Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[lovelylulu]

foreign object was a really, really big acorn

.

pup out of surgery.

doing well.

must train hiim to avoid folliage.

thanks for the good thoughts!

 

[vespergirl]

Date: 3/12/2010 4:32:43 PM
Author: lovelylulu
foreign object was a really, really big acorn

.

pup out of surgery.

doing well.

must train hiim to avoid folliage.

thanks for the good thoughts!

Lulu, I''m so glad that all went well with your pup!

Cute belly pic too!

 

[jcrow]

Date: 3/12/2010 4:32:43 PM
Author: lovelylulu
foreign object was a really, really big acorn

.


pup out of surgery.


doing well.


must train hiim to avoid folliage.

thanks for the good thoughts!

i missed the part about your pooch! sorry to hear about that, but glad he''s doing ok!

 

[So Excited]

Thank you MP, ..

I was so happy that it was in the "safe zone" that I wasn''t much more than "slightly" disappointed that he wouldn''t cooperate (was turned toward my spine) for the 3D shots of his face they were trying to get for us while they were doing the checking... Fluid and Growth looked great so I am happy with that since those are the important things!

 

[drk]

MP - looking good! I''m not convinced my baby will arrive before yours. Thankfully she''s smallish and low and I''m not having too much pain or heartburn or anything else really. Just sleeping is getting a little annoying because I''m getting low back and rib pain again at night when sleeping on my side. Oh well, I''m hoping this will be over with soon!

Lulu - love that shot! I wonder if you''re getting a hint of the same kind of skin mottling on the bump that I''ve had throughout? Hard to tell from your photo. I didn''t get stretch marks so far, but my belly is obviously a little redder/blotchier than the rest of me. It never itched, even though I thought it might be a rash developing at first.

I wish things weren''t so expensive in Canada compared to the US. I just bought a nursing tank today (Glamourmom). They told me I should get a medium in that, or a 34 D-E in a nursing bra (holy crap, I was a 34 B before, and have been wearing 36 B bras I already had during the pregnancy). So it was $69 + tax (and the exchange rate can''t be more than 10% off parity these days. Then I come home, and see that I could have bought it at another store in town for $10 less (no returns, exchanges only, sadly), and even worse, it sells for $39 in the US. How unfair! Why is everything so bloody expensive up here?

 

[Mara]

OMG lulu an ACORN?? love your pic.

MP you look lower and wow he is sticking WAY out in front huh!!! you must be really done...ahh so close.

DRK you look lower to me for sure, hope it happens soon. also i just got Target nursing bras, i am a cheapo and they were like $18.

 

[drk]

Still here, cervix still unchanged. I''m not going to be surprised if I make it to Monday and likely induction. This sucks! Who''d have thought that the PS no-preterm-labour vibes would work so incredibly well?

Lulu - how''s your pup doing today? Hope he recocvers quickly.

 

[Puppmom]

On the run here - but just wanted to send good vibes to Lulu''s pooch. My dog has been known to consume all things edible...and not. I hope your doggie feels better soon!

 

[MonkeyPie]

lulu, I''m glad you pup is doing alright! An acorn, I would have never guessed. You have to wonder why dogs eat things like that.

drk, I came on just to see if you were progressing. Nuts! One more day to get the ball rolling on your own - maybe it''s time for some pineapple?

My best friend has her birthday tomorrow, so she is having all of us get together for bowling. Darn it! I get to just sit and watch

And I wish I could get into the nesting phase, because my house looks TERRIBLE but I just don''t have the energy to do anything about it. Oh well, Micah won''t care if the room is a mess lol.

 

[ljmorgan]

Tao tagged me on facebook and let me know that you guys were checking in on me! I''m 26 weeks now and kicking right along, both myself and baby Andrew are doing great. He has needed NO blood transfusions yet, and my peri is amazed by that... he is really impressed with how my antibodies are responding to the IViG. They did a growth check at my weekly US on Thursday and his estimated weight is 2lb 5 oz... right on track for another 8lb baby at 37/38 weeks

I will say that speaking of IViG, I had a rough treatment last night. I''ve been doing the IViG for 14 weeks now and my veins are so finnicky... they''re very small, thin, and wavy -- they don''t track straight and it''s hard for the nurses to start an IV on me. Usually they can get into the vein, but now my veins that are large enough for the IV (20 gauge... so not even the standard L&D 18 gauge) are scarring and are refusing to thread. Last night I had FIVE IV attempts... brutal. After the fourth failure they called for the anesthesiologist and he succeeded. Whew! The nurses are concerned we''re running out of usable veins -- they''re either too small or scarring up. Any suggestions for easier sticks? I''d like to keep going with the IViG as long as we can because it seems to be working. One nurse suggested a central line but is it worth it to get that for a weekly treatment I''ll only be having for another 11 weeks max? Any suggestions would be helpful! I already drink plenty of fluids before I go, and we''re using warm packs as well to perk up my veins.

 

[drk]

Lindsey - so glad to hear all''s well with you and Andrew! I would seriously consider getting a PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter) or a midline (gets threaded in a long way from near the crease in your elbow, but not as far as the PICC) if your veins are getting to be that awful. I don''t put those in personally (just central lines or peripheral IVs, since I''m an anesthesiologist), so I''d probably want to have a chat with the IV access team (if they have such a thing) who would insert the midline, or with whoever would insert the PICC line to see what the pros and cons are. I know there is a risk of developing a blood clot from having the foreign body in there, especially when you''re pregnant with high estrogen levels. There''s also a chance of infection too. So if you can stand the poking and aren''t becoming a total needle phobe, and only need the meds once a week, maybe you can tough it out for another 11 infusions.
I would think that a 22 gauge would be good enough for the IVIG infusion if the 20 gauges are hard to get. Sometimes with really crummy veins I''ve used nitroglycerin paste on the skin over a likely target to get the vein to dilate more. Or maybe they could consider moving the IV sites to foot or ankle veins for a couple weeks to give your arms and hands a break? I know those aren''t pleasant either, but sometimes can come in handy.
Keep us posted!

 

[charbie]

Date: 3/13/2010 6:30:20 PM
Author: drk
Lindsey - so glad to hear all''s well with you and Andrew! I would seriously consider getting a PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter) or a midline (gets threaded in a long way from near the crease in your elbow, but not as far as the PICC) if your veins are getting to be that awful. I don''t put those in personally (just central lines or peripheral IVs, since I''m an anesthesiologist), so I''d probably want to have a chat with the IV access team (if they have such a thing) who would insert the midline, or with whoever would insert the PICC line to see what the pros and cons are. I know there is a risk of developing a blood clot from having the foreign body in there, especially when you''re pregnant with high estrogen levels. There''s also a chance of infection too. So if you can stand the poking and aren''t becoming a total needle phobe, and only need the meds once a week, maybe you can tough it out for another 11 infusions.
I would think that a 22 gauge would be good enough for the IVIG infusion if the 20 gauges are hard to get. Sometimes with really crummy veins I''ve used nitroglycerin paste on the skin over a likely target to get the vein to dilate more. Or maybe they could consider moving the IV sites to foot or ankle veins for a couple weeks to give your arms and hands a break? I know those aren''t pleasant either, but sometimes can come in handy.
Keep us posted!

yeah, i don''t normally chime in on this kinda stuff...but if you don''t have too much longer and are going to be needing a port for awhile, they might as well just "install" a PICC or midline. that way everytime the doc needs to give you some IV''s they don''t have to search...this is the same kind of port we put in a dialysis patient, and they keep them for months at a time. it''s a pain to keep clean and infection free, but it sure beats having to find new sites to put in an IV all the time. once youre done and have had the baby, it comes right out. most of the patients in our nursing home receiving IV meds get it through a PICC.

 

[Puppmom]

Lindsey, I''m so glad to hear you and baby Andrew are well. That''s fantastic!

DrK, aahhh, the irony of all things TTC and baby having. We try to hard to avoid getting KTFU then we can''t. Then we ask the labor gods to please hold off a little longer then we find ourselves overcooked.

Well, I guess that''s not really "irony" but it is annoying! I hope you''re holding that gorgeous little girl soon.

LovelyLulu, I love belly on the beach!

HH, I can definitely see your belly now. Are you tall? It looks like you have a nice long torso that distributes your belly well. Mine is SHORT so I popped out right away and I started out low which meant my pants didn''t fit pretty early on.

MP, I think that kiddo is coming sooner rather than later! I say the first day of spring!

 

[ljmorgan]

Thank you for the various IV suggestions! We''ll see how it goes next Friday, and I''ll talk to the team about the various things that you mentioned.

drk I keep checking back every day because I''m waiting to see pictures of your little girl

She is set on being fashionably late!

 

[tiffanytwisted]

Hi Lindsey! I second the option of a PICC or a midline- I think that you and your doctor would have to weigh the risks of clot/infection vs the benefits, but it''s definately a conversation worth having.
I do have a few other suggestions for you though- I work in pediatrics and I know I have used 22 gauge IV''s for IVIG- there are lots of "rules" of iv sizes that exist in the adult world that we don''t follow in pediatrics- so I would ask if they can go with the smaller 22 gauge. I also like drk''s suggestion of the foot/ankle- give your arms/hands a break for awhile. The other thing I would suggest is that if they had to try 5 times last time and THEN call anesthesia- I would ask them the next time to call anesthesia from the beginning. Do you see the same infusion nurse each week? Once they''ve discovered that you have difficult veins I think they would be open to asking an anesthesiologist to come- if one''s available.
Good luck!

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Lindsay- so GREAT to hear that all is going well- keep on kicking right along!
Drk- Hang in there, mama. Your LO will be here before you know it.
Lulu- Now that''s a belly pic! Sun and sand- ahhhhhh
MP- you do look a bit lower. Sorry about the bowling party- that bites

A big HELLO to all the other preggos- sounds like everyone''s doing well!

I''m plugging away- turned 25 weeks on Thursday, and the belly is certainly there. I haven''t quite popped, but i''m now obviously preggo-looking instead of sporting the beer gut look. And my belching has returned- it''s not quite as bad as the 1st trimester, but i''m popping the tums again.

DH and I registered at BRU yesterday. Even with Tacori''s list and the BABY BARGAINS book, it was still a bit overwhelming- probably because the store was CROWDED! Then again, our plan was really to just open the registry in person and then manage it on-line. But we still had fun with it, and DH entered a diapering contest and WON! We got a pack of diapers, so that was cool.

We''re registering at Target today- I wasn''t too impressed with BRU and they''re not that convenient to get to, so Target should help round things out.

Happy Sunday!

 

[MonkeyPie]

Date: 3/14/2010 12:18:27 PM
Author: tiffanytwisted
Hi Lindsey! I second the option of a PICC or a midline- I think that you and your doctor would have to weigh the risks of clot/infection vs the benefits, but it''s definately a conversation worth having.

I do have a few other suggestions for you though- I work in pediatrics and I know I have used 22 gauge IV''s for IVIG- there are lots of ''rules'' of iv sizes that exist in the adult world that we don''t follow in pediatrics- so I would ask if they can go with the smaller 22 gauge. I also like drk''s suggestion of the foot/ankle- give your arms/hands a break for awhile. The other thing I would suggest is that if they had to try 5 times last time and THEN call anesthesia- I would ask them the next time to call anesthesia from the beginning. Do you see the same infusion nurse each week? Once they''ve discovered that you have difficult veins I think they would be open to asking an anesthesiologist to come- if one''s available.

Good luck!

It''s worth a try, but even for routine bloodwork when I tell them I have tiny veins and that they tend to roll or collapse, they still refuse to use the butterfly which is much easier. It''s like an ego trip - they refuse to believe THEY can''t do it. It''s annoying.

Question: Why would it be routine to receive Pitocin after the placenta is delivered? I just read it on babycenter and I had no idea that was common. Why on earth would it be?

 

[somethingshiny]

Pitocin after delivery is common. It helps the uterus to contract back down. In the "old days," moms were told to massage their uterus or have the nurse massage the uterus to help it to contract after delivery. My mom said it was extremely uncomfortable to be kneaded by a nurse so she made sure to constantly be massaging her abdomen. It''s something that a lot of hospitals won''t actually tell you you''re getting. It is often added to your IV. Sometimes it''s given as a shot. If you do not want the pit, you can certainly tell your dr. And if it''s something that concerns you, I''d ask your doc ahead of time.


drk~ Best wishes for a happy healthy delivery! You''ll be holding your little girl VERY SOON!!

 

[MonkeyPie]

Thanks, SS! I had no idea.

ChargerG, yay for a "real" belly! I felt like it took ages for me to look pregnant and not just puffy, heh. And lucky DH!

 

[Mara]

ditto the pitocin after delivery. after my experience with pitocin contracts minus epi i was like WHY ARE YOU GIVING ME PITOCIN?? but it doesn't hurt after delivery at all. it just makes you feel like you have period cramps really. they gave me 1.5 bags of it which took about 3-4 hours to enter my body. and yes on the nurses massaging you...actually we had so many doctors and nurses checking me, it was so irritating, for 24 hours after delivery. i think we had someone come in every 2-3 hours to check me both uterus and down below to make sure everything was ok and i was not hemmoraghing. but yeah having them palpitate you so often so soon after delivery=not fun. within 24 hours after birth though i felt so much better.

Lindsey so good to hear from you and glad things are going well!!

Charger yay for a real belly and registering...I had so much fun registering. Target was great for me but BRU definitely has everything you could EVER DREAM about finding for babies hehee.

DRK can't believe you are still here!! Sending you more labor vibes.

MP I want you to go a little early since it's been so long that the preggo thread has had any surprising deliveries.

 

[MonkeyPie]

LOL Mara - sounds like a good idea to me! Send me some of those contraction vibes! I am so ready for him to be out.

 

[swimmer]

Tiffany! hope you are doing well lady!

Lulu, great photo! along those lines my fave bit from a pregnancy book I returned to the library said to go to the hospital for a long list of reasons including A FOOT OR HAND EMERGING! yeah. Nah, I'm just going to stick that hand back up in there and ignore it! DH and I almost died over thinking how that came to be on the list, up there with the once the cervix is fully dilated, no lovemaking rule. Fantastic. Why is that a rule if no one ever tried to break it?

Most of all, DRK! I hope you are meeting your daughter now! That tall gorgeously flexible lady better show up soon! love your cervix of steel though for all those months of hard work!

Lindsay! so glad that you and Andrew are doing well, good luck with your tiny veins. I used to get some treatments through my veiny feet, it was much faster than being poked in the arm but hurt in a different way. Of course, anything will be worth it to see your little man, but gah, 11 more weeks! you are a tough cookie.

Yay Charger for your belly! I too had a hard time with BRU, unlike Mara, I can't find anything in the place, just so big! I registered for 5 things and left in a panic.

MP, let him cook!

 

[MonkeyPie]

Date: 3/14/2010 7:36:13 PM
Author: swimmer
Lulu, great photo! along those lines my fave bit from a pregnancy book I returned to the library said to go to the hospital for a long list of reasons including A FOOT OR HAND EMERGING! yeah. Nah, I''m just going to stick that hand back up in there and ignore it! DH and I almost died over thinking how that came to be on the list, up there with the once the cervix is fully dilated, no lovemaking rule. Fantastic. Why is that a rule if no one ever tried to break it?

MP, let him cook!

But he''s being meeeeean swimmer lol.

And LOL @ the hand emerging! That is just not right. Who wouldn''t notice a hand or foot kicking around in there?!

 

[swimmer]

I hear you MP! Little dude is now kicking the broken ribs constantly. He is so going to get grounded for this someday, or better yet, I will be one of those moms who says "you know you kicked me in my broken ribs for 8 months in a row..." when he is asking for permission to borrow the car. You gotta plan these guilty manipulations early...

 

[drk]

Still here and waiting. We''ll see what the night brings, but I wouldn''t be surprised to make it to my appointment tomorrow (unless when I call in to say there''s been no action, I can skip the appointment and just plan the induction).

Who would have thought??

 

[Mara]

G and I used to joke about a hand sticking out. Who knew it could really happen???

swimmer...i actually didn't like BRU up until the very end of pregnancy. like you guys, DO find it super hard to find things in there BUT their selection is ridiculous in terms of how indepth it is. i reg'd with Target and was happy but their selection is a bit more limited. however we got everything we needed, 90% from the reg and the rest was me buying what we didn't get from other places. greg's work gave us a $300 gift card to BRU which we still haven't used!!

oh and for those interested one of the things we have used the most since i bought it 3 weeks ago is the Sleep Sheep (just go to amazon.com and put in sleep sheep), we got the 'on the go' version which can be velcro'd to anything (car seat, bassinet etc), and J just loves it on the 'rain' setting. it has been PRICELESS in getting him to go to sleep for naps the last few weeks, and giving him a background white noise which they seem to really like in the beginning. aka we used it last nite when we took him out to dinner with us. i hear that most moms mostly only use it in the first 3 months (4th trimester) which is fine with me, it's $18 and it has given me WAY WAY more than that in terms of hours of happiness. the only thing is that it only plays on 28 or 45 minutes (the big one only does 2 and sometimes i wish it would go for longer when we have a lot of background noise at night or something.

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 3/14/2010 9:52:50 PM
Author: drk
Still here and waiting. We''ll see what the night brings, but I wouldn''t be surprised to make it to my appointment tomorrow (unless when I call in to say there''s been no action, I can skip the appointment and just plan the induction).

Who would have thought??

DRK!!!!

Oh lady, I am so sorry. You must be ready to burst. 41 weeks plus?? I think you deserve a medal... I don''t think we''ve had a firt time mom go this long??

I feel for ya... I am hoping something kicks in tonigt. DTD?? A little castor oil?? IDK.

I bet it''s painful at this point, so am praying for you. I hope all goes smoothly, induction etc...

HUGS!!!!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 3/14/2010 11:01:22 PM
Author: Kaleigh

Date: 3/14/2010 9:52:50 PM
Author: drk
Still here and waiting. We''ll see what the night brings, but I wouldn''t be surprised to make it to my appointment tomorrow (unless when I call in to say there''s been no action, I can skip the appointment and just plan the induction).

Who would have thought??

DRK!!!!

Oh lady, I am so sorry. You must be ready to burst. 41 weeks plus?? I think you deserve a medal... I don''t think we''ve had a firt time mom go this long??

I feel for ya... I am hoping something kicks in tonigt. DTD?? A little castor oil?? IDK.

I bet it''s painful at this point, so am praying for you. I hope all goes smoothly, induction etc...

HUGS!!!!

Jas12 went to 42 weeks didn''t she??

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 3/14/2010 11:07:26 PM
Author: dreamer_d

Date: 3/14/2010 11:01:22 PM
Author: Kaleigh

Date: 3/14/2010 9:52:50 PM
Author: drk
Still here and waiting. We''ll see what the night brings, but I wouldn''t be surprised to make it to my appointment tomorrow (unless when I call in to say there''s been no action, I can skip the appointment and just plan the induction).

Who would have thought??

DRK!!!!

Oh lady, I am so sorry. You must be ready to burst. 41 weeks plus?? I think you deserve a medal... I don''t think we''ve had a firt time mom go this long??

I feel for ya... I am hoping something kicks in tonigt. DTD?? A little castor oil?? IDK.

I bet it''s painful at this point, so am praying for you. I hope all goes smoothly, induction etc...

HUGS!!!!

Jas12 went to 42 weeks didn''t she??

You''d know better than me, thanks Dreamer. 42 weeks??

 

[So Excited]

Natgeotv has a special on right NOW about "the challenges a sperms faces on the way to fertilizing an egg" It is called "Sizing up Sperm"

Sounds pretty interested and educational ...