Having
a Baby in San Diego |
Being pregnant the first time can be really confusing. When I was pregnant the first time I had just moved to San Diego a few months prior. I was in a new health care system (I had previously been in Kaiser all my life) and had never even been to my OB/GYN. No one I knew had even HAD a baby in the previous 25 years. I was dazed and confused which was compounded by the fact that the father of the baby was living out of state and wasn't here until about 6 weeks before the birth.
It's a whole new world, and there is so much stuff to learn/do. I now have two children,one born 2000 and one in 2001. Here are my recommendations in the San Diego area. Hopefully it will make the experience at least a LITTLE less confusing!
| Preparing for Baby: . Registering and gifts A couple of months into it someone asked me where I was registered. Heck, I wasn't even sure what I needed!!! Don't feel guilty about registering. Everyone wants to give you something and the more useful the gifts the less you have to buy (and/or return). . It took me a while to figure it out, but this list is great. Not too much, not too little. Gives recommendations and real life experience on each product. . . These are the checklists I used as reference, but they are large and bloated and most people end up buying you the "cutesy" stuff you'll never use. . Returning gifts Do it while your pregnant. Once you've had the baby you won't make it out of the house for a long time and by then either they won't let you return it because the receipt has expired or it will be out of stock and you can't even get store credit. Let me tell you, for people who don't leave the tags on, it can be a chore to figure out where they bought their gift. Do it now. . Information on the baby inside I found it very useful to register for Babycenter . They send a weekly email update on what stage your pregnancy is in. Then after the baby they send regular updates as well. . Naming the baby The hardest part for us was choosing a baby name. There are just too many choices... books, web sites etc. Just Google "baby names" and you'll see. . Here are a couple of sites Unusual, Unique and Creative Names . Tips DRINK LOTS OF WATER! If you don't drink enough it can make you have contractions. This happened to me and I ended up at the hospital a couple of months early. Luckily they were able to stop them! . Try
out Parents Magazine
too. They have lots of fun stuff and I think a maternity magazine sometimes
too! Martha
Stewart has a seasonal baby magazine too (or at least they did) that
had lots of fun stuff. Maternity
Clothes
Getting paid to be give birth Don't forget about California State Disability Insurance. And don't feel guilty for taking the maximum time off (like 4 weeks prior to due date and 6-8 weeks after). Your employer has been paying for this service so use it. Also remember it's not taxable so when you file your taxes you don't need to include this money as income (check current laws and regulations)!!! I wished I had taken all of the time off. Why pass up free time/money!!! Start early since they won't pay you for the first week anyway! . The aches and pains of being pregnant If
you feel like you want a massage, make sure you get someone that is familiar
with pregnancy
(or pre-natal) massage. Pressure in the wrong places can bring unwanted
results. It also takes special pillows and what-not the farther you are
along. You'll find that laying on your back (or stomach) for a massage
just doesn't work anymore. During the first pregnancy I went to a lady
who worked at Milkmade At Home. During
the first pregnancy when I worked 40 hours a week at a desk, I had back
pain! Someone recommended an exercise
ball to sit on and it worked wonders! If you do this, make sure you
ask someone (like at Milkmade at Home) about how to use it when pregnant
(as opposed to doing the regular exercises recommended in the booklet
that comes with it). I got mine from Dr. Angela Hee, 16776 Bernardo Center
Drive, Rancho Bernardo. Her phone is 673-1733. Just tell her you were
sent by Birth Resource Network (which is what Gerri belongs to)- and you'll
get their discount. Donating Cord Blood Consider donating or banking the babies umbilical cord to the blood bank. The blood in the cord is actually the babies blood stem cells (NOT the same as the stem cell research controversy) and in some cases is used instead of bone marrow transplants. You do have to plan in advance though by filling out an application, being approved and picking up the kit that you have to bring to the delivery room with you. You can also choose to bank your own babies cord blood (at a cost) and it will be a perfect match in case the baby/child develops any diseases in which they would need a transplant. I donated the cord both times. 619-296-6363 x 161 San Diego Blood Bank (might not be accepting donations Life Bank (I have no personal experience with this, only found when doing research) |
During the birth: . Choosing an OB/GYN For my first baby, I knew what hospital I wanted because I did a maternity tour for each hospital very early (I did it 2-3 months at all area hospitals but most people don't do it until 6-7 months and only at the facility of their choice). Unless you have a personal relationship with your OB/GYN you might want to do the same. Your OB/GYN won't be present at the birth unless you happen to go into labor on the day they're on call, so why pick your hospital based on them? . I then had to find a physician who was covered by my insurance and also had privileges at the hospital I wanted. My insurance companies website made it easy to find a doctor, but I just picked one out of the bunch. He was okay, but luckily when I went into labor, Dr. Diane Rosenberg was on duty. She was wonderful! When I got pregnant again, I changed to her office (although I think now she only does GYN and infertility... no OB services). . Tour the hospital I found it useful to take the expectant mother's tour of the hospital really early to make sure I liked the hospital. You can never count on your doctor being there so you should at least like the facility. If you tour early you still have time to find a new doctor/hospital combo that suits you better. I ended up going to Scripps La Jolla. It is beautiful and very comfortable and the food was great!!! . Doula You might consider having a doula. I think Eve (from Milkmade at Home) does it, but I didn't know that until after I hired a wonderful doula named Gerri Ryan. She was fabulous but books up early so if you even think you might want to do this, call now to get more info and an appointment 619-472-0583. It was wonderful to have her there. Since I had a scheduled c-section the second time I didn't schedule her, but I wish I had. I went into labor a few days in advance (of course at midnight) and I couldn't find anyone to baby-sit my 17 month old while I gave birth so Jeff had to stay with him and he missed Winnie's birth. I would've paid anything to have him there. Of course you don't have to worry about that the first time! For general doula info check out Birth Resource Network. I think Gerri is the VP of that organization. . Labor The labor part scared me too! Everyone kept saying how "natural" it was and how beautiful the whole thing was. I'm sorry, but I personally liked having the c-section better than the natural birth. The natural birth messes with you in places you'd rather not be messed with. Of course I had a difficult labor the first time which is why the doctor recommended the c-section the second time. I wish I had done it the first time, but you never know if you'll have a hard or easy time until you do it. There are more complications with a c-section so make sure you discuss everything with your doctor. . I've
known other people who had both and preferred the natural birth. Ce' la
vie! In the
Delivery Room |
After they're born: . Birth Control After the first birth I didn't want to be on the pill because of the risk of loosing milk. Then I got pregnant when my first was 9 months old. The second time I didn't want to risk that and got a Copper IUD. Worldwide, more women use IUD's than any other type of birth control (besides sterilization). In China alone there are almost 80 million women using them! Even if your insurance company won't pay a dime, you'll save money over time because it lasts 10 years! . Lactation Consultants/supplies Milkmade At Home is a great resource. They have childbirth classes (which might be reimbursable by your insurance company... don't forget to ask) and Eve Moran is one of the best lactation consultants in town. She is located in Hillcrest (619) 252-9606. . There is a breast feeding store on the bottom floor of the Sharp, Mary Birch Center, Babies-R-Us has an entire section and the hospital has you talk to a lactation consultant before you leave the building. You can also talk to them if you have problems before you leave. Many insurance companies have programs for pregnant moms that you register for. You can have a nurse visit you at home after the baby is born and they'll help with breast feeding too. . Selecting a pediatrician When you register at the hospital (which can be done in advance) you will probably be asked which pediatrician you selected. I didn't even know where to begin since doctors typically won't take appointments just for interview. If you don't select one they will just send one that is in the same group as the HMO you have. That is what I did and loved the lady I got and still use her to this day. Her name is Matilda Remba MD FAAP and is in an office in Mission Valley. 619-245-2365. . Daycare Once
I had to find daycare, it was difficult to decide where to send them.
I had a hard time actually doing the deed of picking up the phone to start
looking since I didn't want to take them to daycare! Thing is, when I
got pregnant the second time just when my baby was about 9 months old,
I knew I better find daycare fast before I had to tell my boss I was pregnant...
AGAIN! At first I called the YMCA
daycare referral service. They refer home-based providers. I had a
hard time finding someone to do part-time, but finally found one that
I used for several months before I changed over to a center after Winnie
was born. 619.521.3055 . Saving for College I forgot about college savings! I have a 529 that's nice to help save. And there is a great way to start getting money for free; Upromise. I got the grandparents to sign up and even friends who don't have kids. They don't even realize they're giving my kids money since it does it all behind-the-scenes!!! Over the past few years I've earned thousands of dollars.
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