Last trimester - home stretch - March '05 thread - Page 4

[Marlet]

I feel like I did in the first trimester. All I want to do is sleep and I have no energy to do anything. Which leads to the house being in bad shape which makes me feel like I suck and then I get depressed and more lazy. Vicious cycle. I do get energy though.....right around the time I go to bed and then I usually want to clean. :LOL Not just cleaning but INSANE cleaning...you know...using a toothbrush on the living room walls cause they are dirty looking. :LOL We went to Wal-Mart (evil I know but we received a gift from there and we needed to return it since it didn't work right) and we got some cleaning stuff. I have never been so happy to see an all purpose cleaner! :LOL :LOL My husband thinks I am crazy...I think I am beginning to nest.

[CaliMommie]

My boys have both been sick for the past few weeks. First Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease, then a lovely virus (cough, fever, sore throat). Exhausting. I however, didn't get sick thank goodness. My baby shower is Saturday, should be fun. We went to a baby blessing last weekend which was a lot of fun, our friend J is due with #3 at the end of the month. Myla is head down & squirms a lot. She seems to like to stick her leg out to the side & it hurts! I missed my last dr appt so I have one this Friday.

I have been buying as many Full Moon Baby Gear AIOs & Valor Kids AIOs as I can get my hands on. I still want more! So far I only have 12 dipes for Myla:
3 Valor Kids AIOs
4 Full Moon Baby Gear AIOs
1 Baby of the World AIO
2 pairs soaker shorts
2 FuzziBunz
2 NB fitteds

I am waiting to buy any more dipes until after my shower b/c I registered for cloth dipes & I am hoping to get a few. I the ones I have, though.

As for cleaning, I have been going through clothes that no longer fit DS2 to give to mams I know who will use them, rather than sticking them up in our loft where they would only take up space. Also have been going through their toys & sorting out things with lots of pieces (putting them into seperate containers up in the closet) and weeding out things they don't play with as much & replace them with playsliks, play cloths & other imaginative toys, rather than eletronic ones. Since they will be sharing a room we need to par down a bit. We are getting bunkbeds this weekend (my uncle is giving us the pine ones my mom bought 17 years ago for my borther & sister, and then handed down to him for his kids). Whoever thought we'd end up with bunkbeds my mom bought when I was 6? :LOL

Wow, this was a long post! :

[seren]

Hi everyone. I've been super busy here. Cleaning and all. Trying to get things ready for this baby. And my sugar are driving me absolutely insane! Everytime I get them under control, they go crazy again. I don't know what to do. I'm praying that they will stabalize so I don't need insulin. Insulin means a hospital birth. *sigh*

And my baby is HUGE. At my 30 week appointment I was measuring 34 weeks. At my 31 week appointment (I go weekly because of the gd) I had lost 1 1/2 lbs and now measured 37 weeks. I've been doing a bit of reading and apparently my baby is just now supposed to weigh around 3 lbs. Well, she weighed that 7 weeks ago.

Aside from that, all is going pretty well. I get really tired, but then other days I'm fine, so it balances out. And I just nap with my kids, so it's not horrible. Just waiting patiently, os trying to anyways.

[Len]

:
Jumping abruptly in here..... I swear I've been reading a lot from this "club" but whenever I try to get some inspiration to write, well something happens and I don't... but I've been lurking here a lot....

I was hoping to have an uneventful and noninterventionist (as in US) pregnancy, but unfortunately ds and I caught chickenpox at week 19, I obviously didn't have it as a child and when it was diagnosed it was too late for anything.... soooo I had to see the "specialists" in diseases in pregnancy, which led to 5! ultrasounds... to make the long story short, yesterday, at 32 weeks, was my last visit to "Kingdom Hospital" (which is where ds was born) and all of the US's were very reassuring, meaning that there's no apparent damage to the baby because of the chpox.....

So I'm still planning for a VBAC at home; I think last time I posted here I was panicking because I didn't have a MW who would agree to this, but I finally did and am quite happy with her By the way, thanks to all of you who supported me back then, although the chpox issue made my grounds shake for a while and I was more concerned for what could have happened with the baby.

I'm trying to keep this post short, I'm usually going to bed with ds at 8pm until the next day, so I don't have much me time on the computer. I just wanted to say you are all great inspiration and company and thanks for reviews on slings

Lizabethian, I'm curious about the last line of your signature, could you explain?

Elena

[schatz]

Hi mamas-to-be!

I haven't posted here in a while so I thought I'd write a quick update. I am tired. I really, really wanted to sleep well last night. I went to bed early but at 10:30, dh woke me up to feel dd's hands. She had a pretty good fever going. So then I tossed and turned wondering why she had a fever - stomach virus, cold virus, weird allergic reaction. Dd was restless too so that didn't help me calm down. But, after 30 min or so I heard her snuffling in her sleep which let me know it's probably a cold. And, dh started a fire in our wood stove last night which I love but it wasn't cold enough last night outside so it was warmer than usual in the house and I couldn't sleep well. So, my hopes for a good, restful sleep were dashed. But, dd is better this morning (runny nose but no fever) and it's Friday - yea! (yeah sure, give me some cheese to go with my whine :LOL)

I keep trying to figure out if this baby is positioned really differently than dd was, if it's possibly a boy and that accounts for the difference, or if it just has a really different personality and doesn't move as much. I felt so in tune with dd and she moved around a ton and in very predictable ways. So far I haven't connected with this one like that. Seems to be a more mellow baby and likes to get itself into odd positions that are uncomfortable. I'm two weeks from when dd was born so I'm getting a bit nervous yet I also feel pretty sure that this baby will stay in longer.

I still need a girl name. None that I have come up with are quite right. Must work on this.

Have a groovy weekend all.

[Velvet005]

Warning Rant Ahead !!!!

I am not having a good day. My emotions are wacky and I feel like a nut. I feel like my whole world is a crazy house and I have too much on my plate to digest. I don't know if it is my horomones or what. Maybe I am feeling a little anxious about becoming a mother and having such a huge responsibility. I am not really sure. I feel like I am ready to be a mother but I have a strong desire for an independent family. My DH does not have this desire and he wants his parents to be right there with us for everything. I am not used to this and I am trying (and I mean really trying) not to be the daughter-in-law from hell. The farther along things progress the more I feel like reclusing and hiding somewhere. I feel like the in-laws want to be sooo involved that they are causing me to feel smothered. Well, the real problem is me. They are not bothering me that much. In fact, I do not talk to them THAT often. I am trying to get to the bottom of my feelings and emotions. Everytime I see my MIL she is very nice and always has something new she bought for the baby.
She has even bought me gowns to take to the hospital and bought a "take home" outfit for the baby. I expect her to pack my bag for me any day now. I know everything she does for us is very thoughtful and kind. I know I need to appreciate everything, but I am not used to this and it makes me feel like I can't breathe. Since the begining of this pregnancy, I have began to distance myself more and more from my in laws. They were over this weekend and DH called me at work as I was getting ready toleave and told me they were over looking at the baby stuff. I intentionally stayed at work another hour before going home. So I didn't get home til almost 2 hours later (I work 45 mins from home so it is quite a little drive) to avoid the "baby talk". I feel guilty for feeling the way I do, but I can't seem to change my feelings. I try to have a positive attitude towards them but I find myself becoming more resentful each time they are brought into a conversation or I see them. I feel like I need to go to a psychologist. What is my problem? I think I am jealous of them for some crazy psychotic reason.

Sorry for the rant. I just needed to vent. I don't understand myself let alone anyone else understanding me so talking to someone IRL just seems out of reach.

I do want to offer you all who are having difficulties with your pregnancies i.e. GD, small fundal height, and low amniotic fluid. I hope all is well with you mama's. I keep you all in my thoughts.

[Marlet]

[QUOTE=
Lizabethian, I'm curious about the last line of your signature, could you explain?

Elena[/QUOTE]

I haven't updated it in a few days...it should say 8 days til 19! It's just my birthday! :LOL


Velvet I understand!!!! I avoid talking to certain people for as long as I can cause I get sick of the pregnancy talk and everything it entails. I think it just stems from my desire for this to be MY pregnancy..not the doctor's or my inlaws' or my families...but mine and my husbands.
I get so tired of hearing how I shouldn't be doing this or that or why aren't I gaining weight or why aren't I doing this. It starts to take a toll on you. Just know that soon it will be over and you can have your baby in your arms and you have every right to tell everyone to go to hell and leave you alone. Blame it on your hormones if you have to.

We are moving. Our original plan was to stay here (in Idaho) til June and then move to Oregon for various reasons. Now DH has come up with yet another plan and it seems to be a solid one so we are moving to Idaho Falls and are going to stay here for two years. I'm not thrilled with this. I hate this state. It is ugly and cold and VERY closeminded. There is hardly anything to do here without it being heavily influenced by religion. I'm not a religious person and I don't care to be in religious situations so that doesn't help. I did agree to staying because it sounds like a good idea but it wasn't out of any desire to stay here. I want to be in Oregon so bad right now. (I am still going camping there in June though, don't any of you fret over that! :LOL ) We still have nothing birth kit wise (if that's what you could call it). I guess we have scissors but other than that nothing. Our money situation has gotten crazy! Our bills are late and we are short on the funds we do have and it is beginning to wear on me. I don't like having to put off getting supplies yet another week because of it, kwim? Hopefully this move will be good for us.

[Marlet]

We just moved. Not a big deal for me, I LOVE to move. I love the cleaning of the old place and the cleaning of the new place and the putting together of it all. Anyway, everything is all set up and looking good. Today I called the WIC office here in town so I could get everything transferred to down here. I have to go in tomorrow morning and see them.

I am DREADING the appointment. First off, they are stupid. I can't just have my file transferred...I have to close it and refile here in the new town. A waste of time and paper in my opinion. Oh well, they will modify my checks for me so I won't be without those. The part I'm dreading though is the woman I have to meet with. I spoke to her on the phone and she was so rude! She had a tone to her voice like she was so sick of dealing with WIC mothers and everything that encompasses. I was the idiot for not calling the other office in the first place (which would have been unneccessary...she looked me up on their computer and set the appointment for me WITHOUT talking to the other office ) and now she HAD to deal with it. I am dreading telling her when she asks that no we do not have a doctor and no we do not have a midwife and yes we are doing a homebirth and yes we've done all the reading and research we could possibly do. I have a feeling she is going to be more idiotic over it than the other lady was. I am so sick of dealing with WIC, if it weren't for the fact that the milk and what not is huge in our house I'd just stop.

DH is getting nervous about doing a homebirth. I can understand because I'm doing the reading for now and filling him in (hard to read a book or anything on it all when you work from sun up to sun down...not an excuse but still hard to manage, kwim?). His mom isn't helping. She called tonight and pointed out that if I rip (and I quote "most first time births will rip and sometimes bad") who is going to sew me up? I tried to explain to DH that it can be prevented and if we do everything we are supposed to in that regard if I do rip it shouldn't be bad at all. I may just come away with an irritating bathroom break until it heals. :LOL He seems to think I'm nutty and not sure what to believe. I hope he doesn't decide not to. I am feeling so confident about this and he's nervous! I just wish he wasn't feeling this way. It's not helpful or productive to me at all. I know we can do it and I KNOW (not sure how but I do) that we'll come away without any problems or difficulties. I have no fear of ripping or the baby being breach or the cord being around the neck or anything. DH seems to focus on those things and that's not easy to handle. I don't think about it cause I have a feeling it won't happen. He thinks about it cause he doesn't know what's going on in my body, kwim?

How's everyone else doing?

[MamaFae]

I tried to explain to DH that it can be prevented and if
we do everything we are supposed to in that regard if I do rip it shouldn't be
bad at all

You are right in that, IF you do the perinim stretches/massage NOW and if you push the way your body tells you to. You can still tear a bit, I did with DS#1 only 2 stiches though, and I wanted to be stitched btw and was given the choice by my OB. With DS#2 I didn't tear at all. I had started the stretching/massaging with olive oil at 34 weeks and kept it up along with the kegels and pelvic tilts religiously until the onset of labor at 39 weeks. I really think the fact that I did more prepairation with #2 is why I didn't tear. Also it is REALLY important to your skins elasticity to stay well hydrated both during pregnancy and during your labor.

In case anyone doesn't know what I am talking about here are some links.

http://www.geocities.com/betterbirths/pmassage.html

http://www.childbirth.org/articles/massage.html

http://www.ivillage.co.uk/pregnancya...157571,00.html

Remember the most important thing is to listen to your body. All of the research and articles I have read on this agree that hurried pushing, pushing without the help of a contraction, pushing in a prone (on your back) position, and pushing hard right at crowning all increase your chances of a tear or laceration. I have also read that a diet low in protein can cause your tissues to tear and lacerate much more easily, so eat up on your protein! And stay hydrated!

I believe you can do it to by they way Liz!

Blessings,
N~

[annakiss]

I've actually heard from a lot of midwives and also read that there has been nothing conclusive to say that tearing can be prevented with prenatal stretching of the perinium. Kegels certainly are necessary, but not just to prevent tearing. More important to tearing is how/when you push and what position you push in. You can use olive oil or some other oil to aid in that, but I wouldn't say that it is necessarily preventative.

Tearing is hardly your worst-case-scenario anyhow (not to put a negative spin on it). If you tear so badly that it requires suturing, which you're not likely to at all, then you go to the ER and you get sutured. Oh well. End of story. Yes, it'll be a pain. Yes, you want to avoid the hospital anyway and all those germs around your new baby - yuck! But, if something happens, that's what you do.

[crysmomofthree]

I just wanted to add my experience about tearing I don't have any lol
I never tore with any of my kids #1 was 8 lbs 14 oz no perineal massage but I pushed on my hands and knees. #2 5lbs 13 oz, little thing kind of "fell" out hands and knees again no tearing. #3 6lbs posterior presentation never rotated no tearing, I pushed in some weird side lying position with my leg straight up in the air.

My point is I think it has more to do with forced pushing, laying on your back and lack of elasticity in the skin, than any prep work you could do, but for some people I am sure perineal stretching before hand would make a difference.
crystal

[MamaFae]

Originally Posted by annakiss

I've actually heard from a lot of midwives and also read that there has been nothing conclusive to say that tearing can be prevented with prenatal stretching of the perinium.

Just for the record and not to be argumentative, I have heard and read the opposite. Here is a link to one research study that showed a significate reduction in tearing with the use of prenatal perinium massage. They also say that the effectiveness went up and severity of tear went down with the compliance to the massage.

http://www.childbirth.org/articles/massageref.html

The way I look at it not to be cliche is every ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And it can't hurt it can only help. I do think that skin elasticity, which is very very individual, can play a much bigger role than most people think. The use of a moisturizing and skin enrichening oil such as almond or olive oil prenatally surely will improve elasticity. I also think that getting to know your body in this way helps you to control the pushing because the sensation of tingling or burning that you feel during the massage is similar to crowning. In other words you will recognize the feeling when it happens and it will help you to remember to slow down in that moment.

I had DH help me with the massage before and I will again. It helped him feel useful I think and it was a way to be intimate without being sexual which is the last thing on my mind at this point in pregnancy! If you were to ask him about it, he saw and felt a definite difference in my abilily to stretch after about 2 weeks of consistant massage. I can also say that I believe I felt less crowning pain with #2 now whether it is from the massage or the fact that my body remembered what to do I can't be sure.

Any way my point is there is no harm in prenatal perinium massage, and there is some research out there that shows it can help prevent tearing. And knowing your body better is always a plus in my book.

Just my $.02!

Blessings,
N~

[Len]

About perineal massage, I had DH do it for me last time around, and although I didn't get to try if it worked or not (c-sec) DH also did mention that the area seemed to be stretchier after several massage sessions, and the other good thing about it is that I learned to relax that area as he was applying pressure, so maybe that will be good when the time comes to push, to replay that relaxation, well that's the theory anyway!

[Marlet]

Well we talked about it all. He finally broke down and told me he was just picking things more out of a lack of things to be fearful about. He's nervous because he feels uneducated. He has no lack of faith in the fact that we can do it and do it unassissted but he just feels useless because he doesn't know anything. Makes sense. I told him about the lack of protein in a diet possibly causing ripping and he laughed. We eat mainly meat because of food allergies he has so we have more than ample protein sources. :LOL

I just got off the phone with the doctors office. DH wants me to get one last ultrasound to make sure the baby is ok since I've been in more than once for random scares. My mom has me paranoid about the position. I know I have time for the baby to move but since I don't know what the head feels like or anything I have no idea if it's head down and that has me slightly freaked out. Way to go mom! I told DH I wanted to induce labour at 36-37 weeks and he looked like he was going to die. The othe night when we were talking he made me promise to behave myself in that area. :LOL I thought it was funny, sure I was serious on some level but I'm too much of a chicken to actually do something about it. Althought the thought does cross my mind ALOT during the day. I just have this feeling that everything would turn out ok if something like that happened. Maybe I'm overly confident about my abilities here but I am not scared about anything going wrong at all. I think DH is annoyed by it but I just don't feel this need to over prepare or anything like that. DH told me the other night that I will freak out at some point and say I want to stop or go to the hospital or something like that and I don't see it happening. A friend of ours said when it comes time I'll be a screaming baling mess and I still don't see it. In fact the only thing I see is a very calm quiet birth. I can see myself leaning on the cabinet in the bathroom and leaning over the bed and pushing on my knees. I hope it happens that way. Cross your fingers! :LOL Anyone else feel this way?