I just have to wrap my mind around it all.

Please be praying that Baby Free's lungs will be ready when they should and that at birth Baby's blood sugars will be steady. I really want to have Baby near after birth, but just want Baby to be healthy.

So...anyone else have any amnio or induction advice? I'd sure appreciate it!

Week 34

How far along? 34 weeks

Maternity clothes? Yup. Though I'm rebelling and wearing some non-maternity clothes that are super long just to shake things up. Like the shirt above...

Sleep? Pretty good. Again, doing the hip toss n' turn but that's the new normal.

Best moment of the week?

It's been a pretty quiet week here, which has been a blessing. I've enjoyed just spending time with Mr. Free, our family and friends. I know life is going to change (for the better!) in a few weeks so I'm just savoring this time.

Food cravings? Still orange juice. Mmmmm.....

Gender? We'll find out soon!

Belly button in or out? Still in! It's about to bust, but it's still in!

Movement? Definitely. As baby is starting to run out of room it's starting to get a bit uncomfortable. Baby likes my right side so most of the fluid is on the left. So when Baby moves, there isn't much cushion. But I love it!

What I miss? It's weird. Pregnancy just seems like the new "norm" for me. I have a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that in a month or so I won't be pregnant anymore! I did tell Mr. Free I'm looking forward to sleeping on my stomach and a sub sandwich : )

What I'm looking forward to? Thursday we will get to see our sweet baby's face again! I can't wait! Then Friday the music teachers in the district are throwing me a baby shower and then Saturday is my family and friends baby shower! This baby is so loved!

Milestones? Being 34 weeks! Sunday I saw my mother-in-law and she asked if the baby had dropped. I said I had no idea. Then, my mom texts me and said that at church that morning she noticed it looked like the baby had dropped. This week at work I've had half a dozen people remark the same thing! I will say that when I sit it feels like Baby is more on my lap than normal. I'm *praying* Baby Free is making progress...since I will have to be induced by 39 weeks it would be awesome if Baby would be ready to go!

Week 33

How far along? 33 weeks 1 day

Maternity clothes? Umm....yeah.

Sleep? Pretty good. Still tossing and turning and throwing in a bathroom break again. Plus I've started the weird vivid dreams again.

Best moment of the week?

1. Seeing Baby Free again. (Notice I say this every week?!) Even though it was a regular ol' ultrasound (not the level 2 3D ones from the peri) it was still so neat to see our little one. For the 3rd week in a row Baby was playing with their foot. Again, bringing the foot up to the forehead, then grabbing the foot with their hand and playing with it. So super cute. And baby was practice breathing like crazy! Which is quite reassuring!

2. Ringing in the New Year! We had a great group of friends over and we munched on some goodies, chilled in our new basement and watched the ball drop. I'm totally excited for what all 2012 has to offer!

Food cravings? Let's see.... taquitos. You know, the boxed frozen ones from the grocery store? Yeah, I've had a serving like every day...

And fruity drinks. Like orange juice or smoothies.

Gender? The Dr. says one or the other... : )

Belly button in or out? Still in! Barely!

Movement? Oh yeah. More like rolls then definite kicks. It seems where I feel the most movement is where baby's butt is. They must be shiftin all around.

What I miss? Still nothing. Feel very blessed to be in this stage of life!

What I'm looking forward to? Our next baby showers next week! And we get another 3D growth ultrasound in a week and I'm so excited to see baby's face again!

Milestones? Being this far! 33 weeks....a month from full term!!!

On a complete side note.... I am having the most bipolar feelings about labor. *Most* likely this child be induced between 38-39 weeks. That's the typical protocol for diabetic moms. Some days/moments I am so stoked for labor. I'll view it as a rite of passage and am excited to see what my body can do. Then some days/moments I am in an utter panic thinking I can't do it! I am such a wimp and can't handle pain at all! Plus I have crazy anxiety to begin with so just don't know if I can do all this!

But I want my baby here safe so know *something* has to happen to get this child here!

Is this thought process normal?

Any reassuring thoughts? : )

Diapering: Our Plan

So, Mr. Free and I are in no way experts. Obviously.

But we've done our research, and *so far* this is our plan to diaper our little one.

Our goals?

Frugality!

Comfort!

Fashion!

Since I will not be a permanent stay-at-home momma, but will luckily be home with this baby for the first 6 months, we've decided oncloth.

But in returning to work, we know it'd have to be an easy process for our nanny or provider. (Still have to figure that out...so much to do!!!)

So after much research, we decided to go with One Size Pocket Diapers.

One sized pocket diapers are pretty pricey, but will last throughout their diapering days. They grow with the child and fit babies 10-35 lbs.

This was appealing with our teeny house and teeny nursery, to not have 18+ diapers in 4+ sizes to store.

With one sized diapers, you have the option of aplix (velcro) or snaps. While the aplix would probably be most user-friendly, they can wear out over time. The snaps are much more sturdy. So in the name of frugality, snaps won.

Another appeal of the one sized pockets, is the pockets! 'Pocket' refers to the pocket built into the back of the diaper to stuff with inserts.

Most diapers come with 2 inserts. A 'newborn' and 'regular'. BumGenius comes with microfiber inserts, but many rave about the bamboo inserts.

If your baby is a heavy wetter, you can stuff with both inserts. If they aren't and you want a trimmer fit, you can just use one.

I really like how it can be customized for your child.

We have registered at Buy Buy Baby and one thing that sold us on them over Babies R Us is that they carry the BumGenius 4.0's IN STOCK!!! Babies R Us they are online only. I'm hoping to receive a few as presents which would help us with our stash!

In the one sized world, BumGenius is probably king. They are the most widely available and popular.

Our plan is a stash of 18-24. If we have more, the better.

We registered for 18 BumGenius 4.0s at Buy Buy Baby.

We have also heard great things about Sunbabies, Alva Babies and Kawaii's. These Chinese-made diapers are a FRACTION of the cost of BumGenius.

BumGenius one-sized pockets are $17.99/diaper. (Thankfully Buy Buy Baby has their 20% off coupons regularly, making them around $14.50!)

But the Chinese-made selection range from $6-9/diaper and get a range of reviews. Some think they are better than BumGenius, some think not so much. I think a lot of it depends on the shape of your baby and which brand fits the best to control leaks.

Black Friday offered some GREAT deals and I snagged 13 one sized Kawaii's and 3 Bum Genius 4.0's.

We received 2 more BumGenius diapers at my shower, and then scored 4 more Bum Genius diapers on clearance at Cotton Babies during their Seconds Sale. (These diapers supposedly have minor defects, but I have yet to find them!)

So our current stash sits at 21 diapers and have only spent $200!

Since the one-sized usually don't fit babies well until they are 10+ pounds, we decided to just use disposables until they fit versus buying a newborn stash. Since we have no idea what the size of our baby will be, we feel this will be the most frugal choice.

Also, the disposables will give us a chance to segway into parenthood before laundry overload begins.

So...what about laundry?

Most usually wash their diapers every other day. Obviously the more diapers you have, the less laundry you have to do...but for the 'stink factor' I think every other day will be a good rule of thumb.

For laundry, most cloth mamas use wetbags vs. systems like a diaper genie. Wetbags keep the contents inside, but breathe so that there isn't ammonia or stink build up. Most have a home wetbag and a travel wetbag for changing while out and about.

We purchased 3 PlanetWise wetbags as they have great reviews and come in adorable prints. 2 are in the nursery in trash cans for everyday laundry, and 1 travel wetbag in size medium for the diaper bag.

The newborn poops is water-soluble so you don't need to do a thing to prep them.

Once baby is onto solid food, the poop becomes...well...more solid.

That is where a diaper sprayer comes in handy.

We registered for one at Buy Buy Baby and hope to get one.

This sprayer attaches to the water line in the tank of your toilet and hangs on the side of the tank.

When baby has a dirty diaper you can just hold the diaper over the toilet and rinse of what needs rinsing.

Then throw diaper into the pail and wash when its time.

Now with laundry detergent...

You can't use just any laundry detergent as it can cause repelling issues.

Here are the most recommended:

Rockin' Green

Original Tide Powder

Dropps

Charlie's Laundry Soap

or make your own...which is what I plan to do.

In food processor, combine:

1/2 c. Baby Oxyclean

1 c. Borax

1 c. Washing Soda

I've stocked up on Dropps when they were on clearance and registered for lots of Baby OxyClean as I have all the other ingredients for the detergent on hand.

Now...what about wipes?

At first, I planned to stick with disposable wipes. But then... I changed my mind. If we are already doing laundry every other day for the diapers, we might as well have cloth wipes and throw them in with them as well.

BumGenius has their own brand of flannel wipes that we were able to register for at BuyBuyBaby as well. We have received 2 packs of them so far, so that totals at 24 cloth wipes. As far as getting the baby "clean"... you can either just wet the wipe with plain water, or there are a number of homemade "wipe solutions" to clean em up.

What about diaper rash cream?

Well, from what I've read, babies who are cloth diapered experience diaper rash much less than those in disposables.

When you do need to use rash cream, you cannot use traditional creams (desitin, butt paste, etc.) as these will create a waxy layer on the cloth causing the liquid to repel (not good!).

A few types you can use include California Baby (available at Target and Buy Buy Baby) and CJ's BUTTer.

I registered for some California Baby and ordered a few samples of the CJ's.

The CJ's is awesome because it's not JUST diaper cream. It can be used for all sorts of skin ailments and comes in fun flavors! They smell awesome!

Now obviously, we haven't tried this all out yet but I've done lots of research and can't wait to give it a whirl.

The savings is so motivating and the cute little fluffy diapers are inspiring as well.

I will be sure to update you on how the process goes!

Does anyone else cloth diaper or plan to?

I'd love to hear insight!