May 2009 Pregnancy Thread

[Bawstinn]

Here's the list for May. Let me know of any additions or updates! April was quiet - nobody was due!

Lrimerman - 5/4/09
Earlgrey - 5/17/09-boy!
Bawstinn - 6/12/09 - Surprise!
Couperine - 6/13/09 - boy!
LHBryan - 8/3/09 - girl!
linsleyd - 8/14/09 - girl!
wallingjan1 - 8/17/09
Mineaston - Sept
jadenegro - 9/20/09 - boy!
Alleycat - 9/25/09
PoppyJ - 9/25/09
NewMrsG - 10/14/09
Jalapeno - 10/20/09
sugarbaby - 10/22/09

Congratulations to:
Missi - Max Hayden arrived 3/31

Waiting to hear from:
silverrr EDD 3/25

*Candace - Benjamin Oliver - in our hearts*

[Bawstinn]

Not much new from me at 34 weeks. Another appointment and NST tomorrow. I'll have an appointment every week from now on.

Just busy doing things around the house. Bought a bunch of flowers for my hanging baskets yesterday and will put those together today.

Also trying to figure out when to have Madeleine's birthday party. Her birthday is June 4. Probably the 6th, I don't know. His parents are coming the first week in June so I suppose if I happen to deliver a week early, they'll be around. I was just planning a small cookout.

How is everyone else doing?

[Couperine]

Hi Maria! 34 weeks and another NST on Tuesday for me - how did we get to be so lucky! :) 4th on the list is cool - if things maintain ok, it's 6 more weeks, but if I continue to get higher levels of protein in my urine, it's 3 more weeks! There are days when I hope for both - one more week and DH won't really care when it happens (my b-day is 6/15, so I'm hoping for a bit earlier than the edd). I keep hoping for that nesting surge of energy to come, but we'll see!

We kept Ethan's birthday pretty low-key; I took both boys to the park in the morning, and at mid-afternoon we went to the zoo and came home to our 3rd birthday in a row of macaroni and cheese (did the CI version from Cover and Bake - was nice to prep it ahead). This year I got to make a red cake instead of a green one - huge change. ;) His favorite toys were a cash register and a Leapster - I debated the Leapfrog reading book, but I tested it in the store and it was clunky. We've started early, and Leapster comes out only on non-school days - he gets to thank his big brother for that one.

I hope everyone is doing well - looks like Lrimerman could be going anytime now!

[Alleycat]

Okay, what's an "NST?" :o

Not much going on here. I wanted to get the backyard cleaned up, as I'm planning to go to the nursery tomorrow and wanted to start planting right away. But it has been raining since Friday -- it is gross gross gross!! The weeds, however, are loving it!!

DD's 3rd b'day was in April. We took her to Build-A-Bear (just us, no party) and out to lunch. I made a Cars cake for us. The next weekend we had a very small family party (my stepkids, my ILs, and my parents). Very low-key, and she seemed just fine with it :)

[Couperine]

Lucky you, planting season! I just finished sticking in some citrus trees I should have planted hmm 2 months ago now. :)

An NST is a non-stress test - basically they belt a monitor across the strongest heartbeat sounds from the baby and then for the next 15-20 minutes, every time the baby moves, you get to press a button. (Maybe some places have cooler machines than the one I'm used to though.) The baby's heart rate should start to speed up before movement, and while active should be elevated, and then it slows back down to 120-130 beats or so when inactive. Maria and I both have high blood pressure, and they worry about the baby not getting enough blood to the placenta and thus growing slower than they should, so they do lots of these plus ultrasounds to check measurements.

We're rather fond of family parties here too - I was just happy to remember making Ethan's cake this year since I was barely post-partum last year. :)

[Bawstinn]

NST = 25 minutes where I get to lay back and relax and do nothing. :D

We don't have any family here and it is ht or miss who comes out when. Wehave a few family friends that come over - two of the couples have kids. Pretty low key but I tend to always 'do too mcuh'. I blame genetics. ;)

This year we were looking at once of those party catalogs and Madeleine decided she wanted a Minnie Mouse cake. Guess what? All Minnie and Mickey Mouse cake pans have been discontinued - which I can't understand since Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is alive and well on the Disney channel. I found some on eBay with the cheapest being $40. I don't think so.

With Madeleine, the docotr told be she would probably be about 7 pounds because of my high bp. She was 8.5 pounds. I am curious how big #2 will be.

[PoppyJ]

A little over 19 weeks here and things are going fine. I have offically popped. It is a little bit sooner than I did with DD so I am already having that huge feeling and starting to get worried about how much weight I will gain this time around. But all that worry is not stopping me shoving everything and anything I can into my mouth. :p

I have my ultrasound next Tuesday and am really excited about it. We did not find out the sex with DD but this time we are. It will be fun to do both.

[Bawstinn]

BAH. BP was up to 140/96 today. NST was fine though, gained less than a pound and no protein.

OB doesn't want me to up my meds yet - she wants to see what it is next week. She is a lot more casual about blood pressure than I like, as in, it can get a lot higher before she wants to raise my meds.

We are also hoping part of it is the stress at work and the fact that I have not slept more than 4 hours the last 2 nights. Anyway, she does appear to be all that concerned since everything else is good.

I'll admit it - I was hoping for a couple of days off from work.

[NewMrsG]

I'll admit it - I was hoping for a couple of days off from work.

:) I hear you.

Sounds like we're all off to a good May! Macy is also turning 3 in June. I'm thinking that we might just rent a pavillion in the park, invite the other kids to come play, have cake and fruit and call it a day. That way I don't have to worry so much about entertaining everyone. I'd also really like to keep it small and we're very likely going to visit my mom out of state the weekend prior, where we'll also be celebrating her birthday.

After all of our indecision, we decided to go through with the amnio last week. The procedure went smoothly (although it HURT!) and there were thankfully no complications. Now just a 2 week wait for information. We have our anatomical ultrasound scheduled for late next week as well, so we'll have all of the information at once.

We did learn that we're having a boy! I would honestly have been just as excited either way, but there is something nice about having one of each. We went through all of our infant clothes over the weekend and dropped off the girly stuff with friends of ours who have a 6-week-old girl. I have to admit that I'll miss the clothes. There are some cute boy things, but it's just not the same.

It is really nice that we know what we're having and can start to plan for some things, like the name (which we've already decided on), etc. And I'm liking the idea of having a son. My husband already got his daddy's girl, so I've informed him that this one is mine. ;)

[Couperine]

NewMrsG - the daddy's girl thing is probably my only regret in making a house full of boys. I'm glad the procedure went well - the pain part hopefully is better now. I like your party idea too!

Maria - so sorry about the BP; the journal article I read on BP management during pregnancy really didn't do anything until systolic was consistently over 150 or diastolic consistently over 100. I'm guessing the consistent part is why you are going another week. I hope things get less stressful at work for you; since you're still a ways out from breastfeeding, you might consider a Benadryl at bedtime if it usually makes you sleepy. I've been having sleeping issues, and it's worked for me through all three pregnancies towards the endgame. I have to agree with you about the cake pans too - Ethan loves the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (though he says he's watching it for David), and I'd have guessed it would still be a popular pan.

PoppyJ - I hope you are happy to have popped! I envy your appetite, and I hope you have great results with the ultrasound!

As for me, my NST's (yes two) went well today. I had two because although I was hooked up to the machine, it ran out of paper about 10 minutes into it, and I couldn't get the nurse's attention. My doctor still wasn't there after doing a c-section, so once the team of nurses figured out how to reload the paper, I got to do another. My BP was positively fabulous 128/72; I took my Labetalol maybe 30 minutes before my reading, so I'm guessing that's why even with white coat, it was fine. I'm running a bit higher throughout the day - 140's over anything the high 70's. My protein however...not so good, but I have absolutely no other symptoms of pre-eclampsia. OB flat out told me I'm doing both an NST and 24-urine collection weekly until I have the baby - whee. On the good side, even though my OB was insanely late, the sweet receptionist at her office had a successful c-section and is doing well. It's easier to wait when you know why. :)

Apparently I'm a bit blabby today so please forgive the disorganized thoughts, but I hope everyone else is doing well and that Lrimerman has had a healthy delivery!

[SooCookie]

:) We did learn that we're having a boy! I would honestly have been just as excited either way, but there is something nice about having one of each. We went through all of our infant clothes over the weekend and dropped off the girly stuff with friends of ours who have a 6-week-old girl. I have to admit that I'll miss the clothes. There are some cute boy things, but it's just not the same.

It is really nice that we know what we're having and can start to plan for some things, like the name (which we've already decided on), etc. And I'm liking the idea of having a son. My husband already got his daddy's girl, so I've informed him that this one is mine. ;)

Jori - I just have to say that I had the exact same reaction when I found out #2 was going to be a boy. DD is a spitting image of DH and has always been a "daddy's girl". When I found out #2 was a boy, I promptly told DH "He's mine!" And he looks more like me too!;)

Also, I think I remember you asking in last month's thread about big sister recommendations. We didn't go crazy with the books, but our library had a list of books solely for this reason and we checked out a bunch of them. Many of them were about the older sibling throwing tantrums and resenting the new baby which, yes, it does happen, but I didn't want to give DD any ideas! Our favorite was I'm a Big Sister by Joanna Cole. Also, we had small gifts prepared for DD when people brought by gifts for the baby so she didn't feel left out. And most importantly, the baby brought her a small gift when he arrived and to this day whenever she plays with it she tells me "Ben got me this!"

[sugarbaby]

:) It is really nice that we know what we're having and can start to plan for some things, like the name (which we've already decided on), etc. And I'm liking the idea of having a son. My husband already got his daddy's girl, so I've informed him that this one is mine. ;)

Congrats, NewMrsG, on a boy! I am partial to boys :p - they're so much fun!

I don't find out what we're having for another month! We got so spoiled with the boys - a 3D ultra-sound EVERY month for the whole pregnancy! DH keeps saying, "When's your next ultra-sound?" I keep telling him that I only get 2 this time, and we've already had 1! He thinks every doctor's appointment is an ultra-sound! I really don't care if it's a boy or girl (although the cheap, thrifty side of me says that a boy would be much easier since I already have tons of boy stuff :rolleyes:)

[jadenegro]

Congratulations on the boy NewMrsG!

What's everyone doing for childbirth classes? We started Bradley classes last night. It feels kind of early (ok really early) to start at 20 weeks, but it's a 12 week class and it worked best with scheduling to start now.

[Bawstinn]

I am on the fence about doing a childbirth class this time around. What would be nice would be a breathing refresher BUT our L&D nurse we had when Madeleine was born had gone over all of that when I was admitted, so perhaps it is not necessary.

Last time, we did a private class which was one 4-hour session rather than spread out over mulitple weeks. Just worked out better for us and I felt that I had enough informaton to go forward. Honestly didn't miss the birth videos that I know they showed during the longer version of the class. ;) I am also not much of a 'share your feelings, feel the love in the room' kind of person and I knew from a friend that was a big part of the class at that particular hospital.

[Alleycat]

Congrats on the boy, NewMrsG! We have our U/S on 5/22 (a bit late!) -- I told DH he can decide if we find out.

Thanks for the big sis book reco, SooCookie. I'll have to look for that one.

For childbirth classes, I didn't take any last time and don't plan to this time either. As Maria said, I was told everything to do at the hospital anyway. I did take a prenatal breastfeeding class (nothing like fake nursing a Cabbage Patch Kid LOL), but that wasn't necessary either. Lactation consultants were constantly in my room at the hospital.

[MinEaston]

re: childbirth classes. Last time, DH and I took the series of classes at our hospital, and the instructor also did a special session for 4 couples on natural childbirth. We also worked through the Bradley birth book at home.

Jadenegro - what I liked best about Bradley was what DH got out of the book. Anna's birth really WAS husband-coached. By the time I realized I was in labor at all, I was in the late stages, and DH picked up on that well before I did. I now realize he was providing the support that was appropriate for that stage, in his calm, encouraging way.

This time around I think we're going to go through the Bradley book again, and my friend lent me one on Hypnobirthing which I am finding not too much different, but with more "feel the love" (to coin Maria's phrase) than I'm comfortable with. While I don't want a long drawn-out labor with #2, a eentsy bit of warm-up to the late stage would be nice.

The one class we will take at the hospital is the "Big Brother, Big Sister" class, for DD. She's very excited. Last night as she was going to sleep I stretched out next to her on her bed, put her hand under my belly, and I think she really did feel the hard shove the baby gave. At least, she got a BIG grin on her face.

Happy Mothers Day to all!

[sugarbaby]

The one class we will take at the hospital is the "Big Brother, Big Sister" class, for DD. She's very excited. Last night as she was going to sleep I stretched out next to her on her bed, put her hand under my belly, and I think she really did feel the hard shove the baby gave. At least, she got a BIG grin on her face.

That's really sweet!

re: childbirth classes. We took one with the boys, and I found the relaxation techniques they taught to be very helpful and encouraging. DH read the Bradley birth book. But my L&D was so extremely fast that we didn't have time or opportunity to use the techniques! By the time I figured out I was in labor, I think I was in transition (in the car), and slow and controlled breathing flew out the window! :rolleyes:

We're not taking another class this time around, we'll probably just review the book.

[Couperine]

I reviewed a DVD for my first birth, looked at the breathing section once before DS2, and I'm not planning on looking at it at all this time since I'm extremely likely to be induced again - once I get the epidural, it's all good.

I had a rough weekend - one of my cats jumped off my van into the woods Friday afternoon as I had to pick up my DS1; we found her dead on Saturday morning, two houses away. She had gone to sleep under the neighbor's truck, and she got a head wound while running out from under the moving truck.

Also late Friday, I got a call that my proteinuria is worse, resulting in me getting two NST's at a minimum per week, plus needing to go to the OB today versus tomorrow. We should have last Thurday's test results this morning, so hopefully I'm maintaining at the least. I absolutely do not want to deliver before 37 weeks, and it's hard to let go of the goal of getting to full term. I worried for months about David's development after being delivered at 37 weeks, even though technically it's term. I was hoping to avoid that and the absolutely annoying early induction process.

Whine over - I needed more stress like a hole in the head.

[sugarbaby]

Couperine, I'm so sorry about your cat, and the worries of delivering before 37 weeks. As the mom of two preemies (born at 34 weeks), I totally understand! Prayers and hugs!

Rough weekend here, as well. DSs did not sleep well Sat. night due to teething - they're getting their 2 year molars - and someone decided to play "ding-dong-ditch" on us at 1 AM...hence, we were all pretty crabby for Mother's Day and the children did not behave perfectly as they were supposed to! :rolleyes: And then some other crappy stuff happened yesterday...I demand a Mother's Day re-do, 'cause this one SUCKED!

However, I have 2 healthy children, I still really like being pregnant, and my pregnant boobs are amazing. :p Those are all things to smile about.

[linsleyd]

Not much going on at this end. I'm 26 weeks, DH still can't feel the girl when she moves and it really is kind of light still and when I do feel the harder one's she doesn't do it again...

We went to a Phillies game for Mother's Day (after church and lunch with MIL and GrandmotherIL). So it was a nice day and a great day to be at a game even if they lost.

Re: classes, we aren't taking them, mainly because they are all booked and my doctors (who suck) never mentioned that I might want to sign up for them. I think I might pick up the Bradley book so we at least have an idea of what we can do!

Other than that, my next appt is next Friday when I'll be 28 weeks, let's see if my doctors bothering mentioning that I might need to take the diabetes test.

[Bawstinn]

Well, 35 weeks here and back from another appointment and NST.

Blood pressure about the same (1# up and 1# down) but I have an appointment with my PCP for it this week as she is the one that manages it since it was pre-exisitng. Peace of mind for me. Measuring slightly over 36 weeks, lost 1/2 a pound and the NST looked good so the OB was happy. I actually have ankles today so I am happy. :)

Puttered around in the garden this weekend. A friend came by and tilled it for me. I put down some of that black tarp and bought my vegetables to plant. I ran out of steam when it came time to plant but it is still supposed to be a little chilly at night the next couple of days.

Talked to Dave's parents this weekend. They are coming out for Madeleine's birthday, which I decided would be the 6th. He is going to ask his mom if she'll stay after his dad goes home. We are still waiting on a vehicle for him (for an estimate on the time for the modifications to it) and don't know if he'll have it in time. Will also help to ease the 'what do we do with Madeleine' thoughts if I go into labor at 2 AM. It will also be nice to have someone help out around the house a bit. My mom has made no mention of coming out here at all. :rolleyes:

[NewMrsG]

Couperine - I'm so, so sorry. I adore our cats and would be devastated. How did you explain it to your son?

Re childbirth: I hated our class and am sorry I took it the first time. I also have zero interest in going without pain meds, so some of it was less applicable to me. I love the idea of a big brother/big sister class and will look into whether there's one in our area.

Maria - are things better with Dave's family?

I'm still really ambivalent about Macy's 3rd birthday. I had planned to rent a pavillion at a local park, but I think fewer people will be able to come this year, including my mom. She typically comes out in June, but this year we're going there since we had to cancel our March trip right after the miscarriage. So maybe we'll just do something really, really small. She also doesn't need a bunch of presents and isn't really old enough to really need or want a party.

Amnio results should be in any day now and I'm getting increasingly anxious. The not knowing is really hard for me. Anatomical ultrasound is also Thursday. I'm less worried about that this time around since we've had extra ultrasounds than we did with my prior pregnancy due to the twins and lack of screening tests. I love the ultrasounds and getting to see my boy move around! He's also been moving a lot lately, which is so reassuring to me. It's really amazing to me how much earlier you can feel the movements in a subsequent pregnancy.

Jori

[Couperine]

Jori - thankfully DS1 did not see us bring home her body; we told him that she had gotten a head wound and it couldn't be fixed so she died. He was pretty ok with that - within minutes he was wondering when we could get another cat for our remaining cat to play with. DS1 knew we were worried - we'd looked for her ever since I came back from school with him and into the next morning. It's the second cat death he's been through, so he did have a little experience with dealing with death; his biggest reaction is to be more vigilant in asking his daddy if he needs to go make any babies better. :)

Got another NST yesterday along with last Thursday's lab results; the proteinuria is still too high, but lower than before, and the baby and I are ok. I get another NST tomorrow - I think the OB relaxed a little when my lab results were a little better, and I tried my best to direct things so that we were planning the next weeks' lab tests and office visits. I'm watching my BP like a hawk as well.

Jori, about the party - I think you are on the right track; this year DS1 turned 4, and he was thrilled that we had balloons all over the house and our outside entry. The balloons, gloriously red cake, and favorite meal (homemade mac n cheese for the 3rd year in a row now) plus minimal presents seemed to be fine for him, though I too had wanted to do a bit more for his special day. Also, I do hope your results from the amnio come soon and are all good - it must be hard to wait, but it is rather cool to feel the baby move earlier.

Maria, I hope that you get a vehicle for David to drive soon. I bet you are both looking forward to that for him. Sounds like my MIL and yours are closer to the same page as are our mothers - my MIL lives behind us and tries hard to help us - it makes going to all these dr appts much easier; my mother knows my house is an insane mess, yet will expect it spotless and fully decorated when they get here.

linsleyd, you know you have a date with that delightful glucose drink. :)

sugarbaby, thanks for the kind words - I get a bit overwrought as pregnant hormonal women can do, and it's nice to know that others understand it. My mother's day rather sucked too, so I'm with you for the do-over. I'll have to let you enjoy your pregnancy for us both though - my boobs now rest on my pregnant belly shelf, I feel like I've been pregnant two years now, but I'm glad my baby is still healthy and hanging in there. :)

[jadenegro]

Thanks for sharing what you are doing for classes and your feedback on the hospital. Honestly I don't know what to expect from the hospital, I've had stitches once and that's the worst medical thing that's really happened to me before. All my wisdom teeth grew in and I still have them so I've never even had any type of oral surgery. Just the thought of an IV and spending the night in the hospital is pretty freaky and unimaginable to me, let alone the whole labor and delivery part :D:D

My next appointment is on Monday at 22w and I'm wondering how much I've gained - I really popped out between 20w and now.

Hope everyone has a great week!

[NewMrsG]

Thanks for sharing what you are doing for classes and your feedback on the hospital. Honestly I don't know what to expect from the hospital, I've had stitches once and that's the worst medical thing that's really happened to me before. All my wisdom teeth grew in and I still have them so I've never even had any type of oral surgery. Just the thought of an IV and spending the night in the hospital is pretty freaky and unimaginable to me, let alone the whole labor and delivery part :D:D



jadenegro: if it helps any, I found the whole thing to be a bit of a blur. Even though I was there for a century (in labor for 33 hours and 40 minutes), the nurses and OB were hovering (in a good way) constantly and very reassuring and clear about what was happening and what was going to happen next. I also don't have a lot of hospital experience, but felt like everyone walked me through it, so to speak. Based on my experience and that of my friends, nurses are always really attentive. You'll do great!

I wanted to pop in to share that amnio results came back today, and we also had our anatomical u/s. In the words of our OB and the doctor performing the u/s (are they radiologists??) - our little boy is "perfect"! :) I cried when the OB told us, it was such a huge relief and I think a bigger part of me than I'd thought was almost expecting him not to be. What I love about the place where we're going for the ultrasound is that the actual physician does it. With my pregnancy with my daughter it was the technician. Not that I doubted the technician's abilities, but they won't tell you anything throughout the procedure and then you have to wait for them to consult, etc. This way we got information immediately as she was looking. So much better!

The only somewhat sad part is that they could no longer see any evidence of the twin who we lost; everything had been re-absorbed. Somehow that makes me sad - as if s/he had never existed at all. It certainly didn't detract from our joy today, but made me a bit sad.

Thanks for all of the good wishes through what seemed like a very, very long wait!

I also finally gave in and took a prescription for Zofran and Prilosec as the nausea just won't go away and the heartburn is getting worse. Between all of that, the folic acid, the vitamin, and my epilepsy meds I feel like an 89-year-old woman with her pillbox. :rolleyes:

[MinEaston]

quick post - NewMrsG, I'm so happy to hear your U/S report!

[sugarbaby]

jadenegro, I had never been in the hospital before either, and ditto to what NewMrsG said - it really is a blur, and the doctors and nurses really do walk you through it (I LOVED my L&D nurse!!!). You'll be just fine. The one thing I would tell a first time mom is don't be afraid to ask questions and ask the doctors to explain things; sometimes I think doctors and nurses just "do stuff" because it's routine or the norm, when it may not be necessary for everyone. There were several moments like that where DH and I asked a lot of questions or said no to things that were medically unnecessary (e.g., the on-call doctor wanted to give me a C-section, even though both boys were head-down! I won :p)

NewMrsG, congratulations on your "perfect" little boy! What a relief, what a joy! I'm so happy for you!

[Couperine]

Jori, congratulations on the good news from the amnio! I hear you on the meds - I take 2 blood pressure pills and a Zantac in the mornings, and at night I take 2 BP pills, a Zantac, a prenatal vitamin, a fiber supplement, and an allergy pill. One bonus is that since I take so many pills and DS1 thinks doing what I'm doing is cool - he loves taking his multivitamin and flouride supplement.

jadenegro - Most hospitals have a tour you can take to familiarize yourself with where you'll be. Ask lots of questions; you'll find that the labor and delivery nurses are usually awesome. Post-partum, they will do some things that I personally did not expect - they want to squish your uterus HARD and often (helps push out more blood), they want to look at your pads (oh yes), they want to know when you have a bowel movement, if you breastfeed someone will likely want to watch you do it to check the latch, etc. It's not as weird if you know about it, but these were shockers for my first delivery.

Wednesday's NST went well and my proteinuria is holding steady; OB did say that she's aiming for 37-38 weeks, so my best guess is delivering May 25 or June 1. Another NST on Monday and Wednesday next week, with more lab results coming in Monday. I feel fine-ish most of the time; he's definitely lower, so walking around alot doesn't work as well.

I hope everyone has a good weekend!!

[Bawstinn]

Jori - great news on the amnio results! Things are OK with his parents for the moment ... until his sister decides to start something. As time goes on I have moved from being mad when she starts stuff to actually feeling sorry for her. Madeleine has had 3 Christmas' and for all 3 she has managed to start some family drama that has made the holiday strained.

My this little one is kicking away. Also delivering much harder kicks than it's big sister ever did. I have sat up straight quite a few times as they hurt!

I went to my PCP this week as my OBs concern (or lack thereof) my increasing bp was nagging at me. She told me I did the right thing and she placed me back on my original dosage that I was on when I got pregnant in the first place. Such a relief and I am feeling better. BP is back in the 12x/8x range. I go back and see her in 2 weeks.

Not much else going on here. I took Madeleine to see 'Elmo Grows Up' Wednesday - she loved it. Docotr appointment on Monday. Car shopping for David tomorrow. Madeleine's 'big girl' furniture arrives on Wednesday but I forgot to buy a mattress. :o

4 weeks to go!

[Alleycat]

Just popping in quickly to say a big congrats to NewMrsG on the wonderful news about her baby boy!! What a relief -- now you can enjoy the rest of your pregnancy :)

Maria -- only 4 weeks to go! That went fast!

jadenegro, I did the hospital tour last time, which was good and bad. When I saw the newborn in the newborn nursery, she looked HUGE! It scared me to death, thinking "This baby has to come out one way or another!" LOL!

[Bawstinn]

We we did our hospital tour last time the nurses proudly showed off the 11 lb 5 oz baby boy that had been born the night before. :eek:

Another appointment and NST yesterday. Blood pressure was actually down, all looks good with the NST. She did the Group B Strep culture and asked if I wanted my cervix checked while she was at it. Sure, why not. I am 1 cm dilated. She checked and I was 1.5 at 37 weeks with Madeleine, so pretty much the same. Already pretty much knew the baby was head down but she confirmed it.

We also added an u/s to the appointments next week. I have gained 1 lb in the last month but I am now measuring 2+ weeks ahead. She wants to check and see how big the baby is and said she was betting it was going to be a good sized one. I have to laugh because at 6' tall, people are telling me I finally look pregnant yet I am measuring so far ahead.

My walking has also slowed down a bit. People at work this week have commented I am moving much slower. It isn't that anything hurts (although when I first stand up there is a lot of pressure) I am just finding it harder to move around.

Also happy sandal weather is here. Attempting to tie shoes (the only ones that fit) was getting to hard.

[Bawstinn]

Madeleine's furniture was to be delivered between 7 and 9 this morning and they showed up at 7:15! I was so surprised. The delivery guys had everything upstairs and put together in a 1/2 hour. I was very impreseed.

So ... that left me with the rest of the day off! Doing some cleaning. I think we'll run a few errands after lunch and nap. We need a few things, I have a box for Goodwill. I love being able to putter and run errands during the week.


Post-partum, they will do some things that I personally did not expect - they want to squish your uterus HARD and often (helps push out more blood)

Yeah, I loved JUST falling asleep and having them come in and wake me up to do that.

[Couperine]

Something tells me you are also remembering the post-partum hospital experience less than fondly as it approaches again, Maria. :) I delivered my boys at 9 and 10 pm, so perhaps the interruptions aren't as bad if you deliver early in the day (that's my current theory that provides me comfort!).

[Bawstinn]

Ha, that depends. We got to the hospital at 10:30 PM and Madeleine was born at 4:30 AM. Once we were all settled and parents were called, David left to go take care of the dogs. I thought I could take a nap. Silly me - the day was just begining for everyone!

[Autumn]

Well, let's just say I never thought I'd be posting on this thread. My "baby" is almost 8yo, I'll be turning 40 in a couple months, and...SURPRISE!!! My DH and I are still reeling from the news. There are so many things going through my head--am I too old for this, did I save ANY baby stuff, what will my two girls think, is it a boy???? OMG I HAVE TO GO THROUGH LABOR AGAIN!

So sorry for the stream of consciousness ranting; I just feel like my world has been turned upside down. We've decided not to tell anyone until I've seen the doctor, so I just need an outlet. I've enjoyed reading the other posts; it reassures me that one day soon pregnancy will seem normal.

[MinEaston]

Well, let's just say I never thought I'd be posting on this thread. My "baby" is almost 8yo, I'll be turning 40 in a couple months, and...SURPRISE!!! My DH and I are still reeling from the news. There are so many things going through my head--am I too old for this, did I save ANY baby stuff, what will my two girls think, is it a boy???? OMG I HAVE TO GO THROUGH LABOR AGAIN!

So sorry for the stream of consciousness ranting; I just feel like my world has been turned upside down. We've decided not to tell anyone until I've seen the doctor, so I just need an outlet. I've enjoyed reading the other posts; it reassures me that one day soon pregnancy will seem normal.

Welcome Abby! I am sure you are going through ups & downs right now. When I first saw my positive PG test, I had about the same reaction (although I guess I was still on the fence about having #2).

[Couperine]

Abby, welcome even though you weren't planning to be here! :)

I was born 14 years after my next closest sibling - apparently they all spoiled me to death as a baby; not necessarily a bad thing! I'd bet your girls adore the baby.

[linsleyd]

Welcome Abby!

Well, my saga continues...I went for my 28 week check up on Friday and the doctor finally looked at my 20 week ultrasound and finds I have/had placenta previa. Also I haven't gained any weight so now they are worried that the baby is gaining weight. Awesome. So they told me to schedule another ultrasound which up until this morning when I called for cancellations was scheduled for next week. Luckily, I am now scheduled for tomorrow morning! I'm not sure I could have waited a week, I was beginning to think of ways to tell them I have low fetal movement just to get the ultrasound early!

I also had my gluclose test which wasn't a big deal and I'm not sure why so many people make a huge deal out of it. The drink wasn't bad at all and the hour went by quickly. I assume I'll hear today if I didn't pass (although with my doctors, who knows!):p

[Bawstinn]

Welcome Abby!

linsleyd - I am sorry the doctor saga continues. There was a woman taking the glucose test in my doctor's office this morning and she was gagging and moaning her way through it. A little over the top.

I had an u/s, NST and another appointment this morning. Baby is weighing in at 6lb, 15 oz, give or take a pound. NST looked 'beautiful'. Blood pressure still not so good and there was a trace of protein in my urine. Doctor told me this morning she wants to induce (based on today's appt) at 39 weeks. We'll see if that changes after next Monday's appointment.

I am not all that thrilled to be induced; I would really rather go naturally.

[linsleyd]

Maria, I hope everything works out and they don't have to induce!

[PoppyJ]

Welcome Abby! It is a scary/exciting time and those emotions are normal. Your girls will fall in love with the baby and hopefully be great babysitters.

linsleyd- I am so sorry. How very frustrating and worrisome. I will be thinking about you tomorrow morning. Please let us know the results as soon as possible.

Maria- What does protein in the urine mean? I hope they do not have to induce.

At 22 weeks and things are going fine. We found out a couple weeks ago that we are having a boy. It will be nice to have one of each but it is making me sad thinking about getting rid of all of my DD's clothes.

[Couperine]

PoppyJ - Congrats on the boy! You will have a much different adventure finding boys' clothes you like too. :)

linsleyd - Ugh, how frustrating to take so long to get the OB's take on your U/S - I'm glad you are getting the next one so soon. I think your reaction to the glucose drink totally depends on the flavor and if you are still having nausea symptoms - I had fruit punch flavor while nauseous, and I still can't drink fruit punch. My personal issue is the 3 hr test since I come out with my hand looking like a junkie. :)

Maria - I am glad the NST's are still going well for you; that is the most reassuring thing through all of the nonsense that their lovely lab tests show. I was induced with David - it took longer than I had hoped since their lame ripening the cervix medication didn't induce labor for me; hopefully your body makes the point moot if they are still aiming for week 39 - I've been getting plenty of contractions so I keep hoping I beat the OB's plan to induce next week.

Maria and I both have high blood pressure that is controlled by medication; proteinuria (aka protein in the urine) above a certain value makes them think preeclampsia, which is much harder to diagnose in patients with pre-existing high blood pressure since that is also a symptom of preeclampsia. Maria's continued elevating BP in conjunction with additional protein in the urine is what concerns them - preeclampsia can restrict blood flow to the baby, thus the continued growth they've seen in her baby is really good. The safest thing they can do is induce (there is no treatment other than delivery since it's a condition brought on by pregnancy), especially since we are both past the magic 37 weeks mark. DH also thinks that more OB's are pushing for inductions just before the end of term for convenience in scheduling, just like the rise in scheduled c-sections. He's a bit more cynical than I. :)

Hope everyone is doing well - I have an NST tomorrow and Friday, and my OB indicated that she's planning to go ahead and make the call to induce at my Friday visit. I've done this week's 24 hr urine test so the results can be there for Friday's decision; if we do induce, it will be in week 38, so I'm happy that it's later than when I delivered David. I'll be glad to stop visiting the lab each week - today's tech didn't apply pressure once she removed the needle, and there was blood everywhere - thankfully my kids didn't see it.

[Bawstinn]

Nancy - I have to say my fear of being induced stems from the stories that I have heard of it being more difficult. I was at 1cm last week. This week she didn't do an exam but said she would next Monday. I can't say I have had any contractions (although I never thought I had one with Madeleine either). I have had a lot of aches, twists and just general belly soreness over the last 2 weeks that I don;'t remember having last time.

I expressed concern at being induced before ready and she kind of brushed it off saying "it won't be bad your body has done this before" Sigh.

[Couperine]

Maria - I totally understand your concerns about induction. With DS1, I started labor on my own, but I had a poor reaction to the painkillers they try to use before heading the epidural route, so I wound up on pitocin and an epidural. Didn't really have a choice with DS2 about the induction, so it too was epi and medicine. In the initial research on birthing, everything does mention pitocin makes labor pain stronger, so any little thought I might have had about going epi-free went out the window. With this pregnancy, I'm more confident that the pitocin will work for me since I know it has twice, but I still have dreams of starting labor on my own.

I don't remember enough about the end of DS2's pregnancy to know what if any contractions I was having, but this round I know all these exciting zings and zangs are prep work to get things ready. None of the flesh peeling from my bones variety though I do keep hoping!

DH thinks I'm ready to be done (I know he's ready to sleep better since I make weird noises in my sleep while pregnant), but I'm hoping that my labs keep me going as long as possible. I'd rather make it to week 39 too, so though I vent here, I'm Mrs. Positive when at my visits to the OB. :)

Oh yes, it won't take care of all of the proteinuria, but in my case, the labs have responded well when I went a low protein intake throughout the 24 hour collection process. Went from 400 eating a pork chop the night before I started, to 315 eating no meat or beans the night before through the test process. I've avoided big slabs of meat since the initial high reading, though at this point, eating much of anything is laughable. I'd drink smoothies all day if I could.

[linsleyd]

I just wanted to pop in and update quick. I just had the ultrasound and she is still a she! She's 2 pds 4 ounces which is good - DH just thinks I'm not eating enough which is why I'm not gaining weight. So, I'm trying to make sure I eat enough...
Anyway, the previa is gone and I jsut have a low lying placenta which can still cause problems but is better than a complete previa.
They focused a lot on the heart during this ultrasound so I hope everything is ok - but otherwise I feel better having had it now and I see the dr. next Friday.

[MinEaston]

Quick check-in to wish good luck to Maria & Nancy, and a "great" for Lindsley on her U/S results. I have the same thing coming up in the next couple of weeks. The U/S tech marked "placenta previa" on my chart at the 20W U/S, but the midwife reviewed it and said it's not previa, but "low and posterior." I guess the system doesn't have a checkbox for "low and posterior." :rolleyes:

[Alleycat]

Autumn, Welcome!! Some of the best things in life are the ones we don't plan :) But it would indeed be a huge shock given you guys were "done." Welcome anyway :D

Maria and Nancy, good luck! Hard to believe you're both at the end. Is it wrong to be jealous?!?

Lindsley, glad baby looks good! And great news about the previa being gone too.

PoppyJ, congrats on the boy -- and the uneventful pregnancy.

We found out last Friday that we, too, are having a boy! :)

Like Poppy, I'm excited to have one of both, but really bummed that I can't reuse DD's adorable clothes! I'm thinking about selling some of them to make a bit of money for the purchase of boy clothes. Anyone use e-bay, or should I look at a consignment shop? I usually just give stuff to Goodwill, so have no experience with this selling stuff ;)

[Jalapeno]

Today is the big ultrasound....we should be able to find out the gender....I can't WAIT!!!!!!!!

[linsleyd]

Good luck Jalepeno! Good birthday present!:D

MinEaston, that's exactly what I'm at, too. Low lying posterior placenta.:rolleyes:

[Jalapeno]

It's a GIRL!!! I now have 1 of each! :D:D

[PoppyJ]

Congratulations on the baby girl, Jalapeno!

[EmilyD]

de-lurking from the new mom thread to say congrats to Jalepeno on your girl!

And good thoughts to Nancy & Maria in the waning weeks. Hope you each get to go naturally but even if you're induced best wishes for a smooth delivery and safe arrival for your little ones.

Abby -- congrats to you too on your "unexpected" news. Although he was planned, my "kid" brother is nearly 10 & 13 years younger than me and my sister. We adored our baby brother (still do!) and I'm still close to him, despite the age difference (he graduated h.s. 10 years later than I did). My parents had actually hoped he would be the first half of the second coming (for a total of 4 kiddos) but now that they've been married 37 years and the fledgling is still living at home I think they're relieved he was the last :p ;) Wishing you a happy & healthy pregnancy!

[Couperine]

Congratulations Robin!!

Things will be hectic here for the next few days, so I'll wish everyone well til I can check back in on the other side - I'm scheduled to be start my induction at 7:30 pm Sunday! A bit nervous here, yet I'm getting excited. Thankfully I've been having contractions daily and this time around, I'm dialated 1 cm - better than the nothing I was last time! Best wishes to all this week!

[Bawstinn]

Good luck Nancy - how exciting!!

I am starting to get nervous and anxious as well and I know that is not helping my blood pressure. It is still up higher than I like when I am sitting up and moving around but as soon as I lay on my left side it is back down to the 11x/7x range which is what the doctor wants to see. Sigh.

My next appointment is Monday and I realize that she could decide to induce me then or wait until the end of the week. So ... I am alternating between laying on my left side and then going and digging some stuff out .. and going back to the couch.

I splurged this week and had someone come in and do a whole house Spring cleaning. Wow. A nice little mental pick-me-up and one less thing to worry about. It is so nice to have the entire house clean at once, although there is dog fur on the stairs already and it was just done on Thursday. :mad:

Good luck again Nancy! Last check 2 weeks ago and I was at 1 cm as well. I have been having a lot of pains/aches and other weird things, but they certainly aren't the same kind of contractions I had when I was in labor with Madeleine. I didn't have any contractions beforehand (that I know of) with hr either, so I have no idea if things are moving along or not.

[NewMrsG]

So much going on!

Welcome Abby! I have also heard really good things about a much younger sibling. Including that the older ones really adore the younger and also that it's easier because the older ones can be a help.

I am very likely also going to be induced this time around as my OB is concerned about my seizure med levels and risk of seizure at the end, which could induce labor anyway. I'm actually relieved by this as I just want to get my body back to baseline as soon as I can. Our hospital is also an hour away (more during rush hour) and I have more worries this time around about being one of those women on the 6:00 news who gave birth in a car on the interstate.

I didn't find the glucose test to be so bad either - and I wonder if flavor has anything to do with it. They use orange flavored where I go but I'm allergic to oranges, so they had to special order in a lemon-lime, which actually was pretty good!

Couperine - thinking good thoughts for you on Sunday! And Maria on Monday.

Alleycat - I feel much the same about a boy and that the only bummer is giving up the clothes (that and the fact that I loved the girl's name we'd picked). I passed our girl clothes along to a friend. I've never done consignment, but Craig's List would be another good idea if you have one where you are.

So without turning this into a novel, we had quite a scare Friday evening. We went out to dinner and on the way home had a head-on collision with a drunk driver. We unbelievably walked away with only mild injuries (nothing whatsoever for my daughter, thank God). We were in the hospital for about 5 hours. Took awhile for them to do the doppler and then took them almost 5 minutes to find the heartbeat, which was petrifying. Ultrasound looked great and I've had no problems. And he's thankfully moved around a lot today - good boy! I'm having a lot of back and side pain, which they weren't worried about, and can only take Tylenol, which isn't doing much, but I have no complaints. We're incredibly, incredibly lucky.