i have been doing some reading on pregnancy and parenting.
The first book I read was How Eskimos Keep Their Babies warm. It was a collection of one mother's experiences in different parts of the world. It didn't get too deep into parenting philosophies but was interesting to learn about how children are in other parts of the world.
The next few books were given to me by a friend who has kids. What To Expect When You're Expecting is in a question and answer format. I read through what was relevant to me. If you have a question about your pregnancy, it is probably answered in this book. She also gave me The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy. It is a bit dated but some things still apply. I am still reading the Baby 411 book but this one is not that fun for me. While reading it, I feel like there is so much to remember. It includes lots of tables about what weight the baby should be at what age or how much they should eat or how much they should sleep or what developmental milestone they should've reached. Stresses me out.
I also read Bringing Up Bebe and enjoyed it quite a bit. It is one American mother's point of view on French parenting. It is easy to read, funny, and relatable. I like a lot of the discoveries she documents. I am not sure I can implement them but the book resonated with me.
Then I read Parenting Without Borders. Also interesting to read about how other countries deal with parenting.
Some others I want to read are Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, and Happiest Baby on the Block. There are some on my list I might not get to: Brain Rules for Baby, NurtureShock, No Drama Discipline, and The Whole Brain Child.
Friday, October 24, 2014
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
the maternity clothes
For the first couple months, I was able to wear my normal clothes. My tops were not tight fitting so I have been able to wear the same tops.
From week 15-20, I actually wore some DIY maternity jeans. I made two jeans with elastic inserts. Then one pair of black pants with a different type of elastic insert. And finally one pair of jeans with a full panel. The elastic insert jeans worked quite well for a while but then there started to not be enough room. I moved to the full panel but because I cut too much they don't fit right and fell down. I would constantly have to yank them up which is unsightly and a pain. For my black pants, I used a seam ripper and opened up the sides and back seam and added elastic there. They are also ill-fitting and fall down when I walk.
At Week 21, I gave in and bought a pair of maternity jeans from gap. they are full panel and very well made. They dont fall down, are comfortable, and look great. I've also been wearing my lululemon leggings but at times even those dont sit at the right place on my belly.
I had really hoped to not buy maternity clothing but now my shirts are starting to feel tight. next purchase might be maternity shirts
From week 15-20, I actually wore some DIY maternity jeans. I made two jeans with elastic inserts. Then one pair of black pants with a different type of elastic insert. And finally one pair of jeans with a full panel. The elastic insert jeans worked quite well for a while but then there started to not be enough room. I moved to the full panel but because I cut too much they don't fit right and fell down. I would constantly have to yank them up which is unsightly and a pain. For my black pants, I used a seam ripper and opened up the sides and back seam and added elastic there. They are also ill-fitting and fall down when I walk.
At Week 21, I gave in and bought a pair of maternity jeans from gap. they are full panel and very well made. They dont fall down, are comfortable, and look great. I've also been wearing my lululemon leggings but at times even those dont sit at the right place on my belly.
I had really hoped to not buy maternity clothing but now my shirts are starting to feel tight. next purchase might be maternity shirts
the news
i had an irrational fear of something bad happening or of miscarriage so it took us a while to feel comfortable enough to tell people about the baby. it really depends on how comfortable you feel and everyone is different. We waited until about 14 weeks until we told our parents and even then it was a bit rushed.
we were going to guernville/healdsburg for the weekend with my college friend and his wife and we knew that during the weekend, they would figure that I was not drinking wine. So on our drive up to meet them for dinner, we called our parents. My parents seemed happy and my mother-in-law seemed more concerned. Everyone will react differently.
A lot of people will have a lot of advice. Don't eat watermelon. Don't eat cheese. Don't eat spicy stuff. Don't eat this or that. Those are personal choices as well. They key for me is really cleanliness. If I think the food is clean I will eat it. Of course, even when I think it is clean, it may not be. So far in my pregnancy, I had one cold and then two small bouts of diarrhea. Nothing serious though.
I didn't have morning sickness so I was able to wait before needing to tell my boss. Once I told her, I told my actual manager as well. It was weird, when I talked about being pregnant, I would tear up. Damn hormones.
we were going to guernville/healdsburg for the weekend with my college friend and his wife and we knew that during the weekend, they would figure that I was not drinking wine. So on our drive up to meet them for dinner, we called our parents. My parents seemed happy and my mother-in-law seemed more concerned. Everyone will react differently.
A lot of people will have a lot of advice. Don't eat watermelon. Don't eat cheese. Don't eat spicy stuff. Don't eat this or that. Those are personal choices as well. They key for me is really cleanliness. If I think the food is clean I will eat it. Of course, even when I think it is clean, it may not be. So far in my pregnancy, I had one cold and then two small bouts of diarrhea. Nothing serious though.
I didn't have morning sickness so I was able to wait before needing to tell my boss. Once I told her, I told my actual manager as well. It was weird, when I talked about being pregnant, I would tear up. Damn hormones.
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