December 2006 Mommies ~ Here come the babies!

[December06Mommies]

The Fun Has Begun! The Babies Are Coming!

http://images.snapfish.com/34674%3C889%7Ffp339%3Enu%3D3252%3E563%3E%3A55%3EWS NRCG%3D323362%3B5%3A8%3A%3A5nu0mrj

Please list your stats in RED in your first post.

Username:
Me: Name, age
DH: Name, age
Married: Date
TTC: Date
BFP: Date
EDD: Date
Gender Prediction:
Any other children:

*Please posts all updates in RED.
*When posting, please put in the subject line how far along you are!


Image courtesy of www.annegeddes.com

Threadmistress' ~ Delaney21, sophiapb and Carissa

[December06Mommies]

Moms to be ~5

New Mommies ~ 22

Mandersald-Noah Benjamin
Delaney21-Mitchell Martin
Rosa727-Grady Eric
Rancid13-Tyler Kekoa
Chris'slady-Ella Rose
sophiapb-Elizabeth Zoe and Corinne Victoria
Teresita-Finnian Maddox
Mobox-Samuel Lee
Carissa-Jonah Eric
AmyE-Julia Grace and Benjamin Luke
fms-Brendon Sean
polydactylcat-Hiro Joseph
msnicolea-Lucas "Luke" Shannon
Sandy-Tyler Keene
janu98-Ameer
VeekaSF-Anthony Steven
bluebunny-MJ
NJMom-Joshua Adam
Sunshine0928-Grace Elizabeth
Kimmer-Justin Antoine
tinkerbelljenny-Trever Martin Alan
marteneym-Madison Kay
Baby count to date:

17 BOYS, 7 GIRLS

[December06Mommies]

Allison78-GIRL!
Me: Allison, 27
DH: Shawn, 29
Married: January 17, 2004
TTC: March 2006
BFP: April 17, 2006
EDD: December 27, 2006
Gender Prediction: No Idea
Any other children: No

AmyE-TWINS! BOY! & GIRL!
Julia Grace and Benjamin Luke are here!
Me: Amy, 34
DH: J, 34
Married: Oct 2002
TTC: ummm, whoops!
BFP: April 27
EDD: Dec 28
ADD: Dec 6
Gender Prediction: would like a girl; think it'll be a boy
Any other children: DS, April 2005

bluebunny-GIRL!
MJ is here!
Me: 31
DH: 32
Married: 9/01
TTC: 3/06 (SWH since 12/05)
BFP: April 18
EDD: Christmas
ADD: December 21
Gender Prediction: girl
Any other children: DS, 10/04

Carissa-BOY!
Jonah Eric is here!
Me: Carissa, 26
DH: Eric, 25
Married: 8/17/02
TTC: Didn't have one
BFP: 4/19/06
EDD: December 26th, 2006
ADD: December 7, 2006
Gender Prediction: Girl
Any other children: Daughter Grace 5/15/05

Chris'slady-GIRL!
Ella Rose is here!
Me: 23
DH: 31
Married: August 20,2005
TTC: NOT
BFP: 4/7/06
EDD: 12/10/06
ADD: 12/3/06
Gender Prediction: I WANT A GIRL
Any other children: pomeranian

Delaney21-BOY!
Mitchell Martin is here!
Me: Jessica, 26
DH: Kyle, 27
Married: June 14, 2003
TTC: Off BC 2/06, Charting 10/06
BFP: 3/30/06
EDD: 12/10/06
ADD: 11/20/06
Gender Prediction: I dont know why, but I think boy!
Any other children: Just 2 kitties

[December06Mommies]

fms-SURPRISE!
Brendon Sean is here!
Me: 29
DH: 31
Married: June 22, 2002
TTC: Off BC 3/06
BFP: 04/05/06 (how weird is that??)
EDD: 12/16/06
ADD: 12/12/06
Gender Prediction: DH wants a boy, I don't care
Any other children: 2 kitties

janu98-BOY!
Ameer is here!
Me: Mona, 27
Married: 9/3/04
TTC: 1/1/06
BFP: 4/25/06
EDD: 12/26/06 or 12/27/06
ADD: 12/14/06
Gender Prediction:We found out its a boy!!
Any other children: 0

jenchicago
Me: Jen Breen, 29
DH: Jim, 34
Married: 3.25.06
TTC: 3.25.06
BFP: 4.16.06 (honeymoon baby!)
EDD: 12.21.06
Gender pred: none
No other children

katmg-GIRL!
Me: Katherine, 26
DH: Jim, 31
Married: 11/03
TTC: 01/05
BFP: 4/28/06
EDD: 12/31/06
Gender Prediction: none so far
Any other children: just our dog, Beau

Kimmer-BOY!
Justin Antoine is here!
Me: Kimmer 30
DH: Ant 30
Married: Nov 5, 2005
TTC: Dec 2005
BFP: 4/06/06
EDD: 12/16/06
ADD: 12/22/06
Gender Prediction: I have no clue

mandersald-SURPRISE!
Noah Benjamin is here!
Me: Manders, 25
DH: DH, 26
Married: August 27, 2004
TTC: March 2006
BFP: April 1
EDD: December 12, 2006
ADD: November 2, 2006
Gender Prediction: boy??
Any other children: furbabies

[December06Mommies]

Marteneym-GIRL!~Madison Kay
Madison Kay is here!
Me: 23
DH: 28
Married: Oct 4, 2003
TTC: Since 9/22/04
BFP: 4/7/06
EDD: 12/17/06
ADD: 12/13/06
Gender Prediction: Boy?
Any other children: 2dogs and 2cats


Mobox-BOY!
Samuel Lee is here!
Me: Maureen, 36
DH: Dave, 36
Married: 6/19/04
TTC: 4/1/05
BFP: 4/10/06
EDD: 12/15/06
ADD: 12/5/06
Gender Prediction: Have no idea
Any other children: This is our first

mommy2allyandaveri
Me: Kim, 26
DH: Matt, 26
Married: 9/21/02
EDD: 12/6/06
Gender Prediction: Girl
Any other children: Allyson

msnicolea-BOY!
Lucas "Luke" Shannon is here!
Me: Nicole, 35
DH: Josh, 33
Married: 10.11.03
TTC: 08.04 (m/c 1.05)
BFP: 04.19.06
EDD: 12.15.06
ADD: 12.12.06
Gender Prediction: No idea--and could not care less!
Any other children: None

NJMom-BOY!
Joshua Adam is here!
Me: Jen, age 36
DH: 46
Married: 9/14/02
TTC: Not, it was a surprise
BFP: 4/29/06
EDD: 12/29/06
ADD: 12/21/06
Gender Prediction: ?
Any other children: twin boys, Jacob and Brayden 2/15/05

[December06Mommies]

pacificbliss-BOY!
Me: D, 31
DH: J, 31
Married: 03/12/2004
TTC: August 05-Miscarried in October at 8 weeks
BFP: April 12, 2006
EDD: 12/21/06
Gender Prediction:not yet
Any other children: none

polydactylcat-BOY!
Hiro Joseph is here!
Me: Megumi, 27
DH: Joe, 28
Married: June 8 2001
BFP: April 22, 2006
EDD: December 23, 2006
ADD: December 12, 2006
Gender Prediction: Clueless. Honestly.
Any other Children: Daughter, December 23, 2002

Rancid13-BOY!
Tyler Kekoa is here!
Me: Jennifer, 28
DH: Sonny, 31
Married: 12/13/2003
TTC: March 1, 2006
BFP: March 25, 2006
EDD: December 3, 2006
ADD: December 2, 2006
Gender Prediction: Girl!!!
Any other children: This is our first

Rileymom
Me: Sheryl, 39
DH: Steve, 45
Married: 9/15/01
TTC: March 06 (this time around)
angel baby: 9/05
BFP: 4/5/06
EDD: December 13
Gender Prediction: None
Any other children: My sweet girl, Riley who is 3 in July

rosa727-BOY!
Grady Eric is here!
Me: Rose-Anne, 27
DH: Eric, 28
Married: July 27, 2002
TTC: March 2006
BFP: March 23
EDD: December 3, 2006
ADD: November 27, 2006
Gender Prediction: I had a dream the other night that the baby was here and it was a GIRL so I will go with that for now!
Any other children: none

[December06Mommies]

Sandy-BOY!
Tyler Keene is here!
Me: Sandy, 27
DH: Nathan, 30
Married: 6/29/02
TTC: Jan 06
BFP: April 21, 2006
EDD: Dec. 31, 2006
ADD: Dec. 14, 2006
Gender Prediction: no clue!
Any other children: this is my first

sophiapb-SURPRISE!
Elizabeth Zoe and Corinne Victoria are here!
Me: Sophia, 39
DH: John, 33
Married: 5/18/02
TTC: March 06
BFP: 4/18/06
EDD: 12/24/06
ADD: 12/4/06
Gender Prediction: Don't care as long as the baby is healthy
Any other children: Alexa 5/26/05, Alexander 5/26/05-stillborn

Sunshine0928-GIRL!
Grace Elizabeth is here!
Me: Lisa, 30
DH: K, 34
Married: 6/28/02
TTC: Can't remember exactly..end of 2004. Miscarriage 7/05
BFP: 4/11/06
EDD: 12/20/06
ADD: 12/22/06
Gender Prediction: No idea
Any other children: Golden Retriever

Teresita-BOY!
Finnian Maddox is here!
Me: Terry, 33
DH: Gavin, 31
Married: 6-1-02
TTC: 3-06
BFP: 4-6-06
EDD: 12-18-06
ADD: 12-5-06
Gender Prediction: ?
Any other children: Mia Elise, born 7-24-04

tinkerbelljenny-BOY!
Trever Martin Alan is here!
Me: Name, age Jenny 32
DH: Name, age Gary 41
Married: Date 10/20/02
EDD: Dec 23
ADD: Dec 20
Gender Prediction: boy
Any other children: Tyler 7/15/03 (son)

VeekaSF-SURPRISE!
Anthony Steven is here!
Me: Veeka, 27
DH: Steve, 35
Married: 09.23.05
TTC: 03.09.06
BFP: 04.22.06
EDD: 12.24.06
ADD: 12.18.06
Gender Prediction: I think it is a BOY, DH thinks it is a GIRL... As long as it is a healthy baby, we do not care
Any other children: None

In our thoughts:
IEducate, ag05, LadyD088, giry76, almostthere, da1sy, purplesunshine7, bellabonga

[December06Mommies]

saved

[December06Mommies]

Birthdays and Due Dates

Birthdays

November
2- Mandersald (Noah Benjamin)
20-Delaney21 (Mitchell Martin)
27-Rosa727 (Grady Eric)

December
2-Rancid13 (Tyler Kekoa)
3-Chris'slady (Ella Rose)
4-sophiapb (Elizabeth Zoe and Corinne Victoria)
5-Teresita (Finnian Maddox)
5-Mobox (Samuel Lee)
6-AmyE (Julia Grace and Benjamin Luke)
7-Carissa (Jonah Eric)
12-fms (Brendon Sean)
12-polydactylcat (Hiro Joseph)
12-msnicolea (Lucas "Luke" Shannon)
14-Sandy (Tyler Keene)
14-janu98 (Ameer)
18-VeekaSF (Anthony Steven)
20-tinkerbelljenny (Trever Martin Alan)
21-NJMom (Joshua Adam)
22-Sunshine0928 (Grace Elizabeth)
22-Kimmer (Justin Antoine)


Due Dates

December
1-
2-
3- rosa727, Rancid13
4-
5-
6-
7-
8-
9-
10- Delaney21, Chris'slady
11-
12-mandersald
13-Rileymom
14-
15-msnicolea, Mobox
16-Kimmer, fms
17-Marteneym
18-Teresita
19-
20-Sunshine0928
21-pacificbliss, jenchicago
22-
23-polydactylcat
24-sophiapb, VeekaSF
25-tinkerbelljenny, bluebunny
26-Carissa, janu98
27-Allison78
28-AmyE
29-NJMom
30-
31-Sandy, katmg

[December06Mommies]

Helpful Links
Please feel free to suggest others.

Weekly Pregnancy Updates:
American Baby (www.americanbaby.com)
Baby Center (www.babycenter.com)
BabyZone (www.babyzone.com)
iVillage (www.ivillage.com)
StorkNet (www.pregnancyguideonline.com)
Target (www.target.com)
Very Best Baby (www.verybestbaby.com)


Tickers:
Baby's First Site (www.babysfirstsite.com)
Baby Gaga (www.baby-gaga.com)
Lilypie (www.lilypie.com)
One In The Oven (www.oneintheoven.net)
Sure Baby (www.surebaby.com)
Ticker Central (www.tickercentral.com)
Ticker Factory (www.tickerfactory.com)


Miscellaneous Informative Sites:
American Baby (www.americanbaby.com)
American Pregnancy Association (www.americanpregnancy.org)
Baby Names (www.babynames.com)
Baby Net (www.babynet.com)
Baby Talk (www.babytalk.com)
BetaBase (www.betabase.info)
Dr. Sears (www.askdrsears.com)
iVillage (www.ivillage.com)
ePregnancy (www.epregnancy.com)
Daily Cycle Information & Calendar (www.cycledaily.com)
Fertility Awareness & Natural Family Planning UK (www.fertilityuk.org)
Fertility Friend (www.fertilityfriend.com)
Fit Pregnancy Magazine (www.fitpregnancy.com)
I Dream of Baby (www.idreamofbaby.com)
National Women’s Health Information Center (www.4women.com)
New York Online Access To Health: Pregnancy & Fertility (http://www.noah-health.org/en/pregnancy/)
Parent Stages (http://www.noah-health.org/en/pregnancy/)
http://preconception.com
Safe Fetus (Tells you which drugs you can take during pregnancy) (www.safefetus.com)
Very Best Baby (www.verybestbaby.com)


Maternity Shopping Sites:
A Pea In The Pod (http://www.apeainthepod.com/enter.asp?Media=&referer=http://www.constantchatter.com&EntryPoint=Home&YahooRedirect=True)
Baby Style (www.babystyle.com)
Belly Basics (www.bellybasics.com)
Bella Materna (www.bellamaterna.com)
Gap Maternity (http://www.gap.com/browse/subDivision.do?cid=5999)
JCPenney (www.jcpenney.com)
Mimi Maternity (http://www.mimimaternity.com/home.asp?Media=Motherhood)
Mom's The Word (www.momstheword.com)
Motherhood Maternity (http://www.motherhood.com/home.asp?Media=LinkShare|1xxcmpLMYS8-)
Old Navy (http://www.oldnavy.com/browse/division.do?cid=5758)
Target (www.target.com)
Lane Bryant (http://www.lbcatalog.com/lbcatalog/layout/layout.asp?referer=1&dept_id=7221&rootdept=600&)


Baby Registries:
Babies 'R Us (www.babiesrus.com)
Baby Center (www.babycenter.com)
Baby Depot (http://www.burlingtoncoatfactory.com/IWStoreBCF.process?IWAction=Load&proc=IWCatSectionView&Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id=1395)
BabyStyle (www.babystyle.com)
Buy Buy Baby (www.buybuybaby.com)
Sears (www.sears.com)
Target (www.target.com)
USA Baby (www.usababy.com)
Walmart (www.walmart.com)


Baby Shopping Sites:
Baby Age (www.babyage.com)
Baby Ant (http://store.yahoo.com/babyant/index.html)
Baby Bazaar (www.babybazaar.com)
BabyBox (www.babybox.com)
Baby Center's Store (www.store.babycenter.com)
Baby Depot (http://www.burlingtoncoatfactory.com/IWStoreBCF.process?IWAction=Load&proc=IWCatSectionView&Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id=1395)
Baby Dilly (www.babydilly.com)
Baby Dreams (www.babydreams.com)
Babies 'R Us (www.babiesrus.com)
Baby Style (www.babystyle.com)
Baby Universe (www.babyuniverse.com)
Carousel Designs (www.carouseldesigns.com)
Dimples & Dandelions (http://www.dimplesanddandelions.com/index.asp)
Disney Baby (http://disney.go.com/disneybaby/)
Dreamtime Baby (www.dreamtimebaby.com)
Elegant Baby (www.elegantbabygifts.com)
Fisher Price (http://www.fisher-price.com/us/default.asp)
Gap (www.gap.com)
Graco (http://www.gracobaby.com/default.aspx)
Gymboree (www.gymboree.com)
In The Treetop (http://www.inthetreetop.com/default.aspx)
JCPenney (www.jcpenney.com)
Land of Nod (www.landofnod.com)
Little Show Offs (www.littleshowoffs.com)
Net Kids Wear (www.netkidswear.com)
Nursery Depot (www.nurserydepot.com)
Old Navy (www.oldnavy.com)
One of a Kind (www.oneofakindkid.com)
One Step Ahead (http://www.onestepahead.com/jump.jsp?lGen=category&itemType=GATEWAY&itemID=117&iMainCat=117&change=117)
Pokkadots (www.pokkadots.com/index.cfm)
Pottery Barn Kids (www.potterybarnkids.com)
Signature Baby (www.signaturebaby.com)
Target Baby (http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html/ref=nav_t_spc_3_1/601-7181921-9687331?%5Fencoding=UTF8&node=1038590)
The Baby Marketplace (www.thebabymarketplace.com)
The Children's Place (www.thechildrensplace.com)
Tutti Bella (www.tuttibella.com)
Wendy Bellissimo (http://www.wendybellissimo.com/home/index.php)
Overview Baby Skin Products (http://www.cosmeticscop.com/learn/article.asp?PAGETYPE=ART&REFER=SKIN&ID=14)

[December06Mommies]

Helpful Links Cont.

Delivery/Birthing Options (OB, Midwives, Doulas, birthcenters, etc.)
birthcenters.org (www.birthcenters.org)
American College of Obstetrics & Gynocology (www.acog.org)
American College of Nurse-Midwives (www.acnm.org)
Maternitywise (www.maternitywise.org)
Lamaze (www.lamaze.org)
Bradley Birth (www.bradleybirth.com)
Birthing FromWithin (www.birthingfromwithin.com)
Birthworks (www.birthworks.com)
HypBirth (http://hypbirth.com)
HypnoBirthing (www.hypnobirthing.com)
Assn. of Labor Assts. & Childbirth Educators (www.alace.org)
International Childbirth Education Assn. (www.icea.org)
Water Birth (http://waterbirth.org/spa/index.php)
DONA Intl. (www.dona.org)


Breastfeeding:
Ameda (www.ameda.com)
Breastfeeding (www.breastfeeding.com)
Boppy (www.boppy.com)
KellyMom (www.kellymom.com)
La Leche League (www.lalecheleague.org)
Maternal Concepts (www.maternalconcepts.com)
Medela (www.medela.com)
Mothering (www.mothering.com)
ProMom (www.promom.org)
Whisper Wear (www.whisperwear.com)


Formula Feeding:
Bright Beginnings (www.brightbeginnings.com)
Enfamil (www.enfamil.com)
Similac (www.similac.com)
Very Best Baby (Nestle Good Start) (www.verybestbaby.com)


Diapering Info
Some have coupons & contests
Cloth Diapering (http://www.borntolove.com/404page.html)
Huggies (www.huggies.com)
Luvs (www.luvs.com)
Pampers (www.pampers.com)


Slings
The Hip Hugger (www.thehiphugger.com)
About Babies Inc. (www.aboutbabiesinc.com)
Maya Wrap (www.mayawrap.com)
New Native Baby (www.newnativebaby.com)
Prenatal Cradle (www.prenatalcradle.com)
Baby Bjorn (www.babybjorn.com)
Baby Wearer (www.babywearer.com)


Cord Blood/Stem Cell Info:
Secureacell (www.secureacell.com)
Viacord (www.viacord.com)
Cord Blood (www.cordblood.com)
Cryobank (www.cryobank.com)
www.lifebankusa.com
www.corcell.com
www.cryo-cell.com


Invitations/Announcements:
2Peas1Pod.com
5StarBaby.com
Baby Seeds (www.babyseeds.com)
BabyGrams (www.babygrams.com)
Baby J Cards (www.babyjcards.com)
Bella Baby (www.bellababy.com)
Celebration Cottage (www.celebrationcottage.com)
Classic Card Company (www.classiccard.com)
EitakDesign (www.eitak.com)
In A Baby Carriage (www.inababycarriage.com)
Invitation Box (www.invitationbox.com)
Inviting Smiles (www.invitingsmiles.com)
MetroBaby Cards (www.metrobabycards.com)
Mommy's Miracles (www.mommysmiracles.com)
My Gatsby (www.mygatsby.com)
Naptime Cards (www.naptimecards.com)
Photo Stamps (http://photo.stamps.com/PhotoStamps/?source=si10985886)
Purple Stork (www.purplestork.com)
Custom Craft (www.shopbirthannouncements.com)
Simply To Impress (www.simplytoimpress.com)
Stork Avenue (www.storkavenue.com)
Tiny Prints (www.tinyprints.com)


Monitors:
BabyBeat (www.babybeat.com)
Belly Beats (www.bellybeats.com)
Stork Radio (www.storkradio.com)


Fun Stuff
Jewel Kids Lifetime Mothers (www.lifetimemothers.com)
Baby Pool (Have friends compete in a baby due date contest) (www.expectnet.com)

[December06Mommies]

Thread #1 (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18128)

Thread #2 (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23660)

[December06Mommies]

Saved

[December06Mommies]

Open for posting - BRING ON THE BABIES!!!!!

[katmg]

Am I the first one in here?!

Woo hoo - babies are on their way!!

[rosa727]

I'm here! I am so excited for the babies to all start arriving :D

[sophiapb]

Thanks for setting up the new thread, Delaney.

[Carissa]

Yay for a new thread!

[Rancid13]

Yay for the new thread!! :D

Since nothing exciting is going on with me, I thought I'd announce my upcoming appointments to be added to the page thingy since it's been awhile...

Nov 14~NST @ hospital
Nov 17~ob appt
Nov 17~NST @ hospital

And if you could change our ages:

I'm now 28, DH is now 31

That's all!! :) :D

[rosa727]

I guess I should post my next appointment too:

November 20 - OB appointment

I am calling the doctor right now about the itching again. The baths really don't help. It comes and goes, but it always gets bad at night. I don't want to deal with another night of furious scratching. I am hoping they can give me some other suggestions to try.

[Rancid13]

I am calling the doctor right now about the itching again. The baths really don't help. It comes and goes, but it always gets bad at night. I don't want to deal with another night of furious scratching. I am hoping they can give me some other suggestions to try.

What have you tried, just out of curiosity?? From another itchy preggo...

[rosa727]

Rancid: I have only tried oatmeal baths, because that is all they told me to do. They do not help at all. I actually sit in the tub and scratch. I just called though and got an appointment for this afternoon, so I am hopeful I will get some help!

[sandy]

Hi ladies,

New thread must mean we're REALLY in the final stretch now!!

Nothing too exciting on my end. I'm 33 weeks. I had an appointment yesterday and baby is measuring a week ahead. We're still anticipating for an early arrival. I can't believe it's just around the corner!

I sewed the curtains for the nursery last night and all we have left is to paint a shelf and the nursery will be done!! Here are pictures of the nearly completed nursery!
http://static.flickr.com/117/297062315_96700625d1.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/98/246016831_860ecfc1ec_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/98/246015020_987499e83d_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/48/226507532_cbb1a1380e_m.jpg

[Rancid13]

Sandy~ You did a great job on the curtains and the nursery looks great!! I can't believe we're in the home stretch and I can't believe it's already mid-November!! Where did the last 8.5 mos go??:eek:

I just found out that one of my good friends from HS who was due a month before me is being induced right now. She was due on Nov 3...she's having a boy too. :) :D

[tinkerbelljenny]

Yeah for the new thread!

Rosa-Sorry about the itching. I hope it gets better fast!

Sophia-You look great! How fun to have a picture taken with your friend who is also pregnant. My bf gave birth last month and I am so bummed that we live in different states because we have talked for years about having our kids grow up together. Oh, also I never responded back to you but both my Dh and I both work in the financial field. He is a financial advisor and we work for the same company. I am the only female in the office :D

Sandy-Great room! Love the curtains, I wish I could sew like that!

Fms-Great room! Love the closet doors, love that color, it is a favorite of mine!

Rancid-How fun that your friend from HS is also having a boy! My 2 bf from HS both recently had girls so I will be the one with the boys.

My next appointment is Nov 21

Breast pump question-Should I get the PIS or the PIS advanced? Does it really make a difference to get the advance?
Also, should I wait to order it until after the baby is here to see how well bf goes? I still have my pump that I used with my son so I could use that right away but I really want to upgrade eventually.

[rosa727]

Just an update on the itching. I was basically told that it was just a "pregnancy rash" and that I could treat the symptoms, but it would not go away until I gave birth. At least they prescribed a hydrocortisone cream for me, which I am hopeful will help. Also, I can take Benadryl at night, if I need it. Other than this, I am feeling really good, so I hope I can take care of this problem.

[Rancid13]

Rancid-How fun that your friend from HS is also having a boy! My 2 bf from HS both recently had girls so I will be the one with the boys.


It is exciting! I hadn't talked to her since my wedding in Dec '03 so when I sent out a mass email announcing that we were expecting, I got a reply back from her a week later that she was expecting too, and we were a month apart on our EDD's. :D Our showers were also a week apart back in September too, so that was a lot of fun being pg together for pictures and so forth.

Breast pump question-Should I get the PIS or the PIS advanced? Does it really make a difference to get the advance?
Also, should I wait to order it until after the baby is here to see how well bf goes? I still have my pump that I used with my son so I could use that right away but I really want to upgrade eventually.

I don't know what the difference is....I have a practically new PIS that I've borrowed from SIL and it's a couple years old but looks new and runs new (with my own attachment parts, which were a mere $25).

[NJMom]

I'm so happy to have a new thread saying "Here come the babies!!!" :)
I have my next doctors appointment tomorrow (I'll be 34 weeks) and I am anxious to go because I have been feeling pretty crappy. I can't sleep good at night, I get stomach aches a lot, TONS of Braxton Hicks contractions, sore hips and lower back and today I was feeling nausous (sp) for several hours from my stomach ache.

Today I finally washed all the babies clothes. I still have to get an infant car seat and install it, pack my bag for the hospital and get the babies bassinette ready. Too much to do......

Rancid- glad everything is going good with you and your bp!

Sophia - great picture!

Rosa - sorry about your rash, I hope the cream helps!

I can't believe we are all so close now. I check in constantly to see if any more babies have arrived!!!!! :)

[pacificbliss]

New thread! Wooo hooo! Bring on the babies!

rosa sorry about the itching.

sandy the nursery looks great!

Soo much still to do here. DH finished the dresser, we just need to buy some fun handles. The to-do list is way too long. I took Thursday and Friday off this week to start working on it.

[Kimmer]

New Thread! Wow we are moving right along

I am sooooo sleepy. I can't sleep the heartburn and the hip pain is killing me. Now today he has decided to relocated under my ribs. Why? why? why? Ok end of rant. Oh one more thing BH suck as well, now they hurt, boo hiss

[Chris'slady]

36w3d

Wow. I have missed alot this place is kicking.
AND we have our first baby..!!! Congrats. Mandersald

i have been on bedrest since the begininng of my 35th week i was told the DD was head down pushing hard on my cervix andi was effaced so he put me on bedrest to make sure i got my full 37 weeks and her lungs are fully developed. i have a appt today so hopefully i can get up and be active etc... and this baby can come, because only getting up for the restroom and shower isnt cutting it anymore i feel like a stiff vegetable.

DH has been a huge help the nursery is finallly done, everything is ready, although after all this i still havent packed my bag, the closer it gets i want this baby out and im uncomfy with even sitting im scared to death of labor it hit me this last week. i know it will be fine but everything that could go wrong has come through my mind.

My next appt is Nov 21


Everyone looks so great.

[Rancid13]

Quick update...I had my first NST appt of the week yesterday and it turned out my ob forgot to call in the order for my PIH blood draw. So while I was all hooked up to the monitors the nurses were running around trying to get her on the phone to get the order from her, and also trying to get ahold of a blood draw lab tech to see if they could get one to come up to our floor if they got the order. Everything looked ok at the NST, no protein in my urine, baby's hb and movements look good, no real contractions on my part, fluid levels look normal. My bp unfortunately was a bit higher than I would've liked it to be, at 147/70 but the nurse didn't stress about it.

Finally got the order for the blood draw and got that done. Was told I would have to wait around for an hour till they got the results b/c if they came back abnormal I would need to be admitted to L&D asap. By this time it was after 5:30pm and DH and I had a class about 15 min. away that we needed to be at by 7pm, and had to get dinner somewhere on the way. Finally got the ok to leave, as I promised to come back right away if they got abnormal results and called me. Never got a call though, so right now I'm thinking that no news = good news because if it's that dire of a situation that I be admitted to L&D then they would get ahold of me asap.

Got dinner, made it to our baby saver class a few minutes late and I was so tired and uncomfortable and my feet were swelling that I decided to go home at the halfway point, and DH stayed on to learn about baby cpr (we had taken separate cars).

So keep your fingers crossed that if I hear back from the lab folks or my ob today, that the results from the draw are normal!!:)

[janu98]

Yippeeeee new thread!!! i can't believe were are almost there! :eek:

I havent posted much i have been reading along.... For you ladies that are a little bit further along than me (i'm 34w1d) what do BH contractions feel like? I have been having menstrual like cramps down there on and off for the past few days and was wondering if these could be BHC? :cool:

TIA!!

[fms]

Chris's lady...bedrest sucks. Sorry to hear that you are having to go through it! Hopefully you'll be back up and moving soon.

Rancid...all of my crossables are crossed for you!!!!

(Anyone else hate not being able to read the page before when the thread breaks to a new page? This makes SOs impossible.)

I have a an appointment with my Dr. tomorrow. 11/16/06. DH is going with me so he can ask questions...he is under the impression that the Dr. will be able to give us a better idea on when the baby will arrive. Umm, yeah. I'm happy to have the company but think it's probably going to be disappointing for him.

Yesterday was my Kate Moss wannabe day. I woke up with a bloody nose and then had blood taken in the morning for my platelets...from both arms b/c the tech screwed up and missed on the first try which gave me tracks marks.

I'm debating over my outfits for Saturday as we're having the pro preggo photos taken. I want my clothes to be simple enough to show off the belly without having to roll up or unbutton anything . (Just my personal preference as we're most likely going to be doing them at the beach.) A good friend is having a C-section on Monday and I'm taking photos of her on Saturday morning. Talk about last minute.

I can't wait to hear about our next arrival!!!

[katmg]

Janu - I've been having BH for awhile now. Mine feel like my belly is getting very tight, almost like the skin is shrinking around my uterus (if that makes any sense at all). I also usually feel an increase of pressure. Sometimes the tightness is the top of the belly, sometimes it is the bottom, sometimes it is the whole belly. Mine do not feel like menstrual cramps, but that doesn't mean that all BH will feel the same for every person. Oh, and I know these are contractions b/c when I was being monitored in the hospital I didn't realize they were actual contractions, until they told me. Ooops! :rolleyes:

[Rancid13]

NJMom~ Sorry to hear you’ve been feeling so crappy lately. :( I’m right there with you on the no sleep and soreness/aches/pains situations. Not fun! I couldn’t imagine having tummy aches, nausea and BH’s on top of that, ouch!! Yay for getting stuff ready for the baby!!

Kimmer~ Sorry to hear about all your heartburn, BH pain and the baby’s relocation to under the ribs, ow!!!:(

Chris’slady~ Bedrest doesn’t sound like any fun at all! I had one day of bedrest last week (thanks to what may or may not have been a pulled ligament) and I was over it after a few hours. After you reach full-term, is your doc going to let you be off bedrest?? I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you that you’re allowed to be more active finally after all this resting!:)

Janu~ I don’t think I’ve had any BH’s yet. I was asking my mom about that yesterday, what they feel like and she said they’re a bit like menstrual cramps. Which (fortunately for me!) I can’t relate to as I’ve never had menstrual cramps, I was instead “blessed” with horrid lower backaches at the start of each period. :rolleyes: I’ve had some very very mild contractions as viewed on the monitor at my twice-weekly NST’s, but I’ve never actually felt any of them, just saw them register on the screen. My mom said your belly also gets really tightened up during BH’s, like rock-solid and it sometimes takes your breath away. I have gotten the very hard belly at times, but nothing enough to take my breath away. I'm wondering if those might be my BH's. I'm hoping I take after my mom in the "easy labor" dept, b/c she said that with my sister she didn't even know she was in labor b/c she didn't feel any contractions, and was told at one of her weekly ob appts that she was in active labor and dilated 3cm and it was time to be admitted.:eek:

FMS~ Sorry to hear about all your blood losses yesterday! Ouch on being pricked multiple times; I’m horrible w/needles and so far I’ve been lucky with all my blood draw lab techs doing a good job on the first try. How exciting about having pg photos done this weekend! I hadn’t even thought about that for myself, I’m wondering if DH might be interested in taking some before our little guy makes his arrival (DH has been getting new high-end camera stuff and wants to get into amateur photography soon, like take some classes, etc.).:D

[rosa727]

Janu: I have been getting lots of BH contrax for a few months now. I just knew what they were when they started, somehow. Mine are almost always down low on my belly, and it is a very definite tightening feeling. They were never painful at all, but lately I have a crampy feeling when I get them. My belly actually feels rock-hard when I touch it during one.

Rancid: I really hope no news is good news! Keeping my fingers crossed for you!

itching: Thanks to all of you for your words of support. I feel silly getting so worked up about itching, but WOW it was bad! Anyway, the steroid cream seems to be working. And I also got some Aveeno lotion which is nice to just rub on wherever I start itching. I may try Benadryl tonight, as I did wake up once last night with itching still.

pediatrician: I just met with one, and I think we are going to go with her. She is a solo practitioner (she has a nurse practitioner and another Dr. she partners with for emergencies or if she is out). I was not sure how I felt about that, but I really liked her. And I met a woman at my CPR class that brings here baby there and loves her. So I think that may be another thing checked off my list!

[NJMom]

Rancid - hope you have good news from your bloodwork!

Rosa - glad the cream is helping with your itching.

Chris's lady-sorry to hear about the bedrest. I know how miserable that can be.....try to hang in there!

I had my 34 week check up today and will now have to start going every week. My bp was a little higher than it's been but not too bad (136/74) but I did have protein in my urine. I guess with this and my other symptoms, they want to keep a close watch. Also, the baby is measuring ahead of schedule. I'm not too sure what this means but normally he should measure at 34 since I am 34 weeks but he is measuring 36. Does anyone know what this means? (I had my boys with my so it was difficult to ask a lot of questions)

I go back next Tuesday for my next appointment.

[Rancid13]

I had my 34 week check up today and will now have to start going every week. My bp was a little higher than it's been but not too bad (136/74) but I did have protein in my urine. I guess with this and my other symptoms, they want to keep a close watch. Also, the baby is measuring ahead of schedule. I'm not too sure what this means but normally he should measure at 34 since I am 34 weeks but he is measuring 36. Does anyone know what this means? (I had my boys with my so it was difficult to ask a lot of questions)


It's good they're watching you closely; I haven't had any protein in my urine, any of the symptoms of PIH or pre-e, and so far as I know normal PIH blood tests (2 taken so far; still awaiting word on the 2nd), just the occasional "borderline" high bp and they've been watching me like hawks for 2 months now. :rolleyes: :)

I do know as far as measurements go, babies can have little growth spurts so you might not always measure right on, or it can depend on how much or little fluid you have. At my 35w appt I was measuring at 37cm, but at my 37w appt I was at 38cm. If the doctor doesn't seem concerned, then I wouldn't worry about it at all. Mine didn't bat an eyelash at the small difference in my belly compared to how many weeks along I was...and thanks to my weekly u/s I know my fluid levels are normal.

[NJMom]

Thanks Rancid! :)

[rosa727]

NJMom: As far as "measuring ahead", my belly has never been any bigger when they measure, but the baby was about 2 weeks ahead at each of my u/s's. However, my Dr. does not believe in changing the EDD, so it stayed the same. I guess it could mean a bigger baby or that the baby will get here earlier than his EDD. Don't think that is much help, but I just wanted to let you know I had the same thing.

[pacificbliss]

NJMom my uterus has been measuring several weeks ahead and the baby has been measuring several weeks ahead. They have not changed my due date but told me I would probably have a large baby. The radiologist said I should schedule a c-section, the midwives did not agree. We plan to just wait and see. I have another u/s scheduled for December 1st.

[Carissa]

I had my 34 week appt yesterday everything was ok except for my blood pressure it was a high but only the top number, I have been having a lot of contractions as well so I have been told to take it easy. Not that easy to do with an 18 month old :) everything else was perfect.

[msnicolea]

I am measuring "ahead," too, but the doc says it has nothing to do with the due date, and everything to do with Baby Boy's size. His educated guess this am at my appointment was 8 1/2 lbs. Dear Lord. ;)

This week we have selected our pediatrician, installed the carseat, and purchased the stroller. It is seeming very REAL!!!

[sunshine0928]

msnicolea - Wow! Is that 8.5 lbs now or when you are due? That is pretty wild if it is now :eek: I went for my last appt last Tuesday and I go again Tuesday (will be 36 weeks) and then every week. Last week they didn't say anything about weight but the Dr said I was measuring where I should be. I'll ask about weight next time. He said everything else was fine. We finally have our Childbirth Class this weekend so I will hopefully feel a little more prepared after that.

I broke out the sewing machine this week, got it working and made 1 of 2 curtains last night so I definitely feel good about that. Hopefully I'll get the 2nd one finished Friday night. I don't have a stroller yet but am hopefully holding out on that til Christmas since I don't think I'll need it for a little while. Other than that I think I have everything else I "need".

I have been bad with pics so promise to do something about that this weekend :rolleyes:

There are quite a few of you that seem really close to the big day...I can't believe we're so close!!

[Rancid13]

Rosa~ I’m happy to hear that the steroid cream is working for your itchy skin! :) Mine hasn’t been so so bad lately, it’s a lot more tolerable than it was a few months ago but it looks worse than it feels (all red & blotchy).:o

Pediatrician~ We finally selected one, but our insurance won’t allow us to add her to our policy until after the baby’s birth. DH called her office yesterday and left a message and I believe we’re waiting to hear back. We picked a ped whose office is very nearby our home, rather than one who’s affiliated with the hospital my ob belongs to and where I’ll deliver.

Carissa~ Sorry to hear your bp was a little high. It’s good that the diastolic # is lower, mine tends to remain low even when my systolic is a little on the ‘high’ side. Definitely try to take it easy when you can!:)

Sunshine~ Sounds like you’re getting all sorts of things ready and done!! Yay for having everything you need! I love the feeling of getting and being prepared…:D


Still no word from the hospital or my doc about the PIH blood draw results, so I'll continue assuming that no news = good news unless I hear otherwise, which may not be until tomorrow afternoon's ob appt. :)

I can't believe I'm only 2 weeks away from my original EDD of Nov 30! Where did the time go?! I also can't believe that baby could still arrive pretty much anytime now!!:eek:

[rosa727]

As far as the size thing, from what I have heard, the earlier u/s's are more predictive of EDD, whereas later ones generally just let you know whether the baby will be big or small. I guess early on, most babies are basically the same size, so if your baby is big, that may mean that your EDD is a little off. Later on, it just has more to do with size. I am thinking that my guy is just going to be big though - both DH and I were almost 9 pounds when we were born. Weird because neither of us are big people.

[msnicolea]

My doctor assured me it's just a "guess" but since he's been an OB/GYN for 40-some years, I have a feeling he's pretty accurate! Plus, I know EXACTLY when we conceived, within 2 days--DH was gone the 6 days prior, and we were using a pretty solid clomid/OPK-temp system!

As long as he's healthy, I'm ok with the size--but the epidural is looking more and more attractive!

[fms]

Good afternoon all! 30 days to go for me :)

I had my 36 week appointment today and the Group B Strep test...mildly uncomfortable but that's it. My bp is good and pee is clear. The results from my platelet draw weren't in. It's funny that there's all this talk about baby size today. My doctor scheduled a sonogram to see how big the baby is measuring as he doesn't want to be surprised during delivery. Tall women hide big babies well according to him. (I was full term and only 5lbs 5oz at birth and DH wasn't much bigger so, if genetics have anything to do with it, the sonogram will just be for fun.) I'm excited about the sonogram as the one at 20 weeks produced terrible photos and I'm dying to see what this little person looks like. I'm just hoping that we don't see "the goods" and that the gender remains a surprise. Because of Thanksgiving, my appointment schedule is a little goofy.
Dr. Appointment 11/21
Sonogram 11/30

[rosa727]

msnicolea: Sounds like your EDD is about as accurate as it can get!

fms: I am tall, so even though my belly is not very big, I am scared I could be "hiding" a huge baby! How fun that you get another u/s. I got one around 34 weeks, and we could see SO much!

[Teresita]

Yay for the new thread--so bizarre that soon it will be filled with us annoucing the arrival of our little ones. Where did the time go?

Size My OB won't adjust due dates after the first trimester. In his opinion, any variance from that point out is due simply to babies coming in different sizes and has no bearing on when they will come. Also, from so many women I have talked to, u/s measurements can be deceiving--even ones in the 3rd trimester. It seems a lot of times a woman is told she is going to have a huge baby and needs to be induced and then ends up having a relatively average-sized baby. I was petrified that my DD would be huge because I was measuring ahead, and my DH and BIL were both 10+lbs. But, DD was a petite little thing at just 6lbs (though she was relatively long and had a huge head). I think DS will probably be on the smaller side as well since I am carrying very similar to how I did with DD. I haven't had a u/s since I was 20 weeks along, so I have no clue how he is measuring, though my belly is measuring right on target.

Pediatrician We're planning to use the same Dr. we have used for DD. Also, you all are probably aware of this, but I think in most cases, babies are covered by their mom's health insurance for the first month of their lives, so if you haven;t already gotten a separate policy going, you often have a month's leeway.

[bluebunny]

Hi! Can't believe how close we are getting!! So exciting!

I've been a lot more emotional lately and, quite frankly, it's getting on my nerves. :rolleyes: I cry at the drop of a hat and lose my temper quite easily. Ugh, these hormones. I'm starting to feel extremely uncomfortable all the time. Baby is hanging out low so that has something to do with it. We are having our master bath remodeled and as soon as that is done, I'm giving baby the okay to come out!! I don't think it will be finished for another 2-3 weeks. Doctor still wants to induce but I don't so we'll see how that progresses.

Teresita:My OB won't adjust due dates after the first trimester. In his opinion, any variance from that point out is due simply to babies coming in different sizes and has no bearing on when they will come. Also, from so many women I have talked to, u/s measurements can be deceiving--even ones in the 3rd trimester. It seems a lot of times a woman is told she is going to have a huge baby and needs to be induced and then ends up having a relatively average-sized baby.

I agree with this! My friend was told she was having an average size baby, around 7 pounds, and her DD was 9 lbs, 3 oz. I had another friend with the opposite scenario. I don't think u/s measurements are accurate AT ALL in the final trimester.

[pacificbliss]

Happy Friday!

[Kimmer]

bluebunny - I really, really hope you are right about not trusting 3rd tri measurements. I am really getting scared that this little boy is huge. :(

I had a great appointment with my OB yesterday, she is so sweet. She is so excited that my cerclage is coming out Monday. Then she says you know we will have to do one of all of your other pregnancies as well, but now we know and it will not be as stressful. I was like what other pregnancies? She said you only want one baby? I said heck yeah after all the drama of this pregnancy there is no way in the world I am doing this again. She just sat there and smiled. Then she said you will want a little girl, talk to your husband see what he says. Then she keeps smiling like she knows something I don't know. My plan was to ask her about getting an IUD at my 6 week check up, that is out the window.

I also told her that my mom and aunts suffered with PPD. She told me there was not a definite genetic link but we will just be watchful. And she made notes in my chart.

Oh get this I gained 3 lbs in a week! :eek: I was mortified but the doc didn't bat an eye. I asked her about it and she was like not a big deal for you, you have only gained 7 lbs this entire pregnancy. She laughed and said immediately after the birth you will be back at your pre pregnancy weight.

[Rancid13]

Rosa~ Oh, I hope for your sake your baby’s not too big! I was ~7.5lbs and DH was just over 6lbs at birth, and we’re both small people (I’m 5’2” he’s 5’6”) so we’re hoping our little one isn’t over 8lbs, mostly for my sake, LOL.:p

Msnicolea~ I’m right there with you! If this baby ends up being bigger than I’d ideally like him to be (or just has a large head!) I’m all about the epidural!!:)

Fms~ Yay for a good 36w appt!! Hope you get the results from your platelet soon.:D

Teresita~ I totally agree with you on time just flying by! Thanks for the note about the ped being covered under the mother’s insurance. I remember someone in our childbirth class mentioning that but plumb forgot until reading your post. :)

Bluebunny~ I’ve been going through the super-emotional stuff too; the tiniest things have been setting me off crying, it’s getting pretty ridiculous.:o

Kimmer~ Glad you had a great appt yesterday, and whooohoo for getting to have your cerclage removed on Monday!! I totally agree with you on the “one baby” thing. This pregnancy has been so incredibly stressful for me that I have zero interest in doing it ever again. I’ve been dealing with major skin irritations for ~7 months now and DH has watched me be in so much physical pain because of it that he said he would never ask me to do it again. Everyone (ie: my mom) says that after the baby gets here I’ll forget all about it and want to do it again.:rolleyes: I told her she’s mistaken, it’s usually the pain of L&D that gets forgotten after the birth of a baby b/c that doesn’t last for 7+ months, but my pain sure as heck has!! I’m doing the IUD also, as getting tubal or having DH get a vasectomy seems a bit too permanent to start off with…

[rosa727]

Rancid: I truly feel your pain, now that I have the itchiness too! I never understood how incredibly irritating and even painful itching could be! And you had to deal with it so much longer than I have. Poor girl. :( As far as size, I guess we all just have to wait and see. Hopefully none of us have to deal with a 9 pound baby!

[Rancid13]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v432/rancid13/38w002.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v432/rancid13/38w004.jpg
Compared to last week:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v432/rancid13/37w006.jpg

Not much difference in size, IMO. But I do feel like he's yet even lower, as evidenced by my underwear being pushed down in the front by my belly even more than I recall it being pushed down last week. :o

I have my 38w ob appt early this afternoon (at which I'm sure to find out results from the PIH blood draw that are normal, LOL) and my 2nd NST of the week at the hospital even later in the afternoon. Other than the usual complaints of itchiness and some minor aches/pains nothing much is going on in my sector. :)

[polydactylcat]

Had an appointment this morning, all is going well. They did a quick little NST to make sure kiddo was handling things since he's slowed down a bit the last 2 days (he's usually mr. acrobat in there) but he reacted well to everything today so we are sailing along. Belly is measuring on target and there has been no mention of size so I assume all is going well. I'm still on the "meet the OBs" rotation and really liked this OB, she took her time - I really hate it when they just rush through the appointment without really taking the time to think it through ("any questions?" "belly measuring fine" "heartbeat fine" "goodbye"). This time, even though I didn't have any questions, she went through lots of additional information and things to look out for.

Now that things are nearing the end, I'm getting more anxious that we aren't ready. Nursery still isn't finished, we're still picking up clothes here and there, still haven't really found someone I'm comfortable with leaving my DD during the hospital stay if my parents aren't here, etc. It's been too easy to put some of these last minute details off!

Everyone sounds like they are doing so well - hard to imagine that people will be popping in here very shortly with birth announcements!!

[Rancid13]

Rosa~ Oh, I hope you're right! I hope we all have healthy, mid-range weight babies, LOL!! 6-8lbs is just perfect!! Or even smaller than that, assuming he/she is healthy of course! ;) Guess we'll all have to wait and see!!

Polydactylcat~ Yay for all going well! It's great you got to see an ob today who likes to take her time going over things and giving you more info. Sounds like you're keeping busy getting things ready for baby. I can't believe we're all getting so close to our EDD's!!:eek:

[katmg]

Shower Thank you Question

My shower is the 1st weekend in December and I am stumped on what to give the 3 hostesses for thank you gifts. I'd rather not do a Bath and Body Works gift for them but I'm clueless as to what I should do. Any ideas? or What did you give as thank-you gifts to your hostesses?

[Delaney21]

polydactylcat - Glad to hear everything is going well! We still don't have our nursery done yet either, oh well he won't care!

Kimmer - my best friend had hyperemesis really bad, to the point of being hospitalized the majority of her pregnancy because she needed a constant IV and a feeding tube. Then she was in labor for over 3 days until they finally decided to take the baby by c/s, and then her c/s incision got infected and ripped open. Needless to say, she said she will never have another baby and no one could blame her...but now 2 years later, she's trying to get pregnant again. She said she never thought it would happen, but her daughter changed her mind. So, you never know, you may just forget about the whole 9 months and try for another one.

msnicolea - holy big baby! My doctor hasn't estimated mine, but I'm hoping he'll stay under 9 lbs.

rosa - Is the itching getting any better with the creams and stuff? The good news is you only have a couple weeks left and then it will be over!

rancid - I hope everything goes well with your appointment this afternoon and your BP stays down!

**********************************
I am finally able to come off bedrest!!! I had an appointment yesterday and I'm a solid 2cm dilated, 60% effaced, the baby is engaged and my plug is completely gone. The doctor said it could be any day now, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up for it. I'm still convinced that I'm going to end up going late and I'll need to be induced.

Because the baby is engaged, I'm in so much pain I can barely walk! It feels like my pelvis is being ripped in half and when the baby is in certain positions my legs go numb. Its not fun when it happens as I'm walking up or down stairs.

I still haven't packed my hospital bags yet, but I have everything ready for the baby. I don't think it will take me very long to get everything together when I do go into labor.

[Rancid13]

Shower Thank you Question~ I must be a bad friend/daughter b/c I didn't even think to give thank you gifts to the hostesses of my shower. And I totally forgot to do thank you cards for the gifts, they're still stacked up on my dresser. I'm so horrible at doing things like that, it's the procrastinator in me. :o I found some great unique ideas for gifts at RedEnvelope.com. For example:

http://images.redenvelope.com/is/image/production/H06_182920_W?nanos=770&qlt=75,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=0.5,1.0,0.0,0&wid=250&hei=250
Italian Herb Garden $29

http://images.redenvelope.com/is/image/production/MD05_146281_W?nanos=770&qlt=75,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=0.5,1.0,0.0,0&wid=250&hei=250
Heart Measuring Spoons $38

http://images.redenvelope.com/is/image/production/H04_132325_W?nanos=770&qlt=75,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=0.5,1.0,0.0,0&wid=250&hei=250
French Tea Set $36

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Friendship Box $40

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Hot chocolate kit $26

They have some really neat gift ideas, and not too expensive depending on the item.

[rosa727]

Delaney: The creams help some. The Aveeno stuff is soothing because it has a cooling sensation that provides some instant relief. The steroid cream helps more in the long term. Other than that, I still feel really good, but I am happy to know that it won't be much longer until the baby gets here!

That's exciting that you may be having your baby soon! If he is already engaged, it probably won't be too long now!

[mobox]

Had my last ultra sound on Monday. Dave came with because it's been a few months since he came on an appt and he wanted to see the U/s and ask a few questions. Baby boy looks great! He is "proportionate" (read: not a big head, yay!) and measured about 5 1/2 pounds. She was surprised at how "little" he is because of how BIG I am (measuring 39 cm-4 weeks "ahead"). She thinks that it's my build (I'm shortwaisted) and the fact that I STILL have lots of fluid. Most fluid levels at 35 weeks are around 15 and I am 21.6. I swear it's going to be a gusher once my water breaks.:eek:

Anyway, I have to agree that the tape measure is not an accurate way of measuring EDD or size of baby. Some women just carry further out...or it could be fluid levels or any number of things. U/s meausrement can also be off by a pound give or take (my doctor told me that, even). So for me, she is saying, "hmmm...best guess is 7 1/2 to 8 pounds at birth." I'm hoping it's closer to 7 1/2.;)

Breast pump-I have been told by several lactation consultants to wait until you deliver and determine your BF relationship. You may have problems and not BF and if you do BF you usually don't start pumping for 3 weeks.

pulled apart and washed the bouncy seats and car seats (including washing the straps and wiping down the buckles).

I would never even think of doing this...is everyone washing the car seat covers? We are going to install ours this weekend and there is a walk in CHP office somewhat close to my house where they will check out the installation.

QOTD-How many of you are **NOT** going to get the epidural, if anyone?

Next OB appt: November 21st. I'm hoping they start checking my cervix then.

[Rancid13]

QOTD-How many of you are **NOT** going to get the epidural, if anyone?


I'm planning on holding out as long as I can. If situations arise where an epidural makes more sense than gutting it out with the pain of natural childbirth, you can bet I'll go ahead with one. But we learned some awesome techniques at our childbirth classes and will have all sorts of tools on hand to help with labor, and my mom will also be there as a labor coach (seeing as she's had 3 kids drug-free including me who was born at home, and has been a labor coach for no fewer than 4 births).

I'm aiming for a drug-free birth, but will definitely go for the epi should things get to be too much for me to handle without it, or if it's determined that labor will be longer than anticipated. :) I'm trying to be pretty open-minded about the whole L&D situation as so many different factors are involved and it can go in any direction at any point.

[katmg]

I'm trying to be pretty open-minded about the whole L&D situation as so many different factors are involved and it can go in any direction at any point.

This is me exactly. I am very interested in going as long as I can w/o meds simply because all of the meds scare me in some way. Big giant needle in my spine - no thanks. Drugs in my IV that make me barf or be loopy - no thanks. I've talked about it with my OB and she thinks that the pain will be so much bigger than I can imagine that I won't care about the scary parts of the pain-relief options. I'm trying to be as open-minded about the whole thing as I can and I'm not ruling anything out.

Rancid - Thanks for the shower thank you options. I love redenvelope.com and those look like some great ideas!

[Delaney21]

QOTD-How many of you are **NOT** going to get the epidural, if anyone?

I am going to get an epidural as soon as it is available!

[sunshine0928]

I am going to get an epidural as soon as it is available!

Me, too!

[pacificbliss]

QOTD I'm not planning on getting the epidural. We're at a birth center and will have to move to L&D to get one. I hope I make it. Of course, if he's really 10 lbs it could be tough.

katmg I did the Bath and Body Works thing for one shower but the other two showers I got reed diffusers from Pier 1 and they were a big hit.

For those of you worried about the nursery mine isn't done yet either. :p

mobox I'm glad things are going well and seem to be right on schedule.

rancid I saw your belly shots, you look great! I hope your bp stays down.

delaney21 yay for being off bedrest.

[sophiapb]

Woah, Mobox, don't stress! I'm the one who took apart the car seats and bouncy seats but that's just because they were used by my daughter and had been stored in a musty basement since she stopped using them. I don't think I would have been as anal if they had come brand new from a box.

I've been a lot more emotional lately and, quite frankly, it's getting on my nerves. I cry at the drop of a hat and lose my temper quite easily. Ugh, these hormones. I'm starting to feel extremely uncomfortable all the time.

Ugh, Bluebunny, that has been me to a tee! Today alone I have been a raging bi+ch and have been snapping at DH and my mom like no one's business. I also don't have much patience with my 17 month old daughter which makes me feel even worse! Then add in not sleeping well and severe pain when walking since there's a head in my crotch and I just feel overwhelmed. I keep telling myself that it's hormones but I just feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. ~sigh~ and I can't even bury the pain in cookies and chocolate because of the gestational diabetes. Poor, poor me! :( ;)

[Rancid13]

I had my 38w ob appointment earlier this afternoon. All went well. My doctor went over the results from my PIH blood tests and it turns out that everything is indeed normal, just as I thought it would be. She said the numbers that came back weren't just normal, they were stellar. I was beaming. :) She made a copy of the paperwork so DH and I could gloat over the fact that we were right in our prediction that all would be normal. No more talk of inducing, yay!!

I also got an internal done to check for dilation, and it was incredibly uncomfortable for me. A LOT moreso than the regular yearly internal gyno exams. After the fact, my doc mentioned that she had stripped my membranes (ouch!) to maybe get things moving along, that I'm closed up tight but that my cervix is very soft, which she said was very good. Unfortunately as a result of the internal I've been crampy ever since, my lower back has been killing me and I've been bleeding as well. I physically feel like I just started my period or something. Ick!

My next ob appointment is next Tuesday due to the Thanksgiving holiday next week. She didn't want to wait until the following Friday, at which point I'd be just over 40w along (if I'm still pregnant of course) just in case.

She also must have taken too seriously my comment last week about how she stressed me out and therefore gets high bp readings from me; she asked me if I would feel more comfortable having another ob instead of her handle the labor & delivery....DH and I assured the doc that it wasn't necessarily her specifically that stressed me out, it was the ob office in general and having to wait 30-45 minutes in the waiting room to be seen that had the most impact on my stress levels and therefore bp levels.

And all was well at my NST too...very uneventful but nonetheless reassuring. :)

Next ob appt: Nov 21

[Delaney21]

After the fact, my doc mentioned that she had stripped my membranes (ouch!) to maybe get things moving along, that I'm closed up tight but that my cervix is very soft, which she said was very good.

I'm confused about something - if you are closed up tight, how can your membranes be stripped? Doesn't there have to be an opening for her to get into? Or am I totally thinking its done differently then how it really is? :confused:

[tinkerbelljenny]

Wow, there are a couple of you that are really close! I am posting late right now because my DH is at the emergency room, he wasn't feeling well so he went in, just waiting to hear from him.

Rancid-Wow, so your doctor wants to get things moving huh?

Tonight I went out with my moms group, just the moms, it was nice. But there was one mom there that totally freaked me out about having a VBAC and now I am totally stressing about it. She was telling me how I shouldn't try because of all these complications and then she was telling me I could die and she was just being so graphic. The problem that scares me is the fact that we live in a rural area and our hospital isn't high tech so if something was to happen to me then I would probably be flown to Seattle and if something happened to the baby it would have to be flown to another hospital too. I don't know, I am totally freaking out about it now. Everyone that I have talked to about my VBAC IRL hasn't been supported. My next appointment is on Tuesday so I will talk to the doctor and see what they recommend.

My mom sent me a ton of baby things so I am pretty much set now. I need to pack the baby's bag. I just need to buy some long sleeve onesies and a new breast pump and some nursing bras.

For those that already have little ones, did you buy new bottles or reuse the ones you had already?

My mom's group is throwing me a shower the first week of Dec, I thought that was so sweet. It will be very small about 4 of us and all of our children will be attending.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

[polydactylcat]

Epi - had one last time (those pitocin induced contractions got a bit much to bear after a while) am open to one this time, depends on (a) how we're doing and (b) how tired I am. (b) really factored into last delivery because we labored overnight and even though the pushing time was short, I was worried about not having the energy to make it through.

bottles - I went ahead and threw mine out (it's been 4 years) because of the plastic leaching (potential, paranoia). They were hardly used for milk, we exclusively BF'd for 18 months (at the time I was a SAHM and didn't really need them) and I used them more for homemade babyfood storage but at the same time they went through plenty of freezing/reheating cycles to warrant me thinking that the leaching could be an issue (once again, there's that paranoia thing working into my hormonal brain). Stinks because I had a nice collection of Avent bottles built up too!!

emotions - ugh, it has been difficult to keep a straight face and not be a hormonal mess. Especially with the holidays coming up and everyone and their brother asking what "our plan" is for the holidays (not to mention all of the shopping and cooking that needs to be done)! Part of me has handled it really well, lots of internet gift shopping :) and plenty of deferring any hard-plans to the "don't know, don't want to make plans because baby uncertainty" category. The other part of me wants to ignore everyone and everything and take a "pass" this holiday season (which realistically I would never do because I love this time of year but a girl can irrationally dream, can't she?)

tinkerbelljenny - I'm sorry to hear that the mom's and others that you've spoken to haven't been supportive re: VBAC. There are scary stories out there but at the same time there are success stories too - definitely this depends on the hospital and doctor's ability to handle the situation. Consult your dr. and also try to find people out there that can offer you more emotional support for the choice you go with.

rancid - hooray for happy numbers!! what a relief! Hopefully the weekend of rest will help you feel better.

mobox - definitely agree with sophiapb on not pulling apart the seat and washing! We didn't when we pulled everything fresh and new out of the box but now that our stuff has been sitting around in the dust for a while we will be doing some serious cleaning. Although, the buckles and straps on our Marathon seem to be hopelessly gunked up... Surprisingly the infant seat came through relatively clean.

Delaney - you're right, the kid's not going to notice that the nursery is not finished... and at this point I think I might not either :D

[rosa727]

Rancid: I am so glad that your blood pressure is normal and everything looks good! You must be very relieved. Good to know I am not the only one who thought that the doctor checking my cervix was painful! Not that I want you to go through pain, I just like to know I am not a big baby or something! I was in the same boat as you 3 weeks ago - closed up tight. I am hoping there is some progress when I go on Monday! Hopefully you will see some progress next week too.

epidural: I am going to try to go as long as possible without one, epsecially since there is some research to suggest that it can really slow things down if you one too early. I feel pretty confident about things, especially because of all of our childbirth classes. We practice the techniques a lot too. But I am definitely leaving the eipdural open as an option. I am not particularly bothered by needles, so that does not worry me.

carseat cover: We did not wash ours. We have one of those "Bundle Me" things on it for the cold weather, so I guess I should wash that. But I wasn't worried about the seat itself. I still need to get my seat double-checked too.

contractions: I had several mildly painful contractions in the middle of the night last night, but I am thinking they were probably just BH contractions, since I know they tend to get more painful as PG goes on. They were lasting about a minute (I was just counting). I had about 5 or 6, but they were very far apart. I'm sure it is nothing major, but I do hope that it means maybe my cervix is starting to make some progress!

[Rancid13]

I'm confused about something - if you are closed up tight, how can your membranes be stripped? Doesn't there have to be an opening for her to get into? Or am I totally thinking its done differently then how it really is?

She said my cervix is really soft so she was able to "wiggle her way" into there to do the stripping thing (her words, not mine). I did a quick Google search and found out that the cervix needs to be soft before dilation can occcur. She said she was actually surprised she could even do that because I was/am closed up so tight, but the soft cervix really helped her be able to get in there. Here's hoping Tuesday's appt finds some sort of progress!:D

Tinkerbelljenny~ Yep! I guess my doc wants to get things moving! I don't mind one bit. Hopefully the next couple of weeks show some sort of progress down there. That sucks that one of the moms in your group is trying to scare you out of a VBAC! I've heard that in some situations complications can arise (as they can in ANY birth, to be honest) but I'm sure if your doctor saw any reason to avoid a VBAC, they would advise you about it.

Polydactylcat~ Thanks! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that yesterday's ob appt was enough to get things stimulated and progressing down there.:D

Rosa~ Thanks! I'm very relieved that my #'s look good. It's cool, because all of the numbers weren't just good, they were on the low side of the 'normal' range, not even in the middle. Like the normal range for sodium is 135-145 and mine's 136, normal range for potassium is 3.5-5.0 and mine's 3.7. :D She's also really happy about my hemoglobin levels, which she said will benefit me come L&D. There were 30 different things they tested me for and they all checked out good. ;)

I couldn't believe how uncomfortable the internal was! Not that internal exams are anything much to look forward to anyways. It wasn't so much painful as it was just extremely uncomfortable. Still not looking forward to the next one, which will be on Tuesday (which will hopefully find some progress!!). The most painful part of the appt was when my ob was pressing down on my belly (just under my right boob) and I got this immense pain shooting down to my lower left abdomen...I actually told her "Ouch! Stop that!" b/c it hurt so bad, I think she was pushing down on the baby in an odd way up there and he was protesting by hurting me down lower. :rolleyes:

I am still bleeding somewhat (TMI) but it's the dark brown sort of blood like I'm used to getting at the beginning of my period, nothing red in it at all. I was a bit crampy and back-achey last night and just feel blah today. I'm just relaxing and spending the day in today with some movies, taking it easy. :)

[NJMom]

Thanks everyone for getting back to me on the measurement question!

I'm glad everyone seems to be doing pretty well except I think we are all pretty miserable with these big bellies! I keep checking to see if we have any more babies coming and I think we will pretty soon. :)

Rancid -I am so glad all your bloodwork and bp turned out well. I hope things move along quickly for you!

Rosa-hope you are making some progress!

tinkerbelljenny - Try not to let that person get you all freaked out. I am sure that your doctor wouldn't be willing to do a VBAC if he didn't feel it would be safe. Lot's of people get them and do just great. I have opted for a repeat c/s but had the choice for either. I decided to go with what I know. It is such a personal choice, don't let her influence your decision. I am sure your doctor will reassure you.

Bottles- we got new ones for the baby. Actually, I didn't get enough and still need to get more.

I have still been feeling crappy most of the time. I keep counting, 4 weeks and 4 days (32 days) till my c/s. We'll see how my appointment goes on Tuesday. Hopefully no problems.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! :)

[bluebunny]

Have just a minute before I have to get DS into bed so I can't do SOs right now but I wanted to comment on a few things.

Internals: Feel free to decline an internal if your doc wants to do one. My first pregnancy the doc did one when she did the Group B strep test and she also stripped my membranes without my consent. My experience was much like yours, rancid --Unfortunately as a result of the internal I've been crampy ever since, my lower back has been killing me and I've been bleeding as well. I physically feel like I just started my period or something. Ick!


Unfortunately, I missed a half day of work because I felt so terrible. At my next appointment, the nurse told me that I could decline the internal and I did. I did not want to go through 24+ hours of being uncomfortable and crampy just to be told I had dilated (or not!) a centimeter. Internals really tell you nothing about when you will go into labor. At my last appointment (on Tuesday), my doc checked my records from my last pregnancy; I was 2 cm dilated at 37 1/2 weeks and did not go into labor until 40 weeks, 4 days. So, to me, internals are nothing but a pain, literally!!

VBACs: Seven years ago, when my nephew was born, VBACs were more common than they are now. Most of the docs in my area were doing VBACs and my sister had one with my nephew. In fact, her doc said it was preferable to a repeat C-section. Now that OB malpractice insurance has gone up, driving many OBs out of business, the pendulum has swung the other way and less OBs are advocating for VBACs. I don't think they are any more risky than they were seven years ago but the legal climate has changed. With that said, tinkerbelljenny, my advice is to ignore the naysayers. :) As long as you are monitored while in labor for any possible problems (including uterine rupture, which is the horror story that everyone mentions but is much less common than it seems), you'll probably be fine. I think what is important to remember is that risk of death with a C-section is still three times higher than with a vaginal delivery and that is a stat that not many people talk about; everyone acts like C-sections are almost risk-free. Not so. Anyway, trust your instincts!!

[fms]

Drive-by post
Here are a few of the pro shots of me and the DH from this weekend:
sorry...photos are down

My friend took them and I edited/color corrected them. I will be removing the link in a few days b/c I feel like a huge dork. :o

On a similar note, I took photos of another friend on Saturday morning and she had her baby less than 24 hours later!!! (She was scheduled for a C-Section today but her baby decided he couldn't wait.)

[rosa727]

fms: The pictures are beautiful! You look great! And it is so cute that you have those with DH. Now I am jealous that I didn't get any like that done! :) What a great idea!

[sandy]

quick fly by...

fms those photos are beautiful!

rancid sounds like you are getting so close! i'm a little jealous! :)

There are so many of you who are so close! I have started feeling pressure down low... not really sure what I'm feeling but it's not comfortable. Hopefully that means I'm making progress. I have 4 more weeks until my induction!

[sunshine0928]

fms - your pics are great and you look beautiful! They turned out really nice...what a nice keepsake.

As promised, here are pictures of the curtains I made. There are two windows but the pic of one of them turned out dark. I post more of the entire room once the final task of getting some prints framed and hung is complete.

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k207/sunshine0928/Nurserypics006.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k207/sunshine0928/Nurserypics005.jpg

PS...anyone know how to make these appear smaller?

[Rancid13]

NJMom~ That sucks you still feel crappy.:( Oh the joys of being in the last stages of pregnancy, huh? Just a few more weeks to endure it at least!!

Bluebunny~ I didn’t know one could decline internals. I think I was so antsy to find out if there was anything going on “down there” that I didn’t even think to decline it. If my ob wants to do another one at tomorrow’s appt, I’ll let her. I just *need* to know what’s going on, if anything. I finally stopped bleeding sometime midday yesterday, it wasn’t all that bad, it just looked like discolored (brownish) discharge and there wasn’t a lot of it either. My cramping/backaches subsided Saturday morning, so it wasn’t awful.:cool:

Fms~ Beautiful pictures! Is your friend a professional?? You look great, I love those shots on the beach!! I wish I’d thought ahead to get pg pictures taken (not counting my weekly self-taken belly shots of course!):)

Sandy~ I am getting close! I can’t believe my original EDD and 40w point is NEXT WEEK, where did the time go!? As long as I make it thru Thanksgiving day without having to be in the hospital, baby can come ANYtime after that!:D

Sunshine~ The curtains look great!! I love the colors in your nursery, it’s so girlie and pretty!!:)

~~~~~~~~~
Still here, still very pregnant. I'm thinking I'm gonna make it at least through Thanksgiving, which I'm very happy about. It's my favorite holiday and I wasn't wanting to miss it to have to be in the hospital, KWIM? I have been eating some very spicy Chinese food (kung pao chicken anyone?) about every other day, which has done little else than majorly clear my sinuses, and have been trying to walk more often than I have been, which is tough now that my feet are getting swollen earlier and earlier in the day.

Other than that, my next ob appt is tomorrow so we'll see if anything's happened since Friday's internal/membrane stripping...I'd like to meet this little guy already but right now I'm in no rush for some reason. This is my last (partial) week at work, I can't wait to be off on Weds and not have to come back until sometime late Jan/early Feb, whooho!!

[Kimmer]

Delaney - I guess you are right, I am thinking the doc is hoping I will forget about all the drama and become a RO. :)

Rancid - Glad your PIH blood test results were normal. I can't believe you got your membranes stripped. :eek: Wow that means we are really moving along now. Hopefully tomorrow you find you have progressed

fms - your pics are amazing, I love that you are at the beach. What a beautiful way to remember this special time.

Sunshine - The curtains are beautiful. I can't wait to see the rest of the pics of your room.

Epi - I am totally getting one. I have already had it done once this pregnancy so I know what to expect and I am ok with it.


Today - I was so excited that I was getting my cerclage out today. Well I have to say this was the most horrid experience. I was in so much pain it was not funny. The doctor could not reach the stitches due to the position of my cervix, the pain I was in and the lighting conditions at the office. If I could have kicked him in the head and ran out of there I would have. (He is really a very sweet doctor) He felt terrible. So now I have to go back next week and he will remove them in the surgical center, in the same conditions he put them in next Friday. I am happy I will have twilight sedation for this attempt. I am so totally anti-speculum, that is not a pregnant womans friend!:mad:
If I happen to go into labor between now and next Friday I am to go immediately to the hospital and not wait for the contractions to get to 5-6 mins apart. I need to give them time to give me an epi and remove the stitches. Great:rolleyes:

[katmg]

Kimmer - Oh, I am so sorry that the cerclage removal did not go smoothly. :( My doctor has told me that if she can't remove them in office she'll remove it with anesthesia 2 weeks later at the same time that she induces. Yikes! Now I'm worried she won't be able to get them in the office. Hope that you are feeling better today.

[Carissa]

Kimmer I am sorry the experience wasn't a good one.

My Cousin who was due on the 2nd is in labor now, it is getting close for everyone :)

[rosa727]

Kimmer: I am so sorry to hear about your bad experience. I hope that it is easy and painless next week.

38 week appointment: I went to the doctor yesterday to see whether there had been any progress. Unfortunately, there really has not been. My cervix is still closed, although she said it was much softer. That is not what I wanted to hear a week and a half before my due date! BUT, she reminded me that it really does not tell you anything about when labor will begin. It is probably especially true for me since my mom had no dilation or anything the DAY before she went into labor. So you never know. She did say she would have stripped my membranes, but she likes to wait until you are at least a centimeter or two dilated. The good news is that this exam was not nearly as uncomfortable since the baby is lower. And his head is still down.

measurement: I guess it doesn't mean too much, but I was measuring 38 cm, which is dead-on for 38 weeks, so I was happy about that.

itchiness: The doctor did prescribe a stronger medicated cream for my itchiness. She also said that Benadryl is very safe to take, so I can use that at night if it helps (which it does).

[fms]

I finally have a spare moment to write. Thanks for all of the compliments on our photos. Rosa and Rancid...you guys could probably find someone to do them on short notice if you called around a bit. At the very least, have your DH take some with your digital. We're not going to be pg forever and time is of the essence. It can also be a fun "event" for the two of you ;) I'd suggest using the natural light from a window to get some good moody shots. www.jenniferloomis.com has some great examples of beautiful photos.

Sunshine...you can make the photos smaller by resizing to a smaller overall pixel size (say 300x400 pixels in lieu of 600x800.)
The baby's room is so cute! I love how girly it is.

Rosa...sorry to hear that you are not "soft and open" Your time will come soon enough :) We're all looking forward to you and Rancid posting about labor.

Katmg and Kimmer...I really, really hope that you ladies have no more issues with your stitches. owie :(

Ranicd..enjoy your big turkey dinner and your time off of work. Walking out of work and knowing that you won't be back for several weeks will feel so liberating!!

Sandy...4 weeks will fly by. Enjoy the last remaining weeks of your pregnancy

Does anyone else's baby have a favorite spot to sit? Around 7pm every night I get a little butt sticking out of my abdomen just to the right of my belly button. My DH and I crack up watching the baby move the left and then come right back to the same spot. I really do feel like I'm starring in Aliens some days. I was at my family doctor this morning b/c of an ear infection and will be visiting my OB this afternoon. I'm looking forward to the doctor visits being over. Ok, must try to concentrate and get back to work.

[mandersald]

hi ladies-
Sorry I haven't been back here in a while...thanks for all the nice words. We're SO happy to have our little guy here happy and healthy. Our stay in the NICU was NOT pleasant, and we're thrilled to be home.

I just wanted to drop off some pictures of our little man. here's how he looked when we first got to see him. It was very scary to see all the tubes and things.
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i7/mandersald/IMG_1750.jpg

but, now here he is wireless. :)

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i7/mandersald/noah2.jpg

and finally, here is a 1 week pp belly shot. i've lost 18 pounds in the past 2.5 weeks. its so weird.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i7/mandersald/1wpp.jpg

Good luck to everyone! rosa and rancid hope you guys are next!!

[Rancid13]

Kimmer~ I’m sorry to hear that the cerclage removal didn’t go as planned. You poor thing!! I hope the next time goes smoother and that you’re feeling better today.:)

Rosa~ Bummer for no progression yet! But like your mom says, you never know just when you’ll go into labor!! Yay for the baby being lower! I take Benadryl at night too, moreso to help me get and stay asleep than for the itching, LOL.:p

Fms~ I might have DH take some pictures of me/my belly, he’s become quite the amateur photographer lately with his new camera and fancy schmancy lenses. The only day we both have off together this week is TG Day so we’ll see about that. ;)

Mandersald~ I’m so happy to hear that you guys are home and all is going well after the stay in the NICU. He’s such a little cutie!!! You look GREAT at 1w PP!:D

39 week appt~ Well I had what could technically be called my 39w appt this morning (even though I don’t “turn” 39w until Thurs) and a quick internal revealed that I am now 1cm dilated and baby is at a station -3. Hey, it's 1cm more than I was on Friday!! He’s lower than last week, as my belly measured 38cm as opposed to 39cm on Friday, but still not low enough. :)

I called my mom after my appt (as I do every week) and she asked me if I told the doctor about our “family history”. Apparently both she and my grandma (accounting for 7 total children) have histories of VERY fast labors/deliveries; we’re talking about going from being 1-2cm dilated to pushing in a matter of hours. So you never know! I might stay at 1cm dilated for 2-3 more weeks, or I could be like my mom/grandma and progress very quickly from here. No membrane stripping today. I saw my doc's physicians asst since my doc was in an emergency c-section (although I did pass her in the hall on my way out).

[rosa727]

mandersald: Thanks for sharing the pictures! I am so glad to hear that your little guy is doing so well :)

Rancid: Good news that you have had some progress! Hopefully that means your baby will be coming soon! And wouldn't it be great if you were like your mom and grandma and had a fast labor? My mom was in labor with me for about 20 hours! Yikes!

Yeah, the Benadryl does not do a lot for the itching, but it does help me sleep too.

[tinkerbelljenny]

mandersald-So glad to hear from you! You look great BTW and congrats on the weight loss already! Your guy is such a cutie! I am so glad to hear that you all are home now!

Rancid-How exciting! When is your next appointment?

Fms-Your pictures are amazing! You look so great! What beautiful pictures!

Rosa-I was just like your mom. I had no dilation with my son and the doctor even said that I was no where near having my son so my doctor took off for the weeeknd and so did my backup doctor and I ended up having the baby the next day without either of them :rolleyes:

sunshine0928-Your room is so beautiful! I love the colors!

Kimmer-Sorry about the pain, that sounds terrible!

I had my childbirth class last night. It was just me and the nurse. It was very informative. Thanks to everyone for the VBAC encouragement! However, the nurse was telling me that they won't let me labor for very long so everything has to happen fast and perfect. And I can't be induced and I can't use the jacuzzi and they will have to monitor me every second etc. I am going to talk to my doctor today and see what she says about my VBAC.

I have my 35 week appointment this afternoon, I will be 36 weeks on Friday.

[Rancid13]

Rancid: Good news that you have had some progress! Hopefully that means your baby will be coming soon! And wouldn't it be great if you were like your mom and grandma and had a fast labor? My mom was in labor with me for about 20 hours! Yikes!


Oh, I so hope I take after my mom & grandma with the L&D!

I was the first kid for my mom, and apparently pg was so easy for her, with no complications, that she had me at home w/ a midwife present. (Her phrase is "Why do I need to go to a hospital? I'm having a baby, I'm not sick or dying!") LOL! She started having mild contractions in the afternoon, followed by her water breaking. The m/w had checked her in the early evening and she was 2cm dilated so they decided it would be a loooong night and went to bed in the other room.

A couple hours (and many mild contractions-lucky!!) later my mom got out of bed and helped herself to a large piece of chocolate cake and watched some Johnny Carson, then woke up the m/w to let her know she was feeling the urge to push already. The m/w checked her out and was in disbelief to realize she was 9, almost 10cm dilated and I was starting to crown. M/w had to run out to her car to get all her supplies, she totally thought it would be sometime the next day that I'd arrive. And apparently my brother and sister came even quicker....:rolleyes:

Her m/w had moved out of state by the time my brother came around so instead of the home birth for him and my sister, she had them in the birthing center adjacent to the hospital, which was as close to home as you could get. She had my dad get her some In N Out burger while she was in labor w/my brother, as the nurses wouldn't let her have anything more than ice chips, LOL. I love hearing her stories!

Tinkerbelljenny~ I have my NST @ the hospital this afternoon and on Friday morning, my next ob appt is next Tuesday. :)

[Carissa]

mandersald What a cutie :)!!

sunshine awesome job in the curtains!

rosa sorry about the lack of progress, hoping the baby doesn't wait to long.

rancid hoping you make it past Thursday :)

Not a lot going on here lots of contractions, my family is in for Thanksgiving and taking pretty good care of me. I am loving all the help. Hope everyone enjoys the holiday!

[rosa727]

Just dropping off my 38 week belly shot (well, 38 weeks, 3 days). I feel like I cannot get any bigger, so I really hope he comes relatively soon!

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a343/rosa727/IMG_0088.jpg?t=1164142487

[Kimmer]

Thanks everyone for the well wishes.
I had my OB appointment today and told her about my ordeal yesterday. She said if the specialist can't get the stitches out by chance, she will be on call that day and will come in a do a C-section. I was like what????:eek: That means I could have a baby next Friday December 1st.

She said she only knew of one case where they couldn't get them out b/c the cervix had grown over the stitches. She said it is not the end of the world b/c they could always wait until after the birth and attempt to remove them when I wasn't pregnant and the cervix is not in such an irritated state.

I just wanted to post an update on my nursery progress. I still have a few more things to get done but we are moving along.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g222/Kimmer30/N002.jpg

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g222/Kimmer30/N009.jpg
Curtain Rod-The finials were a surprise for DH, he loves them.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g222/Kimmer30/N004.jpg
Switch Plate - Another surprise for DH.

I have to change the curtains I thought I would like the shorter curtains but I don't so I ordered the longer ones now I am waiting for them to arrive. I still have to hang all of the wall stuff.

[Delaney21]

Mitchell Martin S**** was born yesterday (Nov. 20th) at 2:41pm. He weighs 6lbs, 6ozs and is 19 inches long - not too bad for being 3 weeks early! I am totally in love!

Both Mitchell and I are doing very well and we are home from the hospital already. I'll be back tomorrow with pictures and my birth story! :D

[polydactylcat]

Congratulations Delaney!!! and Welcome Baby Mitchell!! Can't wait to hear all of the happy details!

mandersald - he is adorable! So happy to see you all are home and "wireless". What an order the NICU can be - my sister's baby stayed there for a while as well and it was a very trying time.

Kimmer - Sorry to hear the cerclage removal didn't go well and that it was so unpleasant! Hopefully all will go well with the removal on Friday... otherwise we'll be celebrating yet another December birth :) The nursery looks fantastic!

rosa - you're probably tired of people telling you this but you are tiny tiny tiny! Hope the baby makes progress soon though!

rancid - we should all be so lucky to go as fast as your mom! hopefully those genes passed right onto you and you'll be wowing us with your labor story very soon.

sunshine - the curtains are beautiful!

Everything is moving so quickly!! Hooray!

[tinkerbelljenny]

Yeah another baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congrats Delaney21!!
Welcome Mitchell Martin! Love the name btw! We are probably going to use Martin as a middle name too since it was my grandfathers middle name. Can't wait to see a picture!

Back from my 36 week appointment. My doctor said I will be 36 weeks tonight at midnight. I had the Group B Strep test done, I think that is the name of it. I also had an internal and nothing is happening. My next appointment is NOV 28th.

WOW Kimmer! You could have a baby very soon! Love the sports theme for your nursery!

Rosa-You look great!

[Kimmer]

WOW another baby!!!
Congrats Delaney Welcome Baby Mitchell !!!
This is so awsome


Rosa - those jeans are really cute. Cute belly as well :)

Tink- thanks my DH was so happy I gave in to the sports theme. He is a basketball freak. The things we do for love :rolleyes:

[Rancid13]

Congratulations Delaney! Welcome Mitchell! I'm so happy for you!! I can't wait to hear more about your little guy!!!! :D :D :D

[Rancid13]

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:
I was at the hospital this afternoon for my NST and apparently my ob had been concerned about my bp this morning at my appt (150/90), so she had the NST nurse call her to report my bp after it had been taken. Of course my bp was lower at 134/65 as it usually is at the NST, and I could hear the nurse outside the room having a long conversation with my ob about how she felt I was NOT at risk for PIH based on the records there at the hospital (fluid levels being normal, passing my PIH blood tests w/flying colors, no symptoms of PIH, great fetal movement and uterine activity, etc). The nurse was going on and on about how human error could have been miscalculating my bp at my ob appts, as the hospital's bp machines are all mechanized (ie: the machine does all the work, there's not someone counting out my pulse beats, etc) so there's really no margin of error at my NSTs and my bp has been fantastic at all 15 or 16 of my appts there so far.

So we get the ultrasound done and I LOVE the nurse I saw, I'd never been seen by this one before. She was super nice and super talkative so we got to get a good long look at the baby. He was sucking his hand, and trying to pull his foot up to his face and moving all over. She said he was a good size, which is not typical of the baby of someone with PIH so she was very sure that I didn't have it based on all the evidence. I did talk to my ob by phone while at the hospital and she wants me to do another blood test at my next NST on Friday morning, which isn't a problem. She was also going to consult a perinatologist (sp??) to get a second opinion on the whole blood pressure situation. I left the hospital and stopped by DH's work to let him know how everything went.

We were sitting and chatting when my cell phone went off and it was my ob. The perinatologist is on her side, erring on the side of caution and here's the plan:

I'll get my blood drawn at my NST on Friday. If the results come up abnormal, I will be admitted to labor & delivery at the hospital and induced that day.

If the results come up normal, my ob will compromise with me on the induction date, letting me get to 39.5w. She thinks that he's going to arrive on his own before then, and will admit & induce me on Monday morning if I don't go into labor prior to that.

So that's that!!! For some reason, she has a very strong feeling that this little guy is going to come on his own before Monday's check-in to the hospital (assuming my blood test is normal of course). I'm still in shock!:eek: :eek:

[AmyE]

CONGRATS Delaney! I"m so happy to hear that both you and baby are doing well!

Mandersald - what a cutie!!!

Bring on more babies!! (um, but not mine yet. they aren't allowed to come until after Dec 1. I've already explained that to the both of them. Because I said so. :D )

[tinkerbelljenny]

WOW Rancid, you are very close!

Anyone else having to go to the bathroom all the time? I swear I have to go right after I go. Ha! I almost peed my pants waiting to be called for my appointment.

[December06Mommies]

UPDATED TO HERE

Can I suggest that we no longer list doctors visits except for the post-delivery visits? I think we are all at the point where we need to go weekly and it's getting quite difficult to keep the thread current with the appointments.

[sophiapb]

Congratulations Delaney and welcome Mitchell Martin! He's a big boy for coming three weeks early! Good job! I love his name as well. Mitchell, Martin and Dean are three of my favorite boys' names (don't they sound like they should be hanging out with Frank, Sammy and the other ratpackers at the Tropicana?). ;) :p

Mandersald-Noah is gorgeous! He's looking strong and healthy and you are looking lean and mean. Congratulations!

I'm getting excited for you Rancid! Crossing my fingers that you have a calm Thanksgiving before mommyhood hits you full force!

Kimmer-Love the nursery and especially the finials!

tinkerbelljenny-Yup, I'm constantly in the bathroom and it's getting annoying. I go to the bathroom and then fifteen minutes later, someone rolls over my bladder and I have to go again. :rolleyes: Ah, the joys of the final month of pregnancy!

Update on me-I had been having jabs in my cervix for the past few days so I was convinced that I was starting to dialate. At my appointment yesterday, the OB did an internal (heavens, they are painful!) and I'm closed up tight. :rolleyes: I know it's a good thing and it's far too early for delivery but I'm getting tired of crotch pains and having to manually move my belly with my hands whenever I roll over in bed and feeling wiped out if I stand for more than five minutes. ~sigh~ Will my pity parties never end? ;)
The good news is that everything is going well with the pregnancy. I start on weekly doctors visits and NSTs next week because of my history but, despite all my whining, my doctor is impressed with how well I'm doing. I have everything set for my hospital bag, sorted through a bunch of newborn clothes and got the nursery pretty much cleared out so I'm feeling almost set. I think we are going to buy another Pack n Play to use as a basinett and future travel crib. Our current one is on the main floor as a diaper changing station and will also be used for naps during the day. Once we get that all set up, I think I can breathe a sigh of relief and feel "READY"!

[RileyMom]

Hi ladies -

I haven't been in here in forever, but a little birdie in my LJ told me there was some people having babies over here. :D

I just wanted to offer a belated congratulations to Mandersald and a congratulations to Delany on the birth of their sons! Glad everyone is doing well.

Me, I'm 37 weeks today and have scheduled a c-section due to my baby being a footling breech. I'm scheduled for Dec. 7.

Anyway, just wanted to stop by and say congrats to you all, even though I haven't really particpated in this thread for a while.

Good luck to Rancid over the coming days. Hopefully you'll at least make it through Thanksgiving! ;)

[rosa727]

Congratulations Delaney!! I'm so glad your little guy is healthy and a good size, even though he was early. Can't wait to see pictures!

Rancid: WOW - looks like my due date buddy will having her baby well before me! That is SO exciting! You must be freaking to know you will be having the baby by Monday at the latest! Good luck!

sophiapb: I am in the same boat with the cervix jabs constantly. I really thought that they meant something was happening too. But no - here I am at almost 39 weeks, and I am all closed up. Sorry to hear you are so uncomfortable :(

We got two pack 'n plays for the same reason that you mentioned. One will be on the main floor of the house and used for naps and changing during the day. The other one will be set up as his bassinett and then used as a travel crib for later (I figure we can keep it all closed up and ready to go).

Kimmer: Thanks! They were my last maternity purchase. They are actually the Old Navy cords. I got them for my last shower, even though I really should NOT have been buying maternity clothes at 37 weeks!

polydactylcat: Yeah, no one thinks that I am anywhere near my due date, based on my size. And maybe I'm not, based on all of the signs! Just kidding - I'm sure he will come out relatively soon!

itching: OK - I know I complain about this constantly. But I don't know what to do anymore. The Benadryl cannot even really help me sleep because the itching is so bad it is now waking me up anyway. It has spread inside my ears and my eyes itch badly too (no rash though). And the new skin cream that was prescribed says it may cause birth defects when taken by PG women. So I am not taking it, no matter HOW bad it is. My doctor does not usually induce until you are at least 2 weeks late. And I feel bad because I REALLY do not want to be induced, and I am fine being PG for a while more, except for the itching. I can't sleep, and I feel more drained every day. I was feeling so ready for labor, but now I feel distracted and just exhausted. I am really hoping that if I have no progress by next week's appointment (which will be just before my EDD), we can discuss induction earlier.

[sandy]

Congrats Delaney!! And welcome Mitchell Martin!!! :):)

mandersald-- What a cutie!!!! :)

rancid-- WOW! Monday at the latest?!? I'm so excited for you!

rosa-- cute belly! You're ALL baby!

[Kimmer]

sophiapb: I am getting the same cervix jabs as well.
tinkerbelljenny: I am having the same issue. I get this intense feeling that I have to hurry and get to the bathroom, i get there and it is a trickle. Then 3-4 mins later I have to go again. I feel like I should just pitch a tent and camp out for a while. :rolleyes:

Rosa - sorry the itching is so bad, I couldn't imagine my ears and eyes itching. That has to be horrid.

Rancid - a baby by Monday! WOW! You are next, you are next! That beautiful nursery will have its new owner soon.

[Carissa]

Congrats Delaney and Welcome Baby Mitchell!! :)

Rancid Goodluck :)

I have a feeling I'll be one of the last to go :)

[janu98]

I have a feeling I'll be one of the last to go :)[/QUOTE]


You and me both !! We share the same due date :cool:

[VeekaSF]

Congrats Delaney Welcome Baby Mitchell !!!

Wow, things are moving fast in here...

[fms]

Wow! I'm glad I'm not a betting woman. I would have never guessed who was going to go first, last, etc.

CONGRATS to Delaney and her DH. Welcome to Mitchell :D

It's so exciting to hear about the babies arriving. (Makes me nervous as well. So much to do...so little time. I have got to get some things knocked off the to-do list asap.)

Kimmer...the room is so cute. I played basketball so, I can appreciate your DH's love of the game.

Madersald...awwww. He is so sweet. Glad to hear that Noah is doing well and you are out of the scary part.

Rancid...OMG it's real. Your little family will no longer be a two-some come Monday. Good Luck and keep us posted. :D

Rosa...you need to wear mittens to not scratch :p Hopefully the turkey and a tiny glass of vino will make you sleepy enough to get some serious sleep to gear up for labor.

Tinkerbelljelly...During the day I pee a lot but at night, I'm still holding out for once and *maybe* twice a night. I do know where every bathroom is at every supermarket, Target, etc.

Sophiab...welcome to the home stretch. Jabs, pains, etc. are all part of the fun!

AmyE...I'm *sure* that the twins will listen. They are probably conspiring against you as we speak. I grew up with a set of friends who were twins and their parents never had a chance.

Riley...welcome back. We'll keep our fingers crossed for you on 12.07.06.

Veeka, Janu and Carissa...we're cheering for you push those tax deductions out before the New Year ;) Seriously, you never know when the little ones will choose to make their grand entrance. They tend to have their own agenda.

I'm sorry if I missed anyone!!! I dealt with a slab leak in our plumbing this morning and didn't sleep well last night due to my stupid ear infection so, I'm loopy today.