Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[E B]

Congratulations, Blushing! And welcome to the world, Alen and Laila!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Hi Pregnant Ladies!

Where are you all these days? Time to check-in!!!

Everything's been going well for me. 26 weeks and a few days. I started my hypnobirthing class and have found a great doula. Had my one hour glucose screen, which came back slightly high - 147. Anything over 140 requires the 3 hour test, but I should pass because my level is only slightly elevated, or so they told me. Not too happy about spending 3 hours in a lab, but it is what it is.

Anyone else have to take the 3 hour test?

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Mara and Puppmom - Thanks for your help with my photographer questions from a few days ago. I think the first person I contacted just had unusually high rates!! I found someone else who does great work and for a more normal rate and she provides all of the photos on CD, so I was very happy about that! I think her rate is $300 for the session and she provides the CD too, no extra charge. I just think it's mean to tell a mom, "I'm going to take 40 pictures of your baby, but I won't give you all of them! Pick your favorites for $500 a piece!"

 

[Laila619]

Hi LV! Sorry you have to take the three hour test. That's got to be no fun. But it's a good sign you were so close to passing the one hour. Congrats on 26 weeks! That is a great milestone. I'm 30w3d here. Less than 10 weeks to go, crazy!

Anyone taking any labor/baby classes? DH and I are taking Infant Safety and CPR in two weeks, and then Newborn Baby Care Basics in November.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Laila - 10 week to go is awesome!! There are going to be so many babies around here in the coming months!!

I think we will take the CPR class, but haven't scheduled it yet. Did you take a childbirth class already? Or, you aren't taking one. Just curious. Oh, I also wanted to mention, the births we saw on video at the hypnobirthing class were AMAZING! Calm, peaceful, quiet births! I was tuly amazed by it. So, I had an appointment today and asked my doctor if the hypnobirths he's seen are really like that -- his reply, was "uhh, no." Hahaha, so I am not getting my hopes up!

 

[Lanie]

Laila, we are taking those same 2 classes! I'm not taking childbirth or bfeeding ones. I figure what happens will happen during the birth ( and it's not like the nurses and doctor won't tell me what to do! "Didnt take the class Lanie? Wellll guess you are on your own with this one!")

I have my glucose test tomorrow at 29weeks! Seems so late in the game! My doc wanted it for 28 but I couldn't get an appt until now so LV, I'll let you know what my score is! Do they let you know right then and there or is it a wait three days for results-type thing?

 

[Lanie]

Oh p.s. --how long do you have to fast for before the glucose one hour? She told me and I forgot but I think it was only like 3 hours???

 

[HOUMedGal]

Hello, friends!!

Blushing, soooo happy to hear of your happy healthy special deliveries!! Welcome, Alen and Laila! Great names, btw - a friend of mine had her little girl about 3 weeks ago, and her name is Laila too. Love it!

Glad to hear everyone else is doing well! Welcome to the thread, Mela!!

LV, sorry you have to take the 3 hr, but hey, at least you're likely gonna pass! Let us know how the hypnobirthing class goes - I'm interested to hear!

Laila, I registered us for a 5 class series "Lamaze Prepared Childbirth", an infant care class (one time), and a breastfeeding class (one time). I'll also register us for CPR (just haven't done it yet). Most of the stuff will be more for DH than for me (being a pediatrician, I feel pretty confident about infant care already, hehe, and of course, am already certified in neonatal/pediatric advanced life support) but I figure it can't hurt, since I've only ever seen the childbirth and breastfeeding parts as an outside observer, and never actually DONE it all myself!! Our 5 class series starts mid-Nov, and our 2 one time classes are in mid December. Will have to fit the CPR somewhere in there for DH.

Random_thought - I still haven't figured out who you are! LOL! I'm not a very good detective, apparently. Hehe. I hear ya on the blubbery mess part. It really doesn't take much to reduce me to a weepy puddle these days!! Literally almost ANY TV show can do it - I watched Brothers and Sisters the other night (one of my faves) and I think I cried the entire episode. Ha.

Would love to make more personal replies, but darn PS 2.0 won't let me scroll back any further through the thread. Hmph.

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I haven't posted a lot lately because I'm just chugging along with nothing too interesting to report! I'll be 24 weeks on Friday, and I've been feeling kinda nervous lately since I'm getting to be right around that touchy baby viability-yet-would-still-likely-have-major-issues time. Being a physician is a bit of a curse sometimes. Knowing too much makes you worry. And having spent a couple months in my residency working in one of the biggest, busiest level III NICU's in the country doesn't help...I've seen how bad it can get. So I'm trying to keep myself thinking positive, because I have absolutely no reason to believe that things aren't going just perfectly in my tummy! All my fears are totally irrational and unfounded, LOL. Plus I have a dear friend who had her little boy last February at 25 weeks 0 days, and he has done REMARKABLY well, and is a precious chubby little boy now, with no major long term issues. I love it.

New fun symptoms: occasionally feeling like my sacrum is going to split in half (like ECP but in the back instead, I guess?) Also, I'm having trouble eating lately - I feel thirsty and I KNOW I haven't been drinking enough water at work, so I try to stay hydrated, but the liquid seems to take up all the room I have left in my tummy, and even if I only eat a little bit at a time, I feel SOOO FULL all the time!! Plus I had raging heartburn the other night while I was on-call in the hospital, and I had no Zantac or tums or anything. Luckily I found a nurse at around 3am who had a stash of tums, and she quickly became my favorite person ever. I thanked her profusely and chomped 4 of 'em, and got a little relief.

Ellie has been super active lately - I was watching Dancing with the Stars on Tivo last night, and she started going NUTS! I think she was saying, "Hey Mom, check it out, I can dance too!" LOL!

Anyone else having trouble with the feeling uncomfortably full all the time? Any suggestions on anything to help?

Oh, and our Indie came in the mail 2 days ago!! I think it might be wrong to love a stroller this much, I just can't wait to put her in it and go for long walks. We went with the Ruby color, and I loooove it.

My next appointment (the 24 week one) is on Monday. I'll be having a scan again since they had a couple things to follow up on that she wouldn't show them well at the anatomy scan. No glucola until 28 weeks, I think. I missed taking a belly pic last week, but I'll be sure to contribute this week!! The belly is getting pretty large and in charge - absolutely no doubt even to strangers that I'm preggo at this point!

 

[somethingshiny]

LV~ I had to take the 3 hr test and I was just sure I was gonna fail it. But, I passed. I nearly starved to death, but I passed. Good luck!

HOUie~ I'm so glad to read an update from you! I've been wondering how it's going. The really full feeling was constant for me anytime I was "backed up." But, it seems that can never be alleviated entirely during pregnancy. The only thing that ever helped me was doing lots of stretches and exercising. I did my yoga and ball exercises as long as I could and it helped. When she drops you'll have some relief, but that won't be for quite some time. Hang in there! I'm sure you're growing a beautiful little girl!

 

[icekid]

Just a quick update from me... work is the bane of my existence today, but after a 24 hour call tomorrow (booooooo) I will be on vacation!

Chugging away, almost 32 weeks now. At my doc appt earlier in the week I am measuring on the small side. So we're getting an ultrasound on Friday before we leave town to check out how baby O is growing. There are tons of potential reasons to measure small, so hopefully all is okay. For now I will just continue to assume that he is doing fine, and deal with it later if not.

My family shower is going to be this weekend. And my friends at work are planning one as well. I feel blessed and loved. And so excited to go home to see the family!!

My SIL just had her first baby too, a little boy cousin for our baby He is doing well and such a cutie! Unfortunately, they don't live in our hometown anymore so no idea when we will get to meet him. Still, we're so excited. Our first niece/nephew!

I hope to catch up some in a more complete way, though I did skim.



Congrats Blushing on the arrival of your sweet twins. Wonderful news

 

[Loves Vintage]

Lanie, My doctor's office instructs fasting from midnight on for the one hour. It is ok to drink water for before both tests. For the 3 hour test, I was reading tonight, that you should have only sips of water. My doctor was not specific about how much is ok. I got the results the next day.

SS, I hated fasting for the one hour test. The three hour test is going to be tough!

Glad to hear updates from everyone!!!

 

[Deelight]

Cara congrats on your little one he is just beautiful - he has just such a look of contentment on his face

Tiffany your twines are adorable - I so wanted twins (lol maybe next time) how exciting it will be so much fun with two little ones

Diva congrats on Team Pink and Catlover congrats on Team Blue


Blushing congrats on your twins thanks for sharing your story and YAY for zero traffic

RT: It is amazing what can make you cry - I was a mess the other day talking to my MIL about feet - well my nieces feet to be exact when she was newborn - darn hormones seriously I also cry over completely random things which Hubby thinks is adorable - I personally think I am nuts

LV: Good luck with the 3hr test - I am dreading the GD test - but since your results were so close it sounds like they are pretty positive for a good result



___________________________________________

So I have been a little MIA but mostly lurking - hubby inadvertently used all our DL last month and as a consequence our cable was slowed down to snail speed - by the time I uploaded the pages read everything I was to buggered to post - but I have been following everyone's stories


18 wks tomorrow I am finally starting to feel like I look preggo and not just like I ate too many cheeseburgers my clothes still fit but I feel like my belly has exploded - the maxi dress is my friend flattering and comfortable and considering it is spring here - awesome for he aussie preggos Jeans west has some awesome styles. I might even have enough courage to post a belly pic


Next week I finally find out which team I join I originally thought I would have a boy - but now I am not so sure but I still feel like it will be a boy - next week I should know finally - can't wait

I don't know if this will help other ladies but I find when I feel really run down or have heartburn/indigestion mineral water really helps - I tend to feel more pepped I noticed this on our honeymoon because it was so hot and from sweating heaps.

Hope everyone is doing well


ETA: I have been feeling like I have been having someone doing backflips in my belly atm - still feel the little taps still not sure if it is kicks or not LOL

 

[Tuckins1]

Ugh. "Morning sickness" has now become "awake sickness". It's not severe, just very mild- but it's ALWAYS THERE!!!
I keep munching on crackers and decaf tea, but I can only eat so much!!!

 

[somethingshiny]

FYI:

Babysteals.com has Halo sleepsacks for $12.95 today!

 

[HOUMedGal]

SS: Aww, thank you dear! I wondered if my issue was being "backed up" again..I've been going pretty regularly (daily or every other day) but just not going a lot each time. I recently introduced daily Metamucil, hopefully that'll help some. I have felt somewhat better today, actually, so that's good.

Tuckins, that's exactly what I had - all day nausea, from weeks 6-13. I wasn't a puker, but sometimes I wished I would just puke because maybe it would bring relief. Zofran really helped me function at work.

Deelight, I was about as far along as you are when I started to actually look preggo too. Would love to see a pic of your little belly!! Can't wait to hear about what team you're on, too!!

IceKid, enjoy that vacation, lady!! Congrats on your new nephew! I'm sure baby O is growing just fine - hey, maybe he'll be a nice easy-to-deliver 6 lb healthy term baby (I'm secretly hoping for that myself)!! I was born one day before my due date and weighed 6 lb 9 oz, and I'm pretty sure I turned out ok! hehe. I understand about how knowing too much means that you worry too much when little things come up....lately I've been worrying/almost convincing myself that I'm gonna have preterm labor every time I feel anything different at all. *sigh*

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Can anyone tell me what Braxton Hicks contractions feel like?? I've started to wonder if the occasional pressure/tightness down low feeling I've been having these past few days are actually Braxton Hicks...it's not painful, just different, and feels like a pressure down low, and when I feel my belly down there where I feel the pressure, it feels tight/hard. Almost like she's all balled up and all of her is sitting right down there. ???

I'm a teensy bit early for BPF, but took a pic today and thought I'd share. It's 24 weeks (well, technically 23w6d since I'm actually 24 tomorrow, but close enough). Still feel like I'm carrying pretty small, which makes me worry that I'll measure small at my appointment on Monday. Why am I such a worrywort lately?!

Yes, that's the crib in the pic - I'll have to post a pic in the nursery thread sometime of the whole thing!

Can't wait to see everyone else's bellies!!

 

[Puppmom]

double post

 

[Puppmom]

Hou, you look great! My girlfriend barely looked pregnant at 9 months (not kidding - she's 5'9" and weighed 150 when she delivered!). She had a 7.5lb baby. I, on the other hand, had a giant belly and N was only 6lbs9oz.

 

[geri]

Blushing – congrats on your two little bundles of joy, Alen and Laila!! That news really warms my heart

Catluver – congrats on team blue! I’m so glad he is healthy and I have no doubt he will bring you incredible joy. Better get cracking on those boys names!

Noelwr- you are so industrious, especially on holidays!! Hope you had a great trip.

Icekid – have a great vacation – I’m sure everything is well with the bub but hope the ultrasound goes well.

Deelight – I’m so glad the weather is warming up as I have a few maxi and other summer dresses that will be so comfortable as preggo wear! Good luck finding out the gender next week.

Houie – hey lady!! Nice belly! I think you look just right but I am beginning to realise I have no idea anymore - I was feeling like I was on the small side too then had lunch with my friend who is 35 weeks preggo and she wasn’t much bigger than me. Made me feel enormous . Not helped by the fact that we went away for a 4 day weekend and I came back 3 pounds heavier. I’m getting scared now that I will be huge – I was the smallest bub in my family at just under 8 pounds and my mum is 5ft2 and would have weighed about 115 pounds pre preggo and I am taller and heavier than that Good luck on Monday and have fun checking out little Ellie again. I have my next appointment on Tuesday but don’t think I will have a scan but hopefully will get to hear the heartbeat!

Sorry to those of you that I have missed - glad to hear everyone is doing well!!

 

[Cass]

Hi everyone! I'm new to these parts. I'm currently 14w1d. This is my 2nd pregnancy. The first one ended in a miscarriage when I was about 6 weeks on June 19th. My obgyn had me going for blood tests regularly to make sure my HCG levels were going down. When they got to 5 at the end of June I stopped testing and he just told me that I wouldn't ovulate for another 2-6 weeks... Well, July 25th after feeling nauseous for a couple of days and having horribly sore boobs I took a test and got my bfp! I had an ultrasound at 7 weeks (to make sure the baby was developing) and at 13 (for genetic testing) and everything is looking good! My due date is April 7. I'm sooo excited

Question, when did you ladies start feeling your baby move? I know I'm still way early, but I can't wait!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Just a quick update from me... work is the bane of my existence today, but after a 24 hour call tomorrow (booooooo) I will be on vacation!

Chugging away, almost 32 weeks now. At my doc appt earlier in the week I am measuring on the small side. So we're getting an ultrasound on Friday before we leave town to check out how baby O is growing. There are tons of potential reasons to measure small, so hopefully all is okay. For now I will just continue to assume that he is doing fine, and deal with it later if not.

My family shower is going to be this weekend. And my friends at work are planning one as well. I feel blessed and loved. And so excited to go home to see the family!!

My SIL just had her first baby too, a little boy cousin for our baby He is doing well and such a cutie! Unfortunately, they don't live in our hometown anymore so no idea when we will get to meet him. Still, we're so excited. Our first niece/nephew!

I hope to catch up some in a more complete way, though I did skim.



Congrats Blushing on the arrival of your sweet twins. Wonderful news

Ice, I just wanted to chime in here about the size issue. If you ladies recall, I carried pretty small my entire pregnancy and the docs didn't become concerned until 38 weeks when they randomly decided to induce me. I don't know why they weren't monitoring his size from earlier on in the pregnancy, but apparently they weren't concerned? It would have been nice to track his growth over time to see if he really wasn't growing at all or was growing but at his own pace. I imagine a consistent growth pattern is more important than the actual numbers.

So anyway, the growth u/s estimated Aidan to be 5 lbs 4 oz, but at birth he was 5 lbs 10 oz and totally perfect. I've not been told anything about why there was a growth issue, or if there even was one, but one of the other OBs from the practice induced me (I was sent for induction by a separate doc) that day and she made a comment about DH and I not being large people and the good chance of us just making little babies. Looking back on it, if I had to do it over again I think I would have put up a bit of a fight to keep LO in for awhile longer. I just don't think he really had a growth restriction per-say. Sure, he was just marginally below the 10th percentile, but my fluid levels were great and the u/s showed a healthy placenta and umbilical cord/blood flow.

Today Aidan is a healthy 1 month old and is packing on weight like you wouldn't believe. If they had let me go the 2 weeks to 40 or even the 4 until 42, he could have easily been a 6-6.5 baby. But hindsight is always 20/20 and a healthy baby is what's most important. My point is, just make sure you're a part of the decision making process. Growth scans can be off by huge amounts in either direction and the arguments for having a truly full term or past term baby are compelling (they eat and sleep better, have better head/neck control, etc).

 

[Lanie]

Hou--from what it sounds like, those are BH contractions. They never hurt me but they are tight for about 20 seconds. I told Bobo and she just made sure they aren't happening a bunch of times during an hour. I get mine every couple of hours...some days more than others and it's funny bc I started feeling them at 24 weeks! Have you registered at the hospital yet? It's such a PITA!

Eta--you look great! Love the belly!

I can't scroll up to see who asked when you start to feel your baby (on my phone) but it depends on the person. I think I felt my first flutters around 17-18 weeks? And they felt like popcorn. They got stronger around 20 weeks. One of my friends didn't feel anything until around 23 weeks. Congrats on the pregnancy!!! Hope the rest is smooth sailing!

I have poison ivy!!!! It's so awful and blistered. It's all up and down my legs. They can't give me a shot but they gave me some cream to put on and said it should be better within a couple of weeks....aaahhh!! I wish I could take my brush and just scrub my legs. It hurts so bad. This pregnancy has not been fun at all between the endless nausea for 2.5 months, the CVS test, getting in a wreck a couple of weeks ago, thyroid issues, and now this, and I'm just ready for him to be born, but I still have 10+ weeks. Argh! Usually my life is drama free but everything crazy has happened in the last 6 months! Ok sorry...needed to vent. Have a good weekend everyone!

 

[Steel]

Hou: You look great, with such a sweet bump. Thanks for posting. I'll bet you have a gorgeous clever little lady baking in there - she will be perfect.

 

[noelwr]

30 weeks

hello from Holland again. we are home safely. our vacation was bitter sweet knowing it was our last for a while together. we got some great rest. the only problem is - sorry I know this is disgusting but at least 70% of pregnant women experience it - I had problems with hemorrhoids for about 2-3 days and it was so damn itchy at night that I burst into tears, but in hindsight I guess it wasn't so bad considering I was finally able to find gel for it and managed to get some sleep. anyway, I was able to enjoy Disneyland on Thursday, and DH and I were sad to leave on Friday.

I think I have the opposite problem that I am huge instead of too small, but at my midwife appointment 2 weeks ago my belly was measured and found to be fine. I have also had my ups and downs with this pregnancy: was sick 2-3 times (didn't take anything), was nauseous and throwing up for 8 weeks (didn't take anything), had hayfever (didn't take anything), had a bladder infection (took antibiotics which also helped with the hayfever for a week), swollen hands and ankles already around 18 weeks, my jaw keeps dislocating when I yawn, now I've got the hemorrhoids... but I am sure DD will be all worth it!

HOUie - you look great! perfect size to enjoy. for me BH contractions feel like my whole belly has gone hard. usually I can poke into it quite well and I know the hard parts are the baby, but when the whole thing goes hard (which for some reason is usually when I am walking), then I know it's a BH. I don't think I get them often or I don't notice because it's not painful.

geri - preggo dresses are indeed comfy, but I'm actually glad to be going into the winter and to cover this ever-growing belly with sweaters. I also find my overall temperature is higher. I used to be cold all the time, but now feel warmer sooner than cold.

Cass - welcome! glad to hear it's going well this time and that genetic testing went well. my birthday is April 7! I started feeling little tapping movements from inside around 17 weeks, and then by 19 weeks movements became stronger and would repeat during the day (but mostly at night), and now at 30 weeks she hardly ever takes a rest and is getting big and strong. I can spend a long time lying in bed looking at my tummy because it's like an alien lives in there.

icekid - hope your u/s went well and that there isn't anything to worry about, distracting you from enjoying your time with your family.

Lanie - poison ivy !?! you poor thing. okay, I don't feel so bad with my hemorrhoids now. have you got something for the itching? I remember in college I had ringworm and the doctor told me to take Claritin for the itchiness.

LV - hope your testing went well. some time this week I have to go in for a blood test to test my sugar levels. thankfully it doesn't require any fasting.

- - -

here is my pic of the week: Mickey and I having a good time. when DH went to have his photo taken with Mickey, he gave him a knuckle sandwich on the head and almost knocked his ears off, so all of his photos are of a frightened Mickey leaning far away from DH. at least his head stayed on or we would have had some seriously traumatized kids.

 

[icekid]

I am officially on vacation and finally have time to really catch up!!

Hou- Lookin' good, mama! So cute. And those tightenings are definitely BH contractions. I was a big nearly 9 lb newborn, buuuut was 3 WEEKS late! yikes.

noel- Glad you had such a nice vacation! We have one last little trip coming up (to a friend's wedding) and wonder when we will travel anywhere but our hometown after that.

Lanie- UGH about the poison ivy. How uncomfortable! But he will be worth it! Every time I feel him move it makes my 24 weeks of nausea worth it. Sweet baby kicking me in the ribs... hahaha

HH- I was definitely thinking of you when she mentioned the small measurement. I think so far all is okay, but hopefully at the followup scan he will still be growing at the same rate. That would make them (and me!) happy. Fortunately it seems that Aidan is thriving despite his early entrance!!

Cass- congratulations and welcome!

geri- I am sure you are anything but huge, silly girl. Don't feel badly, you're growing a sweet baby!

Tuckins- Like HMG, I would not have made it through work without zofran. The constipation side effect is unpleasant, though. And also felt sick all day, ironically getting worse at night. And it didn't go away until I was 24 weeks...... but that is unusual.

LV- Sorry to hear about the three hour glucose test. Hopefully it will just be a few boring hours at the lab. I am soooo with you on the newborn photos. Offering high res digital files at a reasonable price is non-negotiable for me. I don't need 40 prints, but what I do need are the photos so I can make albums for me and the grandparents.

oh Bliss... check in please, dear. We want to hear about your little lady.
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re: Braxton Hicks contractions. I get them almost constantly... usually like 10 min apart, sometimes up to 3 min apart. SO ANNOYING. They do not hurt, but are definitely uncomfortable. They squish my diaphragm and it's not nice. My doc does not seem too fussed about it. I get a different kind of BH too that ARE painful, feeling very similar to period cramps. These usually go away after half an hour or so. It doesn't seem like a big thing yet, but reaching the safety of 32 weeks makes me feel MUCH more comfortable about contracting so often. Still, he better keep baking for a good while longer.

Ultrasound went well! The tech estimated that he is a bit over 3.5 lbs. My belly is small (measuring 28 cm at 32 weeks) but O looks to be appropriately sized. He is just way down in my pelvis already, it seems. Head is down, way down! So perhaps my petite-ness is contributing to my small measurement. He does not have a lot of space in there! He rebels by kicking me in the ribs, and then I poke at him until he moves

And our family shower is tomorrow. I am looking forward to seeing everyone and having some tasty food (I definitely allow myself a little more leeway at home hehe.) There are bags upon bags in my mom's room... a little scared to see how much stuff she bought us hehe. Everyone is so excited and it means so much to us!

 

[Tuckins1]

Tuckins- Like HMG, I would not have made it through work without zofran. The constipation side effect is unpleasant, though. And also felt sick all day, ironically getting worse at night. And it didn't go away until I was 24 weeks...... but that is unusual.

----

re: Braxton Hicks contractions. I get them almost constantly... usually like 10 min apart, sometimes up to 3 min apart. SO ANNOYING. They do not hurt, but are definitely uncomfortable. They squish my diaphragm and it's not nice. My doc does not seem too fussed about it. I get a different kind of BH too that ARE painful, feeling very similar to period cramps. These usually go away after half an hour or so. It doesn't seem like a big thing yet, but reaching the safety of 32 weeks makes me feel MUCH more comfortable about contracting so often. Still, he better keep baking for a good while longer.

Ultrasound went well! The tech estimated that he is a bit over 3.5 lbs. My belly is small (measuring 28 cm at 32 weeks) but O looks to be appropriately sized. He is just way down in my pelvis already, it seems. Head is down, way down! So perhaps my petite-ness is contributing to my small measurement. He does not have a lot of space in there! He rebels by kicking me in the ribs, and then I poke at him until he moves

And our family shower is tomorrow. I am looking forward to seeing everyone and having some tasty food (I definitely allow myself a little more leeway at home hehe.) There are bags upon bags in my mom's room... a little scared to see how much stuff she bought us hehe. Everyone is so excited and it means so much to us![/quote]

Oh my lord, I hope this doesn't last another 15 weeks!!!! I told DH that if this is how it's gonna be the whole time, i'm never doing this again!
Glad to hear your little guy is doing well! You're so lucky that you're teeny tiny! I'm afraid i'm gonna be a heifer by the time this kid comes out!

 

[noelwr]

perineal massage???

perineal massage???

we missed the first week of our birthing classes due to the vacation and I am reading through the handouts and one of them is perineal massage where you or your partner actually sticks fingers in the vagina and massages the area, starting at 6 weeks before the due date, 4x a week for 4 min! apparently this will help with a smoother delivery and prevent tears. seriously, does anyone actually do this? I mean I use an applicator and not fingers to put tampons in (back in the days when I had periods), so this is definitely not something I'm going to be comfortable with. thoughts, anyone?

 

[Mara]

noel, we read that you can start doing the massage like the last 5-6 weeks before birth to help stretch things out...BUTTTT pretty much everyone i talked to said that the nurses will typically do it for you while you are in labor. i am not sure about where you are though. that said, we meant to do it but never got around to it (i think a few prev preg gals did it on here though) and during active labor and pushing for me the nurses WERE doing it and it worked out great because i had only a very very minor tear requiring i think 1-2 stitches.

you can do it with EVOO. and i think it was recommended your partner do it if you cannot.

icekid...i measured 2-3 weeks smaller pretty much the entire last trimester of pregnancy. but J was growing fine i guess, OB didn't seem concerned. she thought he might be a smallish baby, but he was 8lbs so def not small.

hou...you look fabulous lady!!

LV...glad you find someone who had more palatable costs. i def wouldn't pay some ridiculous amt for photos, but something like $300 every 9 months or so if workable, esp when the photographer is crazy talented! if it's something i could do at home with my camera, no thanks! hehe. i also love getting the CD of images because i put it in J's memory box.

 

[AllieLuv83]

Sorry for the late BPF update but here I am at 38 weeks. They might be inducing me early. I went in for my well visit on last Thursday, my BP was 152/96 and there was 2+ protein in my urine. They sent me right to triage where they took more urine and blood work, the blood work came back fine but the protein did not. I have spent all day today peeing in an orange container that I need to keep in my fridge. I will drop off at the lab tomorrow and hopefully get some results at my BP recheck on Tuesday morning. I am feverishly trying to prepare my 2 weeks worth of subplans for my long term sub so the stress is really getting to me. I hope the bean holds out until at least this coming Friday, but I have a feeling that when I go in on Tuesday if my BP is still high they might send me right over to the hospital.

 

[HOUMedGal]

AllieLuv - you look fantastic!! Sorry to hear about the stress you're under - I hope it all settles out and you are able to relax whenever it is that your little one comes. Is there anyone else who can help out with your sub plans?? Remember to keep taking good care of yourself even if it means that every last thing doesn't get done before baby time - some things are just out of our control, yanno?? Thinking about you and wishing you the best!!

Mara - thank you!! It's quite strange having a baby belly - I'm starting to bump into things occasionally with it, LOL.

Noel - thank you! You look wonderful too! Love your Mickey pic. I think the things I'm having are indeed BH. I have been getting them usually once a day, sometimes more than once per day, but they're pretty short (1 minute or less) and not painful, just weird feeling! Strangely (or not so strangely, I don't know) it seems to bring one on after I go pee or poop. ??? I have read about the perineal massage too in one of my books (The Birth Partner, it's pretty good, esp for DH). I think DH would do it if I asked him to, but I'm wondering how necessary it is too, since, as Mara mentioned, during every birth I've witnessed as a med student/doctor, the delivery nurses are always doing it during the latter portions of labor and during the delivery. I guess it can't hurt, but I don't know if I'll be able to lay there while he does it without laughing uncontrollably!!

Tuckins, I wish you much faster relief from nausea than IceKid had. I think it's pretty typical to start feeling better by 13 or 14 weeks, but some women do have longer periods of nausea like IceKid did, and as I recall, Lanie did too.

IceKid - thank you! I wanna see your 32 week belly!! I'm glad to hear that your US went well!! 3.5 lbs is awesome!! Maybe it is just that he is already so low, keeping your fundus from sitting up big and high. Hope your shower was fun!! Can't wait to hear about it!

Steal - you are too sweet. Even though I don't post on TTC much anymore, I definitely lurk and keep up with the goings-on over there, and I am SO rooting for you, lady!! DUST DUST DUST!!

Lanie - Thank you!! luckily, I will be seeing Bobo tomorrow for my 24 week appt, so we'll get to talk more about my suspected BH then. I don't think they're a problem based on what I've read from you ladies and elsewhere. I did register at the hospital, did it all online early one morning (3am) when I had a migraine and couldn't go back to sleep. It helped to do something to get my mind off the pain, so I tried to be productive, LOL. They want lots of info, don't they?! SO sorry about the poison ivy - NOT FUN. I hope you are feeling better.

Cass - welcome!! You are in good company here - many of us who are preggo right now had miscarriages prior to these current pregnancies. So happy to hear that things are going well for you this second time around!! I first felt tiny movements around 18 weeks, and by 20 weeks there was no mistaking that it was the baby I was feeling. By 22 weeks, DH could feel her from the outside, and now, at 24 weeks, I get multiple rounds of kicks and squirms every day! It's a ton of fun, you are going to love it.

Geri - thank you! Yanno, I think the truth is that there is no "normal" when it comes to preggo size and how quickly you show or how big or not big you get in the end....we're all so different, and thus our bodies will all carry our babies in different ways. But still, it's hard to not compare yourself to others, isn't it? re: weight, I was only 6 lbs up from pre-preggo weight at my 20 week visit, but I fear that tomorrow when I get on the scale at my 24 week visit, I will have put on 8-10 more (in 4 WEEKS) based on what my home scale is saying. I need to slow down and make some better food choices than I have been making lately. Good luck at your appt on Tuesday!

Pupp - thank you!! Yanno, I think the size of the mom at delivery apparently doesn't have much to do with the size of the baby that comes out, LOL. I've seen some super tiny moms pop out 8-9 lb babies, and smaller babies come from moms who carried larger. How's your little man doing?? He must be getting BIG!!

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Not much to report here - just excited for my appointment tomorrow, and to get another peek at baby E!!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Allie - You look great! Please keep us updated. How are you feeling? Hopefully, you have today off for the holiday!

Noel - Love your Mickey picture!! Adorable!! Re: perineal massage, it's funny, I just brought this up with DH a few days ago. I told him about it and that I want him to do it. We plan to do this in the weeks beforehand to help prevent an episiotomy and/or tearing during birth. I read that the nurses may do the massage during childbirth, but my understanding is that the tissue becomes more flexible if you do the massage regularly weeks in advance.

HMG - Let us know what your dr says about the BH. Are you drinking lots of water? Have you noticed if it helps when you do?

Icekid - Hope you had a lovely shower! And, I hope you get a long vacation!! You deserve it!! Same question to you about the BH, do you notice a difference if you increase your water intake?

Mara - I may pop in to the newborn thread to ask this question, but for this photographer that I mentioned, it looks like I may need to drive my LO to her studio when LO is only 6 or 7 days!! Does that sounds like a good idea?????? It doesn't to me. She asked me if we have a lot of natural light at my house, and the answer is NO, though maybe we have more in the winter due to no leaves on trees at that point. Hmmm. Otherwise, she'd have to bring all of her lighting equipment and backdrops for an extra charge, which may be a better idea. The studio is over an hours drive from me. Huh, now that I've written it out, I'm not even sure why I'm asking the question. Haha! There's no way I would be able to drive there. Here are some pics on her blog, by the way: http://blog.christinahouser.com/. I def don't think we can take these photos on our own, though my DH seems to think he can!! The photographer brings a lot of props too, so I think it may be worth it just for that!

Cass - Congratulations and Welcome!!

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Me, me, me! I took the 3 hour glucose tolerance test on Friday. It was not ideal, haha, but the lab location I chose was ideal -- very very slow and quiet, so I was able to just relax in a corner. The phlebotomist was supernice! I got the results this morning, and I passed with flying colors!! Thank goodness!!

DH took a few days off to work on the nursery this week. We both taped and primed yesterday. My back was really in bad shape, but amazingly (and this has happened a few times before), after one night of sleep, my back is totally back to normal! I love my pregnant body!!!

Spent an hour looking at paint chips at Lowe's last night and decided on Eddie Bauer Vanilla Bean. Gosh, there are so many creams that look almost exactly alike! I finally told DH to put me out of my misery and just pick one!!!! He's sanding the floors and will put a new layer of poly on them. We re-purposing an exisiting table as a changing table. The crib is in. I have the curtains. I'm finally starting to feel like we have a plan. Very happy about that.

Hypnobirthing is going well. The main distinction between hypnobirthing and traditional birthing is that you are not supposed to push. You are supposed to "breathe your baby down." The idea is that the baby knows exactly what she is supposed to do during birth and will ease her way down, gently. We've seen some videos of some amazing births using this method. I'm not sure how everything will go when Samantha is born, but I'd be very pleased to try this method. My doctors seem receptive to hypnobirthing, but I'm not sure they understand exactly what it is, and that no one is supposed to yell - PUSH! Haha, we'll see how it goes!

 

[fieryred33143]

LV-Please forgive me if I have already shared these links. I know that I had it in mind to share it but don't remember if I ever hit submit or not. If it's a repeat, please ignore

I'm on another baby site and one of my favorite posters (who unfortunately doesn't post anymore) did hypnobirthing with both of her children. Here are the links to their birth stories (again, sorry if I already posted!):

Her son's birth: http://mamaquierebeso.blogspot.com/2008/11/two-years-ago-today.html

Her daughter's birth:

Part one: http://mamaquierebeso.blogspot.com/2009/08/part-one-of-isela-maris-arrival-pre.html

Part two: http://mamaquierebeso.blogspot.com/2009/08/part-two-of-isela-maris-arrival-its.html

Part three (this is the actual birth in case you want to skip the other parts ) : http://mamaquierebeso.blogspot.com/2009/08/part-three-of-isela-maris-arrival-birth.html

There's a part 4 but it's mostly the aftermath with pics and what not.

ETA: I forgot to ask the mods if I could share blog links beforehand so if it's inappropriate, feel free to delete! Just wanted to pass along the birth stories.