Pregnant Summer of 2001

[beacooker]

Good idea on the new thread, shoyski. I am the same way about getting really annoyed when people ask about something just covered by the instructor, too!

Marisa, I guess you're getting bombarded with questions today - and this one is kind of nosy, so I don't mind if you don't want to answer, but I was curious as to whether you experienced any post-partum depression? Thats one thing I always worry about.

I took a pregnancy yoga class last night, I'm hoping to keep up with it throughout my pregnancy. I used to do Power Yoga before I was pregnant, so this class seemed like a pretty slow pace to me. Also, we spent over half the class going around in a circle and saying who we were, how far along we are, and any pregnancy related things we want to talk about. Its not like this is a class that has a start point and an end point, so apparently this is something that occurs at each class. In a way it was nice, but I came to the class wanting excercise, not a pregnancy support group (I have you guys for that!).

Anyway, I also have to share that I just realized this morning that I am actually turning 29 tomorrow! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/frown.gif I am not big on celebrating my birthday, so I just kind of forgot about it until today. Not too thrilled about being 29. I'm an old lady now! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[mommywannabe]

beacooker...good luck with the yoga classes, I hope you're better at keeping them going that I've been http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif And, welcome to the "old lady" club...I'll be 32 in December, and wouldn't have it any other way http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif I had a harder time with 26 than 30...weird, huh?

I have to tell you all this because it's cracking me up...as I sit here typing, my adult cat has jumped up in to what's left of my lap, but she can't find enough space to sit http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif Talk about feeling porky! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[KristaMB]

shoyski, I didn't even know there were private childbirth classes. I guess it does make sense, but it's just something that I never thought of.

My friend convinced me to buy a cute top and a pair of capri pants to wear to the shower. I'm really happy with outfit. She pointed out that I can mix and match with things I already have, too. I'll still be wearing the black dress this weekend, just not for the shower.

I bought a pair of shortalls and a tank top today on my lunch hour. I think I look like Humpty Dumpty http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif in the shortalls, but I'm finding that shorts and pants just aren't as comfortable as overalls and dresses. At first I felt guilty about buying more clothing this late in the game, but I am in dire need of summer things. It's getting really hot here!

Anne, it's great that you are exercising. I wish I wouldn't have stopped. I can see how the support group aspect of the class could get annoying. Name and due date sound okay, but then if you have more to share, I'd prefer to do it after. I don't think I'd want to spend over half of an exercise class in a discussion group.

Also, happy birthday! (I know it's a day early, but I'm leaving for out of town tomorrow and won't be back until Sunday) I hope you have a great day, regardless of how you feel about birthdays. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

mommywannabe, I can sympathize with your cat story. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that my stomach was resting on my legs! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/eek.gif I wore a dress to work on Monday, and half way through the day I realized that my stomach is big enough to touch my upper quads. Not a pleasant moment... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Take care,
Krista

[shoyski]

I decided to start a new thread; hope you guys don't mind.

Not too much going on in my small little world regarding being pregnant. Dave and I have decided to take private childbirth classes as opposed to signing up with the hospital. It doesn't take as long, they come to your home, you can schedule any day you'd like, you don't have to listen to other people ask questions of what the instructor just covered (a big pet peeve of mine)....it's only $30 more so we decided to go for it. The cool thing is the two women who run the business used to teach the classes at the local hospital....one has 9 years of experience and the other 21!
I'm pretty happy about our decision.

Marisa, glad to hear baby Amanda is growing fast....that's what we want to hear!
Are you feeling like having a baby about is old hat....or do you still have a thousand questions running through your mind? I keep wondering when the novelty would wear off.

Krista, how did the black dress work out?
Jared is a cool name......I have a friend with that name so it conjures up good thoughts for me. All the middle names go great with it as well.

[sal]

One of my fondest memories of being pregnant was the "shelf" I had to set my plate on - I had quite a time with my 2nd pregnancy and sitting in a kitchen chair was difficult and uncomfortable. In my last trimester I usually ate sitting on the couch with my plate on my belly - my 4 yr old was indignant that mommy got to eat in the living room with the TV on. (Hope you don't mind my little reminiscence; I so enjoy reading your posts and wish you the very best!)sally

[beacooker]

Sally - thank you for the sharing the memory with us - it helps to remind us that the things we find annoying now may turn out to be something we look back on with fondness later!
Krista - thanks for the bday wishes, I hope you are going somewhere fun and relaxing for the weekend!

[mb]

shoyski, that is so interesting that you can take private childbirth classes. it sounds much more convenient. i agree that it might be nice not to have to listen to other people's dumb questions, but part of what we liked about the group class was meeting some other people. we're not really friends with any of them now, but it was nice to hang out with other couples who were going through the same stuff... however, sometimes some people were really dumb and annoying. it made for some laughter later on though!

having the baby around isn't really old hat. i'm still trying to process the fact that i'm a mother! i'm getting a bit more used to things though. there aren't too many questions really - you'll quickly figure out your baby. i mean, she's either sleeping or awake, and when she's awake, she's either content or crying, and when she's crying, she's either hungry, gassy, or needs her diaper changed. so right now, it's not too difficult. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif it only gets frustrating when i know she is crying and i can't get her to stop (usually because she is gassy and won't burp!). but then again, that's only really frustrating at nights when i want to get some sleep!!! otherwise, i've taken her out several times (the carseat is easy to master) and she does well. overall, i have to say she's a great baby http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

anne, first of all: happy birhtday! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif remember: 29 is just a number... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif emjoy your day!

second of all, please don't feel like you're being nosy! i'm usually a modest person, but i feel pretty comfortable sharing most details of my pregnancy (maybe it's the anonymity of the internet? or maybe i'm not so modest anymore!). if you want, you can email me privately if it's a topic you don't want to post here... but anyhow, i didn't really experience post-partum depression, but i did have some 'baby blues' for a week or two. that's totally normal. i think ppd is actually kinda rare.

i remember how big my tummy was too (not that it was so long ago...) and just when i thought it couldn't possibly get bigger, it did! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/eek.gif at one point, i wanted to stand up from the couch. i put my legs apart a bit to get steady & then bent forward to get up...and my tummy hit the couch cushion! at that moment, i knew i was large! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

krista, definitely be comfortable! i mostly wore sundresses & sandals every day. i only had 2 pairs of pants & 3 maternity t's...dresses were so much more comfortable anyhow, even if some of them made me look big! they're still comfortable, so i'm still wearing them until my old clothes fit better... (i can't wear the pants though - i think they'll fall down now!)

just enjoy your big bellies...you might miss it later!

marisa http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[shoyski]

Anne,happy birthday! I'm going to be 36 in August and I look forward to every birthday like a little kid. I guess it helps that my husband gets just as excited about bdays as I do.

Marisa, thanks for sharing. It really helps.
I think the main reason for the private classes being so appealing to us is lack of time. Also, I'm in sales/customer service so having some "quiet time" away from other people just sounds really appealing.

For the first time ever I had someone come up today and put her hand on my belly without asking. I tried to be polite and let her know that I would prefer if she asked but she didn't get it. Not even after I told her that last week my stomach had a big bruise and it hurt so I would've been unhappy had she done it then...it just sailed right over her head. She works in my office but I don't know her very well. I guess I'll grab her hand next time and say NO TOUCHING!........Just kidding....wouldn't that be funny?

[SusanD]

Hello! I had a few minutes to hop online and I was hoping that I'd find a "pregnancy" thread so I could see an update on how everyone's doing. It's amazing how fast time goes, and how little time I have for myself. I wouldn't change it for the world, though! Baby Erin is amazing, growing like a weed. I was at Target on Weds. and there was a couple in the baby department who were buying a stroller. They had their 1-week old boy with them (I can't imagine being out shopping after only a week) and Erin looked so HUGE next to him.

I cracked up reading about your big bellies...it seems like so long ago. I have a picture of me that was taken right before I went into the hospital and I couldn't believe I was ever that big. I do miss the food shelf, though, it was a great party trick to be able to put my cereal bowl on my belly.

Marisa, Mrs Reber emailed me your website so I had to go take a peek...what a beautiful little girl! Amanda is a great name, too! I'm glad to hear that you have trouble with the crying thing too, sometimes Erin just cries inconsolably no matter what I do, and it's so frustrating. Last week I had to take her in for her 8-week checkup and she got FOUR shots. It was the most awful thing, I've never heard her scream so loud. I told my husband next time he has to take her in, I can't do that anymore.

Well, I hear Erin stirring (monitors are such a great invention). It's great to hear that everyone's doing well...good luck to everyone, especially Krista who's next! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Oh...helpful breastfeeding tip: my dr. told me that "malt beverages" (i.e. beer) help stimulate milk production and it's OK to have one per day. (I was pretty excited about that). Another thing that's good is a tea called "Mother's Milk". I found it at Whole Foods. It's actually very good, I've been having a cup every morning.

[This message has been edited by SusanD (edited 06-30-2001).]

[SusanD]

Hello! I had a few minutes to hop online and I was hoping that I'd find a "pregnancy" thread so I could see an update on how everyone's doing. It's amazing how fast time goes, and how little time I have for myself. I wouldn't change it for the world, though! Baby Erin is amazing, growing like a weed. I was at Target on Weds. and there was a couple in the baby department who were buying a stroller. They had their 1-week old boy with them (I can't imagine being out shopping after only a week) and Erin looked so HUGE next to him.

I cracked up reading about your big bellies...it seems like so long ago. I have a picture of me that was taken right before I went into the hospital and I couldn't believe I was ever that big. I do miss the food shelf, though, it was a great party trick to be able to put my cereal bowl on my belly.

Marisa, Mrs Reber emailed me your website so I had to go take a peek...what a beautiful little girl! Amanda is a great name, too! I'm glad to hear that you have trouble with the crying thing too, sometimes Erin just cries inconsolably no matter what I do, and it's so frustrating. Last week I had to take her in for her 8-week checkup and she got FOUR shots. It was the most awful thing, I've never heard her scream so loud. I told my husband next time he has to take her in, I can't do that anymore.

Well, I hear Erin stirring (monitors are such a great invention). It's great to hear that everyone's doing well...good luck to everyone, especially Krista who's next! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Oh...helpful breastfeeding tip: my dr. told me that "malt beverages" (i.e. beer) help stimulate milk production and it's OK to have one per day. (I was pretty excited about that). Another thing that's good is a tea called "Mother's Milk". I found it at Whole Foods. It's actually very good, I've been having a cup every morning.

[SusanD]

Okay, what happened here? Double post! Guess I'm a little out of practice...

[KristaMB]

Hello! I hope that everybody has been doing well. I missed all of you while the boards were down/ too slow for my patience.

We went to our childbirth classes this past weekend. I was dreading them a little since I knew they would take up our whole weekend, but they weren't too bad. The instructor was really funny and engaging, so the time went by pretty quick. I was surprised at how shocked one couple was at the whole birthing process. Their baby is due next week and they had horrified looks on thier faces when the delivery process was being described. Over the course of the weekend I thought of a lot of questions that I need to ask my doctor, so that was a good thing.

The hospital where we attended the classes isn't the actual hospital where we'll have the baby. The rooms at this hospital are so nice! THey are nothing like I thought they'd be. I've heard that the rooms at "our" hospital are similar, they just aren't wallpapered. I'm planning on going for a tour in the next few weeks, so we'll see.

I washed some of Jared's clothing and started to put it away. I'm surprised at how much I had accumulated! Today a co-worker gave me a whole bag of hand-me-downs, too. Their baby was born in April and has outgrown all the 0-3 month items.

Does or did anybody else have an itchy bellybutton? Mine has really started to itch and it's driving me crazy!

Take care,

~Krista

[beacooker]

Wow, this new forum format is different! I think I like it though. Susan, it was nice to hear from you! Krista, I'm glad you enjoyed the childbirth classes, I can't wait for mine.
Last weekend, DH and I went to St. Augustine for the weekend, and stayed at a really nice B&B. Marisa, do you ever get up to St Augustine? I know for you its a bit of a drive. (I probably never mentioned it, but I live in Orlando). It was a relaxing weekend, and I actually didn't think much about being pregnant for most of the weekend, which was a nice change!
But on the pregnancy front, I am looking for a new doctor. There were a few things I wasn't crazy about with my current dr, but then last week a co-worker of mine who goes to the same dr discovered she was pregnant, but was spotting. She has been trying to conceive for 1.5 years, and had a miscarriage before that, so she of course was very worried about the spotting. Well, the dr's office kept on telling her it was normal, and not being very sympathetic at all. They had also diagnosed her a few months ago with having a problem with her uterine lining that would make her more susceptible to miscarriages if she doesn't get some extra progesterone (or some hormone), but they didn't bother prescribing any hormone for her, or even mention the problem. She said it was like they never looked at her chart. So, now I definitely want to find a new dr. This dr never seemed to be as thorough as what all the pregnancy books say a dr will do at your checkups. What do your drs do at all your checkups?

[djoygirl]

Hello everyone!
Newly pregnant (first-time) woman here:D I've been watching you all on the boards for some time, wishing I had a reason to join in. Now I do! I'm still at that very ecstatic stage where I can hardly sleep b/c I'm so excited. We haven't told anyone but immediate family and I'm DYING to tell everyone I know, so hopefully this will fulfill me for a little while.
I welcome any words of advice from all of you experts out there. Particularly any sleeping tricks.

Beacooker, happy birthday to you. I share your special day, and only differ by a year. I, too, am feeling a bit old:p

[KristaMB]

Anne, I have been joking that my doctor charges me $10 to weigh me, test my urine and take my blood pressure each month. With the addition of listening to the baby's heartbeat, that's about the extent of my visits. Lately she's been feeling my tummy to determine where his head is, too. However, I am very comfortable with my doctor. She always asks me if I have any questions, and I feel that she takes the time to give me the information that I want. I can't blame you for wanting to switch. You should feel comfortable and confident about your doctor. Not only are you paying them for a service, but they are in charge of the most precious "thing" you'll ever have. Good luck on your quest for a new doctor!

djoygirl, congratulations! I had a hard time not telling everybody, too. It's so exciting! When are you due? Do you need sleeping tips because you're excited, or are you having sickness, etc?

I was really tired my first trimester, so after the first few days of joy, sleeping wasn't a problem. Enjoy the rush of excited energy now, while you still have it! :) I also had "morning" sickness at night, so despite my exhaustion, I sometimes had a hard time falling asleep. I ended up putting a toss pillow underneath my mattress so the bed was raised a little. That helped me not feel as sick. Also, if you're sick at night, try to eat dinner as early as possible so the food has time to settle before you lay down.

Speaking of not sleeping, I have slept horribly the past two nights, and stayed home from work today to recover. I didn't wake up until 10 and then I took an hour and half nap this afternoon! Although I am not tired quite yet, I guess I had better get ready for bed, so I don't enter into a vicious cycle. A few people have told me that by using the tips in the book "Babywise" they have gotten their 3 month olds to sleep almost all the way through the night. I'm definitely looking forward to sleeping in more than 2 hour blocks again. But between my bladder and breastfeeding, who knows when that will be!

Take care,
~Krista

[beacooker]

Congratulations, djoygirl! How many weeks are you? Believe me, I can relate to having a hard time waiting to tell people. Just to warn you though, after I did tell everyone, I felt a little bit not-so-special anymore, because I missed having the little secret. And happy belated bday to you, too! The only hint I have for sleeping is one I received the other day - if you have trouble because you're waking up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep, try eating a small snack. I should try this, but I have been far to lazy to actually get out of bed and get some food.
Krista - hopefully you managed to sleep well last night! Staying home from work to catch up sounds like a great idea! I just read Babywise last week - have you read it? It sounds pretty good to me. In your post a few days ago, you mentioned you washed some of Jared's clothes and put them away - doesn't that blow your mind to be wahing the clothes of someone who isn't even 'here' yet. You just have about a month to go though, right?

[KristaMB]

I haven't read "Babywise" yet. What did you think of it? Do you think it's worth a try?

Maybe I need to have a snack in the middle of the nigt when I wake up. Although I don't think I'm awake due to hunger, maybe it will help. I think some of my recent insomnia is because I'm starting to get really anxious.

My official due date is August 29th, but I think August 15th, is more accurate. That was the first date I was given based on my menstrual cycle, and on the last u/s it seemed to fit better with the size of the baby. But my dr. didn't want to change the date after the last u/s so she's sticking with the 29th. As long as I have a healthy baby, I'm really hoping that it will be closer to the 15th.

I have 17 more days of work left, and I can hardly wait to be out on leave. That place is driving me crazy! I'm sure that being tired doesn't help any... My boss made fun of my dress today and I got so mad. He said that it looked like it was from the 80's. It's not my favorite outfit in the world, but it's comfortbale and that's all I care about right now. Hello, dingbat, I have a limited wardrobe!

I was given another box of hand-me-downs today. I have 0-3 coming out of my ears. Jared will probably outgrow the clothes before he can even wear them all. It's so weird to be talking about him like he's here. DH keeps saying that he can't wait to meet him :)

~Krista

[djoygirl]

Krista and Beacooker,
thank-you for the kind words. I think I'm not sleeping because I'm so excited, still. But sometimes, it's because I wake up and I'm really hungry. Bea, I will try your suggestion next time. I might as well, b/c I'm usually up reading, or cleaning up, or on the BB's:) so it's not as if I have to drag myself out of bed. I think I've just felt that it was taboo to eat in the middle of the night. I'm not sure why.

I'm really not sure how far along I am. Somewhere between 5 1/2 and 7. I have no clue when I conceived, b/c I'm very irregular. My cycle ran anywhere from 28 to 38 days:eek: I haven't been to my doctor yet (appointment on the 19th), but I figure even she's just going be giving a best-guess at this point.

Krista, your boss sounds like a jerk! Is he always like that? No wonder you can't wait to leave. Good luck with the rest of your time there.

[beacooker]

Krista, your boss is a total jerk!! If you didn't say something nasty back to him, you deserve a medal. You said you can't sleep because you are anxious- are you anxious-excited or anxious-worried? So far, I've just been trying to not think to much about the labor and delivery part of all this! But I'm afraid as time goes on that will get harder and harder. In my yoga class, a few girls recommended the book Birthing from Within. Has anyone read it? I've never looked at it, but it sounds like its about having a great birth experience or something. Am I looking at this birthing process all wrong? I tend to think of it as a root-canal or something, something to go through only because I want the result. But some of the books (and some of the people I have talked to) talk about giving birth as some kind of fulfilling experience. How do you guys feel about it?
As far as Babywise goes, I do think its worth reading. I hated the style and tone the book was written in (it reminded me of Gallant and Goofus from the kids Highlights magazine - 'this baby was raised the way we say to do it, and she does everything right, but this baby was raised by stupid parents who didn't listen to us, and she does everything wrong' kind of tone), but I agree with the overall message. It starts off talking about while a child is a wonderful and welcome addition to a family, it should not become the center of it, and then basically says that you shouldn't feed the baby when it cries unless you really think that its food the baby is crying for. Somehow I expected to say something more controversial than that, but if it did, I missed it.
Whew! I almost didn't post tonight because I didn't think I had anything to say!
Oh, I almost forgot - djoygirl - I was very surprised when I went to my first dr appt after I got pg because I didn't know that they would do a sonogram on me, but they did. Unfortunately, DH hadn't come with me, so he missed it. I don't know if your dr will do a sonogram on your first visit also, but I wanted to warn you!

[shoyski]

Hey All, I feel like I've been out of the loop forever. Right before the boards came back up we went to Myrtle Beach for five days with Dave's family. It was great to get away. I did get overheated one day because the airconditioning went out and I had gotten really hot after a long walk on the beach. It was a bit scary for me as I've never gotten overheated in my life and couldn't even cool down after a cold shower. Everyone made a fuss over me which was a bit embarrassing but I was glad for their help. Wet towels, etc.

We came home Wednesday night and on the flight I started having symptoms of what later was confirmed by the doctor as the stomach virus. Ick! So I was out Thursday and Friday. I was concerned about the baby since I didn't feel like eating but my doctor said don't try to eat unless I wanted to because it would probably come right back up. It was very comforting to be able to see the doctor while in the midst of my discomfort, have him verify that the baby was fine, and let me know how to proceed.

Nothing like having a green light to stay home on a beaufiful day.
By mid-morning Friday, I wasn't feeling all that bad so I did some vacu-packing of fruit and made some of the Strawberry-Gelato from the July issue. Very good!

The doctor told me that a pregnancy is 40 weeks long and women actually carry the baby 10 months. He then proceeded to tell me I was 31 and 3/7 weeks along.....come on, do the math with me....YIKES! I'm only eight weeks away! That sounds a lot closer than two months. :eek:

Enough about me.....welcome to djoygirl! I'm so glad you've joined our thread! I noticed on the Food board that Valchemist is pregnant and due on Valentine's Day. I wonder if she'll come over here.

Anne, sorry to hear about the doctor issue. I hope you find someone you are really comfortable with. You'd think all the OBGYN doctors would be great, considering their responsibilities but I guess there's always going to be a crappy person in every job.

Speaking of which, Krista, I can't believe how insensitive your boss is. I am so glad you only have a couple of weeks left at that place! I'm a bit jealous. You'll have to let us know what you do to keep yourself busy while waiting for Jared. Are you planning on freezing a bunch of dinners and such?

Anne, thanks for letting us know what you thought of Babywise. I hadn't heard of the book until reading about it here on the BB.
It's funny you brought up your feelings on the birthing experience being something akin to root-canal. I was just telling my SIL that I am actually looking forward to it.....kind of like an endurance test. I want to see what kind of stuff I'm made of and I can't think of a better "stress test" to find out. I'm not trying to be macho or anything...I'm purposely NOT choosing the cool natural delivery room at the hospital because I need to make sure I can have an epidural if I want one and you can't change your mind if you take that room.

Awhile back I had an episode where I was in the most excrutiating pain I've ever had for over an hour and a half and ended up going to the hopital to make sure the baby was okay. I managed to get through that and the way I see it, that was constant pain where as labor is contractions that come and go and you can catch your breath inbetween. I understand (limited understanding since I haven't been through it yet) that the contractions will get closer and closer but at least the end result will be worth it. I don't know. As I type this, it sounds like I'm some kind of masochist, which I'm definitely not. I just wanted to let you know that I thought labor and delivery could possibly be a positive experience to anticipate, even if while you're going through it it sucks.

[Tiger]

Hi everyone,
I do most of my posting on Great food board and just usually read this board. But since I'm pregnant I can't read about food! I never thought I would be joining the pregnant thread but life gives you happy surprises. (My story is actually on the weekend board)
I hope to join you guys. Nobody likes to talk about being pregnant as much as other pregnant women!

[djoygirl]

Welcome Tiger, and congratulations! We're glad to have you. How far along are you? And does it really bother you to read about food?

I haven't had any morning sickness at all (knock on wood), but the other day my DH opened a can of tuna (which I used to eat often) and I almost threw up. I had to go to the other end of the house until he lysoled (is that a word?:) ) and made some popcorn to get rid of the smell.

[KristaMB]

Welcome, Tiger! Congratulations!

Shoyski, it sounds like illness has been a recent theme. :mad: Thursday I came down with a nasty sore throat, which turned into a head cold by Friday. I called the dr and luckily she said I could take Sudafed. I don't really like taking medication, but it has helped me to feel not quite so miserable.

Anne, at this point I think I am a little of both, anxoius-excited and anxious- worried, but more excited. I am in a state of disbelief that I actually have a little human being inside of me. I just can't fathom it! I'm not really worried about labor or delivery, but I'm a little worried about money. I know deep down that it will all work out, so it's not a big concern, but it's still scary.

Just for the record, I made no nasty remarks to my boss. Aren't you proud? I used the ultimate amount of self restraint. I pretty much am in a phase where I just ignore everybody who bothers me. This is going to sound wicked and a little haughty, but it's not intended to be: my dept will be in deep doo-doo when I leave, so I'm counting on that as payback. So many people have quit recently, that there is really only administrative support staff left. My boss is fairly new to the dept, (he came in when I stepped down at the beginning of my pregnancy) so he doesn't know all the ins and outs of what's going on. Once I leave, he's on his own. I feel bad for my co-workers who will be left in the chaos, but my wicked side is happy that my boss will be left with a bit of a mess. I'm sounding way too evil... on to other things...

I'm looking at the birthing experience in more of "root canal" way. My take on labor and delivery is that all the hard work will produce this wonderful little boy. The exhaustion and pain is all working toward the culmination of this baby being born. I'm not looking at it as a challenge, but more of something to get over with. shoyski, after reading your post, I'm thinking that maybe I should change my attitude.

Where I am currently hung up is the "after delivery" part. I think I'll be really annoyed to be sore, have big old sanitary pads, etc. I know I will have a little baby to amaze and distract me, but at least the labor part is "for" something- the delivery of the baby is the reward. The "after" part, is just annoying- there is no reward for it at the end. (Maybe I should plan a shopping spree? :D )Again, I know that the annoyance is due to the "baby reward" but I'm just hung up on it. In the next month my focus is going to be getting over my negativity about it.

Due to very bad timing, the first week that I am off on maternity leave, our whole house will be re-tiled. My uncle was supposed to come last October and do it, but never got around to it. He finally committed to August 6th. I'm not exactly thrilled about it, but we've been waiting so long, and I really want it done before Jared arrives. After that, I'm planning on freezing a few dinners, and reading and relaxing. I'm not much of a dinner-freezer, and I'm a little nervous about it, but I plan to brush up from the archives on the Great Food board.

djoygirl, in my first trimester, I couldn't stand the smell of our cat's food. DH had to feed them in the other room and close the door until they were done eating. Isn't is weird how sensitive your sense of smell becomes?

~krista

[Tiger]

djoygirl - I'm almost 11 weeks. And yes it makes me sick to read about food! Last week my husband said "What's for dinner?" I ran to the bathroom and vomited! This is just the way I am. Even not pregnant I get motion sickness a lot and can easily vomit. I hoping to start feeling better at 12 weeks. But I'm not counting on it, I vomited morning, noon, and night with my son until 18weeks.

[Kristilyn1]

I just love reading about other people's pregnancies--knowing that I am all done!

As far as labor as a "root canal" type of thing, I've posted on other threads that while I may be in the minority--I consider labor to be the easiest part of pregnancy. I considered the pregnancy itself as the MOST ROYAL pain--EVER, and labor is soooo short in comparison. So while my story may not change any minds, maybe it will help?

As far as books on parenting styles and how to handle different issues/problems...my advice (Unasked, but nonetheless given) is IF you are going to read about a method by an "expert" (and they ALL ARE) read a few different theories as well, since this expert may know a lot about some babies-- but he will not know YOUR baby. As our new mommies can probably attest, the road to understanding your new baby is strewn with lots of guilt and upset trying to figure out how to best take care of them and if a method that is highly recommended does not work for you, you will just feel bad. Also, it's hard to anticipate whether the beliefs we hold now about what will be "best", will stand up through the many changes as our babies grow. The thing we thought made all the sense in the world, may be laughable later!

By the way, I have a nephew named Jared, and (sssshhhh, he's my favorite) and it is one of my favorite names.......

Kristi

[beacooker]

Wow, Tiger, I read your story and I am amazed! I must say, I can't imagine the mix of emotions you must have felt about the whole twins/miscarriage thing. Good luck to you, I hope you don't have to stay in bed through this pregnancy.
I was the same way about reading about food during my first trimester. Cooking used to be my favorite hobby; if I wasn't cooking I was either reading CL or a cookbook or watching FoodTv. A few times I tried doing those things, but it just made me gag! djoygirl, most of my first trimester I fooled myself into thinking I didn't have morning sickness because I only felt sick at night, and I never actually threw up (except I few times when I was brushing my teeth - yuck!). My big food aversion was vegetables and this one bbq restaurant that was a favorite for lunch among my co-workers. Suddenly, just someone mentioning the name of the restaurant would make me gag. I seem to be completely over my morning sickness now, but I'm not ready to go back to that bbq place yet.
Anyway, I am so glad that we have some new pregnant girls! I thought I wasn't going to have anyone to talk to after shoyski and Krista!
Shoyski, welcome back, I wondered where you were. I am going to keep your perspective on labor in mind, and try to improve my attitude, also. I went to Amazon and read the synopsis about the Birthing from Within book. Apparently its kind of a workbook thing, that has you meditate and paint pictures. Not at all my kind of thing. Actually, meditation is (at least in theory, I never do it!), but not painting. The book sounds too new-agey for me. But, I do want to improve my attitude about giving birth, since I'm going to have to go through it no matter what my attitude is, I may as well find some positive in it. Tiger, since this will be your second child, I'm curious about your attitude about labor and delivery. I hadn't even thought about Krista's point about the after-delivery part being the bad part. I guess I'm assuming that since the worst part of the pain will be behind me, and the I'll have the best part to snuggle and play with (and stay awake all night with!), afterwards won't be bad.
Even though this is already a long post, I want to share my traumatic experience last night. I use this prescription acne cream that a dermatologist put me on late last year, and when I found out I was pregnant, I never even thought about it quitting using it, because it was a topical cream, and the dr gave it to me even though I told him that I was going to be trying for a baby in the next few months. And since its just a cream I put on, I didn't think of it as any different than my moisturizer, and didn't even ask any dr about it. Well, last night DH and I were watching tv, and an ad came on for the cream. I mentioned it was the cream I was using, and DH said 'You're not still using it, are you?', and it suddenly hit me that I probably should have stopped using it or at least asked about it. I can't even describe the cold chill that went all through my body. I immediately went on to the internet to look it up, and found a place that said that the cream hadn't been studied in pregnant women, but that it may cause bone deformities in fetuses. I started crying and ran out of the room, too scared to look into it anymore. DH was a true hero and hugged me, told me not to feel guilty (not that that really worked, but it helped to know that he wasn't blaming me), and that everything was probably going to be ok. When he finally calmed me down, he asked if it was ok if he went back and did some more research into it. I said it was fine, so he actually contacted a guy he met through a BB he uses that is a lead chemist for the company that makes the cream (which was a neat coincidence he
knew the guy). Luckily, the guy was online and looked up the clinical study data about the cream. It turns out that the bone problems caused by the cream only occurred in rats, and only when they INGESTED like 25 times the hazardous dose of the stuff. Also, only a small percentage of their fetuses had any problems. Apparently in the testing they did on humans with the cream, after 4 weeks of use, no amount of the drug was detected in people's bloodstreams. So, although the cream has not been tested in pregnant women, and I am going to stop using it, there is most likely no harm done. Of course, I am still a little nervous, but not real bad. I'm going to call my ob-gyn on Monday and see what he says.
Oops, gotta go, my dinner is ready!

[Tiger]

beacooker- I too thought the delivery was the easiest part of the pregnancy. But my story wasnt' tipicle, thank goodness. I was in the hospital for one month with preeclampcia trying to hang on. One day the baby was doing really bad. I couldn't feel any movement, they did a few tests and rushed me to the OR and did an emegancy C-section. As soon as my son was born he couldn't breath on his own so they tubed him and rushed him to NICU. I took a turn for the worst so they rushed me off to ICU. I couldn't see him for 24hrs or hold him for a week. I wouldn't be telling pregnant people this story if it wasn't for the fact that I can end it with my son with be 5 in two days and is a healthy, happy boy.
The c-section was easy. I had a spinal and was awake the whole time. They put a pain killer in the spinal at the end which helps with pain for 24hrs. This was great. I kept waiting for the pain to come but it never did. I didn't even need an asprin. I felt like I got away with murder, I didn't even have a contraction. I said the c-section was my gift after my difficult prenancy.

[KristaMB]

Kristi, I guess in comparison to pregnancy, labor is rather short. I never thought of it like that! I haven't minded being pg too much. Did you have hard pregnancies, or is was it the cumbersome-ness (?) that you didn't like?

Tiger, I also read your story on the Weekend Board. I will definitely be keeping you in my thoughts over the next 10 months. Best of luck to you!

Anne, what a relief that you were able to find the data on the cream and that you could relieve your horror. It sounds like it will all work out for the best.

[Tiger]

I have a question for you girls. When did you start wearing maternity clothes? I'm only 11 weeks (second pregnancy) but my size 6 shorts are getting a little snug, especially by night. I don't look pregnant so it would be silly to start wearing maternity clothes. So now I'm stuck in the my clothes are not comforable but I'm not ready for maternity clothes stage. Aggh!

[shoyski]

Congratulations, Tiger! What an exciting time for you......will definitely keep you in my prayers. We were told over three years ago we couldn't have children so Dave and I refer to ours as the "miracle child."

To answer your question about clothes, Tiger, I think I'm one of the lucky ones. I'm only growing in the front, not the sides, so I"ve been able to wear quite a bit of clothing except for pants. I think I grew out of those sometime around the fourth or fifth month. Jeans were definitely the first to go! I'm wearing a tank dress today that's one of my normal old dresses so I'm a bad person to ask. Remember, though, even though your little boy is five, your stomach muscles have already been stretched and those of us on our first kids have an advantage over you as far as how fast we "pooch out."

BeaCooker, what a very scary deal on the cream. When I hit my fourth month, the itching was driving me crazy so I went to my dermatologist. (No one had told me it was normal to itch that much.) Long story short, my regular doctor wasn't in and I saw an extremely mean and rude dude who prescribed a cream that wasn't safe........even though I pointed out during the exam I was pregnant and leary of using stuff. Luckily, my smart husband said something to the pharmacologist about my pregnancy and was told to not use the cream. I swear, I was so pissed I wrote a note to the doctor. But my goodness, I was so relieved that Dave thought to get a second opinion! So I can understand how you feel and I'm glad your husband was able to get a quick answer. It's easy to beat yourself up over things since you're the one carrying the baby but we all need our family, friends and doctors to help us learn since we don't start out an expert on pregnancy. Not that we end up one either! ;)

[KristaMB]

Tiger, I didn't start wearing maternity clothes until I was about 5 months, but my normal clothes were uncomfortable way before then. I was fortunate enough to have somebody loan me some clothes that weren't maternity, but that were stretchy/ roomier that she had worn during her pregnancy. I also picked up some basic stretchy outfits from the clearance rack at Target to hold me over until I could wear maternity items.

If you wear tops that are a little long, you can zip up your pants/ shorts as far as they can go, then fold down the corners. I did that for quite a while. Also, do you know the rubberband trick? Stick a rubberband through the buttonhole on your pants, then loop it through itself and attach the end to the button. It will give you a few extra inches. Also, with some of my "normal" clothes, I was able to roll the waist band down, so it rested on my hips, but sat under my "pooch." I'm wearing "normal" drawstring pants today using this method.

Hopefully this will help you stretch your wardrobe a little!

Take care,
Krista

[beacooker]

I'm 16 weeks and not in maternity clothes yet. All my regular clothes were getting very uncomfortable, so I bought a bunch of elastic waist clothes a few weekends ago. They are very comfy, and should last me several more weeks, at least! Saying goodbye to my jeans was the saddest part, since I practically lived in them. I did find a pair of jean-like pants with an elastic waist that I am wearing today. The part that is really ticking me off is that my shoes are starting to fit a little tight. I was prepared to have to buy new clothes, but not new shoes, too!

[djoygirl]

Beacooker, I can definitely identify with you on the face cream. I was using retin-a cream, as well as taking some powerful antibiotics (which were clearly marked not to take if pregnant or trying). I had no idea I was pregnant for almost 5 weeks (we weren't trying) and I freaked out when I realized I'd been using this stuff all that time.
Of course, I stopped them both right away, and the dr, says not to worry. It's hard not to, but I finally got over it. It won't do me any good to stress out about it.

On another subject, is foot growth like morning sickness? Or is it pretty much standard for everyone? I am dreading the thought of my feet getting any bigger. I already wear size 9 1/2 - 10! I'll be mortified if they grow:(

[shoyski]

Djoygirl, my feet have stayed the same so hopefully you won't have this problem.

My good friend had her baby early this morning and did it all natural. Dave and I were supposed to start our first childbirth class this evening but our teacher was my friend's doula and she begged off because she wouldn't be 100%.

Get this.....the doula told me when she and my friend arrived at the hospital last night (and my friend was having contractions every five minutes) the hospital refused to open up the natural birthing center because they didn't really think she was in labor.
Apparently my friend can walk, talk and do it all without a grimace or scream...talk about focused! They finally convinced the nurses it was for real and my friend had her baby in the big whirlpool tub, sans any medication. I have to say, I am impressed. This is the friend who invited Dave and me to witness the delivery. I'm glad I didn't because I doubt I can "measure up" to that kind of stoicism.





















5

[djoygirl]

What is a doula, exactly? Do they do massage, or something? Someone please clear this up for me?

[mb]

hello everyone!

Tiger and djoygirl, congratulations on your pregnancies! djoygirl, i see also that you're almost a neighbor of mine, living in south florida! :) anne, we are still a ways from st augustine...you are much closer living in orlando. i think it would be a 5-6 hour drive for us. i've been there once or twice though. it's an interesting place.

while i was pregnant, i basically wore the same pair of sandals every day. they are those platform sandals with a wide mesh stretchy band across the top. they did get a bit stretched out while i was pregnant, but they still fit just fine. my sneakers also felt a bit tight towards the end, but i didn't feel like i needed another size. after i had the baby, my feet went back to 'normal'. anne, it's a good idea to have some bigger, roomy, stretchy clothes, because you will be able to wear them after the baby also. now, my old clothes don't quite fit again, and some of the maternity clothes are way too big. so i'm back to wearing drawstring pants and stretchy shorts!

anne, sorry you're unhappy with your doctor. honestly, i don't know why some people become doctors... oh, and wait until you get to the hospital. chances are, you'll encounter some mean nurses. again, why do these mean people become nurses?!? to torture sick people?!? i guess i could have been happier w/ my doctor, but everything was ok. she didn't show up until about 20 mintues before the baby came out. otherwise, a really nice nurse was with me the whole time. i guess my dr was ok and knowledgeable, but she was very monotone and didn't seem to have much 'personality'. oh well - i wanted a dr, not a comedian! also, i wonder how another dr would have handled my polyhydramnios (too much amniotic fluid). sometiems i wonder if it was such a good idea to induce so early... but i'd say to go with your gut feeling - if your dr's decisions make you uneasy, definitely find someone you're more comfortable with. it's still early enough to do that.

i didn't really have morning sickness where i was throwing up, however, i did have a diminished appetite. i'm one of those people who sits down w/ my CL's each week and plans the menu for the week... in the first few weeks of pregnancy, nothing was appetizing....

well, i'd better get to some housework while baby amanda is still sleeping! she's finally sleeping about 5-6 hours at night, followed by another 4 hour nap. she's such a good girl. we go back to the dr on august 3 for her 2 month checkup. then we'll see how big she is... she's definitely getting bigger, but all her 0-3 month clothes still fit!

marisa

[shoyski]

Djoygirl, check out the following website and look on the left hand
side for Doula......that should give you more info on doulas.

http://www.birthsource.com/

This is the website of the people who are doing the birthing classes for Dave and me. Tonight is our first class! After working really late last night, I'm SUPER glad we decided to take private classes so I can just go home, crash on our comfy couch and listen.

Marisa, glad to hear Amanda is doing well and is a good baby. You sound like things are going well....I sure hope so!

[MrsReber]

Hi Everyone! It's been a while. Casey is falling into kind of a routine now. She's getting huge! She's 24 inches long and 12 1/2 pounds! She's on the tall side. She's only 2 months and she's growing out of the 0-3 month clothes!

Well, I don't know about anyone else, but I think my feet did grow a little bit. I was wearing a size 7 1/2 and my sneakers now feel a little snug. I went to buy a new pair and none of the size 7 1/2 sneakers fit me!!

Ugh, I hated when people touched me without asking! How rude! It's still your body. My SIL would do that everytime I saw her. I was like "did you pat my stomach before I was pregnant? No? Then don't do it now". Of course, I could never say that to her. Now she takes off with my baby when I see her. Well, we showed her. We went to church with her because she wanted us to meet the reverend who will perform her wedding ceremony tomorrow. She took Casey from me the second we got to the church and then went and sat in a row of seats- she was on one end, me and my nervous husband on the other end. Then Casey pooped all over her aunt!! It was all over her pants! Needless to say, I got my baby handed back to me.

Well, I'm sure all the new moms have tons of stories- I hope we can offer some 'wisdom' to those about to become moms. It's so incredilbe. You wait 9 months for this big event and then your whole life changes- not just the fact that you have a child, but the whole world is somehow different. I only have 2 1/2 more weeks until I'm back at work. So depressing. I wish the time would go more slowly. I almost miss being pregnant- yes, I'm sure that sounds crazy to those of you who can't sleep and have aches and pains, but I'd do it again in a second. And I will do it again. Maybe next year after Casey's first birthday. She needs a sibling!

Good luck to all of you!!!
Susan