Sleeping in the Crib

So its unbelievable,  but our daughter actually sleeps in her crib now. She would only sleep in her swing at night. I would get her to fall asleep with it swinging, and then after she fell asleep I would turn it off.  I would always try to get her to sleep in the crib but it would never work for me. I would rock her to sleep in my arms, but the minute her back hit the crib mattress she woke up crying and screaming.  So of course I would just cave in and take her to the swing and let her sleep there.
I would talk to my other friends and they all had their babies sleeping in the crib.  Most of them had tried the cry-t-out method.  I was starting to feel that it was very necessary to get Aubrey to sleep in the crib.  Not only because she was getting older, but we really needed to get her swing out of our room and to maybe try to get her on a schedule as well.  She seemed to be starting to sleep about 6 hours without waking up, so that was a plus.
I, of course, Google'd "getting your baby to sleep in the crib", and came across Baby Center's literature about the subject.  I read many comments from other moms who was in the same boat as me.  Some actually slept in car seats at night. I started to not feel so terrible for letting her sleep in the swing.
Then I saw the pediatrician for her 4 month check up, and I was informed that she really should be sleeping in her crib.  It was kind of like when a parent is disappointed in you feeling.  I started to really feel bad that I didn't try harder to get her to sleep in the crib.
So this is what we did to get her to sleep in the crib.  Now this is just what worked for us, however I know every baby is different.
Since she loved the swing, we put her swing in her room.  We turned on the sound machine and the humidifier (both very loud) and we had her fall asleep in the swing in her room.  I realized that she never really spent much time in her room other then for diaper changes, so I knew we needed to get her to feel comfortable in her room and that getting her to fall asleep in there, whether it was in a swing or not, was important.
Once she fell asleep in the swing (we made sure she was in a deep sleep), we then moved her into her crib.  We did that for a couple of nights and then I would just nurse her to sleep, and she would go right into her crib and sleep.  In the middle of the night when she would wake for feedings, I would nurse her, and put her back in the crib and she would immediately just fall right back asleep.  She actually really loves her crib now.  I go in to get her in the mornings and she is kicking her feet around and making baby noises and having a great time!
I will say that she doesn't nap very well yet in her crib and I still sometimes have to use the swing for naps during the day.  However I am very happy that we didn't have to do the cry it out method to get her to sleep in the crib!
Hopefully this will help any of you out there with the same problem!
Goodnight!!

Nap troubles

So my soon to be 3 month old has really been resisting her naps lately.  Yesterday she didn't nap at all.  And when I do finally get her to fall asleep, she wakes up 30 min later crying with a gas pain.  I pick her up and burp her and she lets a good burp.  She also seems to be getting worse with her sleep schedule.  She used to sleep a solid 5 hours through the night, and now she is up every 2-3 hours to eat.  She may be going through a growth spurt, I am not sure, but she has been doing this for a couple of weeks now.  Does anyone else have this problem?

The Waiting Game!

I am 39 weeks and 4 days.  I am still only 1 cm dilated, which I have been that way for about 3 weeks!!!!! grrrrr!!!! I feel as though my sweet Aubrey is just happy and comfortable in there and no plans to come out soon.  The doctor wants me to come in on Monday for a sono to check the baby's weight and how she is doing and they will decide on Monday whether they will induce me on Tues or let me go until 41 weeks.
One thing I am surely over in this pregnancy, is the increased anxiety I noticed I have been experiencing.  For example, yesterday at my doctors appointment, I kept getting hot flashes.  I also had MAJOR anxiety the whole time I was speaking to my doctor.  My face was beat red, I felt like my whole body was red in hives, and I was sweating like crazy.  I am so over that!!

Well I am extremely exhausted, I only get about 5 hours of sleep a night and work full time, so that is all I am going to write for now.  My last day of work before maternity leave is tomorrow so hopefully I will catch up on blogging then.
I do fully plan to blog frequently once Aubrey is born.  I want to be able to share all of her firsts with you all!

Good night!!!

Pinterest Recipe!

I found this yummy recipe from Pinterest and decided to try it out for dinner.  It was super easy to make (this coming from someone who typically can not cook for the life of me).  For the grilled chicken, I squeezed lemon juice on it and added pepper.  It was a great combination, and wasn't a heavy meal.  It filled me up, but the sauce for the penne wasn't too thick and filling.  Here is the recipe. Enjoy!! :)
p.s-my picture representation isn't nearly as pretty as on the website with the recipe!

DIY Head Bands

So, I absolutely LOVE pinterest, and while I was on there I found this great tutorial on how to make little girl head bands with felt flowers.  It seemed like an easy enough project for me to attempt, and I liked the step-by-step instructions in the tutorial.  So I wound up giving it a try this weekend, and here is how they turned out!  They were super easy to make and very inexpensive.  I did do a practice flower before I started, and the flower does take a little practice to make it look how you want it to.  I also used a 5th flower cut out at the end instead of only 4.  I also bought everything needed to make this at Joann Fabrics.  The elastic band came in a pack of 2, and the felt squares were so inexpensive.  Here is the link to the tutorial. Hope you enjoy!

Cesarean vs. Vaginal Birth

When I first got pregnant I remember telling my mother-in-law that I hope I can have a c-section and not have to give birth vaginally.  Boy, have my thoughts changed completely!  I was very naïve in the thinking that a c-section was the way to go.  What changed my thoughts?  Research! 

I was bored one day at home, and wanted to watch something on my apple tv that was baby/pregnancy related.  I found this documentary called The Business of Being Born, by Ricki Lake.  I thought it appeared interesting, and decided to watch it.  The documentary shows several women doing home births naturally, instead of going to the hospital.  In the documentary Ricki Lake discusses how she felt cheated in her birthing experience at the hospital.  She feels as though she was pushed into having a c-section when it wasn’t really necessary.  She felt robbed of the birthing experience.  In the documentary she shows statistics on the amount of c-sections being done, and the most frequent times they are done.  Clearly, it is more beneficial for doctors to have a c-section, then wait the grueling hours with the mother until the baby is ready to come out.  Majority of women that were given pitocin to induce their labor (pitocin can also be used mid labor), wound up having to have a c-section.

What is pitocin?  Pitocin is a synthetic form of oxytocin(http://www.childbirth.org/articles/pit.html). Oxytocin is a natural hormone produced by a woman’s body. Pitocin is used to induce labor or increase the strength of contractions.   The important thing to know is that contractions induced by pitocin are different from your body’s natural contractions in strength and effect.  The induced force of the contraction from pitocin may decrease uterine blood flow, therefore also reducing oxygen to the baby.  Fetal distress is more common with pitcoin use and you will continuous electronic fetal monitoring.  There are several risks for the mother and baby when given pitocin, you can read them here, http://www.childbirth.org/articles/pit.html.

Many women are eager and anxious to be induced, which is understandble.  They are ready to meet their little one.  However being induced, may result in a c-section.  I want to list some of the risks of having a c-section.  I got this information from http://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/cesareanrisks.html.  The risks include, infection; hemorrhage; injury to organs; adhesions; maternal mortality; risk of additional surgery, ect.  The important thing to realize is that having a c-section is a MAJOR surgery.  I think our society has become so socially accepted to planning our c-section’s, that they forget what a major and dangerous surgery this really is. 

Of course having a vaginal birth is no walk in the park either.  There are also risks to vaginal births, though not as severe, but they should be mentioned as well.  I got this information from http://www.childbirthconnection.org/pdfs/cesareanbookletinsert.pdf.  The risks include painful vaginal area; bowel problems; sexual problems; excessive bleeding; tearing; hemorrhoids.  Even though there are risks to having a vaginal birth there are also benefits.  Tonight I found one from Baby Talk magazine.  A vaginal birth exposes newborns to bacteria that help build their immune systems.  Other benefits include: babies born vaginally have a lower risk respiratory problems, the passage down the birth canal stimulates the baby’s cardiovascular system, babies receive protective bacteria which is crucial for developing a balanced immune system, and babies also benefit from hormonal surges which results in them being more alert and able to connect with their mothers at birth.  The list goes on and on about the increased benefits to a vaginal birth, you can find the rest of the information here: http://www.pregnancy-and-giving-birth.com/vaginal-birth-benefits.html.

Now knowing the risks and benefits I feel I am able to develop a birth plan of having a vaginal birth.  However, I also know that there are certain risks where you will have no choice but to have a c-section.  Some of those risks are if the baby is breeched or if the umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby.  In that case the safest delivery for the baby and the mother is having a c-section and I am fully aware that that can always be a possibility and to be open to having a c-section for those reasons.  I just want for mothers to do their research before allowing the doctor to induce them. 

Coupon Savvy

With a baby on the way, I have learned that I need to start being smarter with my money.  That's always easier said than done.  Every little bit of saving helps though, and if you can save big, its totally worth it.  Lets face it, having kids is not cheap!  Between the stage I am at right now, with planning for a baby and buying all the necessary things that you need, ie. the crib, changing station, pack and play, diapers, bottles, and more, and then the stage of when they start school and all of those expenses, having a child (or more) isn't cheap! So saving money on other places that you can, like food, is a PLUS!  A couple of years ago when my husband and I were living down south, my sister-in-law showed me a money saving site.  It works really well if you live in the south and can shop at Publix (which I miss so so so sooo much!), however now that I live up north, I find myself still finding awesome coupons and deals.  So I wanted to share this site with you: www.southernsavers.com. 

You can also like her facebook page which is great for seeing updates on your news feed of the current deals she has.  One deal that I am excited to use it the 50 free prints from Shutterfly.  I already have a shutterfly account, but my husband doesn't :) 

Hope you enjoy the site! :)