April Mamas Chat Thread: Sept 13th - 19th

[Stream]

Happy Monday, Mamas! I thought I'd take a turn starting the thread this week. Hope everyone is feeling well!

I thought I was headed the right direction with morning sickness, but had a revisiting this weekend. Oh well-- I figure it's just an assurance that things are going well in there. And that is wonderful.

Anybody have any hunches about gender?

I thought boy from the beginning, but had two early dreams about giving birth to a girl (not my current dd). Then, this weekend, I had a dream that I gave birth to what I *knew* was a boy, but everyone insisted it was a girl. And I must have been out of it after birth, because "they" (I don't really know who) had named it already: Gladys! They insisted I named "her" but I knew I hadn't. Strange!

[proudmamanow]

Hi Stream!
Thanks for starting the new thread.

I was starting to feel a bit better yesterday which always makes me nervous! But happily felt sicker again this a.m. (iykwim--sicker is reassuring!). But I'm thinking I might be starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel or at least the end of the first trimester!! I can't wait! Work negotiations go on, so my secret wardrobe continues. I am planning to press them for an answer on when I will change jobs this week.

Busy, busy weekend. We are renting out our 2nd bedroom b/c my wife is back in school this year. It's great 'cause we need the money and it is a lovely young woman from our church which is great too. She will be leaving sometime in March to give us time to get ready. But I also have very mixed feelings about giving up our last few months alone in our lovely little house, yk? Even though she's great, we need the money etc. Anyway, she arrived late on Sat. and is settling in. Unfortunately her boyfriend is with her for this week, and nice though he is, he is getting on my nerves already (can you tell I'm extremely hormonal!) just taking time in the bathroom, drinking all our juice, leaving dishes lying around. I'm being totally unreasonable, as he's really very inobtrusive. Something about my pg hormones and not wanting a boy around!

We also took delivery of a truck load of baby stuff for free from my cousin--very sweet, we now have a high chair, stroller & car seat in good condition! And my cousin is a wonderful AP parent so I feel like all this stuff has good vibes. Now we just have to store it somewhere !


As for the boy/girl thing... it's interesting Stream, 'cause this time I really don't have a clue. Last pg, both dw and I were pretty sure it was a girl, and with our first pg, I had a suspicion it might be a boy.... Dw even dreamt about the baby a few nights ago (I haven't yet which I think is partly my nervousness after two previous m/c) and she couldn't tell what sex...

We don't plan on finding out the sex either... Part of me believes that with m/c your spirit babe comes back with subsequent pg, so maybe it will be a girl.... ?

I love your dream about Gladys, Stream! Too funny....

hope everyone is well!

[sarasprings]

Originally Posted by Stream

I thought boy from the beginning, but had two early dreams about giving birth to a girl (not my current dd). Then, this weekend, I had a dream that I gave birth to what I *knew* was a boy, but everyone insisted it was a girl. And I must have been out of it after birth, because "they" (I don't really know who) had named it already: Gladys! They insisted I named "her" but I knew I hadn't. Strange!

:

wan2bemama: It would be very hard to give up that privacy. I'm glad you're at least comfortable with the person who is moving in. We rent our whole house out for a couple weeks each summer because we need the money and I know that next summer we're going to be kicking ourselves with the work and staying with relatives, rather than being alone.

I have no idea about sex, but I can't wait to find out. If I had to guess, I'd say a girl because I feel so much sicker this time, although I read something about having the same sex is suppose to be more common.

Just when I think my m/s is getting better (I feel really good in the morning), I get hit with super-nausea during the day. Blah. My first MW appt in on Wed. I'm really excited to talk to her about VBAC. I'm going alone because it's suppose to be a longer appt. and I don't want my son to have to be there for that long.

We told my sister I'm preg because she kept asking everytime something came up that could be remotely related. I guess it's good she knows since she's the main knitter in the family.

[Green4God]

Well, since everything went so well at my appt. on Friday we told everyone except my work. My inlaws are particularly excited since it is their first grandbaby. Telling choir on Tuesday should be a fun story because dh is going to do a dramatic apology for my/our inability to be fully committed for Easter services.

As to the gender question, I don't know that I could know what was intuition since we have such a strong preference. We both really want a girl and have already decided on a name that is very special to me due to family heritage and my growing up years. Not that we wouldn't be thrilled with a little boy, of course after the m/c we just want a healthy baby!

[Stream]

Jesse- What a rough time to have someone move in! Inobtrusive or not, I can definitely see why you'd be a bit on edge (especially since in my ideal world, I'd lounge around the house in a t-shirt and underwear all day... not great company gear). It sounds like overall it's a wise decision for you guys, though, so I hope it works out. Hopefully when you hit the "magic" second trimester, it will all be perfect.

sarasprings- Good luck with your first appointment. It must be exciting planning a VBAC-- I know so many beautiful stories about people who were successful in theirs, and even some where people got a repeat section but felt more at peace with it. I really hope you get the birth you want!

Green4God- So exciting to hear that heartbeat-- I'm glad you took the opportunity to spread the good news. Sounds like your plan for telling at choir will be fun!

Oh-- and you raised an interesting second component to the gender question: preference. I know that we'd all just choose to have a healthy baby, but does anyone else have a preference? We really wanted to have at least one girl, and feel very lucky to have dd. Now, I feel really neutral-- it would be fun to raise a boy, but it would be great to have sisters, too. I honestly can't come down on either side of the line. Dh on the other hand would definitely say GIRL. He looooves baby girls (and mama girls too, for that matter).

[aprildawn]

hey everyone. i've been slowly starting to feel better. today marks 11 weeks for me officially!! woohoo!!! (well, according to some website's calendar anyway).

i have an appointment this thursday. hopefully we'll hear the heartbeat. i'm anxious about it though. with dd they couldn't get the heartbeat at 11 weeks and did an ultrasound just to be sure. while i don't mind an ultrasound to put my mind at ease, i'd prefer to not have to worry.

this pregnancy is so different, it makes me think it might be a boy. i've had hot flashes, acne, insomnia, and specific food cravings and aversions. none of those were symptoms with dd. i had very general food cravings and aversions, beautiful skin, slept great, and no hot flashes.

in other news, i've slept better the past week. we brought dd to bed with us full-time. she used to do the bed switch sometime during the night. but we decided that her waking up and coming to bed with us was part of what was keeping me up at night. so she's joined us in our bed for now. and i'll worry about making room for the new baby when i need to. (i have to add that it's really nice to be able to post this on a board where i know that no one is going to be in shock that my 2-yr-old wakes up at night, or that she sleeps with us, nor are you going to tell me to let her cio. yay for mdc!)

i'll check in later this week.

[heyitsnaomi]

Hey mammas,

Finally getting back to mormal life this week and feeling better. Still not exercising!

With our first, both DH and I really wanted a girl, and got Gracie. Now he really wants a boy, and I feel mostly impartial, but still kinda lean towards the girl side for some reason. I like the idea of having two girls so close in age (almost exactly 2 years apart). But I will of course be happy with whoever is in there! We will find out. I wouldn't mind being surprised, but John is absolutely dying to find out! He's so funny.

Still feeling pretty puky most days, although I think it is starting to subside a bit. My appetite has come back a little. Nothing sounds good still, YKWIM?

I *think*I found a very cool midwife. We had Grace in the hospital and really want to HB this time. I am a very practical, down to earth person. I want to make sure I find a midwife who has a similar personality. I think I will freak out in labor if I have a midwife who tells me anything like to try and go "within myself," etc. During my first labor, my Mom and John were both telling me over and over to BREATHE.....OMG it drove me crazy! I think they just really needed something to do/say. Anyway, I really like the MW so far so I am very happy about that.

[Stream]

You sound like me. I was raised by a single mom who was a scientist, so when push comes to shove (so to speak!), I respond best to someone who is pretty practical. I'm glad you've found a match!

That reminds me of a story from when I was in labor with dd. I was entirely ungraceful, and I was a screamer (which I never would have thought). My MW kept coming into the room and saying "Remember your yoga breathing from Bradley class" and I felt like grabbing her by the collar and saying "I remember the flippin' breathing, but it's not working!" DH and I talked later about how unhelpful that particular piece of advice was for me, but how the MW just insisted on repeating it over and over.

Fast forward a little less than a year. We were at the lake, and DH had a terrible waterskiiing accident-- almost lost his arm (ended up losing three muscles in his arm instead). DH was on the dock, writhing in pain as we waited for EMS. He couldn't focus on anything but the pain, and was just screaming and moaning and we were trying to keep his focus. So I leaned in and whispered "Remember your yoga breathing." He looked straight at me and said "F. you!" but managed a half smile. It was a great way to insert a little inside humor to what was a really scary situation. We still laugh about *that* part of the day.

[proudmamanow]

well so much for worrying about feeling better...feeling crappy again! But that's okay or at least very reassuring! It's funny...this is a much longed-for baby, and I'm super excited....and at the same time right now I feel too tired to feel anything...and in a way I'm afraid to get too excited, after our previous experiences....even though everything is going great!

Sara and Stream...thanks for the sympathy...yeah it is a big adjustment which is why I've been feeling ambivalent about it. (though I am feeling less unreasonably irritated with the bf--and looking forward to him leaving!)

Sara-cool about the VBAC plans! Hope your mw appointment is great. Our first appt with the mw isn't until Oct.

Green4 on getting the happy & excited reactions. I'm telling more & more people now as we approach the 10 wk mark (plus I think I'm starting to show so I don't want them to have to guess!) Our 2nd and final u/s is on the 23rd so I think after that I'll be ready to tell anyone. (I'm off to choir tonight too! Don't think I'm quite ready to spill the beans, but I'm looking fwd to doing so)

Gender preference....interesting....on some level I do want a girl, mostly 'cause I have a sister and I grew up largely in an all-female household and valued that experience. But I know a boy would be absolutely wonderful and delightful too.

aprildawn--glad you're feeling better! And I hope you hear the heartbeat at your appointment : I'll be thinking of you! great news on the sleeping well front too!

Naomi-glad you found a mw you can really connect with! that's very important. I'm a bit more into what the TTC board calls the 'woo-woo' stuff, at least theoretically, but I really don't know how I'll feel in the heat of the moment!

Stream-- at your story! That's too funny!

[crat19]

HAHA. Glad that you could insert a little humor into that scary situation. I know what you mean by getting some advice etc that turns out really annoying. Luckily with my 1st l&d, I had a wonderful doula who seemed to read me really well. The nurses in the hospital pretty much left me alone, which was nice. I would have freaked if someone was in my face yelling BREATHE! I had a hard enough time with the nurses taking forever to figure out how to work the delivery bed in response to my unique birthing position. They apparently had a hard time figuring out how to remove some sections of the bed and it annoyed the heck out of me. I remember thinking, or maybe even saying "Oh COME ON!!"

I'd like to talk with dh about considering a hb if we can find a cnm that he is comfortable with also. He's very conservative when it comes to medical emergencies as a result of seeing a lot of bad stuff on his job (he's a paramedic trained firefighter). I remember feeling much better when I labored in the bathtub for those first two hours at home before going to the hospital. I also remembered feeling as tho my labor slowed or stalled during travel or moving through the hospital from admitting room to the L&D room. I think I'll have a much shorter labor if it were uninterrupted by these interruptions and distractions. Not to mention a more comfortable labor... hopefully!

We went camping over labor day weekend and found that my nausea completely went away in the altitude (about 4,500 ft). Once back down here at sea level, it immediately came back. Anyone else ever experience this?? Overall, the nausea seems to be subsiding a little. Am approaching 11w and looking forward to enjoying food again!!

Ciao for now!

[MaryLang]

Its good to hear everybody seems to be doing good! Except for the m/s, but in the end thats good too, right? Well, my m/s seems to be getting worse the farther along I go.
aprildawn- glad to hear somebody's getting sleep.

I just had my first Doc. app. today. I'm so, so, so excited. I've been all smiles all night. Well, at first she couldn't find a heart beat with the doppler, because there was too much moving around in there. And she said my uterus was bigger then a 12 wker, so she got me right over to the ultrasound room. And there he/she was, strong, strong heart beat, jumping around like crazy, just like big sister was at that age. I'm so happy. Now I'm trying to decide whether or not I want to know the gender at my 18wks ultrasound. With dd, I found out, this time I'm not so sure. I have a feeling its a boy. My DH wants to know, and I guess it doesn't matter to me too much, I've got a while to decide.

[ScooterMama1]

It is great to read all of your responses...

Stream, thanks for starting the thread this week.

I had my first consultation with my ND, Midwife yesterday. I saw her when I had my miscarriage (she was wonderful) and she helped me get my body (hormones) back into shape to get pregnant again. My husband went with me so that we could discuss the pro's and con's of hb. I really want to have a hb, but dh is not convinced yet. I am hoping with some reading and education he will come around. I had a good hospital birth with my ds, but I think that this birth could be so much better (no transport, no beeping machines, my ds near, food close, no iv just in case, etc).

Well, we listened for the heartbeat and barely heard it... I heard whispers of it about 6 different times (we tried for almost 30 min). Since I had some spotting a couple of weeks ago, I had an ultrasound then and the heartbeat was really strong. Now I just have to be patient for a couple more weeks so that I can hear it clearly on the doppler.

I have the feeling that this baby is a girl. I have more m/s than with ds, and my symptoms are different. The heartbeat was ~125 vs. my ds at ~140. Who knows??? I will be thrilled with a healthy baby of either sex. Hope you are all having a great week.

Heading off to bed to tuck in with dh and ds (2 yrs old)... I am also wondering how I am going to fit a 4th into a queen sized bed! I just love these kind of problems!

Pamela

[Mizelenius]

Hi, mamas!

Hmm . . .now I'm worrying that my m/s isn't so bad compared to the peopel here!. It's been there for a few weeks, but comes and goes throughout the day, and is usually gone if I eat some food or suck on lemon drops. An empty stomach is what starts it for me . . .but it hasn't been nearly as bad as it was with DD.

I saw my midwife yesterday (I'm at 8 weeks). She was fabulous. She tried to find the heartbeat since she said that my uterus is extremely close to the surface, but no luck. My uterus position does explain why I have to pee every 2 minutes! Anyway, she wants to schedule an early u/s just for peace of mind. I didn't do this with DD, and I wasn't planning on it, but I guess it's better to "know" early if there's a problem? I'm not anti-u/s, but I prefer to have as few as possible . . .but then the worrying starts again . . .so I guess I'll get it.

As far as gender . . .I don't care. I don't. However, I almost feel bad for the future girl if we have one. My sister has three girls, I have one, and EVERYONE makes comments about it. So annoying. I always worry the girls will hear the idiocy . . .and if we have a boy, then that will make it bad for the girls, too.

Jesse, I can see what you mean about renting out the room! And believe me, I like men, but that would drive me crazy about the juice and such, too!

Melissa, congrats on hearing the hb! How exciting!

Pamela, WOW-- that is also wonderful news about the hb!

Hugs to everyone else!

[sarasprings]

I had my first appt yesterday. I was 10w4d with an official due date of April 8. We didn't hear the heartbeat. The big thing I wanted to talk about was a VBAC and she said I was a good candidate, but that right after DS was born, just over 2 years ago, the hospital in town stopped doing them. She said it had something to do with a slightly bigger hospital to the north saying that they didn't think it was safe for small community hospitals to do them, so -- I would have to go to be 40 minutes away with different midwives. The city is pretty icky, although I don't know much about the hospital. The worst part, is that my toddler isn't really ready (although we will do things to get him ready) to be apart from me. I'm not too worried about having a VBAC at the other hospital, but I'm really concerned about it becoming a c-section (not that I'm expecting this, though) and being so far away from my son. I will be much more isolated in Troy. Blah.

[aprildawn]

we had an appointment today and heard the heartbeat!!

i'm really really happy about that. all of those back-of-the-mind-nagging "what ifs" (empty sack, etc.) are gone now.

blood pressure is still high. wasn't with dd. but the doc made me feel better about it. she told me it might just be normal for this pregnancy and that we'll keep and eye on it. i'm exercising, eating relatively well, and trying not to be stressed about anything.

hope the rest of you are having a great week.

[speedknitter]

Wow!

We had our second ultrasound this afternoon - two arms, two legs a BIG ol' head and a nice strong heartbeat (visual)...so cool!!! I'm feeling a little better, less nausea but still some things make me feel pukey, but so far I've not actually gotten sick, and feel very lucky for that! I hope we are all feeling much better in a few weeks' time!!!

I'm a little worried about being "found out" this weekend by my co-workers. We are going to a houseboat party that one of our staff is hosting, and I'm starting to "pooch" a little. You'll all probably hate me but I'm tall and thin, so there's nowhere for the little potato to hide, especially in a bathing suit!!! Plus, what's a housboat party without drinking beer??? I was thinking of actually holding one and then trading with my husband when his is almost empty...is that evil???

If I had to guess I'd say its a boy....who knows!?!?!?

[Mizelenius]

Originally Posted by speedknitter

We had our second ultrasound this afternoon - two arms, two legs a BIG ol' head and a nice strong heartbeat (visual)...so cool!!!

How exciting! How many weeks are you?

You'll all probably hate me but I'm tall and thin

Probably just PG hormones working right now, but I just don't understand the purpose of this comment . . .WHY would we hate you????? That's a big assumption!

[proudmamanow]

Sara to you on the VBAC dilemma.... is there anyone you can have come with you & take care of your other little one while you are in Troy...or is that even an option? I'm so sorry that it's stressful and the options are avail.

April : on hearing the heartbeat!! that's so exciting!! I'm so glad it's helped you put your fears to rest...enjoy this pg!! Glad that your doc is being reassuring & relaxed about the bp too...sounds like your dealing with it in just the right way.

Susan--I hear you on the pooching out.. and I'm definitely NOT tall & thin :LOL (see my other thread about my boss & a friend guessing this week!) I'll echo the excellent advice I received already from others...don't worry about others suspicions/speculations, give the news when you are ready & when & how you want to share it! Cool on the ultrasound...we have our next and last one next Thurs and I can't wait to see all of what you describe!

Elena--great to see you here from the one thread! :hi Glad your m/s isn't too bad (though I know that can be worrying!) and that your mw is so great...

As for me, I'm enjoying looking pg at home...and overall still feeling pretty tired & sick...can't wait for the end of the first tri, but also want to enjoy this pg to the max, yk? I'm also debating about whether I should try some different prenatals (like rainbow lights) which I hear are much better than the drugstore brand I'm using...

In other news, we are feeling a bit of financial stress at the moment as my union may be going out on strike in the next few weeks, and I am currently the only source of income at our house! Here's hoping the strike doesn't happen or at least doesn't last long!

to all!

[sarasprings]

Originally Posted by wan2bemama

Sara to you on the VBAC dilemma.... is there anyone you can have come with you & take care of your other little one while you are in Troy...or is that even an option? I'm so sorry that it's stressful and the options are avail.

In other news, we are feeling a bit of financial stress at the moment as my union may be going out on strike in the next few weeks, and I am currently the only source of income at our house! Here's hoping the strike doesn't happen or at least doesn't last long!

My sister can stay with my son. It would be stressful but doable for one night, but I just can't see him doing well for longer if I end up with a c-section and I'm so far away. We've started transitioning him to going to sleep with my husband and we'll have my sister over for overnights a lot starting this winter, but he's just not an easy going kid, kwim?

I'm sorry about the strike. One more worry. I hope if it happens it will be short. I'll be sending positive thoughts your way!

Congrats to everyone else.

[gracesmom0801]

We just got back from a one-week trip to Boston. (A 20-hour drive from my house....with my 13-month-old!!!!) I NEVER want to make that drive again. I got really tired because we walked alot! Well, Grace awaits!