Weekly Thread for all Feb mamas 1/22 - 1/29

[phillychiquita]

Noticed we havent done this in a while...so I thought I would start a weekly thread for the last full week of January : (can you believe it's already here?) :

How is everyone doing? What's going on in your life and how are you feeling?

I am at 36 weeks, 2 days and feeling good minus the cold I have had for a while. I am getting lots of Braxton Hicks contractions (or what i think are BH's) all of the sudden. I had an appt with my "backup OB" today and she was pleased and gave me the all clear for homebirth (not that i needed her permission ) and so the HB midwives come tomorrow to do our home visit. I pretty much have everything ready for the baby (carseat, diapers, clothes) but our house is a disaster...last week our plumbing went out (COMPLETELY OUT) and so we are staying with my parents across town until it gets fixed (hopefully by the end of this week!) As long as the plumbing gets fixed, I can live with the other disasters (minor unfinished renovations, a bit of clutter and a bit of dust).

My MIL is having a baby shower for me and DH this weekend, and although we dont need much (we have gotten tons of hand me downs) it will be nice to visit with DH's relatives a bit (we rarely see them).

Feelings about gender...I am thinking it is going to be a boy.
Feelings about when I will go...I am thinking I ma go a few days early, but I realize its more likely that i will go a few days late!!

[mom2mimi]

Let's see...I am slowly but surely getting my hb supplies together. (35 weeks today) My pool came last week and although we haven't done the trial run on filling it with water we did blow it up and make sure it was gonna be big enough, it's really nice and I can't wait to use it. I absolutely loved my waterbirth last time so I'm hoping it will be just as great this time. My hubby spent his day off last week filling up our freezer and he will probably do that once more before the big day. I'm still doing daycare and will be until the week before my due date, I wish I could take more time off because I am just so freakin tired but I can't afford it this time around. Our home visit is this weekend and we'll check my hemocrit then because I've been anemic again this time around, I hope it has risen but honestly I don't feel much better yet. I scheduled a pregnancy massage for two days before my due date and I'm thinking that insures I will be early and not get my massage! LOL

[sehbub]

I'm 35wks4d today, and it's been a long few days! Friday, 35+1, also DD1's 7th birthday, I started having contractions 5-8 minutes apart, for a couple hours. : Luckily they subsided when I went to bed, but I've been having contractions every evening now. I was joking with DH that it would be funny if I had him on Saturday (the 20th) since that would be 9 months to the day after DD3's birthday. He didn't find that very funny.

DS has dropped SO much, that it feels like he's gonna fall out. Honestly, walking up the stairs is very uncomfortable (not to mention causing contractions!) so I try and avoid it as much as possible.

I'm guessing I'll go about 2 weeks early, so we're prepared, and my cervix feels really soft...I think The co-sleeper is set up beside the bed (DD3 slept in t last night) and all the diapers are washed, as are the NB-6 month size clothes. I just need to put them away now, and pack my bag for the hospital, and we're DONE.

I'm so ready for him to be here! Mostly I just want to meet him. But, I REFUSE to have a baby before my baby shower (it's this Sunday) like last time, and I want him full term. He'll be 37 weeks on 2/1.

[kaybee]

I hit 37 weeks on Thursday, which is such a nice milestone. I've had lots of extra BH lately. Usually they don't bother me, but I've been putting myself to bed to try and make them slow down. It also feels like baby has dropped - I'm so slow and waddley now. Baby is as active as ever, which is reassuring, but man, can those feet pack a punch now (right in my ribs!). :

DS was 8 days late (and could have been later). This one feels like it'll be sooner, but I think that might just be wishful thinking (as in - this can't possibly go on another month!?!).

I'm still working, but I've relocated most of my papers/computer/etc. home and am working from home. It's nice, but my productivity is still starting to slip.

Everything is washed, the co-sleeper is here, the freezer is full... all we need is a baby (oh, and a name!). I'm thinking it's another boy at this point, but we don't know so we have to come up with 2 names (and we have neither of them figured out yet!)

[lanielayne]

I'm 38w3d or something like that. I have been having bouts of irritabilty now. I am just tired of hurting and ready to be normal, I guess. I am STILL waiting on my mom to send me my car seat and baby clothes that will take 10-12 days to get once she sends them! I have a whole 4 outfits for baby and 5 CDs! We just haven't had the money to indulge on buying anything and now the time has come! I will have a ton of girl's clothes if that is the sex of this baby but I will have to wait for those to be sent to me as well

I have had about 5 bouts of contractions but only twice has it lasted more than a few hours. I think I am about 4 -5 cms and 50% effaced. I keep thinking I will know when it is time but then second guessing myself and worrying that I won't call dh soon enough. I am not worried about a solo birth just the kids driving me crazy. Plus dh would be so very upset if he missed it but he also can't take off of work unneccesarily.

I am feeling that this is a girl and have all along. I have been thinking I will actually go early for the first time but I always think that!

[ekblad9]

I'll be 38 wks on Wednesday. I'm WAY ornary. Horrible to be around. I'm even short with my dearest friends. Dh and the kids get the brunt of it and I try to be nice but I'm so tired (sleep about 2 hours/night), my back hurts, I'm swollen, blah, blah, blah. Baby was head down but I'm thinking she's tranverse again. Will find out tomorrow when the m/w comes over. Saturday night I had the contractions that you know aren't really labor but are enough to keep you awake every five minutes. It was not fun.

Everything is ready, then not ready, then ready again. I keep trying to keep up with the house and the laundry and the grocery shopping but I just can't seem to. So - I guess I'll just have to let that go.

[timneh_mom]

I'm going to be 38 weeks on Wednesday, and I don't think there is really a whole lot going on. A couple of days ago I tried to find my cervix and I did find the edge of it, but could reach no further. I am thinking it's still pretty posterior and I could not feel the head or anything. I am not having much in the way of contrax either.

This evening, I started having some REALLY fierce abdominal pain WAY down low, in the front. OH MY did it hurt! I could not walk at all and had to lean on the kitchen counter. I started bawling because it is just SO frustrating to be sore and tired and I just feel like an invalid and a little old arthritic lady! I don't think what I felt was contractions, but it could have been the baby's head starting to settle into my pelvis.

I have an OB check again tomorrow morning but I doubt I will have her do an internal. Frankly, I really don't care what is happening in there and whatever is or is not happening does not mean anything anyway! I could be 3 cm dilated and hang out like that for the next 3 weeks, or I could be clamped shut and go into labor in 2 days.

I sure have been farting a lot though.

[timneh_mom]

Oops put this in the wrong spot. Sorry!

[bluey]

I'll be 37 weeks on Wednesday I am not sure how much longer I can keep this little one in though. Someone is in a hurry to get busy living! I've been on bedrest for bp and because I was having contractions. Now, they weren't productive (but ow!) until today. I consented to an internal b/c I wanted confirmation of what I already knew....baby is down, and I'm dilating. So...now I'm hanging out at home, feet up, trying to convince little to stay put for a while longer

I just wish I could sleep! That would definately improve my mood

[DreamsInDigital]

I'm 38 weeks and 1 day. I ordered my birth pool hoping it would be here in time but alas, the company just e-mailed to let me know it was back ordered 2 weeks. Sigh. I guess no waterbirth for me this time. Ah well.
DP is convinced this baby is coming on Valentine's Day. Just as well, I'm totally unprepared

[bikruca]

38 weeks and change here.

feeling pretty good actually... just waiting..

everything seems to be readyish...

2 more weeks at most right?

[bikruca]

Originally Posted by DreamsInDigital

I'm 38 weeks and 1 day. I ordered my birth pool hoping it would be here in time but alas, the company just e-mailed to let me know it was back ordered 2 weeks. Sigh. I guess no waterbirth for me this time. Ah well.
DP is convinced this baby is coming on Valentine's Day. Just as well, I'm totally unprepared

that's too bad about the pool. I was convinced I wasn't going to be able to get a pool.. I had exhausted my options and there was just no way... but it worked out somehow and now we have a pool in the livingroom...

[julieanne]

37 weeks today...uh, yesterday actually at this point. Skip to the end to avoid the freak-out.

Ugh. It's 4:25AM, I've been awake for the last two hours, and until today I thought I was a lot more ready than I'm turning out to me. Some because there's more to do than I thought, and some because things that were handled suddenly are un-handled!

The lawyer handling our powers of attorney, standby guardianship, and wills is having a family crisis right now that seems to have been going on for a while, but we just found out about it last week, and it's only now becoming clear that she's not going to be able to do the work before the birth, which means we now have to find another lawyer who can get this stuff done in a rush. I really do feel for what her family is going through right now, I just wish her secretary would have made some calls to let clients know they needed to find new representation. For the first time I'm REALLY SERIOUSLY cursing not being able to be legally married.

I also found out today that our health insurance is all messed up. As far as they can tell, my insurance is fine, but susan is in their system totally unconnected to my account and therefore can't get any coverage for anything. This whole insurance saga has been an ongoing battle since last May, due to some obscure complication caused by me working for the state and then working for a state university. Apparently, the systems are just similar enough to cause problems when trying to transfer coverage from one to the other. The fact that I had my name changed between jobs didn't help matters any! It took until July to even get coverage for myself (I started working for the university in May) and until August to get coverage for Susan. I really thought this was all worked out...how silly of me!

Since I'm up, I tried calling the hospital to preregister, since when I called during business hours I had to give up after holding for 2 hours. Of course, they said (nicely) call back during business hours. I figured they would, but I thought if there was a chance to get something done while I'm up and all stressed out, I was gonna take it.

Wow, there's about 100 more things, but I'm stressing myself out even more thinking about all of them. Quick, on the upside before I go completely insane:

-I feel pretty good physically. I'm getting slow and I tire easily, but I've been sleeping fairly well (until tonight!)
-The car seat is installed.
-Both cars have two working headlights and gas in their tanks
-The house is pretty much ready
-The razz has clothes and diapers
-There's a bunch of food in the house, including freezer food for after the birth
-My devil cat is being cute and lovable

[DreamsInDigital]

That's one thing I have not done: Stock up on easily prepared meals for after the baby comes. DP will be home for the first two weeks though.

[sehbub]

Originally Posted by DreamsInDigital

That's one thing I have not done: Stock up on easily prepared meals for after the baby comes. DP will be home for the first two weeks though.

Yeah we really need food too. Fast, easy, might go so far as to get TV dinners. : Just something edible! I've got a bunch of chicken I could cook, but honestly, I'm so tired that standing around and cooking is kind of out of the question.

[p1gg1e]

I doing good. Baby is LOW and I have everyone on edge.

I had a baby shower at DH's work and it was allot of stuff I didn't need ( though much appreciate the thought ) so I have a big run to make to Target tomorrow and return ...I might buy food with it or put it towards the new car seat later I don't know yet.

I have my pool up and ready to go.. : and I want to go ASAP because I'm tired of being pregnant. there I said it. I'm 37 weeks and 5 days and I want to have a baby next week My crotch hurts :

Anyway enough sulking. I have 2 wonderful blessingsway's coming up and lots of thank you card to write this week.

[lanielayne]

Okay! Can I say I am ready for baby to come? I have been hurting soo bad these past 2 days and my patience with my kids is shot. I went grocery shopping tonight and now have enough food to make 14 easy dinners for $150. Not too bad. Time for baby to come! I am as ready as I get!

[sarah_bella1050]

I'm 36 wks and 4 days now. I had my homevisit and I got my pool on monday. I also had my last check in with the hospital midwives and I'm all clear for the homebirth . I'm starting to get nervous, it's hard just waiting around, not know when, but soon. I almost can't remember what it's like to feel normal. I'm done feeling like a nut, I'm done having to limit my activities due to extreme pain. Oh yah, and I'm done gaining weight! I've gained 55lbs .
Also though I'm not ready for the baby or maybe it's the labor, but I don't feel ready. In all honesty I think I'm scared of everything, I can't even imagine having two kids, it sends my head spinning.

[Cloth4Colin]

I'm 37 weeks and 2 days today. At my prenatal app't yesterday (again with my new doc!!) they did an ultrasound - baby is SMOOSHED! He's head down and ready to go. They are estimating his current weight to be 6,7.

I've been having contractions STILL (two weeks today) 3-10 minutes apart and back labor is killing me. The doc checked me and I am stuck STILL at 3cm, but I am more than 50% effaced. We had a long talk about things and have decided that we will be induced Tuesday morning. It's not what I wanted and I am really disappointed, but we both feel like I may not progress past where I am currently - as I didn't with DS#1 either. If I weren't in such pain and so exhausted, I would flat our refuse it, but I'm.just.so.tired. I still
want a natural birth (Pitocin aside), and my doctor knows this and has said that I am free to still do all of that. YAY! At least I can have some aspects of it.

So, we're now counting down the days. 5. I've been packed for forever, but I'm going to go back and reevaluate things since they think he will be so much bigger than we first thought...DS #1 was TINY at 37w5d. I think I'll take out some of the preemie stuff and replace it with newborn sizes. A great friend of mine made the baby a pair of longies (our first EVER) and a little hat that I think will work perfectly. I'm so excited to try my first wool!

Since we are living with my parents, and have just our one room really - I need to get that space cleaned back up and things organized in there a bit better. I may do that today to keep my mind off of the contractions.

It's so great to hear where everyone is at in their weekly updates - we're all getting so close!! Can't wait to hear everyone's birth stories!!

[mooliette]

All in all I'm doing well. I'm 39 weeks today, I have an appointment with Sarah today. I think I'm going to agree to my first internal just to see how things are going.

Our house is stocked up with more food than it's ever seen, for the most part it's clean. I need to do a bit of laundry and the floors need a quick once over. We have our pool but have noticed it has a leak, I'm going to check with Sarah to see if she has another pool. DH has tried to patch it, but it still deflated a bit last night. Sigh!! I don't want a land birth, I've never had one and I don't want to experience one, is that selfish of me?

I have one last thing to accomplish, which is shaving my legs and trimming up the garden which I'm going to do as soon as I finish my tea. I'm going to meet my first MDC mama at 10am today, I'm so excited to finally be able to meet her and her sweet dd after emailing and PMing her for the past year

I'm give an update when I get home from the midwife appointment