Baby Bump: Week 30

Feeling uncomfortable, lots of movement, back pain. I am slowing down and tire very easily. Working out isn't as easy as it used to be since I feel heavier and uncomfortable. But it is all worth it!

Papa Bear indulges the Mama Bear's cravings

I had this really bad craving for ice cream tonight. Papa Bear was a good man and went to Coldstones to get me some ice cream. Chocolate Delight was delightful and hit the spot. I am a happy Mama Bear!

Work shower presents

My co-workers are the best!! Look at these wonderful gifts plus the infant car seat and infant carrier (pictures are posted in my previous blog entry). I am thankful for the wonderful people I have in my life. Papa Bear told me that I was very lucky to work with such great people and he is so right!!

Isn't this outfit just adorable? I love the little shoes. This was from my boss.



She has also been giving us many wonderful hand me downs along the way! She is awesome.

My Work Baby Shower

I am so fortunate to work with such wonderful people. My boss and co-worker threw us a great shower brunch. It was really fun to get together with everyone from work outside of the work setting. My boss and co-worker did such a wonderful job putting everything together. It was Papa Bear's first baby shower and he enjoyed it as well. After the shower, he commented on what wonderful people I work with. I am truly fortunate to work with such wonderful people. We are fortunate that Baby Bear will be surrounded by wonderful people. We got some really wonderful gifts.

We got a few things from our registry. A few people went in and got us our infant car seat! Now we will be able to take Baby Bear home from the hospital in about 10 weeks!



We also got one of our carriers.



More pictures to come later.

Week 30: Fuzzy eyes

Baby Bear is about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds. A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in my uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

Also growing daily is her brain, which is actually starting to look like the real thing with those characteristic grooves and wrinkles. Until now, the surface of her brain was smooth. Now that little brain is taking on those characteristic grooves and indentations, which allow for an increased amount of brain tissue as she prepares for life outside the womb.

Our first baby shower gift!!

Yesterday I came home to a delivery on our front porch from Babies R' Us. We received out first shower gift!! It was the Maclaren Quest Sport stroller that we register for! Wow, what a generous gift. It was from my co-worker who is also co-hosting my work shower this Sunday. I am just so surprised that she would get us such a generous gift. I registered for about 8 items that were over $100 and didn't really think that anyone would purchase them for us. We were putting money aside for those larger purchases.

On top of that, Grandma Bear (my mother-in-law) told us that she wants to get us our jogging stroller. I registered for the BOB Revolution. I love this all-terrain stroller and jogger and it was the most expensive item on our registry. I was actually planning on go out this weekend and buy it with some extra money I had made. Plus, Chick's Sporting Goods is going out of business and has them on clearance for a pretty good deal. Now I can use the extra money for other essential baby items on our registry list.

We also received a $50 gift card from a friend for Babies R' Us. I am just in awe of the generosity of people. I am very excited for our first baby shower on Sunday. I am not expecting any large gifts from co-workers, but I am excited to celebrate with them.

Hospital Tour

Tonight we had our hospital tour. It was informative. We now know where we need to go when it all happens. We got to see the delivery rooms and the different options they offer. It is all on a first come first serve basis. Hopefully Baby Bear will decide to come on a day when we can get one of the really nice private rooms. We had the opportunity to see a baby girl in the nursery, she was so cute and adorable. That was great!

Papa Bear told me after our tour that I seem much more pregnant now. I think it made us both realize how close things are coming. It is exciting and scary all at the same time. On the one hand, we can't wait to meet our Baby Bear and on the other hand, we would like her to stay in there and keep on baking.

Next week, breastfeeding class...

OMG! 11 weeks til D-day

So far, I have been really calm and not worried about Baby Bear's arrival. Then it just hit me. I'm in the 3rd trimester and she is due to arrive in 11 weeks (give or take)! OOO-MMM-GGG!!! NOTHING IS READY! I have two showers in the next two weeks, so I have been trying to hold off buying anything we need until after the shower. But I think my nesting instinct has kicked in and I feel the need to get ready!

The house will not be ready before Baby Bear is born and I have come to to terms with that. As some of you know, we have an old home built in 1913. It is the house that Papa Bear grew up in and he has been remodeling the house. It has been a long time now and we had put the remodel on hold after the wedding due to budgetary constraints. With Baby Bear on the way and money saved for the remodel, we had hoped it would be ready in time for Baby Bear's arrival. Papa Bear has been doing it all himself, which saves a ton of money. On the other hand, the life of a contractor's wife has proven that our house is always last priority. When there is work, Papa Bear has to work (especially with the state of the economy and a baby on the way). We are so fortunate that he continues to have work and that it is actually picking up, so I can not complaining. But it is hard on my nesting and planning instincts.

We live in the apartment above our garage and I was waiting for the house until I started to get things ready for Baby Bear. I guess a part of me hoped the house would be ready. Now, it is clear that it won't be and that I have to get the apartment ready for Baby Bear. The apartment has been great for Papa Bear, Chase Monster, and I. Now we have to figure out a space for Baby Bear and adapt. I know it will all work out, but now is the time to start figuring it out. Baby Bear will be small and how much room can a baby take up, right? (I know I might be kidding myself) We will make room and we will make it work, we always do.

I was just looking forward to getting her nursery together. I have these ideas in my head and I can't wait. I know it will all happen in time. I must have patience and we have to stick to our priorities. I have to look at what is most important. The fact that Papa Bear and I both have work and we have a place to live is important, having a healthy baby is important. Compared to some people in this economic crisis we are doing just fine and I have to realize that. Hopefully, my hormones will help me to realize all this.

Week 29

In the third trimester, Baby Bear continues to gain weight, she weighs nearly three pounds now and measures about 15 inches. Over the next 11 weeks, she'll more than double her weight! Which means that as she grows and room in the womb gets tighter, I won't get to feel those big kicks as much, instead I will be getting poked by an elbow or jabbed by a knee. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain.

Thank goodness for health insurance!

Now that I am in the third trimester and entering the home stretch, I want to make sure that I start to have as much together as possible. I called my health insurance provider to verify my coverage and costs for delivery today. I am covered 100% whether I have a vaginal delivery or a C-section. I only have to pay a $50 a day co-pay (with a maximum of $150) while I am in the hospital as an inpatient. If for some reason Baby Bear has to go into the NICU, she is also covered 100% and we would just have to cover the same co-pay for her. I know that having a baby can be very expensive (thousands of dollars!) for those without insurance coverage, so I am very thankful!

I also asked them in regards to child birthing classes and breast pumps to see if it might be covered. It turns out that birthing classes are covered if I get a referral from my primary care physician, so I just will have to give her a call. We would have taken the classes anyways, but it never hurts to ask!

Week 28: Third Trimester

We are in the third trimester, the last 12 weeks of pregnancy. I can't believe how quickly time has passed. It is amazing that in about 12 weeks this little person will be in my life.

Baby Bear is settling into the proper position for birth, with her head facing downward. She's now about 2.5 pounds and almost 15 inches long. She's busy adding new skills such as blinking to an already impressive repertoire of tricks like coughing, sucking, hiccuping, and taking practice breaths. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through my womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world. Her sleep now includes the REM (rapid eye movement) phase — and that means she could be dreaming already. Though her lungs are nearly fully mature, she still has plenty of growing to do. So Baby Bear stay in there until June!!

I raced!

(Blog entry from Sher's Corner)

I did it, I Raced for the Cure yesterday. Thank you to all that helped to support this organization. I raised a total of $905! I never raised that much money for anything. I am really proud of myself for doing so. Baby Bear and I completed the 5K in a little over 52 minutes. Not too bad for being 28 weeks pregnant. We jog a small part of it but mostly walked since the extra weight I have gained makes my feet hurt when I run (it is a sad thing about being pregnant). I am pretty happy that I did this! I was excited to see others jogging with jogging strollers and their babies. Next year, that will be me!!

It was a great event and had a wonderful turn out. I have participated in the Race for the Cure for several years now and I was glad that I was still able to participate and not let being pregnant make me miss out on this. It has been important for me to do this in memory of my sister-in-law.

(I did take a picture but I look so awful in it there is no way I am posting it. Mr. Bear agreed that it wasn't the best picture of me. Oh well next year!)

Maternity Leave

I had been doing research on maternity leave long before I ever got pregnant. For several years, my area of research as a psychologist has been issues around work and family. So maternity leave has been very important in my research. I am fortunate to live in California, which is the first state to offer Paid Family Leave. There are other forms of PAID leave available to Californians, this article gives a great summary of those leave and I will not go over it all here. (It is important to note that much of this only applies if you pay into State Disability Insurance or something similar through your paycheck. Unfortunately, state employees and teachers do not fall into this category.)

It is also important to remember that the information in the article does not talk about job protection. Fortunately, the Federal Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides job protection for up to 12 weeks. It always seems that people often confuse FMLA with many different leave options. FMLA is a federal act not a state act, each state operates differently in what they offer for family leave. So FMLA provides 12 weeks of unpaid leave for the the birth of a child, illness of a family member, or your own illness. FMLA also provides job protection and is often used concurrently with other types of leave such as the leave provided by California. FMLA also depends on the size of your company, it only applies to companies with 50 or more employees.

In addition to FMLA, Californians receive job protection through the California Pregnancy Disability Leave (CPDL) and California Family Rights Act (CFRA). Check out this site for some information. Under California law, the CPDL allows pregnant women to take a pregnancy disability leave if needed during their pregnancy for up to four months due to pregnancy, childbirth, or related conditions. The pregnancy disability leave requires that the position be held during the four months’ absence. It does not, however, require that employer to pay the employee during the four months. CFRA can be used to take additional time beyond the pregnancy disability leave. It provides 12 weeks of job protected leave to bond with the baby after birth.

My Maternity Plan

I am very fortunate that in addition to the leave available to me through disability and California Paid Family Leave, my company provides 12 weeks of partially paid parental leave. That is really generous!! They also supplement the disability pay and company provided parental leave with sick time and/or vacation time. So during my leave I will get 100% pay. Wohoo!

I plan to go on disability, with my doctor's approval, 3 weeks before me due date. So I will be working until May 15, 2009. If Baby Bear is born on her due date, I plan to be out for about 20 more weeks, so until she is about 5 months old. I will return the end of October.

Wait, there is more! The 20 weeks does not include California Paid Family Leave (CPFL), which is 6 weeks of partially paid leave to be used to bond with the baby. CPFL can be used intermittently so it does not have to be used all at once. It just has to be used within the first year of the baby's birth. My plan is to use 1 day a week for 30 weeks and return to work on a 4 day work week for the first year of Baby Bear's life.

I went over my plan with my boss and he was very fine with it and even told me that some of my work can be done from home if I needed to. I love the flexibility of my workplace and my boss!! I feel good with this plan and I feel like I will get enough time to be with Baby Bear. Now I can't wait until May 15th to start my leave!!

Showers!

Last week, I got invitations to two of my showers!!! Yay! My boss and coworker are throwing us a baby shower at the end of the month. They sent out the Evite last week and it is really adorable with baby feet on it.

One of my best friends is throwing a couples shower with our friends the first weekend of April. The invitation is so cute!! I am going to have to scan it or take a picture of it at some point.

I am so fortunate to have such wonderful people in my life. I can't wait to have some fun. I am so glad that Papa Bear is willing to have couples shower, because I am not the only one having this baby. Showers should really be about the parents not just the mama.

Week 27: Grow baby grow

Baby Bear weighs almost 2 pounds and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, her brain is very active now.

Baby Bump: Week 27

The Good

• No stretch marks/spider veins (yet).
• We can see kicks/some movement from the outside. Very cool!
• I feel kicks/movement many times throughout the day. I love this!
  

The Bad

• I have sciatic pain. No fun.
• My ribs hurt.
• My back hurts.
• My feet hurts.

The Ugly (not really ugly just different)

• Stomach looks like a basketball, and feels like one too.
• Belly button has popped.

Prenatal check - 26 weeks: time for class

I had a prenatal appointment this morning. I talked with my OB more about anemia and it is not too big a deal. They just want to prepare me with enough iron for labor when I will experience blood loss. There is no harm to Baby Bear. So that was good to hear. Glucose screening test numbers look good.

All else looks good. I am measuring normal, Baby Bear's heart beat is good and she is moving a lot. Papa Bear asked me to ask about another ultrasound and I will get one later in my third trimester. The OB showed me exactly where my uterus was and I actually was able to feel the top of it.

I have gained a total of 20 lbs!! The OB said that was fine, but I think it is too much. I guess as long as she is not worried about it, I really shouldn't as long as Baby Bear is healthy.

Today I made appointments with the hospital for my hospital tour, infant care class, infant CPR, breastfeeding class, and Lamaze classes. I think I signed up for every class that they offered. What have I gotten myself into? I guess it is best to be as prepared as possible. This just means we are getting closer and closer to having a new baby in the world. Scary but also exciting all at the same time.

Good and bad news

The good news is that I passed!! I got a call from my doctor's office and I passed my glucose test, so I do not have gestational diabetes. That is the good news.

The bad news is that the blood tests showed that I am anemic. Not a huge deal, my doctor prescribed additional iron supplements in addition to what is already in my pre-natal vitamin.

Some symptoms of anemia include:

• being tired
• feeling weak
• pale skin
• palpitations
• breathlessness
• dizziness

These also happen to be symptoms that many women have anyway during pregnancy, anyways. I have been especially tired the last week or so. But then again, I have been working really hard and being pregnant on top of that. The anemia does help to explain a lot. I also have felt dizzy from time to time and felt weak. I all thought it was just a part of being pregnant. Hopefully, the additional iron will help me feel a little better.

Baby Bear should be fine, since she will get her share of iron before I do. But the risks I face from iron-deficiency is a higher risk for having a preterm delivery or a low-birthweight baby. So I will take my iron supplements 2 times a day as I have been told. I will also try to incorporate more foods rich in iron, like red meat, spinach, and dried fruits. I do love a good steak. And this might help to explain why I crave cheese burgers all the time.

Glucose Screening Test

Yesterday morning I went in to get my glucose screening test to test for gestational diabetes. This test won't give me a diagnosis but will determine if I need additional tests for gestational diabetes. I won't find out my results until my regular appointment tomorrow.

Basically I was given a sugar drink that contains 50 grams of glucose. It didn't taste as bad as other people had warned me. It tasted like a very sweet 7-up (I had a lemon-lime flavor). It wasn't bad but it was at room temperature, it might have been a little better if it was cold. After an hour, a blood sample was taken to check for blood sugar levels. (I passed the time crocheting a blanket I have been working on for Baby Bear)

If the reading is too high, which happens 15 to 23 percent of the time, then I will have to do the 3 hour glucose tolerance test to see if I really have gestational diabetes. Hopefully, all will be well. It is not a bad test, it is just that there are other things I would rather do with my time.

Week 26: Look who's looking

Baby Bear's eyes are beginning to open. Her eyes have been closed for the past few months so that the retina could develop. So now she can see what's going on, I don't think there is anything to exciting to see in there. But I hear that we can shine a flashlight at my stomach to see if she might kick in response. We'll have to give that a shot. It is too early to guess the color of her eyes yet, plus her eye color can change in the first few months anyways.

Baby Bear's brain is very active, she can not only hear noises but can now also respond to them. The response occur with an an increase in pulse rate or activity, another experiment to try with her. She is continues to grow and grow and soon will be a little cramped in my oven. So, she will have a little less room for her gymnastic workouts.