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Sympathy Morning Sickness

by Amelia on April 16, 2009
category: Husbands and Dads,Pregnancy

front_color-blackWe recently found out that we are expecting baby #4 in December.  When we found out we were pregnant my husband, Jon, started feeling a little nausea if he didn’t eat every few hours.  Or he would just feel like he needed to eat.  Like his stomach needed something more–even though he just ate.  And he started craving things that have sustenance–like cheeseburgers, not carrots.  He describes it as his stomach gets tight and he feels like he might throw up if he doesn’t eat something.  He feels grumpy and just wants to eat.  And he has been craving more sweets.  He is more of a salt guy than a sweets guy so that is a new symptom too.

When he starts telling me all this I can’t help but laugh!  I have felt that way with the last 3 pregnancies!  Yes, I know what it is like to HAVE to eat every few hours or face the porcelain god.  Yes, I know that protein/cheeseburgers are more filling and help you feel better for longer when you are dealing with morning sickness and that the idea of eating veggies and couscous for dinner may not sound appealing.  Yes, I know what it is like to feel like you don’t care what someone is saying because all you can think about is what you need to be putting in your stomach so you don’t feel like you are going to toss your cookies.

We decided that he is experiencing Sympathy Morning Sickness.  And I say, “I’m so thankful!”  Nausea debilitates me.  I have a hard time NOT throwing up and once I start it is hard to stop.  I don’t feel like I have time to figure to mess with what we call “inconvenience sickness”. I have way too much other stuff to do–shuffle 2 kids back and forth from school, do laundry for 5 people, cook meals, keep the house in a somewhat reasonable living condition, and oh yeah, start packing/selling/decluttering our stuff for a move to England later this summer! I digress. Now, truth be told, I am only 6 weeks along and I usually don’t start getting heavy nausea until week 7.  We will see how this whole scene plays out.  Perhaps it will come full force in the next week.  Or maybe, just maybe, he’ll have it the whole time.

Many people have reported similar things. I mentioned it in my birth class on Sunday night and one of my couples said the same thing happened to them.  I found this website where women shared their stories about sympathy morning sickness/pregnancy pains.  Now it is fun to ask couples with kids if they ever experienced that same thing.

So, what about you?  Did your husband experience sympathy morning sickness?  Weight gain? Pregnancy pains? C’mon! Share your stories!

I found that t-shirt from Cafe Press. I thought it was pretty cute :).

When You Should Consider Switching Pediatricians

by Amanda on April 14, 2009
category: 0 – 1 year (baby),1 – 3 year (toddler),Children’s Health

stethoscopeIf you have been thinking about switching Pediatricians, then you should do it! Switching Pediatricians can be a hassle and cost money, but it can be worth it. Amelia wrote about switching Ob/Gyns, but what about your children’s doctor?

My family recently switched Pediatricians 6 days after my second baby was born. Our first doctor, “Dr. Passive Aggressive” is a competent physician and is a part of a large pediatric group.  I wrote about how to choose a Pediatrician and followed a lot of those guidelines. We interviewed the doctor, the office is open on Saturdays, there is a separate area for sick kids, and she seemed nice enough.

Our opinion of Dr. Passive Aggressive started to change when we told her that we were having our second at a Birth Center and asked her what her protocol would be after the birth.  She was not familiar with birth centers or home births at all. She asked what would happen in the case of an emergency and how the baby is taken care of after the birth. She was not satisfied with my answers and gave me a stern warning “that it only takes a few seconds for a baby to code.” We didn’t really finish the conversation, because she just left the room. This should have been my first clue.

My husband left the conversation with a lot of fear and doubt. I talked with Amelia about it and we chalked it up to that she wasn’t familiar with Birth Centers. I also spoke with my Midwife and she calmed our fears and explained that they do a complete checklist with newborns.

We brought my son into Dr. Passive Aggressive’s office one day after he was born, per her protocol. During that appointment she made many passive aggressive statements like, “I usually prefer to do circumcisions in the hospital.” “Did they do a hearing test? You usually are not allowed to leave the hospital without Test XYZ.” She picked apart the checklist from the birth center. She made us feel like it was really inconveniencing her to do things outside of the hospital. She was negative about the entire experience, even though my son was perfectly healthy and I was showered and dressed and sitting in her office 24 hours after I gave birth. She never even said, “Congratulations.”

My husband and I decided to switch Pediatricians. Dr. Passive Aggressive was competent, but clearly not inline with our birthing philosophy. We decided that we shouldn’t feel stupid or belittled when we left a doctor’s office.

We paid $35 dollars to get copies of our children’s records and went to a new Pediatrician across the street. The new doctor, Dr. Nice, and the new office has been great. Dr. Nice has never made us feel bad for waiting to do the circumcision and hearing test. She also doesn’t make us feel stupid when we ask questions. The new office also really appreciated the detailed newborn checklist from the birth center. The front desk is warm and friendly. My daughter has been ill and they called yesterday to check on her. I have never had a doctor do that. A nice bonus is that my daughter loves to play in their waiting room. I never knew that the grass really was greener on the other side.

There are many reasons to switch doctors:

  • You move and need to find a doctor closer to you.
  • You aren’t in agreement with how they are treating your child’s illness.
  • You feel like you have to lie about your parenting style (like attachment parenting), because you know they don’t agree with you.
  • The front office does not provide good customer service.
  • It is difficult to make appointments.
  • It is difficult to speak with a nurse when you have a question.
  • You don’t feel comfortable asking the doctor questions.

Have you ever switched Pediatricians? If so, why did you?

Would You Send Your Kid to a Day Camp to Learn Life Skills?

by Amanda on April 14, 2009
category: 5 – 12 years (kid)

Christy, a reader of The Mom Crowd, sent me a question asking about sending children from ages 5 – 10 to a day camp to teach them life skills. These skills would include “how to do dishes, vacuum, sweep/mop, set and clear the table, work as a team, how to make a check list, how to cook, understanding money, making a bed, folding and sorting clothes, etc.”

Christy is a mother of 5 and often lacks the patience and time to teach these skills herself. She says “the goal of the day camp is that after a week they would come away with some life skills and better yet see that they are part of the team. Understanding that if ALL the work is done Mom and Dad will have more time to play with them.”

What do you think? Is there a market for this kind of day camp? Would you send your kids? What would you want them to learn while going to camp?

Survival Tips for Your Baby’s First 3 Months 

by Amanda on April 13, 2009
category: 0 – 1 year (baby),Inspiration

mom_and_newborn_baby_boy_1My second baby is 6 weeks old and I am in Survival Mode until he can sleep longer than 4 hours at a time. It is tiring managing two kids schedules, breastfeeding, diagnosing illnesses, dispensing medications around the clock, not to mention any regular household chores, and just getting to say hello to the husband. I really never expected it to be this difficult adjusting to 2 children.

Some wonderful women have shared with me some great advice on how to survive this phase.  Here is some of what they said and what I am living by at this moment.

  • Don’t look down! Don’t look at your floors or even the sticky breakfast table.
  • Cartoons to entertain siblings are perfectly okay!
  • Don’t be too proud to accept any and all help.
  • Keep an eye on the light at the end of the tunnel. Remember that this phase doesn’t last forever!
  • Don’t beat yourself up with what you haven’t done. If your kids are good, then you have done a great job that day!
  • Put off the diet, until you can get sleep and function!
  • Sleep whenever you can.
  • Get out of the house once in a while on a play date or by yourself after bedtimes.
  • It is okay, if you never get out of your pajamas that day.
  • Don’t stress so much about the quality of food the siblings are getting, just as long as they eat.
  • It is okay to say no.
  • Enjoy this time, because they grow so fast.
  • Remember you are a GREAT mom! Don’t be so hard on yourself!

What helped you get through your baby’s first weeks?

How Does Your Family Celebrate Easter?

by Dawn on April 10, 2009
category: Cool websites,Fun time & Toys,Video

lucy-easter-074Happy Easter!  This picture of my daughter Lucy was taken two years ago when she was just 1.  I remember that morning like it was yesterday; she had never seen a plastic egg before and had no idea what she was doing with it clutched in her little hand.  Now she’s a rambunctious little girl running around saying, “I want more Easter eggs!”  I know she is going to love the annual Easter egg hunt on Sunday morning – and the candy inside them even more so.

As with other holidays, sometimes I get a little overwhelmed with all there is to do.  Do my kids have good outfits for Sunday morning?  Are we going to make a special meal?  Did I get everything I need for their Easter baskets?  (Will I be able to find their Easter baskets?)  My hubby and I decided to take this year easy, since the kids are still pretty young and we’ve had a busy couple of months leading up to now.

Recently I heard about a simple bread that is easy to make with children that symbolizes the resurrection of Jesus.  After it bakes, it becomes hollow on the inside to represent the empty tomb.  This is a perfect opportunity to enjoy some family time, make a yummy treat, and remind the kids what Easter is all about!  Here are a couple of recipes should you decide to try it:

Feel like playing it old school?  Here is a basic how-to on dying Easter eggs (which is also good for showing your kids), from Kaboose:

What kind of Easter traditions does your family have?  May you have a blessed and beautiful Easter weekend from all of us here at The Mom Crowd!

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