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I’m generally not a fan of the uber-slouchy, uber-boxy, so-ugly-it’s-cool style of fashion that’s become popular lately — but even I can get behind this dress. I like the bright, happy color, and let’s face it, some of the more fitted bodycon styles are the last thing one wants to wear while pregnant (no matter how proud you are of your bump). I’d try it with tights, flat boots, and a closeknit sweater (silk, maybe merino) to hug my shoulders and arms. The dress is $208 at Shopbop, also available in black. Hatch Slouch Dress
Psst: Amazon is offering 25% off a ton of shoes and handbags — check out the selection here.
Sales of note for 9.10.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 30% off your purchase
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything + extra 20% off
- Boden – 15% off new styles
- Eloquii – $29 and up select styles; up to 50% off everything else
- J.Crew – Up to 50% off wear-to-work styles; extra 30% off sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – 40-60% off everything; extra 60% off clearance
- Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
- Loft – Extra 40% off sale styles
- Talbots – BOGO 50% everything, includes markdowns
- Zappos – 26,000+ women’s sale items! (check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kids’ shoe brands on sale)
Kid/Family Sales
- Carter’s – Birthday sale, 40-50% off & extra 20% off select styles
- Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off all baby; up to 40% off all Halloween
- J.Crew Crewcuts – Extra 30% off sale styles
- Old Navy – 40% off everything
- Target – BOGO 25% off select haircare, up to 25% off floor care items; up to 30% off indoor furniture up to 20% off TVs
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And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!
- The concept of “backup care” is so stupid…
- I need tips on managing employees in BigLaw who have to leave for daycare pickup…
- I’m thinking of leaning out to spend more time with my family – how can I find the perfect job for that?
- I’m now a SAHM and my husband needs to step up…
- How can I change my thinking to better recognize some of my husband’s contributions as important, like organizing the shed?
- What are your tips to having a good weekend with kids, especially with little kids? Do you have a set routine or plan?
(former) preg 3L says
Eh, this dress wouldn’t be worth it to wear pregnant if I had to put tights underneath! Thigh-highs would definitely be worth it though.
MomAnon4This says
My son’s public school is off ALL WEEK this week for Thanksgiving. Since he’s in kindergarten, this only occurred to me 2 weeks ago, and I have been able to put together 3 days of care for him among me, my parents, and his friends and playdates and me mostly-for-real working for home.
However, I have decided this is NOT the best week to tell child-free-by-choice Supervisor who is great that I am pregnant. I will look really disorganized. I will wait another 2 weeks so that it looks I’ve got It under control, whatever It is.
Pink Hair says
Love this but I wouldn’t spend that much on a dress for non-pregnant me, so the price makes it out of the question.
Sending up the C-Moms bat signal this morning. Here’s the scenario: I work at Organization A, which has been in the midst of a major leadership crisis for the past six months. I report to the CEO. Because of what’s been going on here, I believe that I have roughly an 18-to-24-month timeline before I will likely need to find something new. Of course, I want to go for the right job, to the right place, etc. I live and work in a small market, so professional pickings are slim.
Organization B is of great interest to me — they are a direct competitor with my employer (although slightly different in terms of their focus) and recently hired new leadership. Their old CEO just retired after 30 years, and a professional friend at Org B recently shared that the new CEO has announced an administrative reorganization — which will result in an opening I would most certainly apply for.
I’m having coffee my Org B friend tomorrow and am likely going to get some scoop on what’s going on there. We aren’t super duper close, but she likes me enough to have introduced me to her new CEO over lunch when he came to town. He was impressed with my work at Org A and asked for my resume at the end of our meeting. All of this is great, I’m excited to apply for an opportunity with him…but I’ll be 9 weeks pregnant as of tomorrow.
Question is: do I tell my Org B friend about the pregnancy? I can probably hide it at our coffee date, but this is #3 so I’m showing much earlier than with my first two. Plus, I just prefer to be honest — and if I were to interview anytime in calendar 2015, it’s going to be obvious that I’m expecting. Deep down, I wouldn’t want to work anywhere/for anyone who wouldn’t take me because I’m pregnant — but at the same time, I so very badly want this job that I don’t want to do one single thing to jeopardize it.
FWIW, the Org B CEO, my Org B friend and I ended up talking about our kids over our lunch — it came up very naturally. He told me flat-out he wished he’d had more than two kids, so I know he at least (theoretically) isn’t against people with families.
MomAnon4This says
I would not mention it. I have interviewed while 8 months pregnant, and I was the person to bring it up while talking about start date and commitment (my awesome line: “I’m not used to being the elephant in the room, but I am pregnant, and due on this date, and I’d be most interested in starting 6 weeks later part-time and ramping up…”) and it worked! But to me, this sounds so informal, I’d bring it up when everything becomes more formal…?
Sorry, the only analogy I can think of is telling a date you have herpes, you don’t want to do that on the 1st or 2nd fun date, and not right before you seal the deal, but when it looks more promising…
Spirograph says
I agree. If you’re having a serious interview and they’re getting ready to make you an offer, you want to bring up pregnancy so you can discuss maternity leave and timeline. Right now, though, it is just personal information.
Jen says
I agree with this. You’re still in the exploratory and informal stages. Once you actually start interviewing (by which time you may be more visibly pregnant) you can bring it up. It’s so early it might be taken the wrong way.
However, if there were a VERY natural way to bring it up in the casual conversation you’re having, and it’s bugging you, there’s probably no harm.
hoola hoopa says
I would not let Org B Friend know you are pregnant. I wouldn’t tell them until you are ready to inform Org B CEO/hiring manager.
There’s definitely the typical ‘don’t tell potential employer until you have offer in hand’ policy and concern that Org B Friend could slip up – but I also think it puts them in a difficult situation of knowing something that you don’t want them to share, so I wouldn’t put that on their shoulders.
Anon S says
Good morning ladies. Do you have baby monitor recommendations? My husband is in charge of picking out/researching a baby monitor, but he is having problems deciding if we want a video one or just one with sound. Any thoughts?
ANP says
We have a basic VTech sound monitor — no video, but it does have two receivers so there’s one on our first floor and one in our (finished) basement. Used the same model with both our kids. We can hear our son in our bedroom so no need for a receiver in there. We live in a 3200 sq ft single family home (for reference — not sure what your living situation is like) in a quiet area, so there’s no street noise to compete with and our neighbors aren’t so close that their wifi or radio signals or whatnot would interfere.
We never got a video monitor b/c I figured I’d spend all my time staring at my kids vs., you know, getting stuff done while they sleep! Plus I’m cheap. YMMV on this, though.
mascot says
We loved our Summer video monitor. It pans, tilts and zooms and has “night” vision. Still works 4 years later and customer service was quick to get us a replacement cord when ours went on the fritz.
Having a video monitor really helped us learn what cries needed attention and what was just some settling down noise. Also, a zoom feature is nice for those first few days where you are convinced that the baby stopped breathing or something equally worrisome. Maybe that was just me….
Lyssa says
Same here – love the video, particularly because I can zoom in see breathing when I feel paranoid (mascot, I’m impressed that you limited that to the first few days – I still do it at 23 months!).
I’m not sure whether this is just my own kid’s awesome quirk or not, but he really doesn’t cry when he wakes up and is stuck in his crib, and really hasn’t since he was little enough to need really constant feedings – I sort of wonder if the fact that we can see him in the monitor, and know to get him when he’s up and looking restless, has sort of trained him not to need to fuss about it.
We have the Tommy Tippee video monitor, and it’s fine, but I might check out another one if I have to replace it. We never could get the infant movement monitoring pad to work right, and the battery is really worn down, which is annoying. But the night vision aspect is good.
Anonymous says
My husband is in charge of this too and being an electronics engineer I trust him. He picked the Drop Cam Pro for our baby monitor ($199). I like they you can watch the video/audio from any device that has the app on it. If the cam detects sound or movement it sends a message to your cell phone/tablet to notify you. I don’t like the idea of having to carry around another device when I usually have my phone or ipad close by anyway.
eh230 says
We have this too. I like it so much more than the old Summer Infant video monitors we had. We also have a V-tech for sound since the baby’s room is upstairs.
Spirograph says
We have just an audio monitor. It’s one of the Angelcare ones, and I have no complaints with it. Favorite features: receiver shows the temp of the baby’s room and has a “temporary mute” feature that you can push to stop receiving for a minute or two, and you can adjust the noise sensitivity. The transmitter in the baby room also has a nightlight on top, but we rarely use it because I find it too bright.
As far as the audio vs video question, I’m not sure if I would have less-compulsively checked on baby (like, even when he was not making noise, just to make sure he was breathing) if I’d been able to see him with a video monitor, but I’m pretty sure that was just new-mom paranoia that would have happened regardless. Now that he’s older, there’s no way I’d use the video, so I’m glad we didn’t pay any extra for it.
(former) preg 3L says
We have a Samsung one from Amazon – it has video, can tilt, pan, and zoom. I like it a lot. Before we got it, I was all we-don’t-need-that-$200-toy, but now I can’t live without it!
Jen says
NOT the summer one. We have it, and we are now on our 4th one since its purchase in May 2013. They do have a 1 year warranty, and we’ve had to use it 3 times. In fact, our 4th one is on the fritz and we need to send it back AGAIN.
Each time, they tell me they’ve “never had this issue before” but I don’t buy it. The system itself is great in terms of features and usability…but we’ve had a charging problem, a wiring problem, a reception problem and now a charging-and-reception problem. Ugh.
RR says
Our Summer one first started shutting itself off every time the baby cried, which is exactly what I want my video monitor to do, right? Then it stopped doing that, and the main monitor died. The small handheld still works, but is constantly telling us it’s “out of range” when it’s not. Or it will just stop working for hours at a time. And same thing, “oh that’s never happened before.”
Nonny says
We have a Panasonic one with video and it works great. I am super happy we got the video monitor because if my LO makes a noise while I am puttering around in the evenings, I can look to see if she is settling herself down rather than wondering and having to go upstairs to her room to check. But I am neurotic that way. It is also worth its weight in gold on mornings like today, for example, when she cried a bit at 5:30am and I could see she was just doing so while getting herself back to sleep. Otherwise I would have thought it was time to get out of my nice, cozy bed. As it was I got to stay there for another 45 minutes.
RR says
I have yet to purchase any baby monitor that doesn’t die. We went through two with my twins (just sound). We had a video monitor crap out on us when my youngest was 6 months old. I hate monitors. We currently use this one: http://www.amazon.com/Foscam-FI8910W-Network-Camera-Two-Way/dp/B006ZP8UOW. It’s working fairly well a year in, and I like the iPhone/iPad compatibility.
On the video vs. sound, I do like being able to see them and figure out what that noise I’m hearing is (baby turning over vs. baby standing up and throwing things out of crib, baby mad at not playing vs. baby stuck in crib, or whatever).
Nonny says
FWIW, we are 10 months in with the Panasonic one and it hasn’t died yet…..[touch wood]
hoola hoopa says
We really like our Motorola video monitor. Easy to set up and use. Cameras have really good range of motion (ie, panning across room) and good picture, I think. We get quite a bit of use out of the intercom feature. Love the temperature reading. Easy to set up additional cameras and move between the on the monitor.
I’ve known a few people who went with security system cameras and really liked it, if you want to add that to the search.
Anon says
Deleted
anon for this says
[Regular poster, going anon for this because I don’t want to out myself!]
I’m currently a full time associate in Biglaw, and I’m starting to apply for jobs that are posted as part-time because I want to scale back on my career for a few years while my kids are little. Should I explicitly mention why I’m interested in part-time work in a cover letter? On the one hand, I feel like mentioning family responsibilities is deadly to any job application. On the other hand, I want the employers to know that I am genuinely interested in their position even though it is part-time. I’m concerned that my resume might look too “focused on my career” (which I have been, in the past) and they might wonder why I would apply for a part-time position, and perhaps draw negative conclusions from that. What do you all think?
Meg Murry says
I recently took a job that was really part time (only 15 hours a week) and I believe I addressed it in the interview but only briefly in the cover letter. In the interview though, I was totally honest that I wanted part-time work because I wanted to be with my kids more and that part time was ideal for me. This is a place that is known to be very family friendly though, and many people work there part time when they have young kids – but they also are difficult to get in to, and many people try to take part time jobs to get a foot in the door as a stepping stone to full time. I wanted to make it clear that I wanted *this* part time position and found part time to be a positive reason for applying, not that I was just settling for part time but I really wanted full time.
Anon says
I think that the reality of our world is that no one will question why a woman with young children is looking to scale back her career. You’d actually have more of a challenge if you were trying to make the opposite argument!
Breakfast suggestions? says
I need suggestions for breakfast that can (1) be prepared the night before; (2) be eaten in the car with one hand while I commute to work; and (3) are fairly healthy but involve a decent amount of protein and have some substantiality. I have given up on the idea that I’m ever going to get up early enough, or my family is going to have it together enough in the morning for even a five minute preparation. I need to be able to grab it out of the fridge or off the counter and go.
Thanks.
Anon S says
Hard boiled eggs and fruit (banana, apple, etc.)
ECR says
I like this idea for making a big batch of steel cut oats for breakfast (with bananas, chia seeds, nuts, whatever) that will last the week: http://www.dailygarnish.com/2010/09/how-to-make-oatmeal-in-a-rice-cooker.html
The blogger uses a rice cooker, but you could do the same thing in regular pot. Then just portion into individual containers and heat up in the microwave each morning.
My other go-to breakfast is Ezekiel raisin bread with natural peanut butter. I LOVE Ezekiel bread because it is whole grain and no added sugar. Plus you buy it frozen, so it keeps forever. I defrost individual slices in the microwave, but you could also just leave them out on the counter the night before.
Meg Murry says
Or grab a portion of pre-cooked oatmeal and heat it up to eat at your desk in the morning while you check email? I freeze cooked oatmeal servings in silicone cupcake pans, so I can pop out or two at a time for a quick serving. Adding a scoop of peanut butter or almond butter can also boost the protein.
JJ says
That is the greatest idea ever.
mascot says
Smoothies with protein powder, hard-boiled eggs (peeled, obv.), mini-quiches, nut butter sandwiches using bread or apple slices, shelled nuts, string cheese.
Eggs really are my ideal breakfast food for purposes of staying power and protein/fat satiety. I’ll boil a dozen at a time and grab them out of the fridge each morning.
Anonymous says
Protein bar and a piece of fruit.
sfg says
I like making batches of mini frittatas in muffin pans. They need to be zapped in the microwave briefly but otherwise they’re good to go. I have eaten them quite regularly while driving.
ml says
This is what I was going to suggest. I don’t do it as often as I’d like, but I am always really happy for a week when I do. I don’t even mind eating them cold in a pinch.
Midwest Mom says
I was going to suggest these too after trying them for the first time last week. I just mixed eggs, torn up turkey bacon, and shredded cheddar cheese with a little salt and pepper. Greased a cupcake pan, filled each one about 2/3 full and baked at 400* for about 15 min. Heat them up in the microwave for about 30 second in the morning and you’re good to go. You could add all kinds of ingredients – spinach & mozzarella, peppers & salsa, sausage or ham, etc.
Nonny says
Do these freeze OK or would freezing do weird things to the eggs?
sfg says
I have not tried freezing them, but I think maybe if you let them thaw on their own in the fridge prior to reheating that it would work OK.
Midwest Mom says
Sorry, just now seeing this. I haven’t tried to freeze them either. But the ones I made lasted for several days in the fridge. I’m thinking if you made a batch on Sunday, they would be fine in the fridge through Friday.
Nonny says
I keep a supply of muffins in the freezer for this purpose, but that doesn’t address your protein requirement…
EB0220 says
I make a breakfast smoothie that is great, although maybe not for cold weather. I use the vitamix blender, which is small and can fit in my fridge. It has banana, peanut butter, almond milk, protein powder and spinach (see fit2fat2fit breakfast smoothie for recipe). You can put all of the ingredients together at night and store in fridge. In the morning just add ice and blend – should take < 2 minutes.
Induction - What to Expect says
I am past my due date, and so far, my birthing parts are not gearing up for delivery. My OB insists on inducing no later than 42 weeks. I’m doing some of the recommended activities that may help kickstart labor (including scheduling a membrane scraping, if you have any tips on that…). But I also want to be prepared for medical induction, and so I would love to get any advice from women who have been in that boat. Thanks in advance!
oil in houston says
I know my mom had gone shopping all day by foot when she was in that situation, my brother was born the next day. Otherwise I hear s*x helps
Lorelai Gilmore says
I successfully avoided a medical induction with acupuncture. My OB said there was clinical evidence supporting it as an induction technique.
If you have a medical induction, I would be prepared for an epidural. Pitocin contractions are blockbuster contractions, and a lot of the advice on breathing through contractions assumes that you will not have Pitocin contractions.
Noob says
Spoiler warning — everything turned out well, and it was, in retrospect, an uncomplicated delivery, but I did end up with an unplanned, but non-emergency, c-section. I debated sharing a less than perfect delivery story with you since birth is imminent, but really, there’s no point in window dressing the process at this point, and it really was a perfect delivery, because both baby and I came out of the process healthy and happy.
I was induced a few days after my due date. Long story short, things never really progressed and I was having painful back labor. I dilated to about 7 cm or so, then it really slowed down, baby stayed up pretty high and didn’t drop beyond station -2. Basically, baby didn’t want to come out.
So, I had a c-section in the middle of the night about 12 hours after induction started. It turned out that baby was face up (i.e., facing the ‘wrong way’ but head down) and kind of stuck, so it would have been hard for a v*gnial birth.
My advice, which really is dependent on how important it is for you to stick to a particular birth plan, is that if things aren’t going well and your OB suggests a c-section, consider having it earlier in the process rather than later. I have several friends in similar situations who waited much longer (24 + hrs) and had a much harder time recovering from surgery, since they were so exhausted by the time they had the c-section.
Also, as much as possible, set things up at home so that if you do have a c-section you can avoid stairs and have underwear/PJs that don’t hit right at the incision (around the bikini line).
Good luck — I know how uncomfortable and anxious this time is.
KJ says
I have a similar story. I tried all kinds of things to get labor moving to no avail. My baby wasn’t even low enough to do a membrane sweep. So I was induced at 41 weeks, 1 day with baby measuring large and no signs of imminent labor and ended up with an emergency c about 22 hours into labor. I had complications from the c section and spent 10 days in the hospital.
It was really rough. Pitocin is no joke, and my epidural didn’t take, so I felt the full brunt of things. It was kind of traumatic, so, to be honest, if I had another baby that was measuring large, I think I would do a scheduled c section. And I agree with Noob that calling it for a c section earlier rather than later might be a good idea.
On a more cheerful note, after the complications were cleared up I had a pretty easy and quick recovery from the c section – I was lifting weights again 8 weeks out. So a c section doesn’t necessarily mean you are doomed to a long and horrible recovery.
Lyssa says
Don’t fear the c-section! I’m basically an evangelist about them – I had a planned one and it was really great – I’m constantly trying to figure out how v-birth could be in any way less traumatic. I’m not saying go out and insist on one right now or anything, but if your doctor starts suggesting it, be open to it, don’t just get stuck on resisting it because that’s the popular sentiment. People who get them earlier or planned seem to be much happier than those who go through hours of trying to avoid them, too.
KJ says
Well, personally, I did everything possible (including laboring on pitocin for 11 hours before asking for an epidural) to try to avoid a c section mostly because of the better health outcomes for the baby for health conditions like asthma and allergies, not because of popular sentiment. Like I said above, my recovery was easier than expected, and I would do a c section again in similar circumstances, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t good reasons to try to avoid one.
Nonny says
Oh my goodness, I so agree with Noob about deciding on the c-section earlier in the labour if you feel up to it. I am one of those who had a c-section after 36 hours of labour, and yes, it took me a really long time to recover. All is well that ends well, but recovering from c-section when you were super exhausted to start with is not good.
ETA: Like KJ, I did everything possible to avoid a c-section because of what I had read about possible health outcomes for the baby. A c-section was a last resort for me. But in hindsight, I probably should have made that call a bit earlier.
Taking time for yourself? says
I wanted to share my positive experience with a medical induction. I was induced for medical reasons. I arrived at the hospital the night before and did nothing – they just put in a suppository to soften the cervix. I slept all night. The next morning I took a shower before they inserted the IV and started the pitocin. I took a nap and got an epidural around 1pm, before the contractions were too painful. I was slow to progress at first, but fortunately, after another nap, I was fully dilated. I pushed for about an hour and a half and baby was born with no complications by 9pm. The worst part was not eating for 24+ hours. Good luck!
FVNC says
I had a medical induction, which failed and resulted in c-section. BUT – I was induced well before my due date when baby was nowhere near ready to come out, which is very different from your situation.
As for what to expect: the morning of my induction, a nurse called to tell us to arrive at 9 am. I expected some sort of lead-in or something, but I was immediately given a hospital gown and hooked up to an IV and fetal heart rate monitor. By 9:15 small contractions had started. By early afternoon there was very little progress, so the doctor broke my water. Up until this point, the contractions felt like menstrual cramps; soon afterward, I needed the epidural. I agree with Lorelai that any and all birth class instructions for pain management went out the window when the “real” contractions started. Either they really were bad, or I’m a giant wimp. Both are possible. Anyway, life was grand with the epidural, except for the fact that I made no progress whatsoever toward delivery. I did, however, watch all of season 1 of Orange is the New Black and finish up some work emails (because I was bored). Nurses came in every 20 or 30 min to check baby’s heart rate and adjust pitocin levels, or to help me get to the restroom (this required unhooking myself from all the various monitors). Otherwise, we were more or less left alone to wait and see what would happen. No surprise that by 2 am, the doctor recommended a c-section.
Overall, it was not a bad experience, although if you can avoid induction that would be preferable. Best of luck to you and your baby for a smooth delivery!
Jen says
I was 9 days overdue. My doc wanted me to have an induction on day 10, a Friday, because the hospital didn’t do inductions over the weekend and Monday would be Week 42. I did all the requisite extra testing for being late (ultrasounds, fetal monitoring etc). I even scheduled the induction because at 41+2 I was too tired to fight the OB. I had every intention of canceling/no showing the induction and giving it the weekend because every one of my mom’s babies were late. EVERY ONE.
My water broke in the wee hours of Thursday, the day before my induction. THERE IS GOOD NEWS HERE:
I was so late that I was incredibly dilated (I think 4.5cm at the last official check) and 100% effused. I woke up at 2am, water broke, contractions were IMMEDIATE. I took a bath thinking it would help delay the hospital trip, and instead, ended up driving to the hospital with soaking wet hair half dressed because the contractions came fast and furious. i showed up and was 6.5cm dilated. I had been thinking of natural birth but because things were moving along so fast they were also SO PAINFUL. I had an epi and about 2 hours later, the baby was born. I had basically 5 minutes (max) of pushing and the baby popped out. The nurses said they had never seen anyone “so effortlessly deliver a baby.”
I was <35 and had had a totally healthy pregnancy, if that matters.
Jen says
oh, to your actual question:
– i did the membrane scrape at 40 + 2 or 3…it didn’t work.
– DH and I scheduled some fun/ would be really annoying if I went into labor activity for each night the baby was late. Think: movie theatre, sport game, etc. We were trying to tempt fate into sending us the baby.
RR says
I had a sort of non-standard induction experience. My water broke, but I wasn’t having contractions or dilating, so they put me on Pitocin. After like 15 hours, going up to the maximum dose, I still hadn’t felt a contraction or dilated at all, so I had a c-section. So, be prepared for the possibility of it not working at all. But, the c-section was a super easy, happy experience for all.
Best of luck.
Maddie Ross says
FWIW, I had the same non-standard induction in that my water broke and my contractions were not as strong as they needed to be (after your water breaks, they generally only let you labor for so long – I think 24 hours…) In any event, I went on pitocin really soon after arriving at the hospital, even though my water only broke an hour or so before I got there. I had an epi and less than 5 hours later, I delivered. I only had to push for like 20 minutes. It was all pretty quick (and much quicker than I expected). I think the long and short of it is that there is no way to predict what will happen with an induction anymore than with a non-induced delivery. If you are curious, you could look up your “Bishop score,” which is supposedly a rating system for how you may react to a medical induction based on several factors.
anon says
I was induced twice (DS1 at 36 w for medical reasons and DS2 40 w 2 d because things were getting late). With DS2, I did get my membranes swept and it did not work. (I did think it was quite painful, but I’m kind of a wuss with pain). With DS1 I was induced over 2 and a half days; it was kind of miserable and long but in the end they broke my water on day 3 and I delivered 8 hours later. With DS2 labor was 5 hours from the beginning of induction, all very normal. With DD (third child) I went to 40w 5d before going into labor and then it was 5 hours from the first contraction, in the middle of the night, and the time we spent waiting for MIL to come down and stay with the kids was very nerve-wracking (and no time for an epidural in the end). I much preferred getting induced. With DD, I actually wanted to stave off labor because I got strep and wanted to run through a course of antibiotics, but of course I went into labor that night.
Induction - What to Expect says
Wow — thanks for all the responses. Really reassuring to hear that whatever the process, things ultimately turn out okay.
hoola hoopa says
I went into labor the morning of my scheduled induction. The staff said it happens a lot! So you can cross your fingers for that ;)
Quite a few of my friends have had inductions and all has gone well. No more eventful than my non-induced labors. GL.
Anon says
My labor started a day or so after I had my membranes swept. It was 5 days after my due date. The membrane sweep was a on a Wednesday afternoon and real contractions started Thursday evening. I was worried about the membrane sweep being painful but it really wasn’t too much worse than a regular internal exam at the lady doctor. I also walked every single day even though I was as slow as molasses. Good luck to you!
ECR says
A question for all you c-section moms out there: what can I expect of my stomach, recovery-wise? I have about 5 pounds more baby weight to lose at this point, but I still have a low bulge that I fear makes me look pregnant. It’s not terrible, but it’s far from a flat stomach. It makes me feel bad the way the weight has sort of settled lower down. Is this permanent? Should I see my ob/gyn or another doctor for advice? Thanks!
CHJ says
When did you have your baby? For me, it took a long time (9-12 months) for my body to go back into place. I certainly don’t have a flat stomach now by any means, but I can more or less fit into all my old clothes and I don’t look pregnant.
Nonny says
I’m 10 months post-partum and am having a similar experience. I figure that once I start proper exercise again (at the moment it just is not fitting into my daily routine, and probably won’t until I stop pumping at work), I’ll be more or less back to “normal”. I may be a bit heavier but to be honest I have no clue what I weigh right now anyway, and don’t really care that much.
KJ says
I’m back at my pre-pregnancy weight, but I still have the bulge. I didn’t have a flat stomach before, though, so it doesn’t really bother me.
Jen says
I didn’t have a c-section but it took me 6-7 months PP before I could even button my old pants. My weight was back to normal but my hips were not.
hoola hoopa says
Also no c/s and it was ~9 months until I felt like I looked like ‘me’ again even though I was back to my weight and clothing size sooner. For reference.
Third trimester blues says
Can anyone share stories of feeling sad in their third trimester? I’m 5 weeks away from my due date, and maybe it’s just that I’m uncomfortable and not sleeping well, but I’ve had a couple days when something small sets me off (usually something husband does or says) and I just can’t stop crying. I start thinking about whether I really want children, whether I can really raise them well, whether they’ll change who I am, whether I’ll lose myself in this new identity, whether my marriage will survive the stress of raising twins. I’m not a kid or baby person by nature, and I worry that I won’t love my children enough. Has anyone else ever felt like this during pregnancy? How did you get through it? My pregnancy’s been very smooth so far, and I’m not currently working, so maybe I just need more naps?
RR says
Totally normal. I felt the same way. I just tried to distract myself. I watched all the seasons of Grey’s Anatomy and sobbed for a couple days. That was therapeutic. :)
FWIW, your life will never be the same, but in mostly good ways. I’m not a baby/kid person either. You don’t have to love kids in general to love your kids. You don’t have to love being pregnant. You don’t even have to feel instant love upon seeing them. Some people do; some parents (not me, of course) think they look like angry old people. It will come. The jury is still out on whether I’ve done a good job raising my kids, but I think I’m doing fine despite not knowing what I’m doing. My experience was that having twins made my husband and I stronger. And, yes, having kids will change who you are, but change isn’t necessarily bad.
As far as the stress of having twins, it’s pretty intense for the first 4-6 weeks, and then it gets better. You won’t see it coming, but all of a sudden it will be better. Just be nice to yourself and accept all the help (and sleep) you can in the first 4-6 weeks, and you will be fine.
Third trimester blues says
Thanks for this–really helpful. Binge watching something silly sounds really appealing. And plus one to thinking newborns look like tiny angry old people!
KJ says
Totally normal. Honestly, I think it would be weird not to experience those kinds of fears, especially with twins! As for getting through it, I don’t think there is any specific solution other than to talk about it with your partner and then keep on keeping on. It’s good practice for parenthood, really. And if you think you are veering into depression (now or after the birth) talk to your medical provider about it.
Jen says
I had panic as well…that DH would be a terrible father. Went to tears pretty much every day worried that since he had never had siblings or changed a diaper, he wouldn’t read stories or play catch or snuggle our baby.
Man was a saint for dealing with that. And he’s a pretty great dad, too.:)
Spirograph says
1. I think this is totally normal, and 2. I think sleep deprivation is a big part of it (and hormones). I know I am a really awful person to be around lately, because I am just so. tired. that I can’t hold myself together for a full day. I prioritize being chipper and civil at work and in front of my son…and after he goes to bed, I end up snapping at my husband or generally being emotional and/or a jerk. I try not to be, but I can’t help it and my husband is being awesome. I’m trying to figure out how to make it up to him.
A couple ladies with grown children have told me that writing in a journal helped sort through these kinds of thoughts during pregnancy – and that they really love being able to look back at that writing now that the kids are grown and everything turned out OK. When I manage to make time for it, it really does make me feel better… maybe something to try?
NewMomAnon says
You will make it up to him by giving him a child. If he’s a good guy, that should be enough. : )
NewMomAnon says
It might be normal, but I feel like a lot of scary mental health issues get swept under the rug during pregnancy as “just hormones.” Just because it’s “normal” doesn’t mean you need to deal with it alone or in silence. I developed anxiety during pregnancy, and was told that it was “normal.” I finally talked to my OB about it once I developed suicidal thoughts, and she rushed me onto the schedule of a psychiatrist and a good therapist and recommended some prenatal support groups. I think it’s a lot easier to build that network and get the help while pregnant than it is once baby arrives.
MomAnon4This says
This. Ask your ob/gyne for a list of therapists that specialize in -pre-and-post- partum issues. I’m not diagnosing you, they won’t diagnose you for what you’ve brought up, but it’s worth it (and worth it to your partner, and friends, too) to have a professional involved. You’re worth it!
Anon says
I’m 22 weeks pregnant with twins and imagine that I’ll be exactly like you when I’m 5 weeks out. I’m really scared to have these babies. Some days I wake up and literally can’t believe there’s one in there let alone two. I look at FB and see everyone snowboarding and think….well I won’t be doing that for at least 5 more years. Did I make a mistake? Should we have waited longer? (kind of stupid to think about when it’s obviously not an option). I too worry about what our marriage will be like. We have a pretty strong relationship but my husband is very introverted and has a hard time expressing his feelings. He gets better and better at opening up as the years go by. I’m right there with you.
Are you having mo-di or di-di twins?
Third trimester blues says
Di-di twins, after a couple rounds of IVF. So at one point, I was sure enough about wanting kids to go through that! You?
Like you, until about a month ago, I would turn back the covers in the morning and think, “Whoa! I’m pregnant! Like, really pregnant!” (Now the belly’s so big, I’m cognizant of it all the time.) And I think wistfully of the scuba diving I won’t be doing for years…
I think what makes it worse is that people keep asking me, “Are you excited? You must be so happy and excited!” and I want to reply, “Actually, I’m really uncomfortable and filled with anxiety.” I don’t even have an inkling of that “get these babies out of me” feeling, because Life After Babies seems like it will be so difficult and exhausting for so long. I’m praying that biology steps in and floods me with a tidal wave of bonding hormones to get me through.
NewMomAnon says
Hugs. I don’t think it will be as bad as you think for as long as you fear. The first 3 months will be hard, and then it will get better bit by bit as your kiddos gain independence and you bond with them and you find a routine.
For those first few months though – I found maternity leave to be really hard. My husband expected me to be on all night because he was “working” (and I wasn’t?) and then I had to be on all day alone with the baby. On days my husband helped at night, or others helped during the day, things were actually kind of enjoyable sometimes. My mantra was “create moments of peace.”
Third trimester blues says
Thanks, NewMomAnon. That’s a good mantra.
Anon says
Mine are di-di as well. They were conceived spontaneously the first month I went off birth control after being on it for 13 years (I’ll be 31 here in a month). I was convinced there wasn’t even one baby in there and then went in for an ultrasound at 8 weeks (standard procedure at my ob) and wow just wow. That was one of the craziest days of my life thus far. Totally blacked out and didn’t go to work for 2 days because I couldn’t sleep. Broke out in hives all over my face. LOL! I’m coming to terms with it now. We won’t know until they’re born whether they’re fraternal or identical since they’re both boys. Most likely they’re fraternal based on the statistics but you never know. Are you having b/b, g/g or b/g?
I’m hoping the same – that I am flooded with lovey dovey bonding hormones. Somewhere deep down I know it will all be okay and I’m sure it will be for you too. Are you going back to work (if applicable) after the babies are born?
Third trimester blues says
Wow! I knew there was a good chance of twinnage in my case due to the number of embryos transferred, but it was still a surprise when the doc said “…and here’s a second one!” Can’t imagine being in your situation with no warning. Email me at corporettemomoftwins at the Mail of Goog if you’d like to chat more!
Third trimester blues says
Thanks for the support and reassurances, ladies. Really helps me feel less alone.
KJ says
Vent: My baby is sick for the first time today. :( My husband is home with her but I’m having a very unproductive day because I’m wishing I could be home snuggling/nursing her. We took her to the doctor and it’s just a virus, but it still sucks.