No Stressin' in September - Page 3

[BarefootScientist]

Welcome Mommy*Wishes! You've been added.

I was starting to think I wasn't even going to be in the running this cycle, but we DTD last night and O is imminent! If I've O'd, or if I O today or tomorrow, the end of my 2WW will come when we are out of town for several days. So I'm thinking of not bringing my thermometer or any tests with and just letting what happens, happen.

[elonwy]

So DH is busy as heck for the next week and a half. He's got a telescope proposal due tonight, is turning in a paper for publication Tomorrow, has remote observing from the office tonight, tomorrow night and Saturday night, and has his Quals next Friday. Whoof! He wants to test after his Quals, so we're going to wait until a week from Saturday. Which could be moot anyway, if AF shows up. I have been cramping very mildly on both sides since O, which is weird. Today I am convinced I can't possibly be pregnant, that we can't have gotten that lucky. That'll only last about half the day, most likely.

BarefootScientist that is very zen of you. I was kind of relieved myself when he told me we should wait to test til after Quals, since now it's not up to me :P

[Waiting4SJ]

Weekend [or in my case monthly] Check-In
Name: Waiting4SJ
Date: 9/9/10
Where are you in your cycle: CD24
Symptoms if they apply: O seemed to be on time this month. We'll see.
Thoughts: Not as upset about not being able to TTC, too much else going on.
Do you have any stress triggers: Obviously DH being gone is pretty stressful.
What is working to help you be stress-free this cycle: Just taking one day at a time.
Partners feelings if applicable: He's doing so good. I don't get to hear from him often.

[Smokering]

Can I join too? I'm... not obsessing, but we do have a 3-month window of TTC or we'll have to put it off until next April. So this cycle I'm semi-laid-back; next cycle, if it doesn't happen, I'll probably be pretty stressed; and if we get to Cycle 3 I'm sure I'll be a wreck. Still... for the moment, I'm calm. Ish. I have started knitting baby clothes...

Weekend Check-In
Name: Smokering
Date: 10/09/2010
Where are you in your cycle: CD20
Symptoms if they apply: My chart's been a bit funny this month, but I don't think I've Oed yet. Based on previous charts, it'll probably happen in the next 2-6 days.
When are you thinking of testing: Ooh. I'd been planning to wait until I had 18 post-O high temps, a la TCOYF, but I probably won't be able to wait that long. Maybe 15DPO?
Thoughts: I'm keeping busy! Trying to get a lot of things done before I get pregnant and sick/useless/tired/grumpy... so my husband can at least look back on his once-competent wife! I defrosted the freezer, am stocking it up with frozen foods, have bought wool for baby clothes and fabric for an early-pregnancy top.
Any new regimes, ie herbs, medications, mantras etc: Folic acid, upping my dietary folate (greens every day!), tissue salts, 2 eggs a day when possible... and I'm trying to convince myself to eat liver.
Do you have any stress triggers: Uh, life? I'm a bit behind on my web writing, which always stresses me out.
What is working to help you be stress-free this cycle: Keeping busy with aforementioned preparations for pregnancy. This way, if I don't get pregnant this month, I can be all "Oh well, at least I have more time to get my nutrition really up to par, clean the house and spend time with DD".
Partners feelings if applicable: He's very busy with work, so he hasn't thought too much about it. We looked up baby names last night, though.

[wake_up]

Smokering, welcome! Knitting and sewing sound like useful ways of preparing/planning/not directly obsessing, wish I had the time or inclination/skills.

What's tissue salts? Curious.

[BarefootScientist]

Hi Smokering! Welcome!

Weekend Check-In

Name: BarefootScientist
Date: Sep 10
Where are you in your cycle: CD 18, I think 1 dpo. Possibly 2.
Symptoms if they apply: Just O'd, so...nothin'.
When are you thinking of testing: 15 or 16 dpo, depending on when we get back from our trip. That's Sep 23 or 24, two weeks from now! Good grief, can I wait that long? By that point it will already be obvious though...AF will be due Sep 20-22.
Thoughts: We managed to slip in a BD this cycle the day or two before O so I get to have a 2WW...
Appointments: Nope. But if I don't get pregnant this cycle I will probably find a family doctor and schedule a yearly checkup and blood draw for my iron levels.
Any new regimes, ie herbs, medications, mantras etc: Nope. Still trying to exercise...sigh.
Do you have any stress triggers: Nah, not atm.
What is working to help you be stress-free this cycle: I'm reading and thinking about lots of other things and not thinking about pregnancy and birth so much.
Partners feelings if applicable: I think he's completely lost track of my chart and is just waiting for the announcement.
Plans for the weekend: None yet.

[heathenmom]

Weekend Check-In

Name: heathenmom
Date: September 10th
Where are you in your cycle: CD 18; I skipped temping this cycle, but I don't usually O until cd20 or so.
Symptoms if they apply: Nada
When are you thinking of testing: My birthday! That'll be cd35.
Thoughts: I think I'm going to pick up some opk's today. That, and marathon bd'ing for the next 3-4 days.
Appointments: No, but I NEED to reschedule my yearly physical!
Any new regimes, ie herbs, medications, mantras etc: Not a blasted thing.
Do you have any stress triggers: Finances, but dh just got a new job (starts the end of the month) so that should start easing off a bit.
What is working to help you be stress-free this cycle: Daydreaming about farm stuff.
Partners feelings if applicable: He's just happy about all the sex.
Plans for the weekend: Antique Tractor & Car Show. Woohoo!

[Silverbird]

Weekend Check-In A little early but I don't work fri so it's my weekend
Name:Silverbird
Date:10/9/10
Where are you in your cycle:cyle day 13
Symptoms if they apply: None for pregancy really bad stomach ache all night and morning
When are you thinking of testing:not till next cycle
Thoughts:
I'm afraid I'm out this cycle. poor dh has signles and felt awful while I was fetile. Lucky I have really short cycles so should be ready again soon. Luckly we just found out that I can't catch signles as I've has chicken pox so at least I can sleep in the same bed with him again.
Yestuday I spent some time in the garden just looking at the coulds. I had a real moment of peace. This will happen for me. God wouldn't give me such a longing if I went ment to be a mother. She will either give me child or help me to feel OK about it if I can't.
I guess one of the things that makes me so stressed is feeling like it has to done through bd which is so difficult for us. dh is against ivf and his medical problems would rule out adoption. but i need to let go of that.
Appointments: None
Any new regimes, ie herbs, medications, mantras etc: Nothing new at the mo but I'm looking into building a relaistic plan.
Do you have any stress triggers: Work, dh's illness,
What is working to help you be stress-free this cycle: I've applied for a new job and contacted my union about my overwork so thats helped me to feel like I'm doing somehting about the situation
Partners feelings if applicable: poor dh is too busy feeling miserable to worry about ttc.
Plans for this weekend: No plans at. we're probly both feeling too dongy to do much.

[blackbird2]

Weekend Check-In

Name: blackbird2
Date: September 10th
Where are you in your cycle: CD 19
Symptoms if they apply: Nope
When are you thinking of testing: When AF is due, around the 21st.
Thoughts: Lots of BDing this cyle, so that's not a problem. I think I Oed some time this last week, according to CM and just general timing in my cycle. (I really wish I had learned about charting as a teenager just to learn more about my cycles. At this point, charting for TTC would stress me out, plus the reality of taking a temp at the same time every morning ... no, not right now). Really hoping we get lucky with cycle #1! Thank you to my charting cycle buddies for allowing me to live vicariously through your charts
Appointments: nope
Any new regimes, ie herbs, medications, mantras etc: trying to remember to take my prenatals
What is working to help you be stress-free this cycle: focusing on other things (although I lurk around this thread way too much ). trying to still fit in regular exercise around DH's work schedule. Oh! and I scheduled a massage for next week. yay!
Partners feelings if applicable: to quote heathenmom: He's just happy about all the sex.
Plans for the weekend: 'nother birthday party

[LivingSky]

Weekend Check-In

Name: LivingSky
Date: September 10th
Where are you in your cycle: CD23 / 7DPO
Symptoms if they apply: I've had a lot of symptoms so far, though most can be explained away due to non-TTC related stress. I've had insomnia, vivid dreams, frequent urination, and all my bras feel way too tight. Plus I've had lots of creamy CM, which is odd for me at this point in my cycle.
When are you thinking of testing: My mother has decided to feed my POAS addiction by offering to buy me a bunch of tests when she comes to visit next week. So, I'm going to use the one test I have on Monday. Apparently, I haven't learned the whole patience thing yet!
Thoughts: I'm still really hopeful about this cycle, though feeling stressed out about life in general.
Appointments: None - DH had his SA on Tuesday and everything came back looking pretty good.
Any new regimes, ie herbs, medications, mantras etc: Nothing new.
Do you have any stress triggers: People I trust lying to me and sneaking around behind my back
What is working to help you be stress-free this cycle: Nothing, so far! I'm trying though. Looking at baby wrap/slings and maternity/nursing tops is something I'm actually finding really calming.
Partners feelings if applicable: He's thrilled that his SA results came back good! He's been stressed out that he couldn't have kids.
Plans for the weekend: Trying not to float away with all the rain we're having! And an art show at a horse bording stable on Saturday.

[elonwy]

Weekend Check-In
Name: elonwy
Date: Sept 10
Where are you in your cycle: CD27 6DPO
Symptoms if they apply: I've had some cramping, gas, and nausea today, but I am also reading signs everywhere.
When are you thinking of testing: Next Saturday. (can I wait that long?)
Thoughts: ARGLE BARGLE WARG!!!!
Appointments: None, though I have the OBGYN on speed dial :P
Any new regimes, ie herbs, medications, mantras etc: Avoiding things like alcohol, fish, caffiene, etc.
Do you have any stress triggers: Work, as always.
What is working to help you be stress-free this cycle: Knowing that my time here is limited, and that I don't have to be here forever.
Partners feelings if applicable: He is excited, but distracted by work and lack of sleep. His Quals are Friday, so he is very preoccupied.
Plans for this weekend: Hopefully I don't have to work tomorrow, I have plans to go dancing with a girlfriend, since DH is gone all weekend working.

As soon as the possibility of being pregnant became a reality instead of a hopeful longing I began to completely second guess all my decisions beforehand. I had been talking about going to Sage Femme (local birth center in the city across the giant Bay Brdige) and just having a midwife, and now I'm like... I kinda want an OBGYN and to go to Alta Bates which is a local hospital only about 15-20 minutes from my house, which is very very natural birth friendly (They won't give you drugs if you don't need it, will let you have a midwife or doula, some rooms have hot tubs, etc) I have an auto-immune disorder, and also am one of those people where if something medical can go wrong, it probably will, or if there is a possible allergic reaction to something I will have it. Also I started thinking about getting across the bridge while in labor, and what would happen if the bridge were closed, which happens, cause they are building a new one and closure to the old span happen all the time. Thoughts?

[Smokering]

Smokering, welcome! Knitting and sewing sound like useful ways of preparing/planning/not directly obsessing, wish I had the time or inclination/skills.

Take it up! Sewing's a bit of a commitment, but knitting's really very quick and easy to pick up (I'm a newbie at it). I like it because it's so portable, I can do it at the playground or after church or wherever - as opposed to sewing, which requires me to clean off our huge kitchen table and drag the sewing machine out and so on. Plus, baby clothes are a good way to get into knitting - they're nice and quick.

What's tissue salts? Curious.

There's a thread about them somewhere in Health and Healing. They contain calcium, magnesium and things - I bought them for remineralising DD's teeth, but someone suggested I use them as a pregnancy/prenatal supplement. They're meant to combat fatigue and... stuff. To be honest I'm not a hundred per cent clear on what they do, but they seem to be safe and I have 'em on hand already, so!

[LivingSky]

elonwy: I totally understand your concerns. I'm there with you! We are also TTC#1. I have no family medical history (I was adopted) and I have a lot of damage to my skull and sinuses due to a car accident. My old doctor thought that the pressure of labour could be bad for the cracks I have in my sinuses. But, he's 1800 kms away and my doctor here thinks I'll be fine. I desperately want a home birth, but we're 45 minutes from the nearest hospital in good weather. And I don't know how natural-birth friendly our hospitals are. *sigh*

I think in the end, you'll have to decide what you're comfortable with. I'm planning to sign on with a midwife and see what she thinks, and make our decisions from there. If my pregnancy is normal with no abnormal risk factors, I'll probably push for a homebirth. If we have any complications during the pregnancy, I'll probably go the hospital birth route (still with a midwife).

If it's the hospital route, once I think I'm getting close, I'll probably have DH drive me into town, and we'll hang out at the hospital or at a friend's place until we're closer, rather than risking being too far away to get to the hospital. Could you do that if you choose the birth center?

[LivingSky]

Smokering: Do you have any suggestions for websites with good knitting patterns for baby clothes? I'm thinking of taking up knitting (DH already knits) this winter, once the snow leaves me stranded at home most of the time.

[elonwy]

LivingSky It just makes me nervous thinking about dealing with the city. Its a pain in the butt to drive in, and the area the birthing center is in is kinda sketchy. I also just had this moment of "What was I thinking?" about not having an OBGYN. I seriously am a medical mystery, I come down with undiagnosable or bizarrely rare things all the time. I also am pretty much garunteed that if I take a medicine, if there is some weird side effect that only 1% of subjects get, I'll get it. It seems absurd to think that I'll get through something as complicated as a pregnancy without at least one weird thing happening. But it might just be the paranoia kicking in.

[LivingSky]

elonwyn: Can you have both a midwife and an OBGYN? I know every area is different as to what insurance and the gov't will cover. I'm intending to have both my midwife and my regular doctor (who happens to be an obstetrician as well as a family doctor) be involved throughout most of my pregnancy. If you can do that, it might give you the security of having the best of both worlds, and keeps your options open for delivery.

[heathenmom]

elonwy: I'm kinda like you ... I get weird not-easily-identifiable stuff pretty regularly, and with my 1st pregnancy I had some crazy stuff. Next-to-no morning sickness, but carpal tunnel so bad I would wake up screaming. Random severe nosebleeds. Things that can be associated with pregnancy but aren't exactly common. Keep in mind that, just because a symptom is RARE doesn't mean it's DANGEROUS. Hindsight being 20/20, I wish like anything we'd chosen a homebirth midwife. I hated my hospital birth experience so much that, when we couldn't find a hbmw in our new area for dd#2, we uc'd instead.

That being said, our area isn't exactly known for its crunchiness and natural birthing. If I'd had a hospital near me like the one you described, I might have had a much better experience. In your shoes, I'd interview some midwives first, before making any decisions. Talk to them about your history and your concerns, and see what they have to say.

[Smokering]

Smokering: Do you have any suggestions for websites with good knitting patterns for baby clothes? I'm thinking of taking up knitting (DH already knits) this winter, once the snow leaves me stranded at home most of the time.

The absolute BEST knitting site on the web is Ravelry.com. You have to sign up to access it, which is annoying (but quick and free), and they have literally thousands of free knitting patterns. I'm knitting the "baby Yoda top" at the moment, and have about six other patterns bookmarked. It also has a really awesome advanced search feature, where you can search via technique (say, "worked-flat" if you can't knit in the round), size, needle size, type of wool, type of garment or whatever. It's a really, really great resource. As for learning to knit, I used YouTube videos and a friend from church. I recommend learning to knit Continental-style (where you hold the yarn in your left hand) - it's faster and more efficient.

[TickleToes]

Weekend Check-In

Name: TickleToes

Date: Sept 10

Where are you in your cycle: CD 8

Symptoms if they apply: none

When are you thinking of testing: I'm still determined to hold off until AF is late... which should be around Oct 4th.

Thoughts: My clothes are getting ratty and starting to fall apart. I really need to go shopping, but was wanting to put it off in hopes that I'll be pregnant and only able to fit into them for a few more months. Then I would just get rid of them and buy new clothes post pregnancy. But I should just go shopping.

Appointments: none

Any new regimes, ie herbs, medications, mantras etc: I decided to walk, dance, or do yoga every day. I've been good about it this week until today. I've started to chart my temps this cycle... something new for me.

Do you have any stress triggers: Work is still a bit of a stress factor, but the chaos is starting to settle.

What is working to help you be stress-free this cycle: I am getting back into my daily nap routine, which is a big help in managing my stress levels and my fibromyalgia. I think charting will also help reduce my stress... there is something grounding about the routine each morning. Heh.

Partners feelings if applicable: He's ready to try more

Plans for this weekend: I'm going to make a guest book for a friend's wedding.

[Banana731]

E...Get the midwife, she'll refer you to an OB if need be. You'll be glad you did!