Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[radiantgirl]

I've actually read that those can be the reasons why you didn't tear. They said that with a doula/midwife and being drug free the process would be more gradual giving yourself time to stretch. I don't know how you did it without drugs. I don't think I can make it through without some pain relief to help me have some strength to push.

 

[LitigatorChick]

It is crazy. I was in my prenatal classes saying I wanted an epi as early as possible!!! But, in my city, you might be in on a busy day and that is not possible, so I figured I needed a back up: enter doula. In reality, you just do it and live in the moment. I actually left in the 30 seconds or so between contractions!!! It is ridiculous crazy what you can do!!!

 

[E B]

radiant and litigator, I've heard the same. I've read birth stories which involved a doula/midwife massaging the perenium with hot oil so it opening would gradually stretch, not tear.

Dani, I have a question that might or might not have already been answered (I have a lot of reading to do...this thread is LONG!): I heard naturally tearing is better for healing than being cut. Do you (or anyone else, for that matter) have any opinions on this?

When I become pregnant, I'll probably look into a doula for the birth.

 

[divergrrl]

RadiantGirl: You sound to me if you are doing great. I''ll be sending lots of healthy baby vibes your way. I can''t wait for your 1st ultrasound! And, in my own mind...any nausea IS morning sickness. I never puked with my kids, but oh, I felt green a lot and got real nauseated whenever I was hungry. That''s m/s babe! And its a great sign.

Episiotomy: Well, both my ob''s did perineal stretching/massage w/ oil. They really like to avoid them if possible. I almost got away with no episiotomy with my son, but then his heart rate decelerated after each contrax, so a mini-vacuum was used to pull him out, and my doc had to do a small one to help with that.

With D, they did the massage & I guess my old epi scar just kinda popped open. It only took her a few minutes to stitch me up, and as far as healing, it was a snap.

I didn''t like the idea of a doula, they are all too "hippie" here in Oregon, and I''m sort of a...well...fingernail polish, expensive haircut, and designer jeans/handbag/shoes kind of girl. I''ve noticed a fair amount of doulas around here don''t care for the likes of us high-maintenance chickies too much. The ones I have encountered around here are far too new age for me to feel comfortable around. Which is too bad, because the concept is pretty interesting. But again, I am a chocolate chip in a granola town. So it might just be "me".

I had my bff at my birth and she told jokes through the whole thing. I swear she was dead on, comedian at the Improv funny. We had the L&D nurse & anesthesiologist hanging out in our room....they called it the "fun room" and were hiding. Apparently they had a real b!tchy diva deliver a few days before & were happy to have a fun mom delivering. I swear we were in stitches for hours.

Kelly (my friend)was bouncing off the walls (very type A) saying "this is all going too fast! too fast! make it stop" and then she got bored & started hollering at me to bounce my a$$ on the ball & was barking at me to do squats to MOVE THAT BABY. Then when I was pushing she had us all in tears with her tales of a bad delivery and saying "where''s the puking? where''s the swearing? where''s the oxygen masks?" Apparently when her son crowned she screamed "SCREW YOU JOHNNY CASH!" and was re-enacting the whole thing. (Ring of Fire song) Oh, and the oxygen mask? At her delivery her mom was so grossed out that she took the mask from Kelly (who needed it and put it on her own face...poor Kel was like....hey! that''s MY mask!)

But she was a riot and my kind of doula. She even massaged my back & hip for me & made sure I had icechips etc, and was running around getting the doc for my epidural, getting Steve food..etc. She even taped the moment D was born & then her hubby surprised me on my birthday with a gorgeous video of D''s first few minutes of life & my face when we first met our daughter.

I had no idea she was doing that. She had a video camera in one hand & a regular in the other. She rocked.

ok...I smell poo. back later

 

[radiantgirl]

LitigatorChick - It is crazy what our bodies can do. I used to be really terrified of the labor pain (I still am, but not as much anymore), but the more I think about this amazing process of creating a human being inside of me, the more I think that there is nothing for me to be afraid of. Our bodies are meant to do this and people have been doing it for thousands and thousands of years now. Really props to you for going the drug free route. Now, if only I can be that brave...

Ebree - I''ve read in the other thread that you and your husband are TTC - good luck with that and lots of baby dust to you!

divergrrl - Are you into scuba diving? Just thought I''d ask regarding your screen name. I am doing great now and will keep you guys posted on my 1st ultrasound and check up. I guess I keep thinking m/s as actually throwing up. I wouldn''t be surprised if it hits me really hard in the next upcoming weeks. I have the tendency to throw up easily, not by choice, of course. Sounds like you had an awesome "doula" in the birthing room with you. That''s so sweet of her to surprise you with the video of you and D''s first minutes together. That''s a gift you will never forget. On another note, your daughter is soooo adorable! I went back to read some of the previous posts (this thread is so long) and saw some of the pictures you posted of her. She has the perfect rosy cheeks and perfect set of lips! You are so lucky to have such an adorable little girl!!!

 

[flutterby]

Date: 1/26/2008 1:24:47 PM
Author: LitigatorChick
7 pounds 2 ounces, 20 inches long. But a biggish noggin''.


I think I did not tear because I 1) had a doula; 2) was drug free, and 3) so the delivery part was a bit more gradual so I could stretch and not tear. But I''m a litigator, not a doc/nurse, so I am just making this up. But I do recommend the doula.

my little guy was 7 pounds 6 oz and 20 inches long. I also had no drugs and a midwife...but i tore. I didn''t do any of the perinium stretching before hand though, and the day before I went into labor I was not even dilated 1cm...

who knows. regardless...litigator, you were lucky!

Ebree- they say its better to tear because it heals more naturally and may not tear as much as the cut...at least that is my understanding.

Radiant- i wouldnt worry too much about the tearing. i hadnt really even thought of it before the birth. Its not fun, but not all that frightening either!

Diver, I love your friend story...it sounds way more fun than my delivery! How great to have that on video.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Tearing is just not something you should worry about. It is just out of your control. And lets face it, babies are worth it and you heal. I am a small person so I was not surprised I had to have an epis. Plus there was a sense of urgency to get Tessa out (same size as your little boy LC) b/c of the meconium (sp?) in my water. Her lungs was the most important thing. Gosh it''s hard to type w/ one hand....

 

[dani13]

Litigatorchick- Did you say a midwife delivered you? Because I am not sure how it is where you live, but doulas do not deliver babies here....They are strictly labor coaches (they dont even have to be someone formally trained)....they can just be a random person who helps a woman go through labor....They dont examine patients, dont have anything to do with the actual delivery itself besides coaching....so I was a little confused...hmmm...

Ebree- Episiotomy vs. tearing...This is always a subject that is debatable.....I think alot of it has to do with how the doc/practitioner is trained....Some docs believe that an epis is better than to let the patient tear naturally, others believe the opposite. Patients constantly ask me while they are pushing if I think they will need an epis or not....That is a very hard question to answer....You cant make that decision until the baby's head is crowining...There are so many factors that go into making the decision to cut or just trying to deliver the head without cutting an epis, such as: How much room does the patient have? How big is the kid's head? Is the patient already tearing as the head is crowning, etc? I could be here all day just giving examples of different clinical scenarios. And there is not one simple answer that is the same for everybody...its really something that needs to be decided for each individual patient.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Good news and bad news....good news is I think Tessa giggled! So cute!

Diver, I thought of you last night. Tessa was farting in her sleep. Just now she sneezed twice and farted with each sneeze

Who knew milk made you SOOO gassy.

Bad news, I have another clogged milk duct (I think)

I was in so much pain last night I thought my arm was going to fall off nd could hardly sleep (the lump is right by my arm pit) I talked to my mom and she said she got them all the time with my older sister but never with my brother or me. I just don''t know what is causing them. I wasn''t really engorged when I got it. I don''t wear underwire. I don''t know

 

[LitigatorChick]

Dani - You are right, doulas do not deliver babies. They are coaches, advocates, experienced moms, everything, but they do not do the job of a midwife/nurse/doc.

I wish I had a midwife, but I had a doc. And a very stupid resident. Stupid resident had never had a women delivering without an epi, so she was doing some very painful things to me until very smart nurse told her to stop!!!

I stayed at home with my husband and kept in touch with my doula by phone. We arrived at the hospital at 6 cm and had the bambino 4 hours later.

Divergrrl, I had the same impression of doulas - very granola. And there are plenty like that. I did not want them. I am more of a chocolate chip myself (boss suits, manolos, well, i''m litigatorchick!), so that was not me. Our "plan" was to avoid any interventions, but if I needed or wanted drugs, she was there to help with that too (in positioning, etc.). So just basically a huge help in whatever we were doing.

 

[Jas12]

Ouch--all this tearing/cutting talk is making me hurt. I have read tons of this subject and for all us ''soon to deliever'' there are apparently all sorts of things that you can do during labor to help with stretching so that (maybe) neither has to occur: perineal massage weeks before the birth and during the birth, visualization during birth, oils, adequate time to stretch, and relaxation! relaxation! All easier said then done right, i probably won''t even remember that stuff!
When I went to my prenatal course at the hosital they told us that episiotomies are extremely rare due to the difficulties they pose healing etc.Their policy is to let women tear if need be. I guess it varies by hospital/OB

Diver--you had the perfect doula for your personality. That''s just what a doula is supposed to do and you''re lucky to have such an awesome friend to get you through it all. Why spend money on hiring a stranger when u have someone like that around. That said, i can see why they (and midwives) are sought after--there can''t be many downfalls to having another women stay by your side from start to finish, offering encouragement and expertise during an event that is exciting but frightening. Esp if you don''t have a good friend or spouse to be with you.
--I was acutally wondering about your screen name too--I am a SCUBA diver too, if that''s what it refers to. My Doc. knowing this, told me to take a break from the adventure sports while pregnant--no worries there, i am not going to be caught dead in a bathing suit for a while!


Radiantgirl--glad to hear the spotting stopped. Eating b/w meals is a good habit to get into--esp as you get bigger and heartburn/less tummy space becomes an issue--i had to readjust my eating habits for this reason. No more giant meals for me or i pay for it later!

................

DH is ice-fishing all day and apparently my maternal insticts are kickin in big time. I am starting to worry about ''safety things'' that i never gave 2 thoughts to before-- I realized i was worried about him taking the truck out onto the lake--something he does every winter! I told him 3 X to be careful while he was going out the door!
-sheesh--do you moms worry 24/7 now??? My mom said that for her that was the hardest part of being a parent.

 

[divergrrl]

jas12 & radiant...yup i''m a scuba diver!! /just have my NAUI OPEN WATER, but want to do more. I did the 10 week course in WA, so I am a c-c-c-c-old water diver who only owns an arctic wetsuit. So hardcore.

(I want a dry suit so bad) My fave dives I''ve logged were a 125ft. penetration dive into a shipwreck in Tortola, and some cavern dives in the Yucatan. Had the air valve in my BC freeze open on a dive in clear lake, OR & I shot 50ft to the surface in 2 seconds flat. THAT sucked, almost ruined my left ear. Clear Lake is about 34 degrees farenheit. Haven''t gone since I had Jake, but we are headed to either Cabo or Hawaii this year without the kids, so I will then. Part of me is reluctant to do anything dangerous while my children are little, but I am well trained (getting certified in our very cold, very low visibilty ocean by a former Naval UDT diver pretty much makes you a bada$$ & able to handle tropical waters like a walk in the park) so I should be fine . I''ll just do some easy dives that aren''t very deep. I actually prefer to be about 40 to 60ft under...just cruising along, enjoying the scenery. I saved a guys life in Tortola...but that is a long story. Purty cool though. Buddy breathed him through 2 decompression stops during our ascent. I rock.

Dani: So when are you going to TTC? LOL...

Mrs S & TGal...aren''t you guys due yet? Remind me of your edd''s!!

Tacori: man honey, I am so sorry....you and those milk ducts. You are hanging in like a champ though, I am sooo proud of you. Perhaps doing pre-emptive heat on your chest prior to nursing might help? I dunno...just grasping at straws. Did you get your boppy cover yet?

ok, i am trying to type over D''s head. She''s snoozin'' on my lap. I have the laptop on my boppy. Riot.

 

[mrssalvo]

diver, that is so cool you scuba. it''s something I would love to do, but after a childhood of chronic ear problems the pressure is just too much for me, my ears won''t even pressurize in a pool when I dive down to the bottom of the deep end.

as for due dates, Jas12, TG, me and lili are all very close:

03.26.08 - Jas12
03.28.08 - TravelingGal
04.10.08 - me
04.11.08 - lili

we think it would be fun to do a poll when we all get a little closer to see who goes first. I did go 15 days early with my first and 8 days early with my second, so my dr. is fairly confident that this one will run the same course and said I should be ready at 38 weeks. Plus, if I''m dialated at all, he''s open to inducing which I will push for b/c my girls were big. Chloe was 7.5 (15 days early) and Lily was 8 lbs 9 oz. I grow big babies and surely don''t want to go to my due date and have an almost 10 lber...

plus, in all honesty, now that one of mine is in school, i just don''t want to have to deal with going into labor in the middle of the night, calling someone to come over etc. I''d like to have everything planned out ahead of time. I am working on getting my in-laws to come and stay with us. that would just be perfect!!

 

[sunkist]

Date: 1/26/2008 6:44:23 PM
Author: divergrrl
jas12 & radiant...yup i'm a scuba diver!! /just have my NAUI OPEN WATER, but want to do more. I did the 10 week course in WA, so I am a c-c-c-c-old water diver who only owns an arctic wetsuit. So hardcore.

(I want a dry suit so bad) My fave dives I've logged were a 125ft. penetration dive into a shipwreck in Tortola, and some cavern dives in the Yucatan. Had the air valve in my BC freeze open on a dive in clear lake, OR & I shot 50ft to the surface in 2 seconds flat. THAT sucked, almost ruined my left ear. Clear Lake is about 34 degrees farenheit. Haven't gone since I had Jake, but we are headed to either Cabo or Hawaii this year without the kids, so I will then. Part of me is reluctant to do anything dangerous while my children are little, but I am well trained (getting certified in our very cold, very low visibilty ocean by a former Naval UDT diver pretty much makes you a bada$$ & able to handle tropical waters like a walk in the park) so I should be fine . I'll just do some easy dives that aren't very deep. I actually prefer to be about 40 to 60ft under...just cruising along, enjoying the scenery. I saved a guys life in Tortola...but that is a long story. Purty cool though. Buddy breathed him through 2 decompression stops during our ascent. I rock.

Just peeking in here to say Hi everyone!

Diver, did you dive the Wreck of the Rhone in Tortola?? I went to Tortola, oh gosh, it's been over 10 years ago, I guess closer to 14 or 15 years ago. I was only 12. When did you go? I only snorkled at that time, but we snorkled over the Rhone and I remember it looking like the wreck was only 30 ft below us because it was so clear! Seeing those divers made me want to dive someday. I scuba dive with my husband now in the cold waters of CA. I can't believe you dive in the COLDER waters of OR! You're my hero for that! I'm turning into a wuss now and wanting to stick to warm water dives. Hey, can you blame me

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Thanks Diver! That means a lot to me. At this point I am willing to try anything. This is the third clog and its a nasty one. You can see the lump. Plus the infection...but I am determined. I can do this. I will do this. No I did not receive my boppy cover yet and I am pretty pissed. I called since it has been forever and they said I should have gotten it in 2-3 weeks. I missed a call from someone who works there so I''ll call monday. Such a PITA. I sent it back like they told me and had to buy a new one. I know it''s not that much money but it is the principle.

MrsS, a poll would be fun!

I hear the monster. Pawned her off on her daddy

She''s been so cranky today. I forgot to say on Wednesday she went 7.5 hours between her night time feedings!

Slept 6 of those!

It was so exciting and I was hoping it was not a one time thing....at least we know she CAN do it. But WILL she?!? That was the first 6 hours of straight sleep I have had since going to the hospital almost 3 months ago. I am starting to get used to being tired all the time.

 

[Jas12]

Diver--cool, you DO rock! Someday I want to hear the whole buddy-breathing story. Craziness! My fave dive was at night--so errie and beautiful. I had a bad dive on the great barrier reef while living in Aust. dove with a guy who didn''t speak a speck of english, we charted an easy reef dive and thought we had it all figured out--didn''t realize the current was SO strong and well, on our way back to the boat we were up against a major current--running out of air, time, stamina--long story short, we ended up ascending and had to swim a ways back. I was embarrased and mad at myself!
I don''t get to dive much either--my cert was done in a c-c-cold lake as well--it was snowing, ice was forming, algae was in bloom and there was about a 1 foot visibility. Like you I thought if i can do this i can do anything and then vowed to only dive in warm oceans !

) We are hard core eh?!

MsS.okay, no fair, tgal, lili and I are up against possible induction, early labor history

I smell unfair advantage-hehe
Regardless of how it all plays out--there are going to be many new new-born babes popping up on PS in the next few months!

 

[lili]

Date: 1/26/2008 5:18:13 PM
Author: Jas12
Radiantgirl--glad to hear the spotting stopped. Eating b/w meals is a good habit to get into--esp as you get bigger and heartburn/less tummy space becomes an issue--i had to readjust my eating habits for this reason. No more giant meals for me or i pay for it later!

Radiantgirl--
Glad to hear that the spotting stopped. It sucks that we have to wait that long to get the initial pnv.
Anyway, I couldn''t agree more with Jas12 regarding the smaller and more frequent meals.
It''s best to get into the habit of doing that now.
Trust us, you''ll be glad you do when your belly is pushing up against your ribcage.
And believe me, once you pooch, it just keeps growing and growing.

Also, I tried to eat a little bit of something before going to bed as well so that I
don''t get woken up with hunger pain in the middle of the night

Anyway, just a few more weeks and you get to see your little bean.
You''ll get a kick out of it. DH was pleasantly surprised at how active the little thing was

 

[lili]

Date: 1/26/2008 4:43:45 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
Good news and bad news....good news is I think Tessa giggled! So cute!


Diver, I thought of you last night. Tessa was farting in her sleep. Just now she sneezed twice and farted with each sneeze

Who knew milk made you SOOO gassy.


Bad news, I have another clogged milk duct (I think)

I was in so much pain last night I thought my arm was going to fall off nd could hardly sleep (the lump is right by my arm pit) I talked to my mom and she said she got them all the time with my older sister but never with my brother or me. I just don''t know what is causing them. I wasn''t really engorged when I got it. I don''t wear underwire. I don''t know

Awwwee....that must be music to your ears

And yay for the 6 straight hours of sleep. Hope Tessa keeps it up.
But boo for another clogged milk duct.
I hope it goes away soon.
You are one tough cookie Tacori and my hat''s off to you.

 

[lili]

Date: 1/25/2008 9:55:58 AM
Author: Jas12
MsS, Lili and Tgal--how y''all holding up? What are your major complaints, if any?? I have days when i generally feel really good and think ''2 months--that''s nothing''

and then other days when I think OMG 2 more months!!

I don''t know why some days are so much easier than others. I just about died at step class last night--vowed that it was my last one--but on Monday I felt great doing the same thing ????

I am starting to wake up every hour at night and notice that my mind is always busy busy with thoughts. I must be getting anxious about the birth, nervous about becoming a mom etc. etc. --as if i need something else--in addition to sore hip, peeing, lack of comfort--to keep me up at night. I shouldn''t complain, we''re all in the same boat--but it makes me feel better to vent a little

With my hands cradling my burgeoning belly

You were right on about the growth spurt. I definitely saw a spurt at 24 wks, then 26 wks, then it just keep growing.
My uterus was already pressing on my ribcage at 28 wks....so there is no other way to grow except out.
Yikes....and I have 12 wks of rapid growth ahead of me.

Hmm....complaints? Aside from not being able to sit up straight for an hour w/o feeling my ribs are about to blow, feeling hungry every 3 hours, then feeling bloated after each meal, having to get up and move around else my calves swell up every hour, and huffing and puffing whenever I walk around, I''d say everything is great

I can''t believe we MrsS, you, me and TGal are so close.
Speaking of TGal, where is she? I haven''t seen her on in a while.
Hope everything is good with her.

------
Regarding the belly pix, I was going to be brave and take a bare belly, but got camera shy when my sister gasped at the sight of my belly.
Yup, not a pretty sight with the linea nigrea and belly button popping out

 

[msb700]

Curly: Congratulations!!!! hope you have a safe 9 months ahead...

diver: i am having separation anxiety about my son as well. i think it is more me being selfish (not wanting to get up and walk in and out of the bedroom to his nursery all the time)!! btw, did u ever get a new playpin???

tacori: i was fine after 6 weeks (got the all clear from my doc), but waited till 8 weeks to be sure.. surprisingly it was not as bad as i had thought !! hope things gets easier..a friend of mine had problems for months after..she said that ''practice'' and ''patience'' worked in the end and shes fine now...as they say u just have to keep trying i guess no matter how daunting it may be initially!!

also, i hope it is not another closed duct

MrsF: hope u feel better soon!!

All: Someone mentioned here (sorry forgot who) that babies sleep better when they are not with their parents in their bedroom...would anyone like to expand on that? would love to know more about this..to be honest, i think my son KNOWS when im in the room (even if he is asleep!) and start to act up....

 

[jas]

Our party went really well last night, with the exception of the 25% of people who said they would come and just...didn't. That actually bothers me more than people who didn't respond at all and came. I was totally exhausted from cleaning all day, but managed to get through the night. The b****ness factor is also kicking in, as I was Little Miss Snarky to my DH most of the day, then dissolved into tears and then...was fine.

Oddly, no one noticed I wasn't drinking at all, reminding me that I am not the star of everyone else's life. What a shock!

It was awfully difficult not being able to taste Charlie's awesomely decadent Mega Chocolate Martinis. We call them Fuzzinis after my dog, who sheds white fur like crazy. So we make the chocolate martini and put white chocolate shavings all over it in honor of the dog. Viola! Fuzzini!

One gal did comment on my girls, it was pretty funny. I had never met her before (she tagged along with a friend of mine) and she said, as she was leaving, "You have awesome b**bs!" It took everything I had not to say, "Thanks! I'm preggo!" I guess I am getting that faboo sign, because they are getting bigger. Yes, DH notices and thanks the b**b goddesses daily.

I also note that my normal 3 pound weight fluctation is still going on, but the ups and downs are slower. I used to fluctuate the same 2-3 pounds in one week, often in 2 days, but now, it takes longer. I guess this has to do with the digestion slowing down or something. Alas.

Bag on topic -- I think the topic of tearing/cutting/all that made me sit with my legs crossed for about 2 hours. Yikes! But good info. I would grade them all a "D-" but I use a different scale than the professionals.

I have been reading through the entire thread. I'm on about page 32 now. It is so much fun to "relive" y'all's pregnancies. It's the best guide I have! Thank you all again for sharing!

radiantgirl -- I am so glad you are feeling better! Yea for small meals!
litigatorchick -- I so want a doula but I am afraid we can't right now. But it sounds like you had a great experience!
and Diver -- your friend is totally the kind of person I want in L&D with me. I want to be laughing to the point of tears when lil' Lojack (our nickname for our unknown child, a combo of the boy and girl name we picked out) makes his/her appearance. How totally cool for you! May I borrow your friend? You totally crack me up with your posts, by the way.
Tacori -- Oh my goodness, a giggle! You must have melted! Congrats! There is a commercial on for some product that escapes me where a little baby giggles. I swear I tear up every time I see it! I hope the duct pain goes away soon and forever!
Hi Lili, Jas12, Dani, Mrssalvo and others I have missed. I'm working on sleep deprivation (good practice, I guess.)

I'm off to see where our guests decided to hide beer bottles.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Thanks Jas, Lili, and Msb.

Jas, when she sees me or hears me she just breaks out into these huge smiles and it really does melt my heart (even at 4 am). She is just so stinking cute. Right now she is sitting next to me on the boppy and seems very interested in her fist. I haven''t heard many giggles/squeals but a few. Lots of cooing and signing though. Life is TOUGH for a 3 month old. Haha!

Lili, It feels (and looks) like I have a golf ball right by my armpit

But it does feel better today so hopefully I am on the mend. Still a PITA for sure! You are getting so close! You must be getting excited.

Msb, I have read from several books that everyone sleeps better in their own rooms. For the parents b/c it is hard to ignore baby''s little cries and whines but often times (they say) the baby will fall back to sleep on their own. Plus Tessa is noisy. She farts, snores sometimes, moans, kicks....I am sure it wakes me up. For the baby I am sure it is the same. She probably hears my DH snore (I know I do). Hears me get up to pee. Plus by us soothing her too much it keeps her from learning to soothe herself.

***There needs to be some new additions to the nursery thread. Come on mamas! Time to decorate!***

I have another questions for BFing moms....when did you get your period? Was it after you weened? I still haven''t had it...not that I am complaining!

Okay I think Tessa might of had a blow out. I better go check it out.

 

[mrssalvo]

Jas12- I'm hanging in there too. I just do not sleep comfortably at all. it's either my legs that go numb, the hip of the side i'm sleeping on starts to really hurt, I'll get a charlie horse in my calf, i get pain under my ribcage or heartburn. it's normally some type of combo

. I'm up 5-6 times a night, just uncomfortable and nothing seems to work. i keep telling myself it's just a few more weeks and thank goodness as soon as Baby is here most if not all of those symptoms will be gone. of course, then i'll be up with Jake, but it's not the same as just not being able to sleep at all, even if it's small spirts. this has definitely been my toughest pregnancy of the 3 and yet I feel blessed b/c I'm not on any restrictions or bedrest on anything that could make things even worse...

jackiejas, so glad your party went well and yay for bigger *girls*. that is a nice perk that i think almost all hubby's enjoy. it also helps them overlook the giant belly that sticking out right beneath them

..

tacori- i started up again around 8 weeks i think. i was surprised b/c I have friends that didn't start until they quit nursing. it's just another one of those *everyone is different* things. I hope you continue to mend quicking. i never had any clogged ducts so I can only imagine the pain you're going through..yay for you though for hanging in there!!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Thanks MrsS. You are lucky. It is quite painful. I hope I am one of those lucky ones that don''t get it for awhile. I obviously don''t miss it! I meant to say I had horrible heartburn with Tessa. I was taking a ton of Tums and then finally my doc told me to take Zantac 150 (OTC). Eating, sleeping positions, nothing like that helped me. I would get it even when I WASN''T eating anything or had anything fried/spicy/etc. Hope you get some relief soon.

 

[mrssalvo]

thanks tacori. so far, tums will work so my dr. said until they stop working to just keep taking them as I need too. I got a little bit of heartburn with Lily, at night only, usually when I laid down. this time, like you, I''ll get it all hours of the day, after breakfast even, whether the food is spicy or not. I did find that if I eat a very light bland dinner it''s not nearly as bad at bedtime which is helpful. maybe the lighter meals will slow down my weightgain a bit too

. I honestly can look at pizza and although it looks and smells good, can decline b/c I know i''ll pay for it big time later. it''s just not worth the pain and suffering. of course cupcakes or cookies and milk...whole other story

 

[Tacori E-ring]

MrsS, I still love my oreo cakesters....maybe that is why I haven''t lost more weight! I am glad Tums is working for you. He''ll be here before we know it and then hopefully the HB will disappear!

 

[flutterby]

DH took this picture of Ian and I this morning....we had on matching shirts. Granted, I was fresh out of bed, but this little man sure lights up my life!

ETA: WOW THATS HUGE--SORRY!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

He''s adorable MsF!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

So I was doing some research online to figure out how to help and maybe prevent future clogged ducts and they mentioned sleeping on your stomach can cause them. I love sleeping on my stomach....

Also they suggested nursing on all 4s. I am going to try it though I feel silly. I just want the pain to go away

 

[curlygirl]

lili, Tacori, Amber, msflutter, Jas12, mrssalvo, Kaleigh, Dani, jas, snlee, Diver, ellaila, radiantgirl, msb700: THANK YOU!!!

It's certainly crazy news and I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around it but ultimately, it's a good thing!

Tacori, I don't really know if it's true about being more fertile after giving birth! I got pregnant with Lily on our first month of trying but we were actually trying. This was totally out of left field. I was drunk!!! I have no idea what we will do about our living situation. We can probably stay here with a little one for maybe 6 months or so but I don't know what we'll do after that and I'm not thinking about it yet! If I start to think ahead too much, I freak out!

mrssalvo, thanks for sharing your story. Honestly, I cried too. As soon as I saw that line come up, I lost it! I totally did not expect it. But when I think about it now, I know that once I get past the craziness in the beginning (the first year?), it will be great that they have each other and hopefully they will grow up being great friends and can entertain themselves! I'm sure I'll be in need of your advice!

Kaleigh, I love that your kids are close in age too. It all works out, right?!

jackiejas, I've taken a million tests at home already! I just can't believe it. But it will be fun to go through this together!

radiantgirl, you, jackie and I are going to have a lot of fun, huh?? I hope you're feeling ok. I'm having mild nausea and dry mouth but that's it for now. Last time, my m/s started at about 9 weeks. Not looking forward to it but we'll survive!

msflutter, ADORABLE photo!!!! What a cutie pie!

Regarding episiotomy/tearing, I had a relatively small baby 6lb. 15oz. I had a very small tear on the inside (whatever that means) and at first they thought it was 1st degree but upon further inspection it was 2nd degree. My doctor did tons of perineal massage with oil in between pushing and I think that really helped since I honestly couldn't feel a thing! It felt like she took forever to stitch me up but I really had no issues with it--no pain, just some pulling for a few days and then I guess the stitches just dissolve. I think an episiotomy was my biggest fear of this whole thing but when you're in that moment, I think you'll let them do whatever they want to get that baby out!

Hope everyone is doing well. Kinda weird to be back here again as a preggo, especially since it's soooo early for me to be talking about it but I'm so happy to have all of you to share with!