iamhis0

Now that the time for baby to be born is coming closer(8 weeks to go), I am getting more nervous about how tandem nursing the baby and toddler(2) is going to go. I need some tips on how things worked for those experienced with tandem nursing. Helpful books, sites, anything. I want to be prepared for this new venture!

In CA specifically. Before I thought that vaccine laws only applied to public and private schools, but while re-evaluating the wording of CA state laws, I did not see any specifications of "public school" in there. Does that mean that I will need to get exemptions for my children even though I will be homeschooling them?

Ok, I am 32 weeks pregnant. I have been nursing my 2 year old since birth with no issues with sore nipples. Now, all of a sudden my nipples are so extremely sore and irritated, every time he latches on I want to pull my hair out. He hasn't gotten lazy with his latch at all. Is this due to nearing the end of pregnancy?

Do you have any very opinionated family members and how do you deal with that type of situation?

My SIL is in the medical field, a nurse, and her husband, my BIL, informed me recently that she takes my decision not to vaccinate as a "personal stab" against her, since that is something that she, as someone in the medical field, strongly believes is. She is the same about my decision to home birth and such, and my general leery mindset of the medical community. I really don't know what to say, because I don't want her to feel it is a personal attack.... but I believe what I believe. I mean, I am choosing to home school my children, and both of my husbands parents are teachers... does that mean they take my choice as a personal stab? No, they fully support me. I just don't know whether to approach the situation, or let it go.

For those who had a home water birth, how did you keep the water at a comfortable temp for you?

Hubby and I are looking into our pool options and our midwife's assistant rents out heated birth pools. She rents out this pool:

http://www.waterbirthstore.org/index.asp?PageActio...

She rents out the pool, as well as the kit that includes everything from the pump to the liner to the floating duck thermometer. The cost is $250. It seems like a good pool, and being a heated pool is good, but we are wanting to explore all our options when it comes to the pools. Having the temp right is important for me, so that is why I am drawn to the heated pool.

How did you keep your water heated?

Did you do anything, talk with them to prepare them? What were their ages?

We have decided to have our boys here when we have our home water birth, my mother-in-law will be here to play with them and care for them. They will be 2 and 5 when the baby arrives. Should we do anything to help them understand what will be going on? Any tips?

Critics/naysayers need not reply.

I have an oh so wonderful sinus infection. I am 18 weeks pregnant and nursing as well. I want to treat it naturally, and avoid antibiotics and need to tips on treatment. I have been drinking warm fluids, using a Neti pot, and taking lots of vitamin c. Any other natural recommendations?

Ok, my son is 21 months old and ever since I became pregnant, I am not 16 weeks along, he has been nursing like a newborn. I do not mind so much the frequency, it does not bother me. But my issue comes at night. He nurses about 2-3, sometimes more, times at night and I have begun to have some contractions when he nurses at night, and cramping in my sides and lower back. I pushed through it for a while, but now it has started to get to be just a little too much for me to handle, plus I am worried about if it is possibly a concern for the baby/pregnancy. I do not want to wean him completely, and there are no signs or reason that I need to, but am feeling like maybe night weaning would be a good idea. We also co-sleep, and do not want to end that either, so any advice would need to work with our co-sleeping.

If you have any tips on how to at least decrease the night nursing, or on how I can help the contactions/cramping without night weaning, I would greatly appreciate it.

And if you are posting just to tel me I have to wean, cannot nurse during pregnancy, my son is too old... blah blah blah... please spare me.

In case of the rare event of a transfer, did you have a birth plan prepared in advance for your wishes?

I have been thinking about, in such an event, having my wishes followed, especially for baby(no pacifier, no HepB, no eye goop, no vit K unless needed, etc). And did you present the birth plan to your, if you had one, back-up OB, or just have it on hand.

Ok, my last appointment with our back-up OB (last Wednesday), I ended up having a Pap... Oh how I wish I had refused. She started making some comments like, "Well, you just seem to want to bleed every time I touch you." Well I know that is pretty normal, but just made me a little uneasy. So she tells me to expect some dark spotting for a few days, and I did. Also had a bit of cramping too. Well now, 6 days later, I wake up and I am having dark brown discharge... like chocolate brown, and sharp pains in my left side. I was cramping a bit last night I noticed while I was up nursing my son, and now I have a sharp achy cramp on my left side.

Did anyone else have a pap smear and experience this at all?

I am going to call my midwife and talk to her today just to see if she is concerned.

Did any of you make a birthing or labor CD specifically for the listening to and aid for relaxation during labor? I am putting together a CD of music to listen to during labor, to help me, but am wondering how people put theirs together. I was thinking about how the flow of the music should be, making sure not to have a gentle song and then all of a sudden a powerful song. Should I make 2 separate Cd's or one that slowly transitions from gentle to intense. I want to get it put together so I can listen through my pregnancy while practicing my relaxation techniques, to help get my body in tune with the music. Any advice or helpful tips on putting it together?

Ok, so I have been planning out my birth, though I have a bit of time as I am due in January. I will be having a home water birth. My husband and I have decided that we want our sons to be there for the birth, so we will need to have someone there who can watch the boys and play with them during the birth, keeping them occupied, etc.

Now comes my problem: I originally told my mother I would like her to attend the birth, but since then she has been making very negative comments and showing a lot of dislike towards our decision for a home birth. My mother is a ntaurally stressful person and I fear that she will most likely freak out in some way during the birth and generally be a negative influence when it is most definitely not needed. While sitting down with my husband and the midwife, they both expressed concerns and agreed that it would probably be best to not have her there. I am starting to agree. And since we need someone there to be watching the boys, we have been talking about my mother-in-law, who has attended a home birth before with her sister, is supportive and calm, and very good with the boys.

But I know that if we have my mother-in-law there and then tell my mother she can no longer be there it will cause major problems not only between me and my mother, but my mother will resent my mother-in-law. I have a hard time adressing my concerns about my mother's additude about home birthing because she denies it and says she is completely on board and would never stress out, but then continues to make negative comments.

Arg, I am stuck at what to do.

Any advice, at all, if I have made any sense....

I am not sure until January, but have been thinking quite ahead, LoL. I will be having a home water birth and have been wondering, for those who have experience: What time during labor did you begin filling up the birthing tub? About how long did it take? At what point in labor did you get into the tub?

Has anyone used the Charlotte Mason cirriculum for homeschooling? If so, what was your experience?

Also, I am open to cirriculum suggestions. My approach to homeschooling is very laid back, so something super intensive is probably not going to be for us. But any cirriculum suggestions welcome.

I have an aquaintance who recently went into her WIC appointment. The lady there asked for her childs immunization record, to which she replied that she did not vaccinate. The lady rudely told her that if she did not have her child up to date on her vaccinations, she could not recieve WIC benefits. We know this is completely false, and she asked for her superior, who reiterated the same garbage and refused her checks.

Who would we go to to report this and get everything cleared up?

As my waistline begins to expand, I am wondering how to deal with picking out maternity clothes that can function as nursing wear. Any tips from other mom's that nursed during pregnancy?

What I do now, cami under the shirt and then pulling the shirt up and the cami down, just does not seem like it will work too well with the growing belly.

The first week of November is supposed to be off-season, but what about the dates of Oct31-Nov3? We were thinking about going those dates, but we have small children and do not want it to be very crowded. What is it like at disneyland that weekend?

*Asking here as I never get any answers in the pregnancy section*

I am preparing for my interview with our prospective midwife, and have a quick question.

I know in the hospitals, if you refuse the eye goop/ointment/prophylaxis, you simply sign a paper that is held in the well baby nursery. But how would i go about that at a home birth? Would my midwife simply bring the form with her? Would the same go with Vitamin K injection refusal?

I am going to ask the midwife tomorrow all the same, but was just wondering at the moment.

Thanks for any info you got!

Asking here because pregnancy section moves so fast...

Ok, I made an appointment with a prospective back-up OB. I am due in January and will be having a home birth. My midwife will do all of my prenatal care at my home, except for ultrasound which will be done through the OB's office. But besides that, should I have to go in to the OB regularly, or only for the 20 week ultrasound and if anything arises that needs another ultrasound?

For those who had a homebirth with a backup OB, how often did you go in and see your OB if your midwife was handling your prenatal care primarily?

How soon should I buy the home study materials and start doing them/preparing?

I am only 9 weeks along, so I am sure that I have a bit of time, but need a general idea of when to start.

Thanks.