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June Chat

3K views 88 replies 12 participants last post by  zzzzzzane 
#1 ·
Hope it's okay that I start this.

I was just wondering...anyone else have their belly button turning into an outie about now?

Mine had flattened out over the past few weeks but now I'm starting to see the beginnings of an outie. All summer long...it's like this third nipple whenever I wear a lightweight shirt. :eek:
 
#2 ·
My navel never became an outie with DD so with this one I think it will be the same. However, the top fold of my naval became more prominent and it has begun to do the same this time.

I am up 27-28lbs and weigh almost what I did when DD was born but my belly is not as big. It's close though. I feel huge. It is pretty hot here and I hope the next two months slide by fast!

Except I am starting to get the cold feet feeling. I know when I talk to DH about it a bunch I will feel better. Right now the doubts are begining to creep in; did we make a howling mistake by falling pregnant? Am I going to be a good mother to two children? Will I regret having another/feel overwhelmed? Will another be harder than we thought? Etc. Etc. Etc.

My energy is up and I am productive every other day which is great for where I had been! I am keeping up with the house and able to do projects on the side and take DD out about twice a week and do yoga about twice a week. I'm not much up for walking lately though. Maybe I am done? It feels early to throw in the towel all together so maybe I will be up for walks again soon?

I've had two days where I have had two painful BH within 30min of each other but since it ended there and all the other BH have been just a mild cramp I am not too worried though I wonder if I will have prodomal labor or just a lot of BH before labor or if baby will come early or what. There's no hard science to it, I know, but my mind is curious as to what my body is doing...

It's our 5th wedding anniversary/12th dating anniversary today and we are just spending it cleaning and organizing bc our regular babysitters are out of town (ILs) we really need to do the cleaning anyway and it's been a good day so it's all good.
 
#3 ·
I've never gotten an outie either! I totally get that "more prominent top fold" thing though. Sort of 1/3 of an outie. ;)
All I have to say is, I am SO TIRED!!!! Cannot function. Almost 31 weeks, and I'm not sure how I'm going to hold out a lot longer! Hopefully DH will get our bed frame built this weekend so we can get our mattress off the floor. We just moved across the continent and literally got rid of everything when we moved, so we're starting over. He's already built our daughter's loft bed, and next up will be the dining table. Our house is sort of put together, but not quite and doesn't feel like "home" quite yet. I know it will get there, but it's taking a long time, feels like. Gotta run, children are making ominious noises in the bathroom...
 
#5 ·
I am so there with the tiredness! I'm developing dark circles. Plus my poor legs and feet can't hold much more weight either, so they're giving out on me already. I made it to 7 months before they gave out last time... *whines*

I also understand wanting a built bed frame. We were on the floor the first 6 months or so that we lived here. We've only had a bed frame the last couple of months. It was a huge pain getting out of bed!!

I'm also curious about the ominous noises the children were making. Makes me snicker... my DD is always getting into some sort of trouble...
 
#4 ·
Well last pregnancy I expanded to humongous proportions (I gained 55 lbs) and developed an obscene amount of stretch marks. I also completely flattened out my belly button. When I say flat, I mean FLAT. My belly looked like an overturned pumpkin. In fact, I was considering painting it orange and taking a picture, lol. This pregnancy i'm already 35lbs at 27w2d. I've got what, 2 1/2 - 3 months left? Sheesh... Yeah i'll definitely have a flattie again this time.
 
#6 ·
Huh, I thought everyone got an outie. I'm jealous of the flatties out there!! :x

My main struggle isn't so much fatigue as ligament/pelvic pain. It feels like my joints have come apart and the ligaments are screaming every time I move or lift anything. I am wearing the support belt almost every day now and even though I hate it, it does help quite a bit.

I did accomplish one project yesterday. I painted a plain pine dresser we got from IKEA for the baby's clothes. Husband had already taken it out to the garage so all I had to do was paint. Took me alllll dayyyy! I'd do one coat and then come in and sit for an hour. Thinking about how I've zipped through other similar projects it sure was a reminder for how much I've slowed down.

Did get the dresser finished though. I painted the body a light tan and the dresser fronts a sky blue, then added brass drawer pulls. It'll match our room (which is where the "nursery" is) and then it's neutral enough to go anywhere after that.
 
#7 ·
@sidrajedi Thoughts on having a second child...I remember those same fears before my second son was born. It was helpful to me that I'd talked to other mothers who were open about the bonding experience being different for each child. Because, truth be told, it took me a few months to really "fall in love" with my second son.

I remember a few hours after my first son's birth feeling this dramatic wave of total adoration for him. Knowing absolutely that I'd literally die to protect him. When the second was born I kept waiting for that big flooding feeling...and waited....and waited. I think about two months after he was born I finally felt not so much "in love" but rather, deeply attached. He was a part of me and our family just as much as the eldest; he just had to grow into that role slowly instead of suddenly.

I was so glad other mothers had shared their experiences because otherwise I would've felt so guilty in the first weeks after he was born. Now, today, it makes no difference when I bonded with each baby. They're equally lovely and aggravating in their own way and I can't imagine a day without either one.

I'm kinda expecting a slow get-to-know-you experience with this third baby also. I believe that, for me, that overwhelming wave of love was about becoming a mother for the first time in general, and not particular to anything about that certain son in comparison to his brother.
 
#8 ·
@daisy8s thanks for sharing your experience. I took a few days to bond with my first. I was so scared that something would be/go wrong and it took me that long to relax and let myself become attached to her. I am sure this one will be the same.

I talked to DH a couple of times and I am starting to feel better. It's just baby jitters, like wedding jitters, and I know it will be okay but I am pretty insecure sometimes and I was not parented well so that makes me less confident sometimes. But DH is good at reminding me that I am a good mom when I talk to him about it so I just need to keep doing that.

I took a walk today via a visit to the zoo with DD. Then I slipped in and out of sleep on the couch while DD played with toys on the floor In front of me. Such was my day. My energy is low one day and then high the next. It's been great since it was just low energy day after low energy day up until last week. If everything goes well I will be having my first yard sale of the season this weekend.

I guess baby still has a bit of room to move around in bc I am feeling a ton of wiggling and rolling some days in the evenings. I have given up mapping my belly for now bc LO seems to be able to change position fairly easily still.

The heartburn is also coming and going. I started drinking ACV in water last week and sometimes it helps and sometimes it doesn't. If DD is any indication heartburn for me =/= a baby with a lot of hair so I can personally debunk that OWT. DD had some at birth but not much and her hair is fairly slow growing to boot.
 
#9 ·
I cant believe there are less than two months to go!!! When I'm by myself and thinking about it, I get nervous. Having this new human completely depend on me and completely changing our lives. Yeah...scary! No, maybe overwhelming is a better word! Like you said @sidrajedi , major baby jitters!

My belly button is normal-ish still. But my hips are starting to hurt when I sleep.

My parents arrive tomorrow, I turn 30 on Wednesday, my youngest sister graduates from university on Thursday, and we have our baby shower on Saturday! An exciting week coming up!
 
#10 ·
I really am so sorry that I haven't been around much ladies! My mind seems to be going a million miles all the time. But I have to chime in on the belly button - I was a total outie last pregnancy and was a very early outie again this time!

We had our 28 week appointment today, but I'm sure some of you ladies have 32 week appointments coming up :smile: I've actually been feeling really good. I'm trying to stay on top of the weekly chiropractor appointments and I really think it's making a difference! No swelling yet either (knock on wood).

We moved in with my parents a couple weeks ago after closing on our house and then somehow managed to find the perfect house a couple days later! We're waiting on the inspection and appraisal but if all turns out well, we're scheduled to close and move in June 29th!! That'll give me about 2 months to really nest and settle in and I am just so anxious to have it all done.

DS has taken the changes very well I thought but this last week he moved up to a new class at school. He just goes for half days on Monday, Wednesday and Friday so that I can go into work for a bit. He was always the type that I could drop off and he'd run away playing without even a second look but this last week he's taken to extreme reactions when he's being dropped off and picked up. Like crying, clawing to be held, even almost shaking.... My gut tells me something isn't right but could it be from all the change....? I think I'll have to have a talk with the director tomorrow because it's really been bothering me.

My 30th birthday is coming up and I'm not feeling it. DH has a big dinner planned and he surprised me by completely restoring my grandfather's 1970 Ford truck. I had no idea he was doing it but turns out I'm about as sharp as a butter knife when I'm pregnant! But I haven't even thought about what to do for his birthday (in August, he'll also be turning 30) and I feel guilty about it. I don't even know where to start or how to make it an amazing birthday for him... I really need to focus on that. Plus DS will be 2 in July and I haven't done a thing. So much to do, even without having to worry about a house right now!

Anyways, thanks for letting me ramble. I love that we can all come here and vent or update each other about our lives, or talk about whatever we want to :smile:
 
#11 ·
I've been rather miserable lately. I'm trying to keep up on walking but my body is less than cooperative lately. My feet are so swollen that they Don't even resemble my feet anymore. I keep thinking I have some other woman's feet. I've also already gained 35 lbs so far. I already look about ready to pop and I'm 28 weeks tomorrow. I gained 55 lbs with my last pregnancy. I did lose all of it though afterwards, but it took a little while. I started this pregnancy 15 lbs heavier than I did with my last and now I'm already weighing what I did at 9 months with dd. Needless to say my body isn't too happy with me. The sad part is I cook mostly heath food and we can't afford to eat out. I make most of our food from scratch, so I know all that I'm putting in. I guess I just have one of those bodies that likes extra padding for pregnancy. I wish I had a pretty petite belly though. I'm starting to feel like a beached whale.
 
#12 ·
Sounds like I'm not the only one feeling very pregnant and uncomfortable. I hit 30 weeks this week and I'm just feeling so heavy and slow. My belly button goes flat too. I wish it popped out! I think that is so cute.

I've been having this weird awful pain on and off for my whole pregnancy but it's been more frequent and intense lately. It's a sharp stabbing pain in my rectum. Sometimes it radiates into the front of my pelvis. It's very uncomfortable and tends to last anywhere from minutes to hours. It's been hours today and is not showing any signs of letting up. Any insight here ladies? I'm miserable.
 
#14 ·
@mamamash gosh I have no idea but that sounds awful. I do have extra soreness in that region. Mostly it's from occasional bouts of diarrhea. It comes and goes. No stabbing pains there. My stabbing pains are usually a result of referred pain from heartburn transferred into my upper back. Perhaps your pain is a form of referred pain? I also get pain in my teeth sometimes during heartburn. Referred pain is funny like that.
 
#15 ·
@Mamamash I've never heard of anything like that. Could it be baby lying on something from time to time? Like a nerve or something?
 
#16 ·
My belly button pops, but only because I have an umbilical hernia. Thankfully it is in the right place, so it looks "normal".
@funfunkyfantastic you have mentioned terrible heartburn...are you taking anything for it? I had terrible stuff, like waking up sputtering and gargling acid. I do take pepcid now and it is like a whole new non-acidy world opened up. I also started making and eating fermented foods regularly. It took about a week of regular consumption, but I notice that I don't have to medicate with an acid reducer near as much.
@clar5108 did you get any more info from speaking to the director? That is so hard, but yes, I say go with your gut and do some investigating.
 
#17 ·
I have found that, for me, heartburn is directly related to eating high-sugar foods. I always suspected high acid, as well as foods that relaxed the esophagus muscles (chocolate), but now I've connected it to high carb foods like ice cream or cake or pie.

I have no idea why this is, but since I've been tracking my blood glucose levels (due to gestational diabetes) I saw the strong correlation between high blood sugar after dinner and having heartburn at night. Go figure!

Thought this might be helpful to others, though.
 
#18 ·
I also noticed heartburn related to sugar/simple carb intake. I noticed it before pregnancy, like ten years ago, and I also noticed that it was stronger or came easier the lower quality of the carb or sugar (as in I eat a fun size snickers and get heartburn right after vs eating sweets I make at home for days before the heartburn starts to rise)

I eat and drink a lot of probiotic ferments and unsweetened homemade Kiefer is an instant heartburn reliever for me.
 
#21 ·
I eat and drink a lot of probiotic ferments and unsweetened homemade Kiefer is an instant heartburn reliever for me.
Good tip. I should try some of these foods. Can you name some for me? All I can think of is sauerkraut and I've read that some brands don't have the probiotic element because of the way they're manufactured.
 
#19 ·
@jojobean I was taking pepsid but it didn't work at all. Now i'm taking zantac and it sorta works. This time the heartburn was caused by my Cal/Mag supplement. I wanted to take it before bed to try to help with the swelling in my sleep and help me sleep better, but instead it gave me insane heartburn. I've had nothing but trouble with that supplement... it's the citrate. Yeah I know it helps it absorb better, but it sure does a number on my stomach and my heartburn!

In other news baby decided to kick my cervix quite hard a number of times in a row earlier. Now i'm having irregular contractions as my cervix is no doubt unhappy with the disturbance. So fun times. Hopefully they go away.
 
#20 ·
@jojobean
In other news baby decided to kick my cervix quite hard a number of times in a row earlier. Now i'm having irregular contractions as my cervix is no doubt unhappy with the disturbance. So fun times. Hopefully they go away.
Ugh, yes, this baby is head down and frequently seems to punch or head butt my cervix in some serious ways! It is SO uncomfortable. I keep trying to roll over to shift him/her but that doesn't always work.

And then the BH...and then the round ligament pain...

Some days are great and I get so much accomplished, but it seems like I always pay for it the next day. I just cannot fathom that I still have two more months to go.

I try to remind myself how awful the first trimester nausea was to be grateful that at least I'm not experiencing that anymore.
 
#23 ·
@daisy8s I am really lucky to know a farmer who makes his own lacto-ferments and to have a husband who makes kombucha and Kiefer at home. My "fermented farmer" makes sauerkraut with caraway seeds and he ferments a carrot peppers slaw with grape leaves to keep it crunchy. He also ferments jalape?o slices with garlic and green beans and kale and so many others. He uses whey (either from Kiefer grains or from raw soured milk). He makes Kiefer water too and it's really good but we don't often get it because DH makes kombucha.

DH has many gallons of different teas and we never want for kombucha ever. He has at least a gallon of Kiefer going at all times and we have a whey stash made from raw milk Kiefer that I use to inoculate nuts, oats, beans and anything else that might need awakening. I'm about to venture forth into my own lacto- ferments bc though we barter with kombucha its priced at $10/ 32oz jar so I might as well make it on my own.

You're right about the store bought ferments. Even brands like Bubbies and Wallaby and JT's Synergy, while live, have been neutered somehow to prevent fermentation in store.

We got our kombucha from the Happy herbalist (online) and have been making it our own since 2007. Our Kiefer and water Kiefer grains came from an individual in our community whom we met up with through contact in our local WAP chapter. There are often facebook groups where folks are giving away or selling extra grains and starters. Though I think the happy herbalist sells all of it plus stuff like caspian sea yogurt starter.

Kiefer is almost too easy to make. It only takes a day to ferment and it seems like we always have more than we need.
 
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#24 ·
@sidrajedi Thanks so much! I keep hearing about the health benefits but it seems daunting to jump in. We have a great health food store in town so I think I'll start there with the info you gave me to begin trying things.
 
#25 ·
@clar5108 thank you! It was wonderful! My husband took the day off from work and made a beautiful dinner for me and my family, who had just flown in! And best wishes for your upcoming birthday too!!

My family threw us a baby shower garden party yesterday. The weather was beautiful, surprisingly. (The day before was pouring rain all day and today is drizzly and overcast.) About 25 of our friends came and filled the garden. We had BBQ and dessert and it was great to see everyone. I was so overwhelmed with love and all the joy everyone felt...it was really great! I couldn't believe I didn't cry at all yesterday. Today though, looking through the guestbook and what people wrote and organizing all the presents, I started bawling :crying: :grin:

I'm sorry to hear everyone is not feeling 100%. I think that's why it's so great to be on this forum...to vent and share, and get tips and experiences from others, and that makes us all stronger!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!
 
#26 ·
Confession Time: I let my children think they're being sneaky even when I know what they're up to.

This just happened. It's mid-afternoon and my 8-yr-old (bored b/c brother is gone) acted all sweet and generous "tucking" me in for an afternoon nap. "Boy, you look tired. Think you might need a nap? Maybe for 30 minutes to an hour? Need the fan on, mom? Don't worry, I'll be real quiet downstairs while you sleep."

What is really happening is he is sneaking off for screen time that, while not exactly verboten, hasn't truly been earned yet today. And...the truth? I just don't care. I really am tired and I really do want a quiet nap.

I suppose this is bad parenting. But I'm just too tired to call him on it. I'm sure I'll return to my usual hard-ass self in about 6 months. My kids won't be completely ruined by then, right? I mean, husband still enforces all the rules when he's around.
 
#28 ·
Confession Time: I let my children think they're being sneaky even when I know what they're up to.

This just happened. It's mid-afternoon and my 8-yr-old (bored b/c brother is gone) acted all sweet and generous "tucking" me in for an afternoon nap. "Boy, you look tired. Think you might need a nap? Maybe for 30 minutes to an hour? Need the fan on, mom? Don't worry, I'll be real quiet downstairs while you sleep."

What is really happening is he is sneaking off for screen time that, while not exactly verboten, hasn't truly been earned yet today. And...the truth? I just don't care. I really am tired and I really do want a quiet nap.

I suppose this is bad parenting. But I'm just too tired to call him on it. I'm sure I'll return to my usual hard-ass self in about 6 months. My kids won't be completely ruined by then, right? I mean, husband still enforces all the rules when he's around.
Bahahaha. My 4 and 6 year olds do this now too, especially if I am cranky. "Mom, don't you think you should have a nap? We can just watch something on Papa's computer. We'll be very quiet. You can sleep!" Soooooo tempting. I also cave more often than I should. ;)

What's working for heartburn these days? I've been doing acv, but it's not enough! Almonds don't work for me either. Bah.

And, my furthest back molar, which has had a cavity we can't afford to fill in it for *years*, sort of fell apart on Sunday. There's a hole in it. It's not huge or anything, but it's alarming, and it hurts. I didn't have a single cavity, in my entire life, until I had my first child. I swear children have ruined my teeth. Anyway, dentist tomorrow, and I'm a little anxious. I suspect things have no progressed to root canal stage, and lidocaine crosses the placenta, so freezing isn't really safe. Then there are the x-rays they're going to want to do. I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's tempting to just have it pulled. We don't have coverage, and we certainly don't have the cash lying around for this. But, I also don't think I'd be able to hack an extraction without anesthetic. Ah! Help?!

Oh, and my baby is OP, and I have a significant distasis, and whoa, the movement is INSANE. Very cool, but a bit crazy too. I find myself pushing back at this poor kid with a fair bit of pressure, just to counteract what he's doing to me from the inside! I love baby movement. <3
 
#27 ·
Daisy8s: I started making my own ferments. I don't use any whey, just about a tablespoon of salt or so for kraut, and the same if I am making a brine for other veggies. Our favorite so far is broccoli slaw. It gets very tart fairly quickly. I actually crave ferments daily now.
 
#29 ·
Hah, yeah I cave on the TV sometimes too because it keeps my 6 yo out of my hair. Mostly I use it to keep her from pestering me while I cook dinner though. Right now she's an only child when she was one of 4 at her dad's house. She is re-learning to self entertain. When she was 3 and younger this was not a problem. Well.. she'll have a little sister to entertain her soon enough. Hah.
 
#30 ·
I remember not being able to sleep with my older boys but it's not true of this pregnancy. I think I could fall asleep anywhere, anytime.

I'm focused on getting plenty of iron in foods plus in prenatals so it's not anemia. It's just being pregnant.

I'm so tired I went back to sleep after the fire alarms went off in the wee hours (backstory: they have a history of doing this when it's humid, we're kinda used to it). Husband got up to check and I just zonked right back out. Unheard of because the adrenaline rush alone would've kept me up the rest of the night, usually.

So, yeah, when I'm tired the boys are getting away with murder. But, on the other hand, they're stepping up doing all kinds of extra chores I can't do anymore so I guess it all equals out.

I took them to the pool today and kept reminding myself to enjoy every minute that I did not have to watch a baby or toddler. I could sit in the shade reading and totally not care about my kids...given that they're both good swimmers and there are a bazillion lifeguards and the pool wasn't crowded. This time next year it'll be a whole different story!
 
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