If you have been around here awhile, most of you know that getting pregnant was not the easiest thing for Justin and me. It was a lot of long months, a lot of tests, and a lot of medication to figure out what was going on. But now that we are pregnant, there are a lot of things running through my head, like any first-time mom.
How will the dogs handle the new baby?
Right now, our dogs are our fur-babies. They do everything with us, and are constantly getting belly rubs from both of us! Bringing the baby home will be a big transition for both the dogs! It will be an interesting transition for all of us! Any tips on how you introduced your dogs to your new one?
How will we get on a schedule?
Most of you know my husband is a Deputy Sherriff and doesn’t have the normal 9-5, Monday- Friday schedule. He has the opposite of that. Getting on a good schedule while I am on maternity leave, and then when I get back to work worries me a little. He could be working thirds (11 pm – 8 am), or even seconds (3 pm- 11 pm). I know we will just have to roll with the punches as they come!
Read about my second shift Blues Here.
How will Breastfeeding Go?
As a first time mom, we all know no one can answer that question, but it sure would be nice if someone could give us some idea on how it will be. I told myself, I will try as hard as I can, but also not be mad at myself, if it does not work out. I think it is important to put a little pressure on yourself. But then also to remind yourself, it is okay if it does not work out. It will not be the end of the world, and your little baby will be just perfectly fine either way!
How Can I Help Prepare for the Future?
This answer is easier than I thought it would be to find, after looking into cord blood banking with Cord Blood Registry (CBR) Your baby’s umbilical cord is made of tissue and contains blood, both of which are rich sources of powerful stem cells. Preserving your newborn’s stem cells may give your child or an immediate family member, depending on the condition and other factors, the opportunity to use this resource for current cord blood therapies and potential future applications, like regenerative medicine.*
(Source is from https://www.cordblood.com/stem-cell-research/cord-blood-uses-and-research )
During this crazy time of preparing for the baby, CBR makes it super easy to get started, with 5 simple steps:
- Enroll with CBR online at cordblood.com/enroll or call 1-888-240-1996
- CBR ships you a collection kit
- Bring your kit to the hospital on your big day
- Call the medical courier after your baby is born and the cord blood has been collected by your healthcare professional
- Relax. CBR handles the rest and will notify you when the kit has been received.
If you are pregnant, know someone who is expecting, or just want more information for the future I suggest watching this video that helps break down how it all works or head on over to www.cordblood.com. You can also receive a promo code for, $200 off of the initial fees by filling out your information here!
It is so hard to believe Baby Knight will be here in less than 3 months! We are so excited, to bring this baby into the world!
What are some of your thought’s when you were becoming a first-time mom?
We got married at 23 and immediately knew we wanted a large family. However, after months of trying and nothing happening I visited my OBGYN. She put me on birth control for a few months to regulate my cycles. During those few months, my weight ballooned up. Pregnancy announcement after pregnancy announcement had me depressed and wondering why not me? I was eventually diagnosed with PCOS. The struggle to lose weight became a mountain. I used to be a dancer and now I could barely tie my own shoes. I was embarrassed and knew that if I didn’t control my weight I’d probably never become a mother. Months turned into years. Finally four years into our marriage the doctor said I was in a healthy weight range and that we shouldn’t have any issues conceiving. But those months turned into a year. Finally, I decided on a whim to call a fertility center. They got us in quickly and a whirlwind of testing ensued. Not only did I have issues ovulating, my husband had low morphology which meant getting pregnant on our own was very unlikely. Our doctor sat us down and I was expecting the worst. However, just like that, we decided on IUI. I was prescribed Clomid and ovidrel. We went in knowing the odds weren’t necessarily in our favor. The two-week wait was the worst. Finally, after over five years of trying we are expecting our first in May of 2018. No journey with infertility is the same. No outcome will be the same, but when you can find others who have lived a similar story it makes your journey not seem so scary. Never stop seeking answers. Never stop being your family’s advocate. If we can climb this mountain. You can too!- Samantha
This has been a long time “in the making” and I hope to explain it a little more, and to bring awareness to Infertility that a lot of young women don’t talk about. I was one of those women, I did not talk about what we went through, while we were going through the process. Looking back, I am still glad that we didn’t tell everyone, trying to get pregnant is enough stress alone, without everyone else wondering, and asking what is the next step.
