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Hello, welcome, and introductions!

778 views 76 replies 42 participants last post by  MrsKatie 
#1 ·
Here's a place for us to welcome newcomers to the DDC and tell a little about ourselves.
:joy
Wheeee! Here we go, ladies!
 
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#2 ·
Hey, y'all.

I'm Marie. 36 years old. August 30 is my due date, so I'll have one toe here and one toe in August's DDC. :) I have two sons, 8 and 5, whom I homeschool. I work part-time in education, too, mostly from home. Homeschooling is one of the best things that I've ever done for myself and my family--I wake up (almost!) every day excited for what questions, adventures, conversations, and experiences await. I had two losses in '12, both around 7-8 weeks, so I am staying in the present moment with this pregnancy, grateful for each day that I go to bed still pregnant.

In big doses, I love gentle yoga, writing poetry, soup, bird watching, geeking-out over any number of new interests/obsessions, and walking in the woods. In small doses, I love knitting, traveling, NPR, creamy coffee, and social gatherings.

I'm married to a historian. Most of my close friends and both my sisters are Libras. And I make all the beds in the morning so that I have a few minutes of mindless activity in which I can try and gather the wily wool of my thoughts before officially beginning the day.

Thanks for reading. Looking forward to reading more!
 
#3 ·
wave.gif


I'm Erin and I'm about 4 weeks, 2 days along today. I'm 36 years old (will be 37 on 1/17, so I'll be 37 on my EDD.) This will be my fifth child.

I've been getting faint positives for the past 5 days and am looking forward to an instant, solid line. The $ store cheapies seem reliable but tend to take longer to appear. This morning I finally got my pos. at around the 7 minute mark when it took until between 10-15 minutes the past few days, so I'm taking that as a good sign. I'm only 2 days late, so I guess it's still fairly early.

I had a surprise pregnancy back in the fall (I was in the June DDC) but miscarried in early November. I didn't know that I really wanted that baby until I knew I was losing it. Dh and I talked and decided to give it a shot (this was the first time we've actually TTC in our 19 year relationship!) After the m/c, my period came right on time and we conceived that first cycle.

Needless to say, I'm really nervous but trying to remain calm and accept that what will be will be. I'm nursing my boobie-loving 3 year old but I'm trying to set limits - especially at night. I feel like I've been half-assedly nightweaning for a year now with no progress. He seems to be taking the "just until I count to ten" suggestion pretty well.

I've tandemed before and I think it really took a toll on my adrenals - and I had a subchorionic hemorrhage with that pregnancy at 12+ weeks (but all was well and he was my biggest baby yet. :) ) My 8 year old weaned himself when I was about 2 months pregnant with my last baby because he said the milk was all gone (but he was over 4 years old.) I'm trying not to worry about nursing possibly causing trouble with this pregnancy but it's hard after a m/c. I have no idea what my progesterone is like but I've never taken a progest. supp. before. Any suggestions for keeping progesterone levels up naturally?

My oldest DD will be 14 next month, DD2 will be 11 next week, DS1 will be 8 in March and DS2 just turned 3 in November. I kind of feel like I'm rolling right onto another rollercoaster of babyland without getting off the first one.

We're homeschoolers (always have been) and my favorite things are gardening, cooking & reading. I love growing veggies, flowers, trees and houseplants - anything that grows! I'm also very much in love with herbs - wild-harvesting, growing, drying, preparing - the whole nine yards! I yearn to move away from town and onto a big chunk of land in the middle of nowhere to grow/raise our own food. I've been a huge fan of traditional foods for many, many years and I feel best when I stick to a Paleo/Primal sort of diet (although I'm a carb junkie while pregnant - at least in the first trimester.) I think Weston Price was brilliant and it's a shame the AMA/ADA didn't heed his advice.

Thanks for starting this thread, Marie! :)
 
#4 ·
Never thought I'd get to have Baby # 2, but here I go!

Found out yesterday after going to gyno for a follow-up; she seemed to think my hormones were all messed up and she wanted some blood work.

My hands started shaking when they said, "Your pregnancy test is positive."

I just laughed and said, "No Way! No Way ... Really?! Are you sure that's really mine?!"

I did two home pregnancy tests a couple days apart when I never got my period - but they were both negative! After that I wasn't concerned because I have never had a regular cycle. Obviously, I must've don't the home tests too early for my irregular cycle.

I'd love to find a home birth midwife. Had my first one in water at a midwifery center I loved, but that was several states away...

So, glad I never sold those cloth diapers and still have baby clothes.

The spousal unit didn't even seem surprised ... We just can't wait to see what our kid says! Don't know when to spill the beans on that...

I was 27 when Baby #1 swam out. Now, I'll be 34, but feel 104. Can't believe I'm having a baby! Very excited ... guess I'll get to de-junking my house - no room for another kiddo in this house!

No due date - already had to decline the ultrasound. I'm guessing mid September, but not really concerned about it. Baby #1 was ten days after the "due date" and I was over two weeks past my own. (I had to be threatened out with a C-Section.)

We're a late family...
 
#6 ·
#8 ·
Hi I'm Piper,

Just found out that Iwas pregnant with number 3 over the weekend. I had taken out my IUD bc of excessive bleeding/prolonged periods and I guess we were just out of "safety" practice;) Anyway, You look at me wrong and I get pregnant so here we are! Super excited. I am 37, turning 38 in June. I homebirthed my first 2 and plan on it with number 3. I' have worked as a birth doula and am in midwifery school training to be a homebirth midiwife one day. We are planning on a big move to rural country from hard core Brooklyn sometime this spring and are really excited. I'm planning on starting homeschooling this year with DD(5yo) and eventually DS (3YO). Maybe I'm crazy starting this with a newborn on the way but I can't stand the school system anymore. Someone tell me I'm not crazy!

I was so stupid busy and disconnected from my last pregnancy I'm really looking to reclaim a connected experience this time. I'm looking forward to keeping up with this group and sharing experiences on this journey! I'm crossing fingers I don't get sick this first trimester, I'm apprenticing and on call so that would be really hard. But it will be what it will be. I also gestated super long (42 and 43+ wks respectively) So I am very interested in what this baby will decide to do. lolking forward to hearing about all your different experiences. I'm into honoring all of our journeys into motherhood and beyond. We are amazing, ladies!

Love and Light

p
 
#10 ·
I'm Lisa and am pregnant with my 3rd child! I'm 41 and have two boys who are 9 and 6. We are very excited! I do energy healing work and will be taking time off while pregnant, but will work on myself. I told the universe years ago that if I had a 3rd baby, that I'd prefer not to have morning sickness this time. I am currently searching out for a midwife that takes insurance in my area. The NPM, I used 7 years ago has retired. I loved her! I am am currently studying herbs and am looking forward to using this time to delve into my studies. I love to meditate, chant, be with my boys, paint, and I promise myself to get back into dance and yoga here. Happy Times!
 
#11 ·
Hi Piper,

Just wanted to chime in and tell you you're not crazy, and having a new baby may be the perfect time to start homeschooling, precisely because the new baby will sort of force everyone to relax and chill a good while, and "deschooling' is very important sometimes (getting out of old mindsets and expectations, before being open to the totally different world and outlook that homeschooling is).

It's very commonplace for people to attempt to become mini schools when they disembark from schooling, and burn out soon afterward. www. secularhomeschool dot com (or is it org?) is a great, large, active forum to check out.

Best wishes!

Goingonfour
 
#13 ·
Hello ladies!

I'm 40 and rather still in a state of disbelief that I got two lines this morning!

But I think something inside me must have known something, because when I was half asleep last night, I had the thought "Thank goodness I haven't given away my cloth diaper stash yet!"

I haven't even told the kids yet, because I'm still sort of thinking it might be too early to tell anyone, you know, in case it doesn't stick. And also, my kids, the littler ones, cannot keep a secret, and I am not sure yet how it will be to announce to the general public that we have a 4th child on the way. I almost don't want to tell anyone until they can just see for themselves.

Having been given rude or off-color comments about having even 3, I dread the comments from rude people about 4! Especially since I have a history of infertility, and went the gamut of TTC many years ago. This time, I was pretty sure my age and history of difficulty would make it so that we were moving on from the babies-and-toddlers thing, with my youngest now 3.

I remember what a blessing my first was after over a year of TTC, and then my second, after a year TTC, we went to get help and poof, the help turned out to be unnecessary! Surprise! Then it took years (with an s!) for my AF to come back after that one, and I was sure I was headed for perimenopause, wondering if I would even get AF back, but then I did, and POOF! was pg before I even knew what was happening! And glad. But astonished.

Now, it's been over a year, and I'm gray in the temples where my roots grew out before coloring again (I don't use chemical dyes, don't worry), and I just figured, we're done in that department.

A few days late, I tested in a ho-hum manner, no expectation except that it would confirm to me that I was not pg and therefore a few beers and a Dr. Who evening with DH would be fine...and there were two lines, not faint, either.

Still can't wrap my head around it, quite.
 
#14 ·
Hey y'all I'm Jaynnie.

I am 21. Me and my husband just got married almost two months ago and we just found out we are expecting our first baby. I could not be more excited, but I'm also a nervous wreck! I have three older sisters so I have been around the baby block a couple times with each of them. My EDD (based on my calculations) is September 12,2014. I am moving next week to upstate New York which is where I will be seeing my doctors. I haven't made any appointments yet, but I hope to as soon as I get settled. My bestfriend is a doula so she will be with me basically every step of the way to help me achieve my goal if having a natural birth! I am looking forward to getting to know y'all!:)
 
#15 ·
ops, forgot to mention anything about my birth history because that seems apropos to an intro:

1st child after 30 planned natural birth, got talked into induction, ended with cesarean, 8 lb baby.

2nd child, 3 years later, planned home birth w/midwife and doula, en caul, 10 lb baby.

3rd child, 3 years later, planned home water birth w/midwife, water broke first, less than 3 hour labor (but intense!), 9 lb baby.

And homebirth with birthing pool option would be the plan this time, too.

We homeschool, too, though that's more for the homeschool forums here, than the DDC. :)
 
#16 ·
East Tennessee, I hear you on the due date issue. I'm always harping that anything less than 2 weeks past the EDD is NOT "late" at all, because that is still within total normal, ontime range.

And I had no ultrasound last time, nor am I planning on having one this time (only if the midwife finds something in the manual or bloodwork that concerns her enough to suggest one), but my posted EDD is just from doing the online Due Date Calculator, based on Last Menstrual Period. Lucky for me, the date is middle of Sept, so any time in the entire month is game, and still within the 38-42 week spread of "normal". But Due Dates are a double-edged sword, aren't they? They let you read those week-by-week pregnancy progress blurbs, and be part of DDCs, but on the other hand, with the best will in the world, it's soooo hard not to go nuts if you're at 42 weeks, even if your baby is genuinely, naturally, not actually "due" on his own timetable til 43. I have a friend who always goes 43 weeks. It's just normal for her. So I have a hard time trying to talk myself down from that Due Date Mentality, and will probably be sticking stubbornly to "anytime in September" as much as I can, especially in telling people in real life, because they can be real pests about it!

It's exciting to read everyone's stories. We have first time moms, experienced moms, and everything in between (if there is anything between, come to think of it!) and it's nice to see so many happy, hopeful expecting mamas in one place. Hoping to have a chance to get to know you all, and hoping I don't wipe out in the qualifiers! ;)
 
#17 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by goingonfour View Post

Now, it's been over a year, and I'm gray in the temples where my roots grew out before coloring again (I don't use chemical dyes, don't worry), and I just figured, we're done in that department.
I have tons of silver! Right up front (sort of falls to the left of my face) I have a pure silver streak (more like a chunk than a streak!) I've had increasing amounts of gray since I was 18 and I colored it (with natural stuff) for a long time but a few years ago I just threw in the towel. I'm really not a high maintenance kind of person (in the looks dept.) and I wasn't good about keeping up with the roots and it was beginning to look super ridiculous, so I quit. I hacked my long, long hair off and never looked back (and poor Dd cried when she saw me with short hair.)

However, I've been feeling funny about walking around with a round belly and gray hair. Once, at a playground, a little girl asked me if I was my 1-yr-old's grandma.
:eyesroll
My eyebrows are still nearly black and I've been told that I have a young face but I'm still self-conscious about this silver-haired pregnancy thing. I think I look better in the summer with a nice, strong tan but I look washed out in the winter when I'm paler.

It'll be neat to check out our silver locks when we get far enough along to post belly pics!
 
#18 ·
My risk is looking like my DH's auntie, since he's age-defiant in looks. He's older, but his hair remains stubbornly resistant to gray, and he has young looks in general. My face doesn't look old, but with old lady hair, it sure does.

Sadly, without the natural coloring I use, my texture goes to fragile, thin, flyaway, and frizzy. With the coloring, it has body, shine, and fullness. I wish I could go gray the way my mom did, with a head of shiny, thick, full, straight hair that just happened to be silver/white. It was like doll hair til pretty recently, and now going on 70, her texture is going south.

Gray can be pretty, but frizzy, thin, fragile, porous? Not. So I'll stay a redhead at least until DH is gray, and if my gray is just too yucky/frazzly, I'll keep hennaing, just for the texture.
 
#19 ·
Oh my gosh, this conversation about gray-haired pregnant ladies reminds me of that move called "This is Forty" - has anyone seen it?? It is the funniest movie I've seen in a loooong time!!! And there's pregnancy stuff, funny stuff...good movie for all of us now.

Here's the trailer - hysterical!!!

 
#20 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Metasequoia View Post

I have tons of silver! Right up front (sort of falls to the left of my face) I have a pure silver streak (more like a chunk than a streak!) I've had increasing amounts of gray since I was 18 and I colored it (with natural stuff) for a long time but a few years ago I just threw in the towel. I'm really not a high maintenance kind of person (in the looks dept.) and I wasn't good about keeping up with the roots and it was beginning to look super ridiculous, so I quit. I hacked my long, long hair off and never looked back (and poor Dd cried when she saw me with short hair.)

However, I've been feeling funny about walking around with a round belly and gray hair. Once, at a playground, a little girl asked me if I was my 1-yr-old's grandma.
:eyesroll
My eyebrows are still nearly black and I've been told that I have a young face but I'm still self-conscious about this silver-haired pregnancy thing. I think I look better in the summer with a nice, strong tan but I look washed out in the winter when I'm paler.

It'll be neat to check out our silver locks when we get far enough along to post belly pics!
I always envied people with dramatic silver streaks in otherwise young hair! I wished I could go silver like that, but redheads either brown out or blonde out, and having semi-curly-wavy, my texture started going, along with the color.

I hear you about the Grandma thing. I met another homeschool mom at a homeschool potluck, and was trying not to do a double-take because the little boy with her, was her son! I had assumed grandson, because she had grown kids who had kids, and she was definitely a gray-haired granny. I didn't ask her age, but assumed at least mid-fifties from her face and hair. But I guess she had to have been a little younger than that, at least!

Part of it, is in our society, people, particularly women, start coloring the minute they start going gray, mostly. So by the time someone is gray, they really are elderly. We no longer associate gray hair with say, late 30's or early-to-mid 40's in women at least. It gives gray hair an association of dodderage.
 
#21 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by goingonfour View Post

My risk is looking like my DH's auntie, since he's age-defiant in looks. He's older, but his hair remains stubbornly resistant to gray, and he has young looks in general. My face doesn't look old, but with old lady hair, it sure does.

Sadly, without the natural coloring I use, my texture goes to fragile, thin, flyaway, and frizzy. With the coloring, it has body, shine, and fullness. I wish I could go gray the way my mom did, with a head of shiny, thick, full, straight hair that just happened to be silver/white. It was like doll hair til pretty recently, and now going on 70, her texture is going south.

Gray can be pretty, but frizzy, thin, fragile, porous? Not. So I'll stay a redhead at least until DH is gray, and if my gray is just too yucky/frazzly, I'll keep hennaing, just for the texture.
What kind of henna do you use? The powder? Is it a PITA? I've never used henna before... I get you on the texture thing. Mine is still super thick and I have some natural waves/ringlets so I have a lot of body (too much, sometimes.) But the crazy silver hairs that were broken off stand straight up sometimes! Especially in the humidity! Ugh. I've never been much of a hair-product person but if you have any suggestions of something 100% natural, I'm all ears.

My DH is 9 yrs older than me and he has black hair with just a little silver at the temples, which of course looks hot.
:eyesroll
I'm determined to keep my hair long and flowing, no matter how gray it becomes.
 
#23 ·
I have almost zero pictures of myself (except in my last pregnancy, and my hair was still colored.) I found a couple from May 2012 shortly after I'd hacked off my hair. Since my silver is in the front, when I pull my hair back, it makes my whole head look silver. I'm in the blue-gray skirt:

 
#24 ·
Hi, I'm Kymme,
I have an 18 yr dd & 151/2 yr ds from 1st marriage, both natural births. Home-schooled dd til gr5 & son til gr3 & again in gr8. I'm a all natural, artist, stay-at-home mumma.
I lived & worked my hobby farm til ex left us (after 20yrs:() 3 yrs ago. Dd is away to university & son is still at home. Living in a small town, but hoping to get back out to the country (where we're happiest) this Spring!!
my new dh is a Veteran & doesn't have any children (was too busy as a medic in army 20+ yrs & now a nurse in corrections). He desperately wants a family.
Just went off bc in Dec so this is the 1st cycle we've been trying, but being a mom again in your 40's doesn't allow for much time, lol.
Wishing everyone luck & can't wait to take this journey with you all
joy.gif
 
#25 ·
Hi there! I'm Sheaffer. I chimed in on the Due Date Roll Call thread, but here's a little more about me and my family...

I'm 36, and expecting my 4th. I have two daughters from a previous relationship (if one can even call it that) that thankfully I was able to end after too many years of turmoil and struggle. I am so grateful to have my daughters, but man oh man, do I sometimes wish I could turn back that clock! I manifested the man of my dreams after years of dreaming about him, and sure enough, after I'd given up on relationships for the long term! We met thru friends at a Phish show (I know, I know...hippie dippie...) but seriously, connected like we'd been waiting for each other our entire lives! Pretty magical, and romantic. After dating for a few months, he met my girls, we all fell in love, and poof! we got married and started this amazing life together! We had our son in Aug 2012, and really tightened our bond as a family. We are all excited about the addition of another :) The girls were both born in the hospital, with attending midwives, which I didn't feel was any different than an Ob/Gyn really. They popped in when they had a minute, and then when it was time to push. Our boy was born at home, with all of us in bed together, and that is our plan this time as well!!! This baby should come sometime late Aug/early Sept.

The girls are 10.5 and 5. Our oldest (Cancer) is a dancer, aerial artist, writer, and avid reader. She's very affectionate, and isn't much into doing things on her own. She needs a lot of positive reinforcement, which can be exhausting for me as a parent, but I'm trying my best to balance it so she can gain some real confidence. She has truly amazing gifts! The middle girl (Virgo) is a spit-fire, highly creative, energetic child who loves to create art in as many mediums as possible! She's very perceptive, with great common sense (something our older girl is challenged with!) She also loves to dance, get wrapped up in the aerial silks, and has a wonderful sense of humor. She has explosive meltdowns which we are always learning how to navigate. I know that her strong will and focus will serve her well someday. It's been an interesting learning experience with her from the beginning...induction at 42 wks, 32 hr labor which ended in an epidural but a vaginal delivery, not the best nursing baby but we did last 9 months. She was happier with a bottle of raw goats' milk that she could hold on her own- go figure. Our current littlest (Leo/Virgo), is happy, happy, happy! Very loving and affectionate, but independent and ALL BOY! Loves tools, and how things work, reading books (over and over and over....), climbing, holding rocks, watching birds, and being outside or on the breast! We just night weaned, and it went better than I thought. I'm sure I got him just at the perfect moment. Score for mama!

AFM (Scorpio), most days I feel like a maid, but I remind myself that these days will be over all too soon, and I should try to enjoy each day for all of it's dishes, diapers, laundry, tears, smiles, kisses, and laughter. I love to cook, research recipes, read (when I can- currently reading Raising Your Spirited Child, and a free novel on my Kindle), travel, camp, work in the garden, being artsy craftsy, and eating! I My most amazing husband (Cancer) is a Jack of all trades- seriously, he can do anything from building a house, to creating jewelry. He is an avid gardener, outdoorsman, Phish-loving hippie type, with a northeasty attitude( originaly from PA) and a loving provider, and protector. We both are able to be home, and love raising our family together. We grow herbs, food, and flowers to sustain our health and lifestyle in Northern California. Sometimes we sell products made from said herbs (teas, chapstick, oils), and during the growing season our girls can be found in the town square selling plants, and veggies :)

Looking forward to this journey with you all, even if it means some silver locks ;)
 
#26 ·
@sheaffer, can I come live with you? Seriously, your lifestyle sounds like my dream lifestyle. I've been in a relationship with my partner (I just refer to him as DH because we've been together so long and have four kids together..) since I was 19 years old (so more than half my life now) and it's had A LOT of ups and downs. We've split up, he's threatened with custody, threatened to make the kids go to public school, vaccinate the kids, etc., if I didn't get back together with him and blah, blah, blah. That was a long time ago and we've gotten better but I know he's not my "soul mate" as you seem to have found.

I'm in PA, I wonder if we've grown any more men like your DH?
:lol
I've jokingly thought about giving DH estrogen injections or something just to help him get in touch with his feminine side. He's do damned macho and I really, really worry about the effect it's going to have on our sons. I've honestly thought of leaving him for their sakes. Every time they cry or show any emotion (unless it's anger) he gets on their cases. For example, on Thursday night, Samual, my 7.5 yr old, slept in the girls' room for a "camp-out" and after he feel asleep, the girls painted his fingernails. He came downstairs the next morning and said "Look what the girls did to me!" but he wasn't upset about it. DH got furious and yelled at the girls and as he was walking out the door he was telling Samual to try to get that stuff off his nails. Poor Samual was in tears at this point, barricaded in the bathroom because he felt ashamed. I told Dh that he was totally overreacting and that his reaction caused all of the turmoil. That didn't go over well.

Even now, pregnant with our fifth child, I sometimes think we'd be better off if we split up. He's so damned stressful. I know he's like this right now because he hasn't gotten any sex since I got the BFP, but I'm too nervous too right now. And his attitude doesn't make me want to be intimate with him anyway. Such a vicious cycle. In his defense, he's a contractor and works gets really slow in the winter so he worries about money. But I wish he could figure out ways to deal with his stress...

I wonder if your baby will be a boy? Then you'd follow our path of having 2 girls and then 2 boys!! I love this pattern and wouldn't change it at all. My girls were such helpers when the boys were babies.

You're so fortunate to be home together. My dream is to move to South America and have some land and animals and a HUGE veggie/herb garden. Uruguay is my country of choice but I worry that I'd miss the northern hardwood/evergreen forest. I love the forests.

I LOVE getting to know everyone here! I already feel like some of us could be good friends in real life!
:love
 
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