Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[Tacori E-ring]

Okay I just had my 30 week appointment. It went really well! He didn't say ANYTHING about my weight (so I didn't either

). I measured right on track and the HB was 145. I asked if he could tell what position the baby was in. He thought the head was up (which I did too b/c I can feel something larger, hard and round there daily but thought maybe it was the butt). He said "let's get an u/s to be sure" OKAY!!!!

I didn't think I would have another one. Sure enough it is still head up. He said he is not concerned *yet* but that we will do another u/s before my due date to make sure the baby has turned. The print outs were really bad though. You honestly CANNOT tell what you are looking at (since it is more medical than for the parents) BUT everything looked good. The heart, the spine, the brain....also measuring right on the u/s. He said he won't check the "business" for us

So we are still on team green. It is amazing how much bigger the baby looks than in our 20 u/s. Only half the baby fit in the screen. It was fun to see it one more time. DH was very excited. So I might need a c-section which honestly doesn't scare me (who knew I was so brave?!?

) I think there are benefits for both. I just want a healthy baby. He didn't seem concerned about my cramping or lower pressure. He said that fluid weighs a lot and a preggo makes almost 4 gallons a day!

TGal, our DHs suck! Haha! I am hoping our little "talk" had some good but I doubt it. You are right. We have been together 6.5 years. I KNEW what I was getting myself into. Sometime I just wish my life was more like a movie. *sigh* don't we all?

SB- You CAN DO IT! Just take your time and don't get frusterated! I was sick of waiting around for DH to do it. I am hoping to have our nursery done soon. I was 3 weeks early and sometimes they say your own birth mimics your child's. Not sure if that was true but he did ask if I was breech (since my baby is as of now).

I won't mind going *a little* early. This heat is getting to me! Be sure to post pics of the nursery once you are done. Good luck at your next appointment. Ask about the baby's position. Maybe you will get an extra u/s too *evil laugh* I swear I did not know!!!!

 

[ellaila]

Congrats on a great appt. today, Tacori! Doesn''t it just make you happy for the whole day when you see the little bugger(s) in your belly? I float out of the office on a cloud after a nice good checkup - esp. when there''s an u/s involved too! I''m still in awe that you guys aren''t finding out the sex of the baby -- you''ve got more will power than I ever will!

Hi Irish!!

How''s the little one? Doing better with her stomach issues (I think that''s what she was having, right?)?

Jess, sorry your AF came a''callin this month! Keep tryin'', sister!

TGal, I guess we can''t expect guys to "get it" because, really, before I got pregnant, I didn''t get it either! Even seeing friends go through it doesn''t really prepare you for what you will be feeling emotionally and physically when you''ve got a life growing inside you, you know? On the one hand, I don''t want to be a complainer, but on the other hand, I want hubby to know that yes, my ribs feel like they''re about to explode, dammit, and I want some sympathy! He''s good with letting me rest and telling me not to do too much, but he''s also not been bringing me flowers or giving me massages unless I out and out ask (but do most guys do that? Unless they''re John Cusack in a movie or something?). I do agree though that once you start to look pregnant and you see the baby getting bigger through ultrasounds that it becomes much more real. I have a week-by-week guide, and I read stats about the babies out loud every Wednesday over breakfast, and hubby''s reaction is so cute every week! Hearing that the babies are the size of a lemon or a peach makes it much more tangible, you know?

I can''t believe how soon many of you will be becoming Mommies!!! Tacori and SB, you''re both 30 weeks now; njc is due in Septmeber, right?; and our Diver is due any day now?!

 

[divergrrl]

Tacori: Check out this website....apparently there are things you can do to help reposition your baby. http://www.spinningbabies.com/ I''ve had a few friends who had breech presentations. Your attitude is awesome! Hope your dh comes around a little...can you just ask him flat out for a back rub or cookies or whatever? I got so mad at mine a couple of days ago that he brought home chocolate chip cookies, rootbeer, and icecream. LOL.

Of course, now he''s mad at me. I somehow didn''t get the garage door all the way open (must have hit a button) and ran into it when backing out this morning. It''s ALL JACKED UP and now I have to pay some guy to get it fixed tomorrow. grrrrrrrrr

I told dh to pipe down and relax...stuff breaks, and you can''t hold a pregnant woman guilty for an innocent mistake. I didn''t mean to do it. Yes, I''d LOVE to spend $200 to $250 to fix something when I have baby stuff to buy, so let''s mow down the garage door it''ll be fun!

Stephens Bride: Aww. you have lots of time girl. You really don''t need everything right now. Just some onesies, sleepers, sleepsacks, a few receiving blankets, a pack-n-play or basinnet thingie for them to sleep in your room. If you are breastfeeding, all your "supplies" are in your shirt, so you are fine there. And diapers...don''t forget diapers. Carseat, swing, sling or bjorn, and a good bottle of wine should do it. Just dont'' do what my friend Maria did & wait until she was off work for maternity leave (at week 39) to put stuff together. She was home half a day & her water broke! I had to go set her stuff up for her, she was so overwhelmed. FWIW...I wasn''t ready until last week & I am now 35.5 weeks. Same thing with my son.

Just start with the important items (carseat, diapers) put them together (or go have carseat installed), buy batteries for swings/bouncy seats, and wash baby''s clothes in Tide Free. (Dreft is expesive & doesn''t get out stains, All Free & Clear is worthless, but the Tide can be used for the whole family & get stains out really well)

Have fun shopping!! It really is a good time...


Tgal: LOL...Our nursery is nowhere near done yet, but that''s ok. Jake is still in his crib, so she has no place to sleep up there. DH is doing a really bang up job of fixing up her room. Its coming along beautifully. Babies don''t care about anything other than food and love anyway.

Irish: Oh hello dear! Welcome to my world! I used to think that mom''s clubs were for ''boring housewifey types'', something that my educated, corporate hotshot self was above joining. Well, I stay at home now, and yes, I talk about my kid all the dang time. Its ANNOYING to me. A few things have helped....

a) join a mom''s club--you get to talk babies/kids with women in similar situations & go do fun things out of the house with your kids. Oddly enough...they are all moms in the same boat, its GREAT. And you get all that baby babble out of your system so as not to bore your childless friends to tears.

b) making a point to go out with your non-kidded friends every so often. Leave baby with husband--its good for him. Go see a movie--even if you have nothing interesting to say, the movie will entertain you.

c) read the paper. It helps being up on current events for the aforementioned "things to talk about".

d) go on a girl''s weekend with your friends. 2 nights at the beach (or where ever) with lots of food/wine/comraderie does wonders for the soul.

***and my favorite****

e) GO ON A REAL VACATION without your child. Preferably with your dh, but ones with your girlfriends are fabulous too. I took off for a week in December did a Mexico cruise with my college girlfriends. Yup...left dh & son to fend for themselves. It was HEAVENLY!

f) get a hobby. Whether its crafts, yoga, dance, painting, photography classes, whatever, get out of the house for a few hours to better yourself once a week. Again...GOOD for the DH''s to spend that kind of time parenting solo.

Oooh..almost forgot:

g) don''t let yourself go. Whatever your personal style was before having a child...stick to it. Don''t let the frumpy mommy monster eat you alive.

DivaDiamond: sending lots of sticky dust your way.....good luck on this first cycle!!! Have fun!

Ellaila: I WISH I was due any day now!! I''m due 9-22-07. Another 4.5 LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG weeks

. *sigh*. Oh well, she will arrive when she arrives.



I heair Jake goofing around in his crib...time to check on him so I can nap...later alligators...

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Ella, it is a hard wait for sure! The doctor didn''t even look below the waist. We stayed strong!

Diver, thanks for the website. I looked at it briefly but got really overwhelmed!

Seems really complicated. I guess at my next appointment we will see if the baby has flipped. Might explain why I don''t feel much movement (according to that website).

 

[aljdewey]

So cute to hear of the progress with all you gals. While I won't be travelling down this path, it's an exciting time to share in with those who do!

So funny how many of you want maternity pics. A friend of mine was pregnant for the first time earlier this year, and I had suggested coming down to shoot pics for her. She hadn't really thought about wanting such a thing, but was willing to indulge me! Her shower was on a Sunday in February, and the following Saturday, I went to her place to shoot. She wanted low-key in-home pics, so that's what we did. Her son was born five days later, and she was SO glad we did them. She has a few of them hanging in her nursery now!

 

[divergrrl]

Alj: Look on pg 48 of this thread....I posted some of the shots from my maternity shoot last month. I'm still waiting for the rest of them...We did lots of different locations over a weekend. How fun you want to do that! In the shot of me standing in the river, my photog was laying in the wet sand. We were a mess by the time we left.

Can I just say....toddlers are BEDHOGS! Mine woke up screaming at 2am, so I brought him to bed with me. King size bed & I'm hanging onto my side for dear life. Stinker. But I have to say, he is awfully lovey today after cuddling momma all night.

Ok time for my daily cup of joe. I am so tired this morning, its not funny.

 

[ellaila]

Link doesn''t work for me either, AlJ! Bummer -- I love seeing maternity shots!!

I cannot wait to get mine done! A friend of a friend is a photog-wannabe, and she supposedly would offer us a really great price, so we may use her. She did some pics for my friend, and though I haven''t seen them, my friend loves them. I get all excited with our crappy weekly belly shots, so I can''t even imagine how excited I''ll be to see some good photos!

My shower is starting to come together

My mom talked to my friend last night, and they''re coordinating everything together (Mom is in FL and my friend is here in MA where the shower will be, so in a way Mom is just the financial backer for this and my friend is the planner!). My friend is great at planning things like this and wants as much as possible to be a surprise for me (invites, decorations, favors, etc.) -- yay!! I''m excited

We''re going to BRU this weekend to register .... or to meltdown, not sure which one will happen ...

Diver, I don''t know why I thought you were due sooner! Anyhow, as you know, four weeks is nuttin'' honey, and you''ll be hanging out with your next little bedhog before you know it!

 

[ellaila]

Here''s a silly shot from last week (20 weeks -- I''m 21 weeks today, so tonight will be our weekly photo shoot). This one just makes me laugh

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Ella, I still think you look so tiny! I was way bigger than you at 20 weeks and am only carrying ONE baby! How tall are you?

Alj, I think *many* women if not *most* women would love to have these kinds of shots taken. I think you would be very sucessful at this! Who knows, maybe I will regret it. I just feel like an ugly beast. Not sure I want to document that. Haha! Maybe after the baby is born I''ll have some prof. pics taken.

 

[jcrow]

ellaila - you are tiny girl! seriously, you look fabulous!

all of you do. it''s really great to see all the belly pics in this thread!
this is one of my favorite threads on ps!!

 

[TravelingGal]

Alj, the link doesn''t work for me either...

You guys want to see something SO UNFAIR? This is my friend''s belly shot. She''s 39 or 40 weeks in this picture and gave birth very soonafter.

 

[TravelingGal]

Also wanted to share another friend''s maternity pics. Her hubby is a pro photographer and took pics of her throughout her maternity. There''s one of her at a laundromat that I love, as well as one with a plane flying overhead.

Here''s the laundromat one...9 months and "waiting"...

 

[TravelingGal]

Plane...

 

[TravelingGal]

On a desert highway.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

TGal, your friends photos are GREAT!

jcrow, when will you be joining this thread

Alj, VERY unfair! My neighbor''s daughter (she is going into 4th grade) said I MUST be having a girl since I am so puffy (I guess her mom said women carrying girls get puffy). Puffy, fat, it''s all the same to an 8 year old!

 

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[jcrow]

Date: 8/22/2007 12:38:27 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
TGal, your friends photos are GREAT!

jcrow, when will you be joining this thread

Alj, VERY unfair! My neighbor''s daughter (she is going into 4th grade) said I MUST be having a girl since I am so puffy (I guess her mom said women carrying girls get puffy). Puffy, fat, it''s all the same to an 8 year old!

ha! according to my insurance, we can''t start trying till october. but even then, i''m not sure we''re ready for a baby just yet.
we''re going to be on the if-it-happens plan at the end of this year. eek. that''s soo scary just typing that!

 

[TravelingGal]

Ella, I love the silly shot!

And you are right...another friend of mine is due in October, and I totally did get it when she''d tell me things she was feeling and going through. So I suppose we can''t expect our men to get it either. Like Tacori, I knew what I was getting into, but some irrational side of me thinks, "Hello, I''m creating YOUR child! Is a massage too much to ask?"

Tacori, glad to hear the 30 week went well. Man you are coming down the final stretch (although I know you have 10 weeks to go, but I think it will go by fast) along with Diver and SB! The first trimester seems to DRAAAG. Did anyone else feel like that?

SB, 10.5 weeks still seems like enough time to me. I am sure you will get it done!

Diver, you are so right about reading up on current events. A friend of mine who was one of the first to have a kid in our group could not talk about ANYTHING but her daughter. I finally had to tell her that it was out of control. She said sometimes she realized she was doing it but didn''t know it was that bad, and asked me what I think might help. I told her to at least sit down and read the headlines at the end of the day so she might be able to talk about something else!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

jcrow, it is EXCITING! We have to have careful family planning due to insurance also so I understand that. No rush though. If you guys aren't ready yet that is ok.

TGal, we need to share a virtual bottle of wine! (Virtual is safe for the babies). I feel the EXACT SAME WAY! Not that I expect him to suddenly worship me but....a little gratefulness would be nice (in form of a card or flowers). Growing life IS hard work sister! The first trimester was the worst for sure. Mine went by so slowly (probably b/c I was sick). The second went by in a day (we did a lot of traveling though so that took my mind off the pregnancy). I have a feeling this last trimester will drag too. Physically (not counting m/s of course!) it is the most uncomfortable. My belly feels so heavy! I just hope the rest of my time goes smoothly and my baby turns out of its comfy position.

NJC WHERE ARE YOU?!? Hope you are doing well.

 

[cdt1101]

I''m a lurker of this thread (getting married next year, and hope to start trying soon after wedding). But I noticed Tacori and Jcrow making reference to insurance coverage before trying. I was wondering if either of you could elaborate on that? I started a new job a month ago, do most insurances require you be a covered a period of time before you can become pregnant (if you don''t want more out of pocket expenses)?

Sorry to threadjack, but i wasn''t aware of this....

Congrats to all the mommies-to-be (and mommies!!!)

 

[gailrmv]

Coming out of lurkerdom to ask... how did you guys know that your insurance wouldn't cover maternity until a certain point? I just got new health insurance thru my new job and didn't see anything about it, but I didn't read every word either.
Tacori, I think you said before that you had to add maternity onto your insurance so that makes sense - I guess my question if for JCrow and anyone else who is affected.
Everyone's belly shots are SOOOO cute!!

ETA CDT and I are thinking about the same thing!

 

[cdt1101]

gail - that''s funny! we must have been posting at the same time

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Okay, here is my insurance situation. DH and I are both self-employed therefore we buy our health insurance ourselves through Blue Cross/Blue Shield. It is actually decent insurance which is great for us BUT you can only change your policy ONCE a year (1/1 of each new year) So I had to add extra maternity coverage which equals lots of money per month

But it is obviously worth it since out of pocket would be as much as a nice car (I am guessing). My OB bills my insurance co over $400 just for an u/s. I cannot even imagine how much a hospital stay would be. So we started to try 1/1/07 (if I had gotten preggo before they would not cover it). I chose an HSA (which is a health savings account) with a $1100 pay down deductable. Once I hit $1,100, which I have, everything is free

. It is all a tax write off which is a benefit. I now get my $40 prenatals for free which is really nice. Once I have the baby my maternity coverage rolls over into a new policy for the baby.

Sounds like you both have employers so you really should check with your HR department. There could be waiting periods but also you could probably use your DH's insurance (but if you JUST got married there might be a waiting period for your coverage too). It is so important to know b/c it is near impossible to get insurance AFTER you are preggo. It is worth waiting a few months IMHO. Also everyone has SOME out of pocket expenses. I think my friend spent $2,000 as her deductable and her DH has a good job with a national co. So just keep that in mind. Having a baby is a huge expense so every little bit helps! Hope this helps ladies.

ETA: you could also always call your insurance co (I have made SO many calls). They are ususally pretty helpful about what is covered and when it is covered.

 

[Jaders731]

Just wanted to chime in here about the health insurance..

Tacori... my hubby and I too are self employed with indiv. policies with Blue Cross/Blue Shield. When I got my policy.. I right then and there added maternity, knowing we would be married soon.. (the wedding was 13 monts after the policy began). BC/BS poses a mandatory 10 mos wait period from the day you add maternity coverage (this is to ensure that you are NOT pregnant when you get the policy, and that you WAIT to get pregnant. So basically, I paid in 10 mos. of maternity coverage before I could insurance wise get preggo and have it covered.. ughhh what a mess.. I understand why they do it.. (to avoid ripping off the system), but it seems like such a waste to have to pay it for 10 months without anything to cover... not even a "just in case"

Could it be Jcrow that you are waiting out that policy mandatory wait period? I have heard this is standard with most insurance companies?

I''m clear to get preggo now.. insurance wise... wish I could!!! just having lots of health issues right now.. and well there is that pesky living on a tiny island in the caribbean thing to consider... darnit... reading all about you soon to be mommies... makes me want one sooo bad!!! ughhh baby fever!

 

[ellaila]

TGal, now I wish I had married a professional photographer! Your friend''s photos are so cool! I was just in contact with my friend''s coworker, and she only charges for prints that we buy and not for the time spent at the shoot, which is awesome. And her rates are supercheap b/c she is basically just starting out and wants exposure (ha ha, pun intended). Yahoooo!

Random question: anyone know the lifespan of sunflowers in New England?? We''ve got a gorgeous batch of them in our garden, but since we just moved to that house, I have no idea how long those babies will last. I''d love to get some prof. photos taken near them, but photos won''t be for another six weeks or so ...

Yikes, that insurance thing sounds messy! Like pregnant ladies don''t have enough to worry about, huh?

Jaders, sorry you''re having health issues right now. When the time is right for your body to get pregnant, it will!

Thanks for the compliment, jcrow! It''s funny but for me at least, all self-consciousness has gone out the window with being pregnant, and I really love my body now! I used to be so self-conscious -- my boobs are too small, my stomach isn''t flat enough -- but now I feel like my body is just so incredible. I''m constantly amazed by it! I''m not going to do any full-on nudie shots or anything, but I''m definitely willing to be more revealing with my preg. portraits than I normally would be.

Tacori, I''m 5''5". I''ve put on about 17-18 lbs. now, I think? And from the photos I saw of you, you are not fat or puffy -- you are pregnant and you look fantastic! And anyone who says otherwise is just jealous. So pppppt to them! I love this from whattoexpect.com (week 16 "For Dad" tip):

Say it again: It''s not fat, it''s not fat , it''s not fat . FAT is a four-letter word right now, and she spends every minute of every day wondering if her body will ever return to its original shape. If you know what''s good for you, you will banish the word "fat" from your vocabulary starting now. If you absolutely need to reference your wife''s size, memorize this scientifically correct synonym: maternal storage tissue.

 

[jcrow]

yes, jaders. that''s what the wait techincally is for.
my co. pays 100% health care and my co. has long term disability but doesn''t pay for short term. so in august i signed up for short term disability. the policy doesn''t go into effect until sept. 1 and there is a 10 period before you can use it.

every company is different. but for me,as far as days off, i have 12 days vaca and 12 days of sick a year. 4 of my vacation days can carry over to the following year and all of my sick days can carry over each year. so i''m trying to have some saved up days for paid time of in addition to short term disability.

i''m not too sure how many days off average i can expect to need... i think i''ll have 45 days or something saved up this time next year.

 

[jcrow]

Date: 8/22/2007 2:45:03 PM
Author: ellaila
...Thanks for the compliment, jcrow! It''s funny but for me at least, all self-consciousness has gone out the window with being pregnant, and I really love my body now! I used to be so self-conscious -- my boobs are too small, my stomach isn''t flat enough -- but now I feel like my body is just so incredible. I''m constantly amazed by it! I''m not going to do any full-on nudie shots or anything, but I''m definitely willing to be more revealing with my preg. portraits than I normally would be.
...

that''s awesome! i''m already worried that i''ll take it so hard knowing how super self-conscious i am already. i really hope i change and see things like you do. it''s so true how amazing our bodies are.

 

[mrssalvo]

whew...just catching up on this thread after a few days away, sounds like you pregnant gals are doing great. yay, diver that you get to try the VD frist. congrats tacori on a great 30 week checkup..

congrats Jas. I''ve got some news to report too. I''m 7 1/2 weeks pregnant. so Jas, you and TG and I will all be delivering around the same time...

i''ve have computer problems and haven''t been able to log on but it''s so nice reading this thread. I''ve had morning sickness something awful this time around. I had very little with my first and second, but this one is giving me the 24 hour flu

. I go to my first dr. appt. next monday. hubby and i were going to wait until then to share the news but hubby just couldn''t contain himself and has already told everyone he knows so I figured I might as well come out and share too. Plus, having the extra support is always helpful.

 

[jcrow]

mrssalvo!!

congratulations!!!!

this thread is so exciting!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Jaders if you had 13 months you should have waited a year to add it. I have had BC/BS for 4 years so I had NO waiting period. I could have gotten preggo on 1/1/07 and it would have been covered. Oh well. Too late now!

Their HSA are really good if you were thinking of changing your policy. I am very happy with it (so far).