Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[Mara]

lol Blen...yeah I have heard that too re: the husband usually being like ''whatever you want honey'' after seeing what you have to go through... but I would really like for us both to like the name yanno. The one name I have consistently liked (since I was a teenager)...he is not as ''adamant'' about not liking it now. I have even called the kid that once or twice and once he repeated it back to me (the name) in the sentence. Soooo who knows. But yeah I''d like to have that ''short list'' so that the kid doesn''t come out with some name like Krull because we are both all hyped up on hormones and emotions. hahaha. Anyway, I know it''ll work out. We are just too lazy to keep pushing it right now.

DRK...i know...i was sitting in the class thinking wow I remember 20 weeks. and 22. It seems SO far along ago even though it wasn''t. Before you know it you are almost 35! We are getting more excited though and after the class last nite I am really intrigued to see how my own labor will commence and what kind of situation we''ll go through. The class stressed staying home as long as you could, until your contracts are 5 min apart, 1 min long for 1 hour. EXCEPT if your water breaks or you start leaking to go in immediately (she had like a list of 20 reasons why you just need to go in immediately but she only gave us 2 examples). So I am hoping that I am able to kind of hang out at home for as long as possible and then go. Greg is really ''reasonable'' so I know he will talk me down from a ledge if I try to want to go too early. Plus hospital is only like 10-15 min from us.

lili...i know i was like jeez why am i the only 35 weeker in here. and Greg is like ''are we taking this class late?''...I was like NO these people are just overachievers. Haha. Actually I am really glad we waited to take it because it really was mostly about labor and delivery and the before that and after/recovery etc...and I think at week 20 I would have forgotten it all by week 40...esp with my impaired brain function now.

anchor...my coworker had contracts every night for a week before giving birth to her baby. she was induced early at that point because the dr thought that he was getting big (she is really small), she was so happy because she said every night she was like THIS IS IT...haha. but then in the morning they''d go away. are you guys prepping for xmas baby...would you like it or rather he/she would wait til dec 26? hehee.

so i made my 40 tamales yesterday and my mom made like 40 too. i am giving 20 of them away to friends... since we didn''t do gifts this year and then we''ll eat about 5-6 and then freeze the rest for after baby comes.... it will be great to just unwrap a pack of 4 and steam them for dinner one night, super easy and something that either of us can do.

oh quick note for anyone considering it but our dr last nite really recommended doing the ''freezing meals'' for after baby comes. i have 2-3 friends who did this and they swear by it. people might help out a lot in the beginning but if you get tired of takeout and/or need a meal in a pinch, they suggest making like a mac and cheese or a lasagna or something that can be easily frozen and then just take it out and pop into oven, 45 min later you have a hot meal and probably leftovers. i will be doing this during the 2 weeks before DD i am off from work.

 

[anchor31]

Date: 12/24/2009 11:31:38 AM
Author: Blenheim
Puffy, congrats on baby Noah's arrival!

Anchor, I kept having bouts of light but regular contractions in the final weeks, but they kept petering on out. I had some the night before my water broke that just never went away, and then they got more intense from there. I know it sounds cliche, but when you're in labor you'll know it. Good luck!!

Mara, sometimes after seeing their wives go through labor, husbands will just cede the name-choosing to them. So it could work in your favor if you're still not in agreement at that point.

That being said... you feel pretty high after giving birth... and so when DH said 'He looks like a George. We're naming him George,' I felt too wonderfully high to argue the point. But George was on our short short list and I like it, so it worked out fine.

Swimmer, I was concerned about potential side effects from exposure to u/s during the paranoid phase of my pregnancy if you dig back in this thread, but as NF said there's really no evidence to back that up. And even if there was, there's a definite benefit to monitoring a known potential condition, you know? I really wouldn't worry about it. I really hope that the issue resolves itself.

RPS, congrats on being so close to clearance for HB! That was a huge milestone for me. Exciting.

Blen - Thanks for chiming in! It's all so confusing.

Mara - I really have no preference for the birth date... I would like to be able to have Christmas dinner at my parents' tomorrow though.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 12/24/2009 12:01:34 PM
Author: Mara

And for a viewpoint on the other side-I would skip it. We were up to our eyeballs in lasagna and mac and cheese from well meaning friends. I made a few prior and had them in the freezer and we didn't even eat them for MONTHS because we were so sick of it!

You have so many food options nearby I think you'll be fine. And for us it was craving healthy foods when we didn't want takeout or to make a meal-so the lasagna, mac and cheese, casseroles, etc. didn't really do it for us then either!

Anyway, just another perspective before you go making 20 dishes of mac and cheese! I think everyone should think about whether they can eat the same thing 10 days in a row or whether they are the kind to crave a variety of foods. If the latter the freezing ahead doesn't do much imo!

 

[Mara]

oh nf our freezer is not that big, so i was just going to do like one of 3 diff dishes as 'backups'...i didn't mean to get all crazy with the freezer. we do eat out a lot, too much actually. BUT i get sick of most of the food choices we have locally, chalk it up to being spoiled i guess given the diversity of avail food (nooo honey, i don't want greek tonite!!!)....and then i really want a 'homemade' meal. plus i don't know that many people that really cook, so i feel like most of what people will bring us IS going to be take out!

but def good points depending on what you like to eat and how often. also i have smaller casserole dishes like the 8x8 which is what we mostly use..~2-3 nights of food.

you can also do soups that freeze well like chicken n'dumplings and/or albondigas or beef stew. we'll have the tamales..and we have some Trader Joe's stuff too. but i know greg loves mac and cheese and my lasagna and those are so time consuming to put together that i know i won't be doing it anytime after the kid pops out!

i also plan to put the crockpot to good use, greg can just throw in a pot roast, potatoes and carrots one morning, and call it a day!

 

[qtiekiki]

Mara
I am reading about your frozen meal plan and now I want some mac & cheese, lasagna, tamales and beef stew. I should really stop reading posts on food. LOL.

 

[Mara]

lol QT...i am obsessed with food lately, prob cuz i can''t fit any of it in my belly anymore!!!

greg''s mom sent us peanut brittle and brownies and they are sitting right by my arm. must resist.

 

[So Excited]

All the tamale talk!!!! My BF''s grandma has a super duper recipe that takes days to make that I would LOVE to learn how to make, but she is 3 hours away and I can''t make it down by her for that many days in a row... Anyone willing to share their good authentic recipe?

 

[gailrmv]

About freezing meals... I did it and it was really helpful. Then I did another round when my parents came back about 2 months after A was born. My mom and I restocked the freezer. I found it very helpful in the beginning, because my baby didn''t nap much and needed to be held, so not a lot of cooking was happening and we aren''t big on takeout.

 

[Blenheim]

Mara, I know what you mean! Towards the end when we were still going around in circles with girls names, DH said that he guessed that he wouldn''t be violently opposed to Beatrice if that''s what I wanted. I decided that I''d leave Beatrix/Beatrice for a future baby, in hopes that time would make him LIKE it rather than just not hate it. Names can be so difficult.

Freezer meals - I am SO glad that we had a stocked freezer, but I also made sure that everything in it was packed with veggies and other good stuff, plus we had no family in the area to bring over food so we weren''t getting inundated with casseroles. The only thing that I would have done differently is freezing smaller portion sizes - like having each container be enough for 1 meal, instead of 4.

 

[MonkeyPie]

I''m planning on investing in a big crock pot in the next month or so, and learning the things we like the best in it so it will be easy to do once the baby comes. As for freezing stuff, I might do a lasagna or two, but otherwise we get bored of stuff too fast for me to stock up on a lot of the same things.

So I had a serious mental breakdown this morning, it was awful. I honestly think I have a touch of depression after all, despite mentioning about a month ago that I didn''t think so. My husband came home at 7am after work and turned on the bedroom light while I was still asleep, thinking I''d be awake since we planned to do a few errands really early. Well, with my horrible sleep pattern now, I was NOT awake, and so not only did I wake up on the wrong side of the bed but then he was mad that I wasn''t ready (because he was tired and wanted to get to bed asap). I run into the shower and start sobbing, which makes me cough, which makes me throw up - in the shower. It was awful, and then I got out and my eyes were swollen and the cough was persisting but I was afraid to cough too hard, so I just kept crying. THEN when my husband was like all confused and like, "What''s the matter?" I had a downright fit and started saying I was so tired of being pregnant and didn''t want to do it anymore, because I felt so terrible all the time and I was going to be a bad mom and blahblahblah.

Needless to say, my poor husband was freaking out and had no idea what was going on. I had told him just the day before that I had absolutely no motivation to do anything anymore and I was worried I was getting depressed, but he thought I was joking. I wasn''t!

I''m going to talk to my midwife, because even though my hormones have made my moods swing a lot, this was a little out of hand.

 

[puffy]

thanks everyone!!!

here''s baby noah..not the best pic, but the best i had on my camera.

take care everyone!!

 

[taovandel]

Puffy: He''s gorgeous! Congrats and I''m sure he makes this holiday even better!

 

[steph72276]

aww, Puffy...he''s a doll! Congrats!

 

[Burk]

Just wanted to pop in and say Merry Christmas everyone!!

Puffy~Congrats again!!

Anchor~Hope you''re holding your little one soon!

Steph~T''s program was very nice. I, of course, teared up but luckily it was dark so DH didn''t even know!

Hope everyone has a safe and joyous holiday. The weather in our area is absolutely terrible....we''ve gotten a foot of snow over the past couple days! Yuck.

 

[ljmorgan]

Oh Puffy, Noah is such a cutie! Congratulations!

Ladies, I had a gender ultrasound on Tuesday and we''re having a little boy! I was shocked because I thought that I was having a girl, which is hilarious because when I was pregnant with Natalie, I was sure that I was having a little boy. Obviously my intuition is way off base!

My husband is pleased as punch because he was convinced that he''s unable to bear male children. He''s an engineer and is exposed to microwave radiation on a daily basis, and ALL of his co-workers have little girls! So we''re excited. And in true P''scoper fashion, I''ve been stalking aquamarine push presents... not one month after receiving my Natalie ring.

Anyway, we''ll still have plenty of shopping to do because we obviously have a nursery full of little girl clothes... we''ll need some boy items. All of my big ticket items and even my nursery is gender neutral, thank goodness for that.

I had my first IViG session Tuesday night and I won''t detail the entire experience because I don''t feel like complaining that much. It was certainly not fun, but it''s something that I need to do, so I''ll just be getting on with it. My next session is tomorrow night

but we''ll be fine. Other than that, just waiting on my amnio January 13th. For the ladies who have had amnios... did they numb your belly first? Or just not bother with it because that would just be more needle sticks? I''m just curious.

 

[Mara]

Merry Christmas preggos...!!! Hope everyone that celebrates is enjoying a love filled day.

MP..sorry to hear that you've got a touch of the blues... I would def mention to your DR next time so they can help you out. I hear you re: being tired of being pregnant, it is tough sometimes but I just keep reminding myself it's a finite period of time..!! Just think of your little boy on the other end!

Puffy, he's sooo cute..!! What a fabulous holiday bundle!

Anchor...hope things are going well for you, either enjoying Xmas dinner right now OR maybe about to hold your own little bundle..!

Burk....boo on snow! The weather here is 60 during the day, a little too warm for me...I am sure it sounds fabulous to people who are buried in snow but where's the happy medium RIGHT? hahaha.

Linds...congrats on a boy..!! Wow what a surprise, shopping is so fun though. Re: the amnio...they didn't numb me that I can recall and it was a quick stick to get the needle in (but they have to start kind of far out to get enough velocity to get it all the way thru which is a little weird!) And it stays in for about 45 seconds while they gather 2 vials, so they just tell you to breathe and keep calm. But the needle was very small, and it just was sore for a few days after (sore muscle area feeling) but other than that...no neg effects. I was pretty nervous originally given all the info/stats out there, but we asked our doc 110 questions and he just made us feel very much at ease. Hope yours goes just as well..I am sure it will.

We've had a great Xmas Eve and Day here... it's winding down but it's been festive and relaxing at the same time. We hosted Xmas Eve which was busy but fun and today we just spent time with my family and we're supposed to go to the movies soon (though I'd rather just park it on the couch and snooze). Looking fwd to a relaxing wkd doing a whole lot of nothing!!

 

[Loves2Laugh]

Congrats on your little boy Lindsey!! They are so much fun!

 

[taovandel]

Congrats on a boy! I''m loving having my little one!

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Hope everyone had a lovely XMas!

We had a low-key one. Spent eve on our own, and hosted my family for dinner yesterday. DH made a delish prime-rib- yum.

Looking forward to a lazy weekend- Would love to see a movie (or two), but don''t have any other plans besides a bday luncheon for mom today.

Anchor- OH MY, just read about your contractions. Hope you''re in labor or have had your LO by now! Can''t wait to hear your news
drk- I''ve noticed that my skin is a bit more sensitive nowadays, especially after I landed a nasty rash from a bad reaction to Amoxicilin (bladder infection)
MP- I''m so sorry to hear that you''re having a hard time. Getting thru this time of the year can be challenging even if you''re not PG! THere''s so many commitments and things to do and it just gets overwhelming. Please do talk to your Doc about it.
puffy- Noah is just precious!
Burk- Stay warm!
Lindsey- Congrats on team blue! I''m so happy to hear that all is progressing smoothly for you. Sending good vibes for your next IViG session tonite.
Mara- We also had plans to see a movie last night, but I begged off and parked it on the couch instead with my sparkling water and tums. Sheer bliss!

 

[jcrow]

oh, so much to catch up on! i haven't had internet for the week and it's been no fun!

meresal - i totally understand you on the weight gain and feeling down about it. i think i'd feel down about it regardless of what the scale says. in fact i don't even weigh myself anymore at home. gaining weight + belly has been SO difficult and i'm pretty sensitive about it.

monkeypie - i feel you on the mental breakdowns. i had more than my share during my first trimester. i realized that the medicine i was on for nausea was making me very unstable emotionally. it was no fun!

puffy - congrats!! love that name.

mara - i so feel you on the name situation. we had a boy name picked out and then stopped worrying about names because we didn't know what we were having. turns out it's a girl and we are truly stumped!

anchor - good luck!!

lindsey - congrats on team blue!

 

[lili]

Awww....no BFP this week?
I thought there would be slew of pictures of cute bellies w/ the festive decorations

Hope you ladies enjoyed your holidays!

 

[MonkeyPie]

I completely forgot about BFP yesterday - maybe I''ll get one today if I find time.

Thanks for all the support reregnant Breakdown ladies. My DH is treating me like I''m made of glass now, he''s so freaked out. He bought me a puppy for Christmas - an adorable little chihuahua - but we have since found out I''m allergic!

I''m so sad, because he is SUCH a good little puppy, and he is very much a lapdog, but I am so miserable every time I pick him up. And he follows me everywhere, he is very much a mama''s boy. Thankfully, we found someone else to take him that will take good care of him, but that means no Xmas gift for me except a clogged nose lol. Oh, well. At least we found out now rather than later when the baby was here.

 

[gingerB]

Puffy - what a cutie pie! congrats little mama!

anchor - so exciting. can''t wait to hear the good news!!

MP - sorry about the pup

holidays can be stressful and you''ve got more than the usual on your emotional plate right now.

lindsey - welcome to team blue!! hope the next round of IVIG goes more smoothly!

drk - my belly and lower back have been crazy itchy. my doc said something about preggo pruritus and prescribed me some steroid cream. it popped up right around the 30ish week mark so maybe you have what i have? it''s gotten better, i haven''t gotten the cream yet and have just been dealing with the itch.

meresal - my weight gain was totally sporadic -- nothing for a few weeks then suddenly up five in one! 17 lbs at 22 sounds like you''re on the right track...i wouldn''t worry too much. i gained the majority of my weight 2nd tri, and now n my third tri although the bebe is growing like crazy, i haven''t put on much poundage and so i think in the end it''l even out and my weight gain will be on point, as will yours! and ditto what everyone else says, as long as you are eating healthy and not pigging out on icecream sundaes everyday twice a day, don''t worry. your body is going to do what it needs to do for the baby''s health and all you can do is make sure it''s done in a healthy way by providing healthy calories rather thna junk., y''know? dieting or over-excercising is 1) unlikely to stop the weight gain because you need the weight/fat stores, and your body knows it, for the baby and to ready your body for breastfeeding and 2) you may end up depriving the little one of neccesary nutrients.

so in the past 2 days my bump seems a bit deflated up top and is fuller lower. and i''m feeling movements much lower than i have been in a long time, like literally some sweeping right near the pelvic bone in front. does this mean gingerbaby has dropped? isn''t this too early? i''m 33wks and some change. my doc seems to think i''ll likely deliver on the early side since physicians tend to deliver early as we''re on our feet and walking all day. i hope it''s not too early! we are sooooooo not ready yet!!!

 

[vespergirl]

Puffy, I just love baby Noah, he''s a doll!

Lindsey, congrats on your boy! Welcome to team Blue!

 

[Mara]

aww MP sorry to hear about the allergy to the new pup...though it might turn out to be a blessing in disguise since it took a good 6+ months for us to adjust to having a new puppy with us as they take a lot of care and training, and a baby and a puppy would definitely have been too much for us at the time! i am so glad to hear you found a home for the pup! re: emotions, just hang in there...it is not easy dealing with so many changes at once (body, lifestyle, future thoughts) which i guess is why it takes 10 months to birth the child...haha.

re the 10 months, i am really feeling it today... last nite we saw Avatar which was a good movie but a long time for me to sit... and the kid keeps trying to wedge himself under my right ribcage which makes it harder to keep him out of there when i am sitting down. i am short torso''d so tho i am tall, there is not a lot of gut space for him to occupy. last nite my lower back was really hurting, so i was stretching it but it just made it feel worse. and then my stomach was SO HARD for half the night which made sleeping on my side really uncomfortable--the belly was like a lead weight. i was up about 6-7 times..boo.

so, this morning i was crabby. i was this way for most of the day, i just felt so icky. then some friends visited and i felt more perky after they were here...so we went to get a burger at this awesome diner bar burger/fries place, which i actually enjoyed. the kid is also delivering what feel like hand jabs to my bladder...i feel like he might have moved or something because i am just SO much more uncomfortable...either that or he had some massive growth spurt.

so ginger i almost WISH he would drop because it would give me some breathing space, between heartburn and feeling like he''s jammed under a rib, i am soooo over it right now. and i hope it''s just a fluke because 5 more weeks of this and i told greg he might have to sedate me!!

typically i feel really good overall but the last 24 hours, not so much at all...and my belly keeps getting almost painfully hard in diff areas depending on where he is moving.

speaking of dropping, my coworker is 33 weeks and she dropped about a week ago. but this is her 4th kid and she said she typically delivers 2 weeks or so early. she said on the negative side re :dropping that it feels SUPER heavy in her pelvic area. i have felt the ''scrapings'' back and forth in my pelvic area in the last few days too, but i feel like he might have just moved his hands down up by his head or something.

anyway enough whining for me...hopefully i feel better in the next few days.

 

[MonkeyPie]

Your day sounds a lot like mine have been, Mara. I''m sorry! At least you are in the home stretch now - I am only 26 weeks, and sometimes thinking about how much longer I have to go feels HORRIBLE. But then I realize it''s actually no time at all and I get worried about having enough time to be ready! Jeez, it''s like being caught between a rock and a hard place lol. Here''s hoping Life As Mommy is easier on the body, heh.

 

[gingerB]

Date: 12/26/2009 8:50:30 PM
Author: Mara
speaking of dropping, my coworker is 33 weeks and she dropped about a week ago. but this is her 4th kid and she said she typically delivers 2 weeks or so early. she said on the negative side re :dropping that it feels SUPER heavy in her pelvic area. i have felt the ''scrapings'' back and forth in my pelvic area in the last few days too, but i feel like he might have just moved his hands down up by his head or something.

that''s the thing though...i''m not having the painful pelvic pressure that seems to be associated with dropping. maybe the kiddo just decided to settle more south for the winter? i checked my profile again, def not as high, i breathe more easily and the heartburn is EXPONENTIALLY better. any veteran mommies out there who can tell me what''s happening?

maybe i''m just reading too much into this and i should just enjoy the fact that i''m a more comfy than i was a week ago!

 

[Mara]

ginger, some days i feel lower and others higher...some days i don't even have heartburn at all and other days its persistent. i almost chalk it up to a few days of 'bloating', which is what i am kind of hoping this spell is too, just a few flukey days, but who knows...i am getting up there and i guess at some point it just can't be expected to be comfortable anymore.

mp, ugh yeah feeling it at 26 weeks it would be hard, but it will go very fast, faster than you expect. sometimes days seem SO SLOW but other times i am like 'how am i 35 weeks?!?!'...!! it will be here before you know it. and i just keep reminding myself, finite period of time, finite period of time..we can do it hahaa.

i do hope that after is easier... i know bf'ing will be hard but most moms have told me at least your belly is smaller and your heartburn goes away, hahaa. i am like OK i think i can make it.

maybe. hhehe.

 

[Kaleigh]

Mara,
One thing I know about breast feeding, ( and sadly I didn''t due to a virus) from my friends is that you lose the baby weight like crazy. You are in great shape Mara, and methinks your body given some time will be right back there!!!

When I had Ashley I was the first of my friends to have a baby. It was the guy friends, that said, hey you had the baby so why do you still have a stomach?? I was like, thanks 48 hour labor and a C section, I come home and get this???

Now they are all Dad''s and get it. Glad I was the pioneer for them!!!

 

[noelwr]

ooh... I wonder if anchor had the baby already...

to all ladies, this is really an unimportant question by I''m wondering anyway...
Tuesday I have my first u/s and I will be 2 days shy of 10 weeks (LMP). the u/s will be done externally and I think somewhere near my pubic bone. does that mean they do the "jelly and wand" stuff over your pubic hair? ok, don''t laugh at me. like I said, totally unimportant but they always do it much higher in the movies so now I''m starting to wonder.