Weekly Chat Thread - March 3rd through March 9th - Page 6 « Back to Group Discussions

[spughy]

Yeah Chapsie I don't know how you're still sane enough to put together coherent sentences.  I agree with the others - stick to what you absolutely NEED to do and let everything else slide.  And hire help if you can! (Or call in favours...)

Buko - your baby is super-cute.

Tear - So sorry about your grandpa.  It's hard to say goodbye and welcome new life at the same time. 

nearlyelated - yikes!  That's not the kind of surprise you really want your baby springing on you, is it?  But it sounds like if you have a breech specialist available it might not mean an automatic c-section if baby doesn't budge? 

I'm sure I am missing people here - sorry... I am tired and probably only have another 10 minutes to play computer today...

AFM I had a midwife appt today and she wants me to go for an NST and an ultrasound next week, just because I'm older and statistically the risk of stillbirth goes up with older moms.  Actually she didn't say she *wanted* me to do it, she just mentioned that it's generally recommended.  From what I hear from friends, NSTs are not particularly onerous (in fact, it's a chance for a nice little lie-down) and *I* would actually like an ultrasound to make sure baby's not growing too big - just for my own peace of mind.  Today I was actually measuring slightly smaller (um, yeah, cause the baby shrunk a bit... LOL) than last week and I certainly don't feel like the baby's grown a lot in the past week and a half.  But I had the MW do a check of my cervix and it's only 1 cm dilated and soft but not effaced, so no imminent action - I'm guessing my initial "about a week late" will unfortunately prove true.  I'm ok with that right now actually.

Family home - gotta go!

[LightForest]

Ug, I just need to vent a little.

I had my 40-week appointment today (I'm 39w5d). Had a bit of a scare when the midwife thought baby might have flipped breech. She did a vaginal exam to confirm that baby is head down (and just has a bony butt, I presume). Whew, such a relief. But baby is ROT again - the little critter just keeps spinning around. My real issue is that I'm just not showing ANY signs of pending labor. Baby isn't especially low, I've had no bloody show or sign of mucous plug, nothing, nada. Even the little crampy twinges that was feeling in recent weeks have disappeared.

Tomorrow I get the "green light" to go into labor in the evening, after DH finishes his last big commitment at work. Maybe at that point my body will kick into gear and go into labor mode... I went to 42 weeks with DD, but I was REALLY hoping to speed things along a little more this time... I'm now beginning to feel anxious.

In more positive news, the freezer is packed with yummy food, I had the plumber in yesterday to fix a few small but annoying things for us, and tomorrow the diaper service brings the first week of luscious newborn sized organic cotton velour fitteds. Once I get that green light tomorrow I'm going to be SO totally ready!

There. I feel a little better after getting that off my chest. Waiting is SO HARD!

[storygirlcindy]

Spughy - NSTs really aren't bad. Sometimes, I think they're kind of fun, mostly because my little girl is very spunky and always entertains me while I'm doing one - last week she found the tocometer (contraction monitor part, which works by recording pressure) and was kicking it so hard it was measuring on the screen like tiny contractions. It was hilarious! It's a very non-invasive test. I always take a book to read or something to knit.

My OB doesn't do fundal measurements this late, but my husband and I were talking this morning about how I actually seem to have shrunk a tiny bit in the last week. My stretch marks don't look as horribly distended/inflamed and my PUPPs rash is even less violent than it was last week, I think because my skin is getting a bit of a break. I've had polyhydramnios through the whole 3rd tri and it seems my fluid level is finally decreasing a bit (based on a bunch of things - weight loss, fluid measurements, the way my belly looks/feels etc). It's pretty normal to lose some fluid late in pregnancy, so maybe that's what's happened to you as well? Good luck with the NST and ultrasound!

Lightforest - Good luck with getting things moving! I think the mind games of late pregnancy are the hardest part. (for me, at least!) My little one is persistently ROP or ROT too, with the occasional foray into ROA. She just loves that right side and I guess particularly likes something about the posterior positions. Oh, and she has a super bony butt as well that she loves to stick out. This week during one of my NSTs the nurse was so freaked out by the way my belly looked when I was contracting, because baby girl's butt was stuck so far out - she just couldn't get over it. She kept poking it like she was trying to get the huge hard bump to go back in, LOL! She asked if I got funny looks while I was in public and contracting. I said, um, no, I don't think so??? (What kind of a question is that, anyway??? Ha!) My belly does look really weird during a contraction though, because my girl likes to stick out her butt and her feet. Sometimes my stomach is almost heart-shaped when I'm contracting. It's strange.

[Chapsie]

Thanks for the support, ladies.  My SIL came over and surprised me with a foot massage!  WONDERFUL!  And a friend loaned her husband out to us for construction-help.  He got a lot of drywalling done.  :)   

My mom and dad are out of town for the next week!  EEEK!   So... maybe I should start an official Buko-like countdown to my "green light."  It seemed to really work well for her and her baby!  

I so can't wait until work is over!  I am scheduled to be covering deliveries tomorrow (I go to each birth and take care of babies right after they are born-- assessments, vit k, erythro, weight, footprints, breastfeeding help, etc.)  and precepting a new nurse.  It should be a busy night.  Only tomorrow night and then one more shift after that and I'll be done!  

[nearlyelated]

Chapsie - I was going to suggest finding some construction help, but it seems like you've got that covered.  Hopefully everything else comes together too.

Spughy - hopefully it won't mean an automatic C/S, but because I'm already a VBAC candidate, I'm not sure if adding breech to the mix is an option.  I'm still hoping there's time to flip.  A couple things going for me are the baby's 'presenting feature' aka bum isn't engaged in my pelvis, and I've had a baby before, which I guess makes it easier to turn the baby since the muscles are more relaxed.  I'm mostly worried that baby will flip and I won't know and I'll do something to make he or she flip back.

Anyone had a breech baby flip late in pregnancy?  Did you definitely feel it?  I have little faith in my belly mapping abilities.  

[Chapsie]

Originally Posted by nearlyelated 

Chapsie - I was going to suggest finding some construction help, but it seems like you've got that covered.  Hopefully everything else comes together too.

Spughy - hopefully it won't mean an automatic C/S, but because I'm already a VBAC candidate, I'm not sure if adding breech to the mix is an option.  I'm still hoping there's time to flip.  A couple things going for me are the baby's 'presenting feature' aka bum isn't engaged in my pelvis, and I've had a baby before, which I guess makes it easier to turn the baby since the muscles are more relaxed.  I'm mostly worried that baby will flip and I won't know and I'll do something to make he or she flip back.

Anyone had a breech baby flip late in pregnancy?  Did you definitely feel it?  I have little faith in my belly mapping abilities.  

My second baby flipped from breech to vertex just before 37 weeks.  I felt it!  haha.  She was almost 10 lbs at birth, so it was a pretty crazy thing to feel her move like that, lol.   I was also a VBAC candidate, so the breech thing was super frustrating.  I can empathize!  Hang in there!!!

[wildmansmom]

Chapsie - I hope you get some help soon - yeah for a foot massage!

Spughy - NST aren't so bad.  I had weekly NST with DS for the last month - he was "big" and I had 2 previous m/c so they were being extra safe.  Not too bad, just lay back, enjoy a magazine, talk to baby.  Ask that they turn up the sound so you can listen to the HB.

LightForest... 42 weeks!  I'm glad you are ready, I hope things move along more quickly for you this time.

AFM: I had my 40 week appointment yesterday and was told I would be getting a BPP and NST next week (41wks).  Ahhh.... not what I wanted but if it gives me clearance to go another week... I'm thinking I'm in for the long haul too! I am 40 +1 today...  

[maydaymom10]

buko - congratulations! She is precious.

I tried to catch up as much as I could. It's amazing how much you miss when you're "gone" for a few days. I have to say that I'm a bit jealous of the foot massages that you all are getting from your DPs - I don't know if my DH would've endulged me. I was planning on getting a pedicure & a massage before little miss made her appearance, but I'll have to wait for a bit.

AFM - my parents just left after being here for the past week helping out, so I'm officially on my own with a toddler and a newborn. We're going to have a pretty lax day today while I get my bearings. Things are good here. Darcy has gained almost a pound since her birth and is up to 8 lb. I'm still feeling well, although a bit tired which is to be expected. Darcy has her days & nights reverse a bit still and is up most of the night nursing. She does it for comfort as well as food. Luckily she latches while lying down so I can kind of nap during her big feedings. DH & I are having some sleep situation issues, but I'll post that on another thread. Overall I'm just still enjoying my babymoon.

I can't wait to hear about some more births. For those of you getting close, hang in there and I'll be sending ELVs your way.

[writermama12]

Mayday, I am still so happy for you. Glad your babymoon is lovely besides the sleeping situation. 

AFM, I've got something really uncomfortable going on with my Vagina. Swollen, burning, very sore to wipe or walk. It may be a yeast infection, but I'm not sure. It doesn't have the telltale discharge, odor, or itchiness. Whatever it is sucks!! And is kind of weird. I've been "dry" for a few days now except for a bit of bloody show and mucous plug. But, I'm not having wet, watery discharge any more and FEEL quite dry and raw. Anyone know what this might be? Waiting for my MW to call back to talk about what to do. 

[spughy]

writermama - I would guess fungal infection?

Maydaymom - sounds like your LO is doing great!

storygirlcindy - sometimes I feel really self-conscious about my weird-shaped (and moving!) bump.  But it's odd that a nurse would ask you that!  I really don't think people stare at pregnant women's bellies to see them change shape.

I'm not particularly worried about the NST.  As I said to my sister, I'm all about the appointments that closely resemble naps.

[GranolaMama09]

Buko she is adorable!

[GranolaMama09]

Spughy, NSTs aren't that bad. It might be worth a little peace of mind.

LightForest, lucky you on the diaper service!!! I keep prepping our diapers just so I can play with them. I hope you go onto labor once you have got your greennn light!

[GranolaMama09]

SQUEEEEEE 72 hours to go!! I'm on bed rest until then though. The on call OB is the one that we absolutely will not use and after spending all day yesterday contracting as well as the afternoon in the hospital I was told if I didn't want that OB I would have to make it until Monday when my OB gets back to the US. So, bed rest it is! DP has one more class Monday morning and some homework to finish. My parents get here on Sunday. Then it's. To the hospital for a few hours to do all the pre op blood draws and paperwork. Monday is going go be such a long day! My parents always wake up super early and we don't report to the hospital until 3:00. Surgery starts at 5:00. We're discussing me getting a tubal again and I am so torn.

[sunshinelove]

Yay, granolamama! . I'm so happy for you, i hope all goes as planned, i'll be checking the board next week for your news

DD's birthday was a lot of fun! I baked the cake and DH did the artwork. Unfortunately all the pictures i took of it are uploading upside down and i'm too tired and lazy to try to fix them. I'll write more later.

[LightForest]

Granola, what are you going to do to pass the time this weekend? If I were you I'd be counting down EVERY SINGLE hour, minute, and second!

maydaymom, let us know how your first day flying solo went. Hopefully your DS will let you take it easy.

I may also be scheduling an NST if I end up going to 41 weeks or longer (I'm currently 40 weeks). My midwife is wonderfully low key about things but she does recommend one at that point to check fluid levels and such. I've actually NEVER had an ultrasound, in either of my two pregnancies. I'm curious to know if any of you can share evidence that NSTs at 41 or 42 weeks gestation result in improved outcomes for healthy/normal pregnancies. My midwife gave me the impression that they do not.

Got the diaper service diapers today and OMG they are TEENSY!!! They fit pretty perfectly on DD's 12" dolls. I do not expect them to fit this baby longer than the first week! Luckily it's no big deal to request delivery of the next size up at any point.

I baked chocolate cupcakes this afternoon with DD and I must admit, the thought crossed my mind that they would make great birthday cupcakes... But I somehow doubt that there will be any left by the time the baby is born. I don't even know if they'll last long enough to get icing on them! Nom nom nom.

[spughy]

Originally Posted by LightForest 

I may also be scheduling an NST if I end up going to 41 weeks or longer (I'm currently 40 weeks). My midwife is wonderfully low key about things but she does recommend one at that point to check fluid levels and such. I've actually NEVER had an ultrasound, in either of my two pregnancies. I'm curious to know if any of you can share evidence that NSTs at 41 or 42 weeks gestation result in improved outcomes for healthy/normal pregnancies. My midwife gave me the impression that they do not.

The main worries for sane practitioners of going post-dates are macrosomia and fetal development issues.  NSTs are less valuable for evaluating the former but potentially better for the latter, as I think they can show certain aspects of poor fetal development (like muscle tone/muscle wasting? I think?) better than an U/S.  I did some casual perusing via Google Scholar and was able to come up with that as a logical suggestion as to why they would be, but I couldn't see anything conclusive.  However, for my part I'm perfectly willing to do these as they're non-invasive, I don't find this kind of testing stressful, and there seem to be more than a couple of "we need better data" opinion pieces in various obstetrics journals so I'm happy to donate my data points to the cause.  Any actions recommended on the basis of these tests are still my decision.

[chocolatechip]

Chapsie, if I were you, I would totally have a "come clean my house" party!! I bet people would love to help! And it would probably take hardly any time at all with a little army of helpers. And then you could order some pizza, have some sort of tasty dessert, and sit around and talk about babies for a while. 

writermama, did you figure out what's wrong? Sounds like maybe something more on the bacterial vaginosis side of things than yeast infection? Sometimes weird stuff goes on down there. I know I was getting occasional glimpses of what looked like florescent green discharge, and that was when I tested positive for both GBS and some yeast growth (not enough for "infection" levels, but they were moderate). My naturopath said, "yep, not surprising you might get crazy colors, what with the yeast and bacteria fighting it out down there!" Which wasn't exactly *good* news, but it was nice to know I wasn't just crazy.  Hope you get it sorted out!

LightForest, we also got our pre-birth delivery of diapers today! Tomorrow's going to be spent organizing the last of the baby things (including diaper changing area). It's kind of amazing seeing everything come together.

maydaymom, so happy to see you checking in, and hear that everything is going well. 

I had my mama's group today, and one of the mama's houses. It was SO nice out, that we spent half the time sitting outside, with bare feet, soaking up the sun! In Seattle! In March!!! Bunch of bare baby bums lying around on the blanket, too.  Our midwives even came (they're the common thread for this group), and I had to laugh when one of the mom's got really good news about her job, and the hostess pulled out a bottle of champagne, and one of the midwives passed out (small) glasses to everyone who wanted it. I love how relaxed they are - no judgment about what decisions you make as long as you're informed, though they *were* glad to hear when I said, "yeah, I just had a few sips and could tell I haven't been drinking much for the past several months!" They make me happy. 

[cabbitdancer]

I think what you are talking about, LF, are actually BPPs, or biophysical profiles. An NST is a non-stress test, and you're just placed on a typical monitor and watched for activity of the baby and how the heart rate rises and falls. A BPP is an ultrasound where they check for 8 main things, mostly movement, but they also check for size, fluid levels, and blood transfer through the umbilical cord.

*shrugs* I subject myself to a BPP every week and NSTs twice a week, because it keeps my OB happy and he doesn't appear to be the c-section happy sort. I'm still waiting for him to start talking c-section for breech presentation, and I'll be 39 weeks on Sunday. I have, however, wound up in the office for about 2 1/2 hours, on more than one occasion, because I have to be shuffled from u/s tech to NST room, to OB visit, with the typical wait times between each.

[LightForest]

Originally Posted by cabbitdancer 

I think what you are talking about, LF, are actually BPPs, or biophysical profiles. An NST is a non-stress test, and you're just placed on a typical monitor and watched for activity of the baby and how the heart rate rises and falls. A BPP is an ultrasound where they check for 8 main things, mostly movement, but they also check for size, fluid levels, and blood transfer through the umbilical cord.

You're right - I'm totally confusing the two tests. I think I'm muddling them because they've always been presented to me as a "combo" that should be considered when I get to 41/42 weeks, not because of any concerns aside from being "post dates".

[GranolaMama09]

LightForest, I'm going CRAZY!!!  To be perfectly honest, I'm doing a lot of watching Game of Thrones and sleeping.  I'm trying hard to enjoy my time with DD since this is the last weekend she'll be my 'baby' and she'll leave for her bio dad's before I get out of the hospital.  I'm hoping to get my pre-natal massage (I get a free 30 minute one!  WHOOT!) on Sunday morning or Monday morning.  I don't want to do it any sooner because I'm afraid it'll set off labor and we don't want that OB.  Sunday, bed rest or no, I'll be scrubbing, cleaning, laundry, and all that stuff.  I'm hoping for one more round with DP and to maybe convince him into giving me a pedicure but I highly doubt either one will happen.  My dream is that I'll get everything done and go into labor all on my own Sunday night/Monday morning so baby can pick his own birthday and I'll still get my OB.