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Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

April20

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Aug 1, 2008
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3,372
I like Cooper! And you'll probably only use his middle name when you're yelling at him, so it's probably not a big deal if it doesn't flow 100%. :cheeky:
 

evergreen

Brilliant_Rock
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Jan 18, 2012
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Welcome, Blingbunny!! :) Knew you'd be along soon!

Fainting during pregnancy... hm. So, it's early to blame it on the physiologic changes of pregnancy (lower blood pressure) but maybe... I know I was getting more lightheaded with rapid position changes early in pregnancy. I also noticed I had a real tendency toward vasovagal syncope and/or the Bezold-Jarisch reflex -- i.e., the sort of feel-nauseous-need-to-lie-down-roaring-in-ears-darkening-of-vision that gets better with lying down and elevating your feet, and can be prompted by bad smells, fear of needles/blood, standing too long, blah blah blah. Crucially, it comes on over a few minutes usually, it gets better quickly after you're lying down, and has NO heart symptoms (chest pain, heart racing, etc) and when you recover you are 100% back to your normal mental status (i.e. no lingering confusion, no urinary/stool incontinence, etc). I got all fainty during an acupuncture session at work at about 8 weeks and retreated into an empty break room to lie down on the ground -- definitely vasovagal, has happened to me a bunch of times, and i just seem more susceptible now I'm pregnant.

HTH? There are a lot of scary explanations for fainting during pregnancy that you probably shouldn't Google, if you haven't already, if you recognize your symptoms in the above. ;-)


Urse, that Spinning Babies website has completely gotten me excited about a chiropractic referral to someone who specializes in pregnant women. I have had pretty significant pubic symphisis pain since really really early, like 10 weeks, and the more I read about it on Spinning Babies & Google I'm starting to get concerned it may suggest my pelvis needs evaluation & treatment. I know I have a pelvic tilt but have never really thought about the pelvis' active contributions to orienting the baby the right way for it to come out... well, that might have been short-sighted! When I mentioned the pubic symphisis pain at my last OB appointment the midwife mentioned a physical therapy or chiropractic referral might be in order... have never, ever gone to a chiropractor and have a collection of horror stories from chiropractic adjustments gone wrong, but I know that is a rare occurrence. Further, it's clear that MD-medicine doesn't have much to recommend about pubic symphisis pain!

Anybody here ever done chiropractic while pregnant? Would really like to optimize chances of a vaginal delivery because DH wants 4 kids and c-sections get decidedly scary the more of 'em you have. Not sure chiropractic is the magic bullet to a smooth labor, but pelvic alignment is an angle I hadn't considered & think might be helpful in this situation!
 

ladyciel

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Mar 24, 2007
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1,769
Yikes on the fainting! Have you talked to your OB about it yet? I'm curious what he/she thinks it could be.

It took too long and way too many calls from my doc's office to the imaging center to get my US report sent back, but I finally heard the results yesterday. They're saying I have moderate hydronephrosis and evidence of a possible left kidney stone. I'm under orders to "hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!", take the norco as I need it, and strain my urine for possible stones. Unfortunately, the more I drink the more it hurts, and having to use the strainer gets really old really fast, especially when you're waking up to pee 4 times every night and work full time.
 

amc80

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jun 18, 2010
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Ladyciel, that sounds awful! A kidney stone plus pregnancy? No thanks. Hopefully you can stay on top of the pain.

Evergreen- Not sure if I know this or not, but are you a doctor or other type of medical professional?

I had a standard OB appointment yesterday. I've somehow managed to lose .6lbs in the past 6 weeks. I've been on the GD diet for half that time, so that attributes to some of it. I've been super uncomfortable the past few days, feeling like this baby is just going to pop right out of me. Turns out my fundal height is measuring at 36w, so that clears that up. It was "only" 30 weeks at my 27 week appointment, so something has definitely shifted in the last couple of weeks. I'm hoping baby finds a more reasonable position or something so I'm not completely tortured for the next 10 weeks.

I asked my doc about fixing my abs at the time of my CS- she said she could. She did explain the risks, particularly in regards to muscles tearing resulting in bleeding, resulting in having to go back in. I think I'm going to go for it, though, because 1) insurance will cover it at that point, and 2) I'd rather just have one horrible recovery than two. She said we will discuss it more as we get closer.
 

evergreen

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jan 18, 2012
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828
Drat, LC. If it isn't one thing, it's another. :( Hugs. I'm sorry you're so uncomfortable; hopefully the lying-on-your-side & hydrating will kick in and resolve the stone, if that's what's blocking your L ureter!! Don't be a (miserable) hero & avoid the Norco like the plague -- I know you know not to, but just supporting you in that -- baby will not care, as long as you are staying at low doses & can get off it entirely by a week or two prior to delivery. :) Better to have a mom who can rest and eat and move around like normal.

amc, yes, I am an anesthesia resident (will be finishing residency and starting a faculty position in 2 weeks!) so that's where all the medical speak comes from. :halo: Is it time now to say that, in case it isn't obvious, none of the things I say should be taken as medical advice, just consider me another random know-it-all on the internet and talk with your own doctor, etc. etc.? :) Hopefully the stuff I say comes across as helpful & not preachy (& not dangerous!)... and, despite being professionally involved in (anesthesia care for) dozens of deliveries, as far as pregnancy goes, it's all newer to me than practically anyone, since my OB rotation as a medical student was in 2008. ;-) I always got to find the heartbeat with the Doppler in clinic. And that's all I remember about it.

Also, is your weight loss a good thing or a worry? I'm sure the GD diet is super healthy so hoping it's a good thing. :) Is there any chance your dates could be wrong & you're farther along than you realize? No wonder your poor abs have had a rough time of things & glad to hear your OB could possibly help at the time of your CS.

AFM, starting to understand why people go to chiropractors... I did get a referral from my OB for the pubic symphysis pain, and have an appointment for chiropractic eval this coming Monday! If it had been a new-patient primary doc appointment I'm sure they could've wedged me in by late July... ;-) He's a he, which I wouldn't have preferred, but my insurance only works with 4 chiropractors in the area and he has a couple of good Yelp reviews specifically focusing on pregnancy care (and a generous handful of non-pregnant positive Yelp reviews, too). So I'm feeling pretty optimistic.
 

amc80

Ideal_Rock
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Jun 18, 2010
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evergreen|1466027525|4044498 said:
amc, yes, I am an anesthesia resident (will be finishing residency and starting a faculty position in 2 weeks!) so that's where all the medical speak comes from. :halo: Is it time now to say that, in case it isn't obvious, none of the things I say should be taken as medical advice, just consider me another random know-it-all on the internet and talk with your own doctor, etc. etc.? :) Hopefully the stuff I say comes across as helpful & not preachy (& not dangerous!)... and, despite being professionally involved in (anesthesia care for) dozens of deliveries, as far as pregnancy goes, it's all newer to me than practically anyone, since my OB rotation as a medical student was in 2008. ;-) I always got to find the heartbeat with the Doppler in clinic. And that's all I remember about it.

Also, is your weight loss a good thing or a worry? I'm sure the GD diet is super healthy so hoping it's a good thing. :) Is there any chance your dates could be wrong & you're farther along than you realize? No wonder your poor abs have had a rough time of things & glad to hear your OB could possibly help at the time of your CS.

Ah, that all makes sense, then.

The weight loss is fine for now. I started off over weight, so the baby has plenty to eat :) I had a dating scan at 6 weeks, so I know my dates are right. I just grow big babies, and apparently my body is super efficient at making room for them.

I did just get a call from my OB's office- my CS is scheduled for 8/23. I'm fairly certain this date won't hold and it will be moved up another week or so (to 38 weeks), but we shall see.
 

blingbunny10

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
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848
evergreen - Your description of the vasovagal syncope thing fits to a T! That is reassuring. I haven't had any of these spells before pregnancy, but I'm sure as my husband says, "There's all sorts of stuff going on in there," and isn't serious.

ladyciel - Ouch, I'm so sorry to hear about the kidney stone issue! I hope they find it's not a kidney stone after all. I do have a message out to my OB, but plan to also call tomorrow. I had a really low Papp-A result last week, so I think I need a call to address the fainting, Papp-A and recent red spotting all together. I'm trying not to be one of those paranoid patients who calls over nothing, but I think I'm at a point where I'm ready to finally call.

Did any of you ladies celebrate Father's Day? We didn't, though my husband did get a cute "Father-to-Be" card from his mother, which I thought was sweet.

Oof, I think I'm also ready to buy some maternity clothes. My husband kept exclaiming this week that I'm "REALLY showing, WOW" ouch haha. My mother actually commented back in Week 8 that I looked "really big" and she was sure I was in the middle of second trimester, and wonders how big I am now ... And my mother-in-law casually tells me scary details from her pregnancies every single time we talk! So yes, I'm really feeling the love here. :cheeky:
 

evergreen

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jan 18, 2012
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Bling, glad vasovagal sounds like your symptoms but I'm also glad you're seeing your OB about it (& the other stuff) soon! I'm sure you're not paranoid/not a bother, that's what they're there for, to check out anything worrisome & let you know whether it's OK or needs further investigation! Fingers crossed that the papp-A and red spotting turn out to be nothing, hugs while you are figuring everything out.

I've been less enthusiastic about maternity clothes than I thought I would be. Maybe because the smell of new clothes still grosses me out, even though the nausea has gone away! :???: I'm still pretty small and fitting into most of my old clothes (except alllll my pre-pregnancy pants no longer fit, and I'm gradually phasing out shirts that were already a little short in the front to begin with), but I'm planning to get a lot of mileage out of these skirts from Amazon -- https://www.amazon.com/12-Ami-Fold-Over-Stretch-Large/dp/B00WV4EG6M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466469131&sr=8-1&keywords=knit+skirt -- which fit really nicely and have that fold-over band to go over the bump a bit as things grow. And they're soft, appropriately long for work, & machine wash/dry! A pair of maternity jeans, a pair of maternity leggings, and a couple of these skirts -- plus scrub pants, and yoga pants that still fit! ;-) -- is my current plan for bottoms.

The chiropractor was nice, but he (and I) are not optimistic that he'll have much to offer. Well, I knew he didn't have training in the specific techniques for pelvic adjustments, so I'm not surprised or even disappointed. He did some stretch/range of motion stuff that felt nice anyway and I figure (and he recommended) I'll go back for 2-3 weekly visits and see if it makes any difference. Meanwhile, I've found a new chiropractor that's specifically trained in the Webster technique, and will try her after my sessions with this guy, even though she doesn't take my insurance. It sounds like paying out of pocket for chiropractic care isn't unreasonable (unlike allopathic medicine, yikes!) and I'm not ready to give up the idea that someone might be able to help with this pubic symphysis discomfort!
 

blingbunny10

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
Messages
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evergreen - Sounds like the new chiropractor could be a good solution. I think it's worth it if it's not too terribly expensive, especially if it saves you more pain further down the road. That skirt looks comfy. I need some stretchy clothes. I think I've gained about 7 lbs already and am now down to yoga and exercise pants only, as well of a random pair of linen "fat pants" I own. Getting out of breath just rolling over in bed, lol.

I finally went in for an ultrasound and pelvic exam. Everything looks normal except that the OB said I have an extremely friable cervix. So I should expect bleeding throughout the pregnancy, I think. She and the nurse both made it a point to remind me that losses happen even in second and third tri. :/ True, but not that reassuring!
 

ladyciel

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Mar 24, 2007
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Blingbunny, I hope the friable cervix doesn't turn out to be a constant source of unnecessary worry - from what I understand it will likely mean some bleeding or spotting, which are always a bit scary to see when pregnant, but by itself I haven't heard that a friable cervix during pregnancy is a big cause for alarm. As for the scary warnings... it wouldn't surprise me to learn your doc office makes it a rule to make sure every patient is on the same page. Given how little of the population seems to understand how high the miscarriage rate truly is, I'm sure they've had their share of patients come through who are under the impression that reaching 2nd trimester = some kind of guarantee of a happy, healthy baby. Nothing can really prepare a mamma for a less than stellar outcome, but at the very least it probably helps to not be 100% blindsided by the possibility (and keeping patients informed is just good practice).

I've been feeling a lot better - the kidney pain has pretty much gone away, and the few instances of it over the last week have all been quite mild. I haven't felt anything the last 2-3 days, at least not that I noticed. No sign of an actual stone passing, either, so it's possible it just moved to a less troublesome location or broke up into small bits. Whatever the case, I'm happy for some relief, even if just temporarily. I go back to the doc on Monday for a follow up, so we'll see if they want me to continue the hunt for a stone or just forget about it unless it rears its head again.

Today I'm 19+3wks, and I'm still waiting to feel movement. I know it's perfectly normal to not have felt anything yet, but I'm getting impatient! Otherwise, my belly has reached the size where sitting in a low chair is really uncomfortable (belly and upper thighs end up competing for space), and it has become a challenge to put on my socks and shoes. I have to sit down and cross my ankle over my other knee. I've always just pulled my knee to my chest to put on socks, or bent over to tie my shoes, so it's a bit awkward relearning how to do things with my foot turned sideways. Oh, and I keep bumping my belly into things. It reminds me of puberty, when my suddenly-wider hips were always bruised from running them into doorknobs, furniture, etc.
 

amc80

Ideal_Rock
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Had an appointment today- my fundal height is measuring 38 weeks. No wonder I feel so slow and out of it! I have another growth scan tomorrow, plus an appointment to with the MFM to go over my gestational diabetes management, plus a NST. The NSTs will now be twice a week, and one time a week there will be an additional ultrasound for a fluid check. So yeah, basically I'm going to be at the doctor's office a lot!

31 weeks!

image-978372367.jpg
 

blingbunny10

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
Messages
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ladyciel - Glad the pain has subsided. Any updates from your appointment?

amc80 - That's a lot of appointments! At least you'll get to know your doc/doctors well before delivery. :)

I'm at 15 + 6 and feeling big and very out of breath all the time. Hoping to be able to be more active soon, but for now am wearing compression socks and drinking lots of water at home. Oh, and I just got a Snoogle and it's so amazing! Anyone else have one and loving it? My husband is curious, but I haven't let him curl up in it, so he sort of resignedly flopped his head on one corner of it last night, haha. He keeps asking if only pregnant women use a Snoogle, so I think he really wants to get one for himself!
 

urseberry

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 27, 2007
Messages
516
So much activity on this thread lately! evergreen, I'm glad you like the Spinning Babies website. Sending sympathetic thoughts out to all of you suffering through pregnancy-related health issues.

I am just over 35 weeks, and having trouble with swelling and exhaustion. I barely recognize my poor feet, ankles and calves. Am thinking of getting a pair of Crocs for the last few weeks. None of my current shoes fit properly, and I want to be able to walk comfortably.

This is my last week of work before maternity leave and I am so relieved! I can't wait to take lots of naps and organize all the baby gear.

Some dear friends of mine are getting married three days before my due date. They only just announced it last week. It will be pretty low-key, basically just a dinner. They are lovely and understand that my partner and I might not be able to attend. I had been hoping to go into labor early just so I wouldn't have to be pregnant any longer, but now I hope that baby stays put long enough for me to go to the wedding.
 

ladyciel

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Oh, goodness, amc, you certainly are measuring quite a bit ahead! It sounds like you are going to be a fixture in your doc office's waiting room, but it is great to know they are monitoring you so carefully rather than leaving anything to chance.

Blingbunny, I don't have a snoogle, but I recently bought the materials to sew a version for myself. I'm relying on some extra pillows at the moment, but I'm impatient to have it finished. The problem is that we moved recently, and my sewing room isn't set up yet. I just got some wall shelves to make unpacking and organizing it all more doable, but first we have to get them hung up!

Urseberry, fingers crossed you can make it to the wedding! The crocs sound like a great idea - easy to get on and off without being able to see or reach them, comfortable, and cheap enough you won't feel like you've broken the bank if you never touch them again after delivery. :)

AFM, I got my wish and felt baby girl kick for the first time on Friday night, the same day I posted that I was getting impatient. :dance: It was 3 or 4 little taps, all in the same spot and a few seconds apart. I've felt her once or twice on most days since then, and it is always a little weird/amazing. My kidney pain has stayed away, but it turns out if it isn't one thing, it's another. I woke up Tuesday morning feeling really uncomfortable, and after I emptied my bladder I got the worst pain down low and to the right, a bit above the crease of my leg. At first it felt like gas pains, and it came and went over the course of the morning. By later in the afternoon it was clear that it was aggravated by movement, it wasn't gas, it wasn't ever going away completely, and it always got worse right after I used the bathroom. I also couldn't bear down at all without it hurting a ton, so using the bathroom was itself awful. My first guess was round ligament pain, so I wasn't too worried, but I was definitely hurting. The triage nurse at the doc office agreed it was probably ligament pain, but with my fibroids, etc, she said to get in bed with a heating pad and definitely call the after hours doc if it got any worse + call in the morning if it didn't go away. Well, it hasn't gone away, so they managed to squeeze me in for my anatomy scan and appt yesterday. I was supposed to go next Tuesday, at 21 weeks, so it was a nice side effect to have it bumped up. The scan showed absolutely no signs of any problems, cervical length is great, baby girl is measuring right on schedule, and she did not hold still or stop changing positions the entire scan. It turns out I have an anterior placenta, so that explains why her wiggle worm tendencies have taken a while for me to feel and are still pretty muffled.

After seeing me and knowing everything with baby is great, they're 99% sure it is ligament pain (and I agree). The theory for the bathroom issue is that my bladder is propping up my uterus a bit, and when it empties my uterus flops forward more and tugs harder on the ligament. I am reallllly hoping the ligament pain dies down quickly, so I can actually get things done at work/home (like hang my shelves and sew my snoogle!). The fibroids have grown a bit more and could be contributing to the ligament, but they aren't growing so quickly as to have the doctors worried. The big one is now 8.6cm, and the smaller one a bit over 2cm. For perspective, baby girl's head is something like 4.8cm across...
 

urseberry

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 27, 2007
Messages
516
Oh yeah, I meant to reply about the Snoogle too. I'm not using one. It looked unwieldy to me, and I thought it would take up too much space in the bed. A lot of people seem to really like them, though! I'm using two Boppy brand wedge pillows, one on each side, and an additional small pillow between my knees.
 

evergreen

Brilliant_Rock
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Jan 18, 2012
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Urse: I second the Crocs! Who cares about the aesthetics -- I've dabbled (one pair for pottery classes, one pair I took to Vietnam as a quick-dry but more coverage than flip-flops option) and would definitely sacrifice my pride for comfort of poor feet & ankles! I always found them soft & comfortable, and at least you aren't walking around town in actual bedroom slippers, right? ;-)

LC, you poor thing, it really has been one thing after another! Glad the renal nonsense has improved/resolved & hope your ligaments are adjusting better than they had been. I'm really interested in that bladder theory because I feel like every time I pee, my belly -- you'd think I could do better at localizing than that but I can't! -- hurts. I feel the same pain at night when I get up to go pee, on the walk to the bathroom. My pain is worst in the right lower quadrant, too. So it does sound like it could be just uterus shifting suddenly (supine to walking, resting on full bladder to resting on empty bladder, etc) and that explanation hadn't occurred to me til you mentioned it. (Public service announcement, because I'm thinking about it: in 2nd trimester and beyond, it's a total crapshoot where your appendix is, no longer in the "classic" right lower quadrant of the abdomen, even can get pushed way up next to the liver on the right, so sustained nausea/vomiting/abdominal pain should prompt an appendicitis eval!) So glad your anatomy scan got pushed up & everything checked out OK for mom & baby!!

Bling, I got a $10 body pillow from Target for my non-husband side, and a single firm pillow for the husband side of my body (not quite as unfriendly a barrier as an entire body pillow ;-) ). And then, like, 4 pillows for my head (stupid nasal congestion has NOT improved with time). Sleeping is darn uncomfortable. Every time I roll, I get pubic symphysis pain. I didn't go for the Snoogle because I felt like it was just too much competition for DH in our queen-size bed. ;-) Did you let your husband try out its soft embrace yet, or worried he'll fall in love and steal yours? :Up_to_something: I have tried a BUNCH of compression socks (Amazon and elsewhere) because I wear them to work all the time, even pre-pregnancy, so if you want recommendations/opinions I've got some. :)

And, AMC: whoa. Take care of yourself, mama, as much as your life lets you. That's a lot of baby to carry around! Hope everything turned out OK with the growth scan, NSTs, MFM visit, and all the rest of it.

AFM, starting to look pregnant (finally), at 22+2 today. DH has been saying, "Whoa, you look pregnant!" every time he sees me walking around without a shirt for a couple of weeks -- thanks? -- but now it's really starting to be apparent even UNDER clothes. Had my anatomy scan & kidlet is moving around a ton (which I knew already, geez, flip-flops and bladder kicks and all that) and growing well... and DEFINITELY A BOY. So yay, we get to start planning names, nursery, etc! Everything looked good -- major audible sigh of relief when the tech got a good 4-chamber view of the heart -- except we do have to go back at 32 weeks for another look at the kidneys, which had slightly generous renal pelvises (pelves?).

imag2047.jpg

I also learned I have been getting my OB care at -- ha! -- the "wrong" practice. Like, not the one I meant. I wanted the giant baby factory hospital and got its affiliated smaller, crunchier/granola-'er, minimal-intervention hospital across town. Sooooo, going to switch care & navigate that, while attempting to stay within the confines of my insurance (which is how I ended up at the smaller place, easier to find providers who take my insurance)... I did go into OB triage for an hour of every-5-minute contractions on Sunday afternoon, and they saw me right away and were very nice & efficient & competent, so I don't want them to think it's because of something they did -- I just, honestly, want the giant faceless hospital with the assembly-line approach to baby delivery.
 

amc80

Ideal_Rock
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Evergreen, what a cute bump! Adorable. Glad the anatomy scan went mostly well, and sorry about the contractions.

I was in L&D all day yesterday. I started feeling some contractions as I drove in to work. By the time I got there, they were every 1-4 minutes. Called my doc who told me to go right to the hospital. Got all hooked up and was contracting every minute, on the dot. It took all day and 4 doses of meds (2 different types, 1 being terbutaline, which is no fun at all) to get them to settle down. No change in my cervix. I had this with both other kiddos so it's not a huge shock, just annoying and inconvenient. I now have meds I can take at home when my uterus starts acting up, so hopefully I can stay out of L&D.
 

ladyciel

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Mar 24, 2007
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Evergreen, yay for your adorable bump and baby BOY!!

I've been feeling SO much better this past week compared to the last while. Still getting heartburn and occasional headaches, but I can move and do things without cringing. I got my craft room all settled (including hanging the shelves), so I should finally be able to get started on making my pillow this week! I'll post pics when it's all done.

We took advantage of me feeling better and started our nursery shopping, too. We ordered our crib and dresser from PBK (Emerson, in white, for anybody who is curious) during their July 4th sale, and I think we have a glider picked out. It's from La-Z-Boy, not my favorite for looks, but it was the most comfortable of everything we found. The chairs at the baby stores were either not very comfy for me or too short for DH. He's not crazy tall, 5'10" or so, but some of them just looked like little kid chairs when he sat down. DH's parents are insisting on paying for all the nursery furniture as their baby gift to us (with orders to not "go cheap"), so we were able to choose some nicer things than we otherwise would have. They're amazing, but overly generous, people.

I started my post earlier at the coffee shop, then put it away and stopped at the used bookstore on the way home. And, while there, I just had my first embarrassing run-in with a well-intending stranger. I was flipping through pregnancy and L&D books when a precocious 3 year old girl approached me, her dad a few steps behind and obviously amused by her antics while losing the battle to rein her in. She was adorable and very polite (just mixed with the natural directness/lack-of-filter of a 3 year old), so I didn't mind having a little chat with her while her dad stood by carefully watching in case she was bothering me. She eventually asked if I had a baby in my belly, and I told her yes, a little girl. At this point dad jumps and says "Aww, a little girl! Congratulations!! Are you due soon?" Now, this last part was said a tone suggesting he was fully expecting a "yes", but instead he got me nervously chuckling, saying "Ha! no... not until November", while feeling my face get red hot. I made some joke about "yeah, you wouldn't know it...", gesturing at my belly in an attempt to diffuse the awkwardness, and he followed up with something about "just an early bloomer, I guess!", also nervously laughing. I think we both wanted to run and hide in embarrassment, but his little girl was so full of questions about my baby (can she talk? when she comes out can I hug her and maybe hold her?) that neither of us could escape right away. In the poor guy's defense, here is my updated bump pic from today, 21 weeks and 5 days:

img_12249.jpg
 

urseberry

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 27, 2007
Messages
516
Well, I never did get a chance to buy those Crocs, because I had my baby on Sunday, July 10, at 36w5d! "H" was 18.5 inches, and 6 lbs 10 oz. The nurses said I was lucky she came early, because at term she may have been 10 pounds! She had no health issues and we are both doing well. Here is a picture from yesterday.

img_20160718_172052.jpg

Contractions woke me up at 4am Sunday morning. We checked into the hospital at 6am, and I was already in considerable pain. When the nurse checked me, I was already 6cm dilated. Unfortunately, things went slower after that. I ended up getting an epidural about halfway through, then pushing for over three hours. There were many times during labor that I thought I couldn't go on. The nurses, doctor, my doula, and my partner all encouraged and coached me. I'm very thankful for my birth experience, and also happy that it's over.
 

evergreen

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Jan 18, 2012
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Congratulations, urse!! She's beautiful -- and just the right size. ;-) Also, congratulations for making it to 6cm before they had a chance to check you -- that and pushing for >3 hours -- you tough cookie! I hope you're recovering well. :)
 

bobbin

Shiny_Rock
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Apr 28, 2008
Messages
473
Congrats Urseberry! She is beautiful!

And I know I shouldn't be as babies coming early can be a bad thing, but I am so jealous of you right now! I am due August 3rd so am 38w4d today. I have been in pain with an irritable uterus since 33 weeks. I just want this pregnancy to be OVER already!
 

amc80

Ideal_Rock
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Jun 18, 2010
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Congrats, Urseberry! So stinking cute!

I'm 35w and they finally moved my CS date up a week to 38 weeks. I had a growth scan yesterday and "little" man was measuring 8lbs2oz, all of his measurements were above the 98th %ile. So he's basically measuring full term, my fundal height is measuring 41 weeks, so yeah, I'm so ready. CS scheduled for 8/15!
 

evergreen

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Jan 18, 2012
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amc, bobbin, good luck in the home stretch! :) So relieved they're moving your c/s up, amc, little guy sounds like he's ready. :D
 

blingbunny10

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Jan 15, 2010
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848
Urseberry - He's so cute! Congrats.

Between Urse, amc80, evergreen and now me, there are a lot of baby boys in the works! I just had my anatomy scan today and the tech said she's "200% sure" that we're having a boy, lol. The picture she showed us did look pretty undeniable! Time to start nursery shopping.

ladyciel and evergreen, I'm loving all the bump pics. Thanks for sharing. I'm 20+1 and have yet to take any. Guess I'm lazy.

Any other fun maternity or baby purchases lately? My MIL is coming into town and has expressed interest in going to a mega baby store to help me shop. I am rather clueless - just starting to look at lists online to see what features to look for. Oh, I did finally buy some maternity pants and they feel wonderful. The exercise pants and shorts I've been wearing exclusively for the past 7 weeks can take a much-deserved break. LOFT is having a maternity sale in case other folks are interested. I got a pair of cute maternity jeans in a sturdy dark wash that has a full tummy panel. I also did the website chat with a LOFT rep and she waived the $8 return shipping fee, so give that a try if you end up shopping with them.
 

urseberry

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 27, 2007
Messages
516
H is a girl, though I can see why the outfit would make you think otherwise. That onesie is way too big on her, but I love it so much that I put her in it anyway. She's gained quite a bit of weight since that picture, though, so maybe I'll try it again and it will fit better now.

I meant to include in my birth story that starting from the time I first noticed contractions, I was in labor for 14 hours. Longer than I had hoped, but not too bad, especially considering that I got the epidural. My partner informed me that I asked for it at 8:30 am, only two and a half hours after getting to the hospital. LOL. It felt like much longer.

Thanks, evergreen, I am recovering well. Though I did make the mistake of trying a very light workout a few days ago and felt sick and achy as a result for 2 days afterwards. Thankfully I'm recovered from that, and am feeling pretty good today.

bobbin, I hope you get to meet your little one very soon, if you haven't already!

In terms of purchases, I'm loving the Japanese Weekend dress and nightgown that I bought during my pregnancy, and just ordered a nursing/maternity top from the same brand. They're out of business, but lots of retailers still have stock. I've been buying from an Ebay seller called Mom Plus Baby. They make lots of combination nursing and maternity clothing, and I wish I had bought more of their pieces earlier so I would already have a nursing-friendly wardrobe.
 

blingbunny10

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
Messages
848
urseberry - Sorry, she is lovely! I feel like such a dope! I could have sworn I read "he" earlier. Must have baby boys on the brain.
 

amc80

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jun 18, 2010
Messages
5,765
Man, I'm so so so done. 36w today. CS scheduled for two weeks from today. I'm not sure I will make it. I have nonstop contractions and can barely walk most of the time. I'll have my OB check me tomorrow to see if there's any progress at all. It's sort of funny, all of my doctors (my OB, the three MFMs I've seen, and the L&D docs) have told me they'd wish for my sake that I would just dilate at this point so I could be done with it. One MFM even told me to just go to L&D at some point and say I'm having pain at the site of my existing CS scar, and they would just do the CS right then. I might take them up on that once I hit the 37w mark.

Sorry for being whiny!

On a positive note, I finally feel like we were productive in terms of getting ready for the baby! We actually have diapers, a coming home outfit, and a car seat (not installed yet). I also rearranged the boys' room with new dressers/cubes, which allowed me to unpack all of the baby clothes. Yesterday was really rough since I can only stand for so long...so it was a lot of unpacking part of a tub, sitting down, drinking water, unpack a little more, etc. Nesting is probably better done earlier in a pregnancy :)
 

ladyciel

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Mar 24, 2007
Messages
1,769
Urseberry, she's adorable!! Congratulations, and I'm so glad everybody is well. :appl:

Amc, you're SO close!! I'm trying to do what nesting I can right now, and even at my current size I'm finding some things exhausting. Not to mention that shopping/planning is so overwhelming to begin with - nothing is simple anymore, I swear! You need a paci? Ok. Here are 100 to choose from. Bottles? oh, good luck guessing what she will/won't like. Carrier, diaper bag, stroller, diapers, monitor... my head spins the second we step foot in a place like BRU. My MIL went with me when they were visiting this past weekend, and she said she was thankful she wasn't the pregnant one having to make so many decisions. I'm very analytical and can't stand buying anything without doing lots of research first, which definitely isn't helping. It'd be a whole lot faster and easier if I could just go to the store and pick whatever looked good that day.

I'm 25 weeks today and getting increasingly uncomfortable. Baby girl likes to push up into my ribs, especially when I'm driving. I'm sure I look rather strange behind the wheel, contorting my torso and stretching to the side trying to get comfortable.

ETA: 25wk bumpie

_5077.jpeg
 

amc80

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jun 18, 2010
Messages
5,765
LC, what a cute belly!

I'm still here, still pregnant...37w as of yesterday. I had my weekly NST on Friday. The MFM walked in, looked at the monitor, pointed to the hospital (the office is just across the parking lot), and told me I needed to go immediately, due to my contractions being exactly 1 minute apart. So, now I've had 4 trips over there. It's sort of ridiculous since I know I'm not dilated (still just a fingertip) and the contractions are doing nothing. This time was sort of fun because I finally took them up on their offer of pain meds, so I had a good two hours where I wasn't in pain. The contractions stopped for maybe 30 minutes, and then I was sent on my way with a lot of "I feel so bad for you" comments.

But now I'm really on the count down! My CS is Monday, so the end is in sight. I have the okay to have the baby at any point now if I've reached my end point. Monday would be easier logistically, though, as my mom comes to town on Saturday. Plus there's always the risk of lung development problems at 37w...so that's something to think about.

I think he finally dropped all the way down, because I now have a few inches between my boobs and my uterus. I have an ultrasound and OB appointment this afternoon...possibly my last...which is CRAZY.
 

NewEnglandLady

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
6,299
amc, just wanted to tell you I'm thinking about you and wish you luck this week. I know you are so, so uncomfortable, but you are almost there!! Just a few more days and then you can rest in the hospital (which is a joke, but only partially). I can't wait to hear about how this all goes down and see some pics!! GOOD LUCK!
 
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