July Mamas - Jan 20-31 thread

[oceanbaby]

Someone had asked previously if we could break up the thread twice a month, so I thought I'd start it out, even if it's a bit late.

Not much new to report here - I still can't kick this cold. I'm on week 3 now, and although I am not deathy ill, all I want to do is lay in bed all day. Just going up and down the stairs wears me out.

I felt the baby move last week, but then haven't felt it since. It was very cool though, and unmistakeable.

Oh, the exciting news is that I'm meeting with a 2nd midwife this Friday, which I'm very much looking forward to. I had a dream last night that I had scheduled 2 midwives to come interview at the same time and it was a disaster!

[ebethmom]

Hope you're feeling better SOON, Oceanbaby!

Between my late nights with rehearsals, and ds not sleeping, I'm just exhausted. Ds was running a fever last night, and was up from 3:30 - 4:30. It could have been worse - usually it's two hours when he's sick. And now that he's in his "big boy bed," I can lie next to him on the floor and sleep a little too.

I felt the baby again last night. It had been a few days, and it was a relief to feel some motion.

[sweet tea]

HI I'm Stacey..due the end of July... with #2

It seems like after I hit that 12 week mark a few days ago...I feel
just fine again! I thought I'd be sick to my stomach forever!

I gained 10 pounds in late november, but lost 8 of it....so now I've gained 3 lbs so far....

currently interviewing midwives, we just decided to forgo the birthing center and have the baby at home!
I'm so excited..and a little uncertain..but I think we found a good midwife...
and my moms an ICU RN for 25 yrs now...

Got some energy back too....my current confusion is posted
under the thread titled."Baby Name Help"

oceanbaby + ebeth~I can't WAIT to feel some flutters! Such a precious time! When did they start?
ebeth~ poor baby..hope he gets over his fever soon..Chloe had one last month up to 102!
With that crazy flu...just a chore to keep them hydrated..

Great thread! I hope to chat with more July mamas!
hugs,
Stacey
mama Chloe Jade #2 due in July (planning a homebirth!)

[Snowy Owl]

Hi, sunfairy, glad you could join us. I'm planning a homebirth too. Check out the 'Homebirth' forum. I hear you about feeling like you'd be sick forever, and then one day...poof! Incredible.

oceanbaby, I wanted to mention that I think it would be a good idea to post a link to the new thread in the old thread if you start one, or just say you've started one so we know. I don't want anyone to miss out on the fun. By the way, sorry you are so sick....get well soon!

I have my first midwife appointment in a week. Quite a relief to have finally found one. I hope I like her.

Now that I am feeling better sometimes I don't even feel pregnant. So I look forward to hearing the heartbeat. Or feeling movement....which should be soon...

Hope everyone's doing well....

[happay]

sunfairy,
I'm in AZ too! It sounds like you are about a week behind me with your due date. Aren't you excited to be huge for these AZ summers? I just moved to Tucson from Tempe. It is a little adjustment getting to know where things are again.

So, is just about everyone here going to use a midwife?

[Artisan]

Hanging in there! I finally told a coworker last week I was pg, but haven't told my bosses or anyone else yet. That's a little nerve wracking... I'm a teacher and just started at this school this year, so it's a little uncomfortable.

Do the rest of you work outside the home?

What are your birth plans at this point? Are you planning a hospital birth? Birth center? Home birth? Will you have an OB, midwife, or family practitioner deliver the baby?

My first birth was with a midwife in the hospital. For this birth, I'm using the same midwifery practice, but am planning on using the birth center they run. I'm also seriously considering hynobirthing classes.

Can't wait to hear your plans!

[ebethmom]

Part of me is still wishing for a homebirth. Right now I'm planning on delivering in the closest hospital with a midwife. I have a whole list of questions for her at my next appointment (Friday). I'm hoping that she has the answers I'm looking for! I want some reassurance that I CAN have the kind of birth that I want in a hospital.

I really like my midwife, but I feel the "us vs. them" mentality in her office. She is the only midwife in a very large OB practice. The office is in the hospital. I really would prefer an environment where natural childbirth is the norm! But the amazing birth center across the river is out of network for our insurance.

I haven't decided my plan of action for maternity leave yet. With ds, I took 4 months off from teaching, but only two months off from my orchestra jobs. I think I might switch it around this time. I'm considering taking the whole season off from playing. I travel to play with both orchestras, and the time away is just hard. But I want to wait until they post next season's repertoire! There might be something on the list that I just can't resist.

I've told all of my students about this baby. But I haven't told the program director yet. I have very little contact with her. I haven't seen her since October, and talked with her once in December. Maybe I'll tell her in May or June!

Ds is feeling much better! His fever was 103.8 in the middle of the night, but he's bopping around now. His appetite is lagging, but not his energy level! He did throw up his Tylenol this morning. Every time he has a fever, he throws up. On me. Blech. Thank goodness my morning sickness has passed!

[sweet tea]

Oh thats so neat!
happay...my cousin is pregnant..due in march I think..she's in Tucson too!! If you need a midwife..I can ask her who she's using...
I am just soaking up everything in the homebirth forum right now..I'm so glad there's so much info available!

happy and healthy 9 months to everyone!

[happay]

At this time I don't have plans to use a midwife. My insurance covers all of my medical expenses if I use the doctor that they have assigned me. She's really nice, so it is all ok with me. I will be going to the Nortwest Tucson Birthing Center when the time comes. It seems like they have really nice facilities.

[Jennifer H]

Hi all! I've been MIA due to a huge accreditation survey at work that I was in charge of. Many, many 14 hour days in the past couple of weeks. Luckily I was able to sleep the weekend away! And we did really well too!

Everyone at work now knows and we told our nearly five year old last week too (he's very excited, but also very much wants a girl... have some work to do to help him understand that it really isn't up to us!).

My morning sickness is mostly gone (a day now and again). But now my stomach seems to have shrunk. More than a few bites of food and I feel stuffed! I eat a normal lunch, feel yucky all afternoon and then am still too full for dinner.

I will be delivering at the same hospital where I had my other two. They are extremely supportive of a non-medicated, low intervention birth experience. The downside (maybe an upside) is that their hospital midwives are not the same people you see for your prenatal care. BUT, I had excellent midwives who really took time to read my birth plan and never pushed medication or even an IV on me when I didn't want it! I was able to move around, shower, deliver on my side, eat and drink... totally up to me! I love that I can have this low-tech birth AND a level III NICU across the hall should I need it! For me it's the best of both worlds.

[joni]

It's nice to have the boards back! Although I'm not a frequent poster, I do read the boards daily, and I missed them when they were down!

I think that the last time I posted I said I was feeling better...I just knew I'd jinx myself! I'm back in near-full force yuck mode again; what's up with that?!

I honestly don't know at this point where I'll be birthing this baby. I've had 3 babies at home, 1 with a doctor, 2 *beautiful* births with midwives; I've also had 5 babies in the hospital, for varying reasons. My youngest baby was a c-section after he went into serious distress following an external version, so I'm looking at VBAC this time around.

Part of me wants to get back into the "normalcy" of birth, and just have my midwives attend the birth at home. Another part of me, though, has slipped into the "medical" mode with the last 3 of my births (all 3 took place in the hospital, all 3 had something out-of-the-ordinary going on). So, to feel completely comfortable at home, I need to do some mind- and soul-searching.

If I go to the hospital, I'll either have my family practitioner, her OB partner (haven't met her yet, but have heard very good things), or one of two former homebirth midwives attend the birth. This seems like a really good group of ladies, and I think I have a very good chance of getting everything I want at the hospital (except we'll have to negotiate on that EFM), but....*it's not home!* KWIM?

Joni, due 7-17-ish

[Snowbaby]

ebethmom - what kinds of questions are you asking your midwife? I'll be meeting with one on the 27th and honestly have no clue what to ask.

I feel that my stomach has shrunk too - I can fit less food in but am hungry quite frequently. I had escaped m/s the whole first trimester and then at 13 weeks, bam - puke! The weird thing was I felt nauseous for three days, puked horribly on the fourth day and then woke up feeling brand new the next day and have been feeling less tired and more "normal" than I had during the first trimester for the past few days (knock on wood that it remains).

I've also finally gotten used to the idea that I'm pg and am feeling less fragile about it so I'm focusing on other things ..... maybe that sounds weird, but this being my first pregnancy ever - I just was sooooo focused on it that I couldn't focus on other projects. I'm finally getting back to getting other things done in a serious way ........ a bit of energy helps!

I will be delivering in a hospital with a midwife. Initially I had an OB and I truly HATED her so I dumped her and will be meeting with the m/w in a week for the first time. Hoping I love her.

[Liba]

Hello! My name is Liba and I am due with number three on July 24th. I am going to be delivering with a parinatologist at the hospital if I make it, otherwise at home UC. I have dangerous pregnancies, placental clotting, low amniotic fluid, folate defficiency. My first has mild CP so the parinatologist following my pregnancy is really what I need.

On the other hand my labors are awesome. The births of my daughters left me empowered and loving my body. My first was induced at 34.5 weeks (100% medically necessary) and it was a good labor despite the pit and only took 4.5 hours. My second I made it to 38 weeks and went into labor 5-6cm and 70-80% effaced and had an awesome 30 minute labor LOL INTENSE but leaving me ready to do it all over again.

I look forward to getting to know all of you!

Liba

[Artisan]

Welcome, Liba! Nice to have you join us!

[oceanbaby]

Welcome everyone!

We are torn on what we are going to do right now. We are interviewing midwives for a homebirth, but we had a perfectly great hospital experience with ds - no drugs, no interventions, everything just as I wanted it (well, aside from pushing for 3 hours!).

Anyway, I mainly want to do a homebirth this time because I do not want to be separated from ds. I have never spent the night away from him, and I feel like that would just be an extra stress and worry for me. Plus, I just love the idea of how much more involved he would feel if it happened at home.

So we're torn. Much of it will depend on if we find a midwife that both dh and I feel comfortable with.

[my2girlz]

Welcome to all the new ladies! Congratulations on your pregnancies! My due date has been changed to Aug. 1st instead of the first date of 7/19. My pants get tighter every day so around the house I've been wearing leggings or maternity jeans. It's so much more comfortable. Being that this is #3 I figure I should be popping out pretty soon. Speaking of #3 I've already been getting comments about "so soon" I mean for goodness sakes, my youngest will be almost 2.5 and my oldest almost 5!

Gotta go, Saige wants mum mums.

[mamaofthree]

Man, what a month so far! I had to make an emergancy trip to Oregon, my grandfather is dying and they thought it was "the time" , then I got stuck there! I snow/ice storm blew in and I could leave! he airport was closed. I come back and I find out we are totally broke! so I was freaking out!
Then suddenly I realized that, I hadn't spent anytime this month so far being intune with my baby, or my body. And that made me sad. I feel bad that I haven't really connected with this little one, and so this last week I have been trying to really get focused on this little one. If nothing else at least put out some good vibes for the little critter.
It also helped that DH and I had a talk and really made some good plans for our money. So hopeful it will all go well. I feel better about it anyway!

Heather

[oceanbaby]

Yay - I felt the baby again last night. I'm 15 weeks, and have only felt him/her twice, but it's still very exciting!

[ChildoftheMoon]

Goodmorning ladies! Thanks for starting a new thread oceanbaby! I felt the baby move last night, and not just the fluttery movements from before. It was a definate roll and little kick. I am in love I am just about 15 weeks along. I have some days were I don't feel pregnant, I am feeling so good. I am having another homebirth waterbirth. I am reading a great book right now, Birth Reborn by Michel Odent.Very positive and lovely. My daughters are so excited that I have a little belly now. They keep asking when my belly will be huge
Healthy vibes to those of you not feeling well!
Brandi

[happay]

congrats on feeling your babies move ChildoftheMoon and oceanbaby. I can't wait for that.

I have a question for your mamaofthree...what do you do to get in tune with your baby? At this point, the baby can't hear us talking can it? I think little thoughts towards my tummy, but I know that is just comforting to me. So, I really am curious because I know throughout the day I have all kinds of thoughts that are not productive or pleasant and would like to do something to counteract that.