Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[ChinaCat]

QT- Hey there. I am not sure when I am going to start my mat leave. I really wanted to wait until the last possible minute (i.e., when he actually gets here) only b/c I don''t want to clock to start ticking until he is actually here. I only get 12 weeks. BUT I am not sure that that is realistic/feasible. I am hoping to just work reduced hours and from home a lot towards the end. We''ll see. Are you working again now? I love having the BTDT moms on the preggo thread, I am interested to see how your pregnancies are different this time around. Are you going to find out the sex at your u/s?

Sweet Pea- Go for it if you want! I just don''t want you to be toooo disappointed if they can''t tell for sure at 16w. Though if you have a boy it may be easier for them to tell for sure.

 

[Sha]

Date: 7/9/2009 1:53:00 PM
Author: steph72276
Hey, guys! Quick question....when did you guys start to feel movements? I know I am so early, but I was laying down last night in bed and felt these flutters which I totally remember with my first. I was thinking maybe it is just gas, but didn''t feel gassy at all. I was just sitting there trying to figure out if it is possible to feel those flutter so early? I am 10 weeks, 2 days today. I did read that you can feel movement earlier with your second because the uterus is stretched out, but I''m just not sure. Anyway, hope everyone is having a great day!

ahh, just did some more reading and they said you can usually feel movement earlier if you have a tilted uterus which I do. So exciting

I started feeling ''the flutters'' at the end of 13 weeks. I''ve read too that you can feel them earlier with subsequent pregnancies, because the uterus walls are thinner and you ''know'' what to expect, as opposed to first pregnancies. So feeling them at 10 weeks probably is possible!

sweet pea - yeah, I think 16 weeks is the earliest that most places will do a gender scan, but I agree that it may be too early to know for sure. I think it''s usually more reliable at 18-20 weeks. But who knows? They still might be able to get a good look.

 

[qtiekiki]

ChinaCat
I understand why you want to save the time for when your DS is here. Reduced hours or working from home would be great if your work let you. I did like having a couple weeks to relax and do things before M got here, since there''s no relaxing once she got here.

Yes I am working again. I took a total of 18 weeks off (2 before), and I really didn''t want to go back to work as I got closer to the end. I miss her and think about her a lot when I am at work, but it wasn''t as bad as I imagined. The hardest part had been pumping, just b/c it takes a lot of time. I am going to stop pumping in a few weeks. I haven''t decided if I am going to fully wean M or just stop pumping and nurse her at nights and weekends.

This pregnancy haven''t been that different from the last. I didn''t have m/s last time, and just a couple time of nauseousness this time so far. My boobs are not as sore this time around, but that might have something to do with the fact that I am still nursing. I have really bad bloating this time, but not last time.

Yes we are going to find out the sex. It doesn''t matter to me, but I just like to know beforehand. DH wants a boy this time.

Sorry I wrote an essay.

 

[natalina]

Hi Ladies! Was away travelling this week and again feel so behind.

Blushing- I am so so sorry to hear of your loss. I will be thinking about you and your DH

Amber- You''re having a girl! The name Piper is SO cute! One of my faves! Love it with Jane, too. Sorry to hear about your friend. Hopefully everything can still turn out okay for her.

Sweet Pea- I totally get you wanting to know early! I was so anxious to know, and if I had not ben so busy with work, I may have looked into finding out earlier too. Especially if it was only $50- money well spent if you ask me! (ps. you can always count on me for enabling!) Do you have a feeling either way?

EBree- good to see you! Can''t wait to check out the nursery! Henry is such a doll!

Sabine- so how are you feeling at 36 weeks?

China- HOw far are you now? Not far behind Sabine, right? How do you feel? I am hoping to work up until the last minute too, but wondering day by day how feasible that is going to be. Starting to feel a bit of aches and pains...

QT and Steph- yay for flutters!

As for me- So, at 27 weeks yesterday. Starting to feel some discomfort in my hips . Really don''t feel all that big, so I dont think it''s from excess weight. Could it be the whole "softening of the ligaments" thing? It just feels like an ache where my legs attach to my pelvis. Pretty constant after being on my feet for a while. That and (this is weird and may be TMI) the muscles between my legs hurt! Not like up inside, but like between my pelvis and skin, and I mean right between my legs. Kinda like I''ve been horseback riding all day. And trust me, there is no aggressive activity going on in that area

. Is this completely weird? Oh man, I bet it all means my hips are getting wider

. Feet are usually pretty swollen by the end of the day too if I have been on them all day like usual. Oh fun fun! Really still feeling pretty good though.

 

[ChinaCat]

Sweet Pea- I should say though that they did know for sure what we were having at 16 weeks, so it is possible.

QT- I would love to take 2 weeks or so off before, that sounds perfect. Just wish it didn''t start the mat leave, you know? Wow, I can''t imagine working, taking care of your little one, and being preggo at the same time! Hope your DH rubs your feet at night.

That''s great though that you aren''t feeling sick.

Natalina- Welcome back. Yep, I started feeling more hip pain around then too. I think it is the ligaments stretching/softening. Mine really only acts up at night if I stay on one side too long. And if I bend over suddenly my sciatic nerve seems to react. I also had the groin pain, but only one side weirdly. I thought I pulled it in pilates, but now that you say that, maybe it''s more stretching. You just get used to it!!! Are you on your feet all day?

Oh, and I am 35w6d, right behind Sabine. I think we''re a week apart?

LYSSER- You out there? Just saying hi!

 

[Sabine]

So where are the bellies? I didn''t want to start it off and scare everyone with my hugeness, but oh well!

I''m actually feeling pretty good for being 36w 2d (China, we''re LESS than week apart! It will be so interesting to see which of us goes first!). I''ve been walking about 2 miles on the treadmill almost every weekday, plus swimming when it''s nice out, and I really feel like that is keeping me feeling limber. The steroid cream is working WONDERS on my rash...it hardly ever itches during the day anymore and is almost totally gone from my belly. It only really itches at night now when I''m sleeping and putting pressure on an area, then turn over, but it''s definitely bearable, which I am sooooo thankful for!

My back has started hurting a bit when/after I''m walking, but I guess that comes with the territory of carrying so much weight out in front. It''s definitely not easy getting up from sitting/laying position, but other than that, I barely feel pregnant if that is possible!

And here''s my pic! Please excuse the tv in the background, I believe it was the beginning to that show on MTv, Is she really going out with him, which dh was watching as he was falling asleep the other afternoon when I asked him to take my pic.

 

[anchor31]

Mandarine - If all those classes are available to you and the cost is not too much, I think you should take as many as you can. You never know what you might learn!

Amber - I will definitely be praying for your friend! Loads of sticky vibes outgoing.

steph - I have yet to experience something that I''m certain is baby movement, but it would be pretty cool if you were feeling the baby already!

sweet pea - Good luck with the u/s next week!

Sabine - Sending you baby dropping dust as requested!

I really hope you can have the L&D you want to have.


I''ve been sort of obsessing about names lately and the night before last I had a dream that we had a girl and I wanted to call her Clémence. DH doesn''t like it (he says it''s too "France-French"), so I convinced him to sit down with me and talk baby names. Mind you, we are French-Canadian so we are looking for French names, but I''m not sure how I feel about a name that''s actually a noun ("clémence" means clemency in French). So, finally, we came up with two boy names (''cause I think we''re having a boy) and two girl names (''cause J thinks we''re having a girl)

.

Boy:
Jacob Emmanuel
Esteban Gabriel (ok, Esteban isn''t French, that would be Stéphane, but it does sound good, and not too "out there")

Girl:
Noémie Anne
Marianne Chloé

Back in the ''70s and ''80s in Qc, there was this odd (IMO) trend in Qc of giving a whole bunch of first names to babies (I have 3; J has 4), plus the fact that women can''t take their husband''s names since ''81, so a lot of kids have been/are being given two last names (like me). But who needs so many names, right? So I really wanted to go back to the "two first names + one last name" thing.

 

[sweet pea]

Thanks ladies for the responses on the u/s... I know 16wks is a little early, but it will be fun if we are able to find out!

Anchor: I like the names you guys picked, are you going to find out what you are having?

BPF: my first contribution

I only have one pair of jeans left that fit comfortably

The rest I need to use the rubber band trick on, lol. Did you guys jump straight to mat. pants, or did you buy regular pants a size up first? I thought by having a pair or 2 of a bigger size might be helpful for after baby too, but I don''t know.

Oh, and on a kinda funny note: I fell asleep during one of the exercises at my HypnoBirthing class last night! I swear I could still hear everything, but I can only remember the very beginning and the very end of what the instructor was saying, and when I opened my eyes I realized that I hadn''t been following along with her directions! HAHAHA! It was 9:30pm... that''s past my "fall asleep on the couch" time

 

[puffy]

sweet pea you are so cute with your tiny little belly!!!

 

[lili]

sabine-
you are just adorable.
love your perfectly round belly.
don''t worry too much about the size of the baby.
like others have said, those estimates tend to err on the heavier side.
can''t believe you are so close.

sweetpea--
cute little belly.
and you are curvacious!

chinacat--
depending on you and what type of job you have.
i was able to work pretty much til i delivered (worked up to friday and went into delivery the following monday)

-----------
woohoo....going to have another wave of sweet little babies to see

 

[indypitty]

Hey all ~ happy Friday!

Quick question... When did you all start feeling movement? I am 18 weeks today, and nothing yet. I am soooo anxious to feel my little guy!

 

[Mandarine]

Hi!!!!!!!

Sabine You look GREAT and glowing!!!!!!!!!!!! What a cute belly, perfectly round!!

Sweet Pea Love the cute bump!!! Yay for maintaining the nice curves

(mine have dissapeared!...lol)

So here is mine!...23 weeks yesterday, wow time flies!!!!!!!!!

 

[Mandarine]

...and here is how the nursery is coming along!!

Cribs (check)
Matresses (check)
Bedding (check)
Paint (check)
Order art from Etsy (check, not shown yet

)



Next on the list: Get the dresser and redo the closet!

 

[Mandarine]

Date: 7/10/2009 2:41:27 PM
Author: indypitty
Hey all ~ happy Friday!

Quick question... When did you all start feeling movement? I am 18 weeks today, and nothing yet. I am soooo anxious to feel my little guy!

Hi Indy! Everyone is different.

I think I started feeling flutters at around 14 weeks or so. Real movemenet right around 18 weeks (but I have two in there).

Now it''s full on kung fu fighting in there! (sometimes it creeps me out a little I admit..it''s like there''s an octopus in there!!)

Even with the creepy factor, it''s the best feeling ever!!. You''ll feel him very soon!!

 

[Mandarine]

Amber, I hope everything is ok with your friend

 

[phoenixgirl]

Cute belly pics! I will get around to posting one soon, I'm sure . . .

A couple of days ago I felt really winded all day. I tried to go for my usual walk but couldn't pick up the pace. I got out of breath going up stairs. And for the first time it was hard to sit up from a resting position without rolling to the side/using my arms first. All in one day! Luckily I seem to have had a resurgence of energy/strength but I know it was just a taste of what is to come. My mom suggested that if going up stairs is hard, I should try to avoid it. Great, then I'll never make up there! I know my dad would tell me that if it's getting hard, that's all the more reason to do it as much as possible, and I agree.

Confession: I've had a little wine this week (I'm 25 weeks 1 day today). I had a 5 ounce glass of dry rose the other night (it took me 3.5 hours to finish it; I kept having to stick it in the fridge), and then last night a friend came over because her boyfriend had just broken up with her, so I had a glass of this yummy red we got on a trip to California last fall. I measured exactly how much is 5 ounces so I'll be sure never to have more than one drink in a day. I haven't asked my doctor -- I have a feeling she'd say not to since I got shot down when I asked about sushi -- but I did a lot of reading this week as I was contemplating it. I feel confident that it's safe to have up to a glass here and there. It's funny because I'm at heart an all or nothing person, but I'm also very logical, and I know logically that it wouldn't be good for my mental health to become some kind of nut who never eats anything that might possibly have been cooked with or near alcohol or might contain uncooked egg or whatever. I'm not going to go buy a big chunk of unpasteurized cheese at the farmer's market and eat it with some sushi while I down a bottle of wine or anything, but I can't live in fear that the hotdog I want to eat might not have been cooked enough or that a tiny little bit of wine over several hours means I just made my daughter go from genius to mentally handicapped. Although the warnings say things like, "No amount of alcohol is known to be safe," there are no actual studies showing that the amount of alcohol I'm talking about makes any difference, but try proving a negative when there human fetuses involved.

 

[Mandarine]

Hi Phoenix...

Really to each their own, so please don't take my post as being judgemental.

I'm a huge WINO. I love, love, love, loveeeeee read wine. However, just from the research I have done, it's just not worth it to me (in my opinion) to risk it.
The risk factors from having sushi, an uncooked egg or a hot dog are completely different than those of having a glass of wine. The food restrictions are mainly because YOU could get sick (not your baby) and obviously if you get sick while pregnant, it would be harder to treat...so you would have a rougher time getting through it (like salmonella, etc). Alcohol is completely different as the effects that you'll read warnings about are not because you'll get sick...but because there is no proof that any amount of alcohol won't have an adverse effect on the babies brain.

Again, I'm not trying to be judgemental...just pointing out the differences between the food restrictions and drinking alcohol. Do I know women that drank during pregnancy and have an absolute adorable and genius baby?...I'm sure I do, so that's why I say, to each their own. I just want to make sure I point out what the differences are between the different restrictions...

M~

 

[lili]

Mandy--
You look radiant and you carry your twinkies so well.
You are tiny!

 

[phoenixgirl]

Thanks Mandarine. I guess I didn''t make it clear that I am aware of the different reasons for avoiding certain things, e.g. the food poisoning that carries such a high miscarriage risk versus the potential behavioral, cognitive, etc. consequences of fetal alcohol syndrome. I live in an area where many (think highly educated, Bohemian, often from other countries, etc.) women drink a little wine here and there while pregnant (past the first trimester, of course) yet would never dream of, say, eating at McDonald''s. I think your societal norms make a difference too.

 

[littlelysser]

Hola ladies!

Amber - Hope all is well with your bestie. I''m sorry you guys are having to go through this. I''m thinking good thoughts. That is definitely the tough part about having your bestie being KTFU the same time as you...man, it just stinks and I hope the dates are just wrong. Have you heard anything else from her? On an unrelated note, CONGRATS on a P.J. I meant to already write that, but clearly, I''m a moron.

Mandarine - Cute belly shot! We are taking an infant CPR class, child birth class, breast feeding class and an infant care class. Can you tell I''m feeling a bit overwhelmed? I figure the more info I have, the better!

CC - Hey girl! First off, do not feel bad about McDonald''s twice a day. I have actually been CRAVING a biscuit with egg and cheese and may have to persuade DH that the bebe is really in the mood for it! I''m glad your fluid levels have stayed good. and really, I cannot believe how far along you are! Nuts! I understand about the work thing. That''s tough. Get this, I finally have a temporary contract position! I''m doing some brief writing for a partner at a friend of mine''s firm. I''m doing 20 hours a week, most of it from home, and all of it appellate brief writing. So I''m pretty happy about it!

SweetPea - Did you decide to do the early U/S? I didn''t do it, but I did the CVS testing, so I knew the little dude was a little dude from 12 weeks on. I can understand why you''d want to know. You gotta do what works for you! Oh, and I''d totally go to maternity jeans - and maybe use a bella band for the in between time. But I have to tell you, maternity clothes are so farking comfy. Holy cow.

Ebree - More pictures of Henry please! In addition to the nursery. Thanks much!

Sabine - Baby dropping dust going your way! MUCH MUCH MUCH. Also, adorable belly pic. You look fantastic! You are soooooo close! And I''m so glad to hear the itching is better!

Natalina - I''ve been having some issues with pain too. It isn''t horrible, but it feels like my pelvic bone is just sort of sore. I feel it most when I''m sitting or laying down for long periods of time. It isn''t horrid, but it hurts. I''m 32 weeks and I haven''t gained any weight with this pregnancy so far (had TONS of maternal fat stores to begin with), so I know it isn''t weight related. Just kind of annoying.

Phoenix - If you are okay with your decision to enjoy an occasional glass of wine, that''s all that really matters. Different strokes for different folks, you know?

Steph - I think at this point, the baby is the size of a small strawberry, but they are moving some, so you might be able to feel it, but I think it is still pretty early.

QT - Good luck at your NT scan!

As for me...32 weeks tomorrow. NUTS. Baby is kicking and moving a lot. Last doc appointment they told me he was head down, butt right in the middle of my rib cage.

DH and my mom finished painting the baby''s room tonight. We need to set up delivery for the furniture, but stuffs is finally getting done. Baby shower is on the 18th and I can''t wait. My bestie is flying in from Chicago and I several other good friends are coming in from out of state - I feel so lucky to have some really great friends!

Alright, my very annoying (but extraordinarily adorable) dog - the orange one in my avatar - had decided it is time for us to go to bed, so he is laying his head across my laptop and trying to push it closed with his nose...good thing he''s so cute.

Hope everyone else is doing well!!!

 

[Sabine]

SP, what a cute little bump!

Mandy, you look fantastic! The nursery is starting to come together!

Indy, I can''t remember exactly, but I don''t think I felt movement until 19 or 20 weeks, and then it was just a few little twinges. I remember being nervous because a lot of people felt it sooner, but before I knew it, I was feeling movement like crazy. I know it can be nerve-wracking, so just hang in there!

Lysser, yay for getting the baby room done. I should probably take a pic of our nursery. It''s done except for the curtains, which I had forgotten to order when I ordered the rest of my registry stuff, so just did last week.

I''m interested to hear what the rest of you think about having a glass of wine. Phoenix, I totally get your reasoning. It''s not something I would want to do often, but dh''s and my 1st wedding anniversary is tomorrow, and we''d been saving a bottle of champagne from our wedding night to have on it. I wouldn''t mind having ONE glass of champagne on such a special occasion, but dh is TOTALLY against it. As a dr., he claims that there are no conclusive studies that show a CLEAR amount that is definitely safe, and he really doesn''t want me to take any chances. I understand what he is saying, and it''s not that important to me, but it would have been nice to share the champagne with him since we''re not doing a whole lot to commemorate the anniversary since he will be post call and dead tired.

On the other hand though, we had also saved the top layer of our wedding cake, and even with my GD, dh is FINE with me having a piece of cake on this special occasion, so at least we''re doing that. We''re also going to order dinner in so I don''t have to cook, and we''ll probably watch a movie or something. On dh''s next real day off, we''re going to go see the new Harry Potter movie (we''ve seen them all together, and since it''s the paper anniversary, we figured it fit) and then to share just how UNROMANTIC we are, my gift to him is a review book for the next step of the medical licensing exam, and his gift to me is a pedicure (nice, but I have to kinda pick it out myself since he doesn''t have time). Oh well, it''s the sentiment that counts, and we couldn''t be happier with our year together!

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 7/11/2009 9:10:00 AM
Author: Sabine

I'm interested to hear what the rest of you think about having a glass of wine. Phoenix, I totally get your reasoning. It's not something I would want to do often, but dh's and my 1st wedding anniversary is tomorrow, and we'd been saving a bottle of champagne from our wedding night to have on it. I wouldn't mind having ONE glass of champagne on such a special occasion, but dh is TOTALLY against it. As a dr., he claims that there are no conclusive studies that show a CLEAR amount that is definitely safe, and he really doesn't want me to take any chances. I understand what he is saying, and it's not that important to me, but it would have been nice to share the champagne with him since we're not doing a whole lot to commemorate the anniversary since he will be post call and dead tired.

Honestly? Women in other countries (France and Italy spring to mind here) drink throughout their pregnancy (small amounts of course). My doc said when I was preggo that a small glass every now and then was fine. And really-you are SO FAR along that IMO there is nothing that a small glass of alcohol can do to your baby developmentally.

That's only my personal opinion though...but if you read the research it does seem to imply that although we don't KNOW what amount is safe per se, we DO know that it takes quite a bit (i.e., one five ounce glass of wine is a very small amount of alcohol that gets to your baby) of extended alcohol use, especially in the early trimesters, to cause major problems.

But because we don't know that ANY level is safe (because of course we can't conduct randomized trials on pregnant women and babies) a doctor has to recommend that you drink nothing officially or else they open themselves up to a lawsuit.

Just my opinion though...this should not be taken as an expert opinion. But I think especially because you are so far along one SMALL glass (like 2-3 oz.) or a few sips of champagne is not going to hurt your baby

But if you do decide to imbibe I would limit it to that personally...there are still a lot of brain things going on now so you of course wouldn't want to risk anything by downing en entire bottle!

 

[ChinaCat]

Mandarine- Your nursery looks great, as do you! As for the classes: I took the labor class and intended to take breast-feeding, newborn care, and CPR. But we got so busy with the move and our showers and such, and now I"m not sure I have the energy/time to do so. Also, I've been advised that the CPR class in my area is a waste of time b/c the video is so outdated that it is exactly what NOT to do. NIce, huh? And I've been warned about the BF class in my area as well- I guess it's one that tries to "scare" you into being a BF nazi, which I"m not into. BUT I would have probably done it anyways if I had time, the more info the better IMO.

LL- I know, I can't believe I'm 36 weeks tomorrow, and how are you possibly 32 weeks???? For some reason it makes me feel better that you're close behind me- everyone in front of me is gone except Sabine and Radiantgirl, and it kinda freaks me out!!! Yay for your shower, mine were so much fun. Wait, do you have a name yet? Can't remember. DH and I seriously need to pick a name. Maybe I'll do a name poll later. Aww, dogs are the best. Mine was doing something slightly annoying this morning, but he's just so darn cute that I can't help but laugh.

Amber- How's your friend?

Sabine- Jealous of your swimming and walking time. Hope you're enjoying it. Also, would love to see your nursery if you want to share. As for the wine goes, I find this so interesting. Everyone is totally different in their opinions and I think both sides make perfect sense. It's weird, my one friend who was so anal about everything she ate while TTC, was the most laid back when she was preggo- ate goat cheese, drank wine (small amounts, in 3rd). My other friend was the opposite- didn't have anything that could possibly be bad. Then I have a friend who is due at the same time as me with twins, and she's been having wine here and there since 20 weeks. I was at her shower and she was enjoying a glass of champagne- and I was envious of her ease of mind about it. I've been in the middle. Haven't had or wanted anything until really recently. I think I had a tiny glass of red wine at 32 or 33 weeks. I'll take sips and such, and if I really wanted a glass (like to celebrate your anniversary) I wouldn't worry about it. At this stage, it suddenly feels ok to me and doesn't gross me out. My DH is opposite of yours- he is trying to get me to drink wine! He's semi-joking but of the friends we know that had a glass of wine or two, they have really quiet, sweet and sleeping babies, and the two I know that had NO alcohol have really difficult, reflux, not sleeping at all babies. OBVIOUSLY there is no relation, but he keeps saying you need a glass of wine, I want a laid back baby!

Having said that, if your DH is really against it, then maybe I would just respect his wishes and eat ice cream.

OH, and DH and I are Harry Potter dorks, and can't want to see the movie! I was so glad it was coming out before the due date. I can't believe you've only been married for a year!!!! CONGRATS!

As for me, no news really. I've been having "tighter" BH lately, feels a bit more crampy, but not real contractions. Thankfully, I don't want him to come this early. I'm sure I will change my mind as I get closer, but I am definitely not in the impatient camp. He can stay in there as long as he wants. Hopefully will get a ton of stuff done this weekend- we still need some stuff for our nursery, and I have to go to Target and get all of the stuff we'll need once he's here (diapers, butt paste, maxi pads, fun stuff). I also have to go buy some underwear- I just realized that I literally have ONE pair of regular undies- all the rest are thongs. And then I need to start washing all of his stuff and get it put away.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

ChinaCat
35w6d

 

[fieryred33143]

Hey ladies. I have so much to tell you all and i want to catch up with everyone. I''ve been reading up on everybody through my phone but can''t post (boo).

Birth Story: On the 30th, I started feeling some cramps but I couldn''t tell if it was contractions. I couldn''t time them and I felt crampy all day so I figured it was just my body going through stuff. I left work at 7PM, did a bunch of laundry, helped with the nursery, washed dishes, mopped, and fixed the bedroom. I was exhausted. I went to the restroom at 12:45 before going to bed and decided to see if I could get her to move a little. An hour passed and she hadn''t moved...no kicks, no rolls, nothing. I woke up Mr. Fiery to see if he can get her to move and he couldn''t. At this point it was 2AM and he and I were really worried so we decided to head to the hospital. Sophia was fine. As I was laying there, the nurse kept asking me how I felt. I told her fine. A minute or so later, she would ask again and again I would answer fine. She does an internal and I''m still 3cm as I knew. She then tells me that I''m having contractions. I think great and I turn to Mr. Fiery and say that I''m not going to go to work so that I can relax at home and maybe we''ll have the baby in one to two days. That''s when the nurse tells me that my contractions were 1 to 2 minutes apart. I was having what the nurse called Silent Labor. I couldn''t believe it since I couldn''t feel anything. At about 4AM, my OB had me walk for an hour to see if we could get some progress. I walked in a circle for an hour, still not feeling anything, and still 3cm. At 5, they had me drink 8 glasses of water. OB said that sometimes if you are dehydrated you can go into false labor. So I drank the water and the contractions were still 1 to 2 minutes apart and still 3cm. At 6, they had me walk for another hour. At this point I had been awake for 24 hours and I was so tired. I also started feeling the contractions a little more but it just felt like really bad menstral cramps and the walking, as Robbie mentioned, really helped with the pain.

At 8AM, my OB decides to leave me at the hospital. We couldn''t believe we were having her that same day! The car seat was at home as were our hospital bags and all of the paperwork I needed. FI had to run home and get everything. My contractions were still every 1 to 2 minutes apart and I was starting to feel them but they weren''t intense. I get admitted into the delivery room and was allowed to take a shower. When I come out, the nurse tells me that they''re going to start me on Pitocin. I refused. I didn''t see why it was needed but they explained that with my contractions and no progress they felt the Pitocin would help speed things up. I asked for an hour. After the hour, there was no progress made and they put me on Pitocin. Literally 15 minutes later, the pain got so intense. At about 11AM or so, the OB on call came in to check on my progress and I was still 3cm. She decided to break my water. Um...ouch...and the pain gets worse. We practiced our breathing techniques but it was too much to handle and I asked for an epidural. The epidural was administered and I felt instant relief...on the left side of my body. The right side of my body got nothing, I was still feeling the contractions that were now ever 45 seconds to 1 minute apart and the worst part was that I couldn''t move. I couldn''t sit up to feel better or walk around. I was just strapped to the bed. Plus my breathing was a little off so they had me hooked into an oxygen machine. The epidural was removed and re-administered and I felt so much better. The best part was that I was able to finally fall asleep. I think the last time I glanced over at the clock it was 2:30. At 4:45, the nurse tells me that I''m fully dilated and ready to push. Pushing with an epidural was challenging since I was numb from the waist down but at 5:23, Sophia made her entrance into the world. It was such an emotional experience. Seeing her little face for the first time was so wonderful. They let her lay on me for a few minutes. FI, Mr. I don''t want to cut the cord or see blood, was so excited to cut the cord lol. I ended up with a 2nd degree tear but I felt fine enough to walk the same day.

Jaundice: Because of our blood (I''m O+, she''s A+) she was born with jaundice. Poor girl had to have blood drawn every six hours. Her heels are still bruised. We were sent home two days later with a biliblanket and her pediatrician let us stop the treatment on Monday. She''s still slightly yellow but bf''ing is helping her regulate her system.

BF''ing: I find it to be so hard. The first three days I ended up with extremely sore and brusied nipples. I had to rent a pump to get them to heal and I saw a LC who taught me how to properly latch her on. Now, it''s much easier even though I''m still having problems latching her on to the left breast (I have another appt on Monday for help with that breast). There are days when I feel like all I do is have her attached to the breast. I''m now on a 30-30 schedule. I put her on each breast for 30 minutes until she stops herself. If she doesn''t stop I still take her off to give my nipples a break even if it sometimes means feeding her again an hour later.

Overall, its been hard but I''m so in love with her. Everything she does is so new and so interesting to me. She makes the funniest faces and you can hear the girl poop from across the apartment lol.

And for some pictures...here she is doing what she does best during the day...sleep

 

[fieryred33143]

My mom washed her hair and she loved it!

 

[fieryred33143]

One more

 

[ChinaCat]

FIERY!!!! Congrats lady! Thanks so much for sharing your story. I''ve never heard of silent labor- the things you learn on PS! Sounds like you did great, so proud of you. And Miss Sophia is so beautiful- can''t get over how alert and grown-up she looks in her pictures- she looks like an old soul to me. Love the shape of her eyes. You and FI did good! Thanks for checking in, we miss you around here! Hope you are getting a tiny bit of sleep and BF gets easier.

 

[phoenixgirl]

Fiery, she is so adorable!!!!!!

 

[Kaleigh]

Fiery she is soooo cute!!

 

[dani13]

Congrats Fiery!!! What a cutie!!!!