Yay heartbeat!!

Our guy hovered around 140-150 for added wives tale goodness.

2/10/2012 2:37:56 PM

he couldn't actually get a rate with the doppler thing; the beat was too faint for it to detect consistantly, but 120-130 was his estimate.

2/10/2012 2:39:57 PM

We go back for another ultrasound on Valentine's day!

In the 3rd trimester now... it's happening so quickly!!! (i mean maybe not from her perspective!)

2/10/2012 2:44:20 PM

HIVES ALL OVER

2/13/2012 8:20:54 AM

Rosacea! It's a boy

At least that's what happened to my friend, and her OB told her it was common for women carrying boys.

2/13/2012 8:23:01 AM

It's definitely hives. It's on my jawline, forehead, scalp, chest, & now back. It itches like CRAZY! It started yesterday. Mom insisted I take some Benadryl, which I just did, so I'm waiting to see if I'll still be functional once it's in my system (makes me really sleepy usually).

But if that means it's a boy, then we've got 2 old wives' tales pointing that way

2/13/2012 8:40:18 AM

As a naturalist and a rationalist, I hope you have a girl. (but really I hope you have whatever you prefer )

2/13/2012 9:46:09 AM

yeah i put no stock in old wives' tales. they seem to be EVERYWHERE once you get pregnant though. everybody knows of one or two. we're actually slightly pulling for a girl but will be perfectly happy with just healthy.

2/13/2012 10:29:10 AM

Iirc y'all aren't finding out the sex at the 20 wk sonogram, correct?

2/13/2012 12:04:59 PM

correct. we will not know until it pops out in august.

2/13/2012 1:16:24 PM

i couldn't stand to not find out... Just having one name battle instead of two makes it worth it.

2/13/2012 1:27:06 PM

I know it's not for everyone, but it was a lot of fun not knowing. Justin really enjoyed delivering the news to family in the waiting area. Also, it made those last few weeks of pregnancy bearable bc there was still the excitement of "boy or girl" in the air as well.

So 73, since you won't know either, I hope you have just as much fun as I did keeping a mental tally of what complete strangers would guess

2/13/2012 1:55:31 PM

Quote :

"Just having one name battle instead of two makes it worth it."

we're using the same first name, regardless of whether it's a boy or girl, so that makes it easier. we do have to pick out middle names though.

not knowing ahead of time is just how it's always been in my head. so far it's not been difficult at all. it will also keep us from receiving shit tons of pink frilly or blue sports baby stuff. we're not interested in engendering our kids that early. plus i hate pink

[Edited on February 13, 2012 at 2:04 PM. Reason : ]

2/13/2012 2:01:24 PM

You can't escape it. They'll see other girls wearing pink shit and getting nice attention and will naturally gravitate toward pinks and purples. They'll wear a dress one time and note how much attention they get and will always want to wear dresses/sparkly shoes/makeup/etc.

I think the only way to avoid it is to become a hermit.

2/13/2012 2:14:29 PM

^ That's not necessarily true. I don't think I ever owned pink clothes as a kid. I really hated the color pink for some reason. Lots of bright blues and greens in all of my pictures.

2/13/2012 2:19:17 PM

Quote :

"it will also keep us from receiving shit tons of pink frilly or blue sports baby stuff. "

oh man... we are painting our nursery this weekend and one of my friends thought it was weird we were going with green/tan instead of pink.

2/13/2012 2:20:43 PM

^^^i'm not saying the kid can't wear pink or blue, just that i'm not going to have tons/mostly pink or blue things. if the kid wants to wear it, that's fine, but it will be the kid's choice. i'm not painting the room pink, getting a pink stroller/diaper bag/carseat/other baby gear thing, pink frilly bedding, etc etc.

^^on this same note, i didn't like pink as a kid either. mom let me "choose" what color to paint my room when we moved to a new house when i was 5, but she told me that they don't make interior paint in blue or green...so she painted it pink. i wore dresses and played with dolls, but i spent more time in the woods and/or creek building forts & catching crawdads.

2/13/2012 6:36:45 PM

So my sister calls me to tell me that she cant help with the baby because she spent all of her money on her kid's christmas and bday gifts, and wants to get liposuction. WTF?

2/17/2012 6:29:13 PM

^why would you expect your sister to help out with your kid in the first place?

2/17/2012 7:19:40 PM

The woman is taking a pregnancy test when she gets back from Hawaii this Sunday. I am scared and excited at the same time.

If she is...I hope it takes after her. Would be nice to get some Samoan in my gene pool.

2/17/2012 8:37:01 PM

Good luck! Lots of couples get knocked up while away from home!

2/17/2012 8:57:44 PM

lol yeah.

2/18/2012 8:41:58 AM

Quote :

"why would you expect your sister to help out with your kid in the first place"

b/c, I have a combined salary of~25 K with the wife. Her and her husband have a combined salary of ~ 65K, and I just thought that she would want to help out and buy a car seat or diapers or something. Family and friends usually help you out when you are expecting b/c there is just so much to buy.

2/18/2012 12:46:03 PM

are you both in grad school or something??

2/18/2012 1:02:19 PM

I would expect some sort of gift from my brother but not for him to help out financially. To me, "helping out" isn't the same as gift giving. Maybe that's just me though.

2/18/2012 1:15:43 PM

Quote :

"correct. we will not know until it pops out in august. "

Is your HR-OB/GYN at UNC doing the monthly ultrasounds? Make sure they know you don't want to know the sex in advance (although you probably already have told them that) and don't pay close attention because it can become obvious after a few monthly ultrasounds.

2/18/2012 2:00:13 PM

Yea, it's kinda messed up that you would expect your sister to help you out. Its your kid, not hers. If you can't feed them, don't breed them

2/18/2012 2:44:16 PM

Quote :

"Yea, it's kinda messed up that you would expect your sister to help you out. Its your kid, not hers. If you can't feed them, don't breed them"

Dude it's a FUCKING GIFT. Get off of your high horse a think about sharing with others. Don't soap box up this thread

Quote :

"are you both in grad school or something??"

Yes. I will be out next year and I am applying for post docs.

[Edited on February 18, 2012 at 4:49 PM. Reason : df]

2/18/2012 4:33:37 PM

Quote :

"monthly ultrasounds?"

Our doctor only does two ultrasounds. 1 at 3 wks and one at 18 wks.

2/18/2012 4:58:06 PM

Quote :

"b/c, I have a combined salary of~25 K with the wife. Her and her husband have a combined salary of ~ 65K, and I just thought that she would want to help out and buy a car seat or diapers or something. Family and friends usually help you out when you are expecting b/c there is just so much to buy. "

Best advice is don't expect jack from anyone, even gifts. That way, if you get something, it's a nice bonus. If you don't get anything, you're not disappointed. Your sister can spend her money however she chooses regardless of what your family is doing and you really shouldn't hold it against her if she doesn't want to give you more than a onesie, if anything at all.

Quote :

"Our doctor only does two ultrasounds. 1 at 3 wks and one at 18 wks."

This seems to totally depend on your doctor, your insurance, and your medical history. For example, my insurance will pay for monthly ultrasounds if the doctor decides they're necessary. If I was still on my husband's insurance it would only pay for three ultrasounds regardless of what the doctor thinks.

2/18/2012 5:59:10 PM

Quote :

"Best advice is don't expect jack from anyone, even gifts. That way, if you get something, it's a nice bonus. If you don't get anything, you're not disappointed. Your sister can spend her money however she chooses regardless of what your family is doing and you really shouldn't hold it against her if she doesn't want to give you more than a onesie, if anything at all. "

Not to air out my dirty laundry, but she was a teen mom and struggled for a while, and I chose to bail her out several times to get groceries using my own loan money while at State. So, it is a little frustrating that now that she has a little bit of cash that she wont even send a 25$ gift card to our registry. And I came here to vent about it blah blah. Sorry to do it, but I do think that it is a decent thing to give a friend or family member a lil something when they are having a baby.

I really hate having to justify why people dont feel like they should share. But i digress.

[Edited on February 18, 2012 at 6:34 PM. Reason : s]

2/18/2012 6:33:48 PM

Quote :

"I do think that it is a decent thing to give a friend or family member a lil something when they are having a baby. "

I agree. But I also don't expect anything from anybody during traditional gift giving occasions. Some people just aren't going to give you gifts at those things so if you don't expect it you won't be relying on it or disappointed when it doesn't materialize. This rule is also good for relatives who promise you money and then later retract their promise. Don't expect it until it's already in your hand.

2/18/2012 8:43:26 PM

Quote :

"Is your HR-OB/GYN at UNC doing the monthly ultrasounds? Make sure they know you don't want to know the sex in advance (although you probably already have told them that) and don't pay close attention because it can become obvious after a few monthly ultrasounds."

monthly ultrasounds?? what in the world? lol
i had one at 8wks bc i had some spotting. i have another at 18wks, where they would normally tell you the sex. UNC is not my primary OB & isn't doing ultrasounds, but my regular OB knows we don't what to know & we will remind the tech when we go in also. i've only had 1 appt at UNC, which was yesterday actually, & the OB said she doesn't think there's much of any risk for me beyond what a normal woman & baby would face bc i have no symptoms & take no medicine. she actually said i might be able to deliver here in RM.

2/18/2012 9:17:59 PM

i thought about this last night after reading the UNC pregnancy guide book thing they gave me. while it says 2 ultrasounds are standard for their care (and the care at my OB), maybe you had monthly ones bc you had twins + MG.

2/19/2012 9:52:10 AM

Quote :

"Dude it's a FUCKING GIFT."

if it's just a one time gift, then your point is valid. I was thinking about your sister providing for your child.

2/19/2012 10:08:43 AM

Ultrasounds-

Typical for my doctor is one at ~10 weeks and one at Duke Perinatal at 18-22 weeks (where they look at the structures, sex, etc.).

I got an extra one at 14 weeks because there was no heartbeat. Baby was hiding against the bottom of my pelvis and there was no acoustics. Because of the complications I had last time, they auto scheduled me for one at 29 weeks so they can make a decision when they will deliver me. That is in April. There goal is to get me to 35 weeks (which is where I had my son).

The only thing I hate is having monthly blood draws and it switches to weekly when I make it to 28 weeks too. God, I hate going to Lab Corp. They are so incompetent.

2/19/2012 11:30:22 AM

^^^^^^Learn how to coupon-

I have spent around 250 on diapers for my son (plus soon to be little girl).
He is 17 months old. I have about 1500 more diapers and pull ups to get him through potty training and another 1000 in the closet for when this one is born. It might take some work, but my household cost is amazingly cheap. It takes a bit of practice, but it has been a way of life now for 10 years. I haven't paid for Johnson and Johnson body wash, lotion, shampoo, etc. (which is great because with his allergy problems my copay payments are totally using the money saved).

Clothes- People give away free clothes on Craigslist. I sort them and donate what I don't need. I bought lots of clothes in a rubbermaid for $20 and took the UNC and Duke stuff out and sold it separately and actually made a few dollars.


My husband and I make ok money and all of my siblings make more. They all got us a nice gift for my son when he was born (my 4 siblings.....swing, carseat, stroller, and diaper cake) and there is an occasional toy as a surprise for my son. I have my sister couponing for diapers when she goes out and I coupon for dog food (for her). My inlaws live in town and have taken absolutely no interest in being a part of my son's life. I have invited them to the park, museum, to come over, but they are always too busy or tired. So they are not even reliable babysitting. (I would have thought grandparents killed for time with their grandchildren. My parents who live 3 hours away see him WAY more.) So just concentrate on figuring out how you and your wife can best provide for your child. Also, your child won't need half the shit they make you register for....

[Edited on February 19, 2012 at 11:44 AM. Reason : ]

2/19/2012 11:43:13 AM

Cool Thanks!

So she is 41 weeks this Wed and so far has had no trouble sleeping, laying down or eating. aside from the belly it is hard to tell that she is pregnant. Is this a sign that he is gonna come late?

2/19/2012 1:24:41 PM

well, pregnancy is 40 weeks so i'm gonna say he's already late.

2/20/2012 7:54:18 AM

2/20/2012 9:07:09 AM

okay i've had it up to here with trying to find pants i can wear to work. idk who's awesome fucking idea it was to make maternity pants in S/M/L instead of numbers (and therefore more sizes), but i want to murder them. i've NEVER EVER had a problem with pants being too tight at the knees but i can't possibly wear the M maternity pants & the L are made for 8' tall women with giant asses. i am at wit's end right now.

i wear mostly khaki pants to work (nevermind the fact that apparently all maternity khaki pants are that nasty dark british khaki & not bone...i can learn to accept this if i can just find ones that fit). target has a couple on the clearance rack but they're either 2s or 16s. i've been to destination maternity at both crabtree & streets at southpoint, old navy, multiple targets, jc penny, sears, belk, macy's, and h&m. they don't have to be khaki, but dress slacks are too dressy.

please help

2/20/2012 9:35:26 AM

Quote :

" well, pregnancy is 40 weeks so i'm gonna say he's already late. "

I had it wrong, she is 39. Goes to show how much I know.

2/20/2012 12:56:29 PM

Quote :

"monthly ultrasounds?? what in the world? lol "

Ah, I thought UNC had slotted you into the high-risk clinic like my wife was. Our HR OB/GYN did monthly small ultrasounds. It probably varies from OB to OB, but monthly monitoring in the High Risk Clinic isn't unusual.

[Edited on February 20, 2012 at 3:07 PM. Reason : .]

2/20/2012 3:06:48 PM

yeah they had, but they're not my primary care OB so i guess that makes the difference.

2/20/2012 3:18:51 PM

dang i was gonna suggest destination maternity. have you checked on craigslist or ebay?

2/20/2012 3:26:05 PM

i've looked on ebay a little bit. everything's mostly destination maternity stuff. i may just switch to dresses or something, but i can't stand when my thighs touch so that creates another problem.

2/20/2012 4:16:33 PM

^ That's why God gave us pantyhose

2/20/2012 8:51:07 PM

I was at Kohl's this weekend and they had a few on the clearance rack. I actually cannot remember which one I went to (maybe the one on 15-501).......

I find I am all over in terms of maternity sizing between the brands. Google Target coupons and there is a current printable for $3 off a Liz Lange Maternity item if you want to treat yourself to something free off the clearance rack there. I printed 2. After Christmas, I found black pants. You can also try black elastic pants in the old lady section. The girl at work did that because she was smaller and set the elastic to under her belly at the end and with the shirts she chose I thought she looked pretty put together.

2/20/2012 8:53:25 PM

Whoa, just found this thread. I already posted in Chit Chat but we are due March 31st with our first. Having a boy named Jackson Carter.

We have had 5 Baby Showers now and don't know what to do with all the stuff. We are very lucky.

2/21/2012 8:15:06 AM

congrats and good luck! tons of info in here, but ask if you have questions.

My advice: don't listen to people when they say "get some sleep now." You can't bank that shit. Enjoy as much free time as you can now, cause it's going bye bye for a while.

2/21/2012 8:34:12 AM