8/19 Weekly thread « Back to Group Discussions

[darkblue0729]

Grab a treat and cup of something yummy and pop in for a chat mamas!! :)

Hope all is well!

[kateadelle]

HI mamas!

I keep reading about how much energy all of you have, but I am not having that experience at all. I am really fatigued all the time and starting to wonder if I should have my MW check my iron levels, which tend to run low when I am not pregnant. Sleep is getting to be more difficult as I have been waking up a lot with hip pain and/or charlie horses in my calves. This, I am sure, is not helping my energy levels. I am also having a lot of pregnancy anxiety dreams. Last night I dreamed that I had to have the baby in a hospital and that after she was born the staff took her away and kept bringing me back the wrong baby.

I found a doula last weekend, which is a huge relief! This will be her first birth she attends as a doula (she just completed her training class in June), but I feel really comfortable with her. I really do have a lot of good support, I used to be a doula myself (and am actually going to be attending a birth as a doula in November) so birth is not a total mystery to me and she has had 3 of her own natural childbirths, so I feel really good about it.

I just found out that the Birthing From Within class that we have signed up for is going to start the night that we leave town for our final pre-baby family visit, which sucks. I hate missing the first class, but the woman teaching the class assures me that she will be able to catch my partner and I up, so I trying not to have a hormone induced freak-out over it ;)

Hope everyone is having a good week.

[mamaharrison]

kateadelle--do you take floradix? It would be simple to add in and boost your iron ; ) Sorry you are feeling low energy and I know how terrible it is to have pregnancy anxiety--I was on a rollercoaster of it last pregnancy. I would also try some CALM for magnesium before bed at night--it can handle both the leg cramps, the sleep troubles and the nightmares ; )

[travelmumma]

Hi Mummas,

A bit of a rough time is being had here.... My friend staying with us is really getting to me. She is honestly nothing but super duper helpful and pleasant at all times, but I feel all Mumma Bear like my cave and territory are being threatened! Its really screwing my head up.....

That, plus the fact that last night we had a "family dinner" with my sis and her family and my mother who we haven't seen for a few months.... It really bothered me a lot. I went home and cried and had a flashback to being abused as a child....

Then when I was cutting my toe nail (I had an in grown toenail :( ) I accidentally cut too far, because I can't feel half of it due to surgery... Long story short I have ripped my entire nail off... DH was really upset with me and we had an argument. We sorted it out before bed, but I still feel so emotionally distraught and wrecked...

Sorry this is so down and whingey :( urgh.... So I am taking the day off uni, going to see the doctor and going to cuddle DH and until we both smother....

Oh, and I threw up this morning and managed to completely wet myself :( Not a little bit, but as in I had to change everything, right down to my slippers :(

I need a glass of wine lol

[Jackies]

Oh, my goodness, Travelmumma. That is super stressful. It seems the company and your mother are triggers, and going forward you can avoid them if possible. Not kicking your friend out tonight, but not seeing your mom and having your friend move on when she can. I'm a big advocate of not talking to family members that you don't feel good around. Taking the time off is a great idea.

Kateadelle, I'm not bursting with energy either. I'm 20 weeks. It can't hurt to check, but I was super tired first tri and my iron was fine.

I took my first prenatal yoga class today, which was great. It should be weekly in September, which I'm looking forward to since exercise has gone to the bottom of my priority list.

DH and DD are out of town, so I have the house to myself. I thought I would get a million things done, but I've mostly been doing nothing. I'm sure that's good for me too.

[lilbsmama]

Hi, mamas! I have been out of here for a while, but am trying to do my best and keep updated on everyone. We have some promising news! Dh may be getting a job transfer and a $6K a year raise! We are trying not to get our hopes up, but this is a very real possibility. We would be moving a little over 1.5 hours away, but we would be moving to the town I grew up in. I am just hoping that our midwife will still keep us! We will know in a few weeks what is happening. I am SO ready to get out of this rental. This is by- far the worst place I have ever lived! Everything is leaking! The kitchen sink, the bath tub, and the stall shower, the front door. Our grass hasn't been cut in over 6 weeks!! The kids can't even play outside because they come back in with grass cuts everywhere, and they love being outside! :( We have tried calling and emailing, to no avail. So I really hope he does get this job, and soon, because I'm ready to go. 

Baby is doing great, wiggling and moving all the time! I have been feeling a little movement since about 18-19 weeks, and have never felt anything that early before! 

Oh, yeah, HOLY HIP PAIN! I haven't hurt like this with the other two pregnancies! I am seriously thinking I should go to a chiro and get adjusted! Any thoughts?

[esp831]

Hi everyone!  

Kateadelle-I second the floradix.  I was borderline anemic at my 8 week visit so it was recommended since progression in pregnancy was most likely going to exacerbate the deficiency, which it did.  I was exhausted, but now am feeling much better.  I can even tell a difference day to day when I forget to take it.  I certainly don't have the major energy that some others do, but its still a major improvement.  I am still napping every day when possible, even just for a power nap and hitting the sack early.  Everyone's energy level is different during pregnancy.  Be kind to yourself and stay within your limits.  Sorry about the sleeping troubles, sometimes a journal and a body pillow work wonders for anxious dreams and hip pain.

Travelmumma-Sorry you are having a rough time!  I completely understand your conundrum with a house guest.  My sister lived with us the last 2 months of my last pregnancy and the first few months postpartum and I hated it.  We have a great relationship and she is so easy to live with but nevertheless, I was bitchy and paranoid and super territorial.  How much longer is your friend going to be staying with you?  Is she there all day?  Are you getting time alone with DH?  Are you getting time by yourself?    I'm so sorry that so many negative things have happened over the past few days.  I like your snuggling solution though, it sounds perfect!  I hear you on the glass of wine!  I had a meltdown last night and cried to DH that I want to be skinny and drunk again!  

Jackies-soooooo jealous that you have the house to yourself!  I say doing nothing is the best thing you can do!

Lilbsmama-I hope hope hope your DH gets the transfer!  Keep us posted, sounds like it could be lovely.

AFM-we're busy, busy, busy for the rest of the summer.  Back to school is nuts because DD1 is starting high school (and volleyball and ballet) and DH is starting his very first teaching job.  My quarter doesn't start until late Sept, so I have time to help them get settled.  I'm in a wedding in a couple of weeks and have been trying not to gain too much weight so I can still fit into my bridesmaid dress.  I had the same jump in weight gain between 20-24 weeks that I had in both of my other pregnancies and its really got me down this time.  The situation has been triggering for my old eating disorder, so I may have to have a couple of therapy sessions soon to get back on track.

Looking forward to hearing from you all, hugs!!

[stegenrae]

esp, I have the same anxiety about weight gain this pregnancy (though thankfully no history of eating disorder). I am just now back to my BFP weight after losing 12lbs initially, but have been SO insanely hungry. Last night, I couldn't get to sleep because I was so hungry. I'm afraid I'm going to gain 60 or 50 like I did with my two boys. Not that it would be the end of the world, but I just worked so.damned.hard to get healthy and active again, yk? ((hugs)) and I hope that dress fits and you look FABULOUS. ;)

travelmumma, ((hugs)) for a terribly stressful time of it. I am with Jackies in the cutting out of people whose mere presence brings you pain and gently nudging your friend toward other arrangements. I hope you and DP resolved your issues and are sickeningly cuddly again. (and I've had the chemical whatchamacallit to kill nail bed tissue for two ingrown toenails, and still have to deal with one that didn't take despite two treatments. OUCH!!!)

lilbsmama and kateadelle, for the hip pain, can you invest in a foam mattress topper? Just the 3-4 inch ones make a world of difference for me when I visit my mom. We got a full foam mattress between DS1 and DS2, and OMG, it made sleeping while pregnant infinitely more comfortable. (and if you're not already doing so, a fluffy pillow btwn your legs at night is also a lifesaver)

lilbsmama, FX on the job switch and all the good that comes with it! (and that your mw still keeps you)

kateadelle, I will ditto everything mamaharrison said. I seem to do that an awful lot wrt supplements and such. ;) You may also want to get your vitD levels checked; a friend of mine had the same thing around 20w, but her iron was fine--it was her vitD that was low and causing her fatigue. Odd for summer, but her doc said that she's probably spending a ton of time indoors in AC instead of the brutal heat, which makes sense.

Jackies, I got two prenatal yoga DVDs from a friend today...I'm hoping I'll have some motivation to actually do them, though the last time I did yoga at all, I pulled a back muscle so badly I was out of commission for a month to heal it. But since it's not exactly a hot yoga class in which I was surrounded by super-flexible yogis, I don't think I'll push myself too far. :P I'm glad you got some peace and quiet, even if you didn't mark things off your to-do list.

AFM, I feel like I'm crashing here everytime I post since I joined the DDC so late. But here I am anyway. I seem to be getting offers of maternity and baby stuff left and right these days--I'm not sure why it's coming, but I'll take it! My own maternity wardrobe is way too big for me (see aforementioned 60- and 50-lb gains in previous term pregnancies)...plus, it's outdated, lol. I'm feeling really blessed by such wonderful friends. I'm also getting ready for our upcoming school year, so sat down this evening and made up 80% of our lesson plans through December. YAY for curricula that are straightforward. Now I just need the follow-through to stick to the schedule, which has been my downfall in the past. If DS1 and I get through that, we will be comfortably able to take most of the 6 weeks from mid-Dec through January off without digging a hole. I *think* I have enough free time scheduled each week to keep us from getting overwhelmed and burned out. (I hope!!) Speaking of, we are starting back on a schedule (instead of "when we feel like it") with Reading and Math tomorrow, so I need to try to kick this insomnia to the curb and get some sleep. 

Be well!

[esp831]

Stegenrae-You are definitely not crashing here!  You are most welcome and it's wonderful to have you here!!  Thanks for understanding my anxiety, its nice to know that someone else thinks about weight issues too.  Was it stressful to have a big weight loss at the beginning?  I often lose 2-3 pounds in the first trimester, but nothing drastic.  I'm sure your appetite is making up for the initial loss, sounds like your body is talking to you.  Or maybe it's the baby? :)  Even with all of the information out there (I teach a class on nutrition during pregnancy) it is still very hard to feel in control of my appetite and gain, which is tough.  It is very hard work to stay healthy and active, I know you can stick with it!  Glad to hear you have awesome and supportive friends...that's lovely!

[cieloazul]

Happy Monday, mamas! We were on "staycation" last week and I missed you. It's been fun catching up on the posts here and especially seeing the growing bellies. Can't believe the 3rd trimester is almost here for the wary Dec gals. Wow this pregnancy is going fast. The themes of energy, sleep, and nesting are all popping up here too. I love it how we're miles apart (and have never met!) but are nonetheless connected by a common maternal energy. May the week bring each of us something we want and a surprise that we didn't know we needed

AFM, I had a MW appt today so that was fun. She let DS find the heartbeat and then listen to his own DH and I cleaned the house yesterday and unpacked the last box after moving in 5 months ago, yay! We made some room for DD's things. And he felt her kick for the first time this week It's fun to have all this tangible evidence of new life.

[chicajones]

Hey everyone! Seems like the beginning of this week has been a bit crazy for a lot of people, here's hoping that things will calm down and get a lot more pleasant. :) 

I missed out on the Vax discussions in last weeks thread but really enjoyed reading them. DH went in for his yearly physical today and said everything had been just peachy until the doctor said, "We really recommend you get another tetanus shot, as well as whooping cough vax...I'll get the nurse and she'll do them right now." He was like, hold up, let me call my wife--we talked quickly and decided we wanted to wait. As soon as he told the doctor he didn't want it today, the doctor (who knew DH has a baby on the way), got really condescending and said, "You aren't thinking of not vaccinating your baby, are you?" All DH said is "We're looking into it," (we will probably selective/delay vax) and he said everything changed. He was in the hall at this point and the doctor and three nurses started being really cold and shaking their heads, etc. So crazy! He said he was blown away by how they had all been super nice but as soon as there was even a question about shots, they immediately got all mean and defensive/condescending. I can believe it, but it still amazes me. Are they really so used to having every patient just blindly accept everything they suggest? Crazy.

Baby Charlie is moving around like crazy lately! I'm really loving all of this movement. He's been kicking quite a bit and I'm starting to really be able to tell his position, etc. I did one of the spinning babies inversions yesterday for the first time and am going to try and follow their tips every day. Staying in a good posture is the hardest thing -- I really like to slouch and be comfortable, but I want to avoid a breech baby! I know it's better for my back as well. 

Anyone else started to experience pain/aches in their ribs? Mine have been getting sore at different points in the day, but it seems like it's early to be having that at only 22 weeks! 

[Jackies]

Chica, is your baby head down? I ask because I checked out the spinning babies website and also thought a daily inversion was a good idea, but I had a midwife appointment today so I waited to ask them. They said since my baby was head down the inversions could flip the baby into breech. They said pelvic tilts on hands and knees was good and the sitting suggestions. Just food for though, since I was also under the impression from the website that the inversions were a good preventative for everybody, but they said no.

At this appointment, the midwife heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time, which was nice. I wasn't able to hear it, but hopefully next time.

[kateadelle]

Originally Posted by chicajones 

Anyone else started to experience pain/aches in their ribs? Mine have been getting sore at different points in the day, but it seems like it's early to be having that at only 22 weeks! 

Me! It feels almost like the bottoms of my ribcage is a little bruised. I figured things are just starting to shift around and get a little less roomy in there.

[segolilymama]

Hi everyone! Back from our quick road trip to New Mexico - wedding was great but exhausting. And the 20 hours in the car, not so wonderful for this pregnant mama...

Another vote for the Floradix, kate - I think I have mentioned this on here before but it literally saved my birth center birth with DS1 (levels were so low I was told I'd have to birth at hospital if they didn't get up - this was 4ish weeks before the birth!). Also I take a potassium/magnesium combo now, for the leg cramps - I get them about once a week now instead of multiple times a night.

Travelmumma - Goddess bless our hormones, lol! I totally relate to the roller coaster you are on ATM. No other advice, but here's a HUG.

lilbsmama - grass cuts? seriously? wow. I've never experienced that - hopefully the job will come through, and you can move on! I'll keep fingers crossed.

stegan - no crashing experiences ;) the more the merrier! I gained 80 pounds with DS1. It was nuts - I weighed 205 right before he was born. By #2, I was back down under my ppg weight. I haven't gained nearly as much with 2 or 3, and this one seems to be on track to hardly gain anything (maybe 10 lbs so far). That's greta you are getting so many 'donations' from friends!

cielo - I am looking forward to that wanted/needed surprise :) Congrats on unpacking that last box! I still have more to go, and we will have been here a year on Oct - so I'm jealous!

chica - good thing DH passed on the vaxes - so many of them cause low-grade versions of the disease, and getting whooping cough pregnant is no bueno. I've had similar experiences with the non-vaxing - when I took DS2 in for his first set of stitches (he's my dare-devil), they insisted on Tetanus - all the sweet nurses playing with the angelic white-blonde haired, blue eyed sweetie suddenly became sparse when they found out he wasn't vaxed. It was worse when I had to take him to an ER in Hawaii with a fever of 105 and a horrible cough. Whatever - I just imagine they are all so programmed & brain-washed that there is little to be done, and we move on.

Jackies - was she using a fetascope instead of a dopler? Just curious why you didn't get to hear....

[Jackies]

sego, yes, it was a fetascope. She could hear clearly, but I didn't want to move it around. I'll take her word for it and wait until next time :)

[Mamabeakley]

I had the very odd experience of taking DS2 to an ER - for a splinter that had become infected in his foot, with a high fever and vomitting - and them refusing to give him a tetanus vaccine because 'they didn't do pediatrics' at that hospital and so they didn't have the correct dosage for a 3 year old.  Never mind that the problem with tetanus vaccine is that you can't give a CHILD dose to an ADULT, not the other way around!  It was okay with me actually since I didn't really want him to have the Pertussis component of the vaccine tetanus is usually given with, and I figured we'd be home in a couple of days and his dr could take care of it, but it was very odd.

I am definitely on the emotional bandwagon - more so than in the 1st trimester.  DH is home but grumpy and I don't know why - I have a cold - DD had a high fever for 2 days (she seems to get a high fever instead of a normal cold for some reason, every time) - we are going to our old home for a couple of days at the end of the week to try to put our house there back on the market.  So send us prayers, good thoughts, or shouts to the sky gods, because we NEED to sell that house.  I cried today at work because DH called to find out where the car keys were, having already loaded the kids in the car, and I had both keys with me (because he was gone for 9 days, of course.)  Whaa!

Mamadiamond, I hope your car is fixable.  And if it isn't, that you have some kind of legal recourse, because that just doesn't seem right.  I wonder if you could take the sellers to small claims court?  That's not very expensive and it might be that the threat of a lawsuit/publicity wouldn't be worth as much to them as what you'd owe on it otherwise.

Last night, after having needed to pee 4 times in one hour, I did child's pose for a while, while telling baby 'get off my bladder!'  I can't palpate where baby is but boy can I tell when it's low down!

Thinking of you all!

[chicajones]

Jackies, interesting! I don't know what position the baby is, they didn't say at the ultrasound. Since I'm just at 22weeks I'd imagine he's still moving around a lot? Hah, I have no idea! I'll have to ask my midwife about that though -- it seemed like it was good preventative but I don't want to flip him the wrong way if he's settled in fine!

[kel]

So much different stuff going on! 

I really don't know much about spinning babies/inversions/etc.  But having had four births already - I know the only labor and birth (my first babe) that my baby was in a funky position - posterior with terrible, 2-day long back labor (perhaps coincidentally) - was after a midwife decided to try to help things along and be sure he was in a good position for labor and to get him to drop down into my pelvis.  She used inversion type methods - but for longer than the recommended 30 seconds.  Since that birth, I've realized that I always go two weeks past due and that my babies never "drop" until actual labor.  All of my other births have been problem free, with babe in a good position during labor and birth, and I've always felt that it was because I just let them be and didn't try to affect the natural process.  I realize there are some mothers who discover their baby is in a breech position, but often the babies do change position on their own.  If it seems they they aren't, I can see wanting to try to help them along!  Maybe my experience had nothing to do with that inversion, but either way, it did cause me to think twice about trying to control my babies' positioning.  I tend to agree with Jackie's midwife and to think that in most cases you don't need to do any special exercises or inversions for baby to be where he is supposed to be, and that it could possibly cause the opposite to happen.  On the other hand, if you've had a previous complicated birth due to malpositioning...

As far as weight gain goes - even with my first baby at 22 years old and vegan, I gained 35 lbs.  I have big babies and my pregnancies go 42 weeks, but I also get a bit plump!  I believe I gained about 60 with each of the next two! and maybe 40 or so with my last.  I started this pregnancy about 10-15 lbs heavier than my average - which I'm not thrilled about - (I'm guessing as we don't have a scale - but I knew by pictures, breast size and what pants didn't fit!) and I certainly hope that I don't gain another 60 this time - so I know how stressful it is.  Still, I decided with this pregnancy not to get weighed, or if they insist, for them not to tell me the amount; and I'm just trying to eat as well as I can and take good care of us and not worry about my weight this time around.  It's so stressful, and you don't need that extra stress!  But when you're hungry during pregnancy - your body and baby are definitely communicating that you need to eat some more!  And you will lose it again.  But as far as that goes, it is common to keep a few extra pounds with each babe, and I've also worked, over the years, on being less attached to a thin figure and more welcoming of curves and bigger breasts and a bit more flesh on my face, and it helps that my DP thinks I'm gorgeous no matter what.  I want to be healthy, but I do eat very well for the most part and walk a lot, and if a few extra baked goods make me a bit curvier, I just have to think they make me sweeter as well;) 

Leg cramps - I've gotten them a lot with previous pregnancies, but barely at all with this one.  All I can think is that I'm taking my supplements very faithfully - prenatal, b complex, and d - and have been trying hard to get my daily calcium/magnesium/etc, etc from food - and it seems to be working out great so far.  knock on wood  I've also been sure to get as close to eating 50 mg worth of iron a day and the nurse said that my iron levels were great.

We're on our 7th week away from home - we've been staying in a shared housing situation for families of kids at childrens hospital here in Portland - and we've got about another month to go here before we'll have our own apartment for the next month or two.  In 3 weeks, when my dd is out of day treatment, we're planning to drive home for three days - I wish for good!  It's exhausting at times, but my daughter is slowly improving and the crying and blaming and hating the world and herself episodes happen a couple times a week now, instead of multiple times daily - it's the little things I guess!  

hugs to all of the mamas going through emotional times - I feel for you.  xoxo 

[DeeGee 1873]

Hi Mamas! So much to catch up on when I am computer free for a week!

Kateadelle - It sounds like you are not the only one lacking energy right. I feel like it is the lack of sleep that catches up with me mid-afternoon, and sometimes vitamins and supplements just can't seem to help me overcome lots to do and restless nights. 

Travelmumma - Awww. Hugs, mama. I hope that cuddle time with your DH was a good cure for a rough week.

Jackies - That sounds kind of nice having a house to yourself and some time for prenatal yoga! I am glad you took advantage of the empty house and simply took some time to relax.

Lilbsmama - What wonderful news for you and your family, especially after dealing with such an awful rental situation right now. I really hope that it all works out. Especially when it comes to your midwife. Please keep us updated.

Esp831 - It really sounds like a busy time for you and your family. I do hope that you can find some peace about your weight gain. 

Stegenrae - I feel like I am crashing, too! Especially since I don't get to check in as often as I like. So you and I can be crashers together, sound good? Oh, and I experienced a serious weight loss with my oldest. I had hyperemesis and a really miserable first trimester, which I thought was what all women went through. I wasn't until I had lost more than 15 pounds and was still throwing up all the time at about 18 weeks that my doctor put my on zofran. So glad that I didn't experience that with this pregnancy or my last one. I hope that you are feeling better and are gaining weight okay now.

Cieloazul - Your MW appointment sounds lovely! I had an appointment today, too. My little ones were fascinated by the "baby dolls" she had to show how big the baby is at certain stages. They were comparing the 20 weeker to my growing belly. Seems like a lot of belly for a tiny little baby.

Chicajones - I too have been experiencing rib pain on occasion. Sometimes sharp enough to wake me up when I am sleeping. Is that what you are experiencing?

Segolily - I am amazed at the 20 hour roadtrip! How did you get comfortable? And how many potty breaks did you have to take?

Mamabeakley - Sending you prayers for a quick sale of your house, and also that your babe stops sitting on your bladder!

Kel - It sounds like some real progress with your daughter. So glad to hear it. And hoping that she continues to improve so that you can return home sooner rather than later.

As for things here, we have some medical issues with my 2 1/2 year old son that are aggravating, although not dangerous apparently. Has anyone ever dealt with partial prolapse of the rectum? It has happened to my poor boy several times now. It is scary and painful for him, although it resolves itself with a warm sitz bath, and manually pushing it back in place. Although it is apparently not uncommon with small children, we will be seeing a pediatric GI specialist tomorrow. Prayers for a relatively painless and not traumatic doctor visit for him would be appreciated. Thanks so much!

[lulubikes]

Hi Everyone -

I sometimes feel like I'm crashing - it is hard for me to always keep on the weekly thread... But I'm trying.

It sounds like there is a lot going on for everyone. I'm thinking about all of you and hope things even out a bit.

I want to comment a bit about Spinning Babies and her techniques. I took a workshop from Gail (the woman behind SB) in January. It was amazing I have to say. I think each person needs to decide what feels right for her and her baby, but I don't think that any of her suggested daily exercises would harm things. She does have some more intensive maneuvers that I think should only be used when indicated. The inversion for example, is so very short I don't see it turning a head down baby. When a baby is breech you're supposed to lay on the tilt board for 20 minutes at a time 2-3x/day or something (my memory might be a bit off). But it is dramatically different from a brief inversion.

What Gails says is that in our world women often are doing things that leave residual tension in the body and that can translate to the uterus. So the malposition of babies are often due to muscle/uterine/ligament tension that don't allow the baby to freely move into positive positions. So her daily exercises are meant to balance things in the body/uterus to allow positive positioning to occur.

That being said, there is something about trusting your body and baby to know what is right... I personally enjoy the inversion. I don't do it every day, but several times a week.

I'm so amazed by the amount of baby movement I feel. This is my first baby so it is all new to me. I keep wondering whether any of the movement is conscious or just instinct...

Cheers!