Weekly chat april 2-9 - Page 3 « Back to Group Discussions

[prettyisa]

Easy labor vibes to everyone who's headed that way! Good luck!

Marnica--Have you talked about your fears at all with your midwives? They might be able to reassure you and let you know that they'll fight to help you have the birth you want. I agree that everyone so far seems to be getting what they hoped for, so no reason to think that the trend won't continue!

I'm at 39+1 and over it completely now. Thinking that I'll skip the cervical check at my midwife appointment tomorrow, though. I agree that it's not going to give me any useful info and it HURT last time, so I'd rather just avoid it and see where we are once I get into labor for real. No contractions, no mucus, no nothing, except the kid is slightly lower, so at least I'm not getting kicked in the same spot over and over again, which is nice. Now I just need a baby!

[piratemere]

I've totally been stalking the board all week, loving the birth announcements.  I'm only 38 weeks, but I'm so impatient.  Then, last night, as I was lying in bed, I had a lot of really good contractions.  I seriously had to force myself to stay in bed and get some sleep.  And, lo and behold, I woke up this morning NOT in labour.  The funny thing is, emotionally I'm actually fine going another 3 weeks, or whatever, but logistically, I want the baby to come right now.  I want to get the birth bin stuff out of my family room, I want to have a reason to pick a name (still no boy name in sight....), I want to fill out the paper work and get some financial stuff going that we are waiting on for this baby.  Plus, my mom is leaving for France on the 14th, and I'd love for her to be here when the baby's born (well, not HERE, but here as in, in the city.)  I also am trying to stay positive, but a little nervous of labour, and kind of just want to face it and get it over with!  On the other hand, I'm so adamant about trusting my body that I am in no way impatient enough to do ANYTHING to get things moving along.  I've been pretty insistent on that.  So, I may very well go at least another 3 weeks (my dates are fudged, so I don't expect to go past 41 weeks... knock on wood.) 

As for those of you "getting there," I'm sending lots of happy birthing vibes, and checking back constantly to see how it's all gone. I hope everyone gets the birth they dreamed of, and even if things go differently, that peace can come of that as well. 

And, for those of us who still have weeks to go - let's all hang in there and be glad for the time baby has to grow on the inside!!!

[tarabelle]

I just got home from seeing the doctor and baby has dropped!! I'm not sure what this means but I am happy to have some progress.  Doc also tells me I'm not dilated yet but my cervix is starting to thin.  woohoo!

[belacmsage]

Sending good, happy, easy labor vibes to those of you who are heading that way! So excited to read more birth announcements!

AFM: Tomorrow I am 39wk and I am so uncomfortable. I've been getting dizzy spells because I am so sleep deprived and baby seems in no hurry to come. Tomorrow is also my MW appointment. They usually don't do cervical checks but I think I might ask them to just out of curiosity. I'm really just wondering if my body is doing anything at this point.   

[lalazap]

Oooh, this is getting so exciting. Are we going to have new babies every day all month? Thinking of carastar, chiromama and thomatuttle - hoping that crampy stuff turns into strong productive labour for all of you!

As for me, I am 39w today and I expect to go at least to 40w if not 41w. Not terribly impatient yet. Pretty wiped out from yesterday which was full of shopping, making four kamut-spelt pizzas from scratch for a birthday dinner party, cleaning for the party and then finally hosting the event. I did manage to have a nap for about 45min while the dough was rising. It was great to have friends over and we had a living room dance party before dessert. It was great to shake it all around! I am so so thankful to have mostly resolved this SPD stuff - 6w ago there's no way I could have been dancing like that!

DP is very sweet but very stressed these days. He got up early to clean up the last evidence of the party, then before leaving for work he asked me what I have planned for my day - um, a hypnosis appointment, a walk, maybe some crafting? "Ok, don't forget to have a nap too." Meanwhile he is busting his butt at work trying to wrap up a bunch of projects before the baby comes. Of course, when a project is finished it just means that maybe he can get another one done before the baby, so the unknown deadline is ever-looming and as onerous as ever. I'm noticing him being really restless in bed and talking in his sleep which is a sure sign of stress for him.

I have been having crazy sugar cravings in the mid-afternoon but if I indulge them I feel absolutely HORRIBLE - nauseous, spacey, woozy, crampy. It's good to have such clear feedback from my body but it doesn't stop the cravings. It took three days in a row before I was able to talk myself out of eating a big bowl of ice cream or syrup-canned peaches at 2pm by remembering how I felt the day before (and the day before that and ...). 

I asked a friend of ours to organize a meal train for us and she has been all over it. She has a list of 20 people who have volunteered to make us meals. Many of them are AMAZING cooks so I'm excited!! We thought it would work best to have daily meals for the first week and then every other day after that ... so we should be being fed for over a month. We've got a good pile of food in our freezer already with room for more so I'm feeling pretty set in that area, phew! I am totally someone who needs a super stocked pantry in order to feel okay about the world. :)

[Christy1980]

Oh wow!  Good luck to everyone feeling the "vibe!"  Hope it all goes well and this is it for you!!

lalazap-my Dh has been doing the same thing, restless and snoring a lot at night b/c he's stressed about work and $.  And I feel the same way about the pantry!  DH said we needed to go grocery shopping this weekend b/c we are out of a lot of things, (we usually go 1x/month), and he knows the closer we get, the less I'll want to go, and there's no way we can wait til after the baby and go, b/c I really won't want to go then.  So we're doing that this weekend. 

Nothing new here, 38W today, just BH all the time.  Oh, and I get flushed and tight breathing, too, during the BH.

[justKate]

Marnica, do you have a doula to help you labor at home? I'm planning a hosp VBAC too, and have some of the same concerns. But it is the right choice for me, for this birth at least, so i'm determined to make the best of it. We can only do our best, you know? And every birth is different--so we have to look at this as a second chance at our first time, not a replay of the trauma before...but it is so hard. We're both going to get our VBACS. Stay strong.

[Marnica]

Prettyisa - I have mentioned my concerns to my midwives. They are sympathtic and supportive, but also have to follow hospital protocols. Little do they know I have no intention of following a few of them (hahahahha). They tell me they will do everything they can to help me Vbac, but that i should be prepared for another Csection should that become necessary. Their Vbac success rate for their hospital based practive is 68% or something like that.

Justkate - Yes I do have a doula. My dear friend just got her certification. I will be her 4th birth she attends. So while not super experienced as a doula, she is very eager, is my friend so I feel super comfortable with her, she just had her own succesful homebirth 10 weeks ago as well, and she is not charging me which is the best part! You are right of course - all we can do is our best and think positively. Thanks :)

[piratemere]

Marnica and Justkate,

My VBAC was a hospital birth, and while I definitely had to put down my foot about a few things, it wasn't all that bad. I had midwives, and when I had been pushing for a few hours and the OB came in to tell me I should have a repeat, I said, "I do not consent to a cesarean, what else can we do?" I had to say it about 10 times, but finally the OB said I 'could' (I hate that!) push a little more and she would try forceps if I was really against a cesarean.  I wouldn't recommend forceps to anyone, but it was better for me than a repeat - especially considering the fact that I want many more children.  There were many reasons why I got to that point, but I don't think any of them was particularily because I was in a hospital.  Don't worry, both of you will do wonderfully!  I can't wait to hear your VBAC stories!

[flavorfull1]

hugs to you VBACers, you ladies will do awesome and it sounds like you have the knowledge and support going into labor to totally kick butt!

So excited to see so many births and people possibly going into labor!  I had random pidly contractions for about 3.5 hrs last night then I woke up this morning w no baby lol.  It was exciting to realize that I won't be pregnant forever but also a little disappointing that it didn't go anywhere. I am consoling myself that she just needs a little more time in there.

I had my mw appt today and am a little thrown off by it. Everything looked good but I had to meet with my mw's part time partner bc she is on vacation 3 hrs away.  I am bummed bc while the part time mw is definitely capable, I really love the other mw.  I have gotten to the place now that I am ok with either one being at my birth so no biggie if dd decides to come before Monday but I will be a bit bummed if my fav mw cant be at the birth.  Honestly though, when I really think about it, I don't spend any time w the mw talking or being with her during labor. It really matters more that I can do what I want and she is there if I need her or have questions which I feel like will definitely be the set up.  The part time mw is just very emotional/feelings based when the other is more matter of fact. I can appreciate compassion but I need more of the attitude of "you can do this, you are strong" instead of  the empathetic "i know it hurts, it will be over soon, you are doing a good job"  I have talked about it with DH and my sister and they are to be buffers if it seems like I am getting irritated. I also have no problem telling the mw to be quiet and leave me alone.  She is really nice, just not my exact personality fit for labor like the other one.

anyway, I am measuring 4 weeks behind but no one seems to think it is an issue and I gained two pounds but it just seems weird to me. Baby is low and mw thinks I hide my babies. Anyone else measuring that far behind?

[tarabelle]

I am measuring about 4 weeks behind (and even smaller now that the baby has dropped) and worse yet, I have gained over 35 pounds.  I am really hoping my body just hides baby well because that is a LOT of non-baby weight already.  I'm also hoping my body doesn't hide baby too well, because I am afraid to push out a 10+ pounder on my first birth!

[justKate]

I was consistently measuring 3 weeks behind with DD, and didn't ever get beyond 37.  Labor started on her due date, and she just happened to be smallish (6 lb. 13 oz.).  But I still gained 45 lb. with her!  This time I've only gained 22 lb., and am measuring right on.  So in other words, no worries.

flavorfull1, were you small with your DS?

[flavorfull1]

tara- I gained about 50lbs with my DS and needed every bit of it that wasn't baby lbs and I measured 2 weeks behind then...he was 8lbs 2 oz.  This pg I have gained 30lbs so it feels weird to not be packing it on. Seems like each pg is just as different as the person that the baby is I guess?

[tarabelle]

I'm hoping I'll be just like you two.  I don't think I look like I've blown up or anything but to be 100% honest I am worried about how my body will look post-pregnancy and am hoping a lot of it will come off with breastfeeding etc.  Thanks for your input, ladies, because I can't stand stepping on that scale every time I have a doctors' appointment!

[flavorfull1]

justkate- looks like I posted right when you did lol. I wasn't this small with DS which is why it feels weird to me.  I guess I felt like 3 cm behind was still in the normal range and that 4 might be a little far behind.  DS was not a small baby so I dunno.

So, this morning I had very faint bloody show and am so mildly crampy. It feels like this baby is just going to slowly get things started to come into the world. I am having to learn a lot of patience! Today I will need to get out and walk to just distract myself. My birthday is tomorrow and I would love a baby for a present but do not feel like that is even close.  we will see.

[ReadingRenee]

Originally Posted by flavorfull1 

justkate- looks like I posted right when you did lol. I wasn't this small with DS which is why it feels weird to me.  I guess I felt like 3 cm behind was still in the normal range and that 4 might be a little far behind.  DS was not a small baby so I dunno.

So, this morning I had very faint bloody show and am so mildly crampy. It feels like this baby is just going to slowly get things started to come into the world. I am having to learn a lot of patience! Today I will need to get out and walk to just distract myself. My birthday is tomorrow and I would love a baby for a present but do not feel like that is even close.  we will see.

wow bloody show would make me impatient too.  But I have not ever wanted to go into labor on my birthday. So hopefully no labor tommorow!  lol  I have decided to just resign myself to not even thinking about labor until my EDD, which is the 14th.  It makes it hard when EVERYONE around me is convinced I will go early.  SO not helpful! :)

I hope it happens for you though, the bloody show and cramps are encouraging!

[prettyisa]

I'm having a hard time not interpreting everything as the start of labor, even though I have zero actual signs, and am still several days off from the due date. -sigh-

I've gained about 50lbs so far, but I can't see where any of it is, other than in my belly. I'm not worried about it much, but there is that lingering concern about how I'll look after the kid is here and whether it'll come off. I'm hoping that a lot of it is fluid, and that baby likes to breastfeed! That and some late spring power walking are my plan to have a waist again someday...

[daylicious]

I'm 37+3, and although I'm impatient, I do not want this baby to come before the 10th! My mw is leaving for Saskatchewan from the 5th-10th. I really want/need her to be at the birth. I have the #'s of 2 backup mw's that I can call if it happens when she's gone, but I really hope it doesn't come to that.
I've gained 28 lbs so far...but I was a little heavier than I would have liked pre pg.

[piratemere]

I had a midwife appointment yesterday.  She could barely catch the baby's heartbeat because he was moving so much.  I figured that was reason enough not to worry about the baby's heartbeat!  No check, no anything, so it was pretty short and sweet.  I'm praying I don't have to go back next week.  But, no signs of anything, so who knows. 

As for weight gain, I've gained at least 50 lbs, but I do that every time.  My mom, who was 105 lbs and very petite while having kids, would gain up to 70 lbs with each of her pregnancies (and she was pregnant 10 times - 7 live births), so I come by it honestly.  She was always able to nurse it off though, and so far I've been able to do the same. I sure would like to do it faster than the last two times though.  After babies are born we need to start a support thread for weight loss, for sure.  I've got no idea how, but I want it off by the end of summer.

We pulled out the birth pool last night and blew it up.  I ended up getting the Aquaborn, and it's nice. It almost seems a little too tall, but I didn't fill it with water, so I'm not sure if that will make a difference. I won't know how much I love it until I'm in labour, but it seems to be great. I was hoping that with it blown up and the final plans made my body would go into labour last night, but obviously, no luck. Instead I just didn't sleep all night with my two boys crawling all over me.  I know I need to get them out of my bed (they start in their own room each night), but every night when they come in I am overcome with this feeling that it may be one of the last times I can snug with them all night long, so I welcome them in - and then get no sleep because of it.

My SPD seems to be getting better lately. I don't know why, but while I'm still sore, I'm definitely not crying every night over it.  I'm glad, because I was really worried about going through labour with that sort of pain.  I had a few Cranio treatments, so maybe that helped, or maybe it's just timing. 

Here's to a few more announcements coming up for those of you with "real" signs (not just the imagined ones that I'm getting.)

[FruitOfTheWomb7]

I am currently one day past my edd and not really sure what is going on! I have been having very strong bh for awhile but other than that no signs of labour. Im not really impatient though, my other two were 6 days past edd so I guess I am kind of expecting this one to follow the pattern. My only real concern is that I wont know early enough when I am actually in labour. That probably sounds silly since this IS my third but with my last labour I did not realize it was the real thing until about 2 hours before he was born. I am hoping that this labour is fast also but I definitely do not want to deliver by myself with my two little ones (although my four year old would probably love to deliver the baby lol)!!!!

As for weight I have gained 50lbs this pregnancy!!! Its pretty frustrating since with my other two I only gained around 30 each time. Also with my first I lost all the weight plus some in the first week. With my second it took a bit longer but I was content with how I looked about two months after giving birth. I'm already dreading how hard it is going to be to lose the weight this time. I'm really hoping a lot of it is water retention as I am very swollen!!! With my other two it just eventually came off, with this one I'm thinking I might actually have to work out or something