Chat Thread April 22-29th

[lizzie]

I feel like I'm missing the "real" chat thread somewhere - never started one before!

MamaChef, thanks for setting me straight! A lot of good info at the end of the last thread about pre-e.

PunkElmo, I hope you've found some peace and happy space surrounding how your BP and caregiver situations are going!

Geekgolightly, WOOHOO!!!

Mrs Bone, so happy you had a nice day - you had one coming to you!

AFM - Not much going on. My man got home yesterday evening, so we get an extra day together this week again, happy times, AND I sort of sneaked him into the birth center after he got here last night so he's *finally* been able to see it. He seemed pretty pleased with how it looked and felt, so while I was sure he'd feel good about it, it's nice to *know* he does.

Day before yesterday I must've been mentally "accosted" by 10 people, giving me the whole gamut of "you're 'bout to pop, honey!" commentary. Thought I was going to sketch. Then yesterday, nothing! From anyone! Very refreshing, lol. My exhaustion went away too.. I think it was largely because I wasn't getting all of my supplements going at the right times - I take an adrenal supplement in particular that makes all the difference - and not necessarily due to residual food poisoning effects. Either way, it was nice to have two fairly energetic days in a row. Found some fabric I've been looking for 2 days ago, and got it in the mail to my mom yesterday, so that's diaper pail liners and wet bags and some happy receiving blankets and gauze swaddling blankets.

With dh home, I'm not going into stalker mode... just waiting to see who's next! Hope you all have a great weekend and Happy Easter if your beliefs lead you in that direction! Happy Earth Day, too! :D

[PunkElmo]

woohoo! I predict 3 births during this chat thread.

I decided to go AMA and NOT go to the hospital for BP monitoring - at least hold off for a couple of days... I suppose I'm going to have to face my midwife and tell her all that at some point, I'm kind of ignoring her calls for now (which makes me feel slightly bad, but... if she can't be bothered to call me for 5 days when I'm waiting for pre-e tests, I can't stress over her calls when she transferred me out of her care.)

The EXCELLENT news is - I got the Health Care Proxy for DP and my "do not consent" list together and notarized last night in anticipation of having to go to the hospital (because if I'd gone into labor last night, that's where I would have birthed, which is SCARY to me).

I have meetings with two different midwives (it turns out they're actually friends and agreed to work together with me, if we decide that's what we all want) tonight and tomorrow - they've been apprised of the situation and I think they seem comfortable with it, we'll see how the in-person meetings go.

I think my BP went down 10 points when I heard from one of them last night via PM on here  Just knowing I won't be abandoned or left to fend for myself at the hospital is HUGE!

I started feeling some burbling and gurgling, which might be contractionish (or it could be gas, who knows?!)... but nothing that said "o hai, THIS is what a contraction feels like!"  I still think I've got 1-2 weeks before this babe decides to show its face.

I'm feeling HUGE, but super-healthy... I always seem to lack energy on Mon/Tues, and have it back the rest of the week - I could leap tall buildings in a single bound today (as long as I can wear shoes that don't need re-tying too often).

[LeighPF]

We had nice weather yesterday so I went over and spent time with our new neighbors (we just moved). Two stay at home moms (like me), both with two kids close in age to Monkey. One is still nursing her almost 2 year old so I don't have to worry about freaking her out with the tandem nursing. All the kids (and a mama) had a wonderful time feeling the baby curled up on one side of my belly. He(she?) slept through the whole thing though, except for a big rolling over. It was my first real belly rubbing extravaganza this pregnancy, but how can you say no to a fascinated three year old.

My midwife, my mother and I agree that while I am due on the 3rd, the 5th would be just the perfect day to have the baby. Preferably starting labour at 6 am when I usually get up. If wishing only made it so.

[SallyNichole]

I could leap tall buildings in a single bound today (as long as I can wear shoes that don't need re-tying too often).

That made me giggle. I've given up on shoes that have laces. it's just too much of a pain.

AFM- DH's side of the family is a combination of Jewish/Catholic beliefs so we're doing a Seder/Passover dinner tomorrow night and an Easter brunch on Sunday afternoon. DH and I don't believe in either but it's still nice to join the family in a time of celebration.

And if one more person texts me or messages me about when I think I'm going to have this baby I might just scream. I mean, really? Do they think I'm just not telling them or that asking will move things along faster? I get that they are excited, I really do but it's getting really old.

I've gotten a ton of laundry done this week. if she decided to arrive this weekend I think we would have plenty of stuff done and ready for her. the car seats still haven't been safety checked but I'm planning on doing the today after 3.

I've been making a play list of music that makes me get up and dance and I currently have that blasting so that I can get up and get moving and maybe shake this baby down a little lower, or if nothing else work up a good sweat

[PunkElmo]

that's funny, I'm due on the 5th, and keep thinking the 3rd is the perfect day! 
 

Originally Posted by LeighPF 

My midwife, my mother and I agree that while I am due on the 3rd, the 5th would be just the perfect day to have the baby. 

SallyNichole, I still have 4 pairs of non- slippers/flipflops that fit - running shoes, uggs, ugg rain/snow boots, and dr. martins... the uggs (only ones without the laces) are the hardest to get on because there's no more give room in the ankle!  At least with the lace-ups, you can kind of pull it apart and make the shoe bigger.  Oddly enough, my ankles aren't really swollen. just my feet.

[Evergreen]

We have a baby- yeah, geekgolightly! I am so excited.

[MrsBone]

Doing good here. I've completely given up on DH getting anything done that I want done before baby arrives. It's so frustrating that there's a list a mile long of things I CAN'T do, and he doesn't have the time to do them..well I take that back, he does have time, he's just usually trying to catch up on sleep or relax with DS and I after a long 12 hour day, or dealing with our HO and car insurance companies.. Oh well. He's going to have 2 weeks off after baby arrives and plans to get a lot of it done then. So, today I did the things that needed to be done that I could do, like gardening/straightening up the back yard. I went to lowes and bought a bunch of plants on sale and came home, planted, trimmed the rose bushes, sprayed down the front porch and patio and pulled a few weeds. I feel much better about the way the outside of the house looks now at least! The bins I wanted DH to move to the attic won't fit up there without putting down more plywood(not a huge priority right now), so I moved them into our closet and have a few suitcases that can fit in the attic. The box springs will be wrapped and put in the attic this weekend, and one bin full of DS's clothes I'm going to go through and mark the pieces I really want back and give the whole bin to my friend that is due in July. I feel bad because our house really isn't that messy, but we just have a lot of "stuff" that I'd prefer not to have. DH's side of the room(also his desk/office area) is full of stuff that there's nowhere else to put. Drives me crazy right now! The garage is full of stuff(half of which could just be thrown out, but DH would probably freak out), a car that we don't use, and the baby's closet is still full of DH's stuff that he won't go through. It probably wont happen until after the baby's born at this point. URGH. I know alot of this is nesting and pregnancy and would not be bothering me nearly as much if it weren't for that. That and every little mess he makes at this point is making me crazy! Anyone else in the same boat? It doesn't help that I'm at home all day with our son, and that's all I see and do..I see the messes, I clean all day to keep myself busy. So the days I leave the house it doesn't bother me as much!

[jr'smom]

My "to do" list is so long and yet I can't even stay focused on getting anything done.  Maybe one thing a day.  I've made a list for the next few days of particular things to get done (or have DH do), so hopefully that will help.  We haven't even colored Easter eggs or picked out what the kids are wearing on Easter, so those are big ones for tomorrow/today.  I can't sleep and have been awake for 2 hours, so it's 3:30 in the morning.  I'll probably feel terrible all day from lack of sleep and not get anything done again!  I figure we'll have a baby! next week or the following week, so we better start taking this stuff seriously!

[PunkElmo]

Is a "to-do" list ever REALLY done? there's always *something* to add, I think!

just an update - went to a different midwife, my BP was about 6 systolic points lower and 14 diastolic points lower than the reading the stressful midwife had been getting... DP and I just sat and talked with the midwife about everything under the sun, and we feel like a HUGE weight has been lifted - I feel really VALIDATED, because she backed up a lot of the thoughts/intuitions I'd been having all along about my BP and my original midwife and was just SO... wow. I wish there were more people in the world like her!

We've got a meeting with another midwife today - the one we met with last night (who was the "runner up" in our initial search, so we'd met her before), and the one we're meeting with today are friends, and will (assuming we get along with her - we have a REALLY good feeling about it) most likely work together for my birth - YAY! 

I'm REALLY glad we didn't go to the hospital, and REALLY glad I found some women who seem to care SO much.

MrsBone - I think when you stay home all day, it's really easy to get frustrated about housework - I know my DP gets frustrated that I don't do more (I work 8 hrs a day, plus subway commute and make most of our $$, so it's not like I'm just slacking!) - I know the days he gets out of the house, he's less likely to get irritated about my not doing the dishes (or whatever chore), so I'd say it's definitely good to leave the house when you can!

jrsmom - I keep getting up around 4am and not being able to get back to bed... it's not even an "I have to pee" or "I need a snack" issue - it's total 3rd tri insomnia!  it's a vicious cycle... someone told me it was to get your body used to the sleep schedule you'll have with a newborn. um... yay? *sigh*

[becca_howell]

Originally Posted by lizzie 
Geekgolightly, WOOHOO!!!

WOOHOO Indeed! Can't wait to hear the story/see pictures!!

Originally Posted by PunkElmo 

The EXCELLENT news is - I got the Health Care Proxy for DP and my "do not consent" list together and notarized last night in anticipation of having to go to the hospital (because if I'd gone into labor last night, that's where I would have birthed, which is SCARY to me).

Thanks for adding ANOTHER thing to my list... Time to find my 5 wishes...
 

Originally Posted by SallyNichole 

That made me giggle. I've given up on shoes that have laces. it's just too much of a pain.

And if one more person texts me or messages me about when I think I'm going to have this baby I might just scream. I mean, really? Do they think I'm just not telling them or that asking will move things along faster? I get that they are excited, I really do but it's getting really old.

Laces? What are those? Oh, those things on the shoes I *don't* wear? Yeah, I'm a slip-on shoe kind of preggie. Actually, I'm happiest barefoot, so I typically try to keep it to flip flops. And you can send your family/friends to this website! ROFL!
 

Originally Posted by PunkElmo 
hink!

just an update - went to a different midwife, my BP was about 6 systolic points lower and 14 diastolic points lower than the reading the stressful midwife had been getting... DP and I just sat and talked with the midwife about everything under the sun, and we feel like a HUGE weight has been lifted - I feel really VALIDATED, because she backed up a lot of the thoughts/intuitions I'd been having all along about my BP and my original midwife and was just SO... wow. I wish there were more people in the world like her!

We've got a meeting with another midwife today - the one we met with last night (who was the "runner up" in our initial search, so we'd met her before), and the one we're meeting with today are friends, and will (assuming we get along with her - we have a REALLY good feeling about it) most likely work together for my birth - YAY! 

I'm REALLY glad we didn't go to the hospital, and REALLY glad I found some women who seem to care SO much.

Glad you found someone else you're gonna work with!

AFM- I had some serious internet issues the other day, so I couldn't get online. I was quite irked. Actually, the phrase I was using was threatening to throw the DSL off the balcony. DH was home yesterday, so my whole schedule feels off. It feels like today should be Sunday, but I get another Saturday!! :D Last night DH hung out with the kids so I could go to the last game night with the ladies from church. We were supposed to play Bunco, but ended up just talking all night. It was nice. Everyone was excited to hear I was full term. I just hope it doesn't begin a slew of "did you have the baby"s. Today I'm *supposed* to go to the store and pick up the car seat with my SIL. I've got 5 kids to feed first (my 3 siblings--ages 12, 11 and 9 are here).

Lazy day today and tomorrow planned. A friend of ours is coming over to play some games tomorrow. NOT planning on going to any egg hunts or the like. First, DH isn't big on the whole Easter thing... long story. Second, DD is allergic to egg and peanut, peanut being the more severe allergy and my worst fear is her coming into contact with some kid who's had a chocolate peanut butter egg or something... So yeah we're avoiding that much to the grandparents' frustration. I don't care. It's not safe for my kid...

Have a happy weekend everyone!!
 

[Almamiel]

PunkElmo - your visit with the new midwife sounds fabulous - sobglad you're getting better vibes! I switched care providers at 34 weeks last time and it wad absolutely the right move.

Still waiting around to have this boy - 39 week tomorrow and getting impatient.

[Almamiel]

Ugh - apologies for the iPhone typos!

[becca_howell]

Originally Posted by Almamiel 

Ugh - apologies for the iPhone typos!

LOL iPhone typos... one time I was trying to type "doula" on my iPod and AutoCorrect kept changing it to "souls".

[PunkElmo]

totally OT, but I get hours of giggles from http://damnyouautocorrect.com

Originally Posted by becca_howell 

LOL iPhone typos... one time I was trying to type "doula" on my iPod and AutoCorrect kept changing it to "souls".

[KarenMT]

PunkElmo- so glad you are connecting with some midwives that are not alarmist

SallyNicole- kudos for getting all that laundry done.  I have only minimal gender neutral stuff washed until baby arrives.  Then my older sister will either descend upon us with all her boy bins or I will trek back into the attic for all the pink stuff :)

Mrs Bone: I totally understand where you are coming from with DH's to-do list and clutter.  We have a sizeable house and I just want to purge and clean. Right now I have the need to do it but he doesn't and I can physically only do so much so I have to live with a bit of it even though it is driving me batty.

AFM: I am preparing everything for a home visit with my HB midwife.  Can't believe we are going to do it but both DH and I are utterly relieved not to have to ward off the "medwives" the rest of the birth and just cherish the beauty of a homebirth.  I have fast labors, too, so that was causing us major stress to figure out how to logistically get to the hospital (about 40 mins drive) were it rush hour (we're outside of Boston) or just about any hour with 2 kids, 2 dogs and myself.  One of my dogs has epilepsy and takes meds 5x a day so we'd even have to take him with his meds and have him in the car to run out and give him meds.  My parents are a full hour away and my sister is about 20 mins away but also has young kids and can't just zoom over.  My HB midwife is about 25 mins from me so I'm hoping she gets here and if not, we have all the home birth supplies and DH has already done the delivery once and wouldn't have a problem a 2nd time.  I went out and bought some Hibiclens.  They did a swab at my last prenatal appt but since I'm not going back I'm assuming it is + since it was with my last pregnancy.  My current HB midwife doesn't require Hibiclens but I know I'll feel better if I use it at the onset of labor. Even were I birthing at a hospital I'd probably use the Hibiclens rinse because I'd never be able to get the full abx in time, unless they were inducing me- all my labors were 4hrs or less.

Right now, I'm off to wash and groom one of my dogs.  I washed the other dog on Thursday and was super crampy the entire night so I'm going to take this in stages as I need to wash, dry, brush and then do a combo of the clippers and scissors to groom him.  It's the last "strenuous" task on my to-do list.  Everything else is just decluttering and cleaning.  Can't believe I'll be holding a new baby in about 2 weeks time.  Yikes!!!

[jr'smom]

I get sooo irritable at the end of my pregnancies!  I feel bad for my DH, but I can't seem to help it.  I'll keep trying.  Here's the latest thing that's I'm overreacting about...

I read an email from my MIL to my DH.  It was basically asking him to send a list of food the kids like and bedtime routines (because she is watching the kids when I have the baby), in case I "go into labor or something."  And then she states, "I wish she would just have a scheduled C-Section."   

Now, I really do appreciate that she is taking the kids for 2 or 3 nights and she'll have to use vacation time from her job to do it too.  But, I'm not going to schedule a C/S on a Friday so she doesn't have to use as many vacation days.  To be fair, she's very medically oriented and she probably thinks it's safer for me to schedule than to wait to go into labor and end up with a RCS or try to VBA3C. 

I know she can't understand that this is an extremely emotional struggle for me to have to deal with having had three C/S (we planned HB each time), and has no idea of my struggle to find support to not just be automatically sliced open again. Another frustrating component is I'm dealing with a fractured rib that is healing, but I still have excruciating pain with a simple cough or sneeze.  I don't know how I would get through labor and pushing (if my body actually got to that point this time.)  So mentally, I was close to accepting scheduling a C/S on or after 40 weeks because of the rib pain.  It would be reasonable to expect this baby to be 10 1/2 pounds based on the others and none have dropped at all before even after more than a day of intense 2 min apart contractions.  Now I don't want to even consider scheduling a C/S just because of her statement.  I know that isn't a good reason to make a decision one way or the other. 

I'm especially emotional today anyway, because 2 yrs ago today, I had the last conversation with my mom that I will ever have.  The next day, she was intubated and so drugged up for a week before she died, that even though I was by her side, I had no idea when she could hear or understand anything I was saying.  She couldn't react much at all, just open her eyes briefly, and certainly couldn't speak. She died after a surgery that was supposed to keep her on a ventilator through her throat and let her be less drugged, so she could be lucid again.  I was so hoping to be able to talk with her even one more time!  Sorry.  It helps to get it out.

Easter is just going to be a blast tomorrow! *Rolling my eyes*  I'm sure MIL will make well-intended but offensive statements about the pending birth.  All the extended relatives will ask too.  And I may just break down from missing my mom anyway.  Can you tell I'm looking forward to it?  The kids will have a good time though and that will make it worth it.

[elonwy]

  To Jr'sMom

[becca_howell]

OK, ladies, I'm a complete and utter nutcase!

(Moderator, if this is against the UA, please let me know!)

I have super coarse hair "downtown" and was dreading a vaginal birth/recovery with all of it. I dread going to the restroom with it! It literally hurts me. So, I had a friend tell me about this place in town that was supposed to be good for body waxing. It just happened to be next door to the Target I had to drive to to get baby's car seat. So, I popped in, and 20 minutes later popped out hairless! OH. MY. WORD! It hurt SO BAD!! I'm still quite tender. She said I was red and swollen, but even more so because I was pregnant. But, that's one thing off my secret "to do" list.

I also got the car seat, birth ball, and a new booster chair for DD to sit at our table in. It's pink, so she is in love with it.

My house is clean!! Except for my bedroom and mopping the kitchen floor, which I will deal with the bedroom next week and do the floor after dinner tonight. I'm so happy to have my little sister here helping me! Now I can finish my mama cloth pads!

Oh and (te he he he he), said little sis is being my guinea pig for my smaller cloth pads... she asked what I had and I told her all I had was cloth. She asks, "Will it be too weird?" I said, "I use them all the time." It's just till tomorrow lol

[MamaChef]

jrsmom,  ((hug)).  Sounds like a tough weekend.  Could your DH just take the kids and you could get some you time?  Then they would still have fun and you wouldnt have to deal with negativity?

PunkElmo,  Wow, that is a heck of a difference in blood pressure.  Im glad you found someone you feel good about.

[KarenMT]

JrsMom- (((HUGS))).  I can't imagine how tough it is to deal with a fractured rib at this point in pregnancy.  I am very petite and will get horrible burning in my ribs but that isn't a fracture and it kills.  So sorry about all the memories you are having about your Mom.  Even without all the pregnancy hormones it would be super tough.  I hope tomorrow goes well and you are able to enjoy the day with your children and block out your MIL.

Becca- send your clean house vibes my way.  My 6.5 yr old and 3.5 yr old- combined with DH and my 2 doggies are doing everything in their power to make me insane as I try to get ahead of the cleaning.  I just wish I could restrict everyone to a single room in my house, so that the floors would stay clean for longer than 30 mins. - LOL

I'm so very, very tired tonight.  This is the first night that I've noticed any swelling at all in my ankles and such.  I really pushed it today with grooming my dog, making food for an Easter breakfast at my church plus general household and kid stuff.  Can't believe I'll be 38 weeks tomorrow.  The ladies at my church threw me a surprise baby shower last weekend so I have to find some time tomorrow to write out Thank you notes.