May mamas, it's MAY!!!! - Page 7

[mittendrin]

emmalola, i can relate...it feels so final, soon the baby is gonna be here and i know i'll miss being pregnant with all the pains and strange things that happen. and of course, the attention. but there will be plenty of that also with the baby out, right

kittymama, i was a NKOTB fan when i was around 14. i liked donnie, hahaha have fun!!!

i had my mw appt yesterday, got to meet a new mw last minute. she just joined the team and before i met her i was a bit afraid, she'd be on call when i have the babe. but boy, that woman is awesome, we connected right away, i would love for her to deliver my baby. and she's fine with me drinking a glass of wine "for the edge", lol.
i'm not gonna have any vaginal exams before i start labor and sometimes hearing you talk about how much you're dialated and effaced and stuff makes me kinda curious...but then i remember the exams being painful and uncomfy and i jst really don't want to get my hopes up and then walk around 3 cm dialated for 2 weeks :

ds has been feeling crappy the past few days, fever, diarrhea, pukies...i got 2 hs of sleep two nights before and i thought i wouldn't live through the day. luckily he's feeling better now and slept the night though again. makes me wonder though, what if that happens, when i'm busy with an newborn? how am i gonna handle two demanding babies? should've thought of that before, huh?!

i got rearended yesterday and luckily nothing happened to me or my car (messed up the other persons car real good though, hehehehe). later i thought, man, she could've bumped me a bit harder, could've gotten things going....

it's my b-day tomorrow and i got a few people coming over, so i'm preparing food today, busy, bsuy. maybe it'll be a "double-b-day"???

[theelves]

EMMALOLA...... I know exactly how you feel! I felt the same with MY first! I felt like I was going to lose a lot of freedom I was used to having. We had been married 10 years when I got pregnant with ds. I knew everything was going to change, and I wasn't sure if I was going to like it! I also had concerns about if I could handle it or not. Sometimes I have a hair trigger temper! I can put up with A LOT for a long time, but finally something will "break the cammels back" and off I go! So I was worried about my patience level with a child. I am happy to report that I found I had a LOT more patience than I thought I had! A reserve tank!! I was so in love with him, it was hard to lose it. I knew he was just a baby and could not reason yet, and he wasn't waking me up at night 10 times JUST to piss me off! :
And I really DO enjoy my new life! He has brought so much fullfilment to our lives, it is so rich now! We agreed we should have had him sooner! It has brought us closer together and we have new goals in life. Before we were actually a bit stagnant in our relationship and were starting to have problems. But now we have new life and dreams. Fresh water!
Now, I have to admit I am having some of those feelings again! I know this second one with take some adjusting too. Everything will change AGAIN! I will lose a bit more freedom, and I worry about being able to handle TWO now! But, I try to look in on the last experience, and just remind myself that it worked out fine LAST time, so why not this time? So hang in there! We all know what you are going through! And don't worry, you won't regret a thing!

MY latest update....I saw my midwife yesterday...BP very good! Fetal HB very active, varying. Baby has dropped some...3 cm dialated, and 75% effaced! Everything soft and ready to go! She said it could be this weekend, or of course, a week from now. But her personal prediction was next Tuesday! I hope so! Everything is hurting! I am ready to get my body back and start a new life!

QUESTION: How many of you have used a birthing tub? Did it really help? Would you do it again?

My midwife has offered me use of hers, to set up in the living room. I wasn't sure if it would be worth all the effort. What do you think???

Ok, I have taken up enough space.....Congrats to everyone who has given new life, and good luck to those who are about to!!!! :
........ELFMAMMA

[Mama Faery]

So I just got back from my OB...and it went well! I started by asking her why she felt the need to strip my membranes last week, is it routine, did you find a reason to and not tell me?
She said it is indeed "routine" to do this around the 38-39th week (!!!) and I told her that not only did I find it really uncomfortable, I didn't like how I bled for two days afterward, and I really wish she had told me before she did it.
She took it REALLY well, and apologized, and said we definitely didn't have to do it anymore!
Nice of her to be SO considerate now! :
But she did make me feel a whole lot better, and though I know some would opt to NOT be examined anymore, I am just too damn curious! So I know I am still 1cm, but now I'm about 50% effaced too! I know it doesn't mean a whole lot but it makes me feel good that my body is doing what it should. She was also QUITE gentle and nothing hurt or was uncomfortable. Whew!
She's the Dr. on call this weekend, and she thinks I may go into labor "soon", whatever that's worth! Oh well. I'm waiting, and trying to be okay with waiting.
It looks like I get to go to Yoga tomorrow though! Yay.

In other stuff, I've been cleaning like crazy and am about to make lunch. I am SO hungry. I also want to use the bread machine today. I want to make some bread to make French Toast with this weekend. Mmm...
Hope you all have an awesome weekend, and thanks so much for the votes of confidence about me talking to my OB!

-Renae

[A&L+1]

First, congrats to all the new babies and thier moms! Sounds like we have had some wonderful births! Many blessings to you all.

I am feeling a bit wistful about becoming a mom too. I feel like I need to spend more time slowing down my life in general -- and I am adding an INFANT to the mix!? What were we thinking? At the same time I feel so excited to meet this baby. I am amazed and so happy that this is happening in my life. I feel overly blessed and I hope I can just take some deep breaths and relax soon. Today is my last day at work so that helps...especially since I am due on the 23rd.

I am a bit alarmed though to discover that my very "hands off" OB is going to be out of town from the 19th-23rd and I will get a back up OB who I don't know/trust if I go into labor during that time. I was hoping to go past my due date a little bit anyway, but this adds a bit of stress to it! Fortunately the baby is not engaged at all and I haven't had any BH recently...Anybody know any labor prevention techniques???

Pattycakes - How was your massage? Did it get things going? I had a massage last night - a birthday present from my partner - and it was heaven just to lay on the table and relax!

[PattyCakes]

I hear all of you on being wistful. We met with our birth instructors last night - just for a refresher and mostly we just talked about our fears etc. It was great - I really felt relaxed afterwards.

The massage was AWESOME. Fastest hour EVER. I had a few good contractions on the table, but so far babe is staying put. I feel like I'm getting ready though - we'll see if anything has changed come Monday's appt.

Have a great weekend Mamas (and Mamas-to-be!)

[kids'ncows]

Welcome new babies and congratulations to their families!

Sounds like all the labors are going pretty well so far, I hope we can all keep it up.

I just lost part of my plug - I'm not due for two weeks or more!!! : Of course now for the life of me I can't remember how far ahead of labor that happened with my other two. Oh man! There's still so much to do! I guess when I'm near the hospital Monday I better pre-register. Hmmmm, packing, phone list, back-up kid watchers... (Maybe I'll just deliver at home, but don't tell dh that it was pre-meditated. ) Yes, I have been in denial - not that I'm not happy to meet this little one but I do enjoy being pregnant and my to do list never seems to get shorter.

OK, those of you who want to go early - stop preparing! Maybe that will do it for you. (OK, deep breathes now, maybe it will still be a while for me.)

Elfmama I've been meaning to ask you if you've been riding much this pregnancy. I know you said you were giving lessons. I haven't ridden at all with this one and I'm having more discomfort than the other two - kind of makes me wonder if I should have made a point to ride.

OK, I have to go do evening chores and invent something for dinner. I've been meaning to post for the last few days now, but then I freaked out over the plug thing so I had to tell somebody!!! Thanks guys for "being here".

[theelves]

KIDS'N'COWS.....Hi! I rode up until i was 6 months. Then DH insisted I stop, worried about the jarring, which is kinda silly, since I have gaited horses! But oh well, at least this time I got to ride some. Last time I stopped as soon as I found out I was pregnant. I don't think it has any affect on comfort level, because the first time I was pregnant, I had an easy time all the way through (when I did not ride). This time, 3 years later, I have had a VERY umcomfortable pregnancy (and I rode for 6 months). Now I didn't really get to ride A LOT, or as hard as I usually do, but still...I don't think it made any difference, except mentally! I almost went insane last time, not riding for a YEAR! (that includes 8 weeks recovery after the birth). I am doing better this time!..But i AM anxious to be in the saddle again, especially since I have some new tack to try and a young horse to finish training!
I don't know how I will return to teaching lessons....kinda hard with 2 to watch as well as the rider! Last time I used the sling, until I could backpack DS. Then when he could walk, i had the mothers of the riders keep an eye out on him as he ran around the yard and played. Will have to see....

Hugs..Elfmamma

[emmalola]

thanks to everyone for sharing your own feelings about becoming a first time mommy. It's all so new and different, and scary! I think the hardest thing is realizing that my hormones are going absolutely nutso, so most of my thinking strays pretty far from rational in the first place. I didn't know that would happen to me, but after several days and several hugely emotional blow-outs I'm starting to realize that my whole body is absolutely out of control.

The nervousness, anxiety, crying jags, irrational flushes of anger and then fear and then sadness- I had no idea. But I put the pieces together and now we just have to weather this storm until the baby comes. Something new will pop up then, I"m sure.

A friend bought me an emergency massage and I just returned feeling a million times better. I have been having some BH contractions since then and it feels GOOD! (see- irrational!) maybe I'll go for a walk to get this process going a little more.

I hope all the other moms are doing well. it's a gorgeous day in connecticut, no fun staying inside studying!

[theelves]

KIDS'COWS........
You mentioned you had lost PART of your plug..how do you know that? I personally don't remember anything about my plug last time, must have come out with baby. But this morning....I had a surprise! BIG yellow glob of mucus (sorry if TMI ), but no blood. I was wondering if there would be more, or if that was it. I don't know how much to expect. What do you think? Why do you think yours was just PART?.........Elfmamma

[mittendrin]

kids'ncows, looks like you might just be the next one with baby-news...i never noticed losing my plug, but this time i'm having weird discharge. it's not mucus, just like regular discharge, only dark dark yellow, no blood though.
hmmm.

well, it was my b-day yesterday and it was the worst one ever. ds gave me a stomach bug and from fri night on i was throwing up and having diarrhea. i got so dehydrated that yesterday morning i started having contrax every 10 mins apart and felt like crap. i kinda wanted this baby out this weekend, but not after being up all night and feeling miserable. i had to uninvite my guests, which i feel awful about. i laid down for a nap and luckily that slowed the contractions and by evening i only had maybe 1 or 2 an hour. today i feel fine. been running around like a madman, cleaning the house. i think i might have kicked off something and this baby will really come out soon.

renae, i'm glad you could resolve things with your ob, you must feel a lot better, having talked to her.

i think i'll take it easy for the rest of the day, but will convince dh to have sex tonight.... let's get this baby out!!!

[KKmama]

Congrats to Shalom! Welcome Cedar! Woo hoo!

Kids'ncows, I'm excited about the plug and the water breaking! I can't wait to hear about the birth and the baby!

Welcome Jaime (and Shyanne!)!

I can't believe what cool names y'all are choosing. We finally made our decisions, but I don't know if we're up to snuff. It's the name that dh and I both landed on independently. I'm not sure I like it, but I feel like the way we both thought of it at the same time, it's the name the baby wants.

Renae, I'm glad things went so well with your ob. It sounds like you handled things very diplomatically. Good for you!

And to all the mamas waiting to go, I'm thinking of you! I really hope the long silence from MorningDove especially means there's a Baby Dove out there!

Annika, the mucus plug/spaghetti sauce thing was pretty darned funny...

Can I join in the wistfulness, even though I'm not a 1st time mom? I am trying to savor every minute with ds, because I know things are about to change forever...

Obviously, I'm still here. I've had a couple more rounds of yet more painful contrax (even had to think about breathing and not "holding in" the pain), but they left. I got a little cohosh tincture yesterday... I think I'm going to take a *tiny* amount (less than the rec'ed amount) during the next round; I think I may need a little nudge to keep me going. I also have had some gushes of watery, blood-tinged mucus (my plug? seemed too thin, but definitely not AF), so I'm hoping my cervix is finally starting to dilate. My mom has kind of indicated that this lateness, start/stop, long wind-up thing is normal for her line...

I had a horrible day Thurs. I had an u/s--confirmed that placenta, fluid, baby, cervix (anything else???) still look marvelous. Had a NST, too, but by that point, the office/tech was running ~ 1 1/2 hrs late... ds was *way* overdue for his nap, somehow either he or the tech did something to the machine and it didn't record my stuff properly (tech just set me up and walked far, far away for 30+ minutes, never came back to check)... Ds lost his favorite book. I refused to redo the test right then (just wanted to GO HOME). I saw the good ob, and she was very nice, saw that I was about ready to melt... but we had to discuss our strategy. I am on the surgery schedule for the 21st for a repeat C if things don't go my way. I wasn't happy to do it, but it was the only way to ensure that I get to wait until the last possible minute *and* have the dr. I want if the repeat is necessary. Anyway, she is still super supportive, still believes I can/will go into labor. I think what we're going to do is insert a pressure catheter to try to help my dilation on Tues (and strip membranes then, too, if I'm dilated enough). If that works, I'll have AROM on Thurs (because I have absolutely nothing to lose at that point).

Did the "make-up" NST Friday. Everything was fine. (New) tech was super nice, found ds' book. I just about hugged her.

Wrote about this on the "overdue" thread... Yesterday, I was working in the yard (trying to shake the baby out ), and I probably wasn't staying as hydrated as I should have. The baby wasn't moving much, and I was concerned (because he/she has always been *so* active). I went in for some monitoring last night. The baby was very sleepy, but the fetal monitor picked up a lot of *little* motions that I just couldn't feel. And of course this morning, the activity level is back to normal (ie, the kid is kicking my ovary). The grumpy ob was on call, and I was afraid that just by showing up at the hospital, she'd automatically check me into the OR. She *was* very conservative--monitored for 1 1/2 hrs, did an u/s herself--but obviously, she didn't think a C was necessary, so I'm still here. Believe it or not, that actually gives me more confidence about the practice's decision-making...

Anyway, enough of my drama... we're going to lay low today and *finally* do my belly cast.

[Marco Esquandolas]

So, KK, trying to break my record for cookin' are ya?! Just teasin' ya, mama! I sincerely hope you are able to successfully vbac still and it does honestly sound like things are moving right along. So, you too are from a long line of procrastinators? We must pass that gene onto our kids, lol! Here, have all the <<< labor vibes >>> I can muster!

Has anyone heard from morningdove? I'm hoping all is well and her absence means she's on her babymoon.

Awww, jakobsmami-you're just having a rough go of it lately, huh? I'm wishing you a happy belated birthday right now! I hope you are feeling better very soon.

Take care, mamas! I'm outy for my nightly regimine-walk/sex/walk/sex/walk/icecream.........

[sugarmoon]

Well, still no baby here, thankfully But this w/e dh put the toilet back in service, put the tub and sink in place (but not hooked up to h2o yet), and by tommorrow we should be able to use the shower w/out being totally meticulous about keeping the new floor dry (tile mortar still has to finish setting up). And, today I got the floors mopped and the house is basically clean (well, it will be if I do dishes and clean up the kitchen after I get done goofing off at MDC ), so I told dh we could have sex tonight! I've been shutting him off completely until I felt like we were at least a little bit ready to have this baby -- I'm convinced that sex was what did it for me w/ ds. So, we'll see. Dh is hoping it will work the way it did last time, sex before bed, I wake up in a.m. in labor. He doesn't want to go to work tommorrow :LOL

KKmama, I am totally w/ you on the wistfulness about time w/ dc#1. My ds is only 21 mos and it is so hard to know how much he is absorbing from what we have talked about, and I *know* that there is no way he can really comprehend how much things are about to change . I just feel so badly for shaking up his world so much. OTOH, my mw pointed out that for kids his age, things are constantly changing (their own dev. milestones combined w/ their limited memory eg this spring is a *totally* new and exciting experience for ds, since he is too little to remember last year, yk?) so the adjustment to the baby may be big at first, but shouldn't be long lasting, if that makes sense? Here's hoping, anyway.

So, labor vibes to all of you who are ready, and none for the rest of you, who like me, want just a few more days to get ready...

[mittendrin]

gus'smama, you eased my mind talking about how ds is gonna handle the big change. i hadn't thought of it that way, makes sense and calms me down. sometimes i think i hopefully won't hold the baby back because i keep thinking about poor ds and what he's gonna have to go through without understanding. i feel like a bad mom to both my kids, ds cause he's gonna have to share me and daddy and unborn baby, cause i don't want her to feel unwanted! i need to relax!!

yeah, phismama, thanks for your kind words. it's our wedding anniversary next week and dh has one last shot in making me feel appreciated...i say that cause guess what, that not even forgot to get me a card for mother's day....no, he also forgot to get me a b-day card! i was ok w/o a present, but the day before my b-day at 3:30 in the afternoon, he sits down on the couch and tells me he forgot to buy a card....
o well, he's usually a very sweet guy, maybe the whole baby-thing is getting to his brain more than i thought.

gee, kkmama, repeating that one stressfull nst would've had whacko results, glad you declined to do it again that day. i hope the cohosh is gonna get your babe going!!! keeping my fingers crossed that your next post will bring big news (big as in maybe a vbac-7 1/2 pounder...?)

[kids'ncows]

Hi guys, I posted my turbo speed VBAC on the birth stories thread.

KKmama keep hanging in there. I know how much you want your VBAC (at least I know how much I wanted mine). I'm sending labor vibes and prayers your way.

Theelves, I called it part of my plug because it was coming out in chunks at different trips to the bathroom and it never was a "bloody show".

I'm hoping everybody stays healthy and strong. Enjoy your little ones whether they are inside you or out!

[Mama Faery]

Still here, still waiting...
Okay, I am TRYING to be patient, really! : But it's HARD!!
Yesterday DH and I tried a few, um, things to move me along (and we had a lot of fun, too! :LOL)...but no. Nothin'. Hehe. I am just gonna stop trying and then maybe he will come on his own. My EDD is Wednesday! Wow! I can't believe how quickly the time has passed.
Thank you all for the nice words about how I handled my OB. I do feel a lot better...she just BETTER follow what we want for the birth day! (as long as all is well with baby & me, that is)
While I don't have other children, I do have a cat that I will be introducing our new family member to...it's not quite the same thing but, he's IS our baby and we lavish love and attention on him every chance we get, something that we can't stop when Baby arrives, so DH said that whoever is holding Baby, the other one of us should give Julio love. He's such a sweetie (both DH and kitty). Every day something new and baby-related gets set up or put together and Julio goes over to it, sniffs it, and looks at us like "what IS all this stuff??" Oh, baby, you just have no idea what you're in for! :

Not much else to report, mamas...I'm sore, I waddle, I'm huge...:LOL and I'm waiting for my best friend to show up so we can go out for coffee/dessert for a couple of hours. Hope you all have a great day.

Oh...I meant to ask. I know this is the MOTHERING.commune...but are there places for whole families, or fathers too? I was just wondering...I should go wander into the other places here. I spend a LOT of time just in this thread.
Take care, all.

-Renae

[Ahimsa]

It's a Boy!

Hello everyone,

I had a baby boy Saturday morning.
Kai Forrest Brown, born at home.
6lbs 2oz 191/4in

I'll post my birth story in the next few days.

http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dur...=/ea67&.src=ph

Ahimsa

[Marco Esquandolas]

CONGRATS, Ahimsa!! He is just beautiful (as is his mama). I love that pic of the two of you snuggled together. He looks so happy and you look soooo peaceful *sigh* I can't wait to hear your birth story!

Tee hee hee, Renae-sex has never worked for us, but it has also never stopped us from trying either, lol! I say it can't hurt to do it unless well, it hurts to do it. :

Oh! And if anyone wants to know my thoughts on if or how much walking helps in the "pre game" I am happy to report that this baby is even lower than before, so low in fact, that at my appt tonight my doctor had to use the doppler below my belly bulge and at my pelvic bones to get the heartbeat! WOO HOO! I see not a lot of pushing for me when the time comes!

[DawnaRose]

congrats to all the new mommies! Welcome all the new babies!
And lots of hugs and labor vibes to the mommies still waiting!

Here's a lil update from our neck of the woods...
---

Here are the pictures the hospital took, I'm still working on getting all of her pictures scanned and uploaded to my website and will post the new link soon, in the meantime here are a few..

http://www.growingfamily.com/webnurs...LID=8H9D2B6E9B

Visitor password = Whalen
----
Elliana is doing great, nursing like a champ. At delivery she was 7.2 and when we were discharged 24hrs later she was down to 7.1
When the midwife came to check on her at day 3 she was down to 6.10 and on day five she was up to 6.15, its day 8 and her weight is 7.4! She's gained back all the lost weight, I guess all this constant nursing is working

Unfortunally she is badly jaundiced, so the midwife has to keep coming back to check on her, her levels got higher so now she is doing home photo-therapy with the lights in a suitcase looking thing, I'm not too thrilled about it to be honest, I hate having to leave her in there It makes me so sad to not be holding her, but I'll do it because its what they say is best for her... doesn't mean I have to like it though right?

Cloth diapering is going well, I didn't expect it to be this easy! Dh doesn't even mind changing her diapers, he said he actually prefers them to the disposables we used in the hospital, much softer and nicer he says.

My kidlets are adjusting very well to her, they love to hold and cuddle her and every time we are nursing they come up and rub her head and kiss her, its very sweet

Oh, here is a picture of her I just uploaded, http://www.danielanddawn.com/Elliana_1week.jpg
we were at church she was 1 week old yesterday, I don't dress her in frilly pink things, but DH picked it out on his own and bought it for her to wear to church for the first time

Time to go feed the baby, hope everyone is doing well! I'll try to get my birth story done soon, unfortunally it wasn't everything I had hoped for and most of my birthplan went out the window when I arrived at the hospital, but the end result was well worth it.

[Sarah'sMama]

Hello everyone! and welcome to our new May babies. I'm loving reading all your stories and updates. I've been reading up on you all faithfully, just haven't had much time to post. I really miss being pregnant, especially since this may be my last. Still haven't decided if three kidlets are for me or not, but we have lots of time to decide. I really find this newborn stage very exhausting, but reallylove all the cuddle time with the wee ones!

a little update on us: Katelyn is doing well-a great nurser, albeit a little bit of a snacker. She likes to eat little bits all day long. Sarah is doing really well with the adjustment. She's much more independent in her play now that Katie is here. I figured it would be the exact opposite, but she has really surprised me. Katelyn's two week checkup is tomorrow, so I'm really anxious to see how much she weighs.

Take care mommas! Those babies will be here so soon, and I look forward to reading all about their births.