Henry’s (and Halia’s!) World

I finally took time out yesterday to really concentrate on sleeping options for baby, and came up with two choices;
The Eddie Bauer Covington Bassinet in Newport Brown/Cream

and the Graco Travel Lite Crib with Bassinet in Marlowe both available via Target.

Now while I can’t write a complete review as I haven’t seen either in person, based on the specifications of size, and in the case of the Travel Lite Crib, I think I’ll be able to use the lower portion well beyond 15lbs which is a source of frustration with traditional bassinets that they can only be safely used for a short period of time before baby outgrows it. I also love that I can travel with and set up the Graco Bassinet with little problem, the color and patterns seem to work with either gender so that shouldn’t be an issue no matter what I have and at $89.99 it is a steal.

However, I’ll reserve final judgment till I actually view both and get a feel for what they can provide.

To say that anything about this baby has not been overwhelming would be an understatement; from finding the right practitioner to deliver, to the right car seat, with so many selections available to expectant parents, the choices are becoming more detailed and hard to reach at on a whim.

I have been searching months for a diaper bag large enough to carry the essentials of my entourage, but still stylish enough to use as a purse for a lady on the go, and Bellablu Maternity gave me just that.

The Shanti Bronze Diaper Bag by Baby Kaed meets all my expectations, large enough to tote baby’s and siblings items without sacrificing my desire for style.

For anyone who has checked out their library DVD collection or attended a child birth class, I am sure I am not alone in thinking what is it with all these old movies, that always seem to feature pregnant mom’s exercising in leg warmers? That always seems to stick in my mind and about the only thing I can remember.

Imagine my delight when my local birth center introduced Sheri Bayles’s 2007 DVD, Laugh and Learn About Childbirth, and it puts such a funny spin on childbirth that you are just bound to love, but also learn so much from.

She offered a great breathing technique which I’d never heard of before, but which made such perfect sense that every time I’ve had a contraction, I’ve practiced this technique and it took my mind off the pain I was going through.

It starts with the contraction of course, and Sheri’s advice is to focus on a focal point, and instead of the hee-hee haw-haw we seem indaunted with on TV, rather take in a long cleansing breath through the nose, then let out an equally refreshing breath through your mouth, and continue to do these as long as it takes for the contraction to end.

With baby due next month (wow!), it has done a lot to calm my nerves practing these breaths as epidurals are not offered at my birth center, so hopefully when the real deal hits, I’ll keep a calm mind and be able to use this breathing technique to get me through labor.

“If pregnancy were a book they would cut the last two chapters.”
— Nora Ephron

1. The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is “Congratulations” with enthusiasm. Any other response makes you a jerk.

2. Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father- not grandparents. Unless the baby is in your uterus, or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not ever use the phrase “my baby”

3. On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in #2, the pregnancy, birth and the raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it.

4. The body of a pregnant woman should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone’s stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.

5. Likewise, no woman wants to hear comments on her weight- ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about to pop, must be having twins, looks swollen or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is “You look fabulous!”

6. Most of us have picked up on the fact that summer is hot. We are hot every summer when we are not pregnant. We don’t need you to point out that we will be miserably hot before the baby comes.

7. There is a reason that tickets to Labor & Delivery are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, mother-in-law or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt or genitals. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents.

8. Like everything else in life, unless you receive an invitation, you are not invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital and the parents’ home. You do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to “help out”. If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it.

9. If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking meals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from various locations lift a finger in housework is not helping.

10. The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask you to wait 3 weeks to visit, appreciate that you are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less.