June Mamas: April 11-17 - Page 3

[3girlsmommy]

I just got back from my doctor's appointment and all is well. I passed my glucose test! Yippeee! And the baby is head down which means that I can do squats again at the gym! Yippee!!

It was a good appointment! I love my doctor! He was haning out chatting with my girls. He's so mellow and very midwifey, very non-intervention!

Tamara- You could always go and register at the place where they sell the stroller you want and then if they want to get you the stroller they will otherwise you could return somethings and get the stroller.

[mattjule]

I agree with what Erin had to say about the stroller-put it out there, but give them an out if they feel it is too expensive. It's never as fun to give a gift cert as it is to give an actual item, but they asked what you NEEDED and that is an honest answer.

I don't know about the rest of you, but my latent/early labor wasn't painful. It was only after my water broke and I was dilating at blinding speed and the ctx were close together that they got intense. So I plan to have ds be there in the beginning when I don't need to focus on the labor and when things start to get more intense, dh is going to take him somewhere to play until I start pushing. (well, that is the plan anyway) I think it is a good compromise, a way to include him while not scaring him or trying to split my attention. It isn't that important that ds or dh see the actual birthing so much as be there right afterward to welcome the new baby as a family.

[Steve's Sweety]

And the baby is head down which means that I can do squats again at the gym!

Umm...I don't mean to blame my babe going breech on something...well maybe I do bc s/he was head down already even at 19 wks! Anyway, I just started Bradley classes and doing squats/pelvic rocks/ all that stuff in the last several weeks, and NOW the babe decides to turn?!?
Is there some connection I should know about?

[3girlsmommy]

I don't know if there is a connection but I was told not to do squats if the baby was breech because it could cause him/her to decend into the pelvis and then not be able to turn. If your little one is breech you can find a chiro that does the Webster technique. The chiro that I go to has a 7 out of 7 record for moms that were referred to him because of breech babies.

Good Luck!

[Steve's Sweety]

Hrumph, and just today I was thinking how good I was doing getting all my squatting in at work.

Ooh, I go to a chiro, I will have to ask him about it at my next appt.

[Greaseball]

My belly is so heavy today! It just drags me down when I try to walk. And whenever I start walking, the baby starts kicking and pushing against my navel! It's pretty uncomfortable.

[eilonwy]

Hey Greaseball, I've still got my belly-lifting elastic belt-thingy from Eli, if you'd like it. I have no need of if this time around.. my belly feels like an air-filled beachball under my shirt. :LOL

I had a doctor's appointment today and have gained... nothing! :LOL I am still at -30 from my prepregnancy weight. I feel fabulous, I look super cute, and I'm thrilled with the world. (Special note: please remember that I am a fat person, and -30 puts me at 205, 5'1". I am now a perfect maternity 14. :LOL) My GD test came back 117, which is lovely. I'm a little bit anemic, which is no surprise to anyone. My doctor said I should try to get my iron up somehow but if I can't take the pills I shouldn't worry about it too much; it's just that women who go into labor anemic tend to have more problems than women who don't. I've heard a lot about flouridix (sp?) but it's wicked expensive, so we'll see... maybe my yard sale will help buy me some, eh?

Tomorrow, we have an ultrasound scheduled! Mike will get to see the baby, I will get to see the baby, Eli will get to see the baby.. and hopefully we'll be able to find out the gender! :LOL I'm really looking forward to it. I hope that Mike can come.. he may just find a way to sneak out (like he did last time! :LOL) but it's complicated this time by the fact that his co-worker who would be most likely able to help is... nine months pregnant! :LOL She's due, I believe, on the 17th; no signs of labor yet, but she's still really close and it's unlikely she'll be able to do any extra time for Mike tomorrow.

My brother's girlfriend is pregnant, and I've half-way crunchified her.. :LOL She only found out a little bit ago but she's already asked me how she can find a sling! I've been showing her links to cute cloth diapers for a while (you know, the stuff that's fun to look at but which only a hyena can afford :LOL) and she really wants to use cloth. Her mother was totally aghast at the idea and told her they harbor bacteria (myth!) but she's willing to use sposies when she sees her mom and cloth everywhere else. It's so cool to know what an influence I've had on her in the short time we've known each other (I only met her last summer; my brother has known her for over a year). I even got her to log on to MDC, after much persuasion. :LOL

I'm super happy today! :LOL :LOL Now if only we could get this apartment clean, life would be even better!

[Greaseball]

Sure, I'll take the belt! I sent a large envelope for the bead so you can just send it in that. I can paypal the postage.

I also noticed my navel is out! I don't know if it's out all the way, but it looks like it. Now I'm freaking out, thinking the baby has dropped and I'm going to go into labor any day now. I don't know how to feel for the head so I can't tell if it's floating or not.

[mattjule]

Okay, I haven't had any wake in the middle of the night worst pain in your life leg cramps (I had one with Tain so I can accurately compare). But my left leg has felt crampy all day, it combined with my back is why I got up at 6 am this morning. Not absolute god-aweful pain, but persistent achiness that just beats you down after a while, like when you stand around in the cold for a long time? I took double calcium today, but it doesn't seem to be helping. Anyone have any ideas?

[mattjule]

Oh! Rynna, are you checking your pm's? I've pm'ed you a couple times and I haven't gotten a response. It isn't really anything response-worthy, I just want to know you got the info.

[curlygrrl]

Originally posted by Greaseball
I also noticed my navel is out! I don't know if it's out all the way, but it looks like it. Now I'm freaking out, thinking the baby has dropped and I'm going to go into labor any day now. I don't know how to feel for the head so I can't tell if it's floating or not.

We must be twins, LOL!! Ever since that weird feeling in my crotch started I swear it's the way I felt only a couple weeks before I had DS after he dropped! It really feels like the baby is pushing down there. But luckily, my midwife at my appointment Tues helped me learn how to feel the head. I don't know how to describe it exactly, except to say that it's the only body part that kind of wobbles/swivels back and forth. Well, I'm trying to find it right now to help with my description and i cant! Anyhow, i think it's easier to detect when reclining/laying down.

[eilonwy]

Originally posted by mattjule
Oh! Rynna, are you checking your pm's? I've pm'ed you a couple times and I haven't gotten a response. It isn't really anything response-worthy, I just want to know you got the info.

I thought I had responded. : Okay, I'm losing it. It's time to put some earplugs in to keep the rest of my brain from sloshing out... :LOL

[Ceili]

Julie try eating some bananas. Leg cramps can be caused by low potassium levels. I used to get really bad, wake you in the middle of the night, leg cramps.

I just got a phone call from the delivery people and my brand new KING SIZED bed is coming on Monday. YAY!

[mattjule]

Congrats Ceili! We got ours about a month ago and it has been HEAVEN.

Thanks Rynna!

[Steve's Sweety]

my midwife at my appointment Tues helped me learn how to feel the head. I don't know how to describe it exactly, except to say that it's the only body part that kind of wobbles/swivels back and forth.

I was just talking to Steve last night about how we should have had the mw show him what she was feeling! I was pushing around trying to figure out if OBOL is still breech and toward the middle of my stomach I found that if I pushed from right to left I could feel what felt like baby poke out the left side (I have an anterior placenta so I can never tell what I'm feeling but I still poke around at it anyway). I didn't think of it being his/her head, I kind of hope it wasn't the way I was pushing it.

[curlygrrl]

When the midwife showed us the head was kind of on the underside of the bulge in my stomach, I can imagine it is harder to tell when the head is more toward the middle.

[Doodlebugsmom]

At my last appt., my mw showed me how to feel the head. I was amazed at how low it is! It's like right on my pubic bone. No wonder I have so much pain in that area and feel like I always have to pee! As for leg cramps, I battle them every night and there is no way I'm low on potassium! I have learned not to point my toes at night to stretch my legs. I only pull my toes up toward my knees. That makes the cramping go away.

Ceili, you'll love your king size bed. The only problem is when you go somewhere and have to sleep in a queen size or smaller. It seems almost ridiculous! Maybe that's just because we always have a kid and two dogs in bed with us too!

I have not been able to force myself to cook dinner the last two nights. I think this also happened in my third trimester with dd. I just can't do it! I just feel like having some toast with pb&j for dinner tonight. We have some leftovers for dd, but I don't know what dh will eat. I feel so obligated to fix a good dinner every night. I'm feeling really guilty. Anyone else not feel like cooking now?

[wildthing]

So much to catch up on. Have I ever been lagging!

I learned how to feel my baby's position with baby #3. The head feels round, firm and can move independently of the body. Last week, I told dh that baby was breech, that it felt like a bowling ball under my ribs, and he seemed skeptical. We had an u/s on Saturdya, and sure enough, breech. I wasn't worried, I figured there is plenty of time to move.

Tuesday, I was driving to pick dd up from work, and baby was making some HUGE movements, lots of pressure everywhere. I wanted so bad to stand up, but I was stuck in the car in rush hour traffic. I got home, laid down, and decided it felt as though baby had turned head down. Saw the midwife yesterday, and she says "Hm, I can't really tell how your baby is laying." I said "Well, I am pretty sure she* is head down, but I have a deep pelvis, so I have to really feel in deep to find it myself." SO, she felt a little deeper and she said "Oh yeah, definitely head down." I was so proud of myself, that I really knew exactly what was going on. Gives me so much confidence for my UC.

Incidentally, I put the * next to the "she" comment, not because we have found out, but I just have a very strong feeling that this baby is a girl. It is almost overwhelming how strong it is. Of course, I'll feel pretty silly if it is a boy! :LOL

Re:recommendations-My midwife doesn't give me any. Because I am planning a UC, I have been super concious of things, more than in any of my pregnancies, really. I recently realized that I am not getting enough iron, so I did get some Floradix last night. Rynna, I agree it was relaly expensive $32 for a bottle. But I couldn't figure out how to get enough iron dietarily otherwise. I drink my RRL tea every day, and cut out the refined sugar and flour. My weakness has been fruits/veggies, mostly because I don't like many fruits, and veggies seem like work to prepare. I am going to make a batch of homemade salsa tonight though, and then make some whole wheat pita chips for dipping.

Steve's Sweety, my placenta is also anterior, and I don't feel much right there. I feel movement and body parts all around the sides though. It is unusual for me, I have never had my placenta on the front.

Sleeping SUCKS!!!! Okay, not sleeping is what sucks! I have the worst heartburn I have ever had. It keeps me up at night, and then I lay there wanting to cry. I have papaya enzyme tablets that help, but not completely. And if the heartburn isn't killing my sleep, baby gets really active around 3:00am, almost every night. Dh gets up with the kids aorund 6:00am, but his alarm wakesm e up anyway, then I take forever to get back to sleep, if I ever do.

Okay, having said all that, I still love being pregnant. I love my tummy, I love feeling my baby move. I love it all...maybe that's why this is #8 for me :LOL

[Smithie]

Floradix, etc.

My birth center sells this stuff, and unless you have compelling veg issues, it's really just ferrous gluconate in a liquid medium. I've been taking ferrous gluconate pills (as opposed to ferrous sulfate, which is the compound we normally think of as "iron") for three weeks, and no problems with pooping or anything like that. I got it for $8 at the drugstore.

We're on Lesson Six in the Bradley series - so tonight we talk about second stage labor. Exciting!

[Greaseball]

Does anyone know of prenatal vites that don't smell bad? I'm almost done with the bottle I have, but I want to get a different one next time. I can't stand the smell of ferrous sulfate. I have to hold my breath when I open the bottle and when I swallow.