Weekly Chat Feb. 3rd ~ Feb. 10th - Page 5 « Back to Group Discussions

[MPsSweetie]

I've had the same image of birth! I imagine its the middle of the night, I get on the shower alone, birth my baby and then call dh to come help. I've had this vision for a while, but our hot water heater isn't working great... :/

I also need quiet during labor. Last time I got up at 6 am and showered then sat in the rocking chair until it was time to go to the hospital. I delivered 20 minutes later. I never had any coaching or touching or anything. It was perfect. I feel like I need to go inside myself to have a baby, shut out the whole world. I can't find that peace this time and I'm so stressed about it. I'm in such a bad place right now...

[Melany]

Scruffy and Chapsie: I'm also a very quiet birther. Pete says I barked at the nurses when they touched me or wouldn't leave me alone, but was otherwise completely silent. I am slightly worried about my daughter and hope I don't bark at her if she is in the room. I really need to start preparing the kids for the birth. 

Chapsie: I was never diagnosed with pre-e, but I had A LOT of the indicators when I was pregnant with my son. It sprung up on me very fast in the last 2 months.  I picked up a home blood pressure cuff and talked to my doctor about what numbers I should call him at. He wanted me to be seen if it hit 145, but I'm normally 110-120. It did hit that a few times. I would watch it during the day and when it spiked, I'd lie down on my side and start drinking water. I'd also practice the hypno-birthing, which always brought me down about 10 points or so. With being careful, I was able to keep it in the 130 range. BUT, I swelled up a lot and I truly think baby didn't grow as much while this was going. He was only 5 lbs 7oz at birth and I had an U/S at 34 weeks where he measured 5 lb 5 oz. My stomach did not measure any larger from 34 weeks onward. I measured 32 at every appointment near the end. 

Choc Chip: Do get a massage! My back is 100 times better, even more so than the acupuncture. AND, I should add what having less back pain has done for my mood and ability to handle all things emotional. I should have done this months ago!

AFM: The kids are off skiing with hubby and I'm unpacking baby stuff. I just went through my diapers and I am set. I had 2 kids in diapers at the same time and used a one size diaper (Wonderoos, best one size diaper on the planet). SO, I think I might actually have too many, which is a nice change of pace when I realize that means I don't need to buy any!  I also have a huge stack of toddler sized prefolds and about 15 L FBs (those worked better than the one-sized wonderoos for the older kids). I must have gotten rid of my newborn sized prefolds, but I have a good size stack of infant sized ones. I have 3 bummis newborn covers and I'm toying with just picking up some disposables (and keeping the receipt) just in case the larger infant prefolds are too much. My daughter was out of the newborn covers so fast, that I think they only had a week or 2 of wearings, which is probably why I don't have the prefolds anymore. Of course, if I order some prefolds, I'll have some burp cloths, which I also have none of. 

[maydaymom10]

I'm also seeing this as a quiet birth. I'll have my DH, midwife & a doula there, but I've already warned them that I kinda see me doing this. Although, if DH decides that he wants to catch the baby, then I would let him do that. 

I'm finally having a nesting day. Cleaning, doing laundry (baby blankets & towels are in right now). I'm trying not to overdue it though. DH ended up having to go in to work, so it's just DS & me and a lazy Saturday. I cleaned out some drawers in mine & DH's nightstands to put some more baby stuff in for now. I also opened the Arms Reach to set up. I think I'll end up keeping some of the birth supplies in there until after the baby is born. Then we'll sidecar it to the bed to use when needed. So much to do still. I'm finally hearing that clock ticking down to the big day and it's freaking me out a bit. 

[spughy]

Scruffy - I felt exactly the same way (wanting to be alone in the bathroom) before my first birth.  It didn't work out that way and I actually ended up feeling lonely when I *did* spend time by myself in the bathroom, so you never really know.   I think I just really liked my bathroom a lot - it was the best room in our old house.  We'd remodeled it ourselves, it was a big old-fashioned bathroom with a claw-foot tub and an awesome old pedestal sink and it was painted a beautiful sunshiney cheerful yellow and it had windows on the east and south so it was really bright and peaceful.  But when I was IN labour it was a cloudy, gloomy day and the bathroom felt wrong even with the heater on and me in the tub. 

DD and DH are having a day together and I'm doing some puttering-nesty stuff.  I cleaned out the drawer for baby clothes, vacuumed it (it's been storing random stuff for a long time) and I threw all the baby clothes and blankets and whatnot in the wash.  I actually seem to have a LOT of baby clothes!  A ton of 0-3 onesies (sleeveless, short sleeve and long sleeve, all white), and enough sleepers and miscellany to last until I'm sorted out enough to go to the consignment store. 

But I am SO TIRED today.  I slept well last night again but I think I really, really overdid it earlier this week.  My pubic bone isn't hurting any more but my back is a little sore (which I've never had before) when I'm bending down and picking up stuff (like laundry, which is my Big Chore today).  That's generally one of the benefits of being really short with a short torso - back pain is rare!  So I don't know where this is coming from... but my belly IS sticking out rather alarmingly.  I was measuring right on target at my MW appointment on Thurs. so I don't think the baby suddenly grew or anything, but it still just seems very sticky-outy.  I was tidying up the other day and found my tape measure and decided to see what my measurements were just for giggles - turns out I'm very even all over!  Boobs, belly and hips were all between 41-43".  The boobs and hips are right where there were pre-preg, but the belly... OMG... I'm pretty sure my waist measured less than 30" before I got pregnant.  That's an extra foot in diameter there...maybe more.  Yoiks.

But on the upside of things, since DD and DH are off playing, I can easily sneak in a little nap (once my hair is dry - naps on damp hair are rarely worth it after!!!) and tonight DH's family is celebrating Chinese New Year so yaaaaayyyyyy awesome dinner!  I love Chinese New Year Dinner.  It's way better than Christmas or Thanksgiving.  So much yum, and distributed over a long period of time so my teeny tiny tummy can handle it better.  I love a tiny bowl that gets refilled - works so much better for me than a whomping huge plate with everything crammed on. 

[ClumsySugarPlum]

Hey, guys. I actually have something positive to post about! Yesterday I had a hemorrhoid removed and I am soooooooooooooooooo much more comfortable. Thursday night was pretty much the worst night of my life. More painful than ds's birth even. So, I am so happy that I got the hemorrhoid removed and am starting to feel better. My fear is that with babe so low already (-1 at 35 weeks), the pressure will cause another hemorrhoid that will severely impact the birth. Does anyone know if you can have lidocaine injections during labor/ birth? After I had the lidocaine injections during the surgery (which was extemely painful) I couldn't feel anything in the local area. I think I would still  be able to push though. I want to have a natural birth, but if I had another hemorrhoid like the one I had removed before giving birth, I know there is just no way. 

Anyway, I am super thankful that the doc was able to operate on it, and on a Friday no less. I can't imagine having to wait through the whole weekend, or worse the five or so weeks until giving birth. My mom went with me and took care of me yesterday at her house because we were having a plumbing issue fixed at our house. Even the plumbing thing is positive because we've been dealing with the same issue for over a year, and now (hopefully) it is finally, really fixed. DS has been doing well with being gentle around me and following directions while I have been sick. I felt well enough this morning for DH to leave ds with me while he went for a bike ride, and ds was great about playing independently in the backyard while I curled up on beach chair with pillows and a sleeping bag. 

This afternoon my mom came over for lunch and helped me with a few small chores around the house like laundry and making lunch for us and ds. We made two loaves of banana bread, 1 for her to take home. Then, my in-laws came over and helped dh paint the baby's room and play with ds while I pooped and took a sitz bath! So grateful to have my family close by and willing to help. 

We're all taking naps now. I'm hoping dh will feel up to grilling chicken later and watching Labyrinth with ds and I. For DS's first Halloween DH and I dressed up as Jenifer Connely and David Bowie from the movie. DS was baby Toby. I'm hoping to do it again next Halloween with this baby, but DS will have to pick a different character.

Edited by ClumsySugarPlum - 2/18/13 at 9:53pm

[spughy]

Yay for banished hemorrhoids!!! 

When I was pregnant with DD, I had HORRIBLE hemorrhoids just before my due date.  I had the same thoughts and asked my midwife if I should have them surgically removed or a local anaesthetic.  She said neither - and it wasn't because she was anti-pain-med or anything - once the baby's head drops into the birth canal, the pressure from it actually acts to block the pain (like when you get a cut or a bruise and press on it) and contrary to what you would think, hemorrhoids don't burst during labour or anything - and you do need a little time to heal up after surgery so you don't want to do that when there's a chance you'll go into labour the next day or something.  Mine were starting to get better when I went into labour, and sure enough, I didn't even think about them during labour or delivery (granted, I DID have an epidural...) and by the time I paid attention to that particular body part again, they were completely gone, like the process of pushing DD out had massaged them out of existence. 

This time of course I hope to avoid the situation altogether...  if you don't already have some, I would HIGHLY recommend a really, really strong cortisone cream and at the first twitchy little tingle that MIGHT indicate an incipient hemorroid, hit it with the good stuff.  I haven't had any trouble since my bout with them a few months ago, thanks in large part to such proactive measures.  Also, a finishing wipe or two with witch hazel after every bowel movement helps a lot.

Oh, and FABULOUS costumes.  You guys look great. 

[cabbitdancer]

Oh, Clumsy, those costumes are FANTASTIC! I just got my daughter into watching that movie and she loves it, which tickles me pink. :D

[sunshinelove]

OMG Clumsy, you guys could seriously be stunt doubles for Jennifer Connelly and David Bowie!! Your little guy looks perfect for the role, too . I love Labyrinth, one of my favorite movies.