First time moms, check in here!

[laurelg]

Hey everyone - I decided to start a thread for those of us going through our first pregnancies, since some stuff will be different for us - like when we start showing, when we first feel movement, etc... Not to mention the newness of it all. So, if you're a first timer, say hi and feel free to introduce yourself!

In case you haven't seen my intro elsewhere, I'm Laurel, with DH for four years (married since 08/07), expecting our first on 1/10/09. I'm working on wrapping up my bachelors degree - DH just graduated with his yesterday. I'm hoping to be a SAHM/WAHM while DH works outside of the home - his goal is currently to work for a couple years and then go back to law school. We're both interested in homesteading/self-sufficiency, and our long-term goals are becoming debt free (except for a mortgage), buying some acreage, and building a strawbale home here in north Idaho. We're currently planning on three or four children.

I'm excited but nervous about this whole process, and look forward to sharing it with you all!

[JSMa]

This is my first pregnancy. :D I'm excited! This is DP's second child, and both him and my DSD are excited too. DSD has been incredibly cute carrying around her big sister book that we got her and sleeping with it. :D

I'm 26, will be 27 in August. DP is 31, and DSD will be 4 in July. We have been together since September, our wedding is in August. But we have known each other for 10 years. Tis why we chose August for our wedding, it's the anniversary of when we met 10 years ago. :D

I fully beleive God brought us back together. :love

We will likely have one more child after this one.

[MrsSoup]

Awww, JSMa, that is so sweet! Congratulations on your wedding. :D

This is our first child too, and we are super excited. I'm 26, DH just turned 25. We've been together for 4 years too! Married July of 05.

I just went off birth control in March, because of finally discovering that it was affecting my sex drive and depression, and we decided to just passively TTC. And viola! Pregnant!

So we are just a lot excited.

I have my first appointment this afternoon and am totally stoked. :D Just to confirm I am pregnant and whatnot (even though I took 3 tests).

We are hoping for a girl, but obviously will be happy with either as long as it is healthy, and even if it is not healthy will still love it completely!

I hope to have a water birth but there are so many factors its hard to plan quite yet. We'll see what happens in the coming months!

[Bloomingstar]

:wave

this is my first pregnancy too. I'm 27, will be 28 in October and DH is 27, will be 28 in July. We've been together 5 years, married for 2. We're really excited! I have my first official appointment on Thursday with my midwife. I just keep hoping that everything is ok and stays that way!

[rachel616]

Hi ladies! :wave
Great idea starting this thread! :thumb I feel like there are so many mamas on MDC with a ton of kids and I'm the only newbie with a dazed look in my eyes! :huh I'm glad there are other first-timers! Woo for us! :D

So... I'm Rachel, I'm 24, 25 in June. I'm 3 days away from finishing my first year of law school! DH and I have been together for 5 1/2 years, married for *almost* 1 year (our anniversary is next week!). We live in NYC, but I'm hoping to move back to the midwest (where I'm from) eventually. We had been trying to get pregnant since I went off the pill in August, so it's a huge relief that it finally worked!

We're planning a homebirth with a midwife who we had a consult with last week. She's great. :love She said I don't need to have a first "official" prenatal appt until 11 or 12 weeks, though, which I like - she's very hands off. I'm so looking forward to that appointment, when she said we'd be able to hear the heartbeat with a Doppler. Yay!

I'm also planning to have a birth pool to labor in and maybe have a water birth, even though my lovely sister called water births hippie/yuppie and said "the thought of you splashing around like a walrus in a kiddie-pool in your living room with your cats cowering under the bed is the funniest image I've had in ages!" :irked:

I suspect it's a boy, but we're not going to find out until the birth, and I'd be thrilled with either a boy or a girl. I normally hate surprises, but I really want to wait it out for this one!

[laurelg]

I just went off birth control in March, because of finally discovering that it was affecting my sex drive and depression, and we decided to just passively TTC. And viola! Pregnant!

Hey, that's why I ended up off BC too! It's amazing how common those symptoms/side effects are - and how little they're discussed. I stopped taking it in December '06, then used FAM/charting to avoid until we started TTC in March. (I used charting to conceive, too.) I will never go back to BC!

Hi ladies! :wave
Great idea starting this thread! :thumb I feel like there are so many mamas on MDC with a ton of kids and I'm the only newbie with a dazed look in my eyes! :huh I'm glad there are other first-timers! Woo for us! :D

Hahaha - that's how I felt too! So much talk has revolved around about the ladies feel compared to their previous pregnancies - so I wanted to start a little discussion for those of us to commiserate who don't have that frame of reference. :)

[JSMa]

Totally good idea Laurel! :D

I'm in the camp of NEVER going back on BCP either.... not after my scare. Nope, no way! lol I heart charting. It feeds all my analytical tendancies. lol

[laurelg]

Happy Tuesday to the first-time mamas!

Are those of you who have told family/friends already encountering a lot of "You simply HAVE to do it this way" type advice? :irked: I'm already getting a little frustrated with it... For the most part, I try to just nod and smile and say "Oh, I hadn't thought of that" - even if I had thought of that and think you're an abomination for even suggesting it!

For example: A friend with one pregnancy/birth under her belt said I shouldn't let anybody "talk me out of an epidural." Nor should I tolerate any doctors "letting me" go past 40 weeks - I should put my foot down for an induction! What's more, since I'll be due in early January, I really ought to ask to be induced at the end of December so we can get the child tax credit for '07. :duh

Thing is, I probably won't talk to her more than a few times throughout my whole pregnancy, so the smile-and-nod tactic will be fine. But then I get to deal with fun like my mom's horror at the idea we'd even consider finding out the sex via u/s... vs. my best friend's horror at the idea we wouldn't find out the sex via u/s! One way or another, I'm going to hear it from one of them, and... AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! To top it all off, I feel like any time I express a desire/plan - from avoiding u/s, to homebirth, to breastfeeding, to cloth diapering - I offend somebody. They all take it like I'm criticizing their choices not to do those things! I'm honestly not doing that (when my best friend opted not to breastfeed, and opted to circ, I kept my mouth shut even though I have guilt over not trying to sway her the other direction!) and it's getting really frustrating feeling like I have to be on the offensive, defensive, and doing damage control all at the same time.

Last night I was seriously fantasizing about having the baby and not telling anybody s/he arrived for like a week... that way we'll have time just for DH, myself and babe before the onslaught of family and friends!

I'm going to blame this craziness on hormones. :blah

[MrsSoup]

I've been lucky, we've told lots of people (way too excited not too...plus, if heaven forbid, something does happen, I want people to be able to grieve with us...) and the only person who told me things we just HAD to do was one of my mom's random coworkers that I had never met before. So I can deal with that. :)

That and my boss (who is from India) is superstitious about telling people and told me not to tell anyone (I had to tell her because of my job type and so we can plan out what will happen) but again, I don't want to be crying by myself if something happens.

[rachel616]

Last night I was seriously fantasizing about having the baby and not telling anybody s/he arrived for like a week... that way we'll have time just for DH, myself and babe before the onslaught of family and friends!

I'm there with you! I WISH I could do that! I tried to float that idea by DH before I even got pregnant, and he was very against it. :irked: He didn't understand at all why I wouldn't want people coming over to visit and meet the baby like the day/hour/minute of the birth! Ummm, maybe because your parents drive me crazy and I just want to catch a breath and be a family for a bit before everyone descends on us like locusts?
GRRR.

[laurelg]

I'm there with you! I WISH I could do that! I tried to float that idea by DH before I even got pregnant, and he was very against it. :irked: He didn't understand at all why I wouldn't want people coming over to visit and meet the baby like the day/hour/minute of the birth! Ummm, maybe because your parents drive me crazy and I just want to catch a breath and be a family for a bit before everyone descends on us like locusts?
GRRR.

Amen! When my mom was still in her "maybe if I say enough snarky things I can talk her out of this silly homebirth idea" phase, she said "Well, you do what you want, but I'm definitely not going to attend the birth if you go this route." I was like... did I invite you to!?

My mom also informed me the other day I better give her the first heads-up when I go into labor, so she can make sure she (16 hours away by car) can get on a plane and get to us before my in-laws (7 hours away by car) can make it there. Of all the times to do this "our family is better than your family" crap...

Next time I do this I'm not telling anybody until 12 weeks... not because of m/c - I just want to buy myself two extra months of peace!

[MrsSoup]

Oh my goodness, Laurel, I'm so sorry!! That sounds horrible!

I really am blessed then!

I'm looking at doing a waterbirth with a midwife, and I told my mom and she goes "Oh yeah, I looked into that, but our insurance didn't cover it so I just had it in the hospital."

[rachel616]

Amen! When my mom was still in her "maybe if I say enough snarky things I can talk her out of this silly homebirth idea" phase, she said "Well, you do what you want, but I'm definitely not going to attend the birth if you go this route." I was like... did I invite you to!?

My mom also informed me the other day I better give her the first heads-up when I go into labor, so she can make sure she (16 hours away by car) can get on a plane and get to us before my in-laws (7 hours away by car) can make it there. Of all the times to do this "our family is better than your family" crap...

What a bummer about your mom! :hug That competitiveness is kind of funny, in a way (but annoying, I know) - my mom is already running for Grandmother of the Century - it's worked to my advantage, though, since being open-minded about homebirth and midwives and water birth means she "wins" as compared to the expected ILs' reactions! Hmmm... :idea maybe I could leverage her approval against them...

Next time I do this I'm not telling anybody until 12 weeks... not because of m/c - I just want to buy myself two extra months of peace!

What a good idea Laurel! I've already told my mom and sister, but only because they knew we were trying. I would actually really like to not tell the ILs for awhile. But, one MIL is staying with us later this week, so DH wants to tell her in person. She lives way out west and we never see her, so I kind of understand. The other ILs, though, live nearby and we see them all the time. I kind of wish we could delay telling them, but we already promised to stay with them this weekend and DH is counting on telling them then, even though he's crazy anxious about it, since he knows they'll disapprove about everything we're doing! Ugh. :eyesroll

[Bloomingstar]

Laurel that's exactly why I'm not bothering to really tell many people yet. My family lives in a few other states and I haven't told many friends yet. The people I have tld who are not family already know what i think about birth and so forth from my having blabbered incessantly to them about it after taking a doula training and attending a homebirth in january 08. I don't expect to talk with my extended family very much about it, and if anyone gives me any crp about having a midwife or a homebirth I will politely remind them that my great great grandmother was a midwife and caught my grandmother along with her 11 siblings! :irked: take that family! haha. I sent my stepmother a whole bunch of things to read online about homebirth and midwives because she'd like to know more and be prepared to educate other people about it :D My sister has had two hospital births, the last was an emergency c-section, so I know this is all kind of new to my parents but they're also used to me doing exactly what I want an believe in, no matter what anyone has to say about it. I'm still more than sure I'll have to take some crap for the cloth diapering, but hey--are they giving birth to and raising my child? NO! :angry

[JSMa]

Ugh! Yeah I second all of you! lol So many people are yelling at me that I don't want an epidural and all are telling me I will change my mind the second I go into labor and feel the first pains... um, do you all think I'm that week? It really pissed me off.

It doesn't help that my fiancee's ex told him that my pain puts stress on the baby. :eyesroll And that is why she got an epidural. I've been stock piling evidence against it to give to him... and we have already had the talk in no uncertain terms that I am not his ex and will not have the same labor as her, which he understood... but everyone still thinks I'm nuts about denying the epidural. :p


MrsSoup... I had the same exact mind set... I told everybody... I'd want/need the support if God Forbid something does happen. And I didn't want the awkward... well I was... and now I'm not... so I'm enjoying every second of being pregnant now. :D Including telling EVERYONE. lol Even the waitress at Bob Evans who looked at me a little funny that I wanted the mac & cheese off the kids menu today because I was craving it all day and it wasn't on the adult menu. :innocent

[rachel616]

So many people are yelling at me that I don't want an epidural and all are telling me I will change my mind the second I go into labor and feel the first pains... um, do you all think I'm that week? It really pissed me off.

Even the waitress at Bob Evans who looked at me a little funny that I wanted the mac & cheese off the kids menu today because I was craving it all day and it wasn't on the adult menu. :innocent

Seriously, why is it that people think not having or wanting an epidural automatically means you're either a martyr or a hippie or both? :irked: It's not like everyone here who doesn't want one is trying to win some award! :eyesroll It's a decision that everyone can and should make for themselves (i.e., not just go with the flow w/o thinking about it), with information and research, like everything else related to pregnancy and birth and onward. If it's right for you, great. If it's not right for you, great. People need to stop judging women who choose to be informed and/or go against the standard trends in society. Dang!

Also, I am so much more afraid of having a needle going into my spinal column and not feeling my body while being awake than I am of pain. I hate sedation and painkillers. They do not get along with me. :Puke

I have to say, for a country & society that generally values traits like independence and knowledge, it sure seems the opposite when it comes to pregnant women having either! It's patronizing and I resent it! :angry

Also, I :love mac & cheese! :eat:

[JSMa]

I hear you Rachel! Many pain meds do not agree with my tummy. And I am no stranger to pain... I have fibromyalgia. I have learned to push through a lot... beleive me. lol

I think for some reason society seems to view pregnant women as invalids...

[laurelg]

You guys crack me up - I'm glad I'm not the only one going through this! It makes me feel a little more normal... or at least normally abnormal. :)

[Bloomingstar]

I had my first appointment today! My midwife came over to my apartment, and we just did everything there. It was so great! At the end I was like "so it's really in there, huh?" :laugh Yup. It's in there! :D :1sttri: Maybe it's because it's the first I'm still half wondering if it's REALLY there. but I know it is. :innocent

[JSMa]

hehe... I wonder that too, Bloomingstar. My appointment is on Tuesday and I can't wait! I'm so excited!

[laurelg]

Hey first-timers, hope you all had a good weekend! DH and I went to Seattle for a homecoming party for some Marine friends... We had a good time, though I did not do well trying to stay awake late to drive everyone home. Normally I am a total night owl, and now I can't make it past midnight. All the hormones telling me to GO TO SLEEP had to be ignored, so I wound up a big blubbering mess trying to explain to DH that he hadn't done anything wrong, and I honestly wasn't even upset, I was just too tired and couldn't not cry! Poor guy, I felt so bad for him having do deal with me. :irked:

Do any of you feel like you're growing/showing yet? I look normal in the morning, but by evening I feel like I stick out a lot I also can't stand having anything tight on my waist. I know most first-timers don't show until a bit later, but I have a feeling it will be earlier for me. I NEED new clothes - I'm about to ruin my last pair of jeans - so I don't know if I should buy stuff that fits now and hope it still fits post-partum, or if I should just go ahead and get maternity stuff I can grow into! I'm leaning toward the latter... mostly because it's sooo comfortable. :)

[Bloomingstar]

I definitely expand by nightfall. I've already bought a couple pairs of pants a size up and I am really happy about them! I slept more this weekend than I have ever slept in my life! It was great though, and apparently much needed. I felt pretty well rested when I got up this morning, which I couldn't say last week. :innocent

[JSMa]

I feel much more bloated by night too. It's odd. lol

I'm thinking I will be getting maternity stuff soon with icky humid summer on the way, and I retain water then due to fibromyalgia anyway. I will need to be as comfortable as possible.

[sarobinsonvc]

Saw this thread the first time I checked and then lost it. My name is Sarah, i'm 30 and pregnant for the first time due 1/21. My husband and I have been married for just over a year (looks like we might have conceived on the anniversary) and were figuring it might take a while to get pregnant (it didn't). I'm actually a CNM so will obviously be using midwives for my birth. Unfortunately risked out of HB because of hx of blood clot and risk for PPH. Looking forward to learning more about everyone.

[ommom]

thanks for starting this thread. i'm so glad to have a place to talk to just 1st-timers.

i'm older than many of you - 37 - married 6/30/07 - living in the SF bay area (north bay), and planning a natural/waterbirth w/midwife @ home or at a birth ctr. i'm not sure yet and am still researching & interviewing midwives. sounds like i have til 11-12 wks to decide though. i'm 7 weeks today.

we haven't told many people - just a few friends. my parents are stress-y types and conventional (would expect hospital birth) so i don't want to tell 'em til i'm about 12 weeks AND we have a PLAN in place and i've got all the backup research, books, DVDs, etc. to refer 'em to.

i think they'll be most freaked if it's a home birth which is why i was thinking a birth ctr. might be a gd compromise but this week i am leaning towards trying the home birth thing 'cuz the closest ctr. - we can't meet the midwives before deciding. weird but true.

i'm glad to meet y'all.

it's so exciting to dialogue w/others due about the same time!

antonia

PS - pls. help: what are all the acronyms y'all are using and where do i find a legend to understand and start to use 'em?

[ommom]

I look normal in the morning, but by evening I feel like I stick out a lot I also can't stand having anything tight on my waist.

me too. in the a.m. i look _almost_ normal. but by the time i eat anything, i am huge. even my loose pants are too tight and i Really don't like anything binding at the waist.

[mommabearvcr]

Hi everyone,
I am 5 weeks pregnant and a little nervous. This is my first and I am trying to read everything I can, but don't know what is normal. I have a doctor's appointment in 3 days. ( after waiting a week and a half, I am going crazy )
Is it normal to have some mild cramping during these first few weeks? I haven't had any bleeding but sometimes feel like my period could come at any second. What should I expect at my first prenatal visit? Will the doctor tell me anything that will make me feel more at ease about how things are progressing?Also, I would like to proceed with a midwife. When should I start that process??

I know a lot of questions, hopefully some of you are a little further along and can help me out.
Congratulations everyone:p

[ommom]

hi mamabearvc

cramping is normal; i had quite a few days of cramping. here's an article
http://www.babiesonline.com/articles/pregnancy/pregnancycramping.asp

i've begun finding local midwives (i'm 7 wks) and from what i can tell, a 1st appt. can be at 10-12 wks and still be fine so that's sort of a timeline.

i think it's also normal to be nervous @ 1st that things will go awry. i've had some of that. as i read more & understand what to expect, i feel increasingly confident in nature, my body. :)

welcome!
antonia

[laurelg]

Welcome to all the new mamas! :)

Also, I would like to proceed with a midwife. When should I start that process??

Many midwives will meet with you for a meet-and-greet session before you actually begin prenatal care. I actually just met with one this morning and I'm 6w3d. She said she usually schedules the first actual prenatal visit for 10-12 weeks (same as the doctor I'll be seeing as a back-up). So, I'd say now is a great time to start looking - depending on your area, you might have a large selection and will need a little time to sort through them all! You'll also want to figure out if your insurance will cover midwifery/homebirth, if you'll need or want a certain type of midwife (CNM, CPM, DEM, etc.), whether you're looking for a birth center, etc... Be sure to check the "finding your tribe" area on MDC - a lot of times you'll find threads recommending care providers.

[laurelg]

PS - pls. help: what are all the acronyms y'all are using and where do i find a legend to understand and start to use 'em?

Here's the acronym bible! :) http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=522590

[Bloomingstar]

:wave mommabearvcr

I was pretty freaked during the first couple weeks when I felt crampy and like my period would show up any minute but then I figured that everything was getting settled into place.

[Double Buckeye]

Hi! I figured I'd introduce myself in here--my name is Libby, I'm 30 years old, and I found out on Friday that #1 is on the way! I have my first appointment with a CNM from my OB/GYN's office on June 10th, and then my first appointment with the homebirth midwives the next day. I'll probably be switching my OB/GYN care to someone a bit more homebirth-friendly--the midwives will hook me up with someone at the first appointment that I can go to for my ultrasound and any other prenatal testing I might need. But I'm pretty set on a homebirth--I went to visit a friend of mine who just gave birth in a hospital and it was horrifying.

Nice to meet you all!

[ommom]

THANK YOU for the acronym table laurelg!

& welcome buckeye!

xo
a.

[Bloomingstar]

How's everyone doing? I read today that my uterus is the size of a grapefruit and the baby is the size of a strawberry. One of my friends asked how I was today and I told her that I am apparently a fruit basket. :p

I am still going back and forth over what I think my real due date is. I should just decide on one and stop waffling (mmmm, waffles :eat:) The chart I did on paper says I ovulated April 13th even though my LMP started on March 22nd. Fertility Friend says April 6th. It puts me a week off, one way or the other. But it was also my first chart so I have no past history to draw on, other than the fact the I have longer cycles (like 32days). So far I've been saying my due date is between 12/29 and 1/5. But I'd like to know for the purposes of keeping track in my journal and so on. No u/s for me til week "18" :eyesroll But when I saw my midwife last week, she said my uterus was just nearer to lemon sized, so no more than 7 weeks. So maybe I'm right, dammit :irked: It would also make sense for me to be right given the amount of sleeping I did this past weekend--if things were doubling in size in there, no wonder I took 5 hour naps after a full night's sleep both nights!

ok, done rambling. I think I have a constant ramble going in my head--I don't know if that's a first time mom thing though. Maybe it happens no matter what. :o

[just1day]

Hi I'm 33 and DH is as well--we're expecting our first on 1/26/09! I'm cautiously very excited, but we have so much going on this year, the countdown has officially started: we have 8 months to get a house, get a better job for me, and get DH's business up and running...all before baby arrives!

I don't imagine I'm showing yet--no change as far as I can tell, but breasts are tender...

[Minerva0302]

Hi everyone
My sister pointed me towards this site as a place for support and good advice. I'm 22 and six weeks pregnant. I just found out on Monday. I was not planning or trying to have a baby at this point in my life, but am working on accepting this big change and really do see it as a positive. I don't really know what to expect. I've been having mild cramps as I saw others have but no bleeding. I'm not sure if I'm just paranoid about something going wrong or really should be this worried! Other than that, I just can't believe how hungry and tired I feel. My first prenatal visit is two weeks away, I'm just trying to hold it together until then!

[beaglebaby]

Hi everyone! My husband and I (both mid-twenties) just found out on Wednesday that we are expecting our first on 1/29/09! I'm only about 4 weeks along, so it's still really early. We weren't really actively TTC, but it wasn't completely unexpected either. We are thrilled, to say the least. :love I've lurked on this site for 6 months or so since we've been talking about TTC, and I hope to get to know you all better in the coming months. So far I haven't really felt any symptoms, just some mild cramping. My husband is waiting on me hand and foot, even though I told him he could wait until/if I feel icky to do that, but he won't hear it. :D We haven't really discussed birthing plans yet, but I'm enjoying reading about everyone's stories here on MDC.

[Bloomingstar]

:wave

welcome just1day, Minerva, and beaglebaby! :D

[FraggleLover]

Hi everyone,
I am 5 weeks pregnant and a little nervous. This is my first and I am trying to read everything I can, but don't know what is normal. I have a doctor's appointment in 3 days. ( after waiting a week and a half, I am going crazy )
Is it normal to have some mild cramping during these first few weeks? I haven't had any bleeding but sometimes feel like my period could come at any second.

I'm right here with you. I didn't think I was pregnant because I was/am cramping like I usually do before my sometimes late period.

I'm going to see my doctor tomorrow to see what he says.

I don't know when we are going to start telling people. I'd like to wait until July really. But that means I can't ask questions of the women around me who have done it all before.

Anyway glad to be joining my fellow first-timers. :thumb

[saritajoy]

Hi all! Still figuring out all the abbreviations, etc. on this board. I'm looking forward to getting to know you!

I'm 8 weeks pregnant and very excited! I've been charting for 3 years & taking my basal temperature - we got pregnant the second month we really "tried"!!! That's even with the added challenge of trying out Shettles' gender selection techniques (hoping for a girl!). We met with our midwife two weeks before conception and she is wonderful! I am trained as a doula (though never practiced) and had (when I lived in Portland, Oregon) imagined giving birth in a birth center birth with the support of a midwife and doula. I was born in one in '77 with a whole crowd (staff who had gotten off work) watching and cheering my mom on, I'm told! However, in Costa Rica the only birth center is really a type of hospital and not what I want. I'm now planning a home birth with a birthing tub.

My boyfriend and I have told my parents and all of his family members we have seen. Still haven't told my extended fam. My parents are super supportive and very excited. We live in Costa Rica and his family is a bit more traditional, accustomed to hospital birth, etc... one aunt who is a obstetric nurse at a hospital just couldn't shut up about how "dangerous" a home birth and how I needed to have a surgeon, machines, blah blah blah...:irked: I totally tuned out and let my partner handle it! Glad that most everyone else in my life is very willing to listen to my preferences and beliefs about natural childbirth and parenting!

[laurelg]

Something new: I hate eating.

I'm visiting family/best friends in California, and I feel like I can't eat more than a few bites at a time without getting nauseous. I finally actually threw up the other night, for the first time since getting pregnant - I'd tried to eat cheese quesadillas for dinner (oh god, I can't even bear to think of them) and it did not turn out well, at all.

I pretty much have an aversion to the idea of food, in general. Yuck.

[sarobinsonvc]

I am having the same problem. It started the night before last... I threw up out of the blue after having just one slice of pizza. Now pretty much no matter what I eat within an hour I am yapping. The only think I ate yesterday that stayed down was a popsicle. Oh well I guess nausea is a good sign.

[violet_]

Hi! I just got a positive test this morning!!

I'm 35, and this is my first. :)

According to FF, my due date based on ovulation is in early Feb, but there's no forum for that yet, so I thought I'd pop in here and say hello! I'm so giddy. :)

[kijip]

Hi everyone
My sister pointed me towards this site as a place for support and good advice. I'm 22 and six weeks pregnant. I just found out on Monday. I was not planning or trying to have a baby at this point in my life, but am working on accepting this big change and really do see it as a positive. I don't really know what to expect. I've been having mild cramps as I saw others have but no bleeding. I'm not sure if I'm just paranoid about something going wrong or really should be this worried! Other than that, I just can't believe how hungry and tired I feel. My first prenatal visit is two weeks away, I'm just trying to hold it together until then!

Not a first-timer but I read your post and had to respond. I was 22, very newly married and actually ON birth control when my son was conceived. Needless to say it was a huge shock. It altered my school plans, it changed everything. But in the end, being a mom changed everything for the better. It is hard to be young and pregnant and not really expecting it yet! I am sure it will all work out well for you. Please stick around for support and information- I wish I had known about MDC back when I was first pregnant.

[JSMa]

Congratulations Violet! :)

[violet_]

Congratulations Violet! :)

Thanks!! We're pretty stunned, and so excited!

Weird thing is I was at the doc last week for an infection and she wanted to give me antibiotics, but I told her we were ttc. So she gave me a blood test at 10 dpo. It was negative. So she told me to take the pills. I decided not to, as I didn't think 10 dpo was late enough to be sure, even from a blood test. She tried to convince me it was 100%. Anyway, today is 14 dpo, and the urine test says yes! Haven't told my doc yet, but I'm very glad I didn't fill the prescription. My understanding is I should still take them, but not til second trimester.

[Minerva0302]

Not a first-timer but I read your post and had to respond. I was 22, very newly married and actually ON birth control when my son was conceived. Needless to say it was a huge shock. It altered my school plans, it changed everything. But in the end, being a mom changed everything for the better. It is hard to be young and pregnant and not really expecting it yet! I am sure it will all work out well for you. Please stick around for support and information- I wish I had known about MDC back when I was first pregnant.

Thanks for the support. My emotions about this are going crazy. One minute I'm so excited and happy then the next I'm crying because I don't know how I'm going to finish school (I would have been finished in May of '09). It feels complicated right now but I know it will be okay. Luckily, I've got eight months to plan!

[laurelg]

So, ladies... has anybody hit the freaking-out-what-in-the-hell-am-I-doing-I-am-too-young-for-this-I-have-no-business-raising-a-child-oh-noes point yet?

...or is that just me? :irked:

My best friend told me the day after she found out she was pregnant (planned pregnancy) she went to the beach by herself and cried. I thought I might escape such emotions since I didn't have any freak-out moments immediately after finding out about our baby (also planned).

Uhm... I think I was just a bit slow getting there.

I keep telling myself I think everybody freaks out at some point, so it's not like I'm a weirdo. And the one thought that brings me peace and excitement consistently is knowing I'm making my husband a dad, which is something he's been very excited about for a very long time.

So - anyone else freaked out about this HUGE FLIPPING CHANGE we've just invited into our lives? What are y'alls thoughts of consolation? Spill it! :)

[Bloomingstar]

oh yes girl, been there, done that, still there, still doing that!!!! About a week ago I was in the bathroom reeling from yet another bout of nausea and all I could think was "OH SHIT!!! I only have 7 or so months left!!!!" how the hell am I supposed to get ready for this? what am I supposed to do???!!!!

and yes, this after planning, discussing, having baby fever for a couple years...
bottom line is, I'll be 28 by the time this baby gets here. I'm glad about it, and I guess I'll just have to figure it out, hehe. I'm not worried about being too young--a few years ago, maybe, I would've lost it about my age and not having a master's degree yet and all the million hings I can think up that I could have done before this but...hey, it'll all work out.

So yes, I have had and still sometimes have the freakout :p But I was talking to my boss the other day and she has a 23 year old and is still sometimes like "I have a 23 year old child? How'd that happen? How am I supposed to prepare?" haha.

I don't have any close friends with kids. And I don't think they're anywhere close to having any either, so that's actually something I am kind of nervous about. They already know they have to cook for us the first 2 weeks after the birth though--they can just rotate days amongst themselves and drop it off! Trying to think through tiny details like that makes it a little better for me somehow. and I apparently have a lot more to say about this than I thought!!! :D

[beaglebaby]

I've been there too laurel! In fact, last night during all our crazy tornado watches and warnings my husband was at work and I was trying to corral five dogs into one space in case there actually *was* a tornado and the whole time I was thinking "How the french would I do this with a crying baby too?!" I'm the oldest of four and my husband is the youngest of four, and we were the first to get married and now the first to have a baby, so while everyone is really excited about it, I feel like they're a little uptight about it too. Okay, and while I'm on the subject, why oh why do people say "Are you sure you're ready for that?" when we say we're pregnant? Number one, how the eff would we know?! Who could ever answer that question with absolute certainty? And number two, we live comfortably, own our home and both vehicles, have savings, and we have a solid marriage, etc... I think we have a pretty good start.

Anyway, rant over! I will be 6 weeks tomorrow--woo! :D

[JSMa]

Honestly... I think my Mom is more freaked than me. lol I got this huge lecture last night because we don't have our own place yet... we are saving and we don't want to move til after the wedding in August. She yelling and yelling that I can't raise a baby in an attic and what was I thinking and blah blah blah.

I'm honestly not worried about it. I put it in God's hands, and I just Know everything will work out. *shrugs* I am sure we will have a place by time baby gets here... there is too much going on before that for me to worry about that now. :p I'd rather not stress myself out because I'd turn into a chaotic mess. I suffer from anxiety issues if I'm not careful about keeping all my thoughts in check... so yeah... as soon as I feel my blood pressure rise, I'm trying to shelve it for now.

[Bloomingstar]

thought I'd revive this :joy:

how is everyone doing? I am doing just fine. I'm officially in my 2nd trimester, just barely. (My due date is really 12/29 but I just have a feeling things may go into january) The other day I had a small freak-out about only having 6 months left to figure out what I am supposed to be doing to get ready. So far that has included completely redoing my tiny little apartment and daydreaming about getting out of New York to somewhere with more space for less money. I think the baby and I also grew in maybe the last 2 days. It looks more like maybe something is really there and less like I had a big dinner. That's exciting. And I have gotten offered a few seats on the train (subway) so it seems to be less in my head and more in reality.

So how are you all doing? Any updates?

[JSMa]

I'm in second tri too... though still feeling pretty crappy. I'm due Jan. 5.... I'm still heaving every morning, and sometimes here and there throughout the day. I am constantly extremely exhausted... I probably look like a drug addict because my eyes seem to be permanently in a half closed as I'm THAT tired... no matter how early I go to bed.

I need a vacation really really bad.

I recently had the freak out too... We finally are moved into our house! :joy: And I figured now would be a good time to start a registry... but DP wasn't on board... then of course I flipped. :p I don't think he is feeling the crunch as much as me because he has gone through this already, and it is grating on me a little bit... since I told him he needs to start being more sensitive about it he has been. So that is happy... but I'm constantly edgy... likely from being so tired.

Isn't feeling good supposed to start soon? lol