Weekly Thread *~May 14 - May 20th ~* - Page 3

[wombatclay]

Some people think that low pressure systems can increase he chance of a mama going into labor...it's similar to the idea that more babes are born around the full moon than at other times of the month. I don't know that there are any studies that demonstrate either idea, but a lot of people see a connection.

So...now that I'm back from my dad's appointment...the one downer at my own doctor's visit was that Dr Heidi and their kids will be going on vacation June 16th. Dr Rudy will be staying behind to "watch the shop" so to speak. It's their first family vacation in 5 years (and it's not even going to be all of them!) so I can't really fault them. BUT it means that Dr Rudy will need to find another backup doctor since our local hospital now requires all deliveries to have a backup OB on call. This usually isn't a problem, but since I'm a VBAC, and no one else in town "does" VBAC, it could be a big deal for me if for some reason Rudy isn't available. So hopefully it wont come up (if I'm still pregnant on the 16th I will be VERY grumpy), and he did say the choice is totally up to me...but that if it looks like the 16th is a day or two away and my bishop score is good he might suggest using a foley cath to induce. Now, I know the research on VBAC induction and a foley with positive bishop score isn't much of an extfra risk, but it IS an extra risk so...I'm hoping Roro makes her entrance into the outside world a good deal before then!

I've been pretty contractiony today myself, and while I'd like one or two more days to finish off a few projects, there isn't anything major hanging over me right now. Everything is pretty small...freezer meals, a big food shopping trip for basics, finish a xstitch, attach the cosleeper in the family bedroom, maybe some general cleaning around the house. But nothing too extreme.

Can't wait to add Marv to the Birth Announcements though!

[jstar]

awww carys is sweet sweet sweet! i love babes with hair too! curious to see if mine will have any. my first just had very short short hair. and hair on his ears that went into a point and made him look like an elf

i feel like a whole lotta nothin except insomnia is happening for me. i get BH contrx at night. and cervical pains now and then but nothing else. i never had anything happen with my first one either until i unmistakably went into labor. so i guess it may happen like that again

last time i had no idea what to expect and i thought i'd start off with 'sort of' contractions and that i wouldn't be able to tell if i was really in labor or not. and then when it happened i just had the most major contraction out of nowhere right when i woke up and was laying in bed. and 3 more that hour and then they just increased in frequency from there. so this time i am much more aware that i could be *anywhere* at any time of the day and start having really intense contractions. so i keep thinking...will i be able to drive? and all those scenarios or of course part of me is wondering if i'll have a catastrophic water breaking scenario because i think that would be kind of cool....and i never had that happen with isaac's birth

so curious to see who #3 will be

[todavia]

hi mamas! things are definately getting active in the ddc...i'm feeling so happy for those who have had their babies (carys is beautiful!) and so excited for those of us coming around the bend.
my graduation was today - msw - and it was wonderful. my dad, DP, DS, MIL & SIL were there and i won 2 awards and everyone cried. i'm really glad it's all over though.
now i'm ready to sit back, relax and enjoy these last couple weeks of being pregnant. everything's ready to go if she decides to come sooner but i really don't feel like that's gonna happen. i guess in part i'm trying to psych myself out - telling myself i'll go late and have a long labor so anything else will be a pleasant suprise...who knows? it's all such a mystery.

[Mab]

I made this post in Life with a babe and I'm pregnant forums. I'm so freaking anxious about this.: Anyone have any thoughts?

[brookibabe]

I had my 38 week appointment today. Everything is right where it should be . Good news, the baby is dropping. My MW thinks this baby will be born right on time. The countdown begins. 11 days....

[awallrising]

Had an MW appt today; baby is head down (he's been that way for 2 weeks already) & that my cervix is ripening (no internal, but I've been having "low" cramps). Everything is else is good too (BP, sugar, etc), but I'll have to wait a few days for my CBC to check my anemia.

I asked the MW to predict the baby's wgt & she said 8.5lbs. Only a prediction, but YIKES!!! Pretty big for baby #1. Oh well, I'm still (mostly) not anxious. Plus I had another Mom tell me about her water birth experience with baby #2. My MWs are big on water birth.

I'm expecting to go early even though statistically most women are late. I'll be prepared from 37 weeks on. It's crazy to think that baby will be here before I know it. Better get a move on those last couple of projects.

[wombatclay]

Mab- I think it's totally normal to worry, and a good idea to plan ahead a bit. Have you subbed or read the "Mamas with a newborn and toddler" thread in the Toddler section? The current thread is still very short and you can find it here: http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=665552
(the older thread, with lots of great ideas/advice/support is here http://www.mothering.com/discussions...632237&page=6). Anyway, there are a lot of mamas here at mdc with multiple little ones and lots of support for "juggling" everyone's needs!

VioletIsadora- CONGRATS!!!!!! That's such great news! Though I have to admit I'm getting a mental image of a "maternity graduation robe" and it's making me smile a bit. Congrats on the degree and the awards, and on having the time now to focus on yourself and your coming babe.

Is anyone else having a lot of trouble (and/or pain) just getting out of bed in the morning? I feel like a cross between a weeble peeble and a marionette with frayed stings! After 10-15 minutes of being up and moving around I feel a lot better, but I swear the so-called-simple act of just hoisting myself out of bed and making it to the bathroom is crazy!

I know it's the relaxin doing it's thing on my joints, and that the muscle pain comes from not having moved much for a while, and the giant belly filled with wigly baby pressing on bladder and nerves is a big factor too...but DH almost choked he was laughing so hard watching me try to "organize" my way out of bed. I know we're not having any more babes for a while, and we'd probably only have one or two more, but I think if I was a quiver-full mama I'd demand a "hospital style" bed with the spiffy buttons that raise and lower bits! Hmmmm...and maybe a dedicated "foot rub master" to put my feet and hips back into place each morning.

[Jilian]

Wombat: I'm having a hard time getting up in the morning too and I sleep on the couch. I have to build momentum and pretty much hurl myself off the couch. Then I stand for a few mins while my legs shake and cramp, then I'm good to go. I feel like the tin man fora the first 10 mins then my joints and muscles loosen back up and I can walk again.

Last night I had a lot of back labor and it wasn't fun at all. I hope it helped the baby turn. I don't know how anyone goes through 20+ hours of back labor. The thought of it scares me. DS was being really clingy too and all I wanted to do was to be alone and rock on my hands and knees. I'm definately not going to be able to have him at the birth. I can't have someone touching me and hanging on me during contractions. Then he thought I wanted to give him a horsey ride when I was on hands and knees

[willoLevin]

Originally Posted by PatchChild

Can the weather bring on contractions? We've had major thunderstorms here since noon... and even a tornado watch...Any connections?

Yes, I've heard that major pressure system changes can affect pregnant women that way.

It makes sense. I get migraines more often when there is a pressure change. (I've often wondered if this is because of my tendency to have allergy/sinus issues, thus leaving a bubble in my head that wants to expand/contract with the weather.)

--willo

[willoLevin]

I find that I am pretty achy, stiff, and uncoordinated in the morning... until I have another chiropractor visit! I have so much more freedom of movement after rest when I've gotten adjusted. If you haven't gone yet, you might want to try it (especially if your insurance will pay. Sciatica is a fine reason for a referral!)

I've got electricians in my kitchen, so things are really getting functional in there. Woo hoo! I meant to go yesterday to run a load of dishes at a friend's house, but I was too tired, but maybe tonight I will be using my own shiny new LG dishwasher. (I calculated water/energy costs for this model versus other Consumer Reports highly rated models, and it should save me $400/year since our water AND electric rates are about twice the national average here in the Boston area. : )

Today I am saving the plastic utensils to wash tonight/tomorrow instead of having to throw away so much disposable stuff. It is such a relief to my conscience!

--willo

[herbmama3-7]

Originally Posted by Jilian

Wombat: :

Last night I had a lot of back labor and it wasn't fun at all. I hope it helped the baby turn. I don't know how anyone goes through 20+ hours of back labor. The thought of it scares me. DS was being really clingy too and all I wanted to do was to be alone and rock on my hands and knees. I'm definately not going to be able to have him at the birth. I can't have someone touching me and hanging on me during contractions. Then he thought I wanted to give him a horsey ride when I was on hands and knees

: Jilian the picture of your DS trying to ride you like a horse really cracked me up, although I can imagine how uncomfortable it was for you!
Seems you and I were back labor buddies last night. I had been having irregular honest to goodness back labor contractions for hours into the night yesturday. It scared the h__ _ _ out of me. I drank a glass of wine : and took a bath, that didn't even make them stop, but after really making myself rest, they seem to be gone, I just hope they don't make an appearance anytime too soon. Now how do you make a baby turn? I need to research this because back labor is a B_ _ _ _ _!!

[willoLevin]

Originally Posted by herbmama3-7

I had been having irregular honest to goodness back labor contractions for hours into the night yesturday. ... Now how do you make a baby turn? I need to research this because back labor is a B_ _ _ _ _!!

My little critter, who went from breech to heads-down-spine-left to posterior seems to move the most when I use TWO birth balls. I sit on a smaller one (the right size for my height) and lean my upper body onto a larger one (the size for people over 6' tall) so my belly can hang down. It's amazing how much movement I get after this!

--willo

[wombatclay]

It's never too late (well....) for optimal fetal positioning! And it can help soothe back labor too so it's not just for spinning babies pre-labor.

The two big sites are:

www.homebirth.org.uk/ofp.htm

www.spinningbabies.com

I have the Labor Progress Handbook on my bookshelf (by Simkin and someone else) and I know it has a huge chapter on back labor (it's why I got the book) so let me see what I can find. Mostly good positions are the ones where you're leaning forward and making a "hammock" out of your belly...the goal is to use gravity to help your babe's back "swing" down into that hammock and stay there. So pelvic rocking either leaning over or on hands and knees, or any hands and knees pose, also swaying and hip circles, circling your hips on a birth ball or even just sitting on the ball and sort of leaning forward between your legs, or kneeling and bending over the side of a chair or couch. Or sit on a chair backwards so you're leaning on the back of the chair...

Basically anything that will lift your babe a little forward and out of the pelvis while letting gravity pull your babe's back into the belly nest.

And yes, back labor sucks dodo poo.

[herbmama3-7]

Thank you Wombat for the websites, I have always found spinning babies to be hard to navigate, but really liked the other one.
Thank you!

[Jilian]

I have a hard time finding my way around spinningbabies too. I did the childbirthinternational.com "rotational positioning" last night and it worked. Right now I'm having lots of contractions in the front. The rotational positioning also taught me a lot about positioning in general and how to tell what position your baby is in. I can't believe I didn't find it sooner.

[wombatclay]

Marv and FireflyMama have had their babes! w00t! Congrats mamas and happy babymoon!

(and yeah, spinningbabies is better known, but the site design is....well...it really isn't. I like the OFP page better since it's the same basic info only much more readable. And thanks for posting that other site Jilian, it looks really good!)

[Jilian]

More babies, this is getting really exciting! I really thought last night was it for me too, but then it stopped. I must at least be getting closer because everytime I have a false start the contractions are more intense and last longer. I caved and took and EPO capsule (orally and vaginally) and DH and I helped things along too.

[wombatclay]

DD has suddenly been bitten by the tantrum bug and I don't know if it's a sense of impending siblinghood or just being two. But yea gods and little green apples, this child can scream and thrash with the best of them. Sigh. And with DH heading out for his camping trip this evening I'm a bit worried.

He'll only be 30-45 minutes away during the night and about 1 hour away at most (he ran the trail without a pack to see how fast he could do it, and the whole trail has cell phone reception so I'm not that worried about him missing the babe, but with dd being touchy and with Dh's cold just now healing I think it's a bad time to sleep outside in the cold/wet while leaving the preggo wife with a tantrum toddler queen.

But...I also know he hasn't been camping (his life) in almost a year since he's been working so hard to catch up. So I do want him to have a "fun weekend" with his cousin doing something he loves. So I guess we'll just see what happens.

Can't wait to see who goes next! It's funny to think it isn't even June yet and we're already filling up the birth announcement thread with healthy (or getting healthier) babes.

[Jilian]

My DS has been abducted by aliens and replaced with a tantruming, screaming little 4 year old. He's also been having night terrors pretty frequently Last night he had a REALLY bad one at midnight. The look of terror in his eyes was really scary. His father's GF just had a baby 3 weeks ago so I think that might have something to do with it. But I just think our DC know that something is coming. Kids can be very intuitive.

On a happy note - I'm having a little bit of pink spotting today along with a few random and mild contractions!

[vannienicole]

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