Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[monkeyprincess]

Congratulations, Dandi! She's a beauty!

 

[canuk-gal]

Hi mamas! Just wanted to swing by and let you know our baby girl Emmerson Ruby arrived safely two days ago, weighing 8lb 4oz and measuring 52cm, and is seriously cute.. She is breastfeeding like a woman possessed, and her big brother Oscar adores her.

How wonderful!! Congratulations Dandi! Your beauties are well just

keep well--Sharon

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

Congrats Dandi!

My little man, Benjamin Frederick, was born on 1/11/16 after 3 days of prodromal labor and 24 hours of active labor, phew! I labored for 17 hours at home and was only 3-4 when I got checked at the hospital. I decided on getting the epidural since I had been laboring for so long and they broke my water. There was meconium in the water so we had a time limit but luckily I dilated at 1cm per hour after breaking the water. I was ready to push right at the 24 hour mark. Pushing was going well until he presented with shoulder dystocia. We went from 3 people in the room to about 16 in 1 minute! I was tearing near my urethra so they quickly decided to do an episiotomy to prevent that tear from getting worse, I was never more happy to have had the epidural! It took some serious maneuvering of my and my hips/legs and pulling his arms out one at a time but we got it all done in 28 minutes and only 6 contractions. I never felt more relief in my life than when they pulled him all the way out and I heard his squeal. It took awhile to stitch me up and deliver the placenta but most importantly little man has no long term issues from the birth. He does have a pretty large cephalhematoma from being stuck and me pushing so hard but it'll go away in time. He also has some jaundice from the hematoma but it's already improving.

He was also 8.4lbs and 21.5 inches, he is a serious little smoosh! He does have a tongue tie and a smaller lower jaw/chin so breastfeeding has not been going well. I've been pumping for him every two hours and letting him try to latch after the pump for practice. Hopefully he'll get better at it but if not, pumping it is.

 

[blackpolkadot]

Congrats Dandi and AHL on your beautiful babies!!

 

[Dandi]

Yay AHL, congratulations! How funny our bubs were the same birth weight. Benjamin is GORGEOUS. I hope you're recovering well! x

 

[Dandi]

Thank you Sharon! We think they're a bit cute

 

[blackpolkadot]

baby monster you're so close now! How are things going?

hippi and 4ever How are you?

AFM, nothing much to report. 25w1d and starting to experience the lovely Evil Crotch Pain. I didn't have it last time, so it was an unpleasant surprise. We will be working on getting the baby's area ready in the next couple of weeks. I want it all ready just in case I have preterm labor again and am on bed rest. I have my 3 hour glucose test at 26w3d, which I am not looking forward to... it will be my second one this pregnancy. At this point, I don't think I will fail (last pregnancy I did and I could tell sugar/carbs were a no go), but if I do, it's not a big deal. I handled it really well last time with just diet, and I am much more active this pregnancy and eat much healthier than I did last go around.

 

[baby monster]

Congrats Dandi and AHL on your new additions!

blackpolkadot, I'm pretty close 37w2d today. Can't wait to not be pregnant! Baby dropped so low, it's painful to walk and the kicking of the cervix is something unreal.

 

[April20]

I'm late, but congrats Dandi and AHL!

 

[April20]

I'm late, but congrats Dandi and AHL!

 

[4ever]

congratulations to AHL and Dandi on your new additions! Yay!

BPD - I'm doing fine, thanks for asking! I guess I haven't really been posting as there's not much to add. still pregnant, still not exactly loving it but doing ok.
I'm 31 weeks and still feeling nauseated after eating but otherwise physically I feel like I'm doing pretty well, not too many sore bits and not as bad as I'd expected yet. However I do feel like a turtle which has been tipped on its shell every time I have to get out of bed or off the sofa!

I'm nervously awaiting the call up for our next hospital appointment which should be between 34 and 36 weeks to take another look at baby girls heart and make plans for her birth, care and surgery etc. trying not to think about it too much, just taking things as they come.

How's everyone else getting on?

 

[monkeyprincess]

4ever, I just happened to log in today and see that your daughter will need heart surgery. I'll have to go back and see if you mentioned more earlier about her specific condition, but I just wanted to give you my support and sympathy/empathy. My little girl was born in July with an interrupted aortic arch and also a large VSD that needed repair. I can imagine the variety of emotions you're experiencing. Joy about the impending arrival, but a lot of stress and worry as well. N had open heart surgery at 5 days old. It was such a stressful, emotional time (I had to have a c-section and also had twins, so I didn't get to be in the same hospital as her, and I was a wreck physically and emotionally). Fortunately, the repair went well and she may not ever need heart surgery again, but she will be followed by a cardiologist for the rest of her life. There's just so much they can do today, and her little scar has faded quite well. She has had some other issues with feeding and respiratory illneses, but those are due mostly to defects in airway rather than her heart surgery. Your baby's heart condition is probably different from my daughter's, but if I can answer any questions or just lend a supportive ear, I'd be happy to. Wishing you and your little one all the best! These little ones are so tough and resilient, much tougher than I would be!

 

[urseberry]

Hello to all the mommas-to-be and allies in this thread! Today is the first day of my second trimester, so I thought I'd introduce myself in this thread. I've previously made a few posts in "Just Barely Pregnant."

I'm due August 2nd. This is the first baby for both my partner and me. I'll be 35 when I deliver, so insurance paid for a cell-free DNA test. It came back very low risk for trisomies, and predicting a girl.

I had the usual nausea and exhaustion in my first trimester, but am feeling pretty normal these days. Have been buying a few maternity and maternity-friendly clothes. Since I'm petite, the bump area in some of the nice ruched shirts hits below my belly, which is super annoying. So I have one petite ruched shirt, and the rest are dresses and a-line shirts. Pants are fine, since I can get them hemmed. I also had to go up a size in underpants, which I didn't expect to happen.

I've been having a hard time finding time to exercise, even though it's so important during pregnancy, and I was a regular exerciser before pregnancy. I have less energy overall, and too many things to get done each day.

Whew! That's enough for now. How is everyone else doing, physically and emotionally?

 

[blackpolkadot]

Welcome to the club urseberry!

I'm 27 weeks, and I passed my 3 hour glucose test! Such a relief since the docs think it caused the complications that led to preterm labor with my son. Now if the placenta will just move, I will maybe, finally, feel good about this pregnancy. But at least with no diabetes this time, I have one less thing to worry about. And I can eat cake. Cake is always good!

I'll find out on Leap Day if my previa has resolved itself... praying it has! But at my last appointment, we discussed that if it doesn't, I can have a gentle c-section. They just started offering them at my hospital. And while I am hoping I can avoid a CS, at least I still have a more natural option.

 

[baby monster]

BPD, what's a gentle c-section? A deep scratch? But awesome that you passed glucose test and can have cake! I had some strawberry cheesecake today to help lift my mood. I'm 39wks today and looking forward to labor if I can say so myself . Everything hurts boo-hoo me

 

[4ever]

Hi MP, thank you for your post, I'm sorry I haven't replied sooner as I've only just seen it.

Our little girl has TGA. We have another echo coming up soon but at our last one (21weeks) they thought it was just TGA and no other issues. Im hoping at our next scan this is still the case. TGA is very "fixable" compared to a lot of CHDs, the cardiologist we met with last time said in 90% of cases at our hospital it's fixed with the first surgery ( at about a week old) and no other procedures are required. Like your little girl she will have to be monitored by a cardiologist for the rest of her life, but we feel lucky that she has something with such a positive post op prognosis.

Dh and I are generally doing well and trying our best to stay calm and positive. Honestly, I cope by taking it a day at a time and not focusing too far ahead at what is to come. As a result I do feel quite disconnected with the reality of actually having a baby to look after, it's like in my mind this whole labour/ birth, actually having a baby situation is not the logical conclusion of this pregnancy. When I do think about her being born and all the unfair crap she's going to have to go through I get very upset. The 'denial'/ ignoring the coming difficulties is keeping me nice and calm 99% of the time so I can't say it's totally a bad thing.

It sounds like your little girl is doing really well! If you don't mind my probing questions...Did you know about her issues before she was born? How is she getting on developmentally post surgery? I know her condition is different but did you get any skin to skin when she was born or did she need help right away? Were you able to breast feed?

Thank you again for your post. I have been honest with our friends and coworkers when asked about babies heart condition but it feels like such an uncomfortable topic for most people. People at work don't really try and talk to me about my pregnancy now like they have with the other women at work, I guess because they don't really know what to say and don't want to ask a question they won't like the answer to. It's a bit lonely when other people can't comprehend what your feeling so I do appriciate having some people who get it to talk to about it. It's normalising.

Anyway, long rambling post over, time for bed!

 

[blackpolkadot]

baby monster at our hospital, a gentle CS means they lower the drape so you can see the baby being born. Then you get immediate skin to skin (all monitors are put on one side of the body, so you have a free arm to hold the baby) and you can nurse if you choose to do so. My midwife would also be present to advocate for anything else I wanted that would be appropriate.

Hope you've had your baby by now!

4-ever I think disconnecting from it can actually be very helpful. With DS, I went into labor at 29 weeks, then went on to have him at 33w5d. This pregnancy, I have not really allowed myself to connect to it all (we don't even know the gender, so I find it easier) so I have less anxiety about it all I think. I am 29w tomorrow and no signs of labor, so I think I try to enjoy the last few weeks!!

urseberry and hippi how are you?

 

[monkeyprincess]

Hi 4ever. I can relate to a lot of what you are going through with awkwardness with other people about the pregnancy once I told them about the heart defect (I found out during pregnancy). I also think it is somewhat normal to feel a bit disconnected from the fact a baby is actually coming, especially if it's your first. My advice is to take good care of yourself and let yourself feel what you're feeling. It's okay to grieve the fact your little girl has a heart defect, but do your best to stay focused on the fact that she will get through it, and this will be behind you soon. I think all the anxiety and stress of a CHD diagnosis caused me to be a bit depressed before and after the babies were born, so just be sure you are taking care of yourself and have people to support you emotionally. Having a healthy baby is a lot to deal with; you're exhausted and your life has been turned upside down. But to have a baby with a health issue on top of that, is really a lot to deal with, even when you know the health condition is treatable. It makes you kind of annoyed with people who think they have it so hard over seemingly small things

As for your questions, each situation is so different, and I would hate to share all of the frustrating stuff we have gone through, because most of my daughter's past and current issues relate to the fact she was also born with a really small and floppy airway in addition to the heart defect. Her feeding difficulties and her repeated hospitalizations for respiratory illness have very little to do with her heart. But for the repeated hospitalizations for illness, I think she would be doing very well. She is very engaged with my husband and me and coos and babbles, so from that perspective she is not that far behind, but phsyically she has low muscle tone, so she is not yet able to sit up or hold her head up very well at 7 months (in contrast, her twin brother is sitting up, practically crawling and loves to stand). She will eventually catch up once her airway improves and we can keep her healthy and out of the hospital for awhile, but for now and for awhile, she needs phsyical, occupational and feeding therapy.

Also, my birth experience was not ideal because I had twins and ended up needing a c-section. My daughter then had to be transferred to the Children's Hospital, and I had to stay at the Women's Hospital with my other baby because he didn't require NICU. I only got to hold her for a couple minutes right before they transferred her. My daughter was not able to feed other than have nutrition through an IV until after her surgery, and she didn't really develop the rooting reflex for awhile, plus her airway made it way too exhausting to bottlefeed, so she is fed through a feeding tube. Again, this is an extreme case, so I don't want to scare you. Just make sure that you are able to try breastfeeding and/or pumping bottle feeding as soon as possible and discuss this issue with your cardiologist to see how best to handle that. Heart babies sometimes have feeding issues because it just takes more energy for them, but many of them overcome it and do just fine. It may not even be an issue with you guys.

I hope I didn't scare you or stress you out. I hesitated to share much of this because our case is not the norm. My little girl just likes to do everything to the extreme But I tell you what, after everything she's been through, she's the sweetest little thing. Her feistiness and strength amaze me daily, and I feel very blessed to be her mother. She has taught me so much about myself and made me a better person for sure.

 

[4ever]

Thank you for sharing MP, I really appriciate it and it is helpful to hear what other babies and parents have had to deal with because we don't really know what's in store for us. Even with the same issues, experiences vary so you can't really know what to expect. I hope your little girl continues to get better. I really feel for parents going through something like this when they have other kids to look after as well, And having healthy twins would be hard enough, you are one strong mama!

 

[urseberry]

I'm in my 16th week and feeling good. Just had lunch with an old friend who is a mother of 2, so she had lots of great advice and understanding to share. She also offered to help throw my baby shower, so we had fun talking about themes and games. I know not everyone agrees, but I love the funny and/or gross baby shower activities like identifying melted candy bars smashed into diapers, or guessing the flavor of baby food. She also told me about a game where everyone has to guess how big around the mother's belly is, using a length of string.

I can't wait to feel the baby move for the first time. I've spent a few minutes each night lying still and paying attention for movement. I do feel various things, but so far I'm pretty sure it's just gas.

Sending my thoughts out to all the brave little ones with heart issues.

 

[bobbin]

Hi pregnant mamas!

I'm currently 16w4d.

Pregnancy has been relatively easy so far, except for feeling ugly and fat as I started out this pregnancy 10kg over my normal weight and my skin is still getting massive breakouts, and being tired.

We decided to book a private 3d scan to find out the gender and we are team blue! I had been hoping for another daughter due to a few of my own issues and hangups but am getting used to the idea slowly. I did some retail therapy yesterday which helped!

 

[amc80]

Hi all! I'm 14 weeks on Monday, so coming over here. Got my Panorama results- healthy baby boy! Three boys, plus DH...even our cat is a boy. I'm seriously outnumbered.

Pregnancy is crawling along. I'm still take a zofran just about every day. Not throwing up a ton, but if I don't take one I feel too sick to function. I've been showing for a couple of weeks and finally went public a few days ago. Thank goodness, because I'll need to start with maternity pants soon. It's amazing how much faster you show with each subsequent pregnancy!

 

[blackpolkadot]

welcome bobbin and amc!!


urseberry Have you felt any movement yet? It's so exciting when you do.


I had a follow up ultrasound this morning to check on my complete previa. And it has completely moved out of the way! It needed to be 2 cm away from the cervix to be cleared for a vaginal delivery, and it was 2.5 cm. Such a relief and I can get back on my regular exercise routine. My cervix was also long, and baby is still high (as in transverse and completely in my ribs. The tech said I must have trouble bending over... and I do!) I'm feeling much better about being able to carry to full term this time (which is just over 6 weeks away ).

 

[urseberry]

No obvious movement yet. Thanks for asking, blackpolkadot! I did feel a weird pinch a couple nights ago, but I think it was either a muscle cramp or round ligament pain.

18 weeks today, and I now look obviously pregnant in close fitting outfits to people who know me. Otherwise, not much to report. Impatiently waiting for my anatomy scan in a week and a half. Oh, and I went up another cup size and had to go bra shopping. I hope this is the last change before my milk comes in.

I've been loving this dress from ASOS maternity and wearing it about twice a week.

 

[monkeyprincess]

Congratulations on your baby boy #3, amc! I have two friends who have both had their third boys in the past year. I think some people are just meant to be boy moms

 

[NewEnglandLady]

amc, congrats on boy #3!! That's so exciting! The good news is that you know exactly what you are doing at this point with the boys--you got this!

 

[amc80]

Thanks, guys. A boy is definitely easier! It will be so fun to watch them grow up together. They will all be two years apart in school. B and T get along so well, so hopefully new baby just fits right in.

 

[amc80]

Oh! And his is how I told Facebook-

 

[JGator]

Congrats AMC! Gorgeous boys!!!

 

[ladyciel]

Congrats on your third boy, amc!!

I wanted to pop over to this thread briefly to ask if any of you have any favorite dad-to-be pregnancy books. I have the mayo clinic book for myself, which seems pretty good, but I'm hoping to find a decent book for DH. Something that is on an approachable level for first time dads, with accurate information about what to expect and how he can help, and without the bro-dude attitude that seems to pervade so many of them (humor is fine - assuming he is an immature frat-boy will turn him off). Amazon reviews have me leaning toward "The Expectant Father - The ultimate guide for dads to be", but I'm a bit worried about the comments saying it goes into too much detail about everything that can go wrong since DH is a complete worry-wart. Any ideas?

I'm also interested in your favorite pregnancy-specific workouts! I'm considering a DVD set from Lindsay Brin, "Complete pregnancy workout" to start out with. I like that it's broken down by trimester, so there's a first-trimester dvd without a bunch of the modifications I won't need for a while. Lately I've been on our treadmill a lot, but I prefer doing audio-guided interval workouts that are probably too intense to be a good idea for much longer. I get bored out of my mind just jogging, and I also need/want to focus more on strength training. I would love to hear how you ladies are approaching exercise!