FYI: Saying I don't look pregnant is not a compliment

All throughout my first pregnancy, people repeatedly told me that I didn't look pregnant. The first few times, it was fine and I thought nothing of it. But it kept happening - even in my third trimester! And no one understood why I wasn't flattered by those statements.

I kept hearing it from my boss, which made me feel like she didn't believe that I actually was pregnant. And when I was about 35 weeks, I volunteered to do a maternity shoot with a budding photographer to help boost their portfolio - and they wanted someone close to their due date. Well, when I showed up, they couldn't hide their disappointment that my belly wasn't massive (but to me, I felt like a whale!)

Well, I thought with my second pregnancy, I'd "look pregnant" much earlier - and to me, I did. I never got rid of my little tummy pooch and grew very early in my pregnancy. However, I still keep hearing "you don't even look pregnant!" And when I try to politely say something to hint to them that I want to look pregnant, or that I don't find that to be a complimentary statement, they go on and ON about why it's a good thing that I don't look pregnant. HA! (One of peoples' favorite reasons is that I can wear regular clothes still. Um... no. Actually, I had to start wearing maternity pants in my first trimester).

I don't know why I don't "look pregnant" to some people. I'm not wearing super tight tops and prefer looser shirts, and maxi skirts, and leggings - it's just so much more comfortable than my maternity jeans. But I think I look pregnant, and I see nothing wrong with that.

Repeatedly hearing that I don't look pregnant has me questioning... is there something wrong with looking pregnant? Are you insinuating that it's better to look flat-tummied than to have a glowing baby belly? I know it's undesirable to look pregnant when you aren't actually pregnant... but what's wrong with looking pregnant when you actually DO have a baby growing inside you?

I love my belly, and I love seeing it grow, because that means that my baby girl is growing too. Sure, there are things I don't like about my belly - like the lovely growth of dark hair that has sprouted in a line below my belly button. And of course there are things I don't like about pregnancy. The heartburn and back pain being the main things. But I love being pregnant.

And I love the way I look. 

True, I may gripe at times to my husband about looking larger or not feeling attractive, but who doesn't? Yet, overall, I am happy in my body. Pre-pregnancy and during pregnancy. And I will aim to love my post-pregnancy body too!

Full-Time Mom, Full-Time Employed and FULL-TIME PREGNANT

I'M BAAACK!
I know my blogging has been slow. (Understatement). I've just been out-of-my-mind busy with my now 2.5 year old, with being a part-time grad student pursuing my MLIS (Master of Library and Information Studies), working full-time at a University Library (and prior to that at a public library and at a daycare), and with our recent move. PLUS, being pregnant of course is exhausting enough on its own.
That's right!! We're expecting baby number two! This wee one is a girl and she is due 2 days before her big brother's birthday! That means that as of this writing, I am about 20 weeks along. Half-way there! This pregnancy is going by so much faster!

Well, I plan to get back into the blogging thing - I have a few posts in mind. To give you some clues and some heads up...

• How to take 6 weeks of leave when you don't qualify for paid maternity leave. (stressful and a lot of planning, to say the least!)
• DIY activity calendar for toddlers, kids, or the whole family. Plus I'd like to have downloadables available...
• Daily routine for a 2-year-old
• Planning for DISNEY WORLD - with a 3-year-old and 8-month-old (next November - I'm so excited!)
• Crock-pot meals and one-pot meals (I've been doing a lot of these since I work nights and am not home for dinner most days. I try and start something before I go to work so that my DH - that's Darling Husband - can just serve it up, or throw everything I've prepped into a pan to make dinner easier on them)

So hopefully, I'll get back into a routine posting schedule soon - so keep on the lookout for some new content! :)

Breastfeeding Clothes: Cute ideas for things to wear when you're nursing

Sure, you could wear nursing camis and tanks - I lounge in them all day. But when it's time to head out, you may want to wear something a little spiffier than a cami that unclips at the breast.

Sure, there are lots of brands that sell cute nursing clothes... but many of them charge an arm and leg! And for some reason, when I was pregnant, I had the strange idea that I could only feasibly wear clothes designed for nursing. It never crossed my mind that I could wear "real" clothes until my mom mentioned something. Ha!

Here's a couple of ideas that never occurred to me until I actually began breastfeeding.

I love this Zenana Outfitters shirt I found on Zulily!

1) Button-down shirts. I hate the standard, stiff kind. So professional and uncomfortable - plus it reminds me of when I was a waitress, which I loathed. But, I found a couple soft jersey-knit kind. They are more flattering, I think, and much more comfortable. Then there are shirt that only button half-way, which will work as well.

Simply Vera by Vera Wang from Kohl's. I have this top and it's very silky soft - a cute lace button-up over a camisole. Plus, the tie belt helps give new mamas a waist!

Forever 21's zip top disguises a tummy nicely.

2) Zip-up shirts. This is a new trend going around, and it's handy for breastfeeding. I have a couple from Forever 21 (though I'm too old for most of their stuff, their line Love 21 is a little more grown-up and I've been able to find a couple good pieces. Plus it's cheap). They are blousy and loose with a zipper on the upper half of the front of the shirt.

Surplice top from Body Central

3) V neck tops. A v-neck that's very stretchy, or a shirt with a very deep V-neck, surplice neckline, or wrap/faux wrap top will allow you to pull it down when it's time to feed the baby.

Old Navy cowl-neck top.

4) Loose, stretchy cowl-neck tops. Same as the v-necks, if the neckline is a bit low and loose and stretchy, then you can pull it down for nursing.











5) Of course, you could just wear any old top that allows you to pull it up from the bottom... but then you're exposing your belly (and what new mom wants that?) They do make nursing camisoles designed to go under your top so no one sees your stomach... but then you're just adding layers and it's June in Southern California so I'm already sweltering enough with just one layer.

Advertisement for Undercover Mama - they sell camis that clip onto your bra and are designed for layering.

This Sun & Moon dress from Zulily has a surplice neckline.

6) Most dresses don't work - you can't pull them up (wouldn't that be a sight!?) But, button-up shirt dresses, or dresses that zip in the front will work. So will stretchy v-neck dresses as well as wrap and surplice dresses. I had no dresses that would work prior to my son being born and since I love dresses, had to go out and get a few that would work.

Dana Buchman snakeskin shirt dress from Kohl's.

Old Navy wrap dress with another nice camouflaging pattern.

7) Now regardless of the type of top or dress you get... make sure it is in a darker shade or has a busier print. Those hide milk stains and leaks a lot better than a solid, light-colored shirt.


Places to look...

It's really best to try on the clothes before you buy them (which I hate doing... I love online shopping). But you have to know if you're going to be able to stretch the top down enough for nursing, or if the zipper or button works the way you want, etc.

I don't want to spend a fortune on clothes that are just going to get breast milk on them and spit up allover. So I like TJMaxx - I was able to find a few maxi dresses that work for nursing (I know I said to try things on first... but you can now shop online!). Also, Zulily (another online shop... but the prices are often very good. Plus they do have nursing bras and tanks from time to time, and though they aren't the height of fashion, they are a necessity for a nursing mama). Old Navy and Kohl's have a lot of button-up shirts and cute dresses. Forever21 is inexpensive and has a ton of clothes. Just steer clear of all the crop tops that they have now. Ick. Body Central's clothing is a bit "spicier" - which means lots of low v-necks and surplice tops. Great for breastfeeding!

I'm sure if you are a currently breastfeeding mom, you've already discovered these clothing options. Hopefully though, this will give some good ideas to new moms-to-be and other women who plan to breastfeed in the future! :)

Ecocentric Mom and Baby Box

I was given Birchbox as a gift maybe a year ago, and loved it. A monthly box containing lots of goodies, samples, and coupons! I sometimes have a bit of a shopping problem and receiving my box in the mail kind of quells the urge to buy stuff.

Then, I started seeing ads on my Facebook for other box subscriptions - like Bark Box with goodies for dogs and Nature Box (both of which I've yet to try). I got a gift subscription to Citrus Lane, which has lots of fun baby goodies every month. Then there's also Bluum box (for kids) and I'm sure plenty of others.

Shortly before my baby boy was born, I signed up for the Ecocentric Mom and Baby Discovery Box. This box comes every-other month and contains stuff for both mom and baby. They also have a Mom box and a Mom-to-be box (goodies for the pregnant bunch). Every time I get a box, I always intend to take pictures so I can post about it... but I rip it open so fast that I only remember once I've eaten the snacks and unwrapped everything and thrown away the box and tags... whoops.

But this time, I remembered!!!

Separation Anxiety: First time away from baby

Many babies, once they reach a few months of age, often experience separation anxiety when separated from a parent (usually Mom). This post, however, is not about baby's separation anxiety, but my own.

I attended a Pregnancy & Beyond Fair a week before Mother's Day and won a free 30 minute-massage, which I had to schedule later. As a Mother's Day gift, my husband scheduled it and extended it to an hour long. I was told to arrive 30 minutes early for a brief chiropractic consultation, and since it was located half an hour from my home, we decided that my husband should come with me to watch the baby. That way, he'd be much closer to me should he get hungry. (He's still nursing about every 2 hours, and the total massage time, plus the consultation and drive would equal 2 1/2 hours).

Baby G slept in the car on the way there, and we hoped he'd sleep a little longer so we just decided that I should go in for my appointment instead of waking him up to feed him. Since he'd only eaten 45 minutes earlier. My husband was planning to push him in the stroller through the shopping center to keep him asleep.

What was strange to me was that I had discussed with my husband the possibility of interviewing babysitters for down the road. Being able to go out for an hour or two for a quick date without baby seemed like a nice idea at the time. Sometimes I feel like just a milk machine and like the baby is just permanently attached to my breast. I can hardly get anything done around the house, and my husband and I can't really cuddle on the couch and watch tv like we used to. So being able to spend an hour or two just the two of us - even if only once a month - at a restaurant or movie theater or even just a frozen yogurt place seemed wonderful.

But then, I was sitting there, in the waiting area, filling out paperwork and started to stress out. The farthest I'd been from my baby since leaving the hospital was about 20 feet. And the only time I wasn't able to really see him or touch him was when I was in the shower. I just kept thinking, "What's going on? What's he doing? How is he? Are he and my husband ok? Is he crying? Is he still asleep?" and so on. I would attempt to calm myself: "He is fine. He's with his daddy. They are okay, daddy knows what he's doing. He ate less than an hour ago, so he shouldn't be hungry yet..." But still... I was experiencing a bit of separation anxiety.

Recalls

So this morning I found an article about a popular toddler toy that has not been recalled despite serious safety concerns and fire hazard. After reading that, I decided to look up other worrisome toys and baby things.


First, here is the hazardous toy that has not been recalled:

Fisher Price Soothe & Glow Seahorse

The article on the fire safety concerns
The article says it is the 7th best-selling toddler toy on Amazon, but as of this writing (March 1, 2014), it is actually the 4th best-selling toddler toy on Amazon.

University of Denver electrical engineering professor Dr. David Gao investigated a toy brought to him by parents and experienced the same problems as many consumers. After putting in new batteries, "the coil began to burn. It turned bright red, smoke poured out of the compartment, and the plastic casing around it began to melt." If left burning to keep going, the battery may explode. "Dr. Gao said the burn risk isn't the only problem. He said the fumes from the melting plastic can be poisonous, and overheated batteries are dangerous, too. He believes the problem with the Soothe & Glow Seahorse is a design flaw that involves the battery coil, metal, wiring, and soldering inside the toy."

Despite at least 10 complaints being filed to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Fisher-Price refuses to issue a recall, asserting that the toy is safe. They have apparently made changes to the design - originally the toy required 3 batteries, now it only takes 2. Dr. Gao says that may help the problem, but the company should still recall the old models and replace them.


Now, onto the items that have been recalled:

Birth Preferences (infographic)

This will be a short post...
I am not going to go into the details of creating a birth plan and choosing what to put on it right now. I just wanted to share a Birth Prefrences infographic that I just created on Easel.ly
I had created my birth "plan" (which is what they're usually called, but you can't always plan for everything and I know you may not get what you plan for... so I use the term loosely) on a word document, nicely typed with a friendly introduction ("We are so excited to be birthing our baby at Mission Hospital!" etc) before going into my bulleted requests for my labor and delivery. My husband did help create it and then our doula looked over it as well to give her suggestions.
Though I still plan to use my typed one, I saw a cute infographic-style birth plan on pinterest (that you could have someone personalize for you on Etsy for $10) and just had to make my own!

Here is the one you can have made for you on Etsy:

And here is the one I made! I actually made two... one with my contact info on it and this one here, which has no name or contact info (for sharing online... don't need my phone number floating around the cyber-universe!) I'm not sure if I will actually use it, but I was bored and enjoy playing around creating different things like this.

 

Happy to hear your thoughts on it!

Thanks for reading!


UPDATE 3/1/14

I edited my birth preferences infographic to be a little more printer-friendly (less color).
There's an open space at the bottom below the feet, that is where I put my name and contact information.

Human Milking and Making Milkshakes: Breast Pumps

So I had my first request for a post... breast pumps! Breast pumps can be very confusing (as are a lot of things you may need for a new baby I have learned!)
So here is my attempt to concentrate the smorgasbord of information out there on breast pumps... from what they are, to whether you may need one, to the different types available, to safety information, to the best selling pumps on the market today...

What is a breast pump?
Simply, a breast pump is a FDA regulated medical device used to extract breast milk from a nursing mother. They can also be used to "maintain or increase a woman’s milk supply, relieve engorged breasts and plugged milk ducts, or pull out flat or inverted nipples so a nursing baby can latch-on to its mother’s breast more easily." (FDA)

Do I need a breast pump?
Whether you are a working mom or a stay-at-home mom, you may find you have a need for a breast pump.

Bamboobies Breastfeeding Lucky Mama Sampler Box

Alright, so I couldn't think of a cute or very interesting title for this post - it's pretty straightforward. lol.
But, I just wanted to share a little about a breastfeeding sampler box I'd read about somewhere (I can't remember for the life of me where I saw it mentioned, but I know it took me forever to find because that site didn't link to it!)
It is a breastfeeding sampler box with lots of nice goodies in it - and for a really good deal!

If you haven't heard of the brand Bamboobies... well, you're about to!

There's a Bun in My Oven! -maybe -I think... I don't know... am I??

So it seems like all women at one point or another ask that question... "Am I pregnant?" They want to know how early they can tell, what early symptoms may give it away - even when it's too early to take a pregnancy test. I know I did!

Unfortunately, (or fortunately I suppose), every woman is different and has different experiences during pregnancy. And while there are some symptoms you may experience early in your pregnancy, the only way to know for sure if you are pregnant is to take a pregnancy test. Don't bother with any of those online quizzes that claim to tell you if you're pregnant just by answering 10 simple questions. They can be fun to take though. If you think you may be pregnant, I'd suggest buying a EPT (early pregnancy test), and while you're waiting for that little blue line (or smiley face or plus sign or a "Pregnant" reading), take a couple of these quizzes and see if any of them were right. Help pass the time - it's like the longest 5 minutes of your life.

Well, here are some of the early pregnancy symptoms you may experience. There is no guarantee you will experience any of them - some women seem to get them all, and some don't get any.

Colostrum: The Original Liquid Gold

Colostrum, or "first milk" or "foremilk" is a milky substance that female mammals (not just humans!) begin producing toward the end of the pregnancy. Some women will begin to notice it in the second trimester, others not til the third, and some mothers will not notice the colostrum until after they give birth. I do not "leak" colostrum as some women do (at least, I haven't yet) but I began noticing it early in the third trimester.

Colostrum is the original liquid gold - the first "milk" your baby gets that is yellowish in color with a myriad of beneficial properties.

It is usually a clear/translucent yellow to orange color and is thicker than breast milk and a little sticky. Small but mighty - it is low in volume but rich in protein, fat-soluble vitamins, antibodies, immune factors, enzymes, and it also has laxative properties which help your newborn expel meconium, their first poop. If you deliver prematurely, your colostrum will contain even more proteins and different fats that are important to premature babies. Colostrum even "seals" baby's intestines, protecting them from bacterial invasion.

Goodness, Gracious, Great Balls of Fire! Heartburn in Pregnancy

So I wanted to write a post for each of many of the pregnancy symptoms and afflictions. I decided to start with heartburn because it's currently tormenting me.

I had never experienced heartburn before in my life prior to being pregnant. And I was a huge lover of spicy and fried foods. Which is really a problem now that I'm experiencing this indigestion. If you are like me, then you may not have known much about what heartburn really was (or felt like) prior to you experiencing it yourself! So I will begin with...

What is heartburn?

Doulas - Who? What? Why?

I had heard of doulas before - but wasn't sure what they were or what they did. I got them confused with midwives and thought it was just someone only women having home births had to help them. Then, I came upon the term again in my reading, which I have done a lot of at this point.

So... what is a doula? A doula is trained to provide emotional and physical support to women during childbirth. Doulas do not perform medical tasks, unlike midwives - some of whom have nursing degrees.  Though I originally associated doulas with homebirths, some sources actually say that it's more important to have a doula for hospital births.

Welcome! An Introductory Statement

Hello! Thanks for stopping by my new blog Prego to Legos!

When the idea finally struck me to begin this blog, I was already in my third trimester. Wish I would've thought of this earlier so that I could write posts about pregnancy a little more chronologically. But my plans for this blog are to have it be about pregnancy, birth, babies, and parenting - the whole spectrum. I'd love to have my husband contribute some posts about the male perspective, but he's not much one for writing.

Let me begin by saying a little bit about myself and my situation. This will be my first baby - aside from our two fur babies on four legs! I'm relatively young, well older than some, but I feel young! That's what counts, right? I'll officially hit my "mid-twenties" a few months after our baby boy is born. My husband is a Marine, and has been deployed for much of my pregnancy and there's even a chance he won't be home in time for the birth. Gotta love the military - so much uncertainty!