needing some kind words from knowledgeable moms!

[seaqueen]

first timer here. 35 w as of monday. had to crack the whip on husband to finish the nursery-still not completed but a lot closer than it was one week ago.

had my 35 w appt today but had to go in yesterday due to symptoms of preeclampsia. bp was 167/105, have headaches, nausea/vomiting, massive swelling of "cankles" that do not go down, but feet will go down some. and did i mention an 18 lbs weight gain over a 13 day period? before this had only gained 9 lbs the whole pregnancy (starting out overweight). doc told me to come on it, checked my bp, was slightly lower, checked swelling and urine, sent me to hospital for fetal monitoring and labs, recheck urine and bp. 2 hours later, hospital said everything looks fine and sends me home. they said watch your sodium intake. bp still high, still have headaches and massive cankles and getting down right cranky.

oh yea lets not forget that i am 35 w and measuring 41 weeks and do not have gd!!!!

my doctor has not checked my cervix or anything so i have no idea how things are going to go but i am so miserable and want to decrease all these lbs of fluids and get a better idea of whats going on with my cervix and massive baby!!! my doctor is good but doesnt believe in doing sonograms other than your first one and the 18 week one unless something is wrong so i have no idea how much this baby weighs or anything! should i take a nb going home outfit, a 0-3 months, a footed sleep or a onsey?

[artekah]

Wanted to just reply real quickly...1) cervix checks tell you *nothing* about when/how you'll have the baby. All they do is increase your risk for infection and psych you out--I say skip them entirely until you're actually having signs of labor.

2) Ultrasound is horribly inaccurate for determining baby's size this late. I wouldn't ask for an ultrasound either just because of a suspected big baby--only if there is a real medical reason.

3) For the swelling and pre-e scare, drink LOTS of water, eat fresh fruits and veggies, and try to get at least 80 grams of protein a day (while cutting out sugar as much as possible.) I'm not an expert with these things but I know all of that is good for keeping pre-e in check!

4) I'd probably have both newborn and 3 month sizes on hand, and go with layers (assuming you're birthing in a hospital?) Like I'd plan to have a onesie, pants, socks, hat and long sleeves in both sizes. Then if you're in air conditioning you can put on all the layers but if it's hot it can just be a onesie. You're going to want pants even if it's hot just for the car seat ride, so the straps don't dig into baby's skin. Try not to worry about the baby's size too much--almost all the time, a woman's body will not grow a baby too large for her to birth!

HTH

[Gismobabe]

Hi Seaqueen!

I am sorry you are so miserable! During the pregnancy with my daughter I had massive swelling. How was the urine test? No protein? I can recommend nettle tea to try and get the swelling down. Are you taking your bp at home? I am constantly low but meassure lots higher at the doctor's office.

Meassuring big is not an indicator of birth weight. My friend who gave birth 2 days ago meassured right on target (average) and ended of on her due date with a 6Ibs baby. 

[seaqueen]

thx mamas. dont know the protein levels but was told it was fine. i am taking bp at home and it is higher here. its hard to lay down frequently when there is so much stuff to be done! i am starting to suspect i just have massive swelling and high blood pressure, thus the headaches. hopefully no preeclampsia! i have been paying much more attention to my diet and hope to see some results soon. and chugging that water!

[NuzzleNudge]

Girl Forget all the stuff that needs getting done and lay yourself down! This is your first baby and you are going to be busy for the rest of your life!!! Savor this quiet time and NAP and rest and call other people to help! Even if you have little to no help, there isn't much doing that needs done to prepare for baby. All baby really needs is milk, Diapers, a blanket, But maybe not in the heat, and a place to sleep. I don't mean a cute nursery, I mean like your chest, or a little nest next to you in bed or on the couch.

 Radicaleel had great advice on managing your condition. STICK TO IT! Stay away from Sugar and drink water Constantly. Have a Huge container in your hand at all times and just suck on it constantly. I have been eating lots of ice too and that is nice in the heat and for the crunch factor!

 Even 9-10 pounders will fit in Some Newborn Sizes. I was 'expecting' A Huge Baby with my first and had NO Newborn sized clothes or diapers. The doc and everyone said he would be around 8 pounds or much higher, even the Ultrasound said he was big but that they have a 1-2 pound error window either way. He was only 6 pounds 10 ounces. SO TINY! He Swam in all the clothes we had for him. I am a bigger, Overweight girl and we all were surprised at the little guy.

 Those Comono/Wrap-style baby shirts fit almost any size, and so do T-Shirts, (Not onesies). Gerber Onesies tend to run Small, so Newborn Fits LITTLE Newborns, and 0-3 Fits Newborns-a few weeks to a few months well and so on.

 This is the miserable, anxious part alright! While I don't have swelling issues or medical scares, My Hips are way out of joint and it makes my crotch bone feel Broken!!! So Much Pain! Can't walk can't sleep, cant get comfy anywhere! I think we are all about ready to be DONE ALREADY!!!!!! So Close! We don't have much longer.