It's June! Weekly Thread 6/1-7 - Page 2

[Michigan Mama]

Saw my midwife today - I'm 29w3d, and everything looks great (besides my UTI, and I'm on antibiotics for that). It's starting to feel sort of crowded in this body of mine, but I feel pretty good. Just the normal aches and pains of pregnancy. I got some EMAB bottom balm that I was planning to use for after the birth, but it's actually doing wonders for my hemorrhoids now. Yay!

I sewed a shirt yesterday and just modified it to make it maternity. Turned out cute, which is a nice surprise! I like to sew and my projects turn out well, but I don't have good luck sewing clothes for myself, usually. I think if I modify it a little more, I can make it a nice nursing shirt. That's actually cute. I'll try to get a pic if I can.

Oh yeah - when I was at the m/w today, I asked about how to prevent posterior positioning (ds was posterior for ...27 hrs of labor before he finally turned around and came out!). Anyway she said she was just at a course where a well-known PT (I'm a physical therapist, too, btw) gave a great presentation on the subject and my m/w is going to get me a copy of the whole presentation! If I get some good tips, I'll pass them along.

It's already 5:30, dinner's not ready and ds is still sleeping. Nice for me, but I better go wake him up so he sleeps later!

Have a great week, ladies! Getting closer!

[GenomicsGirl]

Christina, sounds like things are really going well for you now! I wish I could sew and was crafty like that.

[wombatclay]

Yes please, pass along any positioning ideas! DD1 was posterior and asynclitic and eventually a c/s after about 32 hours of no progress so it was something I was really interested in with dd2. Spinning Babies and Optimal Fetal Positioning are both great resources for helping prevent posterior positioning or get the babe to move into a better position during labor. And "The Labor Progress Handbook" by Simkin has some wondeful chapters (including illustrations) for moving a babe at different points in the birth.

[wombatclay]

Well, on the 3rd I had a lot of really strong BH... not regular, or progressing, or anything like that, but I'd have a full belly squeeze when I walked up or down the stairs, or picked up dd2, or bent over to pick something up, or walked too quickly, etc.

I kept an eye on things, pushed fluids, rested as much as possible, had a beer with dinner and tried not to worry since I had a regular appointment scheduled for the morning of the 4th anyway. When I got there I told the nurse and she was a it concerned... eventually I learned I was experiencing pre-term labor and we eventually traced it to a bladder infection and UTI. No signs other than the cramping/BH though.

I'm on antibiotics now (my infection levels combined with the ptl made us skip he whole "cranberry juice and fluids" step ) with orders to push more fluids, stay off my feet, and get my bum to the L&D unit if BH become stronger or approach anything like a regular pattern (even if that pattern is fewer than 6 an hour).

I never had PTL with babes 1 and 2, and I've had maybe 2-3 UTI in my life so this is all new to me!

Hope everyone else is doing better!

[stardust swallower]

Youch wombat, glad everything got figured out. Is this a hint to take it a little easier? I feel like I keep getting hints to pull back a tad -- even on simple things like standing for too long... I hope everything clears up for you with the abx and a little more rest.

I'm finally starting to get a little nesty these days. I have hand me downs and DS gear piling up in our spare room/ office. I'm dying to find an affordable dresser for all the crap and I'm staring to wonder where we're going to put this baby and all its stuff. Up to now I've been dead set against any kind of nursery set up, so that has left me with no plan except to cramp baby's stuff into our own room. Who knows what we'll end up doing...

My dp and ds are on vacation now, which should leave me with lots of time to get some very last minute done on the dissertation I've been neglecting. Of course all I really want to do is spend time in the yard and garden, but I will resist, I hope. We leave for a trip xcountry in late June, which has me motivated to get things done before we go. When we come back I'll already be at 35 weeks. Eek. I was nervous and traveling so late, but my mw was amazing and said she's set me up with her people out there so I'd have midwife contacts and not feel pressed to rush to a foreign ER if something should come up. I heart her very much.

[wombatclay]

Thanks! Dh is camping this weekend but I've been doing everything I can to keep the girls distracted and in one place... we even got some gluten free treats and a new Sesame Street DVD.

For nursery storage/baby stuff in general- I've had a lot of luck with these hanging "baskets" from IKEA. We have such a small house, there isn't really floor space for much traditional furniture, but the hanging things just need a hook in the ceiling (or one of those "flower pot" hangers attached to a wall) and they hold a lot. They come in a bunch of different colors and sizes (one of the theme versions, small version) too, and they're pretty cheap.

And then as each kiddo gets bigger the openings let them start putting away/getting their own clothing (or diapers, or toys, or art supplies... I loop a piece of ribbon through each basket opening with a picture of what goes in that section to help them keep things sorted). Actually, I use these for my own craft supplies (felted sweaters in one, yarn in another, etc).

We don't have a local IKEA (the closest is about 4.5 hours from here) but once or twice a year we make a weekend outing of it. We're totaly IKEA junkies.

Oh, and it's totally random, but we've had one of these for about 6 years now (it's a bit wobbly but in good shape)... during that time it's been everything but a shoe rack! It's been a coffee table, a table for the girls to craft at or eat at, extra seating at our big table, a piano bench, storage for kiddie clothing/books/craft supplies, etc. It's pretty versitle and has a lot of storage for the space it takes.

travel- with both girls I traveled pretty late... I made a little "medical record" folder with copies of my birth plan as well as insurance/medical stuff and I researched the birth options on my travel route. I included directions from each hotel to the nearest hospital that "looked ok" (asked in the Finding Your Tribe forum here for suggestions). I'm a worry wort and like to have things prepared, and having the folder with me was a big help. Sadly, this year our summer vacation was supposed to be in mid-August (the 16th) and since I'm due on the 13th...well. Even I wont travel that late! And now with the PTL I dunno. I'm feeling a bit nervous just about the general travel we have planned for June/July.

[Jilian]

Clay, I'm sorry to hear about the PTL. Has it stopped since you started the antibiotics?

[GenomicsGirl]

Wow, PTL is pretty scary. I never had prolonged PTL - I just went into labour early with #3. I still don't feel qualified to ever comment on what PTL feels like or what to do when BH feel consistent.