Being a new mommy

One of the things that you learn quickly once you become pregnant is that everyone has an opinion....about your pregnancy, about your body, breast or bottle, cloth or disposable...All advice can be taken or left.  You don't need to explain your decisions as a parent and lets be honest, most people who are already parents or have a few years of experience should remember what it was like to have unsolicited advice shoved at them every 5 minutes....but that is neither here nor there.

A friend of mine (who's advice I take 99.9% of the time) sent me a great article on things your crying baby wants you to know.  It's a good read and worth the time. I can guarantee you won't spoil a new baby by picking them up when they cry, or by loving on them!

I'm perfect the way I am

One of the things that happens when you're public on social media is that you get contacted by all sorts of people. Since having my daughter I've had a lot of people reach out to me offering it-works wraps, shakes, 21-day fix programs, free coaching. I know is is their job to reach out to people and offer their product. But come on I just had a baby, okay four months ago I had a baby, but it's still a
very delicate time in a woman's life and it doesn't help when people keep asking if I want to lose weight or join their team.

I don't need a quick fix or wraps. I don't want to join your team. I'm perfect the way I am. Asking if I need a personal coach feels like you are saying I'm fat and don't know how to fix it.  I'm perfect the way I am. This body carried my daughter for almost 42 weeks, it is still sustaining her by making milk. I'm perfect the way I am.

And if I don't think I'm perfect, that is for me to decide when to do something about it. Not for some stranger to make me question the way I look.  For the record, no I don't like the weight I am right now, I don't like that I still can't fit into most of my pre-pregnancy clothes.  It took 9 months to put the weight on, it will probably take just as long.  Society makes us feel like we have to get back to "perfect" the moment we pop our baby out.  We need to change the image of "perfection" and take care of our kiddos.

UPDATE: After posting this I was stunned that it was re-posted by a Take Back Postpartum.  I am so blown away by the responses I have received and the positive messages.  I am also stunned that some people are so oblivious...After I said no this is the DM I was getting on Instagram.

There are no words for how pushy these people are.  Just STOP!

Dear fashion industry....

I have one thing to say to you. 

Where has the time gone?!?

I meant to write my birth story out.  Well from the moment my daughter came into this world the internet and social media (with the exception on Instagram) just faded to the background!  My mom did a blog post about my labor on her blog, and you can find it HERE!  But, I want to say a few things about it from my perspective.  I woke up at 4:30 am having contractions, and went back to sleep for a little longer.  When I got up I sent my mom a message via Facebook Messenger so I didn't wake my dad up.

Week 41!

I never in a million years thought I would be posting a week 41 update...But the average first pregnancy lasts to 41+5...so I may be pregnant for another 5 days!  YIKES!  Today however I will be visiting the doctor's office for a non stress test (NST) and an ultrasound to make sure everything is still looking good and blood flow is as it should be.  If all goes well my doctors will probably let me continue to carry Guppy until next Friday which would be 42 weeks...and if I hit that point, then I fear it could be the Devil's juice (pitocin) for me!

Nooooo Devil's Juice!!!!!!

The letdown of a due date gone by...

Well April 8th has come and gone, and Guppy is still firmly ensconced within my body...It's hard to not be disappointed.  I knew going in that my "due date" was just an estimate, and has a 2 week buffer on each side...so I could technically not have her till late April.  Oy.  It feels like...

Week 40...my Estimated Due Date!

They say good things come to those who wait.  I'm still waiting!!!  Guppy has yet to make an appearance, but that is completely normal for a first time mom!!  By now Baby Fish is between 6-9 lbs, and is between 19-22 inches long.  Half of all pregnancies go past the 40 week mark.

Photo from babycenter.com

Just walk it out!

There is a time during pregnancy when time seems to creep by soooo slowly.  When it seems like you are trapped in the movie "Groundhog Day" and the day will just never end.

Let's be real for a minute

So, for those that have been following me for a while now, bear with me...for those that are just seeing my blog, maybe for the first time let me give a bit of backstory...

Since Mr. Fish and I got married we have been trying to start our family....this May will be 4 years happily married!

Week 39, I'm full term!!!!

It's a slow week for Baby Fish, she has likely reached her final height, and her weight gain has most likely slowed down or stopped (for now).  Average babies are between 7-8 lbs at this point.  Her brain on the other hand keeps developing rapidly and will keep this pace for the first year of her life. 

picture from pregnology.com

Week 38!

As I get closer to my due date, and could technically deliver any day now...most babies are born between week 38 and week 40, although a first time mom, like me, can go over 41 weeks

Week 37! I'm pre-term...

If I were to go into labor after today the dr's would not stop it!!  That being said, hubbs has asked that I NOT post it on social media that we are headed to the hospital, pushing etc until much later.  I respect his feelings, so I will have him, and our labor coach, help me keep track of a timeline of events so I can document it later!  As I've said in my post last week, we are going to keep visitors to a minimum at first...

Week 36! 9 months...

Well I can no longer fly on an airplane...which is quite alright with me.  We are also not planning any trips far away.  Baby Fish was still head down as of yesterday, and may be engaged at this point, and once that happens there is no turning for her!  Movements will be less because she is waaaay out of room.  Average babies are right around 6 lbs now, and she would be considered pre-term if she were to be born now.

Photo from babycenter.com

But it is my circus! And it's my monkey!

With Baby Fish's debut about a month away I just wanted to take a moment and blog about something that has been on my mind for most of my pregnancy.  My due date...and everything that comes after.

Week 35!

Ah the home stretch, 5 short weeks left to go (ish)!  Guppy is around 5.5 lbs now and is about as long as she's going to get, which is great as she is totally scrunched up in my belly and enjoys kicking and pushing on my ribs.  Half of my belly button has "popped" out although over all it's still an innie...which is really funny to see especially when I laugh because it pops more!  My little girl is head down, and we have entered the home stretch!

Photo from Pregnology.com

Lactation Cookies

With 6-ish weeks left till Guppy makes her grand appearance I knew it was time to make some lactation cookies to help my milk supply!  So I went to a speciality store to get some of the ingredients and then went to mom's house to make some cookies!  We started by gathering the ingredients.

not pictured?  Sugars...brown and white...whoopsie!

Week 34!

Guppy can be here as early as 3 weeks (eek) or as late as 8 weeks....it's totally normal!  My Dr doesn't stop labor once you hit 37 weeks, and won't talk induction till after 41 weeks.  Most first time mom's deliver after their estimated due date (6 more weeks for me)...we shall see as things progress!  This week my little one is around 5 pounds give or take. And somewhere between 19-22 inches long.  Her kidneys are fully developed and can function on their own, and her little lungs are almost fully ready for her first breath.  99% of babies born at this point can survive without much help.

picture from babycenter.com

Week 33!

As the weeks go by this month Guppy will be gaining about a half a pound a week, so she's at about 4-1/2 lbs right now...or at least this is the average. And this number can almost double by d-day. She can grow about another inch this week alone so she could be close to 20 inches, which is the average height of a full term baby.  We know from earlier ultrasounds that she has long legs, so we will see how that correlates to her overall height at birth.  Speaking of birth, if Guppy made an appearance now there wouldn't be a ton of problems, of course we want her to "bake"  a few weeks longer, how much longer?  Anywhere from 5-9 weeks!

photo from pregnology.com

What to do about vaccinations

I was vaccinated as an infant, and a child, and I never had a bad reaction (that I can remember).  Nor has my mother told me that I had a reaction to a vaccination.  I was raised to trust doctors, they are the ones that went to medical school, they have the most current information etc.  Not that it has stopped me from doing my own research on the matter.

Week 32! 8 Months...

Another week closer to meeting Guppy!!!  This week she is close to 19 inches (give or take of course) and almost 4 pounds!!!  That explains why my back tends to hurt after being on my feet and active all day long! She is still kicking and moving, enough that I have finally gotten her on video a few times, it really does look like there is an alien in my stomach!  Surfactant is being released to help keep those little air sacs open and the lungs working.

Picture from pregnology.com

I am assuming that Guppy is in fact head down as she has been during the last two ultrasounds we had.  I feel a hard bump near the top of my belly that has to be her cute little (and bony) rump, and her kicks are above my belly button, the heartbeat is below my belly button,  there is a fun article (click here) that explains how to guess the baby's position, just note that babies move around a LOT, and will change position often.  I still have more time (about 4 more weeks) before the OB will take a guess, or even start to worry about it.  If they aren't worried, then I'm not either.

Later this week we get to do our pre-registry with the hospital!  And another thing checked off our to-do list!