Oct. 25 - 31 weekly thread

[Jenelle]

I had a dr. appt. today and things are okay I guess. I have gained 5 lbs. in the last 2 weeks : but I think that was from all the crazy things I ate while we were on our camping trip. I am hoping not to continue at that rate! Obviously, I need to cut back on the "treats". The nurse and dr. didn't say anything about it - it's just me.

She prescribed an iron supplement, 325 mg. of ferrous sulfate daily. Does this sound high to anyone? They assured me that I wouldn't get too much iron, but I know that iron overdose can cause fatal poisioning in children... so, I don't get it.

I am measuring ahead, today I was "35" - whatever that means. I am almost 31 weeks. I don't remember this being an issue with #1. Does it mean the baby is going to be big? I am sure of my due date.

Hope everyone is doing well. Have a good week!

And Shalena, know that you're still in our thoughts and prayers.

[Oregonicmama]

32 weeks!

Kazmir-

http://www.fernandfaerie.com/

has some cute sling, diap, and cover patterns among other things. I got this link in the Sewing And Crafts forum. I have trouble using the cloth diaper forum, I get really confused.

You could probablly Google some more patterns (even free ones).

My Midwife is coming tomorrow and my house is TRASHED again. But I am not going to bust my hump cleaning this time. We have been beyond busy this week and I've been chasing off a scratchy throat and I just don't have the energy. I think she'll forgive me!

My baby has finally started sitting head down sometimes! Its still breech most of the time, but for a few hours today I could feel little legs and knees just under my rib cage. I'm really hoping it will slowly work its way into sitting that way all the time over the next few weeks. :

[cinnamonamon]

Jenelle -- I typed out a response to you, then the computer ate it last night! So I'll try again! :LOL

I wouldn't worry about 1 5lb gain -- we're in the 3rd trimester & will probably all double the weight we've already gained, remember! When I was about 35 weeks with ds1 I gained 5lbs in 1 week! :LOL And don't forget the water weight...ahhh, no final month(s) of pregnancy would be complete with a little bloating. So eat when you're hungry & give yourself a treat once in a while -- remember, your body is going to add lots of fat stores for breastfeeding (note to self: don't look at butt in mirror again until at least 6 months pp ).

When it comes to what you're measuring, I think it's normal for the 2nd baby to be a bit bigger, and the 2nd time you're pg, those tummy muscles just don't have as much fight in them! :LOL

I'm not sure about the iron thing -- are you showing signs of anemia? I would research it a bit, and eat some extra iron rich foods in the meantime.


Gotta run, ds1 is demanding attention.

[KoalaMommy]

blowing up like a (water) balloon

first of all Shalena and DH, please keep us posted, and rest a lot!!!

Now, I've got a question, I'm all swollen. My pregnancy wedding ring (3 sizes larger than my real one) no longer fits, I had a heck of a time getting it off my finger. My pregnancy shoes (1 size large also to compensate for the swollen ankle on my broken leg) also no longer fit. It's all swelling, this is the first time in my pregnancy that I've been swollen and not had it all go away after a night's sleep. It started this weekend, which is the busiest time of my year, my work sort of culminates in one day, which happened to be last Saturday. I was on my feet all the time and so I thought this was probably just a result of that, but it hasn't gone away. Should I be worried? I called the midwives (who I see on Thursday) and they said to drink a lot of water and cut back on sodium in my diet. I couldn't possibly drink more water than I am (I'm thinking I'm getting between 12 and 14 8-oz glasses daily). I'm really worried about pre-e. I DONT want a c-section. Maybe I wouldn't care so much if VBAC wasn't becoming increasingly less of an option. Am I stressing over nothing? Is swelling like this normal? I guess I'll find out on Thursday, but I'm kind of worried until then.

[nikirj]

I'd get it checked out Hil. Severe swelling can be a sign of blood pressure problems. Then again, it could just be your stress level - but it's such a simple thing to check. I've heard that floating in the water can actually help reduce the swelling a bit, so if it is really bugging you, maybe you could head for the pool (or a nice bath)?

I put the foam pad on the bed last night, and it seemed to help a lot (I didn't need to roll over as often, and didn't have much hip pain when I woke up this morning). DS christened it though - wet the bed. Eeeeeewwwww. And I just washed the sheets yesterday, struggled them onto the bed just before we went to sleep, and woke up to wetness at 4am DS was so soaked we had to shower him off, and by the time we'd done the showering and towelling and set things back up, we had some real trouble falling back asleep (we usually sleep until 9 so it was the middle of the night for us).

My dad left this morning. He was here to visit for just two nights/one full day, on his way to some conference in Detroit. DD was devestated he left so soon . He ends up coming every two months or so but hasn't ever stayed more than a day or two. The kids miss him terribly. He used to be their 'babysitter' while I was in school (just 6 hours a week, but we would also spend a lot of study-time at his place) and they are still quite attached to him. Most of what he had to say about this pregnancy had to do with my insurance arrangement (we JUST got insurance this week) was "good, EVERYBODY needs insurance," which I not only disagree with, but seems to be not quite in line with his very-Republican outlook. I think I'm converting him though. I still consider my self relatively conservative, but on many, many issues I run quite 'liberal' and he's been agreeing with me more and more on these (mostly social and environmental issues).

Anyway, also about my dad...he says that his company might be looking for a couple people to work in my city over the Christmas season, and if he did, they would provide hotel, transportation, and a per diem allowance, and it would cover the weeks when I will probably deliver. Which would mean that he'd be close (15 min drive), but not *too* close and not *too* unbusy, and he'd actually earn extra money in the process. My kids would be THRILLED to get to spend a bunch of time with their Papa. And any relatives who plan to visit (aka my mother) could stay with him in the hotel, instead of with me.

Baby's been bopping all over the place lately! I can sit still and watch my belly deform in all different directions. It's cool. This baby spins all over the place, really, the baby will walk around my belly, flipping over several times in one 'session'. Tends to settle head-down but sometimes in breech and sometimes transverse.

[kazmir]

Thanks for the links lovelocks, I found a few patterns for free by googling, A maya wrap and a pouch style. Now I need to find the right fabric - Maybe a denim pouch and rayon maya... I want to try both .

Niki- I know what you mean about christening the bed. Last night DD came into bed with us at about 3 am and we snuggled down for the night. At 6:30 i awoke to a nice big wet spot and her snoring beside me! : I was really bummed because since she isn't always sleeping with us anymore, I don't have a waterproof pad on our bed. So it went thru to the mattress. DH sucked it up with our Bissell (great investment) and we put the dehumidifier on and the sheets in the wash. Hopefully we will have a dry bed by tonight. DD and I now have an agreement. She HAS to go to the bathroom before getting into bed with us, even if it means I get up with her. I think the rain on the roof mast night may have triggered the wetting. She's been great for months now.

I have my OB appt tomorrow, I have never heard back from my 3 hr glucose test I took 3 weeks ago. I figured I'm not calling them! So tomorrow I will get the results, hopefully no news was good news and still is! I'm at 32 weeks about and really feeling pressure low. This boy never stops moving either, and its getting more pronounced lately. I can watch him do flips across my abdomen! Wild! My DD was a hic-cupper, this guy is a gymnast!

Robin

[KoalaMommy]

Niki- I went to the pool last night. I read something similar to what you read, though it basically said do anything in the water (sit, float, walk...). I am going to have this checked out on thursday (would go before if they had wanted to see me). I'm so worried about pre-e. As much as I'm having a hospital birth, I'm really not into the interventions. I'm afraid if I have pre-e they'll want to induce or do a C-section. Since I'm 35 weeks, I know I'm close to the point when it wouldn't really bother them to get the babe out if they wanted to do that. Besides reducing salt, drinking water, excercising (which I can't really do much of because of the broken leg) and eating more protein, is there anything else I'm not doing that I could do to prevent pre-e?

[Jenelle]

Carolynn, please do not tell me that my weight gain will double! : I have gained a total of 29 lbs. already.

Hilary, sorry to hear about all the swelling. I don't want to worry you, but no - it doesn't sound "normal" exactly. With ds #1 I gained almost 35 lbs. and I never had to take off my wedding ring. Best of luck with that - I will pray that they don't have to do a c-section.

[NeKisha]

33 weeks...

do any of you feel like you are on your last tether? i am mentally and physically exhausted. i feel very over stressed and so tired all the time. there are moments where i feel like everything is falling into place, but those are becoming less and less frequent as the weeks go by.

we just moved into a new apartment and there are a lot of things that need to be done. we moved just across the hall, which sounded so easy....no hauling things across town, but instead i think this is worse. since we carried everything by hand across the hall, no boxes, all my little knick-nacs are scattered all about.

and now the building manager knows about our cat! wow, i though that all would be well and no one would ever find out. now he knows and we have to get rid of it...i dont know what to do. i really, REALLY dont want to get rid of her. she is so sweet, i love her. but maybe it is best with a new baby coming. i just really wish there was some way around this.

i missed my mw appt. i thought it was today and it was actually on friday. arg : this means i wont see her again for another almost 2 weeks, i dont like that but oh well, its my fault.

im really hoping that some of this stress disapates soon. i know that it is probably just my hormones or whatever, but i feel sometimes like i am falling apart. id like to say that i have a very understanding dh, but i do not. instead he wants me to shake it off, and stop stressing myself out. his attitude just makes it worse because i want him to help me destress...which ive vocalized, but i think it only made him defensive. sorry to rant, but it feels good to get some stuff off my chest

[Kristeen]

34 weeks tomorrow

My diaper saga: thanks (maybe not!) to whoever suggested making a tiny cut in my cpf's to check what the inside layers were. They are batting I was SO upset! Thankfully a really great mom (Nym) has offered to lend me her nb stash for a few months. I am taking her up on it and going to use that time to build up my own (I'm thinking cpf's and one-sized) so my diaper-stress has been greatly reduced.

We started pre-natal classes last week. I haven't learned a darn thing but am chosing to look at the classes as a once-a-week chance to be baby obsessed. We are DEFINITELY the most 'crunchy' people in the class even though it's related to our birth centre and run by Doula's.

In addition to my regular multi-viatmin (that I take because of my weightloss surgery), my prenatal, and soya lecithin, I am now taking cal-mag to try and help with leg cramps. I've read that pregnancy leg cramps are not related to a cal-mag deficiency but I thought I'd try it anyway since I am up almost every night with them. In addition to that my pre-natal class is suggesting EFA's for everyone and acidofilus (sp?). The Doula said every woman whould be taking both of those regarless if she's pregnant or not. I think I am going to be taking more pills than my Gramma soon!

Jenelle: try not to worry about your weight gain- I'm sure it'll even out in the end

lovelocks: you have better things to do than clean your house for someone else's benefit!

nikirj: I hope you're dad gets that position and that your kids will get to spend more time with him!

NeKisha: I hope you can work something out about the cat. I kind of neglected to tell my landlord about ours too since I was so focused on making sure he'd allow the two dogs. It's been 4 yrs though and he either hasn't noticed or doesn't care. Maybe you can't try and talk to him and point out that there's been no problems with the furball thus far?

[Oregonicmama]

Mommybrain!!!

OMG I am such a space case lately.

I went to a party on Sat night and didn't get home 'till almost daylight. So, since I slept 'till 3pm (!!!) on Sunday I totally ditched on meeting our friend and her kids at the park and didn't even realize it until this morning.

Then I had made plans to go to a playdate today and I had to skip it b/c I THOUGHT the midwife was coming. So I woke up early (9 am is early for me) to at least wash the dishes and have DD pick up her toys. The midwife was supposed to be here at 11 am and at 11:30 I called her to see where she was. Our appointment is for tomorrow!!! DUH! I even have it on my calendar as tomorrow but in my spaced out state I didn't even notice! I feel like such a nerd.

But since I was up and in cleaning mode anyway, I cleaned the house again. I just can't help myself!

Now who in my house do you think is taking a nap? Its not the pregnant woman or the 3 year old, its DP!!!! ARRRGGG!! I am so annoyed. I would love to take a nap for a few hours, but instead just as I was almost done sweeping the floors he decides to go lay down for a little while. Its been 2 hours and he is STILL sleeping!

Nekisha- I don't feel really stressed, but I am exhausted. Its like that party I went to took every last ounce of energy out of me. Now I am pooped all the time and just want to sleep. We didn't even eat dinner until almost 9pm last night b/c I was just to tired to move and cook something! I hope your DH is helping you out some, mine sure isn't. I feel like I need to go hide in a cave for a week and hibernate!

Oh yeah, Nekisha how long have you live in the same building? My mother had a "secret" cat when I was a kid. Our landlord found out about her after we'd lived in the building for 4 years or so, and since we were good tenants and the cat wasn't causing trouble (we'd had her for 2 years at that point) he let us keep her. He even decided to allow cats in general since ours wasn't destroying the place. There maybe hope.

[cinnamonamon]

Jenelle... ...maybe I should have said that a few of my friends & I all gain most of our weight in the last trimester...

[Jenelle]

Thanks to those of you trying to reassure me about the weight gain. I am not obsessed about it or anything, I just have a hard time not comparing the two pregnancies.

Also, Carolynn, you're right that I am "saving up" for breastfeeding. With Aidan I was about 13 lbs. less than when I got pregnant, after about 10 months of nursing! So I know it will come off easily as long as I can nurse for the first year at least... it's just hard right now in the moment, KWIM?

Deidre, I feel for you with DP taking a nap. That just isn't allowed around here!

NeKisha, about your cat. Maybe you could sweet talk your landlord???

Kristeen, I have been making sure to get some EFAs from either flax oil or evening primrose oil. It's supposed to be "brain food" for the baby! And it can't hurt to take some probiotics (acidophilus, etc.) as well. I have been taking those the whole time, too... mine is because I am pre-disposed to yeast problems anyway.

[Changed]

Yep, I'm taking 4 prenatals, 2 acidophlius, 1 huge EPO, 2 zantac and now reluctantly 1 macrobid every day. That is alot of pills to swallow! I'm getting so good that I don't even HAVE a gag reflex anymore...

That and carrying around a bottle of hand sanitizer to use everytime I touch something when I'm out, I'm pretty darn healthy!

Not kidding i'm on my 3rd bottle of purell this month. But I'm not getting the flu dangit!

I get yeast infections ALOT too. Taking the acidophilus has helped so much. I haven't had single one since I got pregnant. With my girls I had one a month or so.

If I HAD to double my weight from here on that would ony be 20 pounds total. I would much rather keep that to 15 total but hey, 20 isn't bad. I'm eating ok and trying to drink enough. If I can get into my jeans within a month of having this baby I'll be so proud of myself. I'm heavy enough. I don't want to add to what I really need to loose after this baby comes. Knowing DH is getting snipped makes me more motivated to loose the weight since I know I won't gain with another pregnancy after this one.

BTW< the zantac is a total lifesaver! No heartburn in the last 24 hours!!! Thank goodness. I was getting it from a sip of water or brushing my teeth.

[nannymom]

32 weeks

Hi everyone my computer is all !@#$%^%&*() up so i cna't type much but I wanted to say hi and send everyone happy pregnancy vibes.
p.s.- Shalena you're in my thoughts.

[PatchyMama]

34 weeks ....

Had my midwife appointment yesterday I'm now measuring 40cm I have giganto baby :LOL She decided to check my cervix to see if anythign was going on or if I am just measuring big (while I am pretty sure of dates, It wouldnt be a complete suprirse if i was wrong, lol). I'm a fingertip dilated which is no biggie but already 60% effaced. Sooooo she said not to count on longer than another 3 weeks or so! My first dd was born at 38 weeks for no apparant reason so I kind of thought I would be early with this one anyway.

Weight gain.... I was doing so well up til now, ROFL. I had only gained about 6 lbs... but in the last month ive more than dobuled that and am now up to a total gain of 16lbs. ah well, what can ya do? Tho its funny to me cause I think i eat less now cause I just have no room for food in there with this gigantic baby!

sewing carriers - check out www.thebabywearer.com i think.. lots of patterns

[cinnamonamon]

I'm glad everyone is sounding pretty up-beat! I'm happy, I really am, but I'm really, really tired, & trying really hard not to be stressed about everything I have to do! I need to just buckle down & DO something instead of wandering around my house muttering "it's hopeless, where should I start, where, where..." with ds trying to cling to my leg. :LOL My girlfriend came over today & cleaned my kitchen & rearranged my cupboards so more things fit, & I think she said she is coming over again tomorrow! She had that cleaning gleam in her eye & instructed me to find some abrasive cleaner at the natural food store tomorrow... She also bullied me () into moving my couch over so that I could put my birthing ball in front of the computer & sit on that instead -- it's actually pretty comfortable, and it motivates me to not just sit in front of the computer & tv (yes, at the same time ) and veg out.

Hmmm...well, I'm off to do something productive, like pull something out of my "get sewn before the baby comes" box & get it done. DS skipped his nap, so he went down at 7:30 tonight -- *fingers crossed* that he doesn't wake up constantly all night!

[nikirj]

I think I found a midwife! I'm so happy. Funny, weren't most of you at this stage, like, 6 months ago? But I just got insurance so I've been riding along unwatched. I believe in UP/UC so it wasn't a big deal, it was how I wanted it, but DH got nervous and I respect his feelings on the matter (he is, after all, superdaddy, I swear it's like he's the WAHM and I'm just lazing my butt off, except I get to produce a baby in the process so we're a bit more even than a complete working-mom/lazy jobless DH stereotype reversal), so I went midwife hunting. I found 4 that I talked to individually and didn't click with, got frustrated and looked up the email addresses of everyone that anyone recommended, and a couple of them responded and one called today and seemed a really good fit for me. I'm very happy with that . I see her next week so I guess I'll have an even better idea then, but we talked on the phone for a LONG time and she didn't say anything I found the least bit iffy or contradictory, which is a very good thing (everyone else managed to say something I found, well, suspicious, within the first 10 minutes or so - you know, like when they say they support letting the body do it's thing but want to ________ 'just in case').

I'm feeling like the stupidest @ss today, though, because not only did I forget about DD's dance class tonight (yeah, it started 5 minutes ago, I remembered 2 minutes before it started and I don't even have the car today) but I also double-booked myself for Friday (a parent/teacher conference at the same time as the kids gymnastics). And I got my daughter to school late. And forgot to turn the dryer on when I switched the laundry (so yeah, it sat in there wet for an hour). I'm feeling like quite the space-case.

[lauren]

hi everyone. o.k. here goes my weird question of the week--itchy breasts....i finally am getting some colostrum and now my breasts are itching like crazy!! I don't remember this from the last two pregnancies. It's driving me bananas. Anyone have this and is it correlated with the milk beginning to come in?

Other than that, the same old same old with the hip and pelvic pain. Getting quite tired and trying to wrap things up at work--a tall order. I am trying to stop work on Thanksgiving since my due date is around the 3rd or 4th.

STILL haven't picked names. Oh dear. Still haven't found nursing bras.

HOpe all are having a good week!

[cinnamonamon]

Lauren, as soon as I get that bra from the ebay lady, I'll post a review.