November 06 Mommies ~ The 3rd Trimester!!!

[mermccau]

Anyone have a surge of hormones?
My irritability has increased lately. Also, and this is a bigger sign, I have times recently where I feel like I am burning up. Anyone else experiencing this?

[lilo]

Good morning everyone! I am so happy to hit the 30 week mark today. I really feel that the end of the pregnancy is in sight, which I'm really excited about. I am ready to be done with pregnancy (I hope that doesn't come off as ungrateful but you know what I mean) and ready to meet my baby. :)

Scrapbook: I've thought about getting some kind of album that I can include things like my u/s pictures, shower invitation, etc. but I figured I'd wait to see if I get one as a present first.

Hospital Bag: Honestly, I haven't even thought about this but will probably get something ready by end of next month. Luckily my mom lives near us so if I happen to go into labor before my bag is packed, I can easily have her get me some things.

Is anyone getting concerned or afraid of childbirth?
YES!! I am really, really nervous about the entire labor and delivery process. I don't have a high tolerance of pain (I will definitely be getting an epi as soon as they let me) and just don't like to be uncomfortable, in general. I'm also really, really afraid of tearing down there and the postpartum stuff I keep hearing about (I never knew how much bleeding there was! sorry if TMI). But obviously millions of women go through it so I'll manage somehow too.

Anyone else have a decrease in movements?? : Not really although he is definitely more active on some days than others. Yesterday, he was really quiet until the late afternoon, which stressed me out by early evening, he was kicking up a storm again. :D Today, he's been really active already so I'm happy. It's definitely going to be nerve wrecking for me when I do have a decrease in movements. When does this usually happen? 35 weeks or so?

Anyone have a surge of hormones?: I would have to say yes because I've definitely been more irritable lately. I don't know if that's because I'm just tired all the time or just ready to feel like my old self again. I am usually super cold all the time so feeling warm most of the time is a good thing for me right now.

Elllidew: You do have a great attitude towards childbirth. I should probably follow suit.

Rancid: Sorry to hear about your itchy skin issues. Thankfully the weather is cooling down now so hopefully that will help a little. My shower is this weekend too! I can't wait. It's amazing how fast time is flying, isn't it?

Sinclair: Sorry to hear that you got sick this morning. Not fun. I had that happen once to me too when I took the prenatal vitamin first and then tried to eat a PB&J sandwich right afterwards. It didn't work. Ick. I guess the vitamins are really strong.

Franni: Wow, your labor sounds really easy in terms of how smooth everything went. Were your contractions really painful before you went to the hospital?

[nic]

Sinclair- Sorry to hear you weren't feeling so good this morning. At least you actual remember to take your prenatal vitamin.

mermccau My emotions are all over the place lately that I can barely stand myself! I told DH a few months back that people should just stop talking to me come October but I think I need to revise that to stop talking to me now! I have three moods- happy, sad and pissed and I think I feel each emotion equally.

I'm burning up too, I sleep with an ice cold face cloth on head some nights.

[roberta]

We had another US today to check the placement of the placenta. Ladies, who aren't getting additional an US, you aren't missing anything. Seriously, they had me in there looked at the baby (we didn't even see his face), measured heartbeat and quickly decided to a vaginal US. No pics. The vag US did show that the placenta has moved- hooray!- and the baby is head down and very close to the cervix.

WARNING For the mommas in the United States. There is a big news warning about bagged spinach infected with E. coli. One person has died and several otehrs are infected. They have not been able to identify a brand, lot number or how many bags or how many states may be affected. They are recommending everyone THROW AWAY YOUR BAGGED SPINACH. I have taken microbiology classes and E.coli is very dangerous to pregnant mommas and their babies.

fears of childbirth? I flucate on this. I think I am more scared of postpartum and being a momma than the childbirth part. I mean, millons of women do this every single day and my body was made to grow babies and give birth. I have been having some pretty interesting contractions over the past few weeks. Yesterday, I had some that were so strong, I just naturally started deep breathing. It was reassuring because it made me feel that my body will know what to naturally when the time comes. But on the other hand, I know too much about the stuff that can go wrong. I just try not to think about because most of it is out of my control.

decrease in movements? I am having a little less moving and more contractions. And sometimes I can't tell the difference between the two. It seems so early for this!

scarpbooking? I have thought about this. I am not sure I have the patience or money for it. I do want to find some type of baby book/album to save and note all of the milestones.

[ellidew]

Bagged spinach- I saw that on cnn this morning. Thanks for posting the warning. I generally try to stay away from bagged lettuce and spinach, etc... just to be safe because a few years back there was a bagged lettuce recall for something similar. I saw the info on dateline right after we got pg so i have been avoiding it ever since.

roberta- hooray for the placenta moving!!

[bijouparvin]

roberta - Thanks for posting the warning about spinach. My stepmom called me this AM to let me know, since I've been trying to fix my anemia with spinach. I found This Article (http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/09/15/BAGARL68QF20.DTL&type=health) about it. I guess it's back to Reese's for me. :p
Also, yay for your placenta getting out of the way. It does seem unusual for you to have so many contractions at this stage. What does your doc say about it?

[Rancid13]

Anyone else have a decrease in movements?? If anything, I think there’s been an increase in movements for me, or at least an increase in the strength of the movements so they’re more noticeable. Before, I would only notice the movements at night while resting (watching tv, in bed) but now I feel them morning noon and night! This morning at my dr’s appt he was kicking around so much when we were listening to the heartbeat, I thought he was trying to kick the Doppler off my belly!

Anyone have a surge of hormones? I think so! I’ve found that lately it doesn’t take much to upset me, and even the tiniest things set me off. I’m trying hard to be nice, especially with DH, but I feel like I’m having a really tough time controlling my emotions these days. Hopefully it’ll calm down soon!

Roberta~ Yay for the placenta moving! That’s great news!!


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I’m just copying and pasting this from my LJ post...apologies in advance about any profanity or typos.

Wouldn't you know it....


The week I'm able to get myself to eat and enjoy salads again, this pops up.

http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/e-coli-cases-traced-to-bagged-spinach/20060914195709990002?ncid=NWS00010000000001

So my lovely baby spinach & grilled chicken salad w/grape tomatoes, 1/2 an avocado and red onion slices sits in the fridge untouched and now I get to figure out what to have for lunch today instead of that. :( Booo!!


I had my 29 week doctor's appointment this morning. Hubby forgot the appt again. I did my 'reminder call' to him that he's requested, and he'd completely forgotten about it for the 2nd time (last time was on my bday) and didn't make it, no big deal though.

The big deal is that apparently my blood pressure is higher than they'd like it (wouldn't you know that my bp was also high the last appt he forgot, and the appt he made us late to?), but just the same the dr wants me to buy a blood pressure monitor and monitor my bp at home every day. If it continues to stay above the #'s she wants it to be at, I'm to come back in immediately and get thoroughly checked out and proceed to go on bedrest until 36w. Nice!!! :rolleyes:

I also need to get more bloodwork done in the meantime. She said something about it not being unusual in women's first pregnancies towards the end, something about pre-eclampsia I think it's called?? So we'll see how that goes. Hopefully it's just hubby that's causing me stress/high bp and all will be well. You'd think that 30-minutes of walking in the park on my lunch break and 45 minutes of prenatal yoga would lower my stress level/bp...apparently not.:confused:


I was just reading the Week 29 chapter of my Pregnancy Week by Week book last night and it was all about pre-eclampsia and bed rest and there was this section about things to do to keep from being bored if you're on bed rest. I read through that and thought how much it would suck if I were put on bedrest....as if I don't feel lazy enough already, sitting on my ass all day long @ work!! Geez.

My boss didn't help me feel any better after I told him the situation and potential for bedrest. He said he could see this being a Halloween baby, he wouldn't be surprised if the little one arrived that early. I sure freaking hope not!!! Here's hoping my bp #'s are normal @ home!!


The good news of the day is that I'm measuring at 30cm, so that's right on track for being just over 29w along. No idea what my weight is/was, she didn’t share that w/me (probably because of the tears on my part last time she told me, LOL!!) but according to my home scale, I’m up just over 20lbs over my pre-pg weight.

[bijouparvin]

rancid - So sorry to hear about your DH not making the appointment and your BP issues. I really hope it turns out to be nothing and you're able to go about your business while your little guy cooks in there for a lot longer! Keep us posted!

[Rancid13]

rancid - So sorry to hear about your DH not making the appointment and your BP issues. I really hope it turns out to be nothing and you're able to go about your business while your little guy cooks in there for a lot longer! Keep us posted!

Thanks! I'm hoping for the best too!! DH thinks it's his fault b/c he thinks I got stressed out that he wasn't going to be at the appt. Honestly I felt fine with it, so I was a bit surprised when the doc said that my bp was higher than she'd like it to be. :confused:

And I forgot to mention, my next appt is on September 29. They've got me on the bi-weekly checkups from now on, to keep me properly monitored and whatnot.

[Toonces]

mermccau ~ How exciting about the Bahamas trip! We took DD to the Bahamas when she was 3-4 months old and it was fine. Well, fine except for the 4 legs of our airplane flights. She was not good on the plane. :( The only thing that sucked was we couldn't use sunblock on her b/c she was under 6 months old, so we stayed in the shade the entire time. It was a business trip for DH, so it was free. Re irritability and hot flashes. I had both BIG time about 2-3 weeks ago and it lasted for 2 weeks. This week I'm not nearly as irritable and the hot flashes are gone. It was weird having those though!

Afraid of childbirth ~ I'm excited. I was excited the first time too and ended up being induced for med reasons and couldn't have an epidural b/c of previous back surgery. I was in AWFUL pain from the Pitocin contrax, but the minute DD came out I seriously wanted to do it all over again. So I figure I've been through the worst and I can do it again. I'll need to be induced again at 40 weeks b/c of GD and erratic BP, so I'm going to start acupuncture for induction around 38 weeks.

rancid ~ I'm sorry about your skin. That's gotta be so uncomfortable. Is it at least getting cooler where you are? I'm also sorry about your recent visit. Do you know what your BP was? I had mild pre-e with DD and was tested for it this time around, with a neg result. I was on bedrest for 3 months during my 1st pregnancy and actually enjoyed it (I'm weird that way). ;) I hope you get good BP results at home.

Scrapbooking ~ I've kind of 1/2way made a book for DD and like Kat, couldn't find time to finish it. One thing I've done to make up for that is I use Shutterfly for all of DD's pictures and I made picture books for 0-3 months, 4-6 months, 7-9 months, 10-12 months, 13-18 months and will do another for 19-24 months soon. That's made me feel a little better about getting my pics in order.

Decrease in movement ~ Not really, but Devin hasn't been a very active baby at all. DD was crazy active, so much so that every time they checked her heartrate it took forever b/c she'd swim all over the place. Devin has pretty much stayed put and kicks maybe 5-7 instances/day, 8-10 kicks/instance. I'm hoping this means he'll be mild mannered. :) DD is very "high needs" so we need a calmer baby this time.

Sinclair ~ Oh no...! I'm so sorry. That's gotta feel awful. Reminds me of the m/s I had in 1st tri. I'm sorry you're going through this again. Hopefully it was just from having an empty stomach with your PNV.

Postpartum stuff ~ Other ROs correct me if I'm wrong here... my postpartum stuff wasn't bad at all. I had an episiotomy with 3rd degree tears, and since I couldn't have an epi I couldn't be numbed for one of my internal stitches. I also bled for 3 months after having DD (rarely happens that long and it was just pantiliner blood). Given all that, I was in very minimal pain after delivery. The nurses kept pushing 800 mg of Ibuprofen which I kept refusing b/c I honestly felt fine. The blood afterwards was like a really heavy period and only heavy like that for 5-7 days. After the first week it was like the beginning or end of a period. I used the squirt bottle with warm water, anti-itch cream, and Tucks pads for hemorrhoids (as hard and as long as I pushed, 2.25 hours, I only popped one rhoid), and the area "down there" was fine - no itching, no burning and only mild discomfort.

I hope I didn't miss anyone! I feel like I've rambled enough.

[ppwgal]

Happy Friday! We moved last weekend and I think I'm still recovering. Either that or I've been hit with a bunch of hormones and fatigue which it sounds like a few of you are also experiencing. In any case, I'm glad it's FRIDAY and I hope to get a lot of rest this weekend. I'm also hoping to start to set up the nursery this weekend.

Is anyone using a doula or thinking about hiring one?
I'm using a birth doula. While my doctor gives me confidence that she is 100% competent, she is by no means warm and fuzzy. I want someone by my side to be supportive. And since we have no family in the area, I didn't want all that responsibility to fall on my husband's shoulders since it's his first time too. So I'm hoping the doula will help fill this supportive role for us.

Godparents
If we have godparents, we know who'll they'll be. But we haven't been to church since we got married, so we're not sure where we'd do the baptism. I think we're going to wait and decide after the baby is born.

Have any of you packed your bag(s) for the hospital yet?
Nope. Probably in a couple of weeks.

Is anyone getting concerned or afraid of childbirth?
A bit. We started childbirth classes last week and the first video freaked me out a bit. But I keep thinking of all the people I know who have been through this already and it makes me feel calmer.

[RubberSoul]

I don't know if I am going to catch everything that has been discussed over the last few pages. I am going to do my best to catch up!

pubic bone pain- I haven't had this happen to me. He likes to kick my hip bones, but it hasn't been painful so far.

scrapbook- I haven't even gotten our wedding album pictures ordered much less into an album. I have been telling myself I am going to get that done before baby gets here, but it still hasn't happened yet. I hope that I can get myself organized enough to keep future baby pics and stuff in one place. Maybe I will get the motivation to scrapbook it one day.

Concerned/afraid of childbirth?- I honestly think that I am in denial at this point. I am still focused on getting the nursery together and haven't given myself time to worry about childbirth. If I freak out about it, it will probably be when I get closer to my EDD.

decrease in movement?- No, I think he moves more. Maybe it is just that I can feel him more now. Yesterday he was moving non-stop for like 4 hours!

hormones- YES! I have become so irritable lately. I have two moods -happy and pissed off. Unfortunately for DH he has been encountering pissed off a lot lately.

Sorry for no SO's. I am just way to far behind to even attempt them.

I hope everyone has a good weekend!

[neenbean]

Anyone have a surge of hormones?
My irritability has increased lately. Also, and this is a bigger sign, I have times recently where I feel like I am burning up. Anyone else experiencing this?
Unfortunately, yes and YES! I just got a hot flash moments before reading your post! Ugh. My irritability is like a roller coaster- some moments are far better than others. :o

Scrapbooking~I have DD's first year *nearly* done. I started a new album for DC#2 and just did pre-made pages that I *plan* to fill in during the baby's first year... Seeing as DD is 18 months, I doubt that will happen exactly when I should, but at least the pages are started and just need photos and a couple extra stickers or journaling.

Concerned/afraid of childbirth?I have mixed feelings. I am excited, calm, happy and also nervous but only because I am having a c-section again. I know what to expect since this is my 2nd time around, but I also have normal concerns that any surgery, no matter how "routine" can go horribly wrong. I am just hoping for the best and trying to be emotionally prepared for less than that. I sounds so pessimistic.

decrease in movement~ actually, no. Baby is moving as I type and continues to do so throughout the day. :) DH felt the baby move today for the first time!!!! It was very exciting for both of us!!! :)

Have any of you packed your bag(s) for the hospital yet?
No, but I did buy a new light-weight robe to wear at the hospital yesterday. We were at Macy's and their sale was awesome! The total was $7.32, including tax. Yippeeee!!!

Postpartum stuff~ Like I mentioned before, I had a c/s. My incision was sore, numb and itchy all at once for at least a few months. However, the pain was never so bad that I needed drugs for it after the first week. I bled like I had my period FULL ON for at least 3 weeks, possibly longer, then it slowly lessened, so by 5 or 6 weeks, I only had a tiny bit of discharge daily- like pantyliner heavy. My emotions were fairly balanced, but I cried easily- even if I was happy- for about 10 days. I was never really sad or any of that other awful stuff, thank God! I did feel overwhelmed by BFing, but I had other reasons for that. I have concerns that I may have PP emotional issues this time- just dealing with 2 under 2 seems overwhelming- but my DH is well aware of my concerns and has permission to mention it to my doc if I am in denial.


I hope I got all the topics posted recently!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We had our OB visit yesterday and all was well! I passed the GST so that feels good. I gained a 1/2 pound, I think~ 12.5 total now. BP, baby's HR and uterine measurement were all good. I had a nurse practioner at this visit. She is nice, but super quick and does not tell you any details unless you ask clearly. My next appointment is September 27th and with a midwife- which I think is hilarious as I will be having a c/s and won't need her, but it is cool to meet all the people in the practice. :-)

[scarlett74]

Anyone else have a decrease in movements??, I also noticed that the baby is less moving (but he's every day tougher and sometimes hurts!). I think it's because they are growing and have less space.

Is anyone getting concerned or afraid of childbirth? I don't want to think about it, so even if I'm every day more afraid, I keep saying to myself "We'll think about it THAT day!" ;)

roberta, that's great! I'm glad your placenta moved! Keep trying to stay on the side while you're in bed.
neenbean, congratulations on passing the GST!

[brio96]

Postpartum stuff~ Like I mentioned before, I had a c/s. My incision was sore, numb and itchy all at once for at least a few months. However, the pain was never so bad that I needed drugs for it after the first week. I bled like I had my period FULL ON for at least 3 weeks, possibly longer, then it slowly lessened, so by 5 or 6 weeks, I only had a tiny bit of discharge daily- like pantyliner heavy. My emotions were fairly balanced, but I cried easily- even if I was happy- for about 10 days. I was never really sad or any of that other awful stuff, thank God! I did feel overwhelmed by BFing, but I had other reasons for that. I have concerns that I may have PP emotional issues this time- just dealing with 2 under 2 seems overwhelming- but my DH is well aware of my concerns and has permission to mention it to my doc if I am in denial.

Neenbean You put my thoughts into words about this! My pain was a little bit longer in duration (at my 6 week appointment I still had a limp because I couldn't totally walk upright) but I weaned myself off the heavy duty drugs within a week. My biggest concern afterwards was getting nursing right and once I started having success with that, things got a lot easier.

Nervous about childbirth Yes, but only because I'm going to attempt it differently this time (VBAC) instead of knowing what will happen with a c-section. I suppose though that if I can't do the VBAC like I want then I won't be nervous but more dissapointed. I'm more nervous about the after delivery part where I have to take care of a two year old and a newborn. Nervous about how DD is going to react when little sister doesn't go away and she can't get Mommy's attention quite so quickly.

Decrease in movements Nope! If anything, this one is even more active than DD and rarely stops moving even when I'm moving around. Either she's getting it all out of her system now and will be a totally relaxed newborn or I'm in for a wild ride!

Surge of hormones/hot flashes Why are you asking me this??? :mad: :mad: Just kidding!! There are definitely some moments where my emotions completely spiral out of control and I can't form a rational thought to save my life. I get irritated at DD more easily than I did before (probably a combination of hormones and her newfound desire to do EVERYTHING herself) and DH is lucky if a day goes by without my giving him some "you're a complete idiot look". As far as hot flashes....even if I have the a.c. going at full blast, I still think it's about a million degrees whereever I am. I hate it.

Bags packed Almost done but it's only because DH is "pressuring me" to do it earlier than usual this time around. DD was originally due 12/31 and when she came 12/1 I was pretty unprepared and walked around at 3 in the morning throwing random stuff in a bag. But, beyond toiletries, slippers and a few of the things on the lists already posted I'm packing pretty light this time since I used almost none of what I brought last time. DD's bag is almost packed for her stay at a friend's house when I'm actually in labor.

Scrapbooking I was sort of into this before DD was born so I just kept going with it. I'm almost caught up with recent events but am not sure how detailed of a record I'm going to be able to keep with #2. I might wind up doing premade books from snapfish or Kodak gallery just to make sure that things are recorded. I really like scrapbooking though, so I hope I'll be able to do some if not all of the types of pages I did for DD.


I'm getting oddly concerned about a repeat of preterm labor. Over the past two weeks, I've been in the doctor's with really severe stomach cramps and a general feeling of something not being right. They checked my cervix (boy, I had forgotten how much fun that exam is) and even monitored me for contrax and both times there was no sign of anything amiss. They figured it was just a stomach bug. I'm sure that it is probably just that, but I get nervous when my back starts really hurting, I see an increase in vaginal secretions (am I the only one????) and my BH contrax are semi frequent. I'm probably just a little paranoid and am easily mistaking the common issues of pregnancy with my fear of going too early this time. Ugh. I am so ready for this to be over!!!!

[roberta]

preterm labor Actually, brio, I was just coming into post about this. I am having BH contrax every single day through out the day. They aren't regular, but they get more intense in the late afternoon and evening. Some I have to do a little breathing through just because they hurt! Since I had placenta previa, I haven't had any vaginal exams/cerivx checks and it makes me a little nervous too. The only reason I haven't called the doc is because they aren't regular at all and I haven't had any other signs. Maybe they just are BX contraxs and I just need to deal with it for the next 8 weeks! Since this has continued for a few days and today I am having pressure down low, I think I am going to call tomorrow. Of course, they will ask me to come in and I won't have any contrax! :rolleyes: Better safe than sorry!

We had our childbirth class this weekend. I highly recommend it for those who are nervous about giving birth. It helped give me a better idea of what to expect and made me feel more like I can actually do this. I feel more confident both in my self and in DH's ability to be a supportive coach. It also gve us an opprotunity to talk about our plans for the birth. DH really enjoyed it too. Funny thing- he was the only guy to raise his hand when the instructor asked if anyone had witnessed a birth. :cool: His sister was born at home and his parents had him stay home from school that day.

[acrane]

I'm sorry I get so behind in here but I've been thinking about you guys! :) I can't believe we're in the home stretch! I have my 30 week appointment tomorrow, so I'll be back to post after that but wanted to answer some of the QOTD while I had a second...

Scrapbooking - yes, I do this! I'm not the super creative type but I try! I am caught up through the start of this summer I think, so I'm pretty much on track.

Concerned/afraid of childbirth? - not really. Even though I had a vacuum assisted birth and episiotomy last time around, I think everything went fairly smoothly and anticipate an equally uneventful experience this time. Famous last words! :)

Decrease in movement - Matthew is much quieter during the day and then quite active at night. I don't think I feel him move 10 times an hour or anything like that but he does move around enough where I'm not worried.

Have any of you packed your bag(s) for the hospital yet?
No. Like other RO's have said, don't bring too much with you. Use the maxi pads from the hospital, the mesh undies (which I felt pinched a little but maybe I got too small a size!), the hospital gown until maybe the day after delivery when you have more visitors, etc. I pulled out my insurance info from 2/04 when Andrew was born to give you an idea of how crazy the charges are (I requested an itemized list of charges from the hospital). For example:
1 Ibuprofen 800mg tab = $10.75
1 Mesh panty = $36.75
If you plan on formula feeding, take all the single serve bottles you can, along with any onesies, pacifiers, hats or whatever they use on your baby. You'll probably be charged for it anyway!

Postpartum stuff - I knew there would be bleeding but holy cow! I bled for 5 weeks, had my 6 week check-up and then got my period again at 7 weeks. Yuck! I hear if you breastfeed though that you can go up to a year without getting your period again, so another plus to bf! You'll be wearing pads for a while, and you'll be sore for a few days 'down there'. What I didn't expect was for my tailbone to be so sore. It still bothers me to this day, and I guess that is one thing I'm dreading about delivery. But, all in all, recovery wasn't too bad, honestly!

Hormones - not really bothering me yet. I did have the baby blues for about a week after Andrew was born where I cried a ton. It sucked but once that week was over thankfully I was fine.

Godparents - we are Catholic and have not baptized Andrew yet. :o We lived in FL when he was born and planned on having the ceremony at a church we were fairly new to. They told us that we had to provide documentation on church letterhead saying that my brother (the godfather) and dh's sister (godmother) were regular church-goers. Neither of them attend church, so this would be impossible. I understand the role of a godparent in the Catholic faith is to be a role model and supporter of the religion to the child but this seemed a bit extreme. The kicker was when the coordinator wrapped up our conversation by saying to be sure to mail our weekly offerings in the envelopes they provided if we weren't going to make it to service so they would know "how much we'd given." She followed that up with, "I shouldn't have said that." Um, yeah. So, we moved to Alabama a little over a year ago and have not joined a church here. All that to say that we would like to have our kids baptized as we were but have been a little turned off by what we've experienced so far.

Doula - not going to use one but I hear they are fantastic.

Pubic bone pain - yes, and soreness in the inner thigh region. Once the babies drop (and they'll start soon!), the achiness might get worse. But, the heartburn and breathing usually get better!

Dh finally put together the dresser for the nursery last night. Yahoo! We still have to clean out the office/guest room to move it in, but at least it is something. The crib is not yet assembled, and I haven't bought the bedding yet, but we'll get there. No baby shower this time around, but luckily we don't need much, especially clothes since we'll have two boys.

[lisainpink]

Acrane- I didn't know you live in Alabama!! I live in a suburb of Huntsville- and am Catholic. I have lived in Birmingham, Florence, Decatur- so if you would like a Parish suggestion- please let me know!

Ramdom responses to QOTDs:

Baptism/Godparents We are fairly devout Catholics- so we have been weighing this decision heavily. We are the Godparents for my neice- but SIL and BIL don't attend Mass regularly- and we intend for the Godparents to have an active role in our son's religous education. UGH- I don't want to hurt feelings, but I just don't see us choosing SIL and BIL. We plan to hold the ceremony over the holidays when all the family is in town. Normally, our Parish doesn't do Baptisms during Advent, but our Priest said he thinks they'll find the time (he gave me my 1st Communion, Confirmed me, and Married us.)

Nervous about L&D Yep. Starting to freak me out a bit. I went through childbirth classes- but for some reason, I'm still freaked a tad.

Hospital Bag Haven't even considered it! I'll be 32 weeks this week- so I'll figure it out sometime in the next moth;) .

Movement? He moves bunches- but all on one side! I haven't felt a thing on the left side for weeks- but he is tearing the right side to bits!

Hormones I will say I am a bit short tempered.;)

Question for RO- or those who have asked: I have a meeting to attend in a couple of weeks- that I will need to travel to. The meeting is about 4 hours drive from where I live and I will be 34 weeks. Any input on if it is okay to travel- did any of your OBs restrict how far?

Hope you are all doing well.

[bijouparvin]

Dropping off the latest belly shots:

31 weeks

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/bijoudiva/31w2.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/bijoudiva/31w3.jpg

I officially feel big. I'm slower and it takes me twice as long to sit down and stand up. :rolleyes:

[Toonces]

ppwgal ~ Congrats on the move. I bet you're relieved to have that over with! Did you get to work on the nursery this weekend?

neenbean ~ Congrats on passing the GST!!

brio ~ I'm concerned about PTL and pre-term contrax, too. I had pre-term contrax with DD and that started happening in the mid-30s week. They didn't dilate me, but I was still in the hosp 3 times. Oh, and I've definitely had an increase in discharge. Much more so than with DD. :o

roberta ~ Are you going to call your OB today? Let us know what happens. I've had a lot of pressure down low, too (didn't have that with DD). Hopefully like you said it's just BH contrax. That's awesome that your DH saw his sister's birth!

acrane ~ I had the baby blues last time, too. In a way I'm glad I know about it, but I'm also afraid that it'll be worse this time, esp since this is our last. Congrats on the nursery dresser! Did you get any more done this weekend?

lisainpink/travel @ 34 weeks ~ I think that'll be fine as long as you're not having pre-term contrax/labor or any other complications. I think they even let you fly until you're 36 or 37 weeks (maybe even later).

bijouparvin ~ You look awesome! You're all baby! :)

QOTD weird dreams? ~ Last night I had the weirdest dream... first I was in the Supernova band (from Rockstar: Supernova) :rolleyes: and I was making out with Gilby Clark. The weird part was I was living in a dorm, got up to go to the bathroom and there was blood in my underwear. When I stood up to look in the toilet, there was a ton of blood, like a period, and my stomach was a lot flatter. I don't know what either part of my dream had to do with anything, but it freaked me out (the blood part).

[Esq.]

I am far too behind for SO's, so I guess I will just answer QOTDs:


Scrapbooking- I am not a craftsy girl. Never have been, and I am pretty sure that will never change. I did buy a baby book, and I have started to fill that out.

Concerned/afraid of childbirth?- We had our first childbirth class this past Saturday, and the video did freak me out a bit. I was very surprised by all the completely nude women giving birth. I cannot really figure out why it is necessary to be completely naked when giving birth. All I can say is that I will have problem enough being naked from the waist down. I feel like a fat hog and am covered in cellulite. As such, I will not be displaying my hug, swollen breasts in addition to my cottage cheese ass.

Decrease in movement - yes, and it actually concerns me. I have mentioned it a few times to my doctors, but they always reassure me that it is fine. She was a very active baby, and now she just wiggles sometimes...no more kicking. In fact, she has barely moved this morning. Of course, I am usually asleep at this time, so that might be why. I am going to do a kick test after I eat some breakfast.

hospital bag- I have started it, but I am no where near done. It has travel toiletries, a night gown, and some socks in it at this point.

Hormones - emootionally, I am a little more irritable than usual, but nothing too drastic. But I am alway burning up! This is hard for me to get used to, since I was always the one wearing a sweater when everyone else was in shorts and tanks.

Godparents - I am non practicing Catholic, and DH is not. He does not have godparents, but I do. He doesn't really seem to want to baptise Ella, but I think my mother would have a heart attack. We haven't really decided what we are going to do about this.

Doula - not going to use one

Pubic bone pain - I have ligament pain in my pubic region, right under my belly. It is not pain in the bone. I assume that there is nothing to be done about this, since there is nothing to be done about the pain in my knees and ankles. I just keep telling myself it will all be over soon. :)

RANT AHEAD-

Our shower was yesterday. The majority of people bought things not on our registry. Most bought clothes.

I am furious. We got 6 bottles...none of which were the kind that we registered for. We got no crib sheets or bedding. Instead we got an obscene (and I am not kidding you...OBSCENE) amount of clothes and a ton of handmade blankets. I also got three bouncers (only one of them was on my registry) and 2 swings (again, only one was actually on my registry).

I feel like such a bitch, bc no one has to get you anything, and I should appreciate everything I got. BUT...what is the freaking point of registering??!?!?!

Do people think that any bottle will do? We all spend hours deciding what kind of bottle, pacifier, bouncer, car seat, etc to use, and then people...who KNOW you have a registry, just go buy whatever the hell they please.

My shower was beautiful. The decorating was gorgeous, the food was delicious, the company was terrific, and the whole day was great.

But still....

Someone tell me I am a bitch and to shut up and quit whining.


ETA: here is my latest belly shot

http://static.flickr.com/90/246419398_87142cfe05.jpg?v=0

[brio96]

brio ~ I'm concerned about PTL and pre-term contrax, too. I had pre-term contrax with DD and that started happening in the mid-30s week. They didn't dilate me, but I was still in the hosp 3 times. Oh, and I've definitely had an increase in discharge. Much more so than with DD.

Thank goodness it's not just me! Thanks for letting me know that I'm not the only one worried and dealing with the increase in discharge. I just get really nervous that PTL is going to happen again because all the books (which I really should stop reading :rolleyes: ) say that you're more likely to deliver early if you've done it before. Add to that all my GI issues that resemble PTL and I'm a wreck!

Last night was odd. I got up at 2:30 with the most intense back pain (both lower and upper back) and didn't go back to sleep until 6am :eek: . Somewhere during that time period, I started getting horrible GI like cramping that further freaked me out. FWIW, the constipation issue is back for me so I'm thinking that it was related to that but it still made for a rather unpleasant night/early morning. Add to this DD who was crying off and on (I'm pretty sure she's getting her canine incisor teeth) so everytime I would even start to fall asleep, she'd wake me up. So, now it's 9:10 and I've just gotten up and I'm debating when I should wake her up even though she got a lot of interrupted sleep.

[Sinclair319]

RANT AHEAD-

Our shower was yesterday. The majority of people bought things not on our registry. Most bought clothes.

I am furious. We got 6 bottles...none of which were the kind that we registered for. We got no crib sheets or bedding. Instead we got an obscene (and I am not kidding you...OBSCENE) amount of clothes and a ton of handmade blankets. I also got three bouncers (only one of them was on my registry) and 2 swings (again, only one was actually on my registry).

I feel like such a bitch, bc no one has to get you anything, and I should appreciate everything I got. BUT...what is the freaking point of registering??!?!?!

Do people think that any bottle will do? We all spend hours deciding what kind of bottle, pacifier, bouncer, car seat, etc to use, and then people...who KNOW you have a registry, just go buy whatever the hell they please.

My shower was beautiful. The decorating was gorgeous, the food was delicious, the company was terrific, and the whole day was great.

But still....

Someone tell me I am a bitch and to shut up and quit whining.



I'm in the same boat. Had a shower at MIL's over the weekend--we didn't register for any clothes because we've already had so many people give us great hand-me-downs, or I've gotten stuff at garage sales. We registered for practical stuff. We got TONS of clothes--DH's aunt even cut the tags off everything, so I can't return stuff. Some of the clothes we got are the wrong season (uh, I'm due in Nov. the 3-6 month summer outfit--yeah, thanks.) I know some people love Whinnie the Pooh, please don't be offended--he/it creeps me out. SIL got us a Pooh outfit. Then some people got us stuff from Target (where we registered) but didn't get what we registered for and they didn't include a gift receipt which makes returning it a HUGE hassle! And Target pisses me off--I create a registery there so people come to the store to spend money, but if they buy something not on my registry then it's a huge hassle to return. Grrr Plus, we registered for 1 dishwasher basket thing (to wash bottle parts in) and got 5! :eek:

I know I should be shut up and be grateful.

Did someone mention hormones? ;)

[Sinclair319]

:eek: THREE October mommas already have their babies!!! :eek:

[BethIrish]

I also had my 1st shower this weekend. We very much lucked out in that we got mostly stuff from our registery. We actually only got 2 packages of onsies, a package of socks and a pair of pants - that's IT for clothes!!! We still have 2 more showers to go, so I'm sure there will be more coming ;)

After the shower I was completely overwhelmed with how much stuff we got. And we still have 2 showers to go! Is anyone else simply just overwhelmed? I sat in the nursery last night and cried a little....I'm overwhelmed with the generosity of our friends/family, overwhelmed with the amount of stuff a baby brings in to the house...and mostly just overwhelmed with the fact that I'm bringing this new life in to the world that I am solely resposible for. It sounds ridiculous at this stage in my pregnancy, but it's just starting to sink in that I'm going to have a BABY in 2 months!!!

[lilo]

bijouparvin: cute belly shots! You look great. :)

Kyrsten: 6 bottles! :eek: :rolleyes: What the???? I'm surprised people even bought you something like a bottle instead of something more useful like a bathtub or crib sheets. People are odd. Did a lot of the duplicates come with gift receipts? Hopefully BRU or whever you registered will let you return the duplicates but I know what you mean about it being a PIA. My shower was yesterday too and while it was beautiful and we got a lot of items from our registry, we also got an insane amount of onesies that (and I know this will sound ungrateful and snobby) are really not my style and just too babyish in style but luckily they grow out of them quickly so I guess it's not a huge deal.

Sinclair: I can relate about the Pooh stuff (no offense to anyone of course). I'm not into having characters or animals on baby clothing in general and we got a bunch of Pooh stuff too. I'll probably just use those outfits for around the house.

Pre- term labor concerns: I do worry about this sometimes but hopefully it won't actually happen. I've been getting some B-H contrax here and there, which is an odd feeling. But they're far and few in between so I try not to stress about it.

---------------------------------------------------

As I mentioned above, I had my first baby shower this weekend and for the most part, it was perfect. The hostess and my mom really outdid themselves with the food and decor. There were about 30 people there, which was great. Some of my DH's relatives even flew in from other parts of the U.S., which was really nice. We got the majority of the big items off of our registry, which was great. There are only a few big items that are left to buy but we also got $$$ (always a great present ;) ) so we'll use that for those items. We also got a TON of clothing, which was nice but I"m so picky when it comes to clothing and a lot of it is just too 'girly' for a boy IMO or just not something I would've bought. Luckily a few came with gift receipts so I may exchange some of them.

The only rant I have about my shower is the fact that some of my closest friends didn't make it to the shower even after they said they were coming. It really upset me (and still bothers me) since it's obviously a really special day for me and I will only have one baby shower ever, even if we have more children in the future. One of my 'supposed' best friends said that she would maybe make it to the shower but would call me either way. Did I get a phone call? Nope. Nothing. I'm waiting to hear her excuse via email but I am just so annoyed that she didn't even have the decency to call me and tell me that she wasn't coming. We've known each other for more than 10 years so I expected more from her. But she's single and isn't happy with her life so I guess it's nothing new. I'm not going to make it a big deal with her (it's not worth it considering our history) but I am definitely going to keep my distance from her for a while.

End of rant. Thanks for letting me get that out. :)

All in all though, the shower was fantastic and it was a really special day for me.

Is anyone else simply just overwhelmed?: I wouldn't say that I'm overwhelmed by all the gifts that we've received BUT I am shocked about how much baby stuff is in our house. Luckily everything is in boxes right now but once the baby comes, I think our living room will look like baby central. I guess it's okay since a lot of the stuff will be use for a few months and we can put it away after that but I am definitely looking forward to having a basement that we can turn into a playroom to stash all of this stuff.

Question: We received two packages of baby washcloths. Are these really necessary? Do any of the RO's really use the baby washclothes more so than just regular wash cloths? I'm wondering if I should return them and get something more useful like swaddle blankets. Any insights would be great.

[acrane]

Krysten - you're not a bitch! I think that's why ROs always recommend holding off on buying clothes because no matter what, you'll more than likely get a ton at your shower. I'm glad the day overall was good for you and hopefully everyone included gift receipts so you can get to exchanging those unwanted items! :)

lisainpink - thanks for the offer! I think we've found a church we click with and are hoping to have both boys baptized at the same time in the spring.

catgirl - I hear ya on being wary of the baby blues again. At least this time I know they will end (hopefully!). That was one of the frustrating things the first time around. Dh would come into the kitchen where I'd be crying, he'd ask why and I'd say I didn't know! I sort of felt like I was losing it, but when you think about the adjustment your body has to make to get the hormones back in check, not to mention new mom stress and lack of sleep, I guess it makes sense that you could be out of whack for a few days. Nope, the dresser is it so far but at least it's a start! :rolleyes:

My appointment today went well - routine, no surprises which is fine by me. Gained one pound over the past two weeks but that's ok. As long as I can keep the gain to a minimum for the remainder of the pg, I'll be happy with my total gain this time around. My next appointment is 10/2. We are also taking a family tour of the hospital that evening, so I'm looking forward to that.

[Peaches]

Put me in the soooo far behind on SO's category....

I'll just answer some QOTD (some I might have already answered...pregnancy brain :rolleyes: )

Scrapbooking Nope, don't do this but have a friend who does. Would like to spend some time sewing some things for the baby as I like to sew but will concentrate on that when I'm down to working three days a week (only 2 weeks to go!).

Concerned/afraid of childbirth? Yes...I'd be lying if I said no, but I'm hoping our childbirth classes will help with that.

Decrease in movement I wouldn't call it a decrease per say it's just that the movement feels different. I can't really describe it, more like big rolling motions or big kicks rather than the quick fluttery movements like in the beginning.

Have any of you packed your bag(s) for the hospital yet? No, not yet. I figured we will go over that in the childbirthing class.

Hormones Not so much on the irritability front (although DH might disagree with me on that one!) but definitely on the hot flashes front. Yikes! :eek:

Pubic bone pain I think I'm having ligament pain rather than bone pain although I do have a lot of pain in my hips at night when I'm trying to be good and sleep on my side :)
_______________________________________________

We had our first childbirth class on Weds. It was fun. There are about 8 other couples. We get 8 two-hour classes and then a reunion when all the babies are born. The first session was just over pregnancy, so not too much to freak out about and she said she doesn't actually show a birth video but we can borrow one if we want. We were both tired by the end of it but I think it will be very informative and I'm glad we signed up.

I also had my 30 week midwife appointment on Weds. Everything was fine. The first time she took my blood pressure it was a little high but she took it again at the end and it was fine. I think it was because the cuff wasn't fitted right the first time she tried so she had to try it again. She also took blood to check my iron levels and for antibodies. Both came back fine. I measured right at 30cms as well.

I am really looking forward to only working three days a week (roll on October!). I washed the Gymini play mat-thingy, my mother bought for us, this weekend. She got it second hand and, although it looks great, I still wanted to be sure it was totally clean. DH also is about 2/3 done with refinishing the dresser for the nursery. The weather here is turning decidedly Fall-ish so I know November is just around the corner!

[Franni]

Lilo The worst of it was around the time I was driving to the doctors. It intensified from a mild cramp to a pain akin to pulling a muscle. the pain was brief though until I was about .8 cm dilated. I do have a fairly high tolerance for pain though.

scrapbooking When I grow up, I want to finish the scrapbook I started for DD#1. I don't know if I can hope to start & finish the scrapbook for DD#2.

childbirth classes ITA with Roberta on this. I think this is primarily the reason why my L/D experience was so calm, because I knew exactly what was happening and how things would progress. I also opted to stay out of the hospital for as long as I can to help the baby move things along naturally, so I wouldn't need pitocin or anything like that.

baby stuff avalanche LOL, Lilo it was shocking at first that a being so small could possibly need so much stuff.

washcloths I still use mine extensively but I don't think it differs greatly from any other non-baby washcloths out there. It is a little softer and finer in texture. IMHO, I would return one and get a swaddle. DD needed the swaddle those first few months. I haven't bought much for this new baby, but I got her a swaddle blanket. The first time around, I just took home some hospital blankets and swaddled DD with them.

Sinclair Thanks for freaking me out....just kidding. I can't believe it is truly coming up. I feel so totally unprepared for this.

Krysten I would be p*ssed off too. My suggestion is to pick the ones you truly love and the other ones just try to sell. There's an LJ community (with lots of members from this board) that trades used and new baby clothes. Great site especially for the clothes you can't return to the store or are the wrong season for your baby. Let me know if you want me to send you the LJ information.

[Rancid13]

Bijouparvin~ Good news about my blood pressure! I’ve been monitoring it a few times a day since the doc told me to start, and every time it’s been below the 140/90 numbers she gave me. The highest was 139/56 and the lowest was 118/54 so I have a feeling this high blood pressure thing may be a doctor’s office related issue. Cute belly shots!! You look great!! I took some last week but have yet to upload the pics from my camera. :D

Catgirl~ Thanks! Yes the weather has been cooling down finally! We had another hot day yesterday (80+ degrees @ 75-80% humidity) but the rest of the weeks looks to be in the 60’s and 70’s, so that’ll hopefully make things more comfortable. I don’t know what my bp was at my appt on Friday, but doc wants it to be below 140/90 which it has for the last 4 days straight. Which is good!! :cool:

Have any of you packed your bag(s) for the hospital yet? Not yet! Someone asked me about it at my shower over the weekend and I realized I hadn’t even thought about it yet. Now that I’m approaching 30w, I think it would be wise to get a little bag of necessities together, as a “just in case” because you never know what might happen.

Neenbean~ Congrats on passing the GST!

Brio96~ Sorry to hear about stomach cramps! Hopefully everything truly is ok, and you won’t go into preterm labor. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you.

weird dreams? Totally! I usually remember them shortly after I wake up, but forget them as the day goes on. I’ve been having some very random but realistic dreams these past couple of weeks. Surprisingly, very few of them have been baby-related (and none of them have been sex-related either LOL!).

Kyrsten~ I’ll say it: Stop whining!! Seriously though, I could have written your post. There were maybe 10 items that I received at my shower over the weekend that were purchased off our registry. Everyone decided instead to buy us a buttload of clothes and blankets, as well as toys and other random stuff that I’m sure we’ll need but didn’t register for. Ah well. I know there was a lot of thought put into the gifts (handmade/crocheted blankets and awesome baby stuff MIL brought over from Hawaii) and it was fantastic seeing everyone and the decorations and food was awesome. My mom was joking that we’d have to keep the baby on some sort of rotation where we change his outfits every 1-2 hours for several months straight so we can ensure that he’s able to wear everything that was received at the shower, LOL! Great belly shot, btw! You’re looking great!!

:eek: THREE October mommas already have their babies!!! :eek:

Holy crap! It’s freakout time!!

Is anyone else simply just overwhelmed? I am! Or I should say, we are!! There’s just so much to do!! Since we had our shower this past weekend, I sat down and itemized the things that are on our registry that weren’t purchased but we still need (breastfeeding stuff, carseat, stroller, feeding supplies, etc etc etc) and pricing everything out so DH and I know how much $$ we’re gonna need for the remaining necessities (which includes nursery furniture minus the crib and crib bedding which my mom~bless her heart!~bought for us).

Baby washcloths~ I can’t even begin to tell you how many packages we got of baby washcloths!! Something like 3 or 4 8-packs. I think they’ll come in useful as we only have 1 or 2 regular washcloths in our household and we didn’t have to buy any of the baby ones ourselves. My mom seemed to think we’d need a bunch (along with cloth diapers that can be used as burp clothes, dust rags, etc). Worst case, they’ll end up as dust rags themselves.

Acrane~ Have fun at the hospital tour tonight!!

Peaches~ That's a lot of childbirth classes!! We have 6 2-hr sessions starting next month. I can't wait, but I hope they don't show any explicit childbirth videos otherwise I'll get grossed out (I can't even watch A Baby Story without having to cover my eyes, so I avoid it).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shower: We had my shower over the weekend. It was held at my mom's house and hosted by her and my BFF. The theme was an "Under the Sea" thing, and it was decorated SOOOO freaking adorable! I thought I'd walked into an aquarium!! Our nursery theme is going to be sea turtles (CoCaLo's Turtle Bay bedding/decor) and ocean-type stuff so it fit perfectly! Once someone emails me pictures, I'll post a few, it was that adorable! Even my brother and dad were impressed with how it looked when they saw it.

About 20 people attended, and MIL even flew in from Hawaii last week in order to make it (and she might stay in town until after the baby's born). We got a handful of things that were on our registry like I mentioned in my reply to Kyrsten above, but we did get a lot of neat stuff that I'm sure we'll need (along with necessities like wipes, powder, diapers, etc). TONS of clothes, toys and blankets. We must have like 10 blankets now. We also received cash and gift certs for BRU which we'll put towards purchases of necessities that weren't bought off our registry. All in all, it was a very fun day and I had an absolute blast! I went home and took a 3-hour nap when it was all over. :D

My grandma even stopped by for about an hour. Long story short, there was this big to-do about my shower date conflicting with a prior commitment of hers (which involved being at home all day cooking enchiladas for a church function) and she went so far as to call my mom and BFF to see if they could "change the date" for her because it didn't work with her schedule. Yeah...

Baby's room: Some of you may (or may not) recall me months ago saying that we weren't going to do a nursery at our condo b/c we were looking to upgrade to a larger (3 bedroom) home in early 2007. That's not likely to happen. We're probably looking to move mid to late 2007 instead at the very earliest, so we're working on getting DH's stuff out of the 2nd bedroom so we can use it as a nursery. So far he's moved the computer desk & computer into the front room and moved out 80% of his collectibles and put some of them into boxes for storage.

On Weds he's going to rent a climate-controlled storage space (wouldn't you know, all the places we called yesterday aren't open on Sundays for new rentals) so he has a spot to put his stuff till we move into a larger home. He's also listed his Xbox and 40" plasma tv (it's an extra~he won it in a contest last year~we already have a 61" as our regular tv in the main room) for sale. Once we get that storage space, we can clear out a bunch of stuff and start cleaning and prepping for painting and moving in the (still-needs-to-be-picked-up) crib and other to-be-bought furniture. Can't wait!!

[Esq.]

Thanks ladies :) Out of all the gifts I got yesterday, about 10 included receipts. I have sorted out what I would like/need to return, and I am guessing at what stores they come from. My cousin, who is more like my sister, is coming up on Wednesday to help me cart this stuff around and try to find the stores it was purchased at. She is so sweet for helping me.

And she listened to me complain without judging me for whining. :)

Franni- I would like that LJ community info if you wouldn't mind. Someone got me a pair of 6wk-3mo sandals. Hello, having a baby in late October, early November. Live in Michigan. Not going to be useful. I also got a bunch of 3 mo summer outfits. If I can't return them, I would like someone to get some use out of them. I will just try to swap them with someone who will have a spring/summer baby.

cross posted with Rancid: Thanks for kicking me in the rear:) I need to just move on, and return this stuff, so that I can get the stuff that we need. I am pretty sure I don't need 24 blankets, nor over 60 outfits (not kidding) Unfortunately, we didn't get gcs or anything like that. I am just feeling overwhelmed. Not only do I have to get this nursery put together, but before I do, I have to return a bunch of stuff (and guess at where it came from, haggle with sales people bc I don't have a receipt, etc) get the stuff I need, do all of this LAUNDRY, and then put the room together. In the mean time, my house looks like a bomb went off!

[Franni]

Postpartum prep I know this sounds horribly pessimistic, but I am dreading postpartum. I had horrible postpartum depression with my first DD. It was a terrible time that I would prefer never to relive. I am afraid of that more than the childbirth. For myself, I am trying to meet with a psychiatrist before my due, so that if it hits this time around, I will NOT try to tough it out.

Only a suggestion, please take or leave it as you wish If you have a history of depression or have experienced the effects of wild hormonal shifts in the past (not to say that you will have the blues or deprerssion), take the time now to prep your DH and loved ones that there is a possibility that things will be really rough at the beginning. I have told some of BFF about this and most of them (without having the blues or depression) told me about things being rough at the beginning. So my agreement with DH now is that "nothing that is said or done in the first 3 months should be taken against each other or remembered past that point."

[Franni]

Krysten Here's the community name - http://community.livejournal.com/thetradingpost/

I don't do LJ very much or very often except for this community page. But you would have to email the coordinators for membership.

[Toonces]

Kyrsten ~ Your post had me cracking up b/c I could have written the exact same thing 2 years ago. We got 99% clothes for DD at her baby shower. I was beside myself. While I very much appreciated everyone's generosity, I didn't understand why someone couldn't buy me a freakin' Diaper Champ. We ended up spending $300-$400 to get the absolute necessities that no one wanted to buy. I think in most cases ppl just like buying cute baby clothes. Oh, and I don't like my ass very much either, but lemme tell you... it was out on display during L&D. The final phase of labor before pushing did me in and I didn't care who saw what or for how long.

brio ~ I'm sorry to hear about your GI cramping. That had to have been an awful night for you, esp with your DD also being uncomfortable. When is your next OB appt? Are they doing internals yet? I go weekly for NSTs now (b/c of erratic BP), but they haven't done any internals.

Washcloths ~ We use a ton of these, not so much in the beginning, but once DD started having regular baths. You could use regular washcloths, but we don't have any so the baby ones came in handy. We only bathed DD 1-2 times/week tops when she was really little (unless she had a huge blow out). They don't get dirty until they start crawling around all over the place.

Rancid ~ Have fun setting up the nursery!

Baby blues/PPD ~ ITA with Franni. I think approx 80% of women experience baby blues, lasting 2-3 weeks. I'm not sure how many get full blown PPD. I'm worried about PPD b/c this is definitely our last baby, I'll be 37 when he's born, and I have a feeling I'll go through this "end of womanhood" thing after he arrives. I cried A LOT after DD was born. It was just so overwhelming and she was so tiny (full term 7lbs. 15oz., but still so little)... it's hard to explain. Fortunately after a few weeks I was feeling better.

I had my 32 week appt today. I'm now going every week because of my erratic BP. I also have NSTs every week. Good news is my GD diet is working and I'm measuring right on target. Yay!! It appears my amniotic fluid is in range so I'm very happy about that. Bad news is last week and this week my urine test showed that I'm spilling protein. I guess the test can show up to a +4 and mine is only +1 but since it happened 2 weeks in a row my OB wants me to do a 24 hour urine collection. I also had a blood test today and will have another one on Wed. Pre-eclampsia scares the sh!t out of me b/c it can escalate out of nowhere. Just praying that everything goes smoothly....

[brio96]

My next appointment is on Wednesday, so I'm definitely going to bringing all of these stomach cramps since they seem to be recurring. I was diagnosed with a wheat senstivity a few years ago and I wonder if that's coming up again since bread and things made with flour are all I seem to want to eat these days. catgirl At my last "emergency" appointment they did an internal and I was crampy for days from it! I never got to a point with DD where I was going every week but in the every two week appointments with her, they didn't do an internal unless I mentioned that I had been feeling a lot of pressure.

PPD/Baby Blues I got baby blues to the point that I had several complete breakdowns that involved crying, screaming and shaking for hours. I even "ran away" one night because I just couldn't take it anymore (it was series of things leading up to the "run away"). I think DH was seriously contemplating taking me to see someone those first few days because he was scared that I was really going crazy. BUT, it did pass and I started to feel better within a few weeks after the initial "shock" of having a baby to take care of became more of a reality. I completely agree with preparing those around you that the first few weeks are going to be rough and that should they get frustrated or hurt by something that you say that they must remember it's the hormones, the life adjustment (for everyone) and the overwhelming feeling that comes with having a new life to care for.

I've basically told DH that I expect the rest of the year (after the baby comes) to be somewhat of a nightmare in trying to recover, get my hormones in check, manage taking care of two kids and dealing wtih a temperamental toddler that is so used to being the center of my world. If we have good days then I'll be happy but I'm not expecting too many of them until it all gets sorted out. Going into this post partum period, I feel more prepared to know that it's going to be a tough ride but that I've done it before and I know that it can be done.

Washcloths We've used them from the beginning and still use them for her daily bath. Oddly enough, the ones we have aren't even the better ones and they've held up through almost two years of washing and use. You probably don't need 20 of them, but two packages seem to be a good number in our situaiton (since we bathe her everyday).

[katnbug]

Pre-eclampsia scares the sh!t out of me b/c it can escalate out of nowhere. Just praying that everything goes smoothly....

I have also been starting to freak out about this more lately. I have been obsessing when my ankles get swollen, even though I think it's just because I've been standing alot that day. :( I also took out my Mayo Pregnancy book and was surprised to see that if you had severe pre-e with your first pregnancy there is a 25-45% chance of getting it again with #2. Those percentages don't sound as low as my dr. made me think!

I'm glad your amniotic fluid is good as well as your diet though!! Hopefully your 24 hour collection shows no more protein.

ppd/baby blues- I wasn't too bad with DS. My main crying spells came in the middle of the night when I wasn't getting any sleep at all. DS had a few weeks where I just couldn't get him to stop crying no matter what & I thought I would go crazy. DH definitely thought I was heading over the edge, but thankfully I recovered quickly.

washcloths- We also used these for DS's baths as a baby. We then upgraded to a larger softer washcloth which he still uses.

pubic bone pain- I am totally experiencing this. It's really bad at night when I have to get up and go to the bathroom. It hurts to waddle to the bathroom!!! I read in one of my pg books that it's due to the ligaments connecting the halves of your pubic bone stretching.

*********************

I can't believe I only have 5 1/2 weeks to go. :eek:

We got the furniture into the nursery this weekend. I finally got to put the bedding on the crib and I love it! The nursery still needs shelves and other decoration, but I will take pics as soon as I get organized.

I also went out and bought a new Diaper Champ this morning! DH thought we should just keep using the one we had, but it's 2 years old and SMELLS LIKE IT! I think it was worth the $25 to buy a new one! :rolleyes:

[roberta]

When I grow up, I want to finish the scrapbook I started for DD#1. ha ha! I think this would be me if I started a real scrapbook. I did look at baby books today at the mall. We will see if actually gets completed. My mom did baby books for us and I really treasure it.

krysten I had the same rant after my shower. Clothes in big sizes and the wrong season. (guess they were on sale) Some people did cut the tags off so I can't return them. thanks. One of DH's grown cousins gave us a huge bag of cheapy, character bottles. She must have missed the breast milk storage kit and breast pump conversion kit on the registry. I did register for an advent newborn bottle set so DH could feed the baby a daily bottle. But I don't need 30 dollar store bottles. I am going to try to return some of the clothes that I can tell came for Target but I don't know if they will take them back.

rancid Good idea! I need to itemize the items we still need to buy so we can budget and be ready before the baby comes. Congrats on getting your nursery ready and DH cleaning up his "toys". I know you posted about this being a concern a few weeks ago. Congrats on the lower BP too!

lilo I felt ovewhelmed with all the baby stuff too. I told DH- "hey another person is really moving into our house!"

peaches A reunion with the other parents from birthing class sounds nice.

Feeling better- no major BH contrax today. But I am having major GI issues. ugg. My wedding and engagement rings have not fit since July. Today I found a $10 eternity band at Kohl's in a bigger size. I miss wearing a ring, DH thinks I am silly.

[RubberSoul]

bijouparvin- Cute belly shots! You have such a pretty round belly :).

weird dreams- I had a lot in the beginning, but unfortunately I don't sleep in long enough stretches now to actually dream :(. I wake up so much with heartburn/reflux issues or because I have to pee.

kyrsten- I will probably be saying the same thing when my shower rolls around. So as long as I get to rant and complain then, I think you have every right to do it now :). You have a pretty round belly too! Is your reflux getting any better?

brio- sorry to hear about the cramping issues and lack of sleep. I hope you and your DD feel better soon and can get some rest!

Sinclair- thanks for freaking me out by pointing out the fact that 3 Oct. mommies have babies ;). Just kidding. September is rapidly coming to the end and that means I have very little time left to prepare! Can someone stop the clock, please.

BethIrish- YES! I am really starting to freak out. I am not worried about L&D at all because I am too worried about the fact that we will have a baby to take care of. Add that to the fact that my DH is quitting his job and I am going to be the breadwinner and I really want to have a nervous breakdown. Somewhere in the back of my mind I know it is all going to be okay, but it is hard to see that through the hormonal haze.

lilo- sorry to hear that some of your friends didn't make it to your shower. That would hurt my feelings too.

Rancid- Yay! on the baby's room. I am happy to hear that your BP is looking good too!

Franni- Your freaking me out a little about the PPD/baby blues, but in a good way. My mom is a diagnosed manic depressive and both of my brothers have had been on medication for depression at one time or another. So, I know that the possibility is probably higher for me to be affected. I will have to tell my family to keep a close eye on me to make sure I get help if it looks like I need it.

catgirl- I hope you don't have any pre-e issues and that everything goes back to normal for you.

katnbug- Holy crap! 5 and 1/2 weeks! I am speechless...weren't we all in the first trimester, a week ago!

roberta- I hope you feel better soon!


Sorry if I missed anyone!

[CityGirl]

Hi all! I'm just back from our wonderful babymoon in Kauai. It was so nice to have some time to relax with DH, and though we went with my in-laws, we did manage to steal some time for ourselves. Here's a belly shot at 31 weeks of me sneaking into the saltwater lagoon at the Hyatt next door to our condo. :p

http://www.jenniferdaily.com/etc/belly.jpg

I can't believe how close we are all getting to our due dates. I had an appointment with my midwife this morning and she warned me of a tendancy for first timers to think that their babies are coming early, simply because of how big/uncomfortable they are. So I'm really trying to think of the baby as due a week after his projected due date.

Anyway, I'm off to catch up on the happenings around here. I just skimmed the last few pages, and am glad to hear everyone is doing so well. Though now I feel like I have so much to do. I'm just counting the days until I'm done with work - 3 more weeks! Then I will have my shower and can get cracking on all the little things that we need to buy.

[mayham]

Holy cow, only 10 more weeks for me!! I've been reading along, with little time for updates, but I will attempt to do a few shout outs.

CityGirl - You look fab!! You are totally all belly. Your babymoon in Kauai sounds wonderful :)

roberta - I haven't worn my rings since July either! I got an inexpensive white gold band to have something to wear, and have had to have it stretched THREE times already... I thought the swelling would stop once the summer heat was over, but I guess not :(

katnbug - That's great your furniture is in and your bedding is set up. I can't wait for our furniture to come next week, it'll feel more real to me once I have the bedding set up in our baby's crib!!!

brio96 - Thank you for sharing your post delivery experiences with us... as a first timer I definitely need to hear these things so I'm prepared for how I may feel after. I think what I've been preparing myself for is that I have NO idea how I'm going to feel, emotion-wise post delivery, so we'll have to take it day by day and hope for the best.

catgirl1007 - Good luck with all of the monitoring, I hope everything goes smoothly for you as well!

I wish I had more time to go back for shout outs, but i'll have to stop for now.

-------------------

I went to the dr. last week, and she said to come back in 3 weeks, and then after that every two. Turns out my work schedule won't work at all for me to go in 3 weeks, so there was a nurse at the front when I was making the appointment, and she said it would be fine to come back in 4 weeks, as long as the dr. wasn't monitoring me for anything specific (which she wasn't).

Is it weird that my next appointment I'll be almost 34 weeks? In some ways it seems too long to go, then I'll only have 6 weeks after that. Should I call and try to get in sooner? Or does it not matter as long as I'm feeling fine?

I've been feeling really BIG and a little uncomfortable lately, but overall not too bad, so I shouldn't complain. Hope everyone is doing well!! :)

[kadee_29]

I am skipping SO's again because its late and I'm tired. Just wanted to give a quick update from my appt today.

I mentioned the lack of movement and was sent straight to L&D. After 2 hours on a monitor they said that the baby is fine. But...my heart rate was running a lot higher than they would like. Like in the 110's. I had to stay on the monitors for another 2 hours and drink 3 of their huge cups of water. I am also having contractions so they checked and I am starting to dialate. They did finally send me home with no restrictions so I am happy. Tired but happy.

[Franni]

citygirl Beautiful shot.

kadee That's great that everything turned out ok.

How is everyone feeling today? I am feeling like I want to issue an eviction notice, but it is too soon. I am having such a hard time with this discomfort. I am not used to feeling so "useless". I can't walk long distances (3 blocks is now considered a long distance) I get butt pain on and off depending on how I've sat. I know....I shouldn't complain. Everything is ok with the baby and that should be all that matters. Sorry for the early morning whine.

[BethIrish]

Ugh, Franni, I'm with you. I hate feeling like this - especially with 9 weeks to go - but my belly is so SORE. It's getting to the point that by the end of the day it's uncomfortable to sit at my desk. And, to top it off, I'm tired...both physically and mentally exhausted. It doesn't help that this is a busy time of year for me at work, either.

I haven't really updated in a while, and I'm too tired for SO's. I'm glad that everyone is (mostly) doing well. I can't believe how close we are all getting. I had my 30 week appt. last Friday - I'm going every 2 weeks now until 36 weeks and then every week. I made all my remaining appointments up until my due date! Scary!!

I do have a QOTD: When is everyone stopping work? (Sorry if it's been asked already.) Between the reaction from the receptionist at the doctor on Friday and the reactions of friends/family at my shower - is it really unusual to plan on working right up until the baby comes? I'm actually closer to my hospital while I'm at work then when I'm home (about 15 minutes vs. 45-60 minutes.) I would love to take some time off before - but I don't want to take it unpaid. I suppose if I'm uncomfortable enough I would, but I don't want to plan on it!!

[ellidew]

Hey ladies. Too much to re-read through to post SO's! Which is highly unusual for me but the motivation and energy level are at zero! lol. Nothing much new to report here. That's a good thing since over the last 2 months i feel like i've had a new ailment every week. I actually have a regular ob appt on Friday and currently have no need to even call with a question!

Shower- My shower is this weekend and i'm SO excited!! It's being held at an old fashion diner! I helped put the center pieces together last weekend since dh was out of town and i was bored. Also, i have to admit to registry peeking. Well, really, i went to BRU with my sister because they are going to play a price is right game where you guess the amount each baby item costs so we printed my registry to buy a few things and i noticed almost nothing had been purchased! It was sunday night and my shower is this sunday! I was a little worried but since then a ton of stuff has been purchased. I was beginning to think no one was going to come to the shower. Stupid, i know.

Less movement- Over the last week there has definitely been less movement. He never really moved much to begin with so to go several hours without feeling anything wasn't unusual. He does move though so i haven't had cause for worry. My ob didn't want me stressing over kick counts and just said i should feel about 10 movements before noon and 5 within an hour of sitting down at night. I seldom even count. Also, i'm getting far less kicks and more pushing out. Last night he'd push out and i could feel a little hard spot then it would slowly collapse. It was pretty cool actually!

QOTD: When is everyone stopping work? I plan to work right up until the baby arrives. However, dh and i decided that we would reevaluate come Nov 1. The plan is to work as long as possible so i can take more time off afterwards.

[RubberSoul]

kadee- happy to hear that you weren't put on any restrictions. Are they predicting that you are going to deliver early?

feeling today?- I am starting to feel like my skin on my belly is being stretched to the max. I can't believe I still have 8 more weeks of growth! My reflux issues are returning at night even with the Zantac. I have started taking one pill right before bed and then taking another one a few hours later since one isn't working anymore. I am afraid to mention this to my Dr. since they might tell me not to do it anymore. The package says you can take 2 in 24 hours and says nothing about spacing them out. I hope I can keep taking it like I have been since it is the only way I get any sleep.

stopping work?- I am going to stop working on Nov. 10th which is the Friday before my due date. No one has asked me when I am stopping work other than my bosses. I figured it was pretty common for people with desk jobs to work until the end...is it not?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My 32 week appt. is today. I am hoping all goes well.

[Rancid13]

rancid Good idea! I need to itemize the items we still need to buy so we can budget and be ready before the baby comes. Congrats on getting your nursery ready and DH cleaning up his "toys". I know you posted about this being a concern a few weeks ago. Congrats on the lower BP too!

<snip>

Feeling better- no major BH contrax today. But I am having major GI issues. ugg. My wedding and engagement rings have not fit since July. Today I found a $10 eternity band at Kohl's in a bigger size. I miss wearing a ring, DH thinks I am silly.

Thanks! I went thru the registry yesterday to see what was remaining that we really need (deleted some clothing, as we received a TON at the shower). Am able to save $ b/c SIL has a barely-used Medela breast pump that I would just need to buy accessories for ($30?) as well as a barely-used pack n play. I’m going to buy the Peg Perego stroller that I want on either Ebay or from someone on Craigslist and save $100-150 on that, and my other SIL has a practically new Graco infant car seat that they’ll give us. We also got $350 in gift certificates and cash at the shower, plus another $500 cash that MIL gave us last year that we’ve been keeping in a drawer, our “change vase” which I believe contains at least a couple hundred in spare change that we can exchange for an Amazon.com gift card at a Coinstar location, and MIL also got us a changing table when what we wanted was a dresser/changing table combo, so we’ll exchange it and save some $ on furniture. Whew!! :eek:

Glad to hear you’re feeling better!!

Citygirl~ You look stunningly fantastic!! Hope you had fun in Kauai, it’s my favorite Hawaiian island thus far…definitely the most romantic. I can’t wait to go back! :cool:

Kadee~ Sorry to hear about your scare, but glad that baby is doing ok. Not good about the heart rate and dilation though, what are they having you do to keep both of those in check??

How is everyone feeling today? As usual, “decent”. Not fantastic or great, but my itching has subsided SOMEwhat (I don’t want to jinx it!) over the last couple of days so when I’m not itchy and uncomfortable all over I feel pretty darn ok for the most part. I’ve been having the toughest time sleeping though, when I sleep on my left side it seems like my entire left leg falls asleep & feels all sore and achy with all the weight on it even though we have a pillow top mattress and I have a ton of strategically placed pillows on the bed. Lying on my back is a lot more comfortable for me as a result and I’ve been super tired the last couple weeks to boot. Probably due to the lack of sleep and/or poor sleep. :(

QOTD: When is everyone stopping work? I work an office job sitting down most of the day, so I figured I’d work until it was no longer comfortable for me. Since my due date is ~2 weeks after Thanksgiving, I was thinking at the very least I might take off for the Thanksgiving holiday and not return until after my maternity leave is up (late January I believe?). That would give me a full week to do anything around the house that needs to get done before baby arrives, and some time to relax beforehand too. Unless there are complications or I start to feel really uncomfortable with the drive to/from work and/or uncomfortable at work, I don’t see any reason why I can’t work right up almost until my due date. I’m closer to the hospital at work than at home too, by about 15-20 minutes.

Less movement~ It’s been the complete opposite for me. He's been dancing up a storm in there for about the past week, last night he was getting crazy and I spent a good 15 minutes just watching my belly twitch around in every direction imaginable. I've also been getting some of those lovely kicks-to-the-cervix that I've heard about. :rolleyes: It didn't hurt so much as feel extremely uncomfortable (reminded me of the super- uncomfortable twinge-y feeling you get when you're getting a pap smear done). :eek:Not a good feeling, but at least the kicks to that area were brief and not commonly occurring.

[ellidew]

I JUST told my boss my plans for maternity leave which are:

1. Work until the baby arrives unless i absolutely CANNOT
2. Return the 2nd week in Jan
3. Come back 4 days a week and work 36 hours (i currently work 4 9 hour days and 1 4 hour day (Friday)) This will give me a 3 day weekend EVERY weekend! lol.

I still consider 36 hours full time so i'm really hoping it doesn't effect my commission scale or vacation time! He said he'd have to get back to me. ARGH!

[ellidew]

I'm seriously considering buying the new tickle me elmo and waiting to see if it's as hard to find as they say it will be come christmas time... then selling it on ebay if it is? If not then Miles has a new toy. Is this wrong of me?

[Sinclair319]

How is everyone feeling today? I'm starting to get more and more uncomfortable now. Plus I wake up every 2-3 hours at night--I don't have to pee, I'm just awake. I wonder if it's my body trying to get used to the middle of the night feedings.

QOTD: When is everyone stopping work? I'm due Nov 5th and plan to take the week before it off. I figure if I haven't had him, I'll be uncomfortable enough by then that I'll just want to lay around in sweats all day. ;P Speaking of sweats, I'm 5'11" and just ordered 3 sweat suits (J Lo style) from JC Penney--I've heard they're awesome to wear post partum and make breast feeding easier (accessibility-wise). Can't wait to get them!

Less movement--Just the opposite here. He's moving quite a bit and now that he's bigger, it's more uncomfortable. I've only had a few kicks that hurt, but he loves to jam his little butt up under my ribs which hurts.

[brio96]

How is everyone feeling today? In a word...lousy. Another night of not a lot of sleep except instead of being up from 2:30-6, I was "only" up from 2:30-5. I'm just crabby and overly emotional today probably because I'm so tired. I'm crampy and too tired of feeling this way to try and distinguish if it's normal pg or PTL. I'm glad I have my dr appointment tomorrow to get checked one more time to make sure I'm not dialated or anything this early.

On a positive note though, DD has been an angel for most of the day even though she was chatting away again last night for a while and also got a night of broken sleep.

Is anyone else eating really badly? Up until now, I was a huge fan of eating fruits, veggies and all the good for you foods that we're supposed to eat. Now, I can barely muster the strength and energy to eat a piece of bread (although I'm trying to sneak veggies in when I can). It's probably one of the factors of my current GI situation, but it just seems like too much effort to make something to eat and then actually eat it. I'm even too "put out" to make sure that DD is gettting her 5 a day and I'm usually pretty militant about what she eats.

Whiny, whiny post. :rolleyes:

[RubberSoul]

Is anyone else eating really badly?- Oh yeah. I eat whatever is fast and easy. I was good about eating fruits and veggies in the beginning, but now I eat meat, cheese, bread, and potatoes. The only time I eat fruits or vegetables is if I happen to get a salad (maybe once a week) or if my DH is home and he makes dinner. I am not all that interested in food anyway so I eat whatever is easiest.

[Rancid13]

Is anyone else eating really badly? I’m doing my best to eat somewhat healthfully. It figures that right when I’m able to eat my favorite lunch of baby spinach & grilled chicken salad again (couldn’t tolerate it without gagging for the 1st and 2nd tri’s), this whole e-coli/spinach thing comes up and I can’t eat salads everyday. I can’t even get my usual Subway sandwich loaded with spinach instead of iceberg lettuce because of this scare. I don't care too much for regular mixed greens, but may try to substitute arugula for the spinach for the time being.

My daily breakfast is 2 whole-wheat frozen waffles topped with fresh berries and a smidge of syrup plus 2 scrambled egg whites and an 8-oz glass of fat free milk. I try to snack on fig newtons, fruit, yogurt, those 100-calorie snack packs, and/or hummus & whole wheat pita during the day. Dinner is either pizza, whole wheat pasta w/sausage & tomatoes, cereal (oatmeal is a favorite!), canned pasta (think ravioli or spaghettios) or a sandwich of some kind (pb&j or grilled cheese). I still have a thing for candy and soda though, and get a good fill of both every day regardless. :D

[Franni]

eating badly I think you will find my picture if you look that phrase up. I just don't have the energy to think of healthy although I still worry about DD's diet. The other day I had 5 cups of SODA. Blech....thinking about that now makes me want to.....

sleep YES! It has been quite elusive. I usually have no real problems going to sleep but I will awake sometime during the night for no reason and can't get back to sleep. Doesn't my body realize that when this baby comes out, I will not be able to sleep. So frustrating.

Work stoppage I have spoken to my boss about this. I wanted to stop when the baby arrives. That's what I did the last time, but the last time was so different from this. I didn't get mystery aches and pains then.

[CityGirl]

Feeling today - Tired. I have a constant pain in my groin area like a pulled muscle. And its getting hard for me to breathe. I can't really lean back in my chair or on the sofa because I get out of breath. But I did make it to the gym this morning, so I can't complain too much.

Ending work - My last event is October 7th. My work is very physical, and I've had to bring on a lot more help than I would normally need. It's pretty hard right now, so I'm glad I didn't take on any more events after the 7th. Not to mention DH usually helps me with the more physical stuff and he's got a broken arm. I am helping a friend out on a couple more events in my 36th and 38th week, but there is no lifting involved so I should be fine.

Eating badly - I need to get back on the healthy wagon ASAP. Its not that the things that I do eat are so bad, just that I'm not eating a decent amount of veggies. My iron levels came back low, so I'm supposed to be eating lots of dark leafy greens (I don't do red meat) and prunes & nuts. Actually, I'm off to Trader Joe's right now to find some snacks that are high in iron...

[Toonces]

Kat ~ I kwym about obsessing about swelling. My hands are swollen today, but I don't think my face is, no seeing spots, no headaches... so I'm not going to call. I know if I call they'll make me go to the hospital. We're thinking of getting a new Diaper Champ, too. Ours reeks when we turn the handle to dump it!! We'll either get a new one or just keep bags up there and bring down the poopies everytime we change DD or DS.

roberta ~ I understand about missing wearing your rings. I stopped wearing them pretty early during my pregnancy with DD and just stopped yesterday during this pregnancy. Plus, when I'm out without my rings I feel like someone who got "knocked up". :) :o

CityGirl ~ You look amazing!! And what a gorgeous vacation spot!

mayham ~ 34 weeks sounds right, as long as you aren't having any issues.

kadee ~ Did they say how much you were dilated? Yowsers! Did they know why your heartrate was higher? I'm glad everything is okay and that you don't have any restrictions.

Franni ~ 3 blocks is a freakin' marathon. I'm lucky to walk in and out of Target w/out feeling winded.

ellidew ~ How exciting about your shower! Have fun!! I peeked at my registry regularly (wedding and baby showers). :) Oh, and I would totally do the Tickle Me Elmo thing on eBay. I don't think that's bad at all.

RubberSoul ~ Sorry about the reflux. That must be uncomfortable.

Rancid ~ That's great that you're getting everything in order and have the $$ figured out for furniture.

Sinclair ~ Sorry about the night waking. I had that for a few weeks and it drove me crazy. Now I'm back to sleeping through the night, or until whenever DD wakes me up.

brio ~ I'm glad you're having a good toddler day. That makes things so much easier. I hope everything goes well at your appt tomorrow.

Eating badly ~ Nope... I'm on the GD diet so I can't. I would love to though!!

[bijouparvin]

Feeling Today: I've been a little queasy today, and I can't figure out why. I got up in time to eat some cereal (Zen crunchy somethingorother) with soy milk before yoga. I went grocery shopping after and must have been hungry again, because I came home with an Entenmann's raspberry danish log and two pints of Ben&Jerry's, which brings us to...

Eating Badly: Um, in a word, yes. I don't eat fast food, but I have been having sweets every day (usually ice cream, but last night we were out so I made do with some chocolate chips). My dinners have been okay, but short on veggies. Last night I had three-cheese ravioli with four-cheese sauce, to which DH added some more cheese. :rolleyes: Tonight, I'm going to TRY to be good and make some burritos with whole wheat tortillas, soy "beef" crumbles, three colors of bell pepper, Mexican spiced tofu, black beans, corn, and onions, topped with cheddar cheese, chopped black olives and salsa. Hearty AND good for me!

Stopping Work: I am self-employed, so I've had to negotiate very carefully with my boss about this. ;) Because I teach music lessons, I wanted to be sure to fit in a recital before baby comes. At this point, the recital is scheduled for November 5th, after which I won't be teaching lessons again until January 2nd. DH is working on a B'way show that opens on November 16th (the day before baby is due), so if she's on-time or late, he'll be able to take off a full two weeks. If she comes before opening, he'll have to take time off sporadically (a few days a week, or some half days) until opening.

[mayham]

Stopping Work - I plan to work right up until I deliver, if I can. I don't think it'll be a problem to work from home if things get too uncomfortable towards the end.

Eating Badly - I was definitely better earlier on when I didn't even crave sweets, just veggies and fruits, and would skip dessert. Now I'm all about the sweets, and am trying to eat as healthy as I can otherwise to make up for having dessert!

[brio96]

That's what I did the last time, but the last time was so different from this. I didn't get mystery aches and pains then.

My thoughts exactly! :)

[lilo]

Feeling Today: Relatively good but by the end of the day, my right shoulder starts to ache. I think that has more to do with my poor posture and horrible office chair more than being pregnant. However, in the mornings, I feel pretty tired by the time I get to work and can't wait to sit down! I take the metro every morning and walk another 3 blocks to work, which is not fun. I'm usually a really fast walker and now I feel like I walk at a snail's pace and it's actually takes effort to walk that much! Weird. Luckily I'm getting a parking pass in about a week so I'll be able to drive into work until my due date. Thank.God.

Eating Badly: For the most part, no, but it's not out of choice. I don't have GD but a lot of foods bother my stomach (anything with acid, anything with sugar, anything too spicy, etc.) so I have to eat rather bland and very healthy. I usually have some sort of icky bran type cereal with pears and soy milk in the morning. For lunch, I always have a big salad with tons of veggies and either chicken or turkey just only olive oil (I can't tolerate any other salad dressing). For dinner, I'll have chicken, salmon, pasta or something similar with maybe some more veggies. My big treat is sugar free jello with a little whipped cream. Woohoo! Very exciting, isn't it? haha. Ah well, hopefully I'll be able to eat normally after pregnancy.

Stopping Work: I've told my boss that I'll be working until a week until my due date. The next week is Thanksgiving, which is usually dead around the office anyway so I figure it would be nice to have a few days to stay at home and get things done. I guarantee that I won't have everything ready and organized before then so I will need a few days to myself (unless I go early of course!). I'd like to use that time to make a bunch of dinners (lasagna, etc.) too that I can freeze for after the baby comes.

[katnbug]

feeling today... Pretty good. I was on my feet a ton yesterday and I felt it last night in my feet. Today I don't have any pain or swelling though, so I'm happy. I even had the energy to put away all of DD's clothes in her closet and dresser. My sister just gave me a huge box of things & I can actually say that DD now has too many sleepers and onesies. Is it possible for a girl to have too many clothes - even if she's not even born yet? ;)

eating poorly... Yes. It's all about what's fast and convenient for me and DS. He eats better than I do, but I must say he's been having chicken nuggets about every 2-3 days! At least I get the all white meat for him!! For me it's usually french fries that are my downfall. :(
At least this time I'm not craving the desserts like with DS. I do eat sweets, but not nearly as much as I did with my pg #1.

[bijouparvin]

Is it possible for a girl to have too many clothes - even if she's not even born yet? ;)

OMG, I hope not! In addition to the slew of stuff we got new from my folks, we have now inherited, I kid you not, about 7 garbage bags full of hand-me-downs from a friend's DD. Even after sorting through some of the things that aren't our style, there are still 5 bags full of clothes for our little girl that have nowhere to go! I added a bunch of hangers to our registry and we're going to head out and get a closet doubler so we can hang a lot of it. Still, there's no way she's ever going to wear all of those outfits. Crazy! I sincerely hope that we don't receive any clothes at my shower. :eek:

[Lydia]

We just got this (http://www.oldnavy.com/browse/product.do?pid=4095270020003&cid=11894)for a going-home outfit

[Lydia]

Postpartum prep I know this sounds horribly pessimistic, but I am dreading postpartum. I had horrible postpartum depression with my first DD. It was a terrible time that I would prefer never to relive. I am afraid of that more than the childbirth. For myself, I am trying to meet with a psychiatrist before my due, so that if it hits this time around, I will NOT try to tough it out.

Only a suggestion, please take or leave it as you wish If you have a history of depression or have experienced the effects of wild hormonal shifts in the past (not to say that you will have the blues or deprerssion), take the time now to prep your DH and loved ones that there is a possibility that things will be really rough at the beginning. I have told some of BFF about this and most of them (without having the blues or depression) told me about things being rough at the beginning. So my agreement with DH now is that "nothing that is said or done in the first 3 months should be taken against each other or remembered past that point."

I, too, suffered from PPD. At 6 weeks PP I got help (Zoloft). It helped me so much and my only regret is that I waited 6 weeks because it was horrible. Really bad. But we got through it!

[RubberSoul]

Went to the Dr. yesterday for my 32w check. She is the last Dr. in the practice that I needed to meet. She didn't tell me baby's heartrate or what I measured, just said that all looked fine.

I decided to ask her if they have any literature about PPD and what to look for. I was very disappointed in the lack of information the office had for patients on such an important issue. All she had was some little questionaire that I assume they give to mothers to take after the baby is born. They didn't have anything that you could read or give to family members to read. No information on things to look for or what to do if you think you have or your spouse might have PPD. I guess I will have to find the information on my own. I really wish the medical field would recognize that the mother's well being after the baby is born is just as important as when the baby is in utero!

I imagine that a lot of women suffer from prolonged periods of PPD needlessly because there is such a lack of education on the subject.

Forgive me for being so annoyed about this. I have just seen too many family members deal with depression and I know how destructive it can be in your life and the lives of those around you.

Lydia- that is very cute. I want one!

[Peaches]

Feeling today - Tired. I have a constant pain in my groin area like a pulled muscle. And its getting hard for me to breathe. I can't really lean back in my chair or on the sofa because I get out of breath.

This is exactly how I feel...the funky pulled muscle feeling and the out of breath. When I asked my midwife about it she just said it was normal due to the uterus growing. It makes me feel better that someone else is experiencing it too!

Feeling today See above...I am also tired because I stayed up an hour later than normal last night.

Eating poorly I still am eating all the good things (fruit, veggies etc) but I am eating something sweet after dinner every night now! I also sometimes slip in something not so good for me at work, as well, using the excuse that I need the energy boost ;)

Stopping work Right now I am just looking forward to October when I go down to three days a week. My last day will be November 9th. I have lots of holiday saved up, luckily.

[Lilla]

Ack! I'm so behind in this thread! Trying to catch up on some Q's:

Feeling Today OK for the most part. My lower back is really starting to bother me. I had a problem a number of years ago with a herniated disk and I'm afraid that is what is causing my discomfort now. Ugh. Walking, sitting, bending...everything is causing little twinges of pain. Otherwise, baby girl has been using my cervix as a punching bag. Seriously, every day I get some pretty strong punches. And every so often she'll wedge her little butt/legs/feet under my ribs. It's very apparent that she's running out of room in there! :)

Eating Badly Fast and easy is the name of the game at mealtime these days. I *try* and have fast and easy things that are healthy, but I am sorely lacking in the veggie department. Guess I should get some V8 at least. And I haven't been hungry enough lately at dinner to have a full meal - usually all I want is some toast or cereal or something. I've probably been eating more sugar lately than I should, too. At least now that it's cooled off here, my ice cream cravings are farther and fewer between.

Stopping Work (I don't think I've answered this one yet...if I have, sorry for the repeat) My company requires that you stop work 2 weeks before your due date. That is when my disability pay begins. So my last day is October 20. YIKES! That's one month from today! Hello, reality check! :eek:


My last weekend was totally baby-centric. I worked both Sat and Sun to get all the shower gifts sorted through and put away. I also got the nursery set up. DH just has to stain a couple small pieces of furniture and we have to hang the pictures on the wall and the room will be complete.

We returned some gifts to Target last weekend. Their return policy sucks. Luckily, I had gift receipts for all but 3 items. They were items I had not registered for. So the lady told me that you are limited to returning 2 items per year without a receipt. Great. I was ready to get totally annoyed. BUT, she was nice and told me we could get around the system by taking a scanner and adding those 3 items to our registry. Then I could return them for store credit. Phew - crisis averted. I still have more things to return to both Target and BRU. I also have to make my list of things that we still need. We got like no onesies, so we'll have to use all this store credit for onesies. But I can't complain because aside from onesies and bottles, we don't have much left to buy ourselves.

I'm doing professional belly shots this weekend. I'm hopeful that they turn out ok. I'm a bit apprehensive, but we'll see!!

[bijouparvin]

Lilla - Oooh! I can't wait to see your pro belly shots. My SIL is trying to get a career started in maternity photography, so she'll be taking mine when I visit her next month. Have fun!

Peaches - Darn that uterus and its incessant growing! I've decided that mine has grown all the way into my face. That's the only way I can explain the person I see looking back at me these days. ;) I hope you're not too uncomfortable!

rubbersoul - How strange that there were NO resources for PPD. From what I can tell, it seems more common than I had originally thought. Fingers crossed that you don't have to go through it, but if you do, they better come up with something for you to read!!

Lydia - Very cute outfit. I love those hats with the knots!

[Sare79]

Feeling today: Tired. Really tired. I have not been sleeping well and part of that is because the baby is moving a lot now. More than the 10 times per hour my OB reccommends. I told him it's a lot more and he doesn't seem concerned, and to enjoy it. I'm trying, but sometimes I just want to be still and quiet and not see my belly jiggling.

Stopping work: My work requests that you go off 6 weeks before your due date. If you have a doctor's note, you can work later than that. My OB did not want me working later than that, so my last day of work is October 6th- 12 working days left!

Eating badly: Yes. I try so hard to eat healthfully but I am easily swayed by Dairy Queen and Starbucks. They call out to me to eat their yummy treats everytime I walk by and I can resist about half the time. That and I am just not digging vegetables right now.

[bijouparvin]

I try so hard to eat healthfully but I am easily swayed by Dairy Queen and Starbucks. They call out to me to eat their yummy treats everytime I walk by and I can resist about half the time.


Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...Dairy Queen. Thank goodness there isn't one near me (or if there is, I haven't found it yet) or else I'd be on my way for a Blizzard right now. :)

[Sare79]

Last night I intended to just get a chocolate dipped cone, but they had a special on banana splits and so I got one of those. Can I just say- it was DELICIOUS!

[RubberSoul]

Now I want a hot fudge sundae or a blizzard. Ya'll are a bad influence!

[bijouparvin]

*going downstairs to eat some Ben&Jerry's*

:p

[ellidew]

I already had haagen daaz sticky toffee pudding ice cream today! :D Actually had it as my morning snack! lol.

[Franni]

I am making a small pot of coffee to have with my chocolate chip cookies. MMMMM....

Did I mention I just went for my GTT today? Well, at least I am doing this after the test and not before.

Too much clothes for a DD Regrettably, I am living proof that you can go overboard. I have not bought myself a new pair of anything, but I have just completed my DD's fall wardrobe. I have significantly cut down on the amount of stuff that I bought because with the previous seasons, she was not able to wear everything that I bought her. It's sad really. Somehow that hasn't quiet stopped me yet...hehehehe

feeling today heartburn, backaches and hard of breathing....yeah, I am having a great day.

[Toonces]

You guys are killing me with your talk of yummy treats!! I'm munching on some diabetically approved cashews right now. :rolleyes: I told DH that after Devin is born I want: a Coke (immediately!!), Max & Erma's fresh baked choc chip cookies, a sierra turkey sandwich from Panera, and a choc shake from Steak 'n Shake, oh and a death by chocolate brownie from anywhere that sells it! :)

[ellidew]

Holy cow catgirl... that's quite a list you have there!! I haven't really held back on eating things i want while pg but i definitely want a plan for getting food after Miles arrives.

What are your plans for eating while in labor? From what i've read of the birth stories on cc most people aren't 'allowed' to eat while in labor and some go a VERY long time without anything. I think i'll be able to adhere to this policy for a short amount of time but i can't imagine going a day or 2 without eating anything. I'm thinking of packing some peanuts, granola, saltines, etc... just in case. Is this crazy? I've read some women say that the next time they will just eat. It seems crazy to me that your body will use so much energy and you never get to refuel. I might feel like crap during but i want to be prepared just in case.

[Toonces]

Eating while in labor ~ My hospital must have been really lax when I was in L&D with DD. I had to go in for an induction and left my OB's office with instructions to eat some chicken soup before going to the hospital. I did that around 4pm, but by 7pm I was hungry. L&D let me have Saltines, a granola bar and water. I had water the entire time until I started dry heaving and puking (I think that was the 3rd phase of labor). Then they said I could only have ice chips. I don't remember being overly hungry and when it came time to push, I got a 2nd wind and pushed like there was no tomorrow. I think the reason they want you to take it easy on food is in case they have to do a c-section.

Holy cow catgirl... that's quite a list you have there!!

:) I had GD when PG with DD, too. The minute I delivered her I told DH to go get me an ice cold Coke in a stryrofoam cup with little ice chips. I drank it while I was getting stitched up and it was the best tasting Coke I've had in my life. :)

[Rancid13]

Last night I intended to just get a chocolate dipped cone, but they had a special on banana splits and so I got one of those. Can I just say- it was DELICIOUS!

Mmmmm, DQ banana splits are my favorite!!

At least they're small enough to contain "only" 500 calories. The Baskin-Robbins banana splits have more than twice that. :eek:

http://health.msn.com/dietfitness/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100144466

What are your plans for eating while in labor? I don't know what my hospital will "allow" in terms of eating during labor, but I plan on eating something before or on my way to the hospital just in case!!

[CityGirl]

What are your plans for eating while in labor? - One of the perks of homebirth is that you are actually encouraged to eat. The midwives suggest easy to digest carbs like fruit, buttered toast, cereal, and smoothies. They also suggest a sports drink like Gatorade or Recharge. We're also required to have food on hand for the midwives and our suppost people, so there will be a big pot of soup or stew on the stove for anyone who wants it.

As for after the birth, I'm having a margarita. :D

[ellidew]

As for after the birth, I'm having a margarita.

LOL. Good plan!! :)

[katnbug]

eating during labor- :( This is obviously where c-sections stink! My c/s is scheduled for 1:00pm and I was told I can't eat or drink anything past midnight that morning!!! How do you go that long without drinking anything??

After the baby comes I want an ice cold beer. I am much more of a wine drinker, but I have been craving beer like crazy lately!

catgirl- I had Max & Erma's chocolate chip cookies last Friday.... to die for! (Sorry, that was probably mean of me to mention ;))

[Rancid13]

As for after the birth, I'm having a margarita. :D

Oooh, that is a magnificent plan!!! :D :D :D

[Toonces]

Kat ~ No hard feelings, just as long as next time you enjoy one on my behalf. I used to be able to eat all 6 in two days. :o

[Franni]

citygirl you are on the right track. HOme birth must be great for that. I don't think the hospital will have a full bar. hehehehe

eating before labor Childbirth class really helped me figure out where I was in the labor process, so I ate lunch and dinner before going to the hospital. I also suggest packing some food with you, not just for during labor (if the hospital staff allows you to eat) but for after. When adrenaline subsides and it's 2:00 AM, even in a city like NYC, nothing was open.

[mayham]

eating before labor - I will definitely be bringing food with me, hopefully they'll let me eat! I don't do well without food, but maybe this will be one of those times where I'm so caught up I won't notice how hungry I am??

katnbug - That is a LONG time to go without food or drink :( Is there any way you can move up the time? I'd definitely be eating my last meal at 11:45 the night before!

[ellidew]

What do hiccups feel like? I was just reading the Oct Mommies thread because i'm freakin' out over lack of movement. I'm barely getting anything even after i eat! Now i'm trying a coke to see if that gets him going. A lot of them have been mentioning lack of movement with some 'rolling' under the ribs and hiccups. I get the rolling from time to time and an occasional ping but that's about it. What do hiccups feel like? I don't think i've experienced that.

Also, i think i might have dropped... does movement typically decrease once you have? I've only felt things really low and really high (under my right rib cage mostly) and i feel like i'm sticking out further like everything fell down. I was carrying really high. I used to get kicks from the left and right side simultaneously and now i barely get anything on either side.

Can someone calm my fears. I keep telling myself that the chances of something being wrong are SO slim and i do get a little push here and there just nothing so big i can so... okay, he's alright. Does this make sense?

I naturally worry too much and i knew this would be a hard time for me. It doesn't help that a year ago dh's cousin lost her baby at 37-38 weeks because the umbilical cord cut off circulation around his leg. Can someone calm my fears and just tell me the baby is okay? I already ask dh 400 times a day and he's always upbeat and says 'of course the baby is okay!!'

I have a doctors appointment tomorrow and i'm going to bring up the lessened movement, how i worry about it and why (dh's cousin). I'm actually half hoping she'll have me start coming in once a week. I can't imagine this is doing anything good for my blood pressure (which up to this point has been fine). Maybe i should get a fetal heartbeat monitor for the last month. I probably wouldn't ever STOP listening though. On top of worrying too much i tend to obsess as well.

Am i crazy? Anyone else having similar fears? Can someone knock some sense into me? He moves just not as much and i think i'm making something out of nothing. Hormones probably aren't helping either.

Thanks for letting me go on and on.

[Rancid13]

Ellidew~ I do know for a fact that when one's due date gets closer and closer, the baby's movements decrease someewhat basically b/c they're moving out of room in which to stretch out. Instead of having plenty of room to roll and tumble and kick around, their living quarters are getting more cramped and the movements aren't as pronounced as felt from the outside. I hope this makes sense, I feel like I'm rambling. Definitely bring it up at the dr's and I'm sure he (she?) will say something similar, but if you're really that worried, perhaps they can schedule you for another u/s just to check on things and make sure all is well in there?? And getting the doppler to listen to the heartbeat sounds like a good, fear-calming idea. :)

I don't know what hiccups feel like either, I don't think I've felt any yet. I feel all sorts of other movements though. At night in bed I can feel his head just below my ribs, and when I nudge it a little, he moves his head to the other side and kicks what I'm assuming are his feet, down in the lower left portion of my abdomen. It's our new 'nighttime game' and I got DH involved last night until he pressed gently on where the head was, and baby responded with what DH said felt like a head butt. :D

[RubberSoul]

ellidew- I was going to ask what hiccups felt like today too! Last night I was feeling a rhythmic tapping and I was thinking the baby had hiccups. The movement I feel now is different than it used to be. Mostly I feel him pushing out and some dragging of body parts. I rarely get kicks anymore. I have gotten some random ones every now and then - they pack punch now. If I haven't felt him move in a while I will start rubbing and pushing on my belly and that usually gets him to move. Have you tried that? I think if you are really concerned you should call your Dr's office and talk to someone about it. Maybe they can help calm your fears.

[Franni]

elliedw Please talk to your doc if you are concerned. I had a concern during my last pg (~8 months) and he sent me for monitoring. Everythng turned out alright but it was nice to reassured that things are ok.

I think I might need to get this camera after this pg new camera from HP comes with a slimming feature - check it out -http://www.hp.com/united-states/consumer/digital_photography/tours/slimming/index_f.html

[roberta]

ellidew I have not felt hiccups at all. No idea what they might feel like and I am not sure I would even recongnize them. I am not feeling the big kicks anymore. More little movements, and what feels more like muscle twitches and pains where I think the baby is pushing against the wall of the uterus. More pain, less kicks. I am no longer getting movement on both sides either. This is probably because he is simply taking up too much space. I know the baby is head down with his body mostly to the left side of the uterus. Also, I don't feel lots of movement after I eat anymore. I feel him the most when I lay down to go to bed and when I wake up in the morning. Again, not so many kicks, but pain and twinges.
Oh, hon. It is hard not to worry, especially after your cousin's experience. Keep in mind, the baby is running out of room. Babies born at this age are about 4-5 pounds. While that isn't a full size newborn, it is not a tiny little bean anymore either. Seeing pics of my sis (who was born at 30 weeks) and babies on TV that had born at 28 weeks made me realize how big this baby really is! And there is only so much room in my torso!
I hope this helps!

[ellidew]

Thanks you SO much ladies!! You ALL really made me feel better. I really think i'm just have a paranoia day and i made myself worry. I am feeling a lot like what rubbersoul said about pushing out. It's sometimes so subtle i barely even notice. I know this kid is running out of room (thanks for the reassurance roberta) and i had read that movement subsides a lot after the 28 week mark when baby is most active but i still worked myself up. Stupid, i know. After i drank a coke he did give some pushes and one big kick so i felt a little better. I feel bad for waking him up just to make sure he was alright. Poor kid isn't going to know when to sleep if i keep this up! lol.

I can just hear dr. phil. 'If the baby is moving then worrying about it is irrational. You're creating an irrational fear out of nothing.' My response would surely be 'oh yeah... well pregnant women aren't rational!'

Holy cow Franni - That camera feature is crazy... i'm not sure it would trim off enough pounds for my taste though! lol. Plus, then i'd look at pictures and be deceiving myself ;) Must lose baby weight!

What a funny game rancid! I can push where the baby last kicked/rolled/whatever and occasionally I’ll get a response but not regularly. You weren’t rambling. Thanks for making me feel better!

[Esq.]

ellidew- I have had decreased movement for about a month now. I have mentioned it to the doctor', but they seem to blow it off bc she does move, just not as much as she used to, and not in the same way.

I do kick counts when I start to get really concerned. Eat something, lay down on your side with a watch, and start tracking the kicks until you get to 10. Take that to the doctor on your next visit. I count any movement at all as a kick.

hiccups- Ella has had them twice, and they feel like a very steady, rhythmic tapping to me.

[Sinclair319]

hiccups-It's a pretty subtle, but rhythmic tapping--usually down low (he's head down). If I'm busy doing something, or in the car I usually don't notice because it's so subtle, but if I'm just sitting (or lying down) I can actually feel the tapping externally. My mom said when she was preg with me, I had them a ton, but when she was preg with my brother, he hardly ever had them.

I'm also feeling less kicks--still feeling plenty of rolling and some dragging of a body part, but not the big kicks like I used to.

[Toonces]

ellidew ~ I agree that if you get very concerned, then call your OB (hehehe... I typed "BO" at first :rolleyes: ). They can hook you up to an NST and trust me, that will alleviate your fears. Also, I don't know if this theory is true but you might want to count your blessings... my DD was incredibly active in utero and is a very, let's say "high spirited", child. I believe Dr. Sears calls them "high needs". It was rough going at first and now just exhausting. Devin rarely moves - mabye 5 times/day. I'm hoping he's much more calm mannered and laid back. I think I've heard that movement in utero indicates personality after birth, but I don't know how true that is.

Franni ~ Damn! That is one cool camera!!

Hiccups ~ DD had them all the time but I can't for the life of me remember what they felt like. So far I haven't felt them with Devin.

[ellidew]

i guess it's safe to say i haven't experienced hiccups because i haven't felt anything similar to what others have.

catgirl- I've heard the same thing about babies activities in utero being an indicator of how they'll act once born. Dh keeps saying the same thing about how maybe we'll get a baby that actually sleeps and isn't 'high needs'. We'll see i guess! I think i need regular stress tests more than the baby ;) lol. I've gotten lots of movement since my original post so maybe baby was just sleeping the morning away.

Sinclair- The big kicks are few and far between that's for sure. Id actually liken the current movements to gas sometimes. It's hard to distinguish the rolling and pushing of body parts.

Seriously, thanks for alleviating my fears! I've been getting lots of movement for over an hour now. Pushing and moving and an occasional bigger kick. He was just so quiet last night and this morning i started to worry. It's possible he's just going to do less movement in the morning and not wake up until later in the afternoon. I need to find a way to get through it without freaking out. I hate posting fears like this on here because i feel like such a worry wart but you guys always make me feel better and i'm guessing less worrying lowered my blood pressure and then baby came out to play. Now my blood pressure is really low. It's funny... i've never been able to notice such fluctuation in my blood pressure before pg. I can definitely tell when it goes up though... usually during a freakout session! Thanks again!

[ellidew]

I splurged and bought a Peanut Shell earlier. I ordered the microfleece in gray. I can't wait to get it and test it out on my 3 month old niece... even though my belly is sure to get in the way right now!

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/ellidew/peanutshell.jpg

I was boring and ordered the gray.

[CityGirl]

hiccups - The little man gets them at least once a day. At this point it is really easy to tell when he has them, since body part movements are more like pushing/rolling/stretching. It feels like a rhythmic tiny kick just below my belly button, about as intense as the first movements I ever felt in the 2nd trimester. The thing that makes it obvious as hiccups is that they are very rhythmic and last for a few minutes.

Rancid - You reminded me of a conversation I had with DH the other night when we were poking around trying to distinguish different baby parts. I started to wonder if we had indeed found the head, then wasn't it possible that we were actually poking the kid in the eyes/nose etc. Then dh said "We'll its no wonder he keeps moving... he's trying to get away from us." :D

[bijouparvin]

hiccups - My kiddo gets these several times a day. At first, I was surprised at how much more frequent they are than adult hiccups. I'd say she gets at least one hic per second when she's having a fit. I know they're not supposed to bother her, but she gets more active when she's got them, so I can't help but think she's a little annoyed. It's just a consistent little ticking feeling that moves as she moves. I think of it as a little doppler, showing me where her back/abdomen are.

I had my 32w appointment today. All is well: HB, BP all good. She remains head-down, so I guess she's staying down there for good. The CNM thinks that could be contributing to my pubic bone pain but said there's not much I can do about it. Just be careful to not squat too much. I asked her about eating before/during labor and she said to do whatever I want but that a lot of women don't have an appetite once the going gets tough. I also got a list of Peds to call, since we haven't even begun to start that research. :o

My next appointment is on 10/5.

[Franni]

catgirl OMG, please don't say that. DD#2 is a little soccer player. I really don't need another high needs baby. In contrast, DD#1 was a mover but not quite as hyper as this little bug. I can't even fathom another baby like my DD. That energy level. Cute but crazy.

New pregnancy symptom ITCHY....SO.VERY.ITCHY. What is up with that? I know skin stretching, etc. It comes and goes though, so I am not too concerned yet. A friend of mine had some liver problems that manifested itself in itchiness, so she had to be induced early. But hers was persistent, or so I tell myself.

[Rancid13]

I splurged and bought a Peanut Shell earlier. I ordered the microfleece in gray. I can't wait to get it and test it out on my 3 month old niece... even though my belly is sure to get in the way right now!


I was boring and ordered the gray.

Oh, cool! Is that like a baby sling? Looks very convenient.



Rancid -You reminded me of a conversation I had with DH the other night when we were poking around trying to distinguish different baby parts. I started to wonder if we had indeed found the head, then wasn't it possible that we were actually poking the kid in the eyes/nose etc. Then dh said "We'll its no wonder he keeps moving... he's trying to get away from us." :D

LOL! DH has mentioned that to me on many occasions! When I ‘poke around’ I usually do it more with the flat of my hand than with fingers going ‘poke-poke’ because I’d feel really bad if I knew I was poking him in the eye, ear, nose, etc. DH told me about a cartoon he saw in which a baby had just been born and when the father got really close to take a look at him, the baby poked at him in the face and said “There! See how it feels?” Made me LOL!!



New pregnancy symptom ITCHY....SO.VERY.ITCHY. What is up with that? I know skin stretching, etc. It comes and goes though, so I am not too concerned yet. A friend of mine had some liver problems that manifested itself in itchiness, so she had to be induced early. But hers was persistent, or so I tell myself.

Welcome to my club! Itching (and very irritated skin as a result) has been the bane of my existence for the last, oh, 4 months now. I’ve read that it’s not uncommon during pregnancy, especially in the belly area as the skin stretches. However, I’d love to find a lotion or cream that actually works to help curb the itchy feeling. I’ve heard about the liver-problems, I think it’s called Cholestasis. Yes I’ve done a TON of research on being itchy and pregnant, LOL. There’s also PUPPPS, eczema, and allergies.
http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/pregnancy/prenatalhealth/9450.html

I ordered my diaper bag today from Amazon.com. The Skip Hop Dash diaper bag in black:
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B0009OD6OO.01-A3VRQKR5ZO9XK7._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_V60577600_.jpg

I'm also going to be getting this stroller:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v432/rancid13/Pegp3plikosable.jpg
Last year's Peg Perego P3 Pliko in Sable, which is cheaper than a current model (and I prefer the black/silver color combo over this year's colors).

[ellidew]

Oh, cool! Is that like a baby sling? Looks very convenient.


Yup, it's a sling. I hope you like your skip hop i bought one too... different style though. I haven't done anything but put it in the closet in the nursery at this point.

That's a funny story about the baby poking the dad. It made me lol.

Franni - Sorry about the skin itching. I know rancids had it far worse but i had a horrible skin itch at the beginning which has gone down to 1 spot on each wrist and random spots on my fingers. I hope you feel better soon... at least it's sporadic, right?

[RubberSoul]

Rancid- I just got my SkipHop Dash in Ice Blue :). It is smaller than I thought it was going to be, but still roomy. It looks much bigger in pictures.

[mayham]

Rancid13 - I got the Skip Hop Dash as well! Mine is the charcoal grey with light blue trim. RubberSoul - I agree it does look bigger in pictures. But from what I've heard it gets the job done!

hiccups - I've been feeling something that sounds like it might be hiccups, but I never thought it was because they were happening so close together. But from what everyone is saying that they're rhythmic, it sounds like it might be the case.

[Rancid13]

How funny! It's sounding like EVERYone has a Skip Hop diaper bag! I was looking for something simple that would get the job done, and another friend recommended the Dash diaper bag. As soon as I saw it, I was in love. :)

[Toonces]

LOL! I have the Skip Hop Expo... one of the many, many diaper bags I've acquired over the last 2 years. It's an awful obsession!

[Esq.]

Okay...this may be really stupid, but I am going to do it anyway.

I went to dinner with DH. When I got up to get out of the car, I noticed that I had a ton of pressure at the bottom of my uterus. Kind of like having to pee, but I didn't have to.

I happened to take pics this morning, bc today is my week marker. So I came home and took more to see if it looked like the baby had dropped.

What do you guys think?

this morning:
http://static.flickr.com/93/249356918_b31a5ab4b1.jpg?v=0

tonight:
http://static.flickr.com/81/249356920_37dae891f7.jpg?v=0

[bijouparvin]

Kyrsten - Well, it definitely looks a little bit lower, but it could also be the slightly different angles of the pictures. How far along does a baby usually drop?

[lisainpink]

Kyrsten- I don't know- you may have. I notice pressure sometimes- and then I'll lean to a side and it goes away. Maybe put the grey pants back on so we can see a side by side.:p Either way- you have a cute belly.

I had my 32 week appointment- and an internal. I expected it to be awful- but it really wasn't that bad. Not that I'm looking into doing it again- but it wasn't anything like I had built it up to be. The only thing is I wish I had worn a panty liner. I had on some brand new- super-cute undies- and I bled after the exam (still am.) Ugh.
So anyway- baby is head down, HR 147, BP was great, all is well. I'm on the every 2 week route now. The doctor did look over my planner and marked off tons of appointments I had planned. He said he was not comfortable with me traveling more than 1 hour away from the hospital after 35 weeks.

QOTD Does anyone else feel like the fast forward button has been pressed? I feel like we are -all of a sudden- really close!

[Franni]

elliedw Yes, I am thankful that itching is at least sporadic.

Rancid Did you ever get little bumps on your belly? They look like tiny flesh-toned insect bites. They're not eczema because I know what those look like, but I have just started to notice them all over my belly.

Krysten It does look a little lower, but it might just be the baby shifting position. I have noticed that some days my belly looks high and others it looks distended in another direction.

QOTD Yeah...but there are days (like today) when it doesn't seem to come fast enough. I am still overwhelmed by the exhaustion of this pg.

[Sinclair319]

diaper bag--I'm another proud owner of the charcol with light blue edging Skip Hop Dash. And I agree, it does look larger in picts than it is in person, but I'm still very happy with the purchase.

QOTD-YES!!! When my doc said that if my water breaks from 34w on they'll induce labor it really hit me (34w for me is Sunday!) I'm definitely in nesting mode--I'd love to take some time off work to get everything really clean (carpets cleaned, floors scrubbed really good etc) Here's to hoping I have the energy for it Saturday!

registry-sorry I can't remember who mentioned it, but what a great idea to add the item to your Target registry, then return it. They've given us such a hassel about returning anything that's not on the registry (and doesn't have a receipt).

[ellidew]

QOTD: Fast Forward Some days yes and some days no. I think after our shower on Sunday it's going to start to feel very real. It's weird to talk about having our babies in a matter of weeks. There's only 6 weeks 3 days until my due date. ACK! I feel somewhat prepared now that the shower is here and we can stock the nursery. There is some 'nesting' i want to get done like cleaning out kitchen cabinets, washing all the floor trim and wood floors. Dh still plans to replace the windows in our bedroom too but that should only take a couple of hours. I stressed over getting everything done a few weeks ago so it took a little of the pressure off. It IS going to be here before we know it though.

Lisainpink- So glad that your appointment went well. Sounds like your doctor has restricted you a little but maybe that’s a good thing. We should all be taking it a little easy.

Kyrsten- It’s so hard to tell. You do look longer in the second picture like there isn’t as much right under your bb’s. I think I may have dropped too but I don’t have any pictures. It just feels different and the ligaments around my uterus feel like they are stretched to the max!

[Esq.]

Thanks ladies! :) I am pretty sure that she dropped, even if only a little bit. I noticed last night, after going up and down the stairs twice, that I was not winded. That was really the deciding factor for me, bc it has been a long time since I could walk up a flight of stairs without feeling like I couldn't breathe.

QOTD- I feel like the rest of the pregnancy went by so fast, and this part is going by so slow. I have been really sick and uncomfortable, and I would just like this all to end. I am starting to feel like it doesn't matter what books I ahven't gotten through, or what things I have not had the chance to purchase yet. I just want this baby out of me! :)

[nic]

34 Weeks-Only 6 weeks Left :eek: :eek:

Good morning all,

I hope everyone is doing okay. I haven't been able to post in awhile so I'll try my best to catch up.


Hiccups- I think I feel them but I'm not positive

QOTD: Fast Forward - Yes! I'm freaking out that we only have 6 weeks left. I feel so far behind. I know it'll be fine but we still have alot to
do.

Is anyone still wearing shoes with a heel? Holy crap, I wish I had taken a picture of my feet the other day. I wore heels at work and by the time I got home it looked like I had to severely sprained ankles. I mean, they were enormous, I couldn't stop looking at them they were just so big!
Those those of you with the Skip Hop Dash- Where did you order from? I'd like to get one too and I'm curious to see if any of you found them on sale.

ellidew- If you're every feeling nervous about movement, don't hesitate to call your doctor and schedule a NST, they don't mind.

Kyrsten It does look like you're dropped a little

I had my 34 weeks appointment yesterday and I mentioned that the baby was moving a little less. My NP said that automatically gets you a Non-Stress Test so off I went to get hooked up to the monitors. I took about 45 minutes to get a satisfactory reading but all is fine. The NP also gave me a referral for P.T. because the back/hip is only getting worse.

Overall, it was a good, although, long appointment.

My office also had a little shower for me yesterday. It was really nice and they were all very gnerous. They got us the Pack n Play, gift certificates, a sleep sack, and several sleepers.

[ellidew]

nic- It was nice of your office to have a shower for you!

I'm definitely bringing up the decrease in movements with the doctor today. I honestly think she'll just blow it off and tell me that movement is going to decrease now that i'm so far along. I don't anticipate a NST but we'll see.

Ankles- Um, yeah... I haven't worn shoes with a heel since about 20 weeks. Not because of my ankles at that point but because of sciatica. I wouldn't get it if i wore flip flops. So, my Tevas got me through the summer and the only pair of shoes i have that i can wear without feeling uncomfortable on the days it's cooler outside are my RED merrells... this makes dressing for work very very interesting. My ankles have been swelling for a couple of weeks now. In the morning they are perfectly normal but by the time i get home from work (and i have a desk job) they are the size of cantaloupe. I've started showering at night because if i shower in the morning and stand for too long then they swell up right away.

Only 6 weeks to go!

[Rancid13]

Kyrsten- I don't know- you may have. I notice pressure sometimes- and then I'll lean to a side and it goes away.


I get that too, every day. I think it’s the way baby is positioning himself in there. I could have just used the restroom and all of a sudden feel the pressure and urge to go again, and when I try to, nothing comes out. :confused:

QOTD: Does anyone else feel like the fast forward button has been pressed?

Yes!! I still have about 10 weeks to go, and that’s not a whole lot of time!! I look back at 10 weeks ago and that was mid July, right around my birthday and during that time we had 2 u/s. I'm sure the next 2.5 months will fly by whatwith all the prepping we're doing, classes we're attending, holidays, etc. :eek:


Rancid Did you ever get little bumps on your belly? They look like tiny flesh-toned insect bites. They're not eczema because I know what those look like, but I have just started to notice them all over my belly.


Not really, my little bumps tend to be pink or red, like a minor skin rash here and there. And very easily irritated, sometimes itchy as heck! :o

Is anyone still wearing shoes with a heel? Yes...I wore my favorite 2.5" wedge heels to my shower last weekend. I can't tell you how many people commented on it, they were surprised I was wearing them. They were comfy!! I could balance on regular heels though, even pre-preg. Still debating what footwear to wear to my friend's shower tomorrow, I was thinking flip flops but not sure that would look appropriate with the dress. My feet are still fine, no swelling (although they get sore after only 15 minutes of walking in the park).


Those those of you with the Skip Hop Dash- Where did you order from? I'd like to get one too and I'm curious to see if any of you found them on sale.


I ordered mine from Amazon.com. I found the diaper bag on several different websites, but ultimately decided on Amazon because I’ve ordered from them before and trust them, and also needed a couple other things (book, dvd) and thought it’d be a good idea to get them all from one vender for the time being.

30w belly shots from last night. Never mind how irritated the skin on my abdomen (ok, entire body) is looking. I haven't scratched my belly in 2 days, I've been really good about that too. For color/irritation comparison of how much better my skin used to look, I've posted a picture from very early on in my pregnancy (~6-8w?).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v432/rancid13/30w0d001.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v432/rancid13/30w0d002.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v432/rancid13/norash.jpg

[Sare79]

I've been having some pretty intense BH contractions lately. They don't have a pattern as to when they happen, but they happen often enough that I am realizing what they are.

I've also been noticing that I am having a lot of leakage. I'm changing my underwear when I get home from work as well as in the morning. It's clear and definitely isn't urine, but I am wondering if it is just cervical fluid or if maybe I have a small perforation in my amniotic sac. I had an amnio done at 5 months, and so I am unsure if it could happen this late. I've tried wearing pantyliners but my skin is much more sensitive right now and they have been causing a rash. As long as the volume of fluid doesn't increase, I am going to try not to worry until I talk to the doctor on Wednesday at my next appointment.

[mayham]

QOTD: Fast Forward - It's definitely starting to feel more real, but I feel like I have more time, because I'm due at the end of the month on the 25th. I'm sure my feelings will change once the first baby arrives!

Sinclair319 - We're diaper bag twins! I like it b/c DH will also use it as well. I was thinking of getting a girly one just for me, but I think I'm going to wait a bit, so I'll have something fun to buy after the baby's born.

Those those of you with the Skip Hop Dash
When I looked, I didn't find any good deals online, so I got mine at a place called The Paper Store. http://www.thepaperstore.com/

Rancid13 - Sorry your skin is so irritated. Good for you for not scratching, though! I've been a little itchy, but not that bad, which is good because I would not have your self control with the scratching!

Sare79 - RE: the cervical fluid, I've been noticing what's like EWCM, so I asked my doctor at my last appt. She said as long as it wasn't green and didn't smell funny then it was okay.

[Rancid13]

Rancid13 - Sorry your skin is so irritated. Good for you for not scratching, though! I've been a little itchy, but not that bad, which is good because I would not have your self control with the scratching!


You should hear me, I literally have to talk myself out of scratching. Out loud. :o Something like "Ok, so it will feel good for what, a few seconds? Is that worth the stinging feeling that you know will come about immediately afterwards and last for an hour? And do you want to make it all red and ugly again?". I've been really good for the last 3 days now, if anything I'm trying to will my skin to go back to normal.

[katnbug]

qotd- fast forward- When I say it out loud "I have under 5 weeks left now" it seems so soon... But on a day to day basis, I feel like time is dragging!

Sare- I'm not sure about cervical fluid leaking.. but I know I have been experiencing more "wetness" in just the past week. Kind of TMI, but with my over-sensitive sense of smell I can definitely smell it! I change my panty liner at least 2 times a day and hope I'm the only one who can smell me!! :rolleyes: I would definitely bring it up to your dr. next appt.. but as mayham said, as long as it's not a funky color I wouldn't worry too much.
****************

I had my 34 week appt this morning. Totally non-eventfull. I was expecting a high BP reading, but it was 124/78 which is great for me! I don't know why I'm worrying so much about it lately... but obviously I don't need to be right now. I start weekly appts now because this is the time when my pre-e showed up last pregnancy.

My next appt. is 9/30

I think I get a strep swab next appt. And my first NST should be at 36 weeks.

Everyone have a great weekend! I'm hoping to get more done around the house and in baby's room. DH is supposed to do work outside - mowing and trimming and painting a piece of trim- and wouldn't you know that it's supposed to rain here all weekend! Typical... just when he decides that things need to be done, he can't do them!

[Toonces]

I'm not sure about cervical fluid leaking.. but I know I have been experiencing more "wetness" in just the past week. Kind of TMI, but with my over-sensitive sense of smell I can definitely smell it! I change my panty liner at least 2 times a day and hope I'm the only one who can smell me!!

I've had the same thing happening and while we're being honest.... :o DD was standing by me, crotch level of course, when I was changing the other night. DH was sitting in the glider. I pulled off my underwear to change it and DD goes, "wooooo weeee" like it stunk!!!!! It was just that typical cervial mucous leakage smell, nothing gross, but different. DH almost fell of the glider laughing. :rolleyes: So, yes it's normal to have leakage and there is a slight odor to it, but as long as it's not too funky or a strange color, then I wouldn't worry. I go through 2-3 pantiliners/day. I told DH that even on a bad day my smell will never be as bad as his daily sh*ts. Yes, I am hormonal.

Kat ~ FWIW I didn't smell you at Gymbo. ;) :)

[mimieliza]

Oh man, I think I threw my ass out of joint last night. I was seriously screaming as I tried to get off the couch, and then once I was standing (and DH was massaging my butt) I was cracking up at how ridiculous it was. Since when in my life did I ever have to notice that my ass actually contains a joint?

I haven't updated for awhile, so I'm going to try feebly to catch up.

Fast forward - Yes, I've felt like this for awhile. It seems unreal. I look at myself in the mirror and wonder, "When did THAT happen?" It still takes me by surprise to catch a glimpse of myself from the side.

Hiccups - She gets them a couple times a day, and I feel them down low, which is odd, since we're all pretty convinced she's head up. Maybe she's had us fooled this whole time.

shoes with a heel - I don't wear much heel normally, but if I spend much time at all in my boots, which have a slight heel, my feet and legs get very tired and sore.

leakage - Did we talk earlier in this thread about leakage coming from the urethra? I'm pretty sure it's not urine, but that's definitely where it's coming from. It's not smelly or odd-colored, so I haven't said anything about it to the doctor (and honestly, DH was at my last Dr appt, so I was a little embarassed - funny, though, that I'm perfectly compfortable laying it all out here in public). :p

Rancid - Oh, your poor belly looks so itchy and sore! But it's cute anyway. :)

[Toonces]

Oh man, I think I threw my ass out of joint last night. I was seriously screaming as I tried to get off the couch, and then once I was standing (and DH was massaging my butt) I was cracking up at how ridiculous it was. Since when in my life did I ever have to notice that my ass actually contains a joint?

LOL! It is funny, isn't it? I'm pretty sure it's sciatica. There's another pregnancy related back/butt ailment but I can't remember what it's called. I've had sciatica bad this week, too. Twice this week I had to walk around the house with a cane. I feel like I'm 110 years old.

[katnbug]

:rolleyes: Thanks for the re-assurance catgirl ;) I don't want the ladies at Gymbo to snicker at me behind my back!!

ass pain- Hmmm... A symptom I am happy to say I do not have.

hiccups- I forgot to say in my last post that Hilary is getting hiccups at least 2-3 times a day. I should think it's cute... but it just annoys me. Just like everything else these days.

Speaking of annoying...As I am writing this the tornado alarms are going off. We seem to be in the path of a storm cell that has "rotating clouds". DH just called me and I told him we were under a tornado warning and he said that means they have spotted a tornado. I told him that they didn't say that... just "rotating clouds"...I know what a warning is, but the weather guy said something different. Why must DH argue with me????? Of course, he didn't ask if we were in the basement or anything! :rolleyes:

[CityGirl]

I had my 32 week ultrasound this morning to check out the location of my placenta (it was a partial previa at 18 weeks). Why oh why must the ultrasound techs be so stingy with their information? :mad: She looked around for about an hour, doing a full routine scan and measuring the head, amniotic fluid, etc. Then she took a few minutes to show us the baby's face, and his position in there (still breech at the moment), and the fact that he is still a boy. Then she said the baby's bones were casting a shadow and she couldn't see my placenta or cervix at all so I had to to the trans-vaginal ultrasound. No biggie, but when she was done she quickly said "Your doctor will have the results for you at your next appointment" and left. So now I have to wait until Tuesday to find out what my placenta has been up to the last few months. Boo. Hiss.

fast forward - OK, so every time one of you ladies says "I can't believe I only have 6 weeks left!" etc, I have to look at your due date and see if I'm in the wrong due date thread. And then I realize I only have 8 weeks left. How's that for denial. :D

[Rancid13]

Ass pain~ Yes!! That's me! Especially if I've been sitting in a position for awhile, when I go to get up my ass feels like it's gonna go out on me and I feel like I'm gonna fall. DH laughs every time I get up from the couch and quasi-limp/try-not-to-fall, with a hand on either cheek, saying "ow-ow-ow". :o :p

Leakage~ Nothing more than a normal amount discharge down below, but I must admit that I am leaking up top and have been for a couple months now. I've ordered some nursing pads and am going to start wearing them inside my bra. I'm tired of staining them with the stuff when it dries up and crusts over. :eek:

Skin irritation~ I've been thinking all day today about how red my belly looks in the pictures I posted, and I decided that it must look that way b/c the pics were taken just after showering last night. I swear it doesn't look that red normally! I'm gonna try to get new pics tonight, which I hope look better. The irritation is an annoyance, but it's not as painful as those pictures might lead you think it is. :)

Katnbug~ That's crazy for me to think that tornado alarms are going off where you are! We were in KC a couple years ago for a wedding, and I remember thinking how weird it was that there were signs saying "tornado shelter" all over the airport. We just have the occasional earthquake to deal with here, but without any type of advance warning~they just kind of 'happen'. No biggie for me. :)

[katnbug]

Katnbug~ That's crazy for me to think that tornado alarms are going off where you are! We were in KC a couple years ago for a wedding, and I remember thinking how weird it was that there were signs saying "tornado shelter" all over the airport. We just have the occasional earthquake to deal with here, but without any type of advance warning~they just kind of 'happen'. No biggie for me. :)

Luckily, living in the midwest we don't have to deal with too much. We're in a suburb of Chicago, not rural at all, so we don't even have tornadoes for the most part. Earthquakes, without warning, would probably freak me out though!

Anyhow, it seems we're out of immediate danger. One big storm passed by already without incident. It was sunny a few minutes ago, but getting darker again to the west. :)

citygirl- That's crap about your u/s tech. They should be more friendly and informative. And to make you wait for results is just hooey!

[roberta]

fast forward - OK, so every time one of you ladies says "I can't believe I only have 6 weeks left!" etc, I have to look at your due date and see if I'm in the wrong due date thread. And then I realize I only have 8 weeks left. How's that for denial. :D
Me too!
citygirlThe tech couldn't see my placenta without doing the vaginal US either. And mine had moved, so I hope yours has moved too!

ass pain not right now (I am sure since someone mentioned and I thought about it, it will appear next week!) But, man, I had horrible sciatica in the first trimester. I didn't think I'd be able to walk the rest of the pregnancy!
mimiliza sorry to hear about your ass pain!

skip hop dash I too have the charcoal with blue trim! I really like it. I bought it used from another CCer.

stinkyness I have noticed a bit more of an 'odor' and more discharge. DH has barely been home the past two weeks (work travel and major grad school work), so it is not like anyone else has noticed. yet.
catgirl Your story about DD had me LMAO! out of the mouths of babes!
sare would some kind of unscented liner work for you?

katnbug We had a major F2 tornado come through a nearby suburb last weekend. Our alarms went off late Sat night right as we were getting into bed. DH and I went to the basement and realized we really have no emergency supplies down there. We were trying to hook up the satillite receiver to a old TV. what dummies :rolleyes: guess we need to be a little more responsible since another person will be joining us soon. So I started buying things at stock our emergency kit this week.

I am begining to feel like I am back in the first trimester and I do not miss those days. Major heartburn, nausea and I am exhausted in the afternoon! I can make it through dinner but by 8pm, I am watching the clock and thinking about going to bed. Of course now I have a giant belly, swollen hands and feet and have difficulty getting up from the couch too. good times.

[RubberSoul]

I just wanted to drop off some belly shots and the progress on our nursery! The crib was delivered today!!!

28 weeks
http://static.flickr.com/96/250795144_8134fc009f.jpg?v=0

33 weeks
http://static.flickr.com/115/250795138_9b9420f5e2.jpg?v=0

It's starting to look like a nursery!!!
http://static.flickr.com/86/250795140_6907409686.jpg?v=0

[katnbug]

roberta- Yikes! Scary that a tornado hit so close. That's probably smart of you to stock your emergency supplies. I don't even know where we have matches or a candle! :rolleyes:

I feel your heartburn pain!!! I am getting it almost daily now. This morning it hit me when we were shopping after breakfast & of course I didn't have any TUMS or anything with me. Count me in on the exhaustion too. I'm so ready for the baby to come so I can hopefully get rid of these symptoms.

I found a few different lighting fixtures for the nursery today... unfortunately, they are all a lot more expensive than the one I have from IKEA. The cheapest one is $115. I don't want to spend that much. So I will just keep looking and hope I find something else.

[katnbug]

I cross-posted with you rubbersoul. Great belly shots!!! You look so much happier than I do at this point! :D I'm pretty crabby these days!!

Beautiful start on the nursery too! I love the color of your crib and glider.
I like your paint color as well!! We used a shade of turquoise too. :)

[Toonces]

RubberSoul ~ You look amazing! Great pics.

Freak out time ~ Today I started freaking out. I don't know why. I feel this urgent need to pack my hospital bag and wash DS's clothes. I'm going to wash his coming home outfit and a few other 0-3 items this afternoon. I also feel this need to get my birth plan in order. I really hope this isn't a sign b/c I'm starting to get nervous. I wasn't nervous like this with DD.

ETA: Kat, I didn't know if you have PM notification turned on, but I sent you a PM about clothes. I have a TON of clothes for Hilary - as in you won't need to buy anything for her for 18 months. More info in my PM. :)

[Lilla]

Happy Monday! Quick fly-by post....

skip hop dash I've got this, too! It's so funny how so many of us have one. Mine is the black with white trim.

hiccups Seems like she is getting them more lately. It used to be rare, but now it seems like she has them once per day. I always feel them down *really* low, so I'm hoping that means she is still head down.

ass pain Not in the ass specifically, but I've got all my pain in my very lower back. Luckily, my bi-weekly massages seem to help quite a bit. Thankfully DH doesn't mind me getting all these massages! :p

fast forward I've felt like I've been living life in fast forward since our showers. Maybe it's having all this baby stuff around the house that makes it more real and makes me realize how soon this is all going to happen! I was just asking DH this weekend when he thinks we should install the car seat. It's crazy that we are close enough to be thinking about that already!

I got my professional belly shots done yesterday. I am thrilled with how they turned out! I'm so glad I got them done - I was worried I'd look silly in them, but they made me realize how beautiful a pregnant woman's body really is. I'll get them back later this week and share some with you guys.

I have my 34w appt this afternoon. Not expecting anything out of the ordinary. I have to remember to ask for ped recs.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!!!

[November06Mommies]

Thread updated to here.

[Franni]

random ass pain YEP. That's me. I hate the fact that I can't seem to predict it happening. Sometimes it hits out of nowhere. I also can't predict how long it will last.

Rancid I just want to tell you that I salute you for being able to deal with the "itchies" for so long. I have just torn up my skin on the right side of my belly. At least, I now know the feeling that my poor little DD has to go through. She "inherited" eczema from her dad (yeah..thanks, pops!) and I literally had to put bandages on her arms so that she wouldn't scratch herself raw. I don't have your restraint and before I had a moment for that internal conversation, my nails have made contact with skin.

9 more weeks It's hitting me more and more, especially how DD#1 is going to react. I think these last few weeks, the baby has started to go from concept to reality. Only this week have I started to think of logistics. (ie DD#1 & #2 is going to share the room with us. How is DD#1 going to deal with all the nightwakings? How are we going to put DD#1 to sleep with the baby in same room?)

Stinkyness I hear you, Roberta. I do have a slight odor because of the discharge (which I think is mostly urine) Sorry TMI. Panty liners help a lot but not enough. Ugh...

[scarlett74]

A new shot of my tummy!
http://rossy.zoto.com/img/45/84af56d9e2068b5c99271e2f0e6d2bbd-.jpg
See the changing table in the bathroom?

I can't see how nice is Rubbersoul's nursery, mine is just a room full of bags!
But I hope to fix it for the second half of October.
For the moment I've bought a beautiful bedding with Baby Winnie Pooh and Trigger...

[Toonces]

Lilla ~ Can't wait to see your pictures!!

Franni ~ Sounds like you & I are on the same page re logistics. I just started thinking of this stuff, too. I still don't think reality has set in though. Not looking forward to waking every 2 hours again....

scarlett74 ~ You look great! I think my belly was that size at 5 weeks. LOL! Seriously, you look really good. I'm looking forward to getting my body back in shape after this. I've carried very large with both pregnancies. I should take a pic when DH gets home.

Update ~ So I had my weekly NST today and I told my OB about the pressure I've had "down low". I told him that it feels like the baby is scratching at my cervix and putting a lot of pressure down there, and also that I've had horrific lower back pain. He said it sounds like the baby has dropped and engaged!! :eek: THEN he said, "Well you don't have much longer to go. If you go into labor after 34 weeks we probably wouldn't do anything to stop it." I'll be 34 weeks on Thursday! Yikes! Just the way he was talking it made it sound like he thinks I'll go in the next few weeks. Of course they thought that with DD and I was induced on her due date for med reasons. :rolleyes:

[Rancid13]

Ass pain (update)~ So for the past few weeks I’ve been getting that nice pain in my ass in the evenings on occasion, usually when I go to get up off the couch after sitting for long periods of time. So far this morning, every time I get up from my desk it’s there, forcing me to limp to my boss’s office, to the bathroom, etc. It doesn’t hurt so much as it’s just funny because I feel like such a gimp and there’s not much I can do about it.

Rubbersoul~ Your belly is looking fantastic!! You’re an adorable pg woman! I loooove the look of your nursery so far, the wall color is gorgeous!! And that sea critter border is too cute. :D

Freak out time~ :eek: Over the weekend someone asked me if I had my hospital bag all packed and ready. Um, no! I didn’t realize I had to have it ready this early, and it sent me into a sort of panic realizing just how much I have left to do!!! And that I only have 2 months to go, assuming this baby isn’t here early!! 9.5 weeks to go for me!!

Lilla~ I can’t wait to see your pro belly shots!! They sound beautiful!!



Rancid I just want to tell you that I salute you for being able to deal with the "itchies" for so long. I have just torn up my skin on the right side of my belly. At least, I now know the feeling that my poor little DD has to go through. She "inherited" eczema from her dad (yeah..thanks, pops!) and I literally had to put bandages on her arms so that she wouldn't scratch herself raw. I don't have your restraint and before I had a moment for that internal conversation, my nails have made contact with skin.


Thanks! It’s been killing me! The eczema I can deal with b/c I’ve had it for a few years now and am used to it (and it’s only in a couple of places~on the back of my legs behind my knees, and the underside of both arms in spots). This other skin irritation seems to be everywhere except my face and it just has this constantly irritated, sore sort of feeling along with some prickliness that makes me want to itch although I know it will hurt more if I do that. I cut my nails really really short yesterday in an attempt to curb my nighttime scratching of my arms, legs, and back. Ick. I feel so gross all the time with this skin!!

Scarlett~ Cute belly shot!! I hear you on baby stuff being everywhere... Luckily we had enough room in our dining/living room (and a corner of the master bedroom) for it to congregate in a nice pile for the time being while DH finishes clearing out the 2nd bedroom.

Catgirl~ Whoa for the baby being dropped and ready!! You're getting really close!! Well at least that explains the pains and pressures you've been feeling down low. :)


Weekend~ I went to a childhood best friend’s baby shower on Saturday. She’s due exactly one month before me, on Nov 3 and she’s having a boy also (also her first child). It was a lot of fun catching up with her and her family, my mom and I stayed at their house for about 4 hours after everyone else left. Yesterday DH and I ordered the rest of the nursery furniture from BR: glider + ottoman, changing table/dresser combo, tall dresser/chifforobe and toy chest. They should all be here in about 2 weeks, so DH had better get finished cleaning out the 2nd bedroom so it’ll all fit.

[Lydia]

I am sick as a dog. Right now I am watching my DD eat her afternoon snack off the carpet and I don't even care. (It's dried fruit) I went to the ER yesterday b/c I was SURE they would give me an antibiotic since I have a hacking cough, can't walk up a flight of stairs without almost collapsing, and my head feels like it's filled with glue. The ER doc said I I have "late stage pregnancy and a bad cold". Humph...he thinks he's clever, doesn't he?

Luckily all weekend I got enough rest thanks to my mom helping out while DH slaved away on the basement renovation. She'll be over in one hour and twenty-nine minutes to help me again. Am I anxious? You bet.

Also, I've had a lot of contractions way down low and I have not had any movement up high under my ribs. I have an U/S on Thursday as well as my regular appt so I'll ask the OB if the baby is still head down.

None of our rooms are even close to ready and I am so overwhelmed. I just cry every day like a big blubbering fool. I know it's not the end of the world and babies don't need a lot. Especially since he will sleep with us the first 3-4 weeks anyway. So what the heck is my problem? I need to get over myself.

[Franni]

lydia Ugh... probably the worst time to get sick too. It's a great thing that your mom is giving you lots of help. Hope you can get more rest soon. There'll be time to worry after you get better.

[nic]

I sympathize with everyone having ass pain, I saw a physical therapist today because my ass and hip pain is out of control. (Is it bad that I giggle everytime I read the phrase "ass pain" in this thread?)

Rubbersoul- You look great!

scarlett74- Yikes, I think my belly was that big pre-pregnancy, you look great

Lydia I'm sorry to hear you feel so awful. Like pregancy isn't hard enough with a cold on top of it. The ER doctor is a genius, thank God for his diagnosis or you'd really be inthe dark. :rolleyes:

Fellow Registry Stalkers- Do you think it's odd to have two registries and only have 3 items bought off them (2 of which you already recieved at your work shower) 6 days before your shower? I mean I know alot of people wait to the last minute but I'm starting to think we're in for a whole lot of clothes and handmade blankets come Sunday.

[ellidew]

Oh Lydia, I’m so sorry you feel so overwhelmed right now. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be pg AND have a cold much less be pg, have a cold AND another child to take care of. I don’t know how I’ll do it when we have another, I can barely take care of myself right now! I hope you feel better. It’s almost over.

Rancid- How cool that your childhood friend is due so close to you and that you got a chance to catch up. I can’t believe all the furniture you bought and that it will only take 2 weeks to get to you. Hopefully your dh kicks it into high gear! Have fun decorating the room!

Catgirl- Holy moly…34 weeks for me is tomorrow! It’s hard to believe we could have our babies so soon! Yikes, is right!

Scarlett- Great belly shot… I feel like a blimp in comparison! Have fun decorating your room. It wont be a room full of bags for long.

Franni- Concept to reality is right! You’ll figure everything out with dc’s when you need to. Try not to worry about it in the mean time. You can’t predict how either child is going to act.

Lilla- Can’t wait to see the pro shots. You are braver than I am… I really wanted to do them but I’m not all that fond of my body right now. I should have dh take some or maybe I’ll ask a friend of ours to do some with both of us. We have a beautiful yard and pretty soon the leaves are going to start changing. You may have inspired me. Lol. I hope you had a good uneventful appt today.

Katnbug- heartburn sucks! I’ve gone down to about a 10 a day habit with the tums since going on nexium. Pretty sad when even a prescription doesn’t alleviate all of the symptoms! I’m with ya on getting the baby here to get rid of symptoms! I have several I could do without. Hope you find a new light fixture soon! You and I get the same weather cells since I’m near St Louis. We had the tornado warning while I was in L&D on Friday for an NST. They had to close the blinds and the door. We definitely get enough severe weather don’t we. It’s so late in the year too!

Rubbersoul- You look great! And so does the nursery. I really like how you decided to do the ocean critters they turned out fantastic and the color of furniture looks great with that blue. I don’t know if I would’ve been bold enough to do the blue but I sure love it now that I’ve seen it done! Way to go!

Roberta- Me too! I hated the first trimester and feeling nauseous from time to time sucks! It was way worse in the 1st tri so I thank my lucky stars. I hope you feel better soon. It’s almost over!

nic- When it comes to registries it could go either way. I didn't think we were going to get anything and then BAM! all of a sudden days before things just flew off of the registry and then days before nothing was bought again. Who knows what goes through peoples minds. Have fun at your shower!!

[ellidew]

Update

On Friday at my 34 week appt i brought up the decrease in movement to the doctor. She did an u/s in the office and Miles was practice breathing and his heart was beating regularly and she said i have an 'enormous' amount of fluid so she didn't see any cause for concern but she watched for 10 or 15 minutes and he didn't move. Just to be safe she did send me to the hospital for a NST. That wasn't bad at all and after about a gallon of apple juice the little bugger started moving all over the place. I passed with flying colors in about an hour and a half - two hours. Nothing else to report really. I had a huge weight gain that i'm not even going to share with anyone.

Wouldn't ya know it... Saturday Miles wouldn't even sit still. All day long he played even when i was in the middle of cleaning and i was up and active! Dh and i just cleaned so we had the house ready for all the guys that were coming over on Sunday while i was at my baby shower.

Sunday was my baby shower and it was absolutely amazing! I wish i had pictures to share but i forgot my camera. Friends have promised me copies so hopefully i end up with some good ones. It was at a diner in a really neat part of town. We had soup, sandwiches, fruit, and veggies for lunch. Then we played 'the price is right' and then we indulged in an ice cream buffet. If you ever want a huge hit at a party serve a room full of women an ice cream buffet! I swear no one talked for 10 minutes it was so quiet while everyone ate. Then it was back to the usual cackling. lol. After cake and ice cream I opened presents. I can't believe how generous everyone was and we got a lot of the big items off of our registry. Lots of things we wanted and even some we didn't know we wanted but are so neat! Some people are really clever. We only have a few returns to make and we are going to BRU tonight to return the few things we have and don't need and pick up the mattress and bedding! I'm so excited how it's all coming together.

While i was at the baby shower dh and a bunch of the other husbands hung out at our house where my MIL catered for a small army. They played washers, ladder golf, and hit the practice golf balls in the back yard all while drinking beer, smoking cigars, and bs'ing each other. Every single guy i talked to said they had an awesome time! FIL said 'what else do guys need?' lol. I'm so glad he had a good time and so did the other guys.

Last night as we were taking tags off things, putting things away and together i just kept saying. 'A real baby. We're really having a baby.' I was grinning ear to ear the entire night! I am SO EXCITED! Only 6 weeks more to wait!

I have to admit that i was completely dragging today though. I felt crappy last night because of gas and i slept like crap. I was up for hours on end. I ended up coming into work 3.5 late today. I think with the cleaning on saturday and then the excitement on Sunday with the shower, the bending and opening of presents and then playing with everything when we got home was just too much for my body to handle. Thankfully i feel much better this afternoon. I have to remember not to overdue it too much.

[Rancid13]

Lydia~ I’m so sorry to hear you’re not feeling well! Hopefully whatever it is passes soon so you don’t have to suffer anymore. :)

Nic~ I giggle every time I think or read about “ass pain”. :p I do think it’s odd that there are only 3 registry items off 2 registries bought with your shower coming up so soon. If it helps you feel any better, I received a BUNCH of gifts at my shower that were on the registry but didn’t show as having been purchased, so when I got home I went down the list and updated the registry to reflect that the items had indeed been bought. Luckily I didn’t get any duplicates of anything. I went shopping for my friend’s shower gift on Friday for her Saturday afternoon shower, so it is possible that some folks are waiting till the last minute to buy.

Ellidew~ Thanks! I can’t wait till DH is done clearing out all his odds & ends out of the extra bedroom. He’s even listed his 42” plasma (an “extra” tv) and Xbox360 on Ebay in an attempt to get rid of stuff. That’s good news that Miles started moving around at the dr’s office, I know you were worried about his recent lack of movements. “Practice breathing” just sounds SO cute for some reason!! Glad you had such a fantastic shower! The ice cream bar sounds yummy!! That’s cool that it’s all becoming so real now that you’ve got all the shower gifts and getting so much closer to your due date. I’m pestering my BFF and my mom to get their cameras downloaded already so I can post pictures from my shower.:cool:

[katnbug]

ellidew- Sounds like you had a wonderful shower!!

catgirl- I got your PM & responded! Thanks!!
I hope Devin stays put for a little while longer for you!

Lydia- I hope you're feeling better. :)
************************************

Nothing new to report here. I'm still shopping for a light fixture and other odds and ends for the nursery walls. I was going to buy a hutch top for our changing table/dresser, but I went to check it out and it looked cheap. :(
So... I need to figure out what to do with a large blank wall. I have some shelves, but I need some artwork or something too. That's on my list for this week.

DS turns 2 on Saturday. Talk about time flying by!!!! We're just doing a small pizza party and cake at our house. Got to take advantage of the early b-days when spending tons of money isn't a priority!!!!! That said, we went out last weekend and bought DS an art-table and a ton of art supplies (for kids of course). That's his b-day present from us. He just loves coloring and painting. I thought this would be something he could use for a while. So excited to get it delivered!!
http://www.dick-blick.com/items/504/07/50407-1001-group2ww-m.jpg

[ellidew]

I just had to share... copied from my journal

It might be slightly premature to declare: THE NURSERY IS DONE!!! But it's so close to completion that i can't wait to share pictures any longer. :)

This is what you see from the end of the hallway. I'm standing right inside the doorway.
The chair is a glider recliner we bought on clearance from Ashley Furniture for $299. It's microfiber.
I painted the pictures to match the bedding.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/ellidew/MilesRoom015.jpg

Here is another angle of the same corner. I'm standing in front of the closet door. (Ignore dh's newspapers, he reads it in the baby's room in the morning. How cute!)
The bookcase was bought from Target for $49 (on sale) it's a piece from the Thomasville collection they carry.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/ellidew/MilesRoom013.jpg

The crib. It's a Munire from the Salem collection in Pecan. We (meaning my mom in this case) bought it on clearance WITH the conversion rails for $499. It's a discontinued model. Still need to hang something over the crib... any ideas? I don't want to do name letters and i don't want to hang up the quilt.
The bedding is the Barnyard set made by Kidsline.
Ignore the stroller parked next to the crib.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/ellidew/MilesRoom016.jpg

Wall Shelves: Same wall as the crib on the other side of the window are wall shelves. We couldn't put a dresser here because the air vent is centered on the bottom of the wall. We bought the shelves at Target for $19.99 per shelf. They are part of the Do Your Room collection in the kids room section. They are 3 feet (come in 2' and 4' also) and are held up by 17 screws. Their weight limit is 75 lbs. I LOVE these shelves!
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/ellidew/MilesRoom020.jpg

Chalkboard bins: From Target $9.99 per bin. We aren't finished putting things on the shelves so that's one of the things we need to do.
The hat sitting on the dogs head is drying because it's tweed and line dry only. My sister gave it to us at our shower and she bought it from GAP baby.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/ellidew/MilesRoom026.jpg

[ellidew]

The closet door: The bluebirds are wallies from Pottery Barn. I painted the tree on the wall but added the wallies (the blue birds, owl, sun, nest). PB sells a tree wallie (i copied theirs)
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/ellidew/MilesRoom024.jpg

Top of the tree mural:
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/ellidew/MilesRoom031.jpg

Bottom of mural: Changing table was bought at Toys R Us and cost $99. It's a Delta Luv piece.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/ellidew/MilesRoom033.jpg

Another angle of changing table: Ignore the radio on the ground. We haven't bought a cd player to go on top of the bookcase (the flutterbye crib attachment is going on the crib and the cd player in it's place). Dh has been listening to baseball games while we work ;)
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/ellidew/MilesRoom032.jpg

Odds and Ends:
The curtains are from the Target Home collection and i believe they cost $19 per set.
The rug that can only slightly be seen in the last 2 pictures is from Marshalls. It's 100% wool and i bought it on clearance for $108!!! It's lighter green than it appears in the pictures. It has a solid border with a multi green colored center. I believe it's 4x7.

[nic]

Beautiful nursery, Ellidew!

[Rancid13]

Adorable nursery, Ellidew!! It looks GREAT!! You guys did a fantastic job, and I love the wall decorations!! Hopefully my DH will get a fire lit under his behind and finish getting the extra bedroom cleared out so we can start on ours already. :D

[mayham]

ellidew - I love the finished product, great job!! You must be so excited to have that settled.

katnbug - Happy Birthday to your DS! The art table and supplies sounds like a great gift idea. I was 2 years apart from my siblings -- I think that makes for a good age gap growing up!

Lydia - Sorry you're not feeling well, I hope you get better soon! I've had the same overwhelming feeling at times about not being ready. But we still have time, and the baby doesn't give a rat's @ss what the nursery looks like, but it's the whole nesting pressure that we have on ourselves!

catgirl1007 - I can't believe you've already dropped and engaged! I hope your little one stays in to cook a little longer!

scarlett74 - Great belly shot! You look fabulous!

-------------

Numbness in Hands
Has anyone else experienced this? At first it just seemed like it happened when I was sleeping, since for some reason I've been sleeping with my hands under my face, which I've never done. But lately I'll just be driving or holding something, and my hands will go a little numb/tingly.

Is this cause for concern? I keep meaning to call the doctor, but keep forgetting.

[Esq.]

Mayham- I have that problem too. It started a few months ago. I was sent the neurologist, and they couldn't find anything wrong with me. They decided it must just be how I deal with swelling, and that it will be reevaluated after delivery. I would mention it to your doctor, but not worry to much.

__________________________________________________ ___________

Had my (hopefully) last u/s today to find out how big the baby is. I am 35 weeks on Thursday. Actually, technically, I shouldn't be 35 weeks until Saturday, but my drs never changed my due date after I told them that I have given the wrong date for my LMP. Anyway...baby is already 6.5 lbs! She is head down and facing my back, so everything is a go as far as her position goes.

They told me over and over that she was a big baby today. I wanted to scream "I have been telling you that she is big for 2 months and no one listened to me!" Oh well. They expect her to be born within one month, and if she is not, then I have another u/s to measure her again and make decisions about how she will be born.

My blood pressure was a little high today, but the dr didn't say anything about it. The nurse did, but not the dr. They want me to start my weekly appts now rather than later. RO's-Does this mean I start getting a pelvic exam every week?

[roberta]

Lydia So sorry to hear you are feeling so sick! I hope things have improved and your Mom is still coming over to help.

katnbug I really like that art table- how cool! Happy Birthday to DS!

ellidew Your nursery looks great! We still have so much work to do and things to buy for ours. Better get shopping!

swelling in hands I have been having this for a few months. I sleep with my hands near my face/ head. I usually wake up and just move them around until the numbness goes away. I am also having some pain in my finger joints during the day. I think it is due to swelling, like Krysten mentioned. FWIW, my BP has been low and my MW wasn't concerned when I mentioned it. I would bring it up at your next appointment, just so they are aware of it and can treat it if necessary.

We had our infant care class last weekend. I have tons of experience with babies over 6 months, toddlers and kids but I realized how little experience I have with newborns, usually because they are with their parents. I am glad DH and I both went. We came home and he was all fired up to start putting everything together. So we assembled the pack n play, stroller, bouncy chair and swing. Then he started making a list of things we need to do before baby arrives. I think DH is nesting! It is so funny and cute! I made a list of everything I think we need to buy and have on hand before the baby gets here. So I am doing some major shopping this week.

[BethIrish]

Numbness in hands:Every time I wake up my hand is tucked under my chin at an odd angle and is completely asleep. I haven't experienced any numbness outside of that - just some tingling. I have an appointment on Friday, so I'll ask my doctor about it then.

ellidew:Gorgeous nursery!!!!! I want to curl up on the chair and read a book :)

Nothing too new going on around here. I wound up working from home yesterday because my back/belly was incredibly sore. I started sobbing while ironing my shirt for work because I was so overwhelmed with how I was feeling and how tired I was. Thankfully, my boss was very understanding.

We did interview a daycare provider last night - but I'm thinking she's not for us. A few things stood out to me, and after sleeping on it I think she is going on my NO list. We're going to a center on Friday to check it out and I have calls in to a few other providers. I'm trying not to stress out about it.

I think I've run out of room in my abdomen. The past few days if I have more than a few bites of anything my stomach physically hurts. UGH. And I have 8 weeks left to go!!!

[roberta]

http://static.flickr.com/97/253443593_8b1c9626d2_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/105/253443590_f630606095_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/85/253443596_e655511fa0_m.jpg

[Franni]

elliedw Great work on that nursery. I loved the artwork you had put up. So cute.

katnbug that is one fancy art desk. I just got a plastic table and chair from Ikea. I loved that yours can accommodate a roll of paper and hold it taut. I have visions of DD pulling on the roll of paper that I have like what she does with tp during potty time. Great, we'll be done with the whole roll in a week.

Itchy Now my itchies have launched into a new phase...it's waking me up at night. I woke up at 4:00 AM because of it. Ugh....I.HATE.THIS!!!!

BethIrish I feel the same way about running out of room. I can't seem to eat anything now without feeling an overwhelming need to expel it. It feels like I've had a buffet when I really only had a few bites. Even more annoying, after feeling that uncomfortable, I am usually hungry after two hours. The cycle restarts.

[Lydia]

Thank you ladies for your kind words-I feel better today, although not 100%. However, I DID go to BRU this morning and I bought everything I needed for the baby. Crib, mattress, and all. I feel much better mentally!!

[Rancid13]

Numbness in hands~ No swelling to speak of (except when I’m out walking, which also happened pre-pg when I worked out), but my hands (and sometimes entire arm) will go numb/fall asleep if I sleep on it wrong. It goes away when I change positions and I don’t experience any numbness outside of sleeping on my arm.

Roberta~ I’m glad to hear the infant care class was so informative! Neither DH nor I know anything about babies/children, so we’re attending a similar class as well and hope to learn a lot from it. Beautiful belly shots!!:D

Bethirish~ I felt nearly the same way you did yesterday too. There was so much traffic thanks to an overturned bigrig on the freeway, blocking all lanes but one, that it took me almost 1.5 hours to drive the 10 miles from work to home. By the time I got home I was so tired and exhausted and plain ole frustrated that I just sat on the floor and cried it out.:(


Itchy Now my itchies have launched into a new phase...it's waking me up at night. I woke up at 4:00 AM because of it. Ugh....I.HATE.THIS!!!!


Same here. Every night. It’s tough getting to sleep and it’s tough staying asleep. It sucks, I’m tired every day because of it. I have a call into the walk-in facility doctor I saw the last time who prescribed me something that actually worked (temporarily~for a few weeks) at curbing my itchy, irritated skin. Hopefully I can get in to see her today, my skin in some areas is so blotchy and discolored today that I feel disgusting. :( When she prescribed me the 'good stuff' it started working immediately and I felt like a new person the next morning. I'm hoping for a repeat, even if it only lasts a few weeks it will be soooo worth it. (It's an oral steroid so I can only use it for a few days but the effects last long enough).

[Sinclair319]

Cross posted from the belly shots thread!

34 weeks!
http://static.flickr.com/115/251932414_64ad2af6dd.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/111/251932417_bfb02b3098.jpg?v=0

Dh and me goofing around at our shower over the weekend! ;) He had a watermelon under his shirt!
http://static.flickr.com/112/251932420_109494b943.jpg?v=0

No major itching issues so far, but I've had a horrible time sleeping! I'm usually awake from 1-3ish--it feels like the first trimester exhaustion is back!

[scarlett74]

Ellidew, I love your nursery!!!
That make me want to decorate mine, but we are still waiting for the wardrobe, the table, the chair, the bed... All will arrive after the 2nd of October.

Roberta and Sinclair, cute belly pics!
My hubby wouldn't need a watermelon... His tummy were bigger then mine till last month... ;)

[katnbug]

roberta, sinclair (and sinclair's DH)- Nice bellies!!

ellidew- I love your nursery!! Very sweet!!

franni- The paper roll on the desk was something I really wanted. I agree that it's a must that it's held on taut... DS is a toilet paper un-roller as well & I could see him doing it here!!

[Franni]

sinclair It looks like your DH is having a boy too! LOL...that's so cute.

Roberta nice looking belly.

belly shotbefore getting attacked by the itchies, I had a pretty decent looking belly and was even considering getting belly shots done. Now the only pics my belly is suited for is a medical journal under the heading "itchies" :(

[Rancid13]

Sinclair~ You have the perfect pg belly, I love it!! :D Not too much longer now, eh?



belly shotbefore getting attacked by the itchies, I had a pretty decent looking belly and was even considering getting belly shots done. Now the only pics my belly is suited for is a medical journal under the heading "itchies" :(

ITA, You probably saw mine from last week. I think I've decided no more "showing skin" belly shots for me unfortunately. Unless the itching/irritation clears up, my belly shots are gonna have to be fully clothed from here on out. :(

[mimieliza]

Lydia, BethIrish, Rancid and other overwhelmed mommies-to-be - You guys are all echoing how I've been feeling. There's so much to be done - both at home, and at work, and I'm running out of steam. I get tired and sore so much more quickly now. This pregnancy stuff is hard work!

I'm nesting big time. DH and I had a shopping spree at BRU this weekend. I got:
-Avent Isis breast pump and bottles (and I nearly cried trying to figure out which parts and pieces I needed)
-Hands-Free gate (used to corral the dogs, not the baby at this point)
-Sony Babycall monitor
-Arms Reach Mini Co-Sleeper, which is too tall for our bed :mad:
-Crib mattress pads, other odds and ends

We also picked up our carseat and stroller from my parents - I'm borrowing a Graco Snugride and bought a P3 on Craigslist. They go together quite well. I installed the Snugride in the car, and it's a tight fit. I've been considering the Graco Safeseat, but now I'm worried about how it would fit.

I also bought some more baby clothes, and when I got home I put all her clothes in the closet and realized I have a lot, and I haven't had my shower yet. Oops. Everything I've bought still has tags and receipts, though, so I can return what I don't need.

The nursery is a mess, and now I'm reconsidering painting it. I just want it set up already. I had so much fun putting all her little clothes in the closet, I want to keep setting things up!

[RubberSoul]

katnbug- thanks for the compliments on the nursery and belly shots! I think my husband would disagree that I am still pretty happy :p. Some days are better than others. I love the art table. Happy Birthday to your DS!

catgirl- I freak out in waves, if that makes sense. Sometimes I am on a mission to get things done and then other times...not so much. I do need to light a fire under my butt though in some areas since I think I am in denial about how much time I have left. I hope baby stays in and cooks a while longer!

ass pain- I wasn't quite sure what everyone meant for a while there, but I got the full effect yesterday. If I stand and walk around for long periods of time my ass hurts. I guess I wasn't really thinking about where the pain was until someone pointed it out :).

Lilla- I can't wait to see your pro shots! I was thinking about doing them for a while, but don't think we can afford it :(.

scarlett- Cute belly!

Rancid- thanks for the props on the nursery! I hope your skin issues will ease up and you can get some relief if the doc will give you the magic pill you talked about.

Lydia- I hope you are feeling better!

nic- I am not sure about the registry thing. I am a last minute buyer so maybe people will buy stuff the day or two before.

ellidew- happy to hear your shower was lots of fun and your DH had some fun with his friends! Your nursery looks amazing! I feel like we still have a ways to go on ours. I have nothing for the walls and still have to work out what we are going to do for shelving. I want curtains too!

numbness in hands- rarely, but is has happened. I have been concerned about carpal tunnel since I type all day long, but haven't really had many issues with numbness or tingling.

kyrsten- Wow! 6.5lbs already! I am not an RO, but from what I have read in the pregnancy forums it seems like the internal exams vary from practice to practice. I have read that some Dr's do them towards the end and others only do them if you ask for one. Have you had your GBS test yet?

roberta- you look great!

Franni- sorry to hear about the attack of the itchies in the middle of the night!

Sinclair- You have a cute belly! You look so tan in your pictures! I have started waking up in the middle of the night too. I wonder if this is pre-baby conditioning so we are used to the lack of sleep and middle of the night feedings.

mimieliza- go you! that is quite a list of stuff you purchased!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I met with a Doula this past Sunday and really liked her. After I speak with her references we will probably go ahead and hire her. I can't believe I only have 7 weeks left until my due date!

[Esq.]

Rubbersoul- you are going to think I am a moron, bc I definitely used to know this acronym, but I am blanking on GBS test right now. :o

[RubberSoul]

kyrsten- no way would I think that! I have a hard time speaking in complete sentences most days ;). Group B Strep - they swab you down there to see if you are a carrier. I think my practice does it at 36 weeks.

[Esq.]

That is it! :) I feel better now.

Nope, I haven't had the GBS test yet. I haven't had a pelvic since a spotting incident somewhere around 24 weeks.

[Sare79]

Today is my 27th birthday and we celebrated in style- by going to a Japanese Steak house for dinner- it was delicious, although I really wanted one of their famous cocktails served in buddha shaped glasses. I settled for drinking a sprite with an umbrella and having my own buddha belly. :)

Everyone told me that I grew a lot today! The belly had quite the growth spurt so my strange gallon of skim milk per day cravings must be making my little one grow a lot!

Here is a birthday shot right after we came home:
http://static.flickr.com/83/253806991_b739ef6c03.jpg?v=1159327355

and the 32 week belly shot taken tonight:
http://static.flickr.com/109/253806987_da35698fef.jpg?v=0

[mayham]

Kyrsten - That's interesting they sent you to a neurologist, and good to know they didn't find anything wrong. I'm definitely going to mention it to the doctor when I see her next.

Numbness in hands - Thanks to everyone who responded about this, it's nice to know I'm not alone with these weird symptoms!

Sinclair & Sare - Great belly shots! I've been taking them but haven't posted any. I'm working on a progression to show everyone, and it amazes me the times I thought I had a HUGE belly, and looking back now, I'm thinking, that was nothing!

Sare- Happy Birthday!!

Time seems to be flying. This weekend will be all about the baby--our furniture is being delivered, and we have our first childbirth class! I can't wait!!

[Esq.]

Mayham- I think that they sent me to a neurologist bc, in addition to the numbness, my hands would get stuck in a curled position and it would take a few seconds before they would release. I was also having blurred vision, and seeing stars around the edges of my vision. I am still experiencing all of these things, and now my hands are swollen too.

They might not send you to an neurologist for just the numbness, since that seems to be more common from all of the replies.

[ellidew]

Kyrsten- So sorry you've been experiencing such horrible symptoms! I was sent to a nuerologist in the 2nd tri because I had blurred vision in my left eye. I had to have a test done something called an evoke potential (or something like that). The best they could tell me was that it would hopefully go back to normal post hormones. It's gotten increasingly worse but all they can do is wait. Hopefully you don't suffer too much longer.

[Lilla]

Sare, roberta, sinclair, scarlett, rancid You all look GREAT! Fantastic pictures!

ellidew OMG, the nursery looks incredible! You must be so happy with how it turned out.

kyrsten I'm on weekly appts now, and my docs will start doing an internal each week beginning on Monday.

Itchies I've been spared so far. My heart goes out to you ladies who are dealing with this. Hopefully not too much longer!

Numbness When I'm at work on the computer, parts of my right hand will go numb. It's weird, but once I stop using the computer, it goes back to normal. It only happens once in a while though.


Well, just as expected, my appt on Monday was uneventful. BP is good, weight gain is weight gain, I'm measuring right on track, and I'm now on weekly appts. Eeek! I get my first internal on Monday along with the GBS test. Next appt is 10/2.

I got my pro pics back. I was sooooo apprehensive about getting these done, but I am in LOVE with them. I'm only going to leave these up for a couple days, so I hope everyone gets a chance to take a peek. The first two are already matted and framed, so I took a pic of them. The rest are scanned in, so they have some smudges and spots from the scanner. Here comes belly photo overload (sorry they are sorta big):

x


x


x


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[katnbug]

kyrsten- Back to the pelvic exam question. During my first pregnancy, I only had one internal exam towards the end (plus the group B swab at 36 weeks). Of course, I had DS at 38 weeks, so they may do one after that normally? I guess every office is different!

sare- Happy Belated Birthday!! You look great! :) Mmmmm... japanese steak house!!! I'm hungry!

[katnbug]

lilla- I cross posted with you. Wow! What awesome pictures!!

[Toonces]

Sare ~ Happy birthday and what beautiful pictures!!

Lilla ~ Those are awesome pics! Makes me wish I would have gotten some. You look beautiful!

Kyrsten ~ I posted to you in the pre-e thread. I definitely think you should call your doc - if not for anything else other than peace of mind. When I was PG with DD I went in just for the hand swelling, but they take any kind of hand/face swelling very seriously. Since you've also had the blurred vision, I think it'd be good to call.

Sorry no more SO's... I'm lamenting about my strange pregnancy goings on in the Pregnancy forum and am off to do some research. :rolleyes: My body is so weird. :p

[Rancid13]

Sare~ Beautiful belly shots!! And happy belated bday! Yesterday was my DH’s bday too!! I love Japanese steak houses and teppan style places, soooo yummy!:)

Lilla~ Lovely belly shots! I wish my skin wasn’t so irritated otherwise I’d be inspired to get pro shots like yours (maybe only b/w ones for me?). You look great!:)

Not really nesting, more like preparing really. We have this big, thick glass vase we keep on the hall counter. Every day we empty our pockets of loose change into said vase. DH took it to Coinstar at Alberton’s last night and we got almost $200 for all our change (about 1 year's worth of pocket change) which we converted to an Amazon.com gift cert for the full value. I did a little shopping today and got some necessities that weren’t purchased off our registry with this 'found money':
~Avent breast milk storage containers
~Infant swaddler/wrap
~Wipes warmer
~2 12-packs of cloth diapers (to be used as burp cloths, dust rags, etc)
~Diaper Champ
~Avent bottle/food warmer

I think there was something else in there, but it's not showing up on my printout. We still have a lot left for us to get (bouncer/swing, travel system, bibs, breast pump attachments, etc), but it's nice getting a good chunk taken care of for now.:D

He did NOT just say that! DH just called...he's still in the process of getting 'stuff' moved out of the extra bedroom as today is his day off (he's actually made a lot of progress, but there's still a lot to do!). He asked if it would be OK if he kept his drum set in the room. I said, "Please tell me you did not just ask me if it's ok to keep a drum set in the BABY's room." He said that he wanted to teach our baby to play drums if he was interested. I told him that it was pretty possible that baby would not be playing drums during the first year of his life. :rolleyes: There's really no place else for it in our little condo, so he might move it to the back room of his work (it's an electric kit so it's not a noisy as a regular drum set, but still!) :eek: :)

[RubberSoul]

Rancid- You are cracking me up with DH and the drum set story. I would probably have said something like - "Great idea honey, the baby can't hold it's own head up, but playing the drums should be no problem!"

Lilla- Your pictures are amazing!

Sare- You look great! Happy Birthday!

[Sinclair319]

Lilla--your pictures are a.m.a.z.i.n.g!!! I have my pro shots scheduled for 37 weeks (that's the first weekend we had open)--let's hope he doesn't make too early of an arrival! Where did you get the top/pants in the b&w photo?

[ellidew]

OMG Rancid, That cracked me up! Drums in a baby’s room… it’s a different approach that’s for sure. Lol. That can definitely be filed under ‘What WAS he thinking?’ I’m wondering though… if the drums aren’t in the nursery where are they going to end up? That’s so great about all your loose change. Honestly, I never have cash on me so I never have change and the same goes for dh. We’ve done the same in the past and received a nice deposit into our checking account though. It’s a good idea! Keep it up! Have fun finishing the nursery.

Catgirl- It’s not just your body… we’re all weird ;) good luck with the research though mine always seems to make things worse rather than better.

Lilla- GREAT pictures! I especially love the one of you sitting in just jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt. I’m toying with the idea, I just don’t know how comfortable I am with it and I think I’d rather spend goo gobs on newborn pictures. Decisions decisions.

Sare, you look great. Happy birthday!

Rubbersoul- Have fun with your nursery. I didn’t think ours was going to come together at all since it was bought in so many pieces from so many places but it did and we didn’t break the bank doing it! Congrats on finding a doula! Not much time to go!!!

Mimieliza- Dh and I did our shopping spree at BRU on Monday! There’s only a few little odds and ends to get now. It seems so real once you buy all the stuff! Lol. I had fun putting up clothes too, until I ran out of hangers ;) Gotta get to Target!

Thanks katnbug!

Scarlett- The furniture will be here before you know it! October starts on Sunday!!!

Sinclair- LOVE the belly shot of you and dh. Looks like you were having a lot of fun!

Lydia- I LOVED our shopping trip to BRU. These babies are going to be here so soon! ACK! Lol.

Thanks Franni- It was my first attempt at canvas painting… heck, my first attempt at a wall mural too!

Roberta- Great belly shots! You look great! I’m with you on newborns… aside for holding and cooing with them I have NO experience. I wouldn’t even hire myself as a parent. Lol. We’ll get the hang of it though. Sounds like the class lit a fire under your dh’s butt… that’s always nice :) Have fun shopping!!

BethIrish- My hands/legs/arms etc… keep falling asleep too! I think it’s why I wake up in the middle of the night on some nights. Sorry you had a rough day yesterday. My Monday was a lot like that and I went in 3.5 hours late. It’s good that we have boss’ that don’t freak out about it! Definitely keep look for a daycare provider if you had alarms going off in your head. Good luck!

Thanks mayham! No numbness other than my limbs falling asleep and being tingly. I think I read (maybe in pg week by week) about carpal tunnel syndrome while pg.

Here’s what babycenter had to say:
Why am I having tingling and numbness in my hands during pregnancy?
These sensations are most likely caused by carpal tunnel syndrome. Although you probably associate this condition with people whose jobs require repetitive hand movements (such as data processors, computer programmers, and assembly-line workers), it's also more prevalent in pregnant women.

Symptoms may include numbness, tingling, burning, pain, or a dull ache in the fingers, hand, wrist, and even up the arm to the shoulder. In severe chronic cases, your hand may feel clumsy or weak.

Symptoms usually affect both hands and can appear at any time, but they're more likely to begin or worsen in the second half of pregnancy when women tend to retain more fluid. The symptoms usually go away gradually after you give birth, as the swelling from pregnancy subsides.

What causes carpal tunnel syndrome during pregnancy?
The carpal tunnel is a bony canal formed by the wrist bones on three sides and a ligament that runs across the wrist on the other. The swelling and fluid retention that's so common during pregnancy can increase the pressure in this relatively narrow and inflexible space, compressing the median nerve that runs through it.

The median nerve gives sensation to the thumb and the index, middle, and half of the ring finger and is responsible for movement of a muscle at the base of the thumb. Pressure on this nerve is what causes the symptoms.

What can I do to relieve the pain?
If possible, avoid any activity that requires forceful, repetitive hand movements. Although these movements may not have caused your carpal tunnel syndrome, they can make your symptoms worse.

If your job requires this kind of movement and you must continue it, consider wearing wrist or hand braces while you work.

If you're working at a computer, adjust the height of your chair so your wrists aren't bent downward as you type. Using a special ergonomic keyboard can help in some cases. Remember to take breaks to stretch your hands.

If your symptoms bother you at night, shift your sleeping position and try to prop up your arm with a pillow or two when you feel the twinges. Avoid sleeping on your hands. If you wake up with pain, try shaking your hands until the pain or numbness goes away.

If you have a lot of discomfort at night, try stabilizing your wrist in a neutral position (not bent) with a splint or brace. A neutral position allows the carpal tunnel to be slightly wider.

Practicing yoga can help relieve the pain and increase hand strength. You may have heard that taking extra vitamin B6 can help, but two small clinical trials have shown no immediate benefit from this treatment.

Thank you nic!

[Lilla]

Thanks for the compliments everyone!

sinclair In the b&w photos, that is actually just large pieces of fabric that I'm wearing. The studio had it there and gave me the option of using it.

ellidew I was unsure about the whole thing myself, but now that it's said and done I'm glad I did it. I adore photography - and I'm sure I'll spend even more money on baby pics in the near future, too!


Random question I forgot to ask earlier:

I received a moses basket at one of my showers. I hadn't intended to use one, but now that I've got it, why not? Well, what I got is just the basket - meaning it didn't come with any bedding at all. Also, I'm wondering if anyplace sells stands for moses baskets? Does anyone have any ideas?

[mayham]

Lilla - Your photos are amazing, you look fantastic! I have that same mauve button down shirt as you. I've been looking into photographers and am on the fence on whether we'll do formal shots. They do look so much better than the ones I have DH take for my belly shots, though...

ellidew - thanks for posting that info! I've been so crazed at work lately I haven't even had time to look it up (yet, yes, I've been on CC, so....)

Rancid13 - My DH did the same exact thing two days ago! The change thing, not the drum thing :) He was so psyched to find one of those Coinstars that gives you the full amount back in the Amazon gift certificate. We're always ordering from there anyway, so it works out, especially since we're too lazy to roll our coins and take them to the bank!

Kyrsten - I'm sorry you're experiencing all of those swelling and vision problems. I hope everything goes back to normal once you give birth!

[Toonces]

Rancid ~ LOL about your DH! What's with boys and their toys? :)

ellidew ~ You got that right... my "research" only made me worry and I ended up at my OB's office this afternoon. :rolleyes: More on that below.

Lilla/moses basket ~ We bought one of those this time, but didn't have one for DD. I'm looking forward to using it. We got ours from Baby Universe (http://www.babyuniverse.com/search.asp?searchstring=moses+basket&store=baby&image1.x=16&image1.y=12). They have a gazillion different designs. I'm not sure if they sell sheets separately, but I'd imagine they would. I'll post ours below.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y20/cat777/mosesbasketfaire.jpg

Impromptu OB visit today ~ So this morning I had extreme cervical pressure, I still can't walk without looking like I'm 102 years old, and I felt like crap. I decided to call the nurse practitioner, left her a VM mssg, and she called back about 3 minutes later and told me to come in right away for an u/s. Okay, that totally freaked me out. I had a transvaginal u/s to measure the length of my cervix, and a regular u/s to check baby's position, fluid level, etc. I also had an internal exam to double check everything. Long story, short... Devin has not engaged but he is really low - right above my pubic bone. Apparently he's using his little hands to grab my cervical nerve and that's causing intense pressure. It feels like something is going to drop out from between my legs. Also, my tailbone is curved under from a previous accident and his head is knocking on it, which is causing my back pain. The NP said that I'll probably have bad back labor - had that with DD and it was awful. I'm not dilated, cervix measured fine and is in a good position. Apparently Devin is having some fun with mommy's insides though. Thank goodness that's all it is!

[BethIrish]

catgirl1007 The print of your moses basket is what we used for our curtains, crib skirt and bumper :) Good choice!

[Rancid13]

OMG Rancid, That cracked me up! Drums in a baby’s room… it’s a different approach that’s for sure. Lol. That can definitely be filed under ‘What WAS he thinking?’ I’m wondering though… if the drums aren’t in the nursery where are they going to end up? That’s so great about all your loose change. Honestly, I never have cash on me so I never have change and the same goes for dh. We’ve done the same in the past and received a nice deposit into our checking account though. It’s a good idea! Keep it up! Have fun finishing the nursery.


Yeah, he sure loves his drum kit. More than likely he's taking it to work with him tomorrow. He works retail and has a back room with a tv, couch and fridge and storage for all the store's stock so he's thinking he'll set it up back there and use it to help get out frustrations/aggressions when he's had a stressful day. :) I told him that once we upgrade to a 3-bedroom, he's more than welcome to designate one of them as "his room" again. We only plan on having 1 kid, so that will work out perfectly. I'm also letting him set up a couple of his collectible showcases on either side of the tv in the living room, so they don't all have to be hidden in storage until we move again. He really liked that.:)

[euphorhea]

I am too far behind to attempt SO’s at this point. It’s been another crazy week for me so it’s been kind of hard to log in and post. I’ve been thinking of all you November mamas, though. I hope you’re all doing well! We are in the final stretch now. How freakin’ exciting is that?! :D

I love all of the recent belly shots! Totally cute bellies we have going on in here! I think I am due for one, too. Hopefully, I can post one up by Friday, if I can squeeze in a minute to post, that is. But yeah, the inevitable happened a week ago – I found stretch marks hiding below my belly button. :rolleyes: Of course I thought I was in the clear [wishful thinking, I know…] but nope! I spotted them whilst looking in the mirror! Bah. Thankfully they are not that noticeable – or that is what I keep telling myself, anyway! I just hope that I don’t collect more of them within the next few weeks!

Lilla, your pro belly shots are absolutely stunning! It makes me want to take some myself, but I am just not feeling that attractive now-a-days. I'll just live vicariously through you, if you don't mind. ;)

I am also jealous of those who have finished up their nurseries and such! I can only dream of taking the crib out of its box at this point! Without a nursery or a room for her things, I am starting to feel so panicked and unprepared, but eh – what more can I do, right? We don’t close on our house until the 23rd so we’ll just have to wait it out. The perfectionist in me hates it, though. Bleh.

ellidew your nursery is stunning! I love the paintings! You did such a faboo job!! I wish I had the knack to paint, but I, unfortunately was only blessed to draw stick figures and even that doesn't suffice at times. Sad, isn't it?

Oh man. I feel for those who are sick, too. I can totally relate as I am getting over a cold right now. Ugh. It definitely is not pleasant being sick…AND pregnant. :( There’s definitely some kind of bug out there so be sure to take care of yourselves.

…

Things on my end are going well.

- I had my 33w appt with NST last week Monday and baby girl checked out well. Everything looked good, thankfully. I also didn’t gain any weight from my last visit so my total weight gain remains at 18 lbs. Not too shabby. My next appt. is October 2nd with another NST.

- Birthing classes ended last Tuesday. We took a tour of the new birthing center and it is quite impressive. Very chic and modern. It really has a hotel like atmosphere is not very hospital-ish at the slightest which is definitely a plus. [Oh, the little things, right?] It felt so surreal to walk in there to scope out the rooms. It literally sent chills up my spine knowing that soon enough, that’s where I’ll be in a mere 4 or 5 weeks. [give or take a few..] Crazy!

- I started packing my hospital bag the other day. And I also washed all of baby girls NB and 0-3 months stuff. I guess this is my version of “nesting”. [I can’t believe she had THREE loads of stuff to wash! THREE!:eek: ]

- I put in my maternity leave and my last date of work [if all goes according to plan…] will be October 25th. Less than a month from now! Woohoo!

- Baby girl is still quite active although I think her patterns have changed quite a bit. I don’t get very strong kicks from her like I used to, but I think that’s because she’s running out of room in there. I feel the hiccups and the rolling feeling a lot, though.

- We will be installing and getting her car seat checked out next weekend. We want to get that out of the way soon.

Well, I think that’s pretty much sums things up here.

I hope to make it back in here sooner so that I am not too far behind. I think I say that everytime I post, though. :p

Take care, my friends!

[Franni]

Whinefest Well, I failed my 1 hour GTT. I am so depressed. I was hoping that I would pass the one hour this tme, so I didn't have to go back for the 3 hour. No such luck. What's worst is that I have the most un-helpful (or inept) OB practice on the planet. If I weren't so close to delivering, I would just go somewhere else. They just happen to be the closest to where I work. I don't have a lot of flexibility to take off when I need to go for appt, so I decided on them. Compared to my old practice, it's night-and-day difference. I have even given up on trying to book a hospital tour because I can't ever seem to get anyone on the phone to book this.

I called today to schedule my 3 hour and the person that I spoke to sounded like she has never heard of a 3 hour GTT. I have spoken to her before so she is not new. Naturally since she has never heard of a GTT, she didn't tell me how to prepare for it. It's been a long time since my last 3 hour, so I don't remember if I should be fasting or not, how long is the fast, can I have water, should I fast from carbs the next few days, should I load up on protein? Some websites say you can drink water, some say no, some say fast for 8 hours, some say 12. Some say eat carbs. I am just so confused now. I know....whine, whine, whine. Please post GTT information.

[Rancid13]

Euphoria~ Glad to hear that all is going well in your camp! You made me think about some stuff I haven't had a chance to do yet. I still need to get started on packing a hospital bag and should probably get the baby's clothing items washed too (but then again I don't have anywhere to put them until DH finishes cleaning out the extra bedroom and we get the furniture in there).:)

Franni~ I'm sorry to hear you didn't pass the GTT! That also really sucks about your ob practice, they don't sound pleasant to deal with at all. As far as the 3-hr GTT goes unfortunately I don't have any advice...I was given a "no-fast" 1-hr GTT and I know some 1-hrs are fasting and others aren't, so it's possible the 3-hrs are different too. You would probably need to get that info (I hate to say it and I know you hate dealing w/them) from your ob's office. :(

[euphorhea]

Franni: I didn't pass my 1 hour GTT and wasn't even given the 3 hour GTT as an option. They automatically had me see a dietcian and monitor my blood sugars instead. So yeah, I am no help at all, either. :( I do, however, believe that you are able to drink water and nothing more. I can't imagine them having to have you fast for that long, but then again -- I could be wrong. Sorry your practice isn't able to give you more info. That sucks.

Rancid: I don't have anywhere to put her stuff either. I had DH do a last minute run to Target to buy a couple of plastic bins to put her stuff in for the time being. We don't expect to get the keys to our new place until the last weekend of the month so no nursery until then. Siiiigh. You'll probably have your nursery all ready before we even move in. ;)

...

ETA: We have finally chosen a coming home outfit. It isn't fancy or anything but it sure is cute! I couldn't resist.
http://static.flickr.com/82/249135882_dce75f6fca.jpg?v=0

It's a 0-3 month gown so it may be a tad big for her. We also bought a "preemie" gown from BRU as a back up just in case.

[Sare79]

Franni- I had to fast for 12 hours prior to the test. I was allowed some water before the test and they did allow, when I was thirsty, up to 2 glasses of water during the test. The test wasn't too bad, but I was so tired from sitting there for three hours just reading.
I, personally, tried to really limit my carbs and sugars for a few days before the test to make sure it was an accurate reading. I didn't want anything to show up just because I had a coke the day before or something. Good Luck!

[nic]

Lilla- Great pictures!

Rancid- Your husband is hilarious, mine would probably ask the same thing if we had a drum set in the babies room

Franni- I'm sorry to hear you failed the 1 hour test, I did too.
I had to fast for 12 hours before the test and I was told I could have a minimal amount of water during the test. Good luck- I hope you pass the 3 hour!


Pre-E? I have quite a bit of swelling and headaches at night- should I be concerned? My BP is fine so I think I'm okay but I remember someone mentioning that headaches might also be a symptom.

[nic]

One more thing....

I feel like recently all I do is complain about something- swollen feet, numbness, lack of sleep, whatever my gripe of the moment is. Then I hear or read about someone's loss or battle with infertility and feel incredibly lucky to feel all of these sucky symptoms. I have to remember that no mattter how crappy I feel at the moment, it's only temporary and I should feel blessed that I haven't endured what some other have.

Sorry for my rant, I'm just feeling really guilty for all the complaining I've done lately.

[lilo]

Hello everyone! As usual, I'm so far behind on this thread but work has been really kicking my butt these days. But I will attempt to catch up somewhat:

PPD: Thank you to all the RO's for posting information about this and their experience with it. I don't know anyone IRL who has had it but I know it affects many women and is more common than people realize. I tend to be an emotional person, in general, so I will be definitely watching out for this.

Skip Hop Dash diaper bag: Count me in as another member. :) I ordered the black one with white trim, like Rancid. I can't wait to get it. I figure it would be a good, every day bag for running errands. I like that it attaches to the stroller too.

Too much clothing for DS: Is there such a thing? ;) I think I've been able to control myself pretty well so far, but I think it helps that I'm having a boy too. While baby boy clothing are cute, they are nowhere near as addictive as baby girl clothing! I'm sure my DH thanks his lucky stars for this. :D

Hiccups: Yup. This little one seems to be getting one at least once per day, maybe twice. It's really cute and such a nice feeling compared to the strong pulls I feel when he is rolling his body all around and is trying to get out.

Fast forward: Absolutely! The 2nd trimester seemed to take forever but now that we're in the third trimester, time is just flyin by. I can't believe October will be here in a few days. And I can't believe I only have 8 more weeks to go! Eek! Luckily I think my DH is waking up too and feeling the pressure building to get things done like our 2nd bathroom renovation and most important, the nursery!

Wearing shoes with heels: Luckily I haven't had any problems (yet) with swelling anywhere but I've been wearing low heeled shoes to work for a while. Once in a blue I might wear my normal heels but at this point, it's just not happening.

Leakage: Count me in. Some days it's not too bad while other days, it feels like I've wet my underwear! :rolleyes: I definitely feel more 'warm' down there too if that makes any sense.

Ass Pain: Yes! I haven't had any in a while but I seem to get it in one butt cheek if I walk too much or exercise for too long. Not the most pleasant feeling but I try to stretch it out as much as I can.

Ellidew: Thanks for posting the pic of the peanut shell that you ordered! I've lurked in the sling/baby carrier thread for a while and finally ordered two peanut shells. One fleece sling in a deep blue color and one stretch cotton in a black and white color pattern. I can't wait to get them! I'm glad to hear that your doctor appt. went well and the baby is moving a ton now! I know how stressful that can be. Your baby shower sounds like it was a blast and the ice cream buffet sounds like HEAVEN! And your nursery looks great! I'm so jealous that you're done and everything is in place! Very impressive. :)

Krysten, Scarlett, Sinclair, Roberta, Rubbersoul, Rancid, Sare: Cute belly pics!

posting before I lose all of this.....

[Rancid13]

Pre-E? I have quite a bit of swelling and headaches at night- should I be concerned? My BP is fine so I think I'm okay but I remember someone mentioning that headaches might also be a symptom.

I would put in a call to your doc about that.

My doc was concerned at my last appt about my bp (I'm now 100% sure I have elevated bp solely at the dr's office) and was asking me questions like do I get headaches, feel dizziness/changes in my vision (thankfully I got to asnwer "no" to all of them) and has had me monitoring my bp at home. I do this 3x a day and so far it's been well below what she wants it to be at so I'm not concerned about it right now. DH even averaged out my bp readings from the last 2 weeks and it's right at 130/62 avg (doc doesn't want it being above 140/90 for a prolonged time). I was given paperwork to get another blood test done at the lab but I haven't done that yet and am not sure I will unless my doc tells me I have to at tomorrow's appt.

Leakage: Count me in. Some days it's not too bad while other days, it feels like I've wet my underwear! :rolleyes: I definitely feel more 'warm' down there too if that makes any sense.


Oh man, this has been me all week in the am. This morning I was getting dressed for work and had just used the restroom. No sooner did I put on my pants and was about to put on my shoes did I feel like I was wetting myself...I bolted for the bathroom only to find that it was a very watery-milky discharge and a lot of it. I was relieved that I hadn't had an accident but surprised by how much of the stuff there was.

[lilo]

continued....

Lydia: I'm sorry to hear that you've caught a nasty cold too. I've been down and out with a cold or a bad case of allergies for the last 5 days so I feel your pain! It's the third time I've gotten sick during my pregnancy and I know how much it sucks. I'm glad your mom is coming to help you out.

Katnbug: Happy belated birthday to your DS! I love that little art table. What a great gift idea.

Mimieliza: I feel the same way about our nursery. I just want it done already!

Lilla: Your professional belly pics turned out great! I love the last one that is in black & white. Beautiful.

Franni: Sorry to hear that you failed the 1 hour GTT. I know there is a GTT thread in the pregnancy forum with a TON of information.

-------------------------------------------------

Whew! I think I did pretty well catching up with everyone.

Update on me: I've been feeling okay these days, but not great. I'm finally getting over my cold although I am now feeling feeling more and more BH's and the rolling feelings in my stomach are much, much stronger these days. Last night I experienced my first charlie horse, which was not fun. It was so painful, it woke me up from my sleep and is still a little sore today. Ugh. I definitely feel that pregnancy is getting harder and harder now that we're in the home stretch although I'm very very happy that we ARE in the home stretch.

My DH is FINALLY feeling the pressure with everything that we have to get done before the baby gets here, which I'm thrilled about. Last weekend he went out and bought a pretty blue paint for the nursery and painted the bottom half of all of the walls. We're going to install a chair rail and leave the top half the current cream color. We still need to buy the rest of our nursery furniture, which I might try to do on my own this weekend.

Of course there are still, what feels like, a million and one things left to do but I think we will get everything done by the end of October. I've started to buy some of the little things like baby wipes, lotions, etc. that I know we won't get from anyone so that we don't have to run out to the store right away once the baby is here.

Question: For those of you who are getting a NST at your doctor appts., is this routine or are you getting them because of the doctor is concerned? I'm just wondering because I don't think my doctor mentioned that I would receive any unless I was overdue.

[euphorhea]

Question: For those of you who are getting a NST at your doctor appts., is this routine or are you getting them because of the doctor is concerned? I'm just wondering because I don't think my doctor mentioned that I would receive any unless I was overdue.

I am having NST's due to my "GD" and am considered "slightly high risk" as well. They just want to monitor the baby to make sure she is not in distress because of it. It is quite an interesting contraption, I must say. My baby absolutely hates it, though and gets into a crazy kicking rampage whenever I am belted in for it. :o

[Toonces]

I feel like recently all I do is complain about something- swollen feet, numbness, lack of sleep, whatever my gripe of the moment is. Then I hear or read about someone's loss or battle with infertility and feel incredibly lucky to feel all of these sucky symptoms. I have to remember that no mattter how crappy I feel at the moment, it's only temporary and I should feel blessed that I haven't endured what some other have.

So true! I catch myself sometimes, too. :)

Franni ~ I didn't have to fast for the 1 hour, but did fast for the 3 hour (that was with DD). This time I passed the 1 hour, but since I had late onset GD last time I ended up manually testing around 31 weeks and was testing positive, so I never had the 3 hour with this pregnancy.

nic ~ My OB told me that pre-e headaches are ones that don't go away even after you take Tylenol - along the lines of a severe migraine. I'd still call you doc if I were you though... just to be on the safe side.

Question: For those of you who are getting a NST at your doctor appts., is this routine or are you getting them because of the doctor is concerned? I'm just wondering because I don't think my doctor mentioned that I would receive any unless I was overdue.

I'm having them done for GD and erratic BP. I don't think they recommend them unless you're having complications.

[Lizzie Beth]

Hey, Franni - I failed my 1-hour, too. Looking back, I can see it may have had something to do w/ the fact that my meal the night before was overloaded on carbs - mainly rice, and then I had popcorn for a snack. I read through the entire GD thread and got some good tips on eating - the night before my 3-hour, I had a taco salad w/ lots of meat and cheese, and a snack high in protein, I think it was peanuts or almonds, before bed. Apparently a protein snack before bedtime really makes a difference in the next morning's blood sugar. And there are some random foods out there that apparently will spike your blood sugar, like grapes.

I worried that maybe I was trying to manipulate the test too much, but my stepDad is a diabetic, and I know that sometimes the levels just fluctuate wildly w/ little apparent cause. I had to fast for 12 hours before the test and I was allowed to drink water. It's funny, though, I've read that the main worry about GD is a baby who gets too big and has trouble getting out - my first child was 6 lbs. even. Even after the first test, I really had a hard time believing that GD was a possibility for me... But who knows? It's not like I'm in anywhere near as good physical shape as I was with #1.

I'm sorry I haven't been keeping up well w/ the posting, but so much of this PG is just so identical w/ the last one that I am so much less surprised by things in general. I do have to say that someone needs to stop putting these prenatals in blister packaging and start putting them in freakin' bottles. They're so hard to get out and I try to take them when I'm driving to work in the morning; it drives me nuts if it takes me multiple stoplights to do it...

But on a positive note, at least PG gives you a great opportunity to really do a thorough cleaning of the 'ol belly-button. Squeaky! ;)

DD has been just the sweetest kid lately; daycare tells me she's really focused in on the little babydolls, pushing them around in carriages, feeding them, etc. This morning when we got to daycare she put her own treasured teddy bear (called "baby") into the toy swing and was pushing him in it when I left. She even blew kisses at me when I left. It's so nice to see her enjoying herself at daycare. And the baby-doll centrism gives me hope that she might have some positive feelings about her baby sister. Although Susannah does chew on the babies' hands sometimes. Oh, well, I'm sure Katie won't mind missing a finger or two in return for all that good attention... :D

[Rancid13]

I do have to say that someone needs to stop putting these prenatals in blister packaging and start putting them in freakin' bottles. They're so hard to get out and I try to take them when I'm driving to work in the morning; it drives me nuts if it takes me multiple stoplights to do it...

But on a positive note, at least PG gives you a great opportunity to really do a thorough cleaning of the 'ol belly-button. Squeaky! ;)



My prenatals come in a bottle...I take the Target brand prenatals. Unfortunately my Claritin comes in blister packs and I seem to have a heck of a time freeing one up every morning, LOL.

LOL re: belly button. I'm finally beginning to see what the inside of my belly button looks like. At 31w today, my belly button is still an innie though. I'm taking bets on when it will become a full-fledged outie. (I say 2 more weeks, maybe 3~it was a very very deep innie.) :D

[katnbug]

UGH! I'm finally trying to post a picture of our nursery and I can't get it to work!!! I've downloaded the pic to Snapfish and it's not cooperating. Does anyone know if Snapfish has changed anything lately???
It's just the recent pics I've loaded there that won't work. I tried to post some old pics I had there and it accepted those! Something in the "code" is different with my new pics. So frustrating!!!!

[Toonces]

Kat ~ I think I read in the Chit Chat forum that some other ppl were having Snapfish and/or Shutterfly problems. I can't remember the details. I use photobucket.com for my CC stuff now. You could always sign up for an acct there if you can't get Snapfish to work.

[Ericka_Jarett]

Kat - you can't hotlink from snapfish or shutterfly anymore, you need to use photobucket or flickr

[katnbug]

Thanks for the info ladies! I will have to sign up for photobucket I guess!!

[Lydia]

Just had my u/s, Mason is still head down and he has quite the melon! BP was fine, nothing really to report. I have a nasty sinus infection (why it took so long to diagnose, I have no idea) that I got meds for yesterday FINALLY. I'm not feeling better YET but I'm hopeful.

[katnbug]

OK. I got this photo thing down now~

Here are a few pics of our crib and the HILARY letters I made. I haven't hung the shelves yet, and the curtains/valance are not done, so I'm holding off on posting more pics until it's finally done!! But I just love our bedding, so I wanted to post that.

The green of the letters actually matches the bedding quite well..though it doesn't look like it in these pics. :rolleyes:
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l307/katdossett1124/crib1.jpg

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l307/katdossett1124/crib2.jpg

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l307/katdossett1124/crib.jpg

[katnbug]

[b]lydia- Sorry about your sinus infection. I've had a ton of sinus issues during this pregnancy and I know they're not fun!! Good thing Mason is still head down and everything else is ok!

[ellidew]

Ugh. Our computers crashed at work and i was forced to spend my day writing thank you notes and watching tv instead of playing on cc. Yes, i realize i'm complaining about doing nothing ;) lol. It was quite boring actually and day time tv SUCKS! Who the heck is the bald 'dr.' talk show? Dr. Phil needed a rival? Weird.

Just wanted to quickly say - GREAT looking bed katnbug!!!

Well, hopefully the computers are up in the morning so i can send so's. Tonight i'm baby sitting my 3 month old niece, we're going to try out all the new baby garb at our house! lol.

[Toonces]

Kat ~ That bedding is beautiful!! I love it!

[mayham]

katnbug - I love your nursery! The bedding is so pretty and fun, and I love the turquoise you chose for the walls.

Our nursery furniture is coming this weekend. I can't wait to put it all together! I'm starting to get more excited about nesting :)

[roberta]

I dreamt last night that Lydia, nic and lilo posted that they were in the early stages of labor. weird, huh? (and who dreams about CC?)

I had another appointment yesterday. BP was good, but the swelling is out. of. control. I gained 7 (!) pounds in 2 weeks and there is no way that came from eating. She said it had to be water weight. I am not having other signs of pre-e, I am just lucky to be puffy like the Michelin Man. I can't keep this up for 7 more weeks!

Because of the swelling and major congestion (trying to fight off a sinus infection), I have become a major cranky pants. Poor DH!

lilo No NST tests here. I don't think they are routine but to monitor certain conditions. I would definately call your OB/MW about the headaches and vision problems as they are symptoms of pre-e.

catgirl sorry you are feeling crummy, but I am glad is everything is okay with Devin. just a few more weeks! (at least they is what I am trying to remind myself!)

rancid Dh and the drum kit! so funny! "I want to teach him to play the drums if he is interested." "Sure, dear, before the baby learns to sit up, crawl or walk, he should really start learning drums." at least he is excited, right?

lizziebeth so cute about DD! I was 15 months old when my sister was born. My mom said I just loved her and even tried to "nurse" my baby dolls. I recommend the Target prenatals too. In a bottle and you just need to take one a day.

lydia happy to hear you are feeling better! sinus infections are horrible. I usually get 2-3 a year and have been trying hard to avoid one during pregnancy.

katnbug I love your nursery! so cute!

ETA: The baby's heartbeat was nice and strong with plenty of accelerations and declerations. But, there was clearly a strange additional noise on the doppler. It was somewhat regular, not as strong or frequent as the HB. It was not a baby movement noise as we could plenty of those. The MW listened for awhile but couldn't figure out what it was. strange, any ideas?

[Sinclair319]

Doc appt went well yesterday--bp is good, Corbin's heart rate was good (although at first he had his hands or something in the way and they couldn't get an accurate reading--just when I was starting to freak out she found it beating nice and strong! whew!), I'm up 17 pounds from when they started weighing me at 10w. The only possible bad news--L&D scheduled move to the new *beautiful* floor (it seriously looks like a hotel) is now set for Nov 1st. Granted I'm due the 5th, but I was really hoping Corbin would make his appearance a little early. When it all boils down to it--I'd rather meet my son than be in a nice room for 2 days. But I just keep telling myself "He'll pick his own birthday" I tend to be somewhat of a control freak, but at least I'm trying to talk myself into the idea that it's out of my control! :rolleyes:

[nic]

Kat- Hilary's room looks great, you did a nice job.


Roberta- I hope there's something to your dream, I won't mind giving birth a week or two early.

I'm sure the weight gain is mostly water, try not to get down about it.
I am really cranky too, I can hardly stand myself sometimes. I'm swollen and sore and just ready to be done. I complain all the time and then end up crying because I feel like such a b*tch.

Well I'm 35 weeks today, I can't believe it's almost our time. I wonder how many of us will have october babies.

[kadee_29]

Well I'm 35 weeks today, I can't believe it's almost our time. I wonder how many of us will have october babies. This is what has me completely freaking out. October will be here in 2 days!!!! I am going to BRU tomorrow with a friend to at least pick up stuff that I would need in the first few weeks. Whatever I don't have I will have either her or DH pick up after the baby is born.

Oh and I bought the first package of diapers yesterday. Now I just need to find room for everything.

[nic]

RO's- what are the essentials for the first couple of weeks?

ok, weird question but- How is everyone preparing for their water to brake?
I'm going to go out this weekend to pick up a waterproof cover for our mattress just in case but what happens if your water breaks when your at work or out and about? Is anyone keeping a spare pair of pants with them at all times? I'm just not sure what to do if my water breaks someplace other than home. Sorry if I'm being too personal but are you suppose to wear a thick pad just in case?

[ellidew]

nic- My understanding (and someone correct me if i'm wrong) but the chances of having a big gush when your water breaks is a lot smaller than having a small leak or not having your water break on it's own at all. I'm honestly not taking any precautions... maybe i should be? I'm not sure if keeping a spare pair of pants in the car would do me any good because if i'm in a store or restaurant i'd have to go to the car and get them then go back through the store or restaurant to change because i'm not bendable enough to change in the back seat at this point ;) lol.

I think a waterproof pad for the bed is a good idea though. I'd hate to destroy my expensive pillow top mattress. We have a mattress pad on the bed but i don't think it's waterproof. Where are you getting a waterproof pad? Do they sell just flat waterproof pads for cribs? I'd consider putting one of those underneath the mattress pad.

I look forward to hearing from the RO's though. Most of the 'where did your water break' stories seem to be at home around bed time in the bathroom so i haven't been all that concerned. Maybe i'm naive.

[kadee_29]

My water never broke. With both kids the dr had to break it during labor. I am kind of hoping it happens that way again because I have really crappy luck and I can just see my water breaking during one of my classes. :rolleyes:

[ppwgal]

I'm way to far behind for individual SO's, but I've been reading along and especially enjoying everyone's belly and nursery photos. I've had long days at work lately combined with unpacking and getting settled into our new place. So, I haven't had much energy to do anything else.

Tomorrow is my shower! I'm excited to get some baby gear so I don't feel so unprepared! I haven't bought anything yet which makes me panic a bit at times.

Water breaking - The big gush of water doesn't happen to a lot of people thankfully. But, I still worry a bit about how I'll handle if it does happen to me. I might bring an extra pair of pants to work just in case. If it happens at home, I'll just deal with it.

[Toonces]

Roberta ~ I had awful swelling with DD - even had to buy new shoes. This time I don't have that swelling, so that's something for you to look forward to next time. :)

Essentials first couple weeks ~ For us it'll be diapers and boobs. :) Honestly I don't remember the first couple of weeks with DD. It's all a blur of lots of diapers and problems with BFing. Seriously, there's not a lot you need those first couple of weeks, really not until around 8-12 weeks when they become a little more alert. I do remember that DD would only sleep while DH or I were holding her; wouldn't even sleep in the Arm's Reach Co-sleeper. At 8 weeks we brought her into our bed and she's still sleeping with us. :)

Water breaking ~ My OB broke my water. She had a hard time too and said that it was "tough". I had excessive amniotic fluid with DD and even so I didn't experience a gush. A lot of fluid did come out, but it wasn't forceful. I think the waterproof mattress pad is probably a good idea, and maybe extra towels in your car so that if it does break and you get in your car you have something to sit on. I went through A LOT of towels/waterproof pads in the hospital. Apparently your fluid replenishes itself 30 cc's every hour until delivery, so it doesn't stop until DC is born.

[acrane]

Water breaking - I had the gush, and two of my friends on seperate occasions (in different cities) had their water break at Outback Steakhouse during dinner! Must be something in the air there! It was 3am when mine broke, so I was at home. I was 40 weeks then and so ready to get the show on the road! Although the gush is noticeable, it's not like in the movies where gallons of fluid just fall out on the floor. The baby's head acts like a cork, so you might get a trickle or small gush first and then the head stops the flow until you have to move around again.
Maybe keep a beach towel folded up on your car seat just in case, and the waterproof mattress pad is a good idea. Wearing maxis toward the end was helpful to me as well.
It doesn't happen to a lot of people, but I actually liked it because I knew we'd have a baby within 24 hours. Like I mentioned before, I was soooo ready to not be pregnant anymore! :)

[Lydia]

Roberta, I'd love to have this baby NOW!

[Lydia]

Kat, your nursery is GORGEOUS! I love the letters, the bedding, the wall color...everything!

[Lilla]

I feel like recently all I do is complain about something- swollen feet, numbness, lack of sleep, whatever my gripe of the moment is. Then I hear or read about someone's loss or battle with infertility and feel incredibly lucky to feel all of these sucky symptoms. I have to remember that no mattter how crappy I feel at the moment, it's only temporary and I should feel blessed that I haven't endured what some other have.

ITA. After my m/c last year, this pregnancy has held a much different meaning for me. Yes, I could complain all day long about one thing or another (especially now in the 3rd tri!), but I really try not to. I thank my lucky stars to be blessed with a healthy pregnancy thus far.

katnbug The nursery looks great! I love the colors. The blue on the walls is to die for.

roberta Sorry to hear about the swelling. I had a cranky moment this morning myself when my feet felt like sausages after putting my shoes on. :rolleyes:

water breaking Just lastnight I went to Walgreens and bought a pack of these underpad things. They are like 2'x3' or something. I got them mainly for my bed - I don't feel like having my water break in the middle of the night and having to replace our featherbed and mattress. So, I just stuck one of those underneath the sheet. Otherwise, I'll probably keep a towel in each car and that will be about it.


I'm 35 weeks tomorrow and can't believe it! :eek: I've also been wondering if I'll end up having an October or November baby......

[Toonces]

Just lastnight I went to Walgreens and bought a pack of these underpad things. They are like 2'x3' or something. I got them mainly for my bed - I don't feel like having my water break in the middle of the night and having to replace our featherbed and mattress. So, I just stuck one of those underneath the sheet.

That's a really good idea! They have those at the hospital and they are awesome - very absorbent even though they're flat. I ended up ordering similar ones online to use on DD's diaper changing table (on top of the mattress like thing) b/c she had lots of poop explosions when she was little. It saved me from having to wash the cover all the time.

[Lilla]

catgirl Exactly! The ones I bought came with 10 in the package, but I figured between me, the baby and 2 dogs, I'll put them to good use! GREAT idea to put one on the changing pad!

[lilo]

I dreamt last night that Lydia, nic and lilo posted that they were in the early stages of labor. weird, huh? (and who dreams about CC?)

I wish! Well, 32 weeks is really early to go into labor but I wouldn't mind going into labor in 5 more weeks. I am not counting on it but I would love it!

Lilla: good idea about the underpad things. Do you know the name of them? I'll probably buy a package too.

catgirl: great idea on using them on the changing table. I am all for whatever helps to reduce the amount of laundry I'll have to do! ;)

-------------------------------

I can't believe it's almost October too! I can't wait to see who goes first here!

[Lilla]

lilo Here is a link to the ones I got.....

Walgreens Underpads (http://www.walgreens.com/store/product.jsp?CATID=304264&navAction=jump&navCount=0&id=prod768599)

I found them in the uh....incontinence section. ;)


Ack - I so need to get some work done this afternoon!!

[Toonces]

Click here (http://www.kidsurplus.com/sip4314.html) for the ones I ordered online. Babies have a lot of poop explosions in the early months (esp BF babies - makes loose stool)... flowing out of the diaper and up the back on to their clothes. Very gross and messy, so those pads come in handy.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y20/cat777/diaperpads.gif

[brio96]

Water breaking I had both the small trickle and the big gush (several of them actually) but out of all the moms I know, I'm actually the only one whose water broke on their own. Fortunately, I was at home (3:30am) and when I felt the oddest "pop" sensation I went to the bathroom, saw that my mucus plug had come out and all of the sudden felt like I was still urinating even though I knew I wasn't. That was the small trickle part. After walking around (packing my bag), sitting down and then standing up again, that's when I felt the first big gush. I probably had about 4-5 of them. That's a great idea about the changing pads though-I'm planning on putting one on our bed and one in the car just in case. I went through TONS of towels (even went as far as to stuff one in my pants for the car ride....very attractive :-) ) and found that a pad (even a thick one) did nothing to contain the bigger gushes.

Items for the first few weeks Diapers, wipes, lots of easy on/off outfits (for the baby), boobs (or bottles if you're FF) and receiving blankets/swaddling items. Car seat, stroller and cold weather gear (bunting etc) are good too. Like catgirl said, those first few weeks are a total blur but those seem to be the most logical of items.

RO's with toddlers Are you doing anything special to prepare your DC for the arrival? I'm giving DD a baby doll, stroller and other baby items to play with mid-October just to get her a little more excited. She's already obsessed with babies and trying to feed/change her stuffed animals but I thought that a more realistic looking baby might not be the worst thing to give her as well.

[Toonces]

RO's with toddlers Are you doing anything special to prepare your DC for the arrival?

DD started to show an interest in baby dolls when she was around 20-21 months, so we started the preparation then (she'll be 2 on 10/8). She knows that there's a baby in my tummy, she talks and sings to him, kisses him, says she loves him, tells me when she feels him kicking, knows his name, etc. The last couple of weeks I've been telling her that when Devin comes out he might cry a lot and he'll want to "nano sip" (her term for nursing). She's asked if she can nano sip too and I've told her that she could (she just self-weaned at 22 months). Today she started telling me that she has a baby in her tummy, too. I asked her what his name is and she says "Debbin" (how she pronounces Devin). :) So I think she's getting it. I'm not so sure how she'll handle things after he arrives, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Oh, I've also told her that Devin will sleep with her & mommy. Right now DD, DH (when he's not snoring!), and I co-sleep. We plan to have the baby in an Arm's Reach Co-sleeper for a little while and then in our bed. I wanted to prep her for that. She said she's excited to have him sleep with us. We'll see....

[bijouparvin]

Okay, this:
But on a positive note, at least PG gives you a great opportunity to really do a thorough cleaning of the 'ol belly-button. Squeaky! ;)


...cracked me up. So true!!

I'm nowhere near caught up in here (I've still got about three or four pages to read later today) but I wanted to drop off today's belly shot (please ignore the messy room):

33 weeks

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/bijoudiva/33w1.jpg

as compared to 31 weeks

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/bijoudiva/31w2.jpg

My pelvis pain just keeps getting worse and worse as the weeks progress and I'm now randomly queasy but aside from that, all is well. I'll be back when I've read everything.

[Sinclair319]

water breaking--I had this concern/question too--so I started a poll on it. Click here (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24605) to see what other RO's have said. ETA--I've also heard using a plastic shower curtain liner helps protect the matress.

A coworker of mine and his wife had their baby today (she was due next week). This means I'm next! :eek: Then there are several due after me.

Push present-I'm not sure how common this is, but several people I know received a 'push present' from their DH after they delivered their baby--often it's a necklace with the baby's birthstone in it. RO's, did you receive anything? I guess I need to look up the Oct and Nov birthstones and give DH some suggestions. ;)

My goal is to buy nursing bras and pack my bag this weekend! Wish me luck!

[Rancid13]

31w1d

Looong post…got a lot to catch up on and some fun pictures to share!!

Lydia~ Sorry to hear about the sinus infection, hopefully that will clear up quickly for you. Glad to hear that things are looking good with Mason! I think my little one may have quite the melon too, at least that’s what it feels like when I feel it.

Katnbug~ Beautiful nursery! Those colors look fantastic together, and you did a great job with matching the colors for the letter/name thing. It looks so bright and fun!!

Roberta~ It was certainly ‘cute’ of DH to want to keep the drum set in the baby’s room, LOL! We can always get the baby one of those toy drum kits they sell at TRU to get him started before letting him use the real thing, haha! DH is super excited about teaching our son to do things that he enjoys (drumming, surfing, snowboarding, etc). That’s odd about the additional noise on the Doppler, especially if the mw didn’t know what it was. The only noises I’ve heard besides the hb was the baby’s movements, which the np identified really fast. What else could the noises be? Digestion/intestinal sounds from you maybe??

Sinclair~ Glad to hear that all seems to be well w/Corbin! Tell him to stay put till the hospital is all done with the L&D move and ready for you two. I’ve put on quite a bit of weight in the last month, and considering that my diet hasn’t changed much except I have been eating healthier and I’ve also been trying to stay active (walking, prenatal yoga, etc) I’m pretty sure it’s water weight. I drink a TON of water every day but only seem to have to use the restroom very occasionally, and when I do, not much comes out.

October~ OMG, I can’t believe it’s almost here! I hope I don’t have one of the October babies, that would mean my little one would be a month early, eek!! Unless there are complications and he has to come out early, I’d much rather he stay put for another few weeks of ‘cooking’.

Water breaking~ I have NO IDEA! I've only thought about it occasionally. I'm thinking of maybe putting a towel down on the bed during the last month of pregnancy in case it happens while I’m in bed. And keeping a towel with me in the car/at work just in case?? I also look forward to hearing what some of the RO’s say about it (What does RO stand for anyway? I tried looking it up in the abbreviation sticky but it wasn’t on there…I know it has to do with someone who already has a child/children).

Ppwgal~ I hope your shower goes well tomorrow! How exciting!!

Bijouparvin~ Beautiful belly shots! You look amazing for 33w!! I just feel like a short, frumpy, lumpy butterball for now, LOL. Sorry to hear about the pelvis pain…on the brighter side, only another month or so left to go!!

Push present~ I’ve heard about those, thanks to US Weekly and other celeb rags that have celebrity baby articles in them. I’ll have to bring it up to DH, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind getting me a little something-something for having to go thru the fun of L&D. He was saying this morning that it would be cool if the guy could trade off with the girl and handle being pregnant for awhile because he would love to be able to help me out in that way so I could be relieved of it for a short time. I told him if that were possible, I’d hand the baby over to him and shout “no give backs!!” and run away, LOL. I’m soooo ready to be done with pregnancy right now. L&D seems like it’s so far away and it’s just a dream to me right now.


Shower Pics! My mom finally got her camera downloaded and unfortunately 95% of the pictures she took at my shower 2 weeks ago came out blurry. Here are some good ones:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v432/rancid13/shower0004.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v432/rancid13/shower0001.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v432/rancid13/shower0002.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v432/rancid13/shower0003.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v432/rancid13/shower0005.jpg
(I'm in the middle~my fellow pg friend is to my right; she's 4w ahead of me. We were playing the poopy diaper game~various candy bars are melted in diapers and we have to identify the type of candy bar it was/is based on textures, visual clues and smell~really gross but fun!)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v432/rancid13/shower0006.jpg

Dr's Appt~ I had my 31w appt this morning and it appears my bp is still high while in the dr's office. I showed my doc the log I'd been keeping of my bp levels while at home and she liked the look of the #'s. However, she still insisted I head over to the lab to get some blood drawn and urine samples given for a bevy of tests she'd like to have done~I think there are 5 or 6 tests (including a bile acid test) they're gonna be running on the blood that was drawn today. Even though I'm not experiencing blurry vision, swelling or headaches that are common with pre-eclampsia, she just wants to make for absolute sure that that isn't what's going on w/me.

I also reminded her of my constantly itchy skin and relayed a story from my SIL that a friend of hers had itchy skin during her pg and it turned out to be Cholestasis which has something to do with the liver not working properly which can lead to fatal results if not treated properly. That will be one of the tests run on my blood draw from today too, just in case.

Also to be on the safe side I now need to go into the hospital 2x a week for a non-stress test (NST?) and get all hooked up to monitors for something or other so they can check on things and make sure all is well in there (baby's size, fluid levels, etc). I have to start that next week...if anything, at least I get to check out the new women's pavillion for the first time (where I'll be giving birth) and possibly even be getting another u/s to make sure all looks well (and of course get another sneak peak at our baby).

Other than that, doc said my weight looks good so far (although I think I'm retaining water as I drink a ton of it all day and seldom use the restroom and when I do, hardly anything comes out) and my measurements are right on for how far along I am.


My first hospital visit will be Tuesday Oct 3 and my next dr's appt will be Friday Oct 13 (our lucky day!! DH and I met 6 years ago on Fri Oct 13).

[brio96]

RO My understanding is that it's short for "repeat offender". I'm not especially crazy about the term myself, but what can you do?? :-)

[Rancid13]

RO My understanding is that it's short for "repeat offender". I'm not especially crazy about the term myself, but what can you do?? :-)

Hahaha, I get it! I never would have guessed that's what it stood for though. :)

[Esq.]

Great pics Rancid! We also played the poopy diaper game at my shower! It was really funny!

[acrane]

RO's with toddlers Are you doing anything special to prepare your DC for the arrival? We are taking a family tour of the hospital on Monday, and Andrew says hi to Matthew every day through my belly button. I started to unpack some of his old infant toys and he understands they are for baby brother. I think he gets that a baby is on the way but the real interesting part will be how he reacts once the baby is here. We did buy the Fisher Price digital camera for Andrew that we'll give to him at the hospital as a present from Matthew. I think he'll really like being able to take pictures like all the grown ups.
http://www.fisher-price.com/img/product_shots/J8209_b_2.jpg

Push present - dh got me a gift certificate to a local spa and a beautiful white gold open heart pendant/necklace that he had a jeweler attach a small amethyst stone to the inside to represent Andrew. Hard to explain but I love it and once this new little guy is born, we'll put another stone in it for him. :)

[Rancid13]

Sweaty?? Sorry if TMI....Anyone else find that you're sweating a lot in the lap area? Specifically the upper thigh area to the lower portion of the belly? I work an office job and sit a great deal of the time although I do get up and walk around every 30-45 minutes. But I've noticed that my lap area always feels really warm and damp even after sitting for only 10 minutes. It happens at home too, when I'm on the couch relaxing...also I've been sweating a lot at night to the point where my t-shirt and undies feel slightly damp to the touch when I wake up in the morning. :eek: :o I know increased sweating is pretty common in pregnancy, but I feel so yucky and disgusting when I have "damp" spots. :(

[katnbug]

waterproof pads- I also bought the Walgreens ones for incontinence. :) I don't know if they're cheaper than the baby specific pads... most baby items seem to be marked up! Anyhow, I've used them on DS's changing table for a while. Good idea to use them in the car or on your bed in case of water breakage!

push present- You bet I got one!! DH would have been in deep doo doo if he didn't! For DS I got a Tiffany necklace with a double heart. DH said it was one heart for each of my "boys" - DH and DS. This time around I told him he should upgrade to Cartier!!!! ;) I doubt that will happen, but I'm sure it will be jewelery of some sort - which is fine by me!

RO preparing child for new baby- We haven't really done much as far as baby dolls or anything. We ask DS where his baby sister is and he points to my tummy - or sometimes to my boob! We've been trying to teach him Hilary's name, but he doesn't say it often. When he goes into the nursery, I call it Hilary's room or sisters room.
My friend who just had a little girl tried to prepare her almost 2 year old son in the months before her due date by letting him carry around a baby doll. When the baby came her son was in shock that she moved and made noise etc!! My friend said the look on her DSs face was priceless - he just stared at his sister with wide eyes and his mouth hanging open for hours!
********************

Thanks for the compliments on the nursery. I can't wait for my valance to be done, and for DH to hang the shelves for me. Then it will be pretty much finished!!

[katnbug]

sweat- I haven't had sweat in the lap area so much, but I've definitely been sweatier than normal. I am always hot, even with the a/c on high. It's getting cooler outside now and I'm still sweating like crazy.
Another symptom I will be happy to bid farewell to!

[Toonces]

Rancid ~ Great shower pics!! I wanted to play the poopy diaper game, but my mom and MIL arranged the shower and left it out. :rolleyes: It looks like you had a lot of fun.

acrane ~ Very cool idea about the camera!!

bijouparvin ~ Great belly shots!

Push present ~ For DD I asked for and got a Louis Vuitton. It's kind of a waste for now b/c I always carry a diaper bag and not a purse. :rolleyes: Someday... This time around I got diamond earrings. I got both presents midway through each pregnancy.

[scarlett74]

Push present - A friend of mine said that I should ask for something precious like a ring but I think we'll keep the money for the baby...

water breaking - The underpads for the bed are a good idea, but a coworker said she broke waters on the couch, watching tv! Maybe we should keep one of those pads also on it...


Rancid, your baby shower seemed great!

[Toonces]

I can't believe we're only 1 month away from November!! I'm so eager to learn who has the first baby and assuming there will be a few this month! :D

[Rancid13]

I can't believe we're only 1 month away from November!! I'm so eager to learn who has the first baby and assuming there will be a few this month! :D

Here's hoping it won't be me!!! :D

[ellidew]

Fly by before bed post...

Mucus Plug: Maybe tmi (even though i know we banned tmi from the thread...) but earlier today when i wiped there was a small amount of discharge (it was a very little amount just enough that i noticed it on the toilet paper) that was VERY sticky and kind of speckled. Not like any cm i've ever had. I haven't noticed anything since this happened either. Could this be part of the mucus plug? I'm almost 35 weeks along. Does anyone know what the size of the mucus plug is? A tablespoon? teaspoon? Just curious. I can't believe i'm discussing things that can happen just weeks before delivery!

FWIW, if i deliver in October and i'm not ruling it out at this point... i really don't want it to be on Friday the 13th!!

ETA: Should i call my doctor on monday and let them know i think i lost some of it or since it was so little not worry about it?

[Rancid13]

FWIW, if i deliver in October and i'm not ruling it out at this point... i really don't want it to be on Friday the 13th!!

ETA: Should i call my doctor on monday and let them know i think i lost some of it or since it was so little not worry about it?

Hey, Friday the 13th isn't so bad! Hubby and I met on Fri Oct 13, 2000...13 is our lucky #.

I don't know much, if anything, about the amount that comes out when one loses their mucus plug, but here's some info I found that might help:

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/mucusplug.html

6th paragraph down:
http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/pregnancy/childbirth/181.html

That being said, it's always wise to call your ob just to be on the safe side, because you never really know.

[ellidew]

Thanks rancid. I'd looked in the same places you did it seems. There really isn't any good info about just how much it could be. Everything seems to say it could be lost slowly over time and resemble normal discharge, slowly over time and be sticky, or all at once... whatever 'all at once' equals!

I'll probably call in the morning. It was such a little amount that i honestly wasn't worried about it but i guess if i'm losing it, then i should let the doctor know so they can do an internal and make sure all is well. It was seriously an almost immeasurable amount but hey, i also thought the placenta was the size of a hamburger and was shocked to find out in childbirthing classes that it's more like a large steak! lol.

ETA: Off to bed! I'm wired though and don't know if i'll be able to sleep!

[Rancid13]

No problem, hopefully your doc will have more helpful information to provide you with so you can find out if that's what it is/was or not. I even tried doing a Google image search, but am not sure if what I turned up was the right thing or not. Good luck with trying to get to sleep! I was wired last night after sleeping 10 hours the night before plus a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon. Yeah, I didn't even attempt to go to bed until 4:30 this morning. :eek: But I've been cleaning all day (thank you nesting bug, finally!) and am starting to get sleepy already and it's not even 9pm yet.

[katnbug]

Well... I know I will be one of those delivering in October ;) But I don't have to be first!!

I'm actually back to thinking I'll have Hilary earlier than the 26th. My bp was up at my appt. on Saturday. 138/80. I'm hoping that this was a fluke reading and next Saturday it will be back down a little. I'm now obsessing about pre-e again, as my hands are feeling swollen and I'm just feeling more blah than normal. I'm on orders to "take it easy" - which isn't so easy with a toddler - but I'm trying.

Next appt. October 7th

We had DS's 2nd birthday party on Saturday (another reason I had a hard time "taking it easy") and it went ok. We just had about 10 people out for pizza and then at our house for cake. DS's arch enemy Hurricane Robbie was there so much of the day consisted of DS crying uncontrollably. It was interesting.. and I can't believe I now have an official 2 year old!! :eek:

[roberta]

Holy cow, katnbug! Your little girl will be here this month! :eek:

ellidew My SIL was born on Friday, Nov 13th! What your doc say about the possible mucus plug? I know I have noticed thicker and a greater quantity of CM. Hope things are okay!

I was peeking in the May 2007 mommies thread. They are just having their first appointments and worrying about MS and what to eat. Weren't we doing that just last week? I am strting to feel like time has flown. OTH, I looked at my belly in the mirror last night as I was changng and thought "yep, still more growing to do!"

This weekend, DH told me he won an online auction back in January for a trip to a resort in the Domincian Republic for the weekend of our anniversary. Guess we won't be using that now! :rolleyes: We only lost the deposit. bummer, but I am happy we are getting a baby for our anniversary!

[lilo]

I can't believe we're only 1 month away from November!! I'm so eager to learn who has the first baby and assuming there will be a few this month! :D

Me too! Although I have to admit that I feel like Rancid that I hope it's not me! :D

ellidew: Wow, that's so exciting that you might be losing some of your mucous plug already. Funny enough, a girl in my prenatal yoga class was talking about how when she started losing hers (she's on her 2nd baby I believe), the doctor said, "well, it looks like you'll be delivering in the next two weeks". :eek: And sure enough, she did!

katnbug: I didn't realize you were scheduled for a c-section this month. Talk about counting down the days! Glad to hear your DS's birthday went relatively well.

------------------------------------------

Had my 33 week appt. today and all went well. No weight gain (actually lost a pound!), which made me happy since my overall weight gain at this point is 23 pounds which isn't too bad. Blood pressure was fine, measuring perfect, and baby's heartbeat was as strong as ever. It is definitely hitting me though the time is flying now and November is right around the corner. I made my remaining appointments and there are only 4 of them! Yikes.

In nursery news, we are finally making headway, which I'm thrilled about. My DH painted the lower portion of the walls a pretty light blue last week and put up the chair rail this weekend. I also ordered a white bookcase from Pottery Barn kids and we found a great white dresser from IKEA. It took my DH a couple of hours to put together but hey, better him than me! ;) The dresser has so much storage space so I'm happy about that. I bought a few of those canvas organizing bins too from IKEA to put in the top drawers for little things like socks, hats, etc. The room is really coming together nicely. I can't wait to post pics once it's all done! :)

We also bought the Pack N Play from Babies R Us and a other small things so I'm feeling much better now. The baby will most likely sleep in our room for the first few weeks (in the pack n play basinette) so I wanted to make sure we had that well enough in advance.

My DH is definitely feeling the heat of getting things done and FINALLY is agreeing to having a contractor finish the work on the 2nd bathroom. Halleujah! Obviously it would be much cheaper for my DH to do it himself (he did the other bathroom by himself and it turned out great) but he just doesn't have the time anymore. So hopefully the bathroom will be done by the end of this month. Yay!

Question: How many long sleeved, footed onesie do you have for the baby? How many should we have? I started organizing all of the clothing and realized we had a lot more short sleeved with no legs (does that make sense?) onesies than ones for the winter. I was thinking about buying a few more but I didn't know how many to buy.

[Franni]

elliedw When I lost mine (1 day before going into labor), it was glob of snot if I remember correctly. That being said, I am starting to find thick mucus when I wipe now also. Strange, but it is making me nervous a little. It was way too soon for this little one to be born.

Not me, either I am supposed to be due around Thanksgiving. It would freak me out if this kid arrived in October.

katnbug Wow...this second baby is happening real soon for you. DD's turning 2 in 2 weeks and like you, I haven't been able to relax. I am also dreading how she is going to react to the baby. She has always been really possesive.

QOTD It's really a matter of preference I think. DD #1 lived in long-sleeved, footed onesie or sleepsuits. If that was too thin, I would layer with a kimono for added warmth. It was really convenient to change her and easy to put it in. For us, we had one for every day (~7).

[nic]

ellidew- I think you can lose parts of your mucus plug over time and that it regenerates untikl the baby is born.

Early baby- I think I'll be the first to say, I hope so. Not too early but I'd be happy if he decided to come a week or two early.

Footed pj's- I'm not sure exactly how many we have, we had out shower yesterday and I'm overwhelmed with all the clothes. I really have to sort through them.

Our shower yesterday was really nice. We got alot of baby gear and only one duplicate (Fisher Price Take Along Swing). We also got the Papasan Chair, High Chair, Baby Bjorn, Stroller, Bundle Me and tons of clothes.

Hopefully this weekend we can go and pick up the rest of the stuff we'll need.

I have a doctpr's appt. this morning- everything looks good. I have the Strep B swab and my first internal- I'm 1 cm dialated. I know it doesn't mean anything but I'm excited something's happening.