Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[taovandel]

Ahhh so cute!

 

[cara]

Your boys are precious, Mandarine.

 

[MonkeyPie]

Oh Mandy they are so gorgeous! What sweet little faces! And I LOVE that pose Alex is striking there - he is going to be a ladykiller for sure lol.

 

[Kaleigh]

Mandy,
Your boys are just sooooo adorable. Love their sweet little faces. They will fill out their clothes in no time..

 

[Mara]

oh mandarine they are so cute and i just love your story...you and your hub seem so upbeat about everything...i miss reading your cheery updates in here!!

pg...lol re: being cranky once you realized there were no keys! i could see freaking out a bit. quite the adventure.

so i spent almost 4 hours in L&D today which was quite the experience. they actually ''admitted'' me which was kind of freaky and i spent the entire time hooked up to the nugget heartrate monitor. at least i got to listen to the HB while i waited. my sample was not clean enough so they did a 2nd with a catheter and OMG i must be the world''s biggest wuss because that was friggin painful.

there was some higher white blood count but they said no infection. my bladder is very sensitive in general. this has happened before pregnancy, and it passes with time. so i am drinking a lot of water, taking cranberry extract pills, eating live culture yogurt and keeping fingers crossed.

ummm mandarine you mention a catheter, is that just for a c-section? now that i had the JOY of having one, i am like please tell me i don''t have to get another one for childbirth!

 

[snlee]

QT, love the side by side comparison shot. I can see a difference. It''s interesting how women carry differently with each pregnancy. I love how you wear the same outfit for every picture! You look great!

Mandarine, they are so precious. I am glad you''re enjoying motherhood!

Mara, glad it''s nothing serious and hope it clears up soon. The one thing I really enjoyed during my many trips to L&D was listening to the baby''s heartbeat. Loved it! A catheter is not normally needed with a vaginal delivery. You only need one if you can''t empty your bladder during or after L&D.

 

[bee*]

Congratulations Mandarine!! Your boys are beautiful!

 

[curlygirl]

Mandarine, what a fabulous story! The boys are GORGEOUS and you sound like you''re doing great. Congratulations again!!!!

Mara, for a vaginal birth, they will use the catheter to empty your bladder a few times, especially if you get an epidural. The good part is, you won''t feel a thing--they just kind of pop it in and out and since you''re numb anyway, you don''t even know what''s going on. I was always so surprised by how much urine they got out of me with the catheter, but I guess it makes sense to use it since you can''t feel anything with the epidural so you''ll be thankful to have them do it. One of my biggest fears was having to use the bathroom after pushing out a baby. At least with the catheter, if they use it right after you give birth you won''t have to worry about peeing on your own for a while!!!

Great bellies, ladies. QT, you are tiny as usual!

 

[dani13]

Congratulations, Mandarine!!!! The boys are sooooo SUPER CUTE!!!!! Im glad you''re doing well!!!!

 

[KimberlyH]

The boys are gorgeous, Mandarine. So glad you''re all doing well.

Mara, glad everything is okay.

Went to Gap. Mat. and picked up a few more things yesterday. The woman at check out told me I don''t even look pregnant. That means all the weight I''ve gained has gone elsewhere.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Mara, glad you don''t have an infection. You will get a cath if you get an epi. I developed a kidney/bladder infection so I had more than my fair share of catheters after she was born. They actually threatened to send me home with one

Luckily my bladder started emptying on its own before they discharged me. It was frustrating and painful but the whole time I was just so grateful that my baby was healthy. It really does take your mind off of any complications you might experience.

 

[Blenheim]

Mandarine, they are just so precious.

Congratulations!

Mara, glad to hear that everything''s ok. I didn''t need a catheter for birth, but then again I didn''t get an epi and I was peeing on my own just fine.

 

[DivaDiamond007]

Date: 10/18/2009 8:23:25 AM
Author: curlygirl
Mandarine, what a fabulous story! The boys are GORGEOUS and you sound like you''re doing great. Congratulations again!!!!

Mara, for a vaginal birth, they will use the catheter to empty your bladder a few times, especially if you get an epidural. The good part is, you won''t feel a thing--they just kind of pop it in and out and since you''re numb anyway, you don''t even know what''s going on. I was always so surprised by how much urine they got out of me with the catheter, but I guess it makes sense to use it since you can''t feel anything with the epidural so you''ll be thankful to have them do it. One of my biggest fears was having to use the bathroom after pushing out a baby. At least with the catheter, if they use it right after you give birth you won''t have to worry about peeing on your own for a while!!!

Great bellies, ladies. QT, you are tiny as usual!

+1. I had an epi with my son and they did a catheter on me. I had some complications after delivery and was unable to get out of bed so it was the easiest thing to do. I was numb so I didn''t even feel it going in and removal was painless too - even with my 4th degree episiotomy. Glad you''re feeling better!

Mandarine - OH MY GAWD!

Your boys are little cuties. Congratulations again!

 

[Mara]

thanks for the info ladies. honestly when it comes to have to do with any lady part issues or 'messing around with'. that area..i am super squeamish since it all seems so darn sensitive, hence why i just try not to think about 'birth' and figure whatever happens happens. denial ain't just a river in egypt!!

DD...4th degree episiotomy?? oh my gosh.

the funniest thing was that when the nurse was telling me it doesn't hurt at all (catheter)...she was also telling me how she had to get one for something a while ago...and kept putting it off because she was SO FREAKED OUT about it.

bedside manner!

and then after she did it and i was seeing stars...she was finishing up and said 'are you just really tan or is that your natural skin color?'... i was thinking lady these thighs have not seen sun for months... i just said 'it's my natural skin color' and she is like 'it's really pretty'. well thank you!

HA HA. i was too dazed to appreciate the humor at the time.

snlee...yeah the bright spot of the 4 hours sitting there naked and hooked up to the monitors was that i could listen to the nugget's heartbeat the whole time. he's gotten quite sassy and likes to kick whatever he feels like is 'intruding' onto his space so he was moving most of the time.

kimmy... good for not looking preggo and i doubt the weight shows elsewhere. i FEEL like it does but most people tell me i look the same with a belly. however you don't feel the same so it's hard to believe..hehe. gap mat leggings are pretty darn comfy i have to say and i really like their 'secret seamless support tank'.

greg is putting the crib together ... he's halfway done and i made us buttermilk pancakes for breakfast. can't wait to have that done and start moving stuff around! the dresser comes next friday, yay!

viz and pg are you guys still out there today???

 

[phoenixgirl]

I''m still here. DH and I DTD and then went for a walk . . . we are definitely trying to make things happen! During the walk I got some very uncomfortable back cramps and pressure, but nothing seems to have come of it . . . We''ve been back for a couple of hours now. We will definitely be repeating these remedies daily until my appointment on Thursday, when I''ll get my membranes stripped if nothing''s happened yet.

 

[drk]

I''m having a bit of a bad/freaked out day today. Woke at 6am to pop in my progesterone, and my cervix felt much shorter and softer than usual. So I spent 2 hours lying in bed, checking to see if I was having any tightenings - and had a few, but I think nothing more than my usual. I heelp having anywhere from probably 1-6 an hour now. Some short and focal, some the whole uterus. Cervix felt better when I put in my 2pm suppositories though, so that helped me to calm down a little. This sucks! So much for the honeymoon second trimester - I think I''m finding it more nervewracking than the first tri!
Unless I get a lot more tightenings than usual over the next day or so, I''ll try to hold out till my ultrasound on Thurs. At least at this point if I get really scared, I can go to L&D to be assessed. But if I do go in, I want to go to the hospital I know better with the better NICU, which my current doctor isn''t associated with. I think I''d better try to get myself referred to one of the high-risk docs there, just for my own peace of mind! And hopefully the "high-risk" is all just in my own head...

Mandy - beautiful kids, and great story. Glad things seem to be going well at home.

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 10/18/2009 1:36:25 PM
Author: Mara

kimmy... good for not looking preggo and i doubt the weight shows elsewhere. i FEEL like it does but most people tell me i look the same with a belly. however you don''t feel the same so it''s hard to believe..hehe. gap mat leggings are pretty darn comfy i have to say and i really like their ''secret seamless support tank''.

Mara I''ve gained a significant amount of weight since January: I put on 5 lbs the week following my D&C (didn''t gain a lb. the pregnancy, crazy hormones) and didn''t/couldn''t lose it before getting pregnant again, I''m up 13 lbs at 19 wks this pregnancy for a grand total of 18 lbs.; I''m up 1 clothing size which isn''t bad. As I mentioned previously, my doctor expressed concern about my weight, which only added to my upset as I have changed my diet (sandwhich for lunch instead of protein bar, more snacks, mostly fruits, etc.) but as far as endulging goes, it''s very rare so I''m not sure what to do about it, I guess nothing. I''m okay with not looking pregnant to strangers yet, my mom says I look bigger and bigger every week.

I didn''t see any leggings, it was a small section. I got jeans for $24, they need hemmed but it was a great price and they fit well.

 

[Mara]

drk..i don''t remember so you might have mentioned it before but are you classified as ''high risk''? i''m so sorry you are having a hard day...but just try to keep calm and don''t get too worried... it will probably just make you feel worse and baby does feel it. just try to relax and if nothing feels different than usual, hopefully things are just fine in there!

kimmy... girl do not let the doctor stress you out about weight gain. ESP if you are eating well and rarely indulging....if your body is putting on weight it''s because it wants to for the baby and that is what you have to let it do. did you start walking again or not yet? i am trying to force myself to even though it doesnt feel that fabulous and def not like what i used to love doing. but it''s something and i think it helps, maybe even just mentally. i am up 23 lbs in 25 weeks and i thought for sure the dr would say ''slow it down'' but she is like ''you are fine, don''t worry''. so if you are up 13 in 19 weeks or even 18 in 19 that is not bad at all! esp if you were small to begin with, sometimes your body wants to add even more than you''d like. as long as it''s not all chocolate double fudge milkshakes (mmm) then it won''t be AS hard to get off afterwards...you and i know that from our weight loss days!

 

[Pandora II]

Mandarine, they are both gorgeous! I love your birth story. DH and I were exactly the same driving to the hospital all giddy and excited after my waters broke - we didn''t know it would be 2 days before we met Daisy! Enjoy them and make the most of them being so tiny, I do miss Daisy being too little for her newborn onesies...

Mara, I wouldn''t have had to have had a catheter as I had a mobile epidural, but as they wanted constant monitoring and an antibiotic IV as I was over the 36 hours since waters broke, I had to have one. They had real problems getting it in and had to try 3 times. Even with Entenox it was nasty. Mine also had to stay in for 3 days due to being in ICU. It was the one thing I was really not keen on having at all - it wasn''t as bad an experience as I anticipated but I''m not signing up for another in a hurry!

 

[KimberlyH]

Mara, I was definitely on the smaller side when I got pregnant, both times actually. The doctor just sent me over the edge. John says he wished he''s known she was going to say something as he would have talked to her about my being so careful (read obsessive) about my weight. I''m walking here and there, not as much as I should, but definitely moving.

Kate, I''m sorry you''re having a tough time. Deep breaths. What helped me when I was having tough days while I was spotting for weeks on end was simply to say to myself "You are pregnant today." Sounds sorta nutty but it helped me.

Just got back from a baseball game of a friends'' son, haven''t seen them in a while, it was fun to visit. We''re having posole for dinner and it smells delicious.

 

[gingerB]

Mandarine - your boys are beyond precious! and your birth story made me all teary with how happy and giddy you guys were...so glad everything went smoothly and the boys are home and healthy!

drk - how do you know when your cervix is feeling softer and shorter? and ditto to whoever said to try to remain calm...babies can def sense when mom is stressed.

kim - everyone puts on weight at different rates i think. mine def comes in spurts even though my eating habits are relatively stable. i'm am def NOT a workout person and so i know the chances of me losing extra weight post prego is low (just not motivated and i HATE it) so i initially was weighing myself daily and worried about numbers. but after a while i've come to the conclusion that hey, i'm eating healthy, my body will do what it needs for the baby, and i'll deal with the after when i get there. i would not want to hurt the baby by making decisions based on my self image, ykwim? which is what i felt like i was doing, so i just stopped obsessing, just eating veggies and fruits for snacks and extra calories as needed and try not to indulge in the sundaes and milkshakes too much. emphasis on the too much.

mara - glad to hear no infection! my body is prone to uti's pre-preggo also so i've been extra alert to the signs of one starting. with your catheter story i may start really being extra careful and double crossing my fingers to not contract one....yeesh.

so i was at target today because i was bored and wanted to get out of the house for awhile and like wandering the baby aisle checking out all the cute stuff (

) and decided to pick up some fruit roll-ups for nostalgia and indulgence

when hubby who is at home playing video games with a buddy calls to ask me to pick up a 12pack on the way home. i was like sure, no big deal. then i got to the check out counter and realized with the shirt i was wearing, it was pretty clear i was preggo (at work i'm usually covered in a big white coat so harder to tell) and there i was buying fruit roll-ups and beer.

i was feeling s bit self conscious so was trying to finish quickly and get out, but the credit card machine was on the fritz and the clerk couldn't make the effort to reach over to the beer to beep it cuz it was in the cart and she kept announcing loudly to the whole line "MA'AM, MA'AM - I NEED TO GET YOU BEER. PLEASE LIFT UP THE BUD LIGHT" while i was struggling to get the machine to read my card. OOoooh yeah...Classy.

 

[Kaleigh]

Oh Ginger, I would have died of embarrasment... You''re a good sport.


Mara,
Hoping you are feeling better. Catheters are no fun... Glad it''s not an infection...

PG,

Hoping things happen for you soon!!! Best of luck for a smooth labor and delivery!!!

DRK,
Sorry you are having a tough time, hoping all will be fine.

 

[rockpaperscissors67]

Kim, I''m going to echo what the others have said about weight gain. I hate when doctors make women feel bad about weight gain, especially when those women aren''t spending their days eating really bad stuff.

I''m pregnant with my 6th child. Each and every time, I started around 115 lbs. (I''m 5''6") so underweight. At the time of delivery, I weighed 150-155 lbs. This has happened with every single pregnancy. Right now, I''m at about 144 and I''m somewhere around 26 weeks, so yeah, I''ve got an almost 30 lb. weight gain already. My midwife hasn''t said anything because she knows this is just how I gain.

I also tend to lose the weight pretty quickly, so I don''t worry about it. With my 3 year old, I lost all but 10 lbs. within a month. I was nursing, so those 10 lbs. stuck around until I did low-carb for a few weeks and then I stayed at 116 until I got pregnant a bit less than a year later.

 

[MonkeyPie]

Date: 10/19/2009 8:50:50 AM
Author: rockpaperscissors67
Kim, I''m going to echo what the others have said about weight gain. I hate when doctors make women feel bad about weight gain, especially when those women aren''t spending their days eating really bad stuff.

I''m pregnant with my 6th child. Each and every time, I started around 115 lbs. (I''m 5''6'') so underweight. At the time of delivery, I weighed 150-155 lbs. This has happened with every single pregnancy. Right now, I''m at about 144 and I''m somewhere around 26 weeks, so yeah, I''ve got an almost 30 lb. weight gain already. My midwife hasn''t said anything because she knows this is just how I gain.

I also tend to lose the weight pretty quickly, so I don''t worry about it. With my 3 year old, I lost all but 10 lbs. within a month. I was nursing, so those 10 lbs. stuck around until I did low-carb for a few weeks and then I stayed at 116 until I got pregnant a bit less than a year later.

Oohh, jealous! I hope it''s that easy for me lol.

One of my co-workers (my "work mom", as I like to call her) became a grandma this week - her daughter''s water broke Saturday and she was only in labor for three hours, pushing included! I was astounded since it was her first baby, too. That''s just amazing!

 

[vizsla]

ugh - i''m here too.. and at work no less

like PG, i''m trying to save as many days as i can for after baby... and no one really expects me to be super productive now, so i might as well come in. my biggest fear is my water breaking at work

but luckily i work in a dark studio with limited contact with the rest of the company, so it would only be embarrassing to my immediate team. i thought for sure this weekend was going to be ''it''. this little baby was kicking up such a storm this weekend - i thought he was going to bust out of my skin... or that he thought the way out was thru my side! head down little man, head down! in fact, i think he was up for a good hour and a half last night kicking away (and yes, right as i was trying to go to sleep). so i fully expected my water to break in the middle of the night... nope.
i have another apt on thursday - and if no progress we''ll schedule an induction for the following thursday - at least there is some sort of end date, albeit 1.5 weeks away! my midwife did say that babies end up arriving while we are busy making plans... so hopefully he''ll just come on his own accord. i *really* don''t want to be induced as i was on the fence about an epidural anyway. but, if they have to use pitocin to get things going i''m pretty much resigned to the fact that i will most likely opt for an epi.

yuck.. just got called to a meeting... back later to catch up.

 

[anchor31]

PG and vizla - I''m sending you progress vibes!

Mara - I''m glad there''s no infection. It can be embarrassing to get poked around down there, but I guess it''s for a good cause...

drk - I hope everything is okay with you and baby.

I hope everyone had a good weekend! We''ve been doing our "spring cleaning" since we wanted it done before baby arrives. I discovered yet another very pleasant pregnancy symptom yesterday... Whenever I get up, I feel like my crotch is going to split in two... Meh.

 

[janinegirly]

mandarine, what a lovely birth story (except the not so great hospital--i can relate!!) and your boys are precious.They already have such personality and seem beyond their age! So wise looking! And what healthy little boys, hard to believe they were born early!

mara-late here, but I too had the cathater for the epi. And another after birth b/c it took awhile to wear off and I needed relief. Oh I am squeamish too and it''s one of those things I just didn''t care to know the details of..they did something and I didn''t feel a thing and that''s all I know! I had a tendency to get UTI infections--had several during pregnancy, but just meant antibiotics. And I did have this on-going discomfort after the birth. Not sure if it was an infection (b/c it stuck around after I finished the round of antibiotics). I asked the dr. about it and of course no real answers since they assumed it was an UTI, but turned out it wasn''t. After about 6 wks, it wore off. I have NO idea if that was related to the cathater, but in any case it took care of itself.

 

[janinegirly]

oh and cute bellies everyone! (qtiekiki, burk, puffy, amber, steph and anyone I missed!). You guys are hot mamas-to-be!

Qtikiki: did I miss the big reveal??

 

[phoenixgirl]

Viz, sending you vibes! Maybe we can be birth day buddies!

Our friends who were due yesterday are also just waiting . . .

Last night I woke up every 1 hour and 45 minutes to pee, but I wasn''t drinking any water. A tiny little girl kept punching me in the bladder throughout the night. Usually when I flip over to the other side or get up to pee for a minute, she shifts positions and stops, but last night she just kept hitting me where it hurts. What''s up with that, baby?

I''m getting some nesting done today. Thankfully, with the Merry Maids and my strategic organizing over the summer, things are never that bad around here, but it''s nice to have a day just to think of what I can do to be better prepared. Right now that''s lots and lots of laundry. I''m also putting some maternity clothes that I know I won''t wear again until the next pregnancy in boxes for DH to put up in the attic.

My poor DH, with the bladder pains, the walking pains, and my morning bathroom pains (sorry if this is TMI, but for the last few weeks, when I get the urge to go in the morning, it is really painful, like I''m going to explode), I am constantly making exclamations of "Ouch!" and "Owwww!" Recently after such exclamations he''s been asking hopefully, "Is it is a contraction?!" No, sorry DH, just that I''m going to explode if I don''t make it to the bathroom right now . . .

I thought I had made it through my pregnancy with no popped belly button (just flattened) and no stretch marks, but now I''ve got these red veiny things on the left side of my belly (because I lie on that side more?) and my belly button has started protruding. Lovely.

 

[janinegirly]

Date: 10/18/2009 3:33:10 PM
Author: phoenixgirl
I''m still here. DH and I DTD and then went for a walk . . . we are definitely trying to make things happen! During the walk I got some very uncomfortable back cramps and pressure, but nothing seems to have come of it . . . We''ve been back for a couple of hours now. We will definitely be repeating these remedies daily until my appointment on Thursday, when I''ll get my membranes stripped if nothing''s happened yet.

I''m always so impressed by such remedies...during my last weeks there was no DTD''s no matter how tired of being preggo I was!! Go girl!

I did do laundry and eat ice cream the day before labor..maybe that helped a tad bit.