March Mamas: February 28 - March 6 (How is everyone doing??) - Page 5

[jocmtl]

Wow, Christine, what a story!!! Just goes to show you, you just have to go with the flow! :LOL I'm glad it all turned out well. Your little boy is just beautiful.

Congratulations!!

About baby being quiet: Last night, I downed 5 teaspoons of maple syrup to see if he would move from the sugar boost!! He didn't of course, but chose to move much later during the perinneal massage session (anyone else find that really irritating?), and then in the middle of the night when I was trying to stop fretting about all the things there are to fret about at this point.

Moving babies: Since there's a lot of talk about flipping and moving babies, I thought I'd share this. My naturopath recommended green clay to encourage a baby to move. Clay has magnetic properties and will (supposedly) pull the baby towards it. So in my case, we were concerned that he wouldn't move to the left side on his own, she told me to apply green clay (mixed with water in a non-metallic bowl) to my left side shortly before the due date. As it turns out, I think he moved on his own, but I thought it was an interesting idea.

Natural inducations vs encouragement: Yes, I see there's a difference there, Amanda, thanks for pointing that out.

[MamaSpruce]

: Yea, Christine! I had a feeling about you... wasn't thinking food poisoning and pre-e though. Glad you've got Owen home safe and sound. He's a total cutie!

That's three March 1 babies, eh?

I agree natural "encouragement" is not the same as inducing, but I also agree with Jenniebug that castor oil is an exception. It's a very, very strong natural chemical, actually the same compound is synthesized for one of the medical induction drugs (can't remember which). I've heard several first hand accounts of castor oil inductions, they sound intense! I know my midwife (who is really awesome, I must say) would not recommend castor oil before you even hit 40 weeks, Serina. She views it as a last resort for 42 weeks on. Curious what Amanda thinks...

Good job on the knitting, Serina! I like the pink too, at least my monitors version.

[weebitty2]

He's gorgeous, Christine!! and i love his name!

[welldone]

Congrats, Christine! Welcome, Owen & his big feet! I thought maybe a baby announcement was coming from you. I hope the induction went as well as can be expected.

[eminer]

Congratulations!!!

[geogirl]

Hi Everyone.. Wow babies here and babies on the way. Yay!

I have a question. My baby has dropped and I have been having many braxton hicks contractions this week (more than usual). Today I'm having menstrual type cramping, not too bad or anything. It doesn't really correspond with the contractions though, more seperate... weird. Does anyone have an idea what that means? I am 37 w 4 days. My first two were born 38 1 and 38 3.

Thanks everyone.


Rebecca

[Earthy Birthy]

Help! I've fallen off my birth ball and I can't get up!

I really did roll off of it earlier, but I caught myself on a chair and just kind of slid off. :LOL

Rebecca, I have been having the same "menstrual cramp" feeling for days now. Could mean something laborish or it could just be an annoyance, as it appears that mine is. Kind of like the whole mucous plug thing. For some women, losing it means that labor is starting, but other women lose it and are pregnant for a couple more weeks. It can be really frustrating trying to read all of the little "could be labor, or not" signals that our bodies send us. I do the exact same thing to myself. Gee, I sure am waddling a lot and feeling lots of cervical pressure... Wonder if it means anything? Now where's that crystal ball of mine???

Shannon, I didn't mention castor oil in my list of *natural labor encouragers* because IMO, it is a little bit more harsh than the other methods. Castor oil comes from castor beans, which contain a deadly toxin. A lot of midwives encourage clients who are post-dates to use castor oil to induce labor, but I am not one of those. I'll never say never because each woman should be treated as an indivual and be encouraged to make her own decisions, but I would just do everything else before the castor oil. Having said that, at least it's not pitocin or cytotec, so...

[LoveChild421]

I'm still hanging in there- 37 weeks today! Yay I'm in the clear as far as the homebirth goes! Grey's head down and getting lower in the pelvis everyday- I've been having some small contractions at night. I hope he doesn't come early as I have a lot of school work to finish! : I did however clean the entire apartment with the help of my AWESOME man last night! We're both nesting!

I can't wait- CONGRATS to all the mamas who have already had their babies!!!! March mamas are really starting to get going- it seems like a new baby everyday!!!

[bubbles]

welcome to little owen

i am feeling much less movement too. iwas actually in tears at one point today and called my mw. after two frozen fruit pops and a glass of ice water i felt movement again. i could feel little movements through the rest of the day so i feel better. it certainly was not a good morning for my high bp. my ds used an empty tp roll and could hear the heartbeat. pretty cool.
i am losing bits of mucous today, but not th plug all at once that i hear about. i never noticed losing it w/ my first pregnancy so don't hve anything to compare too.
my mw is hoping that another visit or two to the accupuncturist will bring down my bp when i am not at rest. the rest is keeping it at a safe level for the baby so at least i know she or he is ok until we decide if we can proceed w/ homebirth.

[JoyfulMomma]

: Owen!!!

Congratulations Mama!!

[Patchfire]

I've felt like I was about to slide off my birth ball a few times, but have managed to avoid doing so - so far! :LOL

My mother-in-law has, at this late stage in the game, decided that she wants to buy us diapers. You know. Just as soon as I finish getting newborn & small stuff. You experienced CD'ing mamas, is there any particular size that's likely to get more wear than another? I figure I might as well just have her buy a bigger size... but it sure would have been nice if she'd decided this oh, a little earlier.

I have the UTI from you-know-where. I started my antibiotics on Wednesday and I still have some pain. I'm used to having things where the first dose of antibiotics starts it clearing up. My only consolation is that obviously I made the right decision to go ahead and use the 'big guns' on it, because I don't think cranberry pills would have helped this. Oh, granted, the pain is better than it was, but it's still there. Ugh, ugh, ugh!

I don't feel like the baby will come before next Wednesday. I could be wrong, of course, but at this point I don't think it's going to happen until at least then. Besides, I have things I want and/or need to do on Monday & Tuesday.

Who's next, ladies? Who haven't we heard from in a few days?

[crayon]

Congratulations Christine and baby Owen and to your DH!!!! He is just so sweet... I was wondering about you for days I am so glad to hear that things went well and your little is here! The first few days/weeks are a crazy time to try to learn how to BF... lol... It seems every time you think you got it- they have a growth change and then you have to figure it all out again- not the nursing, but the nursing as you do stuff! One day they really cant move their neck good the next day they are holding it up.... Life with a new baby I am so happy for you!!!!


Okay ladies.... So after my night 2 nights ago of some major back pain that stopped and turned in to unpainful cx all day yesterday- I got up this morning having some good cx- they seem to have slowed a bit because I am sitting, but I am about to take on the HOUSE!! So I think they will pick up again. I called my MW and she said that last night she woke up with sharp stomach pains and she thought of me. She said she has done that a few times with moms, she will wake up with pains and the mom will go into laobr. Well concidering I am the only mom she has due for like ever- it would be me. On a side note- her assitant is out of town today. As much as I like her- like I have said I think she would block some energy- so perhaps this is a perfect day to have a baby

I have a meeting at my office, so the strong cx can wait until about 1p.m. that would be nice- I really dont want to have a doozzy when I am driving...

I will post later today if nothing has picked up! I feel so weird, because with my DD I just went into labor, none of this-- maybe labor???? It was period type cramps for a day and then bang labor, this one I feel like I am alway second guessing- and then also I was way over due with DD and this one I am not due for another week and 2 days so I feel like it cant be ready yet.... I guess we will all find out soon enough!

s to all of you!!!

[mamadaisy]

Patchfire,

It sort of depends up on the type/brand of diaper you are using, but we use fuzzi bunz and mediums and larges get FAR more use (ds was in mediums from 4 months until a year) than smalls or preemie sizes.

Ds really wants to help type and get on with his day. Here is his contribution... girl:

[ladyelmo1]

Congrats on a healthy baby, Christine. Sad to hear that it didn't go the way you wanted.

I think we are still head down today... honestly I'm thinking of naming this baby "Lumpy" as I just can't tell sometimes what I am feeling! :LOL Is it a foot, is it a butt, what could that lump POSSIBLY be??!!??

So, in a supreme moment of pregnant brain, I totally spaced my mother's birthday yesterday! I feel awful. I think she understands, but sometimes she is hard to predict. Oh well. She's coming up for a visit on March 14 (hoping to catch the birth) so I'll have to make it up to her then.

I think I'm starting to get some nesting energy, FINALLY! Cleaned my bathroom this morning, and DH and I are going to work on the bedroom this afternoon, I think.

Serina, the set is so cute! I just learned to knit last year, so I haven't done anything that ambitious yet. But seeing what you did has put the idea in my head. Yeah, like I have time for THAT!! :LOL

-Melissa

[welldone]

Originally Posted by ladyelmo1

Serina, the set is so cute! I just learned to knit last year, so I haven't done anything that ambitious yet. But seeing what you did has put the idea in my head.

Lisa, I learned to knit once in college and never finished anything. (But I started a lot of projects!) Then, I picked it up again recently. That sweater is the easiest thing on the planet to knit (it's the Easy Peasy Sweater from Little Turtle Knits)! I'm still a beginning knitter, and if I can do it, anyone can!

Re: castor oil...I agree that it's not the first thing anyone would want to try. Nipple stimulation is also something to consider with caution--it's very successful at starting contractions, and some babies could have a hard time with strong contractions right away. Then again, nipple stimulation is very easy to stop!

(Warning: whining) Why, oh why am I still pregnant? I'd like to be nursing a baby now, while staring at my huge (but UNpregnant) stomach and wondering how long it will be before it will look "normal" again. *Sigh* (whining completed)

Who will be our next baby?

[crayon]

Well about the diapers- We use wool covers and pefolds here- a few fitted. but mostly pefolds. I would says with size wise my DD was only in a ture med for a few months- then she grew enough to fit into a larger diaper so, if you were to spend the money I would get a larger sized M or a large. Some M DD can still fit into, but on the last snap and I can get her in a infant size perfold now, but that is only because she has slimmed down and it has been at least a year we we have been in only Infant2 size pefolds. For the money and the little time babies are in the newborn and M sized diapers I think prefolds are well worth the money- because you only need about 2 dozen and you can get that for under $30

Well, things have slowed down here with the cx again... I swear I wish I didnt feel like I was all the time a bout "maybe now!"

I am going to go clean the house- GET MOVING BABY!!! I would love to go to the ciro and be adjusted- I know that would start things, but I cant because of my brittle bones I will just keep suffering! :

[newmomma2005]

: GRRRR! I am a frustrated mama today! I left work yesterday with moderate contractions 5 minutes apart that got stronger and stronger but after a trip to the hospital, (a five hour trip ) Got sent back home with my blood pressure on the high side for me. The only reason they even let me go home was because the bp did get better while lying on my left side and I had a scheduled dr's appt this AM. So the contrations tapered off sometime in the night as I slept, and haven't been very strong or very regular today. I do know the contractions DID NOT dilate me any. My bp was still up at my appt today so now I am on bedrest , no more work for me. That is the part I REALLY did not want to happen because I want to spend my time off hold my little boy, not sitting around watching the house be messy, and waiting for him. (Wanna talk about making my blood pressure go up, that's a good way to keep it high!!!) So I am whiny and grumpy and BORED today. Also frustrating is the fact that now I have to wear a pad from the Dr. checking my cervix today (OW! Did I mention that hurt!) I would not have minded if it would have started the contractions back up. I was really enjoying the rhythm of them last night, I just didn't like all the nurses saying, "Oh you have almost two weeks left, he doesn't need to come out yet!" If one more woman said that to me I was going to strangle someone. I work in a hospital and I am usually very comfortable in hospitals, having all the "just in case" stuff around makes me feel better I guess. But I now totally understand that feeling like you are a cat in labor : and all you want to do is find your own private little corner of the world that is safe to have your little one in.

The only great thing about the night was that Bryce had the night off, so he sat with me and held my hand, and talked to me, and made me laugh when I just wanted to scream and cry because I wanted to have my little Logan :infant: . He is always a lifesaver when I get on the verge of flipping out!

So I'm back to lay on the couch on my stupid left side and wait until Bryce gets off work. I hope little man decides to come out soon, or I am gonna freak out having to be still all the time. I have TOO much time to sit and think of all the things that could go wrong!

Somebody let me borrow some positive thoughts, I think I lost all mine!!!!!!!

[eminer]

TMI Warning

Right after finishing grocery shopping, I went out on the sidewalk and had to vomit. Into a trash can on the corner. Then while doing that, I either lost control of my bladder in a way that half soaked the legs of my jeans...or my water broke. I really have no idea which, but so far (like 20 minutes later), no contractions.

Um, that was kind of weird. I'd better go fold the laundry fast just in case. :LOL

[Quindin]

Eminer - I had a very similar experience last Tuesday (vomiting and getting all wet all of a sudden) . I have been having very bad intestinal discomfort and nausea since Sunday, but in my case the "water" was just the vomitting made me lose control of my bladder.

Sometimes it is hard to tell whether it is urine or amniotic fluid that is coming out. If it keeps coming (dripping down the legs or gush) it will most probably be amnio fluid. Call your MW/OBgyn if in doubt.

Just because you have not had contrax yet does not mean it was not the water. It can be hours from when the water breaks to when contrax starts sometimes.

[bubbles]

Autumn, I am on my third day of bed rest for my bp. I know the feeling about wanting to get things done and the frustration. Today I really came to peace w/ it. I realized that I am feeling more rested and better prepared for the birth. It is stablizing my bp and I am able to have more periods where I am up an about. I have realized that I really need to take advantage of this time and just try to put the chores and such out of my mind. I know it is easier said than done, but if you can, try to embrace it and make the best of it. I hope it stays under control so you can avoid induction.