March 27-April 3

[dharmama]

Just thought I'd test out this new forum. I guess we should start next week's June mommies thread in here.

~Erin
:love

[Smithie]

Julie, I wear the VS panties too - only I'm wearing TWO sizes larger than normal and I may go up another size before this is all over. :p I like the low-rise V-strings - no panty lines to show through the crappy fake fabric of my maternity pants.

The dresses I ordered off Ebay came yesterday - now I'm just waiting for pants and a sweater set off TP, then I should be set for the duration (knock on wood). The Ebay dresses have veeeeery thin straps, though, so I'm not sure what to wear under them. My comfy Decent Exposures bras have straps that my grandma would consider frumpy. Maybe I'll wind up getting another couple of cardigans to cover the bra-strap area.

Changing my bedding and vacumming the bedroom gave me some relief from the House of Many Allergans, but now I'm sneezing my head off again. I can't wait until I can go back on Flonase.

[wildthing]

Cool that they started a due date forum. It can get confusing looking through all the regular threads to find the one you want. :D

CLothes....I am a clothes whore when I am pregnant. I really am picky about what I wear while pregnant. I have very specific styles that I like. I want to look good and be comfortable. Also, I keep all of my maternity clothes, and usually get to wear them for another pregnancy anyway. I have some clothes that I have worn through 3 or 4 kids. I used to reallyl ike Target for their maternity clothes, but yeah, now they kind of suck. I did get 2 camisole tops and a long sleeve button up that I wear together, and I love it. I also love Old Navy clearance. There is a store down the block from me, so I check it out frequently.

Underwear....I hate underwear on my stomach, and I also hate underwear wedgies (okay, I hate all wedgies :LOL ). I wear my regular bikini panties throughout my pregnancies, a six pack I get from Costco. :D

Speaking of clothes, I am going to the baby re-sale shop to get some baby things. I haven't had time to think about it before now, but I am going today. I have things left over from Gunnar, but I sent the bulk of it to an on-line freind in need right after he outgrew it all. Oh, and Julie....your humanitarian efforts (the mama who needed the stroller) will certainly be paid back to you someday...karma. :D

Little Crush is growing well. I get punched in the bladder, kicked in the butt (from the inside...weird feeling), pounded in the ribs, poked in the cervix, and have heartburn half the night....and I love every minute of it! :love

Have a great Saturday ladies!

[3girlsmommy]

HEy Ladies! Just chiming in to subscribe! Dh & a friend's dh are building some shelves today! Yipeee!!! Maybe I'll be able to clear out some junk from the baby's room. Wish me luck!!

[dharmama]

Took my first pregnancy tumble today. :( It wasn't too bad but it just scared me. I was coming out of the tack/feed shop...all I was carrying was a tiny little sheep halter...but I just missed the top step and went woooosh down to my butt.

Luckily I landed square on my butt so aside from a scraped elbow, I'm fine and I'm sure the baby is fine in her cushy world.

Oh and this was kind of funny. I went to Home Depot today too to get some parts to fix a leaky faucet that is driving me :nut

The guys that work there were all VERY helpful. Every aisle I walked on someone offered to help me. I'm assuming it's the :belly because I've shopped there plenty of times where I had to hunt to find ANYONE who could answer a question. Today...I was fighting off salesmen. :LOL And they all called me ma'am. :D

~Erin
:love

[Smithie]

I tripped over my nursing stool earlier this week (oh the irony), but aside from a scraped ankle I seem to be fine. It was very scary though.

In other news, my uterus has seemed much more tense these past fews days than previously. It's not BH contrax, I know what those feel like, it's just generally harder and less yielding. Anybody else experiencing that?

Oh, and there is officually No More Room for my stomach. Mild heartburn for the last 72 hours. Ouch.

[Greaseball]

So, is anyone else not taking a childbirth class?

I don't want to take hospital classes and don't know of any homebirth classes, and I figured since my midwives are going to be there the entire time they will be able to suggest things to me if I'm having a hard time.

[2BMamaof3]

I didn't take any childbirth classes last time around. I didn't think they were necessary...but MAYBE they would have prepared my dear husband for what he could expect in labour.

Anyway...this time around we ARE taking childbirth classes (a birthin' again class from the birthing within teacher) and I'm hiring a doula.

Abby

[rubelin]

oh, cool, a whole board of our own :)

Wow, it seems everyone is getting hurt lately. Slow down mommas!! Perhaps it's those big bellies getting in the way?? I am being SOOOO careful lately and each new post about an injury has me walking slower and slower. If one more of you says they've fallen down, I might just put myself on bedrest out of fear that I'll be next, lol!!

I'm gonna need some shorts soon. I've got a few knit ones that still fit but they aren't that nice so I only wear them around the house and I only fit 2 other pairs of old linen ones that I got after I had Ben. They aren't Mat, just loose ones that aren't so loose on me now :) I did like the Target stuff when I was preg with Ben, but haven't seen one thing that I like this time. I have a cart on Gap and Old Navy right now that I keep putting things in and taking things out of. I'm just waiting to have the money to actually buy something. I really hate this time of year, we are always broke from Xmas until DH gets his annual bonus in May and it sucks to be broke!

So Dan finally felt the baby move today! I had him put his hand really lightly on me so as not to soothe the babe back to sleep and it worked :) He's much happier now.

OK, gotta go find some lunch. Hope you're all having a good weekend!!

OH! ETA - We're not doing a class this time. We did Lamaze at the hosp last time and it was kinda worthless, though cool to see the birth videos and anatomy charts. I do want to get some HB videos to watch with Benny and we might check out some more birth books, but we feel pretty prepared for this.

[Ceili]

Smithie and dharma, glad you guys are okay.

I think I broke my big toe on my tumble down the stairs the other night. With my center of gravity being all out of whack, it's making standing up rather challenging.

I'm a VS girl too. I love their low-rise bikinis and since all my extra weight seems to have gone to my chest or my thighs I can still fit nicely into my old stretched out ones.

I need some new shorts, but I can't stand to wear anything with a panel in it. Maybe I can find some loose knit shorts.

I keep going back and forth on taking birth classes. Though I did order my hypnobabies cds this week.

[Queen of Cups]

We're doing the Hypnobabies Home Study course, and I feel very prepared. Since I'll be birthing in a hospital, we are going to take the tour there and do the whole pre-admitting thing, but not any formal classes. I have a BS in Biology, so I feel very well prepared as far as textbook-based information goes.

I have a bunch of work to do before Monday, but I think I'll leave that until tomorrow. I'm too exhausted to work on anything today. I was up sick last night - I thought for awhile that I had food poisoning! DH was very worried... I ended up falling asleep on the couch (laying down in bed was very uncomfortable) and woke up this morning feeling much better. I find that lately my stomach is very sesitive...

[Greaseball]

What is hypnobabies?

[Doodlebugsmom]

Ok, enough falling! I think we've pretty much had our pregnancy fall, so we're through, right?

A friend of mine just gave me two garbage bags full of spring/summer maternity clothes! They are are in great condition and even hip. Well, as hip as maternity clothes can be! I won't have to buy one single thing. Well, I do plan on getting a pair of Naot sandals in the next couple of weeks.

We aren't taking in cb classes this time around. We took a Lamaze-type class last time, and nothing could've prepared me for my too-fast labor!

Queenie, sorry you were so sick last night. I'm glad you're starting to feel better.

[Queen of Cups]

Greaseball, go to http://www.hypnobabies.com to check it out! Its a fabulous home-study hypnosis for childbirth course. For $120, you get a full set of CDs, a workbook/textbook, and all kinds of hand-outs. The course was designed by a former Bradley Instructor who got into hypnosis. It teaches eyes-open hypnosis, where you are completely awake and aware during your birthing time, but feel no pain. I've found it incredibly helpful for pregnancy concerns like backaches and leg cramps - once I use my cue words the pain leaves instantly. Its helped me to feel ready and prepared and excited about birth, rather than worried about it. I HIGHLY reccomend it!

[mattjule]

Susan-I know exactly how you feel with regard to too-fast labor and cb classes.

My journey with classes was kind of weird. I asked my mw which one she suggested and she gave me the name of a lady. So we went to her house and had a class. We wanted to be in a group, but she didn't have any other clients at the time, so it ended up being a "private lesson". She acted like she was doing us a huge favor by charging us the group rate instead of private, like we had chosen private or something. I also felt that she was so into her "curriculum" that she wasn't hearing what I wanted to get out of the classes. So after that one I went back to my mw with my concerns and she gave me another woman's name. She was wonderful, same situation re: private lesson vs group, but she never tried to charge us b/c she didn't have any business. She used a mixture of stuff-excerpts from Birthing From Within, handouts of anatomy, artwork, etc. Seems that in the area I lived in, there was this new wave of "do whatever works" going on, so no definite pain management techniques were taught. We did do a lot of visualization/relaxation but when your labor is changing so fast, that stuff really doesn't work-there's just no time. So I feel like my classes were pretty pointless, except that our teacher turned out to be the birth attendant for Tain's birth. She didn't get there in time, but she had such a wonderful presence that it was great all the same.

So I feel like I learned enough from Tain's labor and birth that I am not going to take another class-not to mention the $ side of the coin (no pun intended LOL)!

[CryPixie83]

Originally posted by Greaseball
So, is anyone else not taking a childbirth class?


I'm skipping childbirth classes. We see our midwives (3 of them work together) every month for a pernatal and an hour-long homebirth support group and they answer any questions we have. Other than that, I trust my body to know what to do ;)

I think we're going to take a breastfeeding class, but that's just to get local support since my midwives all live about 2 hours away lol

[Modesto Doula]

Wow!! I have spent all day (on and off) trying to catch up on last week's thread!
I wish I had time to check more often, but two little ones, a home based business and a serious comittment to a local birth professionals group keep me busy. I've been so busy I haven't had time to really think about getting ready for the baby... Of course, I still have lots of time, and don't have too much to do.
Im at 30 weeks already, and Ive got almost 12 to go. Can't tell by my belly though!! The lady at the chinese place thinks Im gonna pop anytime!
I have already bought most of a newborn stash of CDs, but I have some to go still. Even though I CDed DS as a newborn, I didnt have much, or much that I wanted to use again, I guess =)
I think thats all I've really done, even... I'm trying to transition DS out of our bed and into his sister's (the crib mattress next to our bed), but he is having NONE of that. Its a huge problem actually. We have a queen size bed, two adults, two body pillows, and a sideways sleeping 2 yr old. I end up without enough room to roll over! We really dont have room for another one, so DS has to switch, or Im gonna move into DDs room and sleep in her twin bed with the new one. Some nights, when Im coming back to bed from the bathroom, Im tempted to just sleep in there, by myself... Oh the luxury!! LOL.
I need to pull out the baby clothes and sort through them... and find a place for them, which is going to be an issue. Little ones dont need that much space, really, but the bigger ones already use every last bit, so Im not sure how I'll work it out. It will probably have something to do with the closet! Other than the clothes, we need to buy a bassinet. The one we used for our older two fell apart (a cheap $40 model my mom got for our first shower)- the metal leg supports just snapped apart when DS was a couple months old. Needless to say- not safe!! LOL
We also have to buy a van. We have faced the facts that three car seats are not going to fit into either of our cars. We barely have room for a super skinny person between the seats in either car. We still plan on having a couple more, so that means we have to bite the bullet and get the minivan. Damn, it hurts to think about trading in my little neon for some three row mama car!! My MIL says she wants to "help us" buy the van, which is a huge relief, cause we can't afford it on our own. The only problem is that we have no idea how much help she will be (she could decide anything between giving us 2K for the down or paying it off in cash), and she INSISTS we buy brand new... Which seems like a huge waste to me. I'd much rather plunk down money- ours or hers- on a year old lease return thats 10K cheaper than the one that still has to be broken in. What happens really won't be decided until she tells us how much shes going to help us. If I know my MIL, that will be when we get to a dealership!
I have yet to order the birth kit, but Ive been collecting pieces of it for a while. Call me crazy, but Im looking forward to the ugly little hat! I have one from DD and DS (hosp born) and I think my home born deserves one too. In fact, I am kinda disappointed that we wont have the "day old" baby photos that are so damn overpriced to go with the others. Anyone else? I'm thinking we might have to sneak out at 24 h to get to a studio. Isnt that awful?


We are skipping childbirth ed this time, but mainly cause I teach it, we will have a couple of doulas here along with the midwife and her asst, plus my mom and sisters to help my DH. I am watching videos with my children to get them used to the experience.

TIP: for those of you who want to skip classes, most hospital education centers rent out the videos for a small fee, some public libraries have them too. There are several that really are excellent, and they really do help, especially dads that are super visual and arent reading books.

And dont skip the breastfeeding classes, or getting to La Leche League before the baby is born! Those are super important. Birthing comes naturally if you have no fear, breastfeeding doesnt!

Geez, that was long... sorry. Im really gonna try and post shorter, and more often!!

[seedling]

Good morning and yeah for the new forum. Today we're having a bday party for my dd. It's just family coming over but still I cleaned the whole darn day yesterday until 1 am and am up at 6 am. I kind of didn't MEAN to be up at 6 am but that's the way it worked out. Why is it so hard to actually clean your house in one day with a kid and a husband around? I mean, I used to clean houses on the side and could do one in 4 hours. I worked my butt off all day yesterday and I still have to do the bathroom and the bedrooms today.

Anyway, we aren't taking a class this time. We did Bradley last time and I think we were very well prepared. So I plan to just review the materials again. I also have hour + long visits with my midwife and feel I have lots of opportunity to talk over stuff with her. We could've done a refresher course but it's too difficult to work out childcare plus my DH is so much busier this time than he was last time that I think it'd be hard to find a night he was free. I don't know if I'm being totally over-confidant this time or what but really the only anxiety I am feeling about the birth is trying to figure out the birthtub issue (old house, will floors handle tub). I have caught myself worrying about being overconfidant about labor. I mean, what if it's so totally different I'm caught off guard? But, honestly, most of the time, I've got none of the concerns that I had last time. I think I'll go into labor, deal with it as it happens and then push that baby out. I'm hoping I don't hemmorage this time but if I do, my midwife carries stuff to deal with that.

On the hormonal front, I've got to stop being so nasty to my DH. Granted, I think he deserves it a lot. I mean, from 4:00 on yesterday he was worthless thanks to that idiot box in my living room and basketball. I am SO SICK of basketball! Aggh! I generally accept that he just isn't willing to work as hard as I am at keeping the house up, etc. But lately it has been really, really driving me nuts. To the point that I'm crying and witchy. I feel very unconnected with him right now and that really sucks. But it's like we're in this cycle or something and somehow I've got to break out of it because I can't stand feeling so mad/sad/rejected/disgusted/etc/etc with him. I know a lot of this has got to be hormones. I mean, he did help me take dd in for her 3 year photos yesterday, play with her for an hour so I could walk around the mall while waiting for them to get developed, get an oil change on this truck and pick up some stuff from the store for me. Plus he did a moderate amount of child care stuff. That's a lot to get out of him on a Saturday. Oh, and he went to work for a couple of hours. So why am I so darn angry? I need to find a prayer that I can say very quickly through out the day to help me get past this. Sorry for the vent, but I KNOW this is pregnancy related.

Well, I'd better get going. My WONDERFUL sister is coming early today to mow the grass for us (while our mowers are being serviced). Her dh owns a landscaping business and she's just bringing his equipment up before the party to help us out. I LOVE HER. Anyway, my nephew will be coming early too which means I need to get my cleaning done so I can be available for him and dd.

Happy Sunday all.

[3girlsmommy]

Good Morning!!!
UGH! Why do home improvement projects ALWAYS take 10 times as long as they should????? Friends of ours came over yesterday to help dh build some shelves at the end of the hall between the girls rooms. It seemed like an easy project and quite straight foward. We got some of the wood for free from MIL's s.o. but in the end it wasn't wide enough because the walls aren't even. One side is 9 3/4 and the other is 9 7/8 and they changed the design a little bit and brought the shelves out a little more. So off the Home Depot to spend more money!! There goes our extra spending money this week!!! OUr friends left at 9:30 last night and they will be back at 1:00 this afternoon. I feel so bad because I never thought we would take up their whole weekend! It times like this that I really miss my daddy. :(

On a happy note I bought the paint for the baby's room. I found a store that carries the no VOC paint and I had a coupon! I will never buy paint from Home Depot again! THis place was a piant store and the prices were cheaper, the guys a lot more knowledgable and they carried the paint out to my car for me! Now I just need to clean out the baby's room so I can paint it!


As far as childbirth classes go we ain't doing 'em! I did the doctor's classes with my first and they were worthless! It gave my dh a better idea of what to expect but in reality they sucked! The instructor made fun of the natural birthing mom and the mom who I think was using hypnosis on the childbirth video. It was not a great practice and both the doctor's and the childbirth instructor pushed drugs and lot of 'em! In fact the instructor was annoyed when on the hospital tour we demanded to see the hospital birth center where no drugs are allowed! As we were in the hall leaving the birth center she reminded everyone that they don't allow epidurals and then told us that once we go into the birth place it's ahrd to leave even if we decide we want drugs because the nurses feel so strongly about natural birth. The latter is totally not true but was the CRAP that my former practice use to tell all of their paitents to scare them out of going there. What a horrible group. I'm so glad that the video of the women getting the epi completly FREAKED me out! I loved and really enjoyed my birth place births and really look foward to my next one.
With my second we took hypnobirthing and with this one we are doing the hypnobabies home study course, which I absolutly LOVE!

I can't remember who talked about budgeting using the envelopes but could you explain a little more? I'm trying to get dh to share our budget w/ me. I feel like I'm always flying blind in that area. I never know if there is enough money for me to go shopping for extras like mud boot for the kids or whatever. Honestly I'm not sure he even knows which is scary! I need to find some good budgeting information and get him to use it!

Oh I had the most intense birthing dream. I was at the birth place and I was ready to push but all of a sudden I had to go to the bathroom but everyone kept coming in my room and talking to me. All sorts of friends showed up just to chat and say hi. I was trying to nicely tell them to go away but they wouldn't leave and then my birthing time stopped. The urge to push was gone! It was weird because the urge to push was so strong in my dream! Any dream interpretors out there??? :)

Alright I've rambled enough! Have a great one and wish us luck with our shelving!

[wildthing]

We are not doing any childbirth classes this time. I didn't take one when I had my first baby. Dh and I took Lamaze at the hospital with #2 and #3....both were worthless. Yeah, the instructors all made fun of the women in the class who wanted no medication...whatever. I took a Bradley class with #4, and also had my first homebirth...I haven't taken a class since. I really never used anything I learned in the Bradley class, but being at home gave me the opportunity to do whatever felt right at the time, and that was enough for me.

I have made some progress in my nesting! :LOL I made, I think 8 or 10 small fitted diapers, and I have cut out 3 pre-folds and 4 covers. I am now doing mediums as well as smalls, since my babies typically outgrow the smalls in a matter of weeks. I am going to make up about a dozen organic french terry pre-folds to round everything out...maybe more. I also cut out a kimono last night to sew today.

Erin, when I was about 9 months pregnant with one of my babies, dh asked me to go to Home Depot to get a part for the toilet that we needed to fix. I walked in, went straight to the customer service desk and asked for some help so I wouldn't have to walk all over trying to find someone. The guy at the desk immediately ran off, found my part, and brought it back to me, then rang it up at the CS desk! Talk about service! :laugh

And yes...please stop falling everyone!! I took my tumble down a flight of stairs last month, so hopefully, I am set until June!

I met 2 CD mamas here in town yesterday. It was so cool. One owns a little shop on the coast, and another was on a board I am on. We met at the shop, and talked for 2 hours. So fun! The shopowner is going to be at the LLL Conference too.

Sandi, projects talking 10 x longer than they should is the story of my life. Dh, bless his heart, has the smarts to do a lot of things, but not the practical experience. He usually always runs into some snafoo that just adds on the time and expense. But he's a trooper and keeps on going until it is done.

Well, I was up until 1:00am cutting out fabric, then dh left to go to a draft for his Fantasy Baseball League at 6:30am, of course waking me up. I have all these *things* I want to make, buy, do, so I thought I might as well get up and start doing them.

Another question....what are you planning on having in your birth kit? My midwife always had one that we ordered from Cascade, but this time, I am putting my own together. Anyone ever heard of "Last 6 weeks" herbal?

[mattjule]

The only thing herbal my mw requests I have for the birth is echinecea. She says that is only if I have a long labor. I don't plan on having a long labor, though I am aware that it is a possibility, plus every time I have used it, I don't feel it has done a whole lot. I am not going to go buy a bottle in the off chance that I have a long labor when it will most likely sit around the house until it expires and I throw it out. That said, a lot of hb mamas have talked about arnica. I already have some from a homeopathy kit my mom gave me for ds so I'll have that on hand. Other than that, I am kind of clueless about herbal stuff. I won't be doing 5W labor formula or anything, I just don't see why people would need that.

We were supposed to pick up our new dresser tomorrow, but the car will be in the shop all day, so I don't get it until Tues. In the meantime, the den has become a dumping ground, which really sucks, there is no room in here anyway and I hate tripping over all this crap! We bought a steam cleaner (yeah!!!) but haven't had time to use it yet :(

There are a lot of things that need to go to Goodwill-it would be nice if dh and my bro would make time to do that. I know they will do home p/u, but it seems like every time I schedule one we forget and are not home when they come. :rolleyes:

Okay, this is pretty weird, but my belly feels smaller. I am pretty sure dh thinks I am crazy, but it seems like my belly is not so pregnant looking as it was 3 weeks ago. It isn't in the way as much and overall just is...smaller. Or at least feels that way. Maybe baby is sitting low or back or stretched out. Or maybe it just hasn't gotten bigger and I am so used to it now. I don't know.

Tain woke up around 4:30 am this morning and asked to nurse. He has night weaned and never asks anymore so I nursed him b/c he doesn't ask in circumstances like that unless he needs it. So he nurses back to sleep, is asleep for about 10 min, then starts to whimper, wakes and wants a drink of water (very weird, the kid doesn't like to drink water in the first place, let alone in the middle of the night). So we get up and get a drink and he is not going back to bed and is pretty fussy. I finally gave him some Motrin around 6 am once I noticed him sucking on his hand a lot. So looks like his teeth are really bothering him. Even when he has gotten lots of teeth in before, it doesn't usually affect his sleep too much. He gets restless, but I think this is the first time he has gotten up and fussed. I felt so bad for him, poor guy. Dh and I took him on a car ride and he slept for a while, but I am hoping he didn't sleep long enough to skip his nap-I sure could use one!

[Greaseball]

Sometimes I also look smaller. A few weeks ago there were times when I just didn't feel pregnant - not so anymore!

I'm sick. :sick Ugh. I'm just going to stay in bed.

DD quit nursing back in October and just asked to nurse a few days ago! I let her, but she forgot how. Maybe when the milk is spraying again she'll have an easier time.

[2BMamaof3]

Seedling,

I too feel out of sync with dh in the last week. OY he's SO annoying (he's been sick...but still!).

I use the serenity prayer CONSTANTLY in regards to my "witchiness" around DH.

Dear God,
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change (the fact that DH will NEVER have the same standards and ways of doing things that I do),
the courage to change the things I can (realising that my frustration is mostly due to hormonal pregnancy things....I can take deep breaths and keep plugging away one hour at a time if need be),
and the wisdom to know the difference (god...please let me know what I need to do...I turn this over to you.)

While I'm at it...I use this prayer all day long for EVERYTHING...lol...but it's working for me. Maybe it would work for you too?????

Hang in there,
Abby

[irishgreengables]

Modesto--- we just entered into the world of the minivan last Monday -- after a long period of mourning. The thing is, like you, it would have been impossible to fit 3 car seats or even 2 car seats and a booster into our Saturn. Nowadays, you have to have a bigger vehicle if you have more than 2 children. I have to admit that I really do love it. It is so much easier -- even with just 2. They can get in and out easily and there's no bending. Plus they have a lot more space and can no longer kick the back of our seats -- which is nice. The van we got -- we sprung big for the Toyota Sienna 8 passenger (knowing we want one more child and that this will be our car for the next 10 years)-- will actually accomodate all 3 car seats in the front passenger row -- so no one will feel left out...plus the middle front seat, where baby will be...pulls forward so I can reach her.

Funny...everyone's first question is whether or not we got the DVD player. Ummmm....let's see....while we do watch 1-2 videos a week on dd's hair days (braiding takes a long time), we have no cable and so no access to any TV -- so WHY WOULD WE GET A DVD PLAYER IN THE CAR??? It is funny what people just assume other people want/need/etc.

Peace,

[mattjule]

Abby-this is kind of weird, b/c I found myself saying the serenity prayer the other day. I am not a Christian, though I was raised in a Christian household. I heard it most b/c the father of a friend of mine is an alcoholic and they use that prayer at Al anon and the teen meetings (I don't remember the name of them). Anyway, even if you don't really believe in a higher power, it is still a good mantra, especially on tough days.

So I told you guys about ds getting up super early this morning. Well, he was crying a lot and dh got up around 6. That was pretty nice of him. Only now he's sleeping and I am SOOO tired and ds shows no signs of being ready for a nap EVER. It is conceivable that dh will sleep until he needs to leave for work, ds won't nap, and I will be crying in a corner somewhere out of exhaustion. So now I think I would rather dh had stayed in bed so he could be up with ds right now. I can't really fault him for sleeping right now-he works from 4pm-1am and generally goes to bed between 2am and 4am. So it isn't like he had a full night's sleep. It's just one of those times I really wish I had a friend or family member close by who could be with ds so I could sleep...

I thought ds was ready-rubbing his eyes and just sitting on my lap. We went in the bedroom and nursed, but then he started playing. He wasn't making a whole lot of noise and he won't leave the room if one of us isn't up, so I was catnapping-not really asleep, but resting. Then he crawls in between us and starts talking to himself. Not whispering but not being super loud either. So I am irritated with dh b/c I totally could have slept through that or at least rested, but dh is a light sleeper and I could tell it was getting to him. So irritating. So here I am, still. This sucks.

[CryPixie83]

As far as herbal stuff goes, I try to get in a cup or two of pregnancy tea each day (yea right, like my memory is that good!) which has red raspberry leaves, strawberry leaves, nettles and spearmint for taste. I like it, but I think if one weren't adapted to the tastes of herbal teas they'd turn their nose :)

My midwives "prescribe" shephards purse towards the end of pregnancy to help avoid hemmoraging. Haven't heard anything about echinacea so far. This is my first, so I have absolutely no insight on how long labor will be :)

Is anyone planning on ingesting their placenta? I know it's a bit early for that, but someone brought it up on another bbs I visit so I thought I'd ask. My midwives encapsulate the placenta and bring it back the next day. Placent Pills! How neat is that? When I first heard about it I knew I wanted to try it, my family is prone to depression, so anything to ward off post partum depression would be great, and I love the idea of how natural it is. All for only $35, not too shabby :)

As far as projects go, we're trying to decide on what colors we want to use for our apartment. The property just came under new ownership and the new owners say I can paint/walpaper to my heart's content! Yay! No more gross, brown wood paneling! Anyone know which paints have the least fumes? Granted I'll have every window open and be wearing a mask but you can never be too careful (ahem, paranoid) :LOL We won't have the money for painting this month, but I'm hoping next month will be less tight :thumb

For now, it's raining (I love Spring! :fairy ) and I'm nesting hard lol. There are three rooms in this apartment and they're all calling my name!

[Queen of Cups]

I've certainly heard of ingesting the placenta, but I have no interest in it. My area of study in college was behavioral ecology, and from what I've learned the reason most animals eat the placenta is because it is a huge red flag to every predator in the area if there's a placenta left lying around. Its like a sign that says, "Hey, everyone! There's a bunch of helpless yummy babies really close! Get their scent here! Here's the appetizer!" It absolutely makes sense for animals to eat the placenta, but I don't see the evolutionary need for humans to do that. I know that many people talk about the hormonal benefits of ingesting the placenta, but a lot of those same benefits are gained by bfing on demand from birth - and that sounds like a lot more fun to me!!

(Not that I am judging anyone who decides to ingest the placenta - I'm just explaining my personal reasoning for the choice I've made. Its _your_ placenta - do with it want you want!!!)

[Doodlebugsmom]

Pixie, I don't plan on ingesting the placenta. I absolutely would do it in a heartbeat if I had a history of PPD. If I was hemorraging, I'd eat it straight up if it would save me. I've heard that eating it can stop a hemorrage very, very fast, thus possibly saving the life of the mother. Most people think it's really weird and gross, but it doesn't seem that way to me. It seems like a pretty healthy thing to do.

As for herbals, my mw reccommends drinkining red raspberry leaf tea every day and using evening primrose oil from 36 weeks. I did both last time and everything went so wonderfully that I'll definately do it again.

[wildthing]

I have had my former midwife offer to cook the placenta for me, but I declined every time. I had no interest in it. However, I would have liked to have it encapsulated, definitely. I know it is possible to dry it, grind it, and encapsulate it that way also.

I amd rinking RRL tea every day, one cup, trying to get up to two. I tried a pregnancy tea, but hated the taste of it. If I seem to be hemorrhaging after the birth, my plan of action is nursing, followed by Shepherd's Purse, followed by a peice of placenta if necessary. I have heard a little as a quarter sized piece is enough. I am not sure if dh would want to witness it, so I would probably have him leave the room, eat some, and see how it goes. That was why I was asking about herbals.....I thought I heard of some other alternatives...possibly wombstring, and I was wondering about motherwort?????

I have to say, I love my mini-van. It will be 10 years old in August, and we may be needing another one soon. I was so happy when we bought it....we had 3 kids and a Ford Tempo...while every one fit, not much else did, and we could never bring anyone with us anywhere. No, of course, with our family, we have to take 2 vehicles, but I am not ready for a club wagon yet! :LOL The times we need to take two vehicles are really few, maybe 5 or 6 times a year. I can't see paying the cost for a gigantic vehicle, plus the gas it will use, and not to mention parking, for those few times a year. Plus, I like not having a car payment. :D

[Greaseball]

I don't have a history of PPD or bleeding, but I'm planning to take a bite anyway! Maybe a few days later, when I have time to cook it. I don't think raw meat is for me. And then if I don't like it, I'll just bury the rest. Or maybe feed it to the chickens.

Dh is saying I'll never do it and I have to prove him wrong.:D

[3girlsmommy]

Originally posted by CryPixie83
Anyone know which paints have the least fumes? Granted I'll have every window open and be wearing a mask but you can never be too careful (ahem, paranoid) :LOL

Benjamin Moore and Pittburgh Paint both have a no voc paint that has a very low odor. I just bought some yesterday and it was fairly inexpensive as far as paint goes(around $20 a gallon).

HAve fun painting!!

[dharmama]

I'm not planning to eat my placenta, though I'm totally open to the idea. I am planning to take it home (I'm having a hospital birth) and eventually plant it under a tree/bush during the baby's dedication ceremony.

Oh and someone asked this a couple of pages back but I'm slow to respond...

We are taking Bradley classes. I didn't feel that I really needed them (I'm a doula and trained in prenatal yoga) but I really thought they'd be great for DH. So far I've been pleased with the classes and DH is really into it. He's amazing me. Honestly...he was a guy who said "why would you CHOOSE to feel pain during birth when you don't have to" :rolleyes: just last year. Now he's ALL ABOUT advocating for natural birth. :thumb

I think the best part about our classes is that we meet after work and go out to dinner first so for 12 weeks, we have a guaranteed once-a-week date. :D

As for size...

I'm convinced that my clothing makes all the difference. I have a great pair fo comfy maternity overalls and when I wear them (which I did to church this morning) it seems like everyone tells me how BIG I'm getting. But when I wear a top and pants (most days) people have been telling me how small I am. :rolleyes:

Okay...10 p.m...can't keep eyes open any longer...

Good night! :D

~Erin
:love

[eilonwy]

wow, what a neat board! :wink

we're not planning on taking a childbirth class. i know what's gonna happen, and i know what i want. i also know that things don't always happen the way you expect them to (learned that the hard way :rolleyes: ) and that i should prepare myself (mentally) for the unexpected.. so i have/am.

i've had the shower birth dream a few more times... it's such a strange dream to me, i can't get the feeling out of my head. so now, i feel kind of nervous and kind of strangely serene when i get into the shower alone at night. :LOL

eating the placenta has a strange mystical appeal to me.. it's kind of strange, i know, but when i was 11 i had a dream that i gave birth to a baby girl and then i ate her caul and placenta... it seemed like a completing the circle kind of thing, like ashes to ashes.. from my body you came, to my body you return. (i remember my dreams almost every night, and have since i was a small child, but some of them are more vivid/real/surreal than others and have(had) a more lasting effect on me. the placenta dream was one of them. :shrug strange, but there you have it!

that said, i don't know that i could bring myself to do it irl... i suppose it would depend on how it looked. :LOL

no one ever comments on the size of my belly, regardless of what i'm wearing. :thumb i think they're afraid to because i'm a fat person and they don't know how to make a comment without sounding extraordinarily rude. the only person who's talked to me at all about it was another fat person who was once mistaken for her pregnant sister by a casual acquaintance of said sister; she's got an entirely different perspective on belly size than most people who've never had kids. :LOL :laugh:

[Modesto Doula]

irish- we watch more TV than that around here, but I really dont want a built in TV in the van. We have discussed getting a removable one that we can put in for extra long car rides- Mostly to rennaissance faires or serious road trips, but that's as far as I want to go. I want one that isnt available every time we go to grammas- I want to make sure my kiddos grow up seeing the farmland and orchards before they all disappear in this area.

I've been trying to drink pregnancy tea. My midwife is also an herbalist and she makes her own mix. It wasnt too bad the first couple weeks and I was up to 3 cups a day. All of a sudden, I just couldnt tolerate it, the thought of it was gross, so I quit drinking hers. I mix celestial seasonings raspberry zinger and traditional medicinals pregnancy teas with my regular iced tea to give it a little better flavor (and possibly some benefit- LOL), but drinking it straight just has ZERO appeal, although I do try occasionally.

I probably will plant the placenta. I'd like to plant it in a half barrel, so that when we move it wont be left here for the new people's animals to dig up or pee on =) I've been planning on moing my aloe into a half barrel, so if I put that off long enough, the placenta will fit nicely under that. Eating it is the last thing on my mind- no offense to those of you who are planning it... I dont like gamey meats, so Im pretty sure its just not my style =)

Im sorry to all your mommas whos DHs are into march madness... I like watching the Kings play, but Im so happy my DH is not a sports fan!

[Smithie]

My dh is enjoying our Bradley class as well. I think the exceptionally attractive teacher might have something to do with it, but hey, whatever works :D

I have been giving some serious thought to this placenta thing. On the one hand, I'm sure it's full of good stuff that my body would appreciate getting back. OTOH, you could say the same for menstrual blood, and I sure don't eat that. I think I'll promise myself to chow down if I'm bleeding a lot, and leave it alone if bfing seems to be doing the trick with my uterus.

In other news, protein is a vastly overrated substance. And I am sick of having my nutriotional choices affect another person. I believe in extended bfing, but this baby is just going to have to deal with simple carbohydrates and vodka tonics as a component of his breast milk.

[eilonwy]

Originally posted by Smithie
In other news, protein is a vastly overrated substance. And I am sick of having my nutriotional choices affect another person. I believe in extended bfing, but this baby is just going to have to deal with simple carbohydrates and vodka tonics as a component of his breast milk.

:clap :laugh: Rock on!

[seedling]

Well, yesterday was a better day. When my DH got up, I told him "look, we've been at each other's throats. I hate it. I recognize alot of it is my fault. But we both have to agree to try to be positive today." I decided to include him in on it because he was kind of nasty to me right away that morning. (He would say I'm just being sensitive). Anyway, we had one almost argument but DD was around and she got concerned b/c our voices were raised (what kind of example are we setting!) and we descalated very rapidly and were laughing very fast at our explanations that we were just 'excitedly discussing something'. My DH is also a very physical guy so I made a concerted effort to give him kisses, hugs, etc thru out the day to reinforce this. And it worked. I feel so much better today. And we got thru what could have been a fairly stressful day (with both families here) in harmony. Yeah!

Abby, thank you for reminding me of the serenity prayer. I'm going to use it. I think I'll need it to get back in sync with my DD. She has been something else. I'd run to the store yesterday after the party and when I came back, she'd had one of her tantrums triggered by my Mom trying to help her use the potty. It was kind of a clue that it wasn't just me. She *IS* going thru a rough time right now. Still can't figure out why (maybe me and DH not getting along?) but there's definitely something going on.

Anyway, the party went fairly well. And my sister and DH got the entire yard mowed! We have almost 2 acres so this is no small feat. We usually mow for a couple of days every week in the summer. But my sister has a mower with a really wide deck and they got it done in about 2 hours including all the weedeating. It looks so nice! I LOVE her.

I've totally not been drinking my pregnancy tea the way I should in the past couple of weeks. I had been having at least one cup every day but somehow I've gotten out of the habit. I've been indulging too much in my wants lately too. This darn sweet tooth that I develop when I'm preggo. I don't usually like sweets that much. But lately... I'm still eating really well most of the time but am definitely having a few too many treats.

I'm 30 weeks tomorrow. GULP! Well, I've got a doctor appt this afternoon right smack in the middle of nap/work time so I'd better quit rambling and get to it. Good day all!

[liz-hippymom]

seedling-
i TOTALLY RELATE to your witchyness! thats me all the way..problem is ive been like that the whole pregnancy! We dont watch TV in the house, but my issues with DH stem from his complete space-cadetness...he forgets EVERYTHING, notices nothing and does reallly dumb things like ummmm - last week he smashed into another PARKED car while parking.... first of all the man has been driving for 7 YEARS whereas i have only been driving for three, but you dont see me doing that crap! he has banged up both the cars on numerous occasions and i am SICK of it .:splat plus the whole not remebering things DRIVES ME NUTS...no matter what i say, if it isnt post-ited to his skull he will forget it... pre-pregnancy i had much more patientence for dealing with this, but now i have ZERO- ZILCE-NADA ..seriously..
plus there is the whole kid thing-----
i hate weekends- unless we spilt up- him with DSS and me with DS , then it is complete hell..if we go anywhere as a family i find myself wishing i could melt into the floor...there is something about DH that makes the kids act NUTSO.... tristan turns into an infant whining and crying and wanting to be held and everything is MINE- and Kiryn seeks attention in the most annoying ways, like hitting tristan, stealing his toys and doing EVERYTHING DH tells him not to do, then laughing in his face....DH has no control over them and further more he causes 10 times the behavior issues than i would ever have to deal with in the day... and i have like no power over them unless i devote ALL attention to them both when DH is around..making weekends horribly stressful for me.. i know the kids behaviors are normal, and i know its normal for their behaviors to be increased when DH is around, BUT the difference is night and day..on the weekdays they for the most part listen to me, and i can take them places as long as they arnt tired and hungry without them totally imbarrising me... but weekends are totally and completly HELL... i seriously count the minutes down till DH goes back to work...

so now i am thinking about DHs plan to take his vacation when the baby is born and im thinking- WHAT HELP WILL THAT BE EXACTLY? i think id rather he work and hire a postpatum doula...

AM i crazy?????

oh and we took BFW classes that just ended last week- and DH FORGOT to show up to one! it would be funny if it was not SO bad!

[Ceili]

I have to say I love my minivan. I've driven one for 10 years now, pre-kids. But it's on it's last legs now. I'm just holding out for the new Hybrid Toyota Highlander that's coming out next winter. I'd really rather have a minivan, but for good gas milage I guess I can live with the stigma of driving an SUV.

Placentas - I don't know if I'll eat any of mine. I might, but probably only if I'm feeling depressed. My best friend ate some of hers, she stuck it in the blender and mixed in as part of smoothie.

I don't get any comments on the size of my belly either. I'm carrying really low and flat (I have a long torso) and I've always worn baggy clothes, so sometimes it's really hard to tell. I've found that I only look really pregnant when I'm wearing maternity shirts and most of the time I just wear oversized t-shirts.

[eilonwy]

Our last car payment was going to be this month, and after that we were going to start saving for a (seriously used!) minivan. Of course, that plan has been postponed in a big way because I totalled the car and we had to get a new one. Yeah, the insurance paid for most of it, but now we have to insure the new car... :crying It'll be at least two years I think before we can get a minivan now. *sigh*

[mattjule]

Liz-I feel your frustration. My dh is generally a really observant, helpful guy, but my bro who lives with us is the mirror image of your dh. It makes me crazy to have to ask him to do anything and then remind him constantly about it! I feel like such a nag and I hate being that person, so that makes me even more angry with him-that his behavior forces me to be that way.

About dh and kids...I have noticed that my dh is a pushover with our ds. I have talked to him about this, b/c ds throws a lot more fits/ignores dh more. Dh says its b/c he doesn't want to spend the little time he has with ds fighting with him, so he lets things go. I think lots of times he ends up fighting MORE than if he was firm in the first place. :rolleyes:

I have also noticed that both dh and bro tend to ignore ds when he is asking for something if they don't want to give it to him. Like, if ds wants up, but they don't want to pick him up, instead of telling ds "not now" or "you are okay" or just "no" like I do, they act like they don't hear anything. This makes me crazy! Language has not come easily to ds and it is so frustrating for me when people don't positively reinforce his use of words. Just tell him no, dammit, but don't ignore him! ARG! When Tain asked for something nicely a month ago, MIL spent about a minute trying to get him to say "please". It was very irritating. Who cares if he says please? He rarely uses sentences at all, most of the time it is hard to understand him, so when you know what he is asking for, just give it to him or don't, but don't frustrate him/make him think he isn't understood b/c you think a 2 yo should have manners! If he was demanding instead of asking or yelling or something, that would be different. But his manner of asking is "please" enough IMO.

I feel disconnected from Rowan lately. It is kind of scary. He's still moving around a lot, but I just don't sense "him" right now. I can't help but think of those ladies that say they knew their baby wasn't going to live b/c they didn't feel a connection to it. I also know I am totally paranoid, but that feeling is lurking back there in my mind. If I don't feel better in the next couple days, I think I'll call my mw for a quick reassurance appt. Maybe it is b/c I have been focusing on Tain so much lately. I had another nightmare about him yesterday. I have never had nightmares about him before so that has been pretty yucky. And he is so wonderful right now that I spend a good portion of my day just loving him, yk? I am not usually a person prone to wild nightmarish fantasies, but lately....

[malibusunny]

ooh, can I jump in? am wearing vs underwear, though in a large now, and they stopped making my favourites (as tends to happen-- apparently, if i like something, it is the kiss of death :D).

I had my first pg fall two weeks ago, down half a flight of stairs at a forensics meet-- I sprained my thumb because I was holding on to the railing so tightly! so I stayed more or less upright, only bruised my shin and the top of my foot, and Sprout barely even noticed!

We are taking classes; Bradley, skipping the hospital ones (though we are giving birth at the birthing center connected to a hospital). We've been to four out of 12 hours and while it is getting better, we haven't really be doing much, mostly just talking about things. I was *really* looking forward to K having to give me massages and whatnot, but we always seem to run out of time.

We had someone else paint the nursery, with windows open and door closed; I barely ever smelled anything.

Has been a bad week, stresswise, so I took today off work just to detox. Sprout chose to practice inter-uterine gymnastics until about 2:30 this morning, so it was a v. g. decision. Spent the morning dealing with insurance cos and cleaning; currently feeling v. housewifey.

Looking forward to getting to know all of you better!

Sunny

[dharmama]

Welcome Sunny! :wave

I feel disconnected from Rowan lately. It is kind of scary. He's still moving around a lot, but I just don't sense "him" right now. I can't help but think of those ladies that say they knew their baby wasn't going to live b/c they didn't feel a connection to it.

Julie ~ I'm not sure I feel overly "connected" to our babe. This is my first pregnancy so I have nothing to compare to but I really thought that the baby and I would be more interactive...more connected on a spiritual/psychic level.

I'm totally excited about the birth, meeting her, becoming a mama...but I really don't feel like I already know her.

And I too have worries about loss. There are some threads about stillbirth that are active right now and I see them in the "new threads." I just want to skip right over them and not look. It's just too scary/painful to think about. But whether we voice it or not - it is a very real and normal fear that exists on some level in all of us.

Anyway...not sure if I'm expressing myself clearly but I just wanted to let you know that I've had some similar thoughts/concerns. :hug

~Erin
:love

[curlygrrl]

Wow, busy busy thread!

We're not doing childbirth classes this time, we did one last time but all the techniques I used during the actual birth I learned doing yoga. So I'm taking the prenatal yoga class instead. I love it! I've been taking it every Monday night since the beginning of my 2nd trimester. They are starting up a Saturday morning class now and I'm looking forward to going to both of them from time-to-time.

All 3 of us were sick this weekend, urgh! I had soooo much I wanted to accomplish as far as housecleaning and stuff, NONE of it got done. 'sigh' I swear my house is turning into a hazardous waste dump! :angry

Tamara

[Greaseball]

About dh and kids...I have noticed that my dh is a pushover with our ds. I have talked to him about this, b/c ds throws a lot more fits/ignores dh more.

I have this problem with dh as well. Sometimes he'll be telling dd to stop doing something like hitting or eye-poking, and she'll just ignore him while he tells her over and over to stop. He's teaching her that she doesn't really have to listen to him. If she does that to me and doesn't stop when I ask her to, I put her in her room right away.

She also doesn't take naps when dh puts her down because she knows that if she refuses, he will just get her out of bed and let her skip it. Then she becomes impossible to deal with later in the evening. If I put her down for a nap, she just lies down and accepts it, and she even looks happy about it.

[eilonwy]

Julie, I'm not feeling too connected to NewBean either. It's really strange to me, because from almost before I got pregnant with Eli, I knew who he was. I could feel his presence, hear his name, see his face. I could have drawn a picture of him, and it would have been recognizeable as the boy I know and love today.

This time, only one name really seems to resonate with me when I think of it, and quite frankly it makes me feel uncomfortable. (Long story which I don't feel comfortable thinking about, let alone going into). It's a boy's name, and when I think of it I feel like it's somehow definately attached to my child, but because I don't want to feel that way about the name, it's difficult for me to accept it, if that makes any sense. I also have no real leanings toward gender. With Eli, I *knew* he was a boy, again from just before I concieved him. This time, when I try to picture my baby I see a girl of three or four, and I've had several dreams of girls recently but when I think of names the one that 'clicks' is a boy's name. Very confusing! I think finding out the gender would help me connect a bit more.

I have often wondered if I might feel disconnected because this baby doesn't really belong to me the way that Eli does; that would make a lot of sense in terms of the naming situation. I don't feel like NewBean might not survive, (even though I've had serious thoughts that they might be premature...:scratch) but I do feel like there will be some kind of loss associated with him/her. Like I'll get to raise him/her but they won't be mine.

Of course, all of this could melt away once I lay eyes on NewBean, or perhaps after we nurse for a while... :love

[Smithie]

I'm just an ignorant first-timer, but isn't it very typical to feel less bonded to the second pregnancy because you don't want to / feel guilty about taking any of your focus off kid #1? I swear I read that somewhere...

I have a mw appt today, my first every-two-weeker. I'm pretty sure it's overkill, but whatever, I enjoy going to the Birth Center. Dh wants to come too. Yesterday he drove to a coworker's house to pick up a hand-me-own bassinet AND he read some of the Bradley stuff. I think he's beginning to nest :love

Speaking of Bradley:

...we haven't really be doing much, mostly just talking about things. I was *really* looking forward to K having to give me massages and whatnot, but we always seem to run out of time.


I'm looking forward to the massages, too! Our instructor promiseed that we'd start with a "relaxation exercise' this week. Yay!

[liz-hippymom]

julie-
:hug
i am sorry you are worried about your baby. i definantly understand feeling less connected with this baby - but i hadnt heard any stories about mamas losing babies to worry me!-
i feel like there is less MUCH less time to connect with this baby..also for me this pregnancy has been so hard that i feel almost resentful at times... like hey you- GET OFF THAT NERVE.... kiryns pregnancy was like roses compared! lol ... i think much more about the birth than i do about WHO the baby is..i havnt picked a name (picked kiryns at 5 months) so i cant connect on that level. i feel like i am waiting to see who she'll be...one of my fears is that ill get a "difficult" baby and end up with PPD.... so i guess we all have our weird worries.. you sound like you need a hug about yours though. oh and i think the "reassurance " appt with your midwife is a GOOD idea... worrying never helps!

[CryPixie83]

Originally posted by seedling
This darn sweet tooth that I develop when I'm preggo. I don't usually like sweets that much. But lately... I'm still eating really well most of the time but am definitely having a few too many treats.


You're definately not alone there! During the first and a major part of the second trimesters I craved nothing but healthy stuff, fruits, veggies, steaks... I didn't want anything cooked (well except the meat obviously but nothing over medium lolI want it pink inside :D ) and i felt so proud of myself for taking care of myself and the baby. Of course I hit about 20 weeks or so and craved nothing but junk food :( I'm talking oreos (double stuff), chocolate covered mini donuts, McDonald's, Hardees, soda... Thankfully my tastes are slowly becoming more sensible now and I'm limiting my junk food intake. Now if only I could remember to drink that darn tea :LOL

Has anyone else taken the glucose test? Glucola has got to be the most disgusting crud I've ever put in my mouth...then again, I hate orange soda...

We decided on paint colors! I'm soooo happy! Of course we won't be painting till May, but I feel so much better just knowing I've got the decision making portion of the project done.

On an even happier note, I think we're actualy going to stay out of the red in April! We've been doing pretty badly financialy speaking. Three people, too many bills and me out of work just wasn't cutting it, but now that I'm working again things are looking much better and I'm feeling like I can breathe again! Now, all I have to do is make sure we actually adhere to our budget! Easier said than done, we're new at the budgeting thing (which is why we were in the hole to begin with). My cards said now was the time for careful planning... hehe how appropriate :thumb

For now, it's super nice outside and I still have a bunch of cleaning to do...just didn't have much energy yesterday so not much got done :p Guess I'll see what I can get done around here!

[wildthing]

I have felt differently about each of my pregnancies.

This one, I feel is a boy, but I sort of force myself to think of baby as a girl....does that make sense? Like, I am afraid if I start going with the boy feeling, I might be disappointed if it is a girl. I dunno.....

Connected....sometimes yes, sometimes no. Sometimes I realize it has been a day or two since I really just laid down and thought about little Crush. Shoot, sometimes I forget I am pregnant! :laugh: Like you Rynna, the only name that I feel drawn to, or that clicks as you said, is a boys name.

I have been trying to savor this pregnancy, it is my last, but often life gets in the way.

I was feeling pretty down yesterday. 4 of my brand new shirts were ruined in the dryer. There is a seal or something that broke, and grease got on them. I went to Old Navy to get something else, and they had NOTHING! Then I went to the baby re-sale store to see if I could find some cute neutral things, and again, NOTHING! I went home, cried for a while, then dh and I went and got some really cute things for me at Motherhood. Most was either on sale or was an awesome price, so I didn't spend too much. I just felt a little guilty, seeing as I only have about 2.5 months left.

It is HOT here today....90-95 inland, and we are sort of in betwen inland and coastal...it is probably in the mid 80's here now. Ugh! RRL tea tastes soo good cold! :LOL

[Greaseball]

I just thought of another thing I hate...:rant

Old Navy's website! Every time I go to it, it crashes my computer. It happens when I use other computers, too. I have to try 3 separate times to get in, usually. The same thing happens with the Gap's.

What's up with that?

[3girlsmommy]

Wow! What a busy thread today! It's finally nice here and we have been playing outside for the past 2 days. My kids are taking a little down time inside right now, mainly because I needed it! :) Everytime I would just get comfy one of them would need me and I'm exhusted today! OUr crazy shelf building weekend wore me out. Not because I had to build the shelves but because I never really got any me time. The kids were non-stop motion for two days and I never got to hand them over to dh and just veg. I really need that on the weekend otherwise I'm just exhusted come Monday.

Talking about the placenta thing.... I don't think that I would eat it but then again I've never had bleeding issues or ppd. If I did I would probably consider it. I am planning on bringing it home with me and planting a tree with it. The only thing that bothers me about that is what if we move? Right now we have no intention of ever moving but what if??? I know I'm being silly but I think that would bother me. I guess I just have to figure that by the time we moved the placenta would be completly gone anyway.

On the subject of dh's mine goes back and forth between letting the kids do whatever they want and being super strict! It's the one big thing we argue about these days. He's so unpredictable. I'm worried that his relationship w/ our oldest is starting to suffer because she's the one who he's most strict with. UGH!

Well I need to go get the shelves ready to paint tonight!

[eilonwy]

Originally posted by wildthing

I was feeling pretty down yesterday. 4 of my brand new shirts were ruined in the dryer.

I lost six of Eli's nice diapers to mildew.. my mom found them in a bag and when she washed them they just melted in places. :bawl :crying :bawl So depressing! I just burst into tears :(.

[rubelin]

Hey everyone! What a weekend! We've been having an awful time with Ben for the past week or so, he's gotten totally out of control and we are not handling it well. Thank goodness Dh & I are pretty much on the same page WRT discipline (we practice Positive Discipline) but we've both been so stressed out, we're at a loss. We can't figure out what is going on with him but we're trying really hard to not add to the problem, but it is so hard not to flip out when I feel so crummy. It's really hot and I'm getting more uncomfortable by the moment and I am sick of fighting with a 3 year old!! (ok, rant over)

Oh, I started a roll call thread so pop up there and add in your reply :) I can make one for picture links, too, if you'd like that, or we can just have links in the roll call replies. It's fun to have a whole board to play with :)

This is gonna sound weird but the past few days I've realized that I'm getting vibes about your babies. I was thinking about how I really knew mine was a boy, and how I wasn't suprised that my sil is having another boy or my GF is having another girl. And then I started thinking that I haven't been suprised by any of your news either. Anyhow, it's silly, but I think I'll make a list of my predictions and see how well I do :)

Better get finished up here, I have a bit of time to get some work done, msut not waste it!!!

[Greaseball]

This is gonna sound weird but the past few days I've realized that I'm getting vibes about your babies.

Really? What's mine going to be?:LOL

[wildthing]

Ooo Robin!! I would love to see your predictions! :D

I agree with you on the heat too! Yuck!

Rynna, I checked out Eli's pictures...he is sooooo darn cute! What a gorgeous smile!

[eilonwy]

Thanks, Donna. :) We think he's definately a keeper! :LOL

Robin, where's your thread about what we're all having?!? I'd love to see it!

[mattjule]

Thanks for all the :grouphug . I debated whether or not to post about it b/c the last thing any pregnant mama needs is someone talking about fears of losing babies! I honestly think it stems from focusing so much on Tain right now. I don't think that I am doing that "smother them with attention right before a sibling's birth" thing or that I am sad he won't be an only child anymore. Honestly, he is just wonderful right now and I feel really receptive to it. Like right now I can see every beautiful thing about him so clearly. As I am writing this I am realizing that this is about the time I got really spiritual when I was pregnant with Tain. I remember feeling like I was not really a part of the world anymore, like I could see through things to the other side, like I could see colors more vibrantly than other people. Hmmm.

There is another reason as well, but I don't think now or here is the time/place to talk about it. So thanks for the community and support, it does make me feel better.

[rubelin]

hee hee, I'll have to make a little list of my predictions. I don't have a vibe from everyone, but maybe I'll toss in some guesses, too.

Oh, Julie, I forgot to respond about your not feeling connected to the baby. There was a cool thread a while back about feeling the baby's spirit and a few people mentioned that they've heard/read that the spirit goes in and out until birth, some sticking around more and some not really staying until birth. It was a cool idea, maybe reading through that thread would help you get some more peace about it??

I jsut realized I forgot to post my own reply to the roll call thread, better do it before I forget again, lol!

'night all!

[Queen of Cups]

Robin - I'm looking forward to seeing your predictions, too! I keep going back and forth about the gender of my baby. I had a very vivid dream Saturday night that I had the baby on Sunday. It was a girl and she weighed 7 pounds 9 ounces, and my only thought was, "Thank goodness I didn't go those last two months!"

The funny thing is, I was really thinking it was a girl for the past couple weeks, but now I'm starting to lean toward boy again. I just don't know!

I'm the visitor services coordinator at a children's museum, and so I know a lot of the members (I've been there about three years). Everyone's really sweet about me being pregnant, and about 4 people made a point yesterday of telling me how cute I looked and how well I was carrying the pregnancy. It was so nice to hear some encouragement - sometimes I feel cute, but most of the time I feel like a whale!

[eilonwy]

Well, this is fun... my appetite has completely vanished. :scratch At this point with Eli, I was ravenous. I ate everything that wasn't nailed down, and a few things that were. :LOL Right now, I feel nothing. I thought I might be craving fat because on Sunday I wanted the most greasy things which normally turn my stomach to think about, so I made an effort to remember to take some flax seed oil. Lo and behold, the fat cravings vanished... along with everything else. It's really awful, because Eli gets hungry and starts asking for food and I think "I should be hungry if he is... why don't I want anything?" :shrug Yesterday I ate three english muffins with margarine and a decent sized bowl of cream of mushroom soup and felt completely stuffed. Today, I don't think I'll force myself to eat and we'll see what happens. As long as I don't get a low blood sugar headache, I won't worry about it.

Uh-oh, poopy pants! Time to go..

[mattjule]

Robin-thanks for reminding me about that thread. I read it when it was first made so thinking about it now does help.

I had ANOTHER nightmare about Tain last night. This is really starting to annoy me. That makes 3 in the last week and a half. It's getting a little old.

Okay, this is weird, but we found out we were having a boy at 18 wks. I saw the u/s-definitely a boy, in fact it was so obvious, I said "boy" before the Dr. did. So lately, out of the blue, a little birth fantasy will pop in my head and that baby is a girl. Like I'm telling myself, wouldn't that be crazy? Strange. Maybe it coincides with not "feeling" him lately, the gender becomes ambiguous again. Up until this point I have really felt it was a boy. And I already processed my feelings about not having a girl so I don't really know why I keep imagining that. But it would be crazy...:LOL

I got a package from a TP transaction last night. I think I am the only person on the planet to get excited about 2 trash bags. :LOL I also got 6 receiving blankets for the birth (yeah!!!) and 2 changing table covers. The blankets are girly-one is bright pink, but the mama is right, I only want them for the birth, so it doesn't really matter.

I was thinking that this thread is moving so fast, and since we have our own forum now, maybe we should do a new one once it reaches 3-4 pages instead of weekly. Any thoughts?

[Ceili]

My appetite is completely gone too. And for some reason I'm throwing up again. I had an english muffin with peanut butter for breakfast and that didn't sit too well... I don't feel nausous :scratch Maybe it was from taking my prenatal vitamin on an empty stomach?

My house is slowly getting clean. DSO did laundry all weekend long, he's even folded it and hung up clothes in the closets.

I had a dream I was bleeding last night... I felt really relieved when I woke up and realized that was a dream and then Thumper started doing a little dance on my bladder as if to say "Relax Mom, everything's okay..."

[Smithie]

I might get rid of my last remaining foster pup today. Two families are coming to see her. I really love her, but I am trying very hard to make a rational, adult decision about how many dogs I can handle once I have an infant to contend with. :crying

Dh tagged along to my mw appointment yesterday. She is not impressed with my diet, either quantity or quality, but says that I appear to be growing a really great baby (in terms of both quantity and quality). I am certainly packing on the stereotypical mamma fat (face/arms/legs/butt), so I don't think I'm going to worry too much, although she's absolutely right that I'm getting dehydrated and need to drink more water. I'm going to make a serious effort to follow that advice (she said, as she swigged her Diet Pepsi).

We also found out that our options for going past 42 weeks are even bleaker than we thought. :splat The midwifery practice can't find anybody to back them up for "post-term" homebirth (which I don't want anyhow), so if you go past 42 they transfer care to the mw who practices at the big university hospital. That hospital "gives" you until 43 weeks before their policies mandate induction. You can scrounge a few more days by, say, faking a family death and being unavailable to schedule the induction, but they're gonna get you in the end, and you run the risk of winding up with some random on-call doc unless you schedule with the midwife, who will use Pitocin just like any freaking MD.

So, all things considered, I'm going to let my mws use their non-Pitocin bag of tricks to get this baby out at 42 weeks. We fudged my due date a bit to give me an extra week on paper, so it would probably be closer to 43 weeks. The more time I spend at the birth center, the more convinced I am that it is The Right Place for my birth, the place where I am most likely to be successful. If James doesn't cook quite as long as he wants to, well, that's just one more outrage to chalk up to the patriarchy.

God, the kid's not even born yet, and I'm already making compromises with The Man. Aaaaaaagh.

[Doodlebugsmom]

Smithie, If you are concerned about going past due, you should talk to your mws about using evening primrose oil starting at week 36. My mw swears by it. Also, drinking red raspberry leaf tea can help.

I had a mw appt today and did my glucose test. I'm sure I don't have GD though. The last time I had gained 12lbs. in 4 weeks. This time I only gained a pound, but I'm still measuring 2 weeks ahead. The same thing happened with my last pregnancy. I don't have a huge appetite and I get unbearable heartburn that is mostly caused by sweets and highly processed foods. I want sweets so bad, but I won't eat them or I'll be miserable! I guess it's good for weight control!

I hope everyone is feeling well today!

[Greaseball]

Smithie - tell them you're deathly allergic to pitocin and cytotec, and that it also happens to be against your religion. :p See what they do with that!

Even if you end up birthing in the hospital, you can still refuse induction.

[eilonwy]

Um, you can't be allergic to pitocin, it's a hormone. No doctor on earth would buy that excuse..

You've got 43 weeks on paper.. do you really think you'll go to 44? I'm worried about going to 40.. I was losing my mind with Eli long before he was born (at 37). I guess I'm pretty lucky that way; my date on paper is more than two weeks after the date I figure, and two weeks after that gives me almost 45 weeks. :laugh: That is, if I'm not already climbing the walls by 36. :rolleyes:

[Greaseball]

OK, the religion thing then. I hear doctors are so worried about losing patients to homebirth for religious reasons that they will find ways to work with religious beliefs. But it's not like one would have to give such an excuse, patients always have the right to refuse induction. Maybe a midwife can refuse to attend your birth, but a hospital can't.

Dh took dd to our ped today and asked if she would be available to be the new baby's doctor, and she said she thought it was great that we were having a homebirth! She said "I can't really say this around here, but you are definitely making the right decision.":thumb Nice to know I don't have to hide my pregnancy from everyone in the medical community!

Are large weight gains a sign of GD? I thought my midwives routinely did the GD test but it turns out they don't. I can ask for one, though. I've had several 4- and 5-lb gains but there is no high bp or sugar in the urine, so we aren't really worrying about it, but maybe I should take the GD test after all.

[Smithie]

You're right, of course, Rynna. I probably won't go to 44, esp. if I do the primrose oil etc. My mom went 43 and a couple of days with me, though, and she swears that her dates were accurate and I wasn't postmature, so that's what I keep focusing on. Of course, going to 43 with me made her so miserable that she went nuts and waxed every floor in the house when she was 39 w/ my little bro. She lost the mucous plug, as she had subconsciously intended, and was induced with Pit and wound up with a C-sec (the cord was wrapped around my brother's head). I can't help but think that that cord thing might have resolved if she'd given it another week. She thinks the same, and was really pissed off that she wound up having surgery. So really, most of my anxiety about going late and being induced stems from unresolved Mommy issues. :o

[eilonwy]

Actually, those 4 & 5 pound gains (unless they're all water) are probably a good sign that you don't have GD. :thumb One of the reasons that I worry about it is because I lose weight during pregnancy, and that's often a sign of diabetes in general. While I was pregnant with Eli, I remember that every time I mentioned having had a headache (as if that's not normal! :rolleyes: ) that they wanted to check my blood sugar. I'm sure there's a really good website out there somewhere with all the signs & symptoms... it should probably be on a sticky list at the top of the "I'm Pregnant" forum, along with that excellent website for fat people that I can't find anymore... :scratch

I was born at 41 weeks, 1 day and I was definately overcooked -- dry, cracked, peeling skin, really long nails, blue extremities & lips. I was definately ready to be out. One of the women on the March board was overdue by more than that and had a baby covered in vernix and healthy as you please. :shrug We all need different amounts of time to cook, I guess. Eli was still covered in lanugo when he was born, but there wasn't much vernix because I lost all my fluid before he came. :rolleyes:

[Smithie]

Oh, and my Bradley instructor is having us write hospital birth plans that say we are terrified of needles, extraordinarily sensitive to chemicals, and "very private people." Maybe I'll toss in something about my religious scruples - "in pain shall you bring forth children" and all that jazz. :p

[Greaseball]

My dd was born at 38 weeks (according to u/s; I have no idea when she was conceived) and though she didn't look postmature, she didn't look like a newborn either. She weighed 7.5 lbs, which isn't a lot but everyone I know IRL has 1st babies that weigh under 7 lbs. She had hardly any vernix. She had lots of hair, and she settled into sleeping and eating routines right away. So it could have been she was more than 38 weeks.

[mattjule]

My only concern about fudging dates to give you more time if you go past 40 weeks is that you might go early. Then your baby is labeled premature when in reality it isn't and that means a mandatory NICU stay, etc. plus, if your dates are fudged to be longer, there is a chance that you can't homebirth if you go into labor at 36 weeks, which in reality could be more like 37-38-perfectly fine range for homebirth. I think it is safer to just stick with the dates that you feel are accurate and not try to second guess when your baby is going to be ready.

My mw doesn't put much stock in due dates, which is nice. I think she is legally bound to do something by a certain date, but if no one finds out, what is the harm? I'm not going to tell anyone and neither is she. I doubt any hospital would get a court order for my prenatal records if I did end up going past with some sort of ill effect, especially if we lie and tell them a different edd.

I used EPO around 38 wks? with Tain. He was born 3 days before his edd, but his edd was a VERY ROUGH ESTIMATE so I don't really know how accurate it was in the first place. My mw actually had me do it b/c it is supposed to help with escalating bp. My bp had been going up at my 2 appts prior and while it was not bad, she was trying to do some prevention. It worked on that front, bp leveled off while I was taking it (I only took it orally). And Tain was born w/out going over 40 wks so I guess it worked out that way too. She thought he was going to be big so she was a bit concerned about me going over. Turns out I was the only one that got big during that pregnancy :rolleyes: he was 7 lbs 1 oz. No vernix, but pretty hairy. My favorite thing was his face-he had a beautiful swirl of golden hair in the middle of his forehead. You could only see it in the sun. It took a long time to go away and I think if I look hard enough I can still see it, but that is probably just mama eyes. :)

[Smithie]

My due date fudging stems from a disagreement between the radiologist and the midwives. Due to a probable mc the month before, I had NO CLUE when James was conceived, and the dating ultrasound gave us 06/08 as our EDD. At the 12-week ultrasound, they changed their minds and gave us 06/01. The midwives are sticking with the original date, which is fine by me. If I can make it to 37 weeks by EITHER date, I can give birth at the center. They would just revise their opinion and accept the radiologist's date, heh. They seem very willing to do whatever they can to make James' calendar square with the State regulations.

[lilzark]

Hi you guys, this is only my second post ever, but I needed to vent... this is my first pregnancy, and I don't really have anyone to talk about it with, so I've been coming here.

My due date is June 23, and I've been going to a wonderful birth center. However, lately I have all these worries. For one thing, every time I go to the midwives they say I am a little behind on my weight gain. I hope that's not going to be an issue this time because I have been eating whole milk yogurt like every day :eek DH is vegan so I've been laying on the dairy when I am by myself to try to catch up.

Mainly I came here because I feel like the baby is not as active as s/he was last week and I am paranoid... I am trying to do everything right but I have a constant worry that I am not eating enough or not the right things (I am having childhood food cravings... chocolate milk and Life cereal.) Last night I went to bed worried that the baby wasn't moving enough, and had a vivid dream about walking through a carnival, alone and crying while all these strangers were having fun.

I just feel like this pregnancy has made me feel so guilty, is the guilt going to be even worse when the baby is here? I get to the point where I just can't wait to go back to the midwife because I just want someone to tell me that everything is still okay.

Even when I cry, like while I am writing this, I feel guilty that maybe the baby can feel my sadness :(

Well thank you for giving me a place to write about this, and thank you to anyone who reads it!

[mattjule]

Big, big :hug ! First babies are so hard. You want to do everything so perfect. My diet was aweful w/ Tain and I gained way too much weight. I felt guilty all the time. Talk to your mw about how you feel. Often a mw's concern for your physical health causes her to be blind to your emotional health. I know my mw really loved and cared about me. I know when she said things, they were cautionary, they were intended to make me aware of something I might not have noticed. But what it really did was made me feel like a failure. Like I couldn't do anything good enough for my baby. And those feelings make it hard to try. So let her know how her words make you feel. Let her know you are aware of the issues and that the constant attention to them is making you feel aweful. My current mw for this pregnancy always tells me I am doing great. And it makes me feel so good that I do better. Everyone is going to have unhealthy cravings. And everyone indulges in them from time to time. As long as your overall diet is good, your baby is not going to suffer from a bowl of Life here and there. :) There are very few things in a Vegan diet that are bad for you, so you are starting off at a much better place than most pregnancies. Hey, if you feel bad about your diet, go lurk on a mainstream board sometime. The sheer volume of diet soda drunk over there will make you feel like a saint. :)

Be good to yourself. Allow yourself to be human. The supermom syndrome starts in pregnancy, not just after baby is born.

As far as movement goes, do the kick test when you feel anxious. I have found that on the days I worry about movement, I am so worked up I don't notice little movements, which makes me more worked up, etc. It's a vicious cycle. Lay down for an hour and just listen and talk to your baby. It helps.

you may also want to notice the TYPE of movement. I have noticed that my baby is kicking less and pushing/rolling more. As the baby gets bigger, there is less room in there to move around so how the movement feels is different. Ask yourself if you are really feeling less movement or if the quality of the movement has changed and that is what is triggering your concern. It is amazing the subtle things your subconscious picks up on as you become a mama. Think of it as a good thing, you won't have to worry about rolling over on your baby when it is born, your mind and body are already becoming very attuned to what your baby is doing. If you still feel concerned, call your mw. Mw's go into this field b/c they feel a strong convinction to being available at any time, for anything. Ask to go in for a quick reassurance visit. Listen to the hb, have her feel around for baby, talk about how you are feeling. That is what she is there for. She won't mind, she's been with a lot of first time mamas with first time mama fears.

I know this is kind of long, but I hear so much of my first pregnancy in your words. It is so hard. Try to let some of it go. Remember, you want to look back on this time with joy and wonder, not guilt and worry. I let my guilt pretty much ruin my pregnancy with Tain. I refuse to make that mistake this time.

Oh, and I also spent a lot of time feeling angry at myself for feeling bad at all. That only makes things worse. "Honor how you feel today". Saying that to myself a lot really helped. "Honor how you feel today" and it will be easier to let go of the buildup.

And keep talking, it helps! I am pretty much alone this pregnancy and this group of mamas has saved me so many times.

[lilzark]

Hi again mattjule. Thank you for your thoughts, they were really really helpful. I was sniffling all over again when I read your post but I think it was because of relief.

I am feeling a little better this afternoon, and when I looked back at my post it seemed so sad. I wrote down when the baby moved today, and I felt about 4-5 little pokes before I stopped writing, so this made me feel better. Maybe you are right, the baby is bigger so it's not hopping around as much :)

My 30th birthday is coming soon and I think that is catching up with me along with pregnancy worries.

Thanks a lot!

[Greaseball]

Well just for fun I tried looking in the Guiness Book of World Records for the biggest baby, but they didn't have a listing. I looked around some more and found a story about one who was about 24 lbs at birth, born vaginally to giants, and didn't survive. And there was something on a message board about "My doctor said he knew someone who delviered a 16-lb baby vaginally." But I never did find any official record.

I read in our local paper about a baby in our state who was born by c/s at 14 lb and some oz, and he was listed as the 14th biggest baby in Oregon. I know pamamidwife has delivered two at home that each weighed 13/6, and Frank Sinatra was born at home weighing 15 lbs.

I think the smallest surviving baby was 10 oz.

[dharmama]

Welcome lilzark! :wave and here's a big :hug I'm expecting my first and my 30th b-day is in a couple of weeks too! :D

Anyone else getting backaches? :(

Just in the last week I've been getting them. And I'm pretty active...yoga 2x a week, swimming, stretching every morning. But ay, ye, ye...by the end of the day I am SO achy.

I'm seeing my chiropractor on Friday and I'm going to ask him if I can start to come more frequently (I've been doing once a month).

eilonwy ~ My appetite is all off. This morning I just could NOT figure out what to eat. NOTHING appealed to me. DH kept offering suggestions...I could make you...oatmeal, pancakes, french toast, scrambled eggs...how 'bout a bowl of cereal. I was just like :tsk :tsk :tsk

Ended up having peanut butter on toast (and being an hour late for work). :rolleyes:

~Erin
:love

[Doodlebugsmom]

Erin, I have been having backaches too. Especially in my lower back. It gets pretty bad at times and I walk like I'm 90 years old! I had the same thing with my last pregnancy. It is worse on days when I do lots of cleaning or yard work. I have a gift certificate for a massage that I think I'll cash in this weekend! Yay! I've had pb on toast the last two mornings too!

Lilzark, I'm so sorry you're having a difficult time. I think Julie gave you some great advice, and it sounds like you're feeling a little better. You should join us more often.

[seedling]

I can't keep up this week. Lizlark, welcome! You've gotten some excellent advice/support. First baby's are hard. Try not to be so hard on yourself and know you aren't the only one who has felt this way.

Julie, hugs to you a little late. I find that I am also not feeling super connected. I sometimes even forget I'm pregnant. I feel like so much of my time and energy goes to DD, then work, then house, then DH and by the time I'm thru, I forget to even think of the baby. I panic when I think of it this way, like "how in the world am I ever going to manage taking care of one more person". I've also had a couple of nightmares in the past few days about my hematoma coming back. I'm hoping that these are just the result of a really stressful (in the sense of trying to do too much) few days with my DD's birthday and tons of commitments on the calendar. I tend to have anxiety dreams when I'm feeling stressed.

Well, I'm up too late b/c of spending the whole day making it a super special day for my DD (it's her actual bday today). I got her down early and worked for a couple of hours and then had to bake a cake and do a little housework for tomorrow. Her playgroup is coming over for cake and icecream. I'm about birthday'd out. Anyway, at this point, I think I'm getting tired enough to go to sleep despite all that I haven't done. The food is ready and that's most important. My friends will forgive me if I don't get the dog hair vacuumed up.

[eilonwy]

:wave Hi Lizlark :) I have a niece who's "Lizabird" sometimes. :LOL Julie gave you lots of great advice, and I just wanted to add something: a few weeks ago (like 2, maybe?) I actually started a thread here about my desperate craving for Tang... so a craving for Life cereal is pretty tame, compared to that. :LOL It could be so much worse! I say indulge; you'll feel better afterwards, and there's probably something in it you need. Once you get whatever that is, you won't want it anymore. Last week I drank a cup of Tang and I couldn't remember what I'd been so excited about. :LOL

Yesterday, I had about 15 contractions in two hours. :shake :rolleyes: *sigh* I was really hoping to avoid the whole preterm labor trip this time around, but it was really awful, and they got painful enough that I really didn't want to do anythign but sit around on my big old butt. :guilty Then, as if to add insult to injury, I went to the bathroom and noticed a bit of spotting!! :eek It wasn't copious and it was brownish, so I decided against calling the doctor and going in. I drank as much water as I could and did kick counts for a bit (*lots* of movement!) and then I went to bed. This morning, I feel like my belly is a little lower, and a bit like I've been beat up, but the uterus is very calm. :thumb

I've got an appointment on Friday, so I'll ask him to check & see if my cervix dialated/changed any. We needed to schedule an ultrasound anyway, but now I'm probably going to have to do a vaginal one to make sure my cervix hasn't changed at all. If it happens a few more times, I'm going to end up on terbutaline again. :crying :crying :crying I was kind of hoping to have an 8 pounder this time, but now I will be happy to see 7. :guilty

Erin, my back hurts too... my upper back because I've been doing that funny walk and my boobs are huge, and my lower back from the contractions last night. :(

[Ceili]

I ordered my birth kit yesterday and my midwife is coming this afternoon... I should be cleaning. I really don't want her to see my house in the state that it's in at the moment. :blush At least dso cleaned the bathroom.

[Greaseball]

As soon as ctx start, I am going to ask dh to completely clean the bathroom and kitchen...and won't feel guilty about it!

[mattjule]

:hug :hug :hug :hug Rynna. I'll keep you in my thoughts. Maybe it won't be so bad. And at least you know what to expect this time (pretty small comfort, I know).

I have been looking at the roll call every time I come here and it is interesting to read people's ages. Those of you I thought were close to my age aren't and those that are, I would never have guessed. So I am finding I am a very bad judge of that! (Though it is hard to remember I am as old as I am. I keep thinking I am 22 or something. That was 4 years ago! Where does the time go?)

Rowan has been moving around a lot. I think my favorite thing right now is that he really kicks me when I am holding Tain and Tain is crying. Like he knows his brother and wants me to fix it. It is so sweet.

Tain was up at 3 am again last night. Luckily dh has today off so I was up for an hour with him, then dh came and let me go to bed and brought him in at 6:30 (asleep but not by much). It is surprising to me that these teeth have been the hardest on him. He is getting his canines in and you'd think that since they are so pointy and the tips so small, they would be less painful than molars. But we are having the worst time teething! Dh hasn't slept at all, poor guy and at the same time, a part of me doesn't feel sorry for him at all. Isn't that aweful? When things like this happen, 9 times out of 10 I am up alone with ds, exhausted. I don't feel bad when dh decides he can sacrifice a little to let me get some sleep. It is bad, b/c the reality isn't that cut and dry. I do get to nap with ds, a luxury dh doesn't get on days he works. And b/c he works at night, he usually gets in bed around 3 am, while I go to bed with ds at 10pm or so. So I do get more sleep before the midnight wakings. Sure doesn't feel like it, though. That's okay, when I am rested, I always feel more magnanimous, so dh will get plenty of time to make up some sleep today. :)

[wildthing]

Hi everyone!

I went and had my glusoce test the other day...but I didn't drink the glucola, I did 2 hour post-prandial. Funny thing was, as I waddled in to sit in the chair, the guy drawing blood says "Wow, you look like you're gonna pop out a baby any day now!" I said "Nope, not until June!" He says "Oh, it's gonna ba a BIG baby then." :laugh: Where did he get his degree.
But of course, the funnier part was when he said "So, is this your first?" I said "No, 8th." Blank stare, dead silence......He looked at me like he didn't hear me correctly...."8th??? Number 8, like after 7?" :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Talk about some comic relief!

Erin, my back has been sore, mostly muscular, off and on.....today though, I woke up and could barely walk. I have been going to the chiropractor 3x a week for the last 6 or 7 weeks. The other pain I typically get, nerve pain, mostly sciatic, has been non-exsistent. My headaches/migraines have pretty much vanished as well. I am planning on getting adjusted until the very end. :D

Lizlark, welcome to the group! I am sorry you are feeling stressed, but it realy is part of motherhood. Being completely responsible for another life is a huge responsibility, but the fact that you are concerned shows that you want only the best for your baby. :hug Also, the weekend before last, I started freaking out a little, because my baby wasn't moving as much as normal. For about 2 days, it seemed like minimal movement. But then it picked up full force...I guess little crush was just tired for a few days. :)

Rynna :hug to you!!!!! I will be thinking of you and sending you "no labor yet" vibes! I hope your uterus stays calm and your baby stays put until it's time. :hug

Speaking of time......all but one of my babies have come after my "due date", and all were in different condintions at birth.
#1 was 3 weeks late (yeah, 18 years ago, they did evn talk about inducing until 44 weeks) and she was long, skinny, dry and peeling. no vernix, no lanugo 7lb 13oz.
#2 was 1 week late, and she was plump, no vernix or lanugo 9lb 9oz.
# 3 was induced 3 days early because of my lack of weight gain (total of 3 pounds entire pregnancy-I weighed 127 when I got pregnant, 130 the day he was born). He also had no vernix, no lanugo and weighed 7lb 7oz.
#4 was 3 or 4 days late, but the placenta had started to calcify, and his skull sutures were starting to also, so his head didn't mold well when he was born. no vernix or lanugo, 10lb 4 oz.
#5 was 6 days late, smeared in vernix, I mean TONS, (we called her cheese-head for the longest time!) and weighed 9lb 11oz
#6 was 2 days late, tons of vernix, lots of lanugo 10lbs 7 oz.
#7 was 5 days late, heavy vernix, no lanugo, 9lb 2 oz.

Well, that's my ramble for the day! :LOL I hope to be on more frequently!

[Smithie]

Oh, Rynna. I'm so sorry. Sending <hugs> and anti-dilation vibes your way.

My first Babyrobics class (it's held on Wednesday mornings, when I taught until this week) was a really good experience as far as exercise goes. The teacher has been pregnant herself and seems to have a really clear understanding of what muslces need to be strong and where you need to be flexible. I will definitely go next week. I wish it was offered more than once a week.

Meeting the other Moms was honestly kind of depressing. There were a couple of superskinny gym rats types (with older babies, heh), and the moms with newer babies mostly looked like they'd been hit by Mac trucks. When we socialized after class, it was like a Catalogue of Intervention Horrors - one of them had a stat C-section under general anesthesia, for chrissake. None were bfing past three months or so - except maybe the superskinny gym rats, who ran away at the end of the class as though girth was a catching disease. Everybody looked exhausted to the point of tears.

All in all, I like it here best, because I can imagine y'all as calm Madonnalike figures whose eyes aren't bloodshot and whose boobs aren't swollen with unused milk. Oh, and in my vision, you are all wearing cute matching outfits. :LOL

[lilzark]

Hi you guys! I just wanted to thank you for offering so much encouragement the past couple of days. I have been trying to make a habit of checking in here. Maybe I'll be a regular :) I am feeling much better than when I first wrote in, sorry to be a downer.

Don't have much to add... I get to see the midwives again tomorrow, yay - although I have to do the GD test tomorrow. My place lets you drink a bunch of orange juice instead of the glucola stuff. So that's nice.

There was some discussion of classes - I am starting my class at end of April, and it's just the regular one that my birth center offers, so I don't know what they teach... I am also thinking about ordering the hypnobabies course. Has anyone had experience with it before? I hope it's not too late to start (28 weeks.)

See you all soon!

[3girlsmommy]

eilonwy-Here's some baby stay put dust!:dust Try and take it easy for a couple of days(I know easier said then done!)

lizark- :hug It will get easier! Also I'm doing hypnobabies now and I LOVE it. You can easily do it in 12 weeks without a problem. Kerry, the hypnobabies lady) is awesome!!

I had a midwife appointment today and my gtt. :gross
Also my little one is possibly breech right now although my midwife isn't worried I am. I see my chiropractor in a couple of weeks so hopefully we can make sure this baby gets into the correct position.

I gotta run my kids are in need! :)

[Ceili]

My midwife just left. I managed to clean up to an acceptable level before she got here (still big piles of folded laundry everywhere, but at least the floors were swept and the counters were wiped down).

I've lost a pound and a half since our last visit... from the stomach flu, I guess. And I was measuring a week off, but the baby is laying transverse so that could easily throw the measurements off. I guess I'm going to have to work on my posture, though there is plenty of time for him to swing around the right way.

We're going to do a revised, quick two day Bradley class with another couple, skipping over a bunch of stuff. She's sending me the normal class outlines for me to look at and see which stuff I'd like to cover.

I'm still waiting on my Hypnobabies stuff to get here. I'm excited, I've heard many good things about it.

And I finally have a lead on a peditrician that accepts un-vaxxed kids. Hopefully he's on our insurance, I'll have to look that up later today.

[Greaseball]

What about posture can make a baby choose a bad position? I've read that one shouldn't recline, but sorry, I can't spend my whole pregnancy sitting up in a straight-backed chair!

I don't think I do anything different with my posture than with bbay #1, although this time I'm walking more. #1 was posterior and I hear that can come from being too sedentary. So we'll see...

I thought I was getting better today but although the sore throat is gone, I still have this horrible pressure in my head! I forgot how long it takes me to get over illnesses when I'm pg.

[Queen of Cups]

Regarding posture and baby positioning, its ideal to sit with your knees lower than your hips as often as possible. This opens up the pelvis, so the baby positions itself correctly. I sit on a birthing ball when I'm at the computer, or occasionally on my ergonomic kneeling-chair-thingy. Some positions that put your knees higher than your hips (and thus close up your pelvis) are: sitting on the couch or in a car. Mothers who walk a lot during pregnancy have lower rates of breach or posterior babies, according to what I've read.

[Ceili]

Spinning Babies (http://www.spinningbabies.com/index.html) has some interesting information about posture and positioning.

[dharmama]

Great link. Thanks!

I caused quite a scene carrying my yoga ball into work this morning...but ahhhh...it feels SO much better than my chair! :thumb

~Erin
:love

[seedling]

I've had it on my list to check out that spinning babies site too. I don't have a birth ball but I just swapped out my desk chair in favor of a kitchen chair that I'm straddling.

Ryanna, hope you aren't having any more contractions/pre-term symptoms.

I'm so GLAD it's Friday. I'm TIRED. Anybody else starting to feel really tired all the time again? I can't figure out if it's because I've had a super busy week or if it's because it's just that time of pregnancy again. Hoping it isn't the latter.

DD is at her grandma's for a couple of hours today. We've had so many playdates etc this week that I'm going to have to spend today and tomorrow catching up with work. One more week and DH has spring break. I'm looking forward to that.

Happy Friday.

[Greaseball]

My horrible neighbors woke me up at 1:00 AM with some kind of loud thumping bass music, and then I started having horrible heartburn, so I never got back to sleep until 8:30! I tried my first Tums, violating my "don't eat anything that tastes bad" rule, and even that didn't help. It's almost noon and I'm still feeling it a little. I had it with dd, but it only lasted a few minutes. Ouch!

Yesterday I got a notice from Medicaid saying they were not going to pay for the homebirth after all...they were switching me to a plan that covers hospital births only. I called them up and got them to switch me back. I don't know why they would want to do something that is more expensive for themselves.

Dh went out after I woke up and got some donuts to cheer me up. It worked for a little bit, but then dd ate one and immediately started throwing up. Poor kid! We felt bad. After I woke up I didn't feel that great either, but then dh made me an egg and I felt better.

Yesterday our kitchen floor was completely covered in dead ants. It turns out our neighbors were spraying, and the ants were running to our place to escape the poison, and then just dropped dead. So dh is caulking where they came in. It was quite a shock to see them. We had no idea where they came from at first, or why they were all dead. He swept them up and it was so gross!

[eilonwy]

My cervix is very long and very thick! :) :thumb :balloons So I guess it was just stress, and maybe the fact that I'm not eating very much. (I think the baby is hungry, even though I'm not... :confused: :scratch) I had lots of contractions last night, too, and they totally exhausted me, but I guess it just means I need to eat more. This goes against my entire food philosophy, which is basically to eat only when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full. I hate eating when I'm not hungry, because it makes me feel funny and exacerbates my heartburn something awful :(.

Speaking of which, Greaseball, you must have the nastiest neighbors ever! Ick! Loud music and dead ants.. fabulous combo. :rolleyes:

Oh, and I've gained (I think) 2 pounds since my last appt (a month ago). That's much better than I did with EliBean, so I'm pretty cool with it. My arms and legs are still skinnier than they were, all the weight is in da :belly! :LOL

I took the GTT today. I actually got a really bad headache this time. :( I think it was the weather, though. I always get headaches when it rains/is about to rain. It's from the low pressure. :LOL I really want a massage tonight; perhaps I can get Mike to beat me. :thumb

[dharmama]

YAY!! So glad to hear your good news!! :D :thumb

[Smithie]

Woot! :D

I had my first "it's none of your damned business what I eat or drink" experience today. I ordered a latte at Starbucks. The lady behind the counter said "Decaf, right?" I glared at her until she crumbled into a small pile of shame. Then I let her off the hook with a fairly friendly lecture on how different women make different choices about what to give up, and I had chosen to give up booze and peanuts. :p

[3girlsmommy]

Yeah Eilonwy!:thumb

Smithie:LOL

I was sick all day today. MY stomcah is way off and I've been light headed. I kept telling myself it would just go away but it didn't so I made dh come home. I don't think I could have taken my oldest to preschool and done all the things I needed to do today. My kids watched more tv this morning then they have in a long time.

Id' been hoping for a nice relaxing afternoon where I could just sleep and take it easy but I really didn't need to feel like crap on the day it happened. And today was one of the