Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[pancake]

Hi all,

anchor I feel like our pregnancies are just galloping along!

PP - regardless, not long to go Very excited for you and looking forward to "meeting" your little man!


I'm well, almost 23 weeks now and things are good. Baby is extremely active and is getting big/strong enough that it keeps me awake for a while in the evenings sometimes, she tends to be most active when I go to bed. Otherwise I'm pretty well. Doing Pilates twice a week is definitely helping with my SIJs and it's good to be getting a work-out too, especially as I feel so sedentary due to not being able to walk long distances without aggravating the SIJ! We're back into the swing of things after our holiday and I'm back at work. Plans for the renovations are drawn up, we're just finalising finishes etc and then works are set to commence in early to mid June, with a view to being finished hopefully 2-3 weeks before my due date! Argh!

Reflux has hit but it's not painful/acidic, just uncomfortable. From memory I think I had reflux from around this time last pregnancy as well, so it's not surprising.

 

[mia1181]

Tammy77- I don't know if you are still lurking around here but thanks for the info on PSD. I noticed you said it can hurt on one side at first. It's mostly the one side but I do notice that if I have been especially acitve the pain spreads to the other side and even down my leg a little. Not fun. Do you mind me asking how your doc examined you? I am wondering if I should ask my doc to check me at my next appointment. I will also ask about PT. It's really not that painful right now, but I am so worried about it getting worse as the pregnancy progresses and I get bigger.


Pancake- Thanks for the tips on PSD. Squeezing my legs together feels sooo good sometimes! I can't believe you are already 23 weeks! When did you notice the baby becoming more active? I've been feeling flutters for a while and the occasional jolt or kick here or there but still nothing consistent. I can't wait for more regular movement.


PP- You are almost there!!!! So so so excited for you (and totally jealous! ). I know what it's like hiding the phone from DD but please keep us posted when the big day happens!


Blacksand- Oh my gosh I can so relate to everything you posted. I seriously don't know what gets into women (especially on those other forums)! I call it trying to "out-mom" each other. It starts in pregnancy and continues into motherhood and it's so annoying. Women need to seriously get it together and start supporting each other because pregnancy, labor, delivery, parenting, whatever... they are not easy! You might get lucky and have the baby that pops out after 2 pushes, or having a baby who sleeps through the night from birth, or boobs that produce gallons of milk at a time, but it doesn't make you any better or stronger of a woman. Anyway, I can go on and on and on about this subject, it infuriates me!

Sorry your endo appointment was uneventful! Hopefully the nutritionist appointment goes better.


Claire- Haha re: PSD with a toddler! Luckily she walks now so I'm not carrying her as much. I do have to chase her around though, and when I do pick her up she is usually wrestling to get down so it is hard. I have always been a person that is pretty good about listening to my body. I like to challenge myself athletically, but I never push through when something feels wrong. If you are the same, I would say trust your body as far as how active you should be. Last pregnancy, I was super active and I hated when people told me I was doing too much, I knew my limits and definitely got my rest when I needed it. This time I just know I have to take it easier. I only swim now. The aquafit classes have been kinda lame but I try my hardest to make them challenging. Today I tried a new instructor and she was great though so I will prob only go to her classes from now on.

I also had tailbone pain last time from sitting at the office or driving for work. I got a pillow to sit on to relieve the pressure and it helped. Mine did go away at the end so hopefully yours will too.

Did you guys pick a name yet (you don't have to share it)? Is it Kanye or Kendrick? Haha! We are so stuck with names! We have a lot of time but I don't think our list is going to change and I'll just have to pick one in the hospital. Boo on huge baby comments! I got twins a lot last time and it's just so rude!




AFM, 18weeks today. I keep thinking I'm at 20 weeks, but no. Next week is the anatomy scan so I'm hoping to confirm boy and that everything looks great. I'm going to try and be a better poster and then I think I will prob have more to update!

 

[coda72]

Hi, everyone. Hope everything is going well, or as well as can be expected for everyone. PP, did you have your baby yet? You are very close! I'm 36 weeks exactly today, and had another growth scan. The baby looks to be weighing around 6 pounds, 7 ounces, so she is a good size. I am going to talk to my doctor this week to see if she wants to schedule an induction based on my age and the fact that I have GD. If I do get induced, it will most likely be the week of June 2, so I could be holding my baby in my arms in 3 weeks! I really am tired of being pregnant at this point. Between the evil crotch pain hitting me randomly, and my back pretty much always hurting, I am ready for the first week in June to get here. We finally finished the nursery, so that is no longer a worry. I still have a few things to get ready, but nothing major, so I feel pretty prepared.

 

[dani13]

Hi all first post here in awhile, I am almost 15 wks with babe #2!!! This pregnancy was very unexpected, as we weren't planning on TTC until the fall, but we consider ourselves blessed and are very much looking forward to having this little person in our lives! My son is almost 20 mths old, so he will be about 25 mths when LO comes. I was very nervous/ feeling guilty at first, but now that the news has set in well, I am doing ok. We had out initial testing, and so far so good, so we are very thankful. Looking forward to sharing with all of you as the weeks go by...

Hope you are all well!!

 

[JGator]

Congratulations Dani!

 

[anchor31]

Congrats Dani! Don't feel guilty, two years is a great age gap.

 

[brown_eyes]

Hi ladies!

It's been a while since I've updated, life and work have been busy and I have not been feeling great. To say I am ready to be done being pregnant and have this sweet baby in my arms is an understatement. Between pain, nausea, exhaustion, and chasing a toddler I feel like caring for a newborn might feel like a vacation. I'll be 36 weeks tomorrow and have an appointment today with a positional ultrasound. Very excited to see the little peanut one more time before his/hear arrival.

The nursery is.... painted. It is an empty room with a dresser right now, but i'm not expecting to have it done for at least a month or two after the peanut arrives. My parents are bringing a double bed to put where the crib will eventually go (if DD ever decides she is ready for her big girl bed). This will give my mom a place to stay so that she can help with our DD.

I spoiled myself and ordered a big, comfy, overpriced upholstered rocker from PB and cannot wait to sit in it with my two little ones. Unfortunately I had a hard time pulling the trigger because of the price, so it wont be here until about a month after my due date (unless they ship it unusually quickly).

Other than that just trying to get all the last minute things done. We've got a crazy schedule between now and our due date with no free weekends, so time should fly by and the baby will be here before we know it!

Sorry for the me-centric post. I promise to properly post in the next day or so.

 

[anchor31]

Hello everyone! Another week gone, which puts me at 24w. I've been taking half a prenatal vitamin caplet instead of a full one and it really helps and doesn't make me sick anymore. We planted our vegetable garden today, I hope it grows!

How's everyone?

 

[anchor31]

Oh, and I forgot to say: We picked a name! DH looked over my list again, picked his two favourites and then asked our four-year-old Jacob which one he preferred. So our little guy will be named Benjamin Michael G. Has anyone else picked names?

 

[PetitiePoire]

Pancake- Mine seems to be most active at night as well. I'm guessing the daily movements lull him to sleep. I'm happy to hear pilates is helping with the pains. That must be a relief. Good luck on the renovations! We've been doing random home projects for the last few months. The nesting/get things done instinct kicks in full force towards the end.

Mia- Yay for being near the half way point! Good luck with your anatomy scan. We had a name picked out when I was pregnant with DD, so DH is stuck with that name. I'm not fully convinced, so am taking a wait and see him approach. That said, I did make a shirt with his monogram, using that name, so I'm guessing it will be that name in the end anyways! haha

Coda- You have all of my sympathy!! I am soooo ready for this baby to make an appearance! The last few weeks have been rough and to make matters worse, I've convinced myself each day why he should come... then he doesn't and I feel a slight disappointment. The problem with that is that I'm not even at my due date yet! I pray the next 3 weeks pass quickly for you- I know how challenging the last few weeks are/can be just waiting!

Dani- Congrats on #2. DD and baby will be 22 months apart here, so I think you've got a nice age gap!

Browneyes- Enjoy the rocker! You will be spending lots of time in it, so the price/time will even itself out! I'd like to add a rocking recliner in our living room, only because I know how much time is spent feeding/rocking! I hope your ultrasound went well! I'm jealous of everyone getting to see their LO recently.

Anchor- Did you try the gummy prenatal vitamins? They're the only ones that don't make me sick. I'm glad to hear you picked a name and how exciting for your 4 year old to have helped.


AFM- 39w5d. As I mentioned to Coda, I'm slightly disappointed with each day that passes that I don't have this baby. I had my membranes stripped at my 39 week appointment and considering I was 3cm I really thought I would have had him this week. I guess it is really true that it only works when your body is ready. With DD I had it done just before 41 weeks, but only 1cm, so it's mentally confusing for me. Oh well. Soon enough. I have an appointment scheduled for Tuesday. I'm guessing we will talk about induction,etc at that appointment. I'm trying to stop focusing on the contractions as they don't seem to ever get to "the ones" that will help him arrive. I try to keep positive and remember I'm not due *yet* so it's ok that it wasn't this week and any day will be a good day for him to come. 2 more days until due date!

Does anyone comment to you about being out and about while pregnant? I constantly get comments or people amazed that I'm still participating in luncheons, meetings, bbqs, etc. I really don't understand. I'm just pregnant- it's not a disability! Yes, I look like I'm having twins or that I'm over due, but it doesn't mean I want to stay home all day.

 

[anchor31]

PP - Oooh, I remember being there and being sooo impatient! J was born at 39w6d, so I'm sending labour dust for the next 24 hours!! Re: My supplements - The ones I bought have a lot of iron in them (35mg), so my OB recommended I tried half a tablet and see what happens. It's working so far, so I'll keep going instead of spending more $$$ on new ones. If it gets worse again I'll switch. But thanks for the recommendation!

 

[MuffDog]

Hi all first post here in awhile, I am almost 15 wks with babe #2!!! This pregnancy was very unexpected, as we weren't planning on TTC until the fall, but we consider ourselves blessed and are very much looking forward to having this little person in our lives! My son is almost 20 mths old, so he will be about 25 mths when LO comes. I was very nervous/ feeling guilty at first, but now that the news has set in well, I am doing ok. We had out initial testing, and so far so good, so we are very thankful. Looking forward to sharing with all of you as the weeks go by...

Hope you are all well!!

CONGRATS girl!!! So awesome

 

[PetitiePoire]

PP - Oooh, I remember being there and being sooo impatient! J was born at 39w6d, so I'm sending labour dust for the next 24 hours!! Re: My supplements - The ones I bought have a lot of iron in them (35mg), so my OB recommended I tried half a tablet and see what happens. It's working so far, so I'll keep going instead of spending more $$$ on new ones. If it gets worse again I'll switch. But thanks for the recommendation!

Thank you! I'll probably need some dust for more than 24 hours! At 39w6d now and I don't feel it happening today.
I had monitoring the day DD was born, so I was scheduled to go in that morning anyways. I had some back pain a few days before, but it wasn't until mid-monitoring that the contractions started, so I have no idea what it will be like at home. Will the contractions just start out of the blue or will it be like DD with 3 days of on/off back pain before? You'd think the second time around I'd have it together!

 

[brown_eyes]

Anchor - so glad you figured out the prenatals so that they don't make you feel so sick. Congrats on choosing a name!

PP - Ugh! I know you are ready to be holding your sweet little one in your arms. I'm hoping that labor kicks in for you soon. If not, then I hope you are getting some time to relax before the baby arrives. I am feeling impatient already at 36w5d so I totally feel you!

AFM - ultrasound on Tuesday went well. Baby is measuring great and is head down. My doc managed to get a look at everything she wanted to look at without seeing the gender. She predicted a 7.5 lb baby which is about what my daughter was. She also checked me and I was 2cm dilated already. She told me it doesn't really mean anything, but I know that my new found impatience is because I feel like it could be any day and I am SOOOOOO ready to be done being pregnant. I got to a point at work where I feel like I could have the baby and everyone would be fine. I also tied up most of the loose ends at home as far as prepping for the baby. All I really have left to do is charge up the cameras and pack my hospital bag (doing that tonight). Next appointment is tomorrow so we'll see if I've progressed any. Been having painful contractions irregularly the last couple of weeks, but they are happening more frequently now. Never had that with DD, the first painful ones I had were the real deal. So ready to have this precious baby in my arms!

 

[Clairitek]

Pancake- Thanks for the advice about dealing with the PSD! I am so bad about pushing my knees together when I’m transitioning positions. Have you detailed your renovations here? I love hearing about house stuff since I don’t currently own. Glad things are moving along there!

PetitePoire- Fingers crossed you don’t go to 41 weeks with your son! Great that you’re already 3 cm dilated! Sorry that you’re feeling let down that given that info he’s not here yet. I haven’t gotten any comments yet about being out while being so pregnant since I’m only 27 weeks (haha “only”) but given that I’ve received a few “he’s going to be so big!” comments I’m guessing I’ll be hearing it. But you’re right! It’s not a disability! Just pregnancy! Women have done it since the beginning of humanity!

Mia- I’m still considering trying AquaFit here. I always feel just fine after swimming so I know it’s good for me. Just finding the time to want to go to the gym at all is challenging! Looking forward to hearing the results of your anatomy scan this week!

Coda- Curious to hear what your doctor will say about induction. Crazy that you’re possibly less than 3 weeks away! Sorry to hear that your back is in constant pain. You’re almost there!

Dani- Welcome!! Congrats on your second baby!

Brown_eyes- Glad you treated yourself to a great rocker! You’re almost there! Sounds like you’re nearing the finish line with more frequent contractions! Get that bag packed now! Congrats on feeling settled at work and in your home regarding being prepared for baby to arrive. That must be a nice feeling.

Anchor- Glad you and DH agreed on a name! And cute that Jacob helped. Benjamin was in the top 5-10 of our list but isn’t our end selection. I do love it! Glad you’re not feeling so sick over the vitamins anymore.

AFM- 27w1d here. I wised up and started going a LOT lighter at the gym in my class and you know what? My PSD has mostly left the building and my back and hip pain is greatly reduced. I am ashamed it took me this long to stop overdoing it. I knew I shouldn't overdo it and I was ignoring that reason anyway and pretending like it had no effect on my pain levels. I've had fairly frequent reflux. Tums mostly help but they don't quite eradicate it all together. At the pace it's increasing I may need a more powerful solution for it in the coming weeks.

We completed our one big "nursery" project this weekend. I was about to go to Home Depot and buy boards to construct some storage in our bedroom when I saw an ad on Craigslist where someone was selling precisely what I was about to build for 1/4 of the price! In fact, what she was selling was a huge upgrade because her set came with drawers and sliding wire baskets! So now we have two 2'x7' closet towers mounted to our bedroom wall with two hang rods in between! All I had to do clean them up a bit and install the drywall anchors for the brackets to be secured. I've already moved all of my stuff out of the walk-in/baby's room and we are going to set up the crib when we get a chance. I have a very busy 3 weeks ahead of me with a trip to Philly for my East Coast baby shower and a wedding, then to Vegas for the PS GTG, right up to Seattle for a conference and then to Portland for a big birthday thing for DH. I'm thankful we took it easy the last two weekends. We have one more plane trip scheduled after this run of 4 trips and it'll be an easy-going weekend so I'm not too worried.

I managed to take my 1 hr glucose test over a week ago and haven't heard anything so I'm assuming I passed. Guess I'll find out for sure at my appointment tomorrow morning.

We decided on a name but DH wants to keep it private until he's born. Turns out we had the same #1 choice so it made life fairly easy there. No middle name as of now. SInce he gets a hyphenated last name we aren't sure we want to add to the length but if something really draws us in then perhaps we will use it. I suggested my MILs maiden name but DH doesn't like it as a middle name.

 

[mia1181]

Hi, everyone. Hope everything is going well, or as well as can be expected for everyone.

Coda- Bahahaha the above quote had me LOLing! Ain't it the truth when it comes to pregnancy?! Your plan to induce at 39 weeks sounds reasonable. I've heard 39 weeks is the magic number where the baby is most likely to be ready so good luck! It'll be here before you know it!


Dani- Welcome and congrats! 2 years is such a good gap! Our gap is only 19 months if it makes you feel any better. I feel like it's perfect for us, but I do have those moments of panic of how we will get through it. This is likely our last, so I do find comfort in the fact that once we are done with the baby/toddler phase, we will be done for good! And then they can grow up to be buddies and we can do older kid stuff without anyone being left behind (I can't wait to go to the movies as a family!).


Brown Eyes SO CLOSE! I know the 2cm might not mean anything, but painful contractions are a good sign! Hope they pick up steam soon! You are going to love your cushy glider! I swear by them! I'm only a little sad that I just realized that I probably won't get to spend as much time hanging in ours with baby #2, as I did with O. I will have to figure out some activities that will keep O in her room while I feed the new baby. Get that bag packed lady, maybe that is what baby is waiting on!


PP- Good luck at your appointment today! I have my fingers crossed that they won't let you go home because you are in labor. I am just as worried as you about how the second labor is supposed to go. I read a lot for my first labor, but I think I should do some research on how second labors go. You are almost holding your baby! I am sooooo super jealous! I want to be at the end too! Even though I know how hard it can be once you've passed that due date. Sometimes being at the end is the hardest! Good plan on not worrying about the contractions too much. That was my downfall last time. I wasn't sleeping good because every braxton hick contraction would keep me up thinking "is this the one?"


Clairetek- I'm glad your PSD has improved. Just give aquafit a try! If we lived closer I'd go with you. My classes really depend on the teacher. But I found a teacher who is totally ripped and wow, what a workout! She had us treading water for several minutes and running across the pool. I am pretty much in love with her now! When I'm not doing aquafit, I'm swimming laps. It's not easy to get to the gym with O's schedule but I do it because it's pretty much all I can do anymore.

So am I understanding correctly that you are using your walk in closet for the baby? That's awesome! I wish we had a walk in! Our master bath has sinks on one side and closets on the other. We could fit the pack and play, but we wouldn't have much room to walk by and it would be a pain to get to our clothes. Last time we just pushed the bed over and set up the pack and play in the corner between the bed and wall. I am going to see if there is a better way to arrange all the furniture in our room so it feels less crowded this time.

Yay for all that travel coming up! I am trying to talk DH into going somewhere before baby comes, but we'll see. We still have a few things to buy like a double stroller, so maybe that's a better use of our money.




AFM, 19w4d here. Ugh! Almost halfway, but that means I have 20 more weeks to go! I am on a self-imposed bed rest today because I overdid it yesterday (all day outing to the mall with DD). I'm really sore from PSD and I think I'm sleeping in weird positions. I mean, I generally feel pretty good, but I guess I am more prone to pushing myself too far this pregnancy. I have the same aches and pains as last time, but last time I had a job. I was pretty much sitting at a desk, driving, or sitting in client homes telling therapists what to do. But now I have shopping, and housework, and toddler-chasing and 10x the laundry and on and on. So I don't think this pregnancy is any worse, I just think I am not as able to take care of myself like I used to. DH has been so good at making me rest though. I feel bad because he works 2 jobs (a "9-5" and his own side business when he gets home) but then he's telling me to go relax while he washes the dishes. So I'm trying to do my resting when he is at work so that I can be functional when he gets home. It's hard though because DD and I usually stay pretty active and are on the go during the day.

Enough complaining though. We had the anatomy scan and it's definitely a boy! More importantly, everything looked good and healthy! I was really nervous because as some of you know, my brother and his wife got very tragic news at their anatomy scan. So I'm just feeling incredibly lucky and happy!

We have a name, I think. Maybe. It was on our list but it has really grown on me recently. I haven't decided if I will share here it since I haven't shared O's name. There is also another name that I love more than this name but DH hates it. I'm trying to warm him to the potential other name but I don't think it's happening.

I think I may have too much newborn clothes already! I have been picking things up, here and there without paying too much attention to what I already had. Plus, we are using anything of DD's that can pass as close-enough to gender neutral. I just did a count and would say we have the first month or so of his life covered! I have a few 0-3 and 3-6 month items but I think I will wait to see what the weather is like and what we will need. October is kind of a weird time here in SoCal. It could still be hot, or it could be getting cooler. Also, with O, we stayed inside a lot, so it didn't really matter what the weather was like outside. But DS will be going along on O's playdates etc so I'm sure we will have to dress him differently.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Mia, so glad the anatomy scan went well!! I've been keeping an eye out for your update and confirmation of boy! We were told we were having a boy at 12 weeks, then turns out she was a girl It will be so much fun to have one of each! And I think the timing will be great. Dani, that goes for you too! We agreed to a 2 - 3 year gap and it worked out to be 2 years almost to the day. If anything, I wouldn't have minded them a little closer in age.

PP, definitely thinking of you since it could be any minute! I was also really active right up to the end (as you know, you have no choice when you have a toddler). I got lots of comments. I got even MORE comments after having the baby. After getting home from the hospital I had playdates. I had to go to the grocery store. To Target. Everybody acts shocked when you're out with a newborn, but you can't keep your toddler stuck in the house for weeks. Sending you lots of labor dust!!!

Good luck to all of you ladies!

 

[Clairitek]

Mia- You read right! We are putting him in the walk-in closet. It's just barely wide and deep enough to get the crib in there and be able to close the door. It's a space next to our sink area and it shares a wall with our kitchen so we might have to be selective about when we run the dishwasher. Our second bedroom is downstairs in the furthest possible corner from our bedroom and we think we will be having a lot of grandparent visits so we would like to be able to have a proper room for them to sleep in. That way if I need to be on the couch feeding in the night I won't be disturbing someone sleeping. Now that we've shifted all of our things out of the walk-in and moved all of the baby stuff we have so far (our entire cloth diaper stash and enough clothes for 0-3 months and maybe more than that) I think we will be able to fit comfortably into the space we have made for him.

Sorry to hear that your PSD persists but glad that the AquaFit class is making you feel like you're getting a (pregnancy safe) workout! My DH is the same way regarding getting me to rest in the evenings. Then again, my job involves a LOT more time on my feet than his does so maybe that's part of it. Sounds like you and your DH are very understanding of each other's needs and are very accomodating to the circumstances.

WONDERFUL news that your son is looking healthy and that you have confirmation!

AFM- Since I just posted yesterday I don't really have much to say besides that I found out that I passed my glucose tolerance test and that my bloodwork showed slight anemia. I've been on the gummy prenatals (which don't have iron) so it looks like I need to switch back to the hard pills with iron supplement. My OB didn't seem alarmed and felt like switching back to the other ones would be enough for me to fix the problem. Something tells me I have another blood test in my near future to recheck that.

 

[anchor31]

I hope Petite Poire is holding her baby right now!

 

[PilsnPinkysMom]

Drive by to share that we're having a BOY! Eloise will have a little brother. Deep down I was hoping for a second daughter, but initially I wanted Eloise to be a boy (and was horribly upset to find she wasn't), but now I can't imagine it any other way... so I know that having a boy this time around will be absolutely wonderful! I'm just cheap and hoped to reuse our girly clothes

16w6d. Time is slowly, slowly passing. Hope everyone is is well, and that PP has welcomed her babe!

 

[blacksand]

mia and PPM… CONGRATS to both of you on your little boys! I am thinking more and more that my LO will be a boy, too, but time will tell.

PP, anxiously awaiting your update! Can't wait for baby news!

Coda and brown_eyes, so close! Anxiously awaiting your updates as well! Looks like we'll have a baby boom here very soon!

Sorry to anyone I missed. I have some catching up to do; it's been a while.

AFM, 33 weeks tomorrow. Gestational diabetes owns my soul and consumes my every waking moment, so that's pretty much it. My numbers were crazy at first. Then I got them under control by eating VERY strictly and exercising after every meal. My endo was happy with my numbers at my last appt. last Tuesday, did not mention insulin, and did not want to see me again for three weeks. I was thrilled. But now my fasting numbers, which were great before, are climbing and climbing, and it seems like there's just nothing I can do about it. I'm working my butt off here and it's so frustrating that I just can't control my fasting. My post-meal numbers are great now. Low, even. But I dread waking up every morning now, knowing that my fasting number is going to be high and will put me in a crappy mood for the rest of the day. It is really all-consuming and I just cannot enjoy one second of this pregnancy. It has basically sucked from start to finish. I am now officially terrified to have more children after this. And I am equally depressed at the thought of having only one child. I see no happy options. I've been reading about how gestational diabetes may be linked to postpartum depression, and I don't doubt it for a second. I talked to my husband about it, and we are prepared to get help if needed. For now, I am trying to take baths, listen to classical music, do yoga, anything to take my mind off of this. But it's only for a few hours, until I have to check my blood sugar again. Sigh. Now our landlords are talking about putting our house on the market in July. I'm due July 11th. Can we PLEASE not have to deal with moving in the midst of all this? Like PLEASE? We have been talking about buying our house from the landlords for several years now. We just can't qualify for a mortgage right this moment, because I just finished grad school and student teaching and thus have not been working. So now I am applying for teaching jobs like crazy. I'll be going on interviews with my giant baby belly, making an awesome impression I'm sure, and desperately trying to find a job for September, whereupon I'll be leaving my two-month old baby and jumping into a brand new career. I was hoping to take a little more time off to be with the baby, but now I really can't, because our only hope of staying in the house is me finding a job stat so we can hopefully buy the place before someone else does. Meanwhile, I feel silly decorating the nursery, because it looks like it may not be ours for much longer.

I just keep thinking that it will all be worth it when I finally get to hold my baby for the first time. It will, right?

 

[JGator]

Blacksand, it will most definitely be worth it when you have your baby! I feel for you though. You have been through a lot, and the house uncertainty and job search at this time has to be adding to your stress and anxiety greatly. Ask your landlords if they can cut you a break and delay the home sale for a year or so. The GD will be behind you in a few weeks. Hopefully, you will not get PPD, but you are prepared and it is something you can deal with if it happens. Also, maybe you can set a start date a little later and the mortgage people can use your offer letter to help qualify you for a loan if it comes to that. Has yoga helped at all? It really helped me with some anxiety and panic attacks I was having during my pregnancy. Take deep breaths - you are almost there Momma! Hugs to you.

 

[coda72]

Hi, everyone. Hope everyone is taking pregnancy well this week.

PP-lucky you, you might be one of the ones already done with pregnancy. I look forward to your update with your birth story!

Anchor-It's great you came up with a name. I know I got more excited once we were able to call our baby by her name instead of just the baby.

Brown_eyes-almost due date partner, maybe you'll be lucky enough to deliver early. I'm still hoping that for myself!

Dani-congrats on the pregnancy!

Clairitek-congrats on completing your nursery project. Sounds like you have some great trips planned. I know ever since I found out I was pregnant, I haven't wanted to travel at all despite being a pretty frequent traveler prior to pregnancy. Once I have the baby, I want us to start traveling again.

Mia-congrats on finding out you're having a boy, and that's great you came up with a name too.

PPM-ditto on the having a boy! I know my hubby was pretty disappointed we're not having a boy, since he has no boys, but he got over it.

blacksand-sorry to hear about your struggles with GD. I know for me, once I got the hang of the diet, I found it not too hard to keep my blood sugars under control. I hope you find it a little easier at some point. Also, don't beat yourself up over the fasting number being high. That's not something you can control. Your doctor may suggest putting you on medication just at bedtime to try and keep that number in check. Taking medication once a day isn't so bad. Also, just because you have GD this pregnancy, you may not have it in subsequent pregnancies. I'm just so sorry to hear that you're still taking it so badly. It is a hard thing to deal with, and I'm surprised I have dealt with it as well as I have, but for once I was the optimist, and it's working for me. I have gained no weight since the diagnosis, and I'm pretty happy with that. Having only 16 pounds of pregnancy weight is not a bad thing. Plus it's helped me eat a lot healthier. I have a terrible sweet tooth, but now that I've had to rein it in, it's not as hard as I thought to not eat the cookies, cakes, and candies that I used to eat. In fact, I plan on trying to stick to a version of this diet after I'm done with this pregnancy to lose the pregnancy weight plus about 10-15 pounds I needed to lose prior to getting pregnant.

AFM-Still chugging along here at 37 and a half weeks. I spoke to 2 of my doctors regarding induction at 39 weeks, and surprisingly they're not in favor of it. Since my GD is under control, they want me to try and go into labor on my own. The one doctor did say that if I didn't go into labor by 40 weeks 1 day, that they could induce me at that time. I'm a little uncomfortable with this since I have 2 risk factors now, my age and the GD, and both have an increased risk of stillbirth if the pregnancy is allowed to go past 40 weeks. But I'm going to try and trust my doctors and hope they are doing the correct thing. The hospital where I'm delivering prides itself on having a lower C-section rate than the rest of the nation, so I think that's why they prefer not to induce labor unless absolutely necessary. I'm thinking impatient baby will be here before her due date anyway the way she's trying to kick and claw her way out (or at least it feels like it!), but I just want a plan in place in case she stays in longer than I think she will.

 

[mia1181]

NEL- Yes I am so relieved that it was indeed a boy! The tech at our 13 week scan was so confident, but I knew not to get fully invested in it being a boy until it was confirmed. It's so nice to know for sure now.


Claire- Your plan for baby close by sounds like a good one. They eat so often in the beginning, you are going to want him right there. Might as well have your guests comfortable too. Also, don't worry about the dishwasher! In fact, I encourage those kinds of things because it's better if babies learn to sleep with some noise. He might even find the sound soothing. O's crib is right up against the wall to our guest bath and we use the toilet and sometimes I take a shower in there and she is just used to it. It's nice not to have to tiptoe around when she's sleeping.

PPM- congrats on a boy and becoming a member of the "one of each" club. I totally could've written your post though! We never had a preference but I kind of wanted our first to be a boy because I love the idea of an older brother. We got a girl and now I just can't picture it any other way. So this time we again had no preference, but we were slightly leaning girl because like you said, we could use the same clothes, they could share a room, we could keep doing everything the same. I'm still a little shocked that it is a boy but we do feel lucky that we will get to have both experiences. Even if we will be broke because they won't be able to share everything!


Blacksand- So sorry the GD is really getting to you and the housing drama. I hope you are able to sort out something with your landlord. As for the GD, does it go away as soon as you have the baby? If so maybe you will be feeling better than you think post partum. My sister had GD and she had a very hard with it too. It's hard because you feel like you should be enjoying your pregnancy like everyone else. I will say that I do think it is rare for anyone to actually enjoy being pregnant. I think if it's not one thing, it's another. Someone else might not have GD, but maybe they have severe pain, or constant morning sickness, or even a baby that's at risk. I hope you don't take what I'm saying the wrong way. I don't mean to say "we all have problems". I mean to say that it is very normal for women to feel disappointed that pregnancy is not all flowers and rainbows and cute bumps and feeling great. Anyway hang in there, I know it's hard but it sounds like you are doing a great job of taking care of yourself and your baby and it will be all over soon. And YES! You will forget about it when you get that baby and soon enough you will be ready for another because we are biologically programmed to forget about how awful pregnancy and labor are! I remember telling everyone that my first pregnancy was easy, but now that I am pregnant again, I am remembering that it wasn't!


Coda- Are you sure it's risky to go past 40 weeks and you're not thinking 42? I am not one to know anyway but I don't think ive ever heard that before about your age or GD. Is it because they would be worried about to he baby being big? I'm trying to decide myself how far I will give myself before scheduling a repeat c-section. My initial plan was 40 weeks but since I went into labor at 41w with DD, I'm wondering if I should give myself a little more time.


I will post my AFM and if I forgot anyone later, I have to take O to swim class now!

 

[BrightSpot]

Quick fly by post to say hi to everyone. Sorry I've been MIA--we took a road trip & vacation (fun), came home to host family in our apartment (mostly fun), I had a birthday (39--yikes!) & am now suffering a nasty bout of food poisoning (decidedly not fun.)

We had our 20w anatomy scan last week & all looks good with our little girl. Also, my belly has finally really popped, which is neat (& a little surreal.)

Sorry for the selfish post. I'll be back to catch up with you guys properly when I'm feeling better (hopefully soon.) Hope you're all doing well.

 

[blacksand]

Thanks all for your support, and my apologies for once again posting such a self-centered vent. mia, you are so right about everything. If it's not one thing, it's another. Everyone has something to worry about during pregnancy, stress, discomfort, pain, nausea, and God forbid something happens to the baby. I've been feeling sorry for myself because I had so many stressful things going on at once, and once I finally got over 7 months of vomiting, I got the GD diagnosis. Seemed like a cruel joke (you can finally eat again! Except…don't). But the bottom line is that my baby is, for the moment, apparently healthy, and that should be all that matters. It will all be worth it in the end. The GD is supposed to go away pretty soon after giving birth, and I hope it will! But I've never been tested for diabetes before, and now I have this terrible fear that I will be in that small percentage of women for whom it never goes away, and they end up diagnosed with Type II. Even if it does go away, I now have a 50%-60% chance of getting Type II later in life, just like that. I pray it will go away after birth, and I will celebrate with a giant cookie, but as soon as I am cleared to exercise I will be working my butt off to lose as much weight as I can. I have the jogging stroller ready to go, just add baby! I'm going to do everything I can to get healthy. It may not be enough, with stats like that, but I'm going to try.

coda, I think it's great that your doctors want to let things happen naturally! Early induction is one of the main reasons I'm trying to stay off insulin. Since GD babies are more prone to respiratory issues at birth, it seems crazy to induce early, but that's the standard procedure most places. But it's also probably best not to go much past 40 weeks with the risks involved. Since your GD is well controlled, I don't think you have much to worry about, but I can certainly understand your concerns. As for me, somehow, I am actually gaining weight on the GD diet despite being super strict and exercising like crazy. I think I gained so little weight in the first two trimesters because of the constant nausea, so now I am actually gaining with these diet meals. But I think it's also getting hotter and more humid and I'm retaining more water. Hopefully I won't gain too much more. I'm up about 15 lbs. now, so not bad overall, but the last 3 lbs. I've gained since the diagnosis, which really surprised me.

BrightSpot, I'm so glad all looked good with your anatomy scan! But sorry about the food poisoning. That's an awful thing to deal with while pregnant. I hope you're feeling a little better now.

 

[dragonfly411]

Hey everyone. I am so sorry I have been MIA. I am about to read everyone's updates and hopefully will post later tonight. I wanted to drive by to say I am officially 32 weeks and we have named our boy Wyatt! I spent most of the week in newborn care and birthing classes. Today was my work and friend shower but I only had 2 show up My family shower is in Orlando in a few weeks. It looks like I will be out of a job when I take leave, since I have not been at my job for a year, and they have made it abundantly clear that they do not have to hold my job for me. So we are really having to budget ourselves and build what tiny bit of savings we can before he gets here. The good news is I should qualify for financial aid from school by fall and I already have a part time offer when I get ready to come back from leave. I am also fully certified as a yoga instructor so that will be some extra income when I get back up and moving. I am just stressing over budgeting for the items we have not received yet, like pack and play, carseat and stroller, and feeding and breast milk storage items. Now, on to catching up!!!

 

[PetitiePoire]

Oh boy, having two kids is a huge change! Sorry I left you all in the dark for so long. Finding spare time has been a challenge. I just want to sleep! I'll try to get back on tomorrow to respond, but for now I'll leave you with the birth story.

We welcomed baby Elyas into the world on Wednesday morning! He was 9.08lbs and 22 inches long.

Birth story: As you know, I had my appointment on Tuesday. I had dialated from a 3-4 and was 75% effaced instead of 50%. So I had some progress, but the previous weeks sweeping clearly didn't put me in labor, so I had my doctor do it again. I think the key is to be effaced vs dilated, so at 75% I was hoping it would be enough. Right after my appointment I had cramping and the contractions felt different, more period/ill-like feeling. I stopped by the store and then took DD to the beach to play in the sand. We had a good afternoon and got a nice nap in together when we got home. DH came home a few hours later and I was feeling very emotional and just wanting him near, so he cancelled plans he had and we just had family time. It was a great last day as a family of 3. We went to bed a little after 10:30. I woke up just before midnight with contractions coming every 20 minutes. I had been woken up before by contractions, but never as often, so I started to time them. The next hour they were coming every 10. Sleep was impossible by then as I knew I'd be having another soon. By 2 am they were 3-5 minutes apart, so I decided a bath would be easier than trying to stay in bed. I woke DH at that point and had him run the water. Knowing it was probably close to time, but not "the" time I sent him back to bed and labored for the next 2 hours in the bath with them still coming every 3-4 minutes. DD woke up around 4 and wanted me, which was unusual, so I let him bring her in and she was so sweet and just wanted to give kisses and cuddle. It was like she knew. She soon went back to sleep with DH, so I labored some more until around 5:30. By that point it became too painful so I went and woke up DH and told him to please get ready and that I wanted to go. Contractions were about every 2-3 minutes and painful. I had to call the dr multiple times and it was so challenging trying to get through. We made it to the hospital about 6:30am. Valet wasn't there yet, so DH dropped me off and quickly parked the car and ran back to me. It was a difficult walk to the birthing center! I never made it that far with DD, before requesting the epidural, so I held off when asked when I arrived if I wanted one. I figured he would be here soon. They had to do monitoring for about 20 minutes and that was rough trying to stay in bed. DH did great at massaging my back and I focused on my breathing. After monitoring I took a hot shower to help with the pain. It was nice, but I kept thinking it would be getting worse, so I asked for them to start the process for the epidural. By 8 am they started the epidural and I had immediate relief! It was the most incredible feeling to go from intense contractions to no pain! Best. Feeling.Ever! My doctor was on call that day so she came to visit and said I had dilated to a 9. She left to make rounds and change into scrubs. My water broke soon after she left and I started to feel some pressure. Not pain, just pressure. The doctor came back at 9:45 and said we would try a practice push to see if I was ready. I started pushing at 9:55 and he was born at 10:04am! It was very quick and so peaceful feeling. I did have quite a tear, which is no fun, but it's not the worst thing in the world. We had an hour of cuddle time before bath time and it was so wonderful. I couldn't believe he was already here and how quick it went by the time we got to the hospital. My nurse and doctor were both wonderful and I loved the anesthesiologist! Ha. I hated being pregnant this go round, but I'm very happy with the labor and delivery and love love love my new little prince!

 

[dani13]

Congrats PP!!! Hope you are doing well!!!

 

[anchor31]

Congrats Petite Poire!

Just a PSA from me today: If you can get them. Prenatal massages really help with the aches and pains. Indulge!

- 25w2d