Guys, my little girl is still breech. I'm seriously.... freaking out about it.
I'm having rampant anxiety to the point where its REALLY affecting my life. My 2 year old will come up to me and go "mama sad!!!!" and give me a hug. It bugs me because he does this many times a day.
I'm loathe to ask my MW's for like, um meds, but its seriously getting to that point. Its like pre partum depression and its just.... awful.
Thanks for the thread, Ithappened. Hope you are liking the new doctor and that they stay in a little longer!
Congrats on 3rd trimester, Penny! I'm glad you have your midwives!
LeAnn, I'm sorry about the pains. I don't have experience with what's happening, but I would talk to your ob/midwife if it keeps happening just to be on the safe side.
Lizbiz, I'm just waiting for something like that to happen. So far I haven't been good about kegels because I haven't had any leaks, but I know I need to work on them.
Great news, Sol_y_Paz!! I'm sort of in the opposite camp--he was head down at our 19w scan, but I don't know--I think he's still head down, I feel low hiccups, but I am going to be paranoid about it until I know for sure. Have a wonderful week!!
Oh, poppy, so sorry for all that you are going through.
Great to hear that things are going well, LakeRuby!
Woohoo, Boots! I am so happy that the test worked out despite how horrible it was and it reassures you about how "normal" you are!
Newmum, I know what you mean. I can't fathom all that will happen once the baby is here, but I also can't wait. We won't have a lot of help or visitors until mid September, probably, so that is a little stressful.
Sarah, my ob said that they expect the levels to be down in the 3rd tri because of changes to our blood volume, but I'm sorry you're unhappy with your numbers, although they don't seem that far off from the ideal.
Tchotchkes, sorry about your stress and anxiety. There is still time and a lot that you can do.
AFM, just a regular appointment tomorrow. I'm feeling pretty good, still trying to walk daily and not having any other major issues. Dh and I started sleeping in reverse positions in bed--before the snoogle was in between us--and it's been great getting back to snuggle time. He spends the mornings feeling the little guy wiggling.
Sarah, I don't know if you have issues with iron supplements or prenatals, but I JUST found an iron supplement that doesn't make me sick. My levels are kind of low, too, right at 10. It's Feosol Bifera HIP & PIC Iron. It's 20 dollars for $30, which sucks, but I was having a bad time with other supplements and prenatals with iron. I haven't taken it long enough to know if it is constipating, though.
I<3Chotchkes, I am so sorry your baby's position is causing you this much anxiety. Ugh, having gone off SSRIs during this pregnancy, I totally understand how bad depression/anxiety can get. It is totally understandable that you are anxious about a breech birth. I think you should mention how bad the anxiety is to your midwives, whether or not you decide to request meds. You could you use the support. You will get through this, mama, whatever may come!
Thanks for the love, everyone! I am feeling good although now we are dealing with some pest problems in our home I am freaking out about. There's just no end to it, I swear. Thankfully huz is going to come meet the exterminator tomorrow and let me go visit my friend and her new baby.
I don't even think I can yet reflect on how much I learned from having been basically told I would develop all these complications and not developing any of them. Really pregnancy brings me back to feminism in a way I haven't been in awhile!
Chotchkes, my doctors don't even say anything about the position unless I ask. At my last appointment (31 weeks) they said it felt like he was head up, but that it's still too early to be a problem. Have you asked your caregiver about it? I feel bad you are so upset about something that may be not worth worrying about yet. *hug*
My sister is a lurker here as well, she also really likes our DDC, as do I! I'm so glad I get to go through this with you ladies. I'm with everyone else in that I hope we all stay in touch as our LO's grow. I lurked in my sister's DDC for her now 3yo (at her request, she's been trying to get a niece or nephew for a while now), and they have transferred their group from a DDC, to baby, to toddler, and now to a childhood thread. They just had one of those great combinations of individuals that meshed really well.
Intime, congrats again on your little boy! What a blessing that he is doing so well for such a little guy!
Penny, congrats on the 3rd trimester and good luck on your glucose test. I'm sorry that you had to deal with that kind of disconnect from your OB, but happy you have a better option now! I am a day behind you. It does feel like such an accomplishment, and it feels like it came quickly. Although, I've got to be honest, I thought the first four months would never pass, they were so tough!
LeAnn, I hope that you are feeling better. It does sound like you may have overdone it and that a couple of days rest should help. I hope you're continuing to mend.
Liz, I feel you...not so many issues with the sneeze-pee, but B has gotten plenty of laughs from my puke-pee incidents, particularly in the apartment when we only had one bathroom and he would walk out to me holding a plastic bag and yelling at him for taking too long. Fun times, being pregnant!
Sol, hope you're enjoying all the nesting and planning and keeping your energy up enough to get through it all!
Poppy, I'm so sorry for your tough and emotional week. I'm glad you're starting to feel a little better about everything. 
Ithappened, I hope you find all the energy you need to work through your to-do list.
Lakeruby and Boots, so glad your results came back fine!
NewMum, I'm totally with you on the feeling somewhat prepared just because of a willingness to kind of go with the flow of the birth, but unprepared for what follows, you know, having a little human...I keep trying to prepare myself for that part, but it seems SO unreal at this point. I just don't think I can comprehend it. I wish I was close to my sister so I could "observe" her with my little niece. I spent the first 3 days of my niece Coraline's life trying to picture myself as the mother to try and prepare myself for what was to come...I don't think it was successful. I'm glad that your mom is heading out to visit. The fact that my mother will be here in July is really comforting for me as well, I'm just hoping the reality matches the fantasy, since my mom requires a lot of attention.
Sarah, I'm sorry about your iron levels, but it is good that you're feeling well. I hope that it is just temporary due to increased blood volume like a couple of people mentioned. I know my sister was having issues with her iron levels and she was having to split up eating, I think, iron and calcium (totally can't remember what she was carefully not eating together) in order to get maximum iron absorption. [Thursday, if you're lurking feel free to jump in and correct me here].
Chotchkes, I'm sorry you're feeling such anxiety about Z facing the wrong way. Have you tried any of the options to help turn her around? And so sweet about R being so loving and concerned. I hope this all works itself out. I'm sending spinny baby vibes your way.
Andaluza, good luck at your appointment. I'm glad you've figured out a way to get some snuggle time with your DH. Between my belly and my body pillow, that is one thing I'm really missing.
AFM, I randomly met another 28 weeks preggers lady in the locker room at the Y after my swim yesterday. I was running late for my first Bradley class, so I didn't catch her name, but she and her DH are very active like B and I, so we chatted for a minute and hopefully we run into each other at the gym again. It is also great motivation for me to make it to the gym after work. Now that I'm done with the CPA exam (no word on my score yet) I'm hoping I can meet some people. The first Bradley class went well too. The other 7 couples all seem very nice, as is the instructor, so it should be a very informative and enjoyable 12 weeks, and when it is all done, I will be ready to pop!
Hello everyone! Good week so far. I know I'll forget a few people here and there, so sorry if I miss you!
Poppy, sorry you're having a tough week. Sometimes these things come in waves, which seems so unfair. I hope you're feeling better soon and that you work through these losses with family and friends.
Boots, congrats on passing the 3 hour! What a relief. I hear you on pregnancy bringing out my latent feminist tendencies. I think back to my first interactions with the nurses and doctors at the OB/Gyn clinic and there was just this ridiculous attitude that I should just trust whatever they say. So frustrating. My new doc is the total opposite, and not surprisingly, I trust her 100%.
Tchotchkes, my doctor has never said anything about position at all and doesn't even start worrying about it until 34 weeks. I really wish you could get some reassurance. I'm with Ninetales on being curious why your provider is even giving you this information in the first place. From everything I've read, it's way too early to worry about this. But I'm sorry it's causing so much anxiety. Hopefully baby flips soon so you can have some peace.
Sarah, I second what everyone else has said about the iron. My doc said that iron levels naturally go down in pregnancy as they get depleted and as blood volume increases, so she doesn't worry about lower than average scores. I hope you can get yours up with some supplementation soon. And I'm pretty sure Veritas is right that you shouldn't take iron with any source of calcium, so avoid taking your supplements with milk or yogurt or your calcium supplements. But you and your doc probably already discussed this.
Penny, congrats on the third tri! I'm still loving all your belly pics, by the way. You're always glowing and happy! Love it.
LeAnn, I've had a few days like that as well. I did a harder than usual workout on Sunday and yesterday my belly and ribs were super uncomfortable and I kept feeling this weird pulling when I rolled over. I'm feeling much better today. Lots of Braxton-Hicks in the last week or so, but nothing in the danger zone or anything. I have to remind myself to cut myself some slack, especially with all the housework I'm doing too. I hope you find out soon where you're living, the gender, and all the other important questions you still have unanswered. Your Zen-ness throughout this all has been really impressive. I would be a raging mess. I can barely handle that we don't have a crib or most of what we need yet.
Liz, I stood up the other day and my bladder was so full that standing up caused a Braxton-Hicks and I sneezed at the same time. I almost crumpled to the floor in a combination of pain and embarrassment. Sneeze-pee + B-H = Train Wreck.
Andaluza, I threw my preggo pillow on the floor on Sunday just so Dh and I could snuggle a bit. But I need the darn thing so badly that we'll have limited snuggling time until babe is born.
AFM, I have a regular appointment today and am trying to get back on a work schedule after last week's finals, graduation, and all that craziness. I'm also trying to control my frustration that we don't have any of the big stuff for baby and won't until July 7th when my second shower is and when my SIL can bring a load of stuff up for us. I know it's not a big deal and that if worse comes to worse, we can stick the baby in a laundry basket and not worry too much, but I just really want the nursery set up and to not have to do most of my baby shopping. laundry, and organization 9 months pregnant. Ugh.
Things are definitely getting less comfortable too. My rib cage pain, which seems to be associated with heartburn, is seriously painful at times and prevents me from sleeping on my right side. I also totally agree with Veritas that even though I get so excited about the baby and these last two months, it's also completely unreal that we're actually going to have this little human running around. I won't say I feel distanced exactly, but sometimes I just don't connect this giant belly with a little human being. Seeing intime0's little man just made it more surreal in a way. All right, I must escape to finish my annual review packet and then madly clean and organize more. Yikes! Crazy nesting insanity over here.
Oh Chotchkes I am so sorry you are having so much anxiety. Really, though, I think you still have plenty of time for the baby to turn. And please don't feel any shame about meds - I've stayed on Celexa throughout this pregnancy because I know that us mamas have to be healthy & happy in order for us to grow healthy & happy babies.
It wasn't my MW! it was the #)$(*#%#%ing ultrasound tech. I wish she hadn't said ANYTHING.
My MW keeps saying "dont' SWEAT it, you have plenty of time PLENTY OF TIME" but.... I'm FREAKING out here.
It wasn't my MW! it was the #)$(*#%#%ing ultrasound tech. I wish she hadn't said ANYTHING.
My MW keeps saying "dont' SWEAT it, you have plenty of time PLENTY OF TIME" but.... I'm FREAKING out here.
Just out of curiosity, how do you know the baby is still breech? Are you still having ultrasounds? I agree with Penny in that it sounds like your anxiety level is really affecting your quality of life. It might make sense to look into getting some help. Exercise, meditation, and so on can really help with anxiety, but you might need more than that.
Penny - So glad you feel affirmed in your choice to go w your MW's. Are they suggesting the glucose test? Or the previous OB? If you have no risk factors/symptoms you can refuse the test or ask for an alternative.
Sol - Sounds like you have a great week ahead! Enjoy it. :)
Poppy - I'm sorry you're facing so much sadness with loved ones this week. I hope you have some great support to love on you. Loss does have a way of bringing the truly important things into sharp focus. Hugs to you!
ithappened - Good luck with your to do list! I hope you can get some rest in there somewhere, too. I'm also getting realistic about what we need asap and what can wait or just get scrapped all together. My list is getting whittled down to a nub. :)
Boots & Lakeruby - I'm so glad your tests went well! Boots, what a relief! Yay for healthy mama's! :) And shame on your ex-OB for being so presumptuous and insenstive. I'm so glad you found a doc you're comfortable with.
Newmum - Next month!! So crazy! I'm happy that you're feeling so ready for this delivery, that's a great place to be. It's nice that your mom is coming to be w you. A mom's job is never done, right? 
Sarah - I'm sorry you're stressing about your iron levels. Like VV, I've been reading some about bioavailability. You might want to look into that if you don't think you're seeing the results you expect from your diet. Calcium has been shown to inhibit the absorption of iron when they are eaten together. Food for thought. :)
Chotchkes - I'm sorry you're struggling w so much anxiety. I agree that its a good idea to talk to your MW about it whether you choose to ask about meds or not. They can be a great support and its good info for them to have. There's lots of time for your LO to turn yet but I know the concern you're feeling. I just can't tell what this LO is up to in there and she was transverse at the anatomy scan. So I definitely have bouts of 'OMG, this LO can not come out sideways!!!' DH suggests I get a flash light and hold it at the base of my belly and tell baby to go towards the light. LOL!
Lily - Thanks for that! It's definitely been and continues to be an exercise in trust for me. The zen is something I'm always striving for. :) One of the reasons I decided to be a doula, actually. 
Do you have any workout recovery tips? I'm trying for active recovery (walking, yoga) and I've been soaking before bed too. It is hard to remember to take it easy these days. So much to do around the house plus trying to be super prepared for this delivery...hello nesting energy! DH keeps yelling at me to take a nap!!!
I have to agree that this DDC rocks! Thanks for all of your feedback, ladies. I'm feeling better. I do think that I over did it. I also think that LO is quite a bit lower as of this week and that is causing some general pelvic pain/pressure/expansion. Woo.hoo. I was carrying pretty high through the 2nd tri and now LO seems to have settled lower. For whatever reason this has my pelvic/ab muscles so tight, almost like they're siezed up. If I breath really deeply for a while I can get them to relax but generally they've been pretty tight. I've also been having a lot of contractions at night, oddly enough. One actually woke me up last night at 130a. Not sure what that's all about. I'll bring it up at my next MW appt in a few weeks unless something changes before then. I think its just my little body (read short) rebelling a bit at the tight quarters. I feel like i'd be in good shape if my torso was 6 inches longer. Otherwise we're anxiously awaiting DH's orders hopefully sometime this week. So yeah, basically noone is sleeping in my house this week. 
Just out of curiosity, how do you know the baby is still breech? Are you still having ultrasounds? I agree with Penny in that it sounds like your anxiety level is really affecting your quality of life. It might make sense to look into getting some help. Exercise, meditation, and so on can really help with anxiety, but you might need more than that.
I'm surmising based the fact where the kicks and movement and kicks are. :(
I have no idea what I should do. I'm hoping to hold out until my MW appointment. I can't get anything that'll knock me out- like xanax, because I HAVE to take care of my 2 year old.
Part of it, my SIL delivered at the hospital I'm going to this last week, and the nurses were AWFUL, and the whole experience aside from the midwives we share was epically awful for her. My last birth, something simliar happened. Sooooooo I'm really hesitant to walk in there to deliver my baby.
Boots--- Yay!! So happy for the good test results!!
Sarah-- darn, hope your iron is up by your next appointment. iron, protein, fluids... there is so much to keep track of in the pregnancy business!
Penny-- ugh! I'm so glad you had a back-up plan with your midwife!
NewMumJoy-- yay for your bike ride! I've been nervous to get back on my bike, probably because I feel to cumbersome and unwieldy these days. It's great that you're feeling prepared for labor/birth.
Chotchkes - so sorry about all the stress you're having! It's especially not reassuring when the horror stories and negative expectations (w/the hospital) are so real for you. I still honestly believe that you have time on your side though.... my doc still doesn't discuss position w/me because he says it's "too early to matter" (and I'm on 32 wks)... but I know it's hard to get it off your mind once the worries have set in... try to stay optimistic and send your baby those positive thoughts to move down!
VV - the pee/puke, omg!! You really did have a tough few months there I recall... and now look how far you've come! Hope your visit next month w/your mom goes well too - I totally understand the mixed feelings - my mom and I have a very strange relationship...but I'm happy to just have a familiar face around here finally! Enjoy your Bradley classes!
Andaluza - hooray for snuggling time, and yes, enjoy it while you can! I'm afraid my nights of decent sleep and snuggling are long gone - for the few nights DH is actually home, I've already had to move into the guest bed halfway through the night to spare him from my constant fidgeting and restlessness.... :(
LilyTiger - your baby shower will be here before you know it! But I understand the frustration of not being able to get certain things finished in the meantime..... it'll all come together though!! And yes, a laundry basket would work perfectly in a pinch.... ;-)
LeAnn - oohhh you're finally going to find out DH's orders this week, yay! Then you can finally move forward with just about.... EVERYTHING! Good luck w/the news - can't wait to hear where you'll be heading to next!
.....At 5'1", I could also really use another 6" in my torso too, especially this week! Baby's feet (or something) are getting bigger and stronger, just pushing higher and higher into my ribs.... sitting/slouching is super uncomfortable right now!
Andaluza, hope he stayed head down and hope your appointment went great! That sounds so fun about your DH feeling the baby moving in the mornings, how sweet 
My LO isn't reliable enough to move around at exact times and for long periods of time. I know all is well with LO and do feel daily movement so am thinking it might just be the placement of my placenta, which also makes it a bit more work to even get the HB.
Boots, yay! Congrats on passing the three hour! That is so interesting about when you got the results back and it matched up with the blood test every hour and how bad you felt. That sounds so extreme and sorry you had to go through it. I hope the visit with the new baby went great. I am so glad you haven't developed any complications, especially since they scared you into thinking you would.
Ithappened, good luck with your to do list that is times two!
VV - that is neat about the person at the Y. Glad you are done with your exam and hope you did well. The Bradley classes sound good!
Sarah, do you ever cook with cast iron? That might be something to look into. Makes food taste extra yummy too. Nothing like iron skillet jalapeno cornbread...
LilyTiger, that is great your new doctor is SO much better than the last, I remember when you switched and am so glad you did so, sounds like it is making all the difference in the world. I am sorry you have to wait to set everything up, I can totally see where that would be frustrating. 9 months pregnant and doing everything last minute really does not sound fun. We still don't have a crib, it is ordered but won't make it. The baby will be a month old or older before it comes. I read about all the ladies who are moving in the 3rd tri and working with the logistics of that, so me not having the crib on time is nothing compared to that. Hope your appointment went well. Sorry things are getting less comfortable.
Newmumjoy, Glad you are feeling somewhat zen about all of it coming up! And I am glad you are going to have company. The bike ride sounds so great, nothing like fresh air and sunshine when it is nice weather outside. My doctor only discusses position when asked too. And says it doesn't matter until much later in the game so it really is a non issue. So Chotchkes, hope you can find some relief in the words of encouragement from your midwife and us here, try not to worry just yet, I know easier said than done. Thinking of you!
LeAnn, hopefully you get confirmation on your baby girl soon. And things can start to fall into place after you get the orders! You have a lot going on right now!
For those of you with older kids.. what are you planning to do with them during labor?
DS is 2.5yo and I can't imagine taking him to the hospital with us and yet I am trying to figure out what to do with him if I go into labor in the middle of the night.. would you just take them with you? hope he stays asleep then assign DH to him if he wakes up?
I'm sort of at a loss 
Mine will be here. I don't know if you have mentioned it or not Ithappened but do you have a sched. cesearean? I imagine that would be hard to figure out what to do with your little man then.
My daughter is dependent on us soo much and the only person in the world that she will go to is my mom. However, my mom will most likely not be here, so if I head to the hospital for some reason, she will be coming too!
In our situation, I would rather dh stay with her, and have a support person by my side (doula, midwife, friend) during the c/s, only because I know she would be most comfortable with him and I don't want to be worried about her and me and the baby both! But that is what I would do, and it might be completely different for you! If it was in a delivery room, I don't think I would have no problem with her hanging out, watching something on the iPad or tv, snacking, whatever.
For those of you with older kids.. what are you planning to do with them during labor?
DS is 2.5yo and I can't imagine taking him to the hospital with us and yet I am trying to figure out what to do with him if I go into labor in the middle of the night.. would you just take them with you? hope he stays asleep then assign DH to him if he wakes up?
I'm sort of at a loss
Does your hospital have a policy on kids? I think ours says no kids under 10 or something, so that would be good to know ahead of time. Not sure what people do with kids who don't have family or babysitters around though. Sorry I can't help!
ithappened - Some people hire a doula for their older kids but I think you said they are hard to come by in your area. If you are planning to hire PP help, maybe they would also be able to help you w DS during the labor? You could ask for suggestions at his daycare or ask your OB for resources? Just brainstorming here. You could plan to have him w you but a CS definitely complicates that scenario. Unless you are able to schedule it while he is at daycare...then at least DH could be w you through the birth since they tend to be fairly quick procedures, even if he would have to leave after to pick him up. They could always come back together. Like I said, just brainstorming...
yeah its tricky-
my sister was going to come but is now starting grad school over the summer so won't be coming, i know if DS is in the room I will be worrying about him, myself and the twins.. part of me feels like it would be easier to just have DS/DH stay home and I go to the hospital alone- but thats assuming there are no complications in the birth.. then I want DH there- my German really fails me when i get hyper stressed.
I have another 2 weeks for baby to unbreach before they will schedule a c-section for me in july.. I am going to ask about the children policy as I hadn't thought of that .. I will ask at his daycare as my new OB had no helpful suggestions.. I am sure I'll figure it out, because I have to :)
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