27 Weeks
“Nursery” Progress
Our crib arrived this week so we spent an evening putting it together. There was only one frustration-induced break taken and we didn’t break anything or dismember each other so I’m calling it a success. Crib is currently in the living room but will be moved to the bedroom once I can figure out some kind of configuration that works.
We also successfully purchased the shorter version of our IKEA bookshelves to replace those horrible white cubbies. It looks SO much nicer now! I want to get little bins to organize the shelves so stuff isn’t just crammed in there, but that’s where Baby’s clothes and diaper covers are for the time being.
Dumb question: You are supposed to wash stuff before the baby comes in contact with it, right? Like crib sheets or clothes? I haven’t washed any tiny things yet but I’m guessing I probably should.
Diaper bag?
I am confused about diaper bags. Do I actually need a specific bag? It seems like my Timbuk2 messenger would work just fine so I’m hesitant to get some huge floral thing if I don’t need it. Or is it just that “diaper” bags are very huge compartmentalized purses and therefore need their own name? (Does a diaper bag double as your purse or do you use both?) HALP.
How am I?
Symptom-wise, fine, mostly. My feet get chubby off and on but I can’t manage to relate it to anything (too much salt? too little water?) so I’ve just been living with it. My belly got REALLY REALLY itchy this last week or two, so I’ve been moisturizing and trying not to scratch. I think it’s mostly the new stretch marks.
I’ve been getting really warm this last week as well. I think my office is overcompensating for the weather because it’s really not that cold outside but the heat is turned up pretty high and I keep getting outrageously warm.
I did have one bout of dizziness on Sunday that was pretty lame – I felt dizzy as soon as I got up and just felt “off” for the rest of the day. Nothing serious, just a vague but persistent woozy feeling that got worse if I shut my eyes. I drank a lot of water and spent the day on the couch and then felt fine Monday.
Emotion-wise, I’m feeling a little bummed out this week. I don’t actually feel that huge, but after seeing people much farther along than I am looking much smaller or hearing about those ladies, I get really worried for the next couple of months and the time when I will be as big as a bus. I don’t want to be as big as a bus! This isn’t some kind of fat-phobia thing, this is me wondering WHY the universe decided to deprive me of a torso that could accommodate this baby and WHY I thought it was a good idea to get pregnant when I’m this short. That said, I guess if she can do it I can do it, right? Yes?
TANGENT: I am just going to state for the record that I think a lot of the general public is grossly unfamiliar with the bellies of full-term women, and that’s why so many women get the, “Are you sure it’s not twins?!?” question when they’re a few months from their due date. (I myself have not gotten this question but I expect I’ll get it eventually.)
The lady in this photo looks like a very normal pregnant person to me, perhaps nearing her due date but she doesn’t look outrageously large. And yet, one of the early comments is “Twins. At least.” Which… UGH. I just think the public isn’t used to seeing full-term women, so when they do they assume HUGENESS and QUINTUPLETS and IMMINENT BIRTHING. Eeeeesh this is irritating to me.
How is Baby?
His movements changed a bit this week from primarily kicks to more rolling around and stretching. I still get some strong jabs but there’s often a butt or something underneath my ribs that I can feel pushing around. I mean, I still can’t tell if it’s a butt or a head or something else entirely but I’m going to guess butt. Baby definitely prefers my right side – I rarely feel anything on the left.
There have also been some “fluttery” movements which might be hiccups? It feels like the sensation when you waggle a sheet of metal or a metal ruler – it’s hard to explain. It almost feels like the jiggles you get when you laugh, but somehow I doubt Baby is having a giggle fit in there so I am guessing hiccups. It only lasts for a few seconds though which is why I’m not sure; perhaps baby hiccups don’t last as long as adult hiccups?
Baby should be around two pounds and roughly 15 inches long, head to toe, or about the size of an eggplant.
8 Comments
I ended up buying a diaper bag just because I didn’t have a purse/bag that was of an appropriate size (everything I have is either too small or too huge). It doubles as my purse when I’m out. There’s really nothing special about it other than the fact that it has two insulated pockets for bottles an came with a changing pad. Also, I didn’t want to have a bag that screamed out “diaper bag” so got one that looked more like a large purse. Honestly, I think a messenger bag would be perfect.
We washed all of our baby stuff before he arrived – all the clothes, sheets, etc. I was kind of hesitant at first because I had no idea what he’d fit into and if we’d need to take any clothes back, but then just gave in and figured it’d make my life easier to just wash everything. That way I wouldn’t be rushing around to wash things once he was here and I already had my hands full with a million other baby-related things.
As far as the itching goes – oh, you’re in for it. Haha. That’s the one big problem I had while pregnant. The bigger I got, the itchier I got – and just not my stomach. My forearms and legs also got really itchy. Almost drove me crazy.
I dunno whether I’d get a “real” diaper bag either. I think the only features I’d consider would be whether or not I’d want special pockets (like the other Melissa described, hehe) for bottles, etc. Other than that I think I’d be perfectly fine with a non-diaper bag… although it would prolly need to have a zipper on the top instead of a flap, as I’ve never liked that feature of messenger bags, personally. But that’s just a preference!
I agree with what you say about people not being familiar with how pregnant women look near to full term. Interesting…
Glad to hear all is still going pretty well with you.
If you decide to breastfeed, you won’t really need a special kind of diaper bag. I use one of those small reusable cloth bags and keep it stocked with diapers and wipes and hang it by the door.
I used a big diaper bag with my first kidlet and found it obnoxious carrying around such a big bulky thing in addition to my purse. I’d just leave it in the car and have Andy go get it when we needed something.
As far as washing all the baby clothes, we did although we didn’t use the Dreft. We used our regular detergent and had no problems at all. I figured that the baby will come in contact with our clothes and our blankets a lot (because of all the hugging and snuggling) so there’d be no sense in using special stuff for his. Of course, to each their own.
Diaper bags are pretty much just regular bags that come with certain pockets that could possibly be more convenient for holding specific baby things. I always used whatever random bag I had hanging around, worked just fine for me.
I had a bag that came with my buggy (stroller) and I used it for a few weeks ‘cos it matched, but it was bulky so switched to a regular large handbag that I already owned.
I don’t think I’d get a regular diaper bag. I’d just get a bag that fit everything that I needed and use it! I don’t think there really is a rulebook – just use what works for you, right? I think diaper bags just have special pockets for bottles and diapers and baby creams and pacifiers and such but if you have a bag that you’re more comfortable with then by all means use that!
I always wish I could offer more but to tell you the truth I’m just learning from you and just being excited and such being that I haven’t gone through it yet!
Can’t wait to see updated baby area pictures. Sounds like things are coming along.
For a diaper bag I use a smaller backpack with baby Z. It is nice to use a backpack when you are wrapping/baby-carrying so that everything is more balanced.
yes, wash the stuff, in a soap like , Ivory snow, something gentle. Regardless, babies get rashes anyway but just in case……