nesting

every pregnant woman knows the feeling of needing to be prepared RIGHT NOW. while my nesting has been more recently brought on by boredom than anything else, i would say i've used my pregnancy pretty thoroughly to prepare for Little Wood.

here is a sneak peek into the growing wardrobe of the wee babe! i think she probably has more clothes than i do. the problem is, i never feel like she has enough! most of the items hanging are 3 months and older:

there's definitely more pink in there than i thought there would be. but i've tried to balance it out with plenty of Dodger wear splashed in.

this pic is mostly of newborn and 0-3 month onesies and jams. you can't tell, but she already has 3 Star Wars bodysuits, boasting Yoda, Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader and R2D2, my personal favorite. and no, i didn't buy any of them.

i love this mini drawer (thank you Ikea!) in our dresser where i can put LW's bibs, hats, mittens, and all the other random things she'll need. i.e. her mustache pacifier and emery boards. a girl's got to have manicured nails! and no, i didn't buy that USC bib either.

this is my slightly lacking "pants" drawer for LW. she has a decent amount of leggings but i'd like it to be filled out a little more, especially so i can live vicariously through her spandex. she has MORE than enough newborn socks that i'm hoping she can actually get through before she grows out of them. they are just so darn CUTE. so far, i haven't lost any. i got the drawer organizers from Ikea, and they were about $8 for 6 of them! they fit near perfectly in this bottom drawer.

i picked up these Sugar Booger clothes dividers from Babies R Us (for about $10 which seemed a little steep to me, but oh well) to help separate out sizes in LW's closet. As it stands now, i've only washed 0-3 month clothes because i'm still a little paranoid LW could come out a boy, and also because i don't feel the need to wash clothes she won't wear for another year. you can get the same brand on Amazon. they're great!

i got these Madison Baskets from Cost Plus World Market for $5 a piece (i think the color was being discontinued because normally they're $10) and they are enormous! They have a wooden bottom so they're sturdy, and i have two more for her changing table for diapers, wipes, and other accoutrements. i'm using the ones in her closet for breast feeding supplies (bottles, bags, nipples), baby carriers/wraps, and other miscellaneous items. i plan on using clothes pins to make labels to "pin" to the outside.

i forgot to take a picture, but i also bought two of these Sterilite 3 Drawer Carts (i didn't put the wheels on) to put on the floor. apparently, babies need a TON of blankets, as evidenced by the 3 drawers they are currently taking up on 1 cart alone. i probably have about 12 swaddlers, not to mention a plethora of other receiving blankets, homemade blankets and quilts. the other drawers are being taking up by back up sheets, changing pad covers, and burp cloths.

 

needless to say, this little baby is loved! i can't wait to meet her :)

breast pumps: the empire strikes back

i've been putting off writing a follow up to my previous breast pump rental post because i still don't have a resolution and whenever i think about it i get SUPER angry. i blame it on pregnancy hormones. so let's see, where did we leave off? oh yes, i had been referred to another "approved vendor" for hopefully a breast pump rental. that didn't work out so well:

• 4 days went by, so i finally called CareCentrix and they said they had referred me to one of their vendors 3 days before. Reminder: CareCentrix is a benefit manager- not an actual provider. so they are contracted through my insurance, and THEY refer out to THEIR approved vendors who actually give me the pump. or so they say.
• I call said vendor, who tells me they are in San Diego and they can't do business outside the San Diego county line. they had called CareCentrix back 3 days before and told them this. Thanks, but no thanks.
• I call CareCentrix back and they say whoops, the person the vendor left the message with didn't make any notes on this incident. Ok, can you refer me to someone who IS in my network?
• Another 3 days go by and still no call. I call CareCentrix back- where is my referral? Oh, we referred you to Comfort Care 3 days ago. Gimme their number please!
• I call Comfort Care- no one answers and there is no answering machine, etc.
• I call CareCentrix back- is this a real number? They call Comfort Care and say yes, they are there and will call you in 20 minutes.
• 1 hour goes by, I call Comfort Care and someone finally answers. They tell me yes, they got my referral for a breast pump purchase. Wait, a PURCHASE? my insurance doesn't cover a purchase, only a RENTAL. Oh, we don't have any rentals.
• This is about the point where i start bleeding tears of frustration. this is getting ridiculous. A number of phone calls back and forth with my insurance and CareCentrix, who assures me that now my insurance approved me for a purchase finally gets me talking to someone who says that since my insurance didn't realize how hard it was to get a rental, they are now covering up to $190 of a purchase. victory? maybe.
• I call Comfort Care back who has since shredded my paperwork because they thought i wasn't going to purchase anything. We discuss pumps and i finally pick out a Medela. oh, those are extra, you have to pay me $100 on the side, otherwise Comfort Care doesn't make any money. Excuse me? I just got off the phone with CareCentrix who told me never to pay a vendor directly, and you sound SHADY. 
• I call CareCentrix back and ask for a new referral because i don't feel comfortable working with this vendor who has been unprofessional from the start. They can't reassure me that i will get a new referral because breast pumps are in high demand right now. but i could get a call within 5 days from a new vendor.
• alright, that's it- no more CareCentrix because you have AWFUL communication and are starting to make me feel like you're shady too. 
• 2 days later, i find a new vendor, Edgepark Medical Supplies and it seems as if victory has been achieved. their process seems reasonable and they do all the contacting of my doctor and insurance. they even have the breast pump i want and confirmed my insurance works with them. if i have to pay a little extra to them, that's fine by me.
• 3 days later, i get an email from UPS telling me i have a package coming from Omega Health solutions. What the heck? I call my insurance and see if they approved something from them and they have no idea what i'm talking about. I call Omega and they say, yes, it's the single Medela breast pump you ordered? EXCUSE ME? i have NOT ordered anything of the sort and thanks for calling me and asking me if that's what i wanted! Well, we got your referral from CareCentrix. ahh, i had almost forgotten about you CareCentrix. Omega- please cancel my breast pump- i didn't order that.
• I call CareCentrix back and inquire about said breast pump and ask if it's normal practice that both they and the vendor never contact their patients, because it's happened to me 3 times now. they say no, of course not. i tell them i don't appreciate them ordering something on my behalf and to remove me from their system forever. breast pump has now been rerouted back to Pennsylvania.
• i check back with Edgepark via their online system, and now it looks like my breast pump is out of stock due to a nationwide shortage. figures.

i'm PRAYING that my order was processed before this shortage happened because this is the last straw. i will gladly fork out the $275 to buy my own at this point. the stress of saving money was NOT worth it!

Bumpdate- 39 Weeks

How far along: 39 weeks 4 days

Baby is the size of: a watermelon. the more time i'm a watermelon, the more cruel i think it is to end pregnancy with this huge fruit, and for so many weeks!

Extra poundage: 25 pounds

Bump status: i feel pretty much the same as last week. the doctor still says baby is a good size and that makes me happy
**Dilated: still 1cm.
**Effaced: I'm gonna go with 75% still because for the past 2 weeks no one has said otherwise at my appointments.
**Contractions:  while i don't think i've had any, i very well could be without knowing that's what they are. i often feel a lot of pelvic pain with tightening, but always just attribute it to LW moving around in there, because there doesn't seem to be a decipherable beginning and end to the pain. i'm hoping they are SOMETHING!

Favorite food of the week: cereal! this is going down in the baby book as a craving, for sure.

Heartburn worthy foods: yes, a few more times unfortunately. both with Mexican food. i'm crossing my fingers that the burger i plan on having when i go out to lunch goes over well.

Favorite piece of clothing this week: it's been REALLY warm in Southern Ca this week. i've been quite enjoying my Old Navy roll over skirts, and am happy to report that my entire outfit pictured above is non-maternity!

Movement: still a lot of movement and sometimes painfully so.

Sleep: pretty good. however, because LW is so often on my left side, i often lay on my right so i don't feel a huge lump between me and the mattress. i've been waking up with VERY sore ribs because of this.
Pee trips in the night: 3-4.

Guilty pleasure:  probably some See's candy, leftover from Valentine's day? ;)

Baby purchases this week:  i purchased a second changing pad cover to match LW's nursery. other than that, i'm running out of necessities to buy since she has most everything she needs for her first few months.

Looking forward to: my due date on Wednesday. not that this means i will have LW in my arms, but i will be closer than i ever have to this being a reality!

pregnant girl problems

after 39 weeks of pregnancy bliss, i have to admit i didn't see this coming: i am OVER being pregnant. don't get me wrong, i still feel pretty good- i've only gained 25 pounds, my face has stopped breaking out, i'm not swollen, and i'm still sleeping great.  but let's be honest, everyone is pregnant for a reason and that's a baby at the end of this journey. and the fact is, i'm ready to meet her.

i've had a pretty easy time of this pregnancy thing. but lately i've been hormonal and crabby beyond recognition. luckily, no one really gets to see this because my hubby is at work all day and i've spent the past two weeks finishing up random errands before my child decides to greet me. EVERYTHING is driving me crazy- poor drivers, the obnoxious dogs downstairs who bark at me and every other person who walks by, other people having their babies before me, dealing with my insurance about getting a breast pump (STILL), and incessant phone calls and texts from people asking me how i'm feeling and if there's a baby yet (yeah, like i'm not going to tell you if the baby came!). i'm stressed out with family coming in to town 1 day after my due date, especially when i told them not to come so early, and the thought of having too many people cramping my style post-birth.

i'm tired of people telling me that i'm so small (!), that i must be carrying a boy, or that i don't look pregnant from the back. people- i'm right on track for gestational age, will probably have a 7lb baby and trust me- she's a girl. as for looking pregnant from the back, what does that even mean?

i'm frustrated with my own body for not giving me any indication when this baby is coming. i've been dilated a 1cm for over a month and pretty much nothing else. i have no braxton hicks or regular contractions, and the baby hasn't dropped. i know that labor can start whenever, but i'm starting to feel like i'll be pregnant FOREVER.

i know, dramatic. but anyone who has stood where i do now can identify with how i'm feeling. with 5 days until my due date, i'm just plain ready to add the missing piece of this 9 month long puzzle.  i've run out of errands to do and baby supplies to buy because frankly, all i need is this baby! please God, don't let me have a March baby! the thought of going in to next month might very well kill me.

Bumpdate- 38 Weeks

How far along: 38 weeks 4 days

Baby is the size of: a watermelon. still a watermelon

Extra poundage: 24 pounds

Bump status: the dr. said that i have a great sized baby for my pelvis, and that she thinks LW will be about 7 pounds. TAKE THAT all you people who say i'm small! maybe everyone else is just huge!
**Dilated: still 1cm.
**Effaced: 75%- same as last week, i'm assuming. i saw my delivering doctor this time and she wasn't super specific on this one.

Favorite food of the week: cereal. i'm sensing a pattern....

Heartburn worthy foods: ugg i had some tomato soup last night and a 4 cheese grilled cheese that did not go over well!

Favorite piece of clothing this week: sweat pants, sweat pants, sweat pants. i LOVE not having to put on nylons! i also went 3 days in a row without makeup. so liberating.

Movement: lots. she loves to shove her heel on my right side!

Sleep: fabulous. although i've woken up twice now with a huge charlie horse in my right calf and it hurts SO BAD.
Pee trips in the night: 3-4.

Guilty pleasure:  leftover mini Boston creme pies i made from Super Bowl Sunday.

Baby purchases this week:  i returned a bunch of duplicate shower gifts and got some more CUTE clothes. i can't wait to put LW in them.

Looking forward to: the final days of pregnancy, although i have to say i've quite enjoyed it.

Bumpdate- 37 Weeks

How far along: 37 weeks 5 days

Baby is the size of: a watermelon.i'm crossing my fingers that they mean a "mini" watermelon!

Extra poundage: 23 pounds

Bump status: i played a little catch up this week and measured 36cm. the past few weeks i was a little on the small size, which was making me a little paranoid. Couple that with everyone i see saying "you are so small!" and it's getting me a little peeved.
**Dilated: 1cm. the Dr. says she thinks i could be a "few" more by my next appointment, because LW's head is super low
**Effaced: 75%

Favorite food of the week: nothing really is my favorite. i'm still consuming large quantities of cereal?

Heartburn worthy foods: none officially, but i did feel a little something after having a burger last night.

Favorite piece of clothing this week: now that i'm out of work, stretchy clothes are my best friend! i've reunited with my stash of Bandini bras, and decided i will use these a lot while nursing. they don't have underwire and are thinner than a sports bra. the only bummer is they aren't super supportive, but at this point i don't really care!

Movement: yep, she's still rolling in there. it's getting a little more pokey and painful though.

Sleep: still pretty great, when my husband isn't snoring the night away!
Pee trips in the night: 3-4.

Guilty pleasure:  probably my coffee. it's becoming so soothing lately and i gots to have it!

Baby purchases this week:  i don't think i bought anything, but a few more gifts have tricked in. LW is a very blessed babe.

Looking forward to: the last 16 days +/- of being just a duo with the husband!

adventures in breast pump rentals

thanks to Obama Care, my insurance (and most every insurance company) has decided/been forced to cover either the purchase or rental of a breast pump. each company gets to decide which they want, and whether its single or double, manual or electric. so many options! and believe me, they make a difference. who wants to buy a single manual breast pump? i'm no expert, but not me!

my insurance company, though quite small, has decided they will cover 100% for the rental of ANY type of breast pump. hi yo! while it took me no less than 3 calls on separate occasions to find out if there are any limitations, i was finally informed that there are none, other than picking from a list of their approved contractors.  easy, no? WRONG!

they sent me a 1000 page book (i'm not kidding, it was the size of a phone book) of California in-network providers for everything they cover. the Durable Medical Supplies part was 3 pages. so i tore those out and tossed the rest of the book. then i also realized you can just get everything online. which i should have done, because their printed materials are RIDICULOUSLY inaccurate.  i spent an entire day calling ALL OF THESE medical supply places:

and guess what, NONE of them either carry breast pumps (who knew that CPAP machines and compression socks were so popular?) and/or they WERE NOT contracted with my insurance. say what? but i just got your name off my "preferred provider" list from my insurance! well sorry, we actually aren't contracted with them.

then, jackpot. i finally find a place, and send everything in. a week goes by and i hear back- actually we aren't a provider for your insurance. WHAT?! you are listed in 2 different places on my list under 2 different names, both are "preferred!"sorry, we could bill you as out of network? um NO. my deductible would cover the cost of purchasing a pump, so no thanks.

needless to say, this process has been the most frustrating i've ever experienced with a) my insurance company and b) in regards to being pregnant. why not just buy a breast pump? because if i'm already paying for my insurance to rent me one, and a potentially hospital grade one, no less, then i'm going to rent one and save myself $300.

i found yet another place and sent everything in and am now waiting AGAIN for them to call me and tell me they aren't a provider. my insurance company is no help, because they can't look up a  medical goods store by what they sell. and every time i call one of their "providers" they either only sell diabetes supplies, or are a medical supply assembly-only facility. what the heck?

keep your fingers crossed for me! much more of this and i'm going to proposition my insurance to outright buy me a pump. one can only hope.

Childbirth 101

Happy February! Suffice it to say, i will have a baby this month! that's still a little beyond my comprehension.  but as i continually follow my What to Expect February forum and see all my cohorts have their babies, i'm getting more and more anxious to meet our Little Wood. i had every intention to write a little more throughout January, but between my two jobs, three baby showers, childbirth classes, and cold weather which left me wanting to hibernate, i just didn't have the energy. but i am a new woman, because yesterday was my last day of work before maternity leave starts! i have roughly 18 days til my due date, and who knows how long until the wee babe makes her appearance. at my appointment yesterday i was 75% effaced and 1cm dilated, so we shall see! For now, i'm feeling pretty amazing, and still feeling a ton of movement from LW.

well, on to the purpose of this post- Childbirth classes! this was one class which i initially tried to get out of. they were three weeks long, 6-9 every thursday, and frankly sounded terrifying. i hated the idea of "panting" in front of other people, and semi-convinced myself that they wouldn't be useful because i would end up having a c-section (there is no foundation for believing this- baby is head down and low. but i just REALLY didn't want to take a class and watch horrifying videos.) after completing the three weeks and feeling only mildly squeamish at the thought of crowning and episiodomies, i am here to tell you that you NEED TO TAKE A CHILDBIRTH CLASS. why?

because most women prolong their own labor because they are scared and resistant to what's going on in their body- due to lack of knowledge. i don't know about you, but when the time comes, i want Little Wood out of there as soon as possible and don't want to experience the agony of labor longer than i need to.

because it will make your husband feel much more a part of the process, and not so helpless on the sidelines as you writhe in pain. plus, he can help act on your behalf when it's epidural time! (which i'm open to receiving, just not committed off the bat).

because the videos, while sorely outdated and boasting the most unattractive people from the 90's on the planet, really are helpful. childbirth is not "knocked up" or a "friends" episode. it's ugly and sweaty and you need to be prepared.

and finally, because your spouse gets to learn pregnancy massage! We spent the last 30-45 minutes of each class practicing relaxing breathing techniques while our spouses massaged! the breathing techniques were actually quite nice, and weren't the typical "hee-hee-ha" i've seen. who knows if i'll use them when the time comes, but it's nice to have them in my arsenal.

all in all, it was a great experience and only made me more confident in my hospital and myself. i still wouldn't say i'm excited for labor, but at least i know what i got myself in to!