June 20-26

[Smithie]

Hey, we need a new thread!

WRT Greaseball's question, we decided that anything we tried to do with the placenta would only end in hound-related tragedy. So we told the birth center to dispose of it.

How's everybody doing? james was 3 weeks old yesterday, and we are doing OK.

[wildthing]

I have 2 placentas in my freezer now. One from Gunnar, and one from Landen. My last 3 ended up in the trash when we moved. I hated throwing them away, since we were going to polant rose bushes....but we moved, and I had to empty the freezer to move it, and they were thrown away.
I am not sure what I am going to do with these ones now. We really don't have anywhere to plant them. I may try drying them, grinding them and encapsulating them for use during my menstrual cycles...but it is a lot of work, and I am not sure if I will ever get around to it, or if I will do it correctly.

My birth story is pretty much done, and I put pictures up to go with it. I will be posting it today.

[mattjule]

We tossed ours. Since we are still apt nomads, it just didn't make sense to plant it somewhere then leave it behind and I didn't want to put it under a plant I would later kill and be heartbroken about.

I made my dh's ring wrap yesterday and used it for Tain while I did some laundry. It worked great, though getting itand him on evenly on my back was a bit of a feat. Only 4 more days until my labor support gets here!!! I have decided that Rowan's birthday is going to be Saturday. It actually worked with Tain, so we'll see if we can convince Rowan that it is time. I have noticed a slight change in my cervix so that bodes well.

Unfortunately my swelling gets worse every day-which is the biggest reason I want him out soon. I didn't have any discomfort with Tain, though I was swollen like a sausage. This time my skin really hurts and my legs feel tingly a lot. This morning my hands are slightly swollen. That is a bummer.

Belly rubs to those that are still cooking, lots of labor vibes to those ready to go (hang in there Paula!), and big, soft kisses to all those beautiful babies!

Robin, how is Kieran doing?

[Doodlebugsmom]

Hello! We are doing just great here. My soreness is mostly gone and my breasts have regulated so I'm not feeling too engorged anymore. Julian nurses like a champ. He's very efficient. I haven't had any nipple soreness at all this time like I did with dd. Maybe because she was still nursing just 4 months ago. Anyway, she adores her baby brother and likes to kiss him and rub his head. We are just in baby bliss here!

Congrats Erin! I can't wait to hear your birth story!

We also left our placenta to be disposed of at the hospital. Smithie, we share the same concerns about what would happen with it here at the house! Keep those poopie diapers locked up!

[Greaseball]

:

[crunchywannabe]

we left the placenta at the hospital...but my OB did offer it to us (I think it is funny that he did...but he knows what "crunchier" people we are! :LOL)

We did however get a photo of both sides of the placenta which dh thought I was crazy for doing :LOL but I am glad we did it.

Everything is going good here. Isabella is a good sleeper. She has gone down at 1am the last 2 nights and has slept until 7am! Lucky me...I am sure it won't last.

Nursing is actually going so good this time! I wish that we would have been able to do this before.

here is a quick link to her photos from the hospital...they are my favorite!

http://www.growingfamily.com/webnurs...LID=2F7M7W3V3T

password is: fawzrpsm4s

sometimes you have to type the password in instead of copying it and pasting it....

[irishgreengables]

Thanks for all your good vibes. We went in today for a fetal stress test and learned that I have low amniotic fluid. They also determined it is a big baby (which I know isn't always accurate, but it is consistent with dh's family) and that my cervix is still totally closed. Because of these factors, we are having a c-section tomorrow at 7:30. I am pretty sad. At the same time, we really trust our OB and know that she is not c-section happy. She respects our desires and has done so this whole time. However, we can't let baby go any longer witht eh fluid being so low and my cervix doing nothing (despite a month of contractions).

I wold love to hear psitive c-section stories.

It is nice to hear all the great birth stories here!

Peace,

[mattjule]

to you Paula! What a tough decision. I'll be thinking of you tomorrow.

Jessica-that is one of the cutest picures I have EVER seen!

Well, Tain is giving Matt a hard time in the kitchen so I think I'll go rescue both of them!

[seedling]

I just can't keep up with the threads anymore! I'm reading & thinking of you all but it's hard to find time to post anything. Paula, best wishes for the c-section...I know it's not what you wanted but the end result WILL be that precious baby. It sounds like such a hard situation. Hugs to you.

Congrats Erin on the baby girl!

I didn't get offered my first placenta. Flora's is in the freezer. We plan to plant it under a Grande Flora Abuela bush....just have to dig the whole and do it. I also worry about a hound incident but our dog doesn't have access to the part of the yard we will be planting the shrub in. So far he hasn't gotten hold of any poopy diapers which is a good thing since I'm using fitteds this time...I'd have to strangle him if he got hold of one of them.

I'm struggling with a little funky, sad stuff right now. I'm totally enamored with Flora. And DD is settling down and we're back into our groove. But my DH can send me into the depths of despair pretty darn easily. I remember having a really rocky time with how I felt about him after DD was born. I think it's the whole "I'm totally IT for the baby and you don't get that" thing. Plus I think I shot myself in the foot by being too "with it" right after Flora was born. I think we've been pushing it about doing too much...even though I was going stir crazy and wanted to do stuff, I think it's time to slow down. The good news is, I was expecting it this time. And talked to DH about it. So I told him yesterday that I was dealing with some depression and he seemed to be very receptive and gentle about it which actually made me feel less sad. So that's good. I just HATE feeling so emotional, so volitale.

Okay, times up. Sounds like most everyone is ready to be done, so I'm sending speedy labor vibes to all. Hugs and kisses to the new babes.

[3girlsmommy]

Originally Posted by seedling

I'm struggling with a little funky, sad stuff right now.

seedling- I'm right there w/ ya babe! I think my worst day was Father's Day, which sucks under normal conditions. I was really upset about something and he told me that he wished I would just cheer up. Big mistake! It sent me completly over the edge.


We were going to keep the placenta but it became too much of a hassel and a bit expensive. The hospital requires you to have a whole bunch of blood tests done to make sure you don't have any std's and since I was already tested for all of those at the beginning of my pregnancy my insurance wouldn't cover them. Also they require that you immediatly remove it from the hospital. Since Lily was born at 3:07 am that would have been a little tough.

COngrats to all the new mommies! I'm having a hard time keeping up w/ everybody.

[wildthing]

Hey, where is everyone today??????

I finally finished my birth story!

Here it is

Picture link is at the end, or you can just go here

I am going to the endocrinologist tomorrow....I have a growth on my thyroid that has suddenly gotten much larger. I had bloodwork and an ultrsound done last week. Initially, the hope was that it would be a fluid filled cyst, but no luck. This growth initially started while I was pregnant with Gunnar, and the biopsy came back benign. But this time, the doctor wouldn't even discuss it over the phone, he just said to come in ASAP. I am slightly concerned.

Paula, I am thinking of you today and hoping all is going well for you and that you are holding your sweet baby now!

Erin, congratulations!!! I hope all is going well for you too!

[Smithie]

seedling, hang in there! My immediate postpartum response to DH was to follow him around like a puppy dog and feel, I kid you not, JEALOUS of my precious new baby for taking "my" spot on DH's lap. Crazy crazy crazy...

[eilonwy]

Hello everyone! I don't have time to update the list today, but I wanted to stop in and let everyone know that I'm still cooking. 39 weeks tomorrow, un-freaking-believable! I'm tired of it, and I've been really emotionally volatile lately. I feel like a horrible failure as a mother and I know that it won't go away until a few weeks post-partum, so I'm really looking forward to delivering.

Even though I'm smaller than I was with Eli, I feel like this baby is bigger. Seems to me she's got to be a good 8 pounds by now! A friend of mine thought that she'd be born today and be 6 lbs 6 oz. Not a chance; she's *definately* bigger than that. :LOL

None of my clothing fits me right anymore. That's a bad thing, because I look awful, but at this point I'm sorry to say that I just don't care a bit about how I look. :LOL Oh, okay, I'm not sorry at all.

Anyway, I'm off! Welcome to the new Beans and here's hoping we're all talking to our new people soon!

[ksjhwkr]

:

[mattjule]

Donna-that is one of the best birth stories I have ever read! It is hard to figure out what is important to say and what bogs the story down, you did a really good job.

It has been really beautiful here today, about 70 degrees and sunny. I think we are going to take Tain to the park again before the sun goes down so I need to go.

[Queen of Cups]

Donna - beautiful story!

I love keeping up with the list and hearing about everyone's wonderful deliveries! Things are going great here, though I've very tired of packing/unpacking. Its hard to believe that we have our 1-month pediatrician appt tomorrow! Killy is doing very well (there are a million pictures up on our website: Photogrove) - though he didn't nap much at all today! I'm hoping that means he'll sleep a lot tonight. Usually I try to keep him awake from about 8-10pm, and then he sleeps until about 8am (wakes up for 2-3 feedings during the night, though). Last night I let him fall asleep at 8pm and he was up at 5:30am - and didn't nap for more than about 30 minutes anytime today! So much for all my great unpacking plans... but it was more fun to cuddle Killy anyway!

We didn't want to keep the placenta, but I did ask to see it after the birth. The midwife showed it to me and explained the anatomy of it - very cool. Aparently at some point after the birth, someone in the delivery room spilled it onto the floor b/c my sis and DH said there was a HUGE pool of blood on the floor beside the cart where it the bowl was. I was so out of it after the birth (exhausted/relieved/concerned about Killy) that I didn't notice.

So, I think it was the May Mama's thread that mentioned this... but are any of you more/less satisfied with your birth experience a few weeks after the fact? I'm still thrilled with mine, but it seems a lot of women are less positive about their experiences after some time has passed. ???

[LizD]

I have not had a big emotional freak-out and don't really expect to now. I did at about 5 days pp with my daughter ten years ago. This time I had an afternoon when I felt a little sorry for myself and lonely but it passed ok and I haven't had more than fleeting instances of such feelings since. I am out and about and annoyed about all the laundry I am trying to catch up on, but have not even had that flash of irritation with the baby yet. We are finally using covers on the diapers again so we are both more comfortable, and drier!

Tomorrow I am going to have my hair cut. Figure baby will be ok in the stroller with dh for half an hour! Except I have to go borrow a stroller! The one my friend is sending/lending me isn't here yet. I would really love a peg perego but they are so absurdly expensive. If my friend's doesn't work out I might see just how much folks have raised for us in terms of babiesrus gift certs. We either don't need all the stuff people think we should have or already have it.

My boy is two weeks old today and ten pounds! I find myself wishing I could move to the ttc list in a year or so, or at least know we will have another someday- a bit of the post-holiday after-birth/babymoon letdown. It is all so precious though.

Paula, a cesarean birth can be a lovely birth. By now it is too late to give you any advice on it, but I hope it was as wonderful an experience as it should be and that you recover quickly and well. Congratulations!

[rubelin]

Hey Mommas! We're home!! Kieran was released yesterday afternoon and is doing great. The final diagnosis was meconium aspiration, which isn't suprising as he came through a lot of it and they clamped his cord so fast he probably took a big gulp of the stuff. He's back up to his birthweight, nursing like a chow hound (I think we're in the 2 wk growth spurt!!) and we're all quite enamored of him. Here's a pic of my June boys

I haven't finished writing my birth story yet. I've found it hard getting past the emotions of the whole thing, but I hope to have it done soon. Our MWs are coming for a home visit tomorrow and I think I'll be able to process a bit more of it talking with them. While I am thrilled to have had the vag birth I wanted, I keep going over it all in my head and wishing there was less fear and panic in the whole thing.

I hope to check in more now that I can NAK, though I'll have to remaster one-handed typing, lol! Blessings to all the new babes and hugs to those still waiting.

[dharmama]

Paula ~ Thinking of you and wishying you a beautiful birth today!

Robin ~ Congrats! So glad Kieran is home. What a GORGEOUS picture of your boys.

Liz ~ Enjoy your haircut. Don't ya just love having someone wash your hair and massage your scalp?

QoC ~ I'm only 4 days pp but I am absolutely thrilled with my birth experience. (I'm about 1/2 way through typing my birth story - will post soon.)

Rynna ~ You are almost there mama!!!

Sorry...I know I'm missing people...it's still pretty ouchy to sit. Off to read Landen's birth story....


~Erin

[mattjule]

Robin-so, so glad to hear Kieran made it home! It must have been pretty stressful for your family with him in the NICU.

Erin-Can't wait to hear your story, thank your friend for me for posting about your birth!

Thinking of you, Paula, and hoping everything is going smoothly and you have a baby in your arms right now!

Rynna-I hope you get your computer back soon! Have you thought about buying a new one instead of fixing the old? We got ours at ibuypower.com and it was really inexpensive and so far, we've loved it. Sounds like a used car, when you tally up all the money you put into fixing it, it's the same as a new car! (We are currently walking that path...)

Wish I had more to say...I am ready for labor to start, getting a little tired of these more than bh, less than labor ctx! I have noticed a definite hormonal shift, been having bad dreams the last couple nights and feel a little more emotional and introspective. Saturday, saturday, saturday...