December Pregnancy Thread

[Pony]

Pregnancy list

Evelyn H - 12/7
MaryMorph -12/18- girl!
Beth H - 12/30- boy!
BethG - 12/31- surprise!
Pony - 1/11/09-surprise!
Gertdog - 2/7/09-boy!
Sarah45- 2/16/09 boy!
Fancyn - 2/19/09 girl!
kabs- 3/8/09 surprise!
EmilyD- 3/21/09 boy!
silverrr- 3/25/09
JenZen - 3/26/09 boy!
Missi- 3/30/09
Lrimerman - 5/4/09
Bawstinn - 6/12/09
Couperine - 6/13/09

Congratulations to: Luv to Cook, Ayaan was born on 10/29!

Waiting to hear from: helios7!

[Pony]

Any lurkers out there.................:D:D:D. Let me know if I forgot anything on the list.

December will be a pretty big month here! 4 of us are due. :)

Things here are good....I have some congestion that started on Saturday, which has interfered w/ the little sleep I have been getting!

I go to the doctor next week and then it is weekly appts. from there.

I mentioned on the Nov. thread a few minutes ago that I had a lot of on and off BH contractions on Sat. Nothing painful, just a lot of tightness.

I'm just trying to enjoy every last minute of this pregnancy. Who knows if it will be the last one or not. I am so excited to meet the little one, but am going to miss being pregnant. I get really emotional thinking about not being able to feel the baby move the way I do now. There is something so intimate and special about being the only one able to feel the movements the way I feel them.

kabs-She got me the Giddy Green gown :)

ETA:-I thought I would post this website in case anyone is needing to buy a pump. www.lactationcare.com has Medela pumps for about $50 cheaper then BRU.

Michelle

[JenZen]

Good grief! How is it December already?

Just pluggin' along at almost 24 weeks. Starting to feel quite sore and irritable. DH is already getting sick of my complaining. Of course, having a really bad head cold during the holidays doesn't help matters much. I was in tears on Wednesday night after baking a pumpkin pie because I couldn't breathe, my back was hurting and everything else ...

Feeling somewhat better now, but I'm still really congested.

I have my 6-month checkup tomorrow. March seems right around the corner and yet eons away at the same time.

Jen

[MaryMorph]

I'm bloated, tired, and achy and ready for this thing to be done.

Checking in at 38 weeks. My c-section is schedule for the morning of the 10th (baby still sideways), and I'm ready to be done.

I was up 5 pounds from last week at the doctor's office this morning. I know it's Thanksgiving week and all, but REALLY? I think the vast majority of it is in my ankles.

On my way out of the office, I slipped and fell on a patch of ice. I scraped my chin, my knee, and wrenched my shoulder out of whack. Tonight, my back is killing me. Oh, how I would love to take some ibuprofen right now, but not for another week and a half.

I'm so looking forward to my day off tomorrow. The downside of working in a hospital--we don't close down for holiday weekends. Since I'm going to be out of commission for the later holidays, this was mine. 5 more days.

Enough of the pity party for now.

mary jo

[Bawstinn]

Nothing exiciting here. Had the first part of the sequential screening this morning. An u/s and some bloodwork. She got the measurements she needed after having me cough several times. The little one was sleeping and not in the correct position. Heartrate was 158 bpm. I am still saying boy.

For anyone looking to buy a pump, check with your health insurance first. I have BC/BS and my pump was covered 80% if I purchased it at an approved retailer - the hospital or a medical supply store. My Medela PIS cost me $50. I am debating getting a new one this time since I used mine for a whole year I am wondering if the motor is still OK or not.

Knock on wood the m/s seems to have gone away for the most part. I am just extremely tired at the end of the day and am usually in bed by 8:30. :o

[Beth H]

I guess I'm close to the top of the list now too. My first weekly appointment was yesterday. I still feel pretty good - not too uncomfortable (yet). I'm excited yet anxious about everything - I'm happy to be a pregnant for a few weeks longer. I've gained a little more weight than I had hoped, but - oh well - might as well not worry about it any more. There will be plenty of time for dieting next year. :)

Thanks for the advice about the pump - I'm not sure how long I'm going to breastfeed but it is nice to know that could be an option.

[Couperine]

I finished week 12 on Saturday so I finally got to stop taking progesterone! I had to take it at night because I got very dizzy afterwards. Eating in the morning still sounds bad - I'm not nauseous in the throwing up kind of way; just most foods I think of in the morning make me queasy.

Basically everything is going fine - I'm shopping for more maternity clothes because I'm sick to death already of all the ones I wore last year. :)

Hugs to all going through your last part of pregnancy through all the holidays - it must be exhausting!

[Sarah45]

Happy December all, hope your Thanksgivings went well.

Had my 28 week appt today, it got bumped last week, and the baby measured at 30 cm which is more on track than the 28 he measured at last appt.

This was the glucose test and they will let me know this afternoon if I failed - no news is good news :). My hemoglobin was down so they put me on iron supplements 2x a day, in addition to my prenatal. I can hardly wait :rolleyes:

We've got Labor and Delivery class tonight, and I am on two week appts so I guess all of this is really happening! :D

[JenZen]

Just a comment on breast pumps: Breast pumps are also an allowable expense under FlexSpend, so you can use pre-tax dollars to purchase one.

I just bought a used one, because I didn't want to spend that much when this will be our last baby.

Bawstinn- I wouldn't worry about the motor in your breast pump. I had a used one for my first two, and it was just starting to get bad toward the end of the second year I used it ... and it had already been through two other babies. Those things can take a beating.

[Pony]

Looking forward to hearing from helios7!

I've been sleeping very little with this cold. I have a dinner meeting tonight, which I probably would cancel if it wasn't at one of the best steakhouses in town! ;)

We just signed up for our infant CPR class and for our car seat installation! Now, if only the house was organized :rolleyes:

re breast pumps:I wish mine was covered through insurance and flexible spending accounts, but it isn't. And I would say I have decent coverage :mad:. I was ticked when I found that out. Only if the baby goes to the NICU am I allowed to get a breast pump covered. I think that is such a shame...insurance really should be promoting breastfeeding with all the health benefits!

JenZen-I've been sooo irritable lately. :( And I got a cold on Saturday and am feeling yucky! So, I'm right there with you ;)

Mary Jo-oh my, poor thing! I'm so sorry about the fall. 8 more days!!

Bawstinn-I probably asked you this already, but are you finding out the sex? Yay for no more m/s!

Beth H-enjoy your last few weeks!

Couperine-have fun shopping. I've been getting a lot from Old Navy.com and Gap.com. They have some great sales lately.

Sarah45-enjoy the L&D classes. We really learned a lot from ours. My husband was explaining the muscles of the uterus at a birthday party this weekend :p

[fancyn]

Hello Everyone! Where are the months going??

Just sitting here almost 29 weeks. I can sympathize with everyone irritable and everyone sleepy! :D One minute I'm perfectly content and the next my head is spinning. Part of my problem seems to lie in the fact I can't get my house organized or clean enough to my liking. We got our Christmas decorations out this past weekend and that of course contributed to my pleasant mood. I think once DH starts the nursery (hopefully this weekend) and we get Nick's room done, I'll feel better.

So I watched a show on Discovery Health about Freebirthing and I finally came to the realization that this baby will have to come out soon. Flashbacks of labor came into my head and I somewhat panicked. I realized how soon she'll be here and how life will change again, etc. Nothing bad so much, just the unknown. Oh, the drama! :rolleyes:

Sounds like everyone is doing well (Hang in there Mary Jo!). Hope to hear from Helios soon! (Pony, did you find her on FB?)

[helios7]

Hi everyone...

Thanks for thinking of me! It was nice to see I was remembered. :cool::D

Quinn Patrick (8 lbs 1 oz, 22 inches) arrived on Sunday morning at 9:13 am. He was a bit smaller then estimated, however he's very long so I think when they measured his femur (one of the measurements they take when estimating weight) it skewed the results a bit. I'm not going to lie - my labor experience was not what I expected. My water broke Saturday at 1:30 am. We got to the hospital at 3:00 am, and chilled until my doctor arrived at 8:00. Contractions were really mild - barely happening. She put my on Pitocin as he was without his fluid so the clock was ticking. After 7 hours of increasing labor (but still not active) I I was checked and had gone from 2 cm (how I arrived) to 3.5 cm. We also found out he had developed a heart arrythmia... probably something that would correct after birth but still not what you want hear in labor. So the combo of the two deflated me, and I asked for an epidural. So labor continued painfully slowly, we tried to doze a bit through the night and at 6:15 am Sunday I was finally deemed 10 cm. After 2.5 hours of pushing, Quinn arrived.

We're doing well. The heart murmur did correct itself, he has not developed jaundice despite being Coombs + which predisposes infants to jaundice. He had low muscle tone initially but that seems to be improving daily. We got home today, and I'm dealing with a ton of stitches (2nd degree tear) so my recovery in motion (standing, walking, getting up etc) is very slow. Breastfeeding is going well although I'm DYING for my milk to come in. He's been cluster feeding (feeding 10-15 minutes on each side repeatedly for up to 2 hours) and my body is just not used to this new experience. But the lactation consultant in the hospital checked us out and said we're ahead of the power curve so hopefully bfing will continue to be a go for us.

So... I'll continue to lurk but wish all the mommies to be good luck. I'm so happy to have my little man, but am still a bit in shock from this weekends exertions. I hope as my body feels better the memory will fade... it must, plenty of people go on to have more! :)

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v432/213/18/1516817069/n1516817069_92815_1479.jpg

[Pony]

Helios7
Of course you are not forgotten!!!! :D

Were you asleep when your water broke?

So glad he is doing better each day! And yay for the bf'ing going well!

Sorry about the tearing. I hope you heal soon!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

[kabs]

Congratulations, Helios! Quinn Patrick is a cutie! I'm glad he's healthy and you're settling into your new life together. Thanks for sharing your story. Good luck, don't be a stranger!

Kim

[mabvt]

Welcome Quinn Patrick!
Helios, what a beautiful little boy!

Let people pamper you. Your only job is Quinn right now.
Hope BF continues to go well!

[Luv to Cook]

Congrats, Helios! Quinn is SO cute :)! And yes, you do forget the pain...though last nite I had a dream that I was pregnant...oh the horrors :eek:!

Enjoy this magical, yet exhausting time!
Anita

[SusanPC]

Helios, congratulations! He's adorable!

[fancyn]

Congrats helios - He is one handsome little boy! Yay for a happy and healthy mom and baby!

[JenZen]

Congrats, helios!! I love the name Quinn ... The memories of pain do disappear after time. :)

[Sarah45]

Congratulations Helios and welcome Quinn!! :D

[Couperine]

Congratulations Helios and welcome Quinn!! I hope you heal soon, and yes you really will forget how bad it was. :) Take lots of pictures - the first 6 weeks tend to blur in the memory.

[tholbrook]

<<delurking>>

CONGRATULATIONS helios! Quinn is darling. Hope everything is going well at home for you both.

Looking forward to seeing you over on the "new moms" thread soon...

[fancyn]

Hello All, thought I'd bump us up before we fell off the page! :D

Nothing new here. Sleeping still sucks and my nose is a bloody mess in the a.m. but nothing new. I am convinced my shoes are getting farther away by the day because tying them is a PITA! DH will officially start painting this weekend coming up. I'm having a holiday open house tonight and supper club at my house on Thursday. Just "in case" something went wrong or the mess couldn't get cleaned up in time, I told him to wait. It must get done soon though...

I have my sono and appt tomorrow which I'm looking forward to. Not sure if I've mention that my younger sister is PG too. She's a nurse practioner at a hospital and has had 3 sonos and they still can't confirm if she's having a boy or girl. She was going to try and sneak in another scan today and I'm anxiously waiting to see if my baby is going to have a girl or boy BFF. :D Here's a pic of us from Thanksgiving I thought I'd share. :)
http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v636/19/31/1440692609/n1440692609_30149307_1372.jpg

[Couperine]

Well you two look wonderful together in that shot - I really like your maternity top too! I hope your nose gets better soon - I'm sure dealing with it is getting old.

I've gone through a hormonal meltdown in the last week - I went off progesterone at 12 weeks as per the OB. The uterus starts to make the increasing amounts you need at this point; did this with David, and I had nothing like what happened this time. I spent Tuesday through Sunday in a arc of hormonal hot flashes and chills, 24 hours a day. I must say it sucked bigtime. I wasn't supposed to remember how much I hate that part until after the next baby was born. :)

Anyhow, off to make dinner - at least I want to eat at night; still not so much during the morning.

[kabs]

Cute picture, fancyn! How fun that you and your sister get to go through this together. Sorry to hear about the nosebleeds. That can't be fun. I have had a stuffy nose since I found out I was pregnant. Can't wait to feel what its like to breathe again!

Couperine, sorry to hear about the hormonal issues you were having. So, now things are leveled out a bit more?

Well, I failed my one-hour glucose test. So, I'm headed to take the 3 hour test on Wednesday. I have been saving up lots of papers to grade so I'll have something to do while I'm there. What does the 3 hour test involve exactly? Do I have to drink more than one of those sugary drinks? Do they just draw blood at the end of the 3 hours? Anyone been through it?

I also have noticed that my feet have grown considerably during this pregnancy. I went to DSW to buy a new pair and I couldn't even get my usual size on! Yikes, I already have huge feet! Will my feet go back to my normal size after I have the baby?

Other than that, things have been really hectic around here with the holidays coming up. However, DH and I managed to order all our furniture and register! Yippeee! I am a happy person when I can check things off my never-ending LIST! :)

Have a good week!
Kim

[Pony]

Hi everyone.

Things here are fine......I'm finally getting over my cold, sleeping better, but not wonderful. I have my appt. tomorrow and start weekly appts. now. I got a call from my docs office on Friday wanting to reschedule my 1/5/09 appt (my last appt. scheduled before my due date) and they wanted me to see another doctor b/c my doc is all booked that week. I have seen a lot of different doc's already which is fine, but I purposely scheduled my last 3 appts. with my doc over 5 months ago! Why not bump someone else who isn't due in 5 days! I was so mad. So, I'm hoping to hear from the RN. Or maybe I will complain tomorrow. I've been quite b**chy lately and also sappy. I am not one to cry during tv shows and I cried watching the Amazing Race finale last night and I have not even followed it! ha! Usually, it is my husband that cries over those types of things. :p

It is feeling like the baby is transverse again :(, but hoping it will do a flip again soon!

We did the hospital tour this past weekend. Also, I ended up buying the "My Brest Friend" pillow and just picked up a Boppy off of Craigslist for $10! I wanted the boppy b/c of its other uses, but felt guilty spending money on both. $10 was to good to pass up.

MaryMorph-thinking of you!!

fancyn-nice picture. It must be fun to both be pregnant. Hope the sleeping and bloody noses gets better.

Couperine-oh boy. Sooo sorry about the hormonal changes! I had to take progesterone my first trimester as well and was so shocked that I didn't feel any different after stopping or starting them. I feel more crazy now then ever before though ;):p

Kim-Sorry about the glucose test. I have not had to do the 3 hour one, but I think Stephanie (gertdog) did. I believe you do have to drink another one of those drinks, but only once. Then they check you BS multiple times during the 3 hour period. (i think that is how it is done). My feet are bigger too! I had on a pair of shoes and they were just sooo uncomfy, but my sneakers fit fine. I have no idea if they go back to normal size.

Michelle

[Bawstinn]

Hi all!

I found out tonight that I am going to be an aunt for the first time! My SIL is due at the beginning of August. My brother was so excited he had to tell someone. :D

For second time (and more ;) ) moms. When did you start feeling the baby move? I am getting these weird fluttery feelings in my lower belly a couple of times a day. I'm only 13 weeks. I was 20+ weeks with Madeleine before I thought I felt anything. Could it be the baby already or just random stuff growing?

Not much else going on. My apetite is back full force which is good and bad. :)

[helios7]

Delurking for kabs -

I had to do the three hour just a few weeks ago. You have to fast for 12 + hours (nothing after midnight the night before for me) and then when you arrive they draw blood. They then give you the drink, and draw blood again at the 1 hr, 2 hour and 3 hour mark. Then you're done. But make sure you have something to snack on when finished - I felt quite woozy. And bring a book or magazine in case grading papers just doesn't appeal - fasting makes me feel terrible so I wouldn't have been able to do something productive.

Pony - My boppy is getting tons of use and is working really well. I was a bit worried (but I think trying it on while still pregnant just wasn't a good idea). Hopefully your combo will give you lots of choices! Good luck in these last few weeks.... :)

[Pony]

THE HEAD IS DOWN! :D:D

I just got back from my appt. and it was confirmed by u/s!!! The doctor knew I was very concerned and brought out the u/s machine even though she was confident what she was feeling was a head. She even showed my husband how to really feel it. I guess the bump I'm feeling is the bum and the kicks I thought I was feeling near my pelvis is actually some punches. It is weird b/c I had a dream last night that at the appt. they decided to do an u/s to double check the position, but instead of the u/s it was like the baby was just there in the office. They were trying to cover the penis, since they knew we didn't want to know the sex, but it was obvious that it was a boy b/c they didn't do a good job hiding it. I kept looking at my husband to make sure he wasn't peeking. :p Anyways, at the real appt. when she said she was going to do an u/s I told her to make sure she doesn't show us anything and she just put the wand on the head. I haven't seen the baby in sooooo long, so it was very nice. :)

I had my first internal :eek: and she said I was closed and thick, so that I'm most likely going to be pg for the next 3 weeks. :)

Then we went to get the car seat installed. I'm so glad we did that! I feel so much better about how the base is in the cars and just feel more confident about how to do it all. The car seat tech kept referring to our baby as a boy even though she asked us and I told her it was a surprise...so btwn her and my dream it is making me lean towards boy. Everyone else seems to think boy. I just can't wait to find out :)

Bawstinn-This is my first, so I felt the baby pretty late...around 22 weeks. I have heard that 2nd time mom's usually feel it a lot earlier, b/c you know what you are feeling. Glad you are eating better.

[Couperine]

Maria, I think I felt it a lot earlier with DS2 - maybe 16-17 weeks? It's mostly because I really knew what I was feeling. I mainly felt him at night when I went to bed because I didn't have much down time during the day to spend thinking of what every movement in my body meant. I imagine this baby will be the same. :)

I went to my 13 wk check today and they let me do a quick U/S to see the heartbeat. It was wonderful!! I could really see the baby - made my morning.

[Beth G.]

Checking in at 37 weeks. Count me in as one of the congestion/bloody nose sufferers, although I'm doing a lot better than the week of Thanksgiving. Any night I try to sleep without a Breathe Right strip I regret it (and believe me I don't enjoy those). I am still depressed from hearing in breastfeeding class that other than hard drugs, the only medications that are real no-nos when nursing are the anti-histamines/decongestants. What is a girl with allergies to do? I used to live on Sudafed. Oh well, I guess I will just keep stacking more and more pillows under my head and take comfort that after baby is born I can at least sleep on my back, right??

I'm very lucky and can work from my home these last few weeks. My job is a 90+ minute bus ride each way which was uncomfortable and I wouldn't want to risk going in to labor that far from the hospital. I also fell on a rain slicked street at about 27 weeks - so happy to stay safe at home when the icy conditions start. My balance isn't getting better! I'm also enjoying the extra time to sleep (well, if I can) and get some things organized.

kabs - I've heard from most people the feet do not return to pre-pregnancy size. I am dreading this since my chunky heeled shoes aren't in fashion at the moment and I'm not really wanting to replace them with what is in style. Since I'm not in the office, I don't wear anything but my sneakers right now so it's hard to tell how big an issue this is going to be. I can't differentiate swelling (which was happening all the time on the bus) from growing and staying that way right now.

[EmilyD]

Sounds like everyone is doing OK -- I'm still trying to get caught up on the thread, but a couple of quick personal notes:

Congratulations Helios on the safe arrival of your son Quinn! what a cutie!

Fancyn - how fun to share this experience with your sister, and for your kiddos to be so close in age. No chance of our son having cousins anytime soon, my SILs are both newlyweds in grad school with no plans anytime soon. and my kid brother is only 22 and not dating anyone seriously -- better not happen there either :p

My best friend is due 8 weeks after me though so it will almost be like having a cousin for this one. She'll find out just before Xmas whether it's a boy or girl. This is her second successful pregnancy and she first felt the baby fluttering this time around 14 weeks or so, many weeks earlier than the last time. I felt my first flutters on 10/2, which is when I was about 16 weeks. From what I've read, the "quickening" depends on both the baby's size (when just ounces they don't have the mass for the movements to be felt by you) and the mom (placenta placement, experience, etc.) How exciting to already feel flutters tho -- I found it to be reassuring, especially as the appointments are so far apart where you can hear the glub-glub-glub of the HB.

Add me to the list of mommas-to-be with congestion too. Thankfully, this is probably my biggest "complaint" so far; I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop but will knock on wood to hopefully keep this groove going. :D The congestion doesn't really bother me too much during the day, although it's noticeable, but during exercise I do notice my breathing is a little more labored and through my mouth rather than both. And my poor DH reports that I'm snoring loudly. :o He's a light sleeper who gets cranky when he doesn't get a good night's sleep (yea, this combo should be great come March :rolleyes: :p) so I've started wearing the Breathe Right strips too. He tells me it's helping... as does pushing me on to my side, but I keep rolling on to my back. I'm about 26 weeks now, and although I fall asleep on my side, I wake up on my back or on my stomach (with a pillow tilting me toward my side) often. I was a stomach sleeper before being PG so I guess in my sleep I'm reverting. My doc tells me I'll stop doing this when I can't so not to worry about it.

Other than that, all is going well. We've started to put the baby's room together and went to BrUs yesterday and started the registry over lunch. Already have the crib, cradle and changing table (re-purposing a dresser) and I'm not much on the cutesy linens available there so our big decisions to start with are the car seat/stroller issue. And DH picked out his baby carrying apparatus. I'll go separately to get the little things with my mom friends who know what's up.

So here's my stroller question: We live in the country, on about 50 acres. Our driveway is about 3/4 mi long and gravel. There are no sidewalks near us, although in the small town we're near there are. Pre-baby my life does not include many trips to the mall, as it's 30+ minutes away. So the question is, what kind of stroller should we get? The Baby Bargains book labels us "Green Acres" and recommends 4 "ATV" strollers (3 are $$$ and 1 is more affordable). We'll need something for the first few months with an infant car seat but then I'm not sure what we'll need. I'm considering getting a frame for the infant seat and then a lightweight stroller for when the he's older. OR getting one of the ATV strollers, which are quite a bit pricier. Anyone else have similar circumstances? or have family/friends who did? TIA!

[EmilyD]

Oh! and warm wishes to MaryMorph on her little girl's scheduled arrival today! :):):) (((Hugs))) to you and your growing family -- I hope all goes well with the C-section and your new sweetie does well in her brand new world, especially once she can be assessed hands-on. You're all in my thoughts.

[JenZen]

EmilyD - We live in the country, too, and I most frequently use our strollers for walks down the road, etc. I bought a jogger for DS1, and that worked fine. It wasn't even that expensive (I think it was on clearance at BRU for $100). I didn't get a regular stroller because I figured I'd get more use out of a jogger. When we had DD, I inherited a Jeep double-stroller, which I hate. It works OK on the roads, but it's so cumbersome. I have used it a lot, out of pure necessity. For this next baby, I'm looking at a sit-and-stand double.

Because I didn't get a carrier/stroller combo, I would just put DS and DD in a Baby Bjorn or something for trips to the mall.

[fancyn]

Hello! So I had my appt. and sono on Tuesday with great news. Baby girl's kidneys look 100% normal and her growth is right on target. She's about 3.3 lbs and almost 16 inches and head down too. Yay!!! AND, my sister found out she's having a little girl! Good news around! It's pretty exciting to be PG with my sister but I also haven't mentioned my BF of forever is also PG. She's due a day after me and has made this so enjoyable as well. So other than the foot that has been wedged in my rib for the last two hours, life is good! :D

Couperine - i hope your hormones regulate soon enough. Without taking anything I'm a wreck so I can only imagine what ride you are on. hang in there!

Pony - YAY THE HEAD IS DOWN! I hope you are resting easy now. :) I had to reread your post because I thought you were saying that you did accidentally find out. Shew!

Bawstinn - Congrats Auntie! :) I think I was b/w 16 and 18 weeks with this one. But I also have the placenta in front so they tell me I'm getting cushioned blows this time. Whatever! I feel just as much with this one too.

kabs - my feet never went back. I grew about a half size the first time. Hopefully I don't do it again. :eek:

Beth - you are lucky to finish out at home. The bus ride alone sounds miserable! 3 weeks to go!

Emily - sorry, no words of wisdom on the stroller - I live in the city. We have a jogger and a light-weight travel stroller that worked well for us. Mine don't accomodate the infant carrier but I didn't mind. If a place had a cart, the carrier went in it and otherwise we used the bjorn. That's cool that your BF is right there with you too. But you never know about the SIL's. My sis graduates Saturday with her masters and is only 24. We didn't think she'd be ready so soon either. :D

[Bawstinn]

Hi all!

We've been up since 4 AM here - Ew, Mommy I am gross. The stomch flu that was going around daycare has hit home. Since I have been thrown up on twice so far (ew) I am guessing I won't escape this one. :(

I got the results of the first part of the sequential screening today - normal. That was nice to hear. My next appointment just happens to be Monday.

We live out in the county but our roads are paved. I have a Graco travel system that I love. I know some people complain it is bulky but I drive a Pathfinder and I'm 6' tall and I've never had a problem managing. We still use it for trips to the farmers market, the outlet mall, etc. It was also one of the few I found that was actually comfortable for me to push - I didn't have to slouch or anything.

I haven't started to think about what I may need with 2. I like the one a friend has, but that is more for when they are older and can both sit up.

[mabvt]

posted to the wrong thread...ignore me!

[MaryMorph]

Margaret Corinne made her grand appearance on December 10 at 7:48*a.m.She weighed in at 8 pounds 2 ounces.

She is currently residing in the NICU for big breathing issues in the delivery room, followed by random blood sugar, jaundice, and feeding issues upon arrival in the unit. She does have a little bit of a movement issue with one arm, but the physicians seem to think it was a positional thing and should get better with time. Her clubbed feet are like little Js on the ends of her legs. We'll start casting them as soon as her blood sugar issues have resolved and they can stop poking her heels for blood.

I've worked in neonatology for 13 years, and know in the grand scheme of things that her issues are minor. That sure doesn't make a difference when the baby in question is MINE. I know she's in the right place now but please send prayers and good vibes that the right place will soon be at home!

I've never posted a picture before - hopefully this will work!

http://images.kodakgallery.com/photos5067/3/2/96/53/79/2/279539602308_0_ALB.jpg

Mary Jo

[Pony]

Congratulations Mary Jo and Margaret! I will be thinking of you all!!! I couldn't get to the album with that link :o.

[Bawstinn]

Congratulations Mary Jo and welcome Maggie!

Had a routine doctor appt this morning. Gained less than 1 lb (yea!), bp and h/b was all good. I have the blood draw for the 2nd part of the sequential screening in 2 weeks. Instead of coming back to see her in 4 weeks, she pushed it out to 5 so we can have the u/s as close to 20 weeks as possible.

Madeleine stopped getting sick when she got up from her nap Friday but her belly was still iffy through Saturday. I keep waiting for it to hit me. Sigh. :rolleyes:

[mabvt]

Yay! Welcome Maggie. :D:D:D

[kabs]

Congratulations, Mary Jo! Maggie is adorable! Prayers and good vibes headed your way!

Also wanted to say Yay! for Pony. Glad to hear the baby turned around. I know you were worried about it.

Bawstinn, hope you never get that flu! Glad your little one is feeling better.

I have not gotten results from my 3 hour glucose test. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, so I suppose I will hear then. Keep your fingers crossed for me! In other news, my right arm has been numb on and off for the last few days, can't wait to ask about that tomorrow. And, my shower invitations went out in the mail and should be arriving any day. My SIL showed me this weekend and they are so cute! I'm excited!

[Pony]

I just had my 36 week appt. and the doctor said I was 1 cm dilated and thinning! I do have Group B Strep :(. I know it is somewhat common, but my dear friend lost a baby in her 20th week b/c of GBS. Her case was so rare, but I can't help but think of her and her little one. She has had 2 other healthy babies and was + with them as well, so I just need to think positive! The heartrate was only 128 and usually is 150. I typically have early appts. after a cup of coffee and today's appt. was in the afternoon.

I didn't think I would get to take a breastfeeding class, b/c it was booked, but a spot opened up! So, it is tonight. Then a CPR class on Thursday night and no more classes.

I went to my prenatal yoga class last night and was the only one there, so had a nice private session. :)

I'm feeling well....not getting the best sleep, but feeling good these days!

Couperine-I'm so glad you got to see the baby!

Beth G-how are you feeling?

EmilyD-I'm glad you are feeling well except for the congestion. I live in a metro area, so no help regarding the stroller. I have heard wonderful things about the Bob strollers. I know they have some that the infant car seat can fit in.

fancyn-yay for healthy kidneys!!! and congratulations to your sister on her little girl.

Bawstinn-I hope you can avoid the bugs! And yay for a good appt.

kabs-how did your appt. go? My hand/wrist on my right side has been feeling like I have carpel tunnel syndrome but only at night. My doctor said it is most likely due to fluid built up in my wrists and that as soon as baby is out, my hand/wrist should be back to normal. My hand is fine during the day though :rolleyes:

Beth H--how are you doing????

[Beth H]

Mary Jo - congratulations! I'm glad to hear that your daughter does not have serious health issues (relatively). Hopefully she'll be home with you soon.

I'm hanging in there - 2 weeks from my due date. I'm not dilated at all, but the baby's head is very low - so my doctor still thinks I will deliver sometime in the next two weeks. Hopefully not right on Christmas Day, but if that happens, it happens.

My feet are so puffy and horrible looking. I'm staring covetously at women's shoes on the elevators going to and from my office. I only have about 2 pair of shoes that still fit - and of course they are cheap Old Navy/Target shoes. I plan to discard them as soon as I have the baby!

Friday is my last day of work before leave starts (our offices are closed for two weeks over the holidays). Part of me can't believe it's really going to happen!

[fancyn]

Congrats Marie Jo and and welcome Margaret! She's absolutely precious. Keep us up to date about her progress with her breathing and blood sugar!

Pony - YAY!! That is very exciting news! Your time is so close! Try not to worry about the GBS - my SIL had it with both of her girls and they were/are healthy and perfect. How was the BF class last night?

Beth - what great timing for maternity leave! i'm sure it wasn't planned but just a nice surprise. Hang in there and I can't wait to hear the news when it happens!

Nothing new here. My shirts seem to be getting shorter and I'm getting quite the draft. :D Other than that, I'm just chugging along. Happy Wednesday!

[Pony]

Pony - YAY!! That is very exciting news! Your time is so close! Try not to worry about the GBS - my SIL had it with both of her girls and they were/are healthy and perfect. How was the BF class last night?


Thanks for the reassurance about the GBS. :) The BF class was fine. I wouldn't say it was necessary, mainly b/c I've gone to 2 La Leche meetings, have read a Dr. Sears BF book, listened to those pregtastic.com podcasts, and have multiple friends who have BF and they have answered all my questions so far. I just think I'm not going to really know what I need to know until the time comes and if something is not going right, I will call friends and a lactation consultant. I wish they offered classes right after baby is born, but obviously that would be more difficult. One thing I learned to help prevent cracked/sore nipples is to let a few drops of breastmilk come out and rub on your nipple and areola and let it air dry, then apply a very small amount of the lanolin cream. She said to do it often. I don't recall ever hearing that. I just thought you used the lanolin cream and didn't realize there was a benefit to using the milk. She made a comment about not pumping at all for the first 4 weeks. I should have asked more about that, but forgot. Basically, she said to always BF those 4 weeks, but I've had friends say they've pumped to help with engorgement. I mentioned that to her and she said to take a hot shower or get warm rags and put on your engorged breast. Anyway, it was somewhat helpful and I'm very glad my hospital is extremely pro-breastfeeding and very big on having skin to skin contact w/ baby and mom right from the start!!

I have a question about nursing bras--so, let me just say...I hate bras :p. I rarely wear them, but realize I will need to. I picked up a nursing cami from Target. Should I really go now and get fitted for one? People keep telling me to do that, but I don't want to spend $30+ on a bra when we don't really know what size I will be when my milk comes in. My MIL said I won't want to go after the baby is here. I figured I would get 2 cheaper cami's from Target, then go and get sized when milk comes in?????

I'm just a bit crabby today....so, there are a couple of guys at work who CONSTANTLY ask me, "so, you still don't know what you are having yet?". ummmm....I have 3 weeks left...why would I find out now? It is like they don't get the concept of it being a surprise. I'm sure they are trying to make small talk, but come on...everytime you see me that is what you say?

Beth H-hope you are enjoying your last few weeks. I'm also quite swollen in my feet. The doctor said my BP is fine, so nothing to worry about. Enjoy your time off!!!!

[Sarah45]

Congrats Mary Jo, she's beautiful! :)

Just had my first 2-week appt. today and the LO is certainly growing! I've grown 3 cm in 2 weeks but only .5 lb. The doctor says he just might be a bit bigger and there's nothing that I am doing to cause it. I really am eating well and don't feel like my calorie intake has increased that much, if at all. Guess we'll just see what happens.

What's funny is that people have just started to realize/comment that I am pg and keep telling me how small I am and that there's no way that I am 7 months :rolleyes:

We missed our last birth class last night because of weather but it was the one on c-sections and other things that can go "wrong" so I don't feel like I missed a lot of knowledge that I MUST have. I've got a BF class in Jan and really hope that one doesn't get canceled because of weather.

I hope that everyone has a fabulous holiday and if you're traveling (we're driving 9 hours to Ohio) BE SAFE :)

ETA: The baby is head down, so YAY! :D

[Beth G.]

Pony - I went for my fitting on Monday. My hospital has a breastfeeding shop as part of the lactation program and since the hospital is a non-profit there is no tax - the Medela seamless bra I got was also well priced compared to Babies R Us and Buy Buy Baby. They recommend fitting two weeks before your due date - and it turns out with all the measuring and forecasting of what will happen when my milk comes in I will wear (drum roll please)... the same size I'm wearing now. So I'm not sure if it was totally necessary. I need to go and buy one more since unfortunately they only had one beige and I didn't want a black or white bra.

I'm feeling pretty good. We'll see what the doctor says on Friday but as of last week nothing doing yet.

[Bawstinn]

Pony - the lactation consultant at the hospital recommended not getting fitted for a nursing bra until after my milk came in. I honestly can't remember what I wore in the few days after but I do know when I went to get fitted I had gone up a little more than a cup size and down a band size.

[gertdog]

I can't believe the month is more than half over and this is my first post! Yikes!

So- big congratulations to Heather and Quinn, and Mary Jo and Margaret!!! :)

I did pass the 3-hour glucose test, thank goodness. And kabs, what Heather described is almost exactly what I experienced, except I had to fast from 10 PM the night before. 1 draw, drink the kool-aid stuff, and then 1 draw on the hour for the next 3 hours. The lab opened at 7, though, so it wasn't too bad- I was done by 10:30 AM.

As for shoe sizes- I'm sad to report that my size 10 feet grew half a size with DS, and now I am a perfect 10.5. They did not shrink back to 10s post-pregnancy. Nobody makes a 10.5. I was really bummed- had to pretty much get rid of an entire closetful of shoes and start over, and I either have to find 11s that run small or 10s that run big, or wear open-backed shoes. DH and I joke that I can easily forgive and forget the pain of childbirth, but I'll be reminding Ryan of what he cost me in shoes his whole life. ;)

33 weeks today- feels like a long way to February. Still having some headaches and sleep issues, but baby boy seems to be doing just fine. If I can get through the end of the month, he's pretty much welcome to make his appearance any time!

[kabs]

Thanks to those of you that chimed in on the 3 hour glucose test and growing feet issues. :) I'm a little surprised to hear that most people's feet don't go back to their originial size. I guess I'm in trouble...

Well, the Bun and I had an eventful week. I went to my monthly check up on Tuesday and they told me that I passed the 3 hour glucose test and do not have GD. But, then they told me that my blood pressure was unusually high and promptly sent us to triage where we spent the day hooked up to a bp cuff and a baby monitor. Their main concern was pre-eclampsia and I am just 29 weeks. Turns out, I didn't have any indicators other than high bp, so they sent us home with instructions to monitor bp daily and to call if it was high again. Fast forward to yesterday, I asked the school nurse to take bp again, and one of the numbers was high so I called the dr and they had me come in to triage again. Another day spent hooked up to monitors. Fortunately, no further indicators for pre-eclampsia. Turns out, the baby may just be giving me high blood pressure- which needs to be moniotored, of course.

Hope everyone else is having a calm week and is able to find some time to relax during this crazy time of year!

Pony- just wanted to add that we just took our bf class too, and we learned many of the same things that you mentioned. I was really glad we took the class, because I really didn't know a lot of about bf. I have nothing to add about bras, unfortunately. I can't believe you're so close! Three weeks! :)

[Couperine]

kabs - I got pregnancy induced hypertension with David; they'll probably do lots more NST's than usual if it remains high throughout your pregnancy. I wound up being put on bedrest and then induced at 37 weeks because the medication I was put on didn't really work for me. The induction was more for my health than David's.

Since you still have a ways to go, you might invest in some peace of mind and check out the Omron auto blood pressure cuffs on Amazon. I bought one with the proper size arm cuff for me, and the readings are completely accurate. I check twice a day so I can track trends, and thankfully I'm maintaining a very good average with my new blood pressure medication.

I'm 15 weeks today and I still have a little bit of blech stomach in the mornings; it's keeping my weight gain in check, but I'd really like to look at a piece of toast without feeling nauseous. BP still is fine but we have lots more blood volume increases to go!

Ah yes, the feet. Before I had Ethan, I was a size 7/7.5 medium depending on the manufacturer. I'm currently in 8 wides. They've only gotten bigger through each pregnancy, and I had to toss my entire shoe collection once I realized they weren't going to shrink. Buying more shoes seems great, but I'm still not sure where I'll end up. :)

[gertdog]

Ah yes, the feet. They've only gotten bigger through each pregnancy, and I had to toss my entire shoe collection once I realized they weren't going to shrink.

Oh, cr*p. I'm going to be seriously bummed if my feet get even bigger with this kid. ;) I come from a family in which my grandma had size 12 feet, and my dad is a size 15.5, so I always thought I got off easy being a 10. Guess not anymore!!!

[Couperine]

Yup the feet thing stinks - I went to put on my only pair of black flats I had from last year's pregnancy, and the stupid things didn't fit. So I went to the symphony in 40 degree weather in black sandals - stylish AND cold. :)

[valchemist]

just to chime in on the feet thing...
I have had 3 kids and my foot size "only" (ugh) went up from an 8.5 to a 9. the feet only got bigger after the 1st pregnancy. clearly (and obviously) everyone is different.

good luck to everyone. last year at this time, Nelson was about to make his debut. it is such an exciting time for you all.

[kabs]

Nancy- Thanks for the thoughts. My mom has one of those Omron bp monitors, so she's letting me use it. You're right, it's very easy to use.

Have a good week, everyone!

[Pony]

Just had my 37 week apt. and all is well. I was having a contraction while the doctor was measuring the belly. They are not really regular, but are present on a daily basis. He said I'm still the same--1 cm dilated and 40% effaced! :) I told him my due date is one day after a full moon. He said he isn't really in to that type of stuff, but he did say when it comes to full moons women go in to labor and crazy people show up at the ER. :p

I got all the baby clothes washed and put away. I just love those little clothes! We have a lot of organizing to do still, but hoping a lot of it will get done this week.

Sarah45-I'm glad all is going well and the head is down. I had a lot of the "you can't be 7 months pregnant" comments too. I hope you had or are going to have a safe trip for the holiday!

Beth G.-Thanks for the nursing bra info. I'm surprised they say you will be the same size. How can that be??? How was your appointment on Friday?

Bawstinn-Thanks for the info. I'm thinking I will hold out until one week after the baby arrives. I am going to get to nursing tanks from Target to hold me over and hope that will be good enough. :)

Stephanie-Congratulations on passing the glucose test!!!

kabs-I'm sorry about the BP issues, but glad you don't have GD. Have you been checking it over the weekend?

Couperine-I hope your belly feels better soon.

Val-nice seeing you...and happy birthday to Nelson!

Michelle

[tperes]

It has been a while since I posted ANYthing to CLBB, but well, I have been busy and plenty tired!

I am 25 weeks, EDD April 7th. We are not finding out the sex -- DH wants it to be a surprise, which is fine with me.

We are signed up to take the childbirth/new baby classes in January, and a BF class in March. I definitely need those classes. I told my DH I am so not a natural at this -- I don't even know what types of gear we need/are essential. I'll keep reading here to find out what other people are getting.

My biggest questions at the moment are:

1. Anybody have an Ikea crib? If so, which one and how do you like it?

2. We have a VW Jetta wagon and need to find a car seat that will fit in the back seat. Those infant seats take up a lot of room. How does one go about "trying out" car seats? I seriously doubt Target is going to let us take it out of the store w/o buying it.

ETA!

[Pony]

It has been a while since I posted ANYthing to CLBB, but well, I have been busy and plenty tired!

I am 25 weeks, EDD April 7th. We are not finding out the sex -- DH wants it to be a surprise, which is fine with me.

We are signed up to take the childbirth/new baby classes in January, and a BF class in March. I definitely need those classes. I told my DH I am so not a natural at this -- I don't even know what types of gear we need/are essential. I'll keep reading here to find out what other people are getting.

My biggest questions at the moment are:

1. Anybody have an Ikea crib? If so, which one and how do you like it?

2. We have a VW Jetta wagon and need to find a car seat that will fit in the back seat. Those infant seats take up a lot of room. How does one go about "trying out" car seats? I seriously doubt Target is going to let us take it out of the store w/o buying it.

ETA!

Congratulations! Those classes should really help. Another thing I found very helpful was www.pregtastic.com. There are a bunch of podcasts on there regarding pregnancy. I would listen to them while I cooked or cleaned. Also, the Baby Bargains book was helpful regarding gear.

Funny you should mention the IKEA crib. My mom is bringing me my nieces crib, which is not from IKEA. It is nothing special, just a typical crib from JCPenney's. For some reason she has held on to it and wants me to have it. My husband really wants us to get an IKEA crib and has been bringing it up in these last few weeks. At this point, I don't want to change plans and I know my mom really wants to bring the crib to us. He thinks it will look better in the room, which I am sure is true, but I'm all for a free crib when there are so many other things we need to buy. So, not really answering your question, but I thought it was funny b/c the IKEA cribs have been an issue at our house :).

Regarding car seats....I think they are all about the same size. Some might be heavier then others and some will have different weight restrictions for the baby, but I believe when it comes to the bulkiness they are all the same. We have a Toyota Camry and we are putting the car seat in the middle back seat. So, there is basically no room for anything else. My husband has a Nissan Pathfinder and he is putting the car seat base on the passenger side, b/c we use that car for transporting a lot of big items. So, I would just play around w/ them in the store. We have the Chicco KeyFit 30 and I really like it. The lady who installed our carseat talked very highly about Chicco and this seat. I know a lot of people like the Graco carseats as well. :)

Hope that helps a bit!

[Beth G.]

I ended up going to the doctor one day early since we had a lot of snow forecast for Friday. Luckily they were happy to see me on Thursday and busy calling up other Ob patients to try to get them to do the same. We did have quite a bit of snow so I'm glad I changed it. The baby still hasn't dropped down yet so the doctor did a quick ultrasound to make sure he was feeling "a head, not a butt." It's a head! What a relief. I'm not dilating or effacing yet, so Pony, you may go before me, but then I didn't really want to go early so I'm sitting here with my feet up trying not to encourage anything. Baby doesn't seem to mind. I'd love to get out and do some walking next week but not in this weather.

Had a little trouble getting an appointment for this week with the shortened holiday week and limited coverage at the doctor's office on Friday, but finally prevailed on a receptionist today that the week before my due date was NOT a good week for skipping an appointment.

Now, baby could change the plan, but wondering if anyone has gotten their hair washed leaning back in a salon sink late in their pregnancy? The last time I was there, in early November, it made me pretty dizzy. Probably why they tell you not to lie on your back. I'm wondering if it's a coincidence or I should ask her to wash/rinse really fast on Wednesday. I'm desperate to get my roots done before baby comes so I'm not mistaken for grandma in the pictures! Apparently there was a very pregnant woman there recently and when asked when she was due, she said she was having a scheduled c-section that afternoon. I guess at least she knew her just done hair would look good!


tperes - in our safety class, they gave us this website to check carseat compatibility.

http://www.carseatdata.org/

You might find something on your car there. I drive a Honda Accord - a pretty common family car so you'd think there'd be tons of info but there isn't. It's only four years old and I'm very disappointed that the LATCH connections are only on the outer back seats and not in the middle, which is supposed to be the safest place for baby. It just doesn't make sense :(. My husband's car is the same. We've got the base installed behind the passenger seat in both cars.

[Beth H]

Well, still here. I'm not dilated at all, although the baby's head is very low and I'm effaced a good bit. I was quite annoyed yesterday at my doctor's office. I saw a different doctor yesterday (which was fine - my doctor had told me a long time ago she was out this week), but then I learned I have to see another doctor next week as mine is on call at the hospital! (I go to a university-affiliated practice where the doctors are associated with one of the big hospitals). This had not been mentioned, and it irritates me I could go two weeks at the end of my pregnancy without seeing my main doctor. I'd like to discuss inducing options next week (at least a date by which I'd know I'd have the baby - I don't want to induce too soon or for convenience, but still!). Sorry - rant over. I guess I just need to stop worrying about it.

Hope everyone else is doing well!

[Pony]

Beth G.-Yay for the head being down! I'm with you...I don't want to go early!!!! I am perfectly fine hanging out at 1 cm for the next couple of weeks :) as long as I progress when I need to. I actually have a haircut appt. on 1/3/09, 8 days before my due date, so we will see how I do. I never even thought of that!

Beth H.-Congrats on baby being low and being effaced! Are you eager to have the baby as soon as possible or are you ok hanging out pg? I completely understand about the doctor's appts. I'm in the same boat. My practice is very big and they make you see multiple doctors, b/c you never know who you will get at delivery. :rolleyes: I had purposely scheduled my last 4 appts. w/ MY doctor. My last 2 appointments were rescheduled :mad: with 2 different doctors. I discussed it w/ my doctor yesterday and it annoys him as well, but there isn't much he can do. grrr. He said he does not want me to go past 41 weeks and he will make sure I see him if I go past my due date.

Michelle

[cangoss]

so, I'm finally ready to de-lurk and come out of hiding to join the January thread....

I will be sixteen weeks pg on Tuesday with our first, after three years of infertility. It's a boy, and he's due to arrive on June 16.

It has been a relatively easy pregnancy so far, in terms of normal things that people deal with - I've had no morning sickness at all. I am experiencing the joys of pregnancy itch and pregnancy rhinitis though. The itching seems to have gotten better in the last week or so, and I'm hoping it will stay that way. I have eczema, so I imagine I'm more prone to get things like that. I started showing a few weeks ago and I'm easing my way into maternity clothes full time now. I had the joys of maternity clothes shopping with my mother over the holidays - I think that's a new form of torture!

I'm looking forward to joining in on the conversation here - I think I could probably set some kind of record for the number of years of lurking before being able to join (I'm sure it's been at least five).

[Pony]

Candace!!!! I'm so glad you are here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so excited for you and am glad you delurked before I move on to the New Mom's thread (gulp!). I didn't realize you knew the sex already. Congrats on a little boy.

Michelle

[Bawstinn]

YEAH Candace :) Congrats on your little boy. We won't know until Jan 19th but I've started wavering on whether or not I want to know ahead of time.

[kabs]

Welcome, Candace! Congratulations on your little boy on the way!:)

[Couperine]

Welcome Candace!! I'm glad everything is going well now in your pregnancy - we're due about the same time. I can't even imagine shopping for pregnancy clothes with my mother - you're a brave one!

[Pony]

How are the Beth's doing???

Just got back from my 38 week appt. and I'm still about 1 cm dilated and 30-40% effaced. So, no change. Everything seems normal.....I had some pretty bad back pain over the weekend, but I have a bad back so it was tolerable. I'm still contracting daily, but no consistency. My doctor said they tend to induce at 41 weeks, so that is 1/19/08........The days are going by so fast!

The holidays were nice. It was our first time not traveling in a long time! We had a great dinner over at a friends house and I enjoyed a very long weekend. Now, back at work!

Hope everyone is doing well.
Michelle

[Beth G.]

Well, two days before my due date and this Beth is still here. No effacement or dilation as of my Friday doctor visit, but we have an estimate of 7 1/2 pounds. If I make my appointment this Friday, I'll be two days past due so I have to go for a "real" ultrasound to check my fluids, and then other monitoring to be determined.

Hair salon went fine - I was careful not to lay back in the sink too long. Have a toothache and since the tooth is already crowned my dentist thinks I need to see a root canal specialist ASAP. Ob okayed but everything I've read said no way could I lay back in the dentist chair this late for a major procedure without getting very, very dizzy. Fortunately seems to be intermittent and not having it today. Dentist recommended I ask for two lead aprons for the x-ray. I'm pretty sure that would be a fairly obvious request - three might be more like it! Hopefully I won't need to go.

Haven't been sleeping much - all but one night over last few weeks I wake up for three hours in the middle of the night. Good training for times soon to come but brutal on the mornings I have to get up and work.

Overdid it this weekend cleaning out drawers and closets in the baby's room and hurt my foot. Note to all: bad idea to stand for many hours in just slippers with large weight bearing down! Limping all day today.

Hope everyone else is feeling well!

[gertdog]

Checking in at ~35 weeks. All was well at my appointment today- bp was down a bit, weight was the same, baby's heartbeat sounded good. I go again in two weeks and then on to the weekly visits. Still having some issues with insomnia, hip pain, and headaches, but it's manageable. Funny how some of the things I remember being worst with my pregnancy with DS1 haven't surfaced yet- I remember the heartburn being horrible by now (I was literally clutching a bottle of Tums when I arrived at L&D) and swelling- no sign of that yet.

Beth G., I so hear you on standing too long! I overdid it the weekend before xmas- spent the day baking in the kitchen, standing barefoot on tile floors. Bad, bad, bad idea and I paid the next day.

Michelle, so now you're full term! Yay! Will be checking in for news of you and Beth and Beth...

And a big welcome to Candace- so happy for you!

[kabs]

Hope everyone had a nice holiday. Ours was very nice, but exhausting! We had our 4 year old nephew and his family visiting us and it was busy!

I spent the day in triage again yesterday being hooked up to a baby monitor and tested for preeclampsia. It was the third time in two weeks. It has been determined that I have gestational hypertension and have been put on meds. Hope this cuts down on the amount of hours I've spent at the hospital! I'm feeling pretty good these days, except for the occasional back pain.

So, we need to get cracking on finding a pediatrician. I have a few recommendations from friends, but does anyone here have ideas for specific questions to ask a pediatrician? I don't really know if there are specific things that are different than what I would look for in finding a doctor for myself. Any advice would be appreciated.

Also, I'm also wondering if anyone out there can recommend a place to find birth announcements online. I'd like to have an idea of what we'll use before the baby arrives.

Beth G- sending you good thoughts. Take it easy! Hope you can get some rest before the baby makes an appearance!

Stephanie- Sorry about the aches and pains. I had to go back and check your due date. I thought you and I were closer, but you're a good month ahead of me. Funny how each pregnancy comes with its own set of "issues"! :)

Michelle- Glad you're doing okay- aside from the back pain. You're really getting close!

[Bawstinn]

Good morning!

Checking in at 16 weeks while enjoying my time off work. It'll be hard to go back on Monday after having over 2 weeks off. Noticing that I am popping out a bit more these days.

kabs - sorry about the hypertension (from someone already on bp meds) but glad they think they'll be able to control it. With Madeleine, the only monitoring I ended up with was non-stress tests from week 32 on.

I know people that have used tinyprints.com for birth announcements. I don't believe that was who I ended up using but I can't remember. You may want to look into a place that will send you the envelopes ahead of time. I ordered them a couple of weeks in advance and received the envelopes so I could address and stamp them. When Madeleine was a couple of weeks old, we took and uploaded a picture and when they arrived we just had to stuff envelopes (in betweeen naps ;) ).

We didn't go the ped route. I just take Madeleine to my pirmary care doctor (family practice).

I guess that is all I've got today. I believe we are staying in tonight and just snacking on appetizers.

[Pony]

Happy New Year!!

I can't believe I'm just days away from my due date!! I keep getting mixed emotions, hopefully this is common. I get so excited and then very freaked out about all the changes. My husband will be a SAHD and I know he will be great, but I worry about him. He is such a people person and does much better when he is around people. I just worry about his well being/mental state being around a baby all the time and not much adult interaction. :o

I'm wondering if Beth H. had her baby!!! I'm doing fine besides my worrying. My back pain is better. I've been dealing w/ this UGLY thing on my lip, which about a month ago started to form. I thought it was a pimple at first, but obviously not. I went to the dermatologist and they did a biopsy of it. I found out it is something called a Pyogenic Granuloma, which is common in pg women. fun fun. After looking at pictures on line, I'm very glad it doesn't look as bad as it could be!! I'm hoping it goes away after delivery, but it might not :(. Great! We aren't doing much tonight. I'm making pizza, tomorrow making a black-eyed pea risotto, and getting organized. We have a nice dinner out planned for Saturday, our last big date night!!

Beth G- Sorry there has been no progress. How do they estimate the weight of the baby? My doctor hasn't done this and I'm just curious? I was up from about 3:30-5am this morning :rolleyes:. I'm such a worrier! I actually don't feel that tired right now. Thankfully, since I'm working today.

Stephanie-glad things are going well!

kabs-I have never used tinyprints.com (what Bawstinn recommended), but my friend uses them for everything. Her baby announcement just arrived and it was from them and she did my shower invites with them as well. I'm sorry you are dealing w/ the bp issues. I hope the medicine helps! I went with a friends recommendation for a ped. We didn't interview anyone else. We basically just talked to him and a RN about how the office works, when will they see the baby in the hospital, got his opinion on circumcision, talked to him about vaccines and his opinion on them...those types of things. It was hard for us to interview, b/c we don't really know what we need to know at this point. But, he came highly recommended from my friend.

Bawstinn-enjoy your last few days off from work. Enjoy your appetizers.

[Beth G.]

kabs - We interviewed three pediatricians and ultimately chose the one recommended by a friend. I threw a young(er) pediatrician in there too just to see if there was any different vibe. Here are some of the questions I used:

Are there specific call hours for new moms that have questions? Do you have a telephone nurse that can answer phone questions? How quickly can I expect a call back?

Who do I speak to if my baby is sick after hours or on weekends? What happens if I have an emergency outside of office hours? If my child needs hospitalization, which hospital will he/she be admitted to?

Can I bring my baby in for weight checks? (if you plan to breastfeed) Do you have a lactation consultant you work with?

How often do you prescribe antibiotics?

Pony - This was the first doctor to estimate the weight, which he did based on measurements of my belly. There are four doctors in my practice and he's been measuring since maybe 28 weeks so I call him the measurer - none of the other doctors do that. Not seeing the doctor again until Friday. They'll estimate weight again from the ultrasound but I hear that's not all that accurate. My mom said when she had me that the doctor just on measurements got the weight within two ounces so they may be able to judge from experience.

In addition to being my due date and New Years Eve, today is my husband's 40th, but we are going to stay in and toast with some ginger ale if he makes it to the grocery store. If not, he's got diet pepsi in the house - that's bubbly, right? :) It's snowing again here in NY and I'm sure I'll be asleep long before midnight since I'm working today too.

Welcome, Candace!

Thanks for the good wishes everyone. Happy New Year!

[tperes]

Happy New Year Fellow Moms-to-be!

The pregnant part of life is going well -- this little baby is such a kicker! DH was able to feel he/she kick for the first time last week. He was so excited!

Unfortunately, I have been pretty sick with a sinus cold that is pretty severe. It started on Christmas day (I blame my sister's MIL's dog) and got really bad on Sunday night. All of the post-nasal drip started aggravating my asthma (coupled with lots of lovely mucus), which caused me to have trouble breathing/talking. I got through to the on-call doctor and he gave me a list of things to take (sudafed, mucinex, my inhaler). I actually had to go sit out in the garage where the temps were about 20 degrees cooler. It seems the warm air was aggravating my lungs -- usually it is the opposite. Needless to say DH and I were both nervous b/c I could barely talk (he was ready to pack me up to the ER, and I was ready to go). The dr. reassured us that I should be feeling better Monday -- I did a bit, but I still went to see the nurse practitioner yesterday. She said I need to really hydrate, treat the symptoms, rest, and if worse on Friday, come back in. She said my lungs sounded fine and since I have "productive coughs" and am blowing my nose things are moving so not getting infected.

Normally I would have just self medicated and gone with it, but pregnancy sure brings out the drama!


With that being said, DH and I still managed to have our "baby gear scavenger hunt" on Monday. We had lined up a bunch of items to view from Craigslist and pretty much bought all of them. We have all of the furniture for the nursery (minus a bookshelf) and 2 strollers. We still need a car seat - that is a must of course. It was very exciting and exhausting, but well worth the time and effort (we researched all of the items before hand so we would know if the deals were good, if any of the items had been under a recall [we passed on those that had], etc.). Now DH has to finish moving his stuff out of the room so we can set up furniture and I can sew the window treatments and bedding stuff. Yea!


I guess we will all be having babies next year! Good luck and Happy Beginnings to 2009!

[Bawstinn]

Yeah, the weight measurements aren't always the most accurate. My last doctor appointment before Madeleine was born they told me she was 7 - 7 1/2 lbs. Two days later when she was born she was 8 1/2 lbs. When my doctor stopped by to see me the next morning her first comment was 'I guess we were a little off on the weight estimate'. :rolleyes:

I just hope this one stays around the same size even though 'they' say the next one is usually bigger than the last. 8 1/2 pounds was a good size. When we went for our hosptal tour the first time they showed us a newborn that was born the night before at 11 lbs +. All I could think to say was ouch. That was one big boy.

[Beth H]

I'm wondering if Beth H. had her baby!!!

No, unfortunately I'm still here - and still was not dilated as of my Monday appointment. I'm going to be induced on Wednesday (7th) if I don't go into labor myself beforehand - my doctor doesn't let her patients go beyond 41 weeks, and that's the day. I'm relieved to at least have the end date in sight, and I'm trying to relax and enjoy our last few days of quiet. :)

In terms of judging weight, a friend of mine who is a doctor told me that in med school they were taught to compare the size of the baby to a bag of flour, and that's always how she has done it. So - maybe not the most scientific approach! :) My doctor thought mine was about 7 1/2 - 8 pounds, but we'll see next week.

Hope everyone is having a good New Year's!