Weekly chat 9/10-9/17

[flavorfull1]

Sorry for the delay! DH has been really busy with work and getting in past midnight so I have been in survival mode. Luckily, it looks like ms is either taking a break or just going away.  Really exhausted but I don't feel like throwing up all the time which is awesome!  Hope you ladies are doing well and I am enjoying the u/s photos!

[RosieL]

Thanks for the new thread. :)

[adoremybabe]

Originally Posted by flavorfull1 

Sorry for the delay! DH has been really busy with work and getting in past midnight so I have been in survival mode. Luckily, it looks like ms is either taking a break or just going away.  Really exhausted but I don't feel like throwing up all the time which is awesome!  Hope you ladies are doing well and I am enjoying the u/s photos!

Glad you are feeling better! I do have good days but I sitll have bad days. I REALLY want all good days! I'm super tired too. It's amazing how debilitating it is! Luckily DH has been picking up some of the slack ( love him! ) but my dirty house is starting to make me sick too. Bleh.
 

[lalazap]

Hi all, just joining in on the weekly chat thing!

My big news is that yesterday I heard the heartbeat (at 9w5d) - used my doppler from work and managed to catch it for a few seconds. I'm a midwife and I always wait until 11w to offer a listen to my moms - had no idea it could be so clear this early!

I finally felt confident enough in the pregnancy to tell my mom who lives out of town. I called her this morning and let her know. She is over the moon! It's so lovely to be able to make someone's day like that!!

[kbochniak]

Thought I was on the upswing of this ms business, but I was wrong!  I actually barely made it to the sink yesterday morning and have felt crappy all day today.  I was 10 weeks yesterday so hopefully not too much longer =)  On a happy note, my midwife was able to find the heartbeat with a doppler yesterday, it was great to hear her heartbeat!  It's always such an amazing thing to hear.  The strange thing is, despite all these symptoms, I'm still not feeling "pregnant".  I guess that will come.

[Mom2SammyJoe]

My big news is that yesterday I heard the heartbeat (at 9w5d) - used my doppler from work and managed to catch it for a few seconds.

I have an appt. Monday and I'll be 9w2d by my calculations. I am going to ask the NP to check for heart tones, though I know not to be nervous if they can't find anything. I would love to hear it. We haven't told the kids yet, and while I feel like I need to, I am going to wait until after this appt. I want to get past this Sunday and my appt. and probably tell them next week. I'll let them spread the news. We are going to miss the next 2 Sundays at church, so by the time we are back, I'll be 12 weeks.

I went to a bridal shower today and I felt like people were staring at my middle while asking if we planned to have any more kids.One gal is due with her first right around the time this baby is due.

My clothes barely fit. I am wearing my one pair of fat jeans every day and yesterday I got out a bunch of bigger shirts I had stashed from before I lost weight this winter. I've outgrown 2 of my 3 bras. I did find another in with my bigger clothes, so I'll have to try that. My body is in no way ready for maternity pants, but nothing fits. I am ready to tell and let it all hang out.

[Cheap Sunglasses]

Hey mamas!  I am 8 weeks tomorrow and definitely in the full-blown, all the time nausea stage for this pregnancy.  I had begun to wonder if this baby might be a girl because I seemed less affected by the normal first trimester stuff than I did with my 2 boys, but I guess I just had not waited long enough for all the symptoms to set in. 

DH mentioned yesterday he would love to find out the sex this time around (found out w/1st; 2nd was a surprise), and that broke my heart a little.  I loved not knowing until D-day!  I also loved not being inundated with baby gear from friends and family because nobody wanted to buy anything if they couldn't make it pink or blue.  Then, once it became known that it was another boy, we happily told people we had everything we needed and weren't left trying to cram more stuff into our small house.  I probably won't have an ultrasound unless we become concerned about something specific, so it is likely a non-issue.

I have my first appointment scheduled for when I hit 11 weeks.  I will have my OB panel drawn at that time, mostly because I am curious about my iron levels.  I will also ask for the Doppler to hear the heartbeat but then lay off until 19-20 weeks when we can switch to the fetoscope.  I might even buy a fetoscope so I can practice finding the heartbeat myself.  Has anyone else ever done that?  We always used the Doppler in my training.

We are moving to another state when I am half-way through this pregnancy, so I interviewed a group of midwives who are fine with having everything transferred up there.  I just have to send them a deposit to secure my spot in their books, and I will see them for the first time around 22 weeks.  Their birth center is 40+ minutes away from where our house will be, so this one will be another homebirth.  I just can't see wanting to drive that long in labor and post-partum.

[justKate]

Hey ladies, just checking in.  Morning sickness seems to be improving here, slowly.  This pg is so different from my first, in every way--the morning sickness, already not being able to sleep at night, my skin last pg was awesome despite wearing makeup every day, and this time it sucks even though I don't wear makeup hardly at all.  Lots of stretchy uncomfortableness in my abdomen, unlike last time.  So interesting.

Cheap Sunglasses, I would prefer to wait until birth day to find out the sex, but DH likes to know.  I think it helps him bond with the baby before its born, since he doesn't get to experience the closeness I do.  But I agree about all of the gender-specific stuff--I HATE all of the super girly fancy dresses we end up with for DD.  Doesn't seem comfy at all for a baby.

Mom2SJ, I hear ya on wanting to hear the heartbeat before sharing the news.  First pg I had a dating u/s and told everyone afterwards--this time I'm waiting to tell everyone but my parents until after we hear the baby.  Not that it isn't as special, but I know I can wait and will have a long time to share this one with everyone else. 

I have an "information only" appt tomorrow, and then my first "official" appt on Thursday (11ish weeks).  Today I need to get together the parts of my record from my last pg that I want to share with my new provider and make a list of questions....  Sort of irritated that I have to do two appts in one week, but that's how they do it I guess. 

[autumngrey]

We shared the news with DSD and our parents yesterday. My parents are over the moon because this will be their first grandchild, and even though it will be ILs 7th (or 8th) grandchild, they're gaga because we're due about the same time as SIL. Still doesn't seem real, I'm anxious for my appointments to hear baby, but it's still 3 weeks until I'll get to see my dr. Time is going so slow! Though I'm sure it will speed up soon enough, I don't want to wait!!

On Thursday DH and I went to a what to expect class at the clinic and I nearly burst into tears when a lullaby played (they play a lullaby throughout the entire hospital/clinic facilities every time a baby is born). Having to hold in tears almost constantly, but thankfully not sick! *knock on wood*

[RosieL]

lalazap, kbochniak - Yay for heartbeats! It's pretty cool to hear, especially so early. I heard mine at 9w5d after much warning from my MWs that it was very early.

Our first official appointment is Tuesday. I'm looking forward to DH hearing the heartbeat and talking with our MW about how the rest of the appointments will probably go, scheduling, etc. I don't really know their pregnancy management style in detail. I'm excited!

Aside from having a lovely day hanging out with my friend yesterday for her birthday, and her delightful id twin girls, I am having a miserable weekend. At first I thought nausea from MS was coming back (I thought it had gone away completely), but now I realize it's either a bad cold or mild flu. Sneezing, achy, exhausted, dizzy, and totally congested. Ouchy.

[loudmama]

Hey all,

We finally met with the Dr on Thursday. We couldn't hear the heartbeat, but I know at 10 weeks that's not always possible. Our appointment confirmed we've made a good choice in care providers. Due to my birth history, DH isnt comfortable in home birth, & because I do have a Dr available who I think is a good fit, I'm ok with that. The Dr is a FP Dr who just had a home birth herself 5 months ago.

We decided to do the Nuchal Translucentcy screen this time. We declined most tests in previous pregnancys, but given my age, we decided to do so this time. We need to meet with perinatalogy anyway, so might as well do the screening now. We need to meet with a perinatalogist because I had a c-section with my first & a placental abruption with my second at 30 weeks (a VBAC, though). It's one of those things that the FP Dr needs me to do because her oversight folks need her to. I'm ok with it. For me, it's a minor inconvenience, but I can tolerate it. Far better than being forced to see an OB for my care.

I think I'll be feeling better more once I get my digestion working well. I've been constipated a lot,& that just makes me feel even more nauseous. The Dr had me start taking magnesium citrate at night to help. If I take it nightly, that she keep this going. Ugh.

L

[zuzusplace]

Yes, I'm an obsessed midwife-wanna-B LOL, but I just have to ask.16 How many of you can feel your uterus.16 It's becoming a daily past time for me.16 It's going up a finger's width every 2-4 days!16 It's amazing for me to think how huge I'm going to be by the time this is done.

16

I've been learning to play piano the last few weeks, and the teacher is saying how great it is for babies brain development to hear music.16 Does anyone here know approx. when the ears start functioning well enough to catch what's going on outside?

16

Rosie, I'm so sorry you're sick.16 Youngest DD has a horrible bug and I'm just praying I don't catch it.16 Rest as much as you can and get better quick!

16

Autumngrey, you are certainly not the only one crying at the slightest provocation.16 During my first pregnancy, my mom used to throw a kleenex box at me every time I sat down to watch a movie.16 It became a running joke...and this time is no exception.

[zuzusplace]

Aggg, sorry about the "16's" again. I forgot to only put a single space after periods...sigh.

[adoremybabe]

I'm beginning to think that I'm the only one who can't find my uterus yet!

[dealic]

I can't either. But then again, its my first and I have no idea what I am looking for, nor where I should find it.

[beaner&tiegs]

Soon enough it'll become too obvious to ignore!!!  And I think that first time around, it takes a bit longer - the more often your body does this dance, the quicker it seems to remember.  I haven't really tried to feel my uterus, but I'm amazed at how little I can suck in these days.  Must be the fact that all I seem to crave these days is carbs - gaining some of that weight I lost in the past year, to give this baby a big cushion!!!!!!  Thank goodness for all those pants that had become too big, otherwise my wardrobe would be a huge issue!!!!!

[Mom2SammyJoe]

I can't feel my uterus yet, either. I have an appt. tomorrow. I am thinking I should be able to feel it by now as this my third, so I am hoping the NP will help me with that.

[RosieL]

Originally Posted by adoremybabe 

I'm beginning to think that I'm the only one who can't find my uterus yet!

Originally Posted by dealic 

I can't either. But then again, its my first and I have no idea what I am looking for, nor where I should find it.

Originally Posted by Mom2SammyJoe 

I can't feel my uterus yet, either. I have an appt. tomorrow. I am thinking I should be able to feel it by now as this my third, so I am hoping the NP will help me with that.

Me four! What does it feel like, where, and what's the best position to find it?

[sunflwrmoonbeam]

Yay new week!

I'm convinced that my uterus is out of my pelvis as I can't sit at a 90* angle without feeling like I'm crushing it, but I haven't necessarily found my fundus yet. I have a good deal of "padding" and a c-section, and while I think I found my fundus it's hard to discern it from the scar or the fat. To put it in perspective I had a hard-ish time feeling my baby's position last time around because I had a tube of fat that felt like an arm. Midwife had no problem, but I'm nowhere near as experienced as her :)

So, maybe I've found it? If so, it's just barely above my pelvic bones.

[zuzusplace]

Okay, so I'll try to help those looking for theirs...bear with me, I'm not the best teacher. Lay flat on your back, relax your stomach. Put your finger tips on your pelvic bone and slowly wiggle them up it (sort of rocking, walking them...it's easier than sliding them). When you get to the top of the bone, they kind of fall of the cliff. Put a little extra pressure and see if there is any firmness (sort of like your stomach muscles would feel if you were tensing them). If there is, repeat the wiggling motion further up. When you get to the fundus, your fingers will again drop off the "cliff". I always know I've found it when I can roll the finger tips back and forth right at the edge and it feels like they're rolling onto then off of a rounded "corner".

16

You really don't have to press very hard. If it's out of the pelvic cavity pretty well, it'll be sitting just one level below the bone. Hope that helps...not likely, but like I said, I'm not a very good teacher LOL