* ~ Weekly Chat Thread Dec 26-Jan 2 ~ *

[Jilian]

I hope everyone had a good holiday! How is everyone feeling this week? I'm still feeling pretty good, only occasional nausea with a side of constant fatigue. I'm looking forward to hitting the 6 week mark in a few days Has anyone had a MW/OB appt yet? How did it go? I'm going in early Jan. I'm still really excited to be preg again :

[texaspeach]

I've only had the initial appointment/confirmation/beta at 15 DPO last week, and I had another beta on weds. I was hoping to get the results today, but the office is closed.

Nausea in the morning is really starting now. I'm 5 and 2 today. If I go too long with out eating, I feel sick. It's not bad yet.

I'm considering telling my BFF I'm pg when I see her later today. I'm a bit nervous about how she is going to react to me using an OB, because my opinion of midwives heavily influenced her to birth in a free standing birth center. She'll be supportive no matter what, but I know she's going to remind me of the saying 'buy the hospital ticket, get the hospital ride.'

Everyone that shared the news yesterday, I hope it went well and for those of us who are still keeping a secret, I hope it wasn't too hard

[MeepyCat]

I promised my husband we could wait until 12 weeks to make announcements, and I have been leaking like a sieve. At 6w 2d, I have informed both my sisters, and all my LJ friends who are moms, and somehow it got around to my ex, who asked me about it privately at a party yesterday - he's a good guy and he's thrilled for us, and he won't spread it further, but I can't figure out how it got to him in the first place! Except, of course, that when you tell three or four dozen people a piece of news, you should expect three or four more dozen people to find out right away.

So yeah, we're having the worst-kept secret in history.

I feel fine. I have to pee a lot, and I get tired easy. I haven't had nausea, but if I keep stuffing myself with leftover Christmas cookies, I'm sure I will.

I have my first doctor's appointment on the 14th, right after I take the audit section of the CPA exam. I'll be exactly nine weeks. I'm hoping to see a heartbeat and confirm that I'm having only one baby. I found out I was pregnant so much earlier this time than last time (with my son, I didn't get a BFP until 6 weeks), that I'm worried it's twins.

[thorn]

I'm doing good. I am 8w5d today, and the nausea seems to have peaked and is leveling off. It is worse when I don't eat, especially if I don't eat enough protein.

I had my first OB appointment a week ago and got to see the little blob and its little heartbeat

[Michigan Mama]

I'm feeling pretty good so far, though super tired. So glad #1 still naps well and I get my daily snooze, too! We were not going to tell people yet really - can't tell my mom cuz she can't keep a secret at all. I told my brother and SIL yesterday. This will be grandbaby #22 on my side, I think, so everyone is always happy to add another little one to the mix! We had a m/c before #1 so I'm trying to resist telling too many people, except people who will pray for us!

Really liking my citrus these days...

Merry Christmas everyone! Hope it was great and you're enjoying your holidays!

[maddymama]

Hi Mamas,
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. Ours was good, except for the fact that the turkey roasting smell made me sick sick sick, and I had to be in the kitchen bc I was making half the meal for 12 people. :-) We weren't going to tell anyone yet, but our 2 1/2 DD told everyone for us at dinner. DH started laughing his tushie off when she said, "Mommy has a baby in her tummy." The best part was when I got to put my feet up after dinner and RELAX while everyone else cleaned up.
Good news... last week I saw the OB and saw the heartbeat. :-) Now I'm 7 w 3 d, and the nausea and vomiting are getting bad.... I'm ready for it to peak and level off. (thorn, I hope mine levels off at 8 w like yours....)
Hope you have a great week!
~maddymama
oh, and texaspeach, go with your gut and use an ob if it's the right decision for you. Don't worry what anyone says. I used to think I would use a mw, but was living in a town with a horrible mw when preg with #1 and loved my OB care. He used minimal medical intervention with me and I was really happy. I received much better care than I would have otherwise. Just let the OB know your preferences, and know that you can always say no to something they suggest, KWIM?

[heggie]

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[Jilian]

TX, good luck telling your BFF, I hope she doesn't give you too much trouble. There are certainly good hospital experiences, I had one with DS1.

Meepy, I'm bad at keeping that kind of secret too. I told my mom and siter pretty much right away even though I told DH I wouldn't. It was just so exciting and they'd know if I were hiding something from them.

Heggie, ugh, heartburn is the worst. I had it with DS1 and started popping tums like they were candy then ended up with a kidney stone from all the extra calcium So beware of too many tums!

[ErinBird]

I'm tired. I suspect that my last minute holiday stress has simply caught up with me.
I am interviewing a midwife on Tuesday (12/30). I will likely go with her, as my other top contender is also due next summer and will be taking a few months off.

[heggie]

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[Mamabeakley]

I feel awful (whine, whine). I never throw up (I just don't) but I feel horrible. If I could only eat continuously, but without the food actually going to my tummy . . .

I'm 7 +1 and I WISH I could expect to level off next week, but I just don't.

DH is being great about taking care of the kids. He's mostly off work right now, which isn't great financially but is great otherwise.

I'm going to have a phone consult w/my mw next week - she is newly in independent practice so I have to find out what her limitations are, etc.

I think my biggest anxiety right now (other than just getting through the day) is that I'm a doula and I have two clients in January plus one I'm on back-up oncall for right now through the end of next week. I have no idea how I am going to cope with doing labor support feeling like this! Yikes!

[Spring Sun]

Well, I am a little freaked out this morning. I woke up in the middle of the night last night to pee and stepped on the dog and then fell over hard onto a laundry basket. The side of it went hard into my belly. I have a tiny pain there this morning, but nothing else feels off. Do you ladies think it is okay? Has this happened to anyone else?

As for everything else-I am just emotional but dh is handling it great. He acts like it is cute or funny and tolerates me. It is nice being pregnant sometimes I am also naueous, but not bad at all. My sense of smell was so strong yesterday-I forgot how strong it gets when I am pregnant. It is not very pleasant. Esp since ds just had a poo-poo accident in his footsie pajamas (the rewards of being a mother )

Also, I decided that I am going to take a childbirth educator training while I am pregnant and then do lactation training after that. I am really excited about it. I am already a doula and everything I do for a living has to do with babies, so I would love to slip this in as well. I really want to become a midwife someday, it would just be too much now with two little ones. By doing more doula work and teaching childbirth classes I will be much more prepared by the time I am ready to do my midwife training.

How many people here are doing a class this pregnancy? It seems like maybe people will be skipping it due to the economy this year, but I was not sure.

Have a great week, mamas!

[thorn]

Originally Posted by Spring Sun

Well, I am a little freaked out this morning. I woke up in the middle of the night last night to pee and stepped on the dog and then fell over hard onto a laundry basket. The side of it went hard into my belly. I have a tiny pain there this morning, but nothing else feels off. Do you ladies think it is okay? Has this happened to anyone else?

I wouldn't worry at all. your uterus is still under your pubic bone at this point - babe is well protected

[RoseRed]

That is good to know about the pubic bone. My daughter still think that my stomach is the funnest thing to sit, roll, and bounce on (although it is getting alot better)

I have days of really bad nausea and and then days when i feel fine. If I gage it by my last pregnancy I will start getting really sick the second week of january...

[Jilian]

Originally Posted by thorn

I wouldn't worry at all. your uterus is still under your pubic bone at this point - babe is well protected

Yeah and your uterus is about the size of an orange while your baby is the size of a coffee bean so there is a lot of protection. But that sure can be scary!

mamabeakley, I doula'd through my last preg and had one client at about 12 weeks and another at 31 weeks. I was worried about being too tired for the first client but I made it through and it was a long labor. The nausea seemed to go away for the labor because I was so excited for her (VBAC mama). The 31 week client kicked my butt! It was a pitt induction that lasted 27 hours. I'd never take another client in the 3rd trimester again. I sure learned my lesson!

[stardust swallower]

I am definitely buckled up on the emotional pregnancy roller coaster here.

On Tuesday we went for an u/s and saw a beautiful tiny bean with all the right parts and a miraculous beating heart. I also found out that I'm a little further along than I calculated (phew!) so that makes 8 and 4. :

On Friday I was feeling crampy and found a teeny glob of clear mucous on my panties. I was sure it was the first sign of the end.

Today I'm back to feeling cautiously good and confident. I put the sonogram pictures up on my fridge to remind me to celebrate this life and welcome its coming into our lives.

Still, I go back and forth in wild vacillation and it's tiresome to have so much anxiety. :

I definitely am really crampy though. Nothing painful, just achy. I bought some herbal tinctures that are supposed to help. I'm wondering if my uterus is really stretching that much. everyday. or what.

Here's to a great happy growing week for all of us!! Oh how I long for the end of the first trimester.

[Glittergal]

I'm feeling terrible and blah at 8 wks. Looking forward to not feeling disgusting and having energy to be with my children. I've had 2 appts already --I'm in england this pregnancy and have the option of a free homebirth with the NHS but I would have to have any of 1/16 midwives in labor AND you are risked out at 41 wks OR use a private midwife and pay out of pocket 3000 GBP, which depending on the exchange rate could be $4500-6000. It's a really tough call - since I've never gone to 41 wks and with my previous homebirths, the midwife got to the house within 30 min of birthing, I'm leaning towards the free one but I'm kind of freaked out by the 41 wk thing, esp because I feel like as a midwife I always noticed 3rd babies can be unpredictable. Anyway, so I'm met with both kinds of midwives - kind of interesting over here they don't do a physical, labwork or anything. Just ask about your periods and previous births and talk about diet. nice and low key!

[mamaheids]

Hi gals,
I'm at 8 weeks and have my labwork and an u/s at the OB coming this Friday. I had some early labwork done around 5 weeks and my HCG was rising well, but low progesterone. (I am on supplements now.) Feeling officially horrible. (Which I have to keep reminding myself is a GOOD thing for the pregnancy.) Besides the nausea, extreme fatigue, bloating, and gas I'm also struggling with some anxiety having had 2 miscarriages before my successful pg with DD who is 2 years 8 months. So far so good though. No signs that things aren't healthy and good. I bought some sea bands at target today and have been wearing them for about an hour- not really working I don't think. Bummer. I thought it was worth a try. Does anyone know what I can possibly do about all of this (painful) gas? Is simethicone (gas-x) safe? I'd think I'd rather not take anythng but I'm a little desparate at this point and I feel like it is making the nausea I have lots worse. Anyone else having horrible gas?

[Jilian]

Stardust, clear mucous is completely normal during pregnancy. I get it every single day and did with both my other pregnancies too. It is actually one of the first signs of pregnancy, they call it "creamy cervical mucous" in the charting world. So don't worry about clear mucous at all! It is also somewhat common to have on and off cramps. Drink lots of water and rest and they may ease.

Glitter, I know it is not the most ideal thing to do but is it possible you can go with a free MW and add a few days to your LMP to make your due date later than it acutally is Then it will give you a bit of a buffer so you don't get risked out if you go late. The only downside is that if you go early you may be risked out too when you are actually term.

[thorn]

Originally Posted by Jilian

Stardust, clear mucous is completely normal during pregnancy. I get it every single day and did with both my other pregnancies too. It is actually one of the first signs of pregnancy, they call it "creamy cervical mucous" in the charting world.

yup. saucy panties!!