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Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

Pancake - sorry your appointment wasn't to exciting. I am hoping that your little girl gets the memo and makes her way down so you can hold her as soon as possible.

LC- I hope your accupunture appointment goes well and you can get some relief from your CT, I have had a touch of it in my right wrist over Christmas and it has slowly started to get better and I pray won't get worse again as I get farther along. I love the Blue Man Group, have fun!

NEL - I hope you are surviving your long work hours, I really hope you can catch a break and start resting up soon!

Missy - I am so sorry to hear about your maternity leave situation :blackeye: I understand why you would want to save all the days you can for when you really need them. I'm no help on the mattress recommendation but I will be watching to see if anyone can give you some ideas so I can look for the same one. Yay on the kicks! I love to feel them :love: although mine still aren't strong enough for anyone but me to feel them on the outside.

ChinaCat - So cute about Oliver asking your bump how its doing!! :love: I totally get where you are coming from with the need to clench when you get a kick to the bladder. Yesterday I had a somewhat mortifying experience, I was standing up in the file room at work when a sneeze quickly came out of nowhere, I was horrified when I felt a trickle down my leg :oops: and had to high tail it to the ladies room before it got in my shoe! Sorry if that is TMI but I just wonder if that means I'm going to have bladder control problems after delivery I have resolved to work on my Kiegals daily just in case it helps.

MuffDog- How cute is your bump! You are indeed preggo girl =) How is the renovation going - have you gotten anymore sneek peeks??

AFM - 23 weeks today!! Not too much happening here, near constant heartburn is still around which I hope lets up soon, :evil: bleh. I did start registering for the various baby classes at the hospital most of which we are going to do in April. I asked DH if he was interested in doing a Daddy BootCamp Class and he said he thought that might be a good idea. One of my friend's husband took it with their first so DH is going to check with him to see if it was worth it.

I am excited to be getting a new dining room table and chairs delivered tomorrow so DH and I can finally have more than two people over for dinner at the same time!! It has taken 2 years to find what we wanted (and could afford). I hope everyone is having a great Friday :wavey:
 
Happy Friday, girls :-)

MerryMerry - I hear ya on the heartburn. I am constantly popping tums. Doesn't matter what I eat - it is bad!! New dining room table, eh? Post a pic!

Missy - you felt kicks?! So awesome. Since that first one last week, I haven't had any of the "that is FOR SURE the baby" kicks. Although a second ago I had something that felt like a muscle spasm. Maybe that was the baby?

China - go get some mat pants, girl! From what I understand you will be SO much more comfortable! I can't believe you are getting kicks to the bladder already. That must be really uncomfortable!

AFM - the nursery is DONE!!!! Unfortunately I can't post any pics or give anything away, but we are SO happy. It is unlike anything I could have dreamt of but it is so amazing. As soon as I hear more info re: air date, I will let you girls know!

It feels very crazy having a nursery in our house. Especially because it went so fast. Almost as crazy as having a baby in my belly! haha

Have a great weekend - I"m going to do some mat clothes shopping because my jeans are killing me. :-)
 
MerryMary, thanks for the thoughts and encouragement! Well done on the dining suite - I have also found that there is nothing like the impending arrival of a baby to make a person do all of the things around the house that have needed to be done for ages! DH is in the spare room at the moment making up the big monster bookshelf that we have needed since we moved in. I've replaced the hideous curtains that were marring the back of our house (which is floor to ceiling windows!). We've done up the nursery. I've chucked away boxes of stuff and have earmarked boxes more to give to charity. Etc. Are you taking anything for the heartburn? I found ranitidine (Zantac or other generics) a complete godsend!

Missy, keep reminding me that Dot is coming this month! It feels like it is NEVER going to happen at the moment! How exciting with all the kicks and movements - your husband is going to be so excited when he feels them too! I remember watching my husband's face completely light up the first time he felt Dot move. Priceless moments, cherish them all! I can't help with mattresses unfortunately - am in the wrong country!

China, always so helpful to hear other people's experiences. It's not the induction that worries me - it's the higher probability of needing a Caesarean. Even then, it's not the section itself that worries me, I know that they are a dime a dozen and that if it's what's needed, then so be it... but it is just the sort of "cognitive reframing" I'm having to do in my head because the likelihood is once I've had one section, my subsequent babies will be delivered the same way, and it's just not something I had ever considered for myself, y'know? But I know that once Dot is here, it won't matter HOW she got here. I'm just getting lost in the here and now!

LC, I think it's good to keep making plans. Nobody minds if they get changed because of the birth of a baby, and that way I think you feel less stagnant during the waiting game. How was the acupuncture? Hope it's helped... my CT is fairly stable, still only in my right hand and mostly just expressing itself as numbness of my middle and 4th fingertips (well, half of my 4th fingertip - it's kind of fun to see all the anatomy I learnt at med school "in action"... although less fun for it to be "in action" on myself!). My fingers are really sore, stiff and swollen in the mornings though!

Muff - squeeeeee for the nursery! I can't wait to see it! Did you find some jeans? I love my Maternal Americas, I am pretty sure I"m going to be in them for quite a while post-partum as well :?

AFM, still pregnant. I could just come here every day and post nothing but, "Still pregnant"! DH has just finished making our big bookshelf in the spare room. That room had kind of become a repository for everything that had been stored in the now-nursery so at least now we'll be able to use it as dual spare room/study. Currently there are books stacked up all over the floor - think med school books, double those (because we both have our own sets!), then all our specialist training books, files, records... argh! Hopefully it'll be done by tonight.

I am getting Dot's blind sorted by an interiors/soft furnishings person who is coming over on Monday night. It costs a bit more than ordering a plain Roman blind, adding the border myself and then self-installing, but I am happy to pay the extra as it means I don't have to lift a finger!

Oh oh oh - I have some really amazing news (for us, anyway!)! Under our enterprise bargaining agreement (which covers all doctors-in-training in my state) I was ineligible to receive my 10 weeks of paid maternity leave as my contract finished just as my maternity leave started. I hadn't applied for another 6 or 12 month contract as I felt that in good faith I couldn't take on a new contract only to go on maternity leave for the entirety of it - so I simply asked for my 18 weeks of government paid parental leave (which is 18 weeks at minimum wage, almost everybody in Australia eligible subject to meeting minimum working requirements) to be paid through my work payroll so that I could salary sacrifice and pay less tax on it.

WELL, HR at my work took my request and then came back to me with this: because I didn't apply for a new contract out of goodwill, THEY are exercising good will as well and they are PAYING OUT the 10 weeks that I thought I wasn't entitled to!

So instead of just receiving 18 weeks of government entitlements at minimum wage, I will receive 10 weeks of paid leave at my contracted pay rate (even though I'm now not under contract!), PLUS the 18 weeks of government leave! It's like Christmas! Good things do happen in massive organisations! Talk about restoration of faith in humankind...
 
Hey ladies,

Pancake, I must confess every time I see you post I'm always thinking, "Is this it?" But we're in the same boat, so for now, we wait. Fantastic news about the paid leave. That's amazing and you're right, sometimes good things do happen. I'm glad your company is being so good willed about it. I hope your CT stays minimal, or even better, goes away. My numbness is mostly in my middle and ring fingers but it does spread to my index finger and even my thumb. THe acupuncture did help my left wrist pain, hopeuflly it'll stay helping.

Muffdog, yay kicks

Mary, wow, new dining set, how wonderful. I told DH I want a new one, but we're going to wait a few months. We just bought new dressers, so we're gonig to wait a big before buying more furniture

Missy, DH and I bought our mattress from Buy Buy Baby. It's a Sealy (I think), spring coil mattress. It was about $200 or so.

China, glad you're making progress on O's big boy room. That's great. SO CUTE that he was saying hi to the baby! Sorry the bella bands are done for you. But at least you can stay comfy in mat pants.

Dinner was fun with DH's work friends. Now just hanging out. GOing to do some more baby prep stuff this weekend. Otherwise just planning on taking it easy.

~LC
 
Pancake - Crossing my fingers for a nice, safe, routine delivery SOON! I know you must be anxious to see Dot's face and to be able to hold her. You want to know something funny? Even though I was in the hospital, experiencing contractions, was 7cm dilated, and 100% effaced, I still felt like the delivery was a long ways off and was competely shocked when the OB checked my cervix and announced, "it's time!" (I had a c-section...baby was tranverse the entire pregnancy, and finally moved...into a breech position at the last minute). Even in active labor, the delivery seemed a long way off and managed to catch me by surprise. :roll:
 
PT - thanks for popping by and checking in on me! Yeah, it's a weird time. I feel exactly the same as I did a week, 2 weeks, even 3 weeks ago... so it's hard to imagine things changing (ie labour starting)! Hope you guys and Ava are well!

LC - hope you got some more prep done yesterday as planned! Re the CT, it sounds like it's not too severe and it should go away once the fluid comes off after delivery - fingers crossed hey!

AFM, still pregnant, etc etc. Last night we went out for dinner with friends - 2 couples and their kids (1 is 1, the other is 2). These guys are amongst our very closest friends and it was lovely - and lots of sympathy re the "GET ON WITH IT DOT" stuff! Today it's my birthday and we are going out for lunch with my mum and sister, and then a quiet dinner for just the two of us tonight. Should be nice! Have a couple more boxes to sort in the study, and then there's really not much else to do.

39 weeks, 6 days today...
 
Pancake, hope Dot makes her appearance soon!!!! FWIW, I had my membranes stripped on my due date and I went to 10 cm that night.

AFM, I'm 37 weeks today. There was a super full moon the other night, and I was like, "Back off moon! I'm not ready yet!" Mainly this is because I just switched providers and I'd like to actually meet my new OB and her midwife, you know, at least once. The reason for the switch is that my rather abrupt and frank OB had become less and less available and attentive over the course of my pregnancy. I'd like to think it's a sign of the economy (they also kept asking if I wanted to prepay for the birth starting in the first trimester), but I think it's also her personality. She would burst into the room for no more than 90 seconds, ask me questions about things that she would have known if she'd read my chart, and then dash out before I could ask any questions. Which for a woman who's 36 weeks and wanting to make sure it's a good idea to go for VBAC, is not what I'm looking for. After a particularly upsetting appointment, I decided I'd had enough. Also, they are pretty intervention-heavy at that practice, and after deciding that I wanted to at least try for a VBAC if it's safe, I decided to find a more VBAC friendly practice. For example, my new OB has a c/s rate of 18% and an episiotomy rate of 1%, versus my old OB who was above 30% for each.

So anyway, I'm at the big university hospital now, with a well equipped birthing center (tubs, stools, balls, etc.) staffed by midwives (in the US they are not that common in hospitals) and with 4 OBs, all of whom have great reputations. My old hospital and practice was much more, here, have your epidural, now some pitocin, now hope your baby pops out . . .

Dinner's here, be back later . . .
 
Hi All - looking for some advice. I'm 11wks, so still pretty early. I just learned that I can't use most of my facial products because they haven't been proven safe for pregnancy. My Dr prescribed me something for acne but it has left my skin dry and peeling.

Can you recommend any facial moisturizers that are safe for pregnancy?

I've been using Cetaphil cleanser but would be interested for other suggestions.
 
Pancake, that is such fantastic news about the extra 10 weeks! What a pleasant surprise! And it sounds like you found a solution for the blinds--they're going to look fantastic. I can't believe you're at the finish line already, I can't wait to hear all about Dot in the coming months. Like Phgirl, my friend had her membraned stripped at 39 weeks last week and gave birth that night. I hope it does the trick for you!

Phgirl, it's good that you made the switch to a hospital and practice that you're more comfortable with, but I completely understand wanting to wait to give birth for just a couple more weeks while you get more comfortable with the docs. And yay for being full term!

LC, how is taking it easy going this weekend? I have to tell you, every time I see you type a message I think to myself "nooo, your carpal tunnel!!!" I hope the acupuncture is going well!

Muffdog, I'm so glad the nursery is officially done, that is so exciting. It's going to look amazing. And i hope the maternity shopping went well! You definitely popped--the belly is adorable.

MerryMary, I'm so sorry about the heartburn--it's the worst. Exciting to hear about the dining table! Strangely enough, I think a new dining table might be what I request for a push present. Amazing babymoon pics, by the way.

China, sorry to hear about the queasiness--I've had a little of that lately, but it's nothing like the first tri, so it's tolerable. Oh my gosh, so cute that O said "How doing?" to your belly. It's just adorable.

MQ, no sign of shingles/chicken pox, right? Sounds like you should be okay!

Missy, you're looking great! And the snugabunny looks so cuddly, right? We have the swing and the rock and play sleeper. They're both so soft.

AFM, I'm tired. I have pubic symphysis diastasis, which basically only means that every time I take a step it feels like somebody is hitting me in the pubic bone wit ha hammer. It's nothing new, I'm just tired of it. And it makes me grumpy.

Tommorrow is my "make things to freeze" day. I mostly just want to relax, but at least I got the majority of the housework done today.
 
PG, yay for term! Nice to hear re your membrane stripping experience... I know the stats but it's always good to hear of people for whom it works! I'm glad you're now at a practice that you feel comfortable with, even though it's a last minute change - it must be a weight off your mind!

CentralSquare - congratulations! I'm afraid I'm not much help with skincare. Obviously you must avoid things like isotretinoin (Roaccutane) and some of the antibiotics (tetracyclines etc), but I'm not sure about the topical stuff. What are you concerned about specifically? I would have thought that any of the over-the-counter typical remedies would be fine eg. benzoyl peroxide, the sulphur-based creams, standard moisturisers and cleansers. I don't use anything at all apart from the occasional dab of benzoyl peroxide so I'm sorry I can't be of more help!

NEL - you poor thing with the pubic symphysis separation - ugh ugh ugh! At least you know it's not long now... How is your back holding up? I am so pleased that you have made it to term without major complications, I remember how stressful that was. You are very good to want a dining table as your push present - I am a bit more conventional about mine and want jewellery! Not bling, though - we are having an ee cummings poem letterpressed for Dot's room, and I think I am going to have either a silver pendant or a silver bangle made with a couple of lines from the poem stamped on it, along with Dot's initials and date of birth. Re the extra 10 weeks' pay - it's not even a relief, it's like Christmas! I had never sought the payment as I knew I was not eligible, so it was like a massive massive bonus :)

AFM, same old same old. I did have that one night last week with lots of niggles and twinges but since then my nights have been peaceful and I have been sleeping really well, actually. Re the "stretch 'n' sweep" - the obstetrician basically told me that out of every 7 women who have their membranes stripped, 4 will go into labour within 3 days, of whom 3 would have anyway - so it's 1 extra woman in labour for every 7 who have their membranes stripped. If Dot's head doesn't move down further he would still be happy to induce with Prostin gel but anything beyond that (ie. synt, I suppose) is dependent on where the head actually is and whether it drops after Prostin.

My fears re C/S are not about Dot or the safety of the operation - it is just that the most invasive procedure I have ever had was giving blood! Nary an operation, stitch or anaesthetic in the past. I'm worried about the recovery and not being able to drive for 6 weeks (which is the advice given here), and not being able to move immediately afterwards and whether there'll be issues initially with feeding etc... just the usual stuff. One of my friends said to me, "Once Dot is here it won't matter how she arrived" and I know this is true - I am really glad she said that to remind me of the big picture. But I guess I just hadn't thought about any of this applying to me, know what I mean?
 
Pancake, Happy birthday!!!! What wonderful sounding push present. SOunds like your practice has a good plan for what will if Dot decides to take her time. Hope Dot comes out to play soon. Glad to hear you've been having peaceful nights. I just had a round of little niggles too, but nothing that really felt like contractions. I hope you'll be one of the lucky women that membrane stripping helps move them along. And your friend is so great and insightful to help you remember the "bigger picture." Sometimes we just need friends to pull us out of the weeds every now and then.

PhG, Hooray for term!!!!! Hm, I'd feel the same way about your former OB practice. I'm glad you found somewhere you like better, but I agree with you, I'd want to meet the doctors etc first before the actual Big Event. I think Diamond Seeker's daughter also switched OBs right around or after 36 wks too. The most important thing is YOU feel comfortable, and you obviously weren't getting that with the first practice. I hope you're able to get the birth experience you want.

CentralSQ, Congrats!!!! How exciting! I don't have much advice for you re: the facial products. Dunno if you use fancy face moisturizers or not. I use Eucerin for my face moisturizer and additional sunscreen for additional SPF coverage. If you use something prescribed I'm sure your dermatologist will be able to point you in the right direction of what would be safe for you to use.

NEL, How's Byron doing? THe CT will hopefully get better, Im' just waiting it out. The midwife says if it lasts past 6 wks post partum, I should check with my GP if it's more than just the pregnancy hormone thing. Acupuncture is going OK. I set another appt, and I might try to start going multiple times a week, just to get some intensive treatment. I'd really like to bump it. I've been having some queasiness too, but I find it's mostly if I eat a lot, so I've been taking it easy with the portions. Oooh, sorry to hear about the "shooting crotch pain" as Dreamer used to call it. Make stuff to freeze day sounds good. I so need to CLEAR out my freezer first before I put more stuff in it! LOL!

Today was really nice, spent all day pretty much with Sis. Hit Target and got some baby stuff: Nursing bras & tanks, heavy flow pads, changing pad for the baby etc. Need to get a few more things tomorrow at HD, and then I think we'll be OK.

~LC (38w, 2d)
 
Driveby post - Work shower was so nice - I have the most wonderful coworkers at my school. :bigsmile: 36 weeks tomorrow and no sign of shingles. ;)) Doc said nothing to worry about, and the coworker has stayed home since the rash started, so baby W and I don't need to worry. Will be back soon with a longer update.

Happy Birthday, Pancake!
 
It's so nice to see everybody from the Just Barely Preggos thread over the summer about to pop!

Mannequin, glad the shingles are nothing to worry about! My mom just got the vaccine because all her friends in their 60s/70s have been telling her how awful it is when you get it, plus she didn't want to expose the new baby. This is her 7th grandchild, but better late than never I suppose. ;))

PC, they also broke my water when I came into the hospital so I don't know if that helped me get to 10 or if I would have just after the membrane stripping. Are you going to try any other old-wives kind of stuff . . . spicy food, DTD, castor oil, etc.? I guess you just want to make sure you're in the right position first. I had heard that if you're not ready for labor, the old-wives stuff probably won't do anything, but if you are ready and want to get things moving, those things might help. Have you seen this site? http://spinningbabies.com/ I know you know lots about this stuff already but for my own edification please pass along any tips.

6 weeks of no driving? Yikes! It's 2 here. Again, FWIW, I really felt fine after my c/s. My husband had collarbone surgery last month and he cried and moaned and needed painkillers for like two weeks. I remember thinking, "Why am I taking these? I don't think I have any pain anyway . . ." And the mobility isn't that much of an issue because you're used to compensating for your distended, weak belly at the end of pregnancy. I don't remember feeling like I was unable to do normal stuff.

LC, I keep forgetting about the pads! Need some of those . . . I'm not sure if my flow will be different if I can do VBAC. After my c/s it was really not bad but I definitely want to be prepared. I also just bought some maternity tanks and a comfy lounging suit at Target that I'm packing in my hospital bag. Oh, and I'm glad to hear others have switched providers this late in the game. I figured it was too late and was just going to suck it up, but the natural labor nurse who coached us this time around told me, actually, it happens all the time!

NEL, hope the cooking is going well! The urge to make freezer meals hasn't hit me this pregnancy, ha ha. It did last time, but this time I know I'll probably just send the DH out for takeout. Hopefully people will still bring us as many meals as we got for baby #1? :naughty: If not, I may be woefully unprepared . . .

Push present . . . I am thinking of upgrading my studs (almost 3/4 ctw) to a little above 1 ctw. Truth be told, I'd love to go bigger than that, but I already have a 0.52 carat stone in my pendant which I would sacrifice to the project (because for our 10 year anniversary in just under three years, I'll be upgrading the e-ring, and then my heirloom e-ring stone will become my pendant, plus babies yank at your necklaces so I won't be wearing it for a while). Based on how much diamonds cost now versus when I bought my current studs and pendant, even if I sold all three pieces and applied our current budget on top of that, I'd still be hard-pressed to go above 0.60 for each stone. So that seems like a lot of work and effort when I could just ask our jeweler to match my current pendant diamond. Hmmm.

Baby girl was head down but sunny side up at 36 weeks this time, so I'm trying to be on all fours as much as possible to encourage her to flip. I'm going to ask more about this at my new practice as I imagine the midwife will spend more than 90 seconds with me.

How's everyone feeling??? ChinaCat, you're nauseated? Boo. This should be your second tri honeymoon! No fair!

I'm feeling OK. Every few days my back gets super uncomfortable. I need to be stretching more (and the DH is supposed to be setting up a massage for me at his chiropractor). Not gonna lie, the hemorrhoids and heartburn aren't fun, and of course it's hard to sleep in a queen-sized bed with any kind of helpful pregnancy pillows. But it's not too awful. I would definitely do this part of the pregnancy twice if I could have avoided the agony of the first trimester. Also, I totally think it's nature's way to make you really uncomfortable at the end so that your desire to get the baby OUT outweighs any fears of parenthood or L&D you might have. ;))
 
Hi everyone! Look, I'm alive!!!

Life got pretty busy there for a while, and then last week we ended up in the hospital for most of the week with an emergency appendectomy for DH!! Let me tell you... I am going to be really excited to be the one in the hospital bed when Madeline comes, because that pull out couch was miserable. Well, I think I could have dealt with it better if I didn't need 8 pillows to get any decent support!! Crazy. The surgeon said it was one of the worst cases of appendicitis he's ever seen, and they almost removed part of his colon, too (but didn't)!

It was a nightmare of a week, and just what we needed - two of us having trouble getting around and lifting stuff and all that!! Oy. It really brought into focus the lack of close friendships that I/we have here... I would have killed to have my mom around or to have people that could help us in some way. People did offer in a "do you need anything?" kind of way, but what am I supposed to ask for? The most amazing thing was an old coworker of DH's who I've met once came by with his wife one day while I was at work to spend time with DH, and they brought a casserole and a pan of brownies, and were so concerned that I shouldn't have to cook and worry at almost 9 months pregnant. I have met the guy once, and the wife never! And it was such an incredible thing for them to do, not to ask what they could do, but just to go ahead and do something they knew would make our lives easier. Sigh.

NEL, I have PSD too, and I am dying for this kid to come just to make the pain stop!! I have been telling people that I'm not waddling, I'm limping :)) It's true! Sometimes I feel basically okay just a little sore, and sometimes it's all I can do to make it to standing or lift one of my legs up or... yeesh. I really want to make things to freeze that we can eat later, but our freezer is pretty full, and I don't want to buy a chest freezer or something just for post partum food! Ahaha. Hopefully we can clean it out a little this week, and we have good friends that live next door with an extra freezer, maybe they'd donate some space?

Pancake, happy belated birthday and happy due date!! I hope Dot shows up before you have to forcibly evict her! Your nursery is absolutely gorgeous, I wish I could figure out how to finish mine off... right now all the walls are super bare and I am stumped. I did not get the design gene from my mother, that's for sure. And what amazing news about the mat leave!! Gives me faith that there are still good people in the world!!

Phoenixgirl, so nice to see you back here posting! I may be in need of your CDing wisdom soon, but we're going to start with disposables for sure. I do have a decent CD stash started though, so I'm definitely giving it a whirl eventually! There's so much info in the CD thread, I think maybe too much!! The push present sounds fab, I'm hoping to purchase a pre-loved .3ct bezel pendant myself from a friend, but not sure hubby's into the idea of the push present. I just love the idea of it being something I can pass down to DD on some important occasion some day (a graduation, wedding, etc). Sorry to hear you're uncomfortable but at least you feel better than you did at the beginning! Pretty sure none of us that are full term are exactly bouncing around... ;))

LC, you look great!! We're also at the "only a few more things to go" point. :)) Glad to hear the acupuncture seems to be working at least a little, I hope the CT goes away for good as soon as that precious boy makes an appearance! And your Souperbowl shower sounded awesome, it's so nice when people are so generous, I was really surprised by the generosity at my showers. I still can't believe you made so much food for your own celebration!!

MQ, it must be so nice to have your house all to yourself! The nursery looks terrific! I know I was so relived when our roommate moved out, it's just a huge mental load off the shoulders, isn't it? So glad your coworkers threw you a nice shower, and that you managed to avoid the shingles! I know one of our PS mamas got shingles recently when she was about full term, and it didn't sound fun at all!

China - Funny how pregnancies can be so different! M has never been a big mover/shaker, she's never punched me in the bladder or kept me up at night or wedged up under my ribs... all the stuff that has been unpleasant about this pregnancy for me has nothing to do with her direct actions outside of, you know, growing at all. :)) I still can't believe you haven't opened that envelope, you have the most incredible will-power! I can't wait to find out what you're having!!

MuffDog, love the bump! It was so exciting to finally start looking pregnant!! And I absolutely cannot wait to see the nursery, you lucky duck!! That must have been the coolest experience!!

Missy - Great bump! Love the shirt, and isn't it fun finding good deals on mat clothes?! I actually bought a ton of them over the months, and don't think I spent a crazy amount of money.I bought a bunch of simple things and cardigans that I'm hoping I'll be able to wear later, too (well, the ones that aren't crazy obviously maternity, haha).

MerryMary - You look so good! Look at the cute bump! Isn't it exciting to go to a baby store and feel like you belong there? I loved wandering around, trying to imagine what stuff would look good in our house, what we would need for our kid and what was just crazy extras... and that's only the beginning! BBBaby is so great for test driving strollers and such, did you do any of that? I am crazy envious of your babymoon by the way, DH and I meant to get away for a weekend at least, but alas, it was not in the cards. Hopefully we'll at least get a date night out of my mother in the weeks that she's here after the birth :))

PPM - Nice job snagging the snugabunny swing!! I'm hoping to find a similar deal, though we do already have the Rock n Play Sleeper. Not sure if we need a battery/electric swing as well, but if I can get a good deal I'd love to buy one, since M is probably not going to be our only child, and I'm sure it'll come in handy later! Still hoping one of my friends will offer theirs as a loan, but don't want to ask... so we'll see :))


Sorry to anyone I forgot! I've been away for weeks! I hope to stick around as we all start popping out babies! I'm 37w1d officially. Went to triage last week because I thought I might be leaking fluid, but it was a false alarm thank goodness... well, or not. I am so ready to be done! I keep having minor signs that labor is imminent, but I think I'm just imagining things due to my wishful thinking. She dropped for sure a couple/few weeks ago, and at my last growth ultrasound on Monday she was so low in my pelvis we couldn't even get an image of her whole face! The Braxton Hicks have really ramped up, and sometimes I feel like she's just going to fall out! I've even had a couple painful contractions today, one that woke me up, and one a little while ago, but nothing regular. With all my friends that have gone overdue lately, I wouldn't mind evening things out by having her a little early. :))

I've been joking all week that today was the day, but it seems I was wrong, hahaha. Maybe this week? If I didn't have to work another whole week, I would be so grateful. I'm feeling super burned out, and I stand and sit and stand and sit a lot, and between the PSD and the general discomfort of late pregnancy, it's just getting to be a bit much. Major silver lining? The baby definitely weighs more already than the number of pounds that I've gained, so I'm looking to leave the hospital lighter than when I got pregnant. I definitely feel lucky (although it was due to the GD diet which is the bane of my existence after 3 months of no ice cream) but I definitely had a good 40+ pounds to lose before I got pregnant in the first place, so I'm going to pretend that it's baby weight and try to get down to a happy place with my body after this kid is born... despite the stretch marks. ;))

Okay I'm going to wrap it up before you all fall asleep. Good luck in the race to the finish line, everyone!! Can't wait to see all the new baby faces!!!
 
I am a terrible preggo PSr, I have such a hard time getting motivated to contribute to this thread although I read it every day! Happy birthday Pancake. Katy, hang in there. You ladies all look fabulous, I really love everyone's bump pics. It's so fun to see people's changing shapes.

AFM, I am ~25 weeks today and I HAZ A BUMP finally. It's about time!

25weekbump2.jpg
 
Thanks for the thoughts and well wishes everyone. We were kept in suspense for just over 24 hours, during which I was freaking out and looking up jobs for both of us, and DH was feeling totally fine... Anyway, we were one of the lucky ones and DH still has a job. 37 out of 70 people were let go. DH is feeling confident that the next project will go well and the job will be long term. He basically needs to stay in this job until September 2013, at which stage I will be able to hold an unrestricted practicing certificate which will make it easier for me to get a job elsewhere.

LC: Sorry to hear your carpal tunnel is bothering you so much :( It sounds awful. What does it feel like and where in your wrist do you feel it (if that makes sense). I started to get some pain down through my wrist on the weekend and I realised I had no idea what CT really was!

NEL: Glad you got your preferred timeslot for your CS. I can't believe it is just next week! You must be so excited/terrified. Sorry you are in so much pain/discomfort in the meantime though. :nono:

MQ: Glad you avoided getting shingles from your co-worker! That would be awful at this stage of your pregnancy!

Pancake: Sending labour dust your way! And happy birthday/happy due date! That maternity leave sounds amazing. My work doesn't pay anything, but I know that I am still receiving more benefits than a lot of the US girls on the forum as at least we Australians get the PPL from the government!
The 6 weeks of no driving really scares me about CS as well. We have pretty terrible access to public transport where we live, DH will have to go back to work, and we live interstate from our parents so I am scared about being stranded at home! I think there are issues with insurance with driving before the 6 weeks are up to, so we can't drive when we feel better either!

MerryMary: Your babymoon looks amazing! I am so jealous, I wish we could go on one, but we need to save my leave and our money for when I am not working. Boo.

Muffdog: Cute bump!

Missy: Yay to feeling kicks from the outside. Has your DH been able to feel them yet?

PHG: I'm glad you are now happy with your care providers, even if it was a stressful last minute decision to make!

Katy: Sorry to hear about your DH's appendectomy. How is he doing now? I am sorry to hear that you are in pain too. So sweet of your DH's coworkers to do that for you.

Monarch: Oh my gosh you are so tiny! Your bump is cute :)

AFM: 30 weeks tomorrow! I don't know why, but for some reason 30 weeks was always a milestone in my mind, kind of like the beginning of the final countdown or something. My due date simultaneously seems extremely close and far away!

We have a busy few weeks coming up. We had our first antenatal class on Saturday morning, which covered birth and labour. We have another this Saturday about postnatal care and adjusting to life with a baby, and one the week after on taking baby home and caring for a newborn. The day after our last class, we are having maternity photos taken. The week after that will be my baby shower. A few girls from work have RSVP'd already, and I am hoping it will go well! My mum is even flying up from my home town for it! I wasn't expecting that and it will be nice to see her.

After having the class on L&D, my 'labour denial' is starting to wear off a little bit and I am getting a teensy bit scared! The thing that scares me is that I really am not happy with any other pain relief option than gas, and I am aware that gas does not always work for everyone or may not be enough relief for me. I posted something glib about this on FB, and got annoyed when a few people commented on it basically giving me a lecture about keeping an open mind to epidurals/CS/other birth options. It annoyed me because they had no idea from my comments what my 'birth plan' is and it also just felt a lot like they were trying to justify their own choices. I don't care what choices someone else made, I am not going to judge you if you had an epidural just because I don't want to have one, so please stop trying to convince me that your way is the right way! FWIW, my 'birth plan' is to do whatever it takes to have the end up with me and bubs being healthy and safe. I am open minded about an epidural/pethidine shot, I just am not comfortable with some of the side effects and consequences of those options and want to avoid them (but I am not in pain now so who knows how I may feel during labour).

Sorry for the rant :)
 
Hi ladies. I've been MIA for a few days, mainly because I don't really have much to report, but I've been lurking every day and keeping up with everyone.

Bobbin, I'm glad to hear that your husband still has his job. And you're right in trying to keep your ears shut when people start going on a rant about their birth options. This is actually one of my pet peeves; judging other women's birth choices (e.g. women looking down on women who've had c/s as if somehow they're lesser mothers or something).

Monarch, your bump is tiny! I'm so jealous! I'm only 18w5d and I already show as much as you. I'm going to get huge! :errrr:

NEL, pancake, LC, and everyone else who's getting close: here's to your babies!

MQ, it's lucky you didn't get shingles. That would have been awful.

Everyone else, think healthy baby!

AFM, nothing new. Still haven't felt any kicks, though DH keeps putting an ear to my belly and saying that it sounds like the ocean :lol: Also, I had really bad cramps last week. When I've had them previously they'd last for about 24 hours. Last week I got a bout that lasted for 24 hours and then I got them for the next two evenings as well. Still no bleeding so I try not to worry about it too much. The incessant peeing is still going strong. It's especially bad in the evenings to the point where I have to go every half an hour. Oh well :rolleyes:. Right now I'm focusing on our anomaly scan. It's in a couple of weeks and we finally get to find out the sex :appl:
 
Mayerling, so excited that you will find out soon!

Bobbin, what a relief that your DH still has a job. You definitely don't need that stress while pregnant! But I'm sorry for the 37 people who weren't so lucky. Times are tough.

Good for you for not letting the FB criticism bother you. People seem to just mouth off about whatever they think on FB when in a real life setting they'd probably be more inclined just to listen to you. I'm not happy with the interventions I received during my first L&D (I have POTS, which means my blood pressure can dip from any little thing, but we didn't know this at the time - the epidural definitely caused as many problems as it helped), and so I've been talking to my sister about it. She's my BFF and is usually 100% supportive of me, but she had three vaginal births with epidurals, the latter two induced, and even she was sounding defensive as I was telling her why I want to avoid the epi this time. But once I explained how disappointed I was in my first experience and how I never felt confident that my c/s was necessary, she was like, "Oh, I totally get it now." I guess she thought I was criticizing her choices, which I wasn't, just trying to have a better experience this time. If I could have had my child vaginally and not had any trouble BFing, I'd probably be signed up for an induction and epi right now.

DH and I watched The Business of Being Born last night to psych ourselves up for the VBAC. Thankfully all the shots of women in labor were pretty calm -- nobody seemed to be in horrible agony (the deliveries in the video for my natural childbirth class were a little less reassuring). We didn't feel like it had the preachy tone of a Morgan Spurlock or Michael Moore piece, but then again we were watching it to be convinced and pump ourselves up, so maybe we are not the best judges in this case. I'm not attempting my VBAC at home anyway, but there will a midwife from the hospital and my doula with us if the OB isn't needed to supervise constantly.

My biggest fear about L&D is that my POTS will be triggered by the hormones. After I weaned my daughter and resumed AF, I had three or four episodes of feeling super dizzy (unable to be vertical because my heart wasn't getting blood to my brain correctly), and several of them coincided with AF, so there's definitely a hormonal link. I'm worried that the hormones of labor will trigger extreme nausea and dizziness and I won't be able to labor. But I'm also worried that any anesthesia is going to make me feel awful and have my BP drop. IV fluids may be able to help here so I want to be in the hospital for longer than other people trying to do it naturally might. So my plan is to try natural delivery and then if needed, do a c/s, but I don't want the epi during labor because I want baby and me to be under the effects of anesthesia for as little time as possible.

I also really want to be able to bond with this baby more immediately. I was alone without DD for several hours after my c/s, except for about 20 minutes where some nurses brought her to me to nurse. It's my baby, not the hospital's, and I want to be with her unless there's a reason why she needs treatment for something. I was just kind of out of it from the drugs and honestly didn't know it could be any different.
 
Mayerling, I'm so sorry to hear about the incessant peeing and the cramps, but I really think you'll get a break from both in the second tri. And so exciting that your anatomy scan is just around the corner--I feel like that is one of the most exciting things that happens while you're pregnant :)

Bobbin, I'm so glad that your husband was able to keep his job, you must have been holding your breath for days and finally felt a sense of relief. And 30 weeks is definitely a milestone. For me, 30 weeks is when I started to get uncomfortable, haha. But it does kind of feel like the home stretch, doesn't it? Even if it's the beginning of the home stretch.

I'm sorry about the judgement around the birth plan. I COMPLETELY understand because I was on the fence about my own birth plan and was wracking my brain thinking about what was best for the baby, then me. When it comes to being a new mom, you feel judged all the time. The birth plan. Breast feeding. Working vs. being home. I do wish women were more supportive of each other's decisions because we ALL know how hard it is navigate through this--no matter what, you feel some guilt.

Monnie, I can't believe you're 25 weeks in that photo--your bump is bigger, but still so teeny!!!

Katy! You poor thing--and your poor husband! I can't believe you spent the majority of the week in the hospital--and it wasn't even for you! I'm so glad that they didn't have to take part of his colon--that sounds so serious. Your husband must have been MISERABLE! How thoughtful of your husband's coworker (and his wife) to bring food. I feel like that is the biggest thing friends can do to help. When you're both exhausted, in pain and can hardly move, not having to cook or go get food is HUGE!

You are so right about the limping. That is exactly how I feel about the PSD. At times it's manageable (like when I'm sitting and can sit indian style). But sometimes the pain is so unbearable that I feel like a c-section would be a cakewalk in comparison. I feel like having them so low makes it worse, you know? We had the same issue at our last ultrasound (34 weeks)--she was so low they couldn't get cranial measurments. And she's since dropped more. I don't know how that is physically possible.

Do you think this will be your last week at work? Are you working right up to delivery or are you going to try to work from home? I'm in the office 4 days this week and I don't know how I'm going to get through it. I may start taking a few things home today and tomorrow just in case I'm in too much pain to make the trip into work later this week.

Phgirl, I think sending DH out for takeout is a fabulous idea. We have a ton of restaurants near us, so my plan is to send him out while he's around, then once he goes back to work I might dive into the frozen meals. I only made a few meals, so I'm hoping it's enough. We do have a chest freezer in the garage, but I feel like using it would be going overboard.

Also, you make such a good point about the pain now being better than the misery of the first tri. I know your first tri was especially rough, but I, too, will take physical pain over constant nausea and all the other misery of the first tri. At least at this point everything is temporary, right?

MQ, so glad that the shower was great and that you are in the clear for shingles or chicken pox!

LC, Byron is doing well, thanks for asking. Luckily we caught his pneumonia so early that it never really gave him issues. He's on a new antibiotic and D will have to take him for a recheck the week after the c-section.

I also got a few nursing tanks from Target--how do you like yours? Mine are fine except that I stupidly bought a small thinking I should get my pre-maternity size. And now my boobs sort of spill out of the sides. I think I'll have to get a couple more in a bigger size.

I'm really hoping your CT is only temporary--I know it can be very painful!

Pancake, I'm thinking about you all the time now. So, so, so close! And what a great idea for a push present (the ee cummings poem idea). That's so adorable. And besides, the forgotten-about pendant can sort of be a push present, too! You're too sweet to ask about my back when you're potentially hours away from giving birth! I've been sooooo happy that my back hasn't given me a lot of pain. None of my doctor's really knew what to expect given how extensively my back is fused, but my back has held up really well and I'm very happy about that. Who knew I'd have the most pain from my pubic region, haha.

AFM, nothing new! It only took an hour or two to make a couple of frozen meals yesterday. I am just soooo happy that this is my last week of work--it feels surreal!!
 
Quick me-centric post, I will send a longer one later. I hope everyone had a great weekend. I am so excited to watch this thread over the next several weeks, there is going to be a bumper crop of beautiful babies showing up!!!

Well we did get our table and chairs delivered on Saturday and I love them!! I will attach a pic but it is a little blurry. It is the Pranzo II Extension Dining Table http://www.crateandbarrel.com/furniture/dining-tables/pranzo-ii-extension-dining-table/s143017 with these Lowe chairs in Smoke http://www.crateandbarrel.com/furniture/dining-chairs/lowe-smoke-leather-side-chair/f39173. We had a hard time finding a table that was narrow enough for our dining room and could be made long enough to fit my large extended family for holiday dinners. This one has three leaves that can be added, although we will be keeping only one in for everyday use. We need to replace the light fixture at some point but we haven't decided what style we want to go with.

For now it is nursery time, DH has been getting very antsy to start with the painting so I need to get my stuff sorted/organized/tossed out this weekend. He was FINALLY able to feel the baby yesterday morning for the first time :love:

table and chairs.JPG
 
Bobbin, I'm glad your DH is OK with his job and that the next project looks promising. Hopefully you'll both be OK, but definitely do NOT need the added stress. Sorry to hear. 30 weeks definitely is a milestone. I took our L&D class around the same time too. So great your mom is coming to your shower! How fun! I think Pancake said showers are a big thing in AUS, so it's really nice your friends and family are doing it for you guys. And :nono: :nono: to those people that can't keep their opinions to themselves about birth plans etc. I mean, it's a personal thing. What is it about weddings and pregnancies that people thing that their opinion is so important they have *have* to tell you. Dude, if I wanted your opinion, I would've ASKED for your opinion....
Since you asked about the CT: I have it in both forms: pain & numbness. Pain on my left, on the thumb side of the wrist along the inner arm. Kinda close to where the wrist bumps out a little from the bones there (maybe it's just my wrist). It'll hurt to actuate my thumb in different directions. Numbness in my right, my middle an ring finger running along the palm side of the fingers. It kinda feels like when your fingers are REALLY cold then you run them under hot water and it tingles/prickles. TBH they both suck, but I'd rather deal with pain than numbness. The numbness is actually kinds painful and it mostly freaks me out.

Mayer, glad the cramping isn't a constant thing, but it's probably just some stretching. Maybe that means you'll have a tall/long baby. Are you and your DH tall people? The peeing got better in the 2nd tri, then got worse at the very end. I feel like I'm peeing every 15 mins. How exciting to figure out the gender!

PhG, I'm glad you're getting psyched up for your VBAC. AND your new OB is inspiring more confidence. I'm hoping you get the l&d experience you're looking for, but it sounds like you're keeping health of you and DD2 first and foremost, so that's the best plan of all.

Katy, OMG, what a crazy week! I'm glad you DH is better, but holy cow! Sorry you're uncomfortable wiht the PSD. How nice of your DH's coworker to be so considerate. Between your story and Pancake's HR, it restores some faith that there are nice people in the world. Glad you're doing OK and that the GD hasn't been too much of a struggle.

Monnie, look at you! You're finally bump-ing! You look amazing, and people will probably be like, WOW, you're HOW far along??? Anyway, lookin' great mama!

NEL, glad your frozen meal day went well. I need to clear space in my freezer to make more space for frozen stuff. I made a bunch of dumplings etc wiht my sister yesterday. That will be useful for quick and easy meals post partum. But I'm sure some friends will also drop off food, and I don't think I'll be able to clear THAT much space! I'm glad you're easing out of your crazy work schedule. I say take some work and work from home a few days this week. Wow! last week of work! I'll be here all week to help on-board my cover-person, he'll be starting on Weds.... Haven't tried the nursing tanks or bras out yet.

Mary, great lookng dining set!!! ANd awesome your DH was able to feel the baby move! Good luck getting the nursery sorted out.

AFM, not much going on. Still here, still preggo. Midwife appt this afternoon. Will ask about estimate weight, what's the plan if Ethan's late, and what contractions should feel like. I got what felt like side stitches when you're running/doing heavy cardio. It was localized to the left side, kind of where the spleen is so that's why I call it side stitches. Still have the sniffles from the last weekend. Hopefully it goes away.

~LC (38w, 4d)
 
MM, ooooh, I love that table!

NEL, I'm glad your third trimester is still "easier" than the first, but I'm sorry about the pain you're having. I think it also helps that in the third trimester everyone in the world knows you're pregnant, so you have a reason to feel cruddy and can complain and expect people to cater to you. ;))

And really truly, the c-section was not painful for me. I hope yours is a cakewalk. It's surgery, of course, but that part of the body isn't particularly sensitive, I don't think, plus like I said, you're already used to not using your abs and having to turn over like a beetle stuck on its back to get off the couch. ;)) I think you will be surprised at how good you feel. Are you going to use any kind of back support or binder afterwards? I didn't use one with Claire but I'm thinking I might try one this time.

LC, that does sound like a side stitch to me. Honestly, I'm not sure what contractions feel like either (I know, weird, since I have a child!) since I didn't feel them until they broke my water and then I got the epidural right away. But I think it's more like menstrual cramps and uterus tightness. I've had the side stitch thing to this pregnancy, while walking. These days that turns into the uterus tightness and general crampy feeling pretty quickly, though. But I definitely don't feel anything coming and going where I could time how long it lasts. What were you doing at the time that you felt them?[/b]
 
Quick flyby to say that I think I just felt butterflies :appl:
Though, to be honest, I'm not sure if it's just wishful thinking. Especially since, given the anterior placenta, I really wasn't expecting to feel much for a while...

Mayerling, 18w5d
 
PhG, I was just cruising about the house before leaving for work. Setting the Roomba to go, making the bed, etc. I guess it was probably form walking around. I was in a bit of a rush as I left the house much later than usual. Yeah I figure it'd feel a little bit like the uterus cramps I was having in my 1st tri. Although I don't really REMEMBER what those felt like, but I remember having some and asking the nurse about it. I think it felt more like my whole belly/uterus and not just localized ot one side or another.

Mayerling, it was probably butterflies. Hey just tell yourself it's the baby.
 
mayerling|1329157275|3125435 said:
Quick flyby to say that I think I just felt butterflies :appl:
Though, to be honest, I'm not sure if it's just wishful thinking. Especially since, given the anterior placenta, I really wasn't expecting to feel much for a while...

Mayerling, 18w5d
Click to expand...

That is so exciting! I never felt flutters - not that I was aware of anyways. I felt the odd 'tap' from the inside and this weekend (21 weeks) I felt proper kicks. Hubs even felt them from the outside!!

Quick update and mention in case anyone didn't see this - A Pea in the Pod has a buy one get one free on all of their red line sale items. I picked up two pairs of jeans and two dresses...I hope they fit!!
 
Pancake- Hi there. Happy belated birthday!! That's amazing news about getting your extra paid leave. So nice to hear that sometimes people just do the right thing even if they don't have to. I get your fears about induction. I didn't want to be induced b/c I wanted "natural" labor, which I thought would progress normally and be easier to keep on top off. I also did not want a failed induction leading to a c-section. My biggest thing was unneccesary interventions- but at post 10 days or whatever, it becomes less about that. I was hoping to avoid the epidural- I am not against them, I do not think it makes you a "better" mother/woman for going without, and I wasn't scared of it- but I heard it could make labor stall or pushing to take longer. I just wanted my body to do what it was supposed to do and if I couldn't maintain it, then epi would be fine. Of course, induction labor is different and that part is exactly what I'd heard. There was no eventual lead up, it kind of hit me all at once and I also didn't get a break in b/w the contractions, so I had no space to breathe or get on top of them. Plus you are hooked up to everything and cannot move around and labor in positions that are more effective and natural. So I opted for the epi- at that point I was still 0 cm dilated and it was becoming unbearable. I think if I had been closer, I would have tried to go longer without the epi. But check this out- I got the epi and was dilated to almost 10 cm within the hour. My nurse said sometimes the epi relaxes you and lets your body do what it needs to. I could feel my legs and pushed successfully. So other than the fact that I probably went to an epi much sooner than I would have had I been able to labor naturally, everything else was like a natural labor. All I mean by this novel is that just being induced or getting an epi does not have to lead to c-sections. I wonder how much of that is related to people being induced too early when baby is just not ready? Just a thought.

Biggest advice is to be informed, know what you want to do and WHY and WHEN, ask questions, but be prepared to adapt. Birth plans go out the window, things happen and you have to go with it.

Muff- Oh no I am totally in mat pants! I just hate them and was wearing a pair of "fat" pants with bella band as well, but that is being pulled from the rotation. So excited about your nursery. Can you post pics AFTER it airs?

PHOENIX- Hi friend! I admit I'm a bit jealous of your new birthing center! If I didn't love my OB that's exactly the kind of place I would look for. Does knowing about the POTS help any in advance of labor? Like if you get dizzy during labor, will it help to know "oh, that's my POTS, nothing major to worry about, carry on!" as opposed to being terrified that something else major is wrong? Or is the POTS bad enough that it doesn't matter knowing what it is?

Katy- I don't like the term "push present" either, but I DO like the idea of something permanent to mark the occasion and to wear in honor of and then pass down to baby.

Bobbin- Glad the job front is stable.
 
Mayerling, I don't know anything about the placenta placement issue, but with my first I started feeling gas/twinges/butterflies/stretches around 16 weeks, but I didn't believe they were actually the baby until 19 weeks. This time around I know what they feel like and I definitely felt them at 11.5 weeks, and then not again for a few more weeks, but my point is that I think there's some sort of weird denial that happens to pregnant women in the second trimester where they're like, oh, surely this couldn't be the baby . . . Well what else would it be???? :wink2: So I vote that it's the baby!

China, glad you love your OB! That makes such a difference mentally. And I did go from 4 cm to 10 cm with the epidural, so it didn't slow down my labor at all either. It just made me dizzy and paralyzed one of my legs. If I could go back I would say, um, hey, I can't move this here leg, somebody do something! My biggest advice to the first time moms would just be to ASK for what you want. Just because you've tried one thing doesn't mean you have to stick with it.

As for the POTS, I've been having some mini episodes recently where I just need to lie on the couch for a few minutes. In that case, it totally helps to know, OK, this will be OK, I'll just drink some electrolytes and I'll feel better soon. And in all the recent instances, I have. But if it's a full-blown knock-me-on-my-tush kind of thing like in the first trimester, then there's not much I can do but lie on the couch and wish for death. Obviously I'm being a little melodramatic there but it's really a horrible feeling. So I'm just hoping the latter doesn't happen.

Speaking of electrolytes, I've found that I need Gatorade type stuff if I start to feel "off." I've got these gels that DH uses when he rides his mountain bike, and I've got this super concentrate athlete powder that has 4x the amount of electrolytes as Gatorade. So today during music class I didn't feel 100% and knew I would go downhill if I didn't eat, so I got out one of the gel chew things. This 4ish year old girl came and sat right in front of me and stared at me, like a seagull hoping for scraps. Poor Claire thought the girl was interested in her and was like, "Mommy! Look! The big girl likes me!" and I was like, sorry honey, I think the big girl wants some electrolyte gel . . . Anyway, then we had this conversation where she insisted I was eating candy, and I was like, um, no, this isn't candy, this is a special medicine for athletes and hungry pregnant ladies, and she was like, "Well, I'm hungry too." Um, I don't care. I suggested she go tell her mommy about her insatiable hunger. I'm sure her mother would have totally wanted her eating liquid electrolytes and all, but I was a meanie and didn't share. Yeesh.
 
LLIANG, yay you are getting so close :appl:
 
Work has been so busy that I haven't been able to post, but I'm still reading along. This thread moves so fast!

sugarpie, welcome! :wavey: Congrats on joining team pink! I was the same way with wanting an extra confirmation, even though the OB that told us boy has a history of predicting 100% accuracy in his entire career. :rolleyes: So sorry that your first trimester was so hard on you, but I hope it gets better soon!

LC, the high-risk folks are in the same building as my regular OB, so it's not a big deal. Plus I get extra monitoring of Alex, so I guess it's a bonus. I had my first appointment with them this past Thursday, and they said he's 2 pounds and 12 ounces, which is in the 31.1 percentile (he was in the 34th percentile at my anatomy scan). I have another appointment with them this Friday to check on his growth. He's been small since the beginning, so I'm not surprised. At least I don't have to worry about having him grow too big due to GD. But I do want to make sure he's growing big enough! How are you hanging in there, mama? I'm glad your Souper Bowl shower was such a success, and yay for getting the last tings on your registry! It looks like Ethan has dropped. Do you feel like he has?

pancake, Happy belated birthday! Yay for having your bags all packed up and ready to go! Sorry your check-ups have been boring, but I'm sure Dot will be here soon enough. Sorry your nights have been bad too - I guess it's getting close! Your bump still looks great as usual, just like a basketball tucked under your shirt! I love your nursery pics. Were the wall decals hard to put up? I was thinking of getting some, but we have slightly textured walls and I'm not sure how that would work out. I'm no help with your blinds dilemma - both options look great to me! Oh, and yay about your extra 10 weeks of paid leave! That must have really felt like an awesome Christmas present in February! Have you decided if you're going to go ahead with the membrane stripping?

bobbin, I'm so sorry that you and your DH have been so stressed the past week, but am glad to hear that he was safe this time around. His company definitely could have handled things better for sure! Sorry about all the unwanted comments on FB regarding your birth plan. I haven't thought too much about my birth plan, besides doing whatever it takes to end up with a healthy baby and mom.

MQ, I'm glad you didn't get shingles from your co-worker! Your nursery looks great, and I'm so happy that your roommate moved out early! That's the best news ever, ha! I love the brown and pale green combo - those were my wedding colors, and would have been our nursery colors too (if my DH hadn't vetoed it). My pregnant cousin also has normal levels after her meals, but high fasting levels. Has the GD nurse given you any advice on whether you can improve your fasting levels? My GD nurse said I could test at either 1 or 2 hours after meals. Do you know if 2 hours is better or a more accurate result?

MuffDog, how exciting that your nursery is done already! I can't wait to see pics. And yay for officially popping, but you're still so tiny!

NEL, I officially failed because you only need to fail 2 out of the 4 blood draws to fail the entire test. That's why I had to be scheduled for extra appointments with the high-risk group that my OB group works with. So far, I'm having to test and record my blood sugar 4 times a day (fasting, plus after breakfast, lunch, and dinner) to make sure that it falls in the normal ranges. So far, things look good, and Alex is still on the small side like I told LC, so there's no risk really. I'm so sorry about your evil crotch pain! I'm sure you're so ready for Katie's arrival - can't believe it's next week! I totally laughed at your "our baby is broken" comment. What kinds of things did you make to freeze? I really want to do that too, but I have no ideas on what to make. Oh, and I was able to get my wedding set on my fingers the other day. I came home from work and thought that my fingers were feeling quite cold, so I decided to try out my rings, and they fit. I miss them, and the cool thing is that my diamond looked bigger than I remembered, ha!

PPM, yay for the swing find on CL!

Missy, cute bump and nice find at the outlet! I'm still wearing my normal underwire bras too. I had bought a bigger size (both circumference and cup size) a while back in anticipation of my boobs getting bigger, but they never did! I think our mattress is a Simmons Beautyrest - from Costco where we bought the CafeKid crib and dresser/changing table. I'll check tonight and correct myself if I'm wrong. If you have a BBBaby nearby, they have quite a few choices in store.

MerryMary, cute tiny bump, and that pic of your babymoon makes me so jealous! Our babymoon is going to be over President's day, and we're just going to Galveston (DH's parents live there), where the water is brown, not blue. The first time in a baby store where you have a bump to show is pretty fun, isn't it? Yay for a new dining table too - I love it!

China, sorry you've been getting so many bladder kicks! I think I've only been kicked in the bladder a couple times. Most of the kicks I'm feeling are low (legs/feet) or high (head/arms). But I do get the "oh crap, I just peed!" when I sneeze problem! It sucks. I've just started seeing the baby move my belly on the outside, which is a little weird and a little cool at the same time. Sorry your Bella Band is no longer working, but it's a good thing that maternity pants are more comfy.

PhG, yay for full-term, and for switching practices to one that you feel better about! Have you talked to your new doc about your POTS, and what they suggest to keep it under control? Your push present sounds lovely - I want a bigger pair of studs too!

centralsquare, try looking at some of the Burt's Bees products. Most of them contain all-natural ingredients. I just asked someone at Whole Foods what products were safe for pregnancies. Sometimes you get a knowledgeable person, other times, not so much.

Katy, so sorry that your DH had an emergency appendectomy! I guess the bright side of this is that he didn't have it while you were in labor too! I had my appendix burst and removed when I was in 3rd grade, and I remember overhearing my doctor tell my parents that mine was the worst he'd ever seen. I was embarrassed for some reason. When I was released, I ended up with a fever either that night or the next night, and was re-admitted. Turns out, they didn't clean it all out, so I got an infection, and they had to cut me open again! I ended up staying in the hospital for a whole month to recover from that!

monnie, oh my gosh, tiniest bump ever! I probably looked like that at 12 weeks!

mayerling, sorry you're still getting those cramps, but no bleeding is always a good thing! You will have so much fun at your anatomy scan - can't wait for you to find out! Yay for possible flutters!

Hi and sorry to anyone I may have missed!

AFM, I've been crazy busy with work and appointments. DH and I went to our first session (of two) of the childbirth prep class. It was 5 hours long, but it wasn't boring at all. We got to watch a birthing video and see what the placenta looks like coming out too. The whole class gasped - it looked like an alien plopping out. We also had our 2nd baby shower this past Friday with DH's co-workers. Most people chipped in for a couple of the big ticket items, and quite a few others went and bought things off our registry, which is nice. We have our 3rd baby shower with my co-workers this Wednesday, so that should be fun. Then I have to think about what we want to do for a possible 4th baby shower with our friends. We went to a friend's son's 2nd birthday party yesterday, and everyone there was asking when the baby shower is going to be.

(30w+3d)
 
Hi all, just a very quick post from my phone to let you know that Dot - also now known as Sylvie - made her entrance yesterday on her due date! She is tiny and perfect! I went into spontaneous labour at 3am on her due date and she appeared just before 5pm after what was really a fabulous labour experience for me - totally different from any thoughts I'd had previously (epi, ARM, syntocinon augmentation, last minute forceps) but the experience was so positive and I am so grateful to the obstetrician, midwife and amazing anaesthetist for making it so stress-free.

We are over the moon! Will be back with more later :)
 
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