Thanks for the pic and the update. You look fantastic.

With my first baby, I worked a full day and delivered her that night at 11:00! I remember lumbering a bit at the end but other than that I really had no complaints. So, it is possible to feel good right until the end.

It's not that it really gets worse. it's just that it's normal and it's part and parcel of being pregnant. You will handle it with aplomb, I know you will.

Soooo, just keep telling yourself, this is normal, this is normal, this is normal. Stay strong and stay healthy.

Love the updated picture. so cute.

You look beautiful! Congratulations on a boy! I have three (and a girl) and baby boys are so much fun. One tip: keep a wash cloth handy at diaper changing time...boys can spring leaks!

You look fantastic, Robo! Congrats! We have one DS (only child) and I can honestly say he's my best friend :) Only advice would be enjoy every moment as before you know it they're all grown up. I can't believe it's ten years since DS left home for uni and has never moved back....boo hoo!

You look fabulous! I loved being pregnant.

I loved the baby bjorn high chair. way better than the huge oversized ones and easy to clean.

Wow, that is a beautiful high chair! Very stylish.

I like being pregnant just fine except the heartburn, the heartburn is a trial. I have a prescription for zantac kicking around somewhere that I really should fill. But on the plus side it keeps me from eating grease and eating too much. I treated myself to seafood pasta for lunch yesterday (plus dessert) and couldn't really eat again until this morning.

Just catching up on this thread. Robo you are just too adorable.

God bless you Robo and your babe boy in waiting and daddy too! I have not weighed in yet but want to wish you well and please enjoy your pre mommy self. You are a cutie momma!

When I announced I was expecting my second, a friend at our drop-in center said excitedly "oh, don't you just love being pregnant?!" She certainly did! I said I found it really interesting and I learned a lot about my body and all the biology I should have learned in school if I'd taken it, but I didn't particularly enjoy it lol. But my friend really loved being pregnant.

As missymoo says, You are indeed a cutie momma :)

Also catching up. You look great! Congratulations on a baby boy!! :)

This made me think of you.

That is a very stylish high chair.

Take a look at this video that shows the European Approach to Baby Feeding

It makes so much sense.

Better for baby and better for Momma and Daddy.

You look great.

You also look very, very happy!

My sister is a speech language pathologist with a lot of training in swallowing, anyway she and her slp friends are all about baby led weaning! My nephew has been doing it since six months and it's really amazing to see him eating salmon, avocado, carrots, even biting into apples! He always has a little of what they're eating.

My sister said at first it's a little nerve wracking because their gag reflex is super far ahead in their mouths and they gag a lot, but it's supposed to promote fewer food aversions and baby learning how to regulate his own appetite.

I thought my mom was gonna have a cow when they started feeding him mussels but basically any food is fair game I guess?

the full coverage bib is a must...

Robo, you look super! Glad to hear you are feeling well but for the heartburn.

: )

Baby gear we liked.

stokke kinderzeat for a high chair--looks a lot nicer than plastic to me and pulls right up to the table so baby is eating with everyone else. Also can continue to be used as the kid grows--we never used a booster seat.

For strollers, I liked to have one for outdoor serious walking and a lightweight umbrella for airports, etc.. If you run, I'd look at a bob (and check the minimum age which might be one year? I really liked my bumbleride indie because it had a huge canopy, had a full recline, steered really easily, and could take rough sidewalks smoothly.

For a crib, we were very happy with our IKEA gulliver (awesome price point) and we also used an IKEA mattress.

And my freehand mei tai

Both th of those carriers were very comfortable for me to wear and very easy for me to get my dd in. Ergo also makes nice baby carriers, but they don't work as well until the baby is older--six or seven months old--IME.

Hope that helps!

Thanks for the gear recommendations crl! It's so funny you mention that particular highchair because I was just talking to a friend yesterday who got the exact same highchair! When she showed me pictures I thought it looked so strange the way the kids are perched in it, but I love how adjustable it is. I have a Gulliver crib already set up in the nursery :) thanks kijiji/Craigslist!!

my sister gave me a soft/freehand carrier but I'm going to need a little more practice before I can safely trust my tying skills with a newborn. Wonder if my cat will let me practice on him. He looks very unsuspecting.

If tying seems intimidating, you might consider a buckle carrier like the picolo. Some people love wraps, but I never could get the hang of tying them so they stayed secure. I found the mei tai style pretty easy and it folds down smaller than a buckle carrier. But the buckle carriers are super easy.

My husband went in for a fitting and he ended up with the buckle... I knew he never in 1 million years would use a fabric/unstructured carrier! It was great because the guy doing the fitting was approximately the same size as my husband, plus size, and had really great advice for him about things like making it more comfortable and all the little adjustments. Hoping I get along with the fabric one so I'm not constantly readjusting his! They come up used here fairly often but holy cow, often people want even 75% of the new price. Which blows my mind because I think we all know how much poop and other items can get on baby stuff.

Honestly we never ended up with poop or puke on a carrier. Maybe just lucky? I sold my ergo to a friend for about 1/2 price, but she got the friend/neighbor discount, lol. I think I just gave the freehand mei tai away at some point.

I can also highly recommend the stokke triptrappe high chair. They are very expensive but if you can ever get your hands on a second hand one they are worth every penny. My grand daughter has been using one at her house and at mine since 6 months. She is now going on 7 and still uses it daily. We bought the two of them second hand. Here is a photo

I have to say that this picture cracked me up when I googled it after my friend talked to me about it, but it seems like everyone really loves it!

Well, I hope he has a job and is on his own before that last picture.

Robo, you don't need an expensive high chair, just one that won't tip over. Once baby is around 1 or so, he can sit in a booster seat at the table. We kept one here for the grands. Trust me, there will come a time sooner rather than later when you want that high chair gone because they're just in the way, and easy to stub your toe on! lol

The only thing you need to watch out for with any type of high chair or booster seat, is make sure baby cannot use his feet to push off of from the table.

Also, to keep your floor clean under the high chair, put an old sheet on the floor under it, then shake it out and fold until the next use. Or throw it in the washer. :)

Ooh I like that sheet idea! Although I also have a dog. She vacuums pretty regularly.

I wish you the very best Robo. My best advice is that most people mean to be helpful (and very good here) but don't let people bring you down. Advice is great and your instinct is great. Asking for help is a MUST IMO. Also, nosy advice is best with a thanks for your advice. You will be amazed what you know.....I think safety things must be heeded but the motherly instinct kicks in strong. I really am so happy for you!

Had to share this exchange with my husband today:

I sent him a rather sombre Internet comment about men and baby bonding, explaining that women react to baby crying with the "cuddle" hormone oxytocin, but men don't have the oxytocin reaction so it makes it a lot harder to deal with an earpiercingly screaming baby.

His smart*** response: "Maybe the solution is that every time the baby cries I take some oxycontin too."

HA! too funny

I'm just now seeing this news! Congratulations Robo. I am so very happy for you!

More advice......when any woman starts to discuss labor...run.......for some reason we like to tell horror stories and it just isn't right! It is entirely worth it and no on needs to scare you. I have friends who have had wonderful births and mine weren't so bad, the results were incredible.

Yes, to what Ann just said. Everyone will have a unique birth experience and no two births will be exactly the same.

Some might think it is a badge of honor to share the pain and or difficulty they had giving birth. Save it for AFTER the new mom gives births. Then you can compare stories, not before.

Three kids, three easy pregnancies, three childbirths with one tylenol in total.

I'm pretty in denial about labour. For some reason I think there's a better than average chance I will end up with a c-section although there is no such thing as an elective c-section here. Just seems like something that might happen.

One of my miscarriages involved showing up in a bloody nightdress screaming at admitting (I am normally a pretty dignified person but I told my husband just to throw me in the car on a towel and go), minimum two bumps of morphine and then the sweet bliss of anesthesia. So I have a feeling I'm not on the Tylenol plan! On the other hand...I was definitely feeling no pain when I took this picture! Thank you opium poppy. Also thank you top of the list at triage.

One thing that horrifies me a little from the outside (not planning to be in this situation) is when women are so determined in advance to stick to their natural birth plan that they agree that they won't get drugs even when they're asking for them in the delivery room. That is like my worst nightmare territory. I get it, sometimes things happen too fast and you can't get an epidural or whatever, but imagine asking for one and being denied because you agreed a month ago you wouldn't need one. I would be hulk smashing everything.

Actually with my mom's last delivery, there was a new (male) OBGYN on duty who told her despite her explicit wishes and chart that she should definitely try delivery without any pain relief. My dad said he's never been more scared on someone else's behalf.

Just stopping in to congratulate you...

As far as any words of wisdom...I had four kids. Those that I had pain relief for were much more enjoyable. And that sounds dumb, but when you're in agony, you can't pay much attention to anything else...

As one of my nurses said when I was questioning anesthesia "well, nobody's giving you a medal for this..."

So true.

Something else to mention...I know there exists plenty of things to "help" a new mom out. Babies now seem to go from sleeping, to the car, to a stroller, and back to sleeping without anyone having to move them...or touch them.

Hold your baby. Carry your baby as much as you can for as long as you can. You need it and they need it.

And congrats again!!!

Babywearing is really big around here (maybe everywhere?) and there seems to be some evidence that worn babies cry quite a bit less...that gives me a very good incentive to try it!!! Glad I don't have to figure it out with twins though...

Drugs were involved during my 2 birthing processes. Babies and mother did just fine. This was before epidural, I think I was given crack. Just kidding, it was "twilight sleep" which upon googling is even more frightening. (Don't tell my kids.)

"The term "twilight sleep" applied to the combination of analgesia (pain relief) and amnesia (loss of memory) that was produced by a mixture of morphine and scopolamine ("scope") given by a hypodermic injection (an injection under the skin). The mixture of the two drugs created a state in which the woman, while responding somewhat to pain, did not remember it after delivering her baby. Twilight sleep was once in vogue in obstetrics."

Sounds amazing. Ha ha!

I had four easy pregnancies, three easy deliveries without an epidural and one medium delivery with an epidural (the first). I am not the kind of person who has ever expressed admiration for not using pain medicine in childbirth. I love modern medicine. Labor pains are different from other pain, though. When you went to the hospital in agony because you were miscarrying, there was nothing in the back of your mind saying, this hurts like the dickens, but that's normal and everything is going to be fine. Knowing everything is going to be fine, despite terrible pain, makes the pain much more bearable.

Re: baby wearing, etc.

My husband got used to pushing a grocery cart with a toddler in the cart, one on his back and an infant in the front. Needs must.

I guess I was watching TV or something...

:-/

I used a cotton tshirt material sling for my newborn when I went grocery shopping. She loved it. Then when we was a little older my dad bought me a Boba. It was organic cotton and oh so soft. It had and little fold out hood to cover their head.

I was nervous about using them but practice wearing them at home first to get comfortable placing them in and out. Also the carriers come in lots of different sizes and weight recommendations. The Boba for example was for older babies, and my DD still fit at 3 which was nice when we went to Vancouver for vacation.

My DD is 6.5 and still loves to be close to us although we don't know if that would be different otherwise. Really I felt like I had more control with her and enjoyed the closeness.

Also it drives me crazy when I see people with their baby facing out. That is wrong, and I think that is hard on baby's spine. They should face you plus they will be able to rest their head on your chest which is part of the bonding. Sorry stepping off soapbox.

I definitely know for young babies they should face in...for my nephew he's now about a year and they started facing him out, goodness, I don't know when but basically when he was old enough to be super interested in the world around him. But as I read up on it I realize they have to have really good hip support in their carrier to avoid problems from facing out. His carrier folds out to make a little seat to hold his hips in a more healthy position when he's facing front.

Good. I didn't know they were making them with seats now. It's horrible seeing little babies hanging forward with no support as their parents walk around like they're doing something great.

I went to term but was admitted at my last OB appointment which was a couple of days before I was due because my BP spiked. Otherwise I had a very healthy pregnancy. I wanted a natural birth, but after a few hours my OB said my baby's heart rate kept dropping while my BP kept spiking. I have a very high tolerance for pain and made it for 24 hours with no drugs. Then they told me I had to stay in bed and that is the worst for trying to manage pain. I think it relieves some pressure and is easier on your back if you can sit up or stand. Then I was told I would need a c section because DD's heart heart was dropping too low. Well DH and I cried because it wasn't what we had planned. I was in good enough spiris by the time the anesthiologist came in because I was trying to crack jokes. He was very good because I hardly felt anything when he gave me the epidural.

Have you visited the labor and delivery rooms? We toured them during our pregnancy/nursing class, and I think that helped to meet some of thr nurses and see the rooms.

I'll admit it's still hard to know if we're totally screwing our kid up, but she seems okay. ;) I was also petrified about being a good mom since I didn't know anything about babies. You seem like good people, and as much research and care you have been taking I'm sure you will find your own way. I'm positive you will be a great mom.

Robo -- when is your official due date?

November 9 :) pretty far away but close enough that I'm a little freaked out about getting everything ready! My husband and I sat down on the weekend and worked out a schedule for getting things done!

I agree that babies should face in. I would hate to be carried facing out with arms and legs flopping in the wind. So I would never subject a baby to that treatment. Anyway, those years are so short - snuggle up for as long as you can! When she got older, I carried DD in a framed backpack for kids. I don't know if they are still being used. It was great- she was close to me and could see the world around her and pull my hair at the same time. Lol. It's probably too cumbersome of a contraption for folks these days. This was 30+ years ago. And just a note about feeding. And YES to the drop cloth under the high chair. I used a flannel backed plastic tablecloth.

Robo, in the middle of the night when the baby is crying and you are crying, just know....it is something every parent has been through.

Just thought I would update that the countdown is on, six weeks left, and all is well as far as I know. I'm getting pretty huge and I don't know how I'm going to keep growing for six more weeks! Still have my ankles though! I have been very thirsty lately and I'm thinking that is because apparently your level of amniotic fluid grows a lot at this time.

I'm slowing down a bit and I had to stop driving because of road rage – – – turns out pregnancy rage is real! Not usually a very angry person so I don't have a lot of coping mechanisms. My new job is quite demanding and I have been trying to do a really good job filling in as they are just about to post the position for a two-year term. So I find I have been going to bed earlier and earlier in the evenings!

I met with a postpartum Doula and I have decided to engage her services for afterwards. I have heard that the nurses at my hospital are amazing and supportive so I thought I would rather spend the money to have support when we are home alone and everyone is crying at 4 AM. I also didn't have much luck engaging my husband with online prenatal classes so we are doing a series of in person classes at the very last minute!

Thanks for the update, sounds like you're doing just fine! In person classes are so much better, more real!

I remember something my DMIL said about the early morning nursings. It was her favorite nursing with the baby because it was the only time of day when she had nothing else to do, no one else needed something, the house was still, and it was just her and baby, watching the day begin. It totally changed the way I felt about that 4am feeding. Oh, I was still sleepy as all get out, but I decided to treasure it. Of course, that was with my first. DMIL had 7 so I think she treasured that moment all the more.

So glad all is going well Robo.

That one thing that brought me comfort during those 1 am and 3 am feedings, and those all-nighters with a sick baby (fortunately neither of mine were colicky) was that all those new moms that were in the hospital at the same time as me and who were in the prenatal classes with me were going through exactly the same thing with me.

I always envisioned them with messy hair, tired faces sitting in their rocking chairs, in the dark and lights out but snuggling their babies with a boatload of love.

.

Robo, see if anyone up there does hypnotism for childbirth. It is actually more like deep relaxation and self-hypnosis wit the help of, in my case, a mid-wife. We were both given classes durung my pregnancy. When the time came, my DS was in a hurry (still is at 37-ha) and I couldn't have any meds. With the hypnosis, I can really say it was a pain-free birth. Really. I don't know why that is not used more often.

Oh, Robo! You are so gorgeous and I am thrilled for you. I have not been on for ages and this is such wonderful news to learn.

My advice is what Joanie's mom said way above... "just love them." Almost nothing else matters. Except one thing... never forget to love yourself, too.

Your child and your relationship with your child will be unique. No one is an expert about your child like you. No one. You don't need to do anything special, you don't need to put pressure on yourself, you don't have to analyze or worry or even wonder. I'm not saying you'll be able to stop yourself from doing any of that... but you really don't need to. Give yourself permission to let go.

You will see things in yourself, for better or for worse, that you didn't know existed inside of you, and maybe they never did before you were a mother. That's where the part about loving yourself comes in. Honor yourself as YOU and who you are. Honor your child for who he is. And the rest falls into place.

And--passing the bean dip helps keep the peace!

Many joyous blessings to you and your family!