The link between 3M and Baby Clothes???

PS: There is none.

This entry deals with how I came to understand sizing for baby clothes and became aware that there is a huge copyright infringement on 3M’s trademark logo. When my wife asked me to help sort some freshly washed clothes I was not initially aware that sizing was done according to a babies age in months. For example, 1M = approximately 1 month of age, 2M = approx 2 months of age. So as I was sorting , 3M threw me for a loop. Anywhere else 3M and most men think of Red Green or even being a redneck with the ever so faithful roll of duct tape which can be used for any of its 1001 purposes. Here’s the clincher, 3M on baby clothes has absolutely nothing to do with duct tape, and everything to do with the baby’s age. I hope you enjoyed my little experience with sorting baby clothes. Stay tuned to this blog and I will fill you in shortly on duct tapes 1002 use.

Matt

December 30, 2010

The link between 3M and Baby Clothes???

PS: There is none.

This entry deals with how I came to understand sizing for baby clothes and became aware that there is a huge copyright infringement on 3M’s trademark logo. When my wife asked me to help sort some freshly washed clothes I was not initially aware that sizing was done according to a babies age in months. For example, 1M = approximately 1 month of age, 2M = approx 2 months of age. So as I was sorting , 3M threw me for a loop. Anywhere else 3M and most men think of Red Green or even being a redneck with the ever so faithful roll of duck tape which can be used for any of its 1001 purposes. Here’s the clincher, 3M on baby clothes has absolutely nothing to do with duck tape, and everything to do with the baby’s age. I hope you enjoyed my little experience with sorting baby clothes. Stay tuned to this blog and I will fill you in shortly on duck tapes 1002 use.

The Irony of Weight

We are at 29 weeks. I only have 9 more weeks of work and 10 weeks till Wee Smith greets us. Thursday was a marathon of appointments, 4 in one day. Wee Smith is at an ample 2lbs 9 ounces which is at the 42 percentile, and for its small tummy and Omphalocele this is good. Everything else for the baby remained status quo, it is having its own dance party in my belly. As Wee gets bigger not only do I feel the kicks but also just the movements. I think it has taken to leaning on my right side of my belly.

The only thing different was my weight. For those who know me I am 5 foot nothing and curvy to boot. I have never had a problem gaining weight, my downfall has always been chips. So this pregnancy has been somewhat ironic on the weight gaining thing. Despite my increase in the amount of snacks I consume and reveling in chip goodness I have somehow managed to NOT balloon out. This may be partly due to the fact that from early on I haven't been able to eat a lot, at least not in one sitting, as the food just sits there. So the workaround is to eat smaller meals/snacks more frequently. Monday to Friday I have a snack 9 am, 10 am, 11 am, 2 pm and 3pm, and lunch somewhere in there. Weekends are more unpredictable, but M is always carrying snacks for me. Imagine my surprise then when I was told I lost weight. And let me just say it was just one pound over 2 weeks. I got a lecture from both the nurse and the doctor. You think I had some sort of eating disorder. Maybe I lost the weight because I was sick with the cold for a week, maybe the baby is just sucking all my nutrients with its mixed martial arts practicing I am convinced it is doing in my belly. Who knows, what I do know is these medical professionals really take their weight gaining seriously.
And I tried to take it seriously, only to have it blow up in my face. On Friday I tried to up what I ate during my evening meal and the result...heartburn. But not just for a couple of hours, the whole night, I was popping those tums like they were going out of style. And sleeping on the recliner is not fun but the alternative of trying to lay on my side was too painful. What have I learned, I rather listen to my body then the medical staff, I may get a lecture but at least I won't be ill. et tu heartburn!

Being Sick and Pregnant the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

What started off as a annoying need to continuously clear my throat on Thursday afternoon, snowballed into and evil cold. I took Friday off hoping it was all in my head, and in fact after sleeping most of the morning I was starting to feel better in the afternoon. Then the crippling heartburn hit. I quickly forgot about my cough as all I could feel was the elephant sitting on my chest and back. Don't know how those imaginary elephants manage to do both simultaneously but either way it was a painful afternoon. I also don't know what took me so long to get my self to the pharmacy to buy some relief I think I endured 3 hours of heart burn before I went. Thanks A.G for the Tums advice, since I can't take my usual go to heart burn drug of choice.

The weekend did not get better. After awhile my sides hurt from all the coughing and the sneezing was worse since there is more force in them. Every time I would go into coughing fit I would brace my tummy. Don't know why I felt I had to do this. On Monday, another sick day I noticed the blood in my cough. Its wasn't a lot by any means. FYI if you aren't pregnant a few teaspoons of blood coughing up because you are sick is no need to panic. Having never had blood before I called Telehealth. They told me head to the doctors. I guess pregos are more prone to blood clots so they want to rule that out, and here I was worried about bronchitis, how naive am I. After some x-rays,  I had to wear extra gear around the Wee Smith so it doesn't come out radioactive, I was all clear. Still don't look forward to coughing or sneezing but I am on the mend.

So to recap
Bad: being sick can't use drugs
Good: how quickly doctors see you when you are pregnant x-rays and all
Ugly: Having to cough up blood.

12 More Weeks

I feel that we can start counting down instead of counting up. Last week's ultrasound appointment went better then I expected. I didn't freak out when yet again the technician checked with the doctor about the ultrasound. In the end it wasn't anything about the baby and at this point that is a good thing. Also the cyst/growth at the base of the baby's umbilical cord had shrunk so this again is good news. I get a break this week from visiting any type of Health care provider but plenty of phone calls to arrange more visits. Next week, along with yet another ultrasound we are also meeting with the Neonatologist. This is a doctor who cares for newborn infants especially the ill and premature. I hope Wee Smith will only fall into one category. So I have heard this is a very important visit and scary as well as they tell try to prepare you for the worst. No sugar coating. Both M and I will be going to this one together. Strength in numbers.
Lastly I just wanted to say how much I appreciate the perinatal nurses at the General. In particular Nurse N. She is truly an amazing person. Both M and I felt that she goes beyond the call of duty. She always has a smile for you and a hug if required. She makes it easier to keep going back to the High Risk Unit.

Week 26: Still hate ultrasounds

I find it is never a good sign when the technician first checks with you to make sure you are immediately seeing a doctor after the ultrasound appointment, and second tells you that they just need to check with the doctor to see if more pictures/scans are needed. In comes a doctor...never a good sign I find. Apparently they have found some things that they wish to monitor more closely. One the heart, it apparently is at a different angle from my last ultrasound three weeks ago. So now my fetal echcocardiogram gets moved to next week instead of two weeks from now. The other thing they found is a cyst of sorts near the umbilical cord which pools blood. Both seemed to puzzle the doctors. At this point no alarms are going off at the MFM clinic, everyone seems calm and they have suggested another ultrasound next week instead of the usual three weeks. Not sure if I should worry yet. The good news, at this point, is that blood flood through the umbilical cord is not impeded by the cyst as they could see that clearly in the ultrasound. The second good news is the heart rate and blood flow through the chambers appear normal. I am trying to focus on that part of the appointment. Needless to say this is why I hate ultrasounds. Till next week we sit and wait.

Update: Okay so when I wrote this originally it was Thursday. I didn't have the heart to post it as it still left a lot of questions unanswered.  Today I went for the fetal echocardiogram. The doctor basically said the heart looks good they can't see any faults in it. Yes it is angled different but that is expected because of the negative pressure from the Omphalocele. Once the Wee one is born it will go through some more test because the heart functions differently in utero as opposed to once it is born. But the take away message is the heart is okay.

Happy New Year

As we celebrated the New Year we celebrated 25 weeks. Only 14 more to go. I have given Wee Smith specific instructions to stay in there as long as possible. In the mean time we have been preparing giving up our office so that it can be a nursery. The spare room will now double as our office. It is really great to have M around seeing as he can build most things. He will be building the crib at a later date. But for now we are purging and organizing to get the nursery empty and ready for baby things.

It is crazy how much this kid has grown. I don't need ultrasound measurements to tell me that. I can feel the Wee one when it moves around and switches position. Lately it still likes to lay transversely preferring to have its head on my right side and feet on my left side. Any position is fine as long as it stays away from my bladder. I have already experienced a few of those kicks and the word debilitating comes to mind.  It still does not kick on command but M now can regularly feel it kicking. I am waiting for the day that it kicks Trouble the cat while she herself is lying on me.

Next week another ultrasound, glucose test, and later this month fetal echo cardiogram. They still are monitoring Wee for heart issues. Better safe the sorry. Amazing what modern medicine can do.
Happy New Year.