Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[FrekeChild]

Thanks, Lizzy. Did you get it after 20 weeks, or before? I'm so worried that I got it too early, everything I can find about it says that it's recommend after 20 weeks, but I had it today at 16 weeks.

And holy rotten pickles does it hurt! I wish I had known it would hurt, I would have gotten it on my right arm. I got it on my left, and I can only sleep on my left side lately.

Haven, I didn't get it while I was pregnant, but I got it the day after I gave birth and HOLY MOTHER OF ALL THAT IS, PAIN! I also had a weird reaction to it where I got a hot hard lump in my muscle that was about the size of a golf ball at the injection side that took about a month to go away. That was more traumatic than everything else now that I think about it...

I hope it goes away soon!

 

[amc80]

Yay mayerling!!! Good luck!!

Well, I ended up in L&D last night. My back and bowel area hurt so much that I couldn't even sit down by 5pm. I was also having some irregular but really strong contractions. My doc is out of town (which I knew) so I had to see the on-call doc. He basically said that because they aren't regular there's no need for me to be there. Which is annoying since my OB lectured me at my last appt for not going in when I had contractions. I guess the difference is at this point, they wouldn't do a whole lot to stop labor, other than a shot of turb (terb?)...since I'm already on the contraction meds. He tried to blame the contractions on the heat and dehydration, but the nurse said my pee was perfect and I'm fully hydrated. I am glad we went though, since now I know there's no point in going in until contractions are regular and frequent. Things seem to be settled down today. I can actually sit down so that's an improvement.

(sorry for typos, I'm on my phone)

 

[PetitiePoire]

AMC- I just saw your post and update but thought I'd comment. I had the same pains and feelings the three days before having her. I went to L&D Tuesday and was sent home and had her Wednesday. Keep an eye on it. When I went wednesday it was for monitoring and I was only 2cm, same pains, not worse and they admitted me.

Mayerling- good luck!!

AFM-
Still in the hospital so birth story still isn't typed up.

 

[missrachelk]

Hi Ladies!

quick question tonight - back sleeping - is there any way to make it safer? I am regularly still sleeping on my back (as well as both sides - lots of moving around in the night) but on my back with pillows under my legs is one of my preferred positions. I'm wondering as I approach 3rd tri rapidly (where did the time go!??) if I need to change my positions. I'm wondering if you are propped up with several pillows (sort of like you are in a hospital bed with the adjustable back) if back sleeping is then OK? I know I should ask my midwife too but figured you ladies usually have the answers : )

I'm also considering getting a snoogle or some other special pillow - any raves for them / did not like? I've been doing well with an 'arm pillow' and a 'leg pillow' in addition to my main head pillow.

 

[mayerling]

Quick post to say that I had my son last night. I'll be back with more in a few days when I leave the hospital.

 

[Dandi]

Yayyy!!! Congratulations mayerling! Can't wait to 'meet' your spunky little guy!! Hope you're recovering well!

 

[PetitiePoire]

Congrats Mayerling!!!

 

[amc80]

<null>

Snoogle!! It's amazing. DH and I fight over it because he loves it too. He mainly uses it now, since at this point even the snoogle doesnt help much. Plus it doesn't help with me being really hot all night. But it is super comfy.

As far as sleeping on your back- I'm under the belief that once its harmful you'll naturally stop doing it. I slept on my back until I couldnt do so comfortably anymore (as in couldn't breathe). I was also told by my OB that if you end up on your back and it's causing issues, you'll wake up. So I wouldn't worry too much.

Mayerling, congrats!!

 

[amc80]

<null>

Thanks for this! I'm definitely keeping an eye on it. I couldn't sleep last night and each time I got up to pee my back (and pressure down there) was worse and worse. It feels a little better this morning but I'm really trying to relax. Apparently over doing it and/or not sleeping really affects me. DH made me promise that I wouldn't do anything today, no cleaning, no projects. I'm mostly keeping my promise. I'm also on the lookout for any other signs- like a mucous plug or any other weirdness down there.

 

[PilsnPinkysMom]

Mayerling, TONS of congratulations headed your way! Sounds like you had a good 24 hours in the hospital before you LO arrived, so I hope you're resting and spending lots of time snuggling with your son.

 

[monkeyprincess]

Whoa, I'm a little behind! Congratulations to all the new mamas - PP, Sugar, and Mayerling! Hope you are all doing well, and I can't wait to hear more and see pics!

 

[JGator]

Congratulations to Mayerling!

 

[Haven]

Congratulations, Mayerling!

 

[stephbolt]

Congratulations Mayerling, welcome to your little man!

 

[lizzyann]

Congrats Mayerling!!!!

 

[lliang_chi]

Mayerling, congratulations! Hope your little prince is every bit as precious as you've been anticipating

Lizzy, OMG girlfriend, you're coming up!!!!

 

[amc80]

I woke up today with more of the same stuff going on- cramping, back ache, pressure. I called my doc and they had me go in. I'm just barely dilated (not a 0, not a 1) but am 70% effaced. The head is "still floating" so he hasn't dropped. They monitored me and decided I have an irritable uterus. The silver lining is I got a note to work from home. My boss is fine with it but he still has to talk to the manager. The alternative is I continue to work and have the baby sooner, and that's not really in anyone's best interest.

So, talk to me about effacement. I know you can be dilated for weeks or months without much happening. Does effacement work the same way?

 

[lizzyann]

AMC, what a crazy rocky road you have had! I hope things calm down for at least a little while longer!

LC, I know it! Can you believe it??!! Sometimes i can't believe that I have come this far. It started out so rough but here I am at a little over 37 weeks!

AFM, I am 37w3d! Getting close! I had my weekly appt on Friday and I need all of your opinions. I was so anxious from all of it and I am still not 100% cooled down. So I go in and the nurse does my blood pressure, urine, weight, etc. And as she is about to bring me to my room, she says to me "So you must be getting excited for HIM to come?" I probably had the most shocked annoyed look on my face. She immediately says in a calm manner and looks at my chart "Or shall I say he or she?" She said "Sorry I always just say him or he" She also said that she gives me so much credit for waiting to find out the sex and started asking me about the nursery. So I felt that it was not a slip up. But then when I got home from my appt and started telling my mom and DH they felt that she may have slipped. So I panicked (typical 37 week crazy prego lady) and called the office to talk to the head nurse. I mean...come on...I have waited 37 weeks and if this is how I find out - I would be so pi$$ed off! The head nurse was very sweet about the whole thing. She said that if sex is a surprise, the u/s tech is advised to not write it anywhere in the chart. But she said that if I had time to wait on hold, she would pull my chart and look through it to see if there is any sign of the sex of the baby. So I waited for a bit. She came back and said it is not in there and that she even looked thru my u/s pics and there were no pics that showed sex of baby. What do you all think? I feel much better about it but I kind of feel that my surprise was still ruined just by that nurse saying that. I totally get that the baby could be a boy, but I loved the suspense feeling and I just couldn't wait for that special moment. I will probably talk to my doctor about it at this weeks appt too. Thoughts?

 

[amc80]

Lizzy- I think it was a generic "he." The nurses at my OB's office have no idea what I'm having. I will refer to him as he and they say "oh, it's a boy?" I really don't think they know or care...since their priority is a healthy mom and healthy baby. Baby's sex is secondary.

 

[sunnyd]

I'd say it was generic, too. I used to say 'he' all the time before we found out it was a girl. If it's not written on your chart anywhere, I think you're safe in the dark still!

Congrats Mayerling! Can't wait to hear your story!

AMC I hope these last few weeks treat you well. It's been a rough one, eh? Oy!

AFM, feeling hot and heavy (but not the good kind!) and I have a fatty varicose vein popping out in my right calf. It was always there, but now it's turned bumpy. Crap. Guess I need to be sitting more?

I just realized I never really checked with my doctor about flying this weekend. I assume it won't be an issue since I'm still in 2nd tri (though late!). Anyone know if Alaska will give me grief about being pregnant? Do I need a note? I'll be 26w1d.

 

[lizzyann]

Thanks AMC and Sunnyd for the reassurance. TTC was such a journey of ups and downs along the way and for me and my DH the moment of finding out when the baby was born was something special we have been looking forward to. I'm trying to put that nurse's comment out of my thoughts.

SunnyD, I think you will be ok for travel. I traveled in my 23rd week and my doctor was more than fine with that. You may want to check your airlines website to be on the safe side but I believe airlines have issues if traveling in the last month.

 

[fleur-de-lis]

Sorry for the interruption, but an FYI for the fellow Pregger/Canaries: There has been a Level One (High Danger) recall by the USDA for Lysteria contamination; the affected products are often used in institutional settings, like cafeterias:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_042_2012_Release/index.asp

 

[JGator]

SunnyD, my doctor said I can travel up to 34 weeks. You should check the airline's website though. You may need a note from your doctor clearing you to fly and stating how far along you are in case they ask.

Lizzy, I think it was a mistake, and your surprise will still be there waiting for you. If you find out it's a girl in 3 weeks, we'll know for sure she had no idea what she was talking about.

 

[PilsnPinkysMom]

Mayerling: Still thinking about you and wishing only the best for your new family of three!

Lizzy: Hoorah on being term- the end is so close! What a long journey you've been on. With your son, did you go early, "on-time", or over? Any words of wisdom for relaxing and not stressing about when labor will begin? FWIW, I think the nurse probably did say 'he' and that it's true there are no indicators of baby's sex in your file. There's a 50/50 chance she's right, but it truly seems like she said it just to have something to say. Also, I doubt she took a thorough look at your chart before taking your BP. My nurses always check BP and weight, open up my chart, fill it in, and THEN peruse my pregnancy medical history.

Fleur: That's scary, but thanks for sharing the info. Be safe, everyone.

AMC: Tell your uterus to settle down! This has been quite a rollercoaster for you, I imagine. Your boss/manager had better be okay with you working from home... The alternative of having a baby early is worse for them (ie: You leaving work all-together, sooner than expected) I'm fairly certain effacement is the same as dilation in terms of it happening hours or weeks before labor begins. Regardless, take it easy. When will you be "term"?

AFM: Still here, still pregnant. Right about 39 weeks, give or take depending on which midwife you ask. Yesterday I was feeling crampy on and off. This morning I had a decent contraction whilst blow drying my hair. DH has Wednesday and Thursday off, so it'd be GREAT to go into labor then... not that I'm holding my breath. Today? Eh. I have a student coming over for a quilting lesson. Could be bad news if contractions pick up.

 

[amc80]

AMC: Tell your uterus to settle down! This has been quite a rollercoaster for you, I imagine. Your boss/manager had better be okay with you working from home... The alternative of having a baby early is worse for them (ie: You leaving work all-together, sooner than expected) I'm fairly certain effacement is the same as dilation in terms of it happening hours or weeks before labor begins. Regardless, take it easy. When will you be "term"?

They are cool with it! Got the okay yesterday. My uterus is a bit ridiculous- it seems at this point, any activity sets it off. This morning it feels much better, so apparently it "resets" itself during the night, ha. Oh, and working from home? Awesome. Love the 10 second commute from my bed to my couch I'm 35 weeks today, so only another 2 weeks I guess?

AMC I hope these last few weeks treat you well. It's been a rough one, eh? Oy!

Dude, no kidding!

 

[lizzyann]

Thanks JGator and PPM, I am feeling a lot better about the whole thing today. I actually got a phone call from the Nurse Practitioner today and she just wanted to follow up with me and tell me that there is no way the nurse knew the gender. She said she searched thru my file as well and nothing says the gender. She said there is a huge black bold section from the u/s technician saying you do not want to know the sex. So she told me not to worry at all. My surprise has not been foiled!

PPM, ah the joys of labor! With my DS, I went a week early at 39 weeks exact. My water broke but I had no contractions so they let me wait it out as long as I could without pitocin but then they needed to start me on it so that they could get him out sooner than later and avoid a c-section. Once they started the pitocin, I labored for 13 hours, including 4 hours of pushing. Labor is hard and I try not to think about it often. I keep telling my DH I can't wait for the baby to arrive, but I'll be honest I've had a couple restless nights thinking about how labor will go this time. My advice would be to focus on the baby arriving and not on the labor. The reality is that once you have your baby, all of that goes away mentally. In my case and in most of my friends, once the baby was out, I had little to no recovery time and little to no pain. My DS breastfed really well and I lost all of my weight quickly which gave me a huge boost of energy. You are so close now! I'll be thinking of you!

 

[amc80]

Just as an FYI- BRU will now price match. I called my store and they will even match amazon as long as the item is being sold from amazon.com directly and not a marketplace vendor. Good news!

 

[monkeyprincess]

PPM, wow, I didn't realize how close you are! Lots of dust that things start happening soon!

Lizzy, glad you feel better now. I agree with the others that it was just the nurse using a generic "he." There's a 50/50 shot she was right, though! We'll know soon enough. So excited for you that you that you are close to meeting your long awaited baby.

amc, glad to hear that you will be able to work at home for now. Stay hydrated and take it easy! When did you start having these contraction episodes again? Really hoping I don't have to worry about any contractions for a long time because I'm crazy busy at work for the foreseeable future!

Sunnyd, I don't think any of the airlines start restricing pregnant passengers at this point. They all have posted guidelines. I flew when I was about 24 weeks, and I kept making DH assure me that nobody would mistaken me for 9 months pregnant and demand a doctor's note. If you are at all worried, it wouldn't hurt to get a note from your doctor verifying your due date, but I doubt it will be a problem yet for you.

Rachel, I also have a snoogle, and for awhile I thought it was great, but lately, it's not doing much for me, and it gets a bit annoying whenever I need to flip over to my other side (which is too many times to count these days) because it gets all tangled up with the covers or my legs. I still use it though. I hate sleeping on my side because I feel like I'm either putting pressure on my hips or one of my shoulders or arms at all times. Cannot wait to go back to my stomach sleeping when the little man arrives! I would think you can probably keep sleeping on your back if you are propped up though....

Prana, welcome! Such a relief to be out of the first trimester isn't it?

AFM, nothing too exciting to report. Baby acquired quite the wardrobe when we traveled home to see my family last weekend. When we got back, my MIL had also gone on a huge shopping spree, so now I'm thinking we might have way too many clothes, especially in the 0-3 month range. My MIL is funny because one time she mentioned that her daughter (my SIL) wanted to dress her little boy in plaid and jeans so everyone knew he was a boy. I said that I actually preferred all the the little baby-ish sleepers and rompers and baby colors over the more mature looking clothing. She apparently interpreted that as me saying that wanted my baby to be dressed in blue at all times, so nearly everything she bought is baby blue! Plus, she bought several of the same outfits in multiple sizes. Too funny. At least she picked out cute things Also, I'm thinking my hips must be expanding all of a sudden because my groin is sore and I feel like I'm walking funny. Bring on the pregnancy waddle! I'm only 26.5 weeks, isn't it a little soon for that?!

Hope everyone else is doing well!

 

[PilsnPinkysMom]

A new-mommy friend shared this link with me. It's called "The Case Against Breast-Feeding," which is misleading... it's not a case against breast-feeding so much as a critical look at the positive research (and culture) surrounding BFing. It's worth a read.

And FWIW, I hope to establish a BF routine with my babe and plan to pump when I return to work. If it doesn't work out as planned I will be returning to this article to help easy my mommy guilt. My friend who shared the article had a very, very rough start to her nursing routine but is now exclusively BFing her 10 week old.

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/04/the-case-against-breast-feeding/7311/1/

 

[JGator]

PPM, I am totally with you. I am going to try, but if it doesn't work, I am not going to beat myself up over it. My sister has had 5 kids over 8 years and all of them BF for at least a year or two. On her first baby, I spent the first 3 weeks living with my sister helping her, and she did have some problems - the pediatrician was concerned about weight gain and told her to supplement with formula. My sister was emotionally wrecked about what that would do to her baby. At that point, I decided that I wasn't going to get that attached to the idea of breast feeding. With my sister's youngest who is 10 months old now, she had a hard time getting the baby to gain enough weight in the hospital so that the hospital would let them go home. My mom who BF us and is very pro-BFing stayed up with her all night for a couple of nights at the hospital trying to help her get the baby to catch on and eat enough to be allowed to go home. I know my sister was very frustrated, tired, at the end of her rope, etc. I don't plan to take it so personally as a failure on my part if it does not go smoothly and the baby needs formula for one reason or another.