Mothering Forum banner

December Chat

1K views 59 replies 7 participants last post by  Rosemarino 
#1 ·
Well, it is December, and only 3 more months to go, ladies!! :)

I just thought I'd go ahead and start the next month's thread. I don't really have much to say today. I'm working 4 days this week because a colleague had food poisoning yesterday, so I'm going to be exhausted by the weekend. And way behind with my kids' schooling. :(
 
#2 ·
Thanks for starting the thread @Yaliina I am at the end of March, so I have 3 months and 3 weeks.

Sigh.

I think I am the last of all of you, and since I always post date.

Double Sigh.

I won't be giving birth until August.:eek:
 
#3 ·
How is it December already?! It's really hitting me hard that I am almost 24 weeks and *gasp* I am actually going to have another baby! I'm in a sort of weird place about all of it....Like we totally planned this but since my partner started school and our childcare bill increased things have been really tight. I mean they were already really tight but yeeeeeah. I just feel sort of disconnected. This baby isn't crazy active and I have a somewhat anterior placenta. I have yet to have an ultrasound and SEE babe (silly but I think it is having an effect) so I scheduled a 3d elective this coming Saturday as a late birthday/early Christmas present to myself. Don't get me wrong I am super excited but also feeling a bit stuck in a funk and this is the part of pregnancy I should be enjoying.
 
#4 ·
Hugs, @LexiDrewMama! I'm sure we can all relate. We are really tightening the belt as we prepare for me to go out of work in March. I have no plans to go back, so we're going to have to learn to live without.

I feel like it's somewhat surreal, too, sometimes. Like, I almost forget that I'm going to be holding a newborn and going through all the newborn parent stuff soon just doesn't seem like reality. I think I'm in denial, lol. Once I'm through this week of working extra time, I'm going to try to get stuff more together in my house, and hopefully start crocheting stuff for the baby. I might be buying some diapers on Craigslist this weekend, too, since my grandmother-in-law gave me $ for my graduation.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rosemarino
#5 ·
I started a thread about belt tightening after these couple posts. Sounds like it deserves its own platform!

Each time we start a new chat thread, and especially each time somebody requests a new DDC, I feel like the time is going so fast. It's amazing how slow the days can go and how fast the months go. Sometimes I'm with Lisa and I feel like I'm going to be pregnant forever. Other days I can't believe how soon the end is.

I'm 26 weeks today, so depending on how you count, this is the last week of my second trimester. That's nuts!
 
#6 ·
Yaliina, Denial high five! Right there with you.

I'm sorry to have been inconsistent in keeping up here. I keep meaning to check and post and now that I see that there are lots of new topics and such, I am sure I'll be motivated. I just responded to your post, @indiana.

It's morning and I have to feed the kids, but will check back in later.
 
#7 ·
@LexiDrewMama, good for you for scheduling an ultrasound for your peace of mind. I had an anterior with my daughter and nobody explained to me that I wouldn't feel movement as much (they were mostly talking about partial previa to me and that cleared up so nobody thought to tell me the other thing.) It really scared me a number of times. Like wake the family up in the night and go to the ER scared. Add financial issues and you're in a constant state of stress?
hugs to you.
 
#8 ·
@Yaliina I can't believe your MD would mess up your c-section scar passive-aggressively! I mean, I can in a way, because doctors are human with their own problems, and it's not out of the question. But it is so unethical :(

I am going to labor at home as long as possible but I am pretty sure homebirth is out of the question for us at this point. If I'd hired the homebirth midwife we liked, she wouldn't have taken us on as clients without a backup doctor. I mean, I guess there's still a way to make it happen, but at this point we are pretty set on the hospital birth.
@indiana Hi! It is always nice to hear from you! Are you going to yoga? I swear my teacher is magic. I walk in with aches and pains and heartburn and walk out feeling like a new person. And it is SO hard to believe that we are almost in the 3rd trimester.
 
#9 ·
So far I'm not going to yoga because it's an hour away. :( But my doula is the teacher there, so I need to find some time to get there at least a few times before the big day.

For now I've just been using a video that I really like. It's Blooma's AM/PM Prenatal Yoga. I still don't like it as well as regular yoga (it mostly feels like stretching to me and isn't as meditative), but I do feel so good afterward. There's a huge difference in both my mood and the way my body feels on days when I don't do it. I'm also doing the daily exercises from Spinning Babies and I find them really helpful, too.

Sounds like along with being due date buddies, we are also both going to be laboring at home for as long as we can before we head to the hospital. What an adventure that will be! We've timed the drive, and without rushing, the hospital is 7 minutes from our house. That's not bad. Just a few contractions, probably, and maybe only one or two in the car, unless I accidentally wait too long. My only hope is that the signing in and getting my room and putting on the gown and getting situated with the nurses doesn't slow down my labor. I can imagine that happening. Or maybe it will be exciting and it will feel like something is really happening. Who knows!
 
#10 ·
Oh, I got my iron tested today. It came back normal. I was surprised. Next I get to start testing my blood sugar regularly and see if that's what's making me so wrecked after exercising. If it's not that, I'll keep trying the vitamin D. My OB said some women are just beat the whole time and I might just be one of those women. Great.

Drinking more water and taking a little more D has helped, I think, or maybe I'm just having a few good-ish days.
 
#11 ·
Most hospitals have a pre-check-in process (kinda like airlines, lol) that you can do before your due date. That should speed up the process when arriving. It's basically getting all the insurance, next of kin, etc. paperwork filled out. I don't remember doing paperwork any of the times I went to the hospital, but maybe DH did, or my Mom. I do remember scratching through and changing a bunch of the wording of the consent form for my last c-section while I was having contractions. I kept having to stop & breathe or move positions. The nurse just waited patiently, though. I wasn't about to sign the form the way they had it worded, though. Anybody who is laboring at the hospital might want to think about taking a good, early look at their consent form & seeing if they want to make changes before they sign- preferably before you're in labor. It was really hellish to do it while in labor.
 
  • Like
Reactions: teamviddy
#12 ·
Hi everymomma! i'm new to MDC, and preggo with my first, at 6 months along. i've had some wicked WICKED heartburn, but i read (and proved) that coconut water helps. otherwise, this is glorious. my nesting is insane, and i've got that pregnant glow. so, except for the heartburn, morning sickness, kicking, drs appts, exhaustion, etc, i'm great!
 
  • Like
Reactions: PortlandRose
#14 ·
Yes, welcome, Ecomommy2! If you get sick of coconut water (or the side effects of it), try Aloe juice, too. It is a nice temporary heartburn/reflux fix & it tastes good, too. I find it in the Asian food stores in my area.
 
#15 ·
^ @Yaliina- side effects? i may be less than knowledgeable...
^@Rosemarino- economy. lol!

ok, today i'm okay. anybody thinking of names yet? anybody craving?
 
#16 ·
@Ecomommy2, I hadn't heard of coconut water, but maybe that explains why I've been feeling the need to put coconut milk (the fatty kind that comes in a can) on EVERYTHING. I find it makes things go down easier and stay down where they belong. All this time I thought it was the fat, but sounds like it could be some other property of coconut!

Oh, and congratulations on your pregnancy! We're glad to have you!
 
#17 ·
It's 3rd Trimester day for me if you count it at week 27, which I am doing because I need to mentally. I was up all night because my son was throwing up. It's so sad. I then carried him (he's 6.5) to the car to drive daughter to preschool and then left him in the car while I rushed into the drugstore for Pedialite. I have never done that before.

Also, there's been some major drama at Josh's school lately and last night before bed he got an email saying the head wants to meet with him today. Hearing the chimes of doom. They do not get along. I'm concerned he may lose his job. Partly it could be a relief (long term) but short term: oy. So think of us today, please.
 
#18 ·
Oh, poor Rosemarino and Pascal! It sounds like you both are miserable. I hope the Pedialyte is helping and that he's getting some energy back. And I hope that you stay healthy. It sounds like you're in a position where you might have to be strong for more than just your kids for a little while. I imagine by now the "talk" has happened and you know what it was about. Let us know how things went and what we can do to be supportive.

I signed on here to say that I think I've decided, like for real this time, that I'm quitting work. Somebody said something today that made me realize that shutting this vocational door doesn't mean shutting ALL the doors, and I felt a good deal of peace when I came home to journal and process that conversation. I think I need some time away from this work to make sure it's really want I want to keep doing. I can use the home time to do some thinking and writing and dreaming and really assessing, for the first time without strings attached, what I really want to do.

The timing is right, too. Ministers are given a sabbatical every seven years, and next year would be my seventh year of ministry (since seminary, anyway - I've been at it for almost 10 counting the ministry jobs I had in grad school). I can feel a deep, gnawing need for a sabbatical - almost like they time it at seven years for some sort of spiritual reason. Not that I'll get a paid sabbatical or anything like that (I wouldn't want it - I really need to be completely unhooked), but that's at least what it will be for me spiritually, I think.

I know that I'll grieve parts of the job that I'll be giving up. I'm already grieving some things, because there are projects I can't start and relationships I know I'll miss. But I think grief is a natural part of change, and the fact that I'll grieve means I'm leaving work that was fulfilling and good. I'd rather feel grief than go skipping away from a job that I hated.

So that's where I am today. I feel pretty good about it and even relieved. I hope I still feel that way tomorrow!
 
#19 ·
@indiana Congratulations!
@Rosemarino I am so sorry that things are really stressful for you. Double hugs to you. Seriously. I am hoping that your son is better. I hope Josh didn't lose his job. Eek.

Sometimes, it's hard to see past the muck, but things always happen for a reason.
@Ecomommy2

Let's see....I'm 24 weeks now and I am feeling fabulous. I really have no complaints. My muscles are loose (generally) my lower back feels great. I have no discomforts to speak of, and I am still exercising every single day - amazingly. Still doing burpees on Fridays! Not sure how long that will last. I probably will have to modify to the granny burpees soon. My muscles (I think) are starting to to feel stretched, especially in my obliques. I stopped doing planks and full push ups 2 weeks ago, and I went down in weights a week ago, but my oblique on my right is feeling a little strained. But the speed walks continue (when I'm not being a complainer and will battle the cold).

The baby is super active. I am wondering if the radiologist who looked at my ultrasound is incompetent. No way I have an anterior placenta feeling the movement that I do - as long as I've been feeling it. No way, no how.

This baby is everywhere - all at the same time.

I think he's also a long one (not surprising). I think my last one was at least 4 feet tall. I'm feeling kicks wayyyyy high up. What I feel just doesn't match the ultrasound results, at all. I am feeling kicks all the way up by my ribs. I just think the baby is bigger than the ultrasound said it was. The ultrasound said it was right on schedule, but no way. Long old baby.

My uterus is also high. last month I was measuring 3-4 weeks ahead, so maybe that explains it? It's sort of par for the course for Lisa. Big uterus, big ole' babies. I think it just gets big automatically to accommodate the huge babies I seem to always have. I thought clean eating would make a difference, but it seems not.
 
#20 ·
I'm so sorry about your LO being sick, Rosemarino, and I hope all went well with your DH's job! Hugs & support. Let us know.

Ecomommy2, the side effect of which I speak is the laxative effect coconut is known for. I know coconut milk has that effect (we used it for my DS for that reason when he had some constipation), and I'm pretty sure the water would be the same. I think it's the fat content that does it. It might be a good thing- or maybe not. ;)
@indiana, I'm happy for you that you have made a decision & feel at peace with it. I hope it works out for you. What type of minister are you? I know that in the Methodist church, at least, you can take "an appointment outside the church" or something like that. It's what my dad did when he decided to leave the pastoral ministry without actually quitting the church altogether. He became a full-time LMFT & now owns his own practice, but he still goes to conference, sits on boards sometimes, and will fill in occasionally for local pastors.

Lisa, I'm so glad you're feeling well & that your little one is bouncing around. The u/s techs can't get them all right- we're each so unique, and with unique babies, so there are bound to be discrepancies. You know what is going on with your body & your baby way better than they do- they can just compare you to a "norm".

AFM- DH started the vaccination debate up again this weekend. We say we're selective vaxxers, but really, our youngest hasn't ever had a single shot. DH, however, is susceptible to the pressures of the mainstream, and it bothers him that pro-vax people say bad things about non-vaxxers. So, he made his arguments, and I shot them all down, and he gave up (again). He is only arguing to have the older ones vaccinated, at least, and not the baby- he still agrees with me about not putting that crap in a newborn. Anybody else starting to think ahead to big questions like vaccinations, hospital procedures (or homebirth ones), etc.?

I'm also coming up with a list of questions for the MD - I need to go ahead and start getting ready for this birth- since I'm going to be planning the whole thing, I feel like I need a lot of time. I'm planning to grill the MD about every single little minutia, so I'll have time to Google everything, come up with questions, and get the answers well in advance of the actual birth.
 
#22 ·
Guys, I did it! I decided I needed to do it before I started thinking about it too hard, so I scheduled a meeting with my boss today and quit. Well, I didn't quit, I guess. I told him I won't be coming back after maternity leave. I think it was the bravest and scariest thing I've ever done. I just cut our family income by half (in July, when my leave/contract is up). And I've walked away from a job that is stressful and exhausting, but really fulfilling and a good use of my skills and passions. That's scary!

But I mostly feel relieved. I know I'm going to have moments of doubt and grief and panic, but I can tell it was the right decision. I feel lighter.

@Yaliina , I'm ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). It's a congregational denomination, so my ordination is for life, but I will lose standing in my region as an acting minister. That's OK. It's easy to renew your standing after a stint out of the field. It happens a lot. Sometimes I wonder if I could be given standing for doula work, because I intend for that to be very spiritually-oriented. I don't know if they'd go for that, though, because they prefer for you to be attached to a congregation/institution since it's a congregational church. Who knows. The important thing is that for the foreseeable future, at least until I'm ready for a change, the majority of my time and energy will be available for my family and community. I feel ready for that.
 
#23 ·
Wow, way to go @indiana! That must feel terrific (in every sense of the word!)

Vaxxing: I didn't vaccinate my oldest until it was time for preschool. We had a million visits to do them. Iona is fully vaccinated and I'm so glad. I've completely changed my thinking on that matter. No judgment from me, though, either way.

Job: Well, it's strange. Josh applied for a sabbatical about a month ago which would have been for next year. There's been tremendous upheaval at school, and the faculty is in revolt against the head of school for multiple reasons. Unfortunately the two top administrators at the school leaked some pretty crucial information TO MY HUSBAND who has a big mouth, and although he was right and speaking out for justice, I think he must have gone too far. Why would they leak it to him? He's just a teacher, he's not a department head. I know they meant no guile, but they must have known that he would not be able to keep a lid on it. Anyway, Josh has been offered the rest of the year off on paid leave through August (starting Christmas) and they're hinting that they'll re up his contract but they haven't said it outright. I NEED him to ask if they intend to rehire him; he seems to think this is all ok. Please be thinking of us. The faculty are all meeting on Saturday to come up with a strategic plan to a.) demand justice from the Board and to b.) stand up for Josh's job. He is a tremendously well-loved member of the community, a teacher really highly valued by the students and parents, and that is my only hope for his continued employment. I do think that there would be an outcry from the parents and student body if he was let go.

In preggo news, I'm feeling good! I mean, that is news. The varicosities are not bothering me at all. I am still cramped at exercise and that blows chunks. I love to exercise. But...since Josh will most likely be around when this baby is born and through the summer, I should be able to start exercise again as soon as I am recovered. So I think I will be able to get back into shape. Hopefully.
 
#24 ·
Wow, well, good news all around, it sounds like.

Congrats, @indiana & blessings to you on your new journey! :)

I'm so happy that your husband is getting a PAID leave, @Rosemarino! That's wonderful- and it sounds like things will work out in the long-run (I'm hopeful for you). At least you have some time to work it out. I'm also happy to hear that you're feeling so well now. :)

I hope the good news keeps coming.
 
#25 ·
We went for our 3d ultrasound Saturday and my somewhat anterior placenta is in the way so we ended up just doing a 2d. I have had A LOT of ultrasounds (my first had very closely monitored birth defects, and with my daughter I had a little quicky every 2 weeks I think because my OB was trying to keep me sane). Sooo anyways the tech said we are having a BOY! It was the most unclear ultrasound ever and I am not super convinced (I am probably being silly).

I am jealous of all you ladies feeling so great! I don't think I ever mentioned it but the day I turned 22 weeks I fell pretty good on the sidewalk outside our apartment and I have really been hurting since then. My poor back and pubic symphysis are pretty killer, and of course flu season is gearing up so work is just getting busier and busier (urgent care) so I am not getting to take it as easy as I need to.

I am wishing I had more energy right now...my daughter is finally old enough to grasp the concept of holidays and even not pregnant I am that into it. I am trying to make an extra effort for her so it's special, it's exhausting. I want to make her last few months of being an only child nice :)
 
#26 ·
Well, it's not necessarily great news, yaliina, about the leave. It's not clear he will be asked back. I prompted him to email a clarification on that this morning and no response. I think the head would be rid if him if he could. But short term, yes, a huge relief.

Lexidrewmama, wow: that fall sounds like a wrecker. I'm so sorry.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top