March 2010 Pregnancy Thread

[aggie94]

Well, I figure since I am about to get bumped from this thread, I should probably start one before I move on. :) Although Paige will be the next to go, with her induction tomorrow - best wishes, Paige!!!

Aggie94 (Eva) – 3/14/10 - girl
615bride (Paige) - 3/23 - boy
Autumn (Abby) - 3/30 - boy
melis_d (Melissa) - 4/17 - boy
Melting - 4/26
Ellery (Leah) - 4/13 - boy
Bbpizzapro (Bridget) – 7/5 - boy
Valchemist (Val) – 7/29
Fancyn (Nancy) – 8/10
Tlee4 (Terri) – 8/15
cangoss (Candace) - 8/28
veschke (Rebecca) - EDD?

Congratulations to chazkp and welcome to baby Dylan! (I know she hasn't been back to post a report, but I hope she will soon).

More congrats to Mary Kate and welcome to baby Oliver!

As for me, I'm still hanging in here, starting to get fairly uncomfortable. Had another OB appointment - 3 cm dilated, 70% effaced, baby is at station -2. Not that any of that means anything. :rolleyes: She asked if I had any questions. Um yeah, when is this baby coming?? She said if she could answer that, she could make a killing. ;)

She offered to strip my membranes, but I declined. As much as I'm ready to be done being pregnant, I also believe that this baby will come when she's good and ready, and that it's too early for intervention. Not to mention, since it's an estimated due date, who knows how much it could be off. So while I'm technically full-term by my due date, she could still be technically premature if my due date is off by 2 weeks. I think I'm fine to wait so long as there's no medical reason to jump start things faster. DH wanted me to have it done but only because he doesn't want to have to go to work anymore. :rolleyes: Not to mention, I'm sure it won't feel good. The cervical exams are uncomfortable enough, and today's was a little more painful than last week's. So still no baby, just hanging tight. :)

How is everyone else doing?

[ellery]

Hey Eva, thanks for getting us started!

I'm kind of fascinated to hear about you being effaced and dilated. Sounds like it hurts a little? (Never having had the pleasure myself ;) ). If I were you, I'd wait too.

As for me, I'm thrilled to report that I made it back to work after an OB appt today. Baby was not cooperating as usual on the monitor, but he eventually passed the test after they gave me a (big) cookie, some juice, and I stood up briefly. I'll get the results back from my 24 hour urine draw tomorrow, but I'm thinking (today) that results should be fine. The OB I saw today was a little more calm than the NP I'd seen the past few times, so I'm feeling a little calmer as a result. We talked about the BH contractions and today's doctor was fine with me ignoring the whole "4 in an hour go to the hospital" directive I'd received from the NP. I get them whether I'm laying down or moving, so we pretty much decided that if they change in any way to let them know, but otherwise not worry about it. Love today's OB. :D

Can't wait to hear from Paige!!!

[615bride]

Leah- Were we separated at birth? I spent a long time on the monitor today because after 30 minutes and 45 minutes we still didn't have the two accelerations they were looking for.... They brought me ice water, then a Coke, and flipped me over. Ugh, they finally got it after an hour and 20 minutes or so.

Thanks for starting the thread Eva!

As for me- I check in ridiculously early tomorrow morning to start the induction. It took 12 hours with C but I'm hoping for shorter the second time around. Is there are any truth to people saying the second is shorter? Wish me luck!

Paige

[aggie94]

I'm kind of fascinated to hear about you being effaced and dilated. Sounds like it hurts a little? (Never having had the pleasure myself ;) ).

It doesn't feel great - sorta like mild to moderate cramping. It's not bad, just uncomfortable.

Wish me luck!

Good luck - can't wait to hear back from you after baby is born!!


Oh, and I completely forgot to ask my OB today about the results of my GBS from last week. I assume she would have said something if it had been positive, but I called this afternoon to check anyway and haven't gotten a call back. :rolleyes:

I was also excited to get back our maternity pics today (taken at 36 weeks), so I thought I'd share my favs:

http://echerrera.smugmug.com/Family/Maternity-Pictures/C0210Herrera0001/800369520_HLQq6-L.jpg

http://echerrera.smugmug.com/Family/Maternity-Pictures/C0210Herrera0008/800375092_msS3E-L.jpg

http://echerrera.smugmug.com/Family/Maternity-Pictures/C0210Herrera0012/800375727_RFDVs-L.jpg

http://echerrera.smugmug.com/Family/Maternity-Pictures/C0210Herrera0022/800384889_stATU-L.jpg

http://echerrera.smugmug.com/Family/Maternity-Pictures/C0210Herrera0024/800385279_bvJKT-L.jpg

[Jessica]

OMG, Eva, you look absolutely gorgeous!

FWIW, I agree with you. I've heard it hurts quite a bit to have your membranes stripped and most babies come when they are ready.

[Jessica]

Paige--good luck! My first labor was 20 hours--second one was just a few hours.

[bbpizzapro]

Eva I love the pictures. You look fantastic..

I am 22 weeks today and for the most part feeling great. Yesterday I had some pretty bad round ligament pain but other than that all is good!!

[Molli526]

Eva, you are just glowing! I love your pictures!

[Autumn]

Belated congrats to Mary Kate and Oliver. He is beautiful!

Sending good thoughts to Paige on her delivery day...hope all is going smoothly.

Leah - Glad to hear you're doing better. It's amazing what a good OB visit can do to calm anxieties. My OB gave me the "4/hour" rule also re:B-H contractions, which I have completely ignored. I would have been on a monitor every other day for the past two months if I didn't.

Aggie - Wonderful pics! Sounds like your body is getting ready; hopefully that will mean an easy delivery. I think you were smart to hold off on encouraging labor.

36 week check went well yesterday. Hemoglobin, BP, weight (mine), heart tones(his) all good. Two cm dilated, 70% effaced, head down. OB keeps putting off ultrasound...now he says he'll just check for size if I haven't delivered by 38 weeks. I know I should be happy there is no medical necessity for an US, but I haven't seen a picture of my little guy since 19 weeks, and I'm CURIOUS. I am existing in a state of semi-misery, with lots of B-H, and pressure, and swelling, etc... but it's all within normal range, so I just need to tough it out.

My latest dilemma- DH is scheduled to leave on a skiing trip tomorrow through Sunday. It involves a flight and a drive, so if I went into labor while he was gone, he would miss the big event (my previous labors have been very short and ob's estimate is that this one will be similar). I asked the doc and he said I could have this baby tonight or still be pregnant when April rolls around. My last two I went around 38-39 weeks. DH is ready to cancel, but he really needs this break, so I'm pushing him to go. Am I crazy?

[bbpizzapro]

Hi Abby, My husband travels quite a bit for work and he is not going anywhere after I hit about 35 weeks. If he needed a break I would send him but for work I am like no thanks, please stay home. If he gets a break he will be fresher to help when you need him. It would be awful to have him miss the birth but I know I could do it without him if needed to. How long will he be gone?

[cangoss]

Eva, the photos are gorgeous. Thanks for sharing.

Paige, I hope everything has gone smoothly today and you're holding a new baby by about now.

Autumn - glad to hear that things are going well. No vote on the DH out of town issue. Mine left against dr's advice last time and it turned out OK - I delivered about 1.5 weeks after he got back.

Leah - sounds like you got the dr. you needed this time... hope things continue to go well.

not much going on here. I go for a peri appt tomorrow. It's been 3 weeks since I've seen a dr. so I'm curious about what's going on in there. After this, I'll be alternating between the OB and the peri every 2 weeks and have an u/s to monitor cervical length at least every 4 weeks. I don't have another u/s scheduled until the end of the month for the level 2.
Most of my mild first tri issues seem to have gone away - no more nausea and the food issues are OK except that I can't eat tomato-y things without suffering from more indigestion than I care to deal with right now. Cheeseburgers and french fries and mac&cheese are my friends.

[Autumn]

Bridget- He would be gone tomorrow through Sunday. He could definitely use the R and R. Obviously I would want him with me in the delivery room, but when I'm in labor, I'm the "leave me alone until I'm done with this" type. No hand holding or rubbing the back for me. So, I guess I'm saying, I could do it without him.

Candace- Glad to hear your pregnancy is progressing well and the ickies are fading. Our digestive systems are in sync. Thumbs down to tomatoey stuff and thumbs up to mac n cheese and cheeseburgers. Now I'm hungry.

[ellery]

Eva, those pics are gorgeous! And you look so teeny and glowing. :) Very cool that you guys got pics done - we've never done that, and so far there doesn't really exist much photographic proof that I've ever been pregnant. ;)

Paige, can't wait to hear from you!

Candace, so great to hear things are settling down. I hear you on the cheese stuff - cheeseburgers were the content of my steamy dreams for the first two trimesters. Seriously, erotic dreams about cheeseburgers. Oy.

Autumn, good to hear from you too. I don't have much of an opinion about the DH traveling thing - my DH isn't great in the delivery room but I still want him there. If only so I can squeeze his hand (really really really hard). :D

[melis_d]

Mary Kate -- welcome to Oliver. He is beautiful.

Paige -- I hope that all went well and that you and baby are resting comfortably.

Eva -- great pictures. Like Leah, there is little evidence (especially this time around) that I was ever pregnant. It's great that you guys celebrated the pre-baby stage.

Leah -- so glad to hear that you had a reassuring visit. It's all about bedside manner and so helpful not to have an alarmist. I hope the results of the 24 hour test are what you hoped.

Abby -- let us know whether DH went or not. Here's hoping that the little one knows to hang in there while he's gone.

I'm hanging in at 33.5 weeks. The ultrasound yesterday (for growth and to check placenta) revealed that baby is between 5.5 and 6.5 lbs. Yikes -- he could be 11 or 12 lbs if I make it all the way to my planned section date. I'm feeling alright aside from a little pelvic pain and his head resting on my bladder (confirmed on ultrasound).

Hope everyone is well.

Melissa

[aggie94]

Just popping in quickly to announce the arrival of Iris Mariana, born at 5:04 a.m. on March 3, 2010. She weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces at birth and measured 20 inches long. We're all doing great, but exhausted after a very rough two days. I'll be back soon (hopefully!) to post the birth story (UGH) and some photos.

[AzAnne]

CONGRATS!! Glad everyone is great!
Can't wait to see the pics.


Your maternaty photos are wonderful!

[ellery]

Holy cow! I wasn't expecting that - congratulations Eva!!!! Welcome to the world Iris!

:D :D :D

[Jessica]

Congrats, Eva and Che, and welcome to Iris Mariana!

[Molli526]

Congratulations, Eva & Che! Welcome Iris Mariana!

[Beth H]

Just wanted to say congratulations and I love that name - Iris was my top choice for a girl name when we had DS.

[TieKitty]

Eva, Congratulations to you and Che. And welcome Iris Mariana.

I had no idea you were even pregnant until I opened this thread. Wow...and your pregnancy pictures are beautiful. What a great idea to do that.

I'm looking forward to your delivery story and pics of your little girl.:) Enjoy every minute with her. They grow up waaay too fast.

[bbpizzapro]

congrats EVA!!

[aprilbride]

Congratulations! Love the name...

[cangoss]

congrats eva! glad to hear she arrived safely.

[615bride]

Congratulations Eva and Che! Can't wait to hear all about it!

I have a similar news from a few hours before Eva:

Emery Daniel was born yesterday, March 2nd at 6:58pm
8 pounds
22 inches

Will come back another time to post more details!

Paige

[valchemist]

great news all around.

congratulations eva and paige!

I really like both names.

[ellery]

Yay Paige! And welcome to the world Emery Daniel! Love the name (as the mom of another Daniel ;) ).

Can't wait to see pics of all the new little ones!

I passed my 24 hr urine test the other day, so hopefully I won't be posting any similar news for another few weeks. :D

[Autumn]

Congratulations Eva and Paige! Looking forward to hearing birth stories.

Yikes! I guess that means that I'm next. I sent DH off on his trip today, though, so cross your fingers (and I'll cross my legs) that nothing happens until next week.

[LaraW]

Congratulations to Eva and Paige! Welcome Iris and Emery!

[bbpizzapro]

yeah Paige, congrats!!

[Molli526]

Congratulations Paige! Welcome Emery!

[melis_d]

Congratulations to Eva and Paige and your families. Welcome to Iris and Emery.

[MinEaston]

Wow! Congratulations to Eva and Paige, and welcome to the world Iris Mariana (can I say I love the middle name :D:D:D) and Emery Daniel!

[veschke]

Goodness, what a busy group. :) Congratulations both!

Morning sickness remains a near and dear companion (hah). Had my first appointment this morning. Oct 18 is my EDD. I got an ultrasound due to my history, and everything looks fine. I'd better start getting used to this whole idea! :) And I guess we have to shop for a minivan now....

[valchemist]

Just to update...

19 weeks as of today. I had my ultrasound (the only one I will have) last week. I did want to find out the sex of the baby even though my husband didn't. The tech said the baby had its legs closed the whole time so she couldn't tell. So I guess we are having a "surprise." I'm ok with this... at least I won't slip and tell my husband.

In other news, I am so lucky that I not only get to have one glucola test, but I actually get to have two of them. hooray. turns out that since I have had 3 very big babies I am at higher risk for gestational diabetes. (to which I say... that is junk. and backwards. yes, having GD can mean big babies, but just because you HAVE big babies, doesn't mean you have GD.) I haven't ever had trouble passing the 1 hour glucola test before. oh well, I am having my first next week at 20 weeks and then another again at 28 weeks. I guess it is better to be safe than sorry. who knows, I may be here complaing about my new diet in another week!

[fancyn]

WOW!!! I'm gone one week and everyone has babies. Crazy!

Congrats Mary Kate and welcome Oliver! Sounds like a wild ride but I'm glad Mom and baby doing well.

Congrats to Paige and welcome Emery! How was labor this time around? For me, #1 was 14 hrs and #2 was 6hrs. I hope it was smooth sailing and Mom and baby are good.

Congrats to Eva and welcome Iris! Can't wait to hear the story. Hope Mom and baby are well and I love the pictures btw.

Must see pics of them all!!

Val - that's backwards thinking IMO too. I can't believe they're monitoring so closely just b/c you have big babies. Is it a new practice? Bummer about the gender. ;) Maybe something will come up and you'll need another sneak peek.

veschke - We're on the look out for a mini van as well...for DH. :D We just sold our house and bought a new one. Once all the paperwork is final and things settle, that's next on our list. October sounds like a nice time to have a baby!

Autum - I would have let my DH go too. Legs crossed nothing happens! ;) You could be next in a trend.

Leah - Yay for the 24hr test!! Sounds like you'll at least be here for another week or so. Are they making you do these weekly with a biophysical?

Candace - I'm happy to hear nothing exciting is happening with this pregnancy. :) AND it's pretty neat you get to see the little one so often while checking things out. YUM, cheeseburgers....:D

Melissa - yikes, if baby really is 6# already, he may be big! But take it with a grain of salt. Both of my kids have big heads which always threw off the guestimates. Hang in there!!

And hello to everyone I missed - The preview only shows the second page. :rolleyes:

17 weeks here and feeling alright. Like I said, we just moved this past weekend. And between running 2 companies, caring for the 2 kids and playing wife, I'm just exhausted all. the. time. And I still have to figure out how to unpack the house at a decent rate.

I'm feeling baby these days and it's such a wonderful feeling - one of my favorite parts of being pregnant! Weight is still steadily climbing but I'm told not to worry...yet. My only complaint would be these persistent headaches I keep getting. Tylenol won't touch them so the midwife prescribed me something to help. I'm really unsure if I should take it. I've looked it up and it's a class C med, meaning it's unsure whether or not it is safe or will cause harm. What would you do? Tough it out is what I'm trying to do. My next appt is March 24 and I'm chomping at the bit to find out which flavor of baby I'm having! :D

[ellery]

Just popping in real quick to post a neat link. I found it in some preggo magazine and it answered all my questions as to what exactly was going on inside (I'd been really curious about how exactly things were laid out with the whole human being inside me and all).

as baby grows (www.msichicago.org/makeroom)

hopefully the link works...

[valchemist]

thanks leah. that's really neat. the girls and I had fun looking at it last night.

[bbpizzapro]

I didn't see a link

[veschke]

Er, make that 10/12, evidently, based on my midwife's review of the ultrasound images.

Has anyone tried those anti-nausea wristband things? I don't throw up with morning sickness, but I feel sick almost all the time, and it gets pretty old.

[valchemist]

I didn't see a link

click on "as baby grows"

[Autumn]

Paying the price today for a midnight raid on the Ben and Jerry's. The ensuing heartburn kept me up all night. Yawwwwn. Hope I don't nod off during my baby shower this afternoon.

I've reached those proportions that seem to force people to stare and ask, "how much longer?" I think I should walk around with a t-shirt that says "Any d*mn day!"

[aggie94]

No time yet to update on my birth experience or the days since - I have probably slept a total of about 8 hours since Monday night. :eek:

But I did pop in to say congratulations to Paige (and welcome Emery!) and to post a few pics for those who are not on Facebook:

After 34 hours of labor:

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs419.snc3/25228_1379833693197_1152560242_1418842_1560000_n.j pg

A full head of hair!

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs459.ash1/25228_1379833733198_1152560242_1418843_1781660_n.j pg

Already daddy's little girl:

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs459.ash1/25228_1379873974204_1152560242_1419009_3866198_n.j pg

Precious little angel:

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs419.snc3/25228_1379874054206_1152560242_1419011_1435192_n.j pg

[TieKitty]

Wow, Eva! She's beautiful!

Thirty-four hours of labor is pretty intense. I hope there were no complications. Believe me when I say that you will forget any pain you went through.

Congratulations to you again.

[bbpizzapro]

congrats Eva

[ellery]

Wow. 34 hours of labor. I have no words.

But she is gorgeous! Congratulations Eva!

[Autumn]

34 hours?!!! I can't even process that. Well, at least it was worth it! Iris is beautiful. I hope you are getting a little more sleep these days.

DH made it back from his ski trip, and I'm still pregnant. Will check in after OB appt. today.

[katygirl]

Eva,

She is beautiful! I'm a lurker, but a sucker for all things baby related! Congratulations!!!

Katy

[Autumn]

Nathaniel Douglas was born on Tuesday, March 9 at 7:42 p.m. weighing 7 lb 11 oz. Mother and son doing well.

[helios7]

Got room for one more??

If all continues to go well, my little boy will be a big brother in very early October. :) So far things have been going well (as well as they can be going when exhausted while chasing a just learned to walk toddler!). I'm looking forward to getting into more comfortable maternity clothes soon as I'm still in the "fat" stage where my regular clothes aren't fitting well but maternity are too big.

Looking forward to hanging out with you all!

Congratulations to the many recent arrivals - what a baby boom! Here's hoping all the mommies and babies are doing well. :D

[valchemist]

Congrats, Abby! so glad your husband squeezed that trip in... good timing. Let us know how things went when you get a chance.

Welcome, Heather! congratulations.

[KathrynY]

Delurking with a big congratulations to Heather! Very excited for you. :)

My baby will be 4 years old next month and our family is complete but strangely I still lurk here. :o

[ellery]

Congratulations Abby! Welcome to the world Nathaniel Douglas!

And congratulations Heather - welcome aboard. :)

As for me, another day, another trip to the hospital. :rolleyes: I was counting just now, and so far in the past month, I've had 2 trips to the hospital (Labor & Delivery), 5 non-stress tests, 4 biophysical profiles, and I'm about to start my 2nd 24 hour urine test. My insurance company is LOVING me right now, I'm sure. I've been feeling especially icky since the weekend - exhausted, lightheaded, intermittent heartburn and nausea and occasional headaches. Just ill. I've been a little afraid of HELLP syndrome, but I'm guessing the bloodwork today ruled that out. Today my blood pressure was up, the little guy was nonreactive as usual, my fundus was measuring small, I'm swollen, etc. But apparently fine, or good enough. I go back in on Friday to bring in my jug o' pee and to get another NST.

I'm not too worried, or at least, not like last time I went to L&D where we didn't yet have a backup plan for our toddler. Mostly I'm just concerned about the general ick feeling. The nurse today said it's probably just allergies or sinuses or whatever, but I don't know.

Sigh. I just want to make it to term! So far I'm 34w5d. Almost there...

[bbpizzapro]

Ellery, I hope you feel better and can hold out a few more weeks!!

Abby, yeah! congrats

Helios, welcome aboard

Currently 23weeks and feeling / looking bigger than last time but strangely have gaine a few less pound so far. 14.6 to be exact.
The baby's room is getting ready to. We bought a crib and assembled it and found a great dresser/ changer. It also has new carpet, ceiling fan and paint!
I have been given a ton of clothes for baby boy and so grateful since all my clothes were girl clothes. The baby is stocked up through 6 months!!!

[veschke]

Welcome new arrivals to the world and the list.... Vent time. :)


I have a cold
I feel sick *all* the time
I can't remember my last decent night of sleep
I can't focus on *anything*
I can't complain to anyone because no one knows I'm pregnant
I am totally paranoid


I make a very bad pregnant woman. :(

[ellery]

Veschke... vent away. And for the record, I've found that there's not much that chocolate ice cream can't make better. ;)

As for me, I actually had an OB visit today that didn't end in a trip to the hospital, woo hoo! Passed my 24 hour urine test, passed the NST, and while my blood pressure is still up, at least it hasn't gone up since Wednesday. I'm on twice weekly visits now, though. One of the doctors at work was telling me yesterday that OB's have the highest rate of lawsuits of any doctor out there, which made me feel better. They're being cautious with me because of that, not because I'm a ticking time bomb (which is what I was starting to think). :cool:

Meanwhile, I think the little one has dropped a little, as I can breathe now, but walking is really painful due to the little person sitting in my groin, apparently trying to tunnel his way out with a sharpened spoon. (I had to do a lot of walking today, so a lot of time was spent trying to capture the exact sensation ;) ).

[cangoss]

Heather, just saw your post - welcome!

Leah, glad things are going OK without any more L&D trips.

Bridget - good luck with the room organization.

afm - I haven't posted her in a while... I had to get through my son's birthday on the 5th and that put me in a bit of a funk. I'm slowly re-emerging though.
At my last MFM appt, we found out that we're having a boy! The dr. asked if I wanted to know the gender if he could see it and I said only if he was 100% sure, and he said he was 100% sure it was a boy - I looked at the screen and it was pretty clear. I had a slight preference for a girl, but it took me about five minutes to get over it. I'm now gearing up for a baby boy, though I'll admit to being a little sad today when I saw the adorable Liberty of London prints for girls at Target today... I think my niece is going to be getting a couple of outfits in the mail from Auntie Candace.
Things are still going smoothly. My little bit of "evening" sickness seems to be gone, though I've been really tired lately. Even with the time change yesterday I was ready for bed at 10PM. And, I think that while I was lying on the couch last night, I felt the little guy move for the first time:)

[ellery]

I had to get through my son's birthday on the 5th and that put me in a bit of a funk.

Huge hugs to you Candace. Want to join me on my virtual couch and share a virtual hug and big spoon of ice cream (or wine or whatever is your vice)? I can only imagine how difficult that date was for you.

((()))

[fancyn]

Congrats Abby!!!! And welcome Nathaniel!! I'm happy to hear mom and baby are doing well. Don't throw stones but that is in the top running of names if Baby is a boy!

Welcome Heather! Another familiar face.

Eva, still waiting to hear from you! ;)

Bridget - WOW!! I am so impressed. You have the nursery already done and the furniture?!? Fantastic. And that is great you're getting so many new boy baby clothes. I have all of Nick's from 5 years ago (which DH claims we won't be able to use b/c it'll be out of style) and of course Natalie's which are less than a year old. I'd still much prefer all new. :)

veschke - complain away. I

[fancyn]

Let's try this again. :rolleyes: (this is what happens when it takes me hours to write a post)

veschke - complain away. I have my list of complaints and I think DH is pretty much sick of hearing them on a daily basis.

Leah - woohoo for no L&D on Friday! And even if they are being overly cautious monitoring your 'condition', better safe than sorry IMHO. LOL, about your description with the spoon. I so know exactly what your talking about and it made me chuckle loud enough that DH thought he needed an explaination. ;)

Candace - 100% understandable about Benjamin's birthday. I'm glad the funk is clearing and things are on the up! And congrats on a boy! Have you already been thinking of names? Don't you just love feeling the baby move? :)

Almost 19 weeks here and hanging in there. My weight gain seems to be matching my weeks :rolleyes: so I'm right on track for the big 4-0. My energy seems to be coming in spurts but I'm hoping the time change and longer daylight helps with my productivity in the evening. (Not sure if I mentioned we bought a house and just finished moving this past weekend) I may never get the boxes unpacked otherwise. My other complaint is my hands falling all. the. time. Not sure if it's a blood pressure thing or what. Other than that, things are going well and I'm feeling the little munchkin all the time and savoring it - this may be my last!!

[aggie94]

Okay, I'm here to share my story, but before I do, congratulations to Abby (and welcome Nathaniel) - what perfect timing with your DH's trip! And congratulations to Heather too!

My labor/delivery experience was truly horrible. In a nutshell (trying to sum up 34 hours in a nutshell is a bit difficult), I started early labor/contractions on Monday night (March 1) around 8:00 p.m. I was able to sleep through some of them, but other contractions definitely woke me up/kept me awake. Tuesday a.m., I wrapped up things at work and we went to the hospital. I was 3 cm dilated and 80% effaced but not in active labor (after 2 hours, I had not dilated any more) so they sent me home. Between 2pm and 8pm, my contractions were excruciatingly painful but not close enough together to send me back (they told me to come back when they were 2 minutes apart). But around 8:00, they felt like they were on top of each other, so we headed back. I literally could not walk from the parking garage to the hospital door, and someone had to come out with a wheelchair to get me. But even then, I was only 5 cm dilated, 90% effaced. With as much pain as I was in, I knew I'd never make it to 10 cm on my own, so I asked for an epidural, which I got about 2+ hours later. After I got the epi, they broke my water to try to move things along.

The epi was magic at first -- I was feeling no pain at all -- but by about 2:00 a.m., it had completely worn off and I was feeling everything. They sent the anesthesiologist back up to make some adjustments, but whatever he did didn't really do anything, and by then, I was completely dilated and effaced and ready to go. So the actual pushing might as well have been natural, since the epi was gone by then, and it was HORRIBLE. Seriously, a hundred times worse than I expected. Not to mention the epi drugs had made me nauseous, so on every second or third push, I was also throwing up the whole time. It took 90 minutes of continuous, intense pushing to get her out (apparently I have a narrow pelvis), and I got so sick from the med pains they gave me after delivery that I couldn't even hold her or try to feed her for a few hours until it all wore off. I never thought I would say this, but I am envious of people who have c-sections. :o Really, it was THAT bad.

But it was totally worth it - she is absolutely perfect, and we are totally in love with her. Seriously, I never thought I would say it, but I never thought I wanted to be a mom until I actually became one. She lost a lot of weight (13 ounces, which was 12% of her birth weight) before my milk came in and the pediatrician (not our chosen one but another one in the same practice that we saw over the weekend) pushed me to supplement with formula, but I refused. Fortunately, my milk came in later that day and she has steadily been gaining an ounce or so a day. She also got very jaundiced after we left the hospital (probably b/c of the weight loss) so she was on phototherapy treatment for a few days. She seems to be doing much better now.

Breastfeeding has been a real challenge for us, but we have a private consult at the house tonight with a lactation consultant, and I am hopeful we'll get some good advice that will help us. Either way, I am committed to making it work, whatever I have to do.

A few more pictures to share:

Snuggling with dad:

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs445.snc3/25543_1384940020852_1152560242_1433168_7666579_n.j pg

Car trip!

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs465.snc3/25543_1384942380911_1152560242_1433175_5174771_n.j pg

Post-bath fuzzy noggin:

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs465.snc3/25543_1385011062628_1152560242_1433365_5773046_n.j pg

[ellery]

Eva - awesome pictures! She's gorgeous. :) And thanks for the birth story. I will now do my best to forget it. ;) (I'm really hoping for an oblivious labor like I had with DS). Sorry to hear the bf'ing isn't easy. It wasn't easy for me either but I called my hospital's lactation consultants all the time (the hospital where DS was born), was on the kellymom.com site a lot and I also accessed a local la leche league for additional support. A lot of hospitals also have bf'ing support groups. Theme being - hang in there. It's a lot harder than most people would think.

On the bright side, my son has officially cast the tie breaking vote tonight and we have a name for DS #2. I think Scooby Doo has a nice ring to it, don't you?

[cangoss]

just a quick note to say that I totally missed Abby's post... doh! Congratulations and welcome Nathaniel! (that's my DH's name and I really like it - he goes by Nat).

[linsleyd]

Oh, Eva, she is the most precious thing. I am so sorry your labor was that awful. And it makes me glad once again that I had a c-section.:o The 12 hours I was in labor, sucked!

[Jessica]

Oh Eva, I am so sorry the birth was so difficult and painful. Hang in there with the breastfeeding--we also worked with an LC and it took a good 10-12 weeks for Adam and I get it down perfectly. You are doing a fabulous job with everything and Iris is gorgeous--congrats again!!

[Pony]

Eva, thanks for sharing your birth story. I love birth stories, even the difficult ones. It is so amazing what we are capable of!!!!!!!! I remember during our birthing class, Carl said how envious he was to have a uterus, ha!!! :p;) Iris is so adorable. It took a while for Evelyn to get the nursing thing down as well. I ended up going to this awesome breastfeeding support group at A Woman's Work. Enjoy your time with Iris.

[helios7]

Eva - thanks for sharing your story. I'm sorry it was so tough, but I love the fact you're in love with your little girl and having a fun time with her. It's amazing how quickly the amnesia kicks in. My labor with Quinn was 32 hours and ALL in the hospital, so I can relate to your experience somewhat. And I too used a LC - in fact all of the successful breastfeeding moms I know have used one. I found the whole thing hard for the first month, strange for about 2 more and then by 4 months we'd settled into a rhythm and things were ironed out. Hang in there!

Nancy! Glad to be here with you! And i climbed on the scale today - not terrible but I am hoping to gain less then the 50 ( :eek::eek::eek:) I gained with Quinn. I took it all off, but I just think I'll be happier (and more mobile) a little smaller. Of course the nurse recommended a 15-25 gain - I wouldn't turn it down but if pregnancy 1 was any indicator I just don't think my body works that way!

Leah - hang in there! Another week down.... you're getting close!

Candace - I'm glad to hear you're dong well. I cannot imagine how tough the beginning of this month would have been for you. :(

Veschke - I hear you on the never sleeping well. Between bathroom trips and a not great sleeping toddler, I despair of ever closing my eyes and opening them in the morning! Hope you're feeling better.

Hi to everyone else I missed - I need to be more productive during this nap time so must go. All's well here, just continuing to lament the "fat" stage. I'm so glad the weather's looking nicer - I just want to get out and enjoy this springtime!

[ellery]

A friend posted this on FB and I just had to share. :)

Not something you want to probably watch while at work or with kids around, but it's pretty funny. It gets funniest at the end...

she gotta bump (http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/532c07277b/she-gotta-bump)

Hope everyone's doing okay. :)

[TLee4]

Hi all. Congrats to Eva and Abby.

Just popping in to say that I had my big u/s and baby is officially a GIRL! (I don't know how to make pink font!)

I was getting doubtful about the accuracy of the early u/s so this was great to get confirmation. And of course great that everything looks normal and healthy.

I'm going to let myself enjoy this for a minute before I get back to obsessing about childcare for 3 and fitting 3 carseats into my Honda Civic. :rolleyes:

Terri

[fancyn]

I'm going to let myself enjoy this for a minute before I get back to obsessing about childcare for 3 and fitting 3 carseats into my Honda Civic.


Teri, congrats on the girl - WOOHOO!!! 3rd Times a charm? ;) And I'm having similar issues - 3 in daycare is enough to give me a stroke when I look at dollar figures. At least Natalie will be 18 months and the fee drops a smidge. And the carseat issue...well, I think DH is going to be the proud new owner of a minivan. :D

Leah, we absolutely were rolling on the floor from your link. And it sure makes me feel better about myself. :p

Eva, that's one heck of a story. If I hadn't had 2, I'd probably be fearful at this point. ;) Hang in there with the BF! I worked with a LC hard core until NJ was 3 months, as well as visited the hospital's support group. You can do it!

Heather - speaking of the way bodies work, I gain very quickly in the beginning and struggle the last 1/3 to gain. I'm hoping not to have any problems this round... How far along are you exactly?

My ultrasound is Wednesday and I'm anxious. It doesn't matter but I still want to know! :o And my hands are still falling asleep which is completely annoying.

Funny wisdom from my oldest, age 5. He says to me on a weekly basis: "Mom, you know 3 kids are going to be hard. You know that, right?" Yes Nick, thank you for your insight. I'm tired as it is so let's just relish the fact I still only have 2 as of now. :) Gotta love their honesty!!

[Autumn]

Fancyn, your hand problem might be due to pregnancy-induced carpal tunnel. My hands became intermittently numb around 20 weeks, and constantly since about 24. I received a cortisone shot from a orthopedic hand doctor which helped with pain, but did not relieve numbness. Since delivery, feeling has returned to my left, about 50% on my right. Hoping for complete recovery instead of surgery. Anyway, the numbness in carpal tunnel in pretty distinct...the thumb, index, middle finger and inside half of the ring finger. Something you might want to check with your health care providers about.

More personals and birth story coming soon...need to nap first.

[valchemist]

great to hear back from you, abby. and looking forward to the birth story.

nancy, Julia (8) has told me the same about having 4 kids... I am not too worried. the change to 3 seriously wasn't too bad... the third one just slips right in so easily that it is like you always had 3. you are just so used to babies/kids at that point that it is fine. plus, with a 5 yo you are actually at a benefit. they can really help out a LOT at that age.

we got a minivan when we moved up to 3, too. it's great, but omg that thing gets so messy with the 3 of them. especially in the way back seat where I can't monitor what my messy 8yo is accumulating!

[aggie94]

And my hands are still falling asleep which is completely annoying.

Fancyn, your hand problem might be due to pregnancy-induced carpal tunnel. My hands became intermittently numb around 20 weeks, and constantly since about 24. I received a cortisone shot from a orthopedic hand doctor which helped with pain, but did not relieve numbness. Since delivery, feeling has returned to my left, about 50% on my right. Hoping for complete recovery instead of surgery. Anyway, the numbness in carpal tunnel in pretty distinct...the thumb, index, middle finger and inside half of the ring finger. Something you might want to check with your health care providers about.

I had the hand numbness problem too, starting about 18-20 weeks. It was mostly my right hand, but occasionally both, and they would just randomly go completely numb for no reason at all. It's pretty much gone away since having the baby, although sometimes depending on how I sleep, I might wake up with a numb right hand from time to time.

[TLee4]

I recall the carpel tunnel stuff from previous pg's as well (to a lesser extent) although it hasn't started up yet, thankfully. Except that my hands do fall asleep sometimes in bed. It's funny how you kind of forget all of this stuff until it crops up again!!

Terri

[acginkc]

De-lurking for Nancy. I had a really bad problem with "dead hands" when I was carrying Matt. I dealt with the numbness and when they weren't numb they just hurt. Not much help my Dr could provide. Are you retaining more water this time around? They told me the fact that I was swollen was causing extra pressure on everything or something like that. I spent a lot of time begging DH for hand massages :).

[bbpizzapro]

I don't know why I didn't get my usual email that a post was done for a whole week!!??

Eva thanks for sharing your story and congrats on such a beautiful baby!

Tomorrow I am 25 weeks. Can't hardly believe it!!

[Bawstinn]

GIRL!




Congratulations!

[TLee4]

Thanks Maria! :D

[ellery]

Okay, I just checked the list and apparently I'm next in line. Gulp.

Terri - congrats on the confirmation about the pink in your future. :D

As for me, this is as pregnant as I've ever been (37 weeks on Friday). And wow, if I make it to 40 weeks or beyond... I don't know how people do it. I am so miserable. :( Can't sleep, can't move, can't put my socks on, none of my clothes fit, and I'm greeted every morning at work with "are you still here?" And yet, I'm not ready for the little bugger to come out. :rolleyes:

Leah

[615bride]

Congrats on getting this far Leah! I know you really wanted to make it to term and you're almost there! :)

[cangoss]

Leah - hang in there!

Terri - so glad you're getting the girl that you wanted to add to your 2 boys.

I did my one hour glucose test last week and just got the results - 90, which is well within the normal range and I don't have to do the 3 hour for now. I'll repeat it at 26 weeks. I was absolutely convinced that I'd be doing the 3-hour and used that as the excuse for my girl scout cookie binge:D but the upside of the binge was that I felt the little guy moving for the first time. Last year, it was chocolate that got the baby going. This little guy is more particular - it's only thin mints that work for now.

[bbpizzapro]

Yeah Leah!!


Cangoss yeah on the glucose test. I have to tke mine on Wednesday. My Ob wanted to wait until I was 25 weeks and I wanted to have someone watch my daughter so she wouldn't be having to sit in a lab office for an hour.

[fancyn]

Thanks for everyone's insight into my 'sleeping hands'. Carpel Tunnel does make complete sense. I never had it with the other 2 pregnancies but I've also never retained this much water either. Oh please go away after baby!! They don't hurt when they aren't asleep but when they go numb, I cannot. feel. anything. So irritating and the weirdest feeling.

Leah - YAY! Congrats to the almost 37 week mark. And don't you hate those comments??? I know people are just trying to be funny and yet it irritates you the more you hear it. Kick them in their shins. :D

Candace - congrats on the first round of your glucose testing. I sure love thin mints so I bet that little guy is in heaven too.

Hello to everyone else!

[veschke]

I want a glass of wine. *sigh* I can't even steal a sip from DH b/c he gave it up for Lent.

[helios7]

Ugh. Whiny post alert. I'm 12 and a half weeks - too tired to figure out the days - and feeling like crap. It started last night, and I can't figure out if i'm sick, or if it's a sudden upswing of morning sickness. Either way, no thanks! I would think at this point ms (not that I've had more then an occasional moment of blah) would be finishing, so maybe it's a bug. Either way, I'm not sure the two soy dogs and half a bottle of ginger ale I've been able to keep down qualifies as nutritious.

Yay to Leah - almost full term! i don't know whether to wish you go further (since you sound so uncomfortable) or not! :)

Veschke - that's funny. I lose all my interest in alcohol once pregnant, or definitely in the first tri. In fact, that was one of my first clues when all of a sudden I wasn't interested in my "post bedtime" glass of wine anymore. :D

Terri - congrats on the girl! Some days I hope we'll have a little pink magic over here too, but then I think a little brother for my little guy would be fun too. I guess it's good either way. :)

Nancy - hope the hands feel better soon. The good thing about water weight (in my limited experience) is it vacates quickly post-delivery. But it stinks while you have to carry it around. Blegh.

Candace - glad to hear the glucose test went well! It's never a good time, but the three hour one is even less so. I'll be happy never to have to repeat that experience again.

Hi to anyone else I missed. My ginger ale and I are off to commune with the sofa.

[bbpizzapro]

Hi everyone!
Had my 1 hour glucose test this morning. I guess they will give me the reults in a couple of days.

I have wanted some wine too but have abstained.
Maybe I will have a non alcoholic beer. When I was nursing i would have one a day. The odouls dark tastes pretty good.
I have never been a beer drinker but it tastes like the real thing..

[veschke]

Nancy - hope the hands feel better soon. The good thing about water weight (in my limited experience) is it vacates quickly post-delivery. But it stinks while you have to carry it around. Blegh.

My experience, too. Both of my first two, I gained a ton of water in the final weeks, but it vanishes almost instantly.

Whine all you like! :) The morning sickness thing... someone's idea of a bad joke, I swear.

[ellery]

Checking in, still pregnant and officially full term. :D

But with a question. Both last week and today when I met with the doctor, the subject of induction was brought up. Today's OB explained it a little better (last week was the anxiety inducing NP). She said that with my history of blood pressure issues (pre-eclampsia) it makes her a little nervous, so in cases like mine they sometimes go ahead and induce at 39 weeks even if everything is looking good. So far my body has settled down and my bp is back down again for the 2nd week in a row, still only trace amounts of protein in my urine, baby still alternates between passing and failing NST's (we've decided he's just mellow) and all the biophysical profile u/s's we've had have looked fine.

I've been saying that I would prefer for nature to take her own course, but I can see the benefit of planning something (what with trying to plan for childcare for DS #1 and all).

Any thoughts on planned inductions before officially FULL full term?

[tbb113]

Leah
How sure are you of your due date? Is there room for error? If so, I wouldn't induce without being told I have no other choice for a healthy baby and mom. After having one preemie (5 1/2 wks early) and one that was 2 weeks early...it is nice to come home from the hospital with your baby. If there was any chance the baby would have to stay in the NICU...I wouldn't induce.

[helios7]

Hello all -

I'm happy to be feeling better this week. Or I was, until I got a phone call the day before my NT end of first trimester scan telling me that the company that performs the scan at my dr's office doesn't take my insurance. I was supposed to call local hospitals to make an appointment, but as it turns out only one does NT scans. And the tech who does them is on vacation this week. And they're booked up next week, and I could only get the scan on Monday as the last possible day since I'll be into my 14th week. After two dizzying days of calling hospitals, calling my dr's office and repeat ... I managed to sweet-talk a supervisor at the one hospital that does the scan to take me on Monday which the ultrasound tech at my dr's swears will still be okay for the scan. But MAN it has been a long couple of days.

I think maybe I'm starting to show, although maternity pants are still a bit big. I've been wearing them with my bella band though, since my regular pants are just a constant exercise in uncomfortableness.

Leah - I was essentially induced as my water broke but nothing really happened. The chances are dramatically increased it will be a long labor (mine was 32 hours from water breaking to delivery) and the likelihood of interventions (epidural, c section etc) increases. I think (from what i've read, watched etc) that a "cold" inducement (ie no dilation, no early signs of natural labor) is very likely to end in a C as the clock simply runs out. So these might be questions to ask your doctor. I know I'm hoping things will get going on their own this time, :( as I would love to go pitocin free.

ETA - April's coming up fast! Wow. I'm not sure I ever stated my due date, but I'm due Oct 2. In case someone's on it and wants to start the new thread promptly. :)

[Bawstinn]

Leah - I was induced with Christopher at 39 weeks because of my blood pressure. My bp kept climbing but I had no other signs of pre-e. My doctor signed me out of work at 38 weeks and told me to pick a day to be induced over the weekend I hit 39 weeks. She said they preferred to wait to 39 weeks because the instances of them needing oxygen go down. They also did an u/s and estimated him at 6.5 lbs (those are soooo off - he was 8.5 6 days later) before telling me my options.

I would have preferred nature to take its course like it did with Madeleine, but I understood their concern about developing pre-e and truth be told worrying about my bp just made it worse. We also had to worry about childcare and at least we could ask his parents to come out a little earlier than planned so they could watch Madeleine.

Having been through childbirth once, I didn't find being induced to be bad, just boring. Went in and they started pitocin at 9:30 and spent the day drinking Sprite and eating jello. Slowly dilated over the course of the day and he was born at 7:30. At least when in labor with Madeleine I puttered around the house (out of nervousness) until we went in - this time I was hooked up to an IV the whole time.

I was also worried about the likelihood of a C since I was not dilated at all and my doctor said instances of a C after already having a natural childbirth were low. With Madeleine I was 3 cm for 3 weeks and was in labor for 12 hours. With Christopher, I wasn't dilated at all and from when the pitocin started to when he was born was 10 hours.

Good luck!

[ellery]

Thanks for the feedback Tyra, Heather and Maria. I just posted a thread about the topic as well, just curious to hear others' experiences too. This would be the one time that I actually do want to hear the horror (or good) labor stories. ;)

I think just with having been through years of infertility, the idea of my body doing something on its own is really appealing and kind of exciting. Very much on the fence here. :rolleyes:

[veschke]

I'm happy to be feeling better this week. Or I was, until I got a phone call the day before my NT end of first trimester scan telling me that the company that performs the scan at my dr's office doesn't take my insurance.

Sheesh, what a mess! :( Glad you got it sorted, but boy, they don't make it easy.

I am supposed to have mine on Monday. I think I am still in denial about this whole pregnancy business (still haven't told anyone except my mom and one friend). Not helping that some family of close friends of ours are going through an absolutely heartbreaking situation that has me insanely paranoid that something is going to go wrong.

Morning sickness seems to be retreating to the mornings, which is something, but what makes my stomach feel better this time around is... chocolate. :eek: I think I'm already packing on the pounds.

[valchemist]

Leah,
I don't have any experience with induction, but I just want to encourage your instinct to want to go natural. childbirth should be all about you and your baby... it is easy to let schedules and toddlers and family members get in the way. that's how life is... you schedule most things based on your kid or family situations. but in this case, I think it is justified to do what you want. kids are flexible enough... afterall it is just one day of his life so no big deal if his schedule is thrown off. and your caregivers will accommodate you, too. anyway, whatever you decide, good luck to you. I was really expecting a birth announcement when I saw your post.

[bbpizzapro]

I have no experience with having an induction but I had scheduled one during my last pregnancy since my daughter was late but my water broke and I was 4 cm hours before my scheduled induction was to take place. I remember after I scheduled it I was terrified that something could go wrong because I was rushing things...


I passed the 1 hour test and only gained 2 pounds last month. I am already up 17 or 18 pounds but the doctor feels I should gain more!! ( I am feeling like a house already!!))

[SueK]

No, I"m not pregnant. ;) Just delurking to reply to Leah.

I was induced at 37 weeks with my second daughter. At 34 weeks she started failing to grow as much as she should, so I wasn't meauring where I should have been. After consultations w/some specialists and 3 x weekly non stress tests, they decided they would induce me at 37 weeks.

The estimated she would be less than 5 lbs, but she was born at 5 lbs. 6 oz and healthy as a horse. I heard so many horror stories about being induced, but it was all for naught. I got Pitocin around 9 or so that morning and she was born at 12:30.

Compared to my 1st delivery (21 hrs labor, 2 1/2 hrs pushing) the second one was awesome! I had no drugs at all and everything went so quickly that the pain was over before it got too bad for me.

If you do decide to schedule an induction, don't listen to any gruesome stories other "helpful" people may tell you. It just made me more scared and nervous, and everything turned out great in the end. Best wishes to you whatever you decide to do!

[helios7]

If you do decide to schedule an induction, don't listen to any gruesome stories other "helpful" people may tell you. It just made me more scared and nervous, and everything turned out great in the end. Best wishes to you whatever you decide to do!

I just wanted to say that I personally like to be informed. I agree there's a whole spectrum of experiences out there and one person's is not going to be the same as the next. But just as there are people for whom pitocin accelerates labor to a crazy extent (I know one) there are people like me who don't respond well and it drags out.

From what I understand (and what I'm counting on :p) it being the second time weighs heavily in your favor (Leah). And if I asked the questions that I thought pertinent and my doctor still said "I think it's the best course of action," then I would go with it. I personally would just want to go into it informed, since it can be a bit of a slippery slope and one intervention leads to another. For me having things start happening without having prior knowledge of the possibility would be scarier. But that's me. ;)

I just received word that a friend delivered a first baby (9 lbs 11 oz :eek:) by a C-section after a long labor. I don't know for sure yet, but I know she was past her due date and I bet she was induced. I'm going to be interested to hear.... although 9lbs 11oz is a ball game all on its own!!!! :eek::eek:

Good luck with whatever you decide Leah.

[Laura]

Haven't posted her for ages, but lurk frequently. ;) I was induced with both my children as I was well past my due date for each. 9 and 12 days. With my daughter I had an epidural and it was a 17 hour labor from start to finish. With my son, I had no drugs and it was a 9 hour labor from start to finish. They must have handled the pitocin levels well, because I never felt as if labor was either too fast or too slow.

[acginkc]

Leah- I was induced due to high BP. My induction was started the Wednesday before my due date (at night) and I delivered Friday (my actual due date) night via c-section. My situation was a bit unusual as it rarely takes that long, but I wasn't really "ripened" so I did not progress well until they were able to break my water. My c-section was only due to the fact that DS was face up and just couldn't get his big old noggin out of there. While I wish I could have let things happen more organically, that wasn't in my cards.

If your doctor insists, I would just request that they let you go as long as they possibly can so that baby has a chance to do his thing. But in the grand scheme of things, what is most important is that you and DS come out of this whole experience safe and healthy.

Good luck with your decision.

[cangoss]

Leah, no experience with induction here - I had an emergency c-section last year. I hope you're able to come to a decision that you all are comfortable with.

for my quick update - level 2 u/s was today and everything continues to go well. 2 people confirmed that it's a boy, all measurements are on track and my cervix looks great. whew.

[bbpizzapro]

yeah Candace

[Jessica]

Delurking to echo Val--I never had an induction but I think it makes sense to trust your body and the baby unless there is evidence of a problem. My first labor was long (at least 20 hours)--my second one was so short that DS2 was born less than an hour after we got into a hospital room. My midwife told me on average the second labor is half as long but in my case it wasn't anywhere near half as long and while it was painful (I didn't have meds either time) and intense, the second birth was an incredible experience. Not that I didn't love the birth of DS1, but the second time I was more aware of what was happening and felt more in control.

[Sarah45]

Leah - I was induced after going two weeks over my due date so not exactly the same situation. Mine wasn't a pleasant experience (My body was showing zero signs of having the baby) and I ended up with a c-section but I know a lot of people have had a pretty uneventful birth with the induction.

I hope that you're able to come to a decision and I can completely understand why you're on the fence (not that it's much help :))

[fancyn]

Quick post for Leah -

With DS1, my water broke at exactly 38 weeks. I had intermitent contractions that were absolutely excrusiating. They started me on the pitocin drip and I thought I was going to die. Then it dawned on the nurses and I was in back labor. My labor was a total of 14 hours and I lasted 10 without drugs/stadol/epi. I don't think I was prepared for the situation at all (hind sight). DD2 I was scheduled to be induced on my due date but I helped mother nature out and did several things, including accupressure (thanks tholbrook!) to speed things along and beat my induction. From start to finish I was in labor 6 hours and went without any drugs. LOVED the experience.

Not that I didn't love the birth of DS1, but the second time I was more aware of what was happening and felt more in control. These are my thoughts exactly. IMHO, which is all it is ;), I'd try and let mother nature take it's course, esp. since things seem to have quieted down. And as far as scheduling for DS, I labored at home as long as possible and let DH take DS to school before we went to the hospital, which resulted in me having NJ 28 mins after we arrived. :o. I'm sure you'll have a couple of hours to get things arranged - no stress either way!! :) All we want is a healthy mother and baby!