Queer and Pregnant Dec., Jan., Feb. - Page 9

[smartycat]

2HM, I hope your OB appointment goes well. I'm sorry you have so many worries right now.

Simcon, how are you doing?

[simcon]

Thank you everyone, for the reassurances and for the inquiries!

smartycat, I am in awe of your personals!!

Still pregnant here, with no real news (other than bursting into tears at the midwife's office today--my partner has to leave in early January, so I'm worried about her having to take off so soon after the baby's birth). I have a NST on Monday, and may start some membrane-sweeping stuff then too, depending (I think our mw is now somewhat concerned with my delicate emotional state , though both the baby and I seem very healthy at this point, which I'm very thankful for, of course) So my immediate goals are to tank up on RRL tea and EPO, and my homework is to "not think about the timing over the weekend"--tall order...

[MujerMamaMismo]

HI folks. Thanks for all the love and congrats. This parenting thing is a trip. I cannot believe that we've been entrusted with the life of this amazing little creature. I feel so privileged.

It's going really well so far. The fog has started to lift and I'm finally able to leave the couch for small periods of time. Those first few days, you do well to just tread water, don't you? I can't believe that some of you were able to be giving updates online.

So far, Sebastian is a very chilled baby. He rarely cries and is really happy to be loved and cuddled by rooms full of strangers. Unless he's hungry, DP is just as able to comfort him as I and he hasn't thrown any serious challenges at us yet. Last night I even managed 8 hours sleep (plus 2 hours awake time to feed, of course). I feel like a new person today - I was even contemplating going to the post xmas sales to pick up some baby stuff that I thought we'd be given but weren't. Seb however, had other ideas!!

How cool is breastfeeding??!!! I'm really lucky, I know - Seb is an awesome feeder and so far, all is good. I've got a great supply and I'm starting to work out his patterns and cues...although today, he's trying to prove me wrong of course! Why though, did no-one tell me how horrible your boobs get the day your milk comes in? I thought I wouldn't make it through that 24hrs.

Xmas was pretty cool. It was just supposed to be my Mum and her partner coming here for really low-key xmas but in the end DP's whole family arrived here with an entire xmas spread. At first I was overwhelmed and hormonal and really annoyed but it turned out beautifully and everyone was sooooooooo happy to be spending the day with Sebastian that both families got on famously. I don't think I truly realised the significance of the first grandchild thing until then. It's extra special that he's the first on both sides.

Better go - he wants boobs and DP wants her neck back (he sucks it when he's hungry and she's holding him.)

There's a few pics up on my blog for anyone interested. Link in sig.

Thinking of those with imminent births. Good luck!

[smartycat]

MMM, thanks for the awesome update! Sounds like motherhood is going well for you and you had an awesome holiday.

I finally got around to uploading Quasar belly pics... so for your viewing enjoyment....

4 weeks

6 weeks

10 weeks

14 weeks

18 weeks

20 weeks

24.5 weeks

Enjoy! :

Also wondering how 2HM did today at the OB... :

And I have no worries for Simcon as the baby is coming New Year's Eve.

[2happymamas]

Originally Posted by smartycat

Also wondering how 2HM did today at the OB... :

Thanks for asking! The appointment went really well. We decided against the castor oil, cohoshes, and birth root until after the appointment. We wanted to see how it went first...if the OB did not feel the need to induce, why bother with any kind of induction?

Her NST was picture perfect. The amniotic fluid index increased from 6.5 to 7.8, so that's good. OB sent us home to relax and said to come back Monday for another NST and ultrasound. OB feels a lot better about letting us wait now that Coco did so well Monday and Tuesday at the hospital for the stress test.

We're just hanging out for now. I want her to be able to come on her own and when she is ready, as long as she is healthy and doing well. The money part is somewhat stressful, but it'll work out one way or another.

[smartycat]

Hooray for a good OB appointment 2HM : So good to hear that little Coco is doing well. And I am happy that you seem a little less stressed. Maybe you and Simcon can both have New Years Eve babies!

[starling&diesel]

Simcon... how's our New Years baby doing?

2happymamas ... so wonderful that Coco is doing so well! And knowing your logic for wanting a New Year's baby, I'll send some healthy and swift labour vibes your way!

nyc_amu Welcome and congrats! :

Lexbeach... your blog about Yule is absolutely dreamy. Sigh .... I want red pajamas too!

MMM...Not to be too forward, but can I come over and rub your nipples so that some of your lactasticness will come my way?

smartycat & quasar... look at that gorgeous belly! I cannot believe that your so far along already!!!

DM630...Everything back to normal, hon?

Raene...is your belly getting plumper?

As for us ... here's a belly pic! 33 weeks today!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22089658@N04/3142410487/

(I don't know how to relabel links into plain English ... if anyone feels like enlightening me, I'd be very appreciative.)

[MujerMamaMismo]

Originally Posted by starling&diesel

MMM...Not to be too forward, but can I come over and rub your nipples so that some of your lactasticness will come my way?

As for us ... here's a belly pic! 33 weeks today!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22089658@N04/3142410487/

(I don't know how to relabel links into plain English ... if anyone feels like enlightening me, I'd be very appreciative.)

My naturopath has had me on a partus prep since 36weeks - it's mostly highly concentrated raspberry leaf but also has squaw vine and nettle in it. The nettle is rich in so many awesome things like iron and folic acid but is also a great galactagogue. I'm thinking I can credit that prep for my relatively easy labour and great supply.

But by all means, rub my nipples. Everyone else has had their paws all over them in the last week!

...

and linking is super easy -
when you want to name something:
>type the name/sentence/whatever into the text as you want it to appear
>highlight it
>click on the icon with the globe and chain
>enter the url
>ok and voila, you're linked!

[starling&diesel]

Thanks, MMM!!!

I'm doing RRL tea and ... um ... leaking in all the right places, so I'm hoping that's a good sign. Thanks for the tips!

[Raene]

Yes, belly is bigger! I showed my mom and told her DP and I think we're having quadruplets (I'm huge!! Lol.) She just looked at my belly with wide eyes. Another pregnant friend who is in her 2nd trimester is smaller than I am and she noticed right away. I don't think it's bloat b/c I don't eat bloating foods, and well, the shape is different. DP did comment once when I was in the bathtub...he said "Ummm...hon...you are going to get REALLY big aren't you?" haha.
Well, this is my second, so I know that does make a difference.
I haven't figured out how to post pictures here, but I posted them on my blog just 2 entries ago. http://www.rawveganpregnancy.blogspot.com

[pranava]

Simcom and 2happymammas Wishing you productive labor vibes before the new year !!! :

MMM Your little one is just perfect and beautiful

DM any more spotting?

Raene I think it's TWINS!!!!

NYC amu Congratulations!!! I'll add you to our due date list

Spent 5 days with the family for Christmas and boy am I glad to be home. I love them but . . . Well you know how it is.

I have to get something off my chest that I haven't had the courage to share with any in real life friends - Some days - maybe half of the days lately - I think "I can't do this. I'm not ready. I can't afford it. I don't really want this baby." I start thinking of all the couples I know who would love to adopt this baby and could provide better for him than I could. I feel like a terrible monster. I'm very worried about post partum depression.

Has anyone else had similar thoughts?

[DM630]

No Spotting since Tuesday! I go for my first u/s tomorrow morning. I am nervous and excited!
It has been crazy around here this week. On Friday night there someone staring in my bathroom window as I was half naked. (my cat tends to move the curtains to look out side, so there was a small gap) I had thought that I had heard something, but then convinced myself that I was making it up. It wasn't until the morning when we saw the foot prints in the snow and the empty beer can left behind. It really freaks me out!

Pranava- I think that given everything that you have gone through during your pregnancy, it is perfectly normal to have those thoughts. You are not a terrible monster. You are going to be a wonderful mother!

[starling&diesel]

pranava... if you're a terrible monster, then I'm a six-headed narwhal with a penchant for musical theatre and a talent for yahtzee.

I believe in you. You are a brave, strong woman and you will make an awesome mama. You've faced so many challenges since you've become pregnant, and no doubt, you'll face more as a single mama. The thing is, I know you can do this. I've never met you in real life, and I STILL know that you can do this. Not only can you do this, but you're going to ace it.

Yes, there will be bumps and life lumps along the way, but you and your baby already have a rock solid relationship, connected directly through your heart and his.
You are the mama he chose.
He chose you.
For all your faults and for all your brilliance, he chose you.

[pranava]

"if you're a terrible monster, then I'm a six-headed narwhal with a penchant for musical theatre and a talent for yahtzee."

laughup I doubt this is true! :

Originally Posted by starling&diesel

pranava... You are the mama he chose.
He chose you.
For all your faults and for all your brilliance, he chose you.

Wow! Thanks S & D. I do believe that our babies choose us for a reason, I just forgot. Thanks for reminding me That helps sooooo much!!!!!!!!!

[indigoscot]

pranava, you will do just fine!!!! becoming a parent is scary no lie but once you see your son all your doubts will melt away.

g

[AngelaM]

Pranava- SO NORMAL. So, so, so normal.

And honestly, there are still days when I think, oh my god, what am I doing? What have I DONE?

But then I look at my kid, and she is really the most amazing thing in the entire universe, and I think, how could I not have done this?

I'm broke too. I'm living off of WIC, student loans, and the state children's health insurance program. But we're living. And mostly, we're happy. And you will be too.

Also, I was really worried about ppd, especially since I've been depressed before, and had such an emotionally tumultuous pregnancy. I've been very lucky, and aside from "normal" mood swings, have been fine. I hope that you will be too. But if you're not, know that there is lots of help available, and most importantly, that it won't last forever.

You and your baby are going to love each other more than you thought possible. And when he arrives, though you'll be exhausted and overwhelmed sometimes, you're also going to feel incredibly lucky to be the most important person in the world for this human being.

And when you need a hug, we've all got you. Okay?

[DM630]

We saw the heart beat! :
It was so amazing!

[smartycat]

Originally Posted by DM630

We saw the heart beat! :
It was so amazing!

Hooray!! :


2HM and Simcon... any news??? We are getting impatient waiting for these babies...

[2happymamas]

Originally Posted by MujerMamaMismo

Better go - he wants boobs and DP wants her neck back (he sucks it when he's hungry and she's holding him.)

There's a few pics up on my blog for anyone interested. Link in sig.

He is so beautiful. I bet I could just love on him for hours. How do you get anything done?

And the part about him sucking your DP's neck makes me smile...I got a bit wistful. I want Coco to suck DW's neck like that....

Originally Posted by pranava

I have to get something off my chest that I haven't had the courage to share with any in real life friends - Some days - maybe half of the days lately - I think "I can't do this. I'm not ready. I can't afford it. I don't really want this baby." I start thinking of all the couples I know who would love to adopt this baby and could provide better for him than I could. I feel like a terrible monster. I'm very worried about post partum depression.

Has anyone else had similar thoughts?

I am sorry this has been so hard on you. Everything I could say would only echo what others have said so well already. You can do this.

I had a little freak out several weeks ago about this baby. I had a little temper tantrum and lost my cool. DW (who is so laid back and relaxed) fussed at me about how I can't freak out like that once Coco is born. I lost it. For about an hour, I was convinced that I had no business trying to raise this baby and the best thing for Coco would be to just let DW have her. It got ugly in my head. Here's the thing, though....I am gonna mess up. And it probably won't be pretty. I am going to lose my temper at some point. I will make mistakes, but I am going to try. I will try my hardest and do my best to learn from whatever mistakes I know I will make. She's my daughter and I am (one of) her mothers. I belong to her and she belongs to me.

It's gonna be okay. You and your son will be okay together. You belong to him and he belongs to you.

Originally Posted by DM630

We saw the heart beat! :
It was so amazing!

Awesome! Isn't it the most amazing thing to see that little heart beating?

Simcon: Anything new?

Originally Posted by smartycat

2HM ... any news??? We are getting impatient waiting for these babies...

No major news. Had another OB appointment today. Amniotic fluid is back up to 11.2. NST looks perfect. My cervix still has not effaced or dilated at all. OB said she would feel more comfortable with the baby being born, but does not want to induce because my cervix is "not favorable" for an induction. She thinks that if she pushed the induction, I would end up with a c-section and she does not want me to end up with a c-section. So, I go back again on Friday to see if my cervix is dilated or effaced at all. My EDD is Saturday....I can't believe that I am just at 4 days away.

I still want her to come on her own. I have a few more days of catch up work to do....I have 2 parenting assessments that are past due. Oops. I am going to get serious about prompting her to come this weekend....lots of walking and busting out the breast pump for nipple stimulation.

[simcon]

Thanks for checking in, everyone! We do have news--baby G (feel free to pm me for the name!) was born on Sunday morning at 10 a.m., underwater in the hospital after a relatively quick labor, and he and I are doing very well so far..he's nursing up a storm, and we just got home from the hospital last night (to lots of visitors, since I had put them all off over Christmas!)

I was drinking lots of RRL tea, went for a nice 2 mile walk on Sat. evening, and was about to head to bed when I noticed that my contractions were regular and getting stronger--it was so nice to go into labor myself (our first was an induction after my water broke, and this was such a different experience--though I enjoyed that one too for what it was). At the hospital, they almost sent us home, which I wasn't too pleased about, since we live 45 min from the hospital and I just knew things would move pretty quickly--so I squatted through my early contractions and things did intensify enough for us not to get the boot . Our hospital has a birthing pool, so I got into that when I could, and was in it for about 2 hours when my water broke and I started pushing soon after that. Another of our midwife's clients was laboring down the hall and our midwife had to step out because her baby was crowning and lo and behold, out came our boy as soon as she left the room, right into the tub at my feet (I was squatting). C and our friend S were supporting me throughout the labor, and were a great team--it was all lovely, and thanks to you all for thinking of me while we were offline!