Baby Worries Us

My wife mentioned yesterday afternoon (a Sunday) that it seemed like Baby hadn't been moving as much the last few days. I recalled that we hadn't seen any stomach punching like the famous scene from Alien, but obviously I’m not as in tune with Baby as she is. Usually when I talk to Baby (up close and personal) I’ll get some poking or movement. So last night, when she was getting nervous, she called me over to talk to Baby. Which I gladly did.

I got a squirmy response (along with a tiny heartbeat, I think), but that wasn't easing her fears. She drank some OJ (per the instructions we’d gotten in class) and called the doctor’s office and they told us an on-call doctor would call us back. Then she laid there for a few minutes while I googled ‘reduced fetal movement’.  One of the results I got discussed how in the beginning of pregnancy, baby movements feel like ‘flutters’. Then they transition into ‘thumps’. But around 28 weeks, the feeling goes back to ‘flutters’. Baby is just running out of room to get a good kick.

Finally they called back and told us to come in and get hooked up to a monitor.

A short, 5 minute car ride later, we were in an observation room. The nurse was pleasant but had hell figuring out where to position the sensors to hear Baby’s heartbeat. She said Baby was moving away from her the more she tried to find the heartbeat. She poked and pushed on my wife’s belly and tried again. Finally she found a nice steady heartbeat. Nothing to worry about. She left the room and told my wife to push a button every time Baby moved. She was clicking pretty regularly. Apparently all the fuss had awakened Baby.

30 minutes later she returned and said how great Baby was. Though we were only 27 weeks along, she said Baby was doing amazing. More like a 32 week old. That’s my baby!

We finally got home and had dinner around 11:00 and watched Big Brother. 

Should Baby Be Vaccinated?

I saw this video recently. See what you think.

If you still refuse to vaccinate your baby after watching this video, I'm at a loss for words as to what to say to you. Actually, I have some very strong words to say to you... I'm just keeping them to myself.

100 Days And Counting!

So we just passed the 100 day mark counting down the days until Baby's arrival. Time seems to have slowed to a crawl for me. I just can't wait! Meanwhile my wife thinks time is flying by. "Only 100 days left! We're not ready!" she exclaims.

Maybe my excitement is due to ignorance. She is much more versed in caring for babies. She knows how they can cry incessantly. How they can keep you up all night. How they make messes in their diapers over and over and over...

I, on the other hand, tend to gloss over all that. I'm thinking about reading to baby, holding baby, playing with baby. All the good stuff. I know in my head that baby will cry sometimes, but I'm not putting too much attention on it right now. What's the point? It's no fun thinking about that stuff.

I just told the people at my work about the upcoming baby and the men pretty much had the same view as me. Sure you don't sleep much after baby arrives. But that's just for a couple months. Then its great.

As far as being ready, before we were even pregnant we painted all the upstairs rooms (where the nursery is) and installed hardwood floors upstairs, too. I've nearly finished changing out electrical outlets to the tamper resistant variety. All that's left is a little decorating: curtains, rug, crib... And we'll be done!

Tips For When Baby Cries

Some of these posts are as much a reminder for me as to help you guys. Here's some good advice I found in the Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy (review to come later).

When baby's crying seems prolonged, run down a simple list (in order of pressing needs) to determine what might be needed:

• Is baby hungry?
• Does baby need a clean diaper?
• Does baby need to be burped?
• Is baby too warm or too cold?
• Does baby just need to suck, whether on a finger or pacifier?
• Does baby need to be moved to a more comfortable position? Is something pinching, sticking, or binding him or her?

If baby is warm, well-fed, and well-rested, try these suggestions:

• Try swaddling baby snugly in a blanket.
• Gently talk to or sing to baby face to face.
• Gently stroke baby's head or rub or pat his or her chest or neck.
• Offer baby your finger or a pacifier to suck on as you rock or rhythmically walk with him or her.
• Use a gentle motion, such as rocking your baby in your arms, walking with him or her against your shoulder, or carrying him or her in a front carrier.
• Play soft music.
• Hold baby tummy down on your lap.
• Hold baby in an upright position on your shoulder or against your chest.
• Put baby in his or her car seat and go for a drive.
• Give baby a warm bath or put a warm - not hot - water bottle on his or her stomach.
• Go outside. Take your baby for a walk in a stroller or a carriage.
• Reduce the noise, movement and lights in the area where your baby is. Or try inducing white noise, such as the continuous, monotonous sound of a vacuum cleaner or a recording of ocean waves. 

And sometimes baby just needs to cry for a while. Give them 10 or 15 minutes, but stay nearby. After they've blown off some steam, try again. If you're lucky, they may just fall asleep.

More Nursery Furniture Purchases

So we found a few more items online that we got for baby. Another rocker ($30) that we thought might go downstairs, a beat up old wooden dresser ($100) that will double as a changing table for us, and a small table to go by the upstairs glider ($15).

My wife spent a Saturday with the garage door open and wearing a ventilator for safety while spray painting the rocker white. Then she cleaned up the dresser for some future project. She's thinking about doing some sort of stenciling on it to pretty it up. The table is a bit rickety, but probably a few brackets or something can make it sturdy again. Then it'll just need some paint or stain to make it nice again.

We're slowly and surely making progress on the nursery. Only the original glider is in there so far, but soon we should be putting the other items in place. We're on pace to be done by November baby arrives, though!

First Birth Class

My beautiful bride and I attended our first birth class at our chosen hospital yesterday. The instructor began by having the women tell how many weeks pregnant they  were, what the sex of their baby was, and if they prefer epidural or not. Most women were for it. A couple were hoping for a natural birth, but were afraid and wanted to learn more about it.

Then the video started. I thought the video was educational and somewhat entertaining. I guess that’s the man’s perspective. My wife on the other hand was quite traumatized. It didn't help that the women in the video did not have epidurals. They appeared to be in a lot of pain. As you would expect. It also didn't help to see what happens when baby comes out. Yikes!

But everything else was kind of cool. There were animations of how baby is crammed into the uterus and how he squirms his way through a canal that seems so unlikely. The whole process is complex, its amazing humans have been as successful as we have.

That was all for the first birthing class. We came prepared with pillows as we were instructed, but they were not necessary. Evidently we won’t need them until the third class. We’re doing one class per week.

Alcohol During Pregnancy

One of the things we really wanted to understand were the risks associated with drinking alcohol during pregnancy. While we are not alcoholics, we thoroughly enjoy alcohol. While sitting on the patio in the evening after a long day at work or to cap off a lazy Sunday afternoon, a glass of wine for my wife and a cocktail for me were pretty standard.

While reading Expecting Better: How To Fight The Pregnancy Establishment With Facts (review here) we learned that at some point during the pregnancy a single glass of wine once in a while was probably ok. But for us, we just thought 'Why take the chance?'. So we elected to not drink at all during her pregnancy.

I agreed to not drink as a way to support my wife. Pay attention Dads. I hear from other Baby Forums that some men don't agree to do quit drinking, and some men agree to it and change their minds at some later date. Because not drinking sucks. I get it. But women have every right to be upset by this shoddy behavior. Breaking a promise is breaking a promise. It isn't cool and it isn't fair.

To be honest, while the initial habit of having a drink after work has waned, I still would rather have a drink than not have a drink. But an upcoming baby is more than enough reason to hold off for a few months. A happy wife makes life easier, too.

If anyone ever reads my little blog, I'd be curious to hear what their thoughts are.

First Baby Furniture Purchase

What I'm about to say probably isn't what most of the experts, or even anyone with kids, would suggest for a first piece of furniture for Baby. Let me say first that I'm generally a pretty easy-going guy. I let my wife pick most of the decorations in our house. I'll throw in my two cents once in a while and she'll try to take that into account if it doesn't completely ruin what she was already planning to do.

The one item I strongly felt would be a good purchase for the nursery was a glider that reclined. I think kicking back after Baby has just nursed and snoozing for a while will be quite convenient for my wife. She didn't exactly disagree so we've been keeping an eye out for a comfortable glider with good back support (for dear ol' dad - I've got a tricky back sometimes) that would recline.

It wasn't exactly planned, but we were strolling around Babies R Us one day and ran across a great rocker/glider. It was pretty pricey. Easily the most expensive thing that will go in the nursery, but I think it'll get a lot of use. And it can always be used in other rooms later so it is multi-purpose.

Wasting Money On Baby

I was getting dressed for work recently and my wife was watching the Today show. Savannah Guthrie was interviewing a guest who had brought a bunch of baby clothes that they were praising as great deals. "Check this one out!" the guest breathlessly announced. "This cute baby outfit normally retails for $73! You can get it now for just $22! You can't pass this up!" Yes, she really seemed to be speaking with exclamation points in every sentence she spoke.

I was shocked by the price, of course. You can see my thoughts on affordable baby clothes and how much should really be spent on them. But I was also surprised at what the Today show thinks is a good deal for the average parent.

I'm sure hordes of sheeple will run out and buy these expensive clothes for their precious babies, but is it really worth it? Can they really afford it? Do they put as much money towards their emergency fund, college fund, or retirement account as they do towards making sure Baby has the hippest clothes?

The Baby Industry is much like the Wedding Industry. Both allow you to spend as much as you want... whether you can afford it or not. Its up to us to be smart. To research costs and products prior to shopping. To think about whether we really need to buy the products at all. Let's face it: the Baby Industry is marketing its wares non-stop. They'll make you feel like you just have to buy Item X or you're a bad parent. Or your child will be dumb. Or fat. Or whatever.

Do your due diligence before you buy your next 'baby necessity'. Keep in mind that you are setting an example for your baby, too. If you spend money frivolously, your child may come to have the same feelings about money.