April Mamas Chat Thread: November [Archive] - MotheringDotCommunity Forums

danaalex

11-01-2004, 02:43 PM

we had our trick or treating sat night. we went to the air force base and joined up with our playgroup. it was fun and after one turn out ( had to stop to use the potty) my oldest decided she was done :) which was fine by me as we are not a candy family LOL.

we left a bowl of candy at our house and we don't think even one piece was gone. :( and we had no trick or treaters on sun night. oh well.

i'm huge, one pair of maternity shorts (without any type of elastic or panel, just low ride) are already snug :( wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. i have no clue how i'm going to clothe myself if this continues. i weighed myself after taking the ill fitting shorts off and i've gained 2.5 lbs. so, that's not the problem.

i'm still throwing up and getting seriously nauseous. friday and sat i was hit pretty bad, but felt better after throwing up. sun i was so sick, but no matter what i couldn't throw up so i took a half a unisom and 10 min later i felt much better. that was the first time i resorted to taking a drug. usually throwing up or grease would do the trick. my boobs are ultra sore and sensative which my DH hates and is getting impatient with (he's a boob man LOL). i just keep telling him to deal.

we're not going to find out what we are having. that is driving everyone that knows i'm pg crazy. we told our parents, via halloween drawing from the girls, this weekend. we have heard from my dad and his wife, but no one else yet. my ILaws are coming next thurs for the weekend. and i am hoping to get away for a day of pampering, massage, facial, manicure and pedicure, while they are here. my DH is spending today pressure washing the house, because we MIGHT be moving to MD in Dec. we haven't decided just yet. so, we're trying to get our house ready to sell.

well, that's all that's up with me :)

Jessmcg

11-01-2004, 03:08 PM

Hi,
I didn't post much on the last chat thread, but had time today, so thought I would join in!

We had 1 trick-or-treater last night (we knew this, we live way out on a ranch and there are only 3 families with kids, us, the one who came, and the other boys who were hunting). Then we went to "town" the closest town where our kids go to school. We did the whole town in about an hour and then went to a neihbors ranch where we had dinner (taco soup and an awesome veggie tray) and the kids all played. It was really nice!

I have a Dr appt on Friday and my ultrasound is on the 14th. I think we are going to find out the sex. Dh really wants to so I think we will. We will be happy with a healthy baby, but is anyone hopeing for one sex or the other? We are really hopeing for a boy this time :) .

What is anyone craving? I have been eating dill pickles like crazy for the last month. THey are about the only thing that sounds good to me. I figure I must need the salt or something. MY ms is finally starting to get better. I still have bad days, but they are every few days, instead of all day every day!

Hope everyone is feeling well,
Jess

Stream

11-01-2004, 03:28 PM

We're not really hoping for one sex over the other, but I do feel more and more like this baby is a boy. No good reason except when I picture a girl it doesn't feel right. I would love for dd to have a sister, but then again, I would love to have one of each too, so we just can't go wrong. :) I guess that's part of the reason I'm up to waiting for the surprise!

proudmamanow

11-02-2004, 09:50 AM

thanks for starting this thread, Stream :D
I agree, a monthly one is probably better right now.

We had a dissapointing TOT turnout, we bought about 250 chocolate bars and as many rockets (ok, a bit overboard), but only got about 40 kids. They each got a lot of candy. I think it may have been because the weather was kind of lousy & it was a school night. But we got some cute costumes, lots of little firefighters, ghosts, and a fabulous homemade Sponge Bob, v. impressive.

Congrats on winning the pumpkin carving contest, btw! (it was you Stream, right?). Dw and I would love to see a picture.

:hug to sarajane...this is our first too and I'm having such trouble figuring out if there is any movement...still some symptoms (having to pee, stretching feelings in my uterus, and sore back). I hope you have a wonderful u/s!

:hug to danaalex on your continuing sickness, I'm so sorry! I hope it goes soon!

And...we heard the heartbeat at 16 week midwife appointment yesterday!! finally! And I`m in good shape bp wise and otherwise, so I'm pleased. My tummy keeps on getting bigger. I'm going to post a new tummy shot this week.

We don't really have a major gender preference. I did want a girl at first, but by now I'd be thrilled with a little boy as well, and all I really want is a healthy baby!

natashaccat

11-02-2004, 01:40 PM

I'm not really feeling pregnant this week. =(

No movement yet, tummy is not growing very fast, and no symptons. I suppose I should be thankful though, plenty of time to grow yet.

I will be finding out the sex of the baby in a few weeks. That is if my little one will face the camera. Does it happen often that the baby is hiding its gender from everyone? That happened with one of my sister-in-law's pregnancies, she had to go back for another to find out. I don't think I can afford to do that though...

I'm not sure how common it is but this was the case for my dd#1. We got a lovely view of her rump.

danaalex

11-02-2004, 03:39 PM

we never went in to intentionally find the sex of our girls. with our oldest we just had a regular U/S at the 20 something week and they did all the measuring, and we didn't want to know so they didn't look. with our youngest we had a 3D U/S it was a trial thing and we just wanted to see what it looked like, it only cost us like $15.00 so we did it. we didn't want to know the sex, but the tech said, "did you already know you were having a girl?" we were floored, after we got past the shock of his telling us, he explained that on that type of U/S they can look for the ovarian arteries. that way if the babe is shy they don't have to look for the genitalia.

so, ask your tech if that is possible, looking for ovarian arteries that is. he said something like, if they are there, it's a girl, if they aren't he CAN'T guarantee it's a boy.

Stream

11-02-2004, 03:53 PM

Y'all, I just closed my office door and took an hour nap at my desk. Tell me again when we get that burst of energy?

;)

sunbaby

11-02-2004, 04:09 PM

and i'll bet it was a lovely rump too, natashacat :) . baby butts are the cutest. i guess if this happens to us i will know that i am not really meant to know.

sorry danaalex, that you are still feeling so poorly. i wish i could take that away for you. seems that once you were wondering about twins, are you still? could that be causing extra sickness? and when could you know,since you arent having a sonogram?

glad you heard the heatbeat, jesse.

i am doing better right now. eating well is helping.

we took dd out trick or treating and it was fun. too bad though about so many scary costumes, she was pretty careful about which houses she'd go to, and who walked past. in a way, i guess its a good thing, i definately didnt argue when her intuition said no about a house, its good practice for her.

i go back and forth about which sex i hope for. at first, i was sure i wanted another girl. in the past few days though, i have been hoping boy. so i just dont know. whatever. we thougth we wanted a boy with dd, but once you know what your babe actually is, its pretty hard to spend very long wanting anything else, other than the perfect thing you have been given, ya know? still, i cant wait to find out at the sonogram, and i dont know why.

i heard on another thread that you can have caffien or sugar before the ultrasound, and hope the babe is more active because of it, and you are more likely to get a peek at the genitals. i am kinda creeped out by the idea of a 3-d sonogram, dont know why, but dont think i'll be having one. although the info from danaalex has tempted me...

natashaccat

11-02-2004, 04:52 PM

;Y'all, I just closed my office door and took an hour nap at my desk. Tell me again when we get that burst of energy?

;)

Yeah, and where's all that second trimester bedroom action?!

Actually I am feeling more energetic today than I have for a while, I'm working harder at going to bed by 9:00 which feels horribly early but seems to help.

Stream

11-02-2004, 05:27 PM

Eek! Election anxiety has finally gotten to me... I've felt strongly all along (doesn't matter which candidate, not trying to be political) and now it's just. so. close. I wanna know!

seren

11-02-2004, 07:20 PM

;

Yeah, and where's all that second trimester bedroom action?!

Actually I am feeling more energetic today than I have for a while, I'm working harder at going to bed by 9:00 which feels horribly early but seems to help.

I found the bedroom action over here. :thumb

I have had more energy lately, but it's sure not a lot.

Have had a lot going on lately. Feeling great pregnancy wise, not sick, I think the migraines I had for a few days are gone. I'm wearing my jeans I wore before I got pregnant, that didn't fit before my miscarriage in July. That's nice, but I am a big girl, so I don't look pregnant. I was 16 weeks yesterday. I have an appointment with a midwife (not sure which) on Monday, hopefully will hear the heartbeat, if not, will have some definite anxiety. But have been feeling more and more movement. Not everyday, but sometimes several times a day. I have had a bit of anxiety today. I finally got medicaid (we don't have insurance, yet and the insurance we will have won't cover the midwife), but it caused not so desirable results. Dh just got a new job, about 5-6 weeks ago. We still qualify for medicaid for pregnancy (which is fantastic), but no longer qualify for food stamps. I know this is what we want, to make enough money to not need them, but it's still scary, when we've had them for 2 years I didn't have to ever worry about feeding my children. Maybe no one understands, but I feel scared.

And I've had good news and scary stuff with my ds. The good news, great really, is that he gained 3 lbs in the last 2 1/2 months. At his 15 month check up he had finally hit 20 lbs and was offically off the bottom of the chart. Then he got sick and lost half a lb, since then he's gained 3 and is back on the chart. Sure made me feel a lot better. BUt he has started when he gets hurt, holding his breath. Not intentional, but he does until he can't hold himself up. Yesterday I didn't pick him up in time (I was in another room) and he fell. When he's in my arms he goes limp. I'm not sure if he's actually passing out or not. I spent 20 minutes on the phone with the peds nurse yesterday and she asked a million questions. We decided it's not on purpose and he only does it when hurt, but not every tiem. Then today I was really watching closely and thinking a lot, I think it might only be when he hits his head, no matter how softly. And then I wondered, if it is only when he hits his head, could it be related to when he fell off the couch, landed on his face on the hardwood and was unconcious? We had to call 911 and he was fine by the time they got here, but could it be related to that? DO I need to call the ped back? I jsut don't know.

And as for find out the sex. I don't want to. We did with both before and I really really really want to be surprised this time. Dh doesn't, but I finally convinced him. Well now my grandma might be coming for Christmas. She will be 79 then. SHe has never seen an ultrasound and I told her I would wait for her to do it. But she is pressuring me to find out, she really wants to see it. So now dh is saying he wants to know again. Everyone I know is going crazy wanting to know. And it's driving me crazy.

And my breasts hurt. For those of you have breastfed a baby, you know how when your breasts get cold, it feels differently when there's milk, then when you aren't breastfeeding? Too tired to really find the words to explain, well anyways, I feel that when I get cold. It's not a really pleasant feeling.

And yesterday I talked to the receptionist at my midwife's office. She's really so much more than just a receptionist. I told her my concerns with the evil midwife and we talked about it. She made me feel better (she has an amazing ability to do that) and convinced me to give her one more chance, with an opne mind. She's going to tactfully find a way to give this midwife a headsup, without telling her I called (a big fear of mine) and gave me some tipes. Like to beat her to the punch, say I lost weight this week, didn't gain, did gian, whatever and me bring it up and put an end to it. SO we will see how it goes.

Gosh, sorry this is so long ladies.

danaalex

11-02-2004, 08:41 PM

serenity, my girls are small too. neither of them hit 20 lbs till about a year and a half. my oldest is now about 25% for both height and weight, and the babe is like 10% for weight and 25% for height?

i have a friend who's oldest DD used to cry and hold her breath till she'd pass out, right around your son's age. once she'd officially pass out and her body realized she needed oxygen again, she'd wake up. her ped told her it was a phase and her DD would grow out of it, which she has. :) when you have to worry about head injuries, is if your son falls and immediately goes unconscious, as soon as he hits the floor. when a person passes out at the time of a head injury you have to worry about a concussion. also, if shortly after the fall your son can't walk straight, can't do things like feed himself or hold a cup, if his pupils appear to not change with the amount of light shining in them, stuff like that is more indicative of trauma to the brain.

anytime a child falls on their head it is terrifying. my girls have both done it numerous occassions, and we have ceramic tile and wood floors. i just look for those symptoms or changes. and then reasses frequently till i am SURE they are ok. if you are really concerned, ask your ped for a full neuro work up ( and maybe a CAT scan or MRI if you are REally really really worried). a less scary test is an EEG, measures brain waves, but you have to do it right after the episode, so kind hard to do that......................................

i'm glad you spoke to the woman in your midwives office, hopefully she'll be able to get through to the evil midwife for you :)!!!!!!!

thank you to sunbaby for your kind words. i don't know about the twins thing. my OB did my U/S and she is just NOT GOOD at them LOL, so i have no clue if we'll get a definitive answer or not, unless we move and i can get an actual U/S tech to do an U/S for me. my OB wants to do an U/S at 22 weeks, but i really don't want her doing it. i know she'll tell me some crazy wrong info and it will piss or freak me out, and it's not worth it to me to go through that. so, we'll see..................................

uggh, this election reporting is killing me. too close, too damn close!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

speedknitter

11-02-2004, 08:43 PM

My energy returned just in time for us to finish up our move last week - boy that was a LOT of work! 7000 sq ft of auto parts is a pain in the you-know-what to move! We still have lots of unpacking and organizing to do at the new place, but at least we are OUT of the old building. I was the truck driver, going back & forth several times a day - it was something I could do and not have to do a lot of heavy lifting. :thumb

We have one main business partner that we want to tell first, before telling everyone else here at work - he is great and is kind of like family, so we want him to be the first to know. He lives out of town but is arriving next Monday, then DH and I are going to take Thurs-Sunday OFF to have a little break after all this work. I can't wait to just sit and :knit and watch a few movies!!!

The next Ultrasound is not scheduled yet but we definitely want to find out the sex...with this being our first and at our age there will be enough surprises!!! We don't care which it is, but my DH is betting its a girl.

aprildawn

11-03-2004, 06:33 PM

good idea to have a monthly thread for at least the next couple months, stream.

we went in for our one and only ultrasound today and the baby was playing shy. so, as desperate as i was this time around to find out the gender, we won't know until april! ack!!! it's driving me insane. the tech pushed at the little kid with the transducer to try and get him/her to uncross their legs, but they'd just kick back and cross their legs again!

so, like any good mom, i sentenced the kid to a 5 month time-out. ;)

liawbh

11-04-2004, 10:30 AM

Where's the "phew" smilie? It's nice in here, and quiet! I've spent entirely too much time in W&P this week - yikes!
Had my 16week appt Mon. Met the 2nd midwife, she's very nice too! Sh found the hb right away!!
We turned down the quad screen, but DH wants u/s so we'll schedule that at 20 wks.

Yeah, where is that energy? The m/s is gone FINALLY, but I'm still so tired.
Oh, and the mw's said they *like* for mamas to gain weight when I mentioned that the place I went first was snippy about it. how nice!

seren

11-04-2004, 02:47 PM

natashaccat

11-04-2004, 02:52 PM

Oh, and the mw's said they *like* for mamas to gain weight when I mentioned that the place I went first was snippy about it. how nice!

Wow I'd sure like to hear that from my MW. With dd 1 my OB wasn't terribly concerned about weight gain (or nutrition either). I'm getting mixed vibes from the MW clinic that I'm using this time though. They've asked me several times about my diet and I can't quite figure out if these are routine questions or if they are specifically directed at me. I'm pretty sure that they are routine but they definately make me feel a bit self concious esp since I'm gaining tons of weight inspite of my low sugar-healthy diet.

liawbh

11-04-2004, 03:04 PM

My mw's have been asking about my diet, but mostly to check protein and variety of veggies. I'm so glad this wasn't a week I'm keeping a food diary tho'! ;)
I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one gaining! I thought I wouldn't gain as much as w/ #1 b/c i'm eating healthier and had nausea until last week, but :shrug

natashaccat

11-04-2004, 03:05 PM

Well, today has been a sucky day. Ihad to call my mom and ask her to come and get my kids this morning. I just couldn't be a mommy today. And as horrible as that sounds, it wasn't my fault. I had the mother of all migraines. Dry heaves and everything. I can't do this anymore. I didn't have them for so long and now this is about the 6th in two weeks. I called the midwife and she told me to just treat with Tylenol and caffiene until my app on Monday. I think they will want to put me back on zoloft and at this point I don't care. When I was in high school I had migraines 4 out of 7 days a week. Too often to take the meds you're supposed to take when you actually have the migraine. So they gave me an anti-depressant to prevent them. Worked great! When I was preg with dd, they were horrible. So bad that hydrocodone and demerol didn't even dent them. With ds, I was on zoloft because I had depression similar to post-partem depression. It took care of my migraines. So, I think I'm desperate enough to go on it again. Does this make me horrible?

As a fellow migraine sufferer I've been struggling with similiar descisions. Luckily they seem to be a first trimester thing for me but I feel for you. I would definately reccomend seeing someone besides your midwife for treatment options if tylenol and caffeene are all she can suggest.

How do you feel about 2nd trimester ibuprophin? My family Dr suggested that alternating tylenol and ibuprophin (only in 2nd trimester) would be better than tylenol and caffeene because cafeene is a trigger as much as a cure.

Do you have any idea what your triggers are? Mine are low blood sugar and lack of sleep. I took reglan (sp? maybe it's reglam) for about a week to help regulate my nusea and eating and then I gave up refined sugar, chocolate and caffeene. It seems to have helped me break the cycle.

speedknitter

11-04-2004, 03:10 PM

I've not had migranes like you guys - it must be awful :hug
But when I do have headaches I've taken tylenol and ibuprofen together and it works GREAT. I have not done this since PG, fortunately I've been headache-free (almost) the whole time, so I would for sure check with a doc first before taking this combo.

seren

11-04-2004, 07:59 PM

. I would definately reccomend seeing someone besides your midwife for treatment options if tylenol and caffeene are all she can suggest.

How do you feel about 2nd trimester ibuprophin? My family Dr suggested that alternating tylenol and ibuprophin (only in 2nd trimester) would be better than tylenol and caffeene because cafeene is a trigger as much as a cure.

Do you have any idea what your triggers are? Mine are low blood sugar and lack of sleep. I took reglan (sp? maybe it's reglam) for about a week to help regulate my nusea and eating and then I gave up refined sugar, chocolate and caffeene. It seems to have helped me break the cycle.

The caffiene and Tylenol are just her suggestions for the weekend, until my appointment on Monday. THen we will discuss other options. She knows my history, so she won't just tell my Tylenol and Caffiene for the remainder of my pregnancy. I would have a fit over that.

Not sure how i feel about second trimest ibuprophin. I would have to learn more about it.

ANd my triggers, I don't seem to have any that I can recongnise. Caffiene does help mine go away, not trigger them. That I know. Sometimes i get sinus headaches that turn into migraines. But that's not often, and not right now. ANd I have a growth on my ear drum. It's been there since I was pregnant with dd, so about 3 1/2 years. It had gotten significantly bigger after the birth of ds. I put genetian violet in my ear to see if that would help (found something online about it) and dh thinks it's gotten smaller. I'm going to have midwife look at it again on Monday and get her opinion. Anyways, when my ear hurts I get a headache, and when I get a headache it makes my ear hurt. It's all so confusing. Hopefully the growth is gone, if not I will have to go to a regular dr after we get insurance this month. So hopefully we can tell something on Monday.

danaalex

11-04-2004, 10:10 PM

i don't get migraines, but in high school i did get headaches almost every single day. my mom had to carry a bottle of excedrin with her because my headaches would get so bad. i haven't had a problem with headaches in such a long time, then all of the sudden 2 weeks ago i started getting them again, daily. the ones i got in college were ususally related to not getting caffeine, so something with caffeine would fix them. now, the ONLY thing that works is 2 extra strength tylenol, which i hate taking, but i hate the headaches more.................. uggh.

seren

11-05-2004, 10:25 AM

Does anyone still fear that something will happen to their baby? I'm so scared that I still won't hear the heartbeat on Monday and I will be 17 weeks then. I'm so nervous. I've been doing so well lately not being so scared, but the other night I just broke down. The last miscarriage was harder than the other two and I just really really really don't want to have to go through that again. Maybe I'm just paranoid. What will happen if we still can't hear the hearbeat?

speedknitter

11-05-2004, 11:09 AM

Yes, I have those fears too. Some days I just don't "feel" pregnant and then that makes me worry. Especially since I have not felt any movement yet sometimes it does not seem real. Maybe because I do not know quite what to expect, since this is my first except for an early miscarriage in April. I felt better this morning when I got up and my husband said (with a smile) "gee, you look bigger today" He meant it as a compliment, it was really sweet. :love

natashaccat

11-05-2004, 01:19 PM

Are you guys getting enough sleep? I've been dreading sleep and staying up later and later because my nights have been so crappy and disrupted with headaches, dd's nightwaking, having to pee, and having to eat.

Last week I put myself on super early bedtime (9:00 - early for me because I'm a night owl) and I feel tons better this week. It seems like the sooner I go to bed the better I sleep overall.

Stream

11-05-2004, 02:11 PM

I still get paranoid too. I felt so comforted after my 16 week appointment when I heard the nice strong heartbeat, and then just a couple days later, I kind-of jumped onto this counter (hard to describe in writing-- you know when you put your hands down and then use them to jump up, then swing around to sit?) and hit my belly. It wasn't even that hard, but golly was I worried I had done something to the bambino. I have since felt some little kicks, but even that isn't surefire reassurance. I'll feel movement one day, then not for three days, then feel it again for a couple days in a row. I'm anxious for when we get everyday, consistent kicks. :) I love those! It's not keep-me-up-at-night type worrying, but enough that it crosses my mind. As I recall, I did the same stuff with dd-- I especially remember being worried the day of her u/s and feeling so relieved when everything looked ok. Maybe it's just par for the course.

In other news, I weighed myself last night and holy moly! I've really gained weight! Not quite two weeks ago, I weighed 157.5 and yesterday I weighed 163.5-- 6 lbs.! Gaining weight is usually really tough for me usually (when pg, not the rest of the time!), and I don't even feel like I've been eating very much or anything (healthier stuff if anything). I've also gotten noticeably bigger in the belly in the past couple days-- enough that people at work have commented. This renews my twin paranoia. ;) But when I feel kicks, it's always the same spot, so I think I'm ok. ;) (Disclaimer: I think twins are fabulous and awfully interesting and I always wanted them-- until I got pregnant this time around, and now the thought *terrifies* me.)

On that note, I asked dd last night how many babies were in my belly, 1 or 2? She said "2! ... 3, 4, 5, 6..." and counted all the way to 46. So I'm thinking maybe she doesn't hold all the answers after all. Either that or all my attempts an anonymity are going to be blown when y'all turn on the news and see the story about the poor soul who just gave birth to 11 or so sets of quadruplets. :LOL

liawbh

11-05-2004, 04:27 PM

I was really paranoid until my appt. Mon. The mw found the heartbeat so fast. THe only problem with that is she didn't have to check more than one place, so no confirmation of only one! I guess I'll find out in Dec w/ the u/s. Twins are all over the place in my family, and both my mom and my MIL are praying I'll have them. It'd be exciting, but yikes! Plus I saw what my cousin looked like at 38 weeks :bigeyes Her girls were BOTH over 7#s

danaalex

11-05-2004, 09:42 PM

On that note, I asked dd last night how many babies were in my belly, 1 or 2? She said "2! ... 3, 4, 5, 6..." and counted all the way to 46. So I'm thinking maybe she doesn't hold all the answers after all. Either that or all my attempts an anonymity are going to be blown when y'all turn on the news and see the story about the poor soul who just gave birth to 11 or so sets of quadruplets. :LOL

OMG this had me peeing my pants!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! way too funny to be reading at 930pm when i am physically and mentally exhausted. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:)

sunbaby

11-07-2004, 08:44 PM

funny to hear so many are having twin thoughts. dd is really pushing for twins. i dont know where she got the idea, but she talks about it every day. although today she said maybe i was having a pony. hmmm. i think dh would be dissapointed.

hey, are you all doing your kegels? how long before you start to get stronger? i have been pretty good about it for a couple of weeks, and feel frustrated that i am making no progress.

sunbaby

11-07-2004, 09:27 PM

dh is out of town. going on two weeks now. i am here way too often posting and posting to ease lonliness and boredome. but it has gotten out of hand. somebody pls stop me. i have lurked now on the nov and oct mamas thread just to get a vicarious new baby high. why oh why must 40 weeks be so very long. i want to be where they are.

danaalex

11-07-2004, 10:55 PM

oh i know, why do we have to gestate for soooooooooooooooo long LOL!!!!!!!!!!!

dh is out of town. going on two weeks now. i am here way too often posting and posting to ease lonliness and boredome. but it has gotten out of hand. somebody pls stop me. i have lurked now on the nov and oct mamas thread just to get a vicarious new baby high. why oh why must 40 weeks be so very long. i want to be where they are.

Stream

11-08-2004, 08:54 AM

sunbaby- I'm a regular on the other due date boards too. ;) I love reading about the mamas just about to go into labor and then about the babes in arms a few hours/days later. Is there anything better? >sigh< It will be our turn soon enough. I'm even excited that we're beginning the wave of u/s's so we should hear gender news and whatnot soon around here (even if I won't have any to contribute myself!). I am such a pregnancy junkie. :thumb

danaalex

11-08-2004, 09:30 AM

well it's official. we are moving to Maryland. :) we are trying to get our house ready for a sale, and packed up for the move. my 2nd move while pg............... what am i thinking LOL

natashaccat

11-08-2004, 12:53 PM

hey, are you all doing your kegels? how long before you start to get stronger? i have been pretty good about it for a couple of weeks, and feel frustrated that i am making no progress.

I'm interested in hearing the answer to that one too, fess up mamas! I'm doing the stop start pee ones but I just feel kinda silly doing some of the more advanced ones.

FreeRangeMama

11-08-2004, 01:04 PM

I am trying to remember to do my Kegels, but often I forget. I don't remember when I started to notice a difference (its been 4 years since I was first pregnant, I can't remember 4 DAYS ago :LOL). My mom has urine incontinance issues after 4 births and I REALLY don't want that to happen to me, though hers wouldn't have happened if she had done kegels (in fact her doctor told her to either start doing them or face surgery for a bladder prolapse and she said she'd rather have the surgery :eyesroll ). It is good incentive anyway.

Anyone have a recommendation for a good prenatal yoga DVD. I am never going to make it to an actual class with dh's shift work and 2 littles to care for, so I might as well just buy the video.

Stream

11-08-2004, 02:56 PM

I've done more kegels just reading this thread in the last day or so than I've done the rest of the pregnancy! Every time I see the word, I get crackin'. We should add a sticky to the top of the forum just titled "Don't forget to Kegel." ;)

BTW, I've always assumed I'm doing them right, but what do I know? The stop/start pee description doesn't do it for me, except when I'm peeing-- I just can't picture that otherwise. The way I would describe what I'm doing is lifting/tensing the pelvic floor, from about (oh gosh, now I'm blushing) the front of the vulva back to the rectum, or so. Is that right, or do I have it wrong? It *seems* right, and I can't imagine what else it would be, but I would sure like some confirmation after doing them this way for, oh, 4 years now! I can "tweak" it a little bit more towards the front, in a slightly smaller area-- is that better? That way it feels less straight up and more tilted back into my body. Goshdarnit! This is way to tough to describe!

JoyAnne

11-08-2004, 03:06 PM

I do the Prenatal Yoga with Shiva Rae and Fit Mama (it has two yoga segments) with Leisa Hart. I like them both, and I like alternating them!

My ultrasound is Thursday, the 11th, and I am excited and nervous. Excited to find out that is is a boy (because I know it is as Danny's Song came on the radio as I did my pregnancy test; "think I'm gonna have a son...") and nervous because what if something is wrong? Not that I have any reason to suspect anything is wrong!

This will be a high resolution diagnostic US as the second step in my prenatal testing because I am 35 and didn't want an amnio, so they shouid see a LOT. When they tell me everything is fine, I am going to switch from my OB to a MW in my area who is opening a birthing center next week.

My last visit with the OB was so discouraging that I really started the process, both mental and actual, to switch. She had good stats and such, but then told me that an epidural would help me enjoy the experience, that I shouldn't worry about an episiotomy b/c she would give me pain meds, and that a c section was "just a little scar." And then she did that thing where I am selfish for even having the concerns I was expressing..."Our goal is to have a healthy baby, right?" And she is the best of the three we have met in the office so far.

I am showing to me, work hasn't noticed yet, but I started there 3 months pregnant and they didn't know me before. I teach at night- and my students have noticed! But then they look at me for three hours!

Okay- this has gotten way too long. I am signing off!

natashaccat

11-08-2004, 03:39 PM

My last visit with the OB was so discouraging that I really started the process, both mental and actual, to switch. She had good stats and such, but then told me that an epidural would help me enjoy the experience, that I shouldn't worry about an episiotomy b/c she would give me pain meds, and that a c section was "just a little scar." And then she did that thing where I am selfish for even having the concerns I was expressing..."Our goal is to have a healthy baby, right?" And she is the best of the three we have met in the office so far.

Oh gosh that does sound terrible! While I have to admit that my epidural with dd 1 did give me the rest I needed after being starved by the hospital during 12+ hours of strong contractions. I didn't find being tied to a bed with a catheter and IV a patricularly enjoyable experience. Nor did it give me any relief when it was time to push.

Hopefully you can find a good midwife of if not maybe you can find a family doctor who is a bit less in factory mode.

seren

11-08-2004, 05:19 PM

I had my appointment today. And we finally got to hear the baby's heartbeat!!!!! It's a nice strong 152. I also lost 2 1/2 lbs. I have absolutely no clue how i did that, but great! I saw the evil midwife and the appointment actually went very well. Until I asked about my migraines. I told her what I have done in the past for them, mostly the anti-depressants to prevent them, and she told me that I just have to suffer right now. I almost cried. I couldn't believe she said it like that. She said it was too early to take anything, even zoloft (which I know is not true because the other midwife gave it to me a lot earleir with ds) and it would hurt the baby's organs. SInce we aren't 100% sure of my due date we have to wait. Of course I don't want to do anything to hurt my baby, I want to protect this child, but it's very hard for me to *just suffer* The migraines have been gettin so out of hand that it's affecting my ability to be a good mom to my other children. SO for now I'm stuck with the Tylenol and caffiene thing.

ctdoula

11-08-2004, 06:28 PM

I saw the evil midwife and the appointment actually went very well. Until I asked about my migraines. I told her what I have done in the past for them, mostly the anti-depressants to prevent them, and she told me that I just have to suffer right now. I almost cried. I couldn't believe she said it like that. She said it was too early to take anything, even zoloft (which I know is not true because the other midwife gave it to me a lot earleir with ds) and it would hurt the baby's organs. SInce we aren't 100% sure of my due date we have to wait.

:dropjaw oh that woman is just EVIL.... can you find someone else????? Geezzzzz.... suffer, oh yeah, that's a great option. HELLO.... CRACK WHOREs have (mostly) healthy babies. You're what, 17 weeks, all the organs are formed. YIKES. I'm sorry mama.

aprildawn

11-08-2004, 10:24 PM

SO for now I'm stuck with the Tylenol and caffiene thing.

i hear you on the tylenol and caffiene. migraines get me too. this pregnancy they've been less severe than they were with my first, though. so far, anyway...

my midwife gave me something last time, i think it was hydrocodone, but i can't remember. whatever it was it made me sluggish and sleepy, but not to the point i couldn't function. i just avoided driving anywhere if i had to take one for a headache.

maybe you can ask about that.

natashaccat

11-09-2004, 12:54 PM

SO for now I'm stuck with the Tylenol and caffiene thing.

Oh gosh that is sooo terrible. Can you see someone else specifically for the miagraine thing? Like maybe a family doctor or even an OB?

My family doctor OK'ed infrequent use of tylenol+advil during second trimester. Her opinion on the tylenol + caffeene combo was that it isn't a good idea because the body becomes somewhat addicted to caffeene and as its effects wear off the body cyles into a rebound headache.

crat19

11-09-2004, 01:10 PM

:hug Seren!! I'm sooo sorry to hear about the evil midwife! Gosh how frustrating and maddening! I feel for you and am sending you "No More Migraines" good vibes! :hug again!

As for myself, I'm feeling better than I was a few weeks ago. Nausea is essentially gone, but I can't stand mexican food now! :angry :bawl I used to live on burritos and now I can't stand the thought of them... whaaaaa! Next week is appt week: Monday with the MW, Weds is the ultrasound, and Fri is my ds 18 mo checkup. Work put a stop to my awesome teleworking situation so our ds is at my mil's today. I miss him!! My dh just called to say the same thing too! The telecommuting stop came as a result of pressure from others who also want to telecommute. I fully support others telecommuting, but management put the stop on all telecommuting until they get an official policy on the books. So in the meantime, I'm WOH full time now. Double WhAAAA!

JoyAnne

11-09-2004, 04:57 PM

Stream

11-10-2004, 11:26 AM

Well, against my better judgment I got the flu shot today. I had pretty much decided against it, but when I glanced at the paper today, there was a teeny tiny announcement that today was the last day for the city clinic, that it was first come- first served, and that it had started an hour and a half before. I figured if I went and could get one, then I might as well, and if I went and they were all gone, I would be fine with that too. I do usually get one (I had the flu once, the winter after my dd was born, and I really thought I was dying!), but the whole mercury thing is what gave me pause. I certainly didn't want to get it before I was 16 weeks or so. I talked with my MW, though, and while she said it was ultimately my decision, I could tell she leaned towards getting it. Her reasoning was that a sustained high fever puts you at significant risk of preterm labor, and we don't want to see my baby in January. She seemed to think that risk was greater than anything posed by the mercury. I don't know-- still have mixed thoughts, though I suppose now it's been done, so I might as well stop debating it. My arm still hurts! Owie!

Question about weight gain, for those who lost at first who are paying attention (since I know not everyone does). Are you tracking weight from the low point, from your pre-pregnancy weight, or from your "normal" weight, if that's different. I was 162 pre-pg, am 155 normally, and dropped down to 153 or so during the early weeks of pregnancy. I'm now at 164. I feel like 155 would be the most "accurate" number to use since that's where my body tends to hang out, not that it makes a whole lot of difference in any case. Just curious to see what others would do.

danaalex

11-10-2004, 02:40 PM

i guess i would go from my normal weight, taking into account that i lost weight and then gained it back i guess? i didn't start weighing myself until i was 12 weeks, and i know i lost weight in the first trimester but how much i have no clue. i am going from what i was when i weighed myself at 12 weeks. i had gained 2 lbs as of 16 weeks.

speedknitter

11-10-2004, 03:31 PM

I have been paying pretty close attention to my weight. My "normal" weight is around 150-153. I gained up to about 160 with my first preganancy earlier in the year and never quite lost it all, so I was hovering around 155. I'm now at 17 weeks and about 166 (as of a few days ago), so I'm feeling like I'm right on track.

natashaccat

11-10-2004, 03:36 PM

Natasha- thanks for your support- I would have liked to have aimed for a hospital in case I ended up wanting an epidural, the rest of the threats there scare me worse than the pain of childbirth! I have found a MW who is opening a birthing center soon- so I will see her and see how it goes.

My experience with giving birth in a hospital was that a hospital environment gave me no alternative other than an epidural for the pain.

My hospital doesn't allow laboring moms to eat, they don't have a birthing tub, they push continious fetal monitoring (ie strap you to the bed), and the nurses simply weren't trained in helping moms releive pain in any way other than drugs.

It's sad really, three moms, including me gave birth the same night. One mom delivered her second w/o complications (not sure about drugs, nurses told me it was fast). Mine was an almost c-sec due to failure of labor progress after induction and subsequent membraine rupture (my contractions virtually stopped after epidural, leading to more pitocin), and the other mom had c-section (not sure why). Both my dd and the c-section baby were in the ICU for 10 days after their birth. If that's a typical night in a typical hospital, I don't think those odds speak well of hospital care of birthing moms and babies.

natashaccat

11-10-2004, 03:43 PM

Question about weight gain, for those who lost at first who are paying attention (since I know not everyone does). Are you tracking weight from the low point, from your pre-pregnancy weight, or from your "normal" weight, if that's different. I was 162 pre-pg, am 155 normally, and dropped down to 153 or so during the early weeks of pregnancy. I'm now at 164. I feel like 155 would be the most "accurate" number to use since that's where my body tends to hang out, not that it makes a whole lot of difference in any case. Just curious to see what others would do.

My MW center doesn't schedule 1st appts until 12 weeks, and they don't seem to be interested in any weight gain or loss prior to that. Good for me I guess because I seem to gain like crazy during my first trimester (10lbs from pre-preg at 12 weeks) and then taper off to a more steady gain after that (or at least that's happened so far and what happened w/dd#1).

JoyAnne

11-10-2004, 04:57 PM

My husband isn't convinced about the birthing center yet- but he is open. His sister lost her firstborn at birth- she was induced, labored 24 hours, and the baby apparently died in the birth canal. She was showing signs of distress...poor little girl. They sued the hospital and "won" but it gives him pause, although he does recognize that it happened IN THE HOSPITAL!

The more I hear and read about hospital protocols and induction, etc. I don't want to birth there. Induction sounds like a recipe for disaster- I KNOW I won't be allowing that- no matter WHAT or WHERE I am.

We will talk to our Bradley instructor tomorrow night, and meet the midwife on Monday. And tomorrow we will see our little bump up close! Wish me luck.

Where are you planning on giving birth this time?

seren

11-10-2004, 05:27 PM

Ok, I haven't read all the responses, but fully intend to later. I've had a freaking horrible day. Lots of financial stress, but on top of all that my ds fell and hit his head again and had a mini seizure. The nurse said it's no big deal and if it will make ME feel better they will see him tomorrow. So we're going. I'm making dh go with me so they won't just brush it off. Am I the only one to think this is a big deal? His not breathing when he hits his head is getting progressively worse. Shouldn't I be concerned.?

danaalex

11-10-2004, 07:46 PM

My hospital doesn't allow laboring moms to eat, they don't have a birthing tub, they push continious fetal monitoring (ie strap you to the bed), and the nurses simply weren't trained in helping moms releive pain in any way other than drugs.

i think if you spoke to a bunch of L and D nurses you would find that a lot of them are trained to help women through labor with out drugs, and actually prefer to do that. i did a 13 week rotation in L and D in school and i am willing to bet that most L and D RNs don't help not because they aren't trained or don't want to but because 1.) MOST women that deliver in the hospital ask for an epidural, and 2.) they are over worked and under staffed. maybe at your hospital they really are bad at their jobs?

at our hospital there were 26 L and D rooms and on most days at least 2/3 of them had moms in them. most RNs had 2-3 patients that ranged from having just arrived in labor, to pushing, to having just delivered. well, as we all know first time moms can be in labor for a long time and push for a long time. trust me when i say it's hard to care for that many people in different stages. when you are at home with a MW it's just you and her, or you and a doula. no one else needs their attention. a good friend of mine is an L and D RN. she was working in a small town hospital where at most there were 6 moms in labor and or delivery. there they barely ever used epidurals. most moms didn't even ask for them. she left there to go to the big huge hospital where i worked and she was suddenly responsible for 3 patients all at different stages, and while she wanted to be there to help in natural childbirth, there was just no way for her to it, plus she said more of the moms got epidurals as soon as they could. she said she preferred helping the moms through labor instead of just getting them pain meds.

things are going to get worse before they get better too. as long as their are huge lawsuits, and fewer people attending nursing school, the situations at hospitals are just going to get worse and worse. and i do come back to, if there are certains things you know you want and or don't want during your prenatal care, labor, delivery and postpartum care MAKE SURE YOUR DR KNOWS!!!!!! make sure they have it written down BEFORE you go into labor, then it can't be ignored or disputed.

natashaccat

11-10-2004, 08:22 PM

i think if you spoke to a bunch of L and D nurses you would find that a lot of them are trained to help women through labor with out drugs, and actually prefer to do that. i did a 13 week rotation in L and D in school and i am willing to bet that most L and D RNs don't help not because they aren't trained or don't want to but because 1.) MOST women that deliver in the hospital ask for an epidural, and 2.) they are over worked and under staffed. maybe at your hospital they really are bad at their jobs?

I shouldn't generalize I guess. I will admit that I went into the hospital w/o a clear mind on drugs or no drugs and after 20 hours of no food I didn't have the strength to go on w/o an epidural.

But... immediately on check-in I casually informed of my drug options, "just let us know when you are ready". IMO this is like offering an undecided/struggling bfing mom free samples of formula. Alternatives were never suggested and I was never warned that drugs could lead to further complications. I know that I should have done a better job doing my homework but it seems that one ought not administer any drug (in a non emergency situation) without verifying that the patient know alternatives and potential side effects and risks.

That being said, the nurses were really nice and friendly and didn't seem harried or crazy overworked, they always took the time to chat with me and didn't act rushed. I felt that they were competant nurses. Maybe I'm expecting too much but it seems like they should have at least offered to try to help in other ways before offering drugs.

Is this standard practice or is my hospital really bad?

Stream

11-11-2004, 08:55 AM

JoyAnne- We had our first child at a birthing center and it was a really good experience. We weren't ready to consider a homebirth (which is what we're doing this time), but a hospital birth seemed really wrong somehow-- just impersonal and sterile-feeling (I'm all for sterility, but I don't like it when enivronments *feel* that way). The birthing center was a really good in-between option for us-- not as institutional as the hospital, but well-equipped to handle just about anything that could happen (and experienced enough to recognize when there was a complication that warranted a transfer). My care there was so thorough and personal, and the birth itself went as well as we could have hoped. I birthed on a big wooden bed in front of a fireplace-- never made it to the jacuzzi tub, even though I thought I would beforehand. I had a really funny tear that took a long time to repair (and was the closest I came to having to be transferred), but other than that, no hitches at all. :)

Seren- You deserve a break! Hope ds checks out fine today. Poor baby- poor mama!

danaalex

11-11-2004, 09:39 AM

Is this standard practice or is my hospital really bad?

this is my take on hospital deliveries......... and it's just my perception of things.

ok, in the average hospital say 85 % get drugs. probably more, but say 85%. a mom walks in and has no birth plan in place, LOTS OF first time moms are like this. a nurse asseses them and asks them about their pain, and do they want something? MOST nurses are going to assume that the mom wants drugs unless they are told otherwise, why? because 85% of the moms that deliver there ask for drugs. also, discussing the pros and cons, most nurses will assume that the DR went over all of the options in their office well before labor has begun. once you are in labor and in pain the last thing you really hear is the pros and cons of certain meds. so, if a mom walks in and KNOWS that she wants natural childbirth then that is made very clear as soon as she walks through the door.

i think that we all know what kind of birth we envision, before it starts to happen. IRL i know of very few people that had completely natural, drug free births. most of the moms that i know IRL had drugs of some kind, and always planned to. i don't think it's really the nurses or hospitals faults, as much as people making the decision to have drugs, and that really is such a personal decision. it's like what's right for the goose might not be right for the gander.

if you know a mom that is on the fence, then make sure she does some real soul searching before she even goes into labor. any mom that is not 100% in her decision will most likely take the offer of drugs at some point. i've seen it happen. not because the RN was pushy, but because the moms just weren't prepared to go the distance with their decision for a natural birth.

as for the breastfeeding analogy. that is another area where the mom has to be 100% committed. again, i know way too many moms that had positive thoughts of breastfeeding, then the baby was born and wanted to eat constantly, and they weren't prepared for that in the least. moms aren't comfortable with nursing in public or infront of other family members. i know that there are bags that are given out to nursing moms at the hospital where i worked, they didn't contain formula. but i don't think this is the breaking point for moms that want to nurse but end up formula feeding. i don't think it's the free formula, as much as it is the fact that they weren't 100% into their decision to breastfeed.

i have conversations like these with expectant mothers all of the time. i will say one more thing about hospital births. if you KNOW that you are not going to be happy in a hospital setting, even if you have a very detailed birthplan that you have gone over with your OB/MW and your ped, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't have a hospital birth. your birth should be what you want to remember it being, and you don't want negative memories. trust me when i say, it's easy to get what you want if you are proactive and make your feelings known WELL before hand. these are great conversations to have with your health care providers. there is another poster here that is an RN and we both agree that you shouldn't be in a hospital if being in a hospital is going to make you angry with your birth process.................... it's not worth it!

JoyAnne

11-11-2004, 03:02 PM

danaalex

11-11-2004, 08:59 PM

Danaalex-

Have you read the book "Misconceptions" by Naomi Wolf? She talks a lot about hospitals and hospital protocol, which seem to supersede any birth plan or discussions you may have had with your OB, including how much time you are given to labor, how limiting the criteria for hospital birthing centers actually are, and how truly, birth plans are immaterial as liabilty and protocol will in fact dictate what a hospital (not your OB or MW) will or won't allow in a birth.

Has anyone read this book?

i haven't read this book. there are protocol that not disputable, but there are also things that you can have some control over. like if you want your water broken or not, or if you want drugs or not, how often you are checked, IV fluids, etc. working in a hospital i know there are certains things that no one, other than the administration, has control over. but there are a lot of other things that the DRs do have control over. lots of DRs do standing orders for their patients, but if they know that someone specifically wants a, b, and c instead of x, y , and z. they can write out those orders that that specific patient. you won't know though unless you start talking with your caregiver well in advance.

like the hospital i delivered my DD#2 at has a policy that you can't leave before 48 hrs, so that they can do the PKU/ HMD at 48 hrs. they were willing however to let me go earlier than that if i chose because i was persistant and informed and had spoken with our ped about making sure i brought the babe back in for her test at a week. it became a moot (sp) point when 12 hrs after her birth she was transfered to a NICU 1.5 hrs away. so, i left the next morning to go be with her. but they had orders to let us go. i also had pain management ( post delivery) orders that were different that my DRs other patients............ stuff like that.

Stream

11-12-2004, 09:22 AM

Ah, the end is near! Tonight is the musical/benefit I've been rehearsing for the past 6 weeks or so that has completely swallowed all of my time. Woo-hoo!! I have to leave work at 2 today to go to our final dress rehearsal, then curtain is at 8, and certainly by 11 I should be in the car, headed back to reality. :D I love, love performing (wouldn't be doing this otherwise), but I really can't wait for the break. It's kind-of like going on vacation, but then being happy to be home, you know?

This is the news story they did about the show. Cheesorama. :eyesroll http://207.207.6.50/rmfiles04/porch_barandgrill.ram

In other happy news, I gagged brushing my teeth this morning and threw up. Boooooo... I will be 19 weeks on Monday- does the excitement never end? The last time I threw up when I was pg with dd was either week 14 or 16-- but in any case earlier than this! I demand a recount! ;)

Oh, there is good news, though-- I'm wearing new maternity jeans and they are awesome! They are full panel, which might not be pretty, but is sooooo much more comfy than my demi panel. And they're Gap, so they are super-cute and long enough. :) Yippee!

aprildawn

11-12-2004, 09:50 AM

stream -- out on the porch is always cheesy! but sometimes interesting. which one are you???? i was looking for a pregnant tummy and didn't see one! sorry about the vomit. that's no fun. i've resigned myself to dirty teeth to avoid the tooth brush gag funtimes and i just chew a lot of gum. i am brushing my teeth. just not as thoroughly as i should be.

i read Misconceptions back when dd was born. i could see Wolf's points about a lot of things, but i also thought she came across as bitter and angry. i think a lot of it depends on who you have caring for you -- which doctor or midwife and/or nurse. my l&d nurse was brand new. she said and did some stupid things - like rolling an IV in and threatening to hook me up to it w/o my midwife's approval. and after dd was born i couldn't pee, but my bladder was so full it was keeping my uterus from clamping down to stop the bleeding. she looked at me and exclaimed, "oh my God! i've never seen that much blood. are you dizzy? let me get another nurse!" my midwife was off with another woman who was in labor at the same time i was, so i was left alone with this nurse. this time i'm getting a doula to avoid such events.

so, on a personal note, i'm still freaking out a little about the placenta previa thing. i know the placenta will probably be far, far away from my cervix at the next u/s. but i've really been enjoying this pregnancy so far, and the worry i have now puts quite a damper on things. i'm trying not to worry. but i can't help myself! you know, i have the "what ifs" going on. what if i start bleeding? what if i get put on bed rest? what if i have to be sectioned? what if...what if...what if...

somebody slap me back to sanity! :guilty

Stream

11-12-2004, 10:37 AM

Oh, whatever. We know you're not really brushing your teeth. :LOL

I am barely in the Out on the Porch segment. I am wearing a pink button down shirt and a long khaki skirt. Shortish brown hair, and lovely pregnancy complexion. Nobody bothered to tell us there would be cameras at rehearsal, so I look rather ghastly-- I don't normally wear makeup, but I would have for that! I'm not expecting any calls from Hollywood. :)

So many placentas start out kind-of low. I know your rational self is telling you it will be fine, and I really think it will be too. I know previa happens, but I have known *so* many people who had a low-lying placenta early on and not one who ended up with previa (I'm including in my little sample group all of the people I have "known" through message boards over the last four years or so-- a bigger group than IRL!). I hope your later u/s is reassuring. :)

nmccarroll

11-12-2004, 06:07 PM

she told me that I just have to suffer right now. I almost cried. I couldn't believe she said it like that. She said it was too early to take anything, even zoloft (which I know is not true because the other midwife gave it to me a lot earleir with ds) and it would hurt the baby's organs. SInce we aren't 100% sure of my due date we have to wait. Of course I don't want to do anything to hurt my baby, I want to protect this child, but it's very hard for me to *just suffer* The migraines have been gettin so out of hand that it's affecting my ability to be a good mom to my other children. SO for now I'm stuck with the Tylenol and caffiene thing.
I've always taken Imitrex for my migraines, but not during pregnancy since it's risk category C (adverse effects on fetus in animal studies). Something dh came up with during my pregnancy with ds was to hold an alcohol swab right under my nose for a couple of minutes. It makes you feel a little weird, but apparently causes vasoconstriction (which is the action of Imitrex) and definitely made me feel better. We used regular rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball after the alcohol swabs from the first aid kit were gone.

Nikki

nmccarroll

11-12-2004, 06:10 PM

i've resigned myself to dirty teeth to avoid the tooth brush gag funtimes and i just chew a lot of gum. i am brushing my teeth. just not as thoroughly as i should be.

My dentist gave me "permission" just to use mouth wash and wait to brush until a time in the day when I felt better. It's SO much easier than suffering through the gagging OR the dirty teeth...

Nikki

seren

11-12-2004, 09:36 PM

I've always taken Imitrex for my migraines, but not during pregnancy since it's risk category C (adverse effects on fetus in animal studies). Something dh came up with during my pregnancy with ds was to hold an alcohol swab right under my nose for a couple of minutes. It makes you feel a little weird, but apparently causes vasoconstriction (which is the action of Imitrex) and definitely made me feel better. We used regular rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball after the alcohol swabs from the first aid kit were gone.

Nikki

Thanks, I will definitely try that.

Stream, was it oyu that said I need a break? I agree and am so ready for one. I love being a mom, but does the worry ever lessen a bit? Is there ever a time when there isn't SOMETHING going on with one of our kids?

Here is an update on Sam. He's okay.
Ok, I'm calm now. Sam has never before had a seizure, he does stop breathing when he gets hurt and i'm pretty sure it's only when he hurts his head. I did a lot of praying and I went to the dr's determined that he would not brush me off. I was all set to stand up for my son. Bryan did go with me. The dr was so very nice. He sat down with us, examined Sam and took his time explaining to us what was going on. He said that basically Sam is just a breath holder. He did not have a seizure, if it was a siezure it would not have stopped as soon as he started breathing. He would have continued to sieze. He said that sometimes when they hold their breathes it can cause them to have jerking in their arms and legs. He said it could be because after his first fall he's subconsiously afraid of passing out again, so he's holding his breath in reaction and therefore, making himself almost pass out. He said if it were something serious there would be other symptoms. He did tell us what else to watch for that would be warning signs. He said it is scary when it happens, even when you know what it is. He had a dd who did the same thing, only she did it all the time, when she was mad, hurt, etc. He did say we are lucky that he doesn't do it when he's mad. He said just to hold him and comfort him and he will come out of it on his own. And he should outgrow it anywhere between 3 and 5. After the appointment I felt very peaceful. My mommy gut was saying this was right. I am still keeping my journal of when this happens and it I see it getting worse or things that are unusual I won't hesitate to get him seen again. I'm just grateful that he's okay.

danaalex

11-12-2004, 10:21 PM

serenity, you sound better now :). i'm glad you took sam in and that they think it is just a reaction/ phase type thing and not a real seizure disorder. i know that kind of thing is SOO scary!

my friend's DD was the one who did it when she was angry and she started right around sam's age. she would scream, then hold her breath till she passed out and turned blue. as soon as she passed out and turned blue, she'd start breathing again. i think now, at 3.5 she has outgrown it :) super scary stuff !

aprildawn

11-15-2004, 11:22 AM

had my 20 week appointment today. first, i've gained 10 lbs since my last appt. yikes!!! :yikes:

otherwise, it was a good appt. had a reassuring conversation with the doc about hospital policies and procedures. she doesn't require heplock or iv or anything icky like that. and i can labor in the lovely jacuzzi tub which is in every l&d room in the hospital. when dh and i had asked to see the rooms when we were there for the u/s the nurse had kinda freaked me out talking about how i'd be monitored and not being allowed in the tub during labor, etc.

the doc also assured me not to worry about the previa. that if it doesn't move we'll make plans about a c/s or bedrest if necessary. but until that day comes there's no need to worry about it. whew! for some reason i needed to hear that from her. she also explained how it's only because of the routine use of u/s that we know about previas as early as we do and when docs first started using them routinely they put every woman on bedrest as soon as they saw it no matter how early it was. some docs who are still in that old model still do that. thus, i was reading some scary stuff on the internet. bad me! bad!! :bag:

Stream

11-15-2004, 02:53 PM

Guess what!? I proud to introduce the newest addition to our family... a king-sized mattress! :D Yee-ha! 16 extra inches of space is headed my way. Our plan had been to buy one in March or so, but since my ILs are coming for Christmas, we decided to move up the timeline so they would have a bed to sleep in (oh no, not the coveted KING- I'm not giving that up without a fight! they'll get our current bed). We ordered a brand new $3000-something mattress set (Simmons) off of eBay for $700. Woohoo! And, since who would want a naked bed, I ordered a waterproof mattress pad, sheet set, blanket, comforter set, and some extra pillows on Overstock. Yippee! Internet shopping at its finest. :)

We'd already agreed not to spend much on Christmas this year, but that seals the deal. All I want for Christmas is my king-sized bed (and matching accessories)! Eeeeeee! I am *so* excited! I cannot wait for it all to get delivered!!!! :D :D

proudmamanow

11-15-2004, 04:09 PM

Stream! A new mattress...I am soooo jealous. That's all Beth & I really want for Christmas but are having a hard time convincing my folks that it would be a fun gift. But your ebay idea! Brilliant! will look into that....
(and congrats on the musical!)

Sorry for my long absence from the boards I was off visiting friends & family in Toronto for a 4day weekend and had a crazy week at work last week. I'm happy to say that I have updated my belly photos! I'm getting BIG.

I met up with two other MDC mamas I know from the Feb. boards (we were TTCing together, they are Shannon & Heveasoul for those who know them). We had a blast comparing pg bellies & chatting etc. And I have the biggest belly of them all, even at only 18 weeks! (I'll try and post that photo to my babiesonline site).

Feeling okay, other than super dry eyes, a very snotty nose and a weird rash/dry skin on my cheeks, forehead & hands! :rolleyes but overall I love being pg and getting fussed over.

my current issues:
-hormonal mood swings...mostly I feel okay, but then I have a major meltdown out of nowhere (last night over an unintentionally hurtful comment from my m-i-l she really didn't mean anything but it totally threw me for a loop, bawling for an hour)
-looking for a winter coat! This is getting more urgent as winter is on it's way up here! I hear old navy has some good stuff and I will check out ebay too!
-not as hungry as I think I should be to be able to eat all the food I think I should be eating... if that makes sense...

aprildawn :hug on the previa, I hope it corrects itself soon! I hear you on the weight gain, as someone who once had an eating disorder, it's really important to me to just enjoy this pg and my growing belly and not focus too much on the numbers on the scale, yk?

seren -so glad your little Sam is okay, mama!

time for me to go home from the office!

Stream

11-15-2004, 05:05 PM

Look at that belly! Color me jealous! Our computer has decided to stop talking to our digicam, so I don't have any decent belly shots to share. What I do have is a poor substitute from the official pics that were taken at our show on Friday. This is a picture that the other subjects would be p.o.'ed if they knew I was spreading it around, but it's the only thing I have of myself in profile... and they'll never know. That's me in the lime green shirt (http://www.photoreflect.com/scripts/prsm.dll?eventorder?photo=07MF0009000057&start=0&album=0&adjust=-1), looking hopeful or something-- I think I was just hoping the show would be over soon so I could go to bed. :LOL

Button-down shirts (like that one) minimize the belly pretty well, so it's not a fabulous representation of what I'm looking like. Maybe if you use your imagination you can get there. I'm not huge, but I'm certainly bigger than I was at this point with dd. ;) I wanna be huge!

ChristiansMomma

11-15-2004, 05:59 PM

I'm sooo excited to be here with all you other preggo mommas! I'm 18 weeks tomorrow and I'm going for an ultrasound on Thursday! We want to know what the sex is and I'm pretty sure it's a girl ;) I'm praying!

My last pregnancy wasn't fun. I was sick for 5 months and had sugar problems. After being 8 days late I went into labor for 26 hours, pushed for 2 1/2 hours, and still ended up with a c-section! 9lbs 12 oz baby boy! The best thing about it all was I only gained 26 lbs and took it off fast breastfeeding ;)

What scares me the most this time around is having a huge baby and not being able to give birth vaginally! I don't want a c-section again!

My belly is really beginning to show now. I'm already getting the, "Gosh you look awfully big! Are you sure it's just one?" All I can say is my doc is measuring me with just one ;)

I'm not hugging the toilet this time around. Thank God! I've already had a sinus infection with antibiotics. That wasn't fun. My sugar seems to be ok so far. This prenancy is totally different!

proudmamanow

11-15-2004, 08:50 PM

welcome Deana!! :)

Stream-you look great on there! I can definitely see a belly, though!!

LiminalOne

11-16-2004, 09:40 AM

Hi Seren

Just wanted to say that what your doc said about Sam's convulsion sounds right to me. My 3+ yo has epilepsy and the shaking and convulsion is accompanied by breathholding sometimes, which starts back up after the rigid phase of the seizure stops. Sounds like the convulsion was just his body's way of letting out that intense energy.

But do let me know if you have any questions about seizures. I seem to be the queen of all things epileptic these days (though Finn has been seizure free for over a week which is a huge deal over here)...

As for me, my belly is finally popping out. My heartburn is more mild after I started drinking baking soda in water (yuck, but it works so well). The weird thing is that I'm not really all that hungry and I can't talk myself into drinking water for the world.

I'm also thinking about quitting my Ph.D, which has been languishing since Finn was born 3 years ago, but that's kind of throwing my whole life's identity into a bit of a tailspin.

Feeling little baby kicks and have a midwife appointment here tonight (she's picking dh up at work so he doesn't have to take the bus :)

Angie

seren

11-16-2004, 10:01 AM

Liminalone, thanks for the reassurance, it always helps.

Aprildawn., I hope the previa corrects itself. A friend of mine had it, bed rest for 5 months, but it changed (not sure if it corrected itself or not) and she was able to have her ds vaginally.

Stream, I'm so jealous of your new matress. We have a king, but it's already getting tight. Our kids only spend half the night in our bed, but it will be tight if they do that with the baby, too.

I'm so beyond tired. This pregnancy has been worse than all my others for tiredness. But that's really the only symptom I've been having, so I guess I can't complain too much. Sav had a cold that wasn't going away. THe dr said it looked like it was starting to turn into something else (sorry if I already posted this) so gave her preventative antibiotics. THey gave her liquid zithromax, which is way nasty tasting, so she spit it out. So the dr told me not to worry about it, if she didn't get better he would give her amoxicillan because it tastes better. She was getting a bit worse, but instead of calling Friday, I decided to call Monday. Stupid me, we were up all night Saturday and Sunday with an ear ache. And now she has a horrible ear infection. No sleep since Friday night. WInter with all it's sicknesses is almost over, right? *sigh*

JoyAnne

11-16-2004, 04:19 PM

I had the stuffy nose and head feels like a brick thing last month- it went away eventually thank goodness.

Not having the easiest time eating 100 g of protein a day- getting close though...I was NOT a big eater before pregnancy, pretty much dinner only, so all this eating is hard. I am gaining away, 20 lbs at 20 weeks, so I guess I am managing!

This week I dealt with sciatica. I would have gone to the ER yesterday if I wasn't pregnant, the pain was so bad. I almost passed out. Went to the chiropractor instead, and again today, and I am feeling much better actually, as well as (gasp) taking some tylenol. I keep telling myself I am not smoking crack, I am taking tylenol for extreme pain, but it still sucks.

Ah well...I knew I would pay for being so blase about not having morning sickness!

We share our king mattress with two cats- what do you all think about cats and babies, old wives tale, or should I worry about them sleeping on the baby's head?

FreeRangeMama

11-16-2004, 09:13 PM

My cats couldn't stay far enough away from our babies :LOL They were scared of ds1 because all he did was scream. They don't go in the bedroom at all anymore. Maybe some cats would be more cause for concern, but mine are all big scaredy cats. It took them 3.5 years to get use to ds1 (who is just over 3.5 yrs now) and they only like him because he loves to pet them and give them treats. I say judge by how things are when the baby is born and decide then :)

Stream

11-17-2004, 08:16 AM

I agree that there's probably not much to worry about with your cats. Our cat did his best to ignore the fact that there was another being in the house-- I'm pretty sure he thought if he didn't acknowledge her, she would go away (and he was a curious old thing normally). :) The only time he would get near her is when I was nursing. He would crawl up in my lap and "nurse" on my neck (knead on me and mush his face and little teeth into my neck while purring as loud as he could). One of the other mamas on MDC tells a story about her own mom, whose cat would nurse (literally) on a button she had on a particular sweater-- so much that she had to resew it a bunch of times. :LOL So, aside from some good old-fashioned booby envy, I think your kitties will be just fine. :D

seren

11-17-2004, 03:43 PM

danaalex

11-17-2004, 05:41 PM

I went for my WIC appointment yesterday and I've lost 4 1/2 lbs since the previous Monday. I am so excited. That means I've lost 7 lbs in a month. This is good for me, since I'm so overweight. I really hope it keeps up. With ds I lost a total of 16 then gained some back. When I went into labor I was still 5 lbs under my pre preg weight.

YEY!!! since you're so happy, i'm so happy for you :). now that evil mw can keep her trap shut!!!!! LOL

all i have right now is stress. stress for selling this house too fast and from having to find a new house too fast LOL

crat19

11-17-2004, 06:03 PM

Seren: Congrats on your progress!!

danaalex: Wishing you good luck on the house shuffling and that it will all go as stress-free (ok, least stress possible... ;) )

JoyAnne: Lucky you for that King size mattress!! And for your loving kitties too! I hope your sciatica feels better soon. Tylenol is much better than taking crack! lol! ;)

And here's to everyone for wonderful mamma vibes!! :thumb :love

Can't believe we're half way through! Monday, they measured me at just over 18 weeks, and the ultrasound today measured me at 20w6d. I figure the little girl (yeah! it's a GIRL!) is right in between, right where she's supposed to be! :love

Stream

11-23-2004, 07:48 AM

Yay! We're back up! Slooooow as all get out, but up! Woohoo! :D

danaalex

11-23-2004, 11:08 PM

were the boards down? we just got back from 4 days in disney world. one last trip before we move out of the state. fl residents get kick ass discounts and since we're giving up our residency we thought we'd go one last time, plus i got to see my dad. :)

i am really weirded out by this pregnancy. we left on saturday morning and i seriously haven't felt this baby move since before we left. i have a doppler so i listened tonight after we got home and found a heartbeat, but still no movement, nothing, nada. i am 20 weeks and by 20 weeks with both of my girls they were doing the jig all day and night long. this time, hardly anything. it's scary and strange and has me totally wierded out. plus, i am seriously HUGE. so, i don't think that it's the baby making me so big, otherwise wouldn't i feel more?

i'm glad i'm going in for the u/s next mon. hopefully it will give me some explanations. me being the paranoid freak that i am, i am now even more convinced that this baby has no legs, or worse................. :( uggh. why couldn't this one have been like the others? or have this one been my first because then i'd have nothing to compare it too!! grrrrr

how are the united states mommas spending thanksgiving? my DH and i are spending our thurs and fri packing up our house LOL. we'll probably order pizza for dinner. what a traditional thanksgiving, huh? LOL!!!!

FreeRangeMama

11-24-2004, 12:28 AM

i am 20 weeks and by 20 weeks with both of my girls they were doing the jig all day and night long. this time, hardly anything. it's scary and strange and has me totally wierded out. plus, i am seriously HUGE. so, i don't think that it's the baby making me so big, otherwise wouldn't i feel more?

My 2nd pg was like that. I was quite big (though not as HUGE as this time) and I think it must have been all baby, but I never felt him move much for my entire pg. I didn't start really feeling movement (other than the rare flutter) until about 22 weeks. From about 22 weeks till after 30 weeks I would go several days (once a whole week!) without feeling movement. Right up till 41 weeks I could still go a whole DAY or more without feeling him. Rest assured he had all his limbs and is an insanely healthy and incredibly active 14 month old. He was a very mellow baby, and apparently a very mellow fetus. I just thought maybe my placenta was in the front and that was why, but had no u/s or anything, so that is just a guess. Either way it all worked out great :)

danaalex

11-25-2004, 07:30 PM

thanks. :) i hope you're right.

anyone have their linea negra show up yet? that thread on the main "i'm pregnant" board got me thinking about this. i had mine show up around 16-18 weeks with my other two pregnancies, but i still don't have it with this one. i'm wondering if maybe i won't get it this time?

anyone ever NOT get the line?

FreeRangeMama

11-26-2004, 01:35 AM

This is my 3rd pg and I have never had it. Strange how different pregnancies can be :)

aprildawn

11-26-2004, 09:19 AM

anyone have their linea negra show up yet?

didn't get one with the first baby. i'm 21 weeks and nothing so far this time either.

i am 20 weeks and by 20 weeks with both of my girls they were doing the jig all day and night long. this time, hardly anything. it's scary and strange and has me totally wierded out.

dd was so still before she was born. she's quite a squirmer these days, though! i realized it was normal for me to not feel her an entire day, though i usually felt her at least one time each day. this one is doing jumping jacks day and night. it's totally different!

ctdoula

11-26-2004, 01:32 PM

No LN for me with dd or this time either. Hugs Dana!!!! I'm sure that u/s will make you feel so much better. To see that little one with your own eyes is so nice.

goodcents

11-26-2004, 01:49 PM

Hi Everyone,
Just wanted to pop in and encourage everyone to visit Tracy and Gemini's annual "Helping Mommas in Need Extravaganza".

For those of you who missed it last year, or who are new this year, many mommas came together last year and helped needy MDC mommas for the holiday season. It was truly beautiful, and touched many many people across these boards.

If you are able to give, or are in need yourself, please visit the thread in my signature. Tis the season........

Hugs,
Justine

P.S. It's a boy!

danaalex

11-28-2004, 10:47 PM

well i just got back from my high school reunion, and everyone wanted to pat my belly. :LOL there were many mommies and mommies to be, but no one looked like me ( not yet at least :)).

this little bugger finally starting moving some :). and i go for the u/s tomorrow so i am hoping to get some answers or at least some relief. we have about 50 boxes packed, and 11 days till we move. phew!!!

hope everyone had a great thanksgiving!!!!!!

speedknitter

11-29-2004, 08:57 PM

this little bugger finally starting moving some :). and i go for the u/s tomorrow so i am hoping to get some answers or at least some relief. we have about 50 boxes packed, and 11 days till we move. phew!!!

hope everyone had a great thanksgiving!!!!!![/QUOTE]

danaalex, good luck with your move. We finished ours a few weeks ago and it was a big ordeal, but glad it is over. I feel your pain.

Good luck with the u/s, we went for a regular doc visit today and heard the heartbeat - way cool! :love I am getting movement several times a day now, it is so neat! Today i think i felt an actual "kick"!

Stream

11-30-2004, 10:54 AM

proudmamanow

11-30-2004, 11:16 AM

Stream....what a beautiful belly! nice linea too! We just got a new camera on Friday so I will try some of those shots soon too!
speedknitter-we heard the heartbeat at the mw's yesterday too....what fun! I'm getting lots of movement too & it's so great.
Danaalex, good luck with the move! :fingersx:
my big high school reunion (150th anniversary of the high school, 12 years for me) is next May, a 7 hour drive away. Something tells me I'm not going to make it.

goodcents-congrats on the boy! I will check out the giving thread. still can't decide if we will get that u/s. Leaning no right now...(see my thread on I'm pregnant)

I'm working from home today as GWB is visiting our town (ottawa, canada) & the route btwn my office and home is blocked.

hope all are well :love to all of you as we are in the 2nd half!

danaalex

11-30-2004, 12:53 PM

My camera is working again. :) Here are some headless belly shots (http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0RQAcAyEUwamfLjHIyiLmJanmCtbmdCMIQETAtZ28Gl*gi!jmS daojfqr17wP8ZzGPyHSJEFw4XFU!JqrmaT3GTSw7qsvXRZPlbV c7dvEwUU/21%20weeks.JPG?dc=4675499656410800436) from this morning. I think the forward-facing one looks huge compared to how I look without a flash. I can still fit in some pre-preggo pants, though it's not exactly comfortable.

OMG i am so jealous of your cute little belly. mine is seriously a monster.

here is mine at 20 weeks
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b4cf07b3127cce9d6a229eaf3700000026118BZOWjFs5aE

proudmamanow

11-30-2004, 01:12 PM

don't worry danaalex, your photo actually makes me feel much better, as all the other 5 monthers I know barely show, and mine is more like yours!

I think your belly is great, and so far I enjoy looking visibly pg (I may not feel that way when I am HUGE in 3 months though, LOL)

Stream

11-30-2004, 01:39 PM

natashaccat

11-30-2004, 02:47 PM

Yup I've got a monster belly too, much bigger and lower than with dd1.

What I don't understand is why my bum and thighs insist on growing in proportion to my belly! (yeah I know, bfing, biology and all....) I'm being so careful to eat properly and get as much gentle exercize as I can fit in, it's just not fair!

danaalex

11-30-2004, 03:22 PM

The grass is always greener. I think I just carry my babies small-- with dd, I didn't show forever, but I thought this time would be my turn. I'd love to be big and preggalicious-- instead, I'm stuck in that "huh? ate a little too much at Thanksgiving" stage. Boooo... I'm tallish (5'9") and have a massive rib cage-- I think there's a lot of room to grow in there without having to pop out very much. ;)

yeah, i'm short LOL. 5'4" on a good day hehehe. my babies never have any room to grow but out. usually i don't look this big till at least 28 weeks, so to look like this at 21 is a little crazy. the one thing i am grateful for this time around is, because i'm so big i have no stomach room. so i am not going to gain that much weight this time at all. that is nice :). i'm actually losing size in my legs and tush, and my pants are fitting better in the rear and legs instead of getting more snug. so, that's cool :)

FreeRangeMama

12-01-2004, 02:39 PM

I am seriously HUGE in the belly. No where else is growing though, just belly. I have been in mat. clothes full time since 10 weeks!! I didn't show hardly at all until late in my 7th month with #1, and I showed earlier with #2, but this is just CRAZY!! I have gained 23 lbs so far as well!! I must be growing a big one or something :)

We have decided to do an ultrasound this time (though we are still doing the unassisted pg and birth). Part of the reason is because of issues my ds1 has (severe anxiety for starters). He will really benefit from knowing the gender of his sibling, and if its a girl we really NEED the time to allow him to adjust to that fact. I so didnt' want to do the U/S but sometimes other considerations need to be taken into acct. At least we will be able to rule out twins :LOL