March Chat ****** IT'S OUR BIRTH MONTH!!! ******* - Page 5

[A Mom's Love]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squrrl 

Mom's Love, my midwife doesn't even offer checks until labor or, possibly, post-dates.  Her take is that they really don't mean jack, since you can perfectly well go around 4 cm dilated for weeks, so why get yourself worked up thinking something's going to happen soon when only time can tell?  It's hard not to be curious, and I can see wanting to feel that you've made progress with all this prodromal bs, but I definitely see her point.  Come to think, even when she DID take a look before labor last time--to check on my amniotic leak--I think she specifically didn't say if I was dilated/effaced.

Thanks for your input!  I think I'll hold off until I'm in active labor. 
 

Originally Posted by Lyss 

A Mom's Love, I'm 38+2 today too, and I'm going to hold off as long as I can stand it. 

Question:  When the baby drops, is it her head that drops or her body that compacts?  I think her head engages, right?  This baby seems to have folded over or something, so her body and legs are lower, but I can't feel her head any lower.

Thanks for the response, Lyss.  It's getting close for us! = ) 

I believe when the baby "drops" it's because of the head settling lower into the birth canal. 

[katroshka]

Well, nothing yet after my sweep. I've been having contractions all day but no particular pattern that I've noticed, and most are not particularly strong, especially compared to early this morning.

Took a long walk after my midwife appt, it's a gorgeous day here and I was happy to get my special-needs dog out again. She does a lot better when she gets out, but I don't usually have time to take her, she can't go to the dog park with my other dogs because she is crazy, so she gets left home a lot, poor thing. But me being off of school has been great for her. Now she's passed out on the couch, which is just the way I like her!

Oh, I'm now 3.5 cm and 80% effaced. I know it doesn't mean much as far as when labor will actually begin, but I feel like it is comforting to know that all these annoying contractions are actually doing something!

I thought it was really strange, last week I had quite a bit of bleeding after my cervical check, this week after my sweep I had almost none, I was expecting more.

I had to see a midwife I really don't like this time, she just rubs me the wrong way, and she did today too. I hadn't seen her in months, thankfully. She's kind of authoritative, and I feel like she talks down to me, which is especially annoying since this is my third pregnancy. Today she asked me what I plan on using for birth control, I told her that we will just use condoms until we TTC later this year, then after I feel secure with the pregnancy DH will get a vasectomy. She was like, "Well, I recommend you space it out more--" in this bossy, I know better than you tone. I just cut her off and said that I am shooting for an 18 month gap, that my first two are 15 months apart and I really liked that spacing and that I need to get back to school so that's how it was going to be or it wasn't going to happen at all. She just nodded, but with pursed lips and a disapproving face. Yuck, I just don't like her at all.

And she bent down to my belly and told the baby that she should be born on Sunday night because that's when she is working... I was thinking, NO! I don't want you to be there!!! And it's not like I see her often or anything, so I thought it was kind of weird.

Anyway, she said if I make it to 41 weeks, which would be the 14th, I can get my water broken at the birth center. Anyone else been induced this way? I know it's not ideal, but as I've never had to even THINK about being induced in any way I haven't looked into it much. It would at least be better than Pitocin as I wouldn't be able to do that at the birth center, I'd have to go to L&D.  That's about all I know about it.

Talked to my SIL yesterday, she had nasty back labor, poor thing, and then the nurse filled the labor tub with too hot water. She said it felt good at first but then she got really sick and was vomiting and shaking and it was awful. So ladies, make sure you get body-temp water! Baby is doing well except that she had switched temporarily to regular, non-natural detergent because of her daughter's stinky potty training pants, and it made the baby totally break out in hives, so now they are rewashing everything they own, which I imagine is really irritating.

MarissaMom- at least you are getting a new washer! My old crappy washer died a few months ago and I LOVE my new washer. It's never fun to have an appliance die on you (especially on your birthday!!!), but I'm sure you will love the new washer. We got really lucky and with rebates and discounts we got a fancy schmancy front load, steam, million-cycle washer for like $350. Hopefully you can get a great deal, too! I always have the best luck at Lowe's.

Lyss- no kidding!!! I really am going nuts.

Squrrrl- I hear you on the dreams, I have really weird ones. I am always dreaming I am going into labor, too, which makes it annoying when I wake up and realize that I'm not.

[forest~mama]

Ug. So my water "may" have broken today. I was sitting still and felt/heard a pop. I jumped up because I was sitting on the sofa. I felt no liquid but walked around a minute. I changed to new underware then checked them after 10 min or so. There was a little wetness that had a sweet/odd smell. I called the midwife and she said that it's not super common to have that small of an amount but it can happen especially if baby is low and pushing on cervix. Now I'm in the not knowing if it really broke phase which is frustrating. DD's water was broken for 2 days before she came, and I really don't want to go through that again. If it weren't for the sound I'd think it didn't happen at all.

[Mayfly]

So many updates! I'll have to catch up later. We found out today they are totalling my DH's car after he was rear-ended (they had said they would fix it). SO now we are scrambling to find another car. We're running over to carmax just to look at different possibilities. Be back later. Come on babies!

[katroshka]

Forest~mama- I don't know if you remember when I thought maybe my water had broken a couple weeks ago, but I SWEAR I felt a pop, too! So weird. But no leaking since, so I'm sure it didn't actually break. Good luck- hopefully it either did break and you go into labor pronto, or it didn't and you can relax!

[forest~mama]

I missed that Kat- glad to know it's not just me . I'm just going along like it didn't happen for now. I wish I knew for sure because now I can't put anything inside now. Was dong some things to try and get things going but I guess that's on hold now!

[Lyss]

Originally Posted by forest~mama Was dong some things to try and get things going but I guess that's on hold now!

Freudian slip?  What were you donging?  ;)

[forest~mama]

Haha- no I have my iPhone to thank for that. It has a mind of it's own!

My mom just sent me an upset email about how she was upset she had to find out yesterday was my last day at work from me and not FB. I'm due Monday, so I guess I just figured it was obvious that one of these days would be my last. I so don't need any drama right now. I already have to call my sister and tell her that we need to have her put off coming next weekend because baby isn't even born yet and I need time to heal and adjust to newborn. Should be fun- she's not going to be happy about changing plans. I just want peace and quiet-is that to much to ask?!

[forest~mama]

Gah! Upset she found out from FB and not me. Is it bedtime?

[Banana731]

Happy Belated Birthday, Marissasmom! Sorry about the blues and troubles...

Alily- your mw probably meant to help you, not to blow you off. I often tell doula and CBE clients that if their labors start going close to bed time, try to get in a bath and have a glass of wine (or tylenol pm, benedryl, etc.) Labor is long and hard on it's own, and even harder if your early labor kept you up all night. It's good to get as much rest as you can before that challenge! She probably should have explained her thinking more clearly and let you know that if things really got going, she'd be ready to be with you. It's hard to be so pregnant, a little sensitivity goes a long way, right?

Forest Mama- maybe a hind leak?

[Sandrine]

I saw my m/w this morning. bp is low, baby's bh was in the mid 130's. She did an internal check and the baby's head is super low and my cervix is about 2cm and super soft.  

[forest~mama]

Could be Banana- guess I'll know soon enough!

Is that all good news to you Sand?

[Sandrine]

Originally Posted by forest~mama 

Could be Banana- guess I'll know soon enough!

Is that all good news to you Sand?

Yup! and nothing super new. My bp has been low during this pgcy and the hb been like that too for most of my pgcy.

I'm ready for baby to come anytime! :D

[Aliy]

i'm feeling like a watched pot.... i kinda want to turn off the phones and everything until the baby is here. at least my family cuts right to the chase about why they are calling.. " how are you? anything happening with that baby?"  my dad called today and wants to make sure i'll have the baby before the 25th... um.. yea i should.. but he is heading out of country and wants to see the baby first.

i haven't really had much for contractions the last day or so... who knows what is going to happen.

my next midwives appt is wednesday

[StellaNuova]

Hi everyone,

Just trying to read to keep up with the posts...

Aily I am so with you...today when I picked up my older son at school, about five people asked me, what still no baby?/you are still pregnant??  My bro (who should know better because they had a baby a month ago) texted me to say still no baby?

My contractions have been quieter today though yesterday I lost a whole bunch of mp...

My mom is now here to help which is great but has taken a bit of adjusting, don't get me wrong, I adore her and am extremely grateful that she is here...I think we're settling in.

My MW offered to strip my membranes and my next appt. Wed. and if she's not here by then I think I'll say yes to that...I've heard it hurts a little but why not try it once I am 40 weeks right?

Healthy pregnancy & labor vibes fellow March Mamas!

Stella

[Marissamom]

Originally Posted by katroshka 

MarissaMom- at least you are getting a new washer! My old crappy washer died a few months ago and I LOVE my new washer. It's never fun to have an appliance die on you (especially on your birthday!!!), but I'm sure you will love the new washer. We got really lucky and with rebates and discounts we got a fancy schmancy front load, steam, million-cycle washer for like $350. Hopefully you can get a great deal, too! I always have the best luck at Lowe's.

after spending so much of our emergency fund on the car, we just went back to the same used appliance place. upgraded my Kennmore 80 series to a 90 series. didn't have to spend much on it, and don't have to worry about re-learning how to wash dipes because it's basically the same machine, but I can set it to automatically add a second rinse, so fewer trips down to the basement when washing the dipes. they gave us a discount for being returning customers and a discount because we gave them the old broken washer. they delivered it this afternoon, so I only went a day without a working washer. 

we had a few friends over this evening, so I'm to tired to do the dishes before bed. if my mom's theory holds true, that means I'll go into labor in the morning. (she's convinced that the only reason I was born the day I was was because she hadn't done the dishes the night before. 

[kaPOW!]

meh. up at 2am because of noises in the night. feeling pretty darn awake, but i know the feeling won't hold until bedtime. sigh.

[Neuromancer]

Originally Posted by Banana731 

Alily- your mw probably meant to help you, not to blow you off. I often tell doula and CBE clients that if their labors start going close to bed time, try to get in a bath and have a glass of wine (or tylenol pm, benedryl, etc.) Labor is long and hard on it's own, and even harder if your early labor kept you up all night. It's good to get as much rest as you can before that challenge! She probably should have explained her thinking more clearly and let you know that if things really got going, she'd be ready to be with you. It's hard to be so pregnant, a little sensitivity goes a long way, right?

This is what my childbirth educator told me, too -- that if labor starts in the evening or at night, you should try to relax and sleep while you still can.  But Banana731 is right.  If that was what your midwife was thinking, she could have explained!

[Marissamom]

anyone else putting off reading birth stories? I want to be in labor so bad right now, that I'm too jealous to read the threads. 

[Lyss]

Marissa, that is such a cute story!  I hope you did go into labor!  If that were true for me I would have gone into labor MONTHS ago.  :)

Stellanuova, looks like things might be moving for you!  So exciting.  It's hard getting used to another adult (who is so invested in you) in your house.  If I had forceps lying around, I might give it a try at this point, so I would say there's nothing wrong with stripping membranes.

I'm with you guys on the check-ins.  I'm pretty tired of hearing about it, especially now that there will be no c/s in 5 days (hopefully) and I may be around for almost 3 more weeks. 

I had so many strong contractions when the baby was sideways and breech, but now that she's head-down - nothing!  I haven't lost any plug (although I haven't with any other pregnancy either).  She doesn't feel down low.  I'm just miserable. 

DD has been having a lot of problems at school, and if it weren't for the baby coming, I would yank her out and homeschool her or send her to DS's co-op.  But with all this other change, I'm at such a loss.  It's funny, I wound up yanking her out of daycare right before DS was born (and it was the right decision).  DS had TWO poop accidents yesterday and DD had a pee accident the night before.  I feel like we're all on a hair trigger around here waiting to see what's going to happen (DH is waiting to hear on some jobs he was looking into, too, and we're not sure where we're going to live next year, so all the balls are in the air right now).  I have no right to feel impatient yet, but I do.

I need to get going on the list, but DH has the kids in the garage to clean out the car and put in the car seat base, so I may just take a little nap first.

I have been REALLY craving oreos and banana splits (isn't that awful?), and I decided to buy a big box of oreos at a big box store that was on sale, and it turns out I'm not the only one around here that hoovers oreos.  DD read "Oreo" on teh package and didn't know what they were, but now both of them are asking for Oreos by name.  I tried to bribe DD with a cookie to do something, and she was like, "I DON'T WANT A COOKIE!  I WANT AN OREO!"  ;)  Looks like they'll be gone soon anyway.  I really did mean to make some oatmeal raisin cookies with them from scratch . . .