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Chit Chat Thread 2/13-2/22

1K views 38 replies 14 participants last post by  MLog 
#1 ·
How is everyone feeling this week?
 
#2 ·
I'm still feeling not-too-huge yet. Trying to enjoy it as much as I can.

The weather has been lovely so I've decided I really need to revive my walking habit that died with the first trimester exhaustion and winter weather wimpiness. I've been for a couple 1 mile walks this week, and I can so feel those 12ish pounds I've gained since the last time I was walking regularly! It's kind of sad. I also tweaked my pelvis somehow on Monday, and I've got it mostly back under control now, except by the end of my walk the same muscle that was all crampy on Monday starts to act up again. I've been massaging it out daily so hopefully that calms it down and I can build my walking stamina back up before I get even bigger.

How are everyone's toddlers doing? Mine is falling asleep in his own bed much more easily these days. The transition to that was pretty awful, but short-lived. He's also coming into our room to join us later and later. Every once in a while he even stays in his bed all night! And I'm pretty sure he's weaned. The last couple of times he's asked to nurse, it seems like he can't remember how. He just sort of pops on and off the nipple a couple times and then gives up. The last time was 4-5 days ago. Potty training is still on-going. The naked thing really helped, but then he back slides after a couple days of wearing pants, and we have to go naked again. I wouldn't bother putting pants on him at all for a while but he really wants them, and it's too cold to play outside half naked anyway.
 
#3 ·
Overall good, but today marks only 100 days to go! I woke up thinking "oh no! not ready. too fast!!"

Aside from that, I'm fairly certain I saw the little guy's knee poke out during a morning session of what-the-heck-are-you-up-to-in-there :)
 
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#4 ·
Oh! and we bought a new shower head with a hose and massaging functions. Why oh why didn't we do that sooner? (especially since water is included with our rent!) My poor sore back is So much happier now!
 
#5 ·
I am super huge and uncomfortable. I reckon I have gained at least 50lb so far. Yay. :irked Had the diabetes gross sugar test this morning - I would have refused it, but I am worried that I might actually have GD this time, so I suppose it's best to know, right?
My Mum is here this week, so it is nice for the kids to have her for entertainment, instead of grumpy old me. Actually, they have been really good about me doing less stuff with them, and DS2 (who just turned 5) is super excited for the babies. It is very sweet.
We are not progressing very well with the toddler sleep thing, LOL. So far we have sleeping in the big bed with DH, so he supposedly gets used to DH dealing with him if he wakes up. It is kinda working, but he often insists on getting up and coming to me for a cuddle. I simply cannot have him doing that when I have two newborns. Next step is to move him into the kids' room, and hope that he will let DH go in there without screaming the entire house down. But hey, potty training is all done, and he is very self sufficient with it :)
I guess I have about 60 days to go, which is pretty exciting! But also seems like a long time. I start weekly home visits from a midwife next week, so maybe that will make it seem quicker.
 
#6 ·
I've been neglecting this group, sorry :(

I had the GD test on Wednesday, and it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. I'm feeling pretty good, although standing up after sitting in bed or on the couch has gotten difficult.

I'm hoping to check in more often - glad to see people are still doing well!
 
#7 ·
Most of the time I've felt pretty good. I have modified my life to 'light duty' and it's helped my pubic and hip pain issues a lot. I've also been seeing a chiro/massage therapist once a week, which helps a ton too. I hardly have any pain at all, but the trade off is that I feel lazy.

My family took a day trip to a local waterfall today, which turned out to be really lovely. It was a touristy spot, but very well maintained with a charming restaurant that overlooked the river. Everyone had a nice time swimming as well, overall a lovely day.

My mom is getting ready to send me a big box of baby things from the US. I just need to think about how I'm going to organize them in our tiny house. Its getting real!!!
 
#8 ·
I'm doing well, other than this cold that I've been fighting off. All the kids had it first, then me. I finally got to sleep really well a couple nights ago, without waking up coughing, so I think I'm getting better.

I had the glucose test a couple weeks ago; all clear there (yay!) My iron is a bit in the low range but nothing worrisome. MW even said I didn't need to supplement. I've basically given up coffee and tea to see if that helps. I had an appointment yesterday, and she said because this isn't my "first rodeo" I didn't have to come back for four weeks. I had just gotten into "every two weeks territory" so it's nice to have a break. I think in four weeks though, it will be close to the weekly visit time if I'm not mistaken.

My toddler is still in bed with me, and still in diapers. I keep forgetting that he needs to start using the potty. :blush Though we've had a rough couple of weeks with the colds in the house, etc. He doesn't have his own bed yet, and we are trying to figure out what route to take there. We live in a two bedroom apartment, and I've been searching for places to move, but it's seriously slim pickings around here. Nothing much in our price range. So basically, I'm stuck trying to figure out if we need to put three beds in the kid's room and how to configure all that (at least for the time being). I talked to DH about using part of our tax return to IKEA-ize their bedroom and a couple other areas in our home. I've also been seriously trying to declutter; again tiny place + too much stuff- not the winning combo! ;-) I've started going through kid's clothing since that's one of the biggies and taking up a bunch of space in the kid's room.

Other than that...I'm feeling really big now! I need to find a few more pieces clothing-wise to see me through this pregnancy. It's warming up quick where I live (AZ), and I'm not ready! (When I say warming up, I'm talking temps in the 80's). I hope this goes quickly, but at the same time, I just saw my ticker and it says "77 days to go"! That seems so short!
 
#9 ·
I got a package of maternity clothes the other day! Ordering online is always kind of hit or miss, but I got 2 pieces I adore, and 2 that will be fine after a little fixing. The only local options are Ross (also hit or miss) and Walmart, where the maternity clothes look like they'd wear about like paper :p I've still got some maternity clothes I want to sew myself too.

I won't have a dresser to put baby clothes in until the end of March, when I'm going to visit my family and hit up Ikea. I hope I'm not too huge and uncomfortable for the long drive!
 
#10 ·
Life is so busy and I forget to update here. Sorry :)

I am sick. boo. I have had a cold for a week and am coughing junk up but I am starting to feel a bit better thankfully.

I can't believe I am 29 weeks pregnant with only 75ish days to go. Yikes! We are starting our every 2 week appointments with the midwives this week. I did the GD test about a week and a half ago and had my iron rechecked so we will see how that goes. I imagine if it was bad they would have called me but who knows. My iron is VERY low and I am hoping that since it was last tested around 10 weeks that it has gone up! I wouldn't have had the GD test done but I know that occasionally and rarely there are no symptoms that show up and women can still have GD...which has a higher risk of stillbirth. I also really love sugar a lot so...I figured it wouldn't hurt to do it ;)
 
#11 ·
I feel the same way about the selection of maternity clothes where we're at. VERY hit and miss, so I've ordered the majority online.

26 weeks today! And (you all are going to laugh at me - especially @babymonster) I feel like I'm *really* big and wondering how the heck I'm going to handle being bigger!

Also, woke up to 4 inches of snow in places! Looks like winter is finally catching up here.
 
#12 ·
HI Everyone :)

We finally settled on a home birth midwife and I will start seeing her regularly tomorrow. She sent me to a lab for blood work and all that last week, so I guess we'll see how well I've been doing at my own prenatal care ;)

Some of you were mentioning iron, so I thought I would pipe in with my experiences regarding iron. I have side effects in pregnancy if I don't take extra iron, I get dizzy and really sick all of a sudden every so often,like almost to pass out - this happens out of the blue, and was starting to happen when I go in to work in the early mornings so I got much more on top of that a couple months ago, and starting taking iron morning and night much more faithfully. I also will have extreme thirst like at night when I wake up to pee I feel so thirsty and drink several cups of water through the night , if I am low in iron. Anyways, I got some natural, easy on stomach, iron at the local co-op and am taking 50 mgs with breakfast and 50 mgs after supper. It takes those symptoms all away, I love it! I also take an extra calcium, magnesium, Zinc capsule for my leg ( calf muscle) cramps which I have only had one at night this pregnancy and that was enough to get me on top of that too! I hate those!!

I have gained about 12-15 lbs or so- so I feel pretty good about that. I usually gain around 30 with my singles,, I think I gained 40 -50 lbs with my twins, lots of fluid retention towards the end with them- leg swelling etc...

I have had a couple braxton hicks contraction episodes recently ; I think that's what they were, but I was a bit concerned it was more. They did get my quite worried. Both times was when I have taken my older girls out shopping to the mall and done more walking, but the cramping and aching - like menstrual cramps, lower back ache,tight stomach, aching in the top part of my legs seemed a bit strong to me. Both times it happened it was constant afterwards until I went to bed and slept. I plan to talk to my midwife tomorrow and see if she thinks that sounds like normal braxton hicks... Anyone else having strong ones like that?
 
#13 ·
RonnaLeigh - I am super thirsty at night too - is that an anaemia symptom? I always get a lot of BH with my pregnancies, but never with period type cramping. That always signifies real contractions for me.

justlizzy - I am kinda laughing ;) I remember how weird it felt with my first pregnancy not to be able to bend over. Even though your belly doesn't sick out a lot, it still interferes with moving around!

ryleeee - what do you take for iron? I am taking some kind of iron water because mine was low, but I need to order more soon. My belly does not like the pills I was prescribed.
I passed my GD test last week! Woohoo! I was so sure I was going to fail it. I do probably eat more desserts than the average person, so, um...

As for me - midwife appointment today, and we start weekly home visits next week. Everything looks ok - my cervix is closed despite the violent coughing fits I have been having for the past couple of weeks (thanks kids!). Belly is measuring 37 weeks already :help
I need to finish my birth plan, then cut it to make it half the size, then have DH check and correct the french. I'm not sure it is going to help at all, but I guess I can at least try.
I am super uncomfortable most of the time now. Sleeping hurts, chairs hurt, driving hurts. My uterus is really irritable, and baby B has settled with his feet against my cervix. I am going to have DH set up the birth pool, and try floating for a couple of hours, to see if that might shift him because, OW! Cervix kicks hurt!
 
#15 ·
I passed my GD test last week! Woohoo! I was so sure I was going to fail it. I do probably eat more desserts than the average person, so, um...
I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who hasn't exactly been steering clear of the sweets! They were so unappealing during my first trimester, and now I want them all the time! I'll be doing some finger prick tests soon, I'm crossing my fingers they look ok!
 
#14 ·
Oh man @babymonster, I got kicked in the cervix for the first time over the weekend (and it happened a second time) and I swear that I can sympathize with how a guy feels when he gets a nether-region kick. The first one I thought I was going to pass out.
 
#17 ·
I'm super thirsty through the night (I keep my glass Camelbak water bottle filled and drink it through the night), but when I had my blood drawn my iron levels were actually okay (which I was surprised about because more often than not in pregnancies I get at least slightly anemic! Last time I was actually so anemic I nearly risked out of a homebirth... but I brought my levels back up and all was well).


I keep starting and stopping posts here because I'm on my mobile so often and I"ll get a huge post typed up, then somebody needs me and I never get to finish it and it gets lost!


I can't believe I'm officially in the third trimester (as of Sunday). Whoa. The third trimester is this crazy simultaneous pull of flying by at light speed, yet crawling with each second taking YEARS to pass (especially at night with physical aches!). So, I'm like... whoa! This is the final sprint! The last hurrah! The time to Really Get Things Wrapped Up!


I've been continuing to sew a ton (as evidenced by the crafty thread). I love to sew for fun (it keeps my mind from overthinking things, which I can do sometimes) and also to justify fabric purchases ;) Luckily (for the checking account), Lent begins tomorrow and I'm fasting from all extra purchases of any kind (fabric, clothing, anything not food or household related, basically) along with giving up going out to my favorite coffee huts for lattes (actually, it's breves that have my heart <3 ). But... since it's Fat Tuesday, I'm thinking of trying to find a nursing pillow. And maybe order one more Anita nursing bra. I got the one I ordered and I haven't stopped wearing it (except at night) since I got it! I loooooove the fit so much! like... whoa. It's so perfect, it's ridiculous!


I think it's funny how I hit the third trimester and my body clearly got the memo. I really do have quite easy, uneventful pregnancies (good thing since this is my sixth child, right?), but I woke up Sunday morning and my hips were crazy achy. I was like, "How did you know?" then I realized it *is* a body .. it doesn't really know it's supposed to do that... it just does because that's how things happen!


Dh is out of town today. He might be back later or it might be a few days. He got called to jury duty (federal level), so it all depends on if he's selected or not. I hate the uncertainty of it all. If I knew he'd be gone all week, I'd roll with that... but being in limbo and not knowing is somehow way more unsettling.
 
#19 ·
I am super super upset today. :( :( :( :(
While my glucose test came back fine, my ferritin levels plummeted from the low 8.1 to FIVE. Yes, five. I am freaking out. I have been taking a bunch of different iron supplements and now I feel like it was all for nothing. I am going to be so upset if I don't get my homebirth. I'm hoping the midwives will let me get a shot of iron and somehow I will be able to boost my iron levels up. Ugh. :crying:

Oh and to top it all off, our tax return is much lower than I was hoping and I spent all morning working on it to find out that I couldn't use the program I used yet to netfile online until they are verified by the Govt and it could take a few more weeks for that to happen. And they had to cancel my midwife appointment today because of a birth at the clinic or something and I can't get in until next Friday now. :( Just a bad day all around.
 
#21 ·
I'm sorry to hear about your iron results, ryleeee. I hope the midwives have some suggestions? One thing I recently learned is that vitamin C helps with iron absorption, and calcium inhibits it. I had been taking floradix in the evening along with my calcium/magnesium, which was basically cancelling both things out. Oops. Now I take the floradix with vitamin C when I get home from work, and then wait a few hours before the cal/mag. That may help?
 
#22 ·
Ah, @ryleeee, that stinks! Happened to me with my third- and had to transfer care at 38 weeks to a CNM. I had mixed emotions about it. I had a relatively good hospital birth w/him, but I had put all that time and prep into the homebirth. At the same time, though it was kind of a relief. I had a weird nagging anxiety thing going on about the whole thing (mostly not feeling quite *ready* to have a baby at home- at least that's what I felt on a conscious level- if that makes any sense). My iron was just under the level I needed to qualify for a homebirth, and then I had a postpartum hemorrhage, so it was for the best that I was in the hospital. The good thing is, that I was sent to a specific practice by my MW, and I LOVE this place. Also her apprentice acted as doula for me at the hospital so that was awesome. Now I'm planning to give birth with the same group of CNM's at the same hospital and they were recently certified Baby Friendly.

Hopefully you can get your levels up in time though! Try cutting back on (or eliminating) coffee and tea, because I read that really inhibits iron absorption. And of course all the other usual stuff. I didn't totally eliminate coffee and tea, and I feel that may have been the one extra thing I could've done to help my situation- just in hindsight (and totally speculating, of course).
 
#23 ·
Another thing you might think about doing is adding dry fruit @ryleeee. Of all things, though it sounds really weird I've found that a salad with chopped up dried apricots, feta and a vinaigrette is awesome for lunch.

A question for the group -- does anyone have any experience with maternity support belts? I'm thinking about getting one to see if it relieves what I'm thinking is sciatica in my left hip. Going to confirm with the OB on Tuesday when I have to take the GD test that I tried to talk my way out of (didn't work since they prefer all first time moms to just drink the juice), but I thought I'd ask here for input from the more experienced mamas.
 
#24 ·
I've been absent for a bit, but doing good. I certainly feel bigger, but I'm really not all that big. Or maybe I am big and just so used to not showing. I've started doing yoga in the mornings which is really helping my body feel good throughout the day. I'm starting to do midwife appointments every 2 weeks which seems like a big milestone.

As for the rest, I drove our bus home yesterday!! It was exciting and nerve-wracking. I've driven trucks, but this was a 37 foot, big, old, stick shift bus and we had to go through Vancouver and on a ferry. All went surprisingly well and I only stalled once. Now the work begins and I'm going to be so busy.
 
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#26 ·
Babymonster.. Never convert your own bus! My dh wanted to do it too, but after some research we decided to buy one that was already done. The person that converted it had $40,000 into the project and we bought it for $10,000! It's a huge undertaking and they never hold their value. My dh still got improve ours a bit, which worked out great. A couple pics are below.

Sorry about the iron levels, I hope you can figure out a solution!

I had a maid start this week, so far so good! I'm totally new to the whole maid thing so I'm figuring it out as I go.

My midwife has been lax about appointments here, I've only had 2 so far! I pay for each appointment, so I don't feel pressed for extras and I see my midwife a lot outside of the appointments, so I still feel like I know her. I suppose I should schedule another one.

My 11 year old ds is starting school this week at a Waldorf school. He's excited, but a bit nervous to be starting at an all Portuguese speaking school.

Oh, and our new puppy is a pain in the ass, in case anyone was wondering. Ha ha.
 

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#27 ·
Hey everyone!
@Abraisme, your bus looks awesome! Also I'm so jealous about your son going to waldorf school. I wish there was one around here I could send my son to.

Anyway,I am better today, I had to go to the hospital cause I had menstrual like cramping all day monday. They said there were no contractions and I am still tightly sealed. The problem is... that when I was in labor last time, that's all I felt were really really really bad cramps. I've always had very bad cramps ever since I was 11. I have since learned that it is probably because of my tilted uterus. However, the tightening of contractions are something I wasn't feeling. So when I felt as if my period was about to come, I knew I had to go in. Now I'm just wondering if feelings are gonna be different this time. Will I feel those tightening contractions, or will it just be the same cramps? They caught them on the monitor last time, and asked me "mama, don't you feel the contractions?" and I didn't feel it!

At least I'm ok now. I'm just getting antsy. I'm working on a merino wool dress for baby girl in a color called Persimmon, it's gonna be cute. The smallest size is 12 months, so we'll see when she can actually wear it. I feel like I don't have much time left. So many things I want to knit and I don't have the yarn I want.

I also had my 30th birthday which I wasn't feeling well for. My boyfriend bought me the latest Pokemon game for my 2DS. I began my adventure, the same way I've been beginning my adventures since I was 13. Now I feel like I'll never be able to have another Pokemon adventure again... it's like I don't even want to continue. I let my son play a bit, which normally I supervise, but this time I don't care what he does in the game... so sad. I don't know if it's the pregnancy or the whole I'm 30 now business. I've loved Pokemon for almost 20 years! I even call my son Pikachu sometimes. Perhaps I'm feeling pre baby blues or something. I know yarn shopping the other day made me feel better. Yarn shopping always makes me feel better, I just wish I had some more money for the wool I want.

Ah, and for those of you who were keeping up with my housing woes.

We went to court, and were asked to deposit the two months rent to the court, not all the other money we allegedly owe for not having heat. We still have to run our own electric heater, and can't use our second bedroom because when we run both heaters the power shuts off. Thankfully all that trouble caused my teenage sister to move out, and now my son is doing so much better, my food isn't being eaten in the middle of the night, and my electricity bill will probably go down.

So now we have to wait for another court date because they will tell us if we owe the other money or not, after the repairs are done. They have a month. They still haven't started crap. I bet they are just waiting for us to leave, which we can't do until my son is done with school at the end of June, then I'm high tailing it outta here on July 1st!

I'm just tired of dealing with adult crap... just wanna be able to play my game like a kid again.

:grin:
 
#28 ·
Spiral, thanks, we don't have the bus anymore, but it was fun while it lasted! I'm glad you weren't in labor and everything turned out okay.

Part of the reason we chose to move to this town was because of the Waldorf school. We are lucky that our kids got a spot actually because some of the grades have a long waiting list. It's super affordable too, like $175 a month per child. I hope he likes it there.
 
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