Weekly Chat thread - October 2-8th

[chiromama]

Well I guess I'll start a weekly chat thread....

I notice in a lot of other DDCs that a weekly thread keeps everyone up to date on who is here, and what is going on. .....

So why don't we start with an intro about who we are.. and what our story is.

I'm Korin, 34, my husband, Ryan is 32. We were ttc for about 2 years, after 1 year sought some testing, and found out that we had male factor in fertility that could only be remedied with IVF/ICSI. so.... after 6 failed IUIs we did our first IVF and now here I am.

I've had two betas, they were both stellar and now we wait for the US next week to know how many are in there ( we put in two embies ).

I'm due around June 7th, and if it's a singleton, hoping for a homebirth/waterbirth. If twins, then maybe (maybe) a MW hospital waterbirth.

What about you????

[mommy2boys]

Hi Chriomama,

I'm Erin, I'm 25. I have two boys ages 5.5 and 3. We had an unexpected pregnancy in febuary that resulted in a miscarriage. After that I realized I was ready for another baby and really wanted one but dh wasn't so sure. So after a few months he decided he was ready to try. It only took us 3 months which wasn't too bad for us. I am very excited!

[Keeta]

Hello all!

I'm chessa, i'm 26 and just found out i'm preggers and due 6/17/06. Yay! I'm a graduate student in information science (focusing on library science). I'm due to graduate in late April. My dh is 34, he's a philosophy instructor at a local community college. We've been married a little over 2 years, and we're very excited to be expecting this first baby! We were very lucky, we've only been TTC since August, and we caught that sucker on the 2nd try (now I just really, really hope it sticks!)

I was interested in a birth center birth, but DH is a wee bit too nervous for it, so I think we're going to compromise on a Alternative Birth Center in a nearby hospital. I get the giant bath tub and midwife/doula care I want, he gets the emergency medical back up if it's required.

I've had two betas, they were both stellar and now we wait for the US next week to know how many are in there ( we put in two embies ).

That's so exciting, Korin! I can't wait for you to find out how many you're carrying.

[Twilight]

Hi all (and Hi Keeta!) - I am Dawn and I just moved over from the TTC thread. Korin what a cool story... will be anxiously waiting to find out how many beans you have, but I am so glad the betas are looking good!

My DH and I started trying in June for baby #2 and we just succeeded. Yay! I am very excited about having this little June bug. I recently left a full time job as a software engineer; now I have a part-time job teaching remedial math at a community college, and I am also taking classes part-time working for a teacher's license. My plan is to be a high school science teacher when DD enters kindergarten (a few years away). I like this new gig a lot so far. I get afternoons with DD, she still gets to do artwork and outside play with her "school" friends in the morning, and I'm working my way toward my goal and getting good experience too.

Baby#2 is coming at a good time then. I'll be done with spring semester, can take all of the summer off, and can hopefully go back to class part-time in the fall again. We'll see if it works out like that.

I had an easy and uneventful pregnancy with DD and am really hoping for the same with #2. I'll be going back to my OB and local hospital, which I am fine with. I had a good birth experience with minimal interventions, and they were very good about keeping baby and I together and helping us with breastfeeding. So if it ain't broke...

So... that's me. Nice to meet you all and lots of sticky baby vibes all around.

[doulanichole]

Hi, June mamas and thanks, chiromama for starting this thread.

I am Nichole, 30 and dh is Scott 29. I have 3 children (4.5, 3.5 and 20 months) and am hoping to finally have baby #4 in June. We have had multiple miscarriages in the last year and were beginning to think we would not have a 4th child. We conceived this time on my 2nd cycle of clomid and my betas continue to look great.

Excluding the miscarriages, I have great pregnancies and really enjoy being pregnant. I have had 2 no-intervention hospital births and then a home water birth. I will be planning another home, waterbirth for this one as well.

I am a doula and childbirth educator and plan to continue to attend births during my pregnancy. I will also have a couple of more series of cbe classes to teach between now and next June as well.

Looking forward to getting to know all of you in the upcoming months!

[MyLittleWonders]

Hey mamas,
I'm Brit. I'm 32 and dh John is 31. We have two boys - 4 and almost 2. My first pregnancy was a bit stressful as I had a low-lying placenta for the first 7 months or so until I grew big enough for it to get out of the way. Ds#2 was completely uneventful, though I didn't know I was pregnant until I was close to the end of month #2. (That was fun ... it made the first trimester FLY by! :LOL) Inbetween the boys I had a m/c, which was devastating, but appears from a medical perspective to be one of those random things. This pregnancy is uneventful so far too, which I enjoy. Every couple of days I get a bout of strong symptoms ... kind of like mini-hormone surges. By my calculations, I'm due 6/3 ... I would see my actual ob until the second week of November though to get that confirmed via u/s. I had both boys in the hospital; ds#1 was a fine birth except for the 2 1/2 hours of pushing. Ds#2 was a fantastic birth - I had my own nursing staff because I was the only patient in L&D! This time around I plan on having a doula because it was such an awesome experience having a nurse right there next to me, coaching me through the entire thing (I was in the hospital for just over an hour before he was born - I labored at home). Ds#1 was a minimal med baby - just a shot of demoral half way through the labor. Ds#2 was completely med free. This one will be natural too.

[mimid]

I'm Miriam, 31, and dh is Ron, 49. We are both 1st time pregnant after 5 years of trying! 2 years we just did nothing and crossed our fingers and then we started the rounds of doctors and drugs. After a 3 month break for weight loss, tests and more tests we got our little bean on our first round of injectibles and IUI.

I don't have a set due-date yet (that'll come with the u/s next Friday) but I've pegged it at about June 2.

DH isn't as comfortable with the idea of home birth, so I'll probably be in the hospital, but I want to find a coach and be drug-free. I'm still working on him but I don't have high hopes.

[Amys1st]

Hello!

I'm Amy, I'm 33 and DH- Bob is 32. (We both have bdays coming up in the next few months). Our DD Liz is 3. With DD it took us a month to conceive and this time it took about 4-5 months. I'm a SAHM and DH is a physical Ther and owns his own clinic. In BC (before children) I was an outside sales rep but I have been home since before DD was born because I had to go on bedrest for 7 weeks. This is the reason we have waited a while to start again. My 1st prgncy I was sick for 10 weeks and then had early contractions and then bedrest. DD came into the world very healthy 3 days before her edd.

But because of the contractions etc I am not a candidate for home births.
We also waited until DD stopped nursing on her own at 30 months before we even thought of ttc. I wanted at least 6 months of no prgncy or bfing. Also I cannot be pregnt and nurse because of the contractions I had early on. So we did not want to just cut dd off and we did not want to endanger a baby so we waited. We had dd at the hospital dh is employed at and it was a great experience. Also they keep the baby in the room w you 24 hours and strongly encourage the whole nursing experience. We will use the same OB practice and hospital this time around as well.

This time I am again very tired and the nausa has set in this week. A bit later than the last time but its a small reminder in the background. I know the only cure is time so I just carry on and eat small meals. Also I crave very strange things now. I actually kind of welcome the annoying symptoms since its a reminder of a healthy pregncy. I always get worried when I hear Mamas to be say "I feel really great!" since I have heard many dispointments right after that.

[Fay]

Hi, everyone. I'm Fay, SAHM turning 34 in 2 weeks. DH is Spock, also 34. We have a 4 year old DS, "The Flash," who attends a specialized public preschool for autistic children (which he loves). We were scared to try for another baby, mostly because The Flash has such an incredibly high energy level, lightning speed and herculean strength/endurance. The energy and attention it requires to take of him is difficult to describe, but let's just say I lost 60 pounds in his first year while eating as many high-fat, high-protein, high-carb foods as possible. The Flash has become MUCH easier to care for in the past year, so we decided to go for it. We know all the tricks to caring for a high-need kid now anyway, so we may as well put that knowledge to use again! We conceived on the first try, due in mid-June.

I am hoping for a natural VBAC with this child's birth. My son's birth was traumatic for both of us, and I still feel guilt over it. I'm looking into hypnobirthing, visualization techniques and acupuncture. If anyone (Brit?) has ideas on avoiding labor induction or a c/s, let me know.

Amy, sorry to hear about your nausea. I'm one of those crazy women who LOVES being pregnant! I never got sick while pg with DS. I feel a little queasy now and then, but no biggie. I have some tightening in my uterine ligaments, and I can feel things expanding slowly. I feel healthy and I'm so happy about this baby! I feel like I'm just bursting with love.

[LuckyMommaToo]

Hey, mommas,
My name is Erin, DH is JP and DS is Ronan (turned two in September). I didn't get AF back until June, and we've basically been not avoiding since then. Somehow I always thought my kids would be closer together, but Ronan is high-needs enough that it just didn't happen. He still doesn't sleep through the night on a regular basis, and has dropped his nap as of two weeks ago. Perfect timing! :LOL

I'm feeling okay -- no fatigue at all -- which makes me a little nervous. Two of my close friends just suffered m/cs, so I'm just taking one day at a time. I'm definitely hungry, but can't think of anything that sounds appetizing to eat. Only salty snacks (potato chips, mostly) have any appeal at all. Hope I can improve my diet soon!

Fay, just wanted to say that you might want to look into Bradley classes. I went natural the first time around, and the classes were invaluable. As was my doula! She actually specializes in VBACs; maybe you could find such a support person in your area.

I'm glad to be here!

-Erin

[Twilight]

Nichole, how awesome to have a doula and cbe on this board... I'm sure you'll get bombarded with questions as time goes on, I hope you can be patient with us

I have one while I am thinking of it. So in DD's birth, I was pleased overall with how it went but at the end, she got stuck while I was pushing and I got an episiotomy to get her out. Not a huge deal, and the episiotomy healed up fine. I would just like to avoid one this time around if I can. I am wondering if the reason my DD got stuck is because I was so tense while pushing.. I did just fine through labor and the pushing until she crowned, and then the pain surprised me so much that I think I tightened up and couldn't force her out. My OB was nice but really no help at getting me to just relax and push her out naturally.. she went right for the episiotomy.

So I guess this time around I am wondering 1) what I can do to relax more and 2) should I hire a doula to help. My husband is not too keen on the doula idea because I think he feels threatened by someone else being there to help and comfort when that's his "job". I don't want to invalidate those feelings so how do you strike a good balance between the doula's role and the husband's role in the delivery room?

I am getting waaaaaay ahead of myself, I know, but this is something I've thought about for over two years now.

What do you think?

[bonbon mama]

Hi,

This is my fifth pregnancy and I have two children, dd5 and ds2. I am 29 and my dh is 31. I took an early ept that claims to be 93% accurate one day before your expected period and I got a faint line this morning. DH is sketchy on the science end of it and wants a repeat on Saturday morning to look for a darker line, lol. I told him hcg is not made randomly. He still needs reassurance so mum's the word until Saturday. We won't be telling many though because of my history of losing three babies to miscarriage. On second thought, that plan is so flawed as dd is five years old and loves to talk. She also loves to listen. So she will know soon and she will talk shortly after.

I have been wanting to be pregnant for a couple of months but I need to take heparin injections throughout my pregnancies and our insurance created a lot of new, time-consuming hoops to jump through to get new prescriptions. This was the first month that I was prepared to start shooting up upon ovulation and lo and behold, a faint positive. My dh is a little cocky today. To my credit, however, I was charting and vetoing all possible overtime my dh was offered two weeks ago.

I've never joined a due date club before and I am excited to talk endlessly about the minutiae of pregnancy with all of you for the next many, many months.


Anyone else been buying maternity clothes at secondhand shops for months now and stockpiling them on your bedroom table? It all started when I was looking for some nursing shirts for a good friend....and now it's a little weird.

[Paddington]

Hi All,

I'm Angie, 29 (I also have a birthday this month!), DH is also 29. We have one ds, 2 1/2 who is beautiful, wonderful, fantastic. It took me this long to even consider adding another to the mix. Of course, I didn't actually "plan" to start trying until February... but, who wants to be pregnant during the summer anyway? So this little one is due June 9 according to my chart. My ds was about a week late so we shall see.

I am still planning the birth (part of the reason I was planning on waiting to get pregnant...). My ds was a hospital birth and we did have a lot of attention from a wonderful nurse but I felt like things were kind of done to me, that I didn't necessarily want--and this was with a midwife... So I am thinking about laboring as long as possible at home and maybe doing a birth center. Or maybe I won't leave my home.. I'm not sure quite yet....

[doulanichole]

Twilight - I certainly hope I can be helpful without being annoying! lol You have to know that my opinion would be to hire a doula. We get many more calls from second time moms than first time moms who didn't get the birth they wanted the first time. As for your dh and his hesitancy, I would remind him that the doula is there for him as well and enhances his role, not takes the place of, at the birth. That while he is amazing support and an absolute neccesity to your birth team, having someone there who has attended a number of births and can offer suggestions in specific circumstances, will benefit everyone. The DONA website (www.dona.org) has a paper specifically on Dads and Doulas and I would suggest letting him read that as well. It is so funny because we did not have a doula the first time, just me and dh and while he was great, I certainly could have used more (not better) support.When I got pg with dd #2 and said I wanted a doula there, he said, "didn't I do a good enough job the last time?" After some conversation and an explanation of how he would benefit, he was on board. But he has said over and over again that he would never want me to give birth without a doula....I think he likes the reassurance! Didn't mean to hijack the thread, but I hope I helped!

[mamamilkbar]

Hello Everyone!

I'm Heidi, 18, DH is 20. We have one dd, she will be a year on halloween (10/31, this month!). Still nursing and will continue nursing her as long as her heart desires We planned this baby in a way as I was charting and doing NFP, told DH I was fertile and we decided to give it a go! So the approximate due date is June 10 according to my chart. DD was 2 weeks early so we shall see when the time comes!!

In reality I would LOVE to have a homebirth but in the state (South Dakota) I live in it's illegal so we will be having a hopsital birth with either my doctor, a very good friend who is respectable to our decions or if unable to attend like before with DD a midwife that I LOVE and have attended births to as "back up". DD was a hospital birth and I was very impressed from what I got that I wanted even though I had someone(DR. known for c-sections whom I was the most scared of getting my whole entire pregnancy!) whom I did not like. Did not pressure or have me do anything I did not like... I would love to have a homebirth or even a water birth but I'm pretty sure that won't happen so as long as they don't bother me and do things to me or the baby while we're they're life is great! (just let us be and do our own thing!!)


Any other mama's out there have a infant they're still exclusively breastfeeding? or even a young tot? and continue breastfeeding to enjoy the experience of tandum nursing!?

[seekermage]

:)

Hello All!

Im Kathryn, almost 29 : and mama to two wonderful girls 5 1/2 and almost 2. It took us almost two years to concieve Lil'bit (Miss Moose is adopted) and this time around it was more or less a surprise. We were/weren't trying, but I was keeping track and go figure it happened without any effort at all! The timing is and isnt the greatest....we are just getting some things back on track marriage wise and money wise, so it will not be a happy surprise to our parents. We are delighted though and I know everything will work out as its supposed to. I always say it does. We are in the process of refinancing and will get settled back on out feet money wise, DH just got some extra freelance work that is paying good money, and we are finally talking rationally rather then yelling irrationally. So I know this wee one is a good thing, now to just make them see so too. We are going to break the news to them the weekend after my birthday, right after our ultrasound sooo hopefully being that its my birthday they cant yell too much right? Im dying to tell them (we did right away with Lil'bit), but I want to be able to celebrate this little one for a while, before everything yelling things like, where are you going to put it, how are you going to afford it, etc etc etc.

Sooo please be happy for me, I am and so is DH now that he is past the shock factor! I hope everyone in the "june club" has happy health little ones! Congrats mamas!

[Amys1st]

Hi KAthryn and everyone else! I don't understand- whats the yelling part?

This is my 2nd time doing a due date club and I still talk to some of the mamas 4 years later. We now have a closed discussion on another site. I have also met one mama IRL a few times.

Heidi- congrats on the upcoming baby! Have you attended any LLL meetings? There should be a few moms there who also tandem nursed. Wow- when I was your age, I did have 1/3 of your maturity. Your baby might wean since your milk taste may change or not. How do you deal w sore nipples??

Someone mentioned they love being pregnt. I remember a few moms saying to me the last time "Oh I miss being prgnt" w a dreamy look. Then a few got prgnt again and I reminded them what they said and I got a nasty look :LOL

Should we start a roll call thread to introduce etc??

[mamamilkbar]

Heidi- congrats on the upcoming baby! Have you attended any LLL meetings? There should be a few moms there who also tandem nursed. Wow- when I was your age, I did have 1/3 of your maturity. Your baby might wean since your milk taste may change or not. How do you deal w sore nipples??

Thank you! Yes we attend LLL every month! (tonight is a metting!) There are some moms there who tandum nurse (my cousin does) but they have older kids more around 3 and were about 2 or so when started tadem nursing so I was wondering from people who had their kids about 18-20 months apart (depends when i have this one ) I hope Haleigh doesn't wean! I would be so sad For sore nipples I haven't done anything right now, I just nurse Haleigh and deal with the pain, LOL. But I have an infection of some sort in one nipple I think and that is really the only one that hurts, I think her teeth cut me and somehow it is now infected and very painful! anyways I gotta get goin! Have a great day!!!!

[StacyL]

I'm Stacy, I'm 35, SAHM, and we have a ds who just turned 1 in late September, who is still nursing. We are happy to be pregnant with our second as I am no spring chicken! My dh, 35, just started medical school in August, so the only time I see him is at dinner - har har.

I attempted to go UC on our first birth, and made an emergency transfer to the hospital very late in labor. We will be have a midwife-assisted homebirth this time.

[Twilight]

I am spotting now. I don't know what to think. It's pretty heavy spotting.