Friends Chat thread May 16th-31st

[Solange]

:hola:

Wow! Can you guys believe we only have two weeks left of this month!??!!! That was fast!

Topics we left off with:

Bears is away on vacation this week

Naturegirl left some really great info on turning breech babies

Caroline is sharing some great recipes

Hiccups in utero

Lotus/Leboyer Birthing

[ketilave]

And I jinxed myself about the whole hiccups thing - baby had them last night and the kid is so low I felt them in my butt and way below my c scar.

DD is cutting her top 2 teeth so the nights are restless and the nursing is up. The kid does ridiculous acrobatics while nursing - yesterday she stood there watching DS while nursed.

[LizaBear]

The IL's brought thier old washing machine up today - we're on our 3rd load of laundry (I can only do SMALL loads or the water will overflow our kitchen sink as the water drains).

I guess I'm officially an adult now - I'm excited about a years-old washing machine ! *L*

No more hand-washing dirty diapers for this mama !


Umm - the Braxton-hicks have kicked in pretty good now - many times of day and night.

[christeenybeany]

Hello there
Congrats on the new washer lizbear! When I got my new washer (used but new to me) I was in heaven! I was washing everything in the house!

I have never had or I should say my babies have never had hiccups while I was pregnant. I wonder what it is like. I hope it happens once.

When does the third trimester start? 27 or 28 weeks? I am at 26 now. I can't believe it!!!! This baby kicks all the time now and really hard! Whenever my dh touches the tummy he stops EVERYTIME I think he's only actually felt a kick like 2 or 3 times. Ug. I feel it so much lately and I want him to catch a glimpse.

[SamuraiEarthMama]

30 weeks tomorrow.

another friend has been admitted to the hospital with pre-eclampsia... but she's 35 weeks along so it's not quite as dangerous for the baby. still, no fun for her... she was planning a homebirth. i've gotta do that fear-release session of the hypnobabies and get rid of all these induction/bloodpressure scare vibes!

i'm sooo tired of needing to eat food but not wanting anything. it all feels like sawdust, nothing sounds good. i wish there was just a pill i could take in the morning that would deal with my nutritional needs for the day so i could just forget about food.

this baby is only about 3 pounds but it seems huge already.

i remember my first washer! it was a used one from a laundromat, fixed so it didn't need quarters (but you still had to slide in the slider to get it to start). it was a workhorse... i loved it!

i ordered my fishy pool today (for water labor/birth at home).

sorry so random... i'm feeling a little scattered today. but it's nice to see how everyone's doing, so i thought i'd put in my adventures too...

g'night and sleep well!

katje

[foxytocin]

Wonder how Bears' vacation is going?

Hi all! Got back from a long weekend in Dayton, OH with my grandparents. We are beat. My poor old car (diesel VW jetta with 330,000+ miles on it) got us there and back on $20 worth of fuel. An hour from home, 8pm, we left the interstate and lost 5th gear. It was there and then it was not. 2 minutes later, the headlights went out. Two unusual and completely unrelated events. But oh, we were lucky! Both DD and the dog were being absolute angels in the backseat. We pulled over and DH fiddled with the headlight switch for a few moments and voila, we could at least see and be seen. Didn't discover until this morning that a part of the gear shifter had snapped off. It's absolutely amazing that the car could move at all. Our trusty parts supplier is mailing us a new switch for the headlights and the missing part for the linkage (I now know that "linkage" is the "proper" term for some part of the shifter).

Naturegirl, thank you so much for the chiropractic info! Very useful to know. The plus-size pregnancy website has a very interesting discussion along this lines..............it just plain makes sense that a contorted body would make for a contorted birth passage.

And ok, then. I'm pretty naieve. What is a lotus birth? Do I take this to mean that the babe's cord is not cut until the placenta is delivered? Or even much longer than after the placenta? OK, then. This topic is not for the sqeamish. I'm going to start a new thread on placentas.

Hope everyone is doing well!
-Leah

[ketilave]

If I am correct you don't cut the cord at all and it comes off at its own pace. I think it is supposed to be faster than the more common cut and treat method. One of the benefits is that the mother isn't up and about and can spend time with her child as well as letting her body do all the things it needs...more to it. This is all I know.

30 week appt. today. 14 lbs total weight gain and 12 in the last 5 weeks. Did my glucose and blood sugar came back 72 (reactive hypoglycemic) and my hematocrit was down. But, the iron is no big deal because it was pretty high to begin with - though this is the first time that has ever dropped so it could explain the more recent fatigue. I am told I am should be eating every 2 hours - hahaha - and increase the protein. But right now I am only interested in the fruits that are out there. I am starting to measure behind so I really need to come to terms with the fact that I probably have 12 more weeks to go. I really want to have this baby before 8/9 - I don't want SD here for the birth because of possible complications with the ex. At the same time I want to be able to enjoy celebrating DDs first birthday so anything before 7/18 doesn't work either. Next appt in 2 weeks and then we are doing 3 weeks after that - it was that or 10 days and we couldn't see the point in that.

My sisters boyfriend came in tonight and he picks her up tomorrow. Then we have a full house for awhile. Lots of family time before my Dad takes off. The kids are in heaven with all the attention.

OK - that's all my rambling for now. I hope everyone is doing well.

[mommycaroline]

You have it right, K8, lotus birthing is where you don't cut the cord at all. It's a fascinating birth ritual, and there are a number of ways you can handle the placenta. I've read a lot about it, mostly the technical things, just cause I'm such a birth junkie. The most common thing I've seen done is wrap the placenta in a cloth bag that you've made just for this purpose, and "cure" it in salt and herbal/flower essences. This keeps the placenta from getting all icky, but some people do nothing, and somehow the placenta does pretty well that way too. I've never actually questioned anyone who was planning this for themselves (until now, that is) so the why's have been beyond me. Thanks Tiff for sharing your thoughts. :)

As for us, all is well. Babe still moving like crazy. I think I'm starting to identify body parts. And, man oh man do I feel big! It was a hot day here today, and I was very aware of it. I will definitely be swimming all summer!

Midwife's appt on Thursday. Hope it goes well. I'm meeting the last midwife in the practice that I haven't met yet (there are three of them) and a lot of people don't like her. I hope I do. I'm already not super crazy about one of the other two.

And, I spoke to several dentists around here today. I have an appt to get my teeth cleaned next Wednesday, and Bonnie's teeth will be looked at at the same time. Nobody thinks it's a big deal, but probably a good idea to just have her looked at, just in case. The pediatric dentists in this town suck royally, I have to say. Not one of them will permit me to go back with Bonnie after the first appt. And, they say it's "okay if they cry the whole time, they can take care of whatever needs to be taken care of." As if that would comfort me. They "strap them down so they don't get hurt." Uh huh, and what about their egos? Do they care about the trauma they cause children? Get real! I can't believe this is okay with people. I know in extreme cases you don't have much choice, but this is insane. I found a regular dentist who can take care of Bonnie unless there's a cause for extensive equipment that she just doesn't have, which is highly unlikely. And, she'll let me be there the whole time. My daughter gets upset if a stranger pats her head, I cannot imagine what would happen if I let a stranger (dentist or not) strap her into a chair and drill away at her mouth. Horrifying!

[lena_girl]

Hi everybody, just wanted to say bye and hope everyone is doing great. Ds and I are going home to visit the grandparents for 2 weeks. Unfortunatley DH doesn't get to come b/c he has to many trips for his job :( So see you all in two weeks! Hey, I'll have just 2 months to go then! Yay! I swear the pregnancy is moving so much faster than my first. And this time I'm actually looking forward to being in labor instead of being scared of it. Yay!

[Solange]

:hola:
Hey Lena :wave have a nice time visiting your grandparents....post when you get back and let us know how it went...
I cannot believe how fast these last few months are flying by either!!!! I have only 11 weeks left...
Katje and K8 and a few others also are dwindling down to weeks....

Leah bummer on the car issue..glad you guys made it home safe and sound..how stressful....

Caroline let us know how your appt goes Thursday.

Katje I hear you on the food issue...today has been the first day I have really been able to *eat*..I have been plagued again by the m/s monster for the past week...no fun ..no appetite...and just felt yuck-o!

28 weeks Christine re:3rd tri

K8 wishing you all the luck to have your little babe come when you need it too...start talking to your little bean...you never know...he/she may just listen! I recently read somwhere where expecting mothers talked to their little beans in utero about the whole birthing experience and their labors turned out to be very less hard and they felt more focused and bonded with the baby in labor, as they were a team birthing together.

I think my little one has finally flipped all the kicks for the most part have been up high...also count us in for 1st time hiccups too...so weird how we share the same developments with our little beans....

ok..gtg..storms a brewin' outside....
ttyl

[Jlcampbellkidz]

Hi everyone. Just been reading everyones posts lately so I can keep up. I just haven't felt like I had much to contribute.

I have no complaints on the pregnancy front. Feeling kinda big but still getting around fine. I have to wear flip flops or slip on shoes most of the time though. Bending over for more than a second or two really makes me sick. I am not sure what position this baby is in. Most of the time I would guess and say head down. A lot of movement in my ribs. Past coulple of days have felt some really low movement. In fact today, I was standing washing dishes and I could have sworn that one of her extremities was going to emerge from you know were. Strange and somewhat painful feeling. Usually I love her movements but that was a weird one.

If going by due date I have 11 and 1/2 weeks left. Whoa!!!!!!!!!! I am getting very excited and maybe even a bit anxious. I am even really excited about the birth. I have read so much and experienced so much as a doula since my last birth and I feel so prepared. I'm not getting over confident in myself though and I have made sure to have serveral support people available when the time comes.

Here's hoping you all have a wonderful afternoon!

[madrone]

My bean has gotten the hiccups now also. And I was feeling them in the pelvic region also K8. It is really weird that we are all starting to feel them now AP.

I made the tortillas last night Caroline. They were yummy. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. I made them thicker to try to have them more like Naan. Next time I do it, I need to pull out a spatula to help me flip because I was really dumb and kept burning my finger tips when flipping them with my hands. I also think that I need to flip them less often so that they'll bubble up more. We decided that I'm going to make them for my due date buddy and her husband sometime to have them over.

Thanks for the explanation of what a chiropractor does to adjust the baby's position Sheryl. I am going to go ahead and make an appointment with the one that my due date buddy gave me the name for. The baby has descended down now, so I'm not in pain like I was before unless I lean over to the right side and compress my stomach. But I shouldn't be doing that anyway. But DS was head down but on the left side instead of back to the center of my stomach and I think that is probably why my labor was so long. I do want to make sure this one is centered and straight head down. And once s/he gets bigger, the horrid pain may return if s/he's not in the most ideal position.

Take care all - Tiff

[naturegirl]

Your very welcome Madrone. :) Anything to help.

I am feeling bigger too! I have gained about 16-17 lbs so I am on target to gain between 27-30 lbs I think. A little less than what my midwife wanted :rolleyes: but plenty as far as I am concerned. The baby has big movement days and quiet days still. Somedays it feels like a circus in there! :bouncy Other days I have to poke and prod to wake the little one up :shrug I don't know if it is just getting more crowded in there or what but the movements don't seem as significant or "big". Oooh, just had a kick :thumb :D I am so going to miss the feeling of having life growing and thriving inside of me...

I have a couple of trips planned for upcoming weekends and I am sooo excited! Dh coaches at a local high school and their state meet is coming up soon. That means a trip to the other side of the state and a weekend away. Then we are going to Wisconsin for a wedding the first weekend in June. Dh is going to see some old friends he hasn't seen in years. It has been almost 4 years since he saw the groom! And he was in our wedding. :) I love travelling! :hat I hope that I can figure out how to do it with a new baby.

I have also been starting to have bh contractions, I think. I never have had menstrual cramps so I can't compare them to that. Yesterday I also had a real "pressure" feeling "down there" that I am sure the baby was pressing on my cervix. It was an odd, and a little scary, feeling.

Officially in the third trimester now! 12 weeks to go! I can't believe it and I feel like I have soooo much to prepare, but in reality the only things I need are my boobies right? And those are ready 24-7! :LOL

Anywho, outta run. I believe I have blabbed enough for one day.

Cheryl
:hippie

[Solange]

:hola:
I had my 29 week appt today.

I have only gained 19lbs so far Cheryl ...my CNMW was kinda happy with my weight gain:shrug..... I feel waaay smaller this time than with ds#1-I gained 60 lbs with him.

I am still measuring ahead by one week...:scratch

CNMW said I need to eat more protein to help ease this morning sickness. I eat my dinner at 5pm and then nothing else(b/c I am so tired by days end I end up falling asleep with ds at 8:30-9:00 but then pay for it in the a.m. b/c essentailly I am starving the both of us until breakfast :crying...did not mean to do that, but after we talked about that today it makes sense..so I am really focused on this right now....

gtg-sss looong day..busy next few too.....

keep smiling...we are almost there friends!!!:D :belly

[SamuraiEarthMama]

hey, naturegirl... boobies and DIAPERS! i figure those are the absolute minimum... cus that's all i have right now!

as far as traveling... with luck, your baby will be happy in the car seat. if so, you are in like flynn... newborns up to about 4-6 months is a great time to travel! once they start crawling and walking, your travel days are over (just for a little while) because they are sooo active. flying, as long as they're happy nursing, you're good... once they get distracted from the boobie, you are out of luck for a bit. so get your travelling done now... it really is sooo much easier with a little one than a toddler!

i saw my midwife today, and now i'm down to the once-every-two-weeks schedule. everything is measuring and testing just fine, and aside from hating food and this ongoing heartburn, things are doing well. no swelling yet, active baby (head down, even! bonus!), all systems go.

last night we had tremendous thunderstorms from about midnight to about 5 a.m. there were flashes every second... sometimes more than one a second. i never knew a thunderstorm could discharge so rapidly! that part, it was pretty far off so the noise was a constant, distant rumble with occasional closer booms; then at the end, the last hour was right over our part of town. and it was a downpour the whole time. the poor dogs were freaking out, but i sort of liked it. i wish i'd gotten more sleep, but it was exciting to be in the middle of such a powerful natural phenomenon. once i unplugged all the expensive things, i could just relax and enjoy the show. it made me start thinking about labor... since i wasn't scared and i dealt with the things i could, it became fun and not stressful. i hope i'll be able to do that when my own personal labor storm hits... deal with the necessary tasks, then relax and enjoy the ride.

this will be my fourth, and final, journey through labor. i'm afraid i wasn't very graceful or relaxed the other three times... but i'm hoping i can apply what i've learned as a doula and mama in the interim to really open myself up to the whole labor experience. i know better than to hope for something like Ina May's "orgasmic" labors, but i do believe i will appreciate it more now.

i'm still working through the hypnobabies scripts, and spending a little more time on my birth ball (when my kids aren't bouncing on it... they LOVE it!). it's hard to believe it's coming up so fast... and then again, it's hard to believe i still have two whole months to go!

i've been bitten by the knitting bug... i think i'm gonna try to knit a few pair of wool soakers for the baby. we'll see if i can pull it off...

my hip is acting up a bit, but my hot tub chemicals are off and i don't trust the water right now so no tubbing (i tried to check the ph, and the test, which is supposed to range from yellow to red, turned out BLUE!? what the heck? i think it's time to drain it and start over. oh well!).

gonna take the kids to see shrek II tomorrow (one of the great advantages of homeschooling... cheap matinees of new flicks, and usually pretty empty theaters!). hope this movie goes better than my last cinematic experience (i barfed halfway through).

hang in there, everyone!

katje

[christeenybeany]

Hey guys
I had a doctor appointment yesterday. All went well. I had the gestational diabetes test and I haven't heard back yet so no news is good news right?
I can't believe what I weigh compared to how I look and feel. I have gained 20 pounds so far. 7 this month. I just don't feel very big though, and everyone tells me that I'm not carrying as big as last time. However, I weigh the same as this point last time because I started off heavier. So the numbers are decieving. I have one more appointment in 4 weeks, then we'll start them every 2! I can't believe how fast time has flown!!! I am 26 weeks. I have 14 to go. Everytime I tell myself only 12 weeks till graduation, I have to say only 14 til baby comes. Aug 9 is graduation Aug 22 is baby day. I get nervous when I think of it like that. Summer school will be only 10 weeks long of me student teaching 12 3 year olds--in my 3rd trimester. I was given that age group because they won't have to be pickedup as much or I won't have to change diapers. The assistant will. So the only thing I"m a teensy bit worried about is bending over to talk on their level all day long. My back will be hurting I'm sure. I can do it though. I guess it is better than chasing around my toddler who insisting on being held all the time now.

DS has an ear infection and not feeling well. So I brought him in bed with us. Big mistake. He just played around and we didn't get any sleep. grr.

I'm concerned with his speech. i think I need to get a referal to an ENT to get his hearing tested because by now he should be talking more. I expressed concern to his doc at 15 months, but he told me I was just giving him what he wanted without making him talk for it. I was offended and felt blown off. Now I'm going to find another doc--one that doesn't automatically think I can't know what I'm talking about just because my son's on medicaid. I think with all the ear infections he has had in his little life, that someone else needs to give me their opinon. He's almost two and can't put two words together. I have alot of friends in speech pathology and early intervention and they have told me that this is a real concern--not just paranoid mama.

Sorry to ramble on and on. I just get carried away.

[mommycaroline]

Midwife appt this morning. No weight gain. That means 2 pounds this entire pregnancy. Now, admittedly, I'm quite overweight but I should be gaining something by now. I'm just so darned sick all the time. I'm spilling trace ketones and protein now, already, and they're slightly worried. This is the same path I started down last time. I've got to do something to change it. They suggested that I drink more juice. Juice???? I don't touch the stuff, personally. Too much sugar, not enough good stuff. They also said Gatorade would work, so maybe I'll find something similar with less sugar. I'm thinking the sugar would be a very bad idea for someone who's trying to avoid GD, you know??? Ugh!

This is the ultimate irony of my life. When I'm pregnant, I just can't eat enough to keep the meds happy. If I only had that problem when I wasn't pregnant. And, I have the one hour glucose test in the morning. Wish me luck!

[ketilave]

hi mommies -

just getting by here with a houseful. I'm over people at the moment so that doesn't help. Everyone is being very needy and no one very giving.

We have to stick the kids in the car this weekend. Big family todo before my dad goes to Iraq. DS does better with it and DD not so good. Once kids figure out there is more space out there the car seat thing starts to become trouble!!! It will be a while before we can turn DD around too - I moved DS to the back of the minivan and she loves to stare at him. Need to start to figure out how I am going to configure all three car seats.

Glad to hear the appt. are going well.

[SamuraiEarthMama]

hey, christeeny... my oldest ds didn't really start talking until he was two years old. also, he didn't walk until 18 months. fortunately, he was my first kid so i didn't know when he was "supposed" to do anything. my second kid started walking and talking at about 9 months, so if i'd had her first, i'm sure i would have been convinced that ds was brain damaged!

he's just this laid-back kid who doesn't try to do stuff until he's very, very certain that he will succeed. he's 16 and a half now, and not at all interested in learning to drive yet (which is actually just fine with me). he's really quite bright, just a very cautious creature (as opposed to his sister, who gets herself into all kinds of trouble with diving into stuff before she's ready).

of course, if you are having an intuition that something's wrong, definitely go for some testing. you know your baby better than anyone else! but if you're just concerned because you think he "should" be doing something and he's not yet, i'd say try to relax and let him develop according to his own schedule.

just my 2 cents!

katje

[Jlcampbellkidz]

Good Morning ladies. It sounds like everyones appointments are going well!!!
My apt. is next Tuesday and then I think we go to every two weeks. Is that really nessasary? I have been feeling lots of BH lately. They always make me need to pee, even if I have just gone. Also, the itching belly has arrived. I experienced this much earlier with my DD, probably because I was much smaller to start out with her and I got huge. This time the skin was already stretched and willing to stretch easily some more. Some of you mentioned using something called body butters. I live in Texas and have not heard of this. Where is it sold? Can I order it online?

Well, I just wanted to check in. We are having High 80's and low 90's days here. I am wishing we had a pool in our backyard! Still not feeling miserable though. Maybe my tune will change when the 100 degree days hit. Wich our weather station says is not too far away. We usually get several starting in June.

Have a great day!

[kimberlylibby]

Caroline: I'm so sorry you're spilling proteins already! It's so scary.

I have a link in my siggy to a great pre-e site if you need help with stuff!

I'm just sick of my PUPPS. I hate itching head to toe constantly!!!

But ultimately, this pg has been a breeze. So different than my daughter, where I was on bedrest for 3+ months!!!

[foxytocin]

They suggested that I drink more juice. Juice???? I don't touch the stuff, personally. Too much sugar, not enough good stuff. They also said Gatorade would work, so maybe I'll find something similar with less sugar. I'm thinking the sugar would be a very bad idea for someone who's trying to avoid GD, you know??? Ugh!

Hi! This got me to thinking......I've been trying out an herbal sugar substitute called "stevia" b/c I'm trying to avoid sugars too. There's a ton of info about stevia out on the web now. You don't find it at grocery stores b/c USFDA won't approve it for consumption partly due to lobbying by the makers of aspartine and the sugar industry, but it's widely used in other countries throughout the world. Anyway, I think a person could make juice out of the less sweet fruits (berries, lemons, etc.) and sweeten it with stevia. I've been using it in my sun tea, on bland cereals, and when baking this year.

Of course, if any of you have heard that stevia is the evil of evils for pregnant people, please do let me know.

Caroline, why do they want you to drink juice, anyway? I'm curious. Why not just plain water? Seems like if you need more fruit, they'd recommend eating actual fruit so you'd get the whole nutritional package.
When I'm pregnant, most juice tears the heck out of my stomache.

Anyway, then. Big baby kicking day.....wonder what's going on in there? It's like there's a disco party in my womb.

HOpe you all have a good weekend.........

-Leah

[frognladybugmama]

:wave from mia-land...i came down with some sort of stomach bug tuesday and by yesterday morning when the dr saw me i was dehydrated and spilling proteins/ketones in my urine and having some contrax's. he sent me over to the hospital where i spent most of the day getting fluids and zofran for the nausea/vomiting thru an iv and hooked up to EFM for monitoring...i'm sore and tired, but feeling a bit better now...i'll be offline for the remainder of the weekend though...
good news is, ian is doing great...heartrate looked great on the monitors and he's measuring a week and a half ahead now...at my 24.5 wk appt, he measured 23.5 wks - yesterday at 27wks, he measured 28.5, so he's had one heck of a growth spurt :) anyways, gotta lay back gdown, hugs to you all!

[Solange]

Heather :hug take care of yourself......glad to hear the little one is doing so well!

[Dodo]

Frog, that sounds awful. Hope you can get the rest you need. How many stomach bugs has this due-date club suffered from collectively? Too many!

I had a great week. My dd decided that she loved daycare again, so I was able to benefit from 25+hours of childcare. Also, I started swimming again, which makes me feel 100% better about my new roly-poly physique. I have been napping, reading and eating cherries and watermelon. I have been thinking positive thoughts about the upcoming baby. I even told dh that I might consider the possibility of having another child (although in the very distant future). I have to conclude that pregnancy-related sciatica is tolerable if you are able to eliminate most of your responsibilities.

[SamuraiEarthMama]

so as the heartburn eases a bit, the sciatica kicks in... maybe the baby moved down from my stomach and settled on my hip nerve! and of course the hot tub is still out of commission. fortunately i don't need to do a lot of walking right now, so i can take it slow. i feel like an old grammaw, inching along!

the fishy pool came yesterday... i'll blow it up and air it out tomorrow. i hope it's big enough!

kim, i hope you're feeling better and more reassured about your baby... i bet she was just taking it easy for a day, or moved where she was kicking things like pancreas for a while so you couldn't feel her so much. what a scare! lil stinker!

hope everyone is having a nice, gentle weekend. we need to enjoy these calm days before the babies start dropping in... just a few more weeks! yikes!

katje

[thebipper]

Hi All,
I haven't been writing much because my life has been a bit crazy. We are moving for the 4th time in 4 years, but we don't know where. I just moved back with my parents and ds while my hubbie finishes his job in another state. He has been interviewing and hopefully we'll hear good news any day now. Ugh! Have any of you been on the emotional rooler coaster? Those hormones!

I fell the baby is still somersaulting and hasn't settled head down yet? When is that supposed to occur?

I hope everyone is having a good restful weekend.

[kimberlylibby]

Heather: How scary! So glad you're ok!

Katje: That's kinda creepy to imagine someone (even an in utero baby) kicking my pancreas!! :LOL But I'm very relived she's okay and kicky now :) And ohhhhh, do I hear ya on the sciatica!!! Just a few weeks ago I was still logging 10 miles a week on the treadmill.... now I"m like a granny!!

MMMM, Dodo, fresh fruit sounds delish!

thebipper: I think baby can flop to head down at any point, even up to 40 weeks.... my babes have both been head down from fairly early on though, like 18 weeks or so... but that doesn't mean they don't flip around ;) they just usually end up head down again :)

[Solange]

:hola:
today we meet with my doula....so we will see how that goes...

Kimberly glad to know your baby is on *the move* again . I saw your post in the pg forum....:hug

Dodo glad to hear your spirits are high and you are feeling good.........;)

Katje...the babies start dropping in.....wow ...when I read that I was like..you know she is right ...time is really flying ...I know for us since the weather has been so great the days and weeks are really flying....

Ds's b-day is Tuesday and I have a busy week again this week so may be hit or miss here...
take care all.....

[Jlcampbellkidz]

Here is a link to my newest Belly Pics. http://community.webshots.com/album/133582456VnsAVD

I am having a pretty good weekend. I hope the rest of you are enjoying yours as well. I had my daycare kids and my sisters kids everyday last week so having today off is nice. I could have slept all day. But we went to church this morning and then my nephews big baseball game this afternoon. I love watching him play. They won big time too, 14 to 8. I was so proud. I look forward to going to games for my daughter when she gets older. She's 2 and already show's such enthusiasm for sports. She must get it from me cause her daddy never played anything in highschool and does not really show much excitement over any kind of sport. He does enjoy watching the Cowboys during football season but so do I.

I am getting much rounder and my belly button is so close to being gone. Just a sliver of a dip left. I am feeling pretty good at this point. I do find it hard to bend over. Nothing but slip on shoes for me! I have my GD test on Tuesday and a regular apt. I hope my walking will have paid off and I won't have gained too much since my last appointment. :eyesroll The only big uncomfortable thing I am feeling now is my ribs. I feel so much pressure in them and Gabriella is constantly kicking them. I haven't seen my chiropractor in atleast 5 weeks and I know I have atleast one or two ribs out of place. I really need to make her a priority on my list and start seeing her atleast once a week till the baby comes. I think she made a huge difference in my birth last time.

Well my hubby is home from work now, so I am going to go spend some cuddle time with him and my daughter. I will update after my apointment on Tuesday.

[Bearsmama]

Hi Ladies!!

We're back from vacation and I really MISSED YOU GUYS! We decided NOT to bring the laptop away so I was so excited to get on line tonight and TRY top catch up.

I think I'm too pooped to tell all the gorey details, but our vacation was very eventful. DS broke his arm (YES, BROKE HIS ARM) during our 2nd full day away. He fell off a bar stool chair in our rental house. He broke one of the bones in his forearm. It required a panicked trip to the local urgent care center, an orthopedist, and a FULL arm cast! My poor baby. Neither my husband or myself has EVER broken a bone and my little baby, at not even 2.6 yo has a broken arm. He will stay in a cast for about 2 more weeks and will not have any long term problems. It was quite an ordeal.

The day after the arm saga my DH came down with some AWFUL stomach bug and spent a day vomiting and pooping (I know, TMI) and two days in bed.

Needless to say, it was a very interestig vacation. We would definitely return to the Outerbanks area and we loved staying in Duck. Our house was perfect for us and literally across a cul-de-sac from the beach. Just lovely. So, we did have some wonderful moments, but we both feel we need a vacation from our vacation. I'm sure I'll write more about it when I have the time or energy! I don't think I've processed it all yet.

Anyway, I have been feeling SO many kicks and pokes. And actually some of them are a bit painful-like perhaps a fist or an extended kick. I'm also getting a lot of hiccups, too. With DS I got them ALL the time and they began to get a little annoying b/c it was right against my cervix.

30 weeks this week with another doc appointment tomorrow morning. Great timing after vacation-I must have had ice cream every day! I am definitely HUGE. BIG BIG BIG. I keep asking my DH if it's possible that even after all the U/Ss the docs could have posssibly missed another baby in there! (Hey, is it????). Ankles are a bit swollen this week, but it was HOT in NC and I am now officially a big mama.

JL-GREAT belly pics! And I think your belly looks a lot like mine. We seem to be carrying in the same way.

HI AP! I'm sorry you're still dealing with this dreaded ms. I know that the protein link is an important one. It helped me a bit during my 1st pregnancy when I had A LOT of dizziness. So far I've gained about 29 lbs with this pregnancy and this seems to be on par with the last time. Maybe a bit more. But I'll see when I step on that darn scale tomorrow morning! Hope your DS has a GREAT b-day this week (I may be off b/c I was away).

Christeeny-Get another doc that takes you seriously. It's not a silly concern, it's real. And your the mama. You know your child best.

Caroline-I, too, am surprised that they would suggest juice. I know that my doc just thinks that juice is such empty calories. This is why I don't like juice for DS, either! (OT-OF course, on vacation, he had juice every day). I know if your blood sugar is low, if you're having trouble with dizziness or some ms, then juice might be a good option. But just blanketly suggested it, I'm not so sure???

Ketilave-I hope you're gettting to enjoy some of this family time. It is sooo hard to have all those people under one roof. Find the silver lining in the chaos!

Bipper-Please take good care of yourself during your move. I think I've read that moving is up there with dealing with death in terms of stress level, so just take it easy. Sounds like you've been thru your share of stress with your moves in recent years.

Anyway, I know I didn't get to all the posts. I really missed hearing about everyone's ups and downs this week. I have got to get some shut eye. I didn't sleep well while on vacation.

Sleep well and more soon...

:zzz

[kimberlylibby]

Bearsmama!! Oh, your poor sweetie!!! :hugs I guess those war wounds make you stronger though!! My mom dropped my sister down a flight of stairs (she tripped on a pile of legos) when my sister was a year old. Bethany ended up in a BODY CAST because her leg was broken so many times in so many places!! Talk about a nightmare!!

I hope he isn't too uncomfortable with the cast! Or itchy! I sympathize with all itchers right now ;)

[Jlcampbellkidz]

Bears: So good to have you back. I have been anxious to hear how things went. I just recently went through a broken hand cause of a car accident. I completly sympathise with your son. Lots of hugs and prayers for both of you while you go through his healing.

kimberlibby: I just noticed your location in Arlington, TX. I bet you are no more than 15 min. from my house. There are so many people on this board that live all over and I wondered if anybody was in my area. Small World!

Feeling lots of movement this morning. I swear my first daughter never moved this much. It's Exciting and I love it! Have a wonderful Day ladies.

[ketilave]

Bears - sorry about DS- I have broken bones many times so I can sympathize. Plus, it's so warm. But they are pretty reslient at this age it's more us that have a hard time coping. I'm glad you got a chance to get away before the crowds hit. A friend of mine leaves this weekend for the Outer Banks. I love the area and used to take off there all the time when I was in College.

Ap - I hope you guys have a great birthday. Ours turn into entire week events because of grandparents and whether or not SD is here! My kids think every holiday lasts a week!!

I don't have sciatica but am having some muscle problems (left back around to front under ribs) that I cannot shake this time around. The only that works is staying off my feet and lying on my left side but how likely is that. I'm at the point I am considering taking something because I can barely walk - which of course means the kids have to be carried! How they know these things I will never know...
Plus, allergies have attacked and we are number 1 consumers of tissues around here!

I hope everyone has a good week! If it's this hot already I am not sure what we are supposed to do when the summer comes. The pool opened up this past weekend and it felt so good to get in there. Plus, like Katje, I got my pool for the house. The kids love playing in it - we only inflated two layers - and I can just sit there. I am so glad DD has taken to the water as well.

[Jillybean]

Hi all!

sorry I haven't been posting much, the computer makes my eyes hurt :( they are so dry! An interesting pg symptom.

Bears: Glad you had a good time and so sorry to hear about your ds! Poor little guy! I hope he's handling it ok. (and you too) We are heading to the beach this friday, not sure if we'll stay on the mainland or go farther to the outerbanks. Either way, I'm looking forward to it!

ketilave: sorry to hear about your back pain. Have you tried massage?

jl:nice belly pics!

well, I'm feeling lots of movement too. I swear this baby is gonna be long b/c I'm always feeling an elbow or knees or feet poking out! Lots of pressure on my ribs, too. My only other excitement lately is that I cut my hair. Big for me b/c it was down to my butt and now its above my shoulders! It feels so good, though. All that hair was getting to be too much in my current state!

I hope everyone has a great day!

[christeenybeany]

Hello All!

I've been behind on posts lately. It is my vacation time between semesters and I have been back and forth between the parents/inlaws and home. I am glad to hear I'm right on target with the aches and pains and LOTS of kicks. I think this baby is more active than my last pregnancy.
JL-- those belly pics are great. You are growing!
Ketilave--everytime I read a post of yours, I wonder how you do it. 2 very little ones. It's amazing you're still sane. Hang in there.

All this talk about vacations...I want one! My MIL offered to watch Ben while we get away for a weekend. They just want time alone with him. It's so amazing how much they love him. I am actually craving going to the beach. I want to wear my tankini and get some sun! We will probably be going to Alabama or Florida or somewhere very close. I don't think I can handle a long car trip :nono

Hey there is a dancing carrot now. :carrot

Bipper-- you really need to take it easy during this move. I just finished our 3rd move in 3 years. If we move one more time before at least 5 years I will be mad. I'm tired. This move was good timing though because it was the very begining of 2nd trimester. I really got my energy back and I wasn't showing much so I could bend over and stuff with minimal discomfort. However, moving NON pregnant is so much easier. Maybe being pregnant will get you out of doing alot of unpleasant stuff. :)

Thanks for the words of encouragementabout Ben's speech. He may or may not have a problem, but I really do think he and I are being blown off. That's not imaginary. We'll definently be getting his 2 year well baby visit by someone else.

Everyone take care and have a good day

Christine

[naturegirl]

Welcome back Bears. So sorry to hear about your dh and ds though...What a bummer on a vacation. :hug

I haven't been posting much as I haven't had anything "new" to tell you all. This weekend my dh set up our "crib" in our room. We actually set it us as a daybed and are going to push it up to the bed to use as a co-sleeper. I think it is going to work really well! :thumb

My dogs, yes BOTH of them, are in heat! :eek. Wouldn't that just be wonderful if I had two litters of puppies AND a newborn baby! :jaw We are keeping a good eye on them that no boys come to "visit".

We are going away this weekend and next weekend for our last big trips before the baby. We have a state track and field meet about 5 hours away this weekend. (dh coaches) Next weekend we are flying to Wisconsin for a wedding. :D I am looking forward to getting away with dh and having some fun.

My brothers new baby boy is doing good. He is a week and a half old now. I will be 29 weeks tomorrow and have a mw appt. on Wednesday. I guess we will start the every two weeks appointments soon too. I can't believe it!!!

That's about all for me. TTYL!
Cheryl
:hippie

[christeenybeany]

I have a moodswing confession to tell.
I was craving chocolate really bad. I expressed this to hubby hoping for a voluntary trip to the corner store. (even though everytime I say that this is the last time, I promise) Then I said as a subtle hint that pregnant women who eat more chocolate have happier babies. He was in disbelief and thought I was making it up. Then I had to find the link and show him, but I couldn't find it because the link was expired. So I searched for it and was getting VERY frustrated with myself for not being able to prove myself right. Then I just lost it. I cried and broke down because I couldn't find the link and anyway I just wanted chocolate. So I gathered myself and collected some spare change and headed to the store to buy my chocolate. When I came back I was cool and collected. Hubby was still shocked at my switch changes from craving chocolate to obsessing over a website to crying about my frustration to being happy again.
The chocolate really did help though. I feel better. And when I came home Josh had found the link for me. All was well with the world.

[mommycaroline]

Well, as I had figured, I failed the stinking one hour GD test. It made me feel so cruddy all day, and part of the next day too, that I've declined the three hour and I just am accepting this fictitious label of GD. I brought my glucometer with me on Friday, and according to my glucometer I passed with flying colors, but according to the blood serum test, I was over by a couple points. Grrrrr! I hate the fact that doctors even believe GD exists! But, that's a whole other rant. So, I also declined the diabetic counselling they want me to go to, and I'm keeping a food diary for two weeks as well as monitoring my glucose four times daily. Doesn't matter that I've already been doing that very thing voluntarily for the past three weeks, nooooooo, they want fresh reports, and then I meet with the doctor again.

I'm bitter, feel set up, and very angry that this hoop is presented for us to just jump through. I have a two year old who WILL NOT be separated from me, and believe me, I've tried. The one hour test was a freaking nightmare, there is no way we'd survive a three hour test, not to mention how rotten I felt afterwards, throwing up for the rest of the day, completely lethargic and hungover feeling. Yeah, that's got to be good for your body. <roll eyes>

No good news here. I'm just mad.

Bears, sorry your trip was so eventful! Hope you all recover quickly. What a scary thing it must have been to see your son in pain like that. And the cast, yowch! But, it's probably upsetting you way more than him. And, what a short time in a cast! Just goes to show how quickly they heal.

Well, I should try to get some more sleep. Anyone else having insomnia lately? I've just got too much on my mind, I guess. This test has really rocked my world. It's feeling like last time all over again, and I'm so devastated by that.

[SamuraiEarthMama]

oh, christeeny, i'm so glad i'm not the only one!

i asked dh to take home a visiting kid sunday night, and he put it off and put it off and finally i just yelled at the poor kid to get in the car, i would do it. dh scrambled for his keys but i beat him out the door.

i made nice to the kid on the way home... he's actually a cool little guy and he's pretty understanding. i was already mad that there wasn't a thing in the house to make for dinner, the place was a total wreck, my sciatica was worse (and the pool store was closed so i couldn't get the chemicals to refill the hot tub yet), i didn't have enough change to buy a stupid Sonic burger on the way home (the last-ditch food item when i'm hungry and can't think of anything else to eat), and to top it all off, i tore my favorite and oldest tie-dye dress on the door of the van when i got home.

so i stomped upstairs when i got home, got in the shower and just cried and cried. then i started throwing up because i hadn't eaten in so long, and i just dry heaved for what seemed like hours. it was definitely one of the lowest points so far.

dh had cleaned up the bedroom and lit some candles, and just laid me down on the bed once i quit upchucking, and massaged my feet and back until i finally calmed down.

why is it that kids, dogs and husbands are so rotten right up to the moment you want to get rid of 'em, and then they turn around and be so nice? nature's method of keeping the peace, i suppose.

on the other hand, last night i finished knitting my first soaker! and it turned out pretty nice, if i do say so myself. of course, it won't fit my baby until he's ready for kindergarten... seriously, it's supposed to be the infant size and i think it's probably more like a 2T... oh well!

today, by hook or by crook i get that tub working again. how hard can it be to locate a little bit of soda ash and bromine? sheesh!

my 10-y.o. ds pumped up my fishy pool yesterday and filled it with water. he happily splashed and played in it for an hour, until we got a freakin' huge thunderstorm... and our first tornado warning! so the fishy pool got drained and popped into the basement for now. no tornados near us, thankfully, but it was pretty exciting for a while there....

mommycaroline, i'm so sorry this has all come down on you. it sounds like you are doing all the right things, educating yourself and eating well. i've declined all those kinds of tests so i can't sympathize, but my heart goes out to you and i hope things settle down soon!

let's keep the goal in sight, ladies... all our beautiful healthy babies!

katje

[ilovebeingamom]

mommycaroline-sorry to hear about your test results. It would be so hard for me to deal with that, b/c I am so lazy nutritionally. It would be a major PITA, sorry you have to go through this!

I can empathize with the hormone swings. I haven't had any bad ones in the past week or so, but I have cried once during this pregnancy b/c the dominoe's guy brought the wrong kind of chicken wings and breadsticks!

I went to a new chiro yesterday to start the Webster technique. He thought that my ligaments attached to my uterus were pretty tight, so hopefully this will help the baby settle down head first. I am glad I am starting it now, I don't want the baby to get too comfortable sitting on her butt.

It has been raining here almost every day for the past few weeks. It is getting old, ds is getting pretty cooped up (and me too!). Hopefully we get some better weather soon. Other than that, not much is new. I am still very relieved that we switched to homebirth, and are starting to tell a few people now that the decision isn't so fresh. We weren't going to tell anyone, but now I think it might just be easier to do it now, rather than explain to everyone after we have the baby that we are at home, not the hospital. I mainly just don't want to deal with peoples negative reactions, but I am starting to think I feel confident enough that it won't bother me. It might irritate me, but not dissuade me. :)

[Jlcampbellkidz]

MommyCaroline: so sorry.

I had an apt. today and the one hour GD test. I too think it's a crazy thing. How many of us actually consume that much sugar all at one time. I'm not even sure I get that much in a complete day. I like orange soda so drinking the stuff down is not a problem. But not having any real food before or for a full hour after drinking the stuff is hard. It made me very nautious and I have not had too many problems with that. Then I began to get a migrain since I had not anything good to eat. On the checkup note, I was measuring 30 and half weeks (about a week ahead). I gained 4 lbs. since my last apointment 4 weeks ago and my blood pressure was fantastic 104 over 68. I have been running on the high side up until now. Like 136 over 85 or 90. I did that with my first pregnancy too. Up until about the 30th week. So I guess we are following that same pattern. I am glad I am not gaining so much this time around though. Also, now going to the every 2 week apt. schedule. We are up to 2 miles walking every night now. It feels so good and my daughter loves it. We usually end at the park and let her swing and play for a while. Our evenings have been nice, cloudy and breezy!
Well, I am feeling drained and my DD is ready to go down for a nap so I think I will take advantage and nap too.
Have a great afternoon and evening ladies!

[foxytocin]

Hi everyone! Sounds like we're all more or less doing pretty well.
I've got the pregnant-lady crazies today; the sane thing to do would be to remove myself from all human and other-wise social contact until this current hormonal flood subsides. Too bad for DD and the dog. They're stuck with me and my warped take on reality. Let me just say that Sesame Street is a gitft from the gods and thank heavens my hubby doesn't seem freaked by the condition of the house. If he is freaked, he is wisely hiding it.
:bigeyes :bigeyes :bigeyes
Well, and Cheryl, your post reminded me that I'm glad our cats and dog are both neutered males. Yikes! Keep those girls cloistered b/c you're right, puppies and a newborn would be a heck of a mix to deal with.

Bears, it is often very true that you need a vacation from a vacation. One of life's ironies. At least vacations give you a new set of things to think about. It's good to be hearing from you!

I'm dreading my GD test that I will take Thursday. I'm still monitoring my sugars with a glucometer, so I know they've been right-on, but my doc seems so convinced that GD is the label for me.

This child is sooooo strong and soooooooo active. This is good. But still, it makes you wonder what we're in for. My stomache muscles are actually sore from all the vigourous kicks and constant barrage of pummels from the weekend. It's amazing. DD was nothing like this, very calm in the womb and still has an innate sweet disposition. I guess maybe this one will make us pay our dues.

Take care, everyone!

-Leah

[ketilave]

Christine - I was thinking of you on Sat as DS spent 2 hours in the car babbling non-stop. Some people just don't have much to say and some say a whole lot of nothing. I agree, go with the mommy gut.

DH broke out in a sever rash/hives today just as we decided I would stick it out in bed to deal with this virus and my back. Oh the best laid plans!! The problem with my back is that with 3 pgs so close together my muscles are really worn out and have a hard time supporting the belly. I can get off my feet, go to the chiro or get a massage but it's only a temporary fix. Part of it is the baby lays on the right side so he pulls more on the left. I am 100% once the kid pops out. Never has 9 weeks seemed so far away - oops 11! Can't think too positive or I will be one nasty lady come Aug 1.

Good to hear about the emotional outbursts - I have been a tear factory for the last 10 days. I thought it was just DH being a pain - the emotional stuff freaks him out. When I needed it the most he shuts down the most - we are working on it. On the list of things TO DO.

So, those of you with 3+, it is doable right? I am feeling like a total flake at the moment. I opted not to put DS in a toddler program this fall so I am wondering how crazy I will be.

Well, the kids are tearing up the office so apparently they need more direct attention. Those of you whose kids are going to be close a little FYI - DD is picking up some of DSs "great" toddler behaviour. Monkey see, Monkey do! DD started throwing herself on the floor everytime she doesn't get her way. Her tantrums are pretty quick though and I have to admit pretty easy to laugh at. Prima donna already!

[Solange]

:hola:
Bears! :hug I am so glad to see you back..but sad to hear about your poor ds and dh ....that must have been quite a bit to handle on vacation!

Caroline..:hug I am so sorry about the silly GD test.......

k8 :hug for you girlie..you need it.....sending you some "take me away" calgon dust.....

Melissa :hug wishing you all the strenght to stand up to all the jaw droppers when you tell them you are going to have a homebirth...


well...I had some spotting...very very light brown...but I was wet enough to go "..that feels weird" and when I checked sure enough a spot of brown tinged mucous....trying not to freak....hoping it was just from dh and I from 2 days ago....will call CNMW in a.m....... I think I am going to tell dh no more sex....this is only about the 4th time we have had it since the first time we had it it made me spot way back at 5 weeks pg and we all know how my story goes from there. BUT I cannot deal with any more stress in this pg....nor should my baby have to feel it either. I have nothing else going on and baby has been active all day like usual.

My mom is buying us a moses basket:love...my mom rocks....

Ds birthday today..he had a blast with al his little friends calling to sing happy birthday..Saturday we have a big party for him at a park here with train rides and carousel....

ttys

[mommycaroline]

Thanks everyone for your support. I'm a total hormonal see-saw lately. Yesterday, you would have thought this was the end of the world, and today is a different day. (Believe it or not, I'm counting 5 something a.m. this morning as yesterday since I did get to go back to sleep after that bout of insomnia) I'm feeling a bit more empowered now. Yeah, I failed the stupid test. But, I'm declining all the other nonsense they want me to go through, and just recording my numbers, which are indisputably good. Hopefully that will be enough to get them to lay off. We'll see.

Traci, please don't worry about the blood! Brown is a good sign. When you're pg, your cervix is more swollen and bloodfilled than normal. A little roughness from a, shall we say well endowed (?) partner can stir things up, and a less well endowed partner can even get there in the creative positions we have to consider now that our bellies are in the way. The fact that you already suspect these other times have been related to relations, and the blood that you're seeing is light brown (meaning very old blood) is all good. It doesn't have to mean cessation of activity, unless that's what makes you feel better. A more troublesome sign would be contractions that are frequent and persistent after a romp in the hay. Can I use any more innuendoes? ;)

Leah, what the heck is up with trying to pin that label on us no matter what? The more I think about it, the more I question my results. I brought my glucometer with me, and on the test that I passed, I was only different by 2 points, but on the test that I failed, we differed by 12. That's an enormous margin of error! Makes me wonder... And, if it's okay that the margin of error is so great, what the heck is the point of using the error prone machine to monitor my blood anyway? What does it really prove?

Catch you all later. I'm hoping for a good night's sleep tonight!

[Bearsmama]

Hi everyone-
Things here are fine. Just settling back into being at home. And DS is sooo thrilled to be back. Went to our local Ortho today for DS's check up and this doc said that he would need to wear the cast for 4-5 weeks-NOT the 2.5-3 that the original doc said. No biggie, but I'm worried about keeping this thing from being filthy for that amount of time. Thanks everyone for the nice welcome back and the thoughts for my boy!

Had an OB appointment yesterday and all is fine. Baby is laying across my belly right now. Plenty of time for him/her to go head down. But this explains all the movement at my sides. I gained a whopping 8 lbs. this month. :eek The doc I saw yesterday didn't worry about it in the least. In fact, when I mentioned it, she was very supportive and understanding (she is also preggers) explaining that much of the weight is water, blood flow increase, etc. I'm over being worried about it.

I haven't been eating anything out of the ordinary lately. The only cravinngs I've been having is for Starbucks coffee-which I do have a few times/week. And I'm back on a cheese kick.

kimberly-Hope you're not itching too much tonight. I'm sure you've tried every lotion, but I know Cetaphil (you can get it at the drugstore) has been touted as being a great thing for the itchies.

christeeny- :hug Your mood swings sound COMPLETELY normal to me. Hey, I was moody BEFORE being pregnant.

Nature-I hope you get to enjoy your time away with DH!

Katje-Ahhh, husbands. It's so true what you say-probably true about all of our loved ones. They can only bring you to the point of madness b/c you love them so damn much.

Ilovebeingamom-Like I said above, we are all on this roller coaster of emotions and I think breakdowns are par for the course. EVEN over Dominoes!

JL-My DH gets occasional migraines and food or lack of food was always a trigger. Glad to hear that you are enjoying the end of your days. I love ending the day on such nice notes!

Foxy-Isn't it funny that we're all on the same page with the emotional craziness??

Ketilave-I am about to ask the same question about having TWO children! Is it doable? I am starting to be a little freaked out about managing my very spirited DS and a newborn. I guess we all have our worries about managing well whatever the amount of children.

AP- :hug I'm so sorry to hear that you are again having some stressful stuff going on in this pregnancy. It could definitely be related to sex. Your cervix is already getting softer. If it continues to worry you, I would call your MW just to get peace of mind.

Hope your DS LOVES his party. Trains? Carousels? There's no reason he shouldn't have a blast!

Anyone else's vagina feeling extremely engorged??I know, I know, TMI. But everything is just getting larger down there.

Okay, I'm pooped. So nice to be back into the swing of things with all my friends here!

Sleep well, ladies! :zzz

[frognladybugmama]

well, i'm back after a very LOOOOOOONG weekend...the pharmacy wouldn't fill my zofran the dr at the hospital prescribed on friday due to some insurance mixup, so i had to wait on BCBS to reopen on monday so i could straighten it out to refill it...no mind that i was out of town w/ dh meeting his biological parents for the first time and sick as a dog the whole weekend thanks to not having my medicine...so i finally got it monday afternoon and am feeling some better now...still can't take more than a few bites a day, but my fluid intake is about normal now and the urine is about clear again unlike the "root beer" appearance the other day...anyways, i'm just glad to be half-normal - my dr was talking about readmitting me yesterday if i couldn't get my urine back to clear and get the proteins in it down, but it seems that won't be necessary...

i hear all you mamas on the hormonal homefront, i'm a babbling, crying fool sometimes lately, then other times i'm just peachy...just never know which side of me will present itself lol! :hug

bearsmama, sorry to hear about ds's arm...we went thru a broken bone w/ our first child at 15 mos so i can definately understand where you're at...luckily kiddos are resilient! jake had to wear his cast for a full 4 wks - his was from hip to toe on his right leg...interesting trying to keep it and him clean to say the least - luckily it was the dead of winter for us though!

well i am headed back to the couch to rest again...hopefully i'll be back in full swing soon!

[ketilave]

Research says that at 30 weeks there is a +90% viability with less than 60% of those babies having any long term problems. It's amazing, when it's needed, how far science/medicine has come. I mention this because my heads all out of whack. If I don't go late this baby is coming too early. BUT - my MW said that I feel that way because I physically feel later in my pg than I am - lots of BH with some real ctx in there as well. Plus, all the movements are below my incision - weird feeling - almost as if I could reach up and touch this kid. :love

I look back and realised I sound pretty whiney. SO before I move on let me add that I woke up in the middle of the night with ringing in my left ear that still has not gone away!!!!!!!! I am so tired but I can't sleep through it. I have tried to clean out my ears but no change. Right now I can't deal with the ringing and DHs face is all swollen, esp. around his eyes, we make quite a pair. :LOL

Bears - I now think two is pretty easy and very manageable. And now when I go out with just one I think it is so amazing and easy and can't get over how much I can accomplish. Just like when I used to leave DS with DH and run off by myself! I always laugh when my friends with one talk about struggling to get through the grocery store. It's all relative!! Kind of like new moms worried about just having one!

I am feeling really good about a newborn this time around. I know they are not easy because you need to figure each other out but at the same time they have few needs! Maybe 3rd time is the charm. I was thinking the kid was less active but MW said I just can't feel it as much because the placenta is lying on top! Oh well - energy is a good thing!

Ap - sounds like you are holding up pretty well with the spotting. Keep us posted!

mommycaroline - you know your body better than anyone and are incredibly aware of what's going on!

[Jlcampbellkidz]

Goodness, it sounds like we all have something crazy going on. I was up every hour last night t use the rest room. So I am feeling quite tired this morning. My daycare kids arrived bright and earlyk at 6:45 this morning and I was so not ready for them to be here. Luckily the one year old just wanted to be cuddled and the six month old was happy to play in the excersaucer as long as he could see me. Now I am feeling as if I am comming down with a stomach bug. I just don't feel right. I am normally very hungry, but I don't feel like I could eat anything right now. Which means the no food is fueling a nasty head ache. I am glad today is my hubby's day off. Hopefully he will be willing to help out with the kids if I need him to. Atleast I am feeling lot's of movement from the baby. That is always reasurring when i am not feeling well. My BH contx have picked up and at times are taking my breath away. I don't think they last for more than a minute. Having a good one right now :eyesroll

Well I am going to try to rest off this headache and whatever this stomach thing is. I hope you all have a wonderful day with lots of sunshine :)

[Solange]

:hola:
Hey everyone...
Caroline...thank you so much for your kind words and your descriptive analogy of what is going on...lol...made me smile...;)
Bears and others thank you too for your hugs.

I am fine today and feel a little silly freaking out about it...I am fine and the baby is fine. I did call my CNMW but they said basically the same things that Caroline said so no worries ;)

Take it easy today Laurie as much as you can..maybe when your daycare kids go home dh can give you some TLC .

Heather ~well wishes coming your way..hope you get to feeling better soon...poor mamma...:hug

Bears~ stop worring about your weight...:hug I know it is hard... but just focus on your healthy happy baby.....

I cannot believe how fast time is going..I am really getting excited for my VBAC birth. Oh yes and the baby that comes with it too...:D :LOL...j/k

have a great day!

[rochellep3]

Can I just jump right in with an intro? I am new to the boards, but not to Mothering mag...and realized while lurking here how much I missed my old boards (Thelaboroflove, now defunct, or at least, no boards...).

Anyway, I'm Rochelle, I'm a WAHM (not sure how much I'm allowed to say about that...) with 2 kids and number three on the way. I will list them in the sig. #1 was a hospital birth, no analgesia, but not entirely natural, #2 was a homebirth/waterbirth, #3 will also be a homebirth, though probably with less people in attendance...more on that later.

Due date according to LMP is August 8th. I'm not real hung up on that, yet anyway :) #1 was induced on her due date, and #2 was self-induced with homeopathic caullophylum at 11 days late. I will totally be doing that again if the occasion calls for it.

I live in Arizona. I used to be a chemical engineer once upon a time. I only wear slip on shoes even when I'm not 29 weeks pregnant. DH and I have been married 5 years. I grew up in one of the original hippy-villes, Eugene Oregon, what a great place. There (and here probably) I'm considered a little conservative in politics and lifestyle, which makes me a flaming liberal to those who know me IRL!

Please let me know if you want to know anything else, or if I should copy this to its own thread...

Rochelle
Mommy to Meg 5/00, Peter 6/02, #3 due 8/04

[Solange]

:w Rochelle
we have a sticky thread for you to type in all your stats.... if you do not mind doing so, I will add you to our list.

My ds #1 was also a 5-00 born babe ;)

I am looking to use homeopathic remedies myself for labor agumentation ( if I get to that point) . Cool to see someone else has had some success using them for that purpose!

Please pull up a chair and join us!

[Solange]

Oh BTW did I mention I am feeling really *HUGE* and ever so tired today?
and we only have 5 days left of May....

[Dodo]

Welcome, Rochelle.

Sorry Bears about the cast, the vacation...it sounds terrible.

My daughter is on the couch recuperating from...another puking session! Yet another stomach bug has hit our home. I'm so bummed.

On a more positive note, midwife-assisted homebirth was legalized this month here in Quebec. Yay, me! I can now say with confidence that I'm planning a homebirth.

[Jlcampbellkidz]

Welcome Rochelle!

Ap: Glad you are feeling better and thanks for the encouragement. I did get to rest some today, but my 2 yr. old DD is getting into everything. I hate to think she just does it for attention because I think I give her plenty of attention. Maybe not? :rolleyes DH isn't very good at reading my moods or my needs unfortunetly. In fact, I flat out told him what he could do to make me feel better and he opted to go next door and help our niehbor install a ceiling fan. Here it is almost 10:00pm, he has to be up by 2:00am for work and he still isn't home. Why are men so difficult sometimes? Don't get me wrong. I love him and he is a terrific husband (most of the time) But every mole hill seems like a mountain right now, and I feel so darn weepy lately.
I'm still feeling a bit queazy, but I did get some food down today. Not enough to completely keep the headache away, but enough to ward off the full blown migrain.
Thanks again to everyone for support.
Good news for me, my daycare mommys patients canceled their apts. for tomorrow so I don't have her kids. I love them bunches, but I LOVE and NEED all the days off I can get.

BTW has anyone else received the May/June issue of mothering. Some very interesting articles!

[Bearsmama]

Hi Ladies,

Rochelle- :wave

AP-Thanks, as always, for the wonderful support. :love

Dodo-Sorry to hear about your DD's bug. I know we're miles apart, but something has been going around here, too. So hard to see your kids sick, and so hard to have the energy to take good care of them while you're pregnant and tired yourself.

JL- :hug I COMPLETELY understand your feelinngs about your DH not really getting what you really need right now. I, too, have a WONDERFUL DH-really. But due to so many stressors (financial stuff being one of them) over the past few months, he really is not in tune with what I need right now. I also understand about being weepy. Although my emotional bent right now seems to be more toward anger/grumpiness.

You know, I think I've said before that during my first pregnancy I really felt that my DH thought I was a goddess. And now? He really doesn't even ask me how I'm doing. I have to be whining a bit. We've actually discussed this issue and he's apologized and reminded me that we've had so much stress over the past few months that it's hard for him to key into my needs.
Of COURSE, I need to find my own GODDESS! But I just keep thinking WOW-this pregnancy is WAY different than the last. It really seemed magical last time. Frankly, this time has been very far from magical.

I think it was AP who said she's feeling HUGE all of a sudden. Count me in on that. Did I mention that it makes perfect sense since my doc appointment shed some light on things for me? The baby is currently laying across my belly. That's why I feel so spread out in front. With DS, I was carrying higher and like longer, if that makes sense. So, hopefully this little guy will turn head down at some point.

Anyway, I just HAD buy a box of Trader Joe's cookies today and ate many of them tonight. Yum. They filled my chocolate hole.

Sleep well, all! :)

[Jlcampbellkidz]

Bears: I hear you on the chocolate front. i don't usually eat the stuff, but when I am pregnant it is a major craving. I have been wanting brownies so bad, I drove to my moms house today to get a recipe for brownies that my mom and I made together several times while I was growing up. Despite not feeling well, I made those brownies today. I must not have been the only one in the brownie mood cause here at the end of the day there are only 3 brownies left. :D

Good Night!

[juju]

hi all,

i am just checking in. i haven't been around in awhile. the daily living has been keeping me too busy; plus there are so many posts to read. i just can't keep up.

i am about 28 weeks with this little one. everything is going good. my 5 yr old has felt the baby move a few times. my 2 yr old seems to be getting more excited about the baby. i was kind of worried about how she will respond when the time comes. i feel better about it now.

i am trying to decide what kind of pool to get for a home waterbirth. my midwife with my other two had an aqua doula. i had a waterbirth with #2 and loved it. i plan on using water again. i just don't know for sure what to put it in.

it is funny everyone seems surprise that i don't know the gendar of the baby. i didn't have an ultrasound with the first two and don't plan to this time around either.

i am still going to prenatal yoga, but it seems to be getting harder for me. i have found a prenatal water work out class. i plan to look into attending it soon. i have been using a chiropractor every two weeks, but i am just not happy with this one. i need to find someone new to go to. i also found a local person who specializes in prenatal and infant massages. i think i will try to have a couple before august.

my dh just started back to work after a year unemployed. so it is nice to have insurance again and a regular income. although, we will still be paying the midwife ourselves.

i will be checking in ocassionally, but rarely find enough time to post. i hope you are all doing well.

take care,
julie

[Jlcampbellkidz]

Juju: Good to hear from you again. You do sound busy!

Today was much better for me as far as the upset stomach go's. I have been cleaning my house like a mad woman for about 2 weeks now. I am obsessed. I know this because I have never, and i mean NEVER had a real itch to clean or keep things organized. It's nice though. I have ADD so every time I wanted to clean I would look at whatever room it was and just get overwhelmed. Here lately I have been doing better at focusing and giving myself a boost of encouragement. My daycare mom swears that I am nesting and about to have this baby. I don't think we are even close. All I know is that I feel good having the house look so nice when my hubby gets home and he is just so surprised.

I have aired up my birth ball. My daughter loves it. I am hoping it will be one more thing to help ensure the right position of the baby. It also helps with my back pain.

Edited to Add:
I recieved a phone call from my midwifes office today. The got the results from my GD test and all is well. She didn't give me the numbers but I will ask my midwife when i see her in 2 weeks. That should be the last test for me until they test for strep B at 38 weeks.

[foxytocin]

Hi Rochelle! Welcome!
Hope everyone is doing fine today.
Went to my OBGYN yesterday for a 30 week check-up. The babe measures right-on-target, I haven't gained a pound over the last month (that struck me as very strange), and I took the glucola test. Had a most candid talk with the doc...........we'll be traveling 45 minutes from home to go to the hospital and I've been wondering how to know when it's time to get in the car and drive. I also have tons of questions about the hospital itself and DH appears increasingly nervous (he's joked several times about the benefits of having the baby in the car on the way there.....warning bells, warning bells) about the whole thing, so we've set up an appt. with the head nurse at the OB ward. I think this will help immensely. Since DD was born at home with a midwife, I'm just about as clueless as can be regarding hospitals. I sure like my OB, though, and feel a good sense of connection with her. For me, feeling comfortable with the person who's helping us deliver this baby is paramount, irregardless of the physical location of the birth.

Speaking of physical locations. Those of you who are planning water births! If only we could do that at this hospital! We had a tub set up in our living-room with DD and it was a wonder of wonders.

Been trying to sew a few fitted diapers. I finally figured it out, but am not sure they are worth the work. My sewing machine and I grudgingly trudge through every project. Trudge, trudge, trudge. I am not a "natural."

Bears, is your son's cast itching yet? Will he be able to swim with it on?

-Leah

[rochellep3]

Leah,

When you talk to the head nurse, ask her if it would be possible to have a portable tub set up there. The water birth people out of portland oregon (sorry, can't remember the name) are working with hospitals all over the place to make that happen, and some hospitals have jacuzzis just for laboring moms (none of the ones HERE, of course...) You'll probably want to have the info on hand when you talk to your dr as well. That's not the sort of thing they like as a surprise. But, given that you have already experienced water birth once, you are a great candidate to educate your dr and hospital to the benefits.

Congrats on the fitted dipes. I have thought about it several times, but contours were all I could handle at home (piece of cake by the way, even when I lined them with fleece.) I bought all my fitteds as my, "I'm having a boy!" treat last time.

Rochelle
Mommy to Meg 5/00, Peter 6/02, #3 due 8/04

[ilovebeingamom]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the hugs ap-re: telling people about our homebirth. I haven't told any family yet, I have been waiting for a good opportunity in a conversation, and it hasn't come up. No one asks much about dr.'s and stuff at this stage I guess.

I had a massage yesterday, and although it is hard to say there is such a thing as a bad massage, I think it was. The woman talked the whole time, she didn't seem to really concentrate on what she was doing, and it didn't feel like bliss like it usually does. I haven't had a massage in about two years, so it was disappointing. The other thing, my dh paid for an hour, and I got there at 10:30, had to take off clothes, go to bathroom, wait for her to come in, get settled, and she massaged. She didn't do any of the typical rocking or chopping to signal it is done, just said I was done. When I put my clothes back on and came out is was only 11:20. I thought when it comes to a massage, an hour is an hour? I didn't know what to say, since it was out of her home, but I won't be going back. Massages are expensive, and not something we can afford to do often. My dh gives better massages than that. Anyway...

I have been so achy the last few days. My lower back and my lower belly. I think I am finally starting to feel the weight of the baby. I was pretty active with mowing the lawn, heavy gardening, moving rocks, etc to just a week ago. Now I feel like I can hardly do anything. My back I am used to kind of hurting, but I don't remember my belly feeling like this before. It almost feels like constant menstrual cramps, but not that bad.

thats all for now,
hugs to everyone! Take care of yourselves!

[Jlcampbellkidz]

Good evening Ladies! Our group has been a lot less chatty lately.

Foxy: Since you enjoyed your homebirth so much last time, why have you switched to an OB? Just curious.

I woke up this morning and started the day off horrible. My sweet little 2 yr. old DD walked in my room and began to pat my forhead and say wake up mommy. I think that is such a sweet thing to wake up too. When I tried to get out of bed I couldn't stand. I feel to me knees in such horrible pain. I am not sure if the baby was on a nerve or what but I could not walk. My DD gave me a concerned look and said 'do you have a boo boo mommy? I told her yes and proceeded to crawl to the living room. As usual she was ready for a cup of milk and some breakfast. I couldn't get it out of the fridge on my knees so I used the island to hoist myself up into a standing position. Every step I took was excrusiating radiating pain down my leg. I fixed her breakfast and went to my room and just cried. I tried every position that I knew of to get the pain to go away and nothing was helping. So I filled the tub with warm water and turned on the jets, it was my last hope. 20 min. later I was able to get out and although my back was sore I could atleast walk again. My best friend was suppose to come over and spend the day with me. We havn't seen each other in atleast a month. We talk everyday but seeing her is so buch better. She called about the time I was expecting her to pull in my driveway and said she couldn't come. I cried again. (I hate this whole emotional rollercoast right now). I was so disapointed. I ended up reading several books to my DD and puting together some puzzles. We colored and watched blues clues and then napped together. Finally at 3:15 my sister called and invited us to go swimming. I thought yeah, a silver lining to my day. It was so hot outside. At first the water seemed cold cause it rained last night, but it took less than a min. to feel great. Then my baby girl climed up the ladder like she had no fear in the world and went down the water slide. I was so proud of her. Anyway we had lots of fun and it was a great way to top off the afternoon. Now, I am babysitting my sisters kids while she attends her 10 yr. high school reunion.
I hope my back doesn't go out again :irked:

[Jlcampbellkidz]

I am not wanting the hospital to give the vitamin K shot, the silver nitrate eye oinment or the Hep vaccine at birth. My hospital tour is not scheduled for another 3 weeks so I thought I would get some imput from all of you. This is a different hospt. that with my first pg. I just told them and put in my birth plan about rejecting the vaccine, but I allowed them to do the eye ointment and shot, just delayed a few hours. I have read more this time around and don't want any of it.
Anyway, do any of you have good or bad experiences with this at a hospital? What can I do other than noting it in my birthplan and either myself or my DH telling the staff when we arrive. I am hoping to not have the baby go to the nursery at all. I told my MW this and she said she has had a few other mothers request this and as long as there is nothing wrong it shouldn't be a problem. I don't want to go in with a fighting attitude, but as a doula I have seen so many woman have to fight everything in the hospital to get what they want.

[Solange]

:hola:
*Warning pity party for me here*
I give up..leg cramps are so bad at this point....I am tired of trying to fight them, yet the pain is quite unbearable when they happen(believe me I have tried everything...increased potassium-magnesium, calicum, I exercise everyday, blah , blah , blah, nothing works for me). I also noticed today on my thigh a batch of nice little "spider veins" that I have never had before :(

Also :Puke today while trying to brush my teeth....blasted..Dh said "I really feel bad for you this morning honey..."and he hardly ever says anything about my pg related whoas....
*pity party over*
:LOL

only about 9 weeks left for me....so I am really hitting the nesting phase.....

and I am really getting excited to meet our new baby. DS #1 turning 4 has really made me want this baby even more b/c I so miss the early years with ds and ds is sooo excited for this baby too it just makes it all one big warm fuzzy. Since this will probably be our last, I am also trying to savor the flavor of being pg and gushing over my belly and just smiling even though things are not as perfect as I would like them to be.

gtg off to ebay to check out my bids.....

[Bearsmama]

Hi Ladies,
Feeling like I should have my own pity party today, too. I am feeling so huge and slow-like a giant slug. Also, although I am not getting leg cramps, my calves feel very heavy. And it takes me a few minutes to get outta bed in the morning. Which is rough when DS has been getting up at 5:15 am!

Also feeling LOTS of movement today. And slightly crampy. Have I mentioned that I have this weird feeling that this baby is going to come early? Like really early? (Universe forbid!)So, besides thinking the early thoughts, I am starting to think of this babe lying crosswise in my uterus and I am hoping that he/she starts moving! I know it's too early to worry about it (especially since doc says that babes don't assume the head-down position until 36 weeks or after). But I don't think that DS was ever in this position. Which would make perfect sense. I am carrying and showing in a much different way this time around.

No big plans for the holiday weekend, and after our exciting vacation, that is fine with us!

Frog-Sorry to hear that you had to go thru the cast thing when your DC was so young! Must have been even harder to deal wtih.

Jl-ooooh, brownies! :drool Also, I am feeling the early vibe with my babe, too, and this worries me. So much to do! And major HUGS to you. I'm sorry you're feeling so miserable.

Juju-My DH is unemployed (freelancing and starting his own business, but nontheless not employed full-time). And I can only imagine the joy I will feel when insurance issues are not an ISSUE any more! Glad that he is back working.

Foxy-Thanks for asking about DS. You know, I think he's been very annoyed by the cast over the past two days. And it makes sense that it may be itching the heck out of him. Last night he asked for medicine b/c his arm hurt. So, who knows? We aren't even 2 full weeks into this cast, so he has 2 more to go!

Ilove-I haven't had too many massages in my time, but I *think* that an hour is an hour. Like only if you came late would it affect your time. Doesn't sound like a great experience to me. I have a friend who is a massage therapist. I should ask her. You don't ever want a crappy massage!

Hi AP! You are SO allowed to have any old pity party for yourself that you want. We all deserve it. Sorry that your legs are still do crampy. I, too, am down to 9.5 weeks left. Of course, I want to meet this little baby, but I am not wanting him/her to come too early. I feel that I have so much to do. And I want to be a bit more centered than I'm feeling right now.

Oh-I would like to read more or hear more about the VitK and silver nitrate issues. The cons, that is. I did both with #1, but I have contemplated not getting it this time around. But I don't know much. This baby, however, will NOT get the Hep vaccine. Our hospital makes you sign something when you are denying it. And I already have.

Anyway, I think that's it for me. Anyone else having a hard time believing how FAST this pregnancy has gone!????For me, it seems to have whizzed by. Just a little scary! So much I wanted to encourage DS to do-like *"sometimes* sleeping in his own bed, have gone by the wayside. Just too tired and preoccupied to force any issues. Looks like it will be the FOUR of us in bed. Which is fine, but I think it will be tough.

Sleep well. Enjoy your weekends. And take good care of yourselves, mamas!



:)

[mommycaroline]

Nothing new to update. Still getting sick, too. When will this part ever end? I guess the only cure is delivery.

Two great births for two different friends of mine this week. One had twins with no meds, first one was head down, second one breech! And, the other had a VBAC with my midwive's practice just this morning. Very empowering! I get to pick apart her experience and find out what I need to do to prepare.

My belly feels enormous these days. Lots of pressure. Today I had a BH contraction that took my breath away. I don't remember those with my last pregnancy. Maybe that means my uterus is practicing for real this time! I sure hope so.

I've got the leg cramps too, Traci. They're worse at night. Make my whole leg convulse. Ugh! I'm trying potassium too, although I'm also taking it to help ward off pre-eclampsia, and I'm not noticing a decrease in leg cramps.

Took Bonnie to the dentist this week. It went pretty well. They were extremely gentle with her, and kept saying "each visit will be positive, so we'll only do what she wants" and they did! They even asked me "what's her best time of day?" when scheduling our return visit. Very thoughtful. Hoping that next week we can get an X-ray and find out what we're up against. They think that her tooth is in fact already dead, and we just need to monitor for signs of infection. Probably not worth removing it, they say. I hope so.

Laurie, I'm also not planning on the Hep-B vax or the silver nitrate at birth, but we will be getting the vitamin K, I think. I had a very close friend who had a non-traumatic birth last summer end up with her 6 week old in the hospital with hemmoraghic fever of the newborn. It was absolutely terrifying, and I think it has changed this family for the rest of their lives. Fortunately, the baby lived, but there's no way of knowing what the extent of brain damage he has suffered will be until he's much older. He's delayed now. I researched the heck out of vitamin K deficiency for her, and it's really terrifying. Only happens to breastfed babies (because formula is loaded with vitamin K) and is highest risk among boys born to mothers who are vegetarian or vegan. I'm neither vegetarian nor vegan, but it still scared the garbage out of me. My poor friend will question every decision she ever makes again. Yeah, the statistics are very slim, but she will forever blame herself for not protecting him with that shot. I haven't found anything negative about getting the shot, just lots of vague "well, we're born vitamin K deficient for a reason" and some outdated references to increased cancer rates among babies who had the shot. There are no studies that have proved this, and several that have disproved it. If you find something about the risks of getting vitamin K, please let me know.

Okay, I'm off to take a hot bath. My legs are cramping up and I want to sleep!

[christeenybeany]

I don't have alot of time to post, but I wanted to comment about silver nitrate drops.... In my state, I was told that the eye drops are required but they don't use silver nitrate anymore. They use antibiotics that don't burn as much. I'm not sure what they do in other states though. I definently requested that they delaythe drops until after we had our first hour or so to bond with his clear vision.

[Jlcampbellkidz]

Bears: Thank you for the encouragement. The brownies were great. I think I am going to make a batch of fudge today. Just what I need to keep off the extra pounds right! Ooohh now that I am thinking about it, maybe some chocolate covered strawberries. :bouncy

mommycaroline: Thank you for your input. I think one reason why I want to refuse these things, is because I hate routine and intervention. I don't want the baby to have anything done to her that she doesn't absolutely NEED. I would consent to the Vitamin K if she presented a problem at birth that might require surgery or if I ended up having an emergency c-section. I am not completely closed minded. I would also consent to the eye ointment if I had a vaginal disease or infection. I greatly appreciated your thoughts and concerns.

Today, well the lower back was acting up again a bit, but I worked it out with my electric massager. It is going to be HOT and HUMID for a while here. Suppose to be near 95 today and tomorrow with lots of cloud cover and windy. Chances of storms and showers in the evenings. I am hoping to spend some time with my mom today. She has been taking some college office/computer corses and had not been able to spend much time with me or DD. If that doesn't work out, I hope my sister wants to go swimming again. It will be a perfect day to go and the water takes so much pressure off my growing body. It's amazing that anything could make me feel wieghtless at this point. :belly

I was looking through all my daughters pictures from birth until this point. She was chubby at birth but still seemed so small to us. Seeing pictures of my DH hold her, rock her, change her, sleep with her, and even swim with her. They all made me so excited about this new baby comming so soon. :throb

Well, the house looks great. I must be nesting because I have never cleaned this much in such a short period of time. I do have a few loads of laundry that I could do though. :laundry And I still havn't washed all the cloth diapers for the baby. I think today would be a good day to tackle that one too. Have a terrific day everyone.

BTW When all of us deliver where do we go from here? I would love to have a thread to keep in touch with all of you. I don't think I could find another group of woman that are so kind and compasionate. Your all smart and full of good info too.

[Jlcampbellkidz]

http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/vitktop.html Some is for and some againts. Pretty much the way it always it when you search on the internet. Anyway here are the sites so far. I have a harder time with the info for the eye ointment. But basically what I have read is it's purpose was to prevent blindness in babies born to moms with an STD. So since I don't have an STD why do I need to have my childs vission blurred?

http://www.providence.org/Oregon/health_resource_centers/Pregnancy_Center/AskAnExpert_Pregnancy_VitaminK.htm

[mommycaroline]

http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/vitktop.html Some is for and some againts. Pretty much the way it always it when you search on the internet. Anyway here are the sites so far. I have a harder time with the info for the eye ointment. But basically what I have read is it's purpose was to prevent blindness in babies born to moms with an STD. So since I don't have an STD why do I need to have my childs vission blurred?

http://www.providence.org/Oregon/health_resource_centers/Pregnancy_Center/AskAnExpert_Pregnancy_VitaminK.htm

Thanks Laurie,

I've seen that link before. I too am totally against any routine intervention. It's the main thing I'm fighting here with this birth, being a VBAC (which, by the way, really was a necessary cesarean, I fought interventions long and hard for that birth too). And, if I didn't have first hand knowledge of how devestating the consequences of Vitamin K deficiency can be, I'd probably feel differently. I'm looking for hard evidence that it's a bad intervention, and I just haven't found it. The birth of my friend's son was a gentle home birth, no interventions, truly an ideal situation, and the articles I keep reading keep stating things like "abnormal bleeding caused by a traumatic birth", which was definitely not the case in my friend's situation. I don't want to convince you, just want to share why we'll probably go ahead and do this, particularly if we have a boy since they are at higher risk than girls (not in any way related to circumcision, which we won't be doing anyway).

And, yeah, the eye ointment to protect against STD's is just stupid, IMHO. You get tested up the wazoo (literally!) when you're pregnant. To have a routine intervention for something they routinely eliminate is just overkill and not something we'll submit to.

Christeeny - NOTHING is mandatory. You always have choices. So what if your state says it's mandatory, I think it's actually mandatory in all states anymore. You can always sign a waiver declining it, if that's your choice. And, something as inconsequential as eye ointment is not going to make or break a relationship with a pediatrician or your birth team (where declining some other things might cause them to say they have to deny you continued care).

[Jillybean]

hi all!

we just got back from the beach, man I am exhausted! We had fun but its so good to be home. Just recently I feel like staying at home most of the time. Being away for two days and sleeping somewhere else just really wigged me out. I think its nesting-related which have started to do.

about the newborn procedures, we aren't doing the hep b or eye drops but I'm still on the fence about Vit K. Mommycaroline I feel the same way you do about trying to find some good evidence that is is bad, but not coming up with much. That and one of the mw I see had a baby she delivered get very sick from Vit K deficiency and she feels very strongly about giving it. I'm leaning towards just having it done.

Jl: I feel your pain with the back problems! Not quite as bad as what you had but last night I could not lie down in any position without severe pain. And I just wanted to sleep! Thankfully I had a heating pad with me so I used that and had dh massage it and that got it to the point where at least I could lie down. Still hurt though. Glad you found a solution and hopefully it won't happen again! Oh and in the Life With a Babe forum I think most of the due date groups go on to have Baby groups. I'll be sure to head over there when its time :)

seems like we are dealing with a fair amount of aches and pains, huh? Ah, the third trimester ain't it grand? I am feeling huge and rather limited also. And cranky! I get so cranky at the end :( well not much left to go! I need to get in gear and start getting ready!

Bears: My ds is no longer sleeping in his own bed. We moved things around and got him a new toddler bed but he wants to sleep only in the big bed (queen and his old twin pushed together). oh well!

oh and welcome rochelle :wave

ok, thats it for me. Ya'll have a nice day!

[Bearsmama]

Hi All,
Things here are okay, although my main complaint lately is heartburn and general intestinal distress. I can't eat anything with tomatoes or certain veggies, or sometimes dairy without having very uncomfy heartburn. Also, I have tummy aches and diarrhea and/or constipation very frequently, too. Joy of joys. I just never know how a certain food will affect my very sensitive tract lately.

DS is driving us nuts with his sleep/waking habits lately. Sleep has always been a challenge for him, but lately-GEEESH! We have always tried to make bedtime a happy time. Nursing, books, hugs and kisses from mommy and daddy. For some reason he has suddenly decided to make his going-to-bed theatrics even longer. I don't deal well with this. AT ALL!!! It just goes on and on and on. And it's especially hard b/c he's been waking at 5:15. I just have little tolerance/patience for this now. Ugh! Minor thing in the big picture, I know, but just really annoying and tiresome and crazy-making!

Thanks to everyone for the great info on the eye drops and VitK at birth. I will investigate the eye goop stuff a little further, but I *think* we will still choose to do the VitK.

Caroline-Glad to hear that little Bonnies hasn't been completely traumatized by the dentist experience. We have our first appointment for DS this summer. I'm hoping things go well. Oh-and about the eye goop for prevention of STD transmission. It's SO true about being tested out the WAZOO. When I had blood drawn for the GD test they also mentioned at that test that they test the blood for Syphillis. I've heard that this disease has made a comeback of sorts, but GOSH. HEP, HIV, Syph-I feel like a clean mama already!!

Jl-I've just started wondering the same thing about our great group of women here. Where DO we go after our babes are born? It would be nice to continue this journey into the parenting of these babies. Wondering what everyone else thinks???

Okay, I'm off to drink a GALLON of water (anyone else drinking H20 like a fish???) And relax. Hope you all have a great night.


:) :) :)

[Solange]

:hola:
Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend.
Ds had a blast today at his park party....the weather was perfect.. I hope we get some more :sunshine the next few days but it looks like we are going to be getting wet again. :(

I also like the idea of us staying in touch after the babies come....
Why don't we start a Yahoo group or an email list?
My 2 cents says to try to keep it as private as we could so that way if we want to share pics and things the whole www cannot look in on us. I know we can do that with Yahoo groups too.

I am pretty much on the same boat with all of you as far as the newborn procedures go...no eye goop...no HepB...but the Vit K I think we will do(we have been very on the fence about this too, but even my homeopath said she was too...). I would ideally like to have it given orally but my CNMW said the hospital only gives it in shot form.


I just got 6 more dipe covers today at a great price from a mamma here at MDC...I am soo nesting..I have a feeling this one may be early..:scratch

gtg dh wants to use the phone....

[mommycaroline]

We thought about the oral Vitamin K, but honestly, it kind of disturbs me more orally than as an injection. I'm very concerned about the introduction of anything that isn't mommy's milk in the intestinal tract before the time is right. I've also heard that it doesn't taste that great, and in some cases has led to an oral aversion which can interfere with breastfeeding.

The baby shower I threw tonight was tons of fun! It's so nice hanging with great women and not having to chase after kiddoes. LOL. It was in theory a mother's night out that we hijacked into a surprise baby shower (but the mom figured it out), and we just had so much fun. Nothing like good food, good company and great conversation. Fondue was the menu this evening, and it was divine! Everyone pitches in and it's just so easy. Plus, we cleaned the heck out of the house this afternoon, so it looked awesome. I love entertaining! This house was made to entertain, so it's nice being able to use it that way. I wish I could have more parties. :D

I'm all for a Yahoo group. It took me a while to get into this board, cause I'm so in love with Yahoo groups. It seems much easier to reply to things that way. But, I'm an old dog, I guess.

I wish I'd get the nesting bug a little bit. I am sooo not ready for this baby. Tons to do, and no motivation to do it. We've still got months and months, right? ;) One of these days...

[Dodo]

This will probably be incoherent. My apologies.

It has been a terrible weekend. My dd recovered from her stomach bug but I caught it and can't seem to shake it. I wasn't able to eat or drink for several days. Last night, I couldn't stop throwing up. In between vomiting, I'd have contractions. I wanted to check myself in to a hospital, but it seemed way too daunting to get dressed, call a cab, yada, yada, yada, on my own in the middle of the night. This morning I feel quite a bit better. I'm even snacking on Saltines.

To make matters worse, dh had to watch dd while a good friend of his was in town. Instead of meeting his friend for a ballgame or a for a drink, they took dd to the park. His friend (childless of course) seemed miffed, dh feels rejected. I feel like phoning his friend to explain that this isn't domesticity, this is illness -- give us a break!

Anyway, does anyone know what kind of effect if any an illness like this can have on a baby in utero? Frogs? I know that you had a similar situation last week. What did they tell you at the hospital?

On to other happier topics, we plan to refuse the Vit K, unless the birth is for some reason traumatic. No eye goop either.

As for our future as a group, I'd rather stick with MDC. I'm not much of a Yahoo user. Also, and maybe this is weird, I don't enjoy the same-age threads as much as I do the due-date threads. I guess that I find that there is more common ground between the pregnant than the non. For instance, the same-age threads often revolve around milestones, e.g., my kid rolled over, took his first step, said his first word, counted to three, and that stuff either bores me or freaks me out (mother of a late talker here). Who knows, maybe I'll change my mind. My outlook on just about everything is a little negative right now. Maybe when I'll reconsider when I'm able to eat some real food.

Hope that you are all well.

Dodo

[christeenybeany]

After the babies are born I am up for anything. I'd love to keep in touch.

Today is a wonderful day...the weather is great and I'm getting some micromanagment organization done. I guess this is my version of nesting right now. I'm going through our storage bins in the closets and reorganizing what goes where and eliminating some boxes to make room. I'm getting such a rush. What a dork am I.

I've had a few bh contractions that have taken my breath away. Last time i didn't get any at all plus I was induced and those contractions felt much different. This is a new experience. It was like a menstral cramp but it was bigger. probably because my uterus is bigger :) If I hadn't been on these boards and hearing about yall's I would have freaked out. It is good to be prepared mentally for stuff like that.

There is a wasp in my living room that has escaped into the molding crack in my vaulted ceiling so there is no way to go get him and get him out. I'm so nervous. The ceiling is too high. The wasp spray won't even reach, so I'm just trying to remain calm and hope he dies and does NOT make himself comfortable in my house and invite his friends. :irked:

I am currently alternating between being totally ready and happy for this baby and being totally freaked out and scared and wondering if we have made ahuge mistake.

Have a good memorial day ladies....

Christine

[frognladybugmama]

oh dodo, i'm sorry to hear that nasty tummy crud got you too! i know what you mean about the effort to get to the dr/hosp...about killed me to clothe myself, but i thought i was dying as dry as my mouth, etc was...i wasn't holding down anything even water or able to drink it anyways...glad to hear you're tolerating saltines ok now, maybe you're on the mend finally. at the hospital they gave me the usual schpeal about the baby taking what he needs from me and not to worry about him, i'd be the one deficient etc yK? besides, upon doing EFM's of him and measuring him - he's definitely showing to be ok, measuring ahead 1.5wks even. i'm hoping that growth has slowed back to normal by my next appt on the 7th...

christeenybeany, i understand your worries! i worried so much about introducing a 2nd baby to our happy li'l routine, now i'm paranoid of the third! honestly, the 2nd was a breeze - she was a pretty easy baby, though she didn't nap from about 2-6mos for some strange reason, but she's a terror now lol...very high-spirited, bossy, independent and possessive - i'm afraid we're rocking her world a li'l much w/ this new baby, but too late now lol! i think it will be good for her though, because she's used to being the center of attention (you can't help but to pay attn to the bossy li'l diva lol) and it'll teach patience and sharing i hope...sigh...

[foxytocin]

Foxy: Since you enjoyed your homebirth so much last time, why have you switched to an OB? Just curious.



Laurie, we switched to an OB after much deliberation. We had a few wild cards thrown at us that made us question our choice this time around. The primary reason we switched to a hospital birth, tho, has more to do with the local medical system. DD's delivery was long and difficult (30 hours, 10 lb 8oz baby), I tore real bad, set up an infection, and had a heck of a time getting good medical follow-up care for me b/c we had had a homebirth. We're talking several rounds of silver nitrate by the midwife on my privates (which, by the way, I would never ever want to subject to a newborn's eyes...... yo.), totally freaked out extended family members, and lots of haranguing before I finally found an OB who is "friendly to the cause." The other catch is that two other women went into labor the same weekend as we did, so our midwives were stretched super-thin and completely exhausted their back-up resources........I think everyone did the best they could, but in retrospect I think we took unnecessary risks because the midwives were too worn-out to think crystal-clear. There was a terrible few seconds after DD was born where she wasn't breathing and DH had to hunt down the ambu bag. Babies not breathing right away is common enough, but DH searching through gear for an ambu bag is not. Frightened me to the core.
These were issues I had not fully contemplated when we decided to have a homebirth.
I would gladly do it again if:
I had a midwife available who works closely with a local physician
There was a higher concentration of midwives and doulas in our area
I had not found an OBGYN who seems realy groovy
There was any sort of guarantee that this next kiddo is the same size or smaller than DD (it's a crap shoot)

But oh! I am convinced that homebirth is wonderful for most people most of the time. The bond that is forged between the couple laboring at home is eternal. The experience will change us forever.

Well, now, writing that just about did me in. It's interesting to me that writing this a few months ago would have left me feeling completely freaked out, but not now. I've been feeling increasingly calm and strong about having this baby in August. I'm ready. I'm also really curious about what it's going to be like compared to having DD. Birthing a baby, no matter where and how you go about it, is one of the most extraordinary things we will ever do as women. And, mamas, we're about to do it very soon!

[girlfactory]

Hi everyone!
I've been so naughty and haven't posted in weeks it seems like; and I do apologize. I read everyone's posts when I get the chance, and I catch myself nodding in agreement to many things said, as well as coming up with so many things to add.........but I'm so dang tired when it comes time to post :(

I want a homebirth so bad again, but I haven't taken the time to get a midwife. My MIL said she'd pay for the entire fee, if that's the way we wanted to go. I am on medicaid since dh is unemployed (again), and the OB that I'm seeing seems ok........but she insists on the hospital of course. I've had 2 babies in the hospital, both with loads of PIT and agony. Ivy, my last dd, was born a