week of July 7-14th

[sweet tea]

saw this on other boards....kinda like the bi-monthly one we usta have..
I have my 37 wk check up today, I'll edit with the details, last visit she wasn't sure how baby was positioned and said I may need an u/s..she's bringing another midwife over to try and figure it out-so I'm sure I'm in for losts of uncomfortable probing..but I guess I'd rather know, than have him come out bottom first.

I'm not having contractions, but I can't explain what they are. Really low pressure and tightening and stretching, it usually starts about 6pm and lasts til I fall asleep. Mostly a lot of pressure during the day.

I have been sleeping from 11pm to 2:30am like clockwork, wake up, do bills, or sewing or TV and eat cereal, then back to bed at 6am, til dd wakes up at about 9am. Every night now for the last month.

Its been a really great pregnancy though, no complaints other than I have no clothes that fit! I hope the delivery is just as smooth
DH is getting so anxious its adorable.

[Mamma2Addison]

Good idea

Today I've been pregnant with this baby as long as I was with ds, who was born one day past his due date. Kind of a weird milestone to think of, but that's what hit me at breakfast this morning.

I think I've been having about the same stuff you are. Today seems different in a way ~ more focused although still all over the place in terms of frequency and duration. I'm wondering if this weekend will be the time she makes her appearance.

I'm sleeping from about 10 PM to 3 AM {when I get up to go to the bathroom, LOL} then I'm up til about 5 AM, then back to sleep til DS wake up at 6:30 AM. I'm not quite sure how I manage to function like this, but I'm not as tired as I was during the day a couple of weeks ago.

I've got my 40/41 week check on Friday and I'm hoping to have progressed to 2-3 cm. Last time I was 1 cm and 80% effaced, with the baby still fairly high up. Oh well, I figure I'll have her sooner or later.

[williamsmommy2002]

I had my 40 week appointment today. I'm a tight 3cm and am having fairly regular contractions. My ob wants me to walk walk walk and hopefully i'll be in very active labor in the next day or two.

I barely slept at all last night. I've been getting up around 4am and then just taking a 2 hour nap with my ds.

[bikruca]

I had an appt. yesterday.

I was GBS negative (thank god!)

baby's HB is great, measuring right on and he seems to be lowering somewhat.

It's so weird to think that in a few weeks I will be a mommy. I really hope that I am a good mom. I wonder somtimes how I will handle it!

This weekend we are going to paint the 'nursery' it all seems so silly because I will be co-sleeping in my bedroom, and I doubt this baby will be in his crib at all for the first year, but I really wanted to give him a special room. I have so much to do, set up, unpack, buy, I wish I could just hire someone to come in for a day and have this house completely set up, exactly how I want it, oh and put some groceries in the fridge!



8 more days until I get my washer and dryer. We got SUCH a good deal on this set. The full regular price is about 1500 (Canadian) after discounts and everything we got it for 826.16 (with tax!). I am so excited, but I really should be doing laundry now not saving it up for the new machine LOL.

18 more days until my 'due' date. Gosh, I remember when I "finally" got to double digits for days left, now I'm almost at single digits. wow.

I really should be getting stuff done around the house.. ready or not the baby will be here soon.

[gigismom]

Hi everyone

finally some physical sign of progress...i've been losing pieces of my mucus plug all day. i've also had some very intense contractions that include breathe catching groin and lower back pain. they never increase in frequency, duration etc...

tomarrow i go to see my midwife. i will get my first cervical check and she suggested a non stress test. i will get this test but not agree to any form of artificial induction unless she can conclusively tell me that baby would better served if born sooner than later, which i doubt because i am only 40w 5 days. maybe all of this will be unneccessary if i go into active labor tonight....

jen

[Jennifer H]

Okay. Pregnancy is boring right now.

BUT, my first baby started Kindergarten today!!

So many mixed emotions!

[Michelle Leigh]

just coasting

I feel like I'm "coasting." 13 days for until I hit 40 weeks.

I do feel tightening and something a little extra now & again--like a sharp pain up inside. But, other than that, I still forget that I'm pregnant unless I look in the mirror or feel the baby move or sit down (when I feel my belly).

I just went to my reminder sheet to see if I need to update it...

For some reason, I'm not at all motivated to do the perineal massage. Does anybody have words of wisdom to inspire me to do this?

And, I find myself seldomly doing kegels. Any inspiration there?

I still haven't gotten in the exercise groove either. I find myself doing stuff around the house, but that's it. Is anybody else working out?

The Final Countdown: 13 days
Daily Affirmations from Hypnobirth CD
Listen to Classical & Baroque Music
Read about birth
Perineal Massage
Kegel Exercises
Prenatal Exercise Video + Squats + Pelvic Tilt
Walk 1 mile +
Breathwork
Oil body & abdomen
2 Prenatal Vitamins
9 Alfalfa Tablets
3 cups red raspberry leaf tea +
T of flax seed or meal +
80 oz. water +
Cook creatively.
Laugh alot.
Sing.
Play music.
Breathe fresh air & walk in nature in the mornings.

We had a realtor at our place yesterday so we could get a listing! It looks like I won't be in my hometown forever!

Dh is considering Vet School for fall '05 at UC Davis, as he wants to specialize in holistic equine care. So, maybe I'll be a West Coast girl sometime in the next few months (keep your fingers crossed that somebody will buy our home within the next few months).

Then, maybe I'll get to bond with other AP moms! and dd will have playgroups!

[sweet tea]

GBS-! and baby is head down!
I have just started drinking RRL tea daily and the contractions are coming more frequently now

this board is pretty quiet-maybe that means everyones off birthing ?!?
still trying to figure out a name-see 'baby name poll' thread

we are doing the perineal massage, i won't do it myself, but dh will..he tries to check my cervix but its really too high up there I guess, cuz he can't quite reach it yet, or he doesn't know what he's fishing for.... :LOL

I think I am almost ready, have to take my final and I have 4 more shifts this month....then I am done with working : oh, and one more swap

[Threefold]

GBS -
I'm measuring 38 weeks (and I was 36 at the appointment!)
Babe is head down and the heartrate is great!
I did my last session with a birth bypnotherapist and visualized labor and birth! So exciting and wonderful!
Braxton-Hicks here and there, but nothing significant, which is good b/c one of our labor suport people had to go out of town for the weekend!
I refused the cervical check and will unless I get to 40 weeks and an really curious. I had enough of those between weeks 30-35 Kaiser insisted on them b/c my ds was born at 34 weeks.
Still have to put in the carseat, finish up packing the labor bags, and tie up a few loose ends around the house.
I'm taking 1000mg EPO 2X per day and 2 cups Red Raspberry Leaf tea per day, along with my prenatal, an extra calcium tab, extra "c" and blackstap molasses when I feel need it. I want to pick up some alfalfa, how much of that is everyone taking?
I am really tired and having trouble keeping up with my 3 yo ds, who is out of sorts lately.

[kris1225]

Originally Posted by the_dalai_mama

I am really tired and having trouble keeping up with my 3 yo ds, who is out of sorts lately.

I am having trouble with my usually very easy 2.6 yo DD too. Maybe she senses that she's about to have competition. Out of sorts is exactly how I'd describe it...

I keep thinking that this is quite possibly the slowest part of a pregnancy.

[Michelle Leigh]

Originally Posted by the_dalai_mama

I'm taking 1000mg EPO 2X per day .

What's EPO?

[Michelle Leigh]

ramble, ramble, ramble. It's midnight. I'm awake.

HI ladies.

Wow! This board is sOOOOOOO quiet!!

Is everybody busy? having babies?

Today I had a leak from my nipple. I had a couple of sharp pains in my breast last night & I felt them again today... so I massaged it & here came this liquid! The body is miraculous. It's been 3 years since I've seen that--2001!

Anybody else felt something like a razor blade/ice pick feeling in the breast? (I had plugged milk ducts a few times with dd & that's what it reminded me of.)

Tried to feel my cervix last night. Couldn't determine anything.

I guess I'll just wait.

People can tell I'm pregnant now. Last night & today while I was in town, people said, "I didn't know you were going to have a baby!" And Wed., I was shopping at a store I've frequented all during pregnancy, and the checker noticed. Needless to say, they were a little shocked when I said, "I'll be 40 weeks along on the 21st."

Dd had a streak of what I'd call acting out, but thank goodness that disappeared. She's been so sweet, so angelic. She asked if she could feel the placenta today. And, she's been rubbing my belly, patting the baby.

I'd really like to know when & where I'm going to deliver. I don't think it would take anything away from it. When I get into the car, I wonder, "Should I be venturing this far from home?" I don't remember having any of these thoughts when I was pregnant with dd!

Wish all of you were here to take some squash & zucchini & basil from the garden. I feel like I have enough to set up a stand at the farmers' market! And, my parents' neighbors kindly let us harvest while they're on vacation, so we have so much corn, cucumbers, tomatoes...

I'm sending all of you blessings of delicious, fresh produce in abundance!!

[Michelle Leigh]

I just remembered that I have something to occupy my attention... We received the Oak Meadow Preschool Curriculum today. I'll go read that.

Can't wait to hear birth stories!

[Ponoma]

Sanity check in week 39

I feel so much better knowing that you all too are wandering the house
at the wee hours waiting and waiting. My due date is the 14th and I
wonder if I am going to to go stark raving mad from the enternal wait or
the inability to sleep. I wonder how much raspberry tea I can consume
in one sitting or cookbooks I can browse at 3am. Even tired of nesting after
losing a whole load of clothes behind the front load washer at 4 am and knowing I couldn't reach a darn thing. Please send so good vibes. Haven't had any brax yet this week.

[kris1225]

I am having copious amounts of menstrual like cramps and pressure this morning.

I have so much sh&t to do. Does anyone here sew brocade? LOL.

[my2girlz]

It looks like everyone is doing good. I had my 37 week appt yesterday along with GBS test. Don't know what the results were on the test though. I had protein in my urine (1+) and high blood pressure (140/92) though so I'm on modified bedrest till my appt next Friday. I have to do the 24 hour urine thingy and bring it in on Monday. : I've also gained 3 lbs since my last appt. 2 weeks ago. Brings my total to 12 lbs. She also did a cervical check and I was 50% effaced and a fingertip open.

[Artisan]

I will be 38 weeks on Monday. I am GBS - , thank goodness (I was positive last time). Baby is still relatively high in the pelvis, but starting to move down a little. I've started feeling more stabbing pains in the cervix area, occasional BH contractions, but not much else.

[Aura_Kitten]

i stopped seeing my OB a couple of weeks ago (and have been so much less stresssed because of it! )...

i am 40 weeks today!! and i'm trying not to pay too much attention to the date ~ that stupid arbitrary number dictated by that dumb cardboard circle...

she will come when she is ready has become my mantra.

i've never been pregnant this long!

i had a horrible sleep last night ~ my left leg and hip keep cramping. this morning i woke up and realized i was having semi-regular hugs ~ about 6-11 minutes apart ~ and accompanied by soooo much pressure. i'm still having some, so maybe this is it, although they're slowing now. i think i'll just wait until i actually see the baby though. with my first baby, i told myself i wouldn't believe i was in labor until either i lost my mucous plug or my water broke; i thought to myself last night, "i'm not going to believe i'm in labor until the baby comes out." (how perspective changes...)

i think i'll use this extra time to finish cleaning. i still need to wash the bedding + towels anyway...

[Threefold]

EPO is evening primrose oil. It helps to ripen the cervix. I've been told to begin taking 1000mg 3x per day.

[Snowy Owl]

I've been reading the thread but not much time to post.
Had 37 week check-up with midwife and refused GBS test...baby is dropping and everything is fine except I am gaining rather a lot of weight...like 3 or 4 pounds a week. I don't know why!
It's so exciting to check in here and see who has had their babies.
Makes me kind of sad too, that it's all coming to an end...pregnant no more...
Hope everyone is doing well...