Weekly Chat, March 19th to 25th! « Back to Group Discussions

[Carlin]

Hey, I was just replying to last weeks thread and realized it's Monday and time for a new one, so here we go!

Ava'sMama, Yay for a good appointment! Hearing that little ba-bump, ba-bump is so reassuring!

Judy, I hope the Floradix helps quick. That doesn't sound fun at all. I think I read somewhere that pregnant women can have low blood pressure around the end of the first trimester too because blood volume needs to increase so much. Is there any possibility that that is a contributing factor too?

All this talk about Vitamixes and Blendtecs is making me want one! I have a pretty decent standard blender that works just fine for smoothies and the like but it definitely couldn't grind grains, and I'd love to be making my own bread flour. Maybe I'll start keeping my eye out for a refurbished one...

AFM, I'm having serious insomnia issues over the last week or so. It's taking me at least an hour or two to fall asleep and then if I wake up during the night it takes forever to get back to sleep. Last night was better than the last few nights but I'm still way too tired. I think DH finally got that I wasn't kidding about being exhausted though so I actually got to try and have a nap this weekend. Other than that, I sort of feel like I'm at the tail end of the nausea. When I do get enough sleep I feel pretty good, it's only when I'm totally exhausted that I feel nauseous again.

Happy Monday everyone!

[hyde]

Thanks for getting this started, Carlin!

Holy Rip Van Winkle, Batman.. I was generally with a number of you on the 'feeling less pregnant' thing, but yesterday I had a three-hour nap, and when I went to bed not long after, I slept another ~11 hours. Under normal circumstances this is physically impossible for me- as soon as the sun is up, I'm awake. Sleeping in just doesn't happen. Clearly these are not normal circumstances! I also threw up a couple of times yesterday.. I think some of it was carried over from sightseeing with our guests on Saturday, which probably wore me out more than I realized.

Anybody else have round ligament pain really ramping up? The past couple of nights I've woken up to real tenderness on my left side, and in general I've been getting achey 'growing pains' more frequently. Not so fun.

Okay, back to work.. Have a good week, all!

[Ava's Mama]

Carlin - I feel you on the insomnia, mine was worse in the 1st trimester, but it comes and goes and there doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to it! 

I have had so much energy.  I noramlly try to nap Friday-Sunday when I am home with DD but Saturday and Sunday I just couldn't fall asleep!  I remember with DD I could sleep anytime anywhere.  So interesting that even while pregnant nd keeping up with a toddler I have so much energy!  But by this point in my pregnancy with DD I was doing dumb things like stacking wood etc so my back was a disaster for much of the pregnancy.  I guess preventative maintenance is paying off!  It is also unseasonably warm and spring like in Maine which gives me a lot of energy too.

[MamanFrancaise]

Carlin - insomnia is the worst! I certainly had it in the first trimester and suddenly I am very sensitive to caffein. I can't have any at all in the evening or there is no way I'm falling asleep at a reasonable hour. Plus, I lay there awake and silently judge my DH for being able to sleep sooo easily. Jerk. 

AM - it is gorgeous here, too! It has never, ever been this warm mid-march here in Winnipeg. People are wearing shorts. It's crazy!

AFM, 4 more days of work and the fam and I are off to Edmonton for 4 days of shopping, swimming and amusement park rides! I really hope I get some more energy before then. I am feeling a slight urge to clean stuff... I haven't felt that in over 4 months!

 

[wendipauline]

I'm right there with so many of you in terms of symptoms! Had my first bout of heartburn this weekend, am dealing with insomnia and round ligament pain. And this bump is popping! I wore maternity pants for the very first time today

My SO and I also had a name conversation the other night- initiated by him, which was reassuring because he hasn't been supportive of this pregnancy. Hopefully he is coming to terms with it...

I'm still waiting for the glorious hair ro show up

[nukuspot]

I'm still severely nauseous 24/7 and vomiting some days still. I feel like being this sick for this long is slowly crushing my soul. I had a relatively "normal" pregnancy with DD from 16 weeks on, but being that I will be 16 weeks in 3 days a repeat is not looking likely and I feel really sad about it.

I seriously cannot wait until I at least look even a tiny bit pregnant (still down 9.5 lbs from prepregnancy and wearing all my normal clothes.). And feel regular movement. I thought I was feeling movement 2 weeks ago but it seems to have stopped now and I'm not sure what I was feeling. I have a great Doppler (I'm trained as a MW) but am trying not to use it due to my concerns about EMF exposure. However I admit I used it last week just for a minute to hear the HB just so I was reassured. I'll probably do it again this week too unless something changes!

[judybean]

Carlin -- yes! You must get a nice blender! My Vitamix arrived this afternoon and I immediately made a smoothie with blueberries, strawberries, oranges, bananas, Greek yogurt, some coconut oil and some ice -- it was heavenly!! I can't believe how smooth it all was! I thought my previous blender was okay, but there is simply no comparison with this! I used it to make an alfredo sauce for dinner (from the recipe book that comes with it) and dh loved it more than Olive Garden! Then I made some vanilla ice cream for dessert in it!! In less than five hours of owning it, I made three different meal items!! The Vitamix I got is a refurbished one and I love it thus far! It has the standard 7-year warranty!

Probably more... but I finally got dd4 to sleep and need a shower!

[MissE]

OK, I'm putting a Vitamax on my list too :). 

I had my down syndrome screening today..at 13w5d..very last minute lol. Everything looked good, pending blood results. The nuchal translucency measured 1.5mm, so no fluid there and everything else looked fine too. Baby was very lazy and did not want to move at all. Heartbeat was at 140bpm and I asked if she can see the sex but she couldn't get a good shot at it. So we wait a little bit longer. I have the anatomy scan in five weeks. I hope, hope, hope insurance can hold on that much longer. 

[ilovejeff]

Ok, I'm going to have to check out the vitamix. My blender is toast anyway and so of course I've been craving smoothies. My nausea is pretty much gone as long as I don't go too long without eating. I've had a little more energy, too, although I did take and hour and a half nap today. It was the same when I was pg with dd...I hit 13 weeks and everything started to get better. We've been away from home for the past five days and I'm really looking forward to going back tomorrow. The bed I've been sleeping on is very inferior to. The comfy bed I have back home. Though it has been nice to see all the friends and family that we left behind whenwe moved away from Seattle.

[Jend1002]

Nukuspot- I am so sorry that you are still so sick! I hope that a miracle happens and in 3 days you feel like your last pregnancy.

Sleep- Well, it's 2:30 am and here I am. DS woke up so I got him back to sleep but that's it for me. I have had the worst insomnia for weeks now. It's so unfair to be exhausted and awake! I am especially up
Today because I am stressing a bit about money. Our washer died last week and the oven went on Sunday. Yikes. And we really need to move- that's a whole other story. I guess just enough to keep me up at night!

I'll be curious how this post looks- first time trying to type one on my phone..,

[Engineering_Mama]

Nukuspot - I'm so sorry you're still feeling yucky. I agree, feeling like that day after day after day is soul crushing. I hope you get some relief soon.

Everyone with insomnia - I feel your pain. Mine's been pretty spotty, a night or two here and there, but it is SOOOOO unfair to be exhausted and not able to sleep. That is cruel and unusual punishment. Mine is definitely worse when I'm stressed.

AFM - I'm feeling a lot better. I've had a few completely normal days and the rest of the time I haven't been nearly as sick as I was. So thank goodness for that. I'm pretty sure my house would have fallen apart if I stayed the zombie I was. DD was definitely falling apart. When I go to bed early DH just lets her stay up until she collapses. Talk about tired, grumpy 3 year olds! The good news is my dad sent me a check with a share from my Grandma's estate. It was way bigger than I thought it would be. When he told me he was sending it he said he was sending a little money. It's definitely more than a little! So happy dance at our house. We're trying to pay off the last of the credit cards before I go on maternity leave. Plus we have to pay our midwife. This will definitely help. Maybe now I'll be less stressed about money and I'll sleep better.

[Carlin]

Nukuspot, I'm sorry you are still feeling awful. Being constantly sick is so hard on your body and soul! Have you considered seeing if you can get something to help? I have friends here who took Diclectin for HE through their whole pregnancies and swear it was like a miracle. I'm pretty sure it's not available in the US but there must be something. I know most of us like to avoid any unneccessary medication during pregnancy, but it doesn't sound like it's unnecessary for you right now!

I'm sorry that so many of us are having sleep trouble. I've been really trying to work on relaxation, deep breathing and using a sleep mantra and it's helping a little, but I was still up from 5 to 6 this morning after my toddler woke me up.

So a question mostly for the 2nd time plus moms (or anyone with midwife/nurse/doctor experience who may know) - where's your fundus? Last pregnancy I pretty much measured right on schedule, but this time I seem to be way further ahead. When I don't have to pee it's about an inch or inch and a half under my belly button, but this morning before getting up and using the bathroom it was at least a finger width above my belly button. So, more experienced moms, do you think this is still within the realm of normal, or should I be worried about excess fluid, multiples or something else? I have a midwife appointment in 2 weeks so of course I'll ask her then, but if it's totally normal I'd love to hear it, as I have lots of real life things to worry about without making anything up!

[mole]

I am getting so excited about shopping now. Experienced parents- I found a diaper bag on etsy that looks like it has all the features I want- I
like the pattern, I like the pockets in the inside, I like that it is waterproof, and I like that the straps are adjustable. The straps
aren't padded though, so maybe it will be uncomfortable to wear when it's not on the stroller? What are your experiences?

[crystal_buffaloe]

Just quickly checking in here

I have insomnia all the time, anyway, so I'm not counting it as a pregnancy symptom -- at least it doen't seem to be any worse than usua! I did get Spiritual Midwifery finally from the library (it had been on hold for ages) and I woke up at 3am and read it for a bit! If we were just a little closer, I'd seriously think about popping over to the Farm to have this baby.

Edited for spelling.
Edited by crystal_buffaloe - 3/21/12 at 6:07pm

[Jend1002]

Mole - I have a diaper bag that has non-padded straps and it's perfectly comfortable!  I love having a lot of pockets.  Mine essentially had three larger compartments and I organized it so one held my gear (wallet, phone...), one held all baby gear, and one held a changing pad.  It worked great.

I also have one of these and can't say enough about it:  http://www.squidoo.com/Most_Awesome_Diaper_Changing_Pad#module88360401 I practically kept in the car at all times so I always had a diaper, wipes, and a changing pad handy.  As DS got older and needed less stuff in general, I could also just throw this in any bag. If we went on long walks I also just tossed it under the stroller. I love it! 

I had to edit because my link didn't work.  Here's a link but you can't purchase here.  You get the idea though - other companies make these and I am sure you could find the same on etsy!

[Kelley13r]

This past weekend was just plan awful!!!  Friday I was in the ER for dehydration, I have been so sick this pregnancy it's not even funny.  I was never even close to this sick with my previous pregnancies.  So after 5 hours in the ER, 2 bags of fluid and a double dose of zofran (spelling?) I was out of there.  They gave me a prescription for zofran, and since I have already lost 4 lbs and not eating or drinking due to nausea I thought I would take it.  I asked both the nurse at the ER and the pharmacy tech if it tasted like anything because I can not do anything mint flavored.  Both told me tasted like nothing.....which was a lie because it tasted like mint; quick dissolve under my tongue which made me throw up.  So Saturday I would get 2 hours were I felt good between puking, around 1 I got a migraine and uncontrollable puking, while at work!  Finally found someone to come get me, took a long nap and then off to pick up my kids.  However when I arrived to get them I started getting stabbing pains in my abdomen and decided to stay at my rents since I did not think I could watch my kids with this pain.  The pain lasted all night and into Sunday.  Sunday night I finally call the midwife and she says the number 1 side effect is abdominal pain, she offers the pill version of zofran so I would not be throwing it up, but I would still have the stabbing pain.  The only other thing she could offer was something else, long name that starts with a P, but the side effects of this one are drowsiness.  I slept all day Monday but it felt amazing, and it was the first time since Thursday I was able to eat and keep the food down.

Not sure how I am going to make it through the work week, a half dose does not really help and a full does makes me fall asleep.  Plus I have a 4 and 2 year old that I have to care for when I'm home.....it is going to be an interesting week!!!

On a positive note I think I felt the baby moving last week and that was very exciting; was planning not to get any ultrasounds this time around but now my doula and close family friend who is a CNM think I might be having twins and want me to get an ultrasound just to make sure.....I don't know what to do???

[WindyCityMom]

Am I the only person who hates diaper bags?  If I'm out walking with the stroller I just toss a few diapers wipes wetbag whatever in there.. if we're in the car, I generally keep stuff in there... I don't even carry a purse =P

hyde- last night I went to bed at 6:30pm and woke up at 8 this morning!  Ridiculous!

AFM:

• Seasonal allergies are kicking me in the rear.  Or the nose.  More like the nose :(  Everything is blooming and there was a tree pollen alert today.. man did I feel it!  Midwife said it was OK to take plain Zyrtec so I did that about an hour ago.  Hasn't kicked in yet though..
• Lead poisoning update- last thread I mentioned that DD1 tested high for lead (20ppm finger prick) and we're waiting for the vein draw.  Still waiting!  But I had the midwife order the test for me today, and I go in on Monday or Tuesday to have it done.  We made a realization- my Dh works with lead! He handles car batteries, and the acid gets everywhere- it is leaded. I tried making him a dr appt, but they won't take new public aid patients.  He dd go to a clinic after his big car accident in 09, but was self pay.. maybe theyll take him.  I figure we can get him tested and eliminate him as a contributor to the lead if possible.. or prove that it is him.  Gah, this sucks.
• My "big finding out" ultrasound is on Monday.  I'm super duper nervous!!  Who wants to take a guess? :)

[WindyCityMom]

Oh, also... midwife says my placenta is still posterior (they guessed it was at my 10w dating scan) according to the u/s report from the NT.   for no previa & placenta not being over my c/s scar! 

[Carlin]

Yay WCM, that must be a huge relief! I think it's very exciting that our DDC is getting to the "finding out" stage. It doesn't seem like that long ago we were all just getting our BFPs!

[cryswilkins]

Just a quick check in. I have been super sick since Monday, I went to the Dr. today and I have strep. Which explains the fever and terrible sore throat. Antibiotics for me.