MTBT

[corgimom]

Happy Tuesday! Getting closer to positing on Monday but yesterday turned out to be an insane day at work, so Tuesday it is!

1. How far along are you? Team?

2. Rants, raves, feelings?

3. If you know baby's gender or decided to be team green, what made you choose to find out/not find out?

4. Any questions or stuff you just want to share?

[corgimom]

1. How far along are you? Team?
39w, 3d - Team pink!

2. Rants, raves, feelings?
I think I finally feel ready for baby girl to arrive... but it doesn't feel like she'll be coming anytime soon, lol! The nursery is done, her bassinet is in our room and all the baby stuff is up from the basement and nearly all ready to go! As a bonus, our house is getting a good deep clean on Friday. I think doing all that this weekend finally got me to the mind-space of being "Ready" so, c'mon baby girl! I see my midwife today so I'm guessing she'll check to see if I'm making any progress! DD1 was 4 days late so I'm also not holding out hope for her to arrive anytime soon.
Everything else remains pretty status quo - feeling big and achey with lots of heartburn! The temps here have been cold so I am looking forward to having baby girl with us so we can all be at home and snuggled up together.

3. If you know baby's gender or decided to be team green, what made you choose to find out/not find out?
We found out with DD1 and this time with DD2 through a blood test so we've known since about 12 weeks. I don't think DH really cared either way about knowing the gender but I don't know, I just neeeed to know things. Most of our baby stuff and newborn clothing is pretty gender neutral so it's not even so we can buy stuff! I guess I'm just generally an anxious person and knowing makes me feel good, lol!
If we were having another one we might go team green, but this is our last (so many mixed feelings on this!)

4. Any questions or stuff you just want to share?
Nope! Excited that a few of us are SO CLOSE! Can't wait to start reading about all the new arrivals!

[achi]

1. How far along are you? Team?

33+1 with DS2. Only 36 days until my scheduled c-section. Which feels both very soon and very far away.

2. Rants, raves, feelings?

Major rant incoming. We hired my maternity leave replacement just before Christmas. She started our first week back. Ontario went into a stay-at-home order last week. Our company is essential so we're allowed to be at work, but the order also says anyone who can work from home should. So we made a plan for her to be in the office and me to be at home. Yesterday was supposed to be the start of my WFH period and was the plan until mat leave started. She called in yesterday because her "strep-throat prone daughter" who is 11 was showing signs of strep, had a fever and needed meds. Ok, fine. But her husband also works afternoons intentionally so he's at home during the day, and again - here daughter is 11 with a 15 year old sibling, not a toddler requiring constant supervision. Has the appointment with the doctor, who also says strep, gets meds, is told her daughter doesn't need a COVID test because of her documented reoccurring strep history and obvious strep symptoms. We give her the ok to be back in the office today (so I can start WFH for real), provided her daughter's fever has been controlled by the antibiotics and she hasn't developed any new symptoms. I get an e-mail last night that she's now not feeling well and is booking a COVID test for herself. Experiencing headaches and body aches - including in the chest and back. I AM FREAKING THE FUCK OUT. The rational part of my brain says we were both masked the entire time I was training her, she didn't touch my computer, mouse, keyboard, phone. We were (almost) always 6 feet apart so public health wouldn't even consider me a close contact. But the crazy pregnant lady brain part of me is losing her shit. She's getting tested this afternoon and we'll have the results in a few days. I had a scheduled virtual midwife appointment today and they said the same thing - that I'm likely not a close contact and ok, but that I could book a test for myself for peace of mind. At this point, I've completely lost trust in her and our two VPs don't feel great about the situation. She's on contract so we could always cancel her contract and hire someone else. But I've already told them that if I have to train another person I'm doing it from home. Because fuck that.

3. If you know baby's gender or decided to be team green, what made you choose to find out/not find out?

I hate surprises that I know are coming. Also, it's a prep and anxiety calming thing for me. I need to be fully prepared so that in the event of major occurrence things are already done and in place. I grew up with a terminally ill mother, and spent years waiting for the other shoe to drop. It was not a nice psychological experience. As an adult I'm a total and complete control freak and need to get things done "just in case" the worst happens so that I don't have to worry about it in the aftermath.

4. Any questions or stuff you just want to share?

I have finding it harder and harder to motivate myself to do anything. At this point I just want to curl up in bed with all the food I'm not allowed to eat and binge Netflix for the next 36 days.

[tacom]

Happy Tuesday! Getting closer to positing on Monday but yesterday turned out to be an insane day at work, so Tuesday it is!

1. How far along are you? Team?
26&1, due with a boy

2. Rants, raves, feelings?
Anxious today. I have a love/hate relationship with 3 day weekends. Feeling simultaneously done with pregnancy but also hoping this baby can stay put for like another six months.

3. If you know baby's gender or decided to be team green, what made you choose to find out/not find out? I am a planner and like as much information as possible. I never even considered waiting. Found out with NIPT blood draw at 10 weeks both times.

4. Any questions or stuff you just want to share?
For third+ time moms, how much help did you *need* (not want) with your older kid when you were postpartum? There is still time for change, but COVID rates in my area + slow vaccine roll out are making me rethink of our plans to get outside help for my 2.5 y/o. I'm starting to wonder if we can live off pre-made sandwiches/takeout, fruit snacks, Netflix, and pre-made activity bins for at least a few weeks. My husband would be WFH and generally unavailable during the day but could pop in if needed (I.e. if the toddler was being unsafe and needed to be physically removed)

[corgimom]

achi Ugh! I'm so sorry you're having issues with your replacement, especially this close to the finish line! Realistically, I'm sure you are fine but if it helps to ease your anxiety, I would totally get tested. It sucks to have to re-train someone so close to you leaving, but it sounds like it might be for the better if she isn't really taking things seriously.

tacom This is our second but right now our plan is to have my parents take DD1 while I'm in the hospital and for a day or two after. DH had been pretty insistent on keeping DD1 in daycare during my leave and I was not a fan of the idea. I have slowly come around to it and we have decided that DD1 will go back to daycare for most of my leave. There are so many factors that played into it but I know with DD1 I was not the best at getting the rest I needed to during the day and I did too much. DH will only be off for a week and while I will get some help from my step-mom and younger sister, they can't come everyday or all day. DD1 loves her daycare, it's a good routine for her and they are really taking things seriously which helps ease some of my anxieties. Plus, our counties numbers are going down and our vaccine distribution is going well so even my midwife has been telling me to keep her in daycare for now. Her big point is that I have to take care of myself not just for me but for both my girls. Realistically, I won't send her everyday but for now this is what makes sense for our family.
It sucks right now because I don't think there are any easy or good choices. :/

[tacom]

corgimom, thsanks. Unfortunately our pedi said absolutely no daycare for my 2.5 y/o in the near future since the baby will be immunocompromised (I take an immunosuppressant that crosses the placenta in pregnancy).

My brother lives 2 ish hours away and will watch him for delivery/maybe 1 day after then we're on our own. My husband is hoping to get two weeks off but will be WFH otherwise. I had hoped to hire a nanny but our cases are out of control and it's impacting the risk/benefit assessment, for sure. It just sucks.

[corgimom]

tacom That does suck, I'm sorry! Covid is making things so seriously difficult at every turn. I do think your plan of having food pre-prepped/doing take-out/etc and having activities for your toddler will help a lot! I had to work from home during the initial lock-down with DD for a few months and it was rough for the first few days but we fell into an okay groove after she got used to the new routine. And I stopped caring about her having more screen time than usual, lol!

[tacom]

Jan 21, 2021 8:27:31 GMT -5 corgimom said:

tacom That does suck, I'm sorry! Covid is making things so seriously difficult at every turn. I do think your plan of having food pre-prepped/doing take-out/etc and having activities for your toddler will help a lot! I had to work from home during the initial lock-down with DD for a few months and it was rough for the first few days but we fell into an okay groove after she got used to the new routine. And I stopped caring about her having more screen time than usual, lol!

I am guessing this will be key. 

[lovesherheels]

1. How far along are you? Team?
38+6, DS2

2. Rants, raves, feelings?
It has been a WEEK. My new boss started on Tuesday so I've been getting her up to speed; it's my last week of work so I've been getting my team ready for my maternity leave; and I found out on Monday that my surgeon/regular doctor couldn't do my c-section due to an acute injury taking her out of surgery rotation. That meant I spent two days not knowing who was doing my surgery, then found out that (thankfully) I was able to get onto a surgeon's schedule that I really like, just a day later (Thursday of next week). So ... Lots of drama all week. Lol. But all good resolutions thus far.

3. If you know baby's gender or decided to be team green, what made you choose to find out/not find out?
We found out with DS1 and couldn't come up with a good reason to not find out this time. For both pregnancies, we did early genetic testing that also shared the sex of the baby around 12wks.

4. Any questions or stuff you just want to share?
I don't think anything specifically. I'm just ready for maternity leave to start on Monday so I can button things up everywhere.

corgimom -- YAY you're so close! I know you can't wait till she gets here. I'm jealous of the deep cleaning!!

achi -- Those 30+ days are going to flyyyyyy and also drag. lol. I also have struggled BIG TIME with motivation this pregnancy, so I totally understand those feelings. 

tacom -- I won't have three kids, but what I can say is that we're going to continue to send DS1 to preschool full day, M-F. I think my DH is taking a couple weeks "off"-ish from work while I'm recovering, but he runs his own consulting business so my guess is he'll be working when he feels like it/at weird hours. lol. FWIW, if I had your concerns around immunosupression, I'd definitely try to get help from people I trust, and get help on the cooking/food supply side of the world. And release any expectations or pressure about a lack of screen time or not ordering out. lol All that said, I know you'll make the right call for your family.

[corgimom]

lovesherheels You're so close, too!! Next Thursday!! It's very possible you'll be having a baby before I do, lol. My exciting Friday night plans include walking up and down our stairs.. it worked with DD1 so fingers crossed I can get this girl to make her appearance over the weekend!

[achi]

lovesherheels - I cannot believe you'll be meeting your baby in under a week! And I'm so glad you were able to get in with a surgeon you're comfortable with.

corgimom - how did your appointment go? Are you making progress?

The good news is my mat leave person tested negative. The bad news is she apparently has some kind of inflammatory syndrome and says she's going to be off all next week. My boss and I have been extremely disappointed in how she handled herself this week. She replied to e-mails, but wouldn't actually answer questions about if symptoms were progressing or getting better, or if anyone else in her house was showing symptoms, etc. In talking to a friend who's a physiotherapist, she's well acquainted with this inflammatory syndrome and says it's extremely rare for it to be so bad that one couldn't work at a desk job once they're on meds (which she is now). So it all feels very fishy. I posted an anonymous ad for my coverage and am going to start interviewing others. My trust in her took a huge hit this week.