Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[Haven]

I injured my back last night and now I can barely move. I'm in so much pain.

Ladies, if you're feeling sore, please take it easy before it gets really bad. My PSA for the day.

 

[lulu66]

haven oh my goodness! what did you do? please just rest & relax...hopefully you can find a position that's comfortable for you. feel better soon. ( and ps: I'm totally taking your advice. I've barely lifted a finger since mil arrived.)

 

[bibiloves]

Oh Haven, I hope you feel better soon. I got cramps on both of legs when I woke up this morning and I was literally crying while DH rubbed on them to make me feel better.

lulu I hope your mom will be there when you give birth. Maybe your baby will hold out for another week or so for grandma

dandiandi hope you had a nice and relaxing lunch today.

AFM, trucking along at 34 weeks now. We finally got a crib and are somewhat decided on a travel system. I fell in love with the Chicco Keyfit Zest which has an infant seat up to 22 lbs but now I'm thinking i should go for the Keyfit 30 so I can use the infant car seat longer. However the material on the Keyfit 30 I saw in store is so much different than the Zest pattern I wanted. Does anyone know of any Keyfit 30 pattern that is made of the same material of the Zest pattern? Also at the doctor's apt last week my doctor mentioned that she want to check my cervix at the next apt (which is next week and I'll only be at 35 weeks). Is that too early for internal checkup? Can I ask my doctor to not do that until I'm at least 37 weeks?

Hope everyone else is doing fine!

 

[S&I]

Bibiloves, just wanted to mention that the Chicco Keyfit30 has a 30-inch height maximum as well as the 30-pound weight max. My DS is only 18 pounds but is almost 30" long, so we are nowhere near the weight max and will outgrow the height max soon. But my cousin's son is 6 weeks older, and he outgrew his 22-pound max carseat way early. So it really depends on if you think you'll have a tall baby or not.

Re the cervix check, my OB did them at 36 weeks, but also let you decline them if you wanted to wait until 38 weeks. You should be able to wait at least another week or two if you want. Good luck!

 

[lulu66]

bibi my ob was going to do internal at 36 but then held off because he mentioned it could start labor; so I didn't have my first internal till 37 wks.

 

[Haven]

Thanks, ladies! I strained my back coughing the last couple weeks, and then last night I just sat down the wrong way and BAM! That was it. I pulled something back there, and the pain is awful. Last night I just kept crying every time I tried to move, and I can't lie down so I "slept" on the sofa propped up by pillows. I've thrown my back out a few times before, but this is the worst yet, probably because I'm so pregnant.

I didn't want to go on meds, but caved this morning and had DH call my doctor's group. It was just too unbearable. I'm taking codeine now, which is helping me relax when my back seizes up, but the pain is still there. BLAH! I'm having a better time getting up now, I don't start bawling every time, so that's progress. Walking isn't so hot, it takes me quite a while to get to the loo.

I totally overdid it this weekend, and I'm sure that's why I'm laid up now. DH and I are usually so cautious with our bodies, but I've been pregnant for so long that I think I was a bit less so because it's just been months and months and months of feeling not-so-hot. Anyway, please don't overdo it ladies! Take it from me, this is miserable. And thank you for letting me VENT about my pain!

Bibi--My OB is going to do my first cervix check this Tuesday when I'm 37 weeks along. I think you could ask your OB to put it off if you're not comfortable with it.

 

[Puppmom]

Haven, the same exact thing happened to me. I got a nasty cold and the cough lasted forever. I had such terrible coughing fits that I would actually vomit. Now, I have an awful *stitch* in my back that hurts when I'm in the act of laying down, sitting up, climbing over the baby gate to DS's room and whenever I take a really deep breath or yawn. The absolute worst is making turns in the car...OH MY GOSH! I'm hoping it's from the cough and not something I'll be putting up with for the next three months. I'm going to ask my OB to take a peak at my appointment this week. I hope those meds are helping!

 

[lulu66]

haven hoping you have a quick recovery!

dandiandi how was your luncheon? did you make it...still baking away?

happy monday to everyone else!

 

[Haven]

Haven, the same exact thing happened to me. I got a nasty cold and the cough lasted forever. I had such terrible coughing fits that I would actually vomit. Now, I have an awful *stitch* in my back that hurts when I'm in the act of laying down, sitting up, climbing over the baby gate to DS's room and whenever I take a really deep breath or yawn. The absolute worst is making turns in the car...OH MY GOSH! I'm hoping it's from the cough and not something I'll be putting up with for the next three months. I'm going to ask my OB to take a peak at my appointment this week. I hope those meds are helping!

I'm so sorry to hear it, Puppmom! Take it easy. I was experiencing your level of discomfort until Saturday, and then I totally notched it up into this unable-to-move territory.

How's it going, Lulu?

AFM, I ended up in the ER last night. I suddenly started getting strong spasms of pain in my back that made my stomach muscles painfully contract. This was happening every 30 seconds, and the pain was unbearable, so DH took me to the ER. I was so scared that the baby was going to be in distress, but they brought me to L&D and hooked me up to a couple monitors and everything was fine. I had two huge real contractions while I was hooked up, and the rest were caused by my back spasms. There was a moment in L&D where I looked at DH and said, "What if I've just been in labor this entire time????" It was a terrifying thought, but thankfully it wasn't labor!

After L&D gave us the all-clear that the baby was okay they wheeled me back to the ER, where we waited in a room for an hour to see the doctor. I was a total wreck, crying through the spasms, but the doctor was really nice and patient when she finally came around. She called my OB's group, and the doctor there told her to prescribe me a muscle relaxant. I was scared to take it, but the spasms were so bad, and my stomach was contracting so often, that in the end I took one last night. It helped with the fast spasms, but the pain was still there. I'm not thrilled about taking all these meds while pregnant, but the doctor told me that it's important that I not be in terrible physical pain and stress, and this was the only way to calm it down. I haven't taken another one today, and I'll only do it if those terrible spasms come back.

I slept sitting up in the sofa again last night, but managed to lie down in bed for a couple hours this morning. I'm still in pain, but the spasms and contractions aren't as frequent today, thank goodness.

Now I'm praying the baby doesn't decide to come until after my back is healed. Those contractions were killer, I do not want to endure an entire labor's worth with an injured back.

Gosh, sorry for the novella. I hope nobody else goes through anything like this, but I wanted to share my experience just in case something similar happens to another PSer.

I hope everyone is doing well!

 

[lulu66]

hi all! I'm officially off work & since mil is here taking care of everything (literally I have barely lifted a finger since her arrival), I have lots of time for ps. thought I'd pop on here & see if I could upload a photo. if this works, it's from yesterday at 39 wks. my next appt is tomorrow & it's a full moon. everyone thinks baby will be making her debut tomorrow...we shall see. my mom is feeling much better about possibly arriving a few days after the birth, so that makes me happy. I still hope little one stays put till my moms arrival. my rash is greatly improving. I switched to an all natural bar of soap (toms) & a lotion w/o dyes, fragrance, etc (vanicream). you can still see he rash & it does still itch a bit but the improvement is sooo great! other than that, I have a cold I've managed to not got sick this entire pregnancy & now in the last week I've come down w/the sneezes & sniffles...ugh. but it's bearable, just hope it's gone soon. don't want to be sick w/my little newborn here.

haven I am so sorry for all the pain you are experiencing. try to relax as much as possible; you are in my thoughts!! how did your appt go today? any progress??

pupmom I hope you find some relief soon as well!!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Haven, I don't check in here all the time, but I do every now and again. I am so sorry that you've been going through so much pain. I hope you are able to get lots and lots of rest. Are your classes over now? Sending healing thoughts your way!!

lulu66, Such a lovely photo! Pretty dress too!

 

[Skippy123]

LULU, you look fabulous!!!

 

[lulu66]

thanks, lovesvintage & skippy!

i had a lunch date w/a friend yesterday, so i dressed and fixed my hair. today, hair is in a pony & i haven't taken of my bath robe! lol. we've periodically photo documented this pregnancy (about 1 photo every 3 weeks) but PS usually won't let me upload photos but did today when i posted from my ipad...who knows?

 

[Haven]

Looking GREAT, Lulu! Love that dress! How wonderful that your MIL is doing so much for you. ENJOY IT! I hope baby waits until your mom comes in to make an appearance!

Thank you, LV! I have one more full week of teaching left after this one, and then half a week of individual conferences with students and meetings. So, the end is near, thank goodness.

I'm feeling MUCH better now. I went to my OB appointment this afternoon and he did the first cervical check. He said it's open as wide as a fingertip, so not much--here's hoping baby will continue baking for at least three more weeks. HB was 136. It's been around 140 every time so far. Getting in and out of the car was the hardest part for my back, but I think getting out and moving around was a good thing. My goal for tonight is to be able to sleep reclined in our bed instead of propped up on the sofa. Fingers crossed!

The coolest thing about my appointment was that they had a box full of promotional Huggies newborn diapers and wipes packs that they wanted to unload on someone, so they sent us home with at least fifty diapers and who knows how many wipes. Free stuff is good! I can't believe how tiny the newborn diapers are, it's crazy.

I'm planning on going to work tomorrow. DH is going to drive me there, and my mom is going to pick me up when she's finished teaching. My students take their big exit exam tomorrow and Thursday, and I so want to be there with them.

I hope everyone is doing well!

 

[Dandi]

You poor thing Haven, I'm so sorry you've had such a rough trot with your back! Nasty business that, but I'm so glad it's feeling better. Are you sleeping better too?

lulu you look gorgeous!!! Yep I made it to my lunch, it was lovely! It was at a beach house restaurant, outside, and the weather was divine. I was a tad uncomfortable though and had to keep getting up and moving around, the pressure on my pelvis after sitting for a while is nasty!

Hi bibi! Gosh lady, since when did you get to 34 weeks?!?! Time is really crawling for me now!

Nothing much to report here. 39 weeks tomorrow, woohoo! I'm aware of alot more pressure in my pelvis now, so I'm hoping baby is really chuffing down south. We are getting impatient! It's going to be nearly 38 degrees celcius here tomorrow (a titch over 100 fahrenheit) so this blimp is NOT leaving this house!

 

[Haven]

Andi--HOLY MOLY! I wouldn't leave the house if it was that hot here! Stay cool, lady! 39 weeks? EEEEK! SO CLOSE! I can't wait to "meet" your baby via PS!

I'm so impressed that you made it to your lunch and enjoyed it! I've been pretty anti-social for most of this pregnancy, and it's just getting worse the farther along I get.

I finally slept in our bed for most of the night last night, it was wonderful. The swelling in my feet went down a bit, thank goodness. It had gotten pretty bad because I'd been sitting upright for so many days in a row. I made it to work today, DH drove me there and my mom picked me up. Half of my classes took their big exit exam today and they ROCKED it, so I was really excited to be there with them. I'm so proud of their progress.

I can't really feel bad for myself. Yeah, I hurt my back, but everything with the actual pregnancy has gone so well--no scares about the baby, we had an easy time conceiving, etc. etc. We feel very lucky to have had such a smooth pregnancy as far as the baby's health and progress has been concerned. And if I ever need to lay on some guilt, I'll just remind baby of how sick I was while pregnant. KIDDING!

Lulu--I'm sitting in my trusty bathrobe right now! I pretty much only dress if I have to leave the house. Otherwise, watch out--I'm in a robe and I'm now too big to be worried if everything is properly covered up.

37w 1d here, and still in denial that baby will be here soon.

 

[lulu66]

hi all

had my appt today 39 wks. 3 cm dialated up .5-1.0 cm from last week. doc gave me a bishop score of 6 (honestly not sure what this exactly means) & I'm scheduled to be induced Monday! today after my internal he is giving me a 50-50 chance of vaginal delivery bc he estimates baby is 8+ lbs & I have a very narrow pelvic bone opening. he said we will try vaginal but will be quick to go for a csection if it doesn't feel like baby can make it out.

 

[Haven]

hi all

had my appt today 39 wks. 3 cm dialated up .5-1.0 cm from last week. doc gave me a bishop score of 6 (honestly not sure what this exactly means) & I'm scheduled to be induced Monday! today after my internal he is giving me a 50-50 chance of vaginal delivery bc he estimates baby is 8+ lbs & I have a very narrow pelvic bone opening. he said we will try vaginal but will be quick to go for a csection if it doesn't feel like baby can make it out.

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!!!!!!!! SO CLOSE!!!!

 

[lulu66]

i know haven!!! it's so crazy!

 

[Haven]

Lulu--Your next post could be your birth story!!!! I'm so excited for you!

I took a belly shot just now to see if I've dropped. Yesterday I stood up after sitting for a while and felt this huge pressure down below that I hadn't felt yet, and it's persisted since. I'm not sure if I really dropped, but I am sure that I got huge pretty quickly!

 

[Dandi]

Ahhh lulu, so close!!! Squeee!!! I'm so excited for you!!

Haven, I reckon you have dropped, lady! That is one perfect belly you have there!! Just gorgeous!

I had my 39 week checkup today, and baby is not engaged yet, grr! Little monkey. My OB said it's well on it's way, which in my opinion means nothing HE told me he'll definitely see me next week for my 40 week appointment, I hope i can prove him wrong in the meantime! Not looking likely though. He usually offers induction at 41 weeks, so we'll talk turkey if I get to that stage, which hopefully I won't, but I guess I just have to trust my body and let it do its thing. He did ask me to tell baby to stop growing, enough is enough! It's gunna be a biggun.

39 weeks 1 day.

 

[Haven]

Andi and Lulu, I cannot get over how close you both are!!!!! I feel like our little cohort is graduating, and it's terrifying and exciting all at once!

Andi--Sounds like your babe is quite happy in that tummy. Here's hoping you can prove your doc wrong about that 40-week visit! You could always try the old wives tales about how to induce labor--everyone I know swears that gettin' busy with the hubby was all it took. Spicy food? Walking around a lot? Someone at work told me to drink castor oil if I want to induce labor, but that just doesn't sound appetizing. Can't wait to hear an update from you!!!!

I laughed when I read your description of my belly, definitely not feeling any of those things right now. I showed DH the pictures and he just said, "Whoa, look at how big you got this week!"

37w3d

 

[lulu66]

no baby yet...I think she's going to hang in here till grandma gets here (tomorrow) and I think I'll make it to my Monday induction. but I'm officially soooo over being pregnant! she's run out of room; my breathing is labored even when I'm laying down! and moving around, ugh, such a chore! ohhh and last night I started second guessing the baby name choice. I think I might just be projecting labor insecurities onto the baby naming process but now, 2 days pre-baby, the name we finally picked after so much discussion doesn't seem right to me. dh still loves the name we chose, so we shall see how this pans out how is the name picking going for everyone else??

haven. you look great, as usual! I'm not so sure you've dropped yet. I swear this belly of mine drops more & more everyday! it's so crazy!

dandi want to have a biggest baby competition?? doc thinks this little stinker's going at be really big too! I'll be right at 40 wks Monday for my induction & honestly don't know if I could make it any longer! I can't imagine trying to stick it out till dec 15th (my original due date)!!

I'll be sending up thoughts & prayers for you both these next weeks! here's to 3 healthy & happy babies & mommas

 

[Dandi]

lulu, game on!!

 

[PilsnPinkysMom]

Do what you want to help induce labor 'naturally' if it makes you feel more sane, but little Eloise is living proof that there's no way to make a baby come when it don't wanna

We did castor oil, foley bulb, walking, sex, pineapple, spicy food, cotton root bark tincture, black and blue cohosh, nipple stimulation with a breast pump, squats and lunges, bouncing on an exercise ball, tons of RRL tea, evening primrose oil, membrane sweeps and plenty of other things that I've already forgotten. I even bought the 'Baby COME OUT' meditation by Hypnobabies. The only thing that made Eloise get the show on the road was three hours of Pitocin.

That being said, many of the above-mentioned techniques can put you over the edge if your body is already headed in the direction of labor!

Just remember that you can dilate from zero to, "WE'RE HAVING A BABY!" in a matter of hours! It's so hard to predict when labor will happen- which is the most frustrating part of all.

 

[monkeyprincess]

I havent checked tis thread in awhile. How exciting that so many of you are getting so close!

Lulu, good luck with you induction today! Hope everything goes smoothly!

Haven, you look great! Any day now.

Dandi, stay cool and hang in there. I had a good sized little guy at 8lbs 5 oz.

Just wanted to wish you all well. And if I had any advice, I would say to cut yourself some slack and realize that the first few weeks after babyarrives are a little crazy and you might feel overwhelmed, but that is okay! I have learned so much and grown so much in the 7 weeks since becoming a mother. And even though it has been a struggle at times (I have a bit of a sensitve, tempermental little guy) it is so amazing that I am sitting here with an adorable sleeping baby on my shoulder.

Best wishes to you all!

 

[Haven]

Awwww, MP, thanks for dropping in, Mama! I can't believe you have a 7-week-old already!

Pils--You had me laughing with that list! Oy yoy yoy, you really did try everything!

Andi and Lulu--You two are too funny. Let's see who has the biggest baby! My OB hasn't made any size predictions for us, but I weighed 9 lbs 8 oz so I'm a bit nervous this baby is going to be a bigun. DH's family is tiny, so here's hoping this baby is a nice balance of the two.

Lulu--TODAY IS THE DAY!!!! I'm so excited for you!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll be thinking about you all day and sending easy labor and delivery dust your way, Mama! SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

I wonder if it's normal to second-guess the names right before baby comes. We picked out names before we even decided we'd ever have children, and lately DH and I have been second-guessing both of them. I don't think we'll change them, but it's a bit nerve wracking to suddenly be a bit on the fence about them, isn't it? Can't wait to see what you decide!

How are you doing, Andi?

I'm holding student conferences in my office from 9 to 2, so I'm sitting here with my feet in my big fuzzy slippers propped up on a chair! It is soooo hot in here that I start swelling the moment I walk in, so I really need to keep them elevated. (I don't have a window, so there's no way to drive out all the stuffiness.) I think my students understand, but every time one of them leaves I wonder if he's thinking, "What a crazy person!" Ah, well, better than letting my feet balloon out.

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Hi there all you lovely pregnant ladies! I'm sorry I've been MIA on here lately. I could have sworn I had a written a post and even seen it show up on the previous page, but it's not there - can PS eat a post after it's already gone up? Anyway, who knows, I've been known to be a little out of it lately anyway.

It looks like so much has been happening! I'm know I'm probably too late for lulu to see this, but I hope all goes well for you today - thinking of you and the baby! DandiAndi you are so close too!

Haven I hope you are doing well - I was sorry to see about your back injury, and about your trip to the ER - I'm just glad to hear that you are doing better!! You look wonderful in your pictures.

Hi to mia and bibiloves too!

I'm trucking along at almost 30 weeks. Baby's been doing a lot of moving lately, and a lot of sticking out its back or butt or something - plus I think I'm having a few bh as well, so it's hard sometimes to tell the difference. I think I'm carrying low too, so I'm getting some nice pressure pains "down there" too. Nothing else major going on except for some pretty significant back pain - my sacral area used to be what bothered me, but now I have this pain in my upper/middle back, especially to the left of my spine - it feels almost like nerve pain, very sharp and not much helps it except stretching juuuust the right way. Sitting down makes it terrible, which is unfortunately what I have to do all day at my job. And being in the car longer than 15 minutes is no fun.

We took a childbirth class this past Saturday with my midwives practice, and that was really good. It made me even more confident in the practice we chose to work with as well. She also recommended a breastfeeding and basic infant care class, so looking into those too. I got to see a lot of family this weekend, and it was good to get to share and talk with everybody about all things baby, and get opinions and advice on things as well. The only thing I don't like is people's assumptions about medication, which feeds their advice - and it just seems like too many people only focus on the negative and the pain of labor, which I don't particularly care to only be given negativity when it comes to my mental preparation - so I just take everything with a grain of salt.

One more cool thought - I was looking back through our 20 week ultrasound pics last week, and I decided to put one of the 3d ones as my phone's wallpaper. I got to look at it all day, and by the end of the day, I'd had a revelation - I came home and told my husband how cool it was that it's finally sinking in that not only am I having a baby, which is exciting and quite obvious, but I'm going to be a MOM. I keep looking at that picture and realizing that I'm going to be this baby's mommy. This baby that's in my belly. Anyway, might sound funny, but it was such a neat thing to start thinking about.

29 weeks 6 days.

 

[Dandi]

Aieeeee lulu, the time has come!! I've been thinking about you the last 2 days (it's nearly Wednesday here in Australia now ) and hope everything's going well!

Yippee strawberries, 30 weeks, what a milestone!!! Sorry to hear about your back pain hun, I really hope it's only temporary, what a pill.

Haven, feeling great thanks lovely! Sorry to hear about the swelling, it's just so uncomfortable, isn't it?!

mp, thanks for dropping in! I'm so happy for you that things are going well with you and your spunky little dude!

PnPM, gosh you really has a crack at everything! So far I haven't tried anything, but your post made me feel that is OK, and that I'm not just being lazy This baby is staying put for now!

Hello bibiloves and mia, I hope you're both feeling absolutely sensational.

AFM, I nearly fell out of bed getting up today, I have so much pelvic pain now, I have to do the beached whale manoeuvre and just roll out. Very graceful. Other than that, fighting fit. I installed our nappy sprayer yesterday, we are so ready! And just for kicks, here's my 39 week belly pic, I seriously feel I would combust if someone stuck me with a pin, I am gigenormous!!!

39 weeks 5 days

 

[mlk]

Just a quick post to say I beat you all to it. Beautiful baby boy was born at 3pm today by emergency Caesar at 30w6d due to severe preeclampsia. Baby is doing well but I haven't been able to go and see him in the nicu as my blood pressure hasnt stabilized 6 hours later. It is so hard. Cannot agree on name either!

All the best to you lovely ladies who are up in the next couple of weeks. Hope to join everyone in the mummy thread soon.

Will postman update when things have stabilised