Saturday we had our final baby related class – Bring Baby Home.  There was an overview of things to expect and watch for in the first few weeks as well as basic newborn care.

Believe me, practicing on a doll is not quite the same, but at least it gives you a chance to do things properly when you are calm and not scared of hurting the baby.  We got to practice holding for feeding, burping positions, swaddling (burrito!), sponge bathing, and diapering.  Brian has officially put a diaper on something that resembles a baby now! ;)

Then Sunday was my baby shower.  It was simple and fun.  Just the way I like such a gathering!  It is a little strange seeing the nursery full of baby items.  It’s lookin’ pretty full right now with gift bags all over the floor.  I still have to finish taking pictures of the clothes and such that I bought…. now I also have to take pictures of the shower gifts!  Next I need to start washing some blankets and clothes so they are ready for her and put things away in her room.

We do have some necessities that need to be purchased yet, such as:

We received a lot of wonderful gifts, and I appreciate everyone that came! We did get our carseat and stroller – yay! Now Brian gets to install the carseat in his car and go to the police department for a safety check.  We’ll probably have that done in a couple weeks so it is all set in case babygirl decides to arrive early.

We attended our breastfeeding class on Saturday.  We learned some basics about it such as, positioning, latching on, identifying early hunger cues, health benefits, financial benefits, etc.  We also learned about nursing bras, breast/nipple care, pumps, and storage of breast milk.

There was a lot of information and right now that’s what I want.  I’m trying to absorb it all like a sponge.  Brian goes with to learn and help remind me when pregnancy brain hits.  Plus, if I’m feeling overwhelmed after she gets here, he will probably be able to recall things easier than my stressed out, sleep deprived brain.

The idea of a breastfeeding class before having baby might seem odd at first because it’s not like you can really practice until the baby is born.  But, knowledge is power.  The more I know about options, resources, and what I might need help with …. the better prepared I am.  It’s very important to me to breastfeed babygirl, so I don’t want to get frustrated and give up right away.  
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Today was a very long day.  It’s not easy to go to work and do all that is needed to be done on a Monday when super exhausted.

I didn’t sleep well at all last night.  It’s the worst night of sleep so far this pregnancy.

I went to bed around 10:30pm and was up at least 3 times by 3am, and then a few more times after that.  For one thing, I was very warm.  I’d wake up all hot and uncomfortable.  It was hard to sleep with my pillow between my knees because it made my legs hot, but it was uncomfortable to remove it.  I thought about moving to the couch in the living room, as that room seemed a little cooler when I wondered about getting a drink of water and wondering how I was going to get any sleep.  But, since I had to be up for work, I didn’t make the switch in the middle of the night… it would have been too much work to deal with making sure I had an alarm clock in the living room that I would hear.

The other part of my restless night was babygirl.  She was moving and kicking strongly enough to wake me up!  I mean, it was awesome that during the day on Sunday Brian was able to finally feel her kick…. but I didn’t think that’d mean she’d keep me up all night!  As I first was dozing off, she was moving and rockin’ my belly that I think she rocked my body because I woke up startled – I thought I was rolling off the bed.  Boy, was she active throughout the night though.  I suppose it’s not a new thing, I just didn’t feel her as easily as I do now.

I managed to catch a nap before my evening snack, and hopefully I’ll be able to sleep better tonight.  I know sleep is supposed to be a bit more difficult in the 3rd trimester, which I’m fast approaching… but I figured it’d still be all right for at least another month!

It’s normal to have worries and fears throughout pregnancy.  Especially as a first time mom, there’s a lot of unknowns out there.  I do know that some of the things I’m fearful of or worry about are out of my control, some are in my control, and most things will work out just fine.

But… I can’t help but think about them here and there.

Especially when I’m having an emotional roller coaster of a day.  Sometimes it comes out of seemingly no where!

I developed this list when responding to a thread in one of the birthclub groups I’m a part of on Babycenter.  It felt kinda good to put the list “in writing” so these fears aren’t just aimlessly bouncing around in my head.

I’m afraid I’ll struggle with breastfeeding.

I’m afraid of any risks and complications associated with me having gestational diabetes and how it could negatively affect babygirl.

I’m afraid I’ll be laid off around the time I start my leave which will mean I can’t use sick time to pay for most of it and also means Aflac short term disability won’t kick in (contract is up at that time so depends on all that stuff).

I’m afraid we won’t be able to afford daycare and that I will have to settle for one that makes me nervous.

I’m afraid I won’t want to go back to work but won’t be able to afford being a SAHM.

I’m afraid of SIDS.

I’m afraid I’ll back off too much in an effort to not appear OVER protective and someone will do something stupid that will hurt her – like drop her on her head or something.

I’m afraid that I’ll pick and choose the least effective combination of advice and methods.  There is SO much information out there on how to care for a baby; how to feed them; how to get them to sleep; how to respond to them…. and a lot of conflicting information.  But even conflicting information doesn’t really sound like one way is harmful or better than another.  It’s a lot to sort through.

I’m afraid… I am going to stop my list there.

Courtesy of Paul Mayne @ Flickr

There were two girls I used to care for a lot back in the day.  The first girl, I started watching soon after I was Red Cross Certified and she was a toddler.  Then, when her sister was born, it was kinda cool watching them as they grew…. I was their primary baby-sitter for several years.  I’d watch the girls occasionally throughout the school year.  During the summer, their mom would work (she usually stayed home during the school year or would alternate her schedule with her husband’s) and I’d watch the girls for roughly 8 hours Monday through Friday during my summer vacation.

Sometimes I wish there was a better way to practice for a coming baby.  Sure, I used to babysit a lot when I was younger, but stopped doing that when I was about 15-16 years old…. It’s been awhile…

Dolls

In my human sexuality class in college, each of us were required to check out a baby… doll.  It ran a program with a few different schedules.  The doll would cry, and to make it stop, you had to insert the correct key for affection, feeding, or diapering.  We had to record what time the baby cried and which key was the right one.  The doll also had sensors so if you bashed the forehead or held it upside down, it would alert child abuse.

I actually was very good – getting the right key the first time, every time.

But really, it wasn’t realistic to me.

Then there’s classes that teach you how to properly diaper a baby, using a doll.  Sure, that’s good practice for someone who’s not familiar with how a diaper works…. but what baby lies perfectly still during a change?

Other People’s Kids

I love how people will propose that taking So & So’s kids for the day/night/weekend/month is “good practice.”  In my opinion, not really.  I mean, it can give you a glimpse of issues that may arise, but it’s still not the same.  I don’t know about you, but even if I’m very comfortable with the people I’m around, I’m always a bit wary of doing/saying something not quite right with their kids… because they aren’t my kids.  I was probably about the most comfortable handling my first nephew when I was younger because he was definitely family.

Then, there’s the issue of just suddenly taking care of a *insert age here*.  That isn’t good practice for a newborn and it doesn’t allow for the growth and adjustment of parenting through the ages.  At least, I tend to think our style and comfort would grow along with our children.  But what do I know? This is my first!

There’s also the behavior bit to factor in.  Some children are incredibly well behaved when their parents aren’t around while others will take advantage of testing boundaries and manipulation.

And finally, you know you’ll be able to give this one back.  If they won’t listen to you at all, it’s only a matter of time before they go back to where they came from!

Cats – The Extreme Solution

While I don’t believe any of our 3 cats really provide any good practice for childrearing, I think they could come in handy.

Courtesy of Ex.Libris @ Flickr

Remember how I said diapering a doll is unrealistic due to the stillness? Well, the other extreme would be a super wiggly cat that would try to escape.  Try putting a diaper on them – heck, dress them in an outfit too!  Can you do it without them getting away or falling on their head?  I wouldn’t suggest trying to bathe them though, that may result in some serious injuries.

If you are a first time mom-to-be, how are you preparing for the ins and outs of baby care?  If you have children, how did you prepare?  Did it help or was it nothing like the real thing?

Dear Baby-on-the-way,

Your presence has become more well known to me as I feel you moving around.  Little bumps, pokes, ‘n prods that sometimes take me by surprise, yet comfort me.

Lots of change has happened already as we anticipate your arrival later this year.  Some of those changes have been uncomfortable and difficult, but necessary in order to best ensure your health and safety.

I hope that someday you will appreciate and understand just how much I care… it’s not always easy to put someone you’ve never met before yourself.  But, you are that special.

Love,
Mommy-to-be