the cost of UP/UC, first trimester report

okay, since 12 weeks is right around the corner, i figured i'd go ahead and post the first trimester tally.

i am not keeping track of purchases that would be made for any pregnancy. things like maternity clothes, car seat, expected fluctuations in grocery bills, etc. i am keeping track only of items i purchase that are specifically related to having an unassisted pregnancy and birth.

so far, this is what i've purchased:

prenatal vitamins - $10
mother to be tea - $5
red raspberry leaf tea - $4
papaya enzyme - $5

total: $24

why did i include prenatal vitamins? because i'm not seeing a care provider, therefore, not getting a prescription for prenatal vitamins, or simply being given prenatal vitamins. there is some controversy as to whether vitamins are even worth it or not (the whole 'expensive pee' argument). i get them and take them on occasion, but try to focus more on diet and what my body is telling me it needs to be eating.

items i have yet to purchase:

chux pads
labor/birth/postpartum herbs - teas, sitz bath, tinctures
birth ball
fishy pool
postpartum pads

some of the above items i know i'll be borrowing/gifted from friends. when i receive them, though, i'll list the expected purchase price just to show the total expense.

also, i should note that while i have a doppler (purchased by a friend; it's hers, but she lets me use it), a doppler isn't necessary. you can just as easily purchase a fetoscope from ebay or a childbirth supply website for something around $20 to $30.

so there it is. $24 so far. not bad, eh?

the cost of UP/UC

a thread on one of the forums i frequent made me think 'i should keep a running tab of the cost of pregnancy and birth supplies for a UP/UC'. just for curiosity's sake.

last time, i spent very little, but had only very basic supplies: a tupperware freezer bowl for the placenta and shoelaces for the cord. towels, sheets, and chux pads had been given to me secondhand from friends. i used my fabric scissors for the cord. as for pregnancy supplies, i had some tea and prenatal vitamins, lotion for belly, and some other indulgences. it never occurred to me to keep track of how much i was spending.

so far, i bought a bottle of prenatal vitamins (whole foods store brand, cost $10) and some Yogi Mother to Be tea ($5). total so far: $15

so here's what i'll do. i will post updates at the end of the 1st and 2nd trimesters, another towards the end of the 3rd trimester, and then after the birth, with a running tab of how much i've spent on UP/UC supplies.

the hippy...

is pregnant! not exactly planned, but didn't really try preventing, either. so...

i've been taking test after test because it's just that fun. i like seeing a line appear. i'll stop now, though. :)

symptoms are beginning, here and there. my usual cramping that will last for weeks, slowly swelling breasts, small bouts of nausea here and there. i'm keeping a positive attitude about the morning sickness. i'm in a really good place mentally about this pregnancy, so i'm hoping that will help keep the morning sickness to a minimum...stress has a tendency to increase the symptoms. dizziness has entered the picture quite heavily, though, which is a new one for me. may be related to allergies, though.

so, no due date, and i'm honestly not sure if i'll calculate one. i don't want a date. i don't want people bugging me as i edge closer and closer, and possibly past, some random date on the calendar that's supposed to predict the day i'll give birth. not likely. right now, it's looking like the latter part of january, with a chance of edging into february. we'll see.

i've written a short list of stuff to buy between now and then. quite short this time. i felt overwhelmed getting ready for izzy, thinking there was so much stuff i needed to be prepared, and in the end realizing i didn't use at least half of it...so, not so much stuff this time. so far we're looking at:

prefolds
breast pads
long-sleeve newborn t-shirts (which will probably be dyed to match woolies)
chux pads
a couple things from Earth Mama Angel Baby (or WAHMs would be better); herbal teas, soothing healing balms, calming aromatherapy spray
stretchy wrap

i'm sure i'll add a few things to the list over the next couple months, but it won't be much.

i'm really looking forward to a calm, peaceful next 9 months, and being able to enjoy this pregnancy. this one just feels so calm and relaxed already. i hope the end resulting person is as calm and relaxed!

A 'Mother' of a Give-Away!

apparently my head's been well buried under the sand with all of my busy-body business lately. i had NO IDEA there was an etsy mothering street team! what a fantastic group of WAHMs with beautiful items for sale!

and they're having a rockin' give-away! you have to check this out. if you're expecting, or know someone who's expecting, check out this collection. any mama would be happy to win this!

http://mdcmoms.blogspot.com/2009/04/spring-fling-give-away-part-2-april-15.html

'the case against breastfeeding', a short review

realizing that i would be remiss in my judgmentalism (shoosh) if i didn't say something, i decided to post.

unless you've had your head in the sand, been hiding under a rock, or been busy with the kids, you've probably heard something about this 'article'. it's turning heads, ruffling feathers, and making quite the commotion.

here's a link if you haven't read it yet:

the 'article'

notice the quotes. because i don't think it's worth classifying as an article, but that's what everyone is referring to it as.

i'll be honest, i only skimmed the thing. i didn't think it was worth reading all the way through once i realized there wasn't going to be any real science involved and recognized it for what it was.

it's nothing more than yet another formula-friendly (it's not rat poison!), stop-judging-me-i-have-a-hard-life mom's argument for why she shouldn't feel guilty about the choice she's making. it's an excuse. it's a cop-out. it's a fishing expedition for validation from other mom's.

congratulations, lady, you got your validation. feel better?

i kind of felt sorry for her at one point. when she said she just didn't get that 'nirvana' feeling anymore, it was obvious to me that what she needs is a break. she's burnt out. i think we all get to that point. there are ways to get a break without switching to formula. girls' night, a day of shopping, lunch or coffee with a friend. find a babysitter or leave them with your husband and get away for a few hours. spend the money you would have spent on a can of formula on something for yourself instead.

she goes on to talk about how breastfeeding is apparently 15 steps back in the advancement of women's rights and feminism. really? this argument again? it's old, it's tired, let it rest. women are saying 'breastfeeding ties you down.' no, you're LETTING IT tie you down. you use it as an excuse for why you don't feel fulfilled in other areas of your life. there are ways to have a successful career and social life and marriage WHILE BREASTFEEDING. women do it every day. stop blaming your dissatisfaction on how much time you spend feeding your kid. if your reason for using formula is to gain more independence by having someone else feed the baby, you can just as easily put breastmilk in that bottle instead of interrupting your child's normal physiologic state by introducing something artificial.

what i find extremely amusing is that even the 'officials' are coming out of the woodwork to respond to this woman's pity party. and more power to 'em! it's about time they defend the boobie gestapo. we don't breastfeed to raise our social status, to be uber moms, to check off some laundry list of 'right' things to do, or because Dr. Sears said so. we breastfeed because it's the biological norm, because it's the way nature intended things to be done, because babies and mothers are pre-programmed with hormone responses and physiologic processes to make the boobs work and put the milk to good use.

it's just common sense.

and i'm not putting in the overused disclaimer. if you can't be an adult and insist on finding insult and injury where it's not intended, get off the internet and let the big kids play.