Weekly Chat Thread - Jan. 20- 26th « Back to Group Discussions

[jodieanneanton]

Chat away! :D

Link to last weeks chat is here.

[writermama12]

Well I feel really productive today. And exhausted. But what I wanted to mention most, that carries over from last week's thread, is that I've been checking out Spinning Babies.com because I was wrong about my babe being transverse most of the time, he is actually Oblique. I didn't even know what that was until today when I kept feeling him hiccup behind my right hip and jamb his foot under my left rib. I looked it up and the site said that after 30 weeks, Oblique position for a singleton is not ideal (as I get closer toward labor if he has not settled in it could mean c-section) and I should be doing some exercises to help him settle into the pelvis. Yikes! I realized that at my last two MW appts. he has also been oblique and they didn't say anything about it. Does anyone know much about this position and outcomes?

[spughy]

I don't - but I think my baby is oblique too.  I feel hiccups down really low but they are off to one side and I get foot (knee?) pushings out my right side all the time. 

I managed to make marmalade today for my ILs.  Usually my mom provides them with a sizable stash but due to her travel arrangements she wasn't able to bring any down with her so being a dutiful daughter-in-law I felt a responsibility to save MIL and FIL from the ravages of substandard supermarket marmalade and I knocked out a half-dozen jars.  Should keep them happy for a while.

Aside from that I have not accomplished much!

On the travel thing - when I was little we did frequent road trips, but that was for camping, to the coast of Alaska generally.  Realistically, going anywhere from the Yukon requires flying - it's a 3000 km drive just to get to Vancouver.  Plus I've always had relatives overseas or on the east coast, so if we ever wanted to see them, we got on a plane.  I personally haven't had any issues with airport security.  We fly very little now because it's expensive and not very eco-friendly, but it seems to me that the chances of something untoward happening with a security pat-down and children are so minimal as to not be worth worrying about.  I'm just not into that level of worry about that kind of thing. And you CAN always request that personal searches, if carried out, are done by someone of the same gender as the searchee, I believe.  But just the cost of getting a family of 4 anywhere on a plane is a good enough reason not to do it.

[Melany]

Had a productive day. :) Met with a new hypno-birthing instructor in Seattle and I really like her. We are doing some private sessions instead of the 5 classes because I'm looking for a refresher, not the whole class. It's interesting, I last took it 9 years ago and the current class is almost a birth prep class, where it was really all about the hypnosis without the child birth instruction. They have also added some other things to help you focus. All in all, I'm really glad I am working with someone.

Originally Posted by spughy 

On the travel thing - when I was little we did frequent road trips, but that was for camping, to the coast of Alaska generally.  Realistically, going anywhere from the Yukon requires flying - it's a 3000 km drive just to get to Vancouver.  Plus I've always had relatives overseas or on the east coast, so if we ever wanted to see them, we got on a plane.  I personally haven't had any issues with airport security.  We fly very little now because it's expensive and not very eco-friendly, but it seems to me that the chances of something untoward happening with a security pat-down and children are so minimal as to not be worth worrying about.  I'm just not into that level of worry about that kind of thing. And you CAN always request that personal searches, if carried out, are done by someone of the same gender as the searchee, I believe.  But just the cost of getting a family of 4 anywhere on a plane is a good enough reason not to do it.

I have been requesting that because the back scanners at the Seattle airport are the ones that show you completely naked. So, kind of out of principal. It is a very invasive search and I would hate to subject my daughter to it. They feel inside the waistband of your pants for your underwear and then your underwire of your bra. I've felt less violated at a doctor's office. My friend with a guide dog also has issues with the TSA. They have tried to separate her from her dog, which is a big no-no and listed on the TSA site as not being allowed, but it happens every time she travels.

[Chapsie]

Sorry for being quiet lately! Been working the past 4 days at the hospital. We had a baby boom of sorts ( lots of inductions) and lots of staff sick calls (flu) so we've been short staffed. I do have to say-- seeing 30 babies in the same nursery all lined up in their cribs is an amazing sight to behold!

[maydaymom10]

Chapsie  - I can't imagine that sight! Welcome back and I hope you get a chance to rest.

Melany & others - I thought I posted this, but it looks like some airports are going to take out some of the scanners: http://www.hulu.com/watch/447457. It doesn't solve it all, but maybe it's a start. I've been lucky the last few times that I've flown in that I've been able to use the old-school metal detectors (having DS with me & being pregnant). I would love to do more road trips, but I often have to travel alone since DH doesn't get much time off. Sometimes it's easier to fly in that case. Especially when I'm going to my folks house & it's a 2 hour flight versus a 12 hour drive. 

AFM - Still dealing with my sleep issues. Now I'm up to frequent wakings, but not so much the insomnia. Still leaves me exhausted. I'm fighting through it. This little one is getting pretty active. DH had a shock last night when he saw her kicking my stomach -- some good hard kicks that made the skin jump. I had an anterior placenta with DS, so we never got to see those things. It's crazy! She's been clawing around in there and I swear she was trying to stick a fist through my cervix the other night. I was jumping all around b/c it was such a strange and uncomfortable feeling. I'm hoping that she stays in until her due date (DH signed up for a half-marathon the day before my EDD), but I'm beginning to wonder. Now she'll stay in for weeks pasts her EDD. 

In other news, DH just found out yesterday that his contract with the company he's currently working for (he's a computer programer that gets contracted out to smaller companies for specific projects) doesn't wrap up until the end of March. We were thinking that he would be done right around the time that the baby is born. Also, he accrues time off throughout the year, and thinks he'll have only about 5 days off by the time the baby gets here. Ugh. He only took a few days of when DS was born, and it was rough. To his credit, he is going to talk to the HR person & also the "boss" at the company to see if he can arrange to work from home for a bit. We'll probably try to coordinate trips from my parents & maybe his mom to overlap for when he needs to go back to work. I was really looking forward to having DH home to help out without having the stress of work weighing on him, but I guess that's not meant to be. I'll be happy to just have him around if nothing else. 

Finally, it looks like I'm getting a baby shower! I'm shocked, but excited since I didn't have a local shower with DS. Now I just need to find some things to register for.

Hope everyone's week is off to a good start!

[scruffy too]

I just dropped off my parents at the airport.  Right when we were pulling in, my dad said that maybe the next time they'd see me, I'd be a mom.  (!!!)  Crazy thought.  And not how my master plan works - I'm hoping my mom makes it for the birth.  Anyway, it was a great visit.  They put an offer in on a house 10 minutes away from me and I'm super excited!

Maydaymom - I've been sleeping better, too.  But I hear you about waking up all night.  Last visit, my midwife told me that if a non-pregnant person slept like we do for as long as we do, they'd lose their minds and be zombies, yet during pregnancy (and apparently afterwards) we manage it.  Her words now come back to me every time I get up to pee: that this is perfectly normal and my body can cope.  But yeah, I'm tired!

[spughy]

Scruffy your midwife sounds optimistic - or else I'm sleeping far WORSE than the average pregnant lady at the moment... last night was the worst night EVER and today I am definitely a zombie.  I am going to take drugs tonight or tomorrow I will be asking my husband for a divorce and "forgetting" to pick my kid up from school.

Not much to add to that - I have a midwife appt now.  I'm sure my blood pressure will be through the roof - not sleeping is damned stressful.

Edit: okay I don't have a midwife appointment right now - she has someone in labour so it'll be later this afternoon.  Unfortunately I just chugged a really strong cup of tea so I don't think going back to bed is going to work.  Sigh.

[beautifulnm]

Helllooo ladies,

DH is nesting! I needed to lead off with that.. He just sent me a photo of ds' room. It had looked like toys r us threw up in there, and now there are neatly packed bags of toys to be given away, and a lovely floor that isn't obscured by TOYS. Cue the hallelujah chorus. 

Baby had her first (or at least first while I was awake and/or paying attention) hiccups. I think she was sleeping, then the little bumps kept rhythmically coming.. and then she was up full-force!)

I can't remember if I said last week but we went on our birth center tour. I was worried because of the c-section I'd be carted away from all the other moms/babies and just hidden upstairs in a regular hospital room. The positive of the tour was that they'd only take me out of the room for the actual surgical procedure and then I'd get to come back and essentially have the same stay as other moms and babies. 

And finally, on the GD front, I think the dietitian was trying to kill me with carbs. After stressing the importance of a before bed snack my morning numbers were elevated..  I went back to my normal dinner, maybe some coffee afterwards routine and NO SNACK, and back to normal fasting numbers. Eat a sandwich before bed, my butt.

Melany, Seattle's screening is my favorite! I hope they enjoyed the post-partum view before going back to "normal" after my last c-section and the baby buns. What a glorious job to have. 

Spughy, that was very sweet of you with the marmalade! 

[Melany]

Originally Posted by spughy 

Scruffy your midwife sounds optimistic - or else I'm sleeping far WORSE than the average pregnant lady at the moment... last night was the worst night EVER and today I am definitely a zombie.  I am going to take drugs tonight or tomorrow I will be asking my husband for a divorce and "forgetting" to pick my kid up from school.

Right there with you. We have booted the cats from the bedroom because our fat cat likes to sleep on my hip while I'm on my side and I wake up in intense pain. But, I finally figured out that by shutting the bedroom door to boot the cats, the thermostat is in an area without any heater vents and it kicks the furnace on high with a vengence. I woke up sweating and overheated without a cat on me. SO, I can't decide which is worse. Sneak attack from the cat as she climbs back onto my hip or overheating, but either way, I am exhausted and in significant pain when I wake up. 

I dropped the kids at the bus (I drive down to the end of the road because the pick-up is on a 50mph road and I'm not ok with letting them stand on the side of a highway). Then I came home to start work and somehow found myself sideways on the couch 2 hours later still wearing my coat and purse. 

[spughy]

Originally Posted by beautifulnm 

And finally, on the GD front, I think the dietitian was trying to kill me with carbs. After stressing the importance of a before bed snack my morning numbers were elevated..  I went back to my normal dinner, maybe some coffee afterwards routine and NO SNACK, and back to normal fasting numbers. Eat a sandwich before bed, my butt.

Yeah me & bedtime snacks aren't a good idea, blood-sugar-level-wise either.  Dieticians don't seem to think much.  Even a sandwich made with ezekial bread is super-carby.  I have no idea why they keep pushing bread products.

I can get away with some cheese and blueberries if I'm actually hungry, but most of the time I'm not so I just don't eat before bed, and my fasting numbers are much better.

[beautifulnm]

Originally Posted by spughy 

Yeah me & bedtime snacks aren't a good idea, blood-sugar-level-wise either.  Dieticians don't seem to think much.  Even a sandwich made with ezekial bread is super-carby.  I have no idea why they keep pushing bread products.

I can get away with some cheese and blueberries if I'm actually hungry, but most of the time I'm not so I just don't eat before bed, and my fasting numbers are much better.

Exactly. I felt like I was forcing myself to eat, adding insult to injury when the heart burn kicked in from not having adequate time to digest before laying down, and a sandwich isn't what I'd want to eat anyway. I feel like their whole plan with 45g carbs at lunch and dinner and two carbs at snack time is just excessive. The meal plan is crap. Beyond that, I feel like since everyone is different they should be encouraging people to experiment and see what works for them rather than oh, you had high blood sugar in the morning for three days, maybe we should put you on medicine directly after giving generic guidelines and advice. 

[maydaymom10]

Originally Posted by spughy 

Not much to add to that - I have a midwife appt now.  I'm sure my blood pressure will be through the roof - not sleeping is damned stressful.

Yes! I was having some high BP readings last week and that's what we boiled it down to since everything else looks fine. She suggested that I start taking powdered magnesium, which seems to be helping in that I'm having better quality sleep (no insomnia), but am still waking a lot. There is something about pregnant & new moms being able to cope on little sleep. I went almost a year with DS waking every 2-3 hours & somehow managing to work on that little sleep. But, I also had my LC tell me that your body really needs 4 consecutive hours of sleep to function properly. So, I remember having DH take some shifts every so often to allow me to get some "extended" sleep. Oh, so looking forward to that again. Maybe this little girl will be a better sleeper than her mama or brother.

Originally Posted by Melany 

I dropped the kids at the bus (I drive down to the end of the road because the pick-up is on a 50mph road and I'm not ok with letting them stand on the side of a highway). Then I came home to start work and somehow found myself sideways on the couch 2 hours later still wearing my coat and purse. 

Hah! I have done this too. 

[veganyogamomma]

I haven't been sleeping very well either! Our room gets too hot, or my hips start to hurt and I have to switch sides, it's always something! Last night and during my nap this morning, I had really intense emotional dreams about my parents and sisters. I've been dealing with a lot of repressed old emotions this pregnancy, and so I think that's what's causing it. Unfortunately, I'm still holding a lot of anger towards my family from when I was a kid, but I'm glad that it seems to be surfacing in a safe way and I know this is how I move towards releasing it all. At the same time, I do worry about experiencing such intense emotions while pregnant, you know?

I also had a dream the other night that I was in labor and I woke up so confused! I think I was maybe having some Braxton Hicks that carried over to dreamland. It was really realistic though!

I met with my midwife a few days ago and she said if my arrhythmia acts up while I'm in labor, we will have to transfer. So I've been working on accepting that as a possibility and just allowing myself to feel ready for it if it happens. I had such an amazing experiencing giving birth to DD at the birth center, at first I was definitely feeling like going to the hospital would be the worst thing to ever happen. But now I'm realizing that if it's where I need to be, the experience doesn't have to be every horror story I've heard about hospital birth. I'm focused on it being a positive thing if it becomes necessary!

DH has the flu as of yesterday, so I've been trying to take care of him and keep up with DD even though I should be resting more. He turns into the biggest baby when he's sick! I have to just laugh at it though, he does so much for me normally that babying him for a few days really isn't a big deal. Plus, he puts up with all my natural remedies and only makes fun of me a little, haha. Of course, he will be better much faster for it, and he knows that too.

Here's to hoping DD and I stay well! We are putting our natural immune support to the test for sure!

In other news, did anyone see the video of two men in Amsterdam going through a couple hours of simulated labor pain? I'll have to look for the link- I think I saw it on Jezebel or one of their related sites...

[Melany]

Originally Posted by veganyogamomma 

I met with my midwife a few days ago and she said if my arrhythmia acts up while I'm in labor, we will have to transfer. So I've been working on accepting that as a possibility and just allowing myself to feel ready for it if it happens. I had such an amazing experiencing giving birth to DD at the birth center, at first I was definitely feeling like going to the hospital would be the worst thing to ever happen. But now I'm realizing that if it's where I need to be, the experience doesn't have to be every horror story I've heard about hospital birth. I'm focused on it being a positive thing if it becomes necessary!

There are so many things you can do to make the hospital birth positive and you're right on track by not focusing on the horror stories you hear. First off, request that you have a natural birth friendly nurse. Some nurses enjoy those births and it's ok to request that right off the bat. My first time at the hospital, the nurse went through my birth plan as we were checking in and she said, "I love the natural births! The babies are so alert!" and her statement set me at ease right off the bat because that was one of my major fears. I think that really helped during the birth, knowing I had the support of the medical profession in the room

Second, I don't remember, but were you doing the hypnobirthing home study course? Part of the practitioner led course does a fear release session and I remember doing that and finding it very helpful during the course. I was really able to let some things go and I am looking forward to that part of the course this time around to get through my fears from my last birth. Does the home study course have a CD on fear/memory release?

[spughy]

There's no doubt that new/prego mamas are more resilient when it comes to lack of sleep, but we're still human and there's only so much we can take.  And there is functional, and then there is fully functional.  I had to night-wean DD and start sleeping on the couch (DD had the bed with DH for a bit while she adjusted to no boobies at night - it was easier on DD to not have me in the room for a while (and easier on me too)) when I went back to work - my job was demanding and technical and required me to be able to muster enough concentration to step through pieces of code, line-by-line, to trace bugs and errors, and then to talk to people with vastly different backgrounds about what I found, how they could do it differently and correctly (which meant I also had to get specs on THEIR stuff) and then much of the time generalize the problem into a white paper for general company-internal consumption.  I quickly found out that I could NOT do that on the broken sleep I was getting while nursing at night.  Sure, I could manage a household, grocery shop, go to playgroup, meet with friends, cook dinner, and be a good mother and housekeeper and haul myself out of the PPD - but I couldn't think in the way I was being paid (somewhat exorbitant amounts of money) to think. 

Today, I am 7 years older, existing on less sleep than I typically got during a night with DD, and I had a hard time following the plot of this week's epsiode of Castle.  If pregnancy wants to take credit for making me better at handling sleep deprivation, it had better get its game on.

[jodieanneanton]

Originally Posted by spughy 

On the travel thing - when I was little we did frequent road trips, but that was for camping, to the coast of Alaska generally.  Realistically, going anywhere from the Yukon requires flying - it's a 3000 km drive just to get to Vancouver.  Plus I've always had relatives overseas or on the east coast, so if we ever wanted to see them, we got on a plane.  I personally haven't had any issues with airport security.  We fly very little now because it's expensive and not very eco-friendly, but it seems to me that the chances of something untoward happening with a security pat-down and children are so minimal as to not be worth worrying about.  I'm just not into that level of worry about that kind of thing. And you CAN always request that personal searches, if carried out, are done by someone of the same gender as the searchee, I believe.  But just the cost of getting a family of 4 anywhere on a plane is a good enough reason not to do it.

My husband's issue is that the search violates the 4th amendment. 

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."   

You see, he is obsessed with his rights (rightfully so... no pun intended) and actually carries a copy of the constitution and bill of rights in his pocket at all times.   He makes me giggle.

[Melany]

Originally Posted by jodieanneanton 

My husband's issue is that the search violates the 4th amendment. 

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."   

You see, he is obsessed with his rights (rightfully so... no pun intended) and actually carries a copy of the constitution and bill of rights in his pocket at all times.   He makes me giggle.

I'm with your husband on this one. It actually disgusts me that the NRA keeps touting the 2nd amendment but then everyone ignores the 4th amendment and thinks what the TSA is allowed to do is ok.

But, you're allowed to chuckle at me, too. My husband does. :) And my father has also been making fun of me. He told me he was going to join the NRA, which is funny on it's own considering he does not own a gun.

[spughy]

Meh. I'm Canadian.  We have an entirely different relationship with government and authority.  Even yours.   But our country came about as a result of a long, drawn-out divorce, not a shooting war.  Kinda sets up a different dynamic.

[spughy]

Oh, and my midwife appointment was fine - my blood pressure was surprisingly ok (122/80), measuring right on target, and I've lost another 2 lbs.   And it's starting to hit, how close we are now... she booked all my appointments through til my due date.  We're on a 2-week schedule now instead of once a month, and next week we'll go over the labour plan... yikes!  (Although a big part of me kind of wants to say "screw the plan, let's just roll with whatever happens" I know that midwives just don't work that way...)

(Edit:  And another part of me wants to give her a schedule that has me going into labour at 8 am and delivering at 4:30 in the afternoon, with burgers delivered at 6.  I am perhaps not the easiest client...)