Bed Rest, Day Care & Baby Gear
First let me start by saying this is going to be a hodge podge of thoughts and things going on right now. I need some advice from mommies, especially those twin mommies who read my blog.
First off I starting having contractions Monday night. I had been having what the doctor called Braxton Hicks for about 3-4 days but these weren't like the Braxton Hicks I had been experiencing before. I ended up making it through the night Monday at home and went into the doctor first thing Tuesday morning. The poked and prodded at me for what seemed like hours yesterday. The good news: my cervix is still closed and measuring at about 3.49 cm, and my fetal fibronectin test came back negative. The bad news: he's going to give me until my appt next Tuesday to try and get myself in line at work and then its probably at least partial bed rest for me :-/ Not exactly what I wanted to hear but I'll do whatever it takes to keep the babies put for a least another 9 or 10 weeks. Please pray for us that the babies will continue to stay put and that they'll be healthy and plump when they do arrive.
Next topic of conversation, day care. After the babies get here I would like to go back to providing some type of income for our family. So Monday they hubby and I took off 1/2 a day and went to tour some local day cares. We went to some places I wouldn't let my dog stay and then we went to some that I absolutely loved. The dilemma is that the one I loved is insanely expensive, especially for two! So in the end it wouldn't really benefit us a ton for me to return to work. We haven't decided what to do for sure and certainly haven't mentioned anything to my work but I am curious what your thoughts are? Do you have any suggestions for job opportunities that allow me to work from home and make decent money?
Last topic of the day, baby/mommy gear. First things first is a breast pump. My doctors office offers a great price on the really nice Medela pumps and at first I was dead set on having one. I want to be able to nurse, pump or do whatever I need to in order to provide that to my children but I'm just really worried that I won't find the time to pump and that nursing will get so time consuming that I'll just resort to formula all the time. I mean we already decided we will have to use formula some too but I'm afraid it will be so much easier that I'll give up on nursing or pumping. Any words of wisdom, advice out there on this subject. Is it worth it so buy the expensive pump?
The second gear item I have questions about is the swing and bouncer. Did you buy two swings and two bouncers or just one of each? If you bought two, did you buy the same two or different ones?
Any advice is encouraged and welcomed!!
First off I starting having contractions Monday night. I had been having what the doctor called Braxton Hicks for about 3-4 days but these weren't like the Braxton Hicks I had been experiencing before. I ended up making it through the night Monday at home and went into the doctor first thing Tuesday morning. The poked and prodded at me for what seemed like hours yesterday. The good news: my cervix is still closed and measuring at about 3.49 cm, and my fetal fibronectin test came back negative. The bad news: he's going to give me until my appt next Tuesday to try and get myself in line at work and then its probably at least partial bed rest for me :-/ Not exactly what I wanted to hear but I'll do whatever it takes to keep the babies put for a least another 9 or 10 weeks. Please pray for us that the babies will continue to stay put and that they'll be healthy and plump when they do arrive.
Next topic of conversation, day care. After the babies get here I would like to go back to providing some type of income for our family. So Monday they hubby and I took off 1/2 a day and went to tour some local day cares. We went to some places I wouldn't let my dog stay and then we went to some that I absolutely loved. The dilemma is that the one I loved is insanely expensive, especially for two! So in the end it wouldn't really benefit us a ton for me to return to work. We haven't decided what to do for sure and certainly haven't mentioned anything to my work but I am curious what your thoughts are? Do you have any suggestions for job opportunities that allow me to work from home and make decent money?
Last topic of the day, baby/mommy gear. First things first is a breast pump. My doctors office offers a great price on the really nice Medela pumps and at first I was dead set on having one. I want to be able to nurse, pump or do whatever I need to in order to provide that to my children but I'm just really worried that I won't find the time to pump and that nursing will get so time consuming that I'll just resort to formula all the time. I mean we already decided we will have to use formula some too but I'm afraid it will be so much easier that I'll give up on nursing or pumping. Any words of wisdom, advice out there on this subject. Is it worth it so buy the expensive pump?
The second gear item I have questions about is the swing and bouncer. Did you buy two swings and two bouncers or just one of each? If you bought two, did you buy the same two or different ones?
Any advice is encouraged and welcomed!!
Comments
Shoot me an email and let's chat about your contrax...which I am SO SORRY you're experiencing. Sounds like we're in the same boat and it stinks!
nmelliott2 at hotmail dot come.
As far as daycare goes....I've been meaning to post what we're doing so I will today. We've decided to have a nanny in our home.
Lastly, from what I have heard from moms of multiples, 2 swings and 2 bouncy chairs are a must. there are things we can get away with just having 1 of, but I've heard these are things that having 2 of is best.
I'll email you more on this too if you want to email- I got some good advice on how to make things a litlte less overwhelming as far as "stuff" goes. :-)
But, on the breast pump issue. I wanted desperately to nurse Elizabeth. Being stay-at-homeish, I didn't buy or rent a pump initally. I had a lot of trouble getting her to nurse, it would take 45 minutes for a feeding and then she'd be hungry again in less than 2 hours. I wasn't producing enough milk and after 2 weeks they told me to get a pump. My dad bought me the expensive Medella one and we tried for another 2 weeks. I never ended up producing enough milk to even make up half of her daily needs and wasted almost $400 of my dad's money. I'll try again with any future kids, but I'd highly recommend renting one until you know it's going to work for you. Also, if you breast feed alone, you are the only one who can do feedings. I can't imagine having two hungry babies in the middle of the night and having to juggle them both. Formula may honestly be easier, although, expensive.
Goodness, Gracious!!! This is the first time I've checked in on you since last August... Let's just say I've been preoccupied with "struggling well" for the last few months! (Hubby's been unemployed since December, 2008.)
Which brings me to the reason I wanted to talk "Mommy-to-Mommy" with you, Jessica...
In reading your March 3 post, I see that you are in a quandary about child care for Finely and Landry...
Here's my story:
When I became pregnant with my precious Amanda I was a legal secretary at a major oil company in Houston. Because I planned to take the 4-month maternity leave the company offered, and wanted as much time as possible with my new baby, I determined in my heart that I would work as long as possible. Soooooo ~ ~ ~
I went to work one morning knowing full well that I was in the early stages of labor. I was able to put in a full day of work, left 30 minutes early, met my husband at home, grabbed my suitcase and left for the hospital. Next morning, Amanda was born in the wee hours.
All was well the first 3 months... Then reality set in... I had less than one month before I would have to return to work! Reality led to uneasiness. Uneasiness led to sadness. Sadness led to anger. Anger led to anxiety. Anxiety led to fervent prayer!!! I did NOT want to leave my baby... I wanted to make my precious Amanda my NEW career!!!!!!!!
The ONLY way for me to NOT have to return to work was for my husband to receive a $12,000 a year raise... That's all! No pressure, right?!?
So, I started praying. My friends started praying. My family started praying. I asked strangers at the grocery story, the mall, the doctor's office, the dentist's office, gas station, you name it, to pray for my husband to get a $12,000 a year increase in salary in less than one month...
On the Friday before I was to report back to my job, my husband was approached by the two owners of the company he worked for. They asked him to assume the position of Vice President. They wanted to make him an offer he could NOT refuse by offering him a $1,000 per month raise!!!!!
YUP! True story!!! The following Monday morning I did NOT show up for work... However, I did show up at the office one hour late! I had Amanda in tow as I asked my boss, the Regional Counsel, for an audience...
He was shocked to see me in his office with Amanda! It was then that I apologized for not giving him official notice that I would not be returning to the company. Although disappointed, he was very understanding and encouraging... He said he would keep the temp who had been working in my position because she turned out to be very adept in learning the ropes of my position! Yes! She was thrilled!!!
The last day of my "official" employment at the oil company was August 8, 1979! We had one more baby in 1982...
Amanda is now 30. Our "baby" is about to celebrate his 27th birthday.
There is not one part of me that wishes I had continued to work outside the home in order to contribute to my husband's income. Why? Because looking back, I see just how F-A-S-T the time went in my babies growing up years! I cannot even imagine missing out on all of the opportunities I had to simply "be" with them...
Lastly, I would encourage you to pursue an online business... I wish eBay had been around way back then!!! I've been selling on eBay for several years and I do it AT HOME!!!!! I love it... I also sell for other people on eBay for a fee... I've been able to contribute A LOT monetarily to our income. Since my hubby has been out of work, my eBay income has helped immensely!
Hugs ~
LadyP8Riot