28 weeks – Baby KERF

28 Weeks: Dress Me Up

Maternity clothes are a dream come true. Why aren’t all clothes this comfortable and adjustable!?

I went to Motherhood Maternity this week in search of a dress for my cousin’s wedding this weekend. I pull dresses off the rack with low expectations of them fitting well or making me look like anything other than a person in a cloth sack. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable I felt in the dresses – both mentally and physically.

You would think that the only difference between maternity dresses and traditional dresses is extra fabric over the stomach. However, what I noticed was that they all had STRETCH in the RIBS. Most of my traditional dresses do still fit over my bump no problem, but they are all tight in the bust/ribs now. Probably from my barrel chest growth! These dresses fit over the head without a zipper yet the belts and elastic fit nicely to give me a waist – whatever kind of waist you can call your ribcage : )

Here are the three dresses I brought home:

Flowers for my cousin’s wedding tomorrow and my Hillsborough shower

Summertime knit for the rehearsal dinner (and maybe my Cville shower!)

Black lace with leather belt for miscellaneous occasion – a few “family of 2” date nights?!

I didn’t buy this one that I felt tugged in the wrong places:

And I would have bought this if I had wanted to spend more money, but I decided 3 was enough:

My other to-do on this trip was to get a few nursing items for the first few weeks. I know, I know – wait to buy nursing bras. But I have to have SOMETHING to wear in week 1 and 2 and I know I will not want to go shopping quite yet! I plan to go back sometime in the first month to get a nice supportive official fitted and sized nursing bra or two, but today’s trip was just something to wear so that I am not braless for 2 weeks! (I am someone who almost always wears one…especially if we have company!)

Bras were buy-3-get-one-free so I picked up three of these sleep nursing bras – the kind you just push to the side. I bought mediums and there is room to grow! I hope to wear these for lounging, in the hospital and maybe during labor!

I also bought this stretchy sports-bra style one that clips down. This might be my training bra for going out of the house before it’s time to buy a real supportive one. I was surprised that the S/M fit me – but also, plenty of room to grow!

I tried on a few of Motherhoods build-in-bra tanks, but I found them to be less supportive and not quite big enough on top, so instead I bought two of these tanks:

The top is super stretchy and you just pull it down. I imagine they’ll be good for hospital/lounging at home too. Cute enough I might even wear them this summer!

I have gone on 3 shopping trips for maternity clothes – one for jeans and a few tops in the first trimester, one for lots of cheap summer clothes (shorts and tops) in the second and this one for dresses and nursing gear in the third. I’m pleased to consider myself done with maternity shopping and have been happy with my wardrobe options. Not sick of anything…yet!

I probably spent about $500 total on clothing. I would have loved to borrow some from a friend, but I never got any offers, and my one experience shopping for second-hand stuff was quite disappointing – I could sense that all of the clothes had been worn over and over and over and were really tired looking and smelly. But sometimes you can hit a jackpot! I do consider these purchases to be “needs” more than “wants” and hopefully I will wear them again if we’re lucky enough to have a baby #2! I better not be in the complete opposite season next time…!

My favorite maternity items are my ribbed tanks from Old Navy – I wear them every single day! Under clothes, to bed, to workout and now that it’s summer – as a stand-alone tank. I love having so many colors to choose from and am glad my favorite item was the most inexpensive.

What was your favorite piece of maternity wear?

PREVIOUS 28 week posts

Snapshots

Hospital Tour of Martha Jefferson

Book Worms

Two Kicks At The Same Time

Cute Finds

PREVIOUS WEEKS

28 Weeks: Cute Finds!

A bunch of really cute things I’ve stumbled upon recently : )

Uncommon Goods Fruit Rattles

ThePoshPeaBoutique’s Cute Chevron Bibs!

With matching burp cloths!

Vital’s Bike Onsie

Carousel Designs Crib Bedding

JolieBerry’s Chevron Shoes + Tie Onsie

LittleBabyBumbleBee’s Chevron Onesie Stickers

Land of Nod’s Bucket of Burp Cloths – Lions!

LastEarth’s Camera Onsie

13days “How I Roll” Bike Onsie

And perhaps my favorite….BisonBooties’s Chevron Collection!

Please share more!!

PREVIOUS 28 week posts

Snapshots

Hospital Tour of Martha Jefferson

Book Worms

Two Kicks At The Same Time

PREVIOUS WEEKS

28 Weeks: Two Kicks At The Same Time

[Title a play on Office Space – heh heh!]

I’ve started to notice that some of my kicks are felt at both ends of my torso – suggesting that maybe he’s pushing on one side with his feet and his head is bouncing on the other end! He is getting LONG! It can’t be foot and foot, so it has to be two other kinds of body part! I get most of my kicks on the right side, just under my ribs, so hopefully that means he’s still head down-ish. I also had SO much fun playing with his foot in the middle of the night this week. I’d poke it and it would squirm and we must have done that 10 times! I just love feeling the body parts : )

One unexpected change this week: I’m getting wider! Not so much in pure weight gain way, but a structural way. I think the width of my uterus is going beyond my ribs and I feel like a barrel! Some women look pregnant from the back and others you can’t tell at all, but my guess is I’m going to get wider before this is all over. A slightly unpleasant side effect of this widening (I think my hips are wider too!) is that some of my clothes don’t fit as well as they used to – particularly my favorite first trimester maternity low-band jeans. And a few of my athletic shorts. I wonder if the widening has to do with the horrible chest pain I had in the middle of the night on my trip to Seattle this week?

Excerpt of the event:

I woke up this morning, tried to roll over and was paralyzed by a sharp, tearing, popping nerve-like pain in my upper abs – just under my ribcage. I’m telling you, when pregnant you just never know what your body is going to do next! The pain was gone in an instant and the spot is just slightly sore now. After some 5:30am research, I think it’s either muscle or nerve stretching/compression related to having a small torso, going through a growth spurt (my belly button looks weird overnight!), possible ab separation (which is apparently very common) and standing too much yesterday.

I have also noticed a new level of inability to bend over. Trying to reach my carry on bag on my flights this week was hard, and tying my shoes is even harder!! I’ve started tying them on the sides – since it’s hard to reach without holding my breath otherwise. Lastly, I normally get dressed standing up (one foot in shorts, other foot in shorts) but I’ve noticed that even this is becoming a challenge. I think it’s a combination of bendability and center of gravity shift. Sitting down to put on my clothes is annoying, but it’s probably my best option from here on out (don’t want to be falling over and getting stuck in my shorts!)

I’ve developed the lovely habit of rubbing my belly. I now know why women do this – it’s because I think the baby can feel it! I want him to know I’m there, and rubbing him makes me smile. I don’t really know if he can feel me or not (probably only when I poke him!) but I like to think he is comforted by the rubs.

Similar to the rubbing, sometimes I like to just hug my belly! It really feels like I’m hugging him. This is hard to describe, but for so long I felt like the baby was just a floating organ in me – part of me. I now feel like he is his own person and he’s just sitting on the other side of this human wall. If only skin were clear we could start playing together! I really want to know what he does in there all day long. I like to pretend he has a schedule “First I’m going to take a nap, and then at 9pm, I’m going to wake up and do my stretching exercises, and then perhaps an amniotic fluid snack!”

Both Matt and I agreed that we are mentally picturing him like he is ready to come out. Obviously we want him to stay in for another 12 weeks, but we picture him as a real little baby, just waiting on the other side rather than a tiny wrinkled 28-week old (although I hear his fat is filling in now!). I can’t even imagine how much bigger I’m going to get before he is really a full-term little baby!

[Note how much more my stomach sticks out when I put my hands behind me and my posture changes!]

My biggest downs this week are still lots of glut muscle ache, mostly at night, and mostly in my home bed! Perhaps the mattress is too squishy here. It’s not sharp painful like my back was, but more of a dull bothersome tired ache that needs immediate stretching. Like a headache that won’t go away. My SI joint is feeling great – perhaps from the vacation! And that tearing, muscle pain – my doctor said was my upper abs separating and totally normal and my doula says is my fascia pinching a nerve. I’m more inclined to believe it’s fascia since it was an electric nerve zing and not so much a muscle pain. She told me to stretch my chest open frequently and not to hunch over – which is what I had done the entire flight the day before the nighttime pain happened – as that tends to make it worse.

30 weeks is just around the corner….and I can’t even believe it.

PREVIOUS 28 week posts

Snapshots

Hospital Tour of Martha Jefferson

Book Worms

PREVIOUS WEEKS

28 Weeks: Book Worms

As much as I love the idea of reading, I wouldn’t call myself a reader. I find it kind of hard to sit still and focus for more than 20 minutes or so at a time. I’d much rather read a fiction book with a great plot, watch a documentary or listen to a pregnancy podcast than devote a few hours (days?) to reading a non-fiction book from cover to cover.

However, I also want to sponge it up with information before the baby comes, as I’ve heard that once he is here I won’t have time for reading! Many moms have told me to read the books now – even the ones about the months beyond newbornhood.

I don’t believe that parenting is entirely intuitive. Some parts definitely are, but others require having a strategy and being informed. I’ve heard over and over that breastfeeding isn’t as natural as one might think, for example. I asked a child development counselor if she thought parenting is more intuitive or learned and she said absolutely learned. That it takes practice and education. So I want to read up as much as possible. The problem is finding the will to do so before a situation arises so I feel prepared and not overwhelmed at the time. It was always hard in college to do the reading before attending the lectures…

The following are books that I have in my possession that were recommended to me to read. Honestly, I’ve only read half of Ina May – and I haven’t touched the rest! I only have one trimester left, so I better get going. I’d love to hear your thoughts on these books and others you found invaluable during your parenthood education (or lack there of!) There are SO many books to choose from out there, and so many different views on the subject. What should I read and what is better to brush up on but not pour into?

Ina May’s Guide To Childbirth

LOVE this book. Ina May totally boosted my confidence in my body. Every pregnant woman should read it. So much good mental stuff plus lots of great physical information too in the second half. I’m packing this in my hospital bag for some read-aloud motivation!

Womanly Art of Breastfeeding

I have heard this is the best of the best when it comes to understanding breastfeeding.

No Cry Sleep Solution

I listened to this podcast and this book was recommended. The information in the podcast was incredibly informative, and I imagine the book will be too.

Bradley Method

I wanted to read a book on natural childbirth, so this was the one I chose (in addition to Ina May). I haven’t even cracked it open, and I’m not sure how it will apply to our situation since we haven’t taken Bradley classes. I imagine I’ll focus on the techniques and skim the rest.

Happiest Baby On The Block

I’ve heard tons of women recommend this. I also have the DVD to watch!

What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children’s Vaccinations

A friend recommended this to me. It’s written by a doctor and she said it was a great middle-of-the-road, informative read.

Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense

This was recommended by the same child development counselor as the ultimate “food rules” book for parenting. What I know about its contents makes a lot of sense to me [see this post for more info]. I should read it now…but will probably save it for solid food introduction era.

PREVIOUS 28 week posts

Snapshots

Hospital Tour of Martha Jefferson

PREVIOUS WEEKS

28 Weeks: Hospital Tour Of Martha Jefferson

Last week we toured the famous Martha Jefferson Hospital! I had never been inside the brand new establishment, but I’ve heard good things about “Hotel Martha.” It was all the buzz last September when the hospital moved from High Street to Pantops – 100% brand new facilities. I really didn’t consider any other options on where we would have our baby since the choices here are Martha Jeff, UVA (which I think is mostly higher risk) and one small birthing center. Most of my friends have all delivered at MJ.

We were very impressed with what we saw. The whole hospital has gorgeous mountain views! It’s a pretty small hospital, especially compared to Carolinas Medical Center where I worked as a dietetic intern, but I really like it. Fits with the small town we live in, and it felt more like a big birthing center to me. Good color choices too – not too much stark white! The décor is beautiful.

The hospital’s Labor and Delivery unit is right on the first floor. There are 11 delivery rooms and then two halls of postpartum rooms, plus a c-section unit and a cute nursery. All are very secure with locked doors and security systems.

Our group was led into one of the delivery rooms. At first I found it scary with the big bed in the middle, but then it grew on me and got cozier. The bed can do all kinds of cool things – from adding a bar to dropping the foot down to make it two levels. There is also a window-bed where Matt can sleep. It didn’t look all that comfortable, but if the alternative is a chair, looks good enough.

The nurse who led our tour talked a lot about skin to skin, breastfeeding, and labor and delivery as natural not a disease. It was all great to hear. She ALSO clarified that the c-section rate for first time c-sections is 17%!!!! That means that the 34% stat we heard in childbirth class included repeats and other confounders. 17% is great news. She said the doctors here compared to other hospitals where she has worked are very patient.

Another FYI: photograph is fine but videos are not allowed : ( Such a bummer because I would LOVE a video of my birth (for my own personal viewing)

Check out the bathroom!!!! I so want to get in that tub. I hope I am able to!

We wrapped up the tour in the postpartum rooms, which were much smaller, more standard hospital rooms (but thankfully were all singles). The bathrooms were nice, and the whole hospital has free wifi! The bed is also supposed to be much more comfortable in there. I tested out the pillows and they were pretty fluffy!

After our group split, Matt and I checked out the cafeteria in honor of dietitians and food service experience! Plus it’s where Matt will likely eat meals : ) Looked really nice – whole wheat pizza crust and a big salad bar!