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Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

luvthemstrawberries

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jun 19, 2008
Messages
2,107
I'm curious if any women reading this have experienced any lightheadedness or weakness towards the end of their pregnancy. Of course I'm tired and run down these days, but for the past few days to a week, I've literally felt a little weaker, and even had some moments where I get slightly lightheaded. I'm eating normally, and nothing seems out of the ordinary - I'm wondering if it's necessary to actually increase what I'm eating beyond the norm? Is this my body telling me I need to intake even more - maybe the baby is still in that serious growth stage? I'm at about 35 1/2 weeks - I know in the early-mid 30s the baby is doing some serious growing, but then they say it slows down at some point around now. I'm not really hungry - I eat when I am, which is what I'm used to doing the whole pregnancy, but the stomach room is so limited now - but I still eat meals and snacks as normal. Just wondering if I need to be forcing myself to intake even more calories/nutrients for a little while - is that normal at this point in the game?

I've also had a few very light pains in the past few days that feel slightly similar to menstrual cramps - haha, I had pleasantly forgotten what those feel like! :cheeky: It's not at the same time as the usual BH tightening. It's so interesting and surreal to feel all the preparations the body does on its own.

(I do plan to mention all this at my 36 week appointment next week, but just wanted to poll and see if other women had experienced this, especially the possible need to eat more.) ETA: Figured I should mention that my BP has been normal the whole time. I haven't checked it in the past few days, guess I should when I get home today just to be sure. But last week at the appointment, it was something like 100/60, which is the norm for me.
 

fisherofmengirly

Ideal_Rock
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Apr 14, 2006
Messages
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Luv,

The thread on essential baby items was bumped to the first page on F&H-- did you find it?

Pave,

Glad to have a jump buddy! This is the "big girl" spot and um, kind of scary!

We hit 24 weeks and the point of viability-- I can't say how much that makes me smile! The baby's not coming out any time soon, but it is so good to know with each day the chances of survival and thrivability rises. :) At the appointment this week the heartbeat was 146, down from the 160s where it had been riding for months. We still haven't been tempted enough to open the envelope, so the kiddo remains a surprise gender-wise.

I've been sleepy and have had some memory issues, but other than that seem to be doing well. Hope the same is true for all of my fellow preggo friends! Happy weekend, girls!! :bigsmile:
 

mia1181

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 25, 2006
Messages
1,789
Hey everyone! I'm trying to get back here! I haven't been really good at posting here in months. Life has been crazy! I just can't wait until my maternity leave in THREE WEEKS! Then I plan to be a much better PSer!

LuvThem- Yes I get dizzy and lightheaded a lot and have been for a while. I wonder if you are experiencing the same feelings I have. Like you I was confused because it would always happen to me when I has eaten so I knew it couldn't be low blood sugar. Once I had to sit down on the floor in Target and have my DH go and get the car because I felt like I might pass out. While I was waiting for him to come back I quickly googled it and it seems to be very common. I also asked my doctor and she said it was normal and shared that she fainted 3 times when she was pregnant. She said it mostly has to do with circulation. When we eat, our blood goes to the digestive system and away from our brains. Same thing if we are on our feet. She advised me to be careful not to be on my feet for too long and to try and lay down on the left side when I feel that way. If that's not possible then just sit down and put your feet up. It's a crappy feeling but I just take it easy and it seems to go away pretty quickly. Hope that helps!

I have also had some light cramps in the past week. But they are very very very very light so I'm not worried about them being actual contractions. I'm a few weeks behind you but my baby is head-down so I think it may have something to do with that. Either that or the body getting ready for the big event! I think as long as they are not measurable (i.e. have a clear start and end) they probably aren't real cramps. I get braxton hicks too and like you said it's different and more of a tightness.

Fisher- Isn't viability the best?! I know it's not like the baby would be in the clear but it feels so good to know that each week after that the chances get better that everything will be okay! Ever since I was 24 weeks along, every now and then I will "YouTube" babies born at whatever week I am. I know it sounds weird and some people get sad seeing very young premies, but for me, it feels good to know that the being inside of me actually looks like a baby and has a chance of survival!

Hi everyone else! :wavey:

AFM, I am now 33 weeks. 7 more weeks until DD, 9 at most before I am holding a baby! I can't decide if I want this to hurry up, but then I think of all the stuff we have to do before she comes! I have the carseat base installed extra early because I wanted to be the one to install it since I am experienced from being a nanny and I didn't want to have to squeeze in the car if I got huge later on. So that's done! The nursery is painted but has no furniture yet. We moved into a new house in the beginning of December but still aren't fully unpacked. I am just hanging on until my maternity leave to get all this done. She better not come early!

We have also been going through a tough time because our dog passed away a few weeks ago and we are still very heartbroken. He was only 2.5 years old... Not the one in my avatar, that doggie passed away a few years prior. We haven't had the best of luck with our puppies. Our wonder puppy Werm broke out of his kennel while being boarded at the Vets over Christmas and actually was able to open doors to the outside and was hit by a car. So devastating, for many reasons! It's hard to lose a dog in the first place, but under these circumstances, when we were home but couldn't pick him up because the office was closed, and he was so young, and we just got this house with a beautiful backyard for him, and I am pregnant and hormonal. It has been really really really hard, but getting better with time. I hope you guys don't mind me sharing this here, maybe a bunch of other hormonal women are not the most appropriate audience, but it is therapeutic for me to be able to share with people. I have been working so hard to keep it in and act normal at work but it is so hard coming home to a quiet house. Now with a baby coming, it's not likely we will be able to get another dog for a while. Anyway, just trying to keep calm about it because I don't think it's good for the baby to feel my sadness all the time, but it plain sucks.

So that has been one hardship but overall this pregnancy hasn't been bad. I haven't had a lot of symptoms, after a rough 1st trimester. Like someone else said, I don't "LOVE" being pregnant but I don't hate it either. My DH definitely thinks I hate it though... I do feel like it is a long time and I don't know if I can do it again, although we do want a second... We'll see!

Posting some belly pics. They aren't the best. I always thought I would take perfect pictures in the same spot every week, but then I realized you get very tired when you are pregnant and some of the ideas you had pre-pregnancy go right out the window!

miabellyweeks.jpg
 

luvthemstrawberries

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jun 19, 2008
Messages
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I'm up in the very early morning hours, as has been happening a little more lately... 2, 3, 4am... blegh. I wake up to empty the bladder and can't go back to sleep - my mind starts going and just plain won't stop. :nono: Then the baby will get going sometimes, and that's the end of it - those swift kicks up in the ribs that feel like they're they're literally in my chest - definitely not conducive to sleep.

fisher - I did see that thread, and I wondered if that's the one you had asked about. Already done some reading in it myself! :)) Yay for 24 weeks for you! Haha I have been sleepy and having memory problems for many many weeks now, probably since about this time for you, so get used to it. :cheeky: I like your idea of having the gender in an envelope for in case you decide you want to know!

mia - Hi! :wavey: So good to hear from you! I am SO sorry to hear about your dog - well dogs (plural) - losing any pet is always hard, but I can imagine that it is extremely hard right now, especially under those unexpected circumstances. Wish I could give you a hug. :blackeye: I always felt like I identified with you when we were in the BWW times, and I loved your wedding and pictures out on the beach. I'm glad you're able to share here though and that it's therapeutic for you. It is good that you're trying not to let too much of it weigh you and the baby down - I do believe that our bodies respond to our mental states, which has to feed into the baby too - I think positivity has the potential to do our bodies so much good. I hope you're able to find some solace and positivity with the baby coming and all the good things that come with that.

I'm like you with the time that's left in the pregnancy - not sure if I want it to go quickly, because I do want to enjoy it and don't want to wish it away, but at the same time I am also anxious to meet this little person, and to not be so uncomfortable, haha - but we still have SO much to do too. Thank you for the input on your symptoms - it makes me feel a lot better than I'm not the only one feeling those things. I had some serious moments yesterday of lightheadedness, and my heart seems to be pounding like crazy too (even though I have no bp problems) - I had eaten breakfast within a few hours, but had also just been on my feet a lot, so I think it all sort of makes sense what you were saying about the circulation and taking it easy. I really have a hard time making myself slow down sometimes and accept that my body is not as capable of everything I want it to be right now. My little cramps are also extremely light too - nothing major, and I even wondered if they were gas related since my menstrual cramps always started out feeling like that anyway. But like you, the baby has been head down ever since they even started checking that at 30 or 32 weeks, and I certainly feel that pressure down there a lot, but the cramps are new within the past week or so. I think it's just the body changing and preparing, and I have to remember that there's still lots of growth and expansion happening in there, so I'm sure there are bound to be more stretching/growing pains.

Oh, and you look FANTASTIC my dear!! Very cute, but also like you're feeling well overall and enjoying it - that last picture is beautiful!
 

fisherofmengirly

Ideal_Rock
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Mia,

Way to rock a baby bump!! :)

No news on my end- growing every day and enjoying it.
 

Haven

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Mia--Look at you, hot mama! Rawr! You look like a model in EVERY.SINGLE.PICTURE! Seriously, Motherhood Maternity should pay you to wear their clothes!
 

MichelleCarmen

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bean|1357419113|3348184 said:
Soooo... was diagnosed with GD. Yay :rolleyes: . I am testing my blood 4 times a day. I have not been starving like this since.... well, I can't remember! I feel like milk and pasta are the two foods that make my blood sugar go nuts. Any other carb I do fine with and stay well below limits. I am hating this diet mainly because CARBS were the thing that would make nausea go away or lessen. I told my nutritionist that I'm still puking every day and haven't been hungry really because my stomach hurts or feels queasy. She says, "Well, most women don't have morning sickness after 31 weeks. You should be fine." :confused: WTH. Seriously? Yes, I must be making it all up since most women are not sick at 31 weeks. After starting their "diet" though I found myself starving last night and this morning. I did not feel well at ALL but was starving. I took zofran and then was just starving. I wonder if baby is going through a growth spurt?

My weight fluctuates between +7lbs - +10lbs from pre-preggo weight. Which means I've actually lost weight, I'm thinking? I don't know. I'm tired of feeling like crap, tired of throwing up, tired of being tired and tired of feeling sorry for myself at this point. Pregnancy (for me) is NOTHING like I thought it would be. It is not rainbows, unicorns, and sunshine.

I am thankful that so far everything with baby is good and I'm sure it will be worth it and after birth I won't remember this negative stuff... but until then, I'm struggling to find things to be happy about. I don't like being so negative! blahhhh.

Anyone else working the GD diet? Any tips?

Bean - sorry you have GD. I had it w/both pregnancies and followed the glycemic index to keep my blood sugars lower. One of my staple snacks was triscuits and cheese. Eating a protein before the carb slows down the sugar spike. Have you tried Quinoa? That wasn't really around when I was pregnant, but it is sold everywhere now. The red one tastes good!
 

fisherofmengirly

Ideal_Rock
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Apr 14, 2006
Messages
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Ankles.... Mine are swelling by the end of the day. I made the mistake of googling it and now I don't know if it's normal or if I'm borderline for preeclampsia. Nice. Hubs got me some of those compression socks and I really like them and it seems to help a lot.

And car seats--- what have you all decided on? I'm a big one for safety, but I'm also not a fan of spending money for a name brand item just because it is trendy, if that makes sense. Right now I'm stuck between the Chicco Keyfit 30 and Graco Snugfit 35. Both have similar reviews and safety standards. Ah. Choices.

If anyone likes to shop online and wants to do some hunting for us--- we are looking for a short, long bookshelf in rustic cherry, or an unfinished one we can stain ourselves. We don't want particle board or that fake stuff across the back, but it seems that's all I can find without staining ourselves.

Someone at work totally made me feel fat and horrible yesterday; she said my baby only weighs between a pound and 2 pounds, so why have I gained more than 3 lbs? I know weight is a sensitive subject for me because of being very heavy in my past, so I guess that's where it comes from. Still, people should be kinder in general. The doctor said in doing okay so I try to just remember that, but my emotions are a little nutty sometimes. :bigsmile:

Hope all is well with my fellow Pregos and I hope no one has called you fat today! :bigsmile:
 

Puppmom

Ideal_Rock
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Jun 25, 2007
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Fisher, boo to the weight comments! Recently, a man in a convenience store asked when I was due and I said 6 weeks. He said, "Looks more like 6 minutes!" :angryfire: People suck sometimes.

I've had swelling this pregnancy too (and not with my previous). My blood pressure is still low and no protein in my urine. I think your doc checks both at every visit. Anyway, I've found that it's my shoes. I rarely wear shoes around the house and noticed that my feet barely swell on the weekends. I come to work and sit all day and they're huge by the end of the day. So, I now have slippers under my desk and only slip my shoes on when I have to get up from my desk. It makes a huge difference.
 

fisherofmengirly

Ideal_Rock
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My bp stays around 110/60 so Paul told me not to worry- just seems early to be swelling. At the last appt, I had trace levels of protein but the dr said that's completely normal. I guess my nature is to wonder and worry. Lame.

Gas store man is rude!! I LOVE belly bumps and always have. I think pregnancy makes women so much more beautiful. It still seems unreal to me that this is happening in my body. I wake up sometimes and just lie there feeling the baby move and I cry. It's so amazing and I'm so thankful. Haha, even given all that and the wait and prayers and hope we carried all these years, I'm still terrified that in less than 4 months we'll have a baby. To take care of. And I'm scared I won't know what to do at all. I've read that's normal, but it doesn't help all that much. :bigsmile:

6 weeks! Eek! That's soon! How are you feeling? Physically, emotionally....
 

CurlySue

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Apr 8, 2009
Messages
792
Hi, ladies! Long time, no post. It's great to see everyone over here. I haven't read a ton of the recent posts on here yet, so I have come catching up to do. Just thought I'd check in.

I did see Fisher's recent post on swelling... I do get some swelling around my ankles at the end of the day if I spend too much of my day sitting, but it always goes away by the next morning. I also found something to prop my feet up on while I'm at my desk, and I think that's helped. My fingers get a little swollen on some days, but that seems to be more correlated to how well I'm doing on my water intake.

I'm at 24w4d and feeling surprisingly great! If I overdo it physically, I get some lower back pain, but other than that I have pretty much no complaints. So I'm trying to enjoy that for as long as I can.

We've gotten a ton done over the last several weeks - started on the nursery, figured out how to work with the minimal storage we have in our old bungalow, signed up for some classes, finished the registry, found a pediatrician. On top of all that, we're redecorating our living room and basement family room (which has been a man-cave - now we're making more room for a play area for baby girl). We still have to make some decisions on our infant seat and stroller, but I figure we can tackle that a bit later. Still struggling with daycare options, but I know we will eventually find the right fit.

OK... I'm going to go back and read the last page or two to catch up a bit...
 

CurlySue

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Apr 8, 2009
Messages
792
OK - a little caught up...

Mia: I am so, so sorry to hear about your dog. Hugs to you!! I must say, you look absolutely gorgeous!

LTS: You are so close! I would imagine you have so much on your mind and so many things to balance with your move, prepping for baby's arrival, and taking it easy when your body tells you to. I'm a planner by nature, so I can empathize with much of what you wrote. Hang in there!

Bean: Sorry to hear about the GD. It must be awful to have to manage that when you are feeling like crap on top of it. I don't blame you one bit for complaining about it!

TG: Your babymoon sounds FABULOUS! I also have to say that I am amazed by any pregnant woman who has a physically demanding job. How do you do it??? When I do housework or anything physical for more than an hour at a time, I get completely wiped out.

Fisher: I am so glad to hear you are feeling well! And I just don't understand some of the comments people make. Then again, I have been a bit extra-sensitive these days. Go figure! :wink2: Luckily, I haven't had too many rude comments to date, so I haven't had to worry about managing my reactions. And I think you asked about carseats, right? We are leaning towards the Chicco Keyfit at this point, though I am sort of nervous to pull the trigger on that for some irrational reason. I feel like I need to figure out what stroller I want first to ensure that they are compatible. I don't kow. Just when I feel like I know what I'm doing, I get hit with self-doubt that I am missing something or making a decision to quickly. I like to blame that on my hormones!

Pupp: You are due so soon!! And did that guy think he was funny with his 6 minute comment?? There are way too many people out there who think they are much more clever and witty than they actually are.

Anyone gotten any updates on Prana??? I hope you are holding your baby by now!
 

fisherofmengirly

Ideal_Rock
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We are the same way-- decide and then wonder if we're right. Haha. Ideally, we want a jogging stroller so I need to see which of the two car seats we like can accommodate that.

Yay for 24 weeks-- that was a milestone for us!
 

luvthemstrawberries

Ideal_Rock
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Jun 19, 2008
Messages
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Haven said:
Mia--Look at you, hot mama! Rawr! You look like a model in EVERY.SINGLE.PICTURE! Seriously, Motherhood Maternity should pay you to wear their clothes!

Ditto!!

fisher - We were down between the same 2 carseats. We went with the Chicco Keyfit 30 - it was the consumer reports top pick, we also thought it felt a little bit better in person, and we liked a few minor features better (the leveling, how it installs, etc.). It's a tad more expensive, as are its extra bases, but we couldn't find a reason to choose the Graco over the Chicco.

There is some good conversation in this thread about carseats and strollers back around page 1234 or so (a good few pages worth).

And I CANNOT believe the gall of some people - why have you gained more than 3 lb, seriously?? GAH. No matter if you're sensitive or not - that is just downright rude. I generally feel bad firing back at people, but that would be a case where I wouldn't think twice (if I ever actually had the quick wit to do that, which I don't). I thankfully haven't had to deal with many rude people, but I find that the few comments I have encountered, even if they're just general in nature, make me a little uncomfortable - I'm just not used to strangers randomly approaching me, so it's weird that people just think pregnancy equates to a right to make comments and guesses - and it's the personal nature of the fact that they're looking at me physically I think that makes me uncomfortable - guess I'm just more of the blend in type for the most part, or at least not one to attract a lot of attention to myself otherwise, haha which pregnancy certainly does not allow apparently. At least you're coming back to the fact that you and your doctor know you're doing ok, so I guess just try to put those rude comments out of your mind for good. Wish I could punch that person for you! :nono:

Oh, haha - as I'm sure we're all learning, Google is not our friend during pregnancy!! I had to wear compression socks in high school due to some skin issues, and I have to say they do feel really good. I don't think it's too early for swelling for you - I seem to recall many women here dealing with it around your same time. I can say that water and hydration makes such a difference for me in all things pregnancy - swelling, skin, and especially bathroom issues.

Also, I feel the very same as you about having moments of pregnancy feeling so unreal and miraculous - my husband has joked about how freaked out he'd be if something was moving inside of him, haha. I just tell him how cool it is (except for the 2am rib kicks :cheeky: - just kidding, I'll take 'em). But I have moments too where I realize just how different things are about to be - there is about to be this additional person in our lives - not just an idea, or this movement inside my belly, but a living being that will become part of our lives. It's a lot to take in!

puppmom - Good point about the shoes and swelling. I think Haven had said something similar to that a while back - something about some boots she could wear all day, but the moment those boots came off, swelling would ensue and they couldn't go back on. Circulation is so intriguing.

CurlySue - :wavey: Love your name! Thanks for empathizing - it means a lot! Yeah I'm struggling slightly some days with keeping myself calm about how we don't really have a nursery yet and sort of just need to make do with the space we're in for a few more months - I just want to go ahead and organize it all and give everything its own place! You sound like you are on top of things, which is great! We still have to find a pediatrician, and figure out daycare too, which has been an issue for us - we've visited a few, and none have been the right fit. The one we disliked the least won't even return my emails or phone calls with questions about the application, which is really frustrating. It's crazy to me how expensive daycare is too.

As I mentioned above, go back in this thread to the early-mid 1230s - there are some good posts about carseats and strollers there. I can say that I don't think you'll have tons of issues with compatibility unless you're going with something fairly high end or not so mainstream. Everything I've come across seems to have adapters that make most of them work interchangeably. The Chicco carseat seems to work across the board for most strollers that I looked into, and we weren't looking for anything off the wall - just an all terrain stroller that could do everything we needed it to in one item (vs. having multiple strollers for multiple uses). We ended up with the Baby Jogger City Elite (haha, have yet to get it yet though, and doubt we will before the baby is here - I hope to wear the baby more anyway, so we sort of anticipate the stroller to be more helpful on day trips, walks/hikes, and long outings).

I sure hope Prana is doing well!!
 

icekid

Ideal_Rock
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Messages
7,476
Mia- You look totally fabulous! Gorgeous mama.

And umm, I am a solid 3 weeks and 5 days pregnant with number 2. Eeeeeek.
 

luvthemstrawberries

Ideal_Rock
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Jun 19, 2008
Messages
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Small update for me... chugging along at about 36.5 weeks. I can tell things in my body are definitely changing and preparing - I'm having new twinges and feelings that I haven't experienced yet. I've had multiple people tell me that I look like I've dropped, and I think I can tell too just in how it feels. We had our 36 week appointment this week, and the midwife we saw this time is very family oriented and involved - she let my husband find the heartbeat with the doppler, which was really neat. We talked about some of the symptoms and all the tightening/contractions I've had, and she even wondered aloud if it meant I would go early, haha. Who knows. She offered to do a cervical check if I was curious, but all it would do is tell us information, even though I could end up walking around like that for weeks, so I opted against it.

Woke up from a nap earlier and my eyes have been having trouble focusing ever since - it's not blood pressure or anything out of the ordinary for me, so from the reading I've done I'm thinking it must be fluid retention, even though that hasn't been a big issue for me yet. They just feel cloudy, and I can tell a slight difference in the focus if I move my head at different angles, so sounds like that could be what it is - apparently the cornea can change shape and thickness with fluid retention. Just strange.

We're having a small shower tomorrow with another part of my family, so it will be nice to see them all and spend some time with them. We'll get to have dinner with my paternal grandparents afterwards too, so I look forward to that. I am so blessed and grateful to still have all 4 of my grandparents here with us (both sets live within a few hours of here), even though some of their health is certainly not what it used to be. So I hope and pray that they will all get a chance to meet this baby and spend some time together, even if it means us making a small trip early on with a tiny baby.

I was going to attach just the 36 week picture, but I enjoy looking at all of yall's progress ones, and I haven't done that since 18 weeks, so here ya go...

11-36_weeks-3.jpg
 

monarch64

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Congrats, Icekid!!!
 

fisherofmengirly

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Ice!!! I remember you from the first go round! Whoop whoop for number two! :)
 

blackpolkadot

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Jun 4, 2008
Messages
495
Welcome, icekid!!! :wavey:

luv you look great! Not too much longer for you!

Just chugging along here at 15.5 weeks. Not much to report as I feel like I am finally over the morning sickness hump! I do hope my energy returns soon. I have too much going on to be napping everyday like I have been.
 

fisherofmengirly

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26 weeks 1 day! Baby move during the night from the super low position he or she pretty much stays in to higher on my left side. It's really funny to feel the difference between the right side of my stomach and my left. :bigsmile: I guess the room along the bottom finally got a little too cramped for the kiddo.

Yesterday evening, after going to Michael's and the grocery store, I experienced this weird ache in my right upper thigh. I figure it's just the stretching and loosening that has to go on for labor prep, but it still made me worry a bit. This morning all is well. I really need to stop googling because at this point, everything out there says it may be a sign of early labor. No way, man!

We have settled on the classes we will be taking; how bout you all? We are doing the hospital tour, childbirth prep, and infant CPR and first aid. I've read so many mixed reviews on the breastfeeding classes that I think we will wait and get a consultant if needed and lean on books for now.

Also, working on putting art on the walls in baby's room and making address lists for showers. Fun stuff! It's all coming so soon. It amazes me that after all the time of waiting and praying and hoping, now that it's come along, pregnancy flies by! Okay getting to week 14 was rough, but then.... Whoosh. Fly by!

Hope everyone is well. To the mamas about to meet their wee ones, I pray for a wonderful birthing and labor experience for you and the kiddos! :)
 

JGator

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Fisher, we took all the classes you are going to take plus infant care which teaches you about taking care of the baby once you are home including bathing, diapering, baby proofing, etc - you get to practice with a doll. We really liked that, and it was fun to learn that all the dads in the room had never changed a diaper. We did not like our breast feeding class - it was likely due to the instructor - she just read the slides to us. We took advantage of the lactation consultants in the hospital who were amazing, and I had one appointment with an LC at a place the hospital LCs recommended after we went home. They will come to your house or you can go to their facility - it is less expensive if you go to see them. Good luck to you!!! Getting close!
 

CurlySue

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Apr 8, 2009
Messages
792
Hi, ladies! Happy Wednesday.

LTS - I love your photo spread! You look so cute, and it's so cool to see the progression.

Icekid - Congrats!

BPDot - Glad to hear you are starting to get over the m/s hump. I know that for me personally, the second trimster has been fantastic in terms of how I have been feeling. I hope the same is true for you!

JGator - Nice to see you! Hope your first few months with your little girl have been wonderful.

Fisher - We signed up for 4 classes: an all-day tour of the hospital/childbirth prep class, infant care basics, infant/toddler CPR, and a breastfeeding class. I'm interested to see how they go. I've heard great things about 2 of the classes and not much about the other two, so I'm keeping my expectations low for those. And I totally agree with you that after the 1st trimester, time has just been flying by, which excites me and freaks me out all at the same time!

DH and I have been super-productive over the last several weeks, and I love it! After much negotiating, we have settled on a paint color for baby girl's room. He told me the original color I picked out looked like puke, which still cracks me up (I mean, puke? Really?). So we have found a non-pukey color that should work nicely. :bigsmile: I also started sorting through all the clothes I have for her - I got two huge storage bins of my 2.5 year old niece's hand-me-downs, which put us in pretty good shape (not that it has deterred me from buying ridiculously adorable things I find on sale).

Now I feel like I need to start reading some bringing baby home/first year/parenting books. I've seen "Happiest Baby on the Block" mentioned several times, and a friend of mine mentioned one about parenting in France ("Bringing up Bebe," maybe? not sure on the title). Does anyone have any favorites or books you've heard good things about?

Oh... I think my feet have grown. ;( For the most part, I rotate through the same few pairs of shoes/boots/sneakers that are really comfortable, so I hadn't noticed anything, but last week I tried on an old pair of boots, and I couldn't get my foot in. It was first thing in the morning, and I didn't notice any swelling, so... I guess they have grown??? I will be heartbroken if most of my shoes no longer fit and I have to rebuild my shoe collection!
 

meresal

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 13, 2007
Messages
5,720
Sorry to just drop and post... I am 32w4d, feeling a little better for the moment, and just got diagnosed with the flu.

That makes 2 or 3 bouts of sinus infection, 1 of bronchitis, and now the flu, all in one pregnancy. For someone that absolutely HATES being sick, and rarely ever is, this is horrible. Luckily, DH and DS are staying at my IL's house for the night and possibly tomorrow night as well... at least until my fever breaks for good.

Other than that, I am doing good. Lots of belly and the soreness around my abdomen from all the coughing isn't the greatest, but doing ok. Had my 32w appt yesterday and baby sounded good... 124hb and still moving around quite a bit :wacko:

Hope everyone else is doing well!
 

meresal

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 13, 2007
Messages
5,720
Here is a 32w pic, from this past weekend

ETA: no clue why this posted sideways.

_3275.jpg
 

Miscka

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Apr 9, 2007
Messages
1,938
Hi Icekid - congrats! How old is your first? I feel like our firsts are close in age, my DS is almost 23 months.

Meresal you look great!

Curly your paint story made me lol. My poor DH doesn't even try anymore, just lets me choose and then does the manual labor ;-)

Does anyone else post mobile? I haven't posted much/at all since JBP bc I get confused - names show up differently on the mobile app than on the main site. I don't want to call someone the wrong thing! But I've been reading and following along.

AFM not much going on, 25w3d. Been seeing a chiro for some weird hip stuff, and working on the nursery. Our DS will share his room so I'm making it "gender neutral" since we are team pink this time.

I will try to pop in more often, I miss the support! I mostly lurk on a due date board and MAN is it different...and not in a good way ;-)
 

Prana

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Mar 30, 2009
Messages
1,321
Hi all, just popping in to say that we had our beatiful baby GIRL on 1/13/13 at 10:10 PM. After 22 hours of natural labor, and one hour of medicated labor she finally came. 7lb, 1oz, 19.5 inches long and the most beautiful thing my DH and I have ever seen! We have been loving every second of her.

As for my birth story: 3AM on 1/12/12 I had my bloody show. I continued to spot afterward, so that afternoon I called my Dr. to see if that was OK. Surprisingly, she asked me to come in for monitoring. I reluctantly went, and was monitored for two hours and sent home as I knew I would be. I guess they just wanted to make sure all was well. I started having timeable contractions on 1/12/13 at 11PM. I was up with them all night long, sleeping for 6-10 minute intervals between each one. At 10 AM on 1/13/13 I decided to call my Dr. to see what I should do, as contractions were 3-6 minutes apart by then. She told me to come in again, and I was monitored for an hour. My husband and I fully expected to be sent home again. When the Dr. checked me, she admitted that she too thought she would be sending us home, or at least out to lunch, but I was 5cm dilated! I was so happy. I thought I would never go into labor on my own. I was whisked away to the tub room to take a nice hot bath while my husband went to get our bags and be checked into our room. From there, I was just in labor. Forever. We were very much left alone by the nursing staff and Dr., just checked on every so often. I dilated quickly to 7, but then things started slowing down. I was at 7 for a good 1.5 hours. At this point, however, around 5PM my contractions were very strong. Eventually I got in the shower to let the hot water beat on my lower back, and that helped. Once out of the shower, I was 8.5cm dilated and in a great deal of pain. I began to have weird out of body experiences, and I really felt like I was totally detached from myself. I couldn't get my breathing right, and I started to become hypoxic as well, I could feel my lips tingling and my fingertips. I kept progressing, slowly but surely, but I had no energy. I couldn't eat (even though I snuck a nutragrain bar) and I could feel myself just sort of, shutting down in response to the pain. The staff, luckily, recognized this and encouraged me to take some IV pain meds. So at around 9PM I received Stadol. That made me so loopy. I was able to rest through some of the more minor contractions, and it was nice because it made my contractions much more tolerable. Like they were neat and tidy instead of messy and unruly. I was still out of it though. My Dr. broke my water once I was 9cm, and I was so drained that I was scared I wasn't going to be able to find the energy to push. They convinced me to let them start Pitocin, just to help me dilate the rest of the way. At that point I was game for whatever was going to get me out of a c-section so I let them. I felt a minor urge to push, and I just decided to go for it. I knew that if I didn't go balls to the wall, it wasn't going to happen. So I went all out and pushed with every ounce of energy I had left (even when I didn't really have the urge to push) and in less than 15 minutes I had my baby girl!

Totally strange, but as I felt her body come out, I felt like I was above all the action and I could see her body on the bed. I also remember sitting up immediately and grabbing her, only to have one of the nurses gently push me back down and help me get her onto my chest. Needless to say, it was intense and weird for me, and surreal towards the end.

In the first few days after delivery I told myself that I never wanted to live through that again. But I would do it again every day for the rest of my life even if only to have those first few hours with her. I've never been so in love before in my entire life.
 

Haven

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Feb 15, 2007
Messages
13,166
PRANA!!!!!!! Congratulations!!!!

I'm so happy for you. You sound so in love. :love: Welcome to the world Baby Prana, we have been anxiously awaiting your arrival!
 

JGator

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Nov 27, 2010
Messages
1,422
Congratulations Prana!
 

monkeyprincess

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 24, 2009
Messages
2,873
Congratulations Prana, I'm so happy for you! Join us in the mommy thread when your life settles down a bit!
 
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