Long Time since last update...

[tn_teacher]

Alone. That's how a big majority of the last few months has felt to me. Okay, let me start from the very beginning. I'm pregnant, for those who don't know/remember. I'm just a few days shy of being 23 weeks (approx. 5 months ) along. To put things simply, this has not been an easy road for me to endure. Thank heavens for my wonderful husband Matt

Comments

[yellowitchgrl]

Zoloft is your friend. Seriously, I'd ask about getting on something. There's no sense in being so depressed- none at all and it is totally safe.

Everything you're feeling is normal. Many people go through it.

So what do you want to know about infants? Ask away ;-)

Do you have a laptop? If you don't, see about renting one or batting your eyelashes at someone with money. A laptop and wireless internet is the key to happier bed rest. Trust me, I know.

[tn_teacher]

I think I'd have already died if it weren't for my laptop. :) It keeps me sane (well, semi-sane... I wasn't sane to begin with). I'm taking Cymbalta, but am in the process of weening myself from it, as it's not safe in the third trimester (which quickly approaches). I will ask my doc about Zoloft as a replacement, because I don't think it's a good thing for me to not be on something... when I've got depression like I do...

As for infants, I work with them (well, did, before I got the lovely bedrest script), but they were all 3 months or older... I'm really just worried about those first few weeks. I am clueless about bathing a brand new baby, nursing is foreign to me, and I'm just the typical scared first-time mom-to-be, I suppose.

[yellowitchgrl]

Until the cord falls off, they just get sponge baths, so typically I'd just make a pile of towels (stick them in the dryer for a few minutes if it's cold) and I get the Huggies Disposable wash clothes (just 1 box) that already have the soap in them. They work really well for that first week or two. Infants only need a bath every few days. After that, it's all in the baby bath.

The book "What to expect the first year" is really helpful, but also the nurses at the hospital will tell you everything you need to know too.

If you want to breastfeed, and I'm semi-biased, but I do believe that it is best to give it a go, then just know it will be painful at first, and it will be hard, but once you get going after a few weeks, it's easy as pie. Oh and if you do want to pump at all, be careful about the brand of pump you get. Several parent companies for formula makers make pumps and the pumps are often intentionally bad/painful to encourage women to quit. I'm really not even kidding, either. Medelas are the best.

So what other

[tn_teacher]

I've decided to breastfeed, at least in the beginning. I hope to keep it up at least through 6 months or so. I had no idea about the pumps being bad... I've heard from others that Medelas are great as well. I guess I'm worried that the baby isn't going to want to breastfeed, or that it just won't come naturally to me.

I'm a natural-born worrier... and being as ill as I've been, I worry that the baby knows that I've occasionally resented "it/him/her". I try so hard not to feel that way, but it's really been tough. I was supposed to have tons of trouble getting pregnant, so I'd gotten used to the idea that Matt and I would have lots of time just to ourselves... things didn't happen that way. I got pregnant 3 weeks after we were married, and have been fairly miserable ever since. I just worry that I don't love this baby... and that really really scares me.

It's really nice to have someone to talk to about all of this--other than my husband. Thank you, so very much.