Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[robbie3982]

Thanks Mela, Diva, fiery, puffy, qtiekiki, Amber, sweet pea, nyc, Jas and fisher!

Fiery, glad to hear that everything is ok with the little one! It''s so scary when you think something is wrong! I think it''s much better to be safe than sorry though. Hope your cold goes away quickly!

Amber, DH has a coworker named Ferris (I think he spells it differently though). He and his wife are due in June with a little boy who they''re also naming Ferris.

I like the name.

Sweet Pea, glad you''re out of the closet! Your wedding pics were beautiful!

Fisher, those are my favorites too! The funny thing is that I HATE that wall and really didn''t like the idea of taking pics in front of it, lol. The wall is on our patio supporting part of our roof and it''s definitely on our list of things to change eventually. It''s super ugly in person, but came out looking really cool in the pictures!

 

[fieryred33143]

Thanks ladies. It was scary at the time but I should have known she was just being lazy. She is after all my child...like mother, like daughter

Mela-What''s new on the baby front?

Sweet Pea-I don''t think I was around during Happy in Love so you''ll always be sweet Pea to me

****

Today''s goal is to pick a paint color for the nursery and start painting. We also might be getting our car seat today

 

[mela lu]

YEY Sweet Pea / HIL for coming out! I can''t think of a better reason than to expose your true identity!

Sweet Pea it it!

Jas - I"m so happy to hear that Luna is getting a warm reception (thank you to your DH!) because I''ve had a bit of "backlash" from my SIL. She''s worried about teasing, but my philosophy is that a child can get teased for almost ANYTHING; and we have to love the name we choose regardless of what "may or may not be". So, anyways, Thanks!

I love Lucia too. So pretty.

Nothing new on the baby front. Today is a "new moon", which ironicaly, my Zia Lucia (Loo-Chi-ah) says brings babies.

Nothing yet!
I baked a macaroni and cheese casserole for friends last night, and now I''m making a huge batch of soup. This is my "form" of baking. Fingers crossed it works. I''m really really really ready to meet my baby.

Mela lu
40w2d

 

[Courtneylub]

Any second now, Mela! Were you dilated at all at your last appointment? When was that?

Robbie, love the pics.

 

[E B]

Robbie- Gorgeous photos! You look absolutely beautiful.

fiery- I'm glad your munchkin finally moved! And I'm sorry about your cold. I have one too, so we can be in sniffly misery together. Are you still planning on lavender for the nursery?

sweet pea-

mela- Fingers crossed for the new moon! I think baking macaroni absolutely counts. Maybe you can make one for yourself to freeze, and that'll do the trick? If luring that baby out with a delicious cheese dish doesn't work...

33w3d today! Anyone have any fun Memorial Day plans? DH and I are cooking, you guessed it, burgers. Have I mentioned that plain Lay's Potato Chips are greasy evil in a bag? I could eat a family sized package in one sitting. I don't let myself, but I could so easily.

 

[mela lu]

Court - Middie wouldn''t do an internal at my last appt (40 weeks) because she felt that ''what will be will be''...so I have no idea if I''ve dilated at all. My guess would be...no.

***CALLING CHINA CAT****

I keep coming back to this one baby name for you. I don''t know why, but it keeps getting whispered to me when I think of you:

DUKE

 

[sweet pea]

Fiery, I totally forgot to say that I am happy she was just sleeping! Maybe it''s a sign that she''ll be a good sleeper once she has arrived!

Mela, Hopefully Zia is right about the new moon

EBree, I am so wishing I wanted a burger right now! I am still not feeling so hot

As far as plans for memorial day, well, Hubby and I need to work on our communication! I told a friend of ours we would be free all weekend, and was looking forward to getting out on their boat with them. But, when her DH called mine, he said we were busy working on the new salon! I''ve been talking about getting out on the water for WEEKS! I was so bummed that he wanted to do work this weekend instead of playing. Oh well, I''m sure the bouncing around would have been a bad idea since I''m still fighting the nausea

Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend!

 

[phoenixgirl]

Sweet pea, glad you have finally been able to unmask yourself! And sorry about the boat trip, but I agree that the bouncing probably wouldn''t be good. Blech! Boats are the one thing in my life that ever made me nauseated before this pregnancy did!

Mela, hope the new moon does her job!

Pandora, I imagine you are enjoying your lovely Daisy right now!



This baby is making me really tired! I napped just before noon today . . . yesterday I couldn''t even wait that long and napped from 9 to 10 a.m. And I''m just barely awake now. DH has been gone the whole morning and much of the afternoon the last two days with bike stuff, so I am looking forward to him coming home and helping me roust myself from the couch. Well, sort of, because I''m too tired to think about doing anything!

I thought the 2nd trimester was supposed to be the one where you have lots of energy?

I really can''t tell if I am feeling my baby move (I''m 18.5 weeks). When I lie on my back, I feel a little pop sometimes when I breathe out. And other times I feel what seems like gas bubbles in the uterus region, but usually just one here or there, and some little pinches. But nothing feels like poking, tickling, or butterflies, and it''s usually not constant enough for me to know "for sure."

Does anybody do any prenatal exercise DVDs? I just ordered the Perfect Pregnancy Workout Vol 1. I''m tired of trying to avoid the sit-ups, plyometrics, etc . of my Firm videos, but I''d really like something that still uses dumbbells. Any recommendations? Of course, given my fatigue, I''m lucky if I do some highly modified "express" (25 minutes usually) version of my old workouts. I probably shouldn''t spend too much money on DVDs until I see if I''m up to it.

 

[robbie3982]

Sabine''s shower was so great!

Here''s the requested belly pic (not the best of me, but Sabine looks cute!):

 

[Dreamer_D]

ROBBIE LOL at the shout out! Strangely enough, I didn''t do any research on this topic because I felt that I couldn''t make the decision without all the available information, and we wouldn''t have that before the situation arose. I really trusted my midwife, and knew that in a situation where we needed to make a decision like that, I would have trusted her advice. I didn''t actually have a birth plan at all, to be honest, and it was a good thing because nothing went as I had imagined

I did do some reading about this though when I was reseaeching birthing big babies, and ONE thing I do recall reading is that the safety of forceps etc depend on your OBs level of experience! If he or she uses forceps all the time, then they are very safe, but if not, then they are not so safe. I think I might ask my OB about his/her level of experience with that tool before allowing it. I also recall reading that you sometimes cannot choose between the two manual options because they are used in specific circumstances: forceps *reposition* the baby whereas vaccums help pull the baby out. So depending on the situation you may need one or the other.

 

[robbie3982]

Woops, forgot to attach the picture.

 

[mela lu]

Harrow Gorgeous''es!

Sabine - I''m McLovin'' your shoes! You look great

Deeeetails about your shower please. Robbie - thanks for posting. I love seeing you two together.

 

[Jas12]

Mela--bake some damn cookies would ya!! Soup doesn''t count. Babies aren''t lured by chopped veggies--only sweet, yummy, goey edibles

(worked for me at 42 weeks- HAD to have been the cookies right?--ha

)

and yep, kids could be teased for any number of things. If not the name, then something else. She''ll be cool, so no worries.

 

[mela lu]

Jas - can you remind me...did you go into labour at 42 weeks on your own or were you induced?

 

[cdt1101]

hey ladies! hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend!

The plan to come off meds didn''t work, i was at the urologist and OBG the next day. After a long discussion w/ both doctors a decision was made that being on the pain med benefits me more than not. I just cannot take it w/out it. So the weekend hasn''t been so bad. We even invited friends over yesterday and grilled, it was fun!

Everyone''s belly pics are so cute!!! Everyone looks great. Mela, I can''t believe you are 40 weeks!!! You look freakin fantastic!

Robbie - I love your professional pics!! you and your DH look so happy!!! It''s so sweet to see and I"m sure your little guy

will appreciate seeing them in the future. And I love the pic you and SAbine, you both look great!!!

Sabine - I agree w/ Mela, LOVE your shoes!!!!!!!!!!!

As for me, it looks like at this point I will be induced at 39 weeks, if not earlier. Nothing scheduled yet, but I see my OBG Wednesday and will hopefully have a date scheduled then. I''m 37 weeks this Thursday!!!! So in about 2 weeks we''ll finally get to meet our little man!!! Can''t wait to be done w/ this pregnancy and start to take care of this kidney situation and just start to heal!!!

Enjoy the day ladies!! It''s BEAUTIFUL out here in NJ

 

[Jas12]

Mela--on my own (i was baking and my water broke). I opted out of being induced at the 10 days-over mark b/c i was completely healthy. I went in for regualr NST from week 41 on. BUT, b/c my water broke before labor started I waited nearly 12 hours at home. When contractions got close together but still managable i headed to the hopsital (i was strep b positive so i knew risk of infection was higher with broken waters). I got a single dose of oxytocin to increase the stregth of my contractions several hours after i arrived at the hospital since i was still only a little bit dilated, baby still high and the hospital had a timeline to deliver. I definetly think i would have been one of those women in labor for 2 days if left on my own. Contractions got immediately intense and close together after the oxytocin (yuck) b/c i was already in the middle of my ''slow and steady'' labor. 8 hours later my son was born. In total approx. 23 hours.
(as simple ''yes'' would have sufficed eh?--sorry, long winded today)

....

Is anyone else getting professional maternity shots taken? Has Robbie inspired anyone? I kinda wish i did. I was too self concious and felt awkward. But i think for #2 i will bite the bullet and get ''em done.

 

[qtiekiki]

Jas12
I wanted to do maternity pic when I was pg with M, but DH really didn''t. So we ended up not doing it. But I told DH that we''ll do it with baby #2, and we''ll include M in the pics. I''ve seen pics done with pg mom and the older kid. It''s so sweet.

 

[lili]

Jas12
I wished you did too

I don''t know what you were so self conscious about...you were such a cute and pretty preggo

You should definitely do one w/ #2, then Co will be in the picture too.
I love those shots of the baby kissing the bellies.....so sweet.

QT
You too.

 

[cellososweet]

hi everyone. this is going to be a little self-centered and a bit woah-is-me, but I know you guys will understand.

I''m 7 weeks today and last wednesday I started running a fever. I took tylenol every four hours, took tepid baths, cold washcloth on the head. Nothing. Couldn''t get into the doctors until Friday. Of course everyone and their freakin'' mother is worried about swine flu so they put me on an antiviral (a class C antiviral) before the results even come back. I hem and haw and have a breakdown wondering if I should take this drug. I figured I''m no good to anyone if I die, so I should suck it up and take it. Fast forward three days. I don''t have the stupid swine flu (yeah well, I could''ve told you that.) So I took this stupid drug for no real reason and I''m frustrated. But what''s worse is that now it''s 5 days and I STILL have a fever!

I can''t keep it down and I''m getting really terrified at this point. The ER doctor was a d*ck and was like "oh another person with the same thing." I dug into him telling him that I''m not an idiot. I have a background in public health and I understand that the media has hyped this up. If I wasn''t pregnant, I''d be on so much ibuprofen I''d be spitting advil signs. I wasn''t here for his company or because I sneezed twice. I was here because I was pregnant and have had a fever for 4 days (at that point). I''m not one of these average people who is terrified over this stupid media-hyped thing, I''m worried because a fever for an extended amount of time, especially at this point, is NOT a good thing.

I don''t know what I need. I guess just a shoulder. I''m sitting here roasting still with a fever. I don''t know what else to do and I''m petrified.

 

[sweet pea]

Cello I am so sorry you are so sick! ER docs are so frustrating most of the time. I hope your fever breaks soon, and feel free to vent to us as much as you need. I wish I had some great advice for you, but all I can offer is a shoulder. Hang in there

 

[VRBeauty]

Cello: Your concern is understandable (and that doctor sounds like a real jerk!) Does your health service have an advice nurse you can contact? I'd suggest a drop-in clinic, but I suppose that's not too likely on a holiday... , or a drop-in clinic?

Or as an alternative, do you know any health pros, including midwives, you can ask informally (or do you know anyone who knows anyone...)? I'm sure they'd understand given the circumstances. (I suggest this because my mother was a nurse so I turn to her for advice all the time. Unfortunately I doubt she'd have any special knowledge for your situation.)

As another alternative you might try posting about your situation in a separate thread... there just might be some PS'ers hanging around who would be able to either reassure you or offer more informed input.


(((hugs!)))

 

[mela lu]

Date: 5/25/2009 10:54:01 AM
Author: Jas12
Mela--on my own (i was baking and my water broke). I opted out of being induced at the 10 days-over mark b/c i was completely healthy. I went in for regualr NST from week 41 on. BUT, b/c my water broke before labor started I waited nearly 12 hours at home. When contractions got close together but still managable i headed to the hopsital (i was strep b positive so i knew risk of infection was higher with broken waters). I got a single dose of oxytocin to increase the stregth of my contractions several hours after i arrived at the hospital since i was still only a little bit dilated, baby still high and the hospital had a timeline to deliver. I definetly think i would have been one of those women in labor for 2 days if left on my own. Contractions got immediately intense and close together after the oxytocin (yuck) b/c i was already in the middle of my 'slow and steady' labor. 8 hours later my son was born. In total approx. 23 hours.
(as simple 'yes' would have sufficed eh?--sorry, long winded today)

....

Is anyone else getting professional maternity shots taken? Has Robbie inspired anyone? I kinda wish i did. I was too self concious and felt awkward. But i think for #2 i will bite the bullet and get 'em done.

Jas - that was great. Exactly what I wanted! (not long winded). I'm glad for the detail, because I'm so curious to hear other people's similar experience. Especially, about getting oxytocin. From everyone I talk to who've had it, it makes the ctx so much harder to cope with - and the majority of people end up with an epidural as a result. Did you end up getting one?

I feel like, left to nature, I'll be able to psychologically manage the labour. BUT. Because so many people have said that the oxytocin made things unnaturally unmanageable, I feel like my confidence has been shaken.

At the end of the day, I'm going to do whatever is best for the baby (on my middie's recommendations) and I don't have a birth plan. Ideally, I'd like to go natural.

Was your 41 week u/s (NST) based on 8 factors? I have mine this Saturday, and my Middie was saying that I have to "pass" all 8 factors or else be induced on the spot. Was that the same for you?
_____

I had prenatal pics done!!

I'm glad I did...they are on pg 621 of this thread if you want to see them.
And for the record - I thought you were soooooo cute preggie too

but I do know how these hormones can alter your sense of self.
_____

Cello - urgh. I can't believe that dr! I don't have a lot of knowledge, but my basic knowledge tells me that fever = infection. Have you been tested for an IUI? I worry with any fever that presists. Not good.

Keep on this....don't stop till you get your answer.

 

[Pandora II]

Hi All,

Finally back home...

Will post up my L&D story in a bit. I would advise that I had a pretty traumatic time and if people don''t care to hear about what can happen when things don''t go according to plan that they skip the post.

I''m very grateful to Surfgirl for letting you all know that we were okay (even if I don''t remember a great deal of the conversation we had!)

Anyway, will catch up on all the news shortly.

In the meantime, here is a sneak preview of Daisy shortly after she was born at 3.45pm on Sunday, 17th May.
She weighed 8lbs 4oz and was 24" long.

 

[mela lu]

Oh Pandorsiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiie! So glad to hear from you.

MAJOR CONGRATS on the birth of Daisy. I cannot wait to read your whole story (the good, the bad and the ugly). I'm just so happy that you are home safe.
Um, Daisy was quite a big little girl! Congrats on baking a healthy baby girl. She is GORGEOUS!

Welcome home, and to the rest of your life DAISY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ChinaCat]

Hi ladies- Quick drive by, my internet has been out at home all weekend (again

) and I''m up at the office for 5 minutes and don''t want to stay longer than necessary. Will post to everyone tomorrow.

Just wanted to say:

PANDORA-

She''s so yummy. Congrats. I do want to hear the dirty details, if you don''t mind sharing. I kind am a need to know what worst case scenarios can be like kinda girl. But so happy you''re home and doing well with your gorgeous girl!

MELA- Hi. Love Duke!!!! Will run it by DH and let you know. Thanks lady!

CDT- Been thinking about you, so happy to see a "happier" post from you. Glad you are staying on your meds.

CELLO- Not ok.

Do you not have an OB GYN yet? I think you just moved so maybe not. I agree with the others, call someone, anyone that can give you advice. Ugh, I am thinking of you and your little one. Try to take it easy. I know, easy for me to say. We''re here for you.

Will catch up with everyone else later if my stupid internet decides to work, or tomorrow.

 

[lili]

Oh wow Pnadora, Daisy is a major beauty!

Sooo cute and I''d like to say tiny, but can''t since she''s sooo long.
Can''t wait to hear your story and see more pictures of your gorgeous little girl.

 

[cellososweet]

awww Pandora! She''s beautiful! Absolutely gorgeous. Congratulations Mum!

Thanks for all the well-wishes everyone. I''m just really frustrated and at my wits end. I''m going to go to the doctors tomorrow and basically do a sit-in to make them see me. I think my doctor will actually want to see me. She''s been quite concerned, which is good. I have a midwife group and they are excellent. I paged them at midnight a couple of nights ago and they called back in less than 5 minutes.

I just really wish that I could be tested. For whatever. I''ll pee in anything, give a billion vials of blood. I just feel like everyone is all "It''s a virus. It''ll pass." Well, I know viruses take a while sometimes, but you''d think I''d have some relief by now. Either a slightly lower temp or less of a cough or something.

Those are my only symptoms. A fever and a horrible cough (mainly when I lay down. Which makes sleeping just lovely).

I''ll keep you all updated. I just wish I could break this darn thing.

 

[Pandora II]

Here it is... a long one I’m afraid...as was the FIFTY-FOUR hours of labour!

So, as you all know, my waters broke shortly after 11am on Friday 15th – DH and I went to the hospital in no great rush so that they could confirm that it was amniotic fluid, check the baby was doing well, check dilation and book me for an induction if labour hadn’t begun by 8pm the following evening.

By 2.30pm, I was feeling definite contractions that were pretty regular and they carried on increasing over the course of the day and night.

On Saturday morning I rang in to tell them that I wasn’t coping very well with the pain. I spoke to one of my favourite midwives, who was really worried as they had no beds available, but told me to come in anyway as they could give me some pain relief and I would get a bed as soon as one became available.

DH and I arrived at the Antenatal Assessment Unit at 10.30am and an hour later they did a CTG scan to check the contraction timings and that the baby was doing okay. As it was a weekend and they were short-staffed, there were no midwives or doctors on the Unit, so no-one did an examination of anything.

We ended up sitting in the waiting area until 6pm when the Unit shut and we were sent to the Birth Centre across the hall to see what they advised. When I walked into the reception area, I bumped into the midwife I’d spoken to that morning. She was furious when she found out I had been there all day, that no-one had examined me and that I had had no pain relief. She promised to find me a room as fast as she could and managed it in 15 minutes.

She explained that they were having real problems because since the last ratings for London Maternity Units came out and they had scored the highest results, they were getting loads of women who weren’t even registered with them just turning up in labour so that they could give birth there and not their local hospital. Under government legislation they can’t send them away, but they also don’t have the resources to cope with the demand – they went from 6,500 births a year to 8,000 within months of the ratings being released.

She was looking after another patient who was having a few problems, so she had to go, but said she would send someone along with some food and try and get another midwife to see me shortly...

At 8.15pm, an OB turned up, did a scan to check the baby’s position and took some blood to check my haemoglobin levels. I asked her if I could please have some Entonox as I had now been in labour for nearly 34 hours and wasn’t having a load of fun. Five minutes later I had the gas & air in my hand and went merrily off to la-la land for a while. So nice!

At 9.10pm, I was moved to one of the delivery rooms and my midwife arrived and we went through all the initial forms etc. At 10pm she did an examination. I could have cried – after 35 hours of contractions I was only fingertip dilated...

At 11pm, they started IV antibiotics as my waters had been broken for over 36 hours, and said they would need to start syntocinon (pitocin) as I wasn’t getting anywhere despite the contractions being pretty strong. I asked if I could have an epidural before they started the induction - unfortunately all the anaesthetists were in theatre. My m/w rang round the whole hospital and finally at 1.35 am on Sunday 17th May I got the epi, and OMG what a huge relief. I had spent the last two hours having what felt like 10 minute long contractions and literally crying I was in so much pain, so having that taken away was wonderful.

I had a mobile epi, but after nearly 40 hours, I was way too exhausted and also they wanted to keep me on the monitors as the ctx were a bit odd. However, I could decide how much I did or didn’t want to feel. They started the syntocinon as soon as the epidural was up and running.

At 2.10 am, they did another exam and I was now a WHOLE cm dilated... the m/w spoke to the OBs who said I had 4 hours to get to 4cm or it would need to be a c-section, and thank goodness I got to 4cm at 7am. They then told me I had another 4 hours to get to a minimum of 6cm and whacked up the syntocinon.

At 11.30am they did another exam and... I was finally fully dilated. Hooray! I then got 2 hours to rest and allow the head to descend a bit more. At 1.45 I was told it was time to start pushing – only no matter how hard I tried nothing seemed to be moving, and having tried a load of positions, the m/w went off to see the OBs. What I hadn’t been told was that every time I pushed, the baby was becoming tachycardic.

Next thing, three OBs came in, to have a look at what was happening. It was all a little surreal – me lying there with legs up in stirrups (which by that point I was grateful for!) and these three guys doing something that looked extremely brutal and painful to me. I just got breathing on the Entonox as much as possible to try and stay relaxed.

All of a sudden, the main consultant tells one of the juniors to get a team standing by for a crash c-section, and tells me that they are going to give me a trial of forceps and if that fails then straight to c-section. Then they are racing me down the corridor shoving consent forms in front of me.

I start to panic as I don’t understand what is going on – I thought I had 3 hours or so for the pushing stage and 20 minutes in, I’m being taken to theatre. I lost it a bit and just started crying. DH had also been sent to scrub up so I was a bit panicky over that.

Next thing I was on an operating table, with an anaesthetist getting as many drugs as possible nto my spine – I was very lucky that I already had an epidural placed as it would have been impossible to do one at that point and I’d have probably ended up with a GA. DH turned up at my side to hold my hand – for someone as needle phobic as he is, he was incredibly calm and reassuring.

Then the consultant arrived and I understand that they did a fairly mega-episiotomy and then tried to turn her with a ventouse and failed. After nearly 54 hours in labour, they finally used low cavity forceps to get her out.

They held her up for me to see and then rushed her off to the baby area to have her checked by the neonatologist. DH went with her and I just lay there while they delivered the placenta and sewed me back together... I remember them coming over and trying to hand me the baby and I had to ask them not to as I was about to pass out. I asked DH to show her to me when I was a bit more with it as I didn’t want to ruin that moment. Her apgar scores were 10 and 10 so I was pretty happy.

What I hadn’t realised was that I had had a pretty severe post-partum haemorrhage and had lost over 2.5 litres of blood. My BP had dropped to 62/39 hence why I was feeling a bit faint. I ended up in Intensive Care for a few days and had 5 blood transfusions over that time.

When I was a bit more with it, one of the OBs explained that she had been occipito transverse and jammed solid in my pelvis so there was no way that I could have ever given birth to her without help. They had tried to turn her manually – the brutal and painful thing – but nothing was moving. It also explained why the ctx had been so strong, but ineffective for so long – she couldn’t descend enough to put pressure on my cervix and make me dilate. He also told me about the PPH and that I was extremely lucky to have survived at all.

It’s taken a while to be able to feel calmer about what happened and I am incredibly grateful to the doctors and above all my midwife who very probably saved my life and perhaps also Daisy’s by getting the OBs involved so quickly. I’m also grateful that I didn’t know what would happen in advance and so just had to take each minute as it came.

For definite we won’t be having any more kids, there is no way I could ever go through anything like that again!

Despite everything, Daisy is wonderful and we are thrilled to be her parents. She is the apple of her Daddy’s eye – he is besotted already. I am so sad I never got to see him with her straight after she was born.

Here’s a few more pics...

Me & Daisy just before leaving ICU:

 

[Pandora II]

Very proud daddy:

 

[Pandora II]

Daisy at 5 days...