shape
carat
color
clarity

Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

LOL "Now known as Sylvie"..., hahahaha! Welcome Sylvie, and congratulations to you trooper-Pancake and hubby! Rest well, and looking forward to details :D
 
:appl: :appl: :appl: :appl: :appl:
Welcome, Sylvie! Congrats, Pancake! So glad that you had a great experience with labor and delivery. Looking forward to pics and a birthstory when you have a chance. 8)

Belly pic post - 36 weeks today! I am getting very excited to meet this little man soon! I have stickers for every week now, so I will be taking photos every Monday until Weston decides to get born. :))
Baby%20Rose%2036%20weeks.jpg
 
Yay! Yay! Yay! Congrats Pancake and hubby and welcome to the world little Sylvie Dot :love: !
 
Congrats Pancake! :appl:
How amazing that Sylvie made an appearance on her due date! Can't wait to see pics.
 
Pancake, congratulations, and welcome Sylvie!!! Can't wait for more details and especially PICTURES!! :appl: :love: :appl: So crazy that she was exactly on time!

Monnie, look at your bump! I can't believe you are just now showing, I'm pretty sure by week 14-15 it was pretty clear for me :))

bobbin, so glad your DH got to keep his job. I can't imagine how stressful that was! Try not to be too afraid of the birthing process, and remember that ultimately it's on your say-so! I'd like to try to go as natural as possible, and everyone tells me I'm crazy or that there's no way I can do it, or that I won't want to do it. Um... I want to do it! I try to let the judgement just roll off my back. :)) So my "birth plan" is basically identical to yours, I think! And 30 weeks is totally a milestone, you're 3/4 done, and it really is the home stretch!

mayerling, sorry about the cramping, that must be so uncomfortable. I don't think my cramping lasted past the first tri, but baby grows so quickly really, it doesn't surprise me at all that some of our bodies complain more than others! And I hated the incessant peeing. It's strange, but now that I'm so close to the end, except for waking up more than once a night to pee, I don't feel like I pee crazy often. I probably don't get enough water!! Hang in there, lady! And if you think you felt baby, you probably did! There's no reason to think that an unfamiliar sensation in the right area would be anything else. :))

Phoenix, I really hope you get the better birth experience you want this time, and at least that you feel more in control of your choices. And I loved the Business of Being Born, I don't think you're wrong about the impression you got. I mean, it clearly leans anti-intervention, but it was very accepting of the alternative when it happened! And our class birthing video wasn't full of screaming either, it makes me feel better about the whole thing! The movies get it way wrong. ;))

NEL - you lucky duck, I almost wish I had a c-section scheduled for next week, too! I am definitely working right up until delivery - since I only get 12 weeks, I want to spend every single day of it with Madeline! Unfortunately there's no part of my job that I can do from home, so I absolutely have to be in the office to get paid! It's getting rough though.. I sit and stand repeatedly all day long and hike across the office multiple times a day, and while I'm sure it's good for me that I move a lot it's starting to get pretty uncomfortable because of the PSD. If it weren't for that, I'd feel GREAT! Good luck with the last few days! I can't believe you definitely get to meet Katie so soon!!! How did we all get here so quickly?!

Mary, look at that table!! I am in love!!! I'll have to make a note of it in case I ever get a house with a formal dining room, it is exactly my style, and I love that it's relatively thin but also gets very long. Fabulous!

LC, mmmm dumplings!! That sounds like a great post-birth meal idea!! I'm not too worried about post-birth meals as DH does most of our cooking and will still be able to whip stuff up, plus my mom will be in town before a week is up, so hopefully between them and the ability to order in, we'll be ok. ;)) But if I had dumplings... all bets are off, I can eat a ton of those babies! Update us on your appointment, I want to hear how Ethan is doing!!

S&I, a MONTH in the hospital?! Well, it's definitely not good when they burst, infection is a huuuge problem. It's too cute that you were embarrassed by being the worst appendicitis case the dr had seen... you poor thing! Glad you're enjoying your class, and that your showers have been nice! It's amazing how excited people get for babies!

MQ, you look fab!

Choro, bigger update please! ;))

SBolte, lizzy, and anyone I'm forgetting - don't be strangers!! :))


AFM, not much has changed in the last day! I drank a pineapple smoothie and bounced on the yoga ball, but definitely still pregnant. :)) Found out that apparently my coworkers are having a small shower for me on Friday... and now I can't decide if I want to have this baby before then or not! ;)) It's a really sweet gesture, but they really did wait until the last minute! But I definitely appreciate the generosity and it's very unexpected, considering that it's mostly dudes and I didn't think that there would be one at all. I feel all warm n fuzzy.

Now if only I could find the motivation to get the house all clean... where is my nesting instinct?! :confused:
 
Pancake!!!! Congratulations!! Sylvie :bigsmile: Sounds beautiful! I'm glad you have a great experience! Can't wait to see her!

Mary - Love the new dining room set!

MQ - You are looking great! 36 weeks, not too much longer!

Bobbin - DH hasn't felt them yet! Everyone time he/she is active he isn't right there beside me! Glad the job situation turned out for you two!

AFM, still feeling baby everyday, some days not as active but I do feel it! I feel more in the morning and right before bed, I think he/she yelling at me to EAT! I try not to eat too much right before bed, but then I'm pretty hungry in the morning. I know DH went over his Mom's to help plan the shower last night. He doesn't know I know, but I heard him answer the phone SUnday night, it was his sister and he said "I'll see you tomorrow then" and then next thing he tells me "I'm going to hang out with Dad tomorrow night, Mom has a meeting to go to" :lol:
As for my brother situation....on Friday night/early Saturday morning, he was taken to the hospital to calm his head. Probably the best place for him right now although he won't admit it. This illness makes me so mad! My brother is one of the smartest people I know, yet this illness takes over him and he acts so "dumb" if you know what I mean. I'm hoping they keep him a few days so he levels out again. Bipolar disorder is no joke! I usually go visit him while he's in there, but will not this time. The last time I went I completely broke down (about a year ago) because he was talking about being so worthless and talking suicidal junk and I couldn't get through to him. Anyway, enough of the bad stuff! He's getting help and will be better for a while hopefully.
 
Congratulations Pancake and welcome Sylvie! Can't wait to hear more.

I've been a bad preggo PSer, I've been reading along but having trouble finding time to post. Just cooking along at 21w4d right now. My bump finally popped out last week - I'll have to see if I can get a picture of it soon, but today I'm home in my sweats locked in a bedroom with two cats and one dog while we have new windows installed around the house. Overall doing pretty well, I've been trying to shake the tail end of a cold that has left me with a terrible cough and a lot of round ligament pain as a result of coughing all day. Can't wait till it's gone, I have not worked out in weeks because of it and I know that's part of why I'm feeling tired and run down.

I went to a friend's shower this weekend and ended up getting snowed in at her house afterwards and it was a fun preggo girl night - my friend is due in April and one of her friends is due the same week as me. We made brownies and entertained ourselves for hours looking up everything from old wives tales for gender prediction to genetic eye color charts. Made me glad to have some friends who are having kids around the same time even if they aren't super nearby.

Hope all the PS babies are baking away well, thinking of all you ladies especially those getting close to the end! Can't wait to see the new crop of PS babies!
 
Pancake, congrats on the arrival of Sylvie!!! :appl: :appl: :appl:
And on her due date to boot! I can't wait for pics and the smooth birth story when you get a chance. I'm so happy for you!
 
Pancake, Oh my gosh!!! CONGRATS!!! And welcome, Sylvie!!! I'm so glad to hear that your L&D went so well and it sounds like everything progressed pretty quickly! I don't know why, but I'm always amazed that a woman can be posting about being pregnant one day, then the next the baby is here. I'm so excited for you!

Stephbolt, I'm so sorry to hear that you still have a lingering cold. The coughing is the worst--I used to joke that to soothe Katie, I'd just cough since that's such a familiar sound to her. A preggo girl night sounds like so much fun!! And it's great that you have a network of pregnant friends--which will soon be your network of new-mom friends!

Missy, it's so cute that your DH is helping to plan the shower! And while I'm sad to hear about your brother, I do think the hospital is the best place for him right now. My grandmother suffered from bipolar disorder and it was really awful to see her in a "low". She was really bad about taking her meds and it was frustrating for the entire family.

Katy, my hat goes off to you! I completely understand wanting to work up to your due date so you can spend more time with Madeline when she makes her appearance, but I also know how uncomfortable the PSD is. I keep telling myself that all pain right now is temporary. Just a couple more weeks for you. I hope you go early rather than late! And how cute that your coworkers are throwing a shower...can't wait to hear about it. Oh, and your nesting instinct is probably counter-acted by the pain you feel when trying to clean. I have to take each chore slowly!

S&I, I have no doubt that checking your blood sugar 4x per day is a huge pain in the butt, but the good news is that so far you've been falling in the normal range! Look at you with all of your baby showers, you are going to be baby-showered-out by the time you have the baby :) But it sounds like everybody is getting you the stuff you need and buying off the registry, which is great! Oh, and I only made a few things to freeze--some meatballs to throw in pasta. A lasagna. A casserole. I thought about making soup or chili, but had no room left in the freezer. We also have some frozen Giordano's pizza that D brought back from his last business trip to Chicago!

PhGirl, Oh my lordy, I laughed SO HARD about the little girl stalking your power gels. I'm not good with small children (yes, says the woman who is 9 months pregnant), so when one is bratty to me I literally go into dog-training mode. And I'm sorry that you're still feeling pretty sick. At least you LIKE the power gels. I used to do a lot of mountain climbing and the power gels are great when you're freezing and don't have time for a meal, but need calories. I hate the flavors, though.

Muff, thanks for the A Pea in the Pod info. I should check out nursing PJs.

LC, how did yesterday's appt. go? And the dumplings sound so yummy!! I have no doubt people will bring you food. And it's not like you can't have something delivered in a pinch. I wouldn't sweat the food issue, you'll be fine!

Merry, the dining table looks fantastic!!! Now I wish I'd already ordered mine (it takes 8 weeks for the carpenter to make it). The chairs are great, too!

AFM, I started this update at 9 something. And now it's 2:30. You all know what I mean when I say it's that kind of day. I'm a little frustrated because I'm actually handing off all my projects--my replacement has been shadowing me since December and has always said that she's up to speed and feeling good. But now that I'm actually handing things off...well, it's not going well. And I am not going to spend my last three days at work super stressed trying to patch mistakes. I don't even want to think about this while I'm gone, but I'm also scared of coming back to a mess.
 
Pancake, congratulations to you and your DH on the arrival of Sylvie! So happy for you that she arrived on her own and right on time!
 
I started a post last night but never got around to posting it. I'll do that when I get home, so there might be some repeats.

Pancake!!! Congrats :appl: :appl: :appl: Welcome to the world Sylvie!!! I'm glad you had a pretty quick and successful labor. Can't wait to see pics if you're comfortable with sharing. Hope you have some time to post your birth story. Would love to hear it.

S&I, hpoe your week is a little less crazy. Well sounds like things are going OK with the sorta GD. And I'm glad Alex is doing OK. I guess you're right, he'll probably end up average sized if he's measuring in the 30 percentile now. But I do hear they bulk up pretty quickly at the end. How nice of your DH's coworkers to get some of the big stuff off the registry. Wow, 4 showers, you're surrounded by wonderful people that are so excited for you. How lovely!

MQ, you're looking fantastic!

Katy, lemme just tell you how jealous I am you have a husband that can cook. I'm with you, planning on working till the very end. Hopefully it won't be too long for either of us. I feel bad complaining about CT when you and NEL have to deal with PSD/shooting crotch pain. How nice of your coworkers to plan a shower. If it were up to my guess, I'm thinking a joint gift card and maybe lunch for everyone. But that sounds great. my workers were very generous and we got a big Target gift card that I used for my Target run this past weekend.

Missy, I'm glad your brother is getting help. I understand how you can be very frustrated/sad/upset. I hope he continues to get help and gets better. So cute your DH is helping plan your shower. I'm impressed. My DH didn't do much for any of the shower planning. Well, he put down his CC for hte family shower but that's about it. :)

Steph, glad to see you're doing well. Hooray for the baby bump! I'm sorry you've been sick but hopefully you're on the mend now. The impromptu preggo girls night sounds like fun! And I agree with NEL, it'll be a built in Mommy group for you when you all deliver :)

NEL, I totally hear ya on "one of htose days." We're having a Production deployment and I've been at work since 7AM. Anyway, your frozen meals sound perfect. Meatballs, lasagna & casserole. Definitely enough to keep you going for a while. And easy to heat up too. Try not to stress to much about the cover person. I should be getting my consultant starting tomorrow, hpoefully I'll be around to train him up before I leave. LOL!

I know I have responses to more of you ladies in my post at home, so I'll add to them when I get home tonight. The CT makes typing kind of unpleasant so I don't feel like repeating myself....

My appt yesterday was good. They did a Non Stress Test (NST) for 40 mins. I told the MW that Ethan was really quiet today, more so than normal, especially since I just ate a chocolate bar and he wasn't doing anything. So the first 20 mins, he was REALLY lazy and din't move at all. But during that time, I apparently had a contraction which I didn't feel, but registered on the monitor. Then the 2nd 20 mins he started moving around so the MW was happy wiht how he looked. She estimated based on feeling my belly and the gestation that he's between 7lb 14oz and 8lb 1oz. She didnt think he'll get much bigger since I probably do'nt give him much space to grow.

Lastly I asked about what happens when he's overdue. They said they'll wait until 41 wks, then do another NST and an US to check the fluid levels. Then do one 41wk+3d. Then if he still doesn't make an appearance by 42 wks, they'll induce. But she said it's very rare that a baby will go all the way to 42 wks.

Also been having some back pain. Grrr, this is the worse I've felt. It doesn't feel measureable in waves or whatever just a general, my back is saying "I hate you today", so I think it's just that my back hates me today.

~LC (38w, 5D)
 
Bobbin, I'm so happy your job situation is stable! What a relief!

Steph, you're showing a bump NOW? gah! It must be awful to be pregnant with a cold.

LC, you're so close!! I hope you don't go to 42 weeks :errrr:

Katy, how is your hubby? Will he be able to take you to the hospital? And I'm so glad I'm not the only one without nesting instinct...My friend has been going remodeling crazy since her 19th week.

Missy, you were right. Kicks are so hard to describe!

AFM, I follow this thread everyday but I have nothing to report. 2nd trimester is fine, but it's certainly not as easy as all the websites tell me! I can't roll over, I can't bend down, I can't sleep in my usual position, and I can't eat much anymore!
I started feeling his kicks after the anatomy scan ::) So far this is the only part of my pregnancy that I'm enjoying! DH wants me to begin his music lessons, but I always forget to set it up.
I'm as big as a whale now, and I grunt out loud whenever I pick up stuff from the floor. He's growing so much that I'm convinced that he's going to be a 10lbs baby. How the heck will that fit in my 4'8" frame :eek: And I want to go natural too! I keep telling him to stop growing but he's not listening :p

Hi, to everyone! :wavey: I believe I'll post more when I'm further along. Love reading your stories!
22W tomorrow :D
 
Quick dive-by to say CONGRATS Pancake & DH, and welcome to the world, dear Sylvie! What a sweet, sweet name. Can't wait for photos and details... but there is no rush. Enjoy this time with your babe!
 
Attaching a late 38wk pic.

China, Thanks for recapping O's birth story. I'd love to avoid being induced, but hearing how your induction went pretty smoothly, it puts my mind a little bit at ease. Hope you're doing OK. Any more cute Oliver stories?

PhG, LOL about being the mean lady and not sharing your electrolytes. Ha ha!!! Glad you found those Gatorade packs help you so much. It's not the Goo stuff is it? When I was doing my marathon training, we tried a few of those enduro-snacks, but they all made me sick, so I just stuck to candy. Hope your new OB will help you work around the POTS this time around.

S&I, I'm glad you liked your childbirth classes. How many sessions do you have? We had a 1 day (Saturday) all day session. DH thought it was really useful and it really got him into gear when it came to baby stuff. Ha ha, you have the opposite of DSS (Diamond Shrinkage Syndrome). Mostly likely the whoel Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder. I haven't worn my eRing for like 3 months... I miss it to. DH was really wow'd when he started SEEING movement from the outside. He was like, "WOW! THe baby's getting so much bigger now!"

~LC
 
LC - Your belly picture didn't post!

Well it was a fun Valentine's Day for us! DH took me out to dinner. When we got home he gave me a homemade card and said "Sorry it's a little wrinkled" He had it in his back pocket! I'm guessing to give to me at dinner and forgot. He had cut out two hearts and STAPLED the left edge together so it would open like a card :lol: Too funny. Then I felt bad because I didn't get him anything. BUT later that night while in bed watching tv, I said "Give me your hand!" And he's like "Why????" So I just grabbed it and said "Leave it here for a little bit, you can feel it" I stumbled and almost said "her" for some reason...I've been thinking it's a boy, not sure why "her" almost came out! So like a minute later he felt it and I turned to look at him and he had the biggest smile on his face and said "Wow that's pretty cool!!!" Ha. I was hoping he would be able to feel it, it was hard for me to tell if you could actually feel it from the outside, because I was feeling it on the inside too at the same time, ya know?

My brother comes home from the hospital today. I hope he's better. I guess I'll find out for myself this weekend. DH is going away for the weekend so I'm staying at my parent's house Saturday night and my brother lives there too :errrr:

Update on the shower scenario: My mom is having a seperate shower for our side of the family. DH's side will be family and friends (all of my friends know DH's family). THANK YOU!!! I feel so much better. I asked my mom if she was being included in the planning because I know they met up to discuss it Monday night and she told me that her and DH decided it was best to have seperate ones, less drama. I told her that's all I wanted to know, just didn't want them leaving her out if it was a joint thing. So they are both still surprises to me because I have no idea when they are! :P Sigh of relief for me!
 
Attaching a Bump Day picture! I like that some of the shirts I bought but didn't like the fit pre-pregnancy (too baggy in the belly area) fit much better for now at least. I can get some use out of them rather than taking up space, until my belly gets too big!

I desperately need new bras...any recommendations?? I usually spend $20 or less per bra, so I'm hoping to not spend much more than that!

IMAG0463-1.jpg
 
Missy0483|1329322298|3126680 said:
I desperately need new bras...any recommendations?? I usually spend $20 or less per bra, so I'm hoping to not spend much more than that!

(stepping in to the big girl thread for this comment)

Ditto! My ladies are screaming for room. I've talked to a few preggo friends/recent new moms and they've all said the same thing- just go ahead and start buying nursing bras. I meant to get some last weekend but didn't get around to it. Definitly need to get some this weekend.
 
amc80|1329330465|3126761 said:
Missy0483|1329322298|3126680 said:
I desperately need new bras...any recommendations?? I usually spend $20 or less per bra, so I'm hoping to not spend much more than that!

(stepping in to the big girl thread for this comment)

Ditto! My ladies are screaming for room. I've talked to a few preggo friends/recent new moms and they've all said the same thing- just go ahead and start buying nursing bras. I meant to get some last weekend but didn't get around to it. Definitly need to get some this weekend.

I thought the girls are supposed to get bigger still when the milk comes in, so buying nursing bras early could be a waste? I had to go up a cup size but luckily my mom had just cleaned out her drawers and discovered she was hoarding stuff in a whole range of sizes and I was able to pick a few out of that pile that worked for me. But Target has good, relatively inexpensive bras as well, I would have probably gone there if I hadn't lucked into these free ones.
 
Missy0483 said:
I desperately need new bras...any recommendations?? I usually spend $20 or less per bra, so I'm hoping to not spend much more than that!

I bought two of these bras (http://baliintimates.com/bras/styles/?style=3463&color=N10) at Kohls with a coupon over the Christmas holidays, because my regular underwires were not working well for me any more and I had gone up a bit in size. They are really comfortable and I wear them every day. Kohls runs great sales and coupons all the time - this bra is currently buy one, get one half off!

Motherhood just had a 4 for 3 sale on nursing bras, and I ordered two sleep bras and two clip down racerback sports-styled bras last week. They seem a little big now, but will probably fit well after my milk comes in and after they have been washed a few times.
 
Just popping in to say that I think it's a good idea to buy a couple of cheap bras for now. My boobs have definitely grown a little since the first tri (when they were 2 cup sizes larger than "normal"), so if I'd bought nursing bras then, they'd likely be too small now. I just picked up a couple of cheap bras at TJ Maxx.

Or maybe going the nursing bra route is better since you're fairly far along, Missy. I'm no help.
 
Mannequin|1329338314|3126859 said:
Missy0483 said:
I desperately need new bras...any recommendations?? I usually spend $20 or less per bra, so I'm hoping to not spend much more than that!

I bought two of these bras (http://baliintimates.com/bras/styles/?style=3463&color=N10) at Kohls with a coupon over the Christmas holidays, because my regular underwires were not working well for me any more and I had gone up a bit in size. They are really comfortable and I wear them every day. Kohls runs great sales and coupons all the time - this bra is currently buy one, get one half off!

Motherhood just had a 4 for 3 sale on nursing bras, and I ordered two sleep bras and two clip down racerback sports-styled bras last week. They seem a little big now, but will probably fit well after my milk comes in and after they have been washed a few times.
MQ - Perfect, I'll try the Bali ones! Thank you! I've noticed when trying on bras with no wire that the cups seem smaller? Or is it just me? And I'm like "Okay...what size am I really?" And basically have to take in the whole rack! Haha.
 
Missy - the cups on these seem to be fine, but I don't typically buy wireless bras since I am a solid C/D and need the support. I have not changed cup size while preggo, though. I went up a band size. Do you have a Kohls charge card? If you do, you can use coupon code HEART30 right now for 30% off the sale price! :bigsmile:
 
Mannequin|1329342073|3126906 said:
Missy - the cups on these seem to be fine, but I don't typically buy wireless bras since I am a solid C/D and need the support. I have not changed cup size while preggo, though. I went up a band size. Do you have a Kohls charge card? If you do, you can use coupon code HEART30 right now for 30% off the sale price! :bigsmile:

Ditto. Except I was more in the D/DD range before I got preggo, with a 34 band. I'm pretty sure I need to go up to a 36, as well as another cup size up (what is that even, DDD? E? OMG I can't believe my boobs are this giant.).
 
MQ, great 36-week pic - you always look so happy and glowing in your bump pics!

Katy, sorry your co-workers just now told you about the last-minute shower, but I'm sure they meant well. Blame it on them all being guys. :lol: It is crazy how excited people get about babies though!

Missy, Great bump pic - glad your maternity shirts are fitting better now. Your V-day story about putting your DH's hand on your belly made my tears well up - so romantical! Have you been properly measured for your bra size before? I found out I was wearing the wrong cup size when I went into one of those fancy shops to purchase my long bra for my wedding dress. I was wearing B cups, but got measured as a C/almost-D cup! It might be helpful for you to get measured so you know what size is supposed to fit you. I'm still wearing my regular underwire bras, but I might start shopping for nursing bras soon. I hope your brother is on the mend and doesn't stress you out too much this weekend. Yay for your showers being separate too, so you won't have to worry about your mom being left out or bullied anymore!

steph, that's great that you have a couple of preggo friends - fun preggo girl night sounds awesome!

NEL, lancing my finger 4 times a day is pretty annoying, but the OCD side of me actually likes seeing how different foods affect my blood sugar. I'm already baby-showered out! That's why I decided that our 4th one will be a low-key brunch with just a few close friends. Your frozen food sounds so yummy! Gosh, I hope your replacement can figure things out soon. It's not your responsibility to make sure that she's got her act together. You have more important things to think about!

LC, work is calming back down, plus I'm taking this Friday off for my 2nd GD appointment. Then DH and I are going on our babymoon to Galveston from Sunday to Tuesday, after finishing up our 2-part childbirth prep class this Saturday. I'm definitely looking forward to that. Our childbirth prep class is 2 Saturdays for 5 hours each. We're also thinking of doing a Baby Care Basics class that's only 1 day for 2.5 hours, but haven't signed up for it yet. So sorry about your back pain! I started having this weird shooting pain up the right side of my butt/back area when I lift my right leg into a certain position (like when I'm taking off or putting on my pants). I have no idea what the heck that is. Did they do the NST because Ethan hadn't been moving as much, or is that a standard thing to do towards the end?

choro, the kicks are fun, aren't they? Wait until your belly starts moving from the outside - so weird!

AFM, we had our 3rd baby shower today, this time with my co-workers. We got a red velvet cake from the place that made our wedding cake, and I have to take home half of it, none of which I can eat without feeling guilty! Looks like I'll have to invite people over to the house to eat some of it. My next GD appointment is on Friday. It'll be interesting to see if the baby has grown since last week, and if he's still in the breech position. I was breech with my mom until about the last month. She said that her doc told her to try to lay upside down every night to see if she could trick me into flipping over. I finally did, but I'm a bit worried that I'll be going through the same thing with Alex. Then I'm taking Monday and Tuesday off for our babymoon!

(30w+5d)
 
Congrats Pancake and welcome to the world SYLVIE!!! :appl: :appl: :appl: Super secret squirrel baby, coming out on her due date like a logical little thing! Glad your birth was all good. We'll miss you round here, but can't wait to see baby pics. (NO RUSH).

S&I- I totally had that butt/leg thing last pregnancy. I've noticed it a few times this go-round, but only briefly. Last time it lingered and was pretty painful. I can't remember what it was but a massage totally helped, as did stretching a lot. Go get a massage this weekend! Hope the babymoon is fun and the weather cooperates. Do you do acupuncture? My dr supposedly has been helpful in getting babies to turn. Something to think about if the end gets near!

I hate bras. Mine still fit technically, but they are so uncomfortable. The problem I find with the non-underwire ones is that they are so massive, in terms of coverage. Like the cup part is so wide and comes up so high I can't wear a lot of tanks and tshirts without it showing. I went to specialty breast feeding store and got measured before baby came last time. I think you have to wait until you are close to term, but they supposedly can estimate at that point.

NEL- Your replacement is just going to have to figure it out. And maybe with you gone she'll step up more? Worst case scenario, your company realizes how awesome and irreplaceable you are. Last time I got pulled out of work about 2 weeks before O's due date and was NOT organized and prepared like I planned. I was going to write all these memos, etc., but I wasn't allowed to go back to the office. And you know what? Everyone adapted and figured it out. I'm getting excited for you!
 
Pancake, so happy for you!!!!!!!!!!! How are the nappies working out? ;)

NEL, that's annoying about your replacement suddenly getting flakey. My permanent substitute seemed like this awesome find -- older, British, had that Dead Poets Society thing going on. Well, he sucked. He had my AP Literature students read . . . ZERO literature. ZERO. In three months. And they wrote one paper, which I assigned. And then he kept texting me things like, "Hey, there are all these emails, I'll just set them aside for when you get back" (um, they're work emails . . . you can't reply three months later) and basically wanted me to do his grading for him. That didn't go over well. Anyway, I digress. The point is that you can't worry about it. It's not your responsibility and the world will go on turning. Maybe some kids didn't pass the AP exam who would have otherwise, but they were so happy that they didn't have to do work for three months that they didn't care.

LC, you are sooooooooooooo close!!!!!! Woot woot! A contraction you couldn't feel, back pain . . . stuff is happening!

Nursing bras . . . I definitely recommend getting tank tops if you don't need super support (this coming from an A cup so disregard if you think that sounds uncomfortable). But the great thing about the tank is that when you pull your shirt up to nurse, your postpartum belly is not hanging out in all of its glory. You're completely covered except for the boob. That's really all I wore unless it was a special outfit or super super hot day. And hey, in that case I pulled the shirt off and just wore the tank. The only hitch is that tanks don't really provide a lot of structure, so your nursing pads might show if applicable. Nursing with a cover worked well for me from maybe one or two months until maybe six, but before that I found it too hard to get her latched with the cover on, and after that she didn't like the cover and would pop her head out anyway. So most of my public nursing was done with DD's head strategically placed as the only coverage over my boob and maybe a receiving blanket kind of strewn across her once we were settled. Nursing tanks FTW. But again, I didn't even go up to a B cup, just a fuller A, so my situation is probably not the norm.

AFM, met one of the midwives today. I didn't get to meet any OBs and I confess that I feel a little in the dark about who will be looking out for me when I go into labor. I have a VBAC consult when I'm 39 weeks 1 day, so with a second baby that may or may not happen. We'll see! Should be interesting! But I remain happy in the switch and much more confident in this practice. The midwife listened to all my concerns and mentioned things I thought were an issue (like baby being posterior on last week's ultrasound) and how to deal with them. I'm happy that Dr. Google isn't my only resource now.
 
Hello everybody! Thank you so much for your well wishes, we are just so so so so happy and thrilled and smitten with our little Dot!

So, a nutshell summary of Sylvie's arrival:

- got home from my birthday dinner on Sunday evening, having loads of Braxton Hicks, I wondered if anything might happen that night but dismissed the thought as it was less than 48 hours since the obstetric appointment where Dot's head was not engaged and we had talked about induction, possibility of needing section, etc etc
- 3am starting getting niggly contractions with pain, very irregular, wasn't sure if it was anything or not
- by 6am was having more regular short contractions, rang hospital, they weren't sure if I was in labour or not said to just keep an eye on things. DH stayed home from work.
- by 7:30, was having 4-8 minutely contractions, very uncomfortable and getting longer, had a small bloody show just after that
- arrived at hospital at 9:15am, contracting 4-6 minutely en route but when we got there things slowed down a bit and they thought I might be in spurious labour. Had CTG (NST to States-siders I think).
- Assessed at 10am - 2-3cm dilated and fully effaced. Bub posterior and contractions becoming very painful in my lower back.
- ~10:30am - got epidural. Wanted to marry the anaesthetist. Magic stuff. No pain. I really really think this was the key event that led to everything else going so well.
- 12:30pm - still only 3cm dilated. Had artificial rupture of membranes. Syntocinon drip put up.
- 3pm - fully dilated (already!)! Dot still posterior. Given another hour for her to turn and come down a bit further on her own with the contractions.
- ~4:20pm - started pushing. Pushed with 2 contractions, Dot's heart rate starting to drop with them so out came the forceps. Two more pushes with the next contraction, a small episiotomy, and she was out at 4:48pm!

Sylvie is teeny tiny (6lb 11oz) and perfect with dainty features and big dark eyes. Breastfeeding like a champ. I look at her and sometimes I just want to cry because she is so beautiful and I love her so much, more than I thought I ever could. We are being discharged tomorrow :)

Overall I had SUCH a positive experience with labour, delivery and aftermath. I know that many would look at the list of interventions I had with a critical or disparaging eye, but I really think that mine is a great example of why those interventions exist and how well they work when employed appropriately, in a timely fashion, and by someone who knows what he/she's doing in the decision-making process. My labour was unstressful, unpainful and really in the end, uncomplicated. I never knew it could be like that!

Here are some pics from the first couple of days. She already looks quite different, it is amazing how quickly babies change in the days immediately after delivery!






We are so happy, fit to burst!

IMG_1846.jpg

IMG_1862.jpg

IMG_1891.jpg

IMG_1913.jpg
 
Oh, pancake, she is PERFECT!!!!! :love: :love: :love: :love: :love: :love: :love: :love: :love: :love: :love:

What a gorgeous, beautiful little girl! I'm so glad you had such a positive labor and delivery... it gives me hope for the same!
 
Oh my gosh tears are flowing!!! Pancake, Sylvie is just beautiful. I can see why you're so in love. So happy you had a smooth delivery. Thank you for sharing pictures. What a pretty little girl you have!
 
Pancake she is amazing! What a little beauty!
 
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Top