Ahhhhh! What are these afterpains you speak of? Should I be worrying about that too? Argh!
(AND GOOD LUCK AGAIN, NINETALES!)
Lily, you make me laugh every day! :) The nurse in my childbirth class said afterpains are the ONE thing that repeat mamas have worse than FTMs. But to expect some cramping especially during breastfeeding while the uterus clenches down.
Ninetales and baby Tales!
I GOT SIX HOURS OF SLEEP! IT'S A MIRACLE!
Lily, congrats on finishing! I should check out Target too, because I'm wondering what I will wear after the baby comes.
Andaluza, good luck on getting your project done, or close to it.
Poppy, I missed the dream talk and just read that you got hit by a car and your DH cheated and I was like "WTF..." lol, then I saw dreamland. I've been having strange dreams as well, I went and saw the Dark Knight this weekend and then had dreams about Batman and Cat Woman all night.
Ruby, I'm with you on the heat and humidity, I experienced that last weekend when I was in Florida for my baby shower. It seems like the pool would be a good alternative.
Penny, so glad your numbers are looking better. I hope you continue to feel well and get your birth center birth!
NewMum, I'm sure you will find the energy to get your baby into the world, but I get the stiffness and soreness. It seems to be the worst for me if I'm laying, once I get moving I feel okay. But man, the middle of the night pee break is tough...I feel like a geriatric.
Tizzy, glad you now have your schedule cleared and it sounds like you are ready for some serious nesting! I hope the ear infection goes away.
Ninetales, sorry you have a toothache, I hope it doesn't continue to bother you, but so exciting to know your LO is coming! Good luck, and I'll be thinking about you/sending good thoughts your way!
LizBiz, I have been MIA on here the last couple of weeks with all of the traveling, but I wanted to say glad your flight went as well as can be expected and that you're settling in and getting everything together.
Chickadee, I hope you and your DS start getting some more sleep. No cervical mucus changes for me as of yet, but I'm only 36 weeks. This little girl feels like she is in for the long haul as well, there is no indication she is coming anytime soon, and I'm completely okay with that.
AFM, just got back from LA yesterday, from visiting B for his birthday weekend. We had a fabulous time hanging out and spending time just the two of us together, and I'm glad we got to do it before the baby comes. It just reaffirms for me that I'm so happy and lucky that we are together and starting a family. The weather was so perfect there, we decided to head out for a short hike, since I have been a little stiff, walking around seems to help, but my short two mile nature walk turned into an 8 mile hike into and out of a canyon when we accidentally jumped from one path to another. It was beautiful, but at the bottom when we were running low on water and I still had to trek back out of the canyon...I got a little worried. We made it out fine and surprisingly, no swelling of my feet or ankles, but, I was so sore the next day. Even B said he was sore, because of the elevation change which we're not accustomed to. Oh, and I was in flip-flops because my luggage got held up in Atlanta...
Also, my sister and nieces are here now, and I am so happy to have them here, but I'm sort of bummed that I still have to work for the next two weeks, I'd like to just hang out with them.
Holy August, ladies!
Lily - Congrats on finishing your manuscript and 39wks! :) It must feel so great to have such a big project wrapped up! And freaking out...definitely! I'm really hoping to make it to 41 wks (which would give me 4more wks). Serious mixed emotions here! I go from incredibly excited to buy baby wash to agonizing over choosing sposies for the first couple weeks (so not a big deal!). :/ Not quite ready for baby to be on the outside yet but we'll get there.
Andaluza - It's great that you're feeling so strong! I'm hoping I get another energy bump for the home stretch. I have been so sleepy the last few days, like my body is saying 'we moved in and now we're finished' but there's still so much to do! Grrr. :)
Poppy - Don't you love the pregnancy dreams? I've been having some doozies, too. Not exactly helpful when you're trying to get some rest. I've been sleeping in 3.5hr stretches and I'm not happy when even that is interupted by some crazy dream. I'm going to CD once the meconium is passed. I don't want to deal w the laundry that first week but from there on we plan to go w cloth. My mom's making covers and I'm using GMD prefolds, keeping it simple and building the stash as we see what works the best. It's all new to me, so we'll see how it goes. :)
Lakeruby - I'm sorry you have to give up your walk but don't feel bad. Heat and humidity definitely make preggo life more difficult. Swimming, on the other hand, feels amazing! I went to the outdoor pool this weekend and it was so nice to swim some laps and get some sun! We're making it our Sunday morning routine. :)
Penny - Its great to hear that you're doing so much better! Sometimes we just need to be home. Sounds like taking it easy last week was the best medicine for you. Good job, mama! I hope you are able to have your birth center birth after all!
Newmum - Welcome to 40wks! I know its hard to wait but trust that your LO knows just the right time to come. Can you get a prenatal massage? It might help with the aches and pains and general well-being. You can't under estimate the power of nurturing mama at this point. Thinking of you! I have to agree w Ninetales (I think she said it), it's been so wonderful to share this DDC w you! You are such a sweet lady and have really lifted my spirits a few times through out this journey.
Tizzy - I hope you're feeling better! I'm happy the family BBQ went well but I bet it feels great to have nothing planned for the duration! I hope your MW appt goes well today.
Ninetales - I can't wait to hear about your LO!! I'm thinking of you today. I hope the dental surgery goes smoothly so you can focus on the delivery and enjoy your time with baby. Omg! Hugs to you.
MamaChickadee - I'm glad your visit went well. Those good friends are invaluable! :)
VV - Great job on that hike, mama! I saw your FB post. :) That's one of those great stories you get to tell...accidental 8mi hike in flip-flops at 8mos pregnant, up hill both ways cuz you're just that good! ;) Sounds like you had a wonderful weekend.
AFM, I had my 37wk appt yesterday. LO is doing well, measuring right on track (MW guessed high 6's), good HB. I had my GBS test, hoping that comes back negative but I also found out that they run an IV as standard procedure when you're admitted 'just in case'. I am really not happy about the idea of laboring with an unneccesary port in my arm. So my plan is to wait as long as possible (goal is 8cms) to actually check into the hospital, even if we go labor at the wetlands near the hospital to be close earlier. They also have a no eating policy, ice chips/clear fluids only, so they're a bit behind in certain areas. That's the military for you, we're packing a cooler 'for DH'. Other than that we've been cleaning and unpacking as much as possible. Our apt is storage challenged, so we're getting creative until we can make an Ikea run and buy some closets. :) The reality of this LO is really hitting me and I've been a bit emotional (almost broke down picking diapes for the first couple weeks at Target, freaking out about paint chips at home, etc.) DH has been awesome and so sweet. I can tell he's trying really hard to be supportive and wrap his head around our changing reality himself. I'm looking forward to feeling ready for this LO to come/hoping it happens before she picks her birthday. :) Back to scrubbing base boards!
One more thought, B and I bought this beautiful wood dresser off of Craig's List, and then last week I washed, organized and put up all of Q's clothes and noticed there was a slight smoke smell (cigarette) on the inside of the drawers, but didn't really think about it. I got back into town this week and went to pull one of the 6mo outfits out for my niece to use, and ALL OF THE CLOTHES SMELL like disgusting cigarette smoke. I'm so frustrated! Now all of my sweet baby clothes are disgusting smelling and I have an expensive dresser (it was one of our splurges because she can continue to use it) that smells like cigarettes in the drawers. My sister said that the smell should come out of the clothes if I wash them 2 or 3 times, and I looked up some methods for getting the smell out of the wood, but what a hassle...and it might not even work!
One more thought, B and I bought this beautiful wood dresser off of Craig's List, and then last week I washed, organized and put up all of Q's clothes and noticed there was a slight smoke smell (cigarette) on the inside of the drawers, but didn't really think about it. I got back into town this week and went to pull one of the 6mo outfits out for my niece to use, and ALL OF THE CLOTHES SMELL like disgusting cigarette smoke. I'm so frustrated! Now all of my sweet baby clothes are disgusting smelling and I have an expensive dresser (it was one of our splurges because she can continue to use it) that smells like cigarettes in the drawers. My sister said that the smell should come out of the clothes if I wash them 2 or 3 times, and I looked up some methods for getting the smell out of the wood, but what a hassle...and it might not even work!
For the dresser, can you scrub it with Murphy's Oil Soap heavily concentrated and then leave each piece sitting out in full sun for as long as possible? That might help air it out. As for the clothes, vinegar rinse after washing should help. We just pulled out the cradle we were lent for the baby. It came from sitting in someone else's basement where it got a little *old* smelling plus collected the smell of their 2 dogs and cat which prompted my cat (who's NEVER had an issue before!) to pee on the plastic garbage bag it was all in. Unfortunately, it happened while we were on vacation and was dried/soaked into the bag by the time we got home. I was devastated! I stripped it all apart, sadly had to pitch the top canopy because it doesn't come apart, and washed the fabric. I used detergent, Oxy Clean, and vinegar, two full wash cycles of each, then dried. Everything incredibly came out. I'm bummed that the canopy is gone and have to tell them still, but at least it could be salvaged. I'd try that routine if you can. I literally threw all 3 in at the same time, at the start of each of the 2 loads.
Wow! August already?! I'm not sure where the past 9 months went... it's felt both incredibly short and incredibly long.
Lily--big congrats to you on finishing your manuscript! That is a huge accomplishment, pregnant or not! I read in the other thread about the signs you've been experiencing in the last 12 hours--I hope it's the real deal (if you're ready, that is). I can only imagine that the analysis of every twinge and sensation only heightens with each passing week.
Andaluza--good for you for feeling so great! I'm still walking too, but definitely slowing down. And your sleeping routine sounds very similar to mine--I seldom stay in bed longer than 6 hours these days. Hope you're able to get far enough on your work project.
poppylove--I've been having some strange dreams lately too. I don't often remember them in the morning, but I do know that they're really vivid and not always pleasant (although some are 
). We're going to cloth diaper from the start, but we're using a diaper service--we have no laundry facilities in our apartment or building, and I have no access to a car during the day to take frequent trips to a laundromat. So, we don't have to worry about cleaning off the meconium or anything.
lakeruby--sorry about having to give up your walk. But I definitely think it's the right choice if the result is that you feel miserable and run-down for the rest of the day. I don't think it's anything to feel bad about. You've kept it up for this long, which is a lot more than many women do. Plus, swimming feels fabulous! Hope your appt. goes well this week.
pennywhistle--that is such good news about your BP and protein levels. I'm really hoping you get to go back to the birth center. Have your midwives given you a date that they would decide by? I would just want to know!
NewMumJoy--I was really hoping we would get baby news from you over the weekend! I'm sure you were hoping too. Hang in there--it'll be soon!
Tizzy--ear infections are no fun! I hope your recovery is swift. And good to hear that you'll take it a little easier from now on. I don't like riding for long in the car anymore either--the swelling just isn't worth it!
Ninetales--it seems like some cruel trick of nature that you have to deal with dental work AND a c-section in one day--horribly unfair and just plain awful! I hope the appt. at the dentist is as smooth and painless as possible. And then.... you will have a baby tonight!!! I know none of this has gone how you wanted, but I'm so excited for you to meet your little one! Sending good thoughts your way all day. Can't wait to hear the updates!
MamaChickadee--glad you survived your long day! I guess that adding more children to the mix just makes life that much more complicated! Hope you're able to catch up on sleep a little bit before your baby arrives. Although everyone always tells me the same thing, and I get kind of annoyed--like, "oh really? you think it works that way?" But it would be good to be a little more rested before going into labor, I'm sure.
VeritasVitae--sounds like you had a fantastic weekend! I've really been treasuring my time alone with DH these days too--I think it's important to take time for it. Also, I'm relieved to hear you made it back from your hike not too much worse for the wear. I think I might have had a small breakdown if I'd been faced with that!
LeAnn--Lots of strength to you as you probably feel like you're in the middle of chaos right now. I can't imagine having to move so late in your pregnancy, but I've been so impressed how calmly and gracefully you've been working through it. We must have the same DD, and if you're like me right now, any exertion out of the ordinary causes a lot of BH. So annoying when there are things to get done! I hope you'll be able to get to a place where you feel relaxed and ready for your baby to be out in the world!
AFM, things are still going well. Had my 37-week appt. yesterday, which was great. Found out I'm GBS negative, so that is one more good thing to not have to worry about. We spent a good deal of the weekend in a laundromat, washing and packing up all the linens for the homebirth, plus all the baby clothes which I had not washed yet. Not the greatest way to spend the weekend, but now we're all ready to have this baby at home, so I feel quite relieved. We also did a trial fill-up and drain of the birth pool, and that went smoothly too. Eek!!! It's getting so much more real! Yesterday was the first day when I thought, "OK, I would be fine if the baby came now." Up to this point, I've felt anxious thinking about the baby arriving before the DD. But now that I feel like most things are set to go, I'm suddenly open to the idea of him/her coming soon. Of course, now s/he probably won't!
Yesterday my midwife said the baby is pretty firmly and deeply down in my pelvis. Yesterday was the first time when I rode my bike and thought, "Oh, this is not so comfortable anymore!" It just felt like A LOT of pressure on my cervix. 
I will keep trying it a few more times, but I might have to (sadly) give up on biking. Other than that, I'll be spending the week trying to finish up the to-do list, which includes getting food and snacks ready for labor and my birth team, plus freeze some meals for PP. Plus, other odds-and-ends tasks. We're never done, right? Hope everyone has a great week!
LeAnn, could you request a Heplock instead of an IV? At least you'd be more mobile and they would still have easy access if needed.
Ninetales!!! Thinking of you and baby! Blessings on your delivery tonight!
What are these sharp cervical pains I have been getting in the night....could it be.....dilating!!!! 
I really really hope so.
Sarah, I know what you mean, I am washing towels as we speak. Homebirth prep isn't really all that fun!
Ninetales, I hope you got your dental woes sorted out. Only a few hours now til you get to meet your little one!
I woke up today thinking I was just feeling more cervical pressure (good!) buuuut once I got to work, I realized it felt a lot more like a UTI (ugh!). So I went in to my OB office to give a urine sample (2 actually - the first was so tiny they could dip it but not send it for culture) and one of the midwives wrote me a script for an antibiotic. I picked up the meds and came home since my tolerance for feeling miserable at work is pretty low right now. I hope this means my kidney stone is making its way out and maybe that whole thing will be over soon/before birth.
Ahhhhh! What are these afterpains you speak of? Should I be worrying about that too? Argh!
Oh no, as a FTM it shouldn't be that bad at all for you :) Just minor cramps, mostly when breastfeeding.
It's the 2nd, 3rd...and now 4th that worry me.
My midwife gave me a recipe for a tea that includes cramp bark and cohosh, It's too bad that it's such a beneficial thing (the uterus shrinking) but so painful! She also said the shepherd's purse might help. I was hoping for more preventative measures, but this will work in the meantime.
eleuthia, I hope you start feeling better! Good for you for recognizing what is going on with your body, though. Hope the abx help.
Happy August, ladies! 
Thinking of you, Ninetales. I hope everything went smoothly, can't wait to hear the details!
Sarah - Thanks for the support. I don't always feel so graceful these days. ;) And, YES! to the BH. I feel like I have them constantly these days. I was actually up most of last night because they were happening, like every 30mins and apparently Lu was pretty tickled becase she was on the move non-stop! Yay. My EDD is the 19th, so basically the same. I can't wait to see what day this LO chooses for a birthday! I'm actually hoping to go about a week late...
Good luck with your to-do's this week!
VV - I can ask for a hep lock. I'm just a terrible patient (and a big baby - those hep locks are uncomfortable!). I resent being viewed in that light at all when I am a healthy woman having a healthy baby. Don't get me wrong, I'm so grateful that all of the emergency measures exist but I just protest being viewed as an emergency waiting to happen. I know that medical birth is all about looking for pathology, I just wish I didn't have to combat that mentality. Birth is a natural event, there's no reason I need to have these negative expectations placed on me from the get go. I guess I feel like they are trying to take my experience from me before it has even begun. Grrr! Ok...I'm done whining now. :) I'm just going to put on my meditation music and smile peacefully through the whole experience...kind of a zen way of saying 'la, la, la...I can't hear you!!!!'. 
LeAnn, I know things are different at military hospitals, but my doctor is actually writing an order so I don't have to get the hep lock at the time of check in. She's also writing an order to allow me to eat. Otherwise, the gut reaction of the nurses (and hospital policy) is to stick you and starve you. I know you're working with a midwife, but if there's a doctor attached to the practice (or even one in the hospital you can talk to?) getting an order might be a good way to go. They can just write one and have it in your file ahead of time.
I'm totally with you on the hep lock thing. I do not want to feel like a medical patient during labor and immediately sticking a needle in my arm will make me feel like a patient. I'm just not doing it.
VV - glad you had a great w/e in LA w/your B!! I can't believe you survived an 8 mile hike in flip flops - you're a rockstar! I think I would have ended up on the evening news.... Enjoy your time w/your sister and nieces... hopefully she can help you w/cleaning out that smoke smell out from your dresser - what an awful thing to find your sweet baby clothes all stinky, after all the work (and excitement) you put into getting everything clean and "baby fresh!"
LeAnn - thanks so much for your kind words (so sweet, hugs to you!) I hope your progress continues on the home front - remember to give yourself enough rest as you need it (something easier said than done, I know). Bummer to hear about your hospital's hep lock and no food policy (I totally agree w/your frustrations w/birthing mamas being treated like "medical" patients!) You should definitely keep a stash for yourself in "DH's cooler"!! And hopefully LilyTiger's suggestion of getting a special exception from your doc might work in your case as well.
Sarahdb - you're getting close!! It must feel great to get all those things done - and being "ready" for baby now! Enjoy your final weeks and hopefully you can still squeeze in a few more happy bike rides (I'm already quite impressed/envious that you've been able to ride for this long!)
Eleuthia - Oh no, not a UTI now!! At least you've got the abx needed and are giving yourself the rest that you need. I hope you're feeling better very soon!
And hooooooray Ninetales!!! Enjoy every minute of your beautiful new baby boy!!!
Long week here, still no signs of labor for me! The BH are nearly non-stop and very strong, but that's about it. Yesterday's temps reached the 90's which made both me and DH reeeeaalllly super cranky (no a/c!!). I tried to keep moving/walking, hoping to force the BH into "real" contractions but I was having a fit about all the other previously mentioned symptoms (swelling, achy joints, stiffness, etc)..... spent the evening on the couch w/my feet in a bucket of cold water! Today it's 74F - and ahhhhh, what an amazing relief!!! Forecast for the rest of the week looks decent, so there should be much less complaining from me..... DH is quite the impatient papa though, IM'ing me every hour to see if I'm in labor yet so he can come home from work, lol!
Update from doc appointment: Cervix is the same (1 cm, 10% effaced) after a whole week, damn! Fundal height measuring 40, she's getting a bit concerned about his size, so we're having an ultrasound Friday, a membrane sweep Monday, and we'll discuss our options then. I really don't want to induce on an unripe cervix, esp at 39 weeks...Guess we'll see, doc admits she knows u/s size estimates can be off a lot.
Has anyone else had a positive result with their Group B test? I just got back from the doctor's office and found out that my test came back positive. I'm actually pretty bummed out since I did not expect it at all. I was negative with my son. I can still have a waterbirth, but I'm just frustrated about needing antibiotics when I get there. Also, baby's back has been on the left for months and switched to the right at this appointment (which isn't what I want). I just feel so down about the whole appointment. I know it's not the end of the world to be GBS + or to have a baby on the right, but I can't help but feel depressed about it, particularly since I'm going for a VBAC. Ugh. Sorry for all of the self pity. I'm sure everything will be fine, I just need to get my feelings out there.
Last unofficial day of work today. I went in to transfer some administrative documents over to my chair and he basically said good luck and he doesn't want to see me again until my maternity leave is over (including no answering e-mails etc.), so that was a nice surprise. I also got a really encouraging e-mail from one of the editors at a university press who wants to publish the book. We just have to see what the peer reviewers say (in a few months), but I'm really relieved someone actually likes it. All this means that I'm essentially done with work for the next three months and can pretty much do nothing. Very exciting.
I had a few contractions about 15 minutes apart today and then nothing else, so who knows what that means. I'm currently bouncing on my birth ball and sipping on some Yogi Pregnancy tea with RRL not because I think it will do anything but because I need to feel like I'm contributing, if that makes any sense. I did a long walk this morning with the dogs, but no new contractions or anything at that time. They kicked in later in the afternoon. My sister is coming to town on Monday and I would REALLY love to have a new little person for her to meet. But I know the babe will come when it wants to. Overall, I'm feeling pretty chill and relaxed about things (despite my birth ball obsession). I finished sewing three wet bags last night on the machine and have some hand finishing to do on them and a few burp cloths to hem, so I think I'll make tonight a relaxing crafty night. Dinner with my parents tomorrow night and maybe a swim midday because it's supposed to be in the 90s. I'm trying to schedule lots of activities so I keep my brain occupied and not analyzing every single cervical twinge.
Boots, sorry there's no progress, but it's still early. I hope the size thing doesn't become an issue. Let's hope the u/s shows an easily birthable little badger in there!!! Does your doc have a weight limit or anything on when to induce or is it just sort of a gut feeling about bigness?
NewMum, thinking of you! When I cross my due date on Monday I know I'll be really frustrated. I hope you're finding some zen. I'm still amazed at how much the heat affects my moods. Ugh. Glad you fit in a nice cold feet soak.
Sally, sorry about the positive test result. That's a pain. I'm glad it doesn't risk you out of the birth center. I also hope baby moves back. If it's any consolation, this kid is all about my right side. It moves back and forth but really likes hanging out on the right. My doc said not to worry about it and that as long as I'm staying active and am mobile during birth, the baby will almost always reposition itself during labor. Sorry the appointment was disappointing though. We're here for venting! I always think it helps.
Sally - I'm sorry about the GBS thing, I know how stressful it can be.
Also I wouldn't worry too much about which side baby is on, they do shift still even during labour. I know mine rolls from left to right fairly frequently, and sometimes directly posterior which is super uncomfortable.
I've been doing a huge runaround because it turns out I was exposed to pertussis/whooping cough. Not cool at all.
It took a bit to figure out the best course of action because really, baby could be here any moment and newborns do not do well at all with pertussis. Plus if I have it, it's pretty much guaranteed that my other three kids would get it, things just go through our house like that.
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