Weekly Thread: July 2nd - 9th

[shalena]

Congrats to all of us newly pregnant mamas! I recognize alot of usernames here from the TTC forums.
I guess I'll start this off with a few questions, feel free to ignore them and just talk about whatever is on your mind. The weekly thread is just a place to share, vent, and update. Whatever you want it to be! :thumb

What kind of birth are you planning? If you've had previous pregnancies, did you have an uneventful pregnancy before this? ARe you hoping for a girl or a boy?


My DH and I are wanting to have a home waterbirth this time around. My son, Julian was born at a birth center and we had a great waterbirth. It was peaceful, and I felt very comfortable there. Even so, I think it would be wonderful to give birth at home. No traffic, no unfamilar faces, just myself, my family and my midwife. :love

I am not to worried this time around, but I had preterm labor last pregnancy at 32 weeks. I was dehydrated, but also had bacterial vaginosis and a slight UTI. I am planning on eating better, and keeping well hydrated to stay healthier this time around. I was in the hospital for 7 days, and on top of preterm labor ended up with side effects from the mag sulfate they put me on (pulmanary edema).
After being released i went back to my midwives and went into labor naturally at 39 weeks 6 days. :thumb

I'd love a girl, but its more economical for us to have another boy. We already have all the clothes and lots of boy cloth diapers. Either way, we'll be happy.


I am excited to contact my midwives and let them know I'm pregnant again. I'm not sure when is a good time, I don't want to do it to early. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

[lunadoula]

Thanks so much for making this thread! :thumb This is our first baby, and we're planning a homebirth. We'll have a waterbirth tub but I don't care if I just use it for labor or actually end up giving birth in it - we'll just see how I feel at the time! :lol

We're both kind of hoping for a girl, but I don't think either of us will be disappointed either way. We don't really believe in the whole "gender binary" thing to be honest (that those born female necessarily end up as girls, etc) so we just hope baby is healthy.

Not much else to say at this point - just very bloated and also tired on and off. Trying to let go of worries about miscarriage since I am so early (4w 4 days).

FWIW I called the midwife this past weekend - it's never too early IMO! Even if they don't see you for awhile it's good to let them know and get on the schedule.

[Leilalu]

lurking here:lurk:
*see preg after loss thead in this group*
I am planning on a cesearean(in my mind) this time. That way, according to past occurance maybe I will have a natural birth!
Seriously, I am wanting a quiet birth at home. I plan to see my OB, and will probably have to plan for a VBAC, or planned cesearean with him. But I hope to slip the baby out accidentally at home:love

[lotusdebi]

I'm planning a home waterbirth. My pregnancy with my son was uneventful, except for the major mood swings and insanity. He got stuck on the way out (moderate shoulder dystocia), but the midwife got him out, and he was pretty much fine. So, some minor concerns about giving birth, but nothing big. My big concerns are about my pregnancy, since I miscarried earlier this year. So, I'm not jumping for joy yet. Too much anxiety still.
Having either a girl or boy is fine with me. But, I think I'll be having a girl, just because of the dreams I've had. I'm both terrified of having a girl, and looking forward to it. If I have a girl, she'll be wearing a lot of her brother's hand-me-downs. So, I kinda hope she won't be the frilly type; my son only has a couple of dresses. :wink

I have no idea when to contact the midwives, shalena. I guess it depends on how early they'd want to see you. I don't anticipate interviewing the midwives I have to choose from until August at the very earliest. My son's birthday is coming up later this month, so we're going to be swamped for a while!

[celesterra]

i recognize some names from ttc, too - :love

i posted on the pg after loss thread too... i'm so so so thrilled to be here and to be feeling sick. SO THRILLED. with my last pregnancy (lost), i didn't have much in the way of symptoms. this time, i tested because of the nausea/ queasies. tonight i'm happy to be feeling sick after eating.

i know - crazy, right? i don't care. all day long i was grateful for my sore bbs - a little pregnancy monitor.

i am hoping and will do everything i can to have a birth center birth. we have a lovely one close-by. i am "high risk" because of a genetic disease (glass bones disease) but it is very mild, and every perinatologist we've consulted has recommended a gentle vaginal birth. i also have just in the past 2 months developed high blood pressure, but it's under control now and i hope to be able to get off the meds in the first trimester.

as for sex, i have to say that i totally want a girl. i'm not sure why, since i have done so much childcare and always have fallen for the little boys, but that's what my heart says. DH definitely wants a boy. we are actually both hoping for twins, as we just completed a cycle of fertility treatment.

is anyone else working outside the home? i've just taken over for the marketing director of our company and am a little nervous about how to handle the upcoming energy drain.

[Kathryn]

I'm planning a home waterbirth. My pregnancy with my son was uneventful, except for the major mood swings and insanity. He got stuck on the way out (moderate shoulder dystocia), but the midwife got him out, and he was pretty much fine. So, some minor concerns about giving birth, but nothing big. My big concerns are about my pregnancy, since I miscarried earlier this year. So, I'm not jumping for joy yet. Too much anxiety still.
Having either a girl or boy is fine with me. But, I think I'll be having a girl, just because of the dreams I've had. I'm both terrified of having a girl, and looking forward to it. If I have a girl, she'll be wearing a lot of her brother's hand-me-downs. So, I kinda hope she won't be the frilly type; my son only has a couple of dresses. :wink

I have no idea when to contact the midwives, shalena. I guess it depends on how early they'd want to see you. I don't anticipate interviewing the midwives I have to choose from until August at the very earliest. My son's birthday is coming up later this month, so we're going to be swamped for a while!

:innocent Just popping in from the Oct DDC. :wave: Hi sweets! Congrats. I am sending major sticky vibes your way. :D

[lotusdebi]

Thank you, Kathryn! :love I really appreciate it!

[Yo Becca]

Hi everybody!!

***Hi Celeste** Super glad we're here!!

My first preg. was fairly uneventful except for crazy swelling and carpal tunnel - but it was also a hot Georgia summer with no a/c. I had a significant amount of puking - partly from morning sickness and partly from overheating (I'd get hot in the shower and puke). But I only puked on the side of the road once! I gave birth at a pretty woman-friendly hospital in atlanta with a midwife. We grudgingly negotiated pitocin after I had stalled for several hours, but other than that no meds. I wish it had been completely med-free.

We have now moved to a smaller city - only 2 midwives in the city, so if you go into labor every 3rd day you get stuck with an OB. After coaching my SIL's unmedicated birth - with an OB at the hospital - I was definitely planning a homebirth. But now DH and I are moving to China in 6 weeks. I've been looking online but can't find anything about homebirth in China - I would only be comfortable with a midwife I felt comfortable with. The c-sec rate is crazy high there (60% - b/c insurance doesn't cover any pain meds for vaginal delivery, so women chose c-sec so they can get pain meds). I've found out about a birthcenter in Shanghai with a birthtub so I might go that route - although I am not really interested in a waterbirth - I'd rather be out and dry and mobile. But if that's the route to encourage a natural delivery, I'll explore it.

Celeste - all those icky feelings are good news. Maybe it's just a myth, but I've always heard that strong morning sickness is a good sign of a sticky babe - those hormones pumping. Hmm...twins.

Leilalu - I'm all about preparing for the one thing b/c you always get what you aren't expecting. Is there a local ICAN chapter near you?

On gender - Hmmmm...I have one girl and I'd love another. DH would like a boy (which I understand b/c I shamelessly wanted a girl the first time). It would definitely be cheaper to have a girl - lots of girly clothes. But I've always bought gender neutral diapers, PJ's, onesies, shorts, etc. Plus I have 2 nephews to get hand-me-downs from (the youngest is 9 weeks, so we could really get some good hand me downs). I would be happy with a healthy child, whatever their gender/gender expression might be.

I like this thread - easier to access than opening all the threads!

[melanie83103]

I'm going to give birth in a hospital. But, I found the most wonderful midwife that works at a nearby hospital that has HUGE birth tubs! So I'm hoping for a waterbirth. And if not, then I plan to do some of my laboring in the tub....

I had a major hemmorage (sp?) after my son's birth. That makes me afraid to even try a homebirth or birth center. I lost so much blood, and the only way they could stop it was with a shot. I have been told that this shot (don't know the name of the drug...) is not available outside of a hospital environment. Anyone know if that's true?

[lunadoula]

I had a major hemmorage (sp?) after my son's birth. That makes me afraid to even try a homebirth or birth center. I lost so much blood, and the only way they could stop it was with a shot. I have been told that this shot (don't know the name of the drug...) is not available outside of a hospital environment. Anyone know if that's true?

Melanie- I'm sorry your son's birth was so traumatic. I hope it will be better this time around. Could you ask what the shot is? The only thing I could think of was pitocin, and even most homebirth midwives (around here, anyways) legally carry it around just in case of hemorrage. So if that's the case I would say it is not true that it's not available outside hospitals. I would just ask your Dr. what the shot was, and then if you decide to interview midwives/birth centers make sure they have it available, or discuss your history with them and see if they would still be willing to take you as a client.

[Arwyn]

Melanie - most homebirth midwives carry pitocin and methergine to control postpartum hemorrhage. Those are the same drugs most hospitals use.

I've introduced myself elsewhere, but to sum up, we're expecting our first, I'm an aspiring midwife, so we're planning a home probably water birth, and couldn't be more thrilled. I'm 24 days post-O today - that makes my bean, what, 3mm long?

Boy or girl, I don't care, I'm with Beth on knowing sex and gender aren't really the same thing, and aren't exactly binary, so I really don't care. When I hang out with girl children, I see myself having a girl, when I hang out with boy children, I see myself having a boy, and when I watch shows on Discovery about intersexed children, I see myself having an intersexed child, and every time I'm totally happy at the thought. :) We're not planning ultrasound, so it'll be a surprise at birth. (My friend, who went in for the sexing ultrasound two weeks early: "You mean you're not going to find out what it is?" me: "Um... It's a baby.")

I haven't really had any nausea yet (but I was already on high B6, staying hydrated and eating every 2-3 hours), which is good, 'cause I'm in Indiana (I live in Portland, OR) right now, finishing packing up all our stuff. Actually, the mover is due in 1.5 hours... And I'm flying on two planes tomorrow, so I'm really really hoping the nausea will hold off for at least a couple days more. My breasts are wonderfully sore, though! :love And I have to pee more than usual.

OOooo, maybe I lied about the nausea. Definitely need to go eat breakfast now. :wave

[melanie83103]

Thanks for the info, Beth and Arwyn. I'll ask my midwife..... gosh I hope I don't hemmorage again.... I was totally wiped out from lack of blood! Plus it scared the pants of my hubby...

[Yo Becca]

For all of us planning to not find out gender: prepare for the 3rd degree from random strangers. Preg the first time, I expected my family to ask "why don't you want to know" - and they loved me and the baby, so I knew they would be curious and would want to start buying me excessively gendered items, which I didn't want. It was annoying, but at least came from a place of love. I did NOT expect strangers, co-=workers and people who had no stake in the matter getting nearly hostile b/c I couldn't stamp "blue" or "pink" on my belly.

My routine: "what are you having?!?!" "A BABY!! Isn't that exciting?" Them: blank stares, or "what kind of baby" - "A HUMAN baby!"

Some people just had to guess or make predictions. They ALL predicted boy and they were ALL wrong. hahaha. It was an amazing moment in my life when CLint had to find his voice through happy tears and whisper "it's a girl" in my ears. It was worth the wait.:throb

[lotusdebi]

So, uh... I totally have pregnancy brain going on! I was having trouble interacting with the electronic interface at the gas station today. :nut

[cinnamonamon]

So, uh... I totally have pregnancy brain going on! I was having trouble interacting with the electronic interface at the gas station today. :nut I drove past my exit going to my moms -- and didn't even notice for 10 minutes... :lol

[cinnamonamon]

I'm not sure if we're going to find out about gender this time. We did the other times (1st time because it was important to dh) and 2nd time because we had to have an ultrasound anyhow, to make sure the placenta wasn't in a bad place wrt the c/s scar. There's a part of my that is pretty sure I'm having a girl this time. That was always my plan if/when we had a 3rd -- and things went according to plan the 1st 2 times... ;)

Melanie -- I hear ya on the being fatigued from blood loss. With my first c/s I apparantly bled a lot (my midwife deciphered the op. notes for me when I was pg w/ #2). No one told me, though. I felt like such a wimp when one of the nurses basically yelled at me & told me I should have been up & around already the next morning...

I'm really feeling this is going to be "it" this time. My dreamed of homebirth/waterbirth... Gentle, natural... I'm back home in MI, so I'll have my mom here, and there are 2 great midwives around so I'm sure I'll be happy w/ one of them. :D

[Astromom]

The nausea and exhaustion are getting worse every day but I love it because I think it means things are going well, such a mix of emotions. :) I am trying to get ready for a wedding for my SIL this Sunday (I'm the sole bridesmaid).. I cannot find a dress that's not expensive. I fit in nothing. My waist is like 7 inches bigger than it was a month ago. I am only 6 weeks! It makes no sense. Anyway, I am thinking maybe I'll just make something, somehow between working and taking care of DD and being sick and tired. Yeah, sounds a little too ambitious, but I'm running out of options.

Yo Becca, it's so true about the hostility from others when they wanna know the gender. People were downright mad at me because they didn't know what color to buy. Hey, how about YELLOW? Geez. I have to say though, it's so cool not to know. I desperately wanted a girl, but when she was born, I swear I went 5 minutes without even looking (the midwife had sort of draped a little blanket over her).. I was just so in love with this baby, I had no care about whether we had a boy or girl. :love

And that's insane about the c-sec rate in China! Oh my GOSH! Good luck with finding something great there! There must be like-minded people there... people pay out-of-pocket for homebirth midwives here since they aren't covered by HMOs, so I hope you can find some homebirth info there too. If not, maybe the birthcenter would be a great option!

cinnamomamon, yikes about that nurse! But so glad you have things in motion for a wonderful peaceful homebirth!

Arwyn, I won't be doing u/s at all this pregnancy either. Good luck with the moving and the plane trip!!

[raversangel]

What kind of birth are you planning? i honestly don't know, we are moving across the US in a week! so my mind has been there most of the time trying to get everything ready!!

If you've had previous pregnancies, did you have an uneventful pregnancy before this? my first two were, third ended in an early m/c (hoping it was b/c of the abnormal ultrasound and not b/c of progesteron (sp?) b/c my doc won't put me on pills or cream until i've had two m/c in a row :(

ARe you hoping for a girl or a boy? honestly, a boy...i have two boys and i already know the drill, have the dipes and the gear...i would love a girl too, but i would be so broke it isn't funny!! :lol

[Arwyn]

Yo Becca, it's so true about the hostility from others when they wanna know the gender. People were downright mad at me because they didn't know what color to buy. Hey, how about YELLOW?
I hate yellow. :lol But green's good. And I love primary colors on babies, I'm actually just not a fan of pastels in general.

[shalena]

I could hardly sleep last night. I had a squirmy toddler climbing all over me, the dog stealing my covers, and me lying awake hour after hour. And then this morning, I was so asleep it was hard to get out of bed. :lol

[coffeetastesgood]

This is my third baby. I have had two uneventful pregnacies and straightforward births. I am considering homebirth for this time around.
I would like a waterbirth as well because I did tear (1st-2nd degree) both times and I definitely think that soaking in water would have helped my perineum be stretchier and also would have provided some gentle counterpressure to support the perineum. It just seems that most waterbirth stories I have heard involve these gigantic 10 lbers born over an intact perineum! I'm intrigued! And would surely like to avoid the 6 weeks (or more!) of postpartum discomfort my tears afforded me.

We don't find out the sex of the baby either. I am a big fan of green and white and grey as neutral colors. Changes things up a bit from just yellow.

Yo Becca, I also experienced hostility when we didn't find out sex. I think it mostly comes from a person's desire for instant gratification... they are impatient so they just can't fathom how you can be patient! Also, echh on the 60% c-section rate in China! I remember reading an article somewhere that was talking about how homebirth midwives got arrested in China, so I am pretty sure homebirth is illegal... and somehow I feel that illegal in China is a whole lot worse than illegal in the US... like I am not sure I would feel as comfortable with an underground midwife in China as I would in the states...

Astromom, I was in a wedding during early pregnancy and found that the bloatedness/ constipation of early pregnancy was so unkind to me. I felt fat and frumpy.

Melanie, I have heard people mention that chlorophyll or alfafa taken during pregnancy can reduce your risk of another hemorrhage occuring. I would look into dosing/ info ...

[lotusdebi]

It just seems that most waterbirth stories I have heard involve these gigantic 10 lbers born over an intact perineum!

:lol Yep! I was in the water until I had to turn over to the hands and knees position to try to get my son out (the Gaskin maneuver, it's called). He was 9 lbs. 9 oz. and had a moderate shoulder dystocia, and I still didn't tear! I think the water helped me tremendously with labor and delivery! I'm definitely having another waterbirth! :thumb

[curlylocks2006]

This is a great thread!
This is my second baby, and a big surprise pregnancy! We are very excited, and I think I am hoping for a biy, since we have a little girl already, though I agree that it would be really economical to have another girl since I have a TON of girl clothes! I feel it is a boy though. I don't know if we'll find out. We did with #1, but are tempted to go for a surprise this time.
I am currently debating whether to find a midwife. I have an appt with the OB from my last pregnancy, just because I was not prepared for this preg and I wanted to make an appt right away. He was GREAT during my daughters delivery, which was extremely traumatic - I also was hemmoraginn (Sp?) quite badly. My labor was 27 hours with 5 hours of pushing. I almost had to have a C section, but my Ob was wonderful and really did all he could to ensure it was vaginal. I had to have an epidural since the trauma down there was unbearable, and I had huge lacerations. I am hoping for a MUCH easier time this time around! DD was 'stuck', and 'sunny side up', and although I did all I could to turn her with my birthing ball etc it did no good. I am originally from the UK where midwives are the norm, so am seriously thinking I would like to go down that route. Also, I have a tens machine that I really want to try next time, which helps avoid meds. This is a machine that during contractions sends tiny electric impulses (under your control) to avert your attention from the pain. Last time I went into labor the day I got it, so had no chance to figure it out! They are commonly used in the UK instead of epidurals. I still think it will be in the hospital though - DH wants to take no risks after the last time.
My symptoms so far seem different than with #1. I can't remember exactly when the sickness set in, though I know it did get really bad. I'm 5l5 weeks, so there's DEFINATELY time for that! LAst time I was peeing every 10 minutes or so, but this time is not much different from usual. THey say each preg can be different, so I'm not too worried! BBs are sore on and off, I'm tired on and off, starving hungry (all the time!), and slight morning nausea.

Looking forward to reading everyones posts!

Jo

[Yo Becca]

How's everybody feeling? My ickiness is subsiding - as long as I keep my blood sugar up, it seems.

Okay, y'all are selling me on waterbirth. I'm not opposed to it, I just really liked being on the birthball, walking, sitting straight up, etc. And I kept getting hot then cold in labor, and I could adjust my temp easily out of the water. But I had a bad 3rd degree tear that was NO joke, so anything to avoid a repeat will be considered !! I told DH that the recovery was worse than the 19 hours of labor!

Anybody else planning to continue working out/running/etc/ as long as you can? With my 1st pg, I had a tough time at work the few months before I got pg, so instead of getting up at 5 to run like I had been doing, I started getting up at 5 to work. I finally rearranged some things and started working out again at about 4-5 months, but it was very difficult to figure out how to accomodate my growing bump and huge blood volume. I'm back into a running pattern and plan to continue it. Anybody else? I hope m/s doesn't derail me.

Oh - and I scheduled my first midwife appoitnment with hospital midwives, and I'm gonna email the nearest homebirth midwife, although I'll probably be delivering in China - trying to cover my bases!

[raversangel]

i felt sick as everything yesterday...i tried to make my ds some pork and almost didn't make it to the bathroom in time :fever: but i'd rather have symptoms than none!!

i'm still walking two miles a day, i did yesterday and that was the only time i didn't feel pukey...lol...so i'm definatly going to try to keep that up!!

[Yo Becca]

Raversangel - glad to see you here. I was sorry to hear of your loss.:Hug

[Arwyn]

Becca - when are you guys moving? Cause so much of what rocks about homebirth midwives is the excellent prenatal care! If you can get that, definitely go for it.

As for me, stupid nausea couldn't hold off one more stupid day (was a little queasy parts of yesterday, but almost barfed this morning when I got up. Ugh. Where's DP when I need him?? Oh yea, Oregon, working so we have money to pay the midwives...), and there was a SNAFU with the movers, so there's still stuff in my garage which won't be getting picked up until MONDAY, when I'm leaving TODAY, so I have to go buy some blue tape, rearrange everything, put a tape line down the middle of the garage with signs saying "take everything on this side" and "leave everything on this side" then hope that the movers can read English. OK, so I'm sure they can, there's lots of paper work they have to do, but dangit, I'm paranoid...

Oh, and then I have to go get on two different planes, one a very small possibly propeller plane, and spend ten hours travelling cross country and hanging out in airports. While nauseas. Fun!





On the other hand, the nausea is yet another sign that I'M PREGNANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :jumpers: :jumpers: :jumpers: :jumpers: :jumpers:


:lol

[Brisen]

Kind of birth -- we're planning a homebirth with midwives... I'm also starting to be sold on waterbirth reading these posts. When I spoke to a midwife during my last pregnancy, I told her I wanted things hands-off and, if I wanted at the time, to catch the baby myself. She works in a practise and it isn't guaranteed I would get her -- she was cool with the hands-off thing, but I think she was worried that other mws there wouldn't. She recommended that I borrow their birth tub, since it's harder for mws to "interfere" too much with that barrier, and it would be easier for me to push out and catch the baby before they noticed :rotflmao But in the past, I love being in the water (just our tub/shower) until I'm near/at transition, then I'm out of there. So, we'll see.

As for sex -- we have two boys and a girl so far... another girl would be nice, simply for balance, but I'm not hoping either way. We don't plan on doing an u/s anyway, so it's a moot point.

I've been having preg brain fog too. I mixed up the date of my cousin's wedding -- it's this Sunday, not in two weeks. :lol And yesterday I was driving home and there was some construction. It was normally 4 lanes, but it was reduced to the two lanes of traffic on one half of the road, so they had traffic cones set up to show where the lanes were. Some big asphalt or tar or something truck was backing up into traffic. The car in front of me swerved around it, it stopped for that car; I guess I assumed it had just backed up a little more than the driver meant to and wasn't going to keep going, and that if it was actually going to back up through traffic, they would have someone with a stop sign, you know? Well, it just kept coming, and I was still in denial that it was actually coming into my lane. I ended up swerving through the cones into oncoming traffic (because there was a break in traffic in that lane) and then back through the cones again into my lane. I took out at least one cone, I think. :o My brain was *much* sharper the rest of the way home.

[Arwyn]

Wow, the DDC is really hopping. Had to go all the way back to the second page of threads to find this one!

So I'm feeling good/bad. Nausea has started, just a little but enough I HAVE to eat every 2 hours or so, and when DP hugged me after picking me up from the airport (I was gone almost a week), he said I hugged different - 'cause my breasts were bigger! So that's all very cool, and very good, hopeful, promising signs. I feel pregnant, what with the funny twinges, breast growth, pain, and soreness, frequent urination, queasiness, tiredness, etc.

But I've been spotting for a week. It's all been very sparse, dark/old blood tinged mucus, little enough that if it weren't happening to me I'd be totally calm about it (and for the most part have been anyway). But today I had a (very small) clot in the morning. And that kind of freaked me out. I think I need a hug, and some reassurances. Anyone got any?

I think I now understand why women go in for 6 week ultrasounds. I'm still not planning on it unless specifically recommended by a trusted homebirth midwife, but I understand the urge now. :o

[Mizelenius]

What kind of birth are you planning? If you've had previous pregnancies, did you have an uneventful pregnancy before this? ARe you hoping for a girl or a boy?
A hospital birth with a MW. That's what I did last time and loved it. DH and I don't feel comfortable with a homebirth. My last pregnancies were blissfully uneventful. My labors were fabulous experiences for me, esp. the 2nd one. I worry that I won't be so lucky this time! As for gender, I am entirely too superstitious to even think about that . . .I truly wish for a healthy baby, period. Maybe I wouldn't feel that way if I didn't have 2 girls-- I love having girls!

I am excited to contact my midwives and let them know I'm pregnant again. I'm not sure when is a good time, I don't want to do it to early. Anyone have any thoughts on this? I set up my appt. for when I am 8 weeks pregnant. That's when my MWs like to see people.

[pianojazzgirl]

Wow, I'm so glad to be here. I was in the Nov 2006 ddc but then had a mc in April :( Now I'm due March 18 :)

What kind of birth are you planning? I'm pretty sure I'll try for a VBAC in a hospital. I admit to being a little scared though.

If you've had previous pregnancies, did you have an uneventful pregnancy before this? I had a totally uneventful pg right until the very end. About 2 wks before she was due I noticed that Djuna hadn't moved in a long time. I went into the hospital and she was in serious fetal distress. They immediately sent me for a c-section. Apparently it was the worst case of fetal distress they had ever seen (with a positive outcome). They have no idea what caused it. I am so terrified that whatever happened then will happen again. :(

ARe you hoping for a girl or a boy? I'll say girl - just cause I have one and it's what I know, lol.

[coffeetastesgood]

Arwyn,
old blood = old problem. You baby is probably just growing out of your endometrium... When it first burrows down it buries itself deep in your lining. Around weeks 5-6, as it grows it comes out of the lining again and can slough off old endometrium. If its light and dark or brown, even with small bits of tissue, its probably due to this. If it gets heavier or bright red, then you are allowed to be nervous.
FWIW I have experienced this with all of my pregnancies.

[Arwyn]

Thanks so much Carrie! That's exactly the kind of thing I wanted/needed to hear. I know intellectually it shouldn't be a problem, but I need reassurances from BTDT people to calm the not-intellectual part of me.

[Brisen]

pianojazzgirl, I was in the Nov DDC too, I remember you from there. I also miscarried in April and now I'm pg again, due mid-March -- actually, the first online due date calculator thing that I did said March 18 :lol Congrats!

Arwyn, I have also had some spotting... a bit of brown, and then a teeny bit of pink-tinged mucous. I know it's hard not to worry. :hug

coffeetastesgood, I know you were answering Arwyn, but it makes me feel better, too, so thanks!

[pianojazzgirl]

Hi Brisen :wave I remember you! Congrats to you too! :)

[shalena]

Is anyone showing yet? I'm only four weeks along, but geez, i'm either really bloated or starting to show already! I've got a cute little round belly sticking out front. :love
This is my second baby, so maybe thats why. I didnt show until close to 15 weeks the first time around.

[raversangel]

i remember that 'full' feeling when i had gotten pg with my last a couple months ago! my ob said it was from your intestines expanding to help absorb more nutrients for the babe :D

i'm actually feeling good today! i went from nauseated to the point of not wanting to move yesterday, to literally famished today!! i'm even having dreams about food :lol

[Rowan Tree]

I'm interested in homebirth (thanks to a homebirthing friend :wink ), but live in a small town with no midwives (other than my nurse midwife who works at the hospital). I could drive an hour or two to a birthing center, but I have a very strong feeling that this baby will come FAST. I had a natural hospital birth (isn't that an oxy-moron?:lol ) with DS, and a fairly good experience (very supportive nurses, 8 total hours of labor, lots of family around), so I guess that's my only option at this point. This time around, though, I'm getting in the tub--there's only one at the hospital and it was occupied last time.

We're hoping for a boy. I figure it will be easier because we have boy clothes, we have boy diaper covers, and they can share a room. Plus, in my heart, I've always known I would have two boys, fairly close in age.

[MamaCAS]

I am sick sick sick. All day nausea and so tired and cranky. (Maybe my "advanced maternal age" = 39) but I am a nightmare and I feel like crap. I do like my dreams though.

I am so eager for first trimester to be over...I have great hope that it will get easier...

[paisley]

Thanks for setting up this thread, Shalena! :)

Let's see, I had an all-natural hospital birth center birth attended by a CNM with ds but I'm really looking forward to a home waterbirth this time. We only plan to have 2 kids so I want to really experience everything I can this time around.

I think there was another question but I forgot it already. Is it too early to claim pregnancy brain? :lol

In other news, I went to the zoo yesterday with ds and am now able to bring you all this important announcement:
The zoo is very stinky. Therefore, the zoo is not the best place for pregnant women with sensitive noses. Especially when it's hot out and the penguins just got fed. :sick

[Arwyn]

Definitely not too early for pregnancy brain!

At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it. :lol

:hug Cynthia. Hope it gets better for you soon.

[lotusdebi]

The zoo is very stinky. Therefore, the zoo is not the best place for pregnant women with sensitive noses. Especially when it's hot out and the penguins just got fed. :sick

EEK! I'm going to the zoo on the 21st with my son's preschool camp. I don't HAVE to go, but parents are welcome, and I don't really trust those camp counselors to keep track of all those kids without help (especially my runner), so I plan on going. Maybe I'll bring some ginger snacks along...

[lotusdebi]

Anyone else having a helluva time sleeping? I keep waking up in the early morning hours, and then I can't get back to sleep until right before I have to wake up for the day. :yawning:
I'm trying to put off taking Calms Forte to keep me asleep, just because I'm worried that it'll somehow not be as safe as it's supposed to be. But, I need to get a good night's sleep soon!

[Yo Becca]

Cynthia - For the nausea - other than keepingyour blood sugar up by snacking regularly (including right before bed) and trying to snack on high-protein things that will stick with you, Nausea is also related to needing B vitamins. You can ask for a prescription for Premisis (sp), a prenatal vitamin with extra B that's intended to reduce nausea, or just supplement your B vits. Although I Don't know the recommended quantity of B and exactly which of the b's you need. But htere are other folks in this DDC who've mentioned taking B supps - track them down!

Debi - I'm waking up and having a hard time to get back to sleep. If I go pee, it seems to help me get back to sleep, even if I don't feel like I need to pee.

Anybody else feeling a bit, ahem, frisky? With my first pg, I was fairly uninterested in DTD for the entire first trimester - but then discovered pretty intense orgasms in the second and third. But this time, let's just say it's a different story and DH is luuuuving it....

[lotusdebi]

I feel a bit frisky, but my partner is doing all-day courses for a couple of weeks, and is gone from 6:30am-11:30pm. So, I have to satisfy myself. :)

[pianojazzgirl]

Anyone else having a helluva time sleeping? I keep waking up in the early morning hours, and then I can't get back to sleep until right before I have to wake up for the day. :yawning:

Yes, I'm right there with you! And dd has been waking up extra early these days. :(

[raversangel]

Anyone else having a helluva time sleeping? I keep waking up in the early morning hours, and then I can't get back to sleep until right before I have to wake up for the day. :yawning:


yep! i go to bed late, and wake up at 6am...i'm still getting about 6-7hrs of sleep, but compared to the usual 8-9 it doesn't feel like much...i usually get up and get dh on his way to work and then go back to sleep for a couple hours, but i can't go back to sleep lately...

yo becca- that makes sense about the b-vit and nausea, b/c i had horrid nausea and took a b-complex vit and it went away quick! i also attract mosquito's horridly and was told by my doc that it was a deficciency of b vit that attracted em so bad :duck:

[chrissy]

hi everybody,
i'm going to join you all here even though i'm quite nervous that this pregnancy won't last. i have had 2 healthy full term pregnancies- noah is 4 (5 in Nov) and lilah is 21 mos (2 in Oct). then i miscarried my third in mid-march of this year- i was 8.5 weeks along. i just tested + yesterday but the tests are very very light and i am very very nervous. so we'll see.

with noah i had traditional ob care and he was born in the hospital- induced, 4th degree tear. he and i were both fine but i vowed never to do that again. lilah was born at home with a cnm and it was wonderful. it was just what i needed and was so healing and empowering for me after noah's birth. this time i plan to have another homebirth with the same midwife.

does anybody else's pelvic region feel bubbly? it is the strangest feeling. i don't know that i've ever had it before. i'm hoping it's my ovaries working hard to get enough progesterone in there to support my tiny babe. in fact, i am quite nervous about my progesterone levels and am calling the ob first thing in the morning to have them and my hcg levels checked.

well both my littles are needing my attention so off i go.

[shalena]

Anyone else having a helluva time sleeping? I keep waking up in the early morning hours, and then I can't get back to sleep until right before I have to wake up for the day. :yawning:



Yes! I can't sleep at all in the early morning. I toss and turn and just exhaust myself. :irked:

[Arwyn]

Hi Chrissy!!! :w I'm so thrilled to see you here and so, so, SO hoping you get to stay! :fingersx: :sticky :fingersx: :sticky :fingersx: :sticky :fingersx:

My pelvic bowl has been doing some awfully weird things for a while now! It's kinda cool actually. I get cramps, but not like premenstrual cramps, and it's kinda painful if I twist my torso the wrong way, and everything just feels weird and stretchy and SO COOL! :D

May your stay be very long and amazingly sweet. :dust Let us know how the doctor's visit goes!

[shalena]

I'm not feeling pregnant. I'm tired, but i'm often tired. I can't remember when I got nausea last time around.

I want this baby to stick, and i'm scared. :(

[celesterra]

shalena :hug i can totally relate. i have been saying affirmations to myself all weekend, and dh has seen me shed a few tears about it. i feel less symptomatic than i did a few days ago, even though my betas were right on target.

:dizzy:

[raversangel]

I'm not feeling pregnant. I'm tired, but i'm often tired. I can't remember when I got nausea last time around.

I want this baby to stick, and i'm scared. :(

right there with ya mama :hug i had bad nausea not a couple days ago and now its all gone :hug i can't wait till this first trimester is over!

:sticky

[Arwyn]

I went through a few days where my breasts basically stopped being sore, no cramping, started spotting... It sucked. It really, really sucked.

But I'm still here, breasts are bigger than ever, and the nausea has finally kicked in, so there's still hope for all of us!

:dust :sticky :dust :sticky :dust

[Yo Becca]

CHRISSY!!! So glad to see you here and hope it's super sticky babe!!

I think it's totally normal for symptoms to fade! It happened to me with my first pg - enough symptoms to "feel pg", then nothing for a few weeks. THen I started puking my brains out. I know a few other women with the same thing. Don't let it stress you out too much! Hugs to all who are worrying.

[shalena]

I didn't mean my symptoms had faded, when i said the last time around i meant my pregnancy with my son. So far I've gotten no symptoms. The only reason I know i'm pregnant is because I chart. :lol

[MamaCAS]

I will definately try the B vitamins. I have noticed that I feel especially disgusting after eating anything sweet. I upped the protein today too and feel less crappy than yesterday.

I am scared of getting gestational diabetes (especially if it doesn't go away post-delivery). No more sugar for me for the next 8 months...no, make that over a year. With my first, I noticed that she was super-sensitive to my diet and sugar was out unless I wanted an unhappy infant.

Frisky? I can barely stand to be touched...

(Okay, sometimes in the morning after one of those good dreams, I can stand it!:wink

[cinnamonamon]

Are ya'll reading the prenatals thread too? Everyone seems to be talking about B vitamins, lol.

[Arwyn]

New weekly thread! (http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?p=5517707#post5517707)

[tullyleague]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to Mothering and am about 5 weeks pregnant with my third pregnancy. I have a 3 1/2 year old boy whom I delivered vaginally (at 10 lb, 6 oz) and year-old twins, born at 38 weeks via c-section at 8 pounds and 7 pounds respectively.

We will probably remain with our regular OB for this delivery - his care is fabulous and the hospital is absolutely wonderful.

So far, I am feeling not too bad, except for some smell aversion, fatigue and what I like to call "woozyness".

Looking forward to getting to know everyone better!

Anne