Weekly Chat: June 25 - July 1 - Page 6 « Back to Group Discussions

[ascher21]

AnyaRose--that can be hard...the looks from people. Pregnancy and births in the movies and on tv tend to be exaggerated, dramatic in the wrong ways, and downright misleading. I think as long as you remain true to your authentic self--the one that just is and doesn't care about what other people are thinking, you'll be just great. It's also quite normal to be a little worried. No matter what your circumstances are. I too think of my smiling baby when I'm feeling down. It makes me feel so happy to know he's smiling away in there, no matter how much I'm frightened or scared or worried. We are the protectors...the world around may be tumultuous, but inside us, our babies are warm and safe.

I had my 2nd BFW class today. It went great. Practicing the pain-coping strategies has made me feel so much stronger and more capable of handling an intense distraction. It also has made me realize that I'm really good at finding whatever I can that works. Which I think is the right mentality to have. Needs will change, feelings will change, and I need to feel like I can do whatever.

[MadiMamacita]

Originally Posted by AnyaRose 

I can see the judging looks of everyone when they see my young face with ringless finger...

FWIW I took off my rings, as many pregnant women do- especially nearing the end- so they don't get swollen on there! I obviously can't or won't tell you that you are imagining the judgmental looks, but I can say that I for one wouldn't notice if a girl had a ring onor not , and if she didn't I wouldn't make any assumptions about it. sorry you are feeling judged- that doesn't feel good.

Originally Posted by AnyaRose 

The only thing that's weird is this (TMI warning) this liquidy discharge that's happening more and more since maybe...24 weeks to now (28 weeks). It's definitely different from the regular discharge that I've had since the beg of the pregnancy- much waterier...and it's def not pee as when it happens when I'm on the toliet it looks similar in the water as smoke does to the air. I'm HOPING that it's not amniotic fluid, but what will happen if it is? Does anyone know? I'm mentioning it to my midwife this week at the appointment. 

I posted about this a few weeks back. I had a similar watery discharge and mentioned it to my midwife. She sent me home with a test swab that can check if it is amniotic fluid or just normal discharge.
From what I researched online it sounds like if it IS leaking amniotic fluid, your underpants will be quite wet- like people have to use pantyliners because it is so wet. Tears or punctures CAN heal themselves, but it is best not to be leaking. I'd ask my midwife either to swab and test me or to send me home with a swab. The swab is yellow and turns blue if there is AF present. She did say that presence of sperm can also change the swab blue.
have you noticed if the discharge has a smell? Many midwives say amniotic fluid smells like the ocean, but I have read contradictory things about that as well. some say it smells sweet, some say it has no smell at all, etc. if it smells at all like pee or sweat, you're probably fine.

[calpurnia7]

Originally Posted by ascher21 

I can stick to the normal brewer diet requirements to make sure of that.

I have done that, and have also followed some portion guidelines from nutrition plans for ladies with gestational diabetes.  A week before my glucose test, I decided it was finally time to do something about my weight gain.  I had gained 16lbs in the previous two months and could tell that some of it wasn't just belly.  So, I sat down and looked at what I was eating, and said, yikes!  Overall, yes, healthy, but when I saw that I indulged in sugary desserts several times a week, or a piece of chocolate over a piece of fruit for an afternoon snack, I decided to change everything.  (Not to say that you're doing that, but sometimes it does help to take a moment and look at exactly what you're eating and how much of it.  For example, brown rice is lovely to eat when you're pregnant for a multitude of reasons.  But maybe if you're still hungry after your dinner of chicken, greens, and brown rice, you should have seconds of the chicken and/or greens instead of the rice, etc.)

I also increased my exercise.  It has gotten too hot here to go for my long weekend walks, so in addition to my weekday workouts on the elliptical machine, I have started swimming laps on the weekends.

In the first week on my new eating plan, I lost 1.5 pounds and have since maintained that weight.  It's been three weeks, and my goal is to maintain my current weight until the end of July.  But, I'm not allowed to go hungry.  That way, the baby is getting enough, I'm getting enough, and if Mae needs to grow enough to justify a weight gain of half a pound to a pound a week, that's totally fine.

My doctor did comment on my weight gain, but she is not concerned about a c-section.  She was more concerned about my mobility because I want to have a natural birth, late onset gestational diabetes, and losing the weight after the baby comes.  Her goal is the same as mine - to be healthy and have a natural birth.  But she did say if I gain I gain, just try for no more than a pound a week.