March 27-April 3 - Page 5

[seedling]

I can't keep up this week. Lizlark, welcome! You've gotten some excellent advice/support. First baby's are hard. Try not to be so hard on yourself and know you aren't the only one who has felt this way.

Julie, hugs to you a little late. I find that I am also not feeling super connected. I sometimes even forget I'm pregnant. I feel like so much of my time and energy goes to DD, then work, then house, then DH and by the time I'm thru, I forget to even think of the baby. I panic when I think of it this way, like "how in the world am I ever going to manage taking care of one more person". I've also had a couple of nightmares in the past few days about my hematoma coming back. I'm hoping that these are just the result of a really stressful (in the sense of trying to do too much) few days with my DD's birthday and tons of commitments on the calendar. I tend to have anxiety dreams when I'm feeling stressed.

Well, I'm up too late b/c of spending the whole day making it a super special day for my DD (it's her actual bday today). I got her down early and worked for a couple of hours and then had to bake a cake and do a little housework for tomorrow. Her playgroup is coming over for cake and icecream. I'm about birthday'd out. Anyway, at this point, I think I'm getting tired enough to go to sleep despite all that I haven't done. The food is ready and that's most important. My friends will forgive me if I don't get the dog hair vacuumed up.

[eilonwy]

Hi Lizlark I have a niece who's "Lizabird" sometimes. :LOL Julie gave you lots of great advice, and I just wanted to add something: a few weeks ago (like 2, maybe?) I actually started a thread here about my desperate craving for Tang... so a craving for Life cereal is pretty tame, compared to that. :LOL It could be so much worse! I say indulge; you'll feel better afterwards, and there's probably something in it you need. Once you get whatever that is, you won't want it anymore. Last week I drank a cup of Tang and I couldn't remember what I'd been so excited about. :LOL

Yesterday, I had about 15 contractions in two hours. : *sigh* I was really hoping to avoid the whole preterm labor trip this time around, but it was really awful, and they got painful enough that I really didn't want to do anythign but sit around on my big old butt. Then, as if to add insult to injury, I went to the bathroom and noticed a bit of spotting!! It wasn't copious and it was brownish, so I decided against calling the doctor and going in. I drank as much water as I could and did kick counts for a bit (*lots* of movement!) and then I went to bed. This morning, I feel like my belly is a little lower, and a bit like I've been beat up, but the uterus is very calm.

I've got an appointment on Friday, so I'll ask him to check & see if my cervix dialated/changed any. We needed to schedule an ultrasound anyway, but now I'm probably going to have to do a vaginal one to make sure my cervix hasn't changed at all. If it happens a few more times, I'm going to end up on terbutaline again. I was kind of hoping to have an 8 pounder this time, but now I will be happy to see 7.

Erin, my back hurts too... my upper back because I've been doing that funny walk and my boobs are huge, and my lower back from the contractions last night.

[Ceili]

I ordered my birth kit yesterday and my midwife is coming this afternoon... I should be cleaning. I really don't want her to see my house in the state that it's in at the moment. At least dso cleaned the bathroom.

[Greaseball]

As soon as ctx start, I am going to ask dh to completely clean the bathroom and kitchen...and won't feel guilty about it!

[mattjule]

Rynna. I'll keep you in my thoughts. Maybe it won't be so bad. And at least you know what to expect this time (pretty small comfort, I know).

I have been looking at the roll call every time I come here and it is interesting to read people's ages. Those of you I thought were close to my age aren't and those that are, I would never have guessed. So I am finding I am a very bad judge of that! (Though it is hard to remember I am as old as I am. I keep thinking I am 22 or something. That was 4 years ago! Where does the time go?)

Rowan has been moving around a lot. I think my favorite thing right now is that he really kicks me when I am holding Tain and Tain is crying. Like he knows his brother and wants me to fix it. It is so sweet.

Tain was up at 3 am again last night. Luckily dh has today off so I was up for an hour with him, then dh came and let me go to bed and brought him in at 6:30 (asleep but not by much). It is surprising to me that these teeth have been the hardest on him. He is getting his canines in and you'd think that since they are so pointy and the tips so small, they would be less painful than molars. But we are having the worst time teething! Dh hasn't slept at all, poor guy and at the same time, a part of me doesn't feel sorry for him at all. Isn't that aweful? When things like this happen, 9 times out of 10 I am up alone with ds, exhausted. I don't feel bad when dh decides he can sacrifice a little to let me get some sleep. It is bad, b/c the reality isn't that cut and dry. I do get to nap with ds, a luxury dh doesn't get on days he works. And b/c he works at night, he usually gets in bed around 3 am, while I go to bed with ds at 10pm or so. So I do get more sleep before the midnight wakings. Sure doesn't feel like it, though. That's okay, when I am rested, I always feel more magnanimous, so dh will get plenty of time to make up some sleep today.

[wildthing]

Hi everyone!

I went and had my glusoce test the other day...but I didn't drink the glucola, I did 2 hour post-prandial. Funny thing was, as I waddled in to sit in the chair, the guy drawing blood says "Wow, you look like you're gonna pop out a baby any day now!" I said "Nope, not until June!" He says "Oh, it's gonna ba a BIG baby then." : Where did he get his degree.
But of course, the funnier part was when he said "So, is this your first?" I said "No, 8th." Blank stare, dead silence......He looked at me like he didn't hear me correctly...."8th??? Number 8, like after 7?" : : : Talk about some comic relief!

Erin, my back has been sore, mostly muscular, off and on.....today though, I woke up and could barely walk. I have been going to the chiropractor 3x a week for the last 6 or 7 weeks. The other pain I typically get, nerve pain, mostly sciatic, has been non-exsistent. My headaches/migraines have pretty much vanished as well. I am planning on getting adjusted until the very end.

Lizlark, welcome to the group! I am sorry you are feeling stressed, but it realy is part of motherhood. Being completely responsible for another life is a huge responsibility, but the fact that you are concerned shows that you want only the best for your baby. Also, the weekend before last, I started freaking out a little, because my baby wasn't moving as much as normal. For about 2 days, it seemed like minimal movement. But then it picked up full force...I guess little crush was just tired for a few days.

Rynna to you!!!!! I will be thinking of you and sending you "no labor yet" vibes! I hope your uterus stays calm and your baby stays put until it's time.

Speaking of time......all but one of my babies have come after my "due date", and all were in different condintions at birth.
#1 was 3 weeks late (yeah, 18 years ago, they did evn talk about inducing until 44 weeks) and she was long, skinny, dry and peeling. no vernix, no lanugo 7lb 13oz.
#2 was 1 week late, and she was plump, no vernix or lanugo 9lb 9oz.
# 3 was induced 3 days early because of my lack of weight gain (total of 3 pounds entire pregnancy-I weighed 127 when I got pregnant, 130 the day he was born). He also had no vernix, no lanugo and weighed 7lb 7oz.
#4 was 3 or 4 days late, but the placenta had started to calcify, and his skull sutures were starting to also, so his head didn't mold well when he was born. no vernix or lanugo, 10lb 4 oz.
#5 was 6 days late, smeared in vernix, I mean TONS, (we called her cheese-head for the longest time!) and weighed 9lb 11oz
#6 was 2 days late, tons of vernix, lots of lanugo 10lbs 7 oz.
#7 was 5 days late, heavy vernix, no lanugo, 9lb 2 oz.

Well, that's my ramble for the day! :LOL I hope to be on more frequently!

[Smithie]

Oh, Rynna. I'm so sorry. Sending <hugs> and anti-dilation vibes your way.

My first Babyrobics class (it's held on Wednesday mornings, when I taught until this week) was a really good experience as far as exercise goes. The teacher has been pregnant herself and seems to have a really clear understanding of what muslces need to be strong and where you need to be flexible. I will definitely go next week. I wish it was offered more than once a week.

Meeting the other Moms was honestly kind of depressing. There were a couple of superskinny gym rats types (with older babies, heh), and the moms with newer babies mostly looked like they'd been hit by Mac trucks. When we socialized after class, it was like a Catalogue of Intervention Horrors - one of them had a stat C-section under general anesthesia, for chrissake. None were bfing past three months or so - except maybe the superskinny gym rats, who ran away at the end of the class as though girth was a catching disease. Everybody looked exhausted to the point of tears.

All in all, I like it here best, because I can imagine y'all as calm Madonnalike figures whose eyes aren't bloodshot and whose boobs aren't swollen with unused milk. Oh, and in my vision, you are all wearing cute matching outfits. :LOL

[lilzark]

Hi you guys! I just wanted to thank you for offering so much encouragement the past couple of days. I have been trying to make a habit of checking in here. Maybe I'll be a regular I am feeling much better than when I first wrote in, sorry to be a downer.

Don't have much to add... I get to see the midwives again tomorrow, yay - although I have to do the GD test tomorrow. My place lets you drink a bunch of orange juice instead of the glucola stuff. So that's nice.

There was some discussion of classes - I am starting my class at end of April, and it's just the regular one that my birth center offers, so I don't know what they teach... I am also thinking about ordering the hypnobabies course. Has anyone had experience with it before? I hope it's not too late to start (28 weeks.)

See you all soon!

[3girlsmommy]

eilonwy-Here's some baby stay put dust! Try and take it easy for a couple of days(I know easier said then done!)

lizark- It will get easier! Also I'm doing hypnobabies now and I LOVE it. You can easily do it in 12 weeks without a problem. Kerry, the hypnobabies lady) is awesome!!

I had a midwife appointment today and my gtt.
Also my little one is possibly breech right now although my midwife isn't worried I am. I see my chiropractor in a couple of weeks so hopefully we can make sure this baby gets into the correct position.

I gotta run my kids are in need!

[Ceili]

My midwife just left. I managed to clean up to an acceptable level before she got here (still big piles of folded laundry everywhere, but at least the floors were swept and the counters were wiped down).

I've lost a pound and a half since our last visit... from the stomach flu, I guess. And I was measuring a week off, but the baby is laying transverse so that could easily throw the measurements off. I guess I'm going to have to work on my posture, though there is plenty of time for him to swing around the right way.

We're going to do a revised, quick two day Bradley class with another couple, skipping over a bunch of stuff. She's sending me the normal class outlines for me to look at and see which stuff I'd like to cover.

I'm still waiting on my Hypnobabies stuff to get here. I'm excited, I've heard many good things about it.

And I finally have a lead on a peditrician that accepts un-vaxxed kids. Hopefully he's on our insurance, I'll have to look that up later today.

[Greaseball]

What about posture can make a baby choose a bad position? I've read that one shouldn't recline, but sorry, I can't spend my whole pregnancy sitting up in a straight-backed chair!

I don't think I do anything different with my posture than with bbay #1, although this time I'm walking more. #1 was posterior and I hear that can come from being too sedentary. So we'll see...

I thought I was getting better today but although the sore throat is gone, I still have this horrible pressure in my head! I forgot how long it takes me to get over illnesses when I'm pg.

[Queen of Cups]

Regarding posture and baby positioning, its ideal to sit with your knees lower than your hips as often as possible. This opens up the pelvis, so the baby positions itself correctly. I sit on a birthing ball when I'm at the computer, or occasionally on my ergonomic kneeling-chair-thingy. Some positions that put your knees higher than your hips (and thus close up your pelvis) are: sitting on the couch or in a car. Mothers who walk a lot during pregnancy have lower rates of breach or posterior babies, according to what I've read.

[Ceili]

Spinning Babies has some interesting information about posture and positioning.

[dharmama]

Great link. Thanks!

I caused quite a scene carrying my yoga ball into work this morning...but ahhhh...it feels SO much better than my chair!

~Erin

[seedling]

I've had it on my list to check out that spinning babies site too. I don't have a birth ball but I just swapped out my desk chair in favor of a kitchen chair that I'm straddling.

Ryanna, hope you aren't having any more contractions/pre-term symptoms.

I'm so GLAD it's Friday. I'm TIRED. Anybody else starting to feel really tired all the time again? I can't figure out if it's because I've had a super busy week or if it's because it's just that time of pregnancy again. Hoping it isn't the latter.

DD is at her grandma's for a couple of hours today. We've had so many playdates etc this week that I'm going to have to spend today and tomorrow catching up with work. One more week and DH has spring break. I'm looking forward to that.

Happy Friday.

[Greaseball]

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE!!!

My horrible neighbors woke me up at 1:00 AM with some kind of loud thumping bass music, and then I started having horrible heartburn, so I never got back to sleep until 8:30! I tried my first Tums, violating my "don't eat anything that tastes bad" rule, and even that didn't help. It's almost noon and I'm still feeling it a little. I had it with dd, but it only lasted a few minutes. Ouch!

Yesterday I got a notice from Medicaid saying they were not going to pay for the homebirth after all...they were switching me to a plan that covers hospital births only. I called them up and got them to switch me back. I don't know why they would want to do something that is more expensive for themselves.

Dh went out after I woke up and got some donuts to cheer me up. It worked for a little bit, but then dd ate one and immediately started throwing up. Poor kid! We felt bad. After I woke up I didn't feel that great either, but then dh made me an egg and I felt better.

Yesterday our kitchen floor was completely covered in dead ants. It turns out our neighbors were spraying, and the ants were running to our place to escape the poison, and then just dropped dead. So dh is caulking where they came in. It was quite a shock to see them. We had no idea where they came from at first, or why they were all dead. He swept them up and it was so gross!

[eilonwy]

Great News!

My cervix is very long and very thick! So I guess it was just stress, and maybe the fact that I'm not eating very much. (I think the baby is hungry, even though I'm not... : ) I had lots of contractions last night, too, and they totally exhausted me, but I guess it just means I need to eat more. This goes against my entire food philosophy, which is basically to eat only when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full. I hate eating when I'm not hungry, because it makes me feel funny and exacerbates my heartburn something awful .

Speaking of which, Greaseball, you must have the nastiest neighbors ever! Ick! Loud music and dead ants.. fabulous combo. :

Oh, and I've gained (I think) 2 pounds since my last appt (a month ago). That's much better than I did with EliBean, so I'm pretty cool with it. My arms and legs are still skinnier than they were, all the weight is in da ! :LOL

I took the GTT today. I actually got a really bad headache this time. I think it was the weather, though. I always get headaches when it rains/is about to rain. It's from the low pressure. :LOL I really want a massage tonight; perhaps I can get Mike to beat me.

[dharmama]

YAY!! So glad to hear your good news!!

[Smithie]

Woot!

I had my first "it's none of your damned business what I eat or drink" experience today. I ordered a latte at Starbucks. The lady behind the counter said "Decaf, right?" I glared at her until she crumbled into a small pile of shame. Then I let her off the hook with a fairly friendly lecture on how different women make different choices about what to give up, and I had chosen to give up booze and peanuts.

[3girlsmommy]

Yeah Eilonwy!

Smithie:LOL

I was sick all day today. MY stomcah is way off and I've been light headed. I kept telling myself it would just go away but it didn't so I made dh come home. I don't think I could have taken my oldest to preschool and done all the things I needed to do today. My kids watched more tv this morning then they have in a long time.

Id' been hoping for a nice relaxing afternoon where I could just sleep and take it easy but I really didn't need to feel like crap on the day it happened. And today was one of the worst possible days for me to not feel good. I am trying to tell myself that it was the baby's was to slow me down even if it was only for the day.

Have a great one!