Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[ljmorgan]

Date: 10/3/2008 10:43:19 AM
Author: Courtneylub

Lindsey - How did they screw up by giving you positive blood? I thought that''s what they were supposed to give you if you are negative.

When you''re negative, you''re not supposed to ever be exposed to positive blood, it will create antibodies. That''s why you are going to take the Rhogam -- because you''re negative, and you could potentially be exposed to your baby''s potentially positive blood, which is dangerous. People who are positive can receive negative blood, but negative blood types cannot receive positive blood.

 

[Kay]

Congratulations, Janine!!

Welcome, Chloe Anne!!

I love that name. I think it is so cool she was born on your anniversary. I think you deserve a really nice sparkly combo anniversary/push present.

Ignoring the signs of labor sounds like something I would do, especially if I thought nothing should happen yet. Note to self – pack bag this weekend!

Courtney, I am so sorry to hear about your friends. It’s so hard to know what to say. Just let her know you care about her and are available if she needs you.

Blen, mat pants with the stretchy panel have been the bane of my existence the last few months. My pants are constantly sliding down. I’m walking down the street trying to hitch up my pants every half block so I don’t step on the hem and trip – very embarrassing. Earlier in the pregnancy, my belly wasn’t big enough so the panel was loose and would slide. Now, my belly is too big and the panel scrunches itself down below the belly, then slides down. I did much better with mat pants with a narrower (1.5 to 2.5”) elastic waist band. The elastic was stronger and stayed up much better than the pants with the large soft stretch panels. Unfortunately, at 7.5 months I could no longer fit into those pants.

Lisa, thanks for the explanation.

Snlee, glad you and Derek are home and doing well. I can’t wait to read your story.

Jen, yay for an uneventful appointment. I’m afraid Snlee already blew the order, and it looks like you may beat me too, because I don’t think my little girl is going anywhere before her EDD. (Since I am always running late, I bet she will too.)

I had my weekly Dr. appt. on Wednesday. This was my first internal exam. I knew he needed to check the cervix, but I thought it would be like a PAP – pop in a speculum and take a look at the cervix with a flashlight. I didn’t realize he would be sticking his hand up my hoo-haw and trying to push through the cervix to feel the baby’s head.

It was rather uncomfortable, and I was lying there thinking, if this is uncomfortable, I am going to be in real trouble when a head tries to fit through there! I am going to need serious drugs to get through labor.

The Dr. said my cervix is a little bit softer, but there is no dilation – it is closed tight. He thinks it will be at least one more week, and more likely 2. He thinks the EDD of Oct. 16th is probably right on. I do at least have an end date, though. He likes to do inductions on days when he will be at the hospital all day, and he is scheduled for Oct 21. If I do not go into labor by the 20th, they will check me into the hospital that night and give me drugs to ripen the cervix. The next morning, they will give the drugs to start the contractions, so she should be born the afternoon of Oct 21.

 

[brgirl]

Date: 10/3/2008 11:34:07 AM
Author: Courtneylub
I know my issues are very minor compared to others right now, but I really need some help.


I am having the worst allergies (at least what I think are allergies) right now....the worst I can ever remember having. I am completely miserable...nonstop running nose, sneezing, or the constant itch to sneeze. I''m out of town on business and needless to say, flying on the company plane didn''t help. My doctor said sudafed was fine to take, but the internet said different for 1st trimester and that it''s unsafe. That''s just great! Benadryl doesn''t help at all except make me pass out. I would love to be passed out right now, but that''s not possible. HELP!

Maybe you could try a netti-pot? I''ve heard great things about them...I haven''t used one, though. I don''t think you put any chemicals in the pot, but I could be totally wrong...

 

[snlee]

10.3.08
Here’s my L&D story... (WARNING - it''s super long!)

On September 24th, I had my 36 week prenatal appointment, where we were SHOCKED to learn that I was at 4 cm dilated! I was completely shocked that I was at 4cm and not feeling much pain at all. My contractions felt different for the past few days but they still weren''t painful. My MW, M, also thought my water had broken because the fluids turned the nitrazine paper color. I was sent over to L&D and checked in and monitored. An u/s tech came in to do a quick check to make sure the baby''s head was still down and to check if there was lots of fluid in my uterus. Both positive. She doubted my membrane was grossly ruptured. They did the nitrazine paper tests and the fern test, which confirmed that my water had NOT broken. I was having irregular contractions from 2-10 minutes apart but when at around 10pm (5 hours later) they rechecked my cervix and it was still at 4cm dilated and 60% effaced. I wasn''t in active labor or there would have been change. Since I was not in active labor, my water was not broken, baby looked great on the u/s and on the monitor, and I was still a bit early (36.5 weeks), they recommended I go home. They thought I''d get better rest at home than at the hospital. When you are tired, you feel more pain. And since I wanted to try and go natural, I needed to get all the rest I could! This was my fifth visit to L&D and I thought for sure I’d be going home with a baby but I was wrong!

I got about 8 hours of sleep that night and rested throughout the day. I felt contractions but they were still irregular and not that painful. At 6pm though, I started feeling more painful contractions and they were regular, occurring around every 5 minutes. We ate dinner, knowing I''d probably be headed to L&D if these contractions stayed regular. At the one hour mark, I took a quick shower then called my doctor, and we headed to L&D. I kept thinking about how I''d miss the season premieres of Ugly Betty, Grey''s Anatomy, and ER. I''d been waiting a long time for this TV night! But of course baby was more important and exciting!

By 8:45pm, I was checked in very quickly since I had already completed all the check in paperwork, blood work, etc. the night before. The nurse, Sharon, who took care of me the night before found me a good L&D room (#11, my birth month!), equipped with telemetry, since she was familiar with my birth plan and knew I wanted to move around during labor. They hooked my up to the monitor. I was contracting irregularly still but every 2-5 minutes apart. I was 4-5 cm dilated and 90% effaced. Definitely some change from the night before! Oh I loved my nurse and midwife. They let me watch TV from 9-11pm, so I watched half of Grey''s and ER while walking around in my room while DH was in MY hospital bed resting. At 11:30, the nurse checked me again right before the shift ended. I was 5 cm 100%! At 12:30am, my MW, S, checked me and I was 5-6 cm, 95% effaced. I found out that effacement can change depending on the position of the baby. She did an ultrasound to confirm baby was head down but wasn''t able to with 100% certainty (I knew he was) so she called in the doctor on call, the main doctor of the practice, Dr. S.

The next half an hour was crazy and chaotic. Lots of commotion. Dr. S said I was 6 cm and confirmed with the u/s that the baby is head down. She attempted to break my water but after several attempts, it didn''t break, which was odd because S said she felt it bulging just a short time ago. They warned me that with a contraction I may feel my water break since the bag may have been prodded at. At the same time two nurses were at my bedside, putting in a saline lock. The attempt on my left arm failed when she couldn''t find a good straight vein. It felt like she inserted the needle many times but DH said she stuck it in once and moved it around trying to find the vein. Oww! It hurt more than my contractions! Finally they decided to try my right arm, which didn''t even hurt (compared the my left arm) when they finally got the damn catheter in! It did burn and feel uncomfortable for hours after. It took awhile for it to feel like nothing was there, a lot longer than they said it would. DH said he was traumatized by watching all that and said I could have any jewelry I wanted. I told him to wait until he sees a baby come out of me!

Even though the nurse questioned my MW and doctor about starting Pitocin, they let me go through the night myself to see how I would progress. I was extremely happy with that. Since I was early and the baby looked great, they didn''t want to rush my L&D. So from 1-8am, nothing much happened. DH slept most of the time while I lay there anxious of what awaited me. I had my eyes closed but couldn’t fall asleep. I was able to nap for maybe an hour, much less than I hoped for. The nurse came in every hour or so for intermittent monitoring (around 20 minutes each hour). At 5:30, the nurse checked me and I was STILL at 6 cm. I was disappointed. All those contractions and no progress! An hour later, the contractions started to get a bit more intense. I was moaning through the contractions and focused on my breathing. They were still very manageable. DH was even sleeping at this time. My contractions were painful but manageable and I kept telling myself, "I CAN do this without drugs!"

At 9:30am, I was 7 cm and my MW came in and broke my water. I felt the gush of warm liquid and it continued to come out for hours later. DH didn''t want my water broken, what''s the rush he thought. But I didn''t object because I wanted things to progress. I didn''t want to be there forever! They were already saying my labor was a marathon. Around this time Cheryl, the nurse who was with me through all the pushing, got a call asking if I wanted an epidural right now. Cheryl, S, and I laughed because I wasn''t in much pain. Then they asked if I wanted it later and Cheryl informed them I''m going to try natural. DH later told me he didn''t find the humor in it.

By 10am, the contractions got excruciatingly painful! DH was up and helping me get through each one. I had asked Cheryl about my drug options. Since I was a FTM trying natural but open to epidural, one bag of IV fluids needed to be put in before I could get an epidural, so she started an IV bag of water and electrolytes.

Shortly after, I felt like I needed to poop, so at 7 cm, I managed to waddle to the toilet and make my last poop before having a baby. (The night after delivering, I have an enema because I wanted to make sure I could poop before going home. It was a very interesting experience!) About an hour into extremely painful contractions, Cheryl showed me the Hee Hee Hoo breathing technique and I started using this and a focal point (a vent on the wall, I liked the simplicity and symmetry of it), to get through my contractions, which were coming every 2 minutes or so, sometimes closer or longer. Often times it felt as though the contractions never completely disappeared. Cheryl did an awesome job at making sure my breathing was good so I wouldn’t wear myself out, hyperventilate, or pass out. Although I was feeling the contractions in the front my lower back was also killing me! I felt lots of pressure. My lower back hurt so badly through the contractions (as well as later when I was pushing and for a week after!). I tried to relax my shoulders and neck in between contractions. I was sitting upright in my bed, grimacing through each contraction. I was so tense! The contractions were so strong my entire body would heave with each one! DH was sitting on my feet, which helped during contractions. I''d use him as leverage and squirm my body through the pain. He would talk me through each contraction - if they were going up, at the peak, or going down. I told him what I liked to hear at the painful moments, like "you''re almost done!" We developed hand signals to communicate. If I pointed at the monitor, I wanted to know where the f*ck the contraction was at because I was in excruciating pain and I wanted it to end so badly. If I pointed to the window, I wanted water. Through each peak of the contractions, I kept telling myself, "It''ll pass. It''ll pass. I can get through this!" In between contractions, I used a cold towel to keep myself cool.

By 12pm, two hours in, I felt like it was never going to end! I wanted to know hoe much longer! The nurse admitted to me that I wasn’t progressing normally. After 5cm, you’re suppose to dilate a cm an hour. Who knew how long this painful labor could last! I was hardly getting any breaks! I asked Cheryl if could check my cervix to see if I made any progress. I wanted to know! But since my water was broken, it''s best to not check often since there''s a risk of infection to baby. I asked more about pain meds other than the epi. I decided I wanted fentanyl to relax me and take the edge off . So she had to check me. I WAS 9 CM! She didn''t feel comfortable giving me fentanyl so close to delivery. The baby would be drowsy and when I heard I was at 9 cm, I was ecstatic! Well, as ecstatic as I could be while in pain! I had made huge progress and was nearly there! Soon after, my MW came in and I told her I felt an incredible pressure down there and the urge to push with each contraction. She checked me and I was at 10 cm!!!!!!!!!!! The transition stage was a BITCH!

At 12:45pm, I started to push! SWEET RELIEF!!! I felt like I had the world''s largest poop stuck in me that you can''t get out! It still hurt but pushing was a relief! The pushing stage was exhausting. I pushed in every position imaginable. Standard way laying in bed, on the toilet, squatting on the side of the bed, all-fours position, side lying, squatting with a squatting bar, and not sure what this is called - feet up and out on sides of squatting bar and using my arms to lift myself up with a sheet draped over the bar. That last position was by far the hardest one and took a ton of arm strength. (4 days later and my arms are still super sore!) I was moving around very often, trying new positions that would hopefully help me make progress. It was funny (at the time I didn’t find it funny since I was in too much pain) when the nurse wanted me to move up towards the head of the bed she would say, “put your crack in the crack!” Every contraction was 3 pushes, sometimes 4. There are lots of things to concentrate on while bearing down and the nurse reminded me every step of the way - rectum up to the light, small of back arched down, push into the pain, legs out and up, quick breath out, deep breath in, and hold your breath but don''t hold tension in your face. I wasn’t supposed to make any sounds during pushing so I did when I took my quick breath out. DH said I let out a big “UGH.” The correct way of pushing is just like taking a bowel movement. DH later told me I pooped many times while pushing. He said at least ten times but I only saw one, when DH slowly took the towel away (the nurse wasn’t there at that time). All the other times the nurse took it away so quickly. I was surprised to hear that because I couldn’t tell. The whole time I was pushing I felt like I needed to vomit. I felt my food coming up with every push and a few times vomit actually entered my mouth and I could taste what I had nibbled on that morning. It was disgusting! I couldn’t get it to come out. I later learned I had what’s called a hiatal hernia. For a few days after, eating and drinking felt weird – I could feel food and liquids going down and it was uncomfortable. I had to eat slowly and small amounts. I must have been pretty loud during the tradition and pushing phases, as my voice was horse after.

About an hour into pushing, you could see my baby''s hair while I pushed. I requested a mirror so I could see. I got a glimpse a few times but I was concentrating so hard that my eyes were hardly open to look. I''d rather focus all my energy to the pushing. The MW said I''m almost there and maybe had 30 more minutes of pushing to go, maybe more or less. With each push, I kept telling myself, "IT''S ALMOST OVER!". But it was far from over and hours went by! There was lots of time where the MW and nurse tried to lighten the mood with jokes and they managed to get a smile out of me but I was too damn tired to laugh! They even laughed at my orange teeth and lips after I ate the one popsicle. During pushing they put lots of oils and jelly around my perineal area.

Sometime into pushing, an internal fetal monitor was placed inside me to monitor the baby’s heart rate. They sometimes couldn’t tell if they were picking up rates from me or the baby and wanted to make sure he wasn’t in distress. It was a little annoying to have a cord coming out of my vagina and something stuck to my inner thigh but most of the time I was too busy to notice.

When I was 3 hours into pushing, my MW said I had to empty my bladder since it was full and could be getting in the way. The IV was giving me fluids and I was eating ice chips. I miraculously got to the bathroom but wasn’t able to go. My MW inserted a catheter to empty my bladder. I hardly felt the burn of it going in. It was so weird to be emptying your bladder without feeling a thing! Boy was it full. 600ml of urine was emptied!

At around 3 hours, things got dicey. I stopped making progress with the pushing, so the MW called the on-call doctor. Dr. X, to come check up on me. They would probably have to use a vacuum to try and get him out. The baby was looking great throughout all the contractions and pushing so they let me go this long. But at 3 hours they didn’t want me pushing much longer as it’s not good for the baby or me. Fatigue usually sets in too and the pushes aren’t as strong and effective. Although, I felt more frustrated than tired from all the pushing! Dr. X did a very thorough examine on me, which hurt so badly! It made pushing painful and in between pushing, I had to breath through the pain. I didn''t have any breaks! With each push, she tried to stretch out my vagina around the baby''s head. It hurt so much! She talked very softly to herself and the MW about my situation. I could barely hear her, much less understand what she was saying. DH heard her say that she thought my tailbone was in the way but my pelvic area was big enough and there was lots of room for him to come out. I’m a tiny girl (they asked my height (I’m 5 feet even) and shoe size while I was pushing) and I hoped I could get him out vaginally! They would try to use a vacuum to get him out. While they waited for backup and got the vacuum ready, Dr. X explained to me the procedure and the risks involved. It scared me to hear hematoma and hemorrhage but I just wanted him out! I trusted my doctor and MW so I just nodded as she spoke. They got the stirrups out and I knew that I was close to delivery my baby!

During a contraction the baby’s heart rate went down to 80-90. They were having hard time trying to get a good reading and kept moving the external monitor around my belly while I had contractions. They were getting worried. They told me not to push during the next contraction. Are you freaking kidding me??? I asked how because it just seemed impossible to not push. I tried my best. They gave me an oxygen mask to wear and it was so annoying because every time I pushed it fell down my face. Cheryl warmed me about the ring of fire and to push right through that pain, it''s normal. I was actually relieved when I started to feel the ring of fire. I felt it now every time I pushed. I knew that I had to be close if I felt it and I pushed right through the fire-y pain! Baby must have heard all the commotion and risks of the vacuum because a miracle happened!

The room was chaotic. DH said at one point there was 10 people in there, including us. Dr. S, the main doctor of the practice stopped by to see how I was doing. So I had my MW, two doctors, pediatrician, and several nurses all in the room. It was crazy but I was in my own little world, focused on pushing with all my might and getting my baby out! So many people were cheering me on and telling the doctors and me what an amazing pusher I am and how I''ve been so strong and consistent throughout. They said show the doctor what you can do! One of the doctors even starting clapping and saying "yay, yay, I can see more of the baby!" There was lots of cheering going on, which helped because the contractions were coming frequently, every 1.5 to 2 minutes! I felt like I didn’t have any breaks. When I felt a contraction coming along, I let it build, and with all my strength pushed so hard – I had to get him out! I did not want to have a cesarean section after 20 hours of labor! They said last contraction – the baby will be out! But then the baby didn’t come out. I was so frustrated!

And the miracle!!! DH told me what he saw during my last 3 pushes. The MW told me to push, I clarified “even without a contraction?” and so I did! The baby’s head was crowning during the third to last push. My MW informed me she had to do an episiotomy. I nodded. I just wanted him out! I heard a snip but didn’t feel it. During the second to last push, half his had was out. With the final push, I felt increasable pressure, then my baby slid out of me! It was AMAZING! Derek came into this world at 5:13pm on Friday, September 26, 2008.

My MW placed him on my stomach for 30 second or so. His back was facing me so I couldn’t see him but he let out a small cry and it was the most wonderful sound ever! I put my left hand on his thigh while I cried tears of happiness. I took a few deep breaths, as I was overwhelmed with emotions. Derek was taken away so he could be examined by the pedi. DH held my hand and we exchanged our first look as parents. He kissed my cheek and was in awe of what I had just done. DH said he was light headed and needed to sit down. He had a spaced out look. Good thing the couch was right behind him so he sat down to take a breather. I asked him to go take pictures of our baby being examined. He also got to trim our son’s umbilical cord. Shortly after, with a small push, I delivered the placenta. It felt like a small, soft, smooth thing sliding out. Later, we examined the placenta. It’s gross but fascinating! DH took a few pictures of it, one of which is the coolest picture of the umbilical cord and placenta. He also got one of the amniotic sac and hole where baby came out of. While I was being stitched up, I was looking over to see what they were doing with my baby and my MW and I made small talk. Soon after, my baby was placed in my arms. I got to hold Derek for the first time and I fell instantly in love with my son. Looking at him made me forget about all the pain I just went through the last 20.5 hours and I forgave him for being stubborn. I had to push for 4.5 hours before he decided to enter this world! At least he arrived at 13 after, my favorite number and birthday! He was perfect. He has my noise and hands. With the preterm labor, bed rest, and all the drugs I took, I am so relieved that I have a healthy baby boy. I made it 10 days off nifedipine.

My MW and nurse said I did an amazing job. My nurse has been a L&D nurse for 40 years and she''s NEVER seen anyone push as long as I did (and with no drugs!). Every push I did was strong just like the first. And after the delivery she said there are not too many births I cry at. Another nurse I had during recovery heard about my L&D and said I was her hero and she was amazed. She was tired just helping in a 3-hour labor. And her big question was, “Why do it no drugs?” It made me think about why I wanted to have a natural childbirth. I wanted to feel every moment of my son’s birth and I didn’t want him medicated when he first entered into this world. I still cannot believe what I did during L&D. It’s definitely the most amazing thing I''ve ever done. It was like an out of body experience because I don’t know how I was able to last through 20.5 hours of labor with 3 hours of torturous contractions and 4.5 hours of pushing. I don’t know where I got the energy. And the crazy thing is as I write this, I don’t recall the pain being that bad. I’d try another natural birth with my second child, when that time comes, which won’t be anytime soon!

Cheryl was an angel. I couldn''t have done it without my nurse. She was so encouraging. I am so appreciative of her. I could not thank her enough. L&D nurses do an amazing job. (I thought of you Dani! I am sure you''ve helped countless women through their L&D and for that I want to thank you!) I love her and my MW! They did a great job at following my birth plan.

I love being a mommy. It feels so natural like I was meant for motherhood. I think I’m doing pretty well recovering. I was very swollen down there after L&D. At the check up a day after, my MW, M said, “If it makes you feel better I’ve seen worse. I can tell you, you don’t have two testicles down there.”

DH has been amazing. There have been a few sleep-deprived moments where we’ll get frustrated and snap at each other but most of the time we make a great team. He’s been very attentive to my needs as well as the baby’s needs. Daddy is the one who changed all the diapers the first few days when I could barely move. It seems like being a daddy comes very naturally to him. He comforts our son often and loves it. He’ll hold Derek while working on his laptop and doesn’t want to put him down. He sings and talks to him and it melts my heart. I can’t help but smile and I feel so happy and content. I’ve never been more in love with DH. My heart has grown with love for both my boys. I can’t believe that Derek is a week old today! My baby is growing up too fast already. I wish he could stay small with his cute little cry forever!

 

[mela lu]

snlee - I just read that through my tears. You are such an inspiration!!!!!!!!! what a great account of Derek''s birth, thank you so much for sharing your story. It was so real but for some reason I felt empowered reading it instead of scared. you are amazing!!!!
ps. love your new avi!

 

[ivanadiamond]

Holy smokes!! I feel like I was there...I am reading, squirming, laughing, crying, cringing and rooting you on from my computer, wow I need a cocktail..darn can''t have one...thanks for sharing your birth story. Totally inspirational! You Rule!


My friends ask me if I have a birth plan and I tell them all, yeah I plan on taking drugs. But you missy are amazing!

 

[dani13]

Oh, Snlee, what an amazing story!!! I do that job everday, but everytime is like the first time- it always brings tears to my eyes and gives me chills!!! Birth truly is a miracle!
I am SO PROUD of you- you are so strong!!!! And you sound so happy to be a mom! You are an inspiration to all of us!!

Congratulations to you and your DH again!!! I'm so happy for you!!!!

 

[Kaleigh]

Snlee,
Can I just say WOW?? Your birth story was so inspiring. You are one strong lady. Thanks for sharing it with us. I know Derick is lucky to have you for a Mom. Your hubby sounds like an amazing person as well. I wish your family of 3 all the best!!!!

 

[LaraOnline]

Hey Snlee,
that ''super long'' post was really great! I feel exhilarated just reading it!!!
congrats, congrats, congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Miranda]

Snlee - You give the phrase "tough as nails" a new meaning! What a wonderful story. Congratulations to your family. You are an inspiration to many women!

 

[katebar]

Indy you, your husband and the cubs are in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[neatfreak]

Hi all, the excitement never ends around here...now I am in the hospital!

Long story short we had an u/s at 3pm today. Babies looked fabulous, everything was great...then they checked my cervix. It's 1.8 with no funneling, so as of right now we're still safe, but they wanted to monitor me because as we all know too well, it's shorter than they would like it to be. I was on monitors all afternoon, I had some "contractions" but they were so mild the machine was barely picking them up. They gave me the steroids and the contraction stopping med (the t one, can't remember what it's called) and then when nothing exciting happened they moved me from triage to a non-LD floor. My OB and the one on call say they aren't worried (in fact they took me off the monitors completely) but just want to watch me, check my cervix again tomorrow to see if it's actively shortening or if it's just a twin thing, and then give me my other shot of steroids.

So unfortunately I will be here at least until tomorrow evening, but likely till Sunday. But I am thanking my lucky stars that things for now seem to be well.

Hope everyone else is doing well and I'll check back in tomorrow...

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 10/3/2008 11:24:16 PM
Author: neatfreak
Hi all, the excitement never ends around here...now I am in the hospital!

Long story short we had an u/s at 3pm today. Babies looked fabulous, everything was great...then they checked my cervix. It''s 1.8 with no funneling, so as of right now we''re still safe, but they wanted to monitor me because as we all know too well, it''s shorter than they would like it to be. I was on monitors all afternoon, I had some ''contractions'' but they were so mild the machine was barely picking them up. They gave me the steroids and the contraction stopping med (the t one, can''t remember what it''s called) and then when nothing exciting happened they moved me from triage to a non-LD floor. My OB and the one on call say they aren''t worried (in fact they took me off the monitors completely) but just want to watch me, check my cervix again tomorrow to see if it''s actively shortening or if it''s just a twin thing, and then give me my other shot of steroids.

So unfortunately I will be here at least until tomorrow evening, but likely till Sunday. But I am thanking my lucky stars that things for now seem to be well.

Hope everyone else is doing well and I''ll check back in tomorrow...

Glad you are being well taken care of NF. Hang in there, and thanks for the update sweetie. Glad things are going well. HUGS!!!!

 

[brgirl]

Snlee, I''m mainly a lurker, but had to say that was an amazing birth story. I''m in complete awe of your experience and strength.

 

[dani13]

Indy and NF,

I just wanted to let you both know that you and your babies are in my prayers. *Big hugs*

 

[Pandora II]

Blimey Snlee, you are one brave girl - you should be very proud of yourself.

Thanks for posting all the details for us!

I''m a total wuss so will be going for as many drugs as possible and in double doses too please!

 

[Dandi]

I''m not PG but am fascinated with this thread and read it often!

Snlee I just wanted to let you know I was absolutely mesmerised reading your story!! DH called something out to me 3 times but I didn''t hear him, I was too wrapped up in your words! You really are amazing!!

Indy and NF, I''m thinking of you both!! xo

Congratulations, Janine!!

 

[Miranda]

Oh my goodness NF! Take care of yourself and those babies!

You are in my thoughts Indy!

 

[neatfreak]

Hi all, doing as well as possible here. Luckily everything is ok for now, just waiting to see if my cervix has changed, but I don''t think we are going to check and "disturb" things until Monday AM. I''ll be here all weekend unfortunately, but better to be safe than sorry. They want to keep me here just in case until the steroids take effect for the boys. Then on Monday assuming all is well I''ll go home and be on "reduced activity" whatever that means. My doc said that I can go to school when absolutely necessary and I can work at a desk/table at home, so it''s not bedrest, but he basically wants me to take it easy.

Unfortunately no one seems to really be able to give me anything interesting. They are going to give me the Fnf test this week I guess too, but not yet. I wish I had some more information, but they as of right now they don''t believe I am in active labor and they don''t believe I am in preterm labor at all, but we really don''t know until we check the cervix again.

But I just have to say I

my doctor! He came in on his day off to check in on me, which I really really appreciate. So nice to talk to him instead of the random doctors and residents that have filtered in and out the past 12 hours or so.

Hope everyone is doing well and Indy I''m thinking about you!

 

[lisa1.01fvs1]

Whoa!! Unbelievable birth story Snlee! You are nothing short of amazing.

I remember too well those back to back contractions and the sense of "riding the wave of pain." I thought I was gonna die.

I remember feeling panicked at one point like I''m trapped with these horrendous things and I can''t get out. Unbelievable that you stayed with it and
kept going, going, going despite all the odd sensations. I hope your post-partum recovery is speedy!

NF - How are you feeling? Ack, so glad the terbutaline worked and that there is no additional change. I''m sure your becoming a top expert in the subject of cervical incompetence - not that that''s what you have. It is so hard not having any discernable control over our cervixes! Just curious, but would they even consider a cerclage on you? Perhaps it''s too early to assess.

 

[snlee]

NF and Indy, you are in my thoughts.

 

[Kay]

Snlee, you are superwoman! I can''t imagine going through a marathon like that without pain meds -- you are one tough cookie. Sounds like you and your hubby are really taking to parenthood.

 

[Kay]

Neatfreak, hang in there. I''ll be thinking about you and hoping you get good news when they check the cervix again on Monday. Sounds like you have a great doctor.

 

[nycbkgirl]

snlee- truly amazing story..u r a trooper and one tough mama..something all of us can strive for

NF- hang in there...its tough but we are all fighters here...im surprised they dont put u on bedrest just to be on the safe side,,,but please do take it easy..i know everything will be just fine!

indy- still thinking of u n our lil cubs always

kay..ur almost there girl..good luck to u and we cant wait to hear ur LnD story and see pics!! and i got very squirmy just thinkin about that whole checkin of the cervix

ouch!

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 10/4/2008 12:22:55 PM
Author: lisa1.01fvs1

NF - How are you feeling? Ack, so glad the terbutaline worked and that there is no additional change. I''m sure your becoming a top expert in the subject of cervical incompetence - not that that''s what you have. It is so hard not having any discernable control over our cervixes! Just curious, but would they even consider a cerclage on you? Perhaps it''s too early to assess.

Thanks for checking Lisa! Basically, I feel totally fine with the exception of the terbutaline side effects. They tried the nifedipine first, but I didn''t tolerate it well since I am small and have low blood pressure to begin with. So now my heart is racing from the terbut. but otherwise I feel fine.

They just monitored me for an hour and no contractions or activity in my uterus and the boys look fine. So all is good there. My doc is taking me off the terbutaline because he doesn''t think it''s really doing anything, so keep your fingers crossed for me.

And they won''t consider a cerclage, the risks outweigh any possible benefits right now and considering that we don''t even know IF my cervix is changing or if it''s just short because of the additional twin pressure, they don''t want to risk disturbing anything if nothing is wrong.

 

[lisa1.01fvs1]

NF - I am so glad to know you a little bit and that you will be an excellent advocate for yourself as usual. I am always worried about the "average" preggo going into
high-risk situations and not having the tools to navigate. ETA - of course non-PS crowd referred to here. Cervical shortening is always so ellusive. So happy to hear the boys are weathering this well. I've heard that terb can make you "racy" and heart pound.

How many weeks are u? I'm guessing around 24 since they gave you the steroids. Will you be there all day? What a way to spend a Sat.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 10/4/2008 12:52:34 PM
Author: lisa1.01fvs1
NF - I am so glad to know you a little bit and that you will be an excellent advocate for yourself as usual. I am always worried about the 'average' preggo going into

high-risk situations and not having the tools to navigate. ETA - of course non-PS crowd referred to here. Cervical shortening is always so ellusive. So happy to hear the boys are weathering this well. I've heard that terb can make you 'racy' and heart pound.


How many weeks are u? I'm guessing around 24 since they gave you the steroids. Will you be there all day? What a way to spend a Sat.

Lisa you are so sweet! I am so happy to "know" you too!

Actually I am 27 weeks, so even *if* the boys were born this weekend, they have a good prognosis esp. with the steroids. But the doctors think that the likelihood of that is very small. Unfortunately they want to keep me until tomorrow night because that is when the steroid shots will "take effect". I'm sure it also has to do with the fact that my insurance is full coverage, so they'd rather be safe than sorry since I'm not paying.

 

[pavelover]

Hi Everyone. I don''t know where to start as usual cause there is soooo much going on here. We are quite the group.

Congratulations Snlee!!! I was bawling through your birth story and am just hopeful that I can be as strong as you(maybe I could just have the strength from like one of your pinky toes or something--- that should be enough cause you are amaaaaaazing!! Hope things are well with all of you in your new little family!!!

Janine Congratulations! I love the name Chloe! Hope you are doing well at home and somehow getting some rest? Though I kinda doubt it...I don''t think I saw a pic yet? Did I ? I lose track so easily.

Indy I am so sorry to hear what you are going through. I am sending prayers and hugs your way. I think you said you are on bedrest at home? I am glad you are in good hands with your doctors. Know we are thinking of you and pulling for the cubs!! You have a really amazing attitude and am so glad you and your husband make such a strong team.

Neatfreak Omg I can''t believe you are in the hospital! I''m glad that they are monitoring you and gave you all the meds you may need in case the boys decide to arrive early- but it sounds like the Drs. are feeling good about things not happening right now? We will be pulling for you guys and thinking good thoughts for you all. You sound like you are so well informed and in good hands.

Well I had a little trip to L&D this week too. Luckily I think everything is ok but I honestly find the whole thing confusing and wish I had more knowledge, but then that means I might read alot of scary stuff that will make me feel worse? Ugg.
I was off mon and tues and didnt'' do too much, really. On tues I noticed my belly was really hard everytime I stood up(maybe this is my new normal I am still not quite sure) which was different for me and then when I got in the shower I was feeling cramping with my hard tummy? I decided to lay down and drink lots of water, but the cramping did not go away. I called L&D and rested for 2 hours but it still didn''t go away and I was pretty nervous. We went to the hopsital, got on a monitor. First they said no contractions, and they would just watch me and check my cervix 2 hours apart and then I would probably go home. Then they moved the position of the monitor and they said there were contractions(didn''t tell me how strong/ or how many and I didn''t ask although I wish I did) and that they wanted to give me IV fluids, then still send me home. mY cervix was ok(I remember them saying something like 2 1/2 and no dilation I think?). My 2 hour wait was almost up for the next cervix check and a few ppl came in the room kind of quick. They said they saw the babys'' heart rate go down on the monitor and they just got the heartbeat again and added a pulseox to me so they could correlate the heartrates and make sure who''s who''s. That bought me an overnight stay to be monitored.
The night was uneventful and I think they said no contractions after 10 p.m. (I got there around 6:30). They didn''t seem overly concerned so I stayed calm too. They didn''t give me any medicines or anything except IVFluids. In the morning, I was to have an u/s(they did a quickie u/s the night before too- said everything looked good, baby very active) and then go home. Unfortunately in the morning I was still having the cramping(they only saw irritability on the monitor?) I was getting really scared then because I just think it''s toooo early for a baby with a heart defect to be born- but after the u/s the cramping went away- do you guys think stress can cause the cramps/irritability? Cause I was a bit scared before the u/s and it was curious that the cramps went away after the u/s was done.
The drs. sent me home after that(after alot fo waiting - waiting for the fellow to come reiterate what the resident said) and didn''t put me on any restrictions or anything. I felt o.k. with that but now I am confused if I should be doing things differntly or should have asked for medicines or more intervention? I will see the ob on tuesday and get an echo to check on the baby''s heart.
Oh one more thing- they said I have "generous" amniotic fluid(who knew that generous had a bad connotation- I didn''t) and that this could be a sign of gestational diabetes. I almost had to laugh cause I feel like what are they going to tell me next? I know that it is manageable and they will take good care of me but come on!
I am sorry that this post is so incredibly long especially cause it really wasn''t that big of a deal I guess but if you read all the way then thank you. I just needed to get it out I guess and am alos wondering if any of you have experienced similar things? Now with every twinge I have I am wondering if I am gonna end up back in L&D and what to be concerned about and what to ignore? Especially in regard to what I think are round ligament pains? they feel like a shoot or a twinge in random spots on my belly. I called the ob nurse about them yesterday and she thought they sounded more like r.l. than contractions. How the heck am I supposed to know? well thanks again for reading and if you have any similar experiences? I am going to be 27 weeks on monday.

 

[ljmorgan]

On Monday I will be 10 weeks preggo, the time is flying by. Yesterday I had an emergency U/S as I had some bleeding after coming home from the hospital on Wednesday. The baby looked great, heart beat was strong, and it was moving around!

Has anyone here tried Intelligender? It claims to be 92% accurate, but I''ve read that it essentially measures testosterone in your urine. People say that if it gives you a girl result, it''s very accurate. But if it gives you a boy result, there is still a chance that you could have a girl, since some women naturally have higher testosterone levels (especially PCOS.) So there are lots of mixed reviews out there!

But anyway, you can take it after 10 weeks and I thought it would just be for fun, we''ll see what the ultrasound has to say about that. I''ll report back on whether Intelligender turns out to be accurate for me

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Hey Lindsey,

Good to hear your baby''s doing well.

How has your M/S been? Better, I hope!

10 weeks already. Geesh, seems like last week you announced your BFP!

Time flies.

Enjoy every minute of it!!