April 2007 Mamas: Graduating to Trimester Number Two!

[MarriedaGoalie]

Here is my 16 week belly pic!

http://static.flickr.com/105/271836347_7764126cb0.jpg?v=0

Compared to 14 weeks:

http://static.flickr.com/94/260134531_14a093606c.jpg?v=0

[Tonysweetie]

You look so cute! You really popped in 2 weeks!! :)

[Tonysweetie]

I'm so happy to be 13 weeks now! That means I'm in the 2nd trimester now. YAY! :) It really has gone quick and I can't believe how fast it went. Just had to share my excitment!

[MarriedaGoalie]

Tonysweetie: Isn't it such a relief to be in your 2nd trimester? It makes me feel much better... especially after all the spotting scares!

Btw, here's my new theory. I think people who have unexplained spotting are going to have girls. Any of the RO's had unexplained spotting with their first one? If so, what did you have?

[Sunshine]

Tonysweetie~THANK YOU!
I bought my mat pants at The Bay, for $29.99! I thought it was a pretty good deal:D
(I think someone in the US bought the Bay(Or Hudsons Bay Company), so not sure if you have them there or not now....it used to be a Canadian Store)

[jeggink]

Diedra I am not sure if you had your amnio yet, but sending lots of god vibes. Please let me know how it goes, mine is on Friday and I am a bit nervous. Are you doing the FISH results?

m/s Still have it really bad, gagging just about all day long, yuk!

Flu Shot I will probably get it just in case.

Round ligament pain I have had it since before I knew I was pg again, it actually tips me off. I had it really really bad with DS so I expected it this time as well. It has been sporadic so far, but painful. No more walking long distances.

No shoutouts, just don't have the energy, sorry. I am still in a fog over the baby issues and needing the amnio and am getting very nervous for that and the u/s beforehand. I am hoping things haven't gotten any worse. The worst part is not knowing what is going on with your baby and what is wrong with it. I couldn't even enjoy going into the 2nd tri :(.

[MommyinPA]

Btw, here's my new theory. I think people who have unexplained spotting are going to have girls. Any of the RO's had unexplained spotting with their first one? If so, what did you have?

::: peeking in from March and waving to Marriedagoalie::::

I haven't had spotting before this pregnancy and I do have 2 boys. I don't necessarily believe that one relates to the other, but heck, I won't be complaining if they do!!!!!! :)

[lauren f s]

Married: I had one episode of a teeny bit of spotting with DD, but that's it. Although, when I saw your belly shot (you look great, btw) I thought "She's having a girl." I'm terrible at guessing these things, but that's what I think ;) :).

I'm doing really well. I'm going to take a belly shot tonight and see what you all think because our BIG u/s is next Wednesday! I'm still thinking boy, but we'll see. I feel really good, though. No more m/s (!!!!) and my apetite is slowly coming back. I think my migraines are due to staring at the computer screen all day and I'm trying to take a few breaks outside for some fresh air when I can. I'm not sleeping well, but don't really expect that to get any better.

DD has started rubbing my stomach each night and saying "Hi baby". DH & I are eating this up.

[lil_nance]

Married Sorry but I had unexplained spotting throughout my pregnancy and had a boy. No spotting so far so I'm hoping this is a girl. ;) I'm an emotional wreck this time and some of my friends with multiple kids said they felt that way more with the girls than the boys.

[happy1nuv]

So, I've had a TERRIBLE cold the past 3 days...I've been really lucky that dh was off yesterday (we were supposed to be taking his mom to the zoo with Nic for her birthday... instead dh and nic went to visit and we postponed the zoo) and my mom took off today and has the baby (oops, gotta remember to stop calling him that... he'll always be my baby, but he'll only be THE baby for another 6 months...) ... anyway... so, i've been able to pretty much lounge around feeling miserable... I think I'm on the upswing now, but man... was no fun! And... for anyone that's dealing with a sore throat... boiling water, lemon, and honey works wonders... and, actually...just straight honey helps too (poor dh came to bed last night only to be sent back downstairs for the honey pot and a spoon :) )

[Tonysweetie]

Here is my first belly shot for this thread....

5 weeks vs. 13 weeks

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f184/Tonysweetie/5weeks.jpg

vs.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f184/Tonysweetie/13weeks2ndtri.jpg

It looks like I'm showing really low but when I lift up my shirt I look way bigger! lol. It's so neat to compare photos. Okay I sucked it up and posted it's everyone else's turn now!

ps. Those are my normal jeans in that pic and a maternity tank. All I did was attach a hair elastic around the button and looped it through the button hole so I might beable to pull off my regular jeans for a while. My MIL taught me that trick. YAY!


jeggink: I'm praying for you and hoping everyone goes well for you and baby. I'll keep you both in my prayers. God Bless!!!

[MarriedaGoalie]

MommyinPA: Here's to hoping it's true for both of us! :)

lauren f s: Aww... yay!! I hope you're right, honey! *crosses fingers*

happy1nuv: Dangit... all ruining my theory and what not. LOL Just kidding. Well so far I'm right with 3 out of 4. Not bad odds. ;)

Tonysweetie: You look great!!! I am going to take a picture with a shirt on as well. I keep meaning to do that!

[kimthebride]

married & tony
Looking good, ladies. :) Nice bumps!

Maternity Shopping
I'm hitting the mall Thursday, will likely just go to Old Navy for some decent deals.

jeggink
Sorry you still aren't feeling so great. Good luck on your tests, I do hope everything turns out well for you.

M/S
Still nauseous as well. I actually really need to go to the dentist, but my gag reflex is too sensitive to have anyone prodding around in there right now! Oh boy...

Spotting & Gender
I had no spotting with DS.

Round Ligament Pain
Every. single. time. Dh sees me go "OH!" and grab my side he freaks out. Lol, our codeword is now simply me saying "icepick" to let him know its just RLP ;).

lauren
OMG that is so cute! DH says hi to my bump, but DS is still too young to get it. We try, but he's not interested.
I can't believe your 20-week is already here. Holy moly did that come FAST!

lil_nance
I might have to agree with you on the emotions. I had to buy DH an anniversary card today, and began crying at the first one I read :rolleyes: . So not like me!

happy1
Oh, that stinks! I hope it passes soon.

Belly Shots
Here are the last 3 weeks:

http://static.flickr.com/103/272233563_2f4de14342_m.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/95/272233567_0ed6a9b13c_m.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/108/272233569_c02b9892b6_m.jpg

[MarriedaGoalie]

kimthebride: YAY!! I'm 4 for 5 now! :)

[wendstress]

I gotta get a belly shot up!

TMI Question - what types of discharge are you ladies seeing? Anyone seeing anything similar to EWCM? I've been seeing quite a bit and don't remember this from PG#1.

[kimthebride]

TMI QOTD: Discharge
I have a good amount of leukorrhea, the heavier egg-whitish discharge many get with pregnancy.
With DS I was swimming in it. it actually stained all my maternity underwear with a yellow tint, even though it didn't appear very yellow itself. (don't you love sharing?! LOL!)
From the research I did on it during my last pregnancy, its nothing to worry about unless it gets a foul odor or strong color (such as streaks of red or turns green and had a bad odor).

My good friend recently said to me that she DTD when she O'd but didn't think she was pg because she still had EWCM - I told her to take a HPT because I figured it was leukorrhea, and she got her BFP the next morning :).

[lauren f s]

TMI QOTD:
I should buy stock in Carefree pantyliners because I have not been without one since I got pg. I didn't have any discharge with Ava, but like Kim, am swimming in it this time.

[MarriedaGoalie]

TMI QOTD: I've had some... not a whole lot, though. I understand what kim is saying about the actual discharge not appearing yellow, but it leaving a yellow stain on my underwear. That has been happening to me lately.

[Tonysweetie]

TMI QOTD: I've had some... not a whole lot, though. I understand what kim is saying about the actual discharge not appearing yellow, but it leaving a yellow stain on my underwear. That has been happening to me lately.

same here

[herewego]

Discharge-yes...lots here. I noticed a few weeks ago, but I know it's normal.

Anyone feeling movement yet?-I have felt a few twinges here and there, but this morning I'm pretty sure that what I was feeling was the baby. I had three muscle spasm type feelings in my abdomen and it was such a neat sensation. It makes this all feel more real!

[myshel]

Discharge: I had a ton with DS and have a ton now. It's caused so much moisture "down there," that I developed a yeast infection in the creases of my legs. Yay me! :rolleyes:

I really need to get a belly shot up too. Hmm... maybe I can get DH to take one now.

Okay, pictures I have. I wanted to give you guys a comparison.

This is 14 weeks with DS #1
http://static.flickr.com/104/272737385_692ba3ebe8_m.jpg

This is 13 weeks with DC #2. I'm pretty sure that there's only one in there, but it looks like more (please ignore any unsightly marks on my body. I'm breaking out like crazy, and I have stretch marks from the first pg.
http://static.flickr.com/99/272736685_499ee1f9af.jpg?v=0

[wendstress]

Discharge - Thanks for the responses ladies....I had a lot with DS#1, but I remember it being thinner. Now, I seem to have a lot of the EWCM type, like when you are O-ing. I am tending to be a little Nervous Nellie here, with my pPROM experience from PG#1....

[Tonysweetie]

myshel: I'm going with another boy, I can sure tell your pregnant! lol You look fantastic though. NIce and round!

[annielynn]

Bellyshots - all of you ladies look so great! Give me a few more weeks and I might build up the courage to post mine. :)

TMI QOTD - I have a lot but it is about the same as with my DS. Annoying yes!!!!

Baby Movement - I haven't felt any yet. I am waiting for them though. I hear that with your second PG you feel them earlier. I cannot wait! :)

Spotting & Gender - I didn't have any spotting with my DS and I haven't had any this time around either. I will not know if this is a boy or girl until April, so I will have to finish this question then.

jeggink - I am thinking about you. I hope that you get some great results from your Amnio on Friday. ((((((HUGS)))))))

happy1nluv - I hope that you cold goes away soon and you can go back feeling great!

Dear Threadmistresses :)
My next Drs appt is Nov 2nd and you can officially put me as a member of the GREEN team. This is going to be a surprise baby like big brother Jack.

[April07Mamas]

UPDATED!

[wendstress]

Finally got Jon to take a belly shot of me last night....

15+3 Days:
http://www.pbase.com/wendym/image/68778467/medium.jpg

Here's me at 14 weeks while I was PG with James:
http://www.pbase.com/wendym/image/38454523/medium.jpg

Still fitting into regular clothes, although some are getting snug. I think I probably have a few weeks left before I have to switch to maternity clothes. With James, I didn't really "pop" until around 20-22 weeks. Seems to me that I'm showing even less this time, though....I remember wearing my early maternity pants starting at around 14-15 weeks last time. Don't need them, yet, though.

[happy1nuv]

Discharge ~ Yes, lots of ewcm type. Totally agree with what kim said...

Bellyshots ~ Hmm, I was terrible at taking them with Nic...and haven't taken a single one for this baby. Must remember to take at least ONE...

I'm a middle child, and a huge proponent for doing for all what you do for one (regarding pics, baby books, etc... ) So, I don't feel too badly about no belly shots, since Nic didn't get any really either... BUT, I have TONS of pics of nic as a baby (and got really jazzy with some of them... like, I put him in a spaghetti pot, a mailbox, etc... I just hope I have enough energy to do the same with this one... ) A big pet peeve of mine is that except for the shots from the hospital, where my sister was not allowed, there are no shots of me by myself...

Movement ~ I've felt a few flutters here and there, but what I get mostly is I'll just feel something (too big for a hand/foot) pushing outwards of my tummy (just enough for my tummy to get hard, not enough to really feel anything else from the outside)... I want to say baby is stretching outwards and its a back/butt... but really no clue. Could also be gas i guess...

So, I'm another that really needs to go to the dentist, but am so NOT. (yeah, dr..can you hold on while i puke...ok, back to it.. NOT gonna happen) ... But, I'm a lil worried...mostly about the effects of m/s on my teeth. I don't remember why I was reading about bulimia in college, but the only thing that stayed with me was the whole teeth/throat issues that prior bulimics faced from all the throwing up... Well, is m/s the same?
:)

[MarriedaGoalie]

annielynn: Yay!! That makes me 5 out of 6! :)

Baby Movement: Yes, I believe I have felt the baby move. It feels like something rolling over inside my stomach. And then sometimes it feels like gas. It's a really cool feeling! I haven't felt any distinct movements yet, though, so I am looking forward to those! :)

[diedra1027]

Movement - Been feeling flutters for a few weeks now. Not all the time mind you, usually just once or twice a day. I seem to feel things more when I'm shifting positions like when I first lay down or sometimes when I stand up quickly.

happy1 - I'm pretty sure that the enamel damage from bulemia takes a while to happen (of course, it probably varies from person to person). Just be sure to wash your mouth out and brush your teeth after you throw up :).
-----
The amnio was yesterday and all went well. The worst part was how behind the doctor was (my 3:15 appointment didn't happen until 4:30!). Before the amnio we had a nice, long u/s. DH and I both think we saw boy parts, but the tech didn't say anything about the gender.

Oh they updated my due date to: April 4, 2007

[lauren f s]

I love all the belly shots! Everyone looks fantastic!

Movement: I feel something a couple of times a day. It's so quick, though, that by the time I notice it, it's gone. I keep telling the baby to kick me hard so I'll know it's him/her, but so far he/she's not listening.

jeggink: You & your family are still in my thoughts & prayers.

[Tonysweetie]

Discharge: Yes, more than I'm used too but nothing that needs a panty liner.

Movement: I did feel a flutter about a week ago but it was probably gas. I haven't felt it since. When should I beable to feel it? I'm getting anxious to know baby is okay.


I'm a little anxious for my Dr. apt. on Monday. I know the Dr. will be looking for the heartbeat so I'm really nervous she won't beable too. Hopefully all will go well. Other than that I'm looking forward to knowing if I've gained any weight yet. I'm overall feeling well, bb's still sore but not bad and I'm still fatigued. I could sleep all day w/o a problem. Well I hope everyone continues to feel better!

[wendstress]

Tonysweetie - around 20 weeks is a pretty good bet that you'll be feeling movement. With PG#1, I felt flutters around week 17-18, but I wasn't positive it was baby movement. There was, however, no doubt that I was feeling movement at 20 weeks.

They say second pregnancies tend to feel movement sooner, and since there are so many RO's on this thread, that's why there's been so much movement talk. I wouldn't worry an ounce if you don't feel anything for 1.5-2 months yet!

[lauren f s]

Tonysweet: I agree w/Wendstress. Around 20 weeks you'll feel it. With my first pregnancy I felt flutters for weeks but didn't trust anything until I felt a good jab. Then one night in bed I felt a hard jab in the belly and it was her. When you really feel it, you'll know :)

I'm so glad I have my apetite back. It's my boss's birthday and we're having cake & ice cream. I didn't want cake, so I'm eating a big bowl of chocolate/vanilla swirl ice cream. Yum!

[Tonysweetie]

[b] I didn't want cake, so I'm eating a big bowl of chocolate/vanilla swirl ice cream. Yum!


YUMMY! Today is my MIL birthday and were having cake and icecream later and I'm sooooo looking forward too it. I've been on a major icing/ice cream kick lately.

[basketcase]

Movement: With my first pregnancy I didn't feel movement until about 21-22 weeks. (Acutally, I may have felt it a little earlier, but I kept attributing it to gas, ;) ) With this pregnancy I'm feeling movement all the time when I'm laying in bed! I could've sworn it was too early to feel movement, but I know this is it! It's too distinctive to be anything else.

TMI QOTD: A little, but nothing to write home about.

Belly shots: You all look fantastic! I haven't taken a belly shot yet (this second-born is already getting jipped!). Must remind myself to do that soon.

Spotting and gender: Had zero spotting with my son. What does that make it now, 6 out of 7, Married? ;)

My latest OB appt. went well. A pretty standard appointment: pee in a cup, take blood pressure, etc. Heard the baby's heartbeat on the doppler!! It was 150. Does anyone know the old wives' tale about gender and heartbeats? I know girls are supposed to have faster heartbeats than boys, but I don't know the actual numbers and what constitutes "fast" or "slow."

My OB also gave me some tips for constipation and a prescription for hemmorhoids (oh yippee!). That was a fun conversation! I lost another two pounds, but she said she isn't concerned about that...yet. Hopefully by next time I'll be eating like a regular person again and will have gained some weight. My next appointment is Nov 14 and I have an ultrasound on Dec 1.

[MarriedaGoalie]

Yep, Femmie! Thanks for keeping up! :) I'm starting to get excited about my new theory. :)

[happy1nuv]

I just talked to my college roommate today... she goes for an ultrasound every two weeks (don't ask) but the tech this week told her she could tell the gender if she was interested... she was. :) She's having a boy. (She's 17 weeks, so a tad early, but the us tech was sure)... She's had a little bit of spotting so far (no red... just brownish spotting). Am I screwing up your theory?

:)

[MarriedaGoalie]

Dangit! Yes, happy1nuv!! I guess I'm 6 for 8 now! :(

[diedra1027]

Does anyone know the old wives' tale about gender and heartbeats?150+ = girl. Under 150 = Boy. Accuracy of this tale = 50% (so same as flipping a coin) :).

She's 17 weeks, so a tad early, but the us tech was sureOne of my books says male genitalia begins forming outward at 8-10 weeks, so by 17 weeks it should be obvious ;).

When you really feel it, you'll knowWhen DD started kicking, I was feeling it for almost a whole week before I figured out what it was :o. She was pointing straight up and down (feet at my cervix), so all the kicks were to my cervix. I totally thought my cervix was having some kind of spasm (felt like an eye twitch). I felt like such a dummy when it finally dawned on me that those were baby kicks!!

[kimthebride]

Movement
Another RO here feeling early movement, every now and again. Last night I sat back and closed my eyes to see if anything was going on, and baby gave me one good wiggle. I love it!
With DS I think I was about 17 actual weeks before feeling the butterfly/bubbles movement. But my FAVORITE movement milestone was at almost 5 months exactly from conception. DH & I were on our babymoon and I just sat on the bed in my pjs...my camisole top didn't quite make it over my bump, and I was looking at my belly when BAM I saw him kick me! Literally, a little lump of baby limb pushed out like he was practicing karate kicks or something in there. It was so cool. This is when DH began really being able to feel him in there.

Boys
I can tell you from experience, when you see a penis on the u/s it is pretty darn clear what it is ;).

Wendstress
You look great! And pretty much the same as last time.

myshel
Hello baby bump! :) Looking great - and its nice to see another RO showing early, lol.

Belly Pics
I'm being pretty good about taking them every week. Most of our family lives out of state from us, and they like pictures so they can see progress.

[happy1nuv]

Oops... I think I gave my friend false hope then. She sooo wanted a girl, so when she told me the u/s tech said boy...I told her that since she was still a lil early that it might change (she gets u/s's every 2 weeks so they'll be peeking again)... aren't boy and girl parts supposed to look similar til later on??? (or am I just a complete moron?) ..eh, I made her day so I guess its not that bad.. (her dh on the other hand, is over the moon about having a boy. He's bragging to one and all that he did that... its almost too funny...)

:)

[MarriedaGoalie]

LOL Well I hope my theory is right for your friend! :)

And yes you're right about the parts being the same until a certain point, but I think it's earlier on than that.

[lauren f s]

Baby Boys:
My sister found out she was having a boy at 15 weeks. We have our u/s next week and I'll be 17 weeks. DH thinks it's too early because I'm not as big as I was with DD when we found out, but I have to remind him I was also 25 weeks when we found out w/her.

Heart Rate Old Wives Tale:
DD's heart rate was always 150+. Every single time. Because of her, I believe it.

DH & I are celebrating our anniversary this weekend :D. MIL is getting DD tomorrow night and keeping her for the weekend. We are leaving Saturday to spend the night in a nice hotel in downtown Dallas. We'll have dinner and probably wander around downtown for the evening. We'll catch a movie on Sunday because this is a luxury we do not get, unless it's to see something animated. I can't wait!

[Tonysweetie]

lauren f s: Have fun!!! Happy Annivesary!

I'm going shopping again today. I'm meeting a friend for lunch and afterwards I think I'll go to the mall and see if I can luck up on any maternity jeans for my trip. Other that no big plans for today. I'm also looking forward to the weekend. I'm going to go watch DH paintball on Sunday so I'm pretty excited! Next weekend I'm REALLY excited b/c I'm going to my first Halloween party. I'm gonig to be a pirate. So I'm really excited!

[lil_nance]

Can someone please inform my body that I'm 14wks and the naseau is supposed to be stopping not starting. :rolleyes: Late last night and this morning were the worst so far. I had DS get me some graham crackers at 12:30am. This morning, I made eggs and couldn't eat more than a bite. Yuck.

The dr. office called and all my bloodwork & u/s are still showing normal so that's good. They are scheduling my BIG U/S for the week after Thanksgiving. Just in time for my mom's b-day on the 30th.

heartrate IIRC DS's heartrate was always over 160

bump vs. fat All the belly pics look so cute. Unfortunately, I'm looking chubby vs. preg. It stinks because I just feel frumpy and dumpy.

movement haven't noticed anything specific yet but I remember it took a while with DS too. Last u/s the baby just wanted to sleep. So I think he/she is saving up energy. DS was dancing all through delivery.

[sunni76]

Belly shots:[/B] You all look fantastic! I haven't taken a belly shot yet (this second-born is already getting jipped!). Must remind myself to do that soon.




LOL I'm in the same boat! We took pics every week with DD #1, and this time I haven't taken any pics yet. Better get on that!

Also, they have changed my due date to 3/31/07! I still like 4/1 though:) I'm really hoping for an April baby since DD was born in March.

[Cohl]

Wow, I haven't been here in forever. I have been feeling pretty crappy lately. I guess I am one of those people who had no ms during the first trimester but feel icky now that I am almost 15 weeks. Talk about a cruel trick. I haven't gained much weight this time around either. I think the total is like 3 punds so far. I know I should be thrilled by this but it worries me a little. I was up by so much more by this time during my pregnancy with my DD.

Anyway, glad everyone seems to be doing well. I am reading along, even if I am not posting often.

I have my next appointment on October 25.. Hopefully we will schedule the big ultrasound then.

Oh yeah, can the threadmistress update my due date to the 14th on the first page? Thanks!

[ali_ohli]

I'm so jealous of these beautiful baby bumbs -- mine's still so small (and seemingly not getting any bigger) that I'm almost starting to worry about it. Then again, it's my first bebe and I'm tall with a lonnnnng torso, so I suppose it's to be expected.

Here I am at 15 weeks:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b340/ohlhoffa/DSCN3374.jpg

Compared to 11 weeks:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b340/ohlhoffa/DSCN3274.jpg

My husband actually had the audacity to tell me I still have a flat stomach. Hmmmph! ;)

Here comes a little TMI... last night I had what can only be described as attack of the burning nipples. Seriously, out of NOWHERE (I was sitting watching TV) my nipples suddenly became so painful that I had to put ice cubes on them. WTF???

ETA: MarriedaGoalie, I forgot to write that I had spotting and bleeding every day for weeks 4-8, and I'm convinced it's a girl. We shall see if your theory proves correct!

[Tonysweetie]

ali_ohli: I can tell your baby bump looks different between 11 weeks and 15 weeks. Don't worry you'll start showing before you know it. I know how you feel though. When I was like 6 weeks I was so looking forward to that cute baby bump. hehe. Speaking of burning nipples, that is so me! Last night mine did the same thing it was like an itchy/burning feeling. It only lasted about an 1/2 of an hour and it went away. So strange.


Speaking of morning sickness making a return I think I'm having it too. Not nearly what I was having in the beginning but every now and then I get a little yuck feeling. I hope it doesn't come back in full swing, that was the pits!

I'm so sad, my wedding ring and ering is getting small on me already. If I get hot or anything my fingers swell way more than usual to the point where they are uncomfy. I think I might have to retire them soon. DH wants to get me a fake set off ebay. How sweet is that? So here I am looking at rings online. Never thought I'd be doing this again. lol.

[Sunshine]

ali_ohli~You look GREAT! Cant wait to see that bump grow!

Tonysweetie~I have been looking at rings on ebay too! I dont think I can have a naked finger for too long:( It would be too sad...

[ali_ohli]

Sunshine and Tony - thank you. :) I'm just getting so sick of people saying "You don't look pregnant AT ALL," like I'm faking it or something. ;)

[juliemag]

Hi everyone! Sorry I've been MIA, I've been traveling the last week for work and therefore was stranded w/out internet access. :eek: In any event, its GREAT to be home.

Gimpy: The first day I was in California I seemed to have strained a muscle in my right food. I ended up on crutches and everything. So I had to bear the brunt of San Francisco hills not only 4 months PG, but also hobbling around on a crutch! I swear this stuff only happens to me! Thankfully though, it's getting better now and I no longer need the crutches.

Growing: I feel like I have grown A LOT in the last week. When I lay down on my back there is an obvious bump in my stomach that sticks out. Kind of exciting!! I go this morning at 9:45 for my 16 week appt. yay!

Everyone's belly shots look great! Its exciting to see the baby bumps :D.

[jeggink]

14w

Had my amnio this morning so we just need to wait now. The fluid was still at the back of the neck, less than it was, but still abnormal. The baby is growing well though, measuring on size. It is very active & HB of 156. I am glad it is over with though. I have been cramping a good amount and I do have to say that needle going in did hurt. I could almost feel it go through my ab muscles. The dr told me that the uterus is still a bit thick at this point so it is harder to get the needle in. But they got more than enough fluid and the baby cooperated.

Spotting & gender Hmm, I had spotting, and it was a boy. But it was not unexplained. I had a subchorionic hematoma and that can cause spotting. I have spotted with each pg and have had a hematoma every single time.

Great belly shots ladies. Right now I am sitting on my couch on bed rest for the day watching TV. It's going to be a boring day!

Have a good weekend!

[Sunshine]

:DI'm 12 weeks today! I'm SOOOOOOOO Excited!!!!!:D

[Tonysweetie]

Sunshine: I hope you find a ring you like, hehe. I found one last night and DH bidded on it and won! YAY! :) I'm excited to get it. It's like getting engaged again, lol.

juliemag: Welcome back! I'm sorry you hurt your foot and had to be on crutches. That had to suck! I hope you continue to feel better.

jeggink: Thinking of you today. When will you get the results?! I'm glad the baby seemed good. That is a great heartbeat! The process sounds painful. I'm glad you did well through it. Hang in there and I'll be praying for you!

[kimthebride]

lil_nance
If its any consolation, my OB said that for many preggos the m/s will peak around this time then quickly taper off. And I've had a few friends say that happened to them. So hopefully for you it is the beginning of the end!

ali
You definitely have a baby bump there! I am also long and used to ;) have a flat tummy. I just looked a little thicker until 16 weeks them BAM popped out overnight. I bet it'll be the same for you.

juliemag
OMG I hope you heal quickly!

jeggink
Glad the test is over for you, and hoping for the best results possible. Glad you checked in.

sunshine
Happy graduation! ;) Its nice, right?

Hello, Mama
So I am officially pregnant according to the masses. Yesterday at the mall 2 cashiers and one random woman all commented on me being preggo with #2. Or as DH put it last night "So they think you look pregnant instead of getting fat now, right?" He's really killing me with charm lately! Lol...

Rings
I swelled out of mine by 4 months last time (they were small to begin with) then my knuckles got bigger and stayed bigger so I had to have them sized bigger. Now I think I may just get a plain silver band and get my ering sized even larger (my wedding band is an eternity ring, and I don't want to mess with the size again til I'm done). I have a couple fake rings, but I don't want to go without either of my real ones again for so long. I'm a bit of a sap, I know....

[happy1nuv]

Rings ~ Last time around, I made a big deal out of NOT being without a ring. But, my rings pretty much fit me all but the last month, and even then I could wear my wedding ring (its a lot skinnier than my ering -- dont know why that made a difference but it did) ...since having Nic, there have been so many times I've left the house without my wedding ring... (sometimes because its too attractive to little hands that want it off my finger, sometimes because its just too much of a pita)

I had my 16 week appt yesterday. I don't usually do night appts there, but the last two I have since I needed someone to either come with me to watch Nic or stay home and watch Nic. Their night appts are soooo behind. My appt was at 5:30, and I didn't get out of their til 7:30...and I was only with the m/w for 15 minutes! Great timing for a preggo that didnt eat dinner yet. I got out of their starving and couldn't even make it home...stopped one exit down and got takeout from chilis (french fries, yum) Everything looks fine - I gained 7 pounds. How on EARTH i did that, I have no clue... but it works for me :) I've gotta make my big u/s appt, but we forgot to plug our phones in and now their dead. Ugh!

[MarriedaGoalie]

The baby was really active today after I ate. It is so cute to feel it moving around down there. :)

[AllyLeigh]

Hello everyone!

Geez, it's been forever and a day since I last posted. I've been super busy with my new job and finishing up things on the house we are building...noone tells you that things get kinda crazy 2 weeks before you close!!! :eek:

I've been feeling pretty good. I only get sick in the mornings about twice a week or so. I don't think it's m/s anymore, I think it's just because of my acid reflux. (I can't take my meds anymore.)

I had my 1st doc appt last week on the 11th. I got to hear the heartbeat!! It was about 150 beats per minute. It was very surreal..I wish I would have brought a recorder so I could listen to it everyday! My doctor is really concerned about my cervix. I had surgery in 2001 for precancer, and it just never grew back the same, I guess. She thinks it might be too short and could make me go into premature labor, so I had to go in for an ultrasound this week to get some measurements. I haven't heard anything back yet. I am hoping no news is good news!!!

The u/s tech was really nice and let me have some pictures, even though she wasn't supposed to! :D So, here is our little one...

http://static.flickr.com/89/274890434_b419128644.jpg?v=0

It's crazy to think that I have a little person growing inside me! I can't wait until I feel him/her move. I'll be so excited!

I hope to be around more...everyone's belly shots look great! I have to take my 13 week one here pretty quick. The weeks are just flying by!!!

Take care everyone! :)

[tinkerbell]

Hi April Mommies-to-Be:

What a week so far. I have been trying to get over my second sinus infection since being pregnant. Julia started getting sick on Saturday night, and before I knew it I was just as sick. I am starting to feel better now, but I feel so guilty having to take medicine.

I am also a little stressed and sad today. I resigned from my job. I was suppose to return in April of this year after my DD was born, but when she became sick with her kidney problems my work extended my leave until October 31st. I met with my bosses last Friday. They told me that I could work what hours I liked, but I would be job sharing. The job sharing was fine, but they made me feel like my job already belonged to the woman who has been filling in for me. Sorry to blab on and on - after a lot of thinking I decided to resign. My job is over an hour plus away with traffic and I would have to work ten hour days (even part-time). Plus my husband is in law enforcement and his hours change all the time. It made no sense for only five months and then to leave again. Thank you for listening. It was hard to tell my bosses, but I know in the end it is better for our family.

Doctors Appt : I had my check up on October 16. The heartbeat was 153. The doctor said that everything looked good. I am a little stressed right now also because I have to find a new OB doctor. My doctors practice has been bought out by Kaiser, and so I will not be able to see him after December. I am hoping that I can find another doctor like him.

Movement : Sometimes I think I am feeling flutters, but I am not sure yet. I am looking forward to the baby kicking me in the stomach :), and knowing for sure that I am feeling him or her!

Belly Shots : Everyone's belly shots look great. It is so exciting when your belly starts to show and you look pregnant to others!

I have not been good about taking pictures this time. I took one picture at the beginning of pregnancy. I really need to start taking more.

Rings: So far my wedding rings are still fitting. Last time they stopped fitting very quickly due to swelling. Once they no longer fit, I wore a gold band that my mom had from her mother. I wore the band until the day I delivered Julia.

Lauren fs: Happy Anniversary! I hope that you have a great weekend away with your husband.

Cohl: I can understand your worry about gaining weight this time. I have only gained four pounds so far, and I worry that the baby is not growing as much as my DD was at this time. With my last pregnancy I swelled very early on due to driving over an hour to work and sitting for long periods of time. I gained a lot of weight quickly. It is strange to me this time not to.

Juliemag: I hope that your foot is feeling better very soon.

jeggink: I will be praying for you that your test results turn out well. Take care of yourself, and get lots of rest.

allyleigh: What a beautiful ultrasound picture of your baby! Its amazing how quickly they begin to grow and change each day.

Next Doctors Appts:

November 1st: 3-D ultrasound

November 13th: Regular monthly check-up

Thank you again for listening to me talk about my job. I think my pregnancy hormones and feelings are making me even more emotional today.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Take Care

Amy

[happy1nuv]

So I made my u/s appt for Nov 15th... and am soooo counting down the days til we find out boy or girl.. ;)

[lil_nance]

Does anyone have suggestions for getting more/better sleep? Ever since getting pregnant, I've been waking up every 2hr or so. Often it takes me at least an hour to fall back asleep. I can't keep this up until April. I'm exhausted. I've been napping when DS does but that means nothing gets done around the house. I've tried a body pillow and a pillow between my knees, doesn't seem to help one way or the other. I'm going to ask my OB about it on Thurs. but thought I'd toss it out to you gals in the mean time.

[Tonysweetie]

Does anyone have suggestions for getting more/better sleep? Ever since getting pregnant, I've been waking up every 2hr or so. Often it takes me at least an hour to fall back asleep. I can't keep this up until April. I'm exhausted. I've been napping when DS does but that means nothing gets done around the house. I've tried a body pillow and a pillow between my knees, doesn't seem to help one way or the other. I'm going to ask my OB about it on Thurs. but thought I'd toss it out to you gals in the mean time.


No, but if you find out please let me know!! Another question I have is I can't seem to be confterable at night far as temperature wise. I turn to A/C as cold as I can get it w/o freezing DH out of the house but I still sweat and burn up. I've graudated from sleeping in shorts and a tshirt to just a tshirt and no covers and i still burn up! Lately I've been keeping the A/C at night to about 68/70 which is COLD for me. Usually it's at 77!!! :eek: lol Is there a way to be more comfterable?

[diedra1027]

Does anyone have suggestions for getting more/better sleep? Ever since getting pregnant, I've been waking up every 2hr or so. Often it takes me at least an hour to fall back asleep. I can't keep this up until April. I'm exhausted. I've been napping when DS does but that means nothing gets done around the house. I've tried a body pillow and a pillow between my knees, doesn't seem to help one way or the other. I'm going to ask my OB about it on Thurs. but thought I'd toss it out to you gals in the mean time.
I don't know how you feel about "taking things", but the materials my OBs office sends home suggests Benadryl for insomnia (as long as you are out of the first trimester). During my first pregnancy, it ended up being a life saver for me. I developed PUPPS and was so uncomfortable that I couldn't sleep, so I finally tried the Benadryl and it worked reasonably well.

[myshel]

Nancy: I can't help you, but I did want to commiserate. I've been sleeping crappily too. I've found that if I sleep in the recliner, I sleep a bit better. That won't solve the problem until April though.

Today, DS, DH, and I are going to go out looking for a dress for me to wear next Saturday. DH is in his best friend's wedding and I need something that will look decent. Hopefully, this won't be too hard. I'm goingto try Motherhood Maternity (as it's the only viable place for me to shop these days... seriously, Iowa can suck sometimes!).

[Tonysweetie]

Nancy: Today, DS, DH, and I are going to go out looking for a dress for me to wear next Saturday. DH is in his best friend's wedding and I need something that will look decent. Hopefully, this won't be too hard. I'm goingto try Motherhood Maternity (as it's the only viable place for me to shop these days... seriously, Iowa can suck sometimes!).

Good luck finding a dress!!!


I'm feeling downright yuck today. I had a headache last night, tried to not take anything (been good about it so far) went to bed thinking I would sleep it off. No such luck. I woke up with it hurting all the way down into my neck. I'm about to break down and take Tylonal. I'm also sick to my stomach today. I drank some orange juice this morning and it made my stomach feeling yucky. DH and I are about to head out to lunch so maybe eating something decent will help. Have a fantastic Sunday everyone!!!

ps. Tomorrow is my 3rd appt. I hope she finds the heartbeat tomorrow! SOOO ANXIOUS!

[wendstress]

Sleeping - try a body pillow. Saved my sanity during PG#1. Allowed me to get my legs and hips comfortable enough to sleep fairly well. Actually planning to get it out tonight, since my quality of sleep has been declining!

Movement - pretty sure I'm feeling movement now. I've felt little flutters for a couple of weeks now, but nothing that I couldn't just pass off as gas pains. Yesterday and today I've felt some gentle kicks. Nice to know Baby is growing!

[lil_nance]

After complaining, I ended up sleeping fairly well last night. Maybe I just need to gripe to you gals every night. LOL. Anyhow, I wore lighter weight pj's and added a blanket. I like the weight of a bunch of blankets. I slept for 4-5hr before waking up. Heaven.
My spidey smell has kicked into overdrive. BBs have been a bit tender too. I feel like all my 1st tri. symptoms are racing to catch up now.
I met someone in my moms group that's due in March. She just found out she's having another boy. I can't wait until the end of Nov. to find out what we're having.
Hope you all had a good weekend.

[MarriedaGoalie]

I still can't decide if we want to find out what we're having or not.... one day I want to know and the other day I don't want to know!!! AHH!! :eek:

[lil_nance]

Married If you're not sure, I'd go for the surprise. If you change your mind last minute, the info will be on your chart so the dr. can let you know any time. DS was a surprise and I'm glad we did it that way. Although, DH was so shocked that he and the dr. forgot to tell me what it was. I'm lying there on the bed saying "And it's a....?" LOL

[kimthebride]

Finding Out
ITA with lil_nance. If you aren't sure, then wait. If you want to know, its in your chart. If not, then you WILL find out everntually ;).
I have to find out. Its driving me nuts...I am soooo impatient, and since I think it'll mean I can ditch all the blue and start buying pink it is adding to my impatience!!

Sleep
I love my Snoogle, since I can use it in so many different positions.
I also stop drinking water after 8pm, so I pee less often thruthe night (I can even make it til 6 or 7am if I do that).
I keep the room not too cool or warm, but wear layered pjs (pants, shelf-bra cami to keep the BABs contained and a light long-sleeved too) and lay under layered bedding (sheet & 2 blankets). This way I can easily adjust my temp thru the night if I need to. Oh, and I eat a very small, bland something before bed. Like a packet of Quaker grits or a few Wheat Thins.

Dress Shopping
I was going to suggest eBay but you don't have enough time. I got a silk formal dress for about $15 new with tags during my 1st pregnancy. I never wore it (fickle pregnancy tastes!), so I am actually looking for a preggo to send it to for free who is in need of wedding-wear.
Anyone has something come up, its I think a size 10/L black, white & silver floral silk sleeveless ankle-lenth lightweight dress. More empire style & flowy. Not something that would fit anyone petite/short.

Tinkerbell
That is a tough decision and something that weighs on your mind. I hope it went over well, and that you enjoy being a full-time SAHM!

AllyLeigh
Hello, cute profile! :) I hope the tests about your cervix come back with good news. I know there is a stitch they can do for incompetent cervixes that are pretty successful in helping prevent premature labor (I am at a loss for the name of it). Maybe something like that can help?

M/S: Can I Please Get A Collective Knocking-On-Wood?
I have spent the last SEVEN days feeling pretty well. On my meds as usual, a little normal-nausea here and there, but for the most part (except a very bad night Thursday) I have feel soooo good! :D I really hope it lasts, and I can't tell you how teary-eyed happy I am that I have been feeling actual hunger and been able to function pretty much all day every day like a normal human being.

[juliemag]

I just scheduled my Level II gender u/s for this Wednesday! :eek: I thought for sure it would be another couple of weeks, but they would like to see me this week. I'm soooo excited. I'm really hoping DH will be able to come on such short notice.

Threadmistress can you please update my following appts?
October 25th - Level II gender ultrasound
November 16th - regular appt

Here is my 16 week belly shot. I think I've definitely popped out over the last 2 weeks.
http://pics.livejournal.com/juliemag/pic/0007r2sp/s640x480

Good news about my foot, it's feeling MUCH better as of yesterday. Thanks for all the well-wishes. :)

Sleep. I haven't been able to sleep much at all over the last few days. It's really starting to bug me. A friend suggested to take tylenol PM, so I might try that.

Movement. I've been feeling tiny "swishes" every now and then. No hard jabs yet, but I'm sure there's pleeennnnty of time for that!

[Tonysweetie]

Just got back from the doctor. Everything sounded great! Yep, we heard the heartbeat on the doppler and it was BEAUTIFUL! She said it sounded between 140 and 150 BPM. She was pleased! I'm so excited and soooo relieved! Great news, BIG U/S in 2 weeks! I thought it seemed a bit early but that is what she wanted. So November 6th is the the BIG ONE. Me and DH are beyond excited! I also have my next. apt. on November 20th. Tomorrow I have to go get more blood work done. EWWW! It's the quad test for down syndrome so I'm a little nervous about it. Well that is about all. So Threadmistress my dates are...

BIG U/S November 6th
Regular Check up November 20th


Kimthebride: I'm so happy to hear your feeling better! I hope it continues for you!!!

juliemag: You look fantastic. I'm going to go ahead and guess girl for you.

Married: Good luck making your decision. I have no doubt in mind I want to know!!!!

[lauren f s]

Juliemag: You look wonderful!

Kim: I'm soooo glad you're feeling better! I hope this feeling is here to stay so you can start to enjoy your pregnancy!

Married: Good luck trying to decide. I would be okay with this being a surprise (mostly b/c I'm sure it's a boy), but DH insists we find out. I figure either way you find out, it's still a nice surprise.

Dresses
Try Motherhood. It's the only place near me that sells a wide variety of maternity clothes (unless I want to drive an hour to the few stores that have Gap or Old Navy maternity). I went shopping Friday and got this dress:
http://www.motherhood.com/Images/Products/4071.jpg
I wore it Saturday for my anniversary with strappy heels and a pretty necklace and it was very dressy. I'm wearing it to work today with some boots and it's nice & casual. And - I look very pregnant in it! I got several nice things at Motherhood, actually.

Sleep
It varies for me. I'm usually up twice a night, which doesn't bother me too much. Occasionally it's every 2 hours and then I'm a zombie at work, though. No suggestions, though I've been very tempted a few times to take one of my m/s pills b/c they cause extreme drowsiness.

We have our BIG u/s on Wednesday!! I am dying for it to get here! My appt is at 8 am, thank goodness! I'm 98% sure it's a boy. I need to take a belly shot, but my belly looks completely different this time around than when I was pg with Ava. We'll see....

[michael'sbride]

lauren f s I had Puppps with my second pregancy. It was AWFUL. I'm so hoping that I don't get it again with this one.

[herewego]

Hey Ladies-

Looks and sounds like most everyone is doing well! I can't believe our little group is already to the point where we will be finding out sex in the next few weeks! Crazy! We don't find out until Nov. 9th. I will be 20 weeks by then. Our doc wanted to wait a little bit longer so that the anatomy will be more developed and we will be able to tell even more thoroughly that things are developing normally. I'm on pins and needles waiting for that appointment!

Good news this morning: My AFP Results Came Back Normal! I'm so relieved. I have been anxiously waiting for 10 days for the results.

Still continuing to feel the baby move which is awesome. Sometimes I can feel movement very distinctly and other days, not so much. It usually corresponds with when I eat-like baby is getting a jolt from all the new calories or something. It's such a neat feeling.

Went shopping this weekend finally and picked up three pairs of jeans from the Gap. Found a great normal jersey dress from Banana as well as an umpire waisted shirt that both show off belly well. I'm so happy to finally have some jeans to wear-getting dressed is becoming very frustrating!

Anyway, hope everyone has a great week.

[happy1nuv]

Wow... I thought I'd be one of the first to get my big u/s but I'm not even close...it's scheduled for Nov 15th. I sooo can't wait to find out girl or boy this time around...ugh. I asked my mw when we'd have the best odds of finding out, and she said it was better to make it at 20 weeks than 18 (they don't care when you go as long as you go in the 18-20 week range). AND... don't be so sure they'll put the gender in your chart. I had a weak moment last time around and asked the mw's if THEY knew what I was having...they had no clue... no snapshots that they could tell from, and it wasn't in the report they were sent...

Kim... You really found a good dress on ebay? I looked there and couldn't find ANYTHING (well, anything under $100.00)!! I have a wedding to go to Thanksgiving weekend.. I was going to make a dress but time is ticking away, and I can't find the energy to clean my house let alone make a dress... Maybe I should look again...

Sleep ~ My problem with sleep is not being comfortable enough... it's that I have a 17 month old who STILL does not sleep through the night. Girls...read up on baby sleep now -- I'm not sure we could have done anything differently that would have changed his sleep patterns, but I'm brushing up on baby sleep habits BEFORE baby is born...

[lil_nance]

since I think it'll mean I can ditch all the blue and start buying pink it is adding to my impatience!!
Kim I'm right there with you. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a girl too. And on that note, we have the BIG U/S scheduled for Nov. 29. I'll be 20wk.

Nuchal U/S & bloodwork Forgot to mention that my results came back good. The nurse called while I was napping and I was kind of zombied when talking to her.

Sleep Well now that I complained about it the last 2 nights have been pretty good. I do think limitting the liquids late and having a little snack like Kim suggested helps.

M/S My gag reflex has been active this week. So far wk 9 and this wk are the worst. Don't remember this issue with DS.

Movement I think I felt something today. I didn't expect to this early so I'm a bit skeptical.

juliemag Cute bellyshot.

[happy1nuv]

Snack before bed: I've been eating a handful of cashews before bed. My mws suggested them (well, they said nuts) since they're full of good fats -- they'll help you feel like there's something in your tummy longer. So far, its been working...but I still have crackers on my nightstand for first thing in the morning...

:)

[Sunshine]

I think my info got missed awhile back...

New Due Date~May 4th
Next Appointment~November 10th
Next u/s~Dec 8

THANKS!

[juliemag]

The nurse from my doctor's office called, my AFP tests were negative! YAY!

[Tonysweetie]

Here is my 14 week belly shot and a bare belly, I'm getting brave! :eek:


http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f184/Tonysweetie/DSCN5419.jpg

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f184/Tonysweetie/DSCN5421.jpg

compared to 13 weeks

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f184/Tonysweetie/13weeks2ndtri.jpg

We find out the sex in less than 2 weeks (November 6th) any guesses???

[lauren f s]

juliemag: I'm so glad you got good results!!

Tonysweetie: You look fantastic!

My work orders out for lunch every day and I went with another co-worker to do today's pickup. We were waiting for everything to be gathered up and a random waitress came up and rubbed my belly! Then she asked how far along I was and I told her and she literally gasped and said "But you're so big!" I was so offended! First, why is some random girl rubbing my stomach?! I went my whole pregnancy with DD with nobody but DH touching my belly and now I've got all these strangers rubbing on me. And how dare she comment on the size of my belly! Yes, it's big. It's my 2nd child and my belly "popped" over the weekend. I was nice and just told her this was my 2nd baby, so my belly was going to be bigger, faster. And besides, I think I look fabulous ;).

[juliemag]

Tonysweetie - it's a BOY. :)

Lauren (GASP!) - I can't believe someone said that to you?! I think I might've stood there a bit in shock if someone said that to me. I'm not liking it when people lean in to touch my stomach. It's always been the least favorite part of my body and it's hard to shake that. Plus, it's just odd if I dont know the person.

[kimthebride]

I'm sorry lauren, but I am LMAO that some random waitress was rubbing your belly! You should have said "umm...what are you doing? No, I'm not pregnant." Maybe you could have had your lunch for free. ;) I made it through my 1st pregnancy with no strangers rubbing me, only people who knew me and asked first, or close family/friends who I know have no boundaries (and that didn't bother me, because it was cutely, usually with some baby-talk straight to the bump).

My close friends are already rubbing my bump, but pretty much all of them are moms and miss their own bumps, thinking of when to time a baby #2.

Belly Boundaries
I was so in awe of DS moving around in there when I was in my last trimester, that I would take people's hands to feel him kick or show them where each body part is. My FIL is pretty conservative, never felt my SILs belly with either of her 2 kids...but he is so enamored by kids, so I broke his boundaries. ;) He was a bit shell-shocked the 1st time I made him feel DS in there but after the initial freakout over touching his DIL's belly, he had the BIGGEST smile on his face. It was so cute.

Yay Julie & herewego!

tonysweetie I made my gender call in the belly shots thread....we'll see soon, won't we?

Nuts
Good idea, happy. May try it...I think I could eat a few nuts.
Oh, and I think I still have your email address...any interest in seeing my dress? I'm looking to give it to someone who can use it.

lil_nance
Any belly pics so we can make a gender guess? I just love that the 2 of us with boys have 1-day-apart due dates and are both crossing fingers for girls. And BTW I still laugh at times at your username when I think of how you got it. ;)

[MarriedaGoalie]

I'm kinda thinking I want to know because at least if I find out now, then I can stop dreaming of buying little girl stuff. There is no need to torture myself for the next 5 months if it's a boy, right? ;)

I feel so behind... everyone is getting their test results back and I haven't even done mine yet... and won't for another couple of weeks. Plus, everyone already has their big u/s scheduled and I don't!! :( Why am I so behind?

[Tonysweetie]

Thanks ladies! I'm hoping your right on it being a boy! DH is sooo hoping for a boy. hehe. We'll see very soon. Lets just hope he or she has their legs wide open and isn't hiding the goods. :D


Married: You'll make the right decision, just talk it over with DH. I hear ya on being behind. I was feeling that way too until I went to my apt. yesterday. When is your next one?

Excercise: Is anyone else still/starting excercising? I am, I was walking with my Mom 3 days a week pre pregancy and going to the gym about 2 days a week. I quite the gym but I'm still walking. Anyone else? It's very difficult somedays but I'm trying!

[SarahKatG]

Well, we found out what we're having today and it's a


GIRL!!


Our "big" ultrasound isn't for a few more weeks but we bought a 3d package that came with two visits, including one early one for gender determination. The tech was quite confident that we're having a girl and I also had that other appointment 3 weeks ago where the doc guessed girl. Here are a few pics:

Stretching out
http://pics.livejournal.com/sarahkatn/pic/00015wxr

The girl parts
http://pics.livejournal.com/sarahkatn/pic/00014c4q

3d shot
http://pics.livejournal.com/sarahkatn/pic/00013qp3

Now we can really start thinking names! We're very excited for DD to have a little sister :)

[Tonysweetie]

Sarah: Congratulations of your baby girl!!!! How exciting!!! Beautiful pictures btw.

Juliemag: Good luck today finding out what your little one is!!! I'll be checking to see what you post. So excited for you! :)


I'm up early today. I slept sosoooooo good last night! I went to bed at 10:30 with DH. I never go to bed that early. Usually it's past midnight at least. I was just bored and thought what the heck. So I feel asleep right away which is unusual for me. I slept all night except to get up twice to use the bathroom. I got up a little before 7. I wish I could do this everyday. It's probably a fluke, lol. I'm like the most of you just not sleeping well. I'm going to try this from now on and see if it works. Well off to eat breakfast and warm up it's COLD!

[juliemag]

Sarah - awww, congrats on your little girl!! So sweet.

Tonysweetie - thanks so much for the well-wishes! I am SO excited. I dont think I'll be able to concentrate today!! :D

Married - do you know what kinds of tests your dr is going to run? I had the AFP, which is done at 16 weeks. So that's why I got mine back so early.

Yea so today's the day! I'll make sure to come back tonight and post the news!!

[MarriedaGoalie]

Tonysweetie: My next appointment isn't until November 6th and then they will schedule my ultrasound from there I suppose.

SarahKatG: Congratulations on your baby girl!!!! How exciting!! :)

juliemag: Umm, I think they are going to run the quad screen (or whatever it is called). The one they test for down syndrome.

How exciting that you get to find out today!! I'm so jealous!! :)

[basketcase]

ACK!! I can't believe people in our group are already finding out the gender! Time sure is flying by! Congrats on your girl, SarahKatG!! Those pictures are awesome!

And good luck, juliemag!! I can't wait to read your news!

Lauren, don't you find out today, too? Big day for the April mommies!

Tonysweetie: Great belly shot! I'm guessing boy, definitely boy!

Married: don't feel bad, I haven't had any tests done yet either. And I only just scheduled my u/s for Dec 1. Some practices just wait longer than others (like mine).

Exercise: NONE! Unless you count chasing after a rambunctious two-year old boy all day. (Actually, I think that DOES count!!)

I can't remember what else I wanted to say. Why does that always happen?? By the time I get in here and get up to date, I forget all the things I had lined up to write! D'oh!

[lauren f s]

Sarah: Congrats on the girl!!!

I'm back from my appt and we are having a little boy!!!!

I was a little worried b/c a girl went ahead of us for her u/s and she was also 17 weeks and they couldn't tell her what she was having. Not our little boy. As soon as she touched my stomach the first thing we saw was a shot between his legs. Not modest at all ;). I'm a little upset we didn't get any pictures, just a disk. My computer at work doesn't have a disk drive, so I'll have to wait until I'm home to upload them.

Everything with the baby looks perfect. I'm measuring 17wks 5 days, so that would put my due date at March 30. I knew that's when it would be, too. Dr. should have listened to me ;). Baby weighs 7 oz, can't remember how long he is, though.

We talked about testing with my dr and decided against it. From how he described the test for Downs Syndrome, it's only 60% accurate and we didn't feel that was very high, esp. if we get worked up about something and it's nothing. And cystic fibrosis doesn't run in our families, so we opted not to do that. Overall we just decided that whatever the test were to reveal, we wouldn't do anything to end the pregnancy. If there is something wrong with the baby, we'll deal with that when he's born.

Oh, and I have a bladder infection. I didn't even realize it, but I was given a prescription for antibiotics to take for a week.

[Tonysweetie]

lauren f s: Congratulations on your baby boy! WHOO HOO! I'm glad you were able to see the goods. Sorry about the bladder infection. That's the pits! I hope the antibotics clears it up in no time. :)

[juliemag]

Yay congrats on a little boy lauren!! How exciting.

OMG... Only 2 hours till we find out!! :eek:

[Sunshine]

WOW! So many Mommies finding out already! SO EXCITING!!!!

SarahKatG~CONGRATULATIONS on your little girl! How EXCITING!

lauren f s~CONGRATULATIONS on your little boy!!!! Sorry about the bladder infection:(

juliemag~I cant wait to find out what you are having!

[April07Mamas]

Updated to here!

[happy1nuv]

Sarah ~ Congrats on your little girl!

lauren ~ Congrats on your little boy!!

Kim... I emailed ya...

[lauren f s]

I have u/s pictures :D. I'm a little upset, because the shot between the legs is fuzzy & you can't see anything well, but it's the best the tech could get. It's funny, when she was just looking around, his legs were wide open the whole time. As soon as she got ready to capture a few pictures, those legs were squeezed together real quick. :rolleyes: Here's what we've got:

Fuzzy, between the legs:
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h141/lauren_ballew/james.jpg

Hands:
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h141/lauren_ballew/jameshands.jpg

Profile:
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h141/lauren_ballew/jamesprofile.jpg

(My last name is on here, but I'm too lazy to blur it out, so please don't stalk us!)

[kimthebride]

lauren
Congrats on your boy!
And don't worry, most of us are WAY too tired to stalk you. ;)

sarah
Congrats on your girl!

julie
Weeeeeeeee're waaaaaaitinnnnnggggg...

Exercise
Hee hee haaaaa HOOOOO ha ha ha h aha ha....ohhhh...that's a good one. :D
No, I am not exercising.
I actually signed up for a gym membership about 3 weeks before getting pg. Went 2x, DS freaked out in daycare, then got too sick to go. GREAT investment. :rolleyes:

Other Tests
My OB is high risk so runs a ton of stuff but I said don't bother telling me unless there's anything to be concerned about or test further on. He was fine with that. I mean, everything looks good (I get regular and 3D u/s at each appointment, BP, urine, & heartrate) and the Nuchal was perfect so since I am still dealing with feeling like crap I don't have the evergy to dwell on anything else at the moment.
Except for wanting to know the sex. ;) I may be dwelling on that just a *tad*.
thinkpinkthinkpinkthinkpinkthinkpinkthinkpinkthink pinkthinkpinkthinkpinkthinkpinkthinkpinkthinkpinkt hinkpink
Okay, maybe more than a tad....

[Sunshine]

kimthebride~My OB is high risk too so he seems to do or want to do more tests than most other women around here just going to the maternity clinic. I feel very lucky that my family doctor referred me to him tho as he is only a referral doctor. He seems to be a GREAT doc so far:D
When do you get to find out the sex? I hope its a girl!

[Tonysweetie]

Kimthebride: Sending you (((girlie vibes)))! lol.


Lauren: Waiting impatiently over here! lol. I'm still sticking with girl. I'm never good at this though.

[kimthebride]

When do you get to find out the sex? I hope its a girl!
Tuesday November 28th. :)
I love having a high-risk too, though he considers me a baby since when I was pg with DS I was only 28/29 years old.

[myshel]

Congrats, Lauren,on your little guy! How exciting is that?!

Update on me: Things have been moving along okay. I was this way with DS too. I had the most normal, uneventful pg ever. My OB said I was textbook except for the induction part. ;)

I'm looking round which is fun, yet crazy because I'm running out of ideas for outfits. I did find a dress at Motherhood, so that's off my to-do list.

The only semi-annoying thing going on right now is the fact that I'm not very comfortable at school. The kids are giving presentations, and I usually sit in student desks when they do, but it's killing me! I'm also not loving my stool that I sit on in the front of the room either. UGH!

[juliemag]

LOL sorry for the delay everyone! You know how it is... gotta tell everyone IRL, then go buy the first outfit, then have a celebratory dinner... PHEW! All in a days work. ;)

Oh wait... the gender, silly me. :p

We are having a....









Lil' BOY!!!

Yes that's right... a perfect little boy. We were able to video tape the entire u/s. It was just incredible to see all the itty bitty parts of our baby perfectly formed. DH was just elated to get to finally see it all on screen. Little hands, little feet, the brain, arms, legs, the heart. I'm uploading the video now to share with friends and family.

When I get to work tomorrow I'll scan the u/s photos and show ya'll the goods.

Take care everyone and have a nice evening!

[lil_nance]

SarahKatG Congrats on your girl. Send me some of that pink baby dust will ya.
lauren & juliemag Congrats on your boys! Have to say little boys keep you busy but aw when they smile and give you a hug, they just melt your heart.

Tonysweetie That's one cute bump you've got going.
Bellyshots I took one bellyshot at 12wk. I just look chubby and it shows all my icky stretch marks so don't think I'll be posting that one. I need to get DH to take another. Can't believe I'm already 15wk. I'm lazy and have pjs on already so it will have to wait until tomorrow.

Exercise Chasing DS is plenty of exercise for me.

This past week has been hard. More nausea. Wish it would go away. I have an appointment first thing tomorrow so I'll be back to update after that.

[basketcase]

Lauren and juliemag ~ CONGRATS on your little BOYS!!! Boys are so much fun!! It's going to be a blast! Lauren, I can't believe your intuition was so dead-on. I wish I had your instincts! I'm pretty clueless when it comes to these things...

[wendstress]

I can't believe we're already starting to find out what we're having! My U/S isn't for 3 more weeks... I don't have a clue! I'm all for predictions, since I'm terrible at this! Here was my 15 week belly shot: http://www.pbase.com/wendym/image/68778467/large.jpg
I've popped a little more since then, but I still don't *look* PG. I definitely showed earlier with James.... And my skin is still a wreck - last time it was gorgeous!

SarahKatG Congrats on your girl!

lauren & juliemag Congrats on your boys! Ditto on the heart-melting part! Boys are great!

Nothing new to report here.... Still don't feel overly PG, except for the whole "exhausted all the time" thing. I've been blessed this time with a really easy PG!

A fun video for you all to enjoy of James - be sure the volume is on!
http://www.dropshots.com/photos/96663/20061020/202500.jpg (http://www.dropshots.com/videolink.php?userid=96663&cdate=20061020&ctime=202500&showVideo=1)

[Tonysweetie]

Congratulations on your baby boy Juliemag! How exciting! I was so sure you were having a girl, lol. See I'm always wrong! That is just way too exciting!

I went out with my Mom and a few friends earlier and I got 2 pairs of maternity pants at Target. I got a pair of jeans and a pair of green cargo pants. I got a good deal. Got both for about 40 bucks! YEA! I was pretty excited! :)

[SarahKatG]

Thanks for the congrats guys!

Pink dust to kimthebride, lil_nance, and everyone else hoping for girls!

lauren & juliemag, congratulations on your boys!!

[juliemag]

Thanks for the congrats everyone!! I'm back with the u/s pictures... we got some pretty good ones I think. :)

Side profile
http://pics.livejournal.com/juliemag/pic/0007yz1e/s640x480

Skeletor - you can actually see the iris of his eye in this picture... sooo cool!
http://pics.livejournal.com/juliemag/pic/0007zpsg/s640x480

Foot & Hand
http://pics.livejournal.com/juliemag/pic/0007wg29/s640x480
http://pics.livejournal.com/juliemag/pic/0007x799/s640x480

And finally, the boy parts. I dont think there's any mistaking this one.
http://pics.livejournal.com/juliemag/pic/0007s8p6/s640x480

[mili04]

I haven't been around a lot lately, but I just had to pop in and say congratulations on your GIRL to SarahKatG and your BOYS to lauren and juliemag!! How exciting!

My big U/S is scheduled for Nov. 10. I'm super excited because DH and I are also celebrating our anniversary that weekend. I have a couple of belly shots - I'll try to post them before the big day so ya'll can make some guesses.

[lil_nance]

Appt. this morning went well. Heartbeat in the 150s. Next appt. 11/27 just 2 days before the big u/s. Asked the dr. about feeling depressed. She said the 2nd preg. is often harder. People don't give you as much of a break because it's not "new". And of course a toddler gives you no break what so ever. So most moms are often more exhausted and moody the 2nd time around. Good to know I'm normal. :rolleyes:

[Sunshine]

juliemag~CONGRATULATIONS on your little boy:D

[lauren f s]

Julie: Congrats on the boy!!!!

lil_nance: I think what your dr said is so true. It's so hard to be pregnant and have to chase around a toddler, too. Sometimes I feel like I'm not able to enjoy this pregnancy as much or focus on it like I did with my first because I'm so busy & consumed with DD.

Thanks for the congrats on our little man! DH is thrilled, of course. What is it with men learning they're having a son? It's cute :). I only wish DD was as excited. We picked her up from preschool & told her she was having a baby brother and she said "No Mommy, I'm having a sister." I kept trying to explain she was having a brother but all she'd say is either "I want a sister" or "I'm having Claire" (our girl name). Poor thing! She'll get it eventually.

[MarriedaGoalie]

Hey everyone! Congratulations to everyone finding out the sex of their babies. I'm so far behind... :(

Question... is anyone else having problems with yeast infections? I've been having the symptoms of one for the past week (I believe... I've never had one before). Tuesday night I finally called my neighbor (she's a pharmacist) and she said that I could take some Monistat, which I've been doing for the past couple of days. It's not gone yet, but it's getting better... just wondering if anyone else had similar "issues"?

[lauren f s]

Married: I had a yeast infection about a month ago. My dr said to use DD's diaper rash cream, which seemed a little weird to me but worked. I also bought some Vagisil medicated wipes that took away any itching. They were pricey - $5 for 12, but helped.

[kimthebride]

myshel
Can't you get a rolling office-type chair to use so you aren't so uncomfortable? I mean....it won't be too long before that bump makes it impossible to fit in a kid's desk, lol!

juliemag
Congrats! I loooove being a mom to a little boy. Those pics came out really well.

wendstress
I *live* for when Thomas laughs like that. James had me smiling ear to ear!

mili
Oh, how exciting! We saw DS via u/s for the 1st time on our 1st anniversary, and it made it even more special. :)

lil_nance
I was wondering about that too, but I'm more cranky than depressed. I've been frustrated that my nausea & headaches & general exhaustion make it so hard to care for DS. I know its bad when DH tells DS during bathtime "make sure to be a good boy and STTN, because mommy's scary tonight and needs some sleep" :p .

Help
I had to ask for help.
I don't know how many of you have checked out the thread I started on hyperemesis & severe m/s, but I have had a rough pregnancy so far, beginning the day I got my BFP. I know a nanny who sits for a few of my friend's kids and nannied f/t for another when she used to work.
Well, she helped me out about 5-6 times when I was really bad, and I just hired her to help me 1 full day or 2 half days a week. I feel like DS isn't getting the interaction & exercise he needs because I just can't get myself to the park more than once every 1 or 2 weeks. This way, she can get him to the park and play with other kids. She's very active with him, and he LOVES her.
Also, a realtor is coming Saturday to sign the docs and put our condo on the market. So we'll be doing showings and once we get some interest, we need to go look at houses. So I need to be able to keep the place really clean...which will take a minor miracle, but if I have 4 free hours 1-2x a week I may actually accomplish neatness!
I never thought I'd be a SAHM who has a nanny, but I guess we have to be open to ask for help when we need it, right?

[Tonysweetie]

Kimthebride: I say go for it. You deserve a few hours a week to get things done or just have time for yourself. Hey I've thought about hiring a cleaning lady a few times but DH won't go for it and I'm a SAHW, lol.

[happy1nuv]

Kim ~ You're not a sahm with a nanny... you're a sahPREGNANTm with a nanny. HUGE difference! And... believe me, if I could, we'd have a cleaning lady! (DH is actually more on board with it than I am, but I'm one of those who would clean house the day before she comes anyway)... Good luck with showings...

Julie ~ Congrats on the boy :)

Ok... so last time, I was so paranoid that I wouldn't say out loud that I really wanted a girl (can't imagine NOT having Nic now...but...) - I was so afraid to jinx it... (but, I am such a girly girl that everyone KNEW thats what I was hoping for, so I didn't really HAVE to say it out loud). This time, i REALLY want a girl!!! I'll have to take and post some belly shots so I can get some guesses :)

lil_nance ~ THat so makes sense about pg#2...

wendstress ~ How adorable! Nic plays like that with our dog too... I HAVE to capture it on video one of these days (well, they play like that til the dog has had enough and tries to get away with one of Nic's toys... so then Nic gets to give the dog a treat...one of his all time FAVORITE things to do these days...)

[AllyLeigh]

Congrats everyone on finding out what they are having! I'm sooo jealous! :D I won't be finding out until I'm about 20 weeks. :(

Been feeling pretty good lately, expect for getting sick in the mornings because my stomach is too empty. (One of the fun things I've always had to deal with because of my acid reflux...it just seems to be much worse now that I'm preggo.)

I have to go to a specialist next week for my whole cervix fiasco. I guess a normal measurement is 4 and I'm at a 2.5. :eek: I am hoping they will say to put a stitch in so I can stop worrying about it!

I am moving into my house this weekend...fun times trying to pack and organize while having major mood swings. I am looking forward to settling in and beginning to plan for baby (finally!)

QOTD: Has anyone had really bad charlyhorses??? OMG I'm starting to get them really bad. Any suggestions on what I can do to make them not happen?

Congrats again to everyone who has found out! I'm so happy for you! :D

[basketcase]

Kim~ DO NOT feel weird about needing a nanny. I really wish I had hired one earlier in the pregnancy when my m/s was at its most debilitating stage. I definitely will next time around (wait, didn't I swear I was stopping at 2??? ;) ). It's not like you are hiring a nanny so you can go play tennis, or lunch with the ladies at the club. It's for your health, fercryingoutloud! I see it as a total necessity, one that will totally benefit your son and you. Good for you!

AllyLeigh ~ I used to wake up in the middle of the night with charley horses last pregnancy. Funny I never get them except during pregnancy! I know it sounds weird, but eating Tums would really help. It's totally safe and the extra calcuim is good for you!

[wendstress]

Charley Horses - I had several during PG#1 and they were brutal - I always had them while I was sleeping. What helped was stretching out my legs well before bedtime, and trying not to move to suddenly or stretch too far when I was half asleep. Easier said than done, but it helped a lot. Just work on stretching a whole lot and that should help!

Yeast Infections - Yes, I had one right at the start of PG. Probably went on for 3 weeks before calling the nurse to figure out what was going on. She said Monistat was fine to use, so I did. Cleared it up quickly and I've been fine since. Apparently with the hormone shifts, getting a yeast infection while your PG can be pretty normal.

Kim - My husband is a SAHD/grad student. We take James to the drop-in day care center at our YMCA for 2 hours/day, 4 days per week. Gives DH a much needed breather. I say GO FOR IT! I think us women tend to be bull-headed and think we can do everything ourselves....when we actually realize we can't (and we can't!) it is important to try to fix the situation.

House Cleaning - started with a cleaning service 2/month back in May. It has been a GODSEND! Pricey, but won't ever go back!

Happy - I hear you! I want a girl, too. But, really, would we send boys back? There is something neat about a little boy having a little brother! There's always #3.....

Ally - My SIL had an incompetent cervix for her second child. They put in the cerclage, and her pregnancy went very well. Good luck to you!

[kimthebride]

Thanks for your support ladies. I just remember beiong one of those people who'd see all these SAHMs around the city who have nannies with them and be like WTF? Why do they need a nanny? Uhh...now I get it! :o



I at times got Charley Horses with DS, but it was mostly in my sleep. Which funny enough used to happen when I went thru my growth spurts as a kid. I guess pregnancy is a growth spurt of sorts!

What I had a ton of with DS and am starting to get now again, is Restless Legs. OMG I can't stand it! Its when you start to get tired and your legs feel all creepy-crawly and can't stop moving. Scatching, rubbing nothing helps but to go to sleep. So annoying.

happy
You can admit you want a girl. I've already done FOUR Chinese gender prediction calendars since getting my BFP and so far they all say girl. Obsess much? :D

[lauren f s]

Charley Horses
I haven't had any this time around, but had one near the end of my pregnancy with DD. It woke me and DH up during the night (I was screaming) and he thought I was in labor :o .

Help
If I could DH into it, I'd love to have someone help clean. As it is, I do a big cleaning job on the weekends and just pick up little stuff during the week. If I were a SAHM I'd have insisted on some help, esp in the beginging when I was so sick. I don't blame you girls who have help at all, I'd do it too!

Happy: I desperately wanted a girl with DD and was terrfied to have the u/s because if it was a boy, I knew I'd have been upset. I didn't say anything to anyone until recently, though, because I was embarassed to admit it. Nothing wrong with wanting either gender. Doesn't mean you'll love your baby any less if it's not what you were hoping for!

Kim: I have restless legs soooo bad! Some nights I'm in bed by 8:30 because it's the only way to get the feeling to go away!

[Tonysweetie]

How accurate are those chinese prediction thingys? I'll admit I keep looking at it and it always comes back as girl so I'm just curious? Yes I'm getting anxious! lol.

[lil_nance]

Charley horses I got them a lot last time. In addition to what others have mentioned, make sure to stay well hydrated and get enough calcium. I can't stress hydration enough it is the cure all for half of the preg. problems. Also I'd have DH push my toes back towards my knees which sometimes seemed to help.

Help I should have a house cleaner. Even when I'm feeling ok, I'm not too good about housework. Stuff is clean but I tend to let things get real cluttery.

Forgot to mention in my previous post. (got to love the pregnant mommy memory loss) I gained 2lb. YEAH! I was actually starting to wonder if I was going to gain anything. I know that's crazy but with DS I gained 3lb in the first tri. so when I hadn't gained anything at 11wk, I was getting a bit concerned. I got a flu shot today. First time I've had one. Don't know if I'm reacting to it or just coincidence but I haven't felt too good tongiht. I have a horrible headache and my appetite just isn't there. At least I had a HUGE lunch at a new Greek restaurant, so I'm not starving. They did blood work today for the final part of my AFP. Should have results late next week.

[Sunshine]

Tonysweetie~I'm not sure, but it keeps saying boy for me:D I would love a boy b/c hubby and I only agree on a boys name so far:p
Too bad we arent finding out the sex:p

[lauren f s]

Tonysweetie: The Chinese predictor told me a girl for DD and a boy for DS. So it's 100% accurate for me ;).

[Tonysweetie]

It keeps saying girl for me so I'm wondering if I should be looking at pink? I'm just so darn anxious! If all else fails its a 50/50 chance right? lol I guess unless I have some werid alien child *shrugs* :p


Well it's offical I'm an Army National Guard Wife now. DH got sworn in this morning. I'm a complete mess over it too. I really thought I would handle it so much better. The orginal plan was for DH to go off to boot camp now and be back by February and then have delayed training and not leave for that until July or August when the baby was a few months old. Well change of plans they are booked up until the end of the year and DH doesn't want to leave any later than that b/c he's afraid he'd miss the birth so now he isn't leaving for boot camp until August of 07 and has to do it all at once so it'll be 20 long weeks w/o him. That means if the baby arrives right on my due date the baby will be almost 4 months when he leaves and will be going on 9 when he returns. Oh my! I'm beyond terrified. I do have my Mom and Dad, my MIL, my FIL and my brother within minutes of me but still the thought of being alone being a new Mom terrifies me to pieces. What if I can't handle it? What if I can't afford it? I'm so scared but I want DH to be happy and live his dream. He's been wanting this for soooo long. He said he knows it'll be very difficult leaving his newborn child but were going to get a video camera and I'll record all the firsts if I catch them and send them to him. He'll only be about 5 hours away from me so that's good. When he's in training me and the baby can go see him whenever we want so that'll be nice too. I'm glad he'll be close so I don't have to get plane tickets. Please someone shed some light and tell me this is all going to be okay?! I'm so scared but happy for DH at the same time. I'm trying so hard to be supportive of his choice! At least it's not full time military. After he gets back from training he'll only be gone for 1 weekend a month and 2 weeks outta the year. It's just we have to get past this hump. I'll keep updated. I'm so anxious for him to come home. He called me a few hours ago and told me this. Have a great day everyone! Happy Friday!

[happy1nuv]

Gender ~ Part of the reason we didn't find out last time was that I knew I would be disappointed if they told me it was a boy and I didn't want that associated with my first pg AT ALL... When I found out at the hospital, I was ecstatic - no disappoiintment at all... SO, I know I won't be disappointed if it's a boy again, but I won't be as ecstatic as if it's a girl...kwim? (Altho, what's killing me is that I have a really strong feeling this time, and I want to know if its right or not) :)

Charley horses ~ Had em last time, have em this time. Only when sleeping though... when they're bad, I'll wake dh up thrashing and moaning. Bananas (potassium, i think) help, stretching helps... dh makes me stand and flex my foot towards my knee and that helps too...

Chinese gender predictor ~ Was right with ds. Says girl this time... so we'll see... My dad thinks I'm gonna have a girl. When I asked, he said... Ms perfect's second kid? girl of course. Although he's hoping its another boy.

Tonysweetie ~ Relax and breathe. You'll get through it... ;) And, I'm sure we'll still be around chatting at that point if you need to vent... One of the girls on the my other thread's dh joined the military after the baby was born... and she's doing fine... sure, it gets stressful, etc... but if she can do it, so can you!

[MarriedaGoalie]

Tonysweetie: I'm hoping the Chinese predictor is right too... it's all saying GIRL for me. :)

happy1nuv: Your reasoning for not finding out is exactly why I don't want to find out also. On the flipside, I am such a planner and would really like to find out so that I can plan everything out (the nursery, etc.). I'm also thinking that if it's not a GIRL, then I should just go ahead and get that out of my mind so I'm not teasing myself for the next few months. haha Are you glad you didn't find out? How did you plan for the nursery?

[Sunshine]

Tonysweetie~I'm sorry about DH having to leave that long:( At least you will have a video camera so you can feel like you can catch him up. Will you be able to talk to him and send him photos?
HUGS

~~~~
I'm so excited that the Chinese Predictor so far in here has been 100% correct! We are really pulling for a boy:D
DH would love a son first:D

So I am FINALLY in the 2nd trimester! I feel GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!! I havent really had any m/s at all:) So I feel pretty blessed...maybe it is still coming:p

Hope everyone is well!

[lauren f s]

Tonysweetie: I have several friends and family members with hubbies in the military. All of them have invested in video & digital cameras so they can capture every single moment with the baby. Take pictures of everything. I'd also make videos of you, DH, and the baby together and several of DH, too, so the baby will "see" Daddy. And maybe have DH make taped recordings of himself reading books and you can play those at night? It'll be tough, but it sounds like you've got a lot of support around that will help you get through this. :)

[Tonysweetie]

Married: I guess we'll all find out sooner or later right? lol. I've heard they are pretty correct. I did some research last night and it seems it's about 65 percent correct. That's pretty high to me. :)

Sunshine: YAY For trimester 2! It feels great doesn't it? I didn't really get much morning sickness. I had a few weeks where I felt pretty crumby but never puked! I did gag, still do sometimes. :) I'm sending you lots of little boy vibes! Yes, I can send DH letters, pictures, videos etc. so that is great. Also when he's in his training he'll be just a 5 hr. drive away so me and baby go see him on weekends. :)

Happy: Thanks, I'm trying to make the best of it b/c I want him to be a happy hubby. ;)

Laruen: Thanks! We arleady have a digital camera, we looked at the video recorders at Target the other night so I'm sure we'll get one for our Christmas gift. DH is big on video taping everything so I'll be in charge of capturing the things while he's gone. When he's in training he'll only be about 5 hours away so I can go see him on the weekends. I know it probably wont' be as bad as I'm imagining but I've never been left alone for that sorta amount of time so it's rough to think about but I know I'll pull through. :)

[MommyinPA]

Sorry to butt in again....March is a little slow today, and I am due towards the end of March anyhow so I peak in here often :)

As an experienced mother of soon to be THREE, I wanted to give my 2 cents about gender predictors. Chinese told me boy with my first....he's a boy, told me girl with my second....he's ALSO a boy. I can't tell you how many gender predictors, inclduing Fortune Baby, Babyman, and every test imaginable over the past 3 pregnancies to see if any of them had any validity. Let me tell you ladies, from own experience, and that of many of my friends....none of them are in any way any more accurate than 50%. Even Shettles! Everything pointed to me having a girl with my seconmd...everything! Same with my SIL...she also had a boy. Our other SIL everything said boy.....she had a daughter!
The one thing that has worked for me both times, and is reported to be 75% accurate, is my own intuition! I was really pulling for a girl my second pregnancy, but knew deep down in my heart he was a boy. My first, I also knew was a boy! I actually believe I am having a girl this time..I'll find out either way in 8 days!
I love my boys soooooo much. I would trade either of them for all the pink and lace in the world. It is so amazing that they are as close as they are....brothers have a special relationship :) But I certainly won't be diappointed if I am right this time again and can buy some dresses this time either!:)

[kimthebride]

Gender Predictors
They're fun, but I think all you can count on is a laugh and a 50/50 result odds. :)

tonysweetie
That is going to be hard, but you have plenty of support close by. Think of all the single moms who do it every day - at least you know its only for 20 weeks! (that would be positive thinking, my specialty)
If I were in your shoes, I'd search to see if there are any group threads of military wives. This way to can get some good real-life advice and support from other moms who went through this.
During my pregnancy my DH had to leave for 1-2 week periods I think 3x in my last trimester, then again 2x in the first few months of DS's life. Its tough doing it all alone, but you can always ask for help.

[happy1nuv]

married ~ I was very happy we didn't find out with Nic. :) I knew before we even got pg that the nursery was going to be gender neutral... so we did a dr seuss theme (based on, but not restricted to, the Baby, oh Baby the Places You'll Go .... so it's done in pink, orange, yellow, blue, green and 2 shades of purple... emphasis on green and purple) ... The nursery will be passed on from baby to baby and we'll go all out boy or all out girl on their big kid rooms...

[beinglizzy]

Is it too late to join?

CC Name:beinglizzy
Me: Liz, 26
DH: Nick, 26
Married: 5-15-04
TTC: werent trying, it was a surprise
BFP: Aug. 24th
EDD: April 26
Gender Prediction: DH says boy, I say girl
Any other children: nope, this is our first

[AllyLeigh]

Welcome beinglizzy!! We have the same due date! :D

[myshel]

Welcome, beinglizzy!

I know I told all of you aboutfinding a dress for the wedding we're going to today. Well, here it is:
http://static.flickr.com/118/281256164_4b31774d82.jpg?v=0

When we went to the rehearsal last night, we found out that DH will have to be at the church literally all day. He's already gone (left at 9:30 am) and I have to get both DS and I ready. Luckily, my dad is coming over to give DS a bath. I can't really give him a bath by myself anymore with my crazy belly. :rolleyes:

Anyway, off to nap briefly and get ready for this thing.

[MarriedaGoalie]

I had another dream last night that we had a baby girl. She had black curly hair (DH has black hair so that makes sense). She was so pretty!!! :) So... since all my dreams have pointed towards girl... I am going to have to say it's going to be a GIRL. :)

[Tonysweetie]

Welcome beinglizzy!!! It's never too late to join. Welcome! :)

myshel: That dress is beautiful! Your going to look so pretty. Have a blast!

Married: Your too cute. I haven't had any dreams about what the gender is but my best friend did and she had a dream it was a boy and she even saw what he looked like. YEA!


Today was the first day I got tired while walking around. DH and I got up and went shopping at the Flea Market and I got sooo tired and my back started to hurt while we were walking around. But good news, I made my first baby purchase. I got 2 onesies, one is 6 months and the other is 12 months. They are white and one says "Party in my crib, 3 AM" and the other says "I may not beable to talk yet but I have an attitude" lol! I almost bought a pack N play too. I found a great deal on one. It was brand new, and the guy was going to sale it for $40.00 and me and MIL were trying to look it over and the guy kept pressuring us to buy it. After about 5 minutes of us looking it over and was about to buy it he said "your taking too long price goes up now" So MIL turned around and said "no thanks I don't like the pressure" and we walked off. What a jerk! I was about to really buy it too b/c it was brand new nothing wrong with it. Ohwell. Tonight DH and I are going to a Halloween party. I have my hair up in rollers right now. I'm pretty excited. He's going to be a Ghostbuster and I'm going to be a pirate. Hopefully it'll be fun. Well gotta run!

[lil_nance]

Welcome beinglizzy!

OK, Ok. You guys are tough with the peer pressure. Here are my much anticipated bellyshots at 15wk 3d.

Without icky stretch marks. Ignore messy hair, it was windy and I'd just come in.
http://static.flickr.com/106/281640268_95072af1b0.jpg?v=0

And I'm being brave. With stretch marks.
http://static.flickr.com/96/281640271_e3bc321e81.jpg?v=0

So what do you think ladies? It looks pink doesn't it. ;) I didn't take any bellyshots with DS until 18wk so I'll have to wait to compare.

[pg_jess]

I haven't posted in ages. I've been so busy with work and grad school that I haven't had much time to hang out. I think it took me a total of a day and a half just to catch up on everyone else's posts! :)

DH and I had another doctor's appointment yesterday. We got to hear the heartbeat again, which is my new favorite thing to do. All the nurses wanted to know if I had felt the baby yet. I had to say no, but I promised them I'm trying really hard! :) I'm anxious to start feeling that, although I know it will eventually mean less sleep.

We did get to schedule the big ultrasound. It's going to be here before we know it and I'm having a hard time believing that. When I first found out I was pg, I thought the ultrasound appointment would never come (my dr does it once at 20 wks). I don't have any gender guesses. I've had dreams about girls (before being pg) and one I think about a boy (after getting pg). For awhile I thought I would prefer a girl, but now I honestly don't think I have any expectations either way.

So, appointment update...
Ultrasound - November 10th
Next appt - November 22nd

[juliemag]

Welcome beinglizzy!

Lil_nance - great belly shot!! I have to say, it does look pink! Of course, mine did too and it's a boy - so I'm not sure.

Tonysweetie - I'm so sorry that DH will be gone so long. I'm glad he'll be here for you during the birth and the first few months though. :) I agree with Lauren, invest in a good video camera!

Married - I love your dreams...something tells me it might be a girl?!

Myshel - LOVE that dress! I bet you will look lovely.

Thanks for the congrats on our little boy! :) I have to say, it's taking a while to sink in. Not just the fact that its a boy...but still, just fact that I'm pregnant! I have, however, started to feel alot more movement. It is SO COOL.

Yesterday my mom and I went shopping and found tons of cute onsies and such. Each were under $5. So I feel like we definitely scored. We got several at JC Penney, Children's Place, and Gymboree. Mom picked up her bedding for the baby's room at her house at Target. Its SO CUTE. For those who haven't checked out Target yet for bedding, they really have some cute stuff, plus it's so inexpensive. $65-75 for the entire crib set. It doesn't include the dust ruffle or an extra sheet. But those weren't $ to purchase. Anyway, just thought I'd share our good bargains!!

Sorry for any that I've missed. :)

[Tonysweetie]

I think I felt the baby kick last night. DH and I went to a party and we were on the dance floor and I got a nice jab in my bellybutton area. I was like "what the heck?" and I felt it about 4 more times that night. It the weridest feeling! I thought I wasn't going to feel anything last night until like 20 weeks. That is what my Dr. told me since it's my first pregnancy. Maybe it was gas? But it sure felt like a jab in the stomach.

[kimthebride]

tonysweetie
I forgot to mention - you REALLY need DH in those first few months, but I found there was a big change at about the 3rd/4th month where things seemed to calm down, the routine got better, we got longer stretches of sleep. And you hit your stride as New Mom. Since he'll be around for that hard time, you should be just fine. :)

Welcome, beinglizzy! Are you and DH over the shock yet? What a nice suprise...

myshel
Oh, pretty dress. Any chance of a pic of you in it? Hope you ahd fun!

marriedagoalie
Ok, if this kid isn't a girl I will be shocked. Dreams and all, its got to be intuition, right?

lil_nance
OMG did you get younger since we met? You look fantstic! What is your secret?
I am leaning towards girl for you....

pg_jess
Wow, so its going to be a total suprise on your u/s day. And you haven't seen baby at all yet? You are going to blown away. The 20w Anatomy Scan u/s is just awesome.

Shopping PSA!
www.BabyStyle.com has a great Outlet section, and right now if you enter the code OUTLET30 after your order you get an additional 30% off your outlet items.
http://www.babystyle.com/content/outlet/main.asp
I love their selection, service, and sales/discounts. Great website.
I bought the Signature Stretch Pant, normally $88 marked down to $19.99 and with the code I ended up paying only $22 for them, including shipping! I also have them in black from my 1st pregnancy, and LOVE them. Great fit, under-the-belly, 3-button size adjustors on each side.
The outlet has maternity clothes, baby clothes, gear, etc. It is seperate from the regular store, which has everything you could imagine!

Who Is Thinking About Their Baby Registry?
First Timers
I (and I'm sure the other RO's) learned a lot from registering and then bringing up baby, so any of you have questions let us know.
One quick tip: almost no one I know used their whole crib bedding set. I got the whole shebang, and literally ended up only using the sheet!
Repeat Offenders
My mom and MIL asked me to make a registry of things I need for #2, and I can only come up with a few bits until I know whether its a girl or another boy. I think we already talked about it some time ago, but any more thoughts? Is anyone else doing one? I have started one without telling anyone, to keep track of what I need to get because my memory is completely MIA these days :rolleyes: ....

[Tonysweetie]

Thanks Kim, I'm starting to feel better about it and everyone keeps telling me the same thing. My Mom calls it the "fun age" when they reach around 4/5 months so hopefully we'll have a nice quiet likes to sleep baby, hehe.

Baby Registery: I'm guilty of already making one. I made one on Target.com added some things but not too much yet. I'm sure after we know what this little person is we'll go nuts! I'm very excited!

[juliemag]

:o I also already made my registry. What can I say... I was too excited!

After reading the baby bargains book and seeing most of the stuff in person, I just went ahead and registered. Although we do have to go ahead and go to the store again to put more stuff on it that wasn't available online. We did babies r us and pottery barn kids.

[kimthebride]

:o I also already made my registry. What can I say... I was too excited!
LMAO!
At about 5 months along with DS my MIL called DH & I and said "Get your asses to BRU right now and make a registry!!" ;) She was the impatient one, lol, with that not-too-subtle hint that my shower was coming up....

I won't wait so long this time, since I am a little scared of the repercussions! :p

[lil_nance]

Kim thanks for the compliment. I'm having an emotionally crappy day so it was extra appreciated.

bedding I got mine brand new from eBay for about $40. It included a sheet, bumper, dust ruffle, and quilt. Never used the quilt at all. It ended up folded on the floor. :o Think I may get a quilt hanger and put it on the wall for #2. We're reusing all of our nursery decor but I still want to switch thinkgs up a bit.

registry Haven't started one. I might after we find out what we're having.

[happy1nuv]

registry ~ I don't think we're making one. I really don't think there's anything that we really need, besides clothes, and I just don't see the point in registering for them... (Side note: I went to a baby shower a while ago, and by the time i got to BRU the ONLY thing left on the registry was clothes. Well, I could NOT find anything listed... 2 store employees couldn't find anything...she ended up with a gift cert and an outfit of my choosing... but, just a note for anyone registering for clothes... don't be suprised if you don't end up with what you registered for since they don't make it easy to find them...)

[myshel]

Nancy: I'm thinking girl for you. I'm amazed at how well your body bounced back after DS. Mine didn't look that good to start.

Registry: Since this is #2, I'm hesitant to make a registry. I did go ahead and do one (all online so far) at Target. When we had DS, we didn't go crazy with stuff, so I'm *hoping* that we get a few more items. Also, since my dad will be watching DC#2 for the first year, we need to outfit his house as well as ours. I'm waiting to see what #2 is before going too crazy.

Here are pics of the dress in action:
http://static.flickr.com/95/281800231_58f6d257c5.jpg?v=0
(FWIW, I think I look extremely tubby here. I normally don't look so chunkalicious IRL.)

http://static.flickr.com/79/281799890_6bb1ae108b.jpg?v=0
(I look better, slightly, here, but DS was trying to attack DH's tie.)

[Tonysweetie]

myshel: You look so cute!!!!

[mili04]

Myshel, you look great in your new dress! And your son is adorable. :)

Tonysweetie, congratulations to your DH. It will be hard for you being alone with the baby, but you can do it.

Sleeping - I bought the snoogle recommended by kimthebride and although it is helping, I still have trouble. Last night my hips were bothering me almost all night long.

Yeast infection - just had one last week. Its nice to know I'm not the only one.

Registry - nope, haven't started one yet. Haven't even thought about it yet. Maybe sometime next month.

My mom came to visit for the weekend and we had a great time shopping. I finally had to buy a new bra. I think my boobs got the message that they are supposed to grow during pregnancy a little late. Unfortunately, it means instead of searching for the elusive 32B, I have to hunt down the even more rare speciman, 32C.

[lauren f s]

Myshel: You look gorgeous! And your DS is adorable!

lil_nancy: You look great! I'd say girl too, because your stomach looks nothing at all like mine ;).

Married: With DD I had several dreams leading up to my big u/s that we were having a girl. I knew I was having a girl - and I did. This time I had no dreams, but *knew* I was having a boy. I totally believe in mother's intuition ;).

Registry: I doubt we'll do one. We had 2 with DD, at Babies 'R Us and Target. I'll say that the BRU registry was pointless. Nobody used that one. Everyone went to Target! We don't need much this time around. I know which car seat I want and we'll get it ourselves, same with bedding. We have a stroller, bed, bassinet, breast pump, glider, and swing. All we really need is clothes. My co-workers are giving me a shower and asked for a list of things we wanted a month or so ago and I just put down a few things we had, but wouldn't mind getting new.

[happy1nuv]

myhel ~ You look great...love the dress! :)

[herewego]

Hey Ladies-

Hope everyone had a nice weekend.

Am experiencing some new symptoms as of late and wanted to see if anyone else has had any of this before:

*Numbness & tingling in my left foot. (Could this be related to a pinched nerve? Or did I just wear the wrong pair of shoes?)
*Bloody nose.
*Slightly blurry vision in one eye.
*Dizziness...I guess more like headrushes

Also, we were on a road trip this weekend and I got so motion sick in the car that DH had to pull over so that I could throw up along the side of the road. I threw up again at home about an hour later. I think this was less about being pg and more about being stuck on the road for hours...but still, it kind of concerned me to be puking at 18 weeks.

Besides all that and pretty constant heartburn, I feel good. Still feeling baby move on and off all day long which is such a phenomenal feeling. Haven't gained much weight these last few weeks (in fact, after throwing up lastnight, I was actually a lb. lighter this morning...) I think in total, I'm up about 7lbs.

Here is my 18w belly shot.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a226/pupsgirl/47b6ce08b3127cce8e7ca69151220000001.jpg

What do you think...a BOY belly or a GIRL belly? Most of my weight is right in front and my belly is nice and round. I can't wait to find out in a little less than two weeks!

Have a great day!

[kimthebride]

happy1
ITA on the clothes! DH registered for about 100 articles of clothing at BRU for DS, and we got nothing from the list. People just buy what they want to buy, so its not even worth it to bother putting it on there.

myshel
"chunkalicious"?! LMAO!!! That may be a *bit* dramatic, don't you think? ;) I think you look great (that is the perfect dress for you) and you have a beautiful family. :)

mili
I find that having the pillow between my knees and ankles, plus leaning kind of back on it so I'm not laying directly on my side helps with the hip pain. Does that make sense?
So you'd run it behind your back, then "S" it so it follows the curve of your legs.

herewego
Regarding your symptoms...
Tingling I get more often in my feet when pg than when not. It comes and goes
Bloody nose I have friends who get this a lot pg, I think I had it once with DS
Blurred Vision Very common, my optometrist said not to even bother getting eye exams when pg since it changes throughout the pregnancy
Headrushes Oh yeah! Take your time getting up or sitting up. Lots of extra blood rushing around in you.
Motion Sickness I'm way sicker than I was last time, but I also notice the speed-up-slow-down thing gets to me SO MUCH MORE now with this pregnancy. I'm not suprised.

Hmmmm...I'm gonna go with...boy. :)

Mom Vent
My mom is bog on withholding information she thinks might worry or scare you, so whenever I need to know something I have to drag it out of her.
Well, I don't think I mentioned it here but I had a very fast L&D with DS (2 hours 45 minutes from 1st contraction to delivery)....it was so scary, and I had no warning since she never told me until AFTER I had him that all 3 of her deliveries were like that.
Anyway.
So last night I had her on the phone and was drilling her, and finally got it out of her that with her 1st 2 pregnancies (boys) she has no m/s then some m/s in the 1st triemster. With her 3rd pregnancy (me, girl) she had severe m/s for at least 6 months. Ummmm....why didn't she tell me that BEFORE I get pg again? Or how about over the last 1.5 months when I have been on meds and suffering? A little commisseration would have been nice.
So, it looks like my pregnancies may follow the trends of hers. So now I need to be prepared for m/s that lasts 6 months, but I wouldn't be suprised at all now if this is a girl.

Anyone else's mom not sharing her pregnancy, L&D experience with you?

[juliemag]

myshel - what a great looking family you've got!! I see no chunkalicious whatsoever... you look great!

herewego - nice belly! I'm going to go with girl!

kimthebride - hmmm... 2 hrs and 45 mins?!?! :eek: I think you are DEFINITELY having a girl, no doubt about it. Did you mom say whether her labor with you was any different than the 2 boys?

mili - good luck finding that bra!

I think I have a dancer on my hands! I have been feeling this little guy SO MUCH over the last few days. About 3-4 times a day he'll wake up and begin salsa dancing all over the place. I laugh with DH b/c he's such a wiggler so I think our little guy is taking after him.

I was at church yesterday and saw this little 14 month old little boy and was almost in tears. Couldn't help thinking that I'd have one of my very own next year. He was just toddling around and smiling, clapping, and laughing. Awww, Too sweet!

[kimthebride]

Did you mom say whether her labor with you was any different than the 2 boys?
All pretty much the same, she just made it to the hospital 30 minutes before delivering #1, 45 with #2 and 60 minutes with me #3. Nuts!

I was at church yesterday and saw this little 14 month old little boy and was almost in tears. Couldn't help thinking that I'd have one of my very own next year.
My DS is almost 17 months and it is SO wonderful to watch your toddler interact and learn and express. He's now big into giving DH & I kisses, hugging our legs spontaneously. You have sooooo many wonderful times to look forward to! I just stare at my kid like a freak some days thinking God I love him so much! :D You have no idea the kind of love you are in for....

[juliemag]

My DS is almost 17 months and it is SO wonderful to watch your toddler interact and learn and express. He's now big into giving DH & I kisses, hugging our legs spontaneously. You have sooooo many wonderful times to look forward to! I just stare at my kid like a freak some days thinking God I love him so much! :D You have no idea the kind of love you are in for....


Aww thanks for the tears kim!

[diedra1027]

Good News!! The amnio results came back and the baby and I have the same Kell status, so there is no danger of my body attacking baby's blood supply. I'm done with the perinatal appointments - YEAH!!

[kimthebride]

That is WONDERFUL Diedra!

[lauren f s]

Diedra, that's wonderful news!!

herewego: I'm guessing boy. My belly looks just like yours sounds - everything is right out front.

Mom/Labor Stories: My mom never shared much. My labor wasn't so bad, 11 hours and I got an epidural pretty quickly. But delivery was horrible, I delivered a 9lb 14oz baby who should've been a c-section and I tore horribly and spent 3 months recovering. I guess if I'd have paid more attention to my mom, my delivery of Ava sounds similar to hers with me. She's very tiny and petite and I was 8lb 6oz and that was pretty hard on someone so small. But, both of my sisters were a nice, small 7 pounds and I am praying every night that this baby boy is not another 10 pounder like his sister!

[myshel]

Diedra:Yay! Such good news!

Ladies: Thanks for the compliments. I appreciate them greatly, especially on day where I want to cry (long story involving HS kids).

Mothers sharing: My mom apparently blocked out any memories of pg or birth, because when I asked, she has NOTHING to share. My younger sister, who has two sons, was a great source of info. However, our pgs and birthing experiences were very different. She went early with both of hers, and I had to be induced.

[pg_jess]

kimthebride
Nope, haven't seen the baby at all yet. Our ultrasound on the 10th will be the first time, and we're so excited. My doctor's office only does one. Depending on how addicting it is (and I'm sure it will be), DH and I may cough up the extra cash to get the 3D/4D ultrasound too!

myshel
I know it was a couple of pages ago, but I just had to tell you how adorable your son is! And I love the dress!

herewego
I've had the headrush/dizziness problem too. I'd heard the same thing about lots of extra blood flowing right now, so I try to remember to sit up/stand up slowly. Unfortunately I don't always think of it. Darn pg brain.

diedra
That is great news! Very happy for you!!

Registry
We haven't started one yet, and I'm not really sure when we should. I do think the shower has been tentatively scheduled already for the end of February, so maybe I should register a month or so before that? I'm so clueless, I just know it's going to take us forever.

I do have a question though...how much of the "big stuff" (furniture, high chair, stroller, etc.) do you list on the registry? All of it? Some of it? I don't expect friends to get us stuff like that, but maybe family would? I don't know.

Bed question...
This is a really clueless, first-time mom question. We're planning to get a crib, obviously. But I've heard the baby doesn't typically sleep in it the first few months? So do we need to get a bassinet as well? DH and I aren't really comfortable with the baby sleeping in the bed with us (mostly for safety reasons), but I'm not sure what the alternatives are. What's your plan of attack??

Baby question...
Has anyone else NOT felt the baby move yet? I'm 17w4d and haven't felt anything yet. Either that or I've felt it and I just don't realize it. Anyone else?

[lil_nance]

myshel The dress looks great! Luka and your DH are looking nice too.

diedra That's fantastic news. So happy for you.

Bed question The baby can sleep in the crib from day one. It's ok. We got the pak-n-play with the bassinet feature. DS slept in it next to our bed for the first 2 months or so. We planned on the first 3mo but he was a noisy sleeper and I needed some rest. We moved him to the crib with no problem. Other options if you don't want to use the crib right away are cradle, bassinet, moses basket, co-sleeper.

Ugh, I think I'm coming down with a cold. I was hoping to avoid getting sick for a while longer. With DS I had a cold every other week between Nov. and Feb. I'm really hoping I don't repeat that this time.

[wendstress]

Bed Question - James slept in a bassinet next to our bed for about 2 weeks, but mostly because he came early and the nursery wasn't finished! He easily moved into his crib, and has been there ever since. He actually slept better in the crib, since the mattress was more comfortable.

Registry - not planning one for #2. Although I might throw myself a "no-gifts-please" baby shower, since I never made it to mine :rolleyes:

Ditto to what Kim said about being a Mom.... I just can't even imagine life before James! The change is absolutely amazing, as is the sudden empathy and love you find for every other baby in the world.

Tingling Legs - Yup.
Bloody nose - Not yet, but had many during PG#1.
Blurred Vision - Now that you mention it, yes.
Headrushes - Not really, but I'll get dizzy if I stand in one place too long.
Motion Sickness - Not too bad with this PG, but I had it a lot during PG#1.

Herewego - that's a lovely belly you have growing there.

Myshel - Great looking family - you look wonderful!

How about a new QOTD? Everyone decided if they are going to breastfeed or formula feed?

[Tonysweetie]

diedra1027: That is wonderful news!!!!


Bed question: We plan to use a bassinett next to our bed for the first few months and then move to the crib.

Breast Feeding vs. Foruma Feeding: This is actually something I was going to ask myself. I'm still unsure. DH wants me to breastfeed but only b/c he had a friend who had a bad experience with formula feeding. He had a friend that had a baby and was on formula and had an allergic reaction to it and died so DH freaks out whenever I metion formula feeding. I'll probably give breast feeding a try since I've never done it and I think it would be an awesome experience. I'm not 100% though.


6 days until we find out the sex of the baby! We are beyond excited. My birthday is next Saturday and DH was asking me yesterday what I wanted for my birthday and I couldn't think of anything except knowing what the baby is! lol. I told him that was enough gift for me. I'm just so darn anxious. Were going to start working on the room soon. Right now the baby's room is our computer/office so maybe next month we'll start moving things out and baby things in. I'm really looking forward to it.

Lately I've had the BIGGESt cravings for McDonalds .99 cheeseburgers. I cannot get enough of them! Last week alone I probably ate at least 5. None this week so far but it's in my agenda for today while I'm at WalMart, lol. Is anyone else getting strong cravings? I mean I get them and I HAVE TO HAVE IT NOW! If I don't get them I get a little upset over it. DH thinks I'm nuts. Well I hope everyone has a safe and Happy Halloween! God Bless!!!

[kimthebride]

Crib/Bassinet/Cradle
Baby can sleep in the crib from day one, but I find most moms - especially if you are BFing - find it easier to have baby right next to you through the night. It is normal to have your baby waking every 1.5-2.5 hours to eat 24x7 for the first couple weeks, then eventually move up to every 3 hours. Its tough!

We (unfortunately!) have to share a room with DS, and even though his crib is at the other end of the room I had a cradle right next to my side of the bed. This way when he'd wake to nurse, I could lift him out, do it, then plop him right back in without ever stepping foot out of bed.
We moved him into the crib I think at 4 months, when he started really moving around in the cradle.

Cravings
I had my FIRST one yesterday - yay! I wanted ice cream (which I normally do not like) and cookes with sugar sprinkles on them. So yesterday I walked to CVS and found a tin of Danish butter cookies and Haagen Dazs Lite coffee icecream. I made tiny ice cream sandwiches out of them. Mmmmm....

M/S Improvement
(knocking on wood)
This week I have been able to cook raw chicken TWICE and even had a craving. This is a huge improvement for me, since I have been pretty much not hungry and totally nausesous 24x7 since I got my BPF in August. I really hope I am on my way uphill...

Registry: Big Stuff
We used the BRU registry as a checklist for everything we needed to get for the baby. My memory was shot, so it made life easier. Whether someone bought it for us or not, we needed it! So literally everything was on there. After the showers, we went in and got everything else on our list. Considering everything we had on our minds, the ease of one big list was a Godsend.

And as a nice suprise, family bought a handful of the big items: stroller, crib & mattress, carseat, swing, Exersaucer...and my mom bought the cradle off my babyStyle.com registry (I didn't like any of the ones at BRU).
I just found it handy to have one big list of everything we needed, all in one place.

Baby Moving
I feel it every now and again, but its not constant yet. Remember, its still a little early. Right at your halfway point is when it usually begins, but not always. And also if its your first time you won't know what it feels like! I'd say bubbles, butterfly, a 'nervous tummy' wiggle, a blip of gas...its subtle at first, then before you know it your belly is getting the heck kicked out of it. ;)

QOTD: BFing or FFing?
Purposely saved this one for last!

I wanted to BF DS, took a BFing class at my hospital, asked friends for tips, but also had formula on hand just in case.

DS was born 7lbs 4oz on a Friday and seemed to latch on immediately. The nurses were impressed, he seemed to be doing well and my milk was clearly in (YOWZA and OUCH was it in!).

But by Monday at his 1st Ped's appointment he was down to 6lbs 2.5oz - he lost over a pound, and the Ped was concerned that though it appeared he was latching, he wasn't getting it out of me. That night we had a Lactation Consultant come over for about 3-4 hours to figure it out. Ends up, I had to wear Medela Nipple shields every time I nursed (picture tiny, clear, silicone sombreros for your nipples). Then the Ped made a feeding regimine of BFing on every 2nd hour. So no matter how long the session started, I had to BF at 12, 2, 4, 6, 8, etc 24x7. And every other session I had to pump and the ones I didn't pump I had to offer the pumped milk after nursing. This went on for about 2-3 weeks.

Needless to way, I was EXHAUSTED. It was physically and emotionally draining, though we did get his weight up, avoided him having to go into the hospital for tube feeding to gain....and in the end as long as I wore the shields I was able to succefully nurse him exclusively for 6 months, then split BFing and FFing until 9.5 months when he was finally weaned to all FFing.

I am thinking a lot about that experience as I imagine the day when DC#2 comes. Will I be able to go through all that again with a toddler in tow? Was it my anatomy that made BFing difficult, or an issue with DS's abilty?
What it comes down to, is right now I plan to buy a very good pump, have all my BFing and bottle-feeding supplies along with the formula I used successfully with DS (Good Start - very easy to digest). This way, I can make an attempt with BFing but if thigns don't work out, I''ll try to get what BFing in I can, but also pump as long as reasonable and try not to be disappointed if I need to FF.

See why I saved that for last? ;)

Breastfeeding
If anyone wants advice or experience or has any questions, i know there is a huge thread here but feel free to ask away to those of us who did it.
Something I loved:
My Hooter Hider (now renamed bebe au lait)
http://www.bebeaulait.com/
http://www.bebeaulait.com/gallery/8.jpg
It has an adjustable neck strap, a flexible 'wire' frame so you can peek down in at baby while nursing, a terry interior for wiping spit-ups, is machine washable and is wide enough that you aren't flashing boob at anyone. its little more $ than some of the knock-offs, but I will vouch I was very, very happy with this and would buy it again in a heartbeat.
I am a modest person, so these were a wonderful find! I nursed in public pretty often, and this made me much more comfortable doing it. I got asked ALL the time for the website, and by the time DS was 6 months I had about 5-6 friends who used them regularly as well!

[juliemag]

Bed - We are going to get an arm's reach mini cosleeper thing to put next to the bed for the first few months. Then we plan to transition the baby to his own crib. Our bedrooms will be right next to each other, so I'm pretty comfortable with that arrangement.

Cravings - Yep, this weekend started the cravings. I REALLY wanted a sub from firehouse subs. I didn't end up getting it, but the craving is still there. Perhaps dinner tonight! :p

Registry - I did not include furniture on my registry. I did however include other "big" items such as a stroller, carseat(s), etc.

Baby moving - I'm feeling him every day. But I think I'm the odd man out...b/c everywehre I read says I should *just* start feeling him now. And I've been feeling him since 15 weeks... He's probably just a big bruiser! :)

BF or FF - I'm planning to breastfeed. I know it will not be easy, so I'm preparing myself mentally for that. My mom says I was like a pirana when I nursed, so that only lasted two weeks. But she BF'd my sister for a year. I'm really hoping BFing works out b/c it's something I've always wanted to do.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

[jeggink]

I know I am far behind but....

Congrats to SarahKatG on your girl and lauren and juliemag on your boys.

Diedra So happy your final amnio tests came back good for Kell!! I am sure you are just ecstatic!!

crib/bassinet/cradle With DS we had a cradle from MIL that we borrowed and had next to the bed. Didn't like it. Since we BF it was just to hard, so DS slept with us in the bed for a couple of months (he was a preemie). After that we went directly to the crib and he has been there ever since. This time I want to get an arms reach co-sleeper and see if it works.

m/s Yup, it has pretty much gone away for the most part now, for about 1/2 week or so now, YEAH!

Registry Probably not. If we ask for anything it will be consumables like diapers, burp rags, etc. We also need the arms reach co-sleeper and I want to get a swing as we never had one with DS. Other than that, we are good :).

Baby moving I feel it just about every day when I lay still or sit at my desk. This kid moves around a lot!!! I have been feeling it on and off for several weeks now, but with DS didn't feel it till 18 weeks.

Cravings Chocolate milk & golden delicious apples!

BFing Yup, will do again. I did with DS till 15 months and pumped at work full time till 11 months. It is doable, but a lot of work, but VERY worth it.

Anyway, I got some initial results back from my amnio and they were all negative. The final results come next week, so just a small "woohoo" for right now as there are false negatives sometimes. So we wait for the final results and if those are clear, we have our 18 week u/s on Nov 17th and will look at the babys anatomy more closely to see if there are any issues there.

[michael'sbride]

Hi everyone! I haven't been around in awhile. Just keeping busy and trying to kill time between appointments. My big U/S is on 11/21 so I'm (not-so) patiently waiting.

Congrats to those who have found out what their having!

We took our boys to Disney World this weekend. It was a blast and I was so exhausted, but I made it! I really think that weight wise, my pregnancy is going much better that with #2. I feel so much healthier!

I'll catch up quickly on some of the recent topics...

Bed? - We moved #1 to a crib at 3 months and #2 I kept in a bassinet in my room until 5+ months. #2 was such a good sleeper, nothing disturbed him. He's a great crib sleeper too so I know that even if I had moved him sooner, he would have been fine.

Registry? - No - Didn't have one for #2 either
Tingling Legs? - No
Bloody nose? - No
Blurred Vision? - No more than usual!
Headrushes? - No but I have headaches all the time
Motion Sickness? - No, except of a ride at Epcot
BF/FF - I BF'ed #1 for 6 months and #2 for 7 months. I hope to do better this time and hopefully make it a year. It's been my goal each time and I REALLY hope I can make it that long this time.

I want to second what kimthebride posted earlier,

Breastfeeding If anyone wants advice or experience or has any questions, i know there is a huge thread here but feel free to ask away to those of us who did it.


Please don't hesitate to ask. I know that all of the repeat offenders have different stories and different perspectives, which helps!

[annielynn]

Going to try and catch up. Work is getting really busy around here. Don't they know that I have CC ladies to talk to?! Also if any of you are on LJ I am able to get over there a lot more than here lately. I welcome any new friends! ;)

CONGRATULATIONS to the mommies who have found out within the last 2 weeks. What an exciting time for you. Now let the shopping begin. :) (we are still debating finding out the sex)

REGISTRY we are going to register for a couple things that we are going to need with this little one. My sister is already talking about throwing me a little shower with only family and the closest friends. More of a welcome to the world party than a shower. It is going to be coed. So because of this I decided to register for a few things. I am in need of diapers mostly.

BED Jack slept in a bassinet for the first 6 weeks of his life. Since I was BF I wanted him close to me with out actually being in bed with me. It was nice to have him in the room when he woke up especially after a c/section. When I went back to work we transitioned him into his crib. He did really really well. We were lucky.

BABY MOVEMENT I am only 14 weeks and I haven't felt the baby move yet. I didn't expect too yet. I was almost 20 weeks when I first felt Jack move. Hopefully in the next few weeks I will start to feel the flutters.

BF/FF I will BF for as long as I can. I was able to go 6 months with Jack and it was a great experience even with the ups and downs. A lot of friends and family asked me if I was going to BF before Jack was born and I was really on the fence about it. I thought for sure that I would have trouble or that something would wrong. But we didn't have any problems right off the bat. I hope that it is the same way this time around. I love being able to provide for my baby.

CRAVINGS I haven't had any real cravings yet. I am lucky if I can eat period. I have no appetite. If I finally do get hungry enough to eat, I am only able to eat a couple of bites and then I am full. I have had a really sour stomach the last few days after eating a meal. Sucks big time. I am sure that the cravings aren't far down the road though. We shall see what I end up with.

jeggink - I will join you in your little woohoo for a great amnio result so far. That is such great news. I have been thinking about you since you went in.

diedra - great news on your amnio result. I am so happy to hear it!

[lauren f s]

jeggink: Yea! I'm glad that the results so far are good. :D

Beds
DD slept in her bassinet for about 6-8 weeks, then went to her crib. It was just easier to have her right there next to me at night for feedings and such. We'll do the same for this one. DH got the bassinet out of storage over the weekend for me to clean and it's ready for this little one.

Cravings
MEXICAN FOOD! MEXICAN FOOD! MEXICAN FOOD! There is something about these kids I have because all I wanted with DD was Mexican and all I want this time around is Mexican. Although right now my office is getting set up for a Halloween party and I've had 2 cookies and a donut and am thinking about a cupcake in a bit ;).

BF vs FF
I'll BF. When I was pg with DD I decided I'd give BF'ing a try. If it worked well for us, I'd stick with it and if not, I'd go to formula. I tried not to put any pressure on myself either way. BF'ing turned out to be incredibly easy for me and DD was quickly a pro. I ended up loving it and nursed her for 13 months. DH and I were talking about this baby and I told him that I'd be BF'ing this time around, too, and he really surprised me by being excited I was. He was never very vocal about my feeding DD but he said he saw how healthy BF'ing kept her (she didn't get sick - ever - until I started weaning her) and all the benefits it gave her and he really wants that for this baby, too. I was impressed with him. :) I'll be working this time around though (I was a SAHM for the first 2 years with DD) and I know pumping will be tough, but I'm determined to make it work.

[MommyinPA]

::::peeking back in:::::

Here's an article for you ladies to read. I bolded the parts I thought was most interesting!

Mothers Use Intuition to Know Their Babies, According to Study

Researchers have found that expectant mothers can use the power of their intuition to learn about their unborn babies. A pair of psychologists from the University of Arizona has completed a preliminary study on pregnancy and intuition showing that pregnant women can predict the gender of their babies on the basis of their intuition alone.

In a two-year study conducted at the Birth and Women's Health Center in Tucson, Arizona, Dr. Victor Shamas and Amanda Dawson asked 100 pregnant women to predict whether they would give birth to a girl or a boy. Women who claimed to have an intuition about the gender of their child made the right choice over 70 percent of the time.

"These findings took us by surprise," says Dr. Shamas, a cognitive psychologist who studies the role of intuition and inspiration in everyday life. "We suspected that some of the women would have accurate intuitions about their infants but certainly not such a large percentage."

The women who participated in the study chose not to know the results of any medical procedure that would inform them of the gender of their child. Although sonograms are performed in the majority of pregnancies and can determine the gender of a fetus with 95 percent accuracy, some expectant mothers still prefer to keep their baby's gender a mystery until the time of delivery.

All of the participants in the study were patients at the Birth and Women's Health Center, an independent facility that provides health care to hundreds of pregnant women and their families each year. The Center's director, Kathryn Schrag, observes, "Our entire staff was excited to learn about this study. We have all heard our pregnant patients' stories of their 'knowing' things such as the gender of their baby. We were eager to see it scientifically studied."

After making a prediction about their babies' gender, participants in the study had to indicate whether their prediction was based on an intuition or on some other source of information. They were also asked if they preferred a girl or a boy.

"One of the interesting findings to come out of this study," explains Dr. Shamas, "is that women who have a preference for one gender or the other don't tend to have accurate intuitions. The point is that there's a big difference between what you want to happen and what your intuition tells you is going to happen. When a woman really wants either a girl or a boy, her desire gets in the way of her intuitive ability."

Although the Arizona study deals only with the issue of gender, Dr. Shamas points out that mothers can also use their intuitive ability to discover other aspects of their baby's identity. "If you look at the kinds of dreams that expectant mothers tend to have, quite often you will find that these dreams deal with themes related to the kind of people their children will turn out to be, including the children's temperament, their likes and dislikes, and even their future career choices."

According to Dr. Shamas, the majority of sons and daughters are aware of the intuitive connection their mothers have with them. Nearly three-fourths of colleges students he surveyed maintained that their mothers are able to read their thoughts and feelings in a way that nobody else can. Approximately 80 percent also said that their mothers are more intuitive than their fathers.

"Most of us recognize the closeness of the bond that can form between a mother and her child, but we may not realize the extent to which the power of intuition makes this bond possible. The accuracy and the scope of a mother's intuition are something we're just beginning to understand," notes Dr. Shamas.

[kimthebride]

BF or FF
I just hung up the phone with a close friend whose DD is almost 2mo and DS is 3.5yrs. We were talking about BFing the second child, and she said the key is to keep an open mind about it. She knew what I went through, so she totally understands my worries. But being prepared for anything yet optimistic the BFing will work out (crossing fingers!) is the best way for me to go.

I love to hear when moms have it so easy to BF! I had to work at it for about a month, but after that it was smooth sailing and soooo easy...nothing to pack but a babies and boobs when I left the house ;).

annielynn
That is so nice of your sister to throw a 'welcome party'! I think that's just perfect, because everyone gets to meet baby and whoever wants to bring gifts, can. Then again, I am always up for a celebration. :)

I know you also have m/s...are you able to force-feed yourself? That's what I've been doing, and though not very fun its been keeping my energy up a bit and I really think it's helping me not escalate to a bad scenario. I hope you feel better very soon.

jeggink
Yay for the good news so far, I have been thinking of you.

lauren
I had to laugh at your cravings! Did you know they recently did a study that proved babies preferred (more readily ate and ate 20% more of) foods moms ate while pregnant? They used this to support the notion of healthy eating while pregnant.
My friends joked that DS was going to come out of me wearing a sombrero and eating a piece of cheesecake. ;) And now that he's older, we can absolutely see his preference for Mexican food and Good God this child goes nuts if I let him have a bite of cheesecake or something else cakey. I don't think I let more than 2 days goes by in my 2nd & 3rd trimester without eating something mexican (Annie's Organic cheddar burritos? Mmmmm...)

[michael'sbride]

Thanks for the article MommyinPA

"One of the interesting findings to come out of this study," explains Dr. Shamas, "is that women who have a preference for one gender or the other don't tend to have accurate intuitions. The point is that there's a big difference between what you want to happen and what your intuition tells you is going to happen. When a woman really wants either a girl or a boy, her desire gets in the way of her intuitive ability."


This was exactly what happend with me with #2. I was so convinced that it was a girl that I was physically sick when I found out it was a boy. This time, I'm so prepared for this baby to be a boy, we are already referring to the baby as him or he, have picked out boy names, talk about the boys having a new baby brother, etc. This way, all I can say when I know for sure that it's a boy is "I told you so".

My 3 year old has other plans! He loves the show Max & Ruby and he is convinced that he has Max in his belly and Ruby is in mine. I rented a heart monitor from Belly Beats and he likes to try to listen to his baby and then my baby. He's so cute about it.

[kimthebride]

My 3 year old has other plans! He loves the show Max & Ruby and he is convinced that he has Max in his belly and Ruby is in mine.
That is the cutest darn thing EVER!

[Sunshine]

Breast Feeding vs. Foruma Feeding:Breastfeeding:) I hope!

[happy1nuv]

Diedra ~ Yay!!! That must be such a load off...

Mom sharing ~ My mom was always very upfront about her 3 births/pregnancies. I have to share... my mom is very intelligent really, but some of the stories...well, she was hit hard with pg brain! (dr told her my sister was dead and gave her the option of delivering a stillborn baby or manually ejecting...mom chose delivery thank goodness...cause my sister is now 32 and lovin life. :) And she went back to him for me...so, just believe her dr was a quack from the get go...) Anyway...her dr insisted she be kncoked out to deliver my sister which she HATED (I dont think she was fully out... but it wasn't an epidural i dont think). Anyway... she INSISTED (against drs advice) that she wanted NOTHING for me...and she had a MUCH BETTER experience. My mother is a HUGE advocate for drug/intervention free childbirth...

Tingling Legs - Yup. Occasionally.
Bloody nose - Not yet, but had TONS during PG#1 - usually when I was trying to get somewhere quick... or on the way to bed... or when it would be embarrassing...
Blurred Vision - Nope, not yet.
Headrushes - Not really... but I take my time getting up/sitting down for fear of rlp.
Motion Sickness - Yeaeh, just starting... fun!

First bed for baby: We used the Amby baby hammock. It's a bed that hangs off a frame, so it kind of rocks whenever baby moves. LOVED it... was the only place nic would sleep besides someones arms...he slept in it til 10 or 11 months, and I cried when he stopped... Sleep has not been as smooth since...

Baby moving... Funny, baby hasn't been super active til now, but I do feel her/him occasionally. Today we were coming home from aardvarks, and nic had a total melt down in the car. I got in the back to calm him down, and was telling him that I knew he was tired and the two of us would lie down and take a nap when we got home. Well, I don't think this child liked that idea, because (s)he kicked me so hard I jumped. It was a very SOLID kick...took me a minute to figure out that's what it was... so funny :)

Cravings ~ Been having them for a while... I was done with my french onion soup thing, but its back again...had to make some last night. Funny thing is, this time, it can't have bread/cheese. I JUST want the soup part.... strange. The bread/cheese is the best part, usually...

BF ~ Definitely!! I loved bf'ing. It was SOOO easy. (Don't get me wrong..the first month was really hard and so confusing... way too much advice – cc is great for figuring out what advice to take, btw) But, once we got the hang of it... it was always ready. It was always the perfect temperature. And it was always on hand. (We had a few issues with latching though, and used the nipple shields for the first 5 or 6 months...those weren't fun...but I'd take those over bottles ANY DAY)

Side note: Jaundice happens. I had no idea what it was until they told me that I possibly wouldn't be taking my baby home with me – NOT what you want to tell a postpartum mama. (jaundice is when they look really yellow – i forget exactly what it is) But, if you bf... bf ALL.THE.TIME at the hospital. It helps them pass whatever they have to pass for the jaundice to go away. (Not sure if you can do the same with formula or not)

mommyinpa ~ Great article!!

Happy Halloween!!
:)

[diedra1027]

Thanks for the congrats, all! We're so relieved :)

sleeping situation - We'll start out in the Arms Reach Co-Sleeper then play it by ear from there. At about 3 weeks old, DD would freak out if she didn't have direct contact with me while sleeping. Needless to say, we moved to co-sleeping at that time (which I don't have a problem with). I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Baby#2 is a little more relaxed in this area. With a toddler running around, I will not have the luxury of always being able to lay down to sleep with Baby#2. I wouldn't mind co-sleeping again - just hoping baby#2 is a little more relaxed about being in contact with me (DD was that way until she was about 8 months old - exhausting for me!!).

Feeding - Breastfeeding for us. DD is still breastfeeding a couple of times a day. I'm hoping to have her 100% weaned in the next month or two, so that I can have a few months off before starting up again (wish me luck!)

Side note: Jaundice happens. I had no idea what it was until they told me that I possibly wouldn't be taking my baby home with me – NOT what you want to tell a postpartum mama. (jaundice is when they look really yellow – i forget exactly what it is) But, if you bf... bf ALL.THE.TIME at the hospital. It helps them pass whatever they have to pass for the jaundice to go away. (Not sure if you can do the same with formula or not)It's Bilirubin that causes jaundice. It's in the baby's myconium (sp?), so you want your baby pooping A LOT to get rid of it. I just covered Blood and the Immune System in my Anatomy class and bilirubin is covered in that unit because it is involved in the process of recycling red blood cells among other things - it's a very interesting (to me anyway) substance, I don't want to be too scary here but it is very important to get rid of baby's excess bilirubin. Anything that makes baby poop works, so formula will do the trick too.

[MommyinPA]

This was exactly what happend with me with #2. I was so convinced that it was a girl that I was physically sick when I found out it was a boy. This time, I'm so prepared for this baby to be a boy, we are already referring to the baby as him or he, have picked out boy names, talk about the boys having a new baby brother, etc. This way, all I can say when I know for sure that it's a boy is "I told you so".

We have a lot in common ;) I felt "sure" that I was having a girl until my friend had a stillborn son at 36 weeks. It was then, I really understood the meaning of "healthy", and stopped focusing on the gender so much. Once I did this, I just "knew" he was a boy. It was unmistakable! I was so lucky when he arrived happy and healthy. I thought of my friend who would have done anything just to have a healthy little boy. I love him so much, and couldn't be happier to haver 2 happy, healthy boys....and perhaps even a third! ;)

[myshel]

BF or FF: With DS, I had an awful time with BFing. The "taps", so to speak, weren't quite right for the job. Since I returned to work at 5 weeks pp, I gave in and FF DS with Good Start. DS did get EBM for the first 4 week though. I also have PCOS which has been shown to decrease a woman's supply.

For this one, I want to give BFing a try again. I think if I use nipple shields, I might have better success. I also will have much more time to get comfortable with things-- 4 months-- before returning to work. Plus, we plan on sending DS to daycare through the summer (we have to pay for it, so we might as well), so that will make things easier for me.

[lil_nance]

BF/FF I plan on BFing again. Once I got past the initial start up difficulties I enjoyed it. DS has been super healthy too. I used an SNS (Supplemental Nursing System w/ formula. Think "beer bong" for baby) during the first week. It was a godsend. After that he was EBF for the first 6 mo. We started weaning to formula between 7 and 11mo. I took it really slow because I didn't want to give it up. DS could have gone to all formula or stayed BF he was really easy and didn't have a big preference. We were lucky. My reason for stopping was to TTC#2. Because of problems with my first pg. I knew I didn't want to be BF and pg.

Cravings Nothing specific. I did have some French Onion soup yesterday. It was very yummy. There also should be some kind of deterrent on Halloween candy. We have way too much left over. Kim, I'm keeping the chocolate but I have leftover SweetTarts if you want them. :p

[Tonysweetie]

Okay so I bought like 4 bags of candy and it's 9:45 pm and not 1 trick or treater showed up?! What is up with that? lol. So now I have all this sugar in a bowl that I don't know what to do with and I can't keep my hands out of it :rolleyes:

[mili04]

diedra and jeggink, so glad to hear about the good amnio results. jeggink, I hope the final results confirm the good initial results.

Sleeping arrangements - We plan on starting in the crib right away. With 2 large dogs and a cat sleeping in our bedroom, I think it would be safer for the baby to be in a crib in its own room. Though I guess it will make middle-of-the-night feedings harder...

BF/FF - I'm planning to BF, but won't beat myself up if it doesn't work out for us. I've always known I wanted to BF so I really hope we don't have problems.

Mom sharing - My mom told me what she remembered of my birth this weekend. She said by the time she asked for drugs, they told her it was too late. After that, her body just took over. She was small-framed at the time, like I am, and I was an 8 pound baby so her story was reassuring.

[happy1nuv]

I forgot to mention when I was being long winded before... my hospital gave me nipple shields and something else that you wear when not bf to keep your clothes off your nips and let them air dry. I had to ask for them... but they had them on hand and were free (or insurance covered). So, if you think you need them...ask. It cant hurt.

[Sunshine]

Okay so I bought like 4 bags of candy and it's 9:45 pm and not 1 trick or treater showed up?! What is up with that? lol. So now I have all this sugar in a bowl that I don't know what to do with and I can't keep my hands out of it :rolleyes:
Awe, that sucks:( We normally have around 50, and we got 71 last night! I was SO EXCITED:D
I did however eat 10 of those sugar candy rockets! DH said I was so hyper, and the baby must have been doing sommersaults like crazy:p LMAO!

[jeggink]

Well, we made up for everyone in the T or Ters line, we had 300+ between 6 and 7:10 when we ran out of candy. It was still busy out there as well. We had lines on our porch, I didn't even get to see all the costumes as my head and hand was in the candy bowl handing them out. :D :eek:

[Sunshine]

:eek: WOW! 300+! I'm glad we didnt get that many, we would have ran out of candy WAY too early!
HOW FUN!!!

[lauren f s]

We went trick or treating last night and DD got too much! Her whole bucket was heavy and full by the time we were finished. Of course I've already picked through and selected a few things for me ;). Now I need to be good and stick with the one piece of candy a day rule. We had so much fun last night and I can't wait until the baby is here to join us next year :D.

[MarriedaGoalie]

Breastfeeding: I think I am going to attempt it. It just seems a whole lot easier and a LOT less expensive. I never thought I would want to breastfeed, so we'll see how it goes! Wish me luck!

Sleeping Situation: We have a bassinet we are going to put right next to our bed. I think with BF it will be a lot easier to just pull the little one into bed with me in the middle of the night rather than to get up and fix a bottle. We'll probably do that for the first few months (until the little one stops BFing).

Movement: My kid is going to be a night owl. I usually don't feel him/her until around 9pm and then it's crazy active. Any way to switch the kid's schedule already? haha! :)

[diedra1027]

We never get any trick-or-treaters. Our neighborhood has a little business district that closes down the main street for a few hours and all the business owners hand out candy. I think most of the kids that continue the candy grab after the planned event just head up the hill from the businesses into the richy-rich area (Jamie Moyer lives up there!!). I don't even bother buying Halloween candy anymore..

[annielynn]

We got about 20 T or Ters last night. That is more than we have ever had before. It was kinda nice. It was also my Son's first time going TorTing. I didn't think that he was going to actually get into his costume, but he did and we were able to get to about 6 houses before he ran out of steam.

I think that I have been on the receiving end of a little one kicking mommy this morning. It isn't all the time but it is definately noticable.

[kimthebride]

I never thought I would want to breastfeed, so we'll see how it goes!
I think there are 2 trains of thought:
1. People who see BFing as the most natural thing ever, and can't imagine anything else.
2. People who can rationally think that BFing is a wonderful thing, but the thought of putting your kid on your nipple and feeding him just seems wierd.

I'll admit, the thought was wierd to me, but once baby comes out and latches on it seems like the most obvious, normal thing to do! Even when its tough. But then once I weaned, I'd look at my boobs and think yet again "wow. how wierd that I used to feed my kid with these thing!". Lol, those hormones do interesting things to ya. :p

BFing Shields
Here is what the Medela Nipple Shields look like. They were so helpful for me!
http://www.medela.com/graphics/nipshlds2.jpg
There is a lot of information on them, including photos of how to use them, what your latch should look like while using them, etc on the Medela.com website.

Medela also makes 2 different kinds of breast shields to help with inverted or sore nipples. They are on the site as well.

lil_nance
I didn't know you had to use a SNS! So glad it worked out for you.
You can just mail those Sweet Tarts to me anytime. :D

ToT-ers
I had one big bown full of mini candy, since the only kids who come are those who live in our building. I'm guessing we maybe had about 15 kids or so, and each got about 5 pieces of candy each. We have 3 things left, but all are chocolate so I'll have to donate them to my neighbor!

QOTD: Are you thinking about whether you'll have help after baby comes?
Whether its visitors or family help, are you all thinking about this yet?

[michael'sbride]

Trick or Treating - We had about 300 kids. We gave away just about all of our candy in a two hour period. My boys had a great time. I can't believe i'll be t-o-ting next year with three kids. Crazy!

I think there are 2 trains of thought:
1. People who see BFing as the most natural thing ever, and can't imagine anything else.
2. People who can rationally think that BFing is a wonderful thing, but the thought of putting your kid on your nipple and feeding him just seems wierd.


I think I fell and maybe to some extent fall in both. I totally feel like bfing is the most natural thing but ffed both of my kids when my supply could not keep up after I went back to work and had to pump. My body needed to nurse to the breast. I could see my supply dwindle every day when I had to pump three feedings. It was sad but I feel like every single day that I had bf'ed my boys was giving them a benefit, I never looked at what they would lose by not having BM for a whole year. I would have loved to BF that long but they were doing just fine on formula. I was so proud of myself that I could do it as long as I could.

I will say that at first, even though BFing came pretty easy for both kids, it seemed very weird to put the kid on my nipple. But it worked out and everyday it felt more natural. Almost to the point that a bottle seemed much more strange.

I wish everyone luck who wants to try. I hope you all succeed and have a long bfing relationship. I really believe its a personal choice either way.

[annielynn]

BF I think I too fell into the middle of both those trains of thought. After my DS was born, I just felt that it was natural for me to feed and nurish my child. I really enjoyed the bonding that closeness. I cannot to experience that will this baby.

QOTD - Help? I don't think that I will have help after #2 comes home. I didn't have a lot of help after Jack was born either. The only thing that I can think of that I will need help in is keeping up with the house work. I have a hard time keeping up with it now, I can only imagine how far behind I will get when I have two kids to look after (3 if you count my DH.)

[lauren f s]

I think there are 2 trains of thought:
1. People who see BFing as the most natural thing ever, and can't imagine anything else.
2. People who can rationally think that BFing is a wonderful thing, but the thought of putting your kid on your nipple and feeding him just seems wierd.
I never felt this way with DD. I just thought, like Married, that I'd give it a try. If it worked, great, if not, oh well. I will admit, though, that this time around, the thought of BF'ing a boy weirds me out a little. I know it's a stupid thing to feel, but occasionally the thought creeps into my head.

Help
My MIL is taking DD for a week after the baby is born. She'll keep her while we're in the hospital and is planning a vacation at work so she can do special activities with her while DH and I get adjusted to being home with the new baby. DH & I aren't sure we want Ava gone the whole week, though, so we'll see. My mom stayed with us for a few days after DD was born and was so muc help. This time around I'd rather it be just us at home, but will welcome anyone who wants to come and visit.

[wendstress]

BFing - I suppose I should answer my own QOTD! I BF James until he was 15 months old and it was a great experience. We bonded very closely, and he was (is) very healthy. I fact, aside from early visits to the Dr. to monitor jaundice, and because he was a premie, he has never had to go to the Dr. aside from scheduled well baby visits.

But, pumping is a pain in the rear. I pumped in offices - under a desk once since there was a window. I pumped in bathrooms. I pumped a couple times while driving. I pumped several times while DH drove. Not looking forward to that part again at all. Although I did have the really unique experience to be able to donate breastmilk to a milk bank (I was a cow). Knowing that my milk went on to feed other premature or special needs babies was a reward all to itself.

And not looking forward to the first 2 weeks of BFing. Hell is an adequate description, I suppose. But we got through it. And when my milk came in....OUCH!

The $$ factor is nice, though! For whatever reason, DH never expected me to BF as long as I did. Around 5-6 months with James he said, "I think we should switch over to formula feeding". I said, "Excuse me? Why? Spend $20 a week on formula for something that isn't as good as breastmilk?" He didn't press the issue. I think he was just sick of battling giving James a bottle....and thought if we switched to bottles 100% of the time it would get easier. James NEVER liked bottles. Anyway, I digress.

Part of me is looking forward to BFing again, part of me is looking forward to the day when I can entirely have my body back to myself. I know I'll BF for sure, and enjoy the experience when it comes. I think I'll shoot for 12 months or so.... We'll see!

Help - MIL will no doubt be a huge help, although we haven't asked her yet. Dont' need to, really. DH will take a week off of work. Baby is due during a really bad time in my parents jobs (Dad is CPA, think April 15! And Mom is a teacher with the semester winding down) so I hope they will come down in May for a week or so to help.

I had a check-up today and all was well. Blood pressure was low as always, and HB was 145. I'm thinking girl this week, but I'll probably be back to boy next week. My Dr. is going to screen for BV (bacteria vaginosis) at my next check-up, since there is a potential link to pPROM (preterm premature rupture of membranes), which is what I experienced with PG#1. Big U/S is on November 15th - we can't wait!

[tinkerbell]

Hi

I wanted to post that my DH and I are having a baby boy. We found out this afternoon.

I am having a very hard time right now. We had the 3-D ultrasound done, and the doctor found a spot on the babies brain. He stated that it could be down syndrome, but was not sure. I am so confused right now about what to do. The rest of the ultrasound looked good. When my DH and I were leaving the ultrasound tech told us that if it made us feel better she saw five of the same results today on five other couples ultrasounds. I took my AFP test today, so I will have to wait and see what it says.

I am trying to decide if we should do another ultrasound in a week and then decide on an amino. The doctor suggested an amino, but I wanted to think about it. We have a second ultrasound scheduled for 22 weeks, but I do not want to wait that long.

I have only told my family and two friends. I do not feel up to explaining everything to all my friends. I just needed to write it down here and try and sort out my feelings.

I am sorry that I am not answering any of the questions posted. I will in a few days.

If anyone has advice, I would greatly appreciate it.

[ieducate]

Hello All. I have not posted in a long time, but I read the postings as much as possible to keep up-to-date with all that is happening. Congrats to all those who have found out the gender. My dh and I are not going to find out...we still want it to be a surprise, although we both are predicting a boy. Whatever it is, it is causing me some serious joint/muscle pain in my legs today and I no longer have ankles. :( I thought it would be a bit longer before that happened, but it seems to have happened overnight.

As for BF: I plan to do it...hoping it works out with little or no problems.

Tinkerbell: I hope everything works out just fine. I am sure it will. :)

Anyway, off to work, which I am hating these days. I love the kids and don't seem to have my problems in my classroom, but I am miserable with all the other demands on me as a teacher and the constant walking back and forth and up and down stairs to take the students where they need to be is absolutely killing me. :( It doesn't help that I am working close to 12 hours a day.

Sorry...I went off just now. I am desperate for Thanksgiving break. I hope you are all well. I have my big 20 week appt. one week from today. I cannot wait...as I have not seen the baby since I was 9 weeks preg. I will post pictures when the appt. is done.

Everyone have a great day.

[myshel]

Tinkerbell: First and foremost, congrats on your little boy. Please don't worry about things; I'm sure everything is fine.

ieducate: Argh! I hear you on the whole teacher thing. We have conferences today-- 8-11 am and 4--8:30pm. This will literally suck the life blood from me.

Hope everyone else is feeling well. :)

[happy1nuv]

Tinkerbell ~ Congrats to the boy... I hope all is well and wish you luck in figuring out where to go from here...

QOTD ~ DH will take the first week off, so he'll be home. Then I'm hoping to coerce my mom into taking the next week off (she offered with #1 and we turned her down, since it turned out I didn't need the help...I'm hoping she'll offer again with #2 cause I WILL need the help). I'm getting a little scared about the first 3 months... and, I really don't care about the housework...

TorT'ers ~ We live in a development wiht TONS of kids. The full schoolbus literally makes 2 stops on the main street through my development and leaves EMPTY. But, we went through 4 bags of candy, giving 2 per kid and still had stuff left in the bowl. We're the first street in the development, and there aren't many kids actually on our street... go figure...

[lauren f s]

Tinkerbell: Congrats on the baby boy! I hope everything else turns out okay.

And when my milk came in....OUCH!
Just wanted to add that I was a lucky one - I never felt mine come in. Actually, I wouldn't use lucky because I was taking vicodin at the time and couldn't feel much, but I was a little scared to feel my milk come in and it was nice that I didn't. Also, wendstress reminded me of something. In 13 months of BF'ing Ava - she never took a bottle! It was hell. We literally tried every single trick known to man for the first 5 months before finally giving up. It was nice that she enjoyed BF'ing so much, but really a pain that I couldn't leave her for more than a few hours at a time because nobody else could feed her. I've already told DH that this time around he will be giving this baby a bottle at the same time, every day, from day 1. No way am I going through that again - esp. since I'm working this time around!

[juliemag]

Tinkerbell - congrats on your little boy! As for deciding on the amnio... I guess you just have to ask yourself what you'll do with the results if they are not in your favor. Personally, I wouldn't risk the amnio because the outcome wouldn't change whether I'd carry the pregnancy to term or not. I know it's such a hard decision... and I hope you guys dont have to make it!

Wendstress - I can commiserate. My dad is also a CPA. 2.5 years ago I got married April 24th and he was going NUTS...when he heard I was due in April he was like "oh no, not again!"... :p

Having help - No, I doubt we'll have any professional help. However, I know my mom and dad will be all about helping. In fact, I plan to have the "discussion" with them that if they want to help they can do things like mow the lawn, clean the house, and do the dishes. I just want to make sure they know how I feel about it beforehand so I'm not having the conversation with them in my hormonal post-partum state. :)

[jeggink]

Tinkerbell Sorry you are going throught his tough time. I personally would go back in for an u/s in a week or so to check out the spots. If they didn't find any other soft markers, chances are things are OK. You may also want to consider getting a referal to a Perinatologist, a high risk dr. They probably see this more often and can tell you if it's really a problem. If you do decide on an amnio, it isn't to bad and the risks are low if you have a dr that does them a lot. Hopefully everything is OK.

Well, we got the final results back from the amnio and we do have a genetic problem, something that may be passed on from us. At this point we do not know how severe it is, we have to wait till they test DH and myself and compare. So another 2WW till we get answers again :( .

[Tonysweetie]

tinkerbell: Congratulations on your baby boy! I'm so sorry to hear about the u/s. I'll keep you and your DH in and your son in my prayers! Keep us updated.

jeggink: I'm sorry the results didn't come back like you wanted. I also will be keep your family in my prayers. Hang in there.


My Big u/s is in 3 and 1/2 days and I'm beginning to have mixed feelings about it. First I was sooo excited, was counting down the days til' we found out and now I'm nervous! I'm afraid of the baby hasn't grown much or something. I know I don't need to be worring about it but it's hard not too. I get nervous before every appointment and I just wish I could relax since there isn't anything I can do about it. I'm glad DH will be with me this time. He hasn't been to any of my Dr. apts. or u/s yet so this will make it seem very real to him. He's really excited!

I bought 2 outfits yesterday. I went out to lunch with a friend and then we went to the mall. My friend talked me into getting the 2 outfits and this cute bib that says "Who loves ya baby?" on it. I wasn't planning on buying anything until after we knew what the baby is. Ohwell I couldn't help myslef.

Also yesterday DH broke his finger at work. OUCH! He slammed it in his car door. So he has to go back to the Dr. on Friday to maybe get a cast put on. Well that is all for today. I hope this finds everyone feeling well!

[michael'sbride]

Just wanted to add that I was a lucky one - I never felt mine come in. Actually, I wouldn't use lucky because I was taking vicodin at the time and couldn't feel much, but I was a little scared to feel my milk come in and it was nice that I didn't.

This was the same for me. The vicodin really helped with my milk coming in and with the afterbirth contractions you get from nursing.

tinkerbell - Congrats on your boy! I'm sure that everything will turn out just fine with him. Good luck!

[Sunshine]

Tinkerbell~First, CONGRATULATIONS on your little boy! I hope everything works out for you. Please dont worry, I know that is easier said than done. I just hope everything turns out fine!

[SarahKatG]

Tinkerbell, congrats on your little boy! I'm sorry to hear about the spot on the brain, but wanted to reassure you that these soft markers are incredibly common. DD had a bright spot on her heart that they warned was a marker for Down's. However, with no other markers and a good AFP, they told me that an amnio wasn't necessary and that things were probably fine. I did a lot of research to help reassure myself that the odds were still in my favor. Most babies with Down's show at least one marker (78%, according to my readings) and over 11% of non-Down's babies show one marker (and that 11% is just among babies who have had ultrasounds advanced enough to detect them). I would definitely do the second ultrasound before deciding on an amnio. Also, see if you can get your AFP results sooner. I know that if I go into the blood diagnostic place I go to they can give me my results in 2-3 days. Those numbers might give you more answers. I know I've seen threads about this on this site before (I've posted in several) so if you search I think you'll find many mothers who share this experience who have gone on to have healthy children.

[annielynn]

Tinkerbell - Congratulations on your son! Boys rock. Try to think good thoughts and listen all these ladies who have been through it. I will be thinking about you guys.

jeggink - I am so sorry to hear about your amnio results. I hope that your 2ww brings some sense of relief

ME - I just got back from my latest installement of Drs Appt. Went well. Visiting with the PA in order to go over my medical history. Then saw my OB.

BP - 110/60 (very good! GO ME!!)
weight - gained zero! (GO ME AGAIN!!)
HB - 155

Everything looks great. The best part was that the lab had enough blood from my recent passing out episode to do my full prenatal profile! YEAH I don't have to go back in for that. The only blood letting that is left is my glucose test. :) Outstanding.

I got my bad o' goodies too. I have about 6 magazine to look at today while I am at work and I don't want to do anything.

Next appt Nov 30th at 10:50. The big u/s is going to wait until the middle of december just in case we decide between now and then to find out if this is a boy baby or a girl baby. Still debating this one.

[juliemag]

jeggink - I'm so sorry about your news. ((hugs))

tonysweetie - Girl, you need to calm down! Worrying doesn't do any good, and like you said there's nothing you can do to control what's happening in your belly. It sounds like you got some items at the mall! Seriously, the day I found out I was at the mall buying stuff. teehee. :)

annielynn - woohoo on the zero weight gain!!

[lauren f s]

I've been having really bad, contraction-like cramping for almost 2 hours now and it's worrying me a little. And hurting a lot. I'm going into the dr to check the little man and make sure everything's okay. Please say a little prayer that is is.

[annielynn]

oh, Lauren I am thinking about you. Please check back in when you can!!

[Sunshine]

lauren f s~I'm thinking of you, and hoping that your boy is okay.
Will be waiting for your return.

[myshel]

Lauren, thinking of you. Hope all is well.

[Tonysweetie]

Laruen: Thinking of you and your little man. I'll be praying everything is fine.

[lauren f s]

I'm embarassed :o . I was having Braxton Hicks contractions. In my defense, though, I never once had them with DD so I certainly wasn't expecting them with this one, especially at 18 weeks. Lots of simple tests and an u/s later and all is fine. :)

[myshel]

I'm embarassed :o . I was having Braxton Hicks contractions. In my defense, though, I never once had them with DD so I certainly wasn't expecting them with this one, especially at 18 weeks. Lots of simple tests and an u/s later and all is fine. :)

Oh, honey, it's okay. I've been having them too. I was getting them really bad during parent/teacher conferences last night. When I came home, I was thinking of you and wondered if it might BHs.

[Tonysweetie]

Lauren: Oh, Don't be embarrassed. I haven't experienced them yet so when I do I'm sure I'll be the same way. Hey at least you got to have another U/S! hehe. :D


I've got a question. I've noticed I'm developing this brownish looking rash all over my upper and lower stomach. It's also on the side of my breasts and a little on my back. It itches like mad crazy and it feels like super dry skin. What is this? It's gotten worse over the past few weeks. I've been putting on cocoa butter lotion like nuts but it won't go away!

[happy1nuv]

lauren ~ Thinking of you and hoping all is fine with the lil man...

jeggin ~ You're in my prayers... hopefully it's a lot of worry for nothing!

[juliemag]

Lauren - I am so glad everything turned out ok! Wow, braxton hicks already!

[Sunshine]

Lauren~That is SO GREAT that everything is okay! I didnt realize you could get BH so early! Yikes!

[michael'sbride]

Lauren - I've been getting them too. I started getting them at about 20 weeks with #2 and they weren't as painful as the ones I'm getting with this one. I think its because my uterus is still on the small side. Makes it more intense.

[lil_nance]

lauren Glad to hear everything is ok. I had contractions with DS along with unexplained spotting. Staying super hydrated helped with the contractions. I need to be better about this with #2. I get busy chasing DS and forget to drink.

jeggink hope everything is ok. ((hugs))

tinkerbell My thoughts are with you. Hope you get more good news soon.

[kimthebride]

Milk Coming In
I felt it, saw it and when DH walked into the room the morning it was in he said "hey babe how are you...OH MY GOD!!" lol! It came fast & furious, and I am so so so happy I wore a nursing sleep bra 24x7 as soon as I got to clean up after delivery. It was good to have that extra support over night when it came in.

Bottles & Boobs
A perk of my BFing troubles was that DS took EBM in bottles at least 1x a day from 3 days old. So I did get to take some breaks. I definitely recommend pumping some bottles and getting your baby to take a bottle of EBM once every day or so just so you are allowed some freedom. As a BFing mom, I can't tell you how exhilerating it was to go to the movies by myself for a few hours of escape while DH easily sat at home with DS & a bottle. ;)

Help
It depends on where we are living, our condo or a house (we're trying to sell & buy right now!).
With DS, my DH's very well-meaning big family all came in at once from out of town and stayed with us and it was overwhelming for me.
If we have a house, we'll have a guest room (or 2) so I won't mind my mom in one room and my MIL in the other. If other family wants to come in, I'll find a close hotel or they can stay with other family and I'll have a visiting timeframe of maybe 10am-8pm. This will keep it much more reasonable for us.
I most appreciated help with cleaning, cooking, keeping me & DH fed, running errands for us, and watching DS while I took a shower or quick walk. I'll really appreciate someone watching DS, taking him to the park etc.
DH will likely take a week or so off, like he did with DS. He's by my side the whole time, so someone else to help take care of him as well would be great.

tinkerbell
If it were me I would get the 2nd u/s before deciding on the amnio. I've read that there can be "markers" that turn out to be nothing quite often. I hope this is the case for you.
And since I am a research maniac who likes to know all angles, I'd also start researching Down's - what it takes to raise a Down's baby, etc. I know there is a mom here who started a thread that was very informative, just last month. Maybe check that out as well to cover all bases.

ieducate
I am sorry to hear about your cankles. ;) I also am getting loose already, and that little tendon thing that connects my right leg to my groin can 'pull' during the simplest movement, causing me to waddle & limp already! Very sexy.

jeggink
I do hope it turns out to be a carrier issue and not an actual issue for baby.
I don't know if I mentioned this before, but I had a nephew who died of a genetic disorder and I didn't get the test until after I found out I was pg. This disorder actually affects 1 in 4 babies I'd give birth to (if I was a carrier), and that child would not live past age 2. Wellll...there were delays, and I ended up having to wait about 10 weeks for the results and was well into my 2nd trimester by then.
In the end, i didn't carry it and everything was ok. But during that wait I just tried to be positive and pray for the best. It was hard, but we made it through.
I do hope you get good results. I've been there, and am hoping for the best for you.

tonysweetie
ITA with julie - try to calm down! Focus on the joy of seeing baby again, not imagining bad things. It's not good for you to be driving yourself crazy.
As for the rash, have you always used that cream? Your skin gets more sensitive a lot of the time when pg, so maybe the cream - and the extra you are using - is causing the rash. I get so dry and itchy and sensitive when pg, its hard to find a lotion that doesn't irritate.

annielynn
So good to hear everything went well. Yay for you!
Am I disturbed that I am actually looking forward to my 1 hour glucose test? The drink they give at my office tastes soooo goooood.

lauren fs
I'd be freaking out if I had BH, too. Don't be embarassed! I'd have done the same thing.

Me
I am still so tired, and the lessening m/s was just me being optimistic. So I'm only 3.5 weeks from my halfway point and still feeling like poop. Ugh so frustrating.
But I do feel baby moving around more often, which is nice. I have been kind of in a bit of denial about this pregnancy - basically not obsessing like I was with DS. Between the m/s and caring for an active toddler and not knowing if we'll be here in the (way too small for 2 kids) condo or moving into a house...its just more than I can focus on at once!

[Tonysweetie]

Kimthebride: Yes, I've always used this lotion, nothing new, it's just this itchy reddish/brownish rash started appearing over the past couple of weeks. I went to Motherhood Maternity the other day and this lady suggested this Cocoa Oil stuff but I'm afraid to try it.

[lil_nance]

need m/s help Yes, I know this is supposed to be going away but it's not. Lucky me. :rolleyes: My gag reflex is sensitive. It's worse in the morning and at dinner. My OB suggested 25mg of B6. For those of you who've had m/s does it work? Any other suggestions?

lotion I use Cetaphil, well the Rite Aid cheapie version but it's great.

bottles & bf Yes, give the occasional bottle. I stopped bottles at 3mo because bf-ing was so easy. Well, at 6mo when I or DH wanted DS to take a bottle, he hated it. Took a couple of weeks to get him to take one and he'd only take formula. He never took any EBM after the first 3mo. Didn't matter if it was frozen or fresh he only wanted BM from the tap.

help My mom will come out for a week or two. With DS, he came early and she wasn't here yet. Our first night home was horrible. DS wouldn't sleep so no one did. The next day I called the neighbor in a panic. She was nice enough to come over and just hold DS so DH and I could get some sleep and be able to function. I'm hoping I can get a few friends to take DS for playdates during that first month. I'm sure he'll need to get out of the house.

[Tonysweetie]

lil_nance: I have no advice for you on the m/s front but I sure hope you feel better! Hang in there!


Last night DH and I went out to dinner at Arbys, and man did I ever pig out! I ate 2 roast beef sandwhiches, fries, and cheese sticks and a coke! What is wrong with me? lol. We were out car shopping and all of sudden I had the biggest craving for Arbys. Is anyone else getting nutty cravings? I mean when I get them I GET THEM and I have to have whatever it is NOW! lol. DH thinks I'm crazy. After I ate it though I felt ever so guilty and felt awful. I ate way to much and was so full that when we got home I went straight to bed and slept it off. :rolleyes:

I'm starting to get VERY excited about the BIG U/S on Monday. I know I was a little nervous before but you ladies helped me calmed down. I realized that I'm sure everything is fine and if it isnt' there isn't anything I can do about it. I had a dream last night it was Girl. That is my first gender dream so I wonder if that is a sign. Everyone keeps predicting boy though so I guess we'll see. I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!!!

[kimthebride]

need m/s help ... My OB suggested 25mg of B6. For those of you who've had m/s does it work? Any other suggestions?
Sorry you still feel like crap. I have some decent days, but its not on its way out - I can tell you that.

When I was really sick before able to get in to see my OB, I took the Unisom/B6 combo. I believe it was 1/2 a Unisom tablet and 10-25mg B6 every 6 hours. It helped me out until I could get my Zofran. Otherwise, ask for the prenatal Premesis Rx, which releases 75mg B6 throughout the day.

Also, go to the thread I started in the Pregnancy forum about "Hyperemesis & Severe M/S" for a link to a website for more info on how B6 helps with m/s and other helpful information on fighting it.

[myshel]

Ack! I thought the sickness was gone. Boy, was I wrong! Yesterday as we were getting ready to leave for the day, I threw up in the sink. UGH! Not hat I was hoping for.

In other news, I had another baby dream last night. In this one, I had the baby at home because we couldn't leave in enough time. I remember that the whole thing didn't hurt at all, but that DH was having a hard time delivering my placenta. The EMTs arrived to do that just in time. The abay is the dream was a BOY. This means I've had two boy dreams. I'm wondering if it's my intuition telling me something or if it's just my wishful thinking.

The one thing I'm super excited about-- We bought a new bed last night! Yay! DH and I have been sleeping on a full size bed for five years. DH is 6'3" and about 275 pounds. I'm not super short myself. I'm hoping the new bed will provide better sleep for both of us. DH is picking it up today.

[MarriedaGoalie]

WOW, I'm way far behind. DH and I just got back being gone for a week. My grandfather passed away last Friday, so we spent all weekend through Tuesday in Wichita with that (the funeral was on Tuesday) and then we flew out to Las Vegas on Wednesday and just got back yesterday. I'm just trying to take things easy and rest now... the baby and I were all kinds of stressed out this past week, I'm sure.

I do have good news, though... DH finally felt the baby move for the first time! He was so excited!! :)

I have my next doctor's appointment tomorrow (Monday) afternoon at 3:45. Hopefully we will be able to schedule the big u/s then! :)

[happy1nuv]

Cravings ~ Yeah, I get them BAD too. Like, yesterday I HAD to have an artichoke. HAD TO. (luckily, I had some) but you'd think I was a stalker the way I was watching the pot for the HALF HOUR they had to cook... (aren't I the good girl that craves veggies...HA... usually its more like pizza, cheese -- cheddar cheese. gotta have it. nahhh.. .its not fattening or anything so why not eat the whole block...hahahaha... or something chocolatey and bad for you...)

[Tonysweetie]

happy1nuv: lol that's funny! Earlier I HAD TO HAVE an Arbys sandwhich...again. NEVER again will I eat Arbys. Well not never but not for a while. I feel awful! lol. I've got to start craving something healthier. :rolleyes:


Less than 24 hours til' we find out!!!! WHOOO HOOOOO!!!!

[kimthebride]

Everyone have a nice weekend?

I was really sick and headachy late last week, then the ILs came in for a long weekend. Busy, exhausting. So not much to report. but I do think my bump really grew last week. Will try to get a pic tomorrow.

[juliemag]

Morning all... :)

This weekend was wonderful. It was my 28th birthday on Sunday so we did a lot for that. DH was wonderful and got me a gift certificate for a manicure, pedicure and facial from my favorite spa. I am SO EXCITED about going! :D

Threadmistress, please change my age to 28.

My dad took me shopping and got me new work shoes and some clothes from motherhood for work. I had a small dinner party on saturday night and cooked some yummy chicken parm. MMMMM!

Here is my 18 week boy belly pic...
http://pics.livejournal.com/juliemag/pic/00082phb/s640x480

[lauren f s]

Happy belated birthday Julie!! Sounds like you had a fantastic one!

I spent my weekend resting. We ran a few errands and I did a little baking with DD, but other than that not much.

DH got to feel the little man move this morning and was so excited! He's been really active lately and seems to be awake and moving around all the time. I know DH's been a little upset that he hasn't been able to feel it, but this morning he felt 3 good kicks. :D

[Tonysweetie]

juliemag: Very cute belly shot!!! Your looking really round and classic boy belly. :)


Good Afternoon! I'm leaving for the BIG u/s in about 15 minutes. I'm a little nervous but mainly b/c of having to have a full bladder for it! I hope I can hold it for another hour and 1/2, lol. It's super uncomfterable. I don't remember if being this uncomfterable the last time. Of course I was only 8 weeks then too. After the U/S were going to pick up our new car! DH bought a 2002 white Mustang GT yesterday so I'm super excited!!! He's been wanting one for soooo long so we finally did it. YAY! I was sorta wanting a more practical car with 4 doors but there was no talking him out of it :D It's okay my Saturn is a 4 door so that'll work. The guy that sold it to DH told him that in the back seat already has child safety straps for car seats. I thought that was pretty neat. I haven't checked them out but still nice to know. :) Well that is all. I'll be back to post baby pictures and hopefully have some good news to share! God Bless!!!

[juliemag]

Tonysweetie - good luck at your u/s!! Can't wait to find out what you're having!

[MarriedaGoalie]

Tonysweetie: Hurry back!! I wanna know what you're having! :)

[annielynn]

You mean Tonysweetie isn't back yet?! I have been waiting for what seems like hours! HURRY HURRY

We had a very busy weekend. We are getting ready for my DS 2nd birthday so there are a lot of pre party planning to happen between now and Saturday. I am feeling really great (which is good news!) Feeling very round all of a sudden and already running out of clothes to wear. I have to remedy that soon. I cannot keep wearing the same darn clothes. ;)

Happy belated birthday Julie!

Oh, and I am feeling this little one move more and more each day. Love it! I dont think that it will be long before DH can feel. :)

[Tonysweetie]

I'm back and NO NEWS! :( The tech. couldn't tell. She really tried. She said she has a guess but didn't want to get my hopes up. So were trying again in 2 weeks. The baby was wiggling all over the place. We got some great shots! She said the baby weighs 4 oz. hehe YAY! DH loved it, that was his first time. :) Here are baby photos....

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f184/Tonysweetie/BabyJones2.png

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f184/Tonysweetie/BabyJones3.jpg

Heartbeat was 150! My Mom thinks she see's a boy part in the leg picture but I don't think that is what she's really seeing, lol. Wishful thiking I suspose. So 2 more weeks of wait. I'm just happy we saw the baby!

[kimthebride]

tonysweetie
Argh! on your behalf!! So when is your next appt, when you can find out?

annielynn
Hapy Birthday Jack! I hope you have a wonderful day. :)

lauren
Oh how exciting. DH is dying to be able to feel the movement.

juliemag
Cute bump! Oh, and can I please hang out with your dad? I'd love some help maternity shopping....;) Happy Birthday!

Gender Bias
The ILs were in this weekend and then we went to a charity event where there were a TON of MIL's friends. Every. Single. One. wants me to have a girl. They kept saying "no pressure! HAHAHA!!!! (wink wink)" It was so annoying! I really want a daughter, but it would also be pretty fun to have another boy for DS to play with. So I have no bias...anymore. But I feel like the world is either going to scream or sigh in disappointment when they hear the gender. Everyone asked when I'd find out, and when I'd say "Oh after Thanksgiving" they'd request the actual u/s date so they'd know exactly when. No pressure!
Anyone else dealing with this?

[annielynn]

Gender Bias and Family - The concensus from my ILs is they want a little girl. My side of the family has no real preference. They are all about me finding out in December though. I am still undecided about it. I am really on the fence about finding out. The more that I think about which I would rather have the more I really want another little boy. I love playing with my DS so much and I think that he would bond faster with a little brother for some reason. But we were blessed with a little girl it would make our happy little family complete. 1 and 1, perfect nuclear family.

Tonysweetie - You tell that little baby of yours to sit still for the next u/s. Silly baby. I love your pictures though. He/She is getting to be so big already.

Kim It sounds like that if the IL could "will" you to have a little girl, they would most certainly would. ;) You will have to post their reaction after you find out?!

[MarriedaGoalie]

Aww... so sad for you, Tonysweetie!! :( Oh well, at least you get to try again, huh?! :)

I had my doctor's appointment today too, but it's not the big one yet. We did schedule the big one for two weeks from today (November 20th) and then I have my regular checkup on December 18th as well.

As for today's visit, everything was great. You could hear the baby's heartbeat loud and clear! The heartbeat was about 140. My blood pressure was 100/70, which she said was really good. Also, according to the doctor's scales, I've gained 5lbs, but I think I had already lost 3 lbs by the time I went to my first doctor's appointment. My scale at home says I've gained 2-3 lbs. It varies from day to day. Today I also got my blood drawn for my quad screening. They said they should have my results back within the next couple of days. I'm excited, but also a little scared about the results!

[myshel]

Tonysweetie: Sorry you didn't get the BIG results today. It's nice that you get to try again though!

I had another OB appointment today. Everything looked great. I got to hear the baby's hb-- 162. The OB joked that it could be a girl, but then said that it's only a 50% chance. What a goofball! That's why I like my OB.

My next appointment and big u/s are going to happen on the same day-- December 4th! I'm kinda bummed that I have to wait that long, but I'll survive.

[Tonysweetie]

Thanks girls! I was bummed but not upset or anything. Not much I can do about it. I'm just happy the baby was moving, has really grown since the last time we saw and had a nice strong heartbeat. So I'm counting my blessings. :) I don't know when my next apt. for another U/S will be. I'm not 100 percent we'll get too. It depends on insurance so we might be having a SURPRISE baby. I'm fine w/that really. I'll know more at my next apt. on the 20th.



Gender Bias and Family : Yes!!! It's driving me nutso actually! They actually act like it would be bad if were having a baby girl. DH wants a boy (although he says he doesn't care which) and my MIL wants a boy soooo bad! I'm happy either way really but I wish everyone would jus tbe happy with whatever we get. :)