Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[Jas12]

regalada--good luck tomorrow--i know exactly how you feel about wanting to do things on your own (i was 14 days overdue and NO one understood why i didn''t want to induce) don''t feel guilty about questioning your OB--you *should* get all the answers. I tortured my OB and was told i was ''difficult'' but it was important for me to be informed thru the whole process. I am sure everything will go smoothly tomorrow--can''t wait to see pics of the new baby

 

[Kay]

Dreamer, it sounds like you accomplished a lot! My first burst of “nesting” involved organizing the garage. We are working on the study and closets now. Getting ready for baby is so much more than just buying baby stuff and preparing the nursery, at least for me. I’d like to get more whole life a bit more organized before she arrives and there is a whole new kind of chaos.

Q, your job sounds cool. I am all for strict enforcement of environmental regulations. I’d be happy with either a cupcake or a cheesecake, but the cupcakes may be easier to eat. Plus, mini cakes seem more festive.

LIA, congrats on passing the half-way point! LOL re having to prove pregnancy before they will let you see a Dr. Just fax them a picture. Better yet, POAS and mail it to them. You are having temps of 106 and 114? Are you in AZ by any chance? I love the outfit you knitted. You are such a cute preggo.

HeadOverHeels, it is certainly easy to catch baby fever around here. Your concerns are not unusual. My mother had difficulty conceiving and other female relatives underwent fertility treatments before conceiving, so I expected to have difficulty. It caught me by complete surprise when we got pregnant quickly – I was at 7 weeks when I realized just how late I was and that I might be PG. You should discuss your concerns with your doctor and get information. You are very young – wait a few years and finish your education and enjoy being married for a little while before you have kids.

Indy, go Cub! We kept calling Wiggle Worm “her” weeks before we knew. It just felt right. I have always had trouble falling back asleep once woken, so the 3 AM bathroom runs are killing me. I will all be worth it in the end, though.

Janine, happy 36th b-day! I turned the big 36 this year too. I hope you passed the GD test. Have you spoken with your Dr. about the gush?

Al, thanks for posting the recall info. It’s amazing how much stuff gets recalled.

Jen, sorry you are having a rough time with names. I can’t believe your DH rolled over and fell asleep to avoid the conversation. I do not care for Marie either, partly b/c it is MIL’s name. Marina is lovely. How about something like Marielle or Marianne? DH and I have been using the veto system. I started by emailing him a list I came up with from reading online name lists. He emailed back with comments on which he liked and which he didn’t, plus a few suggestions of his own. I created a shorter list of names we both liked, and we have been working from that.

Erica, it is not uncommon to have to wait until week 10 for a u/s. Sorry you won’t get to see the little bean sooner.

Neatfreak, ROFL re Pandora’s box. I would be worried about the same thing. I had a cat named Pandora, so we used to joke about having to go clean out Pandora’s box. What teenage boys would come up with would be much worse.

Jas, it is tricky talking with friends who are TTC. One of my close friends is 41 and has been TTC for over a year. She is happy for us, but it is awkward. I try to talk about other things. That is funny about your dog getting kicked, although I'm sure she was not amused.

Snlee, I never changed my name when we married, and I still don’t plan to. I have been practicing under my name for over 9 years and all my degrees are in my name, so it would not be a good career move. Plus, I am just attached to my name. Our kids will use his name. I guess their schools might think I am the step mom.

Pave, glad to hear you got good initial results from the NT scan. Sorry the experience wasn’t more what you were looking for. Glad you liked the UPPAbaby. If a store is selling it for $599, I bet it is the 2007 model. What color did you see? Take a look at BabyCatalog.com. They offer a 10% discount for members (costs $25 per year), plus free shipping and no sales tax to most states.

Lili, please post pics of J here too. I’d love to see her and I can’t keep up with multiple threads.

Regalada, sorry you won’t be able to deliver the way you wanted to, but yay for being a mommy tomorrow. I don’t think 6 pounds is tiny – I was under 7 pounds and about 16.5” at full term and I am 5’ 10.5” now (I won’t mention my weight). Good luck – can’t wait to see baby pics!

 

[DivaDiamond007]

So far so good on the diet for me. I got a lecture from the doc because the dietician wanted me to test my blood sugar every day just like a "regular" diebetic and I refused. We came to a compromise - 1 week on the diet and then I go to the blood lab for another fasting read. Repeat every two weeks till I deliver. The diet isn''t too bad - she based it off of what I normally eat so it''s really more about balancing the carbs and protein at each meal to avoid a huge surge and then huge drop in blood sugar. I feel no different either way.

Got another lecture from the CNP because I gained 4 pounds in the last two weeks - but she did credit me 1 pound since my feet/ankles are pretty swollen. I''m up to 144 pounds so not too bad I don''t think.

Baby is measuring right on target (will be 36 weeks tomorrow) and heartbeat was good. Still head down, facing my right side. It''s feet/knees/butt are sometimes in my ribcage and it''s back is along my left side. The movements are def. squirmy now and not punches or rolls or strong kicks. Hiccups every day - I love it! I can''t wait to meet our little one!

Re: names - we have a name for either a boy or a girl but they are top secret and totally confidential. It took us a long time to come up with names that we both agreed on. My hubby was quite the opposite of some of the others on here. He has a lot of names that he likes (especially boys) but I vetoed quickly without coming up with any of my own.

We put the crib up yesterday!! It''s sooo beautiful! Too bad we don''t have a mattress yet so no cute little sheets yet either. We are ordering the matching dresser today and should have it in about a week. It''s so real now!

Sleeping is still terrible for me. I''m up at least once an hour to pee and when I get back into bed my back and hips hurt sooo bad. I''m taking Tylenol and that helps with the pain but not the sleep part. Ugh. Second trimester was so much more fun!

Jess

 

[curlygirl]

regalada, I''m so excited for you! I know it''s a little scary and not the way you would have "planned" it but I think you just have to put your faith in your doctors and know that they are doing the best thing for you and your little girl. I agree with ellaila that 6 lbs. doesn''t seem that small, but I''m not in the medical field so what do I know?! Anyway, wishing you all the best for tomorrow. Just keep your eyes on the prize--you''ll be holding your little angel before you know it! Can''t wait to hear all about it!!!

Kay, please tell me you''re not really tired of baby movements already!! Honestly, it''s the best part of pregnancy so I hope you will try to enjoy it. I know that is probably the one thing I really missed after giving birth and I''m so excited that I get to feel it all over again.

LIA, your 20 week picture is great! You are tiny!!! Love the dress too! And that knitted outfit is just precious. I wish I could do that!

qtiekiki, that is really sweet that you will get a shower from your coworkers. I like the cupcake idea too.

janine, happy belated birthday!! And yes, you are definitely a youngster in NYC! I think it''s safe to assume you passed your GD test if you haven''t heard anything yet. I''m surprised you got to do yours so early. My doctor waits till 28 weeks. Regarding your "gush", I probably wouldn''t be too worried about it either. There is so much discharge when you''re pregnant and I''ve found that some days are heavier than others. As long as you don''t feel like you''re constantly leaking and it''s not soaking all the way through your underwear, I would assume it''s normal. But I''m not a doctor and if you''re worried, you should definitely call just to be safe. I think you''re ok, though. And it''s good that you''re still feeling movement. I''m loving all the sundresses and loose tops from H&M! I feel like maternity clothes make me look so much bigger than regular ones so I''m pretty happy to be able to wear normal clothes.

snlee, I can''t remember when I first felt hiccups with Lily--I''ll have to check my notes--but she had them all the time and continued to have them outside the womb too! She hiccups A LOT!!! I haven''t felt them with this one yet and not all babies get them. As for kick counts, I was never told to do them. As long as I felt movement every day, my doctor said I was fine but I never had to count them.

pavelover, sounds like everything is going great! Don''t worry about your sleepy baby, they do that a lot!!! Next time, make sure you eat or drink something sweet (chocolate or juice or something like that) before you go and you should get some action! Sorry the ultrasound technician wasn''t so talkative but I think they need to be careful what they say because they''re not doctors. But always feel free to ask questions if you want to know what they''re looking at. After you''ve had a few of these, you''ll be able to recognize most of the parts yourself! You''ll have much more fun at the anatomy scan where they point out exactly what everything is.

Regarding names, we''re still undecided and it''s not really a priority! We''ll get around to it eventually, we still have 3 months. I kept my last name and don''t plan on ever changing it. I don''t mind that Lily has DH''s last name. Her middle name is actually my mother''s name (Marian) and then my last name so she really has 4 names although really nobody uses middle names anyway so it''s not that big a deal. It is on her social security card, birth certificate and passport that way, though!

 

[Kay]

Date: 6/25/2008 11:26:30 AM
Author: sk8rjen

Curly, Eph, Jess, Jas12,Q, TGal, Pave, and dreamer --thanks for commenting on 2nd and 3rd trimester dreams -- hate to say it, but glad i''m not the only one dealing with it! Since the bad dream, i have managed to have a couple of really out-there strange ones (embarrassingly, i was on ''rock of love'' with bret michaels who i don''t find the least bit attractive -ew) and just other weird stuff. I''d much rather return to some of those first-trimester ''fun'' dreams if ya know what i mean...

I''m embarrassed to admit I also had a dream about being on Rock of Love and hooking up with Bret. I woke up feeling creeped out.

 

[Kay]

Date: 6/26/2008 12:52:08 AM
Author: qtiekiki
snlee - I use a hyphenated last name, my last name - his last name. I didn''t change my last name for 2 yrs after we got married, then I lost my driver''s license and DH insists that I change my last name then. So I compromised with the hyphenated last name. Our kids will use just his last name.

I keep reading about other people feeling hiccups much earlier. I was

, but I didn''t feel hiccups until around 32 weeks.

I never did any kick counting. My dr said as long as I feel her everyday, then I am fine. And he told me if I didn''t feel her, then drink some water and lay on my left side to wake her up. If she still doesn''t kick after that, then I need to call my dr.

pave - I like not being in the heat, but I dread sitting at the desk all day because so much of my work is based on the field work. I feel like I am not doing enough work.

Sounds like your NT scan went well (as far as the results you''ve gotten so far). Too bad you didn''t get to see your baby more.

Crap, I wonder if that is what I''m doing wrong at night. I take my vitamins with half a glass of water and then I lay down on my left side to try to sleep. I wonder what it is about laying on the left side that wakes them?

 

[HeadOverHeels4James]

I appreciate everyones comments and suggestions.

I know I''m young (I hate to tell people my age) I don''t act like most 20 year olds, nor do I care to!

Most people think FF and I are in our late 20''s. My OB/GYN told me "try to have children as young as possible, or you may never be able to" and he said I should get a full hysterectomy by the age of 30. FF and I both have good jobs and have great plans for our life. We are not in the same point of our life''s as most 20 year olds. Without getting into great detail my problems are very severe, we thought I was going to die. So I feel very blessed to be here and to dream of FF and I''s future children. My mother and father are very supportive us having children. I understand we are very young, and I totally agree most people shouldn''t have kids until much later in life, but our situation is very different.

 

[Dreamer_D]

LIA: love that knitting, are you going to make stuff for your own little one?

Janine: I''m sure you passed your GD if they haven''t called, glad to hear that you think the "gush" wasn''t anything serious!

Allison: thanks for the info!

lili & snlee: I haven''t heard of counting the kicks before, that sounds like it would be pretty nerve-wracking to d oon a regular basis...

pave: we picked our names before we even conceived, mostly because we are losers

I think the norm by far is to pick later on! I wasn''t even named until I was 3 weeks old, but that seems excessive

ellaila: I don''t know about Preggo 2.0, but I think Nerdvill 2.0 is a fitting name! The whole charting thing is actually kind of fun, or it was for me, I''ll probably use it for birth control later on. I do wish that I had been able to just "go with the flow" and see what happened but I had an (apparently) unfounded fear that I wouldn''t be able to conceive... it wasn''t based on anything, I guess I just worried because I wanted it so badly.

Tacori: that''s great news about your neighbours kids... so you spend much time with the other mothers in your area, or do you find it is difficult to get together with other moms with a young baby... this is something I think about. I imagine it would be great to hang out with other moms, but my friends who are moms have said it can be hard to co-ordinate a trip out with an infant.

Regalada: Good luck!!

Kay: You are so right that getting the house organized is a lot of work! All I see all around me are things I want to take care of! I''m trying to do lots of it now in case I feel ill in a few more weeks when m/s kicks in... whatever happens, I''ve been wanting a tidier house for a long time so this is a good excuse.

Diva: It sucks to have to watch what you eat, but keeping your blood sugar stable is generally a good tihng, even if you don''t have GD! Do you still get to eat your favourite treats??

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 6/26/2008 11:33:26 AM
Author: HeadOverHeels4James
I appreciate everyones comments and suggestions.

I know I''m young (I hate to tell people my age) I don''t act like most 20 year olds, nor do I care to!

Most people think FF and I are in our late 20''s. My OB/GYN told me ''try to have children as young as possible, or you may never be able to'' and he said I should get a full hysterectomy by the age of 30. FF and I both have good jobs and have great plans for our life. We are not in the same point of our life''s as most 20 year olds. Without getting into great detail my problems are very severe, we thought I was going to die. So I feel very blessed to be here and to dream of FF and I''s future children. My mother and father are very supportive us having children. I understand we are very young, and I totally agree most people shouldn''t have kids until much later in life, but our situation is very different.

I''m so sorry you are having to deal with this! I wonder if you have ever heard of the fertility awareness method of keeping track of your bodies fertility signs to predict when you are fertile? There is a book, Taking Charge of Your Fertility, which is really great at explaining it. It is very simple, and if you have PCOS it may be especially helpful for you to chart so you can identify when you ovulate. Apparently that can be one of the biggest challenges to conception when you have irregular cycles--knowing when to "get busy" so you can catch the egg! There is a website too www.ovusoft.com, which has message boards. When you are ready to conceive, you may find these resources useful!

Also, try to keep the faith that you will conceive! One of my best friends was told that she would probably never have kids by at least 3 doctors when she was in her late teens and early 20s. She went on to get preggo relatively easily by charting and identifying her fertile times, and now has a 2.5 year old! So it can happen, and I''m sure it will happen for you too!

 

[pavelover]

Pave, glad to hear you got good initial results from the NT scan. Sorry the experience wasn’t more what you were looking for. Glad you liked the UPPAbaby. If a store is selling it for $599, I bet it is the 2007 model. What color did you see? Take a look at BabyCatalog.com. They offer a 10% discount for members (costs $25 per year), plus free shipping and no sales tax to most states.

Kay- thanks so much for the info- Ephemery said she would give me her store/sale info too and I am going to keep looking on line. I actually was wrong about the price. I found it for 575 plus 10 off but I am not sure about tax and shipping. But I think I am happy with the 2007 model- I know the wheels will be a little wider but if that is it- I think I can deal. Then again, in the long run 50 buck wont break me. Did you decide which one you are going to get? I have seen alot of used bugaboo chameleons on CL. Not sure if you would go 2nd hand. The pics show them to be in good condition. I feel like the bugaboo is too pricey for me, and I can just about justify the Uppa- I am a marketing person''s dream, I tell you.

 

[snlee]

regalada - good luck! I don't think 6 pounds is small for a baby. I was around 6lbs 5oz when I was born. I'm hoping for a 6-7 pound baby rather than a 8-10 pound baby.

Jess, I am so excited for you! You're almost there!

HeadOverHeels, I'm sorry you have to deal with that. My DH and I are also mature for our age - we act older than we are - so I know what you mean. When I was your age I wanted to have a baby soon and I wanted to be a young mom. But I didn't have a time constraint like you. I wish you lots of luck when you start TTC! When are you getting married? When do you plan to TTC?

 

[HeadOverHeels4James]

Thanks DD and SNLEE, your kind words are defiantly encouraging. I hope to be engaged by the end of this year!!

We haven''t used any protection for like 9 months now. So I guess I''ll begin charting and such about a year after we are married. We said if we don''t get pregnant by June 2011 we will probably start to look into fertility treatments. He has had a doctor tell him he most likely wouldn''t conceive naturally. So we have 2 whammies against us. So when if/when it does happen it will only be that much better!

 

[HeadOverHeels4James]

Date: 6/26/2008 12:15:56 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie

Date: 6/26/2008 11:33:26 AM

Author: HeadOverHeels4James

I appreciate everyones comments and suggestions.

I know I''m young (I hate to tell people my age) I don''t act like most 20 year olds, nor do I care to!

Most people think FF and I are in our late 20''s. My OB/GYN told me ''try to have children as young as possible, or you may never be able to'' and he said I should get a full hysterectomy by the age of 30. FF and I both have good jobs and have great plans for our life. We are not in the same point of our life''s as most 20 year olds. Without getting into great detail my problems are very severe, we thought I was going to die. So I feel very blessed to be here and to dream of FF and I''s future children. My mother and father are very supportive us having children. I understand we are very young, and I totally agree most people shouldn''t have kids until much later in life, but our situation is very different.

I''m so sorry you are having to deal with this! I wonder if you have ever heard of the fertility awareness method of keeping track of your bodies fertility signs to predict when you are fertile? There is a book, Taking Charge of Your Fertility, which is really great at explaining it. It is very simple, and if you have PCOS it may be especially helpful for you to chart so you can identify when you ovulate. Apparently that can be one of the biggest challenges to conception when you have irregular cycles--knowing when to ''get busy'' so you can catch the egg! There is a website too www.ovusoft.com, which has message boards. When you are ready to conceive, you may find these resources useful!


Also, try to keep the faith that you will conceive! One of my best friends was told that she would probably never have kids by at least 3 doctors when she was in her late teens and early 20s. She went on to get preggo relatively easily by charting and identifying her fertile times, and now has a 2.5 year old! So it can happen, and I''m sure it will happen for you too!

THanks for all the great info!!! FF and I will defiantly check all this stuff out together!!

 

[jas]

HeadOverHeels --

If it makes you feel better, I was told about 4-5 years ago that having kids would be "nearly impossible" and that even with serious medical intervention, I might never be pregnant.

Fast forward...despite using birth control and apparently being infertile, my twins are due later this summer.

More later guys...I'm feeling kinda weird about the split of threads, especially reading some of the comments. It's making me feel really sad (and I am super hormonal today, understand).

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 6/26/2008 1:28:00 PM
Author: jas
HeadOverHeels --

If it makes you feel better, I was told about 4-5 years ago that having kids would be ''nearly impossible'' and that even with serious medical intervention, I might never be pregnant.

Fast forward...despite using birth control and apparently being infertile, my twins are due later this summer.

More later guys...I''m feeling kinda weird about the split of threads, especially reading some of the ''relieved'' comments. It''s making me feel really sad (and I am super hormonal today, understand).

Hey Jas...you''ve got double the load in there, so you''re allowed to be doubly hormonal.

Don''t be sad. It''s just a lot easier for us to deal with mama stuff on one thread and preggo stuff on the other. Some people, once they have their babies are just totally over the preggo phase. Others just love to relive experiences through current preggos. Nothing bad, just different, yanno?

I still love y''all.

More later...I was reading to catch up on this one (it still moves fast!) and saw your post first and wanted to respond.

 

[jas]

Date: 6/26/2008 1:32:09 PM
Author: TravelingGal

Date: 6/26/2008 1:28:00 PM
Author: jas
HeadOverHeels --

If it makes you feel better, I was told about 4-5 years ago that having kids would be ''nearly impossible'' and that even with serious medical intervention, I might never be pregnant.

Fast forward...despite using birth control and apparently being infertile, my twins are due later this summer.

More later guys...I''m feeling kinda weird about the split of threads, especially reading some of the ''relieved'' comments. It''s making me feel really sad (and I am super hormonal today, understand).

Hey Jas...you''ve got double the load in there, so you''re allowed to be doubly hormonal.

Don''t be sad. It''s just a lot easier for us to deal with mama stuff on one thread and preggo stuff on the other. Some people, once they have their babies are just totally over the preggo phase. Others just love to relive experiences through current preggos. Nothing bad, just different, yanno?

I still love y''all.

More later...I was reading to catch up on this one (it still moves fast!) and saw your post first and wanted to respond.

Understood, Tgal (and thanks!) I think I''m just totally reading into comments today. Some Ben and Jerry''s will right my brain!

Hope you''re doing ok. Thinking of you.

 

[qtiekiki]

I woke up this morning feeling a lot of pressure on my pelvic area, and it hurts when I walk (I have to take slow, small steps to walk). I called my dr and he said the pressure is normal. He asked if I felt any contractions, and I said no because I don’t think I had. So he said try not to walk too much because I am only 34 ½ weeks and if I feel tightening, then I should go home and lay down. I am just going to wait and see how I feel.

Anyways I am not sure how contractions feel like. I know people keep saying you will know when it comes, but I am kind of confused since I am 34 ½ weeks and haven’t feel any BH. I am not sure if I am just not aware of them or if I just haven’t had them.

So question for mommies (if you are around) and those who felt BH or contractions – What do they feel like? Is it just some cramp like pains and tightening of the uterus? How does the tightening feel like?

P.S. Sorry I didn''t respond to anyone because I am too tired to read through everything.

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 6/26/2008 1:43:58 PM
Author: qtiekiki

I woke up this morning feeling a lot of pressure on my pelvic area, and it hurts when I walk (I have to take slow, small steps to walk). I called my dr and he said the pressure is normal. He asked if I felt any contractions, and I said no because I don’t think I had. So he said try not to walk too much because I am only 34 ½ weeks and if I feel tightening, then I should go home and lay down. I am just going to wait and see how I feel.

Anyways I am not sure how contractions feel like. I know people keep saying you will know when it comes, but I am kind of confused since I am 34 ½ weeks and haven’t feel any BH. I am not sure if I am just not aware of them or if I just haven’t had them.

So question for mommies (if you are around) and those who felt BH or contractions – What do they feel like? Is it just some cramp like pains and tightening of the uterus? How does the tightening feel like?

P.S. Sorry I didn''t respond to anyone because I am too tired to read through everything.

The tightening felt like a hard cramping. Mine came on gradually and lasted for a few seconds. Went away gradually. Some were painful, some not so. HTH, good luck!!!

 

[curlygirl]

qtiekiki, contractions definitely feel unlike anything you've ever experienced before. I never had BH but I knew exactly when I was having contractions. It is a tightening with a cramp and it is comes and goes pretty consistently. You may be able to recognize a pattern--not necessarily in terms of timing but in how they feel. Very repetitive and probably not too painful but it will be something that you haven't really encountered before. I don't really know how to explain it but I hope that helps. Drink TONS of water and try to stay off your feet if you're really not feeling well. I think water is key at this point. Keep us posted...

 

[ellaila]

Date: 6/26/2008 1:41:35 PM
Author: jas

Understood, Tgal (and thanks!) I think I''m just totally reading into comments today. Some Ben and Jerry''s will right my brain!

Hope you''re doing ok. Thinking of you.

oh jackie, i hope it wasn''t my "2.0" comment! i totally didn''t mean anything bad by that so i''m sorry if i offended you ...

q, for me, contrax were *intense* waves of pain. granted, mine started at like 4 mins apart so i''m not sure how they''d feel with more time between them. but for me, BH were more pressure-like and real contrax were YIKES! i agree with curly - drink lotsa water and go lie down on your left side. we''re all anxious to meet meena but not yet!

 

[lili]

regalada--
good luck tomorrow.
hope you have a speedy labor and delivery.
can''t wait to meet your little one!

6 lbs is small?
my niece must be puny since she''s not even 6lbs when she was born.

 

[jas]

Date: 6/26/2008 2:06:31 PM
Author: ellaila

Date: 6/26/2008 1:41:35 PM
Author: jas

Understood, Tgal (and thanks!) I think I''m just totally reading into comments today. Some Ben and Jerry''s will right my brain!

Hope you''re doing ok. Thinking of you.

oh jackie, i hope it wasn''t my ''2.0'' comment! i totally didn''t mean anything bad by that so i''m sorry if i offended you ...

q, for me, contrax were *intense* waves of pain. granted, mine started at like 4 mins apart so i''m not sure how they''d feel with more time between them. but for me, BH were more pressure-like and real contrax were YIKES! i agree with curly - drink lotsa water and go lie down on your left side. we''re all anxious to meet meena but not yet!

No, silly. Having just downed a healthy portion of Cherry Garcia, I am qualified to say that I was totally hormonal, irrational, and Ben-and-Jerry Deficient. Ignore everything, carry on. Honestly, even if everyone were holding hands singing Kumbaya, I''d have snarked today.

My apologies to everyone for being such a party pooper.

 

[regalada]

ladies, thank you for your good wishes. I didn''t think 6 pounds was too small until the doctor said she was in the 11th percentile. It''s funny how the ultrasound technician started out very chatty and then got very quiet as she took more and more measurements, that''s when I knew something was up. I''m not too worried about her size, DH says the smaller she is the easier it will be to push her out right? I hope he''s right .

qtiekiki, I had Brackton Hicks starting on my 7th month. I didn''t know what they were until the nurse who taught our childbirth class put her hand on my belly and felt it. For me it feels like a balling up, comes up as a wave usually from the bottom then tightens up the entire belly. It makes it very tight, if I try to poke it with my finger I can''t. Mine were related to activity and came very close together, if I was laying down they would mostly go away so I was on bed rest for three months because of them.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

DD, she lives 2 houses over so it''s really easy (for me) to stop by. Harder for her since she has twins and a 3.5 year old. I go over there a few times a week. I like Tessa to have some social interaction with other babies/kids since she doesn''t go to daycare. She likes one of the twins more than the other. So weird to think she could ALREADY has a preference. They basically just poke each other, try to take away whatever the other one is playing with, and suck on random limbs. T is the oldest and the most mobile so she usually gets what she wants. She also loves the 3.5 year old. They came over yesterday to sing happy birthday to me (with candles and cupcakes) and came in for a bit. All of the sudden I heard T GIGGLE in the monitor and then a little boy''s voice saying "Hi Tessa" then more giggling.

It was really funny though. Also we have been going to the gym together. I have a few other friends with babies but don''t see them nearly as often. We try to do a girls night once a month but summer seems to be a busy time.

 

[lili]

QT
I had Braxton Hicks fairly early at 14 wks.
To me, they were like your uterus balling up.
Tightening from the bottom and worked its way to the fundus.
Very hard to the touch.
They were more annoying than painful.
The frequency pick up as my pregnancy progresses.
At the beginning, I''d get them only in the morning.
Later in the pregnancy, they happen every other hour.
The day before I delivered, it was more like every other hour.

After my water broke, I think that''s when contraction kicked in.
With contraction, my uterus did tighten, but there wasn''t a balling effect.
Along with the tightening, I get extreme pressure in my lower back.

Try what Curly suggested -- drink some water, get up and move around if you''ve been sitting, or lay down if you''ve been active.
And see if the pressure goes away.

 

[janinegirly]

regalada: I''m also surprised that that is considered small--that was my weight at birth and I was full term! Good luck with everything and keep us posted--looking forward to some pics

curly: yay for being considered youngsters in our later 30''s

. I think it''s fine that you haven''t chosen a name yet--we''re stiill working on a middle name and it''s on the back burner too. I think it''s great that Lily has 2 middle names..I''d like to have my maiden name be my LO''s middle name but DH isn''t crazy about it and says no one does that, but it''s tradition in our family, so maybe 4 names is a possibility!

Thanks to all for the well wishes on the "gush". I did call my doctor who said if it was my water breaking, I''d have a steady trickle. She said it''s probably fine, but if it continues or shows up again, to call. My doctor tends to be laid back though, unless I push the issue, which is why I was hesitating on calling. I figure if it was really early labor I''d have some contractions or other symptom--so let''s hope I''m right!

I''ve got some questions for you all--is it customary to not have an u/s after the 20wk one? My dr. says there won''t be anymore unless there''s a complication. I just don''t see how they can truly assess grown, position of baby,etc. without one?
Also, what kind of movement is expected at 26wks? I feel moves here and there, especially at night, but not necessarily every night. Some are kicks (I think), some are wiggles, some just sensations. I never get sick of them though and want more!!

 

[DivaDiamond007]

Q - My BH''s feel like my belly is balling up. It gets really tight and then relaxes. It''s mildly uncomfortable and doesn''t hurt. I get a few each day. If you''ve been up and about try laying down and relaxing and if you''ve been laying down then try to get up and walk a bit. I also agree that you should be drinking a lot of water each day. Dehydration can cause contractions so make sure you drink up (especially in this heat). I also get pretty severe back pain, but the doc and I have come to the conclusion that it''s not contractions but the position of the baby and the strain of carrying around this watermelon. I hope you feel better soon!

Dreamer - no treats for me, unfortunately. I can "cheat" like once a week and that''s it. The doc wants me to avoid sugar as much as possible so no chocolate, soda or candies

HE''s obviously never been pregnant

! I know it''s for the best but it is hard to resist chocolate and I miss having a soda with dinner.

Jess

 

[Tacori E-ring]

U/S: I had one at 6 weeks and some change to date pregnancy. They say the early u/s are the most accurate. (Though I had a blood test as well). Then the big on at 20 weeks. It was AMAZING! One of the best moments of my pregnancy. Then I had one around 34 weeks (?) b/c I felt like she was breeched....she was. I cannot remember the exact appointment but it is documented in this thread SOMEWHERE. I had the last one at 40 weeks 1 day b/c I was overdue. Had I had no "complications" I wouldn''t of had one after 20 weeks.

Contrax: Oh, I was so naive. I kept asking the doc how would I KNOW when they were real (I had LOTS of BH) oh, you. will. know. When you can''t stand/talk/breathe/move/see...they are real.

 

[curlygirl]

janine, she can totally have 4 names! I feel like anything goes these days!! Regarding ultrasounds, yes, it's true that most doctors will not do one after 20 weeks unless there is a good reason. I will probably have one more at around 30 or 32 weeks (I think) to check my cervix because it is on the shorter side due to some procedures to remove abnormal cells in the past. It was fine during my first pregnancy and did its job perfectly so there's no reason to assume there will be problems this time but I know my doctor will probably want to do one more scan just to be sure. She did it last time too. They check growth at that point too but I think it's because I'm considered somewhat "high risk" because of the cervix stuff. And like Tacori said, if you go past your due date, you'll definitely have another one to check on the baby's condition. I think it's called a non-stress test and biophysical profile. But in most cases, there are no more ultrasounds after the 20 week one.

The next time you see your baby is when you meet her in person!!!

 

[jas]

Oy what a day. I was out of sorts most of the day and then just heard my mom got downsized. Maybe I had a 6th sense it was coming. I should know better than to try to overanalyze things.

Chicago air quality is funky today, but at least that gets me out of walking the pooch. (DH feels really guilty that I get so uncomfortable, lord love him.)

We have decided on a "puppy" theme for the nursery. I''m so excited about that!

And kick me off the baseball team, people, because I''m now more belly itcher than pitcher. Holy cow, my tummy is itchy. Lotion really doesn''t help. And, as long as I''m on the topic, when did my tummy become so fuzzy? Good thing it''s light hair, but I swear I feel like Cousin It with a case of the creeping crud.

Dreamer -- Funny? Sometimes. Snarky? Always!
Igal -- I stopped POAS after going through a pack of 20 strips. I was enjoying it a little too much! Have a good trip!
Janine -- I hope you''re feeling ok and that the "gushing" has resolved itself by now.
Snlee -- Thanks for asking. My fibroid is apparently now over 10cm (and growing...I call it my triplet), but as long as the babies don''t kick it, I don''t think about it. I am SUPPOSED to be horizontal 4-6 hours a day (reminds me of college, nyuk nyuk) but I''ve been kinda bad about that. Maybe 3-4 days a week I do that. LOL about the belly stares. I just assume it''s because my tummy arrives minutes before the rest of me. As long as they are smiling and not gasping in horror, I''m ok with it. It''s another potential t-shirt:

On the belly write "Eyes up here" with an arrow pointing up. Then, across the chest, write, "No, further up!"

No hiccups for me so far, but they are squirmy on some days. Other days, it feels like they are filming a very lackadaiscal Corona commercial in there, ya know, the kind where they are just sprawled out. I have no idea what they are doing, and I''m almost 28 weeks. Is it an elbow? A foot? Did I eat a puppy?

Pave -- yeah, the NF test was not the magical experience I thought it would be either. Very clinical and my tech seemed to forget that I was actually interested in seeing my baby! I''m sorry for the scare...sounds like you have a very determined little bean in there! The 20 weeker will be more rewarding for you.

Erica -- I hear ya about names. As more of our friends procreated, I was afraid we''d be left with some pretty sorry choices. Like "Herpes" or "Spatula Licker"

Lili -- When DH manages to take a picture that does not make me look like the Goodyear Blimp having an interesting hair day, I''ll post it.

Kidding...I''ll post the one we took last Sunday. More baby pictures, please!

Regalada -- Congratulations and enjoy this last night before parenthood. 6 lbs sounds good to me! Keep us posted when you can, we all can''t wait to "meet" your little one!

Hi Kay! How are you feeling these days? Lol about your dream! And, ew.

Diva -- at 144, you are still tiny...I''m at least 12 pounds more than you! Hooray for hiccups! I am sending you comfy sleeping position vibes...and I cannot wait to hear the name for your little one, when the time is right of course.

Ok, I''m going to dig up my 27 week picture for Lili....