Jan. Mamas Nov. 28-Dec.4

[Marysmama]

Asheville Mama (Sonya): 1/01 with #2, homebirth
Nakagain (Pamela): 1/01 with #3, planning Homebirth
Killick (Nicole): 1/03 with (BOY = Will), hospital birth
Lisa2976 (Lisa): 1/03 with #1, planning water/hospital birth
Delfina: 1/05 with #2 (BOY), planning VBAC
ccasanova (Cynthia): 1/05 with #4
Zannster (Suzanne): 1/07 with #1 (BOY)
sme (Sheila): 1/07 with #1
embens (Leenie): 1/08 with #4
stacy31(Stacy): 1/8 with #4, homebirth
jhoward: 1/9 with #3
Kimberlytm (Kimberly): 1/09 with #2 (BOY), birthcenter
chickiepickie (Theann): 1/10 with #2
Kirei: 1/10 with #1 (GIRL), hospital waterbirth
Froggie:1/10 with #2, home waterbirth
mamajessica (Jessica): 1/11
Artemisia (Judith):1/14
Mamamaya: 1/14 with #3, planned UC
Bunches (Mary): mid Jan with #1, homebirth
Chocomoto:1/16 with #3
PamandAbigail: 1/18 with #2
PIOmama: 1/18 with #5
Peace4you (Jen): 1/19 with #1
Nathansmom (norah): 1/19 with twins (BOYS)
Majick1 (Celeste): 1/20 with #3, homebirth
Marysmama (Gen): 1/21 with #2, natural hospital birth
sweetpeasmom (Laura):1/21 Megan, 10-11-04, 1 lb 11 ozs, 13 in
AmyB: 1/22 with #2, homebirth
Babytime: 1/22 with #2 (GIRL)
Mamabeca (Andy) due 1/22 w/#2 , m/w asstd homebirth.
Zonapellucida (Heidi): 1/23 with #7 (BOY), planned UC
Jwhiskeycat: 1/24 with #1
Flyjawn: 1/25 with #1 (GIRL)
Fromscatteredtribe: 1/26 with #4 (BOY),homebirth
Slygrrl (Kathy): 1/26 with #2, homebirth
sadkitty: 1/27 thru 2/1 with #2, waterbirth at birth center
Proudmom: 1/27 with #2 (GIRL), homebirth
Parkersmama (Kristin): 1/27 with #2, hospital VBAC
Human Being (Heidi): 1/28 with #1, homebirth
NadiaSJ (Nadia): 1/28 with #3
Azreial: 1/29 with #2 (GIRL)
HelloKitty (Kitty): 1/30 with #4
icxcnika: late Jan with #2 natural hospital birth
tofumama: late Jan with #3
Jessitron (Jessica): late Jan with #1, homebirth
Zanelee (Jennifer): late Jan with #2
Malama: late Jan with #3
Milk4two (Adria): late Jan with twins
Chiromom (Mar): late Jan with child #3, planning UC
Parthenia: late Jan/early Feb with #2 (still one of us!)
rubysmomjess(Jess): Jan with #2, homebirth

HokieGirl: ? with ? (GIRL)

[Marysmama]

32w2d

Can you guys believe that the December mamas are already having their babies. Some of us are only a month away from our due dates. YIKES! Things are getting closer!!!

How was everyone's Thanksgiving? I'm sure we all ate way too much crap. I know I did. But, I must say it sure was good. It was fun spending time with my family. They all took bets on when I'd have my baby. I was so happy that none of them thought I'd go before 37 weeks. My dd was born at 34 weeks and it just gives me so much more confidence knowing that no one else thinks it'll be that way again.

This sunday 12-5, my MIL is throwing me a baby shower or as she worded it on the invitations Baby "Sprinkle". Being that it is my second baby, we don't really need anything, just a sprinkle. She just wanted me to have a shower because I missed out on one with my first due to having dd at 34 weeks. It's going to be coed and more of a party/gathering that a shower. I don't know, I'm looking forward to it. It would be nice to have a Blessingway though too. However, no one in my family is "in" to that sort of thing.

We've gotten some new folks in our due date club, chickipickie and jhoward. In case you didn't read jhoward's post, she due with #3 but it's her first birth. Her first two children were adopted. How cool.

Anyhow, how's everyone else?

[mamabeca]

Hey now - Our t-giving was ok. My family is SO anal and I become very defensive around them...it's a little nice to see them, SO MUCH NICER to be home. I didn't overeat too much, a little...actually today was worse, since I'm trying to get the cookies for the cookie exchange later this week done.

We're also having a sprinkling..since dd is 6 yrs old we got rid of a lot of what we had accumulated, and I never had a shower the first time round either. I was living in Vancouver CAN and didn't know but one person! Yikes. Ours isn't until the week after new years. My neighbor is throwing it, and it's a right and proper 1950's style shower. I wish wish wish we lived in a funkier place, but my dh isn't into it anyway, so I guess this works for the majority of us.

B-H are getting pretty consistent, a daily/hourly reminder that things are getting close (although there are still 8 wks to go over here!). Take care! andy (ps - I found a homeopathic phos/mag. that is good for both digestive upset and muscle cramping! WOW!!! )

[pixiexto]

Hey everyone! I've been popping in here & there but haven't posted in a bit. I think my brain has become pretty much a heap of mush with this pregnancy, and so by the time I get a chance to sit down uninterrupted at the computer in the evenings, my mind has long since abandoned me for the day!

I can't believe that we're so close!! I'm going into week 32, and to think that my DD was born just 5 1/2 weeks further along than I am now.... wow! Sometimes I feel like this one is going to come "early" too, other times I wonder if I'll be playing the waiting game. Guess only time will tell!

We had a really great Thanksgiving. Actually, we were invited by our midwife to share Thanksgiving dinner & celebrations with herself & her family! It was so much fun, and I met the assistant midwife who will also be attending the rest of our prenatals & also the birth. She is really terrific & we enjoyed a long conversation after dinner, and it was so easy & natural ~ like an old friend I feel so blessed to have these *2* amazing women attending our birth. What a far cry from how scary it first was to learn we were moving from the "safety" and legal homebirth environment of Canada to come to the deep South where everything is allegal. How lucky we are.

SO all is well! I have had a few experiences with very low pelvic cramping, but I am thinking it has a lot to do with how low this babe is sitting compared to my experience with DD. I think there is just more pressure there. Oh, and this time around I find I am quite a bit less limber when it comes to getting up from a lying down position ~ all huffing, puffing & groaning. LOL!

Have fun with your "sprinkles"!

[Malama]

We had a great t-day at some friends' house. It was a big potluck and i did my best not to overeat- just so I wouldn't feel sick.

We all are getting so close and though I'm getting excited, I'm also a little freaking out! I'm gonna have 3 kids!

All is good though. Not sure if I'm going to have a blessingway. A close friend said she wants to do one for me, but to be honest, I've been very anti-social this pregnancy and not always thrilled with all of my friends-- you know i'm just irritable! So we'll see..... I figure that though I have no baby stuff left over (youngest is 8), we don't need much- ordered some diapers, another friend sent some, got a car seat and changing table from someone.

[Babytime]

"Sprinkles" sound fun!

All is well here ... had a great Thanksgiving (and celebrated my 27th birthday) with a house full of people and am busy planning an enormous Christmas Eve dinner. So far the guest list is at 28 but it could go higher! Yikes!

I've had tons of BH contractions lately. I probably should have called the OB last week because of how frequent and strong they were. I also "dropped" last week which means I can eat all my Mexican favorites without heartburn but find myself uncomfortable in other ways. Nothing is perfect I guess!

Is anyone banking the cord blood? I was looking into delayed cord cutting but for medical reasons will be banking the blood. I've heard such mixed opinions on it though!

[Human_Being]

Had some Preterm Labor, I am on almost Bed Rest

I also post really infrequently, but maybe will do more now I am being forced to slow down. This is a long one.....I am 31 weeks and 3 days....At 29-30 weeks I had all my October babies come late and my November babies early, making for a crazy 2 weeks with 8 births I attended at homes or in my birth center as the midwife. There were actually 12 births this month. It all was a bit much, and now I am having to start "acting pregnant" and slow the heck down. I was living on turbo-mode, and had been under stress. So when I felt that pain down my legs feeling that can happen at the onset of a period, I checked my own cervix and found it short and soft, more so than many 38 weekers I have checked. My midwives have me on bed rest except for a few critical activities, like my last few births. I WAS not visualizing having my baby before Christmas, I actually was thinking I'd go late and have my baby in February. Thinking it may come early freaked me out, for sure. SO now I am only doing no critical activities and eating more regular, protein filled meals. I made it through the crampiness with Calcium Mag and Crampbark and Wishgarden's Welcome Womb tincture, which is black haw, wild Yam, and false unicorn root. The big thing that helped was acupuncture. The Chinese doc's eyes got big when she felt my pulse and said I am "full of heat". I of course slowed down, but she gave me herbs to reduce heat, and a few acupuncture sessions. She said my heat/ living on turbo was making me run fast and all the heat was trying to move downward, and with it the baby. Early on I had headaches, nose bleeds and heartburn (oh, such a misery!!! I still have terrible heartburn!) and those are all heat related conditions as well, but it was the heat moving up. I had also started drinking decalf, and ate tons of spicy meals when I was on the go. She said the coffee bean is inherently heat producing, and to cut out spicy stuff and do cukes, lettuce, and pears and other cooling foods. I feel I am cooling my jets now....and am resting even though it is hard not to jump up and try to do everything as I always do. Even at half speed I am busier than most.....

Anyway, now I have lost a bit of confidence in my pregnancy, and am thinking every time I get a BH that "I hope it's not labor starting". Worrying is tiresome! Nature just had to give me something to take away the advantage I had of being a midwife and so comfortable with the process I guess, so I could end up with my doubts and fears like any other pregnant woman! Plus, even though I started telling everyone this pregnancy I am due Early Feb just cause I KNEW I'd go late like most first timers, now I am wondering, like everyone does, if I'll go early. I am not full on pregnant and uncomfy yet, but at this point I hope I don't go early, I need time to get myself ready on lots f levels.

Other news, I am also anemic and huffing and puffing around. Working on getting my iron up. I am usually over the top great with my iron, but my food aversions have included many of my best iron sources, and so I am again, anemic and feeling like the rest of the pregnant population.....having to work on my iron! And I am addicted to papaya enzymes for heartburn. Can't leave home with out them.

Also family is planning the shower fro December 26th. I was glad MDC was here, cause I made a list of everyting to get, like a registery, and it was hard to figure what I would use., I searched on line here and hope I narrowed it down to good essentials. I went for a good quality convertable car seat by britax, a jogging stroller, a good chair for nursing, some nice wool diaper covers, nice wool nursing pads, cloth wipes and a warmer (one silly indulgence recommneded a few times) and two slings. I am skipping the bouncers, swings, etc...I hope I like the choices I made after baby comes..... I was tor non combining a shower with a blessing way, and think I 'll do the blessing way with just young moms and friends at 36 or 37 weeks whe nthe birth is really on my mind, and do it in my home where I will birth. I'll let the family and aunts do their commerical shower thing, and I'll keep the blessing way just a ritural/ spirtual rite of passage thing.

Otherwise Thanksgiving was good. I am very small looking, and got lots of "Wow, we thought you'd be huge, but your belly just looks like your uncle's beer gut." I am small looking, and it's making want to eat more protein. I always imagined I'd have a big 9 lber. I'll be shocked if I have a normal size baby, or a small one, early even! So.....Now I am just up way to late cause after a Sunday of bed rest, I slept way too much earlier. I drank my chamomile tea, now I'll try sleep again....

Oh, but about cord blood- My Opinion- I am all for letting all the cord blood go into the baby and delaying cord clamping until the cord is a limp white hose. It drives me nuts when people call cord blood medical waste. It's only medical waste if you prematurely cut the cord, when it is still rich and plump. If left intact, it all goes to the baby. So it is donated by a baby. I wouldn't want a being so small to donate at a blood bank! Total volume that goes in after birth can be 1-2 cups of blood, full of wonderful rich stem cells, that were meant for the baby at birth. Babies are less anemic if they get their cord blood, and who knows what nature intended them to do with all those lovely stem cells. If there is some profound, guaranteed use of your cord blood, you can collect cord blood half way through the pulsing, so baby gets half and you collect half, if you feel you must.



Heidi homebirth/ birth center midwife and due with my first soon..

[mamabeca]

Hey wow! What great posts last night! Heidi - it sounds like you need to spend a leetle time meditating on what being a patient patient means to you. I hear that you are just gogogo, and I absolutely appreciate what you do for women in your area as a mw, but SLOW DOWN WOMAN! You are first and most importantly a mommy right now. Your baby isn't going to slow you down, you have to do that yourself.

Malama - sounds like you had a really awesome party! We have a TON of baby clothes, more than we can really use. If you would like, I'd be happy to send some on to you. Used but gently and clean. Mostly gender neutral.

I had a really hard time choosing stuff for the registry. In the end, I decided on about half the stuff being "big ticket" items and the other half being little stuff, 'cause most of my pals really can't afford to spend a lot. A couple of diaper wraps and some weleda cream are always welcome, kwim! I know about four other moms who are preggers, and I thought I might try to have a blessing way with them...they are not all funkymoms, but perhaps they'd be more into it than the 50's crowd across the street?...!

Have a great Monday folks and keep your feet up! Andy

PS does anyone like the name Ryder (for a boy)? :

[Pam_and_Abigail]

Not much going on for me. A fair amount of b-h, I didn't have any last time. They seem to be related to stress. What I thought were varicose veins, my mw thinks may be just some swelling and skin irritation.
Really not much to say, although we did donate dd's cord blood last time, but this time we're going with delayed clamping. There was so much fuss with the nurses collecting the blood that they forgot to let dh cut the cord himself (part of our birth plan), and we were a bit disappointed.

[mamabeca]

Oh, and does anyone know if it is possible to save cord blood (if we decided to) from a homebirth?

[Malama]

wow Heidi..... sounds like you've been crazy! I was attending births as well- though far fewer than you. In October we spent two separate nights with a mama. I slept on her hardwood floor, in the "tent" she was birthing in and though "what on earth am i DOING???" I'm all big and pregnant and sleeping on someone's floor?!?! So that was the last birth I attended and I'm sooooo glad for it. I might pop over to one coming up that's close by and a breech, for the experience, but I found that I just didn't have any energy left for the pregnant mama dramas..... I needed to have my OWN!
So it's good you've slowed down and that you can concentrate on your baby now and holiding him/her in until the time is right!!

I am still a midwifery student (though I've been practicing at the same time). I just realized that all of my bookwork was keeping me in my head, instead of in my body. My resolution is to stop doing schoolwork after this week. The hours at the computer and the studying what's going on with me (to a detail i just don't need to fixate on) is just not doing me any good. Realizing that has been a great relief, and I look forward to just having fun for this last month- month and a half before the baby comes.

mamabeca..... you are soooooo sweet to offer and send clothes! Actually after this week, I plan on looking through what i HAVE received so that I know what we need. I might just take you up on your offer after i figure that out. I'm really so touched
I believe you could probably save cord blood with a homebirth- you'd probably have to order a collection kit or something. To be honest, I'm not really in support of it (though I respect anyone's decision to do it). I had to research it for school, and I agree with Heidi that baby should get the blood, but also I found that there's evidence to suggest that if your baby maybe could benefit from cord blood down the line, that any cord blood would do (with some limits). i did write somethign about it for school after doing research and I'd be happy to share what I found if you're interested. My biggest complaint is that it's very $$ and therefore, not accessible to most people..... I hate to think that only richer people could benefit.... anyhow, I'm opinionated on tons of subjects! don't mind me!

Oh, and I know a few boys/men named Ryder- they're all good looking

[flyjawn]

hi everyone!

i'm new here but i'm due at the end of january so i thought i'd pop in and say hello.

[Marysmama]

Welcome Flyjawn! Please feel free to just jump on in. What a cool name you have picked out for your new little girl.

I added you to the master due date list. If you'd like me to add anything else just let me know. I assume this little babe is your first, only because you don't have anything else in your sig line. However, please please please let me know if I screwed up.

Soooo, what kind of birth are you planning? I'm pretty sure you'll find someone else on this board with similar plans. We've got all sorts. Homebirth, waterbirth, hospital, VBAC. I'm planning for an unmedicated hospital birth. That's what I had last time and it was pretty nice.

Gen

[zonapellucida]

Ugh

Thank GOD this is almost over!!!! I am HUGE right now and so uncomfortable I could scream. Ella is nursing now that my milk is back and the contractions are horrible! I can barely sit still while she munches happily away. Baby is engaged--head down and ready to go--unfortunately it is only 32 weeks! I am counting on going at least a week early. I have been visualizing as the birth is close and I doubt greatly that DH is going to make it home should I go into labor while he is working. Not that I have a problem with it--it is just that I don't want to have to do all the cleaning up! And I know I won't be able to leave that "mess" in my tub for long, LOL.

Thanksgiving was quick. It is just so strange to spend an entire day cooking for 1/2 hour of eating. DH was a great help and let me nap after dinner (which was ready at 1 pm--purely accidental!) but otherwise I sleep when I can. Now to focus on finishing Christmas shopping for 6 kids. And then 2 birthdays, a birth and DH's birth day. Sometime by the end of January I may be able to take a breath.

My daughter told me I need a vacation and I am tending to agree.
Heidi

[mamabeca]

Heidi hon, youDO need a vacation! A nice long warm one with palm trees and beautiful people who serve food to you and rub your feet. Ahhhh. Maybe you can consider getting some help now that you are towards the end...a friend, a family member...even if you have to fly them out to you, think about it. No help for x-mas, unless you can knit really fast!

Malama - it's the only name my husband seems to like! I do like it well enough, but I'm really wanting to name this monkey Leopold! I don't know why. Anyway, the stuff is here...I've also got a front carrier extra. Look through your stuff and let me know. Also if you want anything, what the season is where you are. Here is coldcoldcold, but I know (and I know this is not normal) that NY is NOT the center of the universe!

Flyjawn, I love your name, too! You are an excellent meet and greet, Gen! Thanks Andy

[LEAW]

Hi there, I'm new around here, been lurking on MDC for a while reading/learning.

I'm due 1/3, our first, planning a water/hospital birth, although my midwife is going on vacation 12/26 until 1/2. We'll see what really happens. Poor hubby has threatened to go on vacation with her if need be.

Lisa

[Azreial]

Things are going pretty well here. I still barely feel pregnant so its really hard to believe that I only have around 9 weeks left. I have been having terrible consipation though and I think the tireds are on their way back.

We have most of what we need for the baby now, but I've just kinda stopped getting things. I really feel like I have all the time in the world, well moths and moths at least. MIL was going to have "somthing" (I assume it was shower like) for us, since this is dh 1st and ds is 6 nd I have NOTHING from when he was a baby, but we haven't heard anything else about it and we are very busy for quite awhile, I don't think that we have one free weekend until the second week in January, plus there is all the holiday stuff that has yet been planned. So I am kinda bummed about the no shower because we could use somethings.

[Delfina]

Hi Ladies-

It sounds like you all had a nice Thanksgiving - especially you, Slygrrl! It sounds like you had some great company. It also must have been so comforting to spend so much time with your midwives!

Our thanksgiving was okay - basically a miss-mash of family members who have made their way out west. Luckily there were two other vegetarians in the crowd so I had some good veggies and heavenly veggie stuffing! We also had a 'Quorn' roast that was not great.... From now on I will bring the Tofurkey! :LOL

I am also having a little shower this Friday. Even though we saved most of our ds's things, I found myself registering for quite a few items. I guess it's easier now to look back and realize what would have made my life easier....

I have been feeling pretty good, but similarly to some of you, I am starting to realize my limitations.... When I have been running around a lot, my pulse starts to spike, I start having a ton of BHs and I become extremely dizzy and light-headed. I guess it is my body's way of telling me to slow down!

Anyway, I think Ryder is a great name! Flyjawn, I love your baby's name as well. What do you all think of Ethan Darshan for my little one??

Hope you all have a great week!

[mamabeca]

I do really like the name Ethan. I think it's very mellow and will give your little one a very belonging place. Darshan is melodic, and I really like them together! Does anyone else need 10 hrs. a night?! I'm feeling tired at like 9am and again at 4pm. We get up at about 6:30am and it's pretty much gogogo for a few hours, until the morning nap dozes me out. Hmmmm.

Welcome to Lisa - just jump on in, mama. My DH asked if he might go to Florida (we're in NY) the last week of Jan. I told him sure, but do NOT expect any blankets or pillows when you get back! Our due date is the 22nd Jan. and women in my family carry late. Fat chance of him even finding any food upon return!

Az - I'm sorry to hear that you may not get the sprinkling...it seems like there is intention, perhaps you should get someone (DH?) to mention that if it's to happen someone (MIL?) better get a shove on it! Nicely, of course! We had one veggie at our t-giving dinner too. Unfortunately for her my parents are not vegetable eaters, much. I made a nice zucchini bake, with stuffing on the bottom (instead of bread crumbs on the top), so at least she got to eat at ALL! Poor thing. Happy twosday all! Andy

[Proudmom]

All is going well. The third trimester fatigue is settling in. It could be that we have been super busy with family visiting from out of town. My sister and niece have kept ds and I running around. It has been a lot of fun though, since she is also pregnant.

I was glad to see someone else state that people bug them a bit right now. I feel like I just want to stay home and not interact. I think it is my way of preparing for things to come. Also, poor dh has been annoying me lately. I have felt frustrated with his lack of help around the house and the fast approaching new addition...

Ahh well, this too shall pass