~ * Chat Thread * ~ June 22-28! - Page 4

[Ianthe]

Originally Posted by penstamon

Thanks everyone for the baby shower sympathies . I think our culture puts such an emphasis on traditions that are bastardized into contrived capitalist spending-sprees that I really was hoping to just have a happy get together to celebrate baby. Maybe I will throw one myself in a few months, if that's not considered selfish.

I think I am in the minority about feeling "done". I am still scared of being a ftm and am happy that I still have ~ 4 weeks. We have no family for 1000's of miles and most of our friends heartily dislike children (they are scared or indifferent really). I am making every effort to meet new mamas, but it is hard when I have been working my butt off and collapsing in the evenings. Hopefully once I am a sahm I will be able to connect more with others.

I've made some good friends at LLL meetings, maybe you can start going soon?

Originally Posted by alicewyf

I made an appointment to meet a pediatrician next week. She was recommended to me by both my Bradley teacher and my midwives, so I hope that means she is good! She is supposed to be supportive of breastfeeding and delayed/ selective vaxes, which is about all I care about, but I don't know if there are any other questions I should ask. Any ideas from experienced mamas?

If you have a boy, and do not circ, it's good to have a ped who knows not to retract foreskin, etc.

[mags]

Originally Posted by penstamon

Has anyone else been wearing the food that they eat? I can't for the life of me get food into my mouth without some of it decorating my clothes or the floor or both. Half the time I can't see it in the mirror because of the belly The worst part is my maternity wardrobe is getting smaller by the day...

Yes, that would be me. I started doing that when I was still early in the pregnancy. Somehow got egg yolk all over my crotch w/o getting ANY on my belly. It was very strange and of course I went about taking the kids to the Y for swim and gym and nobody said anything and I came home and DH asked, "What's that yellow stuff all over your crotch???" UGH! He thought it was hiliarious.

Oh and yes I am wearing everything I eat now too. In fact, today I work a white top and b/c I KNEW I would be messy, I ate all my meals eating my cooking apron, b/c I did not want to change into multiple outfits today!

[tracymom1]

Originally Posted by mags

Yes, that would be me. I started doing that when I was still early in the pregnancy. Somehow got egg yolk all over my crotch w/o getting ANY on my belly. It was very strange and of course I went about taking the kids to the Y for swim and gym and nobody said anything and I came home and DH asked, "What's that yellow stuff all over your crotch???" UGH! He thought it was hiliarious.

Oh and yes I am wearing everything I eat now too. In fact, today I work a white top and b/c I KNEW I would be messy, I ate all my meals eating my cooking apron, b/c I did not want to change into multiple outfits today!

I have always had an issue with wearing my food, but now it is just out of control. I also seem to drop a lot of toothpaste onto my belly. And it is pretty much always wet from washing the dishes or my hands or what not.

[Quindin]

Originally Posted by tracymom1

I have always had an issue with wearing my food, but now it is just out of control. I also seem to drop a lot of toothpaste onto my belly. And it is pretty much always wet from washing the dishes or my hands or what not.

.

That's me exactly!

[springbride]

Well I have finally started to have recognizable contractions! Nothing to get really excited about seeing as how I just had one and he last one was 4 hours ago... but it's still nice to know that my body knows what to do! I did a self cervix check about a week ago and then again last night, and it has softened immensely and started to dilate!
Now I'm not expecting this baby to come anytime soon, but it's sure comforting being a newbie that my body really does know what it's doing.

[Angelorum]

penstamon I don't feel done yet either. I don't know if I have that much anxiety over being a first time mom, but the house is definitely not ready! I just ordered the diapers and carseat 2 days ago, and I still have to put together the baby bed and rearrange the furniture and finish a zillion little other odd projects. So yeah, I'm glad I'm due at the end of July, and I'll happily be pregnant for 4 more weeks.

In other news, we are having yet more landlord drama. Dh's brothers rented the basement half of our house until last april, and MIL thinks they should have gotten more of their security deposit back. As dh's brothers were young to have moved out (16 and 18) MIL was supervising their bank accounts and thus is a little more involved. So she sent a letter to the landlord on their behalf (they are working on fishing boats for the summer), disputing the deposit and threatening to get him in trouble for several things they discovered were not up to code in the basement if he didn't refund them more of their money. This infuriated the landlord and the message he sent back basically stated that she had better back off or there would be "repercussions" for me and dh.

Now, neither I nor dh wrote the letter, signed the letter, read the letter, or had anything to do with this whole dispute in the first place. If he wants to jerk us around by unfairly raising our rent or some such nonsense, we can just move out, our lease is month to month, and frankly, I'll be glad when we no longer have to deal with such a childish man. But, being in full nesting mode, I really don't want to move within the next couple of months unless we have to. The landlord is also now saying that MIL won't be able to stay with us next month for the birth. As she is our midwife, and lives several hundred miles away normally, this is a problem. Our utilities are all rolled into our rent, and so I can understand that having a guest could raise the water and electricity bill slightly. And I have no problem if he wants to charge us the difference from this month to next or something, but he didn't say one word to us about it being a problem until he got into an argument with her. MIL will still come down here regardless to attend the birth, but it really would be a nuisance if she had to impose on other friends and family because of a petty disagreement that has nothing to do with us.

[Avani]

I went to my accupuncturist today and she stimulated my cervix meridians. She also did reflexology massage for me. I fell asleep so hard during my treatment. I woke up drooling. I needed a good hard sleep! Now i am super crampy in my abdomen and back. Maybe a baby this weekend! I feel nervous going into labor, by now, with my sixth you would think i wouldn't be but this is my first solo child so i feel kind of weird not having a partner. I can do this and i am focusing on positive affirmations. I have support with midwives and friends but when everyone goes home after the birth it is just me and six kids. I think i am a bit sensitive and overwhelmed. Maybe this weekend will bring lots of babies our way.

[tracymom1]

Originally Posted by Angelorum

In other news, we are having yet more landlord drama. Dh's brothers rented the basement half of our house until last april, and MIL thinks they should have gotten more of their security deposit back. As dh's brothers were young to have moved out (16 and 18) MIL was supervising their bank accounts and thus is a little more involved. So she sent a letter to the landlord on their behalf (they are working on fishing boats for the summer), disputing the deposit and threatening to get him in trouble for several things they discovered were not up to code in the basement if he didn't refund them more of their money. This infuriated the landlord and the message he sent back basically stated that she had better back off or there would be "repercussions" for me and dh.

Now, neither I nor dh wrote the letter, signed the letter, read the letter, or had anything to do with this whole dispute in the first place. If he wants to jerk us around by unfairly raising our rent or some such nonsense, we can just move out, our lease is month to month, and frankly, I'll be glad when we no longer have to deal with such a childish man. But, being in full nesting mode, I really don't want to move within the next couple of months unless we have to. The landlord is also now saying that MIL won't be able to stay with us next month for the birth. As she is our midwife, and lives several hundred miles away normally, this is a problem. Our utilities are all rolled into our rent, and so I can understand that having a guest could raise the water and electricity bill slightly. And I have no problem if he wants to charge us the difference from this month to next or something, but he didn't say one word to us about it being a problem until he got into an argument with her. MIL will still come down here regardless to attend the birth, but it really would be a nuisance if she had to impose on other friends and family because of a petty disagreement that has nothing to do with us.

So, landlord laws vary from state to state, but a few things are common almost everywhere. Dh and I are landlords and very well versed in landlord-tenant rights here in Illinois, and I can tell you that any communication you have with them NEEDS to be in the form of certified letter. Keep any and all written communication and voice mail messages saved in case of future problems.

In most places, raising the cost of utilities mid-lease is a violation of rights unless there is a specific clause in your lease that allows this. I would get it out and read it very carefully. If you do not have a signed lease, you can find a copy of a standard month-to-month lease for your state through their housing website - sometimes the local library will have them too. Just keep in mind that 30 days notice is necessary for moving out and I bet this jerk will charge you for every day of that 30 days regardless of if you were living there or not.

Borders and Barnes and Noble both carry books outlining landlord/tenant rights that are state-specific so if needed, go check them out to see what he can and cannot do to you. And good luck dealing with him! :

Avani, I'll keep my fingers crossed for a baby soon! :

[learnlovebe]

Originally Posted by penstamon

I think I am in the minority about feeling "done". I am still scared of being a ftm and am happy that I still have ~ 4 weeks. We have no family for 1000's of miles and most of our friends heartily dislike children (they are scared or indifferent really). I am making every effort to meet new mamas, but it is hard when I have been working my butt off and collapsing in the evenings. Hopefully once I am a sahm I will be able to connect more with others.

Has anyone else been wearing the food that they eat? I can't for the life of me get food into my mouth without some of it decorating my clothes or the floor or both. Half the time I can't see it in the mirror because of the belly The worst part is my maternity wardrobe is getting smaller by the day...

I had good luck w/ my local MOMS club (I just googled mom stuff when I was first home w/ ds and found them). Not all moms are my "cup of tea" but I've made some really good friends there. MN also has a fantastic Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) program that starts offering classes (ie mom and baby playtime) for 3 month olds. There is where I've met some amazing moms- who have become real good friends over the last 2 years. One of our local parks has a nature center that offers a nature hour for preschoolers once a week (kind of like storytime at the library, but w/ a nature hike)- there are kids ranging in ages from 0-6 there, and some great, great, down-to-earth crunchy like moms. Now I'm not sure what's offered in your area, but hopefully at least it gives you an idea of where to look to meet other moms. Finding a good support system was very helpful to me in my transition to being a SAHM.

And YES! I spill on EVERYTHING! All of my white camis (that I end up wearing under all the low-cut maternity tops) have stains on them. Some between the cleavage, some on the belly, but ALL of them have stains- and I have 4 of them. Agh!

[GoodNamesGone]

I got a weird one!

I keep hearing an audible pop. I was told sometimes you hear your water break, but no wetness, so I'm sure that's not it.

It sounds more like when you pop a joint- but I don't feel anything popping. My back hurts bad enough I feel EVERY pop of it, and my ribs barely hurt at all, so I don't think it's them... could baby be practicing pop-lock dance moves???

And, as with the general discussion as of late- I too am wearing my food. and drinks... and if I work on anything bits of that (sewing and ended up with all kinds of fuzzies and thread on the belly). I don't know what's up with that.

I also have trouble finding words to describe things. Simple things! *shakes head*

39 weeks and 0 days according to the EDD. I just keep trying to stay patient.

[LilMomma83]

I'm wearing food too...lol

I'm 38wks, 5 days today, I had an appointment yesterday and I lost 2lbs, everything else was normal, fundal height was about a week ahead even though baby has dropped---no surprise though, I'm expecting at least a 10 pounder if this LO comes after his EDD.

Our date to move to the downstairs half of our duplex is July 5th and my EDD is July 6th lol. I figure unless I'm actually in labor it will be good though---I'll just make everyone else work, we won't have to pack or unpack because it has the same layout and everything our "movers" (AKA our huge families) can just carry stuff down and put it away--we'll have about 3 days.

I've been having contractions (not timing because I'm horrible with that and I don't even want to let myself think I could be in labor only to be disappointed as I have several times already) sense I was at my moms night in last night (yes, I got to talk to my mommy friends with no kids around! I was just sad I couldn't drink LOL)...so I doubt these mean anything, but, they are quite a bit stronger than some of the other ones...so maybe I'm at least getting closer. If I don't have baby by the end of June my next hope is July 4th, after the fireworks lol

[serenekitten]

Sometimes I wear my food... without realizing it.

Whenever my back or hips or something pops, I feel the baby jump. I kind of feel bad about it. I know boyfriend tends to cringe when my neck cracks, so...

[Angelorum]

I got a cute comment I thought i'd share. I ran into a mom and daughter I know at the market. The daughter is maybe 5ish? She didnt' really recognize me at first I think, and then when she remembered who I was she said, "I think I liked you better skinnier" I just said, "yeah, sometimes I miss it too" Her mom looked kind of embarrassed, but I just thought it was funny.

[Avani]

I'm in pain today! I woke up in the middle of the night and for some reason i had fallen asleep on my back. My ribs on the left side hurt so bad and so does my lower back. I had contractions sporadically throughout the night and i just worked on sleeping through them. I haven't slept on my back in so long and ow!

So today my midwife is having a party up at her house for her lil one. She has the most amazing property filled with beautiful gardens and surrounded by the redwoods. I'm excited to go up there and let the kids run around and just play in her gardens. I'm getting ready to head to the Farmer's Market to get some goods to make something for the party. Should be lots of good stuff there right now.

For those who were saying they think they should know what labor feels like by now, prodromal labor can last for weeks for me and it feels like real contractions. I've gotten to the point where i do my best to ignore it and just look forward to that much less labor i have to go through thanks to the prodromal labor. But, because of prodromal labor i ended up delivering my last babe alone. My then husband was out of town and i kept waiting for something other then sporadic contractions. Some contractions were at 20 minutes then 3 minutes. No loss of plug, no bloody show, no water breaking and then all the suddenly the baby fully dropped and i hit transition. No time for anyone to come! He was born on the stairs. For me now my midwife has told me to just call her whenever i start feeling weird or laborey. But i have been having contractions at night in bed and then really crampy all day. I'm still waiting for some other sign. Hopefully i'll get some sort of a heads up from this babe!

[Avani]

Oh, i gotta say i miss being skinny! The double chin doesn't do much for me and the swollen legs are kind of uncomfortable.

[LilMomma83]

I miss being skinny too, I had to get my regular clothes out because I needed to lend some to my sister who spent he night here yesterday...I can't believe I squeezed into that stuff last year--let alone looked good in it!!! *sigh* so I packed my hospital bag with maternity clothes to wear home (granted smaller maternity clothes) and I guess I'll have some shopping to do for this summer. At least I'll be able to shave after the baby is born!

I think I might finally be in labor for real...though I'm not betting on it yet, II started timing right after my last post around 7am and ctx 10mins apart since, and closer to 7-8mins now...I've called DH to be on "standby" this is his last day of work this week and he gets off at 11pm, so even if I am in labor I think he won't have to take any or much leave because then he has Sunday-Tuesday off! I just ate a good sized plate of pasta, and have been taking it as easy as possible, I was sort of able to sleep for an hour or so, we show the apartment at 5pm and then I may walk DS to get pizza for dinner and walk back..maybe the long way LOL. Oh and I totally cannot feel my cervix, but, I did do some vaginal EPO (I've mainly been doing oral) and everything just felt really different (very soft..more so than even a couple days ago) I'm not sure if that means anything or not. OMG I soooooooo hope this is it and I don't get fooled again, but, this is almost the exact pattern I had with DS1's labor so I am getting my hopes up way too much LOL

[an_aurora]

Yay I hope this is it for you!

The EPO made a huge difference in my cervix! Before I took it my cervix was about 1 cm dilated and posterior. I took the EPO and checked the next day and I was 3 cm, and very very very soft! I haven't really checked since then but I'm very glad to see it was making progress! Baby is still pretty high, although this morning I was having contractions that were hurting so bad in my hips! I could just feel his head being shoved down.

I keep coming up with excuses as to why baby can't come yet For awhile it was that the tub wasn't here, then I didn't have enough diaper covers, now it's that I need to finish knitting up this super cute NB longies-and-hat set I'm working on .

[bajamergrrl]

I just started with EPO (vaginally) last night. Those capsules are harder to insert than I thought they would be! I'm just going to have to experiment a little. Glad to see it works though.

Good luck LilMomma83!

[Avani]

I try to get the EPO into my cervical opening, i am already dilated. Sometimes though it is really posterior and i can't quite reach it. It hasn't seemingly dilated me any further and soem days i am more posterior then others.

[LilMomma83]

an_aurora- you reminded me that I need to sort through DS1's stash and get rid of the ones not worth saving and set aside the one sizers that I will probably be using again soon...maybe I'll do that now, I'm so bored trying to "rest" I need to hit the grocery store-but, that is the LAST thing I feel like doing!

Yeah--I have short stubby fingers and even my CNM noted that my cervix is pretty far back...I've never felt it pregnant or not. I just break the capsules open and squeeze the oil in to my vagina and hope it gets to where it needs to be lol.