Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[neatfreak]

Hi all! I am so glad to see that all our early L&D adventures have ended well for now! I am thinking about all of you guys and hoping all the babies stay put for another few weeks at least.

Thing are crazy busy here...had a Dr's appointment today, nothing exciting, heard both HB's nice and strong, I am 18 weeks but measuring 21 so my Dr is pretty happy. I am working up the courage to post a picture, but I'm not there yet.

The one exciting thing is that we DID schedule the "big" u/s for August 22! I can't wait. Wish I didn't have to wait so long, but I am having it with the super high tech machine AND the perinatologist at the hospital, and she is booked solid for the next month. So I am glad I got something at all. My doctor wants her to do it just to make sure everything looks good. Fine with me considering that she is known as one of the best doctors in my city period. So no complaints here, I know I am in good hands if something is wrong.


Lisa You know that abnormally high betas were what made my dr's give me the really early ultrasound because they were worried right???? My Dr. said that it is an indicator of multiples...but can also be an indicator of a number of other things too. We'd love more twins or triplets here!

Erica Just so you don't get your hopes up it is very rare to be able to know the sex at 12 weeks, but I sure hope you can! How fun would that be. I'll be 21 weeks when we find out, which is normal. Usually you find out at the 20 week anomaly scan. I'm so sorry to hear about your m/s, mine came and went too. Best thing is eating small bits all the time, even if it's like 1/2 a strawberry at a time.

Sorry not to answer everyone else personally, I'm reading when I can, just trying to get 2 publications out the door this week, PLUS our apartment is being renovated, so it's nuts!

 

[mela lu]

Oh Man Lisa - I selfishly hope you do have multi-multiples in there...more little gorgeous ones for us to fawn over!!!!!!!

 

[snlee]

QT, yes, I've gotten the steroids to help develop the baby's lungs. I really like hearing stories similar to your SIL's. It helps me stay positive so thanks for sharing!

mela, thanks for your good thoughts. I hope to see you over here again soon! Lots of baby dust to you!

lisa, holy cow about your beta numbers. When do you think you can get an u/s to find out more? Thanks for the leave summary. I've got the FMLA, PTL, and SDA stuff down but figuring out who is paying me what and when is confusing. That's very interesting that disability is not taxed. As for FMLA, we both work for the same company so DH doesn't get to use it. I'll be using the full 12 weeks. Fortunately, he's able to take time off when needed and work from home.

erica, at my 13 week NT scan, the tech didn't even bother trying to find out the baby's gender. It's usually not reliable that early. I'm sorry to hear about your m/s and hope it goes away soon!

jen, aww your boys are growing up! Enjoy the quiet time before the girls arrive. I'm glad to hear the twins are doing well!

jas, hope you are getting some much needed rest. Hang in there!

sbde, glad to hear your m/s is getting better and I hope it goes away soon.

NF, yay for scheduling your big u/s! I can't wait to find out what you're having!

 

[lisa1.01fvs1]

Hey Erica that pic. is disorienting but if u want to look back you can see that it's a "crotch-shot" of Olivia.

Her bottom is facing viewer and leggs are out-streched to the left (as if she's sitting on the image & we see her bottom).

The 3 lines are the vajajay.

NeatFreak - I have to go back and read your early days too! Hmmm, now u have me intrigued about high betas. 2 publications/reno. so you're basically
Wonderwoman!

Jas - good to hear you are well.

SBDE - I'm not really a vomitor sans pg. so it doesn't surprise me that so far I've never yacked! Recently though, I have felt that watery mouth thing and it stopped me in my tracks.
I don't know how well I'd do if that went on and on. I hear the Zofran is great?

 

[sbde]

thanks snlee!

lisa, zofran is a god send. it works like a charm - QUICKLY - and is the only reason i''ve been able to function for the past few weeks. i reallllllllly hope your m/s doesn''t manifest itself anymore than it already has though, zofran or no zofran.

 

[janinegirly]

Hi Ladies,

Glad to hear everyone's ok with the spate of recent visits to L&D! yikes!

Snlee: hang in there and glad to hear you're back home

Jen: like curly, I"m impressed with your DTD story. DH always has a headache. He wont' admit it but I think he is not too turned on by the belly. Humph!

Curly: We're so close to the top of the list...I'm getting nervous!!! Yay for Lily's 15 month visit, she'll be a supermodel at this rate!

Qtiekiki: Glad to hear you and Meena are doing great!!

Jas: Happy you're back home. I'm not ready to be 2nd on the list for awhile just yet

Things remain boring with me, had my 32 wk appointment, and I'm so sick of having my BP and weight checked! I want to know more (stomps feet)--especially since this baby is a quiet one. Unfortunately there's no u/s until 36 wks and that's apparently just to see how the baby is positioned. But as far as my weight..holy cow, I've gained 32lbs!!! I'm' a tiny person normally, I swear! I wish they'd tell me how much of this is baby.
I'm still feeling generally well, but feel quite huge and moving slower. It's hard b/c I want to work till the end, but client meetings and running around to meetings is not so easy anymore, and I'm getting self conscious when everyone looks at the belly first! Not to mention NYC strangers on the street who like to yell out random things like "is it a boy or a girl", or my favorite "are you having twins"

.

 

[lover in athens]

aaargggh...
SUPPOSED to be studying!!! just decided to do a little drop by and MAN am i behind!!! can''t believe everything that is going on. jackie, snlee, and jen...MAN...scary stories. i''m going to echo everyone else and say, NO BAKING AND KEEP THOSE LEGS CROSSED!!!! i am thinking about each and every one of you!

congrats to lisa and blen!!

no real time to get caught up with everyone (SORRY!!!!), but wanted to say that whatever it is...it''s CONTAGIOUS!! i spent the morning in L&D. started having a ton of BH last night around 8:30 (maybe 15/hour?). we had been up since 3:30 am for the drive back from LA to tucson and were TIRED. i was trying to ignore them decided to drink a ton and go to bed. things lessened in bed, but didn''t go away entirely. everytime i would get up to go to the bathroom, i''d have another contraction or 2. sucky sucky suck. i spent half the night worrying about the baby and the other half worrying that i wouldn''t be able to go to chicago for my test this weekend (which i paid $2200 to take and is offered only ONCE a year)!!! so anyway, fast forward to this morning. called the ob who of course wanted me to go in (and couldn''t believe i hadn''t called earlier). went to triage and was place on monitors, etc. kept getting INCREDIBLY lightheaded and nauseated (no idea why). would''ve thought they''d have given me some fluids (IV), but they just force fed (drank??) me by mouth instead. i was having pretty regular (although not strong) contrx, so the doc wanted to do the fibronectin test. well, the nurse goes to do it and sets something off in my super friable cervix and i start bleeding. so they can''t send the test (it''s no good if there is any blood), and this jumpstarts even MORE and stronger contrax. UGH. so i get a shot of terbutaline, which thank goodness quieted everything down. they monitored me for a couple more hours and now i''m home and feeling decent. i have my regular scheduled OB visit tomorrow AM so i think they felt pretty comfortable about sending me home. not even on bed rest (although i am on pelvic rest, which, to be honest with, i am FINE with!!!).

so anyway, nothing too scary, but not fun either. doesn''t even come CLOSE to comparing with what you other girls have gone through...i can only imagine how scary that would be!!!

thinking of EVERYONE!!!!

 

[qtiekiki]

What's with all these scary L&D trips this weekend/week? I am glad all you ladies are doing well now.

LIA - glad you are home, and hope your OB visit goes well.

janine - hang in there with work. I wanted to work til the end too, but toward the end it was just too hard to work and concentrate on work. Since you are a small girl, you probably need the extra weight for the baby.

snlee - just stay positive. I am sure you'll be fine since you are young. My SIL was 34 when she had her DS. He just turned 4 this past June, and he is big for his age.

NF - you are one busy preggie, doing 2 publications. Bet you can't wait til Aug 22 to see your babies. Have fun at the u/s.

sbde - that onesie is so sweet. I went overboard shopping for baby clothes, but they are just so darn cute.

Jas - take it easy.

jen - you too.

Indy - it's too funny how you ended up with new prenatal vitamins. hehe.

ETA: I gained a total of 30lbs during the pregnancy. Right now, after childbirth, I weigh 120lbs (up 10lbs from pre-pg). Just some numbers for you ladies.

 

[Blenheim]

Geez LIA. All the babies need to stay put!!!

Jen, Jackie, Snlee - all of you are still in my thoughts as well.

Lisa, you better not be the next Kate.

Sbde, I had to kill some time in a mall earlier this week and saw that onesie. If I felt ready to buy baby clothing, I totally would have bought it. It''s adorable.

I didn''t buy the wrap, but I bookmarked it. I can''t decide.

When does morning sickness generally set in? Just wondering what to expect.

 

[softly softly]

Date: 8/3/2008 4:25:42 PM
Author: Independent Gal
JAS, DH is all excited, because I'm considering branching out into red meat under the circumstances (I barely eat chicken and fish, usually!) He's all dancing around and saying 'BRAZILIAN STEAKHOUSE! BRAZILIAN STEAKHOUSE!' Cause hey, let's face it, going to one of those places practically IS purchasing your own cow and gnawing on it.

I can relate Indy!! I am veggo and my husband would have been over the moon if I'd hinted at trying red meat while I was preggers. And I have to confess, at the end of my second pregnancy I almost wished I had.

I hate what iron supplements do to my digestive system so I was naughty and told my doctor I was taking them when I wasn't and tried my best to boost my iron intake through diet (which I had also done throughout the latter half of my first pregnancy). I ended up loosing a lot of blood during the C/S delivery which almost resulted in me needing a blood transfusion and which earned me a stern lecture from the doctor. I really regretted it when I wanted to cry from sheer exhaustion during the first 2 days and was I was very upset when a helpful midwife told me that having abnormally low iron levels would probably delay my milk coming in. Thankfully this wasn't the case, but I remember it was the first time I ever felt any sort of regret over not eating meat.

Interestingly a friend of mine who is also vegetarian and who had twins, faithfully stuck to her doctor's recommendations regarding iron supplements and was in much better shape after she delivered.

 

[snlee]

Oh my! No more L&D stories please! What is going on!? It's getting scary!

LIA, Did the terbutaline stop all your contractions? Will they be doing the fFN test on your later? Did they check your cervix? Were all the contractions just BH so no cervical changes? I am so glad to hear you are home and doing okay. I hope your appointment goes well tomorrow. Please keep us posted. Get lots of rest.

janine, I am glad you are doing well. Please enjoy your boring pregnancy.

 

[lover in athens]

snlee...thanks for the concern! you are a ptl expert now (poor thing!!).
they didn''t say if they would do the ffn test later...i''m assuming not. part of me thinks they were going to do it just to do SOMETHING if you know what i mean. i almost wish they hadn''t because i''m not sure if it''s even necessary (especially if they don''t think they need to redo it now that it didn''t work). i am definitely not making sense here am i??

thank goodness my cervix is NOT changing. they were all braxton hicks... there was just a lot of blood when she did the cervical exam (TMI!!), which i guess was from the botched ffn??

part of me (okay most of me) thinks that the contrax would have just gone away on their own if i hadn''t even gone in...it''s so frustrating!! although now they''re coming back (which i guess i didn''t expect after the terbutaline)...i called ob and they said if >6/hr, go back to L&D. but i know they won''t even DO anything there!! crazy uterus, i tell you!!!

how are YOU feeling, snlee? i''m so glad that everything was status quo at your appt today... i really am thinking about you (i was before, but even more now that i know just how scary this can all be). please keep us posted as to what''s going on!!!

 

[sk8rjen]

LIA -- not you too!! Geez, what a whirlwind around here...I''m really glad to know you are not dilating. Tell l.o. he''s grounded -- Jackie grounded her boys, my girls are currently grounded now too (as per their daddy! I forgot how far along you are? Take it easy and i''m crossing my fingers that the contrax go away again.

Jas - glad you checked in! I know you can''t be here regularly, but you know we''re gonna worry about you... hope you are feeling ok and bedrest isn''t a total suck.

Lisa -- ok, my betas -- only had one set done and it was either 20 or 21 dpo (or as i suspect, *both* . I was having spotting and if the numbers would have been low, they would have done a second set, but since they were "above average" we got to schedule an u/s instead (which was at 7 weeks on the dot and I got to see both babies and h/b''s!) So, anyway:
Beta HCG: 6643 (even high on the twins chart!)
Progesterone: 45.3
I was excited at even having the CHANCE of having twins as DH and I have joked about it for a long time now and i always always wanted twins... despite the worries and stresses and discomforts, i feel really blessed...

SBDE -- oh, what a sweet onesie!

NF -- so glad to hear you are measuring big too! I am looking forward to your big u/s as well -- you *will* tell us what their genders are won''t you? Seems like odds are in favor of boy/girl, so it''ll be interesting to find out

Besides healthy, what are you hoping for? Do you have names picked out?

Snlee -- i will definitely try to appreciate the "quiet time" before the girls arrive -- I don''t even remember what that''s like!

Janine -- how nice to hear that you are having a "boring" pregnancy

Gotta love those preggo comments people make. I think they feel obligated to say *something* and it usually comes ot stupid

Sorry about your dh and his "headaches" -- my first trimester was like that, so i was making up for lost time (and while my dh doesn''t mind the ginormous belly, he did mention that things don''t look much different from the "other" view. ahem, sorry.... but, well, it worked for us

Q -- 20 pounds down already? I''m impressed!

Blen -- thanks! M/s for me was *not* as bad this time with the twins, actually -- at 6 weeks i was still ok and then it hit out of nowhere within the next week. But the fatigue bit me in the arse much worse

With my boys, i had m/s consistently shortly after conception, peaking around the 8 to 10 week marks, and not sying out until i was in my 2nd trimester. Hope you get the easy version -- careful what you wish for

OK, so my boys are all checked in and ready to start school and i am *exhausted*! I LOVE the elementary school my 8 and 5 year olds are going to, but i''m on the fence about gabe''s middle school -- it has a great GT program and international studies program, but it''s known to be a bit "rough" and gabe is only 10 (youngest student there)and tiny for 10 at that -- plus he''s a redhead. I know it''s a terrible thing to worry about your child being beaten up, but I do... he''s the size of a 3rd grader. Fortunately he has a quick wit and great sense of humor, so we''ll see... the worry never stops, ladies!

On a funny note, there was a lady next to me in the elementary school line who was the same pg size as me, and Donovan (5 yr old) asked her what kind of babies she had in there

She said she only had one but that she was hoping to have it today! haha -- So I congrats''d her and mentioned when i was due and i swear about 5 jaws hit the floor simultaneously

A guy at a garage sale the other day asked me "shouldn''t you be sitting down with your feet up" and told me i looked like i was gonna pop. Sometimes it cracks me up being this big

Hope everyone has a great, UNeventful evening!
jen
26 weeks 6 days

what if we all signed off with how far along we are just to help us all keep track? would that be a pain? i know sometimes when i''m reading posts i have to go back to our edd list jst to guess how far along some of you are.... just a thought!

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 8/5/2008 9:00:53 PM
Author: sk8rjen

NF -- so glad to hear you are measuring big too! I am looking forward to your big u/s as well -- you *will* tell us what their genders are won't you? Seems like odds are in favor of boy/girl, so it'll be interesting to find out

Besides healthy, what are you hoping for? Do you have names picked out?

Of course I will tell you guys!!! In an ideal world we would LOVE at least one girl. In whatever way that happens. If the twins don't produce I told DH we could adopt a little girl down the road. Otherwise we're done!

I am NOT doing this pregnancy thing again. I am such a bad preggo.

We do have names picked out. Our #1 names are Madeline and Dexter. So we will use at least one of those. And if it's two girls we like Lily and two boys we like Jackson. So I *think* those are them for now, but we'll see...things could change for sure!

 

[snlee]

Date: 8/5/2008 6:46:25 PM
Author: lover in athens
snlee...thanks for the concern! you are a ptl expert now (poor thing!!).

they didn't say if they would do the ffn test later...i'm assuming not. part of me thinks they were going to do it just to do SOMETHING if you know what i mean. i almost wish they hadn't because i'm not sure if it's even necessary (especially if they don't think they need to redo it now that it didn't work). i am definitely not making sense here am i??

thank goodness my cervix is NOT changing. they were all braxton hicks... there was just a lot of blood when she did the cervical exam (TMI!!), which i guess was from the botched ffn??

part of me (okay most of me) thinks that the contrax would have just gone away on their own if i hadn't even gone in...it's so frustrating!! although now they're coming back (which i guess i didn't expect after the terbutaline)...i called ob and they said if >6/hr, go back to L&D. but i know they won't even DO anything there!! crazy uterus, i tell you!!!

how are YOU feeling, snlee? i'm so glad that everything was status quo at your appt today... i really am thinking about you (i was before, but even more now that i know just how scary this can all be). please keep us posted as to what's going on!!!

LIA, I know. I feel like I've learned so much in the last few days. I am glad there are no changes in your cervix. I've read that the fFN test can irritate your cervix, which is probably why it started bleeding. I hope your BH contractions go away soon!

As for me, I'm doing okay. My first full day of staying at home. I was ale to get a little more sleep. I'm still feeling some cramps and contractions but I think they are getting better. My belly feels tight and I've been moving around really slowly so I can feel every little thing that's going on with my body. Thanks for asking!

DH made a Costco run today and came back with lots of food for me and even an outfit for the baby!

Awww, how cute. I'm usually the one looking for baby clothes and DH is telling me to stop buying! It's nice to know he was thinking of us.

29w1d

 

[janinegirly]

Date: 8/5/2008 6:23:08 PM
Author: snlee
Oh my! No more L&D stories please! What is going on!? It''s getting scary!

LIA, Did the terbutaline stop all your contractions? Will they be doing the fFN test on your later? Did they check your cervix? Were all the contractions just BH so no cervical changes? I am so glad to hear you are home and doing okay. I hope your appointment goes well tomorrow. Please keep us posted. Get lots of rest.

janine, I am glad you are doing well. Please enjoy your boring pregnancy.

Oh, I didn''t mean to sound flippant. The better way to describe it is I feel like I am very much in the dark and the doctor appts are what are so boring, b/c they only check things that don''t tell me anything at all (weight gain and blood pressure). It''s been 12 weeks since I''ve had an u/s and I just have to have faith that everything is ok i suppose! I do have odd sensations here and there, particularly during the night. I get bulges to one side of my stomach most of the night and mild cramps here and there as well. I don''t know what to make of the cramps, they feel like either indigestion or period cramps or maybe they are contractions. I have no idea what contractions should feel like. So since I''m kind of clueless, I just assume all is ok and my doctor tends to just say all''s fine see you in a few weeks!

Oh and has anyone reached out to eph, maybe via email? Maybe she just wants to be left alone but it''s so siudden and worrying!

 

[jas]

Hi all. For the first time since getting back from hospital, I''m feeling more "myself." I''ve just been in a total brain fog for three days. Even reruns of the Golden Girls were almost too much. Almost. I lurves me some Golden Girls.

I''m beginning to think that this thread is the equivalent of women who live together and their cycles synch...we''re just synching PTL, which is VERY BAD. We must stop that!

I''ll be starting another thread about dealing with a sticky in-law issue...stay tuned for that fun.

DH just took some belly shots, and we realized my tum has exploded in the last two weeks. It''s amazing! My hair and face look awful in the pix, so I don''t think I''m a gonna post ''em.

DH has been awesome in giving me lots of TLC and doing EVERYTHING around the house as well as working full time. But he started mewing last night about wanting a little girl. We''ll see if he feels the same way if I become a Demon during L&D.

I have now been bitten by the Potty Fairy...I, who used to be called the "Camel" am now on hourly bathroom trips. Fun at night, especially.

Havin'' lots of contrax, especially in the evening...uncomfortable but not painful. We found out, as I think I mentioned, that Babies, as of a week ago, were 5 lbs...which means that they could be 5.5 pounds by tomorrow...no wonder I feel huge...I''ve got possible 11 pounds of baby in a 5 pound bag (not to mention 2 placetas, fluids, and I believe a remote control we lost a few weeks ago)

It''s getting close. I have another Dr. appt. tomorrow and I''m half expecting her to just admit me to the hospital. I think they do that if you''re dilated a certain point...maybe 3-4 cm? I''m not really effaced at all, though.

But enough about me...what''s going on with all of you...

Curly -- How are you doing??? Thanks for the well wishes. I''m sure my boys are having a grand ol'' giggle about this whole thing!
Snlee -- I don''t know if I''ve said it before, but you are such a trooper...these PTL things are a real head-check, ya know? I''m sending 34 (and 35, 36, 37, etc.) week vibes to you! And I hear you about the sore a$$. I''m glad you can be home most of the time, but all those trips to the dr/hospital must be taxing on you. Glad no mag sulfa for awhile. Nasty stuff.
Skippy -- thanks for the sticky dust! Good to see you!
Indy -- I peeked at the new band! Well done! Cute booties, btw. I''m trying to teach myself how to knit, but my brain fog won''t let me focus right now, and it seems a bad idea for me to be playing with sharp objects at the moment. If it makes you feel better, I had cystic acne around the time you got it...about 7-10 nice ones on my cheek. Excuse me while I go off and mutter something about the glow of pregnancy. How is your mom doing, by the way?
Jen -- Thanks for continuing to check in and I''m glad you understood the tone of my previous comments. My brain has turned to rice pudding these days, so I''m not even sure I''m making myself clear anymore. I''m sure that once I deliver and get more than .5 nanoseconds of sleep, I''ll reread some of the writing I''ve done here and on my own and be very embarrassed! I hope your DH is feeling better!
TGal -- LOL about clinging to the walls. I''m climbing my own walls already. No baking going on. I''m not even eating baked goods!
Lili -- Hey there...but I love looking at the cupcake thread...sigh...parenthood...do the sacrifices ever end?

And THANK YOU for justifying my daily treat of a square of dark chocolate...I have the kind with the blueberries in it (Hershey''s) and quite frankly it''s the highlight of my day! Now it''s a health thing!!!!
Pave -- Yes, I have a 2 year old Shep/Huskie mix (my avatar). His name is George (after Curious George). He''s my baby and my bedrest companion. We''re already getting him ready for babies...and the other thread I''ll start will actually be about him. I''m so sorry about your furbaby. Any action on that yet? And I wish I were able to get a doula...it''s just an expense we can''t justify right now, especially because DH is hellbent on getting a night nurse 2x a week.
Kay -- Welcome back. The markings on your lower legs may be spider veins. I got em, with a little swelling. Sexy, no? Do let us know what your doctor says! I am so sorry to hear about your aunt. It''s a lot for you to deal with right now. Hugs to you.
Congrats Nytemist!
DD -- enjoy your vacay and thanks for the well wishes!
Erica -- My sympathies on all the drama your school is putting you through. Without going too much into my own personal history, please just know I get it. Makes ya wanna scream, no?
QT -- Thanks for checking in -- how''s life in Mama land?
Sbde -- Glad to hear the m/s is getting a little better. Second trimester cannot come fast enough, ya know?
Neatfreak! Hey girl! Yea for heartbeats! Isn''t that the best?!! Are you going to find out the sexes? Good luck with all the publications and other craziness for you.
Lisa -- Hi there. I may have mentioned that I would totally freak out if we had more multiples on here...but it''s an awesome thing, really!
Janine -- I love your name, by the way. I hear you about the "flyby" appointments...one of the benefits of multiples is that we get lots more tests, therefore, lots more information. You''re in the home stretch and I am very impressed you are working through!
LIA -- Oh no! Not another PTL story. Let us know how things go today...I''m sure you''ll be fine.

I think I''ve caught up...I''m gonna browse a little and then post some other stuff elsewhere. My doggie (George) is curled up next to me and says hi to everyone.

J.
33w3d

 

[lili]

Does anyone remember when it was that Eph was going on vacation?
I seem to remember her mentioning something about planning a trip with her folks and ILs while preggo.
I really hope that she''s MIA because she''s enjoying her time abroad.

 

[snlee]

janine, I hope I didn't offend you. I understand how you feel about the quick doctor appointments. I was starting to feel like those 5 minutes appointments where boring too. As for whether or not you're having contractions, if you want to monitor them - lay on your left side and place the fingertips of both hands on either side of my belly. When he uterus is relaxed, you are able to indent the entire surface. But if you're having contractions, it becomes tight and firm to the touch.

jas, awww thank you. You are a trooper too! Thank you for the good vibes. Glad you're feeling like more of yourself. I can totally relate to being in the brain fog! Hope your appointment goes well and there aren't any changes. How often do you go in?

I'm feeling better today too - more of myself and not so much in the brain fog. Still have a headache from the meds. I slept a lot better last night but waking up every 4 hours isn't fun. I'm still feeling some cramps and contractions but I think they are getting less frequent.

I must have pregnant brain - I can't remember eph talking about a vacation. janine, none of us have her email address.

I really hope she and baby are okay.

s
29w2d

 

[lover in athens]

hi girls!
just a quick update...got back from the doctor's a few minutes ago. i am NOT happy about the appt. but, i will say, that i absolutely love my ob. love her. basically she didn't like the sound of all the contractions i've been having and is pretty worried. she did an internal exam and said that they outer part of my cervix was very thin and she could feel the babe's head very low (weird, b/c they told me yesterday he was transverse!). she also said that my uterus is "well developed" (sounds good right?? but i guess it's not???). so all in all, not a great exam. then i had the trans vag u/s (SO MUCH FUN...i swear my vag hasn't had this much action in WEEKS!!). the good news is that the internal part of the cervix that they can only see by u/s is still long and closed.
so kind of a mixed bag. ob and i sat down and chatted for awhile, and the gist of the conversation was that if it were anyone else (ie, not a doctor or someone she wasn't sure she could trust), she would say absolutely no travelling. as in do not go and take my board exam in chicago this weekend. which (as i think i've mentioned?) is only offered once a year and costs $2200 just to TAKE the test (not to mention my airfare and hotel which of course are already booked). obviously, as she said, worst case scenario would be to deliver a 27 week preemie out of state. and definitely not a risk i want to take! but on the other hand...i've studied my butt off for 6 weeks straight (well, really 3 years of residency!) to take this test and i can't imagine having to go through this all again in another year. with a young child to boot!
so obviously right now i'm really torn. i'm on "home rest" (whatever that means), and i'm going to go see her again for another internal exam on friday and we'll make a final decision then.
now i'm off to call the board and see what they can do if i can't sit for the exam. and then call the airline and at least change my ticket to come back earlier (was planning on staying in chicago for a few days to play after the test... not going to happen now).

sorry for the vent...
any advice??? this totally sucks. now i need to try to study for a test that i may or may not take!!!!!!

thinking of you all.
and again, sorry for the utterly egocentric post!!
lia 26w 1day

 

[snlee]

LIA, I am sorry the internal examine didn''t go well but it''s good your cervix is still long and closed! Did they say how many cm? I am so sorry you have to go through this with your exam coming up this weekend. Totally blows! Vent all you want here. We are here for you. Your comment about your vag getting so much action cracked me up! I feel the same way with the trans vag u/s, fFN test, and the many internal examines!

I will be thinking of you and hope that your Friday appointment goes well so you can take your exam.

 

[AmberWaves]

PSA: Sale on Hotslings

 

[peonygirl]

Hey gals! Just a quick question about due dates. I know that they''re typically calculated by LMP, but if someone has a really long cycle and knows that they ovulated late in the cycle, will this be taken into consideration? I have a 35-40 day cycle and thus I definitely don''t ovulate around day 14, so I''m just wondering. TIA!

 

[snlee]

Date: 8/6/2008 9:10:05 PM
Author: peonygirl
Hey gals! Just a quick question about due dates. I know that they''re typically calculated by LMP, but if someone has a really long cycle and knows that they ovulated late in the cycle, will this be taken into consideration? I have a 35-40 day cycle and thus I definitely don''t ovulate around day 14, so I''m just wondering. TIA!

Your doctor may use your ovulation date (if you know it) or they may give you an early u/s around 6 weeks, which shows the age of the fetus and predicts your due date.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 8/6/2008 9:10:05 PM
Author: peonygirl
Hey gals! Just a quick question about due dates. I know that they''re typically calculated by LMP, but if someone has a really long cycle and knows that they ovulated late in the cycle, will this be taken into consideration? I have a 35-40 day cycle and thus I definitely don''t ovulate around day 14, so I''m just wondering. TIA!

Yup if you know your O date the doc will estimate from that date or like Snlee said they can date you accurately with the US.

 

[erica k]

LIA, I hope you can find out soon whether or not you can take your board exam. I''m so sorry that you''re left in limbo right now, especially with two major events to deal with.


Anyway, here''s an ultrasound photo from yesterday. Everything looked fine. The technician kept pressing down to get the baby to ''wake up.'' Of course it was stubborn, just like its parents.

At one point we could even see the arms and legs, but this is the best image they could give us.

Is it common for women to not have an ultrasound towards the end of their pregnancy? My friend is nearly 36 weeks and hasn''t ''seen'' her little boy for quite a while. She spent her first trimester in Mexico with a private provider who did an ultrasound every time she visited. She was pretty disappointed by the paucity of ultrasounds through our school health insurance, but I guess if it isn''t medically necessary, then they aren''t going to spend the time or expense on it.

DD, Indy, and Lisa, I finally broke down and put on the Bella Band over my jeans. I''m definitely having a pudgy day today. I have an OB appointment next week, and I''m curious to know how much weight I''ve gained. Right now I definitely feel post-Thanksgiving.

 

[lisa1.01fvs1]

Mela - So glad you pop in here!! Multiples??? Funny how there are always more quandries after quandries. I am feeling really "hit" by s/s of pg.
& by all acct's I should only be about 2-3 weeks post-conception. Goes to show that each pg. is it's own entity.

Statistics are against multiples at my AMA (advanced maternal age, 39.5) but 1 of the RE's did say "you may just have twins" so we'll know in less then 2 weeks.

I did have 4 mature follies (21 - 15 mm) and 2 @ 13mm.

1st US is 8/19.

Jen - thx for the betas. I calculated my doubling time and it's 39.5 hrs/1.6 days. So it's about 10 hrs. fast! Betas are unreliable predictors but it's fun to speculate!

Jas - how r u today?

Sbde - any recommendations on what to eat when m/s strikes?

Erica - I have been meaning to comment on the "not so wonderful feelings and physical experiences of pg." I totally think it is hard. Especially for me where I like to be thin and to
see that scale go up week after week is just unerving! And the identity thing is tough. In a dark place I sorta resented being completely overtaken by this "parasite"- hope that
some of u don't get offended but I did have these thoughts from time to time.

I think these thoughts/feelings are an afflication of the "older" mommy.

I think it's totally natural and healthy to feel whatever it is! I don't think the pg. is all "Unicorns and Rainbows" at least not for me. I was very happy to get my body back! I guess I see it as a fascinating scientific miracle but that it has it's share of challenges.

FWIW - I didn't get stretch marks w/ Olivia and am terrified about getting them w/ this pg.! Oh and I am so gonna get nipped and tucked if I need it to deal w/ the aftermath!

NF - I went back (I know I'm nutso) and read ur early days and it confirmed what I already suspected about high betas. Sigh, I guess I'm just surrendering at this pt. What else is there to do?

Snlee - how r u today???

Janine - Boring is good! When it comes to pg. boring is the gold standard!! Any more boring news?

LIA - such a decision................I really don't know what I'd do. I totally see both sides. Actually I was thinking that u could make contact w/ the L&D team where you are having the test and set things up ahead of time. It isn't unheard of to do this. Sure you have already thought of this but since you r in the field it may be a snap! Hell, they may even have a better maternal/fetal med. prog. there! This is assuming the issues now abate.

QT - any more pics???

Blen- how r u what's the EDD?

Lili - what's going on w/ you today?

Peony - did u get the EDD figured out? Mine is all over the place - I have to settle it w/ the RE on US day. Since we did insemination it could be when I triggered O or from day/s of insem. or on last day trigger had effect!!!!

Nothing like trying to figure out that target.

To anyone I missed where r u today in this crazy thing?

Lisa

17 days pg., or 4 wks/4days, or
18 days pg., or 4 wks/3days, or
20 days pg, or 5 wks - phew (try saying that 10 times fast!)

 

[erica k]

Lisa, it''s good to hear that you feel similarly about pregnancy as I do! I''ve worked so hard to maintain my health through exercise and reasonable food choices. I was a chubby girl until 11 when I lost quite a bit of weight through illness and developed a food phobia. It was only during high school that I began exercising and eating better because I wanted to feel strong. I hate feeling lethargic and nauseated, knowing that I need to drag myself off the couch to go for a jog or swim because I''ll feel better afterward but hating the thought of doing anything.

I made the mistake of calling the baby a ''parasite'' in front of a friend during my worst bout of m/s. She was so offended; although I know that her emotions are coming from her own issues, I was really taken aback. So, no, I don''t think your thoughts or feelings are more typical of ''older'' mommies.

My prego friend tells me that it''s good that I can''t teach in the spring because now I''ll finally learn what my ''real'' priorities are. Of course I''m relieved that I ''have'' to spend time with the baby, but part of shifting my priorities is also realizing that I need to work even harder to be an employable mama. I don''t mind giving over my body to this baby for at least the next year or so, but ultimately, I''m looking forward to being more like myself again.

As for stretchmarks, my mom has a TON. She said that they appeared during the 8th month and she couldn''t help scratching them. This probably made them worse. I am moisturizing religiously, but whatever happens happens. I mentioned the possibility of sagging excess skin for the rest of my life, and my husband said, ''Why don''t you get a tummy tuck, then, if it makes you feel better?'' I know some people will find that offensive, but I love that he doesn''t care either way. If I''ve been working my butt off but the skin won''t go away, then I would consider surgery.

 

[lisa1.01fvs1]

From what I've read stretchmarks are genetic - but like u Erica my mom has them bad......but she did gain over 60 llbs. w/ me.

98 llbs to 160 almost

This was back in the day they told women to eat whatever they want.

She told me that she could scarf 2 boxes of Ritz crackers w/ a stick of butter on top - yuck!

ETA - Erica did u find out the gender??????

 

[erica k]

Oh my lord, just hearing about the buttered Ritz crackers made me want to throw up! All I want is fresh fruit, and boy, that''s really getting to be expensive, even at the farmer''s markets. So right now I''ve been making lots of smoothies (no extra sugar) with frozen fruit from Trader Joe''s.

My mom didn''t gain much weight during either of her pregnancies, but I think scratching the itchy skin really exacerbated the scarring. She keeps harping on ''special'' cremes and lotions because I think she''s more worried about stretch marks than I am.

Nope, no word on the gender, unsurprisingly. I have taken to calling it a ''he,'' but only time will tell. Thank goodness I still have 6 months to brainstorm names because the ones I loved last month are sounding less good today. I guess I''ll have another ultrasound around week 20 or so, right?

If you have multiples, I think I''ll die from all the cuteness.