Daily 7/15 - Page 2

[mhaddon]

Well luckily my mom lives close, but not too close. However, SIL is getting on my nerves. She is over all the time and every time I pick up the living room she makes some over zelous comment about nesting and getting close. We live w/ the IL's and they never bother me- MIL went over 3 weeks w/ my bil so she knows what is is like so that helps.

However, my mother calls and I can tell just by the tone of her voice that she is wondering if I'm at the hospital yet. That is kinda anoying as well, I guess I'd rather her ask than poke around the subject, KWIM? She's going to keep the boys Thursday for my appt. and that will give me a break. It is funny b/c on Sat I was taking the boys down for her to spend the day with and she asked if she needed to come pick them up, as if I can't drive!! I'm not dead, jeez.

ELV to all those mamas going today!

[delightedbutterfly]

Due Date TODAY! (Well depending on who you ask )

I have a NST and US that I didn't want but my BP was up a bit at my last appointment and even though I had no other symptoms and my midwife just thought it was me getting ready to labour I consented to one. But the NST stress ME out!

They don't pick up well on me and I'm always uncomfortable through them and if I move the slightest bit then the heartrate drops off and everyone panics... Much like how I was ended up induced last time. But I know more this time. I will refuse for them to do it again until my midwife and I can chat.

Babe is active and happy and I can feel all her little parts But I'm having name problems now. We were set we had our First name, First middle, second middle and last. But now I'm wavering on the first middle and DH is just on board with whatever I feel. I was scared he wasn't liking the first name and he says he really likes it... The second middle is my late maternal grandma's middle name, we've decided to stick to family names there as DD has my maiden name there (well actually it's two seperate last names but noone can tell me how to change it so it's her middle... I keep getting different directions

But now the name I'm in love with for that spot is A) A little cliche with the first name and B) a little narcissistic as it's only one letter off from mine. But it flows so much better

Oh and my mom and bro are fighting again... And I can't help but feel hositility towards my parents when I find out some of the things they are doing to my brother... even though I know he's not always in the right either and I get stuck in the middle... I've really tried to stay out of it all but somehow they both drag me in to just "chat"... Don't they both realize that THEIR conflicts were the reason that my mom told me to move out at 18?

And now my bro might not be around after the birth as he may be going to visit his birthmom (oh the hostility over this for the last year and get away from my parents... What's even better is that the pyschologist that my mom pays for, that both my mom and bro go to TOLD my bro he should go... Of course I would never tell my mom but that would just really irk her. So now my bro might not get to see the baby for a month or two or maybe longer. *sigh* we aren't close but every time something *BIG* is about to happen in my life someone else (usually him) manage to overshadow it.

[babyjelly]

37+5 over here...14.5 hours of contractions and counting. they got pretty intense last night and i had a bit of pink show...but then my 5yo had a nightmare and needed me to come lay with her. it took over an hour for her to get back to sleep, and the ctx slowed considerably whil i was lying down. they never did stop, but i was able to get some sleep between pee breaks. they have gotten much closer again since i got up, but aren't as intense as last night.

my girls want to make pink fairy cakes now (pink frosted cupcakes), so it's off to the store we go. hopefully the walking will do me some good, right?

[AmyC]

Jenna, I had my acupuncture appointment this morning. It was pretty good, I think. During lunch, I had an uncomfortable contraction (menstrual cramp type) and fifteen minutes later I had another. Since then, not so much. Pressure when I walk, tightness (Braxton-Hicks) with exertion.

Drinking water and intending to be more active. But then I ended up back at home, so I'm not sure where my intention is going. I was downtown in the center of the town square and thought that walking the sidewalks would be more interesting than walking around in the air conditioned grocery store, or around Home Depot's hard floor surfaces. (Those are basically the two "big" options we have in town....no malls around here or anything.)

But I was in a little cafe and my phone rang. Turns out it was the nurse-midwife at my OB's office calling to tell me they got the results from my bloodwork and I'm pretty anemic. (I was trying to get back into taking iron & Floradix after that ER run 3 weeks ago, but it all brought back my gag reflex and with my current reflux issues anyway, I was miserable. Plus I kept thinking the babies might come anytime and so I didn't really have that much time for the supplementing to do much. Now, three weeks later, it would have been plenty of time to boost my levels and I regret that I wasn't more consistent despite the unpleasantness.

So....I came home and took my first dose. The midwife was pretty adamant that I get my levels up, because if I end up hemorrhaging or getting a c-section, it's likely I could need a transfusion afterward. So....given that it probably takes around 10 days to show significant difference in levels, I wonder if this will cause my OB to ease up on the induction talk? (Since that would increase the likelihood that I might be sectioned.) Probably not likely....she may just find greater reason to say my babies aren't safe in me since my iron levels are so low.

My numbers were
hemoglobin: 9.5
hematocrit: 29.7

Anyone know how bad these are? (I could barely hear the woman on my cell phone because I had to step outside the cafe to talk and the traffic noise was STELLAR.) She was talking about if I dropped 10 points after the birth, or something, I'd be in transfusion range.

I wish I'd sucked it up and taken care of this sooner, but I'm doing so now. (I've been eating dark leafy greens--that's about all I crave for veggies, with a little summer squash thrown in--and rotating between steak, ground beef, and pork most nights. But I know the twins are laying down their iron stores right now and I'm sure the twin pregnancy is an extra iron drain. I'm not surprised to hear that my levels, unsupported by supplementation as they have been, are low.)

[Tenk]

A good number for hemoglobin is 11, and anything lower than that is considered anemic. Mine ranges from 9-10 most days. But they stopped checking it after this last week since I'm delivering Thursday/Friday. I'm not sure why they wouldn't want to know if it's low still tho, seems like now would matter most.

Have you tried to eat a spoon full of peanut butter with peanuts daily, that helps me too. I don't take supps since I get so constipated from them. I don't know about the other number, sorry.

[maeby]

I think your hemoglobin is pretty low... mine was a 10.4 (hemocrit was 29 like yours I think) and my midwives were freaking out about how anemic I was. I got it up to 11.5(33.9) and they were happy but wanted it higher so instead I let it slip down to 10.9.(33.?) I'm still legal for my home birth but if I have any PPH I would probably be feeling pretty lousy. So I am taking 4 hemaplex a day and as much floradix as I can afford (I use it like a flask and poor some in my orange juice all day). But I have awful reflux all night too, I think from all the iron supplementation.

I think for your sake you want to get your iron up so you have at least some energy during/after birth.
You can also buy some liquid chlorophyll and put it in your juice or water... it tastes a little fishy but its not so so bad. Good luck mama!

[prairieo]

ok, I know it's a little late in the day....I was thinking about starting the thread at midnight, but I guess I fell asleep!

I had my big home visit today with my mw and bf (his first prenatal). We did the iron (12.5-woohoo) and blood sugar (137-that will work, even though high-yay) and gbs swab. I've been taking my probiotics regularly, so I'm not really worried about that one.

So, everything looks pretty good...BUT. The baby does not seem to be head down. dbf did some acupunture on me the other day to help my sacral area, and I swear I felt baby move 90 degrees while I was pinned up! very wierd feeling! Then when my mw went to feel the baby today, she's really thinking that lo is head up. It's been hard to tell my whole pregnancy. I have an anterior placenta, which has been confusing, and then I also have (supposedly) a uterine septum, although I have been training the cells in my body to just absorb/and/or move the septum out of the way. It seems to have worked, too, because I have one steady fundal height instead of two, and baby has spent lots of time with her butt stuck right in the middle, hence, stretching things out.

But when I went on to the spinning babies website, she said that women with uterine septums need to have their babes moved in the 5th or 6th month, and that it rarely works after that! And I'm thinking I will be having this baby pretty soon. SOOOOOOO....I'm back to the curse of the didelphys uterus, and trying not to freak out.

I'm not convinced the baby is head up, and the mw is not sure either. My bf stuck the needles in my toes and left me to hang out for the day like this. He is completely confident that it will work. My mw and I are looking for a board to do the breech inversion, and thinking of all kinds of other things. Then there's the webster technique....and bf is a chiro, too...but he's never done it, and can't find out exactly what it is....and seems totally unconcerned. I don't know how he can be so certain of this acupuncture point.

So...anyone know anything about Webster technique? Turning breech babies?

We did a vaginal, no head felt in there either, but I'm 50% effaced, very soft, and 1cm. Since the vag, I've been feeling a little crampy.

[finnegansmom]

What is the point of "menstrual cramps" at 40 weeks? Not contractions, just menstrual cramps? Is it, just one more thing to make me feel more miserable? Is my body just dumping the whole labor and birth plan and moving straight to my first PP AF? It's hot as H3LL here today, I'm miserable, and I feel like I have PMS. Serenity NOW.

[AmyC]

My OB seems to think that "menstrual cramp" type discomfort or pain is the real deal (she wants to know if I am having any. Not Braxton-Hicks tightening, but menstrual cramp pain.) I also see it on lists, such as in my Hypnobabies guide book, as a sign of early labor.

I think you might be getting ready for some action!

[finnegansmom]

Originally Posted by AmyC

My OB seems to think that "menstrual cramp" type discomfort or pain is the real deal (she wants to know if I am having any. Not Braxton-Hicks tightening, but menstrual cramp pain.) I also see it on lists, such as in my Hypnobabies guide book, as a sign of early labor.

I think you might be getting ready for some action!

I hope so, I've had it before but the last 2 days I have had more. Its funny, I keeping thinking I'm going to get my period soon (which in itself is bizarre considering I've only had once since 2005 - not that I'm complaining...).

[prairieo]

Michelle, I agree with Amy. Menstrual cramps are the good ones, darlin! That's what's going to get you going! Just keep having those, and soon perhaps you will feel them getting bigger up into your uterus! Keep us posted!

Amy, I grabbed this off the Bradley website:

Iron: US RDA for pregnant women is 30-60mg/day Hematocrit: Should be upper 30s, and some say at least 40. 32-33 is definitely anemic! Hemoglobin: During early pregnancy, 13 is a good number, Near term, 10 is a bit low, 11 is OK, 12 is great. The drop in hemoglobin is due to expanding blood volume.

I don't know if you remember a few weeks ago, there was a mom on here with a hemoglobin of 7. When I read your post, I thought, 10 isn't really a total freakout, just low. So I checked it out. 7 is serious, from what I understand. I use yellowdock. I put the recipe on that thread...it's the bomb. I have a 12.5 right now. let me know if you want the recipe...I know you're kindof preoccupied with a lot right now, and hopefully you can just have your babies and get everyone off your case!

[delicious]

where is spark today? i wonder if she's crowning.

[mhaddon]

Originally Posted by finnegansmom

What is the point of "menstrual cramps" at 40 weeks? Not contractions, just menstrual cramps? Is it, just one more thing to make me feel more miserable? Is my body just dumping the whole labor and birth plan and moving straight to my first PP AF? It's hot as H3LL here today, I'm miserable, and I feel like I have PMS. Serenity NOW.

I feel ya, I keep having a lot of cramping like AF is going to start... we have ac and I'm still burning up and I have a major headache. I also feel like puking : I wish this would lead to something.

I called the hospital, I have a tour on Thursday and the lactation consultant seems awsome. She said I would get a ton of goodies, a nursing bra (much needed), lanoline (I'm out), breast pads, books, new parts for my pis, and some other things... So all that is now off my need to get list!

[Tenk]

Originally Posted by delicious

where is spark today? i wonder if she's crowning.

OH, I hope so!! That would be wonderful!!!

[JennaW]

Things are pretty boring around here still. I have lost more plug, did I mention that I lost a huge amount of plug this morning? At least I think that is what it was, it was like a big glob of bloody snot.

I have been having a few contractions here and there.

I am going to a CNM appt right now, I think I will have her check my cervix, I'm finally curious

[Tenk]

Originally Posted by JennaW

Things are pretty boring around here still. I have lost more plug, did I mention that I lost a huge amount of plug this morning? At least I think that is what it was, it was like a big glob of bloody snot.

I have been having a few contractions here and there.

I am going to a CNM appt right now, I think I will have her check my cervix, I'm finally curious

OHHH, AHHH, me too Jenna. Good Luck!! :

[maeby]

I have been telling DH all week that I feel like I am about to start my period. And I mean it in all the ways... I started crying last night for no reason whatsoever. He was baffled.

But in good news! I had a midwife appt today and I decided I needed to have an exam. I didn't want one unless I went over my due date. Now I'm 40+4 and I just had to know if all these bh cntrx were doing anything!

Well I guess so because I am 3 cm, and my cervix is very very soft! She said it is like butter and very ripe! She felt my babies head! She said it is still kind of high but dipping into the pelvis. I am so happy!

We made an appt for a NST with them on Monday but she said she didn't think we would make it.

Yay!

[AmyC]

Originally Posted by prairieo

I don't know if you remember a few weeks ago, there was a mom on here with a hemoglobin of 7. When I read your post, I thought, 10 isn't really a total freakout, just low. So I checked it out. 7 is serious, from what I understand. I use yellowdock. I put the recipe on that thread...it's the bomb. I have a 12.5 right now. let me know if you want the recipe...I know you're kindof preoccupied with a lot right now, and hopefully you can just have your babies and get everyone off your case!

Oh, thanks for the info on the hematocrit/hemoglobin!

I missed the thread you're referencing, but I'm curious about your recipe and I'd be interested. Do you remember the thread to bump it? Or would you be willing to repost the recipe? If so, thanks!! (Not that you're not preoccupied with a lot right now, yourself....)

[pazerific]

Originally Posted by finnegansmom

Serenity NOW.

: i hear ya on the lame-o cramps. i've been having crampiness on and off for the past week with nothing to show for it. no more than a random ctx here or there, but totally not even worth timing or getting excited about.

i'm glad to say i got some cooking done today! i made a HUGE batch of kasha stuffed peppers and froze them. i love love love polish food (it's in my genes--i'm half polish) so i figured that would be perfect to throw in the oven when i want something home cooked once the babe comes. i've got some awesome pierogi from my fav polish restaurant here in hamtramck to go along with the peppers too. i'm hoping to get 2 quiches and some potato pancakes done tomorrow, and then i think i'll call the freezer stuffing done...unless i remain pg for a whole lot longer. (please, please, please don't let that happen : )

i had to remind my dad today that i'm not growing a baby too big to get out. the good part about it being my dad saying silly things like that is that he and i have a great relationship, so i have no problem throwing it right back at him. i reminded him how dd was born 16 days past her EDD and only weighed 7.5lbs, and i think i got a "really, she was THAT LATE?!?" um, yeah dad. silly silly dad.