A pregnancy virgin...(aka: BFP newbie here)

[blueyezz4]

Okay, so i just got my official phone call from the RE's office that my blood HCG is positive and I am prego!!!!:::: Can't even believe it!!! Now I am waiting for my DH to get up so i can surprise him with his early valentine's day gift. The suspense has been killing me I could hardly sleep last night thinking about it, but i really wanted to hear it from the nurse before I surprised him. So my HCG at 11DPO/PIUI was 76 and my proges. was 66.2 so hopefully that is good. I'm really not sure. This is all so new to me!!! Okay, so i have a few questions for you ladies, this being my first BFP ever after 3 yrs of trying ( after 3 rounds of clomid with 2 failed IUI's and now with this one we did injectables/trigger shot and IUI).

Here are my questions....

* I'd like to get a good book on pregnancy and i have heard mixed reviews on "what to expect when you are expecting"... so what do you think? Do you have a good one that you would highly recommend????? Please share!!

*How do i get a ticker on the bottom of my thread? I love it when i see them and was interested in adding one.

*Do any of you take EPA or fish oil? I have heard that it is good for the developing baby's brain, but my RE's office said to just stick with my prenatal vit.


Okay, i think that is it for now. Thanks for reading and i look forward to seeing some answers.

[the2amigos]

Congrats!! I'm not sure about a pg book...I didn't like "What to Expect", but couldn't recommend a replacement. I do like Dr. Sears "The Baby Book" as a baby book reference.

Can't help you on the ticker, I'm not message board savy!

I just take a prenatal, along with a bunch of other stuff to help with my clotting disorder, so I haven't wanted to toss any EPA into the mix.

Geez, I'm not much help!! But congrats again!!! :

[Tear78]

Congrats!! I'm a newbie to this, too. I am taking fish oil, because I heard the same thing. Does your prenatal already have it, though? I started a "help the newbies" thread in the September DDC a couple weeks ago and people posted some helpful info if you're interested. Welcome!!! :

[care for you]

what to expect when you're expecting is like 11 bucks at walmart, and i would recommend it. the layout is slightly confusing, but it's been around for a long time & updated multiple times as well. it is also kind of humorous about things & stays light-hearted & reassuring. it's a fine starter book, in my opinion.

as for the ticker, i thought woman just put forty asterix symbols & then counted to the week they're in & put a smiley face or something like that?

congrats by the way!!!!!!!:

[firewoman]

I posted this in the thread "what are you reading?". Here it is again. The reason I don't like What to Expect is that it talks a lot about complications and pregnant woman tend to be worried enough. There are other books out there that have very excellent content without the scary stuff. I'm a doula and this what I recommend and lend out to my clients:

Okay here goes my list!

Pregnancy Childbirth and the Newborn By Penny Simkin and others
I like this book instead of What to Expect When You Are Expecting and Pregnancy Week by Week.

The Pregnancy Book, The Birth Book and The Baby Book-all by Dr. Williams Sears and Martha Sears, RN. They have lots of other books that are great.

The Thinking Woman's Guide to A Better Birth: by Henci Goer
Fabulous! A must read.

Born In the USA by Marsden Wagner

Pushed by Jennifer Block

Anything by Shelia Kitzinger and Ina May Gaskin

That should get you started. I bet you could find some at the library.

If you can get your hands on a copy of the DVD Orgasmic Birth, watch it!!! I don't love the title because I think it is a bit misleading considering very few of the laboring mothers experience an orgasm in the movie, but the message of the movie is RIGHT ON. Lots of positive births. I think a better title would have Euphoric Birth. But what's in a name, right?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Carlyle]

Originally Posted by firewoman

I posted this in the thread "what are you reading?". Here it is again. The reason I don't like What to Expect is that it talks a lot about complications and pregnant woman tend to be worried enough. There are other books out there that have very excellent content without the scary stuff. I'm a doula and this what I recommend and lend out to my clients:

Okay here goes my list!

Pregnancy Childbirth and the Newborn By Penny Simkin and others
I like this book instead of What to Expect When You Are Expecting and Pregnancy Week by Week.

The Pregnancy Book, The Birth Book and The Baby Book-all by Dr. Williams Sears and Martha Sears, RN. They have lots of other books that are great.

The Thinking Woman's Guide to A Better Birth: by Henci Goer
Fabulous! A must read.

Born In the USA by Marsden Wagner

Pushed by Jennifer Block

Anything by Shelia Kitzinger and Ina May Gaskin

I totally agree with these book suggestions--and would lobby against "What to Expect" for the exact reasons mentioned.

[Norasmomma]

This is my second babe-the first is so exciting the anticipation is so overwhelming. I agree with Dr. Sears recs I really like his perspective on parenting. Toss out WTEWYE-it will scare(and possibly annoy) you(it did for me). Heidi Murkoff just likes to basically put fear in a pregnant woman and her views are atrocious IMO. She does promote many things I just don't agree with CIO, non co-sleeping, early weaning(like 9 months)-yuck.

I am a HUGE believer in taking a fish oil supplement when pregnant-I fully and wholeheartedly believe it helped my DD developmentally-she was the most alert newborn that my L&D nurse had ever seen. She also was never very "newborny" she looked people in the eyes and did many things that were early. My family(ILs and my family) all commented on her appearance and just her general health. Also if you read studies that are from Norway there is much evidence that diets high in Omega 3's help with PPD in mothers. I was a very happy new mother-I never got the "baby blues". The studies show that in the last few months the baby's brain development robs the mother of all DHA and the affects the mother's brain-thus resulting in PPD because the mother's brain is starving for it's "feel good" DHA. I fully believe this because if I stop taking fish oil I lose my sex drive, turn sad, crazy and am horrid to be around. I take them all the time.

I take a prenatal and Nordic Naturals fish oil-lemon flavored so no fish burps.

[blueyezz4]

Norasmomma- Thanks so much for the info. I was also taking Nordic Naturals which was initially recommended to me by my acupuncturist, but it was the Nordic Natural EPA with Lemon (Which is 1000 mg Fish oil), but I have kinda stopped taking it over the last month since I started doing the injectables. I really do believe that they are good, but it kinda scares to start up again since the nurse told me not to, but i'm sure i'm just being paranoid (it's starting already..even at 3 weeks). I guess i'm just freaked out to do anything wrong b/c it has taken us this long to get here. So do think I should just start taking it again or wait until after we hear a heartbeat??? Would that be too late to get the benefits? Thanks also for the book suggestions!

Carlyle, firewoman, care for you - Thanks for the info and suggestions on the reading material!!!

Tear78 - no, my vitamins don't have Fish oil in them. I'm taking Rainbow Light prenatal vit. and I was taking it for awhile by itself, but when we started to do injectables I stopped taking the EPA. Thanks for the suggestion on your sept thread. I did check it out and it is full of good info. Thanks!! How far along are you by the way? Have you taken fish oil this whole time you've been prego or just started once you got your BFP?

[Norasmomma]

Oh you're welcome. Well if you are taking injectible fish oil I don't see the point in taking them via pill form-if that's what you were saying. I'm not sure if I read that correctly or not(I already have bad preggy brain). I took fish oil from the time I was about 7 weeks last time, this time I've been taking them since last summer when I went a bit crazy. I realized that I had been so happy when pregnant(and I can be a real grouch), so I decided to try and mimic the things I could-take prenatals, and my beloved fish oil. I was better within a week or so-truly amazing. I believe that the fish oil is the most crucial for the baby in the 3 tri, but for mama I think it's always good, at least it is for me.

[Tear78]

blueyezz4 - I'm almost 7 weeks now. I have been taking fish oil since about a month before I got preggers, when I went to make sure I was taking the right vitamins and saw fish oil enclosed with a prenatal bottle. If you do take the gel caps, make sure you eat a little bit before. i seriously almost threw up 3 days in a row before I figured that out - fishy burps.

[blueyezz4]

Originally Posted by Norasmomma

Oh you're welcome. Well if you are taking injectible fish oil I don't see the point in taking them via pill form-if that's what you were saying. I'm not sure if I read that correctly or not(I already have bad preggy brain). I took fish oil from the time I was about 7 weeks last time, this time I've been taking them since last summer when I went a bit crazy. I realized that I had been so happy when pregnant(and I can be a real grouch), so I decided to try and mimic the things I could-take prenatals, and my beloved fish oil. I was better within a week or so-truly amazing. I believe that the fish oil is the most crucial for the baby in the 3 tri, but for mama I think it's always good, at least it is for me.

Haha.. sorry your post made me laugh!! I was not on injectible fish oil but i was doing injectibles (gonal F) to try and get prego. That is what i ment.... sorry. Good to hear that you started with you DD at 7 weeks. i might wait just a little longer and then start but we will see. "Preggy brain"... isn't it nice to have something to blame it on. I'm going like that excuse. Today on my way home i was suppose to stop and get bread for lunch and i totally drove past the store and pulled into the garage before I realized I didn't even stop to get the bread so i had to go back. I felt like i was on auto-pilot or something = preggy brain!! Thanks again.

[blueyezz4]

Originally Posted by Tear78

blueyezz4 - I'm almost 7 weeks now. I have been taking fish oil since about a month before I got preggers, when I went to make sure I was taking the right vitamins and saw fish oil enclosed with a prenatal bottle. If you do take the gel caps, make sure you eat a little bit before. i seriously almost threw up 3 days in a row before I figured that out - fishy burps.

I have the gel cap kind and they are flavored with lemon so you don't get that after taste! You might want to find that kind next time you get them my brand is nordic naturals and they are in the refrig. section in the natural food store. Thanks for the warning though. Have you heard that they are important for the baby's brain development too?

[Tear78]

yeah, I've heard that they're good for brain development, and I think there are lots of other benefits for your general health, too! I forget what now, though (preggy brain?)

[fyrebloom]

I'm also taking rainbow light and I take Contry Life Omega Mom too. Omegas are really important for the baby (in the third trimester mainly when the brain is really growing) and are really good for YOU, esp since it helps with mood stabilization. Omega mom also has ginger in it so it's a nice tummy settler too. I'd reccommend taking an omega supplement at least at then end.

I also don't reccommend what to expect. I hated it when I was pregnant with my first. The other reccomendations are great. I love Heart and Hands as well. OH and don't forget the womanly art of breastfeeding!