According to my books, I may start feeling the baby soon - but not to get my hopes up, bc I may not feel anything 'till 20 weeks. Granted, never having felt a baby kick or move inside me... I may not even recognize it at first! I guess I'll just have to stay on the look-out for that...Recently, Ive been having trouble sleeping - and having crazy dreams when I do! I think this is due to the stress and slight anxiety I have been feeling about all the things we need to do to prepare for the baby, as well as, all the ways our lives will change after the baby! Here's a couple of concerns that I'm hoping people may have good advice, recommendations, or general encouragement about:
- I need to find a good Pediatrician/Family Practitioner
- I can't find a good changing table (safe, durable, preferably hard wood, for less than $250!)
- How will I adjust my furry children, Baxter and Leela, to no longer being the center of our existence?
- H1N1. Should I get the vaccine? I'm definitely leaning towards yes. Will the vaccine be available? That's still up in the air!
- I need a Work/Baby Solution! This seems to be my major stressor at the moment. My current job requires a 45 min/each way commute - that's an additional hour and a half away from home each day! My hubby and I are both away from home (and theoretically away from baby!) from 7:30 am - 6:30 pm, Monday - Friday. This leads to several concerns for me:
- Can I stand to be away from my baby 11 hours a day? 55 hours a week?!? This answer is probably a definite no, I already mourn time lost with my puppies during the day!
- Can I even find a sitter (preferably in their home) who would take an infant that long? (Really- anybody know a good child care provider?)
- Will I need to find a new job? Unfortunately, I don't think I could financially afford to be a stay-at-home mommy, but I could do something part-time - preferably something part-time from home in the evening... that may be pushing my luck. My job now doesn't provide that kind of flexibility, so something will have to give on this end.
- Despite EEOC laws, I think the chances of me finding a new job that would be more flexible when a baby arrives while looking pregnant as I do - are very slim. Plus, I really like my job and don't necessarily want to leave!
However, my wonderful mother did offer some great advice this morning as I listed these concerns that are keeping me awake at night. She said "Don't worry too much about a plan, because if there is anything that you can depend on, it's that the baby won't care a thing about your plan and will probably do everything he can to mess it up". She's right, that sounds exactly like little Logan. It's true that looking back on all of the most important and wonderful changes in my life, majority went against the original plan.
So for now, I'm going to stay positive and just think about all the wonderful people, puppies, and opportunities that my life is blessed with - and I'm going to do my very best to shove the rest of these stresses out of my mind, especially at bed time :)
I don't want to leave ya'll worrying. Other than these concerns - which I feel are pretty natural for a new mother-to-be - everything is going great! Definitely feeling very pregnant these days, running to the bathroom very frequently, still getting some headaches, feeling short of breath on things that have never left me that way before, finding myself resting my hands on or holding frequently around my belly, a bit of a glow (even on rainy days like today!), increased appetite (especially compared to the first trimester!), and starting to feel some of those wonderful back and leg aches!
I promise I am going to get some baby bump pictures up here as soon as I find the cord for my camera!
I so understand your worries! As for H1N1, I have been struggling with that as well. However, Robb and I have come to the conclusion that I will be getting the shot when they come out because he doesn't want to live without me (incase I would die due to the flu). As for availability, I think you will be good because you are in the group that is at the top of the list.
ReplyDeleteI also understand your job/maternity leave anxiety. 6 weeks isn't nearly enough. Everyone I talk to keeps telling me that we can also get 6 weeks of FMLA but that is unpaid. So unless you have a great savings 6 weeks of no money can be a problem. These are the times I wish I lived in a European country that wants new moms to take a whole year off.
While these are all things to think about don't worry too much. Once you figure these things out something else will come up. Have you thought about cord blood banking?