I have not had an IUD. When I was pregnant with my first my uncle, who is a pharmacist, told me not to get one. I have had so many friends who've had them and have gotten pregnant with the IUD still inside, that I, personally, don't trust it.
What has worked best for us is condoms, honestly. I had reactions to each of the pills I tried and the patch.
Martha - have you been having any extra cramping with this twin pregnancy that you didn't have with other pregnancies? I have been cramping soooo much more with this pregnancy, no bleeding though. I am 14 weeks and my uterus is measuring 1 finger width below my belly button, which I though was high. I have not had an U/S yet and won't until 20 weeks or so. But I have been thinking twins with my pregnancy for a while now. My nausea is 10x worse than with my other 2 babies as well, and the area around my uterus is so tender.
I don't remember if he really explained why or if he was just very adamant that I shouldn't get one. It was like 11 years ago.
BeanBean06: 
Best of luck riding out Sandy! I hope, despite all the crap life is throwing your way, that you'll be able to rest and relax a bit. Sounds like you could use a break from stress.
BeanBean06: I wasn't going to post anything right yet, with regards to the chat thread, but I couldn't read your post and not respond. I know it will be hard with everything going on, but try and rest, and relax.
BeanBean06: You are in my thoughts and prayers. I'm glad to hear that you have a dr you feel confident in.
Hubby will be getting the big V after this baby arrives. For us, NFP has worked really well as I've heard too many stories about hormonal b/c's (including some of the IUD's) causing issues with BFing and I also know at least 2 people IRL that have gotten pregnant with the IUD in place (one had a m/c, the other everything turned out ok).
It's sad that there are really so few *GOOD* options for bc, but medication scares me, so we make NFP work ;)
BeanBean - that's so scary!! I'm glad that you've got a team that's able to take care of you and that they're able to get you in so soon. I'll be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers that everything goes smoothly!
Beanbean Hugs...I'll be praying for a successful and easy and perfect surgery....HUGS girl...that is scary!!!
Greenlea I've not been super crampy I dont think....I do get cramps at night when I roll over...my round ligaments I think are stretching and it hurts...so I have to move slowly. I am having constipation issues which is also normal but uncool....My uterus at 14 weeks is to my BB so very similar to yours. Mine is growing a finger width per week basically...:)
I've been thinking a lot about how I want this birth to go, what I want it to be like, and am finding that even though DS' birth went a lot better than DD's, I still have some feelings of... unease, I guess, surrounding it. Even though I got to have a VBAC, which I had been studying/researching/preparing for since DD's birth four years earlier, I hated that I felt so disrespected, treated like I was crazy or didn't know what I was talking about, even though DF said he was really proud of me for preparing myself so well. Every appointment from week 38-ish, the OB kept asking if I had my bags packed for the hospital, because I was going to have to be admitted/induced soon. Every week, I told him, "No, it's not time yet. He's not ready to be born." and every week, he would kind of chuckle and shake his head, like I was being stupid. When he first told me, I asked him, "Why do I have to do it that way, when baby isn't showing any signs of distress, the placenta is still healthy, everything is okay?" and he never did give me a very satisfactory answer, just kept telling me that I would *have* to have him before 42 weeks, or else it would automatically have to be a RCS. Eventually, at 41 weeks, 3 days, I decided to go with the induction (which I know/knew was really risky, but I felt/knew that by the time I scheduled it for, 41 weeks, 5 days, he would be ready to be born. I don't know how I knew, I just did.). I just knew that I *never* want to have another c-section, if I don't medically need it. When we went in, to me, things seemed pretty smooth. I got there at 4.5-5 cm, and if I remember correctly, completely effaced(?) The nurse only did minute amount of pitocin, only for l think 30 minutes at around 7, my water broke at 1.30, and DS was born at 5.30. He was born at 10 1/2 pounds, and the whole time, the nurses and everyone asked why did I want it so bad? Why did I want a natural birth? They had never seen a 10 pound baby successfully born vaginally, they didn't think it was possible. I just told them I had to know I wasn't broken, that I had to know that my body could do it. I just kind of felt like everyone thought it was a joke, like no one took me seriously, and I'm starting to worry that this birth will be similar. The nurse at the family history/pregnancy history appointment has already told me they don't allow anyone to go over 41 weeks, so I'm starting to feel pressure already, like what if our babies just take longer to be born? With knowing how risky/unsafe induction is with a VBAC, I'm really not wanting to do it again, I probably shouldn't have taken the risk with DS, but... in a weird, warped, selfish kind of way, I *had* to know I wasn't broken. So many questions are coming into my head, and I don't know if anyone can answer them. I really would like to go with a midwife, and quite possibly, a home birth, but the only home birth midwife I know of in the area, the cost is near six months' worth of income, and we can't afford it.
Sorry to write so much, you're very patient if you read the whole thing, this is just something that has been really really bothering me lately.
TL;DR, I have a lot of concerns regarding the birth of this babe, and a lot of unresolved issues regarding the births of my DD and DS.
bmcneal, is there any other practices you can talk to? Get a second opinion? Another option for hospital? There is still plenty of time for you to switch providers if you find someone more in line with your philosophies. It makes me crazy that the "standard of care" from one provider, or hospital, is so different from the next. So much for it being STANDARD! If you can deliver a 10# baby, you can do anything mama, you're a rock star and deserve major props for that! Good for you for sticking to your guns so far and I hope you're able to find a solution that will work for you.
Beanbean: Hugs and the best of luck!
I've been thinking a lot about how I want this birth to go, what I want it to be like, and am finding that even though DS' birth went a lot better than DD's, I still have some feelings of... unease, I guess, surrounding it. Even though I got to have a VBAC, which I had been studying/researching/preparing for since DD's birth four years earlier, I hated that I felt so disrespected, treated like I was crazy or didn't know what I was talking about, even though DF said he was really proud of me for preparing myself so well. Every appointment from week 38-ish, the OB kept asking if I had my bags packed for the hospital, because I was going to have to be admitted/induced soon. Every week, I told him, "No, it's not time yet. He's not ready to be born." and every week, he would kind of chuckle and shake his head, like I was being stupid. When he first told me, I asked him, "Why do I have to do it that way, when baby isn't showing any signs of distress, the placenta is still healthy, everything is okay?" and he never did give me a very satisfactory answer, just kept telling me that I would *have* to have him before 42 weeks, or else it would automatically have to be a RCS. Eventually, at 41 weeks, 3 days, I decided to go with the induction (which I know/knew was really risky, but I felt/knew that by the time I scheduled it for, 41 weeks, 5 days, he would be ready to be born. I don't know how I knew, I just did.). I just knew that I *never* want to have another c-section, if I don't medically need it. When we went in, to me, things seemed pretty smooth. I got there at 4.5-5 cm, and if I remember correctly, completely effaced(?) The nurse only did minute amount of pitocin, only for l think 30 minutes at around 7, my water broke at 1.30, and DS was born at 5.30. He was born at 10 1/2 pounds, and the whole time, the nurses and everyone asked why did I want it so bad? Why did I want a natural birth? They had never seen a 10 pound baby successfully born vaginally, they didn't think it was possible. I just told them I had to know I wasn't broken, that I had to know that my body could do it. I just kind of felt like everyone thought it was a joke, like no one took me seriously, and I'm starting to worry that this birth will be similar. The nurse at the family history/pregnancy history appointment has already told me they don't allow anyone to go over 41 weeks, so I'm starting to feel pressure already, like what if our babies just take longer to be born? With knowing how risky/unsafe induction is with a VBAC, I'm really not wanting to do it again, I probably shouldn't have taken the risk with DS, but... in a weird, warped, selfish kind of way, I *had* to know I wasn't broken. So many questions are coming into my head, and I don't know if anyone can answer them. I really would like to go with a midwife, and quite possibly, a home birth, but the only home birth midwife I know of in the area, the cost is near six months' worth of income, and we can't afford it.
Sorry to write so much, you're very patient if you read the whole thing, this is just something that has been really really bothering me lately.
TL;DR, I have a lot of concerns regarding the birth of this babe, and a lot of unresolved issues regarding the births of my DD and DS.
How frustrating! Doctors can really develop a complex, can't they? I hate the idea of someone "letting" someone else make choices about their own body and health! You know what's best for you. Trust your intuition! Hugs!
Regarding birth control, I seem to be sensititive to everything hormonal and even the copper IUD caused me to show signs of copper toxicity. I think the best method for us is going to be a one way ticket to Alaska (we live on the east coast).
bmcneal, is there any other practices you can talk to? Get a second opinion? Another option for hospital? There is still plenty of time for you to switch providers if you find someone more in line with your philosophies. It makes me crazy that the "standard of care" from one provider, or hospital, is so different from the next. So much for it being STANDARD! If you can deliver a 10# baby, you can do anything mama, you're a rock star and deserve major props for that! Good for you for sticking to your guns so far and I hope you're able to find a solution that will work for you.
I second that. You deserve a care provider that respects you.
I had an OB who was kinda like that. With ds2, he already wanted to schedule my induction (for 39weeks) ... when I was 23 weeks pregnant. ust because he thought the baby would be big.. (yeah, 16 weeks down the road... ) That was my red flag to get the heck out of there. I switched to a midwife at 32 weeks. I think you're very right about your babe just not being ready to be born. I feel very strongly that ds1 was induced before he was ready. It was 41w6d, but in reality it was 41w3d because the OB was too lazy to upate my due date one time, and there was no other pressing need for it other than it fit the doctor's vacation schedule. To this day, my son's very stubborn "I'll do it in my own good time" attitude I attribute to some sort of Freudian thing that he was forced into this world before he was ready., and he's just not going to be forced again to do ANYTHING, apparently..
JennJenn: I had the mirena IUD before my first (I had enough room despite never having a child) and it worked really well for me. No issues at all. I'll likely look into an IUD again but I will weigh the different options.
BeanBean: I am sorry for your stress and will keep you in my thoughts.
I'm going to try and talk to the OB tomorrow (I have an appointment already) and see how much, if any, they are willing to work with me. I found out, I think through a post from someone on here (but I don't know how to find the "finding your tribe" forum anymore, if there even is one still), that the only freestanding birthing center closed either last year or year before, so that kind of limits me to hospital birth, because I don't know how comfortable DF would be with a homebirth, and the one homebirth midwife I found was too expensive for us, anyway. I don't know what would be available closer to or in Indianapolis, but if this practice doesn't work out, and neither of the other two hospitals are any better, I might try to convince DF we should go to Indianapolis. We went 40+ minutes away with DS for a VBAC, so it might be a bit closer than that depending on where we go in Indianapolis.
Thanks, ladies. You guys make me feel so much better about my decisions. I guess my mom told my brother I'm expecting, and his response was something along the lines of, "Is she going to let them cut it out of her this time?" Which was kind of hard to hear, but it's my brother, and while I know he didn't mean anything by it, it still hurt, especially when even though there were more people supportive of me when I was pregnant with DS, everyone was freaking out about me going past my due date. (Even though I wasn't 100%.)
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