7/15 Weekly Thread « Back to Group Discussions

[darkblue0729]

Hey mamas! Stop in and chat!! Hope all is well!

[Jackies]

Argh, so tired! I don't remember being this tired last time, although it was a while ago and my life was much different. I can't tell when to get out of bed and when to go to sleep since I'm tired all day no matter how much sleep I get.

Any tiredness tips, or just wait for this to pass?

[newCTmama]

Joining in the chatting, fellow December Mamas! I have two tentative due dates- the 24th or 30th-ish - but my DS was born 11 days "late," so we shall see :) I'm in my 16th week, and am beginning to get more energy back (I think... today was a good day)! At least the nausea seems to be fading, so that's a good thing. I've been enjoying following these threads, and look forward to being a part of the discussion! 

[travelmumma]

Yay! Glad you are joining in newCTmama!!! And its nice to hear that you are starting to feel better :)

Jackies- no advice here, just lots of rest, and lots of being lazy! :) Thats where I am at too!

AFM- we spent the weekend with DH's family for a reunion. Lol i loved being greeted with "Hey Fatty!" or "Which are you more excited about, the bump or the boobs?" HAHAHAHA! And of course all the oldies fed me up with a billion cups of tea and pastries!

Is anyone else feeling unbearably dizzy? I woke up last night to use the toilet and I almost fell over! Then I just got out of bed now and I had to sit down.... Not sure why I am feeling this way.

I don't have a doctor I can see either, so not sure what to do...

As well as the dizziness last night I had a little bit of pain/uncomfortable-ness down in my abdomen..... Does sound good right....

[Eandko]

I can't help you on the dizziness, Travelmumma. I've never had that as a pregnancy symptom. Tonight marks the start of heartburn for me though. I imagine it will continue until birth like it did last time. I seem to remember that last time I had a few weeks break between the end of nausea and the start of heartburn. No such luck this time, but at least neither are too severe at this point.

[purposefuldoula]

Jackies, I suggest up your protein and iron! And don't stay up late watching cheesy netflix shows like I can't stop doing 

Travelmumma, we were just talking about this last week! I had a spout of dizziness and talked to my MW about it. She said that I needed to make sure I was getting enough food - which, the day that I had dizziness, I had only eaten protein balls and it was noon by the time I talked to here. She mentioned that it was probably my body's way of letting me know that we needed more food! So, I made a giant, protein heavy lunch and by supper time I was feeling like me again.  

The other main thing is that you are reaching near the middle of pregnancy. It's when our blood pressure is the most likely to go low, causing dizziness! A few other of the mamas in this group are all going through this as well. We just need to remember to take it easy, and get low to the ground if we feel dizzy. We don't want to pass out!  

Is your BP on the lower range normally? Mine is usually around 100/90 over 70s, so it wouldn't surprise me if I did in fact go lower last week. It's right on target for this big shift in blood volume and all that. 

Eandko, I've had heart burn for months already!! I take a papaya enzyme and a blueberry antacid to help. I can't stand it and it seems to only affect me so far when I'm laying down. Not cool! 

So, have any of you ladies used previously or started using liquid calcium?? About a week ago, I started getting all twitchy whenever I'd try to go to sleep. I had stocked up on some liquid calcium just for this reason, but didn't think it would start so soon! It's really great for relaxing. I'm just wondering who else has tried it. 

[esp831]

Happy Monday All!  Welcome newCTmama!

Travelmumma- I have some dizziness when getting up, especially out of bed.  As far as I know, some dizziness when getting up is normal in pregnancy.  You have a lot more blood volume now, so it takes your body a few extra seconds to adjust your equilibrium.  Try getting up really slowly.  First sit up in bed (which is hard to remember in the middle of the night when you reaaaaaallllly need to pee) and hang your legs over the edge, wait a second or two, and then stand up slowly.  It feels like a pain at first, but you get used to it pretty quickly.  In my first pregnancy, I got up one morning really quickly to run to the bathroom to blow my nose and promptly passed out cold.  My midwife at the time also mentioned that staying hydrated was very important.

Jackies- I second what purposeful says on the tiredness issue.  Have you had your hematocrit checked?  When I was feeling insanely exhausted like you are, I was actually anemic.  With some great advice from the mamas here, I started supplementing with Floradix.  It's only been a week and I feel much, much better!  I did try first to increase my protein and iron food sources, but it just wasn't quite enough.

Eandko- sorry about the heartburn, it's the pits!  Have you tried apple cider vinegar?  I never have, but heard it can really help.  I may also try the papaya enzyme and cross fingers!

AFM--We've been up nearly all night the last two nights with a teething LO.  There is a lot of grouchiness floating around here, I hope these teeth cut soon, ugh.  She is so cranky and nothing seems to help.  This weekend I'm taking DD1 to my parents house for the weekend, just the two of us.  No DH and no DD2 :(  It will be the first time I've been away from DD2 overnight and I'm in a tizzy about it.  I know it's the best thing for all of us, but I think I'll be a wreck the whole time.

Otherwise, things are just fine and mellow around here, in a wonderfully boring way.  Last night we had raspberry sorbet with strawberries and basil on top with a snickerdoodle on the side.  Loving sweets again!

[cieloazul]

Jackies, I'm wiped out too. That's good advice re protien and iron. I also think pregnacy is just a sleepy time, a lot like being a teenager who needs to sleep in becasue they're growing. I'm trying to get to bed earlier (bot not succeeding very often...oh, the irony of pregnancy insomnia) and taking naps when I can even if it's just 20 minutes.

Welcome, newCTMama! It'll be interesting to see when LO arrives. I wonder if being early/late in previous pregnancies stays true in subsequent births. Exepreinced mamas, what have you noticed?

Travelmumma, hope you're finding ways to cope with dizziness. No fun.

Eandko, I've had some heartburn too. I'm hoping it has to do with eating gluten/dairy over the weekend and that it's not here to stay for the next 5 months.

Purposefuldoula, that's really interesting about liquid calcium. I'm a twitcher (drives DH nuts!) and read that restless leg can sometimes respond to iron suppliments, but I'm already taking iron and still twitching away. Might look into calcium. That would make sense...I drank a couple glasses of milk this weekend, which I *never* do, it just sounded sooooo good (until the heartburn set in, see above).

Esp831, that dessert sounds so yummy! Hope your time with DD1 is super special. I'm sure DH and DD2 will be fine. That's nice for them to get some 1:1 time too.

AFM, it's been a pretty uneventful week. Out of nowhere I'm suddenly feeling really big. Up until now I've been wearing whatever I felt like (and that still fit), neither confirming nor denying the belly, lol. But now it feels like there's no turning back. It's empire waists and stuff belted above the bump from here on out I do believe.

[chicajones]

Hello newCTMama! It's kindof nice that you have flexible due dates -- hopefully that will help ease any expectations for an exact date. It's been funny to watch friends on Facebook who freak out when their due date has arrived and they aren't yet in Labour. I've bet that they would go into labour exactly 8 days after their due date and have already been proven right! Obviously everyone isn't the same, but I'm hoping that being laid back about it will help me when I get to that point.

Travelmumma, sorry to hear about the dizziness -- I've had a bit of it when I stand up after laying down for a while. My MW told me to just be careful to stand up slowly and ease my body into it. Being sure you're eating enough is a good help as well! 

cieloazul, I'm with you -- I feel like my bump just popped out over the weekend! Definitely starting to limit my clothing choices. I am still loving my denim jeggings from Target (the only pants I don't have to rubber band or use the bella band with). 

esp831 - no worries, it is easy to miss things on these threads! We are moving to Wales (UK) to train with a church there and then plant our own church on one of the Council Estates (government housing) in the spring. Our goal is to fly out there in mid-September, but we're waiting on our Visa Sponsor to be approved, and that may not happen until September (which puts things very up-in-the-air right now). The latest I can fly is early November, but we're really hoping it will work out that we make it over before then so we can get settled in. Our apartment lease is up August 15th and we'll be selling most of our "stuff" before then. After that, we'll be moving in with some friends until we head over. Pretty crazy but also pretty exciting!

AFM, looking forward to another prenatal class tonight, as well as my MW appointment on Wednesday. Feeling pretty decent, although I've started waking up every night with a full bladder. At least my mind finally realizes it and I actually get out of bed to use the bathroom, rather than trying to go back to sleep eighty times! Also, anyone else been getting really klutzy? I feel like I'm eternally dropping things or tripping over things, lol! Maybe my sense of equilibrium is all screwed up. 

[kel]

I think adequate protein (70 grams a day) and esp starting your day with 20-30% of the day's protein, plus good hydration, and starting out slow (whether standing up or exercising) in everything, will solve/prevent a lot of pregnancy related issues - including dizziness and tiredness.  But some of it just can't be helped.  I've been having to ride in a zillion elevators in the past couple weeks at children's hospital and my equilibrium is super messed up for about 5 min afterward each time.  

I'm happily not having any difficult pregnancy related issues right now.  Headaches come and go, but other than that I'm good.  Except for not seeing dp for 2 weeks now:(  My 6 yr old wanted to make a baby calendar the other day, so that was fun - my due date is on a Saturday, so we made the calendar so that every Sat it show how many weeks "old" the baby is, and when she turns 5 months, 6 months, etc.  The kids also wrote in their guesses for when she'll be born.  I'll be 4 months this next Saturday and still haven't felt concrete movement, but I never feel much til a bit later on.  It's still fun to lay in bed at night and put my hands on my uterus and feel how much it's grown, and the past few nights when I've done that I'm pretty sure I've felt a response to the pressure from my hands - but like I said, no fish bowl jumps during the day yet!  Dp wants her to wait to start kicking until he gets here next weekend anyway;)

[Mamabeakley]

I am right there with the tired, dizzy, klutzy mamas!  I am feeling kind of overwhelmed with it, too; this weekend was very, very busy due to some family events and I've had to bow out of part of almost all of them because a) I had to work, I work on weekends and b) I'm so tired.  I was thinking maybe I was anemic but I'm not (hemoglobin = 12.1 which is good).  It's super hot & humid so that's extra challenging.  But basically it seems that my body is just NOT able to go at the rate that my brain wants it to.  I worked from 9 - 4 yesterday (and my work is not physically strenuous, really) and went home and crashed for two hours before I could get up and go to the party which had started at 4.  And then I was also having crampy feelings yesterday afternoon, and again today.  NOT contractions, thank goodness - but really sore, achy feelings way low down that come and go.  I think it's mostly dehydration and fatigue, but I can't seem to catch up with it.

Hopefully this coming week will give me some time to rest.  We're going on vacation with DH's family and I'm hoping that there will be enough adults around that I (and DH, who is the one having to take up the slack) will be able to take it a little bit easier.  We'll see - there are going to be 14 kids there, I think!  All under the age of 8!  Which means that I won't be around much on-line - once we get to the actual cabin in the woods, there's no internet - or even cell phone reception!

[segolilymama]

HI everyone!~ we certainly sound like a bunch of pregnant ladies lol -

travelmumma, conrgats on your new gig! Let me know if you ever need a birth researcher to come speak about experiences in childbirth - I have a valid passport and would love to visit Australia ;) As for dizziness, probably BP related, as others have said.

welcome, NewCT!

chica I am a total clutz. part of the package!

kel - very sweet about the calendar :)

I don;t remember who was talking on last week's thread about the body changes - they are so crazy to deal with (well, on #4 it's kind of no big deal now, but sure was the first couple of times!). It's so normal to feel 'fat' or 'weird' or whatever - just be sweet with yourself, and believe those people who tell you that you look wonderful :)

I am in Texas this week, on the gulf coast. This place has always been like home for me (it's our 'sisters week' annual reunion - mom, aunts, female cousins), and after the last couple of crazy weeks it feels so good to be here and relax. DP is throwing a bit of a fit, as I have been so busy & am now gone, and he feels neglected.... It's all fine, he has a hard time when I am away every time, at least these days he knows where it comes from after several years of being willing to actually confront issues and not just suppress them like he was taught as a kid (when he was 10 his mom went to the dentist for a bad tooth & died of leukemia complications a few weeks later, never came back home - so he gets nervous when people leave him). Anyway, I'm being patient with him as always, and loving and sweet & sending lots of texts :)

[travelmumma]

Hi mummas,

I went off to the hospital yesterday after the dizzy spell. I rang my midwife and explained the pain and the dizziness and she said that seeing I couldn't get in with my doc to just go off and head to hospital. As soon as they saw the bump they put me through!
It turns out the abdominal pain was from Albi being snuggled in between my bladder and a bone! Man that HURT!!!
And the dizziness was an inner ear problem! Apparently a spec of dust was in my inner ear and it. Made me go a little dizzy!
They fixed both with some rolling around!
Then I came home and slept!

Kel- that calendar idea is so cute!!! I always get confused with dates so maybe I should give that a go!
Sego- some time away with the ladies sounds so nice! This past weekend I was with DHs mum and aunts and it was so nice! Your poor DP feeling lonely tho
Chica- yes yes yes to being a klutzy fool right now!!ittakesme a million attempts to pick something up or catch something!! And I swear my hearing is going too lol so I look extra silly!!
Cieloazul- I know whT you mean about popping!! Yesterday I swear I just turned into a preggo lady without even knowing it!

[darkblue0729]

Hi Mamas! I feel like I have missed so much, lately I have only been on for a minute or two :(

Kel-Love the calendar idea!

Segolily-Yay for some much needed R&R! I'm sorry your DP is lonely, but he is fortunate to have someone who understands him so completely!

Chica-I have been feeling like I crossed a black cat, lol...I have been sooooo accident prone lately it is unreal. I have zero dexterity right now. I kept saying well accidents happen in threes but um try times thirty, lol. I look like a kid who has just  discovered band-aids and is. covered.

Mamabeakley-Have fun!!!

Travelmumma-I have like a million things to say to you, lol. Congrats on being an ambassador for midwifery!! Yay for having a good time at the reunion! And what a scare you had having to go to the hospital. I have to confess that I *just* read your post and said to my DH "My Austrailian twin has been having the same problems, and hers was a babe pressed against her bladder and an inner ear thing so lets skip the ER" Seriously. Not kidding. I have been feeling dizzy, having abdominal pain, and having some like anxiety attack symptoms (racing feeling in chest, etc) but I think it is a combo of the babe being really low, being tired, having ear issues myself, and freaking out that the babe isn't alright....I reaaaaaaaaaalllly dislike going to the docs and try to avoid it at all costs, lol.

AFM-It feels like Hades has mailed Utah its weather, lol.....I am so over summer. Really. Fall please.

[travelmumma]

Originally Posted by darkblue0729 

Hi Mamas! I feel like I have missed so much, lately I have only been on for a minute or two :(

Kel-Love the calendar idea!

Segolily-Yay for some much needed R&R! I'm sorry your DP is lonely, but he is fortunate to have someone who understands him so completely!

Chica-I have been feeling like I crossed a black cat, lol...I have been sooooo accident prone lately it is unreal. I have zero dexterity right now. I kept saying well accidents happen in threes but um try times thirty, lol. I look like a kid who has just  discovered band-aids and is. covered.

Mamabeakley-Have fun!!!

Travelmumma-I have like a million things to say to you, lol. Congrats on being an ambassador for midwifery!! Yay for having a good time at the reunion! And what a scare you had having to go to the hospital. I have to confess that I *just* read your post and said to my DH "My Austrailian twin has been having the same problems, and hers was a babe pressed against her bladder and an inner ear thing so lets skip the ER" Seriously. Not kidding. I have been feeling dizzy, having abdominal pain, and having some like anxiety attack symptoms (racing feeling in chest, etc) but I think it is a combo of the babe being really low, being tired, having ear issues myself, and freaking out that the babe isn't alright....I reaaaaaaaaaalllly dislike going to the docs and try to avoid it at all costs, lol.

AFM-It feels like Hades has mailed Utah its weather, lol.....I am so over summer. Really. Fall please.

DarkBlue- Hahaha! I can't believe how much we weirdly have in common!!!!!

Well inner ear thing- To diagnose that that is what it was all they did was lay me down flat on my back, then slowly turned my head to the left (i got dizzy), then waited for dizziness to pass, then back to centre, rest a bit, then to right side (I didn't get dizzy).. They repeated that twice just to double check that it was just the left side that was "off".

Then they made me sit up on the bed and keeping my spine aligned, fall QUICKLY to my left side and lay there until the dizziness stops, then QUICKLY sit up and fling straight over to your right side! Wait for dizziness to pass then do it again!

Apparently it moves whatever is pressing on the inner ear part by flinging it around lol!! Then for a few nights sleep with your head elevated a little more than normal, add an extra pillow :)

And thats it! I left completely cured! Was kinda funny!

As far as the little on sitting on the bladder- just keep changing positions! So if he is doing it while you are sitting on the couch, get up quickly and onto all fours. Apparaently it knocks them over (nicely!!) and they get off what ever is hurting you!! That and lots of lying on your left with pillow between legs, under bump and behind back! Helps the blood move to us and them easier!!!

Hope that helps you Twin!!

[travelmumma]

oh BTW-

I would really really love a Mother Blessing, however I don't have any close friends to organise it for me.. My close friends are more the very commercialised baby shower kind.

Do you think it would be possible to organise my own? Or would it be better to hint to the mums in my Natural Parenting group lol

[nhklh]

travelmumma, I think you should flat out ask the NP group mums if they've had a mother blessing, and ask if any of them could help you plan one.  The one I had last time was hosted by my friend who'll be doulaing for me this time - it was a very new idea to me at the time, and to her.  I'll be having one this time too, but I'll be more hands-on with the organising.  It will just be a few close woman friends again, I'm just not a big-crowds kind of person!  There are things that some women do, like foot massages and singing that are just totally not me at all, so we won't be doing anything like that - I can't stand anyone touching my feet!

I'm 17wks now.  I had an antenatal appt late last week and everything's just fine.  The foetal heartbeat was directly below my bellybutton which I thought was pretty cool - last time my uterus stayed way over on my right side (unicornuate uterus), but it seems to be more centered this time.  Which means I've been able to lie on my left side!  

My back's been giving me some trouble, though again, not as badly as last time which I assume is because the weight of my uterus is more centred.  I had a chiro appt yesterday (some awesome friends gifted me an appointment!) and apparently I have a sprained pelvis.  My symptoms in the last couple of days have been a bit like sciatica only in the front of my body.  I'll see him again tomorrow, and must remember to ask what sorts of things I should be avoiding.  When I told DP about it she was worried the extreme sex session we had the other day caused it!  I think it was more likely to have been pushing a heavy shopping trolley across the uneven carpark though.  Which is a far less interesting, but more publicly appropriate story.

I think I've been feeling some movement, but I'm still just not sure.  When I was talking with my birthworker about it, I said I wasn't sure if I'd felt anything, maybe it was things stretching, or digestion or something, she said "do you usually feel that though?" lol.  Good point.  We're going to map my pelvis next time, which I'm looking forward to.  I just don't "get" how everything fits together and how it all works, it just doesn't make sense in my brain.  

Has anyone here used The Pink Kit?  And/or Hypnobirthing?  Thoughts?  
 

[travelmumma]

 nhklh you make me laugh!!! THe chiro diagnosed me with the same thing too! And DH's thoughts went to sex straight away too!! 

My chiro has told me to do less sitting, more walking and lots of figure 8's with my pelvis, if that helps :)

And at the moment I am reading the Hypnobirthig book and I am in love with it. All the stories and facts and figures are great... We may not do the course, but are employing lots of the techniques :)

[themothership]

Having a slight freak out over here. I need to know, for those of you who are having your second+ baby, did you ever measure ridiculously ahead without being pregnant with twins? I had an appointment monday and was 17 weeks, but measuring 26cm. I have an ultrasound scheduled in 3 weeks but would love any stories from women how have had similar experiences.

[Mamabeakley]

Um.  That's pretty far ahead.  Any measurement, though, can be off, and I do know women who have measured way 'off' and been fine and having singletons.  Also, I remember from my 3rd pregnancy that my uterus seemed to have growth spurts rather than a regular pace.  I'd measure ahead a few weeks one visit and then behind the next, but on average I was growing about right.  

But yeah, I'd be having a slight freak out, too.  Any other symptoms indicative of twins?  Movement feeling normal, if you're feeling it yet?

It is so hot!  We are staying in a house with just-barely-keeping-up-AC, which is probably a good thing, but I am also pretty allergic to something in it.  I've been using my asthma inhalers WAY more than normal and I had to take a benedryl to get back to sleep last night (I am comfy with benedryl in pregnancy, I know others might not be but I feel fine with it occasionally.)  Does anybody else have experience with allergies being exacerbated by pregnancy?  I know they are usually BETTER in pregnancy, but it doesn't seem like it to me this time around!