Weekly update 3-24 -- 3-30

[MissAnnThrope]

I don't have an appointment until Thursday, but there may be some today.

So tell us... what'd ya learn this week?

[ChristyH]

I have an appt on Wednesday, I have the dreaded GBS test too so I could use lots of "no GBS" vibes!! I've been doing the garlic but don't know if it will work or not.

[pixiepunk]

i learned that my house was even filthier than i thought it was nothing like scrubbing the dark corners to make you realize how gross things can get when you're a lazy pregnant woman

also, confirmed that the LO is posterior, so i've been spending a lot of time on my hands and knees and doing visualization to get the little bugger to turn. i sooooo don't want to deal with back labor again - 2x is enough. are you listening LO?

[3for3hb]

Pixiepunk - my mw didn't tell me until after baby was born that he was posterior at just about every appointment. I think she assumed he would turn because he was so mobile and was always moving around.

Can I chime in with my updates even though I've already had my baby. I feel kinda out of place now
My breasts are finally cooperating and as long as I pump twice a day I don't get too uncomfortable. I get about 6 oz everytime i pump so I think I'll start saving it (my 2 year old has been drinking what I pump out so far... straight from the pump bottle ). My nipples are almost not hurting anymore (never really had this nipple pain with the first two). So nursing is actually starting to feel good.
My belly is shrinking at an incredible rate. I look about four month pg now. And I already have my waist back (well, not from the front, obviously). I'm so amazed at how different EVERYTHING has been this pg, birth and postpartum. The last two times it seemed like my belly stayed squishy forever. I think I'll be in regular clothes much sooner this time around. I can't think of what I did differently that would affect me like this but I'm liking it because I feel like myself (well, there's still quite a bit of postpartum hormone high lingering).
My body is still pretty sore, mostly in my pelvic and spinal musculature. I'm thinking I might take a walk to the office (a block away) and get adjusted on the table (dh has been adjusting me on our bed so far).
Had my first postpartum visitor yesterday afternoon. A lady from church who brought some food. I felt a little vulnerable because she just sat there and smiled and I felt like I needed to fill her in on the details of my labor but didn't really want to. She made the comment that I finally had some color... apparently I was colorless and lifeless-looking when I was pg. What a weirdo! I can't believe she said that. It was actually nice for someone to stop in and say hi because I've been feeling rather lonely.
Anyway, we've pretty much settled into somewhat of a routine as far as laundry (it still amazes me how much MORE laundry you suddenly have to do once baby is born). Dh has really been keeping up (our w/d is downstairs so I haven't been able to help out with that yet + he doesn't want me lifting anything heavier than baby for a while longer so he's chipping away at it himself).
Anyway, I'm anxiously stalking our ddc now to see who's next. So weird being on the other end of things this time. I so expected not to go until at least the beginning of the second week of April.

[elleystar]

I'm 36 weeks now...have an appointment sometime this week. (Still need to talk to MW to confirm what day.) I'm feeling pretty good I guess. Last night was one loooong BH contraction though...consequently I dreamed about labor all stinking night, and woke up what felt like hundreds of times. I only seem to get a lot of BH at night! Other than that, just stabbing cervical pain here and there that makes me pause for a second. Not much else to report...other than I feel huge and am wondering just how much bigger I'm going to get...my belly skin has been so itchy the last few days!

[MissAnnThrope]

willemsmamma- Fill us in on your updates too. I wanna hear about it

That goes for all the new mommies. Tell us what is changing and how things are going with the newest member of your house.

[Meche]

This week's MW appt is on Friday. My kids are back in school after two weeks of Spring Break, and I finally have a moment to myself! What do I do with it? Not the long list of stuff I need to get done, no, instead I'm wasting time reading MDC. LOL

DD#1's 8th birthday is this coming Saturday. We are still arguing over what to do that day. We already celebrated with her friends, and another friend is having a b-day party that day, but dh seems to think that we shouldn't go. He says that it should be our daughter's choice if she wants to go (to a friend's party at a bouncy party place) or out to dinner with Grandma & Grandpa. Well, DUH, what do you think she would pick? I know why he is arguing against it -- not truly because she would be "jealous" of not being the center of attention at another party on her own birthday (she's not like that), not because I'm going to be 38 weeks pregnant, but he really hates the bouncy place. It's hard on his "nerves." He is complaining that there is too much to do this weekend... yeah, because going to a b-day party one day and out to dinner with his folks the next day would impinge on his WOW time that he's trying to cram in before the baby comes. He would be perfectly happy to have his oldest daughter sit at home and watch tv all day on her birthday so he can be on the computer and then just go out for a 90 minute meal. ARGH!

Sorry about the vent. Had to get that off my chest. It could all be a moot point if the baby comes this week, but I doubt that! I think we'll make it to early April, despite all these contrax.

Otherwise I'm feeling good. I have a chiro appointment today, and otherwise the rest of the week is looking pretty normal.

[counterGOPI]

im 37 weeks on thursday but have my appt tomorrow b/c of those horrible belly pains ive been having. plus i get my GBS results *biting nails*
minus the belly pains an a tiny stomach virus im good pretty much finished up my list of things ot get done before sprout is born so im ready whenever s/he is.. ok minus not having a name GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[GISDiva]

Perinatologist on Thursday for one last look at the little kidneys and midwife on Friday. I'm 37 weeks tomorrow, so any time now! But I don't feel like much has changed, I get those random sharp cervix pains that someone else mentioned occasionally, but the soupy mucous I had last week seems to have disappeared now. I'm still waiting for that "bowling ball between the legs" feeling everyone talks about. Baby definitely feels heavier, but it's not impinging on how I walk or anything. Baby is staying head down but still quite active in spurts.

[milosmomma]

My appoinment is tomorrow morning. I'll be 38 weeks 3 days. Baby is still breech (from what I can tell). I'm hoping to go into labor naturally before my appointment next week (at which point they'll start pushing me to schedule). I've been feel menstrual crampy all day, but it's been constant...no pattern or rhythm.

I hope to know more tomorrow! (although what else could I know???)

[kjoy2]

35 weeks as of yesterday. Both my MW and OB appts are tomorrow. I've been having more BH contrax and cervical pain... but the real deal needs to wait for at least 2 more weeks!!! Babies are obviously growing; their nightly parties produce more pain as the dancing space runs out. Also having some weird lower left quadrant pain but can't figure out whether there would be any squished organ there... oh, and then there's PUPPs rash which comes and goes but is thankfully on the 'going' end today. ha ha. I think I need to do something indulgent today... sounds like I'm entering the 'this is enough, thank you' stage of later pregnancy.

[raspberry.swirl]

36 weeks pregnant, had a CNM appointment last week and was asked to schedule a visit for GBS test this week. I declined and have postponed it until April 1st. At that point I will be 2 days shy of 38 weeks and I will be on the weekly appointment schedule.

I have gained 30 lbs so far.

DH and I have purged the apartment of much unneeded clutter and are finalizing the baby prep (washing baby clothes and staying on top of our own laundry).

It's my last day of spring break vacation. I have some errands to run. At the moment, I am juggling recovery from a cold, graduate work, a very full-time job, a job search, and my first pregnancy. Just call me 'super mom in the making'

[limette]

Had my 37 week appointment yesterday at home. Not dilated at all, cervix soft and baby "very" anterior (not sure what the "very" means). The midwife dropped off the homebirth equipment including a bunch of stuff that I thought I'd have to buy (depends, blue pads etc). She brought a birthing stool with her, so I'm going to be sitting on it, to encourage baby to drop further.

I'm not scheduling an appointment for this week so the next one will be Monday (almost 39 weeks.) Dh has told everyone I'm due on 1st because he wants an April Fool's baby

We'll see how well that goes.

[chely7425]

My hubby wants an April fools baby too!! I told him I would see what I could do...

Things are going about the same over here... I still have no idea if anything is actually happening because I am totally clueless in general. I have another appointment on the 28th, I wonder if they will give me my GBS results? I did the swab last week and they had me swab myself and I have NO idea if I did it right or not!!!!

[2xshy]

I'm meeting my midwife this week. I'm 38 weeks pregnant!
i've been with an OB and just found a MW and can home birth so i'm going to make the switch. I still have an apt withthe DR. on wendsday which i'll go to.
Been feeling pretty good these last few days. A lot of pressure lower down and feeling periode type cramps pretty often, but very lightly. Aside from that still pretty tired ut very excited. I'll have more to say after wendsday

[paphia]

I'm just past 35 weeks. I've been nervous about my "actual" due date because even though I was charting and I know right when I got pregnant, I went to a MW who thought I was a month ahead, which put all this doubt in me. I mean, I understand that I have been measuring ahead this whole time, but still. So every twinge and BH ctx has been making me upset that I'm going to go into labor too soon for it to be safe for the baby.

My dh is wonderful and has been reassuring me that when I go into labor, it will be because my body and the baby are ready and everything will be fine. And that even 39 week babies or 40 week babies sometimes have to transfer to the hospital for different reasons and it's not like I've done something "wrong". He's really wonderful.

Today I checked my cervix in the shower because I've been feeling the baby dropping and where I couldn't reach it before, now it's within reach, about 2-3 cm and squishy, maybe 50% effaced. Ugh. It can always go back up. Ha ha. Actually, I was like that for a few weeks with dd1 so I'm not too freaked out. I did put a plastic sheet under my mattress pad today, just in case.

For some reason I am stuck doing three loads of other people's laundry today instead of my own which is pissing me off a bit. I guess everyone decided that they want to do their laundry today instead of the weekend when they aren't working and my dh is there to move things through. Whatever.

I've got all my baby and birth supplies ready to go. I wish my new house was ready! We visited it this weekend, went inside. There's tile up but no grout, bathtubs are in, cabinets are done. But no carpet, no countertops, no crown moulding, a few baseboards aren't done yet, there's a cracked window... The driveway is in, the roof is done, the paint is done and the shutters are up. It's going to go fast now!

[katiesk]

I have my 39 week appointment tomorrow - but I'm planning to cancel, as my midwife is in Paris...and her back up lives two hours away and I don't feel like driving that far. And it's been snowing and snowing and I tend to get stuck alot... so no appointment for me, which is just as well. I love the mw and her back up but I always get annoyed at my appointments. I feel like they are just telling me what I already know. "Oh, everything is good, you are healthy, baby seems great, etc..." I mean, I hired them, but still...I'm tired of midwives and appointments and wish I were doing UP. Oh well.

So for today...I have a new violin student coming over for a lesson, and I really need to clean the floor before she gets here. I also had a chiro consultation this morning and am going back in this afternoon for the second half (?) and hopefully she will schedule another appointment for an adjustment so that my hip/pelvis will stop hurting me! And hopefully really soon, because she is leaving for California tomorrow night. Thats the problem with living in Ak, is everyone is constantly gone to somewhere else - visiting family, attending conferences, looking for sunshine, etc. Except me lately, I'm always here because I have no money.

The other big news is that I have eaten a gluttonous amount of chocolate and ice cream and various other terrible things in the past two days. Gross.

[swiesz]

I have my 36 week visit at home tomorrow. I have been spotting a light amount of blood for the past week which is nerve racking. But nothing like the blood i had 2 weeks ago that led to the hospital and blood test, exam and ultrasound. My safe date is next week and feel that we will make it just fine. I probably go 2 weeks late with this one since all indications are for it to go early. I can do early as long as not pefore the 1st of april and the 5th isn't too good since we are doing DS #1's 5th and DS #2's 3rd birthday party Oh and not the 8th as we are possibly planning on going to the red sox home opener. I could always give birth at fenway park. That could be an interesting birth story

[limette]

I feel the exact same way about my appointments. Nothing happens at them that I couldn't do at home and they last about 10 minutes which I have to pay parking for.

The thing is they won't attend a birth without them and I don't feel comfortable UCing.

[Alpaca Wacka]

I had a midwife appointment this morning and toured the hospital where I'll deliver. It's not too bad, really, considering healthcare out here is in the dark ages. LOL! I wish they provided a food station for the dads though. We'll have to rethink things and figure out some snacks for DH and myself. There IS WI-FI however, so I can still update all my MDC buddies! LOL!

I'm still pregnant and still big as a house. I really thought yesterday morning might be the very start of something with all my crampiness. Alas I was wrong. Perhaps I need to learn to ignore cramps the same way I do BH's.