I have baby fever.

angel-abby - I just noticed that you are in fact pregnant NOW! CONGRATULATIONS! How are you feeling and when do you find out the baby's sex? Hope everything is going well in your pregnancy so far!

Nicola, you sound just like me before we got pg for DS! We waited about a year to start TTC, mostly for money-related reasons. We also saved up all the money to pay for our home waterbirth before we even started trying. I highly recommend it - it relieved so much stress during the pregnancy. I also started interviewing midwives three months before we were going to TTC, but then got pg three months early (oops!).My midwife jokes that I got pg because I had met her and didn't have anything else to wait for  We had DS when we were in a one-bedroom apartment and it wasn't bad at all. Newborn babies take up virtually no space and we were moving out before he started crawling. We breastfeed and cloth diaper too!

I know exactly what you mean about baby fever. I had it for over a year before I got pg and almost as soon as DS was in my arms, I had the baby fever again for the next one!

Sihaya:

Nicola, you sound just like me before we got pg for DS! We waited about a year to start TTC, mostly for money-related reasons. We also saved up all the money to pay for our home waterbirth before we even started trying. I highly recommend it - it relieved so much stress during the pregnancy. I also started interviewing midwives three months before we were going to TTC, but then got pg three months early (oops!).My midwife jokes that I got pg because I had met her and didn't have anything else to wait for  We had DS when we were in a one-bedroom apartment and it wasn't bad at all. Newborn babies take up virtually no space and we were moving out before he started crawling. We breastfeed and cloth diaper too!

I know exactly what you mean about baby fever. I had it for over a year before I got pg and almost as soon as DS was in my arms, I had the baby fever again for the next one!

Hi Steph! It's SO nice to hear from someone who did the same things that I plan on doing, it really gives me confidence that I'm taking the right steps.

It's hard because since I don't have any children yet, everything is new to me and there's just so much information out there to absorb. It can be really overwhelming, especially when I don't know anyone who has taken the same route in regards to planning a pregnancy, saving up for the costs beforehand, planning a home waterbirth, planning to cloth diaper, etc.

So, I just started researching one subject at a time, thinking about what I would consider to be best financially, which is how I came up with saving for a Midwife and the baby supplies ahead of time. I figured it would relieve so much stress to know we have everything taken care of, and then we could really concentrate on TTC and our pregnancy.

Then I thought about how I could make things easier financially once the baby is actually here, and I figured the best way to do that would be to breastfeed and cloth diaper, thus cutting way down on the ongoing monthly costs. I figured breastfeeding would also be a lot more beneficial for the baby healthwise, and cloth diapering would also be easier on the environment.

I'm so glad to hear you managed just fine with a newborn in a one bedroom apartment. All we have is a one bedroom right now, and though we're going to try to find a two bedroom in our price range once our lease is up, I feel good knowing that if it doesn't happen, we'll be fine in a smaller place too.

Can I ask you how your home waterbirth went? I think it would be such an incredible experience, not to mention the most peaceful and calming way to bring a baby into the world. I frequently watch videos of them, and they're all so beautiful and empowering. I don't plan on using any pain meds, but I heard the water works wonders for contractions, and also cuts your risk of tearing WAY down. After all of my research, I can't imagine brining my baby into the world any other way!

It's so funny you had baby fever practically as soon as your DS was born, I imagine I would be the same way! Do you have a month in mind for when you're going to TTC #2? Do you plan to sway?

PrincessxNicola:

So, I just started researching one subject at a time, thinking about what I would consider to be best financially, which is how I came up with saving for a Midwife and the baby supplies ahead of time. I figured it would relieve so much stress to know we have everything taken care of, and then we could really concentrate on TTC and our pregnancy.

Then I thought about how I could make things easier financially once the baby is actually here, and I figured the best way to do that would be to breastfeed and cloth diaper, thus cutting way down on the ongoing monthly costs. I figured breastfeeding would also be a lot more beneficial for the baby healthwise, and cloth diapering would also be easier on the environment.

This is exactly  what I did and how I came to the decisions I came to. I like that the choices are healthy for us and the environment, but cost was really the #1 factor! I'm sure if you're researching cloth diapers, home birth, and breastfeeding you know of MDC. It was such a fabulous resource for me in the research stage (and it still is!)

PrincessxNicola:

I'm so glad to hear you managed just fine with a newborn in a one bedroom apartment. All we have is a one bedroom right now, and though we're going to try to find a two bedroom in our price range once our lease is up, I feel good knowing that if it doesn't happen, we'll be fine in a smaller place too.

We didn't have a lot of stuff or clutter to begin with and we decided against a lot of the normal baby "stuff" (crib, exersaucer, swing, bouncy seat, pack n play, etc), so that helped a lot.We actually moved from a 2-bedroom to a 1-bedroom when I was pregnant to save money for a house.

PrincessxNicola:

Can I ask you how your home waterbirth went? I think it would be such an incredible experience, not to mention the most peaceful and calming way to bring a baby into the world. I frequently watch videos of them, and they're all so beautiful and empowering. I don't plan on using any pain meds, but I heard the water works wonders for contractions, and also cuts your risk of tearing WAY down. After all of my research, I can't imagine brining my baby into the world any other way!

It was fantastic! I used Hypnobabies and highly recommend it. The water made the contractions much more bearable and even though the midwives had to pull him out with four (!) hands, I didn't have any major tearing, only "skid marks". If you'd like to read my birth story, it's here.

PrincessxNicola:

It's so funny you had baby fever practically as soon as your DS was born, I imagine I would be the same way! Do you have a month in mind for when you're going to TTC #2? Do you plan to sway?

We're thinking May 2010, so another year to wait still! I really want a February girl (DS was born 3 days after DH's b-day and my b-day's in Feb) and want to space our kids all 3 years apart. I definitely plan to sway and am considering using A-gender. DH thinks it's a waste of money, though, and could care less if we had 6 boys (I want 2-3 boys, 3-4 girls).

PrincessxNicola, at first I was like"whoa, I am working on baby #5 now". I am one of the fortunate ones, not to have morning sickness. I am doing really well-thanks for asking. OK, I get a little emotional and irrational (goes with the territory). I just have really bad veins. I am 29! I feel too young for that. We will find out the gender in Juy (I think the 2nd week or so). I will let you all know.

I think it is good you and your husband have this time to get to know one another, discuss who is going to do what-lay it all on the table. Also, make some time for dates. We jumped into a lot the first year. I graduated nursing school in May 2002, married in July 2002 and moved in with the in-laws.I was studying for my boards and started work in aug. or so. It was stressful. I  Got pregnant Oct. 2002, had the baby July 2003. We moved out the following Feb. 2004 and I was preggo with #2! I worked full time and DH was busy building our place we are in now, in addition to his job.

 He worked days, I worked eves. I saw him when I got home at 12:30-1am until he left for school at 7:20 am. I had to work every other weekend and every other holiday. I had 2 days off -sometimes during the week. Well, that is my sob story. He has been busy ever since we got married-right now he is building our real house. Make your marriage and relationship come first. Your kids will need to see how you love each other. We need to improve in that area a lot. We do love each other, but I feel sooooooo drained. Be sure to take time for yourself once kids come!  thanks for listening to my sob story.