May 2002 Hipmamas

[staleyg]

A no-drama hipmama hoping to meet up with her long lost may mamas here and also make new friends.

Anyone else care to join in??

:Peace :kiss

[BattleAxe]

Hi, Staley! Glad to see you here. I've lurked at Mothering for months, and get the magazine, so this seems like a good next step.

Hope to see other May mamas here soon!

Oh, and thanks so much for the great gifts!!! Awesome stuff - and perfect for keeping my brain alive during my increasingly frequent "bed rest" intervals. Thank you thank you thank you!

-love, anna

[Pinfeather]

I'm here :) Alas, very tired. I posted an update on the yahoo group, but i'll repost it here...

I had to go to the ER today with a suspected raging UTI. Well,
there's nothing wrong with me. I can't figure it out. All the
signs are there. My MW even thought I might have kidney stones.
Nada. They hooked me up to the monitor, and all is well (I
already knew that) BUT I got an ultrasound [;)] I wasn't expecting
to have one since i'm doing this at home, but they wanted to
check things out down below, so we peeked at the baby too [:)] Everything looks good, very cramped. Baby is pretty much ready to
go. Baby has a big ole head. Space is TIGHT. Same thing the MW
told me. From what she could see, which wasn't much, it looks
like there's Girl Parts [:)] I wanted another girl, too [:)] It's by
no means accurate, but she said that's what it looked like [:)] Kewl. I got a good face shot out of the deal. It's like a magic
eye picture.. you can see the face if you look just right. She's
been moving like mad all day. Kinda ouchy. And my twat hurts from
the catheter they had to give me to get a good urine sample. ow.
So that was my day.
How ya'll doing?

[CosmicMama]

Hi Stayelg, BattleAxe and Pinfeather (Ruhiel) - good to see you all and I hope others come too!

Ruhiel- Sorry to hear about your hospital visit but I'm glad everything was ok and that is cool you got another ultrasound and the pic (that magic eye comment made me laugh). You must be getting pretty close now - when is everyone's due date again?

I'm due one month from today!! Feels like a big milestone for me -my last month of pregnancy - WOW! I think we have most of the major necessitities but still neeed a diaper pail, a bathtub and maybe a medicine kit - stuff I didn't get from the shower. I guess I will have to pack a bag soon too. That is one thing I'm a little stressed about - getting to the hospital - since we live in the city we don't have a car and I'll have to call a car service when I go into labor!! I have to remember to keep a few #'s on hand and some cash... I just hope it doesn't happen during a rush hour or a Fri/Sat. night because sometimes the car services have kind of a long wait.

Also - does everyone who is not a SAHM know what they are doing for daycare already? I have one option and it's not bad but I wish I had a few more choices. I wish I could be a SAHM for a few years but can't afford it now... I'm hoping my job lets me work out a 4 day a week schedule but I've been afraid to ask - I think I might weight until I'm on leave or right when I come back to bring up the subject. Not sure how that will work out.

I have an ultrasound Thurs.- excited about that. Hope they tell me Max is in the right position and that he is still MAX... has anyone else been a little paranoid about that - his room is looking pretty cute and I keep having these thoughts that maybe they were wrong and it's a girl - that is what I really wanted originally but now I'm expecting my little Max and would freak if they had been wrong!!

[AnnaRed]

I'm a lurker/sometime poster here....i like it and love the magazine.

I hope Mothering may mamas feel welcome to join in if there are any!!

Cosmic - I get 3 months unpaid maternity leave w/benefits and plan to take it - and have no idea what we'll do after that. In fact, i have no idea what we'll do for the three months that i'm not working....hope dh's income can cover us.

The idea of handing my baby over to anyone just doesn't fly with me and i don't make enough money to justify paying for childcare...we'll see what happens.

I am OBSESSED with this baby. I am so boring now - all i want to talk about is all things baby - i can't wait!!

[Katey-Kat]

:kitty Hi everyone! (Starshine* here...)

I agree, I hope to "meet" some more cool mama's here. Maybe there will even be someone from Washington!

All is going pretty well with the baby. I have to second that it seems like she is moving less. Also, that she is a little lower. I don't think she's dropped per-say, but I'm pretty sure she is head-down now, and that is giving me a little more space by my ribs. Till she starts running her little feet along them.

She always starts moving around a lot when I am listening to music...her faves seem to be regge, and classical. Also when DH comes home (4 am!) it always wakes her up.

I was thinking...maybe we should do a roll-call dealy...I've forgotten everyones stats and such. It would be good to know dates, since we are so close, and to let the other moms here know a little more about us. What do you think?

(oh yeah, peggianne....I am so there too. Baby this and baby that, everyone IRL is starting to get sick of me I think!)

[staleyg]

hey mamas!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i am so glad to see you here!!! i am totally swamped at work today but promise to write a real entry soon. i hope everyone else shows up!! and i agree it would be great to add some new mothering moms to our group!

[playfulmama]

lisa d here

Kinda like playfulmama as a name (lisa d was taken)... maybe it will be a good influence on me! Thanks for getting us here staleyg... hope everyone follows and we meet some new maymamas too!

Specs: 1st babe
sex unknown
names... Tylee for a girl... Liam for a boy
age 37
SO = 28 yr old partner (we have been engaged for 2 years but never seem to want to handle the stress of marriage)
artist
director of non-profit art gallery (I get a year off work)
aiming for a home waterbirth
so far uncomplicated pregnancy
I'm due in 2 weeks!!!!!

I feel like the babe could come anyday. My cervix is starting to twinge (does this mean I might be dilating?), and I feel pressure in my pelvis. We got the watertub yesterday so are basically ready! All I can think about is the babe too! I think I have just about cleared everything off my plate!

Sorry you went through that scare, Pinfeather. Like the name. Well off to garden again... feel like I need to get the vegies in before this babe comes!

[Ravenmoon]

Hey Katey-kat i am a April mama from the boards and my due date was yesterday(how depressing!)but i live in Bellingham.Where you at?

[laralou]

I am not due until November but wanted to welcome you all here. Sorry your boards went down. I hope you decide to make a home here. :)

[Hueylene]

Howdy Mamas,
This seems like a pretty swanky new set up. To be honest I have a deep seated hatred of all things smiley or emoticon related but I'll try to contain myself. I introduced myself in the big hello thread (or whatever it's called) and I'll do some Cliff Notes at the end of this post. My mama always taught me to be polite when going to someone else's house for the first time. I was scanning the Roll Call thread and saw a number of established May Mama's. We didn't hijack an exisiting group did we?

It got really hot (for April) here yesterday and I am one cranky mama. I planned this whole business so as not to be pregnant in the above 70 degree weather. I do not enjoy the way sweat is forming where my belly touches my thighs when I sit, or where my breasts rest on my belly or any freaking where else for that matter.

Other than that all is well. I have a big day of "getting ready" planned for tomorrow. We are venturing to the dreaded Toys'r'Us to return the giant space highchair from hell. I'm also going to clean out my car so the bebe will not be attacked by unknown life forms in the back seat. I can't quite get my brain around "packing the bag for the hospital." I'm I mistaken in the idea that there will be plenty of time for that when labor starts? I'm working on a list of what to take but I'm still using a lot of it and can't pack it all up. We don't even call our midwife untill contractions are 4 min apart for two hours. Also the hospital is exactly one mile from the house, if we forget something it's not a big deal to go get it.

Sweatily yours,
Huey

Me: Huey
Age: 27 but I'll be 28 next Tuesday
Due Date: May 7
Bebe: Gender unknown
Birth Plan: Midwife in Hospital all natural we hope
Pregnancy: Best damn thing that ever happend to me. I'm one of the disgusting glowing ones.

[AnnaRed]

Good idea to re-do everyone's stats......

Me: Peggy Ann
Age: 35
DH: 35 yr old executive chef, we married at 4 mos pg
Due: May 26th, gender unknown
Names : Duncan for boy, Maeva for girl (will it have red hair?)
Birth: Home waterbirth is the plan
Pregnancy: a surprise, easy, happy, big, very excited.

I'm glad to see us all showing up here.....back to work fer now!

[BattleAxe]

Okay, I've stopped panicking about losing you May mamas... I guess the pregnancy combined with unemployment has made me pretty loopy these days. It's so good to "see" you all again.

Doc said today that bebe is riding really low in my pelvis now, which explains why I can breathe and eat again. My hips, tailbone, and pelvis are so sore and loose now that I can hardly walk - but, yeah, I've definitely been "glowing" and driving most everyone nuts with all the baby preps and excitement. I still have six weeks to go... doc says keep him in for another three and we'll be okay.

So here's my stat list:

name: BattleAxe (Anna)
location: SoCal
occupation: unemployed editor; might start teaching this fall
age: 35 (36 next Monday)
due: May 27
dh: Antonio, student (former truck driver/electrician etc.)
kids: I also have a 10-yo stepdaughter
pregnancy: this is my first; very hard first trimester but still worth it! other mild stuff - early contractions, mild gest. diabetes
name: Lazarus Stephen or Lazarus James (I'm still holding out for Lazarus Howlin' Wolf, though)
Birth: hospital, attended by OB and doula, with no drugs or other interventions, if at all possible

[Katey-Kat]

Hey Huey, I agree. I was kind of worried about hi-jacking their board, but every one seems nice. I have been a sometimes lurker, and haven't seen a "May Mamas" thread per-say.

Cosmic: I'll be going back to work (4 hrs per day away from home) 2 or 3 weeks after babe comes. I struggled with who would watch baby too. Our solution (with DS 8 years ago too) was that DH worked nights, and stayed with bebe durring the day. That sucked in a lot of ways...no sleep for either of us, and we saw each other for about 20 min a day. Just found out that someone I work with has a daugher (she is 17) who is looking for a part-time deal watching a small baby. I've met her and she is very responsible and caring. She also works caring for several dissabled adults, and is licensed to provided respite care for kids refered by Child Services. Any way, she willl come and stay with the baby for a few hours a day, so DH can sleep. SO relieved that I found her...

Ravenmoon: I'm in Spokane. not that far :rolleyes:

BattleAxe: I have that hip/pelvic pain too. I think (know) my poor posture makes it worse. My sweet, sweet, DD rubed my sacrum with the back masager for 20 min last night. Too bad that she doesn't want to be at the birth. I'm thinking I could really use here there!

The worst thing is, with all that pelvic pain, my ribs ALSO hurt, and just as bad. Sometimes so bad that I cry. (ok I was so temped to do the little crying icon guy, but in honor of Huey, I won't!). I guess that is just what I get for being short. No room for baby!

Ok here are my stats:
Me: Katey
Age: 26 (freelance Graphic Designer)
DH: James, 29 (works in electronics)
Kids: Kayla (10) and Stephen (8)
Due: June 3rd, girl (probably)
Names : Morgan (still working on a middle name, I want Rose)
Birth: Hospital with an OB, but have been thinking a lot about an unasisted bith...I better decide quick!
Pregnancy: My first planned baby! Has been a breeze, really. No health problems, and I'm still hardly showing (that's what others say). I just like to complain a lot.

[staleyg]

hey mamas! i couldn't resist logging on from home to say hi.

huey i don't think i hijacked anything--just started the thread for the hipmamas but made it clear in my first post that it was open to everyone. hopefully we'll make some new friends :) oops sorry i am sort of an emoticon junky...will try to hold it together--no dancing bananas or anything. i agree with you about the heat! geez i imagine memphis and virginny are pretty close to the same level of miserable right now. it was 85 over the weekend and very unbearable. i crank the ac at night but still can't sleep. my once beloved body pillow is now like a giant ball of heat, but i need it!!!!! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!

i am so all about baby right now. tomorrow i am full term (37 weeks) and i am so ready to go! i am really crossing my fingers for going into labor on sunday and fulfilling my dream of a baby aries, but it is probably unlikely. i have my home visit with the midwives thursday and i guess they can tell me if i have any early signs. anyways i'm washing all the baby clothes now, i've done my birth bags, bought yummy snacks, scoured the house, bought birth announcements and made a list of who to send them to. i refuse to do a hospital bag. if i have to go i'll just send someone to fetch what i need. i feel like it will be bad luck to have it packed, ya know??

so so so so SICK of work.

i have read so many baby books it is out of control.

oh here's my stats:
just turned 30--dh is 35
i'm an urban anthropologist who does community relations work
dh is an archaeologist (we met in the peace corps--cameroon west africa)
first pregnancy--very very excited
gender unknown but strong suspicions of a boy
due date may 7th
planning a homebirth
planning to use cloth diapers, breastfeed, co-sleep, and sling (memphis weather permitting!)

i think that's it.


who are we missing now? fiber, baltimama, electricita, urskek....buehler??

:kiss

[violet]

Hey all--So good to hear from some other mama's dealing with the same stages. I'm about 38 weeks, technically due May 1 and I think I'll make it about that long.

I'm 25, living with the dearest MIL in the world with DH (age 32).
I'm staying home now. Nothing good to report in the financial area--DD is WAY underemployed, recently graduated with an MBA but nobody is hiring. But we'll make it somehow.
We live in Northern Calif. and it's starting to warm up--I love it!!!
first pregnancy
gender unknown--I suspect a boy
finially turned head down after months of transverse
homebirth all the way.

Anybody nauseous? I woke up feeling horrible this morning. I'm guessing there's some hormone/prep. for labor thing going on in my body that's making me queasy---I feel worse than at 12 weeks!!!

Blessings to all--
Violet

[playfulmama]

Welcome violet! We pretty much have the same due date.

I tested out the birthing tub last night and stayed in for hours watching a movie! It was great... I walked for about 2 hours today without limping!!!! Had prune feet.

So great to hear from you all!

I get kinda nauseous with the smiley icons too! But have to say this site seems very cool and welcoming! Hey and all you may mamas are here! I'm going go to the temporary thread and see where the others are!

[Hueylene]

Hi Ma's-
Ummm yeah I was complaining about the heat yesterday... it was 97 freaking degrees here today. What is up with that? (If they had one of the little evil smiling things that burst into flames even I would insert it here.) I have no maternity clothes to cope with this crap. I tried to go to Old Navy for some cheap shorts but nothing would encompass my low riding belly. I wish I were more of the go naked around the house type but I'm not.
I was able to complete some of my list of to do's. Toys'r'us was as miserable as expected but the highchair is no more. We got lots of odds and ends and bought diapers. Yikes I thought choosing tampons was confusing! I also did some house cleaning and Paul kept saying "Are you nesting?" I don't think vacuming up the giant dust elephants under the bed qualifies as nesting, it's basic hygeine.
Tomorrow we start our one a weeks with the midwife. She's back from vacation so my biggest birth fear is gone. I'm sure something else will pop up to replace it.
We're going to get a digital camera as a birthday present from my MIL (husband's bday is Monday mine is Tuesday) any advice from the gallery? We're lookking for something good but not super complex.
Peggy Ann- How did I not know your husband is a chef? Did you know mine is too? (as am I) What kind of place does he work? Did we go over this before and I forgot? Did he go to culinary school? I went to New England Culinary, husband trained on the battlefield.

Anna- Sorry to hear about the hip and pelvis pain. I have an occasional twinge that makes me walk all funky but it goes pretty fast. Your birthday is the same as my sweetie, Earth Day too! Mine is the day after. We have had some ripping birthday parties since we celebrate two at once. With this baby we are going to be a three taurus family!

Katey- I'm so glad you found what sounds like the ideal caretaker for the baby. I know that is going to make it easier to go back to work when the time comes. When I have to go back we are going to try to stagger our schedules so one of us can always be with the baby. I worry that we won't have enough time for each other though. We'll see.

Staley- I'm really glad you started a thread here, I didn't mean to sound critical. New places just make me anxious and I didn't want to get off on the wrong foot.
Did it get hotter there today too? We are a/c free (for now) and it's rough. I'll be kinda glad to go to work tomorrow 'cause at least it's cool.
You sound so prepared for the baby. I'm still pretending like it's not really going to happen half the time. I'm guessing you're not going to get your Aries baby but we bulls aint so bad...

Violet- Hi mama. Glad to meet you. Sounds like your body is getting ready for that baby to come soon. How exciting (not the nausea just the soon!) Hope that lets up. Are any of the morning sickness remedies working?

Time for another ice pop, more soon.
Huey

[Electricita]

Hi all!

Jeez, this is like the fourth forum that has been established around the net for May mamas, isn't it? I've signed up for all of them but I don't know if I will remember what they all are!

But lotsa you seem to be here, so I'll hang around...

LisaD and...(who was it?) we all have the same due date - May 1! I am starting my weekly midwife sessions today...I am curious as to whether the head is now in place, but I somehow doubt it, I think I felt it more on my side yesterday...

I have been wondering - do the babies keep moving around noticably as you go into labor or do they go quiet and stop kicking, for example? I'll have to ask my midwife. I definitely have felt a slowing down in movement, I don't think there is much room, and the sleep periods are longer. But when baby moves, it is often by sweeping the head (I think) over my bladder so I just about wet my pants!

But otherwise, my main physical complaint is a bit of heartburn...I am feeling the emotional part a little harder right now. I am getting anxious about dumb shit and the rational part of my brain is really annoyed with myself. I'd prefer that my DH did not go anywhere in the morning and just stayed with me and I tend to have horrible "what if" scenarios dancing in my head - about life in general, not necessarily the birth or the baby...It sucks but I take it to be hormonal.

Yesterday I broke down and bought a lot of store stuff after basically being given most stuff used & for free - except my deluxe, 70s era white vinyl baby carriage that I love (and only paid about $150 for). So when the changing table is assembled and I've stocked it, we are pretty much there on the supply side.

BTW - I've said this on the Bust boards before, but damn, so many Americans get a rotten friggin maternity deal. I feel almost embarrassed to be not a little pissed at my (American owned) company for not giving me the six month fully paid maternity leave that 60 percent of companies give here. But I do get half my pay for the first 12 weeks - and I can stay away for a year under the law with at least unemployment benefits to support our ass. I'm the main provider in the house, so we will definitely take an income cut, but at least I have that choice. I salute you guys for dealing so well with so little - and I hope you use your votes well!

OK, stats time before I use up all the space on this board!

Where: Danish national, living in Copenhagen with American DH of 7 years whom I met in Scotland 10 yrs. ago. Lived in Albuquerque, NM 1993-97.
Age: 30 as of Monday
Occ.: IT Journalist (rock journalist in my free time, see www.deadbeatmagazine.com)
Due date: May 1 - birth clinic
First child - have a hunch it's a boy but no facts to support it!

[esperanza]

hi everyone! took me awhile to find my way over her but here i am! i'm also at fiercefamily.com under this same username.

anyways, i must let you all know first that i really dig the emoticons and will probably use them lots. sorry!

ok, so when did it decide to be summer? oh, right when i am at my biggest and crankiest already! it was in the 90s yesterday here. i was not happy, and usually summer is my favorite season! :crying

luckily my mom had already convinced me to get a pair of maternity shorts, so i was semi-prepared, but i've not shaved my legs since i got pregnant in september and had a dr's appt, so went in my shorts and all my hairy glory!

i've been lots more sensitive lately, i think. had a big freeze-out with dh yesterday, and fought this morning too. i'm feeling all kinds of super-anxious about what things are going to be like after the baby, and he is just not matching my paranoia/anxiety level! i want him to be as baby-obsessed as i am, but i think only my fellow may mamas are!

definite confirmation on the low-riding baby=serious hip, pelvic, tailbone pain. baby A (on the left side) is pushing my cervix but not yet engaged, while baby B (on the right side) is still riding a little high. so i can get cervix tickling and rib tickling at the same time-- aren't i lucky? :D

only about four weeks to go for me!! i'm so ready to for the pregnancy phase to be over and the babies phase to begin! good luck to everyone!
:rolleyes:

[esperanza]

forgot to do a stats update so here it is:

*23 years old
*married to spike, 27, for four months
*we met in grad school when we were both getting our master's
*he works with a nonprofit, i am not working for the first year after the babies*having twin girls, sofia and lucy
*hoping to go get my PhD in women's studies starting fall of 2003
*sweating profusely here in baltimore
:banana

[islandgirl]

may moms?
Me too...3 more weeks, all I can think about too is the little one. Sucks when you are still working! I am taking off eight weeks and really nervous about that and how everything will pan out after going back to work. I plan to take the baby with me and my schedule is pretty flexable but everything is baby dependent. My husband doesn't make nearly enough to support us so he will be Mr. mom. Baby has been moving so much, I have such broken sleep.

[Katey-Kat]

All you overheated sweaty mamas should come visit me!

We had a high of 47° yesterday. And it snowed. (it didn't stick, it all melted, but yeesh!) I'm really wanting to get out and work in my garden, but I am still to worried about it freezing...

[CosmicMama]

Hi Mamas!
Okay - I'll jump on the complaining of the heat bandwagon. It will be 96 here in NY today - and living here - we have no choice but to go into the hot subway tunnels and then on the crowded trains- it really is the pits- not like we can jump in airconditioned cars... Also since we recently moved I hadn't hooked up the air conditioners in my new apartment yet - that is due to be done this weekend (we need professionals to come do it) so tonight I will be VERY uncomfortable. I am debating sleeping at a friends. Yesterday I went and bought a few clothes that were a bit cooler - I hate to spend more money on maternity clothese when I only have another 4 weeks (maybe less?) left but no choice so what are you gonna do?

Other than that - the usual... Baby obsessed too. Paranoid about what could go wrong and the future - all that fun stuff.

Oh - my office always has collections for people expecting a baby or getting married or whatever - and then we usually have cake and present them with a gift (or gift certificate)....So of course now that this should be happening for me - the office coordinator who usually handles these things was let go about 2 weeks ago and I don't think anyone else is thinking of it :( Which sucks because of course I always chip in for everyone else. I actually said something to the receptionist yesterday - who is supposed to be a friend and has taken over some of the ousted guys duties and she "jokingly" said I was greedy and that she'd pass it on if she remembers - gee thanks b*tch. Oh well. I only have another 3 weeks of work scheduled - I'm out of there 5/10 - woo hoo (for a few months anyway).

The stats were a good idea- I had forgotten everyone's...Here are mine:
I'm 31 - DH is the same - we've been together almost 12 years (almost didn't make it a few times but I guess we are meant to be)!!!
I'm an Admin Asst. w/ a financial co. - boring job but decent pay and great benefits. DH is HR recruiter.
First baby- Max - expected 5/15 - we are both very excited although I'm quite nervous too. It's been just DH and I for so long it is definitely going to be weird at first but great once we get in the swing of things.
Just doing a hospital birth w/ my regular ob/gyn but hoping for the best - pretty nervous about the whole birth thing. Going for ultrasound tomorrow so at least hope to hear he is in position!

Well, that's all for now- again - Happy Birthday everyone - there are so many of you I can't keep up!!!

[Electricita]

Yay! The head is in place, I'm ready to pop says my midwife! And it does seem like my cervix is starting the practice session, so hopefully it won't be long now!

[AnnaRed]

Hi islandgirl and violet - welcome!

Elec - Wow!! I'm sure the internet isn't gonna be foremost on your mind but keep us posted - how exciting! My heartburn is flaring up now too...pretty irritating. And yes, you are right about how the US treats maternity. Crappy. Its like, "We dare you to try to have, and raise, a child." I could go on and on......

Cosmic - i dont' think you're being greedy...i think we are all sort of unsure and anxious about all sorts of things, and excited too, and getting the support and celebration from your co-workers was something you were looking forward to. Makes sense to me...i really look forward to that sort of thing because its not like you have a baby every day!

I'm with katey-kat - here in Oregon its been on the cool side and sometimes sunny, sometimes overcast/rainy. Which is fine since i don't feel like working too hard in the yard and i CERTAINLY don't feel like walking around in small summer clothes at this point. People say, "you look great, its all just in the tummy" but they are grossly misled by my baggy clothing.

Mom took me shopping yesterday and she dropped a load of cash on a WONDERFUL glider/ottoman - it reclines and has cushy yummy head support and everything. What a treat. By far the most comfy one i'd tried.... And she bought a baby dresser with a changing table top. She is a CPA and tax season just ended so she thought she'd splurge. I felt guilty all night long over what she'd spent but friends keep reminding me that this is her first grandchild after all and she can afford it and we can't. My mom kicks ass!

Hopefully dh's mom will buy the carseat. Its her first grandchild too.....We are sad because baby doesn't have grandpas. My dad would love this....i get sad about that sometimes and wish he were here. (He died of a heart disease in '93 and we were close...he was a crazy Scotsman with a great sense of humor and twinkly eyes.)

Playful/Lisa d- you got your birth tub! how exciting....i won't get mine for a while but i'm not due until may 26th. That must make it seem more real, having the tub there.

Staley - what kind of sling do you have? (A friend is giving me a maya wrap and i have a baby bjorn that another friend bought us.)

Huey - dh is executive chef at a private chi-chi country club. He trained on the battlefield too. This job is okay..... He really misses his old job which was at a gorgeous inn on the Oregon coast, where he chatted with the guests after they were done with dinner and he really had a lot of creative leeway. This job pays better but is clearly more corporate and less funky. However, the restaurant situation here slumped pretty badly post-sept 11th and he was thankful to have a solid job that pays well and has great benefits, esp with the baby on the way.
He's love to open his own place. He's a fabulous cook and i'm spoiled rotten.
Do you and your dh work at the same place? you must throw great parties! I'm NOT a cook but i am a really good eater!! And congrats on the digital camera! Thats what i want but i think its at the bottom of the list.


OK, I am babbling and have to go get something done....more later...

[FiberChick]

Hi everyone,
I thought I'd drop in, even though technically I'm not pregnant anymore. It's great to see everyone here and even some new folks.

My stats:
31 years old, archaeologist, but for now a SAHM

Family unit: DH, Dcat and Ddog (and now Dbaby)

Planned birth: due date May 3, midwife in hosp., no interventions or drugs

Actual birth: March 30, via C-section due to preeclampsia. Every intervention imaginable, ugh.

Healthy pregnancy vibes go out to all of you.
Sleep while you can!!

FiberChick

P.S. BattleAxe watch your mailbox (sorry so late,unforseen circumstances)

[peggy]

Welcome May Mama's!!! I was very sorry to hear about your boards and am so glad you could all re-connect here!
How awful it must have felt to lose your on line support system in the last few weeks of your pregnancy!

If you'd like to connect with even more May Mama's here's a link to a thread that was started awhile back:http://mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?s=&threadid=63&highlight=Spring+Babies

Again, welcome to all of you!!

peggy

[Serenity]

Count me in too! I feel so much better reading other's posts about this stage of pregnancy. I had such an easy time before and ever since I hit 35 weeks have been feeling really uncomfortable, whiny, and irritable.

Here are some of my stats:
Age 31, dh 32, plus 2 cats
Due May 13th
First babe, gender unknown
Plan homebirth with a midwife
Currently on maternity leave, yippee!

I'm so looking forward to meeting new baby. Have to get my cat used to seeing me with babe in arms (may try a doll for practice). He is very attached to me and very fussy, likes to be dominant in my attention.

Glad to have so many May mommas to go through this experience with!

[Mneek]

Hi, all. I've been lurking on the hM May 2002 mamas thread for months! Haven't had much time to post (start maternity leave next week, so you might hear more), but I'm so glad to see y'all here.

Stats:
Me: 32
DH: 35
2 cats, a skinny black one with extra toes and a fat, fluffy orange & white one.

EDD: April 29, but I think it'll be 1st week of May. Expecting a boy. Planning to spend most of labor at home, but birth at birth center with midwife & doula.

Plan to go back to work at the end of June, with dh as WAHD. We'll see how long it lasts.

I've had a pretty uneventful pregnancy, but the last month or so has been a doozy -- til tomorrow I'm still at work (rant sure to follow sometime in the next week), and it's kinda like working with my brain soaking in a pool of molasses.

Next week I hope to start all my seeds for the veggie garden, and I hope ds-to-be will be okay with hanging out on the porch while i dig weeds.

Hugs & good labor vibes to all of you, especially Hueylene and Ruhiel for keeping it all together.

[AnnaRed]

Serenity-
I feel a little whiney these days too, which is pretty unlike me.

And i am pretty concerned about my cat too- we are TWINS, he follows my every step, he is 15 and i've had him for so long. He sleeps cuddled up at my side and snuggles against my face all night. He is the ruler of the house and i adore him - he's old and needs meds every day - i can't imagine what he'll do when the baby replaces him in bed and takes up all my time.

I was worried about my dog too but she is so easy to please and docile, and has been bonding more with dh lately anyhow.

OK - back to work.....

[BattleAxe]

Hi, Mamas-

Glad to hear from all of you - and Fiberchick, welcome back!!! How's bebe doing? I wish I could take your advice to sleep all I can now, but (like the other mamas, I presume) my sleep patterns suck now. I woke up this morning at 3:30 and didn't fall back asleep until almost 6:30; less than two hours later DH decided he wanted to "discuss" (argue about) stuff from last night. ANYway, one good thing about being awake was that the babe was very active - he was quiet all of yesterday and Thuesday night, after I fell on my butt out in the yard. It was not a serious fall at all, but Laz all but stopped moving and, of course, I got very nervous. Being such a calm, level-headed person and all.

Cats... yup. Georgia is 14; I've had her since she was a week old and, especially since her mom and then sister died a few years ago, she's become very clingy (not that I mind, most of the time!). She'll sleep by my face, or wherever she can find space, and now that I'm home almost all the time she wants attention all day, too. Will she hate the baby or be indifferent? Will she start peeing all over the place (already becoming a sporadic problem as she ages), or will she adapt? Guess we'll find out soon enough. Serenity, I like your idea of practicing with a doll....

Electricita, I hope you're doing well - how exciting!!! I'll send great birth vibes your way. And sometime soon we'll definitely talk about the US approach to maternity - family values, my ass.

I've been bitching to my IRL friends about how cool it's been here (SoCal) - cloudy and damp and upper 50s/low 60s... you know how Californians love to turn minor weather variations into crises... but I remember those hot, humid east-coast days (being a Philly native) and do sympathize. Big, achey, AND sweaty is a pretty rough state to be in, especially when you hadn't planned on it (isn't that why we got ourselves knocked up at the end of last summer???). We'll be sure to send you back your real spring weather just as soon as possible... :-)

Well, I have some stuff to do (pressing tasks like folding laundry) - happy final-month (or final weeks) thoughts to all of you!!!

-love, anna

[Electricita]

Thanks, battleaxe!

The head is in position now is the latest from my midwife, weight slightly above average for 39th week, the last supplies including diapers were secured in a shopping frenzy early this week - we're ready to rock'n'roll!

So I am sure that means I've got at least 3 more weeks to wait...

Saw my friends's beautiful April 8 baby yesterday, so makes me want to get on to the next stage of this!

[staleyg]

hey mamas! welcome to all the new mamas (especially the ex-lurkers!) fiber tell us more! are you up to posting your birth story or a picture?

had my home visit with the midwives last night. i had a mild panic attack b/c the midwife thought the baby might be breech, but it turns out the baby is just reeeeaaaaal low. yay!

last night i woke up with the most intense acid reflux ever! it felt like i was going to puke, my throat was on fire. i went to the bathroom but nothing came up. when i woke up a bit i realizedit was just reflux and popped some tums. woke up a few hours later with the same feeling. ended up sleeping almost upright.

then this morning i felt VERY mucous-y. so now i am convinced my mucous plug is melting or something!

i'm so hyper--i guess i'm trying to convince myself this is almost over. or maybe the heat is just making me extra crazy.

work is throwing a "surprise" shower for me in 30 minutes--i can't wait!

take care mamas, have a great weekend!

oh p.s. did you get the email about mamatron.org? it looks great! (no, i'm not suggesting we move again, just an fyi for the hipmamas :))

[playfulmama]

Yeah, it is so nice to hear from all you mamas! Ok, I'm ready to go! 10 more days till my due date! My ankles are swollen from this heat... and I keep going for long walks anyway. Think it will help the baby to come. I was worried about preclampisa (because of the swelling) but I don't have any of the other symptoms so there are no worries. I feel alot of pressure in my pelvis and some twinges in my cervix. Please come baby... but I maybe be waiting 3 more weeks (thanks for the realism Electricita)!

Fiberchick, how is your litttle one? Are you breastfeeding or bottle? Are your blues still blue? As you can tell from my whinning, I'm dying to be with you on the other side!

I had all this stuff to comment on but am too tired and braindead! You are all in my thoughts as we get closer to knowing our little ones better!

[AnnaRed]

Wow Playful - 10 days! That is pretty damn exciting!

I still have 5 weeks....my shower isn't even until next weekend.

How was the suprise shower Staley? Did you score? Thats nice of them to do that for you.

My boss made me get all teary the other day. I work part-time at the University (I quit my other part-time job at a non-profit so am down to 3 days a week total) - ANYHOW, in the office where i work its just me and two other women who i've grown to know very well. I get 3 mos maternity leave, unpaid of course but with benefits, and can cash out my vacation and sick time for pay.

My boss asked if i really thought i'd come back after the 3 months off -I said only if dh and i can swing it so that when i am gone he is with the baby - we can't afford to pay someone else for childcare and i don't see myself wanting to do that anyhow. She said that she didn't mind at all if i brought the baby to work. Can you believe that?
My other co-worker has a 9 yr old daughter and she can't afford after-school care and has to leave her alone and worries ALL the time - there have been several abductions here lately and she hates to leave her home alone. So our boss said to bring her too and she could help us with the baby (the 9 yr old really wants to babysit my baby.)

Whether any of this is even feasible or not makes no difference to me at the moment- I just thought it was a very nice gesture and my main thought was WOMEN ROCK!!!!!! and my boss doesn't even have kids - she can't, yet is still so supportive of us who do/will.

Anyway - i am babbling ad nauseum....

Battle- I would worry a ton if i fell and baby was quiet after, even though i know it should be just perfectly fine. I worry over the smallest stuff now - i think its just anxiety funneling into whatever outlet it can. I'm glad you are both OK though!

Mneek- is this your first baby? That is interesting that your dh will be a SAHD, are there any others in the May mamas group who are doing that? For us it isn't even an option since dh makes a lot more money than i do (and we're still broke), but i am interested in hearing about it.

OK - today is my day to clean the entire house and maybe work in the garden as well - I look forward to hearing from everyone, esp those who are so close to birthing!!

[staleyg]

hey mamas!! guess who's water broke this morning? MINE!! actually it is just trickling out...the midwife came and confirmed it so all that mucous yesterday must have been my plug. cool huh?? only thing is that i don't have any contractions yet. so mamas send me some good birthing vibes because it looks like i'm in for a long haul!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

if you don't hear from me for awhile don't worry. i'll check back asap.

wish me luck!

(p.s. looks like my vision of a baby girl aries might come true after all :))

[Electricita]

Holy Smokes, Staleyg!!!!!

All the best of vibes to you for a good birth - and we can't wait to hear the details!

[AnnaRed]

Good luck and keep us posted!! - the suspense is too much.
I'm sending good strong healthy birth vibes your way!

[Mneek]

Yay, staleyg!

AnnaRed, this is our first. Dh works at home and STILL makes more $ than I do, but he's a contractor and doesn't know how long the job will last, while I work for an evil corporation and therefore get us health insurance. He figures there's enough slack time in his sched to watch the baby and still work ("uh-huh, sure there is" I bet you're all thinking) . We've agreed that if that's not the case then he should quit, since we've been socking it away as DINKs for a couple of years and could still live fine on my salary.

From the trenches: I just finished my last week at work and promptly had a semi-panic attack, I think because I haven't been away from my job for more than a week in several years, and am feeling somewhat unhinged. I definitely don't love my job, but I'm used to it, y'know? To cope with this sense of raging uncertainty, I started on a cleaning project this afternoon, only to unknowingly suck a sock into the vacuum cleaner and have it begin to spew forth nasty, toxic smoke. I think I might have killed it! Now how will I get rid of all those balls of cat hair that lurk in all the corners and threaten to engulf our newborn as soon as he gets here??? EEeeek!

[Pinfeather]

WHOOO STALEY! You go girl! Birth that baby!!

[Katey-Kat]

Oh my!

Staley, I know you probably won't read this, cause I'm sure you are a little busy right now. :-)

i just meant to read the posts really quick, cause I have so much to do this weekend, but last night I had the stragest dream...you were in it. We were touring the hospital where I am having my little one. What a coincidence! (ruhiel was there to...so now I wonder....) :-)

I'm so excited for you!

AnnaRed: I have 6 more weeks. :-( I am really getting anxious to have the baby with me. I was playing with my friends 7 mo yesterday, and I just can't want till I have my own little one to snuggle.

I'm starting to get a little panic-y about the birth...you see I misscarried last year at the time that I am due, this year. We discovered that the baby had died on the 4th of June, Dr. estimates that she died on the 3rd (and I had a strange feeling that day that something was wrong), and I had a D&C on the 5th. Now I am really upset at the idea that this baby will be born on one of those days. (I'm due on the 3rd) Those were the worst days of my life, really, and how will I be able to concentrate on what I need to do to birth this baby when I am so preoccupied with the one that died? also, that was the last time that I was at the hospital (same hospital) and saw and experienced all those "hospital-y" things.

I'm really mad at my self that I am stressing about this so much. I really want to enjoy the last few weeks of this, but I can't now.

Well I have house cleaning and baby shopping to get to. I can't wait to hear from you, Staley!

Katey-Kat

[playfulmama]

go staleyg... or i bet congrats on your little aries is in order at this point! LOL

This is getting so exciting! Can't wait for all of us to be complaining of lack of sleep, dirty diapers, etc!

That is such a nice story about your work place AnnaRed! I too feel pissed off about the kind of maternity leaves you all get in the states! it is like only the rich can spend as much time as they like (need) with their kids! I hope this works out for you... women do rock!

Mneek, I broke our vacuum too... or at least me and SO are afraid to open it... so with 3 cats in the house i just try (< operative word) to sweep often.

Katey Kat, so sad to hear about your loss. Good to talk about it though, and of course your new little one brings the pain back to the forefront! We are all here to listen as you mourn... try to let yourself celebrate as well! I'm sure the little one you lost is celebrating with you!

I'm off to meet some west end toronto hipmamas in a couple of hours! Feelin' kinda shy but am sure they will be sweet.

Are you out there luckydog6? How are things?

I wanna meet our bebe!

[Hueylene]

My goodness Staley you really wanted that baby by tonight!
I'm so excited for you. I hope all is going well. My thoughts are with you and your new family!
Huey

[starkitty]

Hi May mamas! I'm glad to see you all here from HP mama
I'll review my stats:
27
First babe due April 30 (8 Days!) but I'm not counting on it.
Possibly GIRL
Hospital with Midwife
Cat:1

I don't post a lot but I'd like to keep up with you guys, I can't believe were about to have our babies! Staley!!!!! Hope you are holding yours right now.
I'm all ready, DH put the swing together a week ago and it's just taunting me, like "I'm waiting, you have to get through giving birth before you can use me." I'm getting super anxious, I'm excited to expierence the birth of my baby. I just want to get it over with already.
I'm not totaly ready to give up the pregnancy though,
I'm one of those "love being preggers" ladies. I feel so sexy and beautiful most of the time and I love to feel her move inside of me. BUT, I will love when she's out.
Take care all!

[esperanza]

:love

go staley go! tons of great birthing vibes coming your way, although by now you are probably safe and sound with your new baby!

i'm jealous! why oh why can't it be a few weeks from from now and my girls ready to come out? right now they are just taking turns pushing on my cervix, and trying to push their way out the sides.

has everyone else felt all glowy and beautiful and happy during their pregnancy?

because i really haven't. there have definitely been transcendent moments, but on the whole i feel big, grouchy, impatient and uncomfortable. oh well.

[Serenity]

Esperanza, I am glad you said that because I feel ungrateful sometimes, this being a healthy much-wanted pregnancy but I have not felt beautiful, glowy, and happy for much of it. And especially now at the end I feel so huge, uncomfortable, and crabby!!!

[FiberChick]

Wow! Go Staley.... or by now it should be congrats! You're on the other side.

Katey-Kat I'm so sorry about your stress. I hope you can try to think good thoughts about your little one-to-be and stay focused on that. Positive thoughts go out to you as May approaches.

Thanks for the cute bibs Peggieanne, that was so sweet of you!

Seth is doing great-- he's up to 5 lbs as of yesterday, gaining an ounce a day on breast milk (despite their concern that we should be giving him high calorie formula instead-- hellooo, breastmilk is the perfect food, right?) and we are finally getting the latching on thing working right.
I am feeling better too. I took my last blood pressure med this am, the doctor will hopefully give me a clean bill of health tomorrow.
I was realizing yesterday that I miss feeling the baby move around inside. Everything has been so focused on my belly for so long and now there's nothing there but some flab.
I know these sound like wierd thoughts but the change back from pregnant to not is stranger than I expected.
My mother leaves saturday and although it is really time for that to happen I think we will go through some stress when it hits home that this is the way things are going to be-- reality with baby.

Hooraay for the SAHD!! My DH really, really wanted to do that but his job has the bennies and much better pay.
My temporary boss was asking when I might come back. At my shower-after-the-fact last friday, my whole office showed up at my bosses house and we really cleaned up with the gifts. These people have only known me for three months!
I got my going away card (I was in the hospital on my last official day of work) and my boss wrote something about saving a place for me. It was so nice. But, now I've got to figure out if and when I could. We had planned on me being a SAHM for a few years and the idea of trying to arrange suitable day care is frightening.

Okay, who's next to birth?

[Ravenmoon]

Well here i am at 42 weeks and counting.This is my third and i've never been overdue before!I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed to say the least.All of my April hipmama friends have given birth already.I'm hoping this won't be a May baby though because then i will be seriously overdue.Good luck to everyone else!

[staleyg]

oh my goodness mamas! sorry to leave you hanging. i was in labor for 36 hours!!! my beautiful baby boy, satchel, was born at home, drug free, sunday night at 7:55pm. that was the hardest thing i have ever done! my midwives and my dh rock :) and so does my precious baby. i am already majorly sleep deprived and am still recovering from the 36 hour marathon!! all i can say is WOW. i will post my full birth story and a pic asap. probably this weekend. thanks for all the positive birth vibes!! can't wait to hear how everyone else does!! yeooooooooooow!!!!!!!!

[BattleAxe]

Yay Staley!!! :) :) :) :) Congratulations on your baby boy, and on making it to "the other side"!!!! I am so excited for you and can't wait to hear more details - in the meantime, rest, love your baby, and rest some more!
-love, anna

[Electricita]

Staleyg - You did it!!! We want pix!

God, I can't believe that's going to be me soon...Due date 1 week away today but I have a feeling this baby's gonna let me wait it out - and some....

About glowing: I had been feeling pretty good for most of the time, and physically I am still totally fit for fight, but then in the last few weeks this sense of dread has crept over me - not about birth (at least not consciously) but about all kinds of other nasty things that could happen to me or someone I love. It is SO hard to deal with your head sometimes...But then I talked to another mama who had gone through the exactly same thing during her pregnancy and at least for the last two days I've been able to keep morbid thoughts at bay....Has anyone else had to deal with that?

[Hueylene]

Oh Staley-
I'm crying here. Sosososososososo happy for you! Thanks for letting us know all is well. Now, go get back in bed with your boy.
You did it, you ARE a hipMama.
Much mama-in-waiting love,
Sarah
Huey

[Serenity]

Congratulations Staleyg! Can't wait to join you!

Electricita: I'm right there with you on the morbid thoughts thing. I spent a sleepless night contemplating life and death issues--mine, baby's, MIL (she's due for surgery next week). Birth seems close to death in many ways and requires your surrender to your body to get through. My midwife has told me that its completely normal to feel anxiety, irritability, emotional towards the end because our hormones are changing again back to their prepregnancy state. It is like a bad case of PMS and I've definitely got it.

[AnnaRed]

I am so happy for you!!! I can't wait to hear your story - 36 hours - woman, you are a rock star. I like the name Satchel.

Fiber- I'm so glad Seth is doing so well and the breastfeeding is working out now. I like his name too!

My midwife just left here...it was our first home visit. She brought me a huge bag of stuff for the birth. Makes it seem awfully real all of a sudden! Wow. Am I doing this?

We can't quite tell if the baby has dropped but we think so. I can breathe now and heartburn is pretty much gone and i can hardly walk. I still have 4 1/2 weeks but we'll see. I look so huge. She took one look at me and i could tell she was shocked. This baby is pooched way out in front. Way, way, out. My skin hurts so badly because its pulled so tight.

I have been relatively glowy the whole time until now. Now I am a little grumpy because i am so cumbersome, i feel super unattractive (shallow, i know, but its starting to get to me) and i feel like dh isn't "present" enough. I feel emotional in the same way I did at the very beginning so i know its the E word - estrogen.

Do I sound ungrateful or what? I have a wonderful dh and this has been pretty smooth for the most part - i just feel grumbly and my lower back hurts. On that note, I am off to make a garden in the back yard....

I really want us to stay in touch through all of our births!

[Katey-Kat]

:) I am so so so so happy for you! 36 hours. Wow. I can't wait to see pix, but be sure and get your rest. You SO deserve it!

This whole thing is still so unreal to me. I set up the baseinett (I can never spell that), and it just seems to sureal that in a few weeks there will be a baby in it. I wen't baby shopping with DH (who is getting more and more involved, much to my relief) and I think I am in denial about the size of this kiddoo...I kept picking out these cute little outfits, they looked like the right size to me...till DH pointed out that they were for PREEMEEs, they all said 3-5 lbs. yeah. DD was 8.2 lbs, and DS was 7.8, so I don't think so. The other stuff all looked so BIG. I found some really really cute stuff though.

We had our last Dynamic Birth class last night. It was great. I am SO glad that I took it. I have 6 more weeks, at my next Dr. apointment he will do an internal exam to see if we are getting close at all. I have a very strong feeling this will be a may baby, but since my other two were late, I'm trying not to get my hopes up, or when I go into the middle of June, I will be VERY unhappy.

Off to get the kids from school. I can't wait to see who will be next!

[FiberChick]

Sorry about the smiley, Huey, but I had to do it for Staley.

Staley, WAY TO GO, GIRL!

36 hrs, wow! How beautiful is your Satchel? The most beautiful in the world, I'll bet.

Of course, now I'm under pressure. If you get your birth story and pic up before I do, I will be so, so lame. Of course it's been almost 4 weeks for me now, and there really isn't any excuse, is there. sigh.
Atually I'm not sure about how to post pics here, and since Staley has been our internet savy mama, I don't know what I'll do about my photo.

[BattleAxe]

ah yes, who's next... (RavenMoon, I sure hope it's you - 42 weeks??? You strong woman, you...)

Serenity, I know exactly what you mean by the hormonal stuff - I totally lost my marbles at DH and DSD last night, for no particularly good reason, and after blowing up at them and then sobbing for a while and then apologizing profusely, I realized I had just experienced the equivalent of a really, really bad case of PMS. Until then, I hadn't had any serious mood swings for quite a while - despite the constant aches and pains, throwing up every morning, restless nights, and worrying about every little twinge, I've been in good spirits throughout this trimester. Not now. I'm done glowing, dammit...

And the "nursery" is all but finished - I gotta say, DH (with a bit of help from my mom and dad) did an amazing job of transforming a dark, dingy 6 x 7 foot closet into a wonderful little space, with frog borders and a small fish tank and shelves and repainted crib and dresser. He even built a changing attachment for the crib that folds down from the wall. I'm just about done with my sewing spree; I just have to finish up the quilt and then I'll have completed the whole linens side of things. And we got more than enough baby clothes from DH's sister, and picked up some essentials at last Saturday's shower, too. We just need to rig up a bedside sleeping arrangement (bassinet? combo thingie? basket?) and we'll be set.

So, come forth, Lazarus! Okay, I'm jumping the gun and should give the little guy a few more weeks of belly bliss... if it could possibly be blissful being cramped up in the belly of his cranky, barfing, shuffling, moaning, rolling-over-fifteen-times-a-night mama.

Okay, enough outta me. Hang in there, almost-there-mamas! And Staley and Fiber, I hope your boys are doing great (and that you are, too)!

-love, anna

[esperanza]

:D

yay staley!!!!!!!!!

yup, i think there's definitely something hormonal in the air. prob doesn't help that my sleeping is shot!

at least the heat has gone away, and this weekend we are getting a whole new influx of baby stuff, so that's more to look forward to. my hospital bags are packed and ready, and we have car seats. my husband has an odd fascination with the whole mucus plug thing. i don't really get it, but he asks me if i've seen my plug yet all the time!

glad i'm not the only one lacking glow. thanks, mamas.

[CosmicMama]

Congrat Staleyg- so did you make that Aries cut off mark? WOW - 36 hours and still DRUG free at home - you go girl. I love the name Satchel. Can't wait to see a picture but as it's been said - just make sure you get some rest for now. Anyway so so happy to hear all went well and you have your little one.

Fiberchick - glad to hear you are well also. Sounds like Seth is gaining weight and doing well and glad to hear you are good too. With you and Staleyg with your little boys - I want mine too!!!

Hope maybe Ravenmoon (42 weeks- yikes!) and Electricita have joined your ranks- can't wait to tell them congratulations also!!!

Me- I'm hanging in there. I only have another 2 weeks left of work to go (last day 5/10) and my due date is 5/15. I'm hoping he comes on Mother's Day - would like to celebrate that with a baby to hold in my arms :).

I can barely take work anymore - this week had to work a 12 hour day on some stupid project... I am still catching up rest wise from that. Can't sleep well and generally just cranky and uncomfortable. Nope- no more glowing from me either. Need to get my act together and pack a bag, do some laundry etc... hoping to find some time for that this weekend.

Anyway- just saying HI. This is so exciting to read about all your precious babes coming into the world... can't wait to join your ranks!

[Mneek]

We're making progress! Spent yesterday in the garden pulling weeds, spreading compost and planting snap peas. Passed a bunch of reddish pulpy stuff last night, and have had some pink show ever since. Seemed to be having contractions every 10 min or so, but they've since tapered off. Last one was like 1/2 hr ago, I think.

Midwife says this could be it, or it could go on for weeks! I sure hope not -- I really want to have the baby BEFORE mom gets here on the 4th. Looks like we might make it. To encourage progress, Dh and I are gonna go for a walk, and maybe run some errands.

Can't wait to meet the baby!

-Mneek

[Electricita]

Wow Mneek - does sound like something's about to happen! I'm jealous, I am ready for things to get moving here but I feel about the same as I have for while. I bet I'll make my midwife appt. on my due date this Wednesday....Oh well. Noone's been pregnant forever, I guess.

[Hueylene]

Good morning Mama's and mama's to be-
I get so excited when I check in every day to see if someone else is havin' a baby. It sounds like a few of you are getting close and having some promising signs. I'm 38w3days and I don't feel like anything monumental is about to happen. I'm guessing I'll go late but so far I'm ok with that.
Sorry to break it to you but I'm still glowing. I'm excited to see the baby and almost ready but I just love being pregnant. I saw myself in a mirror the other day and loved how round I looked. I've never treated my body better (yoga, great diet, supplements, rest, reduction of stress) and I guess it just really responded to the love. I hope I'll be able to keep it up after the bebe comes.
At the midwife this week everything was peachy. She thinks I might be late too but I won't be going much more than a week past my due date. My Rh injection at 28 weeks runs out about the 14th of May. The baby is also about 7.5 pounds now and could be heading past 9 pounds by then. Yikes! I fully trust my midwife and we'll be doing every trick in the book to start labor naturally before we even consider drugs.
I keep working until next Sunday but I do have three days off next week which is a treat. I've started getting serious about reducing the clutter in the house because it was driving me crazy. Now I just have to figure out what to do with all the stuff that went in the reject pile.
I hope you all have good weekends and who knows, maybe the full moon on Sundaty will work it's magic on someone!
Huey

[Ravenmoon]

I got some acupuncture done last night to stimulate my labor.She gave me some horrible chinese herbs to make a tea with.Yuck!They do make me feel like a lot of energy is happening within though.She said she has had success with everyone she's helped and it usually takes a day or two.I go back in at 4 today for another treatment and i hope this does it!Otherwise castor oil on sunday or i have to go to the hospital on Monday.Yikes!

Congrats to the new moms and good luck to those in waiting.

[AnnaRed]

Go Ravenmoon, go!
Best of luck with the herbs and possible castor oil. Keep us posted on your progress ok?

my midwife brought me some herbs to start taking tomorrow (36 weeks) - our shower is tomorrow. I think it'll be fun - hope so.

Mneek - anything to tell us yet? This is all so exciting.

Staley and Fiber- hope you are hanging in there. I'd love to hear more from the other side!!

Esperanza - that cracked me up about your dh fixating on the mucous plug. Maybe because it seems mechanical or something, like a spark plug. ;)

I SCORED at garage sales yesterday morning. Some people sell brand new baby stuff for like, a quarter. Makes buying something new seem crazy, although i keep doing that too.

OK, back to cleaning the house. Our families are coming over here after the shower and i can't stop cleaning. Vacuuming up catfuls and one dogful of hair...

As an aside....You know, it will be so nice to get out of my pregnancy "uniform." Every morning its the same: hat, braids, loose pants, dh's t shirt. I look like an auto mechanic every day. Instead of being all flowy and fertile looking and goddessy i look pretty butch. But this is how i feel comfy for now, i think it works.

[playfulmama]

Hi mamas!

Wow, Mneek how are you? Also Ravenmoon, been sending you lots of labour vibes! You have the patience of a saint at 42 weeks! Something must be happening by now!

Glad to hear everyone else is hanging in! I'm very moody but managing not to cause any drama (for the moment)!

My due date is Monday but after an internal w/ my midwife on Friday... she said she thought I had 1 1/2 to go still! I don't have alot of patience... already doing some homeopathics, spicey food and walks everyday (still no sex... sometimes wonder if we will ever... ok that is for another thread!)... but waiting is already driving me crazy!

Glad to hear that your bebes are good Fiberchick and Staleyg! I'm already wondering how it will feel with the bebe when all the excitement and novelty wears off! I am *so* glad we are having our babies now and not in the fall... so we can spend lots of time outside in the sunshine! Particulairly those with kids already (I'm guessing).

Well off to see movies at the drive-in tonight... people on the street keep laughing at me (ok one or two)... but feel like getting out in the privacy of our car!

Lisa d

[esperanza]

go ravenmoon! i cannot IMAGINE holding on until 42 weeks!

annared-- we have gotten so much stuff from yard sales. my mom and her boyfriend are the ultimate sharp-eyes about it. we've gotten two cribs, a changing table, a dresser, two complete sets of crib bedding, a glider rocker with ottoman, loads of toys, a playpen, two swings..... its just crazy. and all for so cheap! and the furniture especially is really really nice stuff.

today dh's office announced that they are having a shower for us next monday afternoon! that is our third shower! between that and yard sales we are ultra-set. even for twins (i hope!).

tomorrow we have a sonogram to determine if the babies are head-down or not. even if the first is, the second baby often flips around once the first baby has been delivered. so i might end with a vaginal delivery AND a c-section! too scary to think about.
i'm at 34 and a half weeks now, which is really good for twins. if we can make it to 36 then we have the best chance of taking them home with us right away! wish me luck!

good luck to all the mamas who are close!! mneek was having pink show, right?

also, ruhiel-- i saw your thread on mamatron today. best of luck, strong mama.

[Mneek]

Hey, everyone! I'm a mama! Noah Asher was born on Friday, 4/26 at 2:56 PM. He was 6 lb 9.4 oz, 20 in long. He's gorgeous -- blond, like neither his mom or his dad, and already a champion sucker!

Briefly -- I got out of work 4/19. Spent a few days cleaning the house and lumbering about mournfully, going to the supermarket every day for exercise, and got sorta anxious. People had begun calling the house to ask when the baby was gonna get here, already (don't you hate that?!?!), and my best friend told me she could come to visit probably Mon 4/29 or Tues. Plus full moon was Fri. I really didn't want to wait til the 29th, so dh and I started doing a little nipple stim on Tues and Wed. This worked, and some leeetle contractions started Wed nite. By Thursday, things were clearly happening, with conversation- and locomotion-stopping contractions by the evening, and at 3 AM (now Fri) I went in to birth center for a cervix check (another birth was in progress & midwife couldn't leave), and was 3cm. Got sent home, but the doula came over. Had nasty, nasty back labor. We went back to birth ctr at 9:30 AM. 5 cm now. Argh. Back labor was so nasty we just HAD to get it over with by 3. I tore a little, but generally emerged safe and sound, and feeling deeply blessed that it went so fast. Dh still can't stop holding the baby and beaming. He was freaked at the time but (I'm relieved to say) I didn't say anything mean to him while in labor.

I had no idea how I was gonna get through it, but here I am on the other side. It's still so new I'm just shuffling around in a cloud of hormones, topless, sleepy, and unwashed, letting dh handle most of diaper duty.

I send you all, especially Ravenmoon and Electricita, my strongest kick-starting labor vibes. I swear it's contagious.

I can't post attachments, or I'd have a pic for you all.

-Mneek

[Serenity]

Congratulations Mneek! That is awesome!

[AnnaRed]

That is a wonderful story Serenity! CONGRATULATIONS on little Noah - you let dh keep up with the diapers and try to get some rest. Wow - so many mamas already!

Ruhiel - i read your thread on Mamatron too - hang in there mama....it sounds like a very stressful situation and i am sending you good birth and family-vibes all around.

We had our baby shower yesterday - It was more like a backyard potluck...the sun was out! Sort of odd in some ways because an ex-boyfriend of mine showed up (2 actually) and then another ex-boyfriend's mom. I was glad to see all of them and dh was fine with it all but it was an interesting mix of people. When worlds collide....
But we got some much needed baby stuff and i am very touched. My boss made me a beautiful baby quilt and will embroider the baby's name and birthdate on it when he/she comes. I didn't know she sewed and she said she didn't - this was her first quilt. It is lovely. And my co-worker bought us a stroller and the diaper bag we wanted and some clothes - they spent a lot and they don't have much to spend. Very sweet.

I hope all you mamas and mamas-to-be are doing well and gestating/laboring/birthing peacefully....i'm off to try to plant some things in the "garden."

[FiberChick]

Congrats Mneek!
So happy to hear of another mama making it through to the other side. Noah Asher is such a cool name.

Good vibes to all the other mamas in waiting.

We are into some sort of 3 week "growth spurt" and Seth wants to eat every 2 hours during the night. I'm super tired but getting used to it.

My DM is gone which is good because she annoys DH (and me) but it was nice of her to be here while I recovered from the c-section.
Now we are planning the in-laws' visit which will have its own annoyances, I'm sure.

[Ravenmoon]

Opal Luna was born at home on saturday in the late afternoon.It was a quick 3 hour labor and she is healthy,happy and amazing.I'll write more later!

[AnnaRed]

OOOOPS!

I'm sorry Mneek - in my last post I meant to say congrats to you but i got my names confused.

Now, CONGRATULATIONS Ravenmoon too! I wanna hear more. Sounds like the kind of birth I'm hoping for. Opal is a beautiful name!

[Hueylene]

So many mamas and It's not even May yet!
Many congratulations to you both. Sounds like things are going well for all our mamas. I hope the trend continues! Who will be next I wonder? How are you holding up Lisa? Electricita?

I'm wide awake here at 4:30 in the morning on my day off. My damn cat woke me up and I just could not turn my brain back off after that. I've been sleeping pretty well and am trying to appreciate every moment.

I thought I had a decent post here but I'm not feeling too chatty all of a sudden. I'll try again later.
Huey

[Electricita]

I'm holding up OK but am getting a little jealous of the mamas on the other side! AND of my friend who is not even due until late June but who got scanned yesterday and now knows she is having a boy! No fair, my due date is tomorrow and I have no clue...But I shouldn't bitch because they are monitoring her closely because of high blood pressure/risk of preemclampsia, nothing to be jealous about, but still...

I am so ready for the next stage especially because these last couple of weeks have been fraught with what I'd damn near call rampant paranoia on my part. I need a baby to concentrate on instead - I keep worrying that someone I love will get hurt or really sick (including myself) and I KNOW it is a "deferred" kinda freaking out about this birth, life about to change, the time to come etc. - fueled by massive mothering hormones. I guess other people sometimes worry obsessively about the health of the baby, same thing I guess. But it still sucks. I have to police my own head so much not to start dwelling on bad stuff instead of all the good stuff to come (and already here). I guess this is my morning sickness - I was spared the bad stuff until the end and now at least I can see the light at the end of the tunnel...

I was also up a lot of last night (incidentially, worried sick about my brother just because my dad had tried to call him several times and not gotten hold of him - he just called and of course is fine) and now kinda loopy with lack of sleep. But my dad is here working on my vegetable garden and it is great to have the company and distraction. I need to keep filling my calendar over these next days - the more I do the less I dwell on crap, and luckily I am still having a very easy time getting around.

I am going to enroll DH in a "baby-exorcism" ceremony tonight and hope I have the same good results! For these last months I couldn't help hoping for a May Day baby but I really doubt that is going to happen....

[Serenity]

Congratulations Ravenmoon!!! It's great that you were able to have the home birth that you wanted. Glad to hear that babe is doing great! :love

[CosmicMama]

Congratulations Mamas! Noah, Opal - love the names. Sounds like all went well and is continuing to do so - very happy to hear that! ANd wow- a 3 hour home birth, sounds great - was that your first??!!

Electricita- hang in there- I bet you're next. I hear you on the paranoid thought - but pretty soon you'll have the babe to look after and take up all your mind space. I went through hoping the baby will be okay - now I'm actually worried about when Max is older - I'm talking teenage years and such - how crazy is that? I've just been thinking of my two teen brothers (who live in another state and I don't see very often) - They are bright kids and had so much potential and are both not doing the greatest right now- very unmotivated, failing school, dabbling in drugs (hey, they are teens) and it freaks me out. (I've gotten so old all the sudden)... Then I watched this HBO documentary on Monday on the dad doing Ectasy with his kids - did anyone see that? Looked like the family was doing great for years- close, he was a good dad.... then seems everything just feel apart and him and the kids were all into drugs and partying. also totally freaked me out. I know I can't be worrying about that stuff now but I can't seem to get these thoughts out of my head on whether Max will turn out ok and be a "good" boy when he is that age. And really, I was no angel and went through my experimentation phases but now I'm worrying in a very "mom" sort of way - forgetting that I turned out ok.

Okay, had to get that out of my chest. 15 (16?) days until my due date! I'm still hoping he comes on Mother's Day - I just think that would be a wonderful present for me. Still have another 2 weeks of work left but may talk to my dr. on Thursday about leaving a few days earlier than I planned - I think I should have a good week or so to rest before it comes (ha- it could happen any day now, not that I'm feeling that close). Anyway- congrats again to all you Mama's!! And hang in there and best wishes to those stilll waiting.

[playfulmama]

Congrats Mneek and Ravenmoon!

Thanks for your story Mneek... Noah Asher is a lovely name. The nipple stimulation sounds like a good trick! You had already effaced I believe?

So glad Ravenmoon that your little Opal Luna finally came (beautiful names... I bet she shines). Tell us more when you are up to it!

Wishing all the new mamas lots of rest and sweet baby bonding!

I so want to be there with you's... I am one day past my due date. Still no signs other than some cramping. I walk about 1 1/2 hrs everyday. Eating spicy foods, taking homeopathics... but at my app. last friday my midwife said I hadn't started to efface yet... so lots of evening primrose is being taken. I have another app. today so will see if there is any progress (how long can someone stare at a piece of toilet paper for (that mucus plug will give me so much joy)!

On the other hand I don't really know why I am so anxious. It is really nice having this time to myself and not feeling guilty about not being really productive (I'm a tad of a workaholic). Even though pysically my relationship is off... on all other acounts, we are bonding in an very special way! A deeper kind of love.

Hang in there Electricia! I get real scared about the baby if it hasn't moved for a while or if I wake up on my back but the babe always seems to know when I'm afraid and gives me a reassuring kick! Cosmicmama, I'm already worried about the teenage years as well... I was a hellion/street kid who disappeared for a couple of years before I hit 20... I don't know how my mother did but she was amazing!!!

Huey, my cat keeps waking me up too. It is as if she senses the changes and is more needy lately.

AnnaRed, glad you had such a lovely shower! Does the garden make you feel in touch with the babe... and all that squatting will help it come? Or is it just me?

Fiberchick, glad Seth is growing... I'm a tad worried about all the visits (my home is my santuary). My in-laws dropped in last night without any notice. I was alone, reading and eating molasses on toast (not really up for visitors). I really hope this isn't a habit as my family would never do that (they know me too well and I can be moody but do fine when prepared).

I emailed everyone to tell them the babe was expected around May 10th now, so they would stop calling. I think all the phonecalls were making me more anxious. The midwife gave us a list to post on our door with visiting rules. It is a tad hardcore but she said with homebirths, often the new families don't get enough alone/down time, as the house is always full! I think I may email out an slightly nicer version.

Happy last and first month everyone... get lots of rest... I feel so sappy today!

Lisa d.

[staleyg]

congrats mneek and ravenmoon! LOVE the names and am VERY jealous of the 3 hour labor! wow. i am still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that i labored so long. yikes.

i'm doing well, feeling almost normal. spending lots of time at home relaxing with satch. he is such an angel. i can't believe my body made him. last week was a bit trying when my milk came in--i got engorged, he wouldn't feed, etc. i was a wreck. crying uncontrollably, etc. but the midwife came as did my best friend with her breastpump. the midwife massaged one boob while my bf pumped the other. it was quite a site! all is well now and satch is nursing like a champ. but my advice to those who plan to breastfeed--get the lansinoh, nursing bra, manual pump, etc. now. it will make things much easier!

sleeping is also coming along. some nights are better than others, but we're getting it together.

also just wanted to say that the cloth diapers are awesome. i am so glad we decided to use them.

and finally, we had the rabbi come yesterday to do a naming ceremony for satchel, minus the circumcision. it was a beautiful ceremony and so wonderful not to have to deal with the cutting. pshew!

i really want to post my birth story but i'm not quite ready to re-live it yet! maybe we can all talk in june!

thanks to everyone for their kind words and thoughts. my thoughts are with all the may mamas! can't wait to hear how everyone does. hang in there and have fun!!

pictures coming soon.

xoxoxo, staley.

[CosmicMama]

Can't wait to see the pics Staleyg. Glad it sounds like things are good. Yeah, still can't believe your LONG labor but sounds like it was so worth it. I did mention I love your name too, right?

Bf'ing sounds like an ordeal but I'm gonna go for it too... Do you recommend a manual pump over the electric? Why do you think you need it early? Sorry for all the questions it's just that BF'ing is a big concern of mine... Hope I'm up for the challenge.

Also- I think it's great that you decide not to do the circ. I know that was a big decision for you and I'm glad you were able to have the ceremony and find a rabbi who was supportive.

[staleyg]

hey cosmic :) i didn't think i'd need a pump until i planned to go back to work, but once my milk came in i was engorged and the pump really helped alleviate the pressure and made it easier for satch to latch on. also one of my nipples was kind of flat, bordering on inverted so the pump helped get it up--if that makes any sense. breastfeeding is great, but there were definitely a couple of days that i doubted whether i was gonna get it straight. it is really important to know that you can do it, even if it isn't easy at first! oh and you may want to get some cabbage too :)

[BattleAxe]

Congratulations to Mneek and Ravenmoon!!!!!! I hope you and your babes are doing great.

I haven't posted much (but I've been lurking) just because I've been so tired. Could be because I'm not sleeping well at night, and just the weight and energy of the baby... at any rate, when I go to the library now, I check out four or five books because if I run out of good reading, I turn back to the pregnancy/birth books and freak myself out all over again. I keep trying to tell myself, I know what I need to know, and it'll all be great.

I did have a *slight* scare last week, though, that made me realize I'm not *quite* ready for bebe (and at 36 weeks, we're still early). I called my doc and then had to go to the hospital Thursday for a nonstress test because bebe decided to completely stop moving that day (normally he's a banshee) and scared the crap out of me. I also couldn't tell whether I was leaking fluid or was becoming completely incontinent and leaking pee. The ultrasound showed lots of fluid in the sac, and the NST went fine - until about 25 minutes in, when his heart rate dipped for a good five minutes. So they sent me from the pleasant Perinatal Center up to chilly Labor and Delivery, where I had to strip, put on a flimsy gown, and lie on a hard bed for three more hours for an extended test. Lucky for me, the ferning (fluid) test was negative - yep, get me some Depends - and the three-hour NST showed no more decelerations. I went back to the Perinatal Center yesterday for a follow-up NST and the nurses said, "Oh, we didn't expect to see you here again! We thought for sure when you got sent upstairs on Thursday that they were going to deliver your baby!" Gawd. Luckily, my doctor is fairly conservative and really doesn't want to deliver until after 37 weeks (next Monday), though I suppose if I'd been leaking fluid who knows what might have happened.

I did get some facial pix of bebe, though - the first one from Thursday was really goofy, so I asked the nurse yesterday to try to get a better angle (I know, I'm bad) since she had to do another ultrasound anyway, to look closely and make sure bebe is NOT going to look like the next Dizzy Gillespie in full blow. If I could post the pic, I would - Lazarus "Dizzy" Sanchez... nope. Doesn't work for me.

ANYway, we're doing the formal maternity ward tour tomorrow evening, and I'm hoping it'll leave me with better feelings than last Thursday did. Having to strip, lie in a COLD room with nothing to do, and get three-second checks from too-busy-for-you nurses left me kinda sour on the place. I actually called my insurance carrier to find out about alternatives (birth center, home) - nope, gotta go to the hospital (at least there's no co-pay). With mom *and* pop being unemployed right now, bebe unfortunately doesn't get a choice. Sigh.

Anyway (again), hearing about all the births inspires me, and also hearing from you fellow May-mamas-in-waiting helps me remain patient. (This WILL be a May baby, right?????????) And good idea on the breast pump - I've been looking at them but wondered whether I should get one now or wait. -Till when: after bebe is born and I'm more exhausted than I am now and my boobs are three sizes bigger? Think I'll venture out tomorrow...

Staley, glad to hear nursing is going well now... what's the cabbage for??? (and I'm glad to hear about the naming ceremony sans circ - I have yet to discuss this with DH, but I've firmly decided against the circ...)

-love to all,
anna

[esperanza]

congrats mneek and ravenmoon!!!!!

i love hearing about all the new little babes! i have my breast pump ready, and will get nursing bras this saturday.
thanks for the tip, staley!

went to the doctor yesterday and had another sonogram. each baby is weighing in at four and a half pounds right now! no wonder my belly feels so heavy! there's plenty of fluid and we got some nice facial shots. they are both head down, which also good news. and my cervix is still closed, so it looks like we are going to go to term with these kids (37 weeks for twins, i'm at almost 35 right now). my doctor is delighted and surprised! if we haven't had them by 38, we will induce. so either way, i'll have these kids in the next three weeks!
battleaxe--glad your stress test turned out well, although sorry you had to worry.

has anyone else been tested for strep B? i was yesterday, we find out next visit what the results were.

good luck everyone! hope you are all well!

[staleyg]

what two days and no new babies?? it's may 2nd!! just kidding--no pressure. i am so excited for everybody!

ok apparently you cannot post pics on these boards! (or i can't figure it out--if it is possible someone let me know) SO...i have posted a very adorable picture of satchel on mamatron.org in the pregnancy forum under "may mamas show us your babies". please pop in and take a peek and add your pics!!

p.s. the cabbage helps with engorgement :)

[playfulmama]

ok, i've had a bloody show and lost what I think is most of my mucus plug (2 days ago)... still waiting but feel like it is very soon.

had an ultrasound today and the babe is in good shape!

lisa d.

[Electricita]

Two days past due and I don't think we'll have a May 3rd baby either...But we are going to have another baby exorcism session tonight if you catch my drift....I may have lost some mucus plug too but I wouldn't swear that it's not just wishful thinking.

Now the hospital bag is packed and I've packed a baby carrier with comforter and some bringing home clothes (color scheme brown and yellow - we still don't know whether the baby until now known as Boink will turn out a Henry/Louis or a Vita/Liva...Seems like I'm running out of prep work to do!

[playfulmama]

Hang in there Electricita! I'm now 4 days overdue... I knew I would be a May mama! Kinda going crazy but guess this waiting time ((((((really))))))) makes one want the babe! I'm off for another 2 hour walk (on swelled feet). As I seem to lose a little more of the mucus plug everytime I going walking. Also seem to get contractions although they are irregular!

Who else is almost there?

Lisa d

[AnnaRed]

Playful/Lisa and Electricita - you guys are so close, you're almost there. God I'm so curious and excited! And Lisa, I really want to hear about the homebirth.

So far we have:
Fiberchick- Seth
Staleyg - Satchel
Mneek - Noah Asher
Ravenmoon- Opal

Am I forgetting anyone?

Esperanza - how are you and the twins coming along? Huey? Anyone?

We had an ultrasound on monday....our midwife likes to do them at this late date to confirm that all is positioned well, placenta is where it should be, etc. It is. Everything looks good and we got snapshots of our baby's face with its hand up to its mouth. I made it halfway thru the lobby ont he way out before bursting into tears - its the most beautiful thing i've ever seen in my life.

My due date was bumped closer a coupla days - now its around may 24th. I feel pretty ready. the birth tub comes next week, i have already gathered together pads, perineal cold packs, breast pump and cream and all, etc. Midwife brought over a huge bag of stuff for me to keep here until the birth and in the bag are tons of gloves, gauze pads and strips, you name it, even a biohazard bag. A friend jokingly asked if there was yellow police tape too..."Do Not Pass."

I cry easily these days - at the grovcery store i saw a beautiful mom with a newborn in a carrier who was sort of crying. she gave me a huge smile when she saw me so pregnant. when i passed i saw he had a very severe cleft palate and was crying and it just broke me in half. I had to go cry at the other end of the store. he was so sweet and i so so wanted him to be all better and she was so nice and i just felt so fragile i could barely breathe. Dh petted my back and waited until i got it together. I came home and did research and feel better now knowing that they wait until the baby is older to repair with surgery and that it will be just fine.

Staleyg- your baby picture on mamatron is so freakin' beautiful. you must be in heaven....and good for you for not circ'ing. we won't be either if we have a boy.

BattleAxe- I'm glad your scare turned out ok for you!
Playful - yes, the garden centers me and helps my back and really grounds me with the baby and the world and life. i love it so much.

ok, off to work for now, hang in there all and birth like the wind!
p

[jordmoder]

Nathaniel Brian flew into this world on May 2, 2002 (10 days overdue) weighing 10# even and 23 (!!!) inches long after a 4 1/2 hour labor and pushed out in 7 minutes and I only needed one stitch ... Do I feel amazed!

He's beautiful, his big brother Noah loves him and already he wants to eat all the time.

Yippee!!

Barbara

[Hueylene]

I'm still here-
Awake at an uncivilized hour again. I do like how nice and quiet it is though. I honestly don't feel much closer to having this baby. I have more pressure and plenty of Braxton Hicks but not much else. Feeling either optimistic or pessimistic I made an appointment to have a pedicure on Tuesday. I don't want icky feet to distract me in labor. I have serious feet issues!
I have my last day of work tomorrow and then I have no idea what I'm going to do with myself. There is plenty to do around here but so far I'm not feeling all that nesty. I am pretty emotional, several episodes of random tears over the last few days.
I'm excited to have the baby but I'm really anxious too. I keep trying to imagine what it will be like to spend a day alone being a mother and it comes up blank. I just have no clue what I'm supposed to do. I guess it will come to me.
I'm thinking of all of you just delivered and about to be delivered. It's comforting to know I'm not alone in this.
Huey

[starkitty]

Congrats new Moms!! Wow Jordmoder, a 10 pounder. I'm so happy for you all! I can't wait to see my babe. I'm sitting here 5 days overdue, lost some mucus and feeling different everyday.

Heuy, I got my toes done as a present to myself on my due date.
Cherry Red! I want to feel a little glamourous while birthing and I can't paint my own anymore.

I really don't want to be induced if I go over two weeks. We've been doing the nip stim and sex but no herbal as of yet. I don't know much about the black and blue Cosh..whatever, has anyone tried that? I'm fine with just waiting.
Good luck!

[candiland]

Hey, I'm a little late here.... I'm due anytime from now 'til the end of May...:eek My "official" due date is the 20th, but we have no menstrual cycle to rely on, as I was still nursing my DD and never got my cycle back... so it's pretty much just a big ol' guestimation as to when this babe will come...
Congratulations, new mommies!! I feel so envious right now! I have this huge watermelon-shaped belly that points STRAIGHT OUT like a gigantic belly arrow. My poor ligaments underneath this huge belly hurt so bad I can barely bend over.
I have all my birth supplies boxed up and ready... the house is shining... come baby, come! Everything's ready for you!!! DD is two and a half and really excited to meet her new sister/brother. She helps my midwife with the prenatals, watches all my birth videos -- "Wanna watch again, mommy! Wanna watch again!" -- and she tells everyone the baby has to finish cooking before it comes out, because we don't want a "raw" baby... :D

[Electricita]

OK people, hope I'm not crying wolf here but it seems something's started to happen....

While some people may get the urge to start scrubbing radiator valvues with tooth bruthes, last night I got the urge to go to a good rock'n'roll show again after passing up many a chance over the past six months or so...

So we went and saw Tav Falco & Panther Burns and I had a really great time, stayed up til 1:30 (unheard of for me these days) and woke up when most my mucus plug decided to unlodge along with some bloody show and I have started having some (fairly weak still) contractions. We've gone for a walk, rented some films and I have tried to sleep (no go) - now I am just waiting for this thing to pick up speed so wish me luck!

[islandgirl]

Just wanted to cry all morning long. I am so tired of waiting. My due date is Tues. but I had to go to the hospital to have some bleeding checked out last Mon. and they made me stay 24 hrs. because I was "in labor". I was 4-5 cm and 50% effaced. Now I have been walking around like that for almost a week and I can't stand it anymore. Anyone else more depressed than anything?

[playfulmama]

go Electricia go!!!! I'm sending you strong contraction vibes!

hey islandgirl, i was really bummed out yesterday too! i have the worst case of hemmriods imaginable (sorry)! hang in there... your baby is coming!

easy to say to you!

I'm also still a tad crazy waitin'! Ultrasound was good on thursday but showed a slightly diminished amniotic fluid level. We have a non-stress test tomorrow. Babe is still moving well. Nothing but cramping in the evenings! I hope I don't have to be induced (I really want to use the birthing tub at home). We will try a natural inducement first... so send me labour vibes (I'm sorta worried I will end up in the hospital... and haven't mentally prepared myself for that)! Just want our babe to be healthy!

off to go see spiderman!

maybe I have been too quiet and a good ole rock n roll show would help! A friend just lent me a mexican cd by a band called Silverio... i haven't heard anything so good for years!!!!! Strong base line that reminds me of the stranglers... it has gotten me up dancin' (which seems to bring on conractions)!

[Serenity]

Well, I have gone from calm in my waiting for babe to depressed and crying while waiting. I'm due May 13th. I can't explain the crying, maybe its hormones run amok. It is good to hear of other mammas who are making progress, I just wish I was one of them. It's hard at the end, huh? :crying

[esperanza]

i'm still here. my babies are still waiting.

annoying thing: dh, me and a friend from out of town went out to lunch yesterday and got pizza. i was really craving a mountain dew, since i gave them up for pregnancy and have had four or five this whole time. so i ask the waitress, "what kind fo soda do you have?" and she says, "without caffiene, we have pink lemonade and sprite!" and so kind of paused and asked specifically about mountain dew, and asked for a "small" one. she brings me one in a paper kiddie cup!!!!! dh tried to convince me that she was just trying to anticipate me not wanting caffeiene, but i felt angry anyways.

have no progress as far as labor goes. but i DO have a PUPP rash all over my arms, belly and butt. lucky me :(
it really hurts and just broke out this weekend. makes it very hard to sit, and i'm desperately resisting scratching but sometimes i just can't help it. as a result, it's all raw and nasty. some of the mamas at mamatron recommended aloe gel so will try that today. anyone else had this pleasure yet?

last night we had people over for birthday of dh's friend sarah who got really drunk and kept telling me how much huger i was than the last time she saw me, and making grand hand gestures around my belly to show just how much bigger. and thursday i talked to a friend in ohio who has an 8 week old, and i could hear the little baby grunts and noises and got so jealous!

no nesting impulse here. i just want my babies.

huey--i understand compeltely what you mean about not being able to visualize being a mama. i can't either. i figure it will just come to me as it happens.

good luck everyone! i'm so jealous of everyone holding their little babes! hugs and strength to anyone going through problems.

[AnnaRed]

I hear ya Esperanza...that keeps happening to me too - the whole world is trying to make decisions for me and it irks me to no end. My dh bought a 6-pack of beer at a health food store and the guy at the checkout said, "this is for YOU, isn't it? " to him. Like I'm gonna shop at an organic health food store and buy veggies and herbs, and then go home and drink a 6-pack, and like its his business to inquire.

And buying burritos the woman at the counter is all syrupy and weird, "mild, no onions?" NO- spicy, lots of onions thank you. I know they're trying to be nice or whatever but its a) condescending b) makes me wanna bust out with the ole headslap.

ok, back to work.

[Hueylene]

Ok mamas-
It's almost here. I cannot believe my due date is tomorrow. I'm almost 100% sure not a darn thing is going to happen but it's still cool. I feel pretty good physically which I take as a sort of bad sign. I am having more Braxton Hicks and they seem to be stronger. I get occasional jabs in the cervix which are painful but encouraging. I'm a little more tired too but I think that is due to the hightened state of anxiety.
Today was my first day of housewifeness and I was about to go mental. I don't know what I'm going to do if this takes a week or more. My husband has the next two days off so he can entertain me. After that I'm calling my mom. I have no urge to clean or cook or craft by myself. I don't have the attention span to read and I want to shop but have no money. Poor me.
I'm getting a pedicure tomorrow which should be good. Maybe she knows some good reflexology points to stimulate contractions.
Good luck all you almost there mamas. Our time is coming fast!
Huey

[islandgirl]

Huey,
My due date is today as well. I've already been walking around for a week at 4-5 cm and Extremely anxious. Like you, I don't feel like doing much. Some lady at the beach was yelling at me for having my dogs off the leash this morning and I just about lost it!! My mom is here and more patient than I am, my husband is really hoping to be off work this week...but no pressure right? I'm already stir crazy and this could go on and on!!
AHHHH!

[starkitty]

Here I am, a week overdue. I got laid off about two months ago and I've enjoyed my time off until now. I'm going crazy. I've reread all my books, alphabetized our CD's and organized 10 years of photographs. What other meaningless tasks can I find? My house is sparkling!
I was checked today;2cm and 50%. Midwife did a little sweep to strip my membranes, yow! She set my induction date for next Tuesday. I really, really want to go into labor on my own. Anyway, I'll be a mama next week.
Good luck to you all!

[staleyg]

hang in there mamas! i promise you will go into labor eventually! just try to relax and enjoy these last few days, hours, minutes, seconds... :)

today was my due date--can't believe satchel has been here over two weeks! he had his two week check up today and he has already gained a pound. i guess it makes up for my extremely sore nipples! we had our first outing yesterday in the baby bjorn--just across the street for some quick shopping and pizza. it was fun. but i don't know how i'm gonna play stay at home mommy for three months. the days are already a blur of diaper changing, nursing, napping, and laundry.

anyways--i'm sending lots of good vibes your way. hang in there mamas and stay in touch! also let's see some pictures of seth, opal, et. al. at www.mamtron.org!

[BattleAxe]

Hi, mamas-

It's so great to read your posts... and to relate... I have three weeks to go, supposedly, and after months of feeling absolutely sure that Laz was going to make an early appearance, suddenly I get the feeling I'm in for a wait. But I'm doing two stress tests a week now, and while they've all gone well after that first one, I think the doc won't let me go beyond 41 weeks, if that.

I'm crying all over the place, too, but I think a big part of it is that DH is being a COMPLETE SH*% lately. Gone is the happy, puttering handyman; in his place I have a snarling, defensive, raging maniac who seems to think nothing of escalating everything into an argument and pushing me into a corner until I'm either mute or crying hysterically. I know, I sound dramatic, but the last two weeks or so have been pure hell. Yesterday morning he woke me up before 6:00 with a hard shove to yell at me for snoring (yet another lovely effect of pregnancy), and he's sick of it, and etc. etc., and by the time he left for school and had told me how many other ways I was making his life miserable, I was crying so hard I'd already thrown up twice. This morning was about as bad - he called later to apologize, but I'm so worn out from all this that it almost doesn't register anymore - and things only seem to be getting worse, not better. I did go talk to a very good friend this afternoon, and she affirmed my sense that it's time for an ultimatum - shape up NOW or I'll leave - and she also offered me a place to stay if needed. FWIW, she said, he's probably in a state of panic right now and it's not my "fault" he's acting like this toward me, but it's still completely unacceptable. He was a rage-aholic with his first wife (and still is), and is starting even to lash out at his 10-yo daughter, which to me is beyond the pale. I will NOT bring my son into this kind of life - I might be stuck here until bebe is born, but as soon as I can mobilize myself, I'm so outta here unless DH takes real steps to shape his nasty self up - steps I've been asking for since last year but that he's refused, passively or otherwise. Yay - another fire to walk through. Labor somehow seems like it'll be a breeze compared to dealing with this SOB.

Ahem... anyway, just gestating, trying to find happy moments. The diaper service dropped off the pail and first package of diapers this morning... just another step toward reality.... I know this waiting is hard for all of us, so I'm sending all the labor vibes I can! Electricita, I hope you're laboring now!

-love, anna

[AnnaRed]

Battle- I pm'd you.....i wish you lived closer, I'd come and get you and make you some pregnancy tea and a warm bed where you could snore to your hearts content. (I wake myself up snoring now....)

GO Jordmoder! A 10 pounder and only one stitch! Are you going to post your birth story? I'd love to read it. Congratulations!

Starkitty - a week overdue, but sounds like you are hanging in there....i can't wait to hear your story.

Staleyg - So, does it come naturally? Give us more advice from the other side! You're an old pro compared to us.

Huey - now that you aren't working you should just rent movies and c h i l l. I'm working 3 days a week still and on my days off i garden a little and then just relax. Staley and Fiber told us to, remember? :)

Islandgirl - you are going to have your baby so soon....it will happen.

Elec- i couldn't drag this tired ass to a rock show if i tried. Which sucks because there have been some good bands/performers through here lately and i just let them go on by without me.

I have about 2 1/2 weeks to go myself, and can't decide if it;ll be sooner or not. I thought so but now i think maybe not. I dreamt last night that i gave birth in bed to a little girl. I was alone but it was great. Little Maeva. We'll see - i no longer have any sense of whether it'll be boy or girl.

Playful/Lisa D - I saw your photo on mamatron - you are a glowing and fashionable mama-to-be! How is the natural inducement coming along?

Candiland - i have the same straight-out watermelon that you describe. I'm absurdly Kafkaesque.

Off to bed for now ladies.
AnnaRed/ Peggianne from HM

[esperanza]

hi everyone--

no big news here. still jealous of everyone with their new little babes!

battleaxe--i'm so sorry about what you are having to deal with. as if pregnancy isn't enough on its own! i wish i was closer so i could give your husband a hard shove of my own!

still dealing with this PUPP. has anyone else heard of this? i've got big red welts all over my back, butt, arms and thighs. makes me look really attractive, let me tell you! itches and stings and burns like crazy. i'm at 36 weeks now, and i don't know how much more of this i can take. my skin is so raw, on top of everything else. i've got an appt. on tuesday and lord help me if there is still no sign of labor!

i know i should be glad that the babies are healthy and good and that i've lasted this long, but i've just worn out my patience, you know? pregnancy is no fun anymore! and i think my husband is nearing the bottom of his pregnancy patience as well. i understand, since i'm even more whiny than before and now my skin looks disgusting. plus there are patches on my back i can't reach and poor hubby has to put creme on for me!

from everything i've read, this stuff should go away after delivery. wish me luck!

good luck to everyone! all you due mamas, good birthing vibes coming your way!

[Hueylene]

Oh my God Anna-(BattleAxe)
I'm not doing this as a private message because I want everyone to read it. I am so unbelievably angry right now. I hope my blood pressure goes down before my midwife visit at 10:30.
What your husband is doing is absolutely unnaccebtable under ANY circumstances but particularly this close to the birth of your child. I know it's easy for me to sit out here in cyberspace and pass judgement on only one side of the story and one aspect of his personality. I know it's hard for you to be in the middle of your life and have the energy or courage to do anything about it. I just want to try to pass on something that was recently done for me and changed my life.
My husband is an alcoholic and has been the entire time I've known him. He went into rehab a few months after we got together and was sober for about a year. He started drinking again and I was so young I thought it would be fine for him to drink socially. He's an extreamly high functioning alcoholic, never missing work, never mean or violent almost hard to tell if he's drinking. We went through good and bad phases for the next nine years but I never said a word and never really accepted the depth of his addiction.
Things really deteriorated around the time we were talking about getting pregnant. He decided to stop and went to AA a bit and was sober for a while. I got pregnant and thought my life was perfect.
Over the last few months I started to feel like things were not right. He started coming home a little late. He would "fall asleep" on the couch at 8pm. I thought I smelled alcohol on him. I confronted him at least twice and he looked me in the eye and denied he was drinking. It made me feel like I was a crazy pregnant woman and that I had no faith in him. Mostly I felt all alone.
Finally about two months ago one of my dearest friends came to me and told me that she had seen him the day before