Weekly chat 7/16-7/22 - Page 3 « Back to Group Discussions

[judybean]

Worldshakerz -- tired here too.  It's miserably hot (yeah... turns out it's not so easy to fall asleep when it's still 82 million degrees outside .. or even just 82*) and I've never been one to easily fall asleep, so pregnancy makes it a million times worse.  But... at least dd4 still naps (unless of course it's like today and she didn't because she fell asleep in the Suburban while taking dh to work and wouldn't sleep after that)... I usually get in at least a bit of a nap.  And  Ilove it.  I've been having some BHs too, I think.  It's weird (and I sometimes don't believe them) because I have never really experienced them before.  Sorry it's not lookig like you'll be moved before Benji arrives!  I can feel your disappointment... but I hope you can find ways to make the best of what you have.

The odd thing about having a midwife live three hours away (and covering a huge radius herself) is that it makes for tricky scheduling.  My last prenatal was actually in early June.  And I messaged her last night that I hadn't been in for July (the June appt was pretty on-the-fly as she was in town checking on the only other person in my town having a midwife... and she did have her baby)... she said she's leary of travelling because another client (who lives three hours north of my midwife -- thus six hours from me), so that means going up there... but next week my brother/SIL and my new niece (who I've never met!) will be visiting from California, so I don't want to travel then... and... long story finally shortened up, I won't see my midwife until August 1st ;)  Then, probably a home visit sometime in later August... and then.. BABY!  ... (that's pretty much what my midwife wrote back to me)!  Something about the rush of it all freaks me out!  Like... I really should be doing something to get ready... but it's still a million degrees out and I'm having trouble even sitting at the computer to type ;) Good part of the day?  My mom just came and picked up my girls to run through the sprinkler and splash in a little pool at her house!  So.. I should probably sew or start laundry ;)

[WindyCityMom]

Originally Posted by help007 


Have you asked around (both of midwives and doulas- they likely all know each other) for a HB midwife who works on a sliding scale? If you are able to get most of your prenatal work done through insurance, it is possible a HB midwife could work with you on her fees.

My feeling is that I want to stay home and birth alone.. without a birth attendant.  A very hands-off midwife would be fine, but there's only one homebirth midwife in Chicago that will take a VBAC.  I initially was going to go with her from the start, but we had some financial issues.  She was giving me a deal as it was since I was going to get my prenatal testing done through medicaid.  

A homebirth midwife would certainly appease my husband, but his feelings on the matter aren't strong and mine are.  I want to labor alone and birth where I am comfortable.  If I birth in the hospital there's a timetable on me because I'm a VBAC.  I also refused my glucose test and I worry that the OB on call will pull the "big baby let's C/S asap" card.   I'm likely GBS+ again and refusal of antibiotics is a no-no.   --The hospital birthing situation is doable-- just difficult, taxing, and annoying.  Counterproductive to birthing, and my husband knows that.  I think he just doesn't want to be the "weird" ones.

[WindyCityMom]

Good morning!  I've been a super early riser lately.

I wanted to share a weird dream I had.. it was about one of the hospital CNMs that left the practice earlier in my pregnancy.  She was one of my favorites!  It was really strange- she had a homebirth kit.  I asked her what was in it because I was planning a UC.  She opened it up and she literally had a few towels, scissors, and a bunch of stuff to make soup with.  Lentils, spices, vegetables... really strange!  

Anywho, today my DH and I are both off.. I'm likely going to stop at the eye doctor to pick up my contacts, and then we might go to IKEA.  We need a crib and a new bed for the girls, but I'm likely only getting the kids' bed for now..  My 4yo is huge and way too big for hers and I feel terrible.  Time to upgrade.  

I really don't need many more baby things.  My list is the crib, a sheepskin, some bottles for when I go back to work in December, and a breastpump (which I think my MIL and a few family members are getting for us).  And nursing supplies, like Lansinoh bags and breast pads, but those I don't count because they don't require an additional shopping trip to BRU or IKEA or something.  I can get those at Target :)  So by birth, I'd like a crib and a sheepskin.  And maybe I'll just co-sleep in bed with baby.  DH doesn't sleep in bed for the first few weeks anyhow- he snores really loud and I go bonkers.  So there's room for baby, lol.

judybean- that sounds so hectic!  I'd love to see my provider infrequently though, I'm jealous!  I still have EIGHT prenatal appts scheduled with my midwives... yuck.  Just curious- how many clients does your midwife take on in a month?  Does she have an assistant that would be able to be there before she would, just in case?  That's a huge radius!

[Jend1002]

Good morning! I am on my phone so struggling to respond to earlier posts but I will be catching up on reading this morning. I am sitting in the lab- 1 blood draw and awful dextrose down, 3 draws to go. The 3 hour GTT test is awful. In my mind it was only 3 blood draws but nope, forgot about the preliminary draw....sigh. Now I wonder why I picked this over the daily finger sticks...

Otherwise, I feel pretty good. I am struggling with being comfortable at night do I am pretty tired all the time. I've been in a fairly down mood as well and it worries me a bit because I had pretty bad post partum depression with DS. It just scares me. I am just hoping that being more realistic after this baby will help me through post partum a bit more. Plus I am linking up some helpful visitors!

So I'll be here for 3 more hours so looking forward to lots of posts!!

[ascher21]

Jend--did you try placenta encapsulation when you had bad post partum depression? I only ask because my midwives suggested it and I have a history of depression. Turns out it was more related to SAD and that cleared up when I moved to florida, but still not taking my chances. I've heard a lot of great things about the placenta pills.

[Jend1002]

Ascher- I did not and I doubt it would be an option this time either. I had a c-section in a very unprogressive hospital and I am 90% sure that's the route I'll be going again. I do think I am far more aware of some of my depression triggers though and will also start seeing a therapist soon after birth - she was amazing for me. I hear great things about placenta encapsulation though- are you considering it any way?

[judybean]

Originally Posted by WindyCityMom 


judybean- that sounds so hectic!  I'd love to see my provider infrequently though, I'm jealous!  I still have EIGHT prenatal appts scheduled with my midwives... yuck.  Just curious- how many clients does your midwife take on in a month?  Does she have an assistant that would be able to be there before she would, just in case?  That's a huge radius!

I'm sure she probably tries to avoid taking on too many clients within a certain timeframe... and she has had a few midwifery students under her at various times that will accompany her.... but, here in WY since it just became legal last year, there aren't many licensed... and living in the least populated state means most everything is rural. Within Montana my midwife does have more support and backup (two of her former students who were around when I had dd4 are now Midwives on their own and help out when needed.

[mole]

Me: Can you believe our baby is going to be born

in a maximum of 8 weeks from now???
 

My sweetheart: No. I cannot.

[crystal_buffaloe]

Mole - LOL at your sweetheart. Are you feeling mostly ready (preparation-wise)?

WCM - Loving your new profile pic/avatar/whatever they call those things on here

Judybean - I think the every two weeks and especially the weekly appointments get kind of annoying to schedule, but I like checking in -- measuring the fundus, checking the heartbeat, getting an official weight for me. I don't think I'd mind meeting with my CP more infrequently, but I might bust out a tape measure and/or rent a doppler!

Jend - I hope you have a lot to keep you entertained! I was SERIOUSLY ready for lunch at the end of mine and a tiny bit shaky/dizzy after the 2-hour draw (why do they need a whole vial all 4 times?) but otherwise, it wasn't terrible. A whole bunch of babies came in for various blood draws and finger sticks while I was there, and it was totally sad seeing them walk in happy and leave crying Anyway, I passed with flying colors, so here's hoping the same for you! (Also, I got a whole set of papers graded while I was waiting -- bonus!)

Anyway, while I was at the lab for 3+ hours, my MIL took DD to see the $1 movie (The Lorax). She's TV-free, though I'd taken her to see Kung-Fu Panda for $1 (plus $3 for the kid-size popcorn) 3 weeks ago and she made it through nearly an hour and had a blast. Her recounting of Kung-Fu Panda was "Movie! Dark! Panda Bear! Baby Panda Bear! Movie! Dark! Popcorn!" but when DH asked her what happened in this movie, he got "Teddy Bears! Teddy bears pounce (accompanied by a throwing -- perhaps chopping down? -- arm motion) trees! Man make more trees! I love (accompanied by her hugging herself) trees!" Which is a fairly accurate representation of the plot, actually

I had a chiropractor appointment yesterday, but then afterwards, baby moved into a really strange position -- a little while ago, I could tell his head/butt were definitely on the left, then I though he moved posterior, but now I can't tell at all -- it feels like something is wedged in my right pelvic bone, way down low. What could that be? I was even thinking he maybe flipped breech, just because it feels so much like a foot -- if he's head down, what could be lodged in my pelvic bone?
Edited by crystal_buffaloe - 7/20/12 at 12:13pm

[Monkey Keeper]

jend--do you get real-time resutls? How are you feeling??

Originally Posted by mole 

Me: Can you believe our baby is going to be born

in a maximum of 8 weeks from now???
 

My sweetheart: No. I cannot.

Ha ha!  Too cute.

Originally Posted by crystal_buffaloe 
Anyway, I passed with flying colors, so here's hoping the same for you! (Also, I got a whole set of papers graded while I was waiting -- bonus!)
 it feels like something is wedged in my right pelvic bone, way down low. What could that be? I was even thinking he maybe flipped breech, just because it feels so much like a foot -- if he's head down, what could be lodged in my pelvic bone?

Yay for passing!!!!!!!! :) As for the weird position and wedged feeling thing, might be an elbow. I get that every once in a while, and did with my DS also. He liked to have one hand up playing with his hair, so the elbows were in strange places!!

AFM:  Well, I'm dealing with more blood sugar issues. I had been spot checking my breakfast numbers, and they kept getting higher. So I decided to check them all yesterday. ALL of them were high except for fasting which was only 2 under the cut-off.  Grrrr....  Trying to watch my diet today, and already did better with breakfast. This is such a pain.

[ascher21]

Jend--yes, I'm having a home birth, and one of the midwife assistants does it. Hopefully she will be there. They do it really quickly. You get the pills in about 24-48 hours! It's a shame that hospitals regard the placenta as medical waste. They have so many nutrients. I've read they not only help with postpartum depression, but can help increase milk flow, help to heal faster, and regulate hormonal fluctuations. 

Anyway, I'm not sure what your hospital's policies are, but here's an faq from a woman who does them in CA, and it explains what you can do if you are in the hospital and even if you are having a c-section. She explains that where she is, anyways, you can still take the placenta home, regardless of how you deliver: http://placentamom.weebly.com/faq.html

At first I was kinda intimidated by the idea, but having been through 10 years of psychotherapy, I figure it can't hurt, and is far less involved. :)

[Yeeska]

I have found that if I take my fish oil it makes a HUGE difference with mood issues. I ran out and started to think I was anemic again, then realized it was depression when I had an anxiety attack. I got more and could tell a difference a day later. There's a lot of research on it, but all I can say is that it works!

Oh, but my (business) partner does placenta encapsulation and has found that her clients can get theirs even with c-sections, far more so if the c-section is planned because they can discuss it ahead of time. In fact, sometimes they have balked until told it was for encapsulation and then gone with it. If there's someone in the area who does placenta encapsulation, they can tell you how to go about getting yours. If you're interested, of course. I admit I'm torn. Not living quite the lifestyle I'd like (for money reasons) I have concern about the amount of toxins in my personal placenta.

[ascher21]

Yeeska, I was curious, too, about toxins and found this on another site for placenta encapsulation:

"5. The placenta is a filter, so does it store the toxins it filters, and the mother ends up ingesting them too when she uses the capsules?

The placenta is a part of an advanced filtering system. Nutrients from the mother get passed to the baby via the placenta, which tries to filter out anything harmful to the baby before letting it get through. The baby passes waste back to the mother through the placenta, which the mother's body can then remove, just as her body removes all the other waste products in her system. The placenta is not a filter that traps everything that can't get through, like an air filter. Those waste products and other things that the baby can't use are generally sent back out to the mother for removal. If the placenta held onto everything, it would be a health hazard after nine months! So, no, the placenta is not filled with toxins by the time the baby is born. That being said, there are some things that do get held by the placenta, such as heavy metals. So if a mother smokes, the heavy metals in the cigarette smoke will build up in the placenta over time, making it questionable whether or not it should be ingested. "

I can't imagine there would be anything in my placenta that would be anywhere near as terrible as the ingredients in the anti-depressants I took for so many years (thank goodness I'm not on those anymore), so I guess it's all a matter of perspective.

[WindyCityMom]

ascher-  thanks for posting that!  very interesting.

mole- too funny.  I think I'm slightly in denial as well... my husband is most definitely!

crystal- aw, thank you!

AFM- I did in fact get my hours back!  I was scheduled 42 hours this coming week, which is typical for me.  I'm also covering for an employee another day and am now up to  50 hours.  Should be an interesting week, especially considering the fact that I'll be fufilling my civil duty my only day off It's alright though.  I feel like my body can handle it, and I don't mind.  The 10+ hours of overtime I'll be getting sure will be nice!  There are still a few big purchases we need to fund, and I'd like to work as much as possible now so that I can put some money to the side for the few months I'll be away from work.  And if I leave working full time, FMLA says that they have to keep me full time when I return. 

[Jend1002]

crystal_buffaloe - great news that you passed your GTT! Sounds like your lab wasn't so pleasant! Mine was relatively quiet and I actually got to read, which I feel like I never do.

Monkey Keeper- I should have results on Monday. I hope your blood sugar issues haven't continued. I have a weird feeling that I won't pass this test- we shall see.

Placenta encapsulation- lots of great info shared here that I didn't know. I have to think about it. I absolutely need to start on fish oil now too, and especially post partum. It has helped me in the past.

And just because it made me so happy, I feel compelled to mention that I hit the farmers market today and made a cucumber, watermelon, and feta salad with all local stuff and I couldn't stop eating it! I seriously can't get enough!

[help007]

Anyone with time to sew want a great pocket diaper stash?  I just posted a listing with pictures:

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/1358721/bumgenuis-3-0-18-diapers-with-inserts/0_30

I'm finally feeling like nesting!  Having to find replacement hardware for my crib is maddening, though!  It looks like the movers left some things in the crib during the move that must have fallen out.  Getting through our stash of baby clothes.  I love getting everything washed and sorted!  I had forgotten how much babies pee on everything, though we have stacks and stacks of baby blankets, and I remember needing most of them.

My birth and postpartum stuff has been organized in baskets, and placed near the hopeful site of the birth pool (though I would LOVE a birth that went to fast to get that set up!!).  We are getting a standup freezer delivered tomorrow, so I can soon get to stocking up on food.  I have been taking my floradix regularly, for once, and I feel great (apart from the baby taking up room where my lungs used to go!).

It is so heartwarming to hear about the births, already, and that everyone is healthy and getting stronger!!!

[calpurnia7]

Originally Posted by ascher21 

So yesterday something frightened happened....I got into my car (which had been baking most of the day) and I was fine driving. 15 minutes later when the car finally got nice and cold with a/c full blast, I got really dizzy. I couldn't pull over because I was stuck in traffic. So I grabbed a granola bar and chewed on it. It was very scary, though. There's nothing like driving and seeing the road move. I guess I need to cool down my car before I get into it from now on.

Anyone else gotten dizzy from heat?

Definitely!  I'm lucky to have an attached garage at home and my office has a garage, but when I'm out running errands it is absolute misery.  I keep very cold water with me at all times, and that seems to really help.

[calpurnia7]

This week I had a huge wake-up call.  Stress is bad, not just for me, but for the baby.  I've been extremely stressed at work, and my family is stressing me out a LOT, my father in particular.  He and my stepmother are the only parents we have living in the same city as us.  My father has started to age mentally, and has become incredibly narcissistic and impatient.  He's an avid athlete - runs and bikes several miles a day - and that's all he's interested in doing or talking about.  Since I've been restricted from working out outside, he's more or less ignoring me.  Never asks how my pregnancy is going or how I'm feeling or if there's anything he can to do help.  I have spent the past couple of months going between feeling heart-broken and enraged.  He also told me during one conversation that after I have the baby I'm going to be "too fat" to ride my bike and will need to replace it.  Because the first thing one wants to do after pushing out a baby is sit on a bike, much less worry about being "too fat" for said bike.

Just for the record, thanks to the past several weeks, I'm in a normal weight gain range at this point, after starting pregnancy at a normal weight.  As if that's even the point.

It all came to a head this weekend when last night, during my birthday dinner, he ordered cake for my sister-in-law (whose birthday is two days after mine, which we had all celebrated last weekend) and not for me, and announced to all my friends at the table that he would only pay for himself, my stepmother, and my brother and his wife.  I was mortified.  Not that I expected him to pay, just that he made his declaration so openly.  That, combined with every conversation the past few months being about cycling, running, and how it's such a shame his "round little daughter" can't exercise, I had a huge meltdown.  I sobbed uncontrollably on Saturday night, which freaked out my normally supportive DH and he got upset with me.  He simply didn't know what to do.  This morning, when I woke up, I felt horrid.  I had spent most of the day yesterday running around in the heat with my sister-in-law who just had to run a thousand errands with me.  I was despondent and started sobbing again.  Mainly, I missed running desperately and worried that it won't be the same, because my father has dug so deeply against my self-esteem.  Eventually I was able to go back to sleep and woke up with intense cramps and BH contractions.  After I had over six in an hour, I called my doula who told me to take a bath immediately and have a Benadryl to stop the contractions.  She's not a fan of medicine, but she's found that's one of the best ways to stop early labor (and encourage sleep during a stressful time for mom). 

I spent the day resting and am feeling better.  But I am DONE stressing.  I am going to stay committed to choosing not to let things upset me like that.  It's a terrible thing to do myself and to my child.  From here on out, I'm going to surround myself with love and support, not negativity.  I've been told that pregnancy teaches you who your real friends are.  It really is true.

[dmpkmom]

hugs momma..that is just all kinds of wrong about your father! the last thing in the world you should be worried about is strenuous excercise right now AND as a new momma! I suspect that will sink in for you personally once baby girl is here (not that you won't excercise but your time spent on "you" will seem less high priority) but..ugh..to have your father sending those awful messages! Can you build some distance for a short time?

[judybean]

Oh, Calpurnia, I'm so sorry you have such negative energy around you!! And from your own father! While I'm sorry you had to get so stressed to the point of disrupting contractions, I'm glad it was enough to push you to realize you deserve better. You don't need that stress and I hope you can distance yourself for a while so that you can focus on what really matters. ((Hugs)) to you, mama.